Corrigan Fire Bloodfire - Helen Harper Page 0,40

to belie his words. ‘I’d like to offer my sincerest congratulations to the new alpha and beg a moment alone with her in private.’

My eyes narrowed. Was this the Arch-Mage’s doing? I wouldn’t put it past him to ingratiate himself with a new and theoretically vulnerable alpha. I opened my mouth to speak but Julia was already striding forward.

‘Of course, dear!’ she said, taking him by the arm and walking off.

I was tempted to call them back and demand to be present to hear whatever it was he had to say. I couldn’t stand over her like a worried parent, however. I had to trust that she was sensible enough to keep the wizard at arm’s length.

‘What did you think of the ceremony, Thomson?’ I asked instead.

He shrugged. ‘It was fine, my Lord.’

Damned by faint praise. ‘I wonder if perhaps we shouldn’t start looking into alternatives for such occasions. Perhaps a more democratic method to suit each individual pack.’

All three of them looked surprised. ‘But it’s tradition,’ Tom protested. ‘Having the Brethren Lord come and validate the succession makes it real. It means Julia knows she can’t just get away with being a tyrant.’

‘Do you think she would be likely to act like that?’

He blinked. ‘Of course not – but that doesn’t mean other potential alphas wouldn’t be like that.’

‘She received the Voice,’ I pointed out, ‘without any such validation.’

‘But not full powers. You had to do the ceremony for that.’

‘I think anyone could conduct such proceedings and the outcome would be the same. You don’t think it would be better to do it in-house? To trust that the packs are sensible enough to ensure the right person is chosen?’ I sensed a sidelong look from Thomson at that. I could bet exactly what he was thinking about the right person to be Brethren Lord.

‘It’s the way things are done,’ Tom protested.

I glanced over at Anton, who was looking interested. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think, my Lord, that a little more independence could be a good thing,’ he offered.

I rubbed my chin. At least not everyone would be against a bit of change, although I recalled an old quotation I’d once heard from Henry Ford, who’d said that if he’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said ‘faster cars’. I was starting to realise that shaking up the Brethren and the shifter world was going to be an arduous process.

***

‘We have contacted the Arch-Mage, my Lord, and he has agreed to open a portal to allow you to return to London.’

‘Great.’

Staines cleared his throat. ‘Except he won’t do it until 9.30am.’

‘What?’ I roared. ‘That bloody wizard! He’ll do anything for a bit of one-upmanship. This isn’t on, Staines.’

‘What do you suggest?’

I bunched up my fists. ‘Arrange a face-to-face meeting with him for tomorrow. I’m going to make damn sure he starts treating us with a little more respect.’

As soon as the words left my mouth, I spotted another person lacking in the ‘respect for office’ department walking up the staircase. Mack was dragging her feet and looking as if the whole process of moving upstairs was a laborious and painful one. Despite my earlier decision to leave her alone, I was curious about what was going on. I moved after her, reaching her just as she was about to enter her dorm room.

‘In the doghouse, Miss Mackenzie?’ I was proud of myself for sounding polite and solicitous. It was a damn sight more than she deserved.

‘Whatever do you mean, my Lord?’ she asked, turning round. I noted that she’d returned to pretending to be submissive. I was already in a foul mood; I didn’t need her faked subservience to add to it.

‘This,’ I said, goading her into the truth, ‘if I’m not mistaken, is the girls’ dorm. Not the room you share with the wolf.’

She looked surprised and, briefly, panicked. ‘We’re, uh, re-assessing our relationship in light of recent revelations.’

I was ridiculously pleased to hear it. Then again, however, considering the compromising position I’d found her in with the human, perhaps this was merely her modus operandi. She must be some sort of serial dater. I took a step closer, realising she was wearing the same clothes as she had during the fight with the earthquake beast. That had been hours ago and it looked to me like she was only just getting in. It rankled to think that she’d been off with someone else.

‘I just bet you are,’ I purred, ‘especially given that you are clearly only