Blood Moon (23 page)

Aria faced Cern, who sat, smiling and watching the argument. “Cern? What did you tell them?”

“Oh, the same as you. A minor spat between friends.”

She waved a hand in his direction, tipping her head towards Jonas. “See? Why are we having this conversation?”

“Because I do not see any possible way you could have accomplished such a feat.”

So much for being afraid of her. Her chin lifted, she crossed her arms and cocked a brow. “You mean you didn’t think I had it in me, don’t you?”

Jonas jerked his head forward. “Yes. The marks don’t match the pattern of a wolf’s jaws.”

“That’s because I wasn’t fully changed when it happened.”

The noise in the room stopped. Even Lukas watched her, pride swelling his chest.

“Dear Lord. You can hold the half-form?” Haemon sounded like someone had just punched him in the gut.

“You may take that however you wish.”

“You really won’t say what happened?” Jonas took two steps towards her, blazing with anger.

“Give the man a prize.” The sarcasm poured off her tongue before she could think better of it.

Jonas stiffened, and whirled around. “Haemon, Lukas, two of each of your Pack Guards may stay behind and guard the doors.” Pax stood in the doorway, waiting his master’s orders. “Rotate the guard at midnight. There are to be six wolves here at all times.”

“I don’t really think that’s necessary,” Cern taunted politely.

Jonas turned on him, teeth bared. “It is my wish. I do not trust you two. Six guards should be able to deal with whatever you dish out. Please keep in mind that should they even think they sense magic, they have my approval and encouragement to break down these doors and see what’s going on.”

Aria watched Jonas carefully, noting the steel thread that ran through his words. He was truly pissed. Not only had they ruined his well-planned coup this evening, but now, she had managed to upset the delicate balance of power he had arranged. With Cern beholden to the Council, he had believed the entire evening was a win-win situation as long as she remained separate from Lukas.

Refraining from the smirk that threatened to slide across her lips, Aria gave a mental shrug. At some point, they needed to see she could fend for herself. If it upset Jonas and Haemon, it was an added bonus.

Across the room, conversing quietly with his Pack Guards, Haemon caught her eye, smiled, and gave a wink so brief she questioned if it really happened. Her smug pride drained out of her body in an instant, a heavy feeling replacing it. Yet again, she had misjudged Haemon’s self-control.

Lukas tugged on her hand, drawing her inside the circle of his arms. She leaned into his body, allowing his strength to comfort her. Thaddeus, Lawrence and Sebastian appeared at her elbow.

“Did you really do that to him?” Thaddeus glanced back over his shoulder at Cern, who sat, arguing quietly with Jonas.

She sighed, lifting her head from Lukas’ chest to nod at Thaddeus. “I did. I’ll explain it later on the ride home.”

“If you’re allowed to go home.” Sebastian’s voice held a rough, hostile edge. Aria turned, as did Lukas, and the strange glint in the Pack Guard’s eyes made her shift closer to Lukas. Something wasn’t quite right. Until she proved it wasn’t just nervous paranoia on her part, she couldn’t say anything.

Lukas frowned at his guard. “Come on, Sebastian.”

“It’s all right. He’s got a point.” Aria laughed. “But I’ve been known to do strange and unpredictable things, and I can almost guarantee I will end up at home with you guys, one way or another.”

Lukas pulled her tighter to him, their bodies pressed together from chest to thigh. “Don’t worry. We’ll work something out.”

Jonas strode to them, glowering at Lukas. Her Mate smiled lazily and rubbed small circles over her back.

“It’s time to go, Lukas. Tell Aria goodnight.”

Lukas answered Jonas scathing tone with a cheeky smirk. “As you wish.”

His mouth closed over hers, and her breath caught in her throat. Her fingers curled around his bare shoulders, and she felt his hands settle over her waist, pulling her closer. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling at it, before releasing her.

Haemon cursed and stormed out of the room. Aria touched a finger to her lips, still feeling the tingling imprint of Lukas’ mouth.

Jonas glared at them both. “That isn’t what I meant, Alpha MacLeod.”

Lukas slowly released her, pushing himself away from her as if it were almost physically impossible. “Next time, Councilor Bontham, you should be more specific.”

Without responding, Jonas jerked his head towards the door and led the way out. Aria followed them to the door, where Lukas pressed a kiss to her palm, his fingers tracing her wedding band. “Sleep well.”

“Get out of here before you piss him off more.”

His laughter followed her back into her room. Outside her door, four different men lounged, some standing, some sitting. Thaddeus had draped himself over an armchair and gave her a wink and wave. “Sweet Dreams, Aria.”

She shook her head, smiling, and locked the door behind her.

“Well, that was quite a scene.”

Aria stiffened. “What are you still doing here, Cern?”

“I wanted to make sure that we are on the same team before I go to bed.”

She turned, watching as he opened the door that connected the two bedrooms. “We are. For now.”

He nodded once and then disappeared. She heard the lock click, but dragged the chest from the end of the bed in front of the connecting door, anyway. After what happened this evening, she wasn’t taking any chances.

Chapter Twenty-three

Aria stretched, enjoying the soft down mattress that cradled her body, warmed by the sunlight filtering through the lace window panels. Only one thing could have made the experience perfect, but he slept in a different bed.

The vintage clock on the nightstand told her it was barely seven. She frowned, pushing wayward strands of hair behind her ears. Weariness beat at her, making her feel out of sorts.

A soft knock sounded at the door. She groaned, flopping back on the bed, now realizing why she was awake. When the tapping came again, a little louder this time, she flung an arm over her face and resisted the urge to pout.

“Come in already!”

Muffled words on the other side of the door came back, hesitant. “Ummm…you locked it last night.”

With a dramatic sigh, she swung her legs over the side of bed and shuffled to the door, then flicked the lock open, twisting the handle. Lawrence’s head poked through. A grin lit his features as he took in her appearance.

“Sorry, Aria. But breakfast is being served, and I figured you’d want to be present.”

“All right. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

She dressed quickly, ran a brush through her hair and put the chest back where it belonged. The poor floors wouldn’t be the same, but she felt a perverse satisfaction when she noticed the scratches on the perfect finish. Jonas would be annoyed. That made her happy.

A few moments later, she opened the door and stepped into the hall. Lawrence, Otis, and two other guards waited for her. Aria bit her lip to keep her amusement contained. It took four escorts to watch her sleep and take her to breakfast? Amazing how much her status had changed since she’d seen the Council last.

The walk to breakfast was a quiet one. They passed through the banquet room, heading instead to a smaller dining room, with three round tables set for five. The food had been arranged on a huge antique sideboard: eggs, bacon, and oatmeal kept warm in elegant, silver chafing dishes, while a selection of crispy, golden pastries and muffins had been fanned out in several baskets.

Lukas was already there, sitting with Sebastian and Thaddeus. Jonas spoke quietly in the corner with a tall, willowy woman, thin enough that it seemed like a good wind would snap her into two.

Tessa, the Council’s Truthsayer.
Great.

Aria dropped a kiss on Lukas’ cheek and took the seat next to him, half her attention trained on the pair in the corner. They’d hardly given her a second glance when she walked in. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or nervous.

“Relax. He’s been chatting her up for a good fifteen minutes,” said Thaddeus, who bit into a pastry and sighed. “Heaven in a crust.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Aria scolded, smiling.

Lukas nudged her knee under the table. “Get something to eat. You might as well take advantage of the fine dining while we’re here. Once we go home, it’s back to hot dogs and mac-n-cheese.”

She laughed and rose, collecting a variety of pastries from the sideboard. Calories weren’t all that important at the moment. Lawrence followed her, filling his plate with eggs and bacon, topped off with several pastries.

“Geez, Lawrence. Can you really eat all that?”

He grinned. “And more. I never turn away food.”

As they walked back to the table, Lawrence glanced over his shoulder at Jonas and Tessa. “I’ve never seen her before.”

They sat, and Aria accepted a glass of water from the servant who appeared at her elbow. She waited till the man returned to his post at the end of the buffet, before she whispered, “She doesn’t come often. She gets a little nervous around all of us.”

“Why?” Thaddeus was genuinely puzzled. “We aren’t
that
motley a crew.”

Lukas snorted and bit into a Danish.

“She’s the Council Truthsayer and a Werefox.”

Thaddeus almost turned in his seat to stare at Tessa, stopping himself at the last moment. His nostrils flared as he took in deep breath. “No wonder I thought she smelled funny.”

Lukas shook his head. “Aria tells you she’s a Truthsayer, a Werefox, and you focus on her smell? What shall we do with you?”

“Make sure I don’t say anything.” Thaddeus gripped the table, pretending to search for a hiding spot. “I’ll explode if I have to tell the truth all the time.”

His brother snorted and kicked him under the table when Jonas looked their way. “Be glad Ella isn’t here. Then you’d really have something to fear.”

Thaddeus’ shudder turned into a chuckle. “True.”

A shadow fell over the table, long and thin. The scent of jasmine and something inherently earthy washed over Aria. Fabric brushed her arm.

“It’s lovely to see you, again, my dear.”

Aria forced a pleasant expression, one hand creeping beneath the tablecloth. It skimmed over Lukas’ thigh, and her fingers dug into the muscles there. His hand slid beneath hers, his grip strong and comforting.

“Likewise.”

“Now, that’s not entirely true.” Tessa smiled, and Aria’s stomach cramped. Her face was smooth and pointed, appropriately reminiscent of a fox. Her hazel eyes darted around the table, cataloging information.

“Well, you would know.”

Lukas squeezed her hand under the table. As if she knew, Tessa’s head tilted sideways and she made a brief study of him. Her attention lingered on his mismatched set. “You have seen a great deal of this world and the next.”

“Yes.”

“You must tell me about it sometime.”

“I don’t think so.” Lukas sounded polite, but Aria sensed the underlying tone of loathing and disgust.

She didn’t miss anything. They lingered over Aria’s wedding band as Aria took a sip from her glass. “Did you complete the ceremony, knowing the Council had forbidden it?”

“I’m afraid, Tessa, that I refuse to answer any questions before the Meet, and definitely not before I’ve finished breakfast.” Aria forced herself to take another bite, though her stomach churned. Tessa always set her on edge. She had too much influence with the Council to be ignored or dismissed.

“Sidestepping my question will not alter it.”

Aria couldn’t help a small chuckle. “Of course not. But I’ve made a hobby of delaying the inevitable.”

Tessa stayed a moment more, and then walked away without saying anything else. She seemed to float, her feet barely making a whisper on the floor.

“I don’t like her,” Thaddeus proclaimed.

“What is a Werefox doing here, anyway?” Sebastian, who had remained silent until now, piped up, pushed back his plate, and his gaze followed Tessa’s retreating back. Aria thought she caught a hint of admiration in his question before they returned to the table.

“The Council is a smaller part of a larger group. They govern Werewolves. The greater Council governs all Shifters.” Aria shrugged, releasing Lukas’ hand under the table. “Tessa is like a library book. The Great Council loans her out when she’s needed.”

“That’s not a very complimentary description.” Sebastian glared, his words dripping with disdain.

Aria set down her fork and stared at him in earnest. She searched his face, doubts about Sebastian’s behavior niggling the back of her mind. Something about Sebastian had changed—was changing. “Have you actually ever dealt with the Council, Sebastian?”

He didn’t answer, cramming food in to his mouth and dropping one shoulder casually. His refusal to meet her gaze stirred her suspicions.

“I have. They are not a fantastic group of people, and Tessa is the worst. To know all the time whether people are lying is a burden, I understand that. But a person can choose to roll with the punches life deals or become bitter over their lot. Tessa took the easy way, and her bitterness eats away at everyone now. She enjoys her job far too much.”

Sebastian stopped eating. “Rather like you enjoy being a martyr? First you play the wounded daughter, then you’re the mistreated outcast, and now you’re going to sacrifice yourself for the Pack?”

“That’s enough.” Lukas sliced a hand through the air, glaring at Sebastian. “We’re all stressed. Don’t take it out on each other. Jonas doesn’t need any help trying to break our Pack apart.”

Tears burned. She focused on the food on her plate. Is that really how they all saw her? 

Aria, don’t listen to him. He’s been unsettled since he got here.

Lukas’ eyes were warm, and a small smile lifted his lips.
You can’t look at me like that, Aria. We’ve stretched Jonas as far as his manners will go. I think if I did what I wanted to you right now, he’d probably kill me on the spot.