by M. A. Church
“I know.” Keegan looked at Alpha Daniel. “Thank you, sir, but I need to be with my uncle.”
Holy shit, was this kid supposed to sound so grown-up? I glanced at Daniel, who, in turn, shrugged. Yeah, we needed to discuss this.
“Keegan, your Alpha and I need to talk. Do you think you could go back to bed?” I asked.
“Can I sleep in your room?”
Even someone as unfamiliar with kids as I was could see Keegan was already pulling away from his pack and trying to bond with me. “Sure, come on.” I stood and lifted him. “But no hogging the covers, okay?”
Keegan didn’t answer, just snuggled into my arms. Well, that answered that. Kid was going to take the whole bed, I bet. Hell, I’d happily give it to him if that’s what he needed. I got Keegan tucked in, dressed, checked my feet for glass, then hurried to Daniel’s office. His betas were already searching for Bram.
“This can wait if you want to search also,” I said, joining Daniel. He looked like he’d aged five years in the few minutes I was gone.
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“Absolutely not. If they manage to find him, you probably need to be there.”
Daniel nodded, his shoulders slumped. “Good. Take care of Keegan. As soon as we know something, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, thank you. I appreciate it. Good luck.”
“I think we’re past luck doing us any damn good.”
Unfortunately I agreed. After Alpha Daniel left to catch up with his betas, I returned upstairs to see Keegan sprawled across my bed. He was nothing but knees and elbows. I stared at the bed, then at the floor, and scratched my head.
Well, there was nothing for it. There was nowhere else to sleep, and I damn sure wasn’t sleeping on the floor, so I gently crawled onto the bed. I tried to find a comfortable position that wouldn’t result in me being unmanned.
This night couldn’t end soon enough.
Chapter Fifteen
Aidric
THE NEXT two weeks flew, and suddenly the end of February was upon us. Carter had told me what happened with his brother and how he ended up with his nephew. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, although I hadn’t said anything. I didn’t think it’d dawned on Carter yet there would be two of us raising this child, but that didn’t surprise me. Hell, Carter was still trying to adjust to the fact he was raising a child.
He was bewildered. I talked to Carter several times, and although he did a good job of hiding the panic in his voice, I still heard it. Carter was at his wit’s end. In one particularly interesting conversation, he railed about how he had no idea how to raise a pup.
On and on he went about what if he did something that marred the kid for life, about how he was unprepared for such a task. I’m sure parents everywhere asked themselves the exact same question.
On top of that, his brother had disappeared. Just vanished. The Alpha and his betas followed Bram’s scent straight to their northern border… where Bram had passed over and left their territory. Carter wasn’t handling that well either. There was a story there, one I needed to get from my mate, but that was going to have to wait.
Right now I had more pressing worries. The four contenders Dolf had chosen to compete for the beta position I vacated would arrive soon. Though I had resigned my position, I had one last duty to perform for my Alpha, and that was standing guard for him while he observed the matches. None of the other betas were allowed to attend because Dolf didn’t want to be inadvertently influenced by them. The remaining betas had a stake in who would fill my position, and I didn’t.
Three of the participants, Jamal, Brock, and Perry, were werecats and males. Each would’ve been acceptable for the position. Then there was Janelle, the unknown element in the mix. When the matches started, Dolf would assign each a partner they were to fight. The winners would then fight each other and had the option to shift or not. Whoever was left standing would assume the beta position. We were sitting in the kitchen waiting for the appointed time for the matches to begin.
“What do you want to drink?” Tal asked me.
“Just water, thanks.” I leaned against the counter once I had my drink.
Dolf took a sip of his drink Tal handed him. “So, thoughts on the upcoming fights?”
“Well, since you asked, Janelle is just as strong and fast as us, but what advantage do we have that she doesn’t?” I asked. “Shifting. The rules have always been that the contestants could either fight in human form or as a cat.”
“But she can’t shift,” Kirk said.
“Exactly my point,” I said.
Kirk frowned.
“Kirk, those rules have been around longer than Janelle has been a member of this clowder,” Dolf said. “I don’t feel comfortable taking away the ability to shift just because she can’t. I’m afraid it would seem as if I am changing the rules to accommodate her.”
“I don’t think she’d want you to do that,” Kirk said. “Besides, Remi told me she didn’t hesitate to take on that menace of a werewolf, who was, by the way, a wolf. Somehow I don’t think facing us in our shifted form is going to be much of a problem.”
Tal nodded. “There’s something else you need to consider, Dolf.”
“What’s that?”
“If you allow shifting, are you going to allow her to call on the Vetala side of her nature?” Tal shrugged. “It only seems fair.”
“I am not going to allow her to drain somebody, no,” Dolf said.
“Of course not. That would be taking things just a bit too far,” I said. “But the intimidation from that alone is significant. You can’t deny when they shift, those damn eyes and those gnarly fangs are freaky.”
“There is that.” Dolf sighed. “If I’m going to allow shifting, I can’t very well refuse to allow her to call on her abilities, with the understanding that killing Brock by draining him is off the table.”
“What about her venom?” I asked.
“Shit. Let me think for a moment.” Dolf huffed. “Okay. The ability they have to drink blood is mainly used to survive. Their venom is part of that, yes, but it can also be used as a weapon. Drinking blood isn’t a weapon; it’s survival. Agreed?”
“They can’t live without it, so yes, I wouldn’t classify drinking blood as a weapon,” Tal said.
“I agree.” Kirk nodded. “They don’t need the venom, but they do need the blood.”
“From my understanding, they use venom to subdue their prey while hunting. It makes it easier for Marshell and Janelle. I’m going to hazard a guess they don’t need to use the venom—they can feed without it—but the use of it is more of a precaution to ensure they aren’t detected,” I said.
“That’s my thoughts,” Dolf said. “So yes, I’ll allow her to use her venom, but I’ll state biting with the intent to feed means she’s disqualified. Biting is fine since we can do that too.”
“I don’t think she would do that,” I said.
“No, she wouldn’t. But I have to stipulate it so there’s no questions brought up later. Okay, that’s settled,” Dolf said.
The doorbell rang. Dolf set down his glass and checked his watch. “That must be them. Why don’t you three go on outside and find a seat while I let them in?”
I followed Tal and Kirk out back. Moments later, Dolf joined us on the patio with the contestants. After he explained the rules, he sat at the table with Tal, Kirk, and me. The first two who fought were male werecats and young guys in their prime. Their battle continued for quite a while until one finally pinned the other. Brock was the winner in his fight. He stood off to the side as Janelle and the other werecat faced each other.
Whereas the other fight lasted a good amount of time, this one went incredibly fast. The other contestant had no idea exactly what he was up against. In under five minutes, Janelle had him pinned.
Dolf congratulated Janelle and Brock. He told them to rest and then return that evening at five o’clock for the final match. After escorting both out, Dolf returned. Ta
l, Kirk, and I had moved inside and were in the kitchen fixing something to eat.
Tal asked Dolf what kind of sandwich and drink he wanted.
“Whatever you’re having,” Dolf said.
After Tal finished, he handed it to Dolf. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, babe.”
While Tal did that, Kirk made me and him sandwiches too. We stood around the bar, eating.
Dolf took a deep drink, then wiped his lips. “Well, that was interesting.”
“Interesting? What do you mean?” Tal asked.
Dolf chuckled. “I think the males were a little overconfident.”
“I’ll say. All they saw was a pretty face,” Kirk said. “Nobody bothered to tell them just exactly what the Vetala are capable of, I’m guessing, or they didn’t believe what they had heard.”
“All I’m going to say is holy shit, I’m thankful she’s on our side,” I added.
“Did you see that cool leg sweep thing she did?” Kirk practically bounced on his toes. “Man, she reminded me of those MMA fighters.”
“Any guesses on who’s going to win?” Dolf asked.
“Janelle,” Kirk said.
Tal nodded. “Janelle.”
Dolf looked at me, and I shrugged. “I think Janelle’s got it, frankly. Not sure how the elders are going to react to that.”
Dolf scowled. “I know exactly how they’re going to react—the same way they reacted when Janelle joined our clowder. The same way they reacted when Marshell joined the clowder. The same fucking way they reacted when I told them I allowed Janelle to try for a beta position.”
Tal rolled his eyes. “In other words, not well.”
Dolf took a deep breath and slowly let it go. “And my answer is the same as it’s always been. If they don’t like it, they’re more than welcome to leave. They certainly won’t be the first ones.”
Kirk bit into his sandwich particularly viciously. “Dumbasses.”
“I agree,” Dolf said. “Regardless of the elders’ feelings, though, if Janelle wins, I think she’s going to make a spectacular beta.”
“I agree,” I said. “If she wins, that is.”
THE REST of the day passed quickly, and finally Janelle and Brock returned. Since it was the end of February, the days were still short. Luckily darkness wasn’t a problem for paranormals. Dolf had purposely set the last contest after dark to see how they reacted. Kirk, Tal, and I sat on the patio while Dolf, Brock, and Janelle stood in the backyard. Somehow, and I wasn’t exactly sure how, I ended up sitting between Tal and Kirk again.
Dolf cleared his voice, gaining everyone’s attention. “Before we begin, I will cover the rules once more. You fight until one either submits or is pinned. Janelle, this is the first time we’ve had another paranormal outside of our kind try for a beta position, as you know. Since it’s always been werecats, shifting has been allowed. Let me reiterate that I am not going to change that rule.”
Janelle shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t put me at a disadvantage.”
Brock snorted.
Next to me I heard Kirk catch his breath at Brock’s reaction. I sincerely hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come.
Dolf shot Brock a disapproving glance but didn’t verbally reprimand him. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Now, just like in the last set of fights, I am going to allow you to call forth the Vetala side of your nature. We have fangs and claws. You have fangs, even though you cannot shift into another form.”
Janelle grinned. “I don’t need to.”
“I am also reminding you that you cannot feed from Brock. If you do, you will be disqualified. Plus that’s rather invasive, and while the two of you may be competing against each other, you are both part of this clowder. Last thing I want is resentment and hard feelings stemming from this. Janelle, is that acceptable to you?”
“Yes,” Janelle said.
“Good,” Dolf said. “Like in the last fight, I’m going to allow you to use your venom too.”
“Now just a damn minute!” Brock exclaimed. “What do you mean you’re going to allow her to use her venom? Don’t they use it to paralyze?”
“Yes.” Dolf nodded. “They do.”
Brock crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. “That gives her an unfair advantage.”
Dolf raised an eyebrow. “Odd how I didn’t hear any complaint when she was fighting your competition. Nevertheless, you have the ability to shift. She doesn’t. She has the ability to use the venom. You don’t. As far as I’m concerned, the two cancel out each other. I’ve also stipulated that she cannot feed.”
“I’m not okay with her sinking her fangs in me,” Brock griped.
“Oh? Do you mean to tell me if you were fighting another werecat during this contest, you wouldn’t shift and sink your fangs into your opponent? We’re cats. That’s what we do.”
“Got that right,” Tal whispered.
I agreed. I didn’t know what the hell Brock was bitching about. When I fought for the beta position, it never crossed my mind not to use my fangs.
Brock glared at Dolf. “But—”
“No. I’m not going to allow you to use your abilities and Janelle not use hers,” Dolf retorted. “Did you stop to think that maybe she’s uncomfortable with you shifting into a cat while fighting her?”
“She’s mated to one of us,” Brock snapped.
“Jesus, how stupid is this guy?” Kirk slapped his forehead.
Even though Tal and Kirk were whispering, everyone could hear them. Whether Dolf and the combatants were paying attention or not was another matter. From the looks of it, Brock wasn’t, which was a good thing.
If Brock showed disrespect to either one of the Alpha-mates, Dolf would probably lose what little patience he had. From where I was sitting, it looked like he was nearly there. I’d known Brock for nearly half his life, and I was surprised to hear some of the things coming out of his mouth. How was it none of us had noticed how narrow-minded he was?
Dolf took a deep breath before he spoke. “Yes, she’s mated to Sam, but Sam isn’t ranked and never will be. He doesn’t have the disposition or the driving need to be a beta. You do. His shifting around her isn’t going to be the same as this.”
“Got that right.” Janelle glared. “For one thing, when he shifts, it’s not with the intention of attacking me like you’re going to. Look, I’ll make this easy for you, Brock. You don’t shift, and I won’t use my venom. If you don’t bite, I won’t bite. We stay in human form.”
Brock bared his fangs. “If I was fighting another werecat, this wouldn’t be an issue.”
Tal slowly shook his head. “If Janelle doesn’t teach him a lesson, Dolf just might.”
I was pretty sure Janelle was going to beat Dolf to the punch.
Dolf growled softly. “But you’re not fighting another werecat. I’ve gone over our laws, and while it says only another werecat is allowed to assume the position of Alpha of the clowder, nowhere does it say the same applies to any lesser-ranking position.”
“Well, there should’ve been something,” Brock seethed.
Kirk leaned forward so he could look around me at Tal. “Is he living in an alternate reality? I mean, there are all sorts of paranormals walking around this planet, so could there possibly be something like that?”
Tal flipped his long blond hair over his shoulder and blew a kiss at Kirk. “Not likely, lover.”
This was deteriorating fast.
“There’s nothing mentioned, and I’ve checked. You don’t like that someone other than a werecat is competing to be my beta? Tough.” Dolf’s growl was much louder this time, and Brock tilted his head, showing his neck in a sign of submission. “I have to tell you your close-minded attitude is in direct contrast to the vision I have for my clowder.”
“I apologize, Alpha.” Brock glanced at Janelle.
“I accept with the same sincerity,” Dolf said.
Brock didn’t answer. I pursed my lips, wondering if Brock und
erstood sarcasm when he heard it, because Dolf wasn’t sincere.
Instead Brock faced Janelle, smirking. “I’m not going to take it easy on you just because you’re female.”
“That’s okay. I didn’t plan to take it easy on you since you’re a male,” Janelle taunted.
“And on that note, I wish both of you the best of luck.” Dolf stepped away from the contestants and returned to where Kirk, Tal, and I sat. “On my mark, the two of you may begin. Not before then.”
Brock stayed in human form, but his eyes turned electric blue, his fangs dropped, and his claws sprouted. He rolled his shoulders and shook himself out, then bounced on the balls of his feet. Growling, he dropped into a stance that reminded me of something I’d seen on several kung fu movies.
Brock smiled at Janelle and then snorted. “This is going to be fun.”
Janelle ignored him as she called forth her Vetala nature, minus all the theatrics. She stood tall, body loose, and waited.
“Begin!” Dolf called.
Brock rushed Janelle, his body strangely graceful, which surprised me. That he attacked first didn’t. Janelle ducked under Brock’s swing and popped up, landing two hard punches to Brock’s face in quick succession. Brock staggered back, snarling, and wiped his mouth. He looked at his fingers, grimaced, and spat at Janelle’s feet.
“First blood,” Kirk whispered.
Janelle smirked. They circled one another, and Brock attacked again, kicking Janelle in the head. Her head snapped back, her long curls flying. Following up, he backhanded her, sending her skidding across the yard. Brock followed, a swagger to his walk.
Surely he didn’t think it was going to be that easy? Janelle grabbed the foot that was descending toward her throat. She rolled onto her side, sweeping her leg out in front of her, and sent Brock crashing to the ground.
Janelle popped up, and with a frustrated growl, she grabbed Brock by the throat and hauled him off his feet. She lifted Brock completely off the ground and shook him like a rag doll, snapping his head back and forth.