‘This isn’t the door?’ Eloise asked as Iain pushed the left-hand side of the huge wood and metal double doors open.
‘Nope. This is just the outer gate to the upper section of the compound.’
Eloise looked up at the two-storied building before her. ‘Upper section?’
‘Think of this like the tip on an iceberg,’ Bron said as she disappeared inside.
Iain turned to Eloise. ‘After you.’
Sighing loudly, she limped forward. Her shoulder brushed his chest. She shivered. He took in a sudden breath.
She stopped, looked up, saw something raw and unbidden in his eyes as he looked down at her. He was holding himself still, unnaturally still, trying not to move or touch her further. She swayed towards him.
‘Not now,’ he muttered.
Sucking in a sharp breath, she nodded and trembling, moved into the room beyond and stopped. ‘Oh Goddess. That’s beautiful.’
She moved as if in a dream, her feet making a soft, uneven swoosh across the slate tiles. In her peripheral vision she was aware of eggshell white walls, the glistening chestnut of silken wood, a circular sweep of stairs leading up, a fall of coloured glass shapes glinting above their heads and the fresh green of pot plants dotted around the space, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the doors in front of her.
They were huge. A masterwork of metal—all sorts of different metals in different shapes and textures—curved across its surface in a twisting, twining pattern that she recognised as a tree. On the right-hand door, beneath the tree, stood two wolves howling up at the moon above, and hovering between the tree and the moon and the stars was a woman, her full figure naked and glorious, her long, copper hair moving in a breeze that Eloise could almost feel. On the left-hand door, the image was of the tree again, but this time the woman stood, clothed, between the two Were caught in transformation from wolf to human, her arms stretched out to welcome and encompass them.
A tear slid down her face. She knew the story—the story of how the Were-Witch Pact came into existence—but she had never seen it depicted like this, with such love and humility and joy. The feeling of loneliness and desolation coming from each figure in the right-hand door was so tangible, it was an empty ache around her heart. The sense of completion in the left-hand door filled that empty space with so much light and life and laughter, it was a warm breath on her face, moving her hair, lifting her up until she was light as air.
‘Oh,’ she breathed, brushing her fingers over the surface—the metal was warm.
‘It has that effect on everyone when they first see it.’ Bron placed her hand beside Eloise’s, running it along the flow of metal of the half-transformed creature in front of her, her mouth curved in a soft smile. ‘Iain and his brother, Patrick, made them. Patrick is actually the pack’s Lore Keeper. He trained as a lawyer to help with that work, but he always dabbled in sculpture. He works with metal and glass every chance he gets.’ She waved at the chandelier above their heads. ‘It’s such a gift.’
‘Yep. That’s my bro. Gifted.’ Iain closed the front door behind him, sealing them in.
‘You made this?’ She looked back at the door. ‘Huh. I don’t know why I’m surprised. I thought you were a sommelier and a carpenter in your spare time. Now I find out you design buildings and sculpt as well. Is there anything you can’t do?’
‘Plenty. But I’m good with my hands, sculpting, carving, drawing, painting. My wolf craves the tactile sensation. It settles him.’
‘It hasn’t been helping with the nightmares though.’
He shot a quick look at Bron. ‘They’re not so bad.’ His gaze slid to Eloise. ‘Not anymore.’
‘What nightmares?’ Eloise asked, concerned.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said, his smile a little forced.
Eloise went to object, but Bron touched her shoulder, leaned in and said in a whisper that Eloise knew Iain could hear, ‘Don’t expect him to tell you about a weakness. He’s too much a Lone Wolf. They’re convinced they don’t need anyone.’
That explanation didn’t help. ‘What exactly is a Lone Wolf? I don’t really know Were terminology.’
Iain’s frown faded. ‘It surprises me you don’t know… it’s kind of hard to explain, other than to say my wolf is wilder than other wolves and needs a lot of alone time, otherwise it goes a little crazy.’ His sexy chocolate eyes didn’t leave hers. ‘It also means I can be a little intense and that I need more visceral stimulation than other wolves.’
She nodded. ‘You need to touch things.’
‘Some things more than others.’ His fingers ran across her cheek, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She wanted to tell him to never stop touching her, but he dropped his hand to his side, frowning. She wanted to kiss the frown from his brow, to ask him what was wrong; to assure him she wanted his touch. Longed for it in fact. She should be frightened of the need, but she wasn’t. Maybe, like him, she needed tactile stimulation. She’d been starved of it all her life. She never wanted to be starved of it again.
‘What took you so long?’ The doors swung open and Gabbie sauntered in.
‘I didn’t know we were in a rush,’ Iain said.
The tall, voluptuous Amazon of a woman, who looked even better in the flesh than she did on the monitor, brushed past Eloise and wrapped her arms around Iain. ‘Maybe I was.’ Her hands slipped up his back and into his hair, and before Eloise could take another breath, Gabbie plastered her lips to Iain’s.
The heat of the kiss chased over Eloise, tingling her skin, fanning the anger that had been warring with fear and worry in her chest ever since she’d heard about Cain and the others.
Her vision shifted, everything seeming too large and yet small at the same time as she watched Gabbie’s body melt into Iain, her plump breasts pushing into his firm chest, nestling just under his pecs as if finding the spot that was designed for them to mesh with. Her fingers twined in his hair, one leg pushing between his.
Fingers tingling, a strange sound rumbled in Eloise’s throat as part of her longed to lunge forward and tear the other woman from Iain’s arms.
‘Are they upsetting you? You should slash her throat,’ Cain’s voice whispered in her ear. ‘Or if you won’t, I will. I’ll kill them both.’
‘You wouldn’t. You couldn’t.’
Laughing answered her and then faded away as she realised the others were all looking at her.
‘Eloise? Are you okay?’
She looked up into Iain’s worried gaze. ‘Fine. I’m fine.’
‘You don’t look fine. Was it Gabbie kissing me? Gabbie didn’t mean anything by it. She doesn’t know about … well, she doesn’t know that you’re not used to casual intimacy.’
Her face heated as she looked at the others, understanding dawning in their eyes. Oh Goddess! They thought her jealous—which she was of course, no matter how stupid or absurd it was to be jealous of a man she had no claim over. But she couldn’t let them know that. ‘It wasn’t that.’ His gaze intensified, his nostrils flaring a little. He could scent her lie. Shit. ‘Well, maybe it did shock me a little. But it wasn’t that. I just … it was just … I heard Cain.’ The last was a harsh whisper. ‘In my head.’
Iain gripped her shoulders. The elation he’d felt at her show of jealousy tore to shreds at her words. Not that he’d ever wanted her to be jealous. He’d never wanted to pull away from someone as much as he’d wanted to when Gabbie kissed him, but he couldn’t extricate himself from her quickly without hurting her. Thankfully, Eloise had cried out, breaking the uncomfortable moment. It was natural to think it had been jealousy. He’d been absurdly aware of Eloise, the way she’d stiffened, the shortening of her breath and the thunder of her heart, the snarly noise she’d made when Gabbie had shifted closer to Iain, rubbing against him, of the dangerous prickle of her power in the air.
But now, where a moment ago his wolf was howling in triumph that their Witch-Shifter had been jealous, it was now howling in distress. ‘You hea
rd Cain?’
She nodded.
‘Fuck.’ He looked at Bron. She stroked his back as she turned to Eloise, but it didn’t stop his wolf from emitting a low hum of aggravation.
‘What did he say?’
Eloise’s throat moved as if she were choking down something distasteful. ‘That he wanted to kill Iain. And Gabbie.’
‘That’s nothing new,’ Gabbie said. ‘But he can hardly do anything to us while he’s in a coma.’ She looked a question at Bron. ‘Can he?’
Bron shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I’m new to a lot of this and there’s a lot of ancient lore lost to us. Do you know anything about this, Eloise?’
She shook her head, but then paled.
‘What is it?’ Iain took her hand in his, holding it against his chest. ‘What have you remembered?’
She shook her head again, her fingers flexing against his as she spoke. ‘I don’t know. It could be nothing. But what if he’s a Shade?’
Bron frowned. ‘A Shade?’
Eloise looked stunned. ‘You don’t know about Shades?’
‘As I said, I’m new to a lot of this. What are they?’
‘I don’t know how to describe it.’ Her brow furrowed as she struggled to find the right words. Iain gripped her hand tighter, thumb brushing over her wrist, her pulse thrumming as fast as a bird’s under the silky skin. ‘It’s kind of like a lost soul. When someone separates their astral self from their body.’
‘That can only happen in death,’ Bron said.
‘No. It can be done by the person wilfully. Or by someone else.’
‘That’s a violent act against nature. Surely it would kill the soul.’
‘Yes. Slowly. The Shade can live for some time unconnected from the body.’
‘But without the soul, wouldn’t the body die?’
She nodded. ‘And the Shade would be no more. It dies when the body does as nothing can truly exist in a vacuum.’
‘How do you know this?’
She blinked, her eyes wet and wide. ‘It’s happened in the coven, most recently to my adoptive grandfather. At Morghanna’s behest. She needed him to kill someone for her that she couldn’t get to. He volunteered. He went into the astral sleep and then she cut the tether tying his soul to his body. He found the person as a Shade and killed them.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Bron said, rubbing her forehead. ‘How could he touch anything? The astral soul isn’t a physical thing. It couldn’t effect any physical act.’
‘Shades can. They suck the life force energy out of people.’
‘Like a wraith? But they’re myths,’ Gabbie said.
‘Most myths are based on reality of some sort,’ Bron said, frown deepening. ‘Perhaps that’s where the idea of the wraith came from?’
Eloise shook her head. ‘I don’t know. All I know is that my grandfather killed a man at Morrigan’s behest and he did it as a Shade. And then Morrigan had my adoptive father bring him back with dark blood magic.’
‘It could just be a tale.’
‘It isn’t. We all had to learn the incantations to bring a person back from Shadehood to their body before they died. It’s part of our basic training. Even those without enough power to actually enact it are taught the spell.’
‘Would there be any signs that he’s done such a thing, if it is possible?’
‘I don’t know.’ She rubbed her knuckle against her forehead. ‘My grandfather’s heart stopped for a moment when Morrigan did it to him. My father also mentioned something about there being a fading, although I’m not sure what he meant.’
Iain looked at Bron, who shrugged. ‘Perhaps he meant that the body began to die.’
‘Possibly. We are all told the tales of those who weren’t brought back in time being something like a living corpse.’
‘Are you saying they were zombies?’
Eloise blinked bemusedly at Gabbie’s question. ‘I don’t know. What are zombies?’
‘They’re the living dead. Is that what you are saying these people were like?’
‘Kind of. They were alive, but not really there. In the mind. As if they were vacant most of the time, not engaged with the world around them.’ She shuddered. ‘It always gave me nightmares when my father spoke about them.’
‘Ugh.’ Gabbie shivered. ‘I’m glad I came up to hear this fairy tale.’
‘I’m sorry. But you did ask.’
Gabbie grimaced. ‘I wish I hadn’t.’
‘Cain’s not a Shade though now, is he?’
‘No. I’d see him if he was because we’re connected by blood.’
‘Could anyone else see him?’ Iain asked.
She shook her head. ‘The stories I heard said that was what made them so deadly. They can only be seen by blood relatives.’
‘Are you certain?’
‘I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I’ve been told. There hasn’t been another Shade created since my grandfather, so I don’t have any actual experience of one. It could all simply be a story told to frighten the young into doing as they’re told.’
Iain breathed in deeply. ‘Okay. Let’s assume it is possible. Then I suppose the question is—is your brother likely to ever do such a thing?’
‘I have no idea. I think not. He used to have worse nightmares than me about ending up like one of the…’ she shot a glance at Gabbie, ‘… zombies. Or dead. He always feared death. He said he didn’t want to become nothing.’ She shivered and Iain had a hard time not pulling her into his arms and keeping her there, safe from anything that would frighten or upset her. But he couldn’t. Not without destroying the slowly building confidence in herself. He clenched his fingers into his palms, trying to ignore the itching surge of his wolf to break free and comfort her.
‘It’s a difficult spell with horrible consequences if not done under the right circumstances. I don’t think Morrigan’s got anyone strong enough to do it, aside from herself. And she’s not his blood relation, so she wouldn’t be able to bring him back.’
‘Blood relative? Do you mean a blood relative has to do the spell?’ Bron asked.
‘Yes. Anyone can do the initial spell, but to entice the Shade back to the body, there needs to be a strong tie. A blood tie. Or the Shade won’t come back. It’s best if the spell is done on the full moon too, but even then, it’s dangerous.’
‘In what way?’
‘It uses a huge amount of power. My father brought my grandfather back, but it tapped both of them of their magic and they could never truly use it again.’
‘That’s a relief.’
Eloise looked at Gabbie.
‘Well,’ she said, gesturing at Eloise. ‘You and your twin were adopted. So, there isn’t another blood relation in the coven who could bring Cain back, is there? So, he wouldn’t be able to do it, even if Morrigan asked him to. Because he wouldn’t be able to be brought back.’
‘She’s right,’ Bron said, rubbing Eloise’s shoulder. ‘As you’ve said, Cain wouldn’t risk it, especially if he couldn’t be brought back.’
‘I guess so.’
‘You don’t sound convinced,’ Iain said.
‘I am. You’re right. He wouldn’t do it. Not if he couldn’t be brought back.’ She shifted, shoulders tense. ‘And he loves having power too much to ever risk losing it. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before it was too late.’ A terrible sorrow darkened her bright eyes.
‘There is nothing you could have done, even if you had seen it.’ Iain’s hands itched to stroke down her shoulders, hold her close, especially when she looked up at him with those sorrow-drenched eyes. ‘Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how much we love, how much we care, we can’t save a person when they don’t want to be saved.’
The question in her eyes made him realise he’d said too much; given away too much. He cleared his throat.
‘So, we don’t have to worry about Shades for now,’ Gabbie said. ‘That’s good. I hate creepy unnatural stuff like that.’
‘Yes be
cause packs of Were and covens of witches are just so normal in this world,’ Bron said, lips quirked.
Gabbie smiled at her. ‘Maybe not normal, but we’re certainly natural.’ She clapped her hands together. ‘Shall we get down there? I for one would like to get this over and done with. I’ve got places to be. An accommodating Were to find.’ She cocked her brow at Iain, but he shook his head. His wolf growled as it slunk deeper inside. It had enjoyed playing with Gabbie and her wolf in the past, but like him, his wolf couldn’t think of touching another woman now. Not since touching Eloise.
‘You should have told me you were in heat,’ Bron said as Gabbie moved past Iain and Eloise to the door. ‘We would have sent someone to relieve you so you could get out and play for a bit.’
Gabbie stood taller. ‘I know. But it’s not that bad yet. My shift ends tonight. I can hold out until then.’ She turned back suddenly in one of those lightning-fast moves the Were were capable of, her gaze pinned on Eloise this time. ‘I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.’ She put her hand out.
Eloise looked uncertain for a moment, but then did something she wouldn’t have done a few weeks earlier. She stopped wringing her fingers, shoved her hand out and took Gabbie’s hand in a rough, quick shake. ‘It’s okay. I suppose I have to get used to stuff like this if I’m going to be around you all for a while.’
Gabbie’s smile was a friendly flash of delight. ‘I hope you will.’
Eloise looked questioningly at her.
‘It will be nice to have another woman to talk to around here.’
Eloise’s expression became even more confused. ‘Why? Aren’t there many female Were in your pack?’
Gabbie laughed. ‘Of course there are. But there are not many who are soldiers like you and I. It’s mostly the maternals who live on pack land. It will be nice to have someone to talk to who understands what it’s like to be out in the field. As a woman. And maybe I can help you understand more about the pack.’
‘I’m not a soldier.’
‘Of course you are. You have the scent of a warrior all over you.’
Shifter Bound Page 14
