Secluded on an island to hide from her abusive father, the heroine is suddenly besieged by a fearsome man who demands she come away with him and be his bride. The hero has lived his life under the oppressive rule of his father the King and in order to save his brothers life, he's forced to marry against his will. They start their relationship together completely without trust, both bitter about their pending marriage. The hero, knowing nothing other than war and bloodshed finds it hard to show the heroine his softer side but once he does, she comes out of her shell bit by bit and when the time comes, she fights tooth and nail for her husband. The story circles around a magical stone that allows a seer to view the future but the heroine wants nothing to do with it. She and her mother suffered unimaginable horrors at the hand of her father because of it and she vows to never lose her virginity as doing so will awaken her powers. The heroine is timid and untrusting but fiercely loyal when loyalty is given. The hero goes by the name Wolf as it signals his fighting spirit but he's more than that. He's an artist, a good man and a good laird to his people. I really liked this story. ( )