Darren bid them a goodbye, but neither of them looked up as the other loup-garou moved a piece on the board.
The lobby was not nearly as bustling as it had been the evening before, but some guests and their families were trickling in the front door. The loups-garous made their way to the check-in counter and many gave her flirty or curious looks. More than ever, she wished she had been wearing something less appealing to the male gender.
Logan and Dustin were waiting by the lobby doors when they approached. Logan instantly came to her side and offered her the white jacket. She took it and met his inquisitive gaze.
“We were just talking about tonight,” Katey told him as she slipped her arm through his.
His muscles tensed under her touch. “Are you going to join us?”
Katey smiled at the question, but wondered how much Logan knew about what she and Darren had been talking about. She knew that if she went, it would be admitting that either she was fine with a loup-garou making a pass at her as an unclaimed female, or that she wanted to be mated with Logan. Any reaction he gave to her answer couldn’t be taken at face value.
“As long as you want me there,” she said, bumping her hip playfully against his.
Logan turned to her and leaned in close so she could hear his flirty growl. “I’ll always want you with me.”
“Even though you won’t know me?”
His face went pale for a moment, but he straightened and sighed. “I see Darren’s told you plenty.”
Katey followed his gaze to the covered walkway just outside the doors where a midnight black passenger van was pulling up on the icy blacktop.
“I hope that thing has all-terrain tires.”
She turned at the familiar voice and saw Forrest approach, wearing a wide grin and bright expression. It was clear that he would be joining them at the luncheon, by the suit and tie ensemble he wore. Forgetting her manners, Katey left Logan’s side and threw a punch into Forrest’s shoulder.
There was no power behind the punch and Forrest roared with laughter, flipping back his locks of red hair.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about Logan that day at the studio?” she exclaimed, her emotions unequal to his offense.
“What was I supposed to do? Take you aside and tell you all about werewolves?”
Katey shrugged and held out her arms in disbelief. “You know what, that would have been nice.”
It was all for play and Forrest knew it. They had known each other long enough that their sarcastic banter could never be taken seriously. He gave her a platonic side-hug as Logan joined them.
“Nice to see you finally show up,” he joked, clasping forearms with his friend in a brotherly greeting. Katey stood between them, realizing that they had known one another for over a century. They were together at Devia when the hunters took it over and in Chicago during one of the most dangerous times in American history. They had been through so much together and Katey couldn’t begin to imagine how the coming decades or centuries would bring other loups-garous into her life. They had some of the longest, most enduring friendships, brought together by a supernatural kinship.
“Where’s John?” Forrest asked Logan.
“He went to get the van.”
“Come on, kids,” Dustin called from the front door as he held it open and allowed the biting Alaskan winter into the lobby.
Logan claimed Katey once more by her arm and they made their way to the carpool area. Fastening the last of her buttons on her coat, Katey remembered that she wanted to get a pair of gloves.
Her pack and Forrest piled into the warm van. One of the loups-garous from their suite was driving, while John sat in the passenger seat beside him.
“All ready?” The driver looked over his shoulder and briefly met Katey’s stare. She shrank into Logan, suddenly shy knowing what the other loups-garous may have been thinking of her.
Darren gave him the affirmative and shut the sliding door once he took his seat. Logan nudged for her to fasten her seatbelt.
Dustin and Forrest sat in the far back and started a conversation about news from the Devian pack. Darren, Katey, and Logan occupied the first row just behind the driver and passenger, but the van could have easily accommodated half a dozen more loups-garous.
“I understand we got off on the wrong foot last night,” John spoke up as the van rolled away from the lodge. “I hope you weren’t offended, Katey.”
The great alpha looked to her sitting in the middle between the other men and gave her a friendly smile that loosened her tongue. “I wasn’t.”
“Very well,” he replied. Katey was entranced by his British accent that was slightly heavier than Darren’s, with a slight twist that she couldn’t discern. “This is Noah, my eldest son. I have three others that will not be attending with us, but you saw them last night.”
“Nice to meet you, Katey,” Noah greeted as he directed the van down the road.
“Same here,” she replied, hoping not to seem too standoffish or impersonal.
A beat of silence passed before John started in again. “You are fortunate to be part of Darren’s pack. He’s a good leader.”
“And a good teacher,” she added, sliding a glance Darren’s way. He beamed under the compliment.
“Indeed, he is. Everything he knows, he learned from me.”
“He told me that you’ve trained a lot of loups-garous.”
John nodded. “I have. Around the fifteenth century, I began taking in orphaned loups-garous or newly turned loups-garous who had no pack support. I trained them until they were strong enough to find their own packs. Darren was one of my first pupils.”
Katey felt the air in her lungs freeze. “So, you were kind of like a foster father?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
Katey wondered what it must have been like for John’s students. They were alone in the world before finding their way into his care. She saw the parallels between herself and those orphans who had no place to belong. Yet, John gave them a home and a family, just like Logan and Darren had.
If John was such a renown alpha within the loup-garou society, she felt even more privileged to be part of his pack and under his tutelage for the night. If anyone could help bring out the loup-garou in her, it was John.
“Tell me something about yourself,” the alpha requested.
Katey tried to hold in her wince. She was never good with short answer questions on tests. “What do you want to know?”
John chuckled. “Anything you’re willing to tell me.”
“She’s a wonderful student,” Darren helped.
“I’m glad her training is going well.”
Dustin leaned forward from the back seat. “I think he means academically.”
“She’s been doing fine in her loup-garou training, too,” Logan remarked.
“Academic training?” John questioned.
“Yes, sir,” Darren said. “Before she met Logan, she was a student of ours. She had classes with Dustin, Ben, and I.”
John laughed. “What a story. A girl finds out her teachers are werewolves and becomes a werewolf herself.”
“Stranger than fiction,” Noah quipped.
“Add in that Logan and I met in a cemetery, and I was an orphan, too.”
John slid a glance to the two lovers. “Is that true?” he asked with a wry smile.
“Every word,” Logan replied, slipping his arm around her shoulders. She reached up and laced her fingers between his, knowing it meant nothing to the loups-garous who couldn’t sense the bond in them, but it comforted her while under the probing stare of the alpha.
“That truly is remarkable.”
They arrived at the convention center where the charity dinner was being held. Noah pulled up in front of the building to let the gang out into the snow-covered streets. Katey was shocked when her feet sunk down to her ankles in a deep layer of snow and ice.
She squeaked in surprise and grabbed onto Logan’s arm for support
so she didn’t fall.
“Never seen snow before, right?”
“Never,” she replied. “How am I supposed to walk in this?” Katey looked all around her feet as if the answer would magically appear in the puckered surface of the snow.
“Just wade through it, like this.” Logan proceeded to kick clumps of the snow out of his way, creating a jagged path up to the stairs that led to the front door. The others were trudging on ahead of them.
Katey tried that for a few steps, but shivered at the way the snow seeped through her pantyhose and numbed her toes. With the unrealistic fear of frostbite, Katey picked up her feet and stomped her way up to the steps instead, so her skin came in minimal contact with the bitter snow.
Down the street, a dog barked so viciously that Katey turned to see what was the matter. The owner tugged back on the leash as the husky snapped and snarled at the group that was entering the civic center.
“Cool it, mutt. We’re not in your territory,” Logan mumbled after seeing the way Katey jumped.
“I’ve never seen a dog so angry before,” Katey said, scrunching her shoulders up as a gust of wind tossed her hair away from her neck.
“It happens. We have that effect on animals sometimes. They either cower in fear or get aggressive.” Logan gestured his head toward the husky and its frantic owner. “That dog’s warning us to get away from his human. That breed is fiercely loyal.”
“How can you tell the dog’s trying to say that?” she asked as they joined the others just outside the glass doors.
Logan turned a puzzled look to her. “Couldn’t you hear him?”
She shook her head. “All I heard was the barking.”
Dustin opened the door for his alpha, while Forrest held open the opposite door for John. But both alphas looked to her in mild alarm.
Judging by their reactions, Katey knew this must have not been a good sign. “I’m supposed to understand dog-speak, aren’t I?”
“You should... Maybe you won’t get that ability until after you change for the first time.” Dustin answered.
She breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the building. At least she wasn’t missing what she should have already had, like everything else that was starting to disappear on her.
18
“I have to warn you,” Katey told the guys, “I don’t know the first thing about how to behave at something like this.”
Logan hugged her around the waist as they followed the signs that pointed toward the ballroom where the luncheon would be held. Already, she could smell the gourmet meal that awaited them, but she noticed a particular lack of sensory input beyond that. There was the musty scent of the carpet and the overpowering perfume of the ladies they passed, but nothing more.
“That’s all right. Just don’t throw food at anyone and you’ll be fine.”
“At least put your napkin on your lap instead of trying to stuff it down your collar,” Dustin muttered to her as they turned down various halls.
“Not that I would do that anyway,” she replied with a saucy upturn in her tone.
For what seemed like the millionth time since they left the comfort of their suite, Katey stumbled as her heel turned sideways and she lost her balance. “I just might slip off these shoes under the table though,” she grumbled.
“Boots might have been a smarter choice in this weather,” Forrest observed.
Katey flashed a malicious look at Logan, who was the one to insist she wear the heels.
“You can dance in heels, but you can’t walk in them?” Darren asked from the front of the group, walking alongside his mentor.
“It’s the carpet,” Katey complained. “I’m used to walking on hardwood in heels.”
Ahead, a crowd had formed around the ballroom doors. Katey could heard the dull din of voices from inside and the light clatter of dishes and glasses.
Standing at the entrance was a man, shaking hands and smiling professionally at all who passed through. He was loup-garou, she was sure of it, and was glad to feel the tingling sensation in the back of her skull as they approached. Though, it wasn’t as intense as she had felt before.
Like the others, he was dressed in a clean-pressed and expensive suit with his dark russet brown hair gelled and combed back. His beard was neatly trimmed and gave him a rugged, but sophisticated look that made Katey stare a little longer than she should have. Sapphire blue eyes regarded each guest with respect and Katey might have suspected him to be royalty the way he carried himself through the light conversation.
Logan leaned over to whisper in her ear. “That’s Todd Rice.”
Katey slid him a dubious look. “No way. Not the same Todd Rice that owns like, a dozen companies.”
“The same,” he replied. “He’s one of the richest loups-garous in the world. This is his charity luncheon. He founded the Global Association for the Conservation of Wolves, but no one knows he’s loup-garou.”
Katey’s jaw dropped as they came to the front of the reception line. If loups-garous could infiltrate the economic system – like Todd Rise – and the entertainment industry – like Rodney Bator - and education system – as Darren had – then where else were they hiding? It made her wonder if some politicians or world leaders were loups-garous.
John and Todd acknowledged each other with a firm handshake, the same he had given everyone else. Their voices dropped to a lower octave as they spoke.
“It’s good to see you here, John,” Todd said, his husky voice adding to the allure of his persona. Katey could also detect a tinge of a deep southern accent in the cadence of his words that made her wonder where exactly he hailed from.
“It’s good to see you, too.” John turned to his entourage. Noah was just walking up to join them after parking the van. “May I present Darren Dubose, Dustin Keith, his grandson Logan, my son Noah, and the newest member to our family, Katey McCoy.”
Katey started when John introduced her as a member of his family. Many foster families had introduced her as such during her first few weeks with them, but came to regret it all too soon. Hopefully, Katey wouldn’t somehow screw up her chances with this new family.
Darren’s little speech before they left the suite was encouraging, but doubt nibbled at the back of her mind as she strained her senses to pick up anything beyond that hallway. If her miracle was failing, what place would she truly have with the loups-garous?
Todd’s intense eyes fell on Katey and she lost all comprehension of the human language. Instead, she gave him a weak smile and shyly stepped closer to Logan, who didn’t protest. She wondered if Todd could pick up the fact that she wasn’t claimed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Katey. As well as you, Darren,” he addressed the alpha. “I recognize your name from the list of consistent contributors. You’ve donated a hefty sum over the years. It’s a privilege to finally meet you.”
The two loups-garous shook hands and Darren grinned. “I could say the same. Your organization has done much for the species.”
Todd shrugged as if it were nothing. “I’m just doing what I can to help.” He extended his hand to present the ballroom to them. “Please, enjoy your lunch. I’ll be giving my opening speech shortly.”
Katey followed the others into the ballroom and leaned up to kiss Logan on the cheek. Even if she couldn’t smell or sense his emotions so plainly, she had to reassure him that it didn’t matter how many eligible loups-garous she met. Logan would always have her heart.
“What was that for?” he asked with a sly smile.
“Because you’re prettier than he is.”
Logan chuckled as they made their way toward the front of the ballroom and the set of tables closest to the stage.
They passed by tables covered in white cloths with a full place setting for six. Each setting boasted a full complement of silverware, dishware, and glassware that Katey would have expected from a five-star restaurant or billionaire dinner party. Sitting in the center of each of the tables was a stunning centerpiece
featuring quail feathers, antlers, tree trunk discs, and sprigs of pine branches to give the event a wildlife feel.
Katey marveled at the grand décor of the ballroom, festooned in everything that reminded her of the forest in all its glory. The lights had been filtered to mimic the waning light of a sunset and the walls trimmed in tapestries of flora and fauna characteristic of the dense forest wildernesses where the wild wolves ran free.
She breathed in the approaching aroma of lunch and her stomach rumbled in response, but still her wolf did not stir to take the meal it needed. It would have alarmed her, but another sight set her on edge that trumped anything else on her mind.
Sitting at a table not far from the front of the stage, were two loups-garous. One was older, perhaps a little younger than Darren, but older than Dustin judging by the way his black beard was showing bits of silver and deep crows-feet at the corner of his eyes. There was a harsh look of pride about him, coupled with the severe set of his mouth as he watched the crowds around him.
The other loup-garou was all too familiar, and even in a suit and tie, she recognized him in a heartbeat. She was shocked that she hadn’t smelled him in the hall or as they entered the civic center. Logan didn’t show a bit of amazement, not even as they drew closer to the front of the ballroom where the loups-garous were seated.
Erik spotted their pack and stood from his seat. The older loup-garou also stood as John approached. He was a tall man and formidable in size. He could easily fight any of them and probably win with one arm tied behind his back.
Darren and Dustin looked behind them to Katey and Logan with a cautionary look as if to tell them not to get involved, but her love was not paying attention. Katey felt the rising storm once more, as the dominance of the loups-garous and rougarous clashed.
Logan guided Katey to stand with her alpha while he followed John, Noah, and Forrest to their table where Erik waited. But she wasn’t about to leave Logan alone and chased after him as fast as her heels would carry her. If she needed to break up a fight, Katey would be there.
Becoming the Enigma (The Loup-Garou Series Book 2) Page 25