Highland Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by Unknown

  For him. Follow.

  I stood and looked down at the limp red thread lying on the grass. The woman started walking further towards the clearing, the ball of yarn still floating above one of her hands. This has to be the strangest dream I’ve ever had, I thought. But I knew it was real.

  Tiny flutters began in my stomach and I put my hand over it to calm them, or him as the woman said. I didn’t know what was going on. Should I follow her? If I didn’t, where would I go? I ran to protect my baby, but I didn’t know how.

  Morning is near. Follow.

  I stepped into the clearing, onto the red thread, and the earth dropped out from under me. I tried to scream as my arms flailed. I reached out into the darkness but there was nothing there, no ground, no sky, nothing to keep me in place. There was nothing to keep me from falling.

  I tried to shift into my wolf, thinking it would better protect me. But nothing happened. I called to the wolf that existed within me, but it didn’t respond.

  Take the thread.

  Although I couldn’t see her, I heard her whisper as clearly as before. The thread appeared in the emptiness and I leapt towards it, grabbing it with my hand.

  A gust of wind whipped past me, forcing me to close my eyes. When I opened them, it was daylight and I was lying on a bed of green moss. I couldn’t see very far because a low stone wall blocked my view.

  There was a calm to the air. As I stood, I gasped at the openness of the land. Beyond the fence were rolling fields of heather. And just beyond them was a lake so clear it reflected the blue sky.

  I heard a sound behind me and turned to find the old woman dressed in a loose grey tunic made of thick wool. She was sweeping the entryway of a cozy cottage with a thatched roof and stone walls. It reminded me of the home I had shared with my father.

  As I approached, she looked up at me and smiled. Resting the broom against the wall, she motioned for me to come in.

  It was a one-room cottage with a cot in the corner and a couple of wooden chairs and a table. A kettle hung over the fire and she used a hook to pull it out, then poured some of the hot liquid into a mug.

  “Please sit,” she said, her voice raspy as she spoke aloud for the first time. “You and your baby are safe here. This can be your home if you choose to stay.”

  She put the mug on the table next to a plate of bread and mutton. I clutched my stomach as it churned hungrily.

  “I can’t impose on you,” I said. “I don’t even know you.”

  “Please, Ainsley. You have to stay. It’s my fault you’re in this predicament.”

  “What are you talking about? How is any of this your fault?”

  “My name is Gracelin Barrach. You might know me better as the Banshee of the Glen.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ainsley

  “The Banshee of the Glen is a myth,” I said, my brow wrinkling with confusion.

  “I wish it was. Alas, you being here is proof that it isn’t. If it wasn’t for me, you would be happy together with your Bran.”

  “What do you have to do with me and Bran?”

  “I’m the reason you cannot be together. The MacCulloch clan is cursed, you see. And what has been cursed cannot be uncursed.”

  I felt anger growing inside me. What did she mean it was her fault? What did she have to do with Bran? There was nothing she could have done that would make him say the things I heard.

  “You’re crazy,” I said, standing from the small wooden chair. “I think I’d best be going.”

  “I can help you return if that’s your choice, but please hear me out first. I think once I explain, everything will become clear.”

  I crammed a piece of bread into my mouth as I looked into her eyes. They weren’t the same color as they were in the clearing, but they were still strange. They seemed more youthful and were a bright green I remembered hearing only witches had.

  Looking down at the table, I grabbed a piece of mutton and quickly ate it. I didn’t have any other place to go, and it wasn’t just about me anymore. I had to think about my child. I met her eyes once more and slowly nodded.

  “I’ll listen,” I said as I sat down again.

  “Excellent.”

  She cleared her throat and sat down on a chair facing the table. She pulled out a piece of tartan that I recognized as belonging to Clan MacCulloch with its navy and white plaid. Flipping the fabric over, she revealed a symbol made of basket weave knots with wolves facing each other.

  “This piece of tartan is the only thing I have left of him,” she said. “He was my one love, my everything, and he told me I was his, too. But he lied.”

  A mixture of anger and hurt crossed her face. Her green eyes suddenly flashed amber and I wondered if she was going to turn into a wolf, but instead her skin smoothed. Her cheeks filled with youthfulness and her hair darkened from white to a dark red. By the time she smiled again, Gracelin had changed from an old woman to a beautiful young one.

  “I was a beauty,” she said. “Men from clans far and wide came to ask my father for my hand in marriage, but he respected and loved me as his only daughter and knew I was in love with another. His name was Niall MacCulloch, an ancestor to your Bran. He had the dark wavy hair your Bran had but with eyes the color of night. Niall could have had any woman he wanted, but he said he wanted me.

  “I was a fool. Niall was chief of the clan already and a brave fighter on top of it. Handsome didn’t even begin to describe him. I think I was blinded by my emotions as many in their youth are.

  “But I can’t take all the blame,” she continued. “I believed his lies, but he only wanted me carnally and once he got that, I meant nothing to him.”

  She stood, and her clothing hung from her. Not only had her face changed, but her body had, too. Gone was the shapeless body of the hag. It was replaced with the curves of a young woman. Tears filled her eyes and she turned away to look at the fire.

  “You don’t have to tell me anymore about him,” I said. “He found another, didn’t he?”

  She nodded, and I could see she was too choked up to say the words. As she cried, I heard a faint sound I couldn’t make out and strained to hear it.

  My sister.

  I felt bad for her, but I still didn’t see what any of this had to do with Bran and I.

  “I was angry,” she whispered. “So very angry. I couldn’t help it. I cursed him and by extension, his entire clan. I didn’t know what I was doing though. I just wanted him to love me,” she choked.

  She kept her back to me as her shoulders shook. Her cries filled the cottage, and sadness crashed over me. I thought about Bran’s words again and wondered what they meant.

  “What happened?” I asked. “What did you do?”

  “I don’t even remember the words,” she said, turning to face me. “All I know is because of what I said, Clan MacCulloch can never die. But not only that, those who find love among the other clans are destined for strife. They will never have the love they desire.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said. “What do you mean? Bran can never die?”

  “Oh, he can be killed. That’s for certain,” she said as she stroked a thick scar across her neck with her finger. “But he will never die of old age. He will never age.

  “I cursed Niall so he wouldn’t be with her, but when I did it, I cursed the rest of his line. When a MacCulloch finds his mate in another clan, they will be torn apart.”

  She was quiet for a moment as she stared back into the fire.

  “Niall sent me to the Otherworld where I have spent many lifetimes waiting for him to realize his mistake, but he never came back for me. He spent his life looking for my sister and when he found out she died, he killed himself. I never realized how much he truly loved her. I was too young and jealous to recognize true love when it was right in front of me. It just wasn’t mine.

  “That’s what happened to you and Bran,” she said. “When you overheard him, he had just learned about his immortality and he saw it for the c
urse it is. Realizing you would age and die before him was enough for him to declare he didn’t want that for anyone else, including his children.”

  Bran’s words finally made sense. I stood up and walked to the door.

  “I have to get back to him,” I said. “I have to tell him I’m having his child and explain what happened.”

  “No, you can’t. If you care for that child inside you, you won’t go back to Bran.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because my tears are not for Niall, they are for that babe inside of you,” she said.

  “He will die?”

  “If you return, his death is certain. Your child will grow like other children. He will be susceptible to injuries and illness, even death. Once he reaches adulthood he will be immortal, but until then he is in danger.”

  “But Bran will protect him,” I said.

  “Bran has left. He believes you are dead and cannot stand to stay in the village that reminds him so much of you.”

  “But I’m not dead. I have to stop him. I have to tell him I’m okay and he’s going to be a father.”

  “No, you can’t,” she said. “The trip to the Otherworld took you two weeks to make. It’ll take another fortnight for you to return. He could be anywhere by then.”

  Two weeks? I thought. Where did the time go? And what about Bran? I have to find him. He needed to know I was okay.

  “You can’t find him?” I asked.

  “I cannot find those who choose to be lost.”

  I didn’t want to hear any more. I left the cottage for the some fresh air. As I stood outside, I looked around again and realized there was nothing else around us. I was in the Otherworld. The banshee probably made it look like Scotland, just like she was able to change her own appearance.

  I walked into the heather and ran my fingers over the soft purple tips. I was trapped. If I returned to my village, it would disgrace my father. A daughter of Clan Drummond was impregnated by their foe, who was missing. I couldn’t do that to my father.

  More importantly, I couldn’t push the banshee’s cries out of my head. I left Bran to protect my child. If I really wanted to protect him, then I needed to stay in the Otherworld.

  The banshee appeared as an old woman again and walked into the field of heather. She was once again dressed in a long flowing white robe. In her hand was a ball of red yarn.

  “We can return whenever you’re ready,” she said.

  “No, I’m going to stay here. I’ll have my baby here and make a life for him until he’s old enough to safely leave.”

  The banshee smiled and became young again.

  “I’m so happy to hear that,” she said. “You’ll see your Bran again one day, Ainsley. I know it, I’ve seen it. You have lifetimes before you, but remember wherever you go, make sure you move before others grow suspicious.”

  “Lifetimes? You must be mistaken. I’m not from Clan MacCulloch.”

  “But that child inside you is, and he needs you. As he grows, you will change, too. You won’t be immortal, but you will age much more slowly. And trust me, that is to your benefit. You’ll spend centuries waiting for Bran, unaware of how close you two really are to each other.”

  I didn’t care about how long I would live as long as one day Bran and I were together again. I was willing to wait however long that took.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ainsley

  Present Day

  I smiled at Bran and the rest of our company. Pinky and Rafael were entranced by my story. Their eyes never left me. Bran’s shoulders were weighed down and sadness covered his face. He looked down at the table, deep in thought, before looking up at Callen.

  “You were raised by your mother and a banshee?” he asked. “How does a boy become a man without a man’s guidance?”

  “How dare you, Bran MacCulloch!” I said indignantly as I stood from my seat. “I was a better hunter than you, and I was always faster, too. My father taught me all the things a man needed to know. I did what I had to do to protect him and us.”

  I couldn’t believe that after all these years, Bran still had his Old World thoughts. I wanted to strangle him, but I knew his chauvinistic attitude was just his grasp on the past.

  “I’m more of a man than you could ever understand,” Callen said. “Yes, I was taught how to hunt and how to be a wolf by a woman, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is because of her that I also know how to love, how to be gentle and kind, and when to shut up and listen.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bran said. “I said the wrong thing. I’m angry that I wasn’t there to see you grow, to help teach you things a father teaches his son. You’re right, my thinking is archaic. I come from a time when men and women had their place, whether it was right or not. I’ve spent my life wandering and alone, a nomad. I never settled in one place. To think all these years the two of you were out there. I had a family I didn’t even know about. It upsets me. Callen is a lucky boy to have such a strong mother. I mean that wholeheartedly. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  I came up behind Bran and set my hands on his shoulders. He tilted his head to the side, onto my arm, and I brushed his hair back from his head. It hurt to see so much sadness in him.

  “I wish we could have been a family,” I said. “I really do, but Gracelin was right about the curse. And as I’ve seen, things really could have been worse.”

  “How?” Bran asked, turning to look at me. “We’ve lost so much time together, how could there be anything worse than that?”

  I turned away and walked to the other side of the room. Folding my arms in front of me, I thought about his question. I knew the answer, but it wasn’t my story to tell.

  “Go ahead,” Callen said. “Tell them about me.”

  Searching Callen’s eyes, the one trait he got from me, I saw that he was serious.

  “Alright, but a small part,” I said. “It’s your story to tell whenever you want to. But I’m proud of you and I love you, Callen. One of my happiest and proudest days was the day of your hand-fasting such a long time ago.

  “Our life with Gracelin flew by. We didn’t always stay in the Otherworld. At times, we traveled to Scotland or other places in Europe. It was a life I never thought I would ever experience. Living with the banshee was probably the best education Callen could ever have.

  “Eventually though, I decided it was time to move on. We needed to be around other people. Callen needed a life of his own. With everything going on in the world, we decided to head to the New World. Specifically, we went to Salem, Massachusetts.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ainsley

  Late 1600s, Salem, Massachusetts

  It had been a long time since I had to interact with people. I couldn’t believe how quickly a hundred years had gone by with Gracelin in the Otherworld, and it made me feel bad that I had kept Callen from having a life and the possibility of a family of his own.

  It was autumn in Salem and the trees were changing colors from their dark green to reds and golds. Callen and I lived in a house owned by friends of Gracelin. She was never mentioned and I didn’t know if our benefactors were human, but I didn’t question it. I was simply grateful for a place where we could stay.

  Since we looked so close in age, Callen and I pretended to be brother and sister. I didn’t mind playing the spinster. The only man I wanted was lost to me.

  Callen and I would shift into wolves at night and go for runs. We had lived in Salem for several months and were happy. Many young women were interested in Callen, but he didn’t think any of them were special. We didn’t know how long we would stay, but I always remembered Gracelin’s advice to move before anyone became suspicious of our not aging.

  One night as we ran under the full moon, we raced to see who could reach the town line the fastest. Being the smaller wolf, I was faster, and racing with my son always brought back memories of running with Bran. I was lost in my memories when I realized I was alone.

  As I traced my way back t
o Callen, I found him standing near a church. He had shifted back to his human form and was staring into the distance. It was late, but I didn’t want to draw any attention to ourselves. Salem was filled with gossips. Moving into the shadows, I shifted to my human form.

  “Callen,” I whispered, “what’s going on? Why did you stop?”

  “There’s something nearby,” he said. “I can’t explain it, but I can feel it calling to me, beckoning me. It’s something in the air.”

  He turned, and his eyes fixed onto something in the distance. I followed his gaze to a young woman with coppery red hair. She wore a black cape and was seated near a gravestone. It looked like she was talking to someone, but no one was there.

  I had grown up hearing many superstitions and myths, but when I saw this girl, I knew she was only talking to the memory of whoever passed away. My shifter self didn’t sense anything special about her. She was nothing more than human. Except to Callen.

  “Have you ever seen such a beautiful creature, Mother?” he asked.

  “Shh! Callen, please. Let’s change back and get back to the house. This isn’t the place to be walking around naked!” I said.

  “Mother, my heart is pounding in my chest. I feel like everything I’ve ever done has led to this moment of seeing her. I have to go over there now and--”

  “Callen MacCulloch!” I hissed. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. Listen to me, I know how you’re feeling. I felt exactly the same way before when I first saw your father. We can hide here as wolves and no one will see us. Then we can follow her home. Tomorrow, you can go over as a respectable young man, not some naked shifter, and you can ask her father for permission to speak to her. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Mother. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking, to be honest. I don’t want to get us into trouble. You’re right, I can wait until tomorrow, and then one day I’ll make her my bride.”

  ***

  Heather Mather was speaking to her parents that day in the cemetery. She had been orphaned at a young age and was raised by her elderly aunt. She was a kind young woman and I grew fond of her.