Leader of the Pack (42 page)

“Is there anything else weird with us that isn’t there with the others that might be my druid fault?”

Realizing that it would take time for him to convince her that she wasn’t the cause of all the world’s problems, Cullen sighed. “Not your fault. It pleases me to think that we were meant to be together like this. The stronger the bond, the more compatible the couple. At least that’s what they teach. There’s the projecting in human form. That only happens with really strong bonds. Most lycans can only project thoughts in hybrid or wolven forms. That is part of lycan lore, so it’s not your
druid
fault. I’ve even heard of partial bonds that ended up with the couple having the ability to project or sense each other without completely finishing the mating. That’s incredibly rare.”

“I don’t want you to start feeling like I’m invading.” She looked around. “Technically I seem to be able to get into anyone’s head if I try to. I’ve done it while people were sleeping.” Her eyes started to tear. It frightened her. “Before we mated, I thought about trying to read your thoughts about me. I never did,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to be like Rafe. I don’t know how to make it stop. The more things I try, the more things I seem to be able to do. What’s worse is that there isn’t anyone for me to ask about it. Not now.” Aislinn’s mind was overwhelmed by a feeling of her grandmother watching her. It only made her more upset.

Cullen felt her hands trembling in his. “If it makes you more comfortable to be inside my head, piseagan, then it’s okay. Don’t worry so much about what you can do. You’ll never be like Rafe. It’s not your capabilities; it’s what you do with them that make a person. Just be more selective about what you choose to answer when you catch what’s going on in my head, especially if there are other people around.” He smiled at her and his thoughts turned toward what he’d like to do with her after dinner. “Although there are times that a man could grow to love having a mind reader around.” His eyes sparkled, and he could feel her upset fading away.

The image she was getting was pretty graphic and Aislinn blushed. “I love you,” she said softly.

Just then Marta appeared with their dinner, Sarah came back from the restroom, and Liam came walking in with a storm cloud over his head promising to rain on their plates. It was as if they all decided to descend upon the table at once. Aislinn felt a resigned annoyance take over Cullen. She sat back as he reluctantly released her hands. Choosing to ignore Liam’s approach, Cullen ravenously dug into the rare meat on his plate.

Liam grabbed a chair from a nearby table, spun it around and seated himself at the end of their booth, glaring at Cullen. Marta was nearly shoved out of the way, and she had to reach over him to distribute the rest of the plates. Liam watched Cullen chew and glared some more, though it was accompanied by a reluctant head bow. “I must ask why exactly dinner has taken precedence over a room full of battered, abused, tired, cold, frightened people.”

Cullen slammed a fist holding a knife down on the table. His eyes blazed with anger at Liam, and the man immediately backed down. Liam re-bowed his head, this time with submissive intent as an apology.

“Because,” Cullen strained. “I’m more likely to do something drastic and unfortunate to the tired, cold, frightened
traitors
, if I don’t get a grip on my wolf first.”

Liam cleared his throat. “I guess that after the stories I’ve heard, I’ve become a bit more sympathetic to their situation. I’m sorry Cullen. I didn’t mean disrespect.”

Cullen sat back and poked at his steak, mulling over what Liam had said. “Okay, so tell me.”

With that, Cullen sat forward and ate as Liam gave him the full report on what Rafe had done to the women, how he had gotten a hold of them, and the different threats that had been made. “Actually, the worst of it was Peter. Apparently, he had been one of the first. When he decided that Zoe would rather die than help betray the pack, he tried to go to you. Rafe threatened the others that if Peter managed to let you know what was going on, then he’d kill three women for every one thing you found out. So it was our own men who stopped Peter from confessing. Then Rafe tortured and killed Zoe anyway. She’s the only one who didn’t come back, but Peter knew she was dead days ago. He’s been sitting in a corner of a room in the basement ever since.”

Aislinn lost her appetite, and a tear streaked down her face in sympathy. Liam looked at her curiously. “You didn’t even know Zoe,” he said.

“Does it matter?” Aislinn looked at him with a glassy expression. “I’d have to be pretty cold hearted to not feel how much this has affected everyone here.”

Liam nodded. He watched her contemplatively for a moment. When Cullen growled a warning, it got his attention and Liam shifted his eyes to Cullen questioningly. Cullen rubbed his face. His wolf was in high gear. Nothing was sating the beast this evening. He was far too worked up. Right then, he only wanted to forget what was happening, and that would involve Aislinn naked, on all fours. The image brought some small calm to his demeanor.

Liam cleared his throat and shifted in discomfort at Cullen’s strange behavior. “I don’t want to add to your upset Cullen. I would point out that I have a mate, and you know that I have no intentions toward Aislinn. You’ve been acting so strangely with her. It’s one of the things causing so much talk.”

Cullen stabbed at another piece of meat on his plate. “I’ve heard all about the talk. I think what’s pissing me off is that everyone seems to assume that I’m supposed to have this magical ability to turn my wolf off whenever I want. Am I not supposed to be possessive of a woman when I finally decide that I want to take a mate?”

Liam raised his eyebrows. “So you’re making it official then?”

Cullen nodded at Aislinn. “She’s agreed to it. I don’t see a reason to hide my intentions. I don’t intend to make anything formal until after the funeral. So don’t go advertising.”

Liam nodded. “You know I wouldn’t. Congratulations,” he said tentatively.

“Don’t sound so happy about it Liam,” Cullen growled.

“I’m sorry. I’ve always been honest with you. I agree. When I first met Lizbeth, okay, I acted similarly to what you’ve been doing lately. But you have to admit that with Rafe and the mind control crap and it being so unlike you, it’s not so strange that some of us would question the situation.”

Cullen glared at him. “You know, it’s rather insulting to think that the whole of my pack thinks my mind could be so easily manipulated.”

“Cullen, I didn’t mean-“

“I know what you meant. You and the rest of the elders can just suck it up,” he said violently.

Liam stiffened. “Things have just been so strange lately. I’m concerned.”

“The implication in that statement seems farther reaching than my mating choice,” Cullen said, staring at the man.

“Just watch your back, my friend. You know that you have my loyalty. Regardless of your choices.”

Sarah sat forward at that. “Liam, why exactly would Cullen need to watch his back?”

“I’m just saying that some of the rumors are going pretty far. I’ve heard about a pack split. There are people claiming that she’s neutering him. I don’t know what the general private thought process is, however the public talk is disturbing.”

Cullen started growling again, a low angry rumble.

Aislinn knew that if the conversation went too much farther he was going to lose it. “Well, hopefully, if I start spending more time trying to be social, they’ll all figure out that I’m just a normal person and not trying anything. Cullen are you sure I couldn’t just go back to waiting tables here,” she asked hopefully. “I mean if I don’t look like I’m trying to be in charge of anything, and I’m willing to do my part maybe it’ll stop.”

Liam looked at her again. He was trying to read her. He had never had too much contact with her, but this didn’t strike him as a girl trying to take over a pack, mentally or any other way. Cullen shook his head at her. Liam cleared his throat before Aislinn could argue some more. “Aislinn,” he said, “it’s not appropriate for the alpha’s mistress to be doing things like waiting tables down here. Even if you were an omega it wouldn’t be allowed, and from what I’ve heard, you could qualify as a beta if you wanted to. You don’t want to, do you?”

Aislinn nodded and shrugged. Liam just stared into her eyes. He nodded back and sighed. “You are quite the enigma. I think that you’ll win them all over eventually. Just keep being you and you’ll be fine. That is, after Cullen stops carrying you upstairs so often.”

Sarah grinned and flashed Cullen an I-told-you-so expression. At which point, Cullen got out of the booth and held his hand out to Aislinn. Sarah had to move in order to let her out. “I’ll do as I like,” he said, grabbing Aislinn as she stood. She squealed, when he tossed her over his shoulder and headed out of the Taigh-O
è
sda toward the elevator.

“Cullen put me down,” she growled and pounded on his back. “This is not dignified.”

Her protests drew quite a bit of attention and resulted in amused smiles and giggling from the few waitresses who were left in the restaurant. Liam looked over at Sarah, who sat back down and smiled to herself.

“He is the alpha,” she said. “You tell him to stop something…”

Liam started to laugh. “I guess I should be happy for him. I just wish he had better timing.”

* * * *

Cullen set Aislinn down once they were in the elevator. Immediately, he pinned her against the wall, kissing her roughly and deeply. The doors slid closed, but the elevator went nowhere since Cullen hadn’t pushed any buttons. His hands were far too busy.

Aislinn started to protest again as the elevator went up a floor, and the doors slid apart to reveal an elderly couple headed down to the casino. The older couple stepped into the elevator as if there was nothing going on, and Cullen watched Aislinn blush strawberry red. Amusement sparkled in his eyes as he smiled at her. Leaning in for another deep kiss amidst unspoken protests, Cullen pinned Aislinn’s arms, as she tried to push him off of her. He was having far too much fun with this distraction to allow for her to win. He grabbed her hands and wrapped her arms around his back as he kissed her again, trying to slide his tongue into her mouth, amidst soft pleading for him to behave.

The doors opened again on the lobby and the couple got out, still pretending to not notice the young lovers. Though, Aislinn heard the woman comment, “Remember when we were like that?” to her companion. As Cullen let Aislinn loose, so that he could put his key in the panel and push the button for the penthouse, he saw the old man reach over and grab his wife’s butt. She giggled, and the two of them headed for the casino across the lobby.

Cullen chuckled. When he had the elevator on its way, he turned around and his eyes shifted to swirling amber as he refocused on Aislinn. She smiled back at him widely and bit her bottom lip. “Where was I,” he asked. “Oh, I was just about to do this,” he said, as if he remembered something brilliant. Before Aislinn could move, he pounced on her and ripped her t-shirt down the back as he smashed his mouth against hers.

Finally, Aislinn gave in. She knew there was no fighting him on this. He wanted her, and she wasn’t far behind him. She could feel her cat growling in the back of her mind and totally eradicating any embarrassment factor that might have been created by being caught by the older couple. When the elevator opened on the penthouse Aislinn was already naked. Her clothes were left in shredded piles in the elevator, as they tumbled out and onto the floor.

Cullen started pulling at his own clothes in annoyance, as if he was put out by having to wear them at all. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Aislinn giggled and ran from him into the main room. His shirt and pants hit the floor in short order and he stalked toward her. She grinned wickedly at him. Suddenly strange sensations began running through her body. Cullen could see her cat fighting to take over as her eyes swam in amber and blue, shifting to an incredible iridescent green.

He lunged to grab her, and she managed to duck under his arms. Aislinn giggled again and circled round to hide behind his desk. Cullen growled at her as his wolf took over, turning him to his hybrid form. He couldn’t hold it down with her teasing him like this.
You play games and you’re going to get me more worked up.
He warned
. It’s not smart to run from a wolf.

Aislinn could feel how much he was enjoying it, so she decided that she wasn’t going to go easily. “I think you’re going to have to work for it if you want it tonight.” Grinning, she ducked out of reach again as he came over the desk after her.

Cullen knocked everything on his desk off onto the floor. The lamp almost tripped him as he tried to grab her trailing hand. Aislinn was too quick, and she managed to escape him again. His growling was getting louder, and as he wheeled to see where she was, he almost howled his amusement.
I’d never make the mistake of thinking you were easy, mo piseagan
.

Aislinn missed the lunge as he came after her, and he managed to get her just around the waist. Cullen twisted so that his shoulder would hit the floor, and she wouldn’t take his weight, but the consideration cost him. Aislinn’s cat wasn’t about to let her lose like that. She felt the beast force its way free, and she shifted into her hybrid form to match Cullen. It was as though some part of herself had pushed her farther back in her own mind. She felt almost lightheaded as the fur grew instantaneously, and her body changed. When they hit the floor, Cullen’s grip loosened just enough for her to twist free of his grip.