by Ravenna Tate
“Since you are now mated to an alpha male, you might want to consider embracing his ways. Those include being respectful to us.”
“Respect is a two-way street, Mr. Caddock. You walked into this house uninvited and unannounced. Where I come from, that’s considered rude.”
“Ah, that’s our doing,” said Canyon. “Arizona told us when you two would be back, and as we were on our way over, we saw Avery, Alex, and Darren. We invited them in.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Should have known you two would still want some privacy.”
Life was different in this village than she was used to in Seattle. She’d have to remember that. “It’s fine. I’m just on the defensive right now because clearly this mating wasn’t approved by everyone.”
“We don’t need anyone’s approval.” Arizona released her hand and turned to face her. “We breached protocol, just as Canyon and Fiera did by not having a ceremony first, but we’ve committed no crime and we’ve broken no laws.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, close to tears now. This was supposed to be her honeymoon. Under conventional circumstances, she wouldn’t be standing in her new home, with her new husband, having to defend his choice to a group of old codgers who looked as though they needed to eat more prunes.
Humor from Arizona and well wishes from Canyon and Stone would only go so far. Clearly this would be an uphill battle. She almost asked about the blood on the door of the home Stone and Arizona had lived in, but decided not to further stir the pot. Instead, she faced the Elders again, and this time waited for Arizona to speak first.
Not because she didn’t feel she had a right to, but because she wasn’t sure what the next step was, and she didn’t want to stand here all day, arguing with them. She only wanted to do whatever it was they needed to do in order to make this official, so she and her mate could return to a little afternoon delight.
“We have the contracts with us,” said Alex, pulling a large leather pouch from the folds of his tunic.
“Let’s take them into the kitchen and get this done,” said Arizona, taking Gillian’s hand again. She gave it a tight squeeze as they made their way through the home. After everyone was seated at the table, Alex slid a copy of the papers over to Arizona, and one to Gillian.
“Read them and sign them. One copy is yours to keep.”
Pretty standard language that mirrored any other generic agreement between two people. She was bound to him for life as his mate, and was supposed to defer to him in all decisions unless she was under duress, in which case she could make them on her own. The contract also spoke of protecting her children and Arizona as valid reasons for making important decisions on her own.
Arizona was bound to her for life as his mate, and was charged with giving her shelter, food, clothing, as well as the same for their children. It also spoke of him performing his duty in making sure they had children. Gillian assumed that meant he was now legally bound to get her pregnant. No wonder he had been so worried about how long she’d be on the pill.
“What do you do in the case of a woman who is unable to bear children?” After she asked, she glanced around at their faces, and had to bite the inside of her cheek not to laugh. Stone, Canyon, and Arizona merely looked slightly embarrassed, but the three stooges bore an expression that suggested Gillian had just asked them to strip naked and dance the hula in the town square.
“It doesn’t happen that often in our kind.” Avery’s voice dripped with disgust.
Ah, wonderful. Misogyny at its finest, right here in my kitchen.
“Fabulous. Good for you. But what do you do when it does? I mean, doesn’t that void the contract?”
“It does not,” said Kennedy, in a far gentler tone than his counterpart had used. “It also changes nothing. The couple are still mated for life.”
“Thanks.” She returned to reading, but the rest of it no longer held her interest. She signed both copies and Arizona did the same. Once she took the copy that was hers and Arizona’s to keep, Avery, Alex, and Darren rose.
“You will, of course, inform us of when the ceremony is to take place,” said Darren.
“Yes,” said Arizona.
Finally, they left. The three friends started talking at once, but Gillian felt no joy in their presence. She stared at the front door, wondering what the hell she’d just done. Arizona was wonderful. She loved him. She was as certain of that as she was of her name.
But was this worth it? Could she actually survive this relationship, this village, and people like the Elders?
Chapter Nine
When Gillian asked Stone if there were any further developments over the blood on his door, Arizona realized for the first time that she’d barely spoken since the Elders had left. Guilt washed over him. He’d been so busy talking to Canyon and Stone that he’d neglected his mate and her obvious discomfort.
What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn’t a boy any longer. He was a man, and a mated one at that. His first duty was to Gillian, and he’d already blown it. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just wondering if there is any progress toward identifying who did it and why.” The expression on her face didn’t say she was fine, but before Arizona could probe further, Stone spoke up.
“Nothing, and I’m not holding my breath that there will be.”
“Why not?” asked Gillian, leaning forward.
“Because the Elders concluded it was a prank,” said Canyon.
“What?”
Arizona had to agree with the disbelief in Gillian’s question. That had been no prank, and the Elders knew it.
“Are you sure you can trust them?” she asked.
As Arizona exchanged a glance with Canyon and Stone, he realized if Gillian knew how many times the three had voiced that same question in secret, she’d be shocked. Or perhaps not. It suddenly occurred to Arizona that Gillian had already figured out the Elders weren’t all they pretended to be.
“I won’t say anything to anyone.” She snorted. “Who would I tell? It’s not like I have bosom buddies in this village.”
“You have us,” said Canyon. “Fiera and me. And you have my entire family.”
“And mine,” said Stone.
“My family adores you,” said Arizona. “You know that.” He pulled her close and held her because he could tell from the look on her face that she was about to start crying. It broke his heart to realize the meeting with the Elders had affected her this way.
“I know that. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” He kissed the top of her head. “Gillian, once everyone gets to know you, they will see what the rest of us see, and it won’t matter to them that you’re human.”
Arizona cupped her face. “They’ll see your humor, your kindness, and your intelligence. They’ll realize that you would fight for us if necessary. They already know how you helped Canyon and Luke discover what the Medinas were up to.”
“That’s true.” As her face brightened slightly, his heart soared. “It did affect the entire village.”
“Well, to be fair, I have kept your brilliant mind occupied with other things for a couple of days.”
“Yes, you have.” The giggle he loved so much was music to his ears. “But seriously, are they crazy? That was no prank.” She cut her gaze toward the front door, but it was closed. No one would hear them inside the house. “So I have to ask it again. Can they be trusted?”
“Do you remember Fiera and me telling you about their half-assed apology?” asked Canyon.
“Yes. You told me they said they didn’t address the threats the Medina family made against Fiera or her father because they were too focused on the bullshit complaint the Medinas made about Cash not being able to run his own business.”
“That’s right.”
“And you also said they admitted they hadn’t paid close enough attention to the complaints about the Medinas over the years. But they only admitted their mistakes after you killed Hawke.”
; “Yes, that’s correct, but we’re not the only ones who zeroed in on those statements they made that night. Stone and I heard murmurings in town this morning while we accompanied Fiera to the market. People are talking about Avery, Alex, and Darren. They aren’t happy that those three hold so much sway over the other Elders.”
“They’ve been on top for a long time,” said Arizona. “None of the others have been Elders even half as long as those three. I would imagine the others defer to them quite often.”
“Perhaps too often,” said Canyon. “I think people are beginning to realize the longer an Elder is in power, the more he might be out of touch with what’s really going on inside the village.”
“I’d say they’re also beginning to wonder whether all the attention some families pay the Elders might not unduly influence them,” said Arizona.
“You’re probably correct. But isn’t it true that nothing can be done about it? You don’t have provisions in your law for kicking them out of office.”
“No, we do not, but if enough people got together and petitioned the Council to take another look at those laws, they could be asked to step down.”
“Really? But would they?”
“It’s happened a few times in the past hundred years or so,” said Canyon.
“It’s crazy you don’t have provisions to oust them.” She shook her head, then held up a hand and smiled. “I know, I know. It’s your way. It’s my way now, too. I understand that. But if the people in power are so out of touch that they ignore the needs of the people they’re supposed to be protecting, how does that help maintain a way of life within a community that benefits everyone who lives there?”
“It doesn’t.” Arizona’s heart filled with pride. He easily had the most intelligent mate on the planet. This woman’s mind excited him as much as her body and what was in her heart did. “We agree with you.”
“Thank you for saying so.” She frowned slightly. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to return to the blood you and Stone found on your front door. There are questions I never asked you Friday night. You said you couldn’t tell if it was human or animal blood. How did you know it was blood and not paint?”
“We can smell it.”
“Blood? So can humans.”
“Fresh blood, yes, but we can detect it long after it’s dried.”
“So can we, with Luminol and a UV light.”
Arizona couldn’t help laughing. “We don’t need either. It was blood. Trust me on this one.”
“Okay. It was blood. So who put it there? Any ideas at all?”
“None,” said Canyon cutting his gaze toward Stone, “but there might be news about three of the Elders who declared it a prank. Stone and I overheard talk in the town square yesterday. The petition Arizona mentioned? It might happen. At least if the talk we heard goes further than speculation.”
“A petition for what, exactly?” asked Gillian. “And against whom?”
“Against Avery, Darren, and Alex, to ask the Council to look into why they continued to ignore complaints against the Medina family.”
“Didn’t all of them do that?”
“No,” said Arizona, shaking his head. “If rumors are true, those three were the most vocal among all the Elders and had a lot of influence over the others.”
“They were always the three who spoke for the group,” said Canyon. “It’s high time someone else sees this doesn’t add up.”
“Why didn’t you mention this petition earlier?” asked Arizona, glaring at Canyon.
“Because Gillian wanted to talk about blood.”
“Who may start one?” she asked. “A petition. Can it be anybody?”
“Yes, but one hundred signatures are needed to place it before the Council for consideration.”
“One hundred male signatures?”
The sarcasm in her voice made Arizona laugh again. Stone and Canyon each gave him unsure looks, as if they weren’t quite certain how to react. They’d get used to her in time. He put an arm around her shoulder. “No, my sometimes cynical mate. Females may sign it as well.”
“Good. Then let’s start one.”
“Are you serious?” asked Stone, in a tone that had Arizona wondering if Stone’s balls had fallen off over the weekend. It wasn’t like him to be cautious, and especially not where Avery, Darren, and Alex were concerned. He’d been speaking out against them for years.
“Why shouldn’t we?”
Stone glared at him, and a shiver ran down Arizona’s spine. Something was off. He sensed a deep stirring in his friend, as if he held a dark secret. What the hell? “Why should we do this? Haven’t the three of us been in the center of enough controversy lately?”
“You don’t need to be part of it. Canyon, Gillian, and I will do it.” Arizona held his friend’s gaze, completely unsettled now by the conflict on Stone’s face. What the hell had he missed? Hadn’t Canyon said he and Stone both had overheard talk about starting this petition in the town square?
“I’m just suggesting we think this through, that’s all.”
“Really?” asked Canyon. “Is that what you’re suggesting? Because it sounds to me like you suggesting we not do it at all.”
Next to him, Gillian moved his arm from her shoulder and rose. “Why don’t I make us something to eat while you three talk?”
The other two didn’t acknowledge that they’d even heard her. Canyon gave Stone a look that would melt steel. “What’s going on with you? You’re been edgy all weekend, and now you seem to have to lost your willingness to fight for what’s right.”
“I haven’t lost anything. I’m merely saying we shouldn’t go off half-cocked and start something this monumental without forethought.”
“What does it take to begin a petition?”
All three turned to glance toward Gillian. She appeared to busy slicing tomatoes and chicken onto bread, and her tone of voice had sounded casual enough, but Arizona knew better.
“Nothing special,” said Canyon. “A piece of paper and something to write with.”
“Perhaps Stone only wants us to outline what it will say before we write it?”
Gillian still hadn’t turned to face them. Now she was slathering mayonnaise onto the bread, and pulling off lettuce leaves as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Arizona shot Canyon a quick look.
Whatever was going on with their friend, Gillian was trying her best to defuse the argument about to brew. He wasn’t sure whether to thank her for it, or ask her not to do it again. Arizona wasn’t going to let it go. He intended to find out what Stone’s problem was.
“Maybe,” said Canyon. Clearly, he didn’t believe that anymore than Arizona did.
“Here you go, boys.” Gillian placed a platter filled with chicken sandwiches in the middle of the table. “It’s not freshly-killed, but I hope you like it anyway.”
That comment earned her a chuckle from all three men. They each reached for a sandwich and began to eat.
“And please thank Fiera and your mother for stocking the fridge and pantry,” said Gillian, smiling at Canyon. “No one else would have done this over the weekend for us.”
Canyon nodded, his mouth full. Gillian dug around in the drawers at the far end of the room, where a desk was built into the wall, and removed several pieces of paper and a pen. She took a seat at the table again. “All right. Let’s plan out what we want to say in this petition. Participation is voluntary, of course.”
Even though Stone gave her a slight smile and a grateful look, it was obvious something bothered him about this. And it was also obvious Canyon had no clue what it was. That concerned Arizona more than anything. The two had gone into the town square over the weekend, and had likely helped with bringing food and other supplies over to this house.
Why hadn’t Stone shared whatever was bothering him with one of his best friends? What the hell could have happened? And since when was Stone reluctant to exact justice on Avery, Darren, and Alex for what they had failed to do for the peopl
e of this village? Arizona wouldn’t rest until he found out.
Chapter Ten
The breathing pattern Arizona listened to in the dark, coming from Gillian lying next to him, told him she wasn’t asleep yet either. The rest of the day had been spent formulating the petition with Stone and Canyon.
Stone had helped them, but he’d been too quiet and reserved. Arizona had wanted to speak with him alone, but shortly after Gillian made dinner, sleep deprivation from this past weekend had caught up with him. He’d been able to get Canyon alone for a short time, and his friend promised to speak with Stone and try to find out what the fuck was going on.
By the time he and Gillian had climbed into bed, Arizona could tell she was both mentally and physically exhausted as well. But as she stirred when the wind from the open windows blew a breeze through the room, he turned toward her.
“Do you want me to close the window? It’s a cool night.”
“No. I like this. I haven’t slept with a window open since I was a kid.” She sighed out loud. “Arizona, what’s going on with Stone? I don’t know him well, but clearly you and Canyon sensed something was off.”
Arizona breathed in her scent. He could still smell the shampoo in her hair from her shower this morning. “I wish I knew.” He reached across Gillian to turn on a lamp.
“Is it like him to be so cautious?”
“No. Not even close. Of the three of us, he’s the rash one.”
As she snuggled closer to his body, Arizona’s dick jumped to attention. He had planned on spending the afternoon and evening in bed with her, not discussing Elders who should have voluntarily stepped down ages ago, or worrying about Stone.
“I liked it better when we were in the hotel room.”
“What did you like about it?”
A soft kiss grazed his chest. “We didn’t have to think about real life.”