The Viking's Forbidden Captive: MacEgan Brothers

By Michelle Willingham

"You're terrified I'll force myself upon you. And worse, that you'll enjoy it."

 

Aisling O'Brannon is captured by a fierce Viking during a raid. Though she yearns to escape, she cannot deny her unwanted attraction to the handsome warrior who took her.

 

Tharand Hardrata plans to trade her to the king in exchange for his sister's life. But on their journey, he cannot stop himself from touching his beautiful captive, drawing them both to the edge of pleasure.

 

As they near the end of their journey, Aisling discovers a man of honor behind her Viking's stoic demeanor. But their forbidden liaison forces Tharand to make an impossible choice--between saving his family or the woman he desires beyond all else.

(previously published as "The Viking's Forbidden Love-Slave")

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Willingham
• Release date: Nov 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215306604

Michelle Willingham

RITA ® Award Finalist and Kindle bestselling author Michelle Willingham has written over forty historical romances, novellas, and short stories. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family and her beloved pets. When she's not writing, Michelle enjoys reading, baking, and avoiding exercise at all costs. Visit her website at: www.michellewillingham.com.

Book preview

The Viking's Forbidden Captive

Michelle Willingham

THE VIKING’S FORBIDDEN CAPTIVE

Copyright © 2022 by Michelle Willingham

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

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

This book was previously published by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd as The Viking’s Forbidden Love-Slave in 2008. This is a new edition and all World English rights belong to the author Michelle Willingham.

Cover art by Frauke Spanuth, Croco Designs

Contents

Glossary of Irish and Norse terms

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Newsletter

Excerpt of Her Warrior Captive

MacEgan Brothers Series

Also By Michelle Willingham

About the Author

Glossary of Irish and Norse terms

Aisling – pronounced Ashling

ambatt – Viking term referring to a female slave

Danu – an Irish goddess

hird – Viking term referring to a member of the household

jarl – A Viking leader, similar to a chieftain

kjæreste - sweetheart, female loved one

léine - a long garment, similar to a tunic, that hangs down to the knees

Lochlannach - the Irish term meaning foreigners. Commonly used to refer to Viking raiders.

longphort – a stronghold or fortress

rath - a fortress

thrall – a Viking slave

Vedrarfjord - the Viking name for Waterford, Ireland

Chapter One

Ireland 1101

Darkness enveloped her, thick and suffocating. Her jaw ached, and her lips were cracked from thirst. Aisling Ó Brannon shifted her wrists, but they were bound tightly with ropes.

Rising panic swelled in her veins, along with the memory of the Norse raider who had stolen her away. She vaguely recalled a wooden longboat and hours spent at sea.

Where had he taken her? And . . . what would become of her? She struggled against her bonds, and realized she was lying upon a bed.

No. Not that.

The taste of fear rose up in her throat, quickly replaced by determination. She wasn’t going to lie here like a helpless babe. With her fingertips, she struggled to loosen the ropes.

You’re awake. A male voice filled the interior, deep and resonant. Heavily accented by the Norse language, she sensed that his grasp of the Irish tongue was not a strong one. She blinked, trying to see him, and then realized her vision was blocked by a length of cloth.

The loss of her sight made the unknown all the more frightening. Aisling rolled her body to the side, straw crackling beneath the mattress. A hand reached beneath her shoulders and eased her to sit up.

She struggled to move away, but then he pressed a cup to her lips. The instinctive need to quench her thirst overcame all else. She tasted the sweetness of mead and drank deeply, overcome by her thirst.

Where am I? she demanded.

Just outside Vedrarfjord.

She recognized the Lochlannach name for the lands so close to her own. Thank the Blessed Virgin. She remembered little about her kidnapping, and time had blurred.

She moved her face away from the cup, trying once again to see who was holding her captive. Why am I blindfolded?

It wasn’t meant to be one.

She felt him touch her head, and she winced at the tender pain upon her scalp. Her jaw felt swollen, as though someone had smashed a fist against her cheek. The Norseman unwrapped a length of cloth until at last, light speared her eyes. Aisling blinked, struggling to see her captor.

He was tall enough that she had to lean back to look at him. Dark golden hair fell upon broad shoulders, while a bronze torque gleamed around his neck. The thick corded muscles of his forearms had black runes deeply tattooed into his skin. Even with her hands bound, Aisling had the urge to cross herself against the sight of the mystical lines.

He wore a gray tunic that hung below his waist and dark trews, colorless clothes that might have been suited to a peasant, were they not so well made. The fine weave of the material suggested that he had chosen these shades and had paid good coin for them. Only a long cloak, dyed a rich shade of burgundy, revealed any color. A gold brooch shaped like a serpent fastened the garment to his shoulders.

This man was no commoner. She could see it in the way he held his head up, in the way he stared at her, as though she were his possession. Not by half. Not if she could help it.

The way he was watching her made her skin tighten. The air inside the room suddenly grew stifling, and she reminded herself of all the lessons her brothers had taught her about defense.

If he dared to touch her, he would regret it. As soon as she could get a weapon, she would be free of him.

Her hands curled into the rough covering over the mattress. Don’t let him see your fear. Who are you?

I am Tharand Hardrata. At his penetrating stare, she offered her own name in exchange.

"Are you a jarl?"

"No. I