The Lycan Hunter (The Gardinian World Series) (38 page)

Kyran looked down to find Alexis at his arm.

“Are you going to stop whoever that is?”

“They always do this when they meet.”

“Who is that?”

“Omar James, Tor to the North African prides.”

ALEXIS LOOKED DOWN
at the male the color of a bar of chocolate,
his long hair braided back from his face. She rolled her eyes internally at
his beauty. What she wouldn
’
t give to be around the average appearance
found in humans. B
eing
the only one not ready to walk in some d
esigner
’
s
fall fashion show grew tiring.

“Later, Ro, I have people to meet,” Omar said as he leapt from
Ronan’s back.

The male was a predator clad in dark washed jeans and a screen tee.

“Yeah, later,” Ronan said as he pulled himself slowly from the
ground. “And I let you win.”

Omar’s rich chuckle sounded as he walked over to Kyran.

“Whatever you say, Ro.” He smiled at Kyran, a knowing glance
shooting to Alexis’ stomach. “Hey, Ky. See you’ve been busy.”

Kyran laughed.
“Yeah, something like that.” He gestured down to
Alexis. “Omar, this is Alexis. Alexis, Omar.”

Alexis shook Omar’s proffered hand. “Hi.”

“Hey. You’re tiny for a Hunter, aren’t you?” He smiled when she grimaced. “I’d bet anything that you’re the most deadly, though.”

She smiled up at him. “What makes you think that?”

“The small ones are always the scrappiest.”

Alexis laughed. “I like you, Tor.”

“Most do.”

Kyran cleared his throat. “Get your own.”

Omar surveyed the rest of the Lycans gathered before he turned his gaze back to them.

“I plan on it,” he said as he nodded to Kyran. “I guess I’ll make my rounds with the rest of them.”

Kyran stepped aside, pulling Alexis with him, while Omar greeted
the rest of the Lycans. It amused Alexis to see that he followed nearly
the same route Kyran had earlier. She watched with heightened interest
as Omar went to meet Derrick and frowned at their exchange. For some
reason, Omar seemed to make a conscious effort to ignore Anise.

Unfortunately for him, his body betrayed him. His broad shoulders
were constantly angled toward her and whether he was aware of it or not
, he would sporadically lean in her direction.

Kyran cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.

“Do you want to go upstairs and relax?” Kyran asked her.

“I’m a little tired, but shouldn’t I be here?”

Though it was just days before the wedding, there was still so much
that needed to be done. Getting married in the Lycan tradition was far
from simple. Over the next few days, various rituals and ceremonies
would be performed before the actual wedding day in four days
’
time.

“We aren’t doing anything tonight. I had everyone come early so
that they could relax before everything that has to take place over the
next few days. I also needed to give Omar some time to get here.”

“
Why
’
d you invite Derrick, by the way? I mean, neither of you like
each other.”

“That
’
s because Derrick makes it hard to like him. You see how
he acts, like basic decency is beneath him.” He sighed and darted his attention back to the room to see the interaction between Derrick and
Omar. “I invited him in case Omar couldn
’
t make it. I need a rep from
each Lycan group when we go to meet the Hunters to end the war.”

“Oh,” she said her tone slightly happier. “Can we send him home?”

Kyran snorted. “I wish, but he
’
s here now, so we all have to suffe
r for it.”

“Sounds like fun. I think I will go to bed.”

“Chicken.”

“I choose to call it preparation. I have to deal with him for at least
four more days, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So I’m preparing to deal with him from here on out. If I don’t, I might find myself stabbing him.”

“It’s bad form, but I just might let you.”

Alexis laughed and began heading up the stairs. “See you later. Try not to strangle the guests.”

He smiled up at her. “I’ll try.”

Kyran watched Alexis until she crossed the threshold to their
bedroom before he turned his attention back to those who were gathered
.
Luke and Ronan had disappeared, but both had a thing for visual
entertainment, so he’d anticipated their eventual disappearance. Omar
and the others were gathered in a loose circle, sharing lighthearted
conversation.

Time to play host
, he thought.

He went to stand by Liam and Justin. “I don’t know if any of you would like to see your rooms, but they are ready when you are.”

Each one of the visiting Lycans had been given a room on the main
floor, in the
opposite wing
from where he and his pack currently occupied.
Upon their arrival, their bags had been taken to their rooms by a few of the male guards on team four.

Everyone began to file down the hall, finding their rooms by the
decorative plaques with their names on them hanging from the handles.
Kyran tapped Omar’s arm and nodded for him to follow him to his study.

Once inside, with the door solidly closed between them and the rest
of the house, Kyran briefly studied his friend.

For a long time, Kyran had worried about him, especially when
Omar left the States soon after Arik made his journey into the arms of
Gardas. The uncontrolled, freshly-trained Rocky that Omar had once
been, stood calm and relaxed in front of him, but Kyran wasn’t stupid
.
Omar carried a low-level of aggression about him that likely helped
him take over the North African prides in the short amount of time he’d
been there.

“How have things been going in Egypt?”

“As well as can be expected. Rebuilding a nation can take time.
The Alesers didn’t suffer as much as the humans did.”

“That’s good to hear.”

They lapsed into a brief silence. Kyran had a question he wanted to ask, but the context gave him pause.

Omar smiled at him. “You want to know what I think about Derrick
and Anise, don’t you?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

“Derrick is Derrick. As for the female, she’s hiding who and what
she is from Derrick.”

“Any idea what?”

Omar shrugged. “She’s a Rocky, that much is true, but I’ve never seen her before today. I don’t know what to make of the way she acts
around Derrick; it could be nothing more than she actually has thoughts
of her own, and Derrick can’t handle any opinions that differ from
his own.”

“There is that.” He smiled at Omar. “Seems like I’m interrogating
you, sorry. I just like to keep a heads up – ”

“In case shit goes off the rails?” Omar offered.

“Exactly.”

“I have no intention of causing you any problems. You know that,
Ky. I like peace as much as the next Lycan.” He shrugged. “Besides, if I wanted turmoil, I would have stayed at home.”

“Humans aren’t a fair fight,” Kyran said with a laugh.

“True, but you know how Alesers are, especially the males.”

“No different than any other Lycan males, I would guess.”

“That’s true, although some are more civilized than others.”

There was a knock at the door, but Kyran could tell by scent who
it was. “
Come in,
” he called towards the door. “It
’
s just Ronan and
Alexis,” he said to Omar.

The two walked in, Ronan taking the seat next to Omar and Alexis
going to perch on Kyran’s lap.

“Are you talking about his attraction to Anise?” Ronan asked.

Kyran looked at Omar with an arched brow, but Alexis snickered
.

“You didn’t know?” she asked.

Kyran looked back her. “How did you know?”

“Body language.” She looked across the desk at Omar. “So you
like her, don’t you?”

After a short exhale, Omar gave a short nod.

“If only it were that easy, Omar. I know you, remember?” Ronan
said. “You have liked a few females, but from what I heard, you tolerated
Derrick
’
s presence for longer than necessary. Nobody tolerates Derrick
’
s
presence longer than absolutely necessary.”

Omar rose and went to the door. After a quick peek into the hall he closed the door and turned back to the room.

“I lied to you earlier, Ky.”

“About what?”

“Me causing you problems.”

“How bad is it going to get, Omar?”

“If at all possible, it won’t be bad at all. Nothing will happen this week, if I can avoid it.” His hands balled into fists. “I’m not prepared for a war, but I won’t back down from a fight.”

“Fight? Over what?”

Alexis laughed
.
“This explains so much.”
She gently stoked
a hand
across Kyran’s arm until he focused on her. “It took you how long to realize that you could See me?”

Kyran jerked his attention back to Omar. “Anise…Anise is yours?”

“Yeah.”

“
And you want me to believe that you aren
’
t going to do anything
about it?”

“
I can’t. Whatever I do now would only be temporary. She wouldn
’
t
be safe with just a temp fix.”

“So what are your long term plans? You know yet?”

Omar shook his head. “I have some ideas, but nothing concrete, and nothing you need to worry about.”

Ronan shifted in his seat. “I’m not speaking for Ky, but if you need
me, you know where I’ll be. Well, as long as it doesn’t interfere with anything I have to do with the pack.”

“If he ends up needing you, you’ll go,” Kyran said.

Omar rolled his shoulders, stretching to rid the tension in them.

“I’m not a cub, and Derrick isn’t a real threat.”

“Don
’
t turn down help before you know exactly what you
’
ll need,”
Kyran said as he ran his hand over Alexis’ stomach.

Omar just nodded as he watched Kyran
’
s hand on Alexis
’
belly.
Kyran caught the momentary gaze. Apparently, Alexis did, too, because
she beat him the question he wanted to ask.

“What are you going to do about the baby?”

“I’m not that much of a lion,” Omar said with a laugh. “The child
would live, happy, healthy, and loved.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Don
’
t worry about it.” Omar said waving off her apology. “
I don’
t
take everything that serious.”

“Good to know,” Alexis said.

Kyran spoke some more on the subject before a yawn from Alexis r
eminded everyone that it was getting late. Omar and Ronan left to go get Luke and delve into their own version of debauchery. Kyran
led Alexis back to their room and tucked her into the bed she had
obviously been in.

He took a shower, brushed his teeth, and climbed in the bed, pulling
Alexis against him.

“Goodnight, Alexis.”

Silence greeted him. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he felt a
bump against his hand where it rested on her lower stomach. He tried
not to panic, to ignore what should be impossible, but he couldn’t.

He rolled onto his back, lacing his hands behind his head. Kyran
focused well into the twilight hours on what the movement of his unborn
at such an early stage in development could mean. None of it was good
.
After a frustrating round of circular thoughts, Kyran drifted off to sleep,
the dread of his possible reality etched in his dreams.

ALEXIS WOKE UP
the next morning with a rumbling stomach. Kyran
wasn’t in the bed, and peering across the room at the clock, she saw
that it was barely after eight. She stretched out on the bed, splaying
her arms across the width of the bed.

A piece of paper grazed her arm and she grabbed it.

Alexis,

Take your time this morning. You
’
ll need the rest. It
’
s going to be a long
day. If you
’
re hungry, call the kitchen, and they
’
ll bring something up for you.
The Tyllaga will take place this afternoon at four. – Kyran

The Tyllaga was the formal proposal that took place before the
wedding and performed in front of those who would later bear witness
at the wedding. The details in the Doctrine of Liflasir said that gifts
were exchanged as a means of acceptance of the impending nuptials.

Alexis didn’t need anything more than the proposal Kyran had
already given her, despite his claims that it could have used more effort.
She could do without a formal proposal, the extra effort and expense for people who didn’t know her, but this was part of Kyran’s culture
and she wouldn’t ask him to set aside an important part of himself
simply because she didn’t want to be bothered.