by V. A. Dold
He should say hello, too. Sam was a longtime friend of the family and the foreman on the construction site. Perhaps he could shed some light on the traitor.
Thomas had organized the security squad, each equipped with an earpiece for coordinating the safety of the royal family. Someone was engineering accidents, and this huge gathering out in the open was a logistical nightmare. He tried to talk Isaac into cancelling, or, at the very least, moving the location, but Isaac insisted it be here in their seat of power.
Thomas would have to do the best he could with the situation presented to him. He took position on Isaac’s raised deck at the back of the main house. From there he looked down onto the milling crowd and could direct his men as needed.
Isaac didn’t know, but he had also brought in a few of Simon’s military buddies with sniper training and had them in strategic positions as well. Until recently, Simon had been unaware that a few of his fellow servicemen were also shifters. For Thomas that new information came in rather handy.
Isaac glanced to the deck to verify Thomas was in place, sure enough, he was scanning the crowd milling around the yard. He knew Thomas was very good at sizing up people; human or supernatural, made no difference. Little got past him, which was exactly why he’d been chosen to lead the security team.
It was dangerous to be exposed to a crowd no matter the location, but with a known threat existing against his family, the danger multiplied exponentially.
But, he was confident in Thomas’s ability to sense a threat. Apparently, a frisson of awareness would make the back of his neck tingle and itch whenever someone with criminal intentions was within a two-block radius of him. It made for extremely uncomfortable urban dwelling. When he had offered Thomas the job, Thomas told him it was difficult to live in a city and he found relief in the bayou.
Through long talks with his grandson, he had learned that over the years Thomas had honed his gift to a precise tool. With a little concentration he could pinpoint the location of the person emitting the threat with unbelievable accuracy.
Isaac frowned when he saw Thomas rub his neck again; there must be a threat within the crowd. He would have to stay very alert and keep his mate close.
When Thomas had described his strange ability to him, he had suggested that perhaps Thomas was sending out the equivalent of sonar waves once he sensed the threat and thus allowing him to pinpoint it. Thomas had been intrigued and continued to research how his ability functioned.
Out of frustration, Thomas pulsed the crowd to see if the cause of his unease would present itself.
Emma was keeping a close eye on Julia. She watched as her niece stared up at Thomas. Good, she had seen him. Emma glanced up at Thomas and found him as equally intrigued by Julia. This might be easier than she’d hoped.
*****
Using signals he had taught his security team, Thomas put everyone on alert. A hidden threat was the most dangerous. He couldn’t prepare his team and position them to strike. They were blind sitting ducks waiting for the assassin to make a move. He was relieved that he had assigned Cade, Simon, Lucas and Marcus to remain within a five-foot radius of Isaac and Emma at all times. Let an assassin try to get past that wall of men.
Emma watched Julia walk through the crowd greeting each person as she went. With every step she moved closer to where Thomas stood. Her grandson seemed quite taken with Julia. Marvelous. Simply marvelous.
With his senses suddenly on full alert, he sent two of his men after a small group of partiers who had wondered outside the perimeter of the party boundaries. He wanted everyone where he could see them at all times.
Isaac watched as Thomas rubbed at his neck again. Something was about to happen. He wrapped his arm around Emma and pulled her in close.
“Something is wrong. Scan the crowd and be aware of everyone close to you.”
Emma nodded once and immediately observed every detail of every person near her.
“Everyone on high alert,” Thomas said into their earpieces. “A threat is moving in the crowd but I haven’t pinpointed it yet.”
The threat still remained hidden within the party as dinner was served. Perhaps with the people sitting stationary he would be able to locate the person responsible for his discomfort.
According to the schedule, Isaac was due to give a speech from the deck. At least he had been able to convince his grandfather to wear a bulletproof vest.
“What’s the situation?” Isaac asked as he joined Thomas to take the microphone.
“Someone has been moving through the crowd. I haven’t located him yet.”
“All right, watch my back and I will try to make this short.”
Thomas stepped back as Isaac called for everyone’s attention.
“Welcome to the first annual shifter gathering. The reason for this celebration is twofold. First, I am announcing that I am formally retaking the throne.”
The crowd rose to their feet in a thunderous standing ovation.
“Thank you.” Isaac waited for everyone to be seated once again. “Secondly, the elders requested I reinstate the annual gathering. Many of you younger people won’t remember the old days when this was a regular occurrence. Due to the recent events of my sons finding their mates among human friends and family of existing shifters, I modified the guest list. I included all siblings and appropriate friends of our shifter community in the hopes that some of you will meet your mate tonight.”
Another cheer rang through the crowd.
“I’m very excited to announce that two of our men have already met their mates tonight during the gathering. Please stand with your newly found mates so we can toast you.”
The entire party raised their glasses to the lucky couples.
“I sincerely hope more of you will meet your mate before the night is over. Please, enjoy your meal and the dance to follow. And thank you again for coming.”
Isaac winked at Thomas and took his seat. Thomas watched him, frowning. What was Grandpa up to?
Dinner was cleared and still no incident within the crowd. Thomas’s tension was running high.
As the band prepared to play, El gave Stefan a sassy look, kissed him until his eyes crossed and walked onto the stage.
What are you doing?
El didn’t answer him, she simply smiled and took the microphone from the lead singer.
“Stefan Le Beau.”
The crowd went silent waiting to see what was about to happen.
“I will give myself body and soul to complete you as a man and his wolf. I will unite my life with yours, bond my future to yours, and merge my half of our soul with yours. I will complete the mating ritual with you.”
Stefan rushed the stage and snatched El off, laughing like a teenager in love.
While the crowd had their attention on Stefan, the attacker made his move. Stealthy as a cat, he wove through the crowd until he was a mere six feet from the king. The boss instructed him to make it very public. It didn’t get more public than this.
He had hidden the razor sharp stiletto up his sleeve so the moment he was close enough he could drop it into his palm.
Casually, he spoke to the next person, greeting each as he stepped closer and closer. There was only Simon between him and his target.
“Thomas, I can smell him close. His blood thirst is swamping me. Do you have him? I don’t want to tear another shifter to shreds my first day as king.”
Alarms clambered in Thomas’s head and the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end. He sent a single pulse. Instantly, his gaze shot to the perpetrator. “I have him, Grandpa. Don’t move. Target located. Blue shirt standing directly behind Simon, facing the king. Sniper, do you have the shot?”
“I have the shot.”
“Take it.”
A single shot rang out. Some of the crowd screamed, others dove for cover.
Stefan grabbed El’s hand and rushed to his parents’ location in the crowd.
“What?” Sam yelled as he tried to stop t
he bleeding. “Can’t fight your own battles, old man?”
“I could easily allow you to shift and humiliate you, if you so desire,” Isaac responded calmly.
“You’re just afraid to fight me and lose in front of an audience.”
Isaac glanced at the faces nearest him. Skepticism was permeating their regard. He sighed. “Fine, if you insist on further public shame.” Seconds later Isaac’s massive black wolf stood in his place.
A struggle raged beyond the wall of bodies they were pushing through. Two wolves snarled savagely, teeth bared. One limped on three legs, dragging the fourth behind, ready to battle to the death. The other simply waited.
The instant Sam made his move, Isaac bore down on him, attacking and counter attacking over and over.
For a moment, black and white blurred. Then one pain-filled yelp was heard and silence fell as Sam submitted.
Stefan broke through to see his father’s wolf with its jaws around the neck of the bloodied white wolf.
Cade stepped forward and took control of Sam’s wolf, allowing Isaac to shift back and force Sam to do the same.
Simon knelt next to the traitor, zip ties in hand with Cade still gripping the scruff of his neck like a dog.
El’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. She glanced wide-eyed at Stefan, then at the man again. Slowly she pointed at Sam. “It’s Joe. It was Joe the entire time.”
“His name is Sam. Is this the man who attacked you?”
“Yes, but he told me his name was Joe.”
“His real name,” Stefan lifted Sam enough to smash a fist into his face, “is Sam.” Stefan snarled, drew back his fist and drilled Sam in the stomach before Cade and Lucas could restrain him.
Thomas joined the men to take Sam into custody.
“Good thinking ordering a debilitating shot versus a kill shot, Thomas,” Simon said, and then he glared at Stefan. “You can’t question a dead man.”
“I didn’t kill him. Yet,” Stefan snarled.
“You think this is over?” Sam spat blood on Isaac’s shoe. “We’ve only just begun. I wouldn’t get too comfortable on that throne.”
“Get that trash out of here before I finish the job and rip him to shreds,” Isaac whispered to Cade.
Sam would be turned over to the interrogators for questioning. Every geographic area of the world had hand-selected and trained interrogators. The last thing a shifter who had committed a serious crime wanted was to be turned over to them. Talking wasn’t an option.
Emma hugged Thomas tightly. “Thank you, baby.”
“You’re welcome, Grandma. Just doing my job. Speaking of which, I need to get back in position.”
“Before you go, I have someone I want you to meet.”
Thomas heaved a sigh. What was she up to?
“Julia?” Emma called over his shoulder to someone behind him. “Come over here, cher. I want you to meet Thomas.”
As he turned to politely greet Julia, he came face to face with the woman he had seen in the crowd.
Ah, hell.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Claiming
Sam was hauled out of sight and once again Isaac took hold of the microphone.
“Please excuse the interruption. The situation has been handled. Let the dancing begin! Hit it boys.”
The drummer hammered out a wild riff as the lead singer took the microphone and the band members grabbed their instruments.
Cade looked at Simon and Stefan. “Come on, boys, we better lead the way. The crowd still looks apprehensive.”
The Le Beau brothers spun their mates onto the dance floor and into their arms.
Stefan pulled El in for a deep, toe-curling kiss. “You’re a very naughty girl teasing me like that in front of everyone.”
“Who says I was teasing?” she breathed into his ear as she gave the lobe a lick.
Stefan rumbled his approval.
Brushing his lips down the curve of her neck, he lapped at the point where he would add his bite. “Dang, girl, you feel so good.” Trailing kisses up her neck, he captured her lips.
She met him kiss for kiss exploring his lips and mouth with her tongue.
Damn, his woman was potent. He groaned, enjoying her initiation of their loving.
How had he ever gotten so lucky? She was hot, soft, and willing in his arms, and he couldn’t get enough. He kissed her with all the passion he was feeling. When the song ended he broke the kiss and led her to a quiet table at the edge of the crowd.
El’s eyes were blazing with a new fire tonight.
“You can’t look at me like that, not when we’re in public,” he breathed, his voice husky with need. “I’m trying very hard to give you a romantic evening and be a gentleman.”
“But, I don’t want a gentleman, at least not tonight.” She wet her lips as she skimmed her hand up and down his thigh under the table.
He groaned as her fingers danced over the zipper of his dress pants. “Babe, I’m not going to be able to walk if you don’t stop.”
A wicked gleam flared in her eyes. “I can feel that.”
“We need to present a strong, unified family to the community which means I need to stay for at least another hour,” he said with a serious expression that melted into a sexy dimple-fest. “Do you think you can control yourself that long?”
“It’ll be difficult.” El heaved a dramatic sigh. “But, I shall persevere.”
Laughter erupted from Stefan as he hauled her from the chair next to him and into his lap. “That’s my girl.”
Isaac took the stage and waited for the crowd to quiet before he spoke. “I and my mated sons have a special song for our beloved mates. Cade, Simon, and Stefan come on up.”
Stefan stood and set El on her feet before offering her his hand. He led his slightly confused mate to an empty chair in front of the stage. At the same moment Simon and Cade did the same with their mates.
Once the men were lined up on stage, each with a cordless microphone, the band began the lead in chords of ‘I Cross My Heart’ by George Strait.
“Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start.” All four men had perfect pitch, and they harmonized so flawlessly, goose bumps rose on El’s arms.
As they sang the second line they filed down the stage stairs to stand before each of their mates. As the men reached the first chorus, “I cross my heart and promise to give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true,” each dropped to one knee.
Gasps were heard throughout the audience as every mated male in the crowd got down on one knee before his mate and joined in the song. Richie, the bartender from Crescent City Brewhouse and Anna’s best friend in New Orleans, knelt in front of his new mate, Meg, right next to Anna, in the front row.
El couldn’t take her eyes off her man as he poured his heart out for her before every shifter in the southern United States region.
With the last chord fading into silence, the men stood and gathered their mates into their arms. Happy tears and sniffles were heard throughout the crowd. The unmated males watched with happiness and yearning in their eyes...they wanted that, too.
The band began to play a slow song to match the romantic mood swirling in the air.
As happy tears streamed down El’s face, she took Stefan’s hand and swayed with him and what looked like every other couple on the dance floor.
“Thank you.”
“I meant every word,” he breathed in her hair.
They clung to each other as their hearts thundered as one and emotions raged.
When the song ended, El gazed at Stefan for a moment and proceeded to kiss him breathless. Completely frying every gray cell he owned and swelling his already painful erection until he was sure his zipper left permanent track marks.
Then the she-devil whispered, “Meet me at your place in ten minutes–mate.”
That was it. Game over. He swallowed his tongue.
Pacing like a caged animal, this was the longest ten minutes of his life.
Why did time have to stand still now!
“Something wrong, brother?” Cade asked.
“Not at all. Everything is perfect. As a matter of fact, could you cover for me for the rest of the night? I have a ritual to attend to.”
Cade slapped him on the back with a huge grin, “About damn time. I’ve got your back, you have fun taking care of business.”
Stefan gave him a wicked grin and took off for home. Mate! She had called him her mate! He hadn’t been this excited and nervous since his first time.
The front door opened harder than he planned and now quivered on it hinges mimicking every nerve ending in his body.
Daaamn!
El left a trail of clothes for him to follow. Gray slacks pooled at his feet, followed by a white blouse in the middle of the living room floor. Breathing became nonexistent when he saw her lacy bra hanging on the doorknob. That was right before he swallowed his tongue for a second time when his gaze focused on her thong lying at the end of the bed. In the back of his mind he vaguely wondered where her high heels had gone.
Two dozen candles blazed around the room creating soft, flickering shadows that danced on the walls, but he didn’t notice any of that. His gaze remained glued to his mate, lounging on his bed wearing nothing but her red high heels and a smile.
Stefan froze just one step into the room. His brain stuttered to a stop and all he could do was stare at the vision she created.
El extended a hand to him. “You do plan on joining me, don’t you?”
He approached the edge of the bed on quivering legs. He’d waited for this moment for most of his life and now when it had finally appeared he felt like a terrified teenager. This woman completely destroyed his debonair demeanor.
El smiled up at him, and his heart lurched at the emotions so plainly written on her beautiful face. She loved him! Really. Truly. Loved him. His wolf howled in triumph.
She lowered her gaze to the tantalizing bulge in his slacks then slowly back to his eyes. “At some point, you ‘are’ going to take off your clothes, aren’t you?” she asked in a husky voice.