Thirty years ago, when Clan Duncraig and Clan MacKinlay's bitter feud disrupted any semblance of peace in the region, the king of Scotland decreed a battle to the death. Each clan sent thirty of their best warriors, and with the king as their witness, Clan MacKinlay was decimated. When Niall, the brave and honorable son of the chief of Clan Duncraig, travels to his enemy's castle to investigate MacKinlay cattle grazing on their land, he meets Lady Avelina and sparks fly. Despite their families' bitter rivalry, a kinship develops between Niall and Avelina, but their path to happily ever after is far from smooth. Overcoming her own anger and bitterness toward Clan Duncraig, Avelina is torn when her passions are awakened by the chief's son. Her brother, the MacKinlay chief, refuses to acknowledge Niall as anything other than the enemy, forcing Avelina to make decisions that will affect both her and her clan. Niall and Avelina strive to find happiness amidst the turmoil of war and family loyalties. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the obstacles in their way, or will the feud between their clans tear them apart?