Chapter 5: She's Responsible Too

Jiro POV

A headache formed between his eyes. Moon Goddess, he knew he’d need to go for a run in wolf form after this meeting. But better he took on this duty than Dane. They might be either scraping Cyran or Dane off the floor.

Probably both.

Cyran didn’t seem to know whether to bow, cry, or snarl, but oddly, Jiro thought that it only made him trust Cyran a bit more. Seeing someone else, especially his former blood enemy, in the position he’d thrown away had to sting. He’d been honest about it, more honest than at any point in all the time that they had known each other.

If Cyran had humbled himself and been as holy as a human monk, turning on the tears, Jiro might have locked him away. Cyran half-defiant, half-remorseful was the best he could realistically hope for.

“I accept your offer,” he said clearly, so there was no misunderstanding. “With several conditions.”

Cyran spread his hands, tilting his head up in a confident and even princely way. “Go ahead, do your worst. I’ve heard more than a few stories. I’m interested to see how close they are to reality.”

Cheeky brat. But Jiro had experience handling those. He rubbed his head, aware that he might be missing chunks of his copper hair by the time he was finished with Cyran.

“From now on, you’re mine. As of this moment, you follow every rule I set and I WILL be reporting to the witches daily about your progress.” He tapped the file the witches had sent. “And don’t look to your sister to get around me, because we both agreed before you even came home that if one of us had to be your master, it had to be me.”

Cyran’s eyes flashed golden, but all he said was, “Good. That way she can just be my sister instead of my warden.”

Satisfied, Jiro handed him a written list. “None of these rules are negotiable.”

Cyran’s eyes scanned the document. Twice.

1. NO contact with Hades Ombra or current cult members without the Alpha’s knowledge, including magical means or letters or mind-link.

2. Help ex-cult members Naomi Tenebruso, Skye Redwood, and Carnelian Redwood and their families–they are your responsibility now, especially if Miss Tenebruso is your fated mate (consult the Wise Women).

3. Follow the witches’ cleansing diet until they say otherwise.

4. Surrender any dark magic items in your possession–your belongings will be searched regularly.

5. Meet daily with Wise Woman Roslynn Rossa or Wise Woman Tulaska Volkov, or both.

6. Attend Wise Woman Roslynn’s Movements of the Moon Class every morning–NO EXCUSES.

7. Obey the Beta’s orders as if it came from the Alpha.

8. The same goes for Luna Garnet.

9. NO asking Luna Garnet to get the Alpha to ease up.

10. NO approaching Dane or Lilia Cresta until they’re ready.

11. Respect the council, especially Councilwoman Valentina.

12. Strict curfew and bedtime at nine p.m. unless on a mission.

13. Family dinner every evening.

14. Sparring session in the training room with Alpha Jiro daily (helps reduce anxiety.)

15. No leaving Red Crescent City without an official escort.

16. Absolutely no practicing dark magic of any kind.

17. You will be scanned regularly for possible dark forces.

18. No going out to roam in wolf form without asking first.

19. Every item on this list will be evaluated daily to make sure you are following the rules.

You’ll be put under house arrest for regularly breaking these rules and/or sent back to the witches.

Signed, Jiro Cresta, Alpha

Signed, Cyran Sinsworth

Signed, Garnet Sinsworth Cresta, Luna

Signed, Barrett Malone, Beta

Signed, Roslynn Rossa, Wise Woman

Signed, Tulaska Volkov, Wise Woman, Evenhide Pack

Witness:

Jiro had signed under his name and the space under Cyran’s name was blank, awaiting signature. The name and signature for the witness were also blank. Tulaska and Roslynn had both signed.

Cyran looked up from the list. “I was expecting it to be longer.”

He almost sounded relieved. Intriguing.

“I don’t have time for that. But if you want—”

Cyran held up his hands. “No, no, that’s fine. But really … curfew and bedtime? And no leaving the city without a nursemaid? I’m not–”

“Your actions have been childish,” Jiro said bluntly. “When you’ve proven you can be trusted, we’ll talk about changing the rules. Understand, because we’re family, I have to be, and I shall be, a hundred times harder on you.”

He could read the arguments, the mule-like stubbornness, in Cyran’s eyes. He was the Alpha. He’d been used to doing whatever he wanted. He was royalty. He was a wizard. He could sense the prickly anger surrounding Cyran like the quills of a porcupine or the spikes of a manticore.

Honestly, if it weren’t for being mated to Garnet, Jiro would have worked with him to capture or kill Hades and then imprisoned him for the rest of his natural life.

Cyran’s mouth worked, but all he said was, “Your brother Patch–”

“Is not the Alpha of this pack.” Jiro leaned forward and stood, his hands on the table. “And he knows that. He respects what I have to do. And he’ll tell you that Dane and I are harder on our brothers than anyone else could ever be.”

Cyran’s shoulders drooped, but all he said was, “I’m sure.”

With a deep sigh, Jiro lifted his chin. “You will follow these rules if you want to earn my trust.” He handed Cyran a quill pen. “Sign. We’ll get a member of the pack to witness.”

“Very well.” Cyran signed with a flourish. “I hope you don’t insist on a binding oath.”

Jiro snorted. “If I did, I’d be in trouble with Lilia and Ravyn and Anneliese … besides, there are ways around those.”

“For you or me?”

“Both!” Jiro had him sign another copy. “Now, go and find us a witness.”

Jiro’s stomach still clenched when he thought of the task ahead, but at least Cyran was being level-headed. He watched the former Alpha walk to the door with proud strides and wondered how he’d have fared in Cyran’s place.

Cyran opened the door and Jiro sat back down at the table, counting the minutes till he could go for a run in wolf form.

* * * * *

Naomi POV

Sarina didn’t have any figgican bread left, but the Krichinda bread was still available.

“Did you know that the shape of the Krichinda bread is a spiral because it’s the most perfect form in nature?” she asked Sarina and her silent helper Goodwin, a member of the Sinsworth family.

“I didn’t,” Sarina admitted. “I just know the dwarves swear by this recipe.”

“Well, they’re master artisans. And they love spirals.” Naomi slathered jam on her bread. “‘Krichinda’ is actually ‘spiral’ in Dwarvish. Dwarves have seventeen words for spirals, almost as many as they have for ‘metal.’”

She loved facts related to the natural world and could go on all day. It was why she’d been drawn to the cult. Hades claimed to have secrets about the natural world … Roslynn Rossa had said that leaders of cults preyed on people’s yearning for secret knowledge.

She ate three slices of bread but knew she was hungry for information about Cyran, not bread. So, she cleaned up after herself and left the kitchen with its warmth and incredible smells.

In the hallway, she met up with Cyran, who grabbed her hand. “Thank the Moon Goddess. I need you.”

Her heart was a horse at full gallop. “You do?”

“Well, for many things,” he admitted. “More … more than I probably deserve. But for right now, I need you as a witness.”

She tensed and dug in her heels as he tugged at her. “A witness? You’re not going to … to … challenge Alpha Jiro or anything like that?”

His face fell. He looked crushed. “NO,” he snapped.

Immediately, she wished she could take back her words. “I’m sorry.”

“Clearly, I need a curfew and a bedtime,” he muttered.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will. Please come with me.”

She felt the warmth of his hand in hers and she liked it, but couldn’t let it distract her. Or, for that matter, remembering how his hands felt on her body and how his kisses tasted.

“As you wish.”

No sooner had she spoken those words than she was accompanying him into the Great Hall where Alpha Jiro waited for them. “Miss Tenebruso, thank you for helping us.”

“Of course, Alpha.” She followed Cyran to the long table where two copies of some sort of agreement awaited her signature as a witness.

She clapped her hand to her mouth, seeing her own name in the agreement.

She was signing as a witness to a list of house rules Cyran had agreed to follow. A lot of them. But honestly, she’d imagined far worse, given the anger in the pack and Alpha Jiro’s reputation.

And she was part of these rules?

“Alpha Jiro, you don’t know that we could be fated mates,” she began.

He leaned on the table with his hands. “I can see it from the way you act around each other. It was Cyran you were going to visit this morning when I saw you in the elevator, yes?”

Naomi flushed. “What of it?”

He offered her a subtle smile. “I’d say it would be a positive step for you both if you were mates.”

Not if her family had anything to say about it.

She’d avoided thinking about that part until she saw Cyran … after all, she might feel disgust when he was near.

But their erotic encounter muddied the picture in many ways, and made things all too clear in others. She most definitely did NOT feel disgust for Cyran. Far from it.

“But all these rules,” she said breathlessly.

“Necessary, Miss Tenebruso,” Jiro said in his best Alpha Voice. “And Cyran has agreed to them.”

“Well, I’ll sign, but on one condition since you named me,” Naomi said. “And without my knowledge.”

It wasn’t often that Alpha Jiro was at a loss for words, but he stood there speechless. Then he said, a blush like the dawn staining his cheeks, “I’m sorry. I can change–”

“I didn’t even notice it,” Cyran muttered. “It was buried in all the things I can and can’t do.”

“Hardly buried,” she said, watching him go quiet, too. “And I’m grateful I was mentioned because I want to assist you.”

“Cyran has offered to help us bring Hades to justice,” Jiro said with a hint of approval for them both.

“Perfect! As a hunter, I can sniff out the monster,” Naomi declared with more bravado than she felt.

“I’ve heard about your skill as a hunter,” Jiro commented. “Beta Barrett is always astonished at how you can flush out prey even in mist and fog and from the thickest forests. Hades should be–”

“Is that really necessary?” Cyran growled.

Jiro gave him a frosty turquoise stare. “According to the paper you just signed, yes.”

“She doesn’t know him nearly as well–”

Naomi gathered courage. “I know he abused you. I know he’s a coward. I know that HE was the one who kept you away from us when we were exiled. And I hurt the pack just as much as you. I’m taking responsibility. I’m going to help you nail his mangy magical hide to the wall.”

“Naomi, you can’t.”

“Don’t deny me this,” she said in a passionate voice. “He hurt ME too. He hurt my family twice over. He used me to bring in Auntie Rose! I need to be part of taking him down.”

Cyran turned to Jiro, giving him a pleading look. “That’s up to the Alpha.”

Naomi hoped that Alpha Jiro would say yes.