15. Pack Dinner and Other Forms of Torture
15
Pack Dinner and Other Forms of Torture
The Subaru’s engine protested as it crept up the hill toward Temple Heights. At this rate, I doubted I was going to get to the Hawthorne mansion in time for the dreaded family dinner.
“We would have been okay if you hadn’t spent half an hour trying to console Ellie,” Bo said sullenly from the passenger seat.
“We couldn’t just leave her like that.”
Ellie’s day hadn’t gone well. Not only had her new recipes been a complete disaster, she’d accidentally deleted her resume when she was applying for new jobs.
We’d come home and found her sobbing on the living room sofa, her hair caked in flour and eggs and her eyes puffed up like she’d had some kind of allergic reaction. I’d managed to get her into the bath before jumping into the shower and changing.
To my surprise, my best friend hadn’t insisted on tagging along for the family dinner. I wasn’t sure if this was because she was worn out or because she had an inkling it might be about as much fun as having a date with a serial killer.
The Subaru finally made it to the cul-de-sac. I used the remote control Victoria had given me to open the gates and headed up the driveway.
The Hawthorne mansion looked even more imposing at night. Light shone from the windows and smoke curled from several chimneys, the scent of burning logs sharp and crisp in the cold evening air.
I pulled into the circular driveway at precisely 6:59 p.m.
“Your heart’s going crazy,” Bo observed from the passenger seat. “You should calm down before you have a coronary.”
“I am calm,” I lied.
Bo adjusted his bow tie with a paw. “I can smell the acid reflux on your breath.”
A figure emerged onto the portico before I could come up with a suitable retort. I stared, my heart going crazy for a whole other reason.
Samuel looked stunningly charismatic in a dark evening suit that hugged his powerful frame and left little to my fevered imagination. He’d slicked his hair a little and was wearing his tortoiseshell-framed glasses.
The sight of him made my inner wolf sit up and beg.
He came down the steps as I climbed out of the car.
“You’re right on?—”
Samuel froze, his eyes widening. His gaze swept over me in a way that made the mate bond sing, the amber fire that flashed in his pupils and the scent suddenly coming off him telling me he liked what he saw.
I swallowed and resisted the urge to fan my face.
“You look beautiful.”
I blinked, surprised at the raw honesty in his expression and his voice. “So do you.”
He smiled. “I would rather be called handsome.”
My inner wolf went Woof!
Samuel’s gaze dropped to Bo. His expression turned amused. “Nice bow tie.”
“Pearl picked it for me,” Bo preened.
Samuel blinked. His startled gaze switched to me. “She did?”
“Victoria practically fell off her chaise longue.”
A concerning grinding sound came from Ethel’s engine as the Subaru cooled. Samuel inspected the vehicle with a faint frown.
“Please tell me that’s not your regular transportation.”
“Ethel is perfectly reliable,” I said defensively.
“You named your car Ethel?”
I lowered my brows.
Samuel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “We need to get you something more appropriate for a luna.”
“But I like my car,” I said mutinously.
“Your car sounds like it’s about to die,” Samuel said sharply. “At least let me find you something you can make a quick getaway in if you need to.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why would I need to make a quick getaway?”
“Your new job might land you in situations where that might become a priority.” He made a face. “Also, you’re about to have dinner with a pack of werewolves who are dying to meet their new luna. Some of them can be…persistent. And by that, I mean you might experience the sudden urge to make yourself scarce mid-dinner.”
Great. I wasn’t even through the front door and I already wanted to leave.
Samuel clocked my expression and escorted Bo and me into the mansion before I could change my mind. Bernard materialized out of nowhere and took my coat.
“The pack is gathering in the formal dining room,” the butler said with a dignified nod. “Welcome home, Miss West.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. From the way Bo suddenly pressed against my leg, he wasn’t certain what to make of it either.
We followed Samuel down a corridor lined with more portraits of judgmental Hawthornes. The sound of voices and laughter reached us as we approached what had to be the dining room. My pulse quickened.
“Ready?” Samuel asked quietly.
“No.”
His lips twitched. “They don’t bite.”
“Technically, your brother already did,” I pointed out.
Samuel’s expression darkened a little. “Hugh won’t be joining us tonight.”
I stared, surprised. “Victoria grounded him?”
“Something like that.” He opened the double doors.
The dining room was as opulent as the rest of the mansion. I looked past the decorative wood paneling, crystal chandeliers, and the large windows overlooking the rear gardens to a long table dominating the polished parquet floor. It was already set for dinner with gleaming cutlery, glassware, and china that probably cost more than my apartment.
About twenty people were standing around talking, many with drinks in hand. Kids ran around the room playing. A teenage girl who looked like she would rather be anywhere but here sat next to the fireplace reading a book.
They all turned to stare as we entered.
Samuel waited until the brouhaha settled down before he spoke. “Everyone, this is Abigail West, our new luna.” He glanced at Bo. “And this is her Husky, Bo. He’s now an honorary pack member.”
A heavy silence followed. Bo gulped and slinked behind me.
A tall woman with pretty features and dark hair finally stepped forward. “About time this pack got a luna.” She offered me her hand with a friendly smile. “I’m Caroline Walsh, pack enforcer.”
I relaxed a little and shook it, noting her firm grip and wondering what an enforcer did. “Nice to meet you. I’m Abby.”
“This is my partner, Kent. He’s also an enforcer.” Caroline indicated the bear of a man who’d appeared at her shoulder.
I stared. Kent’s muscles had muscles.
“Welcome to the pack,” he rumbled.
It dawned on me that enforcers probably meant pack security of some sort.
Caroline jerked her head at the reading girl by the fire. “The brat over there ignoring everyone is our daughter, Amanda.”
Amanda apparently pretended not to hear her, licked a finger, and carefully turned a page.
“And this is our son, James.”
A boy with bright eyes and sharp canines appeared in front of Caroline. He beamed at me. “You smell like Uncle Samuel.”
Heat warmed my cheeks. Luckily, Samuel had drifted off to talk to a family member. Others came forward to introduce themselves.
“Don’t mind the teeth, dear,” an elderly werewolf said cheerfully through her dentures. She tugged me close with bone-breaking strength and kissed my cheek. “Silver bullets are hell on dental work.”
“Aunt Lucille used to be a pack enforcer during Victoria’s days as the alpha’s mate,” Caroline explained in a low voice at my expression. “She took a couple of shots when someone attempted to eliminate Samuel’s father.”
I swallowed hard. Assassination attempts had not been on the agenda of things Samuel had said might happen to me. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard anything about Victoria’s husband when an elderly gentleman in tweed introduced himself as Uncle Frederick and peered at me curiously through thick glasses.
“Do you like bugs?”
I blinked at the unexpected question. “Not especially.”
Uncle Frederick deflated. “Oh. I was going to show you my collection.”
I saw the encouraging looks the other pack members were giving me.
“I like butterflies,” I volunteered hesitantly.
Uncle Frederick perked up. “Splendid!”
Though I tried my best, I couldn’t remember half the names of the pack members who greeted me next.
“Don’t worry,” Caroline reassured. “You’ll soon get to know them by their scent.”
That statement warranted a drink. I eyed the wine bottle on the table with a calculating look. A heavy sigh distracted me.
“It’s been so long since we’ve had a luna,” an elderly woman named Margaret confided. She hesitated and shot an awkward look at me. “In all honesty, we expected Samuel would end up with one of the Lupton girls?—”
“Margaret,” someone cut in sharply. “We agreed not to talk about that.”
I turned.
Victoria had appeared with Pearl. The Hawthorne matriarch wore a beautiful cocktail dress that matched the diamond-encrusted ribbon around the cat’s neck.
“Hi,” Bo panted at Pearl.
The cat jumped out of Victoria’s arms and swished her tail in acknowledgment before bumping noses gently with the Husky.
Someone gasped and dropped a glass. The rest of the Hawthornes gaped, equally shocked.
“What?” Pearl said irritably at their stares.
“That’s a first,” Caroline said, deadpan. “I was expecting you to shred him to pieces.”
Pearl sniffed haughtily. “The mutt is under my protection.” She placed a proprietary paw on Bo’s flank in a way that made my hackles rise a little.
My fool of a dog grinned and wagged his tail. “I am?”
“Yes.”
The tail wagging intensified. “Wanna come over to my place for playtime?”
“Does Abby serve caviar?”
“No.”
“Then, no.”
I decided to bring the conversation back on track. “Who are the Luptons?”
Victoria exchanged a guarded look with Caroline and a few of the elderly Hawthornes. “Now might not be the best time to?—”
“Now’s the perfect time,” I interrupted coolly.
Victoria sighed at my frown. “Pack alphas rarely meet their fated mates. Hence why packs usually arrange marriages between their children.” She faltered. “You’re the first luna we’ve had in three generations, Abby. The last one was my mother.”
Surprise jolted me at this. I hadn’t realized lunas were so uncommon.
“The Luptons are an old pack from Connecticut,” Caroline explained cagily. “There were discussions about whether one of their daughters would be a good fit for Samuel.”
“Discussions which are now irrelevant.” Samuel appeared beside me, his expression tight. He passed me a glass of wine and pressed a possessive hand to the small of my back.
His touch ignited my skin and made my breath catch.
Caroline noted my reaction and gave me a shrewd smile.
Kent spoke. “There’s something I’ve been wondering about.” The werewolf enforcer was studying me with a focused look. “Does anyone else think Abby’s scent is unusual?”
“I do,” Aunt Lucille said promptly.
Uncle Frederick and Margaret nodded in agreement.
“Excuse me, Abby.” Caroline leaned in and took a careful sniff of my neck before I could react. Surprise widened her eyes as she straightened. “You’re right.”
I became the subject of a battery of intense stares.
“What’s different about my scent?” I asked warily.
“It’s stronger and wilder than it should be for a newly turned werewolf.” Samuel wrinkled his brow. “Even more so than it was yesterday.”
“And sweeter too.” Victoria was observing me with an odd expression. “My mother was a luna and she did not smell like you.”
“Is it my shampoo?” I grimaced at their leaden looks. “Okay, not my shampoo, then.”
“Maybe it’s related to your super-werewolf abilities,” Bo suggested.
Caroline stared. “What super-werewolf abilities?”
“Dinner is served,” Bernard announced from the doorway before I could respond.
A bevy of uniformed staff filed into the room with serving carts exuding a host of delicious smells. My stomach grumbled. I blushed.
Samuel smiled and offered me his arm. “Shall we?”
The mate bond sparked as I took it.
“This is going better than I expected,” Bo whispered as we headed for the table. “Although I’m still worried about the way your heart is behaving.”
I decided not to address that statement. And he was right. So far, the Hawthornes hadn’t turned out to be the meddlesome busybodies Samuel and Victoria had intimated they were.
Maybe tonight’s dinner wouldn’t be as bad as I feared.