Robbed of his possessions, wounded and left for dead, Quentin de Montgomerie has lost everything except his love for Mhairi, the daughter of the Hawk of Inverfyre—and he knows who is to blame for his fate. He vows to return to Inverfyre and take his vengeance from the Hawk, but arrives to discover that the fierce maiden in possession of his heart has blossomed into a beauty, and that her kiss has the power to give him hope for the future again. Can Quentin prove himself to the Hawk and win Mhairi—or will she spurn him for being less than once he was? The Mercenary's Bride is a Christmas Scottish medieval romance novella which was originally published in the Christmas 2017 anthology, The Nutcracker Reimagined.

Ramsay MacLaren owes a debt to the daughter of the Hawk of Inverfyre, one he will never forget‚ for the beguiling beauty helped him escape her father’s dungeon, saving his life and capturing his heart. When he hears that she is to wed a man he knows to be a knave, Ramsay must warn her, though he believes he can never claim Evangeline for his own. Rebellion in her heart, Evangeline Armstrong hopes for the best from her arranged match with a stranger, dreaming all the while of a single encounter with Ramsay MacLaren, a handsome outlaw, her father’s sworn enemy, and a man whose very name makes her heart leap. Brigands attack her party en route to the wedding, and Ramsay himself corners her, insisting she must not make the match, then steals a kiss that will haunt her dreams. Evangeline soon learns the truth of Ramsay’s claim when she is the sole witness of her betrothed’s heinous crime. Without allies in his abode, she flees his attack upon her with Ramsay’s aid—who insists they wed for her own protection. Their night together only awakens a desire for a thousand more—and makes Evangeline yearn for a forbidden union that she fears can never be. Can she trust a warrior whose kiss stirs her very soul, choosing him over her own family? Even if Ramsay can defeat his lady’s betrothed and defend her honor, can he win the heart of the lady who holds him in thrall?