Day 2, cont.:
Gev introduced him around the table. One by one, he shook their hands: Gaspare, “call me Jazz” was in charge of the Tokyo holdings; Marcus, a very proper young man maybe just a few years older than Byron, the manager of French foodstuffs; Nicolas “Nico” in a rumpled suit and looking like he had gotten little sleep, in charge of starting up the Spanish market; and Vittore, a sour man who Gev called “Vic” and Byron watched as the man winced when he shook his hand.
Gev held the chair out for Byron next to his mother, and she smiled, patting his hand. The waiter came out and took his order for an omelet.
“I like him already,” said Nico, raising a coffee mug to Byron. Byron smiled and doctored his coffee with cream and sugar.
“I already had to put a fire out in Tokyo this morning,” said Gev, looking at Jazz.
As Byron listened to the business talk – conducted in English for his benefit, no doubt – Gev reached over and took his hand, his thumb caressing the back of Byron’s hand. It was a calming, soothing motion, possibly more for Gev than it was for Byron. Byron’s omelet arrived, and Gev let go of him with a little squeeze.
After breakfast, Byron sat quietly trying to follow what was going on. Gev’s mother rose. “Excuse me,” she said, and all the men rose as one. She turned to Byron, “Come with me?”
It was a question, but he knew a command when he heard it. He got up, nodding. He gave a kiss to Gev and followed his mother outside.
“You can stay with me until Francesca comes,” she said, walking through the halls. “Besides, they will get more work done in Italian, si?”
“I suppose, though they didn’t have to do that.”
“You are a guest,” said Gev’s mother. “Can I call you Byron?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then you can call me Nieve.”
He bowed some, “Thank you, I’m honored.”
She held out her arm, and Byron took it. She didn’t lean on him too much. “Walk with me to the garden–”
A loud bang came from the dining room. Both of them turned to the doorway they had just come out of. Jazz came running out of the room and saw the two, “I need to find the pack. Vicenzo’s just been challenged for Alpha.”
Byron’s heart jumped into his throat, and his hand instinctively went to it. Nieve put a hand on Byron’s arm, comforting. “He’s been Alpha for a long time, Byron.”
“It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
She shook her head. “Maybe the challenger thinks that because Vicenzo has been away so long he can make this challenge.” She shrugged. “A challenge is not taken lightly.”
The door open and a young woman came in. She smiled at seeing Byron. “Signore Byron,” Francesca said, and spoke to him in rapid Italian.
“I don’t know Italian, I’m sorry,” Byron said. Though he realized he’d better learn.
Nieve translated, “She said she is very happy to see you and thanks you for everything that you have done.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
Nieve told him, “Prego.”
“What?”
She laughed, a gentle sound. “The word for ‘you’re welcome’ is Prego.”
Was she a mind reader? Then he remembered Gev said she was a shaman. The possibility existed. Byron turned to Francesca and said, “Prego.”
“Let us go to the garden,” said Nieve.
“But – ”
Nieve gave him a look, that Byron swore was perfected by mothers everywhere. He backed down and followed her to the garden.
Byron found there was a method to this; the small garden opened out to a large beautiful manicured lawn at the base of a hill. There, people and wolves were gathering. At the end of the garden was a small bench, and Nieve guided the two people to it. They had a perfect view of what was happening on the lawn.
Byron said, “I should go down there – ”
“You should stay here,” said Nieve. “Please, sit with me.”
Byron sat, though he was agitated. Someone came out of the garden, the small group of men and Gev. One was missing.
Gev stopped and smiled at his lover, then took him in his arms. “Hold this for me,” he said, pulling off his shirt. Francesca, like a good girl, lowered her eyes. Gev kissed Byron, a deep soulful kiss, and looked steadily at him. “Don’t worry, my love,” he said quietly. “I’ll be back to claim it.”
Gev nodded to his mother, and continued down the hill. Byron watched the men, then realized who was missing. “Vic,” he said out loud. Immediately, he understood the sour look he had gotten from the man when he shook his hand. Also immediately, he felt a fire in his chest, a fire of hate and anger. How dare he challenge his mate –
“Please sit with me,” Nieve said again, getting him for a moment out of his reverie. Byron sat, spreading the shirt on his lap.
He was nervous and agitated, and watched the proceedings below. Gev stepped out into the circle. Vic came out, already in warform, thundering something, probably in Italian. Gev changed into warform even as he spoke, and Byron felt a swell of pride at his lover. Then, the fight was on.
The challenger leapt fast, and tackled Gev, who didn’t seem to move, rooted to the earth. Gev lashed out with a claw, and Vic stepped away, holding his cheek. Then, the noise became a cacophany of men and wolves yelling all sorts of things in Italian.
“Who are they rooting for?” Byron asked.
“Vicenzo, of course,” Nieve replied, with the hint of a proud smile. Gev moved this time, feigning left, and hitting right, taking Vic down. The circle got smaller, as people yelled louder, wolves howling and snarling, jumping in and out of the circle. Byron stood up, not able to see what was going on with the press of the crowd.
Then the crowd erupted in a roar, and Byron could see Gev, grabbing a hold of the man by the scruff of his neck, and shaking him. Vic must have said something, because Gev then dropped him, and the crowd cheered. Gev looked up, saw Byron, and howled. The rest of the pack howled with him.
Byron’s chest filled with love, and he wanted to howl back. Instead he stood silent, smiling and proud, as his lover came back up the hill, changing as he walked. He had blood on him, Byron could see as he got closer.
“Are you hurt, my love?” Byron asked, hugging him, regardless of the blood.
“No, this isn’t my blood,” Gev said, returning the hug and giving him another kiss. “I believe I will need a shower…and a new manager for the China accounts.”