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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"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.
Marcus smiled. "You have found a flaw in my logic, Ms. Blake.
"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.
Marcus smiled. "You have found a flaw in my logic, Ms. Blake.