He ran his hand through his hair as he seemed to consider something, and added, “The rules are slightly different for humans, and I’ll have to go back through some history books to pull them up, but they’re designed for fair play within the hierarchy since a human isn’t a match for a wolf. Though, it’s clear to me you aren’t really human, no matter how much you may smell like one.”
“I am human. The energy weapons are the only thing I have that make me different, and I gained those after years of study of how the energy around and in things works.”
“Not true, you have more than just your weapons, your reflexes are much faster than a human’s.”
“Ah, that’s because I used to be a professional juggler. My reflexes aren’t because of anything metaphysical, I’ve had those reflexes since my early teen years when I first started juggling. Plus, I spar with werewolves a decent amount at Drake Security, so I’m kind of used to the way ya’ll fight.”
“Perhaps you were a professional juggler because you were born with fast reflexes? Maybe the juggling didn’t create the reflexes, just honed a talent already there?”
I’d never considered that. I looked at Abbott, who said, “Your dad juggles too, right?”
“Yes”
“We’ll concentrate on that side of the family tree, then.”
I shook my head. “My mom’s side of the family is where the brains are. Scientists who hypothesized about the nature of infinity in the early nineteen hundreds.”
“You’re looking for an ancestor who wasn’t human?” Randall asked Abbott.
“Yes”
“Good, if she knows what blood she’s got in her it’ll help her to know what her talents should be, and you can better help her train.” Randall looked back at me. “Will you accept a position within our pack?”
I’d been around Drake Security enough to have men only show me respect after I either won a sparring match or held my own with them for a while before losing, but it always surprised me that there was rarely any animosity after a match — it went straight to camaraderie. So, I wasn’t thinking this was a supernatural thing with Randall now, just a male thing, and I didn’t question it. I’d beat him; he respected me now.
“You’ll require me present three times a year? Two full moons and the vote thing?”
“The vote happens during a full moon, so that’s twice, but there will be other occasions your presence will be requested. You won’t be required to attend them all, but there will be some I will make a requirement for you.”
“Ah yes, you would be my Alpha, right? I’d have to do as you say?”
“That is the way the pack works, yes.”
Abbott? No way in hell am I taking that deal.
Then politely tell him no, but realize you’ll be giving up the protection of over three thousand wolves. He isn’t just the local pack leader. His territory is all of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the mountains of North Carolina. He is Alpha to all of the pack leaders in his territory.
Polite. Okay, I could do that. “I’m human, you understand, and I don’t mean to offend you, but that doesn’t work for me. I’m my own woman, so to speak. You’ll remember when you asked Abbott permission on my behalf, and he responded it would be my decision? That’s because I’ve carefully crafted my life so how I live and what I do is my decision, not someone else’s. Is there an Option B you can put on the table?”
He was quiet a minute, debating. Or, perhaps talking to Zach mind to mind. “Yes,” he finally said, “I can declare you a friend of the pack. You would be welcome at any of our full moon gatherings as well as any other meetings we have, though you won’t have voting rights. Anyone who harmed you would know they would bring down the wrath of the pack for doing so. You’d be under no requirement to do as I say, though there is an obligation to not openly challenge my authority in front of other supernaturals, and especially not in front of members of my pack.”
“So, if I’m going to challenge your authority I should ask you to walk into another room so I don’t do it in front of anyone?”
He smiled with a twinkle in his eye. “Correct.”
“Not a problem, I kind of already did that by requiring we kept the winner a secret, even when I wasn’t obligated. Anything else I should know?”
Cora spoke up. “Before you travel outside of Randall’s territory he’ll need to make arrangements with the pack in that territory to give you safe passage. You may be required to meet with the local Alpha and thank him for his hospitality. At present there are only a handful of places with hostile packs that we must avoid, and none are in touristy areas.”
“What about China, any problems going to China?”
“The packs in China fled the mainland long ago,” said Aaron. “There’s a pack in Hong Kong, but they keep a low profile and don’t cause problems as long as visitors are only there as tourists.”
I aimed my thoughts at Abbott, I’m guessing you think I should accept this, but that’s because you want me to have allies. If I didn’t need allies, would you still counsel me to accept this offer?
Yes, it is an honor. One you should not turn down.
I aimed my thoughts at Cora, Is there any reason for me to turn this down?
It’s a good offer. One he doesn’t offer lightly.
I turned to Randall. “I accept your offer. What happens next?”
“I’ll put the word out that you are to be considered a friend of the pack. You’ll need to be at our next full moon so I can make it official in front of the pack. The full moon was last night, but we’ll have another gathering tonight since the moon is still so close to full and it’s Friday night. I know it’s short notice, but if you could come tonight we won’t have to wait another month to make it official.”
“What time would I need to be there?”
“We usually handle business before we run, so around nine or nine thirty would be best.”
“Will I need to come alone?”
“You shouldn’t bring a vampire with you. Will it be enough to arrive with Cora? She’s still yours, after all, and without folding you into the pack and making you mine, I’m not sure how to take her from you.”
They were making me a friend of the pack, so I should be safe, right? I nodded and said, “Okay, Cora and I will make arrangements later. What should I wear?”
“Whatever you would wear for a hike. I would like to ask one more thing of you, and you can say no if you wish, but I’d like to create a link so you and I can speak without using words. I can do this with my pack, of course, and I’d like to be able to do it with you. It might keep us from having to step into another room to argue about things, also.”
“It won’t bind me to you, it’ll just be a link?”
“You have my word.”
“How is the link created?”
“It’s one of those things you can’t really explain, you just have to do, but other than extracting a few drops of blood, there will be no pain.”
Abbott? Any reason not to?
Up to you, I can think of several pros and cons, but the pros seem to outweigh the cons.
What are the cons?
Any link into your brain can be exploited, once someone is in with limited access it’s easier to manipulate it and gain unlimited access. You have good shields, so you should be safe, but should you be sick or injured he might be able to get in and see things you’d rather he not. However, it has been my experience that Randall has honor, and likely wouldn’t take advantage unless his pack were in danger. The possible benefits much outweigh the danger, in my opinion. Also, Randall is taking the same chance with you, that you could find a way around his shields.
“The link will be of equal strength both directions?” I asked Randall.
“Yes.”
I was having to make too many decisions all at once, but it couldn’t be helped. “Okay, will this happen today or tonight?”
“Now, if you are amenable.”
“You said something a
bout blood?”
“Yes, but you won’t have to drink it, just a dot on a pulse point of your choosing.”
Abbott spoke up. “If you could do it outside, please?”
That seemed a bit rude to me, but then I realized, “Oh, the blood. But, I’ve bled around you before with no problems. Why is today different?”
“There would be no problem today, either, but I’d prefer to not have to explain to the house why the place reeks of werewolf blood.”
“Well, when you put it that way.” I smiled. “I’ll go up with them and sit in their car to take care of it. When I’m done with them I’ll come back. I need to talk to you a bit more, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
The four of us went up and out, and got into a big Lexus SUV, with Randall and me in the back seat.
“There are many pulse points,” Randall told me, “but you’ll likely be most comfortable with the one on the inside of your elbow. Agreed?”
“Sure.”
He pulled his right hand up and a sharp claw came out of his pointer finger. He poked himself on the side of his finger, squeezed to get a drop of blood, and touched it to the inside of my elbow, then his. He then pulled a small needle from a sterile package and did the same to me, dotting my blood beside his on the inside of both our elbows.
I immediately felt waves of energy rolling off of him. Not the kind of energy I use, but different, more powerful. I didn’t like it and started reinforcing shields.
“Don’t fight it. Relax. It won’t hurt you.”
I breathed in, relaxed, and the power was suddenly different. It coalesced, and I felt the link from my arm to his, as if it were a physical thread, and then it dissolved. It was only there a split second, and I thought it hadn’t worked until I heard him in my head.
Kirsten? Can you hear me?
Yes. Your energy is… different. Powerful, but different than anything I’ve felt before.
I am one of the most powerful wolves on the planet, not all wolf energy feels like mine, but you handled it well. Of course, you also kicked my ass without even trying earlier, so it shouldn’t surprise me.
Would you stop bringing that up? Please? I didn’t want to.
Which makes it sting even more, but I will try to drop it. You should go; Abbott is waiting for you.
I switched to voice. “I still need to talk to Cora so we can make arrangements for tonight. I’d rather she arrived with me so I don’t walk into this all by myself.”
“If you would prefer,” Randall said, “I can meet you somewhere and you can arrive with me?”
“It’s your party, I’ll let you tell me what would look best.”
His eyes twinkled and he grinned as he asked, “I thought you didn’t defer to anyone?”
Chuckling, I said, “No. I’m very open to accepting counsel when the other person knows more about something than I, though I reserve the right to not follow it, of course.”
“Why don’t I have someone drop me off at your house around eight thirty, and we can ride to my place together for the ritual. This way you’ll have your own transportation home.”
I debated turning him down, but didn’t want to seem rude. I needed to protect Lauren, but if she were going to be able to sense supernaturals when she touched them, we needed to do it as often as possible at home, so I could help her deal with it.
“Okay, but you’ll meet my daughter if you come to the house, and although she may not be mine genetically, she is still mine, so if she sees you for what you are please let me handle it. She probably won’t. She’s hugged Cora and has never seen her as a wolf, but you never know. She pegged Abbott as a monster with scary eyes and teeth even though he was on his best behavior.”
“You understand, no one can know about us without being blood bonded, right?”
“I’m not blood bonded, and Abbott didn’t insist we bond her, either. If this is a big deal with you, perhaps we should make other arrangements.”
“You aren’t bonded because you can’t be.”
I didn’t respond, just looked at him, and he sighed. “Very well. If she senses me, Abbott and I will work it out since he’s already allowing it. I’ll get directions to your house from Cora and will see you at eight thirty.”
I looked at Cora and heard her in my head. Be careful you don’t get a bunch of Alpha’s trying to make it look like you somehow belong to them.
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.
Too late now, but with Abbott and Aaron already laying claim to you, Randall is going to try, too.
Apparently, I needed to think some of this through a bit more, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I walked back down to Abbott, and as he let me in the lowest door, I asked, “Would you say that went good, bad, or somewhere in the middle?”
“You kicked the ass of an Alpha Wolf who is powerful enough to be Alpha over three and a half states, you managed to do it in a way to not piss him off, and you managed to get yourself under pack protection. I’d say it went as well as it could possibly go. You do seem to have a knack for supernatural politics. Come, sit beside me.”
“I need to get home so I can spend some time with Lauren and Xiaolan before running out on them this evening. I just wanted to come down and give you a big thanks for helping me with this. I value your friendship, and your counsel.”
“When you’re done with the wolves tonight, would you consider joining me at my house on the mountain? It should be a thirty or forty minute meeting with the wolves, and then they’ll run off to hunt. I don’t want you driving down the mountain late at night, so you can drive home and I’ll pick you up.”
“I’m afraid I’m not going to be much company,” I warned him. “I’ve had an emotionally draining couple of days and I’m exhausted. I can’t imagine my time with the wolves is going to be a pick me up, either.”
“Then I’ll pamper you, rub your back and feet, and we’ll just talk.”
I smiled. “You can be very persuasive, you know. Is this your way of making sure I don’t stay and hang out with Randall?”
“I saw you eyeing his manly chest and stomach,” he said with a playful grin. “And don’t think I haven’t realized he can walk in the sun and I can’t. Perhaps I’m a bit threatened by your plans with him tonight, but it’s for the best. You need allies and he is a powerful one.”
“And you and I are not exclusive.”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes, there is that, too.”
“Look, my instincts tell me I’m tired and I need to sleep. If, and this is a big if, I get energized by being around the wolves then I’ll call you and let you know. However, as of right now I intend to go home and fall into bed. I don’t want you to think I’m blowing you off, because I’m not. I’m just exhausted, both mentally and physically. Remember? I’m human.”
“Very well, then. I’ll work from here until around ten thirty. If I haven’t heard from you by then, I’ll make the rounds at some of the clubs I own.”
“Thanks for understanding. Give me a kiss, I’m going now.”
He took his time getting to the kiss, but I found I didn’t mind.
His fingers skimmed my cheek and our gazes locked. His hands moved lower, touching my chest and sliding to my shoulders to push my suit jacket off. I didn’t protest as his arms slid around me and pulled me to him, though my heart was beating faster and my breath shallow.
Fingers caressed my cheek again, and my eyes drifted closed as his hand slid to the back of my head.
My eyes opened enough to see his head descending, and then his lips were on mine and I heard myself moan as my hands rose and curled into the lapel of his suit jacket. I wondered if he owned jeans, but the thought fled as soon as it appeared because his lips on mine occupied every neuron firing in my brain.
I moaned again and melted into him as his tongue touched my lips, and I opened my mouth to let him in.
His tongue swept in and I whimp
ered, my fingers grasping his lapels as I leaned into him, my legs too weak to hold me.
One of my hands slid up his collar, around the cool, smooth skin of his neck and into his beautiful, sleek, thick black hair.
I gave myself to him as his tongue plundered my mouth and his strong-as-iron arms held me to him. It wasn’t a warm embrace, it was cool, hard, and demanding…and yet sweet, amazing, and caring.
My head tilted farther back as he pressed harder, and I realized if I didn’t slow us down there was a good chance I’d be naked and screaming in orgasm before I knew it.
I tore my mouth from his with another whimper, and he let me.
His voice was rough, grating, as he asked, “You’ll call me when you leave the wolves?”
My nod was infinitesimal, but I knew he’d see it. “Even if it’s to tell you I’m too tired for a date, I’ll call you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Xiaolan and Lauren were working on the jigsaw puzzle when I got home. I went upstairs, changed into jeans and a tech hiking shirt, and came back downstairs.
We worked on the puzzle a short time before discussing what we’d cook for dinner. I said I was tired and in need of comfort food and Xiaolan said she’d peel the potatoes.
Fried potatoes are my comfort food, and I looked at her with a relieved smile. It was nice to have someone in the house to look out for me, every once in a while.
I managed to pull enough veggies together to complete the meal and we ate like queens. I told them I was going to go out for a little bit and that someone would be picking me up. They thought it would be Abbott, but I said, “No, his name is Randall, and this isn’t a date. I just need to go take care of something with him. I’m not sure how long it’ll take, but I don’t plan on being very late. If plans change I’ll call and let you know, but I honestly don’t expect to be out past around ten or ten thirty.”
Only Human (Kirsten O'Shea Book 1) Page 30
