Anice: The Cursed Clan

by Schroeder, Melissa

  “And home is Scotland,” Callum said. “So, what was your plan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Gavin wanted you to become friendly with Anice.”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  He glanced at Jack and a knowing look filled Callum's expression.

  “But you didn’t do that?” he asked.

  Brody shook his head. He was not about to tell them that Anice had been testing his control every day. If Gavin hadn’t shown up tonight, Brody was sure they would have ended up in bed together.

  “Well, I have all I need for tonight.”

  “They need to move here,” Jack insisted.

  “What?” Callum asked.

  “They need to move here. Safety in numbers,” Jack said as if repeating something he had been told.

  Callum studied the boy, then looked at Brody, Cayden, and Esme. “I normally wouldn’t think it important, but Jack seems to think it is, and he is rarely wrong. We have plenty of room.”

  “No. I will not have it,” Anice said. Of course she did.

  “Why not?” Callum asked.

  “You have to ask?” Pain permeated every syllable she spoke. He felt it to his core. Bile rose up to strangle him. Brody was just finding out exactly how bad mating could be. In truth, this was probably only a tenth of what he would feel once they consummated.

  “I agree with Anice,” Fletcher said.

  Tell them to bugger off.

  He ignored his wolf. He didn’t need to fight him and the entire McLennan family.

  “I don’t,” Phoebe said.

  “What?” Anice asked.

  “I’m sorry, Anice, but I think it would be best to have them here. If Gavin singled them out, he is going to come after them also. I doubt we will get them to leave Scotland.”

  “No bloody way,” Cayden said.

  “See. And while you are mad at Brody—and you have every right to be—we can’t leave them to be attacked by that idiot.” She leveled a look at Brody. “But hear me now, I will have Callum toss you out and not think twice about it if you even think of hurting her again.”

  I like this one.

  He had to agree with his wolf, even though she was singling him out. He liked anyone who stood up for his mate. Phoebe was definitely the matriarch of this clan.

  “What about the jewel?” Esme asked.

  There was a beat of silence as everyone turned to look at Maggie. “We are looking for an amethyst. I know where it is.”

  “Ah.” Esme turned and walked out of the room.

  “Where the bloody hell is she going?” Callum asked.

  “We don’t try to figure out anything she does any more,” Cayden said.

  “Since she came into her powers at twelve, she’s been kind of a pain,” Brody said.

  “I heard that. I can turn you into a toad or a goat or worse, an Englishman,” she said, walking back into the library. “So, the last jewel, the amethyst, is missing from the sword hanging in the hallway.”

  No one said anything and Anice groaned. “She figured it out in less than thirty minutes, so there is no need to deny it. Yes, we are looking for the last one.”

  “And you know where it is?” Brody asked Maggie.

  She nodded. “I have a lead, but I was going to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Why?” Anice asked.

  Maggie shot a look at her husband, who nodded.

  “I have been tracking down all the info on the amethyst and found a little nugget of info about a week ago.”

  “And you waited this bloody long?” Anice asked.

  “I wanted to be sure because it wasn’t promising.”

  “Oh for the love of God, just tell us,” Callum demanded.

  She sighed, glancing first at Brody, then settling her gaze on Anice.

  “I just confirmed tonight that Gavin McWalton is in possession of the amethyst.”

  Chapter Seven

  Bright sun splashed across Anice’s room, pulling her out of a restless slumber. Covering her face with her pillow, she frowned. She didn’t want to get up and face the day. She wanted to bury herself in bed and eat the chocolate she’d been denied the previous evening.

  She knew, without a doubt, her day would intrude just like last night. There were a million things that had to be done. And she didn’t want to handle any of them. She wanted to pretend yesterday never happened. She couldn’t though because their lives were taking another drastic change.

  Today Brody and his family were moving in.

  Well, not actually moving in. They were keeping their rented house but, temporarily, they were going to be staying in this house. Her embarrassment to being an idiot continued. In her face. Every. Bloody. Day.

  She sighed and rose out of bed. She’d had a fitful sleep and her body felt it in every ache and pain. For as long as she could remember, when she was stressed, her body tended to feel as if she were coming down with the flu. Still, today was the worst. In fact, she felt as if she should crawl back into bed. Again, not common for her.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m not a coward,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Mainly because she was in her room, alone as usual. She stepped into her bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Her hair looked like it had been in a windstorm. Her eyes were bloodshot. Bloody hell. She looked as bad as she felt.

  “I can fix that,” Rena said from her bedroom.

  Anice opened the door and found her future sister-in-law sitting on her bed.

  “I’m not in the mood this morning, Rena.”

  “Yes, I can see that. Do you want me to ease the pain? I can.”

  “A shower will work.”

  Rena popped up off the bed and approached her. When she was within ten feet she abruptly stopped.

  “There’s something wrong.”

  “Yes, my nightmare is coming true. Another McWalton is moving in and I will have to live with my embarrassment in front of his entire family.”

  “Not the entire family.”

  She snorted. “That makes it better.”

  “What I meant is there is something different about you. I didn’t pick up on it yesterday.”

  “I’ve not had my coffee. I love you but please, stop with the riddles. Or at least until I have my shower and a cup of coffee.”

  “Okay. I will let you go. But thank me first.”

  “For what?”

  “I kept your brother asleep, so he couldn’t come in here. He wanted to, and I thought his plan was absurd. Also, he wants to beat up your mate.”

  “Brody is not my mate.”

  She ignored Anice’s comment. “He told me the plan last night. I was appalled that he wanted to show up here in the morning. His first thought was to comfort you, but I know Fletcher. It would have started out as comfort, then he would begin to rant about hurting Brody. I thought it might be a little too much for you.”

  Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She loved her brother, her twin, but he was as obtuse as their cousins. Sometimes a woman needed privacy. She stepped forward and hugged Rena.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. When she pulled back, Rena was staring at her with a look of confusion on her face. “Rena, are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I need coffee myself. Do you want me to have Belvidore bring you a tray for breakfast?”

  Another kind gesture. “No. I will have to face my family once again. No use hiding.”

  She nodded. “I’ll leave you to your shower.”

  “Rena?”

  She had one hand on the doorknob, but turned to look at Anice.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “I have to look out for you. You’re my sister.”

  Then she was gone, slipping out of the room and shutting the door with an almost silent click.

  Anice looked around her room. So many years she had spent living alone amongst her cousins. They would never understand. They had always found women to sh
are a moment or two with. She knew Callum had a few longer-lasting relationships, and the others had too. She had not.

  There had been a few flirtations and a few dates. She hadn’t been ready to take a chance before Brody. A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes. Angrily she wiped them away. She would not allow people to think she was weak. And she would not cry in front of that man ever again.

  With that resolve in her belly, she decided to start her day and get over herself.

  * * *

  Brody stepped into the McLennan household and felt his wolf prance around.

  I do not prance.

  What the hell do you call it?

  I call it being anxious. We need to be near our mate. She is so close.

  So…prancing.

  His wolf huffed, but didn’t say anything else.

  He had come ahead of his brother and Esme. His reasoning was that his things were packed and ready to go. The real reason was because he felt weak being away from Anice. It had taken a lot of control to force himself to leave in the early hours of the morning. By the time the sun had started to rise, Brody had been packed and ready to leave the rental he shared with his brother and Esme. Now that he was at the McLennans’ house, he was barely able to contain his happiness. It was tinged with fever though, and not the good kind. Having his mate angry with him had left him a little under the weather. His head was pounding, and he was constantly switching from feeling cold to feeling hot.

  Callum stepped out of his office and walked toward him. Today, he was much more put together. Not exactly dressed for the office, but definitely different than seeing him in pajamas. He wore a thick sweater and dress pants. He was shaven, but the night had worn on him too. Brody could see it in his face, and he could also feel the weariness that permeated the air surrounding Callum. The man had a lot on his shoulders and the worry about his child on the way.

  “I see that you made it unscathed. Where is your brother and cousin?” Callum asked him.

  “They are still packing up,” he said.

  “And you wanted to get here as soon as possible.” He nodded. “Set your suitcase down there.”

  “I can take care of it.”

  “I know you can, but I want to talk with you. Privately.”

  Belvidore stepped into the hallway behind him. “I can take care of that, sir.”

  “I can--”

  “Bloody hell just give him your suitcase. I don’t have time for this.”

  With that, Callum turned and walked back into his office. Brody guessed that ended any discussion.

  “He’s a bit stressed at the moment,” Belvidore said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be so rude.”

  “I can be rude. I’m laird,” Callum’s voice drifted out of the office. Belvidore just smiled.

  Brody handed his suitcase to the servant and joined Callum. Anice’s cousin was standing by the big window that looked out over the drive of the mansion...as well as the lands that surrounded it. He had his back to Brody, which told him that Callum either trusted him, or didn’t realize that Brody could be a threat.

  “Take a seat. Do you want a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Callum turned.

  “I realize that we talked a bit about your involvement last night with Anice.”

  Brody didn’t respond.

  “I need to know what your intentions are.”

  He blinked. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Good God, man. I need to know if you mean to stick with Anice.”

  “Oh. Is this where you warn me off?”

  Take him down. We need Anice and if he stands in the way, he needs to be removed.

  His wolf wasn’t always so bloodthirsty, but waiting for him to consummate with Anice had left him a little batty.

  “I have a feeling that ship has sailed,” Callum said as he studied Brody.

  He nodded.

  “So, you have a lot of work ahead of you, but I don’t want it to get in the way of our quest.”

  “It will not.”

  “Good. And know this: You don’t really have to worry about me. True, I would happily castrate you if you hurt her again. But there are others you need to keep in mind.”

  “I know Fletcher is not happy with me.”

  “You think Fletcher is a threat?” He pursed his lips before taking another sip of coffee. “Well, I suppose he is, but he isn’t the most vicious. You have two witches and a fae who would gladly torture you for fun. I would make sure to keep the three of them on your good side.”

  “Maggie and Meghan are witches, yes?”

  He nodded.

  That left Rena as the fae. They were scarier than anything he had ever encountered. Ruthless and deadly, they were said to have no real connection to emotions, but he didn’t get that feeling from Rena.

  “Do they have any connection to the diary?”

  Callum stilled. “You know about it?”

  “Rumors.”

  “From your cousin Gavin?”

  “No. My family has a connection to it too.”

  “I knew it,” Jack gasped from behind him.

  He turned to find the little boy standing in the doorway. “Jack. What are you doing here?” Callum asked. “Where are your parents?”

  “In bed.”

  Callum motioned toward the little boy. “So, you knew he was connected to your family?”

  “We have to talk to Mommy about it,” he said as he walked forward. “She will be able to tell you. It doesn’t explain the two of you.”

  “Jack.” Rena said joining them. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  “I came in here. Brody is family.”

  Her dark gaze settled on him. Odd. He was sure her eyes had been blue the night before. “Indeed?”

  She stepped closer, then her eyes widened. It took her a second to tear her gaze away from him. She looked at Maggie’s son. “Jack, you need to go eat.”

  “I want to stay here,” he said.

  “Master Jack,” Belvidore said from the doorway. “Time for breakfast.”

  “You can come back in here as soon as you are done,” Callum said.

  “Okay. I want to talk to you about your family. Where is Esme?”

  “On her way in a bit.”

  “Good. She and your brother need to be here.”

  He nodded. “They are coming, I swear.”

  The pensive expression transformed into a smile, and he looked more like the little boy he was.

  He hurried out of the room, grabbing Belvidore’s hand as he did. Once they were gone, Rena approached them.

  “I think we have something else to discuss,” Rena said.

  “What now?” Callum asked. His aggravated tone almost made Brody smile. It couldn’t be easy handling a family this big, along with a company that had offices all over the world. With the hunt to end the curse and a baby on the way, Callum had a lot on his plate.

  “I think our friend here needs to explain himself.”

  “I did last night.”

  Rena slipped up on Callum’s desk as if she owned the room.

  “Hey,” Callum complained. Rena ignored him. Brody had a feeling that she ignored a lot of things she didn’t like.

  “I didn’t pick up on it until this morning when I was talking to Anice.”

  Our mate. Is she hurt? Does she need us?

  “Anice? Is she okay?”

  She smiled and nodded. “But maybe you want to explain why you don’t want us to know your true nature?”

  The room felt as if it were shifting around him, spinning out of control. She knew.

  Good. About bloody time.

  “What the bloody hell are you talking about, Rena?” Callum asked.

  “Well, I thought we should know why Brody doesn’t want us to know that he’s a wolf.”

  Callum threw his hands up in the air. “Okay. Now you lost me, again.”

  Brody said nothing. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as his entire body
went on alert. That meant only one thing. He looked behind him to find Anice standing at the door.

  “What?” Anice said.

  Rena’s gaze rose to Anice. Brody turned to face her.

  Our mate.

  She was gorgeous, but at the moment, there was a fragility to her that he was not accustomed to seeing. He knew it was there before, but she had kept it hidden under some very heavy armor. She was wearing a black sweater and jeans. She was bloody gorgeous.

  And she is ours.

  Not yet.

  Not my fault, mate. All yours.

  “What did you just say, Rena?” Anice asked.

  “He’s a wolf.”

  “I notice you aren’t saying anything, Brody,” Callum said.

  “I cannot lie.”

  Anice snorted as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. He couldn’t help the wave of heat that slapped him in the face.

  “Truly.” He would never deny who he was unless it was to protect his family.

  Why should you? We are superior.

  Bloody hell, shut up.

  “Brody?” Anice asked.

  “Rena is telling the truth. The reason why Gavin has always looked down on my part of the family is that we are shifters.”

  “Shifters?” her voice was fainter and, if possible, her skin grew paler. He walked closer, worried she would pass out.

  “Yes. We shift.”

  “Full moon and all that insanity?” she asked.

  “No. We shift when we want to.”

  He said nothing else because he was afraid to. He was a coward. If she turned away from him at that moment, he wasn’t sure he could survive the hit.

  “No, they do not need to shift when the moon is full,” Rena explained.

  “Are you telling me we now have two witches, a faery, and a family of shifters living in our house? How did it happen that we attracted so many oddities?” Callum asked.

  “You’re immortal, so it’s not like you’re normal,” Rena said with a laugh. “Phoebe is the only one who is truly normal.”

  “That doesn’t bode well for whatever this conversation is,” Phoebe said from the doorway. “Does someone want to explain to me what is going on?”

  The mother-to-be radiated with hormones and, as it was in their culture, he was drawn to it. An expectant mother was to be protected at all costs, so he stepped forward to offer her a hand. Anice looked at him wide-eyed, but he ignored her. Instinct told him to be subservient to a family member in her condition. Babies were important to the pack.