Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

S imon leaned back in his seat at the exclusive casual dining restaurant, Core. He sized up the man who would soon be his father-in-law. Oliver Halsey was highly regarded in both human and wolfen circles. His acumen as a businessman and warrior were legendary. Oliver had been one of those who had helped to defeat Ramon DeMoncada and break the back of his international she-wolf trafficking ring. He was also one of the few who could rival Simon's own personal wealth.

Reservations at Core were almost always required, but Simon had been a devoted customer since its inception. Core's owner and Executive Chef, Clare Smyth, had been Gordon Ramsay's head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Simon had been one of an elite group selected to attend Core's opening night festivities.

"An excellent meal, Simon, thank you. I don't know that I would have tried the braised lamb or the pear sorbet without your recommendation, and both were exceptional."

"You're most welcome. I'm hoping to make a favorable impression on you."

"Does it really matter?" asked Oliver, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes and no. Yes, because it will make things easier, especially for your mate and mine. No, because your approval isn't required, and I will claim Mariah and take her to mate regardless."

"Bold words for a man who is not yet an alpha of his own pack."

"That is by my choice and is about to change. My pack has been after me to take over as alpha, but there didn't seem to be a pressing need until now, and I've enjoyed my work at Lloyd's. But now I'm taking a she-wolf to mate. The Hunters are back on the rise and there is the additional threat of this Darkness thing, whatever it is. It's time I made a few changes."

"I spoke with Jean-Michel earlier this week. The pirate sends his regards, by the way. He also gave me a very brief history of what we know about the Darkness. Of course, the Ruling Council, in its infinite wisdom, is hiding its head in the sand and hoping it'll go away." Oliver shook his head in disgust. "I wonder if they will ever change?"

"Why should they? There have always been those of us who won't play politics and will do whatever is necessary to ensure the survival of our species. Our history is riddled with stories of packs singularly or together doing what needs to be done without the Council ever lifting a finger to help."

Oliver smiled. "But none of that is the reason for this lunch. So, you believe my daughter is your fated mate?"

"I do."

"Fortunately for you, Cameron Nichols was there when she responded to your call." Halsey held up his hand to silence Simon. "He was also there when she bit you, shifted, and very neatly managed to get away."

"She is intelligent and brave."

"I'm not sure taking time to meet with me in and out of your office bodes well for obtaining my blessing. My daughter has gone missing from the Savoy."

It was Simon's turn to smile. "As I'm sure you know, her things were removed from her suite. She asked for and was given sanctuary at Baker Street and is currently doing a final tour of her artwork for tonight's gala. Had I not known my mate was safe, I can assure you that you and I would not be meeting."

"So, you let her run? I'm not sure that's the best precedent to set for her."

"Perhaps, but I know that her art is very important to her, and this auction should raise a great deal of money for a cause that will put the money to good use. I can be as patient as the situation warrants. I will allow her this small victory that will in turn benefit many, and will then take what is mine."

"Don't you think you ought to get your own house in order first?" asked Oliver.

"My assuming leadership of the London pack is a mere formality. I have the backing of almost every one of my people."

"Almost?"

"I haven't had a chance to speak to each individual member, but I am assured by those I trust that the only two who won't welcome the change are my parents. My father never should have been alpha, but my grandfather was a traditionalist and imposed his son as alpha. It was a bad choice. He'll acquiesce easily enough when he realizes his abdication won't negatively impact his extravagant lifestyle."

"And your mother? I hear she is a formidable she-wolf."

"What you've been told—if those doing the telling are being honest—is that my mother is a power-hungry bitch without care for her people and whose only interest is in the control and money she can wield through my sire."

"Not very fond of your parents, are you?"

"Not particularly. My father was far too weak to ever be mated to my mother, and in absence of true leadership in their pairing, she took over. Interestingly, I do believe that after some initial resistance, my mother might come around to the idea of change. I don't think Mariah will be a mistress to the pack in the usual sense of the word. She has her art, and it's important to her and the world. I would never ask her to give that up."

Oliver regarded the wolf sitting across from him. "How exactly do you see that working?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I don't have to be right now. I'll take Mariah to mate and she and I will figure out what works best for us and our pack."

"And if I object?"

"Then the next time you and I sit down across the table from one another, it will be when you sue for peace. I will not be denied, and my hope is that you're being provocative only to test the tenor of my commitment to your daughter."

"You're an arrogant sonofabitch, I'll give you that. Do you have any idea the kind of money, influence, and power I could exert if I chose to?"

"Yes, and honestly, it's not nearly as much as I could. I'm meeting with you as a matter of courtesy and form. Mariah is my fated mate and I will have her despite what you or anyone else thinks. I believe it might be easier for her if she felt her sire approved, but I assure you, your approval isn't necessary."

The corners of Oliver's mouth lifted. "I'm beginning to believe you may be like my friend James Norris—the fa?ade that the world sees is far different from the wolf he truly is. I like you, Simon. More importantly, I'm beginning to believe you might be able to pull this off. My own beloved mate, however, will not be as easily swayed."

"As I recall the story, your own fated mate was none too keen on the idea of becoming Mistress of the Hamptons."

Oliver's eyes crinkled in amusement and Simon supposed reminiscence. The Alpha of the Hamptons chuckled and his dark countenance completely transformed. "Not keen is perhaps the grossest understatement I've ever heard. Mariah's mother was a spitting wildcat. But I was able to convince her to yield to my hand and soon she learned to purr."

"Then it is my highest hope that I'm able to emulate your success."

"You're sure Mariah is safe and that you know where she is?"

"Absolutely. As I said, she spent the night at Baker Street. I have two people inside the club and have several more stationed outside to ensure she remains there or has the proper escort. While we were having lunch, she went to the museum to make last minute adjustments to the lighting for tonight's charity gala. She's hired the Cerberus Group to provide her with protection. They're manning the security detail for tonight's event, but I understand Mariah has engaged two close cover specialists to be with her all evening. At the end of the festivities, they're supposed to whisk her off to a private airport where she will be flown back to the Hamptons on a small jet."

"Given the Hunters and whatever this boogeyman who came out of New Orleans has in mind for London, don't you agree she might be safer at home with her mother and me?"

"Don't let the London pack's heretofore lackadaisical protection of itself and our territory fool you. We are more than capable of defending ourselves and ridding the world of both the Hunters and the Darkness. You have my word that I will keep my mate safe by whatever means are necessary."

Oliver nodded. "Well said, and from what I've heard, you have the power and resources to make that boast a reality. Are you planning to claim my daughter tonight?"

"Yes. She responded to my call and is just being…"

"Fractious is the word you're looking for," said Oliver with a laugh.

Simon grinned. He and his father-in-law were going to get along quite well. "Fractious indeed. I want her marked and claimed but will give her some time to settle before asking her to take her vows and go into seclusion with me."

"A word of advice from a wolf who has successfully dealt with his mate for more than a quarter of a century. Don't give her time. Mark and claim her now, force her vows from her and take her into seclusion. Settle her while you have her in your bed. Trust me, Mariah has the absolute worst traits of her mother and me combined. She'll need to know from the get-go that you can and will impose your dominance."

"That's not exactly what I expected to hear you say."

"Look, Simon, let me be honest with you. You impressed the hell out of Cameron Nichols, and I know from experience that takes some doing. I've also lived with and loved Mariah's mother for many years and know the areas in which they are alike. Mariah won't submit easily to any wolf who doesn't earn her respect and love, but once she has, she will commit herself fully and unconditionally." Oliver steepled his fingers on the table in front of him. "Now, seeing as you're taking my daughter, I think it's only fair that you sell me Play Ball ."

Simon laughed. "I'll give it some thought." He paid the bill and they headed out onto the street.

Oliver turned to him. "One last thing."

"Yes?"

"Just a word of warning. Mariah has a collection of blow torches and arc welders—she's proficient with both, and you're going to have to close your eyes some time to sleep."

Simon laughed out loud. "Duly noted."

"I know you think you don't need it," Oliver continued, "but for what it's worth, you have my blessing. I won't help you other than to keep her mother out of the mix. Trust me, that's a dynamic duo you don't want to mess with."

S o far, so good, thought Mariah. The trip from Baker Street to the museum had been uneventful. She was able to see the museum space in peace and make some last-minute adjustments to the lighting and placement of her sculptures.

"They're absolutely stunning," said a woman's voice with a heavy Scottish accent.

Mariah's two bodyguards stepped between her and the gorgeous redhead, who had to be Renata Valor, the administrator of the school that was the beneficiary of tonight's event.

"Stand down, guys. Ms. Valor?"

"Aye, and you're Mariah Halsey."

"I wasn't expecting someone so young."

The redhead laughed. "It's a small village—I'm the administrator, secretary, and chief bottle washer, as they say."

Mariah laughed as well. "I know how that goes," she said, smiling at the beautiful woman.

"I don't even know how to begin to express my gratitude for what you're doing tonight for our school. And may I say the absolute power and beauty of your work is astounding. Truly, photographs don't do them justice."

Mariah could feel the heat of a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thank you. It's like Michelangelo said, a sculptor doesn't create anything, we just allow the medium to show us the vision of what already exists within. It's already there, I just set it free."

"Oh, what a glorious way to look at it! But you do have a singular and unique talent."

"Maybe, but mine is a skill that can be learned. What you did is, I'm guessing, a part of your DNA. To experience a storm that levels most of your schoolhouse and sends fishing boats into the middle of farms? Then when your escape route was cut off, you had the presence of mind to take those children up into the hills and find a cave for shelter? Not only did you keep them safe, but the kids all talk about it like it was some great adventure. When they were interviewed they were relaxed and laughing like the whole thing was a great lark. And to top it all off, the community came together to rebuild and repair the buildings. It sounds like a very giving village."

Renata smiled. "We were lucky. The kids were very brave, and there were petroglyphs to look at in the cave. Please know that any money raised will be put to good use and we already have new safety protocols to ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

"Ms. Halsey, can we have your final approval on the exhibition?" said one of the coordinators as he approached them.

"I'm so sorry," said Renata, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not." Mariah said taking the clipboard from the official, looking it over and shaking her head. "I was just finishing up here. Would you like to do a final walk-through with me? I suspect tonight you'll be pushed and pulled between those in attendance and the press."

"A tour provided by the sculptor herself? I'd be honored."

"Well," laughed Mariah, "basically I'm just an ironworker with fancy blow torches, arc welders and a grinder."

Mariah guided Renata through the exhibition, watching her reactions and making infinitesimal adjustments to details in the room. She left the bodyguards outside the main reception area so she could have a bit of privacy with the brave principal.

"I had no idea you were wolf," said Mariah when they were alone. "I didn't even know there was a pack up there."

Renata straightened her shoulders and brought her head up to look Mariah directly in the eye. "There isn't a pack in the Hebrides. When my mother was pregnant, she took refuge with her sister, who was a midwife. I was born up there and when she realized your kind didn't want us, she settled down and made a life for us there."

"Her origin pack banished her?"

"My mother had no origin pack, she was turned without her consent."

"We have that in common; so was mine."

A look of surprise registered on Renata's face. Mariah wondered how much she knew about her own kind.

"When she died," Renata continued, "I buried her and got on with my life. I have no need or desire to be part of a pack and prefer my solitary life, working with the children of our village. Before you choose to betray my secret or withdraw your support, I would ask you to think of the children."

"Whoa," said Mariah, taking a step back. "I have no intention of doing either. But if you want to remain independent, we should probably come up with a plan to help you do that. I have several friends who would be willing to help us. I don't know how much you know about male alpha wolves, but they can get stupidly over-protective of independent she-wolves and the idea of a she-wolf living on her own is an anathema to them."

Surprise turned to shock as Renata said, "You would do that for me? But you don't even know me."

"I don't need to. You're a she-wolf, just as I am, and at the moment I'm trying to figure out how to ensure my own freedom. Maybe we can make that work for you. You didn't grow up knowing much about our kind, did you?"

For the first time in their private conversation, Renata smiled. "I didn't know anything at all. I'm not sure my mother would have told me anything if I hadn't started having horrible dreams about wolves."

Mariah nodded. "I can't imagine what that must have been like. I grew up in a happy, stable pack. But I come from a line of rabble-rousing she-wolves. Male wolves can be overbearing and domineering. The good ones are raised to believe that one of their jobs is to protect the she-wolves in their pack. They are downright arrogant about it. You can confront them with all the facts you like about autonomy and a she-wolf's ability to take care of herself and still they get bossy and pissy about being in charge."

"You're not winning me over to wanting to belong to a pack," said Renata.

"I'm not trying to. Don't get me wrong, for the most part it has worked well in our society, but it can be a bit much sometimes and frankly the boys don't want the rules to change as it gives them the upper hand. That's all fine and good if that's what the she-wolf wants, but my friends and I believe a she-wolf has the same right to make decisions about her life as any male wolf. We will help in any way we can. I'll give them a heads up. Their names are Piper, Skylar, Kat, and Abriana. Abriana comes off as the snotty Mistress of Calon Onest, but believe me, she can get as down and dirty as the rest of us. Whatever we need to do, we will—up to and including spiriting you out of London to wherever you want to go right after the event. Or, if you prefer, we can say something came up and get you out now."

"No. I need to be here for this event. I haven't been to London in years and besides, I spent a fortune on my dress."

"Really? Me too. My friends had to drag me out kicking and screaming to go shopping. Make sure you stay close to one of us at the end of the official presentation. We've got a couple of surprises for you."

"Good surprises, I hope."

"Oh, I don't believe in bad ones," teased Mariah. "All of the sculptures are expected to sell and surely for more than the opening bids. My father was so impressed with what you did, he's going to match the amount of the donations."

"Are you joking?" Renata said, clearly taken aback at Oliver Halsey's generosity.

Mariah smiled and shook her head. "I saw you admiring the sculpture out in the foyer of the museum. I don't know if you noticed, but it isn't on the auction block. I'd like to donate it to your school."

"Mariah, that's too much."

"Not at all. Are you ready to leave? I'm meeting my friends for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

Renata hesitated. "I don't think so. I don't know that I'd fit in."

"Sure you would. My friends are just people like you. Skylar's a cop. Kat's something I can never pronounce but has to do with picking what wines are served at a fancy restaurant."

"A sommelier?"

"Yeah, that's it. Know anything about horses?"

"Yes, I ride. It's one of my few indulgences. One of the farmers went to my house and got my animals when I couldn't leave the school. Most of my tack was okay, but the storm destroyed my cart. I like to drive as well as ride."

"Well then," said Mariah teasingly, "just talk about your horse and Piper and Abriana will be all in."

Renata laughed. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is."

Mariah signed off on the exhibition and handed the clipboard back to the coordinator who was waiting on the other side of her bodyguards.

A s they drove through the countryside, Abriana realized how much she had missed visiting Tanglewood Castle. It was beautiful out here. Jed, Kat, Micah and she were planning to shift and go for a run to see if they could pick up on anything Simon might have missed. Simon had called ahead and arranged for the wolf who would be his beta, Archie, to greet them. He was almost as tall as Simon, a few years older, and very much resembled what most would think of as a British special ops soldier or mercenary—shaved head and a myriad of tattoos. It was an accurate comparison, as that was precisely what he had been in the past.

"Welcome to Tanglewood Castle. Simon called and said you wanted to take a run. I know you have an event this evening so time may be of the essence, but I'd be happy to take you on an abbreviated or extended tour." He turned his attention to Abriana. "It's good to see you again, Abriana."

"Thanks, Archie, you too. I had forgotten how beautiful it is here. I think they all should have the extended tour, but as you pointed out, we're somewhat strapped for time today," said Abriana.

"Some other time, perhaps. For now, let me show you to what we call the mud room. It has individual, private changing stalls. You can leave your things there and you will find a door that leads out to the gardens and grounds. If you stay within sight of the castle, you won't need to worry about getting lost and you'll have plenty of room to run. Or if you'd like, I can arrange for a guide."

"We should be fine on our own," said Micah, as they followed Archie to the London pack's changing area. When they were alone, he added. "Abriana, when Simon was talking about the places they found the bodies, you seemed to know where they were."

"I do. I wasn't overly surprised that's where they found the Darkness' latest victims as they were in some of the pack's favorite places to run."

"Once we shift, we let Abriana lead," said Jed. "But if any of us picks up on something unusual, we get out and wait until we can do this with Skylar and Travis. If their dire wolf can take that thing on or at least hold it at bay, I have no interest in starting a fight we might not be able to win without them."

They all agreed, and then split up to enter the individual stalls to disrobe. As they shifted from human to wolf at approximately the same time, the room filled with an ethereal light and sparkle. The shimmer that accompanied a single wolf shifting was beautiful; when a group of wolves did it, the results were breathtaking.

Once the transformation was complete, they exited as a small pack and fell in behind Abriana, who led them to the sites of the killings. They stayed within sight of each other and used all of their senses—human and wolf—to investigate.

At each location, Kat was able to pick up a trace that the Darkness had left behind. It was as if she could sense it, rather than smell or see it. Each time she discovered it, the sensation seemed to upset her, and Jed gave her comfort, nuzzling and rubbing her neck. He knew her better than anyone, and his strong, steady presence was a balm to her soul. It had become evident to the group that the Darkness was using Tanglewood Castle as its primary hunting grounds.

They returned to the main keep to shift and change back into their clothes. As Archie escorted them back to their car, they exchanged pleasantries and said their goodbyes. Just then, another SUV rolled to a stop in front of the pathway leading to the main entrance into the castle's keep. Two burly wolves were supporting an older and apparently drunk wolf between them as they walked. The senior wolf was singing a bawdy ballad about a poor wench with bad luck. As they approached, Kat tried to hide behind Jed for protection as unobtrusively as possible.

Jed rumbled quietly to her, helping her into the car. The group headed back to London.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" asked Jed.

"Abriana, do you know who those three wolves were that pulled up as we were leaving?" asked Kat.

Abriana nodded. "The one who looked a bit like a mountain is known as Tiny. I don't know the other big guy, but the drunk in the middle singing off key was Simon's father, the Alpha of London. Why?"

"One of them is hosting the Darkness. Like Jed said, I have no interest in trying to take that thing on if we don't have to without Travis and Skylar's dire wolf, so I didn't want to say anything until we left."

"Which one was it?" asked Abriana.

Kat closed her eyes and leaned into Jed. "I'm not sure. But whoever he is, he has embraced it."