They call him the Beast--a hardened mercenary whose heart seems as cold as his icy blue gaze. They do not know his true name: Niall Braewick, son of the Laird of Kincaid. It has been years since he escaped into the forest the night his father was murdered. Now he has returned, ablaze with a vengeful hunger. He will gain the MacClaren chief's trust, gather his clan, and take back his lands. And take the MacClaren's daughter as well... Though he pulled her from the river, saving her life, Elspeth has been warned to keep her distance from her father's hired warrior. He is a barbarian--a shame, as he is far more compelling than the lechers and fools competing for her dowry. Little does she know that, like the castle itself, she is a prize Niall intends to claim... but will he extract blood for blood and possess what is his, or will his enemy's beautiful, innocent daughter tempt him to forsake his dream of conquest?