WERECON 2012: SOLIDARITY HERE, THEN GONE

Exclusive Report for Werewolf Celebrity World by Angela Sapworthy

(Denver) In a small clearing behind Stillman Lodge, Duncan MacDowell became a hero today. For the first time since the conference began, Woofers and Howlers joined forces in support of MacDowell’s courageous battle with suspected hacker Neil Stillman. Dear Readers, the atmosphere was thrilling! This reporter had goosebumps!

Alas, the sense of cooperation didn’t last long. Delegates returned to the lodge and discovered that the mission statement crafted by MacDowell and Kate Stillman has passed. That news was cheered by some and booed by others. Supporters of the mission statement seem evenly split between Howlers and Woofers, as are the detractors.

“Middle-of-the-road delegates and compromisers like Howard Wallace think the mission statement is fine,” commented former Howler supporter Jake Hunter. “But you know what happens when you stand in the middle of the road? You get run over by both sides.”

Jake, whose rugged good looks still get my motor running, was observed in the bar trying to recruit disenchanted Howlers to his new organization, Werewolves Against Random Mating or WARM. Jake says he’s already submitted his resignation to the Were Council, which he claims has “stacked the deck” in favor of Woofer principles.

When asked his opinion about Kate Stillman and HOWL, Jake was refreshingly blunt. “I respect Duncan MacDowell and Kate Stillman, but they’ve become too cozy for my tastes. Kate’s personal involvement with MacDowell renders her HOWL movement irrelevant. WARM is the new standard-bearer for the cause.”

Jake said he may or may not attend the gala scheduled tonight. But this reporter will be there, hoping to see Duncan MacDowell in a kilt! As for Neil Stillman, is he gone for good? Or not? Follow me on Sniffer @newshound for all the news on glitter, glamour, and celebrity sightings!

Duncan staggered through the lighted tunnels and back to his room before the crowd recovered its wits enough to come after him. He was grateful for that, because if they’d wanted to do something symbolic like carry him off the field on their shoulders, he might have passed out. Bloody hell, how he ached. He hoped the pain in his left hind leg was a sprain and not a break.

Kate had told him not to fight Neil, and no doubt he should have listened to her. Now that WOW existed, werewolves had a governing body that could deal with the behavior of renegades like Neil. Choosing to call him out had been a demonstration of the ego Kate had railed about when they’d first met.

Apparently she was right about the size of it, and now he was paying for his overblown sense of honor. Worse yet, she’d almost committed political suicide out there when she’d started toward him. He couldn’t allow her to damage her standing with Howlers because he’d been an idiot.

His phone, which he’d left on his nightstand, had been ringing ever since he’d pushed through the revolving door that led back into his room. He ignored it and stretched out on the floor beside his bed. Shifting back to human form would not be pleasant, but he knew that doing so would help speed the healing.

Gritting his teeth, he shut out the sound of the phone and concentrated on his shift. His leg throbbed, and as the shift moved relentlessly through his body, he felt as if he were being stabbed with hundreds of sharp knives.

After an eternity in which he almost wished Neil had finished him off, he lay naked and trembling on a carpet that was fine, but not the same grade as he’d enjoyed in Kate’s suite. His leg still hurt, but not as much as before he’d shifted. Carefully moving it back and forth, he decided it wasn’t broken.

His phone had stopped ringing, but a second later it started again. Gripping the side of the mattress to steady himself, he rose to his knees, wincing as his battered body protested. He glanced over at the phone.

The light blinked rapidly indicating messages left. It stopped ringing again and beeped as another message was placed on it. Reaching over, he pressed a button to turn the damned thing off. The human in him protested that he needed to respond to those messages, but the wolf in him was stronger, and the wolf wanted to retreat and lick his wounds.

Neil would be doing that, too. Being bested in a fight was one thing. Having an entire group of Weres turn against him was worse. A Were needed community, a pack, an identity. Few thrived as a true lone wolf.

In other words, Duncan’s impulsive challenge had probably created more of a problem than it had solved for the Stillman pack. No wonder Kate had said she’d never forgive him for this. He might have transformed an annoying Were into a dangerous one.

Of course, he also could have killed Neil. But he wasn’t a killer. He couldn’t say the same for Neil, though. That Were would have crippled him or worse if he’d been able to, and his fury would only grow as time went by. Duncan vowed to stay alert during the twelve hours or so he would remain in Colorado.

Rising carefully to his feet, he tested his leg again. Thank God for the healing power of Weres. If he stayed off it as much as possible for a day or so, he should be fine. No more challenging Weres.

He’d brought a pair of sweats along and he took those out of his suitcase and put them on, along with his University of Edinburgh sweatshirt. Better. He was beginning to feel more human again. He smiled at his own little joke.

Checking the time, he thought about the event tonight, the gala ball that was supposed to be the conference’s grand finale. He’d rather miss it, but that would be bloody rude, especially after all the support he’d received from the delegates during that fight. He wouldn’t relish the attention he’d inevitably get, though. He didn’t want to be hailed as a hero when in fact he’d caused the Stillman pack more difficulties in the long run.

Angela Sapworthy would be lying in wait for him, too. She’d be bound to ask that typical question about whether he wore anything under his kilt. As he contemplated that unpleasant thought, a rap sounded at his door.

He hoped he hadn’t somehow conjured her up by thinking about her. Fortunately he had a peep hole in his door and could check to see who was out there. Maybe it was Kate.

His heart beat a rapid tattoo thinking it might be her. If so, he’d fling wide the door, pull her close, and beg her to forgive him for making everything worse with his out-of-control ego. If he could hold her, maybe she would find it in her heart to go easy on him.

He didn’t expect he’d ever be allowed to make love to her again. That would be asking too much. But he would very much like to hold her in his arms one more time before he got on that plane.

To his great disappointment, Kate was not outside his door, but to his great relief, neither was Angela Sapworthy. Instead, he saw Elizabeth, her image distorted by the rounded lens of the peep hole. Even distorted, she managed to look regal.

She’d lifted her hand to rap again when he opened the door, startling her. “Oh! You are here.” She gave him a swift, thorough glance. “And on your feet. That’s an encouraging sign. May I come in?”

“Of course.” He stepped back and she walked into the small room that contained only a bed, one easy chair, two nightstands, and a dresser on which stood his smallish flat screen. He gestured toward the easy chair. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you.” She looked a little less pulled together than usual. Her blonde hair was windblown, her lipstick was gone, and her pale green, wide-legged pants were stained and damp all around the hem. She settled into the chair and surveyed the room. “We should have found you a better one than this.”

“It’s perfectly fine.” He sat on the edge of the bed and faced her. Mentioning that he hadn’t actually spent a night in this room would be indelicate, so he didn’t point that out.

“Howard’s left several messages on your phone. Others have, too.”

“I turned it off. I needed—”

“To hide in a cave for a little while. My mate used to need that, too, after a trying experience of some sort or another, often because of me.” She gazed into the distance with a faint smile as if remembering. “I remembered that and almost didn’t come. But I had to.”

“Why is that?”

“I wanted to apologize,” she said, “and to make certain that you’re not badly injured.”

“I’m not, as you can see. A little soreness in one leg. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m glad.”

“But I’m the one who should be apologizing to you and Kate, and everyone in the Stillman pack. I shouldn’t have challenged him. It was an arrogant and rash decision, and I regret it.”

“You were defending your honor! And Kate’s!”

“That sounds wonderfully noble, doesn’t it? But after what happened out there, you will have a nasty problem on your hands.”

“We’ll deal with my great-nephew.” A hard glint flashed in her eyes. “That’s assuming he dares to come back.”

“I’m afraid he will come back. He’s not going to give up what he had here so easily. He’s liable to be a thorn in your side for a long time, and I regret that more than I can say. I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me.”

Her beautifully arched eyebrows lifted. “You’re asking for my forgiveness? After my interference almost got you killed?”

“Your interference didn’t really change anything. I was prepared to let him go and walk away. The outcome would have been the same, with or without your well-meaning gesture. I was never going to kill him.”

“But you had him by the throat.” Her manicured hand went to her own throat. “I thought…”

“I only wanted him to yield. I thought he had. That would have been enough to satisfy me. He put up a terrible blog that dishonored the Were that I…that dishonored Kate. That deserves some type of punishment, but certainly not the death penalty. At least not in this century it doesn’t.” And he’d almost let something slip, something he’d barely acknowledged to himself. He hoped she wouldn’t notice.

Of course she did. “Dishonored the Were that you…what, Duncan? What did you start to say?”

He looked away from those blue eyes that were eerily like Kate’s. Elizabeth saw too much, guessed too much. And why wouldn’t she? She’d been there for his primitive demonstration of how a male Were, especially a Scots Were, defends the honor of his chosen female.

Except that Kate was not his chosen female. Or more precisely, he was not her chosen male. In addition to disagreeing with all he stood for, she’d quite rightly forbidden him to fight Neil. He’d done it anyway, and she’d said she’d never forgive him for that.

True, she’d started toward him after the fight as if to make sure he was all right, but that had been pure reflex on her part, the action of a naturally compassionate Were. If she’d had time to consider, she wouldn’t have done it.

“I know you care for her,” Elizabeth said gently.

“Of course I do.” He met her understanding gaze. “She’s wonderful, but I don’t have to tell you, do I? You’ve known her all her life, and I’ve known her for a weekend.” He paused and shook his head. “It feels like so much longer.”

Elizabeth smiled. “It usually does when you fall in love.”

That sentence floated in the air between them as he tried to decide how he should respond. He should deny that he was in love with Kate, but Elizabeth wouldn’t believe him if he did. So in the end, after a long pause, he let out a breath. “Yes, I suppose so.”

She looked triumphant. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Not much to do, is there? We don’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything. And then I go and complicate her life by fighting her cousin. I’m sure she can hardly wait to get rid of me. Oh, and that’s another thing. I’ll hire a cab to go back to the airport in the morning, in case you had any idea of asking her to be the chauffeur again.”

Elizabeth sighed and leaned back in the chair. “Are you seriously planning to leave the country without telling her how you feel?”

He looked her straight in the eye. “Yes, Elizabeth, that’s exactly my plan. And I would greatly appreciate it if you would keep this entire conversation to yourself.”

She didn’t like that answer. Her mouth flattened into a thin line.

“Do we have an understanding on that?”

“Oh, I suppose.” She gave him a frustrated glare. “But it was all going so well at first. Obviously I couldn’t control the weather, so that snowstorm was a bonus I hadn’t counted on. But then you were forced to work together on the mission statement. I had such hopes.”

“Hopes?” He stared at her. He’d never guessed she’d had matchmaking in mind. “What sort of hopes?”

“The minute that online rivalry developed between you two, I saw the way she perked up. She hasn’t been that involved with a male Were in her entire adult life.”

“Is that so?” He enjoyed hearing that, but he was still digesting the information that Elizabeth had intended to promote a romance between Kate and him.

Elizabeth leaned forward, into her subject, now. “You see, I adore her, but she can be a bit…rigid.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

She laughed. “That’s exactly what I mean. You don’t let her take herself too seriously. And you don’t agree with her at every turn. You force her to consider the other side of the question once in a while. She needs that desperately, especially if she’s going to lead this pack one day.”

“Elizabeth, thank you for saying those things, but have you thought about how a relationship with me would affect her standing with the Howlers? They’d accuse her of fraternizing with the enemy.”

“They might have before the fight, but you won a lot of hearts out there. You might be surprised how her followers would react. Besides, she can always say she’s acting as a check and balance on your actions, just as I believe you’d be on hers. It would keep each of you from going to extremes.”

“You really think I could have that kind of effect on her?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“You must think I have great powers of persuasion.”

“In a way. Your persuasive powers are what I might call super-charged.”

That made him grin. “Super-charged powers of persuasion. Can I quote you on that?”

“Of course not. I only say it because she’s in love with you, too.”

His chest tightened. “I think you’re wrong.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve seen the way she is with some of the Weres she’s dated. Watching them together has been as exciting as watching paint dry. But with you two—sparks are flying everywhere!”

“Because half the time she hates my guts!”

“No, she doesn’t. Can’t you tell that she loves matching wits with you?”

He wanted to believe what Elizabeth was saying, but she hadn’t considered all the facts. “Maybe she used to, but less than an hour ago she said if I fought Neil she’d never forgive me. And I fought him. So there you have it.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! She would have said anything to stop you from getting hurt, because she loves you. You can’t take that comment seriously.”

“I don’t know. She sounded bloody serious to me.”

Elizabeth blew out an impatient breath and stood. “All right, let me put it this way.”

Duncan stood, too.

“If you don’t tell her how you feel before you leave the country, then I’ll never forgive you. And unlike Kate, I mean that sincerely.” She gave him a penetrating look before turning toward the door. “See you at the ball. I hope you’re wearing your kilt.”

“Aye. I will be wearing it.”

“Good.” She opened the door and glanced over at him. “That will help your cause. Not many females can resist a handsome Were in a kilt.” Then she left, closing the door behind her.

Duncan stood quite still after she left, but his brain was spinning. She’d known Kate for a hell of a lot longer than he had, so he couldn’t simply dismiss what she’d said. But if Kate loved him, wouldn’t he know it? What if Elizabeth was wrong, and he laid his heart at Kate’s feet, and she stomped all over it?

But what if Elizabeth was right, and he left for Scotland tomorrow without telling Kate that he loved her? That seemed like the greater risk. The first would be humiliating and he’d go home with his heart torn to bits, but at least he would have tried. With the second, he could live the rest of his life regretting what he hadn’t done.

That left the issue of when and how to talk to her. They’d have no privacy at the ball, and besides, she might snub him at first. After all, he’d warned her off when she’d tried to comfort him on the field of battle. He’d done it for her own good, but she might not have realized that.

And perhaps he wasn’t the best judge of what was right for her. He should simply tell her how he felt, and let her decide if she would allow that to affect her life, including her fight for the cause she believed in. The idea that they’d balance each other out appealed to him. Maybe, just maybe, it would appeal to her.

Walking to his closet, he took out his kilt and laid it on the bed. If Elizabeth was also right about the lure of a kilt, he’d use that lure. He needed all the help he could get. He only had to decide whether to wear it with or without.

Kate circled the ballroom making sure that the buffet tables were properly placed near the set-up for the bar. The musicians tuned up on the dais, and round tables had been brought in, covered with white linen, and arranged in a semi-circle to create a dance floor.

Kate had chosen the centerpieces herself. Each table held a small globe in a brass stand set into a wreath of pine sprigs and small pinecones. White votives tucked into the wreath would add atmosphere once the lights were dimmed and the candles were lit.

She’d had such high hopes for this final party. She’d imagined it as a joyous finale to a successful conference. But if she were honest with herself, she’d also painted a rosy picture of delegates adopting her agenda as they realized that Weres should band together instead of mingling freely with humans.

Duncan’s views hadn’t figured into her vision of the conference at all. In hindsight, that had been naïve of her, but maybe she’d hung out with Howlers for so long that she thought the delegates would immediately see the sense in the Howler creed. They wouldn’t want to risk eventual annihilation by supporting the Woofers’ reckless plan.

Instead, the Woofers remained strong and may have gathered more recruits after Duncan’s heroic battle in the snow. Meanwhile, she’d heard rumors that Jake Hunter had started a new group and was coaxing Howlers to abandon HOWL and join him in campaigning against Were-human mating. When she’d texted Howard, he’d confirmed that Jake had resigned from the council.

They’d need a replacement, and she wanted it to be another Howler. She’d suggested Heidi, but the rest of the council would have to vote on any nominee. At least Howard had assured her he wouldn’t put either Aidan or Roarke’s name in the hat. He understood that would smack of nepotism, and Kate shuddered to think how the council would govern with a member who was already mated with a human.

Gazing at all the globes resting in their brass holders, she remembered the thrill of walking into this room on Saturday morning and hearing all the different accents. She’d reveled in the excitement generated by delegates who’d traveled halfway around the world to attend this historic event.

It was still historic, she reminded herself. Without this conference Weres would be forced to make difficult choices without hearing all sides. If nothing else, all sides had been heard this weekend. She still believed in her vision of the future, but she wasn’t the only voice out there.

Penny’s voice was out there, too, and she couldn’t ignore what Penny had said during the debate. Neil had asked Penny to speak so she’d sabotage Kate, but in the end, Kate was glad she’d made that speech. Ever since hearing it, Kate had been reevaluating her thoughts about love and destiny.

History was riddled with stories of lovers who claimed they were meant for each other, even when everything seemed against their love. Maybe love wasn’t always neat and tidy. Maybe love sometimes created challenges to test those who were drawn to each other.

Of course these thoughts brought her to Duncan MacDowell. He might be Were, but he was almost as wrong for her as Tom was for Penny. They disagreed on the most basic issues. They lived an ocean apart. And perhaps most important of all, Duncan had stated, loudly and publicly several times this summer, that he intended to mate with a human someday.

So, given all that, why did she yearn for him in a way that she’d never yearned for any other Were? Why did making love to Duncan feel as if she’d found the other half of her soul? And why had she died a million deaths watching him out on the field of combat this afternoon? Why had his refusal to let her comfort him cut so deep?

Now that she’d had time to think about that, she realized that he could have warned her off because he’d been thinking of her reputation. Although the Howlers had supported him in this uneven fight, they might not be crazy about their leader openly embracing the King of the Woofers.

She’d been concerned about that very thing herself two days ago when she hadn’t wanted her followers to know what went on in the cabin. But she no longer cared what they knew. Associating with Duncan was not going to taint her in some way. If the Howlers thought so, then that was a rigid stance she couldn’t tolerate anymore and she’d step down from her leadership position.

Penny would say her thinking had changed because she’d found her one true love. Kate could almost see her big sister lapsing into big-sister mode as she smiled indulgently at Kate and welcomed her into a secret club that she’d finally become eligible to join.

Had she, though? She still resisted the concept because it implied that she was Duncan’s one true love, his destiny, his fate. But he didn’t want to mate with a Were, which left her out entirely. In his own way, he was as dedicated to mating for political reasons as she was.

And yet he’d said he believed in love and destiny. She remembered that quite clearly. They’d been discussing it right before they shifted to go out and play in the snow and do…other things in the snow. Things that made her hot every time she remembered them.

But good sex didn’t necessarily mean he was her one true love or she was his, did it? All this love and destiny nonsense made her head ache. “Penny,” she muttered, “it’s quite possible that you’re full of crap.” With one last glance at the ballroom, she went upstairs to put on her sparkly clothes.