Page 2 of Moon Craving

rather than submit to the inferior but multitudinous humans around them.

Most of the shape-changers of the Scots Highlands were too smart to face the end

of their race rather than blend with others. They saw the way of the future. In the ninth

century AD, Keneth MacAlpin ascended to the Scottish throne. Of Chrechte descent

through his mother, MacAlpin was the result of "mixed" marriage, and, his human nature

had dominated. He was not capable of "the change," but that did not stop him from laying

claim to the Pictish throne (as it was called then). In order to guarantee his kingship, he

betrayed his Chrechte brethren at a dinner, killing all of the remaining royals of their

people--and forever entrenched a distrust of humans by their Chrechte counterparts.

Despite this distrust, the Chrechte realized that they could die out fighting an ever

increasing and encroaching race of humanity, or they could join the Celtic clans.

They joined.

As far as the rest of the world knew--though much existed to attest to their former

existence--what had been considered the Pictish people were no more.

Because it was not in their nature to be ruled by any but their own, within two

generations, the Celtic clans that had assimilated the Chrechte were ruled by

shape-changing clan chiefs, though most of the fully human among them did not know

it--only a sparse few were trusted with the secrets of their kinsmen. Those who knew were

aware that to betray the code of silence meant certain and immediate death.

That code of silence was rarely broken.

Chapter 1

We, the most distant dwellers upon the earth, the last

of the free, have been shielded . . . by our remoteness

and by the obscurity which has shrouded our name . . .

Beyond us lies no nation, nothing but waves and rocks.

--KING CALGACUS OF THE PICTS, THIRD CENTURY AD

"Is it war then?" the grizzled old Scot, Osgard, asked his laird.

Barr, second-in-command to their powerful leader, frowned. "On our own king?"

The temptation to say yes was great. Talorc, Laird of the Sinclair clan and alpha to

his Chrechte pack, had to clamp his jaw tight to keep the word from coming out. It would