HuntressUnleashed (6 page)

“—absolutely
no’
going out there, Caitrin! It is far
too risky. Talk to me, lass!”

“The sheep,” she told him, glaring mutinously to cover
threatening tears. She’d never been this rattled before and she wasn’t in the
habit of explaining herself to others after spending three years alone.

“All right, lass. I’ll go check on them.” Gentling his
voice, Eagan drew the briefest of caresses on her cheek. Then he put his face
level to hers, wordlessly commanding her full attention. His voice became
otherworldly, commanding. “
Ye will stay inside the cottage until I am done.
”

Her body instinctively responded to that dominant voice,
freezing in position as Eagan strode naked through the door. Caitrin grabbed
the sword, flinging the door open. Raised her foot to take the first step—and
froze again. Her muscles locked every time she made a move to cross the
witchward.

Eagan had…cursed her? No, that couldn’t be it. Caitrin
gasped, suddenly realizing what he’d done. He was her Alpha now. He’d ordered
her to remain behind, knowing that her inner wolf—well, whatever she
had
of an inner wolf—would instinctively obey.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, she began to pace up and
down, staring fretfully through the open yet inaccessible door. Eagan was out
of sight. Even with her supernatural hearing she couldn’t make out where he was
or what he was doing.

One of the collies crept up behind her, giving her an idea.
“Bannock, Frost! Find the sheep. Bring them into the barn!”

Whining, the dogs looked up at her, evidently torn between
staying to protect her and obeying her command. After agonizing for a few
seconds, both of them ran off and Cait breathed a sigh of relief. The Guardians
would protect Eagan if necessary—she was certain of that.

Still, she was relieved beyond measure when the collies came
back, panting triumphantly as they skidded indoors. Behind them was Eagan,
twirling the kilt with one hand.

“Should I put it on or leave it off?” he inquired. His
expression turned serious as he drew closer. “What’s wrong, Caitrin?”

To show him precisely what she was so furious about, Cait
charged toward the door. She expected her muscles to lock, preventing her from
crossing the threshold. Instead she crashed headlong into a solid wall of
muscle.

She was saved from an ignominious fall on her backside by
Eagan’s quick grasp. He stared down at her in astonishment. “Lass?”

Oh
. His dominance had ended the moment he returned,
so she was once again free to leave the cottage. Caitrin waved a
self-deprecating hand, pulling away in embarrassment. “I am not used to a
werewolf ordering me about.”

He caught her up in a fierce embrace. “So my dominance
worked?”

“Too well.” Caitrin was suspicious of the jubilant note in
his voice.

He kissed her, not bothering to give her an explanation for
his amusement. “The sheep are indoors again, lass, all thirty-two o’ them.”

Cait sagged in relief. Having grown up raising sheep, she
was quite fond of the silly animals. “I thought Delaney would have slaughtered
them.”

“Mutton will be of no interest in comparison to the prospect
of winning a werewolf mate, Caitrin. He remains close, seeking to take ye from
me.” Eagan turned to scan the pastures, his green eyes fierce. Although he
looked calm and collected, his grip around her radiated tension. What was he so
worried about?

“Will Delaney move on to another area now that I am mated to
you?”

“He may try to challenge me.” Eagan reached out to close the
door, a dangerous glint in his eye.

“I am not standing aside so you two can fight over me,”
Caitrin warned. “He’ll find a sword in his back.”

The fury in Eagan’s eyes lessened as he laughed. “I have no
doubt he will, lass. But he may well invoke the Right of Challenge. Ye will no’
be able to interfere with that—it is ancient werewolf magic.”

“What of the dark wizard?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. He may be able to tamper
with the Right, and the runes on Delaney may be a problem.”

“Should I see if the wizard has cast any more wards?”

Cait made a move toward the door, but Eagan shook his head.
“Nay. Leave it be, lass.”

Annoyance flared sudden and bright. “I cannot stay inside
for the rest of my life, Eagan.”

“Nor am I asking ye to. I merely want ye to rest until
tonight.”

Tonight?
Several different thoughts played through
her head, the foremost inducing a blush. She turned away, surveying her little
cottage. She’d spent so much time here in the past three years that it was like
a second skin. Although the two bedrooms were tiny and the sitting room not
much larger, it was all she knew.

“As you say. Game of chess?” she suggested. She made a
conscious effort to tamp down her irritation.

“Aye, would no’ mind.”

Cait hadn’t played anyone since Da had died. She retrieved
the old wood-and-bone set, aware that Eagan was still regarding her strangely.
Self-consciously she pulled her robe closer, plunking the chessboard onto the
table. “White or black?”

“Black.”

“Very chivalrous of you.” She made the first move, attacking
with her knight. Shortly, the board was littered with pawns. Eagan captured two
and swiped her queen just as she felt the game was getting underway. And he
kept
watching
her, hardly taking his eyes away. She was beginning to
feel stifled.

“Check,” he said softly.

Caitrin glared at him, irrational fury burning her up. Her
hand darted in, jerking the king to the next square. Across from her, Eagan
nudged his bishop into place. “Checkmate.”

“Very well.” She bit the words off. “Winner cleans up.”

She stalked across the room, wanting to…run? What was wrong
with her? It was as if ants were crawling underneath her skin. She wanted to
move, to punch the walls away. She’d never felt so cooped up in her entire
life. Even the plinking of the chess figures into their box was annoying.

“Shall I gather the eggs from the barn?” Eagan inquired.

“Oh, do what you like!” she flung at him.

“What I like?” His voice came from behind, his breath hot
against the nape of her neck. How had he moved so fast? She tensed as his hands
closed around her breasts and arched against him in sudden, hot desire. His
naked erection pressed hard against her backside, his hands bending her across
the back of the couch.

Irritation channeled itself into passion, but she didn’t
want to give up control so easily. She grasped his cock, wrapping her hand
around its tip as she allowed him to bend her over. The way he handled her was
brisk, almost abrupt, as he mounted her.

He nudged forward, letting out a low growl as his cock
pushed through the pressure of her hand and, finally, inside her. Eagan pinned
her hips, driving so hard that Caitrin had to hold on to the couch to prevent
herself from falling forward. He made tight circles around her bare nipple with
his finger, the sensations driving Cait half out of her mind.

She was wild beneath him, bucking against his movements,
wanting it rough, fast,
right now
. Focusing solely upon his touch, his
thrusts, took all her energy. Her orgasm took her half by surprise. She didn’t
bother to stifle her screams.

Eagan held her tight, whispering her name over and over.
Eventually he withdrew, stroking a caress up the length of her back. “Better
now, lass?”

“Mmm…somewhat.” She was exhausted now, her cheek pressing
into the softness of a cushion. If she closed her eyes she felt as if she would
sink into oblivion.

Eagan lifted her onto the couch, covering her with a nearby
blanket. At first she resisted, trying to call upon that now-gone spark of
irritation but it was gone, having dissipated with sex.

She was drifting, her muscles sore, somewhere in between
full-on sleep and mere dozing. Yet she was aware of Eagan’s presence, the
weight of his arm across her stomach as he stayed in physical contact even as
she slept.

When she woke she had no idea what time it was. Eagan was
staring at her as if he was expecting something. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“How long have I slept?”

“Hours.” Eagan nodded toward the darkening skies, visible
through the window.

Cait’s jaw dropped. She’d slept through the midday meal? No
wonder her stomach was rumbling. It was nearly time for dinner!

“There is food on the table. Eat.” Eagan seemed to be
reading her mind.

She leaped up, nearly overbalancing. Her leg muscles, sore
from yesterday’s headlong flight, seemed suddenly stronger than ever.
Proceeding more cautiously, she sat at the table and devoured the plate of food
Eagan had prepared.

“It will be dark soon,” Eagan said conversationally. He
propped his chin on one hand, watching her eat with an enigmatic smile.

“I am not sleepy.” Cait took a bite of toast. With cheese
melted across the top, it tasted heavenly.

“Caitrin, did your da tell ye anything at all about
werewolves?”

“Only that I should stay away from them.”

“Ye never felt any effects from your own wolf blood?”

“Mm-mm.” Cait shook her head, chewing, swallowing. She’d
never been so hungry in her life. “Nor did my mother. I think she probably
repressed any werewolf instincts.”

“What about during a full moon?”

Caitrin finished the last bite of toast and took a long
drink of water. “Mother never ventured far from the croft,” she finally said.
It was difficult to remember if her mother had ever evinced any signs of a
werewolf. As far as Cait had been concerned, she’d just been a normal human,
albeit married to a Hunter.

Now that she was finished eating, that strange energy
propelled her to her feet. She paced the kitchen, half lost in memories. “Why
are you asking me these questions?” she flung at Eagan.

“Wanted to see how much ye ken about werewolves,” he
replied. He continued to watch her every movement. “There is a full moon
tonight, lass.”

Caitrin sucked in a hasty breath as realization dawned upon
her. “Tonight?”

“Aye.” Was that compassion in his eyes?

“Your mark…” She paused to finger it. It was still tender
although the punctures were closed. “I feel so strange, Eagan.”

“I know. The first Change is always the worst, especially if
it’s a bite that Turns ye.”

“I want to run.”

He went to her immediately, enfolding her in his strong
embrace. “Ye can no’ leave the cottage, Caitrin. Ride this through inside, safe
here with me.”

“But I want to see the moon,” she protested.

“Through the window only,” he warned. “Delaney is still out
there.”

She pulled out of his embrace, restlessly pacing. “We have
to deal with Delaney at some point!”

“Aye, but not on the night of your first Change.”

“I do not even feel—” She stopped, doubling over at an
abrupt cramp in her stomach. The pain was followed quickly by an odd
stretching. She cried out, stumbling—and Eagan was there, holding her up as the
pain racked every fiber of her body.

She twisted away, batting at his restraining hands. Pain
became white-hot agony for an instant, the world tilted, changing colors.

Caitrin stifled a sob in an oddly shaped throat, closing her
eyes. The stone floor beneath her felt blessedly cool. For a long while, she
lay still as the hurt drained from her body. Eagan was half draped around her
again, having held her steady as she’d thrashed her way across the kitchen.

Very carefully she flexed one arm. It shouldn’t have been a
surprise but she was shocked all the same to see a paw—
her
paw—moving at
her command. She scrambled to her feet, swaying a little as she accustomed
herself to an entirely new perspective.

Her mate was beside her in human form. Why was he not
shifting? She struggled to remember.

Inside. They had to stay inside. Away from the moon. How
vexing.

Rearing up, Cait placed her paws on the windowsill. She
could just make out the glow of the full moon against the darkening sky. The
wind, blowing from the east, brought with it the smell of desolate moor. She
knew instinctively that it would frost tonight.

Energy welled up inside, spurring her into action. Dropping
to all fours, she paced the room, aware that the not-quite-dogs were watching
her alertly. Her mate followed, his eyes watchful as she neared the door.
Muscles straining to break into a run, she clung to that tiny speck of
human
deep inside, forcing herself to calm.

Cait paused, sensing something…off. Something that had been
nearby recently. What was it? She inhaled deeply.

PREY.

Oh,
this
was a fine time for her Huntress skills to
come to fruition. Cait struggled to hold on to any kind of rational thought.
The combination of raw physical power and this terrible needling energy made
that nigh impossible. She felt the other werewolf’s presence in her territory
like a throbbing toothache.

Da said he’d been half overwhelmed when he first felt the
overriding call to Hunt. She had never understood what he meant, never grasped
the enormity of the intense
need
to follow the—

PREY.

The call was irresistible. She burst into a frenzied sprint,
clawing the door open and charging outside into darkness. Her mate was behind
her, snarling dominance that she ignored. She was fury on four feet, furred
Huntress. She would outrun him. And the PREY’s trail was easy to follow.

Eagan had been elated when she’d responded to his dominance,
obeying him involuntarily. Watching the lass accustom herself to wolf form
filled him with a sense of pride and worry.

First-time Changes were always the toughest. There was
always the slight chance that a new werewolf would go rogue, staying
permanently inside the wolf until none of their humanity remained.

His Caitrin was handling the experience well, up until she
ran for the front door, knocking it half off its hinges as she disappeared into
the night.

Eagan took the time to Change, begrudging every second of the
process. The Guardians had already followed her, uncertain yet soulbound to
protect. He followed their trail, snarling as he recognized Delaney’s scent.

What was the lass doing?

He reached for her with his mind, hoping against hope that
their fledgling telepathic connection would strengthen. In an instant he
felt
her drive to hunt the Other who had invaded her territory. Both werewolf and
Huntress instincts were affecting Caitrin, driving her forward into danger.
Lacking his centuries of experience, she was helpless in the face of those
combined urges.

Eagan searched for signs of the dark wizard but he discerned
no wards, no sizzling magic that tainted the air. His greater size, speed and
stamina allowed him to gain on Caitrin. Soon he saw her in the moor ahead, a
light-gray wolf bounding eagerly forward, lit up like a beacon by the full
moon.

The wind was beginning to carry the scent of witch. Even as
he ran, he recognized the scent as the witch who had cast the wards around
Caitrin’s croft.

Delaney’s trail led in the witch’s direction. He seemed to
be alone but Eagan knew the twisted werewolf was dangerous even without his
wizard companion.

Eagan caught up with Caitrin just as she reached a small
rise. Putting on a burst of speed, he blocked her path, snarling a warning.
Just ahead was a small cottage, presumably the witch’s. Eagan had eyes only for
his mate.

She faced him warily, her thoughts racing in circles as he
listened with his mind. Seeing him calmed her Huntress prey drive somewhat, but
she was only an instant away from attempting to sidestep him and continue her
pursuit. Seizing her gaze with his own, Eagan projected a calm dominance.
Slowly her eyes lost their fierce inhumanness, her paws ceasing to shuffle in
agitation.

Just when he thought she was returning to him, Delaney
roared a challenge from the cottage.

Caitrin growled, the sound rippling through her chest and
throat. Her Prey stood in full sight with Iris lying on the ground behind him.

She forced herself to concentrate, watching for any movement
from her beloved friend. Finally she spotted the slight rise and fall of her
chest. Relief steadied her.

Her mate was continuing to block her path. Conflicting
signals were beginning to drive her mad—Prey nearby, yet her Alpha was denying
her the right to chase.

“I know ye hear me, Eagan MacCulloch!” Delaney swaggered
forward, arrogance in every line of his body. “Hand over the lass and ye can
slink off unharmed.”

Never.

The word, heard directly with her mind, was as sharp as
knives. Werewolves could do that? Caitrin struggled to comprehend that fact in
the midst of everything else. There was a lot her mate wasn’t telling her.

Although the potion must long since have worn off, she
studied Delaney intently, seeing him in the entirety of his evilness, the black
ink of the wizard tattoos barely keeping him together, alive. With her
wolf-aided sense of smell, the reek of his foul body was almost overpowering.
He was rotting from the inside out. Even those strong runes wouldn’t prolong
his life much longer.

“I demand the Right of Challenge.”

Ye pervert our ancient traditions.

Delaney laughed, an unpleasant crackle. “If ye worry about
the wizard, MacCulloch, ye should know he’s miles from here. I have all I need
from him. Now what I want is my mate.”

I will kill ye.

Caitrin looked on in frustration as Delaney threw back his
head and began to shift into his wolf. It was happening just as she swore it
wouldn’t—the two males fighting without any say from her. Nearby, the Guardians
took up position next to Iris, their plumed tails held low in distress.

Briefly Cait considered running back for the sword. But that
would take her a good fifteen minutes at a flat-out sprint. She wouldn’t leave
Eagan for that long.

Her drive to kill Delaney was still in full effect, but now
she was in control of her own mind, her own actions. A slight movement from
Iris drew her attention. Walking slowly so as not to alert either werewolf, she
drew close to the witch.

“The runic tattoo around his wrist, child.”

Was she imagining the voice? It seemed to hang on the night
air like spun silk. But no, Iris was moving her lips again.

“Pierce the band of runes around his left wrist, and the
others will unravel. Delaney is no longer a true werewolf, so his Right of
Challenge is null. You can interfere, make a difference in the fight.”

Caitrin glanced up, doubt settling over her. Despite his
grotesqueness, Delaney was faster, more powerful than she’d expected. He was
taking Eagan by surprise, feinting in and slashing at the Alpha. His runes glowed
dully, aberrantly through matted gray fur.

“Child, listen to me.” Iris’ voice grew stronger. “The
potion I gave you earlier was no real potion. It’s only something given to
young witches to bolster their confidence. Everything you have sensed up until
now is your own skill, your Huntress skill. Do not doubt yourself.”

His left wrist. Delaney was protecting that side fiercely,
wearing Eagan down with relentless lunges and slashes. If she ran directly at
him…

For the second time in her life, Cait was seized by pure
instinct. Her paws scrabbled in the dirt as she ran downhill toward the fight.
The smell of blood was hot and coppery, filling her nostrils as she struck.

Delaney’s scream was mental and physical, reverberating
through the night. Still she hung on, grinding through the rune even as Eagan
pinned Delaney’s muzzle to prevent him biting her. When her teeth finally
severed the skin where the rune was tattooed, the scream ended with a wrench. A
physical and psychic backlash flung her several yards into the air.

The taste of blood filled her mouth. She spat as well as she
could, her thick, unfamiliar tongue getting in the way. Within seconds, her
mate was by her side, inspecting her for any wounds.

Stiffly, Caitrin heaved herself to her paws, licked pointedly
at one of Eagan’s many lacerations. Once she had contented herself of his
general well-being, she padded over to Iris, who was now sitting up, watching
them with a smile on her face.

“I see you have made your decision, child. Would you two
care to come inside? I have spare clothes available.”

* * * * *

He didn’t dare relax until he saw Caitrin dressed and
sitting warm and safe in the witch’s snug cottage. The Guardians lay under the
table, clearly relieved that all the chaos was over.

Iris glanced down at the dogs, a smile wrinkling her face.
“I have not had Guardians in this cottage for several years now.”

“What about our bonds?” Caitrin scratched Bannock behind the
ears. “Now that I’m a full werewolf, they might be uncomfortable around me.”

“True,” Iris acknowledged. “Although I think it’s your Alpha
they will be most uncomfortable with. Shall I transfer their soulbonds?”

“To you?” Caitrin swallowed. “I will miss them, but yes. I
think they will be more comfortable here with you.”

“I’ll put them to work with my own sheep,” Iris said
cheerfully. “Now that everything is peaceful again, they will be quite handy to
have around.”

“Is the dark wizard truly gone?” Eagan asked bluntly.

Iris tossed her braid of pure white hair over her shoulder
and laughed. “He came to see me first. Wanted an alliance. I sent him away with
a few things to think about and a singe on his cloak.”

“He abandoned Delaney?” Caitrin asked. She wrapped her hands
around a steaming mug of tea, looking delectable even in the too-large blouse
and trousers she’d borrowed.

“Och, there’s plenty more like Delaney to be had,” Iris
replied. “He was particularly resilient for a werewolf, but anyone with a third
eye could see he had outlived his usefulness.”

“So the wizard moves on, looking for another to use.” Eagan
shook his head, worried. There were plenty of young male werewolves eager for
fortune, fame, long lives. They would flock to the dark wizard, drawn by evil
promises.

“Without any cohesion between Packs, he’ll continue to use
and abuse,” Iris said. “That wizard has discovered ancient texts, unearthed
perhaps from the Isle of Lewis where Viking wizards once lived. He and his dark
knowledge will continue to trouble the world unless we fight back.”

Eagan nodded at her pointed look. “The Packs rarely
communicate between themselves. Too protective over the females.”

“Witches and wizards communicate, but primarily between
ourselves,” Iris replied. “That needs to change.”

“What about Hunters?” Caitrin asked.

“Yes, they tend to be solitary.” Iris gave her an appraising
look. “Werewolf and Huntress…your offspring will be interesting indeed.”

Eagan placed a protective arm around Caitrin. “Aye. I intend
our bairns to grow up knowing
all
their potential. And if we must fight
a greater power than an occasional Loner, they will have as many Packs as I can
contact on their side.”

* * * * *

Cait awoke, deliciously warm. She splayed a hand across
Eagan’s bare skin, watching his cock respond even as he slumbered. True to the
quick healing powers of a werewolf, his wounds had all but disappeared.

Green eyes slitted open, fixing upon her immediately. She
grinned mischievously. “Good morning.”

“Didn’t peg ye for an early riser, lass.”

She looked pointedly at his crotch. “Well, you certainly
are.”

Without preamble he pinned her to the bed, reversing their
positions in the blink of an eye. “Thought I’d lost ye last night, Caitrin.”

“I had to hunt him or I would have gone crazy.” The last
word came out in a gasp as his fingers found her, testing her readiness.

“When ye were running toward him,
I
nearly went
crazy.” He bent his head, nibbled her earlobe with slightly more force than
he’d previously employed. Without ceremony he entered her, his eyes blazing
possessiveness.

As he moved, Cait forgot what she was about to ask, closing
her eyes and breathing hard as he built her up, only to take her down swiftly,
his lips closing around her nipples as he coaxed her into orgasm.

Only when she came another two times did he finally allow
himself to spend, shuddering against her, eyes never leaving hers. Then he
blinked, leaned down to kiss her and rolled over to hold her snugly against
him.

“Where will we go?” she asked after a long, lazy recovery.

“Do no’ know. What the witch said is true—we must rally the
Packs, warn them. But we must make time for ourselves as well.”

“I could give the croft to one of Iris’ daughters,” Cait
mused, “but that would leave us without a livelihood.”

“Lass, I have no’ lived centuries without putting assets
aside,” Eagan said drily. “By your standards I am wealthy beyond imagining.”

“Should we return to Castle Lennox?” It was a gamble. She
felt him tense against her, wondered if he could overcome old memories.

“Aye,” he said very slowly. “That would please me. The place
wants rebuilding, but we will need time to speak with each Pack along our way.”

“Can we build a library?” Cait wistfully imagined a room
filled with books. She wanted to read something other than tomes about herbs
and witchy charms.

“We can build anything ye like as long as I can make love to
ye in each room.”

“Eagan!” Caitrin giggled, feeling at peace with herself and
the world. She was his now, werewolf
and
Huntress. A new life
awaited—and she intended to embrace it with all her skills fully unleashed.