ROMANCE: BIKER ROMANCE: Werewolf Rider (MC Shifter Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Paranormal Romance Short Stories) (153 page)

              As they passed through the keep, she could feel the castle’s shadow looming over her in farewell. Just as they were passing through the gates Shona looked up and caught Clary’s eyes fastened on her. She gave her a small smile of farewell.

“Be safe,” Clary mouthed.

Shona nodded as she passed through the castle’s gates, leaving it behind forever.

Chapter Five

              They made excellent progress. By twilight, the party had travelled well into the forests and they were only a day away from reaching Elsick castle. Shona did not wish to disengage herself from the group until they had cleared the forests. She was impatient to be away from them but common sense told her that to separate now would put her at risk. The forests were quiet but they were dangerous. Wild animals prowled the land, especially at night and Shona did not wish to be alone if she happened upon one of them.

              The forest was alive with the soft ever-changing glow of the sun’s last rays before it disappeared for the day. Shona was starting to believe that she could escape without anyone ever noticing her. The horses were a great means of camouflage.

“That’ll do for today,” Earnan called out gruffly as he held up his hand, halting the group. “We’ll make camp ‘ere and head out early on the morrow.”

              The men grouped together while the horses surrounded them. In the chaos of setting up camp, Shona managed to avoid notice. She helped where she could and made sure the horses were properly fed and watered. The men were exhausted and that meant Shona was safe. They were just about to sit down to an early supper when a noise in the distance caught their attention. Earnan Baird sat up; his face wore an expression of intense concentration. He was almost completely bald, making his translucent eyes that much more prominent.

“Shut it the lot o’ ye,” he barked and everyone fell silent. “There’s something in the woods this night.”

“Tis just a wild animal,” a younger man said with casual indifference.

“I thought I told ye to shut it,” Earnan shot back. “Shut your mouth and open your ears. Those aren’t paws you hear, those are hoofs.”

              A sudden panic caught a hold of Shona. Her eyes strained into the distance trying to catch some movement but she could see little in the fast fading light. Earnan rose slowly. He was slightly hunched, but he still looked deadly. He reached for his bow as his eyes darted around the forest.

              “There,” Earnan said suddenly, pointing East, a few metres away from where the group had set up camp. Shona stifled a gasp as she recognized the stag that had crossed her path only days before. “Hurry up,” Earnan shouted. “We might be able to catch that stag once and for all.”

              Earnan mounted the nearest horse in one quick move and raced after the stag. His men mimicked him and Shona was forced to do the same. She knew she should have stayed back and bided her time, but she could not bear to think of that stag cold and lifeless. It was not the type of animal that should fall prey to a hunter’s arrow. It was the kind of animal that deserved to live wild and roam free.

“It’s him, the beast,” Earnan roared from the front of the pack. “And we are going to be the ones who catch him.”

              Shona spurred her horse faster. The further in they moved, the thicker the growth of trees became. Darkness came creeping in and at some point during the chase Earnan slowed, until the small party were bunched together. Shona hoped that the stag had lost them, but she could smell it close by. It was hiding.

“I think we lost it,” one of the men said cautiously.

“No,” Earnan said confidently. “It’s here. This animal is a smart one, but I’m smarter.”

              Shona caught sight of the stag at the same time that Earnan did. His body stiffened immediately as his face broke out into a wide grin. “It’s trapped,” Earnan said triumphantly. “Ran itself right into a dead end. We’re got it now.”

              Slowly, he reached back towards his quiver and pulled out a long arrow. He aimed for the stag; Shona could see the rise and fall of his chest. She acted without thinking. Instinct was all it was, she screamed as she rode her horse directly into Earnan’s. Startled, his horse bucked, sending him and his bow and arrow flying onto the forest’s musky ground. The riders that surrounded him scattered in obvious shock and confusion, allowing the stag the opportunity to race right through them and out of sight into the darkness.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Earnan all but bellowed.

              He stood fast, his eyes darting around frantically for the person who had toppled him. His translucent eyes fell on Shona and she felt a shiver of fear race through her. Earnan came forward and before she could stop him, he had pulled her off her horse. His hand was painful around her wrist as he pulled her towards him.

“You look familiar,” he said angrily as his eyes studied her face.

              Shona tried to turn her face away, but Earnan grabbed her jaw and pulled it up to face him. He frowned at her before then realization dawned. He pushed her back, releasing his hold on her wrist. Then he grabbed the coat that was wrapped around her shoulders and pulled it off her.

“Well, well,” he said with a growing smirk. “We have a runaway lass on our hands.”

Shona tried to back away but she found herself surrounded. “You stay away from me,” she said threateningly.

“You’re a plucky lass if ever I saw one,” Earnan said with a leer. “Let’s see how brave you really are.”

              He came forward and tried to grab at her but Shona put her hands on his chest and shoved as hard as she could. He stumbled back but he didn’t loose his footing. “Grab her,” Earnan barked to the men that surrounded the both of them. They descended around her. Knowing she was surrounded and out numbered, Shona reached for the dagger she had hidden earlier that day.

              Earnan came forward again and this time, Shona let him get a hold of her. He had just relaxed when she swiped at him with the dagger. He jumped back but Shona knew she had managed to cut through his shirt. She might even have managed to give him a flesh wound. Either way, she didn’t hesitate to find out. Taking advantage of his shock, she pushed him back and jumped over him as she ran into the dark forests. Almost immediately she heard en enraged scream and the sound of running footsteps just behind her. Thankful for her britches, Shona ran faster than she had ever run before.

“Split up and find her,” Shona heard Earnan scream.

              Shona knew that at least one man was on the right track. He was directly behind her and gaining quickly. The moon gave her some measure of light, but her eyes were already tired from the long day and straining as hard as they were able. She screamed as her foot caught on a large stone that she had not seen, sending her flying, face first onto hard, dry earth.

              Shona moaned as she realized that her left ankle was twisted. She forced herself into a standing position but she realized immediately that she wouldn’t be able to run. Still, Shona limped forward, trying to put as much distance between her and the party. Her breath caught as she heard thick footsteps just behind her. She turned in time to see one of the men step between the trees. He was one of the younger ones, with a short dark ponytail and buckteeth.

“Got ye,” he said giving her a smile. “Lucky me.”

“Stay away from me,” Shona hissed as she backed away slowly.

He laughed darkly. “Earnan is waiting to get his hands on you,” he said. “But since I was the one who found you, I think my hands should be first.”

              Shona still had her dagger on her. She was about to reach for it when the sound of hoofs made her jump back. From the roving darkness came the large form of an animal. Shona could see the sharp points of the stag’s antlers as it bent its head and charged straight for the man advancing on her. Shona watched in shock and amazement as the stag sent him running back the way he had come, screaming at the top of his lungs. Before she could process what had just happened, the stag re-appeared. 

“Thank you,” Shona said under her breath automatically.

The stag bowed its head in answer and came slowly towards her.

“This is so… strange,” Shona muttered, as she looked the stag in the eye.

              The stag turned and walked back into the thicket of trees and instinctively, Shona followed it. They walked for a short while before the stag led her to a little grove that was shielded by trees on one side and rock on the other. The rocks were arranged in an imitation of a cave. There was a small hollow in its centre, but it wasn’t very deep. There was only room for one person to take cover against the elements.

              The stag stopped right outside it and looked at Shona pointedly. By this point, Shona’s leg was throbbing with pain. Her body ached with fatigue and her palms were slightly bruised from when she had tripped over and fallen. Shona did not have the energy to think about it. She lay down inside the tiny cave, realizing that moss had been used to create a soft bed. She lay her head down and within minutes, she was fast asleep. The last thing she was aware of before she lost herself to her dreams was the stag standing over her like a sentry.

Chapter Six

              Shona woke up the next morning with her thoughts in a scrambled mess. For a moment she thought she was still at Northwick castle and then in slow fragments, the previous night started coming to her.

              She sat up fast, taking in the grass and moss that she was surrounded by. Her body still ached but it was significantly better than the night before. The bruises on her hands smarted but she could easily ignore the pain. She crawled out of the cave and stood carefully before she realized that her twisted ankle had been bandaged expertly so that there was barely any pain attached to it.

“Where am I?” Shona asked out loud.

“Quite close to the Elsick mounth actually,” a deep voice replied, startling Shona.

              She looked to her side and saw a tall man in a blue kilt and white shirt, standing there leaning against a tree. He had broad shoulders but he was lean, almost panther like. His face was long, drawn in at the cheeks, highlighting the prominence of his cheekbones. His eyes were a deep, summery brown that was the exact same colour as his wild, sightly overgrown hair that hugged the lines of his neck. He straightened himself and walked towards her. His movements were graceful and strangely familiar.

              It hit Shona all at once and her eyes roved over his face trying to make sense of what her head was telling her. “It can’t be,” she whispered.

He smiled. “It’s nice to finally speak to you.”

“This can’t be,” Shona repeated again.

“My name is Kian,” he said gently.

“Were you… is it possible that you…. were the stag from last night?”

“Aye,” he replied. “’Twas me.”

Shona took a deep breath and stepped back. “How is that even possible?”

“You’re a Scottish lass,” he replied. “Don’t you believe in magic?”

Shona shook her head. “Those are only myths.”

“Every myth contains a wee bit of truth,” he said, his eyes twinkled when he spoke.

“You… turn into a stag?” Shona said, trying to wrap her head around the remarkable reality.

“Aye,” Kian nodded. “Every night as the sun sets.”

“This is unbelievable.”

Kian smiled. “Ye get used to it lass.”

“It’s Shona.”

“Well let’s get some food in your belly Shona,” Kian said. “Or you’ll keel over.”

              He turned and started walking, forcing Shona to follow him. After a short time, they came to a large river. Despite its size, the water coursing through flowed at an even pace, it was peaceful and extremely clear. As they approached, Shona spied fish swimming downstream. Shona noticed the remains of a used campfire next to the river. There was a spit hanging over the dead fire.

              She watched in amazement as Kian waded into the river. His hand flashed into the water at lightening speed and when he withdrew it, a plump silver fish was struggling in his palm. He walked back out and speared the fish with the spit before laying it over the dried logs and tree bark. He grabbed two sharp stones and struck them together, igniting a spark of fire almost immediately. Shona lowered herself down as Kian joined her.

              She examined the fish on the fire, but every few seconds she stole glances in Kian’s direction. He was a handsome lad, well built and strong. He instantly intrigued her but she was also intensely aware of the strange intimacy that sat between them. Her own emotions confused her. She had just met this man, and yet, sitting opposite him in the cold morning air, opposite a gently burning fire, she felt as though she had known him for years.

“Did I thank you?” Shona asked.

“You did,” Kian smiled. “But I haven’t yet thanked you. You saved my life. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been mounted on a wall.”

Shona nodded in acknowledgement.

“Can I ask you a question?” Kian asked.

“Aye.”

“Why did you do it? You obviously needed to keep your identity hidden. Saving me cost you your cover.”