Monica McCarty - The Ranger

Arthur stilled, his heart pounding in his chest as he felt the lasss gaze sweep over the crowd of soldiers, and thenbloody hellreturn to him.

Instinctively, his hand tightened around the handle of his sword. A cold sweat slid down his spine.

This time there was no helm to shield his face, and he felt the intensity of her scrutiny full force. He stilled when a small furrow appeared between her brows.

For one long heartbeat he waited for her to unmask him. For her voice to ring out with the words that would condemn him to death and to failure.

But the furrow only deepened.

And then in one reckless moment he knew what he had to do. He had to be sure.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze to hers.

He didnt move. Didnt breathe. Didnt blink as their eyes collided unhindered for the first time. Gazing into her eyes, as dark and deep a blue as the sea, he felt himself drowning. Lost, if only for an instant.

When she gasped, he knew it was all over.

B Y M ONICA M C C ARTY

The Ranger
The Chief
The Hawk

Highland Warrior
Highland Outlaw
Highland Scoundrel

Highlander Untamed
Highlander Unmasked
Highlander Unchained

The Ranger is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Ballantine Books Mass Market Original

Copyright 2010 by Monica McCarty

Cover Design: Lynn Andreozzi

Cover illustration: Franco Accornero

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

B ALLANTINE and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

eISBN: 978-0-345-51827-9

www.ballantinebooks.com

v3.1

To Andrea and Annelise who are always ready with champagne, pom-poms, or words of wisdom. In other words: bartender, cheerleader, and Obi Wan Kenobi all rolled into two fabulous agents. Thank you for everything.

A special thanks to the entire team at Ballantine without whose support along each step of the wayfrom art, to sales, to editorial, to production, and publicitythis book would not be possible. Taking point on all this, of course, is my fabulous editor, Kate Collins, whose enthusiasm and thoughtful feedback are invaluable. Can you believe its been three years and six books?

Contrary to popular belief, writing is not a solitary endeavor. I am fortunate to have a wonderful group of writer friends to rely on when I need to bounce around ideas, come up with a solution for a plot issue, or flesh out characters. From daily phone calls (Jami Alden, stand up) to group lunches and emails (its your turn Bella Andre, Veronica Wolff, Barbara Freethy, Carol Culver, Penelope Williamson, Tracy Grant, and Anne Hearn), I dont know what Id do without you. My good fortune in writing friends has extended to the very highest peaks. Catherine Coulter is not only one of the all-time great romance authors, but also a fabulous hostess. Thank you for the delicious food, a beautiful view, and excellent companyyour lunches are the best! When I feel the need for a little jump across the pond, I know exactly whom to callfellow Onica Veronica, I cant wait for Mommy Abandonment Tour 2010: The Yanks are Back (and our chance to redeem ourselves at the pub quiz). When it comes to navigating the business side of writing and learning about the industry, RWA national has become a fun barroom classroom where I get to learn from the best: Barbara Samuel and Christy Ridgeway, Im already looking forward to next year!

Thanks to Emily and Estella at Wax Creative not only for a beautiful website, but also for keeping up on the latest and the greatest so that I dont have to.

And finally to Dave, my constant source of inspiration (seriously, Im not laughing its really more of an overenthusiastic smile with sound), and Reid and Maxine who never miss the opportunity to promote my books by yelling across the bookstore, Mom, they have your book!

With King Robert Bruce:

Tor Chief MacLeod: Team leader and expert swordsman

Erik Hawk MacSorley: Seafarer and swimmer

Gregor Arrow MacGregor: Marksman and archer

Eoin Striker MacLean: Strategist in pirate warfare

Ewen Hunter Lamont: Tracker and hunter of men

Lachlan Viper MacRuairi: Stealth, infiltration, and extraction

Magnus Saint MacKay: Mountain guide and weapon forging

William Templar Gordon: Alchemy and explosives

Robert Raider Boyd: Physical strength and hand-to-hand combat

Alex Dragon Seton: Dirk and close combat

With the English:

Arthur Ranger Campbell: Scouting and reconnaissance

The Year of Our Lord thirteen hundred and seven. The tide has turned, but Robert the Bruce is still far from being able to claim victory in his quest to claim the Scottish throne.

With England in turmoil following the death of his greatest foe, King Edward I of England, Bruce turns to vanquishing the enemies within. Many of his own countrymen still oppose him, foremost among them the Comyns, the MacDowells, the Earl of Ross, and the MacDougalls.

With the help of his secret band of elite warriors known as the Highland Guard, Bruce continues his revolutionary strategy of pirate warfare, cutting a swath of destruction across the lands of his enemies that will be remembered for generations.

He subdues the MacDowells in Galloway before starting the march north into the Highlands. After securing temporary truces with Ross and the MacDougalls, Bruce attacks the Comyns at Inverlochy, Urquhart, Inverness, and Nairn.

But just when victory seems to be in his grasp, Bruce is struck with a strange sickness, leaving the would-be king hovering near death. The enemy becomes cold and hunger, as his men are forced to wait out the winter in uncertainty.

The year before, when all seemed lost, and Bruce was forced to flee from his kingdom a fugitive, he turned to the warriors of the Highland Guard to help him survive. Now, to defeat the powerful nobles who stand in his way, he will need them more than ever.

Arthur Campbell wasnt thereor at least he wasnt supposed to be. Hed told King Robert Bruce about the silver changing hands at the church tonight on its way north to the English garrison at Bothwell Castle. His part of the mission was over.

Bruces men were concealed in the trees not fifty yards away, waiting for the riders to appear. Arthur didnt need to be here. In fact, he shouldnt be here. Protecting his identity was too important. After more than two years of pretending to be a loyal knight to King Edward, hed invested too much to risk it on a bad feeling. It wasnt just explaining himself to the English that he had to worry about. If King Roberts men discovered him, they would think he was exactly what he appeared to be: the enemy.