Ravenwood(77)

“Such as hierarchy. How’s your Greek?”

“Better than my Latin,” Elinore answered tersely.

“Realistically, I suppose you need only know the alphabet. Alpha,” Hayter said, pointing at himself. “Beta,” he continued pointing at Caleb. There was a long silence where she waited for him to continue, but all he did was stare down at her silently.

He was forcing her to ask the question, she realized. Elinore supposed she could play her own little game in return and not answer, but she did want to know.

“And what rank do I hold?”

Hayter smiled. “That still remains to be seen.”

This time the low growling sound came from Caleb and Hayter rounded on him. “Watch your place, pup. Unless you’re looking to change the hierarchy?”

Caleb’s growling sound stopped and Elinore wondered what Hayter meant by that. Did he mean unless Caleb wanted to challenge Hayter for the Alpha position? Was that possible? Elinore had a vague notion it may work that way with animals, but she couldn’t be certain. It had never been one of her interests. She’d have to read up. Quickly, if she wanted to keep up.

Lightning fast, Hayter snatched a sausage off Elinore’s plate and popped it in his mouth, grinning, waiting for her to respond. She didn’t know what to do or say. Her eyes darted over to Caleb, who watched Hayter carefully. Hayter turned to him and while making eye contact, leaned forward and took Caleb’s entire plate of food. Caleb looked more annoyed than angry as Hayter sauntered out of the dining room, taking Caleb’s plate with him. Not knowing how good Hayter’s hearing was compared to her own, Elinore looked at Caleb and made what she hoped was an inquisitive face. He cocked his head to the side, listening and only when his shoulders relaxed did Elinore speak.

“Do you mean to tell me that the way he was acting before today was him on better behavior?” Elinore asked incredulously.

Caleb’s lips came together in a grim line and he rubbed his thumb over the hollow between two of her fingers. “He’s… disgruntled.”

Elinore didn’t need heightened senses to tell her that. “He fancies he’s been courting me since I’ve come to Ravenwood and now he sees what a fool’s errand it was.”

“Perhaps.” Caleb’s eyes kept watch at the door where Hayter had left.

“Perhaps?” Elinore repeated. What did he mean? She tried to pull her hand back, but Caleb held firm, his eyes coming to meet hers, a questioning look on his face. His nostrils flared and he inhaled deeply.

“Your scent just went… acrid and displeased.”

That he could tell her emotions from simply inhaling raised interesting questions in her mind, but she pushed them away for later. “What do you mean, perhaps? Are you regretting… what we did? Are you regretting me?” Elinore was painfully aware that she had no experience in dealing with men and she truly had no idea what would happen next. She assumed they were… together, after a fashion. Perhaps she was mistaken.

“No, of course not,” Caleb said earnestly. The tight feeling in her chest eased a bit at his quick reply, but still lingered.

On the heels of his response, she asked another question. “What did he mean about the hierarchy? You mentioned before he was Alpha, but he seemed to be making rather a point about it.”

Caleb’s grim look was back. Though he was still fiercely handsome when he scowled, she much preferred his smile to the expression he wore on his face now.

“Traditionally,” Caleb began slowly, “to the Alpha… go the spoils.”

Elinore took a moment to let his words sink in. He surely wasn’t referring to… “You can’t possibly mean me.”

Caleb’s jaw ticked.

“I am not ‘spoils,’” Elinore declared hotly and this time she did manage to snatch her hand back from his, placing her hand on her lap, out of his reach, even as he reached for her.

“I did not say you were.”

“You did not have to. You implied it quite well.”

“I only meant Hayter sees you that way. I do not.”

He met her gaze with his pale eyes and she could read no artifice in them. However, she knew she was, by her own admission, rather naive when it came to men.

“Elinore,” he leaned forward, reaching for her hand again across the table. She stared at his open palm for a moment before she slowly raised her hand and slid it back into his, watching his face as she did. He breathed deeply, shoulders relaxing as he stared at their joined hands. “I do not think you are some trophy to be won. My father said even when they were children, Hayter always had more of the wolf about him. His posturing as he came in here, the baiting of his words, the snatching of the food… it is all his way of challenging me and determining where you might rank in the pack.”

“Would I not be a beta?” she asked, trying out the word, finding it interesting on her lips. “As you are?”

“You could be. But you said yourself Hayter fancied he was courting you. Victoria’s death was… difficult for him. He’s not been the same since. I believe he wishes you for himself as an Alpha mate. You would then together be the Alpha pair and your rank would be above mine in the pack.”

“I’ve no wish to be above anyone.” Truly, Elinore did not. Though she was a proponent of her own rights, she didn’t want them to come at the cost of anyone else’s. “I don’t see why I cannot have my own station where I need not be considered any higher nor lower than anyone else.”