บท 7: Chapter 7: The Picky Alpha

Jude POV

ONE WEEK LATER

Where was Daxius Houdini? He seemed to have vanished.

Jude smiled, wanting this evening to be over as soon as possible so he could investigate rumors of an unconfirmed sighting. Truthfully, he'd been ready for this evening to be over as soon as it began.

He respected elves, but Moon Goddess, this one could drone on and on, unlike the four other women he'd met–and he'd liked those women from the Brokenridge Pack and the Nightclaw Howlers. He just couldn't imagine spending more than half a day with them, and his wolf rejected them. He'd liked Vinessa Vermello, and really tried with her because she was intelligent and accomplished. However, his wolf said no.

He had an agreement with his wolf. In exchange for ignoring the fated mate tradition, his wolf had the final say about his mate. So far, his wolf had refused everyone.

This High Elf might be the same.

Lady Fildarae Yelna had a curvy figure, skin so fair the sun had clearly never touched it, long cascading honey blonde hair, and the cutest pair of pointed ears he'd ever seen. She also used fifteen words when two would do, even when answering the simplest questions.

Maybe he wasn't giving her enough of a chance. She was elegant, intelligent, and had vast knowledge of shifter culture.

He strolled with her along the Mossy Lakes in Evenhide Territory after having a picnic and told himself to relax. His wolf remained on edge as if expecting an attack any moment.

"Did you get enough to eat, Lady Yelna?"

Her red lips smiled despite the words coming out. "The sheer variety of dishes astonishes me–but really, three kinds of wild game seems a bit excessive. Not that I'm vegetarian like some of my kind, but still."

"So, too much?" he asked.

Emer would have been direct. "You're spoiling me, Jude," she often said playfully. "You're not feeding the entire pack!"

"Oh, I'm not complaining at all." She shot him a coy glance. "You clearly went to a great deal of trouble."

He thrust out his chest. "The Crestas offered to help me, but I felt this was something I wanted to do myself."

His friends had over-offered, even pulling the pups into it, but he had a certain pride. After all, he'd prepared a picnic for Emer when they were first courting.

Lady Fildarae nodded approvingly. "Admirable. But you have an army of chefs and butlers and kitchen maids to help you normally at home, don't you?"

He flushed. "Do you?"

"Of course! Family retainers that have been with us for a thousand years."

"That says a lot about your family," he said with genuine respect.

"Oh, they wouldn't dream of leaving, wherever we are. Everyone from the stable boys to the scullery maids to the potion makers and the potion makers' assistants. The Wardrobe Mistress and her hundred helpers."

He had a sinking feeling. "How impressive."

"I hope there's room in your castle for all of them."

He couldn't stop the words that came out of his mouth. "Including ones to wipe my butt?"

Her politeness faded. "There's no need to be vulgar or crass or shocking."

Fenrir's guts, it had never been this hard with Emer, and they'd had their moments. "You're right. I apologize. It's just that we don't need a Wardrobe Mistress because we don't wear a lot of clothing. Except on special occasions." He tugged the collar of the rich red shirt he wore.

"Well, I do, and I'm not a shifter. I think you look more refined in clothing. Less primal."

Offended, he growled, "I am primal, but I'm also a civilized man."

Her arched brows were so slight he felt like taking one of Kyon's colored pencils and giving her better ones. "A civilized man who wastes food."

"Shifters EAT. The wolf burns calories."

He could respect her fire and strength of will, at least. "Fair point. But you can nourish yourself and not go to excess–"

"Says the woman who has a hundred wardrobe servants."

The day went downhill from there. By the time they returned to Cresta House in the late afternoon, she refused his offer to stay with the Crestas, because she'd already promised that privilege to the Hemmings.

He insisted on walking her to Birdcliff, and then shifted to work off his frustration in a furious run. By the time he reached Cresta House, he felt better but dragged his feet, imagining Ravyn's reaction when he told her his sorry tale.

Best to get it over with now.

Shifting back, he drew in lungfuls of air and went inside to see Ravyn, who didn't even ask how his date went. "What, pray tell, was wrong with this one?"

How did she know?

"We heard from Azandra at Birdcliff that Lady Yelna went right to her room and refused to speak about your outing," Ravyn said, guessing his thoughts. "Hardly a good sign for an elf!"

"She's classy, at least," he muttered.

"And a wonderful companion according to your description of what you wanted!" Ravyn got in his face, smelling like pine trees at dawn and distracting him. "Except for the Emer part, and no one you select will ever be Emer, because there's only one Emer."

He bared his teeth. "I'm aware," he said stiffly.

Maddening woman, did she have to REMIND him? If Emer were here, he wouldn't be putting himself through this torture.

"Then stop rejecting women because they're not her, or abandon your search for a mate."

He stepped back from her tongue-lashing. "It wasn't just that!"

"Then what?"

His wolf huffed that none of those women were Ravyn.

Her face was inches from his and he wanted her to stop talking about him with another woman. He wanted her sweet lips on his. Then he wanted to talk to her some more ...

Forbidden. This was his friend's mother.

"What is it?" she challenged.

"Next I suppose you're going to tell me that Emer wouldn't want me to live like this."

She lifted her head, dignified. "I don't resort to cliches. How do I know what Emer wants?"

He growled, his eyes flaring golden fire. "Well, I know. Emer would WANT me to be happy. And I'd want the same thing for her if it had been me that the monster ... But I don't just have myself to think of!"

Someone dropped a book in the hall, making them both jump. Ravyn smelled ashamed. Not at being caught, but at her own behavior. She couldn't meet his eyes.

But the h*ll of it was, she was right.

Sheepish, Jiro stooped to pick up the book on High Elvish poetry–no doubt preparing for dinner tonight with Lady Yelna. Except she was already dining with Ransome and Titania. "Sorry. Is everything alright?"

"FINE," Jude and Ravyn said in unison.

* * * * *

Jiro POV

Jiro Cresta, Alpha of the Crimsontail Shadows Pack, had never heard a less convincing statement uttered with such force. The clan, lurking just beyond him in the hallway, looked mesmerized by the encounter.

Ravyn's Operation Luna appeared to have hit several snags, nowhere near as entertaining as the ones he, Patch, and Dirge had launched–but just as mortifying, particularly for a proud, strong Alpha like Jude.

His wolf smugly pointed out that Jude would be better off seeking a fated mate.

At least Vinessa Vermello had no complaints, or Jiro would hear about it. Her impression, as relayed by her sister Valentina, was that Jude was still mourning his wife and might not be ready for a mate. Valentina had confided in her about Jude's situation and Jude himself had been upfront. Jiro got the impression Vinessa thought Jude should deal with his grief first and no one should force him to take a mate.

But when he was ready, she wouldn't mind a second date.

Jude raked his hand through his gray hair. "Having a list of qualities is no guarantee. That's why you have to meet the person. She complained about the size of the picnic and then told me she had a hundred people to help with her wardrobe and expected to bring them all here, and for me to make use of them. Daily."

Jiro winced. He thought Lady Yelna was more educated about shifters than that!

Ravyn stared at him in horror. "Did she not notice that shifters don't wear clothes?"

"I doubt she cares," he said dryly. "She's not a bad person, just particular ..."

His favorite elf, Thessi, walked in, juggling Juneau and Lupi, the children of Cyran and Naomi. Thessi always had a Cresta child attached to her. "A few High Elves are like that. Especially the nobility. They live in their own crystal sphere and think everyone else is unsophisticated."

Jude grimaced. "And when I mentioned I didn't want servants everywhere to wipe my butt, I just confirmed her impression."

Jiro burst out laughing. Behind him, his little brother Patch howled with laughter, and so did Patch's mate Anneliese. Lilia had to hold her sides, she was laughing so hard. Thessi had to hang onto both the children, she was laughing so hard.

"It's not funny." Ravyn gave them her best stern look, even though she had just gotten a silent attack of the giggles.

"Oh, no." Garnet peeped in, looking as solemn as she could and failing.

"Not at all." Dirge spoiled his seriousness by doubling over with laughter.

Ravyn gently touched Jude's shoulder. "It's taken me years to get used to the size of the Cresta staff, and yet we know them all by name and know them as people ... Serra is family."

"I don't even consider the people who work with me 'staff' or 'servants,'" Jude confided. "I didn't raise my children that way, either. They're like family too ... I just happen to employ them. Lady Yelna did say that her family's staff had served them for a thousand years, so I suppose we're similar in that regard."

"That's generous of you," Jiro's brother Kyon said dryly, looming like a mountain above the crowd. "I heard from Ransome and Primmy AND my mate that the staff at Birdcliff wishes the lady and her stuck-up people were staying here."

Ravyn flushed. "I swear I didn't know ..."

"I gave you a monumental task," Jude said gently. "Even Ravyn Rolfe can't be expected to do the impossible all the time. Just most of the time."

She snorted. "None of the other women had any complaints–including Vinessa. But we agreed your wolf would have the final say, and he's been smart so far."

"He likes you." Hastily, Jude added, "As a friend ... as a Pack Mother ... as a friend's mother."

Jiro's perception told him differently, but he would rather sit through a meal with Lady Yelna at Birdcliff than reveal his suspicions.

Anneliese's eyes narrowed. "You know, Ravyn fits the profile of what you're looking for."

Dirge blithely added, "And she likes dwarf opera."

Lilia grimaced. "That's my mother you're talking about, not an Operation Romance target."

Jude held up his hands. "Ravyn has had the patience of the Moon Goddess and I wouldn't dare sentence her to a life with me."

"I can test people's patience too." Ravyn gave them all a motherly smile. "And isn't it time we were all getting dinner on the table? Where's Dane?"

"On pup duty," Lilia said.

Howls and a crash from upstairs made a mini-pack of Crestas run for the staircase to see what was the matter. Jiro, Anneliese, Patch, and Naomi had pulled dinner detail, so they headed with Ravyn and Jude toward the kitchen.

Yet Jiro couldn't resist keeping Ravyn and Jude under close observation. He'd been around multiple couples in the family. He believed Jude and Ravyn when they said they weren't attracted to each other, but he also knew that the heart and someone's wolf often had the final say. Clearly, more observation was called for!