by A. C. Katt
“What’s a Beta?” Sean unconsciously played with Armand’s hair.
“They’re my lieutenants. They support me with the pack. Of course, they are important in their own right because they go to the council meetings and participate in enforcement of the laws.”
“Laws?” Sean cuddled up closer. Armand was pleased that his little mate was becoming used to him and not afraid to show affection.
“The loup-garou have laws. Obedience to the Alpha of your pack, telling no one but your mate of our existence, never to attack humans, things for the good of the packs, and the human population we live amidst.”
“What if a mate refuses a loup-garou?”
“We have ways of making you forget our existence as loup-garou. If you decided against me, I could make you forget that I am a wolf, you would only remember me as your benefactor.”
“I don’t want to forget you. I think I’d like to be your mate. I’m half in love with you already, although I don’t see how this can be.” Sean ducked his head down into Armand’s chest moving his hand under the soft shirt playing with the whorls of hair on his chest. “I feel a bit sappy.” Sean sat up again with a start. “Are you making me feel this way?”
“No, your pheromones are responding to mine as is the way of our people.” Sean nodded his head.
“This is all just physical, then.” Sean appeared to be almost disappointed.
“I already have far more than physical feelings for you and I think you more than like me, is this true?”
“Yes, but I was looking for love with my forever…”
“Baby, I promise to take care of you always. I promise we will love each other dearly and live a long and happy life. I’d like us to get married.”
“Married? The wedding you spoke of was ours?”
“Yes, in New York it is perfectly legal. I want you tied to me in every way possible.”
“But what if I didn’t say yes? I’ve never even dared to dream of marriage.”
“I want you as my husband and I hoped to have excellent powers of persuasion.” Armand smiled and turned Sean completely into his chest. Sean buried his nose in the crease of Armand’s neck. Armand began to caress Sean’s spine in mesmerizing circles. Armand pulled Sean’s face into his large hands and did again, what he wanted to do since he laid eyes on his beautiful mate—brought his head down into a passionate kiss, running his fingers through his mate’s curls. Armand sighed and sat up breaking the spell of passion between them. He lightly touched the bandage on the side of Sean’s head. They heard a knock on the door. Sean sprang away from Armand.
Meg spoke through the half-closed door. “Dr. Artis is here, Alpha.”
“Thank you, Meg. Please show him in.” Armand pulled Sean back into his embrace. “There is no need to hide, my love.”
“I’ve yet to agree.”
“Then I’ll have to do everything in my power to persuade you.”
Dr. Artis came bustling in with his small back bag. “With your permission, Alpha?”
“Of course. Sean, let the doctor examine your bandage.” The doctor lifted the bandage from Sean’s temple.
“The wound has closed over. There is no further need for a bandage. Your long hair will cover the area until it’s completely healed. There will be no scar. Let me check your side.” The doctor lifted Sean chamois shirt. “This one needs another day to heal. It was deeper.
“If I may ask, Alpha? How old is Sean?”
Armand sat running his fingers through Sean’s golden hair. “You may address Sean directly.”
“I’m about to turn twenty-five.”
“When, if I may ask?”
“Three weeks from today.”
The doctor stroked his goatee. He looked at Armand and nodded.
Armand gently pushed Sean from his lap, settled him among the sofa pillows, and stood.
“That will be all for today, doctor.” The doctor gave a slight bow and left the room.
“What was that all about?” Sean asked looking up at the slight smile on Armand’s face.
“Ah, my little mate. That was the doctor’s subtle way of telling me what I already knew; if we mate, you will change into your wolf form on your twenty-fifth birthday. If you agree, we will be in New Mexico by then. We will mate, you will take my mating bite, and we will have a ceremony cementing our relationship in the manner of our ancestors. Then you and I will run with the pack. Will you accept me as your mate, baby?”
Sean bowed his head, observing Armand from the curtain of his hair. “It’s a lot to take in all at once but, yes,” he said in a soft voice. “Yes, I will. I felt like I was all alone and now, well I feel different, part of something.”
“You are beginning to feel the pack.” Armand reached out his hand. “Come my love, we have much to accomplish and little time to do it.”
Chapter 4
Tuesday Afternoon
Sean went up the two flights of stairs to the master bedroom and sat on the end of the bed attempting to assess his new situation. He was a loup-garou and was about to be married to the man who ruled all of the wolves on this continent. The thoughts buzzed around his head wondering how fate had brought him to the alley last night.
Sean felt as if he were in the middle of a whirlwind. He needed time to think. Armand fascinated him. He never felt so fiercely about anyone. The idea of losing him sent vials of acid to his gut. Is this what being mated to a loup-garou feels like? This soul eating deep-seated need for your mate?
The door opened and Armand appeared escorting a little man with pins and a measuring tape carrying a suit bag from Barney’s. With great efficiency he took the suit out of the bag. He opened a door with a hidden latch behind a huge mirror.
“I’m James Abbott, personal tailor to Mr. La Marche.” Sean stood to greet the smaller man. “Mr. La Marche, this is an off the rack suit.” The tailor’s lip curled. “Surely you want custom for your intended.”
“We don’t have time for custom at the moment. We have to attend a council meeting. However, before you leave, please take his measurements for a complete wardrobe. Of course, he will need at least six suits and two tuxedos for more formal occasions, one immediately, and T-shirts, jeans and casual shirts for New Mexico. Get him warm clothes for the mountains, hiking boots as well as sneakers, a warm coat and a light jacket, and ski clothing. I will take him to London and have him fitted by Loeb at a later date. Anything else you can think of that he might need, buy it, you have carte blanche. Baby, put on the suit.” Sean undressed, slipped on the shirt Armand produced from a bag, then the suit, and stepped in front of the mirror.
The little man, somewhat mollified began to measure Sean. “This is all too much,” Sean said as the tailor fussed. “I’ve never needed a suit that wasn’t from the rack and the only one I even owned I wore for college graduation.”
“You’ll need all this and more.” Armand kissed Sean gently on the forehead. “I have to attend to some business, love. When you are finished with Mr. Abbott, Meg will send up some lunch. I can see you are tired, so after lunch, please try taking a short nap.”
“I’m beginning to feel buffaloed, Armand. I don’t know if I should accept all of this,” Sean gestured around the room, “stuff.”
“I need you to dress the part. You are my consort.” Sean waved the tailor away.
“Give us a minute, Mr. Abbott,” Armand said graciously.
“You have yet to tell me what this entails. I’m just a potter from the Jersey Shore. I don’t do rich. If you expect a mannequin, you have the wrong man.”
“You will need to attend some meetings with me, help me with the pack, just as one husband would do for another. You can do as much or as little as you wish. As far as the money is concerned, as soon as I marry you under the laws of the loup-garou, what is mine is yours. Please don’t fight me on this. You will give far more than you receive.”
Still stubborn, Sean said, “We’ll see how it goes. I’ll accept your help and the wardrobe f
or the time being, since you insist I need it, but after I start to work, I contribute. I know I can’t possibly match what you give to the relationship, but I will give something.”
“Okay, baby, in the meantime, let me spoil you a little. I’m so happy to have found you after all these years I want to give you the world. Please let Mr. Abbott do his work, unless you want to get married in jeans?”
“I concede your point.” Sean laughed.
“Mr. Abbott,” Armand said from the doorway. “You can come in now.”
Mr. Abbott finished his measurements and bid Sean and Armand good day. Meg brought up some rich cream of chicken soup and a roast beef sandwich along with pumpkin pie. Sean devoured his lunch and found he was in fact tired. He crawled onto the top of the bed and fell instantly asleep. When Meg came back for the tray she covered Sean with the comforter.
* * * *
Armand hurried down the stairs; he had much to do and little time to accomplish it. He met Pierre on the landing.
“The detective and the doctor await you in your study, Alpha. Shall I tell them you are ready to receive them?”
“Yes, but first, I have some things for you to do.”
Pierre stood at attention, pulling a small white pad from the pocket of his suit.
“First, I want a complete pottery studio added to the New Mexican house. I want it done in twelve days and will pay anything it takes. If you don’t know what is needed, call NYU Institute of Fine Arts or UNM for assistance.” Pierre scribbled on his pad.
“Second, call Jacques and have him add Sean to all of my personal bank and brokerage accounts. Have him call the credit card companies and get put his name on all cards and ask the representatives to send them overnight. Put them in the name of Sean Lucien La Marche.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“I also wish you to find out if UNM has a Master of Fine Arts Degree with a specialization in ceramics and if Sean’s Master of Fine Arts credits can transfer in full to UNM. I do not want him to put away his dreams because he is my mate and needs to be protected from the Russians. This city is neutral territory, but I want him safe on our pack lands.”
Armand turned to go into the study, stopped and called, “Pierre, one more thing, can you find out what times City Hall is open for obtaining a marriage license? Then put in a call to Judge Booker and ask him if he would be available for a ceremony here the Saturday after next? I think twelve days are sufficient to prepare. We will go for the rings and the license tomorrow. Tell Meg to expect about fifty people. You know who to invite, the whole council and any others here in New York. I’ll ask Sean if he has anyone. Meg should spare no expense and can hire whoever she needs to help her prepare.”
Dr. Artis stood and said, “I have begun inquiries as to the lineage of your mate, Alpha. I will have more information once I am able to go through the genealogical database. If I could be excused, I will see to it immediately.”
Armand nodded to the doctor and turned his attention to Murphy. “Do we have any information as to what sewer the Russian rat inhabits?”
“I’m afraid he has run to ground. I’m betting he knows by now that the boy is here and is making plans. He must know we’re protecting the witness. The boy smelled like garbage so Dimitri couldn’t identify the faint scent of Sean’s heritage. But he knows he is a dead man because he killed a human and we have a witness. He has no hope because Sean has identified him,” Murphy stated.
“Yes, there is all that, however, please do nothing until I consult with my Betas.”
“Yes, Alpha. In the mean time I will see what I can find out.”
“Good day, detective.” Pierre was showing the doctor and the detective out the door when Armand’s Betas arrived. They immediately joined Armand in the study.
“Alpha, can we be of service to you?” Rene, Martin, and Martin’s Mate, Edward, stepped up to Armand and bared their necks. Armand took obeisance from the pack members in the room and made his way to the seat behind the huge desk.
“I have news to share, gentlemen, take a seat.” Edward and Martin took the sofa and Rene the chair in front of the desk. Armand sat on the other side.
“I have finally found my mate.” The men in the room smiled and offered words of congratulation.
Rene asked, “Will we be meeting him soon?”
“Yes, he will be coming down to the study as soon as he finishes his nap. He was in bad shape when I found him. He needs food as well as some rest.”
“This is the boy Artis examined last evening?” Martin asked.
“News does travel amidst the staff very quickly.” Armand frowned. “However, in this case we must be extra cautious. He witnessed Dimitri Petrovich murder his friend.”
“Petrovich is dangerous, he has gone rogue from the Russians because he’s wanted for rape and the only reason we can’t put him down is that New York, like Paris, London and Moscow are all neutral cities.” Martin brows furrowed in thought.
Armand tented his hands. “There is something else I need to tell you. My mate is an Omega. I have no idea as to what gift he carries but I sense it is rare.” Armand noted the stunned expressions across the room.
Rene ventured a question, “How has he gone unnoticed by the council? An Omega with Talent would be immediately found and nurtured within whatever pack he was whelped.” Rene stood and walked behind the couch as if being closer to his brother and his brother’s mate would make the news more palatable.
“He didn’t come from a pack. His mother was impregnated by a wolf and there was another wolf line in her ancestry. We know his father was a Lucien but we still need to trace his tree and that of his mother’s family.”
Martin spoke up, “I’ll go to the council archives and make an extensive search. For this we’ll need his mother’s maiden name.”
“Dr. Artis is taking care of this. I have other things that I need you to do. I want Jacques to buy the building at 216 West 16th Street and immediately evict the tenants in 2-A. I don’t care how he does it I want it done. Make sure they are on the street by the end of the week.”
“Alpha?”
“They hurt my mate.” Armand expression was implacable. “I also want to see Edward to do something about his bastard of a stepfather.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“May I ask how did he came to your attention?” Edward requested.
“He was running after witnessing a murder and my car was the first he saw.” A hush fell over the room.
“He was the one who witnessed the murder?” Rene asked. “I felt a great sense of unease about this.” Armand growled. “Excuse me Alpha, I wasn’t clear in what I was trying to convey. I am happy you have a mate, but the security concerns until you are mated are great.”
“Yes, you are correct, security will be a problem.” Armand sighed.
“We need to triple security and we need to alert the Russian Council of Dimitri’s whereabouts now that we know for sure. Courtesy requires that we tell the other Councils that our Alpha has found a mate but we must do this without letting them know that your mate has a Talent.” Martin said.
“Alpha, as the head of your security, I must respectfully ask that you make plans to travel immediately to pack lands in New Mexico until we can flush Dimitri out.” Rene said.
“Murphy knows and is already working toward that result. However, I do not take your warnings lightly. Sean and I will be married a week from next Saturday and we will retire to New Mexico after the wedding. I’ll leave Alpha La Farge, my second in council, the reins until we get this straightened out.”
“Alpha, if I may interrupt you for a moment. Your mate is not safe until he is mated to you by pack law and I’m not so sure about Alpha La Farge.” Martin looked nervous. One did not indicate that the Alpha was not on top of the situation.
“You point out the obvious. I want private security twenty-four seven on the whole square. If someone coughs, I want to know about it.”
“Does Dimitri know that the Alpha Ma
te is an Omega with Talent?” Martin asked.
“I am sure he knows that Sean is here and that I have recognized him as my mate. He doesn’t know Sean’s ancestry. The only people who know that are in this house and Dr. Artis.” Armand told them.
“That type of news won’t stay safe for long. Any wolf that gets within three feet of him will smell the scent of a loup-garou. I’m surprised that Dimitri doesn’t already know. But only another Alpha or an Omega’s mate can sense an Omega who hasn’t undergone the change—there are Alphas who won’t keep this kind of news to themselves.” Martin got up and walked to the cart that contained the brandy. “May I?”
“By all means. Rene, Edward?”
“Yes please, Alpha.” Martin poured and handed a snifter of brandy to Rene and Edward.
“When Dimitri came near my mate, Sean was covered in the smell of week-old garbage from the docks.
“If we don’t mate until we are on pack lands, only the Alphas will know he is an Omega or that he has Talent.” Armand took the snifter from Martin.
“Dimitri will try to use the Alpha Mate to buy his way back into the Russian Council. For such a prize they may disregard every treaty their council has ever signed.” Rene swirled the liquor around the glass.
“However, once we are mated, he can’t do a thing.” Armand stood.
“You aren’t going to take him for twelve days? He’s your mate.” Rene was aghast.
Armand ignored Rene’s comment. It was hard enough to do, but to discuss it was untenable. He abruptly changed the subject.
“But what is the problem with La Farge besides the territorial dispute?” Armand took a sip from his glass.
“I have a bad feeling about him, Alpha. I can’t explain it, but you can’t trust him.”
“Investigate this feeling of yours.” Armand snapped.
* * * *
Sean approached the door of the study and heard the last part of the conversation. He entered the room.