Page 18 of Branches of the Willow

I turned and walked three steps away, feeling as though my nostrils had been tainted by breathing the foul man’s air. “Also, pass along this message: If I catch another of his inbred, stink-covered, vile betas in my business or near these lands again, they will come back to him in a goddamn doggy bag.”

“You mean body bag?” The idiot stammered out his question.

“I said exactly what I meant, now, get out.” I tossed a wave of power over him, and he crawled on hands and knees until he got to the door. Once he was there, he finally scrambled up off the floor and bolted through the door and outside. My father was immediately on his phone, no doubt having a detail put on the mutt until he was off pack lands.

When he was gone, I turned back to see everyone still down on their knees, necks exposed. It was a startling show of submission from some of the most powerful alphas we had in this part of the world. It took everything I had not to suck in a surprised breath. I nodded to them all. I hadn’t forced the posture on anyone, but John Freedman’s man. They took the position out of respect, and to show that they backed me. I appreciated the gesture, even if it was an unsettling one.

“I am going to have some food ordered for everyone. No one is to leave this room right now.”

My father approached me then, “Jess, what are you doing?”

“You didn’t invite Freedman, did you?”

“No, obviously not.”

“Well, I’d like to know who the ‘little birdy’ is that leaked information about this meeting to him then. The people who were invited are all here, so let’s see which one tipped him off.”

“It’s your show, Jessica. Just be careful with it.”

“I don’t think anyone in this room did it purposefully, but we need to know who they talked to about coming here.”

My dad walked back over to the table to start talking to the other leaders as Mikael approached me. We both walked out into the hall to let Sierra know that we needed some food ordered. She was the unofficial secretary during traditional pack meetings, so she was around whenever my dad was here now. Once I got her situated Mikael started talking.

“You gained his respect through brute force, but you have to know, you won’t have gained a friend there.” Mikael said to me through clenched teeth. “It took everything I had not to go punch his nose out through his asshole.” He was still seething over the episode with John’s man.

“His nose through his asshole, huh?” I laughed at Mikael, trying to shake off the tension that had settled in him.

“Yeah, well, you know what I mean. I had a very vivid vision of how that was going to happen.” My mate mentioned as he pulled me close to him while chuckling. It took a few minutes before he was able to be serious again, and when he pulled himself together, it was to leave a kiss on the top of my head. “You handled yourself brilliantly in there.”

“You should not have bowed down before me though. We’re equals.”

“Oh, no ma’am. I will bow down to you until my dying day. You are mine to worship and cherish. Besides, you never complain about me being on my knees before you when we’re at home.”

Sierra’s laughter behind me let me know that she had walked up at just the right time to hear him. “Should I get you two a room as well?”

“Not necessary.” I grinned at her. “How long for the food?”

“About an hour and a half thanks to the drive time.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, it was the best I could do, unless you want to put some of the pack to work cooking for you guys.”

“Maybe I should add restaurants on pack lands to the agenda in there.” I nodded back to the meeting room door. Honestly, it was something we were going to have to consider if we ended up with the influx of wolves that Mikael and Evan had hinted at previously. According to Ashely, they had a whole city in Romania. I wanted to cry thinking of the small little pack life we’d had here as I grew up. It was going to suck to see that change so drastically, all because I ended up being the white wolf.

Sierra’s voice pulled me from my lament. “Can you pull for an Olive Garden? I just want those damn crack-sticks they have. I don’t even care about the rest of the food. Just give me some Sangria and garlic bread.” Sierra walked away with a wistful gleam in her eye after putting in her restaurant request.

“She doesn’t require much, huh?” Mikael commented.

“Nope, she’s a woman of simple tastes, but she’s right about the breadsticks though. They are delicious.” My stomach growled at the thought of food. “An hour and a half, huh?” Mikael grinned and nodded his head. “This is going to suck.” We both went back into the meeting hall, where everyone was now bantering back and forth about what happened earlier.

“Jessica,” Avery called out to me as he approached. “I wondered if I might get a minute with you.” Avery and I stepped back out into the hall while he explained to me what happened with his daughter, Annalise, and my pack-mate Andy. I was shocked but understanding of the situation.

“I’m glad they’re both okay. Hopefully, Andy stays that way!” I gave him a side-long glance that was part warning and part humorous.

“I don’t see as though there is a choice left in the matter. He can stay on with us if you like, or…”

I cut Avery off when his eyes turned sad. “How about we just let them decide what they want to do?” Avery agreed. “Oh, before we go back in. I have two Ancients that came in last week. I think they’d best go to your pack. One of them is a bit cheeky, so he bears watching, which is why I wanted him with you, but if it’s too much, considering…”

“No, it’s fine. It’ll give me someone to yell at.” That seemed to cheer Avery up a bit, and we made our way back into the hall to sit with everyone else while we waited for our dinner order to arrive.

My father did a good job of guiding the others through who could have possibly been working with John Freedman’s pack. As it turned out, one of Freedman’s sisters was traded off to Mac’s pack a few years back, and she had overheard her mate talking about the leader heading here for a special meeting. Mac promised to get the issue straightened out as soon as he got back.

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