by Helen Harper
Lubber fiends and brownies don’t tend to get on, My Lord. Lubber fiends don’t tend to get on with anyone, to be honest. I don’t think I can find room for them.
That wasn’t my intention. Are brownies – or lubber fiends - susceptible to shifter diseases?
She was silent for a moment before answering. What kind of diseases?
The kind that might cause three shifters in Somerset to die. Fever. Liver and kidney damage.
I heard her intake of breath in my mind. No, that wouldn’t affect them. Is there something in Somerset I can help with?
Maybe later if things don’t improve. For now we are dealing with it. I apologise for interrupting you without prior warning.
Any time, my Lord.
I cut the communication. “Tom, tell the fiend that if they’re willing to relocate to Somerset, I can find them new employment.” It was the ideal situation really. The fiends would be able to disinfect the entire Somerset residences. It would prevent the disease from spreading. I was confident the pack there would accommodate them after that.
Tom clicked his tongue several times and ‘spoke’ to the fiend. I’d been expecting some kind of delay before he answered but the response was instantaneous. He jumped up and down and there was a sudden excited note to his squeals.
“He agrees, my Lord.”
I smiled. “Excellent. Now tell him to untie us.”
*
By the time we returned to the ground floor, it was apparent that the castle was completely deserted. We’d been stuck in the basement for some time. Lucy jimmied a window to enable us to make our escape.
“Before we leave, my Lord…” she began, with a slight nervous twitch.
“Yes?”
“All three of us were overpowered by a group of creatures no larger than rats. Perhaps we shouldn’t speak of this to anyone.”
I laughed. “You don’t think it would improve our reputations?”
She grinned back. “I don’t think so.”
I nodded in agreement and flicked a look at Tom. “You did very well today.”
He beamed with pride, colour tinging his cheeks. “Thank you, my Lord.”
“You two go ahead,” I told them. “There’s something I want to do before I leave.”
They inclined their heads and scrambled out of the window. I stood back and folded my arms, taking a deep breath. If I could reach Cornwall with my Voice from here, then I reckoned I could reach every corner of the British Isles. There was no other way I was going to find out if Mack was still in the country. I licked my lips and realised I actually felt nervous.
Mackenzie.
At first there was nothing. Then there was an odd touch of something pushing at the edges of my mind. Something scared and on the run. I tried again.
Mackenzie?
She didn’t answer but I knew she was there. I could feel her. Warmth shot through me. She was still here. If I’d had to take a guess I’d reckon in Scotland. I smiled to myself. As long as she’d not vamoosed to the other side of the world, then it didn’t matter. I could alert the Scottish packs. Or I could wait and look for her on my own. I knew which path I was going to choose. I was a cat. I was pretty good at patience. Truthfully, I didn’t want anyone else getting to her before I did. She’d abandoned her own pack, the shifters – and me. And I was going to get to the bottom of the reasons why.
It’s been a while but I will find you, kitten.
I felt her shiver. I nodded in satisfaction and then joined Tom and Lucy at the portal.
Chapter Five
The blood vials from Somerset arrived by courier. I made sure I met them personally, escorting them to the small lab populated with both Brethren scientists and some unsuspecting human counterparts. With such an invisible foe to deal with, it seemed important to prove that I was dealing with the matter. It was probably not my finest move, however. The Brethren lab techs fell over each other to bow and scrape in my direction while the humans looked on in bemusement, trying to work out why I was being treated like royalty. Still, at least I had assurances that they’d work on them twenty-four seven until we got a satisfactory answer for how to manage the disease. Several shifters had scoured through old records to seek out mention of the disease from generations past. It appeared, however, that we were dealing with something new. Right now, with no response from the Arch-Mage despite our success with the lubber fiends, the lab was our best hope. It wasn’t all bad news though, as Staines commented in my office the day after.
“You seem in a remarkably good mood, my Lord.”
I glanced up from the accounts. “I have every reason to be. Nobody else has died in Somerset and the lubber fiends, by all accounts are doing a sterling job.”
He snorted. “Getting underfoot and squeaking all through the night, I wager.”
“They’re not as bad as all that, Staines.” I rested my chin on my hands. “Is there any creature who you do like? You seem to treat any Otherworlder who’s not a shifter with remarkable disdain.”
“That’s not entirely fair, my Lord.” There was a glint in his eye. Apparently I wasn’t the only one around here whose mood was improving. “I dislike plenty of shifters too.”
I thought of his wariness around Mack and conceded the point. Unfortunately, my thoughts weren’t as private as I’d presumed though. He jabbed a sudden, accusatory finger in my direction. “You’re thinking of her again, aren’t you?”
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“Yes, you do.” He tightened his mouth. “You licked your lips. You always do that when she comes up in conversation.”
Damn it. I was clearly more transparent than I’d realised. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Lord Corrigan.” His eyes took on a suspicious glare. “This isn’t anything to do with your newfound desire to tour the Scottish packs, is it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Even I could hear the lie in my voice.
Staines shook his head. “You can’t do it.”
“Of course I can. I was planning to go round all the packs anyway before we were interrupted by the business in Cornwall. I’ve barely managed to visit four.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. She might be strong and powerful and capable of holding her own in a fight but she’s gone rogue. There’s no coming back from that. She’s dangerous and you can’t touch her with a bargepole. Even if you weren’t Lord Alpha, it would be a bad idea.”
“I think you misunderstand my meaning as far as Mackenzie is concerned, Staines. She needs to be brought to heel. I can’t have shifters turning rogue just because they decide they can’t get on with their new Alphas. When she turns up, I will punish her appropriately.” Preferably by taking her over my knee. In my bedroom.
“You’re licking your lips again.”
“And you’re wringing your hands,” I pointed out. “I thought only old women did that.”
“What about Audrey? The human?”
I gaped. “You’re kidding me. You hated that I brought a human to that damned ball.”
“I may have been too hasty with my judgment. Bringing a human along wasn’t such a terrible idea. There’s been a new atmosphere amongst the younger shifters lately. This loosening of the rules is no doubt partly as a result of your actions. Besides, Audrey wasn’t as bad as all that.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And Mackenzie is?”
“She’s a criminal,” he said flatly. “You’re only intrigued by her because you’re enjoying the chase.”
“There is no chase. She’s gone, remember?”
“Then why do you want to go up to Scotland? Do you know where she is?”
I met his eyes. “No. I do not. And I don’t think this has anything to do with Mackenzie or Audrey. You don’t think anyone is good enough for me.”
“You are Lord Alpha of the Brethren,” he said stiffly. “You need to hold yourself to a higher standard.”
“Every conversat
ion we have these days seems to end up in an argument. What’s really going on, Staines?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. “You don’t believe,” he said finally.
“Pardon?”
“You don’t believe that you have the right to be Lord Alpha. You think I don’t know how you compared yourself to that Cornish woman and how she felt when she received the Voice? Or how you keep trawling through the damn Brethren files because you think you’ll find someone more suitable for the job than you are? You defeated Brady. You received the Voice. Goddamnit, Corrigan, you have the respect of every shifter in this place, even with the way you seem intent on constantly breaking all the rules.”
“I’m not breaking the rules. I’m trying to change them.”
“And you’re succeeding. So why do you still doubt yourself?”
I growled under my breath. This conversation was running away with me.
“You’ve formed a pact with the Arch-Mage,” he continued. “You dispatched the vampire challenge. God knows those bloodthirsty bastards needed taking down a peg or two. Not to mention that…”
“Wait,” I said slowly, interrupting his pep talk. “Say that again.”
“Your formed a pact with the Arch-Mage.”
“No, the bit about the vampires.”
He stared at me bemusedly. “You took three of them out.”
“You said they were bloodthirsty.”
“They’re vampires, my Lord. What else are they going to be?”
I grinned, suddenly full of enthusiasm. “Staines, you’re a genius.”
He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“You will. All we need is a friendly vampire to help us out.”
*
It didn’t take long for someone to try and take the wind out of my sails. “It’s not going to be as easy as you think, my Lord. The vamps aren’t always the most willing to play ball.”
“It could be worth it. We have tainted blood samples from Somerset that we need to analyse. They are experts on blood. Who do I need to contact?”
Philippa frowned. “I don’t know. There was one guy who we used to speak to. Felix Saint-Germain. I heard he got himself into a spot of bother and is no longer around though.”
“Is that a euphemism for he’s now a corpse?” I asked.
“Something like that.” Her eyes were troubled.
“Look, just get me a list of names of vampires who are older and more experienced and who might be willing to test out some of the Somerset blood. If the lab comes through then we don’t need to worry about contacting them. But if the science boffins come up with nothing, then we need a plan B.”
She bit her lip and nodded, taking her leave. Staines was watching me carefully. “You see, my Lord? No-one else would think of that.” He clearly wasn’t finished with his attempts to boost my ego.
“Philippa isn’t particularly taken with the idea.”
His gaze remained steady. “But I know you. If it needs to come to it, you’ll pull it off.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “In the meantime, I’m going to get some rest.”
He bowed in a manner that was far deeper and more respectful than was necessary. Staines could be a contrary beast. I appreciated the gesture though, even if I knew the reason behind it. And perhaps he was right about Mack. Maybe I should leave off visiting Scotland for now. It wasn’t like I didn’t have other things to worry about.
I wandered up to my room, shrugging off my jacket and loosening my shirt. I turned to the window, staring out at the night sky while I fiddled with my cufflinks, finally managing to undo them. I dropped them onto the nightstand then closed the curtains, turning back round just as the air snapped and a dangerous purple shimmer appeared. A portal. And it was opening in my own damned bedroom.
I prepared myself to shift. Whatever manner of foul beast had decided they were brave enough to break through our wards and attack me in my own house was going to rue the day they were born. I’d mount their blasted head on a pike and display it in the garden. Nobody came into my territory like this and got away with it. Any second now the barrier wards we had in place would start screaming out their alarms and shifters would come running from all directions. Whoever this was, they wouldn't have a chance. I held my breath and waited.
The emerging figure was smaller than I’d expected. My usual ability to scent out ethnicity was clearly being hampered by the portal itself. However, within moments, as the intruder fell forwards and began to make the most astoundingly awful retching sound, the magical gateway vanished. Satisfaction rippled through me. Good. There was only one beastie to deal with. I took a step forward, noting first the magnificent mane of bright copper red hair, followed an instant later by her scent. Suddenly I knew exactly who I was dealing with – and I couldn’t believe it.
Mack choked and spluttered. I’d never seen such an adverse reaction to travelling through a portal. I guessed I’d finally found something which my little werehamster wasn’t good at. I folded my arms and waited while she recovered, her head eventually lifting up and her yellow flecked eyes growing more and more horror-filled as they travelled up my body. Somehow I got the impression this wasn’t a planned visit.
“Well,” I said, giving her a tiny smile, “I knew we’d meet again, kitten, I just didn’t expect you to suddenly materialise and hock up the contents of your stomach onto my floor.”
She pulled herself upright, almost tripping over her own feet. I waited for her to attack or yell or swear but instead she gaped round my room in obvious panic. Blind terror seemed to be guiding her actions. I frowned. As surprised as I was to see her, I was even more taken aback by her own reaction. She’d pulled off meek and submissive several times in Cornwall, although I was certain she’d been faking it on virtually every occasion. I’d rarely seen outright, genuine fear from her though. She was scared of me and I didn’t like it.
I took the bull by the horns. “You look frightened. That’s not the Mackenzie I remember. So why don’t you tell me just how you got here and why you’re so afraid.” I took a step towards her, attempting to relax my body and appear non-threatening. She was back in the Brethren fold and, whatever the reasons were for her sudden appearance, I needed her to relax. Or fight. Either way, I just wanted her to stop looking so damned terrified.
She threw up her arms as if to ward me off. “Don’t come any closer! I … I … er … might have been exposed to something when I was transported here. And, in fact, where is here?”
“You’re in the bastion of the Brethren.” I licked my lips, then abruptly stopped as I realised what I was doing. “I don’t think anyone has ever managed to invade our fort before without setting off a very elaborate alarm system. So you’re going to do tell me how and why you’re here.” From somewhere deep within the building there was a siren. Considering how long it had taken to send out an alert, we should be bloody grateful this wasn’t someone really nasty. “Finally,” I murmured, keeping my focus on Mack. “Well, little cat?”
“I’m not a cat,” she spat, thankfully reacting in typical fashion to my endearment and straightening her body. “My Lord, I’m a hamster.” Her eyes shifted nervously. She was still afraid, even if she was doing a better job of disguising it now.
“Of course, you are.” I couldn’t keep the amusement out of my voice.
“And, as to your question,” she sniffed, tossing back that glorious hair, “I don’t know how I got here. One minute I was walking down the street, minding my own business and the next thing I know I’m throwing up on your lovely floor. I apologise. I will leave and get out of your way.” She flicked a look at my bare chest and I could feel my body responding to her gaze. “You’re clearly in the middle of something.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Mackenzie.” I lunged forward and grabbed her arms. I wasn’t about to let her disappear again.
The fearful panic that had just about melted away from her eyes was suddenly re-ignited. She twi
sted in an explosive effort to yank herself free. It was all I could do to keep hold of her. She was as strong as Staines. When she realised she couldn’t immediately break my grip, she began clawing and punching the air. I narrowly avoided her fingernails but, when she launched a kick in my direction, I decided enough was enough, pushing her back against the wall. I could feel her heartbeat hammering against her chest. Ignoring her continued attempts to free herself, I ducked my head down, admiring her new look. I much preferred her hair in its natural form, I decided, before scanning her pale features. Despite Mack’s palpable tension, she looked none the worse for her self-imposed exile. A few more freckles perhaps and faint bruised shadows under her eyes. I wondered if her sleepless nights had been because she was missing being amongst other shifters.
I moved my face closer to hers, feeling the exact moment that the tension in her body changed from the desire to bite and scratch me to something else entirely. She exuded heat. It was as if my skin was being scorched – although in a very, very good way. My own body stirred again. Screw it, I thought, dipping my head down even further. I wanted to taste those sweet lips.
The bedroom door swung open and Lance yelled in. “My Lord Alpha! There’s an intruder somewhere in the building, we need to…”
I turned and snarled in his direction. His face went pale. “I’m sorry! My Lord, I didn’t realise you … I’m sorry!” He disappeared almost instantaneously. It didn’t matter though. I could already feel the change in Mack. I silently – and rather violently – cursed the interruption.
She cleared her throat. “My Lord Alpha, I believe I mentioned earlier that I may have been exposed to some kind of, um, disease, on my way here. I suggest you back away as it could very well be lethal.”
I froze. I’d thought she’d been in Scotland. What if she’d been in Somerset too though? Three shifters had already died. I tightened my grip on her wrists and stared at her. Was that why she had shadows under her eyes? “What kind of disease?” There was an audible snarl in my voice that I seemed unable to prevent.
