The Russian wolf bent back to the mike. "We have had these recruiters you speak of among us as well. Unhappily, our response has not always meant that the only casualties fell among our enemies. I am not as certain as the Marrok or you are that the best answer is to expose ourselves, but... given the generous offer of relocation, we are willing to acknowledge that coming out to the humans would be a solution to many things." He bowed to Charles-and offered a lower bow to the fae.
Once the Russian had seated himself in the middle of his fellow countrymen, Charles said, "Our host has had food delivered downstairs. Let us take a break for lunch."
He caught the witch's mate by the sleeve when he would have headed off to some errand-probably having to do with lunch. "Tom, stay a moment. With your mate, please."
From near the door, Angus looked at Charles's hand. A good Alpha protects his own. Charles dropped his hand and gave him a nod to tell him that he meant no harm to Angus's wolf. Tom saw what was going on and made a hand gesture that seemed to have more effect on Angus than Charles's reassurances.
"There was no time for introductions this morning," said Charles when they were alone. "Anna, this is Tom Franklin, Angus's second, and his mate-I am sorry, you were not introduced to me."
"Moira," the witch said. The wraparound sunglasses she wore made her expression difficult to read, but his nose told him that meeting the Marrok's hatchet man wasn't scaring her. Unusual, but then she couldn't see him either. "Nice to meet you both."
"And this is my Anna." He looked at Tom. "There are too many dominant wolves, and she's been"-not afraid; he found a better word and used it-"overwhelmed this morning."
Anna stiffened.
It was Tom who saved him. "Good to meet you. Hell. I'm a little overwhelmed, too. Who wouldn't be?"
"But you aren't an Omega," Charles told them. "Tom-you probably wouldn't notice-"
The witch interrupted him. "Because he was too worried about me being 'overwhelmed' himself"-she nudged Tom with her shoulder-"by all the uberwolves. Not being handicapped by overprotective, studly impulses, I could pay attention to other things. By the end, they were all focused on Anna, weren't they?"
Charles felt his eyebrow creep upward as he looked at the witch.
"Hey." Moira shrugged. "I'm blind, not sensory deprived."
"I'm causing trouble for you," said Anna. "I'm sorry. I'll try not..."
Under his gaze, her voice trailed off. "Do not," he told her softly, "apologize to me for what was done to you. If it were you who were the problem, I would have no worries. You would stay here and not flinch if the Beast himself leapt slavering in your face. Your courage is not in doubt."
The witch pursed her lips, and said, "Wow. That was a good one."
After an assessing look at Charles, Anna turned to Moira, and said, in a very serious voice, "He scored a few points, all right." She looked back at Charles. "So what is the problem, if it isn't me?"
"Omega," said Charles formally, "it is the privilege of the dominants to protect our submissive ones, the heart of our packs. Alphas are called upon to protect even more strongly. An Omega calls to us strongest of all."
Anna gave a puzzled nod. She already knew that, Charles thought. She just couldn't see what it had to do with the situation. She was too used to looking at the dominant wolves as threats.
"Sweetie," said the witch, "while you were up here getting the cold shakes from all those nasty wolves staring at you-they were trying to figure out why you were upset and who they needed to kill for you."
"Whoops," said Anna as she comprehended the scope of the problem. "I-" He saw her bite back her apology. "I need to go, then, don't I? I can go back to the hotel."
"Well," said Charles apologetically, "I'm afraid that won't work."
"Why not?" Anna smiled, and asked archly, "So are you renting it out during the day? Stashing ex-girlfriends there?"
He didn't have to bend very far forward to touch the top of her head with his chin. Putting his mouth next to her ear required just a little more bending.
"Because Brother Wolf has been spending the whole morning getting pretty worked up, too." He pulled back and let his brother out just enough so she could see him in his eyes. "If you were in our hotel room, I'd never get anything done here for his fretting." He looked at Tom. "You weren't doing so well either."
Angus's second started to smile. "You want Moira and me to take your lady out to play?"
"If Angus will let you."
Tom pulled out a cell phone. "I don't think he'll have any objection."
Charles narrowed his eyes at Anna. "This is important as well. You have the credit cards. I want you to use them." He watched the refusal in her face-she didn't feel part of him... part of them yet. His money was not hers, not to her.
She was independent, and she'd spent at least the last three years almost too broke to feed herself. Money was more important to her-and spending someone else's an impossible task. "You need clothes of all sorts. What we could get for you in Aspen Creek is not sufficient for this venue. Your status as my wife means you need clothes for formal occasions. Dresses, shoes, and all the trimmings."
She was still mutinous, but weakening.
Tom put down his phone. "Boss says fine."
"And," he said, "if you go shopping for the Christmas presents, I won't have to."
She grinned suddenly at that-and he knew he had her. "Okay. Okay, fine. What are the limits?"