by Terry Spear
Vardon’s gaze shifted to another wolf. Out of the corner of his eye, Cearnach saw which wolf it was.
Baird.
He’d inched closer to Cearnach, wanting to attack next. Cearnach was certain Baird was still angry that his presence at the wedding had changed Calla’s desire to mate with Baird.
As soon as he took Baird on, Vardon attempted to move in closer to Elaine. Guthrie ripped into Vardon. The other wolves watched and waited, Duncan keeping an eye on them as Cearnach fought with Baird.
Baird was too angry, too wild in his actions, too unfocused, making mistakes that he probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Cearnach was about to make some headway with the wolf when a snarling wolf came out of the woods and hit him broadside.
Elaine barked and tore into the male wolf. The newcomer. The one that had to be Rafferty. His eyes nearly black with rage, his fur a little grayer than any of the wolves here, he was still strong.
He swung his head around to bite Elaine as Duncan charged Vardon, and Guthrie went after Baird.
Cearnach attacked Rafferty with a snarling, growling bite to the face.
The Kilpatrick brothers and the remaining McKinley brother could have made a difference, but none of them advanced. Suddenly, those wolves turned their heads and listened to sounds from the direction of Senton Castle. Tires crunched on gravel. Car doors slammed. One, two, three, four, five, six. The three wolves looked back at the ones still fighting, then ran off toward Senton Castle.
Cearnach knew they’d never reach their vehicles in time to stop his kin from using their lockpicks to break into the vehicles and move them to a new location.
With his concentration back on Rafferty, Cearnach knew he had to kill him. The pirate wolf would never lay another hand on Elaine’s sweet body, never mar her creamy skin, never break another one of her bones, never say another cruel word to her or kill anyone that she loved.
For being an older wolf, Rafferty was well matched in size and strength. Cearnach was glad for that. Taking down an old wolf who was too weak to defend himself wouldn’t be his way. Though he had to remind himself he couldn’t let the wolf have a chance at Elaine again, ever.
Their teeth clicked as enamel struck enamel. Both Cearnach and Rafferty fought to get the upper bite, then leaped back away from each other to attack again. Cearnach noted that the other wolf was pushing him toward the river. Did he think he could drown Cearnach the way he’d so easily dispensed with Elaine’s parents? Did he think that since he had survived his crew’s mutiny and been left to fend for himself for who knew how long in the ocean, he had the advantage in the water?
The idea that Cearnach had nearly drowned as a young lad flitted across his mind as the wolf shoved him onto the mossy stones, the water shallow and running slower at the edge.
Elaine ran anxiously behind Rafferty. Cearnach cast her a look that told her to stay out of it. He’d be fine.
Baird suddenly yipped in pain, and Cearnach glanced briefly in his direction to see the wolf sitting on his ass, his injured leg lifted off the ground. Guthrie had torn the wolf’s ligament. That had to hurt like a son of a bitch. It would heal, but he’d be limping three-legged on the long walk back home and for a prolonged time after that.
Vardon—his ears both torn, his throat a mess—yelped when Duncan took a bite out of his flank.
After that, Rafferty’s companions in crime lost their urge to fight. Vardon sat on his butt near Baird, both of them heaving, as Cearnach fielded another lunge from Rafferty.
Cearnach and Rafferty’s teeth connected again, their forelegs shoving at each other, trying to get the advantage. This time Cearnach lost his footing and fell backward into the river. Cursing himself, he attempted to stand, but he was already shoulder-deep in the water, and it was carrying him away from Elaine. Panic drove him toward the shore, even though he knew his brothers would protect her from Rafferty.
Rafferty wasn’t about to give up his lead in the fight. He attacked Cearnach, getting the upper hand, though he also was soon caught up in the swift-moving water. That’s when Cearnach gained the advantage. He pushed the wolf farther into the river. Using his upper-body strength to knock Rafferty off his feet, he lunged on top of him. Cearnach quickly pinned him under the water, his teeth at Rafferty’s throat.
Drown, bastard, Cearnach silently prayed. Rafferty deserved nothing less. Just as Rafferty had drowned Elaine’s parents.
The wolf fought him but couldn’t get to his feet, couldn’t shake loose of Cearnach’s fearsome grip, couldn’t save himself this time.
When the wolf stopped fighting him, Cearnach dragged him to the shore. They couldn’t let a dead body be found in the river with wolf teeth marks in the throat.
The damn wolf was fighting for air. He wasn’t dead. Cearnach thought to pull him into the water again, but Elaine came running up, then slowly approached him, poking her nose at Rafferty’s arm, as if seeing if he was really dying and could never be a threat to her again.
Elaine’s heart was ready to burst out of her chest because she’d been so worried about Cearnach.
Rafferty looked like he didn’t have long for this world. His face was gray, and he coughed water up as he shifted into his human form.
Him, the mighty pirate of the seas, whom she thought had drowned eons ago, was finally dying—this time at the hands, well, teeth of one of the good guys.
Cearnach growled at her, and she knew he didn’t want her to get close to the man, as if he could suddenly hurt her. Or maybe he was afraid she’d feel something for Rafferty now that Cearnach had injured him fatally.
But Cearnach was her hero. He would always be her hero.
She poked again at the man, then growled at him, wanting him to tell her the truth before he was unable to. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked like he was trying to focus on her.
“You know,” he said, his voice raspy, “I wanted you back.”
She growled low, not liking what he might say in front of Cearnach or his brothers, gathered close to protect her if she needed them, listening to what the bastard had to say. Vardon and Baird had long ago limped off, knowing the fight would be in the MacNeills’ favor. Whatever Rafferty had promised them, they wouldn’t get the payment now.
Rafferty coughed, closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them and looked up at her with longing. He took a shallow, shuddering breath.
“You couldn’t have suitors.” He reached out to touch her. “You were always mine.”
Never again.
His hand suddenly clutched his chest, his eyes wide, then he dropped his hand to the ground, his eyes staring at her, mouth parted on one last breath.
She listened for his heartbeat, for his breath, and hearing none, she knew he was finally truly dead. She wanted to collapse with relief but looked up at Cearnach, feeling horrible about all of this.
Cearnach came forward, nudged her face, and licked it, giving her comfort. She nosed his face, then rubbed her face along his cheek. They were mates. No one would undo what had been done.
Kelly Rafferty was dead. He would never hurt her again.
Her cousins were long gone.
Cearnach licked her cheek again, then shifted. He crouched down and wrapped his arms around her neck, and she couldn’t tell him how much his embracing her made her feel loved, though she couldn’t stop her tail from wagging. He smiled as her tail swishing so wildly caught his eye.
“Kelly Rafferty is dead, Elaine. You have nothing to fear.”
She nuzzled his face and licked his cheek.
“You’re coming home with us now.”
She glanced back in the direction of Senton Castle.
“Seems that’s our home also. If you’re worried about them taking your car again, your kin have a surprise waiting for them.”
She looked up at him inquiringly.
“We’ll go to my car. It’s closer,” he said, standing, then lifting Rafferty over his shoulder. He stalked toward the woods and Elaine ran beside him. “Then
we’ll drop Guthrie off at his vehicle to avoid Oglivie’s farm.”
Duncan and Guthrie raced ahead until they disappeared. She couldn’t figure out why until quite a while later when she saw Duncan returning at a dead run in human form, fully dressed. He took Rafferty’s body, and Cearnach shifted into wolf form. Then he and Elaine ran at their faster wolf pace to reach the car so no one would catch them running as wolves. She couldn’t help worrying about Duncan if he was caught carrying a naked dead man.
When she and Cearnach reached the car, he shifted and opened the door where Guthrie was sitting, panting in the back seat. Then she joined him while Cearnach quickly dressed and popped the trunk. She was afraid Ian would be angry with her for bringing this fight to Argent Castle. That Cearnach and his brothers would be upset with her for running off. That the whole pack would be. What of Duncan’s mate, Shelley? She had to be worried that he might not return in one piece. Then there were Cearnach’s mother and aunt: she was certain they’d judge her harshly.
When Duncan joined them at the car, he put Rafferty’s body into the trunk, slammed it closed, then got into the passenger’s seat.
Cearnach drove to where Guthrie’s vehicle was parked. Duncan got the door for Guthrie so he could change, dress, and then take over the wheel of his own vehicle.
Elaine thought that Duncan would stay with Guthrie and was about to jump over the seat to sit up front with Cearnach when Duncan returned to Cearnach’s car. He climbed in and cast a smile over his shoulder at Elaine. She closed her panting mouth.
“I’m staying with the two of you. Ian’s orders. He doesn’t want anything further to happen to either of you, should some of the McKinley or Kilpatrick kin decide to attempt to waylay us.” Duncan called Ian. “We’re on our way home, Ian.”
“Elaine’s coming home… for good,” Cearnach said.
Ian didn’t say anything.
Cearnach glanced back at Elaine. She was watching him.
“Is Rafferty dead?” Ian asked Duncan.
“Aye, he is for good this time,” Duncan said.
“Good,” Ian said. “Because if he wasn’t, he would be. Our mother’s already planning the wedding without Elaine so if the lass wants to have any say at all in it, she needs to hurry home.”
Elaine smiled and sat down on the seat. She really didn’t care anything about the wedding… except that she had loved Calla’s ceremony before Vardon ruined it. She was truly mated to Cearnach. That’s all that really mattered. And she was relieved beyond measure that Calla was at Argent and had been safe all this time from that bastard Kelly.
“Aye. We’re all headed back to Argent Castle. Tell Shelley we’re all right.”
“You can tell her yourself.”
“Duncan?” Shelley said, her voice worried.
“Aye, lass, we’re all fine.”
Elaine smiled to see the look on his face. He was one happy mated wolf.
“Thank you for bringing her home,” Shelley said, tears in her voice.
Elaine felt choked up. She’d thought everyone would be angry with her, but the only thing they were showing was that she was one of them now. A tear and then two rolled down her furry cheeks. She brushed them away with her paw. Cearnach looked up at the rearview mirror.
“Everything’s going to be fine, Elaine. I love you,” he said.
She poked her head over his seat and licked the back of his neck. He reached behind while he watched the road and stroked her head.
After Duncan had talked to his mate for a moment, he pocketed his cell.
“How did Ian know about Rafferty?” Cearnach asked, as Elaine settled back down on the seat. “Did you tell him?”
“Nay. He already knew.”
Cearnach looked at his brother, questioning why. Duncan quickly shrugged.
Elaine knew Cearnach would have words with Ian.
Chapter 28
As soon as they reached Argent Castle, everyone came out to greet them, while Duncan directed a couple of their men to retrieve the dead man from the trunk of the car and bury him in the woods.
Cearnach only wanted to get Elaine settled in his room where she could shift, clean up, and dress, and then he wanted to confront Ian.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to Elaine before she’d even had a chance to shift. Then he shut the door to his bedchambers and stalked toward Ian’s solar.
Ian was ready for him, sitting at his desk, looking weary after all the fighting that had gone on that day, and taking care of the aftermath of the battle and the mess left behind. When they’d arrived, the place didn’t look like a wolf fight had taken place there hours earlier.
“How did you know about Rafferty, Ian?” Cearnach asked him.
“Our mother,” Ian said, shaking his head, his arms folded over his chest. “I never would have guessed who was chasing after Elaine. Duncan left that part out when he called me. I assume you had all shifted to take care of the menace before you learned the truth.” He raised a brow, questioning their actions.
“I was driving. Duncan was doing all the calling.”
“Aye, and afraid that I’d be angered that Elaine was mated still to another wolf?”
Cearnach ignored the censure in his brother’s tone of voice. He knew that anything that went on with the pack, particularly something that important, had to be shared with their pack leader. “How did Mother know?”
“Our lady mother learned the truth from the solicitor.”
“Hell,” Cearnach paced. “If she knew…” He shook his head. “Before or after I was mated to Elaine?”
“You’ll have to question her. I didn’t think to ask, assuming that she had only known after the fact. At this point, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference. The good news is that I’m having Rafferty’s properties transferred to Elaine’s ownership. Seems appropriate since she was his mate and the closest family he had. It’s little compensation for all that Elaine lost, but it’s hers.”
Cearnach closed his mouth, thinking the same, but then nodded, glad that the properties would go to good use. He turned to leave his brother’s solar.
“If you’re thinking of questioning our mother now, think again. She and Calla—who arrived a couple of hours ago—and the rest of the ladies are discussing wedding plans in our mother’s sitting room. You know how she is when she’s involved in something like that. No one will interrupt her,” Ian cautioned.
Cearnach snorted and headed down the hall.
He heard women’s laughter in the sitting room, even Elaine’s, and he was glad to hear her enjoying herself after all that had happened. The women were having a lively discussion about the upcoming wedding, and Cearnach slowed his pace. He was still angry that his mother hadn’t told him the truth. If she’d known before he mated Elaine, she shouldn’t have encouraged the mating. He had to know.
He stalked into the room and saw Heather, Julia, Calla, Shelley, and Elaine seated cross-legged on the floor as they looked at catalogs of floral arrangements, his aunt and mother sitting on chairs, looking on. Elaine’s hair was damp, and she wore fresh jeans, a red sweater, and a pair of suede slipper boots, as if someone had dragged her to the sitting room pronto to discuss wedding plans.
Calla beamed at him. His mother must have called her in to coordinate the affair. Calla looked so pleased to be here that he paused, glad she was no longer upset over the situation with Baird McKinley and the almost marriage.
Still, he scowled at his mother. “A word with you, my lady mother,” he said, sounding like a snarling wolf.
His mother’s brows shot up. “I don’t think this is the time or place…”
“Now is the time, and as to the place, we’ll discuss this elsewhere alone anywhere you choose to go, or the ladies can leave your sitting room while we speak of this matter here.”
“Or everyone can just stay where they are,” Elaine said, rising to her feet, folding her arms, and looking as though she was going to defend his mother. His mother, who didn’t
need anyone defending her at any time.
“Aye,” his mother said, smiling up at Cearnach. “Did I tell you how much I like your wee lass? A true warrior she is. A real keeper. Did you know she left here because she thought Calla had been taken hostage?”
Cearnach looked at Elaine, his mouth agape, unable to contain his surprise.
“The last time I saw you look like this, like a dark thunderstorm approaching, you had run off the road and ruined two of your tires. Surely whatever it is can’t be as important as all that,” Elaine said lightly.
The last time he imagined he had looked like this was just a few hours ago when she had run off and her kin were trying to chase her down. “He lied to you about Calla?” Cearnach said to Elaine.
“He said he’d taken her hostage, and he said he’d kill you like he had my other suitors.”
He didn’t wish to discuss this matter with his mother in front of the other ladies. He didn’t want to wait to hear her speak the truth, either. He didn’t even want to say what he had to say in front of Elaine. Yet when his mate told him why she had run off, he felt his heart go out to her. She hadn’t done it just to escape Rafferty, but to save Calla and protect Cearnach.
“What difference does it make, Cearnach?” his mother said, her smile warm. “She is yours, like she should have been the first time you went after her. In St. Andrews.”
He scowled at his mother. “You knew, didn’t you?”
His mother took a deep breath and exhaled. “I knew that she needed you and that you needed her. Now run along while we decide on the flowers.”
He ground his teeth and looked from his mother to his mate, her brows raised as she waited for the storm to blow over.
“She wants purple flowers,” he said to Calla, and then swept his gaze over the other ladies assembled there as if making sure they all understood. “That’s all that needs to be said.”
Then he stalked forward and scooped Elaine up in his arms, though she let out a small squeal of surprise at his action before wrapping her arms around his neck. “There are different variations of purple colors, you know,” she said.