Stirring Up Trouble: A Warlocks MacGregor Novella Read online

  “Cait!” he cried desperately. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not like this. Not again. This was not how love was supposed to be. He was supposed to get forever.

  He was powerless to save her. He didn’t have the right kind of magick. But Cait did. She was a healer.

  “Don’t leave me, my heart,” he begged. “Cait!”

  “What is it?” Cait appeared on the front step as Fergus pushed past, taking Donna inside. The barrier of warmth greeted them as they came out of the cold into the perfect temperature of the house. He placed her on the floor. Cait instantly came beside him and placed her hands over Donna’s wound.

  “What happened?” Margareta demanded.

  “We were supposed to have forever,” he whispered.

  Cait grabbed hold of Fergus’s arm with one hand and began draining his power in order to fuel her own. Margareta placed her hand over Cait’s, letting her take what she needed from her as well.

  “Fergus, look,” Margareta said.

  He lifted his eyes from Donna to find Elspeth’s spirit looking at him. His dead wife smiled, the same look he’d carried with him through the centuries.

  “Elspeth?” He said her name in disbelief.

  “Whatever lies ahead,” Elspeth answered softly. She came forward and placed her hand over Cait’s. Before Cait could stop it, Elspeth used the flow of power to drain her spirit into Donna.

  Donna gasped and opened her eyes. Cait drew her hand back to reveal a healed stomach.

  Fergus leaned over her, cupping her face. “Donna? Can ya hear me?”

  She took several deep breaths. “Of course I can hear you. You’re two inches away from my face.”

  He gave a small laugh of relief, happy she was alive. “Ya gave me a scare, lass. How are ya feeling?”

  “Like…” Donna frowned. “Like I want to bake you cookies.” She sighed heavily and mumbled, “Dammit, Elspeth. We don’t bake in this lifetime.”

  “She gave herself to save ya,” Fergus explained.

  “No.” Donna pushed up to a sitting position on the floor. “I remember everything. That part of my spirit has been trying to come back to me. Actually, all parts of my spirit have been trying to come back to me.”

  “That’s why she was so comfortable with seeing magick,” Cait said to Margareta as if the two of them had been discussing it and the mystery was now solved.

  “All parts?” Fergus stroked Donna’s hair away from her cheek. He felt his love in her. Elspeth, Donna, whatever she was called, he felt his soul being reflected back to him. This was his wife. Forever.

  Donna smiled at Cait. “Thank you for healing me. I see your powers have gotten much stronger.”

  “I’m just glad I was nearby this time,” Cait answered.

  “Elspeth?” Margareta reached to hug her. “I’m so happy to see ya. I have waited a long time to thank ya for saving my daughter.”

  “Donna,” Donna corrected, returning the hug of her old friend. “Elspeth was a past life, but you’re welcome. Part of me can’t believe how grown Malina is. I’m so glad she’s all right. The other part of me can’t believe I was ever in a fight with a witch hunter.”

  “We never told Malina ya died saving her,” Margareta said. “Perhaps we should have, but after Fergus finally delivered her to England, we didn’t see her for a very long time. When she came back to us, she said she felt like an outsider, no matter how much we told her we loved her. She knew how much we all missed Elspeth, and that ya died in the witch trials. It never seemed right to let her carry that blame. But she knows all about ya.”

  “Of course.” Donna nodded. “You shouldn’t put that kind of guilt on a kid. What happened was not Malina’s fault.”

  “Donna, I don’t understand. Ya said parts?” Fergus pulled her away from Margareta so that he could hold her. “What did ya mean when ya said all parts of your spirit came back?”

  “You, my dear, have not gotten better with your spells,” Donna whispered, cupping his face in her hands. “And my abilities in the kitchen were a victim of their side effects. At least that’s the excuse I’m going to tell the rest of your family.”

  “I tried. I’m so sorry. I tried everything to bring ya back sooner.” Fergus was afraid to let go, to stop looking at her face. He wanted to hold her, make love to her, and stare at her so she couldn’t disappear from his life again.

  “Oh, I can remember that too. You brought me back plenty of times, husband. You brought me back as a fly and then squished me. You brought me back as a sheepdog and then named me Martin! You made me sleep on the floor.”

  “Oh, Fergus,” Margareta scolded. “Ya didn’t.”

  “Martin?” Cait laughed. “Ya cursed that dog for a century for chewing your favorite boots.”

  “Hey, that’s right,” Fergus said. “Ya ate my boots.”

  “They were ugly,” Donna stated. “It was the only way to get you to stop wearing them.”

  “Well, ya say I squished ya? Let’s just call it even. I forgive ya for the boots.” He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Four hundred years had culminated into this perfect moment. He may never stop smiling again.

  “Even? Oh, hardly, I’m just getting started. We have four hundred years of reincarnations to discuss, Mr. MacGregor. There’s the cow and the—”

  Fergus kissed her to quiet her. Then he pulled her to her feet as he stood, not letting go. He lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. “It looks as if I did all right this last time.”

  “Hey, Margareta, do these tree ornaments look off to ya?” Cait asked behind them.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Margareta answered.

  Fergus walked faster, wanting to get Donna alone. Making love to her once had not been enough.

  “You think you did all right? My past life tried to kill me in this life, twice, in an effort to make me remember her.” Donna tapped her finger against the tip of his nose before lightly pinching the tip and wiggling it.

  “Twice?” He continued up the stairs and onto the landing.

  “The first time was when I was a kid. She hit me with a stick. I think she was trying to knock some sense into me, or something. I don’t know. It seems a bunch of little accidents and oddities in my life can be attributed to Elspeth trying to communicate.”

  “Ya can’t blame me for that. Technically ya hit yourself.” He tried to kiss her, but she pulled back.

  “Fine. Past-me hit present-me with a stick. I’m Elspeth, but not Elspeth. However, I guess we’re kind of even on this point since she did try to kill you too.”

  “Oh?” He paused in his pursuit of her mouth.

  “The enchanted cookie baking.” Donna laughed. “I can guarantee the happy homemaker neighbor deliveries were not this lifetime’s idea.” Suddenly, her laughter stopped. “That’s not going to happen anymore, is it? I mean, I’ll be arrested for poisoning someone if I keep that up.”

  “Well, I do need ya to make me at least one more batch.” Fergus lifted his hand, throwing open the bedroom door without touching it.

  She arched a brow. He had to be joking.

  “I’ve already called a MacGregor challenge as soon as Euann is back from New York. He, Rory, and Malina will have to eat an entire pan of whatever ya bake as punishment for their joke gone wrong. They should have never given ya that gift basket. It was meant in jest for me to find, but I didn’t find it, and they do not know ya well enough to pull such pranks.”

  “Actually, it is kind of funny,” Donna admitted. “I was so flustered by you and thought I was losing my sanity because of all the baking enchantment type episodes, that I yelled at you when I should have just laughed and accepted the joke for what it was. I’m sorry I yelled at you. You’re not a jerk. I should have apologized to you before now about that.”

  “I’ll let ya make it up to me now.” Fergus grinned wickedly. He made their clothes melt from their bodies as he carried her to the bed. All the guilt was gone. The years no longer mat
tered. He had his heart back. Donna. His wife.

  He laid her on the bed and then motioned his hand, slamming the door shut to give them privacy. His lips pressed to hers, kissing her deeply. He let her feel all the love he had for her. Everything he was belonged to her. It always had.

  Pulling back, he grinned. “Ya know, I remember being rather fond of a mule.”

  “We are never to mention my being a mule again.” Donna’s tone was stern.

  “Oh, but love, ya were such a fine ass. I did enjoy riding ya.” He reached around to grab a firm butt cheek.

  “Shut up and make love to me already.” Donna pushed him onto his back and took control. Soon their bodies were joining in a fevered rhythm as if trying to make up for lost time. As they met with a shaky climax, she whispered, “Gráim thú.”

  “Aye, Donna, I love ya too.”

  Epilogue

  Green Vallis Annual Winter Skate

  Over a thousand sparkling holiday lights arched over the stretch of frozen creek to welcome the townsfolk as they skated through MacGregor land. Donna had been wrong. Her new-old family didn’t think they were better than the townsfolk. They simply needed to protect their magick from prying eyes. After remembering her own experience at the hands of the witch hunters, she could appreciate their need to keep mortals unaware.

  Donna lifted her new camera as another couple skated across the end of the course. Unfortunately, when she’d had her little entranced episode in the forest, her instinct had been to hide the camera like it was Malina. The camera did not survive the puddle she’d mindlessly shoved it in.

  The skating couple smiled at her and waved up to where she stood on a platform. Considering how rich her family was, she didn’t need to worry about money. And yet she felt some thrill in knowing this year she’d be selling a lot of skate pictures, thanks to the lovely set up.

  The creek decorations had been carefully planned by Cait. They were a perfect progression of colors from white to blue to green to red and then white again. At the end hung giant lighted snowflakes.

  Fergus wrapped his arms around her from behind. The unmistakable press of his interest molded against her hip as he leaned into her. “I think ya took enough. Let’s go sneak away to bed.”

  “After everyone is done skating,” Donna answered, taking another shot.

  “We can’t after,” Fergus grumbled. He kissed her neck, sending tiny shivers of desire over her. She knew instantly he was trying to use his magick to heighten her physical desire for him. It was working. The sensation shot straight down to settle between her legs.

  “And why is that?” she whispered, turning in his embrace.

  “MacGregor challenge.” He grinned like a mischievous child. “We’re going to skate the course naked.”

  “You know, I should probably worry about how much you all seem to enjoy being naked.” Donna let her hand skim down to cup his ass. “It’s a good thing you look so wonderful doing it.”

  “Hey, did you get us?” an irritated woman shouted.

  Donna blinked, letting go of Fergus’s ass as she turned back to the creek. Grumpy Mrs. Callister stood on the ice with her thirty-something daughter, Grace.

  Automatically, she lifted her camera.

  “Aye,” Fergus answered before Donna could take the picture. “And it was a lovely vision, lassie.”

  Mrs. Callister simpered and smiled at the compliment. The two ladies skated off before Donna could take the shot.

  “You’re lucky I lost the Elspeth jealous streak,” Donna said.

  “I’m lucky because I found ya twice.” Fergus lifted her hand and slid a gold band onto her finger. “I know we technically did this already a lifetime ago, but what do ya say? Marry me again, my heart, in this lifetime?”

  “Yes, Gus.” Donna sniffed back happy tears. “I’ll marry you in this life, and the next, and the next and the…wait. Can I take that back? You’d better not be giving me any other lifetimes. I like this one. If anything happens to me, with your spell casting, you’ll end up keeping your promise by getting married to a donkey.”

  “Quiet your tongue.” He kissed her to silence her teasing. Skating townsfolk began to cheer loudly below them. Donna laughed against his mouth but had no intention of stopping what they were doing. Ever.

  The End

  Warlocks MacGregor Series

  Love Potions

  Spellbound

  Stirring Up Trouble

  Join the mailing list at:

  http://michellepillow.com/newslettersignup/

  More Coming Soon

  www.MichellePillow.com

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

  Michelle M. Pillow, Author of All Things Romance™, is a multi-published, award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres including futuristic, paranormal, historical, contemporary, fantasy and dark paranormal. Ever since she can remember, Michelle has had a strange fascination with anything supernatural and sci-fi. After discovering historical romance novels, it was only natural that the supernatural and love/romance elements should someday meet in her wonderland of a brain. She’s glad they did for their children have been pouring onto the computer screen ever since.

  Michelle loves to travel and try new things, whether it’s a paranormal investigation of an old Vaudeville Theatre or climbing Mayan temples in Belize. She’s addicted to movies and used to drive her mother crazy while quoting random scenes with her brother. Though it has yet to happen, her dream is to be in a horror movie as 1. A zombie or 2. The expendable screaming chick who gets it in the beginning credits. But for the most part she can be found writing in her office with a cup of coffee in pajama pants.

  Michelle Online

  She loves to hear from readers. They can contact her through her website.

  Website: www.michellepillow.com

  Newsletter: http://michellepillow.com/newslettersignup/

  Pillow Talk Blog: http://www.michellepillow.com/blog

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMichellePillow

  Twitter: @MichellePillow

  Michelle’s Bestselling Series

  Shape-shifter Romances

  Dragon Lords Series

  Barbarian Prince

  Perfect Prince

  Dark Prince

  Warrior Prince

  His Highness The Duke

  The Stubborn Lord

  The Reluctant Lord

  The Impatient Lord

  The Dragon’s Queen

  Lords of the Var Series

  The Savage King

  The Playful Prince

  The Bound Prince

  The Rogue Prince

  The Pirate Prince

  Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Series

  Determined Prince

  Rebellious Prince

  Stranded with the Cajun

  Hunted by the Dragon

  Mischievous Prince

  Headstrong Prince

  Space Lords Series

  His Frost Maiden

  His Fire Maiden

  His Metal Maiden

  His Earth Maiden

  His Wood Maiden

  More to Come!

  To learn more about the Dragon Lords World series of books and to stay up to date on the latest book list visit www.MichellePillow.com

  Complimentary Material

  Check it out before you buy!

  Rebellious Prince

  Captured by a Dragon-Shifter

  A Modern Day Dragon Lords World Story

  Cat-shifter Prince Rafe knows that technically he’s supposed to be going to Earth to find a bride, but he doesn’t see the need to rush things. While his dragon-shifter neighbors appear all too eager to claim their mates and settle down, he’s all for putting that final moment off and enjoying his little trips through the portal. Yeah, yeah, eventually he’ll have to marry and set a good example for his people because on his planet females are rare and they need to have children and blah blah blah. But h
onestly, cat-shifters are known to embrace their feral side and it would take a very impressive female to tame his.

  Then he sees Jenna Kearney and all bets are off.

  To find out more about Michelle’s books visit www.MichellePillow.com

  Please Leave a Review

  Thank you for reading!

  Please take a moment to share your thoughts by reviewing this book.

  Be sure to check out Michelle’s other titles at

  www.MichellePillow.com