After his eldest brother pays the ultimate price for plotting against the king, Ailig MacLeod returns to Castle Assynt with a heavy heart. On the king’s orders, Ailig’s father must forfeit the title of clan chief in favor of his youngest son or the entire clan will be set to fire and sword.

But before Ailig can deliver his message, he encounters the beautiful Morainn MacRailt, a young widow whose solitary life in her cottage down the glen, away from the boisterous castle, garners unwanted attention from men looking for a wife. Ailig is taken by her quiet confidence and the powerful connection he feels between them, but his duty lies at Castle Assynt where a series of crises have arisen in the wake of his brother’s death and his sister’s abrupt departure.

Determined to bring his clan to order, but wary of whom to trust, Ailig makes a fateful decision: he calls on Morainn to serve as chatelaine, offering her the protection of life inside the castle in return for overseeing the stronghold. Clever Morainn quickly becomes one of his most important advisors, and as the trust between them grows, so does an undeniable passion. Together they seek to restore the MacLeod clan’s legacy, rebuild Castle Assynt—and discover a love unlike any they ever imagined.