The Lunam Ceremony (Book One) (31 page)

Layla looks impressed. “So who has access to the food?” She looks genuinely interested.

“The council has keys.” I reach around the kitchen door to the hook where the keys are. I hold them up for Layla to see. I explain the log and signing out food. “It keeps us all accountable.”

Layla nods with a sly smile on her face. “And what if someone abuses the rules and takes food for themselves. Are they punished?”

“No, geez. It’s just an honor system.” What does she want me to do, tie them to a tree and starve them out?

“If only council members have keys, and they aren’t punished for taking extra food, then why bother? I mean, the betas are still only getting what you allow them.” Layla makes a huge point. I never looked at it like that.

“Except I left a spare key under a mat at the cabin, so the others can have access anytime they want.” Checkmate.

Layla nods in consideration. I can’t tell if she thinks it’s brilliant or utterly pointless.

“Look, you didn’t come here to talk about food distribution,” I say to her. “So, what is really going on?”

Layla admits that she was worried after our call last night. “I know the family you were with. The Lariats have ties to the Shasta pack that go back for generations. They’re like a halfway house for half-breeds.”

I think about the only tie I care about.

“Did you meet any of them? Deb said it was her niece’s birthday.” She raises an eyebrow to me. We both know the importance of the milestone, but it doesn’t mean anything to half-breeds since they don’t phase. Except some do.

Layla sees the acknowledgment on my face. “Kalysia, did you see something?” She stands and comes towards me. I spin around and go into the kitchen so she doesn’t see the lie on my face. “Honey, you can tell me.” She turns on her sweet voice. “I’ve heard rumors; I know Shastas are keeping something from the rest of the pack. It’s something to do with the half-breeds who mate with purebloods.”

She knows, which means Lowell and Monte must know. They are her only source of information. I can’t tell her I saw Jase phase. I don’t know what they will do to him if they find out. Lowell hates half-breeds; he thinks they are a threat. He will kill Jase.

“Kalysia, listen to me.” Layla grabs my arm. “If you saw something, someone phase, you have to tell me. I need to report it. I just want…”

“It wasn’t Lacy,” I blurt out. Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that, but I don’t want them harassing Lacy. She’s so sweet and shy. She isn’t a threat to anyone.

Layla’s grip tightens. “What did you see? I need to know.” Her words bounce off the walls of the kitchen. “Who was it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them in human form.” I focus on the cabinet behind Layla’s head. It’s the only way I can keep a steady face while I lie to her. “I phased and I saw someone in the woods.” An image of Jase’s naked body glistening in the moonlight pops into my head. It takes amazing self-control not to sigh. “I never saw who it was, I just know it was a male.” I think about Dillan so my face doesn’t give anything away. I wonder where he is. If he knows Layla is here. “Does Dillan know you’re here?”

“Of course. Any alpha that comes to camp has to report to the leader, even me.” Layla smirks. She considers the story I’ve just told her and seems to relax. Her eyes search mine for any sign of a lie. I think I’ve pulled it off. “So, how did you know the wolf you saw was a male?”

Damn. Nothing gets past my mother. “Um, I don’t know. I just knew, I guess.” I shrug and turn towards the sink. I pull a clean glass from the cabinet and fill it with water. I drink the whole glass and fill it again. When I turn back to Layla, her eyes are wild with anger.

“Who is he?” Her words come in slow individual sentences. She steps closer to me, like a cobra about to strike, or in my case, a crazy angry she-wolf.

I don’t answer, not with words. My eyes give me away as an unsuspecting tear rolls down my cheek.

“Oh Kalysia, you didn’t?” She places her hands on my shoulders and I flinch. Layla looks wounded by my fear and takes me in her arms. “It’s ok, we can work through this. I just need to know everything.”

I shake my head in her arms. “I can’t tell you. Dillan and Lowell will kill him,” I sob.

“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry. You can trust me.” Layla fills a glass of water for herself and takes a drink. “Ugh. Do you at least have bottled water?”

I reach under the cabinet and pull out a bottle of wine. “These are the only bottles I have.” I crack a wry smile and hand the bottle to Layla.

After gulping down two glasses of wine, I tell Layla everything. I tell her about Gallup Saloon, the snow storm, and how I got on the wrong freeway. I explain how Jase just showed up as if it was destiny, my destiny. I don’t realize I’m twisting the story to sound as if Jase and I were meant to be together until I’m done and I see the way Layla reacts.

“Kalysia, you know you can’t have a life with this boy.”

I roll my eyes and sip my wine. “Then why do I feel so connected to him?”

Layla pats my hand as if I’m a child. “This could be your way of dealing with Dillan and Cassie.” I pull my hand away from her and wrap it around my wine glass. “And, he is a half-breed.” She chokes on the words.

“So.” I sit up boldly. “Just because pureblood blood pumps through my heart, doesn’t mean I can’t love someone like Jase.” What am I saying?

Layla looks like I just slapped her across the face. It takes her a full minute to gain her composure. “You don’t love him,” she says through gritted teeth.

“You don’t know that.”
I don’t even know.
“I don’t even know if I love Dillan.”

Layla’s shoulders relax a bit. “That’s perfectly normal.” She reaches for my hand, and I pull away. “It’s ok to be confused, especially this early on. But you will grow to love him, in your own way.”

“The same way you loved Monte?” My words sting her. “You don’t understand what love is. You didn’t love Monte and you didn’t love Miles. I doubt you even love me.” I feel dizzy from the outburst and realize it’s the alcohol.

Layla stands and walks to the fireplace. Neither of us speak for a while.

I take my glass to the kitchen and dump it in the sink. I had no right to say that to her. I don’t know what she feels or the things she lived with. I barely know who Layla is.

“I only want what’s best for you, Kalysia,” she says softly from the doorway. “Maybe part of me wanted to live through you. I wanted to make sure you made all the right choices, but I never thought about whether they would be
your
choices. I never stopped to ask if you wanted any of this.” She bites her lower lip and swallows back tears. “Nobody ever asked me what I wanted. It was assumed, and I hated it. I think that may be why I matched with Monte. I wanted to make my own decision. I never realized the effect my choices had on other people, my family—my pack.” Layla crosses the room and takes my hands. “Our lives are not our own, I wish it were different, but it isn’t. We have a duty. We have others to take care of.”

“This pack doesn’t need me,” I start to say. Then I think of Rusty and Carrick. I think of how safe they feel here because of me and Dillan.

“They do need you. The alphas in my branch took all the food for themselves and left scraps for the betas. I couldn’t do anything about it because I was a cross-over. No longer Shasta, not really a Sierra.” Layla gains her composure and steps towards me. “That’s why I left. I refused to let them brainwash you into thinking you weren’t as strong, as powerful, as worthy as the others because you are part Shasta. It killed me to leave your father, to leave my family.” I know now why she never shared her stories. I would have never gone to Lunam. “I’m sorry your match didn’t turn out any better than mine. But this is the life you have chosen, Kalysia. You must see it through, and you must produce an heir.” I open my mouth to protest, but Layla won’t let me. “Our only hope to change the way the pack is run, is to gain power. Having a child will give you power. They will be forced to pay your stipend and when the time comes, you will have a spot on the council. We have to have as many people like you, like Monte, on the council as possible. You, Leah, Drake, Dillan, even Rusty—you are the future.”

The thought of being with Dillan makes my stomach hurt. It isn’t that I’m not attracted to him; he’s beautiful, but he’s tainted now. “Isn’t it too late?”

“You still have time.” She takes my hand and pulls me into her arms. “You care for Dillan. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have let him mate with Cassie to appease Lowell. Deep down I think you want to give him a child, you’re just scared.”

She’s right. She’s always right. There is more to it. I’m selfish. I want to do all the childish things Dillan and I planned. I want to zip-line in Cancun and make love in the ruins. I want to kiss him at the top of the Eiffel Tower and eat pizza until we puke in Naples. I want to do all of those things before we have a child. I want to live my own life, something my mother never had a chance to do.

“The Sierras need purebloods more than ever. If the packs merge now, Monte will lose control and things will get bad. Very bad.”

If Shasta takes control with their screwed-up values and backwards thinking, who knows what the future holds for Rusty. What kind of world will Taylor grow up in? Will she be homeschooled and live in a trailer park like Cassie?

“If we can prove their lines are tainted, then the Shastas lose all credibility. Dillan and Cassie’s baby won’t matter because her bloodline will be in question. She didn’t match for a reason; we just have to prove she is not pure.” Layla looks desperate. I wonder if her concern is about the future of the pack, or if she is just worried about Monte. Seeing them in Napa, they looked happy and in love. “Right now only Shasta can prove their half-breeds phase. Sierras turn a blind eye or are just too damn stubborn to accept we have evolved. I spoke to the elder council about the possibility of phasing half-breeds, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They won’t even consider it.”

I need to tell her about the deal Conall made with Lowell. She needs to know what they are up against. Now that we know half-breed Shastas phase, this changes everything. It makes the merge even more likely to fall in Shasta’s favor.

My radio buzzes on the counter and my heart jumps in my throat. Rusty’s voice echoes into the kitchen. “Kalysia, pick up.” He sounds hurried.

Layla goes to the sink for water and fills a glass.

“Go Rusty.”

“Hey, is Layla still with you?” He clicks off and I look at my mom. She looks at me curiously.

“Yeah, why?”

“Looks like we’re about to have a family reunion.” He clicks off and then back on again. “Monte just pulled in.”

“Did you tell him you were coming here?” I scramble to hide the wine bottle and place our glasses in the sink.

“Well, sort of.” Layla bites her cheek, and I realize how alike we are. “I left him a note.”

Oh my God, we are alike. I break into a huge smile. “I love you, Mom.”

We run into the living room. I sit on the sofa while Layla stands, awaiting Monte’s arrival. I don’t know why I feel so nervous. He doesn’t know anything. Yet, my heart is pounding as if Dillan is going to walk in the door.

“What should I say?” I run my hands through my thick hair.

Layla sits beside me and takes my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle him. I’ll make sure he doesn’t know about, uh, what’s the boy’s name?”

“Jase.” I hope telling her isn’t a mistake. He went through great lengths to keep his identity a secret.

“His mother is a half-breed and his father is a pureblood Shasta, right?” Layla seems to be logging all the details in her head. We won’t be able to discuss him once Monte arrives.

“Yes. His aunt Deb told me his mother was a half-breed Shasta and his father was a…” I can’t remember if she said Shasta. “She said his father was a pureblood, I assumed she meant Shasta.”

Layla nods in agreement. “It has to be; no true Sierra would mix with a half-breed Shasta. And he was a tow-truck driver?” She grips her chest at the thought of her daughter with a grease monkey.

“He actually owned the shop where he fixed my car.” I recall the sign on the building, Jase’s Tow and Repair Service.

“How old is this boy?” Layla looks at me disapprovingly.

“He’s only nineteen; he’ll be twenty this summer.”