growing
worse all the time, until their own death. Long time ago, Loners were rare
because their Pack sorted them out. Now Packs are too full o’ young males.”
“If Delaney is a Loner, would he have killed me right away?”
“Depends how far gone a Loner is. Heard tell of several who
veered off the path then came back after stumbling upon the right mate.” Eagan
shrugged. “Delaney sold his soul to that dark wizard. That’s what’s different
about him, lass. He’s immortal.”
“In exchange for what?” Caitrin frowned, ladling oatmeal
into bowls.
“I do no’ know.”
“Da said he hunted a dark witch once. She was using a selkie
to draw power from. They evaded him for the better part of a year. One day he
came upon the selkie, dead. The witch had used it up, drawing power to cover
her tracks.”
“Could be this wizard is doing something similar with
Delaney,” Eagan said. “Perhaps no’ quite the same. Delaney has aged but his
body still has strength under the illusion.”
“Do you think the wizard is using him to absorb magical
rebound? So he can work faster without having to rest and recover in between
each dark spell?”
“Aye, that would make sense,” Eagan said slowly. Dark magic
took a toll on those who used it. Every spell had a rebound—similar to the
recoil of a gun—that affected those who chose to cast it. Dark spells, those
that perverted the natural course of life, had the most effect. Eagan frowned.
Those tattoos holding Delaney together…
Evidently, Caitrin had come to the same conclusion. She sat
down across from him, her wee face scrunched in thought. “What if those runes
tattooed on Delaney’s body are able to absorb negative magic energy?”
“Aye, the runes he wears are powerful workings. It is
entirely possible that the wizard uses Delaney as a kind of filter. If the
wizard casts enough dark magic, having a hardy werewolf around would be
useful.” He resisted the urge to smile at her. She was going to make a fine
mate for an Alpha, with a mind like that.
“Dangerous for the tattooed werewolf,” Caitrin commented.
“Dangerous for all o’ Scotland.” Eagan stirred his porridge oats.
“If word of this technique spreads, the entire world is at risk. Plenty o’ evil
witches and wizards on the Continent. The werelions and bears are populous
these days and there are wolf Packs across the sea as well.”
Despite their grim conversation, he watched her eat her
porridge with a sense of wonder—and relief. She was his now. Protected.
Cherished. If he had to run all the way to the ruins of Castle Lennox with her
draped across his shoulders to keep her safe, he would do just that.
“What do you think Delaney gets out of the deal?”
“Immortality is a power in its own right. When I spoke with
him a century ago he was jealous of all Alphas. He wanted a long lifespan, a
mate, a Pack of his own. Last I heard, he’d challenged his own Alpha and was
thrown out to fend for himself.”
“He is still nearby.” She frowned, concentrating. “I never
could feel the wizard. Da would have.”
Immediately, Eagan reached across the table, cupping her
chin with his hand. “Look at me, lass. Ye are no less a Huntress because of
your werewolf blood. It merely makes ye different.”
“But I could never bring myself to kill my prey. Da had to
do it for me every time.”
“How old was he before he made his first kill?”
That took her aback. “I…do not know. He was nearly
eighty-one when he died, but I never asked him much about his youth.”
“It is no shame that ye could no’ kill your catch, lass.
Your Da was working from a long lifetime of experience. I have no doubt ye
would have made a fine Huntress in your own right.”
Her blue eyes glowed at his praise. “Thank you.”
“There may be occasion for ye to use your tracking skills as
my mate,” Eagan warned. “If this dark wizardry continues to spread, our enemies
will only grow stronger.”
She nodded.
worse all the time, until their own death. Long time ago, Loners were rare
because their Pack sorted them out. Now Packs are too full o’ young males.”
“If Delaney is a Loner, would he have killed me right away?”
“Depends how far gone a Loner is. Heard tell of several who
veered off the path then came back after stumbling upon the right mate.” Eagan
shrugged. “Delaney sold his soul to that dark wizard. That’s what’s different
about him, lass. He’s immortal.”
“In exchange for what?” Caitrin frowned, ladling oatmeal
into bowls.
“I do no’ know.”
“Da said he hunted a dark witch once. She was using a selkie
to draw power from. They evaded him for the better part of a year. One day he
came upon the selkie, dead. The witch had used it up, drawing power to cover
her tracks.”
“Could be this wizard is doing something similar with
Delaney,” Eagan said. “Perhaps no’ quite the same. Delaney has aged but his
body still has strength under the illusion.”
“Do you think the wizard is using him to absorb magical
rebound? So he can work faster without having to rest and recover in between
each dark spell?”
“Aye, that would make sense,” Eagan said slowly. Dark magic
took a toll on those who used it. Every spell had a rebound—similar to the
recoil of a gun—that affected those who chose to cast it. Dark spells, those
that perverted the natural course of life, had the most effect. Eagan frowned.
Those tattoos holding Delaney together…
Evidently, Caitrin had come to the same conclusion. She sat
down across from him, her wee face scrunched in thought. “What if those runes
tattooed on Delaney’s body are able to absorb negative magic energy?”
“Aye, the runes he wears are powerful workings. It is
entirely possible that the wizard uses Delaney as a kind of filter. If the
wizard casts enough dark magic, having a hardy werewolf around would be
useful.” He resisted the urge to smile at her. She was going to make a fine
mate for an Alpha, with a mind like that.
“Dangerous for the tattooed werewolf,” Caitrin commented.
“Dangerous for all o’ Scotland.” Eagan stirred his porridge oats.
“If word of this technique spreads, the entire world is at risk. Plenty o’ evil
witches and wizards on the Continent. The werelions and bears are populous
these days and there are wolf Packs across the sea as well.”
Despite their grim conversation, he watched her eat her
porridge with a sense of wonder—and relief. She was his now. Protected.
Cherished. If he had to run all the way to the ruins of Castle Lennox with her
draped across his shoulders to keep her safe, he would do just that.
“What do you think Delaney gets out of the deal?”
“Immortality is a power in its own right. When I spoke with
him a century ago he was jealous of all Alphas. He wanted a long lifespan, a
mate, a Pack of his own. Last I heard, he’d challenged his own Alpha and was
thrown out to fend for himself.”
“He is still nearby.” She frowned, concentrating. “I never
could feel the wizard. Da would have.”
Immediately, Eagan reached across the table, cupping her
chin with his hand. “Look at me, lass. Ye are no less a Huntress because of
your werewolf blood. It merely makes ye different.”
“But I could never bring myself to kill my prey. Da had to
do it for me every time.”
“How old was he before he made his first kill?”
That took her aback. “I…do not know. He was nearly
eighty-one when he died, but I never asked him much about his youth.”
“It is no shame that ye could no’ kill your catch, lass.
Your Da was working from a long lifetime of experience. I have no doubt ye
would have made a fine Huntress in your own right.”
Her blue eyes glowed at his praise. “Thank you.”
“There may be occasion for ye to use your tracking skills as
my mate,” Eagan warned. “If this dark wizardry continues to spread, our enemies
will only grow stronger.”
She nodded.
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