Highland Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Read online

  And then they were flying.

  It wasn’t really flying, but it felt that way. He was so agile, so quick and light on his feet, it felt as if he had simply taken flight as they crossed the stream. Behind them, the dogs grew closer. They were onto a scent—likely her own and she cursed herself for not grabbing her hat, which would allow the dogs to pick up her trail—and pursued it with fervor. Sybil bounced on the big man’s shoulder, squealing at one point, thinking surely he would fall and she would go tumbling head-first to her death onto the slippery, moss-covered rocks, but then they were across, heading into the cover of the woods on the other side.

  Once they were a sight distance from the tree line, the man upended her with a grunt, putting her back onto her feet. Sibyl pushed an already tangled mass of auburn hair away from her face and glared up at him. He didn’t smile, but his eyes danced, clearly amused at her stance—hands on her hips, face upturned—and the words that came tumbling out of her mouth.

  “You bumbling idiot! You could have killed us both!” she snapped. “I didn’t ask for your help. Do you understand me? I don’t want your help! No! Go! Away with you!”

  She shooed him away like an annoying fly but the man didn’t move. He just looked down at her with those devilish blue eyes.

  “Goodbye! Mar sin leibh!” She didn’t know many phrases in Scottish Gaelic, but she had learned a few from Moira. Hello, goodbye, please and thank you. So she said the words, hoping he would understand, and from the look on his face, it was clear he got her meaning. “I’m going! Mar sin leibh! Goodbye!”

  She turned and stalked off, getting as far as the nearest tree before he grabbed her again.

  “Will you stop that?” she cried, pushing at his arms as they encircled her and turned her to him. “No! Chan eil! Chan eil!”

  She repeated the Gaelic word for no, seeing the frown on his face at her protest.

  “Shh.” He touched a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

  “Chan eil,” she objected again, but this time, the word came out in a mere whisper. “No… please…”

  “Tha.” His thumb traced her jawline as he looked down at her, the sunlight dappled across his face and chest. She knew the word—tha. Yes. It meant ‘yes.’ Sibyl felt her breath quicken as the stranger traced her lips with one finger, his gaze falling to her mouth, then to her throat, then further down still, to the way her breasts nearly overflowed the top of her disheveled dress.

  “Tha,” he said again, lifting his gaze to meet her eyes. So blue. His eyes were so blue. “Yes.”

  “You… you speak English?” she whispered, cocking her head at him in wonder. “Who… who are you?”

  A howl from deeper in the forest startled them both and the hair on the back of Sibyl’s neck stood up. Perhaps the animal’s howl was in response to the dogs, because they were barking across the river, sniffing up and down the shoreline, searching for their scent. The men weren’t far behind. They were closing in.

  “The wolf,” she gasped, stepping instinctively closer to the stranger, and he encircled her with one arm, pulling her close against his big frame. She lifted frightened eyes to his, knowing the animal was wounded, that it might attack them, even now. And Alistair’s men were close—too close. “It’s the wolf!”

  “No.” He said the word in English, but his brogue was thick as he met her eyes. “A wulver.”

  “A… wulver.” She swallowed, trembling in his arms, and before she knew it, the stranger once again had her thrown over his shoulder, carrying her deep into the forest, but this time, Sibyl didn’t speak a word of protest.

  Chapter Three

  She bounced around on his shoulder as he made his way deeper into the woods but Sibyl was far less concerned about the bruises she was going to have all over her body than she was about the sound of dogs at their back and the howl of the wolf that grew louder with every step. He was taking her away from one threat, but they were heading straight into another. The stranger, however, didn’t seem very concerned about that.

  Sibyl was starting to get nauseous, traveling upside down, with only a view of the forest floor and her captor’s tartan plaid. She clutched that garment for dear life, amazed at how fast the man could travel, with little sign of exhaustion or even slowing. And then, he stopped. It was so sudden, she clutched at him, afraid of what might have immobilized him so quickly. She couldn’t see around him.

  “Laina.” He said the word, but Sibyl didn’t know what it meant. She looked up at him, puzzled, when he set her on her feet. The upending made her dizzy and she clung to him again, just to keep from collapsing, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her up easily, without a second thought.

  The sudden howl that filled the forest sent goose flesh up and down her arms and Sibyl turned her head slowly, eyes wide, following the big man’s gaze. The white wolf stood a stone’s throw away, staring at them through the trees. Her fur was matted with blood, like a red bib down her front, where Alistair had cut her. She was still just as beautiful—and just as dangerous—as the last time Sibyl had seen her.

  “Wait!” Sibyl cried, but it was too late.

  The man approached the animal without even a modicum of caution and Sibyl, still dizzy from her upside-down ride through the forest, hung onto a tree, cheek against the rough bark. Her captor didn’t appear at all afraid and neither did the wolf. Sibyl watched in disbelief as the wolf sank down until her belly rested in the dirt, head bowed as the man advanced.

  “No!” Sibyl protested when the man unslung the bow and quiver. “Chan eil!”

  He didn’t heed her, but he didn’t pull the bow as she thought he would. Instead, he set it aside as he knelt before the wounded wolf. She’d never seen a man so fearless. Even her father’s huntsman, who had taught her bird calls, who had shown her how to silently, patiently trap small game, had advocated caution with even the smallest of forest creatures. Animals were notoriously unpredictable.

  “Laina,” he said again, reaching his hand out, and Sibyl cringed, expecting the wolf to bite him as she had Alistair.

  But the wolf accepted the man’s attention, whining softly as he inspected her wound. It was almost as if the animal understood that he meant her no harm. Sibyl watched in disbelief as the man’s hand moved through the wolf’s fur, one hand scratching lightly behind her ear as he examined the wound with the other. Sibyl’s curiosity got the better of her and she approached cautiously, fascinated by the animal.

  “She’s hurt,” Sibyl said softly, nearing the two of them. “Alistair, he… he cut her with his dirk, after I got her free.”

  “She won’t die.” The man looked up to meet Sibyl’s eyes. She noticed, for the first time, that they weren’t just blue—they were the same, incredibly bright blue as the wolf’s. It was startling. “But she thanks you for your kindness.”

  “You do speak English.” She stared at him, incredulous, still not quite comprehending his words, even though they were in her native language. “Who are you?”

  “Aye, though I haven’t spoken yer tongue in some time.” He gave a small nod, a brief smile flashing across his face. His voice was deep and rich, his brogue was thick. “I’m called Raife.”

  “My name is Sibyl.” She looked from him to the wolf, who whined and panted, her side heaving with effort. The poor thing must be badly hurt, she thought.

  Sybil sank to the ground next to the man called Raife, reaching out tentatively to touch the wolf’s fur. The animal acknowledged her touch, glancing at Sybil as she ran a hand over the wolf’s thick coat, but didn’t seem to mind. She glanced at the stranger, wondering if he was some sort of animal trainer. A man had come to her father’s castle once with a big bear who had sat at his feet. He had fed it scraps and led it around on a leash.

  “She was caught and put into a cage,” Sibyl went on, amazed at how the wolf let them touch her, with not even a growl of warning. She must be tame, like the old man’s bear, she thought. “My… that man… he…”

 
“Aye, lass, I know.” Raife wiped at the wolf’s blood with the end of his plaid. He had unwrapped the part that went over his shoulder to do so, and was now kneeling completely bare-chested on the ground. “I was sent for her.”

  “Sent… for her…” Sybil repeated the words, but they still made no sense at all, no matter what language they were in. “Does she belong to you?”

  “Chan eil… er, no.” He shook his head, using his plaid to stem any further flow of blood. “Mo bràithair… ah… my brother.”

  “Ohhh,” she breathed, nodding. “He’s an animal trainer, your brother? He tames wild animals?”

  Raife stared at her for a moment, those blue eyes dancing again. Then he let out a laugh, loud and long, shaking his dark head. The wolf shook its white head too, whining softly, and then began to pant again. Raife turned his attention back to the animal, his big hand moving along her side, petting her gently.

  “Easy, easy,” he murmured, frowning, eyes troubled. “She can’t change like this, when she’s so close to pup.”

  “Change?” Sibyl’s head came up, hearing something else. It wasn’t just the wolf she heard whining. Through the woods came the sound of dogs barking. They were still on the hunt, although this time, they weren’t hunting for wolves—or some imaginary half-man, half-dog the Scots called wulvers—they were hunting for her.

  “Do you mean… is she giving birth?” She stared at him with wide eyes.

  “I have to get her back.” He cocked his head, frowning, and Sibyl knew he heard the same thing she did. The sound of men, shouting to one another. It was Alistair’s men. They had crossed the stream and had picked the scent back up again. “Laina, can you move? Can you get up?”

  “Laina…” Sibyl said the word and the wolf glanced at her, whining but struggling slowly to her feet. “Her name is Laina? The wolf?”

  “Wulver,” Raife corrected, taking the wolf’s giant head in his big hands. The animal looked into his eyes, whimpering, and he nodded sympathetically, petting her behind the ears. “Tha mi duilich.”

  Raife stood and the wolf looked up at him expectantly. Sibyl did too. She had no idea what came next. Without this man and his strange pet, she was alone in these woods with no horse and a posse of men at her heels. She knew she had to run, if she had any chance of escape, as far and as fast as she could. She’d already lost too much time.

  “The men are close.” Raife seemed to read her mind. “They will find ye.”

  She nodded, heart thudding in her chest as she heard a clear shout, “This way!” and could have sworn it was Donal’s voice. Perhaps it was too late after all. Alistair’s men would find her and then what? She tried to imagine the consequences he would mete out for her actions and shuddered at the thought. But when she looked at the wolf and thought of her pups, she couldn’t for a moment regret her decision.

  “Ye choose.” Raife’s eyes lifted, scanning the woods and Sibyl knew what he’d seen before she even turned her head. She saw it in the momentary flash of anger in his eyes. Alistair’s men were in sight now. “Stay here or come w’me.”

  She nodded, glancing through the trees, seeing the dogs running ahead. Was there a choice, really? The decision was a simple one. Raife, whoever he was, had been protective and, if a bit rough, kindhearted. His caring for the wolf had shown her that much. Alistair, on the other hand…

  “You must hold on tight.” Raife said over his shoulder, loosening the plaid around his waist and pulling the fabric free.

  “Sir, you mustn’t!” Sibyl gasped, covering her face with her hands, glimpsing far too much of his backside before she could turn away from him as he disrobed.

  “Climb on and hold tight!” He told her and she gasped when she felt him behind her, his mouth right next to her ear. “I do’na want to leave ye here.”

  “Please,” she whispered as he stepped away from her, not daring to open her eyes. “Cover yourself. I don’t—”

  A howl rose up behind her, covering her whole body with goose flesh. Sibyl sank to her knees, giving up, hearing the men shouting, dogs barking. There was no escape now, unless the strange, naked man who called himself Raife and his pet wolf behind her could somehow magically spirit her away. It was too late. Tears, hot and salty, fell through her fingers. She sobbed, knowing she would never be free.

  A soft whine made her look up. The white wolf stood in front of her, the Scotsman’s plaid secured around her neck, completely covering her wound. Then, another wolf, this one even bigger, its black fur as dark as night, eyes as blue as the sky, appeared beside the other. Sibyl stared at it in disbelief, her breath held as its big head cocked to contemplate her. The white wolf had been tamed, but this wolf was as wild as they came. She knew it, just looking in its eyes, those bright, clear blue eyes. Was this the white wolf’s mate? She wondered this, even as she heard the hunting party’s approach, the low growl emitting from the dark wolf’s throat, and thought, not for the first time since she’d woken up that morning, that this would be the last day she drew breath.

  Then the animal nosed her hands away from her face and gently licked the tears from her cheeks. His tongue was warm but she couldn’t help her instinct to move away from those big, sharp teeth.

  “Is this wolf tame as well?” she managed to whisper, too afraid to look away from the pair to glance over her shoulder at Raife. “Is it… your pet?”

  No answer. The black wolf gave a short, sharp bark and the white wolf howled, glancing through the trees at the horses. The horses had a much harder time negotiating the woods, the underbrush thick, the big stallions unsure in their footing. The hounds, however, had an easier time. They were drawing close. Too close.

  “Raife?” Sibyl swallowed, daring to look over her shoulder, forgetting for a moment that the man was fully naked, but there was no one there.

  No one at all.

  “Raife?” She frowned, whipping her head around, looking for the man. Her bow and quiver were on the ground. His plaid was around the white wolf’s wounded neck. But the Scot was nowhere to be found. “Raife!”

  She dared to call his name, even though it might draw the attention of Alistair’s men to her, jumping to her feet. Behind her, the black wolf barked again, a short, piercing sound. Sibyl grabbed her bow and quiver, slinging it over her shoulder as she scanned the woods. He couldn’t have disappeared into thin air!

  She gasped when she felt a cold nose against her palm, a warm tongue. The black wolf moved in alongside her, forcing her hand through its thick fur as it rubbed up against her, almost like a cat might, emitting a low growl, then a plaintive whine. The animal was enormous, making the big, white wolf look small in comparison.

  “They’re coming for me.” She whispered the words to the wolves—there was no one else there. Raife had disappeared, had left her alone with these animals. She knew she was alone. But if Alistair was going to catch her, she didn’t want him to kill the wolves. At the very least, she could save them. “You have to go! Run!”

  She pushed hard against the black wolf, its muscular body budging only slightly. The animal growled, turning its head to look at her.

  “That’s right!” she insisted, feeling tears burning her eyes. “Go ! Shoo! Go away!”

  Beside her, the other wolf barked. The white wolf flanked her now, standing between Sibyl and the dogs. They were coming. They were all coming. The black wolf issued a returning bark, moving in closer, until she was pressed between the two of them, almost as if they could hide her.

  “Go!” she cried, trying to push at them, but they were too big, too strong. “Please! Go!”

  It happened so fast she couldn’t even react. The white wolf shoved her hard, knocking the wind out of her, and she stumbled against the black wolf. Sibyl was falling and, instinctively, she reached out for something to grab onto, and the only thing at hand was the neck of the great black wolf. Then they were running. Flying through the forest. Sibyl couldn’t scream, although she wanted to. She could barely breathe.

  At
first, the wolves ran side by side, keeping Sibyl from falling off the black wolf’s back. She tried hard to stay on, struggling with her heavy dress, the satchel pinned under her skirt, until she managed to get a leg securely over the wolf’s back so she was sitting astride him, like he was a horse. A horse with no saddle. A very slippery horse with no saddle.

  “Dear God, help me,” she whispered, feeling something graze her temple. When she lifted a hand to her head, it came back bloody, and she saw an arrow quivering in a nearby tree. “Please help me.”

  They were running so fast the forest was a blur whenever she opened her eyes, so she kept them closed, burying her face against the larger wolf’s neck. The animals ran hard, panting, and she felt the wolf’s muscles straining between her thighs with every leap over a stray log, every dodge around a tree. Beside them, the white wolf whimpered, but she managed to keep pace.

  Sibyl listened for the thunder of the horses, the bark of the dogs, but miraculously, the sounds disappeared. She clung to the wolf, trembling on its back, too afraid to look up and see where they were going, too frightened to look back, wondering what had happened to the man, Raife. A sudden, horrible thought occurred to her while the wolves spirited her away as she felt blood from her temple running down her cheek.

  Raife had been killed.

  She was suddenly sure of it. The man had been felled by an arrow, shot by one of Alistair’s men. It was the only explanation. The thought brought such an overwhelming sadness she couldn’t help her tears. She’d known the man for all of half an hour, and yet she was sobbing, thinking of him bleeding to death in the middle of the woods. Maybe it was because, in spite of his short, gruff nature, he’d tried to protect her, and had been so gentle with the white wolf.

  Sibyl sensed the temperature change around her, the cool sunlight of the woods giving way to something else. She opened her eyes to darkness, clinging to the wolf, arms tight around its neck, thighs squeezing its flanks so hard they ached. She couldn’t see her arms wrapped around the animal’s neck. Even the white wolf had disappeared from view, although she heard it panting and whimpering next to them.