When I arrived I felt fury in the house. I smelt Arthur's anger and quickly went to find him. He was as usual in his office.
"What's wrong?" I asked seeing him pace.
"Tak is here," he growled, his eyes glowing.
"So?" I took off my gloves.
"He's at Emory's right now before he comes to see you," Arthur refused to look at me.
"Why does that anger you?" I tried to understand.
"He wants you to go with him to look for Tally," Arthur chewed on his thick lips.
"Well, obviously I'm going with him," I put my hands on my hips.
His silver glowing eyes snapped to me. "The fuck you are," he growled deeply.
His wolf was speaking now.
I started to tell the difference.
"I'm going with him," I said sternly. "I must. What if something happens to her in the Fae world?"
"The crone would not allow that," he insisted. "In anyways, Christmas is coming up. Our first one as supreme alpha and Luna, you must be here."
"She's my sister," I whispered trying to make him understand.
"You're my wife," he pleaded. "I don't want to order you, lass, but if I have to, I will. You'll no be away from me and with your old lover."
"I'll remind you, I've never actually been physical with him," I pointed out.
"I was there when we consummated our marriage, Lilly. I'm aware I'm the only man you've had. But he still had a piece of your heart."
"Then come with me," I offered. "After Christmas. Tell your counselors it's the honey moon we never got. Maybe we will find a bride for Emory in some small minut island with Inuit people still living off the coast of Iceland."
He smirked and I smelt his anger disappear.
"Aye, I'll go with. But there won't need to be much searching. She's on the isle," he explained.
"Which one? There are several," I asked.
"Not an isle. THE isle."
"I was unaware there was a THE isle," I explained.
"Had your father never told you of our legends?"
"I was to be kept in solitude for most of my formative years until I willingly submitted to John to bare him a child," I explained.
Arthur's eyes looked like silver fire.
"They said he wanted to breed you but they nay said with whom," his accent grew thicker. If he began to speak Gaelic I would be lost.
"First with Emory but he refused to take me against my will. Ironic now isn't it…"
"Emory did not take Tally against her will. Her wolf fully submitted to him. She just was unaware at the time."
Pieces of the puzzle began to fit for me.
"So he did imprint on her. But she… she doesn't shift so her wolf did not get much say in the matter."
"Her wolf wanted him. He had to show her that. That's why she stayed after he unchained her. She also did not know she was in heat and that's why his beta tried to mate with her. She was unmarked even though Cavendish tried his best. Her wolf would not allow the mark to remain. If Tally had listened to her body, listened to her wolf, Emory would not have had to kill his brother. Emory would have been able to have Tally once she came of age. They would probably have five pups by now the way they carry on."
"How do you know all this?" I asked softly.
"As supreme I'm privy to my beta's thoughts. Even the ones I would rather not hear... Emory did not rape her in the conventional sense. He had to show her what her true self wanted."
"They are still cousins," I pointed out.
Arthur shrugged. "You and I are third cousins once removed."
"That's just more ironic than it is blood relation wise."
"True, which means the crone is actually your great aunt. You would not need me to show you how to find her."
"And your point is?" I cocked an eyebrow.
"My point is, you want me with you."
"Okay…"
"Why can you no say it?"
"I want you with me," I said it but apparently too casually for him.
"It'll do. For the now."
"Do you want to come with me?" I asked tentatively.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Of course."
"I mean do you want to be with me? Or are you keeping tabs to make sure Tak doesn't try anything?"
"Both," he said casually.
I growled not getting the answers I was looking for.
"What are you really asking?" His grey eyes grew brighter.
"I… need to tell you something…" I hesitated.
"You can tell me anything," he said honestly.
"I'm…"
A knock came at the door before I could continue.
"Supreme," Emory ducked his head into the office. "Tak is in the library."
"I'll speak with him alone," I said to both males but Emory blocked my path.
"Move," I growled.
Emory looked over my head to Arthur. "He doesn't want me to."
I swirled around to face my husband. "I'm going on speak to him."
"Not alone," Arthur quipped.
I laughed aloud. "It's like you're just meeting me." I turned back to Emory. "Move Eagle Horn."
"No, Blackbear," he snapped at me.
"I'm not a Blackbear, never was I a Blackbear."
"Nor was I ever an Eagle Horn," his eyes glowed yellow. "If you feel insulted imagine how I feel when you and Cavendish call me by a name that is not mine."
I knew how it felt. I hated the last name forced upon me my whole life. A name that Emory found pride in, only I found revulsion.
"Fine," I cleared my throat. "Please move," I asked. "Blackbear."
"You are obliged this time, MacAllistar," he cocked an eyebrow arrogantly.
I pushed passed him and he let me.
"Look at the triad getting along," I heard him say as I went down the hall.
I smelt that familiar Takoda smell as I came upon the library.
Tak stood staring into the fire when I entered. Arthur was still pushing down his anger.
"You look like one of them," Tak did not bother looking at me. Black eyes reflecting the fire.
"It's over cast in England, I can't be expected to keep my tan," I said tongue in cheek.
He rolled his deep brown eyes. "I meant, apart from the tattoos, you look like you're the Countess of Lockenmoore."
"Good," Arthur entered. He slammed the door behind him making me jump. "Because she is."
"We need to keep focused on the real issue here," I reminded both men. "Tally is gone and she does not want to be found. All three of us have a duty to keep Emory in check. Make sure his wolf does not leave him and that he doesn't try and go lone wolf on us searching for her."
"Especially with Harry coming in," Tak said casually.
I turned quickly to Arthur. "Is this true?"
Arthur nodded. "Christmas is coming on. This is his home. We need to make him feel welcomed as much as possible."
"The man has lost everything," I reminded Arthur. "This will not be an easy thing to do. It will take more than a big turkey and buttered yams to make him feel better."
"You don't think I know that?" Arthur growled.
"Then send Emory home," I put my hands on my hips. "To Canada."
"He has no other family. He killed his half-brother, his uncle is here, his mother died in childbirth," Arthur crossed his arms. "He's family now. Whither you like it or not."
"He's not my family," I corrected Arthur.
"He's my beta, and the father of your niece. I refuse to turn my back on him."
"Harry is your blood," I reminded.
"But Emory is my second. That's more important than blood. The pack is more important than blood."
"We will have to have two dinners than," I gruffed.
"No, that's too much stress on you and the baby."
"We have no other options. Harry cannot sit at a table with the man who kidnapped and raped his mate and then was rewarded for it," I turned on my heel but Tak was too close behind me and I ran into him.
"Excuse me," I went to step passed him but he caught me.
"You need to stop reminding everyone that Emory kidnapped Tally. He did what he had to do. He had to show her who he was to her. She was too love struck with Cavendish to see what was in front of her face. I saw it and everyone else saw what Emory was to her. I begged her to give Emory a chance because I knew how close they were and it was obvious he was in love with her. He waited for twenty years for her to be ready for him. He may be John's son but he deserves his happy ending as well," Tak said with conviction.
"Well put," Arthur said. "If the two of us agree on something than that must mean it's true."
"Fine," I growled. "But try telling this all to Cavendish."
"I'll handle Cavendish," Tak volunteered. "Seat him between Caleb and I."
I pushed past Tak and ignored both men for the rest of the day. This was a screwed up situation.
My sister was gone, I was hosting a dinner instead of finding her, her rapist would sit at our table near her mate, and I couldn't even drink myself into oblivion.
But as the day progressed I occurred to me what Arthur had said in the library.
'That's too much stress on you and the baby'…