by Patty Taylor
“I look forward to hearin’ about yer travels. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later, lass. Get some rest, and I’ll be back later to check on ye.” The handsome Highlander turned and headed to the door.
“Wait. Please.” Beth held out her arm. “How long will it be before one of your crew can take me home? I want to make sure I’m ready and dressed.”
“Ye didna’ understand, lass. Our first stop is Shetland Islands. My men will be in need of a full night’s break before travelin’ any further north.” His face showed no signs of relenting.
“The Shetland Islands?” she repeated. A tight knot twisted in her stomach. “Certainly, you can’t be that far from the Isle of Skye already? I can’t pay you right away, but I promise, my family will gladly reimburse you for going out of your way.”
“I’m afraid I canna take ye home. We must hurry if we’re to make it to Faroe Islands before heading to the Land of Fire and Ice.
“Did you say fire and ice? By the Goddess, you certainly can’t mean Iceland?” Beth stood, pressing her fingers to her throbbing temples. She chose her words carefully before she spoke. “Look. I can’t go to Iceland. You don’t seem to understand. I need to get back as quickly as possible and find my friend Darby. Something terrible has happened to him.”
“I’m sorry, lass, but ye dinna have any choice.” The Highlander stood and towered over her. His dark eyes studied her face.
“You can’t be serious. Are you implying I’m your prisoner?” she asked. Her heart pounding, she swallowed hard and matched his gaze. “What could I possibly have that you want?”
“I’m doin’ this for yer own good. Ye didna understand, Beth McMasters. Ye have to trust me. We must hurry if we want to arrive at the Land of Fire and Ice before the next full moon.” His expression grew serious.
“Look here, Captain McCord, yesterday was like a living nightmare from Hell. Things have gotten way too weird now. What does the full moon have to do with me?” Her stomach tightened in knots.
“Mo creach,” he cursed, and just like in the sketch, his eyes flashed from brown to amber and back again. Gritting his teeth, he ran his fingers through the top of his hair. “I’m tryin’ to help ye, woman, before ’tis too late.”
“Too late? Too late for what?” A blanket of fear wrapped around her. Her imagination ran wild, trying to understand the unbelievable events. She shivered and stepped back from him. Her body tensed, waiting for his reply.
Quinn caringly took hold of her arm and held it in front of her.
“Ye bear the mark of the Maras.”
Chapter 5
Her alluring blue eyes widened in fear.
Mo creach! Quinn would much rather be stabbed through his chest by a rusty broadsword than have to stand by witnessing the woman cringe and wring her hands. The rosiness of her cheeks faded as a worried frown crossed her lovely face.
How do ye tell someone ye dinna have much time before a hideous demon creature takes its final claim of your eternal soul?
Quinn struggled with his initial craving to pull her inside his arms and plant his mouth over her parted lips. He wanted desperately to tell her everything would be all right, while he ran his fingers through her long raven tresses.
Its thirst mounting, his inner wolf stirred, sensing the she-wolf trapped inside the woman’s body. His beast was eager to mark the woman as his own mate.
A low growl rumbled from Quinn’s chest. He watched closely for her reaction.
A blank look on her pale face showed no signs that she detected anything.
Could it be possible?
He had an odd feeling that Beth wasn’t aware yet of the wild companion restrained inside her body. It must be waiting for the right time to emerge to the surface. She was scared enough. He needed her to trust him if she was going to survive.
Beth jerked her arm from his grip and wrapped the blanket tighter around her body. Her voice cracked as she stared him straight in the eyes and said, “Tell me, what is a Maras?”
Quinn sighed and rubbed his chin. She deserved to hear the truth. “Maras are women that turn into half-human and half-wolf at nightfall.”
“You mean werewolves?” She shook her head in disbelief and paced in a circle. “How can that be? A hideous sea creature bit me. Not a wolf.”
“Ye have much to learn. That creature disguised itself. It knew it must come on land in search of you. The gray wolf that stalked ye was the same beast that gave ye that mark.” He reached out to touch her shoulder. Her blue eyes flashed a tiny shade of amber.
Like a cold stone pillar, her body stood tall and rigid. Her eyes narrowed and stared at him. “Wait. How did you know about the gray wolf?”
“I heard your cry for help. By the time I reached you, the gray wolf was drooling over your neck,” he replied, and quickly turned his head to dodge her questioning stare.
“The only other thing I saw was a gigantic black wolf.” Her voice quavered. He returned his gaze in time to notice tears trickle down her cheeks. Her tone drifted to barely above a whisper, “I’m afraid that magnificent animal sacrificed itself to help me.”
Quinn held his head high, sensing her sincerity. She really cared for my safety. If she only knew.
A twinge of guilt rippled through his chest. He felt bad deceiving her of his real identity. She’ll come to understand, soon enough.
“This friend, Darby, is he your man?” He asked, the muscles tensing in the back of his neck as he waited for her reply.
At the sound of Darby’s name, her face brightened and her eyes gleamed. She clutched a gem token dangling on her necklace and smiled. “Oh no, Darby’s a close friend. He’s part-Brownie and part-Fae. I’m afraid something terrible happened to him. I watched him vanish into thin air. He would never leave me without saying goodbye.”
“If Darby has magical powers, then he should be able to return to you on his own. He must have had a good reason to abandon and leave you unprotected.” He tried to reassure her. He noted her disapproving frown at his words.
Her blue eyes flickered into a steady amber glow. Her attention was focused on him. Quinn noticed the low rumble vibrating from her throat go undetected by her human emotions. Beth’s inner wolf was calling out to him.
Quinn couldn’t help himself. Grinning, he captured her in his arms and lowered his mouth over her moist lips. She didn’t resist. Her body pressed firmly against his, and she returned his kiss with a fervent passion. Her pulse grew louder and drummed in his ears as her fingers dug into his shoulders. The mysterious lass was like a caged animal waiting to escape. With his help and a wee bit of enticing, her wolf was ready to surface and experience its first taste of freedom.
His fingers caressed her smooth face and wiped away the tears running down her cheeks.
She kissed his neck and whispered, “I don’t understand what’s happening to me anymore. There’s been a soaring fire raging deep inside me that I can’t control. I’ve been waiting for you now for a long time, Quinn McCord. Something tells me you’re the only one that can help quench the yearning flames.”
He scooped her trembling body in his arms and carried her toward his bunk bed. Until the Maras curse was lifted, he couldn’t claim her as his own mate. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t wake her inner wolf in the meantime. “If ye’ll trust me lass, verra soon it will all make more sense.”
The cabin door flew open and McGregor rushed in, shaking his crutch in the air. His face grimaced as he looked up the stairway. “I tried warnin’ ye. I knew this was gonna happen. ’Tis a bad ruckus already brewin’ on deck.”
“Bloody Hell,” Quinn bellowed, shoving himself between the middle of two crewmembers swinging punches at each other. He ducked just in time to miss a fist to his face. With one push, he sent both men flying backward and hitting the deck with a thump
. “That’ll be enough. What’s gotten into ye?”
Finley jumped to his feet and wiped the back of his hand across his bloody lip. “Dudley started it, Captin’. He challenged us. He’s too damn old to take care of a lass young enough to be his granddaughter.”
The others laughed. Dudley straightened and lunged. The older man bared his sharp canines and growled, tackling young Finley to the floor. Quinn grabbed Dudley by the back of his shirt and wrenched him off a struggling Finley. Bothered with their behavior, he yanked both men to their feet. “I’ll send ye both packin’ to shore if ye dinna stop this nonsense.”
Finley’s hands and neck were covered with rusty brown hair. His eyes glowed red and stared at Dudley. “I only decided to oblige him, Captin’. The old fool insists he has first right to claim the woman for himself. I say she’s fair game.”
Quinn’s knuckles cracked. Sharp claws sprung from his fingers. He gritted his teeth. With one giant step, he picked Finley off the ground and dangled him in the air. He growled, infuriated by the mere thought of another man touching the woman lying in his bed. His gaze locked with Finley’s. The smug look on the lad’s face vanished, and his expression turned pale.
“No one—and I mean no man on board this ship—should even think about layin’ a hand on our guest. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
Quinn dropped Finley to the floor. Sizzling blood raged through his veins. McGregor was right. He should have expected this type of reaction with a woman on board. The men were only acting out of instinct.
This would be the first of many outbursts if he didn’t speak up. Quinn glared at each man before he spoke. “I’ve seen for meself. The woman has already been claimed.”
His crew stood at attention and took a step back. Satisfied murmurs stirred between the men. Dudley stepped in front of Finley and offered him a hand getting up before heading back to the main mast. Quinn shook his head and waited until the last man had returned to his post before making a dash back to his cabin.
Beth’s alluring image bore in his mind as he raced down the steps. Her amber eyes had focused on him like she was under a spell. With her human guard lowered, her inner wolf must have decided to take the opportunity to emerge. He’d noticed her fingers shrinking and her nails beginning to extend. The beast inside grew eager, and, acting on instinct, it revealed signs for meeting its own kind.
Given the circumstances, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for her first transformation. He only wished it could happen on green turf instead of the cramped confines of his cabin. Eager to discover Beth’s unique appearance as a wolf, his pulse began to race, the blood surging through his veins.
The keys rattled, unlocking the door. He hoped the crew’s disruption hadn’t caused a delay with her shifting.
Beth stood in front of his bed with his shiny dirk clutched in her trembling hands. An alluring blue pool now replaced the stunning amber eyes from moments before. Her voice wavered. The magic of the moment had completely vanished, like a flickering candle flame abruptly extinguished.
“I don’t know what came over me. But I warn you, Captain, stay back.” Her hand quivered, wiping beads of water from her forehead. “I must insist you take me home, Captain McCord. Right now.”
Quinn couldn’t help himself. He chuckled and tossed the jangling keys on the table. He stood facing her with his arms crossed against his bare chest. “I admire yer spunk, lass. But I didna think ye’d use that weapon, even if ye had to.”
“Don’t be too sure of yourself.” She held her arm out and pointed the sharp tip at his neck. The dirk shook in her fingers. Her pale cheeks blushed bright shades of red. “You said to trust you, yet you just locked me inside this cabin. I warn you. You can’t keep me here against my will. I’ll do whatever it takes to get off this ship and find Darby. He’s the only one that can help me.”
Whoosh.
A gust of air whisked the hair from his shoulders. Kalista glided from behind and pushed her way between the tip of the dagger and his throat. Her sparkling webbed wings flapping wildly at her sides, the dragon opened her frowning mouth wide and released a shrill screech.
Beth’s hands bolted to cover her ears. The dirk dropped in front of her bare feet. Stepping backward, she crouched to the floor and covered her head with her arms. But not in time to dodge the stream of frosty ice crystals streaming from Kalista’s breath.
“Och, woman. Now look what ye’ve done. Ye’ve gone and upset me wee friend.”
Chapter 6
A zesty shower of sparkling snowflakes layered Beth’s arms and hair like a welcomed cool rain sprinkling her face on a hot summer day. For the first time in months, the raging hot flashes surging through her bloodstream subsided. The glistening cool ice crystals caused a calming effect. Beth took a deep breath, and her body relaxed.
The dragon balanced herself upright on its springy back legs with her horned head held high like a proud peacock. Spreading her bat-like webbed wings by her sides, she darted toward Quinn. A long scaly tail trailed behind over the uneven floor planks. Kalista reminded her of a contented ground squirrel scurrying across the backyard with a nut in its mouth as the magical creature gripped the dagger between her teeth.
About the same size as a plump chipmunk, Kalista’s tail was three times as long as her body. In place of a thick fur coat, her skin was layered with sparkling turquoise scales resembling five-sided teardrops. Shaped like a triangle, the tip of her tail shimmered in a rainbow of colors against the dazzling scales that shimmered turquoise and greens. Her intense coral eyes were a stunning contrast against the hues of her scales. With a head similar to a lizard, perhaps crossed with a dinosaur, one that only a mother could love, Beth found herself mesmerized by the creature’s unique beauty.
Quinn knelt and petted the dragon’s head. Kalista dropped the weapon into his hand and rubbed her stubby snout against his arm. “That’s my good wee lass, Kalista. I brought yer favorite treat.”
With one leap, Kalista vaulted from the floor to a silver bowl wedged between two wooden dowels fastened on top of a bookshelf in the corner of the room. She tossed squiggling live shrimp above her head and caught them in midair. Her head held high, she swallowed them whole. Something around her neck lit up and sparkled.
Kalista finished her meal and turned her attention back to Beth. Their gazes locked, the dragon spread her pointed-tipped wings and glided toward her. Like a natural reaction, Beth instinctively held her hand toward the dragon to land. The creature’s presence warmed her heart. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt a close bond with the animal. A peculiar link like the one she shared with her best friend, Darby.
“Kalista found herself a new treasure. She came back wearin’ that glass amulet the other day.” Beth’s attention centered on the rippling muscles in Quinn’s legs as he strode to the desk and put away the dagger. He chuckled and shook his head. “I warn ye, keep an eye on yer necklace. Kalista likes collectin’ shiny things.”
A tiny crystal orb attached to a braided leather necklace dangled in front of Kalista’s chest. Beth leaned over for a closer inspection as the animal thrust out her chest to show off her new souvenir. Like a miniature-scale Christmas water ball with swirling snow, colorful autumn leaves whirled around an enchanting fairy tree encased within the sphere. Tiny blue bells and yellow buttercups illuminated by dancing sparkling orbs sprouted beneath a lacy umbrella of silvery green ferns.
Tears trickled down Beth’s face. The fairy-like setting reminded her of Darby. Kalista cocked her head and clutched the miniature fantasy realm in her front paws, her attention focused on the sparkling globe. Spreading her sleek webbed wings, she covered her new prized possession, and with one quick bound, landed on the bed and admired her treasure.
Quinn reached down and grabbed Beth’s arm and helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry, lass. I canna let ye leave this ship.
’Tis for yer own good.”
The ship rocked. Beth’s knees trembled, and she stumbled into Quinn’s arms, her body pressed against his burley chest. Her senses reeling, the hot flashes came rushing through her veins again. A low rumble like a growl came from her chest. A shiver of panic swept through her.
She focused on Quinn’s beaming smile. His hot breath inches from her face. “Dinna be afraid, lass. Ye canna stop her.”
She backed out of his hold, his musky woodland scent filling her head. His eyes flashed golden amber. His nearness intensified the bond she felt when she first laid eyes on his portrait in the sketch. Standing next to him became overwhelming. Her heart pounded in her ears. The back of her neck grew intensely hot. She bit her lip, tasting fresh blood.
Quinn reached over and traced his finger over her mouth. She trembled from his touch. He drew her inside his beefy arms. A rage of emotions flooded her senses.
“The she-wolf’s yer only hope of getting through the next few weeks.”
Beth opened her eyes and spotted silky white hairs protruding through her skin. She blinked. Her fingers shriveled. She lowered her hands in front of her, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. “By the Goddess, this can’t be happening. I’m turning into some sort of monster.”
She gasped, hardly recognizing the higher pitch and rumbling growl of her own voice. Panic washed over her like giant ocean waves.
Quinn gripped her arms and drew her close. “Ye’re not a monster. I’ll help ye through this, Beth. Our presence must have brought her to the surface. She senses ’tis time.”