Bridenapped The Alpha's Choice (6 page)

Two pack Enforcers stood in the enormous foyer, on either side of Regina. Angela stood at the side of the room, watching with interest.

As Jarrod and Mary walked into the room, Regina rushed forward.

“You son of a bitch! You totally humiliated me!” Regina’s eyes blazed with rage as she slapped Jarrod’s face.

Jarrod didn’t even blink; he just looked bored and put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back a couple of steps.

“I’m really not in the mood, Regina. Today is supposed to be a happy day on which I celebrate the arrival of my new bride. I don’t have a problem throwing you in a detention cell.”

“You led me on and then tossed me aside in front of everyone!”

“Led you on?” Jarrod let out a bark of scorn. “Are you kidding me? I never agreed to the bridenapping, and my uncle had no legal right whatsoever to agree for me. I never once encouraged you in any way.”

“You know what, you want her so much, you can have her!” Regina spit out.

“Well, thank you, Regina, that means a lot to me.” Jarrod’s tone was heavily laden with sarcasm but Regina didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re making a mistake, and my daddy’s going to sue you. I’m going home, and you’ll be sorry!” This was accompanied by a foot stamp.

“Well, that’s a problem, Regina. The wedding is in three weeks. Until then, pack tradition says that nobody from outside the Magister Pack leaves or enters the compound.”

There were several minutes of screaming, shouting, hurling of objects (deftly caught by the Enforcers) and most unladylike swearing, until Regina finally settled down and agreed that she would honor them with her presence by staying in a suite as long as she had servants, but her wardrobe and beauty products had to be shipped in, and they better stock her brand of yogurt or her daddy was going to sue them twice.

Angela was standing with her hands over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Mary was struggling not to join her.

Jarrod shook his head at Mary, with a rueful grin. “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

* * * * *

The next day…

Platters of food were set out on a long picnic table in the gardens behind the house, with fresh-cut flowers in glass vases along a blue table runner. Jarrod and Mary were standing by the table, sipping coffee and waiting for Angela. Mary was working very hard at ignoring Jarrod, which was difficult because he looked sexy and sleep-rumpled and good enough to lick. And he was still pretending this bridenapping was real.

I bet the last half-dozen women he dated thought it was real too
, Mary thought glumly.

“Here comes the sleeping beauty,” Jarrod said, looking at the enormous glass doors that led out to the garden.

Mary glanced at her watch as Angela strolled towards them, yawning and stretching. It was 8 a.m. She’d taken a pair of scissors to the shirt the pack had provided for her, cutting out a skull shape in the front.

“Good morning. Why do wolves wake up so early?” Angela stifled another yawn.

“Angela! I can see your bra!” Mary gasped, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh my God, woman. You’re so uptight if I shoved coal up your butt you’d poop diamonds.” Angela flashed a grin of triumph.

Mary let out an exaggerated sigh. “Worked really hard on that one, did you?”

“Nah, I found it on an insult website. Work smarter, not harder, I always say.”

“Or not at all. What, who said that?” Mary looked around as Angela smacked her arm. “All right, let’s eat. I get bitchy when I’m hungry. Oh, go ahead, I know you’re dying to say something like, ‘What, only then?’”

“Too easy,” Angela said, shaking her head.

As they settled into their seats, Angela let out a low whistle and murmured, “Oh my hotness.” A dozen shirtless men in jogging shorts were racing by in the nearby field, glistening with sweat under the morning sun. Craig was at the forefront.

“Are they competing in the Pack Games?” Mary asked.

“No, they’re pack Enforcers, so they have to stay fit. The athletes don’t train here. All the games training takes place at the Games Center outside the compound.”

“The games are in two months, right?” Mary said. “Do you compete in them?”

“Not me, no. Just our pack athletes. I had no idea you were interested in sports,” Jarrod said to Mary as the men leaped over a series of hurdles.

“I’m interested in sports,” Angela said cheerfully.

“Hah,” Mary scoffed. “There’s only one sport you’re interested in.”

“Oh my God, I think my cousin just made a sex joke. What did you do to her?” Angela asked Jarrod admiringly.

“Angela!” Mary said, scandalized.

“On second thought, don’t tell me. This is my cousin we’re talking about. I don’t actually want to picture it,” Angela said, making a face.

“He did nothing!” Mary set her coffee down on the table with an indignant bang.

That earned Jarrod a critical scowl from Angela. “Why not? Don’t you like my cousin? What’s wrong with my cousin, huh?”

“Look, Angela, they’re stripping down so they can shift,” Mary said desperately. God help her, she was pointing out naked men to her young cousin in an attempt to distract her from discussing Mary’s lack-of-sex life. She was a terrible person.

“Ooh, yes they are.” Angela got up and moved to get a better view.

Jarrod sighed. “The pack games are normally a huge point of pride for our pack, but with the accusations of cheating, this year, it’s causing a lot of tension. Even though all the athletes blood tests came up clean, everybody is demanding to know why, when my uncle took over as leader of the pack games, we immediately started winning so many competitions.”

“So you don’t think there’s anything behind the rumors?” Mary asked. Then again, it was Jarrod’s pack. Of course he wouldn’t think they were cheating.

“Nah. I think my uncle has found the one thing that he’s good at, which is being brutally competitive. We suspect that some rival pack is spreading rumors because they’re jealous,” Jarrod said. “Are the games really that important?” Mary asked. She’d never been much of a sports person, when it came to either human sports or werewolf sports.

“Oh, good God, yes. Among werewolves, the stronger packs get to have more representatives on the Alpha Congress, and also everyone is eager to form alliances with the stronger packs. They form voting blocs and can change laws that affect all packs.”

He frowned at that.

“What?” Mary asked.

“It’s just… Nothing.” Mary could tell from the look on Jarrod’s face that it wasn’t nothing, but if he wasn’t ready to talk, he wasn’t going to talk.

“I cannot believe how rude you people are!” Regina stomped up to the table just as they were finishing.

Mary watched her with fascination. Did Regina just wake up looking that good, or did she wake up an hour early so she’d have time to flat-iron her hair and do her makeup? Oddly, though, her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she had puffy bags under her eyes.

“Does she look like she’s been crying?” Mary whispered to Angela.

“I hope so.” Angela stuffed a piece of French toast into her mouth.

Mary kicked her under the table.

“Of course she hasn’t been crying,” Angela said with exasperation, mumbling around the toast. “That would suggest that she possessed normal human emotions.”

“I’m a guest in your house, and you started breakfast without me?” Regina’s voice was a shrill, high whine. She sounded a little hoarse.

“Technically you’re a prisoner in my house. But help yourself,” Jarrod said coolly, gesturing at the platters of food laid out across the long table.

“I already ate half a yogurt in my room, and I couldn’t possibly eat another bite. That’s not the point,” Regina said, folding her arms across her chest and pouting. “You’re supposed to invite me. It’[s etiquette. I assume none of you attended etiquette school.”

“You assume correctly,” Mary said. “We’re about to go tour the grounds, so the table’s all yours.”

“I want to come,” Regina said sullenly. “I’m bored.”

“No,” Jarrod said.

Mary sighed. Regina had definitely been crying, which made her feel kind of sorry for her. “Oh, let her come,” she said.

Jarrod flicked a glance of annoyance at Regina, then said to Mary “Okay, gorgeous, I just have to go talk to my chief of staff for a minute. I’ll meet you by the limo.”

“Why are you letting her go with you?” Angela demanded indignantly. “Her parents sent a thug to your house to terrorize you.”

“They did what?” Regina stared at her in shock. Angela described what had happened in front of Mary’s apartment.

Regina grabbed her phone and pulled it out of her purse, and quickly dialed a number. It was answered immediately; Mary could hear an angry male voice and a woman yelling shrilly in the background. She winced. It reminded her of Hilda.

Then she took a deep breath and interrupted. “Daddy! Did you send Hans to Mary’s house to threaten her?”

More angry yelling, and some words about how of course he had to make sure that their family wasn’t embarrassed.

“That was not okay!” she shouted, but it was if she hadn’t even spoken. Mary could hear more yelling, insults, and threats.

Angela grabbed the phone away from Regina.

“You’re lucky Mary doesn’t have you charged with a felony. How would that look in the newspapers, Mr. Van Hoffington?”

There was stunned silence on the other end of the line.

“That’s what you get for trying to force two people who don’t even like each other to get married. Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean that your daughter needs to be.” And she hung up the phone and handed it back to Regina, who was gaping open-mouthed.

“And, that’s how it’s done,” Angela said cheerfully. “Please take notes.”

The limo’s horn honked, out front.

“I think I’ll stay and admire the view,” Angela said. The Enforcers were stark naked and hadn’t shifted to wolf form yet. They were doing squats.

“Please get in lots of trouble while I’m gone,” Mary said.

“Reverse psychology will not work on me. Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Mary snorted. “So, literally anything that’s not a felony. Got it.” She ducked the bread roll Angela threw at her head.

Regina shook her head in disapproval. “She attacked you with
carbs
,” she said, appalled. “That’s probably a felony.” Then she sniffled.

Her phone rang, and she reached in to her purse and turned it off.

“I know how it is,” Mary said sympathetically. “Hilda’s been ripping me a new one too, like I had any control over who Jarrod bridenapped.”

Regina replied with a sullen shrug.

“You can blame it all on me,” Mary suggested.

“Well, duh, obviously. Since it’s your fault.” Regina quickened her pace so she was walking ahead of Mary. Conversation over.

Jarrod was already sitting inside the back of the limo, with the door wide open. He gestured at Mary to get in.

Then she heard a shout, and saw Constance hurrying towards her. “Hold on one sec!” Constance called out.

Constance trotted up, holding a big wicker basket. “That’s to hold all of the gifts that you’ll be getting,” she said, handing it to her.

“Thank you, Constance, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Am I getting gifts?” Regina demanded. “Where’s my basket?”

“We can go halfsies,” Mary said.

Constance leaned in and murmured to Mary “The maternity ward. Make sure you check out the maternity ward.”

Mary was about to ask her why, but Jarrod leaned out of the car.

“Hey, Constance,” he said with a nod. He slid out and grabbed Mary’s hand, and she felt a rush of arousal as his strong hand folded around hers. “Are you ready to dazzle everybody?” he asked her.

“I get half the presents,” Regina said loudly, and then climbed into the limo.

“Yes, let’s focus on what’s important here,” Jarrod said, shaking his head and shooting Mary a look that said “You just had to invite her, didn’t you?”

As if having Regina along wasn’t annoying enough, they were accompanied by the Pack Council’s chairman, a stiffly formal man named Ignatius. Apparently it was tradition that he go along with them on the tour.

Regina grumbled and complained the whole way. “My daddy’s limousine is bigger.” She pouted as they drove through the pack’s town center. “And it has a mini bar.”

“Good thing you’re not marrying Jarrod, then,” said Mary, who was starting to regret letting Regina come.

The Magister Pack members who didn’t live in the Alpha compound lived in a small town, with most of the houses either clapboard or brick. Werewolves tended to like their houses and their clothing somewhat on the old-fashioned side. Some packs still dressed as if it were the eighteenth century when they were on their pack lands. The Magister pack wasn’t quite that old-fashioned, but their clothing style tended towards the conservative.

Ignatius narrated for them as they drove, pointing out each neighborhood and feature. They toured the town hall, the rec center, the town center with all its little shops, the supermarket… They met dozens of people; store-owners, workers, Enforcers… Mary was starting to get dizzy from so many introductions. And her basket was overflowing with hand-wrapped gift soaps, bottles of perfume, jars of jam, flower-stuffed sachets, and other goodies.

Noticeably absent was Earvin, which was a relief.

Their last stop was the hospital, which, unlike the rest of the buildings on pack lands, was gleaming and modern. And oddly lacking one essential thing, which Mary might not have noticed if Constance hadn’t pointed it out to her.

“Was that the entire hospital?” Mary asked as she climbed back into the limo.

“Yes, why?” Jarrod asked.

“There’s no maternity ward?” she said, puzzled. “Do your women just go out into the woods and squat or something?”

“Ewww!” Regina cried out, horrified. “The woods?”

Jarrod laughed. “Why do people have all these misapprehensions about werewolves? We have a separate building for that.”

“That’s unusual,” Mary said. “Wouldn’t you want it to be connected to the main hospital in case something went seriously wrong? What if someone needed surgery?”

“Of course, the maternity ward is built to handle any emergency. We have surgeons on staff,” Ignatius said quickly.
A little too quickly?
Mary glanced at Jarrod. He didn’t seem bothered by it.

Regina, looking bored, pulled out her iPod and popped her earbuds in her ears.

“Where is the maternity ward?” Mary looked around. Wouldn’t it make sense that the maternity ward building would be right next to the main hospital? But there were no other buildings nearby.

“Oh, it’s towards the back of the property,” Jarrod said.

Curiouser and curiouser.
“I’d like to visit that now.”

“Take us to the maternity ward, please,” Jarrod said to the limo driver.

“Fine, I’ll call ahead and let them know we’re coming,” Ignatius said as the limo driver headed down a side road.

“Why do you need to call ahead?” Mary asked. “You didn’t call ahead to let them know we were coming to the hospital, or anywhere else. Why do you need to call the maternity ward?”

“It’s common courtesy and pack custom,” Ignatius said, reaching for his phone.

“Hold it!” Mary cried out, at the same time Jarrod said, “Hold on there.”

Jarrod said to Ignatius, “It’s not actually pack custom. It’s not that I have any reason not to want you to call them, but why are you insisting on it?”

“I’d like to say something,” Mary added. “Let’s say this marriage works out and I give birth to our cubs.”

“Well, of course that’s what will happen,” Jarrod said, looking at her as if she baffled him with her silliness.

“I assume that I would be giving birth to our cubs at the maternity ward on these grounds?”

“Yes, that’s right.” He nodded.

“Well, I can assure you that if I’m going to consider giving birth somewhere, I want to tour the maternity ward first. You’ve got this mysterious building that’s hidden at the back of your property and you need to warn them before we come?” Her tone was as sharp as a knife.

“Is it the pack birthing custom that you’re concerned about?” Jarrod asked.

“Well, yes, actually, that’s part of it,” Mary said, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. “I’ve only heard rumors, though. Can you tell me a little more about it?”

Ignatius reached for his cell phone again. He had an uneasy look on his face.

“Pick up that cell phone and you’ll be looking at a bleeding stump at the end of your arm where your hand should be,” Jarrod said, baring his teeth. “Now you’re starting to make me think there’s something wrong, when I know there isn’t. Or is there? Tell me, Ignatius, is there something I should be worried about?”

“Of course not. Sir.”

Jarrod resumed speaking to Mary. “The pack custom is that male cubs are briefly taken from their mother immediately after she gives birth – just briefly. They are taken out of the room to be blessed by what we call a Mage. They’re returned to the mother one hour later. It’s supposed to guarantee them long life and health. It’s a custom that started when my uncle took over. We’ve been doing it for twenty years now.”

He saw the look on Mary’s face. “It’s just for an hour.”

Mary gave him the stink-eye. “Why can’t the mother be in the room with the baby when the Mage is blessing it?”

“I don’t know, it’s just part of the custom. The Mage needs to be alone with the baby for the blessing to work.”

“Well, that would be a deal-breaker for me.” She meant it, too. Not that she really thought she was staying here, but she definitely wasn’t handing her theoretical, non-even-conceived-yet baby over to some stranger.

“All right.” Jarrod nodded. “I understand. You’ve got a strong maternal instinct. I appreciate that. When the time comes, you do not have to send your cub to the Mage.”

As they pulled up to the maternity ward, Mary didn’t feel particularly reassured. There were security guards in wolf form pacing around the front of the building.

She raised an eyebrow, looking at Jarrod. “This is certainly a well-guarded building. Do you get many cub-napping attempts?”

Jarrod laughed at that. “We’ve never had one. Anyone, wolf or human, would be a fool to come between a mother and her cub.”

“Except you take newborn babies away from their mothers.”

“For one hour!” he protested. “In human hospitals, the babies frequently sleep in the nurseries.”

“That’s a little different. They’re not being snatched from their mothers immediately after birth and taken away to some room where they’re alone with a stranger.”

Jarrod sighed. “You’re making it sound very sinister. The mothers don’t mind.”

“You’ve asked them?”

“Well…” He looked sheepish.

“Let’s go in and ask them. Right now.”