by Jana Leigh
“I have no doubt the girls are fully aware of the situation. We need to figure out what they are looking for. I would guess they are trying to find the females destined to be on the Senate. However, they could also be searching for a way to get to Cat and Jax. It is all so fucked up,” Tripp said and pulled out his cell, called Bane, and spoke quietly. He was going to make sure the security head knew that they were going to have to double the shift for a while. There was no way that they wanted to make the community think they couldn’t protect them.
Chapter Two
Fredi sat down in the plush seat on the Learjet and sighed. It had been a long couple of weeks planning the move and trying to wrap her head around the idea that she was now fully immersed in the Chosen and the Senate. Just a few weeks ago, she had never thought the time would come when she would be able to come out into the open. Her existence was a secret and until a few weeks ago, Fredi knew that if she revealed herself, she put her half-sister in danger. That was something she was not willing to do.
It had all happened so fast though, Jo and her friends coming to the restaurant, and Marshall, one of the Enforcers of the New Council Pack, had been guarding the door. When Fredi had come in, all hell had broken loose.
Jo leaned forward and said softly, “I know you smell like him; I am not crazy.”
Fredi paused from raising the bottle to her mouth and nodded slowly, then looked around the room and sighed. She finished taking a drink and looked Jo in the eye, “Oliver Tand was my father. I am so sorry to have hidden this from you. I was so angry with our father when he refused to allow me to contact you.”
“Why?” Jo whispered.
Fredi grimaced and said, “My full name is Federica Sophia Jenelle Tand. I was named after the two women our father loved and lost. When he lost your mother, Oliver was devastated obviously; he turned to the one person who would understand. I am sure you will not recognize her name; Jenelle Pinot was your mother’s best friend. They mourned together, became close, unfortunately having an affair that led to my mother’s death. Her husband was a jealous evil brute; they had two children already, and Oliver knew when my mother became pregnant that her husband would be outraged. Therefore, she went into hiding until I was born, and then I was whisked away to live with a couple who hid me for years. Jenelle was married to a human man, and since they were not true mates, their children were not born shifters. But later they were bitten by two different magical people, one wolf and one Vampire.”
Jo frowned and thought about everything they knew from their past. “Okay, so my father had an affair with my mother’s best friend, and when it was discovered, your mother was killed. Who the hell is the beast that killed her?”
“This is so confusing. You were taken and raised by Frank and Tina, the reason you were kidnapped was because of what the Seer said, and the Prophesy, correct?” Fredi said.
Everyone in the room nodded. “Frank and Roarke claimed to be siblings, when they were not. They were both wolves, so it was easy to pass off. Roarke had a sister, Tina, who was the wild child. She was turned to a Vampire, and a wolf, Frank, bit Roarke. The only reason they were turned was so they could get revenge. Their father raised them to think Oliver killed our mother, but he did it in a fit of rage the day she returned to tell him she was leaving. My mother and father were not true mates either; however, I am still a wolf. Oliver went to the Seer to have her explain, and she couldn’t, all she could see was that if I was joined with her other children, the Council Prophesy would be challenged. Roarke and Tina’s father discovered all of this when he killed his wife. So he encouraged his children to hang out with shifters to find information. They discovered that I was alive, and when they held the Seer captive, she told them if Roarke could be reunited with me, our blood would be the key. To what I have no clue, but Oliver told me I was supposed to hide in plain sight until you discovered me. When I saw the reservations today I knew this was the time.”
“Fuck a duck, seems like such an inappropriate phrase right now; however, it seems to fit, don’t you think?” Cami said and held up her bottle of wine. The women all toasted and Jo felt an overwhelming sense of belonging once again. She had a family; she was not alone.
“So, you are a wolf, there is no doubt, Kira, what is her aura?” Shea asked curiously.
“It is not the golden of the Chosen; however, it is silverish, I have seen only this aura when Dante and his mates were here,” Kira said and shrugged.
“What does your wolf look like?” Jo asked.
Fredi shrugged, and said, “I have no clue; so far, I have not been able to shift. I would guess that is because I am not a full wolf. I can feel her, but it is as if she is hiding in me. This is the strongest I have ever felt her, when I walked into this room and Jo and that man were in here; it was as if I walked into my home. I could hear my wolf howl inside of me.” Fredi laughed and felt the tears gathered in her eyes. “Our father showed me pictures of you, and your mate, is so handsome. I wanted to be there for you when he died. But unfortunately being on the outside means the news was not delivered to me until it was too late. I regret not being able to be at his wake.”
Of course, this reduced the entire room into tears, and they began to hug each other. Fredi may be Jo’s sister, but she was a kindred spirit according to Kira and Lacy. The real fun began when they tried to figure out how the hell they were going to keep Fredi safe now that they knew about her. Their husbands would of course need to know, but later, it was more important for them to get to know her.
So later, when the men talked about how they finally were able to enter the room, all of the women refused to acknowledge or deny what they found. Quin finally gave them permission to break the ward, after Cami ignored the call several times.
The shocking part was not the three women who were making up a Christmas song in the corner singing loudly and clapping when they'd go down the verse. Nor was it the other two, who were sitting there comparing their tattoos with their clothes partially off. Or the four laying on the floor laughing hysterically at the woman who was pouring drinks into their mouth. It could have been their Alpha female who was standing there screaming at the two wolves that were running around the room chasing each other as she held onto their clothes for obvious purposes. But it wasn’t.
The shocking part was the two wolves that were chasing each other were both pure white, and the Enforcers could not tell which one was the Chosen, Jo.
“Holy Shit!” one of the Enforcers muttered as he watched the mayhem. Shea sat up and looked at them, her eyes sparkling. “Fuck, hit the panic button!”
All of the Enforcers scrambled for the phones with the tracking device on them and as the entire group of guards hit it, they heard Cami laughing again and saw her pointing at them. It was the last thing any of them remembered until they woke up in the Pack compound in the Enforcers Cottage.
Marshall sat up and screamed loudly, “I am gonna fucking quit this job!!”
Father had always said to keep her head down until the time was right, and she had. She had worked hard to settle in and create a prosperous business with the restaurant, all the while watching her sister from afar and waiting for the time when they could meet. She had been reminded many times over the years of her destiny and the danger that would come from her exposure.
A wonderful, loving couple, Tom and Sasha Molto, who were unable to have children of their own, had raised her. Sasha had at one time been a childhood friend of her mother's. When circumstances dictated that her father hide her, he called on them to help him.
As she grew up, Oliver told her the stories of their families, and when she was old enough, he had explained the details to her of her mother and her life with her human husband. She never questioned what her father told her, because of what happened with her half-sister. It was so confusing when she was a child, understanding that Jo, who was Oliver’s daughter, was her sister, and Roarke and Tina, who were her mother’s children, were also her half-siblings. They were
so different, however it was a no brainer when it came to who she trusted.
When Jo was kidnapped and raised by Frank and Tina, the reason she was taken was because of what the Seer said, and the Prophesy. The only reason her half-siblings were turned was so they could get revenge. Their father raised them to think Oliver killed their mother, but it had been their father who had killed their mother when she'd returned to tell him she was leaving him. Fredi didn’t have a rough life; in fact, she was more sheltered than anything, but as she grew up the more determined she became to help her father and sister with what they were doing. She believed in the Prophesy, and would do anything to help them.
Although Fredi's parents weren’t true mates, she was still a wolf. However, she hadn’t shifted until she met her half-sister and mate. Oliver had gone to the Seer when she was young to find out if she would ever shift, the answer had not satisfied her father because all she could see was if Fredi was joined with Roarke and Tina, the Council Prophesy would be challenged. Fredi would become a part of the New Council downfall, and that was not going to happen. No matter how much she wanted to come back into the fold of the New Council, she understood why she couldn’t remain in Milliken.
Her entire life had been living on the outside, but she still had had a good life. Tom and Sasha had been loving parents and supportive of everything she wanted to do. She had gone to school at the Le Cordon Bleu in London and graduated at the top of her class. Once, during a break at school, she had gone to a small town in France and found a restaurant like the one she had ended up opening. The Melting Pot had been a dream of hers. She loved to cook for people and it made her happy. Now things were going to change.
She looked up as she saw Marshall enter the plane after checking with security and talking to the pilot. His eyes connected with hers and he smiled warmly. Every time she looked at him, her breath caught in her throat. He was devastatingly handsome, short brown hair and shocking blue eyes. She could drown in those eyes; he seemed to look all the way into her soul. They had only had a short time together and she could feel herself already falling in love with him. The first time they were alone together was just after Christmas, he had come to her room one morning just before lunch and asked her to go for a walk with him. She had agreed and he had taken her on a trail beside the main meetinghouse.
They walked in silence for a while and then he said, "So, how have you been doing?"
"Fine," she answered. "It has been wonderful to finally be able to spend time with Jo and to meet her family.” She had been spending a lot of time getting to know Tey, Jo, and the children.
"That's great. Listen, I know we are mates, but I don’t want to get all freaky about this. We have time. I spoke to Jo and Tey, I get we are a little different, you know cause you are the White Wolf and everything. According to them, they have no idea what the hell that means for us though.” Marshall could feel his cat clawing at him to mate with her. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He could feel her tension. "I know all of this is difficult and I want you to know that I support you. Tey is Jo’s anchor, he explained all of it to me.”
She smiled up at him. "I am a virgin,” she blurted out and Marshall laughed.
“Uh, okay, I was not expecting that,” Marshall said, running his hand down the back of his neck.
She blushed and looked away and groaned. “I suck, Jo was telling me how when she mated Tey that he became her anchor, and she was able to handle her gifts better. I don’t know what my gifts are though, I am not sure Jo and I have the same gift. I think maybe I shifted too late in life to be given a gift.”
"I don’t think it works like that, I mean if you want to get all technical about it, Jo didn’t shift until she met Tey either, so we have time. I think getting to the Senate will be good.” He took her hand in his and rubbed it softly.
She seemed relieved that he understood and they continued their walk. "So what have you found out so far?” he asked. He knew she had a meeting with Jo, Cami, and the girls trying to find the reason behind three White Wolves. They had discovered that there was to be a White Wolf for the Senate, but they didn’t understand since they had more than one White Wolf. Cami had been talking to Caterina in Italy about the situation and how to make the transition. It would seem that they, meaning Marshall and Fredi, were going to be moving to Italy to join forces with Orfeo, Cat, and Tripp to begin the seating of the Senate.
"Well, we have found a document in the old papers saying there is to be at least one White Wolf for the Senate as well. It seems that when I mate I will come into my powers. It is said that I will, um, well I...” She paused for a moment, glancing at him with apprehension on her face.
"What? You will what?” He was concerned seeing her face and knowing how things had gone for the Chosen.
"There were recordings of the prophesy that says there will be a challenge I will have to face. I know you didn't know who your mate was going to be and I would understand if you wanted to stay here, your whole family is here.” She was rambling and she knew it. She just didn't know how a man like him was mated with her.
Marshall was Lead Enforcer and his mom was a designer at the lingerie shop in Milliken, Colorado. Fredi enjoyed a nice dinner with his family before they left, and while there she met everyone in his crazy family. Tara, his mother, was a wolf. Fredi had been surprised when she learned that Marshall was adopted. His biological parents were cat shifters, black panthers to be exact, and the first time she saw him shift, Fredi had been lost. His parents died while in shifter form, shot by hunters who had been shocked to find panthers roaming the woods in Colorado. Tara heard about the small cub from a friend of hers and offered Marshall a home. He didn’t remember anything other than her loving and caring nature as he grew up. His brother, Tripp, was part of the triad mating of Senate Leaders, she was excited to meet him and his mates.
His black silk coat was beautiful, and even though she was a wolf, she had been attracted to him. Her wolf loved to play with the panther in the wild, it was amazing to see the stark difference in their coloring, since she was snow white and he was black, they made for an unusual and handsome couple when shifted.
Marshall could see she was waiting for him to respond to what she said. He knew she was worried that he would be angry over the situation, but the opposite was actually true. He was happy to go wherever she had to go. She was his mate; he didn't care where they lived as long as they were together. They had stopped walking and were facing each other, so he did what he felt would show her how he felt. He wrapped both his arms around her and first hugged her then slowly lowered his head toward hers, their lips almost touching.
"You are my mate, where you go, I go. Soon we will be one, I will always be by your side.” With that, he lowered his lips and softly brushed them against hers as her hands wrapped behind his neck. She feathered her fingers into his hair and he groaned into her mouth as he felt her caress. He deepened the kiss for a moment more before pulling back to look down in to her eyes.
She loved the feel of his lips on hers. His strong arms wrapped around her made her feel safe and cared for. As she ran her fingers through his hair, she reveled in how soft it was and how this man would be all hers. Then when he ended the kiss and pulled back, she opened her eyes to look directly into his. She saw the sincerity in his gaze and the silent promise to be hers. She shivered at the images that silent promise brought to her mind.
"I feel the same way. Thank you,” she said as she pressed herself into his chest and silently asked him to hold her. It had been a long time since she had just been held and there was nowhere else she would rather be than in his arms.
They stood like that for a while and then he turned with his arm around her and led her back down the path toward the Main house. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. We need to use this time to get to know each other, then when we get to Italy, we can mate."
She agreed with him and they went in together to have lunch with the others. It was then that they learned
all the arrangements had been made. Orfeo was sending his jet to pick them up in a week's time. There was much to be done; Fredi was leaving the Melting Pot in the capable hands of Sasha and Tom. They, along with Oliver, had helped her to move here and open her restaurant. They had always been supportive and kind to her. She loved them as if they were her real parents; she had also loved Oliver as her father. She missed him dearly as she knew Jo did.
Marshall left after lunch to go to his parent's home and begin his preparations to leave. He had to work with Devon on choosing the new Lead Enforcer. He also had to pack up his rooms and move everything into storage. Then he needed to go and have a quiet talk with Quin and Jaden about the Senate and this challenge of Fredi's. He wanted to know more and be prepared for what may come.
***
Marshall entered the plane and zeroed in on his mate. She looked nervous and excited all at the same time. She seemed to be taking all of this very well. He stood there staring, thinking back to the first time he saw her.
“Wait, I have an awesome idea,” Cami said loudly.
It went down hill from there. The Enforcers kept looking at one another as they plotted, drank, and generally got drunker by the minute. The men had to admit they were funny drunks; they all had a sense of humor at least. Marshall protested only once, and that was when Shea turned and grinned at them.
He held up his phone and wiggled it at the fairy. She knew with one phone call her mate, the Sheriff, would be notified. Shea flipped the leader of the men off and then snapped her fingers and made his pants fall to the floor.