24. Jace

The crowd was restless, as evidenced by the murmurs going around the hall. Eyes glanced in my direction, questioning and confused. Never, in all my years as alpha, had I summoned so many pack meetings in such a short amount of time. Everyone here was on edge. Hell, so was I. This was a massive leap of faith, but it was the right thing to do. The rightness of it filled my heart, and I couldn't think of a single reason not to go through with it.

Once the pack was aware that I would begin officially courting Kirsten, all the cards would be on the table. No more subtle prods and questions about when I'd take a mate, no more fear in the eyes of the elders about the future of the pack. Of course, the fact that Kirsten was a witch would cause a stir. I still remembered the disdain on Sandra Donehue's face simply because we'd been holding hands. I had to hope that once the pack understood where my heart was, they'd be more understanding.

All that held me together was knowing I was so sure about Kirsten. We'd had a fight, yes, and that had been partly my fault. I'd dragged her to Eren's place without giving her all the information, but all couples fought. That didn't change the connection we shared. Her great-grandmother may have been punishing me, or she may have been saving me. Either way, all she'd managed to do was make sure I had the best mate I could ask for. Kirsten was still hesitant, and all that was left was for me to help convince her that I'd be the best for her.

"Have you seen Waylan yet?" Langston whispered in my ear.

"Not yet," I whispered back. "He went to get Kirsten. He should be here soon."

"Okay. I'm gonna hang by the door. Do you need anything, big dog?"

"No. Thanks."

Langston patted my arm and weaved through the crowd. Multiple people stopped him on his trip to the rear of the room, whispering furtive questions to him, but all he gave in response was a shake of the head. Loyal to the end. He wouldn't let anything slip.

At one door, Abigail and Shayna were having a hushed conversation. My sister's presence had given everyone even more to talk about. She'd been born into this pack, but was now mated to the alpha of another. She had no voting say in anything here. Her being here made the meeting all the more important… and worrisome, in the eyes of the pack.

Finally, just when I was getting worried, Waylan slipped in through the back door and waved to me, giving me a thumbs-up. I let out a breath. They were here. He worked his way through the crowd, ignoring the same questions Langston had, and joined me up on stage.

"She's in the bathroom," he said, lowering his voice as he got near. He knelt beside me, putting a hand on my knee. "You're sure about this, right? Positive?"

"I am," I said.

"Things have felt a little rocky these last few days, which is why I ask. Just wanna make sure you're in the right headspace before you make this announcement."

"This is fate, brother," I said. "And yes, I'm sure. Things aren't perfect, but they never will be. That won't change the fact that she's my mate. We'll make this work. I know we will."

Waylan studied me, giving a more intense inspection than he ever had. Reading my soul, maybe? Either way, whatever he saw there must have been enough. His lips quirked into a smile, and he nodded to himself.

"All right, then. Let's get this show on the road. I'll bring Kirsten in."

Waylan departed, and I stood, walking up the steps to take the stage. The crowd stirred at my movement, but a moment later, a rampant mutter burst through the room as Waylan led Kirsten out from the backstage area to take center stage with me. It was all I could do not to stare at her. These past few days were the longest I'd gone without seeing her since we first met, and the way she was dressed, the smell of her, set a fire burning in my mind. In my mind, my wolf snarled his own desire. The need and want that overcame us both at the mere sight of her. It was actually a force of will for me not to drag her backstage and ravish her. The room rumbled with hissed conversations, but all I could do was look at her.

I held my hand out, and Kirsten took it. I was so dazzled by her that I barely noticed Waylan hurrying off the stage to join Langston at the back. Unable to stop myself, I pulled her to me and kissed her long and hard. Kirsten's magic danced across my lips and tongue as she pressed a hand to my chest and kissed me deep. For a few seconds, the world around us disappeared.

When I finally pulled away, the room was deafeningly silent, and then the murmurs started again.

"Are you ready?" I whispered as I looked into her eyes.

She tore her gaze away from mine. "I think so."

There was hesitancy in her voice that sent a spike of fear into my guts.

Finally, she added, "I just want to make sure you're certain. About me, I mean."

"Of course I am," I said, relieved that it was only her fear of rejection that made her hesitate. "Always."

"If there was a cure, would you take it? For the curse?"

A strange question, and an even stranger time to ask, with a few hundred people staring at us, waiting for me to address them. A month ago, that question would have been met with a resounding yes. Now, with Kirsten, knowing all she was to me and how I felt, it didn't really matter if I was free of the curse, did it?

"My heart wants what my heart wants," I said. "Curse or no curse, you are mine, and I am yours."

Kirsten looked speechless, eyes shining with unshed tears, a smile slowly forming on her lips. It was the most vulnerable I'd seen her. She wiped at the tears, then nodded firmly.

"Okay, then. That sounds great. Let's do this." She slipped her hand into mine, and we walked to the edge of the stage together, looking out upon the entire pack

The crowd went silent, every eye in the house on us. Shayna and Abigail sent furtive glances around the room, both of them looking nervous. Langston and Waylan stood at the rear of the room, assessing the situation, neither as relaxed as they usually were. Stephanie stood at the left of the stage, looking on with what I could only call resigned sadness.

"Good evening, everyone," I said. "I've called you all here for a very important announcement. After many, many long years, I am finally able to come to you with the news you've been waiting for. I've finally found my fated mate."

A ripple went through the crowd, and most of the eyes turned to look at Kirsten. I hadn't said the words yet, but with her standing beside me, the implication was clear.

"Kirsten Holly is my fated mate. I have officially begun the courtship of this lovely woman in hopes that she will accept me as her mate. I say this as alpha. My word is my bond, as my bond is to you all through blood and respect. I'm sure this is a surprise, so I'm happy to answer your questions."

At first, there was only echoing silence, then, like a glass crashing to the floor, chaos. Dozens of voices calling out, several portions of the crowd clapped or cheered, others still looked on in abject shock. Hands rose, asking for me to call upon them.

From what I could see in the crowd, it was just as I thought. Mixed emotions. Some looked jubilant, others unhappy, still more confused or shocked.

The first person I called on was Brad Thomas, the man who'd questioned me at the end of the annual pack meeting.

"Brad?" I said, pointing him out, and the crowd quieted.

"Jace, uh, I'm very happy for you," he said, casting his eyes toward Kirsten for a moment. "I have to say, I do have some reservations. I've been around a long time. Prior to migrating to America, my grandfather actually lived in one of the last villages to harbor an ally witch. He was a young boy when she left, but he remembered it well and told many stories. This was right before things went bad several centuries ago. What I'm saying is that I know how powerful witches are. Nothing against her, but are you sure you have the ability to control her?"

Kirsten's hand tensed in mine, but she said nothing.

"You're wondering if I'll screw up and things will end with her rampaging through Crestwood, killing everyone who dares disagree with me?" I asked, a jovial smile hiding my irritation.

Brad cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "Not exactly, but something like that, yes."

Should I tell them the truth? That Kirsten was only now coming into her power? That she still had very little control over her powers? Would that be like dangling a weakness out for everyone to latch on to? After a moment of indecision, I tossed that thought aside. I couldn't fear what my pack thought of her. I had to be as honest as possible. After all the years of hiding, lie after lie, now was the time to be honest, especially since it pertained to the woman I loved.

"Kirsten has only just come into her magic. She's still very new at learning her powers. Even then, if she was at the height of her power, she would never do anything along those lines. She would never resort to violence, even if I went mad and commanded her it from her."

"I'd like to say something," Kirsten announced.

The crowd watched her intently. She gave me a questioning look, and I nodded for her to go on.

"I've read some of the histories," she began. "I know how bad things got. The revolt of the witches. I know that many wolves were killed in the trouble that came after. I want everyone here to know that I do not take pleasure in harming people, and I would never hurt anyone in this pack. I've begun to grow close to several of you, and I hope that one day, I can call you my friends. I know that what I am may be scary, but I'm embracing my new life, and I would like for you to embrace me as well."

"Bullshit!" a voice called from the back door.

I knew that voice. I released Kirsten's hand and stepped in front of her, balling my hands into fists and snarling. Voices rose in alarm as Eren Miller strode through the crowd toward me.

How dare he come here? Now? The asshole truly did have a death wish.

"Lovely words," Eren said, raising his voice to be heard above the crowd. "I guess I should apologize for coming to this sweet little announcement uninvited." He grinned up at me, a nasty little slash of a smile. "My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail."

Langston began pushing his way through the crowd, but I shot him a warning look that made him stop short. I wanted to hear what this lowlife had to say. He could dig his hole even deeper. Nothing like a few hundred witnesses to corroborate his disrespect of pack law.

"This is a meeting for the Crestwood Pack, Eren. Not for other alphas. What do you want?" I sneered.

"Oh, I just thought there would be no better place to tell the lovely Kirsten what kind of man she's hooking herself up to. What kind of douchebag he really is."

I shook my head in derision. "If all you're gonna do is talk shit about me, you might as well just leave."

Eren kept striding toward the stage. "I'd like to tell Kirsten about a little conversation that happened the other day. Between Jace and one of his trusted pack mates. A member of his very own council. Be honest, Jace."

Eren glared daggers up at me, and even though I had no clue what he was talking about, a pit formed in my stomach. Something about this smelled wrong.

"Did you," he said, "or did you not, plan on just using Kirsten and her magic to get that pesky little curse off your shoulders? She was… how did you put it? ‘Going to be a tool and nothing else?'"

A fury like nothing I'd ever experienced surged through me. It fueled my hatred as I turned an accusatory glare on Stephanie. She stared at me, face so pale I could almost see the veins in her cheeks. Her head shook back and forth slightly as if to deny what was already proven true.

"Traitor," I snarled at her. "You were feeding him information. Admit it, Stephanie."

But before the other woman could speak, Kirsten's voice sheared through the moment like a cold knife stabbing into my heart.

"Is that true, Jace? Is that what all you wanted me for?"