"Hell, I nearly forgot. Right. Liam has everything under control for the most part. Ranaild and Elise showed up at the den this morning. Ranaild is apparently his own jailer and Elise spent the morning telling Liam what happened to her and trying to convince him to advocate for Ranaild when you get back. Apparently, when Elise was being held there were a significant number of others being held as well. I'm gonna guess that there's a scary correspondence between the guys you dungeoned before we left and the women who Elise has reported as being held."Cullen nodded gravely. "Maybe I can talk to Jenna. Who knows. We might be able to reach an amiable solution and get Jenna to let them all go. It appears as though the Tairneach have allowed her to step in as alpha without too much complaint. With Gregor dead that gets her main opponent out of the way. She may be willing to back off and just be happy about being able to follow in Brennus' footsteps. As far as Ranaild goes," Cullen growled.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help," Aislinn said softly and lowered her head.Sarah shook her head and then looked over at Cullen. She could see that he was overwrought. It wasn't like him at all. He always kept his emotions in check. Aislinn was having quite the effect on him. "What's going on between you two?" she asked confidentially.Aislinn looked back at Cullen. He had walked over to a large window and was standing with his arms crossed staring out. She could feel the war inside him. His human half was trying to convince his wolf that Aislinn was right. Aislinn was uncertain as well. She needed to be trusted by Sarah. She was logical enough to understand that Sarah was the alpha female and if Aislinn wanted to fit in she was going to have to be friends with her. Besides, Cullen trusted Sarah and someone was going to have to help Aislinn with understanding and fitting in with the women. Cullen obviously didn't have the knack for that.Sarah's patience was waning. She didn't know
The group loaded silently into the large black SUV and Cullen began driving back to Madadh-Allaidh Saobhaidh. Gaven and Hagan were afraid to speak. They didn't know what to say to Cullen after everything that had happened. But both men looked at each other with hope as they each felt some of the muffled fear in the back of their minds ebb away. Something was happening with their mates that was making them less frightened. The men didn't know what it could be. Their bonds weren't strong enough to project thoughts over this kind of distance. But there was hope now. The two men sat impatiently in the back seat.Sarah had about a million questions she wanted answered. But she wasn't able to ask Cullen about his mating with Aislinn with the others present. The only positive thing Cullen could get from having all the upset and conflict before leaving was that he didn't feel harassed by his wolf to pull over and play with Aislinn on the way back to the den. Now that he knew Aislinn was alrig
Cullen looked over at Aislinn several times. He was getting the strangest sensations from her. He knew that she was concentrating very hard on something. There was curiosity and sometimes a little fear. Every time he felt the fear start he reached out and touched her hand or leg. She would stir in her sleep a bit and then settle and the fear would fade away. He just felt like she needed him.By the time they pulled into the private garage attached to the Madadh-Allaidh Saobhaidh Cullen's stomach was growling as was his wolf. The few times he had touched her, combined with Aislinn's scent in the enclosed space of the car was starting to get to his wolf no matter how annoyed his human half might have been.As the others got out of the car and started slamming doors Aislinn was shaken awake. Gaven and Hagan were still holding their tongues but they could feel their mates nearby and they were doing their best to be patient.Aislinn's mind was exhausted. It took her a moment to come to her
Marta settled on an overall head bow. She was just an omega after all. It was the betas who were really grousing about the situation. It was their ranks that seemed to be getting infiltrated. Current rumor had it that Meredith hadn't actually lost that fight. Aislinn had used some kind of mass hypnosis to beat her and that was why none of the normal protocol had been followed.Cullen ordered his usual without thinking about it. Aislinn ordered a smaller version of what Cullen had asked for and Sarah opted for the steak as well. Pretty standard fair at the Taigh-Oèsda. It was a steak house after all. Marta bowed again and headed off for drinks and to place the order. The relief on her face to be leaving the table was obvious.Aislinn shifted uncomfortably in the booth. "Rafe's influence seems to have gotten to everyone," she said sadly.Cullen had been hoping that she wouldn't catch everyone's looks or at least not interpret it all so well.Aislinn glared at him. "I'm not blind," she s
"I think that first order of business is that I'll get a hold of Jenna and thank her for the return of our people. Then I'll call the feds and check up on the weres that were handed over to them. I want you and Keith to get a feel on the atmosphere around here. Arrange something to improve moral. That includes dealing with pack doubt about Aislinn. I'll do my best to try and keep things more public. But if they think she's messing with my head I don't know how much that will help. I'm going to set up a meeting with the elders for after the funeral and I'll deal with the mating ceremony issues. I think the only other thing would be assigning Aislinn to work with some of the others. They'll get more comfortable with her if they meet her. And as much as I hate to bring this up," he looked at Aislinn apologetically. "Make sure everyone knows that Brinah was a druid from the same order as Rafe and that she gave her life to help us. That might help." Cullen took another drink of his beer.A
"But 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. And 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 goin
Aislinn knew that if the conversation went too much further 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. But you don't want to, do you?"Aislinn shoo