The Alpha's Mate (33 page)

“That’s probably where the myth came from,”
she said more to herself than to Marshall. She felt him relax and
heard him chuckle. “What’s so amusing?”

“You,” he said. “You’re not shocked or
frightened. You’re compiling data. I can see the wheels turning in
your head.”

He was right. She wasn’t frightened when she
really ought to be. She only wanted information. “Does it
hurt?”

“To change? Not if you don’t fight it.”

“Will I change on the night we mate?” She
wanted to do this, but it was too much at once. And yet, the
thought of disappointing Marshall was breaking her heart.

He lifted her chin and kissed her. “I will
never force the change on you and it won’t change how I feel about
you. We all have a choice. It’s harder for the men to fight the
full moon, but some do and some have to. For the women it’s always
a choice. Maggie doesn’t run any more. She says she too old to
bother with the foolishness. Ma Gruver says she’s too fat and it
makes her joints ache the next day. No one holds it against
them.”

“Did your mother run?” Elizabeth thought a
lot about Marshall’s mother. Raising a son like him, Elizabeth
thought she would have liked the woman.

“She ran with my father at every full moon.
Even after the strokes, when he could barely move and couldn’t
speak, I’d carry him down to the porch and leave them alone to
change. He couldn’t run anymore, but they’d lie together out on the
porch until dawn. I think they spent the whole night talking. She
never said and I never asked.”

“Will we be able to talk? I can already hear
you when you call my name.”

“I can hear you, too, and that’s odd. It
shouldn’t be. But yes, once we’re mated, you’ll always know where I
am and I’ll always know where you are. We’ll be able to
communicate, but it’s easier and clearer in wolf form.”

He set her aside and rose to his feet, then
gave her his hand to stand. He laced his hands lightly on her
shoulders and bent to look her in the face. “Have you changed your
mind? Can you do this?”

Elizabeth pushed him away and took off for
the other side of the pool. “If I’m going to be chased, I’m going
to need some practice,” she called.

The way down was so much easier than the
climb. Still, in Max’s too large sneakers she tended to slip and
slide. Marshall was of little help. He was loaded with the sleeping
bags and blankets in a large pack on his back. He walked in front
of her so that if she tripped she could at least catch herself on
his back. It happened twice.

“Imagine how it was for our first Alpha,
Alexander Goodman, and the Mate, Genevieve,” he said over his
shoulder. “They led a pack of thirty men, women and children up
through these mountains when this land was new. They had one horse,
two mules and a pair of unyoked oxen to carry what they could. The
rest they carried on their backs.”

“Are they the ones who built the Home Place?”
Elizabeth was having a hard enough time keeping on her feet in
sneakers and jeans. She couldn’t imagine trudging up these hills in
long skirts and awkward leather shoes, never mind carrying a pack
on her back or a child at her breast.

“They were. The place you’re living in isn’t
near as small as the original was. The Home Place has been
destroyed, burned down and torn down. But it’s always been rebuilt.
If it’s all right with you, I’d like to live there until the first
baby comes. It’s kind of a tradition. Then we’d move back to the
big house for the others.”

Having Marshall’s child on land that his
family had held for over three hundred years would make her a part
of the history of this land, too. She almost skipped with happiness
at the idea of it. Until another vine caught her ankle and she
tripped again. Did he say others with an ‘s’?

“How many children are we talking here?” She
watched the backpack shrug.

“Oh, I don’t know, seven, eight.”

Marshall started to laugh when he turned back
to her. She was frozen in the path. Seven, eight?

“Okay,” he said, “How about we start with two
and you can decide where we go from there.”

She nodded sharply. “I can live with
that.”

“Ah, babe, you are so easy.” He laughed even
harder as he jogged ahead while she threw pebbles at his back.

“You better be careful, mister, or the only
babies you’re going to see are the ones that are living in your
barn!”

They were still laughing when they arrived at
Marshall’s where they found the yard crowded with people. Elizabeth
stopped short. These were the people who’d greeted her before with
hostile stares and unkind words. Marshall put his arm around her
and leaned down to speak quietly so only she could hear.

“You said you would love them. Even the ones
you don’t particularly like. They were angry because they brought
you here and they thought you’d chosen Charles and broken my
heart.”

She clutched his arm. “I never slept with
him. Never. And I never would. We talked. We got drunk. That’s all.
When I called him, I wasn’t sure he’d come for… I knew he’d come
for me. Not because he wants me. He doesn’t. He came because he
likes me and he thought I needed him. As a friend.”

“Your friend,” Marshall snarled and Elizabeth
saw heads lift, alert, “Is trying to destroy my pack.”

“He saved your life, Marshall. Whatever else
he’s done, I’ll always love him for that and if you can’t handle
that, it’s too damn bad.” She didn’t care if they heard. It was too
damn bad for them, too.

“And the pack be damned.” He glared at
her.

“Without you the pack is damned, you big dumb
ass! Who would take your place? Who?” She turned to the crowd and
opened her arms. “Step right up folks,” she called. “Which of you
is ready to take his place? Which one of you is ready to devote all
your thoughts, all your time and all your care to each and every
member of this pack? Your Alpha was willing to sacrifice himself to
save Henry and he would do the same for any one of you. Which of
you is ready to make that kind of sacrifice?”

“Lizzie, enough.”

She knew he was right. She’d said enough, but
she couldn’t stop. She whirled on him, punched his chest with both
fists and burst into tears.

“I love you, you big stupid jackass. You and
Rabbit Creek have become my life. If you die, then I die, too. Oh,
I’ll still walk and talk, eat and sleep, but I won’t be alive. I
spent the first thirty-two years of my life existing like that. I
don’t want to do it again. I won’t apologize for calling your
brother to save your life. And I won’t apologize for loving him
because of it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” She whirled back to
the crowd and raised her fist to them, too. “Do you hear me? I’d
kiss the devil himself if it would keep Marshall Goodman next to me
for the next fifty years. And if any of you don’t like it, you can
just… just…”

Marshall’s mouth came down on hers, hard and
demanding. She was crying and snuffling and he was kissing her as
if his life depended on it. She wrapped her arms around his neck
and clung to him, trying to make him understand that her life did
depend on it.

From the crowd, she heard Maggie call. “Guess
we can break out the booze, folks. Looks like we got us a
Mate.”

Elizabeth looked up at Marshall in
question.

He sucked in his cheeks and shook his head.
“Well it wasn’t the way I planned to announce it, but I have to
say, your way was a lot more memorable.” He stroked her cheek with
his thumb. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I
never even thanked you. You saved my life.”

“Charles saved your life,” she muttered and
then because she didn’t want to argue, “So they’re not angry with
me for what I said?”

Marshall finally laughed and the sound of it
lifted a weight from her heart.

“Hell no. You’re everything they wanted in
their Alpha’s Mate. You’re smart, you’re feisty, you’re protective
and most important of all, you love me. They couldn’t ask for
more.” He kissed her again. “And neither could I.” He smacked her
rear end affectionately and she didn’t care who noticed. “Come on,
my mate to be, let’s go get a drink.

Chapter 35

They teased her and they toasted her and some
apologized to her, even Earlette, the woman on the phone. And the
last of them were finally gone. Elizabeth wiped the last few crumbs
from the counter. Marshall reached above her to put a glass away
and she turned to wrap her arms around his middle.

“Are you upset about the wedding?”

“No,” he laughed, “I’d gladly put it off
forever. The thought of meeting your mother terrifies me. The
mating is what’s important to me. The wedding is for you.”

“You should be terrified,” she laughed and
gave him a squeeze. “But she loves me and I’m her only child. I
won’t let her take over, but I do want her to meet you and be there
to see me married. Max and I will plan it for the Saturday after
Mother gets home from Europe. She’ll barely have time to repack her
bag.”

“You’re a good woman, Lizzie.” He bent down
to capture her lips.

“Ah, um, Marshall?” Henry stood in the
doorway. “We need to talk. I didn’t want to say anything earlier.
Didn’t want to ruin the morning.” He shrugged. “Figured you’d want
to hear it before they did, anyway.” He looked awkwardly at
Elizabeth and shrugged again.

“Should I go?” It was obviously pack business
and she didn’t want to interfere.

Marshall raised his eyebrow at Henry. “Should
she?”

“It’s about her, Alpha.”

This was serious. Gwenna had told her no one
addressed Marshall by his title unless it was.

“Grab the mugs, Lizzie. I’ll put on a pot of
coffee. Sit down, Henry. Tell us what’s going on.”

Henry looked at the table. “Charlie called
this morning.”

“And you took the call.” Marshall didn’t look
happy.

Henry did that submissive slump she’d seen
him do before. “Charlie’s my cousin, Marshall. He saved your life.
He brought Elizabeth back to keep her safe. What was I supposed to
do?”

“Follow orders.”

“Exactly what you did.” Elizabeth said at the
same time. She glanced at Marshall. “Don’t scowl at me. Henry said
it’s about me and it’s obviously important or he wouldn’t have
interrupted.”

“He called to talk to you, Miz Elizabeth, and
he had a few hard words to say when I told him you weren’t here. So
I told him to shut the fu… to shut up. You was perfectly safe. You
went up the mountain with Marshall.”

“And that shut him up,” she said
confidently.

“Not exactly.” Henry gave Marshall a sidelong
glance.

“What did he say?” His sigh was long on
suffering and short on patience

Henry winced. “He laughed and said his baby
brother sure knows how to romance a girl and he hoped you at least
washed the sleeping bags.”

Elizabeth ran her hand over her mouth to hide
the smile.

“Is there a point to all this or was this
just an excuse to criticize how I court my mate.”

“No. We jawed for a while and then he dropped
the bomb. Calvin Everest is gonna issue another Challenge for the
pack and the Right of the Wolf for the Alpha’s Mate. Charlie says
once the Challenge is issued, Everest will try to negotiate.
He…”

“Let him Challenge. For the pack. No
negotiation.” Marshall took Elizabeth’s hand. “He’s too damn late
for the Mate. In three days, she’s mine.”

“That’s just it, Alpha. He’s issuing the
Challenge tomorrow night for the next full moon. He figures you
won’t have time to find your witnesses. You’ll be forced to use
his. And he’s not coming alone. Because of the mating, he’s
bringing fifty of his best friends to help him celebrate. Fifty.
Charlie said it twice.”

“Which means fifty fighters.” Marshall leaned
back and grabbed the coffee pot. He poured three cups and set the
pot back on the burner.

“This isn’t going to be like last time,”
Henry warned. “He’s willing to start a war. He wants the pack.”

“He wants Lizzie.”

“Well that one’s easy,” Elizabeth
interrupted. “He can’t have me. I thought I made that pretty clear
at the restaurant, though Charles seemed to think this Everest
creep would see that as a challenge. It’s a moot point anyway. I’m
spoken for.” She winked at Marshall. “You said yourself, in three
days, I’m yours. Case closed.” Her face fell. “Three days from now.
The next full moon.” She looked up in panic. “He doesn’t really
think fighting you will win me over, does he?”

“He doesn’t have to win you over, love. He
only has to win against me.” Marshall stroked her hair and cupped
her face in his hand. “Lizzie, you’ve heard of the practice of
Droit du Seigneur?”

“Of course. Ius primae noctus. The right of
the lord to take a virgin on her wedding night. It’s a fiction.
There’s no historical proof.” She looked from Marshall to Henry.
“What does it have to do with me? I’m no virgin and Creepy Eyes is
no lord, certainly not mine.”

Henry blushed behind his beard and looked
uncomfortable with the topic of her virginity or lack thereof. What
did he think they were doing up on the mountain?

“Maybe I should leave.” He pushed back his
chair, leaving his coffee untouched.

“Henry, sit.” Marshall nodded at the chair.
“Drink your coffee.” He turned to Elizabeth. “The practice was
real. When Margaret of Scotland got the practice replaced with a
bridal tax, the Convocation of Wolvers saw no reason to change
their traditions. It was different, after all. They’d always left
other wolver’s mates alone. It was the Alpha’s Mates they fought
over. Droit du Loup. Right of the Wolf. To the victor belong the
spoils. No one practices it, but it’s still part of Pack Law.”

“You can’t be serious!” She stood so quickly
her chair crashed to the floor. “They’d let him do this because of
some medieval law that no one bothered to rescind? Do you honestly
believe I’d just sit back and go along with this?”