Today’s spotlight author: Joanne Wadsworth
Novel featured in the Dark Fates boxed set: Highlander’s Sword

Highlander’s Sword by Joanne Wadsworth

There can be only one…for both of them.

Year 1210, Scottish Highlands.

Annella, the fae-blooded daughter of a warrior, holds the spirit-walker ability. With her fae skill, she has only one goal, to find the man who captured her father and brother and seek retribution. The last thing she expects though is to connect within her dreams with an infuriatingly rugged Highlander of shifter blood who lives over eight-hundred years in the future. Her destiny is set, to free her nearest and dearest, although to find them she must now enlist the aid of the warrior from the future. He’s the best tracker there is, and also her best chance at finding them.

Highland warrior shifter Alec Matheson meets the most intriguing lass who visits him in his dreams, a woman who also poses the greatest challenge. His soul bound mate has come to him during her greatest time of need, and now he must travel back through time to aid her. His lithe, golden-haired enchantress wears lad’s clothing and is swift with the sword and trained in all manner of warfare. She is also nothing like he expects, yet everything he has ever desired.

Now, he must make certain they both survive her perilous mission, for seeking retribution could ensure their death, or unite their spirited souls. Let the battle for love begin.

Highlander’s Sword excerpt:

Up the stairs to the battlements, Alec bolted then stopped behind the woman who had every hair on his neck rising. He breathed deep, drew in Annella’s intriguing fragrance, one that held the golden and glittery enchantment of a night sky teeming with stars. Her scent evoked the dream realm she traveled within, and made his lower region harden with lust. She stared up at the blood moon as if it intrigued her, her long golden tresses fluttering in the breeze and whispering over his arms and chest. Hell, she was so small of stature, the sword belted at her side all that gave any indication she in fact knew how to battle.

Carefully, he spread his hands over her hips, then determined to prove his point, that she wasn’t his chosen one, he muttered, “Those who are soul bound can never harm the other, but all I want to do right now is sink my claws into you and rip you apart. You need to steer well clear of me, to leave and never return.”

“Since the night we met”—she turned in his embrace and he retracted his claws for fear he’d actually scratch her—“you’ve grumped and growled and snapped at me to be gone, but through it all I still sensed within you a deep need to have someone close. I am here if you wish to talk, can provide quite the listening ear if you were but prepared to accept me. We are meant to be together. A bond certainly wouldnae have formed between us otherwise.”

“I’m a warrior, born and bred. I fight, draw blood and have no issue doing so.” It would take only one wrong move on his part and he could so easily kill her. Why couldn’t she see that? “I fight within my clan’s specialist team who work high level government cases, and out of all my kin, I’m the one who gets called away from Ivanson Castle the most. My beast isn’t just aggressive, he’s bloodthirsty, which makes him the perfect assassin when needed to take down the vilest of criminals.”

“I’ve chased a few vile criminals myself.” She dissolved into a wisp and swirled around then reemerged behind him with her sword in hand. She tapped the tip of her blade against his belted sword. “Arm yourself and train with me for what remains of this night. I must be fully prepared to fight Duncan MacKenzie when I find him. I cannae lose my coming battle with him if I wish to free my father and brother.”

“You shouldn’t be fighting anyone on your own, and certainly not a warrior who managed to capture both of your closest kin.” He lunged, grasped her sword hand, his fingers sliding through nothing but air as she wisped back farther and reappeared.

“Nay, you willnae catch me out that easily, my mighty bear.”

“I’m not your damn mighty bear.”

“Please, that is no way to talk to a woman, and your chosen one at that.” With a wink, she wagged a finger at him, her royal blue tunic cinched in at her tiny waist with a golden tasseled belt that swayed to her knees as she moved. Her black breeches, of the softest rawhide, molded her legs and that pert backside of hers, which he really shouldn’t have noticed, wiggled as she moved.

“I don’t see you as a woman, but as a lethal opponent.”

“Then raise your blade.”

“Training with me is a very bad idea.” Still, he slid his sword free of his scabbard and rocked from foot to foot, his beast always prepared for any form of fighting. Perhaps if he trained with her then she’d realize how dangerous he was, leave then hopefully never come back. It was a plan at least. He’d grump and growl a whole lot more as he battled with her, make sure she understood just how fierce and grizzly he could get. That should scare her away.

Joanne Wadsworth is a USA Today Bestselling Author who adores getting lost in the world of romance, no matter what era in time that might be. Hot alpha Highlanders hound her, demanding their stories are told and she’s devoted to ensuring they meet their match, whether that be with a feisty lass from the present or far in the past.

Living on a tiny island at the bottom of the world, she calls New Zealand home. Big-dreamer, hoarder of chocolate, and addicted to juicy watermelons since the age of five, she chases after her four energetic children and has her own hunky hubby on the side.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | B&N | Goodreads