Hierarchy (18 page)

At least she wouldn’t be naked! It was disheartening that she’d lost her favorite things, especially the few mementoes she’d taken with her, but she tried to put it from her mind for the time being with the reflection that she might still be able to get them back.

And she might not. She didn’t know what the damned police had done with her car and her belongings, but she wasn’t keen to contact them and find out after the war that had been waged the night before.

More than half expecting the police and the FBI to show up at her door any time, she decided to dismiss that, too, deciding to deal with it when and if she had to. By rights, she shouldn’t have a problem but they hadn’t worried about trampling her rights when they’d taken her into custody!

When she’d carried her boxes in, she left them in her own apartment and focused on tidying up the rental rooms. Fortunately, the place had been thoroughly cleaned when it had gone up for sale. The man who’d bought it had even had everything freshly painted! All she really had to do was air the rooms and do a little dusting and mopping.

Even so, it was a very large old house and it was full dark by the time she’d finished and trudged downstairs again. She hadn’t stopped to buy any food. Since her cupboards were bare, she headed into town to eat at the diner. Everyone was chattering ninety miles an hour when she arrived. There was a pointed, very noticeable silence when she entered and then everyone began to talk about someone else that wasn’t there.

Ignoring it, Bronwyn took a booth and settled to studying the menu. She was still studying it, pretending she had no idea the waitress was deliberately snubbing her when she heard the roar of a motorcycle engine outside. It was an unusual enough event to attract even Bronwyn’s attention. She lowered her menu to stare.

Her heart flipped over when she saw the tall, dark skinned man that climbed off the bike and removed his helmet, allowing his long, black, loose flowing hair to settle around his broad shoulders. There was a collective gasp inside the diner since everyone was staring at him, and then mutterings about the Indian, which cut off instantly when the bell over the door chimed as he entered.

He glanced around the diner, caught her gaze, and strode purposefully to her table, sliding in opposite her. His expression was hard with anger. “That was a hell of a goodbye,” he said tightly.

Bronwyn blinked at him, trying to decide what to say. A touch of indignation flickered through her considering he’d dumped her down a trash chute, but it was hard to maintain her own righteous indignation in the face of his anger.

The waitress finally remembered she had that table to wait and zoomed in, smiling at Luke brightly. “What can I get you folks?”

Luke glanced at her irritably and grabbed a menu. “What’re you having, baby?”

Bronwyn reddened at the look the woman sent her. “I thought I’d have the roast beef special.”

“Make that two.”

“And to drink?”

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“Sweet tea,” they both replied in unison.

Settling back in his seat when the waitress left, Luke draped an arm across the back and studied her broodingly.

“Did you have a nice drive?” Bronwyn asked politely when she gave up on trying to think of anything else to say.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Gods damn it, baby! I don’t want to talk about the fucking drive down!”

She gave him a reproving look. “Well we aren’t going to discuss anything else where every gossip in town can twitter over it!” she said quietly.

Luke sat up and turned to survey the diner. Everyone who’d been staring at him immediately gazed off in to the distance as if they’d discovered something fascinating outside that they hadn’t seen a hundred times a day.

To her horror, when Bronwyn glanced out to see what had caught everyone’s attention, she saw Constantine’s limo pull up and park in two parking places. Marco got out of the driver’s door, walked around and opened the rear door and Constantine stepped out—as immaculate as ever.

Luke was scowling fiercely when she glanced at him. “What the fuck is
he
doing here!”

Bronwyn closed her eyes, trying to brace herself for an embarrassing and possibly violent scene as Constantine strode purposefully toward the diner and stepped inside. He was standing by the table looking down at her when she opened her eyes.

“May I?”

Oh! That was
such
a bad idea! She scooted over anyway and Constantine, after examining the seat of the booth critically, settled in the spot she’d vacated. He stared at Luke coldly for a long moment. “You’re looking as cheerful as ever, I see.”

Luke made a rude noise. “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. What the fuck are you doing here anyway?”

“Bronwyn’s here,” he said coolly. “Why are you here?”

“You know damned well why I’m here!” Luke growled. “I have unfinished business.”

“Curious. So have I.”

Bronwyn sighed.

The waitress returned, smiling at Constantine. “What can I get you?”

“Sanitizer?”

She stared at him blankly.

He glanced at Bronwyn when she kicked him under the table. “I don’t suppose you have wine?”

“We’ve got beer.”

Constantine’s nostrils quivered. “Steak?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Rare—very rare.”

“And to drink?”

“Whatever they’re having.”

The waitress left again.

“I wonder if we should wait to see if the Raja arrives,” he said dryly when the waitress had left.

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“Don’t fucking tell me he’s coming, too?” Luke growled irritably.

Constantine merely shrugged. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I haven’t a clue.”

“Look! I was here first. Why don’t you just take your ass back to the city and try another weekend?”

“I don’t think so,” Constantine said coolly. “I would’ve been here first if someone hadn’t flattened all four of my tires. I don’t suppose you have any notion who might have vandalized my vehicle?”

Luke grinned at him provokingly. “Not a clue.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Bronwyn discovered she was developing a headache. As thrilled as she might otherwise have been to see both of them—after all, she reasoned, didn’t it have to mean
something
that they’d both came so far to see her?—she wasn’t at all happy that they’d both arrived at the same time, and directly after she’d left. Clearly, they were both still battle ready and pissed off with her besides.

She was relieved when their dinner arrived and hopeful it would distract them enough, and maybe appease them enough, that they could get out of the diner without incident. That hope faded when the revving of a sports car engine caught her attention and she glanced outside to see Caleb pulling into the parking lot.

“Uh oh.”

Constantine’s expression hardened as Caleb pushed the door open, glanced around the diner, and then strolled toward them. After studying the seating arrangements for a moment, he looked around, grabbed a chair from a nearby table and settled at the end. “I would’ve been her sooner, my love,” he murmured, addressing Bronwyn as if she was alone, “but I business to attend.”

“Well, I’m damned if I know why you’re here at all!” Luke snarled.

“I never like to agree with him, but he has a point. This is a good deal outside of your territory, Raja.”

Caleb glanced from one to the other and shrugged. “My territory moved south.”

Bronwyn reddened with irritation.

The waitress was back, smiling at Caleb broadly. “Would you like to order something?”

Caleb looked her over, scanned the diner, and bared his teeth at her. “Anything but ptomaine.”

The waitress frowned. “We don’t have any of that, sir. The special tonight is roast beef.”

Bronwyn strangled on her tea. “The roast beef special’s good,” she said in a choked voice.

“As long you recommend it, my love—I’ll have that.” He dismissed the waitress, flicking a glance at Constantine and then Luke. “Speaking of territory ….”

“What are you having to drink?”

“Tea!” Bronwyn volunteered for him when Caleb sent her a narrow eyed look.

The waitress left.

Bronwyn set her fork down and massaged her temples.

Constantine draped an arm across her shoulders. “You’re not feeling unwell, my dear?”

“Why would I feel unwell,” Bronwyn asked irritably, “just because I was dragged
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all over hell and creation?

That seemed to go right over their heads.

“Morning sickness?” Luke prompted.

She sent him a sour look. “It’s night time!”

He flushed. “You know what I mean!”

“Yes, and so does every-damned-body else within hearing distance!” she hissed at him.

Luke shifted uncomfortably and glanced around the restaurant. “It’s not like it would be a secret long around this kind of place,” he muttered. “What the hell were you thinking to come back here anyway?”

Bronwyn sighed, struggling with the food she’d ordered even though her stomach was now tied in knots. “It’s my hometown. Anyway, Nanna said it was time for me to come back.”

“I might’ve known that old …,” Constantine said tightly and then stumbled to a halt at the look Bronwyn sent him, “uh … darling had something to do with this!”

“Just like that?” Luke demanded indignantly.

Bronwyn set her silverware down. “I’m not going to discuss this here!” she said determinedly. “If you three are just determined to discuss it, you can come to my place—and we’ll talk.”

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Bronwyn was a nervous wreck by the time she reached her house. She’d walked, refusing to get on the back of Luke’s bike or into the limo or the sports car. Truthfully, she would’ve preferred having a tooth pulled to having to try to discuss anything with them, but she saw no way to avoid it when they’d all driven down from the city.

The forlorn hope she’d entertained that any or all of them would just decide to head back was dashed when all three vehicles followed her as she stalked home. She waited until they’d parked and gotten out and then marched up the stairs to the porch and unlocked the door. Leaving it ajar, she headed down the hallway to her private apartment and unlocked that door.

She didn’t hear them follow her in, but then they were supernatural beings. They could move with unnerving speed and silence. She discovered they hadn’t followed her.

Wondering if they’d decided not to come in after all, she went back out and discovered that the three of them were standing at the foot of the steps. “I thought y’all were going to come in?”

The three men exchanged a look she found hard to decipher. “There’s a protection spell on the house,” Constantine said dryly. “We can’t enter.”

Bronwyn gaped at him blankly and then looked at Caleb. For once he didn’t look amused. “Don’t look at me, sweety. I’ve got nothing to do with it. I thought
you
had placed it.”

Bronwyn blinked at him. “
Me
? I can’t wield magic!”

The three exchanged another look. “You can’t remove it then?” Luke demanded.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know how.”

“You’ll have to come out to talk then,” Constantine said, an edge to his voice.

Bronwyn took a step toward the edge of the porch and halted. “Uh … you really can’t come in? Any of you?”

A gleam entered Caleb’s eyes, but she didn’t think it was amusement. She knew neither Luke or Constantine were amused. “Don’t even think about it, baby!” Luke growled, then added in a slightly more placating tone. “You said you were willing to talk.”

“Well … I am. I guess we need to, but we can talk here. Right?” She settled on the porch and set her feet on the step below her. “It’s really nice out tonight.”

Luke glared at her for a long moment and stalked toward his motorcycle.

Bronwyn watched him leave in dismay, swallowing against a hard knot of emotion that rose in her throat. The impulse to go after him was so strong she almost stood up and did just that. Fortunately, the moment she did, she noticed Caleb tense. She sat down again.

“She isn’t going for it,” Constantine said dryly.

Bronwyn glared at both of them, Luke for trying to lure her out and Caleb for getting ready to pounce. She released a deep breath, shaking her head. “You know I’m crazy about you—all of you. I could’ve fallen madly in love with any one of you if you’d given me half a chance. But not one of you have ever had my interests at heart.

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Not one of you have considered
me
in all of this. In your own way, you’re just as bad as the guys I grew up with who never cared anything about me at all. They just wanted to find out if the … uh … rumors about me were true. And you three—you were just interested in the prophesy.”

Luke stared angrily into the distance for several moments and finally got off his bike and returned to stand with the others. “You went to the city because of the prophesy,” he said pointedly.

She nodded. Lacing her fingers together, she placed them on her lap. “I’m a human,” she said earnestly, meeting each man’s gaze briefly. “All any of us really want in life—or at least most of us—is to have someone to love who’ll love us in return. It was what I wanted anyway, especially after Nanna died and I was alone. I don’t even have friends or close associates like you guys have.” She thought that over and looked at Caleb. “Well, you don’t really, but you don’t want them either. You don’t
need
companionship like I do. You don’t need anyone.”

She stared down at her hands. “Nanna said I was a loner—like she was—like all of you are. I guess she was right in a sense. I’m very comfortable with being alone most of the time, but I still want and need some companionship and I really believe if things had turned out the way I’d expected that I would’ve gotten used to it and been happier with a companion than alone. That’s why I went. Nanna told me I’d know when the time was right because a stranger come and offer to buy the boarding house, and that I would find a man who loved me when I went to the city, a man I would love. He would know me by the markings I’d been born with—and this was the man who’s children I would bear. He would never hurt me or allow anyone else to hurt me.

“So … I really didn’t go for the same reasons at all. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted children. I’ve always wanted them, but I thought I would find a companion to love who would love me.
That’s
why I went. The babies—they were just going to be an extension of my love. They weren’t the goal.” She frowned. “At least they weren’t
my
goal. Nanna said that was why she’d sent me, though, and it was time for me to come back home.”

“Through the charm she’d placed on your wrist?” Constantine asked.

She nodded. “The other night when you were all fighting over which prophesy I was supposed to fulfill and who was supposed to ‘own’ me. I was so upset, so afraid you’d end up killing each other. I guess she saw that, too.

“I’m sorry. I know you all think that we have unfinished business, but the truth is that we don’t. None of us were ever anything but … players. The baby is the true prophesy.
He
will fulfill it when the time is right and then, I guess, we’ll all find out which of the prophesies will unfold. You’ve done your part. I’ve done mine, at least up to this point.”

“Just like that?” Luke growled. “We mated, baby.”

Bronwyn reddened. “You bred me, and he did, and he did—or at least you all had the chance to.” She wanted to think it had been more than that. She hoped to find out that they actually did care about her, at least a little, but in her heart she didn’t really believe it. “You were supposed to breed a child on me. Each of you had the chance to fulfill the prophesy of your own people.”

“And now we are dismissed?” Caleb asked in a purring growl.

Bronwyn sent him a startled look. “But … Caleb! You told me yourself that that
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was the way things worked with the Raja! The women … uh … Rajaeem came when they were ready to mate and then left again. I don’t see why you’d feel so insulted that I did the same.”

“
You
aren’t Rajaeem,” he said coolly.

She shrugged. “All the more reason, really. Nanna said it was time. She wouldn’t have done that after she’d planned everything out so carefully if I wasn’t already pregnant. I realized that. And now that I’ve had time to calculate everything, I
know
I’m pregnant.”

“But
we
don’t know,” Constantine said tightly.

She smiled at him in spite the chilly look he gave her. “Well, I never said that you aren’t perfectly welcome to check on the baby! You all know where I live. I’m not trying to be difficult or to shut any of you out. If you’re interested in the baby and want to visit, you’re welcome any time. I think it would be wonderful if you did. I always wished I’d had a father … or at least had gotten the chance to know him a little.”

Constantine studied her thoughtfully. “There is nothing in the prophesy to say that we only get
one
chance to breed the one promised. If you’re pregnant now, it could be mine or belong to either of the others.”

Bronwyn’s eyes widened. “You know you’re right! I hadn’t thought of that. Of course, that’s what it seems to say,” she added thoughtfully, but then she brightened, smiling at him. “I think you’re right! You wouldn’t each have a prophesy if it wasn’t supposed to happen, I don’t think.”

Constantine closed his eyes as if pained. “I’m not all certain that I could … live with the solution you seem to be suggesting,” he said after a moment.

“Ditto! I’m damned sure I’m going to have a problem with it,” Luke growled.

“Make that three,” Caleb said coolly.

Bronwyn sighed. “Well, it’s the best I can come up with!” she snapped crossly.

“You know, it’s possible I’m not even the one you were all expecting. Maybe there’s someone else out there for you, that each of you can piss on and mark as your personal territory?”

She got up and stalked into the house. “Good night,” she threw over her shoulder as she slammed the door and locked it decisively.

She stood stock still until she heard the vehicles start up and then leave. Her shoulders slumped. They were basically demanding that she choose. She couldn’t blame them—in a way. Everyone wanted someone that was focused only on them—or at least thought they did. In
their
case, though, they weren’t promising her the same consideration they were demanding.

Caleb’s people didn’t even mate for an entire season—well, she supposed they did since they stayed with one another until they’d bred—but it was a damned short season and obviously they never bred the same female twice or Caleb wouldn’t have had so much trouble remembering the females he’d bred! Luke’s, from what she’d discovered when she’d stayed with him, were pretty much the same—except they were perfectly willing to breed the same bitch over and over in the season—share her with their pack members and even mate again for several seasons in a row unless another female caught their eye. And Constantine—well, they were as cold as Caleb’s kind. She hadn’t been with them long, but they didn’t actually seem to make any sort of commitment to one another beyond sharing a blood bond. They didn’t breed so they
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didn’t even have that to hold them together.

There wasn’t a one of them, in point of fact, who would consider themselves obliged to cleave only to her. They only wanted to mark her and stake their claim so that
she
would do the cleaving!

She thought she would’ve been willing to with any one of them if she’d felt that they loved her—at least as much as they were capable of, but love was really a human condition and they weren’t human—any of them. The only result of yielding to their demands that she could see would be that
she
would end up heartbroken.

Well, her heart was already battered enough. She was crazy enough about them as it was. She wasn’t going to allow them to take more of her heart, not when they couldn’t give her even a little piece of theirs!

Of course Nanna had said the babes were conceived in love, but she wasn’t placing a lot of faith in that after Nanna had pulled such a dirty trick on her! Very likely Nanna had realized
she
would be ripe for their plucking, more needy even for affection than she had been for the sex, and that was
her
idea of them having been conceived in love!

It occurred to her to wonder if she’d been even more manipulated than that. She supposed it was fairly commonplace for women to be ‘hotter’ during their fertile period.

She knew she’d always had times when she was more susceptible—horny—and that had made her an easier target. If not for that, she didn’t think she would ever have had sex after what Johnny had done to her. Hopefulness that the guys she’d dated might actually be interested in her had been part of it, but her own needs had worked against her, too.

Nevertheless, she wondered if there’d there been some kind of magic working against her when she’d met them that had contributed, not only to her falling for them so quickly and heavily, but that had made the sexual experience seem so fabulous. What better way, after all, to make her so very eager for them than to ensure that the experience blew her mind and left her raring for another round?

Caleb was the only one who’d seemed to notice that she had any magic of her own. Even
she
didn’t know until her grandmother had told her. Maybe the prophesies hadn’t just been predictions? Maybe they were the result of some sort of enchantment from long ago?

And maybe she was just looking for excuses? Maybe the sex with them had been fabulous because they were just that good? And/or because she was crazy about them?

She couldn’t think of any possible motive for an enchantment like that.

Meaning, it wasn’t likely to be something that was going to vanish like dust now that she’d done what she was intended to do.

She’d put on a good show for them, though, she thought morosely. She’d managed to convince them that she was fine. Maybe, given time, she could convince herself. The babies would no doubt take up all of her time when they arrived, but she had months and months before that. What was she going to do with herself in the mean time?

Puke her guts out, evidently.

Morning sickness hit her with a vengeance when she woke the following day.

After spending a miserable night tossing and turning and dreaming one awful dream after another where she wept and begged Constantine, and then Luke, and finally Caleb not to leave her and watched them turn their back on her and walk off, she woke feeling horrible and it only got worse. Already feeling vaguely ill, she gagged herself while she
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