by R K Knightly
Elle didn't hesitate. "I'm positive, Col. I was given a cruel Alpha mate in Jeremiah so I know I can handle whatever this odd coupling throws at me. It's just...I'm not with the one that was originally meant for me. I don't regret becoming Liam's mate – not at all. I'm just concerned about what this means for the pack."
"You think your old mate is going to come for you still," Colleen deduced shrewdly.
"I don't think. I know," Elle told her. "I may be years younger than Jeremiah, but I've had years of living at Blackwater to see what he was like from the outside. And I've had six months of living with him. I've seen what he can do from both perspectives. He puts on a good show for the pack as a whole, but knowing what he's like behind closed doors is – and was – eye-opening. He orchestrates things. He never gets his hands dirty when he can get someone else to do his dirty deeds for him. He's sly and selfish, and though he has everyone thinking he is looking out for them, he isn't. If it was between himself and the pack as a whole, he would choose himself over them every day of the week and twice on Sundays."
"What does his Beta say?" Colleen asked, for once relatively quiet as she listened to Elle speak.
"He doesn't agree with everything Jeremiah does," Elle said. "He calls him out on it, but only up to a point. Carter and Jeremiah...they've been best friends for years, but I think Carter is only in it just to keep up appearances. I don't think...if the chips were down, Carter wouldn't-" Elle stopped herself and shook her head. "Certain things – unless Jeremiah used his Alpha command – he just couldn't bring himself to do."
"He's a good guy?"
"I owe him my life," Elle said with a nod. "If it weren't for him, I'd still be with Jeremiah. I'd still be miserable."
"You'll make a good Luna, Elle," Colleen told her. She was being serious for once and the look on her face was steely. Determined. "Liam is a good guy. A bit prickly until you get to know him, but he has a good head on his shoulders and his heart's in the right place. After his...after Cecilia died, he was impossible to reach. He hated outsiders, didn't trust anyone but the people in the pack. When Blake, Trace, and Caleb found you, I thought for certain he would kick you out immediately. Blake knew you weren't a threat, but Liam...I don't know how you wormed your way into that block of ice he calls a heart, but I'm damned glad you did."
"Packs are always strongest when they have an Alpha and a Luna," Elle said with a small smile.
Colleen laughed and shook her head.
"They are, but it's not that," the older woman told her. "Liam's one of my best friends. We grew up together, me and him. Blake, of course, as well. You've changed him, Elle, and that's a good thing. He hasn't been this happy in years and it's definitely not just the toe-curlingly good sex he's probably getting now."
Elle’s mouth twitched a little, her face turning slightly pink at Colleen’s words.
"He's almost back to where he used to be before everything started going bad with Cecilia," Colleen continued.
"What was she like?" Elle asked, curious about her predecessor.
"She was a very pretty woman," Colleen told her. "Thick mane of red hair, deep brown eyes-"
"No. I mean as a person," Elle interjected. She had already seen the photos. Photos didn't say what type of person Cecilia was, and Liam, as her mate, would have only focused on the good parts of his other half.
"She was...different," Colleen said with a shrug. "She was like an onion. You had to peel back the layers. She let people only see the outer layer most times, the pretty surface she had."
"And when you peeled back the layers?"
"Harder to say," Colleen told her. "Her...with her mental illness, it made it difficult to figure out what was her, and what was the psychosis talking. She could be kind and caring one moment, and the next...It was like she was a completely different person. On the medication, she was a bit better, but she lost all her vibrancy. She became just a shell of a person. I know I give Liam a lot of shit, but it hurt to see him when he was dealing with her and her sickness. He did everything for her and with her, but he wasn't...he wasn't there. I don't know how else to describe it. It was like he was just going through the motions. Making her eat, making her bathe, forcing her to get enough rest. Then after she died, he just...he became cold and distant. Until you."
Colleen smiled over at Elle. "You woke something up in him that I was afraid was going to be dormant forever," Colleen told her. "We tried to get him to pick a mate, but the more we pushed, the more he struggled against us. Liam's always been a bit of a rebel. Tell him to jump and he'd walk just to spite you. I didn't think he'd ever make a move on you, though I knew he wanted to. And I knew you'd be good for him and said as much. You're everything his old mate was not. Level-headed, giving, compassionate. I don't say these things to make it sound like Cecilia was a bad person, it's just that, with her troubles, it was hard for her to focus on anyone but herself. I mean, how could she have taken care of a pack when she didn't know word one about taking care of herself?
"Cecilia wasn't mean like Jeremiah, and she did love Liam," Colleen continued. "But with all her issues, it was difficult for Liam to care for the pack properly. All his focus was on her. He was certain it wouldn't always be that way, that she would take her medications regularly and, voilà, she'd be all better. But mental illness is with you for life. It...it's probably best that she isn't here anymore. I'm not saying that I'm glad she's dead, but if she were still around, this pack would be weak, with a leader whose primary concern was whether or not his female was medicating, or if she was on the verge of suicide again."
"Fate," Elle said solidly. "I have to believe that this was all fate." She shrugged her shoulders heavily as they drove past a sign that told them the mall was only five miles away.
"We're shifters, so of course we believe in fate," Colleen said. "We have soulmates, people who are literally our other halves. We have to believe everything comes down to fate."
Elle agreed and nodded her head. She just hoped her fate was taking a turn for the better.
∞∞∞
Colleen made Elle get the works. Mani-pedis, a haircut, seaweed wrap, and a facial. She also made sure Elle looked the same, only better. She wanted her to be Elle 2.0 for the meeting the next day. It would be difficult enough for her to have all eyes on her, a relatively new and strange wolf, and when she was introduced as Luna, it would be with scrutinizing eyes.
Many people at Plumbrook remembered the type of man Jeremiah Bluth was – both before and after the death of his sister and mother – and Colleen hoped that would be enough to appease the doubtful, the unsure of the pack.
As they got massages – done by female masseuses – Colleen decided to bring up a new topic. It was difficult to speak as the two humans in the room would probably have been frightened that they were giving deep tissue massages to dangerous werewolves. Wolves and humans coexisted peacefully, but there was always a bit of a stigma in regards to the two-natured. Therefore, Colleen made her best attempt at speaking in code.
"Halloween is coming up soon and you – well, someone of your position is supposed to organize any of the gatherings the, uh…the community has," Colleen told her.
"I'm horrible at that type of thing, Col," Elle told her, feeling whiny. "I wouldn't know the first thing about throwing a party."
"That's what I'm here for, silly," her friend told her. "I love doing it, but you'll have the final say. I can't promise not to go overboard, but I'll try to reign in my more outrageous tendencies."
Elle wondered what an “outrageous tendency” could portend, and figured she probably didn't really want to know. Fireworks or pyrotechnics, probably.
"So, what does this entail? Costumes? Bobbing for apples? A haunted freaking hayride?" Elle asked.
"Well, since this is the first time in a while we've had a Lu-uhm, had you, we should make it special. Maybe make it like a couples-themed costume party," Colleen explained.
"What – like Romeo and Juliet? Sonny and Cher kind of s
tuff?" Elle asked. It was an interesting idea, rife with possibilities.
"Exactly," Colleen told her happily. "Maybe you can come as a queen and Liam as a king."
"That sounds like it might be too much," Elle said. "I like the idea of a couples-themed party, but let's not get silly."
"Up to you," Colleen said, sighing in relaxation. "I think it's a damned good idea though, seeing as you are…well, who you are."
Later, during the ride home, Elle thought more about the costume party. Liam would probably have a shit fit before dressing up in tights and playing Romeo to her Juliet, so she was trying for something a little more subtle.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. Antony and Cleopatra. John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
No. Definitely not that last one. John died horribly and Yoko was blamed for the break-up of The Beatles. All sorts of bad juju was associated with the two of them.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley. Now that one had some potential. Minus the rhinestone jumpsuit, Elle could see Liam dressed in leather and denim and singing Jailhouse Rock. Well, maybe not singing. That didn't really seem to be his thing, but she could definitely see him with a gelled pompadour with a little sneer on his lips. His pink, kissable lips.
Yes. That was what she wanted to do. And Elvis had been dubbed the King of Rock. Close enough to royalty. She believed Liam could appreciate that. Smiling to herself, Elle looked out the window. She saw the following black SUV in the side view mirror and her smile faded. No matter what happened, her past was never too far behind, taunting her.
∞∞∞
Liam had kept busy while Elle was away. He had been to several stores in a town and had come home to find Elle still gone. He mindlinked with the guards he had following them, and they had told him they were on the way home from the mall. Everything had gone as smoothly, just as Liam had suspected it would. He didn't expect Jeremiah to strike so soon, but he wasn't taking any chances either.
He mindlinked with Trace and had him assign warriors to keep an eye on the Alpha's home. Close enough to see everyone who came and went without the benefit of hearing anything. Trace told him that it was as good as done and there would be two wolves assigned to each entrance, four in total.
The front door of the home opened, and the quiet steps of his mate made him smile.
"Angel," he said as he moved toward the sounds. He looked her up and down, and was pleased to see she was still his Elle. Her hair was a few inches shorter, but still long and silky. Her face was the same, unmade and open, the blue of her eyes still sparkling brilliantly. The rose color on the apples of her cheeks deepened when he cupped her face and kissed her lips gently.
"Your hair's so soft," he told her as he ran his fingers through it.
"I got the split ends cut," she told him and placed her lips on his again.
"Looks beautiful," he breathed against her mouth. "I'm glad you didn't cut too much off." He played with the ends of her hair until Colleen interrupted with a loud cough.
"You can call off the hounds, Lee," she told him. "We're back on pack territory, and they're still out there looking like extras from Men In Black."
"Got it, Col," Liam said without looking at the woman. "I missed you," he told Elle.
"Oh, God!" Colleen exclaimed loudly, rolling her eyes. "If you two weren't so completely adorable together, this would be completely nauseating."
"Goodbye, Colleen," Liam told her firmly, a command in his tone.
"Fine, fine," she said as she placed the bag she was holding down near the front door. "Elle, that shampoo and conditioner they used on your hair is in the bag. I'm out of here. Think about what I said for the party."
Liam waited until Colleen left and spoke.
"What party?" he asked, still holding onto Elle. His hands had left her face and he was holding her against him by her hips.
"Halloween," she told him. "It's in two weeks."
"Ah, forgot about that," Liam said, laughing softly. "Colleen loves Halloween. It's her favorite holiday. What is she doing this year?"
"A couples-themed costume party," Elle said. "And I had an idea for us."
"Yeah?" He tucked his head into her neck and breathed against her mark. It made a burst of gooseflesh pop up on her skin and she shivered.
"Yeah. Colleen wanted us to go as King and Queen, so I thought, why not?"
"Please tell me you're not talking royalty in tights," he said, a groan slipping out.
"Not in the least," she told him, smiling. "I have a better idea. Not all royalty comes with scepters and crowns."
"Color me intrigued, little mate," Liam said, lifting a brow at her. "What did you have in mind?"
"Leather for you, a bouffant for me," she told him.
There was a short pause as Liam pondered that. "Okay, I give up. What does leather and big hair have to do with kings and queens?"
"Elvis."
"Elvis." He looked like he still didn't get it.
"The King of Rock," she reminded him. "Elvis and Priscilla Presley."
"Ahhh." A moment later he frowned. "You're not putting me in a studded jumpsuit à la Viva Las Vegas or anything, are you?"
"As much fun as that would be to see, no. I'm thinking more along the lines of Jailhouse Rock-type Elvis. Much sexier than bell bottoms, butterfly collars, and horrible facial hair. Do you think you can do that?"
"Can do, angel," he told her, and placed a small kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Can do."
Chapter 23
"What's this?"
Elle was just finishing up the last of their dinner and had added some garlic bread to the stove to cook along with the meaty lasagna she had made.
"Open it," Liam said with a smile.
Elle looked askance at him, and stuck her hand in the red bag sitting on the kitchen counter. There were two boxes inside, and she used both of her hands to pick them up.
"An...iPhone and an iPad?" she asked, looking up at him, confused. "I already have an iPod, Liam."
The reminder made him smile. She used the hell out of the iPod he had gotten her, but she didn't have a phone or tablet.
"And now you have a phone and tablet," he told her. "The phone is just like the one I have, and the tablet is so you can download any books you want. Here." He handed something over to her. It was smaller. A credit card with her name on it.
"I ordered it for you," he told her. "It's attached to my account so you can have some way to pay wherever you go."
"Liam-" she started to protest.
"Hush," he told her, his fingers pinching her lips together gently. "Once you accepted me as your mate, you accepted everything about me. Whether that's money, or a car, or having to deal with my sweaty socks at the end of the day, it's yours and I won't hear a word against it."
He waited for a moment to let that sink in, and when he saw her shoulders relax slightly, he knew she had relented.
"Fine," she told him. "I don't need these things, though."
"But I want you to have them," he replied. "If I could, I'd give you everything you ever wanted. But that seems a bit unrealistic, so we'll stick with just this stuff for now."
"And I don't need a car," she told him.
"For now," he said as he walked away to get washed up for dinner.
As he washed, he thought that he was glad she didn't want a car yet. Cars could drive far, and he needed her to be close. Having her out with Colleen and the security detail was pretty much his limit on distance from her. If she didn't have to meet with the pack the next day, he would have told her – no, pleaded with her – to stay home. He would never order her around like him.
They had a semi-quiet dinner, Liam only telling her a little bit about what to expect the next day.
"Lots of the pack didn't think I'd ever take a mate," he advised her, taking a sip of his water. "There have been a few...offers from females, but I never took any of them seriously. Oh, and Sheila will most likely be there."
"Who is Sheila agai
n?" The name sounded familiar, and she wondered where he had mentioned her before.
"Cecilia's old best friend. The one who tried to get me to take her to mate as soon as Cecelia was gone," Liam reminded her, frowning. "She's a nasty piece of work so try and steer clear of the bitch. She'd befriend you just to stab you in the back quicker than you could blink."
"Did you...ever, well..."
"God, no! With Sheila? I'd rather cut my dick off than be with her," Liam told her. "She is the worst type of creature. Two-faced and shallow. She's pretty enough to look at until you see what type of person she is underneath."
"Is she mated now?" Elle asked. Liam simply shrugged.
"I have no idea what is going on with her," Liam told her as he took a bite of his garlic bread. "I rarely speak to her and when I do see her, I usually walk in the opposite direction. Even small attention gives her the impression that I’m interested in her."
"That's – well, that’s sort of pathetic," Elle said, her mouth twisting. "Doesn't she want to find her mate? The one meant for her and her only?"
"She's the type who thinks she doesn't need a true mate. Or at least not one who is just any old rank-and-file wolf," Liam told her. "She prefers powerful men and wants to be the powerful female behind the man. I doubt anything but another Alpha would make her happy."
"She sounds like the female version of Jeremiah," Elle pondered and finished the last bite of her lasagna.
"She does, doesn't she?" Liam sounded almost amused. "She's no Omega, but she doesn't come from Alpha or Beta bloodlines either. At least, I don't think she does. I honestly haven't thought enough about it to figure out what she is."
Elle wasn't looking forward to meeting the woman and hoped she steered clear of her. It would be smart for Sheila to stay away from the Alpha and his female. Especially as they were so freshly mated.
After dinner, Elle and Liam cleaned up in the kitchen together and decided to take a bath in the jacuzzi-style tub. Elle put her iPod onto the docking station and hooked it up to the Bluetooth speaker for some music before slipping into the hot water.