Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  “Well, yes. But you really do look okay to me.” Kane caught her hand.

  “Right. You look fine. I didn’t mean—” John began.

  “No, no. It’s okay. I want to look presentable...” Elise pulled her hand free and backed out of the room, before turning and hurrying up the stairs.

  *****

  Elise had the quickest shower on record and then stood in front of the closet trying to decide what to wear. What was the appropriate attire for a pack meeting when you were the Alpha’s mate? The meetings at home were usually rather stuffy and she’d avoided them like the plague, but were they the same here? She didn’t want to dress too casually and look as if she didn’t care. On the other hand, too formal of an outfit would make her seem stuck up, as if she thought she was better than the rest.

  Finally she decided on an almost new pair of black jeans and a cotton sweater. Slipping in a pair of gold earrings and a bracelet, she studied herself in the mirror, hoping she’d hit the right note. Her hair fell softly around her face and she used a touch of eye shadow to bring out the green in her eyes. After adding a bit of lip-gloss, she decided the look was about as ‘middle of the road’ as she could hope for. Too bad there wasn’t some sort of manual that explained the ins and outs of being an Alpha’s mate. To be sure, her father was Alpha but he’d been a widower for many years, and as a child she’d never paid attention to what her mother did or wore.

  The bedroom door swung open and Kane walked in. She was still standing in front of the mirror, adjusting her clothes. He swept his eyes over her and an approving smile appeared on his face. “I see you’re ready for the meeting.”

  Elise nodded nervously. “Do I look all right? Not too casual or too dressy?”

  Kane pulled her into his arms and gave her a comforting hug, then kissed the tip of her nose. “You look perfect, but then again, you did before as far as I was concerned. I thought you might be nervous and wouldn’t want to walk into the room by yourself, so I came to get you.”

  “Thanks. I wasn’t looking forward to that. It’s a bit nerve wracking to think that I’m the Alpha’s mate. Everyone will be expecting me to be like Helen.”

  “No they won’t. They just expect you to be you.” Kane gave her another hug, then taking her hand, he led her down the stairs to the meeting room. Elise concentrated on steadying her breathing and composing her nerves. Wolves could smell fear and that wasn’t the first impression she wanted to make.

  The faint buzz of voices could be heard coming from the other side of the door. “It sounds like everyone is there already. I thought the meeting didn’t start until seven?” She checked her watch. It was still only six forty-five.

  “I guess they’re all early for some reason.” Kane shrugged unconcernedly and pushed the door open.

  Elise peeked inside and gasped.

  Kane grinned and tugged her into the room as everyone called out, “Surprise!” Two large banners were strung across the far wall. One said “Welcome Elise!” and the other had “Congratulations Kane and Elise” printed across it.

  Elise didn’t know what to say. She scanned the room, taking in the sea of smiling faces. Kane squeezed her hand and led her to a table where a slab cake was decorated with a little plastic bride and groom. Someone had made little furry tails and taped them to the figures. Kane picked one up and examined it with raised brows.

  Carrie burst out laughing. “They don’t make Lycan bride and groom cake decorations, so I improvised.”

  “Hmm...” Kane looked at Elise. “If my tail is ever sticking out of my suit coat like this, you will tell me, won’t you?”

  Elise chuckled and nodded before being enveloped in a bear hug by a repentant looking John. “I’m sorry for what I said about how you looked at supper, but I was told to do it. We wanted you upstairs so everyone could sneak in, and figured if you were in the shower and changing your clothes, you wouldn’t hear them arriving.”

  “Well, it certainly worked.” Elise pretended to scold him. “I figured I must be a real mess, and that Carrie and Kane were simply trying to be nice when they said I looked fine.”

  Smirking, Carrie explained further. “I know how we woman think. The more we tried to reassure you, the more you’d believe something was wrong. It was a foolproof plan.”

  “Enough chit chat! Open the presents!” Helen urged her towards a large table covered in gifts.

  Elise took in all the boxes and bags then looked at Helen and the assembled crowd in shock. “You didn’t have to bring presents. The cake, and the banner, and... Well, everyone being here was more than enough!”

  “We weren’t able to give you two a shower or attend the bonding, so we’re having our own little celebration.” Helen said smugly.

  “Besides,” Marla added, appearing beside Kane. “We usually do a large birthday and anniversary party at these meetings for anyone in the pack who had a special day that month. October was empty and we had nothing better to do.” She smirked at Elise and leaned against Kane. “Just teasing, of course.”

  Carrie’s eyes flashed with temper that matched the red of her hair. She grabbed Marla’s arm and gave it a firm tug. “Marla, come help serve the coffee and tea.” And before Marla could protest, she was whisked away.

  Kane and Elise spent the next half hour opening presents and thanking everyone who had gathered around them. Elise felt overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity and was happy Kane was at her side to speak to all the well-wishers. Just as on her first day there, most people seemed pleasant, a few were curious, but everyone seemed genuinely welcoming. Well, except for Marla, but that was a different story.

  As she stood by Kane’s side nodding and smiling, she allowed her eyes to drift over the room. Had Marla managed to escape Carrie? After a few moments of searching, she found her near the beverage table. While she wasn’t serving coffee or tea as Carrie had asked, at least she was still in the general vicinity of her post. Elise speculated why Marla hadn’t abandoned the job as soon as no one was looking. A shift in the crowd allowed her to see that Rose was standing with Marla as well.

  Hmm... She hadn’t thought of those two as being friends, though Rose had greeted Marla in the mall on Saturday, even if it had been in a rather subdued manner. Watching the interaction between the two, it was hard to determine if they were enjoying each other’s company or not. They barely looked at each other and to the casual observer, it probably wouldn’t even be apparent that they were speaking.

  Elise noticed that while Rose’s face was rather impassive, she was clenching her fists. What had Marla said to upset the girl? A group of people momentarily obscured her view and by the time they had passed by, Marla was by herself again appearing rather smug.

  Scanning the room, she finally located Rose standing near Phoebe and Zoe. Daniel, Zoe’s brother-in-law was there, and seemed to be talking earnestly to her. Well, at least if Marla had said something cutting, Rose had Daniel there to help pick up the pieces.

  Chapter 14

  Once the presents were opened and the cake served, Kane cleared his throat. “As much as I hate to interrupt the festivities, we do have a monthly meeting to hold, so if everyone would take a seat, we can begin.”

  The general rumble of conversation slowly dissipated as people settled into their seats. Helen, Carrie, and Elise sat to the side near the front, while Kane and John took their places at a central table and podium. After smiling over at Elise, Kane began.

  “Before we start, I’d like to thank all of you once again for your good wishes and the warm welcome you’ve given Elise. I know we both appreciate it. Your support means a lot to us, especially in these difficult times.” A polite round of applause cut him off, and he waited for it to die down before continuing. “I have a number of important points to bring up tonight and then we’ll open the floor to discussion.

  “First, as I’m sure you all know, Thomas was shot two nights ago while out on patrol. I’d like to assure you that he is recuperating at the infirmary and
will be fine. At this time, we’re not sure who was responsible. It could have been human hunters from town trespassing on our property—it’s been known to happen before—but...” Kane paused before dropping the bombshell. “Thomas thought he scented Ryne just before the gun was fired.”

  Gasps filled the room and then conversations burst out all over. Elise’s eyes widened as she took in the bits and pieces of dialogue that flowed through the room.

  “Shocking.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “It can’t be true. Not Ryne!”

  “Kane should have killed him when he had the chance. That’s how a challenge works.”

  “That’s what you get for being too easy on upstarts.”

  “There has to be a mistake!”

  Some seemed to be angry that Ryne would do such a thing. Others denied it could even be true. A few voices were advocating killing the offender; Elise found that to be the most disturbing. Wisely, Kane allowed a few moments for the assembly to express their feelings, before trying to proceed.

  “I know it’s disturbing to think that someone who was once a member of our pack could do such a thing, but we don’t have hard evidence against him so there’s still the possibility—”

  A voice from the back interrupted. “Thomas wouldn’t make something like that up. If he scented Ryne, then Ryne was there!” The crowd murmured in agreement.

  Kane nodded. “True. No one is saying Ryne wasn’t there. Obviously at some point in time he was in the area, though ‘when’ we can’t say, nor do we know if he pulled the trigger or not.”

  Another voice called out. “You just don’t want to admit Ryne is guilty because he’s your brother.”

  A hush fell over the room and Kane’s nostrils flared. Elise watched as he gripped the podium with his fingers and she was surprised the wood didn’t break under the pressure. With steely eyes, Kane responded to the accusation, his voice a low, deep rumble that sent shivers up her spine. “Are you suggesting that I put personal feelings ahead of my duties to the pack?” The speaker shook his head and seemed to sink into his chair, realizing that in the heat of the moment, he had spoken out of turn. “Rest assured, that since I’ve become Alpha, I have put the needs of each and every one of you above all else.”

  “I can’t believe anyone would doubt Kane’s loyalty.” Marla was sitting a few rows away and spoke in a sotto whisper. Elise could clearly hear what she was saying, though she didn’t think Kane could. “After all, he agreed to be mated to Elise, just to ensure political stability. Now that has to say something about his dedication to our well-being.” Looking towards Elise, Marla leaned her way and smiled condescendingly. “Don’t take that personally, Elise.”

  Feeling her face growing red, Elise stared at the floor and seethed, forcing herself not to cause a scene. That woman was such a bitch! She knew what buttons to push. Elise tried to reassure herself that an arranged bonding was nothing to be ashamed of; it wasn’t like no one had wanted her and a political arrangement was the only way her father could get rid of her!

  Carrie must have sensed her distress and grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Once she had herself under control, Elise peeked at the audience to see who else had heard the comment. A few people were looking at her speculatively while others were glaring at Marla. It gave her some small comfort to know that most of those within hearing range considered the remark inappropriate. She could only hope that they didn’t secretly agree with the comment despite its lack of good taste.

  Kane, unfortunately, hadn’t caught the exchange as he was listening to an elderly man who had just stood up. “May I address you, Alpha?”

  Nodding, a ghost of a smile passed over Kane’s lips at the old man’s formality. Helen leaned over and whispered in Elise’s ear. “That’s William. He was Alpha over thirty years ago and is now part of the Council of Elders. William is very wise and a great supporter of Kane.” Elise nodded and listened intently, pushing Marla’s comment aside. She would not let that woman get to her!

  “Ryne was your brother, yet he challenged you for the leadership of this pack. Such a challenge, according to the ancient laws, could have only one conclusion. The death of one wolf and the victory of the other.”

  Again, Kane nodded.

  “Kane, you were the victor. Why was Ryne allowed to live and cause such havoc among us? If he were dead, we would all be happier and Thomas would not have been shot.” Unlike the previous speaker, this man didn’t falter under Kane’s gaze, instead standing with his head slightly tilted to the side in inquiry.

  The room went deadly silent watching Kane and waiting for his reply. Elise clasped her hands tightly together. If this man was one of Kane’s supporters, she’d hate to think what those who weren’t as fond of him might be like. This Elder was basically saying that Kane had broken pack law, messed up as leader, and endangered them all! Nervously, Elise wondered how her mate would refute such a claim.

  Kane stood impassively surveying the crowd before speaking. “The council of Elders agreed to allow the challenge to proceed so that the most capable leader could be determined. The minute I won the challenge, I became Alpha. By virtue of that fact, everyone who lives in this pack is subject to my rules and my decisions. It was my decision to allow Ryne to live, and it was not based on brotherly love—there was little, if any, of that left. The needs of the pack were foremost in my mind, even during that first moment of victory. Ryne had many friends within our pack and his death would have served no purpose except to cause grief, division, and discord at a time when we need to be unified.

  “As for the laws, as Alpha, I know them better than most. Even before the challenge began, I had carefully studied the ancient rules as part of my Beta duties. While it does state that the victor will become Alpha, it does not say his opponent must die.” Kane opened up a very old leather-bound volume and began to read. “The challenge shall proceed with no interference until only one stands victorious as the Alpha. All who dwell in the pack shall bow before him and be subject to his decrees. His dictates shall be abided by, upon the fear of death.”

  Slowly Kane closed the book. “The death, or life, of any pack member has always been in the hands of the Alpha. Our ancestors were not as civilized as we are, and often chose to kill their opponents. We, however, have evolved beyond that. To revert to killing out of fear, or to maintain power, would be to turn our backs on all the advances we’ve made and to become little more than creatures governed solely by ancient instincts.

  “Ryne may or may not be responsible for Thomas’ injury. We are searching for him and when he is found, he will be questioned about this incident and the others. Once his innocence or guilt is determined, suitable consequences will follow.”

  The Elder slowly nodded. “Wisely spoken, Alpha. You know our laws and rule with justice and fairness. We are fortunate to have one as enlightened and dedicated as you to lead us.” William turned and surveyed the room calmly before sitting down. Elise was sure you could have heard a pin drop.

  Helen poked her in the ribs and whispered in her ear. “See? William was playing devil’s advocate; he knew what the law was. He just wanted to give Kane a chance to say his bit.”

  Kane waited a moment before talking again, giving any further dissenters time to speak, but no one came forward. Returning the Book of the Law to the table, he picked up the agenda and addressed the next point. “Due to Thomas’ accident, I’m declaring much of the woods out of bounds. The primary pathways will remain open for your use and I’ve doubled our patrols in those areas, but we can’t cover every acre of the entire property every day. Patrols will still be dispatched throughout the territory, but we’re focusing most of our energy on those places closest to home in order to ensure your safety. Any questions?”

  When no one spoke up, Kane nodded to John who began to hand out what appeared to be a map of the pack’s territory. Two areas were marked off in colour. Elise studied it with interest. What was the significance of the co
loured regions? After the maps had been distributed, John began to explain.

  “I’ve given each of you a map so that you can see the exact areas in question. The section outlined in red indicates where Northern Oil wants to do its exploratory drilling. It’s close to several underground streams and could possibly result in the contamination of our ground water and thus our wells. In addition, in order to bring in the needed equipment, several large tracts of land would have to be cleared and temporary roads constructed. As you can see, it is a significant area, despite their claims otherwise.

  “They’ve offered us a very large sum of money as compensation if we sell outright. Alternatively, they’ve proposed leasing the land, and if no oil is found, they would assist us in replanting. However, should oil be discovered, we’d be bound by the lease for a specified number of years or until the wells ran dry. During that time, there would be inspectors and trucks visiting the area regularly and it would be out of bounds to all of us. I know this isn’t new information, but we wanted to bring it to your attention again, since they’ve upped their offer substantially—it’s noted at the bottom of the page, in footnote number three.”

  As people read the amount, gasps could be heard around the room. Elise had difficulty not exclaiming herself. It was a significant amount of money. Again conversation erupted around the room.

  “We’d be rich.”

  “Look at all the land they’d be clearing.”

  “Well, we really don’t use the northern corner that much.”

  “I wonder if they’ll raise the offer even more.”

  “If we don’t take this, and the courts order us to allow them in, I wonder how much the amount will drop.”