Leader of the Pack (55 page)

Nora’s eyes took on a weary sadness that was almost palpable. “Yes, I think I do know. It is a shame that Rafe brought our peoples back together in this way. I would have preferred a less destructive reunion. Ah, but the fates do as they please. What do
you
think that means Lord Arnauk? I believe you’ve been puzzling over it since you were told to tell me.”

Cullen cleared his throat and looked at Cadifor, who nodded his unspoken permission to speak freely. “Knowing Jenna, she’d have no use for werecats. She’d also have no desire to make anything stronger than her. She wants to take up where her father left off, in her own warped way. She has the books and Rafe’s notes and has kidnapped a group of people capable of making use of them, and she’s doing something with dire wolves. I’d say she’s looking for a way to increase her own power.” He looked at Cadifor who was already coming round to the conclusion that Cullen reasoned out and was starting to take on that pissed off expression again. “My guess is she’s trying to get them to make her into something more physically powerful than she is. Then she’d be able to hold her position against anyone in the pack. Question is if she will stop there.”

Cadifor growled. “An entire Tairneach pack of what? Dire lycans?”

“That’s what Aislinn suggested,” Cullen said.

Cadifor paced away and then back again, looking over at Nora. “A way to stop this?”

“That depends on how far she has gotten. The men and women missing are more than capable of doing what is suggested. Traditionally it takes time and patience to create a were. However, Rafe seems to have found a way to shorten the process.”

Cullen growled. “He wanted the stone circle for that. So does that mean Jenna’s invading now?”

Nora considered for a moment. “He used the ley lines to turn himself. Imbuing yourself with great power is a dangerous process. With the ley lines Rafe’s process could be made less painful or he could make himself stronger, but as long as Jenna is using someone else to turn her it’s not necessary. I don’t believe the men and women who have been taken to help her will volunteer information. However, if she asks about the ley lines they won’t lie to her. It would make it easier and safer to do. It also depends on what exactly she wants and how well they are able to adjust the compound creation to work from bone dust instead of blood. That makes matters more complex and increases the risk. She has collected the correct people to accomplish it.”

Cullen turned to Cadifor. “You keep Jenna here. I’ll take my men to the Tairneach manor and get the muin books before she finishes whatever she’s doing.”

“No,” Cadifor growled. “I told you. Nothing that involves the Pack Council. The laws are the only things that keep our power here. Jenna has not technically done anything wrong that we can prove. Kidnapping and theft aren’t strong enough reasons for the Pack Council to become directly involved. All we have is innuendo and guess work based on visions and druids. Imagine the justification given to the alphas and how they’ll take it if the Tairneach clan is disbanded and handed over to the Arnauk because we thought Jenna Tairneach
might
be doing something that
may
result in her attacking someone else,” Cadifor ranted.

Nora shook her head. “My friend, if you wait for her to do what you think is happening; there will be death instead of explanation. What’s worse is that her actions will have sparked imaginations with ideas that have long since been buried so deep no one considers them possible. There truly is nothing more dangerous than a mind open to infinite possibility, when mingled with untempered ambition.”

Cullen rolled his eyes and walked away from them. His concern was with the immediate threat posed to his pack if Jenna turned the Tairneach into horror movie lycans and released them on his territory. “I’m not just going to sit and wait for her to hang herself. Jenna’s not stupid enough to go without a plan. If we keep waiting, then the Arnauk will be destroyed and that will be the Pack Council’s justification for involvement. Don’t ask me to allow that Cadifor. You know I won’t. She made veiled threats already. The only reason she worked with me to kill Rafe was because it was to her advantage. Originally, she believed Rafe would be able to set her up to take me out. She doesn’t just want to be Tairneach alpha. She’s out to prove that she deserves to be. For whatever reason, she’s targeted me and my pack as her means to that end.”

Cadifor growled. He agreed with Cullen, but there would be no convincing the Council of this.

“Perhaps,” Nora suggested. “The solution is to plan for the worst.”

Cullen glared at her. “I’ll not run and hide either druid. Brinah tried that one already.”

Nora smiled at him. “I’m too old and have known too many lycans to think that you would be willing to hide anywhere. No. I’m suggesting that the Arnauk prepare for war if you believe one is coming.”

Cullen looked back to Cadifor and then shook his head. “The only way to prepare for an army of lycans who were already my equal and may now be double or triple in strength would be to double or triple my numbers. I can’t import reinforcements from other packs without Pack Council approval.” He snarled at Cadifor.

Cadifor’s eyes lit up like fire, and he began laughing.

Cullen growled at him. “I don’t get the joke.”

“Don’t be so single minded my friend,” Cadifor said with a wicked grin. “No you can’t bring in reinforcements without Council approval. And you’ll never get approval for war footing on the grounds that we have. However, you can invite other packs to a mating ceremony. Considering you’re about to mate to a druid, and we are encouraging diplomatic relations, perhaps we can discreetly increase your number. We import people to stay on the reservation in anticipation of the ceremony. I don’t think Jenna would be fool enough to attack if she knows what we’ve don’t, but we don’t have to invite the Tairneach. Then, when she chooses her moment or if we provoke one, you’ll have the men you need available.”

Cullen considered the plan. “Do you truly believe we could triple my pack number without her finding out?”

Nora placed a hand on Cullen’s arm. “There are ways of keeping people from finding things out.”

“I don’t think Aislinn will like this,” he said.

Cadifor started laughing again. “You truly are gone over that woman. I never thought I’d see the day.” He ran his hand through his hair and grinned. “This is going to be interesting. I can’t wait to taste her.” Cadifor smiled wider when Cullen growled possessively.

“I think you have enough females to taste around here.”

“Alright, I’ll behave. But for now, you and I need to revise your guest list.” Cadifor looked to Nora. “Is there a secret you need to teach us in order to prevent Jenna from finding out what we’re doing?”

Nora chuckled at him, making her whole face wrinkle. She didn’t appear to do anything; still a man with striking blue eyes and an overly efficient look about him appeared from nowhere. He bowed to Nora and then looked to Cullen and Cadifor.

“This,” Nora said, “is Malik. He’ll make sure that the messages and phone calls you make only reach the people who you wish.” Malik nodded to Nora.

Cadifor considered the appearance they were trying to give. “Would it be appropriate to invite Senach to the mating? The female is your bloodline.”

Nora smiled again. “I’ll provide you with a list of those who might be appropriate.” She grinned at the unhappy look on Cullen’s face, but he wasn’t arguing. “I’ll make sure that they will all be people who can either be of use to Aislinn or will be helpful in the fight.”

Cullen growled. “I thought druids didn’t fight.”

“We don’t start fights. However, long ago we arranged to be capable of defending ourselves. You are all proof of that.”

* * * *

Jenna skipped up the steps to the front door of her home early that morning without a single sign of the fact that she had no sleep. The door opened for her, and her heels clicked on the marble, echoing down the hallway as she headed for the basement.

Maon came down the main stairwell, half dressed, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He’d left standing orders to notify him the instant Jenna arrived. Descending the stairs, he followed her to the basement.

Jenna spared him a smoldering look. If he had done as well as he said then she would give him his reward in the middle of the great room. A guard opened the door to the basement for her and she virtually danced down the basement steps with a gleam in her eyes.

Three men sat on the floor in various places about the basement. Two of them were in chains. Jenna looked at Maon in confusion. “I thought you said that it was ready. What is this?”

Maon nodded. “It is ready. It took several volunteers to get it right. The first attempt,” Maon pointed to a boy, cowering in the corner in several layers of chains. “He didn’t exactly volunteer. It worked, but at the sacrifice of intellect. I didn’t think you’d want that. So I put them back to work. They made some adjustments and Raol tried the next batch. You promise a man that he’ll gain strength better than any current alpha, and he’ll volunteer for anything. Raol was better. Even so, his coordination wasn’t what it should be and he’s not happy about that. It took six men to get him down here.” Maon signaled the third man, who was waiting for his turn. “Devon, however, is still fine, so far.”

Devon approached them and bowed his head to Jenna and Maon. “Mistress,” he said shakily.

“What’s wrong? What do you mean so far,” Jenna asked without taking her eyes off Devon.

“It was exceedingly painful. He writhed for hours. The change itself is painful enough to cause screaming and a necessary recovery time after it’s done. He’s still recovering. The druids claim that it’s a flaw they have no solution for. There’s a price for what we’re asking them to do.”

“Rafe managed a muin polar--bear--lion thing without recovery time,” Jenna snarled. “I want to see,” she demanded.

Devon swallowed. He didn’t want to go through that again. The pain was almost enough to cause him to never wish to change to any lycan form again.

“Now,” Jenna demanded.

Maon gave him a look that reinforced Jenna’s command, and Devon stepped back from the two of them. As he began to change, the cracking of bones was audible and his screams filled the room. The boy in the corner of the room stood up on his hands and knees and followed Devon’s lead like an agitated pet dog following its master. The two men howled in agony as their bodies rearranged. The sickening sounds of cracking bodies echoed up the stairs, and people on the floor above them stared at each other in horror, listening to the results of their mighty alpha’s experiment.

The change took far longer than any change Jenna had ever witnessed. Even children on their first attempt could manage better. The men writhed on the floor. Tears gathered in the corners of their eyes, and when they finally completed the shift they lay whimpering on the cold wooden panels of the floor trembling.

Jenna smiled at the result. Although the process sickened her, the end product was perfect. The boy in the corner turned into a wolf three times larger, both in height and width, than any lycan she had ever seen.

He snarled and growled when she approached, and Maon held her back. “There’s a reason he’s chained. Though, he does seem to do as Devon tells him. There must be some kind of primal connection.”

Devon propped himself against the wall, as Jenna approached. He was in his hybrid form, having found it less painful than shifting all the way to his wolf. Even sitting against the wall, Devon was still shoulder high on Jenna. If he stood she would only come to his chest. His build was stockier than a standard lycan and he was more barrel—chested, with virtually no neck. Panting, Devon fought off sharp pains that continued to shoot through him. He was definitely larger, stronger, and more formidable than any lycan she had ever seen. She stared into his eyes with excitement.

Jenna ran a hand across his check and then leaned in and kissed his muzzle. “You’re perfect,” she said softly, staring into his swirling amber eyes. She stood up and turned to Maon. “Take me to the druids.”

Upstairs, in the room where the druids were being held the air was permeated with a smell of burning flesh. Jenna nearly gagged as she entered the room. Sneering, Jenna put her hand over her nose and mouth. Jacob and the others were seated in chairs, hunched over in exhaustion. Maon had ordered them to make as much of the stuff as they could and they had not been allowed to sleep or stop all night. They were so tired that Jenna and Maon’s entrance didn’t encourage them to budge even at risk of another beating.

“Ah,” Jenna sighed sympathetically. She was too happy about the fact that she was so close to be angry right now. “It seems that my mad scientists need a nap. The first one to tell me how Rafe was able to manage his transformation without being in all the pain that the poor men in the basement have endured, gets to go to bed.”

The druids looked at each other. They were truly beyond caring. Jacob sat back in his chair and called over to the woman on the far side of the room, “Cerdwyn.” She was in worse shape than the men. She was older and hadn’t adjusted to their situation as well.

Cerdwyn looked up and Jenna could see the tear stains on her face. “Tell her, Cerdwyn. She’ll let you go to bed.” The resignation in his voice and the look on the woman’s face almost plucked at what was left of Jenna’s conscience.