Daughters of the Morrigan Boxed Set: (Books 1-3)

by Nina Croft

  He turned his head from the road and glanced at her briefly.

  Something must have shown in her eyes, because he steered the truck over to the side of the road, switched off the engine, and dragged her across the seat into his lap. His head swooped down, and he kissed her until the sound of a passing car blaring its horn brought them to their senses. He put her from him, and she slid back to her own seat.

  “Are we going back to London?” she asked as he turned on the engine and maneuvered back onto the road.

  “No, we’re going to my place. I thought we could do with a shower.”

  “Hmm, sounds good. Where is your place?”

  “We’re nearly there.”

  She lapsed into silence again; content to gaze out of the window at the passing countryside. About five minutes later, Caleb turned into a long driveway. An electric gate opened for them, and they drove along a narrow lane edged with huge oak trees. Finally, they pulled up outside a square Georgian manor house, the simple straight lines pleasing to the eye.

  Caleb got out and came around to open her door, and she smiled at the small courtesy. A gentleman werewolf. She was climbing out when he went still beside her. She looked up and followed his gaze.

  A man and woman emerged from the woods to the side of the house. The man was hurt, his arm draped around the woman’s shoulder as she supported his weight. As they drew closer, she saw that his clothes were bloodstained, the blood crimson against the white of his shirt.

  “Do you know them?” she asked softly.

  He nodded curtly.

  She studied them curiously. Both were tall. The man had shaggy, dark-blond hair down to his shoulders. He appeared muscular and strong, or he would have been if he hadn’t been in such obvious pain. The woman had short, dark hair and worried blue eyes.

  They came to a halt in front of Caleb and Regan.

  Caleb nodded, but his eyes were cold. “Kelly, Jason.”

  Regan wondered whether they were something to do with the security company, a job gone wrong maybe, that would account for Caleb’s closed expression. Then they took a step closer, and she breathed in their scent—wild, feral, and instantly recognizable.

  Werewolf.

  They were werewolves. Why would they come to Caleb?

  “Caleb, I’m sorry,” the woman spoke. “I know you don’t want us here, but we had nowhere else to go.”

  He shook his head. “Never mind that now. Let’s get inside, and you can tell me what’s going on.”

  The last of the man’s strength seemed to leave him and he slumped. Caleb reached for him before he hit the ground and lifted him easily in his arms. He turned to Regan. “The house keys are in my pocket.”

  She reached in and got the keys, went ahead and unlocked the door. Caleb followed her inside carrying the now-unconscious Jason. Regan stood aside to let them go past. He led them into a large sitting room and lowered Jason onto one of the sofas, uncaring of the blood that stained the cream leather.

  He stood staring down, a brooding expression on his face. After a minute, he swore, turned around, and left the room.

  Regan looked at the woman. Kelly was staring at the unconscious man, her face furrowed with worry, and a tear welled up and trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

  “Sit down before you fall down,” Regan suggested.

  Kelly jumped at the sound of her voice, but she backed up to one of the matching chairs and collapsed onto it, all the time never taking her eyes from Jason.

  A minute later Caleb returned, carrying a first aid box. He put it down on the floor next to the sofa and crouched down. Ripping open Jason’s shirt, he swore again. Regan came to stand beside him. The man had been savaged; his chest scored with livid claw marks that ran from his right shoulder to his waist. The shoulder was a mangled, bloody mess. It was obvious he’d been attacked by another werewolf.

  Caleb glanced up at her. “Why don’t you go and make some coffee?”

  Regan shook her head.

  No way.

  She wanted to know what was going on. Caleb shrugged but didn’t push it. “Then at least go get me some water and towels from the kitchen. It’s at the end of the hall.”

  Instead, Regan whispered a few words and a bowl of steaming water and a pile of towels materialized beside them. Behind her, Kelly gasped, but Regan ignored the sound. Caleb’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything further, just got to work cleaning the wounds. When he was done, he rose to his feet and turned to Kelly. “He’ll be fine. He’ll recover. When he wakes up, if he can he should shift. It will stop the scarring.”

  “Thank you,” Kelly said stiffly.

  Caleb glanced back at the man. “My father did this?”

  She smiled bitterly. “Who else?”

  “What happened?”

  She ran a hand through her short hair, her fingers trembling. Regan crossed the room, poured a glass of whiskey, and handed it to Kelly. She looked at Regan, as though about to ask something, but didn’t have the energy. Instead, she took the glass and swallowed the contents down. She coughed and handed the glass back. Regan refilled it and put it on the table beside her.

  Kelly took a minute to gather her thoughts. “You know what’s been going on in the pack?” she asked Caleb. Then she laughed bitterly. “No, of course you don’t. Why would you? You left us all behind, didn’t you?”

  “I had no choice.”

  Regan glanced at him in surprise, he sounded almost defensive. Who was this woman who could make Caleb sound guilty? Regan studied her closely. She appeared to be in her late twenties, but she knew that meant nothing for a werewolf. Caleb had told her that they could live hundreds of years, although they mostly came to a violent end before that.

  “You always have a choice,” Kelly said, her voice tinged with bitterness and exhaustion. She picked up the glass and swallowed the contents. Regan decided not to get her a third.

  “No, you made your choice. You chose to pretend to be human, but that’s not an option for most of us. We’re not like you. We need the pack. You never needed anybody.”

  Regan turned to Caleb, fascinated by these revelations. He glanced from her to Kelly as though he really didn’t want this discussion in front of Regan.

  Hard luck.

  She wasn’t going anywhere. Besides, it looked as though here was someone who knew Ethan Stone’s whereabouts. Or at least where he had been last night, which was a lot closer than Regan had gotten so far.

  Caleb changed the subject. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Ethan’s been working with someone else. He wouldn’t tell us who, just that it was going to bring major changes, and the wolves would finally get the recognition they deserve. You know what he’s like.”

  Caleb nodded, and she continued. “Not everyone in the pack agrees with him. Many of us don’t want any more recognition. We’re happy to live quietly, not bring attention to ourselves.”

  She picked up her glass, realized it was empty, and put it down again. “Last night there was a big meeting set up for before we all went to run. A few of us stood up and said we weren’t happy.”

  Another tear welled up, and she swiped it away impatiently.

  “And…?” Caleb prompted.

  “He killed them.”

  “Who? Who did he kill?”

  She took a deep breath. “Tom. He killed Tom. He tore his throat out without even giving him a chance to defend himself.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “He also killed Sarah.”

  “What?” he said, and Regan could hear the shock reflected in his voice. “Why would he kill Sarah? She wouldn’t stand up to anyone. I should know that.”

  “Who’s Sarah?” Regan asked.

  “Ethan’s mate,” Kelly answered. “She brought Caleb up. Was the closest thing to a mother he had.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what happened. Sarah went crazy when he killed Tom. She went for him. Something snapped inside her.” She shrugged. �
��I don’t think Ethan meant to kill her, but he was insane with bloodlust. He probably wasn’t even aware of who it was. He ripped out her throat. She died instantly.” She sniffed, then wiped a hand over her face. “He went crazy when he realized what he’d done, but it was too late. In the chaos afterward, I managed to get away with Jason. And we came here. That’s it.”

  They were all silent for a time. Regan watched Caleb; she’d learned more about him in the past half hour than in all the time before. He sat down in one of the chairs opposite Kelly. The good mood of earlier had fled completely. He appeared drained, and a deep sadness lurked behind his eyes. She guessed that whatever he might say about this Sarah—and he obviously had a deep well of bitterness—her death had hit him hard. After a few minutes, he drew himself together.

  “So, what is it you expect me to do?”

  Kelly cast him a look of scorn. “We don’t expect you to do anything. We’d like you to come back, get rid of your father, and lead the pack. You know they would follow you.” She stared into his face for long moments. “But that’s not going to happen, is it?”

  “I don’t want to lead the pack. I never wanted that.”

  “And Caleb Stone always gets what he wants, right?” Kelly leaned back and closed her eyes. “You want us to go?” she asked without opening them.

  “No.” Caleb rose to his feet. He paced the room. “You can stay here. I’ll protect you from my father. You’ll be safe.”

  “We’ll never be safe, not while Ethan is alive. You know what he does to renegade wolves.”

  Caleb didn’t answer.

  “What does he do to renegade wolves?” Regan asked.

  “He hunts them down and kills them. All except Caleb,” Kelly said. “The pack was never sure whether that was because of fatherly feelings, though we found that hard to believe. More likely that he knew he couldn’t beat Caleb.”

  “Why,” Regan asked. “Is he strong? For a werewolf, I mean?”

  Kelly looked at her in amazement. “Caleb could beat anyone from the time he turned fourteen. Of course he never fought Ethan.” She looked at Regan. “Who are you?” she asked. “I can scent wolf, but I don’t know you.” She sat up straighter and her eyes narrowed on Regan. “You’re the woman Ethan bit, aren’t you?”

  Regan nodded. “How did you know?”

  “I was there that night. I caught a glimpse of you.”

  “Well, thanks a lot for helping.”

  Kelly shrugged. “He was furious when you disappeared. He wants you back. More than that, for some reason, he needs you back.”

  “Well, he’s not getting me.” She looked across at Caleb; he appeared lost in his own thoughts. Regan sighed. The problems had caught up faster than she could have imagined, and it looked as though it was up to her to sort this one out.

  “Look,” she said to Kelly, “why don’t you get some sleep?”

  “Can Jason come with me?”

  “I don’t see why not. Caleb?”

  He shook himself and looked at her. “What?”

  “Is there a room Kelly can use?”

  “Of course. I’ll bring Jason. He rose to his feet and crossed the room, picking up Jason, who groaned but didn’t wake. Kelly followed them out, and Regan sank into the chair. She glanced across at the drinks, muttered a word, and a full glass appeared on the table beside her. She picked it up and sipped, savoring the smoky taste.

  At least she had a lead now. She could find Ethan.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Half an hour later, Regan glanced up as Caleb entered the room. He’d obviously showered and changed into clean jeans and a black T-shirt. He sank down onto the chair opposite her. Regan whispered a word and a drink appeared beside him. He picked up the glass and stared at the amber liquid. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

  “No.”

  “Pity.” He took a sip of his drink. “What would you like to do for the rest of the day?”

  She looked at him in amazement. “You can’t avoid the situation.”

  He turned to her. “I’m not avoiding the situation, because there is no situation to avoid.”

  “Your mother was killed last night.”

  The look Caleb sent her was fierce. “She was not my mother. My mother died when I was born.”

  “Sarah brought you up.”

  “She was Ethan’s mate—she had no choice.”

  “So, she didn’t love you?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. It didn’t matter. When it came down to it she wouldn’t stand up for me.”

  “Against Ethan?”

  He nodded, and then sighed. “Ethan wanted a son. I don’t know exactly how he got hold of my mother, but he did, and she had me. Only thing was, Ethan wanted a werewolf son to follow him, and I never shifted. Of course no one knew what to expect of me; there had never been a werewolf child before, or at least not that anyone could remember.”

  He took a sip of his drink. Regan bit her lip; she had a feeling she was going to learn something here that would explain Caleb, but he couldn’t be pushed. She held her breath, waiting for him to continue.

  “Anyway, Ethan decided that I needed a little encouragement. He’d already tried biting me. I reacted badly, and he gave up on that idea. But it’s known that weres often change under pain and stress. So he decided to test the theory on me.”

  Shock surged through her as she realized where he was going with this. “The scars on your back?”

  He nodded. “I was always aware he was bitterly disappointed in me, and I thought it was a punishment for being a failure. I was five years old at the time.”

  She blinked away a tear at the thought of the little boy, subjected to all that pain and suffering.

  Caleb looked at her in surprise. “Don’t waste your tears on me. It’s in the past.”

  “Of course it is, and it has absolutely no effect at all on the man you are today.”

  He ignored the comment. “I came to hate the full moon. I came to hate the wolves, and I came to hate ‘my mother,’ who stood by and did nothing. All of them who stood by and did nothing. And now they expect me to go back and save them.”

  “Not everyone is as strong as you, Caleb.”

  “I know that now. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it when I was five.”

  “So, did it work? Did it make you change?”

  “No. Luckily, my father gave up after a few years. I changed when I was eleven and managed to keep it a secret from him for another year. Just out of spite. I wasn’t like the others. I could always control my wolf. I didn’t have to turn at full moon.”

  “Will you help them?”

  “I’m not going back to the pack, but they can stay here. They have my protection until they can get away, find somewhere safe.”

  “And if your father comes after them?”

  “He won’t.”

  She pursed her lips. “You know, it would be much easier if we went and killed him.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “You’re agreeing with me?”

  “No, I just said perhaps.”

  ***

  Caleb glanced across at her. He couldn’t believe he’d told her all that stuff about his childhood. He’d never told anyone before. A single tear had spilled over, trailing down the flawless skin of her cheek, and he fought the urge to go to her and wipe it away. He’d thought her too hard to cry for anything.

  He leaned his head against the back of the chair. The night had been perfect and the morning even better. For the first time he’d felt as though he was reaching Regan at some personal level. Then it had all turned to shit.

  Sarah was dead.

  It was true he’d hated her for a long time. In his mind, you didn’t let anyone you love suffer like that, and consequently he’d come to believe that she couldn’t have loved him, had looked after him only out of a sense of duty. But he knew it wasn’t true. She was as much a victim of Ethan as he was, but unlike him, she had never gotten away, and Caleb had in fact abandoned her. He
hadn’t spoken to her in over twenty years. Now she was dead. He held up his empty glass to Regan, her lips moved, and it was filled.

  He drank slowly, keeping his mind blank.

  A wave of tiredness washed over him. They hadn’t slept much last night, and now he wanted nothing more than to lie next to Regan and lose himself in her body.

  “Let’s go to bed.”

  Her eyes widened, but she rose gracefully to her feet and held out her hand to him.

  ***

  Regan lay on her side and watched him. The hard lines of his face smoothed out in sleep and he appeared younger. How old was he?

  She understood now, why he was the way he was. Why he wanted nothing to do with the pack. But even though she understood it, she knew it wasn’t right. All his life he had denied his true nature. She had more of a feeling for wolf now, and Caleb was right when he said that wolves were pack animals. He was speaking from experience. Yet all his life, his wolf had run alone.

  Until he’d run with her.

  She remembered how it been to wake that morning wrapped in his arms, to make love in the forest. She didn’t believe in happy-ever-afters, but she couldn’t deny the feeling of rightness, of belonging. Maybe Caleb felt the same, maybe he was starting to believe they could have a life together.

  They could have nothing unless they brought Ethan down.

  She pulled away, careful not to wake him. He rolled onto his back, and she slid from the bed. Grabbing a black silk robe that hung on the back of the door, she pulled it on over her nakedness and left the room. She headed down the corridor, coming to a halt outside a door. Leaning close, she breathed in and knew the two werewolves were inside. They could tell her where Ethan was.

  She tapped on the door and slipped inside the room.

  Kelly lay motionless, still fully dressed on top of the bed nearest the door. She looked up as Regan came into the room, then pulled herself into a sitting position, leaned across and switched on the bedside lamp.

  Regan’s eyes flashed across to the other bed, where Jason lay on his back. He didn’t move, but his eyes were open.

  “What do you want?” Kelly asked, her tone vaguely hostile, and Regan frowned.