Chapter 44
“So long as Eugene says it’s okay. You wouldn’t want to do anything to halt the remarkable progress he’s made since you found him,” Armand admonished.
“I’ll do nothing to hurt Donal. However, we have to put the announcement in the paper. If they read the society section, they’ll find out he’s married, and they will show up. From the way he described them, they’re climbers.”
“Interesting…It will be amusing to see how you deal with them.” 9
Alexei’s townhouse, new music room
Thursday at 4
Katya brought high tea up to the music room, and Donal and Alexei dined on tuna, egg salad, chicken salad, and cucumber sandwiches. She also brought up éclairs and cookies. “This should do you for the next hour. I’ll have dinner at seven.” Katya left and Donal started to eat.
“Why am I so hungry all the time?” he asked between bites from a chicken salad sandwich. “I know I have to gain back some weight, but I’m eating like a pig.”
“Didn’t the boys tell you about the pheromones?” Alexei asked, eyebrows raised.
“They said something about wolf pheromones, but I wasn’t listening very well, I was still trying to sort out my feelings for you.” Donal grabbed two more sandwiches.
“As soon as I found you, my body started to produce pheromones. The pheromones help to prepare a Mate, especially a human one, for the mating. You’ll need energy, and my seed will make you burn more calories, hence my pheromones make you hungry.” Alexei smiled. “From what I understand Ian takes full advantage of his new metabolism.”
“Ian does like his food. I wondered where he put it. Now I understand. Besides the pheromones, he paints and that’s physical labor, so he needs more fuel.” Donal appeared thoughtful as he selected a cookie. “There is something else they alluded to…little girls?”
Alexei took a sip then set his cup of tea on the table. “Loup garou are not fertile until they mate. The only exception to this rule is the Alpha Bitch of the pack who is fertile for her Alpha immediately upon maturation, which for an Alpha Bitch happens at twenty-five. Alphas and their Mates can only sire female children so that an Alpha can’t favor his own son over more capable loup garou. By taking my seed, you too will only be able to sire female children.”
Donal swallowed his food before asking, “Who carries our children, the Alpha Bitch? And won’t that make her Mate, if she has one, nuts?”
“The Alpha Bitch usually finds her Mate quickly with few exceptions. Her Mate knows that it is her duty to bear two children for the Alpha pair. It is just a fact of life for the loup garou. There is always the possibility that our grandchild will be the next Alpha, so it gives the Alpha Bitch’s Mate some status in the pack because normally, he’s not a Beta,” Alexei explained.
“Aren’t the Betas gay?” Alexei watched Donal’s brow creased in confusion.
Alexei chuckled. Whenever my mouse thinks he understands, we throw something else at him.“Most Betas are gay, although there are a few exceptions. Mating the Alpha Bitch elevates the wolf to a status just under Beta, instead of being one of the general pack. The higher up the Alpha is in the hierarchy the more status conferred.”
“What if the Alpha Bitch doesn’t like her Alpha?” Donal asked, seemingly determined to get his mind around loup garou culture.
“That happened to Marc and Colin. She was stripped of her position for trying to undermine her Alpha. To get her revenge, she shot Colin. From what I understand, Marc almost lost him. Our culture lends itself to challenges and violence. That is why there are such strict rules here about protocol. It keeps everyone where they are supposed to be and therefore gives the council less headaches.”
“What about challenges on the council?” Donal plucked another cookie from the plate.
“I would have challenged the Russian First because he didn’t have the best interest of the Russian packs at heart, but he outmaneuvered me. I became Fifth here because of my blood tie to the Colorado territory. Armand got it after La Farge’s challenge, and the packs were fractious because Armand didn’t have the right bloodline. When I came from Russia, I represented a logical solution to Armand’s problem.”
“Do you mind being Fifth instead of second?” Donal’s inquisitive gaze searched Alexei’s face.