The Legacy of Kilkenny (36 page)

I turned around to face him, we stood there daughter to father, father to daughter. “You didn’t say
yes
either.”

“No, I didn’t say yes, but I didn’t say no.
 
I
said
this isn’t a good time.
 
Your assignment could be compromised if you can’t focus on Abel one hundred percent.”

“That isn’t saying yes either.
 
What if I promise I can stay focused.”
 
I tried bargaining.

He shook his head no at me.
 
“I don’t know that you can.
 
Our priority right now is the protection of Abel, and now we have vampires in our territory.
 
I don’t have time to worry about my daughter that just so happens to be not just my
daughter
but the Alpha’s daughter.
 
I have to know that Oakley is focused on
your
protection and
your
focus is on Abel’s protection and guidance.
 
If you’re worrying about Oakley and not focusing on Abel, you are compromising him.”
 

“But I won’t, I promise.”
 
I begged.

He turned around and headed for the door.
 
“Pru, I’m not going to condone a relationship between the two of you
right now
.
 
After we finish preparing Abel, you and I can readdress this situation.
 
Do you understand me?”
 
He opened the door turning around looking right at me.

“Is that my
dad
talking or is that the
Alpha
talking?”
 
I said as snarky as I could.

He glared at me and said, “It is the Alpha of one of the most powerful Packs telling one of his minions that they must obey the ruling.
 
You’re to protect Abel Casey.
 
If you press this issue, I’ll send Oakley to Dallas.
 
Am I perfectly clear?”

I stood there, feeling the pain of
Romeo and Juliet
and a forbidden love.
 
My heart shattered.
 
“Clear.” I said as he closed my bedroom door.
 
I threw myself onto my bed and let the tears come freely.

ABEL

At first she just stares, eyes focused and glaring, then she lifts her right hand that just so happens to be holding a
Glock
.
 
She fires.
 
It whizzes past my head.
 
“What the!”
 
I yell at Shaynie.
 
Determined to prove I can hold my own, I run at her.
 
Just as I approach her, I leap up in the air, flipping and landing behind her.
 
I tap her on the shoulder.
 
“You looking for me?”
 
In one quick moment I snag the gun from her, putting in my waistband.

“DIE!”
 
She yells and reaches up to strangle me.

“You’re a
freakin
’ deranged lunatic!”
 
I yell back.
 
“Just so you know, I’m an equal rights believer,” I say as I reach over to strangle her.
 
We fall to the ground, rolling around.
 
She lets go of my neck as I’m on my back, she is on top of me, her fist goes back and she swings at my face.
 
I catch her fist and bench press her off of me, leaping to my feet.

The wind shifts directions and I catch a whiff of something.
 
I turn to face the tree line and see all of the Pack watching us.
 
I notice Oak has his hand to his mouth snickering.
 
I glare at him, he puts his hands in front of him, shaking them like he is scared.
 
“You all put her up to this didn’t you!
 
Oh, yeah, I see you laughing.
 
You want a piece of me?”
 
The next thing I know, I’m face down on the ground and I feel the gun at the back of my head.

“
Pow
,
pow
.”
 
Shaynie whispered.
 
“Never, ever take your eyes off your opponent.” She says in her cocky antagonistic way.

I roll over, grabbing the gun, disarming her again.
 
Obviously she does not enjoy having things taken away from her.
 
She swings at me with a left hook, then a right, she kicked me, flipped me, stood on me, I flung her off.
 
She growled and called me a few choice words.
 
I said “Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?”
 
That apparently is the wrong thing to say to her.

Her mouth squished up in an unnatural pose, eyes set on her target (which happens to be me).
 
She let out some animalistic howl and ran at me full speed ahead.
 
I have the advantage of speed and agility, so I step out of her way.
 
She runs smack into a tree.
 
“Oh Abel, you’re going to pay for that.”
 
She growls.

The guys make a circle around us like a schoolyard takedown.
 
Me against psycho wolf from hell.
 
“You
wanna
piece of me?
 
Come on little girl, if you feel
froggy
come and get it.”
 
I taunt.

She runs at me; leaping on top of me hindering my ability to jump. Nice move.
 
Her legs wrap around my waist as she climbs on my back, one of her hands under my chin and the other on the top of my head.
 
If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was trying to rip my head from my shoulders, so I do what anyone else would do in the same position.
 
I run backwards ramming her into a tree, knocking the wind out of her as she crumples to the ground.
 
She lay there in some unnatural position, her cap off her head and her hair hiding her face.
 
I drop to my knees putting two fingers to her neck looking for a pulse.
 
The guys all gather closer, Dolly behind me ready to take over if needed.
 
My heart pounding out of my chest,
oh crap I killed her
, running through my mind over and over.
 
I yell for them to stop standing there staring at her and do something.
 
She burst into laughter, she reaches up with both of her hands grabbing my face pulling it down to her and she pecked me on the mouth.

“That was so cute Abe, you really thought you killed me.
 
Awe, you’re adorable.”
 
She giggled.

“You suck Shaynie!”
 
I turn around to face everyone and said “You all suck too!”

Pru and Bryon cackling like that have lost their mind.
 
Everything jovial and then we hear a growl from behind Pru. A solid chocolate brown wolf with huge black eyes comes walking in from the trees.
 
Everyone steps back making way for the wolf to face me.
 
I sensed him sizing me up, deciding if I am a worthy opponent.
 

My invisible shackles up, my heart pounding, every ounce of my being wanted to run.
 
My skin is itchy, my head spinning, and I knew my competitor ….General Phelan.
 
He looks around at each Pack member; they all cower back giving him room to rumble with me.
 
We stare at one another for what seems forever, and then to my dismay he turns around and walks away.

Pru
 
runs up to me.
 
“You did great Abe.”
 
She flings her arms around me giving me a big hug.
 
“You were totally bad ass!”

“You think?”
 
I asked.

“Oh, totally Abe.
 
I hate to admit it but I think Shaynie was incredible.
 
She didn’t hold back on you at all.”

Hearing her name Shaynie came walking over with Bryon in tow.
 
“Pretty good game Abel,” she said as she straightened up her ponytail.

Oakley grabs me from behind spinning me around.
 
“Dude, that was awesome.
 
I can’t believe you held your own against General Phelan.
 
That was really remarkable.”

“I didn’t really do anything.”
 
I admitted trying to figure out why everyone is so stoked over my brief encounter with the General.

“You stood your ground against an Alpha male, not just any Alpha either.”
 
Oakley says.

“Abel that really was awesome.
 
I’m so proud of you.”
 
Pru said as she took my hand and led me back to the house.
 

“Were those real bullets in
Shaynie’s
gun?
 
It felt real when went whizzing past my head.”
 
I said as we go into the den of the house.
 
I stop in the kitchen to wash my hands.
 
I didn’t really get what everyone was talking about.
 
I did what I had to do; I don’t feel like it was anything spectacular.

“I’m thinking they’re theatrical bullets made not to penetrate the skin.
 
I hear she never misses so it was probably intentional that she missed you.
 
You
so
passed the test with my dad.
 
Its times like this I wish you’d already shifted, you and I’d go for a run.
 
Let’s go for a ride… just drive somewhere and blast the stereo.”
 

PRU

We hopped in my car and took a cruise to downtown Oklahoma City to grab some dinner in trendy
Bricktown
.
 
Technically it isn’t a town, it was more of an old industrial area that still had brick roads and old buildings that had been converted to restaurants, night clubs, and shopping.
 
After losing an intense coin flip, we went to Ta Ta’s to have hot wings, Abel was beaming with happiness. Of course they’re served by girls in barely-there shorts and tight t-shirts.
 

My first impression is classy trashy.
 
The tables are tall with cheap rolls of paper towels on top of them.
 
I noticed there are a lot of guys in traditional salesman wear, khaki’s and polo’s. I wonder if the wives know where their husbands are spending their lunch hour.
 
After we placed our hot wings and soda order, I headed to the bathroom to freshen up with lip gloss and brush through my hair.
 
Stepping out I caught a whiff of something familiar that didn’t include hot sauce or chili powder.

“Arien” I said to the over dressed man that was lurking outside of the women’s restroom.

“The beautiful princess Prudence, how lucky to run into the princess without her puppies.”
 
He licked his lips seductively as he stared at me with those honey-colored eyes that were undeniably some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
 
It struck me that they seemed oddly familiar.
 
Maybe a dream,
I think to myself.

“What do you want Arien?”
 
I crossed my arms trying to pull off a nonchalant annoyed attitude.

He stepped forward, taking a handful of my hair and pulled it up to his nose taking a whiff.
 
“Oh, I see you’ve been tumbling around with some of your comrades.
 
Love, you know what I want.
 
Or have you forgotten?
 
I thought your kind had memories like elephants.”

“Well
love
, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
 
I smirked.
 
“As a matter of fact, I have a fantastic memory
love.
”

“Then I’m sure you remember me telling you that I have no problem bringing your friend Allie over to the dark side.
 
She’ll be very good at it too, she is already dramatic.
 
I’ve really become attached to her, and I think her parents are delightful.
 
Like mother like daughter.”
 
He puts emphasis on every word he spoke.
 
“That brother of hers sure has terrible taste in friends, between you and that dreadful Bryon.
 
Did Allie tell you about our little trip to see some of my family?
 
Everyone is just
dying
to have a little taste of my new lady friend.”
 
He put his finger to his lips in the
shhh
pose.
 
“Don’t tell her brother, but she is no lady a brother would be proud of.”