Morghanna appeared in front of them, glowing from within in a way Shelley had never seen before—she was filled with the Goddess’ light. She smiled at them and then turned her attention to the Darkness. ‘The Goddess sends a message to you—“it is over, my love”.’ She waved her hand.
A crack appeared in the night behind the Darkness, widening to show the greyish nothing of the void. The Darkness screamed as shattered bits of it were sucked back into the void before it could pull them back to itself.
‘You are defeated,’ Morghanna cried, her voice the voice of the Goddess. Her power was added to the others—the red and the silver of the moon. There was a boom of noise, a thunder crack that made the earth and sky heave. The Darkness tore apart and was sucked into the void.
Silence.
Then Eloise cried out as the gem in her chest pulsed, sending out a wave of light in every direction, and another and another until it seemed like there was nothing but light around them.
‘Eloise!’ Iain raced to her side, catching her as she fell, the gem in her chest now nothing more than a speck of light that flickered and then went out.
Eloise touched Iain’s cheek, an exhausted smile quavering her lips. ‘I’m fine. It was just the power cleansing the world of the Darkness. Any small remnant of it out there will be destroyed by the …’
Her words were sucked away by the howling wind of the void as the tear in the fabric of space and time snapped to a close, trapping the Darkness in the nothing, forever.
‘Is that it? Did we do it?’ River asked, joining Bron, pulling her close.
‘I think so.’
Adam was suddenly in front of the banshee. He rubbed his wolf head against her leg before the light of the change surrounded him. And then he was standing before her, his naked, human self, a smile on his face. ‘Well done, my love.’
Yes. She was his love. All of her. Human, medium, witch, banshee. They all belonged. All were welcome and appreciated. There was no longer any war between them. Something inside her relaxed and the banshee retreated, enfolded in the body of one, whole, contented being for the first time in their life as astral spirit and flesh came together.
Shelley opened her eyes, and saw the world in a way she’d never seen it before. It was no longer terrifying. The future splayed before her, filled with hope and love and friendship and she wanted to race towards it. Her gaze lighted on the naked man in front of her. She wanted to race towards it with him. ‘Adam.’ Suddenly she was in his arms, his lips on hers, his warmth finally wrapped around her. She’d never felt so alive.
‘Neither have I,’ he said, laughing against her lips.
She laughed back, no longer surprised he seemed to be able to read her mind as well as her emotions. She pulled back, hands on his face. ‘I thought you had gone.’
‘Never. I will never leave you alone.’
He always understood, had always known, her true fear was not simply about losing her mind. ‘I love you.’
‘Ditto.’
‘Ghost? You’re quoting from Ghost?’ She slapped him on the shoulder. ‘I hate that movie.’
‘I know,’ he laughed and caught her lips with his, his laughter spilling into her, and all she could feel was the joy of being mated to this man who would never let her be too serious for too long, who would never let her go, who would never let her feel alone.
‘Morrigan!’ Skye cried out, breaking into Shelley and Adam’s reunion. Shelley tore her lips from Adam, turned in his arms in time to see Cordy catching Morrigan as she fell back, lowering her to the ground. There was blood all over the grass, covering the pale flesh of her legs.
Shelley, Bron, Skye and Eloise dropped to her side. Morrigan clutched Skye’s hand, and Shelley’s, as Bron and Cordy went to work to birth the baby, to try to save her. But there was no magic to use. They were all spent.
Morrigan knew. Shelley could see it in her eyes. Could see as she looked behind Adam and saw her sister standing there. ‘Morghanna.’
‘I’m here to take you home with me.’
‘My baby?’
‘Will live. You give your life for his.’
‘Good.’ Tears streamed down her pallid face, but she pushed and laboured until with a cry, the baby was guided from her ruined womb and into the arms of Cordy. Cordy gave him to Morrigan as she leaned against Jason. ‘Beautiful.’ She caressed the baby in her arms, fingers playing over his dark, bloody hair. ‘Make good choices, little one. And remember how much I love you.’ She looked at Eloise, held out trembling arms. Eloise took the baby, and Morrigan’s arms dropped listless to her side. The light seemed to dim around her. ‘I give him to you,’ she whispered. ‘He is your blood. You will love him as I can’t.’ Her gaze flickered to Skye and River. ‘He’s your blood, too. You will guard him, help look after him?’
They both nodded. Tears spilled down Skye’s face. River looked more sombre than Shelley had ever seen him looking before. ‘Of course.’
Her gaze flickered to Shelley. ‘He will be like you.’ She swallowed hard, her lips trembling, breath hardly a whisper. ‘Please help to make him as strong as you.’ Her gaze found her baby again, cradled in Eloise’s arms, her smile beatific. ‘Love him. Take care of him. Teach him what I could never see until it was almost too late.’
Eloise shook her head, holding the baby out. ‘I can’t. You’re going to live. You’ll do it.’
‘You know that I won’t.’ Her gaze went to Morghanna. ‘It’s time?’
Morghanna nodded, her mouth twisted. ‘I am sorry you will never get to be a mother to your baby.’
‘You never got to be a mother to yours.’
Morghanna’s eyes clouded with pain. ‘No. But he was loved well and lived a good life, thanks to Bridgette and the Were. It is more than I could ask.’
‘Then I ask the same for my son. I will love him from afar.’
Morghanna shook her head, her gaze full of sorrow. ‘You cannot watch him. I made a bargain so I could be here tonight and be a channel of the Goddess’ power. Our souls have tarried here long enough. We must go on.’
Morrigan’s lips trembled, and tears spilled out of her eyes, but she nodded. ‘I understand.’ She gazed longingly at her son for a long, heart-wrenching moment, and then her gaze fluttered to Eloise. ‘Make sure he knows how much I love him. My little Phoenix.’ A breath puffed out of her. Her head lolled to the side.
She was gone.
Chapter 28
They consecrated Morrigan’s body at sunset, after everyone had recovered enough to be able to give her the gift of the ceremony of light. She was laid in the centre of the McClunes’ Dance, the ancient stones having been brought from their lands in Ireland when their family had first settled there almost a century earlier. She was placed on the altar stone in the centre, where all bodies that were being farewelled were lain. McVale and McClune witches stood in a circle around it, their mates and packmates surrounding them, spilling out of the Dance and into the edges of the trees surrounding the sacred clearing.
All who could be there were there. Morrigan had been their enemy for centuries, but in the end, she had died to help save them all, and everyone wanted to pay respect to that.
Shelley waited, Adam behind her, his hand on her back, as all the witches lit the body with their power, then she tapped into her power and loosed it to join theirs. Brightest amethyst coalesced over the body, melding and sparking off the power of the other witches. Shields down, Shelley tapped into the power of the spirits around her that they gifted willingly. The power flared, brighter than the sun, pure white light outlining the body. Morrigan’s soul was lifted from her body. Morghanna appeared above her, holding out her hand. Morrigan reached up, fingers twining with her sister’s. The light became too bright to look at. A sound, a single joyous note, rang through the air—the banshee loosing a song of fair-journey from Shelley’s throat.
Then the light was gone. Shelley closed her mouth. All was silent.
‘May she rest safe in the
arms of the Goddess,’ Cordy intoned. Everyone murmured the words together in response and began to drift away.
There was a lot to do. Damage control in the wider community. Injured Were to see to. Thankfully, aside from Morrigan and Cain, nobody had died. They’d all, somehow, been protected by the triumvirate/Nexus spell. There was plenty of destruction though—trees had been felled and fires needed to be doused. Even the spirits seemed to have something to do, drifting off, some sending her smiles before disappearing, others just fading away even though she’d dropped her shields and they had access to her. She’d made things harder for herself by holding them at bay. It was a mistake she wouldn’t make again. She would use her shields, but not to keep the spirits from contacting her.
The Were spirits left. Even Marcus, who lingered to say one last goodbye through her to Cordy, departed with Jason and Adam’s family. Cordy cried, but then she was called to help Skye with the babies—their power had been fluctuating wildly since the working the previous night. Her tears dried, even though the sorrow was in her eyes—Shelley had a feeling it always would be—and she busied herself checking on Skye.
Cordy soon decreed that Skye needed to rest and Eloise needed to get Phoenix back up to the house. They and their mates, along with Bron and River, came over to Shelley and Adam before heading back, giving her hugs and slapping Adam on the back. Bron and Skye didn’t say anything to her, simply hugged her and kissed her cheek, showing their love and support in the way they knew she’d appreciate the most. They hurried away soon after, Cordy ushering Skye to the house while Jason left to check on the repairs and touch base with as many members of both packs as he could. Shelley knew he’d join his mate soon, the need to support and love too great to set aside for long. She smiled. That need was inside her now.
She didn’t have to ask where Bron and River were headed. Now that Bron had some of her power back, she would be using it to heal those who needed more than normal doctoring could offer. Shelley wasn’t certain where she got the energy from. But her friend had always seemed to have more energy than ten people combined, so it shouldn’t be a surprise she had bounced back so quickly. Especially given she had River.
Eloise took the baby from Patrick, who had held him during the ceremony. She buried her face in the baby’s neck, but not before Shelley saw the tears sliding down her face. She’d held it together up until now, not showing the extent of her grief until nearly everyone was gone. Shelley understood why. For most of them, today was a celebration. For Eloise, it was that, but it was also a day of loss. Despite what Morrigan had done to her—hunting and killing her family, turning her brother into a psychopath, using her to gain her revenge—she had, for so long, been mentor and family. One of the only people, aside from Cain, who had ever shown any skerrick of interest or hint of love for Eloise before she came to them. Her faux parents were dead too—their bodies having been found at a burned-down farm in the next valley. They’d never shown her much love, but she felt their loss nevertheless. She was also grieving for Cain, despite what she’d said about him. It was hitting her particularly hard, especially as his body had disappeared, so there was no way she could say a final goodbye to him. Nobody had noticed when his body had been consumed, but after Morrigan had died, they’d turned to take care of Cain’s body only to find it was gone. ‘Maybe the Goddess took mercy on him and took him too,’ Eloise had ventured, her voice full of sad hope. Nobody had the heart to suggest otherwise.
Shelley felt her grief now, a huge weight on her heart. Iain put his arm around his mate, kissed her, brushing the tears from her face, then pulled her and little Phoenix close. The new little family of three, with Patrick shadowing them, slipped into the darkening night.
Adam pulled Shelley snuggly against him, lips on her brow, arms warming her against the nip of cold in the spring air. She held him tight, her face pressed against his chest, her lips on his throat. She couldn’t get enough of touching him, of him touching her. Of breathing in the unique Adam scent of him. It was joy and warmth and desire as it threaded through her veins. It was all hers.
Excitement chased across her skin, need pulling at her muscles. They’d barely had a moment alone since they’d banished the Darkness. The witches had all been exhausted after the spell they’d cast. They’d been led back to the house to rest by the overprotective Were who were their mates. Shelley had slept for hours. Adam had stayed by her, holding her as she slept. The feel of his arms around her—something she was aware of even in sleep—had not only comforted her, but had added to her strength. She knew the others had the same experiences with their mates—it was amazing what that bond gave to them all.
Those hours being held in his arms, asleep, were no longer enough. They’d had things to do when they’d finally got up to prepare for Morrigan’s ceremony, and while Adam had mostly stayed by her side, touching her, holding her hand, kissing her briefly when he was able, it had only served to build the fire inside her to be touched, kissed, loved by him, sharing the act of bonding with their bodies as well as their souls. She felt the urgency in him too.
‘Come on,’ he said, pulling away and taking her hand.
He began to walk with her, away from the Dance. They walked in silence, neither discussing where they were going, both moving with one accord until they came to the clearing where the battle with the Darkness had occurred. The lines of power still glowed on the ground—Cordy thought they might always be there. They warmed the air, filled it with a powerful buzz that skittered along her skin. Shelley closed her eyes, breathed deep, taking in the wonder of it. The banshee hummed inside her in response, and she was unafraid of what might come when that hum rose to a cry once again. She saw it now for what it was—a way to help her protect those she loved. She was determined to learn how to read that side of herself better, to learn how to use her powers to help others. Thinking of that, she frowned.
‘What is it?’ Adam asked, slipping his arms around her, pulling her close.
‘I wish there was something I could do for Eloise right now.’
‘You are. Your caring, love and friendship vibrates through the bond. She knows everyone’s here for her. It’s taking away a lot of the sting of grief. As is the fact that she’s got Phoenix to look after.’ Adam tipped his head to the side. ‘Iain will call us if there’s anything more we can do.’
‘Is he okay with becoming an instant dad?’
‘Are you kidding me? He’s already full of fatherly pride, it’s kind of sickening.’
‘I think Jason’s going to be worse.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘You’re not wrong there. I can see I’m going to have my uncle duties cut out for me to make certain they are capable of getting into all sorts of trouble. I can’t have them becoming spoiled brats.’
‘Unthinkable!’ Shelley laughed, then sobered. ‘There are worse things than being smothered in love.’
Adam pressed his lips against her forehead, his hand stroking down her unbound hair. ‘You will never be lonely again.’
The warmth and love in his eyes washed over her. ‘I was never truly alone. I know that now. My power is a friend, the banshee even more so. I need to get to know them both.’
‘I’ll be happy to help. I liked the banshee side of you. You are pretty kick arse by yourself, but with those wings …’ His hands stroked down her back where the banshee wings tingled under her skin, a part of her, content to stay put until needed. ‘They were pretty bloody sexy.’
‘Really?’
‘Mm-hmm. I think I might end up with a few fantasies about those wings.’
She laughed. ‘Does your wolf feel the same?’
‘We are one and the same. You should understand that now given you’ve got another creature inside you too.’
She did understand—and it was as precious an understanding as her love for Adam and his love for her. She reached up and pulled his head down, taking his lips with hers in a hungering kiss he answered in full.
Panting, he pulled awa
y, eyes glowing amber at her in the darkening night. ‘Are you sure?’
She didn’t need to ask what he meant. He was asking her if she wanted to fully complete the mating, here, now, or if she wanted to wait.
She had waited too long already. Besides, she could think of no better place to finalise the mating and bond herself to him forever than the place where she’d embraced who she was and could be, and banished age-old fears alongside the Darkness. Death had occurred here, but so had life. Now they would bring love and desire and bonding to fulfil the eternal circle that was life.
Adam gently removed her clothes as she removed his. They lay down on the grass between the point of the triangle and square where they had both fought the night before against the Darkness. Body sliding against body, lips explored, tasting, sucking, hands tracing patterns of fire along skin. Power built inside her, covering both of them in an amethyst glow, but she was no longer afraid of it. She gloried in it, in sharing it with Adam as she shared her body and her soul. And he gloried in it with her.
Ready, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tipped her hips to meet his thrust as he finally joined with her. Their cries of passion and wonder rang in the night as he moved inside her, faster and faster. Shelley met every thrust, her hands flying over his skin as his were over her, her lips and tongue and teeth tangling with his until she wasn’t certain they weren’t one creature, melded together in a fever of passion, the tight coiling inside her mirrored in the tight coiling inside of him that she could feel so clearly through the bond.
‘Mine forever,’ Adam breathed into her mouth, his skin slick under her hands as he moved deeper within her in fast, glorious slides.
‘Mine forever,’ Shelley claimed, holding him tight.
Their lips met again, breaths mingling, hands moving to twine fingers over her head. Then pulling back, he looked down into her eyes, held her gaze as they came together in a blaze of amethyst and rainbow fire that cascaded over their skin, through their muscles and held them for endless moments where nothing existed but themselves, their love, their bond, their trust, one in the other.
Wolf Bound Page 36