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

by Nina Croft

  “Don’t let him light the bonfire.”

  He opened his mouth to ask why, then realized there was no time for questions. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the clearing. His father turned to face him, the lighter held in his hand.

  Shock flashed across his face as he saw Caleb, and his arm dropped to his side. Caleb heard a low growl from Regan, but ignored her, keeping all his concentration on Ethan. He could sense the wolves all around them, circling. They were not happy, and he was hardly surprised; four of the pack had been killed in the last couple of days.

  “She told me you wouldn’t be coming,” Ethan said, nodding toward Regan.

  Regan growled again, a low rumbling sound.

  “She tried,” Caleb replied.

  “Not hard enough.” Ethan’s gaze flicked from Caleb to Catrin, who had come to stand at his side. “Who’s this?” he asked.

  “This is Catrin, Regan’s sister.” He turned to Catrin. “And this is my father, Ethan Stone.”

  Catrin’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Stone.”

  Ethan stared at her briefly and then turned back to Caleb. “Another witch?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, make sure she keeps her mouth shut. Or her sister will be sorry.”

  “She’ll keep quiet.”

  Caleb studied his father. He appeared in control. In fact, he appeared too controlled, too confident, and a shiver of apprehension ran down his spine.

  “Step away from the fire,” Caleb said.

  “I don’t think so.” Ethan raised the lighter and reached out toward the pyre.

  Catrin muttered a word under her breath, and the lighter flew out of Ethan’s hand. His face contorted in fury, and Caleb saw the first cracks in his control.

  “I told you to keep the witch quiet,” Ethan snarled.

  He moved toward Regan. The wolf growled but stood her ground as Ethan lashed out with his booted foot. The kick took her in the ribs with a sickening crack, and the force of the blow knocked her sideways to the ground. She struggled back to her feet, but she was clearly hurt, and rage roared to life inside Caleb. Ethan’s foot came back to kick her again, and Caleb leapt forward.

  Ethan paused. He looked around with narrowed eyes. “Hold him.”

  Caleb realized he was talking to the pack wolves. He expected to be stopped but the other wolves kept their distance, watching.

  “I said stop him,'' Ethan ground out.

  “I think they’re finished with doing what you say,” Caleb said. ''I don’t think they’re very happy with you anymore.” He glanced around him at the wolves. “Do they know you murdered Kelly and Jason?”

  A low growl came from the watching wolves.

  “I didn’t kill them,” Ethan said. “I was with you.”

  “No, you got your henchmen to do your dirty work.” Caleb looked around for his father’s seconds and spotted them at the edge of the clearing. They were trying to make their way toward Ethan, but the rest of the pack blocked their way. He turned back to his father. “You shouldn’t have done it,” he said. “I gave them my protection.”

  “You had no right. The pack is mine.”

  Caleb shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He gestured to the wolves all around them. “They’ve had enough of taking your orders.”

  “They’ll he happy to take my orders again once you’ve gone back to your other life—forgotten them once more. They need a strong leader, not a man who hasn’t got the guts to accept what he is.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, '' Caleb said, and with those words, he knew that his life was changed forever. That finally, he had let go of his dream of a life among humans. He wasn’t sure he wanted to lead the pack, but one thing he was sure of—Ethan wasn’t going to be in charge any longer.

  Ethan stared at him, disbelief in his face. ‘'You’d go up against me because of two wolves who meant nothing to you?”

  “They were mine,” Caleb growled.

  “So, are you going to fight me?” A hint of amusement tinted Ethan’s voice, as though he didn’t believe Caleb would fight, and in truth, Caleb didn’t want this to end in combat. Something deep inside him resisted the idea, because whatever else this man was, he was also Caleb’s father. All through his childhood, Caleb had yearned for his acceptance and approval. That need was gone, banished by his father’s actions, but the memory would always linger deep beneath the hatred. Now he stared Ethan straight in the face.

  “You can walk out of here,” he said. “Promise never to return, and I’ll let you go free.”

  A low growl came from the surrounding wolves. According to pack law, the old leader had to die. But things changed.

  “You really think I would walk away?'' Ethan asked.

  Caleb strode toward him. They were of a similar height, and he looked into his father’s eyes. “Walk or die.”

  Ethan shook his head. “You haven’t the balls to kill me.”

  Caleb held his gaze as he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the ground. He reached up and started to unbutton his shirt, pulling it off and throwing it on top of the jacket. The cool night air felt good against his hot skin.

  His father had gone instantly still as Caleb started to undress. Then he nodded and dragged his T-shirt over his head. Caleb kicked off his boots and unzipped his pants and a moment later, he stood naked.

  The circling wolves fell silent, and an eerie stillness pervaded the clearing as Ethan stripped off the rest of his clothes.

  Caleb turned to where Catrin stood beside him. “Move.”

  She stared at him wide-eyed, her gaze flickering from him to Ethan, then she backed away. She hurried to where Regan sat, still tied to the tree, and sank to her knees beside the wolf, digging her hands into the dark-red fur.

  Caleb’s eyes moved slowly around the circle. He knew there was a chance he would not survive this. He had seen his father fight before, but there was no turning back now.

  He reached into his mind and released his wolf.

  ***

  As Caleb shifted, Regan threw back her head and howled. She rose to her paws, ignoring the pain in her ribs, and tugged at the rope that held her tethered. A hand stroked down the fur of her back, and she twisted her head around to look at the woman kneeling on the ground beside her.

  “Regan.”

  She turned as best she could and nudged at the hand, willing her to understand, and after a moment, she nodded, and her fingers went to the knotted rope at Regan’s neck and untied her.

  She turned back to watch, just as Ethan shifted into a huge black wolf…

  …and she was back in her own body, naked on the forest floor, the pain in her ribs excruciating. She whispered a healing spell and dragged herself up into a sitting position where she could watch the two circling wolves. She hadn’t wanted this, but maybe it was for the best. Perhaps this was the only way Caleb could resolve his issues with his father.

  “Should we do something?” Catrin asked from beside her.

  “Like what?”

  “A spell. Something, to help Caleb.”

  “Caleb doesn’t need any help. And he needs to do this on his own—it’s been a long time coming.”

  “Will he kill him?”

  Regan rubbed her sore ribs. “I hope so.”

  Caleb turned to look at her out of dark-blue wolf’s eyes. He cast Ethan a glance and then padded toward her. She shifted so she was kneeling and opened her arms to him. He pushed his cold nose against her and rubbed his head against her breasts. Regan stroked the silky soft fur of his neck, then laid her forehead against him and burrowed her face in his thick pelt. He smelt of Caleb.

  She raised her head and framed his face with her hands, stared deep into his eyes, seeing beyond the wolf to where Caleb lurked deep in his mind. His warm breath caressed her skin.

  “Do this,” she said. “Do it for Kelly and for Jason. For Sarah and for your mother.”

  He growled low in his throat, th
en padded back to sit on his haunches facing Ethan’s coal black wolf while the others formed a circle around them.

  Regan scrambled to her feet. She was about to whisper a spell to dress herself when she saw Caleb’s pile of clothes. She whispered a word and his shirt was in her hands. She held it to her nose, breathing in the musky male scent of him. Then she pulled it on and stepped toward the circle of wolves. They opened to allow her space, and Catrin came to stand beside her.

  Tense excitement filled the clearing, barely suppressed. Neither of the two wolves within the circle moved, as though they were waiting for some signal to begin.

  “You know Caleb has to kill him, don’t you?” Catrin said.

  Regan glanced at her briefly then back to Caleb. “He does?”

  “According to pack law. I’ve been reading up on it. Which reminds me—I’ve found your spell.”

  This time Regan forced herself to turn and look at her sister. “My spell?”

  “The one to reverse the werewolf bite.”

  Regan should have felt something, some sensation of relief, but her mind went blank at the idea. She couldn’t think about that now, not when Caleb was about to fight for his life.

  “I’ll tell you later, shall I,” Catrin said. “But I found a lot of other stuff about the wolves, and one of their laws is that the old leader must die.”

  “Laws change.”

  “Yes, but maybe not his time.” She paused. “The old leader must be killed in one-to-one combat, and then the rest of the pack eats them.”

  “Ugh!” Regan said. “Thanks for sharing.”

  One thing was certain, if by some means Caleb lost this fight, no one was eating him.

  She knew that even if he won, this whole thing was going to cost him dearly, and she hoped the price wouldn’t break him. She had come to realize how hard he fought for his chance at a normal life, and after tonight that would be gone forever.

  “Then after that,” Catrin continued, “there’s some sort of bonding—”

  “Shh,” Regan murmured. “Something is happening.”

  The two wolves rose and began to circle. Up until that point, their audience had been silent, now they threw back their heads and howled. Inside her, her own wolf strained to be free, and Regan forced her down. She had to stay in human form in case she needed to help Caleb.

  Would she use magic if the fight went badly for him? She knew she would, but she was also aware that Caleb would never forgive her for interfering. But did that really matter? Presumably, when all this was over, she would do Catrin’s spell, and the ties that bound her to Caleb would be gone forever. She need never set eyes on a werewolf again. The thought did not fill her with the expected sense of pleasure, and wolf whined softly.

  Inside the circle, Ethan came to a halt. He stared at Caleb stiff-legged, his muzzle drawn back in a snarl revealing long white canines, sharp as daggers. Then he crouched back on his haunches and leapt in a blur of speed. Caleb went down under the force of the blow. He rolled to his feet and shook himself.

  “Fight,” Regan urged under her breath.

  For a minute, it appeared as if he wouldn’t. He stood unmoving, watching as Ethan prowled around him. Catrin’s hand slid into hers and squeezed.

  Regan’s gaze flicked between the two wolves, waiting for Ethan’s next move, silently praying that Caleb would fight back. She saw the moment Ethan’s muscles tensed as he readied himself to leap again. Her gaze flew back to Caleb. Resolve hardened his eyes. He leapt forward at the same time as Ethan, and the two wolves slammed into each other in midair.

  They crashed to the ground together in a snarling mass of teeth and fur, then rolled, jaws snapping as each sought to get a hold. Their movements so fast Regan found it impossible to distinguish one from the other.

  Finally, they parted, only to repeat the whole process over and over with neither gaining an advantage. They were both panting heavily now.

  Equal in size and strength, it was obvious that Ethan was the more experienced fighter, but Regan suspected he was overconfident. Caleb seemed to be playing a waiting game, always letting his father make the first move before countering with one of his own.

  Then Ethan managed to gain a grip on Caleb’s shoulder; his teeth sank in and the sharp, acrid scent of fresh blood filled the air. Caleb threw back his head and roared his fury. The pain seemed to awaken the rage inside him, and he thrashed his whole body until Ethan was tossed from side to side. His grip loosened, and he was flung across the circle. He came to his feet immediately, the blood dripping from his jaws.

  Caleb shook himself and growled. Regan’s fingers tightened on Catrin’s as he stalked around the circle. His whole being radiated menace as though he had at last realized this was a fight to the death, and his father meant business.

  This time he attacked first, taking Ethan by surprise and driving him to the ground. Ethan countered but Caleb came back relentlessly, until Ethan’s sides heaved with exhaustion while Caleb now appeared unaffected

  But Regan was still unsure whether he would see this through to the end.

  Finally, he got what had to be a death grip, his teeth sinking deep into Ethan’s throat. He shook him mercilessly, blood spraying across the clearing, and the watching wolves howled as the blood lust took them all.

  Ethan was no longer fighting back.

  “Finish it,” Regan muttered, but at the last second, Caleb released his hold, and the other wolf collapsed to the ground.

  Regan held her breath, waiting to see if he would rise. His eyes were open, gleaming dull gold.

  The other wolf vanished, and Caleb stood in the center of the circle. A savage bite marred the smooth muscle of his shoulder but otherwise he appeared unharmed. He stared down at his father.

  Ethan raised his head slightly but collapsed back. Then the wolf was gone, and Ethan lay on the ground, an open wound at his throat that spilled his blood to the dirt beneath him.

  “Caleb’s not going to do it, is he?” Catrin said from beside her.

  Regan shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  ***

  Caleb’s whole body ached, and his shoulder burned with pain. He knew he should finish this now but couldn’t bring himself to make the final move. Did that make him weak? He didn’t care.

  “Keep still,” he said to Ethan. “I’ll get help.”

  “No, you won’t,” Ethan replied, his voice hoarse. “I’m finished. You won.” He smiled. “I really never thought you had it in you.”

  Caleb glanced up as Regan came to kneel beside him. “Can you help him?” he asked.

  “Maybe, but he’s dying, and the cost will be high.”

  “The cost?”

  “There is always a price for magic, and magic that overcomes death is never cheap.”

  Ethan looked up at her. “Don’t do it. This is over—my choice.”

  Caleb had hated his father for near enough all his life. It seemed impossible that this could be the end. He looked back at Regan, and her eyes filled with a compassion he’d never believed she could feel.

  “Let him go, Caleb.”

  Caleb closed his eyes briefly, and then nodded. “It finishes now.”

  The light was fading from his father’s eyes. “I need to tell you something before I go.”

  “Forget it.” Caleb didn’t think he could take some deathbed apology right now.

  “No, you need to know this,” Ethan said. “I lied.”

  Caleb frowned. “What about?”

  “Your mother.”

  A tremor ran through Caleb—what could be worse than the truth as he knew it?

  Ethan must have seen something in his expression. “Not bad,” he said. “She’s alive. Or at least she was back then.”

  Shock ripped through Caleb at the words. “What? How? You told me she died.”

  “I made a deal with her. Whatever you think of me, I couldn’t take her by force, and I wanted a son. I told her I would set her free if she cooperated and gave me what I wan
ted.”

  “And she agreed?” Caleb shook his head. “Of course she did,” he muttered. “Here I am, after all. So, what happened to her?”

  “She wore a spell around her neck like the one he gave me for the witch. After you were born, I took it off, destroyed it, and she simply disappeared. I never saw her again, but I—” He broke off and coughed, blood staining his lips, and Caleb fought back the need to shake him, to make him tell what he knew. Beside him, Regan whispered a word and a moment later, she handed him a glass of water. He held the glass to Ethan’s mouth. He swallowed and licked his lips.

  “When you told me that she was a shapeshifter, I wondered. I often got the feeling we were being watched, but I could never discover anything, and I shrugged it off. But I think she stayed close and watched you grow.”

  Caleb’s mind reeled. He couldn’t take this in. He stared at Ethan unable to decide whether this was better or worse.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I promised her—it was part of the deal. I told you she was broken. I think she needed to be on her own, but maybe in the end she couldn’t stay away.” He shrugged, and then grimaced in pain. “I don’t think it will make a difference—you’re unlikely to survive the night, but I thought you should know.”

  Regan slipped her hand into Caleb’s and squeezed. He glanced across at her.

  “Ask him who he’s working with,” she said.

  He turned back to Ethan, but it was too late. The light had faded from his father’s eyes. A shudder ran through his long frame, and he went still. As the life force left him, a howl went up from the wolves all around them.

  Caleb threw back his head and screamed. Inside his wolf howled to be free, and he fought for control, felt Regan grip onto his hand tight and not let go.

  It was over.

  Rising to his feet, he pulled Regan with him. All around, the wolves were pressing in closer, and he realized it wasn’t over at all. It was just beginning.

  Regan tugged at his hand. “Let’s get away from here.”

  He looked from the body of his father to the wolves. He knew the custom; the old leader would be devoured by the pack and somehow it seemed fitting. Ethan would have approved. That didn’t mean he wanted to see it.