Evergreen Island Werewolves 2: Alyra and Jared Read online

Betsy waved her spoon toward the hallway leading to the front of the house. “Last I saw him was at breakfast. I didn’t hear the details, but he got his mother’s feathers ruffled, and his father was in a foul mood. I was told to expect a guest for lunch. My guess is he’s in the dining room.”

  A frown pleated Alyra’s face. Had Jared forgotten the appointment he commanded she attend? She glanced at the clock on the wall, finding she had only five minutes before she would be late. At a loss, she continued to stand in the kitchen, not sure if she should go hunt down Jared, especially with company coming. What he was going to say wouldn’t take long, but it wasn’t something that should be done in front of others. No one needed to know what they had done. It would be easier for all involved to keep last night a secret.

  “Did you come to stand over my shoulder, Alyra?”

  Betsy’s question forced her wandering mind to return, and she shook her head. “I was supposed to meet Mr. Sundown at one, but I think he might have forgotten. I don’t want to disturb him.”

  “Why not tell Griffin you were here? He can deliver the message discreetly to Mr. Jared, and you won’t be in trouble for not showing up.”

  “Good idea. Where is he?”

  “Probably in the serving area off the dining room.” Betsy rolled her eyes. “He does insist on overseeing the serving of the meals, and Griffin isn’t happy unless he’s inspected each detail beforehand.”

  After obtaining directions from Betsy, Alyra set off in search of the butler. The house was beautiful, decorated with plush fabrics and carpets in muted tones, a plethora of antiques, and objets d’art that cost more than Alyra’s lifetime salary could ever equal. She didn’t take long exploring the rooms, but it was a rare opportunity to see how the other half lived. In the four years she had been employed by the Sundowns, she had never been farther inside the house than the kitchen or Jared’s office.

  The cook’s directions were concise, and she found the small room without difficulty. Griffin was examining the contents of a silver tray, nodding his approval to the young woman in the maid’s uniform, who was waiting for his cue to serve the appetizer. His bushy white brows drew together in a frown when he saw Alyra lurking in the doorway. “May I assist you, Ms. Edwards?”

  His expression made her feel like a naughty child who had gone somewhere she shouldn’t. She nodded, trying to hide her reaction. “I was supposed to meet Mr. Sundown at one, but I think he must have forgotten.”

  The butler waved a gloved hand. “The Sundowns are expecting a guest.”

  “I know. Betsy suggested I leave a message with you for Jar -- Mr. Sundown, to let him know I showed up, asking him to find me at his convenience.”

  The butler issued a soft sigh, making little effort to hide his annoyance. “Very well. I shall see to it when an opportunity arises.”

  Alyra forced a warm smile she didn’t feel. “Thank you.”

  The maid lifted the tray, and Alyra turned to go, just as Griffin opened the door for the other woman. She froze when Jared called her name, silently cursing her bad luck. This definitely wasn’t the proper time to have the necessary conversation. With a grimace that might pass for a smile, she turned to Jared, but hesitated in the doorway upon seeing his mother and father at the table, their expressions ones of blatant disapproval.

  Jared got up from the brocade-upholstered chair and came to meet her. Alyra’s eyes widened, and her stomach dropped when he put his arm around her shoulders to draw her inside the room. Automatically, she shook her head, but he paid no attention, forcing her along. Realization dawned that the fourth plate at the table was for her. Oh, God! He wasn’t changing his mind. He hadn’t come to his senses. Even worse, he had told his parents. There was no escaping now.

  “Mother, Father, this is Alyra.”

  Vasek nodded, but his expression held no trace of warmth. “Alyra.”

  “Mr. Sundown.” It was ridiculous. She had spoken to his family many times, but always in the capacity of a servant, while fetching their horses or answering their questions about the stock.

  Charlotte’s nose twitched, as though she smelled something unpleasant. It couldn’t be the dish the maid was about to serve, because it smelled so good it made Alyra’s mouth water, even in the present circumstances. No, it must be Alyra she found so disagreeable. “Mrs. Sundown.”

  “I’m pleased you feel so comfortable with us, Alyra, to dress casually. What an unusual statement.”

  She swallowed down a retort at the criticism, while resisting the urge to look down at her riding outfit. Instead, she forced her tone to remain neutral. “I didn’t realize we were having lunch. Jared’s invitation was brief.” And terse, his words leaving little doubt of his reaction had she failed to show up. Now she knew why. He wouldn’t want to be embarrassed in front of his parents… not any more than he was already.

  Jared led her to a seat, assisting her by pushing it in once she sat down. As she sat at the massive table, eyeing the delicate china, gold-rimmed crystal goblets, and silver flatware, Alyra’s inadequacies assailed her. She cast a surreptitious glance at her future mother-in-law, noting the perfection of Charlotte’s manicure, the excellent cut of her gray morning jacket, and the precise way she had tied the lacy collar of her white shirt. Glancing down at her own hands, she quickly hid them under the tablecloth, hoping no one would notice the jagged edges of her unpainted nails.

  An arc of electricity sparked between Jared and Alyra when he sat beside her, patting her thigh for a second, before leaning back in his seat. He gave every indication of being relaxed, and his presence soothed her nerves a bit. She forced her spine straight, until it hurt, and raised her chin.

  Her false bravado lasted through the first two courses, mainly because she wasn’t required to say anything. They ate in silence, the air thick with tension. She prayed it would be a quick meal, but her hopes were dashed when Charlotte waved to Griffin after the maid had served the main entrée. Her heart skipped a beat when the butler closed the door, leaving the four of them in the opulent dining room, with the illusion of privacy.

  “How do you propose to pull this off, Jared?” Charlotte shook her head. “Look at her. She doesn’t know anything she needs to in order to be Lupina.”

  “She’ll learn.”

  “There’s no time before the ascension. You must reconsider.”

  Alyra admired Jared’s restrained way of setting his fork on his plate. She wondered if the deep breath he drew, audible to her, calmed him any.

  “Mother, this is not open for debate. I need your assistance, but if you won’t give it, we will manage.”

  Charlotte sighed. “I will do what I must, for the good of the pack.” Her eyes bored into Alyra. “You must think you have it made now, girl, but you will soon find you have undertaken more than you can handle.” Before Alyra could reply, she said, “When will you be holding the ceremony?”

  Jared shrugged. “We already have the minister scheduled and the invitations sent. It shouldn’t be a problem to send them again, with Alyra’s name instead of Elise’s.”

  Vasek’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he cleared his throat. “You can’t mean for the ceremony to be so public.”

  “It’s indecent, Jared. Really. Everyone will know your bride was a last-minute substitute, but you can’t make it so blatant, if you expect those in the pack to follow her. You must do this discreetly.”

  “Mother --”

  “I agree.” Alyra didn’t know where she found the courage to speak. “Your mother is right, Jared. If you insist on doing this, I want it done quickly, without the pack witnessing. I don’t want Elise’s castoff wedding date or dress. Let’s just get it over with.”

  He tilted his head, seemingly considering her words. Finally, he nodded. “If that’s what you want. What do you suggest?”

  Although he addressed the question to Alyra, Charlotte answered before she could compose her thoughts.

  “We’ll ask Reverend Cooley to come out tom
orrow evening, to the house. Your father and I will be the witnesses. After the deed is done, I will tell a select few of the change in plans. By the time of the ascension ceremony, everyone will know, without the necessity of a public spectacle.”

  Jared shrugged. “Is that fine with you, Alyra?”

  Left with no choice, she nodded. What could she say to the plans? Common sense told her to object loudly. If she mentioned having any doubts, Charlotte and Vasek would immediately side with her. Jared would be under tremendous pressure to reconsider. That’s what she should want, but her heart urged a different course of action. A tiny part of her rejoiced in being chosen as Jared’s mate. Not because she wanted to be Lupina, but because she would finally belong with Jared as she had dreamed of during the past few years. Did it really matter that she was only a substitute for Elise? Hadn’t last night shown her that Jared could please her physically, as she could him? Wouldn’t the rest follow in time?

  She looked up at Jared, concentrating on the furrow in his brow as he and his mother discussed arrangements. Her heart stuttered with a combination of hope and fear, not knowing what the future held as Jared’s mate.

  Chapter Three

  Alyra’s head spun at the speed with which Charlotte made the arrangements. She had passed the rest of the afternoon in silence in the stable after escaping the dining room, hiding out in Achilles’ stall, hoping to calm her nerves. She was adjusting to the change in circumstances, but still hadn’t grasped all the ramifications the next morning, when the maid roused her at six with an invitation from Charlotte.

  Now, a few minutes since answering the thinly veiled summons, she was glad she had dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, deliberate choices designed to annoy her future mother-in-law, because she found herself at the mercy of a militant little seamstress named Aria. She had seen the woman around Evergreen Island many times, but had never had occasion to converse with her. There was no conversation now, as she was poked, prodded, turned, and measured by Aria’s assistants, while the seamstress and Charlotte stood off to the side, discussing styles.

  “Is this really necessary?” As she asked the question, one of the women poked her with a straight pin, as if in retaliation for questioning.

  Charlotte looked up from Aria’s sketchpad, her brow wrinkled with annoyance. “Of course it is. The ceremony is private, but there will be photographs in the paper, and you’ll have a painting hung in the gallery. You must have a proper dress.”

  “Will it be finished in time for tonight?” She eyed the bolts of silk, organza, and lace stacked on a chaise lounge in the corner of Charlotte’s sitting room, and shook her head at the magnitude of the project.

  “Of course.” Aria said nothing else to her during the course of the next three hours. Alyra did as she they told her, finding her quiet resentment simmering ever closer to the surface, as they treated her like a mannequin, rather than a person. They allowed her no input on the design of the dress and ignored or dismissed any questions she asked.

  By the time she was allowed to sit and eat for a few moments, she was beyond caring about the dress. Instead, her mind circled with the worry that this would set the pattern for her life. Would she always be expected to bow and scrape to Charlotte’s commands? Could she ever be worthy in the eyes of her mother-in-law, and thus not require guidance on every little thing? Was Jared really worth facing a lifetime of suppressing her personality to be what the others thought she should be?

  As the hours passed, the dress took shape, until finally, in the early afternoon, she stood in a silk sheath. Touches of lace around the décolletage and hemline gave the silk dress a bridal feel, and the simplicity of the style, necessitated by the lack of time, suited her. Although there were a few things left to finish, she could see it would be a beautiful dress. Some of her anger at the day’s events flowed away, and she gave Charlotte and Aria a warm smile. “It’s lovely.”

  “Yes.” Charlotte’s terse answer revealed nothing, and she immediately returned her attention to Aria, making Alyra feel rejected anew.

  A knock on the door interrupted all progress, and Charlotte went to answer it. Vasek entered, accompanied by Rodney Sewell, the only attorney on the island. Alyra watched with narrowed eyes as Rodney, Charlotte, and Vasek conferred over paperwork the attorney spread out on the Victorian writing table. She clenched her teeth to avoid saying something rash when Vasek waved her over, not even extending the courtesy of using her name.

  She stepped away from the mirror and swept toward them, finding the dress gave her a bit of confidence. Perhaps because it allowed her to meet them as an equal, if only in the fashion department. “Yes?”

  “Sign this.” Vasek stabbed a finger against a solid line. “And here, and here.” He indicated two more forms. “Initial these.”

  With a frown, she leaned over the desk, intent on examining the papers. “What is it?”

  “A prenuptial agreement.”

  She gasped. “What?”

  “It’s standard. Just sign.” Charlotte’s attempt at reassuring her lacked any sincerity. “Once you sign, Jared will sign as well.”

  “Do you have an attorney, Miss Edwards?”

  She shook her head, her heart jumping at the pleased gleam that entered Sewell’s eyes when she divulged that information. “I never expected to need one. What am I agreeing to here?” She let out another startled gasp when Vasek pushed a chair against her knees, forcing her to sit down or fall down. The three of them stood over her, intimidating her with glares of reproach at her slowness. She swallowed down the urge to mindlessly obey, focusing her gaze on Sewell. “What are the terms?”

  “You’ll be generously compensated when you divorce. As long as you don’t act in an inappropriate manner during the marriage, you will receive a monthly stipend and a home anywhere in the world, provided it is not on Evergreen Island.”

  Charlotte interrupted Sewell’s oily recitation. “Please understand that it would be awkward to have you remain on the island after a divorce.”

  Sewell didn’t wait for Alyra to respond. “If you should have children, they will remain with their father. Again, you will be generously compensated for any inconvenience.”

  Alyra shook her head. “No way.”

  “Be reasonable. This is all standard.”

  She turned her head to glare up at Vasek. “Somehow, I doubt that clause is standard. I want to speak with Jared.”

  He couldn’t seem to hide his pleasure in saying, “He’s not on the island. I sent him into Seattle to handle some business for me.”

  She nodded. “I see. What else is in here?”

  “You will maintain proper decorum at all times. Should you cause a scandal, you immediately agree to a divorce. If you refuse, you lose all compensation.”

  “Look.” Vasek took the paper from Sewell, slamming it down on the desk. “This is the most important thing. We’ve set the time limit on the marriage for two years. You behave, and you’ll walk away from this arrangement wealthier than you can imagine. Provide Jared with an heir before the dissolution, and you’ll be set for life. That’s all you really need to know.”

  “Time limit?” Alyra looked at Charlotte, trying to hide the desperate confusion swirling through her. “I don’t understand.”

  “You didn’t think this was permanent, did you?” Charlotte blinked, as if baffled by the concept. “Jared only needs to be mated to ascend. After he takes his place and everyone settles in, he’ll have no need for you. We’re merely making certain there are no ambiguities in the arrangement, such as the issue of children. Vasek and I prefer you not be the mother of our future grandchild, but we want that contingency covered.”

  “I assure you, it’s all fair.”

  She shook her head at Sewell, denying his assertion. “Your assurance means nothing. I know who you work for.” Alyra slid away from the table, gaining her feet. “I won’t do this. Jared didn’t tell me anything about this.”

  “Unless you sign these papers, there
will be no ceremony.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t care.” Anger propelled her to the doorway. She didn’t even stop to gather her clothes as she stormed through the house, ignoring the chidings issued from behind her. Not too loudly, she noted sourly. Mustn’t have anyone gossiping about what was happening at the Sundown place.

  The rage carried her to her small home and lingered while she packed two suitcases. She was in the middle of filling the third when her door slammed open, and Jared stalked inside. A look in his direction revealed he wasn’t pleased, but she was beyond caring. She continued packing, dumping in toiletries without regard to neatness.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Jared asked.

  “I’m leaving.”

  He took two steps toward her, his expression one of disbelief. “I thought we had settled all this. It was a shock to have Mother tell me you changed your mind. I was barely off the plane when she came running out to tell me, making no attempt to hide her pleasure.” He snorted. “Why are you doing this?”

  “I’m just saving us two years, and you a pile of money. Oh, and of course, avoiding tainting your precious bloodline with my genes.” She slammed shut the case, zipping it so fast that her fingers stung. She heaved it beside the other two and paused to glance around, making sure she had retrieved everything that belonged to her.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m confused. What are you babbling about?”

  She turned on him, her eyes flashing. “I’m ‘babbling about’ that damned prenup agreement, which spells out exactly what you expect of me, and for just how long. I guess it slipped your mind to mention it, huh?”

  “Shit. I forgot all about that. Father mentioned it last night, but I left early this morning and didn’t have a chance to see you.” Jared’s brow furrowed. “What’s the big deal? He told me it was all standard.”

  She sniffed. “Read it and tell me that.”

  “There really isn’t time --”

  “Go to hell. I’ve had enough with being bossed around and told what to do. I’m done.” She made a slicing motion with her hands. “This was insane. I knew it from the start, but I ignored it. I never should have let emotions get the best of me.”