Craig frowned. “With respect, Alpha,” he said in formal tones, “perhaps you should let him speak in case it’s a matter of pack security.”
Jarrod nodded reluctantly. “What is it?” he growled at the man.
He gestured at the truck. The rear door was wide open. Angela stepped out, looking sheepish.
“It seems we have a stowaway,” he said. Then he bowed deeply to Mary. “Your Majesty. I am Theodore. It’s an honor.”
“Oh, the honor is all mine. I mean… Just ignore me. My brain is kind of scrambled right now.”
As she spoke, a young woman in a pantsuit bustled up to them holding a clipboard. Her hair was scraped back into a bun.
“Your Majesty,” she said, bowing her head. “Constance Jensen, pack secretary. Delighted to make your acquaintance.”
“Me too. Excuse me a second, I just have to murder my cousin real quick, and then we can chat some more. Angela!” Mary bellowed.
Angela strolled over to them, eyes wide, looking innocent. “Wow. Fancy meeting you here?” she said hopefully to Mary. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this? Don’t kill me – I’m young and have so much to live for.”
“Oh. My. God. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any more out of control.” Mary threw up her hands in despair.
“Hello, Mary’s equally crazy cousin,” Jarrod said.
“What do you mean, ‘equally’?” Mary yelped indignantly, at the same time that Angela replied, “Ciao. Pleased to meet you, again. You made the right choice, by the way.” She nodded approvingly at Mary.
Jarrod shook his head in bemusement. “I hope you don’t have anywhere you have to be for the next three weeks.”
“Me?” Angela answered cheerfully. “Oh, no, I’m good. I don’t have anywhere to be. Nowhere at all.”
“Why did you stow away?” Mary asked her cousin.
Angela’s face turned pouty. “Because I have nowhere else to go. I’m sick of sitting around all day long getting my butt chewed out by my parents, and I don’t know what to do next.”
“There’s got to be a friend you could crash with,” Mary said desperately. She had enough to deal with right now as it was.
“She’s not going anywhere until after the wedding, which is in three weeks,” Jarrod said firmly. “It’s Magister Pack tradition. It’s not just you and me who are required to be inside the compound. It’s everyone. We’re in for the duration.”
“But…there must be hundreds of people in this area alone,” she protested. “They all have to stay here?”
“Yep. Several different clans who have served my family for generations. Woodworkers clan, farmers clan, medical clan, gardeners clan, the housekeeping staff, members of the pack Enforcers…close to a thousand people live in the compound. It’s like a city within a city. They’re prepared for it. We have a medical clinic, and if there were a life-and-death emergency we’d make an exception and take them to the main hospital on our grounds. We have several farms in the family compound, where we get all our food.”
“But why?”
“It’s an ancient tradition designed to ensure that nobody compromises the honor of the Alpha’s bride until the wedding day. Foolish, I know, but tradition is of supreme importance to our pack.”
“This is my cousin we’re talking about. Myfemalecousin. My aunt’s daughter. Odds are pretty good she won’t compromise my honor,” Mary said, raising an eyebrow.
“I might compromisehishonor, though,” Angela said, her head swiveling as Craig walked up the front steps to talk to one of the servants. “Who is that guy?”
“Craig. He’s a good man,” Constance said.
“Don’t say that,” Mary said quickly. “I’m sure he’s a low-down rogue with bad intentions.” Angela started to look even more interested.
“Craig? No, I’ve known him for ages.” Constance frowned in puzzlement. “He’s dependable, trustworthy…”
Angela gave Craig a long, searching look. “Hmm. Still hot,” she said, but Mary thought she detected a little less enthusiasm.
Mary sighed. Maybe she could convince Angela to like a decent guy for once, and if Angela was on pack lands, she’d be safe from the man hired by Regina’s dad.
“Pack tradition says there are three times we’ll leave the Alpha compound before the wedding,” Jarrod continued. “After this weekend, I give you a tour of the entire property. Then a few days later, I introduce you to the Pack Council. Then you and I tour the Banquet Hall.”
Part of Mary was wondering how she’d get out of this ridiculous bridenapping, which Jarrod had only carried out to thumb his nose at his uncle’s orders. Part of her was leaping into “psycho organizer” mode, in which she’d have to plan a wedding in three weeks.
And part of her was wondering, yearning, hoping that Jarrod really wanted to be married to her.
