by Lisa Edmonds
Ben and Casey sat on the far left, sharing an oversized chair with her legs over his. Next to them, on the couch, were Nan, Felicia, and David. Jack, Delia, and Caleb sat together in chairs brought in from the dining room. Karen and Cole shared the loveseat. John and Brandon also sat in dining room chairs. Eddie and Thea were on their way back from visiting family and wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.
The low murmur of voices died away. Sean studied his pack, his eyes bright gold. Their eyes stayed focused on the floor; even the humans kept their gazes lowered.
“I’m going to get straight to the point.” Sean’s voice was quiet, but his fury scoured my skin and everyone in the pack sensed it. “In the past day, there was a near-fatal attack on a member of our pack.”
Everyone reacted with shock and anger. “What happened?” Jack demanded, his eyes glowing amber. His reaction confirmed, at least to me, that he’d had nothing to do with the hex. If Sean came to the same conclusion, I couldn’t tell.
“As all of you are aware, Lily Anderson was presented to me as a potential mate by Jack and her father, Zachary,” Sean continued. “After meeting her, however, I had no interest in her, and more importantly I judged she would not be a good addition to our pack. My decision has met with some resistance, but I stand by it and always will. This incident has proven once and for all that Lily has no place among us.” He nodded at me. “In an attempt to sabotage our relationship, Lily paid a witch to hex Alice. The curse’s purpose was to drive us apart, but instead it very nearly killed Alice.”
The pack sat in stunned silence for a few beats, and then the room erupted in furious voices. Jack, Ben, and Casey sprang to their feet. I wasn’t surprised to see as much or more fury in Casey’s eyes as the rest of the pack’s. She might not be a shifter, but there was no less fight in her than anyone here.
“Have you informed the Were Ruling Council?” Jack asked.
Sean nodded. “I have. They’ll speak to Zachary and Lily and decide how best to deal with her. That part is out of my hands. The reason I called you all here tonight is that Lily did not act alone. She was aided by a member of our pack, who stole items belonging to Alice and gave them to Lily. This person may also have given Lily the idea for the hex; we may find out when the Council questions Lily. That they stole from Alice is certain.”
“Do you know who stole the items?” Ben demanded.
Sean’s eyes went to Delia. “Yes, I do.”
Fourteen pairs of eyes focused on Jack’s wife. She’d feigned shock and outrage when everyone else reacted to Sean’s news, but now she was silent, her eyes on the floor. Her face was expressionless.
A muscle moved in Jack’s jaw. “How certain are you?” he asked Sean.
“The witch still had Alice’s scarf and she handed it over to us. It smelled like Delia, Jack. And there’s no reason for that to be the case unless she was the one who gave it to Lily. You were both over here last Wednesday; she could have taken it then when you and I were talking.”
Carly had delivered the scarf to my house, sealed in a plastic bag, just before we left to come to Sean’s house for the meeting. Sean had opened the bag, taken one whiff of its contents, and cursed.
Jack crouched next to his wife so he didn’t tower over her. “Delia?”
She looked up, her eyes glowing with fury and defiance. “I took the scarf and gave it to Lily. The hex was my idea.”
Jack hung his head. “Damn it,” he said softly. “What have you done?”
“You weren’t doing anything about her, so I had to do something. The cuffs would have been a much better option, but we lost that opportunity.” Her eyes snapped fire. “If Lily had followed the witch’s instructions instead of saying Alice’s name too many times and making her sick, this would have worked.”
“Hexes are always dangerous,” Sean said coldly. “You had to know there was a chance this could end with Alice’s death. If Lily had said Alice’s name just a few more times when she invoked the hex, Alice would be dead. At best, this was an assault on my consort, the woman I love. At worst, it was attempted murder. Shifter law calls for punishment either way.”
“I don’t understand how you can choose her over us,” Delia protested. “You’re letting your human self overrule your wolf. An alpha wolf would choose a shifter mate.”
Sean squeezed my hand. “Not that it makes any difference to me, but since it seems to matter to you, you should know my wolf chose Alice even before I did. The night she and I met, my wolf made it clear he wanted her. I followed my wolf’s lead, not the other way around.”
I managed not to react visibly, but I was sure Sean sensed my surprise. I’d known his wolf considered me a potential mate, but I’d thought that happened later. I didn’t know the wolf stated his intention on our first night together. That made me happy, though I wasn’t quite sure why.
I saw relief on a few faces, including Patrick and John’s, as if they’d shared similar reservations about whether Sean had chosen me over his wolf’s objections. I really couldn’t blame them and I didn’t take offense. Unlike Delia, whose dislike of me seemed personal, they wanted their alpha and their pack to be strong.
The reaction was short-lived, however, as the enormity of what Delia had done sank in. Jack seemed to be having the most trouble processing it. Despite everything he’d done and the way he’d tried to keep Sean and me apart, I couldn’t help but feel some sympathy.
Jack and Delia looked at each other for several long moments. Her expression changed from angry defiance to something close to resignation. They stood.
“I admit what I’ve done,” Delia said tonelessly, her eyes on the floor. “And I accept the judgment of the alpha and the Council.”
Jack took a deep breath. “On behalf of my wife, I ask for the alpha’s mercy.”
Sean shook his head. “Jack, if someone had tried to harm or kill your wife, how merciful would you feel?”
“I’d want to tear them apart with my bare hands,” Jack said without hesitation. Delia flinched and started to interject. “But I’m asking anyway because I love her.”
Delia’s mouth snapped shut.
Sean studied them both. “I’ve warned her repeatedly. She knew what she was doing when she suggested the hex and that it would hurt me and possibly kill Alice. I am out of warnings, patience, and mercy.”
Delia gripped Jack’s hand.
“Then the alpha’s consort grants the mercy,” I said.
Silence.
Sean turned to me. “It’s in the consort’s power to do so,” he said, studying my face intently. He had to be wondering how I knew that and why on earth I would do anything to help Delia after what she’d done. “The consort owes us no explanation for her decision,” he added as the others exchanged glances. “I do have to ask whether you’re sure you want to do this.”
“I’m sure.” I let go of his hand and crossed the living room to stand toe-to-toe with Delia. Jack moved away, granting me the confrontation I deserved. I spooled magic and let my eyes glow. Delia met my gaze for a moment and then she had to look down.
“My decision comes with a condition and a warning,” I said. “The condition is, if you want to make a move against me in the future, you meet me with honor in front of the pack as stipulated by shifter law and custom. The warning is that if you do, or if you ever make another attempt to stab me in the back, Sean won’t have to tear you apart because I will.”
Shifter magic rose. I took a step back as my cold-fire whip spiraled out of my right hand. I nearly bumped into Sean when he crossed the room and reached my side in a blink.
At first I thought Delia was reacting to my threat, but it was Caleb who was growling and on the verge of shifting. The surly young werewolf sat on the edge of his chair, his eyes bright gold and fists clenched.
“You have no right to talk to Delia like that,” he snarled at me.
“Caleb, stand down now,” Sean commanded. The surge of alpha magic nearly knocked me over as the rest of the pac
k hunkered down where they sat. “If you shift and try to attack anyone, I will kill you.”
Jack put a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. The contact usually helped calm the pack’s youngest and most volatile member, but Caleb knocked his hand away and started to get up.
Jack shoved him back into his chair and this time his grip on the younger man’s shoulder was like a vise. “Calm down,” he ordered. “This is between Sean, Alice, and Delia. Alice granted mercy to Delia. You’re making the situation worse, and you’re going to get yourself killed acting like this.”
Caleb stared incredulously up at Jack. “Are you taking Alice’s side against us?”
“There is no Alice’s side versus us.” Sean’s voice was like steel. “Alice is one of us. She just demonstrated that by granting Delia mercy when it wasn’t deserved, because she believes it’s better for the pack that I not have to kill my beta’s mate. Instead of threatening to attack her, you should be grateful.”
Caleb started to argue.
“Caleb, shut your mouth,” Jack said. “You’ve been a part of this pack long enough to know better than to do what you’re doing. If you need to go out to the pack land and shift and run as a wolf for a while to work off your anger, then we’ll do that. I’ll run with you. But you have to get control of your temper and your wolf right now.”
Since Caleb joined the pack, Jack had tried to help him learn to control his wolf and work through his anger at being bitten and Changed, but Caleb had been angry and volatile even before he became a werewolf. Becoming a shifter had simply made it infinitely worse. I didn’t know many details about Caleb’s life before he joined the pack six months ago, but he’d come from an abusive household and struggled with substance abuse and self-destructive behavior. He’d discovered that running helped him cope, only to be bitten by a werewolf while on a late-night run in a state park. Jack met Caleb first and brought him to the pack, hoping to provide the family and support he desperately needed.
Jack and Delia didn’t have kids, for reasons that weren’t any of my business. Jack seemed to think of Caleb as an adopted son. Even as he held Caleb in his chair with an iron grip, I saw worry in Jack’s eyes. Despite improvements in his attitude and behavior, Caleb continued to be unstable and that put everyone at risk.
“I’ll run with you too,” Ben said, surprising me. “I could use some exercise. Gotta fit into that tux.” He patted his flat stomach and gave Caleb a good-natured smile.
Felicia spoke up. “I’ll run too.”
John, David, and Patrick also said they would go for a run in wolf form. Caleb stared at the floor as his pack mates showed their support.
Sean glanced at Jack. The beta took his hand off Caleb’s shoulder.
“Caleb, stand up,” Sean said.
Caleb got to his feet, his eyes fixed on Sean’s shoes. He was still angry, but the shifter magic had faded. My cold-fire whip coiled back into my hand.
“Go run with the others,” Sean told him. “It will help. Listen to Jack. Alice and Delia have cleared the air and no one is leaving here as enemies. Draw strength and peace from your pack.”
“I’m trying,” Caleb said, so quietly that I barely heard him.
“I know you are,” Sean said. “You have to try harder. Do you understand?”
I caught a flash of resentment in Caleb’s eyes. “Yes.”
Sean put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “Then let’s call it a night. Those of you going out running, be safe.”
The house cleared pretty quickly. I got hugs from Casey, Nan, Ben, Felicia, and John and little touches on the arm or shoulder from everyone else, even Jack.
The only two people who didn’t touch me on their way out were Delia and Caleb, which was fine. Everyone needed time to cool off, including me. I wasn’t sure if there would ever be a time when I’d welcome a touch from either of them. For now, it was comforting enough to see them leave.
13
When the door closed behind Jack, who was last to depart, Sean turned the deadbolt and gave me a long kiss.
When we broke apart, I rested my forehead on his chest. “What was that for?”
“You are a miracle.”
Startled, I blinked up at him. “That may be over-stating things just a tad.”
He cupped my face with his hands so he could look into my eyes. “I would have dealt with Delia.”
“I know. You had every right to do so under shifter law. I can’t imagine how angry you are about what she did.”
“Angry doesn’t even come close.” He nuzzled my hair. “I could have lost you. I still haven’t fully processed how close Lily came to killing you, and that Delia made it possible. I imagine I’ll be angry for a while.”
“You and me both. I spared her, but I’ll never trust her. I may never forgive her.”
“I can’t blame you.” His face grew serious. “There’s another option we should discuss.”
“Kicking them out of the pack?” I sighed. “I thought about it, to be honest, but I told Lily today that an alpha’s partner leads by example and solves problems rather than causes them. For the good of the pack, I extended an olive branch. If she accepts it, good. If not…” I shrugged. “I’ll take care of it.”
He kissed my forehead. “Like I said, a miracle.” He squeezed my hand. “I take it you’ve been reading up on shifter laws and what the role of an alpha’s consort is?”
I smiled briefly. “It seemed prudent, given the situation, and since that may be all I’ll ever be.”
“I believe we’ll be able to have a mate bond if we try someday to do that. The metaphysical link we accidentally opened when we first met, the one that allowed us to sense each other’s emotions, is a pretty good indicator that we can be linked. When you put on the shifter cuff, we had a mate bond for a few minutes, until you died.”
A pause. My death and resurrection was a bitter memory for both of us.
“If you have some shifter blood, it’s even more likely,” he continued finally. “Having you at my side is my greatest joy. There’s peace in my heart I’ve never felt before. That tells me everything I need to know about the connection we have now and what we’ll have someday.”
“That was unexpectedly poetic,” I said, blinking rapidly. Must be allergies.
He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose. “I have my moments.” He rubbed my shoulders gently. “Still sore from punching the bag?”
“A little, but not as bad as I thought I would be.” I smiled up at him. “Not too sore to follow through on my earlier threat.”
“The one about objectifying me?” His eyes glowed softly. “I might not mind being objectified by you, now that I think about it.”
“There’s only one way to find out.” I turned and ran for the stairs. “Race you to the—”
Hands caught me around my waist and plucked me out of the air. I squeaked as he picked me up, tossed me carefully over his shoulder, and bounded up the steps two at a time.
“Put me down!” I protested as we entered his—our—bedroom.
Instead of setting me on my feet, he held me with his hands under my butt so I could wrap my legs around his hips. He kissed me very thoroughly but made no move to carry me to the bed.
Finally, when we paused to take a breath, I wiggled impatiently. “Bed?”
He held me still. “I want nothing more than to take you to bed and see if we can break the record we set on Thursday night—”
“Don’t you dare say ‘but,’” I warned him.
“But,” he said firmly, giving me a quick kiss. “By my calculation you’ve had no more than five hours of sleep since Saturday morning and it is now Monday night. That is sixty hours with virtually no sleep, and during that time you were chased through the woods, dropped into a mud pit, hexed, blown through two walls, confronted by Darius Bell, nearly killed trying to save Charles Vaughan, de-hexed, and threatened by a werewolf.” He grew serious. “You need a full night’s uninterrupted sleep.”
“What I need is y
ou. We don’t need to try and go for a new record tonight because you’re right—I’m tired. I’m beyond exhausted. But I’m healing from a rough weekend, all the things you just listed, and a few other things I haven’t told you about yet.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Such as?”
“Such as a couple of things I will tell you about as soon as I feel like talking about them, which will be after you put me down on the bed and give me some well-deserved and much-overdue werewolf TLC.”
“Werewolf TLC?” He grinned. “I like that.”
“I stole it from Ben.”
“Remind me to say thank you to Ben.” He kissed me deeply. “If it will help you heal and rest better, I could be persuaded to offer some werewolf TLC.”
I took his face in my hands. “It will,” I promised. “Sleep will heal my body, but it’s you who heals my heart.” I pulled my shirt off over my head and tossed it aside. “Gimme some sugar, baby.”
“I knew I made the right choice showing you that movie.” He squeezed my butt and headed for the bed.
Just as we reached the bed, I sensed a familiar tingle from the crystal on my bracelet. “Oh, come on,” I complained.
He set me down. “I’m assuming that wasn’t directed at me?”
“Malcolm just jumped to my bracelet. That means he’s got news.” I sighed and glanced below his belt. “Maybe you should go to the bathroom for a minute so I can find out what’s up.” I coughed. “Er, what’s going on.”
“Could have been worse. He might have shown up ten minutes from now.” Sean kissed my forehead and headed for the master bathroom, closing the door behind him.
I found my discarded shirt, put it on, and touched the crystal on my bracelet. “Release.”
Malcolm appeared next to me. He looked around at the darkened room, the closed bathroom door, and my expression, and sighed. “Oh, God. I interrupted you guys, didn’t I?”
“No,” I said.
“Yes!” Sean called from the bathroom.
“Thank you for making this even more awkward,” I scolded the closed door. I turned to Malcolm. “What have you found out?”
