| |
Martina’s words carried so much truth, and yet they couldn’t soothe the tension knotting her stomach. There was no shame in being their little werewolf, and she’d have happily remained that if it were allowed. All she’d ever wanted was a family to accept her for what she was. She’d only ever dreamed of her fur-ever home. And she’d found it with them. The irony was because of family – blood – she was no allowed to simply be a little werewolf any longer.
Be careful what you wish for. She was Murphy’s Law’s bitch.
The night crawled on its belly like a snail in no particular rush to move as Giselle tossed and turned, praying for sleep to take her away from her troubled thoughts. Her mind churned out scenarios of doom surrounding her upcoming trip north to Washington. Jay’s warning left so much to question, and as her family was already shrugging it off, she didn’t want to beat a dead horse with them. They were as stubborn as she when it came to the way they saw the world, and in her exhaustion, Giselle just couldn’t muster the energy it would require to open their eyes to the potential truth.
Everywhere she looked, wolf politics threatened to destroy the happiness she’d found with her new family. What was the point of being supernatural if you couldn’t even enjoy it? Perhaps that was the grand screw you of the cosmos. You could be human and boring; or supernatural and deal with endless amounts of unwanted drama.
Exhaustion only amplified her bad mood, and as the sun peeked through the edges of the window, it became painfully obvious that sleep had turned its back on her.
Giselle rose from her bed as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake her sisters. In her current frame of mind, conversation would be little more than Neanderthal-like grunts and snarls, which would only serve to add more confusion and anger to her agitated state. No. That sort of thing was best left for a time after she’d been properly caffeinated. She dressed and headed downstairs for the one thing that might help snap her out of the funk she was in and put a little pep into her preparations for travel.
Gavin, always the early riser, was already in the kitchen brewing the first pot of coffee for the day. Again her plans for a quiet start to the morning had been thwarted. Was it that much to ask for a little time alone to clear her thoughts? Apparently so. But unlike her sisters, whom she could easily brush aside, her adoptive father and co-pack leader was not so easy to ignore, and his position demanded a teensy bit more respect.
Giselle slowed her descent down the stairs, taking deep cleansing breaths so she might appear fresh when she hit the kitchen.
Busy with a pan of what smelled like bacon, Gavin’s back was to her as she stepped foot onto the tile floor, but quick as any wolf, he’d already prepared for her company and set out an extra mug on the counter.
“You’re up early.” He slapped a few more strips down on to the hot pan.
Tantalizing even in her sleep-deprived state, the smell of bacon just beginning to sizzle awoke her inner wolf and she sat begging. The whole house would be up soon with the call of that salty siren as an alarm. What wolf could resist? Hell, she knew more than a few humans who’d be roused from a coma if tempted with fresh, hot bacon. And as good as that sounded, she was still not ready to deal with people who expected her to do the words and talking thing.
Second only to the smell of delicious cooking meat, the pot of fresh coffee begged for her attention. Caffeine was most certainly what she needed. And then maybe a slice or two of bacon, slathered in maple syrup.
Gavin spun around to fetch his mug and began to pour his own cup of wake-up juice. “Late night or early morning?” he asked with a knowing glare.
As Alphas went, Gavin broke the mold. He had never been the hard-line type of father or wolf. He often allowed mistakes to be the teacher, and let Giselle have a long leash. Had Martina asked the same question, Giselle might have been tempted to be evasive, knowing that they’d already talked the night before, but with Gavin she felt she could just speak her mind.
“Couldn’t sleep. Might need something stronger than that.” She pointed to the mug he was pouring coffee into.
“Still angling to get that espresso machine, are ya?” Gavin laughed, as he nudged the empty mug her way down the counter.
“It’s a triple shot kind of morning.” Giselle yawned loudly, then realized she might have just woken the house.
“That bad? Still feeling the pressure?” Gavin’s tone carried no tone of impatience, thankfully.
The last thing she wanted was to hear more about her overactive imagination. Not that she expected that from Gavin.
“No point in rehashing it.” Giselle brushed away the words with a wave of her hand, swatting them like flies.
Gavin nodded. “No point in refuting it, either.” He tipped his mug and winked. “Go with my blessing, but bring back something for Martina, or she’ll be angry.”
“She’d never know if you hadn’t set the bacon alarm. I’m surprised people aren’t lining up already for a taste.”
Gavin turned on his heels. “Thanks for reminding me.” He flipped the bacon, and its wafting smell put her under a spell. She almost considered forgoing coffee to be first in line. “You can stop drooling already. I’ll send you off with a few slices.”
Above them both, the ceiling rumbled. Too late. The house was awake. “We’ve got incoming. I’ll have to get some for the girls too.”
“Price of doing business.” Gavin pulled a few glistening ribbons of bacon still sizzling at the edges from the pan and set them down on a plate he’d previously prepared with a paper towel. “Do you have enough cash to cover their drinks?”
“Yeah. I can cover it.” Giselle swiped a handful of bacon and turned before he could stop her. She ravenously shoved the hot strips in her face as she headed for the key rack to pick up the car keys. “I’m taking your car, okay?” Giselle ducked into the garage and hit the door opener to muffle any sound in case Gavin tried to protest. His jeep was always more fun to drive than the car she shared with the girls. Any chance to drive it was worth the lecture she’d get later.
Early as it was, traffic was non-existent and the coffee shop blissfully empty. Giselle gave in to the temptation to stay and enjoy the non-wolfy silence as she sipped her favorite caramel-laden triple shot beverage. No doubt with the siren’s call of bacon, the entire house was awake, so she couldn’t stay long, but a few stolen moments of peace wouldn’t hurt. And the second they saw her with coffee, all would be forgiven.
Tasting of pure sugar and caffeine heaven, the moment the liquid touched her lips it revitalized her spirit. Things didn’t look so foreboding. She’d find a way to wow the Council. And there was the underlying bonus she’d almost forgotten about with this trip – she’d finally be able to meet her long-lost father.
Sure, he’d be comatose, but she’d see him. More than just a thought, more than just a picture in Cassandra’s wallet, he’d be a real, tangible presence in her life. A connection to who she was and could become. That alone would be worth the trip up north and the snooty wolves she’d have to woo.
Laughing at her own thoughts about wooing strange old wolves, she failed to recognize the scent of the wolf who’d just walked into the coffee shop.
She was mid-sip when he strolled up behind her. “May I beg an audience with your highness?” Asher asked.
She swallowed the singeing liquid quickly and turned in time to see him recovering from a low bow. The royalty jokes were beginning to grate on her nerves, and Asher was the primary reason for it. She punched him in the arm as he rose to meet her eyes. “Seriously, man... This is getting old.”
“This will never get old.” Asher flashed her his award-winning smile, and his teeth sparkled in the early light. No guy should have weapons that powerful. Though she alone seemed immune. At least, this morning she was. “You’re like our own personal princess now. And I’m kissing ass as hard as I can to ensure my place in your court.”
“Seriously, dude. Enough!” Giselle rolled her eyes and returned to sipping her drink.
Asher scooted into the seat across the small table. His face scrunched in confusion. “You’re supposed to be happy about this.”
“I am. Just... it’s a lot to take in.”
“Yeah, and it will only get better. You’re about to have a list of suiters a mile long. Everyone will want to be the mate...” He waved a hand as if to show her the line already forming behind him.
She glared at him as if trying to will his mouth to stop moving. She’d already tuned out his words, but those lips of his kept flapping. “I’m going to stop you right there. I’ve got a boyfriend. Remember?”
“A witch.” Asher laughed. “You saw how well that worked out for your family in the past.”
“That’s a low blow,” she growled. Her level of caffeine had not yet risen enough to deal with his wolfy elitism.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Asher said cautiously.
“Yeah, you did,” Giselle snarled at him. Caffeine was starting to take effect, and before she opened her mouth again, she paused and took a moment to breathe. Asher was a dick sometimes, but not intentionally so. His family was the upper class of wolves in that area, and they often forgot their manners in mixed company. “I know you aren’t trying to piss me off. Wolf laws and such. Whatever. I get it.”
“Yeah, babe, you’re in the spotlight now.” Asher’s famous smiled returned. “At some point, though, you’ll have to make a choice. The wolfy way...”
“At some point. But not today.” Giselle gulped the last bit of her drink and stood, hoping Ash would get the hint that she was done with the conversation.
Asher stood as well and waited for her to walk before he followed. “Sooner than you might think. Maybe even before you officially take the title.”
“You think they’ll push that hard right off the bat?” She’d wanted to end the conversation, and leaving would surely do that, but as she took a step toward the door, she remembered she was supposed to grab drinks for the rest of the family. With a silent curse, she changed course and headed for the counter to order.
Asher kept time with her like a shadow. “Wolves are not known for allowing gray areas. Pretty black and white about things.”
“And you wonder why I’m not chomping at the bit to take the roll. I live in the gray areas.” Giselle pulled a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet and ordered five more coffees to go.
Asher placed his order as well and again followed her to a table to wait out their drinks. “Hey. Maybe you’ll usher in a new age for wolfdom.”
“I’m not even going to justify that with a response.” Giselle tried to hide her laugh, though the image of her face on a campaign poster was amusing.
“I believe in you.” Ash scooted up close and nudged her shoulder with his. “Giselle. Making Wolves Great Again!”
She couldn’t hide the full-blown laugh that bubbled up from her chest this time. “Are you my PR person now? Is this the official Giselle for Alpha slogan?”
“Anything to earn brownie points with my liege.” Asher puffed his chest and saluted.
He was a jerk sometimes, and then others... Giselle sighed. He could be so damn adorable. “I sense much brown-nosing in you.”
“We all have to be good at something.” Asher flashed his signature smile-and-wink combo at her.
Giselle rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. “Yeah, because kissing ass at a college level is something to aspire to.”
The barista called out Giselle’s name, and she was quick on her feet to go retrieve the drinks.
“At least I know who to turn to when I’m feeling low.”
“Happy to bolster your spirits.” Asher winked as she walked out the door drinks in hand. “Now, knock ’em dead and come back an Alpha!”