Wick looked over his shoulder. “If you had received the memo?”
Huh? Oh. “I would’ve avoided your house like a sesquipedalian safe word.”
Wick mouthed sesquipedalian in confusion before he shook his head in defeat.
“Long, multisyllabic word,” I explained.
Wick’s eyes narrowed. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t show if you knew. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
My eyes snapped to Steve, who sat among the smilers. “You didn’t tell me everything he said, did you?”
Steve had the audacity to wink. That’s one thing I hated about Weres and fellow Shifters. We were superb at telling half-truths and lying by omission.
“Is she the reason we’ve been waiting?” The unfamiliar voice belonged to an attractive woman. A skinny model type dressed in a black lace cocktail dress with four inch heels, she looked a bit out of place amongst the otherwise laid back and casually dressed Weres.
“Shush, Christine. You’re being rude.” Mel spared the bone rack a glance before she waved at me. One of the dressiest people I knew, Mel wore jeans and a tank top. Skinny jeans, probably designer, but more casual than Christine’s outfit.
John had mentioned Christine. So far, not impressed.
Wick cut in when Christine’s look turned venomous. “Yes. She is the reason I wanted you all to wait. Some of you have already met Andy.” Wick gestured to me.
“Lucien’s newest bitch,” Christine grumbled. I gave her my best death stare to let her know I heard. She smirked and looked back at Wick. There was a fevered regard in her gaze. Oh crap. I didn’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to know what that meant or to figure why she took an instant dislike to me. I needed an obsessed, jealous Werewolf nosing around about as much as a submarine needed a window screen.
“Andy has the protection of the pack,” Wick stated.
Silence. Shocked silence.
“I claim the right to challenge.” Christine’s bold words punctured the quiet room. More than one Were gasped.
Wick frowned. “On what grounds?”
“As alpha female.” Christine stomped her foot.
“Christine,” Wick’s voice turned soft. “Let’s go outside to talk.”
She shook her head, but Wick walked up to her and gently took hold of her arm to steer her out of the room. Rather pointless, if he’d asked me. As Weres, everyone in the room could hear their conversation.
“I’m the alpha female.”
“Christine, you were the incumbent alpha female, if anything.”
“Don’t you dare. Don’t you deny that I would’ve had the position for good if she hadn’t come along.”
My chest panged with stabbing sensations as my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. I didn’t need Dr. Phil around to figure out why. I didn’t like that Wick was with Christine before I came along. Looking at the past with present feelings was never a good idea. My body twitched with jealousy.
“We’re not mated.” Wick interjected Christine’s tirade. “We never were and never will be.”
“We’re mates!” her voice adamant. Several Weres in the room flinched.
“No Christine, we’re not.” The strength of his alpha power laced into the words.
“I’m alpha female.”
“Not anymore.”
“She’s not Were.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’s wolf.”
“Let me stay as alpha female. She couldn’t possibly handle the role.” Her voice turned plaintive. Whiney. Embarrassment racked my body on her behalf. If she started groveling or begging, I’d have to break it up. Besides, Wick hadn’t technically claimed me as his mate, although that’s the general assumption, he only gave me the protection of the pack. If I conquered the current alpha female in a challenge though, incumbent or not, that changed things. Christine wasn’t planning on losing; she wanted to put me in my place. The problem for her was I didn’t plan on losing, either.
“That’s not for you to decide.” Wick’s voice took on a new firmness.
“It’s not for you to either. You can’t fight her battles for her.”
Wick stayed silent. As soon as Christine made the point, I started pulling my clothes off. When I heard the click of her heels against the hardwood heading in my direction, I was ready to shift. The other Weres drew back to the edges of the room. Some of them glanced at me, surprised to find me naked. I knew pack dynamics. Either fight for dominance or be a doormat to some Werebitch—throw down or be thrown down. I wasn’t a sub and if I didn’t assert my dominance, some primal part of Christine would continuously drive her to pick a fight with me until the hierarchy could be established.