“You ready?” He walked into the kitchen to find Drusilla at the window, gazing out at the yard. She had a glass of sweet tea and was just finishing it. She smiled, and it made him feel a bit sad. His sister looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
“Yeah, let’s hit the road.” She set the glass in the sink and headed out the door, slipping her sunglasses on. “We can take my car. I’ll just drop you off on the way back.”
Never mind that his place was out of her way.
Dane’s house was a huge Victorian farmhouse that had been built in 1902 and then added on to over the years. It was quaint, homey, and decorated for comfort rather than style. Dane kept his private rooms on the bottom floor. The various other residents and visitors lived on the top floor. Right now, he had Alice Mitchum living there. She was an older widow who’d recently retired and handled much of the pack’s social affairs. He also had the Quinlan family, who was new to town. A couple of teenage boys were bunking in the basement. One was a young shifter who’d run away from foster care in Nevada and had made his way to Arcada and to Dane. The other was a kid who’d left home to keep the peace in his family; his human stepfather was beginning to suspect something was off about the boy.
Judging by the neatly trimmed lawns and piles of leaves, Dane was keeping them busy.
They gathered around the spacious kitchen table, taking Blacque back quite a few years. Back then, the three of them had spent hours here together in the days after he and Dru had moved in. Every day, Dane had fixed their meals and had sat and watched them eat. Drusilla had lost a drastic amount of weight, and in his grief, Blacque had forgotten what hunger felt like. More went in the trash than in their bellies, but Dane had seen them through.
They sat in the huge kitchen, which was now conspicuously empty. Alice and Sharon had fixed snacks early in the day, and steaks were marinating in the fridge. The rest of the meal would be potluck.
“Dad, have you even discussed this with your betas? Your enforcers?” Drusilla was pale with distress.
“No. They’re due to show in a half hour or so. I’ll warn them beforehand.”
Blacque listened as he idly caught the sweat on the outside of his water glass. Cool liquid trickled down his callous finger. His mind raced over the implications of what was to come.
“Who do you suppose will challenge me first?”
“Challenge?” Drusilla leaned back in her chair. “I suppose you’re right. That’s bound to happen.”
Dane took a long drink from his glass. He was probably taking time to think about what to tell his oldest children. “The lieutenants will be upset that I excluded them from this. But honestly, I don’t think there’ll be anyone who’ll step up to the plate and challenge you today.”
“That’s why you announced that you’re opening breeding—to keep the males’ minds off Blacque.”
Dane smiled and glanced over at his daughter. “Drusilla, that’s part of it. The two of you won’t be caught up in the general stampede, so that’ll help.” He shrugged. “It’s just all the same process. We’re well into another century. I’m not ready to step down, but I’m within my rights to announce and prepare my heir.” He reached out and clasped her hand. “And frankly, Dru, look at him. What wolf in his right mind would challenge that guy?”
Blacque leaned back in his chair, arms folded defensively. His sister looked at him and then back at their father. “There’s more than one, and you know it.”
“I do, but I’m confident Lukas can handle anything that comes up.”
Blacque sighed heavily and gazed out the huge window, appreciating the way the lawn fell away to acres of orchards. He’d never felt completely comfortable in this house, yet in a way it was more his home than the little craftsman he lived in now.
“Travis will try and catch me alone. Maybe Michella too.”
“Unless he does some major growing up, your half brother is nowhere near ready to consider fighting you.”
“That’s why he’ll try and fight dirty. He doesn’t need an excuse, but this’ll make him feel justified.”
Blacque didn’t hate Travis Feris, but he didn’t particularly respect him. The younger man had some major anger issues. When Blacque came around, jealousy came to the fore as well. Maybe it was time his little brother received a good ass kicking.
“You will want to watch out for Michella. She’s tough and ambitious.” Dane followed Blacque’s gaze out the window, smiling when he saw a doe at the edge of the orchard. When the full moon came, his smile would be completely different.
“She’s a good fighter. Otherwise she wouldn’t be in your inner circle.” Blacque pushed back the chair and crossed the room, then watched as a car made its way up the long drive. It was immediately followed by another. “What are you going to tell them?”
“For now, I’ll let them know you’ll be stepping in to oversee the pack businesses. Which is what I’d like you to do.”
“Do you suspect someone’s been embezzling?”
Dane sighed heavily. “I don’t know. I just know that profits are down and expenses are going up. I don’t have the business sense to judge whether it’s the economy or mismanagement.”
Blacque nodded. There were going to be some pissed-off wolves in the next few hours. He watched as four adults got out of a tan sedan. A small family unloaded from a minivan. He fisted a hand, closing his eyes against a vision of the future he’d neither expected nor wished for. As he was pulled deeper into the pack, he was increasingly aware of his differences. How much longer could he hide his indifference to the females? Until Bleu, he’d felt about as sexual as a eunuch. Now he felt alive, and need boiled through his body. Need for Bleu. Starting now, he’d need eyes in the back of his head.
“That other thing…” Blacque turned and faced his father, locking gazes with the older man.
“I’ve thought about it.” Dane turned his attention to Drusilla. “You aren’t in a good position to consider a child right now. You wait until you’re ready.”
“Dad, I’ve thought it over. It’s not completely out of the question…”
Blacque turned back to the window, letting them hash this out between them.
“You’ve got too much on your plate as it is. I didn’t know you’d been accepted into the doctoral program. I’m really proud of you.”
There was a moment of silence, and Blacque kept his back turned. This was their moment. He felt a small smile cross his face. Dr. Blacque. He shook his head slightly. Not bad for a bunch of rowdy wolves.
Blacque sat in the love seat, his ankle crossed over his knee, a glass of tea cradled in his hand. His sister sat next to him, and they exchanged glances, both uncomfortably aware of the fluctuating emotions in the room. There was tension and anger…a touch of fear. And an overwhelming fog of lust filled the room. The alpha’s strategy had worked well—most of the pack was preoccupied with the lifting of restrictions on breeding. Dane had announced Blacque’s new position in the pack after he’d given them that little nugget to chew on. That had successfully split the focus in the room, defusing what could have been a hostile situation.
He hadn’t been able to home in on the fear, but Blacque suspected it came from members of the alpha’s inner circle. They would feel the most threatened by his interference in the pack businesses. He gazed at Mallory and Michella, Dane’s two main betas. They worked together as a flawless team.
“Before you have any thoughts of choosing a partner, you’ll want to consult Alice. She has the genealogy of the local pack and will be able to prevent you from making a rash decision. I know many of you have ongoing relationships. If you choose to formalize those unions by mating, we will be glad to celebrate as a pack.” Dane smiled with utter and complete charm. Few children had been born over the past five years; this action would benefit the health and happiness of the pack.
“What about Lukas? Is he available?”
Blacque’s gaze dropped to his hands. He barely recognized the w
oman who’d asked the question.
“Because of his close relationship to me, the restrictions will remain imposed on my eldest son. We will be hosting females from outside the area, and he’s free to consider any offers from our guests. However, please speak to Alice if you are interested, and we’ll take your request under consideration.”
“I assume you’re putting the same restrictions on me?” Travis’s comment was bitter. Blacque didn’t need to look at the young man to see the glare directed at him.
“You’re barely legal, Travis.” Drusilla’s voice was kind but firm. It was her vice-principal voice. Their half brother stifled an angry growl. “Lukas is over a decade older, a college graduate, and a successful business owner. He’s proven himself.”
“Not against us.” Michella lounged back on the sofa, lazily gazing at Blacque. She was blonde, pretty, and athletic in appearance. Mallory sat at her side. He was Dane’s second in command. As his name suggested, Sean Mallory was Irish in appearance, with a pugnacious face topped by golden red hair. His smile wasn’t friendly.
Blacque took a moment to survey the room. Some faces looked curious; others were overtly hostile. A few were carefully blank.
Blacque reached to the table next to his seat and carefully set his glass on a coaster. From the pull on his T-shirt sleeves, his muscles were stressing the fabric. He allowed his gaze to settle on Michella’s face.
“Whenever you’re ready, Shel.”
She went slightly pale. Suddenly Blacque remembered those days when he had been blocked from the hospital room where his father lay so gravely injured. Michella had often been the face at the door sending him away. He didn’t growl, but his wolf did, sending power washing through the room.
He was so stunned that his own skin went rough with goose bumps.
“Shit, Lukas!” Dru’s whisper carried through the silence of the room. He nudged her with his elbow.
“Well, if that’s all, I’m sure everyone’s hungry. The grill’s ready, the steaks are seasoned, so let’s get to it.” Dane’s voice broke the spell, and at his words, it was as though a well-oiled machine purred to life. Men and women dispersed to the kitchen. Others swept outside to round up Dane’s youngest plus the children of human-shifter matings. Some broke off into small clusters, excited conversation carrying through the air. The games had begun.
Blacque stayed in place, feeling the tension leech from his body. Dru scooted forward on the seat and turned to face him. “I apologize for saying you aren’t an alpha. Other than Dad, I’ve never felt someone unleash that much power.” She studied his face, her own slightly pale, her eyes bright. “You were made for this. I know you don’t think you are…”
He rose to his feet and picked up his empty glass. “Yeah, well, I don’t really want to talk about it now. It’s just gonna be shit for me from here on out.”
He headed toward the kitchen, weaving his way through small clusters of women who eyed him speculatively. He wondered if Dane had any idea what forces he’d unleashed in this room today. He’d held Blacque out like a carrot on a stick and then had pulled him away. He took his glass to the sink and filled it with water.
No alcohol was allowed at pack meetings; having this many wolves in one space was volatile at the best of times. As the full moon grew closer, the window for disaster opened even wider. Many planned to shift and run tonight, and drunkenness upped the chance for mayhem.
“Hey, Allie, anything I can help with?”
Alice wasn’t his grandmother, but he sometimes wished she was. She’d moved into the alpha’s household when she’d retired from her job as the town librarian. She managed his household with a gently administered iron hand. She fed the hungry, comforted the lonely, and had once forced Blacque over her knee when she caught him stealing a pie she’d baked for dinner. He’d laughed as she paddled his ass with a wooden spoon, but had respected her authority ever since.
His mother’s family loved Drusilla but were uneasy in Blacque’s presence. Like their mother, they had mainstreamed as much as possible, and their big, tattooed grandson just didn’t fit their notion of harmless. He had no doubt they felt bad about not missing him. Dane’s parents were long gone. They’d passed before he’d been born. He smiled down at the older woman, hoping there were no traces of his earlier snarl on his face.
“Thank you, sweetheart. If you could help me set out those platters…”
He glanced into the refrigerator and saw the trays she pointed to. Meat, meat, and more meat. A bit of cheese and mustard. He carried the food to the table and swiped a slice of turkey. The next shelf in the industrial-size refrigerator held bowls and plates of salads. Fruit, macaroni, potato, and green salads were soon arrayed on the table.
“Dessert stays out of sight until supper is over.” Alice stood, hands on hips as she looked over the spread. The mouthwatering aroma of grilled steak began to drift into the kitchen.
“Oh my, that does smell good…” Alice was out the door in a flash, undoubtedly to lay claim on an extra-rare piece of meat. Blacque stepped out onto the deck and stood back, watching the milling pack. Some hovered around the grill, while others returned to the house, filling plates to capacity. A group ranging from preteens to young adults played under the basketball hoop, breaking every rule of the game.
He felt a tug at his leg and looked down. A little girl had crawled up to him and was pulling herself unsteadily to her feet. Bright copper hair and too young to be one of Dane’s. She blinked big blue eyes at him, reminding him just a bit of Bleu.
“Hey, ankle biter.” He knelt and picked the baby up from the deck. “Someone’s gonna step on you, for sure.” The baby was much happier to be up high. She reached out a sticky little hand and clasped his nose. He was grateful he’d opted against facial piercings.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he’d skipped both breakfast and lunch. After doing double duty with Bleu, he should probably fuel up. “Wanna grab something to eat?” What did a kid this size eat? Or did they eat? Maybe she still nursed. He wandered around with the little girl in his arms, looking for a likely woman to hand her off to.
“Oh, there you are…” A red-haired, blue-eyed woman approached Blacque hesitantly. She reached for the baby. “Hannah, you go so fast now! I can’t keep up with you.”
He lowered the child into her arms. “I found her climbing up my leg.” He tried another smile and was relieved when the woman smiled back.
“Well, thank you. I’m Joetta Mallory.” She nervously gave him her hand, and he shook it. He didn’t recall having seen her before, but he hadn’t been around much over the past couple of years. Odd that Mallory had married and he hadn’t even known about it. Or maybe not so odd, given that Blacque had been lone for so long.
“Lukas Blacque.”
“I understand we’ll be seeing more of you.”
He felt his smile slip and fought to keep it on his face. “Yeah, I’ll just be nosing around in the businesses for a few weeks, see if we can shore up finances a bit. Times are pretty hard right now.”
She looked incredibly grateful for the small talk. He wondered what she’d heard about him from Sean Mallory and the others.
“It is hard. Sean’s hours have been reduced this month. But at least he’s still working.” Once she relaxed a bit, she talked. By the time he moved on, Blacque had heard about the financing on their home, the shaky state of the company Mallory worked for, and her suspicion that she might be pregnant again. What she didn’t say was shadowed in her eyes—her worry that her husband was spending too much time away, and there just never seemed to be enough money to get them to the end of the month.
He managed to move on and was cornered by a pair of young women who flirted with him shamelessly. If nothing else, it was flattering. He escaped and then found himself listening to a play-by-play recitation of Friday’s football game from a young man whose name he couldn’t recall. He was fairly certain the boy wasn’t a half sibling, but in all honesty, he wasn’t sure
.
He was finally rescued from social hell by his sister.
“You’re doing good. See? If you smile now and then, they get over being afraid of you.” Dru handed him a plate covered by an enormous steak. “Helping Alice was good. Carrying the baby around was better.”
He sighed. “I’m not playing games, Dru. Just trying to be helpful.” He headed for an empty picnic table. A few minutes later, his sister joined him with a plate of her own plus an extra loaded down with side dishes. She set the plate between them. He noticed she didn’t seem to have much of an appetite. He focused on his meal until she was ready to speak.
“You fell on your sword for me.”
“Hmm?” He looked up at her, swallowed a bite of steak, and cleared his throat. “What’s that?”
“You know what I mean.” She cut into her steak with a sharp knife. “I come to you griping about the alpha’s demand that I give him a grandbaby. You have a discussion with him, and suddenly you’re stepping to his tune and I’m off the hook.” She glanced around, checking to see if anyone was within hearing distance.
“I could have taken care of it myself, Lukas.”
“Dane probably just came to his senses. As for me, he was right. It’s long past time for me to get involved.” He set his fork down and caught his sister’s gaze. “You were right too. I’m not an alpha. The only way to make Dad understand is to do what he wants me to. Besides, I don’t see him stepping down anytime soon. He’ll have plenty of time to change his mind about me.”
Her laugh held disbelief, but she turned to her food, pushing it around her plate.
They ate in silence for a few moments, but Blacque knew she wasn’t finished with him. When an older couple sat down at the table, their discussion was effectively ended.
Blacque-Bleu Page 9
