“I have to go,” I say breathing a little hard myself.
“I bet you do,” he says being playful now.
“Bye Riley,” I say.
“Bye Goddess,” he says ending the phone call and shattering my focus. All I can think of is him again as I hand Marcus back the phone. My mind is so full of our mission and Riley that I don’t notice when the car is brought to a stop.
“Ms. Parker?” Miles says looking at me curiously.
“Yes,” I say turning my head up to look at him.
“We’re here,” he says offering me a hand out of the car. Marcus is by my side quickly and I know that when we are alone he will be on me about my behavior. I don’t blame him, I would be doing the same thing if his attentions weren’t solely on the mission at hand. That’s how mistakes happen and people die. “Everything has been arranged to the tee just as instructed by your pack master.” Miles says a little too excited and the other man we came with just shakes his head at him.
“We are just going to get our things squared away then we will be back down for our meeting with your pack master.” Marcus says taking my elbow and I feel a little like a child about to be scorned. Miles shows us our room and as soon as the door is closed Marcus turns on me. “I thought we went over this already. Focus Gemma,” he says tossing his hands in the air.
“I’m sorry I was just thrown off that’s it. If he calls again don’t let him talk to me,” I say turning to grab my bag and to hide my face.
“Gemma,” Marcus says turning me back to him forcing me to sit down with him. “We are going to stay here until you get your shit together and I mean really get it together. Not this,” he says waving his hand in my direction and I’m proud of him. Taking my hands we do our breathing that we normally do to focus. It always seems to help us and I feel like a weight is being taken off my shoulders.
We do this for a few minutes until he releases my hands I guess satisfied with me now. I take a moment longer leaning back on my hands watching him get up and grab our bags placing them on each of our beds. “What?” He asks when I’ve been staring at him too long.
“I love you,” I say standing hugging him to me.
“Oh hell no, don’t get soft on me now sis,” he says pushing me away with a huge smile.
Gathering all my data and a pen we head out. We have to look and act on our best behavior in front of the London pack master. He is known for being a perfectionist and also for having a very wicked mean streak. Every pack master has a beta, a second in command, and the London pack master has been though seven in the past thirty years as pack master. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it’s unheard of. A pack master will have usually no more than two in his lifetime.
As we walk closer to the meeting room I can hear the melody of a piano being played. The music is very upbeat and happy making Marcus and I exchange glances. Miles is by the door already opening it as we near him and I feel weird about this. ‘What the,’ Marcus thoughts send to me.
Entering the room I watch as the London pack master play this very happy song with a huge grin on his face. All I can think is that this is not the man I was told about or he is on something.
“Oh the Parker twins!” He says standing from his piano bench tossing his arms out. “It’s so wonderful to meet you again after so many years. Come sit, we were about to start,” he says with his heavy British accent.
Immediately Marcus takes a seat leaving me with the only chair available right next to the pack master. Shit. Calmly I sit placing all my paperwork in front of me. “Parker twins this is my beta Shiloh, he will be in charge of this mission.” The pack master says slumming back into his chair.
“I’m sure you two have been over this mission multiple times, but we just got some intel that fairies are working with the hunters now,” Shiloh says looking right at us.
“Fairies, aren’t they all dead?” Marcus says and I was thinking the same thing.
“Apparently not. It seems the hunters keep some around for extra security to keep anything and everything, but hunters out. From what we understand they only have five living in this compound we think is hunter’s headquarters, they are all males,” he says sliding us each a copy of their findings.
“So how does this change things?” I ask scanning over the pages he has just handed us.
“To be fair we don’t really know yet. Fairies have been out of the picture for over two hundred years and even before that they were really no threat. So we might just stick with our plan, but just send in a team before us.” Shiloh says and Marcus shakes his head.
“So you’re using your first team as guinea pigs, basically,” Marcus says not showing how angry he truly is with the situation. He despises this tactic and I don’t blame him but I won’t fight it like he does.
“Do you have a problem with how we do things around here Mr. Parker?” Shiloh says frowning at Marcus.
“Yes I do,” Marcus says with just as much attitude. These men are just as bad as women, but women don’t have to whip out the measuring stick to win.
“Then you are more than welcome to join them, but of course your sister will have to join you too,” Shiloh says looking towards me with a faint grin thinking I might fight my brother on this. He doesn’t know me at all.
“I will join Marcus,” I say waving my hand and Shiloh’s grin vanishes. I’m sure he thought I wouldn’t go, but what he doesn’t understand is that I will always be by my brother’s side. They just assume I don’t like to get my hands dirty.
“Then it’s settled?” Marcus’s says bringing the attention back to him acting a little cocky.
“No, I don’t think you truly understand how important you and your sister’s expertise is needed. It would be irresponsible on my part as well as yours,” Shiloh says and his jungle green eyes begin to flash mildly with a faint glow.
“Then call me reckless,” Marcus says leaning back into his chair.
“Ms. Parker-”
“Gemma, please call me Gemma.” I interrupt not wanting to be called that or Parker twin’s again.
“Gemma, will you please just think about it and talk some sense into your brother,” Shiloh says pitching the bridge of his nose.
“I will take what you have informed us with into account. Is that all?” I say needing to take Marcus out of here.
“Thank you Gemma, that is all.” He says, but what he doesn’t know is that Marcus will not be changing his mind, so neither will I.
Exposing our necks to the pack master then Shiloh, we leave. I know that I will have to call our pack master informing him of the new findings and asking him what he thinks we should do next. He usually sides with what we think is best but not always. His advice is always appreciated.
“I’ll call him,” Marcus says taking the phone from me and I understand why. He doesn’t want Riley to mess things up for me again. Also I think Marcus really wants to get his point across because I really don’t mind how we are placed as long as he is by my side.
Pulling out my kindle I research anything on fairies that I can find and I highlight things I feel are important. Growing up I only remember one story that our pack master had told us about fairies. He told us how the fairies just wanted to blend in with humans and basically be the Switzerland of the supernatural world. Not choosing a side and just letting whoever walk over them. All the other supernatural communities thought nothing of them and didn’t harm or help them in anyway. Hunters thought that the fairies were just holding back to increase their numbers and wait for their time to strike. Hunters always think the worst of anything that doesn’t include themselves. So about two hundred years ago the hunters burned their towns to the ground sparing no one.
Marcus taps my shoulder. “Gemma what do you think of the situation.” Our pack master’s voice comes from the phones speaker.
“I think Marcus is right and that we should go in with the first round. It will also give us the first advantage to seeing if what they say it true about the fairies
,” I say and Marcus smile victoriously to me. I give him a knowing smile back.
“Very well I trust in you two and watch out with that pack master. If what Marcus says is true something is going on over there that shouldn’t be happening,” he warns ending the phone call.
“That was good thinking back their Gemma. I know he would have said yes anyways, but the whole let us find out first thing was just the icing on the cake.” Marcus says doing a little jump, beyond excited. Marcus has always abhorred the idea that of sending in the young and undertrained shifter in first. We had seen many times the amount of death whenever a pack worked this way.
I could see the pros and cons to both sides of this argument. We have seen many great warriors come out of this tactic. It was survival of the fittest and all that good stuff, but then I could see the negative side of it too. If many of those students were better trained then they could turn out to really be something and beneficial to their pack. Marcus and I could have died that night on our first mission. Thinking back on it now I wouldn’t take it back, but we were pretty young.
I studied up, while Marcus went to look around the grounds here. I was just done high lighting when there is a knock on the door. “Marcus I gave you a key,” I say walking over to the door to open it.
“Well I’m not Marcus,” Shiloh says opening my door the rest of the way making himself at home.
“Is there something I can do for you then?” I ask feeling my temper kick in at the way he just barged in.
“Oh I’m sure there is, but who has the time,” he says turning to look my body over. “I actually came here to see if you and your brother had changed your mind yet.” He goes to my bed where I have all my paperwork scattered across it. “I’ve always heard you were the organized one, but maybe not.” He frowns down at my bed.
“I’m organized,” I say through gritted teeth. “I have it organized for me, not for ignorant beta’s who think they know everything and no we haven’t changed our minds. Our pack master I know has called you by now to confirm.” I say moving to where I’m in-between him and my notes.
“I think your pack master has too much faith in you two,” he says moving closer to me. “If I was him I would easily put you and that big mouth brother of yours in your place.” And now parts of his body are leaning onto me. “Shifter’s like you would know their place,” he hisses out.
“And where would that be,” I say standing my ground.
“Beneath me,” he says hoarsely now and I’m losing my ground stepping away from him until I back into the wall. He closes his eyes only briefly inhaling my scent. “You would like that wouldn’t you?” He grins placing a hand on each side of my head.
“You disgust me!” I spit out and his eyes are glowing showing how close his wolf is to the surface.
“What a firecracker you are, I like it.” He says moving one of his hands to my face and I have had more than enough of this. Swiftly I knee him in the groin and side step him as he falls the ground cupping himself as he hisses in pain.
“I think I’m fonder of you beneath me.” I smile and his eyes shoot to mine as his teeth elongate.
Grabbing all my paperwork I leave him there as he struggles to catch his breath and control himself. I’ve had trouble with some of the guys I have worked with before, but never of a ranking shifter. I know that even though I was only standing up for myself that there could be consequences for what I just did. Shiloh is a beta and with that he has a lot more power and influence then I do.
Walking quickly I head into the nearest lady’s room and calm myself down. I let things get too far in there and my actions, what is he going to do to me? There’s a really good chance he won’t do anything because it would make him look weak to have a woman dominate him. I’ll just have to keep a better eye out for him.
Calling Marcus in my head I quickly find his location. “You’re off again,” he says noticing my behavior, but it’s not from Riley this time. I don’t tell him about what I just did or what Shiloh did because Marcus would have gone after him as well.
“We are going to have to keep an eye out for Shiloh. He really doesn’t want us messing with his plans.” I say walking with him around the grounds.
“Did he talk to you already?” He ask.
“Yes, he asked if we had reconsider and I informed him that we had not.” I say keeping with only a part of the conversation.
“Got to give it to him, he’s quick,” he says looking around now and all I can think is apparently not that quick.
CHAPTER 9
The whole next day we train with the first wave, who end up being a group of boys from the ages of fourteen to nineteen. “You two are really going to fight with us?” one of the younger boys ask us during our lunch break.
“Yes, we fight with the best.” Marcus says making all the others laugh and smile at him. I swear he has all of them wrapped around his finger already. Every time we get through a tough training session he will reward them with a story from our past missions. Of course I have most of their attention as well, but not in the same way. I have forgotten how young guys act since we don’t have this many of them in our pack.
“Bloody brilliant the way you handled the beta,” one of them says to Marcus. It’s strange how fast and how different the story has gotten now that everyone has heard it. Most of them ending with Shiloh being grossly humiliated.
We tried teaching them as much as we could in the amount of time allotted with them. The longer I was with them today the harder it got for me. There was a good chance some of them might die, which just made me work that much harder. I have to say I do favor the youngest boy, Nate. With his wild dark hair that was almost touching his shoulders and amber eyes that reminded me of Riley. He is slightly too lean for his very tall frame, but I know one day he will grow into it. There was no hint that he is anything but proud to be a part of this group even though he is very aware of what could happen to him. It was interesting to me how quickly he learned all that was taught to him. Just by today I know that he will be something great someday.
Today was our only day to prepare because tomorrow we are to begin phase one of our plan, which is to scout out the hunters place.
By the end of the day I was tired and worn out as Marcus and I walked back to our temporary room. I don’t even notice Shiloh until I’m half way in the room. He’s leaning carelessly against the wall he had just cornered me in the day before. A grin plays on his lips like he knows I remember, which would have been hard to forget anyways.
“What do you want?” Marcus says once he notices Shiloh as well.
“Just wanted to see if you two have changed your minds yet, now that you see the disaster you would have to work with.” He scoffs and I can see Marcus ball his fist at his sides.
“If you had one ounce-” Marcus starts and I have to pull him back from taking another step closer or finishing his train of thought.
“I think what Marcus is trying to say is that we haven’t changed our minds,” I say as non-threating as I can to neutralize the situation. I can see Shiloh eye me with a grin as if I’m doing this for him. I’m not I would gladly turn Marcus loose on him if there was going to be no consequences.
“Well I guess there’s no getting through to you Marcus.” Shiloh says placing a hand on the wall behind him. “I need a word with your very lovely sister,” he says as an order.
“What you say to her you can say to me, she will just end up telling me anyway,” Marcus says folding his muscular arms across his chest.
“Is that so, she tells you everything,” he pauses coming closer to us. “Did she tell you what happened yesterday when I came to her room when she was all alone?” And he pauses again to make Marcus think the worse. “I must admit your sister is quite the little tease leading me on in such a manner and then attacking me.” He points to himself. “Me, the beta to the pack master of London. I could have had her punished severely for what she did, but I let it go being the bigger man.” He says and no
w I’m wishing I would have done more damage.
“What did you do to her?” Marcus’s says knowing I wouldn’t purposely harm Shiloh without a good reason and I know what Shiloh is trying to do now.
‘He’s trying to get you to harm him in some manner to get his way. Don’t do anything and I will tell you everything that happened,’ I think to Marcus and his arms quickly relaxes.
“Get out.” Marcus’s yells turning his back to Shiloh who is getting so livid now that his face is actually turning different shades of red.
“This is not over,” Shiloh says storming out of the room and Marcus turns to me.
“Why have you been doing this lately? You’re hiding things from me and you have never done that before,” he says and I can hear his pain in his voice.
“I’m so sorry Marcus. I just knew if I told you what happened you would had gone after him. It was bad enough I kneed him in the balls.” I say tossing my hands up in the air at the last part.
“You did what? Tell me from the beginning.” He says and I tell him everything that happened. Of course he’s pacing the room by the time I’ve finished.
“This is why I didn’t tell you and I handled it myself,” I say but he just shakes his head.
“Oh yeah Gemma, you just handled it peachy, just peachy. He will be holding this over your head for as long as he lives,” he says and I see his point. I flop down onto my bed folding my hands over my face. Marcus sighs audibly. “It’s going to be okay,” he says coming over to me and placing a hand over my arm. “You just need to talk to me no matter what it is, we can handle anything as long as we have each other,” he says and I sit up and hug him to me.
“I love you,” I say into this neck.
“I love you more.” He says and I laugh at him always trying to win even in a moment like this.
CHAPTER 10
When I wake up in the morning I feel better than I had in days. Both physically and mentally I’m all there, guns ready to fire. Eating breakfast with the boys I feel they are just as ready as we are, excited even.
Undeniable (Undeniable series) Page 5