by S. A. Ravel
The house was divided into two wings joined at the center by an arched foyer with two heavy, glass-paneled wooden doors. All of the windows were open to allow the gentle, warm breeze to flow through the house.
Miranda Greenwood opened the heavy doors and stepped onto the entryway just as Dirk shifted the van into park. She wore a long white summer dress pattered with tiny green flowers. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown than either of her sons, and it spilled over one shoulder and nearly down to her waist. The calm of the wooded area gave her an ethereal quality that Rachel hadn’t noticed at the masquerade ball.
Miranda walked toward the van, worry etched on her face. She stopped short as Maddock’s black luxury rental pulled into view. Maddock climbed out of the car, and stared at the house. The boisterous humor Rachel had seen at the motel was gone now, and his expression as he came face-to-face with his childhood home was something between fear and determination.
Dirk took a deep breath and squeezed Rachel’s hand. “Are you ready?”
She tore her eyes away from the gorgeous house and the beautiful woman in front of it to glance at Dirk. “Not even a little bit.”
He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb, then got out of the car. Rachel followed.
Miranda held her arms open to Maddock and Dirk, tears in her eyes. Both stepped forward and wrapped their arms around her. She locked eyes with Rachel through the gaps between the massive men’s shoulders, and nodded to her.
When Miranda pulled away from her grown children, she wiped the tears away from her eyes and cleared her throat. Suddenly, she was the calm, ethereal woman once more. “Dirk, your father is waiting for you inside. So are the Tenwicks. Don’t say anything more than you have to.”
Dirk pressed a kiss to Miranda’s cheek and headed into the house, glancing at Rachel over his shoulder. She forced a smile onto her face and waved as he disappeared through the massive archway.
“Bet the bastard isn’t waiting for me,” Maddock said.
Miranda pursed her lips and clasped her hands at her hips. Rachel thought she saw a flash of emotion on her face, but it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. “He’s still Alpha, Maddock.”
“Not my Alpha.” Maddock leaned down and a kiss to Miranda’s cheek. “Better get in there. Dirk will need back up.” He disappeared into the house the same way Dirk had gone.
Miranda stared at Rachel in silence for a moment. There wasn’t any malice in her eyes, no anger. When Dirk looked at Rachel, she felt like the most beautiful woman alive. But next to this woman, Rachel felt plain, too plain for this grand house in this quiet, beautiful place.
Rachel cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do what you asked, Mrs. Greenwood.”
Miranda shook her head. “There was never much hope of that. My husband is accustomed to getting his way.”
Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I noticed. He’s not great with deals either.”
“When it comes to the boys, no. He loves them, but he also has a plan for them.”
“Does that plan include either of them being happy?” The words had more venom than Rachel intended, and she regretted them immediately. Miranda had been nothing but kind to her.
“I know how you feel, Rachel. What you’re going through…it isn’t easy, even in the best of circumstances. If things were different…” Miranda struggled for words.
“You know, don’t you? About Dirk. He said Cyrus would be able to smell it?”
Miranda shrugged. “If he can’t, he’ll see it. But he won’t mention it. Not in front of Marlow Tenwick.”
Rachel chewed on her lip and wrapped her arms more tightly around herself. “Because I’m just human.”
Miranda smiled the kindest smile Rachel had ever seen. She reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently. “There are worse things to be, Rachel.” Miranda turned and walked into the house.
Rachel followed, but she couldn’t stop the thoughts that sprang to her mind. Miranda was too kind to tell Rachel the truth, but Cyrus would if he was pushed. There were worse things to be, but not worse women for the son of an Alpha to fall in love with.
10
When Rachel stepped into the foyer, Louis was waiting for her. He had changed into khakis and a button-down flannel shirt, but he was just as fidgety as he’d been at the ball.
“Miss Simmons,” he said. He kept his voice so low that Rachel had to strain to hear him. “I’ve been asked to prep you for the conclave. It will be better for everyone if you don’t speak unless spoken to. Don’t volunteer information. Only answer the questions asked. Do that and this should go smoothly.”
Rachel nodded. She didn’t trust her voice not to crack if she spoke. Louis guided her into the sitting room. All eyes turned to Rachel as she entered. Everyone was there. Cyrus stood in front of the massive stone fireplace, his knuckles white from gripping the smooth mantle. She’d half expected him to be in a business suit, but he wore jeans and heavy work boots, though Rachel doubted he was the manual labor type.
Alexandra claimed a spot on the only sofa in the room, her body turned and sprawled across it. A black wrap dress clung to every curve of her slender figure. She might have been beautiful, but for the scowl that permanently marred her face. Marlow leaned against the back of the couch behind his daughter. Seeing them all in normal clothes made everything seem all the more otherworldly. Everyone in the room could change into a monster at will, yet they all seemed so ordinary.
“Why is she here?” Alexandra spat.
“Miss Simmons is here at my request,” Cyrus said. “In a way she’s the reason I’ve called the conclave.”
Dirk, Maddock, and Miranda stood on the far side of the room. For a second, Rachel felt an overwhelming urge to run to Dirk and cling to him, but she pushed the instinct away and sat in a nearby armchair. At least here she might be able to run if she needed to. Though she didn’t think she could outrun six bears.
“I can’t agree to a conclave with a human present,” Marlow said. “It’s out of order!”
Cyrus stared down at Marlow. There was a change in the energy of the room, as if the air over her shoulders became thicker and heavier. “Miss Simmons is here to give testimony for the conclave. I assure you, her presence here is completely warranted.”
Marlow’s brow furrowed, but he rose to his full height. It did nothing to make up for the inch or so Cyrus had over him. He apparently lost the silent battle of wills and slunk back to his place behind the couch. Rachel thought she saw the corners of Cyrus’s mouth tick upward in a small smile.
Cyrus crossed to Rachel. He towered over her from her spot in the armchair. She shrank back against the plush upholstery. “Miss Simmons, I understand you went to the lake looking for my son last night?”
Rachel’s heart pounded. “Yes. We had an agreement.”
“Indeed. But you found Cass Tenwick. He would be the man who was at our meeting last night, but isn’t here now.”
Alexandra leaned forward. “You saw my brother? You know what happened to him?”
Rachel opened her mouth to answer, but Cyrus narrowed his eyes to silence her. He dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a folded pocketknife. Her pocketknife.
“Is this yours, Miss Simmons?” Cyrus held the pocketknife in front of her face.
Rachel glared up at him, anger temporarily overriding fear in her mind. Why ask her a question he already knew the answer to? Was he trying to trap her? “Yes, it’s mine.” Short answers. Only answer the question he asked.
“Louis tells me that Cass’s body showed signs of a battle. Cass would never have gone into battle in human form…which means you saw Cass Tenwick turn into a bear before he died.”
Rachel swallowed. He’d already proved she was headed to the lake when they last saw her, and the pocketknife proved she’d made it there. There was no point in lying. She wanted to respond with a biting comment, but nothing came to her mind. All she could think about was how close Cyrus was to her
compared to Dirk. If Cyrus wanted to change into a bear and maul her right there, Dirk couldn’t cross the room fast enough to stop it.
“Yes. I saw it,” she said.
The blood drained from Marlow’s face. Apparently, being seen by a human was just as bad as being a human who knew about shifters.
Cyrus looked over his shoulder at Marlow, who nodded.
“Miss Simmons, in keeping with the traditions of my people I offer you a choice.” He crossed behind her, and set his massive hands on her shoulders. “You can leave with your life, and the money you’re owed. So long as you agree to keep our secret.”
She looked at Dirk for reassurance, but he kept all emotion out of his expression. It was probably the safest move, but it hurt to see the face that looked at her so adoringly hours before now covered by a mask of indifference.
“Forgive me, Mr. Greenwood, but you aren’t good at keeping deals.”
Maddock laughed, a booming sound that pierced the quiet of the room and made Rachel jump.
“That was business, Miss Simmons. This is very personal. It’s the welfare of my family we’re talking about.” His fingers squeezed her shoulder more tightly.
“Wait a minute,” Marlow said as he crossed back in front of the sofa. “If she was there, she knows what happened to my son.”
“I’m sorry,” she stammered. She glanced at Dirk again. This time he nodded. “Yes, I know what happened to Cass.”
Marlow opened his mouth to speak, but Cyrus cut him off. “You aren’t Alpha here, Marlow. This is my conclave. Sit down!”
Marlow didn’t back down. Instead he moved in front of Rachel, towering over her just as Cyrus had. “Then ask her what happened to my son!”
“It’s obvious what happened to your son, Marlow. He battled a rogue and lost. A rogue nosing around my territory on the eve of our alliance.” Cyrus let go of Rachel’s shoulders and crossed the room, his eyes locked on Maddock.
“A rogue,” Cyrus continued. “Who conveniently arrived on our doorstep just hours after Cass’s throat was ripped out. A rogue who’d do anything to bring embarrassment to this family.”
Suddenly, Rachel understood Cyrus’s game, though it made her sick to her stomach. If Marlow found out that Dirk killed Cass, it would destroy the alliance. But Cyrus had already sentenced Maddock to death by exile. When it happened probably didn’t matter to Cyrus, as long as it benefited him in the end.
Maddock raised an eyebrow. “That’s a nice theory, but not true. My flight didn’t land until after midnight. And I haven’t been any farther north than this. So unless Cass picked a fight with me in a crowded airport and managed to get from LAX to Lake Gregory while bleeding from the throat, I’m not your guy.”
“And you expect us to believe that?” Cyrus leaned forward so that his nose almost brushed against Maddock’s, but Maddock didn’t back up an inch.
“I believe it. Maddock didn’t kill Cass Tenwick,” Dirk said as he locked eyes with Rachel. “I did.”
All hell broke loose. Marlow lunged at Dirk. Dirk jumped over Marlow’s sprawled body and ran to Rachel. In seconds, he’d pulled her from the armchair and pushed her against the wall. If anyone wanted to get to her, they’d have to go through him first. Maddock intercepted Marlow as he climbed to his feet and tackled him to the ground again. Louis ran to Miranda and slid into a defensive stance in front of her.
From her spot behind Dirk, Rachel heard an inhuman roar. It was higher than the ones that had come from Cass and Dirk during their fight.
“A human?! You want to claim a human instead of me?!” The shrill voice must have belonged to Alexandra.
Marlow pushed Maddock away and climbed to his feet. Rachel could see his enraged face just below Dirk’s shoulder. “That boy murdered my heir,” he spat. “He spurned my daughter, and broke every rule we hold. This cannot stand, Greenwood!”
“Enough!” Cyrus glared at Dirk, then at Rachel. “What do you want, Marlow?”
Marlow chewed on his lip, his massive chest heaved, though Rachel couldn’t say if it was from anger or from being tackled by the younger, heavier Maddock.
“The deal stays intact. The human dies.”
The words sent a chill up Rachel’s spine. She looked frantically for an exit, even though she knew she’d never make it back to her van.
“Nobody touches her,” Dirk said through clenched teeth.
“You are not Alpha here,” Cyrus spat. “And you’ve caused enough trouble.”
Miranda walked to Rachel’s side and stood between her and Cyrus. She laid a gentle hand on Cyrus’s shoulder. “Neither is Marlow Tenwick, my love.”
Cyrus nodded. “I need the night to think on this. Louis, show Miss Simmons to the guest room.” Miranda threw a pointed look in Marlow’s direction.
Cyrus stormed out of the room. Marlow and Alexandra followed. When they were gone, Dirk pulled Rachel into his arms. She clung to him as the relieved tension left her body shaking.
“I’ll do what I can,” Miranda whispered. Then she too left the room, hurrying in the direction Cyrus had gone.
Louis cleared his throat “Miss Simmons, if you’ll come with me?”
Dirk glared at him and growled in warning. “I haven’t forgotten my promise about your tail, Louis. She counts as part of me.”
Louis raised his chin in indignation. “I wouldn’t dream of harming your mate.”
“No, not unless our father ordered it,” Maddock said.
Dirk cradled Rachel’s face between his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I won’t be far,” he whispered.
Louis motioned for Rachel to follow him down the hall. She hugged herself as they went, though the warmth of the day hadn’t yet left the house. The beige walls were mostly bare, except for a handful of family portraits. From the look of them, they’d been taken ten years apart. The first showed Miranda holding a baby on her lap and Cyrus behind her, holding a toddler. In the second, Maddock and Dirk were boys, and their parents stood on either side. Rachel didn’t see the third, but an empty space and vacant nail marked the spot where she guessed it would have been.
“I’ll have Ana bring you dinner,” Louis said. “It’s best if you eat in your room tonight. I’m sure you understand.”
“Sure, wouldn’t want to bleed on the tablecloth. I get it.” Rachel swallowed.
Louis stopped in front of an open door. The room was smaller than Rachel would have expected. The king-sized bed swallowed most of the floor space. Each wall held a huge window that gave her a view of the tree line and the encroaching blackness beyond.
“Ana will bring you something to sleep in. Good night, Miss Simmons.” Louis pulled the heavy door shut.
Rachel kicked off her shoes and crawled into the bed. She stared into the darkness as the last bit of sunlight faded away. She’d only been awake for a few hours, but the tension of the day washed over her and drained every bit of energy in its wake. As she closed her eyes, she made a wish.
Let us live. She thought. Let me keep him, and let us live.
The bedside clock said midnight, but Rachel could swear it was later. Maybe that was just the sentence hanging over her head. She couldn’t say when she’d fallen asleep for sure. At some point, a tiny woman in a pastel polo shirt brought her a tray of food and an oversized T-shirt. She was grateful for the shirt, but the food lay untouched on the bedside table. Her mind replayed the meeting over and over in her dreams. Except in the dream world, Marlow didn’t issue any demands, he just calmly wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed the life from her.
The inky void beyond the windows didn’t help. The trees allowed only the faintest light from the moon to filter into her room. She couldn’t make out anything in it, but she had the strangest feeling that someone or something was staring at her in the darkness. She would have given anything for something to cover the windows, but there were no curtains or blinds. Her only escape was sleep, as fitful as it was.
All at once, Rachel realized why s
he’d woken up. There was someone in the room with her! Rachel gasped and reached for the bedside lamp, but a strong hand clamped over hers. She opened her mouth to scream. Another hand clamped over it. Every muscle in her body tensed as she thrashed to get away.
“Shh! It’s just me,” Dirk whispered.
Rachel stared in the direction of the voice and waited for her eyes to adjust. Dirk’s outline solidified out of the darkness. She threw her arms around his neck.
“You scared the hell out of me,” she whispered.
Dirk pressed a kiss to her forehead. His long fingers snaked through her hair, still ruffled from sleep. “Sorry. I only wanted to check on you.”
“Making sure Marlow didn’t maul me in my sleep?”
“He wouldn’t dare. Not under this roof. Why do you think we’re still here?”
Rachel’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think I understand.”
“It’s clan politics, love. Until the Alpha issues a ruling, nobody concerned can be touched.”
“And Cyrus is Alpha.”
Dirk nodded and cupped the back of her neck. “If Marlow did anything to you tonight, he’d start a war. Believe me, Cyrus would finish it.”
Dirk shifted their bodies and laid her down on the mattress. He slid beneath the blanket next to her and snaked an arm around her waist.
She ran her hand along his jaw and let the stubble tickle her fingertips. “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
Dirk nodded again. Rachel could see the sadness in his eyes.
She didn’t know why she’d asked. Dirk and Miranda had done what they could to protect her, even Maddock had helped, but Rachel had a feeling that it was Cyrus’s word that had saved her in the living room.
“The van’s outside,” she whispered. “Let’s run for it.”
“We can’t. I don’t know what Cyrus will say tomorrow, but he won’t let Marlow kill you. That isn’t the way he handles things. If we run now, we lose that protection. I know the Tenwicks. They wouldn’t stop trying to hurt you.”
