Bridenapped: The Alpha Chronicles by Georgette St. Clair Page B

priority.”
                  “I doubt you’d like the kind of interview that I’d give if I was coerced,” she said with a pleasant smile.
                  His face flushed angrily. “I see.”
                  “Please feel free to go tattle on me to Kristofer. It’s obvious that I’m not your ideal choice of Alpha Queen. Maybe you can talk him out of it .” If only , she thought.
                  “The Beta does not dictate the Alpha’s choice of a bride.” He stood up, inclining his head and making a sort of half-bow, his steel gray eyes sparking with resentment. “Milady.”
                  Caitlin went off to find Elzbetka, who was waiting for her in the foyer.
                  There was a car waiting outside for them, idling in the driveway by the front steps. The uniformed chauffeur nodded respectfully and bowed his head as Frank held the back door open for Caitlin.
                  “Milady,” he said, as Elzbetka slid into the front seat next to him.
                  “That’s my name, apparently. Or you could call me Caitlin,” she said as they drove towards town.
                  Elzbetka twisted around in her seat, and her smile did that thing where it tightened to the point where it looked painful. “I would be happy to assist milady in reviewing the protocol section, which lays out very specifically how the Alpha Queen addresses her various subjects based upon their clan and social standing,” she said.
                  “Oh, that won’t be necessary, since I plan to ignore it completely,” Caitlin said cheerfully. “Hey, Frank, does this limo have a mini bar? It does? Sweet. I could use a little nip of something. Brandy works for me.”
                  She wasn’t normally the kind of girl who drank before noon, but if she was going to have to spend an entire morning with Elzbetka, she’d make an exception.
                  They toured the center of the werewolf village, with its charming brick-lined main street crowded with little shops. There were 19 th century style street lanterns and flower beds.   Wolves and cubs strolled nonchalantly among pack members who were in human form. Some of the wolves carried dangling baskets or bags in their mouths.
                  Then they drove past the town hall and the business district, and they stopped by the town’s recreation center, which was located next to a huge field. There was a giant raised stage in the middle of the field, with a gazebo.
                  “That is where the wedding will take place, weather permitting,” Elzbetka said, with a frown pinching between her brows. “If the weather is bad, the wedding will take place inside. We will be meeting here on a daily basis to begin the wedding planning. Because of the bridenapping and the tradition of marrying by the next full moon, we’ll have to speed things up considerably, but it’s all right, since we have our own tailors, chefs, and catering staff who will be entirely dedicated to your needs.”
                  She glanced at Caitlin expectantly.
                  “Peachy,” Caitlin said, for lack of anything better to say. “I’ll call Lottie and Paige so I can see when they can meet me out here for the planning meetings.”
                  “Your friends are not included in the wedding planning.” Elzbetka’s voice rose a full octave as she said that.
                  “Actually, yes. They are.” Caitlin took another sip of brandy, a rather generous one. Elzbetka turned away and scowled out the window as they drove, her lips pressed together into a thin angry line.
                  They kept touring, going through some of the residential districts. “That’s where the medical personnel live,” she said.  They came to another neighborhood.