Extended Epilogue

Five Years Later…

Dakota looked down into her husband's eyes and lost herself for a moment. She swam in the blue ponds momentarily before remembering what she was doing.

When she returned to the moment, she rocked her hips back and forth ever so gently, the weight of her breasts causing them to swing just above William's chest. He brought up his hands to cup them and hold them still.

She smiled down at her husband and received a smile in return. Could life get any more perfect that this? She was in the hands of her husband, atop him, and she could feel the love radiating from him. That love had grown with the birth of their first three children, and Dakota felt the warmth of tickling butterfly wings in her stomach at the thought of creating a fourth child.

She did not think they could love each other more, but that love had continued to grow with each new child, and Dakota could already feel her love growing at the mere thought of another child.

She moved her hips a little faster but became distracted by her husband. He was looking slightly past her and had a perturbed expression on his face.

"What is it, me love?"

"Och, I cannae make love to ye with him starin' down at me!"

"He's nae starin' down at ye!"

"Aye, he is, and it looks like he's judgin' me for what I'm doin'. He's a beast!"

"Aye, he is," laughed Dakota.

She did not need to look back to know exactly what William was talking about, and as she thought about it, she started to giggle, rocking quicker atop her husband. It almost caused her to burst, but William stopped that by shifting, so she had to roll to the side and off him.

Dakota had redecorated the room they now shared, and a recent addition had been a magnificent portrait of her horse Cloud. She had made the mistake of placing it on the wall closest to the foot of the bed, and when lying in the bed, it did look like the animal was staring down. She had not yet gotten around to moving the painting.

William rolled Dakota over so her back was to him and surrounded her with warmth, spooning his wife and wrapping an arm around her. She reached down to guide his manhood back inside, and he took the reins now, thrusting back and forth with his hips. She loved to be embraced by his strong arms.

He pushed until she accepted every inch of him, and it felt like she was melting in a warm back of cream. She wanted to submerge herself in her husband's everlasting warmth and strength.

She reached around with one hand to run her fingers through his hair, and the other found the oak headboard. She tried not to arch her back so he could move inside her entirely, but it was hard.

William's hand moved up her stomach and onto her breast. He held it there as he moved languidly back and forth inside her, pressing his warm stomach to her back and holding it for a moment before pulling almost all the way out and then gently thrusting back in.

Dakota held his head, pulling his face to the back of her neck. She felt a tender kiss on her skin, and her body trembled under his touch. She pushed her rear back to welcome his sword into her sheath again.

The pleasure was coming. It was building slowly, but it was coming. Dakota closed her eyes and ran her fingers down the ornate carvings of the headboard. She pushed her fingertips through the Laird's thick black hair.

William pressed his chest and stomach into her back and held his warmth there. Dakota felt her body tense as the warm glow of emotion sparked in her core. It was not a feeling that she could hold back anymore, and a long, quiet moan escaped her.

She closed her eyes tighter and leaned her head back onto William's chest. She tilted her head to the side to press her cheek to his hairy chest. He kissed her temple, William's lips hovering there for a second. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and wanted to kiss him, but she could not reach his lips.

She did not want to move from her position—the pleasure was building like a babbling brook. The flow remained the same, but the pool at the end grew larger.

The oncoming ecstasy swelled like her belly would soon when she was with child again. Dakota could scarcely remember a time when she did not have a child in her stomach. Five years and counting with the Laird, and she had been pregnant in three of them.

Dakota gripped her husband's hair tightly as the jolt entered her core. She tensed her stomach, wrapping her opening tightly around his thick shaft, and held on for as long as possible.

"Aye," she gasped. "Aye, that feels good."

Another long moan followed, but a louder one this time.

"Oh, aye!"

As soon as she moaned the words, she felt the familiar eruption within. The Laird's long shaft twinged, and she tightened even more around it. He pushed fully in and squeezed her breast tighter. Another shift of his hips out and in, and a pleasing groan came from behind Dakota.

The liquid gold streamed inside, and Dakota breathed in and out slowly, satisfied once more.

Another thrust of his hips and the silken life-bringing liquid was propelled into her depths.

"Mmm," whispered Dakota as she felt the embrace from inside.

The two of them loosened on the bed but remained as one.

"Ye daenae have to go, do ye?"

"Nay, there's naywhere I need to be today other than with me wife and bairns."

"Ye daenae need to talk to more of the clans ?" asked Dakota, holding herself against her husband. She wanted to ensure she had him to herself for the day.

"Nay, not today. It is slow goin', and many of the clans are rightfully wary, but they ken it makes sense to join together. And, I ken the English are a lot more fearful of instigatin' anythin' over the border with the strength we are buildin'. They daenae dare start any trouble, but they daenae meddle in politics or regulatin' the trade routes either."

"Yer name will go down in history for this, William. There has never been peace at the border like this before. We have remained on civil terms with the English since I was alive, but it's always been an uneasy peace. I have spoken to quite a few clans-folk who daenae live in any fear of a war brewin'—neither between the English nor between the clans ."

"I daenae do it for any glory. We should have done this a long time ago. There is strength in numbers."

"Aye, there is, and our family is becomin' stronger every year. Go on, what do ye think our next bairn will be?" asked Dakota.

"I think it will be a wee boy," he announced.

"Och, I want ye to be right again, but I hope ye are wrong just for me sanity. A boy and then two girls, and ye have predicted each one right. I daenae ken how ye do it!"

"I'm just never wrong; that's the long and short of it."

"Well, I ken that is nae true," laughed Dakota. "I can cite many times ye have been wrong, William. Would ye like me to go through them all?"

"Nay, I'd rather not," laughed William. "And speakin' of families, how are yers doin'? Have ye heard from them in a while?"

"Aye, Delilah sends me a letter regularly each month, but it has been a long time since I saw any of them, and they are so spread out now. I must plan to return to the castle and visit Dominic. He's grown into a fine man, but he's nay lost his wit. I should go and check that things are fine in there. He willnae ever ask for help if he needs it, which could stop him from becoming a great leader. It willnae hurt to talk some sense into me wee brother."

"Aye, he is a fine man now, but there's always room for improvement."

"Delilah is happy. Or, she tells me she is happy, but I'm sure she is from how she writes. She's still as stubborn as a mule, but she's found her way in life. And Daisy? She is still helpin' people in the way she finds best, and there are always goin' to be those who think it isnae natural for a lass to be healin' people. I hope that changes."

"Aye, it always does. We daenae have to look far back to times when we thought wrong. Daisy is doin' good work, and she will pave the way for more to do the same—I truly believe that."

"I hope ye are right."

"I am," laughed William. "I am always right. I thought we discussed that already."

"Oh, aye, how could I forget?" smiled Dakota. "Here, bring yer arm around more."

Dakota pulled William's arm around until she was engulfed. She lay there with him still inside her, taking the time to ensure the seed had been fully planted before moving from the bed.

William helped Dakota to dress before he donned his shirt and trousers. Dakota moved over to the window and looked out as her husband finished dressing. She cast her eye over the large estate that their clan inhabited. She could not see the border between England and Scotland, but looking in that direction filled her with hope.

The Englishman installed in place of Conall Millar was a small, weasel-like man, but while he looked like a wet rodent most of the time, he had no aspirations of embodying the characteristics. He ran everything by the book and was happy to be told what to do by the surrounding clans to maintain peace at the border and through the trade routes.

He was as happy to have no trouble as the Scots were.

Dakota looks down at the apple orchard. The gardeners were in amongst the trees, harvesting the bright red apples, and that meant there would be apple pies and jams cooked up in the kitchens in the next few days. Dakota's mouth watered at the thought of it.

"Are ye ready to go, me love?" asked William.

Dakota turned to him. "Aye."

William held out his arm, and Dakota took it. She could not help glancing at him from the corner of her eye as they walked. He might only have been wearing a simple cream shirt and brown trousers, but he looked as handsome as ever. She was sure he had grown more handsome than when they had first met.

She held into his arm tight as he led her toward the nursery.

"Good day, m'Laird. Good day, m'Lady," said the maid as she passed.

Dakota smiled and nodded in return. She had a great relationship with the castle staff, and they all enjoyed working for her. She had the respect of the clan also.

Many had begrudged the Laird running off to her father's castle, but the subsequent kidnapping by Conall and the rescue and outcome had bolstered the clan . Since then, Dakota had worked tirelessly with her husband to ensure the future of their clan and the clans around them.

She had gained favor with her people by working for them to build a better future.

And she had built a better future for herself with the Laird. Three children and hopefully more on the way. As they neared the nursery, a smile appeared on her face in expectation of the joy that was contained within.

She had only just rounded the corner when William called out, her child, not her husband. The young boy ran straight for her, and she caught him up in her arms.

William had been right about their firstborn (and all their children so far), and William Jr. was already growing into a strapping young lad. He would take over the Lairdship someday, but for now, he was a playful four-year-old with his mother's sense of fun.

She pinched his cheeks and held him tightly. He had his father's looks, and he would become as tall going by his current size. He had the strength of his father and the stubbornness of both his parents combined.

Margaret came toddling up next. She was three years old, and she loved all things pink. The bright pink dress, one of four, was a testament to that. Yet, she was not girly in any way.

While she loved to wear pink, she most liked playing pretend sword fights with her brother and wrestling him to the ground whenever possible. William was very good at letting her do that to him.

William scooped his daughter up in his arms when she got to her parents. He held her close to Dakota so she could kiss their daughter on the cheek.

The third child, Abigail, was in the arms of the nanny, who was rocking her gently from side to side and singing a soothing lullaby.

"So, I was thinkin' we could take a walk down to the loch and spend the day down there, just the five of us," suggested William.

"Aye, that sounds perfect," replied Dakota.

William held his daughter in one arm and wrapped the other around Dakota and his son. He pulled Dakota in tight, and she was surrounded by her husband and her children—she was engulfed in love.

Dakota often thought back to the moment she had been forced to marry the Laird and the terror she had felt at having to be with a man she did not know. Yet, it had led to the most beautiful life imaginable, a future she could not have foreseen.

She could now foresee some of her future and imagine how other parts might look, but there was still the excitement of the adventure and twists and turns that would come.

She could not wait to experience it with her family.

The End