Crossroads

Chapter 5

Nick fled upstairs. It was bad enough she’d attacked Derek in the kitchen when they had more important things to do, but to ask him to move in with her?

He had to think she was crazy.

To top it all off, she hadn’t given a thought to birth control before yanking off his clothes in the kitchen. She stared at her reflection in the mirror before stripping out of her tank top and skirt. Maybe Derek hadn’t had much experience dealing with the mating instinct, but she knew better.

She should have known better.

“Fuck. Fuck.” She covered her face with her hands. “Damned mating—” Her words cut off in an angry sigh. No matter how much Derek affected her, she couldn’t afford to get distracted by the need to touch him, especially to the exclusion of everything around them. Michelle couldn’t afford that.

She couldn’t afford for Nick to sit around brooding, either.

Nick grabbed some fresh clothes, dressed hurriedly and snatched the extension phone from her bedside table. The Conclave had to have a trace on her phone already, but they’d be idiots not to suspect Mahalia of being the one to help Michelle and Aaron flee.

The woman who had been a surrogate mother to her for the past few years answered on the second ring. “I’ve been waiting for you to call, Nicole.”

The receiver’s plastic casing cracked, and Nick had to remind herself to loosen her grip. “Thank you. I don’t know what I can do for you, but I owe you.”

“Don’t insult me like that. How is she?”

“Exhausted. Scared.” Nick shuddered. “Worried as hell.”

“Don’t blame her one bit.”

“Me either.” She hesitated. “Does Daddy know?”

“That I helped?” Mahalia sounded wholly unconcerned. “Honey, if he can’t figure it out, he doesn’t need to be the Alpha.”

Which was the witch’s way of saying John Wesley Peyton had known and let them slip away. “Are they giving you a hard time?”

“They dragged me before their little board table,” Mahalia admitted. “It was all very official and intimidating.”

Nick fought a vaguely hysterical laugh. Intimidated was the last thing the older woman seemed. “Threatened you?”

“Mmm. Said I should just tell them what they wanted to know, because they have ways of encouraging people to talk.”

Fury washed over her in a red wave, and Nick gritted her teeth. “You didn’t react well, I take it?”

Mahalia laughed, the amusement edged with something dark and determined. “I told the bastards they could try, they just wouldn’t like what happened.”

“Good for you.”

“They don’t scare me, baby girl.” She remained silent for a few moments. “How’s he holding up?”

Aaron. “He’s getting it done. Mahalia, you know who I’d call first.”

“I do. And so does the Conclave.” The words carried a soft warning.

Alec didn’t give a damn if every council in the United States knew he took every chance he could get to buck their rules and traditions. “Do you know where we’d take them?”

It took her a moment to answer. “I have a good idea.”

“Is it safe enough?” Nick wanted to trust Alec and Jackson, but this was her sister. She had to find out everything she could. “Do they have anyone strong enough to get in there?”

“Hell, no. Not anymore, anyway. It’s safe.”

Nick released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thanks, Mahalia.”

“Don’t mention it, Nicole. Take care of her.”

She heard the whisper of Derek’s bare feet against the floor a moment before he knocked on her door. “Nick?”

“I have to go, Mahalia. I’ll call later.”

“That better be a promise,” she shot back. “Now, you give Derek Gabriel a kiss for me, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nick hung up as Derek opened the door. “Is something wrong?”

Derek held up his cell phone. “Alec just called. Jackson’s with your sister, but Alec’s coming over. He said someone from the Conclave is here.”

She hadn’t had time to prepare herself for the political shit. “Did he say who?”

“I believe the quote was ‘Enrica’s punk cowboy mama’s boy is on his way to try and bag your woman. Don’t eat him or you’ll start a national incident.’”

“Luciano Maglieri,” she said automatically. “His mother’s on the Conclave. She’s probably heading the search, since my father obviously can’t do it.” It was clear what Enrica had planned. “Luke’s a beta, always has been, but marrying me would guarantee him control of the Conclave. That’s what Enrica wants. Why he’s coming here.”

Derek looked a little queasy. “So dynastic marriages are still all the rage for shapeshifters?”

“For some.” It was part of what she had to tell him, part of everything he’d need to understand to help her through Michelle’s defection. “The ones who have power, like Enrica, want to keep it. The ones without power will do just about anything to get it. Like—like Alec’s father.”

“Oh.” Derek leaned against the doorframe. “Alec said his father had called him, but not why. I guess he’s supposed to come over here and try to bag you first?”

“Something like that.” Nick fell back on the bed and stared at the slowly revolving ceiling fan. “I want no part of it, Derek. It’s…everything I wanted to get away from.” She couldn’t breathe. “It’s crazy.”

“Hey.” His feet made almost no noise as he crossed to stand next to the bed, and he brushed his fingers over her hand. “Alec said almost the exact same thing. At least he’s on your side of whatever this is.”

“Luciano doesn’t want me, either. What I don’t know is what Enrica’s going to do when we both say no.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Derek suggested softly, and she could tell the words hurt him. “I mean, don’t marry him…but don’t say no right away. Wouldn’t that buy us some time?”

Nick rolled to her side and looked up at him. “Maybe. Or maybe if I hesitate, it’s as good as blood in the water. She’ll try to force my hand while I’m weak, come in for the kill.”

“Shit.” He eased onto the bed next to her. “So you turn down his offer and what happens next? They come looking for Michelle?”

“Maybe.” She tried to stay still, but instinct drove her to press closer to Derek’s strength, his warmth. “I don’t think this particular situation has ever come up before. I think it’s safe to say they’ll come, but who knows what they’ll do when they get here?” She sat up and turned her face to his shoulder.

He tugged her into his lap with both arms around her waist. “I didn’t get how bad this could get. I thought I’d be more useful.”

“We’re all winging it, Derek.” She looked into his eyes. “If you keep me from having a nervous breakdown, I’ll owe you my life.” And my sister’s.

“Hey, I can try that.” He leaned down until his lips almost touched hers and froze as the sound of a car door slamming reached their ears. “Fuck. I hope that’s Alec and not the punk cowboy.”

The doorbell rang as they reached the downstairs landing, and Nick yanked open the door. “Tell me something good, Alec.”

Alec stared at them for one tense, silent moment before his nostrils flared and he laughed. “Good news is, only an idiot’s going to try to seriously propose marriage to you with Derek’s scent all over you. Luke’s a mama’s boy, but he’s not an idiot.”

“It’s not his fault she tromps all over him.” She left the door open and stalked back toward the kitchen. “The Conclave has been threatening Mahalia. What does your father know?”

“Jack and shit, as usual. He’s freaked out that Luke might get his hands on you and cement Enrica’s place as the queen bitch.”

“It’s so nice to be nothing more than a matrimonial trophy with a prized uterus.” As soon as she spoke, she wanted to take back the words. The last thing she needed to do right now, in front of Alec, was remind Derek they’d forgotten to use a condom during their romp on the floor. “I mean…”

Alec blinked. “What?”

But Derek had already caught on. He paled and glanced toward the kitchen. “Jesus Christ, Nick. I should have—”

“It’s okay,” she interrupted. She softened the quick words by weaving her fingers with his. “We can talk about it later.” When Alec wasn’t around. When the world wasn’t falling apart. “Mahalia said there was no way the Conclave had anyone who could bust into your safe house, Alec. So we have that, at least.”

“Good.” He blew out a breath and leaned against the counter. “I don’t know how far behind me Luke is, but it can’t be far. My dear old pop isn’t exactly high on the information chain. The kid could be knocking on the door within the hour.”

“Then maybe I should take a shower.” Derek glanced at Nick. “If you don’t mind?”

“No, go ahead.” It would give her time to ask Alec some frank questions that still might scare the shit out of Derek. “Take your time.”

Derek’s gaze slid to Alec, then he shrugged and stepped close enough to drop a kiss on the top of her head. “Yell if you need me.”

She leaned into him for a moment. “I will.”

When he was gone, Alec tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. “So. Was it worth the wait?”

She swung at him, but he seemed to be expecting it and had no trouble avoiding her half-hearted punch. “I don’t ask you about your sex life, do I?”

Alec grinned. “You could, if you wanted to.”

“Thanks but no thanks, man whore.” Her stomach rumbled, and she jerked her head toward the plate of waffles on the counter. “Derek made breakfast. You hungry?”

“Always. Why don’t we drag it to the table and get the uncomfortable stuff out of the way before he comes back downstairs?”

Her hands shook as she dropped the platter on the small dining table and went back to the refrigerator. “When was the last time a Seer went rogue, much less a pregnant one who happened to be the Alpha’s daughter? We’re in some uncharted territory here, and I have no idea how it’s going to play out.” She pulled out a carton of strawberries and turned to the sink. “We can’t fight the whole goddamned Conclave.”

“Enrica Maglieri knows a thing or two about uncharted territory,” Alec reminded her. “If the Conclave put her in charge of this mess, we’ve got to assume at least half of them are hoping she’ll fuck it up and prove once and for all that women can’t take care of business. It makes her a lot more dangerous, but it means the Conclave won’t exactly have her back.”

Which gave them a little wiggle room, but not enough for Nick’s peace of mind. “They’re not going to like the way Enrica’s wasting time with the marriage proposal, but that doesn’t mean any one of them would let Michelle and Aaron walk, either.”

“Nope. But the more they’re fighting amongst themselves, the better off we are.”

“Maybe.” Nick tossed the washed berries in a bowl and dug a bottle of maple syrup from the pantry. “I have to ask you a question. A serious one.”

“Sure.”

She swallowed hard and met Alec’s steady gaze. “Do you think Enrica could convince them to let it go if I did it? If I married Luciano?”

Alec hesitated, which was usually a bad sign, but there was no doubt in his voice when he replied. “I think she’d try, kiddo. But I think your sister’s days would be numbered the minute you signed the contract. The Conclave might tolerate Enrica, but that tolerance won’t last if they think she went behind their backs to snatch up a pet Seer.”

Nick forced herself to breathe as she pulled plates and silverware from the breakfront and arranged them on the table. A sick, icy knot settled in her stomach. “I have no other way to protect Michelle, and the help you’ve given us already could get you executed.”

“Well, I’ve got an idea on how to work this.” He sat at the table and waited until she sank into the chair across from him before continuing. “It could keep Michelle safe…but it wouldn’t exactly be a shining step forward toward enlightenment for our kind.”

Most of the wolves with a family legacy didn’t give a shit about enlightenment. They cared about tradition. The ones who’d run, or who’d never been embraced by the ruling class to begin with, just wanted to be left alone. “What is it?”

“Two parts.” He held up one finger. “Convince them that their superstition is right, and Michelle’s not a threat anymore since she had sex. Not exactly a girl-power message, but under the circumstances it might be best. That’s the hard part.”

“Girl power makes a lot more sense when you’re alive to enjoy it.” Nick nudged a fork out of the way and folded her hands on the table. “What’s the easy part?”

“Take yourself out of the line of succession. That’ll keep them so busy stabbing each other in the back over who gets to become the next top dog that they won’t care about Michelle unless she’s a direct threat.”

“Efficient. And if someone gets impatient, it could get my father killed.”

Alec leaned forward, his eyes intense. “You think your father isn’t under just as much of a threat every goddamned day? People are terrified he’s going to shove you down their throats as the first female Alpha. John Wesley Peyton can take care of himself, my girl.”

“I guess so.” The harsh words twisted the knot in Nick’s stomach tighter. Her skin felt cold and hot at the same time, and nausea made her sway in her chair. “You’ve spent a lot of time with Derek. Is he going to make it through this?”

“I can’t make any promises.” Alec brushed his fingers over her hand. “But he’s tough enough. You just have to go easy on him, kiddo. Especially when people start showing up trying to talk you into marriage.”

“I have crappy timing.” Nick pushed her damp hair back. “It shouldn’t have to be this hard for him.”

“Yeah, well, he can get at the back of the line when it comes to pouting over it. It’s not like Jackson didn’t have to put up with just as much shit, and he’s not dumb enough to blame Mackenzie for it.”

Jackson hadn’t had a ton of very new, very confusing instincts to deal with, either. Nick shoved a fork at Alec. “Eat. Luciano should be here soon.”

She stabbed a waffle with her own fork and reached for the strawberries. It would take time to put Alec’s plan into motion, so maybe they’d still be able to snatch a few hours of peace before all hell broke loose. If Derek could control his reactions enough to get through the next few hours, they’d have some time. Not enough, but some.

If there were two words Derek wouldn’t have picked to describe Luciano Maglieri, they were “punk” and “cowboy”. The man who arrived on Nick’s doorstep was handsome, immaculately clothed and groomed, and looked like he’d stepped out of a lineup of New York City’s most eligible bachelors.

Luciano was pretty much everything Derek wasn’t, and it sucked.

“Come in, Luke. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Nicole.” Luciano stepped inside and leaned over to drop a kiss to Nick’s cheek. She tensed and pulled away, and the man raised his eyes to Derek. “Hi. I’m Luke Maglieri.”

If you put your lips on her again, I’ll send you back to your mother in pieces. Derek was proud that he only sounded slightly surly. “Hi. I’m Derek.”

Nick kept her hand wrapped firmly around his, something Luciano acknowledged with a small smile. “I see my intentions aren’t a secret, either.”

“Let’s sit down,” Nick suggested, “and we can talk about things.”

Alec waited in the living room, sprawled in one of Nick’s chairs with his legs stretched out in front of him and his ankles crossed. “Howdy, cowboy. How’s the ranch?”

“It’s fine, thank you.” Luciano straightened his suit jacket. “Foaled some impressive animals this year.”

Nick indicated the chair near Alec’s and steered Derek toward a love seat. “I’m glad your operation is doing well. I’m equally sorry you came all this way for nothing.”

“I thought it might be that way.” Luciano grinned as he sat down. “I hope you won’t be offended if I express my earnest relief at your refusal.”

It was almost too good to be true. Derek tightened his fingers around Nick’s hand and watched Luciano’s face. “You don’t want to marry her?”

“Actually, no.” He seemed sincere. “Not that you’re not lovely, Nicole. But the last thing I want is control of the Conclave.”

“We have that much in common,” she admitted.

Luciano’s vaguely cool, polite demeanor thawed a little. “I was sorry to hear about Michelle’s situation.”

Derek glanced at Alec, who shrugged one shoulder in a tiny, almost invisible gesture. Nick just sat a little straighter. “What was your mother offering? The terms, I mean.”

A lock of dark hair fell over Luciano’s forehead, and he brushed it back. “Aaron Spencer would be given a private execution. She couldn’t budge on that. Michelle would be spared, and the baby would become a ward of the Conclave. You and I would be married, with a prenuptial agreement stipulating division of assets and—and heirs.”

Nick made a soft noise and leaned closer to Derek. “Those are shitty terms, Luke.”

“I know.”

Nick’s pain grated painfully against Derek’s instincts. He dropped her hand and curled his arm around her shoulders instead, holding her against his side. “So if you know it’s shitty, why are you here?”

He blinked. “Because I was told to come.”

“What if they tell you to hurt Nick or Michelle?”

Luciano’s expression melted into one of shock, and he glanced at Alec. “Is he serious?”

Alec snorted. “If you’d spent the last two years getting spit on by the ruling elite the way he has, you’d be asking the same damn question, kid.”

Derek felt Nick’s eyes on him, but he kept his gaze on Luciano. The man’s shock didn’t vanish; it worsened. “Oh, I see. Uh, well. No, I mean them no harm. Things certainly haven’t reached that point.”

Maybe it was supposed to be comforting, but Derek just kept hearing the unspoken last word: yet. “In case Alec’s subtlety didn’t give it away completely, I wasn’t born like this. I was turned two years ago, and I don’t quite get your polite rules where we sit here and casually discuss how the father of Nick’s niece or nephew needs to be executed.”

Luciano stared at him, and Nick sighed. “Michelle isn’t a threat, I swear. We just need a few days to figure something out. Can you stall?”

He offered her a gentle smile. “I can tell Mom we’re talking things over. I’m sure she’d like to hear how successfully I’m wooing you.”

Derek didn’t realize he’d tightened his fingers until the arm of the love seat cracked.

“Okay.” Nick took a deep breath. “Alec, can you walk Luke out? And, please, leave Alec your cell number and the number at your hotel.” She didn’t move. “Thank you for doing this.”

“You’re welcome.” Luciano’s expression held a surprising sympathy.

She glanced at Alec. “Can you—?”

Derek almost winced as Alec speared him with a pointed look. “I’m fine, Alec.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

After a moment Alec nodded and rose. “C’mon, cowboy. Let’s clear out.”

When they were gone, Derek shifted his attention to the arm of the loveseat. “I can fix this,” he promised, the words shaking a little. He’d snapped the wood, and he hadn’t even been thinking about it. If his hand had closed on Nick’s shoulder…

“I don’t care about the furniture.” She knelt on the love seat beside him and took his face in her hands. “I care about you.”

There was no doubt about it, not with the way she watched him. Derek closed his eyes and inhaled her scent to steady himself. “I’m scared of what happens if I lose my shit and I’m holding something more important than a chair.”

She kissed him softly. “After we’ve helped Michelle and Aaron, we’ll lock ourselves in a hotel room for the weekend and not talk to anyone who isn’t bringing room service. You just need time, Derek.”

“Yeah. Time would be good.” After a few seconds, he trusted himself enough to curl his fingers around Nick’s waist. “Do you trust that man? Luke, I mean. If we reach the point where people are trying to hurt Michelle—” Or you. “Do you trust him not to be one of them?”

Nick turned and eased onto his lap. “Luciano’s in a tough place. His mother has grand plans for him, but he’s not interested. I know how that feels.” Her tone was light, but it held an undercurrent of pain. “Luciano isn’t alpha. He couldn’t handle control of the Conclave, and Enrica just won’t see that. Me? I’m just a selfish bitch.”

The words sounded like something she’d been told before, probably more than once. Derek cradled her cheek with his hand and rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “I’ve been watching the sort of shit you left behind for less than twenty-four hours, and I don’t blame you a bit.”

“That isn’t the point.” She turned her face to his touch. “I was born with responsibilities. It’s the way things are. Part of all those polite rules.”

Rules he’d never understand. Hell, at this point, rules he didn’t want to understand. “I’m sort of useless, aren’t I?”

“No, you were dealt a crappy hand, and you’ve been busting your ass to deal with it for two years.” Her nose brushed his jaw as she nuzzled her face to his. “I don’t think you’re useless. I think you’re beautiful.”

“Yeah, well, I think he’s a hunk,” Alec drawled from the doorway, “but we probably have more important things to discuss.”

Derek groaned. “You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.”

“Whatever, I’m a goddamned laugh riot.”

“Nothing else to discuss at the moment,” Nick told him. “They know my sister’s here, and they know they can’t get to her. So we’ll gather some things together for her and Aaron, make damn sure that safe house is impenetrable…and then I’m going to plan a trip.”

Derek stiffened, and he fought to keep his fingers from tightening around her hips. “A trip?”

“I may have to go to New York, after all.” She slipped her fingers through his hair, seemingly unconcerned by Alec’s presence. “I have to find another way to give Enrica what she wants. A way that’ll keep Michelle safe.”

Now he felt vaguely queasy. “What way?”

“She wants to take control of the Conclave. That may not happen for her, but it can happen for Luciano’s kids. If—if no one else has a better claim.” She shrugged. “So I’ll give up mine.”