Wolf's Ascension by Lauren Dane Page B

obvious. He grinned and her pussy contracted greedily. “I’ll have to think about Margaret Thatcher for a few seconds to get rid of this.”
    She burst out laughing. “I’d suggest helping you out with it, but I get the feeling Phillip will start knocking again before we got anywhere good. I’d hate to think of you down there with blue balls.”
    Looking surprised for a second, Andreas laughed. “I’m afraid where you’re concerned, I couldn’t stop when we got near anything good.” He stole a quick kiss.
    Blushing, Kari smoothed down her clothing and went to the door. Pausing to gather herself, she joined Phillip for a few moments until Andreas came to stand beside her, holding out his arm for her to take.
    With a wink, Phillip moved to stand behind them both, Laurent at his side.
    As they descended the stairs, the friendly gazes of the people in the room below amazed Kari. They faced their Alpha couple on the grand staircase. The light from candles and the fire flickered, and the room took on a magical glow.
    She took a deep breath and her body responded as the scent of Pack rolled through her senses. Her wolf recognized it and stirred. It was unexpected, exhilarating but not frightening.
    She looked down, recognized those faces she’d already seen, but saw several she hadn’t met yet. Including a female who had to be Johanna. Kari was sure because hers was the only hostile face in the room.
    A few steps from the bottom, Andreas stopped, took her hand and brought it to his lips before addressing the Pack. “Thank you for answering the Call to Gathering. As everyone but Jade and Tomas are here, I’d like to formally introduce Kari Warner, la reine de loup .”
    “Not until tomorrow night,” a voice called out. Johanna. The other woman was tall, very tall. Judging from how she stood out among the rest, Kari guessed right about six feet. Her sharp features were accentuated by the way her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck and deep blue eyes stared with hostility.
    Kari heard several people growl at Johanna as she made her way toward them. Phillip jumped over Kari and landed on the ground in front of her, facing Johanna. “You will show the proper respect,” he growled out. The energy in the room was so thick and tense it was palpable.
    Kari held her chin high and met Johanna’s gaze straight-on. She knew that if she broke or looked away, she’d be letting the other woman win. This standoff was about far more than this one moment. The others in the Clan would look to her to see how she handled herself. Weakness—she had a strong feeling—was not something that werewolves tolerated in a leader.
    “Phillip, I’m sure that Johanna means no ill will and was simply pointing out proper Clan etiquette.” Sean’s cultured voice was calm but sent a warning that no one could fail to hear. He’d stepped forward and, as a result, also stood between Kari and Johanna. Kari realized he was protecting her as well.
    “Johanna oversteps herself and that’s a dangerous thing.” The room suddenly got very still. Kari didn’t look at Andreas as he spoke. She continued to stare, unblinking, at Johanna. But she knew how terrifying he must have looked. His growl was laced with threat. With menace. She suppressed a shiver, glad it wasn’t aimed in her direction.
    “Andreas, I’m very hungry. I slept through lunch. Let’s eat, shall we?” Kari’s eyes flicked over Johanna, dismissing her as if she wasn’t even there.
    Andreas relaxed, kissing her temple. “Of course, love. Let’s go and get you fed. Everyone else must be hungry as well. Perhaps Skye can escort Johanna outside and talk to her about her behavior.” This was said casually, without even a glance at the other woman.
    Andreas drew Kari down the remaining stairs and toward the dining room, careful to keep his body, as well as Sean and Phillip, between her and Johanna at all times.
    From the corner of her eye, she saw Skye grab Johanna’s arm