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‘Shouldn’tIsort the blankets and stuff?’ I asked.
He shook his head. ‘No. The Prime doesn’t hand out food, he just orders it to be given out. You ordered the blankets.’
I blinked. ‘But I didn’t.’
‘You delegated it to me. Relax, I’m your second. That means more than just patrolling with you, it’s about helping you succeed as a leader. I’ve got your back.’
I didn’t need Jess’s truth-seeking abilities to know that he meant every word. ‘I know you were happy being brethren, but I’m really glad you nearly died and had to be turned into a werewolf,’ I said.
He laughed. ‘Me too, honeybunch. Me too.’
I snorted. ‘No. Veto.’
He stood. ‘Back to the drawing board. I won’t be too long.’
When he left, I had a goofy smile on my face. I told myself my happy was from the ice cream. I didn’t need Jess to tell me I was lying.
Chapter 20
Ishiveredalittleas the rain continued its steady downpour. It was the slow kind of rain that soaks you to your core.
Manners and I had started the patrol by ourselves. We’d circled the mansion together, then taken it in turns to duck into the house and check the corridors and the slumbering occupants of the living room. Our patrol had been noticed; before long we were joined by Marissa, Seren and, far more surprisingly, Tristan and Brian. Brian almost looked at me with grudging respect too. Almost.
We split into three teams of two: two of us inside, two of us around the mansion, and two of us patrolling the outskirts of the grounds. The cold February weather was making the experience arduous, but the sun was rising. Soon the other packmates would be up and we could fall into the welcoming warmth of our beds.
Even with our thick fur, the constant chill and dampness had us shivering any time we paused in our patrol. Better to keep moving. Half of me wanted to stop and roll into bed, but Esme was focused on the safety of our pack. She was in charge, and there was no way she’d let me shirk, no matter how much I wanted to. She pulled our weary body on, her eyes and ears primed and searching. She was like a machine.
I hadn’t tried to speak to Manners’ wolf while we were patrolling because it seemed like something I should do with permission. He and his wolf seemed content with the job of securing the pack, and they worked in harmony. His wolf didn’t seem as angry as Fred had been, but then Fred already had a lifetime of subjugation.
It wasn’t long before noises from the mansion started to disturb the air around us. The occupants were stirring.
The front door opened and Ace leaned against the heavy wooden door. ‘Everyone’s up,’ he called. ‘You can stop patrolling.’ He looked at me approvingly, but Esme and I didn’t need his approval; we needed our pack to be safe.
Esme gave a headshake; we’d stop when the brethren arrived to set up additional security. As if I’d summoned them with our thoughts, three black Ford Escapes rolled up the driveway and parked in the drive. I was about to change to talk to them when it occurred to me that, although nakedness might be par for the course for the pack, it could cause a different reaction in the brethren.
Esme agreed, and she trotted past Ace and into my office. I changed to human and grabbed the white dressing gown – not my most authoritative outfit, but it would have to do. I was so happy to be warm. I grabbed Manners’ combats and T-shirt and took them out.
He had already started to shift, and it was only another minute or so before he stood before me in human form. I held out his clothes and averted my eyes. He threw on his combats quickly but, despite the chill, he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to pull on the T-shirt. He had a magnificent torso, tanned and full of rippling muscles that I couldn’t help but admire. I hoped my stare looked calm rather than ogling – but man the guy was cut. Yum.
He and Ace seemed to be having a moment. Their eyes were locked in a staring contest. I let out a barely audible huff. ‘Thank you, Ace. This is a pack matter. You can go.’
He hesitated a beat too long, and Esme started to get riled. Finally he nodded and ducked back inside. Ace might be council, but we were alpha.
The occupants of the black cars decanted and started unloading enough hardware to secure Fort Knox. One of the occupants sauntered over and Manners gave him a hard look. ‘Sam. I didn’t expect to see you here.’
‘The Prime Elite sent me, and so did Jessica Sharp. I’m to help in any way I can.’
A little of Manners’ anger died, but there was still something bubbling away. I was missing the context. Who was he, that Jess would send him? ‘There’s something I need to talk to you about in private, but let’s get this building secured first.’
‘Agreed,’ Sam replied coolly. ‘A glass company is on its way to replace the broken balcony doors, courtesy of the Prime.’
‘And he got the measurements of the doors how exactly?’ Manners huffed.
Sam smirked. ‘Fritz found some blueprints and Google Earth images. He sorted it.’
Manners nodded. ‘Well then, it will be right.’
‘No doubt.’ Sam stalked back to one of the cars and opened the door. ‘We’re here, kid,’ he said.
