Chapter Seventeen
“Omigod, so, like, we’re going shopping?” Mandy said.
“Mandy. You don’t have to act like a ditz around us, because I know you aren’t,” Taylor said.
“Oh, thank God. It’s been giving me such a headache.” Mandy massaged her temples with her index fingers.
They headed over to a sandwich shop and ate lunch, while Anita and Denise filled Taylor in on local pack gossip and pack life. Then they went to a clothing store, which, to Taylor’s surprise, had the latest fashions and plenty of brand names.
As Taylor browsed through the racks, Mandy came over to her, holding a pretty red dress that was perfect for Taylor. She handed it to her. “I just bought it for you,” she said.
“For me? Why?”
“Because you were nice enough to include me. You should see how everyone else here looks at me.” Mandy smiled ruefully.
Taylor sighed. “Mandy, here’s the problem. When people see you letting a guy treat you as if you’re worthless, some of them will believe that you actually are. It’s unfortunate, but true. You deserve better. You should ditch him and find a quality guy.”
Mandy shrugged. “Okay.”
“No, seriously.”
“Yes, seriously. It had to end sometime. Might as well be today.” Mandy pulled her cell phone out of her purse and started texting.
Taylor looked after Mandy. Something was off there. Grant, she understood. He’d had his heart ripped in two by someone, and now he was drowning his sorrows in women who were her complete opposite – women who would never remind him of her. Women he considered disposable. But what did Mandy get out of the deal? Why had she worked so hard to pretend to be what Grant wanted? Could it really just be for the money and sex?
* * * * *
Taylor spent the afternoon in the woods with Cliff, doing meditation exercises and visualizing herself as a wolf. It was hard to concentrate, though, because she was worried about the trials. The next morning, bright and early, Cliff would be headed out, and he’d be gone all day. He and the other contestants would be working their way through an enormous obstacle course that had just been completed by the pack. There would be climbing, leaping, running, crawling…and they had to finish within a certain time or be disqualified. They would go one after the other, with the order picked at random.
They headed in for an early dinner. The table was crowded, as always, but Grant wasn’t there; Mandy sat next to Taylor. She seemed to be in a great mood.
“How’s Grant taking the breakup?” Taylor asked Mandy.
“Awesome,” Mandy said cheerfully, digging into a rare steak. “He’s taking his new girl out to dinner.”
Austin let out a low growl of disgust.
“Since yesterday?” Taylor looked at her in shock.
“Yep. I’ll probably be headed back to my pack soon. They’re in Northern California. I might as well stick around for the Alpha Trials, though.”
The door to the dining room opened, and Richard rushed in, out of breath.
“What?” Cliff said abruptly, setting down his fork.
“Jerrold captured a human prisoner,” Richard said. “A female. She was sneaking onto the grounds, and he and his pack pounced on her, but she started yelling for Taylor. He’s trying to drag her back to his house, but a bunch of our men are blocking him. For now. He’s called for the Elders.”
“Chantelle!” Taylor cried out, leaping to her feet.
“How would she find you here?” Cliff demanded as Richard led them out of the house. “We’re not on any map. For a reason. A very obvious reason. And I’ve listened to every call you’ve made to her.”
Oops. “I texted her a copy of the map Truman gave me before I came here.”
“And you’re just telling me this now?” Cliff growled.
“In my defense, I didn’t think I’d show up here and find out that you were all werewolves,” Taylor said irritably. “And it was pretty freaking weird that you took all my stuff and demanded that I deliver myself to your house. I was just looking for a little insurance.”
They hopped into Cliff’s BMW so they could get there quickly. When they arrived near the guesthouse where Jerrold was staying, one of Jerrold’s men was holding a struggling, cursing Chantelle, his hand clamped tightly on her arm. Twenty of Cliff’s men were blocking him from taking her to the house. There was a large group of Jerrold’s pack shouting threats, and the Elders were yelling and trying to calm everyone down.
Grant roared up on the back of a motorcycle.
Several other cars pulled up just then. Anita and James scrambled out of one, and Mandy leaped out of another.
Cliff and Taylor and Richard piled out of their car and ran over to Jerrold and the Elders. Mandy hurried after them.
“This is your fault!” Jerrold snapped at Cliff. “Her human friend followed her here. Now we all risk exposure.”
“It is not Cliff’s fault,” Maurice said coldly. “Cliff could hardly have anticipated this. It is the fault of whoever turned her without her knowledge or consent.”
“Of course you’d say that. We’ll see what the real story is. I caught her, and therefore she’s my prisoner.” Jerrold cast a gloating glance at Taylor. “I’m going to enjoy interrogating your friend. Don’t worry, I’ll really take my time with this one. She’ll be begging to tell me everything by the time I finish with her.”
Taylor glanced at Chantelle, who’d stopped struggling.
“Don’t,” Mandy whispered to her. “Pack politics. Leave it.”
She ignored Mandy, and hurried forward before Cliff could stop her. She got right in Jerrold’s face. “How could you?” she wailed. “You’re a monster! Chantelle is the sweetest, most innocent person I’ve ever met! She’s as soft as a kitten! She would never hurt anyone!”
“Oh, I like them soft.” Jerrold’s eyes shone with malice.
Taylor looked over at Phineas. “You can’t do this!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “You can’t let them torture an innocent woman!”
Phineas’ lip curled in disgust. “She climbed over our fence and broke onto our property. She’s hardly innocent.”
“What about the fact that he’s interrogating her because he’s a pervert who gets turned on by torturing females? Is that okay with you?” she shouted.
“We wish we could help you,” said the Elder Juliette, sounding sincerely regretful.
“No, we don’t,” Minnie snarled at her. “Since when are we concerned with the welfare of humans?”
Jerrold was grinning hugely and enjoying the show.
“Taylor. Back off and let me handle it. Now,” Cliff said furiously.
She ignored him. “You let her go! Let her go right now!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, and Jerrold’s men threw back their heads and laughed at her distress.
Phineas smirked. “We’re neutral parties in this. There’s nothing we can do.”
Chantelle took advantage of the distraction to pull a cattle prod out of her purse and shock the man who was holding her – just as Taylor had known she would. Chantelle had been mugged once, and she’d carried the cattle prod with her ever since.
The man let out a scream of pain and fell to his knees. The horrible smell of seared flesh filled the air.
Chantelle ran over to Cliff’s men, who quickly surrounded her and moved her towards Cliff and Taylor.
Jerrold ran towards Cliff’s men, but they formed a solid wall of snarling, growling aggression, and he was forced to take several steps back.
“Make them give her back to me right now!” Jerrold shouted at Phineas, his face red with rage. “She’s my prisoner, not theirs!”
“Oh, but they’re neutral,” Cliff taunted him. “They can’t interfere in this matter.”
Phineas looked as if he were about to have a stroke, he was so angry, but he’d just quoted the rule – he could hardly go against it now.
“You will not allow this,” Jerrold spat at him. “You will do as I say. Now.”
Phineas gave him a narrow-eyed look as if, for the first time, he didn’t like what he’d seen. Then the Elder turned his attention back to Cliff. “She must be held under guard until after the trials. Then we’ll determine what to do with her,” he said.
“Very well. She will be confined to my property,” Cliff said. “I will assign Truman to guard her full-time.”
“You’re allowing this?” Jerrold looked at Phineas in astonishment. “Then I demand to have one of my guards assigned to her as well. She’s a friend of Cliff’s mate, and therefore not to be trusted. I’m sending Rusty.”
Phineas nodded.
Cliff shrugged. “She’s under the protection of my pack. I expect your man to behave with respect at all times when he’s on my property.”
Jerrold sent one of his men into his house to fetch Rusty. Rusty, the big redheaded werewolf who’d been with Jerrold during the Celia confrontation, came hurrying out. Jerrold muttered some orders to him, and Rusty nodded, his expression grim.
“Werewolves,” Chantelle said to Taylor. Her face was as pale as a ghost’s.
“Brilliant job,” Mandy said approvingly to Taylor. “You had me fooled.”
“You’re living with werewolves, and you have a new best friend?” Chantelle complained.
“Chantelle. We’re not five. I can have more than one friend. And I’m very happy to see you, but I told you I was fine. Why did you come out here?”
“Because I’m your best friend,” Chantelle said, shooting Mandy a jealous look. Then, at Taylor’s reproving expression, she sighed and rubbed her temples. “Sorry. Sorry. I have a headache, I’m tired, and I just got hunted down and surrounded by a bunch of men who turned into wolves. I’m not at my best right now.”
“Anyway! Taylor, you were incredible,” Cliff said. “I should have realized what you were doing. That’s the last time I underestimate— What the hell?” He turned his attention to the guest house.
Leota came staggering out the front door. Taylor gasped in horror. Her lip was split and blood was streaming from her nose and dripping off her chin.
“I need a healer,” Leota moaned.
Anita started jogging towards her, with Grant by her side.
Jerrold spun around to glare at his mate. “What are you trying to pull? Get back in the house right now, you bitch.” His eyes glowed with rage.
“Wait! Actually, under pack charter, any pack member or guest has the right to see a healer,” Grant barked at him.
“It’s true,” Juliette said loudly. The other Elders nodded, some with relief, some reluctantly.
“Then I will accompany her.” Jerrold angrily moved towards Leota, and she flinched.
“Sorry.” Grant grinned fiercely. “Under pack charter, the healer–patient bond is sacred, and the patient has the right to consult with the healer in privacy.”
Taylor stifled a laugh behind her hand. He’d done it. She had no idea how he’d coordinated this with Anita and Leota, but he’d done it.
Leota hurried over to Anita, who put her arm around her protectively. They ran for Anita’s car.
Jerrold shouted with rage as Anita and Leota drove off with a screech of tires. His men had to hold him back, and he thrashed wildly in their grip.
“Phineas! My mate!” Jerrold’s face was bright red with fury.
“There’s nothing that I can do to help you,” Phineas said unhappily. “It is very clearly spelled out in the pack charter. When you are Alpha—”
“When I’m Alpha, I’ll have your head for this!” Jerrold shouted furiously.
Cliff smiled.
Jerrold quickly realized his error. He couldn’t afford to alienate any of the Elders who were on his side. Yes, he’d gained Oswald, but if he lost Phineas he’d lose his majority. “Forgive me,” he said stiffly. “I spoke out of turn. I have nothing but the deepest respect for you, Phineas.”
Phineas fixed him with an icy glare for a long moment, then turned and walked away without a word.
Jerrold spun around and fixed a murderous glare on Cliff. “I never hit her in the face. You set me up. I know you’re behind this, and when I win, every last one of you will be sobbing for death after I have my way with you.”
But nothing could wipe the grin of triumph off Taylor’s face.