My mother and the two concubines were sitting in the middle of the curved blue leather sectional in the family room. My father was standing at the far wall, where a movie screen descended when he was in the mood for something with spaceships, guns, and surround sound. My father was, strangely, into aliens.
Sandy and Dominique were seated on either end of the sectional, which left the twins and me to take up the remaining chairs.
I still didn't know who the strange man was standing at the back of the room, but I had a feeling he would be introduced soon.
I was glad that my father hadn't tried to populate Texas. He only had six children and that was much better than it could've been. For some reason, all these years I had thought that he had large families in both Houston and Dallas. But I guess having three women who thought of him as their sole provider, alpha male, and chief muckety-muck must have been enough of a strain. I could just imagine the situation with a dozen or more children.
At least now he could get rid of one of the women. I thought it was a damn shame it was my mother.
Austin finally entered the room, choosing to lean against the far wall, his arms folded. A customary Austin stance, especially with that half-sneer. He was careful, however, not to antagonize my father, the source from whom all largesse flowed.
My father nodded, as if giving himself permission to start, looked around the room, and then focused his attention on my mother.
"I have been given an ultimatum of sorts," he said. “Linda has asked me for a divorce. As you know, being the chosen women in my life and my children that I do not tolerate ultimatums. I am not to be dictated to by those whom I love and support.”
To my surprise, my mother did not look away, but steadily met his gaze. Evidently, after you've already asked for divorce from an alpha, there was nothing else to fear.
Sandy sat there with her mouth open in an O of surprise. Her eyes were wide with shock while Dominique’s expression was curiously bland. I wondered if she thought she was going to go from the status of being a concubine's daughter to being the daughter of the wife of an alpha.
I couldn’t see Austin’s or Sandy’s or my status in the world changing. Maybe it would have if we’d still been in school and subjected to peer pressure. There was still a certain element of shock to any divorce, something that had been missing in the civilian culture for a great many years. Weres also didn't have many illegitimate births. Being an unwed mother was a cause for shame, not celebration in the Furry world.
Let’s face it, I would always be Hamish Boyd’s firstborn. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or just a thing.
"I have considered the matter,” he said.
Every single person in the room was silent, waiting.
"I could, of course, accede to her wishes."
No wonder my father's success rate at trial was so good. He could hold a jury in the palm of his hand. He was doing the same with us now.
“However, after many hours of thought, I realized that to divorce Linda would be to deny myself the love of the one individual I trusted completely. The one person who had always given me her loyalty and devotion. Who has loved me uncompromisingly and without reservation. I could no more lose her than I could lose my heart. For that reason, Linda, I refuse.”
My mother looked away, but that evidently didn't bother Hamish, because he came to stand in front of the sectional, addressing her directly.
"I wondered what it was about your life that made you unhappy. I know you like this house and that San Antonio is your home. If you had wanted to go somewhere else, I would have moved or built you another house. I asked myself if it was me you objected to. Or could it have been decisions I made in the past? I told myself that I hadn’t imagined the love you felt for me. If that was the same, if that had remained unchanged, what could I do to make you happy?”
He surveyed the room again. “For that reason, I’ve asked all of you here tonight. I’ve made a decision that will affect all your lives.” He pointed to the man at the back of the room. "George Thompson is my accountant. He will be meeting with all of you tonight to tell you what settlement I have made on the families in Houston and Dallas.”
He looked at the twins and then at Dominique. "You are my children and I will never sever my bond with you, but I will no longer be associated with your mothers. They will no longer be my concubines.”
My mother looked straight at him, tears puddling in her eyes. What my father was doing was almost unheard of. An alpha did not sever a relationship with a concubine. Evidently, Hamish didn’t have a problem with setting precedent.
He addressed each of the women in turn.
“I have never made a secret of my loyalty to Linda. I hope you'll understand this decision, but if you don’t, I’m sorry for that. I will not change my mind.”
Neither woman looked pleased, but each of them was smart enough to keep their feelings to themselves. They weren't going to jeopardize their settlement by telling him how pissed they were.
"Will you stay with me?" he asked my mother. "There will never be another woman in my life but you.”
I was getting downright emotional. Watching my mother sitting there silently crying and my father nearly begging her to stay with him.
Torrance.
My ears perked up, but that was silly. What I was hearing wasn’t actually audible. Mark and I had that Pranic walkie talkie thing going on. He could call me and I could do the same to him. Neither of us had done it lately. Plus, we had to be close for it to work.
Torrance.
I stood and walked out of the room, not at all pleased to realize that Austin had followed me.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
I whirled and faced him. Granted, he might be a few inches taller than me, but I wasn't afraid of him. Not anymore. Besides, I was worried about the tone I’d heard in Mark’s voice. I didn't have time to deal with my brother.
"Whatever I do, it's none of your concern," I said, turning and walking away.
He made a bad mistake of grabbing my shoulder.
I took a step back and jammed my elbow into the middle of his stomach. I guess I’m pretty strong. Austin doubled over in pain. Never mess with a Pranic Furry when she's in a mood.
Torrance.
I took a few steps toward the front door, only to have Austin tackle me. Okay, that was enough. I stood there with his arm around my neck. He was strong enough to hurt me, I'd give him that. I could easily escape, however. I didn’t.
Instead, I closed my eyes and focused on the color blue. I don't know why I thought of blue. The color had always struck me as cold. Maybe that's why. I had to chill for what I did next.
You’re going to let me go. You won't bother me anymore. You’re going to leave me alone.
I said it a few times, long enough to wonder if I really could mesmerize anyone. Austin’s arm was tightening and he was growling at me. I wasn’t all that fond of him making that noise in my ear.
I kept concentrating on my mantra.
You’re going to let me go. You won't bother me anymore. You’re going to leave me alone.
Finally, he dropped his arm, stepping back.
Well, hallelujah and pass the biscuits.
I slowly turned to face him, wishing my neck didn’t hurt.
“Tell me about Craig.”
I might be pushing my luck. Then again, I might not get another opportunity. I didn’t trust Austin farther than I could throw him, but I was relatively safe with my family in the next room.
“Tell me what you know about Craig. Why is he here? Why did he come home? What does he want?”
“He and I have been talking,” he said, his eyes wide. He looked stunned as he kept speaking, almost as if the words were flowing from his lips without his participation. Poor thing. Okay, I was kidding about the empathy. “We’re going to take over the clan.”
Oh, really?
“How are you going to do that?”
I could get used to this compelling thing. Too bad I hadn’t figured out how to do this when he was draining me dry.
"We’re assembling members of the clan, those who object to the way my father is governing.”
I would bet that one of those things they disagreed with was Hamish putting me on the Council. I also guessed that most of the men they were assembling were Wolfies.
“When is this coup supposed to happen?”
Hamish stood in the doorway, watching both of us, his face carefully expressionless. His clenched fists, however, gave his thoughts away.
"During the next full moon," Austin said.
He flinched when our father came to stand in front of him, but otherwise didn’t move. I almost felt sorry for him. Okay, still kidding.
"Ask him who the traitors are," Hamish said to me.
I was a little taken aback by the request. Evidently, Hamish knew that I could do special Pranic things.
I really should have tried this before tonight.
"Who have you recruited?" I said to Austin, keeping my attention on his eyes. He didn't look away. Wasn’t there some popular wisdom that said the state of the soul was revealed in a person’s gaze? If that was the case, Austin had a lousy spiritual future.
What was that old poem? If in heaven we don’t meet, hand in hand we’ll stand the heat. I had no intention of joining my brother in hell.
He began to name names, his mouth forming the words, but his stance and expression in rebellion. Any pity I might have felt for him disappeared with his recitation. He’d conspired against our father and actively worked to take down the alpha of his clan. That was pure treason.
Hamish didn’t move to write the names down or record them. He only listened, his face stony as Austin gave up the traitors.
When Austin was finished, my father turned to me.
“Tell him to return to his rooms and stay there until I release him.”
Austin had a decked out apartment over the garage. House arrest wouldn’t be a hardship.
“He isn’t to communicate with anyone.”
I nodded and gave my brother his instructions.
“Give me your phone,” my father said to my brother.
Austin blinked, but complied.
I wish I could have said that there was regret on Austin’s face. Or that he looked as if he wished he'd made a better choice. But there was only anger in his expression. Not only against me, but our father.
What had Hamish ever done to deserve his son's rebellion?
Elevated me, for one. And now given up his concubines. My father was moving into the 21st century while Austin wanted to go backward, just like Craig.
Torrance.
I shook my head, stepped away from my father and brother, and pressed my fingertips against my temples.
Mark. It would be easier if you just called me.
This compelling thing was taking a lot out of me. I had a headache that was promising to be a bad one, but I didn't have time to deal with that at the moment.
When he didn’t answer I had the feeling that something was wrong. Mark was calling me just like I had tried to summon him weeks ago. Maybe he was too far away for us to communicate. Maybe what he was doing was sending out a distress beacon, a bat signal.
Are you safe? I asked.
All I got back was my name again, a desperate tone in Mark’s thoughts or voice or whatever it was that tied us together.
I was suddenly terrified.