I put the trench coat back so the gun showed plainly. "Your intentions better be friendly, Alfred."
"Alfred," the other man said. One word, even the tone sounded the same, but this time Alfie stopped in his tracks. He stood, staring at me. His eyes weren't neutral, they were hostile. People don't usually dislike me on sight. But hey, I wasn't too thrilled with him, either.
"We have not offered you violence, Ms. Blake," Marcus said.
"Yeah, right. Alfie there is contained violence in motion. I want to know what his intentions are before he comes closer."
Marcus looked at me as if I'd done something interesting. "A very apt description, Ms. Blake. You can see our auras, then?"
"If that's what you want to call it," I said.
"Alfred's intentions are not hostile. He will merely search you for weapons. It is standard procedure for nonshifters. It is nothing personal, I assure you."
The very fact that they didn't want me armed made me want to keep my weapons. Stubbornness, or a strong survival instinct.
"Maybe I'd agree to being searched if you explained why I'm here first." Stall, until I could decide what to do.
"We don't discuss business in front of the press, Ms. Blake."
"Well, I'm not talking to you without him."
"I will not jeopardize all of us to satisfy idle curiosity." He was still standing on the platform like a general surveying his troops.
"The only reason I'm here at all is because Irving is a friend. Insulting him isn't going to endear you to me."
"I do not wish to endear myself to you, Ms. Blake. I wish your aid."
"You want my help?" I didn't try to keep the surprise out of my voice.
He gave a brief nod.
"What kind of help?"
"He must leave."
"No," I said.
Raina pushed away from the wall and stalked around us, just out of reach, but circling like a shark. "Irving's punishment could begin now." Her voice was low and puffing around the edges.
"I didn't know wolves purred," I said.
She laughed. "Wolves do a lot of things, as I'm sure you're aware."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, come now, woman to woman." She leaned one shoulder against the wall, arms crossed, face friendly. I was betting she could bite my finger off and smile just like that the entire time.
She bent close as if we were sharing secrets. "Richard is as good as he looks, isn't he?"
I stared into her amused eyes. "I don't kiss and tell."
"I'll tell you my juicy tidbit, if you'll tell me yours."
"Raina, enough." Marcus had moved forward to the edge of the stage. He didn't look happy.
She gave him a lazy smile. She was baiting him more than me, and enjoying it very much.
"Irving must leave, and Alfred must search you for weapons. There is no negotiating those two points."
"I'll make you a deal," I said. "Irving leaves now, but he goes home. No punishment."
Marcus shook his head. "I have decreed he will be punished. My word is law."
"Who died and made you king?"
"Simon," Raina said.
I blinked at her.
"He fought and killed Simon. That's who died and made him pack leader."
Ask a silly question ... "You want my help, Irving goes free and untouched. No punishment."
"Don't do this, Anita," Irving said. "You'll just make things worse."
Raina stayed leaning beside me. Just a little girl talk. "He's right, you know. Right now he's mine to play with, but if you make Marcus really angry he'll give him to Alfred. I'll torture his mind and body. Alfred will break him."
"Irving goes free, no punishment. I stay and let Alfred search me for weapons. Otherwise we walk."
"Not we, Ms. Blake. You are free to go, but Irving is mine. He will stay, and with or without you he will be taught his lesson."
"What did he do wrong?" I asked.
"That is our business, not yours."
"I'm not going to help you do shit."
"Then go," he leaped gracefully off the stage, walking towards us as he spoke, "but Irving stays. You are only among us for this one night. He must live with us, Ms. Blake. He cannot afford your bravado."
The last sentence brought him just a little behind Alfred. Close up there were fine lines around his eyes and mouth, a slackness to the skin of his neck and jaws. I added ten years to his age. Fifties.
"I can't leave Irving here, knowing what you'll do to him."
"Oh, you have no idea what we'll do to him," Raina said. "We heal so well." She pushed away from the wall and walked to Irving. She paced round him in a tight circle, shoulder, hip, brushing against him, here and there as she moved. "Even the weakest of us can take so very much damage."
"What do you want to guarantee Irving's safety?" I asked.
Marcus looked at me, face careful, neutral. "You promise to aid us, and let Alfred frisk you. He is my bodyguard. You must let him do his job."
"I can't promise to help you without knowing what it is."
"Then we have no bargain."
"Anita, I can take it, whatever they dish out. I can take it. I've done it before."
"You asked for my protection from Richard, just call it a package deal," I said.
"You asked her for her protection?" Raina stepped away from him, surprise plain on her pretty face.
"Just against Richard," Irving said.
"It's clever," Raina said, "but it does have certain implications."
"She's not a pack member. It only works on Richard because they're dating," Irving said. He looked a little worried.
"What implications?" I asked.
Marcus answered, "To ask pack members for their protection is to acknowledge they are of higher rank without having to fight them. If they give their protection, then you have agreed to help them fight their battles. If they are challenged you are honor bound to aid them."
I glanced at Irving. He looked ill. "She's not one of us. You can't hold her to the law."
"What law?" I asked.
"Pack law," Marcus said.
"I forfeit her protection," Irving said.
"Too late," Raina said.
"You place us in a quandary, Ms. Blake. A pack member has acknowledged you as higher rank than he is. Acknowledged you as dominant. By our laws we must accept that as binding."
"I can't be a pack member," I said.
"No, but you can be dominant."
I knew what the word meant in the real world. Marcus was using it as if it meant more. "What does it mean to be dominant?"
"It means you can stand as Irving's protector against all comers."
"No," Irving said. He brushed past Raina and stood in front of Marcus. He stood tall and stared him in the eye. It was not a submissive display.
"I won't let you use me like this. It's what you intended all along. You knew I'd ask her protection from Richard. You counted on it, didn't you, you smug bastard."
A low growl trickled out from between Marcus's perfect white teeth. "I would watch my tongue if I were you, youngling."
"If it offends you, I will cut it out." Alfred's first words were not comforting.
This was getting out of hand. "Irving is under my protection, Alfred. If I understand the law. You have to go through me to hurt Irving, is that right?"
Alfred turned cold, dark eyes to me. He nodded.
"If you kill me, then I can't help Marcus."
This seemed to puzzle the big fella. Great, confusion to my enemies.