Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack (Siren Publishing Classic) (38 page)

“Uh, right, okay.” He pulled out Tawny’s chair for her. “I’ll leave you then.” He kissed his sister on the cheek and turned away, trying to get his arousal under control.

* * * *

Julianna savored Jeff’s presence like the heat of a small sun. The scent of his desire burned her, even from where he stood waiting for the ceremonies to begin. She’d wanted to throw herself into his arms when she came in but told herself she could wait until after the ceremony. Her body didn’t agree, but she’d managed to walk away.

Think about something else or everyone is going to scent your arousal!

Like Jeff’s impromptu visit to her mother. It was sweet and considerate and just plain nice. Her heart swelled, and she fought back tears of joy. She’d come full circle in this crazy dance. She stood, dressed up, in the garden under the twinkling lights of the tents, waiting for her future to bloom before her. But this time, she’d chosen the outcome.

“Are you sure you want us in your cadre if you’re chosen?” Jennilynn asked for the sixth time. “We’re only low-level betas. There’re many other betas with more experience who favor you.”

“You’re both, what, twenty-eight years old?”

The women nodded.

“You’re the only betas other than Tawny Lightfoot who spoke to me the first evening I became a packmember. I value that kind of friendly kindness.”

“Well, we liked you the moment we scented you.” Marybeth blushed. “You smelled right.”

“What do you mean, ‘smelled right’?”

“Uh, well…” Marybeth’s blush deepened.

“What she means is she can scent when someone is right for something.” Jennilynn rolled her eyes at her sister.

“Really?” Julianna turned her gaze to Marybeth.

Marybeth shrugged self-consciously. “Oh, it’s just this weird sense of rightness about people. Everything just smells ‘good’ or ‘settled’. It’s hard to explain.”

Julianna was impressed. “That’s a very useful talent.”

“It would be if it worked for me, but it only works for other people.” MaryBeth grimaced. “I have to muddle along on my own like everyone else. Except they have me.”

“Yet another reason to have you in my cadre. It seems like a very good skill to have available when problems crop up. Perhaps you could help determine if someone might help or hurt the pack.”

MaryBeth looked thoughtful. “I guess. I’ve never tried that before.”

“You might get the opportunity if I’m chosen Luna. Would you be willing?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. It seems like a big responsibility.”

“Please think on it and let me know what you decide. Regardless, I’d still like you both in my cadre.” Julianna took a hand of each woman and squeezed gently.

“We’d be honored, Mistress Julianna,” they said together without hesitation. Relief hit Julianna.
Thank the Lady Moon they agreed
. She couldn’t imagine them outside of her inner circle.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to begin.” Richard’s voice boomed out over the assembly. Julianna nodded to her friends and found her seat.

She found Sebrina seated on her left, and unease flickered. The Paiute woman looked old, far older than Julianna had ever seen her. She wore sadness like a mantle over her shoulders. Julianna’s ego wanted to shout,
it’s her own damn fault
, but her heart knew better.

Holding on to anger over something that can’t be changed is the epitome of stupidity.

Could she forgive Sebrina?

Yes
, her Sister said.

Putting her words into action, Julianna reached out and grasped the older woman’s hand under the table as she sat down. Sebrina looked over at her in surprise, and Julianna gave her a compassionate smile, squeezing her hand to convey her forgiveness. Sebrina studied her a long time, her gaze measuring Julianna’s body language. After several seconds, she squeezed back and turned her attention to the Alpha. The older Moon Singer’s scent shifted. Relief filtered through her sorrow, and she took a deep breath.

Julianna let out her own inner sigh of relief.

“Tonight is a great night for us all.” Richard gestured to the crowd. “To our honor and delight, we have three Luna candidates who have passed all Seven Leadership Tests. Please join me up here for all to see. In alphabetical order: Brenda Tiffany Solaris, Cameron Elizabeth Winthrop, and Julianna Sarah Morris.”

Julianna rose with the others, her heart swelling with excitement. Sebrina gave her an encouraging smile, and she followed the others as they strode to the dais. She stood to Cameron’s left with her head up. She’d earned her place, and looked forward to the game.
Whatever happens after Jeff chooses me, it’ll be exciting
.

“Your candidates for Luna.” Richard stepped back, and polite applause washed through the audience. Still, Julianna soaked up the excitement emanating from her fellow candidates.

“Now, as is the custom, the Successor will choose the best female for his mate from the three candidates.”

Richard stepped down from the dais, and Jeff strode into his place, his expression tense and watchful. Julianna’s awareness riveted on him, and she rolled her shoulders to loosen them, keeping her eyes trained on her male. Jeff’s primal virility sang through her mind, and her body reacted to his presence by tightening.

Everywhere.

The crowd hushed, and a shriek boiled beneath her serene exterior in response to the tension building in the garden. She clenched her jaw on her voice and tried to breathe normally, but her heart raced as Jeff stalked toward them, his eyes hot and feral. She felt wetness coat her nether lips and hoped no one would notice in all the excitement.

Jeff paced around them, orbiting them to inspect every physical aspect. Julianna heard him breathing deeply, taking in their scents for comparison. He never paused in his measured strides, constantly circling them. Julianna tried to keep calm, but her heart thundered with his nearness, and her nipples hardened to tight little points. His eyes snapped to hers, and he growled low in his throat, but he didn’t stop his circuit.

Brenda smiled at him expectantly and wiggled a little with her excitement. Julianna would have laughed if the erotic tension rising around them hadn’t stolen her focus. Cameron’s smile became seductive, and she whined softly, her body undulating as if her dress encased her body too tightly. Julianna wanted to snap at the other two.
He’s my Mate, and I’ll be damned if either of you bitches touch him!

She heard another low growl and realized it had come from her. The sound was full of warning, and Jeff’s gaze returned to her, his eyes flaring with lust and dominance. Julianna’s canines elongated in her mouth, but she kept her lips firmly shut in a tight smile. She raised her chin in challenge, and his shoulders tensed, but he kept up his mesmerizing revolutions.

At last, he stopped directly in front of the candidates, and Julianna realized all of them panted as if they’d been the ones circling their prey. Jeff looked them all over with his blazing golden eyes, and Julianna shivered with every stroke of his gaze. She saw Brenda’s body freeze in anticipation and heard Cameron’s soft excited exhalation. Julianna could barely hold herself still.

Jeff had built the tension up so tight Julianna was ready to jump out of her skin. His hot gaze stopped on each female, but when he met Julianna’s eyes, satisfaction filled his expression, and he shifted his body until he faced her alone. When he reached for her hands, excitement, electricity, and hot desire shot through her, while disappointed whines erupted from the other females. Julianna’s nipples felt like they’d cut through her bodice, and she desperately wanted to rub them against his chest until they relaxed.

His nostrils flared, and his smile heated.

“I, Jefferson Mac Lightfoot, Successor of the Callowwood Pack, choose you, Julianna Sarah Morris, as my Luna.” Jeff’s eyes smoldered with his burning passion. “I choose you to be my strength in times of conflict, my compassion in times of strife, my wisdom in times of uncertainty. I choose you to be the mother of my pups and the pack’s Guardian of the Stories.”

Energy swirled around them, fed by the anticipation of the crowd and the vows Jeff had spoken. Julianna felt buoyed up by it, and her response burst from her with a brilliant grin, exposing her long canines.

“I, Julianna Sarah Morris, daughter and last descendent of Ho’a’tote, the First Canid, accept the position of Luna of the Callowwood Pack, to stand beside you in strength, compassion and wisdom, to bear your pups and to keep the stories alive in the pack’s memory.”

Amazement rippled through the crowd. Mouths gaped and eyes widened while whispers floated in the still air. The tension reached a crescendo. Julianna’s blood thundered through her veins, and her hands tingled. Jeff stared at her hungrily, his eyes full of triumph, and he trembled in an effort to keep his motions smooth. His jaw clenched as he dragged her away from the others and turned to face the audience.

“I give you Julianna Morris Lightfoot, future Luna of the Callowwood Pack!” Jeff’s joy rang clear for all to hear.

The pack exploded into cheers and applause, the excitement and jubilation rising in a roar. Dishes and cutlery jangled as people pounded on the tables like in old Viking times, and howls split the night as elation spread through the ranks.

The sharp scent of disappointment filled Julianna’s nose as the other two candidates left the dais to return to their seats. Brenda tore off her wolf’s head token and threw it to the floor in a fit of furious disappointment. Cameron quietly removed her token and solemnly handed it to Richard. Julianna caught the scent of unbridled fury, but when she turned her head to chase it, the scent faded. She shrugged it away.

“Jeff, can I choose my cadre right now, or should I do it in private?”

He looked at her, and lust flared in his eyes. She shivered with the promise of pleasure to come, but he reined it in with effort.

“You’re Alpha now, my sweet Lupine. You can do anything you wish.”

“Well, not anything.” She grimaced. “You’re Alpha, and you weren’t allowed to touch me until tonight, remember?”

“I seem to remember touching you a little,” he whispered, his eyes full of wicked humor.

She bit her bottom lip and blushed.

“Go ahead and name your cadre tonight.”

“Thanks.”

He chastely kissed her cheek and stepped behind her, his hands resting on her hips as she turned to face the audience. Pleasure zinged through her from the heat in his hands, but she focused and raised her hands to catch the audience’s attention.

“I thank you all for your acceptance and approval of me as your Luna.” A whistle broke the silence, and she grinned a triumphant smile. “It’s a great honor for me, and I’m grateful. In particular, I must thank Sebrina Westwind for patiently teaching me all the stories of our People, especially those of my family. She taught me there’s more to being a Moon Singer than the family that raised me or the hardships that influenced past choices.”

Julianna inclined her head deeply to Sebrina, and the older woman’s expression filled with gratitude. Applause thundered around them, and Jeff’s hands tightened on her hips as the scent of his approval flowed past her.

“I recently learned the value of having loyal friends at my back, and I chose my cadre based on that lesson. I want you all to be aware of the exceptional packmembers who have won my gratitude and friendship.”

Julianna paused and thought carefully. The order of the names would correspond to the rank the cadre members held for the rest of her tenure as Luna.

“Tawny Lightfoot, for her wisdom and understanding of the rules and protocols of the pack.”

Applause, less thunderous now, danced among the members of the pack. Tawny rose to her feet and picked her way to the dais where Julianna stood, her eyes sparkling. Jeff released Julianna’s hips and stepped back. Julianna missed the heat of his touch, but she focused on Tawny’s approach as a distraction.

Tawny stopped before Julianna and bowed her head to her Luna. Then she turned her back on Julianna, facing the audience with composure and serenity. Julianna spied a fine tremor ripple through Tawny’s muscles, a telltale sign of her jubilation. Julianna bit back a grin.

“Marybeth and Jennilynn Grayhound, for their friendship and unswerving loyalty.”

The twins rose and strode to where Tawny stood, their faces showing their unabashed pleasure at being named part of the new Luna’s cadre. They, too, bowed their heads to Julianna then faced the crowd at Tawny’s left.

“Woody Scatterstone, for his cool head under pressure and his complete honesty.”

Silent surprise greeted her announcement as Woody sauntered out of the crowd and stopped before Julianna, his eyes bright and full of feral joy. He bowed his head, but never dropped her gaze, before he spun in place and stood beside Jennilynn. His scent radiated sheer triumph and satisfaction.

Julianna suspected her choice of an omega member turned tradition on its ear and would elevate Woody to a low-level beta. She didn’t care. He deserved the honor. She’d been surprised to learn Tommy Scatterstone was his younger brother. They looked nothing alike, and Woody had a much better attitude.