Warrior's Moon

Eadan was comforting Marjory, his arms around his sister. “All will be well, Margie. Da will protect us.”

Then he started singing to her and his sweet little boy voice about broke Shona’s heart. How incredibly blessed was she to have such amazing children?

She looked up and around, noting that the wolves…all six of them…had gotten closer.

No matter how intimidating they appeared in both size and number, she refused to believe Caelis and Vegar would not win in the coming confrontation.

When they were but a few yards away, the biggest of the wolves shifted to his human form. Right before their very eyes. The snarling expression on his face was just as malevolent as it had been on his beast. “For your sins against the Fearghall, you will die this day, Caelis the Betrayer, and everyone with you.”

Caelis stood firm, no sign of fear or even anger at the insult showing on his features or sounding in his voice. “The Fearghall are wrong, Maon. Chrechte are meant to be brothers, no matter the race.”

Maon snarled, “Only the Faol are strong enough to survive.”

“Explain then, my people living all these generations despite the Fearghall’s most despicable efforts.” Vegar was clearly angry, but like with Caelis, no sign of intimidation showed in him.

“Dirty Ean!” the big—and naked—warrior spat.

“I am a Chrechte warrior with true honor. Something your laird has no knowledge of. He withheld Caelis from his true mate.”

The MacLeod Chrechte sneered. “So you say.”

“So I say.” Shona spoke up, all the anger she felt at how these miscreants were frightening her children and Audrey in her tone. “I am his true mate and my son is proof of that.”

“You told a human about us?” Maon asked with disgust. “She will have to die.”

“You already said that,” Shona pointed out, her own tone scathing.

Audrey elbowed her. “Do not antognize them.”

“Why not? They’re bent on attacking us, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know why they would be,” Audrey said and looked at Maon. “Your laird’s daughter is not with us.”

Either Audrey had forgotten the denouncement of Caelis made only seconds before in her agitation, or she was deliberately ignoring it.

“We’re not here for the female. She had no wolf, no value to the pack. Not like you. We’ll take you back with us and you can breed for the pack.”

Vegar let out a sound that sent chills down Shona’s spine.

Maon acted as if he had not heard. “Uven received word that two of his soldiers who had been sent here live but are no longer loyal.”

“I still wear clan colors.” Caelis stood proud, in no way intimidated by the other man’s indictment.

“You have no right to them!”

“I have more right than Uven, and soon enough, you’ll know it.”

“When you are dead, I’ll shred the plaid you wear and burn it on top of your corpse.”

Now that sounded like a man who had been trained by Uven. Shona didn’t say so though, since Caelis had been as well, initially.

The sound of her son humming loudly gave Shona the comfort of the hope that her daughter at least could not hear the awful words spoken. With his enhanced hearing, Eadan was bound to have.

And still he remained strong and brave.

Motherly love and pride burned in her chest.

“Am I so valuable that Uven sent six of his strongest warriors to wreak his twisted justice?” Caelis mocked.

“A warrior does not have to possess honor to be a formidable foe.”

“He has more honor in him than you,” Shona spat. “He does not threaten innocents and children.”

“He has cast you in the shadow of his guilt. Blame the betrayer for your fate.”

“You sound like Uven, taking no responsibility for the evil you commit.”

Maon’s eyes darkened with something that might have been doubt, but he shifted back to his wolf before Shona could be sure.

Suddenly, with no signal she could see, all six wolves leapt to attack.

Chapter 14

No good will come from Chrechte fighting Chrechte, but human nature must be appeased.

—ANCIENT SAYING ATTRIBUTED TO FIRST CELI DI

The battle was bloody, but Vegar and Caelis were amazing warriors, tossing the giant wolves away with one hand each and slashing at them with swords in the other. They drew blood but made no deep wounds. It was clear Caelis and Vegar were actually trying not to kill the wolves, but the MacLeods had no such compunction.

One managed a deep claw strike to Caelis’s chest as another three attacked Vegar at once, bowling him down under them.

Audrey screamed, the horror she felt testament to the mate bond already forming between her and the eagle shifter.

One of the wolves scratched at Vegar’s thigh, drawing blood.

Audrey broke away from their defensive triangle and ran toward the pile of wolves and warrior. She stabbed with her dagger at one of the wolves. He turned on her with a snarl and took a swipe at her, sending her stumbling back with blood soaking her dress from gashes in her shoulder and arm.

An inch over and the wolf would have cut her artery. Shona’s dearest friend would have bled out, Chrechte or not.

Fury-tinged horror washed through her, but unlike Audrey, Shona would not move from her position of protector to her children. She could not.

One swipe of any of the wolves’ lethal claws and her children would be dead.

That would happen over her own dead and bloodied body, and not one second before.

Audrey shifted into her wolf, a beautiful white creature about half the size of the ones trying to kill them.

Her dress fell away from her and despite the difference in their sizes, she attacked the wolf again, this time with teeth and claws.

Vegar erupted from the pile of wolves, a battle cry resounding in the air around them. One went flying. The other rolled in the opposite direction. His sword came down and straight into the heart of the wolf still fighting with Audrey. So much bigger, and obviously with greater experience, the now dead MacLeod wolf could have killed her in a moment, but hadn’t.

Shona could not make sense of it.

Despite the chaos of the battle around them, Vegar pushed Audrey gently away. “Return to your heart- sister. I thank you for your help.”

The uncouth man rose just slightly in Shona’s estimation in that moment.

Audrey the wolf obediently trotted back, the blood on her fur attesting to the fact that shifting had not immediately healed her wounds. That was a question Shona would have to save for another day. It was clear, however, that her injuries were not bleeding near as profusely.

Still in wolf form, Audrey again took up her position as protector to Shona’s children.

Vegar had returned to battle already, the glint of death in his eyes for those who might go near his mate again. The two wolves he had tossed away now fought for their lives, rather than trying to take his.

Caelis had been fighting with the other three, but his obvious desire not to kill them was doing him no