A dangerous mission. A false bride. And a betrayal that could destroy Scotland itself.

Ewan Grant, known among the clans as the Black Stag, is a warrior who survives by seeing what others overlook. Calm, calculating, and fiercely loyal to Robert the Bruce, Ewan has spent years serving as one of Scotland's most trusted spies and protectors. While other men charge into battle with swords drawn, Ewan watches from the shadows and strikes with deadly precision.

So when the Bruce sends him on a secret mission to intercept an English noblewoman traveling north for a political marriage, Ewan expects deception. What he does not expect is Beatrice Ashford. Beautiful, charming, and seemingly harmless, Beatrice has spent years perfecting the art of appearing foolish while secretly manipulating everyone around her. Men underestimate her at their peril. Beneath her polished smiles and courtly manners hides a cunning thief who steals far more than jewels. Secrets, lies, alliances?Beatrice trades in them all. And the greatest secret of all? She is not truly Lady Beatrice Ashford.

Forced to live behind another woman's name, Beatrice knows the marriage awaiting her in Scotland will bind her forever to a life she never chose. But when Ewan intercepts her journey and rescues her from the men determined to deliver her to her future husband, she realizes the dangerous Highland warrior may be her only path to freedom. Then Robert the Bruce issues an unexpected command. Ewan must marry her himself before her intended groom can claim her.

For Ewan, the order cuts deeper than any blade. After watching one of his closest friends waste away after being betrayed by the woman, Ewan swore he would never marry, never risk surrendering his body or heart to another person's lies. Since then, he has trusted only himself, burying desire beneath duty and discipline. But loyalty to Scotland has always demanded sacrifice?and Robert the Bruce is asking for the one thing Ewan vowed he would never give. Bound together by suspicion, secrets, and a growing attraction neither can resist, Ewan and Beatrice soon uncover a conspiracy festering within Scotland's allies?one capable of destroying the Bruce's fragile cause from within.

And as the final traitor steps from the shadows, Ewan must decide where his true loyalty lies. Because to save Scotland?and the woman who has stolen his guarded heart?the Black Stag must become more than a warrior hiding in the dark.He must finally embrace the destiny waiting for him... as a true guardian of the Highlands.