The Legacy of Kilkenny (35 page)

“How did you know what I was thinking?”
 
Before I have a chance to answer, she starts having some sort of breakdown. “Oh Lord!
 
Oh Lord!”
 
She cries as she walks back and forth.
 
“He’s dead and you’re Alpha!
 
Oh Lord!
 
You’ve become Alpha!
 
That is how you knew what I was thinking.
 
Oh Lord!”

“No, no, no!
 
You just seemed worried, that’s all.”
 
I was backpedaling out of my predicament.
 
I stand up on still shaky legs and put my arms around her.
 
“No, it’s okay Dolly.
 
Stop crying, I haven’t become Alpha.” At least I don’t think I have.
 
“I thought everyone was tied into the Alpha and if he was in trouble you’d sense it.”
 
I pulled back, holding her at arm’s length, her tears were starting to subside.

“You’re right Abe.”
 
She grabs one of the tissues and wipes her eyes.
 
“You all probably think I’m a fool.
 
I just don’t know where he is and with those…those… those… those damn vampires and the killing of that boy, I just worry that he is taking risks that he doesn’t need to.
 
He should have taken someone with him from
our
Pack.”

Everyone gathered around her trying to offer her some type of soothing words.

“Dolly?
 
What did you mean by someone from
our
Pack?”
 
I ask.

“Oh, that limo driver…he escorted him.
 
He is very good at what he does, but I just would rather someone from our Pack be with him.”
 
She went back to pacing.

Shaynie came over and put her arms around her and said trust her that he is very safe. I look over at Pru and see her roll her eyes.
 
I caught her eye and winked at her.
 
She winked back and slightly moved her head trying to get me to follow her.
 
I grab my tennis shoes and went to catch up with her.
 
We headed for the basement so we could talk without ears listening in.

“
Whatcha
thinkin
’ Pru?”
 
I put my hands on her shoulders trying to hold her still so I can look in her eyes.

“I don’t know.
 
It isn’t like him and I think the vamps have us all on edge.
 
It doesn’t make anything any better that we have the Great Wolf and you’re coming into powers we haven’t even begun to understand.
 
I’ve never seen my mom react like that… and to top it off,
she
is up there with her arms around
my
mom.
 
I’m just hypersensitive, no worries.”
 
She looked around to see if anyone was around.
 
“Abe, we
have
to talk about your death.
 
I think we need to do it.”

“Pru, we’ve talked about this before.
 
I don’t know that I’m the great one, but I don’t want to die.
 
You keep telling me that it would be better for them, but I really don’t think so.
 
Mother’s Day is next weekend, and Father’s Day is a month after that.
 
I don’t want to do anything around those days.”
 
I feel my temper flaring, I try a calming exercise that Oakley showed me.

“You know Abe, I think it’s great that you don’t want to hurt them around those dates but what will happen if you shift before then?”
 
She said, crossing her arms and pulling her moody teenage girl routine.

I cross my arms in reaction to her arm crossing.
 
Hell, two can play that game.
 
“Prudence, it is easy for you to say that I should die, but
you
still have your parents.”
 
I try to keep my temper in check but it is getting harder and harder to do.
 
“I am NOT going to let my vampire sister be around my family and not be around to protect them.
 
We will find another way.
 
We must find another way.”
 
I lower my voice and say, “Pru, please.”

PRU

We all ate dinner in the backyard, talking about anything and everything except my dad.
 
Mom was in mid-sentence when we heard the limo pull up.
 
We all exhaled a collective sigh of relief.
 
If it had been anyone else other than my dad we’d all gripe him out.
 
He being the head honcho meant he didn’t really have to keep tabs with us about his comings and goings.
 
I was brave enough to ask him if we could talk before he headed back to Choctaw which he reluctantly agreed to do.

The spring air was giving me the fever for a run, school obviously didn’t take wolves into consideration when assigning homework.
  
One downfall of taking on this assignment meant I had to be a student again.
 
I finally finished and decided I need to figure out how we’ll make Abe dead in a freak accident.
 
The writers for soap operas come up with the craziest plots so I thought I’d Google it and find a soap opera worthy scheme.
 
I came up with plots about horny gorillas kidnapping people, devil possession, time travel and people cloned….it made werewolves and vampires seem a little boring.
 
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but the vampire issue was more pressing.

There was a light knocking on my bedroom door.
 
“Come on in dad.”
 

We both sat down on the purple velvet chaise that I almost died over the first time I saw it at the furniture store.
 
His mood undefined as he looked around my room, as if he was recording it to memory.
 
I decided we’d start the conversation with me telling him how Abel didn’t want us to kill him.
 
I couldn’t really gauge what he was thinking, when he finally admitted he would do some research to see if we could honor Abel’s request.
 
He told me that my mom heard from Josie earlier in the day and maybe she could help the situation.
 

Highly unlikely, I thought to myself.

“Pru, I know that we are all concerned about Abel’s sister, but the fact is… we may not be able to stop what has already begun,” he said..
 
He pulled a roll of hundred dollar bills out of his pocket.
 
“Here is three thousand dollars.
 
I want you to give it to Allie convince her that she should go to Nevada for the summer.
 
I’ll set up a bank account for her and there will be enough money for her to pay her living expenses.
 
I have a friend that owns one of the casinos in Reno, he told me there is a big movie being filmed there and he can get her a small part in it.
 
That would give her the incentive to leave.
 
Just tell her that your dad’s friend saw some of her pictures on
Facebook
and thought she had the look they were seeking.
 
It should work.
 
She is going to be
turned
if you don’t get her away from that Arien guy.”
 

“I think you underestimate the hold Arien has on her.
 
He is controlling her or compelling her or whatever it is he does, but he has her under his spell for sure.”
 
I lean forward and start fidgeting with my hands.
 
“Listen dad, I think Arien walked into my dream the other night.
 
It was real as you and me sitting here talking.”

He closed his eyes, taking his fingers and pinching the bridge of his nose, a
tell sign
he does when he is trying to compose himself before speaking.
 
“What does that cold-blooded, life-stealer want?
 
Did he hurt you?”
 
He said through gritted teeth.

“No, no he didn’t, actually he acts as if everything is a game.
 
At least he doesn’t know who the Great Wolf is.
 
He does however, know
about
him.
 
He said that since we are so well-guarded, he was going to turn Allie since she is a friend of the family.
 
Before you say anything, I know.
 
I know that I’m not going to endanger Abe, but his sister may have to be the victim.
 
I’m afraid if I offer her money and try to get her to leave town they will get suspicious of us.
 
I think if we tell them to do what they must with her, they will think twice about it.
 
If we show how important she is, they may figure out why.
 
They are also talking about hurting another person and blaming it on the wolves.”
 
I stood up and went over to get a picture I took of Arien with my cell phone on prom night at dinner.
 
“Here, I think everyone needs to embed his face in their brain.”
 

“Good thinking Prudence.
 
I’m sure Abel is torn between the life he had and the life that he will have.
 
I’ll see what we can do about it.
 
Just so you know, I have a few men from Dallas coming up to help with the farm and help with patrol.
 
Your focus must stay on Abel.
 
You, Oakley, and Bryon are to be his constant companions.
 
Bryon can’t come here to hang out with Shaynie if you or Oakley isn’t with him.
 
Tell Abel that he can’t even go off with his parents without one of us with him.”

“That should go over well.”
 
I nodded my head sarcastically.

“One of my traveling companions and I found the wolf responsible for selling out to vamps, we’ll have no further problems or betrayal from him.
 
There are a lot of rogues throughout the country though; money goes a long way for a wolf that feels entitled.
 
I find it especially so if a vamp is waving money under their nose telling them they can get back at the
rich
Packs like ours.”
 
He stood up and came over to hug me.

His big muscular arms had always made me feel protected.
 
I knew nothing would get me as long as my daddy was holding me.

“How is Shaynie fitting in?
 
Are you and her getting along?”
 
He started in with the questions about us being friends.

Blah.
 
Blah.
 
Blah.

I admitted to him that I did have a little bit of jealousy but that was more to do with me being the baby of the family.
 
After he convinced me I have nothing to worry about, I felt slightly better.

“Daddy?”
 
I said in my syrupy-sweet voice.

“Yes dear, what would you like?”
 
He pulled out his wallet.

“No, I don’t want anything like that.
 
I want to talk about Oakley.”
 
I held my breath waiting for him to process my change of subject.
 
It felt like hours before he said another word.
 
“Dad?”

He pulled away from me and just stared.
 
He started grumbling and I braced myself for the tirade that was about to come.
 

“Pru.”
 
He turned to face me with eyes as cold and stern as I’d ever had directed at me.
 
“I don’t think this is a good time for you and him to be together.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
 
My mom had been okay with the idea; but here I stood before my father and heard him tell me no.
 
No, to the man I
knew
was the man that would be my mate for life.
 
No, to the burning love I felt for Oakley.
 
No, to my heart.
 
My eyes welled up with tears, my chest felt tight, and the overwhelming feeling of disappointment and pain strangled my heart.

“How can you do this to me?
 
How can you just say no?”
 
I crossed my arms to hide my shaking hands.
 
“You know as well as I do that our instinct tells us who to be with!”
 
I said with tears streaming down my face.
 
He stood there just looking at me.
 
“This is so unfair!”
 
I turned my back so he couldn’t see my face.

“Pru, you’re being unreasonable.
 
I didn’t say no.”
 
He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.