by CJ Ellisson
“Terry, please. I’m doing this for Sean. I thought you’d be happy. He wants me to mingle, and you know I’m not exactly the mingle type.”
Her ghostly friend floated onto the seat beside her. “That’s the understatement of the century. Do me a favor and try to make the most of this, okay? Be polite and try to make some friends. You’re going to need them.”
Lily looked at Terry’s translucent face. She scanned her friend’s pale expression trying to decipher anything in her cool crystalline eyes. “Why? What’s going on?”
Terry shook her head, her hair glittering as it floated back into place. “Nothing. It’s just you can’t rely on me for friendship. You need friends from the land of the living, too.”
Lily made a face. “I know. I have Rissa. Right now she’s enough.”
“Haven’t you learned anything from all this?” she said, her shimmering hand skimming the outline of her body. “You can’t keep putting all your eggs in one basket.” At Lily’s grunt of a reply, Terry sighed, and the sound was like the moan of a gentle wind. “I’m not wasting any more energy fighting with you. I’m tired, Lily. I’ll see you later.”
“Terry! Wait.” Lily pushed herself back from the table, but Terry had already faded.
Lily chewed on her lip. Something wasn’t right. Shades don’t get tired. Do they? She shook her head. No, it’s just Terry doing what Terry always did when I’m being difficult.
“Okay, Ter. You win. I promise I will make friends,” she shouted into the empty air. “Happy now?” She waited a moment and then paced to the spot where Terry was last, her senses looking for anything, a sullen vibration of I told you so, or I’ll believe it when I see it. But there was nothing.
Jack opened a heavy paned glass door off the hall next to the breakfast room. “Follow me.” He gestured toward a series of corridors constructed completely of frosted glass brick.
He was tall and handsome, like most of the Weres Lily had seen, with dark hair and blue eyes and a set of shoulders that would make a linebacker cry. She chuckled to herself. It must be something in the water.
Jack was funny and didn’t think twice about calling her out with her crap. Even without her psychic senses, it was easy to see he’d have her back if Lily needed someone, regardless of orders from Sean. If she wanted a brother, Jack would be him.
Lily followed, pulling her leather jacket tighter across her chest. “It’s freezing in here, dude. Don’t you people believe in central heating?”
He shot her a playful smirk. “Who needs heat when you’re naturally this hot?” Lifting his arms with a flourish, he kissed his bicep earning a groan from Lily.
“Nice. That’s something they teach you in Hunter School?” she managed between chattering teeth.
“Ugh, Lil…really?” he said, taking his jacket off and draping it over her shoulders. “God spare me from light weights. Better?”
She nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
Lily burrowed into Jack’s lined denim jacket, immediately surrounded by his clean masculine scent. It had that same underlying woodsy trace like Sean, and she sighed, closing her eyes as images of Sean’s body tight and slick with sweat left her skin tingling with his unseen touch.
“Uh oh…”
Lily’s eyes snapped open. One look at Jack’s questioning gaze and enough self-conscious heat crawled up her neck to forego both jackets.
She glanced away, banishing the sexy images to the back of her mind and cleared her throat. “Are all Weres that much warmer than the average human or is it just the men?”
He smirked at her deft redirect, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s pretty much all of us, but then again I never really thought about it much. It’s not that our temperatures run warmer; it’s that we absorb heat and store it in a different way. Being dual natured helps, but it really has to do with species. I’m a wolf. It wouldn’t be the same for say one of the Avians.”
Avians. She knew Sean could shift into a bird of prey, she’d felt him in that form when they were both hunting Jerard, but she never equated birds as a species with the Weres.
“Just how many species of Were are there?”
Jack lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “More than you would think—from big predators like wolves and big cats, to sea creatures to birds and everything in between. Why?”
Now it was her turn to shrug. “I’m just curious, that’s all. There’s so much I need to learn.”
“I guess, but I wouldn’t make myself nuts over it if I were you. There’s plenty of time. And contrary to what Mr. Sunshine thinks, most people are glad Sean found you, otherwise we’d be up shit creek if you know what I mean.”
Lily pushed at Jack’s shoulder. “Mr. Sunshine. I’m going to tell Sean you said that.”
“Tattletale.”
She laughed out loud, and a lightness she hadn’t felt in a long time, not since before Terry died, filled her chest. She reached over and linked her arm with his. “So, where are we going anyway?”
“These corridors connect the manor with many of the out buildings, but we are headed to the primary training facility for new recruits. I thought you’d like to see where it all begins.”
“Recruits?”
“Sean’s hunters. You have to be called up.”
Lily gave Jack a sideways look. “Called up. You mean drafted?”
He grinned. “No. We don’t draft young Weres into service. Joining the ranks of the Alpha Hunters is voluntary, and you have to be recommended. There’s a whole training program to be completed before the final test. It’s not an easy task and not everyone makes it.”
“Are there female hunters?”
He shook his head “None as of yet, although Sean is looking into expanding the program. We may even run into a few of the women already training in anticipation of the day they get the green light. Sean’s father would never even consider it. In fact, Sean’s sister Emily wanted to be a hunter and their old man nearly had a stroke.”
Lily stopped mid-step, her hand jerking Jack’s arm where they were linked. “Wait. Sean has a sister?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. She’s out west somewhere. California, I think.”
“He never mentioned her.” Lily looked at Jack, her eyes pressing him for more information.
“I wouldn’t read anything into that if I were you. Sean has had a lot to deal with lately. There’s much more change going on than just experimental Were coexistence. Many of our traditions are being challenged—intermarriage between Were species, intermarriage with single natured humans, marriage contracts…”
She cut him off. “Wait a minute. Contracts? As in arranged marriages?”
He nodded.
“Holy crap, Jack. Are you serious?”
The offended look on his face had her backpedaling, not wanted to sound as disdainful as she knew she did. “I’m not judging, Jack. I’m just taken aback. When I think of arranged marriages I think of things like Warren Jeffs and fundamentalist polygamy.”
“Lily! Jeez. Are you serious?” he said, turning her words on her. “We don’t marry children off to dirty old men. Marriage contracts are more tradition than anything else. Some families have bloodlines that go back centuries. They prefer to keep things status quo.”
“What do you mean status quo?”
“Undiluted.” He raised both eyebrows giving her a pointed look.
Lily winced at the unspoken inference. “You’re giving me the willies, Jack. I thought that kind of incest died with medieval royalty buying dispensations from the Pope to marry their cousins.”
“It may have a creep factor of one hundred and ten percent, but it is what it is. Emily had a contract set from the time she turned sixteen. The guy was from one of the northern packs near Montreal. In this instance he was a cousin, but distantly so. Emily wouldn’t have it, so skipped out the minute she turned eighteen. She headed out west. She was subsequently shunned, though her mother begged her husband to let her out of the deal. But old Jimm
y Boy was a hot-head and stubborn to a fault.”
“Jimmy Boy?”
The corners of Jack’s mouth pulled down. “Sean’s father and our previous Alpha. James Boyd Leighton, hence the nickname Jimmy Boy. Of course, no one called him that to his face. Jerard took after him in temperament, while Sean was always very much the opposite, more like his mother—level headed, tough as nails and gave allegiance to those who proved worthy. It’s said Sean’s mother, Caren, would have made a better Alpha than her husband, so it’s no wonder Emily wanted to be a hunter.”
“What about now that her parents are dead and Sean is the Alpha? Can’t she come home?”
He looked over his shoulder and then down the other end of the corridor as if making sure he wouldn’t be overheard. “We’re working on it. Mitch and I thought it would be a morale booster for Sean if Emily came home for Christmas. She knows Sean isn’t like the others, but the problem is she never said goodbye when she left. She didn’t tell anyone her plans—not even Rissa and they were best friends. That was five years ago. To say there were hurt feelings is an understatement.”
Rissa had become a fast friend and didn’t seem one to hold grudges, but the truth was Lily didn’t really know the woman well enough to make that call, though her gut told her otherwise.
Lily didn’t know what to say. She empathized with Sean’s sister, and at eighteen would have probably run just the same. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if the girl bothered to call or write, but Lily stayed quiet. Who was she to wonder? Thanksgiving had come and gone and she still hadn’t picked up the phone to call Terry’s parents. A quick postcard was no substitute for real conversation, and suddenly the topic was a little too close to home so she let it drop.
They turned left at the end of the corridor, neither saying another word. The complexity of their world and the dichotomy of the visionary combined with the antiquated were almost too much.
Jack opened another heavy door. “Ladies first,” he said.
Instead of the polished wood floors, lush area rugs and rich décor she expected, the doorway lead into a wide lobby lined on either side with metal wire shelves stocked with jump ropes, yoga mats, towels and cases of water. Corrugated rubber covered the floor, the same as you would see at the gym or in a locker room.
“Not what you expected, huh?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. I know you said training facility, but I didn’t expect this.”
He pushed passed her, taking her hand in the process. “Come on, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
The lobby opened up into an area with tables and a juice bar that provided protein shakes and sandwiches. The pretty blonde behind the counter waved to Jack and blew him a kiss.
“Someone you know, Jack?”
He grinned. “In the biblical sense.”
Lily snorted. “I’ll bet.”
Pulling her along, he stopped when the lobby narrowed into another wide corridor flanked on either side by indoor turf. The place was enormous, even bigger than the huge sports facility at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.
Christmas twinkle lights blinked on and off along the half wall anchoring the safety netting to the edge of the turf, and the clean scent of pine from three large Christmas trees added a fresh edge to the underlying tang of sweat.
“We’ve got all the latest and best in here. The kids play football, soccer and lacrosse during the winter months on the indoor fields. The weight rooms are located upstairs along with the cardio equipment and the spin and zumba rooms.”
“Zumba?”
Jack shrugged. “Hey it’s not my thing, but the women seem to love all that booty pop, twerking crap.”
“No, you did not just say twerking!” Mouth open, she laughed out loud.
“We may live in a communal Compound of supernatural beings, but that doesn’t mean we’re cut off from the rest of the world. I watched Miley Cyrus and her foam finger along with everyone else in the world.”
“More’s the pity.” Lily added dryly. “So what’s downstairs?”
“Training rooms for the Hunters. The weapons room, the martial arts mat and the heavy bags, although we do use the weights upstairs, too.”
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Jack the Lackey,” a snide voice said from one of the locker room doors.
Lily pivoted on her heel, the hairs on her neck and her guard shot up at the derisive tone. The only thing that surprised her was the fact it was female.
The holiday lights streaked splashes of color along the black rubberized floor, an odd counterpoint to the tension that erupted in the air.
“Delia. An unpleasant surprise as always.”
The girl standing in the entrance was a statuesque redhead, nearly as tall as some of the men, with curves and long legs. She was dressed in workout clothes not leaving much to the imagination and what looked to be a permanent scowl.
She snorted. “Funny. That’s not what you used to say when you thought I was the next alpha female.”
Lily jerked her gaze from Jack to meet the woman’s eyes. They were narrowed and glaring, and the daggers weren’t for the tall, handsome Were to Lily’s left.
“When did you get back?”
“A few days ago,” she replied, returning her attention to Jack. “I was running with a pack in northern Canada. There’s nothing like the feel of ice under your paws and the taste of a fresh kill.”
“If you love the raw life so much, what brought you back to the Compound?”
She turned an icy stare toward Lily. “Her.”
Lily froze, jaw tight.
“Lily? Why?” he asked, his tone unconcerned, but Lily didn’t miss the tense ripple that pulsed across her senses from him.
Delia snorted. “Because, Jack, she is threatening my place as Sean’s Alpha female.”
Lily’s hands clenched at her side, and Jack put a staying hand on her arm.
“That was decided against you before you left for Canada. Sean rejected your father’s offer. That is not the way the Compound is run anymore and you know it.”
“Since she obviously knows me, but I haven’t a clue as to whom she is, I think you’d better introduce us.” Lily clearly addressed Jack even as she kept her gaze on the woman.
As if reading Lily’s mind, the woman laughed. “That’s right, sweetheart. I was engaged to marry Sean before you came along.”
Jack laughed, but the sound was mirthless. “That’s a crock and you know it, Delia. Your contract to marry Sean was never going to fly. He may be all about honor, but there is no honor in forcing someone to do something against their will. He never loved you, and no sooner was Jimmy Boy in his grave than that contract was null and void. Lily is the new Alpha-Female-to-be, so I’d start practicing my courtesy if I were you.”
Delia lunged, and before Lily could react Jack shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and slid sideways, just enough for the woman to overshoot her mark. A single shove sent her stumbling forward on her own momentum ‘til she landed with an audible huff on her hands and knees.
With an angry growl she tossed her hair back, tearing a string of cracked Christmas lights from the half wall. She glared at Jack from over her shoulder, her chest heaving with unspent anger.
“Delia, when are you going to learn that rage filled outbursts make for a poor fighting strategy?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest watching her silent rant.
The woman slid her eyes from Jack to Lily, and in that moment they flashed from hazel to a blazing yellow.
“Oh shit.” Lily slid into a defensive stance, the expletive no more than a whisper. She instinctively reached behind her back for her 9mm, only to an empty space in her waistband. With another murmured oath, she brought her fists up. This was not going to be pretty.
“Enough!” Jack shouted, stepping between the two women. “Delia if you’ve got a problem with Lily I suggest you take it up with Sean. In the meantime she’s off limits. Do you understand? The Compound needs her.”
; The woman’s eyes flashed again but this this time they stayed hazel. Jack held out his hand to help her up, but she shoved him away.
“This is between her and me,” Delia spat. “I’ll decide when it’s over.”
She shoved her way passed, her shoulder bumping Lily’s in the process.
“I look forward to it!” Lily called after, earning another dirty look before the woman stormed off.
Jack leaned against the half wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a smirk on his face.
“What?”
He shook his head. “You really are crazy, aren’t you?”
She lifted her hand and let it drop. “What was I supposed to do, Jack? Cower? Apologize for living? Sean and I just got together, and I’m not going to let a wolf bitch with a hell hath no fury complex get in the way. I may not know a lot about Weres, but I do know a lot about people, and this goes a hell of a lot deeper than her getting knocked out of the marriage ring.”
He snorted. “Good pun…marriage ring. But you and Sean are nowhere near that, right?”
A frown bloomed across Lily’s face “I know I have the reputation for being rash, but give me a little credit, Jack. I’m not exactly the type to jump at something that comes with a lifelong price tag, at least not without a lot of thought—but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to fight for the chance.”
He laughed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. “Come on Rocky…let me show you where you’ll be training.”
“Training?”
“Delia threw down a gauntlet, and whether you realize it or not telling her to bring it on means you picked up the challenge. I don’t know when or where she’ll pounce, so you need to be ready. I’ll round up a few of the gals I know who have family members your blood serum helped. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to give you a hand.”
She fell into step beside him. “Okay, but I think you know me well enough to know I can take care of myself.”
He nodded. “Sure you can. With humans. But can you fight Were style?”