Highland Wolf

by Alicia Montgomery

  She chewed on her lip. “But what about Adrianna and Darius? They need me too.”

  “I’ve talked it over with them, and they said that they’re willing to spare you if you want to go. Think of it as a chance to travel and see new things at the very least. I mean, c’mon, Julianna, I can’t ask anyone else.” He took her hand. “Papa and I can’t trust anyone else.”

  His words totally gobsmacked her. True, Lucas and Papa never coddled or indulged her, and now she realized that was because they knew she was capable. Frankly, that meant a whole lot more to her than having them taking her side in a petty argument with Isabelle. Her wolf practically preened at the praise from its Alpha. “Of course.” She nodded resolutely. “I’m here. Whatever you need.”

  “Good.” He took something out of his pocket—a small velvet box. Opening it, he presented her with a necklace. The chain was thin, made of gold, and there was a small medallion at the end. There was a face of a wolf on the front and in the back, a strange-looking seal with a tree, a crowned red wolf, and vines on a field of green and silver. “Cross found that seal in his research. He says it’s the original New York clan coat of arms. We haven’t needed to use it in decades, but I thought this would be appropriate.” He paused. “He also infused it with magic so that the chain grows when you shift so you don’t have to worry about destroying it.”

  She wrinkled her nose at the medal. “But what is it?”

  “Just a small token to signify that you’re my envoy,” he said. “Some clans still recognize the symbol, so I thought I’d have it made for you.”

  She took the necklace and put it over her head, then tucked it into her shirt, the gold warming against her skin. “When do I start?”

  Lucas smiled at her. “I’d like you to leave in a few days. And, since I wanted to make it easier on you, I thought I’d have some people to go along with you on your first two destinations.”

  “Great,” she said. “Who and where?”

  “Elise and Reed. You’re going to Scotland first and then England. They’re headed there for a delayed honeymoon of sorts. Elise told me she and Reed have been wanting to go back to pay their respects. I thought it would make sense and you all could go along.”

  The cold sweat finally did break out on her forehead and the back of her neck. Goddammit. And from the look on Lucas’s face, it seemed like he thought it was the best and most logical idea ever. She swallowed. Unfortunately, there was no way she could back out now. Not when Lucas and Papa put so much faith in her. “Great,” she croaked. “When do I leave?”

  When she first called Elise to ask her if she could join their trip, Julianna had hoped she would say no.

  “Of course you can come,” Elise had said enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen you since … well … I guess since that night we came back. How have you been?”

  That night we came back. Elise made it sound like they had gone on vacation or something. “Good. Fine. Yeah, been busy. Helping train Adrianna’s wolves. So … you don’t mind if I come along?”

  “Not at all. It’s been ages. Besides, alliances with other Alphas? That sounds like a good idea.”

  It’s not that she didn’t want to see her. In the short time she and Elise spent together, she grew to like the hybrid who could shoot electricity from her fingers. No, the problem was she and her mate, Reed, reminded her of that event she just wanted to put behind her and forget altogether.

  Event was perhaps too mild a word for what happened, which was that she, Elise, and Cross had been transported to the year 1820 by one of the artifacts of Magus Aurelius.

  The three of them spent two weeks in Regency England, though when they returned, only a few minutes had passed for everyone else. Also, much to their surprise, Reed Townsend turned out to be Elise’s True Mate and had been transported back to the future with them, though he had arrived three months before and had been waiting for her return all that time.

  Everyone celebrated and welcomed them back, of course. They were amazed by their stories, and of course, amused by Reed’s impressions of the future. And it was a good thing, because they were distracted and didn’t notice Julianna pull away from them.

  And that’s when it began.

  Some days she would have dreams of the past that were so real, she woke up in a cold sweat. Other times, something would trigger her memory, like a commercial for a period film or passing by an antiques store. And worse was when it would just pop out of nowhere and she felt it: a realization that everything and everyone she got to know those two weeks were gone. Eleanor. Jeremy. Bridget. The dowager. Yes, even little William, Reed’s young nephew. All dead. Turned to dust by now.

  “Ms. Anderson?”

  The driver’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts, though that heaviness still weighed on her chest. That’s right, she was here, now. In the present. Waiting at the private airstrip so she could start their journey. She placed her hand over her chest, feeling for the small, gold disc that hung from the chain around her neck. Lucas was counting on her. “Yes?”

  “They’re here.”

  Peering out of the SUV, she saw the limo pulling into the tarmac. She knew who was coming to the private airstrip, so she didn’t even bother to wait as she pulled on the door to open it. When she saw them exit the limo, her heart burst, realizing how much she missed them. “Elise! Reed!”

  They both looked at her, their smiles warm. Elise and Reed now lived in San Francisco, as she was the Alpha’s daughter and he pledged to their clan. They flew commercial to New York and now they would all fly together to Scotland. The use of the plane for their trip there, to London, and back to New York was a delayed gift from Julianna’s father, Grant Anderson, former Alpha of New York.

  Before they could say anything, she pulled Elise into a tight hug. “It’s so nice to see you. Oops!” She stepped back when she felt the bump poking at her stomach. “Hey, momma, you’ve popped!” It was obvious that pregnancy hadn’t had any bad effects as Elise had the gorgeous glow of happiness.

  “She has, and she’s beautiful,” said Reed in that elegant posh accent of his. “How are you, Julianna?”

  Pasting a smile on her face, she said, “I’m great.”

  “I see you haven’t cut your hair as you threatened a million times,” he noted.

  Doing a perfect imitation of Isabelle, she grabbed her braid and flipped it over her shoulder. “It’s growing on me.” Julianna had always worn her hair short as it was easier to maintain. When they had been transported back to the 1800s, Cross had used his magic to grow it out so she could fit in. When they came back, she was ready to cut it, but part of her just … couldn’t. Whenever she took a pair of scissors to it, flashes of Jane—the maid who was assigned to help her dress and get ready each day—came back to her. The young woman had been so sweet and so talented at styling hair. She’d always complimented Julianna and told her how she envied her long, thick black hair.

  But Jane was gone. Just like everyone else.

  She cleared her throat and pushed those thoughts away. “Thanks again for letting me horn in on your babymoon.”

  “Babymoon?” Reed asked.

  “You know.” She pointed her chin at Elise’s bump. “Last chance to get some alone time before the baby comes.”

  “Ha! My parents and siblings are so excited and preparing to come visit us all the time that I doubt we’d even have time with the baby when he or she comes.” Elise glanced up at the waiting plane. “Should we get going? We want to get there by morning, right?”

  They all boarded the plane and settled themselves into the plush leather seats as the steward offered them champagne and juice. Soon, they were soaring over the clouds and would be comfortably cruising for the next seven hours or so to Glasgow. It was late, and so the steward served dinner not too long after takeoff.

  “Traveling takes a lot outta me.” Elise let out a long, loud yawn after they finished eating. “Well, almost anything takes a lot out of me these days.”

&nb
sp; “You should get some rest, love.” Reed placed a hand on her belly.

  “There’s a private room with a bed,” Julianna said, pointing toward the rear of the plane. “Go ahead and use it.”

  “How about you?”

  “I don’t really need to sleep, plus I have to catch up on some work. And these”—she motioned to the chairs—“turn into lie-flat beds. No, don’t worry, they’re comfortable. Much more comfy than all of us trying to fit into that double bed in the back.”

  Elise looked like she had no strength to protest, so Reed got up with her and helped her to the bedroom.

  Since they had a couple more hours to go, Julianna took out her laptop, trying to concentrate on the files Jared had sent her about the first Alpha she was to going to meet. Callum MacDougal was in his sixties and had been Alpha of Caelkirk for the last twenty-five years. He had a Lupa, Kirsten, and six children.

  “What are you doing?” Reed asked when he came back into the main cabin.

  “Just reading up on our hosts.”

  He sat down on the chair opposite hers. “Anything interesting?” She turned the screen to face him and his brow furrowed. “Oh, I’ve read the same file from the Lycan High Council, I think. Did you also get Cross’s research?”

  “I don’t think so.” She scrolled to the end of the report. Really, it was all boring and dry facts.

  “Since he was doing research on the artifacts, he went ahead and looked up what happened to the London and Caelkirk clans after … I disappeared.”

  For a second, she saw his composure slip. While she had only known those people from the past for two weeks, Reed had known them his whole life. Surely whatever she felt was magnified ten times for him.

  “Since you didn’t get Cross’s research, I think you’d be happy to know that Bridget found her True Mate.”

  “Oh.” Bridget MacDonald was Reed’s Scottish cousin who came to London the same time they did, searching for her True Mate. “She mentioned something about meeting him the night of your ball. Who was he?”

  “His name was Connor MacDougal, and I actually met him.” There was a fond smile on his face.

  “Huh.” She leaned forward. “Who was he? Was he nice? Good enough for her?”

  He chuckled. “I only met him that day for a few hours, and we mostly talked about how to defend ourselves from the mages. He’s her True Mate, so you can be assured he was good to her.”

  Of course he was. Julianna had seen it all her life—how True Mates acted around each other. Her mother and father, for example, adored each other, and it was obvious there was nothing either wouldn’t do to make the other happy.

  And she really was happy for Bridget. There were times when she couldn’t sleep at night, when the weight pressed on her chest so bad, she couldn’t breathe, that she liked to think that everyone from back then had gone on to live fulfilling lives.

  “You know, it’s all right to miss them. All of them. Eleanor. Grandmama. Jeremy and William.”

  Her head snapped toward him, and she realized that this was the first time since she came back that she’d heard their names spoken out loud. She hadn’t dared; couldn’t, fearing her chest would be crushed with the weight of the reality of them being gone. “I—” The tears burned at her throat, making it hard to speak.

  “It’s all right.” His tone was so gentle, like a warm fuzzy blanket over her. “What you went through … I imagine no one else can relate. At least Elise has me and I have her. I’m sure you’re not close enough to Cross to confide in him.”

  True. Though they had gone through that event together, it wasn’t like she and Cross were immediately BFFs now. Heck, she hadn’t even seen him at all since that night.

  “Do you know, I thought all three of you were complete lunatics that morning you first came to Hunter House?” Reed’s mouth was quirked into a smile.

  The chuckle escaped her throat at the memory. “Cross had to go find us some clothes to wear, and he didn’t realize he stole ballgowns.”

  “I thought your manners were atrocious.” He shook his head. “I hope you’ll forgive me for being insufferable the entire time.”

  “Meh, there’s nothing to forgive.” She waved a hand. “You were a product of your time and upbringing. And we were these weirdos who came out of nowhere.”

  As the hours wore on, Reed spoke more about his family, the past, and of course, his impressions on being in the future. Julianna found it all fascinating, especially when he spoke about encountering things like computers and cars. They had never really sat down and spoken at length before, and she had to admit, though her first impression of him hadn’t been great, she could see he was a man of integrity and had a big heart.

  “The only thing I’m disappointed in is that over two hundred years later, prejudice still hasn’t been eradicated.” He frowned. “Why should it matter what—”

  “Excuse me, Ms. Anderson, Mr. Wakefield.” The steward stepped out of the galley. “We’ll be landing in about an hour. If you’d like to freshen up, I can serve breakfast any time before then.”

  “Oh dear, where did the time go?” He tsked at his watch. “I’ll go see if Elise wants to eat. Actually, I know she’ll want to eat.”

  “Me too,” Julianna said.

  The steward nodded. “I’ll get the food ready then.”

  “Thank you.” With one last smile at Julianna, Reed left to go back to the bedroom.

  Julianna headed to the washroom so she could do her business and splash water on her face. When she came out, Elise and Reed were already seated. After the quick breakfast, the plane landed in Glasgow Airport. From there, it was a four-hour drive to Caelkirk in their rented SUV. Since Reed didn’t know how to operate a car and Elise would be uncomfortable driving for such a long period of time, Julianna volunteered to drive.

  “I can see why your mother loved it here. It’s beautiful,” Elise remarked as she popped her head between the front seats.

  Julianna had to agree. The Scottish landscapes were beautiful. “Did you visit here a lot?”

  “I’ve only been three times,” Reed said. “Twice when I was younger and then …”

  “I’m sure you had a lovely time,” Elise finished.

  He let out a guffaw. “Yes, I did, if you define ‘lovely time’ as being plagued by pranks from my mother’s relatives for being a ‘Sassenach.’” But there was a fond smile that touched his lips.

  She slowed the vehicle when she saw their exit approaching. “So, are we going to stay with the clan?”

  Elise nodded. “Dad took care of everything and contacted the clan on our behalf.”

  “He told their Alpha the story of me being adopted and never knowing my true nature until I met Elise,” Reed continued. “And that I was probably from the Caelkirk or London clan and wanted to research my roots.”

  It was too dangerous to let everyone know where Reed really came from, so they concocted a believable story to explain how he just suddenly appeared. Everyone who knew about it agreed it was better to keep it a secret, just in case the mages realized how powerful the dagger truly was.

  “The Alpha agreed to host us at Castle Kilcraigh and allow us to tour the grounds,” he continued. “According to Cross’s research, he’s Bridget’s direct descendant.”

  “I’m really glad Bridget met her mate,” Julianna said. “And you said that Connor guy was okay?”

  “I only met him for a moment,” Reed confessed. “But he seemed a decent sort to me.” As they drove past a moss-covered wall, he announced, “We’re here. Look.”

  Julianna whistled. “Wow.”

  When Lucas told her that they’d been invited to stay at Castle Kilcraigh, she didn’t think it was a literal castle, complete with a moat, stone walls, turrets, and spikes. She quickly turned her eyes back to the road and pulled into the front. When she parked the car, they gathered their things and began to walk toward the entrance.

  A man in a tweed suit was waiting for them by the door.

/>   “You must be our guests from America. I’m Gerald MacDougal, Beta of the Caelkirk clan.” The Scottish brogue was a bit difficult to understand, but his tone was welcoming. The Beta had a warm smile and reminded Julianna of a friendly uncle. However, because of her training with the Lycan Security Team, she couldn’t help but sense the presence of his wolf which seemed wary of the three strangers.

  “Thank you for welcoming us and allowing us into the territory,” Reed greeted back. “I’m Reed Wakefield, this is my wife, Elise, daughter to Liam Henney, Alpha of San Francisco, and Julianna Anderson, envoy and sister to Lucas Anderson, Alpha of New York.”

  “Thank you for welcoming us,” Elise said.

  “Nice to meet you all,” he said as he shook hands with Reed, then did the same with Elise. When he turned to Julianna, his took her offered hand, but didn’t let go. His bushy brows drew together. “Do I know you?”

  “I don’t think so.” There was no sexual interest or malice in his tone, only genuine confusion. “Have you ever been to New York?”

  “No, but it’s like … I could have sworn …” He scratched at his chin. “It’s like I’ve seen you before.” Letting go of her hand, he shook his head. “I’m sorry my Alpha’s not here to greet you. He and his son had a sudden meeting in town, and he’s not sure when they’ll be back. But, don’t you worry, we’re all ready for you.” He nodded to the older woman walking toward them. “Mrs. Carter, she’s the housekeeper around here, will have your things sent up to your rooms. Unfortunately, I’m about to pop into a conference call myself, but please feel free to look around the grounds. I’ll be out around two, and we can take a tour of the castle after we have tea.”

  “Excellent idea,” Reed said. “I would like to go for a walk.”

  “I’ll join you. It’ll give me a chance to stretch my legs.” Elise slipped her arm through Reed’s.

  “I’m pooped.” She had been awake for seven hours and drove for another four hours. Anyone would be tired, even a Lycan. “If you wouldn’t mind, I need a shower and a nap, but that tea and tour sounds great.”