“Sorry about that, Jax. Listen, you know how busy you are? Did that start the same day Seth started?”
“Yeah. Aren’t women fickle? Get some man candy and they’re here like a shot.”
That word hit me like the cold jet from a water pistol. Shot! Could that be it? Was there something in the drinks? Things weren’t adding up where Seth was concerned.
“Yes, unfortunately we are. Yet if a guy did that to us, we’d call them a sexist pig. Good to be a woman, hey? Well, I’ll see you soon.”
I went back out to the cafe. “Sorry, Seth. I can’t find my mobile. Just seeing if I left it out here. Oh there it is.” I said, lifting it out from behind the napkin dispenser. “Oh, do you have a tray I can borrow for carrying this stuff? It’s burning my hand a little.”
As he bent down to get a tray, I switched my drink with one left by a human customer.
“Thanks, Seth. I’ll stop being a pain now and get out of your hair.”
The moment I returned to my office, I quickly dropped a coffee and bun off with Kim and then I sat at my desk and pressed play on the phone. I’d left the voice recorder going while I’d gone into Jax’s.
“Jett. It’s Seth. Listen, if you get contacted by a woman called Lucy, as far as she’s concerned Kim was with me all Friday night, all right? No. No, she’s not suspicious. She’s fine. No. There’s no problem here. I’ve got it covered. Just promise me please that when you’re in charge of the pack, you’ll get her back for me. That was what we agreed. You’d get the pack, and I’d get my wife back. Yeah, man. Just tell me when to drop the news and I’ll do it. Withernsea Gazette. On it. Okay, Boss. Yeah, jobs secure, can keep a close eye on her from here. That love spell is working like a charm. A charm, get it? Oh yeah, bye then.”
I listened to it one more time and then I knew I had a wait ahead of me. Until my vampire fiancé would be out of bed and could help me make sense of all this and what could be happening. I carefully picked up the drink I’d took from the coffee shop and put it in the small space behind the filing cabinet. I couldn’t afford for it to get tidied away.
Chapter Eighteen
Darius
We’d been called into an urgent pack meeting, so I made my way quickly to the Hall. I walked in to find everyone being handed a sheet of paper. The way they looked at me when they read it filled me with dread. Edon passed me a copy. It was a printout of an email sent to the pack.
To:[email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Monday 5 February 2018
Time: 07:00
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Hogsthorpe Shifters are delighted to announce the engagement of Alpha Jett Conall to Kimberly Louise Fletcher on Friday 9 February 2018 at 9pm.
The ceremony will take place in Hogsthorpe Hall before the newlyweds consummate the wedding under the full moon in Hogsthorpe Woods.
Hogsthorpe pack only in attendance.
End of message.
I fell onto the nearest seat. “What? This can’t possibly be right. She wouldn’t do this, so he’s forcing her somehow. What do we do? What can we do?”
Edon looked at me in a kindly, fatherly way. “That is why I have called the meeting, Darius. I know how I would proceed but on this occasion I feel you should direct the pack.
I sat for a moment with my hands steepled, my elbows resting on my knees. Trying my best to breathe slowly through my nose and quiet the wolf threatening to erupt from me to rip out Jett Conall’s throat.
“Okay. I feel I need to see if Kim is with Jett or at home. If she is at work, I shall attempt to talk to her as a first course of action. We shall reconvene at midday once I have more information.
Edon nodded and the rest of the pack murmured their agreement. With the next meeting set, the others left, leaving me with Edon.
“Spoken like a true Alpha.” Edon smiled. “It would seem when it comes to discussions about your mate, you find your confidence.”
I considered what he was saying.
“She makes me feel whole. If she marries that mutt, I don’t know how I’ll survive.”
Mates were our everything, and I had no doubt in my mind that she was mine.
He nodded, and I left, grabbed my things and set off on my bike to drive to Kim’s office.
I walked to the back door and knocked with such force that I put several dints in the door. A buzzer sounded and Lucy’s voice came out.
“Darius. Pack it in, or I’m not letting you in. And straight to my office, not Kim’s, we need to talk first. You got me?”
“I need to see her,” I growled.
“Won’t do you any good, and I have intel so you need to speak to me first. Comprendez?”
I sighed. “Yes, okay. You first.”
She sounded the buzzer and ignoring her instructions I stomped straight into Kim’s office.
Kim startled when I walked in.
I held up the piece of paper. “What’s this shit about you marrying Jett?”
She looked me straight in the eye, no smile on her face, just a dead-eyed look. “What about it?”
“Don’t give me that.” I roared. “What’s he doing? It’s got to be blackmail because no way would you marry him voluntarily.”
She stood up. “Not true. I intended to marry him all along.”
“Then what was all the other night? Sleeping with me, meeting my family? I know you felt what I did.”
At this point the door flew open and Lucy stood there. “God, you stubborn arsed manbeast.”
“I didn’t feel that, Darius. I just pretended, so as to crush you further. That was my plan all along and well, look at you, it would appear I’m succeeding.”
“This is bullshit.” I punched the wall with my fist. The plaster broke off in chunks and dust rained down on the floor.
I turned to Lucy. “Sorry, I will have that made good.” I moved back around to face Kim. “Stop your lying and tell me the truth. I can help you. The pack will help you.”
“The truth is, Darius, that I love him. He’s my true mate and I’ll be marrying him on Friday. You need to deal with it.”
She sat back down on her chair and started tapping on her keyboard.
“That’s all you’re saying?”
“Yes, to be honest I’m bored now, and as I’m sure you can imagine, with my wedding being on Friday I have a lot to do, so if that’s all… unless you want me to put you back on the dating agency books now with you being a free agent?”
I stomped out of the office, Lucy moving ahead of me and then I swung the door shut with such force that I ripped it off its hinges.
“I’ll be back, shortly.” I said to Lucy and then I ran down the stairs and behind some storage sheds where I sat down and calmed my breathing so I wouldn’t change because if I did I was going to be out of control.
I’d smelled her when I’d walked in. My mate. MINE.
The words she’d said. I couldn’t believe that they were true because if they were… well it didn’t bear thinking about. I needed to throw down against Jett.
“What you thinking there, looking all Beast?”
I looked at my hands and felt around my chin. Fur. Oh shit.
“Lucy. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for not coming to my office and listening to me? Well, better we get to talk here actually. Out in the fresh air and away from Kim.” She took a seat on a concrete step at the side of me. “I think she’s being blackmailed by Jett, and Seth is involved somehow. I overheard him on the phone. He said something about Jett getting him his wife back.
I stood up, flexing and stretching my arms. “So I need to talk to Seth.”
“No. And I insist this time, Darius. No bull in a china shop. I’m waiting for Frankie to wake up because there’s something else going on. The coffee is being spiked. That’s why there are so many customers. I want Frankie’s expertise on everything before we decided on a course of action.”
“What’s She
lley said about this? Surely she thinks it's crazy what her friend is doing?”
“Shelley’s in hospital being turned right now. Theo’s with her. So she can’t help.”
I thrust out my chest. “Right, I need to get back to my pack for midday to make plans. I think I shall make a challenge for supremacy.”
“Look. Could you change your meeting time to say, 5pm? Then I can attend and bring Frankie. Only I know you have pack business, but like I said this goes deeper than that. I’ve been given a job to protect Kim, Seth, and Shelley, so I need to know what your plans are. Seriously. Don’t take on the angelic realm.”
A white feather floated down in front of my eyes at that point.
“See, there’s your message. Don’t piss us about.”
“Okay.” I exhaled. “Five pm at the caravan park. Ask for the meeting with Edon on reception and they’ll show you through.”
“Thank you. Please in the meantime don’t do anything stupid. Not until I’m up to date with everything. I need Frankie’s files on the packs so that I’m up to speed.”
“Lucy, I can tell you anything you want to know right now. I suppose we should start with the fact that Jett is my half-brother.”
Lucy groaned. “Oh this just gets better and better.”
“The meeting has been re-convened at 5pm. In attendance today it is our honour to host Lucy Fir and Frankie Love. To those who are unaware: Lucy is an ex-demon and is now an earth angel with the current responsibilities of caring for the futures of Kim, Shelley Landry and a Seth Whittaker, a barista from Jax’s whom we shall discuss in due course. Frankie is an ex-wizard, now vampire, who is researching supernatural history.” Edon stopped speaking for a moment and the pack welcomed Lucy and Frankie. “I would now like to invite Lucy to speak.”
“Thank you, Edon.” Lucy said, extremely respectfully and politely. “I have known Kim Fletcher for quite some time now, and it is my opinion that she very much cares for Darius here, even if she’s too stupid to admit it. There is obviously something else going on, blackmail or whatever, that is forcing her to carry on with this wedding charade. Since she first met Jett at the restaurant, she has made no effort to see him since, and only called him to apologise for involving him in a bid to make Darius jealous. However she was only able to leave an answering machine message.”
“She recorded this information on her non-interest in Mr Conall?” Edon clarified.
“Yes, your honour, I mean, Edon.”
A few shifters laughed only to be silenced by a glare so evil it could only come from someone who’d spent time in hell.
“Darius, as a Police Officer in special investigations, could you manage to trace this message?”
“Possibly, I could get someone to do it.”
Edon nodded. “It is evidence that can help us.”
Lucy continued. “Now, the Barista, Seth. He has for some reason been placing a love potion in certain coffees. Not all, but enough that Jax’s has had a steady stream of customers over the last few weeks. I’m not sure in what way this ties in with everything but I need to find out. Also Ebony, Withernsea’s Seer, has been without her visions for the last few days. This also needs investigation.”
Edon looked over to me. “Would you like to direct the pack or shall I?”
I cleared my throat. “Alpha Edon, I would like to suggest the following as a possible course of action. Firstly, we reply to the Hogsthorpe email with our protest and challenge.”
“What does that mean?” Lucy interrupted.
“That we do not accept the engagement notice, as one of our pack wishes to challenge for the position of mate. This in pack law is a declaration of war as Darius would be directly challenging Hogsthorpe’s Alpha. Something I suspect is exactly what young Master Conall wanted, as if he wins Darius he can then directly challenge me as Alpha, and potentially take over the whole pack.”
“That’s what Ebony saw.” Lucy said. “It’s coming true.”
“After this, I propose we capture Seth Whittaker and bring him here for questioning. Holding him here until after our business with Hogsthorpe is concluded, or until the marriage of Jett and Kim has taken place should it still proceed.”
“I agree.” Lucy said. “We need to find out what’s going on. Although if he goes out of contact it will tip Jett off that something’s not quite right.”
“Jett knows exactly what’s happening.” I told her. “We’ve no time to lose.” I turned to our secretary. “Please prepare the protest.”
To:[email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Monday 5 February 2018
Time: 18:00
STATEMENT OF PROTEST
In accordance with the Shifter Handbook please take note of Chapter 4, Section 2a.
We hereby declare a protest with regards to the forthcoming marriage of:
JETT CONALL and KIMBERLY LOUISE FLETCHER
Please note receipt of this statement and choose a time and place for this matter to be debated.
ALPHA EDON WOODLAND
End of message.
With the protest sent, it was time to bring Seth in for questioning. We agreed that we would await the response from Jett and that nothing more should be done today. Lucy and Frankie went home, and I went back to my family where I had the great task of letting my mum and my sister know that we were about to go to war.
To:[email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday 6 February 2018
Time: 07:00
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PROTEST
In accordance with the Shifter Handbook, Chapter 4, Section 2b. A meeting has been arranged for:
Thursday 8 February 2018, 7pm
Building One, Henry Smith Retail Park
Herring Road, Hogsthorpe.
End of message.
Chapter Nineteen
Kim
I could barely motivate myself to get dressed. In fact, it was only the fact I was covering for Shelley that made me get out of bed to shower and get ready for work. Seeing Darius yesterday had almost killed me. Since we’d slept together there was a pull drawing me to him. Keeping my distance was physically and mentally hurting me. I couldn’t explain it beyond it being some kind of physiological or biological response.
I was also worrying about Shelley. Was the turning going okay? Was the baby alright? There had been no word and no response to texts although reception at the Caves could be funky.
The truth was, I had nothing to do for the wedding now. Jett was arranging everything. Obviously he didn’t trust me. He’d called last night reiterating his threats and telling me to spend the next couple of nights packing my things because Thursday evening I was to gather my essentials and move to Hogsthorpe. My other belongings would be collected after the wedding. I hated what was happening to me, to my life. Maybe I only had to stay married to him until Shelley had the baby? It was going to rule Withernsea. Surely she could take it from there? Yeah, I just had to wait out the birth. But by then what would have happened to me? What would Jett have done to me? Would the mating itself make me like him? Love him even? Would he have killed Darius or at least reduced his pack to such a position that he would hate me? Passing my hall mirror I stared at myself. Where was the girl with the attitude who stood up to her father and didn’t stand for this crap? She just wasn’t here today. Too many bad memories flooding my mind.
There was a knock at the door. Sighing, I walked over and looked through the spyhole.
Alyssa. Darius’ sister.
Fuck.
“I know you’re there. I can smell you. Open the fucking door. We need to talk.”
I walked away and wandered back into the living room to sit on the sofa. I couldn’t risk being seen letting Alyssa in. Hopefully she’d go away.
There was an almighty cracking noise, and I cowered behind the sofa. The next thing I knew I was being pulled out by the roots of m
y hair.
I whimpered in pain, following her where she walked to keep my hair in my scalp. “I’ve come to see what the hell you’re playing at. My brother just declared war. War. For you.” She pushed me onto the sofa.
“W-what?” I gasped.
“News of your engagement was sent by email. He, well, the pack on his behalf, replied. They refuse to accept the ceremony as official and so a meeting has been arranged for Thursday evening. He’s keeping it close to the wire is Jett. So what I want to know is do you love Jett or Darius? And don’t give me any shit because as you can see I deal it, I don’t take it.”
I stared at the growing woman in front of me. No fear and full of sass, she was everything I was a few weeks and months ago. I burst into tears.
“Such a mess. Such a mess.” I shook my head.
Alyssa looked around. “Ah. Just a sec.” She went out of the room and came back with some toilet tissue and a paper and pen. On the paper she wrote:
In case you’re being bugged.
I scrawled on the pad.
He threatened to kill Shelley and the baby. I can’t risk that. Not even for your family. Shelley’s baby is the future ruler of Withernsea. She has to come first, above us all.
I gave her the pen back. She nodded and wrote on the paper.
Do you love my brother? If you had a choice, would you choose him?
I took the pen back.
With all my heart.
I’m sorry for pulling your hair and shouting.
It’s okay. I guess if I had a sibling I’d do the same.
Sorry about your door. I’ll get it fixed.
God, what was it with these wolves and doors?
Hate, Date, or Mate? (Supernatural Dating Agency Book 3) Page 12