But Cearnach was her hero. He would always be her hero.
She poked again at the man, then growled at him, wanting him to tell her the truth before he was unable to. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked like he was trying to focus on her.
“You know,” he said, his voice raspy, “I wanted you back.”
She growled low, not liking what he might say in front of Cearnach or his brothers, gathered close to protect her if she needed them, listening to what the bastard had to say. Vardon and Baird had long ago limped off, knowing the fight would be in the MacNeills’ favor. Whatever Rafferty had promised them, they wouldn’t get the payment now.
Rafferty coughed, closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them and looked up at her with longing. He took a shallow, shuddering breath.
“You couldn’t have suitors.” He reached out to touch her. “You were always mine.”
Never again.
His hand suddenly clutched his chest, his eyes wide, then he dropped his hand to the ground, his eyes staring at her, mouth parted on one last breath.
She listened for his heartbeat, for his breath, and hearing none, she knew he was finally truly dead. She wanted to collapse with relief but looked up at Cearnach, feeling horrible about all of this.
Cearnach came forward, nudged her face, and licked it, giving her comfort. She nosed his face, then rubbed her face along his cheek. They were mates. No one would undo what had been done.
Kelly Rafferty was dead. He would never hurt her again.
Her cousins were long gone.
Cearnach licked her cheek again, then shifted. He crouched down and wrapped his arms around her neck, and she couldn’t tell him how much his embracing her made her feel loved, though she couldn’t stop her tail from wagging. He smiled as her tail swishing so wildly caught his eye.
“Kelly Rafferty is dead, Elaine. You have nothing to fear.”
She nuzzled his face and licked his cheek.
“You’re coming home with us now.”
She glanced back in the direction of Senton Castle.
“Seems that’s our home also. If you’re worried about them taking your car again, your kin have a surprise waiting for them.”
She looked up at him inquiringly.
“We’ll go to my car. It’s closer,” he said, standing, then lifting Rafferty over his shoulder. He stalked toward the woods and Elaine ran beside him. “Then we’ll drop Guthrie off at his vehicle to avoid Oglivie’s farm.”
Duncan and Guthrie raced ahead until they disappeared. She couldn’t figure out why until quite a while later when she saw Duncan returning at a dead run in human form, fully dressed. He took Rafferty’s body, and Cearnach shifted into wolf form. Then he and Elaine ran at their faster wolf pace to reach the car so no one would catch them running as wolves. She couldn’t help worrying about Duncan if he was caught carrying a naked dead man.
When she and Cearnach reached the car, he shifted and opened the door where Guthrie was sitting, panting in the back seat. Then she joined him while Cearnach quickly dressed and popped the trunk. She was afraid Ian would be angry with her for bringing this fight to Argent Castle. That Cearnach and his brothers would be upset with her for running off. That the whole pack would be. What of Duncan’s mate, Shelley? She had to be worried that he might not return in one piece. Then there were Cearnach’s mother and aunt: she was certain they’d judge her harshly.
When Duncan joined them at the car, he put Rafferty’s body into the trunk, slammed it closed, then got into the passenger’s seat.
Cearnach drove to where Guthrie’s vehicle was parked. Duncan got the door for Guthrie so he could change, dress, and then take over the wheel of his own vehicle.
Elaine thought that Duncan would stay with Guthrie and was about to jump over the seat to sit up front with Cearnach when Duncan returned to Cearnach’s car. He climbed in and cast a smile over his shoulder at Elaine. She closed her panting mouth.
“I’m staying with the two of you. Ian’s orders. He doesn’t want anything further to happen to either of you, should some of the McKinley or Kilpatrick kin decide to attempt to waylay us.” Duncan called Ian. “We’re on our way home, Ian.”
“Elaine’s coming home… for good,” Cearnach said.
Ian didn’t say anything.
Cearnach glanced back at Elaine. She was watching him.
“Is Rafferty dead?” Ian asked Duncan.
“Aye, he is for good this time,” Duncan said.
“Good,” Ian said. “Because if he wasn’t, he would be. Our mother’s already planning the wedding without Elaine so if the lass wants to have any say at all in it, she needs to hurry home.”
Elaine smiled and sat down on the seat. She really didn’t care anything about the wedding… except that she had loved Calla’s ceremony before Vardon ruined it. She was truly mated to Cearnach. That’s all that really mattered. And she was relieved beyond measure that Calla was at Argent and had been safe all this time from that bastard Kelly.
“Aye. We’re all headed back to Argent Castle. Tell Shelley we’re all right.”
“You can tell her yourself.”
“Duncan?” Shelley said, her voice worried.
“Aye, lass, we’re all fine.”
Elaine smiled to see the look on his face. He was one happy mated wolf.
“Thank you for bringing her home,” Shelley said, tears in her voice.
Elaine felt choked up. She’d thought everyone would be angry with her, but the only thing they were showing was that she was one of them now. A tear and then two rolled down her furry cheeks. She brushed them away with her paw. Cearnach looked up at the rearview mirror.
“Everything’s going to be fine, Elaine. I love you,” he said.
She poked her head over his seat and licked the back of his neck. He reached behind while he watched the road and stroked her head.
After Duncan had talked to his mate for a moment, he pocketed his cell.
“How did Ian know about Rafferty?” Cearnach asked, as Elaine settled back down on the seat. “Did you tell him?”
“Nay. He already knew.”
Cearnach looked at his brother, questioning why. Duncan quickly shrugged.
Elaine knew Cearnach would have words with Ian.
Chapter 28
As soon as they reached Argent Castle, everyone came out to greet them, while Duncan directed a couple of their men to retrieve the dead man from the trunk of the car and bury him in the woods.
Cearnach only wanted to get Elaine settled in his room where she could shift, clean up, and dress, and then he wanted to confront Ian.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to Elaine before she’d even had a chance to shift. Then he shut the door to his bedchambers and stalked toward Ian’s solar.
Ian was ready for him, sitting at his desk, looking weary after all the fighting that had gone on that day, and taking care of the aftermath of the battle and the mess left behind. When they’d arrived, the place didn’t look like a wolf fight had taken place there hours earlier.
“How did you know about Rafferty, Ian?” Cearnach asked him.
“Our mother,” Ian said, shaking his head, his arms folded over his chest. “I never would have guessed who was chasing after Elaine. Duncan left that part out when he called me. I assume you had all shifted to take care of the menace before you learned the truth.” He raised a brow, questioning their actions.
“I was driving. Duncan was doing all the calling.”
“Aye, and afraid that I’d be angered that Elaine was mated still to another wolf?”
Cearnach ignored the censure in his brother’s tone of voice. He knew that anything that went on with the pack, particularly something that important, had to be shared with their pack leader. “How did Mother know?”
“Our lady mother learned the truth from the solicitor.”
“Hell,” Cearnach paced. “If she knew…” He shook his head. “Before or after I was mated to Elaine?”
“You’ll have to question her. I didn’t think to ask, assuming that she had only known after the fact. At this point, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference. The good news is that I’m having Rafferty’s properties transferred to Elaine’s ownership. Seems appropriate since she was his mate and the closest family he had. It’s little compensation for all that Elaine lost, but it’s hers.”
Cearnach closed his mouth, thinking the same, but then nodded, glad that the properties would go to good use. He turned to leave his brother’s solar.
“If you’re thinking of questioning our mother now, think again. She and Calla—who arrived a couple of hours ago—and the rest of the ladies are discussing wedding plans in our mother’s sitting room. You know how she is when she’s involved in something like that. No one will interrupt her,” Ian cautioned.
Cearnach snorted and headed down the hall.
He heard women’s laughter in the sitting room, even Elaine’s, and he was glad to hear her enjoying herself after all that had happened. The women were having a lively discussion about the upcoming wedding, and Cearnach slowed his pace. He was still angry that his mother hadn’t told him the truth. If she’d known before he mated Elaine, she shouldn’t have encouraged the mating. He had to know.
He stalked into the room and saw Heather, Julia, Calla, Shelley, and Elaine seated cross-legged on the floor as they looked at catalogs of floral arrangements, his aunt and mother sitting on chairs, looking on. Elaine’s hair was damp, and she wore fresh jeans, a red sweater, and a pair of suede slipper boots, as if someone had dragged her to the sitting room pronto to discuss wedding plans.
Calla beamed at him. His mother must have called her in to coordinate the affair. Calla looked so pleased to be here that he paused, glad she was no longer upset over the situation with Baird McKinley and the almost marriage.
Still, he scowled at his mother. “A word with you, my lady mother,” he said, sounding like a snarling wolf.
His mother’s brows shot up. “I don’t think this is the time or place…”