The old shifter shrugged. “I’m not certain of anything. I believe you are capable of maintaining control even without our intervention. But if what we do helps reduce your stress about it, I’m willing to try.”
“He means he’s pretty sure it’ll work, but no guarantees,” Dewi snarked as she stood there, arms crossed over her chest.
Badger looked up. “Are ye helpin’?”
“I don’t know,” Dewi shot back. “I’m not not helping.”
Under different circumstances, Aisling suspected she and Dewi would quickly bond and become best friends. There was a lot in the younger woman Aisling sensed aligned perfectly with her own personality.
Like experiencing too much trauma at far too young an age, and as a result developing a crunchy outer shell in an attempt to keep people away.
“You do have to trust us,” Duncan told Aisling. “You need to relax and not fight us. We promise we won’t violate your trust. All we’ll do is address your self-control where it comes to Tamsin.”
Aisling’s fingers curled around the soft armrests. It was that or nervously pick at her cuticles. “Can’t ye just take away the need? That’d solve this feckin’ mess, wouldn’t it?”
“No,” Duncan and Badger both said, glancing at each other before Badger continued. “Ye can’t fight basic biology, lass,” he said. “Ye feel what ye feel for her. And even if we could attempt that, what happens if she feels a mate bond with ye?”
“Are we certain putting the two of them in a room together to talk isn’t the easiest solution?” Dewi asked. “Don’t tell Tamsin why, just say it’s an introduction. Maybe Tamsin doesn’t feel a mate bond. If not, then we do this. If she does, the situation takes care of itself, right?”
“I don’t want her feeling obligated to me.” What Aisling couldn’t explain were her instructions from Peyton. “And until we know what’s goin’ on with that cunt of a father of hers, getting distracted with a new mating isn’t exactly safe. I need my wits about me.”
“I remember how batshit Beck went when he first met Nami and didn’t claim her right away,” Dewi said. “That was one hell of a distraction.” She stopped pacing again. “I’m just saying I don’t know how putting the two of them in the same house, all the time, will avoid the issue. And?—”
Her cell phone rang. Dewi pulled it from her back pocket, scowled as she glanced at the screen, then answered. “Hey, Peyton. I—” Her eyes went wide as he apparently interrupted her. “Oh! Great! We’ll—” She scowled again and looked at the screen. “Fucker hung up on me.” Aisling hadn’t caught any of the conversation because Dewi’s phone volume was turned down too low even for Aisling’s keen ears to pick up.
“What’s that all about, then?” Badger asked.
Dewi shrugged. “It’s a reprieve.” She smiled. “Gillian just went into labor. Peyton wants me, Ken, Tamsin, Nami, Beck, and the babies to head to Idaho right now. Meaning Malyah will likely want to come with, too. And probably Joaquin. And for you and Da to follow in a day or so, once arrangements are in place here to keep things running smoothly while we’re gone. He wants to hold a recognition ceremony for them all at once. Asia is due any day now, I guess. He was talking so fast I barely understood him.”
“What about Aisling?” Duncan asked.
“I’m going to make a judgment call,” Dewi said. “Badger, if you and Da could take point on introducing Aisling to all the parents and the kids tomorrow and”—she waggled her fingers at him—“use your Prime to facilitate things, then Aisling can fill in as their caretaker over at the clubhouse during the days while we’re all in Idaho, with Carl, Mateo, Brianna, and the others as backup. She can even stay over there, if she wants to, since Tamsin will be gone.”
“What about keeping a Prime here?” Duncan asked.
“Stig and Elliot will be here in case they need one.” She looked at Aisling, nodding toward her. “And she’ll be here, with Carl and Mateo, and Martin. That should be plenty of Enforcers.”
“Isn’t Elliot’s wife due soon?” Badger asked.
“Yeah, but if they need more Primes than Stig, it means shit’s really hit the fan and it’ll be all-hands anyway.”
Aisling blew out a shaky, relieved breath. “That’s that, then. Like ye said, a reprieve from the Universe.”
“No, it’s not,” Duncan said. “We should probably still implant a preliminary command for you. You’ll be spending your next several days surrounded by her scent.”
“I know it’d like as not drive me barmy,” Badger said.
“Well, while you all do that,” Dewi said, “I’m going to make phone calls and flight reservations. Da, Badger, I’ll fly you out in two days and book tickets for everyone else for tomorrow.”
Dewi walked out, leaving Aisling with the two Primes.
“What if we do all this,” Aisling said, “and she doesn’t feel a mate bond with me? What recourse do I have then? Honestly, I don’t want to claim her, no matter how much I want her, if I’m not sure if she wants me just as much, or more.”
“We’ll burn that bridge when we cross it,” Badger snarked. “Right now, let’s see what we can do to help ye wi’ yer willpower, then you and I will pay a couple of visits tonight. Ye just became a teacher.”
“Brilliant,” she darkly mumbled. “Just what those bairns need, a chaotic bin fire like me.”
Chapter Ten
