BirthSign (La Patron, The Alpha's Alpha)

by Addae, Sydney

  “Are you cold?” Tyrese asked.

  She pulled the jacket around her shoulders. “No, not really.”

  He nodded. A second later he stood and sprung to the large tree behind hers. She envied his graceful moves. He sat on the thick limb and looked at her. “I’m cold, will you warm me?”

  Heat crawled up her neck. Sitting close to him was an opportunity she refused to pass up. She stood and looked over at him.

  “Jump on that branch first.” He pointed to a thick limb she hadn’t seen before. “It’ll make it easier for you to come on this one.”

  “Okay.” She moved slowly following his instructions until she reached him. He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap.

  “You’re not cold.” She laughed and wiggled in his lap, pleased when his dick hardened beneath her butt.

  “Not anymore, you have a unique way of warming me up.” He leaned forward and spoke into her ear and then nipped the lobe. “I like it.”

  She smiled, enjoying the attention. “Tell me about yourself…mate. What do you do other than ruin traditional ceremonies and drag your brand new mate around?”

  He ran his hands on her thighs sending a thrill through her. “I work security for La Patron.”

  She leaned against his chest; the solid thump against her back offered comfort. “I heard you mention him earlier.” She chuckled. “At least I’m not the only one who missed the mating ceremony.”

  He stiffened. “You came to this bullshit instead of the mating ceremony?” When he put it like that, and in light of everything that happened at the ceremony she could see why he considered the crowning ceremony, frivolous, unimportant and well… BS.

  “It’s not always like this… normally it’s a really big deal. They only do it…”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah… I heard it already, still…to miss the mating ceremony on purpose…that’s hard to understand. I asked to stay until everything was over but the military claimed I had to leave right away.”

  She frowned. That sounded ominous. “What happened?”

  He told her everything, including the good doctor who tried to kill him.’

  “I drove in with him last night.”

  “Huh?”

  “Well, the driver had to wait for him and we drove to the hotel together, that’s what I meant.”

  “Oh. This whole situation is messed up.”

  “What do you think La Patron will do now?”

  “He’ll get us home.”

  “You sound sure of that. What if he can’t? I mean he’s in the middle of a major event; there are so many people at the ceremony. It’s possible he’ll forget. Shouldn’t you plan another escape in case something happens?”

  “Yeah, we will, but you don’t know La Patron or this team. You don’t know Asia. Even though I wasn’t there, I can bet you she made a promise to my mom that I’d be back before the ceremony was over. And so that is what will happen. So if she pushes us hard, and I’m sure she will, don’t get upset, because she will turn this country upside down before she disappoints my mom.”

  Unsure of his connection to Asia, Danielle frowned. “Oh… okay. Is Asia related to you?”

  Tyrese chuckled and pulled her tighter against him. “I wish, but she is like a sister. We’ve gone on a couple of missions together and she is not someone I’d willingly take on in a fight. She has skills none of us have. But we’ll talk about that later. There is a lot you’ll learn about me but there is only one thing I need to know now.”

  His voice had deepened. His hand slid beneath her dress and caressed her thong covered mound. The rough pads of his fingertips rubbed up and down her slit.

  “What?” she asked when he didn’t say anything else.

  “Are you ready to have my pups?”

  The question had the same effect as throwing a bucket of cold water across her face. She stiffened and moved his hand from beneath her dress. “No. I’m not.” Was he kidding? She couldn’t tell what that sparkle in his eyes meant.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know you or anything about you. Being mated does not mean I want to start a den. There are other things I want to do.”

  “Like what?”

  It wasn’t what he said, it was the not-happening-with-my-mate way he said it. As if asking was a courtesy before he dismissed whatever she had to say. She should have known he was too good to be true.

  “I am a photojournalist. From a little pup this is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I studied long and hard, set aside other areas of my life to reach this goal. My work has taken me all over the world. I have won awards and love my job. I have no plans to stop working anytime soon.”

  His hand stilled. “I work security for La Patron; I cannot travel all over the world.”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay; I’ve been doing this for over ten years…”

  “That was before you were mated,” he said in a low voice, the sparkle in his eyes was replaced with a grimness she recognized. Connor had worn that expression many times. He expected her to cave; she hadn’t before and had no plans to give in now. There was too much at stake.

  “I know. But I want to continue my work, it’s important to me…like yours is important to you.” She glanced over her shoulder and frowned at the dark scowl on his face. “I hope this is not going to be a problem.” A huge gap separated them. Accustomed to being her own woman she had no idea how they’d mend this breach.

  He remained silent for a few moments and then appeared to relax. She didn’t trust his quick change.

  “I am a half-breed, is that the reason you don’t want to be mated to me?”

  She jerked forward. “What? I never said I didn’t want to be mated to you. I just want to work, that’s all.”

  He nodded and crossed his arms over his muscular chest, drawing her eyes to his taut nipples outlined through the fabric. “As a half-breed, I can survive without you nearby, but I have been told full-bloods can’t do that. I recall it being a real problem between La Patron and his mate. She had no problems locking him out and offered to move on, meet someone who appreciated her.”

  His words burned like hot coals on her belly. She flinched at the picture he presented. Her wolf howled. Never being mated before, she hadn’t realized the trap of having a mate and the need to be with him. It simply never occurred to her before, why would it?

  The professional inside her cried, not because she couldn’t survive without his presence, on a visceral, level she knew he was right about that. No, the photojournalist in her mourned her loss of independence that she’d enjoyed for some many years. She was no longer her own woman and that sucked.

  “We will need to make arrangements, compromises,” she said in what she hoped was a peace-making tone.

  Tyrese pulled her close and nuzzled her hair. His scent swam through her nostrils, filling her and stealing her train of thought. His hand moved up her thigh.

  “Of course we will,” he murmured.

  Chapter 16

  Silas looked over his shoulder and nodded to Hank, his security chief. Updated reports regarding the economy had come in at the top of every hour from Jordello, his banker. Things had heated up and some people were panicking, which was expected. But this was just the beginning; it would get worse before it got better.

  Instead of moving immediately, he listened to the youth chorus from one of the Midwestern schools perform a medley they had written specifically for his mating ceremony. The melodious sounds of the young people touched his heart in a way few things could. Sitting back, he looked at the future of his pack with overwhelming pride.

  School districts from all over the country sent the best of their best to perform during the four day ceremony. This morning he had seen gymnastic excellence set to music, a ballet by elementary school youngsters that would put many adult performers to shame and a couple of musical selections. In ten minutes it would be lunch time, he and Jasmine were sponsoring a lunch banquet for the school kids who were at the mating ceremony. He wan
ted her more comfortable with their children attending schools within the wolf nation. The academic excellence and liberal arts programs rivaled the finest private schools in the world. That had been his goal when he started the education system almost a century ago. It had been a challenge, but he persevered until their students surpassed foreign test scores and ranked number one in most academic contests.

  All staff in the schools had been full-bloods until recently; half breeds were now being hired to fill the need for more schools to accommodate their growing ranks. Humans were never allowed to work in any positions at their schools and they had tried. One of the reasons was the higher pay and better benefits. Silas insisted that those entrusted with the monumental task of shaping the minds of youth be compensated royally with a lot of perks including a home near the school. Consequently, in order to work as an entry-level educator a Master’s degree was required.

  Watching the performances he vowed to increase his contributions for the arts, these pups earned it. The mini-orchestra and singers were phenomenal. When the last note rang clear, he shot to his feet applauding the presentation. Jasmine stood beside him clapping just as hard. He sensed her supreme pleasure through their link.

  “Awesome,” Jasmine said, echoing his feelings. “And they are so young, look at the young man with the violin; he can’t be more than ten years old. But his solo was amazing.”

  He nodded. The young pup took another bow along with the entire orchestra and chorus. It was a good thing they were breaking for lunch; this group would be a tough act to follow.

  “What will happen to all of the gifts that have been presented so far?” Jasmine pointed to a platform where ten Alphas placed their mating gifts. Ten more would present in the next half of the performances. The pattern would be duplicated tomorrow and end on the last day of the ceremony.

  He looked at the exquisite jewels, antiques, artwork and a one of a kind statue of a black wolf and his den. “Hank will assign someone to watch them and then at the end of the day he will remove all twenty items and lock them up until we leave.”

  “Okay. I need a break, the kids need a break. Jacki was giving Cameron a hard time a few minutes ago. I think they need to run around a bit. I’m not sure they should return for the second half, what do you think?”

  He looked around at the people milling around the large room and then at his pups. They had been attentive at first when the gymnast flipped high in the air. David specifically watched their moves carefully. The girls became animated, pointing and talking, when the ballet dancers were on stage. Towards the end they were antsy, Lilly, Cameron, Rose and Tyrone had their hands full keeping them quiet as they entertained the little ones.

  “I’m not sure either. Let’s see how they’re doing after lunch.” He paused. “They’ll be down for naps, right?”

  She nodded. “Probably. I’m surprised they haven’t dropped off yet. It’s time for them to eat. I saw Hank signal you earlier, I can take the children into the banquet and get started until you’re done doing whatever you need to do. But, it’s not a good idea to wait too long.”

  He had been thinking along those lines and bent to kiss her on the forehead. “Thanks, I do need to check into a few things, but I’ll be along soon.” He turned to Cameron and Tyrone. “I need you to help Jasmine take the pups to the banquet so they can eat and then they will probably take a nap. Do not leave them.”

  Tyrone nodded, hefted Adam on his hip. “You hear that little man? Your brothers are going to be hanging with you all day today.”

  “And your sisters,” Rose said holding Renee.

  Jasmine patted his ass and walked off with the children.

  Silas turned and strode in the opposite direction to the makeshift office he and Jacques set up. He opened the door, noticed Jacques feet up on the long table reading reports wearing a wide grin.

  “What happened?”

  “The Goddess blessed you big time with this.” Jacques swung his feet down and looked up at him. “You are not going to believe what happened….oh my God; it doesn’t get much better than this.”

  Silas glanced at his watch and then at Jacques. “Do I have to ask again?”

  “Take a seat, I am going to pull it up, you have to see this yourself.” He typed in some keys and pointed to the large monitor.

  The British accent surprised him, but not as much as what she said. “There you have it, a video of American soldiers systematically killing unarmed security guards at the Lyrill crowning ceremony. There were over thirty casualties, including US Ambassador Prinkston. President Wallis has got to be furious over this disaster. What were US soldiers doing in Lyrill? Why did they kill unarmed men? The citizens of Lyrill are outraged and are demanding all US citizens leave the country immediately. Prime Minister Bensud stated he was grieved by the US actions and called on the UN to assist them in their case against the President and the country. These are tough times for American President Wallis, whose approval ratings have fallen into the teens. But as Commander in Chief, he is ultimately responsible. Expect to see staff changes in the next few days as more of this horrible crime is unveiled.”

  Unable to speak Silas stared at the screen. What the hell happened? Didn’t the military know the ceremony was being videotaped? He couldn’t believe they’d blundered so badly. “Unbelievable…I…I am surprised. Did we do this? Put it on the news I mean?”

  “Nope, our hands are clean… in this matter at least. The wolves were moving so fast the cameras didn’t pick up the shifters until they fell dead having returned human. That’s what the cameras picked up; dead human’s littering the floor.”

  “And no weapons.” Silas shook his head. With a wolf’s speed, and superhuman strength no additional weapons were needed. “What did they shoot them with? They shouldn’t have fallen dead immediately.”

  “I wondered about that. It seems the military has been holding out on you. Obviously they’re doing the same thing the Liege has been doing for years.”

  “Or…or they purchased these weapons from the Liege. That sounds more likely. But…I can’t see them showing their hand like this. They knew I’d find out they used weapons to kill wolves, which break our agreement.”

  “I think they broke that agreement a long time ago and you’re just finding out about it. It takes time to get outfitted the way those soldiers were. The guns looked like mini-cannons, there is nothing out there like them. That means a special order. Which we both know takes time to create.”

  “And then there is the training curve, which takes a time. Soooo… this is not new, Jim and the joint chiefs have been busy for years.” He looked at Jacques. “Some days I feel as if I went to sleep and woke up ten years later. What the hell have I been doing that I missed the signs? How could I not have seen this happening?”

  “You were dealing with the half-breed epidemic. Remember, three years ago Wallis was not president, there was a different Joint Chief staff and you had no idea half-bred wolves lived among us. You have had a full plate within the past two years. The determined effort to kill you and your den took one hundred percent of your concentration. I’d say with all you had coming at you, you’re doing bloody well.”

  Silas allowed Jacques heavy words to settle on his shoulders. Things had been topsy-turvy but now he had to act. “I want to know about those guns, have General Miller look into it and get back to me.” General Miller worked at the Pentagon and was one of the full-bloods who had risen through the military ranks. There were over two hundred full-blood Generals throughout the US armed forces.

  “Yes, Sir, I am on it.” Jacques sat up and placed a trace on the General so the message could be sent.

  Silas turned on the computer in front of him and checked the internet to see how Admiral Stakes fared. The Lyrill information dwarfed the general’s blunder. It hadn’t made it to national news. Silas sat back and rubbed his chin.

  “I want to link the Admiral’s comments about the President being weak linked to the military blunder in
Lyrill.”

  “I like that. If the Admiral thinks he’s weak, and he has no real answer for what happened in Lyrill, it makes him look ineffective. That’s brilliant, Sir. How do you want this started?” Jacques clicked on the keyboard.

  Silas nodded, thinking of different ways to hit the Joint Chiefs hard. “Code red that angle. I want it on the news tonight, the timing is perfect. Start with just the one station, one of the majors and let them look clever. Make sure the news director gets a clean copy of the Admirals comments with the authenticity papers. As we release more and more dirt on the Chiefs, I want to re-link to this Lyrill situation. It smacks of incompetence.”

  “Which will hit the top guy hard.”

  Silas shrugged. “He wanted the Lyrill deal, he’s got it. It’s just not the way he anticipated.”

  “No, things rarely happen that way. On the bright side…”

  “There’s a bright side?”

  “Yes… the markets are behaving just as you predicted. Jordello reports he has received many requests for loans from some heavy hitters in high places. You called it on the money when you said with enough money and power a person can own a government.”

  “True, but I am not interested in owning anything, I simply want my people to live in peace and prosper. Unlike the US Commander-in-Chief, I don’t have to answer to anyone to carry out my objective. But… I cannot allow them to formulate weapons that annihilate wolves to the point they are dead before they hit the ground.” Something was wrong with that entire picture; he simply couldn’t understand why they’d show their hand to that extent. To kill unarmed men on foreign territory was a PR nightmare for the administration.

  Jacques nodded. “That’s not good.”

  “So we have to shake them up…remind them there are sharks in the waters waiting if they don’t behave.”

  “Well, damn…”

  Silas looked over at Jacques, who sat forward in his seat looking at the monitor. “What?”

  “Another newscaster has different footage and this one shows Rese and the team being fired upon.”