912, Heimer's Settlement, East Anglia A rugged Viking surrounded by treacherous assassins and a virtuous nun hounded by more than the storm. Two cultures collide when Anglo-Saxon Rosamund bursts into the mead hall of jaded Varangian Guard Grimulf and demands he marries her. Since her nunnery was sacked, Rosa has been on the run. She has relied on her wits to keep her safe, but now she needs someone willing to wield shield and sword for her. Grimulf is Rosa's wild warrior, who conceals his past traumas from his years as a soldier in the East. Rosa is the innocent novice forced to bind herself to him for protection. As their story unfolds, she discovers this broad, scarred hero has a tender, protective side. A complex man who does not force her to slake his lust but slowly seduces her until she is close to begging for his touch. However, will the lies she has whispered in his ear be their undoing?