The Great Wolf: A Legacy of Kilkenny Novel Book Three (The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga) (16 page)

I didn’t expect anything like this to happen today.  “It
sounds like it’s all figured out.   So, you’d still be affiliated with us but
you’d be the boss and live in Ireland?”

“That’s a brilliant idea, Parker,” Dolly says.  “We’ve
encouraged you in the past to consider having your own pack.  It would be good
for you and your family.  You’ve been a leader for so long, it shouldn’t be
hard to recruit some people for you.”

“You’re right, Mom, Parker will make a good leader.  It
would be beneficial to have someone here we can trust.  What’s your timeline,
Parker?”  Pru asks.  She’s fidgeting with the strings on her windbreaker.  She
likes to find something to distract her from over thinking something.

“Sapphire and I would like to do it within the next six
months.  We’ll make sure we find you people that can fill the gaps before we
leave.  Ruby wants to come with us too.  That would interfere with the horse
lessons we give to the kids in the community.  Sapphire thinks she has someone
who can come in and teach the kids though.  We don’t want you to worry.  I’ll
help with the screening of the new thirty members so you won’t have to do it
alone.”

Pru cocks her head to the side.  “Hello, am I chopped liver
over here?  I am the beta after all.”

“Yes you are, you’re also young and have other things going
on in your life,” Parker replies.  “Besides, I have a few things to teach you
too, little Miss Pru.”

She rolls her eyes at him.

“Okay, that sounds like a plan,” I say.  “I’ll support you
all the way.  The General would be proud of you.  I want to discuss something
else.  As you’re aware, Bryon has been one of my best friends over the last
three years.  He’s really tight with Shaynie.  We always send them together on
trips.  Do you think he knows anything about what Shaynie was involved in?  The
Council interrogated him, but have we?  I hate to consider him being part of
her plan, but we can’t be over cautious right now.”  Everyone except Brianna
shakes their head no.

“I’m sorry, but it’s a real possibility.   He was running
errands for her, he may not even realize that he knows anything.  Playing
devil’s advocate here, if Shaynie knew you could hear thoughts then she might
not have told him her plans.  Not  everyone is perfect though, she may have let
something slip,” Brianna says without holding anything back. 

Pru taps her fingernails on the mahogany table.  “You’re
right, he might not realize he knows anything.  We should question him
together.  You might be more than just a pretty face,” Pru says to Brianna.

The room went from easy and relaxed, to tension filled. 
“Why
did you just insult her?”
 I think to Pru.

“I didn’t insult her, I complimented her.  She’ll need to
toughen up if that gets under her skin.”

“Even though you’re pissed at Shaynie, don’t take it out
on Brianna,”
I scold.

Dolly sensed there was a conversation going on, so she
started talking about her run this morning.

****************

“What was that all about?  I’m more than a pretty face? 
She should look in the mirror,”
Brianna thinks on our elevator ride up to
my room. 

“She didn’t mean anything, don’t worry,”
I wrap my
arms around her and kiss her forehead.

We’re the only ones on the elevator so I’m not sure why
we’re not talking out loud.

There’s fifteen minutes before meeting everyone for the run.
The walls are closing in, the room is warm, too warm.  Oakley’s cologne
forcefully reminds me that we’re missing one of our own.  A sense of despair
washes over me.

“Don’t worry, Abel.  Everything will work out.”  She steps
closer to me, closing the gap between us.  She wraps her arms around my waist
and rests her head against my chest. 

I wrap my arms around her and crush her against me.  For a
moment, we stand there in a tight embrace.

“Abel?” She says breathless.

“Yes,” I reply.

“You’re kinda squeezing the air out of me,” she replies.

I loosen up my hold on her and she sighs in relief.  The
next thing you know, we’re both laughing.

“I’m sorry I almost hugged you to death,” I laugh.

“It would have been a great way to die…..who am I kidding? 
I thought I was going to pass out,” she giggles.

I lean in and kiss her throat right at the base in the
little hollow part of her neck.  My hands are tangled in her hair as she leans
back, her feet are barely on the floor as I hold her.  I’m stronger than her
and hungry for her touch.  In that very moment, my life is clear with her by my
side.  I see us laughing and raising little Storms of our own.

A moan escapes her mouth and vibrates against my lips as I
kiss her up and down her throat.

I hear laughter in the hallway outside our door.  It sounds
like Sapphire and Storm having a Storm-cracks-me-up moment.  He says the
craziest things that leave us all speechless at times.

I reluctantly relax my hold on Brianna.  Her eyes meet
mine.  I take her hand and walk her over to the mirror.  We both see it plain
as day on our faces and eyes. 

A light rapping at the door reminds me that we have company.

Sapphire’s shocked look embarrasses me a little.  It isn’t
like we’re little kids, we’re going to be husband and wife.  We’re both over 18. 
So what if I get turned on when my girlfriend kisses me.  That little speech
does nothing to erase the fact that I was caught getting sexy with my girl.

“Am I interrupting?” Sapphire tries to ask with a straight
face.

“Grow up,” I tease back.  “We’re on our way down.  Give me
two seconds.”

“Your eyes are creepy,” Storm says.

“Thanks, I think you’re creepy,” I say and rustle his hair.

Storm puts his hands on his hips and gives me his serious
stare.  “One day, you’re going to wish you were nicer to the cute kid.”

“I’m sorry, forgive me?”

“Never,” Storm says with a wink.  “Did you know I have an
Olympic Gold Medal?  I’m cooler than you.”

“I think so too.  Let me get Brianna so we can go turn into
wolves.  Stand guard with your mom.”

“Roger that.  I don’t know what that means, but I saw it on
TV.  Shake your tail,” he bends over and shakes his butt.  “Mom always says
that to me.”

I laugh and turn around.

Brianna is sitting on the edge of the bed sending a text. 
“Storm is cute.  I’m just sending a text to Violet to tell her to meet us
downstairs.”

“Are you okay?”  I hold out my hand.  Her hand is small in
mine, even so, her grip is strong.

“I’m good.  Let’s go run.”

****************

Patrick is downstairs with two of his pack-mates waiting by
the fireplace.  We do introductions and head to the bunkhouse to shift.  It
hadn’t occurred to me until now, that this is my first run as the alpha. 

Parker takes Storm and Bryon with him to check the
perimeters.  The rest of the pack will run in a loose circle around Brianna and
me.  Pru and Dolly will flank us as we run to fight off any intruders.  Since
Patrick is a guest, he’ll run in the inner circle and the people he brought
with him will run with the outer circle.

Twenty minutes into the run, Patrick breaks the silence.  “
There’s
a rumor your girl Shaynie fled.  Is it so?”

“Yes, she disappeared last night.  Is there any
information about her disappearance?”

Patrick hesitates before responding. 
“Look, I know we
got off with a bad start when I flew out to Oklahoma.  It was to assure you had
the proper training, nothing else.  Either way,  I’ve been hired by the Council
to find out what happened the other day.  With Shaynie playing a vanishing act
she just made herself look bad in their eyes.  Oakley’s a good guy.  He’s never
caused any problems and seems to have his shit together.  What I’m wanting from
you is a view into your memory.  I want to see what you saw when you arrived at
the warehouse.  Since the Council members aren’t werewolves, they can’t see
into our memories.  I have a special power, I can share my memories with other
supernaturals.”

“
Everyone split and run for fun.  We’ll be trapped on a
plane on our way home, release your energy now!”
I think to the pack. 
“How
will it benefit Oakley.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d do anything for him, but why
delve into my memory?”

“When we go back to remember something, we don’t always
remember it accurately.  With me going into your memory, it’s like being there
and experiencing the same situation.” 

“After breakfast, come to my room.” 
 I catch Brianna
staring off into the woods.  I wonder if I’m putting her through too much too
fast. 

“We’re bringing in a Necromancer, they should be here
around lunchtime,”
Patrick admits.

“A necro-what?”

“Necromancer, a person who can raise the dead.”

“Oh yeah, why wouldn’t there be a zombie resurrector on
stand-by?  Let me guess, they’re from New Orleans.”
Anything to do with
death comes from New Orleans.

“No, she’s from right here in Kilkenny.  She only takes a
few cases a year, we’re lucky to have her.”

“Why do you need this necro-person?”

“She’s going to raise one of the people killed to find
out how they died.  She’ll bring them to life and I’ll delve into their
memory.  Most risen people don’t have the ability to talk.  It all depends on
how long they’ve been dead.”

“With all respect Patrick, we know how they died,” I
say. 

“It will shed light as to who killed them.  If it works,
your man Oakley will be exonerated. One last thing….one of my pack members
would like to join your pack.”

 “Who?”

“Biggs.”

Biggs is a well known wolf.  I’ve never met him, but Dolly
talks of him fondly.  I’m not sure how I feel about having an O’Connell in my
pack. 
“Tell him to apply, I can’t promise anything, but it’s a good
possibility.”

“Hmmm.  I sure hope Oakley will be out to help you find
the new members.  Did they set a wedding date yet?”
  His words are dripping
with honey but the meaning was crystal clear. 

“You didn’t just threaten me did you?”

“No sir.  I was just saying I hope Oakley is out in time.”

He tries to pass in front of me, in an attempt at showing me
he’s an alpha.  My wolf gnarls at him and I nip at his hind quarter causing him
to fall back in line.  Instinct kicks in for Pru and she barks in protest. 
Before I have a chance to call everyone off, the pack is circling around us. 

Patrick’s wolf is surprised.  His hackles go up and he
hunches back in an attack mode.  I match his snarl and hold my ground.  Before
I can register another wolf coming our direction, it leaps in front of me and
pounces.

The wolf jumps onto Patrick’s back and tries to go for a
death-grip on his throat.  The grey wolf is fearless as he goes up against the
alpha of the O’Connell Pack.

From the woods leaps another wolf, his black coat
unmistakable. 

“STORM! STOP! NOW!”
  I yell as sternly as I can at
the grey wolf on Patrick’s back.  Sapphire and Parker are yelling at him too.

Patrick shakes the small wolf off his back and pins him to
the ground locked in his jaw. 

Parker is about to lose his cool and we’re about to start a
war with the Irish wolves.

“Patrick, release him now!”
I demand.  He looks up at
me and holds my gaze.  I narrow my eyes at him and snarl as loud as I can.  In
less than five seconds, he lowers his head and drops down to his stomach.  The
first act of me enforcing my power against another wolf.  I’ve just made him
submit to my will.  Patrick whimpers lightly, against his will, I’m sure.

The black wolf steps forward and picks Storm up by the
scruff.  I would hate to be around for that scolding.  Parker is going to
ground him for life plus an additional ten years.  Sapphire eases her way next
to Parker to help ease his wolf. 

“I’m going to cut my run short and take this little
numbskull back to the hotel,”
Parker thinks to me.

“Have fun,”
I reply.

I want to laugh but I have Pru in my brain telling me not to
show any weakness, especially one for a child. 

“Abel! Abel!  Did you see me?  I beat that alpha up! Are
you proud?”
Storm thinks to me.  He’s not able to talk in wolf without his
parents hearing him.  Dolly says it will be that way until he’s eight. 

Sapphire nudges him with her nose to keep walking.

“Go with your parents, that wasn’t a nice way to treat
our guest.”

“Ugh, I know….but I was a super-wolf.  I know, I
know….gotta go face the music for my actions.  Bye-bye Playstation.”

I nod at Patrick to stand and apologize for the
misunderstandings of a child.  He assures me there wasn’t any harm done.  He
said he’d probably try to recruit Storm when he’s grownup to work for him.  I
ask everyone to leave Brianna and me so we can run undisturbed for fifteen
minutes.

****************

Her wolf is graceful as she runs between two trees.  Her
steps are almost silent along the forest floor as she pads along the frozen
ground.  I’m mesmerized at the sight of her beauty.  She’s lost in her head as
she navigates around the grounds and I’m content to follow her.

My pack is everywhere, I smell each one of them hiding along
the clearings edge.  They’re respecting our privacy without leaving us
unprotected.  I pretend not to notice although it makes me feel silly having
people guarding me everywhere I go.

Brianna stops near a manmade pond and sits down.  I take my
place next to her and we watch as the morning sun begins to appear along the
horizon.  Since we’ve been in Ireland the sun has hidden behind overcast skies. 
This is my first sunrise without the gloomy ambiance of cloud-cover.  Humans
say animals are colorblind, but I’m not.  The rich purples and pinks the sun is
casting out over the pond are breathtaking.