“What about before your mentor died? Did anyone seem overly interested in you?”
“No, just Mary's friends. We sometimes got together to celebrate the Celtic holy days. I've been so busy since Mary died, I haven't participated.”
“All right. We'll talk more about this tonight. Here comes a customer . . . ”
Meadow knew Brencis wasn't happy with being interrupted again. She really didn't think anyone was stalking her. Then, why had he received a note? Was someone trying to send him away? Why would someone want that? It didn't make any sense.
Brencis watched as Meadow helped customer after customer. She was having a good sales day. When his cell phone rang, Brencis was surprised to see Grigori's name.
“Is something wrong?” Brencis asked.
“Do you think I call only when something is wrong?” Grigori asked. “The men Dmitry sent have arrived, and Melisande thought we should have a big dinner to welcome them. Since you are my second, you should be here as well. Do you think you can drag Meadow away from the shop for the evening?”
“I'll ask her. Make sure Rosie remembers Meadow is a vegetarian. She’ll need to make up a special dinner for her.”
“Already taken care of,” Grigori said. “Come over right after work. I want to talk to you about our guests.”
Brencis closed up his cell phone and looked over at Meadow. What he really wanted was to take her home and keep her there in his bed for at least a week. He would be lucky if she would agree to opening up the shop a little later tomorrow.
Meadow could feel Brencis fretting about something. She gave the package to her customer and walked over and put her arms around him. She leaned against him as he held her, wanting to ease whatever was bothering him. She felt the wave of love and longing he was feeling coming through the mating bond. Meadow caressed his cheek as she stepped back.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Grigori would like us to come out to the estate tonight to meet the new pack members. Is there anyone you could call to open the shop for us tomorrow? We should be back around noon.”
“I could ask Angeline Penwick. She fills in for me occasionally. She used to work for Mary before I moved in, then she went away to university. She’s back for the summer and might be able to come in. I'll call her.”
“Thank you, Meadow. I was afraid to ask you to come away with me.”
Meadow looked at him in disbelief. He had been afraid, this proud determined alpha male?
“Why would you be afraid?”
“That you wouldn't want to come . . .” Brencis said.
Meadow shook her head and wondered how it was possible a man who was a wolf could be afraid of anything.
“You are my mate. Of course, I want to come with you,” Meadow said. “Seth told me about the mating bond and needing to be together. It’s kind of nice knowing you need me to be near you. He also told me you are Grigori's second in the pack, his Beta, and help him run things. So if he called you, then you should go.”
“I will have to thank Seth for explaining so much to you.”
“You told me last night what it means to be second of the pack. You have to enforce the Alpha's wishes and help keep the pack members safe.”
“And their mates, which means you, Melisande and Josephine.”
“I have never felt safer than I feel with you, Bren.”
“I will always keep you safe, Meadow mine.”
Meadow kissed him lightly on the cheek and moved to her desk. Picking up the phone, she dialed Angeline's number.
“Angeline? This is Meadow. Are you available to open for me tomorrow? I’ve got an appointment in the morning. I should be back by noon. That’s great, come by and pick up the key before closing tonight. Okay, I'll see you then.”
Brencis felt his stomach unclench. Meadow was coming home with him. His mate would be by his side to meet the new pack members. Looking at Meadow's clothes, he thought he might not even ask her to change. The orange hair wig with the purple scarf was a little bright, but he would let her decide what to wear to the dinner. Besides, he didn't want the new males looking too closely at his mate. Meadow was his. He might even have a chance to present her with his mother's ring tonight.
Brencis walked down to the deli to pick up lunch for Meadow and himself. He was carefully carrying the bag of food and two drinks when he saw a small woman wearing a black cape enter Magic Herbs. Swearing, he tried to hurry without spilling anything. Was this the same person who left the last note? Brencis pushed open the door and saw Meadow laughing and talking with the young woman wearing the black cape. He was surprised to see the girl didn't look older than twenty. She had shoulder-length hair the color of dark chocolate and fine, delicate features.
Her golden-hazel eyes widened with shock as she looked between Brencis and Meadow. Brencis was surprised again when she pointed at the mating bond. He sniffed the air and tried to see if she could be lycanthrope, all he smelled was human female. How was she seeing the mating bond, unless she was psychic like Meadow and Melisande? He walked closer to the woman and heard Meadow explain that the mating bond showed the tying of their hearts and souls together. The other woman promptly hugged Meadow.
“That is wonderful news,” she said. “You've found your destined soul mate. Congratulations.”
Brencis set the food down on the desk and studied the young woman. She didn't seem to be a threat to Meadow, and she didn't smell like she was lying. In fact, he thought she was genuinely happy for Meadow. Could this be the stalker? Then, Meadow turned and motioned him over.
“Bren, this is my friend Angeline Penwick. She will open the shop for us tomorrow,” Meadow said. “Angel, this is Brencis, my mate.”
Brencis was taken by surprise when Angeline gave him a huge hug.
“I am so glad Meadow has found her soul mate,” Angeline said. “I know you will keep her safe.”
Brencis frowned and wondered why Angeline had used that turn of phrase. He wanted to ask her, but the two women were already talking and laughing as they walked away from him. Finally, at the front door, he saw Meadow hand Angeline the key, and Angeline was gone.
When Meadow came back, she was smiling and looked happy. Brencis hated to do anything to take that away from his mate. So instead of asking her about Angeline, he handed her the salad and juice. There was more than one way to find out about Miss Angeline Penwick.
Meadow ate her salad and wondered what Rosie would be fixing for dinner. She hoped someone at the estate remembered she was a vegetarian. Then there was the official gathering of the pack members. Brencis had told her how hard it was for lycans to find mates among their own kind and that the Alpha prince in Russia was sending his men out to find mates in other countries. Brencis had told her that a pack had been started here in England because of the discovery of the lost lycans Rosie had gathered. Dmitry, the Russian Alpha, believed Grigori would have better luck searching for more lost ones if he stayed in England. So Grigori became Alpha of the English pack. There was also a new Alpha in America, Sergei Sokolov, and some of the lycans had decided to go there to search for mates.
Meadow knew Brencis needed to help Grigori show a united front to the newcomers, in case one of them decided to come in and take the Alpha position from Grigori. The Alpha position was always held by the strongest member. Brencis would fight anyone who tried to usurp Grigori's position.
What Meadow didn't know was what was expected of her as Brencis' mate. Seth had explained lycanthrope males were often possessive and protective of their mates. Rosie had said they mated for life and would want to die if they lost their mate. Meadow certainly didn't want Brencis to die of grief, so she would have to be careful not to get hurt or sick. She didn't know if she should sit quietly and stay in the background, or if she should speak up if someone tried to mess with Brencis. What would a female wolf do?
When the bell rang signaling another customer, Meadow sighed and threw the rest of her salad in the trash. Lunch was over, and it
was time to get back to work. Whatever happened tonight, she would try to show everyone Brencis was her mate and she was keeping him.
On the way to Somerset, Brencis felt tension radiating off Meadow in waves. He tried to reassure her about tonight, but as they approached the estate, she became quiet and more subdued. He couldn't figure out exactly what she was worried about, her angst was making him edgy. When he couldn't take it any longer, Brencis pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. Before Meadow could speak, he unbuckled her seat belt and hauled her onto his lap and kissed her. Brencis felt her start to relax in his arms. He kept up the assault on her lips. A punch of lust tore through him, part of it coming through the mating bond. Meadow was so tired last evening Brencis put her to bed instead of making love to her, as he wished. Perhaps, taking her back to the estate to meet a bunch of single males wasn't as smart as he thought. Not when he wanted her as badly as he did now.
Forcing himself back under control, Brencis broke their kiss and looked down in satisfaction at the dazed look on his mate's face. Her orange wig was slipping to the side, and the purple scarf was lying around her neck. Her lips were swollen from their kissing. Growling with frustration, he gently caressed Meadow's cheek.
“Remember you are mine. My mate, as I am yours. Nothing can come between us or break our bond.”
He watched as Meadow's eyes cleared and she smiled up at him.
“I am yours as you are mine. I won't forget Brencis.”
Brencis helped Meadow back into her seat, helped buckle her seat belt, and pressed a quick kiss on her forehead before he pulled the car back onto the road.
“You might want to fix your hair. I'm afraid I messed it up.”
Meadow looked in the mirror and sighed. She wouldn't be able to fix the wig in the car. She did have a brush in her bag, so she pulled off the wig and tossed it in the back seat. Then, she brushed out her hair. She knew Brencis liked it this way and wondered if he had sabotaged the wig on purpose. He certainly was aroused. His jeans showed his hardness. So if he had ulterior motives, she would forgive them. Meadow admitted to herself she wanted him almost as badly as his tented jeans declared he wanted her. Hopefully, they both would be more in control when they arrived at the estate.
Brencis pulled the car up to the front door and came around to escort Meadow into the house. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close into his side before he led her into the house. Meadow smiled and wanted to laugh at the blatant sign of ownership. Whoever the new pack members were, they would know Meadow belonged to Brencis.
Seth came into the front hallway and smiled in welcome. Before he could speak, Brencis tossed him the car keys.
“Get the bags out of the trunk and put them in my room. Then, put the car in the garage. Where are Grigori and Melisande?” he asked.
“They are in the sunroom with our guests,” Seth said.
Meadow noticed the way Seth emphasized the word guests and wondered what was wrong. She smiled in welcome, but after taking one look at Brencis, Seth rushed out of the house to do his bidding.
“Hey, was that necessary? You didn't even let me say hello.”
“Sorry. I'm a little uptight tonight. You can see Seth at dinner.”
“All right.”
“Come on. Let's see who Dmitry decided to send to us,” Brencis said.
Meadow let Brencis lead her into the sunroom and never noticed when her purple scarf slipped off and fell to the floor. When Melisande saw them enter, she excused herself and hurried over to welcome them.
“Welcome home, Brencis, and you too, Meadow,” Melisande said. “We’ve missed you. I hope you can help Grigori, Bren. He isn't happy Dmitry sent more juveniles to us. He is afraid Dmitry thinks we are running a nursery. Of course, that isn't the case, but now we have six teenage boys to train, and if we find any more lost lycans, we may have to open our own school.”
“Didn't he send any men to help us guard the estate?” Brencis asked.
“ Yes, only four, and one of them is Sergei's brother, Mischa,” Melisande said. “Grigori thinks Mischa will want to move to America in the near future to support his brother as Alpha, so we will lose him.”
“Who are the other adults?” Brencis asked
“Mischa brought his good friend, Desya Kharitonov. Another is named Anatoly Mikhailov. The third is an older man to help with our gardens, Jurek Tarasov.”
“Tolya is here?” Brencis asked. “He is a good man, though quite the ladies’ man if I remember correctly. He got into more than one fight over flirting with a mated female. Jurek has been helping plan the pack gardens, so a variety of foods are available. As for Mischa and Desya, they were raised together and are best friends.”
“If the women Tolya flirted with were mated, what was the harm?” Meadow asked.
“Male lycanthropes are very possessive, as well as protective, of their mates,” Melisande said.
“Where are Valerii and young Josephine?” Brencis asked.
“Valerii is still looking for her,” Melisande said. “I am beginning to worry. Grigori tells me not to fret. I hope he’s right.”
“I’m sure Valerii will find her. Come, Meadow, let me introduce you to Mischa, Desya, Tolya, and Jurek. Who did you say the teenagers were?” Brencis asked.
“Oh, Valerii's cousin, Lukyan and his best friend Donat Putyatinov,” Melisande said.
“Well, that makes some sense, sending Lukyan to Valerii,” Brencis said. “It’s too bad Valerii isn’t here to welcome him. Donat is Lukyan's best friend and has been for years. The two are inseparable.”
“Like you and Valerii?” Melisande asked.
“Now that you mention it. Yeah, like Valerii and me,” Brencis said. “Come, Meadow, I see Tolya now.”
Meadow looked over to see a young man with black hair and startling, cobalt-blue eyes framed by thick, ink-black eyelashes. The man looked over at her and smiled, showing a dimple in his chin. Meadow thought he could be the next movie heart throb, if he wanted to be. Brencis led her up to the man and introduced them.
“Meadow, this is Anatoly Mikhailov,” Brencis said.
“Tolya, please. And you must be the fairy princess that has stolen Brencis' heart,” Tolya said. “Congratulations on your mating.”
“Thank you,” Meadow murmured.
“I see you don't have a drink,” Tolya said. “Let me fetch one for you, lovely lady, and for you, Brencis. What will you have?”
“Meadow would like a glass of juice, and I will have soda,” Brencis said.
“As you wish. I will return shortly,” Tolya said.
“He is quite charming and handsome, too,” Meadow said. “He shouldn't have a hard time finding a mate.”
“Oh, that is part of the problem,” Brencis said. “With Tolya's pretty face, women fall all over him, finding the right one is more difficult.”
“I could make up a new batch of love potion, and we could see how he reacts,” Meadow said.
“But if you cause him to pass out like you did me, how will we find the woman who is his mate?” Brencis asked. “And will she kiss him to break the spell or cement the mating bond?”
“I never meant for you to pass out, only for you to find true love. We don't know for sure he will pass out.”
“Let's not try it, yet. Maybe, if we get desperate.”
“Desperate?”
“To help him. Desperate to help Tolya find his mate.”
“How could I ever be desperate to find a mate when I am in the company of such a lovely lady?” Tolya asked as he handed Meadow her juice and Brencis his soda. “Besides, I am here to help protect you and Melisande and now Josephine, when she is found. I will wait until things have settled down before I start my hunt for a mate.”
Two teenagers walked into the room. Meadow thought Lukyan must be the one who so closely resembled Valerii in coloring. Meadow glanced up to see Brencis watching her. She didn't think it was awe in his gaze, but it warmed her to her toes.
“The one with the light hair is Mischa Sokolov, the American Alpha's younger brother,” Brencis said. “Desya follows him still, it would seem. The older man is Jurek Tarasov. I am really surprised Dmitry sent Mischa here to England.”
“Oh, that is because his brother requested it,” Tolya said. “No, not because they don't get along, because of a woman who works for you. Gwen Quiet Thunder. She is Sergei's mate’s sister, and Sergei is hoping she will be a match for Mischa.”
“Gwen will be hard for any man to catch, especially if she doesn’t wish to be caught,” Brencis said. “I wish him luck in his hunt.”
“Yes, that was what Grigori said as well, he has offered Desya and Mischa a job at your security company and a chance to meet the lovely Gwen,” Tolya said. “We will see what fate has in store for them.”
“Do you believe in fate?” Meadow asked.
“Where our soul mates are concerned?” Tolya said. “Yes. I believe there is a woman out there fated to be mine. If I didn't believe there was a woman out there waiting for me, it would be too depressing to contemplate. All lycans yearn to find their mate and start a family.”
Rosie announced that dinner was ready to be served, and everyone adjourned to the dining room. Meadow sat between Brencis and Tolya. She was happy to see that Rosie had prepared a special plate for her. Tolya lifted a brow at the meatless dish but didn't comment. Instead, he kept up a light stream of chatter, charming the ladies and making the gentlemen smile. It was soon apparent Tolya was very entertaining, and completely harmless. Meadow wondered if he would be harmless if he met his match.
My Magic Mate Page 8
