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of
exotic herbs and freshly baked oatcakes. Iris poured the tea, sitting across
from her as Cait dug into the oatcakes. She stalled for time, savoring them
down to the last crumb.
    “Did you know that Frost and Bannock are Guardians?”
    “‘Course I did, child. I helped your da choose his puppies
every time. Cait, little one, tell me what’s ailing you.”
    Cait took a sip of tea, nervously fiddling with the saucer.
“A werewolf showed up on my doorstep this morning.”
    “And?”
    “He’s still there.”
    She’d only seen Iris genuinely surprised a handful of times.
The witch blinked, staring at her. “He let you go? Without following you?”
    “Not precisely. I slipped out while he was asleep.” It
hadn’t been easy. She’d gone out the window with the dogs, fearing the door
would creak and give her away. But she’d done it—using the Huntress skills Da
taught her. Her only regret was not bringing the sword with her.
    “You came here to find out more about your mother.” Iris
paused to ascertain the truth of that. When Cait nodded, she continued. “Yes,
your mother was half werewolf, a fact which she preferred to be kept private.
Her father—your grandfather—was a Loner.”
    Caitrin winced, understanding why her mother rejected that
part of her heritage. She’d always wondered how her mother—who easily passed as
a normal human—could keep up with Da.
    “Did she ever…Change?”
    “Only in private. Your father offered to find a full-blood
to bite her, but your mother didn’t want a full conversion.”
    “Would it have saved her from the fever?” Caitrin had to
ask.
    “Yes, child. Your father never forgave himself for not
forcing her to get bitten. As a half-blood she fought hard, but the human part
of her succumbed to illness in the end.”
    Caitrin swallowed a too-hot sip of tea. “What does this mean
for me?”
    “Whatever you wish it to mean, child. Times are changing—in
ancient days, each kept to their own. Now blood mingles with blood. In the end,
you choose who you are.”
    “But Eagan has been wandering for centuries looking for a
mate,” Caitrin burst out. “It isn’t fair.”
    “There is a distinct lack of werewolf females.” Iris
shrugged, as if to say that’s not my problem .
    “Am I a suitable mate for him?”
    “Why do you ask?” Iris refilled her cup.
    “When I’m around him, I feel…I…” Her bluntness suddenly
dissipated into embarrassment.
    Iris nearly dropped the teapot. “ Attracted to him? Do
you mean to say the feeling is mutual?”
    Cait nodded miserably.
    “Have you acted upon those feelings? No? Then you still have
a choice. You can send him away—I’ll cast you an extra-potent warding spell—or
you can stay with him. If you do the latter, there’s no walking away. You’ll be
addicted to him and he to you for the rest of your natural lifespan. He will
also insist upon biting you. Turning you. He will require you to run with him
as a wolf.”
    Addicted to Eagan? Able to run her hands across his velvet
hardness anytime she pleased? There was a definite draw in that idea. Besides,
she didn’t think she’d want to walk away from sex with him once she’d
indulged in the experience.
    Yet what would happen to her Huntress skills? Would they
disappear, succumbing to his bite, leaving her unproven forever?
    “There is another werewolf as well,” Caitrin said abruptly.
“Eagan says he’s a Loner of sorts, one who’s lived far past his lifespan, but
there’s a wizard helping him with dark magic.”
    “Och, is that so?” Iris rose, beginning to rustle through
cabinets. She pulled out a small glass bottle and turned back to Cait. “Is the
other werewolf following you?”
    “I backtracked and walked through the beck on my way here.
He’ll have some trouble finding me.”
    “But find you he will, child, with the help of that wizard.
He will not leave you alone now that he knows you exist. Given his age, he’ll
be dangerous. They both will