Chapter 2: Uncertainty

Garnet POV

The smell of books always grounded her and comforted her. The books in the huge Cresta library smelled especially alluring.

It would be easy to assume Jiro Cresta’s smell was because of the library, but no. She’d seen him outside surrounded by the festival crowd, with no books in sight. When he’d slammed into her brother Cyran and tried to chase him down almost two months ago, he hadn’t been around books. He had that smell when he’d spoken kindly to her after Cyran ran off.

She knew after smelling Jiro, and her wolf Harlow knew, that he could be her fated mate. Those enchanting aqua-green eyes showed that he felt the same way. His letters, even when he talked about the goings-on in the pack or Cyran’s whereabouts, simmered with unspoken feelings.

Yet he’d fled the library just now. Did he find her so offensive?

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder belonging to Kyon Cresta, Jiro’s brother, and the Evenhide Pack Beta. Jiro’s hand was lean and elegant, with long fingers. Kyon’s was like a huge bear paw.

“Don’t take it to heart,” he said in his deep voice and gestured at the family, all of whom looked like they were recovering their footing. “It was quite a shock. You’re the least challenging thing right now.”

Oh. That made sense. She shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. Becoming Alpha of another pack would be a surprise to anyone, and they had given him a terribly tight timeframe.

“He’s been casually dropping your name into conversations for at least a month,” Lilia agreed, showing once again why Garnet had taken an instant liking to Dane Cresta’s lovely Luna, who acted far better than Garnet had a right to expect after Cyran terrorized and kidnapped her without a shred of remorse.

Garnet smiled shyly. “Really?”

The youngest brother, Dirge, piped up, “That’s how you know he’s fixated on something.”

Kyon’s feisty mate Azandra elbowed Dirge. “She doesn’t need a reminder of what that’s like.”

Garnet blushed, her amber eyes warm. “Trust me, I’m aware of the difference between that and Cyran’s delusions that Lilia was his key to power.” She smiled wryly. “It proved to be quite the opposite, which is how we arrived at this moment.”

She could never mistake Jiro for her brother. It was why she felt so drawn to him.

Dane scowled, looking at both her and Barrett. She flinched, and Patch swatted him on the arm, then looked at her cheerfully. “He’s not about to bite your head off, and we wouldn’t let him.”

Dane looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, Miss Sinsworth–”

“Garnet, please.” She gave him a slight smile. “We’re about to be family.”

“Garnet. Lilia has been educating me on the garnet stone. The name suits you,” he said with that gentlemanly charm. “Garnet, Beta Barrett, I’m not angry at you … but a little hint would have been welcome! And two days to say goodbye to my brother?”

Barrett sighed. “We thought about letting you know that your brother was our choice, believe me. And I don’t like the hasty departure any more than you do.”

Dirge cried out, “You should have told us. ‘We thought about it’ doesn’t do us any good now.”

Wise Woman Tulaska was bolder and more outspoken than Roslynn Rossa, the Crimsontail Wise Woman when she said, “And if they had, we might be burying another Cresta. And the Crimsontails might have done the same with Garnet.”

Everyone flinched from her chilling words.

“Tulaska, that’s a little dramatic,” Ravyn said with a reproving look.

Dane’s face looked pale. “No, Mother, Tulaska is right. If Cyran even suspected that the Crimsontails were considering Jiro, with Garnet as Luna, there’s no telling what he would do. Barrett, Garnet, I understand why you all kept it quiet, and I don’t blame you.”

Barrett exhaled. “Thank you.”

“And I think I know why you picked an outsider, from what Garnet has said in her letters … the portions that Jiro shared, that is,” Dane said, lifting an eyebrow.

Garnet blushed hotly. “Jiro was very insightful when he analyzed the situation.”

“Maybe too much,” Dane said, his edge softer. “I can certainly appreciate your good taste, even if losing Jiro will leave a hole.”

Garnet plucked up her courage. “I won’t take him away from you. But you have to understand.” She heard her voice, louder and stronger than before. “There are four more of you Cresta brothers, as well as your mates and your Pack Mother. We need Jiro. Other than me and Barrett, he’s our best chance to bring hope back to our pack. We were devastated after my parents were killed.”

All four Cresta brothers lowered their heads in sorrow. “We know,” Dirge said

Garnet went on. “Even with us leading the pack, our people couldn’t recover quickly. And look what has happened! I may be my parents’ daughter … but I’m Cyran’s sister. We need a strong Alpha. If we don’t heal our people, the pack will descend into civil war, on your borders.” She took a deep breath. “And the witches and the Wise Woman here all said they saw that Jiro and I are fated mates.”

Lilia, Ravyn, and Tulaska all nodded as three advanced seers, full of spirit.

“We’re not questioning your choice of Jiro as Alpha, Garnet,” Dane said gently, exchanging a meaningful look with Lilia. “Fated mates are sacred. And I don’t doubt that every word you have said is true. Your pack would be blessed to have Jiro and you as leaders. But this is Jiro’s decision. I can’t order him to accept.”

Garnet exhaled in relief. “Perhaps I should go–”

“No. Wait a bit,” Dane said, striding toward the door. “As his Alpha for the moment and his brother even after the Moon Goddess both takes us, I should talk to him. I’ll send someone for you before long.”

After he left, the others gathered around Garnet, all eyeing her with curiosity. Dirge reached out and gave her an awkward but heartfelt hug. “You’re going to be my sister, too, then,” he said innocently.

Garnet hugged him, feeling grateful. Their biggest problem had been Jiro leaving, not choosing their enemy’s sister. “If that’s alright.” Dirge made a contented sound.

Kyon looked wry. “Two months ago, the eligible Crestas were all single. Now, we’re three for three and Jiro is leaving. Lilia, you truly set a whirlwind in motion, and it hasn’t stopped since.”

Patch added, “It’s going to sweep Jiro all the way to Red Crescent City. Are you going to still call your house Sinsworth House? You could call it Cresta Manor. Or Cresta Castle.” Beneath his cheery tone, Garnet detected anxiety.

“Whatever the Goddess Brigid has in store, we’re a family,” Ravyn declared, and the others agreed.

Garnet drew strength from the family’s togetherness and closeness, but her mind was on her mate. She prayed to the Moon Goddess to touch his heart and put “yes” in his mouth.

* * * * *

Jiro POV

He hadn’t wanted to lie completely, so he found himself in the kitchen staring at the dirty plates and trying to keep out of everyone’s way. The fires didn’t pose any problem.

His head was another matter, and his heart.

Connery, his wolf, demanded he go back to be with his mate, but Jiro needed to tame the chaos and confusion in his mind first.

According to Barrett, he had been chosen as Alpha of the Crimsontail Pack, and Garnet agreed. But that couldn’t be right. There had to be some mistake. He would no more have predicted that than he would have predicted wolves sprouting wings and flying.

He had to make sense of it now before the muddle in his mind grew any bigger.

Dane’s hand gently rested on his shoulder. How long had it been there?

“How are the fires? They seem under control,” Dane said in a kind voice.

Jiro tried to breathe normally. “Which is more than I can say for myself. How insulted are our guests?”

Dane sighed. “They know this is a shock, although Garnet was worried you objected to her.”

His head spun. “No! How could she think that? If it was just that she’s my fated mate … well, I think you’ve guessed about my feelings for her. I never thought it was possible for me.”

“Jiro, for someone so brilliant, you can be horribly dense sometimes.”

“Enlighten me, then.”

“The Moon Goddess decides on mates, not us–”

“I always pictured her as having a long list of wolves to be matched and my name was at the very bottom.”

Dane snorted. “That’s why she moved mountains to send your mate to you, to prove you wrong. Also, you ought to know how Garnet is feeling. She made it clear after Cyran ran off.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. OH.”

He put his head in his hands. He’d been a fool, only thinking about himself and his fears and his shock.

“She is NOTHING like Cyran, and I could never blame her.”

Dane’s hand felt warm and bracing and brotherly. “Well, I know that, ginger nut. But there are some who would blame her because people want someone to blame for evil.”

Jiro smiled at the old childhood nickname Dane still used sometimes. He lifted his head to look in Dane’s eyes. “Including her own pack?”

“They love her, from what I’ve observed and heard. But yes, there will be those who find her a convenient target for their anger.”

Not if Jiro had anything to say about it, and as the Crimsontail Shadows Alpha, he had the last word. “I wasn’t opposed to mating with her at all. I would die happy if that came about.”

Dane grinned, but his face looked pained. “Oh, it already is. Lilia said so, remember?”

“I should have guessed.”

“And don’t worry. We reassured Garnet that you were thrown by the offer to be their Alpha.”

“I’m still racking my brain, but no explanation makes sense,” Jiro confessed.

“And you hate that, don’t you?” A note of smugness crept into Dane’s voice. “I, on the other hand, like knowing something that’s eluded you for once.”

“Brave talk, saying that right close to the pots and pans and when I can shift in seconds. But you’re right.”

Dane grasped his hand and led him out of the kitchens into the dining room, and they sat down on the long wooden bench. Jiro gazed around the dining room that he might be saying goodbye to. He didn’t even remember the dining room in Sinsworth House. He did know Lilia hated the statues. Could he get rid of those? Maybe Garnet hated them.

“Cyran has vocal supporters who still, to put it nicely, view the rest of the pack as cowardly traitors,” Dane said. “The pack will never accept one of them, even if the council made that risky choice. People who regret supporting Cyran are out of the running too. But his followers will cause destruction if the Crimsontails select one of the pack loyalists.”

Jiro’s mind ran through the possibilities. “And the people who swear up and down, loudly and publicly, that they never supported Cyran or that they reject him are also eliminated because they could still support him in secret. It’s a witches’ brew that could create a civil war that would engulf us, the Silverpaws, the packs that border the Crimsontails …”

“And that is the kind of Alpha thinking that’s taking you away from us.”

“I live to serve.”

Dane gripped his shoulder. “We need peace with the Crimsontails, and they need peace. They need you, and so does Garnet. But it’s your decision. Whatever you choose, we’ll back you. I know that they’re rushing you, but you can understand why.”

Jiro put an arm around his brother to comfort him. “I’d like to talk to my mate alone.”