The smell of bacon still lingered in the air, though Giselle couldn’t spot a single slice left. At least she’d managed to snag those precious first few off the pan slices before she’d run. Her stomach growled in protest.
“Giselle, honey. Just in time. I have our itinerary booked. We leave in the morning.” Martina came up behind her and snatched one of the coffees. She sniffed the top of the lid. “Caramel latte?”
“What else would I order?” Giselle followed along as Martina walked to the kitchen table.
“Too much sugar, dear.” Martina gave the obligatory speech about eating healthy, but drank the coffee nonetheless.
Giselle set the tray of drinks on the table and backed away quickly as the other wolves descended on their prey.
“I want you to pack enough clothes for a week. One of those days will be a special event, so dress to impress.” Martina had a pad of paper in front of her, and between sips of her drink she scrawled down notes. “Richard will be here later this afternoon. He’ll act as our liaison for the entire Council event. Giselle, you will sit with him tonight for training. And I have you sitting next to him on the airplane. We have a few days to cram as much knowledge into you about wolves as we can. You will listen; you will learn. Are we clear?”
And so it begins. Giselle nodded and sipped her drink, knowing that she was in for a long few days.
Martina continued to check things off on her list. “Di, I need you and Taylor to help with wardrobe. Giselle has to look and act her best, and it will be up to us to make her shine.”
“That’s what we do best.” Taylor smiled way too happily for as early as it still was in the morning.
Di at least had the decency to look exhausted, but despite the light circles under her eyes, she still managed to look runway-ready with a perfect messy bun and lip gloss. “Whatever you say. We’ll work some magic on her.”
Giselle almost took that as an insult, but she knew the girls’ skills and had witnessed the transformations they could work. If anyone could make her look her best, they’d do it. “So all I need to do is sit here and look pretty?” She snickered. “Ash was right. This is sounding more and more like a political campaign. When do I get my banner?”
“Are you taking this seriously, Giselle?” Martina had clearly missed the joke.
“Just trying to lighten the mood. Last night you said―”
“You have one chance to prove yourself. One. That’s it.” Martina cut her off. “If you fail, that’s it. You don’t get a do over. So if you want to avoid embarrassment, then you will do your best with this one chance.”
So much for being her little werewolf. Giselle pursed her lips. “I will do my best. I’m trying not to stress out about it. Like you told me. Remember?”
Martina’s face softened. “I just want you to put your best face forward. We get one shot at this.”
“And if I fail?” Giselle asked.
Martina sighed. “Then you return to normal life.”
“I don’t want to fail. Honestly. But if I don’t laugh about it, don’t try to see some humor in it, I’ll give myself an anxiety attack.”
Taylor threw an arm around Giselle. “I can whip you up a campaign poster if that’s what you want.”
Giselle laughed. “Making Wolves Great Again.”
Martina cracked a smile. “Oh, good lord. You’re ridiculous. Both of you.”
“But at least we’re laughing now,” Giselle said.
“Let’s make a deal, then.” Martina tapped her pencil on the edge of her paper. “Be present and willing to do what you are called to do, and I will not bog you down with lists and schedules.”
“So, I go with the flow?” Giselle asked. “While you make lists behind my back?”
Martina winked. “What you can’t see, can’t stress you out.”
“And that’s why you’re the Alpha.” Giselle laughed.
Martina slugged down the rest of her drink and returned to her paper.
Di strolled into the kitchen and by the sounds of it was making a plate of food.
Giselle’s stomach growled, reminding her that she couldn’t live on coffee alone, no matter how much sugar it had in it. She stood ready to follow Di towards breakfast, but Taylor grabbed hold of her instead.
“Got a minute?” her sister asked.
Giselle whimpered as Taylor lead her away from the kitchen toward the stairs. “But breakfast...”
“Won’t be long. I promise. I just want to talk with you in private for a minute. Please.” Taylor tugged at Giselle’s arm.
With a defeated sigh, Giselle allowed herself to be taken up the stairs toward their bedroom.
“So, you talked to Ash today?” Taylor asked, busying herself with her suitcase to avoid eye contact with her sister.
“And you’re bringing this up because?” Giselle asked, feeling angry that she had been pulled away from food to talk about a boy. And not just any boy... Ash.
Taylor folded a shirt and shoved it into her suitcase with a loud sigh. “Because it’s time I let it go, and I wanted you to know... I’m totally cool with any...” Taylor snatched up another shirt from her bed and rolled it up. “Relationship...” She slammed that shirt into her suitcase as well. “Whatever the two of you have.”
If Taylor thought she was convincing anyone with that act, she was sorely mistaken. It was plain as day that she was not truly over the hurt Ash had caused with his rejection. But Giselle understood the gesture. Girl code and all, she would never entertain the idea of a relationship with anyone her sisters had eyes on.
“I do have a boyfriend already. You remember that, right?” Giselle hoped that reminder would soothe the tension she could see in her sister.
Taylor barely glanced at Giselle as she stepped past her into the closet to grab more clothes. “Yep. And I love Damien. He’s a great guy. But you know how it goes with our kind, and you’re going to have a suitor list a mile long once you’re made all official and stuff.” She walked out of the closet with a pile of clothes conveniently covering her face. “So I want you to know that I will not stand in the way.”
“Yet your tone and body language tell me otherwise,” Giselle said.
“Me and Ash were not a great couple. We are going to be awesome friends. And that’s cool. I just have a lingering sense of jealousy, that’s all.”
“Because of me being Alpha?” Giselle asked.
“No, silly. I’m totally psyched about that. But you’ve had both Ash and Damien at your beck and call since you joined our pack.” Taylor stopped mid-fold. Her fingers dug into the fabric of the pair of jeans she was prepping to go into her suitcase. “It’s hard not to be jealous of that when you don’t seem to try at all.”
Giselle reached out and pulled the jeans away from Taylor’s hands, and finally her sister looked up. It wasn’t pain she saw behind Taylor’s eyes; it was longing. Her sister was such a beautiful person, and as long as they’d known each other, Taylor had been single. Odd, since she was the outgoing one. The girl who belonged to all the social circles and was uniquely gifted in the art of fashion. She deserved someone fawning all over her. Someone who appreciated all she could bring to a relationship. Ash was an idiot for letting her go.
“Taylor, you’re the best, sweetest, and prettiest girl I know. Don’t tell Di I said that. You’re in for one hell of a wolf when the time comes. Trust me. Ash was stupid to walk away from you.”
“Thanks. He is an idiot. But not my problem anymore.” Taylor laughed, but it was empty. Giselle’s words might have comforted her some, but Taylor was clearly not completely happy.
“Well, I never said I was taking him on. But I’m glad your blessing is there on our friendship. That means a lot to me,” Giselle said.
“Just do me a favor.” Taylor resumed packing her bag, but she did look up when she spoke.
“What’s that?”
“When the time comes? Let Damien down easy.”
Giselle sighed.
Taylor met her eyes with d
etermination this time. “You know it has to happen eventually.”
Everyone, it seemed, felt she and Damien were a bad idea. And Giselle hated to admit that she understood why. However, the more people told her not to do something, the more her defiant nature began to surface. “I hate having my hand forced.”
“I’ve learned that about you.” Taylor laughed genuinely this time. “But in our world, an Alpha has to be able to produce heirs.”
She nearly stuck her fingers in her ears at that point. “Puppies? Hell, no! That’s years down the line.”
Taylor sighed loudly and set down her clothes. “Damien is not like other high school boys. He’s the type who’d stick around for the long haul.” She took hold of Giselle’s hands, holding them lightly in hers. Before, when she talked of Ash, she wouldn’t make eye contact, but now, she looked deeply into Giselle’s, silently pleading for her to listen and understand. “It would be unfair to drag him along for that long, only to have to cut him loose because of your duty.” Having said her piece, Taylor let go of Giselle’s hands and returned to her suitcase.
The thought had weighed heavily on Giselle’s mind since learning the truth of her mother and father. She’d already tried once to let Damien off the hook, but he’d held on tight, proving yet again his loyalty to their relationship even in the face of his family’s disapproval.
“Seems my relationship is the topic on everyone’s mind,” Giselle grumbled. “Ash warned me in much the same fashion.”
“It’s unfair. That’s for sure. And another reason I’m not jealous of what you are to become.” Taylor smirked and began to roll socks to stuff into her suitcase.
“Thanks,” Giselle grouched.
“Just being honest,” Taylor said. “You can’t have it all.”
Truer words had never been spoken. But it wasn’t a question in her mind of Damien over Asher. If she were forced to drop her boyfriend for her role as Alpha, then she’d remain single for as long as possible. No one would dictate to her whom she could be mated to.
Chapter 4
Hours flew by as packing took the focus of the day. Matching proper outfits and shoes kept Taylor and Di occupied. Tasked with making Giselle look her best, they took extra care in selecting just the right outfits, littering the floor of their bedroom with castoffs. By the time Richard arrived, Giselle was more than happy to trade fashion for fighting tips. At least it would be more interesting.
She met him in the dining room. Standing with his arms crossed and his eyes narrow and focused directly on her, he was an intimidating sight, leaving her feeling like prey in the predator’s deadly gaze. It was only when he opened his mouth to speak that she felt at ease.
“A lot can be said for giving off a menacing appearance.” Richard relaxed his stance, allowing his arms to fall to his sides.
“Reading my mind again?” Giselle asked.
“Don’t need to. Your body language gives everything away. The moment you walked into the room, you lost the courage you naturally carry.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“If I can see it, I guarantee you all the rest of the Council will. At all times, remember to hold your head high. Appearance is everything.” Richard held out a hand, indicating she should take a seat, and then shoved a notebook and pencil down the table.
So much for this being that kind of training. She’d hoped for a sparring match to work off the tension, but it looked like the only muscles she’d be working were in her fingers. Giselle sighed and flipped open the notepad.
“You don’t have to know everything to be an Alpha. Some of the best Alphas out there surround themselves with knowledgeable wolves who assist in decision-making. But you must have complete certainty when you speak. Just like appearing weak can make you look bad, sounding weak has the same effect. If you are wrong, you can admit it later; but when you do say something, you must believe it with all your heart.”
“And if I know I’m wrong?”
“Then keep your mouth shut.” Richard pulled a chair out and sat heavily on it. “When you are Alpha, you will be the pillar upon which others will build their trust. Don’t give them reasons to waiver in that trust. Play the game.”
“This isn’t me,” Giselle said, more to herself than to Richard. Lone wolves were not leaders.
“Being an Alpha has more to do with others than it does yourself,” he replied.
Giselle groaned, feeling a longwinded speech about to come her way. “Why don’t you take the role, then? You’re much better suited for it than me.”
“I’m old enough to know what the job entails, but not young enough to want the position.” Richard laughed and relaxed back into his chair.
“You don’t look that old. What, like forty or something?”
“Or something,” Richard replied, but the fact he had not confirmed his actual age had her wondering. Wolves and age was an ambiguous subject.
“Whatever. I’m a kid. I’m still in my selfish years. I’m too young to have such responsibility.”
“You don’t appreciate the position... yet. “ Richard jabbed a finger in her direction. “Drop the petulant child act, sweetheart. I’ve known you long enough to see through it.”
Giselle was mid eyeroll just as he said it, angry he’d seen through her façade.
“Your age is a factor, yes.” Richard relaxed, letting his hands fall back to the kitchen table. “That is why you would have a Regent in your place. But make no mistake, you were born for this.”
The more people told her she was born for this, the more she wanted to run screaming from it. Maybe if just one person would say something like, You’ll be total crap at this, just give up, she’d feel the need to step up and prove them wrong. But no. Everyone and their brother just had to big her up and pile on the pressure with their praise.
“You think just because my dad was an Alpha that I somehow belong in the role? That’s the kind of backwards thinking that killed off the monarchies.”
Impatience darkened Richard’s eyes. “Not all monarchies are dead, little werewolf. And yes, Alpha blood runs in your veins, whether you want to believe it or not. It’s apparent in the way you inspire others to take up your causes and follow you into certain danger.”
“No one follows me anywhere,” Giselle muttered.
Richard let out a sigh that sounded almost like a growl. “When you finally learn to harness that power and have the wisdom of age to back up your decisions, I have no doubt you’ll make one of the finest Alphas in North America.”
Giselle was at a loss as to what to say. The snarky teen in her wanted to throw in something condescending and cliché. His speech had all the hallmarks of a wizened old mentor from a comic book schooling the reluctant superhero. But her wolf reacted differently, as if wanting to rise to the occasion and take its rightful position on top and usher in a new era for her kind. Both sides of that coin felt at war with each other, and she was just the battleground waiting to host the victor.
“Try not to put too much pressure on yourself just yet. Yes, you are meant to do this, but as with all things, you must learn and grow into your role. You need to first educate yourself on what it is to be a wolf. To live in a pack. Understand the dynamics. The rules. How we live both with and apart from human society. This is the primary reason for regency, anyway. To give you this time.”
“Then why must this decision be made now?” Giselle asked, looking around to see if her sisters or maybe Martina might decide to crash the party and give them something else to discuss. Then again, the only topic any of them wanted to discuss was her becoming Alpha.
“Our territories are held by power. They are not merely assigned lines on a map. A long time ago, the North American continent had nearly as many High Alphas as there were states, each one warring with the next for control of land and resources. Much as the humans settled and organized into regions and later states, we too narrowed down the field of governing Alphas into smaller and smaller numbers, until we have what
you see today. That, however, can change just as quickly as it came about if another territory senses weakness and decides to move in and envelop more lands.”
“So if other Alphas want to take over our territory, why am I being brought in to be judged by them?”
“Because we have to show them you are strong enough to hold your territory, and maintain the guise of a unified Council. Regional Alphas meet two times a year to discuss matters of state and settle border disputes. So anyone who will rise to power will quickly get to know these other Alphas.”
“Sounds like there’s a lot of playacting involved.” Giselle rolled her eyes.
“All politics is playacting of some form. Some politicians do it better than others. Sometimes looking like the biggest and baddest wolf in the pack is all it takes to bully the other wolves into doing the right thing, and other times a true show of strength is needed. You’ll have to master the former and employ others to do the latter in your reign.”
“Because I’m a girl?” Giselle grumped, feeling the conversation had taken a slightly sexist tone.
“Because you’re a pup. You are not of age, so you cannot fight right now. But yes, when you do come of age, you had better be able to fight your battles yourself with that attitude.”
Giselle was no fighter; not in the physical sense. And Richard was right, understanding her limitations meant picking battles correctly. All the more reason she shouldn’t be a leader. Her mouth ran away with her more often than not. She’d surely piss off the wrong person eventually, and then where would she be? “Playacting, then. Got it! I’m the biggest, baddest wolf out there, as far as anyone knows.”
“You’re a Silverman,” Richard corrected.
“And that means?” Giselle asked.
“You come from a powerful family. That by itself carries weight. Remember that. Both your father and David were very powerful Alphas and held the territory in peace for a very long time.”
“Then shouldn’t the role pass to David’s sons, Ace and Jay?” Giselle wondered why she’d been chosen so quickly as replacement when it was their father who’d died.
Fearless Little Werewolf Page 3
