CORRIGAN FIRE By Helen Harper Copyright © 2014 Helen Harper All rights reserved. Table of Contents Copyright Page Corrigan Fire (Corrigan: Blood Destiny, #1) Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter One: Of Blood and Bonds About the author TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One FOR KATRINA, SUZY, AUDRA, JULIE AND JENNY WHO WERE FANS RIGHT FROM THE START Chapter One The supplicant limped up, battle scars glaringly obvious. It must have been a hell of a fight for the werewolf to have sustained such long-lasting damage. Despite her obvious bravery at seeing off not one but two harpies, the Lord Alpha looked unimpressed. She obviously sensed this and kept her shoulders low and head bowed. Frankly, if she’d been in shifter form, her tail would have been firmly between her legs. Even with all the mingling scents in the room, the reek of her fear was overpowering. He gazed down at her, looking for all the world like he was bored by her presence. ‘State your name.’ ‘Camilia Waite.’ Her voice was tiny and there was a distinct waver to it. I growled under my breath. The Lord Alpha responded to brash confidence. Act like a terrified mouse and he’d treat you like prey. ‘Of?’ ‘The West Yorkshire pack.’ ‘What?’ ‘The West Yorkshire pack,’ she repeated nervously. His face grew stonier. ‘What?’ She swallowed. ‘The West Yorkshire pack, my Lord Alpha.’ He leaned back, seemingly satisfied. Registering my growing rage, Staines put a hand on my arm. I shrugged him off. ‘So Camilia, tell me what happened that caused you to break Directive 19.’ She tilted up her chin and looked him straight in the eye. Good girl. ‘It was late at night. I was walking along the riverside when I heard a screech. At first I thought it was just an owl but when I heard it again, I realised it was actually a harpy.’ ‘And you went to investigate.’ ‘Yes, my Lord. There were two of them. They were attacking a man, using their claws to scratch him. It was obvious they were after blood.’ The Lord Alpha raised his eyebrows. ‘How so?’ She seemed nonplussed, blinking rapidly. ‘He fell to the ground. They wouldn’t quit. He had his hands up to try and protect himself but they kept on swooping down towards him. Every time he tried to call out or defend himself, they took a chunk out of him. They were going to kill him.’ He stared at her, unblinking. ‘My Lord,’ she hastily added. ‘They were going to kill him, my Lord.’ ‘So you got involved.’ His voice was deceptively silky. I could hear the underlying current in his tone, however. He was planning something. ‘You took on two harpies and in the process allowed a CCTV camera to capture you.’ Camilia looked alarmed. ‘I didn’t shift! I knew there were cameras there. Besides, the harpies...’ ‘I don’t give a shit what the harpies were doing. I’m concerned with what you were doing. Is it normal for a human woman to rescue a man from an attack? From an attack, in fact, by two giant, bird- like creatures? What is it that you weigh exactly?’ ‘Er,’ she shifted her weight, ‘about nine stone?’ ‘Are you asking me or telling me?’ Her voice dulled. Camilia, much like everyone else in the room, was starting to get an idea about where this conversation was heading. ‘I’m nine stone.’ ‘What is Way Directive 19?’ ‘No shifter is to draw undue attention to their human form by displaying unhuman-like qualities.’ The Lord Alpha smiled. It wasn’t pleasant. ‘Just so.’ He looked up at the assembly, his eyes flitting over everyone. For a moment his gaze halted at me, then continued to slide over the rest. ‘The law in this matter is clear. Camilia Waite is sentenced to three months’ detention and twenty lashes.’ The crowd sucked in a collective breath. I balled up my fists. You appear unhappy, Corrigan. Is there a problem? He didn’t even have the stones to confront me publicly. He was using the Voice to show his displeasure at my open disgust at his actions. Only pack alphas and the Lord Alpha himself could initiate telepathic, mind-to-mind contact. Once the conversation had begun, however, any contacted shifter could answer. It made it easier to keep control of us when we were in animal form. Or to keep veiled threats private. I kept my expression blank. I think perhaps you are being too harsh, Lord Alpha. The only sign he heard me was his dark eyes narrowing. Then he swept from the room, leaving the poor werewolf to her fate. ‘You’re treading in dangerous waters, Corrigan,’ Staines said matter-of-factly. ‘He’s within the law.’ I snorted. ‘Perhaps. He does have a rather unimaginative take on it, however. The human would have died if she hadn’t intervened.’ ‘We have to be careful about exposure...’ ‘That’s what the goddamn mages are for,’ I answered shortly. ‘The harpies’ attack had already created that exposure. What our Lord Alpha is doing to her is unnecessary.’ ‘Examples need to be made.’ I turned to him. ‘Do they?’ He didn’t answer. Slowly, I released the tension in my hands, flexing my fingers one by one. I adhered to the pack hierarchy. In fact, I believed in it wholeheartedly. Shifters need to be kept in line; too many of them are hot-headed and impulsive. I was not being derogatory to my own kind; it's merely a matter of nature. But Xander Brady, Lord Alpha of the Brethren, went too far too often – and abuses of power were becoming commonplace. Entirely impotent, I watched in frustration as Camilia was dragged out of the hall, her feet scuffing on the floor. She didn't say a word but the taut white lines around her mouth made her feelings clear. All she'd done was play the part of Good Samaritan and now she was going to reap starkly painful punishment in return. Perhaps it was finally time for a change. The Brethren was packed to the gunnels with a whole host of powerful shifters who would make better leaders than Brady. They just needed the opportunity to step up. ‘Corrigan, your eyes are glowing. You’re not going to do anything rash, are you?’ I forced my mouth to form the semblance of a smile, although there was little humour in it. ‘Oh, believe me, this won’t be rash. I’ve thought it through very, very carefully.’ *** I waited until the keep was quiet. Most of the other shifters were either eating or napping until it was dark enough to venture outside and get some freedom to shift properly. I had the sneaking suspicion, however, that our esteemed Lord Alpha had other plans in mind. When he passed by the door to the library, walking with what seemed to be strident purpose, I was fairly certain it was time. I carefully put down the book I’d been reading and stood up, stretching. Then I followed. When he began descending the narrow spiral staircase to the basement, I knew my instincts had been right. Up until the 1940s, the Brethren had benefited from the numerous small rooms in the bowels of the keep where they housed those they deemed to be criminal or in need of punishment. After the war, however, they were converted into more usable spaces. The previous Lord Alpha had made little use of them other than for storage. Brady used them far too often. Poor Miss Waite was cowering in one right now and he was on his way to see her. I tried not to dwell too deeply on what exactly his plans were. Treading lightly, I padded to the top of the stairs and peered down. When I was fairly certain he’d reached the bottom, I began my own descent. I’d barely gone a few feet, however, when I heard a rustle behind me. Glancing round, I spotted the worried faces of both Lucy and Boyne. ‘We know what he’s doing too,’ Lucy whispered. I growled softly. ‘Then you know you need to stay away.’ Boyne shook his head. ‘We’ll back you up.’ ‘No.’ I wasn’t about to brook any argument. ‘If things go pear- shaped, then you need deniability. He’s still the Lord Alpha.’ ‘All he needs to do is compel you...’ I narrowed my eyes at the pair of them. Both bowed their heads in capitulation and backed away. Good. Staying on the balls of my feet, I continued downwards. It wasn’t long before I could hear the Lord Alpha. ‘You’ve been a bad, bad werewolf,’ he was saying, with an audible trace of delight in his voice. ‘I think it’s about time I took you down a peg or two.’ My mouth twisted. Not if I had anything to say about it. There was a sudden loud smacking sound of skin against skin, followed by a heavy thump and a whimper.