Blood Wolf (Vintage Collection)

A future without Wade.

“Just look at that moon, Suze,” Isabella said. “There’s incredible lunar energy here. I can’t wait to get to the castle. I want to do my Esbat before midnight.”

“Bell, midnight has no meaning here. I mean, we’re still on Mountain Standard Time. Midnight won’t hit us for about eight hours yet.” Suzanne sniffed away her sobs. “What is midnight, anyway? When you think about it, it’s always midnight somewhere, isn’t it? And what if you go into a different time zone? Does that change your Esbat thingie?”

“You are such a freaking lawyer, Suzanne,” Isabella said. “Do you always have to be so analytical?”

A small giggle escaped Suzanne’s constricted throat.

“Ha! I made you laugh.” Isabella punched Suzanne’s arm. “I’ll tolerate your pontificating if the end result is your laughter.”

Suzanne smiled at her pretty cousin. “We must be nearly there, Bell. How much farther, do you think?”

“Not too much. I need to make a left turn up ahead. In fact, that’s probably the castle over there.” She pointed.

Suzanne squinted. Even in the light of the full moon, the gray granite of the castle was difficult to make out. It looked old and dreary. A bit of light glowed out from the stone, but nothing more indicated that anyone lived there.

“Don’t we have to drive through Padraig?”

Isabella shook her head. “My grandmother left explicit instructions with her attorneys. We’re to take these small roads to the castle. In fact, she was adamant that we not drive through Padraig.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask me. It’s probably one of those funky little towns where you can’t get there from here, you know what I mean? The roads probably take you thirty miles out of your way.”

“It can’t be any farther out of our way than these tiny roads are.” Suzanne glanced at her watch. Ten thirty. “I feel like we’ve been driving forever.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Isabella agreed, making the final turn. “But there’s the castle, straight ahead.”

“Finally.” Suzanne yawned. “I’m so exhausted. I feel like I’ve been awake for twenty-four hours.”

“You have been.”

“Yeah, I know. You can’t still be thinking about doing your ritual tonight, can you? Don’t you want to just fall into bed?”

“No way. By tomorrow, the moon will be waning, and I may never experience lunar energy of this magnitude again in my lifetime,” Isabella said. “I will be out there under it, skyclad. In fact, I was hoping you would do me the tiniest favor?”

Suzanne groaned. “No, Bell. No way.”

“Please, Suze? I really need your feminine energy if I’m going to draw down the moon tonight.”

“I’m exhausted!”

“I know, but please? You’re the only woman around. I’ll never ask you for another thin. I swear it.”

“Oh, you will too. We both know it, so quit making that promise.”

Isabella giggled. “You know me so well. Come on. I know you don’t believe the way I do, but trust me, I need your presence tonight. It’s nice and warm out. And the moon is amazing. You might even enjoy it.”

Right. “Do I have to be naked?”

“Well, it helps the energy, yeah.”

“Christ.”

As Isabella pulled the VW into the long gravel driveway of the castle, Suzanne made a mental note to have her cousin replace it with concrete or asphalt. This was the twenty-first century after all. They could at least have modern conveniences. She sighed as she imagined the type of plumbing they might encounter.

“Who lives here again?” Suzanne asked as they grabbed their suitcases out of the small trunk.

“Just the caretaker, Dougal something, and his son. The attorneys said they’ve been here for years, taking care of the place for my grandmother.”

“Was there any money in her bequest? Surely she can’t expect you to take care of such an old place without any capital.”

“A little. About fifty thousand pounds.”

“Not a lot, but all in all, not a bad nest egg.”

“No, but…oh, look.”

An older man opened the front door, holding a candle.

“Miss Knight?”

“Yes,” Isabella said. “I’m Isabella Knight, and this is my cousin, Suzanne Wood.”

The man came toward them and took the suitcase from Isabella’s hand. He gave his candle to Isabella and reached for Suzanne’s suitcase. “I’m Dougal MacGowan, the caretaker. I’ll take these for you.”

“Thank you,” Isabella said.

“Your grandmother often spoke of you. Damian and I were so sorry when she passed on. She was like a light around here.”

“Spoke of me?”

“Aye.”

“But we never met.”

“I know. But you were her only kin. She had some photos of you when you were a bairn. Your mother must have sent them before she passed on. She used to talk of meeting you. Damian and I never grew tired of her stories.”

“Damian?”

“My son. Come in,” he said. “I’ve fixed up your grandmother’s room for you. And you,” he said to Suzanne, “can use Damian’s room. It’s the nicest next to Merlina’s. He’s out tonight, so he won’t mind.”