Renata is just getting game hens in the ovens to roast when she sees her guys running out the back door. She asks Kenneth where theyâre going.. heâs explaining about Heracles blowing a fuse and wanting to kill some rogues and she says âOhh! Heâs just tired. He gets cranky when he needs a nap.â And they chuckle at her.
Matthew walked into the kitchen with Alistair, introduces him..and says âDinner smells amazing, darling! What did you decide on?â She smiles up at him and tells him âRoasted garlic mashed potatoesâ¦oven braised asparagus.. glazed carrots..and cornish game hens..wrapped in bacon..stuffed with prosciutto and Gouda cheese.â Matthew lit up saying he canât wait! âWhatâs for dessert??â Kenneth asks and she replies âChocolate Lava cakes!â
Renata keeps looking over at Alistair..sheâs trying to behave.. and she was doing good..she thought she was doing greatâ¦and she didnât notice her guys stepping onto the back patio..when she heard Alistair ask Matthew how she fits in here..as Matthew started to explain, Renata stopped himâ¦
âAllow me! Youâre one of them right?! I can see your resemblance to Orion..itâs slight..but noticeable. Youâre one of the 8 who hurt him. An innocent child! You left him for dead!! He would have died had his brothers not found him! Had his father not nursed him back to health! The things I want to do to you! The pain I want to cause you! I wonât though. Not until Orion tells me I can! How do I fit in you ask? Apparentlyâ¦I am the nightmare your father tried to annihilate!â
Alistair was stunned into silence. Orion walked over to Renata and lifted her into his arms saying âI see youâve met my mate. Renataâ¦this is Eldenâs 4th son..and he is saying heâs on our side right now.â She smiles sweetly at him and says âMake him swear a blood oath! I like those! And so much better than mere words and empty promises!â
Alistair starts laughing..hard! He shakes his head âYou have found her! Youâve matedâ¦are you marked?â At Orionâs nod, he laughed harder and chokes out âHeâs failed! And when he finds out..he will become desperate..when that happens heâs going to get sloppy! I canât wait to watch him fall apart! You want a blood oath? You got it! Fuck! My whole pack will swear a blood oath to you!â
Everyone was getting seated for dinner, while Renata helped the servers bring everything to the table. Alicia and her guards sitting almost directly across from her.. she smiled at everyone and said âBon apetit!â Only one person hesitated..and all eyes turned to the voice âIâm not eating this slopââ¦. Renata started laughing..âYou didnât have a problem eating this âslopâ nearly every day for almost a year. Sometimes, twice a day! So, enlighten me, Whoreliciaâ¦why is this slop unsatisfactory to you now?â Alicia slams her hands on the table and growls âMy name is Aliciaâ and Renata responds..âYep..I know! You spent many months calling me out of my name..remember that? The difference between what I call you and what You called meâ¦is truth! I am not a freak..a halfling..a witch⦠and definitely Not a FAE!! You, on the other handâ¦are a skank..a slut..a whore.. I have yet to see you exhibit one redeeming quality! You have a Goddess blessed mate..yet, you happily jump on any and every Tomâs hairy dick in order to achieve any feeling of self-worthâ¦right down to trying to get my mate to fuck you. Not that I blame you for that! He is a fine specimen of manmeatâ¦But he is mine! Not yours! Yours is a skeezy slippery lump of snail slime that should never have crawled out from under his rock. The only reason you are still allowed to breathe the same air as WE doâ¦is because I want to watch his face when I kill you! Now enjoy the meal! You never know when it will be your last!â
At the foot of the table, a slow clap beganâ¦and moved around the entire pack..picking up pace until the sound became deafening..and all DarkShadows wolves howled out the love of their Luna!
Alistair asked Kenneth âwhoâs her mate?â Kenneth laughed back âOh! That would be your brother, Robert! Renata has an ugly history with Robertâ¦and sheâs looking forward to making him pay! Itâs going to be entertaining around hereâ¦with his mate in our custody!â
Brian asks for a meeting after dinner as he and Tim have discovered some information that he believes is helpful. And Orion nods. He reaches for Renata and pulls her into his lap..he whispers âI have missed you today. Come with me to the meeting after dinner?â She nods happily and kisses him saying âWhy donât I bring in dessert and snifters of brandy? And we can enjoy a little peace?â He agrees and they all head out..with Brian staying behind to help Renata.
All the men were seatedâ¦enjoying a laugh and teasing Orion about being a fine specimen of manmeat, when Renata entered, pushing her teacart filled with desserts and brandy. After serving them..and getting herself situated, she smiled at everyone and asked âWhere were we?â And they laughed.
Tim spoke first âBrian and I have been sending drones over Blackwater Pack.. we have noticed there are four trapdoor like apparatuses hidden in the forest floor. We have set trail cams in the trees..facing these doors. Late at nightâ¦we noticed..there is a high influx of trafficâ¦men entering and leaving. We have ascertained these doors lead to tunnels. And there seem to be more rogues joining the causeâ
Orion asks âHow accessible are these tunnels? Can you give me any timeframe they seem to be unbothered..or unused? I am going to need an easy access into and out of that pack in a few days and that sounds like a feasible entry!â
Brian nods âWe havenât noticed any traffic before midnight or after around 4 in the morning. Never any movement when the moon is high. It should be an easy in and outâ Orion nods at him and turns toward Alistairâ¦
âTell me..where does your father keep that book you read? It doesnât belong to himâ¦or with himâ¦and we need to read everything about this legend! We are missing pieces and only having that book will help us understand what all of this entails. Your father is the only person who has read it, in its entiretyâ¦and I am not good with being kept in the dark!â
Alistair replies âItâs in his office.. the center drawer of his desk has a false bottom..completely fashioned out of silverâ¦so be careful! The drawer directly to the left has a keypadâ¦under a black cover. Ironically, the passcode to the locked silver boxâ¦is your birthday! Never understood that one! To get to his office, you have three left turns and two sets of stairs. There are no guards in his house because his mate believes everyone is out to get her. Sheâs a recluse and seldom leaves her room. In my opinion, he has abused her so greatly, sheâs just batshit crazy nowâ
Orion simply nodsâ¦saying âSilver doesnât bother usâ¦anymore than wolfsbane does. And, I just may convince his mate to desert that sinking shipâ¦take his mate and hide her..like he did mine..without the beatings and torture, though. Sheâs probably innocent of all Eldenâs depravity! Now, Alistair..letâs take care of that blood oath!â
Renata speaks up âI am going with you to retrieve the book. I can glamor us, so we arenât seen. Itâs a brief glamor..invisibility is an energy consuming oneâ¦and I will need to retain enough energy to summon Alice..I want to ask her to seal all those tunnelsâ¦and while I could request and aid the earth to fill them inâ¦she can just have it done, all at once!â And everyone nods like they knew what she was talking about.
Orion and Alistair complete the blood oathâ¦and Alistair asks âHow does my pack pledge to you? The same?â And Orion responds âNo..I donât want them to drink my bloodâ¦Shit! Iâd be anemic halfway through! You alpha command them to remain loyalâ¦at risk to your life. You committed your pack to blood oath..which means, if one of them betrays you..in regards to me..then that act of treason falls on your head!â Renata says âI wouldnât tell your pack any of that! Goddess forbid you have anyone who wants to overthrow you! What an easy way to accomplish that! What I would do..is Alpha Command them to never divulge anything regarding your pack to anyone..not Eldenâs pack..not any of your brothers packs..but only let them know itâs because you are severing ties with the lot of them. You are Alpha! Thatâs the only information they need!â
Orion grins from ear to ear and shouts âMy Mate! Sheâs one smart cookie!!â