The room had again fallen into an uneasy quiet. Perhaps her words had hit the mark and the Alphas were mulling them over. Or maybe she’d just made a complete fool of herself. Only time would tell, but as she stood there in the silence with all eyes on her, the overwhelming urge to sit and take sudden interest in her food took over. “Thanks for your time,” she finished, and quickly took her seat.
“How dare you?” Vivian started to say before Misha slammed a fist on the table.
“We’ve heard enough from you Mrs. Silverman. Is there anyone else who will speak?”
The room erupted in murmurs and whispers of dissension, but no one stood to speak for or against Giselle. The noise went on for more than ten minutes, and no one had yet come to an agreement on what to do.
Misha sighed. “Since this Council cannot agree openly, it will be put to a silent vote. At the end of our feast, we will write our answer on a piece of paper, and I will tally the results.”
It wasn’t an outright no... at least, not yet. But Giselle understood that she had not won the support of the Council of Alphas. And based on the murderous glares coming from Vivian, she’d made a powerful enemy in the process. At least she knew she had one wolf on her side. Fallon gave her a wink from across the table. It would figure the one to support her would be the other outcast of the group. But hey, at least she was in good company.
Chapter 14
Suffering through a dinner next to Vivian had been hard enough, but when the final verdict was handed down just after dessert, Giselle finally hit rock bottom. Mentally and physically spent from hours of play-acting strength and power had left her so emotionally drained she could barely muster a polite “May I be excused?” before bolting out of the room and running like a madwoman through the halls.
In the short span of time between the reception hall and the elevator, tears erupted from the dam of her eyes and poured like rivers down her cheek. Layers of mascara and liner melted around her eyes. In the polished brass of the elevator doors she could see the mask forming, but rather than conceal her grief it made the whole of her suffering apparent to any who passed her along the way to her rooms.
Sobbing like a small child, searching for some shred of comfort, Giselle burst through the door of her hotel room.
“Where were you?” she cried out the moment she spotted Martina.
Long faces and apologies caught her before she crumpled to the ground, a complete emotional wreck. She hadn’t wanted this job. She didn’t need the job. All she’d wanted was to see her father and bring him home. The payment for it had been utter humiliation. Being brought up before a council of Alphas, sat there, all evening, to be judged and ridiculed simply for being born and left alone in the world. If not for Fallon’s kindness, the entire night would have been horrid, but even that small ray of sunshine had not been enough to pierce the thunderous Vivian and her downpour of hatred.
Martina pulled her into a motherly hug. “I am so very sorry. More than I could possibly say. This was not how it was supposed to go. Please know this.” She lovingly stroked her daughter’s hair.
Despite her anger at being abandoned, Giselle couldn’t pull away from the motherly embrace. Her emotional well had run dry, and she melted against her adoptive mother’s body, borrowing from her strength to keep herself upright. Tears fell silently, but her sobs echoed in the room where she stood, with Richard waiting in the wings to come forward.
Martina might have signaled him to wait; Giselle couldn’t see if they were having some silent communication. His presence she recognized, but the old wolf made no advance nor voiced an apology for his part in her abandonment.
Martina alone had the floor. She held tight to Giselle, allowing her to bury her wet face and cry for as long as she needed.
“We had planned to be there, Sweetheart.” Martina’s gently stroked Giselle’s back. “But our places were taken by Vivian... and her son. We only found out about it at the door.”
“You could have pushed your way in.” Emotions got the better of her, and Giselle’s anger soured her words.
Martina countered sweetly with compassion. “You know as well as I that it wouldn’t have helped your cause if we barged in like savages.”
“What does it matter? I lost anyway.” Giselle pulled back, meeting her mother’s eyes for the first time. She wanted to find a reason to rail on her. How could she have stood aside and let that woman come in and ruin everything? Martina should have been there to protect her daughter. But Giselle’s anger faded when Martina’s eyes dripped with sorrowful tears.
Martina had no words. She didn’t need to. Her emotions spoke louder than her voice could have, leaving Giselle to accept what had happened.
She backed away from Martina to find a seat on the couch, her legs no longer wanting to hold her upright.
Richard took the silence as his cue to enter the conversation. He took a spot alongside Giselle and patted her on the shoulder. “Tell us what happened.”
“I’m unfit” Giselle began, trying to hold her voice steady as her sobs turned to hiccups, “at this time. However, if I can find a champion to fight for me” – she took a breath to try and control the spasms in her chest – “they will allow my regency should that champion win.”
On a loud sigh, Richard slumped in his seat and caught his head in his hands. “I was afraid it would come to this.”
“It’s all that stupid Vivian’s fault,” Giselle said, more loudly than she’d intended. “You should have heard her badmouthing me, you,” – she pointed to Martina still standing in the center of the room – “even other Alphas.”
“Why?” Martina pulled a chair over from the small dining table to sit in front of Giselle.
Richard answered before Giselle had the opportunity. “Her son.”
“I should have guessed.” Martina let out an exasperated sigh.
“He can have it. I don’t care,” Giselle said with a hiccupping sob
“It doesn’t work like that,” Richard said.
Wolf rules and laws were too damn tedious, and Giselle had had her fill of them. She didn’t want to admit it, but a small part of her was happy now that she knew she would not be the Alpha. “Why not? He’s been bred for it.”
“That he has,” Richard agreed. “However... I’m assuming they denied him on the grounds that Orion still technically lives.”
“Yeah. Some second-son crap.” Giselle rolled her eyes.
“Yes. Which is why I announced you as Alpha back in Vegas when David died.” Richard stood and began to pace the room. “Tricky little loophole, really. Because the true Alpha lives, the second son is not actually Alpha, even though he served in place for seventeen years. Had Orion died, the outcome might have been different.”
Panic stole Giselle’s breath. Orion had been left in Vivian’s care until they had planned to return home. “You don’t think she would try to kill my father, do you?”
Richard stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened for a moment, and Giselle’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could open her mouth and tell them to grab the car keys, he spoke. “I don’t think so. The verdict has been delivered, so killing him would do nothing at this point. Nor would his sudden death. It would only bring unwanted attention to their family, and I’m guessing that’s the last thing they want tonight.”
“But to be safe, we should pick Orion up early, and care for him here until we leave,” Martina added.
“Yes,” Richard agreed. “Might as well bring him in now. Vivian will be in a foul mood for certain, especially if...” He paused, and his eyes shot to Giselle. “What was the verdict specifically for Ace’s claim?”
“He can participate in the trial by combat if he wishes to stake a claim, since he’s of age.”
“Did the Council say anything else, honey?” Martina asked.
Giselle shook her head. It had all been a bit of a jumble once she’d learned they didn’t want her for the position. She hadn’t really paid much attention to anythin
g else they said.
“When and where will the trials be?” Richard asked.
If she’d paid better attention, she might have known the answer. “Misha said something... I think they’re going to set a date for the trials tomorrow. And I’ll be expected to attend even if I’m not fighting.”
“They’ll hold combat so soon?” Richard’s expression turned grim.
“No. Um...” Had she said tomorrow, or just that they would set a date tomorrow? Giselle wracked her brain to remember exactly what was said.
“I will fight for you.” Richard took his seat again alongside Giselle and put his arm around her. “You’ve not lost this yet.”
“Don’t,” Giselle demanded.
“But I must,” Richard said. “I am your sworn enforcer, and will gladly lay down my life in your service.”
“No. I’m done,” Giselle pleaded, hoping he would understand. “They didn’t want me. That’s fine.” She turned her desperate eyes on Martina. “Let’s just go home with my dad and be happy.”
“But there will still be a trial by combat,” Richard said.
“And that was what you feared would happen if I lost. So we’re already at the worst case scenario. Let it be.”
Richard sucked in a breath. He looked about ready to give a speech, but Martina silenced him with a look.
“She needs time to cope with what she’s be through tonight. We will have no more talk of this. And tomorrow, I will go and meet the Council, so you don’t have to deal with them. I’ll arrange what needs to be arranged and find out the details of this trial by combat. You” – she pulled Giselle into a momma bear hug – “just go back to being you for the time being. Okay?”
Chapter 15
Emotional exhaustion did wonders for insomnia. Giselle hit the pillow hard, and when she awoke to blaring light streaming in through her hotel window, she was shocked to find the day had passed her by – the clock on the nightstand read 1PM.
Even in the middle of summer, without a plan for the day, she’d never been allowed to sleep that late. It was a true testament to Martina’s sorrow for her abandonment. She sank her head back into the pillow and tried to let sleep take her a little longer, while she could still play on her mother’s guilt.
But as always managed to happen once the seal had been broken on her sleepy eyes, the moment they glimpsed daylight, her mind started running, and sleep declined the invitation to return.
Refusing to acknowledge defeat, she shuffled around in bed and found the remote for the television. If she couldn’t rest her body, she’d rest her thoughts with mind-numbing TV.
In the adjoining room, sounds of her family returning caught her attention, but she wasn’t ready to deal with them just yet.
Taylor was there; she could tell by the tap-tap of her horribly uncomfortable but no doubt fashionable shoes. Then came a sound she did not immediately recognize– wheels rolling over soft carpet with a little hint of a squeak.
“Go and check on Giselle.” Gavin’s voice boomed with the order. “We’ll be five minutes tops. I need to see to the nurse.”
So much for peace and quiet now, Giselle sighed. But on a positive note, based on what she’d just heard, her father had arrived. That perked her up enough to rise and start hunting for clothes.
Her back was turned when the door to her room opened.
“You can’t stay in here forever,” Taylor said softly. “I heard what happened. It’s not the end of the world.”
“I know that. And I didn’t even want the stupid role anyway.” Giselle rifled through her luggage, not wanting to rehash her failure from the previous evening.
“You can’t lie to me. I’ve known you too long.”
When she looked up, Taylor was giving her the full I don’t think so stare, complete with hands on her hips. Surprisingly for a teenager, she had the angry mother look down pat. Giselle feared for any future children her sister had. They’d never get away with shit.
The silence between them was like a challenge. Who would speak first? Giselle turned away, hoping that would be enough, but her sister pressed the matter. “Admit that you wanted it. Admit that you’re bummed. It’s okay to fail. Don’t you dare bottle that up inside.”
She was right. Damn it! “If it hadn’t been for that Vivian lady, it would have all been cool.”
Taylor’s hands fell from her hips and she came in for a sisterly hug Giselle hadn’t been expecting. “She’s probably trying to get the role for herself.”
Thank the gods for sisters. You could always count on them to go defense for you in any situation.
Giselle pushed away from her sister’s bear-like grip. “She’s not qualified though. Her son is, though... Ace.”
A little glimmer of excitement flashed in Taylor’s eyes, and despite all the negative emotions Giselle felt at that moment, the thought of her sister being happy smoothed things over. Both Taylor and Di had been flirty with the guys. If she couldn’t be Alpha, maybe they had a shot. Assuming Ace fought well. The moment that sobering realization hit her, the hope was gone again. It would come down to brawn if the Alphas had their way.
Taylor busied herself in Giselle’s luggage, picking out a new outfit for her instead of the one Giselle was holding. “As much as I want to hate her for it, moms will do anything they can to help their kids.”
“I get that. And I’m cool with that. But does she have to be such a bitch about it?” Giselle scoffed, remembering how nasty Vivian had been, trying to discredit her at every turn as if she had a personal vendetta.
Di sauntered into the room with a bag smelling suspiciously of chocolate in her hand. “Who are we calling a bitch? Not me, I hope, because I brought medicine!”
Giselle laughed. “Not you... this time.” She winked evilly at her sister.
Di set down the bag and pulled out a custard-filled chocolate iced donut. “It’s good for what ails you,” she announced, handing it to Giselle.
“And this is why I love you so much.” Giselle snatched the donut and nearly inhaled the entire thing in one shot. “Any coffee?”
“Not this time.” Di sat down on the bed with an overfilled crème delight. “Now, dish!”
“All right. Word is there will be a challenge for Alpha.”
“Right. Martina told me they are having it back home in Vegas at the end of the month,” Di said between bites of her donut.
“Wait... what?” Giselle stuttered. “You’re asking me to dish when you clearly have all the juicy gossip.”
“That’s all I know.” Di shrugged. “Mom’s been pretty tight-lipped. But she was talking to Dad about it like she was really scared.”
“Why would she be scared?” Giselle asked.
Taylor butted in. “Because it puts us all on display.”
Giselle sighed, feeling like she’d be strung along on this Alpha bullshit forever. “So. I guess I’m not out of the woods yet. Apparently I’m allowed to choose a champion to fight for me. And they, if they win, will be my regent until I turn 21.”
Di sucked in a deep breath. “Not the end of the world, I guess. You’re still in the running.”
“How can you say that?” Giselle shot back at her sister. “I’m not asking Martina or Gavin to fight for me. These battles are to the death.”
“Oh. Right.” Di’s shoulders slumped. “So what are you going to do?”
Giselle flopped back onto the bed. “I dunno. Crying like a little baby seems like a fun option.”
“Right. Because that’s exactly what you’d do in this situation. Give up and lick your wounds. I know you way better than that. What’s your plan?” Di waved another donut in front of Giselle’s face.
“I got nothing. Seriously.” If only they’d just let it go. All of them. She had been denied once, and as much of a kick to the nuts as that had been, dragging it out and making a spectacle of it was infinitely worse.
“Liar.”
Giselle shot up from the bed, annoyed at the situation more than her s
ister’s insistence, but her words came out angry all the same. “This is a world I know nothing about, and I’m not arrogant enough to say I could fight the big boys for the role. I’ve got nothing here.”
“What about Richard?” Taylor’s voice seemed almost a whisper against Giselle’s outburst. “He seemed eager to help you.”
“As a bodyguard, remember? He had no desire for the leadership role. And I can see why.” Giselle exhaled loudly. “Bunch of assholes, if you ask me. All of them. Well, except the one chick.”
Di’s eyebrows shot up. She handed over another donut for Giselle and took a spot on the bed next to her. “You made a friend?”
She certainly had a good way of changing the subject. Who could resist chocolate and custard? No one, that’s who. Laughter replaced Giselle’s annoyance, and she took a bite before dishing on the new wolf she’d met. “Yeah, she’s the mate to the Alpha of the Boston pack. Fallon. She was a human once.”
“Oh, that’s rare. Hardly anyone survives turning wolf.” Di looked horrorstruck.
“She had a vampire help her or something,” Giselle said casually.
“Damn!” Di shook her head in disbelief. “She must be connected. Friends with vamps, too.”
“You think she’d be willing to stick up for you?” Taylor asked.
“I talked to her for like five seconds, you guys,” Giselle snorted, nearly choking on her donut. “I doubt that’s enough to inspire her to defend my right to rule...to the death.”
“Couldn’t hurt to talk to her before we go home.” Di shrugged as if the question were as simple as that. “You have to do everything you can to keep your place as Alpha!”
“No.” Giselle shook her head as she stuffed the last bit of donut in her mouth. “Not happening.”
“This is so not like you!”
Di sounded disappointed. And for what reason? It wasn’t like she was up for the title. She wasn’t being paraded around in front of all the other Alphas. She wasn’t being degraded and sniped at by Vivian. She knew better, but her mood got the best of her, and Giselle snapped. “And how would you know? You’ve known me all of what? A year! Don’t proceed to tell me what is like me to do.” Giselle stormed out of the room and into the empty living room of the suite.
Fearless Little Werewolf Page 10
