She wasn't a wolf but a woman.
“Ciara,” he murmured, burying his face in her hair. “Thank the gods.”
He embraced her tightly before they became aware of what stood beside them. Who faced the sun and wagged her tail.
“She’s...me,” Ciara murmured, shocked as they gazed down at the happy little wolf pup.
“Better yet, she’s of you,” Grant said softly, appearing nearby. He smiled at them and crouched, looking at the wolf. “And she’s free now just as you are, Ciara.”
“What?” she whispered, baffled, yet suddenly feeling it. The vast difference inside her.
A feeling she hadn’t had in a very long time.
“Aye, you’re fully human again, lass.” Grant laughed as the pup bounded into his arms. He stood and kept chuckling as she licked his cheek. “The curse has lifted.” His warm regard returned to them before his gaze dropped to her Claddagh ring with its brightly shining gem. “And you have sealed off your Stonehenge.”
“By sacrificing...Phelan,” Ethyn murmured. His heart was in his eyes as he looked at the little wolf. She, in turn, looked right back, happy as could be.
“Aye, as Marek, despite being possessed, knew had to happen to set Ciara free.” Grant patted Phelan, his gaze never more serious when it went to Ethyn. “In turn, ‘twill soon be time for you and yours to go to Marek’s aid. I dinnae know when or where but ‘tis coming and ‘twill take everyone’s combined power to fight it. For what your cousin goes up against, what he’s part of, is verra dark and verra angry now.”
“Aye,” Ethyn said softly, as grateful to Marek as she was. “Angry at Marek’s betrayal both in their first life and in this one.”
“Aye, and from what I can sense, your cousin’s anger at them is just as strong,” Grant said grimly. “He will take retribution no matter what stands in his way or who might get harmed. For the evil he once embraced will see it no other way.”
“And what of Phelan?” Ethyn asked, worried, already feeling the same thing as Ciara. The separation that was coming. “What happens to her now?”
“She travels on,” Grant murmured. “Safe from the darkness and those that mean to harm her. A separate entity now from the curse that created her. A creature essentially created by great love despite the darkness at its conception.”
Though Ethyn and Ciara wanted to go to Phelan, somehow, they knew the time for that had passed. She was on a new path now. She looked at them one last time before her ears perked forward, and she gazed at the rising sun.
“Aye, I’d say ‘tis just about time,” Grant said softly to the pup. His eyes twinkled. “For ye have someplace to be aye, my wee one?”
“Where?” Ethyn asked.
“Och, ‘tis hard to know,” Grant murmured vaguely, his words a whisper on the wind as he carried the little wolf toward the light. “Mayhap to begin a new life someplace else.”
Moments later, he and Phelan vanished into the rising sun.
“She’s gone,” Ciara whispered. “Really gone.”
“Aye.” There was no missing the sentiment in Ethyn’s eyes as he cupped her cheek. “But ye arenae, lass. Ye are right here...we are right here...and we’ll never forget her.” Emotion choked him up for a moment. “She was my closest friend, just as ye are now.”
A wobbly smile curled her lips. “I feel odd without her, but...” She struggled for the right words. “I also feel amazingly free. Lighter than I ever have.”
“No doubt, you do.” He brushed his lips across hers before kissing her again and again, murmuring against her lips how grateful and relieved he was she was still here. Alive. In his arms. Then he kissed her more passionately. So passionately, in fact, neither were aware their surroundings had shifted until Julie’s chuckle interrupted the moment.
“I was wondering when we would see you two again.”
As it turned out, they were in the same spot they'd stood when Ethyn ran his sword through Phelan.
“What happened?” Ethyn exclaimed, eyeing the area with uncertainty. The encampment was gone, as were most signs of warfare. Blood still stained the ground and broken bits of things lay about, but besides that, it was quiet.
“All’s as well as it can be,” Tiernan assured. He clapped Ethyn on the shoulder then embraced Ciara, thanking them for protecting King David and sacrificing so much for so long. Then, naturally, for sealing off their Stonehenge. Cray and Aidan praised them as well, followed by their lasses.
“Marek isnae here?” Ethyn said softly, frowning.
“Nay,” Cray grumbled, clearly troubled. “But I will find him.” He shook his head, his eyes pained when he looked at Ethyn. “’Twas not him that took Phelan. ‘Twas not—”
“I know it wasnae.” Ethyn embraced him. “’Twas your brother, though, who freed Ciara and me from our curse.” He gripped Cray’s shoulders and met his eyes. “I owe Marek a great debt of gratitude and intend to return the favor no matter what it takes. I will help see him through whatever he faces now.”
Cray nodded, relieved. “Thank ye, cousin.”
“Though history remains on track,” Tiernan said, “we still have a ways to go.”
“Aye,” Aidan agreed.
“Berwick is England’s yet again,” Julie said dryly in explanation when Ciara and Ethyn looked at everyone, curious about what they had missed. “Though the few protecting him think King David is traveling with them, he’s now firmly under our protection until he’s safely exiled in France. That said,” she chanted, transporting them along a ley-line in an instant, “best that we hang here where we left him and regroup until we figure out what our next step is.”
“Welcome home, my love,” Ethyn murmured in Ciara’s ear as they appeared in MacLomain Castle's great hall.
She smiled at him only to find him smiling at something else.
Moments later, she realized what.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“MY GOD, AM I seeing what I think I’m seeing?” Ciara whispered, staring at King David sitting on the floor in front of the fire. Laughing, he held something on his lap. “Is that...”
“Aye, ‘tis a wee wolf.” Adlin grinned. “She found her way across the bridge shortly after King David was brought here for safekeeping.” His grin blossomed into a smile. “She was just bounding along without a care in the world.” His knowing gaze went to Ethyn and Ciara. “Almost as if she, too, found her way home.”
“Well, she has good taste,” Ethyn’s ma said, admiring the wolf before she gave Ciara a big hug. “But then so did her predecessor.” She pulled back and met Ciara’s eyes, teary. “I’m truly sorry I distrusted you at the beginning. You deserved so much better.”
“You were protecting your son,” Ciara said softly, her eyes damp. She glanced from Ethyn back to his mother. “How could I ever fault you that?”
“Oh, you’re just a sweet pea, aren’t you?” Ma drawled, grinning from ear to ear. She looked from his father to Ethyn then back to Ciara, hopeful. “Someone I very much hope to call daughter soon.”
“As would I,” Da agreed, embracing Ciara as well. “Verra much.”
“So will there be a wedding then?” King David exclaimed, grinning before he realized he hadn’t gone about things as he should have. So he approached, solemn, as his wolf trotted alongside. When he stopped, she sat beside him, already faithful to a fault.
Formal, David looked from Ethyn to Ciara and nodded once in recognition. “On behalf of Scotland, I thank ye for so gallantly coming to my aid.” His emotional yet wise regard went from his new pup to Ciara. “For sacrificing so verra much in the end for the greater good.”
“There is no one I would have rather done it for.” Ciara glanced from the wolf to the boy. “May you resume ruling Scotland and your people again when the time is right.”
“Aye.” Though sadness flickered in David’s eyes at what he knew must be his ultimate fate, his wolf clearly softened the blow. For they were already close, seen clearly when David looked at the pup and arc
hed a brow. “Well, are ye going to say hello to them then, Phelan?” He winked at Ciara. “Named for she who came before her, of course.”
Almost as if she’d been waiting for it, the wee wolf bounded to them. They crouched, laughing when she leapt into Ethyn’s arms and licked Ciara’s face.
“I’m so glad something so amazing came out of all this,” Ciara whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as they stood. She looked from the wolf to Ethyn. “Outside of the obvious, that is.”
“So much good,” he agreed as Phelan crawled into her arms.
Almost as if Ethyn's Fianna magic knew his next thought before he did, something manifested in his hand. He smiled, recognizing it from a life long gone.
“The warriors who surrounded you at the battle are back,” King David whispered, awed when dozens upon dozens of ethereal Fianna warriors appeared around them, fell to a knee and bowed their heads.
Almost, as it happened, at the same time Ethyn fell to a knee in front of Ciara.
“I was going to give this to ye so verra long ago,” he said softly, holding out the ring, remembering his intentions. His ultimate hope. “For ye are the only lass I have ever loved, then my truest friend in every lifetime.” He searched Ciara’s teary eyes, hoping she understood just how much he loved her. How much he wanted this. “Will ye marry me, lass? Will ye become my wife?”
She wiped away a tear, nodded, and tried to speak but was too emotional. When Phelan nuzzled her hand as if telling her to take the ring, she laughed and kept nodding, finally finding her voice. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you.”
She kept nodding and crying as he slipped the ring on and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. A short one, as it happened, when Phelan squirmed up between them and licked their chins.
They laughed and handed the pup over to David before Ethyn turned to his Fianna brotherhood and nodded, acknowledging that they had stood by both him and Ciara. They, in turn, would do nothing less for a brother who had sacrificed all for love and a Woodland Druidess who suffered a curse she never deserved.
Though they faded back to the mists and woodlands of Ireland, he knew in his heart, his Fianna brothers remained with him. They always would, protecting him and his kin until the end.
While the evening turned into a celebration and a wedding commenced with Iosbail watching on with approval from the mantel, everything wound down fairly early. He and his immediate kin ended the eve by sharing a nightcap in front of the fire. David and his wee wolf were safely asleep, and Ethyn held Ciara on his lap as they talked of what was next.
More so, who might be their true enemy and who was sorely missed.
“I started sensing my brother’s dragon again a short while ago,” Cray said, both relieved and worried. “Though I dinnae know where he is, I do know he’s with Leviathan and safe for now, free from the Brotherhood.”
“He’s with the Viking then?” Grant said, having appeared hours before to join the celebration. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Cray sighed, grateful when Madison cozied close to him on his lap, her dragon’s way of being there for him. “He is seeking his truth now.” His gaze went to Ethyn’s shoulder, where his blade was once strapped. “And he does it with the Viking sword in hand.”
He'd wondered where it vanished to after he pulled it free from Phelan but had sensed it was where it belonged.
“Good.” He rubbed Ciara’s thigh absently, soothing it though it no longer needed soothing. For, blessedly, with the lifted curse, the pain was finally gone. “So now we let David rest a night or two, then return.” His gaze skirted over every couple. “Together, as a team, to aid our brethren and see King David safely to France.”
“Aye.” Adlin squeezed Milly’s hand then looked at everyone fondly. “Each and every one of you has made us verra proud thus far. You have sacrificed for kin and country without hesitation. Something I know will hold true until the last Stonehenge is sealed off, the Brotherhood is destroyed, and with any luck, magic is restored in Scotland.”
“Aye,” the men said in unison.
“So four Stonehenges are sealed off with one to go,” Ciara murmured. “Yet the question remains, which one is it? The one in Salem or Ireland? And what about the Stone of Destiny that was part of Tiernan and Julie’s adventure? Will that play a part in all this again?” She shook her head. “And what about Alyssa, Destiny, and maybe even a mysterious demigod? Should one of us travel to the future to see what’s happening there with our friends? Or should we assume they’re here after appearing to King David in his tent?”
“As to the Stonehenges and Stone of Destiny,” Grant replied, “time will tell. ‘Twill be up to Marek and his Broun to figure that out.”
“Aye.” Adlin nodded. “As to Alyssa and Destiny, dinnae doubt you will see them again soon enough.” He glanced at Iosbail’s face on the mantel as if listening to something she said. “And whilst Ethyn doubted this demigod in another life, based on what she did in King David’s tent pre-battle, I suspect she’s an ally.” He gave Ethyn and Ciara a pointed look. “After all, just look at all the good that came out of it. Good that wouldnae have happened had Phelan not been near David during the thick of it.”
“Aye,” Grant agreed, nodding.
“Until we have more answers, I think ‘tis best you all return to King David’s time in 1333 and continue on with him and what few men he has left.” Adlin’s gaze swept over everyone. “Men who will someday become many, rise up and bring their rightful king home. Until then, one thing and one thing alone must take precedence. What we have known from the beginning. We must see wee David safely into exile and away from those who would harm him.”
In full agreement, everybody continued speculating and planning for some time before Ethyn finally carried his new bride upstairs.
“Might we stop along the way?” she said softly. “Just for a moment or two...to say goodbye?”
“Aye,” he murmured, already heading that way. He strode past his chamber up the stairs and onto the wall walk that had been theirs.
“I don’t understand how I can be so sad and so happy all at once.” She wiped away a tear as he set her down. Like many times before, when she was a wolf, she stood by his side, admiring the loch shimmering in the moonlight. “Current circumstances aside, I have everything I ever wanted. Yet I still feel like some part of me isn't exactly mourning but saying goodbye in a way that’s hard to explain.”
“Because you are, lass.” He stood behind her and rested his hands on the railing on either side. “We both are.” He nuzzled her neck. “Yet it’s okay to feel happy. To let go of what you became and become who you once were...more so, what you once were.”
“You sense it too then?” she whispered. An owl landed nearby and bobbed its head at her as if saying hello. “You feel the change?”
“Aye.” He smiled as fish jumped in the loch, bats swirled overhead, and a pack of wolves melted out of the night. They looked up at them as if welcoming them back. “Not only do you still possess your witch magic, but your Woodland Druidess magic has also returned.”
She smiled, filled with the same peaceful joy as him. Her eyes met his over her shoulder. “As has your Fianna magic and who you once were. A great warrior who defends all creatures.”
He smiled, about to respond, when Phelan, evidently out on a midnight stroll, or perhaps just seeking them out to say goodbye as well, appeared out of the darkness.
“Hey there.” Ciara chuckled and patted her when she leapt onto the ledge in front of them. “Thanks for popping in.”
“Aye.” Ethyn chuckled as well, patting her before his gaze returned to Ciara. He marveled at how far they had come. How far they would go. So very grateful they’d found each other again. Beyond glad they had a chance to live the life denied them. “I do truly love ye, lass.”
“And I, you,” she whispered.
Many things still remained a mystery, but not what they once had together nor what they’d shared since. For though wit
hin a curse, a man and a wolf found a deep friendship. An eternal bond. More than that, a love that once was, found its way back to the surface and against the odds, a Woodland Druidess reunited with her Fianna warrior.
Their influence over the standing stone had contributed to the innately protective natures and fierce perseverance all MacLomains possessed. Not just that, but the deep, genuine friendship all MacLomains and their Broun counterparts shared. For that was just as important as the love they felt.
The ultimate fate of Clan MacLomain still lay on the horizon, but it was stronger for those who had influenced it and would fight for it until the end. Who would fight to see Scotland safe.
Until then, a Fianna and his druidess would finally share a life that should have been theirs from the beginning. So said the deep love they felt as he closed his mouth over hers and kissed her, serenaded into their new life by wee Phelan as she howled at the moon in approval.
An important note from Adlin and Grant: No animals, especially wolves, were actually harmed in the making of this story.
Coming Soon
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WILL A NOBLE WARRIOR find solace in the arms of the lass he's loved since the beginning? Or is his soul already damned and the fate of Scotland doomed? Find out in A Scot's Retribution, the steamy edge-of-your-seat epic conclusion of the entire MacLomain Series. Coming November 24th, 2020. Now available for pre-order.
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A Scot's Favor (The MacLomain Series: End of an Era Book 4) Page 18