Bridenapped: The Alpha Chronicles (13 page)

              “We’re clear,” Paige called out to Caitlin, who was lying on the floor of her car, hiding under a blanket that Twyla had lent them. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

              Frank was still waiting in front of the cottage, as far as she knew. She’d climbed out the rear window and scurried over to Paige’s car, and Paige had taken off, with Frank none the wiser.

              “I don’t have a choice! How close are we?” Caitlin yelled back.

              “I’ve got pedal to the metal. We’ll be there in a few.”

              Just to be safe, when they got to Caitlin’s house, Paige pulled into the garage rather than parking out front.  She and Caitlin scrambled out, and quickly headed out the back door.  Uncle Rich was pacing around just outside the house, frantically scanning the horizon as if her mother might reappear.

              “I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! We were out for a walk, and she just took off running,” Rich lamented. “With my bum knee, I couldn’t keep up.”

              “It’s not your fault. Where have you guys looked so far?” Caitlin asked.

              “We went to the grove, she wasn’t there, everyone’s fanned out through the woods…I’m waiting here in case she comes back.” Caitlin could swear the lines in his forehead had deepened since she’d last been here.

“Let’s go back to the grove,” she said to Paige, as they hurried towards the tree line. “It’s her favorite place. I think she’ll end up there eventually.”

              They ran through the woods, but Caitlin’s heart sank when they burst through the trees into the clearing. Her mother wasn’t there. “I was sure she’d come back here,” she moaned. “Maybe we should just wait here. I don’t know what to do. All right, you stay here and I’ll start looking-”

“That shrub is moving,” Paige said, pointing.

“Mom!” Caitlin yelled out, and her mother pushed through the foliage and then stopped, standing there and staring at nothing, her eyes vacant.

“Mom, come here!” Caitlin called.

Her mother turned to her slowly, and stood there and stared.
She’s getting worse
, Caitlin realized, with a dull feeling of despair. What had happened to the vital, cheerful woman with the green thumb and beautiful garden? What had happened to the woman who read her bedtime stories every night when she was a little girl? There was nothing left of her now.

“We’ve got to get you out of here before anyone spots you,” Paige said, nudging her.

              Caitlin hurried across the grove and grabbed her mother’s hand. Her mother didn’t even look at her this time, and she didn’t say a word.  Paige called Maggie to let her know, and by the time they got back, everyone had returned and was waiting in the living room.             

              “Aunt Louise!” Hailey cried out as they walked in. “Why did you run off?” Caitlin’s mother responded with vague hand wringing gestures, but didn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

Priscilla shook her head, hands on her hips. “This can’t keep happening. I need to see if Troy can come up with some kind of tracking device we could attach to her.” She brightened. “And then we could patent it!”

Hailey shot her a look of disgust. “You just never stop, do you?”

              “I guess we can’t take her on any more walks,” Uncle Rich said, shaking his head. “We may have to start putting her on some kind of sedative.”

              “I don’t want my sister turned in to some kind of zombie,” Maggie protested.

              “It’s just until Caitlin gets the deed back from the mayor, and we get our land and business back,” Uncle Rich said.  “Then we’ll have money for round the clock nurses again.”

             
If I get the deed
, Caitlin thought, but she didn’t say it out loud.

              A loud, angry banging on the front door of the house made them all start. Before anybody could move, the door flew open and Taddeus stormed in, followed by several other members of the Verhold pack. His loyalists. They were looking at her with the kind of contempt and disgust generally reserved for convicted sex criminals.

              Caitlin’s heart dropped. She was screwed. She was so, so screwed. 

              She took a step back, her jaw working, but no words came out. She was desperately trying to come up with an explanation, but what could she possibly say? They wouldn’t care about her reasons, just pack pride.

“Kristofer should have listened to me when he had the chance,” Taddeus said, his eyes gleaming with fierce triumph.  “You have violated our laws and disgraced our Alpha.  It doesn’t matter what Kristofer wants, by the laws of our people, you are automatically expelled from the pack.”

              “And,” he added haughtily, “the town is still obligated to pay the bride refusal price.”

              Caitlin exchanged a panicked glance with her aunt and uncle. 

              “Wow, so all werewolves are dickheads, then?” Priscilla raked Taddeus with a look of scorn.

              Taddeus’s returned the look. “That’s just the kind of behavior that I’d expect from a member of your family,” he said to Caitlin.  “You have brought shame to our pack from the moment Kristofer did you the honor of bridenapping you.”

              “Watch what you say about my family.” Caitlin’s hands balled into fists, and her eyes sparked with rage.

              “Taddeus, what brings you here?” Frank’s voice made everyone jump.

              He strode into the room, and the back door banged shut behind him. “Pardon me,” he added. “Stepped out for a minute to answer a call of nature. Never did like using toilets. Too human.”

              “You agreed to this travesty? You let her leave the pack lands?” Taddeus’s voice rose in outrage.

              “There was a family emergency. Kristofer said it would be acceptable as long as I accompanied her.”

              “Oh, I doubt that very much.” Taddeus’s lips were peeled back, baring teeth which were starting to look alarmingly sharp. He let out a low, rumbling growl, which Frank returned.

              Frank pulled out his cell phone and dialed, never dropping eye contact with Taddeus. “Kristofer, we’re at Caitlin’s house. We found her mother safe and sound.  Taddeus wanted verification that it was all right that we came out here.”

              He handed the cell phone to Taddeus. Whatever Taddeus heard, it was obvious that he didn’t like it.

              Taddeus handed the phone back to Frank, and his gaze was murderous. “This isn’t over,” he told Frank. “And I won’t forget your part in disgracing our pack.”

              * * *

              “You’re sure that I didn’t get you in trouble?” Caitlin demanded yet again, as they pulled up in front of the Alpha house.

              Kristofer was standing on the front steps waiting for them.

              “I’m sure,” Frank repeated.  Caitlin felt uneasiness twisting inside her as they climbed out. The look of hatred on Taddeus’s face had been chilling.

              “Is your mother all right?” Kristofer asked as she hurried up to him.

              “She’s fine. We found her in her favorite grove,” she said, following him back in the house. “She’s just…she’s getting worse. I don’t know how much longer my aunt and uncle will be able to care for her.” She wished they’d see how impossible the situation was getting, and just let Kristofer help, at least until she could get the deed back.  She knew her family, though.  Stubborn pride was entwined in their DNA.

              They strode through the huge foyer, which was alive with activity as it always was during the day. Maids were dusting and sweeping. Through the window, she could see gardeners trimming the hedges. One of Kristofer’s staff rushed over and held out papers on a clipboard, which Kristofer glanced at, and signed, and man hurried off. An Alpha’s work was never done.

“Why didn’t you just let me send people out to search for her?” Kristofer asked.

              “My mother might not have come out for anybody but me,” she said. “She has absolutely no idea what she’s doing these days. She could wander in front of a truck. She could fall in a lake. If she wanders off, it’s a life or death emergency.”

              He nodded. “I understand family obligations. It just puts me in a difficult position. The tradition of the bride remaining on the grounds until her wedding night is very important to my people.”

              “Taddeus said this wasn’t over. I feel like the main reason he’s angry at you is because you chose me,” Caitlin said unhappily.

              “No, please don’t think that.” He shook his head. “He’s been furious with everyone since the moment he was rejected as Alpha. He’s been looking for reasons to question my place here from the day that I arrived, challenging every attempt to change even the smallest traditions.”

              “He does have some support, though. I thought I saw a couple of the Clan Chieftains with him at my house today.”

              “Of course. Not everyone embraces change. Look how long it took for human women to get the vote. It’s not the majority of the pack, though, or he’d have been named the next Alpha.”

              “That was decent of Frank to cover for me,” Caitlin mused.

              “He’s a good man. And he is fond of you.”

              “Frank is?” she said, startled. “How could you even tell?”

              At that, Kristofer cracked a smile. “He’s a man of few words, but you know what they say. Still waters run deep. And now, I unfortunately have more urgent pack business I must attend to, but just so we’re clear. I am not avoiding you. I will join you at dinner tonight and we can discuss the wedding planning or anything else that you want to discuss.”

              Before she could protest, he drew her to him with one strong, muscular arm and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. “You taste delicious,” he breathed, and then he hurried off, leaving her aching for his warmth and his scent.

              Caitlin and a group of carefully selected werewolves, all recruited by Twyla, had spent the past several days working on her bridal shower from early morning to late at night. Kristofer had lamented that he’d barely seen hide nor hair of his bride to be. If only he’d known the real reason why Caitlin was working so hard, he might have been even less pleased. That’s why she didn’t tell him. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, she’d decided.

The mayor, of course, was delighted that she had invited all the press to the bridal shower  – she knew he was peddling exclusive deals all over town. He was still angry that his daughter had been pulled off the wedding planning, but publicly, he’d managed to spin it that Melodee had too many previous obligations and could not dedicate the time needed to planning the Verhold wedding.

Keeping the mayor happy was a benefit, of course, but it wasn’t the reason that Caitlin was holding this bridal shower. 

She just hoped she wasn’t making a terrible mistake.

The reception hall looked like a showpiece from a magazine. Swags of flowers twined around the wood beams, glass mason jars full of flowers adorned the tables, and the turnout had been fantastic. There were over a hundred female werewolves in attendance, along with Paige and Lottie. Caitlin had invited her family, but they’d refused to come.

Reporters crowded the room, eagerly snapping pictures. Some of the females had shifted to wolf form, and, wearing collars of flowers, they paced the room carrying baskets full of snacks, were a huge hit.

              And Caitlin was ill with worry. Was she going to get her new friends in trouble? She’d soon find out.

              Twyla stood next to her, holding a tray of raspberry cupcakes, each topped with a berry and  sparkling with a dusting of sugar. “Go ahead,” Twyla said, nodding encouragingly. “It’s okay. Whatever happens, it was worth it.”

              Caitlin took a deep breath, strode over to the podium at the end of the room, climbed up, and stepped up to the microphone. Instantly all eyes were focused on her, as was every camera lens in the room. She still found it unnerving.

              Frank, the only male in attendance, stood at the book of the room, his expression as inscrutable as ever.

              “Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat. “I hope you all enjoyed the bridal shower today, and I have a special announcement to make.”

              Paige and Lottie gave her an encouraging thumbs up. She swallowed hard, and then continued.

              “There are a great number of very talented people here in the Verhold Pack,” Caitlin said. “Some of them are unrecognized geniuses.  For instance, Twyla here currently works as a maid, but she is a brilliant cook, and I’m hoping that she can work in the Alpha House kitchen from now on, as a baker. In fact, she and several of her friends made all of the refreshments that you have enjoyed today.”

              There was a moment of stunned silence among the female werewolves, followed by a growing murmur.  Caitlin and her friends had been working in secret, and she’d refused to tell the Bridal Planning Committee who was in charge of refreshments and décor for the bridal shower…until now.

              Caitlin stood her ground, and proceeded to introduce every single werewolf who’d cooked the delicacies for the bridal shower. None of them were from the Chef’s clan.  She saw several women that she knew were from that clan, muttering angrily to each other.

She also saw, with enormous relief, that a number of the other female werewolves looked surprised and delighted. Some of them were holding up the little sandwiches and cupcakes and miniature pies and tarts they’d been nibbling on, and examining them with fascination, and nodding with approval.

              “Miranda here works in the accounting department, but she’s a brilliant floral designer, so we had her do all of the floral arrangements,” Caitlin added, gesturing at a pretty, round-faced redhead with a generous spattering of freckles. Miranda blushed and waved at them.

              Then she waved at someone who’d been just walked in the door, as she’d requested earlier that day. She hadn’t even told Twyla about this.

              “This is Pierre,” she said to the reporters. “He’s a chef in the kitchen at the Alpha house.” Pierre was holding a ribbon-wrapped bouquet of wooden cooking utensils, and blushing furiously.

              “Since this is a bridal shower, and love is in the air, I thought this would be the appropriate time for Pierre to ask Twyla something that he’s been wanting to ask her for a long, long time,” she said. She could feel the entire room drawing in their collective breath. The reporters eagerly trained their cameras on him, their eyes shining.

              “Twyla, umm…” Pierre glanced nervously at the crowd, and then back at Twyla. He walked over to her and abruptly thrust the bouquet of cooking utensils at her.

              “These are for you. I carved them myself.”

              She grabbed them and clutched them to her chest, her eyes huge.

              “And I, the question that I wanted to ask you was, well, I just wondered if I could take you out to dinner. Or cook you dinner. Because I know we come from different clans and everything, but ever since we were cubs, I thought you were the prettiest wolf I’d ever seen, but until Caitlin suggested it, it never occurred to me that I could ask you out. But she’s given me her blessing. So I – did I say something wrong?”

              Tears were running in rivers down Twyla’s face. “Of course you can cook me dinner!” she cried out, and then turned and ran, out the back door and down the hallway, still clutching her cooking utensils to her chest.

              Pierre, whose face was bright red now, took a step back as flashbulbs exploded in his face.

              Half the room broke into wild cheers.  Was it half? Caitlin looked around. At least half of them. More than half. Most of the women there seemed really happy. Some of the reporters were clapping and cheering. Who didn’t love a love story, especially one that defied all the odds? She even thought she saw Frank cracking a faint smile. Good lord, it was a day for miracles.

              “My sister’s in love with someone from the builder’s clan, but we’re from the medical clan,” one of the women whispered to her. “Maybe they can get together now!”

              Then Caitlin was swallowed up by a mob of reporters shouting questions, so she put on a brave face and did her best to answer them.

              About fifteen minutes later, the door flew open with a bang and Taddeus and half a dozen pack members stormed in to the room. Caitlin’s heart sank. A number of the newscasters were broadcasting or tweeting live, and he must have heard about it already.

He looked every bit as furious as she’d feared.

“This press conference, which was not approved by me, is over. You will all leave at once,” he said loudly. “There will be no further press conferences, and the press coverage of the wedding conference is cancelled.”

              Shouts of protest arose from the reporters as his pack-mates began rudely shoving them towards the door. 

              Alexander, and a group of men from the pack patrol, came in through a side door, and started yelling at Taddeus’s men. Frank rushed towards Caitlin, climbing up on the stage with her and standing protectively in front of her.

              Caitlin climbed up on the stage. “The press coverage is not cancelled!” she yelled to the reporters. “And Taddeus doesn’t speak for me!”

              Taddeus turned to glare at her. “You do not speak for the pack. You do not represent our pack,” he said, and his face went hairy. She saw his bones rippling and melting. Photographers were snapping pictures.  One of Taddeus’s men, a werewolf named Jackson, slapped a camera out of a female reporter’s hand and sent it crashing to the ground, and she shrieked and cringed away from him. Alexander lunged forward and sent Jackson flying.  Jackson shifted halfway through the air, and landed on the ground with a thud and a yelp.

              Alexander stood over him in human form, but thick gray fur covered his body.

              “If I see you lay your paw on a woman again, I will separate your head from your neck,” he snarled at Jackson. Jackson rolled over submissively and waved his paws in the air, and Alexander stalked off in disgust, as Caitlin and Frank climbed off the stage.

              Taddeus and his men followed after the reporters, who climbed in their cars and news vans and drove off, tires screeching. Most of the female werewolves began gathering their purses and leaving too, but a lot of them were casting sympathetic glances at Caitlin and looks of anger and contempt at Taddeus’s group.

              Alexander glanced at Miranda, who was standing defiantly by the one of the tables, arms folded. She’d gone so pale that her freckles stood out in sharp relief against her skin, but her jaw had a determined set.

              “I’m not sorry,” she informed him. “And that whole scene right there is exactly why Taddeus’s not the Alpha. And even if I get stuck back in accounting forever, at least I got to do what I loved one time. It was worth it.”

              “I understand, but it’s best if you go now,” Alexander said to her. Miranda glanced over at Caitlin, gave her a slight smile and a nod, and headed out. 

              “Kristofer is on his way,” Alexander informed Caitlin. “He wants to talk to you.”

              Paige and Lottie made their way over to Caitlin, and they both started clapping. “Bravo!” Paige said to Caitlin. “I am very proud of you. That was the most subversive bridal shower in the history of bridal showers. Do you want us to stick around?”

              “Nah, you guys should head out,” Caitlin said, although she felt a tremor rippling through her.

              She watched them leave and then sat down on one of the folding chairs to wait for Kristofer to arrive.