“Great timing. We were just about to sit down for dinner,” Jean said.
There was definitely a sense of relief around her when she saw us. Her appearance was haggard, with her hair slightly mussed and splotch of water on her shirt as if she’d splashed herself while doing dishes.
Jean was normally pretty put together, and I suspected hosting three members of a visiting pack, including their leader, required a lot of effort.
Inside, Jean called everyone to the dining room and then walked off into the house.
I’d walked by the dining room before, but I’d never really stopped to appreciate just how large the table was. There were eight chairs on each side and a chair at either end. A gorgeous gold table runner ran down the middle, and an elegant winter centerpiece made of white branches, pine cones, and fairy lights sat in the center. Golden place mats were topped with gold-rimmed white china plates and gray fabric napkins with gold edging and gold-rimmed wine glasses. I suddenly felt underdressed even though Jean herself wore a blue and white plaid shirt.
Levi took a seat at one end of the table with Rayna and Owen on either side of him. Sasha sat at the other end. I waited for Raff to pick a seat and then plopped myself down next to him. Zara and Miles, two of our pack’s warriors, sat closest to Sasha. Both wore black button up shirts. Zara’s blonde hair was up in a tight bun.
Levi opened a bottle of wine, poured some in his glass, and then filled both Rayna and Owen's glasses. A few other bottles made their way around the table. I opted for the sparking water.
To my surprise, Jean returned with Marianne.
I nearly gasped. She looked so much better than she had when I’d last seen her. Her cheeks were pink and full, and the peach-colored sundress dress she wore no longer looked like it was hanging on a skeleton. Her brown hair was brushed and glossy, and her eyes looked bright instead of sallow and sunken.
I elbowed Raff, who inhaled sharply when he spotted her. The transformation was incredible, and I was happy to see living at the orchard was clearly doing Marianne some good.
Her attitude did not seemed to have changed much, however. Marianne stared at the table with sheer contempt, shifting uncomfortably in place until Jean lead her to an empty seat. Despite how much healthier she looked, her expression of mild disgust remained the same.
She was seated across from Raff, and when she saw us, her eyes narrowed. Jean, along with Zara who jumped up to help, brought in trays and casserole dishes filled with food. There was a giant glazed ham three times as big as my head, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, macaroni and cheese, chunky homemade applesauce, and a tomato cucumber salad dotted with red onions. My mouth watered as the aromas hit me. I hadn’t seen a spread like this since the last time my family had had Thanksgiving at my now-deceased grandparents’ house.
When everyone was seated, Sasha said, “Thank you all for coming to this celebratory feast. We’re gathered to celebrate our alliance with the Portland Pack and thank them for their help during this trying time.” She made eye contact with Levi, who held her gaze steadily. “It’s been a pleasure to host them, and we hope that, should the need arise, they will extend to our pack members the same courtesy.”
Neither of the Alphas broke eye contact, as if unwilling to lose the staring contest, and heat seemed to fill the space between them. Or maybe that was the steam rising from the hot food. I noticed the warriors on both ends of the table sat up straight and carried tension in their shoulders.
“We would be honored to host any member of the Northern Washington Pack, unorthodox though your pack may be,” Levi said.
Even I caught the veiled insult and quickly looked at Raff. He clenched his jaw.
“That’s very kind of you,” Sasha said, her tone a little stiff, but she held her genial smile in place.
“Well,” Jean clapped her hands together, “I suggest we eat before everything gets cold.”
That broke the spell—or maybe that was the cue—because Sasha and Levi both broke eye contact at the same time. Shame, since I’d been rooting for Sasha to win that little staring contest.
Jean stood and carved the ham onto a waiting silver tray. When she’d piled enough meat on it, she passed the tray to Marianne, who passed it to Miles without taking any. Everyone began grabbing whatever dish was in front of them, scooping some onto their plates and passing it on. Raff scooped a hunk of mashed potato onto his plate and handed the serving dish to me, so I did the same. When I handed the dish to Rayna, she handed it to Levi, who took some before handing it back.
I frowned. Any time food reached Owen or Rayna, they handed it to Levi first before taking any. Raff cleared his throat, and I stopped staring to take the green beans he was trying to pass to me.
Everything was delicious. The mac and cheese was creamy, the sweet potato fries were crunchy and slightly sweet. Across the table, I saw Marianne’s plate only held a tiny scoop of macaroni and a small pile of salad.
When she saw me looking, she said, “I’m a vegetarian.”
“Cool,” I said.
I had no issue with that, and clearly she was eating something, which was a vast improvement from when Raff and I had found her holed up in a room, trying to starve the wolf out of her, as if that were a thing that was possible. (It wasn’t, which was good, because I was willing to do a lot of things to not be a werewolf but forgoing food for any length of time was not one of them.)
“A vegetarian werewolf,” Levi said with a laugh.
He lifted his wine glass, shaking his head in amusement as he took a sip.
Marianne’s eyes narrowed to slits. “There’s nothing funny about my dietary choices.”
Sasha shot Jean a look and Jean whispered something to Marianne.
“I don’t care who he is. He’s not the boss of me, and he has no right to make fun. I didn’t ask for this wicked curse, and I didn’t ask to be forced to dine with monsters.”
Marianne pushed her chair away from the table. Sasha shot Levi an apologetic look, but Levi did not look offended. In fact, he was laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
“Monsters, my God,” he said, grinning. “Who is this delightful young woman?”
Marianne’s fists clenched. Beside me, Raff tensed. I saw Miles and Zara do the same.
“I’m a prisoner in this place,” Marianne said.
Levi’s laughter only intensified. Owen joined in. Miles and a guy I didn’t know whispered back and forth in harsh tones.
Rayna had the grace to look appalled. I thought she was on our side until she spoke.
“Your pack would invite prisoners to dine with esteemed guests,” she said. “How horrible.”
Sasha jumped to her feet. “She is not a prisoner. She’s a member of the pack, and you will treat her with respect.”
Marianne whirled and turned her glare on Sasha as if our Alpha had just said something unbelievable.
“I’m a member of no pack, certainly not one that killed my brother!”
The room went silent. All chewing, laughing, and whispering ceased like the room had been muted. For a second, almost everyone found something of interest on their plates to study. Levi merely gaped at Sasha, whose cheeks flared pink.
The problem was, Marianne was right. Her brother, John, had led the group of monster hunters who’d come after me and other members of the pack. He’d been captured and brought to this very farm house, and eventually the pack had done what they felt was necessary to make John pay for those crimes. I hadn’t had a say in that decision, but plenty of people at this table had. I didn’t think they’d been wrong, but I wasn’t sure I would have made the same one. If nothing else, Marianne was allowed to grieve her sibling.
The sounds of uncomfortable shifting and silverware clanking against plates as it was set down filled the silence.
“Awkward,” I whispered to Raff.
He sighed softly, but I didn’t think the sigh was aimed at me for once. Jean pushed her chair back and gentl
y took Marianne’s arm. Marianne wrenched it away from her, spinning slightly as she did.
“You’re all monsters! You lord it over everyone, but deep down you know something about you is rotten and festering.”
“Okay, come on,” Jean said, her tone gentle but firm as she reached for her again and tugged Marianne toward the hall to take her back to her room, or so I assumed.
Marianne hadn’t been out of her room much as far as I knew, at least not when Jean had guests, and now I knew why.
“It’s true,” Marianne shouted. “That’s why the poison worked so well. It was a smart plan! And there will be another. The Guardians of Pure Life will have their revenge!”
My pulse raced. Raff caught my eye.
Miles got up and helped Jean remove Marianne. Once they were gone, the room fell back into awkward, tension-filled silence.
Finally, Sasha sat back down. “Well, no sense in wasting all this food. Let’s eat.”
A few people lifted their forks, but no one seemed all that interested in their food.
Levi didn’t move a muscle, and so neither did Rayna or Owen.
“Did she just say she knows who’s behind the poison?” he asked.
She had implied as much—Raff and I had heard it, too—but Sasha was trying to gloss over it.
“She’s a bit…” Raff started and then trailed off, unable to find the word.
“Unhinged,” I supplied. Raff shot me a look.
“Paranoid,” Raff finally finished. “She’s having a hard time adjusting to being a werewolf and doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
Levi studied Raff for a long moment and then turned to Sasha, who nodded as if to say That’s right.
“I see. That is unfortunate.” His blue eyes gleamed, and he smiled crookedly. “Of course, if you did have information about who was behind the death of my pack member and you withheld it from me, I would be forced to consider that an act of aggression.”
Sasha kept her head high and met Levi’s eyes. “I assure you, we don’t know anything you don’t. And if we learn anything, we will happily share.”
“Good.” Levi picked up his fork. “Then yes, indeed, let us eat.”
Slowly, everyone resumed eating, and conversation gradually picked up. Jean and Miles returned.
I took small bites of everything, but for once, my appetite wasn’t there. Raff pushed his food around his plate, even less interested in the meal than I was.
It was true that Marianne wasn’t exactly what one would call a reliable source, but her bringing up the group of hunters made my blood run cold. Because there was always the chance that she was right. And if she was, and the hunters were behind this poison, we were all in more danger than we’d even realized.
Chapter 14
The moment Jean closed the door behind Levi, Rayna, and Owen, I could see the weight evaporate from her shoulders. She sighed heavily and then caught me watching. She smiled faintly, embarrassed to be caught out in relief.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love houseguests,” she said, “but I’m not used to all of the rules of hospitality that Levi insists on. All it takes is one little slip up and suddenly there’s a pack war.”
My chest tightened. “A pack war? Does that sort of thing really happen?”
Jean shrugged and turned to head back to the kitchen. “It has in the past. Not around these parts for quite some time, but there are stories.”
I swallowed, once again feeling woefully under-read as I fell into step beside her. I could tell anyone who asked about the Great Vampire War of 1589, where two factions of vampires duked it out until half the European vampire population was decimated, but I’d never read about any werewolf wars. I really needed to spend a lot more time in Ellianne’s library. Thinking of her and the borrowed book burning a hole in my dresser, my stomach starting hurting all over again.
Jean misread my nausea as fear. “Oh, don’t worry, Sasha would never allow a war to last. She’s a great peacekeeper.”
I didn’t doubt it, but there had been something bloodthirsty in Levi’s eyes, and I got the feeling he was always spoiling for a fight. If he decided to call in reinforcements and attack, there wasn’t a lot we could do but fight back. I shivered at the prospect.
“I suppose that’s why you avoided this pack for so long,” Jean said.
I nodded. “I didn’t want to get caught up in supernatural politics.”
Of course, sometimes the world didn’t care that you’d rather sit on the sofa with a blanket over your head. Stuff would still affect you, whether you wanted it to or not. Just look at Marianne.
We reached the kitchen, where Raff was seated at the island with what was, by my count, his fourth slice of peach pie. Not that I was one to talk. I’d scarfed down two, having found my appetite in time for dessert, and had only stopped because everyone was leaving the table.
Sasha was leaning on the counter, cupping a mug in her hands. Miles stood at attention behind her. Zara was on the sofa, reading a home improvement magazine with a photo of an ornate gazebo on the front.
“What if Marianne wasn’t just yelling things?” I asked. “What if the Guardians of Pure Life really did concoct that poison and disguise it as a potion?”
Raff pointed his fork at me. A piece of peach fell off and onto his plate.
“She has a point. Marianne might know something.”
“She’s been shut up in one of my spare bedrooms for the better part of the past month, and her trips out have only extended as far as my yard. Always supervised,” Jean added, as she lifted the coffee pot to fill her own mug. “She couldn’t know anything.”
“She does get mail,” Zara said, not even looking up from her reading.
Sasha straightened and cut her eyes at Jean. “You let her have mail?”
Jean’s face hardened. “She’s a person, Sasha. Even prisoners get mail. We read it first.” She said the last part more loudly and with a very pointed look in Zara's direction. “She doesn’t get much. She subscribed to a beauty magazine. And sometimes she gets requests from her church to give to charity. I’ve never once seen her get a personal letter.”
Raff pushed his plate aside. “Can we see her mail?”
Jean frowned. “I told you, it’s nothing of interest. And it’s up in her room, if she hasn’t thrown it out.”
“We should talk to her,” I said again.
“You’ll just upset her, and there’s nothing she can tell you.”
Jean turned to the sink, her back to the group. She set down her mug and began to wash the dishes.
“I think we should at least ask why she said what she said at dinner,” Sasha said. “About the hunters, I mean.”
Everyone looked surprised, especially Miles, whose brown eyes widened. “But you were so sure at dinner…”
“I couldn’t let the Portland Pack know that we hadn’t examined all possibilities,” Sasha said. “We hadn’t considered that the hunters may have set the potion as a trap.”
“Because all of the hunters are dead,” Jean said.
“Well, not all of them,” I said. I thought of Doug, one of the hunters who’d been holding Michael and Holly captive. I’d shot him in the leg—I hadn’t had much of a choice—and we’d left him in a remote cabin in the woods miles away from help. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t survived, and we’d never known exactly how many of them were out there.
Raff met my eyes, and a little shiver ran over me. “There was one Guardian of Pure Life left alive that we know of. But we never got a real accurate count of their number. There could be more out there.”
“That’s a happy thought,” Zara mumbled from the sofa, studying her magazine and ignoring Sasha’s pointed looks.
“I still want to talk to Marianne,” I insisted.
Sasha met my eyes, and I struggled to hold her gaze. Her eyes were bright and held so much power, it was breathtaking. I finally blinked.
Sasha smiled, victorious. “I will allow you to speak with her for
a few minutes.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jean said, dropping her dish towel on the counter.
“You’ve made your points, Jean, and I don’t want to upset the young lady any more than you do,” Sasha said. “But Charlie is right. If she knows something and we don’t even ask, we’re not doing our due diligence to protect the pack.”
I was surprised but pleased that Sasha agreed with Raff and me, because otherwise I’d have to find another way to get to her. Luckily, it wasn’t going to come to that.
Miles and Sasha escorted us to Marianne’s room. They had agreed to stay outside and let just the two of us in to speak with her, but they wanted to be close in case something happened. I carried a large slice of peach pie on a plate, since Marianne hadn’t gotten desert. (Miles had brought her a plate of dinner after she’d been escorted out the room.)
Miles unlocked the door and then stepped back. He and Sasha kept their distance down the hall while Raff knocked softly on the door and I stood with pie at the ready. Surely she’d heard the lock click and, technically, we could just open the door, but I wanted her to speak to us, so we’d decided to be polite.
A moment later, the door opened a crack.
“What?” she demanded.
“I brought dessert,” I said, holding the plate closer to her eye level. “I was hoping we could chat for a moment.”
Marianne huffed but opened the door wider. She sat down on the bed. I entered the room with Raff on my heels, and we closed the door. I set the pie on the small table near the window. Jean had told us it could only open an inch or so, though for the moment it was closed. The plate of dinner Miles had brought sat on the table, untouched as far I could tell. Marianne made no motion to come to the table and eat the pie.
The room was a good size, one of the larger rooms in the house. The bed had a cheerful blue duvet cover and several matching decorative pillows. A silver lamp sat on the oak nightstand and a matching oak dresser stood across from the bed. The small table and two chairs sat beneath the large picture window framed with blue curtains that matched the bed. The room even had its own bathroom.
Wicked Moon (The Reluctant Werewolf Chronicles Book 2) Page 10