Well, are they married, or aren't they? And does it matter? When Payton MacIntyre, quiet King’s Hunter, is sent to an Abbey to challenge the bandits threatening the land, he doesn’t expect to ride away with a wife. In fact, he’s still not convinced he’s actually married to the intriguing Flora, but that’s what he tells his family to escape their seasonal nagging-him-about-marriage session. But what will this new wife of his think when he finally removes his helmet and exposes his hideously scarred visage? Desperate to escape the cruel Abbot and find her missing younger brother, Flora goes along with the phony marriage…she just doesn’t expect the Hunter to treat her so kindly. He might be reluctant to show his face, but his soft words—and softer touches—leave her breathless. And when he defends her to his family while searching for her brother, Flora falls even more in love. But Yule is approaching, and Flora’s growing contentment is threatened by an old danger. Is her acceptance of Payton—and his belief in her love—enough to clear this threat from the Highlands, or will the new year bring a truth which will destroy them?