Page 42 of Witch's Moon
Raven stepped forward, clasped Regan’s shoulders, and kissed her on each cheek, and she went still in shock.
Stepping back, Raven searched her face. “I know you think I blame you for what happened, but I don’t. You did what you needed to, what you saw had to be done. And it worked out in the end.”
Regan nodded, and then glanced around to see her sisters smiling at her, looks of intense satisfaction on their faces. “What?” she asked.
“I told you,” Catrin said. “We’re just pleased to see you and Caleb together and all right.”
“We’re not together, and things are definitely not all right. A megalomaniac werewolf is about to take over the world with the help of God knows what, and you’re all standing around grinning.”
They grinned harder.
Regan rolled her eyes. “Let’s get on with this.”
She stared around her with interest as she followed them through the building. Beside her, she could sense Caleb doing the same. She could also sense the anxiety washing out from him in waves. She could understand that—they were deep underground, and her wolf didn’t like it. She felt trapped, and she knew Caleb’s wolf would be experiencing the same sensation of claustrophobia. She slipped her hand into her pocket to prevent herself from reaching out to grip his. God knows what her sisters would make of that.
They stopped in front of a steel door. Gina pressed her palm to the panel beside it, and the door slid open. They all followed Gina into a large room, empty of furniture except for a round table surrounded by upright chairs. At the far end, Darius and Kael sat close together, deep in conversation. They glanced up as the others entered.
Regan met Kael’s gaze, and his eyes were cold. She held his stare and refused to back down.
Catrin came to stand beside her. “I need to say something before we begin.” There was a tremor in her voice, and Regan turned to look at her.
“What is it?” she asked.
Catrin bit her lip. “I know there’s bad feeling between you and Kael, and we need to clear it up.”
Regan knew where Catrin was going with this. “No we don’t,” she said quietly. “Things are fine the way they are.”
“No, they’re not,” Catrin replied. “It didn’t matter before, when we had nothing to do with the Council, but it matters now. All this time, Kael has blamed you for keeping him from his people, when it was my fault.”
“What?” Kael asked.
“Shortly before you came to us,” Catrin said, “I’d had a vision, I saw your people die. There was no way out, no way to stop it. Then you turned up, and I thought I could at least save you.” She swallowed. “But I couldn’t do it myself—I’m a terrible liar—so I asked Regan. Regan was always the strongest of us. She kept you there, seduced you—”
“I did not seduce him,” Regan snapped.
“Maybe not with your body, but you seduced him with promises of power that would help him save his people, while all the time they were being slaughtered.” She turned back to Kael. “I know you’ve always blamed Regan, but you couldn’t have saved them.”
Raven moved forward. She put a hand on Catrin’s arm. “I’m glad, and so is Kael.”
Kael nodded slowly. “She’s right. I was bitter for a long time, but I understand better now. Through Raven, I’ve seen the nature of the visions. I know I could have done nothing, except perhaps die with my people. And I’m glad I’m not dead.” He smiled, and Regan saw the first warmth in those summer sky-blue eyes. “Now perhaps we can get down to business.”
Kael’s gaze looked beyond her and settled on Caleb. His eyes widened. “Is this the werewolf?”
“Half-werewolf,” Caleb snarled.
Regan nodded, and Kael walked around her. She turned to watch as he came to a halt in front of Caleb. A wave of pride washed over her as Caleb stood his ground. For long seconds, the two stared into each other’s eyes. Something passed between them, then Kael swung away, his fists balled at his side. Everyone was silent as he took control of his emotions. When he turned back, his face was expressionless.
“Your father is Ethan Stone, the werewolf?”
Caleb nodded.
“And who was your mother?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is she alive?”
Caleb shook his head. “No, she died shortly after I was born.”
