AN: Torc – a torc is a rigid neck or wrist ornament popular in the Bronze Age. Most Torcs are metal rings that are open at one side.

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CHAPTER 19

Tribute

Eliot was partway through fixing brunch when his cell phone rang.

"Hey boss. Are you guys at the pub this morning?"

"Yah. Why?" Brian sounded cheerful and relaxed, so Eliot tried not to be suspicious.

"Just got a call from Mike. You know, the delivery guy from your favorite butcher shop."

"And?"

"And he's at the backdoor of the pub. I just wanted to know if you needed me to run over there to accept the delivery."

"Nah, I got it." Eliot dried his hands off and headed for the stairs.

"So, how's the 'maintenance' going?"

"Maintenance?"

"Remember, the freaky side of life? I told the staff the pub was closed for maintenance."

"Oh, right. Things are good. Spread the word that we'll open up on Tuesday like normal."

"All right. Talk to ya later."

Eliot pushed his phone into his back pocket as he reached the backdoor. Mike was waiting on the loading dock with his clipboard.

"Sorry. I'd've called first but I thought you guys were usually open on a Friday." Mike held out the clipboard and Eliot scribbled a signature at the bottom.

"Normally we are but we've been dealing with some maintenance this week." Eliot frowned. "I'd have been here earlier, but I wasn't expecting a delivery."

"No? Well, I hope it's something you wanted. A guy called in Tuesday. Sandy said he had a funny accent. Anyway, he placed the order then but asked us to hold off on the delivery. Called back yesterday just before closing and asked if we could deliver today." Mike unlocked and pulled up the rolling door on the back of his truck while he talked. "It's a good thing he gave us a couple of days. It was a big order."

Eliot's favorite butcher was a small place that Eliot used for small orders for his personal kitchen. Hardison used a much larger distributer for the restaurant kitchen, so a large order from the butcher shop was strange. "Who placed the order?"

Mike flipped a page to look at the payment information on the receipt. "Was a guy that Sandy talked to but the receipt says 'Natali Ossory' so I don't know, but the payment was good." Mike handed the clipboard back to Eliot and started loading boxes onto his dolly.

Eliot relaxed knowing that Nati was behind whatever this was. He looked at the ticket and had to look again. Nati had ordered an entire beef, an entire pig, and a sheep. No wonder the shop had wanted a little time to process everything. Eliot couldn't begin to guess what had inspired Nati to do such a thing.

He hurried to prop open the door for Mike and went ahead of him to start making room in the freezer. It took Mike several trips and Eliot marveled at the amount of meat that Nati had ordered. Eliot generously tipped Mike after the last box was added to the freezer. "Thanks for delivering all this! Give Sandy my best." Eliot walked Mike out and watched him drive off.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket he called Nati. It went straight to voicemail, so he called Ewen next, but that call also went to voicemail. "What on earth are you up to?" Eliot muttered as he put his phone back in his pocket.

. ͽϿ Ѻ Ͼͼ .

Eliot could tell that Nate and Sophie were due to arrive any minute. Not because their presence in the bonds was stronger, or because the clock said that their plane should have landed thirty minutes ago, but because of the behavior of his pack. Parker had been swinging from the rafters like a petite Tarzan and Hardison had changed his shirt three times and was now fidgeting with the placement of his electronics.

"Guys, it's just Nate and Sophie. It's not like you don't know them." Eliot growled as he worked on dinner prep.

"Right. I know." Hardison tugged at the hem of his shirt.

"Would you two qui…." Eliot's phone rang interrupting him. He saw Nate's face on his screen. "Where are you guys?"

Hardison swallowed hard and Parker hurried to his side.

"What? Did Sophie bring so much luggage that you two can't carry it all?" Eliot snorted. "All of us? Okay sure." He slipped his phone back in his pocket. "Nate wants us all to come downstairs."

Hardison held Parker's hand as they followed Eliot down the stairs. Parker pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "It'll be okay."

Parker and Hardison felt a sudden spike of happiness go zinging through the bonds as Eliot stepped out onto the loading dock ahead of them. Parker, not wanting to be left out, hurried to see what was happening. She hadn't let go of Hardison's hand and he allowed himself to be towed along after her.

"Nati! What are you doing here?" Eliot pulled her into a hug.

"Well since you left your pups in my care it seemed right to see them home." She smiled at him. "Are you going to be about inviting me and mine into your territory or had we best head back to the airport?" Her tone was teasing but she hadn't made a move to follow Nate or Sophie onto the loading dock.

Eliot's eyes went yellow. "Natali Ossory, Alpha of the Ummoon pack. Be welcome in my territory and my home."

Nati's eyes flashed from deep brown to bright blue. "Thank you for making me welcome." She hugged him again. "I always knew you'd make a fine Alpha." She motioned Ewen and Abby to join her. "Will you introduce us to your newest wolf?"

Eliot smiled but before he could answer Parker leaned against his back and whispered. "But they already know Hardison."

Eliot shook his head and looked over his shoulder at Parker. "Yes, they already know Hardison, but his status as a wolf is new. Remember that in other packs the only way to be a part of the pack is to be a wolf."

Parker looked like she was considering things for a moment. "So, this is one of those formal wolfy things?"

Nati cleared her throat to get their attention. "This is one of those traditional things that very old wolves, like myself, like to do." She gave Parker a wink.

"Okay. It's weird but, okay." Parker stepped back and took Hardison's hand again.

Eliot growled and shook his head with his hand over his face. He straightened and motioned Nati forward. "Alpha, this is Alec Hardison. Third in my pack."

"Céad mhac an Alfa, go mbeannaítear thú." Nati put a hand on each of Hardison's shoulders.

Ewen stepped up next to his Alpha and repeated her words in English. "First son of the Alpha, may you be blessed."

"Uhm, thanks." Hardison's eyes went yellow as he glanced at Eliot for directions.

Nati pulled Hardison into a brief hug before turning to face Eliot again. "Just a little more 'formal wolfy stuff' as your wee girl says." She turned to Ewen. "Ewen, the boxes, if you would."

Ewen hurried to the back of the van they'd rented at the airport. He pulled a large box from the back and carried it quickly to the loading dock. He hurried to join his Alpha standing a pace behind and to her right.

"In Ireland it is traditional to send tribute to a king for a special event and I have looked toward this day for many moons. While the bórama is specific in its dictates I felt that you might appreciate this more than the brass cauldrons of tradition."

Ewen stepped forward and handed Eliot the large cardboard box.

Eliot could see from the bright labels on the box that it contained extremely expensive, copper core, cookware. "Nati, this isn't necessary."

"You won't let me celebrate your good fortune?"

"Well no, but this is…"

"Just a token." She smiled.

Ewen had gone back to the van and came back with a much smaller wooden box and a garment bag.

Nati turned to Parker. "As Eliot's second, and the delight of his pack, you are also owed a gift." Nati motioned Ewen forward and she opened the lid of the wooden box. "Silver necklace chains are traditional, but no wolf can abide silver. Instead, I have brought you something of my own." She lifted a thick golden torc from the box. The ends of the torc were decorated with wolf heads that had large emerald eyes and even larger diamonds in their mouths. "May I?" Nati held it in front of Parker.

Parker glanced at Eliot.

Sophie stepped close to Parker and lifted her hair up. "She'd like to put the necklace on you. Is that okay?"

Parker was obviously entranced by the jewels, and she nodded without taking her eyes off of them.

Nati went to Hardison next. "The bórama would include a gift of many mantles, you would call them cloaks, but as Ewen is quick to remind me we must dress with the times." She opened the garment bag that Ewen was holding and pulled out a designer suit.

Hardison noticed the monogramed, silk, pocket square, and the diamond studded cufflinks that were included with the suit.

Nati handed the suit to Hardison and pulled a leather jacket from the garment bag. "This is something that you will hopefully find enjoyment in. The leather and the wool lining come from the sheep owned by my pack. The leather has been spelled for protection. May you wear it in good health."

"Thank you. These are amazing." Hardison admired the clothing.

Nati smiled and stepped back looking at Eliot. "Did the meat arrive this morning?"

"Nati this is all too much." Eliot protested.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the meat got here this morning." Eliot could see that he wasn't going to be able to sway her intentions of over-the-top gift giving. "Will yall come in and make yourselves at home?"

Parker, still entranced by her new treasure, seemed to float ahead of everyone on their way back in the building.

Eliot waited for the others to go ahead. Nate gave him a smile and a slap on the back before he headed in, and Sophie kissed his cheek before she followed after Nate. Finally, it was just him and Ewen on the dock.

"Let me run that up and then I'll get the bags." Ewen grabbed the box Eliot was still holding and moved at werewolf speed into the building. In seconds he was back. "I just set it on the kitchen counter. I hope that's okay."

"Ewen, what is all this?" Eliot felt uncomfortable with all the extravagant gifts.

"Nati has done similar things for neighboring Alphas but your right, she's taken it a step farther with you." Ewen saw the look on Eliot's face and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take it badly. She really did mean for this to be a good thing. She's uncommon fond of you and I think she thinks of you a bit like a son of her house."

Eliot hopped down to the van and started tossing luggage up to Ewen. "It's not that I don't appreciate it, but it's over the top." He grunted as he tossed a particularly heavy bag that he was sure belonged to Sophie. "And I'm no king. This tribute thing is crazy."

Ewen couldn't miss that fact that Eliot was getting grumpier by the minute. "I hate to break it to you mate, but you are an Alpha. Your people look to you for protection, and I know Hardison's wolf needs you for leadership." He saw the mulish look on Eliot's face. He sighed and sat with his legs dangling off the dock. "I know you've determined not to run your pack in the traditional way, and it does seem to work for you all. But I can tell you that Hardison's wolf needs you. Nati knew you were an Alpha from the first, and you said you never felt a bond with your maker so maybe you don't know. I am second in a fairly large pack and still my wolf relies on Nati's wolf. There is nothing to make a wolf feel safer than knowing that their Alpha is capable of leading and protecting them."

Eliot thought about what Ewen had said while he tossed him the last couple of bags. He knew that when he was caring for his pack, whether it was hitting a thug to secure Parker's exit, or making Hardison's favorite food, that was when he felt the most content and the most complete. It looked like two sides of the same coin to him. He needed to protect them and provide for them, and they needed him to do those things. "Thanks." Eliot hopped back onto the dock and started to gather bags.

Eliot set the bags he'd carried near the door and Ewen followed suit. Eliot could see that Nati, and Sophie had made themselves comfortable on the couch and Nate was fixing himself a drink. Checking the bonds Eliot could tell that Parker was still admiring the torc and Hardison was more or less hiding wherever Parker was. When his focus shifted back to the room, he saw Nate watching him. "They upstairs or on the roof?"

"I heard their bedroom door shut but with Parker you never know." Nate shrugged and held his drink out in something between a salute and a thanks.

"Be right back." He hurried up the stairs and tapped lightly at the door. "May I come in?"

Hardison opened the door and his eyes flashed yellow before he looked away. "Did you need us?"

"Just making sure that you're okay and you ain't plannin' on hiding up here all night." Eliot gave him a quick half smile.

"Yah, okay."

"I know you've worked yourself up over meeting everyone, but like Parker said, you already know everyone." Eliot could smell how nervous Hardison was and he hoped that with a little reassurance he could get Hardison to join everyone downstairs. "I'll give you a few minutes and then after that I'll send Sophie to grift you outa here." He gave Hardison's shoulder a squeeze.

Just as he got to the top of the stairs, he heard something like a whine behind him. He turned back and saw Hardison watching him with yellow eyes. "What is it man?"

Hardison looked down. "I don't think the nerves is all me." He swallowed hard but didn't look up.

Eliot thought about what Ewen said earlier. "Do you want to come down and hang out with everyone, but the wolf is just too nervous, or you can't tell because of the nerves?"

Hardison shrugged.

Eliot let his power as Alpha brush over Hardison. "I want you to come downstairs and spend a little time. If you still aren't comfortable in a half an hour, come and see me." With a clear order given he turned for the stairs.

"Thanks man. That helped." Hardison spoke very quietly but Eliot heard him and smiled as he took the stairs.

Sophie was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, and she smiled when she noticed Hardison at the top of the stairs behind Eliot. "I'm glad you got him to come down."

Eliot felt just a little guilty since he knew that Hardison didn't have a choice. It had been an order. He felt gratitude and calmness running through the bond from Hardison to him and it eased his guilt to know that the order had helped to settle Hardison. "Wouldn't be a party without him."

The buzzer for the downstairs entry door buzzed and all the wolves in the room focused in on it. "Were you expecting anyone else?" Hardison asked from just behind Eliot.

"No. But I doubt it's trouble." Eliot hoped that the trouble was gone with the plane to Juarez and that things might settle down for a bit.

Hardison hurried to his closest tablet and checked the cameras. "It's Julio and Chrissa."

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AN: The bórama tribute is a famous tribute from Irish history. From what little I found it was hated by all and was the cause of at least one uprising. I used it as a general inspiration because it was the only tribute in Ireland that I could find any details on at all. This is the source I used to find out the details of the tribute: The origin of the bórama tribute - Desirée Goverts- MA thesis Medieval Studies, Utrecht Universit - page 7