“And a bit jealous that you’re going to be immune,” Betsy added.

That annoyed me. “Really? Really? How is it my fault that I’m not a shifter? That’s like being fucked off at the sun for rising.” Another thought occurred to me. “And if I was a shifter they were effectively bringing me into the danger zone by capturing me in the first place! If this disease is only here and in Somerset so far, then…”

“’So far’ being the operative words, Mackenzie,” said Corrigan from the door.

Damn it, he was as quiet as a ninja. Or a cat. Figures.

He moved into the room with silent feline grace. “The disease is spreading. There are already reports from Gloucester. Rogue shifters are of particular concern because they’re nomadic. If one happens to catch this disease and then decides to wander around the country then the results could be catastrophic.”

“So why in the hell don’t you just warn them? Put something out on the Othernet, and tell everyone.”

“”First of all, we’ll create a panic. Second of all, do you really think they’d believe us? The entire shifter world – and that includes the local packs – seem to think that we’re the boogiemen. Some of them,” he looked at me pointedly, “even seem to think that we’d go so far as to destroy entire localities because a single human knows of their existence.”

“Oh,” I muttered. “So you definitely aren’t going to…”

“No, you feckless harpy, I definitely won’t.”

“Why are you telling me this? You could have kept me stringing along so that I’d stay here without you forcing me.”

Corrigan looked momentarily at Tom and Betsy, who were both watching our exchange with slightly astonished expressions on their faces. “I rather thought that someone would have told you the truth already by now.”

“My Lord Alpha, I…,” Tom began nervously.

Corrigan held up a hand and he felt silent.

I cleared my throat. “Actually, Tom suggested it but wouldn’t go so far as to tell me everything. It appears that loyalty around here is in abundance,” I said pointedly, taking a dig at him for his previous remarks.

The Lord Alpha didn’t even glance in their direction, he just stared hard at me before continuing in a lighter tone. “Besides which, kitten, I don’t think anyone could really hold you against your will.”

He stepped over to me and hooked his hands under my armpits, pulling me up to my feet. I hoped that he didn’t come away with any old sweat of mine against his manicured hands. He turned me around and I felt him undoing the cuffs that bound my wrists together. His body was close to mine and his warm breath was scalding my neck. I felt the bloodfire rise in response. Fucking hell, what was wrong with me? I was not, most definitely was NOT, attracted to this overbearing lump of brooding masculinity. Praying that he couldn’t hear my heart thudding, I tried to keep my voice calm.

“You’re letting me go?”

Corrigan finished uncuffing me and turned me around to face him. He took a step backwards and stared at me unfathomably. “We have enough here to deal with without some non-human non-shifter trouble-maker hanging around. I’ve decided it’s better for everyone if we just let you leave.”

I tried to tell myself that I did not feel a little flicker of disappointment at that. “After all that trouble?” I taunted him gently. “What happened to ‘if the mages want you then I want you too?’”

The muscle in his cheek ticked again. “I believe that you are a lady of your word. Promise me that you won’t do anything to hurt any shifter and I will let you go.”

“I can’t promise that, Corrigan,” I protested. “What if a shifter comes after me? I have to be able to protect myself.”

He growled, annoyed. “I will make sure that you are left in peace.”

“You can’t assure me of that! You can’t expect everyone in the whole wide world to jump to your bidding.”

He raised his eyebrows, the green in his irises becoming more pronounced. “Actually, kitten, I’m the Lord Alpha. Yes, I can.”

“Yes, but…,” I began to splutter.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Do you promise not to intentionally hurt without provocation any shifter?”

“Uh, okay, I promise,” I said, still baffled by Corrigan’s abrupt volte-face. What had happened to change his mind?

He gestured towards the door with a flourish. “Then you are free to go.”

Without waiting for me to respond, he turned on his heel and walked out, motioning for both Tom and Betsy to follow him. On the way out, Betsy turned and shot me a look, “Kitten?” she hissed. “What on earth, Mack?”

I just shrugged at her, trying not to look as shocked as I felt. I rubbed my wrists where the cuffs had chafed and looked at the open door. Okay, then. I shrugged again and headed out after them.

Chapter Twenty Three

Walking back up the spiral staircase that I’d so unceremoniously been carried down, I still felt very puzzled and slightly hurt. I mean, it was good that Corrigan was letting me go, but it just didn’t make any sense.

Once I rounded the top of the stairs, I was faced with a large ornate chamber. A glass done covered in different shades and colours of stained Tiffany styled panes glimmered in the dying afternoon sun. There was a group of shifters to my right, clearly Brethren by their dark suits and vaguely superior countenances, but for all their airs they appeared to be incredibly worried about something. I wasn’t particularly surprised. Whatever this disease was that was ravaging the pack, it was clearly something not to be taken lightly.

No-one stopped me and, in fact, virtually no-one even bothered to glance my way. It was as if I’d somehow ceased to exist. I was sure I’d not imagined the buzz that had occurred as I’d been brought in, even if I’d been blindfolded. At yet now, no-one was interested. Why had Corrigan given up trying to find out what I was? Didn’t he care about the whole green fire shooting from fingertips bit? I was pretty sure that I wasn’t just in need of my ego being massaged and that there was something else up.

Spotting Staines striding across the room with the loping and limbering stride that gave away his alter-ego as a were-bear, I took a deep breath and walked up to him, grabbing onto his arm. He spun around and snarled at me.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“Staines, I know you don’t like me very much, but what the hell is going on?”

He yanked his arm away and glared. “Get lost, human. You’ve caused enough damage.”

“Staines, come on,” I insisted.

His yellow sheened eyes narrowed. “If you must know, the Lord Alpha has got it.”

“Got it?” I asked in confusion.

“Got the fucking disease. The one we can’t control or cure. The old woman just confirmed it not long ago. We’re going into shut down.”

My stomach dropped with a lurch. Corrigan? But he was too fit surely to be ill. “But he looked fine! Well, a bit tired and pale but I just saw him.”

“Well, he’d hardly tell you what was going on, would he? You’re not one of us.”

The spite and venom in Staines’ voice was staggering. I barely noticed though, still reeling as I was from the information about the Lord Alpha. I thought back to his appearance just now but all I could remember was how I’d felt being in such close proximity to him.

“What happens now?” I asked in a dull voice.

“Now?” Staines looked at me disbelievingly. “Now piss right off and don’t bother us again.”

I forced myself to refrain from reminding him that it hadn’t been me who’d been doing the bothering.

“I mean, what happens to Corrigan?”

He looked at me balefully. “If it’s anything like the others, then he’ll get gradually weaker and weaker. There are already indications that his temperature is rising. Shifting just makes it worse. This disease seems to affect the liver and the kidneys. His skin will start will turn red with hot flushes, he’ll get thirsty and then…” Staines shook himself and seemed to remember who he was talking to. “Now fuck off, girlie, we don’t need you here.”

He jerked his head towards one of shifters in the group to the right. He broke off and came over.

“Sir?”

“Escort Miss Smith off the premises. See to it that she doesn’t return.”

The shifter moved to take hold of my arm but I side-stepped away from him. “I can make my own way out, thank you very much.”

“Then make it,” snapped Staines, turning away.

The shifter next to me put his hands on his hips. I looked him in the eye, daring him to try to touch me again. He looked away. Hah. Pulling my shoulders back, and trying to ignore the sick feeling inside me at the news that Corrigan was ill, I walked out towards the entrance and into the street.

I’d forgotten how cold it was outside and shivered almost immediately. I turned and looked at the now closed door to the Brethren’s headquarters. I chewed on my lip for a moment and then made my decision.

Corrigan?

There wasn’t an immediate answer. A squat dirty looking truck barreled past me in the road, disappearing out of sight. I tired again.

Corrigan? Are you there?

For a moment I thought he wasn’t going to answer but then his Voice popped into my head, sounding tired.

What is it, Mackenzie?

Staines told me. That you’ve got it. I didn’t that I needed to elaborate on what ‘it’ was.

And? Are you going to gloat now?

Upset that he thought so little of me, I sat down heavily on one of the steps leading away from the building. Now wasn’t the time to fight back. I’m sorry, Corrigan. There must be something you can do. Julia knows a lot of stuff about a lot of herbs.

She hasn’t been able to do anything more so far than ease of the pain of those suffering.

Do you know where it came from?