In the days when Scotland lay under siege - from the Vikings who sailed down from the North and the Norman English who brought their armies up from the South - King David sought to unite his people into one nation. For this, he needed loyal warriors who would fight with their blood and hearts. Waryk de Graham soon proved the greatest of these fighters, and was knighted Lord Lion. But this honored position came with a price: a wife chosen for him...a reluctant Viking bride. Daughter of a Gaelic noblewoman and a Viking warlord, Mellyora MacAdin ruled her ancestral lands like a Valkyrie - riding like the wind, wielding a sword, and bowing to no man. She had already pledged her heart when she received King David's decree: marry the fierce Lord Lion. As the gates of Mellyora's fortress swung open, Lord Lion rode through. He had come to claim his bride, possess her, and beget sons with her. Mellyora had sworn to resist this barbarian nobleman, only to find herself slowly becoming an unwilling captive to his compelling power. Yet until the mistrust between husband and wife died, love could not be born. And with her loyalties divided, betrayal - even of the man who kept her in his thrall - could still sweep them both into destruction. Now, Mellyora must decide where her devotion truly lies, as she discovers the savagery in her own family's blood...and the secrets of her husband's heart.