Authors: J.B. Miller
“Dianthe,” he said suddenly serious. “I am millennia old. It takes years of study and hard work to wield glamour and any magic. Do not assume to take it lightly. Children are watched closely when they start to develop in case of mishap.”
I was still in a strop and hunched deeper into my slouch. “I don’t get what the big deal is. Packing clothes is hardly dangerous.”
Robin took my hand and kissed it lovingly. “Would you give a child a loaded weapon?”
I pulled back and glared. “Of course I wouldn’t.”
“It is the same, my dear. While your gift can be benign in nature, so is a gun. However, put a bullet in it and hand it to a child and certain devastation is assured.”
“Oh,” I sighed. “I never thought of it that way. God, Robin, you must believe I’m a total idiot.”
“No, Dianthe, I see you are young. While you are physically an adult in the human world, in our world you are a babe. It’s positively wicked that I want to do the things I do with you.”
“Is sex all you think about, Robin?” I grinned.
“No,” he said cheekily. “But it does take a large percentage of my time.”
He could always raise my spirits and other emotions, my Robin.
Once I packed after Robin’s attempt to “help me”, we made our way to the door. I took a moment to gaze back over my tiny flat one last time. Kale met us at the door and waited patiently for me to lock up.
"I have to let the proprietor know I will not be renewing my lease. I guess I could sub-let it until it is up," I fretted.
Kale lifted my bag from my hand and pulled me against him. “It’s okay, baby. We will work it out with your landlord. I will pay the rest of the lease and I’m sure he will be fine with that. It means he will make all his money from you and get a quick turnaround in re-renting it.”
Sighing, I agreed. “I know your right but it was my first home on my own, you know?”
“I understand, baby,” Kale kissed my head. “Consider it as starting a new adventure in a new home with your mates. You have your own family now and it’s time to move on.” Chucking me under my chin, he added, “I don’t know how much longer we would all have been able to fit in.”
Laughing, I poked him in the ribs. “It was getting a little crowded.”
We shut the door to my little flat and he led me downstairs to the start of my new life.
*****
We arrived in Bean, pulling up in one of Kale's cars to the pack house.
How many cars did one man need?
“What happened to the VW?” I enquired.
He nodded to a huge building that I assumed was a house on its own. “It’s in the garage attached to the house. The Scirocco is my run about. Remind me to show you my baby one day.”
I was afraid to ask but I did any way, “What’s your baby?”
A boyish grin filled his face. “She’s a Bugatti Veyron. You will love her, Dia. That girl has moves like nothing else on this planet. I special ordered her and it took me six months before she was ready. She’s worth more than the house.”
I looked at the house and swallowed hard. “Should I be jealous of the car?” I half joked.
Before he could answer, the front door opened and Helen stood there waiting for us with open arms. Beside her stood a man about Kale’s age, with shaggy brown hair and laughing hazel eyes. Cockiness radiated from him.
Helen grabbed me up in a hug and began to splay kisses across my cheeks.
“Oh, Dia darling, I’m so glad you were finally able to come home. It’s been horrible without you two. I can’t wait to show you around and get you settled in. It has been too long since we’ve had a proper Alpha couple in residence.”
“Mum,” Kale gently eased me from his mother. “Give Dia a chance to breathe,” he laughed.
“Of Course, forgive me, Dia. I’m so excited to have a new daughter. I never imagined Kale would settle down.”
“Not for lack of trying,” snorted the man beside us.
“Matt,” Helen admonished. “Dia does not want to hear about that.”
“Umm, about what?” I asked. I glanced curiously at the man called Matt.
“Baby, this is my second in command, Matthew. Matt, greet your Alpha female, Dia,” he practically growled.
“An absolute pleasure, Dia, it’s wonderful to have you here. Finally,” he murmured under his breath.
Kale glowered as he said stonily, “Matt, we talked about this.”
“What is going on?” I asked again a smile in my voice.
Matthew was definitely a stirrer and I was beginning to like him cocky attitude and all.
Matt’s grin was pure mischief. “Well,” he drawled, “as you’re my Alpha female, I must answer any request you make of me.” I heard Kale groan and saw Helen blanch before Matt continued, “You see, Dia, since you have been MIA these past few weeks, the pack bitches have taken it on themselves to
entertain
our Alpha.”
The laughter suddenly disappeared from my voice and I grew still. “What did you say,” I asked quietly. Waves of restless energy started to pour from me.
He must have realized that it was not as funny as he supposed because he tried to sugar coat it. “I mean, it’s just that… Awww, hell.” He looked helplessly to Kale. “You didn’t tell me she was a real fucking Alpha.”
Kale took a wise step back and shook his head at Matt. “This is a good lesson to you, Beta. Tell her the rest of it.”
Unfortunately, by this time, the front courtyard had started to fill with members of the pack. Matt tried to shuffle back a few feet but my quiet voice caught him.
“Matthew, explain to me what you meant, please.”
Cringing, he met my eyes before lowering them to stare in the region of my neck. “Several of the packs unmated females have been making sexual advances toward the Alpha,” he spoke quickly and without the sureness of before. “They thought he would be better mated to a wolf, and that you wouldn’t be a big enough problem to stand in their way.”
“Really,” I seethed. “Go on, tell me more.”
“Umm…every time he came home without you they grew bolder and started to make more aggressive advances.”
“Explain.”
The energy rolling off me became stronger and I felt Robin fold in beside Kale. He took one look at the situation and stood back to watch patiently.
“Well, a couple of the bitches,” he flinched at his own wording. “They thought it would be a good idea to strip down in his office. They laid in wait for him before basically molesting him.”
I raised my eyebrow, “And how do you know all this, Matt?”
“Yeah, umm…I have security cameras everywhere on the property except in the private wings. Even then, they are stationed outside. Shit, why can’t I shut up?” he swore.
“Because I don’t want you to, that’s why. Now, Matthew, tell me—did your Alpha reciprocate with those bitch’s advances?”
His eyes widened to almost popping as he looked desperately around him for help. “Look at me, Matt, and answer the question please.”
“No, My Lady, he told them in a lot nicer way than I would have to fuck off,” he physically put his hands over his mouth to stop himself from speaking further.
“Who are the females in question, Matt?”
I had never felt such overwhelming jealousy in my life. The fury I felt encompassed all other feelings at that moment, yet my rage was cold. Matt unwillingly pointed at two blonde bimbos toward the front of the crowd. I do not know if they were too stupid to live or that arrogant. They stuck out their chests and postured, looking proud of the fact they had betrayed their Alpha female.
“You two,” I pointed at them. “Come here please.” I assumed they mistook my manners as a sign of weakness. Too bad they didn’t know me well enough that I hid behind courtesy when I was killing mad. The two women strutted forward, conceit seeping from their pores.
“What are your names, if you will?”
The more dominate of the two cocked a hand on her hip. “Ohh, aren’t you all high and mighty. Little girly is trying to be all grown up. Are you old enough to be here, sweetie?” she said condescendingly.
“Name please, I won’t ask you again.”
Throwing her hair over her shoulder to spiral down her back, she nodded to her friend. “That’s Melisa and I’m Sylvia. Why, you going to go cry and write it in your diary?”
“No,” I said simply and raised my hand.
Power swirled around me and terror crossed their faces as they realized their mistake too late. Every wolf in the courtyard knelt and bared their neck. My anger wouldn't be quenched though. With a flick of my fingers, the females rose from their place on the ground and flew through the air. They landed with a thud at my feet. My will held them immobile on the ground.
“If you even glance at my mates again, any of them, it will be the last thing you ever do. Do you understand me?” Whimpers were all that answered me and it was not good enough. “Answer me, damn it!”
They lifted into the air, hands curled trying to pull invisible appendages away from their choking throats. With a thought, I shook them like mangy curs and asked again. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” they choked out.
Mewling whimpers filled the air as I gave them enough room to breathe. They begged me for their lives and forgiveness. The anger left me as quickly as it came, but I had no idea how to release them from where they hung suspended in the air.
Robin quickly stepped up beside me followed by Kale. “Dianthe dearest, take my hand and let me guide you.”
I took his hand and let him take over. He released my power and the females fell to the ground.
Kale took my other hand and raised it to his lips before turning me toward the crowd. “Do you all recognize and accept your Alpha female? Do you trust that she is strong enough to lead beside me and to keep our pack strong?”
A symphony of voices rose from the thirty or more wolves before us. “Yes!” Then a haunting howl followed suit, welcoming me to the pack.
*****
“What just happened?” I asked Robin once we were in Kale’s bedroom.
I sat heavily on the bed and shuddered at the thought I had nearly killed two people.
Kale came over and sat beside me rubbing my shoulders while Robin spoke, “It’s your gifts, Dianthe. You multiply what is already there. Your mate was threatened and the Alpha instincts took over. It was amazing to watch.”
“Sexy as hell,” Kale breathed against my neck.
“Sexy? How was me bullying Matt and nearly killing Barbie one and two, sexy?”
Kale snorted with laughter, “Barbie one and two? Oh, I have to tell the Betas that one. Do not worry, sweetheart, there was no chance you would have killed them. We would have stepped in before that. You needed to assert your dominance sooner rather than later and you did it amazingly. I was so impressed with you, Dia. Even mum was proud of how well you held your temper. She said that you showed the signs of a true Alpha Female and it would benefit us to no end to have someone with manners in the house.” Laughing, he added, “However, if you start talking politely to anyone they may run away pissing themselves.”
I threw a pillow at him.
There was a knock at the door before it opened and Daniel peered around the corner. “So," he grinned, "what did I miss?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
We stayed in Bean for two more days. Kale and Helen would have preferred longer but we just didn't have the time. It was the nineteenth and we only had two days left until the solstice. Robin was able to fold us all to Stornoway so we didn’t have to waste any time with travel. He even had us arriving at the harbor after the ferry sailed in that afternoon. A local car rental company met us soon after. Kale had booked everything in his name and a friendly local called Mick regaled us about the local history as he took us back to their branch.
Kale had introduced us as his wife and brothers. It was not that far-fetched, I guess. Mick was asking us questions a mile a minute and his brogue was so thick it was hard to keep up with at times.
“So what brings you bairns this far north? It’s a long way from London.”
I looked at Kale helplessly on what to say. I could not tell the man the truth.
Robin smoothly slipped into the conversation. “Dianthe’s family originated here and we thought we’d take a family holiday to see where she was from.”
“Is that so?” He scratched his balding head.
“What parts do ye hail from, lassie?”
“Oh, Callanish originally I think. My mother’s family was from there.”
"And what would their family name be then?” he asked.
“Macleod,” I said hesitantly.
“Ach now… there’s a few of them about. Maybe you’ll find some long lost relatives you dinny ken.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Here we are, folks. I will park the car and you go on in. Ask for Jamie, he’ll set you up with your car and have you on your way in no time.”
Relieved to be away from our curious driver we made our way inside to find Jamie. It was another half hour before we were shown to our car.
“Here you are, Mr. Jameson. It’s a pretty straight run to Callanish from here, less than half an hour. All you need to do is head north from here until you get to the first roundabout. Take the first exit onto Perceval Road. Then just follow the signs for the A858. That will take you all the way to Callanish. Do you need anything else before you head out? You have a full tank of petrol so it will get you there and back a good ways. There’s no many stations between here and there so make sure to fill up before you get low, mind.”
“Thank you, Jamie,” Kale said. “You’ve been a great help.”
“It’s no bother. Have a great time and enjoy your holiday.”
“We will, Jamie, thank you again for your help,” I added.
We finished our goodbyes and headed on our way. The roads were a world away from down south. Once we left the town and started out into the country, civilization fell away. I could only gaze around me in wonder and a bit of trepidation.
“Where is everything?” I asked. The A858 was just a two-lane road with nothing on either side, bar marshy fields. The most we saw were phone lines and a few sheep. Every now and again a farmhouse or ruined croft would appear. If the trip had been longer than half an hour, I would have started to get worried. We knew we were close to the village when a few houses appeared together. There was a sign in Gaelic that said Calanais stones.