by Faye Avalon
“Permission would not have been given had I been leader. It should never have been granted.”
“Oh, I get that. I’ve not exactly had the greatest initiation into your community and it certainly hasn’t made me feel like I belong here.”
At her words, Caleb felt the chill trickle through him. If she didn’t feel welcome, if she didn’t feel she belonged, she might be even more inclined to turn against them at some point. “What did you want, a party?”
“Considering only a handful of Joshua’s friends were granted permission to attend the wedding ceremony, maybe that would be a good idea.” Her smile was pure saccharine.
He ignored the hitch of temper gripping his chest. “If you want the welcome mat, maybe you ought to start acting like a wife and prove you’re serious about being part of this community.”
She stood abruptly, almost knocking the chair onto its side. “Don’t you think I’ve done that? So far I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. Committee meetings, women’s groups, children’s study class…but nothing I do makes these people accept me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “These people?”
She thumped her hands on curvaceous hips. “You’re being pedantic. You know what I’m trying to say. Every time I carry out my duties as Josh’s wife, I’m met with stony cold disapproval or, even worse, I’m simply ignored.”
“You can’t blame people for being wary of outsiders.”
“See? I’m an outsider. It feels like that’s what I’ll always be.”
Her knowledge of that simple fact made her even more dangerous. Caleb knew he had to do something to rectify matters regarding her integration into the community, but first he needed to smooth over her fears—at least temporarily, until he could decide what needed to be done to douse the unstable fuse that was his brother’s wife.
“Maybe there’s something you could do as a show of good faith,” he said conversationally.
“What?”
“Give up this job.”
She glared at him. “That’s not going to happen. Why is everyone so hell bent that I give up my job, anyway? Josh is the only one who doesn’t have a problem with it, and he’s my husband.”
“The community has an innate suspicion of reporters. It comes from centuries of being hunted, persecuted. Were you to offer your resignation, it might go some way to your being accepted by the pack.”
She looked away, then drew in a deep breath. “I can’t do that.” When her eyes met his again, Caleb noticed that the fire in them was down to a mere simmer. “My job’s important to me, and before you start spouting on about me being a part of the pack now and that my priority should be to demonstrate my commitment, just try and understand that it’s hard for me to make all these adjustments. I’ve been conditioned to believe there’s no reason women can’t have a husband and a career, and that getting married doesn’t mean we have to give up who we are.”
She sighed, her shoulders dropping a little. “I really want to make this work. I want to be Joshua’s wife and do my duty. But I refuse to give up myself and everything I’ve worked for to make that happen. At least, not when I don’t have to.”
Which meant she would remain an unknown entity, Caleb thought. A volatile mix of her world and theirs, and at any moment something could sway her back to her own people, culture and ways and put their community in jeopardy.
“That’s your last word on it?”
She nodded. “It is.”
Caleb couldn’t trust himself to continue pushing her to see reason. His own temper was barely strapped. “So be it.”
He treated her to a hard glare before turning on his heel and storming out of her office.
Fuck. He needed air.
Talia waited until the door closed behind Caleb before sinking back in her chair. What in God’s name was that?
The man was a veritable powerhouse of demand. She should do this, behave like that. Who did he think he was? Okay, he was now pack leader, but Josh hadn’t behaved like that for the short while he’d assumed the role.
Since the Principals had officially welcomed Caleb back as leader, things had grown even tenser between her and her husband. She could hardly blame him. It wasn’t easy for any man, let alone one with Joshua’s penchant for power, to simply step down from the exalted heights of leadership and accept a new regime. She wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with it. Her attempts to placate Josh had met with mild hostility, and she wasn’t about to put herself in the middle of a pissing match between the two brothers.
She stood, pushed her chair behind her desk, and walked to the front window. Caleb strode down the street, his body surprisingly lithe for such a big man. Despite the nature of their conversation, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from reacting to him. She was angry, yes, but it was impossible to deny the feelings he provoked, the way he set her alight with his sheer magnetism and virility.
He was certainly a hard-ass. Had he been that way before he went to South America? Aside from Joshua, there really wasn’t anyone she could ask. All Josh had told her was that it was Caleb’s duty, as the eldest son of their leader, to head a team made up of the firstborn sons of each family within the community. They were tasked to go wherever they were required in order to support other shifter communities needing help. Each man had been specially trained, and it was a requirement that they undertake regular army training before undergoing further specialist training under Caleb’s command. The team had been called to South America to assist a clan that had come under attack by radicals who had been stirring up trouble for several months. Things had finally come to a head when several families under the protection of the South American pack had been murdered.
Thankfully, every one of Caleb’s team had returned to England, but with them, they’d brought the disturbing news that Caleb had been captured. Months passed with no demand for ransom, or indeed any further news of him. Mindful that their pack needed stability and focus, the Council had finally appointed Joshua leader.
Talia hadn’t been able to forget the moment she’d turned in the shower and seen Caleb standing there. In that moment, something happened. She wasn’t sure what, but it had shaken her to the very core.
It was more than the way he’d touched her, or the way his hooded eyes had traveled down her naked body, settling for disturbingly long periods on her breasts, her pussy. As intense as that was—and heck, she felt her nipples pebble and her juices flow even thinking about it—her reaction to him went deeper. Her world had tilted somehow.
Instinct told her he would make life difficult, and not just because he didn’t want her as part of his community, and not even because he wanted her to give up her job. It had more to do with the way he made her feel, and she wasn’t sure she could look at him and not think of him in a compromising way. It was impossible not to wonder what he looked like naked. How it would feel sliding her hands over him.
Damn and blast it. Having licentious thoughts and feelings about her husband’s brother did nothing for her sense of propriety and didn’t exactly make her feel good about herself. She had to get a grip on this. She was a married woman, for God’s sake. With a new husband at home, a man she loved and desired.
Guilt edged along her nerves and she moved away from the window. Perhaps she was making too much of her reaction to Caleb. His blatant sexuality and primal power would affect any woman whose hormones were in good working order. Now that she was aware of his effect on her, she could manage her feelings. Knowledge was power, wasn’t it?
Awareness of the problem was the first step in resolving it. She would simply ignore the way he made her heart pound whenever he was in breathing distance, or the way blood pumped through her veins and caused her to lose the feeling in her legs.
They were simply physical reactions, and she could deal with them. Easy. No problem.
She slumped back in her chair,
wondering when she’d actually start to believe her own lies.
Chapter Five
For the millionth time, Caleb cursed himself for a fool and wondered why he couldn’t think of any other option except the one he’d decided upon. He’d always been an ideas man, so why the fuck couldn’t he think himself out of a damn paper bag right now?
All he could focus on was the conversation with Talia in her office yesterday, and its implications.
She felt like an outsider. Refused to give up her job. Two potentially explosive elements that could, should they at any time combine, be catastrophic for the pack. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t have antagonized her. By doing so, he could have set into effect the very thing he was desperate to avoid—her getting pissed and leaking secrets she had no fucking right to know.
He had to keep her under tight control. She had to be answerable to someone and that someone had to be him. Joshua obviously wasn’t the man for the job.
The woman was able to lead his half-brother around by the balls, thinking she could blink those appealing eyes and Joshua would do her bidding.
Not that he could entirely blame the man his weakness, seeing he himself had been the victim of a woman’s sultry eyes and persuasive smile. They had cost him his freedom, and given him a wake-up call. One moment he was sliding between her welcoming legs and the next he was rotting in a jungle hellhole. Hell really did have no fury like a woman scorned.
But he wasn’t about to dwell on past mistakes. He’d learned his lesson. Now his job was to take what he’d learned and use it to make himself the best leader for his pack.
He walked into the room where he’d called an emergency meeting of the Principals. It was the first time he had met with the entire council since his return, the motion to instate him as leader having been agreed upon at a meeting which, by law, he was not invited to attend. The Exclusion Law enabled the Principals to debate any reservations they held regarding successive leaders, and to ensure that each member’s view was heard and acknowledged. Only after each Principal had given his vote in the affirmative was the new leader installed.
According to Tynan, the vote to elect Joshua as leader was a rigorous and drawn-out affair, as many Council members had voiced their reservations. But his position as second son of their deceased and much respected leader had eventually given him the right of election.
Caleb bit back a curse, angry that his imprisonment had placed the Principals and his pack in such a difficult position. His morbid musing was aborted when Tynan came forward to greet him, his hand extended and a broad smile on his face.
Nathan followed. “Welcome back, my friend.”
The two men shook hands before embracing. Nathan had remained in South America for months after Caleb was kidnapped, searching for information and pursuing leads.
“Good to be back.” Caleb squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “We need to catch up sometime. I owe you a drink.”
He owed Nathan a lot more, seeing as the man’s security business had almost gone under while he’d been away searching for Caleb. But since the other members were lining up to shake his hand, Caleb knew this wasn’t the time to show his gratitude.
Enoch was the last to come forward, his status as head of the Council affording him respect and deference. He took Caleb’s hands in both of his. “It is with grateful hearts we welcome you back here, Caleb. Please sit.”
When Enoch ushered Caleb to the venerable seat at the opposite end of the table, Caleb felt a pang of grief at the loss of his beloved father and for not being there when he had passed away. It only strengthened his resolve to do his duty, and in doing so honor his father’s legacy of strong and noble leadership.
Once Caleb was seated, Enoch declared the meeting open. When the usual formalities were dealt with, the older man nodded and Caleb cleared his throat. Damn, it felt like a fucking rock was lodged there. He couldn’t believe what he was about to propose, couldn’t for the life of him think his way around it. His only hope was that one of the Principals might step in with another more acceptable suggestion to remedy the situation.
He glanced around the table at his fellow Principals, all firstborn sons themselves, several of whom had accompanied him to South America.
Caleb knew the majority of Council members had challenged Joshua’s intention to mate and marry Talia. A non-shifter was never welcomed into their community unless there were extenuating circumstances, and lust and desire didn’t qualify. It was only Joshua’s position as then-leader that had driven the vote to its conclusion, a factor that Caleb knew would help his cause now.
“I understand my absence has led to much bad feeling within this Council and our community in general. For this I can only apologize.”
“It wasn’t your doing,” one of them said. “None of it was your doing.”
Caleb nodded, appreciating the support but wanting to avoid blame calling and simply get down to resolving the problem. Yet he understood the Principals would want the opportunity to publicly voice their views and opinions.
“Your brother has not taken his responsibilities in your absence seriously,” another commented. “Making demands on this Council when he had barely been announced as leader.”
As others grumbled their agreement, Caleb raised his hands in a gesture of calm. “I understand what difficulties and concern that has produced and that’s why I’ve asked for this meeting. Having met with Joshua’s wife, I now believe your concerns are valid.”
Again, mumbles of concurrence filled the room.
“She’s a damn reporter,” another Principal said through gritted teeth. “No way can she be trusted. She won’t give up her job, and it seems Joshua refuses to insist on it.”
“Which is why I can see only one solution to the problem.” Caleb cleared his throat again. “If we insist on Joshua divorcing her, there is no telling what she might do in retaliation. Even if we allow her to continue being part of this community, there is always the chance she might use the knowledge she gains about us at some time in the future. It is too late to annul their marriage, and even if it were possible, she is part of this pack now and as such she must remain in the community where she can be monitored and controlled.”
“Devil and the fucking deep blue sea,” Tynan said from the seat next to him.
“Damn right,” Nathan agreed. “Seems to me Joshua doesn’t know what the hell she’s up to half the time.”
“Hence my solution.” Shit. He was really going to say this. Really going to offer his half-brained idea to the group. “Since her husband is incapable of controlling her, someone else needs to step in.”
A chorus of ayes echoed around the room.
Caleb sucked in a breath and let it out on a long, slow exhale. “As leader, and since she’s married to my brother, it’s my responsibility to oversee her actions. I suggest the best solution is for me to take her as my wife.”
For long moments the room fell so silent Caleb imagined he’d be able to hear the proverbial pin drop. That was, if his heart wasn’t hammering in his ears. Every man faced him, most with their mouths hanging open in surprise. Several looked at him as if he might have left his brain back in the jungle. He’d questioned that very possibility himself, last night, while he’d turned the idea over and over.
“Joshua would never agree to it,” Nathan finally said, shaking his head. “They’re mated. It would be an impossibility. Once a man claims his mate, marks her…”
“And what about her?” Tynan’s tone was reasonable and pacifying. “When she was called before us, before we made our decision, she stressed how committed she was to Joshua. She won’t agree to it any more than he will.”
“As leader I have the right to select my mate, and my wishes take precedence over any other man’s. It has always been this way.”
“As long as they’re not already mated.” Tynan’s tone remained conciliator
y. “Shit, Cal. Have you really thought this through?”
Until his head hurt. “There’s no other option. Not if we’re to protect the pack.”
“Ty’s right,” Nathan said. “There’s no way either of them will agree to it.”
“They don’t have a choice. I lead this pack, and have the ultimate responsibility to protect it in any way I see fit. His wife is a potential threat to our security and as such it falls to me to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety of our people.”
“Shit,” Tynan said again, running his hand through his dark hair. “This is crazy, man.”
“Fucking insane,” Nathan agreed.
A long silence followed. The discomfort grew until Caleb thought his head would burst. “There’s no other way,” he pressed. “I’ve thought this thing around in circles. She’s a threat. She feels she doesn’t fit in, that she’s treated as an outsider. As far as her job goes, she’s hell bent on reporting the truth. What happens when the next rumor starts?”
Signs of discomfort reverberated around the table.
“Exactly,” Caleb said. “I need to keep a tight rein on her. As leader, she’ll challenge me. As her husband, I’ll have more control. It’s the only way.” He looked around the table. “Unless anyone else can suggest an alternative.”
Caleb prayed someone could.
But after long moments of silence, during which each man disappeared into his own thoughts, Enoch spoke. “For this kind of fundamental change to our ways, you need the approval of this Council.” His rheumy eyes held Caleb’s with a sharpness that belied the elder’s frail appearance. “Let me start off proceedings with an aye.”
Another uncomfortable silence followed, until Nathan spoke. “Aye,” he said, drumming his fingers on the table. “But with serious reservations.”