Bound by Fate

by Claire Cullen

  He stretched his hand out, hoping against hope that his words had gotten through to Dylan. He didn't want to have to carry a kicking and screaming half-Wiccan, half-shifter through the forest.

  Dylan pushed forward through the boxes, laying his hand in Cal's. Cal stood, helping Dylan to his feet and together they climbed up the steps into the yard. Dylan blinked at the bright sunlight, one hand covering his face as he looked around. Shay had gotten to his feet, leaning against a large barrel.

  "Dylan, go back inside. It's not safe for you to be out here."

  Uncertain, Dylan glanced between his grandfather and Cal.

  "He's wrong, Dylan. You're safe, I can make sure of that. We should go now."

  "If you leave this yard, if you take another step, you're no grandson of mine. You are never to set foot here again."

  Again, Dylan seemed uncertain, and Cal opened his mouth once more to reassure him. But Dylan spoke first.

  "What happened to my mother? And where is my father?"

  Shay shook his head. "That's all in the past. I won't be drawn back there."

  "No. I want to know. I need to know. I found her diary." He waved the book at Shay whose face blanched as he caught sight of it.

  "No, Dylan. You're too young, too upset to discuss this now."

  Shay turned back toward the house, and Dylan lunged for him, his hand grasping Shay's wrist. The world around them froze and it was like a curtain came down—everything just a shade dimmer. Cal couldn't move and neither, it seemed, could Dylan or Shay.

  They were all facing the same direction, toward the house, and in front of them, a scene began to play out.

  The back door flung open, and a young woman stood at the top of the steps, her blond hair glinting in the sunlight.

  "I love him, Father. You can't stop us being together. But this child is your grandchild. If you'd only see that, see how much Damon loves me."

  A younger looking Shay appeared behind her in the doorway, his face thunderous.

  "He's a monster. He'll never set foot in this house again."

  "Then neither will we." A determined Emily stepped out. What happened next seemed so quick yet so slow. Shay grabbed her arm, Emily turned, her feet went from under her, and she fell heavily down the steps to lie motionless at the bottom.

  "Emily? Emily!"

  Shay called to her as he rushed down the steps before carrying her motionless form back into the house.

  "She went into labor. There wasn't time to call for help, there wasn't time to do anything. I was afraid of what would be born, knowing what the father was. Then there was so much blood, and she was gone. I thought little Dylan would follow too, but he was strong, he had fight in him."

  "What about my father?" Dylan asked.

  Shay shook his head, and the picture changed again—Shay standing at the top of the steps while a tall man spoke to him. Shay's voice was harsh and unforgiving.

  "She's dead because of you. The labor was too much for her."

  "And the child?"

  "Buried along with her."

  The man turned and walked passed them, Cal catching a glimpse of an anguished face.

  "He never came back," Shay said. "And I was relieved. I thought that meant I had saved you. That you'd grow up right."

  "Where is he now?" Dylan asked.

  "I don't know."

  Dylan let go of his arm, and the darkness evaporated, the world around them returning to normal.

  Shay turned to them, his expression haunted. "How… how?"

  "Sixteen years of suppressed magic," Cal said, resting a hand on Dylan's shoulder. "Come on, Dylan, we should get going."

  Dylan nodded and turned before stopping again.

  "Wait, I saw snares."

  "What?"

  "Snares, down in the cellar. A box of them, just like the one that caught me and that nearly had you."

  As one they turned to Shay.

  "So it was you. You've been setting them."

  Shay stood up straight. "Something had to be done about the beasts roaming our forests."

  "But you don't have the ability to create those by yourself. Who helped you?"

  "I met some like-minded people. They asked for my help."

  "One person is dead. Another injured and a third is missing. The Pack is on the verge of war with the local Coven over it."

  Shay smiled at that. "That's what the gentlemen said would happen. All I had to do was set a few of those around the place and you'd wipe each other out."

  "Who are they, the people who gave you those? I want names. I want to know where they're from."

  "No names. They found me. I've met them here or on the road going into town once or twice."

  "How did you set the snares without leaving tracks?"

  He shrugged. "They gave me something, said it would stop it leading back to me."

  His eyes turned to Dylan. "They promised me it couldn't hurt people like you and me. I'd never have put you in danger, Dylan."

  "But you did, I could have been killed."

  "I know. I haven't set any more since then. I didn't want to risk you being hurt."

  "How many did you set in total?" Cal asked. They'd found eight so far.

  "A dozen."

  "Where?"

  "I don't have the map anymore, I gave it to the men so they could keep an eye on them. They said they'd know when the traps were sprung and would be able to dispatch whatever was caught."

  "You're talking about people here. People like your grandson."

  Shay looked away. "I can't tell you any more. I did what I felt was right."

  Cal jogged back down the cellar stairs to retrieve the snares, wrapping them in a piece of plastic he found and securing them in his backpack.

  "Is this all of them?"

  Shay nodded.

  "Come on, Dylan. Let's go."

  This time, there was no hesitation as Dylan took his hand, and they walked to the gate. Once they were on the other side, Dylan didn't look back, but Cal could see it was a struggle. He was leaving behind the only world he'd ever known.

  Chapter Seventeen

  "Where are we going?" Dylan asked him. They were walking at speed through the woods, and Cal could see it was a struggle for Dylan to keep up.

  "We're going to Rowan Pack, they're a wolf pack nearby. It's their brother who's missing, and they think the local Coven is responsible. If we don't act now, there will be more bloodshed."

  They reached Rowan Pack, finding most of the wolves gathered around near the main house. There was a surprise waiting for Cal. His brother.

  "Orion," he called, jogging toward him. "It's good to see you. What are you doing here?"

  "Thane contacted me. He thought you could do with another pair of hands. And that I could do with a change of scene. Who's your Wiccan friend?"

  He nodded toward Dylan. Cal could understand the assumption. Since the house, when Dylan had manifested that vision of the past, there was still a lingering scent of magic around him.

  "This is Dylan. Dylan, this is my brother, Orion."

  "You brought one of them here," Anita said. "We should string him up."

  Dylan pressed close to him, frightened and wary. It suddenly occurred to Cal that Dylan wasn't used to people full stop, so a bunch of pissed off shifters was going to be outright intimidating.

  "Dylan is my mate. No one lays a hand on him," he said, turning to meet the eyes of each person around him. Orion stepped up beside him, arms folded, glaring at those around them.

  "Welcome, Dylan," Andy was quick to say. "I'm afraid you'll find the mood a little hostile toward Wiccans at the moment."

  "He understands," Cal said, keen to get back to the matter at hand. "That's why we're here. We have some information on who might be responsible."

  "It's too late for that, Cal. We've already issued an ultimatum to Laurel. Either Jared is returned to us by morning, or we will go after them in force." And that would be a bloodbath.

  "What if we
could find Jared before then?"

  "You know where he is?" Anita spoke up.

  "Not yet. But we found a human who was working with the people who did this, who was given the snares to set. He claims to have set twelve. He also told us why they were doing it."

  "Why?" Andy asked.

  "To set the Pack and the Coven at each other's throats so you'd wipe one another out. Seems to be working well so far."

  "So what do you propose?"

  "Why would strangers do this? We have to think about who would gain from this, and who would have the capability. Whoever it is, it's someone the Coven knows. It has to be. I'm going there now, I'd like it if some of you came with me."

  Cal stepped to the side with Dylan and Orion while the Pack talked amongst themselves.

  "Thane told me your mate was human," Orion said, watching Dylan with suspicion.

  "It turned out to be a little more complicated than that."

  Orion took a step toward him, and Dylan backed away.

  "Hey, it's okay." Cal cupped Dylan's cheek. "Orion might be a little grumpy, but he's all bark and no bite."

  Orion raised his eyebrows at that. "Welcome to the family, Dylan."

  A small group separated from the Pack and moved to join them.

  "We'll come with you, in the interests of getting Jared back. If it doesn't work out, our ultimatum still stands."

  Cal knew that was the best they were going to get.

  "Then let's get going. We're wasting daylight."

  Dylan's world had suddenly gotten much larger. More space, more people. He was walking along beside Cal, listening to the group talk about things he only partly understood. These people were other shapeshifters, like Cal, but the people they were going to see were people with magic, like his mother. Or was it the other way around?

  A second group met them a short distance from a house.

  "Simon, Faye. We're here to talk, we have new information."

  They were welcomed into the house and took seats around a large table. Dylan sat next to Cal, close enough to hold his hand under the table. Cal didn't seem to mind, squeezing back when he held on tightly. He listened as Cal explained about Shay, the men, and the snares.

  "So you don't know the names of these men?" the man named Giles asked. "Or where they are. Or even what they look like?"

  "No, but…" Cal turned to him. "Dylan, did you ever meet them?" All eyes turned to him, and he shrank down in his seat.

  "No, never. But I saw them, from the window of my room."

  "Describe them," Giles demanded.

  "Ah… I… they…" He couldn't get the words out.

  "Dylan, do you think maybe you could show us, like you did with Shay's memories?"

  "But I don't know how I did that. I don't know if I can do it again."

  The weight of everyone's expectations weighed heavily on him. That was how it worked before. It was his desire to see the memory that had triggered it. And now Cal wanted to see his memory of the men—to save Jared, to protect the other wolves, the other shifters, and to protect the Coven. A lot of people were at risk, and Dylan was the only one who might be able to help.

  He focused on his wish to see the memory again, tried to bring it to the forefront of his mind. He shut his eyes and focused on it.

  Nothing happened.

  "I'm sorry, Cal, I can't…" He opened his eyes and the scene was already there, the view from the room's window transformed to the view from his bedroom, the two men visible speaking to Shay. There were gasps and exclamations around him as people turned to look.

  "Isn't that…"

  "It couldn't be…"

  "Who?" Andy demanded. "Who is it?"

  It was Gavin who answered, his voice shaking. "It's Ethan, my brother, and previously in line to be the next Coven leader."

  "Why would he be behind this?"

  "He… he lost his chance a becoming Coven leader after the death of Emily Hallan. He moved away, I haven't had much contact with him. I know he was angry about what happened. It's possible he held a grudge."

  "I'd say more than possible," Orion commented, gesturing to the memory still playing out.

  "How do we find him?"

  "A locator spell might work, if he's close," Faye suggested.

  "How close?" Cal asked.

  "Within a few miles."

  "That's a definite possibility. Shay said they met him at the house or near town. And they'd have had to be close enough to get to the snares before anyone else did."

  "We'll go and get started," Simon said, getting to his feet. "It will take about an hour."

  "What do we plan to do with them when we find them?" Gavin asked.

  "Put a stop to this," Cal replied, holding out a snare.

  The Wiccan's filed from the room, leaving just the shifters. The wolves were talking amongst themselves, animated and loud.

  Cal still held his hand, rubbing a thumb in circles across his palm. His touch was calming and Dylan was glad for it. Orion sat on the other side of Cal, one hand on the back of Cal's chair.

  "Dylan, I want you to stay here at the Coven while we go and find these men."

  But being left alone with strangers was the last thing Dylan wanted.

  "No, I'm coming with you."

  "I would feel much better knowing you were somewhere out of harm's way."

  But that wasn't what Dylan had agreed to when he'd left the cellar.

  "No. You said I'd be safe with you. That you could stop the badness in me coming out and hurting people. How can you keep me safe if I'm not with you?"

  He could see the consternation on Cal's face and behind him, Orion looking puzzled.

  "Please, Cal. I'm scared."

  That seemed to do it, Cal closing his eyes for a moment before acquiescing.

  "Okay, fine. You can come with us, but you stay behind me the whole time, okay?"

  Dylan nodded, feeling the racing of his heart easing just a little at Cal's words.

  "Cal, what exactly is going on?" Orion asked, looking from Dylan to his brother.

  "This isn't really the time Orion or the place. Needless to say, Dylan has been raised human which he is most decidedly not."

  Something seemed to occur to Cal then and he called Andy over.

  "Andy, this is probably a little before your time but… did any of Rowan Pack ever have dealings with the Hallans, in particular, their daughter Emily."

  Andy considered the question for a moment. "No, back fifteen, twenty years ago our Pack kept their distance from the east side of that forest. It was right on the edge of our territory. It's only since then that we've really claimed it as ours."

  "You're saying it was someone else's?"

  "Sure, there was a tiger shifter, used to be there during the summer months. He was never a problem to deal with, we just made sure to respect his space."

  Cal thought back twenty years, trying to recall what he'd been doing at that time. He didn't remember a tiger shifter in this area, but then they tended to wander between territories, causing little by way of trouble.

  "It was around the same time as Patron and Jon were at each other's throats. We didn't see you much around then."

  They'd been the leaders of two neighboring wolf Packs who just couldn't get along. Cal had come close to having to kill them both just to restore some sense of harmony to the area but after years of in-fighting, Jon's Pack had done the deed themselves, and their new leader was quick to made amends.

  "Any idea where he went or why he left?"

  "You know cat shifters. Follow the same routine every year for decades, then just up sticks and disappear for no reason."

  Except this time, there had been a reason.

  The door opened, and Faye popped her head in. "We've got them. We're ready to go."

  The group got to their feet, eager and anxious to get out there and find their Pack brother. Cal laid a steadying hand on his shoulder as they left.

  Chapter Eighteen

  "Map sa
ys they're five miles east of here. We think it's an old, abandoned farmhouse."

  "We know the one," Andy said, glancing at the map Faye was holding. "The woods around it have been cleared, so we'll be seen whatever way we approach."

  "So we'll spread out, cover all sides and close in together. That way they won't be able to slip past," Orion said. "I suggest we arrange ourselves shifter, Wiccan, shifter—that'll make it harder for them to target us if they're in the mood for offensive magic."

  "Agreed," Cal said as they climbed into cars. Dylan was tense next to him.

  "You've been in a car before, right?" Cal asked. Bright blue eyes met his and Dylan shook his head.

  "Well, there's nothing to it. Just hold tight to me if you need to."

  Their conversation drew more than a few curious glances, but no one asked questions, which Cal was glad of. There wasn't time for explanations.

  They stopped at the side of the road, a mile from the property, then divided into groups and spread out. The ones approaching from the far side of the house, Orion included, took a wide path around to prevent them being spotted. Cal and Dylan approached more slowly, waiting for the signal.

  A bright light high in the sky above them told them the far group was in place. Two more lights told them the groups east and west of the house were in position. Faye sent their mark up and as one they began to move forward.

  Faye was muttering words under her breath, holding her hands out in front of her. The house came into view, looking abandoned and silent. They kept going, alert for any sign of life. The groups either side of them came into view as they approached, a ring of people now surrounding the house. They were only a few meters from the walls now, and still, there was no one.

  A bright flash of light flared all around them. Cal's feet were suddenly stuck to the ground and his hands pinned to his sides. He couldn't move or lift them. He glanced around, seeing the other shifters similarly stuck.

  The Wiccans weren't and Faye spun around, reaching for Cal as she tried to work out what was happening. A second flash and Faye's eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed to the ground. The other Wiccans were likewise incapacitated. Cal glanced to his left to see Dylan on the ground next to him.