My Wee Mate

Ailsa, cursed with a frail body and suffocating overprotection, yearns for the wild freedom of the Scottish Highlands. But ancient whispers tell of monsters lurking in the shadows, and when a mysterious encounter leaves her breathless—and surprisingly healed—she’s forced to confront whether the true danger lies within the woods, or the gilded cage of her own home. Dare to unravel the secrets of the Highlands, where every breath is a defiance, and every shadow holds a truth.

The chill of the Scottish Highlands clung to Ailsa’s skin, a familiar, unwelcome presence that often preceded the suffocating grip of her ailment. She lay sprawled on the dewy grass, gasping, her lungs burning like embers in her chest. Around her, the wildflowers bloomed in vibrant defiance, an indifferent beauty she yearned to embrace without restraint.

Minutes stretched into an agonizing eternity as she clawed at the earth, willing air into her starved lungs. Her gaze fixed on the rising sun, a fiery orb cresting the emerald hills, a silent promise of a new day she desperately hoped to survive.

Finally, with a shuddering gasp, the air returned, a blessed relief that brought tears to her eyes. She sat up, pushing stringy blonde hair from her face, the faint murmur of a nearby creek a gentle counterpoint to her ragged breaths. It was a daily ritual, this dance with death, a reminder of the fragility that tethered her to a life she yearned to escape.

“Ailsa!” The sharp call pierced the tranquility, making her jump. Gentry. Her maid. The sound was always laced with annoyance, a reminder of the burden she felt she was to her clan. “Here,” Ailsa responded, her voice barely a whisper against the whispering wind.

My Wee Mate

Highlands Illness Mystery Vampire Historical