The Tempering (The Mackenzie Duncan Series) (21 page)

“Yeah. Thanks for that. What you didn’t see was Geoff’s own quick retreat moments later. He is good at those. Werewolf politics or some shit that basically says he and I are a no go unless we plan to be together forever. And forever is a bit fast for me.”

“Wow, yeah. Not cool.”

A banging on the window behind Mackenzie’s head made her jump and the girls outside laugh hysterically before moving the seats forward to let them out.

“Ha, ha, very funny. Can we please go see the movie now?” Mackenzie crossed her arms and pouted at her friends before laughing because she just couldn’t fake being angry with them.

~*~

Leaving the movies, Mackenzie couldn’t help but wonder why Liam had been so interested in her and Geoff. Was he concerned with the fact that one of their leaders was fooling around with a pack member? Was it really as big of a deal as Geoff was making it out to be?

“You guys, next time, I get to pick. I do not want to sit through another sappy romance movie that is so predictable you know right from the beginning what is going to happen.”

“Sorry, but when you go to the movies with three girls and not another man in sight, you are going to be out-voted. Want to see blood and guts and gore? Go with the boys,” Teresa said, bumping into Liam’s shoulder, forcing him into Mackenzie’s side. A quick smile was exchanged between the two.

“Hey, I like blood, guts, and gore sometimes. It’s not just a guy thing.”

“Good, then maybe we can come back next week and see
Death’s Revenge
?” Liam asked. He looked to her with apprehension and at first, she didn’t understand why, then it dawned on her, he hadn’t asked anyone else.

“Oh, um, yeah sure. Maybe Mason and Terry would want to go to?” Mackenzie figured it would be best to do a bit more friend things before anyone tried moving anything past the friend zone. She knew that Geoff wasn’t really going to happen, but that didn’t make her care about him any less.

“Oh, yeah, okay. No problem.”

Teresa and Natalie watched with rapt attention, not saying a word. When Liam had gotten into the car, both girls grabbed Mackenzie’s arm, and with a stern look, they said in unison, “Later.”

Mackenzie knew they wouldn’t let it go until she did the whole ‘boy talk’ conversation. She really did want to talk to someone, but she wasn’t sure if talking about what had happened with Geoff would be all right or not. She couldn’t deny that being around Liam was nice. They got along great and there was a sense of something more there that she didn’t understand.

Teresa leaned into her ear and barley whispered, “You know, sire and sired usually have some killer chemistry.”

“T, not now. Later. I promise.” But that one shared secret had given her so much to think about on the ride home.

Chapter 23

Dinner in the house was a celebration that night because Margret returned early. Everyone loved her and loved when she was around. She always cooked dinner when she was there and for most of the pack that was enough to grant her sainthood.

Barbeque ribs and baked beans overflowed the platters and bowls in the middle of the table as the plate with ears of corn on the cob was being passed around. The dining room was full of chatter and everyone managed to make it down to eat as one big family. That is, everyone except the one person Mackenzie really wanted to see.

Geoff’s chair beside Margret was empty. Mackenzie kept watching the doors that led into the room, in between conversations and eating. When she spotted Margret watching her, she looked instantly to her plate.

“It is so nice to be back with you all. You know you are my children and I love you dearly. I will be staying here for the next month, cycling with you all, and helping you as much as I can. Geoff has had to leave to the Alaska land to help out there. He will be back after the next cycle.” Margret had the attention of the whole room. They hooped and hollered when she told them she was there to stay and no one seemed all the upset with Geoff’s absence. That is, except Mackenzie. Watching Margret’s face, trying to decipher if Geoff really was needed to help, or if he was being punished for their relationship, provided no answers. She would just have to ask.

Everyone lingered around the dinner table long after the food had vanished. Margret spoke about the pups in Alaska, and how another pack had challenged the California members of the pack while she was there. The room erupted in chatter, questioning the safety of their brothers and sisters. Mackenzie couldn’t help but wonder how Analise had held up. 

“Is everyone okay?” Mackenzie asked above the noise. The room fell silent and everyone turned their attention back to Margret. She actually voiced what everyone wanted to know, but for some reason didn’t ask.

“As you all know, when a pack challenges another there are always casualties. We lost four of our family, but the other pack fell and are being trained as our own. I hope you will welcome the new members with open arms when you meet them.”

“Who?” someone called out.

“Nicholas, Bradley, Brea, and Lance.” While Mackenzie didn’t know these people, she grieved for those who did and was grateful that Analise was not among them.

“I hope you made that bastard feel the pain before you ripped his head from his body!” Mason said with a steely glare. Mackenzie could tell he was trying to hide his emotions. His eyes were red-rimmed and he kept taking deep breaths before turning his glare to the floor.

“He paid for attacking our family. His pack members are now mine. We lost four of our own, but won ten more. We will forever miss our fallen, but we are stronger now than we were before. Our land in California has increased to cover the forest to the north of our previous boundary.”

Mackenzie sat in her chair long after everyone else left the room. She couldn’t understand how Margret could show not an ounce of real grief. Could she be just holding it together for the sake of the pack?

So lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t heard anyone come back into the room, so when two large heavy hands were placed on her shoulders from behind, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Quickly turning around to see who it was, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was only Liam.

“You scared the hell out of me!”

“Sorry,” he said, though by the way he laughed through the word he wasn’t sorry at all. “I just wanted to check in on you after all that. That Margret is something, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she is. She has been so kind, welcoming me into her home, helping me that morning she found me. I hate to say it, but something just doesn’t feel right when she’s here anymore. Everyone else loves her. They consider her their mother. I just get a bad feeling and I don’t know why.”

Mackenzie began watching the doors, hoping they were speaking low enough not to be overheard. That was one thing about living in a house with so many other beings with super-sensitive hearing, unless you learned to whisper, no one had any privacy.

“You should go ask her about Geoff. You know you want to.”

“I do. But I don’t think she will answer me.”

“Can’t hurt to ask.” Liam gave her a brief smile and patted her shoulder before leaving her alone once again. Mackenzie knew he was right. But actually approaching Margret was more difficult than actually thinking about it.

~*~

Mackenzie could see a light shining from the crack beneath the office door. Standing in the dark hallway, she took a step forward before turning around and retreating. She did this ten times before the door swung open with Margret standing just before the opening, the light creating a halo around her whole body.

“You have been pacing out here forever. Spit it out.” Margret spoke so matter-of-factly. She had to have known that Mackenzie wanted to ask about Geoff. The irritation on her face was evident and Mackenzie almost decided to drop the topic and walk away. But she knew that if she did, she would kick herself all the way back to her room.

“Where’s Geoff?”

“Mackenzie, I told you all at dinner. He went to Alaska to help with the influx of pups. There are more than normal coming into their strengths. They needed another leader and I needed to be here for you. I will be the one shadowing you on the next cycle so I can see exactly what is happening with you. That way, in the morning you can tell me what you remember and I will know for sure if it really happened or not.”

Caught off guard by the fact that Margret didn’t necessarily believe her about the last cycle, she stilled. She had been so excited for her just a few hours prior.

“What? You think just because Geoff believes you that I am going to, also? I am not calling you a liar. I just need to see it with my own eyes before I give the other pups any false hope of being able to control the wolves sooner than normal. You understand don’t you?”

Mackenzie just nodded. She did understand to an extent, but just because Margret said she wasn’t calling her a liar, didn’t make it feel any less so. The two stared at one another for another minute before Margret sighed.

“If that’s all?”

“No. I mean, that’s not all. Why are there more pups than usual in Alaska? Did something happen?” She knew she should have left well enough alone, but things were not sitting right for her. The California attack, Geoff leaving, and then an influx of pups?

“Alaska is where we put the majority of our born Weres. They can start families and raise their children in our way of life without prying eyes or human customs. This time of year usually has more pups coming into their wolves. Kids grow up, Mackenzie, even Werewolf kids. It’s how life works.”

“Oh. Right. Of course. Can I get the phone number for the Alaska house? I would really like to be able to talk to him.” She felt like an idiot. She already knew there were kids at that property. Why had she assumed the worst?

“I don’t think that is such a good idea. If he didn’t give you his phone number, then it isn’t my place to. Mackenzie, I know the two of you are attracted to one another, but you have to know there is no future for you two. You are a bitten. And that does not make you less of a Werewolf or a person, but you already know that means you are barren. You cannot have children and Geoff is a leader amongst our pack. He needs a mate that can bear his young. He knows this. He told me he spoke to you about the fact you cannot be together without being mated. There are plenty of other men in our own house as well as the California house that will make a good match for you. But you and Geoff can only be friends.”

Mackenzie was speechless. She had known a little about the mating but Geoff never told her he had to mate with someone who could give him children. She knew that he had no children yet. At least, that was what he told her. She knew he had been mated before, perhaps his last mate died before she had the chance to give him an heir.

“Oh.” Not knowing what else to say, she turned around to go up to her room. Just before she got to the stairs, she turned back around abruptly to see the office door almost closed.

“Margret, One more thing!” The door swung back open to the pack leader leaning against the doorframe watching her. “The California pack? How was Analise? I haven’t heard from her since you two left here.”

“Analise has decided that pack life isn’t for her.” Margret took a step back and closed the door, leaving no room for further discussion.

~*~

Taking the stairs slowly, Mackenzie kept replaying the conversation with Margret in her head. Margret wasn’t being mean or rude, but she was very matter-of-fact and didn’t hold anything back. She may not be less of a wolf or less of a person, but according to Margret, she wasn’t good enough for Geoff because she couldn’t bear children. For the first time in a long time, she did feel like less. Less of a woman.

She walked into her room and saw Teresa and Natalie curled up on the bed, watching something on the television. They both looked up when she came in, but neither spoke to her. Mackenzie was sure that her mood was evident and she didn’t blame them for not wanting to deal with the mopey roommate. She just had to pull herself together. Geoff was gone. Apparently, they had zero chance unless he was willing to go against traditional Werewolf customs and politics. Just because of that and the fact that her first friend in the pack was no longer in the pack, didn’t mean she didn’t have things going for her.

Grabbing a pair of pajamas and heading to the bathroom to take a long hot bath, she reminded herself of everything she did have. She had two really great friends right outside the bathroom door. She had a budding friendship with Liam. She had a built in pseudo-family and she had found a way to speed up the process of controlling her wolf, even if Margret wasn’t sure she believed her.

What Mackenzie couldn’t understand was why she seemed so excited that morning, only to act as if she didn’t believe it that night.

The warm water soothed her body and her mind, and by the time the water had cooled, she felt much lighter. There was nothing she could do about Margret except wait until the next cycle to prove to her that she was being honest. There was nothing she could do about Geoff being gone or the fact that Analise had chosen to live alone rather than in the pack. What she could do was get dressed and go watch a movie with her two best friends in the house.

Chapter 24

The following morning loud knocks sounded from the opposite side of the bedroom door. When Natalie groaned at being woken, Mackenzie knew it had to be very early. Peeking her head out from under the pillow, the sky glowed with a pink hue.

Mackenzie knew there was entertainment coming when Teresa was the one to climb out of bed first. Murder in her eyes, she stalked over to the door and flung it open.

“What the fucking hell—” Teresa’s obvious anger deflated in less than a second when she saw the perpetrator was none other than Margret herself. Mumbling an apology, Teresa retreated, allowing Margret to enter the room. The three girls all quickly and not so subtly looked around the room, hoping that they had kept the mess to a minimum. They were usually tidy, but the movie the previous night had turned into a marathon, complete with junk food and manicures.