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  Brave

  A Fractured Fairy Tale

  J.E. Taylor

  Brave © 2018 J.E. Taylor

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  © 2017 Cover Art by Cora Graphics

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  BRAVE

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  About J.E. Taylor

  BRAVE

  An ultimatum. A curse. A forbidden love.

  May Stewart’s father, King James VII, demands she choose a husband within a fortnight. The list of approved suitors leaves her uninspired at the courtship festivities until fate intervenes, and an uninvited stranger sparks her interest.

  Unfortunately, even uttering handsome Aiden MacMahon’s surname is a capital offense, for it whispers of a dark curse that dictates the daylight belongs to the beast on their family crest.

  The MacMahon name is not a choice the king will allow for May, but she cannot deny the connection she has with Aiden.

  When May discovers her own secret lineage holds the key to reversing the MacMahon curse, her choice of suitor becomes so much more than just a marriage match.

  But choosing Aiden MacMahon could lead them both into death’s cold embrace.

  Chapter 1

  Being branded with a hot iron would be a more pleasant experience than this fresh hell.

  My gaze rose to the ornate architecture surrounding the throne room as the last in the long line of suitors bumbled through his offer for my hand. My father, King James Stewart VII, sat on the throne with my mother next to him. He played with his white-speckled beard while his gaze remained stoic. It was one of his more identifiable tells. He was just as bored with these simpering fools as I was. My mother, on the other hand, seemed to be enthralled with each suitor. She smiled endlessly and every so often, she wound a stray wisp of her auburn hair around her finger as she listened.

  She was trying, which was more than I could say for me. My father called these men noble, but while they may have been from a family with high political or social ties, they certainly did not represent what noble meant to me. This entire ordeal was a farce, and what made things worse was my father expected me to pick a husband from this sad lot.

  It wasn’t as if they were the bane of human existence—a couple of them were lookers—but none of them truly had what I was looking for. Spark. Fire. Passion. These things were missing, replaced with a cockiness that I abhorred. Their demeanor suggested I should be the one bowing down to them as if God had granted me a unique viewing of perfection incarnate. Others offered the brawn without the brains, and I really needed someone intellectually stimulating.

  I glanced at my father after the last had stated his lineage and what he offered. Every one of them only offered goods in exchange for my hand, like I was something to barter for instead of an equal to build a lasting connection with.

  If one had said he offered a promise of a lifetime of adventure, love, and happiness, that would have been the man I chose in a heartbeat. I wanted someone who saw me as their partner, not a possession.

  Not one of these men would do. I met my father’s gaze and shook my head.

  He gave a wave, and the room started to clear. Both my parents waited until the audience was gone and the doors to the throne room closed before turning to me.

  “May, what was wrong with these men?” my father asked.

  My mother let out a chuckle and exchanged a glance with me. “They think of her as a prize, sweetheart. Not a heart to be won.”

  “That’s poppycock and you know it,” he said as he stood.

  “Did you hear a one offering her a future like no other?” she asked.

  My father’s lips thinned. “This isn’t negotiable. You are going to choose a suitor, one whom I approve of, within the next fortnight. Understand?”

  “Do you not want your only daughter to be as happy as we are?” my mother chided.

  “My dear, Katherine,” he said, taking my mother’s hands, “our marriage was arranged as well.”

  “Aye, but I did not know that when you went about wooing me. You had long weaseled your way into my heart before my parents told me we were already betrothed. Had you come before me in this setting, in the way these boys did, I would have scoffed just as much as May.”

  I could see the wheels in my father’s head plotting against me with his choice for a proper husband. “I will choose when I am good and ready,” I said.

  “You have a fortnight. If not, I will choose for you.” He gave me a final nod before he spun and stalked out of the throne room.

  My mother sighed and turned her gaze to me. “You’re going to have to stop being so fussy, my dear.” She glanced at the window as the last of the light faded from the sky. “It’s time to gather in the great hall.”

  I sighed and brushed my flame-red hair out of my face. “Do I have to?”

  “Aye. Mingle, see if anyone grows on you.”

  “Fine.” I followed her to the great hall where the families of the line of men volleying for my attentions all gathered.

  The tension in the room was as thick as the scent of the feast. The boys posturing with each other was like watching dueling roosters. The minute they noticed I was in the room, they made a mad dash to my side, doting on me in the most annoying of ways.

  While most girls would love a group of men getting her drinks, and food, and dessert, nearly falling all over themselves to do so, it grated on my nerves.

  “I am perfectly capable of feeding myself,” I snapped as spoons and forks were shoved in my face. “Now, please, give me some space!”

  As if they were one single unit, they all stepped back, letting me breathe a little before they all tried to engage in further conversation.

  That was when he caught my eye.

  A man stood in the shadows, leaning against the wall in a manner that was both relaxed and possibly the sexiest damn thing I had ever seen. He had not been amongst the suitors in the throne room. I would have remembered that intense stare and sense of aloofness.

  He stood taller than most men in the room with a build that was 100 percent muscle filling out his shirt and his tight knickers. His dark hair curled at the ends, matching the lashes on his bedroom eyes, the blue of his irises as distinctly bright as the daytime sky.

  He kept my gaze, and a hint of a dimple appeared in his cheek before he gave me a slow nod of acknowledgement.

  I wondered if he had the mind to go with all that eye candy. Curiosity won out and I crossed the room. All talk ceased when I stopped a few feet from the interesting stranger, studying him. Up close he was even mor
e stunning than from a distance, especially when he flashed a smile revealing a set of the whitest teeth I had seen all day.

  “Princess May,” he said in a deep baritone voice that dried all the saliva in my mouth. He bowed with the formality of common folk, but his clothes indicated he came from the highborn class.

  “I am at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I have yet to make your acquaintance.” I couldn’t help continuing my study of the man. I had to staunch the urge to reach out and touch his chest to settle the silent argument in my head that he was just a figment of my imagination.

  “Aidan MacMahon,” he said.

  “Aidan.” The name played on my tongue in the most delicious manner.

  He cleared his throat and grinned as his eyes panned the audience behind me. “I apologize for missing the formalities in the throne room.” An interesting hue of pink bloomed in his cheeks, and his gaze dropped to mine again. “But I was unable to make it in time.”

  A litany of questions came to mind, but I didn’t know which one to ask first, so instead, I bit my bottom lip and just stared into the depth of his eyes. Being tongue-tied wasn’t my usual affliction, but Aidan seemed to have that effect on me. He didn’t seem to mind the silence between us, in fact, it almost suited him.

  I blinked, broke eye contact, and licked my lips. “May I inquire as to why you missed the formalities?”

  He laughed lightly. “I had a bear of a time getting here.” He winked at me, and then his gaze moved over my head. He dropped to his knee. “Your Highness,” he said and bowed his head.

  My father stepped by my side with narrowed eyes. “You were not among the nobles in the throne room,” he said with a sharpness that made me want to cower.

  “No, Your Highness. My duties required my attention. Therefore, I was unable to make it in time.” Aidan stood, but kept his eyes averted.

  My father crossed his arms, unimpressed by Aidan’s response. “Are you of noble blood, boy?”

  Aidan’s gaze jumped to my father’s and then mine. He shifted his weight and nodded. “Aye, but it is an ancient line that has all but been forgotten.”

  “And what line might that be?”

  Aidan sighed and cleared his throat. “The House of MacMahon.” His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper that only my father and I could pick up in the din.

  My father tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t they die off nearly a hundred years ago?”

  Aidan shrugged. “Almost, but not all of us were put down.”

  The way he described his family’s demise piqued my interest. The phrase “put down” was usually reserved for animals, not human beings. His gaze moved from my father’s to mine, and it set a fire in my soul.

  “I suggest you find your way out. Now.” My father gripped my arm and turned, leading me away from Aidan.

  I glanced over my shoulder and caught Aidan’s frown. His shoulders sagged, and he turned, disappearing into the dark hallway.

  My heart dropped into my stomach. I sent a glare at my father. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because the MacMahon’s are cursed.”

  I stopped walking. “Explain,” I demanded.

  “No. You have a fortnight. I suggest you start thinking of a proper suitor among the men who are here.”

  “And if I said I choose Aiden MacMahon?” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could catch them. Being obstinate was a part of my charm, but my father did not take it well.

  He paled and pressed his lips together. “That is not an option.” He let go of my arm and sauntered away.

  The moment he left my side, the vultures attacked as adamantly as they had before. Each boy vied for my attention, but my mind was elsewhere. I half listened to their stories, nodding occasionally until I finally excused myself.

  I could not take their leering any longer.

  As I walked away, a fight broke out between a few of the boys. I did not stop to see what the outcome was. I had no interest in any of them. The only man tonight who sparked my curiosity was forbidden.

  Chapter 2

  The castle cleared out by the middle of the next day. I made my way to the grand hall to get some food, happy with the quiet now permeating the building. It gave me a chance to really focus on all that had transpired the prior evening.

  Sometime in the wee hours of the night, I had made up my mind. Aiden MacMahon was at the top of my list, curse be damned. If my father wouldn’t agree to the arrangement, then I would refuse to marry any suitor he chose. I knew my position would incite the full fury of my father, but he’d clearly stated I needed to make a choice, and soon.

  My parents looked up as I entered the dining hall. My father sat back in the chair and crossed his arms. “I have narrowed the field down to the House of Cameron, House of Dundas, and House of Fergusson.” His tone was magnanimous, as if the men who had those affiliations were the only ones on Earth.

  They were the ones who had offered the most in exchange for my hand. I grinded my teeth together. My hands clenched, and I shook my head. “No.”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and my mother looked up from her stitchery.

  “MacMahon,” I said.

  My mother gasped as if I’d said a forbidden word. She covered her mouth, and her eyes widened like a frightened child’s. “You cannot utter that name, ever!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it is a capital offence to bear that name,” my father said, glaring at me. “That is what I meant by the family is cursed. The fact that the young man stated his house in the confines of my castle means he is either daft, or actively looking for death.” He pulled out a parchment from his pocket and handed it to me.

  I unrolled the thin paper and read the words of a king who had ruled the lands in the early years. He denounced the surname MacMahon and promised death to all who still claimed the name. I stared at the law and shivered before I threw the roll back at my father.

  “You are the king, and you can withdraw this ludicrous decree.”

  His face reddened.

  I turned on my heel and left the room before either of them could say a word. My stomach rumbled, but it was nothing compared to the rage pumping heat through my veins.

  Why on God’s green earth would a king wipe out an entire house and set forth such a vile order?

  My stomach growled as the lessons I was taught of our history came flooding back. The name and all its gory history came forth. Their clan had attacked the king, along with the noble class, in a futile effort to overtake the throne. Thus, the law. My belly churned, demanding food, so I grabbed my bow and a full quiver of arrows and headed out of the castle. On foot, I stormed into the woods, hell bent on finding my own sustenance.

  Muttering under my breath and walking with a heavy foot paid a warning to all woodland animals. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and calming the burn in my chest. With my anger under control, I opened my eyes and readied my bow.

  I walked with a lighter step, near silent in my quest. Deeper into the forest I went until the sunlight faded in the thick canopy above. I had no sense in how far I had traveled from home, but I was intent on catching a rabbit or a squirrel.

  I approached a grove of thick trees and dense brush. There didn’t seem to be an obvious way through. My arms dropped to my sides as I searched for a reasonable way around the obstruction. A rumble built behind me, like a roll of thunder. I spun bringing my arrow back to my bow.

  A large brown bear stood behind me, but his eyes were not normal brown. No, they were as blue as the late afternoon sky peeking through the leaves above. His feral growl ceased the moment I faced him, and he dropped to all fours with a huff that disturbed the strands of my hair.

  My heart slammed in my chest. My hands shook as I stared at the beast down the shaft of my arrow. He was just as frozen to the spot as I was, our eyes locked in some strange death dare. And then he turned and lumbered through the woods at a speed that I never would have imagined a beast
that big could attain.

  Instead of firing my arrow, I ran after the bear, pulled along by something stronger than my own curiosity. It was then I realized the darkness falling on the woods had nothing to do with the canopy above. My senses cleared as I stepped into a field. The bear galloped across the open space as the last of the sun’s rays faded.

  I followed. Before the bear reached the woods on the far side, he reared up on his legs. I slid to a stop as light surrounded the animal. It roared as the glow transformed it. When the glare died down, the beast was now man.

  My eyes widened at the naked male a hundred yards away. He stretched, making every muscle glisten as it flexed. When he turned in my direction, I gasped at the familiar profile. His eyes widened as well.

  We stood frozen in time, our gazes locked together in a mesmerizing dance of shock and recognition. He looked away, breaking whatever hold he had over me. When he turned and headed for the woods, my feet moved from the spot I stood.

  “Aiden, wait!” I called as I sprinted towards him.

  He stopped, keeping his back towards me.

  I slowed as I approached. My eyes kept wandering down to his muscular ass. I had to stifle the urge to reach out and cup it just to see if it was as firm as it looked under the moonlight.

  “What are you doing out this far from the castle, Princess?”

  His gruff tone made all the hairs on my neck stand on end. “I was looking for some food, and I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”

  “Don’t they have enough food in the castle?” He glared over his shoulder at me.

  I sucked in my bottom lip and nodded. “I just didn’t want to share a meal with my father.”

  He nodded and stepped towards the woods.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get a pair of pants on, if you don’t mind,” he said without looking over his shoulder. “Just wait here. I’ll be back in a moment, and then I will make sure you get back to the castle safely.”

  He disappeared into the woods and came back a few minutes later dressed in pants, boots, and a half-buttoned shirt. As disappointed as I was that he had covered his nakedness, I had to admit how good he looked in his rugged clothes.