Chapter 6

Emory was in an odd mood, but I didn't push him. He clearly had things on his mind. When we came upon Tully's Bar we could see there were more people than usual. I chucked it up to a hockey game or two for one shots. When we walked in Emory saw some republican members and left me standing without word. 

I walked up to the bar, not even knowing what to order. The bartender was a friend of Humphrey and gave me an indignant look before handing me a coke and a raised eyebrow. 

It was frowned upon for a woman of my position and prospect to be seen at a bar, and even more so drinking alcohol. 

"Want a beer instead?" A tall blonde male shouted over the noise of the crowd. I had been right, there was a hockey game on. 

"No," the bartender snapped as he cleaned a glass. 

I took my coke thankfully and tried to walk away but the male wasn't going to be shrugged off easily. 

A portly man sat at the bar looking miserable. I smiled at him and he kinda shrugged in his blue plaid shirt. 

"Are you happy?" I laughed noticing his golden goatee framed his thin mouth. 

"No. But it's my brother's birthday so they drug me here," he took a sip of his beer that he held with pudgy fingers. 

"I'm sorry," I tried to be empathetic. 

"He's fine," the tall man interjected. "His online game was interrupted to come out. I'm Rob," he continued his pursuit. I caught an Aussie twang that time and realized there was more to the viking-esque man than a simple three letter word. 

"Tally," I said over the cheers of sports enthusiasts. 

He took my hand and shook it. Suddenly I was pushed roughly from behind by a stumbling drunk. Rob softened my fall and held me close. I turned to see the offender and realized it was the Irish ambassador's son. There were more pack members there than I had realized. That was clearly no coincidence. 

"You Lilly?" He slurred with a brogue. 

"No, her sister Tally."

"You look alike."

He was clearly inebriated beyond comprehension. 

"Mate," Rob put me behind him. "You should get home. I'll call a cab." 

The chubbier man pulled me away for protection. 

"I'm not your mate," the Irishman rasped. "Do you think they respect you anymore than they do me? The English only care about themselves and what they want. Don't even try to take something that's theirs." He looked around Rob to me. "A piece of tail, no matter how pretty, is not worth the wrath of those bastards." 

"You need to go now," Rob had lost his chipperness. "Nate," he snapped at the shorter plump man, "hold her there." 

"Two is better than one though," the Irishman continued. "If we are to buck the limeys, then we can both share the spoils." 

He clearly meant me and that sent Rob into a rage. With one fist he sent the drunk across the bar. Those around who had not heard the conversation thought the fight was over the hockey match and began to pile on. 

I felt a hand grip my arm and pull me out of the bar as Nate followed. My phone fell out of my pocket as I was being escorted. When I was out, I saw who had rescued me. 

"Thanks," I said as kindly as I could to my sister. 

She rolled her emerald eyes and left me standing in the neon light. Cop cars arrived not long after and I took that as my cue to leave.

"I just wanted to play my game,"Nate whispered miserably. 

Sheriff Jones nodded to me as I shrunk into the woods and disappeared. It was a familiar trail for me. One that led from the highway to the old Apple orchard and a half burned down barn.

I sat in the haystack on the loft of the barn, looking out over the apple orchard as fireflies danced in the air. 

"Five arrested," I heard a voice behind me. His frame settled in beside me, warming my soul. 

"How did you know where I would be?" I leaned my head against Emory's shoulder. 

"This is where you always go for solice… and apples," he smirked in the moon light. 

"I'll wait until Jones has processed them and then I'll bail out the Australian." 

"How do you know which ones got arrested?" 

"When you abandoned me I made a new friend."

"I didn't abandon you," he snarked. "The republic was there and wanted to speak to me. When I turned around to find you, there was a brawl occurring over the hockey match." 

"It was over me not the game," I explained. "The Irish attache's son made comments about me, and my new friend did not like the implications." 

"What did the bastard say?" 

"He made a comment about how I am English property and that they should share me if they wanted to buck the British."

Emory growled. "What has happened to our kind? Fighting over our women like they are things. You should be mated off to a member of the tribe. You would be safe then from grasping hands of the pale faces." I knew he half joked but I could tell there was some truth under his words. 

"Humphrey and you would never serve me up to the British," I was reassuring myself more than anyone. 

"You will always be protected," he swore. 

"I'm also good at camouflaging," I pointed out. "You can't take what you can't see. I'm invisible." 

"Not to me," he whispered against my forehead. 

"Thanks, Em," I whispered into his arm. "I needed that." 

"What are your plans come fall?" he changed the subject. 

"I'm not sure," my lips twisted. "I may go to England and be a companion to granny now that Lilly is marrying." 

"So lock yourself away," he smirked. 

"What do you suggest?" 

"Help me organize the Republic. We could use your brains and your ties to the Chieftan." 

"I would be committing treason," I looked up at him.

"Not if we figure out how to take care of the tribe and pack. Surely Cavendish would see the benefit of peace." 

"So you need someone for logistics." 

"I need you, Tally," he grew intense. "We will fail without you." 

"Humphrey says that quite a bit." 

"Your father is wise, but he is controlled too much by your mother's ties to Britain." Emory tucked his knees to his chest. "I don't know any man who would be dictated to, by his mate's lover." 

I could not argue that. When Diana said jump, Humphrey had already pulled out a trampoline. He never complained when Uncle Sean came to visit, and he allowed us to spend holidays in England. But it had seemed to work for them. 

"I believe Jones has processed the deviants," I stood. 

"Want company?" 

"Nah, it's my fault. I need to clean up the mess," I murmured leaving Emory alone in the loft. 

Jones knew me immediately. He smiled so wide his eyes disappeared. 

"Sheriff Jones," I smiled back as I entered the small police station. 

He stood and greeted me with a hug. 

"How are you?" I asked once we pulled away. 

"Great," he seemed curious as to why I was there. 

"What?" I asked. "Can't I just drop in and see my favourite uncle?" 

He laughed. "Last time you were here you were picking up Caleb on a drunken disorderly." 

I grimaced. "Well… this time I'm not here for Caleb so that's a change, right?" 

He looked down at his clip board. "Robert or Rourke?"

"Robert," I handed him a check for the exact amount for the bail. I had done this more than once before. 

"Does the English Alpha know?" he grabbed paperwork from his desk. 

"Why would Harris care?" I was curious as to what Jones had heard. I signed my name on the outtake log. 

"I thought Humphrey said he was after you," the late middle aged native seemed worried he was overstepping his right by letting me bail Rob out. 

I shook my head. "No, he's on a short list for Lilly," I explained. "Or I should say she's on his short list." 

He seemed to relax at my explanation. 

The desk phone went off. "I have to take that," he said handing me the cell keys. "He's in the second hold." 

I walked down the hall and found his cell. I used the heavy keys and pushed open the metal door to see him sitting with his hands on his knees and a bruise under his right eye. 

"Hello, mate," I smiled using a terrible Australian accent. 

His face lit up with a large smile as he stood slowly. "Are you breaking me out?" 

"Nope, you've been bought and paid for." 

He laughed as he grabbed his jacket from the jail bench. "Then I better repay you." 

"I may need a favour one day," I shrugged. "But let's get going before Jones changes his mind." I held up the keys. 

When we left the jail and began to walk into the woods, he grabbed my arm. 

"Do we need to get you home right away?" 

I nodded. "I can't push my father too far. He's been dealing with a lot lately." I remembered the past week. We had all been through a lot lately. 

"Let's hangout," he pushed. 

"I shouldn't," I responded. "If you take that ridge right there and follow the wood line, it goes back to the bar." I pointed on how to get back to his car. 

"Can I at least see you home safely?" he took my hand as if I were a child. 

I relented and followed him back to the bar so he could drive me home. But it was not a straight drive. We stopped to watch the sun come up and talked about anything and everything. He saw me as simply Tally. It was a new feeling for me. 

It was morning when I crawled up the lattice to my open bedroom window. Before I could look down to thank Rob for getting me home, he was already coming into my window. 

"Go," I hissed. "My father will kill you." 

Rob simply shrugged and jumped onto my bed. 

I stared at him unbelieving. 

"What?" he seemed confused.

"I've never had a man in my room before," I responded. 

"Not even a friend?"

I shook my head. "Not unless I was related to him. Even then I cannot say that my brother has been in my room before." 

"Does this make you uncomfortable?" he sat up eyeing me. 

"Oddly no, but I feel like it should. "

He rolled his blue eyes. "It's still early morning, I'll leave when everyone starts to stir." 

I gave in and laid beside him. We talked some more but even after all I had learned about him, I felt he was holding something back. 

I fell asleep before he left and when I awoke he was gone. 

There were voices downstairs and I could tell everyone was irate. I slowly descended the stairs still in last night's clothes. 

Harry and Humphrey came out of the living room and to the base of the stairs. Before Humphrey could tear into me Harry was beating him to the punch. 

"Where were you?" He asked in a clipped tone. 

"I was out and lost track of time," I admitted. 

"With Emory?" He asked cryptically. 

"No," I admitted. "With someone else. I met him at the bar." 

Humphrey growled. "I said be home early," he snapped. 

"I was going to be," I tried to explain. 

"Where were you exactly?" Harry asked coldly. 

"There was a fight at the bar and I had to bail out one of the guys," I admitted. "By the way Jones says hi," I said to Humphrey. 

Both Humphrey and Harry stared at me in disbelief. 

"The guy saved me from getting hurt or worst," I defended myself. "I couldn't let him spend the night in jail."

"No, you just spent the night with a man you bailed out of jail," Harry said with a disgusted tone. 

"It sounds worst than it is. He's a really great guy," I said. 

Harry's jaw worked and Humphrey looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. Harry bounded up the stairs past me and went to my room. Humphrey and I waited for him to come back. I knew there was going to be hell to pay when he smelt the other male in my room. 

He walked down the stairs slowly with a grave face. I rolled my eyes knowing that this was going to be blown up. 

"So you met Robert," he murmured. 

I looked from Humphrey to Harry. "Yes, he was the one who saved me at the bar last night." 

"Why did he need to save you?" Humphrey seemed concerned. 

"Rourke's son made an untoward comment about me."

Both men stared waiting for me to explain. 

"He said that I was English property and that to stick it to the brits that he and Robert should share me," all the information fell out of my mouth. I was getting tired of explaining it. "I must admit I was actually afraid that it would happen."

Harry growled and looked to Humphrey. "Make sure the Irish do not step foot here again." 

Humphrey nodded. "Done."

"Don't make this something it isn't," I pleaded. 

"Nothing happened last night." 

"I know," Harry stated honestly. 

"I'm still a pristine vision of virtue." I said sardonically. Tallia Black Bear the most protected pack member. 

Harry's eyebrow raised but he seemed comforted by my statement no matter how sarcastic I was. Everyone was calming down once they understood what happened and where I was. 

"We all must play a part, Tally," Humphrey began. "Especially with the political climate."

"What is my part, exactly?" I snapped. 

"Spending the night with some bar room brawler is not part of the plan," Humphrey snapped. He never yelled at me, but this was close as he was going to get. "You rob yourself of a good match and you rob your future husband." 

I rolled my eyes and returned to my room. Nothing good was going to come of the situation. I did the right thing. I was not going to apologize for it. 

Harry came up to my room and knocked on the door. 

"I'm not going to apologize," I snapped. 

He nodded. "I get it. I don't get this room, but I get what you did." 

"What's wrong with my room?"

He shrugged. "You are more than beige and brains." I could see dark circles under his eyes. 

"You look tired," I figured. 

He smiled. "I didn't sleep last night."

"Me either," I smirked and realized that was the wrong thing to say. 

He growled. "Don't mention last night again, please."

"Alpha, I wasn't in any danger."

"Harry," he corrected. "You're not to call me alpha." 

"Just me or all the family?" I asked hoping for an answer I know I would not get. I didn't want to get burned yet I kept playing with fire. 

"Those close to me aren't to call me alpha," he explained. "I may be the leader, but I am no better than those I care for."

"Leading from behind," I murmured. "All the best alphas have had the same motto." 

"You are more than duty to me, Tally," he smiled sweetly. 

"How is Lilly?" 

He seemed confused but answered my question. "She's fine. She took a shellacking last night for leaving you alone without a phone or protection."

"I was safe."

"We didn't know that," he gruffed. "You scared your father and I half to death."

"Uncle," I corrected. "You're to call him my uncle."

Harry shook his head. "No, John is dead, there is no more need for pretense. If I had a child, I would want the world to know they are mine. Humphrey has lived in the shadows too long." 

He could not have known how much that meant to me. A tear ran down my cheek and I felt a weight lift off of me. I no longer had to be a secret shame. 

"You're breaking a family curse," I smiled as I wiped away tears from my cheeks. 

He caught a tear with his hand as he stroked my face. 

"I only want you to be happy," he smiled crookedly. 

We laid on my bed and talked just as we had the other night. He grabbed a book off my bed side table and began to read where I had left off. It was a bit too romantic for his taste, I could tell. But he kept a somewhat straight face.