by TJ Black
Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and looked at her.
“They’re jags girl,” Garek stated. “The males hunt, not the females.”
“I don’t understand,” Alesha said.
“Thought you explained how things were here,” Garek said to Ashley.
“I have, but you’ve got to keep in mind, humans do things differently. Girls do ask guys out and stuff.”
“What she means is,” Alesha added. “Is that not all of us are stuck in the Stone Age.”
“Alesha!” Ashley snapped.
“I’m sorry,” Alesha quickly said.
“It’s alright,” Garek stated. “Going to take time and adjusting for us all here. She was raised differently. I understand. But what you don’t get girl is the alpha is it here. You can think of me as king if you want. What I say goes within this family, and we live within our family domain, so everyone respects my wishes and I protect all of us in return.”
“And your own feelings don’t matter?” Alesha asked. “What happens if someone challenges you?”
Once more, the room went very quiet. Garek ended it by saying: “If I’m challenged then between the two, one will die. And since there are no males born to me, our family would assimilate into the winning alpha’s family. It’s our way.”
The rest of the day was spent unpacking. After getting all of her clothes put away, she worked on deciding what to wear for this meeting tonight. To come face to face with the guy who would offer Garek backup for mother coming home baffled her. Why would she and her mother need extra protection? After all, this is the twenty-first century. Buy a gun.
She kept her hair braided. Light amount of make-up. A simple cream color dress with thick straps on the shoulders and sandals on her feet and she was ready for this meeting, of sorts. At first her mother wanted to walk to the house, but because of a threat of rain the decision was made to take the car. Alesha was glad about that. The Devanta home was more than a mile and a half from her uncle’s house, which meant it would be a long walk.
When her mother pulled into the paved drive and Alesha got her first look at the house, she gasped with her mouth wide open. The place had the appearance of a plantation mansion. White walls with black shutters and huge white pillars. Stone steps leading up to the front door which looked like it was made out of thick glass. The house was three stories high and was massive. Now how in the hell did two people need this much space?
“Are you sure we’re at the right place?” Alesha asked as her mother stopped in front of the door.
A guy dressed in a butler’s uniform with white gloves came out from the house, down the steps and right up to the driver’s door, opening it.
“Come on,” Ashley smiled at her.
Alesha and her mother followed the butler into the house. The great doors swung wide onto a foyer inlaid with white marble. Two grand staircases curved up opposite walls and met with a balcony on the second floor.
“I feel a bit underdressed,” Alesha mumbled to her mother.
Walking behind him, he led Alesha and her mother down the hall, then the butler stopped and pushed open the sliding doors on his right to a large front room. Stepping back, he motioned for the two of them to go inside.
“Alpha Devanta will be with you in a moment,” The butler said before giving a short nod and then he turned and was gone.
“This is something out of a damn book!” Alesha chuckled. “Look at this place.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Alesha jumped and turned, as did her mother. Standing in another doorway, dressed in a very formal suit was an older man. His dark eyes seemed somehow familiar. “Ashley Sulwen. It’s been a very long time.”
Her mother brightened up. “Noah.”
Alesha stayed put, keeping an eye on her mother as she went to the older man and embraced him as if they were old friends. When they pulled back, she went to his side. “My daughter, Alesha.”
The man extended his hand out and came over to Alesha. “A pleasure to meet you.”
A bit hesitant, Alesha took his hand and shook it.
“My son will be here shortly. He had to tend to something with one of the packs,” he said to Ashley.
Turning his full attention back to Alesha he seemed to study her. “She has her father’s eyes.” The statement had Alesha instantly going on guard. “Come, have a seat.”
Alesha took a seat with her mother on the white sofa across from Noah. He didn’t stop smiling, and had Alesha feeling a bit like she was on display.
“So, how do you like our little village?” Noah asked Alesha.
Alesha first looked to her mother who only gave her a slight nod. “I think it’s going to take some getting used to.”
“I’m sure it is,” Noah said. “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking. My old mind sometimes forgets things like that.”
“I’ll be twenty in a month.”
“Yes, that’s right. Your mother was pregnant with you when she left. I can see she’s done a fine job with you.”
“So did my father,” Alesha didn’t miss the slight twitch of his eye when she mentioned her father.
“Yes, I’m sure he did.” A servant came in with a glass of wine for each of them. He served Noah first then her mother before going to her. She took a glass and watched as the servant went back to Noah and said something low. “Thank you,” he said to the servant. “My son has returned and is cleaning up now.”
“I can’t get over the changes you’ve made to the place,” Ashley said.
“You were here before?” Alesha asked her mother.
“When I was a little girl,” mother said. “The families had a rule that all males came before the Five first before they went out to pick a female. I came with Garek to the meeting for one of the lower families.”
“Yes, the place had a dull feeling to it. Took me a few years to redo everything and brighten it up.” He took a drink, those eyes of his back on Alesha. “And that rule is no longer in place. The families had it removed.”
“Why?” Alesha asked.
“Because I believe nature should have a hand in who is mated, not an alpha or parents. Now, are you ready for dinner? I’m starving.” Noah stood up and so did her mother. Alesha was a bit slower in doing so. She got the impression Noah was used to others around him jumping when he snapped his fingers.
They followed him through the same door he had come from and into a large formal dining room. The long dark oak table was set with crystal plates and silverware. A vase with mixed flowers rested in the middle, while a servant stood at attention ready to serve when given the command.
Noah motioned for Ashley to take the seat at the other end of the table with Alesha to her left. Right across from Alesha’s seat another setting, the occupant not yet present.
“You really went all out Noah,” Ashley gave a nervous chuckle as she put her napkin on her lap.
“Well it isn’t every day a lost one comes home,” Noah said.
“Forgive me for being late.” Alesha stiffened at the low, deep voice which came from right behind her. Her mind flashed back to last night in the woods causing her heart to pound.
“Jonah, Ashley Sulwen and her daughter, Alesha,” Noah said.
Jonah went right up to Ashley first and shook her hand. When he turned to greet Alesha, she froze, feeling no less like a deer under the intense gaze of a predator. There he stood, dressed for their dinner, extending his hand out to shake hers. No matter how she demanded her arm to move, it refused to obey. Seconds felt like minutes, which turned into hours before she was able to raise her hand to him. He shook it, then quickly took his seat across from her, placing his napkin on his lap.
“Well I hope you both are hungry,” Jonah stated. “We have a nice size meal set up.”
“Oh I’m sure it will be great,” Ashley smiled.
Alesha appeared transfixed. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the animal across from her.
Chapter Three
Ke
ep. Your. Calm.
Jonah kept repeating those three words to himself while the meal his father set up got under way. However, he just knew before this night was over, one of them would blow their top. Cards say him, which is why he kept taking deep breaths and focused on small talk and the food.
First course, lobster bisque. His father spoke as if he and Ashley Sulwen were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a very long time. The daughter, Alesha, he thought he heard it right, didn’t say anything but moved her spoon around in her food.
“How do you like your lamb?” Jonah finally asked the daughter.
“Excuse me?” she raised her head, eyes wide.
“Lamb is the next course and it is normally cooked medium. If you like it cooked more or less, you should speak up.”
“Oh,” she glanced at her mother before back to him. “Well, I usually have my meat more on the well done side.”
“Then that is how you shall have it,” Noah stated, nodding to the servant who left the room quickly. They finished the first course and out came the second. Noah cut into the meat and started with the questions as he ate. “So what traits does she have?”
Alesha stilled in the cutting of her own meat and looked at Noah. Jonah thought his father had picked the wrong time to ask those kinds of questions, yet at the same time his father had no idea yet what had happened to Ashley’s daughter last night.
“Well, um,” her mother started. “She’s very strong. Stronger than a human.”
“I’m sorry, but why are you asking questions about me?” Alesha asked him.
“Because I need to know if you can be placed under our family protection,” Noah answered.
“And if I don’t want to?”
“If you have jag in you, or I should say more than human, you don’t really have a choice here,” Noah said.
“Really?” Alesha put her silverware down, sat back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Has she gone into heat?” Noah went on.
“Now wait just a damn minute!” Alesha lost her temper.
“How do you like the woods?” Jonah suddenly said, hoping the change in subject might cool that temper of hers. Pity he didn’t see it in the woods last night.
Alesha looked at him, narrowing her eyes. From her expression alone, he knew she was the one for him, and her heat was close. Only when the temper of a female came out this fast did it give a clue to how close they were.
“What?”
“The woods? Surely you’ve been to the woods by now. It kind of draws the females in when their season gets close.” Jonah worked damn hard at holding his grin back and not pissing her off to a point where she might just fly off the handle and throw something at him.
“I’m done here,” Alesha pushed away from the table and stood up, only to have Jonah do the same thing.
“Jonah?” Noah questioned when he stood up.
“She has enough jag in her to be in the family,” Jonah said, his eyes still on Alesha. “Don’t you Alesha?” he was daring her now to say just one thing to give it away, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Mom, it’s time to go,” Alesha said, also keeping her eyes on him, shaking her head ever so slowly. He knew she was telling him to keep his mouth shut. Don’t think that is going to happen.
“What’s going on here?” Noah demanded.
“Would you like to tell them?” Jonah asked her. “Or should I?”
“Keep your damn mouth shut!” Alesha snapped back at him. “Nothing happened.”
Jonah smiled, “Really?”
“Jonah!” Noah raised his voice and the eye contact between the two was broken.
Jonah looked at his father.
“What in the hell is going on?” Noah demanded.
Before he answered his question, or before Alesha could hear it, she turned and bolted from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.
“Alesha!” her mother called from behind, following her daughter from the room.
Alone with his father, Jonah slowly sat back down in his seat, waiting for the blow out. He didn’t have long to wait.
“What was that all about?” his father demanded. “You just disrespected me in my own house. How dare you! Have you lost your mind? Answer me!”
How to answer the question? Jonah cleared his throat and stood back up again. He faced his father. And before he could get a word out his father backhanded him. Clearly he knew what Jonah was about to say before the words came out.
“Not to a half-breed!” Noah hissed.
Jonah touched the outside of his lip with the tip of his tongue and kept his eyes down. He tasted blood. “It’s already done.”
“I forbid it!” Noah yelled as he got up so fast he knocked his chair over. His action had Jonah raising his eyes up to his father. “You will not shame this house by breeding with a half-breed. One of the males for the lower packs can have her. Not you!”
Jonah lost his own temper then. He turned around, grabbed his own chair and threw it as hard as he could across the room. It shattered when it hit the wall. “It’s done!” he yelled back. “I’ve locked. I had her in the woods last night. She belongs to me and not you or anyone else is going to tell me the one I’ve locked with I can’t have. She is my mate and by you joining Garek and forgiving her mother of breeding with a human means any one of the two families can breed with her. Since I’m the only young male of the two houses, I have. It’s done!”
“You have just ruined this family and the blood line. Mark my words; there will be an uprising for your actions.” Noah turned and walked out of the room.
Once gone, Jonah took a deep breath, leaned on the table and waited for the adrenaline in his body to slow down.
* * * *
Alesha barely waited for the car to stop before she was out of it and running towards the house. She barged inside and up the stairs to the safety of her room. Her heart pounding in her chest. Fear, anxiety and a whole lot of other things raced through her system making it hard to catch her breath and think.
“Would you care to fill me in on what just happened?” Ashley stormed into the room, slamming the door behind her.
“I can’t talk about it,” Alesha said.
“Can’t talk about it my ass!” Ashley raised her voice, pointing her finger towards the door. “You just ran out of Alpha Devanta’s home. You disrespected him, and me. Do you understand the power of the Five?”
“Oh yes, it’s all about the Five, isn’t it,” Alesha tossed back at her mother. “You don’t have any idea what’s going on here, just that everyone should bow down to the Five. I’m in trouble mother. Big trouble.”
“Damn right you are. He can kick you out. Which means I can never see you again if he does.”
“Well with what is going on now, maybe it isn’t a bad thing to happen.”
“What?”
Alesha opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she heard the skidding of a car stopping. She ran over to the window and looked out, but couldn’t really see anything. She turned away when around the car he came, looking right up at her.
“Shit!” she gasped, jumping back from the window. “This isn’t good.”
“What?” Ashley went to the window and looked down. “Why’s he here?”
“I have a bad feeling it’s for me.”
Ashley looked at Alesha. “Alesha, what’s going on here?”
“Something happened last night,” Alesha said slowly. “Something that shouldn’t have.”
* * * *
Jonah walked around the house, found the spot where Alesha might be hiding, saw her come to the window and jump back. He smiled and quickly walked back around to the front where Garek Sulwen met him at the door.
“Garek,” Jonah acknowledged with a nod, going right inside the house. He looked around then up the stairs.
“Is there something I can help you with Jonah?” Garek asked, clearly confused.
“Nope,” Jonah reached into his pocket
and brought out a large amount of cash. He turned and put it all in Garek’s hand. “For any damages that may happen.”
“Huh?” Garek frowned.
Jonah left the man and headed up the stairs. He was halfway up to the third floor when Ashley quickly came out of a room and met him.
“Jonah, please,” she begged him. “She’s half human and raised as one. She doesn’t understand the ways yet. I just found out what happened between you two and I’m begging you to please give her time. She needs more time to digest what is happening to her.”
