Chapter 112: Thirty-four.

Isla was the first to step out of the car, breathing in the scent of home deep within her lungs. It had been over thirty years since she was last in Scotland, and despite having built her home elsewhere, and the circumstances that she left under, there would always be something about the Highlands that called to her soul. Whether it was the mountains and the glens, or the scents and the ridiculously temperamental weather, Scotland would always awaken something special within her.

The little bungalow she grew up in was the same as it had always been. Neat and tidy at the front, with rows of potted plants displayed neatly along the wall. They had started to come to life with the spring weather, and Isla couldn't help but smirk knowing that within the next few weeks, the lambing storm would hit and cut their growing period short, with showers of snow and hail, along with freezing temperatures and driving winds in place of the spring sunshine. It happened every year without fail.

She was still lost in thought, when Kalvin came up beside her. Isla was scanning the front of the little house, as he slid his hand about her waist and pulled her close, "Are we going to be fleeing the country on a murder charge, Beautiful?" He asked with a smirk, "Because, if we are, we should probably visit our daughter first."

Isla dropped her head to the side and glared at her husband, "Don't you poke fun at me, Kalvin Merrier. I want to see Colt, just as much as you do. I've missed her more than anything, but we can't yet, because I have to be here, reminding my Mother of her place!" She hissed out, the reminder of their delayed reunion, only fuelling her irritation further.

"We could visit Colt first, Isla." Kalvin suggested, his own longing to see his litte girl warring within him, "This can wait."

Isla scowled at Kalvin, and pulled herself out of his embrace suddenly, "No, it can't." Throwing a quick look over her shoulder, she hesitated on her way to the door, "Watch Lewis," she nodded towards the youngest Merrier, who was currently in the process of removing his clothes to shift.

"Lewis!" Kalvin barked, "Get your clothes on now! You're worse than a damn toddler!"

Isla turned back again and within seconds had passed through the garden gate, and was hammering on her parent's door like there was no tomorrow. There was a lot of pent up anger behind Isla's fist, as it pummeled into that wooden door, and just as it looked ready to crack, the door swung open to reveal an annoyed, but shocked Maureen Campbell.

She was stood in a floral blouse and trousers that had been ironed so severely, you could get a paper cut on their front crease. But, that paled in comparison to the way she seemed to be struggling to scoop her jaw up off the floor, at the unexpected sight of her daughter standing angrily in front of the house.

"Isla?" She eventually managed to spit out, not entirely convinced she wasn't imagining things.

"Don't you dare!" Isla began, although she soon realised she would have to rein in some of her anger, just to speak coherently. "How bloody dare you Mum!" She started again, "You tried to sell her! Like she is some sort of property! You are disgusting!" Isla shrieked, not bothering to hold back any longer, her arms were flailing around in time with each ranted sentence she spoke, till they settled pointing at her own chest, "She is my daughter, and has been through enough! What the hell goes through your head as okay, beyond baffles me! You horrid, horrid excuse for a woman! Stay away from my daughter, or so help me, I will tear you apart, limb from fucking limb!" She threatened, pointing at each one of Maureen's arms in succession.

Maureen staggered back under the sudden onslaught of Isla's words, as her Dad arrived at the doorway to see what the commotion was.

"Isla? Is that you?" He asked, a genuine warmth and happiness spreading onto his face at the sight of his daughter. It had been so long, but his little girl was here, she had finally come home.

"Yes, Dad. But this goes for you too. Keep your grubby self serving paws away from my daughter, or I will not be held responsible for the consequences!" She seethed out, before adding, "And a Bruce? Really? Still pushing that boulder up hill Mum? They aren't even a special Clan. Have some fucking self respect! Just because they wouldn't entertain the thought of marrying you into their family all those years ago," She scoffed with a shake of her head, "Maybe they do have at least one working brain cell between them after all."

With that, she about turned and walked back to the car, nodding at Kalvin who was stood with a smirk at his mate's tirade. He loved watching her all fired up, and it was particularly pleasant when he wasn't on the receiving end of it.

"Isla Campbell! Don't you dare speak to us like that!" Maureen began, now her initial shock had subsided, and her own temper began to flare up, "Who do you think you are? Waltzing up our door after all these years! You are the disgrace, child."

Kalvin's sudden growl was drowned out by Isla's own voice, as it rose to a crescendo, "Excuse me? What did you just call me?" But, before her mother could respond, Isla kept speaking, "I am Isla Merrier, wife and mate to Kalvin Merrier. Mother to Harris, Asher, Mark, Colt, Scott, Lewis and Ross Merrier! How dare you address me as a Campbell! I will not be tarnished with the name of people who act like you! Selling their daughters and grand daughters for profit, and status! You disgust me Mother, and Dad, I had always thought better of you, but to allow her to do this, to my girl? You are just as bad! Stay the hell away from my family!"

With that, Isla stomped back to the car, where Kalvin was holding the door open for her, nearly removing the small gate from its hinges on her way, with the force she threw it open. Not once did she look back at her parents, while she waited on Kalvin to join her and Lewis in the car.

Once he had closed the door, he looked over at his disgruntled in-laws, the snarl that made them jump had left his lips before he could stop it. Isla had always been quiet about the circumstances where she left home for him, he knew there had been a cancelled engagement, after he flew to Scotland and marked her, but other than that he was just too delighted to build their life together to care. So, when she didn't offer up more information, other than, that it was an arranged wedding and she wasn't emotionally involved, he didn't push her to tell him more. Now, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something he was missing. Something that provoked such a strong resentment between Isla and her Mother.

Either way, the look on her Mom's face had every one of his animalistic instincts on guard, that woman wasn't to be trusted.

Keeping his eyes trained on the elderly couple in the door way, he made his way around to the driver's side if the car before breaking eye contact and getting into the car. As he was driving off, he noticed they were now sitting in a heavily weighted silence. There was a tense presence of emotion wrapped around Isla, and the silence was smothering them. Until Lewis spoke.

"Damn Mom! So much for respecting your elders! You went to town!" He spoke excitedly, clapping his hands from his seat behind Isla.

Kalvin could see by the set of his wife's jaw, and the glassy look in her eye that the encounter had hit her harder than it appeared.

"Lewis, be quiet," he replied, not wanting their youngest to antagonize her further.

"No," their son spoke up again, "Mom kicks ass for this family," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder from behind, "If you're telling me they tried to sell my sister, then they deserved everything they got, maybe even more, and I'm glad I haven't met them before."

Coming from the child that had pestered them for as long as he could talk, about meeting his Scottish family, this was high praise indeed. Silently the tears that had been threatening, slipped over Isla's eyelids and down her cheeks, while Kalvin's chest simultaneously swelled with pride. If Lewis noticed the damp splash on the back of his hand from the tear, he kept quiet about it.

Instead, he just reached forward and around his Mom with both arms, and said quietly, "Love you, Mama."

Isla reached her hand up to gently pat his forearms, "I love you too, Baby Boy."

Author's Note; I love Isla. I love writing her, and I hope you enjoy reading about her too.