Chapter 30

Sam flushed red and Winifred looked at the table for a moment.

"Gabby, perhaps you'd like to step out for a few minutes."

"Finally, something I want to do." She stood and Clay was a half a second behind her. "Clay, could you stay for another minute?" He watched Gabby walk out of the room, but didn't sit again.

"Your secrecy is creating discord in their relationships," Winifred said.

"Yeah. Rough to have Mates who keep secrets," I said, indifferent to their problems.

Emmitt fisted his hands and Clay growled.

"Are you certain you have nothing you want to tell us? Nothing that might help us keep the peace?" Winifred asked.

"Yep. There's nothing I can tell you that will help keep the peace." Quite the opposite.

She sighed. "Very well. Clay. Emmitt. Please wait for your Mates in the commons with Luke."

They both smirked at me. Bollocks. I was still sore from the last attack.

"Jim. Carlos. Perhaps you two could escort them," Winifred added.

If she thought her intervention would win her any favors, it wouldn't. The five of us filed out of the room, leaving the two Elders. Jim fell into step beside me.

"Teach me a cool English phrase for when I'm mad. But keep it PG, because there are two cubs who are going to learn it."

I glanced at Jim. "Why aren't you mad too? It was your scent on the bike."

Jim nodded. "Yep. You took it on my watch. But, getting mad at you didn't do Emmitt any good. You laughed. He got madder. The only one his anger is really affecting is himself."

"Shut up, Jim," Emmitt said from behind us.

"So," Jim said ignoring him, "instead of getting mad, I'll just let you owe me for forgiving you for taking the bike."

"Owe you."

"Yep. Like I owe Emmitt for losing it."

"And what do you expect for payment?"

"A favor at some future time," Jim said with an easy smile. "It'll probably involve food. Speaking of…" he said as he pushed open the doors of the commons.

The large room was fairly empty. A couple with four cubs, two young and two almost grown, played games at the tables. The young ones called out to Emmitt as he entered. He joined them.

While Jim went straight to the kitchen, I went to one of the comfortable chairs. The same one Clay had pulled me from several weeks ago. I sat in it with a grin. Clay remained stoic, but I knew he remembered, too.

The smells coming from the kitchen made my mouth water. Charlene and a few other women were making traditional American fixings for Thanksgiving. The sweet and savory smells begged to be sampled. From within the kitchen, I heard Charlene scold Jim. Sampling wasn't encouraged. Still, he managed to leave the kitchen with several sandwiches in one hand.

My grin faded as the minutes, and Jim's sandwiches, disappeared. The need to check on Bethi crawled along my skin like an itch. I wasn't the only one having issues. Clay's knee bounced as he watched the doors.

When the doors finally opened, the man was on his feet and standing in front of the women before I could get to my feet. His bulk blocked them from view. Well, not the top of Michelle's head. Only Gabby and Bethi. I understood he was concerned for Gabby, but blocking me from Bethi was not acceptable.

"She's fine, big guy," Bethi said from somewhere in front of Clay. "But my stomach's really hurting. Would you mind—"

"Move already," I said as I pushed Clay aside. Did she really have to spell it out for him? Couldn't he smell her pain and hunger?

With him out of the way, I saw Bethi wobble on her feet and lifted her into my arms. Bethi's gaze remained locked on Clay and Gabby. There was no mystery why. I could smell his annoyance and anger. Tough.

"I'm fine," Gabby said. "Bethi's not. We're supposed to get her something to eat."

I turned and found Emmitt blocking my way, the two cubs chasing each other around his legs. What was with these people? Only the presence of the cubs kept the urge to push Emmitt out of the way in check. Not by much. I impatiently growled.

Bethi reached up and lightly smacked the back of my head. "The decisions you make and the words you speak influence the people around you. Be aware of your influence," she quoted.

She remembered. I looked down at the boys. "Excuse me, please."

They scampered out of the way, and Emmitt stepped aside, his gaze on Michelle. The scent of Bethi's pain continued to swamp the air as I carried her toward the chair I'd left.

"Didn't you take the pills?" I asked.

"I took them. Nana mentioned something about food," she said, looking toward the kitchen.

That was what had taken so long. Winifred had gone to Bethi. My annoyance grew. Bethi and I needed to talk and then get out of here. She winced, and I realized we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

"I'll get it for you," Michelle called, moving toward the kitchen.

I sat and settled her in my lap and watched Emmitt follow closely behind Michelle.

Clay and Gabby sat across from us, Gabby perching on one of his knees. The sight didn't bother me as it once would have.

"How long have you two been together?" Bethi asked them.

"Clay has been living with me since the end of August." Gabby smiled. "But I just recently Claimed him."

"Not Mated?"

Gabby shook her head, and Bethi's scent soured. She had no reason for jealously. I belonged to her, heart and soul.

Michelle returned with a sandwich. "Here you go."

Bethi took the plate. "Thanks. How long have you and Emmitt been together?" she asked before taking a bite of the sandwich.

"I lived with Emmitt for several weeks before I Claimed him. That was several months ago. We're planning a winter wedding."

Bethi's scent soured further. I wasn't the only one picking up on her odd mood. Emmitt watched her closely.

"What about you two?" he asked.

Bethi shrugged and took another bite. I remained quiet as she chewed then swallowed, interested in her answer.

"He has a problem with my boobs."

Problem? Hell no. Wait. Yes, I did have a problem. I adored them, and I shouldn't. Not yet. The feel of them in my palm returned. I clenched my fist, and a choked noise escaped me as she took another small bite of her sandwich and proceeded to talk with her mouth full.

"Secretly, I think he's hoping if he waits until I'm eighteen they might grow a bit more."

She needed to stop talking about them so I could stop thinking about them. My hands shook, and I struggled not to reach out and cover her mouth.

"They're kinda like the elephant in the room. We're not allowed to talk about them."

She wasn't going to stop. I stood, turned, set her in the chair, and strode toward the doors.

"That's usually how he reacts if I do talk about them," Bethi said from behind me.

"So you haven't Claimed him yet?" Gabby asked.

Pushing out the doors, I strode into the hallway, willing the trembling to stop. I didn't go far. I couldn't. So I heard what Bethi said in response to Gabby's question.

"Nope. He won't let me. He's pretty quick to protect his precious neck. I got smacked in the face, like, at least fifty times on the trip here."

"That makes no sense," Gabby said. "I was so sure."

I paced and shook my hand. The feel of Bethi remained firmly in my palm. She was killing me. She knew it, too. Why did she need to keep pushing? She had enough to deal with right now. Adding me and my obsession to the mix wouldn't help her.

A moment later, the doors opened. Gabby looked surprised to see me pacing the hallway. Clay didn't. He knew.

"What's going on with you?" Gabby asked, stopping to watch me.

I gave Clay a look and then tried to ignore them both.

"He's trying not to—"

"I thought you didn't talk," I said, interrupting him. "I liked you better that way."

"And I thought I'd sent you to your Mate," Gabby said. "I mean, you feel a pull, right?"

I stopped pacing and turned to face her. "If the pull was any stronger, I'd be glued to her backside."

"Then, why aren't you letting her…?"

Frustration crept into my tone. "How can I possibly let her? She's sleep deprived, had been chased by mutts, injured, and she's not even eighteen. Now doesn't seem like the right time to throw an obsessed werewolf onto the list."

"If you keep telling her no, she might think you don't want her and start looking at—"

"I've made my stance very clear. She knows I'm interested, but waiting."

Gabby slowly shook her head. "I think your rejection hurt her. Don't wait too long."

"I won't. There's too much happening right now." Like unprecedented attacks on my future mate. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "When you were with Sam, were you ever attacked by any unmated males?"

"Attacked? No. But human men hit on me all the time. It's always been that way, though."

"So you've never been attacked or put at risk?"

"No."

"Yeah," Clay said at the same time.

Interesting. "When?"

"After she left for school. A mutt challenged me while we were out for a walk. Gabby was there."

Challenges happened. It was part of who we were. But challenges typically didn't happen around females or cubs. There was too much risk and our numbers were still too low for accidents. Just look at what had happened to my mother.

"Did you report it?"

He nodded toward Gabby. "She called Sam. Sam told Joshua. That was the last one near her."

Gabby met my gaze steadily, and I believed we were thinking close to the same thing. She'd been fine with Sam all those years, but as soon as she moved away, trouble had found her. And, once again, Joshua had been involved.

She and Clay left me in the hall. After a few deep breaths, I returned to the commons. Bethi wasn't in her chair. Before I could worry, I heard her in the kitchen. I sat in the chair and waited.

"This should help," Charlene said.

"Can I carry that for you?" Emmitt asked.

I watched Bethi shuffle from the kitchen, Emmitt and Michelle closely following her. Emmitt had a loaded dessert plate in his hand, which was good. Bethi needed the food.

"She doesn't look so good," Gabby said softly. "Just don't miss your chance."

I glanced at Gabby, seeing her concern for me…for Bethi…for our future. Bethi had laid some serious stuff down for all of us.

"If you're feeling tired," Emmitt said, drawing my attention, "you could take this back to your room."

Bethi stopped and turned to him. "I'm not really tired as much as I just want to be alone for a while," she said. "So going back to my room sounds great. Would you come get me when something interesting happens?"

Emmitt nodded and the three left. Bloody prick.

"You're wrecking the chair," Gabby said.

I looked down at my clawed hands and the small tears in the arm. My marks weren't the first.

"He needs his tail handed to him," I said.

"I think everyone needs that at least once in their lives," Clay said. "Ready for your turn?"

"Yeti's don't talk," I said, standing.

"I don't think she wants you to follow her," Gabby said.

"You just told me not to wait. Now, I'm supposed to wait?"

"Are you going to her to let her Claim you?"

"No."

"Then, yes, I'm telling you to wait."

"I've never been good at listening. Or waiting," I said, walking away.