I stood up, flexing and stretching my arms. “So I need to talk to Seth.”
“No. And I insist this time, Darius. No bull in a china shop. I’m waiting for Frankie to wake up because there’s something else going on. The coffee is being spiked. That’s why there are so many customers. I want Frankie’s expertise on everything before we decided on a course of action.”
“What’s Shelley said about this? Surely she thinks it's crazy what her friend is doing?”
“Shelley’s in hospital being turned right now. Theo’s with her. So she can’t help.”
I thrust out my chest. “Right, I need to get back to my pack for midday to make plans. I think I shall make a challenge for supremacy.”
“Look. Could you change your meeting time to say, 5pm? Then I can attend and bring Frankie. Only I know you have pack business, but like I said this goes deeper than that. I’ve been given a job to protect Kim, Seth, and Shelley, so I need to know what your plans are. Seriously. Don’t take on the angelic realm.”
A white feather floated down in front of my eyes at that point.
“See, there’s your message. Don’t piss us about.”
“Okay.” I exhaled. “Five pm at the caravan park. Ask for the meeting with Edon on reception and they’ll show you through.”
“Thank you. Please in the meantime don’t do anything stupid. Not until I’m up to date with everything. I need Frankie’s files on the packs so that I’m up to speed.”
“Lucy, I can tell you anything you want to know right now. I suppose we should start with the fact that Jett is my half-brother.”
Lucy groaned. “Oh this just gets better and better.”
“The meeting has been re-convened at 5pm. In attendance today it is our honour to host Lucy Fir and Frankie Love. To those who are unaware: Lucy is an ex-demon and is now an earth angel with the current responsibilities of caring for the futures of Kim, Shelley Landry and a Seth Whittaker, a barista from Jax’s whom we shall discuss in due course. Frankie is an ex-wizard, now vampire, who is researching supernatural history.” Edon stopped speaking for a moment and the pack welcomed Lucy and Frankie. “I would now like to invite Lucy to speak.”
“Thank you, Edon.” Lucy said, extremely respectfully and politely. “I have known Kim Fletcher for quite some time now, and it is my opinion that she very much cares for Darius here, even if she’s too stupid to admit it. There is obviously something else going on, blackmail or whatever, that is forcing her to carry on with this wedding charade. Since she first met Jett at the restaurant, she has made no effort to see him since, and only called him to apologise for involving him in a bid to make Darius jealous. However she was only able to leave an answering machine message.”
“She recorded this information on her non-interest in Mr Conall?” Edon clarified.
“Yes, your honour, I mean, Edon.”
A few shifters laughed only to be silenced by a glare so evil it could only come from someone who’d spent time in hell.
“Darius, as a Police Officer in special investigations, could you manage to trace this message?”
“Possibly, I could get someone to do it.”
Edon nodded. “It is evidence that can help us.”
Lucy continued. “Now, the Barista, Seth. He has for some reason been placing a love potion in certain coffees. Not all, but enough that Jax’s has had a steady stream of customers over the last few weeks. I’m not sure in what way this ties in with everything but I need to find out. Also Ebony, Withernsea’s Seer, has been without her visions for the last few days. This also needs investigation.”
Edon looked over to me. “Would you like to direct the pack or shall I?”
I cleared my throat. “Alpha Edon, I would like to suggest the following as a possible course of action. Firstly, we reply to the Hogsthorpe email with our protest and challenge.”
“What does that mean?” Lucy interrupted.
“That we do not accept the engagement notice, as one of our pack wishes to challenge for the position of mate. This in pack law is a declaration of war as Darius would be directly challenging Hogsthorpe’s Alpha. Something I suspect is exactly what young Master Conall wanted, as if he wins Darius he can then directly challenge me as Alpha, and potentially take over the whole pack.”
“That’s what Ebony saw.” Lucy said. “It’s coming true.”
“After this, I propose we capture Seth Whittaker and bring him here for questioning. Holding him here until after our business with Hogsthorpe is concluded, or until the marriage of Jett and Kim has taken place should it still proceed.”
“I agree.” Lucy said. “We need to find out what’s going on. Although if he goes out of contact it will tip Jett off that something’s not quite right.”
“Jett knows exactly what’s happening.” I told her. “We’ve no time to lose.” I turned to our secretary. “Please prepare the protest.”
To:[email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Monday 5 February 2018
Time: 18:00
STATEMENT OF PROTEST
In accordance with the Shifter Handbook please take note of Chapter 4, Section 2a.
We hereby declare a protest with regards to the forthcoming marriage of:
JETT CONALL and KIMBERLY LOUISE FLETCHER
Please note receipt of this statement and choose a time and place for this matter to be debated.
ALPHA EDON WOODLAND
End of message.
With the protest sent, it was time to bring Seth in for questioning. We agreed that we would await the response from Jett and that nothing more should be done today. Lucy and Frankie went home, and I went back to my family where I had the great task of letting my mum and my sister know that we were about to go to war.
To:[email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday 6 February 2018
Time: 07:00
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PROTEST
In accordance with the Shifter Handbook, Chapter 4, Section 2b. A meeting has been arranged for:
Thursday 8 February 2018, 7pm
Building One, Henry Smith Retail Park
Herring Road, Hogsthorpe.
End of message.
Chapter Nineteen
Kim
I could barely motivate myself to get dressed. In fact, it was only the fact I was covering for Shelley that made me get out of bed to shower and get ready for work. Seeing Darius yesterday had almost killed me. Since we’d slept together there was a pull drawing me to him. Keeping my distance was physically and mentally hurting me. I couldn’t explain it beyond it being some kind of physiological or biological response.
I was also worrying about Shelley. Was the turning going okay? Was the baby alright? There had been no word and no response to texts although reception at the Caves could be funky.
The truth was, I had nothing to do for the wedding now. Jett was arranging everything. Obviously he didn’t trust me. He’d called last night reiterating his threats and telling me to spend the next couple of nights packing my things because Thursday evening I was to gather my essentials and move to Hogsthorpe. My other belongings would be collected after the wedding. I hated what was happening to me, to my life. Maybe I only had to stay married to him until Shelley had the baby? It was going to rule Withernsea. Surely she could take it from there? Yeah, I just had to wait out the birth. But by then what would have happened to me? What would Jett have done to me? Would the mating itself make me like him? Love him even? Would he have killed Darius or at least reduced his pack to such a position that he would hate me? Passing my hall mirror I stared at myself. Where was the girl with the attitude who stood up to her father and didn’t stand for this crap? She just wasn’t here today. Too many bad memories flooding my mind.
There was a knock at the door. Sighing, I walked over and looked through the spyhole.
Alyssa. Darius’ sist
er.
Fuck.
“I know you’re there. I can smell you. Open the fucking door. We need to talk.”
I walked away and wandered back into the living room to sit on the sofa. I couldn’t risk being seen letting Alyssa in. Hopefully she’d go away.
There was an almighty cracking noise, and I cowered behind the sofa. The next thing I knew I was being pulled out by the roots of my hair.
I whimpered in pain, following her where she walked to keep my hair in my scalp. “I’ve come to see what the hell you’re playing at. My brother just declared war. War. For you.” She pushed me onto the sofa.
“W-what?” I gasped.
“News of your engagement was sent by email. He, well, the pack on his behalf, replied. They refuse to accept the ceremony as official and so a meeting has been arranged for Thursday evening. He’s keeping it close to the wire is Jett. So what I want to know is do you love Jett or Darius? And don’t give me any shit because as you can see I deal it, I don’t take it.”
I stared at the growing woman in front of me. No fear and full of sass, she was everything I was a few weeks and months ago. I burst into tears.
“Such a mess. Such a mess.” I shook my head.
Alyssa looked around. “Ah. Just a sec.” She went out of the room and came back with some toilet tissue and a paper and pen. On the paper she wrote:
In case you’re being bugged.
I scrawled on the pad.
He threatened to kill Shelley and the baby. I can’t risk that. Not even for your family. Shelley’s baby is the future ruler of Withernsea. She has to come first, above us all.
I gave her the pen back. She nodded and wrote on the paper.
Do you love my brother? If you had a choice, would you choose him?
I took the pen back.
With all my heart.
I’m sorry for pulling your hair and shouting.
It’s okay. I guess if I had a sibling I’d do the same.
Sorry about your door. I’ll get it fixed.
God, what was it with these wolves and doors?
In case we’re being recorded I need to say some more shit and then stamp out. Carry on as normal and know that we have your back. We will sort this and we will make sure your friend and baby are okay.
Listen, if it comes to Shelley and the baby, or me. You choose them, you promise? I’m expendable. They aren’t.
My brother wouldn’t agree, but I promise.
Alyssa stood up. “Right, now you’re a little more subdued, stay away from my brother, you hear me? He deserves better than you. You’re a tramp, going after all those men at once. Jett deserves you. Come near us again and I’ll hand you your arse.” She winked at me and then left.
Her words, although a joke, should have stung, coming as they did on the anniversary of my father’s death. It was a reminder of all the things he’d used to say to me. But I wasn’t a tramp. I had to remember that. Blowing my nose again, I went into the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water and then I brushed my teeth.
Where are you Kim? I said in my mind to my reflection in the mirror.
I’d said myself in my writing that I was expendable at the side of Shelley, and without a life with her and Darius in it, what was the point? There was no point in anything if my future was a life with Jett.
So what did I have to lose? I may as well come out fighting. I’d look for the cues coming from the Withernsea pack and I’d look for a weapon. Anything I could use to take Jett out.
It had taken a young girl to show me the way. Her attitude reminded me a lot of myself at that age. Standing up for myself against my father. He hadn’t changed me, and neither would Jett.
I was ready to fight.
Chapter Twenty
Darius
I looked at the paper my sister gave me and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Oh my God. I don’t know whether to kill you for going to see her alone, or hug you for what’s written here.”
“Can you do neither, cos I like my life and then there’s my personal space.”
“So that’s why she’s marrying him. Can you see, she would give up her life for the ruler of Withernsea. She is such a suitable mate.”
“Yeah, whatever, bro. Maybe instead of dreaming, you could formulate a plan that takes care of the heir, ya know.”
“Seth is being picked up as we speak. He frequents a gym that has a handy back entrance.”
“Yeah, well any trouble and I’d go for his handy back entrance, with a sharp stick. Now, it’s been swell chatting with you, but I have things to do.”
“Please take extra care, Lys. Especially right now. I don’t want a Hogsthorpe mutt near you.”
But she just waved me off as she headed out of the door.
No one put my baby sister in the corner.
Seth’s eyes were wide as he sat on a chair in front of the pack. Some of whom had turned into their animals for added effect. His hands were bound behind him and his feet were tied to the chair.
Once again Edon had stood back to let me proceed.
I paced in front of Seth. “So, I’ll just let you listen to this.” I played the message Lucy had recorded and his face fell. He couldn’t deny what was so blatantly there. His head hung.
“My ex. She went off with one of his pack. I went to see them. He promised me he’d get her to come back if I helped him. All I did was watch Kim, man. I didn’t harm her. I just had to try to disrupt the two of you getting together. Try to get her to date me instead until nearer the full moon.”
“What was the deal with the love potion in the coffee, and how did you choose who got it?”
“Everyone got it. It just works on some people and not others. I needed to make sure we had plenty of customers so I could keep my job. I needed to be in that shop near to Kim. That was the easiest way.”
“Where did you get the spell? Only it was pretty powerful; even Margret, Shelley’s mother didn’t detect it.”
“Jett acquired them. I don’t know where from.”
“Them? There was more than one?”
“I meant one. The love potion.”
Lucy looked at me. Seth was clearly a terrible liar, and I felt he was owed for the shit he’d put us through, blackmailed or not. So I hit him with a powerful right hook, opening up a cut on his cheek.
“Okay, man. Okay. Not the face.”
God he was vain.
He looked at Lucy. “There was a spell on that fortune teller too. To block her visions. I distracted her in her shop and put something in her vodka. It lasts one to two weeks.”
“Rav. Smack him for that.” Lucy yelled. The demon she had brought with her backhanded him. It must have stung like a bitch.
“That felt wonderful, thank you for inviting me.”
“Well, I can’t do bad stuff now, so I needed an old colleague, and I thought of you.”
“I’m honoured.”
“Okay.” I lifted my hand to quieten them all down. “Seth. You will be placed in a room here and put on constant guard until you can be released safely. We have your phone. Should you find some way to contact and warn Jett and endanger the pack then I will literally have you thrown to the wolves." Drool and growls came from the animals and the smell of urine filled the air as a wet patch seeped onto the chair. “Take him away and get him cleaned up please.”
“So what now?” Lucy asked. “If you don’t need me I’m going to collect Ebony from Theo’s. She’s been trialling the B&B, said it’s been even better without the owners there, like a retreat. There’s only been Mary around. I need to get Frankie on the case and then we’ll get in touch with Theo and make sure Shelley has extra protection.”
“When needed, I will send you two of my wolves to help protect Shelley and her baby.”
“No, you’ll need them all to fight Jett.”
He shook his head.
“Like, my mate said on her note. I am expendable when it comes to the future ruler of Withernsea.”
“You’re both crazy, there’s no wonder you get along.” Lucy sighed and left taking her demon friend with her.
Left with the pack Edon asked for us to be excused for a moment and we stood to one end of the room.
“You are handling this beautifully, Darius. I would like to take this opportunity to propose you now take over from me as Alpha of the Withernsea pack.”
I shook my head. “My father was scum.”
“Yes he was, but you are not. So you have his blood running through your veins. I have been watching you, Darius. You command with ease and your wolf, he is growing ever stronger. You were born to be Alpha.”
“I would not take your place. You have my utmost respect.”
“I know. But to be honest I’m fancying a few holidays abroad. I’m not getting any younger.”
“But what about Reid and Sonny? Do they not want to succeed you?”
“No. They don’t have the slightest interest, and I believe it’s because we weren’t born to the position. You were. Meet Jett Alpha to Alpha on Thursday, Darius. We can have the coronation ceremony tomorrow evening.”
I looked at Edon. Could I do this? Be Alpha? Lead the pack.
I imagined myself with Kim at my side. Yes, I could do this. For the pack, and for us. I would meet Jett on an equal footing. The ceremony would strengthen my wolf. It was time.
Supernatural Dating Agency - The Complete Collection (Books 1-6) Page 37
