by Delta James
Chapter Twenty-Two
The guests at Calon Gwyllt would have much to talk about in the days to come. Dylan Grainger knew how to throw a relaxed and yet elegant house party. Summer had once again joined the group. She was surly and Dylan had Nick take her into the study.
“What now? Going to threaten to send me back to my room? Maybe I prefer it there than having to keep company with the lot of you.”
“If you prefer to go to your room, I can arrange that. I will tell you that if I send you to your room, it will be to stand in the corner until I confer with Dylan about how to deal with your continued misbehavior.”
“I’m not going to do what you want. If you want to send me off to be raped by one of these bastards, there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Being raped? Jesus, Summer, what makes you think Dylan or for that matter any man in this pack would allow that to happen?”
“Once we leave here, regardless of your alpha’s assurances to the contrary, we will be at the mercy of a pack of men who sought our destruction.”
“You’re wrong, but there’s no way I’m going to change your mind. You need to go back to your room. If you go quietly and behave, then you don’t have to go to the corner and you won’t be spanked.”
“Oh, that’s so generous of you,” Summer said sarcastically.
Nick stood up, took her by the upper arm, and walked her up the stairs to her room. “Someone will be up to deal with you shortly,” he said as he closed and locked the door. He trotted down the stairs and sent one of the men to stand guard.
JD saw him and approached. “I take it our girl is not in the mood to socialize?”
Nick smiled grimly. “That’s one way to put it. I swear as nasty as Bianca was when her brother sent her to us, she was easier to deal with.”
JD laughed. “Yes, but as I understand, you declared for Bianca and made her yours very quickly. I think being able to take them to your bed after they’ve had their bottoms spanked makes the spanking more effective and provides them with a different level of dominance.”
“I need to go speak with Dylan.”
“Let’s get Jean-Michele. If she’s coming home with us, she may as well get used to the idea that she’ll get disciplined by either Jean-Michele or myself.”
Nick laughed. “You’re welcome to her. I’d like to spend one day of this house party enjoying myself rather than having to chase down and/or discipline some member of Bae Diogel. They are difficult,” he said as they found Jean-Michele and Dylan standing together.
Jean-Michele laughed. “Not difficult, Nick, spirited. I take it our Summer has once again been sent to her room?” He turned to Dylan. “If you’re going to send her home with us, I’d just as soon introduce her to discipline New Orleans style.”
Dylan nodded. “She may as well start answering to you as her alpha. I’m giving Summer over to your care, Jean-Michele.”
“We will do right by her, Dylan. Please assure your mate she is in good hands. JD, please place one of our men on her door and inform the lady I will see to her myself after brunch.”
* * *
After brunch, Dylan once again excused the ranking members of his pack and their mates. Skylar was the last to join them.
“Dylan? I just said goodbye to Jean-Michele and his people. They had Summer with them.”
“Yes, we thought it might be best if they departed early. There’s going to be a fuss made over his absconding with three of the Bae Diogel girls.”
“I’m afraid Summer may have a long, uncomfortable trip home.” Dylan looked at her questioningly. “According to Darby he has a wicked hand and he made sure that her days as a naughty girl were over. She and Meg both borrowed pillows from us but will have them returned.”
Dylan and Nick smiled. “JD said the two other men who are with them seem quite pleased she’s going home with them, as are the five other unmated males. I think her days being unmated are extremely limited,” reported Nick.
Dylan laughed. “Jean-Michele said much the same thing to me. And I believe it’s a good thing they borrowed the pillows. Apparently, Summer will not be sitting comfortably for the trip to New Orleans. This sounds a tad callous, but she’s their problem now. Anyone have anything to contribute to decisions regarding Gina?”
There was a knock on the door. Matthew opened the door to find Gina and the alpha from Charleston. “Might we speak with you, Dylan?”
“Of course. Does it need to be in private?”
“No, we’re hopeful we’ll have your blessing and the good wishes of everyone else. I would like to claim Gina as my mate.”
Skylar took Gina’s hand. “Is this what you want, Gina?”
Gina beamed as she answered Skylar. “Yes, Sky. Rhett has been wonderful and kind. I think I could be happy in Charleston. He says the estate sits right on the water and you know how I love the ocean.”
“I’ve known since the first time I met her that she was my mate, but she was so overwhelmed. I didn’t want to pressure her, and I wanted her to be sure.”
“This is what you want, Gina?” She nodded happily. “Then you indeed have my blessing and I believe the good wishes of us all. I’ll be out in a minute to let the others know that the ladies of Bae Diogel have all found their packs.”
* * *
Dylan gathered the guests together one last time to bid them farewell and to announce that the last two girls had found placements. Gina had been claimed as mate by the alpha of Charleston and Summer had gone to the pack in New Orleans. While the first was greeted with envious applause, the latter caused quite a commotion.
Several alphas objected to the New Orleans pack ending up with three of the eight women formerly of Bae Diogel. There were veiled threats and several indicated their intent to lodge formal protests with the Council. Skylar watched while Dylan let them make noise and express their displeasure.
Finally, one of them said, “What do you to say for yourself, Grainger?”
Dylan had been casually leaning against the stair well in the grand foyer. He straightened his frame and moved in their direction. Skylar had to suppress a smile as the group of alphas took a collective step back. Her mate was impressive when challenged.
“What I have to say is that I swore to my mate that I would take the women of Bae Diogel as members of my pack. As their alpha it is my responsibility to see to their needs and well-being. Of the eight women, seven found their life mates here. Would one of you deny them that?”
“If he was not an alpha, then yes,” said the alpha from Detroit. “For Christ’s sake, Dylan, there aren’t enough female wolves to go around and we alphas are entitled to them because of our rank and status.”
Dylan focused an angry look on him. “If you put your needs ahead of the females in your pack, I can see why you are still unmated. Your position as alpha entitles you to nothing other than the responsibility of caring for all those who call you such. No rank or position should ever carry more importance than the call of a life mate. Should any of you choose to challenge me on that, see to Nick, who will call on your betas to name a time and date.”
“All right, Grainger, but what about the one girl, Summer, who didn’t meet her life mate here?”
Dylan laughed. “Summer is strong, proud, beautiful, and defiant. She will make the right wolf an excellent mate. But had you tried to force her against her will, my guess is that within short time your pack would have been searching for a new alpha. Jean-Michele is in the unique position of having seven unattached males in his pack—young, strong, honorable wolves that need a mate. But I can assure you, if she does not find her mate among them, he will work to find him. I sent Summer with Jean-Michele as I felt Summer had the greatest chance at finding happiness with him. Did any of you believe that Summer was your life mate?”
Nothing but silence answered his question. Dylan continued, “As I said, should you wish to lodge a formal complaint with the Council, that is your prerogative
, but before you do, consider the slippery slope that you are about to step onto. Do you want other packs to be able to question how you run your packs? The decisions you make for those who call you alpha? Rest assured, I will answer any challenge to my authority over these women whose lives we chose to disrupt.”
He locked eyes with each of the remaining alphas, all of whom broke their stare, dropped their heads, and looked away. “Then, gentlemen, I suggest you collect your things and the men you brought with you. I am sorry that none of you was called to Summer. I would have preferred it if she had found her life mate here this weekend as it would have pleased my mate to see all of those who used to call her alpha settled.” He turned to look at Skylar and extended his hand to her. “But we didn’t do too bad, did we, cariad?”
“No. No, you didn’t. You kept your promise to me to care for the women of Bae Diogel. I am proud to call you mate and alpha.”
The members of the Calon Gwyllt pack watched the last of their guests depart. Nick and Matthew stood beside Dylan, their mates flanking them.
“Do you think there’ll be trouble?” asked Nick.
“I hope not, but yes, I think trouble is coming and that we may well be at the heart of it. I’m going to call Jean-Michele and several of the others. I don’t think it would be a bad idea if we made some preliminary and tentative plans. For now, let’s keep this among the six of us. No need to have the others concerned until we know something more.”
Nick nodded, wrapped his arm around Bianca, and started back toward the house. Matthew and Susannah joined them.
Dylan saw that Skylar was concerned. “It will be fine, beloved.”
“But it’s my fault.”
“No. Change has been on the wind for some time. Bae Diogel may have been the spark, but it was never the powder keg. If trouble comes, we will protect our pack and those packs that stand with us. But until then, mate, you are all the trouble I need,” he said, smiling and pulling her into the warmth of his embrace.
“Then you had better take me to our bed where you can ensure that the only trouble I cause is the kind you like best.”
The End
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