Leader of the Pack Ch. 25

A goofy grin started in the corners of his mouth. "You're pregnant? That's what's got you worked up?"

Aislinn didn't say anything. But she dropped the block she'd erected in her head. Cullen felt the uncertainty. Mostly because she understood human pregnancy and human babies, but the idea of having lycan babies, a litter of lycan babies, was terrifying. Although she had gotten used to the fact that she had a learning curve in the pack environment, she didn't feel like a baby was something a learning curve was allowable with.

Cullen stood up and moved around the table into her side of the booth. Aislinn could feel his happiness through their bond and it was helping a little. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her forehead and hugged her. "You will be an incredible mother," he said though his smile. He didn't know what else to say. He couldn't believe she was pregnant. Already.

Aislinn started to wonder if he was going to get up out of the booth and start dancing. It was hard to be scared and uncertain with that much happiness pouring into her mind from outside. She rolled her eyes at him when she looked up and saw the goofball grin had gotten impossibly wider. His eyes were sparkling and he was near laughing. "I'm glad you're so happy," she said trying to keep herself from smiling and then finally giving in.

Cullen suddenly frowned. "I don't want you around Jenna."

"It'll be fine," Aislinn said. "See now you're gonna get more overprotective than you already are."

Cullen growled.

"Don't do that," she snapped. "I can still do what I'm supposed to do for now. No one can even tell yet. Though in a week or so it'll be pretty obvious," she said mostly to herself. "If there was anyone left who doubted that we'd already mated they'll all have those concerns put to rest now."

Her sarcasm bit into him, but he wasn't giving on this. "Jenna's dangerous. If she decides she's no longer cooperative for any reason while you're alone with her then you're dead."

"Cullen I don't see that as being as likely as you do. Brennus seems to be able to control her fairly well."

"I don't care. We'll get the rest of the caoch that's missing some other way." Cullen pulled out his cell phone and started paging through the numbers for Cadifor's name so that he call and cancel.

Aislinn grabbed the phone out of his hand and put it under the table. His eyes flashed dangerously at her. She smiled at him. "You wouldn't dare," she smiled sarcastically.

The waitress appeared with their food and was instantly frightened by the deadly staring match that was taking place. "Aislinn," Cullen growled. "Give it back."

"Or what?" Aislinn looked over at the concerned waitress. "It's okay. Just leave the food," she said sweetly to the girl.

The plates were dumped hurriedly on the table and the pretty waitress instantly disappeared. Aislinn watched her go. "Now see what you did? You scared her."

Cullen looked like he might explode.

She sighed. "Please just stop it. What do you mean caoch missing?"

"We're not going to do this. It isn't a debate. I won't have you in that kind of danger regardless of the situration. Now give me my phone back before this table ends up on the other side of the restaurant."

"Liam would kill you," Aislinn answered. But she put the phone down in front of him. She really didn't want to make him this angry. She knew she woudn't get anywhere with the situation if he was so pissed he wouldn't listen to reason. "Cullen. I need you to try and understand that this is stupidly scary for me. I know you don't really get why. But it is. It's important that you let me do what would be normal so that I can pretend in my head that this isn't as big a deal as it is. Please."

Cullen took the phone and stared at her indecisively. He growled some more. He could feel how upset she was and how much she needed things to stay normal but his instincts told him to protect her. Putting her in a situation where he couldn't get to her if he needed to and with someone as dangerous as Jenna was just stupid. "Aislinn," he started.

"Please, Cullen."

She heard a crunch and a strangled beep as the cell phone in his hand crunched. Cullen looked down at the phone. He was upset enough that he'd actually crushed the damn phone in his hand. He put it back down on the table to prevent himself from throwing it across the room. "Alright, how about a compromise? We'll go and see what kind of mood Jenna's in. You let me talk with her first and get a feel for how dangerous she is at the moment and then I'll decide if I want to let you be this stupid."

Aislinn glared at him. "I want to know why it's so different now that I'm pregnant. When I took her to Brennus a month ago it was just as dangerous as it is now. I still would have ended up dead. If I weren't pregnant now and took her to see Brennus I'd still be in danger. It's not like this makes me incapable of something I was previously able to do. In essence the situation really hasn't changed in any way other than an extra couple of lives are involved. And no one will know that other than you and I."

Cullen fumed some more. He couldn't argue with that. "I told you. Let me talk to Jenna first."

"Fine. I'll compromise. But don't think I won't argue with you if you decide in a way I don't agree with tomorrow."

"Fine," he said back just as snottily.

The two of them sat there eating in silence. Aislinn hated that he was so angry. She sighed. "Cullen?"

"What now?"

She looked into his eyes and gave him a half-hearted smile. "I'm pregnant," she said again trying to sound happy.

Cullen couldn't help the pleasure that her saying that gave him. He smiled back, knowing she was trying to help.

***

Cullen recruited a number of betas to go with them. Keith, Sarah, Drake, Mack, and Makeda all sat and chatted in the great room as they waited for Cadifor to show up. There were omegas rushing around with decorations and trays and whatnot getting everything ready for the mating ceremony the next day.

"I'm telling you this is a bad idea," Keith said. "Luck just hasn't been with Cul making this official. I say we cage Jenna until after it's over. I don't care what she's hiding that's so important."

"Or," Mack suggested, "alternatively we could all take turns beating it out of her instead of giving the bitch what she wants."

Drake smiled and nodded. "I'll go with that."

Keith shook his head. "That'd probably be harder to do than you think now that she's a dire bitch." He grinned. "But she was a dire bitch before she went through the trouble of making it physical as well as mental."

There were some eye rolls as they listened to Keith's little crack. Sarah watched Cullen and Aislinn reemerge from the room they had gone into so they could argue in private. "You were really reaching for that one Keith," she said wondering who had won the argument. From the look on Cullen's face Aislinn had won. Something was going on with those two.

Just then Cadifor walked through the front doors. There were a number of large lycans surrounding Jenna, who was cuffed and being marched in between them. Jenna looked like hell. She was wearing a plain gray sweat suit and sneakers. She didn't have on any makeup and her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She didn't look like the same person.

Keith couldn't help himself. "Prison's not been nice to Jeann," he chuckled. His comment was answered with a wicked glare.

Makeda got up and walked across the room. Her hips swung with more emphasis than usual. She stepped up to Cadifor and slid her arms around him. "You've been missed," she said in her deep sexy accent. Then she leaned in and kissed him. Most everyone ignored the display. Jenna sneared.

Cadifor smiled at Makeda. She released him and walked back to the others, returning to her seat as if nothing happened. "Well," Cadifor said. "Are we ready to do this?"

"Yes," Aislinn said with emphasis as she walked passed Cullen, headed straight for the group.

Cullen growled sharply and everyone looked at him, except Aislinn. Everyone headed out the doors of the cabin and down the trail to the stones uncertainly. Cullen was fire and brimstone incarnate as they reached the standing stones. He walked up to Jenna purposefully. "If anything happens to her," he said in a low deadly tone, "I won't need help ripping you apart."

Jenna could see the truth in it. She nodded in compliance before the defiant look came back into her eyes.

Cullen stared into her face reading her for a moment before he looked back to Aislinn. "Five minutes," he said in an overly authoritative way.

Aislinn smiled at him and nodded the same way Jenna had.

Cullen growled. Stop challenging me just for the sake of it Aislinn. I don't want to make an example of you but that doesn't mean I won't.

I'd like to see you try, Aislinn glared back.

Jenna laughed. "Trouble in paradise?" This was the most entertaining thing she's seen in months. "It was almost worth the trip just to watch you both growl at each other."

Cullen's head snapped around to see everyone trying not to stare at them and Jenna smiling with amusement. Then he looked back at Aislinn. You're making a fool out of me.

Aislinn looked at them as well. This was not how thing should be going. She growled to herself. "I'm sorry," she said and stepped up to him with her head bowed. "Five minutes."

How the hell to you get to me so easily, he asked. Then he stroked her face, giving her permission to look up at him again. He half smiled and kissed her forehead. "Get it over with," he said.

Aislinn walked over to Cadifor. "What exactly is the agreement here?"

"You take her to Brennus and we get the last of the notes she has hidden at the Tairneach manor. In a way I suppose it was good. The Feds are missing some pretty key information. But we still don't want it out and about. Do we Jenna?"

Jenna smiled. "Of course not."

"Do you have Brennus' ring," Aislinn asked.

Cadifor stepped p and pulled on a chain around her neck. The ring came free from under Jenna's shirt. He let it fall back onto her chest. "We'll leave her hands cuffed, I think."

Cullen growled his agreement.

Aislinn looked at Jenna and nodded toward the stones. "Let's go." Jenna was allowed to walk out of the group of guards. Together Jenna and Aislinn stepped passed the stones. Cullen and the others all watched as there was a red flash from the ruby on Brennus' ring and the pair vanished.

Cullen felt the fog take over his mind and he began to pace impatiently.

***

Jenna looked around eagerly. Aislinn relaxed and focused on Brennus Tairneach. She felt the energy from the ley lines running through her and he appeared.

Brennus looked around at the scene and then his eye focused on his daughter. "What is it Jenna?" His voice was gentle and a tear formed in the corner of the proud alpha's eye.

"Daddy," she said not really wanting Aislinn to be here, but knowing there was no other way. "I need to know something."

He just stared at her waiting.

"Why," she sniffled a bit. "Why did you never think I was good enough? Was there anything I could have done?"

Brennus stared at her and the tear dropped from his eye. "Jenna, you were the one who thought you weren't good enough. You're my daughter. I always did and always will love you. You don't have to be me."

"But you wanted us to always rule the Tairneach," she said with a cracking voice.

"Jenna, I wanted any number of things. But the most important thing was for your happiness. I never seemed to be able to give you that. I'm sorry."

Jenna tried to reach for him but her hands were cuffed and there was nothing there to touch. "Daddy I put it back the way it was. I want you to know that it's the way you left it again," she said. "But I can't do this without you. Please. I'm scared. They're going to keep me in prison forever."

He nodded. "I know." Then he looked at Aislinn. "Let me go," he said.

Jenna looked over at Aislinn. "No," she said. "Daddy don't go."

"I won't sweetheart. I'm going to help you."

Aislinn felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. She looked up at Brennus and he was staring at her hard. "What are you doing," she asked in pain. "Brennus?"

The image of the alpha disappeared and Jenna screamed. The ruby on the ring flashed. Aislinn's head was searing in pain. She fell to her knees as Jenna began to shift. The cuffs cut into Jenna's wrists and she started to bleed. She screamed in pain as the cuffs nearly took her hands off before they shattered and her hands were freed. Aislinn stared in fear. Jenna turned on her and Aislinn scrambled backward into the clearing.

***

Cullen felt the pain start even through the fog. "What the muin is happening," he growled. "She's in pain."

The others watched him and then stared at the circle. "What can we do," Cadifor asked. "Is there a way to pull her out of there."

"No," Cullen paced angrily and then roared as he walked into the stone circle and around it.

When Aislinn crawled out from between the stones all of the others were already on guard and waiting for the worst. Jenna took one look around at the number of lycans there and turned and ran into the woods.

Cadifor immediately changed and started the chase. His group of guards went with him. Cullen ordered Sarah to stay with Aislinn and then led the others after Cadifor. Aislinn remained on the ground holding her head. A bloody tear streamed out of one eye and down her face. She had no idea what had happened.

Cullen was on Cadifor's heels but they were still losing ground. When they realized that they weren't going to catch Jenna the group pulled up. Cadifor had the fastest of his men continue following and pulled out his cell to call for help with a manhunt. It wasn't until he was looking at his no signal that he remembered the damn reservation had no muin service. Cullen's reservation was huge and there was more wild land surrounding it. A lycan could disappear into the mountains relatively easily. He was pissed.

"Cullen," he growled. "How the hell do you call out of this place if you need to?"

"I got a satphone in the office."

"Then we need to get back. I have some calls I have to make."

Cullen, Cadifor and the rest of the group headed back to the cabin. When they got to the stone circle Aislinn was sitting with her back against one of the stones. Sarah took one look at the angry men and didn't bother to ask. She knew that they hadn't caught Jenna.

Cullen bent down and picked up Aislinn. She protested weakly at first, but quickly gave in and laid her throbbing head on his shoulder. As soon as they reached the cabin Cadifor was on the satphone and had helicopters on the way. They were going to try to use the gps in the phones that the others were carrying to track his men who were following Jenna.

Cullen took Aislinn upstairs and laid her down on their bed. She smiled at him weakly. "So say it," she said.

"What?" He was still angry.

"Say 'I told you so'. It'll make you feel better."

He looked down at her and smiled finally. "You know I was right. Just remember this next time."

"Can I get some aspirin or something? My head is killing me." She pulled the blanket up around herself and turned onto her side.

Cullen pulled the drawer in the stand next to the bed open. He figured she needed more than an aspirin. He took a vile of the healing drink the druids had made out of the drawer. Keith had been the one who decided that the alpha and betas should have the stuff readily available. He pulled the cork out of it and held it to her lips. "Drink this," he said concerned. After she'd drunk the entire vile down he put it aside and wiped the bloody tear off her cheek. If Jenna had really hurt her he would hunt her down personally. "Do you feel like there is anything wrong besides the headache?"

"No. I don't think so. It was weird. One minute everything was fine and the next minute Brennus said that he'd protect Jenna. Then my head started throbbing and there was a flash. The next thing I knew Jenna was screaming. Then I fell down and she turned and came at me. That's when I crawled out of the circle and you guys took it from there."

Cullen didn't know what to think about it. "I need to talk to Cadifor. You gonna be alright 'til I get back?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Cullen tucked the blanket in around her, kissed her, and then headed downstairs. Cadifor was in the process of swearing and coming in the front door as Cullen came down the steps to the main room. He growled impatiently pocketed his phone and then looked over at Cullen. "How's Aislinn?"'

Cullen shook his head. "She's got a terrible headache. But appears find otherwise. I take it that we're having no luck with Jenna?"

"No," he said angrily. "She's getting away. She's gotten far enough ahead of my men that they're having trouble tracking her. By the time the copter gets there, who knows."

"Perfect. You don't know how close I am to canceling things," Cullen growled.

"You can't," Sarah said. "It's all set. What's she going to do at this point. She's alone and running. She won't be back here. She's not that stupid."

Cullen scoffed. "I'm not so sure about that."

Cadifor shrugged. "You'll have the same setup as last time. If she does something we'll be here and she won't get away with it. Who knows what you'll have if you put it off. How long are you going to wait before mating that girl?"

Suddenly Cullen smiled for apparently no reason. I really can't afford to wait any longer, he thought. The litter will be here before it should as it is. They were all staring at him curiously. "You're right. It'll be fine."

Keith sat forward in his chair staring at Cullen and smiled himself. "What exactly changed your mood so suddenly?"

Cullen shook his head but the dumb smile was stuck at that point. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Well," Sarah said still staring at Cullen, "I suppose we should all just stay here tonight. Unless you're going to wake Aislinn up and force her into a car ride. Are you sure she's going to be alright for tomorrow? That's the only excuse I would see as reasonable for cancellation."

"Nah," Keith grinned wickedly, "she just has to stand on her hands and knees for a while. Cull could handle doing all the work." Some of the other guys chuckled at that.

Sarah glared at him. "I don't see Aislinn as the type to be happy with allowing anyone to do all the work."

Cullen smiled and nodded at that one. "No, she's not that type. But I hope that the headache won't last that long anyway. It wouldn't be any fun." There were smiles all around at that comment.

The rest of the evening was spent with Cadifor heading out to use the satphone, waiting for the others to get back, watching the omegas finish decorating for the next day, and checking on Aislinn. She told Cullen repeatedly to quit waking her up and leave her be.

************************

Okay so I lied when I said one more chapter before. I'll try it again. 1 more chapter. Yes there will be a very obvious plot line left open for a sequel if I choose to come back to these guys in the near future. But unfortunately I have a thesis to write and will be probably sticking to shorter things for a time. Then again you never know. Maybe I'll not be able to let it drop. I do have an obsessive tenacity when it comes to things like my writing.

I'll admit that the feedback and the voting is what kept me going on this one. So thanks to everyone who thought it was good enough to want to read this long. There's something very motivating about people telling you that they like what you're doing and to keep it up.