Leader of the Pack (56 page)

Cerdwyn started to protest, but Jacob shot her a hard look and she gave in. “That’s why Rafe needed the ley lines. The process of instilling a being with that much power is contrary to laws of balance that nature works on. It either requires time and patience, which you have told us to ignore or more power. Rafe drew on the power that occurs at the site on the Arnauk reservation to compensate for the natural inclination of fates to force the receiver of the power to endure an equally powerful back lash.”

Jenna smiled, content with that answer. “Maon, make sure the druid gets something to eat and some sleep.” He nodded. “Actually let them all have a short break for not giving me a hard time with getting an answer.” She had expected at least some argument, so she was feeling generous.

Jenna walked out of the room with Maon on her heels. “Any other orders,” he asked.

She stood a moment looking off into nothing. Maon could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. “Yes, gather a group of volunteers. Make sure they know what they are in for. Introduce them to Devon and explain the benefits. Anyone who wishes to undergo the change is to be provided the ability to do so.” Jenna refocused on him. “Afterward, report to my room. I believe I promised you a reward for your efforts last night.” A sultry smiled turned the corners of Jenna’s mouth, before she turned down the hall toward her room, making sure to swing her hips enticingly for Maon as she went.

* * * *

Sarah tried to talk Keith into sticking around for the conversation with Aislinn. Cullen left it to Sarah to explain to Aislinn what was going to happen at the mating ceremony, tell her why he was going to be longer getting back then he originally thought, and explain to her why the mating ceremony was about to turn into a trap and likely a blood bath.

Keith flat out refused to take part. “Sorry Sarah, but if I’m supposed to find out what’s going on at Tairneach manor and get back to Cullen then I’d better get on it. Besides, it sounds like a woman thing anyway.”

Sarah glared at him. “Fine. Could you at least have someone send her in here?”

Keith threw her one of his patented Impish grins and backed out the door of her office as if she was going to attack him the minute his back was turned. He was about to send an omega to locate Aislinn, but found her watching TV in the great room with Rissa and some of the others. Keith stood in the doorway and watching for a minute. He never would have guessed when he first met Aislinn that things would turn out like this. He thought back to the gutsy bartender who woke him up in the middle of the night to come pick up Cullen at that shithole bar.

“Aislinn,” Keith called into the room.

Looking up from the show with a handful of popcorn, she ruefully glanced back at the screen once before giving him her full attention. “Uh huh?”

“Sarah needs to talk to you.”

Aislinn gave the television one last disappointed look. “I don’t think I’ve managed to catch the end of a single show since I got here,” she complained, as she jumped the back of the couch and walked toward the door. One of the guys sitting on the floor took her seat and started making a pass at Rissa as Aislinn left.

She walked down the hall to Sarah’s office and tapped on the open door as she walked in. “Keith said you wanted me?”

“Yeah, close the door.”

Aislinn raised her eyebrows. “Problem?”

“No. Not exactly. Except that Cullen’s an ass and gives me too much of his dirty work sometimes,” she groused.

“And you wondered why I don’t want your job,” Aislinn chuckled.

Sarah glared at her. “Keep that thought. First, he had trouble at his meeting and he won’t be back today. In fact he’s not sure how long exactly he’s going to be. He said to tell you that he’d call when he’s able.”

Aislinn’s face instantly fell. “What happened? Am I allowed to know?”

“Jenna. Apparently the message about the dire wolf dust means exactly what you were afraid it means.” Sarah sighed and looked at her sympathetically. “This is the part where you’re going to be very happy your mating happened the way it did. The short version is that due to the threat that Jenna poses we need reinforcements, unfortunately interpack law says that we don’t have grounds. Unless Jenna does something more blatant we’re screwed. But Cullen and Cadifor have come up with a plan to invite extra lycans to your mating ceremony so that we have an excuse to have more people on hand for the possibility of the attack. Keith has been sent to see if it can be determined when the attack will come so we know when to plan the ceremony to happen.” Sarah watched Aislinn’s face fall.

“I can’t believe he’d do that and then have you tell me. Why wouldn’t he explain this himself?” Aislinn was pissed.

“I’m sorry Aislinn. I know that it seems insensitive. But unfortunately this is one of those things that being associated with the alpha results in. He’s trying to protect the pack. He’ll do whatever he has to in order to make us safe. In this case it means sacrificing the intimacy of his mating ceremony. I know we keep saying that everything the alpha does affects the pack and is watched by the pack. The best you can do is appreciate the time you get alone with him. But things like the mating ceremony are always going to end up being turned into political something.”

Aislinn shook her head. “Okay. Logically I can see what you’re saying. And if I’m told that it really is a choice between this mating ceremony and the safety of the pack then of course I’ll do what I have to do. But Sarah,” she couldn’t even finish the sentence. She felt like she was going to throw up. “How many more people are we talking about? I mean I’m going to have to do what in front of them?”

Sarah tried to think of the best way to explain it all. She gave Aislinn a lot of credit. Technically speaking it hadn’t been all that long since Aislinn had been brought into their world. There weren’t many people who could make the kind of adjustments that she had made. “Well, you’ve already done most of it. I guess what you really need to know is that what makes it a ceremony and not just the two of you having sex is the fact that everyone will be watching, some people may participate, and at the end the whole of the pack is to be given access to the two of you.”

“See,” Aislinn said angrily. “I hate the way you all know exactly how to not say the most important part. You’re going to have to tell me what you mean by that.”

“Fine. Usually, starting with the more important members of the pack an going through to the lesser members people approach the two of you, after he’s come inside you and smell and or taste the two of you together. They acknowledge that you’ve mated and you’re a pair. You’re scents as one so to speak. That will go on for the rest of the evening. You have sex then people get to ‘acknowledge’ the alpha pair. Repeatedly. If the two of you separate for any reason that doesn’t stop that part of the ceremony. You become pack property. Actually, any member of the pack at any time can attempt to show you respect in that way. Even after the ceremony. It doesn’t usually happen because most of the pack knows what most everyone else smells like. But you are one great big curiosity and I wouldn’t be surprised if that particular aspect of pack life were exploited.”

Aislinn sat silently. She knew about all the open sex. She’d seen it. Every day she was here she’d seen something. “So when Rissa told me a while back that if Cullen had ever come inside any of the others then she’d rub it in people’s faces, Rissa really meant…”

Saran nodded. The room was quiet for a long time before Aislinn spoke again. “So what am I supposed to do? How should I behave?”

“Cullen’s the only one allowed to do anything non-oral to you. But if all they want to do involves noses or mouths then you let them. I would suggest that you attempt to enjoy it, but I’m guessing that might be tough for you.”

“I’ll see if I can wrap my brain around it before it happens. I need to figure out how to be the alpha’s mate right?” Aislinn sat there thinking about how much she loved him. She took a deep breath. “He’s worth it. I’ll survive.”

Sarah smiled at her. “Give it a few years and you won’t know why it ever bothered you.”

* * * *

Cadifor’s Harley pulled in next to Cullen’s SUV. Makeda got off the back of the bike and handed her helmet to Cadifor as she ran her hands through her hair. Cullen waited for them to get their stuff from the bike and led the way to the elevator.

Cullen had spent the trip feeling his sense of Aislinn growing stronger in his mind mile by mile. As night fell he could tell she had gone to sleep and he wished that he was in bed with her. He was tempted to try and call out to her and wake her up the minute he knew he was close enough to speak with her. But he managed to restrain himself and let her sleep.

He was only a day late getting back. But he hadn’t managed to call and talk to her. Things had gotten too complex. Nora’s list that she’d given Malik of druids to invite had been problematic. She didn’t want to explain what any of them were capable of. He was going to have to just ask the pack to deal with it. The only good point being that Aislinn should be a walk in the park for the Arnauk after having to deal with the entire muin Senach Circle. Either that or they were going to have problems with the fact that Cullen was mating himself to the druids. He growled even thinking about it.

“Hey,” Cadifor said. “I thought you’d be happy getting back here.”

“We’ll see if Aislinn’s willing to speak to me. Then I’ll determine whether I’m happy to be back or not.” Cullen inserted his key in the elevator panel and hit the button for the beta’s floor. He wasn’t going to put Cadifor and Makeda on the main floor.

“Ooo,” Makeda cooed. Her African accent coming through even in just that simple sound. “Look an elevator,” she teased Cadifor. It was all stairs at his place.

“Get over it. I’m just not interested in that particular piece of technology. Stairs are better for you and more reliable.” He pulled her against him and the two of them kissed roughly.

Cullen rubbed his face. It had been a long couple days. He was the only one in the pack to have ever actually met Cadifor. He figured that Keith and Sarah were in for a shock. The man was an imposing, dominating figure. When that was the impression he chose to give. But put him in a friendly situation and he wasn’t any different from Cullen. “I’ll have someone bring you keys to the elevator. You can’t get off on pack floors without one. It keeps the guests from getting up here.” Cullen led the way to the guest rooms on the floor. He kicked loudly at Keith’s door as he passed it.

“What about the stairs?” Cadifor asked and Makeda made an annoyed click with her tongue.

Cullen pointed. “That way. But you need keys for those doors too.”

“Don’t you find it a pain to live so close to the human population?” Cadifor said with disgust.

“When we’re sick of it there’s the reservation. But mostly it’s more convenient. Honestly it’s easier to hide in plain sight. We did the little town in the middle of nowhere thing for a while. But scaring off the random tourist was too much of a pain. You never know what they get pictures of. There isn’t a human in this town who looks twice at this place. I like it that way.” Cadifor could see some of his point.

Cullen opened a door and ushered the two of them inside. Keith appeared groggily at his side. “What the hell? You get to deal with Jay. She pissed and pregnant. Not a good combo. I have half a mind to send you back to my bed and I’ll go bunk with Ais for tonight.”

“Think again,” Cullen said in a far more serious tone than he intended.

Keith threw his hands in the air to say that he was just kidding and then his eyes fell on Cadifor and Makeda. Especially Makeda. He bowed his head to both of them but his eyes never left her. She smiled back at him considering.

Cullen had to laugh. The man was impossible. “Keith is my second.” He said to Cadifor and Makeda. “I tend to trust him. Though at times I’m not sure why. You can tell him anything you’d tell me. He probably knows more than I do at any random point in time.” Cadifor nodded and then turned to check out the rest of the room. Cullen looked at Keith who was still making eyes at Makeda. “Keith, this is Makeda. And the man she’s with is Cadifor.”

Keith’s eye just about fell out of his head. He looked at Cullen and Makeda laughed. “I never do grow tired of the looks on men’s faces when they hear your name,” she said as she turned to go after her lover. “I may keep you around for that entertainment factor alone.” She kissed him on the cheek.

Cadifor patted her on the ass and headed for the bathroom. Cullen pulled Keith along with him as he left the room. “Get a grip. Make sure they get keys in the morning. They’re gonna be around until after the ceremony.”

Keith stared at Cullen. “When you said that some important people would be around for the mating you didn’t say Pack Council.”

“He’s the only one. Don’t be so dramatic.” Cullen stopped at Keith’s room and stepped inside. “Jay?”

“What in the name of the Gods do you want Cullen? Can’t you ever leave him be for just one night?”

“I’m sorry Jay. How you feeling,” he asked.

“Pregnant,” she complained.

Cullen smiled. “I’m done with him. Don’t be too mean to him.”

“Fine. But make him bring me some strawberry ice cream before he comes back in here,” she said and pulled the blankets around her shoulders.

Cullen looked over at Keith. “You heard the woman,” he said as he patted Keith on the shoulder and headed for his own room.