Page 61 of Wolf's Whistle
“I read an article in theTimeson the plane. There was another crackdown on gay demonstrators in Moscow,” Julien said to the room at large. Henri looked worried.
“That’s an everyday occurrence,” Alexi barked. “If it wasn’t for my Donal, I’d go back and kill all of those bastards even if I wound up dead because some of them are human. I don’t think those thugs qualify as human, the so-called president and his cohorts.”
“Watch what you say, Alexei, lest the gods hear you. They will take care of this all in good time,” Armand pronounced.
“He’s forcing matings, Armand.” Alexei threw himself into a chair.
The Alpha’s eyes turned sharp. “How do you know?”
“I get letters, smuggled out by those who are no friends of the Russian First or their president. They say Chernof is getting fat and happy while the packs starve. Thank the gods for Donal or my honor would force me to go back.” Alexei put his head in his hands.
“How strong is this scum?” Henri poured himself a drink and swirled his cognac in his snifter.
“At one time, I could take him, but now…?” Alexei shrugged.
“According to my sources, he’s let himself go once he got rid of Alexei. He doesn’t feel threatened anymore. He has the rest of the council cowed.” Armand sat down in an Alpine Lodge Chair, brown leather with a tapestry top and cushion, showing deer in a western wood. He examined the tapestry seat and smiled. “Nothing like putting your dinner on your furniture. Do you plan to hunt this evening?” He effectively changed the subject.
“I don’t want to come to Richard for the first time directly from a kill. But there is plenty of game in the woods for those of you who’d like the sport. However, if you can’t eat the whole of it, the rest is butchered for the table. We don’t waste the meat or the hide.” Julien put his snifter on the bar. “We mark the kill with a yellow flag, and someone from the pack comes out into the woods and takes the kill back to the kitchens.”
“Hunting is good for culling the herds. The deer would take over the woods and wind up starving to death if the herds weren’t culled by the occasional hunt. It’s a good thing that you insist on using the meat. If a creature gets sacrificed to the gods on a loup garou run, the sacrifice should not be wasted.” Gabriel sat down on a loveseat that matched the chair. “I may be from the city, but with so many hungry, it’s a sin against the gods to waste good food. I contribute to our local food bank on a regular basis, and Kane and I volunteer at a soup kitchen in the Bowery once or twice a month.”
“That would be a good activity for Sean and me to teach Elena about the less fortunate. She’s arriving from New Mexico later this evening. She loves matings and weddings.” Armand smiled.
“Mom and Dad have readied the third-floor children’s suite. We have a playroom, a governess’s suite for Miss Beaumont, and a large bedroom for Elena and her babies. Does she still carry all of the American Girl dolls with her?” Julien chuckled.
“No, I think she’s more secure about her place with us and now knows that the things she has will not be taken away from her unless she misbehaves and after the punishment is over, they will be returned. So, we only travel with Grace and her bakeshop.” Armand rose up from the chair and poured himself a refill.
“If you’ll excuse me?” Julien stood. “I’m going to the kitchen to make sure Isabel has another small meal ready for Richard.”
The Alpha waved his hand toward the door. “By all means, take care of your Mate.”
§ § §
Sean cocked his head. “Armand says they are going for a run at ten so Julien isn’t so pent-up that he falls on Richard and ravishes him.” He chuckled.
Richard opened the door to the media room. “Maybe Richard wants to be ravished.”
“So Sleeping Beauty is finally awake.” Julio put his arm around his friend. Richard set his bag on the table.
“I come bearing gifts. I don’t know how long Julien will keep me in bed, so I decided to give you your groomsman gifts before the mating, as the loup garou consider the mating more important than the wedding.” Richard smiled and began to take packages out of his computer bag.
“What did you get us?” Sean’s eyes sparkled.
“Since Julio is my best man, I picked something different for him. The rest of you got the same thing. I emptied my bank account of my stipend for school, so, I sincerely hope you all like what you receive.”
“We have something for you too. Ian?” Sean glanced over to Ian who brought over a box.
Richard neatly opened the paper and looked at the single gold earring. He hadn’t noticed before that all the Mates had one. “I’ll have to get my ear pierced.”
“We’ll take you to where we got ours done.” Julio put his arm around Richard’s shoulder.
“Thank you, so much. Now I really feel like one of you,” he mumbled, trying not to tear up.
“That’s because you are one of us now. As far as your bank account is concerned, you own half of Julien’s worth. I wouldn’t worry about how much you spent,” Kane said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“Julien didn’t tell me that.” Richard frowned.
“He probably forgot. You’re going to have to keep Julien’s feet on the ground. He gets so lost in his nuts, bolts, and numbers that he forgets to take care of business.” Sean straightened Richard’s collar. Richard gave him a strange look. “So, sue me. I like things orderly. Because you need to eat, he’ll remember to feed himself and because you need your rest, he’ll come home from work before eleven. Armand isn’t a slave driver. Julien drives himself into the ground.”
