Once he was naked. He allowed his wolf to take over. As his tendons lengthened and his bones cracked and reformed, he winced. It had been so long since he’d shifted, that it hurt a little more than it usually did for an adult shifter. Magic pulsed in the air around him as he felt his full coat of fur sprout over his body.
When he had finally shifted completely, Jack turned. His eyes widened. “Wow. That’s so bloody cool.”
Brody snorted as he laughed inside.
“Oh, no. Don’t tell Mommy I said that, okay? She doesn’t like me to use the word bloody.”
Brody nodded. The door opened behind him and his cousin, Maggie, and Meghan joined them.
“Oh, my,” Maggie said, crouching down to his level. “You are a pretty wolf.”
Again, he snorted.
Pretty. What the bloody hell does that mean?
It means she finds us attractive, you idiot.
“May I pet him?” Meghan asked.
“Yes, you may. You can be a good boy, can’t you?” Esme asked, amusement filling her voice.
He gave his cousin a look that let her know she would pay for that comment when he was back to his human form.
Meghan and Maggie ran their hands down his back and through his fur. Pleasure filled him. Not sexual, but of the connection he felt to them, especially Maggie. They were blood related, no matter how distant. It soothed his wolf and also his soul. Familial connections were important on both sides of his family.
That’s great, but when do we get to run?
He motioned with his head to Esme, who gave him a devious smile before turning to the other women.
“He needs to run off some steam, doncha boy?”
Oh, he was going to get back at her, but he just nodded.
“Sounds good. We’ll be near the house.”
He nodded once again then took off, hoping that he could at least run off some of the need he felt for Anice. The cool night air rushed against his fur and he lost himself in the run.
Chapter Eleven
Anice was worried. Dinner had come and gone, and Brody hadn’t returned. As each minute ticked by, she felt a responding click in her head. It grew louder and louder. She shouldn’t be this out of sorts, but Anice couldn’t seem to stop the restlessness crawling through her.
To occupy herself, she’d offered to help clear the table, but then the witches laughed and said they could take care of the rest. At a loss of what to do, she started to walk the hallways.
He hadn’t been gone that long, and the witches had assured her he was fine. Why did she feel so messed up now that he was out on a run? It had been less than ninety minutes and she felt as if she were jonesing for a drug. The drug being Brody.
She stopped walking and rubbed her hands over her face. What the bloody hell was wrong with her? She was yearning for him, wanting to be near him at the same time she wanted to smack him upside the head. More than once. Then kiss him. It had seemed like forever since she had been able to kiss him.
Anice groaned, then pushed the thought aside. Instead, she focused on the present. She hadn’t seen Cayden in a while, and she assumed that he had gone out after Brody or to run with him, or whatever they did. Irritated with her own thoughts, she grabbed her jacket and went to the side entrance. She stepped outside. The moon was bright enough for her to see the lay of the land easily. They didn’t have a lot of lights that stayed on all night. They knew that there would be issues for the nocturnal animals that made the estate their home.
Just as she was thinking that, she heard someone behind her. She turned and watched as Cayden approached her. They looked so much alike, it still stunned Anice. Brody was probably about half an inch shorter than his brother, and his overall personality seemed lighter than Cayden’s. There was the weight of being the leader on his shoulders. That and the faded scar. One long mark went from his forehead over his eye, then down to his chin. It was amazing that he hadn’t lost his eye, with whatever had happened.
“He’s okay, you know,” he said in a gentle voice.
She nodded and crossed her arms. She didn’t want to care, but she did. In fact, she felt anxious with him out in the wild. She glanced down and saw the clothes he was holding.
“Those are for him?”
He nodded. “He should be back soon.”
They stood side-by-side for a long moment. She loved the night, always had, and now she was wondering why she had been so drawn to it. She remembered complaints from her mother that when she was a baby, she always preferred the night. And sneaking out of the house had been the one naughty thing she did. She couldn’t seem to help herself. The night constantly called to her and resisting it had seemed impossible.
She glanced at Cayden. “You know, I doona need a protector.”
He chuckled. “I know you are capable and, thanks to your witches and mine, you’re safe. I know Brody would expect me to watch over you.”
She groaned. “Doona start with that mate rubbish.”
“It’s true.”
She glanced at him, then back out at the darkness. “Why didn’t you need to run?”
“We doona need it as much as full shifters do. Our witch blood cools some of that. But Brody needed to run off energy.”
“Run off energy?” When he said nothing, she looked at him. “What?”
“You’re not that obtuse, Anice. I take it you haven’t consummated?”
She felt her face heat. She knew she was a couple centuries old, and she shouldn’t be embarrassed, but people didn’t always speak in such plain terms. At least, not in front of her.
“No.”
“Then that’s why.” He cocked his head to one side, then turned it to look out at the night. “He’s back.”
The thundering of feet against the earth filled the air around them. It sounded as if a large creature was rushing them from the fields. The air around them seemed to spark to life, snapping with light and energy.
“Doona worry. It’s just Brody.”
“Why is it so loud?” she asked, as the footsteps grew louder by the second.
“Because, he’s your mate. You sense him, hear him more easily than others.”
She scrubbed her hands over her face. “Bloody hell, I...”
Cayden touched her arm, but he froze when a growl rumbled. Anice opened her eyes to find the most gorgeous creature she had ever seen standing in front of her. There was no doubting this was a wolf, but she was pretty sure he was bigger than ordinary wolves. He was gray in color along his back but part of his snout and chest were white. Bits of red here and there, also black colored the fringes, along with his legs.
He snarled at his brother.
“Dial it back, brother,” Cayden said, his voice harder than she had heard before. This was the Alpha of the Stewarts. Still, Brody snarled again, baring even more of his teeth.
Cayden dropped his hand. “Bloody hell, you wanker.”
She had a feeling from Cayden’s tone and his expression, that he wasn’t accustomed to letting his brother win any argument. Brody calmed a bit, but when he approached them, he slipped between the two of them.
“I think my brother is a little jealous,” Cayden said with a laugh.
Another snarl.
She reached out, then thought better of it.
“Go ahead,” Cayden said.
She slipped her fingers through Brody’s fur, and he shuddered in appreciation. When he looked up at her, she saw the man beneath all of it. In his eyes, the bright blue eyes, she saw Brody.
He growled, but this time, it sounded more like appreciation.
“Listen, while I doona have an issue with the two of you, I think he wants to shift.”
She nodded, waiting.
“He’s going to be completely naked and while I have a feeling he doesn’t care, I do. I doona want to be standing with the two of you if he is suddenly naked…that’s weird right now.”
She opened her mouth to ask why it would be weird, because nudity didn’t bot
her her, and she doubted it bothered Brody.
Cayden snorted. “Listen, I doona care what you do, but if he’s naked and you’re here, things could rise to the surface, if you get my drift.”
She blinked, then chuckled. “Yes, of course. Sorry.” She slipped her hand through Brody’s fur once more, unable to resist, “I’ll get going.”
With that she stepped inside and found Esme waiting for her. “You knew I was out there?”
“I was hoping you would be. Brody is an attractive man, but he is a gorgeous wolf. Just doona tell him I said that.”
Anice nodded and started walking, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. Of course, Esme followed right along.
“I wanted to talk to you about Brody. I know that you’ve softened a little bit, but just in case, I thought maybe we should chat about our boy. And yes, I call him a boy because the men in my family need to be knocked about a bit.”
“I take it you weren’t happy about the situation with Gavin.”
“I hate that bunch. They burned one of my great aunts. Burned her alive. They have tortured others and got them to do their bidding.”
“That’s horrible. I’m sorry.”
Esme’s eyes softened. “Thank you. I’ll make them pay and part of that is helping you and your band of idiot male relatives.”
“Idiot males?” Cayden said. “Come now, you doona talk about me like that, do you?”
“Always. You deserve it.”
He frowned. “You’re being disrespectful. Again.”
“You doona need to keep telling me. I know I am, and I really doona care.”
Anice snorted and they turned toward her.
“Sorry, you just sound like I do with all of my male relatives.”
“That’s because they are lesser than us.”
“Esme, could you pretend to be on our side?” Cayden asked.
Anice laughed, then something caught her eye. Brody had returned to human form, and was unfortunately dressed. Not unfortunately. He was dressed. Just dressed. She didn’t want to see him naked. Not really.
“Oh, there you are,” Esme said. “Come along. We have a jewel heist to work on.”
“We’ll be there in a second,” Brody said.
Esme opened her mouth to say something, but this time, Cayden grabbed her arm and dragged her away. They continued to bicker but all she could seem to pay attention to was Brody.
His hair was a little wild and that made her think of slipping her fingers through his fur just moments before.
“I would really like to know what you are thinking at the moment.”
She shook her head, as she felt her face heat up again.
“Oh, come now,” he said, his brogue dancing over the words and sending a wave of heat slinking down her spine. “Doona leave me hanging, love.”
“I’m not thinking anything you need to worry about,” she said, her voice breathless. She needed to get away from him or she would forget herself and beg him to take her to bed. Before she could step away, he grabbed her by the wrist, then drew her closer. She didn’t feel threatened. She knew without a doubt he would let her go if she insisted.
But she didn’t. Instead, she let him tug her closer, then crowd her up against the wall. Her head started to spin with the wild scent of night air that seemed to cling to him. He studied her for a long moment and she thought he would kiss her. It wouldn’t be that bad for him to take one little taste. He didn’t kiss her though. He bent his head and nuzzled her neck. It was somehow more intimate to her. His tongue flitted out over her flesh, and she shivered. When she tried to swallow, she found her mouth too dry. What the bloody hell was he doing to her?
He growled against her neck. “So tasty. And you smell divine,” he rasped out. Her own hunger doubled as she heard the need vibrating in his voice. She wanted to let go, let him take her right there against the wall. She deserved it, needed it. She had been through so much.
“Brody, quit flirting and get in here,” Cayden yelled out.
It was the splash of cold water she needed to bring her back to sanity.
“We are not doing this,” she said. She inwardly cringed at her tone. There was no doubt if she couldn’t convince herself, she wouldn’t be able to convince Brody.
The smile he gave her told her he had every intention of trying to change her mind. Still, he said nothing. Instead, he stepped back and waved his hand as if to tell her he would follow her.
Anice tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach, but she found it beyond her ability. She needed to get away from him before she made an even bigger arse out of herself.
She walked down the hallway and he followed, catching up to her in two strides.
“So, do you think I’m pretty?” he asked.
Anice glanced at him. “What?”
“Maggie called my wolf pretty.” He sounded full of himself.
“Maybe she has lower standards than I do. She did marry Angus.”
Brody chuckled. “You do think I’m pretty.”
She wanted to hip check him into the wall, but instead she had to laugh. His tone was playful, albeit still a little conceited. “Of course, you are pretty...as a wolf.”
She felt a softening to him even when she knew she shouldn’t. Just yesterday she had discovered his duplicity. Now, she was getting weak-kneed because his wolf was pretty.
She walked into the room and inwardly groaned. There were only two seats left, those on the loveseat. Of course, that’s what she needed. Still, knowing that everyone was ready to get this meeting started, she took her place. Brody sat down next her, his smile telling her that he was definitely okay with the situation.
“You talked to your brother?” Callum asked Cayden.
He nodded. “He should be here in the morning.”
“So, we have a few wolves, two witches, a faerie, and a bunch of immortals to help out with the situation,” Callum said.
“I’m here to help,” Phoebe said. “Just because I’m an ordinary mortal with no abilities, doesn’t mean I can’t help.”
“Love, there is nothing ordinary about you,” Callum said.
“And you have been more than helpful. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have four jewels and be ready to grab the last one,” Anice said. “I found the way to break the curse, but you are the one who helped us get to where we are right now.”
Everyone in the room, except the Stewarts, who were all still learning all the back story, nodded. Phoebe pulled out a hankie and dabbed her eyes. “That’s the sweetest thing.”
“Let’s get this started,” Callum said. Then, he took Phoebe’s hand and urged her out of the chair. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. The sweet gesture touched Anice’s heart. Callum wasn’t always the most demonstrative man, but he definitely had learned to show it around Phoebe. She had certainly softened those hard edges.
Maggie stood. “I will go over the plan in a bit, but I think we need to discuss who is staying here.”
“Anice and Brody need to go to get the jewel so they’re out. I think we can leave most of the magickal people here,” Rena said.
“Why do we need that many people here?” Phoebe said.
“To protect you, love,” Callum said. She opened her mouth, but he stopped her. “And our bairn. We need people here to make sure the baby is safe. You know that.”
“Okay. Sorry,” she said.
Maggie smiled. “No worries. Now, the event that he’s having night after tomorrow is designed for us. I can feel it. He knows we want that last jewel. He can say all he wants, or whatever he has said in the past, but he could have easily let us have the jewel as soon as he found it. He didn’t. And he went out of his way to acquire it, if my sources are right.”
“Your sources usually are,” Meghan said.
“Just to be fair, he was normal last year,” Anice said.
“What do you mean?” Maggie asked.
“I know what Anice is saying,” Brody commented. “Even in the last co
uple of months, he seems to be a totally different person. That black magick...”
Maggie nodded in understanding. “Oh, right. Anyway, he’s having a party and, of course, the slimy bastard invited us.”
“He did?” Callum asked.
“Yes. So, I already RSVP’d for Anice and Brody. Angus and I will also attend.”
“I thought the magickal people were staying here,” Callum commented.
“I said most. From what Esme says, Brody doesn’t practice.”
“I would if I thought it would work, but I have little to no magickal ability.”
“Except turning into a wolf,” Anice said.
“Nothing magickal about that, love. It’s the way we are born.” What he said was totally normal, and his tone was a bit cocky, but normal. It was the way he was looking at her. Anice suddenly felt as if she were missing a red cape and basket of goodies for her grandmother.
Thankfully, Maggie saved her. “So, everyone else will stay here. I am contemplating what to do with Jack, as we think that Gavin will come after Phoebe and the baby then.”
“This sounds too dangerous. To Phoebe,” Anice said, glancing at the woman in question. “I doona want anything to happen to you.”
“We doona have a choice. Not at this point,” Maggie said. “We could send you away, but after talking to Callum and then to Esme, we thought it was useless. If Gavin wants to come after you, then, it doesna matter where you are. Familiar territory is the best bet. And if we wait to go after the jewel, she’s still in peril.”
She sighed. Brody reached out and stroked her hand. The small gesture calmed her a bit. “Okay. We know who is staying and who is going. What’s the plan?”
Maggie smiled. “I get to do some straight up devilish magick.” She rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter Twelve
Gavin looked out over the night. Most of Edinburgh was still, the darkness cloaking the usual bustling city. As a child, he hated the nights. His father drank to compensate for his failures and tended to take it out on all of them, especially his mother. Now, though, he felt his soul ease every time the sun set.
Anice: The Cursed Clan Page 9