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Bound to My Mate Ch. 01

By: DoctorWolf



I like being a doctor, but it's taken a lot of time. Time other women might have used to date, get married and have babies. I sometimes think I should have used my time like that, too. Instead of long nights studying there would have been long nights with a lot better memories. I'd like to have wasted just one night studying, have just one crazy memory. I didn't succumb and now at 28 it seems like every relationship is about whether or not you are marriage material. 

Not that I had a lot of relationships period. My family was small and distant. Working so hard to become a physician hadn't left much time for anything else. I'd moved around a lot for school, residency, and now to a new town for this job. I had a few friends, but they were hardly what I'd call close. Desperate was the word I'd use to describe how I felt about meeting someone. 

When the perky drug rep, Katie, started in about how cute and smart her friend was, I listened to her. Blonde, tall, runs his own business, the image screamed dateable and it has been so long. I couldn't believe I was going on a blind date. As I pulled my pickup into the fancy steakhouse, Luna Ferus, I was relieved to at least be trying. 

It was Sunday so I'd had time to prepare for this date. I'd taken my long blonde hair out of its usually boring ponytail and curled it cute. I tried to accentuate my green eyes and even had something that might pass for lipstick on. 

I'm not bad to look at 5'8 with a size C chest and an ample ass. I spent enough time running the stairs at the hospital I trained at I had become proud of my legs. So to be honest, I was showing them off too. I was wearing the one skirt I owned, a hip hugging black number with a slit up the side of my thigh. I tried not to go overboard with the slutty and choose a tasteful red sleeveless number. In deference to the cold I also threw on a thin black sweater.

I had twirled a couple times in the mirror to make sure the colors didn't wash me out too much. I'm pale to start with and by the middle of winter I start to look a little too delicate. I was satisfied with my appearance though. Not too china doll, not too fuck me; just right to get a man's attention.

My date had arrived before I did and had already been seated. The restaurant was known for its service and style. It was a maze of several smaller dining rooms to give the illusion of a quaint eatery. As I followed the hostess to one of the back dining rooms I noticed most of them were empty, most be off season. I was surprised by the large party of men seated adjacent to our table. Only one other couple dotted the wall of the small dining room. 

"Elizabeth," my date said, as I arrived, "so nice to meet you!" he had risen and was leaning forward to grab my hand. 

His palm was cool against mine and a little damp. Katie had been right about him. Blonde and tall, but I got the impression he put more time into his hair than I had. He also had the strangest, most perfect tan. I assumed that came from the inside of a lighted box. 

"Jeff, thank you so much for the invitation. I've always wondered about this place. Everyone speaks so highly of it." I used my hands to gesture to the surrounding walls. I really did not want to continue holding that hand when we sat down across from one another. 

Sitting across from Jeff I had even more time to analyze him, mainly because he never stopped talking. The way his charcoal grey suit was tailored I assumed he was making money at, what was it he was talking about? Real estate, how could I forget. 

After the first course I dropped my napkin and bent to pick it up. As my eyes wandered across the restaurant I caught the eyes of a man from the large group staring at me. Not looking, not glancing, staring with enough intensity to make my outfit feel see through. 

I adjusted the slit in my skirt trying to cover a little more leg and glanced over again. The man had absolutely no manners at all. His eyes were roaming my body freely as he grinned at me and then winked. I looked at Jeff, who was continuing on about some Condo with a beachfront view. He was oblivious. 

'Well, it wasn't like I wasn't looking for male attention when I picked out this outfit,' I thought to myself, 'I just thought I might have better aim.' 

It became a game after that, for me at least. I looked over Jeff's shoulder at the man every couple of minutes, or whenever Jeffery got a little too engrossed in roofline architecture. 

The man was tall, even sitting down I could tell. His hair was black and shiny, it hung in waves to just his ear. His skin was the most wonderful color, a golden olive, he just screamed healthy and outdoor active. 'He'd have to be active to get a build like that,' I thought examining his near perfect physique. Even his hands which were sitting on the table appeared large and muscular. 

Despite wearing a simple polo shirt and casual slacks, he had an unmistakable air of authority. Evidently he was known at the restaurant, because the staff seemed to fawn all over him. Owner or rich client, I couldn't tell. 

I was obsessed with watching Mr. Tall and Dark as I had dubbed him. He was smiling most of the time, but when Jeff reached out and took my hand; I saw his jaw tense. Feigning a cough I pulled my hand back and got a subtle nod in response. What a strange little dance we had going on.

I quickly fell to daydreaming about Mr. Tall and Dark. I imagined those strong arms wrapped around me, that powerful mouth over mine. I imagined wrapping my arms around his strong neck and pulling him close. I wondered if his male anatomy was would be just as satisfying as the rest of him was to look at. 

Our little staring contest seemed to take on a life of its own. I only took breaks to make some sort of contact with my dinner date. 

The man's dinner companions never seemed to notice his lack of attention to them. They talked and laughed amongst themselves. Mr. Tall and Dark just continued to stare right at me. Occasionally I noticed he said something to the group. All other conversation at the table stopped abruptly when his lips were moving. Definitely a man in a position of authority I decided. 

"..did you live, Elizabeth?" came the question from my dinner partner. Having been staring back at Mr. Tall and Dark I missed the first half of the question. Jeff's baby blues were turned right on me and I had no idea what to answer. What came out was, "On the east side." That must have been an acceptable answer because Jeff smiled and started in about how the east side had seen quite the rise in property values. 

I shook my head and stared at my half eaten dinner. The best steak joint in town and I can't eat the food because I have to spend all my time sneaking glances at the mystery man. I stabbed into my steak with a disgusted sigh. I'm not even paying attention to the date that was so anticipated. I looked up at Jeff and he continued on about the benefits of a 15 year mortgage. He looked happy, I must be nodding at all the right times. 

What I really needed wasn't a man that knew about mortgages. What I needed was a man to slip between my legs and do something. At this point anything would have been acceptable. Even the pitiful fumbling of my high school boyfriends, the last time I dated, was looking like something I'd want to repeat. 

'No, no, no,' I chastised myself. Dating is for marriage and that is what I am here for. 

I glanced up and was sorely disappointed. Of course Jeff was still there, but Mr. Tall and Dark was gone. Well, at least now I could pay attention to Jeff, except for the irritating wetness down in my underwear. I squirmed in my seat trying to find a position where I didn't feel like I was sitting in a puddle. 

"Um, excuse me Jeff I just need to use the women's facilities," I muttered smiling. Jeff returned my smile and stood up gesturing back the way we had come in. He rattled off a series of directions that went in one ear and out the other. 

I moved through the restaurant inwardly cursing myself for wasting a perfect dating opportunity with Jeff. Instead, I flirt with some guy I'll never see again. I tried to relax as I walked, but Mr. Tall and Dark had me feeling out of sorts.

I quickly got turned around in the maze of rooms and realized I was lost. In a corner a gaggle of waitresses were clustered together talking excitedly and I stopped to ask for directions. They almost fell over themselves to show me where the bathrooms were. 'Well, this place was supposed to be known for it's service,' I thought to myself. 

The bathroom really was an art deco affair complete with individual rooms for complete privacy and a large central mirror for primping. I stood in front of the ornate gold mirror cursing myself and fluffing my curls. Not that it was changing the look at all, I noted. 

Suddenly, I was not alone. As he pushed me back into one of the private bathrooms Mr. Tall and Dark closed the door behind him. I was wrong, not tall, huge. His hands roughly gripped my upper arms and forced me against the wall. I squeaked when my back touched the tile and looked up at him. His face was unreadable as his fingers lightly grazed my cheekbone. "This is the ladies room," was all I could think to say to him. He smiled a little as his thumb lingered over my lower lip. 

Close up the man smelled amazing, like leather and spice. He was so close I could feel the heat rising off his chest. That was bad, so bad. Suddenly it hit me, I was about to be raped in the women's restroom. 

I put both hands on his chest and shoved, hard. He didn't even budge. I opened my mouth to scream and it was covered with his just as quickly. He tasted like wine, heady red wine. His tongue was in my mouth rubbing along my own. I had very little experience with kissing, but even I knew when it was being done right. Tentatively I brushed my tongue against his and was rewarded with a low groan. I savored the feel of his big warm hands cupping my face and cradling my head. I wasn't fighting him anymore, I realized. 

He was tempting me with his seductive mouth as he used his body to hold me against the wall. The man was determined and brazenly ran his hands down my body over my waist to rest on the swell of my ass. He started to rub gently, taking handfuls then releasing. My skirt was slowly starting to bunch around my waist. I had curled my fingers over warm hard muscles of his chest. Pectoralis muscles, I reminded myself, as my eyes flew open. 

'I am a doctor. I am in a nice restaurant looking for a man to marry. I'm not desperate enough to do it with some stranger in a bathroom,' I thought to myself. 

Turning my head quickly away I pushed at him again. He laughed and nuzzled my neck nipping at the skin there. His 5 o clock shadow was rough and I shivered. 

Finally, he had succeeded in totally moving my skirt out of the way so it was bundled at my waist. I felt his hands slipping under my underwear and pushing it away. The damp silk slipped down my legs to pool gracelessly at my feet. Mr. Tall and Dark used the opportunity to grab my ass in earnest. He groaned low in his throat as he caressed handfuls of my derriere. I continued to push futilely on his chest.

"Stop this right now," came out more breathless than originally intended. 

He didn't seem to notice and moved one hand around to place over my now very exposed mound. His lips were traveling down my neck leaving a wet path as he kissed and sucked at the sensitive skin. 

What I meant to say next was, I'm going to scream, what came out when he slipped his fingers between my moist lower lips was entirely different. His rough fingers were explorative to say the least. They traveled the length of my slit to play gently over that tender ready bundle of nerves. It was heavenly. He touched me with a finesse I'd never experienced.

I slipped my feet out of my worthless underwear and spread my legs to give him better access. Mindlessly, I started rubbing my hands up and down his muscular chest. Returning his mouth to my lips I aggressively kissed him, pushing my tongue into his mouth and tasting him. His fingers continued to flick and rub, stroking down my labia to come to rest right at the entrance to my womanhood, returning to start the circuit again. Pulling away from my kiss swollen lips he stared down into my eyes watching my arousal with obvious pride. 

I was quickly coming undone. My hips were moving between his large hands and totally under their control. Lost in the sensations I ground my pelvis into his fingers wanting so much more. I wove my hands through the hair at the nape of his neck, loving the feel of the smooth strong muscles beneath. 

Breaking our staring contest he bent forward and took a nipple in his mouth, shirt and all. I lost it. Moaning, convulsing with his fingers just slipping into my body it was a mind blowing orgasm.

My legs felt weak, my breathing came in rapid little pants. My pale skin was hot and I knew it had an unmistakable flush. He leaned against me resting his forehead on my head. I couldn't decide if I was humiliated until he slipped his fingers into his mouth and sucked. That did it. 

I pulled my skirt down and tried to wiggle past him to the door. He stopped me with one strong arm. Pinning me with his hip to the wall I realized just what huge meant. I could feel the outline of him burning into my stomach. My eyes went wide when I realized what he must think I 'owed' him. I sucked in a horrified gasp and searched his face. 

He was smiling down at me, no malice on his face at all. "You are perfect," he murmured before placing a chaste kiss over my forehead. 

I don't know how I got though the rest of dinner with Jeff. I came back to the table with a death grip on my sweater covering the wet mark over my right breast. I never did get to clean up that damp feeling which was now 100 times worse. 

I had been to freaked to stop and pick up my panties, so I felt like I was soaking the back of my skirt. To make matters worse, I couldn't understand Mr. Tall and Dark's chuckling as he let me out of our stall or his cryptic, "I'll see you later, Elizabeth." 

'How did he know my name?' became my panicked mental mantra through the rest of my meal. Thankfully, Jeff seemed happy to continue his monologue on the woes facing real estate in the twentieth century. He did mention at one point I might look flushed. I nearly laughed in his face. 

"Must be the cold the kids are carrying," I stammered out "I guess I should get myself home," I was dying for an out. 

Jeff almost looked upset, but he must have had something done to his face, he couldn't quite wrinkle his brow in concern. I felt insane and wanted to giggle. I had to get home now.

It was cold outside, which seemed to perk up my frazzled wits. I pulled my sweater tight against me after handing the valet my ticket. It was just a fling, I told myself. Nothing to worry about. Happens all the time to other women, I imagined. 

More disturbing I felt absolutely nothing when Jeff pressed his lips to mine when our cars arrived. All I could think of were warm lips pressing me against a cold bathroom wall. What was wrong with me? 

Getting in my truck was the first comfortable thing I'd done all night. I reached into my purse and pulled out my Ipod. It was loaded with loud obnoxious music I could escape into. I cranked the rock as high as it would go, trying to drown out the night. 

I raced home at speeds I wouldn't usually drive. The speedometer was pushing ninety when I saw red and blue in my rear view mirror. On a quiet stretch of highway I stopped and found curse words I hadn't used in years. 

While I fumbled with my glove box, the officer strolled up to my car and leaned in the open window. He took a deep breath and let it out resting his arms on the edge. It was by far the most relaxed pose I've ever seen a police officer take. I just sat there with my license and registration and stared at him. He reached in and took up a strand of my hair. He sniffed it before he laid it back on my shoulder. 

"So, what's the rush, Miss Elizabeth?" he queried, never asking for my identification. 

I wanted to laugh or cry, the whole thing felt so weird. 

"I was just going home, not feeling well and ..." I lost my thought mid sentence when I realized he knew my name. He sniffed the air a second time, more noticeably this time. 

"He got you worked up didn't he?" the officer asked me. 

I noticed then, how big the guy leaning in my window was. Thick dark hair cut very short military style. Something about him was very familiar. 

"Well, I asked you a question," he smiled and leaned in, he seemed to be teasing me. 

"Y-Yes," I stammered, "I'm worked up," too scared to add anything else. 

I couldn't comprehend this guy might know what had happened at the restaurant. I shook my head slowly and stared at him. That wasn't possible. 

"Don't go so fast," said the officer pulling back from the window and tapping my shoulder. With that he sauntered back to his cruiser and cut the Christmas lights, pulling back onto the road. 

He waited there until I had started my truck and pulled in front of him. I figured he was just going to drive behind me a few minutes then go back to his patrol route. He followed me all the way home. 

At some point I realized "Don't go so fast" isn't even really a warning and I glanced back at him. I couldn't see much but it seemed like something inside the car was glowing faint yellow. 

Once I got home, I parked in front of the garage and got out. I adjusted my skirt self consciously and glanced at the patrol car. He waved genially back at me grinning the whole time. I walked quickly up my front steps and stepped into my little house. 

Once inside I armed the alarm and checked the door locks twice. After that I practically ran to the bathroom, stripped, and jumped in the shower. While I scrubbed I seriously considered burning the clothes I had been wearing. It had to be the outfit, I chided myself. No more male attention for me. 

As I showered I tried to scrub away Mr. Tall and Dark's touches, remembering a little too late that I didn't even know his name. It was embarrassing. Never once had I slipped up like this. Especially with a man that seemed to be able to have me followed by the police. That was too weird to even consider. I must have blocked out the part about him knowing my name or I would have been hyperventilating. 

Very soon however my scrubbing took on a different tenor. I wasn't scrubbing away Mr. Tall and Dark I was rubbing and trying to recapture what he built. I ran my fingers over my sensitive nipples wishing he had spent more time there. No, no, no this was wrong and it felt so good. 

As I soaped myself I lingered on my labia, stoking gently before flicking my clit several times. I inserted a finger into myself and used my other hand to massage my clit in slow circles that got faster and faster. Too soon I felt myself clenching and coming leaning against the shower wall. Masturbating twice in a bathroom felt like too much for one night and I hurried through the rest of my shower. 

Slipping out of the steamy bathroom I kicked at my pile of clothes, I would deal with them tomorrow. I wrapped my old robe tight around my waist and padded toward the kitchen. It was late and I wasn't even a little sleepy. Knowing I had a long day coming up I pulled through the kitchen drawers till I found the little bottle. They had been my saving grace in residency when sleep eluded me. These little magic pills could put a rhino on its ass. 

I popped one in my mouth, then a second. Probably a bad idea, but I really needed to chill out. Great, now I'm abusing drugs. This night was turning out to be just spectacular. 

I drifted into a dreamless sleep a little while later. Man, those were good pills, was my last conscious thought.


Bound to My Mate Ch. 01



I awoke the next morning feeling like a fool and a slut. I was glad to get to work and try to get back to normal. It didn't make sense but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop thinking of Mr. Tall and Dark. He was a phase; I tried to convince myself, a simple mistake. During working hours that excuse made sense, but nighttime was an entirely different affair. 

I found myself craving his touch and his smell once I was home alone. I never washed my outfit from that night and was pleasantly surprised his scent seemed to linger on the fabric. Every night was a repeat of the one before smell my clothes from 'the night', masturbate like there was no tomorrow, take 2 sleeping pills, and then pass out. 

More than once I had dressed myself with a plan to go back to Luna Ferus and see if Mr. Tall and Dark showed up again. I was just too chicken to do it. Nothing seemed to kill the lingering frustration, I felt like a rat on a wheel.

My dissatisfaction hit a high by Thursday and I started with the obsession as soon as I got home and then added a bottle of red wine. Last thing I remember from Thursday night was talking to the wing back chair that had been my grandmother's in the family room. She used to sit in it and talk with me for hours about anything. I felt a little better discussing with it why I was losing my mind. 



Bound to My Mate Ch. 02



I woke up Friday morning in my bed to the beeping of my alarm. I didn't even remember setting it. I wandered out toward the kitchen and stopped short. 

I definitely did not remember buying a big bowl of fruit for the counter or the flowers sitting in the middle of the table. I whirled to the kitchen door and checked the alarm pad. It was still a solid red light. That meant the alarm was armed, at least I thought so. I opened the kitchen door and the screaming wail assured me it was on. 

My heart was hammering in my chest as I turned off the alarm and stared at the new additions in my kitchen. A knock at the kitchen door sent me out of skin almost literally.

A man was standing outside holding up a badge in the small window at eye level. His dark blue uniform was pulled over a muscular frame. I opened the door hesitantly and just stared at him. 

"Police ma'am. Are you OK? I heard the alarm go off. Did anything happen?" the man asked, his gaze shot around the kitchen then settled back on me. 

"No, I opened the door and the alarm was on and ..." I left the statement unfinished. 

How could I tell a complete stranger that I found fruit and flowers in my house in the morning? I would sound like a crazy lady. 

I opted for just staring at him for a moment. He continued to glance past me into the kitchen then asked quietly, "May I come in ma'am. Just to make sure you're okay."

I didn't have a good answer for that so I opened the door. He slid in quickly and scanned the kitchen. I shut the door as he moved from my kitchen down the hall. I was staring at the flowers when he seemed to reappear behind me.

"Beautiful flowers," he said. 

I grabbed the counter and started, I hadn't heard him come back into the kitchen. 

"Yes, beautiful," I managed to choke out. It suddenly struck me and I asked, "Why are you here? How did you hear my alarm go off?"

He smiled a very roguish smile and responded, "Just in the area ma'am," as he walked out my kitchen and back toward his waiting car. 

I wasn't sure what to do with the fruit. It looked wonderful, but eating something you just found in your house seems like a bad idea. That's when I remembered the sleeping pills. They must have done it! 

Those pills have been known to be associated with outrageous episodes of sleep walking and sleep driving. Adding the alcohol must have been the final push for me. I must have gone shopping last night in my sleep! Well, no more pills for me. 

Feeling slightly less crazy I munched on a juicy pear, I remembered how much I liked fruit. I really should try to keep some in the house. I laughed at that out loud. I'm known as a connoisseur of the microwave meal, me with fresh fruit in the house, hah! 

Opening the refrigerator I was floored. It was stocked with fresh meat and fresh vegetables. I picked through the bounty and found eggs, bacon and fresh bread. My usual milk and mustard were still there, just put in the door, not center stage like usual. I wondered where I had found a place at that time of night to do all this shopping. 

I wasn't going to waste the bounty though. Eggs and bacon I do know how to cook, so I did. It was wonderful. I'd even bought sandwich meat and cheese so I made lunch for later. What would my coworkers say when I didn't hit the local deli for lunch! 

I had wasted a lot of time on non essentials this morning, so I got ready in a hurry. I threw on a blue sweater and a tailored pair of black slacks. Luckily, I found my black clogs where I had left them in the laundry room. I made my drive into work like a wild woman. On the plus side no one pulled me over this time. 

The clinic was crazier than usual. I felt a little distracted and rushed as I got to my last patient of the morning.

"Saul, I'm Dr. Grant," I stated as I opened the door to the room.

The tall man inside smiled at me and sat obediently on the exam table. His long dark hair was pulled to the nape of his neck. I glanced at my computer screen and saw the chief complaint was physical. He looked surprisingly young to be 45, but I continued with my usual exam and questions. 

During a lull in my queries he asked me, "How was your breakfast this morning?" 

It was a strange question, but not the strangest I've had. 

"Good thank you, more filling than usual," I said to him and continued clicking down the physical questionnaire on the computer.

"Eating healthy is the key to a healthy life," he said.

"Hard to disagree with that," I replied.

"It's easier to want to cook when you have a large family, harder when you live alone, huh?"

Now he had my attention completely.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking up at him.

"I just noticed you didn't have anything to eat that wasn't single serve, frozen or prepackaged. Living in a large family I never had to eat like that. Nothing fresh either, we always have fresh things to eat."

I was dumbstruck, how did this man know anything about what I had to eat. I narrowed my eyes as I crossed my arms across my chest. 

"How would you know?"

"I stocked your kitchen last night for my Al-, for Mr. Latro, he was concerned you didn't have any food to eat. He was also worried about your safety, you don't drive very well."

"Who's Mr. Latro?" was all my brain could come up with

Saul raised an eyebrow at me and sighed, "You met him several nights ago at Luna Ferus, from what I heard he would be hard to forget. You all had a short but interesting meeting at the restaurant."

"You mean the man from the ... bathroom?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, the man from the bathroom," he answered.

"Why are you here?" I asked as I sunk down into one of the chairs along the wall 

"I'm very non-threatening; he thought this would be the best way to approach you. Mr. Latro didn't think you would panic at work. You seem a little over sensitive. He would have talked to you last night, but you took something and wouldn't wake up. He was very concerned and sat with you all night."

"Wait, wait, wait - I have an alarm, I have door locks how did you get in my house and ... and sit with me," I stammered out. 

All I got in response was a shrug. "Anyway" said Saul, "He'd like to take you to lunch, to talk. Don't take too long, he'll get impatient."

I sat in my chair and just stared at the man as he slid off the table and moved for the door. He stopped and looked at me for a moment, and then he turned and walked out of the exam room. 

I sat in my chair for another few minutes, until I heard the medical assistants outside. My medical assistant, Madonna, stuck her head in and looked around, "Hey, if you're done that was your last one before lunch. We are out EARLY," she beamed. "I thought he was a physical, wish they were all that quick. Hey what's with you? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Her perky demeanor faded a little and she looked genuinely worried. 

"No, just hungry and I think I left my wallet at home. Go to lunch, see you back here at one," I faked a grin and got up from my chair. 

I grabbed my laptop and carried it back to my office. I guess I should have been surprised at the vase of lilies now gracing my desk, but I just felt foggy.

Stepping out of my clinic was always a special experience. It was in a rough part of town. If you were lucky you weren't walking through a drug deal or into one of the homeless that just wanted a dollar. Today I would have given anything for those guys. 

The men that met me at outside the door today felt far more dangerous. They had been in my house while I slept. They had tracked me down after a bizarre sexual experience at a restaurant. I could refuse to go with them, but that seemed like it wouldn't get me anywhere. Breathing slowly I tried not to panic.

Saul was there lounging against one column. A second larger man was leaning against the opposite column. They were dressed nearly alike in dark polo shirts and slacks. Neither seemed affected by what I considered unseasonably cool weather. The new man's hair was shorter and lighter than Saul's. He was also more heavily muscled and seemed to be very interested in the drug dealers lounging at the corner of the building. 

"Hey, Nate, she's here, let's go," Saul gestured for me to come with them toward a dark colored Suburban parked across two spaces in our lot. I couldn't tell who was inside due to the deeply tinted windows. That continued to add to my sense of fear.

As I walked between the two men Nate finally spoke up voicing his displeasure.

"I don't like the people out here, they're desperate, all of them. She isn't safe here."

It was a weird comment and off putting to say the least. It was like they were at a grocery store that wasn't good enough to shop at. I sniped back at him, "People out here do what they have to do to survive. Nobody except you all has ever hassled me." 

The delivery might have been shaky, but I felt like fighting back a little. 

Saul laughed and Nate just snorted as he opened the back passenger door of the Suburban and gestured me inside. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it still surprised me. Mr. Tall and Dark was back there already, otherwise known as Mr. Latro. 

"Thank you for joining me for lunch today, Elizabeth," he said with a smile 

"Thank you for the invitation," came popping out of my mouth without a thought as I took my seat. 

All the sudden I realized why Mr. Latro hadn't been the one to approach me at the clinic. My face was frozen and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. A moment too late I realized I was panting and tried to breath normally. Nate put himself in the front passenger seat next to the driver, but it barely registered. I was so excited I'd broken out in a cold sweat. 

Abruptly I was surrounded by the smell I'd been chasing all week. I cleared my throat and tried to look away but still couldn't. Coherent thought had left my head the moment I'd stepped into the vehicle. The only thing in my brain was the beautiful man in the other seat. His skin was even better than I remembered and I just wanted to reach out and stroke him. I didn't noticed as the SUV pulled out of the lot.

Desperately, I tried to regain control of myself. Mr. Latro had a little smile on his face as he reached over and took my hand. He started to rub my palm with small soothing circles. His touch seemed to quell the panting I still hadn't managed to stop. 

"Where are we going?" I asked rousing from my stupor and remembering I'd just gotten in a car with strangers.

"The Club has reservations for us, I'm sure you'll find something you like there," said Mr. Latro. "Did you sleep well last night?" he asked with a tight smile.

"I think you know exactly how I slept!" I snapped at him cheeks blazing. My out of control emotions went from excited to angry in an instant. The nerve to ask that after breaking into my house. 

The low rumble in his chest must have been a laugh, but it made both men in the front seat glance back. 

Unexpectedly, I found my self sitting across his lap, my face just inches from his. He looked peeved, but still quite delicious.

"You shouldn't take things that make you that sleepy, it's not safe. Do you often take those types of things?"

"I take sleeping pills, Mr. Latro, when I am stressed and anxious and don't think I'll ever go to sleep. Like when someone pulls me into a bathroom stall for ... reasons," I glanced at the front seat and faltered then started back up, "or suddenly knows my name or has me followed by the police. For the record, I never expected to be entertaining company last night after I went to bed in my own house!" My voice had risen on a crescendo Pavarotti would be proud of as I stared right into his eyes. They were blue grey I noticed and very pleasant to look at.

The low growl emanating from his chest was definitely not a laugh this time. "No more pills. They aren't good for you," he stated with finality, "and please call me Joel."

I just stared right into those gorgeous eyes, "I'll take whatever I damn well please. I don't know you. I don't know why I'm here with you and if I'm correct this is the first actual conversation I've had with you. I won't stand to have you bossing me around. You don't even know me ... "

I would have finished with 'asshole' if my mouth wasn't suddenly crushed under his. Those warm lips moving against mine, his tongue sliding along the seam of my mouth requesting entry. Hell no. I would have kept my mouth closed but his hand was suddenly grasping the inside of my thigh and I gasped. He slipped his tongue in between my lips and I was helpless to stop him. His other hand moved to the back of my neck holding me securely in place. 

The hand on my thigh moved up my stomach to my covered breasts and started to massage then gently through the fabric. He slowly brushed the underside rubbing his thumb firmly over the nipple. I wanted to fight him, I really did, but everywhere he touched me I felt like I was on fire. 

I arched into his hand and grabbed his shoulders to hold him close. As he started plucking at one nipple then the other, I moaned into his mouth. This seemed to spur him on, moving his hand back down to the inside of my now slightly spread legs. I couldn't believe I was responding to him

I felt him responding too, a thick bulge growing ever so quickly against the outside of my hip. I wanted to reach down and stroke him. It took every ounce of decency I still had not to. I focused instead on the parts of him I felt comfortable touching. I rubbed my hands over his chest and shoulders brushing over his rock hard nipples earning me a deep growl from his chest. 

His mouth tasted wonderful, the scent of red wine wasn't there but he tasted heady and extremely male. I moved my tongue inside his decadent mouth as my fingers ran along his jaw line. I felt his tongue pushing against mine in a wordless play to dominate the kiss. I retreated and let him explore me freely. When he withdrew from my mouth I nipped at his lower lip with my teeth, drawing out a faint groan. 

His hand on my thigh had started to stroke the inseam of my pants. I wiggled against him, absorbing as much of his touch as I could. He broke the kiss to whisper against my mouth, "I prefer skirts, next time wear one for me." 

Both my hands were grasping at his shoulders which made hitting him in the chest easy. I pulled away and screeched at him, "What is wrong with you? I don't take orders! I don't know you! I don't wear skirts!"

I felt flushed, angry, and very excited. If I had ever been with a guy that had ignited this in me I couldn't remember. He made me furious and needy all at the same time. 

His grin was only slightly evil as he inclined his head to the side, "We are at The Club. Would you like to go inside?"

He nodded slightly to the front seat and the two men exited the vehicle. I had totally forgotten about them. Oh gods, how embarrassing to be making out like a teenager in the back seat in front of two of his employees. I was mortified and flushed even redder than before.

The driver took a slip from the valet and opened our door himself, standing to the side as I slid off Joel's lap onto the pavement. Joel quickly followed me and I felt his large fingers winding with mine. 

Nobody outside seemed to pay me any attention. They were all staring with rap attention at my companion. Two valets were already opening the door to the restaurant for him and acknowledging him with almost imperceptible bowing of the head. 

I was glad to step into the restaurant, I'm not well suited for the cold and my sweater provided only minimal protection. I shivered slightly and felt Joel's hand leave mine to slip an arm around my shoulders drawing me close. He was warm, so despite my reservations I just stayed where I was comfortable. 

We were escorted to the back of the restaurant to a secluded circular booth. I assumed his companions would be joining us, but he was the only other person to slide into the booth with me.

"For the record, the first time I saw you, you were wearing a skirt," he said smiling at me. His eyes were dancing with some internal fire and it made his grin look a little wicked. 

"It's the only skirt I own, I take it you didn't go through my closet then," I questioned him scathingly. 

His hearty laugh resounded in the confined space.

"I was much more interested in what I had laid in the bed. When I found you, you were draped in a most uncomfortable position over your couch, talking quite fluidly to a chair. Once you were in the bed, if it hadn't been for the occasional breathing you would have looked dead. I know you are angry with me, but what you took really isn't good for you."

His voice and turned only slightly pleading as his hands came up around mine on the table. He gently stroked at my folded hands until he had taken one in each of his. 

Despite the fact I should be creeped out by this entire experience he seemed so genuine. Something about him made me want to believe him. I still surprised myself a little when I conceded to him.

"Fine, no more pills, Joel, but not because of what you want."

He continued to rub my hands and smiled victoriously at me.

Our conversation was interrupted by a server demurely arriving at the table. She took our drink orders and then walked quickly away. Of course not without faintly bowing her head to Joel as she left.

I had to ask, "Who are you and what's with all the bowing? Why the sudden interest in me? How do you know me?" 

He sighed and put the back of his head against the booth. "Let me answer the simplest question first. I am Joel Latro and they bow because I am their leader. In our community that is an appropriate sign of respect."

He held up his hand to stop my next barrage of questions, and then interlaced our fingers again. 

"I know who you are because I have very observant staff who can find out information quickly when asked. My community is large and well connected, as I'm sure you are finding out. My interest in you may be more difficult to explain, but I assure you it is a good thing. I want nothing but the best for you and will work very hard to see you get it." He smiled at his last statement continuing to move our fingers against each other.

I would have had more to say, but the server came back with our drinks to take our order. I quickly chose something and she quietly slipped away.

The rest of the meal was bizarrely relaxing. The man that apparently spent the night in my bedroom was perfectly happy to talk with me about the most mundane things. We discussed my small family and his large family. 

Joel talked about his family with love and pride. He said he was the head of his family and it was his job to protect and nurture them. Having grown up with a distant alcoholic father, I was appreciative of his noticeable dedication. I couldn't hold back the comment that ran through my head though. 

"You don't look old enough to be the head of your family," I told him bluntly. 

"In my community head of the family is a designation of skill and genealogy, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm old, Elizabeth," he laughed at me.

Joel wanted to know about my family, my friends, and even my job. He seemed genuinely interested in what I did all day. I'd never told a stranger as much as I told him. His presence was comforting and I forgot to be nervous. I even found myself laughing at his jokes and swatting at his hand as he reached over to take a piece of artichoke off my salad. 

"I've never tried it," he said popping part of the artichoke heart in his mouth. He grimaced a little then smiled.

"I should have warned you it's not for novices. At least it adds to your vegetables today, you should have five. What was that steak you just ate, it looked like it was the whole cow," I marveled. 

Joel snorted and said, "There aren't many vegetarians in my family."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 02



The driver from earlier was suddenly standing at our table and I started a little.

"The car is ready, sir, as you requested, please pardon the interruption." He then stood back looking expectantly at his boss.

I jumped out of the booth, "Oh no, am I late?" I fumbled through my pockets looking for my cell phone and cursed my inability to remember to wear a watch. 

Joel seemed to find my sudden movements humorous and slid out beside me. "Not late, love. I wouldn't let you do that."

I rolled my eyes at the patronizing tone he seemed to slide into so quickly. He was definitely used to being in charge.

As we walked toward the exit I pondered this recent and strange meeting. I felt more comfortable with Joel Latro than I had any reason to. By my count he had assaulted me in a bathroom, had me followed, broken into my house, and stalked me at work. Despite my gut instinct of really liking the guy, I felt a little nervous about what was happening to me.

As we rode back to the clinic he sat holding my hand, smiling slightly, and looking overall pleased. 

"Worried about something?" he asked casually.

"Just wondering how you should endear anything other than fear," I blurted out. 

Joel just laughed as did our riding companions. 

"So, do you fear me?" he asked as he leveled serious eyes on me.

"No," I replied looking right back at him.

"So you don't fear me, even though you think you should?" he asked. "Hopefully it will all be clear soon."

I shook my head and looked at him again. I couldn't disagree really. I felt at ease with him, like he belonged in my life. I certainly couldn't disagree I felt attracted to him. As we pulled into the lot I was still working through the problems in my mind. 

"Just drop me here, I'll walk in," I suggested absently as we ringed the building.

"Fat chance," came the surprise commentary from Nate. The front seat had been so quiet I'd forgotten we were not alone. 

Oh, how I wished they had just left me in the back of the lot. Being dropped off was the height of embarrassing. 

Not only did I get out of the SUV, Joel also got out to walk into my little clinic. He slipped his arm around my waist possessively and escorted me inside. The man seemed intent on me showing him every room in the clinic and introducing him to every member of the staff. All in all, I felt he took extraordinarily too long examining my office before placing a chaste kiss on my forehead and leaving. 

After he left, there was a riot to cram into my tiny office and get the dirt. It was uncomfortable to say the least. I stumbled around a little on how we met and who he was, being that I felt like I barely knew. 

As the afternoon dragged on very little else was spoken of in the clinic. As it turned out, several of the front office staff was familiar with his name. Apparently his family owned large tracts of land around town. They also owned a large hotel, the restaurant I met him in, The Club, and a ship yard farther south. 

The more I learned, the more comfortable I got with my experience with Joel Latro. By description his family was rich and eccentric. They tended to do things the most direct way and according to the gossip, legal was only issue if they made it one. 

Just before closing, as I walked through the mostly empty clinic, I was suddenly in the middle of a group of very concerned women. Ryana, the lab tech, and by far the most vocal of the group stepped up.

"Dr. Grant, we need to talk to you about your new boyfriend."

I still cringed a little at the word, I'd known the man all of a day.

"How much do you know about him?" she asked.

"Not much," I answered truthfully. "We only just met."

"How much do you know about werewolves?" she asked dropping her voice to a whisper. 

Having seen the recent barrage of movies on the subject I nodded understanding.

The group of women she was with herded me quietly into a room at the back of the clinic. 

"What's the relation?" I asked. 

"The Latro family are all lycans, werewolves," said Ryana. "My grandmother's been cooking spells for them for years. She doesn't think I know, but I saw her talking to one of them one day, all right. He was in her living room and then changed into a giant wolf. She cut some of his hair and used it in a spell."

To be fair, this conversation is well within ordinary for the clinic. It's ethnically diverse. I'd heard my fair share of hoo-doo stories. More than once someone had come in that wouldn't get well and staff would insist it was due to a curse. It was also well known that Ryana's grandmother was a 'good' witch. I wondered if my patients often ended up under her care whether I liked it or not. 

I tried to keep a straight face and it was really hard. I'd become accustomed to the talk of witches and magic, but only as it pertained to people I didn't know that well. This was different. Now I had three women staring daggers into me and telling me my new 'boyfriend' wasn't human. 

"Wow," I said. "You saw him change in front of you."

"Well, not really in front of me. I was watching around the corner, you know. I saw his shadow on the wall change. It was real."

A mumble of appreciation passed through the group.

"My grandmother won't even walk on their land," said Bea in her lilting accent. She was from Haiti and was usually very level headed. "We've never been to their restaurants. Grandmother thinks they use their businesses to lure in people. They kidnap the ones they want to keep." 

"Mostly beautiful women," agreed Sheneka nodding. 

The group continued to look at me solemnly as though expecting me to say something. 

"That's really weird," I started slowly. "I'll have to pay attention."

"No," Ryana interrupted. "He is a wolf. You need to run, okay. You need to get out of here before something terrible happens to you. Or has it already?"

The group took a collective step backwards and eyed me. 

"Nothing has happened," I stated putting my hands up. "I can't just run away," I told them, "I owe a lot in student loans and I have a contract here, I can't just disappear. Frankly if he's planning to hurt me I can't imagine what his motivation would have been for coming in here and meeting everyone. He's really put himself in a position where he'd be implicated if something happened to me." I continued to plead silently with my eyes. Hoping the rest of this weird conversation would be quick. 

"He's a wolf," Ryana repeated. "He came here today to make his presence known. He was here to mark his territory, you."

I shifted closer to the door and my escape. 

"Listen I appreciate the warning and if anything weird happens I'll come to you all, but seriously everything is really okay."

As I made my way back to my office I was glad to be leaving. The craziness of today had worn me down, I needed to get home and relax. I groaned inwardly when I looked up at my tack board; tonight was that drug rep dinner I swore I'd go to a week ago. My phone buzzing in my pocket broke me out of my reverie.

The display said JOEL; I assumed I knew which Joel it was on the other end.

"Hey again," I said as I hit the send button. 'What exactly do you say to your stalker?' I wondered.

"I would love to have you come to dinner with me tonight, are you available?" Joel asked.

"I have to go to a drug rep sponsored dinner; I promised I would go a week ago. I'll have to catch up with you tomorrow," I held my breath as I finished my statement. I wondered if he would wait until tomorrow. He didn't seem to have any issues about invading my life whenever he wanted to. 

"Of course, love. Enjoy your dinner, I'll see you later," he said. 

Quickly gathering my things I used a brush from the back of my desk to smooth out my hair and made sure I had my lip gloss in my purse. I couldn't help but think I was doing it in case Joel showed up after my dinner. 

Past the usual junkies and loungers outside the clinic everything looked normal enough. No dark tinted SUV's were hovering around and I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary. 

I walked to my truck and got in, cranking the tunes up to full blast. Smiling, I thought maybe I'd call him after the dinner. It had been way too long since a guy was this interested in me.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 03



The drug rep dinner was boring as usual. The same speech I've heard a dozen times on a dozen different drugs. 

I drifted off into thinking about Joel midway though the meal. I was lost thinking about running my hands through his silky smooth hair. I imagined how his naked chest would feel under my fingers. I wished just once I'd taken hold of that impressive tool below his belt. I blushed at the image I conjured in my mind of Joel, even clothed the man was an Adonis, naked would be even better. 

Clapping shifted me quickly back to reality. Now that is a great way to lose 30 minutes I thought to myself. Before I could make a hasty exit I was stopped by the drug representative in charge of the whole thing. Katie was dying to know what I thought of her friend Jeff. Pulling on every creative bone in my body I described a lovely romantic date I had to bail on unexpectedly. 

"Well, you certainly have been popular," she gushed, "Jeff had so much fun on your date, he keeps asking about you. I've even had someone asking me if you'd be here tonight. He called my cell phone earlier today just desperate to know! You've got to tell me what you're doing to these men."

Politely as I could I excused myself, this was totally out of hand. No wonder he didn't push about a dinner date I concluded. He already knew where I was going to be tonight. My first thought was, 'I'm glad I brought my lip gloss!' I was annoyed with myself that this stalker's behavior made me happy, giddy almost. 

I exited the building quickly and headed for the parking lot. I hadn't used the valet so at least I could expend my irritated energy on walking to my truck. Halfway there an explosion rocked the restaurant behind me and I fell to the sidewalk. I barely registered the tires squealing as a van pulled up beside me and hands dragged me inside. 

A cloth was dragged over my eyes as my arms were pinned behind me. I started to scream and a hand came over my mouth and several sharp points were dug into the side of my face and neck. 

"Quiet, bitch," was the deadly calm demand the voice made. "Condition upon delivery is up to you."

A series of growls echoed through the crowded space. 

I heard the metallic click of handcuffs being closed around my wrists and then around my ankles. The sharp points over my face were dragged down my cheek as the hand was removed. It was replaced hastily with a filthy gag. I tried to turn away from the gritty, oily piece of cloth being shoved in my mouth and was rewarded with a slap in the face. 

"You don't like my sock, do you?" the voice taunted. "I wonder what else you won't like."

"Throw the purse out," a voice from the front rasped.

We drove for what seemed like forever before my captors most have become bored. At first, I just felt hands roughly grasping at my breasts and hips. Their hands became more insistent until I felt cool air on my belly and chest as my clothes were ripped away. They were not very careful with the knives they were using. I cried out as the sharp tips speared into me. 

Soon I felt the metal of the van's floor digging into my side and I knew I was becoming totally exposed to these men. It was far to cold to just be AC so I assumed at least one of the van windows was open. 

A gasp and a growl came from behind me as my pants were ripped into shreds. 

I realized they had found my phone, which I had in my side pocket, not my purse. I had been lying on my hip with it underneath me, hoping they wouldn't find it. All my hopes of being found were probably being thrown out the open window.

Tears stung my eyes and leaked around the blindfold, I did my best to keep the sobbing down to a minimum. It seemed any noise I made fueled the weird party in the van higher. The non stop growling suddenly reminded me of my conversation this afternoon at the clinic. These weren't men, these were wolves. 

With my realization dawning, it became apparent the hands stroking every inch of my skin weren't hands holding knives, but paws with claws. The sharp points that would suddenly sink into my most sensitive areas were all the scarier now. I tried not to scream, but when one of the creatures slipped his hands between my legs and started to wiggle a claw into my dry tunnel I cried out. I felt flesh tearing and shrieked as the warm blood poured out onto my thighs. 

He growled in appreciation and continued his bloody task while another claw rasp carelessly over my nipples. A warm wet slurp got my attention as my poor breasts were now being roughly bitten. Despite better judgment I struggled against my bonds and yelled into the gag. 

"None of that now," a gravely voice intoned. 

A wet nose surprised me and I yelped as it pressed itself deep into my ass. The creature withdrew only to bite my bare ass hard enough to draw blood again. My scream was followed by a series of growls that sounded a lot like laughing. 

The creature continued to nip persistently at my tender ass. When he wasn't biting he was licking, most of his tongue strokes stopped just over my puckered asshole. I could feel the saliva pooling in my crevice and it disgusted me. 

Deep inside I mourned, I should have run when I had the chance. 

"Leave the bitch alone," came a voice from the front of the van again. "You leave too much scent on her and the Kook may lose it on us. I don't need problems from that crazy stray."

I shuddered at his words, whoever the Kook was made all the manhandling stop. 

After what seemed like an eternity the van came to a halt. I had been so distracted by my companions' attention I had no idea where I was. The door opened and I was pulled out and thrown over a very hairy shoulder. My blindfold slid off and I was looking straight into a mass of fur. It was dark out, but the sound of leaves rustling in the wind was predominant.

Turning my head slightly, the fear overwhelmed everything. Bright golden eyes were looking back at me from the four creatures that walked along side and behind my captor. They moved on two legs but had the face and head of a wolf; they were covered with fur and moved with a stealthy grace. One of them noticed me looking and lunged forward snapping at my face. I cringed back and heard barking laughter fill the trees.

Deposited like so much trash on a bed in the cabin, I pondered my fate. My hands and feet were left bound. I shuddered as my probable future crashed down on me. I was here for pleasure and not mine to be sure. Shivering I curled into a tight ball and tried to will myself anywhere else. 

The growling and yelping continued unabated outside and no one seemed the least bit interested in me. As the sun rose hours later I just prayed it would warm the cabin up a little. My nose was running with the cold and I was shivering almost uncontrollably. I had almost begun to relax as the room slightly warmed when the area became deathly quiet.

Stomping boots came to the door outside of where I was laying and I heard a hand on the door knob. The door swung open slowly to reveal a mountain of a man. Tangled black hair fell down to his shoulders and a black matted beard covered most of his face. Dark eyes seemed to be sunk all the way back into his head. His clothing was an odd assortment of a camouflage jacket, muddy brown pants, and a bright orange vest. 

The man approached the bed I was on with purpose leaning over me and sniffing. His thick dirty fingers took up a strand of my hair and played with the texture. I tried to pull away from him but he just laid a hand on my shoulder to still me. 

He pulled a quilt from a small chest in the room and placed it over my naked body. One final glance my way and he was out the door closing it behind him. 

Voices filled the cabin for several minutes, and then I heard an engine start up and it sounded like the van was driving away. I listened; barely breathing waiting for what I was sure was coming. The dull thud of boots on the floor came back to the door and stopped. As the door swung open, the giant reappeared in the entrance moving to sit heavily on the bed. 

Using a rusty blade he cut the filthy gag at my cheek and pulled it away from me. He came to stand behind me. He reached under the blanket and toyed with my bound wrists for several minutes. His breathing was coarse and etched up several notches while he was behind me. With a metallic chink the handcuffs were separated into two pieces and he grunted appreciatively. The bindings at my feet received the same attention. 

Pulling the blanket tight around me I stared at the giant wondering when the real horror would start. 

Swiftly he reached down and picked me up carrying me outside the cabin. I wasn't expecting that. We walked a good 25 yards away before he sat me down in front of an ancient outhouse. Keeping a hand on my arm, he reached inside and dusted spider webs out of the door way, then roughly pushed me inside. 

Having no want to spend anymore time in that bug infested hole than I had to I quickly relieved myself and walked back out. The rough treatment from my captors the night before left me sore and uncomfortable; using the area brought back those memories to the forefront. I found myself hobbling slightly, still wrapped in a blanket from the bed. 

Outside the outhouse was no one. The giant was gone and I was alone. The cold was intense here. My feet felt frozen on the ground and the wind whipped uncomfortably under my sparse cover. Feeling little choice I slowly made my way back up toward the cabin. 

The area outside the cabin was deserted, so I looked around. There was a dirt road leading away, but it was overgrown and ill cared for. After about a hundred yards it appeared to just stop. The van I had been brought in was gone; the only evidence it had ever been there were a few tire tracks in the grassy overgrown patch in front of the cabin. Otherwise we were in the middle of a forest, the cabin sat on a small rise, and all I could see for miles was wooded. 

No telephone poles or cables stretched into the small cabin. I couldn't recall seeing anything in the cabin that looked electric. A rusty water pump sat several yards away with some water dripping from its main spout. I realized then how very thirsty I was. 

I stumbled on my blanket a little and made my way to the spout. Remembering history class I pumped the handle several times and was rewarded with a clear gush of fluid. Cupping my hands quickly and dipping my face into the stream I managed to catch a little and I felt better. The cold water splashed down my front. It made me realize how much I was shivering so I limped slowly toward the cabin door. 

Inside the cabin a roaring fire was going in the main room. There was also a pail of clean water on the table. Sitting on a dirty chipped plate beside the water were several long strips of what looked to be dried meat. Dipping a small cup into the water I greedily drank my fill. My grumbling stomach encouraged me to take a piece of the meat and try it. The smoky tang was delicious and I quickly finished the piece I had taken and then all the rest on the plate. 

Fear of the giant was a distant memory as I huddled close to the roaring fire in the main room. A stack of pelts lay on the floor in front of the fireplace and I sat on them absorbing the warmth from the fire. Curling into my blanket I ended up lying down on the floor and was soon fast asleep. 

Noises woke me many hours later. The afternoon sun was streaming in the windows and the fire had reduced it self to a slow steady burn. Bumping and scrapping got my attention and I turned back in the direction of the small table. 

The giant was busily chopping large pieces of vegetable into a pot. He had noticed I was awake and came toward me. I tried to move but he was fast. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the table, my blanket lying forgotten on the floor.

"Linda, help me," he said in grating tones as he handed me a large hunting knife. 

I took the knife and contemplated using it to over power him. Re evaluating his size and speed, I thought better of that and started chopping carrots into the large pot. Already inside were chunks of meat and other vegetables. 

"For Linda," he stated as he pointed to a large cup on the table now holding an assortment of small purple flowers.

"I'm not Linda, I'm Elizabeth," I said back to him continuing to cut the vegetables with shaking hands.

"No, Linda, my Linda, you came back to me. Friends found Linda, brought her back," he said matter of factly. 

Done with his stew preparations he hoisted the large cast iron pot to hang over the fire. Glancing back at me he seemed to take in my whole figure, he sniffed the air and then his face clouded. I tried to back away but was too slow. He scooped me up over his shoulder and marched outside with me in tow. 

Off to the side of the cabin was a strange contraption I couldn't place. The small wooden enclosure was open at the top and the wood only went down to about my knees. Over the enclosure were a series of 50 gallon drums. The giant stood me up in the enclosure then turned a handle and water poured down over my head. It was freezing cold

The giant handed me a slippery bar I recognized as homemade soap then commanded, "Wash, clean away the other scent."

"What other scent?" I blurted out shivering.

"The other wolves, the ones that brought you, they leave their scent. My Linda."

"Who are you?" I asked him starting to wash as he had asked me to do if only to make the chilly experience quicker.

The giant stared at me for a minute before answering. "Lucas, I was called Lucas," he finally replied. 

I washed quickly while he waited. I considered my circumstance and tried to think of a way out. Lucas didn't seem dangerous, not like the ones that kidnapped me. His comment confirmed what I had hoped was just a bad dream, werewolves had brought me here. If this was all true then Joel was probably a werewolf, too. I had to ask. 

"Lucas, do you know Joel Latro?"

It was the wrong thing to say, Lucas screamed as if bitten by something then backed away from the enclosure. 

"Latro killed my Linda, KILLED MY LINDA!" he hollered. 

His face started to lengthen as did his hands, the dirty outfit he was in split away at the sides and I was suddenly 1 piece of plywood away from the largest scariest creature I had ever seen. 

The wolf man had to be eight feet tall, he towered over me. He stared at me with large golden eyes, his long ears twitching and flicking. Suddenly he changed again, shifting into the form of a large wolf with no human characteristics at all and bounded off. 

I was terrified and wanted to run back into the cabin, but the idea of smelling like those awful dogs was disgusting. I heard a mournful howl in the distance and decided the giant was not coming back anytime soon. I soaped and washed quickly figuring the bath out faster than I thought I would.

I ran back into the cabin and dried off with a clean blanket I pulled from the bedroom. Looking around I found a dress in the closet, it was so old the fabric nearly crumbled under my fingers. In the dresser were several newer sets of men's undershirts and boxers. They smelled clean, so I slipped them on. 

Wandering back into the kitchen I drifted over to the pot by the fire and stirred it absently with the large hunting knife. Not being someone that cooks I had no idea if I should be doing anything to it or not. 

My shivering slowly abated and I started thinking back on the last twenty-

four hours. I tried to come up with some semblance of normalcy. 

I tried to reason why I was here. Joel was obviously not the reason, Lucas had confirmed that. It looked like I was being taken from Joel, not taken to him. There was unexpectedly a deep sadness in me when I thought about never seeing Joel again. 

Looking out at the gathering dusk I suddenly remembered a barely heard conversation that happened during my torture in the van. I was so wrapped up in what was happening to me I had barely registered it at the time. 

"Why not just kill her?" the first voice whispered, "It's what she asked us to do."

"Haven't you ever heard of insurance?" came the second voice quietly, "If this goes badly we tell Latro his girl was kidnapped by that stray in the woods. We'll tell him we saw them while we were on a run. The old Kook won't hurt the girl; she looks too much like that old bitch he used to have. If we need to be, we'll be the heroes for finding her."

"How do you know what the stray's bitch looked like? That was years ago."

"Eve has that old family album, before the great rift. I looked though it, saw the Kook and his girl, and recognized him from up on the hill. He's so crazy now he'd never be able to tell them what really happened. How many times have we been up here and what's he ever said to us?"

I cried a little as the rest of the memory crashed down. I was still huddled beside the fire when I heard the steps on the cabin's front porch. The steps were lighter than the giant's and then I realized I heard more than one set of feet. 

Gripping the hunting knife tightly I backed toward the wall next to the fireplace. If the monsters from the van were coming back I would at least manage to draw blood this time.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 04



Thanks to everyone for the feedback. The encouragement and advice has made this a lot of fun. Enjoy!
*****

Shadows crossed the little windows in front of the cabin. Ragged curtains prevented me from seeing who was out there. Fear had me clinging to the wall of the cabin as I held the knife in a death grip. I steeled myself for a fight; I wasn't going to be tied up and tortured again. 

The door crashed open to reveal a very angry looking Joel Latro striding through. He crossed the room in three large steps and came to rest directly in front of me. He was dressed in a tight black t shirt and black cargo pants. His black boots were caked with mud. He looked furious, but spoke softly. 

"Put the knife down, love. We are not here to hurt you." 

"The giant, Lucas, isn't here," I said cringing against the wall. The cabin was filling with large angry looking men dressed like him. "He ran into the woods," I finished.

"Oh, don't worry, love, we'll find him and when we do the mutt will never bother you again," Joel's jaw tensed as he said the last of this statement.

"NO!" I shouted at him, getting the attention of every man in the cabin. "Please don't hurt Lucas! He never hurt me, he thinks I'm Linda. Those creepy assholes brought me here to hide me."

"They were supposed to kill me, but they wanted insurance. They gave me to Lucas because they thought he would keep me ...here." I gestured wildly with my knife to the cabin. 

"I don't even think Lucas understands what is going on, he's out of his mind. He said you killed his Linda, did you do that?" I stared hard at Joel caught between being angry for poor crazy Lucas and terrified for myself. 

"Elizabeth, please put down the knife," Joel said sounding like he was pleading just a little, "and no, I did not kill Linda. That happened a long time ago and now is not the time to explain it."

I placed the knife on the hearth beside me and sagged into the wall. I was so relieved he was here. Joel's strong arms were around me pulling me close before I slumped completely. 

"I promise not to hurt Lucas, love, but if he's not in his right mind I may to have him restrained. Did he know the...men that brought you here?" 

I pushed my nose into his chest and inhaled his heady aroma. "No, kind of, I don't know. And I know they aren't men, you aren't either."

Joel's hand came up to gently stroke my cheek and I felt his lips on my still damp hair. 

"Please, don't be afraid of me," he whispered.

I looked up into his eyes and smiled wanly, "I already told you I wasn't."

Joel reached down and started to gently turn the broken remains of handcuffs on my bruised wrists.

"Lucas broke them, the thugs had me," I choked up a little, "tied and gagged when they brought me here."

Joel pulled me tighter and whispered, "I'm so sorry love," into my hair.

I recognized Nate coming out of the small bedroom, the sock/gag I had been wearing pinched in his fingers. I answered his unspoken question with a nod. He handed the gag to Joel who smelled the dirty fabric deeply.

I felt claws on my back where Joel was holding me and a growl started to resonate in his chest.

"Calm, my friend," came Nate's smooth voice, "she is safe and now we know for sure."

I shivered a little at the breeze blowing through the still open door. I felt Joel push me down beside the fire. He turned to one of the men that was with him and started to quietly issue orders. A jacket, a pair of jeans, and thick socks were produced quickly. Soon, I was dressed and warm. Everything was 3 sizes too large, but it was still a big improvement on being near nude. 

Joel paced in and out of the cabin, directing his troops as they looked for Lucas. Nate, however, never left my side. He stood like a sentry to my left. It felt a little weird to have him standing guard over me.

"Aren't you bored just standing there?" I asked him finally. "I'm fine now. You could probably go do something else."

He snorted at me and smiled, "I have my instructions, but thank you for asking."

A few moments later I was glad he was there. I nearly jumped into the fire when the growling erupted outside. I knew what was happening when I heard the name Linda being screamed repeatedly. Nate took a step to position himself between me and the door. Soon though, all was quiet again and Nate relaxed his pose stepping back. 

The men with Joel were very efficient, cleaning up the remains of what was to have been dinner, putting out the fire, and even tidying the small cabin. I sat in the middle of their ministrations with my guard watching and listening, but not really present.

Joel finally returned nodding to Nate. Nate bowed his head to Joel and left the cabin. Joel picked me up and moved me out the door. We headed for a series of dark tinted Suburbans that now took up the entire front yard of the cabin. 

Joel slid me into the back of one of the vehicles then disappeared for a few moments. I recognized his driver from my prior experience and managed to smile at him. When Joel rejoined me he pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped both arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. 

"What did you do with Lucas?" I asked him. I felt protective of the crazy giant. Without him the kidnappers would have done horrible things to me.

"We had to restrain him and he's coming back with us," Joel sighed. 

I looked up into Joel's eyes and saw him warring with himself.

"Look, I get this is probably a big secret, but I saw those creatures that brought me here. I saw Lucas change in front of me. I know you are like them, too. Please, just tell me what is going on."

A soft chuckle from the front seat reminded me Nate had also slipped into the SUV with us. 

"I don't know where to start, love."

"Start with Lucas," I suggested. "Who is Linda and why does he say you killed her?" For some reason I couldn't care less that Joel turned into a hairy beast, I just wanted to know if he had killed an innocent woman.

"That's a difficult place to start, but I'll try to explain it. You know we aren't humans, we are werewolves. The difference is far from skin deep though. We need family to survive. Werewolves thrive in a community, to be cast out of one; it's usually a death sentence. Lucas was cast out."

I nodded my understanding and Joel continued.

"You asked about Linda, she was Lucas's mate, his wife, in your world. She wanted power and authority; she wasn't satisfied with her life. She thought she could overthrow my father as Alpha, as ruler, of the pack. She didn't go about it in the normal way. She used magic to poison the pack leaders above her, her and a group of others that felt the same way. The poison didn't work right and they were caught." 

"Those involved in the plot were all put to death by my father, I was still very young then. Several, like Lucas, could not be directly linked to the coup. My father was so angry, though. In retaliation he cast out many that were just related to those involved. Most of them died quickly or were taken in by other packs. Lucas was not so lucky and has lived the last hundred and fifty years as an outcast." 

"Lucas had many that spoke for him back then, even with the fear of being cast out hanging over them. They knew the pack was his life and he would never endanger the family. Father was just too angry to listen to anyone."

"I have the power to pardon him now, though, as a way to repay him caring for you. You've asked me not to hurt him and I won't. It may take time to heal if he ever does."

Joel's blue grey eyes focused on my face and softened a little. I felt his hands stroking up down my back. He pressed his lips softly to mine and then he pulled me close.

"How did you find me?" I whispered against his neck.

"I had your phone's GPS tagged by our system. I also had some of my wolves watching you. Did you know there was an explosion at the restaurant you had your meeting at?" he asked.

"Yes, I remember hearing it, was anyone hurt?" I looked back into his eyes. 

"There were casualties, love, although I don't think that was the target. I believe it was meant as a distraction for the wolves I had sent to watch you. Luckily, one of my omegas saw you leave through the front door and followed you. After the explosion he saw the van driving away and had the instinct to try to follow it."

"What's an omega?" I found myself asking.

"Omegas are what make up most of the pack. They are the common man, you would say. He was working as a waiter at the restaurant, to help me by watching you. Omegas aren't built for fighting or speed, which is why it took so long to find you," he sighed. "He tried to follow the van, but it just went to fast for him, he stayed on its tail as best he could and sent us information on where to start the search."

I snuggled into his chest, wishing I could be just a few layers closer. 'What was wrong with me?' I wondered. I was almost raped and here I was wishing to be naked and cuddling with a man I barely knew.

"So they kept my phone?" I asked him.

"No, they must have thrown it out when they found it. We tracked it down and then found a trail of your scent not far from there," his voice faded off and I felt fur under my cheek.

"You found my clothes," I surmised stroking his furry neck and cheek in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. I didn't look up fearing what I wasn't ready to see. 

I heard Nate shift in his seat up front. The fur under my hands slowly receded back to olive toned skin. 

Looking back at us Nate answered my question as Joel's breathing became steadier.

"We tracked your scent by the clothes at first, and then used a grid pattern to look for any wolf activity in the surrounding area. We correctly assumed that since they hadn't just killed you at the restaurant that they planned to keep you alive. We also correctly assumed they would use a place they were familiar with."

"I was lucky," I said quietly, "that's what you are saying, right?"

"Yes," said Joel taking my hand and pressing my palm to his lips. "We were all very lucky."

We sat quietly together as the forest flew by outside. A question struck me suddenly. This one had really been making me nuts. Now that the truth was out I figured he'd tell me.  

"How did you know my name? At Luna Ferus you knew my name before we talked to each other," I said looking quizzically up at him.

"Our senses are better than yours and your dinner date wasn't very quiet," Joel answered laughing softly. "Are you planning to see that man again?" he asked sounding a little upset.

"No, Joel, it was a blind date. I didn't like him. Evidently, I was interested in someone else at the restaurant," I said feeling him relax under me. 

"Good," Joel murmured pulling me tight, "because you are mine now."

What a strange comment. It should have bothered me. I just let my eyes close and relaxed against my hero. 

I dozed languidly in Joel's arms for the rest of the trip. His hands were soothing, rubbing my back in slow even circles. Often, I felt his lips brushing across my cheek or feathering light kisses over my lips. I was so relaxed I didn't even wonder where he was taking me. It just felt right being with him. 

I was jolted as cold air hit my face several hours later. Groggy and half awake I struggled with the strong arms I was being held in. Memories of being bound and gagged assaulted my conscious mind and suddenly I was terrified. 

"Le'me go," I screamed as I pushed on a rock solid wall of chest and flailed my legs pointlessly.

"Love, wake up, we're home. Open your eyes," I heard Joel's voice and calmed slightly. 

"Sir, the pack is assembled as you requested, several are unaccounted for as you suspected. What would you like us to do?" asked a man with a clip board as he approached us. 

He seemed to see nothing unusual about Joel toting around a bedraggled woman dressed in men's clothing. I felt a little uncomfortable and raised my hand up to my head to smooth my hair reflexively. 

"Elizabeth, I have some pack business to attend to. This is the den, our home," he motioned to the huge structure beside us. "Nate is going to take you to my quarters. You can take a shower if you would like, some clothes and food will be brought to you. However, for the time being you may not leave my quarters and do not go anywhere with anyone other than Nate or myself."

He stood me on the ground then lifted my chin with his finger, "Do you understand me?" 

I nodded numbly and tried to get my bearings. Where ever we were was totally unfamiliar especially in the dark of night.

"Take her upstairs, set up a protection detail, and use only Betas we've discussed," Joel said to Nate before stealing a kiss from me. 

The area was pitch dark except for the structure looming in front of me. It looked to be at least three stories tall. The outside was tastefully if not very subtly lighted. It looked to be the color of sandstone. Nate put a hand gently on my back steering me toward a large open door. I could hear talking coming from inside, but when we entered the spacious lobby it was empty. 

The room was tall going up all three stories, a large sloping staircase dropped into the lobby on the left and the right. In the center of the foyer was the most striking detail though, a marble inlay of two wolves howling at a large moon. I saw heads peaking out of several double doorways that lead off the large room. I didn't really have time to focus on them though.

Nate continued to push me gently toward the staircase. I climbed as quickly as I could frequently stopping to pull up my pants. Nate walked patiently with me, never seeming to get irritated with my slow progress. He guided me to an ornate set of double doors on the third floor. A large man stood outside the doors looking imposing. 

I gasped when I got a good look at the man standing guard. Short black hair cut military style, he cocked his eye at me before politely bowing his head. It was the police officer that pulled me over the night I met Joel.

Nate nodded to the man as he opened the door. I didn't have time to say anything because Nate continued to nudge me through the doors.  

The room was warm and inviting. A small fire crackled in the fireplace of a cozy sitting area. There were several comfortable looking chairs near the fire. A large flat screen TV sat unobtrusively in front of a full sized leather couch. What I'm sure were antiques decorated the area tastefully. I noted all the blue and grey and had to think how that would compliment Joel's eyes. 

I was pushed gently inside and Nate followed. He directed me to one of the chairs and asked me gently to sit down. 

"You are safe in here. These are Alpha Latro's private quarters. The bedroom and bathroom are through there. I will have food and clothing sent up for you. There will be a guard posted at the door. I believe you have already met Anthony."

I nodded and Nate took a big breath. He let it out slowly and kneeled down in front of me, "At the cabin, there was blood...in the bedroom. We know it was yours. I'm sorry to ask, but I know Alpha Latro, Joel, couldn't bring himself to. Were you raped?"

I shook my head no and Nate relaxed a little. "We had hoped you weren't. Are you hurt though? Do you need medical care?" he asked cautiously. I got the feeling he would rather not be the one having this conversation with me.

"No, thank you," I said not wanting to discuss exactly where I was cut, "just scratches. They've all scabbed over by now."

It didn't surprise me when Nate said he was in charge of security, he spent the next hour smoothly questioning me on every aspect of my capture. He never raised his voice or rushed my jumbled descriptions; he just wanted every detail. I may have skimmed over my time in the van, it was just too humiliating. By the time he left, I was exhausted.

He reminded me to take a shower and told me clothes would be waiting in the main room when I finished.

"These rooms are Alpha Latro's personal domain; no one will bother you here. For now stay inside the rooms though and don't go out on the balcony," he motioned toward the bedroom. "You probably won't understand this but the Alpha's rooms have been protected against certain things with magic and that protection doesn't extend to the balcony."

I nodded numbly because, although I didn't understand, I wasn't going to make my life anymore difficult than it was already. Nate walked out the doors and closed them behind him.

Alone inside the sumptuous suite, I walked from the sitting room into the large bedroom and noted the doors to the balcony warily. I had no wish to go outside if I was safe here. The glass doors allowed faint moon light to wash inside the room and give everything a silver glow. 

An enormous king sized bed graced one wall of the room. The bed towered in the large space. I stepped up to it and took in the detail on the magnificent carved wooden posts that supported the heavy canopy above it. Piled high with large pillows, it was a bed fit for a king. 

Shaking my head at the extravagance, I walked to the room Nate had said was the bathroom and was again amazed. It was big and could have accommodated a football team. A large walk in shower adorned the back wall and a Jacuzzi tub sat quite prominently in the middle of the room. 

The colors were all lighter than the main rooms but in the same blue family. Large mirrors covered most of the walls. The sink area was very Spartan, a toothbrush and a razor sat at the ready. 

A second sink area was on the opposite wall. I was surprised to see still in boxes were my brand of deodorant and toothpaste. I picked up an unopened toothbrush and pondered the significance. Joel had already planned for me to end up here. The genuine happiness that accompanied that thought was frightening. 

The travertine tile was cool under my feet as I kicked off my socks and stripped down. Not being sure what to do with my clothes I piled them on the counter. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in one of the many mirrors I was horrified. 

I looked a mess. My ass was mostly a large purple bruise with punctures smeared with dried blood. My breasts and between my thighs also had the same look bitten, scratched, and bloody. Deep angry claw marks adorned my stomach and sides, probably from where my clothes were ripped off. The broken handcuffs still dangled from bruised wrists and ankles. 

Shaking my head, I moved away from the mirrors and into the shower. Fervently I hoped I would not have to explain the marks to anyone too soon. I was glad I had had a tetanus shot the year before. That was probably universal. 

My analytical mind started to ponder the medical dilemma I found myself in. I knew about dog bites and human bites, but I wasn't sure what kind of antibiotics I should be on for werewolf bites. I would call myself something in to the pharmacy in the morning when I figured it out. I also reminded myself to ask Nate to get the handcuffs off my limbs. 

After my shower I found a t shirt, underwear, and sweat pants all in my size in the sitting area. Nate had also left a tray with different kinds of sandwiches. It was wonderful to be dressed in clothes that fit and have a full stomach. I looked at the clock on the wall and it read three in the morning. I didn't want to bother anyone with my bracelet problem so late at night. Feeling sleepy, I curled up on the couch and waited for Joel to come back. 

When I woke many hours later sun was coming in the windows and I was so comfortable. I was lying on my side in a soft bed wrapped around a warm solid mass. Never in all my life had I been so relaxed. As I stretched my arm out in front of me I heard a hiss. 

"Damn those are cold! Love, why didn't you ask Nate to take these off of you last night?" rumbled into my ear from Joel's chest.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 04



I looked up into Joel's sleepy eyes as he took my wrist and examined the handcuff. He was shirtless and looked amazing. Somehow I had managed to wind myself around his entire side, even twining our legs together.

"I was tired," I yawned and stretched out against him. Stretching rubbed my core against his hip in the most pleasant way, so I did it again. I shyly hoped he hadn't realized what I was doing as I stretched. I was wrong. 

I found myself on my back as Joel nuzzled my neck. He wound my fingers with his on either side of my head. I felt his thick cock rubbing tantalizingly against me.

"Is this what you were looking for?" he whispered in my ear rocking his hips so I felt the slide of him against my entrance. I flinched a little as he hit a sore spot.

"Yes, no...maybe," I stumbled on my words as he continued to slide sensuously against me. It felt good in a way, but I was still so tender. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that.  

He released my hands and slipped his own boldly beneath my shirt. I realized what he was doing a moment too late. Wincing as his fingers traced the bite marks, I looked up into his eyes. They went from sultry to livid in an instant. 

I felt the change in his attention as he removed my shirt and focused on my abused flesh. His eyes started to glow faintly and he slid off of me. This is what I had not wanted to show him. 

"Take everything off," he commanded in a deep voice pushing me off the bed to my feet. There was finality to his tone and I didn't think resisting him would get me very far.

I stood at the edge of the bed and slid the pants off of my hips reluctantly and the underwear followed. Tears stung my eyes as he walked around me occasionally touching a mark here or there. He looked outraged.

'No man was ever going to want to touch something as gross as me,' I thought. 

"Why did you lie when Nate asked you? I want to know who did this," commanded the voice from behind me. "Humans need medical care after this type of thing. You should know this, even I know this."

Strong arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest, my back to his front. I felt the angry pants of air he released as he held me. It took me a minute to realize what I would have lied to Nate about.

"I wasn't raped!" I cried to him. "They wanted to I think, but one of them said it would make the Kook angry and to stop. I know I'm gross, I'm so sorry. I was just too scared and embarrassed."

"You aren't gross, I still love you, and there is no reason to be sorry. Although I owe Lucas I debt I'll never be able to repay him totally," Joel whispered into my hair. 

Turning in his arms I faced him and wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his chest. I wasn't sure I believed the part about not being grossed out. If this was the last time I got to touch the man I wanted to remember it. Then it dawned on me.

"What do you mean you still love me, how could you?" I said looking up at him.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me onto his lap starting to talk. I was acutely aware of my nudity and squirmed a little listening to him. 

"We aren't human, love. Many thing work differently here than you are used to. Our relationships are decided on in large part by our wolf. A wolf recognizes its mate almost immediately. The feelings are powerful and instantaneous. You remember the first night I saw you. It took everything I had not to throw you over my shoulder and take you home with me then."

As he talked Joel's hands roamed gently over my breasts and stomach, his other hand stroking my back from my neck to my buttocks. I shivered slightly and found myself pressed back into the mattress a second time. 

"Right now my wolf wants to claim you, lay our scent all over your gorgeous body, and then find those thugs and rip their throats out," what started as a sexy speech quickly became a thick angry growl emanating from Joel's furry chest. 

Backing off the bed and standing before me the man became the wolf man. Joel's black hair spread until it covered his body. His broad chest got broader and his long legs lengthened. A fierce muzzle grew where his face had been and wicked talons grew at the ends of his fingers. The blue boxers Joel had been wearing were ripped by the creature off its body. Slowly he came back on the bed crawling over me. 

I stayed very still underneath him, barely breathing as his wet nose came down to sniff and lap at my throat. The abrasions I knew were there tingled under his tongue. His hands were rougher in texture now but he never touched me with his claws. By sheer force of will I kept my eyes open to watch this magnificent shiny black wolf man. His gold eyes matched my gaze.

He dipped his face over my breasts, laving each with his coarse tongue. The sensation was amazing and I felt tingling every where he licked. He slowly worked his way down my stomach stopping to lick at places I knew there were gouges and claw marks. Too soon I felt his hot breath over my pubic bone. He gently nudged my thighs apart crawling to lie between them.

I jumped a little when I felt his cold nose bump against my clit. Using his long tongue he licked my slit in its entirety stopping to flick my clit at the end. I moaned involuntarily and put my hands over my mouth. This had to be wrong, it shouldn't feel so good. The wolf man rose up over me to move my hands to beside my head then settled back down between my spread legs. 

I was nervous to have the wolf man between my legs, much less a day after having been mercilessly clawed down there. That tongue worked miracles, though. I didn't feel any stinging after the first few licks, just intense pleasure. 

Soon the rough pads of his thumbs opened my labia and his tongue snaked gently in and out of my tight passage. With his nose he continued to bump and grind on my sensitive clitoris. I could feel him licking and stimulating me from inside and out. It didn't hurt anymore and I was moaning in pleasure. I was nearly peaking when he drew back and started to lick at the inside of my thighs. 

Without warning he moved away and flipped me over on the bed. Grabbing my waist he pulled me to my knees with my ass in the air. I tried to move or cover myself and was stopped by two large strong hands. Soon I felt the gentle scrape of his tongue gliding over my ass and the backs of my thighs. It wasn't disgusting or bothersome when his tongue ran over my tight little pucker. I blushed enjoying the naughty caress.  

All too quickly his very human hands were pushing me back down on the bed and turning me to face him.

"I'm so sorry love," Joel sighed. "The sight of you bruised and abused brought my wolf to the surface. He just wanted to help. The wolf's saliva can have healing properties, if he wills it to do so. You will heal much faster and with less scarring now."

Looking down at my breasts I saw the bite marks were almost gone and the bruising was even better. My dusky nipples were puckered in excitement and I wanted him to touch me again. 

"I didn't mind," I said, placing a kiss over his bottom lip. "Your wolf has a very talented tongue."

The scent of my sex was strong on his face and it aroused me intensely. I've never played a seductress, but Joel really made me want to try. I looked up at him with the steamiest gaze I could muster. It must have worked because I felt his hands pulling me closer and his mouth lowered to mine. 

"I won't be able to stop once I start, my love," he whispered into my ear. "Are you ready for me?"

I nodded my head and trailed my fingers down his chest to slowly stroke his magnificent tool. 

He groaned and rolled me onto my back. "There is so much I should tell you first," he said lowering his mouth to feast on my nipples. Rolling the opposite nipple in his fingers he nipped and sucked between the two. Soon both were almost too sensitive to touch and I was moaning as I stroked his hair.

"You shouldn't jump into this rashly, there is so much at stake," he continued as his fingers trailed lower to find me hot and wet. He groaned as he sank his fingers into my welcoming warmth.

I was barely listening to him as I memorized his muscular back with my fingers. Trailing a hand down his front I grasped his shaft in my hand and realized how thoroughly it filled my palm. The length of it was impressive as well. I cautiously estimated 9 inches in my head. I was suddenly nervous and looked up to find him staring down at me. 

"Do you want to back out, do I frighten you, love?" he asked seriously. 

"I don't think you'll fit," I said honestly.

"That wasn't really what I thought you should be afraid of," he whispered in my ear nipping at the outside. "Wolves mate for life, I can tell you are my true mate, it won't be just sex between us. I'll bite you and mark you as my own. You won't be able to leave me after that, your soul will bond with mine. At the next full moon I will change you, if you will let me, and then you'll be a werewolf like me."

I looked up into his eyes and felt fine with what he was saying. Ever since first meeting him I hadn't been able to get him off my mind. I couldn't imagine not being with him, it seemed impossible. 

Reaching up I grasped his hair and pulled him down to my mouth. "Just don't hurt me," I whispered into his ear.

"Never, love, I'll never hurt you," he stated settling between my thighs. 

I nearly took his head off at his next question, "Have you been with many men?"

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, trying to push him off of me. "Who in their right mind would say that now?" 

I struggled futilely against his overwhelming strength and only managed to end up with my hands trapped over my head by one of his. I felt the head of his glorious tool pressing intimately up against my weeping slit. The more I struggled the more of him I felt pressing against me, sliding up and down stimulating me. 

"You just seemed hesitant about my size, love. Are you a virgin? Do you think it will hurt you when I slide inside you? I think it will feel wonderful," he chuckled in my ear. "It doesn't matter to me how many men you've been with though, just so long as you know you'll only be with me after today." 

"You are an arrogant ass Joel Latro, how would you feel if I started to quiz you on your past love ..." I stopped short and moaned as he stared down at me smiling. He had guided the tip of his swollen prick to enter me and it felt deliciously sinful. The sensation of fullness began to overwhelm me as inch after divine inch slid home. 

He released my hands and situated himself more squarely over my body. I brought my knees up as he brought himself down over me. At long last I felt his pubic bone come to rest over mine. I was full to bursting with his cock. My internal muscles were gently tugging around him getting adjusted to this most welcome invader.

Fully sheathed he gazed down at me and smiled wickedly, "Now I'm curious though, how many men have sampled this wonderful body?"

The fury returned with a vengeance. "Now you decide you want to know?! Will it make it better for you if I was a who-," I couldn't get the word out as he slid out of me then back in with contained vengeance.

"You don't feel like a woman who's known many men, certainly not a whore," he teased gently palming a breast and fondling the hard nipple. 

"How long do you intend to keep up the questions?" I panted adjusting to his girth a second time. My hands were wrapped around his waist trying to hold him still. 

"Only until I get my answer, love," he said staring right into my eyes as he withdrew almost his entire length.

I moaned as he started to slide back and then he stopped and withdrew again. When he was almost out he repeated the question. "How many men have known this body?"

"None," I groaned as he sank back into me and lowered his mouth to taste my nipples. 

Sweat was forming on his brow as he brought his face to mine, "How many men will know this body after today?" he asked as he pulled back.

"Only you, Joel, I promise," I hissed as he sank deeper pulling my legs up. 

Having his answer seemed to satiate him and he started to rock his hips into me slowly and deeply. With each thrust home he ground his pelvis into mine stimulating me unbearably. I rocked up to meet each thrust and felt like I was being split in two with some of his harder drives. The pain was exquisite and only added to the sexual frenzy. 

Suddenly, he pulled out and flipped me onto my stomach, dragging my hips up to meet his. His entrance from this position was brutal. I spread my thighs and tried to relax as he pounded his entire length home with each plunge. I felt his hand come around my front to fondle my nipples then shifted lower to pluck relentlessly at my clit. 

The stimulation was too much and soon I was spasming over his length and crying out his name. I felt sensitive and full to bursting and I tried to shift my body away from his, but was firmly grasped and pulled back.

"Mine," he growled in my ear. The fierce possessiveness of the word amped my desire for him to an entirely new level. I wanted more of him, much more.

The sensation of fullness got more intense as his thrusts got shorter. I cried his name and begged for release. He leaned over my body growling low in his chest. Shockingly I felt fur at my back. The terror I thought I should feel didn't come and I reached back to stroke the furry hip of my lover. The short coarse fur tickled my back and bottom and I moaned as I rubbed against him. 

I felt him swell inside of me as he ground the coarse pads of his claws over my already hypersensitive clit. Hit long tongue had started to bathe the left side of my neck and my shoulder. 

I felt myself tightening around him again as razor sharp teeth drove mercilessly into the place where my neck and shoulder joined. As I cried his name a second time bright red blood rolled off my shoulder and dripped onto the bed below. A second later a howl ripped through the room and his cock spasmed inside of me. 

We fell to the bed still joined and panting. The fur at my back was slowly turning back to skin. Joel's human hand came up to stroke my arm gently as we rested. His heavy breathing filled my ears and I luxuriated in the post orgasmic bliss. 

A slight noise toward the door caught my attention and Nate appeared at the door way raising his nose and scenting the air. I shrieked and tried to cover up but Joel just laughed. 

"Pardon the interruption my Alpha. I heard the howl and figured it was a good thing. Can't be too careful anymore, though," Nate said. 

Joel reached around me and pulled me close kissing my head. "Very good thing, old friend, we're going to need a key for these cuffs, though."

"Right boss, be back in a minute," said Nate closing the door and walking out.

"I have to get dressed," I said as I tried to pull away and found I couldn't.

"We'll be tied like this for about an hour, love, nobody's leaving until then. As far as your modesty, I'll try to respect your human up bringing, but things are different here. Sex is often public and there is nothing wrong in the showing of affection between adults. It is encouraged and often ceremonial."

"Tied, what's tied?" I asked trying to catch all he was saying. I moved my hand to feel our joined bodies. Joel's cock was thick and buried deeply, thicker than I had felt before.

"It's called a knot; it holds my semen in place to help ensure when you are ovulating you will get pregnant," said Joel matter of factly. 

"I'm going to get pregnant?" I shouted. 

I preach safe sex all day long and I forgot to use protection. My hands were shaking I was so scared.

"Do you have HIV?" I asked looking over my shoulder. "Can werewolves get sexually transmitted diseases? Are there werewolf diseases I can get?" I felt like crying.

"You aren't ovulating now, I can smell that much, so no you won't get pregnant. No, I don't have any sexually transmitted diseases and to my knowledge the werewolf immune system can fight off the human diseases quite effectively," soothed Joel. 

Nate reappeared in the doorway knocking softly as he entered. He sniffed deeply and smiled knowingly at us. My cheeks were burning as he approached the bed bowing low. "My Alpha, congratulations on taking your mate, may the moon bless you with many pups."

I looked around as he spoke looking for a blanket to pull over myself. Joel chuckled and laid one across us. 

"Hiding really doesn't change anything love," Joel informed me.

"I understand your discomfort with this, Madam. Modesty is not a custom here. Others that haven't been around humans much may find your reactions odd," Nate said as he handed a small silver key over to Joel

I tried to relax as Joel deftly worked the locks on my wrists. The metal bracelets dropped to the bed and I felt like cheering I was so glad to be rid of them. Joel gestured to my feet and Nate took the small key and removed the cuffs. 

I was blushing crimson and wished he would just leave. Nate continued to stand watching us respectfully once he was done. I wondered angrily why he wasn't leaving. 

"Because it would be rude to leave without being asked to do so," Joel answered my unspoken question first and then said to Nate, "Have them here in about two hours, I'll let you know if we need more time. You are excused." 

"How did you know what I was thinking just then? Are you psychic?" I asked turning to look at Joel quizzically.

"Mates can sense things from one another, usually it's like having a conversation and you have to want to tell me something to communicate it. It works a little different for us, because you're human. I've read a little on the subject, I'll probably catch bits from you, more so if you are concentrating or upset. Being fully human you may not begin to sense me until I change you." 

"Change me how?" I asked suspiciously.

"I want to make you like me, a werewolf," said Joel looking over my shoulder and directly into my eyes. 

"Could I think about it?" I asked hesitantly. Outside the lust filled haze that idea seemed scary. 

"Of course, love, no rush, just rest now," he answered snuggling into my back.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 05



I woke with a start about an hour later as Joel slid his now flaccid, but still impressive cock out of my weeping cunt. It felt like a flood followed him out. Moving quickly out of the bed I rushed to the bathroom to clean up. I turned on the shower and started as a hand darted past me and turned it off. 

"You may wipe away my excess or I will clean it off for you, but you may not wash my scent off for now," said Joel sternly.

"Why?" I asked flabbergasted. "I feel all sticky and sweaty, and just LOOK at what's running down my leg!"

"Women in my community would let it run. That sweaty smell is my smell and marks you to every man in this community as mine alone. No one will dare touch you as long as you smell like me. It would be a personal affront to me," he stated proudly. 

"Can I ever shower again?" I asked plaintively. I loved feeling clean and fresh. Freshly fucked was an entirely different feeling. Joel looked confused as he ushered me back out of the bathroom. 

"Go lie on the bed and let me clean you," he coddled continuing to nudge me away from the shower and toward the bed.

"I smell Joel, wolves must have sensitive noses. Isn't body odor a bad thing?" I asked as I lay down obediently and splayed my thighs open.

I felt fur on the inside of my legs and looked down to see a huge black wolf looking at me. I was shocked at his size; he was almost as big as a small horse. I was captivated by his huge jaws and the razor sharp teeth that lined them. With his tongue lolling out it did make him look distinctly less terrifying. 

Joel nuzzled my legs then went to work cleaning with vigor. His tongue was delving deeply into my womanhood as his nose ground constantly against my exposed clit. Despite the purpose of what we were doing I still managed to orgasm and force another round of cleaning.

Unlike me, Joel showered and shaved in the bathroom. He talked while he got ready.

"I have things to take care of today, love," Joel said as he dressed in a crisp shirt and slacks, "I expect you to stay in my rooms and listen to Nate. I have a couple trusted female members of the pack he will introduce you to. They will teach you etiquette."

"I have put off introducing you to the entire pack due to our recent security breach. I want the rogues caught before I allow you to mingle with everyone. Not to worry, though. I will have you under constant guard here, where it is safe," he said.

"Wait, if I'm staying in here, tell me again why I can't shower," I raged. "If this is some macho thing," he cut me off with a raised hand. 

"The women that are coming are wolves," he interrupted me. "They need to sense me on you; it gives them a reason to respect you. As it stands now you have no rank and that puts you in a rather interesting no man's land, so to speak."

He bent to place a kiss on my head as he headed out. I sat on the bed feeling more than a little disgruntled. The comment about staying here struck me suddenly. 

"Hey, what about my job, can I go back to work on Monday?" I called to him.

"No," he said walking out the door into the hallway. Sensing me coming he raised a hand to stop me as he turned, "Stay here we will talk later."

The look on his face brooked no arguing. He was the boss giving orders, well fuck that. I walked into the hall screaming at him. The two guards standing outside stared at me with a mixture of shock and amusement on their faces. In my peripheral vision, I saw heads pop out of rooms down the hallway, but that didn't stop me. 

"No, I worked really hard for my job; you can't keep me here reeking of sex just waiting for you! Just give me a damn phone and I'll call a cab and go back to my home. The one I bought by going to work every damn day. I have a contract at my job and I have my student loans. I can't just walk away when I feel like it..." 

As he stepped back toward me I remembered how much bigger he was than me. It should have deterred me, but it didn't. He stalked back to me and corralled me into his rooms, his eyes glowing slightly. "Enough woman, you are my mate, you will stay here where it is safe. I tried things your way once and it got you kidnapped and nearly killed. We are doing things my way now."

"Your home will not be lost, it is here now. Your job is here now. There are no contracts that you have been placed under that will supersede what I want for you. Your loans will be repaid. Now please stop arguing with me." His eyes burned into mine, but lost the fierce amber glow and returned to blue grey. 

I was furious, but had to agree with him about the danger. Nobody seemed to have had any trouble getting to me out in the world. He got in my house. Those creepy dogs got me at the restaurant. Once he had me, Lucas could have done anything he wanted, too. It was humiliating to be the weakest link.

I turned on my heel and walked back to the bedroom, tears starting to form in my eyes. Now he had me, he could do whatever he wanted with me. If he wanted to keep me on a leash to show his friends, he could. 'How long would it be before this Adonis got tired of boring old me and moved on to the next piece of ass?' I wondered.

Strong arms wrapped around me and I struggled to get out, "Let me go!" I snarled.

"I heard that loud and clear," he whispered in my ear, "I won't keep you on a leash, you aren't a pet. I love you, you are my mate, and I will never get tired of you. Please stop fighting with me. For the record, you smell wonderful." At the end of his statement he nuzzled in my hair and gave me a minute to compose myself. 

Wiping away unshed tears, I turned into his arms and hugged his waist. 

"Go to work, I'll be here when you get back."

I wandered around his suite for a while and just when I wondered about food there was a knock at the door. Nate ushered in two women, both who appeared about my age. They scented the air in a way that was becoming way too familiar to me. 

Each woman was carrying a tray covered with plates. My stomach growled hungrily and the smaller woman laughed. 

"He's not feeding you enough! Good day Madam Alpha, I'm Katrina," she said then continued quickly, "not to imply Alpha Latro would not feed you well, I'm sure he's fed you very well."

I stopped her as politely as I could, "I'm very hungry, you're correct about that. I get that you were joking and please call me Elizabeth."

"Sure, Elizabeth, I talk a lot it gets me in trouble sometimes, but I was human like you before Saul changed me. I guess that's why I'm here," she giggled a little at her last statement. 

I got the feeling she probably giggled a lot. She looked like a pixie with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her clothing was a bright array of pink and yellow, even her jeans were shocking pink. 

The other woman walked confidently into the room and sat her tray on the coffee table, gesturing for Katrina to do the same. She was a tall woman with deeply tanned skin like Joel. Her black hair flowed like a mane down her back. She approached me with confidence.

"I'm Nate's mate, Shawna, it is a pleasure to meet you. We've heard a little about you, but I believe the topic of today's discussion was to be more centered on what you need to know about us."

I liked Shawna and smiled broadly at her. This woman did mess around with the crap; she got down to business. 

The rest of my morning and afternoon passed quickly. I tried to pool the important things I learned into a couple of simple categories. The biggest categories were definitely pack organization and etiquette. Joel was at the top based on skill and bloodlines, which I remembered he had already told me. The pack council advised him and they were made up of the oldest and wisest in the pack. 

The rest of the pack was divided into three groups: betas, thetas, and omegas. The skill and strength level went down as you traveled through the levels. Someone who worked hard could move up through the ranks. However, upper mobility was definitely limited. Everyone seemed to be born with an innate 'place'. 

Etiquette and rules were in some ways more complicated and in other ways simpler than I was used to. You had to defer to anyone with higher rank than you, but abuse was not tolerated. If you had a real problem with someone you could demand to fight it out. That wasn't typically done anymore because the stronger wolf always won whether they were right or not. 

Most matters were taken through the pack council and their decisions were absolute. Fights were unofficially reserved for those trying to change their rank by entering in a series of challenges. 

Rule breakers were subject to the mercy of the pack's Alphas. In this pack that was Joel. His decisions were deemed final. Historically, the Alphas of this particular pack were not known for their mercy, Joel was no exception. It surprised the women another wolf would have attacked someone he was so obviously protecting, that was a death sentence.

As far as living arrangements, most of the pack lived in large group lodgings owned by the pack. The one we were in now was located at the edge of the national forest and sported individual apartment style dwellings. For miles around the pack owned what wasn't national forest. This location was midway between the shipyard down south and the businesses held in town. It was convenient for all involved, but allowed plenty of room for the wolves to run which they loved to do. 

Everyone had a job, whether you worked in the den or in one of the pack's businesses. What you did depended on what you were good at, which made sense. Most revenue for the pack was generated by the import/ export shipping business. 

Business was good and the pack lived well on its proceeds. Over the years they had developed substantial holdings. The financial security had allowed several adventurous pack members to start the businesses in town. 

The thing that really got me was the way the pack handled sex. I hardly had a puritan upbringing, but it sure seemed like it. Katrina seemed to find my modesty humorous, but she didn't strike me as the kind of girl that would have been modest as a human. 

Sex was far from a taboo subject with the wolves. They lived to fuck was the impression I got. Sex in public places was common, having multiple sex partners before mating was common, and same sex relationships were not looked down upon even after mating. 

"The men sometimes just aren't around," giggled Katrina. "Although Saul prefers it when he gets to join in. That totally defeats the purpose if I wait till he's home and have a girlfriend over, you know?"

I smiled and tried to nod sympathetically, but no, I had no idea. 

"What about the men?" I asked, "Do they engage in same sex relationships?"

"It's not unheard of, but most of the men here prefer women," said Shawna.

"Alpha Latro is very accepting of gay wolves," giggled Katrina. "So we have more than most packs. He's welcomed in several pack members that have been cast out of other packs for being gay."

I felt pride in knowing my man was so forward thinking and smiled. I was glad we agreed on that. Suddenly it struck me how little I knew about Joel. Sending up a prayer, I hoped I'd made the right decision. I'd never been rash and I was feeling a little overwhelmed. 

My brain felt full to bursting as Shawna and Katrina got up to leave. I was glad to see them go, because I really needed to process what was going on. On the other hand, having them there gave me something else to focus on. I ended up drifting through Joel's rooms aimlessly. 

Sniffing myself for about the hundredth time I decided I'd bathe. Of course I'd been told not to, but certainly that wasn't for forever.

The Jacuzzi tub really called to me and I turned on the taps and then peeked out to make sure no one was going to come crashing through the door to stop me. I found some frilly girly bath oils deep under the counter and I loaded the water up with them.  

Part of me wondered who had left these here and I had a large pang of jealousy. I snottily hoped it would irritate him that I had found them and bathed. Obviously his other girlfriends hadn't walked around all the time smelling like sex.

As I undressed I noticed the well healed bite mark where my neck and shoulder joined. I stroked it gently and was surprised it didn't hurt. It felt good to touch it. There was so much weird stuff to learn here, my brain was on overload. I shrugged it off and continued undressing. 

Soon I was soaking in the tub. I let the water and jets soothe away all the tension in my muscles and was really getting comfortable when water splashed in my face. 

"Didn't I tell you something about not bathing?" Joel asked sitting on the edge of the tub. He didn't seem to be irritated, although he was definitely enjoying the view. 

"I was unaware you meant never again, Alpha Latro. Perhaps you'd like me better if I looked and smelled like Lucas," I taunted him.

"I like it when you smell like me, not like whatever this stuff is," he said picking up the pink bottle and inhaling. "Where did you get this anyway?"

"Under the sink," I shrugged.

"Get up," he ordered eyes burning with internal yellow fire, "Now."

As I complied he reached down and released the drain on the bathwater. Turning to me, his eyes still glowing, he picked me up and moved with me into the shower. Without even removing his clothes he turned the water on.

"You're going to get soaked!" I chastised him trying to push him out. I was completely ineffective in moving him. Taking up a washcloth he started to scrub me harshly. 

"Nate," he bellowed sharply as he washed me. "In here now." 

I didn't have time to voice my objections when Nate appeared in the doorway. 

"The soap, same as before, get me the antidote," Joel commanded as he continued to wash and rinse my skin brusquely.

I'm no genius, but antidote in my mind meant poison. 

"What did I do?" I whispered to Joel. 

"A perfectly normal human female thing; I assume they thought you would do this first thing after I left this morning. The poison is effective, but takes time to soak in to work properly," he growled, eyes still glowing.

"Am I going to die?" I whispered rubbing my hands over my arms.

"No," rasped out of his mouth as his snout started to lengthen and his shirt split along the sides. I heard bones rearranging and his movements became rougher and less controlled.

"Please, love," I begged using his pet name for me. "Please be calm," I reached out and stroked the slick black fur on his neck and cheek. 

By the time Nate had come running back in, the wolf had almost totally receded leaving the very angry man. Nate smelled the air and seemed to take in Joel's mood before approaching us. He bowed his head and offered a small glass bottle to Joel's outstretched hand. 

"My Alpha, are you sure it's the same, should we call the witches?" Nate asked head held submissively.

"Call the witches, but yes, I'm certain it's the same," Joel answered his voice still filled with a slight gravely edge. 

I saw Nate turn and give instructions to a trim man outside the door. 

Turning the water off, Joel uncapped the small glass vial. "Drink this," he commanded. 

Me, the queen of mixing pills and alcohol the week before, hesitated. I didn't know what I was drinking.

"NOW!" he shouted eyes glowing, his face taut. 

I shuddered and looked up at him, quickly tipping the flask to my lips. The air around us seemed to vibrate with his contained rage. When the fury turned I could have breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who has had access to this room in the last week?" he asked looking to Nate.

"I'll have a list provided to you, sir," replied Nate head still bowed. 

"Leave us," Joel said turning his attention back to me. 

I wasn't sure what the poison was so turned back on the water. Joel didn't stop me as I started rescrubbing every inch of myself. I realized he had left the bathroom and I shivered remembering the angry outburst. I wondered if he would come back. 

Joel returned after I had soaped my skin for the third time. Stripped of his ruined clothes he stepped behind me in the shower and cuddled me close under the water.

"The poison is off your skin, love. What you absorbed will be counteracted by the antidote," he reassured.

"I'm not sure how you can be so sure," I said turning to get out of his embrace. "If it is still on me, it'll get on you."

"Superior sense of smell and a prior experience with this particular toxin," he whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry I scared you."

"You didn't scare me," I lied.

"I smelled your fear, it made me ashamed. I never want to see you look at me like that. I didn't even see that much fear in your eyes when you first saw my wolf," he whispered the last of his statement into my hair, running his hands over my stomach.

"Is it always this bad, a death threat every day around here? How can you live like this?" I asked him changing the subject. 

"No, it's usually not like this. Usually it's boring," he said.

"I'd like boring," I yawned leaning back into him.

"None of that, love," he said shaking me. "We've got to keep you awake and active for now. It's safer that way."

As Joel dried me off he seemed to spend and abnormal amount of time rubbing up against me. 

"Do you mind!" I asked snatching the towel from him and re-drying my back for the third time.

"I can't stand how you smell right now, frightened and alone. It's making me crazy," he said pulling me against his naked and still wet chest. 

"Get dry," I ordered pushing the towel at him, "then we work on the smell."

Once we were both dry I wrapped my arms around Joel and let him carry me. He laid me down on the rug in front of the fireplace in the sitting room. It was warm here and the rug underneath me was soft, but I still found it an odd place to go. 

"There are more comfortable places to lie," I teased him. 

Before my eyes he became the shiny black wolf man and I decided all teasing was done. The wolf man rubbed his head into my neck and pressed his body against mine. I tentatively rubbed his arms with my hands and felt the sinewy muscle beneath. 

Two strong hands came underneath my buttocks as the creature ground us together, chest to chest. Running his tongue across my neck several times I shivered. He shifted lower and started to bathe my breasts, working slowly around the outside and avoiding my puckered nipples. 

"Please," I begged him grabbing his wolfy head and dragging it down. A small sound like laughter sounded in his throat. He nipped and licked at both nipples until I pushed him away, breathing heavy.

He continued his descent rubbing his head and neck against my stomach and thighs. His clawed hands opened my legs. The wolf man rubbed and licked everywhere except my center. The anticipation was making me wild. 

Flipping me agilely the wolf man started at my feet and rubbed himself liberally across my thighs and buttocks. I finally decided to relax and enjoy the furry massage, its not like I had much choice in the matter. Separating my legs the wolf man lay between them and started licking, from my clit across my tight asshole several times. I squirmed at the intimate caress. 

Continuing to move the wolf man was soon rubbing against my back, grinding his hips liberally against my ass. I felt his face rubbing back and forth across the back of my neck. Feeling frisky after his tongue bath I raised my hips in blatant invitation to him and spread my legs wider. 

The fur slowly receded from my back and I felt human hands pressing me down and turning me back over. I was a little disgruntled that I wasn't wanted in that way.

"Hardly love," Joel chuckled in my ear as he spread my thighs and lay in between them.

"I just didn't want to get tied to you right now, which the wolf would do. I'd like to take you down to dinner before too much longer," he finished as I felt his prick sliding up and down my slit.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 05



I groaned as the tip started to enter me, the man was still large and it had only been several hours since our last time. Keeping his place he leaned down and nipped at my neck, licking the bite mark he had made earlier. 

The bite was like a new erogenous zone, sending small bolts of sensation zinging through my pussy. I tilted my hips angling to get more of him. He obliged and was soon seated fully still licking and nipping the bite mark. 

Running my hands down his back they came to rest on his sculpted ass. Every time he ground into me I felt electric shocks moving up my spine and moaned almost continuously. 

Increasing his pace Joel placed his weight over me and grabbed my hips with both hands. Tilting my pelvis and dropping my legs farther apart I wondered what a whore I must look like being taking so roughly on the floor.

"My whore," he whispered in my ear grinding his pelvis into mine. "Say it, tell me you are mine."

"No," I said being stubborn, but still trying to move my hips in time with his voracious thrusts. I didn't belong to anyone, what an antiquated idea. 

Keeping a hand securely on my hip the other moved to the back of my neck and my head was roughly moved to the side. His human teeth were less sharp, but the sensation was the same and I cried out as he drove into his bite mark. It made my pussy feel like it was on fire. 

"Tell me now," he whispered suddenly still inside me, "or I stop."

With that he drove his teeth into his bite. I tried to wiggle under him. I just wanted to stop the burning ache in my pelvis, but he was too heavy and too strong.

"Yes, I am yours, just please," I begged him. 

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he commanded starting to move again.

His pace was frenzied and I hung onto his back, raking my nails across the flexing muscles. I was completely out of control, whimpering and mewling strange sounds into his shoulder. He didn't stop biting his mark until he felt me clenching around him and then I felt him grow impossibly large inside me as he howled his own release. 

As we lay panting on the floor I was glad Nate didn't decide to come in to check on us again. All too soon Joel was slipping out of me and pulling me to my feet. 

"Come and get ready, I want to take you downstairs to dinner and then I'm sure the witches will be here to check on you," he said.

There was significantly less excess between my legs this time and I was informed that had to do with whether the wolf or the man finished. He said it like that was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"What exactly to do you plan to have me wear?" I asked watching him saunter naked into his closet. I felt a weird pride when I saw angry red nail marks running down his back. 

"Your clothes would be my second choice," he laughed at me, "but nothing is an option."

"Okay and where would I get 'my' clothes?". 

Looking slightly embarrassed he opened the door next to the closet he was in. 

"You were wrong, by the way, I did check you closet, but just for sizes," he said gesturing me inside. 

Walking into the little room, I was floored. It was stocked floor to ceiling with everything a girl could need shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, shoes, even lingerie and underclothes. 

"Why were clothes brought to me last night?" I turned and asked him.

"I thought you might get nervous if you saw this last night and I wanted to be the one to show it to you," he answered sheepishly pulling a delicate silver top and filmy black skirt off their hangers and handing them to me.

"It's wonderful," I said taking the proffered clothes, "nobody's ever bought me anything like this."

"You are welcome," he called happily moving back to his own closet obviously very satisfied with himself. 

I felt a little nervous walking out of Joel's rooms for the first time. We were greeted by three men outside the door, none of whom I recognized. They all bowed their heads to my companion and two held the post, the third trailed behind us on the stairs. 

After my rush indoctrination into pack mechanics this afternoon I wondered if my need for escorts would make me look too weak in the eyes of the pack. 

"It doesn't really matter what they think about that right now, love," he said squeezing my hand as we walked down the wide staircase.

This whole one sided mental conversation thing really sucked. I was almost ready to be changed into a wolf just so I could occasionally get into his head.

I recognized the large lobby with its ornate marble floors we had come into the day before and again I heard voices but no one was there. Walking through a set of open double doors the voices stopped abruptly. I had been told the pack numbered in the hundreds, but to see it for myself was a different thing. 

The room looked like the large banquet halls I frequently went to meeting at. Sitting around the round tables were countless numbers of people. Men, women, and the small scattering of children all stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at me. I held onto my best smile and looked around trying to think of anything to calm me down. I saw Katrina in the crowd waving madly at me, so I tried to focus on her. 

"Pack members of the Latro pack, I present to you my mate, Elizabeth," Joel stated with flourish.

A cheer rose up from those assembled and I heard a significant amount of howling. 

"As you know there have already been attempts on her life," he continued. "She is strong and brave and has survived these evil deeds."

I wanted to raise an eyebrow at him and discuss his definition of strong and brave versus lucky. I kept my face a smile though, wishing I could just sink into the floor. 

"Until the ones responsible have been caught and brought to justice, she will not be free to mingle freely with you," he persisted despite obvious grumbling in the crowd.

"I would advise caution for all of you, caution for family. Please continue to be at your highest guard and do not hesitate to report strange activity to our security chief or his officers," he motioned to Nate who stood up as did several other men. 

"Tonight we celebrate and enjoy good food and family!" he finished with flourish.

We moved slowly to a table in the middle of the wall at the other end of the hall, those we passed all bowed their heads. Turning my head I noticed that after we had gone by most of them raised their noses and scented the air. Realizing everyone we walked past knew what Joel and I had just done upstairs was really embarrassing. I was blushing deeply by the time we reached our table.

The conversation at our table was pleasant. Nate was there with Shawna as were several other couples. Joel spoke quietly in my ear and reassured me throughout the meal. 

Looking up during the dinner I saw a familiar face and gasped. Lucas was sitting 3 tables away devouring everything on his plate. His table was particularly full of people and they all seemed really happy. Lucas himself was shaved and wearing a matching outfit. I tugged at Joel's arm and looked in that direction, hoping he would get the mental question. 

"He's doing much better," he answered me. "His friends and remaining family haven't left his side and the effect has been remarkable. I left his care to them and haven't interfered. I hope his good behavior continues."

As I stared, marveling at the much the giant had changed, one of the women at his table looked up and saw me. She smiled at me and bowed her head. The rest of the table saw what she was doing and did the same. Lucas watched them all and then noticed me. I felt my breath catch in my throat. 

"Elizabeth," he called out waving a massive hand in the air, "thank you," he finished and bowed his head.

Joel nudged my elbow and whispered under his breath, "Say you're welcome."

I repeated and everything seemed to stand still. Joel made a show of picking up his fork and started eating. I followed his lead and the rest of the dining room resumed normal activity after that. 

The rest of the meal passed without incident and I found myself whisked back to Joel's quarters. Already waiting for us were two elderly black women sitting in front of the fire. Images of what we had just done there danced in my mind.

"Alpha Latro, a pleasure as always," said the woman closest to us as she raised herself out of her chair stiffly.

"You have your problems back, then," said the second woman staying seated. "Never stay gone for long do they?"

Joel walked over and took both women's hands in greeting bowing slightly to them. "As always, we appreciate your input ladies."

"Althea, Davonna this is my mate Elizabeth," he continued. "She is the one that was poisoned with the same oil elixir that was used last time."

"We know this one, Alpha Latro," laughed Althea. "My granddaughter begged me to stop you from taking her," she said. "Poor girl feared you would harm the good doctor."

Joel turned to look quizzically at me. I didn't know how to explain my conversation in the clinic. 

"Some of the girls knew what you were, they warned me," I said.

I felt bad for ever thinking anything bad about these women. They deftly examined me in ways I recognized, as well as, ways I didn't. They were thorough, though. At the end I was declared healthy and not affected by the poison.

"Can you tell who made it?" Joel asked handing them the pink container.

"Seems so familiar," said Althea.

"Seems like we should know who this is," mused Davonna sniffing the bottle.

In the end they couldn't place the familiarity, but promised to continue the search after they left. The ladies walked with Joel through the bathroom and through his other rooms. Then they walked back through the rooms mumbling strange words I didn't understand. Davonna handed Joel a box full of glass vials and I saw him pay them a large amount of cash. 

"You take one vial a day, child," Davonna commanded. "It will protect you against spells and hexes. You understand?" she finished eyeing me pointedly. 

I nodded my understanding and looked at Joel who was playing with one of the small amber vials. He looked at me and smiled in a satisfied way.

I stayed in the rooms as he walked the ladies downstairs. I walked into the bathroom hesitantly. During dinner the area had been cleaned completely. No sweet smell from the soap remained and the bottle had been taken by the witches. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. Larger arms came around me as I was pulled back into Joel. 

"You move like a ghost," I said to him.

"No, I move like a wolf. Let me change you and I won't be able to sneak up so easy," he teased.

I shrugged noncommittally into his arms and felt like I should be able to give him the answer he wanted. 

"It's a big change," he whispered, "I won't rush you."



Bound to My Mate Ch. 06



Thank you again to all that have commented and voted. As long as you are reading it, I'll post it. 

****

Sunday blended quickly into Monday with a flurry of activity. I was kept very busy and in Joel's rooms. We hadn't really talked about my work schedule yet. As he left our rooms Joel had told me he had called in for me this morning. His arrogant assumption of my life really pissed me off.

Shawna came up to discuss my schedule with me about mid-morning. According to her, I would be leaving Joel's apartment only under supervision and never leaving the den. My temper burst out of control and I yelled for Joel as loudly as I could. I carried my tantrum into the hall where Shawna dragged me back from the stunned guards. 

I continued to call for the bastard at the top of my lungs as she pulled me back through the doors. A small group of women stopped with arms full of laundry and watched my outburst, but I didn't care. Once Joel arrived, Shawna bowed politely and then slipped out the large double doors smirking.

I had worked for years to get a job I could be proud of and I wasn't willing to give it up. No man was worth giving up four years of medical school and three years of residency. Danger or no, I was going back to work. 

Joel wouldn't budge on his position, I wasn't going where it wasn't safe. I was beside myself I was so angry. It soon became apparent I couldn't bully my way past him to get to the door. Instead, I screamed at him calling him every bad name I'd ever heard. When I ran out of names I ran through the list a second time.

A long time ago I'd learned the value of persistence. Apparently, Joel had too. We came to a grudging compromise eventually. I kept my job, but only a couple days a week and the pack was coming with me when I went. Joel's argument that I was in mortal peril was persuasive. 

Joel determined me going to work would require a team approach. Later in the day I met my new radiology tech and medical assistant. Both were wolves and would accompany to and from work every day. Joel also had another four wolves he wanted to just sit at the ready in the parking lot. 

Not surprisingly, Joel had an ace up his sleeve. Besides his pack members a young wolf arrived later in the week with great fanfare. He was the son of an Alpha on the other side of the country and was attending medical school. He would be spending at least a month shadowing me at the clinic. I would be 'training' him, so his following me everywhere would seem normal. 

I could see the Alpha in the young man, even with my inexperience. The boy was huge and when I talked to him he was smart. According to Joel he was the son of a trusted friend and was repaying a large favor. 

"He is the best protection I can give you without being there myself," Joel said scrutinizing the young man. 

They say money can't buy happiness, but apparently it can buy anything else. My loans were a thing of the past by Tuesday night. I spoke on the phone to my Medical Director who gushed about the generous donation made in my name to the clinic. She said she had been more than glad to hire the people the donor had asked her to and anyone else if that was needed. No mention was made of my contract which had been dissolved. I wondered how much that little change had cost Joel. 

I would be spending my remaining time at the den but that was not going to be wasted. Learning how to interact in a pack was going to take time. I was also going to be receiving a great deal of training in self defense and self preservation. Since I had not agreed to let Joel change me this education was non negotiable.

My new schedule at the clinic didn't start for several weeks, so I thought I had a vacation. That was not the case, self defense was starting immediately. Five in the morning on Wednesday I was bustled out of bed by Joel, dressed, and delivered to Shawna in the kitchen. We ate in silence as we were watched by a two imposing looking men.

The kitchen was huge and meant for mass food preparation, huge stainless appliances reminded me of the year I spent working in a restaurant. There was a casual area for eating set to the side though. It looked well used and according to Shawna it was a common place for pack members to gather and eat on off times. Food was served at regular hours in the dining hall I had sat in Sunday night. 

A couple young guys sauntered into the kitchen and eyed me curiously. From the sound of their conversation they were going out on a morning run. One of them even asked the surrounding guards if we would like to join them. I heard a snort from the guard before he told the kid to get lost. 

"Everyone just wants to know who you are," Shawna sighed. "It won't get any easier until Alpha Latro relaxes. We've been waiting a long time for him to find a mate."

"How long?" I asked. I choked on my eggs at her answer.

"He's been waiting for you for a hundred years. Sometimes it takes that long for the wolf to find a mate," she said pounding on my back. "He's been particularly difficult for the last twenty years, so I'm glad he found you finally."

After breakfast my group traveled to the pack's large and well equipped gym. It was fairly quiet, but everyone else there seemed to get a kick out of my training session. I learned to jab and evade faster than I would have thought possible. 

As we ate lunch I commented to Shawna, "I don't know how much good it would have done to be good at this. I was in the van and bound so fast the only fighting back I could have done was as a worm."

Shawna looked up and nodded, "That's why Katrina is joining us after lunch," she said. 

I groaned inwardly at getting beat up by the perky little giggle monster. She was nice enough, but I had a feeling she had an evil streak. 

"Does Katrina get to beat up on me now?" I laughed imagining the sprite springing on me.

"No," said Shawna as we walked back to the gym, "she gets to teach you how to get out of restraints. Alpha Latro doesn't want you left defenseless ever again. He wants you prepared for anything."

"How did Katrina learn to get out of handcuffs?" I asked curious.

"She was a thief," Shawna answered. "She came here to steal from the pack, almost got away with it, too."

"She had been told we were a freaky cult that worshipped the moon and would be out of the 'house' all night on full moons."

"She was caught, but saw some of the pack members change first. She was placed in one of our holding cells. Alpha Latro was called to decide her fate. He brought several Betas with him including Saul. Saul took one look and fell to his knees in front of the Alpha and begged him to spare his mate."

"Wow," I gasped.

"Katrina was terrified and thought she was being kept as Saul's slave. Saul tried to keep her in his quarters and talk to her. She convinced him she was fine with it and as soon as she could she ran. We couldn't find a lock that would hold her after that."

"She finally allowed him to mate her and was changed begrudgingly by the next full moon, but we all wondered when she was going to run next."

"Once the mate bond was full and she was a wolf she was able to understand his intentions. After that she's been devoted to him and the pack. She helps us train in, well, getting out of sticky situations."

"Why did she take him 'begrudgingly'," I asked.

Shawna shifted uncomfortably, "It's complicated. Humans that stumble upon us are given a choice: change or die. Katrina was stealing from the pack which usually would have resulted in death automatically. The fact she was Saul's mate was problematic. The Alpha decided to give her the choice of becoming a wolf."

"So when Joel found me at Lucas's cabin..." I said reality suddenly dawning on me, "He should have changed me that night?"

"No, he could have given you the same option that's given to every human that stumbles onto us. He is the pack Alpha though. The decision is his to make."

"There aren't humans here except me, because any human that didn't decide to change died..." I trailed off feeling shocked.

"Don't think of it like that. Most humans that stumble on us find their mates here, it's like they've been directed by Luna to us. It's very rare for one of you to take the option of death."

I was still digesting this new information when Katrina bustled into the gym with a large duffle bag. She was stopped by my guards who went through the contents piece by piece. The bag was full of things like handcuffs and doorknobs. I wasn't really excited about being tied up again but maybe I could at least learn to get out of them.

In preparation, I was even given a metal key to hold in my clothes in case I was ever in handcuffs again. Katrina made sure I knew how to clasp the key discretely between the sides of 2 fingers so no one could see me holding it. It scared me realizing what a drastic change my life had taken. 

That made up the rest of the week and weekend, getting beaten up aka trained by Shawna. I struggled with the moves, but enjoyed the challenge. Every afternoon I spent getting tied up by Katrina. I hated it. By the fifth day I could almost get out of handcuffs when my hands were bound in front of me. 

Katrina did not fight fair. She continually changed the game by putting my hands behind my back, blindfolding me, or licking my neck while I struggled. She was persistent and distracting to say the least. 

"You have to learn to do it sidetracked," she whispered biting my ear and flicking a nipple. The woman had absolutely no personal space issues. Despite myself I felt uncomfortably stimulated by her insistent ministrations. 

In spite of my best efforts I could not get away from Katrina most of the time. I hated being controlled like that. The more irritated I got, the more relentless she was, pushing all my buttons. "If you don't like it, figure it out," she'd say.

When I wasn't in the gym I was with the pack's healer. Initially, Joel refused to let me work with her, but I was as stubborn as him. Despite his ferocious glare I wouldn't relent in my position that I should be useful while I was in the den. 

I spent hours in the healer's quarters, with Will there to protect me of course, and learned about medicine a la wolf. I wasn't a very skilled surgeon, but adapted quickly. Sure, I knew how to set a bone and stitch a wound. The wolves, however, seemed determined to actually kill each other in fun. Under the healer's instruction I became more proficient in repairing deep abdominal injuries and fixing complicated lacerations. 

As my time with the healer wore on it became apparent the wolves weren't all coming in for treatment. One afternoon was particularly brutal. Even the healer, a notoriously patient woman, noted there was way too much traffic. Our last patient had left and we were waiting for Will to lead the next one in. 

"Wolves don't get sinus infections," I heard him say from the adjoining room. "If you want to meet the Alpha's mate, you need to talk to him."

I'd never been good at sitting in the office and letting the staff take the heat. Casually drying my hands I stepped out of the back room and into the hallway. The area was crowded. I noticed quickly some were injured but most weren't and they were all watching me. 

"If you don't really need help and are just here to be nosy, I'll tell Alpha Latro," I said flatly. In short order two-thirds of the group dispersed, the rest seemed injured. 

Will glanced at me and I could see his frustration building. I had promised to stay in the back room and I wasn't playing by my own rules. His wolf was starting to show. About half the group slunk off in reaction to his building irritation. Grinning at him I walked back in with the healer. Man, it was easy to get under his skin. 

Learning to fight was difficult. Learning to be a trauma surgeon on short order was near impossible. In addition, I felt like there was an axe hanging over my head from some unknown source, but Joel made it all worthwhile. I'd never met anyone I meshed with like him.

I talked more to Shawna and to Joel about the mate bond. I kind of understood it. Honestly, I had nothing to compare it to. I knew I felt drawn to Joel. He told me what he felt was far stronger than that. I couldn't imagine the pull being more powerful than it was. 

For me, being around Joel was like breathing. It felt natural. We talked endlessly. It felt like I had known him my entire life. The more I learned about him the more I loved him. 

We shared common interests and similar views on things. Shockingly, we could talk politics and religion without offending each other. I thought that was an awesome accomplishment.

Joel had been just as hard a worker as I had been all his life. I introduced him to late night television and pizza, a habit from night call in residency. He got a huge kick out of the raunchy cartoons that come on at two in the morning. When he didn't have to be anywhere too early we'd sit on the couch talking and laughing late into the night. 

We spent time everywhere in the den together on his off time. When I was with him, he introduced me to everyone. I could meet twenty new people walking to dinner. His pack lined the hallways where ever we were going just to get a handshake and a sniff. 

Joel would even take me to the gym while he worked out. He wasn't much for free weights or the exercise machines. The Alpha liked fighting. I soon learned his idea of exercise was pummeling his Betas. They took him on three at a time and he still bested them. Wolves are weird creatures. They never won when they fought him, but it never did stop them from volunteering. 

Shawna often came and sat with me as I watched Joel. She was watching Nate, who was usually getting the tar beat out of him. She didn't flinch or make much noise. Shawna told me she knew the Alpha would never intentionally hurt her mate. Having patched up Nate on at least one occasion, I was silently glad Joel never wanted to fight with me. When he was really getting into the battle I felt a little afraid of him. 

"I would never harm you," the soft voice came from directly in front of me. I had forgotten he could hear me when I concentrated. Joel had climbed out of the ring leaving his confused Betas to spar without him. 

"I've had enough of this for tonight," he said pulling me to follow him. "I say we go do something else."

"Joel, you are welcome to fight. I know you like it," I said embarrassed. How I wished he couldn't hear my internal monologue. 

"Let me pamper you tonight. I'll show you how gentle I can be," he said quietly as we went up the stairs. I followed him willingly, if not a little confused. 

As he stripped off my clothes he pushed me toward the bedroom. "You know, I've never really taken the time to get to know you," he said grinning. 

"How exactly do you plan on getting to know me?" I asked as I backed into the bed. 

"Your fingers," he said licking and sucking each one in turn, "I've never gotten to know them."

My knees got weak and I sat down heavily. I watched him slowly make his way up my arm. All his attention was getting me really excited. I giggled as he kissed a ticklish spot on my elbow, "Come on, let me explore you," I begged him.

"Not done yet," he growled playfully, "I've waited a lot longer and it was my idea."

Realizing I wouldn't win that argument I laid back in the bed and let him have his way. He kissed and licked everywhere, including my armpits. I tried to argue that wasn't necessary. He said it just smelled strongly of me. He enjoyed my breasts, but only briefly. Moving down my stomach he virtually made love to my belly button.

Joel continued to take his time. My body became his treasure map, he found every spot that made me squirm with desire for him. To make matters worse he was full of questions. How old was I when they took out my appendix? How did I get the scar on my left knee? It was endless.

Deciding he was giving the front too much attention, rolled me over on the bed. He licked along my spine and then rubbed out all the tight places Shawna's training had put there. He gave the backs of my legs the same generous treatment all the way down to my feet. Lazy flicks of his tongue across the arch of my foot almost drove me out of my mind. 

"Please," I begged him rolling over, "I can't wait anymore, you're killing me!"

"I was ready for you a hundred years ago, love. I think you deserve a little torment for making me wait so long."

Running his tongue in lazy circles up the inside of my thighs he continued to tease. Finally he reached my center, spreading my legs as wide as they would go and burying his face in my heat. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. His tongue was everywhere.

I arched my back and spread my arms on the bed. Raising over me he admired the flush he had caused. 

"You are mine," he whispered running a hand over my belly. "One day you will bear my young."

"Yes, Joel, I am yours. Now please come take me," I begged him. I had forgotten about getting pregnant, it didn't seem to be a bad thing anymore. 

"You are defenseless before my powers, mate," he teased settling over me. 

"Mm-hmm," I agreed as he slid inside of me. 

He was warm and loving, cradling my face and spreading kisses across my cheeks. I couldn't get enough of his gentle rocking and tried to push him to speed up. 

"More," I moaned as he slowed his pace even further.

"You have no patience, love. Learn to enjoy the build up. It makes the end so much more enjoyable," he whispered in my ear.

Pulling himself out slightly he leaned down and licked at my nipples, nibbling his way back up to my lips. 

As he started to move inside of me again, I sighed. There really was no way not to enjoy the delicious way he melded with me. Sliding my legs up I wrapped them around him and held him close. Each time he slid into me he rubbed my center with agonizing precision. I used my legs to pull him to me and grind a second longer.

He looked into my eyes and smiled at me. "So impatient," he said as he stopped thrusting and just held me tight and allowed me to grind my ready flesh on him. I was so close for so long the orgasm came out of nowhere.

The fire started in my belly and spread to the tips of my toes. I might have screamed. It felt like I was having contractions around his shaft. I was limp in his arms and then I remembered he wasn't done. 

When he started to move again, I jerked and trembled with every thrust as tiny aftershocks rocked me. Every time one hit I clawed at what ever piece of his back I was grabbing onto. His laughter cut through the sexual haze. 

"What's so funny?" I asked feeling my hips jerk as another wave shot through me. 

"The marks you are so insistent to leave on my back, love. They have become quite fashionable."

The look on my face must have explained my confusion, because he sighed and continued.

"The women have started marking their men this way. Of course it heals quickly, but no one seems to mind repeating the process. You are quite the little trendsetter," he finished picking up his pace. 

I tried to focus on what he had said, but he made it difficult. His hips started the relentless motion I had been craving earlier. He was done playing with me now, grunting and thrusting hard. 

There was nothing else to concentrate on when I felt him start to swell inside of me. Those tiny aftershocks started to run together until I was screaming his name. He was a tight fit anyway, but with the orgasm he felt unbearably large. I wanted more, I wanted less; I couldn't decide. 

Joel was breathing hard and hot on my neck, as close to me as he could get. Pushing past my convulsing tissue he grabbed my hips in a vice and held me as he unloaded. I tried to move and he growled at me pressing in farther.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 06



I lay still panting as his grip relaxed. 

"See," he chuckled in my ear, "it's better when you don't rush it."

I had to completely agree with him and as it was to turn out, that was a feat. 



Bound to My Mate Ch. 07



Thank you all again for the comments and voting. Please continue to let me know what you think! Enjoy - DW



Generally, life was good. I loved living in the den and there weren't anymore death threats. Joel relaxed the slightest and my pool of friends got a little larger. I met Jasmine who was newly pregnant and Sophia. Both women were Betas and started going to the gym to train with me. 

Jasmine was never part of the action, due to her condition, but she loved to scream instructions at me from the sidelines. As though fighting Shawna wasn't difficult enough, I now had my own cheerleader. My guards had lightened up some and laughed at the show we put on. 

When all the noise stopped I knew Joel was close. Nobody messed around when the boss was near. That was usually the only warning I got that he was watching me. I tried to pay attention, but was frequently distracted by Shawna. 

"You keep dropping your guard on your left side, love," he whispered into my ear one day causing me to jump into Shawna's arms. I hadn't heard him behind me and hadn't realized the gym had gone silent. 

"Could you at least give me a hint when you're sneaking up?" I asked grabbing my chest and panting. 

"That was a quite a scare with the big bad wolf right behind you. Could I make it up to you by taking you to lunch at The Club?" he asked.

I was thrilled. I hadn't left the den in forever. Jumping up and down like a ten year old, I hugged him before racing out of the gym.

"Have to change!" I called back expecting him to be back where I left him. 

His face was just over my right shoulder and I nearly tripped on my own feet. He caught me and pushed me up against a wall in the hall leading out of the gym. My heart crashed into my chest a second time as I looked up into his feral gaze. 

"Seriously," I managed to choke out before his lips crushed mine.

"Never, ever run from a wolf," he growled out. "I love the chase and I adore catching you."

His lips never left mine and his hands were everywhere. Except for the part about being in a hallway where his entire pack could walk by, it reminded me of Luna Ferus. Unfortunately this time I hadn't eaten half a steak and was ravenously hungry. My stomach growled menacingly and he laughed against my throat. 

"Perhaps we'll have to see what happens when you run from me after you've eaten," he laughed pulling me toward our suites. 

Getting out of the den was wonderful. Of course, thanks to my recent death threats we didn't go alone. Joel had several of his Betas follow along behind us in a different vehicle. He drove and I rode beside him. 

"Tell me about your family," I said to him as we sped through the forest.

"It is big and quite diverse, but overall very loyal," he laughed reaching over and squeezing my hand. 

"Tell me about your mother and your father," I amended. I forgot family to Joel was every member of his pack. He knew them all by name and at a least a little something about everyone. 

"My father was a good wolf. He took care of the family. The coup that Linda and her friends tried destroyed him. My mother, his mate, was one of the few the poison had a chance to affect," he said.

"Linda killed your mother?" I whispered shocked. Joel had never told me that.

"The oil elixir she mixed in the soap was unknown to us then. Linda and her friends told my mother it was a new scent, one that would make her mate wild. My mother loved my father and wanted to surprise him. My father found my mother dead in their bed surrounded by rose petals, she had planned a special night for him..." Joel's voice faded off.

"I'm so sorry," I said stroking his hand. 

"It's been a long time since I've talked about it. No one in the pack talks about it anymore. I never realized what he had lost until I met you," Joel said. His voice was thick with emotion. 

I wasn't sure what to say to him. I just held his hand and watched the forest fade into the outskirts of town. Joel must not have wanted to dwell.

"We could do something fun after lunch. What do you want to do?" he asked me trying to sound brighter. 

"You'll laugh at me," I told him blushing.

"I swear not to laugh," he said holding back a smile. I figured he already seen what was in my head.

"Liking Mini-golf is not a crime," I said crossing my arms. "It just so happens to be the only form of golf I am any good at. We don't have to do it. I'm not sure what your Betas would do while we play."

"I imagine they will find something," he said.

So that's what we did. We went to lunch at The Club and then went to the putt-putt place in the touristy part of town. Instead of leaving Joel's Betas were instructed to play as a foursome and follow us. 

I quickly learned were wolves don't typically play Mini-golf. The first hole, it took Joel a good eight strokes to get the ball into the cup. He swung much too hard. I tried not to laugh, his pack was watching. I was attempting to be dignified about it. It would probably be disrespectful to find humor in his lack of ability.

"From what I have heard about golf," he said batting the little orange ball into the bushes, "this is funny. You are most certainly allowed to laugh at me. I plan on laughing at my Betas when they try." 

His next hit landed him in the fake sand trap and I couldn't help it. His frustration was amusing. I only giggled at first and tried to help him. I gave him what I considered good tips. The harder he tried though the more likely the ball landed in entirely the wrong spot. My advice turned out to be less than helpful most of the time. 

"Don't ever go into teaching sports," he told me as we moved to the last green. 

I laughed out loud and so did he; I really couldn't help it. I had had a wonderful time. 

Unfortunately, we weren't always that agreeable with one another. Joel and I had a huge stumbling block in our relationship, mainly my refusal to change into a were wolf. He pestered me about it a little every day. It came to head one morning after Shawna had finished with me in the gym. 

I was supposed to be headed upstairs, but I had to use the restroom badly. Anthony and a guy named Isaac were my assigned guards for the day. They delivered me to a public bathroom on the first floor. As I walked inside the restroom Anthony followed me in. 

"Oh no, buddy," I warned him, "you can just wait outside. I'll be done in a minute."

"The Alpha told us not to leave you alone for a moment," he told me furrowing his brow. 

"Wait outside and let me pee," I shot back at him looking under the four stalls that were present. "Nobody here but me and I am demanding you leave me by myself. I won't be alone, you'll be right outside; just don't let anyone in."

Anthony backed reluctantly out and I went into one of the little stalls. This was ridiculous, I was thinking to myself. What exactly did Anthony think was going to happen? Was a ninja going to pop out the air grate and attack me? I was in the den for heaven's sake. 

A thud got my attention and then the bathroom door banged open. I was just pulling up my pants as Joel nearly jerked the stall off it's hinges. His eyes were glowing bright gold as he looked down at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him very alarmed. 

"Why did you come in here alone?" he asked me ignoring my question. "I sensed your thoughts about how glad you were your guard had not come with you. They are with you to protect you. You are not a wolf, you cannot protect yourself from wolves. You cannot be alone unless you are in our suites."

He had that stern Alpha face on. The one that clearly said not to argue with him. His demands were unreasonable though.

"I am a human. I like to go to the bathroom alone. There isn't anyone else in here. I fail to see the emergency that dragged you out of whatever business you were attending to," I replied to him, my voice getting louder by the sentence. 

"Yes, you are human and therefore vulnerable. If you were a wolf I would not fear for you like this. My pack members have attacked you twice and nearly succeeded twice in killing you. If you won't allow me to change you, then you will accept every protection I provide for you," he said getting a little louder himself.

The argument, in my mind, was no longer about me going somewhere alone. It was back to our standing disagreement about me becoming a were wolf. 

"You have no idea what you are asking me to do," I yelled at him totally forgetting where we were. "How would you feel if I asked you to become a human? Just give up everything you've ever known and become something else. It is a terrifying proposition."

"I have asked you to give up almost nothing," he growled back at me. "I give you all that you need and more than you know you need. There is nothing in this change for you to fear. I will take care of you, just like I have since I met you."

"Nothing to fear?!" I screamed at him. "You turn into a giant beast. How am I not supposed to be afraid of that? You look like you're ready to rip me and this room to pieces right now. Why would I choose to become like that?" I asked. His clothes had started to look way too tight and his teeth were showing a little.

Dropping his head he paced away from me and let the door swing closed. It hung funny because he had torn the hinges. I stood quietly for a moment and composed myself. I realized our shouting had probably been heard by anyone passing near the gym. This conversation should have been private. 

I stepped out of the bathroom stall and Joel was leaning on a far wall breathing deeply. His shirt looked loose again. Approaching him slowly I put on a hand on his back. He turned to face me and he looked tormented. 

"I have to go back to work," he said flatly. "Please stay with Anthony and Isaac, they will take you to our suites. I will see you tonight." 

That said, he left the bathroom and didn't return. I splashed my face with water to cool it down and followed him out. 

Outside the bathroom was a herd of pack members watching the door. My guards both had huge bruises across their faces. From the angry looks the pack gave me as I headed upstairs, they had definitely heard our conversation. It was embarrassing, but what I had said was the truth. 

I stayed in Joel's suites for the rest of the day. Katrina came up and practiced unlocking deadbolts with me. Even she was subdued, which was a disheartening change. 

"So I guess everyone heard us in the bathroom today," I finally said as I played absently with a lock in front of me.

"Yes, now everyone knows why there isn't a changing ceremony planned," she said.

"You understand, don't you?" I pleaded with her. "You didn't want to change either. It wasn't like you had a choice in the matter."

"It has been almost forty years since I felt like that," she admitted. "I never had much of a family, not like I have now. I can't imagine not being what I am and being part of this," she said motioning around us and continuing.

"The pack is offended. They feel you are intentionally hurting the Alpha. They love him. He provides for us and keeps us safe. He has kept you safe. They don't understand why he is drawn to you, some think it may be a mistake," she said gathering up her things. 

I sat in silence as she left. For my part, I actually understood how the pack felt, they were protecting their family member. The situation was more complicated than me wanting to hurt Joel. I hadn't been raised to believe in were wolves, becoming one was never even considered. The turn of events over the last several weeks had turned my world on its ear. 

When Joel came back into our suites later that night I was sitting and staring into the fire. He sat across from me and laid his head in his hands. It took a while for him to say anything and when he did it was quietly. 

"Tell me what you are afraid of," he said. 

"I don't want to lose myself," I told him. 

"You will still be you. Every human I've ever known to be changed was like themselves after the transition. You won't lose your likes or dislikes. However, you will find your more animal half. Intense emotions can trigger the more animal half to show itself as a form of protection. The longer you are a wolf the better control you should have. In certain instances, even the best of us have lapses," he said watching me.

"Your family doesn't think I am good enough for you," I said bluntly. 

"My family doesn't make this decision for me and, for my part, I see your point. I don't know what I'd do if you told me to change myself that much for you. It would be like losing part of myself. The wolf is not a bad thing; it is not evil," he said sitting back a little.

"Your wolf is aggressive," I told him. "The creatures that took me to Lucas' cabin were horrible. Lucas could have killed me when I just said your name to him. The idea of being like that terrifies me."

"You will probably find you enjoy aggression more after the change, that is true. You will be stronger as a wolf, more able to fend for yourself, but I understand your fear. I won't force you to change and the pack has no say in this matter," Joel said. 

I walked across the room and curled into his lap. Joel just held me while stroking my back. I appreciated his understanding my fear. It meant a lot to me. As we sat there watching the fire I thought about how important Joel had become to me. The silence was comforting for now and that seemed like a conversation for another day.  

The beginning of the next week felt like the last part of the week before, but soon it was Wednesday and I got to go to work. I drifted into my enormous closet to pick out something business casual that covered Joel's bite mark and Shawna's bruises. There was no way to explain this new life to my work friends. 

I touched Joel's bite mark and wondered about it. The rest of his bites healed within a few hours, only this one stayed.

"It's my mark," he called from the bathroom. "It will never fade, that was the intention I had when I made it. I heal my other love bites after I make them."

I shrugged at this new information and started to worry how my coworkers would think of me jumping ship. I was sure it was a strain on them rescheduling patients. I was little nervous about my reception. 

"You will give yourself wrinkles worrying so much," said Joel as he emerged like a statue of a Greek god wrapped in a towel.

"I hired someone to fill in for you, so no love lost between you and the witch's kin," he said flinching slightly over the last of the statement. 

Despite business dealings with certain witches he was a little uneasy about them as a whole. Some would obviously make or sell anything, despite knowing what their magic could do. The pack's prior problems and more recent reminder of it left him distrustful of witches and their motives. "Money is all that matters to some of them," he had stated simply when we discussed it. 

"Do I get to drive myself?" I asked, but already knowing the answer.

"No," he said patting my bottom in a mock spanking, "I've heard enough about your driving. Will does all the driving to and from your job. In the clinic you stay with Will, Robert, and Seth."

Surprisingly, I was a little upset not to be hitting the gym with Shawna. I had gotten good at self defense and she was teaching me more complicated offensive moves. Katrina said my ability to fight was proof of the wolf's ability to pick a mate. 

"As Madam Alpha you should be able to protect the weaker wolves," she said one afternoon as I struggled with a padlock. "Hopefully we won't always be pulling you out of near death situations!" I had rolled my eyes at the time. Before I met the wolves I'd never had any near death experiences.

I was jerked back to the present as the Alpha boomed orders at me as we walked down the stairs. 

"Will goes in every room with you and should never leave your side. If he has other ideas about his job I want to hear about it. You will not go anywhere with anyone else unaccompanied. Do not drink or eat anything you didn't bring from the den," Joel commanded.

"Right, right," I muttered patting my pockets for my cell phone.

Joel just continued the speech I'd already heard three times already. "Pay attention to your surroundings. If something seems wrong it probably is. Don't hesitate to call in the cavalry. They won't be angry with you for false alarms, but I will be furious if something gets missed," he said.

I nodded mutely, but was still trying to remember where I had put my phone. Joel studied me for a minute; I assumed trying to think of more commands.

"Just please take care of yourself," he sighed handing the little flip phone to me.

"Don't worry," I said to him rising up on tiptoe to kiss his lips, "I'll be careful. I'd prefer not to end up trussed and beaten again."

I saw my daily guard all standing around the door waiting for me. Four large men that would wait all day outside and three to work inside with me. Joel drew my attention back to him. 

"One last thing," he said sternly as we walked out to he waiting cars, "I know you are working with witch's kin and they are your friends, but the pack comes first. 

"Pack secrets are closely guarded to ensure our safety. The witches know some of our traditions, but what they don't know isn't their business. Even if they seem to know something, don't ever admit to anything with them. I would prefer they know as little about what is really going on as possible. And, of course, I love you."

"I understand, you too," I answered him as I crawled into the SUV with Will and shut the door. 

Joel looked a little surprised as we drove away. I didn't really realize what he had said until we pulled out. 'You, too' isn't really the answer you should give someone the first time they tell you they love you. I wished I'd answered him differently. 

I could admit it to myself; I loved him, too. Saying it to his face would be a big step for me. I'd never told anyone outside my family I loved them. He'd been brave enough to do it and I'd blown him off. That made me feel awful. 

We drove in silence for a while as the forest flew by. Apparently, the wolves better reflexes gave them the right to drive faster than I usually did. My little convoy was zipping around the turns in the forest at speeds even I'd be a little hesitant about. 

'My convoy,' I thought, 'for me to even go to work it took a convoy.'

I was soon wondering if I hadn't missed the boat on demanding this much special treatment. It was evident I was being treated like royalty even for royalty. I had seven wolves at my beck and call all day; their only goal was to protect me. 

It was disheartening. I worked with Shawna every day. For a human female she told me I was very good at fighting. However, I was still puny as kitten compared to the weakest wolf.

The pack recognized my weakness for what it was and I heard them talk about it, mainly in the gym. They wondered if I was too frail to survive the transformation. Some of them assumed that was Joel's reasoning, but they had never known a human to be that delicate. Overall, I was weak and whiny; the pack wasn't sure what their leader saw in me.

I stared mournfully out the window and felt sorry for myself. I couldn't even get the courage to tell Joel I loved him. Maybe they were right, maybe I wasn't good enough for him. 

"So," Will broke me out of my depressing reverie, "what are you going to tell people about where you've been?" he asked.

"Family emergency maybe," I mused.

"I thought most of your family was dead," he said bluntly. "Those types of people don't have emergencies."

"My father's still alive, drunk in his trailer most of the time, but alive down in South Florida. I could tell them something happened with him," I said.

"What are you going to tell them about the bruises?" he asked pointing to several fading marks on my right wrist and knuckles. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 07



Shawna's determination to see me able to fight back had left me looking a little worse for the wear. 

"I got in a fight," I said examining my hands.

"That's not entirely believable. You're don't really strike me as a fighter. Tell them you and the drunken father were driving somewhere and had an accident, that's more realistic," he stated.

I nodded and went back to my earlier musings. Plainly, Will shared the pack's view of me. 

We arrived to the clinic and parked. Seth and Robert heartily greeted several other people walking into the building. I had forgotten they had all been at working here for several weeks. Madonna, my old medical assistant, approached and threw her arms around me. I saw three sets of eyes turn yellow at the movement and the four in the Suburban started to get out. 

"Oh - My - God, what happened to you?" she gushed as I tried to give everyone an 'it's okay' look. "I mean like one minute you are here, then you've quit, and then you're back part time. You have missed so much!" she finished as she pulled me toward the building. "And your hands, have you been fighting with someone or what?" she asked catching my wrist and examining it. 

I launched into my lie and she bought it as did everyone else I told it to. 

Almost everybody at the clinic was friendly and congenial with me like before. The only people that wouldn't come anywhere near me were the three that had warned me about wolves in the first place. I saw them shudder every time Robert, Seth, or Will passed by them. 

"Under no circumstances," Will said when I told him I needed to talk to the women alone. "You will not endanger yourself at all on my watch. If you want to talk to them alone then ask Madonna for their phone numbers and call them tonight," he coyly offered as a compromise. 

I did call the women that night. The conversations were short and the women seemed to relax over the phone. Only Ryana got nosy about anything specific. 

"So he's mated you then, I saw the bite mark when you leaned over, all right" she said. "You have the mate bond?"

Remembering my instructions I gave what I hoped wasn't too much information while still keeping the conversation going.

"It doesn't work because I'm human," I answered her.

"Well, that's a shame. I'd heard with the bond mates could communicate telepathically," she said.

"Nope, doesn't work when you're human," I repeated praying she'd stop asking for details if I couldn't provide any. "I don't really understand all this wolf stuff, yet," I lied. 

"Yeah, I heard they don't change humans that often. Is he going to change you?" she asked. It had completely escaped me how nosy this woman really was.

"Not yet, we're still talking about it," I told her.

"They do it on the full moon is what Gran told me, big ceremony and all. The moon is very important to the wolves," she said, "they derive power from it."

"I am so unsure," I told her. "You could be right, I just don't know."

"Well, I'm just glad you found someone," she said sighing. "Me, I'm still looking. I noticed those four waiting in the parking lot. They are definitely worth looking at, especially the tall one. What's his name?"

I was embarrassed I didn't know the names of my guard. They didn't ride with me or talk to me. 

"Well, I might just have to introduce myself to them," she laughed. "If you say the wolves aren't all bad, it might just be time to make some new friends. 

As I hung up the phone I was glad not only that I had reconnected with my friends at work, but maybe they'd gotten over some of their prejudices. 

The next week fell into sort of a routine. Work at the clinic was a fun distraction from pack life, but I felt the tension from Joel every time I left the den. He was really not comfortable, but he let me go. I tried to reassure him because I felt exceptionally well guarded. Will, Robert, and Seth all managed to do their jobs at the clinic, yet surrounded me all day long. 

I didn't tell Joel but I was quickly realizing my life would never be the same again. I could go to work and be a doctor a couple days a week, but knowing what else was out there made the job almost impossible. The idea of someone being cursed to death didn't seem so outrageous and I started to doubt my training. 

As my human life got more jumbled, I was comfortable and relaxed at home with the pack. Shawna, Katrina, Sophia, and Jasmine were my constant companions. I spent hours with them in the gym or in the spacious apartment laughing and talking. I'd never had girlfriends I just hung out with like this.

"Are you afraid of us?" Sophia asked coyly one day as she braided my hair. 

"Are you planning to do something horrible with my hair?" I asked her, not really sure where this was going.

"No, of course not, but there's this rumor you don't want to be like us because you're afraid is all," she said.

"That really isn't any of your business," Shawna said moving restlessly on the couch beside us. 

"I'm not afraid of you four, but I am afraid to change. It just seems like it is normal for were wolves to be out of control and violent," I told them.

"Well, the Alpha is really stressed over the problems with the pack, so his wolf is probably really close to the surface these days," Jasmine mused. "We've never been that way with you and you spend tons of time with us."

"Okay, ladies," Shawna said sternly, "completely inappropriate to be discussing in their quarters and with his mate."

"I'm not offended, Shawna," I told her, "and I know the pack thinks I'm a big wimp. Just give me a little time, it is a lot to wrap my brain around."

"It would just be nice if we could go run together. He'd let you out to play more with us if he wasn't so scared you were going to be killed," Katrina said and rapidly bowed her head to Shawna's hard stare. 

I tried to talk to them more about it, but Shawna had effectively shut them down. There were just certain things I assumed they weren't supposed to discuss with me. That was really a surprise, the wolves were usually very open. 

Truth be told, I did understand Joel's strain. He spent long hours working and came back to me every night brooding. He was baseline upset and never did completely get relaxed. 

The pack was a large extended family; they protected each other and trusted one another. He loved the pack members deeply and would willing fight to protect them. Yet, it was most certainly pack members that had taken me. In fact, he knew which wolves were involved but he couldn't find them. 

He had sent teams every where the group was known to hang out and they were nowhere. Their involvement didn't surprise him; the five young wolves were troubled. Stories abounded of their abuse of those that were weaker than them. I shuddered thinking how lucky I was they didn't tear me to pieces. 

The five rogues weren't really bright. The idea they had managed to keep themselves hidden was not entertained. Someone much smarter was mixed up with this and it went deeper than a couple violent degenerates. With this in mind pack security was at a high point and Joel's job was more than full time. He made time for me early in the morning or late at night, but I felt the stress coming from him.

Frequently after dinner we went on walks through the forest. Sometimes Joel went as a large black wolf other times he walked along with me in human form. He told me about all the wonderful places we could go if I could shift with him. He had spent years navigating the forest and knew the entirety of it like the back of his hand. I enjoyed hearing him talk about it, it seemed to relax him. 

"I would love to run with you through these woods as a wolf," Joel told me. "There is so much out here the human senses just don't pick up."

I still just wasn't sure what to say to him. The idea of becoming a werewolf was terrifying. I was still desperately trying to hang on to being human for just a little while longer.

Despite my absence at work I was welcomed back wholly. The second week they even invited me to a lunch hour bridal shower for one of the Medical Assistants. I enjoyed going to the store and picking something out. I was so glad they had thought to have the party on a day I would be there.

The day of the party we decorated the break room festively before work. The head nurse arranged to have a drug representative volunteer to bring the food. When the cake arrived at noon time it was a real party atmosphere. 

I walked towards the sounds of the party and left my food from the den on my desk. I'd seen the party food come in, along with some homemade specialties. I was not going to miss out. Will walked beside me looking highly disgruntled. He wasn't happy about my decision. 

"He is the pack leader and your mate," Will hissed at me quietly. "He will not take well to you ignoring his direct orders. The Alpha here is not known for his leniency of rule breakers. My father made a point to explain that to me before I left home, he does not tolerate disrespect from anyone."

I rolled my eyes at him. "He doesn't own me, Will. You have some weird ideas about how relationships work."

"You aren't even trying to understand this," Will shot back at me as two of the front office staff careened past us toward the party.

We made it to the door of the break room without further incident, but were stopped by a laughing Bea. 

"No boys allowed at a bridal shower!" she said crossing her arms across her chest. 

Will looked hard at me, but didn't openly protest. The room was full of laughing women from the clinic, it hardly looked dangerous. I turned my back to Will and walked casually inside. Will's attitude was really starting to chafe. I hoped he would cool off during lunch.  

Food and drink was magnanimously delivered to the men left to fend for themselves in the clinic. Ryana ran back in laughing after the delivery, 'At the least they didn't get pissy with her' I thought. The wolves did like good eats and the party food was excellent. 

The presents ranged the gamut from useful to hilarious. The room was in a constant state of giggles from all the gag gifts. In the middle of unwrapping her third sex toy the bride - to - be slumped into her chair. All around me the women slumped down into their chairs. I gasped and ran to the closest woman feeling the steady thrum of her pulse under my fingers. I moved to feel Bea's pulse and a gun appeared in front of me. I looked up into Ryana's cold stare.

"Come," she commanded pushing me toward the emergency exit at the back of the clinic. 

I went willingly just long enough for her to relax. With a quick move I turned and pulled the gun away from her. I restrained her and called out for help. She struggled but I had her in an iron grip. 

The emergency door was yanked open and figure converged on us. He moved with lightening speed and backhanded me across my face. I literally saw stars for a moment. The gun fell uselessly to the floor and Ryana jerked herself away. Before I could regain my balance a large clawed hand grabbed me around the neck and flung me against the nearest wall. My head cracked painfully against the plaster and I was disoriented.  

My bearings came back to me slowly as I was deposited and bound inside a van. It had been waiting with the motor running just outside the door. My senses were so jumbled from the series of hits I wasn't sure which direction we started moving. 

Finally regaining some sense of balance I looked around. Five men in hoodies sat in the van with Ryana. They were still celebrating the victory over me. Their voices were eerily familiar. 

"Don't forget she keeps a phone in her pocket," a voice in the back said. A chill ran straight up my spine and I knew these were the wolves that had me the first time. 

Ryana found my phone and threw it outside the moving van. 

"What about the mate bond?" one of the wolves from the front seat asked.

"It's there, all right, just like we need it to be," Ryana answered him, "but it doesn't work right because she's human."

I prayed the degenerates had never paid enough attention to know that wasn't true and I wasn't disappointed.

"Stupid Latro, taking a human for a mate," spat out one of my captors. 

"I'll say," snorted Ryana, "when I'm done he'll be taking me for a mate. A witch is obviously better suited than a simple human to be a werewolf king's mate."

I gasped a little at that and tried to concentrate on the scenery whizzing by the van's window. I knew if I thought about it enough Joel would get my message and see where they were taking me.

"You want to be his mate?" I asked incredulously

"I couldn't care less about being his mate. What I want is access to the Latro fortunes and as an Alpha, I'll have everything I want. I won't be one of those meek little witches boiling up curses and getting paid in chickens!"

"How does taking me get you any closer to that?" I asked.

"Easy, stupid human, I'll just move your bond to me. He'll be loyal to me even as he watches me kill you!" She laughed and continued, "I have to admit I was furious when he started following you around like a bitch in heat. At first I thought him finally choosing a mate would ruin things for me, you know."

"Using one of Gran's old spell books I learned I could move the bond once it was intact as long as you weren't a wolf. I just had to get to you before he changed you at the full moon. Lucky me your little bodyguards liked my punch, even those stupid ones outside," she finished triumphantly.

Her interest in getting to know my guard took on a whole new meaning and I cringed. My guard wasn't coming to my rescue. I steeled myself, I was going to have to fight my way out of this mess. I stared out the window and calmed my breathing. 

Ryana noticed my attention to our surroundings.

"Oh, don't worry about where you are going, all right," she said. "You'll never find your way back. Not that the sweet little doctor will have much left of her when I finish. Extracting something as powerful as the mate bond will probably destroy you," her grin was manic and her eyes were alight with powerful evil.

"You'll knock that stupid Latro off his high horse," one of the men from the back snorted. "Once you get rid of him and take Tabor as your Alpha male, we'll all be set."

They continued to talk about their plans for the pack once they got control of it. I got nauseated listening to them. They were planning to kill off the Alpha and most of the Betas, they would control the rest with magic. The entire plan sounded sick and wrong. 

As we drove I saw less buildings and more trees. They had kept me on the floor, so all I could see were the tops of things passing outside the van windows. I could tell we were leaving the populated area and driving back toward the forest. At least that was the right direction to be traveling.

I tried to act as scared as I could, while still keeping my head cool. Keeping an eye on the scenery whizzing by I hoped what I was seeing was helpful for Joel. I had already moved the small metal key out of the back of my belt and into my right hand. I could be stripped at any time and I wanted to have my get of jail free card ready to use. If they left me anywhere I could get out I would. 

"When do we do the ceremony?" asked a familiar voice from the front of the van.

"Midnight, I have set up the circle already outside the cabin," Ryana answered.

"Are you using Kook's cabin?" another voice behind me asked.

"You'll know where we're going when we get there all right!" she spat out. 

We traveled in silence most of the rest of the way. It took forever. I tried to concentrate on what I was seeing outside, the rock faces were getting steeper and redder. My ears kept popping, so I assumed we were climbing. At one point I saw the trees all turned brown and the trunks were a shiny black, likely from a fire. Soon after we pulled off the main road. I bounced uncomfortably around on the metal floor of the van and prayed we would be some place I recognized. 

Once the van stopped I was roughly pulled to my feet and walked up to a dilapidated cabin with a faded green door nestled in a thick stand of trees. The wind whipped us hard and I knew we were definitely higher up than we had been in town. The surrounding area just looked like forest to me though. 

I was thrust none to kindly into a small room at the back of the cabin. It was empty and dirty. The only other exit, a window, had bars over it. 

"After this we get to keep you, bitch," my captor spat out while twisting a nipple painfully. I whimpered a little and dropped my gaze submissively. The wolf seemed pleased with himself and sauntered out. I heard the lock click on the door from the other side.

'My training in all things wolf was paying off,' I thought warily. Now hopefully my survival training would be just as good. 

I waited until I heard the howling fading outside and figured the dogs had gone for a run. I was able to see out the window and saw the van still sitting outside. Ryana was taking boxes of things out of the van and moving them around the other side of the house. Soon she came back and closed the door to the van having unloaded its contents. 

I worked the handcuffs on my wrist like a pro while watching Ryana, after I saw her move around the side of the house for the last time I started to work on the door lock. It was the simple kind used in houses, so I didn't have much trouble with it. The house was quiet, I looked under the door and the main room seemed empty of people and wolves. 

Slipping quietly out of my small room I jolted to see Ryana outside of a window on the other side of the house. She was setting things up for what I assumed was her ritual. As I crept out the front door she came around the corner of the building and saw me.

There was no pause, I jumped her and started to punch. I remembered the gun and knew I had to dispatch her quickly. She tried to block me, but I was faster and stronger. I heard bone crunch as I hit her nose and she fell back to the ground unmoving.  

A faint howl sounded in the distance and I jumped up grabbing the gun from Ryana's waistband. I was no match for werewolves, especially five of them. I'd take any help I could get. 

I had to get out of here fast. Rifling through Ryana's pockets I realized the keys to the van weren't on her. Checking the van I was disappointed they weren't there either. Another mournful howl, this one closer, got me to my feet and moving away from the cabin. 

I had decided running to the road seemed my best chance. I was hardly well equipped to travel in the forest in dress clothes. I moved quickly from the house and went toward the tire tracks. They led into the trees and to the bumpy gravel road we came up on. I figured the dogs would stray away from the paved roads for their run and I had the best chance of being picked up this way. 

My legs and chest were burning as I made it to the main highway. The sun was starting to set and the area was getting colder. I moved quickly along the road looking for something to give me a sense of direction. The highway looked deserted. There wasn't a car or a sign in sight. 

In the distance I heard a horn start to go off frantically. I assumed Ryana was calling back her dogs. It struck me that I probably should have tied her up, but I quickly lost that thought. 

Unnerved, I continued to run along the road and was soon running along the edge of a hill that dropped off sharply into a deep ravine. Thinking quickly, I took off my outer shirt and tied it tightly around a large rock at the edge of the road. I sat on the road and slid in the direction of the drop off leaving an imprint and my scent. Pushing with all my might I launched the bolder and my shirt down toward the valley floor. I took off as I heard it start to crash down.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 07



As I started off again I was hoping my ploy would buy me a few more minutes from the dogs. A werewolf's nose was sharp and they may not even fall for my stunt, I just prayed they did. 

Rounding a corner I looked up and the setting sun had cast the oddest shadow on the steep rock wall above me. It almost looked like something moved. I jumped off the road and just started running wildly into the forest. 

Brambles reached out and grabbed me in the dense undergrowth. I was leaving a perfect trail and I knew it. Trying to get out of the thick growth I scrambled down a large embankment and nearly fell into a river splashing through the forest. 

Pulling myself to my feet I waded into the water wondering if simple water could dilute me enough. The water had come almost to my waist, so I prayed it washed something away. I was shivering as I pulled out of the stream, from fear and cold, but kept running.

Out of nowhere I was in a desolate area scarred by a recent wildfire. At least I knew I was heading back the way we'd come. The underbrush was burned away and the ground was black with soot. I slipped twice in the muck badly skinning my right knee. Limping hard I looked in the direction of the sun and ran that way. 

'Please Joel,' I silently called, 'I'm running west, please find me.'

I was running out of options and I knew it. I was no longer on a marked road and I had no idea where I was. Realizing my running could just be taking me in circles I decided to stop. Joel knew the forest and as long as I was somewhere memorable, he would find me. I just prayed it was before the rogues did. 

Scrambling, I pulled myself up on a ledge of rock near the burned area. Above me sat what I considered an impressive slope. I huddled myself into an indent in the rock face and tried to get out of the wind. I continued to concentrate on the look of that rock face above me. 

Minutes turned slowly and the panic I'd been holding back started to blossom. I cocked the gun and held it tightly. I'd use it if I had to. The howling I heard faintly in the distance did little to sooth my nerves. It sounded like a hunt and I feared I was the prize. 

A voice in the back of my head told me this is what I got for not listening. As long as I wasn't allowing Joel to change me I should accept every aspect of his protection. If I had done that, I never would have ended up here. 

Suddenly it struck me that if I had been a were wolf, I'd be in a lot less trouble. My struggle at the clinic may have actually amounted to something. Even if they had gotten me to the cabin, I would have been prepared to make a run for it in the forest. The way I was now wasn't cut out for this life. 

Honestly, I wasn't that surprised when several sets of luminescent eyes appeared in front of me. I stood up and prepared to defend myself. I held Ryana's gun in a steady grip and aimed. From what I'd seen a gun probably wouldn't kill a werewolf, but I'd at least make them hurt. 

I'd already made up my mind. The freaks weren't taking my mate from me just to get control of the pack. I'd fight them until they killed me. Joel and I would lose, but his pack would be safe. I could at least give him that much.

"I would prefer," a voice intoned from in front of me, "that you give me the opportunity to defend you before you throw yourself on a sword."

The gun dropped to the ground as I saw Joel emerge naked from the forest. He was flanked by several large wolves on either side. I could only remember one other time I'd been this glad to see him. 

It may not be wise to rush a werewolf, but I did so without hesitation. Jumping from the ledge I wrapped my arms around Joel's thick shoulders and buried my face in his chest. Shifting me to his back, I felt him change under me into the large black wolf. 

I hung on for dear life as we raced through the forest. Looking left and right we were flanked by several wolves on either side. The wolves moved with unfailing grace in what I considered impassable terrain. As relief crept up on me so did the cold.  

The wolves moved at a relentless pace and I was soaking wet in the cold night air. I tried to concentrate on anything else; because I had a feeling my discomfort was being transmitted directly to the wolf I was on top of. Frankly, I'd rather be cold and not dead. My ride snorted at the last thought and continued his pace, so I know he heard me. I huddled closer to him and pressed my chest to his back and was warmer.

I saw light ahead and the group slowed as we passed into it. It was a clearing full of wolves and wolf men in various stages of change. At the sight of Joel with me on his back a collective howl went up into the night sky. 

I felt Joel start his shift under me and I allowed myself to fall off his back as he changed. I assumed he wanted to talk to his troops, so I started to step back from him out of the way. I headed for a stump several feet away; it looked like a good place to sit. 

My trip was cut short as the wolf man dragged me back in front of him growling menacingly. Meeting the creature's angry gold gaze, I got the point quickly. I was to stay with him. Wrapping my arms around him I nuzzled his chest and stroked his back. Huddled close the fur receded to skin and human Joel was back. He stroked my hair while he addressed the rest of the pack there. 

"We killed several of the renegades!" he boomed out. This pronouncement was met with a howl from the surrounding wolves. "As many of you already know the witch and two others have eluded us." I wanted to ask him how they could already know, but I just stayed quiet and listened instead. He continued, "Will has the witch's scent, please familiarize yourselves with it. Divide into your teams, start the search once everyone is ready."

I glanced up from Joel's chest to see Will holding a soiled piece of bloody linen high for the other wolves to inspect. It looked like the scrub top the medical assistants at work wore. 

Will himself was not unscarred with several wide angry claw marks across his chest and one on his face. He handed the top to Nate who was still human and unlike almost everyone else, still dressed. Nate proceeded to walk it around to the other wolves to smell. 

For what had been a successful hunt, the area was surprisingly subdued. The wolves seemed to move nervously as Joel barked orders. If eight foot wolf men could look skittish, these did. The reason became apparent a moment later as Will walked away from the hunt. 

Will joined two men that had acted as my guard standing away from the rest of the groups. They bore the same marks as Will did. Those gouges were not left by the renegades, they had been left by my mate. I stared at Will feeling awful. This was my fault.

Will noticed me looking at him and hit a knee, head bowed low; his colleagues followed suit. I wasn't sure what was going on and looked up at Joel. There was silence in the gathered wolves.

"What will you do with them? They failed you," Joel said looking down at me. 

"They did not fail me," I stated with more authority than I felt, "I did not obey your orders. They shouldn't have to pay for my stupidity. Please forgive them," I finished and looked pleadingly at Joel. 

Joel seemed to consider me objectively for a minute. I held my breath. 

"As you wish, the price for today's disobedience will be between us, mate. The protection detail does not suffer further punishment," he stated pulling me close again. 

I was never so happy to be told I was going to be punished in my life and had to withhold a grin. I hated to have others blamed for my mistakes. It was like a dam of tension broke and the assembled wolves howled to the sky, why I didn't know. 

"That's appreciation for taking on all of my ire, love," Joel whispered low into my ear. "You should definitely wait to see if you're happy when I'm done with you."

I looked up to see swirling gold and shuddered at this dominant male's idea of punishment. I had guessed he would be angry at me for allowing myself to get captured again. 

The wolves had divided into teams to find Ryana and the other renegades in the woods. Apparently Ryana had managed to throw them off her scent with magic, but she could only throw so many wolves at a time. Stronger wolves, like Will, she wasn't able to throw as easily and he almost got her. 

Will had dug his claws into her and managed to get her blouse, but then she hit him with a burning liquid. He said his world had gone dark. When he got his senses back she was gone. The wolves were using her clothing and blood to strengthen what they knew to be her distinct smell. Hopefully, they would find her quickly.

I was starting to shiver again because of the cold. The light in the small clearing was coming from the headlights of several of the pack's vehicles and I longed to get in one and crank up the heat. Instead I opted to stay close to Joel for warmth and just hoped he would get done directing his wolves soon. 

Turning to me Joel cocked his head and took in my countenance. My outfit was soaked and ruined. 

Joel motioned and someone brought him a thick grey blanket. Wrapping it around me loosely he told me to remove the wet clothes, "They will just make you colder," he said.

I agreed with him and slipped everything off. As I wrapped the blanket tight around me I noted how flat his voice sounded. It was like his fury at what was happening had peaked to a point it wasn't expressible. That wasn't good. 

Sticking my leg out the slit in the blanket I looked at my knee. Joel had an arm around me, but was busy giving instructions to someone. My knee was bruised and bloody. Either I would have to ask Joel to heal it or I was going to have to treat it back at the den. It would get infected otherwise. 

Will was in front of us a second later, back down on one knee. 'What now?' I wondered. 

"Your leg is cut and you are bleeding, Madam. May a grateful wolf heal this injury for you?" he asked dutifully. 

I looked at Joel; I was really out of my depth here. His face looked hard, but he nodded assent. 

The man shifted rapidly to a large brown wolf and approached me on his belly. I held my leg out and felt the familiar tingle as the rough tongue rubbed against me. Soon the pain in my knee was all but a memory. 

As the wolf became a man he stood in front of me head still bowed. "I'm glad you got away. I'm so sorry-" he started to say.

I cut him off. "No, I did not listen to you or to Joel. You gave me good advice and I ignored it. You should not be blamed for my bad decisions," I took a breath and continued, "and by the look of your chest you have already borne the brunt of someone's anger. Please forgive me for that," I finished in a gush.

"Of course," he smiled genuinely at me. I wondered how he could not be angry at me. He just bowed low and then stepped back, melding into the hunt for Ryana. 

"You were not the only one to make mistakes today, mate. You have taken responsibility for all of them, though. The wolves are sincerely grateful to you for that," Joel said quietly guiding me toward the pack's vehicles.

Within a few seconds I found myself in the blissful back seat of a large SUV with the heat on high. Joel had left me with his driver and Nate. Nate gave me a bottle of water and threw me an anxious look.

"You have no idea how angry he is right now," he warned, "please don't do anything to set him off." 

"If it wasn't for the mate bond he would have killed your detail immediately. You gave them a small reprieve by feeling guilty. He knew you disobeyed him."

"I've never seen him so upset before. He keeps talking about chaining you up in his rooms until you learn to pay attention. As Alpha he could do that and no one would stop him, he needs to calm down for both your sakes," he finished pleading with his eyes. The driver subtly nodded his agreement, but kept his eyes straight ahead.

Nate had never said much to me and I got the feeling that was more than he really wanted to say. I took his warning seriously. I wanted to ask him more about it, but Joel was sliding in on my right as Saul slid in on my left. Joel was as naked as me, sans the blanket, but Saul had on a pair of jeans with a plain T shirt.

Quite quickly I found my blanket removed and I was pulled to sit in Joel's lap. We rested skin to skin and he wrapped the blanket back around us. There was palpable tension radiating from him and I wanted to make it better. I nuzzled him, biting and kissing the skin on his neck. My hands of their own accord started to run from his neck down his naked torso. As he pulled me close I had a horrible thought. 

"Wait!" I shouted. "How do you know it's me and not Ryana?"

"Are you confused with who you are, love?" Joel asked sounding exasperated. 

"No, but how do you know she isn't tricking you. She seemed really sure she could do it."

"I am familiar with the spell to which she refers," he said running his hand over my shoulders, "I have seen the copy the witches keep and it is entirely ineffective. We continue to let them think they understand us, but also continue to leak them false information. There is very little she could do to harm a werewolf."

"Not a werewolf, remember?" I said poking him in the chest and immediately regretting that decision

Joel angry countenance was right in mine a second later, "We are also very protective of the secrets regarding our human mates, she has nothing."

Dropping my gaze to his chest I started to put small kisses along his collar bone. I kissed soothingly along his neck and spared a glance back at his eyes. He was looking down at me.

"I should have sent Nate with you," he said shifting his gaze to stare out the window. 

"I made the mistake, Joel. Will told me not to separate from him. He told me to eat my lunch from the den. It wasn't my guard's fault," I said arguing for the men that had already taken a pummeling for me. 

The look on Joel's face told me that was the admission he was waiting for. He was furious with me. 

"Explain it to me," he said, "what made you disregard my warnings so easily?" His face was a mask, his eyes hard and unyielding.

I was acutely aware of 4 sets of ears listening for a good answer. I licked my dry lips and groped for a reply that wouldn't further inflame him.

"It was a mistake; I wanted things to be normal again..." I trailed off not sure what else to say.

"Do you want to stay human?" he asked calmly.

"I want to stay with you," was my immediate response.

"That wasn't what I asked."

"But it's the answer," I pleaded, "I'll do anything I have to in order to stay with you. I don't care about being human. You are right, please change me."

I finished my tirade grabbing his shoulders and looking up into his stormy eyes. They softened as his arms pulled me tight.

"You have successfully distracted me from being angry at you for now," he smiled, "I guess I'll be taking my punishment out on your werewolf hide, that's probably better anyway."

"How would that make any possible difference," I mused into his neck.

"If I took it out on your human butt you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week," he said laughing. "Werewolves heal so fast I'll get to repeat the punishment every night for at least that long!"

I groaned into his neck and heard faint chuckling coming from the SUV's other occupants as they relaxed. 

"So tell me, are you aware exactly what has to be done to change you?" he asked stroking my back. 

"It has to be done on a full moon is all I know," I said looking up at him.

"We change our humans on a full moon out of tradition, but it doesn't have to be so. To change you I will take you to a special clearing in the woods and we will be surrounded by the pack. I will bite you as a wolf as I mate you. I will intend for my bite to infect you. We will wait for the next full moon to see if you have changed by then. If you haven't, we will repeat the ceremony."

I must have looked a little uncertain because he continued to stroke my back and answered my unspoken question, "The pack is present because in doing the ceremony you become one of the pack. I took you as a mate; the pack must accept you as a member."

I blanched at the idea of such public sex, no wonder Katrina had been "begrudgingly" changed. From a human perspective it didn't sound like fun. 

Trying not to sound like a weenie, I smiled up at him, "Fine, when do we do this thing then?"

"Well, the pack does like its traditions and the full moon is two days away, so we will do it then."

Cringing slightly I cuddled closer into his warm chest and tried to breath normally. That was going to be one hell of a weird day.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 08



The night was dark as we pulled back into the large round about in front of the den. I wondered how many more times I would have to get driven in here after being kidnapped. It was getting really old.

The place was crowded with the pack. I saw Katrina right away bouncing, literally, outside the den with her hands clasped in front of her. In the myriad of faces I also saw some of my new friends looking nervously at the SUV. 

Several large men I recognized as Betas pushed the pack back and cleared our way to the door. We stepped out and Joel made an announcement to the assembled pack. He told them who was involved and what they wanted. He also warned them the witch had gotten away. 

"Is that really your mate?" I heard one brazen wolf ask. He shrunk back as Joel approached him growing claws. 

I thought it was a valid question, considering what he'd just told them. Joel turned to look at me with fire in his eyes. It was a blazing look. I concentrated on the idea that they might accept this better if he let a few of the ones who knew me verify I was really me. 

Joel stalked back toward me and spoke into my ear. "This is not a democracy. My word is law." 

"Then I guess it's your decision to make," I said calmly to him. 

He stared at me for a moment before calling forward several wolves I knew, one by one. 

Katrina came forward quickly, keeping her eyes on Joel. She shed her clothes and shifted into a lithe brownish wolf. Cocking a head to the side she stood in front of me. The death grip I had on the blanket was preventing her from getting close. 

I opened the blanket wide and Katrina shoved her nose in my crotch. I've had big dogs do that to me before, but I was never nude when it happened. The most surprising part was when she delved her tongue between my lower lips. It took every bit of control I had not to yelp. 

The process was repeated by several of the Betas I knew well. They all agreed I was who I was supposed to be. I saw several men and women berating the man that had questioned Joel. Whether they wanted to admit to it or not, they did look more relieved though. 

Joel walked us quickly to our apartments on the third floor. He didn't say anything to me as we made our way upstairs. I took his continued silence as proof that he was far from happy.

Once we were in our rooms he stopped me and removed my blanket. I stood in front of the fire as he surveyed me.

"I'm going to shift into the wolf and heal the bruise on your face and the cuts you got in the woods," he told me flatly. 

I nodded as he shifted into the wolf man. Joel towered over me for a moment looking very much like he wanted to attack something. Instead, he started at my head and used his long tongue over my bruises and scratches. I stayed very still as he worked. He was thorough and went over me twice. 

A knock at the door disrupted his session and the wolf man was quite suddenly the wolf baring his teeth. The loud growling coming from Joel's chest was probably able to be heard throughout the den. That sound made me realize how enraged Joel really felt. 

Slowly composing himself, Joel shifted back to his human form. As I pulled the blanket back around myself, he walked toward the door and opened it. Nate stood submissively outside. 

Joel spoke to Nate quietly as I looked longingly toward the bathroom. I was covered in muck from the forest, sweat, and saliva. It didn't make for a very appetizing feeling. I wanted nothing more than to douse myself in soap and water. 

"Go," Joel said shortly turning to look at me.

I moved into the large bathroom, used the toilet, and turned on the shower. I scrubbed my body viciously. After a while Joel joined me in the shower. Remembering he was still mad at me, I soaped and washed his entire body down to his toes without a word. 

Although he was obviously still angry, his body reacted to the full body massage and our closeness. His cock started to stiffen and swell. While on my knees in the shower, I licked and sucked his semi hard cock until it was rigid. I could feel the area between my legs becoming slick and wet in a way that had nothing to do with the shower. 

Touching my face, Joel looked down at me silently. When the conversation didn't start, I told him I was going to lie down. Joel nodded to me and turned into the water to rinse himself off. 

I moved out of the shower and into the bedroom as I toweled off. I knew we needed to talk, but I wasn't sure if tonight was a good time for that. Joel seemed to be holding onto his temper by a thread. 

The bed smelled of Joel and I buried my face into his pillow while crawling under the blankets. Even when I knew he was angry it was still comforting. As I lay cocooned in his scent, I let the terror I had been feeling all day rise inside me. I'd been lucky, a second time, to get away. Joel was right to be mad; I had been foolish. 

Hands gently peeled back the blankets as Joel stood beside the bed looking down at me. I froze and looked up at him, waiting for the worst. Without a word he lay down and pulled me up over him until I was sitting astride him. His erection was still rock solid and I felt it sitting at the ready against my buttocks. 

"I would like," he said quietly, "some physical comfort."

I wanted some physical comfort also and I had worked myself up in the shower. I reached between us to grasp his thick tool. Looking into his eyes I guided the throbbing piece of him into my wet crevice. He lay still beneath me as I slipped down the magnificent pole. I hissed as I felt him bump the back of my tunnel. I placed my hands on his chest and pulled forward slightly to ease the pressure. Grasping my hips he gently pulled me back down on his length. Relaxing my legs, I let my hips fall wider across his. 

"Good girl," he whispered pulling my hips up, "do it again."

I rode him slowly at first, until I found a way to move that made his eyes roll back in his head. Pushing off with my knees I could nearly dislodge his massive instrument and then sink back down on the entire length. His hands were everywhere, pinching my nipples, playing over my slick clit, and grasping my hips to control the pace. 

I felt like a bundle of nervous energy ready to burst. His touches were maddening and my heightened senses were on overload. I shuddered in climax as I rode him, limply falling against his chest as I rhythmically tightened around him.

Chuckling, he rolled us until I was on my back. He didn't give me any reprieve as his mouth came down over mine in a bruising kiss. He continued to grind against my sensitive flesh as I quivered and jerked against him. His mouth found my neck and I knew he was leaving marks anywhere he could reach, sucking and biting under my ear down to his bite mark. 

As he bit into his mark my pussy caught fire and I bucked against him. Groaning his name, I felt heat coil in my belly and start to pulse in time with his rocking. 

Joel was getting closer. His movements became shorter and his bites harder. I heard the growling coming in an uninterrupted stream from his chest. Reaching between us he grabbed a nipple and twisted. The tension in my belly released. I grabbed his shoulders screaming his name as I felt the warm pressure of his seed coating the inside of my slick passage. Rolling off of me Joel pulled me close and nuzzled my neck as his hand wrapped possessively around my waist. 

I drifted to sleep curled into that protective embrace.

Waking up the next morning was not a pleasant affair. The feeling of cold on my ankle and the sound of metal clinking together drug me out of a very sound sleep. I sat up to see a satisfied Joel Latro looking down at me. He was already dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and black slacks, jacket slung casually over his arm. 

I looked down at my ankle and was shocked to see a silver manacle attached to a thick silver chain. I crawled to the foot of the bed and followed the line of the chain. It bolted to a place just underneath the bed. It was in a spot I never would have noticed last night. There was a really long length of chain, so I wasn't necessarily chained to the bed, but it still felt like that. 

I was furious and looked up a Joel with a series of cuss words on the tip of my tongue. 

"How dare you!" I shouted at him, "You can't do this to me! Why are you doing this? Have you lost your mind?!"

His eyes were almost glowing and I could see he had been waiting for a fight. At that moment I remembered Nate's words. Joel needed to calm down and if he wanted to do this no one would stop him. I took a deep breath, but couldn't stop glaring at him.

Joel glared right back at me, "You asked me to spare your guard, which I have done. Did you think I had forgotten our agreement?" he asked.

"Agreement?!" I sputtered, "You chained me to the floor!" I yelled at him, unable to control the tone of my voice.

"No, I chained you in our rooms. Whether you accept it now or not, this is the punishment I have chosen for you," he said confidently. "I told you last night this issue would be kept between us and at the time you were happy about that." 

Damn his logic, he was right. I had already agreed to this. I lowered my eyes to his shined shoes and waited. I was in his world now. 

Joel reached out and stroked my back in what I think was supposed to be a calming gesture. The stubborn woman that I am, I bristled mentally at the unwanted contact and he growled in response. 

"You will learn, mate, that I can be very temperamental when my orders are so blatantly ignored. Perhaps you will remember that next time you choose to disregard my warnings for your welfare. Since you cannot be trusted to keep yourself safe, I will do it for you."

"Yes, sir," I said through clenched teeth keeping my head and my eyes down. I tried to distract myself. 

I heard Joel talking and concentrated on his words. "Food will be brought to you, you can reach the bathroom. I expect my scent to still cling to your skin when I get back tonight. You may not remove the chain for any reason. If you or your friends remove it, the punishment will increase for both of you. You will earn the right to leave these rooms again. We will further discuss your punishment when I return tonight. Do you understand?"

I was livid and kept my gaze at the floor in front of me, "Yes, sir."

His shoes appeared back in my frame of vision as his finger curled under my chin. I resisted slightly as he raised my gaze to his.

"In two days time you will be a full member of this pack. Not only that you will be responsible for every member as their Madam Alpha. I cannot allow you to continue to be reckless. I have great confidence in your ability to learn from your mistakes," he said calmly.

"Thank you, sir," I answered him and somehow managed to kiss and not bite him as he leaned down and brushed my lips to his.

As it turns out when someone chains you to the floor and you are naked it makes putting on clothes really difficult. Thankfully, my closet was loaded with dresses and several wrap around style skirts. 

'I guess I'll be wearing what he likes for a little while,' I thought ruefully to myself as I wrapped a stylish navy skirt around my waist.

Nate brought me breakfast while studiously ignoring the bright silver chain on my ankle. 

"Wait!" I shouted to him as he walked out. "What do I do to make him stop this?"

Nate just shook his head and left. Of course I expected his loyalty to lie with my mate, but I had thought he might give me a few helpful hints. 

I noticed Althea and Davonna's tonic I usually took with my morning meal was missing. Apparently, Joel didn't want me to take anything else from the witches. I wondered about that, it had obviously worked. I had been the only person not affected by Ryana's punch at the clinic. As evidenced by my ankle, Joel's word was law, arguing would probably be useless.

I had time to think as the morning wore on. I tried to stay angry at Joel and in my world I would be furious. However, in my world I had never been kidnapped or poisoned. The worst I had to deal with was a little backstabbing at work and not the literal kind. Joel's world was different. The rules were different and I had made an effort to sidestep them at every turn. Begrudgingly, I saw his point of view.

Joel loved me and wanted to keep me safe. His instincts told him I would be safe in his home, but I refused to stay there. He compromised with me, but I refused to compromise with him. I ditched his protection every chance I could. I had to admit, if the tables were turned, I'd be just as frustrated and angry as he was. I wondered if I would have stooped to chaining my mate to the floor; that did seem draconian. His world, his rules though, I'd just have to figure it out quickly. 

While I nibbled at my now cold breakfast I wandered through part of Joel's personal study. It was a room I had never spent much time in. I couldn't explore the whole thing, my chain wasn't long enough. I did find several books on the pack's history. I also found several old letters and books on werewolf lore. They were interesting and very informative. Settling down, I spent hours perusing the writings. 

As I read through the manuscripts, I found a few depicting the changing ceremony Joel would be doing with me in two days time. I had no problem with the part of the ceremony involving the two of us. The part about the pack being present and then acknowledging the changing by licking and touching me was hard to get used to. 

The idea of being taken by Joel in the forest under the moon had a certain allure. I was getting wet just thinking about it. Sliding my thighs together I enjoyed the sensation. Nothing about Joel turned me off; he was gorgeous in all three forms. I was running my fingers over the images of animals and humans rutting in the woods when I heard the door to the main suite bang open.

I stepped back into the sitting room to see a determined Joel marching toward me. A horrible thought crossed my mind, maybe I shouldn't be in his private study. At the realization my eyes went wide and I started to apologize. I hadn't been trying to upset him more. 

Grabbing me by the upper arms Joel picked me up and sat me on the stylish wooden buffet that lined the wall outside the office.

"I'm sorry I was in your study," I stammered out as his hands ran up under my skirt. I gasped as his fingers stroked my wet folds.

"I thought I could relax with you up here and safe," he muttered over my mouth before crushing my lips beneath his. "Instead I find my mind filled with thoughts of the changing ceremony, the sensation of your delectable thighs moist and waiting. Do you know what that's like? To try to listen to my Betas give report while your arousal runs uninhibited into my mind?"

"I'm sorry," I said, ashamed of my horniness, "I wasn't doing it intentionally, really I wasn't."

"You'll have better control over what you broadcast to me once you are a wolf," he said unzipping his pants and pulling me to the edge of the wooden ledge.

He slipped into me and I groaned. He wasn't in the mood for preliminaries, just raw sex. The furniture I was on shuddered with each forceful thrust he gave. I held onto him as he ground against me and prayed the wood was put together well. 

Slipping a thumb between our bodies he massaged my clit in time with his thrusts and my toes started to curl. I was acutely aware of the chain still on my ankle and it added a weird thrill to the lovemaking. 

"Come for me," he said nipping at my ear lobe.

I opened my blouse and started to pinch and fondle my own nipples. I heard a sound of approval and watched him staring down at my hands hard at work. He continued to rub firmly over my sensitive bud as he forced himself into me.

Everything felt so good I threw my head back and gave myself over to a roaring climax. Moments later I felt the pressure build in my ready channel and he was calling my name with a bruising grip on my hips. 

We rested like that for a minute, forehead to forehead panting. 

"I love you, Joel," I said placing a kiss over his jaw line. 

His lips twitched into a smile as he looked down at me, "You know that's the first time you've said that out loud," he said.

"Then I'll make up for lost time," I said cradling his face in my hands, "I love you, Joel."

"Hmm and this isn't just a ploy to get out of your punishment my stubborn love?" he asked.

"No, my Alpha, I still owe you punishment for ignoring your warnings," I said pulling my shirt off completely. I rubbed my dusky nipples against his chest, "Do you see anything you want to punish, sir?"

"Oh yes, I certainly do," he said running his hands up my sides to cup my breast.

A sound at the door got both our attention at the same time. Joel rolled his eyes and looked a little guilty as he pulled out and rearranged his clothing. He pulled my shirt back on and was buttoning it for me as he called out, "Enter."

"Excuse the interruption, Alpha Latro," Nate said bowing his head, "I have been knocking for several minutes now."

"I was busy," Joel growled brushing his fingertips over my nipples and looking playfully at me. 

"Yes, sir I realized that, but the Betas can't finish plans for the ceremony without your approval. We also need your input on the witch hunt and the witches have called here asking to speak with you several times," he finished sounding slightly irritated. 

I assumed Joel had been in the middle of a meeting when I so rudely interrupted. I was curious what he did all day. I'd never really had time to ponder it. 

"Then maybe you should come with me," Joel said looking at me. 

"Are you going to add more chain?" I teased him. "Right now I can't even reach the door."

"I'm serious mate, would you like to come see what I do all day?" he asked.

"Yes, I'd be very interested," I said surprised. My time at the den had all been training of one form or another. Walking around with Joel would be different. As a plus, it would get me off the chain and out of this room. 

As a sign to the pack I was still being punished for not listening I wore the thick silver ankle manacle. I felt like everyone was staring at it where ever we went. 'Most likely because everyone is staring at it,' I thought glumly.

I spent the rest of the day sitting beside Joel at a large board room table as he managed the pack. I kept quiet and listened through the meetings trying to learn the flow of things. 

The electricity hit the air when the witches were brought up. Eyes around the room would flare yellow intermittently throughout the discussion. No one seemed to be able to talk about the witches without growling. The recent scandal had cut deep. Trying to take over the pack was new territory and the threat was not taken lightly. 

"We should have attacked last night," grumbled one of the male Betas who sat half way down the long table.

"We cannot punish every witch out there," Nate interrupted him from Joel's left. "We don't want to start a war with them."

"Start the war?" ground out a wolf man as he split the seams of his dress shirt, "They have kidnapped our Alpha's mate twice and tried to poison her once! How many more of our mates will suffer the same fate? How many will not be as lucky as she has been?" 

With that said the wolf man transformed and growled at Nate. I was horrified at the scene; Nate just sat patiently and waited. 

"How dare you not protect us!" the wolf man growled facing Joel. He then launched a large wooden chair in our direction.

Standing up and moving swiftly Joel placed himself between me and the rest of the wolves 

A strong pair of hands pushed me further behind Joel from my right. I looked up to see Will move into position beside Joel. In the meantime Joel caught the wooden projectile in one hand and slammed it onto the floor.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 08



"Enough, Eric change back now and accept your punishment. You have endangered my mate and disrupted this meeting," he said continuing to stand between me and the large grey wolf man. 

"I challenge you, Alpha Latro, for the right to lead this pack! You have become too soft!" the creature snarled out.

Joel sighed like a parent tired of punishing a naughty child and said, "Your challenge will be answered in the clearing Eric."

The rest of the room lit up like someone had just told them it was a birthday party. Joel glanced back at me then looked at Nate and Will. 

"Protect her," he ordered and strode out of the room following the throng.

I realized I was being left behind and didn't like that idea. 

"Wait!" I called after him trying to get past my guard. 

Joel turned slightly and I thought better about my phrasing. "Please, don't lock me upstairs again. What's going on? Let me come with you!"

"Love," he sighed, "challenges are brutal ugly things. I may have to kill Erik before he submits to me again. You don't need to see this."

"Will there be other women there?" I asked genuinely confused.

"Every pack member not on guard duty will be there," he answered me.

"You said I'd be part of the pack in two days, shouldn't I be there then?" I pleaded.

Joel considered me for a moment then ran his hand through his hair. "If you ignore so much as one directive from Will or Nate, I will quite literally chain you to our bed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

My house arrest was temporarily lifted as we walked out the large double doors leading to a spacious patio at the back of the den. Joel had gone on ahead and I was left with my two bodyguards. Katrina soon found me and was bouncing along happily holding my hand. 

"Do you want me to take off the shackle?" she whispered gaining her angry stares from my left and right.

"No, he already warned me not to do that," I whispered back squeezing her hand. 

"Did he tell you what to expect in this contest?" Shawna asked coming up on my other side.

"Violent and possibly ending in death," I answered her.

"And afterward..." she probed.

I shrugged my shoulders as Katrina gasped, "Oh she should definitely know how to handle the Alpha when he wins!"

Shawna nodded and continued, "When Alpha Latro finishes with Eric the pack will bow down before him, and those that shifted to wolf form may show their bellies. He will approach you and the pack will expect you to submit to him also."

We were walking towards the woods now and the temperature dropped. I remembered again how not suited to the cold I was. I snuggled closer to Katrina as I asked Shawna, "Submit how?"

"Well, I know you humans are personal about this, but usually it's sexual. It doesn't have to be complicated if you offered yourself to him on your knees that would be okay and very simple," she said matter of factly.

"Less simple," I squeaked suddenly unsure how I would ever make it through the changing ritual.

"Stop scaring her," a familiar voice sighed from in front of us. "Love, you don't have to do anything," Joel said stepping from behind a large tree. 

Katrina moved away from me as did Shawna. 

"I want to do what I'm supposed to do, Joel. I'll get used to it, just give me a minute," I huffed, "and aren't you supposed to be getting ready for a fight."

"Fighting I can handle, you are making me insane," he said pulling me to his chest with one arm.

I felt his dress jacket moving around my shoulders and enclosing me in his scent. It was heavenly and warm. 

We walked the rest of the way to the clearing in silence. In the middle of thick forest the area opened up suddenly to about the length of a football field both ways. In the middle was a circle of stone pillars spaced about 10 feet apart. Inside the pillars was an open space with flat stones interspaced in the short grass. The stone circle was set a little lower than the rest of the land and made me feel like we were in an ancient Roman amphitheater. Eric, in wolf man form, was already pacing inside the circle of stones. 

Joel stripped off the rest of his clothes as silence fell across the clearing. Will and Nate pushed me up to the edge of the stone circle then stood loosely on either side of me. I was glad when Katrina and Shawna showed back up at my sides. 

There was no signal to start the fight, it just started. 

Eric rushed Joel while he was still in human form. Narrowly avoiding claws, Joel threw the wolf man to the ground and circled around shifting as he did. Erik got up and came back at Joel using a little more stealth this time. Erik managed to cut Joel's arm with a clawed hand and I had to put my hands over my mouth to keep from crying out too loudly. 

The arm hung limply at his side and I was horrified. I'd never seen Joel injured in a fight. Sensing an easy victory Eric lunged at Joel's weakened right side and was stopped short as the right arm came up to catch him by the throat and hurl him across the arena. Eric hit one of the columns headfirst with a dull thud and slid to ground on his chest. 

With surprising grace for his injury Eric got back up and shifted to his full wolf form just as Joel did the same. 

The battle that raged after that was fierce and I had to fight to keep my eyes open. Joel tore into Eric repeatedly, but Eric continued to attack. The growling and snapping was loud and I wanted to cover my ears. Eric's blood was splattered across the stones in the circle and gave them a surreal look. At some point in the fight Eric's lip and shoulder had been torn. Large chunks of flesh hung strangely off his body and his fur was matted with blood. 

Suddenly, Joel had Eric's neck between his teeth and the clearing was deadly silent. I saw Eric start to struggle and blood dripped from between Joel's massive jaws. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity. 

Without warning the Eric wolf went limp as he bared his throat to Joel. Joel released his hold and Eric rolled onto his back baring his belly. Joel sniffed the male's belly then turned and sauntered toward me.

All around me I felt the pack falling to their knees in front of their leader. I was honestly too stunned to move. I watched as the wolf shifted the wolf man and then to the man. 

He was covered in smears of Eric's blood, but by my estimation looked fine. The gash on his arm was only a scratch and he had a smile on his face. What really caught my eye was his straining erection that jutted proudly from between his thighs. 

'Who gets a sexual thrill at a time like this?' I thought.

"A wolf does," he answered drawing closer.

He looked a little unsure as he came to stand directly in front of me. I took a deep breath and tried to do the right thing. Slipping off my warm jacket, I kneeled down and kissed his feet, his legs, his thighs, until I reached his jutting hardness and I kissed that too. I licked and sucked his erection with abandon, hoping like hell that was what the pack wanted.

"Exactly," he whispered pulling me to stand with him. 

He took my lips in fierce kiss as the pack howled it's appreciation around us. 

The rest of the day was a little chaotic. Joel had a difficult time getting everyone back to work. Katrina told me it was because the fight days are usually like holidays for the pack. Joel had 'stopped the celebration' too early for most of the pack's taste. They wanted to run and fuck to celebrate their leader's strength, neither of which was being allowed. With Ryana and two of the renegades still on the loose, as well as, the changing ceremony the next day; there was too much to do. 

I was blissfully not chained back in the rooms after the fight and was left with Joel while he called the witches. He had them on speaker phone in the conference room but had given strict instructions to everyone there that only he would be speaking. The small collection of Betas he had in the conference room were obviously high ranking. Katrina told me most of them were pack Council. 

"Althea, this is Joel Latro, I was told you had called," he said calmly with his hands folded in front of him.

"Alpha Latro, you were slow in getting back to me. I assume everything is all right," the old woman cackled.

"All is well with the pack Althea, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Davonna and I had hoped to come and speak with you directly, but I'm sure that won't be possible now. I'm sure you've realized what has been done," she sighed heavily on the phone.

"I would ask Althea, how long have you been aware of it?" Joel asked eyes starting to shimmer. I reached out tentatively and stroked the arm closest to me. The gold slowly receded and Joel gave me a small smile. 

"We had several young ladies from that clinic your young mate works at come to us. They had had a party and all passed out at the same time. They woke up and my Ryana and your mate were gone. We tested all of them, tested the food and drink at the party," she paused for few seconds, "we found the spell in Ryana's punch. We didn't know that she was cooking spells, didn't know she was reading our books. The spell she used was dangerous. It could have easily killed and not just put to sleep."

"My mate was not injured with the spell, Althea. Were any of the humans injured?" he asked reaching out to take my hand.

"None permanently," she answered, "your mate is safe then? We were under the impression she had been taken."

"She is well Althea and here with me," he repeated.

"Allow her to speak with me then, Alpha Latro. Let me hear her voice," Althea all but commanded.

I waited obediently for Joel to give me a sign about what to do; he nodded his head and motioned to the speaker.

"Althea," I said, "this is Elizabeth, thank you for your concern." 

The woman on the other end of the phone breathed a sigh of relief audibly. "My granddaughter had a spell Alpha Latro, which would have changed your perception. I feared she had used it."

"I would know Ryana's voice anywhere. The spell would not have fooled me," she paused then continued in a pleading voice.

"I must promise you Alpha Latro, this problem was limited only to my granddaughter. The rest of us had no knowledge of what she was doing. There is great fear now. Many witches have fled the area. They believe the wolves will seek vengeance for Ryana's actions."

"What exactly," Joel asked, "were your granddaughter's intentions, Althea? Can you tell me that much?"

I looked quizzically at Joel and he motioned for me to be quiet. I settled back in my chair and listened quietly.

"I'm sorry Alpha Latro, I don't know. She never spoke ill of your mate before. In fact, only had good things to say about the new doctor she worked with. I must imagine her sudden blood lust for the girl has more to do with you, but I don't know what it is," the old woman trailed off as though looking for an answer. 

"Thank you, Althea, for your honesty," Joel said, "I have no wish to harm you or yours if they were not involved. Ryana, has a large debt to pay the pack. I will not stop until I find her and I will not take kindly to those that would shield her from me. She is dangerous Althea and must pay for her crimes."

"I understand Alpha Latro," the old woman sighed, "I will pass your warning on to the others. I must beg you; I am family to this wayward child, when you find her make the punishment quick. I know I cannot ask you for her life, but I will ask, as a friend, that her death be swift."

"You have my word, Althea, my punishment will be meted out quickly," Joel answered her. 

I saw several eyes around the room light gold at the last promise, but no one said a word. I knew what they were feeling. I could understand Joel's position. Althea, assuming she was telling the truth, had been a loyal friend and she was an old woman. It was a kind thing to her not to torture Ryana to death. 

"Good-bye, Alpha Latro, perhaps we will see each other again one day," Althea said sounding defeated.

The line clicked as Althea hung the phone up and Joel leaned forward hitting the button on the speaker box, closing the line.

"Thoughts?" Joel asked, opening the floor to questions.

Talk quickly turned to Ryana and the hunt for her. The wolves were excellent hunters and were using their considerable skill in an organized fashion to find her. If she was inside the forest, she would be found. If she made any use of a traceable object like a car or credit card, she would be found. The wolves had members situated in key points to intercept her at any turn. Magic or no, it didn't sound like she would stay hidden for long. 

One point related to Ryana that the wolves came back to continuously was the attempted poisoning. Magic was involved, so they knew it was part of the same plot. However, the wolves involved in my abduction had not ever been in the Alpha's quarters. Ryana had never been in the den, as far as anyone knew. 

Joel had asked for a list of names of who had been in his suites. That was a joke. Nate had compiled it, but it was almost useless. Most of the pack had wanted to help the Alpha prepare for his new mate. My sizes, likes, and dislikes were all made public knowledge. At the time, not bringing the Alpha a gift for his mate had been considered tasteless and odd. The week before I arrived the Alpha's suites were awash with his pack going in and out. 

Even stranger, I had told them where I had found the bottle. It was hidden behind several other containers at the back of the far cupboard. I had really had to look for it. The wolves knew there was something they were missing. They had failed to determine who was involved in that part of the plot. It bothered them all immensely. 

Eventually the discussion turned back to the more recent hunt for Ryana and the two renegades. The fact that it was still active made it much more happy conversation. They enjoyed the strategy of it and the talk lasted, in my opinion, forever. 

As the discussion finally ended Joel stood and went to talk with two older gentlemen on the other side of the room. I didn't know what to do, so I just sat quietly and sipped on a glass of water. Frankly, I was just glad to be in the middle of the mix and not tied up in our rooms. 

I almost jumped when I noticed a man kneeling silently on my left. "Madam," he whispered, "are you doing okay?" I recognized him as part of my daily guard, Robert, the medical assistant. His face had the same look as Will's, although more healed since it had been a day.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. I apologize for the punishment Alpha Latro delivered. Please tell the others -"

He cut me off chuckling. "You are human, I have spent a lot of time with humans. You don't understand. We all made the same mistake you made, we let our guard down and drank the punch. We all passed out while our Alpha's mate was kidnapped. He had every right to kill us. You saved us Madam. Is it too bad? What do you need?"

"I am well, I don't need anything."

He eyed the anklet I still wore and kissed my hand. "You are stronger than we knew. If you need anything ..." He was cut short as a shadow fell across us. Joel looked darkly down at the man. 

"What business do you have with my mate, Robert?" he asked evenly.

"A grateful wolf only wanted to thank this benevolent lady. I am done Alpha Latro," he bowed low to Joel and waited.

"If you are done then be on your way," Joel answered him.

The wolf spared one more glance at my ankle, bowed to me, and was gone. Joel offered me a hand and I walked with him out into the hallway. I couldn't figure out what Robert had seemed so worried about.

"You would not be so accepting of your punishment if you were a wolf, love," Joel answered my thoughts. "If you think you detest being told where to stay imagine how you would think of it if you were used to running wild through miles of wood."

"I'd be miserable," I answered him. Stupid me had to keep talking. "It's really not that bad though."

Joel raised an eyebrow at my comment and chuckled. "My pack feels you are beyond brave for accepting such a dire punishment so gracefully. To the last wolf they fear I would have put your entire guard on a chain before slowly killing them had you not been found. They would far prefer to feel my claws quickly."

"I'd rather not feel your claws at all," I said shuddering slightly.

"You never will, love. Although I'm disappointed you feel your punishment isn't harsh enough. I'll have to think more on that," he said mischievously.

"What about Will?" I asked suddenly curious. "Isn't his father an Alpha, too? Isn't he angry you hurt Will?"

"Will was given over to my care for a period of time. How I choose to discipline him, to a point, is acceptable to his father. As for Will, he actually seemed to appreciate being treated as he was. Evidently he feels his life as an Alpha's only son has been too easy. You have been a difficult charge, but he has enjoyed the challenge."

Our conversation the rest of the way to the dining hall was pleasant. What he said about the pack and my chain gave me a new appreciation for why the wolves were staring at it. Everything here was so different from what I was used to. 

Walking back to our apartments after dinner later that evening I yawned.

"Tired, love?" Joel asked me squeezing my hand.

"It was a long day," I answered him thinking of how good it would feel to curl up in bed.

"Hmm I'm afraid I can't let you do that, love. We still have much that needs discussing," he answered me grinning.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked genuinely surprised. We'd been talking on and off all day long. 

"You, my stubborn love, are still being punished. Apparently, the 'jewelry' I left on your ankle is not enough to remind you," he said continuing to smile.

"Speaking of my 'jewelry' how long have you had a shackle under your bed?" I asked him. The question had been plaguing my mind, was this normal for the pack to tie women up? What kind of life had I gotten myself into?

"No, it's not normal," he answered the unspoken question first, "I had it placed when we went to find you yesterday. You nearly caused me a heart attack, love. I had to believe I would get you back; planning your punishment calmed me some. You chose the method yourself. You seemed to dislike the idea of being told to stay anywhere, so it seemed a fitting penalty."

"Then I'm being punished, my beloved Alpha," I said grinning, "what more could you possibly want to do with me?"

The calm walk back to our rooms turned into a mad dash with me deposited and squealing over Joel's shoulder.

"I seem to remember," said Joel dumping me in the middle of our bed, "a promise about you backside."

"Do you want to spank me?" I asked coyly pulling my skirt up to reveal my naked ass as I leaned on hands and knees. He had a predatory look on his face as he removed his shirt and moved to kneel on the bed beside me. I was distracted by the way his pants were slung low over his hips. The man looked delicious.

I felt his hand come sharply down on my ass and was jerked out of my reverie. I'd never been spanked before. Grabbing me around the waist with one arm his hand continued to punish my bare bottom for all he was worth. I fumbled around on the bed trying to escape his hand, but it was no use. I was out matched. 

Soon I found myself with little tears leaking out of my eyes as I begged him to stop. My ass felt hot and it stung everywhere. I was horrifically embarrassed because I was also soaking wet. No matter what he did it turned me on.

Joel was almost panting with the exertion when he finally decided I had had enough. Moving his grip to my hips I felt him come to stand behind me while I continued to kneel on the bed. Burying my face in the soft duvet, I was gasping for air. I squirmed around genuinely hoping he didn't notice my arousal.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 08



"How many of these did I promise you, love?" he asked stroking my now fiery flesh.

"A week's worth," I moaned into the blankets on the bed. Now I knew what he meant by not sitting down for a week. I'd be hard pressed to what to lay my tender ass on anything.

"Hmm, I'm not sure you could take a week's worth," he said placing cool kisses across my hot flesh. "What do you think?"

"I think a naughty almost wolf would take whatever punishment her Alpha decrees," I said breathing heavy from exertion and excitement. 

His tongue snaked out of his mouth and ran languidly across my burning flesh. I knew the tingle by now and smiled into the blankets. I looked back quickly and saw the wolf's golden eyes and long tongue. Joel continued holding my hips as he healed my backside. Eventually satisfied with the results he started to lick my weeping slit as I moaned into the bedding.

A sharp loud knocking at the main door got both of our attentions. 

Joel cursed liberally and stalked into the main room with fire in his eyes. I adjusted my skirt and followed him. 

"This had better be good," he muttered as he threw the door open. 

I settled carefully into one of the chairs by the fire and drew my legs up to watch quietly from a distance. I was grateful for the wolf's care, otherwise I'd be standing the rest of the night. My attention quickly turned to the late night visitors at the door. In all the time I had been with Joel, he was rarely disturbed once he returned to his quarters. 

Nate came in ushering two young kids. The boys looked about 15 years old each with ratty blonde hair and clothes that look like they had drug through the mud. Both were smiling triumphantly and looked ready to pop as they stood staring at the angry Alpha. 

"Frank and Mike were in the woods today, where they should not have been, beyond our perimeter," Nate started to say.

"We wanted to watch the patrols," the one called Frank blurted out, interrupting Nate.

"We saw her!" said the second kid, Mike, excitedly.

"Saw who?" Joel asked crossing his arms in front of his bare chest.

"Alpha Latro, the one you are looking for, the witch," said Frank bouncing with excitement. 

Joel must have been too stunned to speak because Mike broke in to finish the story, "We saw her watching where the patrol had just passed and she started to come toward the den. She was muttering something under her breath and she had a little pot with her that she kept dribbling on the ground. She got just to the edge of the forest about 50 yards from the den."

"You didn't call the patrol?" Joel asked very slowly.

I cringed at his tone; he had used it the night he found me after my second abduction. It did not bode well for these young wolves. 

"We would have, but then she turned and ran back the way she'd come. We split up and followed her," Frank said triumphantly.

"Where did you follow her to?" Joel asked, still sounding too calm for this to end well.

"She has a makeshift camp about 2 miles from the edge of the perimeter," said Mike. "We didn't want to get too close, but it looked like she had witchcrafty stuff."

Joel looked at Nate and Nate nodded, "I've sent patrols out looking, nothing back from them yet." He looked pointedly at the two boys who were still staring at Joel with wide shining eyes. 

"Thank you boys, you have done well by the pack. Go get something to eat and get cleaned up," Joel said acknowledging each child with a pat on the head. "No more wandering past the perimeter though. If I hear of this again, I will have to punish you both." 

"Yes, sir," the boys said in unison then glanced at me.

"Would you chain us up, Alpha Latro?" Frank asked, eyeing my ankle. 

"The punishment always fits the crime and the criminal Frank. If I thought it would help you be a better wolf, then yes," Joel answered him looking back at me. "Now go boys, your mother must be worried."

As the kids scampered out of the door way Nate closed it and looked at Joel with a gleam in his eye, "Are we going to chain up everyone now? I hear those anklets are going to be all the rage. Have you considered cages as an option?"

"You came here to disagree with me about my methods, old friend? I thought we had a witch to catch," Joel answered him turning back toward the bedroom. "Just let me drop my pants off." 

"I have a question," I said to the two men as Joel undressed. "How come the patrol didn't smell Ryana, but the kids had no trouble finding her?"

"I don't know," Joel said. "We'll have to ask her after we catch her."

He had stripped naked and was shifting into the wolf man as I watched. Shaking my head at him, I stared into the fire. Something was wrong and I couldn't place it. I watched Joel's furry backside as it walked out the main doors.

"The guard will be outside your door as always," Nate said as they left, "just call out if you need anything."

I continued to look morosely into the fire and wonder what she was up to now. The wolf man was suddenly right in front of me and picked me up. He placed me on the bed and then locked the chain back to my ankle shackle. I groaned inwardly.

"Hurry home! I love you," I called as he walked out the door a second time. 

I showered and changed into Joel's robe wandering back to the leather couch. I couldn't rest knowing my mate was out there somewhere looking for the crazy witch. I flipped on the TV and turned it onto some mindless sitcom. I couldn't concentrate on it, so I just turned it off. I stretched out on the couch watching the fire and wondering where Joel was. 

I must have dozed at some point because I woke to the sound of the door opening. The fire in the hearth was burned way down and the apartment was mostly dark. The moon was coming in the windows in the bedroom, but the drapes in the main room were all closed. 

A small figure was creeping toward Joel's study. In the dim light I saw metal glinting in its hand. I stayed very still on the couch and realized the chain on my ankle would give me away when I moved. I didn't know why my guards had let this creature in, unless they were in on it. I screamed for Joel in my mind. 

Within a scant breath the creature was in front of me, dagger raised above my heart. I kicked out with my unchained leg and caught it in the gut, throwing it backwards. The creature grunted then came back at me with the knife. 

I reached for the wrist of the hand holding the knife to disarm the creature. I succeeded but it pulled a second knife and lunged at me. 

The creature came at me slicing blindly. Dodging and using a well timed jab I managed to catch the creature in it's midsection with my knife. As it doubled over in pain I used the end of my knife to undo the shackle on my ankle. 

Free to move, I ran for the door but was stopped as cold liquid splashed on the back of my head. It burned fiercely and I turned around grabbing at my hair. A second time liquid splashed at me, this time over my face. I sputtered and ran for the door. I heard chanting coming from behind me. 

My mind immediately recognized Ryana's voice. I couldn't believe she had gotten so far into the den. I opened the door to the apartments and saw my guards slumped at their posts. Terrified, I moved for the stairs and saw pack members lying on the ground everywhere. Most were women and older men, the warriors were all still out hunting. I knelt by one and checked a pulse; it was steady and strong against my fingers. 

My ears were assaulted by Ryana's chanting once again and I ran for the stairs. I made the mistake of looking back and saw Ryana's triumphant face peering back at me. Knocked suddenly backwards I realized I had run into a naked Joel Latro coming up the stairs. 

"There!" Ryana screamed, "You see the witch, she stabbed me!"

Ryana held up her bloody palm to Joel and he grabbed me, his claws biting into my arms, furious golden eyes looking down into mine. 

"No, Joel, it's me, Elizabeth. She attacked me in our rooms," I pleaded realizing he didn't look relieved, just upset and confused. 

He threw me to Nate ordering, "Hold her."

Approaching Ryana slowly he knelt in front of her and his head shifted to the wolf as he licked the knife wound, until only a small incision barely weeping blood remained. 

"What are you doing?" I yelled at him. "Can't you tell that isn't me? What happened to you?" I struggled vainly against Nate's grasp. 

Eyeing Ryana and then me up and down he ordered Nate, "Take her to the holding cells. Place a guard. Get the pack healer up here now."

Putting his arm around Ryana, Joel walked her back into his apartments. I was honestly too stunned to say anything meaningful as Nate pulled me away. My stuttering pleas were ignored as I was dragged through the main hall and down a series of dark steps. She had finally managed to do it, I realized. She had won.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 09



Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who are reading and commenting. I am addicted to what you all have to say, good or bad. Please enjoy this chapter – DW

*

Nate pulled me quickly down the stairs and through the den. Pack members cut us a wide berth. I struggled and screamed until Nate picked me up and carried me like a sack of potatoes into the basement of the den. 

We moved at a rapid pace. Nate was in such a hurry the surroundings seemed to blur together. When he finally slowed down some I noticed we were surrounded by several large Betas. 

By the time I got my bearings back we were down in the basement in a long dull corridor. In the middle of the corridor Nate stopped. One of the men we were with jerked opened a white metal door. Nate sat me inside and left in a flash. The door closed and I heard a metal lock slide into place. 

I was desperate. I screamed at the door and tugged on it. The thing didn't budge. There was no lock mechanism visible on my side of the door, if there had been I would have picked it. The witch had won; she'd taken Joel from me and I hadn't been able to stop her.

I looked around the tiny room I had been put in. It had a small cot and a bare light up too high to reach. A metal toilet graced one wall. It was a prison cell. 

I paced back and forth frantically. My arms ached where Joel's claws had just breached the flesh. The idea he would hurt me was inconceivable. The fact he'd done it was outrageous. I wondered if there was anything I could say that would prove to him who I was. 

Time passed so slowly and I finally sat on the edge of the cot. I've never had a panic attack, but by the way I felt one was about to start. Putting my head between my legs I started to try to breath more normally.

When the door opened I sprung up so fast I made myself a little dizzy. Nate stepped in and closed the door behind him. 

"Nate, the witch is upstairs with Joel. I swear I'm Elizabeth..." I blurted out, but he cut me off with a raised hand. 

"Madam Alpha, he will be fine. Alpha Latro sent me to you. I apologize for leaving like I did before, but I wanted to get back to him quickly. I thought you knew he was just pretending. We thought you were just pretending. He already told you that spell doesn't work on us. You are making him insane. Please, try to relax," Nate pleaded.

I sat heavily on the cot and felt dizzy again. This time it was from relief. 

"The Alpha asked me to heal the wounds he inflicted on your arms. He asked me to beg you for your forgiveness; he wanted it to look real," Nate said getting down on one knee. 

"Forgiven, no harm done," I whispered still dazed.

"Harm was done, Madam, I smell the blood. Slide this off your shoulders," he said pointing to Joel's silk robe, "and let me heal them."

I let the robe pool at my waist. The fact I'd just bared both breasts to Nate didn't even bother me; I was still too stunned. Nate shifted his tongue into that of the wolf. He licked each little mark for an eternity. Soon they were nothing more than fresh pink skin. 

"Everyone was knocked out, Nate," I said watching him. "Her spells work on you all. How come you know I'm me?" 

"Hmmph," Nate snorted pulling the robe back around my shoulders, "it's one of the only spells I've ever seen work well on a werewolf. Lucky break for her. You can be sure Alpha Latro's beating himself up over that, too. We should have demanded a sample when she used it at the clinic." 

"How did she get in?" I asked him.

"She must be using a spell that conceals her natural odor. Frankly, she smells like nothing. From what we can determine she slipped into the kitchen and left a jug of her poisoned punch. It's addictive it's so good or so I've heard. The kitchen help that found it passed it around. It knocked your guards out long enough for her to get in the Alpha suites." 

Nate paused for a moment and grinned, "Did I tell you how angry he is about that? He's about ready to explode. That witch is not going to know what hit her." 

Standing up Nate looked around the little room. "It's not a nice place to stay, but you are safe here. The guard outside won't let anyone in and we know what she used to put everyone to sleep. We recognize the smell now. None of us will ever drink it again. The Alpha wants you here and safe while he gets everything out of Ryana he needs."

I nodded dully and stared at Nate. 

"We'll bring you a better bed, Madam," Nate said looking at the cot, "and something to do. The Alpha wants the door kept closed and locked, so you won't have much company. You'll be safe, that's really all he cares about."

"What about him with her?" I worried. "What's she doing to him?"

"She thinks she cast a spell over him that's controlling him. He understood most of her chanting, so he just went with it," Nate laughed again. He seemed to find the entire thing funny. I did not share that point of view. 

"What if she really manages to control him?" I asked fidgeting on the cot. Much to my chagrin I was nervously clasping and unclasping my hands like my grandmother used to do. 

Nate raised an eyebrow and looked at me with disbelief. "Aren't there things, medicines, that humans can use to calm down? Should we get you some?" 

Looking concerned, he continued with a warning, "If you can't stop worrying you will drive Alpha Latro to distraction. He's trying to pump the witch for information, find out how deep this went. You have to believe me, witch's spells rarely are effective on us. She's made them work, that's quite a feat. Alpha Latro needs to know how she's doing it. He is smart, he won't let her hit him with something he doesn't know about."

I tried to breath deeply and relax. Taking drugs to calm down was probably going to be a bad idea right now. I wanted to be clear headed.

"Couldn't he just beat the information out of her?" I asked feeling violent toward Ryana. I'd feel much better if Joel wasn't at risk. 

"Isn't there a human saying, you can get more flies with honey than with vinegar? I'm sure he'll switch to torture if it needs to be done. For now she thinks we are all big dumb animals. She's saying way too much. This way is turning out to be much quicker," Nate laughed again. He was really enjoying this. 

A knock sounded at the door and Nate opened it cautiously. After his inspection a comfortable twin bed was set up in place of the cot. Battery operated lamps were also delivered and the harsh light in the ceiling was turned off. A small bucket of bottled waters was sat on the floor. A pile of books and a laptop were also delivered. Lastly a chair was settled into the remaining space in the room, which wasn't much. 

"How long am I staying here?" I asked Nate. Staying in this little room was going to drive me insane if I stayed too long. I hated to feel trapped. 

"Alpha Latro will keep her talking as long as he can," he said handing me a fresh set of clothes someone had brought down. "It probably won't be past tomorrow night. She's expecting him to change her on the full moon."

A man from outside called sharply to Nate. "I have to go now. You should rest or at least try to. Please remember when you worry that Alpha Latro feels it. He can't concentrate when he thinks you are in trouble," Nate said and then looked at me warily. "Can you relax?" he asked me. 

I took a deep breath and sat on the bed while nodding to him. Sure, I could try, if it would help Joel. 

After Nate left I sat on the bed and fiddled with the computer; it had internet access. I read everything I could find on witches. Some of it was probably real, but I couldn't discern fact from fiction. Eventually, I laid my head down and rested my eyes.

The bed was comfortable, but I slept fitfully. Over the last several weeks I'd become used to being wrapped in Joel's arms at night. Now the thought of him holding and stoking someone else in our bed made it hard to sleep. 

I was worried what she might do to him while he slept. I just wanted him to tie her up and beat her until she talked. When I finally did settle down it was near sunrise according to the clock on the computer. 

The lock sliding in the door sent me from sleep to awake instantly. Nate jerked the door open and came in scooping me up. He paced down the hall and into another open room. 

"What are you doing?" I asked struggling a little. My voice was still thick and groggy. 

"Stay here," he said putting me in a different prison room. This looked just like the place I had originally been put in complete with the cot, harsh light, and metal toilet. I stood in the middle of it and tried to wake up. 

The door swung open a second time and now it framed a stern looking Joel with his arm around Ryana. Several Betas stood impassively behind them. 

"For attempting to kill my mate; I sentence you to death, witch," he said sounding threatening. 

"NO," I gasped, "you have the wrong person. I'm your mate. Please, I love you, stop this," I begged him. If this was still a game, I figured that was the correct response.

"I have my mate right here," he sneered pulling Ryana closer and kissing her head. She just grinned and smirked at me. 

The idea of him touching her like that infuriated me. He was mine; I wanted to kill her. Lunging forward I almost reached her, but Joel whipped her back out of my grasp. 

"If you wish me to torture you first, you will continue to try and harm my mate," he said canines elongating. "Your sentence will be carried out tonight in our sacred circle at sunset. Enjoy your last day of life," and the door slammed closed. 

The look on his face had been awful. He regarded at me without a trace of recognition. I prayed her spells weren't really working and he was just that good of an actor. 

I heard talking coming from beyond the door. They must be out there discussing 'my' death. In my mind I saw her touching him, controlling him. It was nerve racking.

After a while, I sat on the cot and put my head in my hands. I felt barely rested, I must not have been asleep long. When Nate reappeared in the door I stood up quickly. This was horrible. The worry was killing me. 

"Please, tell him this has to stop. I can't take anymore. Watching him with her, the thought she's going to hurt him; it's making me crazy," I begged Nate as he rushed me back to my original room.

"It has to continue for a little while. He 'accidentally' broke her vials of spells and now she's making them right in front of him. Can you believe it? We never could have forced her to give us what she's handing us willingly. We won't get a chance like this again," Nate said.

A knock at my door interrupted him. I recognized Anthony outside handing Nate a breakfast tray. He scented the air and wrinkled his nose. 

"It reeks of fear in here," he commented handing the meal over.

Nate agreed, taking the proffered tray. He inspected and sniffed every item on the tray before setting it down. 

"I'm not hungry," I grumbled sitting on the bed. 

My mate was hanging out with the witch while she made spells. That didn't make me feel any better. I put my head down and looked at the floor. 

I didn't want to eat, but I could hear Nate fiddling with the tray. It sounded and smelled like he was fixing coffee. 

"Madam Alpha, this is necessary. Please eat your breakfast or Alpha Latro will be very upset," he said buttering a plump biscuit and slathering it with jelly. 

Nate stayed and watched me as I ate. He stood calmly.

"She really can't hurt him?" I asked.

"Not with anything she has up there, no," he answered.

I had to calm down. If this was the way Joel wanted to play this; it was probably the right way. 

"I just thought he'd be more violent when he found her," I commented. Frankly, I kind of wanted him to be more aggressive. That would have made me feel better about wanting to kick her teeth out.

"He will be violent, later. Alpha Latro didn't get to be the respected Alpha of a large pack by lack of planning. There's more to him that just brute strength," Nate said in an almost chastising way.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," I drawled, catching his tone. "I just assumed he could get what he needed a little quicker."

He enunciated every word he said next, but not in a way I could directly construe as demeaning. "She is making her spells in front of him, including the spell she put in the punch. If we know the catalyst she is using against us, we will know how to block it."

"Fair enough," I said. "Do you have to go back to him?" 

"Not right now," he answered sounding confused.

"Then have a seat and tell me everything you know about the witches," I commanded. 

Nate looked a little surprised at the tone, but did as he was asked. He sat down and talked. 
 Nate's opinion of the witches was lower than Joel's and I hadn't thought that possible. They were greedy, dangerous, and uncaring as a whole, he said. Family meant almost nothing to them and they killed their own frequently.

Joel had formed a working relationship with the witches as a way to keep an eye on them. He didn't want to be surprised like his father had been. According to his research Althea and Davonna really were good witches. They seemed a safe group to become involved with. Joel paid them steady money for their spells. His generosity meant the witches talked to him and shared their secrets. 

Most witches sold their spells to humans with vendettas. They made a living cursing and uncursing the unlucky. Witches had great powers to heal, but rarely used those because they weren't as lucrative. When Nate was finishing I rubbed my temples in frustration. While I felt better about Joel hanging out with the witch, I was irritated they were allowed to get away with what they did. 

A knock at the door interrupted us, "Alpha Latro wants you back upstairs," Anthony said to Nate as he opened the door. 

Nate nodded and politely excused himself. I heard him bolting down the hall. Anthony turned to look at me with his eye brow cocked. 

"I smell the fear," Anthony commented. "It's not as bad as before, though."

"I want to kick her teeth out and tear her fingernails from their beds," I told him as I stretched out on the bed. 

"A fine idea, Madam," Anthony said stepping into my room and taking a seat. "I'll help you."

We spent the next hour calmly discussing all the ways we could torture Ryana. It turns out the conversation was very much to Anthony's liking; he had some great ideas. He was disappointed when I told him Joel had promised her grandmother a quick death. 

"A guy can dream," he said in response. 

A second later the air was split with a scream. I bounced off the bed only to be thrust behind Anthony who was mid shift. The brown wolf man growled menacingly at the door. 

I stayed very still against the wall and listened as the screaming continued. It sounded like Ryana, but it was hard to hear over Anthony. A door slammed down the hall and then everything was silent outside. Anthony had never let up. 

I wondered what would happen if he shifted completely. The room we were in was small and barely big enough for everything in here now. A giant angry wolf was never going to fit. 

Suddenly the growling stopped. Anthony shifted back into his human form and took a deep breath. 

"I am calmer now, Alpha Latro," he called toward the door. 

My heart leapt into my throat, Joel was out there. I pushed past Anthony and flew into Joel's arms when the door opened.

I kissed his neck and his lips. I examined his body with my hands and looked for any sign of damage. It was remarkably easy to check him since he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing 

"Where's Ryana? What's going on? Why are you walking around naked?" I asked him.

"Ryana is locked up until her execution. As for why I'm nude, the witch liked me to stay in my animal form. Someone had told her the spells were more effective on the animal in me," he laughed holding me tight. "I take it that's not true," I said into his chest, he was nearly crushing the breath out of me.

"Not even close, love. It just made it easier to talk to my pack," he said.

Mentally, I went over what I knew about Joel. I had no idea he could talk to his pack when he was in wolf form. I wasn't even sure how he would talk in wolf form.

"As the wolf I can communicate telepathically to my pack members who are also in that form. I'll teach you how to do it after I change you," he said nuzzling into my hair. As we walked out of the basement a cheer went up in the main hall. Many wolves were in their animal form, which I hadn't frequently seen them do inside the den.

"At the circle within the hour the witch will meet her end!" Joel called out.

I screamed my approval of the plan along with the rest of the pack. Ryana needed to pay and pay dearly. I hoped he'd get in a few good punishing swipes before he killed her. That damned bitch should suffer.

"I have knives upstairs," Joel whispered in my ear. "If you wanted to be the one to finish her, I would let you use them," he told me quietly. 

Suddenly, I realized what he was offering. I hated Ryana. Hated the way she had made me feel for the last many weeks. I despised her for what she had tried to do to the pack. I nodded my head silently to him. 

"If you can't, I would understand," he said quietly. 

"No, I can do this," I said looking into his eyes.

"Cut the throat," he told me, "that's the most efficient way."

I nodded silently and tried to wrap my brain around what I'd agreed to do. I'd never killed anything larger than a roach before. The roaches, however, had never tried to kill me first. 

Joel directed Anthony to retrieve the weapon from his rooms. We waited until he returned with a vicious looking knife. It gleamed wickedly in the light. The thing looked sharp enough to cut through rock.

"Almost," Joel laughed at my internal monologue as he handed it to me. 

Directing his next comment to the pack he boomed loudly, "To the circle." The room around us was exploding in shouts and howls.

It was getting dark outside as we made our way to the clearing. I tested the weight of the knife in my hand. Shawna had taught me to hold and use weapons to some extent, but I'd never held a weapon with such deadly intent. 

I saw Ryana emerge from a tunnel in front of us as we got closer to the clearing. Joel told me those to be punished traveled without the pack to the clearing, it was tradition. From a distance I could see Ryana was struggling with her guard, but not getting anywhere.

As we made our way out of the trees the light was falling and a cool breeze was blowing. Omegas were dutifully lighting torches around the circle. 

Knowing the pack they were going to party long and hard after this was done. The wolves were literally salivating they were so excited. The area felt like it was bursting with energy. 

The whole pack was out to see Ryana punished. They surrounded the circle of stones. Ryana was walked by two guards to the center of the circle. She screamed that the wolves didn't deserve their wealth. Joel and I approached her and stopped about fifty feet from her. We listened to her ranting for little and then Joel called out her crimes to the pack. 

Watching Ryana struggle I thought about her. We had been friendly at the clinic. She had been someone I had depended on when I first got there. She knew most of the patients and helped me deal with some of the more eccentric ones. The more I thought, the more I doubted I would be able to kill her. I had never been a killer; I was a healer.

Joel called out Ryana's punishment was death and the pack howled its agreement. I looked up at him and shook my head. I couldn't do this. No matter how much I hated her, it just wasn't in me. 

Joel looked disappointed but nodded to me, "It would be my honor to do this for you," he said shifting into his large black wolf. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 09



Lightening fast Ryana's guards released her and stepped away. They joined a number of men that surrounded her in a loose circle. Joel stalked through them and toward the screaming woman. 

Unconsciously I followed Joel until I stood beside the guards. They focused on Ryana, but seemed a little surprised to see me there. I gasped when I saw Ryana reach into her shirt. I knew what she was going for. 

The women at the clinic frequently joked about Ryana's second purse, her bra. 'Why the hell hadn't the pack searched her?' I wondered.

Before I could say anything out loud, she had pulled something from her little hiding place. Joel didn't know what she was doing and started toward her. There was no time to warn him and I wasn't really sure the wolf would listen if I told him to stop. I was still concerned she might have a spell that would hurt him. 

The curse words flew from my lips as the knife flew from my hands. I'd always had decent aim and that hadn't changed. The knife struck Ryana in the stomach and she doubled over dropping the vial. As it shattered on the ground, I took off toward her. 

Swinging my fist with assurance I struck Ryana in the chin. As she reeled back, I grabbed my knife and followed Joel's advice. The knife nearly severed her head from her body. The pack roared its approval. 

Panting, I stood watching her lifeless body. It was done and I had done it. I felt a strange pride in knowing I had killed her. I also felt fury that Joel hadn't been more careful. 

It was my turn to have fire in my eyes as I turned to face Joel who was so close he was breathing down my neck. 

"Why the hell didn't you have her searched?" I asked menacingly turning to face him. 

"That spell," he said wrinkling his nose, "would not have worked on me." 

"That's not something you should assume. You didn't know that until you smelled it. She should have been searched. You had no idea what was in that vial. It could have killed you," I continued to rage.

He was grinning as he wiped a little blood off of my face. "So you thought it would be wiser to rush in yourself?" he asked. 

"I was worried about you; besides the bottle had dropped by the time I got to her," I said still seething mad. "Why can't you admit the danger they present. It is so frustrating. You just keep ignoring all the warning signs..."

Joel's booming laughter cut me off entirely. The surrounding guard also seemed to think something was awfully funny. At least they had the decency to try to hide their laughter. 

"I have a compromise for you," Joel said finally regaining some control of himself. "I will become more cognizant of the danger presented by the witches if you will make the same promise."

"Fine, I promise to be more careful," I said curtly.

"I promise also," Joel said pulling me to his chest. "You did so well, mate," he whispered into my ear. "I appreciate your loyalty, although your fear is unnecessary. You are protective and the pack will be proud to have you as an Alpha."

The pack was in full party mode. I just watched them with interest. Looking at Joel I saw the excitement in his eyes, also. 

Several Betas were talking to Joel about the run the pack wanted to take. Joel seemed to be backing out of it skillfully. Obviously, I could not run with them. I sensed he was feeling disappointed. 

"Can you carry me and take a run with your pack, or would that be too odd?" I asked him. He'd carried me once without difficulty.

"Do you want to run and celebrate?" Joel bellowed to the surrounding pack. 

As one being the wolves dropped their remaining clothing and shifted into their wolf forms. I looked up to see Joel's giant black wolf in front of me. He paced around me rubbing over my sides for a moment and then dropped to his stomach. I got the unspoken command when he looked back at me. 'Get on,' his eyes said. 

I had just enough time to swing my leg over Joel when he started off. It had escaped me before just how quickly he moved through the forest. The pack spread out to run behind him. Trees blurred past us as the pack ran and howled. 

Eventually the pack came to a clearing near a large lake. None of them were making a sound. Joel started to change underneath me and I slid off his back and watched him. 

"We're going hunting," Joel told me quietly. "If I do well on the hunt, which I always do, I expect a reward when I get back." His smile was devilish. 

"Of course, mate, a full reward awaits you," I smiled and rose up on toes to kiss his lips. Based on the reward I'd been asked to give him before, I had a good idea what it might be. 

Suddenly he was gone. I watched his tail disappear into the forest around us. A large section of wolves followed him. Part of the pack stayed behind. Several large wolves took up a four point position around me. It looked like I still had a guard. 

"Oh this was such a good idea, Elizabeth," Katrina said bouncing between my guard to come over to me. "He hasn't gone on a hunt with us in so long."

"Are you going?" I asked Katrina. 

"Oh, no I'll be here once Saul gets back," she said running her fingers through her hair. 

Across the clearing I saw men and women setting up what looked like pits for bonfires. The moon was really bright, so it made it easy to see what was going on in the clearing. The light also sprinkled off the water in the lake to my left. 

Shawna came toward me, she stopped to stroke the large silver head of one of the surrounding wolves. 

"Protect the Alpha's mate well and you'll get a reward, too," I heard her say to the wolf. It must be Nate, I assumed. 

Shawna sat down gracefully and I followed her, she and Katrina were both butt naked. 

"You know what he's expecting, right?" Shawna asked me.

"Sex," I answered immediately.

"If you are planning to give it to him, I suggest you lose the clothes. He'll just rip them off of you otherwise," she warned. 

I stripped down in front of my friends and didn't feel all that uncomfortable. Actually, I had stood out more wearing my clothes. I was a little chilly, so Shawna and Katrina huddled next to me. 

"What was it like, killing the witch?" Katrina asked. Her eyes were glowing gold she was so excited. 

"A relief," I laughed.

"We should talk about that," Shawna said quietly. "The pack thinks you are so aggressive you couldn't let Alpha Latro kill the witch; you wanted to do it yourself. They think you stepped in and took the Alpha's kill. Most are surprised he let you, he never lets anyone take his kill." 

"No, no, no," I said, "it wasn't like that..." I started to say and she cut me off by shaking her head.

"I heard, through my mate, the real reason you did it. The pack will not understand you doubting the Alpha's strength. The Betas that heard you understand you are human, they will not repeat it. The pack needs to think what they do. It would be confusing and disconcerting for them to hear you thought a mere witch could hurt their Alpha," Shawna said as though pleading with me. 

Let the pack think what they wanted. "If it makes you feel any better," I grinned at her, "I really did enjoy it."

Shawna relaxed and smiled at me. "It looks like your wolf is already showing," she laughed. 

We talked a little about what the rest of the night would bring. Once the hunters got back they would drag their kills back and the Omegas would put it over the fire. As the meat was prepared and cooked the pack would celebrate. 

Katrina told me we were deep into pack lands, no humans ever ventured out here. Hence the wolves could light the large fires and be themselves without risking exposure. This was a place the pack came to party. 

There were drums set up and once someone started to play the dancing would start. Other wolves would run and explore in the woods. Primarily, though, they came out here to fuck in the wild. 

"Let Alpha Latro chase you in the woods," Katrina said, "he'd love that."

I thought about bounding through the forest with Joel hot on my heels. It was an erotic idea and captivated my thoughts. Before I had a chance to answer Katrina a howl cut the air. Everything in the clearing stood still as the hunters returned dragging their kills.

It was hard to miss Joel; he was enormous. He dragged a large dead buck out of the undergrowth and toward me. He stopped beyond my guarded perimeter and growled. The four wolves all backed away with heads lowered. A breeze indicated Shawna and Katrina had also left. 

I stood and walked toward him. This was a new experience for me, so I just inspected what he had brought. Suddenly I noticed it was the man watching me and not the wolf. 

"Good kill," I complimented him.

He still looked feral as his gaze raked over me. He stepped toward me and my breath caught in my throat. Joel's movements were smooth and calculated. He was still hunting. 

"I like Katrina's idea, too," he growled at me. "I'll give you a head start, now run."

My heart beat wildly as I turned and bolted toward the trees. I wove in between the undergrowth looking for a good hiding spot. I could feel the little branches and rocks plucking at the soles of my feet, but I was too excited to pay them much mind. 

"You promised me a reward, Elizabeth," I heard him call from behind me. "I'm coming to collect."

I didn't know the area at all, but Joel did. He tracked me in his human form herding me as I ran from his taunting voice. The chase had my body primed. I was panting and excited when I walked out onto the beach of the lake. I turned to get away from the water and Joel was right behind me. 

As we stood quietly I heard the padding of feet around us. To either side of us I saw several men stalking their women toward the water. Everyone seemed to be following our lead. 

I reached out and touched Joel's chest and stomach. "How do you want your reward, mate?" I asked him seductively. 

He grabbed my hand and wrapped it around his straining erection, "On your knees," he growled out softly.

As I dropped to my knees I placed kisses down his body. I released my grip on his shaft and licked it. He came behind me and pressed a hand between my shoulder blades until I was on hands and knees before him. I heard the rearranging of bones as the wolf took over. 

It was the wolf that took me beside the water. I was slick and the wolf took full advantage, sliding his length home in a powerful thrust. His knot forced itself home as I dropped to my elbows. I moaned his name as he pumped inside of me. 

To our left and right everyone was doing just what we were doing. I heard the screaming pleasure from his pack. They were in heaven and so was I.

When I came it was like lightening and I bucked wildly beneath Joel. The wolf's jaws held me still as Joel spilled himself into my body. Dragging Joel's body with mine I collapsed onto the sand. 

"I guess we're stuck here for a little while," I panted stroking Joel's arm as it lay across my belly. He warmed my back and I snuggled into him. For the first time since Ryana had popped up the night before I felt completely comfortable. 

Against my wishes the image of Joel kissing Ryana popped into my head and I cringed. 'Had he held Ryana like this as they cuddled in our bed?' I wondered ruefully. It had all been an act, of course. The image just raised a level of jealousy in me I'd never felt before. 

"Absolutely not," Joel growled into my ear. "The witch slept in our bed as I lay on the floor watching her in my wolf form. I did not cuddle with her," he said fiercely.

"I want the mattress and the pillows removed from our suite. I won't sleep where she did," I whispered still seeing red over the idea of that woman in our bed. 

"You have a venomous streak," Joel marveled. "I like it." 

I twisted and turned my upper body so I could grab his head and took his lips in a demanding kiss. 

"You are mine," I told him simply as he smiled broadly.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 10



Thank you all for reading and commenting, enjoy! DW

******

When the pack parties, the pack parties. Once Joel and I came undone he cleaned me up a little and we made our way back to the sounds of revelry. The smell of roasting meat filled the air. Torches had been lit to light the area. As the food was turned and cooked, the dancing started. 

The women danced for the men and the men danced for the women. Joel sat and watched all the performances. His interest in the goings on were obviously important. The wolves seemed pleased when he complimented them. 

When the meat was done it was delivered to Joel first. He took a large chunk of the proffered item and we ate heartily. The rest of the pack followed his lead and ate with the same gusto. I felt thirsty and wondered where I could get a drink. 

"We usually just drink out of the lake," Joel whispered to me.

"That's fine," I told him, starting to rise. He stopped me with a hand on my arm. 

"I wasn't sure your human immune system would handle that well. Nate is bringing you water from the den," he said pulling me back down.

I was embarrassed. I felt like the kid that needed all the special attention in school. It was like if he handled me too roughly I'd just break.

"Not at all," he laughed at the conversation in my head, "but I have had occasion to see humans after they drink water that isn't pristine. Once I change you into a wolf it won't be an issue anymore."

"When are you doing that?" I asked him. I'd forgotten that should have been tonight.

"Tomorrow," he answered me.

My dry mouth felt about a hundred times drier all the sudden. Gratefully, I accepted the water Nate brought to me and gulped it down. 

"What's making you so nervous about it?" Joel asked curiously. "You just had sex with me down by the lake with a large portion of my pack present. Your human modesty is not the issue."

"I was really excited, so I didn't think about that," I shrugged. "I know you don't understand this, but I've only ever been human. It's a strange idea to think I'll be something else after tomorrow."

"There's a wolf in there already," Joel grinned, "or I wouldn't be attracted to you. We just have to find her."

I wasn't really sure what to make of that esoteric explanation, but I let it pass. My life would seem empty without Joel, so I was going to do the change whether I really understood it or not. 

The rest of the night was crazy. The pack ate, danced, and fucked. Katrina told me this was the wildest she'd ever seen one of these parties. The pack hadn't liked having their range restricted while the witch was threatening them. They were cutting loose. 

I did find time to talk to Joel about what he'd learned from Ryana. Nate hadn't been lying, she had made her spells in front of him. She had believed him to be completely bespelled by her. She'd even talked about the renegade wolves. She wanted them placed in positions of authority. 

Remembering Lucas and his punishment I asked Joel about the families of the rogues. I wondered if he had cast them out or killed them. 

"When we first determined who was involved I interviewed all of the direct family members. They all pleaded innocence to me. Several asked me to end their lives out of shame," he said shaking his head. "I understand why my father acted as he did. It has been difficult to let them live and stay in the pack. There was the constant threat that they were involved. Despite those reservations, I chose to wait until I had more information."

Joel took my hand as he talked further, "The witch inadvertently told me I had made the correct decision. Tonight, in her plan, would have been not only her changing and your death, but the death of several of those families. She believed her Betas, as she called the rogues, would come out of hiding as soon as she ended their lines."

"They wanted their families dead?" I asked in shock.

"Yes," he answered solemnly. 

"Did she know some of the renegades were already dead?" I asked him.

"Evidently not," Joel answered, "I believe she had been living in the woods, but she didn't seem to be in contact with the remaining rogues."

I sat and watched the bonfires burning around the clearing. There was so much I wanted to know. 

"Did you figure out why you couldn't smell her?" I asked.

Joel lay back in the grass and threw his arms over his head. "I have never, never seen a spell like that," he said. "It wasn't hers, she bought it from someone else. When the drinker takes the potion it conceals their natural odor completely. It wore off toward the end and her scent came back. She didn't know how to make it, unfortunately. Amazing spell, completely effective, even on us."

I lay down beside him and stroked his chest. He was really irritated. 

"Were the other witches involved?" I asked. 

"No, they didn't seem to be, although they made no moves to stop Ryana. Althea sounded surprised when Ryana told her she had succeeded when I overheard them on the phone," Joel snorted. "Her grandmother asked her for money and Ryana laughed at her. She told the old woman she could be dying on the side of the road and she wouldn't give her a dime."

"Cold," I marveled running my fingers along his jaw. "I can't believe she said and did all of this in front of you."

"It was difficult acting unaffected by her. I wanted to tear her throat out, but I wondered if she would be as brashly confident as she was. Torturing her could have taken days and even then we may not have asked all the right questions. This was so much more effective."

"A lot less satisfying though, huh?" I asked him absently.

Suddenly I was pushed on my back and he was towering over me. "You got the only satisfying part of the entire ordeal, love," he growled pressing my into the soft grass.

His lips pressed into mine and I heard howling from the surrounding pack. 

"Are you mad I did that?" I asked quietly in his ear.

"I was worried for you and stayed at your side for that reason. No, I don't mind sharing with you," he whispered starting to grind his hardness against me. "The violence was very attractive to me, although I still appreciate your delicate nature." 

Joel's hands wandered all over my body for a while. He tweaked my aroused nipples and then moved his hands down to clasp my ass. When he moved inside of me I moaned loudly, eliciting another loud howl from the surrounding wolves. 

"You smell of me and the forest, Elizabeth. I adore your skin this way," he told me burying his face in my neck.

I was lost in him, trapped beneath his warmth. I could stay like this forever. We exploded together and I saw stars. Except for the cold wind that started to blow, I could definitely stay like this forever. 

After a while, even close to Joel and the fire I was chilly. My clothes were somewhere in the field, but they had probably been trampled by now. My shoes were gone, too. My toes and fingers were having trouble keeping feeling in them. 

Noting my discomfort, Joel shifted into his large black wolf and started back to the den. I rode on his back and watched the wolves weaving effortlessly through the thick foliage. I felt bad because most of the pack followed him. As we headed into the den I was tempted to apologize publicly for my lack of cold tolerance. 

"Elizabeth," Joel said as we walked into the wide back doors, "no one slept while the witch was here. We are all tired. You didn't end the party too early."

"And tomorrow's the real party and that will be all about you," Anthony said jovially following us in. 

Joel turned and looked sharply at the man and Anthony bowed his head.

"Since you are so interested in my mate Anthony, go remove the mattress and pillows from our rooms. The Madam Alpha will not sleep where the witch did. I want a new one of similar quality in its place quickly," Joel said.

I heard the censure in Joel's voice and I wasn't sure if it was because Anthony interrupted or because of what he said. In an effort not to get him in more trouble I tried not to think about it. 

"Would they have anything warm to drink in the kitchen?" I asked instead. 

I didn't want to be staring longingly at the bed while they set it up. It would be more polite to give them a moment to work. 

We wandered toward the kitchen and Joel heated me water for tea. A pretty brown haired Omega walked in while Joel was preparing the tea pot and fell over herself to do it for him. I laughed inwardly. Did she do it out of respect or did she think Joel couldn't boil water? 

"Emily," Joel said addressing the Omega, "my mate is curious if you think I am unable to boil water?" I saw a smile twitching the corners of Joel's mouth, but Emily didn't.

The poor girl stuttered and stumbled over her words, trying not to offend. She obviously wasn't used to being teased by the Alpha. She bowed far too low and ran to get some tea from the pantry. 

"I take it you don't usually play with the Omegas?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Evidently not enough," he said watching the girl come zipping in with a selection she spread out on the table. 

"Thank you for your help tonight, Emily," Joel told her and dismissed her to go get some sleep. 

"I know there has be balance," Joel told me as we sipped tea alone at a table in the kitchen, "but it has been difficult to instill the proper amount of kindness into my actions."

"How's that?" I asked him not understanding. 

"I am the pack's protector. I cannot afford to be seen as weak. I have tried to be gentler than my father, but it is a fine line to walk," he told me. 

"You didn't kill or cast out the rogues' families because you wanted to handle this differently than your father," I said starting to put it all together. 

"Yes," he murmured, "although one of the fathers took his own life in shame. Another family has asked to be leave the pack. None of them barely show their faces for the embarrassment they feel."

We sat in silence for a moment and listened to the sounds of everyone filing back into the den. From the ones I had met, the wolves seemed good and friendly by nature. They weren't inherently evil. 

"Since you don't think they were involved, isn't there any way to make them realize it wasn't their fault?" I finally asked him. "Parents guide their children, but they shouldn't be held responsible for every choice their child makes. Would they listen if you told them that? If you openly told them you forgave them would they accept it? Would the rest of the pack accept it?"

"Yes," he said pensively, "but I have not done that."

"Because?" I questioned.

"I was angry, I am angry that they raised children that would do this to me and mine," he said hotly. His eyes had taken on an eerie glow.

I chose to ignore the fact his wolf was surfacing. I gambled that neither the wolf nor the man would hurt me. "Anger will only eat at you. It's time to make a choice. The families are innocent or guilty. If they are innocent then grant them forgiveness and move on. If they are guilty then kill them or cast them out."

I took a breath and continued. He wasn't going to like my opinion. "At this point you haven't made a different choice than your father made. They are killing themselves and casting themselves out of your pack. It seems like they've already determined where your opinion lies. You've just forced them to do the work."

I sat silently and drank my cooling tea. Joel hadn't moved a muscle; he just stared at the floor. I shifted a little on the chair underneath me and wondered if I should clean it off when I moved.

"We should go to bed," he said softly. "Tomorrow will be a busy day." 

Most of the pack was still out and about as we made our way toward the staircase. They all seemed to note which direction Joel was going. It struck me that they weren't going to bed until the Alpha went to bed. Everything he did, every decision he made was reinforced and reflected by the pack. 

"Damn it woman," he said softly and then turned on the stairs so he faced out over the main floor. 

"Bring me the families of the traitors," he boomed out. 

We stood half way up the first flight of stairs and waited. I tried not to move around and Joel just stood staring out across the wolves. I noticed the pack was gathering to watch this latest drama unfold. 

I couldn't get over how uncomfortable I was right now. Not a scrap of clothing standing in front of this massive group of people. They crowded the main floor and lined the stairs going all the way up to the third floor. This made the night he introduced me to them look like a breeze. 

A small group of people were ushered in front of Joel on the main floor. Everyone that had been at the party was still walking around naked as the day they were born. The people that walked in front of us were all fully clothed and shivering. 

"Your children are a disgrace," Joel said in a low commanding voice. "When the remainder are found, they will be torn to shreds for their crimes."

He took a breath, as though steeling himself, and continued. "My mate and I find the rest of you blameless for their actions. You did the best you could and should not be held accountable for the actions of your grown children. If you wish to leave this pack, I will allow it, but I do not want for any of you to go. Your family is here and this is where you should remain. Come here," he ordered waving them toward us. 

The families of the rogue wolves climbed the steps quickly. As they got closer, I had a chance to appreciate how worn they all looked. Joel leaned down touched each one of them; a handshake to some or a pat on the shoulder to others.

The first man bowed to me, but didn't try and touch me. Wolves like to touch, I knew that much. I reached out and stroked his arm. As each one passed I reached out and stroked them. Several leaned into my touch and the last tentative female reached out her fingers to me. I squeezed her hand gently in reassurance.

Once they were done and walking away Joel led us the rest of the way up the steps. I snuck a glance back down and saw them surrounded by pack. Everyone seemed to be caressing them soothingly.

"They are forgiven," he said. "The pack will accept them again." 

Nothing else was said between us until we reached our suites. The guard outside nodded as we passed him. "It is done, my Alpha," the man said, "the bedding is all new."

We walked into the rooms and walked quickly toward the bedroom. The bed looked like it always did. I knew I was being really immature, but if that was the same bed I'd sleep on the couch.

"It is new," Joel told me.

I looked questioningly at him, "I don't doubt you if you say so, but where do you keep extra beds? And why do you keep them? That seems a little strange."

"After everything you've seen, that seems strange?" he laughed. "We are very rough on bedding. The pack keeps a supply of extra mattresses in stock. Our claws can rip through the material before we've noticed we've done it."

"I've never seen you rip anything in the bed," I said thinking back.

"I have had to be remarkably careful. I didn't want to harm you accidentally in a moment of passion," he said.

"Can you grow just your claws?" I asked him.

Holding up a hand, daggers grew from the ends of his fingers. Tentatively, I touched them. They were hard as any metal and sharp.

"Mine will be like this also?" I asked him.

He nodded and continued to watch as I explored his new anatomy. 

"Can you shift for me?" I asked.

With a few pops and a light growl the wolf man was standing in front of me. He let me explore him to my heart's content.  

I started to yawn and Joel shifted back into his human form.

"You need to sleep, mate. Neither of us did that last night," he said nudging me toward the bed. 

Whoever had remade the bed had put a bunch of white decorative pillows on it. I crawled up and started to toss them off. Against the white linen, I looked filthy. My knees were grass stained. The rest of me was scuffed and dirty. I shuddered at how bad my hair must look, probably full of twigs and knotted. 

"Okay, bed in a minute," I told Joel heading off the other side for the bathroom, "I'm showering."

"I like the way you smell as you are now," he said moving to stand in my way. "I don't want you to bathe."

Breathing deep, I held onto my temper. The obsession with how I smelled was so annoying and the arrogant bossy Alpha routine really got under my skin. 

"Compromise with me Joel. I have no intention of climbing into that beautiful clean bed as dirty as I am right now," I said watching his eyes. 

We stood in a deadlock for several moments before he relented. 

"They could have just washed the sheets," he told me as he cuddled me later. 

"I like to be clean, get used to it," I yawned slipping toward sleep.

"Wolves aren't as obsessed with it as you are, that will change," he said.

I didn't have the energy to argue with him about it, but I hoped I wouldn't change that much. 

I woke up the next morning to the smell of fresh bacon assaulting my senses. I dressed in our rooms and Joel directed me to the main sitting area where a feast had been laid out for us. 

I woke up as I ate and watched Joel busily move around our suite. There was a constant stream of people coming to the door and he directed them succinctly on what sounded like tasks. Eventually, Joel sat down next to me and started to eat.

Our conversation soon turned to the changing ceremony tonight. He explained that he would be leaving me at nightfall. I would have to come to the circle on my own when the moon was high to meet him. I must have looked confused because he rolled his eyes and told me eleven o' clock. 

"What exactly will the ceremony entail?" I asked trying not to cringe. I had a pretty good idea. 

"We will have sex, as I'm sure you already know," he said watching me.

"Right, we've done that before and I'm not a werewolf," I answered him.

"I will bite you during your climax. I will intend for my bite to infect you, much as I intended my first bite to mate us," he said.

Chewing nervously on some toast I avoided asking anymore about the actual ceremony. I was freaking out enough as it was. "What do I wear?" I asked him instead.

"Something easy to get out of," he said suggestively.

"Like what," I asked, "a robe?"

After much discussion the right outfit was chosen. The hot pink halter top and pre ripped jeans Joel pulled out of the closet I found unusual attire. It wasn't an outfit I'd ever have chosen to wear anywhere and it certainly wasn't something he liked. In addition, I had assumed the occasion was more somber. 

I dressed myself for the day in a simple skirt and blouse. This outfit I felt comfortable in. Why couldn't I wear something like this tonight? I shrugged off the sense I was missing something.

Joel's mood was odd the rest of the day. He looked at me like I was something to eat. By the pack's tradition he wasn't allowed to have sex with me. That obviously didn't mean he couldn't kiss me senseless in the bathroom or corner me in his office for a grope session.

"Do you mind?!" I asked him, pushing my shirt back down over my breasts. 

"Do you?" he asked nuzzling my neck. 

I felt his hands slip over my ass as he ground us together, breathing heavy in my ear. He groaned as Nate called him into the main room.

"I can't wait for tonight, love," he said grinning as he strolled out of the office. I felt uncomfortable, something was definitely going on. 

Despite my uneasy feeling the day passed quickly and the sun was soon setting. Joel stripped naked and left our suites amid much howling. I watched from the window as he ran as a wolf into the forest with a large number of the male wolves behind him. He had told me they had rituals they preformed before I got to the circle.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 10



I propped open the doors the balcony of our suite about nine thirty at night. The air was crisp and cold. I had changed into the costume Joel had chosen. Oddly the clothing made me feel naked and figured its purpose must be to see if I could freeze to death before making it to the circle. 

By ten o'clock the den was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Katrina had told me at these gatherings the wolves arrived and congregated for hours before the ceremony. As I walked out of our suites I was greeted by Nate, leaning casually on a wall. Poor guy had to pull guard duty on a night like this; I felt bad for him.

"I heard it was a party down there Nate, sorry you're missing it," I said trying to sound sympathetic.

"Ah, the party won't really start until you get there. You aren't stalling now are you?" he asked as I tarried in the doorway.

"I was on my way!" I retorted starting for the stairs.

"I hope you're ready for a good tussle," he said following me down.

"What do you mean 'a good tussle'?"

"It is my honor to inform you that before going through the changing ceremony you will be fighting the Alpha."

"Right," I huffed walking barefoot toward the back doors of the den, "I've seen what happens when you all fight him. I won't win."

"You'll just be proving to the pack you are worthy of being a member. Hopefully, your time with my mate has prepared you well. Use every trick she taught you, the longer you last, the more they will respect you. Don't worry about winning, none of us could do that."

We were well into the forest now, but I wasn't cold anymore. I was too hyped up to be chilly. Looking around I was alone, Nate had disappeared into the trees. I could still feel him watching me though. 

I had originally been worried I wouldn't find the clearing, but the path to it was well worn. I kept my stride brisk and focused on the fight. I'd seen Joel in battle, he was fast and brutal. I hoped I wouldn't be hurt too badly. Lost in thought I didn't realize I was there.

I stepped into the open grassy area from the shelter of the trees and sucked in a breath. The entire pack was present and surrounding the circle of stones. They were all looking at me silently. The moon was high and several torches lit the area more. In the center of the circle was a large stone altar set atop several larger slabs of stone. 

I kept my stride brisk and moved down the sloping land to the circle. Pack members moved out of my way so it was straight shot. I noticed that most of them were naked. I just kept walking and had no illusions about what the night would bring.

I saw Joel as I moved down toward the center. He was naked and in his human form. He had been leaning casually on one of the stones that made up the outside of the circle, now he moved to stand beside the altar. 

"Pack Latro, tonight I change my mate Elizabeth. She will be one of you. Do you accept this pack member?" he boomed out. I had just made my way to the edge of the circle. 

"Show us her strength," they called back as one.

'So now we fight,' I thought to myself. Joel nodded subtly moving off the platform and slightly toward me.

Slowly, I walked into the circle. Honestly I wasn't sure what to do, so I just circled Joel as he stood impassively. 'You could give me a hint,' I thought as loudly as I could. 

As I admired his handsome backside I heard a chuckle. Turning slowly Joel had a wicked grin on his face. I saw him tense and knew the first round was coming. Some part of me was tempted to wait for him to strike, but it might be more interesting this way. Before he could move I lunged forward and aimed for his throat. I made contact much to my surprise.

The move took him off guard a little, but he managed to grab me around the waist. Fighting furiously I stomped on his arch and clawed at his eyes, Nate did say use every trick Shawna taught me. 

I got out of his embrace and stumbled to the side. He aimed a tightly balled fist toward me; I blocked the hit and kicked out at his knee. He dodged my attempt and moved behind me before I could blink. I felt his arms around me again, so I threw my head back aiming for his nose. He chuckled and released me, obviously he enjoyed the game.

Before I could get more than a step away he was back on me pulling me back toward him. Fabric tore as the skimpy halter top was ripped down the back. The material fell to the ground unnoticed. I threw an elbow out aiming for his ribs. I felt the contact, but it didn't earn me so much as an ouch. 

Struggling wildly, I had to admit to myself I'm caught. The sound of fabric tearing reinvigorated me. I looked down to see Joel's hand had grown claws and he was using them to shred my jeans. As the fabric fell off my legs I started to struggle anew.  

For some reason Joel let me go and I stumbled away from him breathing heavy. Turning to face him I saw the mischievous gleam in his eye. I can't see his mind the way he sees mine, but I know that look; this is turning him on. He stalked me like prey, but I held my ground. I waited until he charged forward then stepped to the side and dodged his outstretched arms. 

I knew running was a bad idea, but I started to do it without thinking. I darted away from him and felt his hot breath on my neck before I was halfway across the circle. For all the brutality I knew he could muster the take down was gentle. He twisted his body to take the fall, but kept me tightly in his arms. Twisting back I found my naked breasts pinned to the ground as his weight trapped me beneath him.

"Surrender mate," he whispered in my ear. "You did well."

I had no chance of winning and I knew that, but I abhorred the idea of just giving up. I pushed up slightly and found no give. He moved his hands to grab my wrists and pinned them down. I felt his human teeth on the back of my neck and I knew he was waiting for me. 

Defeated I lay my cheek on the cool ground, "I surrender Joel, I'm yours."

As Joel back off of me and allowed me up, the howl that went up from the assembled wolves was indescribable. Joel ran his hands down my arms and pulled me close. 

As we walked back toward the center of the circle I saw my shredded outfit around us. Joel had picked it out because he knew he was going to destroy it. 

"Smart," I said to him raising an eyebrow. 

Laughing he pulled me up the stone steps to the stone alter. The slab on top was magnificent and I wondered how they had moved it here.

Joel chuckled in my ear as he ran his hands down over my breasts. "What do you think I was doing all evening? I made this alter. Do you like it?"

I nodded and realized how much he must have been holding back as we 'fought'. He leaned down and took my lips in a fierce kiss. I kissed and nipped at his lips forgetting the pack that watched and waited beyond the circle.

Pressed between us as we kissed was the evidence of his excitement. I had enjoyed the fight, but obviously not as much as he had. I knew sex was a big part of this ceremony. The fact I wasn't ready and I should be made me nervous. 

"I'll take care of you," Joel whispered huskily. "Climb on top. Offer yourself to me, let me worship you until you scream my name."

I couldn't look out at the assembled and for the time being they were so quiet I forgot they were there. Keeping my eyes on the beautiful piece of stone beneath me I crawled onto the top and dropped onto my elbows. In what I hoped was a seductive gesture I spread my thighs until I feel the cool night air between them. 

The first touch of his tongue was electric. I chanced a glance back to see a very human Joel standing behind me. He buried his face in my waiting cunt licking with vigor. The thrust of his tongue got rougher and deeper and I found myself moaning his name. I cried out in arousal as he drove me higher and higher. 

The sensations stopped abruptly and I looked up to see furry clawed feet in front of me on the marble. It always surprised me how quickly and quietly he moved. 

Shifting back on my knees I looked up at the massive wolf man towering over me. His rock hard erection strained away from his body with a tiny bit of liquid clinging to the tip. The temptation was too great and I leaned forward and licked the salty fluid. 

The taste was purely Joel and I loved it. The wolf man buried his hands in my hair and pulled me closer pushing his massive staff into my throat. I gripped his hips and pulled him to me not afraid of the instrument closing off my airway; I knew he wouldn't hurt me. 

After several minutes of intense oral stimulation I felt the knot at the base of my wolf man's cock start to grow. I stroked the sensitive tissue with my hand and was rewarded with a deep growl.

"Face away from me on your knees mate," the wolf man said in a gravely strained voice. 

I turned and faced the opposite direction, once more offering myself to him. My breath was huffing out in white clouds and I was a little surprised I wasn't cold. Under normal circumstances I would be huddled under a blanket in weather like this.

Joel's hands grabbed my hips and his claws almost cut into my sides with the strength of his grip. Without further preparation he entered me, pushing his awesome length home in a single push. The white puff that exited my mouth felt like it was every bit of air from my lungs.

He rode me hard, pushing his knot past my entrance with force and I cried out. When he was completely seated his hands left my hips and came to rest on either side of me. I watched as claws became paws and the creature behind me was now the wolf.

The wolf's cock was hot and hard inside of me. His pace was frenzied and animalistic. Joel had never taken me with the ferocity that he did now. I felt the pressure build low in my belly. Accidentally I looked out past the edges of the stone circle. I saw wolves over women taking them with the same urgency Joel took me with.

It was too much. The physical sensation combined with the intense visuals all around us. My control snapped and I was coming over his length screaming his name. 

The wolf growled low behind me and then snapped his jaws over his first bite. It hurt immensely, the strength of his jaws was contained, but present. As his teeth sunk into my skin and the blood dropped onto the platform, something started to happen.  

I saw stars, literally. The sky, the clearing, and the forest surrounding us all seemed to force themselves into my conscious mind. I saw it all in perfect relief. I got the impression this was a birth and I should be aware of everything going on while it happened. 

Inside my body I was aware of another being. She expanded and then contracted inside of me, not having anywhere to express herself. I felt her joy at awakening to this life as she faded back. It was too bizarre to comprehend, my body was not my own anymore. My entire world went black and I sunk toward the cool stone.

*****

"While I'm sure she'd rather sleep through this part, I doubt she'd like to wake in the middle of it," I heard Joel chuckle right behind me.

"Anybody remember how long Katrina was out?" Nate asked from just beside us.

"It felt like forever," complained Saul.

I opened my bleary eyes to find the Betas of the Latro pack staring at me with bemused expressions.

"What did I miss?" I slurred out. I was startled to find myself naked on a stone platform. It took a minute for the reason I was there to come back to me. I shifted my hips and felt glued to Joel's throbbing member.

"What now?" I asked suddenly self conscious.

"The pack is going to get your scent," he said sitting us up.

I let Joel move me until we sat on the edge of the stone with our legs hanging off. The cool breeze caressed my nipples and felt them stiffen. 'How much longer till I'm shivering?' I wondered to myself.

"You'll stay warm love," he whispered in my ear pulling my knees apart. I fought with myself not to resist him. I kept reciting my mantra to myself, 'This is normal, relax.'

Nate shifted into a beautiful grey wolf and padded softly forward. He stopped just in front of us and then placed his nose against my exposed groin. I felt his tongue come out and slide against my puffy lower lips. The sensation of being licked while still so full was intoxicating. I watched as Anthony shifted and followed Nate. 

Joel had been right. I didn't get cold. As wolves, Nate sat on one side of us and Anthony sat on the other. Their warm flanks sat beside my lower legs, so my feet weren't exposed. Joel kept his arms around me as he played my body's sensitive parts like an instrument.

Each Beta in the pack took a taste and by the end of them I was squirming in Joel's lap, no longer able to stop the soft moans. Adding to my excitement was Joel who continued to lightly stoke and pinch my nipples while he nibbled on my neck.

"The more aroused you are the stronger your scent, love. You really should be thanking me for this," he whispered caressing the underside of my breasts.

When I couldn't take anymore and was ready to beg him, Joel paused the introduction ceremony. He either knelt behind me on the table or leaned me over it's edge. I came countless times. When we were done he would just sit us back on the edge and spread my legs over his again. 

The wolves came up tasting and stimulating. It was beyond strange and by far the most erotic experience I've ever had. It was almost daybreak when the last omega stretched up over us to take the last lick. 

Gently Joel moved me off his member and I moaned, empty for the first time since we started. Even dazed like I was I still blushed scarlet as his seed ran down my legs. I wasn't sure what to do about it. I looked up at Joel wondering if there was something I should be doing or if I should just ignore it.

"Let it run," he said roughly in my ear.

I had the sense he was proud of his excess and that removing it would offend him. Exhausted beyond belief I didn't give it a second thought. I walked toward the den head held high, my Alpha's seed sliding down my legs.

Caught up in my ordeal I hadn't noticed what the wolves did after they left me. I looked blearily around and noted it looked like the whole pack was still in the clearing. Some were in their human shape others stayed in their wolf forms. As we walked by I noticed some staying where they were still locked together.

"Except for those left in the den to care for the young, everyone is here," Joel answered my thoughts while surveying the pack. "After the last two nights I'm sure there will be new pups in the den next year," he commented smiling and stroking my arm.  

"Us?" I asked feeling a little surprised. I hadn't been thinking about that. 

"Not yet, love, you need to be a wolf to have my pups," he said.

"Well, we can work on that now then," I said and he smiled broadly at me. 

I walked with Joel trying not to limp, but the area between my legs was raw and sore. Despite the pride he took in his copious ejaculate it made me feel sticky and added to my uncomfortable gait.

Katrina bounced beside me, naked as the day she was born, smiling broadly.

"I know how you feel," she whispered in my ear, "I felt the same way, but you'll be as good as new when you wake up. You'll heal much faster now."

The walk to the den took longer than I ever remember it taking, but by the time the sun was up I was limping through the doors to the Alpha suite. Once we were inside Joel picked me up and carried me to the bathroom. A shower had never felt so good.

"You did well mate," he said into my hair as we snuggled on the bed. "I thought for sure you would run when you saw me in the circle. I was prepared to have to go find you in the forest."

"You could have told me what to expect," I said back to him, "I'm not that big of a wimp. I would have worked it out for myself."

"I couldn't risk it. You only agreed to let me change you because I was angry with you. If I wasn't angry I'm not sure what your incentive would be," he said.

I looked back into those beautiful blue grey eyes and I didn't see confidence shining back at me. Joel looked unsure, vulnerable. I didn't like the look at all.

"I changed because I love you. You have become my whole life. I'd do whatever I had to in order stay with you," I said as I shifted to face him.

He seemed to deliberate for a minute and then he sighed, "The next part of the changing can be difficult. You will have to learn to embrace the wolf and share with her. She will start to make herself known to you and you can't resist her. Odds are you will have a couple of days when the wolf rules you even before you change. That can make your behavior erratic. The female Betas, the ones you are friendly with, have all offered to help. If I'm not with you, they will be."

"Thank you," I said as I settled down for a well deserved rest.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 11



The sun was long set by the time I pried my eyes open again. Joel had the balcony door open and I could see him standing outside surveying the dark forest. He had a pair of pants slung low over his hips, but his muscular back was bare. He looked edible. Hesitantly I moved one leg and then the other, the pain I had been expecting wasn't there. I slid out of the bed and walked toward the open balcony coming to rest beside Joel.

"How long were we asleep?" I asked him.

"You love, have been asleep almost a week, which is a good sign. It means the changing will probably start soon. I'm glad you are awake now. I've missed you."

"A week?" I shrieked, "Is that normal?"

I prayed I hadn't been pooping and peeing in our bed all week. I'd seen bed bound hospital patients. It got nasty really quick. I stuttered so bad I could barely ask him about it.

"No," he laughed, "it was more like you were hibernating."

Gripping my wrists he pulled me close and pulled my arms around his waist. "How do you feel now?"

I felt great. As his lips made a leisurely perusal of my neck I luxuriated in the feel of him so close. I could hear the wind in the trees outside and I could smell his heavenly scent. My growling stomach was not to be denied though.

Joel released me laughing, "Let me go call for some food."

It tasted wonderful and I ate ravenously when the food was brought up. The flavors were all so much stronger; I thought they had changed recipes at first. Joel assured me that was the werewolf senses starting to develop. 

After I ate I was ready for bed again, nearly dropping off in front of the meal. Joel carried my limp body to the bed and curled up next to me. I was asleep in a matter of seconds.

When I woke up again it was still dark out and Joel was lying on his back with his arms over his head. I sat up and looked at him. He was so peaceful and relaxed. It was very different from the Alpha male he showed the pack every day. 

I wanted him, needed him desperately. I felt an aggressive form of desire push into my mind. I didn't know where it was coming from and I didn't care. This male was here and I was ready. He was mine to use. 

Slowly and quietly I pulled the sheet Joel was under out of the way. I was thrilled to find him naked. His cock lay limply against his leg. That just wouldn't do. 

Leaning down I took the tip of his beautiful tool between my lips. I licked and sucked the sensitive tissue. He rumbled a little and threw an arm over his eyes, but didn't rouse. I crawled slowly between his legs and started to lick the shaft as I ran my fingers around the sensitive head. The organ was starting to thicken and pulse.

Rubbing my nose into his groin I enjoyed his scent, it was strong here. I ran my nose all over him and scented his sac. The skin got rougher under my nose and I licked the tissue, tasting him. 

Slowly and carefully I took a ball in my mouth and sucked. Joel groaned slightly. Releasing him from my mouth I licked and nipped at the other side. I was about to give my attention back to his hard cock when he spoke. 

"Love, what are you doing?" he asked perching on his elbows and looking down at me quizzically. 

I licked the skin of his balls again and then ran my tongue up his shaft. Engulfing the head of his cock in my mouth I took him as deeply as I could. Joel fisted a hand in my hair and dragged me off his tool. It released from my mouth with a soft pop. He continued to pull until my face was level with his.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you should be resting. Your energy probably isn't back yet."

Suddenly if felt like I was watching this from the other side of the room. Not that I cared to stop, but I couldn't have if I wanted to. I was just along for the ride, someone else was running this show. 

I felt a low growl rumble in my chest and Joel's eyes widened. I wanted him right now. There was now way he was denying me this. I shook my head and his hand relaxed, slipping out of my hair.

My hands seemed slightly foreign to me, less dexterous than usual. It took a moment, but I used them clumsily to aim his cock. I guided my body down and sunk onto him. I was more than ready for him and he slid in easily. 

Pushing on his chest I forced him back down to the bed and rode him. I saw drops of blood start to form at the end of my fingers as I dug into his chest. Funny, I'd never noticed my nails were that sharp before.

I used him for my pleasure but too soon I felt him start to swell inside of me. I wasn't ready to be done with him yet, so I grabbed him around the throat and squeezed. Blood appeared in tiny rivulets running down his neck. Joel struggled to breathe and I felt his member relax slightly. Releasing my grip I returned to my prior activity.

"Little wolf, if you weren't finished all you have to do is ask," he said slipping his hand between our joined bodies.

He ground the pads of his fingers against my throbbing center and I exploded. I faintly heard a howl rip through the room as I lay down across his chest. My body clenched around him and it felt really good. 

I continued to glide up and down his shaft while I licked his neck and face. His scent was strong over his neck and loved the taste, licking up the small rows of drying blood like it was fine wine. My senses couldn't get enough of the potent aroma. 

He attempted to roll us and I growled at him. The savage part of me was tamed for the moment and I was comfortable. He was having none of it. 

"I let you have your fun wolf; you don't want to do this."

Remembering those new sharp fingertips I drove them into his upper arms as I held him down. Let him have a taste of me and then we'll see who's in charge. 

"Bad move, wolf," he warned.

Joel picked me up off his erection and threw me on the other side of the bed. I landed stomach down and tried to push myself up to my knees. Joel was on top of me, pressing between my legs before I could gain my balance. 

A low growl left my throat warning him I wasn't interested anymore. I threw my head back and the crunch I got was satisfying. Joel grunted and lifted off me just enough. I slipped out from under him. 

Moving across the bed I faced him and bared my teeth. Joel sat in a crouch watching me as he wiped a little blood away from under his nose. The tawny muscles in chest and arms were flexed, his whole body tensed to spring. He was a magnificent sight. 

His contained strength was like an aphrodisiac and I crawled toward him. He growled low in his throat threatening, angry. I still approached him, now I wanted him. 

I rubbed my face against his arm following the limb until I was rubbing against his shoulder. My nose ran across his collarbone toward his neck. I was lapping at the hollow of his throat when I felt a hand come up and stroke my back.

He came forward pushing me back, his face coming level with mine. I nipped at his lips playfully. He didn't stop pushing until I was on my back and he towered over me. My legs spread naturally around him. Crawling over me he settled between my thighs. I raised my hands to his back and he growled.

"Be a good wolf and keep your claws up by your head," he said looking down at me pointedly.

Raising my arms above my head I whined low in my throat, I needed him again. That magnificent bronze body settled slowly, pressing me further into the bedding. He teased me as his enlarged organ slid against my weeping slit. Although I tried, I couldn't capture him, so I moved my hand down to assist him.

A low growl rose out of his throat as he eyed my stray limb. I placed it back above my head and waited. I couldn't express my need. I wiggled my hips enticingly underneath him, planted my feet on the bed, and ground against him. When he wouldn't move I started to reach with my hand again and found my wrists pinned to the bed by one of his.

A glint came into his eye as he reached between us with his free hand and aimed his thick pulsating length. 

"Do you need this?" he asked.

A sound of encouragement escaped my throat. If I could have formed words I would have been begging. 

With a powerful thrust he entered me and then lay still on top of me. I groaned and writhed beneath him, trying to make him move.

"No, little wolf, I'll move when I'm ready," he stated flatly. "You denied me and raised your claws to me."

Joel was heavy and used that to his advantage, I could barely wiggle under him. The hand that wasn't restraining my hands he wrapped in my hair, anchoring me to the bed. I couldn't move. Until he decided to do something, I would just lay there full and horny. 

He was really pissing me off now. I growled at him and showed teeth. He growled back, shifting his face slightly so his elongated canines were directly in my view. 

I remembered watching Joel fighting Erik in the clearing. It felt like I was watching the fight with new eyes. It struck me the wolf mere inches from my face could be very violent. I started to feel uncomfortable with my position. 

My neck was exposed the way I was being held and I didn't like it. I couldn't move my head to stop baring it. My wild side panicked when Joel brought his teeth down over the soft flesh. I tried to wiggle away, but he just increased the pressure of his jaws. Some deep instinct told me to stay still, so I did.

We lay like that for what seemed like forever. He would move just enough to keep himself hard and stimulated, but otherwise just pinned me to the bed. His dominance was overpowering. Something inside me melted and I accepted it. I was his; I couldn't deny him and I wasn't supposed to hurt him. Relaxing underneath Joel, I waited patiently. 

Slowly he started to move his hips rocking gently as he stared down into my eyes. He must have sensed the change. 

"Do you understand now?" he asked slowly picking up a rhythm.

I grunted my answer into his neck laving the skin with my tongue. 

He released my hands and I slowly moved them down to his sides, cautious that I wasn't using my claws on him.

He continued to rock above me as I lifted my legs and wound them around his hips. I tasted his neck kissing and biting the skin, enjoying his salty flavor. Something about the way he smelled and tasted was intoxicating. 

Without notice Joel pulled almost all the way out then bottomed out with a quick thrust. The motion took my breath away and I raked my nails down his back as I arched my own. The scent of his blood filled the air. He never stopped thrusting as he moved his palm to the side of my face.

"Look at me," he commanded.

I did and watched him carefully. Some new part of me wasn't sure how dangerous the male on top of me was. 

"The intention makes a difference, my wolf. Can you understand that?"

My tongue flicked out and moved against the corner of his mouth and he smiled. Whatever part of me was in charge right now understood. 

I moved my hands to the nape of his neck and wound them into the hair there. He continued to rock forcefully into me and I felt my release building a second time. I came as he did, once again howling my release. 

When he was done, Joel slipped off of me and pulled my back flush to his chest.

"You're a fierce little wolf, aren't you?" he asked holding me tightly and nibbling on my neck. When I didn't answer he chuckled and relaxed behind me. 

I wasn't sure what to think of what had just happened, but at least Joel didn't sound upset. When I remembered how to talk, I'd have to ask him about it. For now, drowsy and sated I lay in his arms. 

Slumber was coming quickly, but in that netherworld of sleep and wake, I had another surprise. I could see my wolf and she could see me. It felt like we were circling one another, getting closer and closer, but never quite touching. 

I felt the wolf move under my skin. She would almost ripple the surface, only to draw herself back, unsure how to go further. I was solid, she didn't quite know how to make herself known. 

This body was both of ours now, but she was unsure how it worked. Everything about me felt alien and strange to her. I felt her sifting into my mind attempting to know what I knew. She wanted to know more about all of this, but this last experience had been intense. 

We were both so tired and this was all so new. It was the first conversation we had and it was very basic. Rest now, we agreed. It was my last memory before oblivion claimed me. 

'This is getting old,' I thought to myself as I woke up with sun streaming through the windows. I didn't know how long I had been out, but it felt like a really long time. My body was stiff and felt ill used. 

I pulled myself out of the bed and headed for the bathroom, but stopped short. Attached to my ankle was a thick silver manacle and chain. Inspecting the item closer I realized it was different from the first one. I wasn't entirely sure I knew how to open it without a key. 

I tugged at the chain with all my strength but it didn't break. I growled and let out an unearthly howl. My feral nature was rising inside of me, furious at this turn of events. Breath rushed out of me in rapid little pants and I felt like something bad was going to happen if I didn't get control. 

Instead of focusing on the chain, I focused on me. My bladder was full and my skin felt sweaty. I trudged to the toilet and then moved into the shower. Purposefully ignoring the device on my ankle I hoped I'd feel better clean. 

I tried to spend my time in the shower thinking of ways to torture Joel. My skin was a major distraction, though. I was so sensitive. I stopped thinking about wanting to hurt him and started thinking of ways I wanted to fuck him.

When I was done and drying myself I couldn't stop rubbing my hand between my legs. I wrapped a big fluffy towel around my body to stop my own hands from wandering. I was so horny. 

When I walked back into the bedroom I stopped short. Katrina was dutifully changing the sheets.

"What are you doing?" I asked her quickly followed with, "Hey, I can talk again!"

"You're changing, that's normal. The wolf has difficulty mastering speech and until you fully change you won't be able to communicate telepathically with anyone. It can be totally frustrating."

"Like this one week I couldn't talk at all, like seriously the whole week. Saul was so not helpful cause they hadn't had to change a human in a really long time and he had forgotten." 

"So the Alpha told me to stay with you while he has some stuff to do. He also told me to clean things up a little if you get up, 'cause you like things clean. Oh, are you like really horny?"

The woman talked like a train wreck and I could barely follow what she was saying. I also realized I was rubbing my hand between my legs like a freak. 

"Oh Katrina, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm so upset and I... I can't control it," I was so frustrated I was ready to scream. The chain, the feelings it was all just too much. In addition, Joel had left Katrina here, so he wasn't coming back.

"It's okay," she said, "that's why I'm here. It's also why he chained you back up. He said your wolf totally jumped him and got aggressive. He won't let the Omegas come in here. He's afraid she'll attack them or fuck them. You know, whatever."

"Uh, huh," I mumbled getting distracted by the fire burning in my nether regions. I really needed Joel. Even if I did really want to kill him, I figured I'd just have my way with him first. 

Before I knew it Katrina grabbed me and threw me on the bed. My anger flared momentarily, but receded quickly. As I struggled to sit up Katrina knelt between my spread legs and started to lick. Then I did not want to stop her, ever. She could keep doing that until time ended. 

Gently she ran her nails along the inside of my thighs and she lapped languidly at my entrance.

"More, please," I whispered pulling my towel open and touching my erect nipples. I was on fire as I ran my hands down my own body and opened my lower lips to her searching tongue. 

She kissed and nibbled at my clit until I thought I would explode. Never taking the little nob in her mouth. She never did enough to leg me come before returning to tease the entrance to my slick channel. 

"Please," I begged her and felt her giggle against my thigh. "Katrina, you're driving me nuts!"

"I live to serve, Madam Alpha," she said sucking the sensitive little nob into her mouth.

Did she ever. She tongued me until I came several times, eventually losing her own clothes and placing her dripping pussy over my face. I drew lazy figure eights across her clit with my tongue and she went wild on top of me. Her salty sweet cum ran over my lips and I thought I would drown in it. We ended up curled up on the bed together, naked and sweaty, after several hours. 

My stomach made it's demands known in a none to subtle way and I was relieved Katrina had come prepared. She had a cart loaded with food waiting in the main room. 

She wheeled the trolley into the bedroom we sat on the balcony to eat. The sun had set while were occupied in the bed, so we didn't even bother to dress. Oddly, I wasn't cold. My breath misted in the air, but I didn't feel uncomfortable. It was just peaceful and quiet. 

"How come I'm not freezing cold sitting out here?" I asked Katrina.

"You are starting to shift. We aren't as sensitive to cold as humans are. During this time you'll start to exhibit more and more qualities of the wolf. At first, it's like she kind of invades your mind. Shifting completely will be difficult, Alpha Latro will teach you how to do it. For now you may grow claws or hair at odd times, but it takes time and training to learn to hold the other forms."

There was a measure of comfort with that answer. It explained the attitude and wicked claws I'd had with Joel the other night. 

We ate quietly and I watched the woods hearing the occasional howl drift from them. I could imagine how the frosty ground would feel sliding under my feet. As I looked at the forest, I thought grudgingly of the chain on my ankle. I tugged at it experimentally.

"Oh no you don't," warned Katrina watching me. "That chain won't be easily broken and I'm not taking that thing off of you. If you jump from this balcony you'll just end up dangling. I don't think the Alpha would be very happy about that. He left strict orders about where you are supposed to go and not supposed to go while he was gone."

"Gone? Gone, as in not in the den? Where is he?" 

"Big meeting with the other pack leaders. He left yesterday, not too happy about it, either. He didn't want to leave you, but it was necessary. The whole witch thing. He took all those spells she made with him. They are meeting to talk about what the packs should do to protect themselves," Katrina answered me.

I was beyond upset. Angry tears started to well up in my eyes and I dropped the roll I had been nibbling on. Katrina noticed and started to wipe the tears away.

"Don't be sad, it'll be fine. It's the change making you so emotional, you'll be all right. Shawna is coming up and we're going to stay with you."

She kept talking but all I could think was that he had left me chained up like a dog for who knew how long. For some strange reason that equated into him not loving me. He may never come back for me.

Although I knew rationally that wasn't true. It bothered me immensely and I barely noticed when Shawna came and they put me back to bed. As they stroked my back and shushed me I curled up into a ball and panicked. I had to get off this chain. 

An annoying ringing started somewhere in the distance and I just wanted it to stop. I swung a hand out to hit the noisemaker, but was restrained by Shawna. 

"It's your cell phone. I'll get it," she said as she flipped it open. I couldn't stop panting and lay miserably on the bed with Katrina still trying to soothe me.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 11



"Good evening Alpha Latro, she woke up this afternoon, but she's not doing well right now... Yes, sir, I understand, I'm not sure what has her so upset. Would you like to talk to her?" through my fog I realized the phone was being placed at me ear.

"Love, what are you thinking? You know I wouldn't have left if I didn't have to. Please calm down. I'd come back right now if I could. Do you understand?"

"Yes, it all makes perfect sense," I said sarcastically, "but I still miss you and I'm so horny. I just had sex with Katrina. Do you hate me now? Why did you chain me up again?" My emotions were on a roller coaster ride.

He ignored my comment about the chain and focused instead on Katrina. "Relax, you know that's why I left you with her. I know you enjoyed it, didn't you?" he asked, playing with me.

"Not the point," I screamed at the phone, "you keep chaining me up and I didn't do anything wrong this time!" The chain really bothered me. I felt trapped. 

"Your wolf is rather unpredictable my love, I didn't want her to go looking for fun while I was gone."

"Where would I possibly go?" I cried, "I'm surrounded by your pack and miles of forest. Please take this thing off my leg. I hate having it on," and I pulled the pity card. "Am I not good enough to be your mate?"

He sighed into the phone and said, "Give Katrina the phone."

I figured he was sick of me. I didn't listen to his conversation with Katrina I just burrowed down in the bed and tried not to concentrate on the heavy weight on my leg. When he got back I was letting wolf out. He needed a good ass kicking for this. 

"Seriously, Elizabeth, you better behave. I know you like to push his buttons, but he will lose his mind if something bad happens to you," Katrina said as she unlocked the cuff on my ankle. 

Joy overcame me and I hugged her promising to be good and stay put just before sleep took me. 

The next several days took on a weird pattern of waking very late in the afternoon, eating, and sleeping. My schedule was like a teenager's again, go to bed at just before dawn and wake in the afternoon.

My sexual appetite had also changed. If it wasn't for Katrina I would have completely lost my mind. She did everything she could to keep the tension from overwhelming me. It was exhausting for both of us. 

As I lay partially sated on the bed she crawled beside me panting, "The other Betas would be happy to serve you, Elizabeth. Alpha Latro doesn't mind if you take other women to your bed."

"I know," I told her sadly, "I'm just still getting used to all this and I feel comfortable with you." 

She beamed at the compliment and snuggled next to me. I knew she was right, but I knew who I needed. The Beta females were not going to satisfy me, because who I needed wasn't in the den. 

I wanted Joel and I wanted him badly. Every time I slept, I dreamed of him. He was in almost every waking thought. I ached for him sexually and otherwise. 

It would have been nice to have him close while I went through the beginnings of the change. Occasionally I grew my claws back or a light sprinkling of hair adorned my chest and stomach. The wolf seemed to fade in and out of my conscious mind, like she was testing the waters. I watched myself make the weird changes with trepidation, the end result still freaked me out. 

At least I did have some contact with my mate. He would call anytime he got a free minute day or night. I spoke with him whenever I could. My wolf wasn't able to talk and when she was in charge my vocal cords were near frozen. Sometimes I just ended up growling into the phone at him. Those were hardly satisfying conversations. 

Growling, for him, was better than nothing. He couldn't hear my thoughts anymore. Until the wolf fully asserted herself, I was a telepathic dead zone. 

With all the changes, my life had become rather bizarre and I started to get a little stir crazy. I eyed the forest frequently, but remembered my promise. Besides that someone was always watching me. Joel had left a nearly round the clock guard of female Betas that usually sat with me. It made our rooms seem like a prison cell. 

I was surprised when I woke up early one morning and found the bedroom empty. I looked around and didn't see anyone, even Katrina was gone. 

The doors to the balcony were open and sun was just peaking into a grey sky. I looked out over the forest and wondered what it would feel like to run through it. 

I was on the ground heading for the trees before I realized what was happening. 'No, turn back,' I thought to myself and then realized I wasn't in charge. I had just jumped from a third story balcony without a problem. The wolf was in charge. 

My wolf was excited to finally be in the forest. I could feel her stretching out as I ran. Trees sped by me in a blur and I sucked in lung full after lung full of the clean fresh air. In reality all of me felt relaxed and refreshed to be out here.  

The rational human part of me still panicked and tried to get through to the wolf. He wasn't in the den. I wasn't supposed to leave. When he found me, he'd put me back on that damned chain. 

The wolf ran for miles seemingly unperturbed by my commentary. He could try to put her on a chain, if he dared. She had been kept in that little room for too long. She would go back when she needed to rest, for now she wanted to check out her territory. 

I looked down at my feet and they were definitely human, with a small spattering of white wolf fur. I had claws on my hands, but they still looked mostly human. It struck me that I was partially shifted into the wolf woman. How odd I must look. I begged my wolf to watch out for people, they could be dangerous. I felt her agree and we scented the air carefully. 

I ran until I couldn't smell the other wolves from the den anymore. I could sense from the wolf she knew exactly how to get back home. A stream babbled across the forest and I stopped and took a long drink from it. A still pool of water sat near the stream and I looked into it. It felt like I was looking through someone else's eyes at my own face. 

My eyes glowed golden and thick white hair covered everything. I still had my same jaw line. A muzzle would look better with all the fur. Without further thought a snout started to grow. 

It was the oddest sensation as my jaw elongated into that of the wolf. I was so excited and the changes kept happening. Looking into the pool of water beside the stream I saw a wolf's head where mine had been minutes before. 

The ears were so much more effective, I could hear much better. The nose had also improved my sense of smell. It wasn't very surprising when I looked down and saw clawed feet covered in fur. 

I was shifting and it felt wonderful. Walking around as the wolf woman fit like a second skin. It was like finding a part of myself I'd never really gotten to know before.

I wanted to try out these new attributes and the wolf relaxed in mind to let me experience her the way she had been experiencing me. I wondered about shifting completely, but I was too excited to do that right now. Instead, I scampered around and crawled up a small hill to look at the valley below. 

I smelled something tasty and heard a faint fast heartbeat. My stomach growled. I felt the wolf's instincts for hunting in my mind. 

Stalking quietly, I came across a rabbit. I was on it like lightening. A quick crunch to the neck and I had a wonderful meal. 

Some part of me wondered if I should be grossed out by my appearance and my actions. I wasn't though. I was the wolf and I was happy.

The sun was rising higher in the sky as I bolted through the hills and valleys. I scrambled up trees and over rocks. My legs were powerful and I bounded through the forest with seemingly limitless speed. 

As we exercised physically, I started to blend with the wolf. Soon we were thinking in tandem, opening ourselves to each other completely. It was so much more comfortable that way. 

I continued to test my strength and was very pleased. My claws were sharp, my legs were powerful, and my reactions were quick. I wasn't going to have to be afraid anymore and for that matter neither was Joel. 

I briefly wondered about my mate and why he hadn't sent a search team to come tie me back up. It would be fun testing my brawn against his Betas. Let them try to put me back on that chain now. 

As I passed through a dip in the land and started up another rise the scent of male wolf saturated the ground. I was curious. The smells from the den had died out a long time ago. If this was the search party they should have come from the other way and if this wolf was pack they had wandered far. 

The scent of female wolf started to mix with the male scent. I sensed sex, pungent fear, and the female's blood. It was a weird combination and not right at all. 

Moving quietly through the brush I saw her. Emily, the sweet young girl from the kitchen, tied and unmoving on the ground. She was naked and bleeding from multiple cuts. Her face was bruised and battered. Two wolf men stalked the ground around her circling her like a fresh kill.

I screamed for Joel in my mind while concentrating on the scene before me. I prayed he could hear me in this form. I had shifted; I hoped our bond worked again. I heard one word come back to me like he was whispering it from a distance, 'Run.'

I looked at the carnage before me and knew who these wolves were. They were the last of the renegades, the ones that had taken me twice. Probably the ones responsible for my near poisoning. Now they were hurting a member of the pack, my pack. I wasn't going to run. 

I wasn't going to be stupid about it either, I would use stealth and then the wind shifted. Two heads popped up and turned to stare at me. My white coloring did not camouflage me well without snow.

I bared my new teeth and growled. Joel's voice bellowed into my head, 'Run, I will send help to her. Save yourself. RUN.'

Oh, hell no, the wolf and I agreed. 'I am the Alpha here, Emily is my responsibility,' I thought back to him. I had to stay and fight. 

'You are an Alpha in title only, mate,' he screamed into my mind, 'you have never fought a werewolf. Turn and run while you still can!'

His assessment was amusing to say the least. I was an Alpha, whether he knew it or not. My wolf seemed quite sure of that. 

'You picked me,' I thought back to him, 'you already saw it there.'

'You do not know how to fight a were wolf,' Joel called sounding desperate. 'Run now.'

I would just have to ignore him. 

The wolf men came up the hill toward me. I held my ground and growled my displeasure at them. Higher ground was definitely better in a fight, so I stayed and watched them. 

I remembered seeing them at the cabin; then I had thought they moved with grace. Through the wolf's eyes their movements seemed choppy and uncoordinated. I chuckled internally at the pathetic show they were putting on for me. It would be their last. 

I toyed with the rogues, testing my prowess. It soon became a game; striking out swiftly and then retreating before they could retaliate. They were not organized and did not attack together. It was no wonder they did not fit in well with the pack, they didn't work well as a team. A quick series of swipes from deadly claws ripped the slowest one's head from its body. 

The other one completely shifted to his wolf form and came at me. I side stepped faster than he anticipated. A large chunk of his hind leg was removed with a deft move of the wrist. He howled in pain and turned to come at me again. 

My aggressor had larger teeth in his form than I had in mine. He came back planning to use them. I felt myself rearranging and landing on all four paws as I shifted completely. 

As a human I would have been uncomfortable on four legs, but as a wolf I felt more stable. I braced for the next attack teeth bared. 

The grey wolf came at me with malicious intent. I moved with amazing speed to avoid his bite. Circling rapidly my teeth tore into him and his blood coated my tongue. At the same time, I felt a slight pain where he ripped my ear. That concentrated my focus. 

The time to play with this idiot was over. It was time to end this. I sought his neck; I longed for the satisfying crunch of breaking those bones.

With the goal firmly in mind I forgot about human civility. I went for the kill without remorse. In the end he never saw the lightening fast move that brought my jaws around his neck. His bones snapped like loose tinder. I rearranged my jaws and the sinew of his throat ripped away. His body fell to the ground unmoving and I celebrated with a long howl to the sky. 

'Joel, I won,' I called out to him shaking out my coat. 

'There may be others,' he warned.

I listened carefully and scented the area, but I only detected the three wolves I knew about.

'No,' I called back to him, 'it was just them.'

'Walk the perimeter,' he commanded.

I did as he said to keep him happy.

'Just them,' I repeated. 

A flood of emotion washed over me, there was his love and overwhelming relief. On another level entirely I was aware of his anger at me for not listening to him. He was beyond incensed. I would have to worry about him later.

Emily moaned softly from the valley floor and I padded silently down to her. I approached Emily slowly, she was injured. Her reactions may be unpredictable. 

Sniffing around, I noted her hands were bound with a strong coarse rope; it had cut into her tender skin. Her legs were bound separately on the ground staked far apart leaving her exposed and vulnerable. I whined my displeasure. 

Circling up by her head I couldn't see any injury that would be life threatening. She was laying on her chest and I used my nose to check underneath her. Again, nothing life threatening I could detect. 

Instinctively I knew how to heal her and with tentative laps of my tongue I worked my way up her legs. Skin closed and bruising lightened with each stroke over her flesh. 

When I reached her sensitive areas I had to hold back a growl. She was ripped and torn in both her holes. Used by these wolves until she probably screamed for mercy. Focusing on healing her I licked and cleaned, closing the wounds. I knew the mental wounds would be far deeper. 

Continuing up her back I moved my tongue over bruises and bite marks. I was frustrated by the rope on her arms, but in this form I had no hands to remove it. I worked around it as best I could. 

Lovingly I ran my tongue over her exposed neck and face. I wanted her to wake up. She moaned a little and moved, wincing as unseen wounds were moved in the dirt under her. 

I had to undo the rope and turn her over. I would need hands for that. My experience with shifting forms was limited. I had been so excited at the stream I couldn't really remember what I did to make it happen. I was so keyed up now I couldn't seem to manage it alone. 

'Joel, please help me. I don't know how to do this,' I called out to him. I tried to send images of Emily, of her injuries, and of how she was bound. I can't say I really expected a reply. 

'You would be safer working slowly with your teeth in the wolf form. Please, continue to be on the alert for other wolves,' he warned. 

He sounded monotone in my head. If he was speaking to me in person I got the feeling he would be using that too calm voice I had heard far too often. 

To appease him I tried to stay as the wolf, but the frustration of working knots with my teeth was immense. Quite suddenly my human hands reached forward to undo the knots and I found myself kneeling beside Emily. I hadn't really meant to shift, but it had happened.

Emily was soon unbound and rolled over. She left a bloody mess on the ground where she had been laying. I was horrified at the look of her front, bitten and bruised. 

My hands grew claws and I felt myself shift back to the wolf woman. It was based on pure anger and adrenaline. I rose up on my legs and howled my frustration over the hills. She was mine to protect. A female in my pack, the evil doers had gotten off too easy. 

As I knelt back down I saw two terrified brown eyes staring up at me. I didn't know if I could talk in this form. It seemed it would be difficult with the muzzle, but I had seen Joel do it. At first I tried to speak, but I couldn't quite manage it; the words came out too garbled. Instead I slid my tongue out and ran it across her belly healing a wound. 

"Madam Alpha?" she asked reaching out to touch my muzzle. 

'Of course she would know how I smelled,' I thought internally. 

Tenderly I laved her chest and neck. She lay silently accepting the ministrations tears quietly rolling down her cheeks. When I was done I sat back and looked at her. I wanted desperately to talk to her about what had happened. 

The ground came toward me and I watched it, apparently I grew quite a lot when I shifted. My hands shrunk as the fur receded. I sat down heavily beside Emily getting reacquainted with my human body.

Emily sat up beside me tears drying on her cheeks. She took in the scene around us and glanced up at the hill I had come down. The bodies of the two werewolves still lay in mangled piles. 

"They are both dead?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, they can't hurt you anymore. Are there others?"

"No one else, just them," she whispered. 

I put an arm around her as she pulled her knees up and hugged them. We sat like that for a long while. The sun was getting lower in the sky and a soft breeze was blowing. Except for the carnage, it was a peaceful place. 

"Come," I said to her, "we should go back to the den. Your family must be worried."

She got up slowly and we walked up the hill. She took a last look at the piles of bloody flesh as we passed them. I noticed her shudder and my heart ached for her. It would take her a long time to heal from what they had done to her. 

We walked as humans, which probably wasn't the quickest way home. I was just too tired to think about shifting again. It seemed to take a lot of energy. I tried to stay alert to our surroundings. I knew Joel had probably sent out a party to come find us. I didn't want to be surprised by them, my wolf had an aggressive streak. 

"I put it in your rooms, ma'm," Emily said as we walked along. I assumed I had not heard the first part of the statement because I was too busy listening for approaching wolves. 

"Put what?" I asked her keeping my eyes on the walk ahead.

"The poison, ma'm."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face her. I felt my wolf start to take over and I didn't want to stop it. Before I knew it I had shifted into the wolf woman and was holding Emily off the ground by her throat. Blood ran in thick rivers from her neck. I was going to tear her to shreds. 

Emily did not fight me. She let my claws dig into her neck. In fact, she threw her head back and bared it to me. I dropped her to the ground disgusted. This wasn't a battle, it was an execution and I felt that I was being used. 

Something was afoot here and I needed a form that could talk. My frustration at the wolf's inability to communicate was palpable. Emily must have felt it. She cowered in a lump in front of me and bared her neck again.

Fur receded from my limbs and I got my voice back. I was too angry to use it for a moment. 

"Why would you do that?" I growled at her.

"Because Tabor asked me to do it," she said without any emotion. "He was the one whose head you removed," she added gesturing back the way we'd come. 

"Do you still want me dead?" I asked stoically. 

"I never wanted you dead, Madam. I didn't know what was in the bottle. I thought it was something bad. That's why I hid it in the back of the Alpha's cupboard, but you still found it. My life is forfeit. It is yours to take." As she finished her statement she kneeled before me and bared her throat. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 11



It felt like the wolf was pacing in my mind, I wanted the girl's blood. I remembered I had just saved her. A large part of me wondered why Emily had chosen to tell me this. If she had not said anything it would not have been discovered. Joel had already told me he couldn't figure out who put the bottle in his rooms. 

"Why would you do that?" I asked her.

"It doesn't matter, Madam. My life is forfeit. I do not deserve to live."

"That is my decision to make," I stated with finality, "not yours. Why would you put something you thought was harmful in your Alpha's rooms?" I wasn't sure where my self assurance that I deserved to make that decision came from, it just was. 

"Tabor told me to do it," she repeated keeping her eyes closed and her bloody throat bared.

"That is not an answer I will accept. Why would you do something like that? I want to know everything right now."

"Tabor said he loved me, he said he would protect me. No one else was interested in me. At first, it was nice. He treated me good and then he changed..." she trailed off fresh tears running down her face. 

"Everyone said he was bad news, so I never told anyone about us. He said if we kept our relationship a secret it would be better. I did everything he asked. He told me we would be mates, he just couldn't commit like that yet. He shared me with his friends, although I didn't want to. He beat me. I have been so ashamed." 

"What kind of thing am I that my mate would do that to me? I have no value, Madam Alpha. Be kind and end my life now, before I have to face my family. They didn't know anything about this, let it end with me."

I was shocked and paced back in forth in front of Emily. I knew about battered human women, I'd seen it before. Now I was confronted with a battered werewolf. She had committed an egregious crime, one that probably would result in her death and the death of her family. 

'Only if you allow it,' the thought came into my mind from my alter ego. That part of me was angry and frustrated. My mixed human opinion on the subject of Emily's guilt seemed to be confusing my wolf. 

The part of me that was wild and wolven wanted to kill the female in front of me. The threat had to be destroyed as a warning to others. There were no second chances. The girl's life was the fine for challenging the Alpha. 

I wasn't all wolf, though. My human side had seen abused women do things to appease their abuser. Emily had made a mistake and tried to atone for it. Forgiveness was still an option. 

The wolf did not understand forgiveness. I felt her melt into my mind trying to wrap her brain around the idea. It was human logic, based on the complicated inner workings of a human society. The wolf sifted through my understanding of the werewolf pack. Forgiveness would not be an obtuse concept to them, it may be acceptable. 

Emily was weak, allowances could be made for her frailty. The wild side of me relented. This girl was no threat and killing her would not be satisfying. 

I rubbed my hands on my face. Now I just had to convince Joel. Emily made a stupid choice, but she tried to pay for it. That should carry some weight. 

"Get up, we're going back to the den."

I motioned for her to get up and walk.

"Madam Alpha, my punishment ..." 

"I forgive you. I will talk with Alpha Latro on your behalf." 

Talk about making promises you can't deliver on. Tears filled Emily's brown eyes and she started to cry again. 

"How much more did you do to help them?" I asked. 

"As little as I could," she sobbed. "Tabor called me almost every day. They wanted to know what the Alpha was doing to protect you. I never told them about the training. That's what made them so angry. They didn't know you had gotten stronger."

I ran through the whole thing in my head again from the beginning. She had walked through the entire suite with a bottle of poison and nothing had stopped her. Nate had told me the witches put protective wards on the Alpha's suites. I wondered if those were as worthless as the rest of their spells seemed to be. 

"Are all the witch's spells useless?" I fumed out loud. "How were you even able to put the poison in our rooms? Are all the witches in on it?"

"I don't think so, ma'm," she sniffled. "Tabor told me afterwards that the reason they had me place it was because I didn't have any ill feelings toward the Alpha. He said that the wards picked up on intentions of wolves wishing to do harm to the rooms' occupants."

She continued to speak, but sat heavily on a boulder beside us. "That's when he told me I had to keep helping them. Tabor said if I turned them in he would tell the Alpha I was the one that tried to poison you. He, he said..." she started to cry again, "that the Alpha would kill my whole family. They would all die because of me."

I stood and watched her quietly. The gouges I had left on her neck were healing some, but she looked miserable. She seemed broken to me. The only other wolf I had seen with such a demeanor was Lucas. I would have to talk to him. 

Up ahead I heard the crunching of leaves as paws tore through the forest. It sounded like Joel had sent an army. As predicted my wolf didn't want to be caught with defenses down, especially with a weak injured female beside me. Despite the energy it took, I was suddenly the large white wolf growling out a warning to the approaching throng. The wolf and I were finally agreed, no one else was hurting Emily. 

A large grey wolf wove out of the trees first, his head dipped low. He approached us submissively and I was a little irritated. Everyone thought I was so out of control. Like I would really attack Nate. 

I stared at Nate and the frustration inside me grew. I had no idea how to talk to him like this. Suddenly, I shifted clumsily back to a human form. The wolf wasn't far, I could feel her lingering just under the skin. Nate shifted to a human kneeling before me and I watched the trees as the pack's warriors slowly emerged and took a knee.

I approached Nate, still watching my crying charge warily. "Please get up, you know I have no idea what the protocol is."

"Of course, Madam, we're glad to see you are unharmed. We had heard Emily was..unwell," Nate said critically eyeing the young girl who just cried harder. 

"She was hurt badly and should be taken to the healer as soon as we reach the den. There are two dead werewolves back the way we came from. That needs to be taken care of, but I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Yes, Madam Alpha I understand," he smiled at me. "We know what to do. We should get you back home now. It will be faster if we all shift and run as a pack."

I turned to look at Emily. She stood cowering where I had left her. Instinct told me she should run at the back of all of us, away from me. It didn't sit well with me at all. 

"I don't want to be separated from her, Nate," I told him honestly 

"She will run between you and I if you are still worried about her, Madam. It is not normal, but I understand you feel protective of her," Nate told me. 

I nodded my agreement to that plan, but I had another problem. "Nate, I can't control the shifting thing, it just happens when I'm scared, irritated, or angry. I'm so tired right now. How do I do it?" 

"Imagine the wolf running through the woods or fighting in the woods, whatever you've done as her. Let it take you over and you will shift," he said gently. "Perhaps you could contact Alpha Latro he could walk you though it."

I huffed, "He's not really pleased with me right now. I'm trying to leave him alone."

Nate laughed out loud at that, "Madam, when has he ever been entirely pleased with you? He will help you if you need it and I'm sure he'd like to hear from you."

I took a step back and breathed deep. I remembered how it had felt fighting the second wolf; my paws digging into the earth and then into his mangy hide. Looking down I had large white paws on the ground. I looked at Nate and my tongue fell out of my mouth in what I intended to be a smile. 

Nate called Emily forward and instructed her to follow me. "We will follow you back to the den," Nate encouraged as Emily shifted into a small silver wolf. 

My paws took on a life of their own and I started back for home. Emily was a lot slower than me and I had to adjust my speed significantly to avoid outpacing her too far. Even with that I felt freer than I had since I started this crazy run this morning. 

I could smell the scent trail the warriors had left and I followed it. Not that I needed the direction. I knew exactly where home was and with exhaustion right on my heels I was headed to the den. 

I decided to take Nate's advice and contact Joel.

'They found me,' I called to Joel in my head, 'I'm going back to the den.'

'I already knew that, love, Nate told me as soon as they saw you.'

'Nate has a cell phone?' I asked him pondering where he had kept it. The man had been naked and I didn't see anything he could have used to call Joel. 

Joel laughed in my head a little and I was glad to hear him do it. Maybe he wasn't too mad at me.

'Remember I already told you, you can communicate with the pack similar to the way you communicate with me. It will take practice, but in the wolf form you can talk to other wolves in their wolf form. Don't worry about figuring it out now.'

'I love you Joel. I'm sorry.'

'Don't you ever get tired of having to say that, love?' he asked sounding angry. 

'Don't you ever get tired of bossing me around?' I shot back at him before I could stop myself.

'We will talk when I get back,' he answered curtly ending the conversation. 

I opted to stop concentrating on him and enjoy my leisurely run. I sensed the pack running behind me, but I felt like the forest was mine. The stars and moon shone above me and the woods were alive around me. It felt wonderful. Too soon I could see the looming structure of the den come into view. 

Concentrating hard, I fell gracelessly back into a human form when I saw all my friends standing outside the den. I wanted to tell them I was all right and apologize for ditching them. 

"Elizabeth," Katrina cried approaching me. She looked a wreck. Shawna was right behind her and didn't look much better. As I threw my arms around them, I realized they were both sobbing in my arms. 

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" I asked confused.

"We are just so glad you are okay. Alpha Latro will still punish us, but you are fine, yes?" Shawna asked. Now I felt like a jerk. I'd been running around playing most of the day while they panicked. 

"He won't punish you, any of you," I said looking pointedly at my Beta friends that had cared for me for the last several days. "I promise you I will take any punishment the Alpha decrees, you all did a fine job." Wow, I was in way over my head. 

Emily was walking by the group about that time and burst into tears seeing me. Katrina moved to hold her and Emily tried to wiggle out of the embrace. Katrina was persistent as usual. 

"Katrina, she must see the healer and you are not to leave her side. Please stay with her for me and I want to talk to her when the healer is done. Can you do that for me?" I asked hoping she wasn't too tired for one more task.

"Of course, I will take good care of her," she answered brightly, holding Emily close. 

I trudged up the stairs to our suites and just wanted this day to end, but I had to get the hard part over with. The hard part of keeping my promise to all those wolves about my mate's fiery temper. Trying to be calm I stood in front of the balcony door and sucked in a deep breath.

'Joel, I know you are mad at me, but I need to talk to you,' I sent the message out wondering if he would respond to me.

'Then talk,' growled back into my mind.

'I don't want you to punish my Betas. I ran away. I deserve whatever you dish out, but just me,' I stated.

'What if I don't honor your request, mate? Perhaps I feel your Betas owed you better care than what they showed you.'

I shuddered a little at his tone, but held my ground. 'It wouldn't be your decision to make,' I said praying this was the right tact, 'they are MY Betas. I made the mistake and I will pay for it. I chose who gets blamed.'

Warm arms wrapped around my midsection and I almost shifted, luckily for him I was tired. The wolf recognized his scent and relaxed back inside of me, pulling in her teeth and claws, which had made an appearance.

"You still move like a ghost," I whispered.

"You were concentrating, I won't always be able to sneak up on you," he said into my hair.

Being near him was like breathing after being under water too long. Turning I wrapped my arms around him and moaned as his scent saturated my new senses. He was intoxicating. His shirt was the only thing keeping my face from his skin and I ripped it down the middle rubbing my face against his chest. 

"I'm glad to see you too, my love. Do you plan to rip off all of my clothes? I had become rather fond of this outfit, but I suppose it's a small price to pay," he chuckled as his hands ran over my neck and back.

"Be mad at me," I demanded trying to concentrate on the earlier conversation. It was really hard to remember what had been so important. "Say you will blame me for running. I knew it was wrong. I should have turned around the minute I regained control, but I was having fun. My Betas had nothing to do with it. They watched me as best they could."

My human hands had wrapped tightly around his upper arms as I looked up into his eyes. He looked irritated and tired. 

"No blame for running today, love, it was natural," he sighed, "I just wish I could have gone with you on your first outing. I also wish it hadn't been so stressful and violent for you. You were very brave, albeit foolish to take on the rogues alone. What you did saved Emily, I'm sure of that. She'll be cared for now, we always take care of our own."

I purposefully ignored the comment about my foolishness. That was another conversation entirely. "You have to forgive Emily then," I said trying to think of something brilliant that would save her. 

"Forgive her for what?" he asked pulling back to look in my eyes.

"I can't tell you that until you promise me you will forgive her," I tried to bargain with him.

His eyes turned steely and his countenance changed, the Alpha was back. "Tell me what she did," he commanded.

His smell was intoxicating me, I couldn't argue with him so close, so I backed away. "No."

"I get the feeling this little game is more than I would assume it to be," he said calmly stalking toward me.

"It is, I promised I would protect her."

"From me?" he asked continuing toward me as I backed farther away.

"Yes," I was almost up against the wall beside the balcony. 

Moving away wasn't working, I still felt surrounded by him. Besides that my animal instinct was howling her protest at retreating. I stood my ground and tried to think of a way to tell him. 

He considered me for a moment, tapping his finger to his lips, and spoke. "Emily's name was on the list of those that helped prepare my rooms for my new mate," he stated simply.

I waited for the death sentence to come, but it didn't. "By the standards of pack law she should be a rotting pile in the forest by now. Did she offer you her neck?" he asked instead.

"Yes," I answered hesitantly.

"I take it you refused," he said holding my gaze.

"She is with the healer now. She has paid a heavy price and is sorry for what she did."

"She is sorry she tried to kill you is what you mean," he said shrugging out of his ruined shirt and kicking out of his shoes. 

"There were extenuating circumstances," I said watching him warily, "I forgave her."

"Was it your place to offer that?" he asked crossing his arms across his broad chest. I lost my train of thought watching him. 

"Well?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered confidently, "I am the female Alpha. It was my place to offer her forgiveness."

He slowly came at me and wrapped me in his arms. There was no protest I could offer that would sound sincere, I needed him. Shaking my head I tried to clear it, this conversation wasn't over yet. 

"It was my place to decide her fate. Do you agree or not?" I asked him trying to sound firm. 

He nuzzled into my hair and ran his hands down my back to kneed my buttocks. "Maybe," he answered, "convince me."

"How do you want to be convinced?" I asked running my hands over his skin. He was steel covered in silk. I growled my appreciation at the texture of him. 

"You, my little love, will submit to my mastery until I say otherwise," he gruffly whispered in my ear. "When I am done with you, I should be adequately convinced."

Kneeling at his feet, I stripped him of his socks and started to work on his belt. If all the man needed was a little sex, I would give him that willingly, Emily or no. 

A knock at the main door made us both groan. I remembered I'd told Katrina I wanted to see Emily once the healer was done. 

"It may be Katrina with Emily," I told him hesitantly. 

He still hadn't really said if I was able to decide her fate or not. He also hadn't made any promise about leaving my poor Beta friends alone. I cursed myself for promising people things I didn't know I could deliver on. 

"How interesting, perhaps we should see what our little rule breakers have to say then," he said starting for the door way.

I scrambled to my feet and followed him. He had sort of said I could make the decisions I had made. He had also said he wasn't convinced yet. I tried to keep the worry off my face. 

"By the way, love," he said just before we reached the main door, "I'm impressed with your acceptance of nudity. It's very refreshing from you and I don't mind the view at all."

I flushed scarlet at his statement, I'd forgotten I'd been naked all day. Now I couldn't leave to go put on clothes, I had to see what he would do. 

Outside our door was a mass of people. I had expected just Katrina and Emily, but it looked like a small armada was accompanying them. Joel must have known what to expect because he threw open both doors.

"Madam Alpha, thank you," cried a woman that looked strikingly like Katrina, she fell to the ground and started to kiss my feet. I would have moved away, but a strong hand on my back stopped me. I looked up to see Joel looking passively down at me. 

'What's going on?' I asked him through our bond.

'You spared her only daughter. What kind of reaction would you expect?' he thought back to me continuing to look at the throng with a reserved expression.

The woman at my feet was talking and crying at the same time. I had trouble catching it all. It sounded like she was saying, "We didn't know until she just told us. She will never make this type of mistake again. She will learn from her misdeeds. I promise you she will always be a loyal pack member."

The scene repeated with her father, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. It was a little overwhelming. Once they were all done they looked at me expectantly. I was at a loss. 

"Emily Maryann Swift," Joel said to the throng, "is the last survivor of this latest scandal. We have judged her to be a victim of it and not a perpetrator. The Madam Alpha wishes her to have time to heal. The damage inflicted by the renegades was not just flesh."

The crowd murmured and I nodded my agreement to his statement. I didn't remember sending all of that thought to him, though.

He continued, "Should she need a break from her duties that is acceptable. She will also be meeting with my mate twice weekly to help in her healing process, Monday and Friday at ten in the morning. Please make sure she gets to these appointments in a timely manner."

That was confusing, but I tried to keep my face like his, blank and open. 

Emily stepped forward with Katrina still glued to her side. Tears were dried on Emily's face and her eyes were still red. Her mother pushed her toward me a little. Emily seemed hesitant, she obviously still felt guilty. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 11



I did the only thing I could think to do that said 'innocent' and 'forgiven' all in one. I wrapped her in my arms and held her tightly. She started to cry again, harder this time. I just held her while she cried and soothed her with little strokes to her back. 

"I'm so sorry. Please take my life; I don't deserve to live," she whispered in my ear.

"You will live and you will learn. We all make mistakes. You must get through this," I said back to her. 

I felt her cling tighter to me and I looked up to see Joel's large hand stroking her back. "If you are hurt again, you will come to me first little wolf," he said. "I am responsible for protecting you, but I cannot do that if you are not honest with me."

"Yes, my Alphas, I will not let this happen again. I promise," she stepped back to her mother and wiped her nose with her hand. I had to grab Katrina to keep her from going with them. 

The throng slowly departed down the hall, everyone soothing Emily. I was relieved to see that, part of me had feared they would all be angry at her.

Katrina stood with Joel and I for a moment then threw her arms around me. "Oh Elizabeth, she was so scared. She didn't care that I was there or that the healer was there, she told her mother everything. She begged to die, but you had told her no. They were all so ashamed, so happy, and I didn't know what to say. They asked me why you would forgive her and I said it was just you. I told them you forgave us to for not watching you well enough. I'm so sorry ..."

I shushed Katrina and had to stifle a smile. Even when she was exhausted she was like listening to a train wreck. 

"Katrina," Joel interrupted, "you are forgiven. Go back to Saul, rest, and we'll see you in the morning. I'd like to spend a little time with the compassionate Madam Alpha."

"Of course, Alpha Latro," she said brightly, "you've probably really missed her and I've seen her every day. Have a good night!" 

As she walked away I turned to Joel, "I think she's still talking." 

"Probably," he answered closing our doors and turning to me. I couldn't miss the fiery glint in his eyes. 

I tried to put off the inevitable by asking him, "How did you know what I thought about Emily's mental state and why is she coming to talk to me about it?"

"You haven't learned to filter your thoughts yet. When she told you in the forest she had been the one to put the poison in our rooms, you opened a connection to me. I heard it all, your internal argument and her admission. I didn't tell you I knew because I was curious to see how you would handle me." 

"Dishonesty is not a very alluring trait, mate," I said poking him in the chest.

"Neither is not trusting me," he said reaching for an exposed pink nipple. I jumped out of his way. There was no way I would be talking to him if he started to touch me.

"Why is she coming to talk to me?" I asked instead as he stalked me toward our bedroom.

"You said yourself you've seen abused humans and Emily struck you as the same. We don't really have that problem here. No one else is going to know what to do with her."

He continued to speak and follow me as I coyly avoided him, "You don't have to worry about how the rest of the pack will treat her. Our forgiveness is absolute, the pack will accept she is innocent based purely on that. They have no reason to be angry at her if we are not."

"How come you let me decide what to do with all the rule breakers?" I asked skirting his hands and circling the bed.

"Do you remember Will and your protection detail?" he asked. "Didn't I let you decide their fates? You are my mate, we share in this task now."

"My wolf felt uncertain about my decision initially. Why did you agree with me so quickly?" I asked him.

"The wolves have a way of looking at the world, as you noted. There is only guilt or innocence. I agree with you that Emily was tricked in the human arena, she is both guilty and innocent. With our help she may be rehabilitated, but it will be a long road." 

I thought about it a moment too long and he had me around the waist. Joel pulled me onto the bed and nuzzled into my hair. I pressed my nose into his neck and breathed him in. Of their own volition my hands were everywhere on him. His dress pants were in the way. I made to rip them off of him and he stopped me. 

"I go through clothes much too quickly as it is," he said sliding out of them. 

"Don't care about the clothes," I grumbled running my hands down his front, he still wore his boxers. I'd talk him out of those quickly. I licked his flat nipples and his breathing etched up a notch. 

He seemed to remember something suddenly and stiffened. 

"You still don't listen," he said irritably pulling away from me and rolling off the bed. I tried to grab him, but he avoided my hands. 

He paced back and forth beside the bed running his fingers through his hair. "I told you to run. You had no idea how dangerous a situation that could have been. In an instant of bravado, I could have lost you. We could have lost this," he fumed.

"I am an Alpha. The rogues were weak and not a threat to me," I argued with him. "You've had me trained to protect myself for weeks. I'm just as capable as you are."

That was the wrong thing to say. Joel's eyes lit gold at the challenge. 

"Do you really think so, mate?" he asked menacingly. "You are arrogant; being strong does not make you invincible. You and your wolf need to learn your place."

"I need to learn my place?!" I growled at him. I knew Joel was from a different era, but that kind of talk infuriated me. "Take me down to the gym and let me show you exactly where my place is," I threatened him. I stood up with my fists clenched, a little sparring would be fun. 

"The circle is more suited the lesson I plan on teaching you, Elizabeth. Let's see who gets there first," he said ripping off his remaining clothing. Joel shifted into his wolf man form and disappeared off the balcony. 

I stood fuming for a moment and then took off after him. I had hit the ground and was running for the circle before I noticed I'd done it. My whole being took his insult personally. I was not as weak as he thought I was. I gave myself over to my animal half and let her lead. My paws tore through the soil, easily outpacing Joel. 

I streaked into the circle a body's length ahead of Joel. We paced around the center for a moment growling and sizing each other up. 

'I've already bested you once wolf,' Joel boomed into my head as we stalked one another. I got flashes of myself with gold eyes pinned to the bed beneath him the night I first started to shift.

'You held down a hundred and fifty pound human with glowing eyes,' I shot back at him, 'hardly a feat of strength.'

Joel growled and lunged at me, but I artfully dodged him. Pacing casually behind him I gave off the air this was the most boring thing I'd done all day. 

'So you do have enough sense to stay away from me,' he said humorlessly. 

That pissed me off so I ran at him, snapping my jaws. Joel snapped back and it was real dog fight for a minute. I bit air wildly, but never did find purchase on his hide. We separated and watched one another, continuing to circle. 

My wolf was uncomfortable with attacking her mate. The human part of me didn't really want to harm him, either. I loved him. This attitude was just too much to take. 

'I don't want to hurt you,' I called to him hoping to end this show. 

'You think you could harm me?' he laughed in my head. 'You don't know your strengths or your weaknesses. If you manage to scratch me by accident I'll be impressed,' he goaded. 

I lunged at him and he nipped at my haunches as I missed. 

'You should be glad I know my limits. I could play this game with you all night and never leave a mark unless I meant to,' he called pacing toward me with his teeth bared. 

It was to be a battle. I gave my mind over to the wolf. I met the challenge head on and found his massive jaws around my neck a moment later. Releasing me he stalked away and then turned to come at me again. 

We were gaining an audience. As I circled around him, I saw the pack coming down to watch us.

When he came at me the second time I avoided the feel of his jaws on my neck, but I was completely on the defensive. I was thinking and moving as quickly as she could, but it was barely enough. My moves were only in reaction to his; I never took the offensive. I was too busy blocking his plays to make any of my own. 

Joel came at me repeatedly. He changed tactics, changed forms, and used whatever tools were at his disposal. I learned quickly from my mistakes, mainly because he exploited each one until I did. I moved faster than I ever thought I could, but despite my speed he managed to out maneuver me most of the time. 

Using all my tools, I did get in a few successful bites or swipes. They surprised Joel I was happy to see, but my victories was short lived.

After a successful assault by me, Joel always came back harder and stronger. Those attacks usually ended with my neck between his jaws. He never held me like that for long. It was always just enough to make the point and then he moved away. 

The stars and the moon were high and bright by the time I realized how wrong I was about my abilities. I was faster than him and very good at changing direction quickly, but that was it. 

Compared to Joel I was weaker and less experienced. He was powerful, of course, but that wasn't his primary weapon. He plotted, exploited, and anticipated. He had seen every move I had, in any combination I tried to use them and his energy for this game was boundless. 

'I'm not as good at this as you are,' I finally called out to him standing still for what seemed the first time in hours. 

'If the renegade wolves,' he said walking in front of me as the large black wolf, 'were more in number or had paid attention to the training I offered, you could have been hurt. I teach the smaller weaker wolves to fight together and to fight dirty. Your instincts are good, you are fast, and you have good stamina; however, your moves lack sophistication. You haven't learned to anticipate your opponent's tactics or developed any sense of strategy.' 

It was a harsh statement, but it was the truth. This reminded me of all the rigorous attending physicians I'd come to respect in residency. The only difference, they were worried I'd kill someone. Joel was worried I'd get killed. 

I stood and watched him pacing. 

'I was stronger than them,' I called out to him. 'They seemed clumsy and weak to me. I would have left if I felt I was outmatched. Two of them against me didn't seem dangerous.'

'Do you know how to pretend?' Joel asked continuing to pace around me. 'I teach the wolves to trick their opponents into underestimating them. And yes, two of them against you was not a threat. I have to wonder, were you really sure there weren't anymore than two when you started? Or were you more focused on Emily?'

I thought back and he was right. I hadn't really been sure of the number until after the fight. My attention had all been on Emily. 

'So, I submit to you now?' I asked. 

I felt that's what I should be doing. He'd proved his point, I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. He'd bested me numerous times during this activity. 

'No,' Joel growled into my mind. He walked up and ran the length of his body down one side of me and up the other.

When he came to stand beside me I licked at the corner of his mouth. He was a beautiful beast, even when he was upset. 

'You're confusing me,' I thought to him and let out a little whine, my animal half wondered why I couldn't submit properly. What had I done wrong now? 

Joel nuzzled my neck and licked at my ear. 'Do you see the pack out there?' he asked me. 'They didn't see the argument, just their Alphas sparring. They were impressed with your speed and how quickly you learn. You take the job of protecting them very seriously. It makes them happy.'

'Would you like me to submit to you in our rooms?' I asked.

The heat present in the next thought would have been difficult to convey with just words. Joel sent over a stream of images of exactly what kind of submission he wanted. I shuddered and felt myself get ready for him instantly. 

Joel scented the air and let me walk a few paces ahead. When he sniffed me, I felt a lick over my backside. He knew exactly what I wanted. 

Inside me the wolf was tugging at my mind, she wanted him on top of her now. She didn't want the human half to have the fun tonight. She had put up with far too much to just let go and let the humans play. 

I gave over all control to the wolf. She bolted away from Joel a few feet and turned to saunter back until I was facing him. Playfully, she got down on her front paws and barked at him. She turned away from him again and looked back at the large black wolf. He was salivating and excited. 

They took off toward the woods at the same time. The white wolf was faster, but the black wolf knew the terrain better. She came across a steep incline and chose to go around it, instead of over it. On the other side hidden in the shadows the black wolf was right in her path. 

The wolves circled each other in the dappled moonlight. She made to escape him again only to be trapped under his weight. When she felt his teeth grasping at the scruff on her neck she relaxed under him. This was what she had been wanting for ages.

My human body had become accustomed to Joel, but the wolf's body was new. He moved inside her stretching her as she writhed beneath him. She ignored the slight pain, happy to feel his warmth at her back. 

As the wolves moved harmoniously together other couples started to do the same thing in the woods around us. I saw through the wolf's eyes as her pack rutted in the forest. The entire experience thrilled her. 

The wolves bodies were primed from the fight and the chase. Fairly quickly she reached nirvana as he spilled inside of her. She was finally satisfied after weeks of waiting for him. She crawled back into the recesses of my mind to relax.

I wasn't cold, but Joel felt good at my back. He slipped off so we lay on our sides and put an arm around my waist. I looked down and realized I had shifted. My body was human again. 

"I'm glad you're back," I told him relaxing into his embrace. 

"I'm glad to be back," he said kissing my neck. 

"I promise you, I won't be so reckless again," I said holding his hand. 

He laughed and I felt little jerks as his member twitched inside of me. "I have no doubt in mind that you would do exactly the same thing all over again. You never gave a second thought to your own safety, only to that of the pack member in trouble. Your instinct is to protect. I will just have to train you quickly," he said stroking my belly.

We lay like that for a moment listening to the pack around us. 

"What did you and the other pack leaders decide about the witches?" I asked him out loud. The answer came to me in head.

'Some things are better left between us and the pack Council,' Joel chastised softly. 'The pack leaders are concerned. The spell that conceals body odor from us was used successfully to gain entrance into a pack up north. They stole some valuable artifacts.'

'The pack there managed to catch one of the individuals involved while he was selling the artifacts. He still had no smell to him. We are working to gain more knowledge of that toxin. I unfortunately broke the only vial that we have encountered. The witch they found there had also bought the magic, he couldn't reproduce it.'

I turned a little and saw Joel grimace. He was irritated that his plan hadn't worked out quite like he would have wanted. When he broke Ryana's spells he had anticipated she would be able to build all of them over again. 

I thought about what he had told me for a moment, 'Your security for the den is based primarily on your senses and physical patrolling?' I asked.

'Primarily, yes,' he told me. 

'We could add more technology to your security here,' I offered. 

'I agree,' he said. 'We have only ever used that type of security at the shipyards. Now it appears we will have to install it here. I advised the other pack leaders to do the same thing.'

'Bad time to be worrying about a new wolf,' I thought grudgingly. Like Joel didn't have enough to worry about and then there was me. 

"Ah, this, my love," he said out loud, "gives me reason to worry about all the rest of it."

******

The End FOR NOW

I sense an abrupt ending like this will get me flamed but good. However, I need time to work on the next part of the series. Give me until end October 2010 and I should have the next part out. 

This was my first attempt at writing and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone that had anything to say about what I wrote. I checked those comments daily.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 12



Thanks to all that waited! Enjoy this submission and please let me know what you think. Special thanks to mokkelke for support – DW

*

The next several weeks were stressful for me. Joel and I spent almost all day in meetings of one form or another. I leaned about the shipyard business and the pack business. Security continued to be a hot topic and I started to get the hang of that. Unfortunately, sitting around all day was frustrating to me.

The only real break I got from the meetings was my time with Emily. That was far from relaxing. As a human physician I had tended to leave the counseling to counselors, I never did it myself. Now I scrambled to read up on the subject in order to help my new family. 

"I just feel worthless," Emily would tell me every time I asked her. "I turned on my pack. I attacked my Alpha. If the pack had suffered, it would have been my fault." 

The rogues had treated her badly, physically and mentally. As they abused her, they had explained to her how she had helped destroy her pack. The mental wounds that related to her traitorous behavior were devastating, the physical stuff didn't really phase her. 

I wasn't making any progress and she seemed to be getting worse. Finally, I called in the cavalry. 

"So nice to see you, Lucas," I said opening the door to our suites. 

If I needed to know how to deal with a wolf that accused herself of treason, then I needed to know what happened to a wolf that had been accused of that offense.

"Madam Alpha, you called," Lucas said bowing his large head. 

He looked better now. His eyes weren't sunken. He had his hair cut in a modern style and his dark beard was trimmed close to his face. Even his burly physique seemed healthier. Shockingly, he looked younger overall. 

Standing in my doorway, however, Lucas looked twitchy. He wouldn't stop moving his eyes side to side as though waiting for an assault. 

"Lucas, no one is going to attack you. These suites are my home and I don't want to fight in them. I just need to talk to you," I said ushering him inside. 

"I know Madam. It has been a hard habit to break," he shrugged stepping in. 

Joel had insisted to be present for this meeting and was sitting in his office doing paperwork. When Lucas passed the door and caught a glimpse of my mate, he bowed his head and greeted him politely. 

I directed Lucas across from me in front of fire to talk. As a way to make him feel welcome, I had the kitchen bring up a tray of snacks. Lucas spotted the tray right away and pulled the entire thing onto his lap. I sat across from him and watched him, amused at his behavior.

'Joel,' I called to him in my mind, 'Lucas is eating the snacks, all of them,' I laughed inwardly and showed Joel the image.

'Do not move,' Joel ordered. 'Lucas is still more feral than I realized. If he thinks you are trying to take his food, it may inflame his beast.'

I felt Joel come to stand beside me as I heard his voice in my head. He stood casually by my chair and didn't move a muscle. I followed his lead and just sat quietly until all the food was gone. 

Lucas let out a little burp and placed the tray back on the table. He seemed to notice us suddenly and remember where he was. 

"Pardon me, my Alphas, I apologize for my behavior. Having enough to eat every day is such a privilege and I am not used to it yet," he lamented hanging his head. 

Joel stepped over and patted the big man's shoulder to comfort him. "We understand, Lucas, you'll need to start curbing those impulses, though."

"Yes, Alpha Latro," Lucas answered nodding.

"Enjoy your talk with my mate, I have work that needs tending to," Joel said turning to go back to the office. 

I talked with Lucas for a long time. He had felt being cast out was what he deserved all those years ago. The anger came later, when he realized he would not die from it; he would just survive alone. 

"You have healed quickly being back with the pack," I told him and then admitted my problem, "Emily Swift never left and she seems to be getting worse."

"It wasn't being back that helped me so much," Lucas said. "It was helping you. I served my Alpha and cared for his mate. Being there when you needed me was my purpose in the pack. I have continued to do whatever I can to serve my Alphas." 

"Service to the pack is what makes you feel better," I said starting to understand. 

"Yes, Madam, I am not a traitor when I am working for the benefit of those in the den, specifically the Alphas," he said.

I watched his eyes for a moment and considered the implications of my next question. 

"Were you ever a traitor, Lucas?" I asked him.

Lucas didn't seem fazed by the question, which surprised me. He just answered it. 

"No, I never did anything directly. I did not know exactly what Linda, my mate, was doing at the time. I knew I didn't like her new friends. She hid her thoughts from me very well. There was always a sense something was wrong, though. I was aware of the way her attitude changed. I should have paid it more attention," he sighed. 

"Do you still miss her?" I asked.

I almost missed his answer because Joel's voice boomed into my mind demanding I stop with this line of questions. 

"It would be inappropriate to speak of her like that, Madam. I will answer honestly because it is you asking; I still think of her, but not all that often," he answered politely. 

"Thank you, Lucas," I said rising from the chair. "You have been remarkably helpful today."

Lucas rose and shook my hand heading for the exit. He bowed as he passed the office Joel was in.

I heard Joel's voice and was surprised. "You up for a little sparring today, Lucas? I need to get a couple guys together for a practice in the gym tonight," he called.

"Of course Alpha Latro, what time would you want me there?" Lucas answered.

"After dinner, around seven, I'll let Nate know to expect you," Joel told him. 

After Lucas left I went into the office and flopped into one of the chairs. Joel stopped writing and looked up at me. 

"It is tradition we don't speak about rogues once they have been dispatched. No one would ever ask if they missed someone like that. Saying yes would indicate allegiance to the rogue and lack of allegiance to the pack," Joel explained. 

"Maybe you should just send me back to work in the clinic and limit my wolf related activities," I groaned. 

"I'm sure the staff at the clinic would find your new habit of growling when you are displeased very interesting. I shudder at what would happen if you took a nap at your desk. You can't go back into the human society until you have your wolf completely under control," he said. 

I grunted and accepted the jab about my restraint. I knew what he was talking about. Besides the ever present growl, I'd developed a nighttime issue and it was frustrating both of us. 

The problem was that I had taken to sleeping out of doors. I usually walked out there after I had gone to sleep. Most mornings I woke up in the woods with Joel snoozing beside me. I'd always been a sleepwalker when I was anxious, just never this bad. 

Joel said it was the oddest thing he'd ever seen, but he was a good mate. He always went with me. He said he tried to talk to me when I was like that, but I was persistent about where I wanted to be. If he put me back in bed I just got up and walked out again.

It was so frustrating. I'd tried human sleeping pills, nightly sex, and exercising until complete exhaustion. Embarrassingly enough, I'd even had Joel put that chain back on my leg. That last idea had been disastrous. 

I put on the chain and went to sleep. About thirty minutes later I got up to start my nighttime trek. When the wolf found herself chained, she had howled her displeasure for an hour before I woke up enough to stop it. I went back to sleep and the whole thing started again. Nothing seemed to make this behavior stop. 

Joel shook me out of my musings by throwing his legs up on the desk and stretching. 

"That meeting shed any light on your Monday/ Friday problem?" he asked me.

"Sure, she needs to feel she is serving the pack and specifically, us, in an important way. That should be easy for a young, depressed Omega with no particular skill set," I said putting my head in my hands. 

"And, by the way," I continued looking up, "Emily's not just a Monday and Friday problem. She's a problem every day of the week. I've talked to her mother. Most days she won't eat and when she does it isn't enough. She can't keep up with the pack anymore and she won't defend herself. I don't know what job to give her. I'd send her back to the kitchen, but I'd probably just find her curled up in a corner." 

We sat lost in our own internal thoughts for a moment. 

"You need a personal assistant," Joel finally said.

"To do what?" I asked.

"Personal assistant do all types of things," he told me. "They get you coffee, take notes in meetings, and help organize your day. It's meant to relieve your stress level but it's a lot of responsibility for whoever you choose."

"You've lost me," I answered him confused, "I have a day planner on my PDA. I take notes at meetings. Why do I need someone to do this?"

"Something is stressing you and you're sleep walking because of it, this might help. Also, it's the perfect job for a wolf that needs constant reassurance about who she is serving," Joel said grinning. 

"It's the perfect job for wolf like that," I agreed grudgingly. 

I hated the idea of giving up the mechanics of my day to someone else. I wanted to do those things myself. From what Lucas had said it made sense to do this. Emily would be busy all day serving her Alphas and the pack. Hopefully, it would break her of her depression. 

I rose to go find my phone and then turned. "I'll go call her and shouldn't you be calling Nate? By the way, why are you working out with Lucas now?"

"Lucas was slated to become one of the pack's warriors when he was shipped off. My father used to talk about his potential. If he's good, I'll make him a Beta. I think his talents are being wasted doing the menial labor he's been doing around here," Joel said picking up his office line.

I trudged out into the main rooms to think about how much having a personal assistant could suck. 

The next morning, bright and early, Emily's mom dropped her at our door. I let her in while I was still dressed in a robe and escorted her into our bedroom. Giving up this much control to someone else was going to take some getting used to, but I was determined to fix Emily.

"I have to take a shower. Go in my closet there," I pointed, "and find me an outfit to wear today, something business casual. We have to go into town later, so I can meet the vendors the head of the kitchen uses. There will be a lot of walking involved," I told her.

"After that call for breakfast, you know what Alpha Latro likes, just order two. Once you are done, go to the desk in the office," I instructed pointing, "While Alpha Latro and I eat you can go through the folders and pick out the demographics on ten wolves. I'll need you to quiz me on them all day. I'm trying to learn about the pack's members."

Emily looked stunned and confused. She turned toward the office and then toward the closet door. It was like she couldn't remember what I had said. From my experience with her, the depression had clouded her thinking. I'd probably have to repeat myself all day. 

"Do you need me to repeat my instructions?" I sighed.

"No, Madam Alpha, I remember. Clothes for today, call for breakfast, and pick out ten wolves from the office files," she said nodding. "May I ask why I am doing this, Madam?"

"You are my personal assistant now. I needed one and you don't currently have a job to do," I said and moved toward the shower. 

Explaining this was her therapy may defeat the purpose, so I didn't want to answer anymore questions. 

I joined Joel in the shower and washed his back. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me sending the question into my mind.

'Well, how is she doing?'

'We'll see,' I thought back to him doubtfully. 

As we bathed in the large shower I fretted about today. I'd never had a personal assistant, but in movies they always seemed to be people that knew what was going on. Emily didn't strike me as particularly bright young woman. This could be a disaster. 

I was interrupted from my thoughts when Joel kneeled before me and lifted my right leg to sit over his shoulder. He literally attacked me with his tongue as his fingers splayed my lower lips wide. I moaned and grabbed the shower walls to keep from toppling over. 

"Joel," I moaned, "busy day ahead, please stop-" he cut me off by circling my tight rear sphincter with the flat of his finger.

It was oddly stimulating.

"I hate it when you shower in the morning and wash my scent off," he told me. "I've decided to do something about that. Resist me and I'll tie you to the bed and pleasure you until you can't resist me."

He watched my face as he rubbed his thumb over my clit. I could barely think, so my words came out a little stuttering.

"You're threatening to tie me up and fuck me in the morning?"

"Yes," he said returning his tongue to my weeping slit. "Your assistant can handle your mundane preparations in the morning. You can't tell me you don't have time anymore."

Joel tongued me for several minutes as we stood in the warm rushing water. When I was nearly peaking he dropped my leg off his shoulder and stood up. Turning off the water he faced me with a wicked grin. 

"Go lie on the bed and let me mark my mate," he said pointing, "and no shower afterwards." 

I growled at him. He knew I hated to feel unclean when I started my day. Right now I was so wound up I would do anything he asked. I stalked naked into the bedroom thinking of ways to torture him the entire way. 

There were clothes on the bed. Two outfits neatly laid out for inspection when I got there. I'd forgotten Emily was here. Joel saw the outfits the same time I did. I figured our fun was over. 

I started to move toward them and he grabbed my hair, holding me back. 

"Emily, in here now," he called sharply, leaning down to lick at my neck as his other hand splayed over the front of my stomach.

She was there in a split second hovering in the doorway. 

"I like that outfit," Joel said pointing to the one on the left. "Please move them both," he ordered. 

I was still getting used to the pack's ideas about what was appropriate, but Emily had been raised here. She acted like it was no big deal we were about to fornicate on the bed. She moved the one outfit to hang outside the closet and took the other back inside it. 

Joel nibbled at my neck as he pushed me toward the bed.

"Were you thinking of stopping because your assistant is here?" he asked with an evil tilt to his voice. "Should I punish you for that?" he asked rubbing my ass cheek with his big hand. 

I had been the recipient of one of his spankings and I knew what he could do with that hand. I wanted to sit down today. 

I twirled in his embrace and knelt before him. As I licked and sucked the head of his cock, I heard Emily exit the closet and then the bedroom. I relaxed thinking we were alone and started to take him deeply into my throat. It was talent I was acquiring and I was proud of it. 

Joel jerked me off his staff and threw me back onto the bed. He crawled over me with purpose and settled his weight between my thighs. His tongue tangled with mine and I knew he could taste himself in my mouth. 

"You will smell like me all day, mate," he whispered in my ear. "You won't speak to a wolf who will wonder who you belong to."

Joel plunged into my depth and my head rocked back and to the side. He filled me so completely. It was like heaven. 

I opened my eyes and saw Emily watching us from the main room. Part of me was embarrassed, but part of me didn't care. If the pack saw me being taken by my mate, so much the better. We were stronger for the love we shared. I rolled my head to look at Joel and decided it didn't matter at all. 

Joel was voracious this morning and demanded my full attention. He ground into my center and stroked his hands along any piece of flesh he could reach. The man was incredible and he was mine. 

I felt like the wolf as I eyed him. He wasn't marked. That would be fixed right now. As Joel started to throb inside of me, I struck. 

My canines elongated and I drove them into his the flesh beside his neck. The pleasure of marking him like that pushed me to grind against him and find my own release. We lay on the bed slowly moving against one another for a few moments. Finally, he relaxed on top of me. I whimpered pleasured grunts into his ear as I continued to spasm around him. 

Looking up, I saw the bloody wound I had left on him. My tongue shifted involuntarily and came out to heal the area. I loved the taste of him and licked much longer than necessary. 

Joel raised a hand to feel the scarred mark beside his neck and grinned at me. 

"That actually hurt," he said sounding surprised. 

"It's a bite," I told him, "they always hurt a little bit."

"You never complained when I marked you," he remarked rolling off the bed and stretching. 

Joel walked to the mirror and examined the mark. He looked thrilled. "Thank you," he said smiling, "I've been waiting for you to do that." 

"Well, I didn't know I was supposed to. You could have told me," I responded getting up to examine the mark with him. 

"I could have, but that felt wrong to me," he said, "I wanted you to do it when you felt it was right. It's just not something you ask someone to do."

I shook my head at him and headed for the bathroom. He stopped me with an arm around my waist a moment later. 

"Nope, no shower," he demanded sounding firm. 

"Alpha Latro," I said in real frustration, "my deodorant is in there. My hairbrush is in there. In addition, my favorite set of earrings is in there. I will not shower, but I would like to use the toilet." 

Grudgingly, he released me and I moved to finish getting ready. Much to his pleasure I didn't even look at the shower. I guessed I'd have to start doing that at night. 

After breakfast Joel left to go handle a strange crisis with the shipyard business. There had been a break in. Luckily, the shipyard used the best modern technology for security and the thieves were caught before they took anything. 

The human police that responded to the burglary didn't notice anything amiss. The pack security that responded noted the thieves didn't have any odor to them. Unfortunately, they didn't get a chance to ask many questions. The wolves had to watch as the burglars were hauled off to the county lock up. 

Nate said he had called the police and been told the men must have been high on something, although their toxicology screens were negative. The burglars had kept saying they should be invisible. The police found it par for the course. The wolves were concerned. The only other time they had come across a human with no natural scent was Ryana. 

Anthony and several other pack members involved with human law enforcement tried to get in and talk to the thieves. In an unfortunate turn of events the would be thieves were killed during gang related fighting in the jail. The wolves were again left with no leads. 

While Joel dealt with that, I was left with much more mundane tasks. As Joel's mate I should know everything about the pack. I'd spent the week before working the pack's house officer, who assigned and monitored the living quarters. Today I was spending with the woman who ran the kitchen. 

Margaret was a nice older woman who had been in charge of the kitchen for the last twenty years. She was taking me to meet some of the vendors she used and teaching me how she did the ordering. Although I would probably never do any of that; it was considered part of my education to understand it. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 12



As we drove out to the meeting Emily quizzed me on the ten wolves she had picked out of the stack. I wanted to remember name, rank, job, and something personal about all of them. It seemed appropriate since they all knew me. 

"Madam Alpha, I've never spent much time in human company before," Emily nervously admitted to me as we drove into town. 

"Please don't call me Madam Alpha, the humans won't understand that," I told her.

All my fears were realized. This was a terrible idea. Emily would unmask us all. 

Margaret spoke from the front seat, "You should call her Mrs. Latro if you need to speak to her. Humans will understand who you are when she introduces you as a personal assistant. They will not expect you to talk much, just take notes on what seems important." 

At the meeting Emily was surprisingly helpful. I was not good with names and I couldn't keep up with all the people Margaret knew so well. Emily had made a point to write down the names and reminded me when I forgot. 

When it came time for lunch I had Emily call and get reservations for us at the Club. Emily ate her meal and I made a point to order desert, which she also ate. Shockingly, this therapy seemed effective. 

On the way back to the den, Emily read the instruction manual for a PDA her mother had given her. I helped her and she quickly learned to use it. Before we made it home she had all my appointments scheduled into it. 

I saw Margaret look back at Emily frequently. It wasn't hard to guess why. Emily looked better. There was color in her cheeks and she spoke with a smile on her face. It was a far cry from what she had been just the day before. 

I met Joel back at the den and we went to another meeting about the shipyards. The human law enforcement had let the thieves be killed in their custody. The wolves had no leads on the potion they were sure was involved. As far as anyone could tell the men were just regular, low quality burglars. It was a long unsatisfying meeting. 

"Except for the fact they kept claiming to be invisible, which the police did not understand, they were normal humans," Joel told me shaking his head.

"They obviously didn't understand the spell they took," I mused. "I wonder how they came across it?"

"No way to find out now," Joel lamented. 

After the meeting we had dinner and then went to the gym. The pack's gym was huge. There was space to lift weights, mats for wrestling, and rooms set aside for private training. The wolves took physical fitness seriously. 

Joel had told me the Alphas in a pack should be the strongest and most knowledgeable members. I was getting a crash course. The training I was getting during the day was to make sure I knew the pack inside out. At night, with him, I learned to fight. Like Joel, I was supposed to be a leader and defender. 

At night we worked in the gym or the circle, where ever Joel felt I needed more work. In the gym I learned to fight in human form. He often took me to one of the smaller rooms and taught me to fight with weapons. When we went to the circle we fought as wolves. It was strenuous, but it was a relief to not be crammed into a meeting room. 

After the work out, Joel and I took a short run, as we did most days. I loved to be out of doors. My wolf exploded into my mind and took over, tearing through the forest. When we ran like this she was completely in charge and we only stopped when Joel made her. 

As I wove through the undergrowth, Joel sent a thought my way.

'Lucas is a Beta, he's going to start working with the security team. He's as tough as dad said he was,' Joel thought happily. 

We ran for another few minutes and Joel herded me back home. I was upset to be going back already, but tomorrow was another long day. I forced the wolf down and back inside my human body. With everything going on Joel and I just didn't have time to spend all night galavanting in the woods. 

Besides, I thought ruefully, gotta get to bed so I can wander back out here in a few hours. 

The next day was bright in the woods when I opened my eyes. I stretched out next to Joel and wondered how long I was going to have to go through this. Emily was standing quietly about fifty yards away looking at her PDA.

Once Emily saw me look at her she approached and sat down cross legged in front of me. 

"You and Alpha Latro have a conference call at nine o' clock to speak to federal agents about the break in at the shipyard," she whispered. "I spoke to Nate and the humans think it may have been part of a foiled terrorist plot. Nate doesn't think so, but the humans still want to know what types of things were in the shipyard at the time of the break in."

"Good morning, ladies," Joel said stretching and pulling me against his normal morning erection. 

I groaned. I wanted to shower after sleeping in the dirt all night. If Joel had his way with me now that wasn't going to happen, so I tried to wiggle away and was pulled back tight. 

"You're very quiet Emily," Joel complimented her and she grinned. "I take it Nate decided to give you the job of delivering me tasks I would rather not do?" he asked her nuzzling into my hair. 

"Yes, Alpha Latro, it looks that way." 

"Joel, I love you. I need you, but I need to shower after sleeping on the ground," I said trying vainly to get up. 

"So, if I don't let you shower in the morning, you'll stay in our bed?" he asked playfully rolling me underneath him. 

"Pardon the interruption, my Alphas," Emily said continuing to sit watching us, "but it is eight o clock now. I was supposed to come and get you an hour ago, but you looked tired, so I let you rest."

Joel groaned and lay his weight over me. "I heard you an hour ago. I suppose I should have woken the sleepy Madam Alpha then if I wanted to play," he said getting up and pulling me with him. 

We walked back to the den with Emily tagging along behind us. She was busily tapping away on the PDA. I had no idea what she was doing, but it seemed to make her happy. 

'She looks better,' Joel sent into my mind.

I agreed with him. It looked like this arrangement was working. I just wished we had some way to fix the problem about me and sleeping in the forest. 

Joel and I washed and dressed quickly, so we wouldn't be late. We went to a meeting room with a number of high ranking wolves that ran the shipyard. I groaned inwardly to be starting the day with a meeting. 

The talk with the feds was not enlightening. There was absolutely nothing in the shipyard at the time of the theft that would have interested a terrorist. Joel told them he believed it to be as straightforward as it seemed and eventually they agreed. 

After that meeting a pack Council meeting took place. The wolves were interested in the burglars, but not for the same reasons as the human law enforcement. We wanted to know how they got hold of a spell. 

Anthony had managed to get in to examine the bodies in the morgue.

"Their scent had returned by the time I got to them," he told us, "I was able to take a sample of their blood and gave it to the healer. She will try to find something out. They were really just regular burglars. From their police files they've been caught breaking into houses several times. There is nothing interesting about any of them."

My only question was why the healer needed their blood and I asked Joel using our bond. 

'The healer's grandmother was a witch. She learned a great deal from her grandmother. The healer has been studying spells her entire life. She knows more about magic than anyone in the pack,' he told me. 

"I address the pack Council with respect," Anthony said, "I humbly offer you an opinion you have not asked for."

"Anthony, your opinion is respected here," Joel said giving him permission, "please continue."

"The security we have at the den currently would not have detected these thieves had they attacked here. We may not have sensed them. We all remember when Saul's mate, Katrina, broke into the den. We found her because, although she was stealthy, she left a scent trail. I fear the humans may try to steal from us again."

He looked around, but no one interrupted him.

"I have heard the humans talk when they learn I live in this complex. They believe we are a wealthy organization. I, of course, insist we are not and tell them we are just a large extended family. Many talk when they don't think I can hear about the riches our organization holds. They talk about vaults of gold bricks we have."

Several of the Council were looking concerned and one of the older members encouraged Anthony to continue.

"I believe they are talking about the secure room downstairs," Anthony said. "We had several human contractors work on it and the word got out."

I knew the secure room. It was meant to house the pack in time of attack. It had four feet concrete walls and a metal blast door. If you didn't know what the wolves used it for, you would think it was a vault. 

"It is my opinion we need to install more security here. The newly installed locks and increased patrols were a good start, but cameras and sensors should be used. It would keep the pack safer," he finished bowing his head. 

"Your concern is valid. The Madam Alpha has already indicated she thought we needed more security also," Joel said, "I second the need for increased security here. Especially in light of the recent attempted theft."

The Council agreed and they started to discuss which security measures to institute in the den. I wondered how the pack would feel about cameras everywhere. I didn't think they would really mind, but it would be a change, which would probably unnerve them. 

I watched quietly as the meeting continued. It was one of so many. I was glad for Emily now. When I zoned out I could always trust her notes about what had happened were accurate. I felt caged and just couldn't shake the feeling. Meeting rooms were not intended for wolves, I decided. 

The next several weeks were frustrating. I continued to learn all about the pack which was good, but my night time excursions got more and more frequent. Even with Emily helping me all day, and she was a help, I went outside every night to sleep. 

With that in mind, I was surprised to wake up in our bed. It had been a long time since I'd woken up here. I stretched and luxuriated in the feel of the silky sheets. Except the nagging soreness in my muscles, this was turning out to be a good morning. 

Rolling over I looked at Joel who was smirking at me. He grabbed me around the waist and pinned me beneath his weight. My animal half stirred under my skin. I loved a good morning tussle, but this morning I was interested in how I was still in the bed. 

"Why am I not waking up in the forest?" I asked him. 

"I persuaded you to stay in bed last night," he said coyly pressing his morning erection between the juncture of my thighs. 

"You've convinced me like that before and it has never worked," I pondered. "What exactly did you do that made me stay in the bed. We've got to figure it out so I'll stop doing this."

"I forced your wolf to submit to me," he said cautiously watching my face.

"That's fine, you are my mate and I don't mind submitting to you. I've told you that before," I answered, "but why would that have anything to do with me sleeping in the bed?" There was a lot more to this story than he was telling me. 

"I followed you out and herded you to the circle," he said. "As you know some of the pack always follows us when you sleep in the forest, last night was no exception."

I waited for him to go on. He took a breath and continued. 

"I pushed you to the center of the circle and told you where I wanted you to be, in our bed. You ignored me, as you usually do when you are sleep walking and turned to walk toward your favorite spot."

"I got in front of you and charged you in my wolf form. You shifted and started to fight with me. It was very heated. You can be very aggressive and I was making you angry. Eventually, I forced the wolf to submit completely in front of the pack that was present," he finished still looking down at me. 

I searched my mind and found my animal half. She was feeling strange. She conveyed immense love and respect for Joel. There was also this feeling I can only describe as getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar. 

"She knew what she was doing all along," I mused. "I thought we understood each other. I thought we had a good vibe going between us. She never let on she wanted to be outside that badly." 

"It has been my fault, love. What she wants is what is best for her. I've had you learning about the pack and not yourself. The drama with the witches isn't helping either. It's taken away our time and I have been denying you," Joel sighed. "I haven't even taken you to hunt live game."

"I killed and ate a rabbit the first day," I told him to assuage his guilt. 

"You should be able to hunt and kill for the pack. It would make you feel better if you could. If I allowed you to spend more time as the wolf you would be more in touch with her. Right now it sounds like you are back to being two separate beings in one body," he said watching my eyes.

I'd talked to him about the change and he understood it better now. My animal half was part of me, but the division wasn't native. Bonding with that part of myself took time and energy, Katrina had seconded that notion. Now, I was back to being two separate creatures in one body.

"We're canceling meetings for the next several days," he said rolling off of me. "We'll take a few days and go into the forest. I owe you weeks to run and find your wolf, but I'll give you what I can. It's pathetic. I'm making you sneak around to get enough of what you need."

I rose and stretched. I was sore. The fight last night must have been monumental. 

"You give me plenty of what I need. She doesn't have to-" Joel cut me off with a raised hand. 

"You still don't understand, love. You are the wolf, the wolf is you. The only reason it seems foreign to you is because you haven't accepted that part of yourself yet."

"I'm not sure how you could have. The entire time you've been a wolf I've been dragging you to meetings and going over security protocols. Letting you run in the woods for thirty minutes before we go to bed is not sufficient," he huffed turning to walk into the main room. 

I watched his back disappear and gasped at the deep, but healing, gash down his right side and hip. Following him and that horrible gouge, I was almost too afraid to ask how he got it. I wouldn't be lucky enough that he was involved in multiple battles last night. Odds are I did that.

"Joel," I felt awful and couldn't finish. 

No one attacked their mate and hurt them. This was humiliating for both of us. I was completely out of control. No wonder he wanted to get me away from the pack. I couldn't believe they had seen me do this to him. 

He was in my face when I looked up. "You were very adamant about where you would sleep, love. I didn't realize how deprived you felt. I'm not angry you made your feelings known. In addition, I now feel much more secure in your ability to defend yourself."

"I am so sorry," I told him softly. "I love you. My wolf loves you. I can't imagine her doing this intentionally to you. I can't believe any part of me would harm you this way. I would never do anything to hurt you. I'll have better control."

He hugged me tight as he spoke. "I underestimated you. The pack was admittedly a little surprised to see me injured in a fight. They were not surprised you were the one that did it. Your speed is quite legendary, they've noticed that."

"How will I face them? This is so ludicrous. They must think I belong in a mental ward. God, you must think I belong in a mental ward..." I was rambling and Joel just hugged me tighter.

"I forgive you. The pack understands you are new to this and the timing is less than ideal. The old timers have been on me for weeks to get you out in the woods. They actually warned me your animal half was having difficulty because I didn't let her out more often. They've told me it was the reason for the sleepwalking, I just didn't listen." I pressed my hot face into his chest and continued to feel embarrassed. Silently berating myself, I let Joel go so he could go call off the meetings. If this was going to be the result of me not getting enough "me time" I better fix it. 



Bound to My Mate Ch. 13



Love the feedback, LOVE IT. Good or bad, feel free to comment. Thanks to everyone that's tuned back in! DW

*

Joel and I left the den about midmorning. We were headed deep into pack lands to spend several days just being wolves. He designated his highest ranking Betas to run the pack in his absence. 

Nate was being left in charge and on the surface he had the same unfazed facade. I knew from what Joel told me he hated this, though. 

Nate enjoyed his position and the level of authority he usually had, but in his heart he needed an Alpha. No part of him felt comfortable playing this part when Joel stepped out. As we ran from the den, I saw Nate take a shuddering breath and start to issue orders to the Betas surrounding him. 

I felt guilty about taking Joel away from the pack, especially now of all times. They were nervous enough with all the new technology being installed and the security changes. I knew they would all feel better if Joel was there. 

'You're thinking very loudly about your human concerns, love,' I heard Joel say into my mind. 'Let the wolf out. The pack will survive without us for a few days. We are always available for them in case of emergency and they know that.'

I relaxed and felt the wolf's presence truly take over. For the first time in weeks I was completely comfortable and didn't feel like I should be somewhere else. 

Initially, I paced myself to Joel's strides. The run was fun, but the pace was too slow. I bolted in front of Joel by a body's length and he voiced his displeasure at me.

'Unless you have somehow deduced where we are going you should follow me,' he called veering right subtly.

I followed him, in a fashion. What I really did was run circles around him and check out the forest as we moved through it. I wanted to touch every part of my land and Joel seemed to understand that. He didn't give me too much grief about my lack of decorum. 

I recognized the stream when we stopped to take a break. After taking a long drink, I stopped and looked around. 

'This is the first place I shifted,' I told him as we started out again.

'I wish I could have been with you for that,' he said ruefully. 

'It wasn't very graceful,' I assured him, 'I became the wolf woman a little at a time. It was probably pretty funny looking at first.'

'The proper term would be 'hybrid', love. I've heard you describe it that way many times, but others may not understand what you mean,' he told me chuckling. 'By the way, you are beautiful. I can't imagine you looking any other way.'

If I could have blushed I would have, the way he thought about me really was flattering. 

By afternoon we had made it to the spot he wanted us to be in. Human hunters were not allowed on pack land and this was the heart of the wilderness they held. It was essentially untouched, so it was the perfect place to just be ourselves. 

This was an amazing place. A rocky mountain rose out of the forest and sat watching a winding river and decent sized lake. Years ago the this is where the den had been. Back then, the wolves had cut deep into the mountain and made the caves their home. 

'Were you raised here?' I asked Joel padding through the interconnected cave system.

He walked in front of me as a wolf and let out a barking laugh. 'I'm not that old, love. The pack was living near where we do now when I was born.'

'Listen, it is not my fault you run like an old man,' I scolded him. 

Joel turned to face me and I inched my way toward an exit in the cave system. 

'You are kind of slow,' I projected, 'do you need some joint cream or something? Is there a werewolf equivalent of a walker you could use?'

He had had all the teasing he could take and lunged at me. Every part of me loved a good chase. I sprang out of the caves with Joel hot on my heels. 

Unfortunately for me, Joel knew all my moves. I zipped in a zig zag pattern to lose him, but he wasn't fooled. He bowled me over and we tumbled down a grassy slope outside the old den. 

As usual, I ended up pinned beneath his weight. I loved this position and felt the passion for him crank up. I could smell my desire and I knew he could, too. I wiggled my ass seductively beneath him, just to make sure he got the message.

'Do you want to see what else is here or are you just interested in sex?' he asked pushing his staff against me. 

'SEX,' I barked at him. 

He entered me slowly and grasped the back of my neck. 'You should be interesting when you enter estrus next year,' he said holding me still underneath him. 

I needed him so badly. My paws dug into the ground as he started to pump into me. I held my body in offering to him and accepted his knot gratefully. Every part of me screamed for him, I wanted to be filled to overflowing. 

It wasn't long before he exploded inside of me. That sensation pushed me over my own edge and I felt my body tighten around him. I felt sated as he howled his pleasure over the countryside. 

As we lay in the grass I shifted back to a human form. A few moments later the fur receded from Joel and he wrapped his arms around me. 

"What's estrus?" I asked stretching my body out. We were still joined and I liked to pull on him a little, it felt good. 

"Once a year your body will prepare itself to become pregnant. It happens during the winter for us. My understanding of the human anatomy is vague, but I believe you are used to being fertile once a month. Am I correct?" he asked curiously. 

"Yes, you are correct, but I can only get pregnant once a year?" I asked turning a little to look at him. "You know, it feels like I want to get pregnant now. And why will I not go into estrus until next year?"

"You can only get pregnant once a year and it probably won't happen this year. Your body is still too new to this. What was the other question you asked?" he said fiddling with a strand of my hair. 

"It wasn't really a question, but I have this all consuming desire for you. It feels like I want to be pregnant," I told him.

"The wolf in you knows this is the right time of year for that. If you were in estrus this would be the perfect time for us to make pups. Your stress level is down and I am near. The instinct is correct and I'll be happy to alleviate the urge anytime you feel it," he said running his hands over the front of my body.

After we got unattached I went toward the lake. The clear water looking inviting. I felt dirty after the long run and the tussle afterward.

"Would it make any difference to tell you I love the smell of your skin the way it is now?" Joel asked watching me. 

"You could get in with me and we could play in the water," I offered with a smile. 

He might like the way I smelled, but I felt gross. I guess some things never change. After my bath I shifted and caught our afternoon meal. The taste of fresh meat was terrific. I had forgotten how amazing that first rabbit had tasted. Joel had let me do the hunting and he was right. Bringing him food made me feel better in a strange way. 

'The wolf inside of you wants to provide for her pack. I haven't allowed you to do that at all. Although the meeting are essential to the pack's survival, you need to help meet their more basic needs. We will see to that when we get back,' Joel told me after we ate. 

We slept that night by the water. I was comfortable outside, even with the chill still clinging to the air. I wondered if he wanted to be up in the old den.

'No, I like it outside, too. In the beginning we always slept outside. The den was mainly used to shelter the pups when they were young. We've given way to our human side quite a bit over the last couple of centuries. The comforts found in the den now would have been unheard of then,' Joel told me. 

I snuggled down content to rest in the wild, if only for a few nights. 

I woke up the next morning as the sun rose over the lake. I was still in my wolf form and stretched my paws out in front of me raising my tail in the air. Joel took that as an invitation to sniff and lick.

'Your scent calls to my beast,' he told me moving on top of me. 

I was feeling that urge for him again, but I wanted to have some fun first. I opted to play hard to get and wiggled out from underneath him. 

'I'm hungry,' I lied, 'maybe later.'

'No,' he growled playfully, 'now.'

I bolted away into the forest and Joel followed. We darted through the trees for several minutes until he managed to herd me up against a steep rock wall. I was caught, but this game wasn't over yet.

The wolf inside me wanted him to earn it, to make sure he was strong enough. I snapped my teeth at him and took an aggressive stance in front of the wall. He came at me like a wild beast. He seemed to understand what I needed. 

We fought savagely for a moment before he pinned me. If he hadn't been crushing my tail I would have been wagging it I was so happy. He was most certainly worthy of taking what he wanted. 

'Do you know what you make me feel, Elizabeth?' he pushed the question into my mind loudly.

'Desire, I hope,' I answered him, waiting impatiently for him to complete the mating. 

I felt a sensation like riding an ocean wave for a moment. It was a weird feeling and I fought against it. 

'Elizabeth, relax and I will show you,' he said sounding a little exasperated. 

When the next wave came I didn't fight it. I felt Joel. It was like I was Joel. I could feel his heartbeat and the warmth of my back on his stomach. His need to be inside me was overwhelming. Once he moved to fill me I heard myself growl at the pleasure.

I wanted to feel him to control me completely, but I wasn't sure how to ask for more than he was already giving. My body was trapped to the ground beneath me. Joel's teeth grasped the scruff at the back of my neck and pulled lightly on it. My body shook with pleasure.

'When you open yourself to me and I open myself to you, I can sense your thoughts whether you are sending them or not,' he told me.

He pushed his knot home and I was aware for the first time the strong stimulation that gave him. When I pulled against it the pleasure bordered on pain it was so intense. I made a mental note to stop doing that.

'The pleasure is worth the slight pain,' he growled pumping faster inside of me. 

After we were both sated our stomachs were rumbling for food. Joel hunted with me this time and helped me. We caught a much larger meal together than what I would have alone. 

'That's the benefit of living in a pack,' he told me happily tearing away at his part of the breakfast. 'We can do more together than we can alone.' 

As we cleaned our muzzles off after the meal I asked Joel more about the strange mental connection.

'You can open yourself to me, I can open myself to you, or we can be equal partners and share a connection. It's what you did accidentally when Emily made her admission to you in the forest. I did not open myself to you then; I just listened,' he explained. 

'Sneaky,' I told him, 'why haven't you showed me this before now?' I asked.

'I have neglected you, Elizabeth, and I am sorry. There is so much I know you still do not understand. I will use our time together to teach you what I can,' he said as I stretched out in the long grass for a nap. 

'Oh, no you don't,' he laughed. 'You need to be up and learning.'

'Fine,' I said following him into the trees. Suddenly I had a thought, 'Can I do this with anybody or just you?'

'You are an Alpha,' he told me as we ran. 'You could push into anybody's head in our pack if you wanted to and they allowed it. If you allow it, they could also push into yours. I have allowed them to do that to me before when I needed to share strategy with them.'

'I think I'll just stick to talking to them like this when we are wolves. I'm barely used to shoving my thoughts on someone, I can't imagine having them in my head,' I shuddered.

Joel barked a laugh and I swear he shook his head as we ran along.

'You aren't forcing yourself on anyone, love,' he chastised. 'Be forewarned, you don't have to let them know everything you know and the same goes for them. The connection is only as open and honest as the two parties choose to make it.'

I stopped running and shifted into a human form, "This is how I'm used to talking," I told him, "speaking with my mouth and gesturing with my hands. The way you all do it is weird to me." 

The large black wolf paced toward me and I heard his voice in my head. 'You are a werewolf, you will get used to it, but you have to practice. Now, shift and run with me. I want to spend time with my glorious white wolf.'

Joel's voice was sultry purr and I couldn't deny him. Shifting, I bounded ahead and made him catch me. 

We spent our days and nights as wolves. I blended with my inner beast quickly and soon understood this freedom is what she needed. There was so much more to this new part of me that I hadn't even begun to explore. 

Joel and I sat by the lake in our human forms and talked late one afternoon. He was very open with me about the wolf. 

"I've been pushing her down all day most days," I finally told Joel, "I thought I should only act like a wolf in the woods."

"The wolf will prefer the woods, but she can experience your daily life in the den. You will be happy surrounded by the pack, no matter what's going on," he answered me. "Letting her lead during the day will only serve to make you stronger. Open your mind to that part of yourself and use the best of every part you have."

Our time passed much too quickly. I loved every minute of it. We hunted, explored, and fucked to our hearts' content. When the time to leave came I was sad. 

It struck me this was the most amount of time Joel and I had ever spent alone together. We melded together so well it surprised me. We hadn't had anything like a honeymoon or even much of a real date. Our relationship just plowed into existence out of thin air, but it did feel solid. 

As we ran back toward the den I contemplated our relationship. Joel seemed lost in his own thoughts. It was comfortable silence between us. 

Suddenly Joel came to a screeching halt. I followed suit and watched him. He was eyeing the ground around us suspiciously. His ears and tail were up in warning. I watched as he bared his fangs and a low growl rose in his chest. 

I tried to understand what was upsetting him. It was just us in the middle of an empty clearing. I had to stop thinking with my human mind and allow the wolf lead. I was missing something crucial. 

Letting my animal instincts flow, I concentrated on the area around us. I started to see what Joel was seeing, a group had been here. There were fresh tracks in the ground, some were human others weren't. They seemed to lead into the clearing, cluster, and then go toward the den. There was no scent to indicate anyone had been here, though.

I understood with striking clarity. Something was attacking the den under the cover of that potion. The wolves would not sense the intruders coming due to the magic. The new security was still in the trial phase and not fully operational. The pack was potentially in grave danger. 

Joel's voice boomed into my mind. From the way he was speaking he was talking to every member of the pack at once. Anyone in their wolf form would hear him.

'The den is under attack. Warriors to their posts, now. Omegas, women, and children to the secure area. Do this without alerting the invaders.'

I heard answers to his summons that were directed to both of us. The pack had heard and they were mobilized. What they would do next was rote memorized by every pack member, including me. 

Announcements were made in the den that there was a water main break in the basement, everyone was needed downstairs to help. The pack knew this was a signal that danger was in the den. Now the entire pack was getting ready.

With the announcement made, the groups Joel wanted downstairs went to the secure room and were counted. The Warriors took up positions and prepared to launch a counter attack when Joel ordered. I felt their preparations sift through my mind. 

We bolted toward the den on nearly silent feet. Those mysterious tracks went all the way to the back doors. Whoever it was had made it to our home and family. 

The pack's warriors were on full alert. The security team had not found where the attackers were inside the den. The warriors were carefully perusing all the hallways trying to find where the intruders were. 

Patrols outside had found several sets of the scentless tracks outside and followed them back to their origination. There were four groups of vans at the outskirts of pack lands. They were waiting on Joel's word to question and contain the occupants. 

Joel and I approached home cautiously, but tried to give off the air nothing was wrong. 

Anthony met us in his wolf form at the front door when we circled around. He was trying to look casual, but the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. He was ready for anything. 

'Go with her to the secure holding area,' I heard Joel order Anthony through our connected minds. 

I didn't want to go and Joel looked hard at me. The flood of emotion I got told me this was not the time to argue. Joel was worried about his family and he didn't want me to get hurt. 

If there had been time I would have told Joel I belonged beside him in time of crisis. I didn't need to be hidden away. This just wasn't a good time to explain that. 

I followed Anthony into the main hall and Joel bolted toward the security station. He kept his connection to he open, so I heard everything he did. In an effort not to bombard him with stimuli I just listened, but didn't let him hear me. 

The house was silent, no one was left upstairs. As we passed a hallway deep in the den. I saw a figure dart from one Omega's room to another. No one should be down there, all the Omegas should be in the secure area. 

We had been moments away from entering the secure area when I veered off. Anthony followed me down the hall quietly telling me we shouldn't be here. He was upset with me. It was annoying and I was tempted to pretend I hadn't heard him.

'Alpha Latro wants you in the holding area, Madam,' he repeated quietly. 'Please, let the pack's warriors do the search.'

'Just let me see who this is,' I said nudging the door open with my nose. 

Two hybrids were inside with two unconscious female Omegas draped over their shoulders. The males had no scent and looked alarmed to see me. Threatening noises started to emanate from deep within both of them. 

A human man was standing in the one corner of the room. He saw me and threw a liquid toward me chanting a spell. I dodged the liquid with my usual speed, but Anthony hadn't seen it coming and it hit him full in the face. 

I heard the thud as Anthony dropped unconscious to the ground. I listened intently and still heard his steady heart beat; he wasn't dead. I turned my attention back to the room and it was empty. A window was open and I could see the wolves and the man running from the den in separate directions. 

As I leapt out the window, I opened my connection to Joel back up. I told him what had happened. I was keeping a sightline to the wolves with our females.

'Stay in the den,' he ordered me, but my feet never stopped moving. 

I heard him sending a team to go after me.

My wolf didn't like ignoring her mate, the Alpha male, but she would just have to get over it. There was no way I was letting them hurt my Omegas. 

I caught up to the wolf men quickly. Making a play to take out the slower one, I was bowled over by a wolf attacking from the left. Righting myself, I was suddenly facing five growling wolves as I watched my Omegas disappear into the forest. 

No one ever expected my speed, so I used that to my advantage. I dodged and dipped avoiding the interference and caught back up to the kidnappers. Now I had five wolves on my tail and two in front of me.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 13



'Joel,' I called, 'they are after our females. You have to stop them.'

'Get back to the den, you are out matched. I know they are after females,' he sent back sounding irate. 

To hell with him, I thought as I barreled into the slower wolf ahead of me. He dropped the female and tried to come around to face me. I tore out his throat before he could even start to change direction. 

Something sharp and painful hit me from behind and I turned to see the five had caught up to us. The fastest one of them had sunk his teeth into my hind leg. The others surrounded me and prepared to attack. 

Despite the pain I shifted back to the hybrid form and used my hands to disengage my opponent. Before I threw him off of me completely I shoved my sharp claws into his chest and tore at his heart. 

I battled with the remaining four wolves and killed one more before reinforcements showed up. Joel barreled into the scene and executed two of the remaining wolves. He damaged the other one severely and threw the body to his Betas. 

'Take that one to the holding cells in the den. I want him alive for questions,' he told the wolves behind him.

I was inching away from him to go follow the other wolf that had had a female. 

'We were watching their get away vehicles. She is fine and he is dead. Explain to me what part of, go to the secure room, confused you,' he said loudly in my head stalking toward me. 

My wolven half had had enough of defying him. I really didn't want him mad at me, so I dropped down and exposed my belly to him. He completely ignored the gesture and came up to look me in the eye. 

'In light of the fact you don't listen to me, ever, your submission is not accepted. What part of my direction confused you?' he asked again. 

'I'm not a child and I don't like to be told to go sit with the children,' I told him honestly. 'You expect me to continue to act like the weak human female you originally met. I want to be part of this, I am strong, and I want to help. I will not sit at the side lines while you take all the real assignments.' 

The Betas he had brought were watching us skeptically. Joel still looked angry and he had never stopped growling at me. In addition, he had ignored my obvious submission, which was strange. They knew something was up. 

He stalked away from me toward the nearly kidnapped Omega and I rolled to sit up. I rose stiffly, my back leg still ached from the bite. Joel sniffed at the girl and licked her across the face, probably trying to wake her. The pain in my leg was forgotten when he sat down groggily beside her. 

I approached Joel and his eyes looked clouded. Pushing into his mind was like wading into mud and I was couldn't connect to him. He was so tired all I got when I moved into his mind was a blank space.

'Nate, the spell on the girls is still active. When they get that other girl to the den wash her off immediately. Nobody lick her, understood?' I ordered, seeking out Joel's second with my mind. 

I heard as Nate alerted everyone in the pack about the spell. From the way he was talking it was several girls that were being returned, not just the one. 

'Joel, stay awake,' I ordered wondering if he could hear me. 

Joel just stared at me. He was ready to lay down and go to sleep was the feeling I got watching him. 

I barked at him loudly to get his attention. He woke up a little and looked back at me as his eyes started to shut again. 

'Get up,' I ordered nudging his backside with my nose. 'We are going back to the den. Get up or I will have them carry you like a baby. Do you want that?' I threatened.

The threat seemed effective and Joel rose to his feet unsteadily. We made our way slowly back to the den. I pushed, yipped, and nipped to keep him moving. Joel passed out once we made it into the front doors. He fell heavily down on the marble floor and went sound asleep. 

A large silver wolf approached eyeing Joel. I recognized Nate and was glad to see him. 

'Nate, we stay on alert until Alpha Latro wakes up. Do we have an accurate count from downstairs?'

'We got everyone back that was taken, Madam. The thieves we didn't kill have been placed into the holding cells. The kidnap victims were all knocked out by a spell. We sent all of them to the secure room with the healer,' he said watching Joel on the floor.

'Can we move him somewhere safer, that isn't the secure room?' I asked. 

Joel's current position left him exposed, I wasn't sure the attack was over. I didn't want to put him in with the Omegas, women, and children. Seeing him knocked out like this may scare them. 

'We still have an empty holding cell,' Nate said thoughtfully. 

It took three hybrid warriors to lift Joel and move him downstairs. I had the healer come and check on him and she said he was fine. 

"You are a doctor, Madam," she said to me. "You know he is just asleep. The potion just needs to wear off. These new spells are very powerful," she mused, "I will have to study them."

I had shifted to a human form so I could fit in the room while she examined Joel. 

"Damn it," I cursed, "I didn't tell them to get a sample before they washed the girls off."

"They were brought to me for care and I took samples, Madam Alpha," the healer said bowing slightly. 

I was impressed with her forethought and told her so. She seemed happy to be complimented. 

"It is my honor to serve my pack to my highest ability," she said turning out of the room. 

I would have been happy to sit and watch Joel, but Nate was standing expectantly at the door when the healer left. With Joel down for the count, I was quite suddenly in charge. 

"What do we do, Madam?" he asked watching me.

I thought for a moment and wondered what my mate would do in this circumstance. 

"The Warriors all need to be in the wolf or the hybrid form so we can communicate. Let's get to the security center and organize from there," I said throwing one last glance back at Joel. 

Nate locked Joel in and we both shifted into our hybrid forms as we walked down the hall. 

'What do you all usually do with creeps that break into the den,' I asked Nate.

'Torture them until they tell us what we want to know and then kill them,' he answered.

'Who usually does the questioning?' I asked.

'Alpha Latro, myself, and a wolf named Donavan are the best at getting information without killing them too quickly,' he told me. 

We were up on the main level now and I looked outside to see the warriors dragging the remains of at least twenty dead wolves toward the circle. There was also the man I recognized from the Omega's bedroom. 

'We will burn them, Madam,' Nate told me. 

'What pack are they from?' I asked him.

'We don't know yet, but they are probably rogues trying to start their own pack. They were kidnapping wolves just old enough to breed. By the way, they aren't all wolves, the one that looks human is a witch. That's very odd, Madam. I've never seen a witch or a human involved in a raid.'

My feet took me outside for a closer look and Nate followed. I wondered what would prompt a witch to involve themselves in a raid on a were wolf compound. His skills had obviously been useful, but the risk was enormous. The wolves stopped dragging the dead and let me inspect. 

I smelled the witch they were dragging. He smelled like sickness and death. The scent clung to his skin like it had been there a long time. I stood there trying to understand why he smelled so rank. 

'Didn't you all just kill this man?' I sent the question out to the entire group.

Another voice requested entry into my head and I allowed it. I recognized Lucas's voice, as the large black wolf approached submissively from several feet away. 

'I killed the witch, Madam. It was less than an hour ago that I tore out his throat. He was hurling spells at me. One of them injured my shoulder when I didn't move fast enough and some of it touched me.'

'Is that normal?' I asked curiously.

'No, Madam, I have been away for some time, but those spells are quite rare. The others warriors I have asked told me they had never seen anything like this before,' Lucas said and turned to show me a burned looking area on his shoulder. The fur was gone and the flesh was eaten away. I could just see muscle in the wound. 

'The healer should see you Lucas,' I thought to him.

'I wish to serve you, Madam. I do not want to be locked up downstairs. My last century has been spent not serving my pack; I want to make up for it,' Lucas said hanging his head. 

'If you start to feel sick you will go to her right away. That is an order, Lucas,' I said turning my attention back to the dead man. 

I heard Lucas's happy response in my mind, but my attention was now on the corpse before me. He absolutely reeked. It was like he had rolled through a cemetery to get here. I'd never been so displeased to have a wolf's sense of smell. 

His arm flopped out when I touched it with my nose and suddenly I understood. Track marks ran up and down his forearm. I nudged his mouth open and saw the yellowed remains of his teeth. He was probably a meth addict. 

'Can witches get addicted to the same things humans do?' I asked Nate.

'Any of us could,' Nate told me, 'we all have part of us that is human. With us, I know that such a thing would be possible, but the quantities needed would be much larger. I imagine it would be the same for the witches. We could ask Anthony when he wakes up, he worked for the human DEA for a long time. He would know better than I would.'

'We need to know more about this man before you destroy his body,' I told Nate. 'I want to know why a drug addicted witch is mixed up with a group of rogues capturing breeding wolves,' I ordered.

This was odd, I could feel it. The wolves around me seemed uncomfortable also. 

I stood thinking for a moment and had a horrible thought. 'Do the other packs know this happened, yet?' I asked Nate. 'This may be bigger than it seems.'

'Will,' Nate called turning to face the den, 'the Madam Alpha wishes the other packs to be alerted to the danger. You know them, it would be appropriate for you to make the calls. I will verify with the Madam Alpha this is what she wants.'

As Will came running out I realized I could hear everything going on in Nate's head. I was fairly certain that was rude. 

'Nate, I apologize, I think I'm in your head-' I started to say and he barked a laugh. 

'You are my Alpha and it is appropriate for you to be in anyone's head you wish to be right now. If we feel you push in, we will not resist. It is our honor to serve you, Madam,' Nate said humbly. 'May Will make the calls you requested? He is acquainted with the heads of the other packs, already.'

It was obvious to me who needed to be in charge here. Nate had a much better grasp of what was going on. It amazed me how much he hated to be left in the Alpha role. I would just have to use Nate as an advisor.

'Yes, Will, please call them. Tell them about the spell used on Lucas, as well as, the other ones we've come across today,' I ordered. 

'And what do I say when they ask why Alpha Latro isn't making the calls? At home, my father always would have made those sorts of calls,' Will asked shifting on his four feet nervously. 

I thanked Luna Will had chosen to stay with us for a time. His experience right now would be invaluable. 

Will had originally been sent to watch me when I was still a human. His father was an Alpha in another pack. Will's job with me was done, but he stayed here for the experience. 

He liked the way he was held responsible by my mate. Will did his required rotations for medical school in the local hospital. In the den he had responsibilities like any other Beta. Will told me he felt the experience of truly being a Beta would make him a better Alpha when it came time. 

Now I needed to know how the Alphas interacted normally, so I didn't mess this up too badly. None of them knew me, yet, so it seemed I probably shouldn't make the calls. 

'Alpha Latro is down with the thieves now. He will call them himself when he has more than a warning to share with them,' I told Will. 

Will and Nate both let out a sound that could easily be construed as laughing before Will loped into the den.

'Very nice, Madam Alpha,' Nate commented to me. After that we inspected all the bodies carefully. Anthony was still knocked out, but there were several other pack members enforcement. They gathered their tools to examine the bodies and try to find out where the kidnappers came from. 

Once everything was examined the bodies were piled in the forest. There would be a bonfire to destroy the remains later. A permit for a 'controlled burn' was quickly obtained so no nosy humans would come check on the smoke rising from our land.

With Nate's help I set up teams to search the den thoroughly and make sure we hadn't missed anyone. The Warriors searched every room and every crevice in every room. They found two more wolves hiding and dispatched them quickly.

The interrogation of the prisoners downstairs was put off. The wolf named Donovan and Nate were confident they could get whatever information I wanted. I just wasn't sure what questions to ask. The prisoners would be left to await their fate until my mate was well enough to do it properly.

The victims of the kidnapping and Anthony were all still out cold. The healer checked them frequently, but they weren't giving any signs of waking. She told us she would let us know if they did start to wake up. 

Hours passed slowly, but the wolves didn't let up their vigil. They seemed content to stay on alert. I stayed as my large white wolf pacing in the security center. 

My back leg was still throbbing with every step, but I was more worried about doing a good job. Nate told me Joel probably would have the den on lockdown until the thieves had been questioned and destroyed. 

'The people in the secure room, what do they do about eating and peeing?' I asked.

'That room is meant to house them for weeks at a time,' Nate told me. 'Life for us used to be much more dangerous. We had attacks like this all the time. Things became much calmer in the last century. The pack leaders work together and agree on their borders. Rogues are destroyed quickly. We've kept the same measures in place in case we needed them, though.'

My conversation with Nate was interrupted by a hair raising howl that arose from the depths of the den. I felt Joel push into my mind and quickly check me for injury. I still jumped when his outraged voice boomed into my mind demanding to be let out of his cell. He threatened to tear the door down. 

Shifting into my hybrid form I grabbed the key off the table and bolted downstairs with Nate following behind me. 

'Joel, be patient, I'm coming,' I called out to him. 

All I got back was a flow of anger. He was mad, so frustrated at passing out and sleeping. His pack needed him and he did not protect them. That the rogues had managed to do this to him was infuriating. 

As we got into the basement I heard the shredding of metal as Joel's claws cut through the steel door. Those rooms were never meant to contain an Alpha apparently. 

The door hit the opposite wall as a livid black wolf man stepped out and turned to stare at us. Nate dropped and showed his stomach beside me, which was a feat in the small hallway we were in. The rage coming from Joel was like nothing I had felt before. 

Joel stood glaring ahead for a moment. Dropping into the form of his wolf he let out another ear splitting howl. That sound was meant to call his pack and galvanize his warriors. 

My wolf responded to the call. I dropped onto all four paws and walked toward him. My voice rang in the tiny hall as Nate and I responded in kind. 

Joel was salivating he was so upset. His face was held so his vicious teeth were clearly visible and a low growl just resonated in his chest. I'd never seen him like this before, this uncontrolled and angry. The emotion seemed to radiate off him in waves. 

Joel came forward and sniffed me completely. His inspection of my wounded leg was the last thing. His rough tongue came out and licked persistently at the most tender part. I wanted to tell him that wasn't helping and it still hurt. Thankfully he stopped and came to stand by my head. 

His breathing was calmer now and he wasn't growling. Joel was just rubbing his snout across my neck as I heard his voice gently in my head.

'Love, sometimes when a wolf bites really hard the tooth breaks off. Have you ever heard of that?' 

'I know it happens with cats more often than dogs,' I told him thinking back on my medical training. 

'The wolf that bit you left his tooth in the wound. I imagine it is still very painful. I will call the healer to have it removed. The pain will stop once the offending object is gone,' he told me and licked at the corner of my mouth.

Joel's next thought was directed to everyone. 'Warriors, convene in front of the den in thirty minutes. Keep a patrol on the inside perimeter.'

He walked out of basement with Nate and I following. I was so relieved he was okay. My nose nearly hit his backside when he stopped in the main hall. 

'It would be more appropriate for my mate to walk beside me, not beside my Beta,' he called softly.  

I ran my body up the side of his as I took my place next to him. His smell was comforting and I wanted to be covered in it. 

'How long was I out?' he asked as we made our way to the front of the den.

'Several hours,' I told him, 'I didn't want to lock you up, but I wanted to put you somewhere safe in case of another attack.'

'It was a good idea. I just woke up...disgruntled,' he thought. 'Tell me what else you did.'

I told him what I had done, which wasn't much, but he seemed pleased. He appreciated my concern about why the witch was involved in a raid. He barked a laugh when I told him what Will had told the other pack leaders.

'Thank you for your concern, but they'll know something was up,' he said. 'I never stick my underlings with calling them. Will was a good choice, though. He has a relationship with them. They would not have known who you were if you had called. I should have introduced you sooner.'

'It has been a busy time,' I shrugged as we walked outside. 

'Not like you'll get to meet them now,' he grumbled. 'Nobody's going to be leaving their pack for social calls. The rogues are bad enough when they don't have the benefit of magical interference.'

While we waited for everyone to get to the front of the den the healer came from downstairs to see me. Using a scalpel she removed the tooth from my back leg. Having it removed was excruciating, the tissue had tried to heal around it already. 

My wolf wanted to turn and tear the healer's arms off for hurting me. The pack's warriors were all showing up, so I didn't make a sound as she dug the offending object out. I did my best to control my beast and let the healer work. 

Being still while the healer dug around was difficult. Joel kept telling me I could go inside and she could do it, but I didn't want to leave him. I lay quietly and stared at the forest. Once she had it out I breathed a sigh of relief; it felt better already.

"You know it makes it more difficult to work when you shift in the middle of it," the healer told me matter of factly. 

I looked down at my body and was surprised to see a human form. 

"Your wolf wanted to attack who ever was hurting you and you forced the instinct down, am I right?" Joel asked leaning over me in his human form. 

I sat up on the concrete and moved my leg. For the first time in hours it didn't throb with every little twitch. 

"I wanted to rip off the healer's arms, no offense intended, Sarah," I told the healer feeling guilty. 

"Oh, I've gotten plenty fast over the years. Although having seen you move I probably should have had Alpha Latro hold you down. I doubt I'd manage to get out of your way quickly enough," she said a slight frown marring her features. "I would have stopped her, Sarah. I wouldn't let my mate hurt you," Joel promised. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 13



"Thank you Alpha Latro. You know, Madam Alpha, maybe next time you won't go running after the attackers yourself, but I doubt it," Sarah smiled putting her tools away. She didn't notice the dark look on Joel's face or she probably would have stopped talking. "The mothers downstairs all think you are their new hero. All the work to help poor Emily, going after Leidy and Sarah when you saw them with the rogues. They can't stop singing your praises," she laughed. 

Nate approached cautiously from the side, correctly interpreting Joel's body language. 

"They are ready when you are, sir," Nate said formally, taking several steps back after he spoke.

Joel seemed to compose himself before shifting back into his wolf form. The conversation about to happen would be Joel's strategy. He didn't want his game plan broadcast to anyone hiding in the woods. 

I stood next to Joel and slipped back into the wolf form. Opening my mind to Joel, I listened intently. 

The orders my mate handed out were succinct, he had obviously done this before. Joel discussed patrols and search patterns. He wanted the men doing the new technical security to get that operational as soon as possible. Joel wasn't letting the pack out of the basement before he was sure they would be safe. 

Once he was done we walked back toward the security center. Joel took me inside an office inside the complex and closed the door. 

'Shift,' he commanded.

I fell back into my human form rapidly. It seemed like the animal in me was retreating. It was obvious what was coming, a reprimand about not listening. My wolf half had nothing to do with that and was more than willing to let the human half take the heat.

Joel stood in front of me and slipped on a pair of jeans from a drawer in the room. He handed me a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. I slid them on and watched him watching me. 

"Do you know what a pack is?" he asked me simply.

"It's your family that all live here in the den together," I answered. 

That was a weird question.

"It is a living, breathing network," Joel said slowly and carefully. "Everyone does their part and the whole benefits. Every member must think and act cohesively. I know you were raised in a small, disconnected family. At work, Will told me you had difficulty delegating and did most things yourself."

I didn't know Will had talked to Joel about me at work. My surprise must have showed, because Joel held up a hand and continued to speak.

"I asked Will to talk to me about your habits away from the pack. I wanted to understand if your constant need to assert your independence was limited to me. Apparently, it was not. You have difficulty sitting at the helm and allowing others to complete tasks."

"That's not fair and hardly the point," I argued. "If I didn't do most of the stuff at work it didn't get done right and then I got blamed. I was responsible for my patients, the other people at work were not. They would always half do the job or not do it at all."

I knew I was getting defensive. It wasn't the first time I'd been told I wasn't good at teamwork.

Joel continued to talk quietly, "It is the point. Things are different here, but your reactions are the same. You are not modifying your behavior to the situation. If every member of this pack did what you did today, I would have lost family members. We work as a team."

"The Omegas and our women got out of the way. The trackers found the vans, the warriors followed the trails of the escaping rogues, and everyone waited on my signal. Once we had it all organized, we took the entire operation down at one time. They were separated and had no chance of overpowering the wolves I sent after them," Joel said continuing to watch me. 

I sat down on the desk behind me. The wolves were stronger as a team, because they worked together. Joel managed the team so the best abilities of everyone was at the forefront. Deep down I knew that, I just wasn't used to it. 

"I apologize. I only wanted to help. I didn't like being left downstairs with the weak," I told Joel honestly. 

"You are right. I still fear for your safety, though, it will be a hard habit to break. We should be side by side supporting one another in a time of crisis, but I don't think you understood what happened today. I knew you would be of no interest to the rogues, but I didn't want you anywhere near them," he said shaking his head.

"No, I guess I didn't really know what they wanted until Nate told me," I contemplated. "Not that I want to be of interest to creeps like that, but why wouldn't I have interested them?"

"You have a mate, my scent saturates you. They would be looking for females without a mate. If they took you, I would never stop looking and they know that. Their goal is to take and forcibly mate young females. In the old days the females, once mated, may not have been accepted back into their own packs," Joel said. 

"What if they were hurting them?" I asked alarmed.

"In this day and age, we take the females back. None of us will let our females be taken to help form new packs," Joel said. "However, that is not the part of your education I am interested in. My concern is that you do not know how to function as a member of the pack. I love you, but I cannot allow you to be disruptive. We have a system and it works; you have to trust your fellow pack members to do their jobs."

"What can I do now that would be non disruptive?" I asked. 

Being a control freak was definitely a weakness of mine. I was upset Joel had noticed. What he thought mattered a lot to me and right now he thought I was not helping him. I hung my head in shame. 

I heard Joel cross the room and come to stand in front of me. He hugged me tight and I half heartedly hugged him back. This whole day and had been irritating and I had made it worse. 

"Relax, my love, you are learning," he said into my hair, "and part of me is glad you did what you did. We may not have found the witch that was involved if you hadn't seen him. None of us would have been looking for a human. If we had found him on pack lands, we may have wrongly assumed he was a lost camper that just happened to be a witch."

That made me feel better, I had helped a little bit. We stood holding each other for a moment before he spoke again. 

"I cannot believe you outran five werewolves. If you hadn't stopped to attack, they never would have caught up to you. You are faster than any other wolf in this pack, I'm sure of that," he said sounding a little awed. 

"I did need the help once they caught up to me," I said ruefully. 

"You took down three before we got there, very skillfully by the look of it, nice clean kills. I'm impressed you've listened to the small amount of training I've been able to give you. Thank you for that, I feel better knowing you are well armed," he said.

"I love you, Joel. I'll trust your instincts from now on," I said looking up at him. 

"I love your stubborn independence, but you're learning and so am I. We must learn to work together. During a rogue attack it is typical to hide all the females, but I doubt that will ever be an option you would consider," he smiled. 

I shrugged and hugged him. He was right. I wasn't going to be hiding in the basement during any sort of attack. 

A knock at the door interrupted our talk. Nate wanted to get on with the interrogations. He was jumping at the chance to go torture the rogues. 

I was not as excited about that, at least part of me wasn't. Part of me wanted to go down and tear fingers off the assholes that had attacked my pack. I couldn't decide how I felt about it. 

"Would you like me to come?" I asked quietly. I still wasn't decided whether I wanted to see this or not. 

Joel's thoughts came into my head as he took my hands. 'No, while I'm sure part of you would love what we are about to do, part of you would find it abhorrent.'

"Or I could just wait up here for you to get done," I said sounding relieved. 

Joel kissed my forehead, my nose, and both cheeks before settling his mouth over mine. 

"Do not leave the security center, please. If the other Alphas call, talk with them. You may tell them it was a spell that had me incapacitated. Manage things until I get back," he said. 

As instructed, I waited in the security room for Joel. Since his orders had been clear, everything ran smoothly in his absence. I had to field calls from several curious Alphas across the country. They were definitely amused a spell could take down a wolf of Joel's strength.

"So you're the one that's had him all hot and bothered at our last meeting," an Alpha named Sebastian Germain laughed. "I'm sorry we pulled him away from you. Not like it was much good to have him present, anyway. All he could think about was getting back to his mate. What'd you do to finally get him away from us?" 

I wasn't much for lying, so I told the truth. "I ran into the forest, figured out how to shift, and attacked two pack members that had gone rogue. They were torturing one our females," I told him. 

He whistled into the phone, "They were full grown these two?" he asked

"Yes."

"You were lucky to get out alive. You're definitely an Alpha bitch to be reckoned with. You still giving Joel a hard time?" he asked.

"Pretty much every day," I laughed.

"I hope my mate's half as fiery as you when I find her," he sighed. "She's being a little devil and hiding out. Any trackers Joel isn't using, you tell him to send my way. I can't wait to find her."

That was the weirdest thing I'd ever heard, but I just told him I'd tell Joel about it. 

"Well, nice to chat with you. I'm sure we'll meet soon. You have Joel call me once he gets done ripping open those rogues," he growled happily on the phone. 

I agreed and was glad to get of the line. That guy had seemed a little strange. Who in the world needs trackers to find his mate?

It was late at night when Joel finally finished with the last rogue. The wolf I had been left with, Ryan, told me that the interrogation could last hours to days. Ryan seemed to think it must be a cut and dried plan for them to finish so quickly. 

Joel called out to me when they finished. He said he would take a shower and meet me in the security room. I waited for him impatiently, but when he got there I was stunned.

Joel looked clean but he didn't smell like anything. I didn't like it that his scent wasn't there. The beast in me eyed him warily and I inadvertently growled when he came close. 

"I apologize," I said stiffly, "you smell different. It is really freaking me out. Whatever you showered with, don't use it again."

"I bit one of the rogues several times and made him bleed quite a bit. I got a lot of his blood in my mouth. I must have ingested some of the spell that way," Joel explained carefully. 

I inched toward him and pressed my nose to his neck. Nothing. I tried everywhere on him and couldn't get a scent. It was disconcerting to say the very least. 

"I can still feel our bond, but the lack of scent is so strange," I told him pressing my face against his chest. 

Nate came into the room frowning. 

"Everyone says I don't smell right and another Beta attacked Donavan because he didn't recognize him in the dark," he said. 

"Is Donavan all right?" I gasp.

"Pissed off, but otherwise fine. What the hell is going on?" Nate asked sniffing his own underarm.

"We must have ingested the spell while we were persuading our friends to talk," Joel told him.

"We attacked a bunch of them this afternoon and we didn't have this issue," Nate argued still trying to catch his own scent off his arm.

Joel raised an eyebrow at Nate's tone, but didn't reprimand him. Lucky for Nate, Joel seemed to find his second's irritability funny. 

"The kills this afternoon were quick. I can't imagine any of you lingered or allowed the blood to really sink in. We were much more 'in touch' with the thieves downstairs. When the spell is transferred that way it may take a significant amount of blood," said Joel calmly. 

"These witches are really starting to get under my skin," Nate remarked going over to the security monitors. "Almost everything is up, boss. It's only a couple hours to sunrise. If you want, I'll babysit things here and let you get some shut eye."

"Nate, I've had quite a few hours of that already. Go down to Shawna and rest," Joel laughed.

I'd forgotten he did have quite a long, if not involuntary, nap this afternoon. That did make me jealous. I was exhausted, but curious about what he had learned. 

"Love, there is a small pull out bed in the office we were in earlier today. Go lay down and rest until sunrise. You'll feel better tomorrow if you do," Joel whispered in my ear. 

"Okay, apparently everyone else knows what is going on, but I'm in the dark. What did you learn from them?" I asked.

"You were right, the human was important. He had seen the rogues living in an abandoned motel down Route 301. He approached them and told them about the spells he had, all he wanted was cash in exchange."

"The rogues did the series of big crash and robs in the local papers to get the money for him. His being here today wasn't really part of the deal, but they insisted, extra security and all."

"I sent teams out to investigate the place they said they were living and it looks legit. The teams found the remains of several human females buried behind the motel. Human females couldn't build a pack for them and that was what the rogues wanted," he finished.

"They were hurting humans?" I asked aghast.

"Yes, love, I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner. We found the remains of several human women buried in the back. These rogue packs can be very violent," he told me.

"What if there are more of them around the motel?" I asked starting to pace.

"We've searched the area and believe we did get all of them," he answered stopping me and stroking my face. "Now go to bed."

"No dice, buddy. Where'd the witch get the spells?" I asked.

"They didn't know and considering what we put them through I think it was the truth," he said pointing to the room with the bed.

"One more question, where were they from?" I asked.

"One day I'll sit and explain to you the entire tragedy that was Alpha De Santos. For now, just trust me when I tell you that the mental breakdown of an Alpha is a terrible thing to watch." 

Nate agreed and Joel continued to talk, "Alpha De Santos lost his daughter and his mind followed. He lashed out at his pack and ended up breeding some malicious, evil bastards." 

"Worse wolves I've ever met," Nate commented as Joel continued.

"By the time everything was exposed, the Alpha was near death. We tried to clean out his pack, but most of the troublemakers splintered off into little rogue groups hiding all over the country. What could be salvaged from his pack was taken in by Alpha Sebastian Germain."

The name rang a bell, the crazy guy that wanted to track his mate. "I know that guy, he called. He doesn't sound like he's all there, either."

"He's a good wolf, but the De Santos tragedy took his mate from him," Joel sighed. "That's another long story. I'll save for a day when you aren't ready to fall over from exhaustion." 

I nodded gratefully and headed off. Being awake this time of night was the bane of my existence. Honestly, I'd exhausted my tolerance for it in residency. 

I found the little cot in the office and lay down. I was sound asleep before my head hit the pillow.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 14



You know I'm addicted to the commentary, so please let me know what you think. Thank you to everyone for reading. Enjoy – DW

*

The next morning dawned much too quickly and I stretched out waking up. I sensed a familiar presence before I opened my eyes. It wasn't a surprise to see Joel leaning on the desk when I did.

"Your scent is back," I told him groggily.

Joel came to lay beside me on the tiny bed and then pulled me to straddle him. 

"All the spells are worn off," he told me. "The girls are awake, Anthony is awake, and Lucas' wound finally stopped enlarging."

I was wide awake all of the sudden. "What do you mean about Lucas?"

"Nate said you all saw him about an hour after the attack. The wound continued to enlarge until he went to see the healer late last night. Most of the muscle of his shoulder and front leg is still exposed."

"Oh, no Joel, I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I should have insisted he see the healer right away," I moaned dropping my face onto his chest. 

"There's no reason to be sorry, love. The healer couldn't do anything either. The wound just grew and grew. Finally it stopped. We were just lucky he wasn't hit with a larger or more direct dose," Joel soothed.

"How did he even know to get out of the way? I thought these spells never affected anybody?" I mused.

"Once again," Joel sighed, "I do owe you a debt of gratitude for not listening to me. I told everyone what that spell did when it hit Anthony. They were all very cautious during the attack. No one wanted to be knocked out like that. If Lucas had been hit with a larger dose or more directly there is no telling what could have happened."

That made me feel better about being so stubborn. Something good did come out of it. 

"Are you going to let them out?" I asked referring to the pack in the secure room. 

"Already have," he told me. "The shipyard would be a ghost town if we left it to the few humans I hire."

I got up and we went upstairs to bathe and change. It was hard for me not to notice all the new cameras. They were unobtrusive, but they were everywhere inside the den. 

"Nobody is sneaking up on us again," Joel told me as we walked through the hallways. 

I'd never seen an attack like the night before. Now the security meetings were a lot more interesting. I started to pay more attention and started to get the hang of how it worked. 

Emily noted my increased interest and started looking for interesting articles on the topic for me. Neither Emily nor I was particularly well versed in the subject, but she made it her mission I be prepared. I encouraged the initiative and was rewarded with something new to read every day. 

Our studies soon said the same thing Joel already thought, security in the woods was going to be tricky. Joel and I finally settled for clearing them away by another fifty yards in every direction. We toyed with several ideas and eventually settled on a round the clock guard to video surveil them. It wasn't like we lacked the manpower, that was for sure. 

The only problem with the eyes in the sky watching the perimeter was the rest of the pack. It became a game to see who could distract them while someone else played a prank. Usually the pranksters just pointed out where the security team wasn't watching. 

I thought Joel would be angry when he found out what they were doing.

"Angry?" he asked me. "Hardly, they've made their point and my security has heeded the warning. Their game, as of yet, is not disruptive and it keeps the detail on its toes."

Joel continued to update security at the den. He even went so far as to make the windows bullet resistant. His main concern seemed to be places where the pack Council went together. Joel didn't want his most valued advisors left exposed when they were in a group. 

"For too long we have depended on our native strength. There are weapons now that could do us serious bodily harm. Who knows what is coming next," he said and I agreed with him. 

With everything going on at home it was easy to miss what was going on in the rest of the world. With all the extra security, I felt like we were protected from whatever was happening. Other packs weren't as lucky.

The calls started as a trickle at first and then they became daily. At first it was mostly reports of rogue attacks. Later, it became thefts and break ins on pack property. None of it seemed to have any strategic link. The wolves just seemed bombarded from all sides. 

Those simple breaches of security didn't really concern the wolves too much. The rogue attacks were common, in their own way. It was just an upsurge. At first everyone just assumed the thefts were perpetrated by witches. That was bothersome, but not dangerous. Overall, they seemed to consider it a containable threat. 

The wolves didn't galvanize until later. A pack out west had a human business rival steal valuable trade secrets from deep within the den and their patience was at an end. Involving the humans was dangerous territory. 

"The pack doesn't know who took the information and whoever it is knows too much," Joel ranted to me. "Our secret is at stake, our very future is at stake."

It wasn't just that in danger, though. Our lives were at stake

As I watched Lucas slowly heal from his injury, I was positive the menace could get much worse. Lucas took weeks to improve, which was unusual for a wolf. I shuddered when I thought about what that spell could do. If it could be 'weaponized' it could tear the packs apart. Evidently I wasn't the only one to see promise in that evil design.

Joel got a call from an Alpha Samuel Devoe early one morning. The spell that had glanced off of Lucas had hit several of his highest ranking Betas directly and insignificant quantity. The wolves suffered hours of agony as their bodies were dissolved by the tonic. One wolf died when it destroyed his heart. 

"Those spells can kill a were wolf?" I asked Joel stunned. 

I didn't really realize much could kill us, besides another wolf. It was hard to process. 

"Removing the head from the body or destroying the brain can kill a wolf. Enough injury to the heart can also kill," Joel told me.

I paced inside our bedroom and Joel sat on the bed staring out over the forest. 

"Why would someone do that?" I asked Joel finally. 

"Rank," Joel said. "Samuel said his Betas were on a regular training run. One of them had circled around to try a blitz attack on his buddies, just for fun. He saw the witches as his friends rounded a sharp curve in the mountain trail. The spell poured down out of the trees and the witches shouted the incantation as they sped off on all terrain vehicles." 

"The only wolf left made a choice and followed the witches. He called in reinforcements and the pack's trackers caught up to the witches as they left Samuel's territory."

Joel started to pace as I sat down heavily, but he continued to talk. "The witches went straight back to a diner and met with some of Samuel's younger pack members. Money changed hands."

"When the wolves were questioned back at the den, Samuel forced it out of them. They didn't like their jobs, hated listened to the old guys always telling them what to do. They hired the witches to do away with the competition. They thought they would move up the pack's chain of command faster this way."

I sat in stunned silence for a moment. "What about the witches? Did anyone question them? Do you know how they made the spell?"

"Yes, Samuel's wolves caught up with them. If those witches knew the spell, they took it to their graves. They had bought it from someone else and had it shipped across the country."

Joel stopped pacing for a moment and the fury on his face was indescribable. 

"There is a website the witches told Samuel about. It is a dating website, do you know about those?" he asked me.

"I've heard of them," I admitted.

"If you type in the correct description of what you are looking for it sends back your perfect match, right?" he asked rhetorically. "This site, if you type a certain string of qualifiers it hooks you up with the seller of these potions."

"You can order 'the destroyer', 'the secret', or 'sleeping beauty'. The seller ships them to you overnight with a copy of the necessary incantation. The seller does note you need a real witch to activate 'the destroyer'. The other two will work if ingested." I thought about the spells we had seen, "These have all been used here?" I asked.

"Yes, you know the destroyer, that's what hit Lucas," Joel answered. "Sleeping beauty you saw with Anthony, causing unconsciousness, and the secret is what the rogues used to attack us. Used in combination they are deadly."

"Anyone has access to these spells?" I asked him shocked. 

No wonder the attacks had seemed so haphazard and disorganized. There was no central bad guy behind it all. The whole thing was just for profit. 

"Oh no, love, it gets worse. The seller promises there will be other products brought to market soon enough and to keep checking back," Joel said staring out the window. 

"Should we buy some and test it?" I asked.

"Yes, but I am loathe to do it," Joel said.

"Why?"

"We will be lining the pockets of whoever is doing this, funding their research into how to best kill and disarm us," he shot back. 

"We need to know, Joel. We can't be the last to have checked this out," I said stroking his arms. "I agree with you, but we have to do something. Is there any way to hack the site and find the seller?"

"Are you much a computer hacker, love?" he asked viciously turning to face me.

"You have an entire pack at your disposal. Some of them are damned sneaky, I bet you have a couple pretty good hackers right here," I said gesturing to the den.

"What is the proper way to invite them to go rogue? Perhaps I should give them the money to buy their way to a different life?" he said sarcastically. 

I stopped stroking his arms and watched his face. The stream of emotions I felt when I tapped into his mind was confusing. Anger, embarrassment, distrust, and fear were all there. None of these emotions I was used to getting from Joel. 

"Spill," I demanded. "What's going on?"

"Five of my pack members went rogue and I completely missed the signs. What if there are others out there? This pack is too large, there are too many to watch. What if given the right tools they decided to try it again," he said sounding defeated. 

"You told me once to trust my pack and I believe it was good advice. You knew those wolves were troubled, you had seen the signs. I'm sure we are both sorry for the way it played out, but you were not blind to it. You just didn't act on what you saw. If you saw those behaviors again, would you let it go?" I asked him.

"I would not ignore it like I did," Joel said sitting on the bed.

"Do you see behaviors that you find concerning in other pack members? The violence against their family, the anger, do you see any of it?" I pressed. 

Joel sat for a moment and thought about it, "No," he finally said. "Everyone seems to be clinging tightly together, not splintering apart. They seem closer than ever. No one wants to see harm come to the pack." 

"Who would be best to try to hack this system?" I asked quietly.

"There is a group that everyone teases for their love of electronics. I've heard they are quite good at getting where they are not supposed to on the computer," he said looking up.

He considered me for a moment and smiled. "I enjoy having someone I can talk to," he said breathing more normally. "It was just me for so long. I never felt I could open myself to anyone completely. I am afraid I have been considered too secretive by my pack. They just couldn't offer me solace and advice when I needed it."

"You are too secretive," I grinned at him. "You totally freaked me out when we first met." 

"Dealing with a human had certain disadvantages," he shrugged pulling me onto his lap. "At first, I was overwhelmed and you know what happened. Your smell was so tantalizing, I had to have a taste of you, but I scared you. I was not prepared for your fear and struggled with how to do it correctly after that. I did have plans, but then the rogues took you."

I kissed his lips and ran my hands through his hair. "You did a good job once you had me here," I mused. "What had you planned to do, if the rogues hadn't interfered?"

Joel grinned and answered, "I was going to try taking you out to dinner and dancing. My plan was for us to end up back here. I hoped to seduce you into my bed and then not let you leave until you swore you were mine."

"I don't dance," I told him seriously, "so I'm glad you didn't do that. The rest of it you did a good job of, although the not letting me leave part was seriously annoying."

"Let me make it up to you," Joel said stroking my back and laying me on the bed. 

"Oh no," I said bouncing up, "we have potions to buy and systems to hack. Get yourself up and let's find those hackers of yours."

We bought the potions on line and had them shipped, just like every other pack. I suggested we buy several orders of the spells, so we could test them and Joel agreed. I wondered out loud if we should buy enough to use ourselves as weapons.

"Absolutely not," Joel stated with finality, "we are doing this to find out where they are coming from and to stop them. This pack doesn't need that type of assistance to be strong."

The hackers got to work right away. They got into the on line dating system, but were shut down with a series of false names and addresses. That didn't deter them in the least. 

The computer guys were relentless and all the attention from the Alpha spurred them to work harder. Soon we had to take their computers away to get them to sleep or eat. They were determined to find out where the spells were coming from. 

Once the spells arrived they were taken directly to Sarah, the healer, for study. Joel told me Sarah's grandmother had been a witch. She had taught Sarah everything she could about spells. 

Joel wasn't willing to use his other witch contacts. After Ryana's death, neither of us thought it would be wise to involve her family or friends. Lucky for us, Sarah had listened closely to her grandmother's teaching. 

I spent a lot of time in the infirmary with Sarah. Thanks to my training I was considered a healer. Since Sarah was working on the spells full time, I took up her role. 

My wolf luxuriated in this position. I was necessary and providing a much needed service. The care I provided soothed my beast's need to provide for her pack. I felt better than I ever had inside the den. 

I continued to be grateful the wolf and I had come to some accord on the issue. My night time excursions would have not been tolerated right now. I spent long hours in the infirmary doing whatever was needed of me and it kept me calm. 

In addition to that benefit being in the infirmary full time allowed me to watch Sarah dissect the magic. A mini lab was erected in one end of the infirmary. I watched Sarah try to determine what was in the different potions. 

"Are you a witch, too?" I asked Sarah one afternoon while she worked.

"No, Madam Alpha, I am a wolf. The magic of the wolf and the magic of the witch cannot be interchanged. My grandmother was a witch that mated to a wolf and gave birth to my father, also a wolf. The witch's magic still runs in my line, though. My daughter, when she conceives, could give birth to a wolf or a witch," Sarah patiently explained. 

I pondered what she had said for several moments until an 'Ah-hah', brought me back to reality. 

"They have a source," Sarah said confidently standing up. "This spell was made from the body of a werewolf."

Sarah looked at me like I should be impressed. I was happy she had figured it out, but the explanation didn't make any sense to me. 

"That's great, Sarah," I said with fake enthusiasm. "I'll go get Joel and you two can discuss it."

"I apologize, Madam Alpha, I forget how new you are to this. Do you have any idea what a source is?" she asked sitting back down. 

"If you are sitting down again I assume it is something complicated," I answered watching her. 

"A source is an old concept. The witches say with the right amount of time and the influence of enough magic a wolf's body could be made to give up its secrets. They believed they could tap into the source of that werewolf's power," she explained.

"They have a wolf held captive?" I asked in horror. 

I couldn't imagine someone strong enough to trap a wolf.

"No, no," she shook her head, "a source must be willing, completely willing. The witches believe that any restraint on the wolf's part would destroy the spell. There can be no trickery or coercion involved when dealing with source magic."

"That is different," I said looking at the clear vials of magic in front of me.

That meant a wolf was part of all this, a willing part. 

"They literally make the spells from pieces of the wolf after the source has been prepared," she said standing up and pacing. "Something is wrong with this, though. My grandmother studied source magic. She said the physical spells should have limitless capacity. They should last as long as the person casting them wishes them to. These spells wear off after six to twelve hours. They don't even last the day."

"You sound upset by that, Sarah," I stated feeling uneasy suddenly. 

"No, Madam Alpha, I am not upset. I am confused. My grandmother studied this magic with the help of a willing participant, my grandfather. She was very concerned with the power generated by the magic. She told me of the infinite potential of source magic. These new spells have a definite shelf life, so to speak."

"Explain your worry to me," I said prompting her.

"What if they aren't using a willing participant? There is something that is limiting the capacity of this magic. It's the reason I didn't think it was source magic initially, it just wore off too fast. Now, though, I have proof," she said continuing to pace and watch the vials. 

"What proof do you have?" I asked.

"Look in the microscope," she pointed, "and tell me what you see."

I looked in the scope and saw a familiar looking shape floating in front of me. 

"Cells, maybe red blood cells, I can't tell from this magnification," I said looking closely and adjusting the dials.

"That is the spell called 'the secret'," she said. "If I pulled up 'the destroyer' you'd see flecks of bone. I'm fairly certain 'sleeping beauty' contains brain matter. One of the packs up north has a member that is a pathologist in the human world. If Alpha Latro agrees, I'll ask him to check out my suspicions."

"Wouldn't a wolf die if you took brain matter?" I asked looking at her. 

"Yes, if you took or destroyed the entire brain, but they are probably taking bits at a time. It would induce great suffering, but it would not kill that way." Sarah stood silently watching my reaction. 

"Could they just use a dead were wolf?" I asked. 

"If the wolf agreed beforehand, perhaps, but that's why we burn our dead. Part of it stems from our belief that burning releases the wolf's spirit to be reborn, part of it is protective. No one can use the ash."

"These are probably really basic questions, aren't they?" I asked feeling embarrassed. 

"Yes, but I understand you were not raised with this. Alpha Latro probably hasn't had time to teach you everything you need to know," she sighed. 

I sat and thought about everything she had told me. I was still confused, but it was making more sense. 

"You think the rogue packs had something to do with this?" I asked. 

"Possibly," she said starting to pace again. 

"Do you want me to call Joel?" 

She grimaced and looked around the quiet infirmary. 

"Ask him to summon the Council and politely request they meet us here. They will want to see proof of what I am claiming," she said. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 14



There was no more quiet in the infirmary once the Council got there. They were livid once they heard Sarah's thoughts. Source magic was considered almost taboo by the werewolves and I could understand why. The walls seemed to resonate with the threatening growling that kept erupting in the room. 

When Joel and I left the infirmary later that night his mood had hit an all time low. He was seething mad and frustrated. 

"Run with me?" I offered, hoping he would take me up on it. 

We hadn't passed anyone in the halls that hadn't backed away from my mate. Several smaller men had actually showed their human throats until Joel passed. I needed to help him clear his head. 

"No," he growled, "I would prefer to go to the gym."

I knew what that would mean. Hours in the infirmary patching up whoever was stupid enough to be his punching bag. Beating up his pack wasn't going to help him feel better, so I took a chance. 

As we passed the back of the den, I bounded outside and headed for the trees. My clothes were torn to shreds as I shifted mid stride into my animal form. I locked eyes on the forest and headed for a path that lead to a large open field. 

Joel's angry voice boomed into my mind, but I kept running. He wanted me to stop and come back. I needed to put space between him and his pack. I felt his shift as he took off after me. 

In a sprint, I could easily beat Joel, but he had more stamina than I did. I just had to move him as far away from the pack as I could before he overtook me. It was the best I could do for them. 

'Mate, it is not safe to be doing this. There is source magic that may be hidden in these woods. Stop and come back to the den,' he ordered.

'Catch me if you can,' I taunted and kept running.

Suddenly all the frustration of the day was directed at me and Joel barreled toward me. He was faster than I had anticipated and I bolted to stay ahead of him. We broke into the field and the terrain gave him the same advantage it gave me. I heard his angry pants just behind me.

I knew Joel would never hurt me, so I wanted to be the only outlet for his frustration. I'd be the safest target. Protecting the pack was a huge incentive to be quicker than him. I pushed both of us as fast as we could go, getting him as far away as possible. 

Luckily, the field we were in was enormous. It used to be a cow pasture for the pack; way back when their extraordinary appetites would have been noticed. Now it made an excellent straightaway. I could see the dark forest finally looming on the other side when a soft voice invaded my mind.

'Yield,' was all Joel said.

'No,' I shot back, continuing to run.

I felt that he wasn't behind me anymore and I turned to see him stopped in the field. 

'I yield to you, mate,' he panted. 

I shifted back to a human form and walked toward him. He sat in the grass and shifted back as well. 

"It's not safe to be out in the forest in this form," he said still breathing hard. 

"I prefer to talk this way," I said sitting in front of him, "and I ran though the woods as a wolf." 

"You don't understand how bad source magic can be," he said shaking his head. "I fear this is only the beginning. It attacks us at our very core, which is why we are affected by it. This could destroy us."

"Works on humans, too," I remarked.

"We are part human," he laughed humorlessly. 

"I'm surprised the humans haven't gotten wind of this yet," I commented.

"You were with Sarah when it came on the news," Joel told me. "A gang of drug dealers was found with the flesh melted from their bodies. It looked like money and drugs had been taken from them. The witches are using the spells to gain riches. They are risking the humans knowing about all of us."

We sat in the quiet grass and stared at each other for a moment. I knew what Joel was thinking, the witches only cared about money. If the humans figured it all out, they didn't really care. 

"We have to make it safe in the forest," I said remembering his prior commands about the woods not being protected. "The pack has to run."

"We have to increase patrols first and add some of that new technology to the woods. Right now anything inside the forest is not secure," he said. 

As we talked I patted the grass down around me. The light evening breeze kept blowing errant strands to brush against me. It was making me a little crazy.

Joel and I talked for a long time sitting there. Joel seemed to get his wits about him and relax somewhat. Eventually, we decided on a rough idea of the defenses we would need.

"You don't have to protect the pack from me," Joel finally said. "I may have aired my frustration with them, but I would never cause them permanent harm."

"I thought it would be better to work through your frustration this way, with me. Now you have a plan and you feel improved. I know it's not what you wanted, but this way just seemed better," I advised honestly.

The wind blew and the grass behind me tickled across my mid back. I arched toward Joel at the sensation. He raised an eyebrow and his interest started to rise. "There is another benefit," he said crawling toward me. "We are together, with no clothes in the way."

His lips were on mine a second later. Kneeling before me, Joel cradled my head and nibbled at my lower lip. As the kiss deepened, I moaned into his mouth. 

He pushed until I was flat on my back in the long grass. At least it didn't tickle this way. As he settled between my thighs I ran my hands across his back to his buttocks. Tilting my hips I ground against his now straining erection. 

Joel took most of his own weight on his arms. Beyond him I saw the light twinkling of stars in the slowly darkening sky. I felt pressed into the earth and surrounded by the sky beneath my mate; it was a heavenly feeling. 

"Is this why you tempted me out here, mate?" he asked nibbling at my neck.

"No, but it's not a side effect I mind," I answered exposing the full column of my throat to his searching lips.

"You are a tease, love," he panted in my ear. 

Grinning up at him I ran my hands over his back feeling the flexing muscle. "When have I teased you?" I asked confused.

"The beautiful white wolf always two steps ahead of me. Your scent washing over me with every breath I take. Running behind you is the most frustrating and rewarding thing I do all day," he whispered in my ear. 

"I'm caught now," I offered wrapping a leg around his hip. 

"Ah, and I plan on taking full advantage," he said pushing his hands up my arms until they were both above my head. 

Switching his grasp he held both my hands in his one.

"Hey," I said annoyed at being pinned, "what are you doing?"

Reaching out with his other hand Joel plucked a stiff strand of the grass from around us and smiled wickedly. 

"Are you ticklish, love?" he asked running the blade over the inside of my elbow. 

It felt good and felt awful at the same time. Tiny brushing strokes over the thin skin on the inside of my arm had me writing underneath him.

"YIELD!" I squealed. 

He ignored me and ran the grass closer and closer to my armpit. "Because I noticed," he said, "you seemed very adverse to having the grass touch you."

"Joel, I yielded. Yes, I'm ticklish," I panted trying to wiggle free. 

"Doesn't count now," he said.

"How is that fair? I stopped running when you said 'yield'. It's the polite thing to do," I argued breathlessly as the grass blade travelled down my side. 

I let out a peel of strained giggles and tried to buck Joel off. It wasn't working. He was too strong and thought my reaction was much too fun. He continued to slide his chosen device against my ribs, tracing each one. 

"How did I never know you were ticklish?" he marveled. 

Desperate to distract him from this form of entertainment, I moved my hips to stimulate his erection, which was still nestled between us. I wrapped both legs around him and pressed up. He wasn't even slightly distracted and instead used the blade to tickle right at my waist. 

I wailed. My skin was alight. It felt like there was nowhere he couldn't reach. The anticipation of waiting for the tiny fleeting whispers of sensation was maddening. He even switched hands, so he had access to my other side. 

"Do you know, love," he asked tickling one ear and then the other, "what's it's like to be the Alpha and have a wolf in your pack you can't catch?"

"I had a head start," I pleaded watching the slender piece of grass hovering over my neck, "and I'm the Alpha, too."

On my sensitive neck the sensation would unhinge me and Joel grinned playfully above me.

"I can catch every member of my pack in a foot race," he said punctuating each word with a light swipe down my neck. 

It tickled, it itched, and it absolutely had to stop. Once he'd drawn a line, the flesh felt tingly and prepped for more. I'd never escape him and he seemed determined to drive me to distraction. 

In desperation, I pressed myself against him. His chest and neck I covered in kisses. Between squeals I murmured affection and promised to let him catch me next time. I would have promised him anything to make him stop; he was making me crazy. 

Joel took mercy on me finally and lay the innocuous piece of plant down. 

"You are something to work for," he said into my ear, "a goal only just a little ahead of me. I enjoy having goals and I always get what I aim for."

Despite my absolute dislike of the game, being pressed to Joel had me wet and weeping for attention. It did not escape his notice. 

"You like to be tickled," he noted dragging his powerful tool down my soaking slit.

"No," I argued as he released my hands, "I like my mate."

Joel let my hands fall until they were on either side of my head and then he grabbed them again. 

"Tell me I'm right and I'll let you go," he crooned into my ear.

Staring up into his stormy eyes I tilted my hips so I slid against him. Up and down I moved on his length, never breaking contact with his eyes. Grunting Joel shifted to try to penetrate my flesh, but I wouldn't let him. 

"Need your hands for something, Alpha Latro?" I asked coyly. 

"Not when I could just lay here and do this," he said nibbling at his mark, "until you take care of it for me."

The scrape of his teeth across that strange sensitive scar sent lightening to my pussy. 

Damn him, damn his logic, damn that mark that drove me mad.

"I like it when you touch me Joel," I moaned as he grazed his mark with sharp canines. "I don't care what you touch me with, I love it. Now please, let my hands go and take me."

One hand, he released one hand and looked down into my eyes. 

"Aim me and impale yourself on my flesh," was the low command. 

He raised off me enough to let my arm wiggle between our bodies. I watched his face as he watched mine. 

"You're being controlling, aren't you Joel?" I asked, but still did what he asked.

Truthfully, I needed him as much as he needed me. Grasping his shaft I pumped it a couple of times before pressing him into the right spot

"You frustrate me, love, in more ways than one. I was just repaying the favor," he told me slipping is firm rod inside. 

I moved my free hand under his arm and around his back and he growled.

"Put it up by your head," he said lowering his lips back to his mark.

"Are you done with this, yet?" I moaned pressing my face into his salty skin. "Can't we just make love in this field like normal people?"

Joel laughed and pulled my hand back beside my ear. "You ignored a direct order from me, nobody does that," he said plunging in and out forcefully, "and we aren't people, we're werewolves."

Joel rode me hard pumping hard eventually leaving my arms free to move. I stroked his face and whispered how much I wanted him into his ears. Grunting his approval, Joel just thrust faster.

My hips moved restlessly against him. I sought to scratch that insatiable itch that Joel caused every time he was inside of me. When I finally found my release I screamed it to the heavens. 

When Joel found completion his shout sounded like a howl as he released above me. 

"I can't help it if I don't listen to you every command you give," I panted as he rolled off of me. "I'm just not that kind of person. I think we've already addressed that."

We lay in the grass for a moment letting the breeze cool our overheated bodies. 

"Hmph," he grunted rising and stretching, "think you can beat me when you don't have a head start?"

"I'd give you a head start," I told him thoughtfully, "but it won't help." 

Joel laughed at me as he shifted. Despite my statement I was done aggravating him and ran home beside him.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 15



Thanks again to mokkelke for help! Hope you all enjoy this chapter DW

*

It wasn't but a couple days later as Joel and I sat in a business meeting with the pack Council that a commotion started in the hall. The voices outside the door were loud and they sounded upset. I recognized the agitated voice from Joel's growing computer squad and rose from my chair to see what was going on.

Outside the door the kid was in a complete state of panic talking to the Betas watching the door. He was speaking so quickly I couldn't understand him at first. I wondered how much caffeine he'd had in the last twenty four hours. 

"Billy," I commanded, "speak slower and talk to me. What happened?"

"On the computer, we've been looking. You have to see what we found. There are more spells. Lots of places to buy. New spells. Some protect, some hurt. Come look now, please," he said bouncing up and down in front of me. 

I sent the message to Joel and the doors opened behind me. 

"Billy come in here and show us on the computer. Ryan," Joel said addressing the large Beta protecting the door, "go get Billy's friends."

"Chris and Kiki," Billy told Ryan still bouncing up and down.

Billy was a skinny kid with blonde hair that seemed to fall in his eyes no matter what he did. He was jumpy on a good day and today wasn't a good day. I put a hand on his shoulder to lead him into the room as the door shut behind us.

The boy was beyond nervous and being surrounded by the pack's elders seemed to making it worse. He typed a series clicks into the computer as Joel hooked the computer up to show on the room's projection screen. Billy was shaking with anticipation as the screen popped to life. 

The ad had us all staring in shock. It was directed to werewolves. 

'Werewolves, need protection from the new spells that are out there? Tired of having the skin melted off your pack? Invest now in these protection spells. Need only be drunk by your pack once a day. Each protection spell sold separately, buy today.' 

"We found it while we were looking for new spells," Billy said. "They are all over the place. Chris and Kiki found places where you can buy the original spells. We also found places you can buy different spells. The reviews on line for the other offensive spells are all that they don't work, though." 

"What other offensive spells?" Joel asked crossing his arms with a deep frown on his face. 

The aggressive stance spooked Billy and he backed nervously toward the door. 

Ryan came in with the other two kids about that time. He herded them all to the front of the room. They were so anxious it was starting to make me nervous.

Joel sighed and motioned them forward. He touched them on the arms and soothed them which seemed to work. I stroked the back of the kid closest to me and he relaxed into my hand. 

"Show me the other sites you have found," Joel said sounding calm. "I am not angry with you. You have all done a very good job. I am upset with what you have come across. None of you should be afraid of me."

What the kids had discovered was mind boggling. There were new offensive spells on the market, but the kids were right. Reviews rated those spells as not working like the first spells. The original offensive spells were advertised and sold multiple places. 

"Check out these message boards," Kiki said bumping Billy out of the way. 

She had found a place where a man would sell you the spells at a club across the state. The message board said it was safer for the buyer that way. You could test the spells before you left the club to verify they worked. He said he took all the risk out of buying bogus spells, by acting as a middleman. His prices were higher, though. 

The Council was angry and so was Joel. Every eye in the room was gold and glowing. The kids weren't nervous now, though. Joel had promised he wasn't angry, his word was law. They just kept pulling up the sites they had found. Several Council members started to pace as they watched the screen in agitation. 

It suddenly struck me we should be writing this down. I grinned looking over at my personal assistant. Emily was dutifully recording the information for future reference. 

"This is what really freaked us out," the kid named Billy said nervously. 

The advertisement was on another anonymous message board. 

"We think it is run for the benefit of rogue packs, but we don't know who is posting it," Chris said quietly. 

The boards gave hints on which packs to hit, who had the most unmated females, and even gave dates when the Alphas should be out of town. 

"That's last year's meeting schedule," one of the pack Council announced in a growl. 

"Is it valid anymore?" I asked quietly.

"No, Madam Alpha, it is not. That won't stop rogues from using those dates, though. We'll be prepared," the Council member said.

"Look here," Chris pointed pulling another ad, "this person is talking about how to use the spell they call 'the destroyer' more effectively. They say it can take out whole lines of advancing wolves."

All the kids shuddered visibly. The pack was watching Lucas's wound heal with trepidation. They had never seen anything like what happened to him. The wolves never healed that slowly.

We all read the ad closely and our horror grew. The system they were selling claimed to be very effective. A sensor tracked when the wolf passed by and the potion was released from above a set time later. It was all based on mathematics, so it claimed great accuracy. 

The promotion gave statistics on average wolf speed. According to the ad, a line of wolves moving at full speed could be coated with the potion and taken down by one witch chanting in under fifteen seconds. 

Like the good leader he was, Joel didn't let on to the kids he was nervous. He congratulated them and praised their work. After a short discussion it was determined which sites were the best to try to hack. When the kids left, I felt the resolve settling across the Council and my mate.

Joel got on the phone and called Nate ordering him to get the weapons in good working condition and the ammunition updated. Joel told him hand to hand combat was going to be limited in case of attack. The wolves would have to depend on methods of defense that did not require them to be in striking distance of their opponent.

The Council sat back down and Joel spoke, "We have a double threat we are currently facing. The witches are certainly a problem, but they are using our own weakness against us. The remains of the De Santos pack still linger around us. These rogue groups have been a constant reminder of bad times and we have not been proactive enough in stopping them. It is time to stop waiting for them to attack. Within my territory, I call for war on the rogue packs."

The Council howled its approval of that idea. 

"We must find and question anyone we can that is selling these spells. I am sure there is a salesperson out there with some knowledge of where this is coming from. This will be a two pronged battle. We must stop the spells and stop the rogues at once." 

Joel and the Council delineated a game plan. Several high ranking Council members were put in charge of the rogue operation and several were put in charge of the witch operation. Joel planned to coordinate between the two groups. 

Calls to the leaders of the other packs soon had them on board with the plan. The packs would stop the rogues, since they seemed to be the intended buyers of the spells. In addition, the wolves would try to track down the witches. The packs united against the threat. 

"It's going to be different," Joel warned me. "We have enjoyed a period of laxity and freedom, but it must end for a time. Things will be much stricter until this is over."

I'd never lived anywhere all that military, so this was new to me. The den was on an almost perpetual lock down. It ran like a regimented unit. No one came or went without checking in or out. Our every move was monitored for our own safety. No one else seemed bothered, but I found it strange. 

In addition to the change in lifestyle I learned more about weapons. While I was hardly a sharpshooter, I did have decent aim. Joel taught me to clean, carry, and use a semi automatic firearm with proficiency. Like me, most of the pack now went armed. 

"When we start to attack the rogue packs," Joel warned me, "there is the chance they will try offensive maneuvers here. Of course, some of them will hide, but others would try to take what we have by force."

"So be prepared for anything," I said gripping the firearm strapped to my side.

"Yes, love, be prepared for anything," he smiled. 

Joel went on of the raids, especially when they found large rogue packs. I never went. It soon became obvious my talents were for patching up the injured afterward. Every time I saw him walk unscathed into the den after a battle I always I breathed a sigh of relief. 

The threat was real and I could see the reason for Joel's concern. I was shocked at the damage done to the warriors in my pack during the raids. The rogues were violent and lethal. If they managed to get into the den they could do untold damage. 

Judging from the wounded, the battles with the rogues were intense. Sarah, Will, and I ran the pack's infirmary like a trauma unit. The three of us seemed to be working day and night. 

Luckily for us, most of the warriors weren't injured by the destroyer spell. The bites and slash wounds were hard enough to deal with. It amazed me some of the wolves made it back to us at all. 

To our horror, there were casualties due to the spells. The wolves that survived the spell took an eternity to heal and were in terrible amounts of pain the entire time. Even with all the human narcotics we could purchase, we barely managed to keep their lives bearable. It became a non stop, daily struggle.

Besides the wolves we cared for there was also a small cadre of human females handed over to us by the warriors. The rogue packs liked to kidnap and use human females to sate their sexual urges. The women we took in were near destroyed. 

The women were badly damaged, but the Latro pack took them all. The plan was to heal and eventually change all the women, if they would agree to it. If they didn't agree to change, death was their only other option. It was a harsh reality for women that had already suffered. 

They screamed and railed at us once they got healthy enough. They wanted to escape and go back to their former lives. They swore to me they would not go to the police or tell any one about us, but it was a moot issue. 

All of them were stuck in the den and more specifically the infirmary where they were housed. They were not permitted to contact their families and they were not going to go back. Joel kept them under constant watch and did not allow them to leave. 

The policy on handling humans was as old as the wolves' history. They would change or they would die. No one that knew about the pack was ever allowed to live outside of it. 

Joel struggled with the idea he would have to kill the kidnap victims to keep the pack's secret. He was a good man and the idea of slaughtering innocent bystanders disturbed him. It was my mission to see he didn't have to do that.

I spent hours with the women letting them know all werewolves weren't evil. I was glad for all the reading and studying I'd done on counseling. That was unfortunately turning out to be a very useful skill. 

All told it made for very long, agonizing days. I was glad for any moment Joel and I could spend together. Even eating breakfast alone in our suite was a treat anymore.

I hated to spend the time talking about our problems, but it was an ever present discussion.

"How long does this last?" I asked Joel as we sat and had a quiet morning meal in our sitting area. "Do you know how many more rogue packs there are?"

"We've almost cleaned out our territory," Joel told me. "We completely missed one small group living in the city. By the smell of it, that pack is keeping a single human female. Oddly, we didn't smell any blood or sex. We aren't sure what they are doing with her. There is a much larger group we just missed, but we were tracking them carefully." 

"How's about the salespeople? Are you all still finding people willing to sell you the spells?" I asked. 

With all my time dealing with the wounded, I felt a little behind on what was going on. It felt like I'd stepped into the role of trauma surgeon in the middle of war zone. I ate, slept, and did my job. I rarely had time to ask about the bigger picture. 

"That's been a problem," he said. "There aren't many left. The team has determined the spells our coming from our territory, though. I find that very troubling. It's as if we found just one more person, we'd know who was doing this."

A polite knock at the door indicated Emily was there. The girl entered looking sheepish.

"Good day, my Alphas," she said and bowed much too low. 

I groaned. That behavior usually meant she had bad news someone else wanted her to deliver. My mate was much gentler with Emily than he was with his Betas. 

Joel stretched back in his chair and watched her. 

"Let me guess, they lost the last two packs of rogues we've been looking for?" he asked.

"Yes, my Alpha, they can't find either of them. Both the large and the small groups have seemingly disappeared. In addition, they are having trouble finding anyone else to buy the spells from. The street market for it has dried up. With all the packs detaining and questioning the sellers and no rogues to do the buying, the profit has long since died," she said.

"Exactly how many of my Betas stopped you to give me messages?" he asked with a smile tugging at his mouth. 

Emily knew Joel by now and she knew his moods. She lightened up a little and looked at him thoughtfully. 

"Three of your burliest, nastiest Betas, my Alpha. They decided it would be safer to send me in rather than come themselves. I must be terrifying, don't you think, sir?" she said sounding cheeky. 

Joel roared with laughter and I had to laugh myself. Emily had a medium build and a sweet face. The Betas had been right, Joel would never give her the reception they would have gotten with that news. 

"Wimps," he chuckled. 

I was glad to see my mate in something other than a foul mood and climbed onto his lap to straddle his waist. With everything going on we'd barely had time together. Since he wasn't pacing or yelling, I took a moment to rub over his front and mark myself. 

"Are you feeling ignored, mate?" he asked me as I rubbed on him. 

"I miss you is all," I sighed. 

I missed everything we used to do. We barely even had time to run in the woods at night together. He was busy trying to keep the pack safe and I was busy caring for the injured. 

Joel bounced up and I ended up thrown over his shoulder. I wiggled to free myself, but he just held me tighter. 

"You didn't sleep well last night, mate," he told me.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You need more time in bed. Emily," he called as he closed the bedroom doors, "put off our schedules for a few hours, would you? The Alphas are indisposed for the time being. Tell my Betas I was fuming that they didn't have the sense to face me. Tell them how nearly out of control I became and my mate is trying to deal with me. That's an order!"

I could hear him grinning. He thought this was too much fun. 

"They are going to be cowering in the hall when we get done!" I said trying to escape from him. "And how do you plan to explain to them why you smell like sex? Or are you just going to laugh at them?!"

Joel tossed me on the bed and watched me right myself. "You used sex to tame my savage beast," he said stripping off his shirt. "You relaxed me by taking my mind off everything here."

"How do you want to be relaxed?" I asked him sitting on my knees on the bed.

"Anything you want, love, just so long as it involves the two of us," he said pulling at his belt.

I reached out and stopped him. Running my hands over the planes of his stomach and chest, I felt his sharp intake of breath. It had been far too long since we had taken an intimate moment. I wanted this to last. 

Kneeling on the bed I appraised the gorgeous man in front of me. I slowly licked at his chest and made my way up to his neck. His hands rested at my waist, but they didn't wander. He seemed content to let me control the pace this time. I planned to take full advantage of him.

Joel is not a submissive creature, so he never bared his throat to anyone. It surprised me as I sucked lightly on the rough stubble that he allowed his head to fall back. My beast surged forward in my mind. I licked and sucked at the skin of his neck until I heard him groan my name. 

"Lay down on the bed," I growled running my hands down his body.

Joel complied without a word and lay across our bed spreading his arms wide. I crawled over him as he bared his throat to me again and closed his eyes. Leaning down I panted warm breath into his ear. The submissive positioning was making me wild, he'd never been that way with me. 

I coated every inch of his face and neck with kisses and licks. Joel didn't move a muscle. I straddled him and ground down over him. He moaned and started to bring his arms up to grab me. 

"No," I whispered in his ear, "you can't touch, yet. Just lay still for me."

His arms flopped back on the bed and I grinned. 

Looking down I saw my mark sitting proudly beside his neck. Bringing my teeth down, I bit lightly at the scar. Joel's whole body shuddered beneath me. 

There was no way I could hold Joel down for real, he was much too strong. This morning he didn't seem to mind being dominated, though. I grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the bed. With him 'secure' I bit down hard on my mark. 

Joel's body writhed beneath me and his hips pressed hard into mine. He let loose a string of curse words. I released his skin and he continued to rub his throbbing manhood against my center. 

"Elizabeth, I need you now," he said hoarsely 

"Not yet," I whispered in his ear, "I want to explore you first."

He groaned and smiled, opening passion laden eyes to watch me. 

"You'll be the death of me before noon time," he said continuing to subtly grind his hips in small circles.

Our outfits were a nuisance to me. My clothes were removed in between kisses and bites. I pulled his remaining attire from his body and licked at his shaft once I freed it. With our clothes gone I coated my skin with his scent. 

Eventually, I was satisfied with his front so I rolled him on the bed. I tasted his entire back and over the firm globes of his ass. I ran my mouth down his muscled hamstrings and across his powerful lower legs. I pulled myself back up his body to cover his back with my front. 

"Love," he said, "I can't take much more of this."

"Why?" I asked him, sucking hard on my mark. 

Before I could blink he had me maneuvered in front of him on my knees. He plunged inside of me before he answered.

"I will not spend myself on the bed, love," he said pulling out and moving back inside. "If you had kept stimulating your mark, we may not have been able to enjoy this."

He rode me hard. The short strokes were driving me to distraction and I didn't notice I'd grown claws. The fabric tore beneath me as I gripped the sheets for balance.

"Naughty, love, very naughty," Joel scolded pulling out and flipping me onto my back.

My wolf was salivating in my mind. I wanted to shift and feel him locked inside of me. With that idea in mind, I rolled off the bed and onto the floor. My claws would do less damage down here and I knew I'd see them again soon. 

Joel lunged after me and we struggled for a moment in play. The hybrid form of me emerged and Joel followed suit. We tussled, each seeking to subdue the other, but it was a draw. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 15



I wanted to be in the forest, so I bolted for the balcony doors. Joel had me pinned to the wall before I made it. My chest was crushed against the wall. Joel held my claws immobile on either side of me. I struggled still wanting to get out the door, but Joel brought his jaws down around the scruff at my neck.

'No, mate,' he ordered, 'we stay inside this morning. If we go out there, someone will find something we should be doing.'

I agreed with him, but still fought back on principal. I tested his bonds and found no give. Joel's control always turned my wolf to a quivering pile, today was no different. I melted against the wall and pressed my buttocks into Joel's straining erection. 

The wolf wanted Joel, but she wanted him in the woods. I felt her sink back into my mind, opting to let the humans play if we were going to be inside. I knew there would be satisfaction from this encounter, even if I didn't get everything I wanted. 

Joel turned me and held my hands immobile above my head. 

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he demanded. 

I did as he asked and he slipped into me with a push. Once he released my hands I wrapped my arms around him and held on. Joel's big hands went down to grasp my buttocks. He practically pounded me into the wall.

Leaning over me, Joel put his teeth over his mark. The stimulation made my body twitch and I moaned. When he ground his teeth there I could feel him stimulating me everywhere. 

My body clenched around Joel and I screamed my release. Joel followed quickly, letting loose a feral roar of triumph. Sated, Joel walked us back to the bed and lay me down. 

"I wanted to stay locked to you," I told him as he crawled onto the bed beside me.

Joel's eyes were gold as he answered, "That was only round one, love."

We spent the morning in our bedroom. I'd say on the bed, but we were on the floor just as often. Joel had evidently been missing me just as I'd been missing him. 

I snuggled into Joel's front and pulled a stray pillow under his head many hours later. 

"I would love to spend the day with you, like this," I lamented and rose going toward my closet. "However, Sarah deserves a break downstairs. Will you let me know what you find out about the last packs of rogues?"

Joel was in my face a moment later. "I don't wish to be separated from you today. While your dedication to our pack's health is admirable, you are still an Alpha. I want you to accompany me today and take your place beside me. Sarah and Will can handle the infirmary without you." 

"Joel," I sighed, "I'm worthless in meetings. I don't have much to contribute. You know I feel better when I'm doing something productive."

"You are my mate. I want you to come with me today," he replied crossing his arms.

Joel had on the Alpha face, but I could feel the slight insecurity coming from him. It was sweet that he thought I could deny his pull. 

"We're going to make everyone jealous all day smelling like we do, you know that, right?" I asked playfully. 

Joel relaxed his stance and smiled as he gestured toward my closet. 

I sat with Joel through a series of meetings discussing the dealer problem. The new problem was actually the lack of street dealers. It was a dead end. 

The street dealers, when questioned or paid, often gave up information. Joel was sure at least one of them would know who had the source. The witches were disjointed in some ways and tightly knit in others. The wolves were sure there was someone out there with the information they needed. 

"Back when there were rogue packs," Anthony said, "we started to notice the dealers scatter when we got close. I'm afraid there are still dealers out there; they are just hiding from us. They seemed to know the difference between human and wolf or pack from rogue." 

I snorted involuntarily and everyone in the room looked at me. 

"You don't look human," I shrugged, "and your security team looks like security."

Anthony and the rest of the warriors were built and carried themselves with a military stance. Even the women that were part of the security team moved with the grace and confidence of trained killers. It would be difficult to not think they were involved in some sort of law enforcement. 

I saw a couple guys shrug and Anthony cocked an eyebrow at me. "Who should we send, Madam Alpha? Who is strong enough to go that doesn't look like security? What is your solution?" It was a question, but it was also a challenge. 

A loud growl erupted beside me and Joel started to get up. I knew where that would lead. I didn't want Anthony sent down to the infirmary just because he had a big mouth. 

"Lucas," I blurted out and all action stopped as they looked at me. "He's nervous as hell and strong enough to be one of you. Next time you find a seller, consider sending in Lucas."

"It might work," Joel mused, "but he is unsure in human society."

I was glad to see Joel take his seat again. 

"Send me with him," I offered, "they would probably not expect a pack to send a female. You have to admit, I'm fast enough to get out of the way of trouble and I do know how to act around humans. I could help guide Lucas."

"You are just dying to be part of the action," Joel grinned and the room rumbled in agreement. 

"We could watch the Madam Alpha with surveillance equipment," a woman beside Anthony offered.

"They would never think Lucas was pack," Anthony said under his breath.

Everyone watched Joel carefully. I was also curious if he would let me participate. My good manners told me not to argue with him here if he said no. However, now that it was out, I really wanted to help outside the infirmary.

"Show me the surveillance equipment and I'd want her outfitted for safety," Joel said watching me.

There was a murmur through the room, most of it sounded like disbelief.

"Am I to understand, Alpha Latro, that if we find another seller, we send in your mate and Lucas to do the initial contact?" Nate asked cautiously.

Joel laughed before he answered. "What would you prefer, Nate? Send her with all the safety I can provide or have her do it on her own?"

My mouth opened to argue with him, but I closed it and nodded. I'd never planned to do any of the crazy things that I'd done. This would probably be the same way. 

The next week passed without incident. I split my time between helping Joel run the pack and helping Sarah run the infirmary. Otherwise, life finally seemed to calm down some. 

I'd almost forgotten I was supposed to be going out to talk to the dealers until Nate approached us one morning. 

"We found a dealer, Alpha Latro," he told Joel watching me. "We learned someone is selling the potions from a club in town."

"Are you ready to go buy us some spells, love?" Joel asked me. 

I felt my wolf surface to meet the challenge. I was most certainly ready for this. 

I was briefed on our assignment. We had to go to a specific address and ask to speak to Cindy. That was the name of the salesperson. We had to pay her in cash up front. 

Later that evening I was outfitted to go. Both Lucas and I would be wearing a wire that transmitted sound and visuals back to the security team. I was also put in a bullet proof vest under my clothes. Joel made sure I was also outfitted with weapons.

"If this goes bad, use the hand gun. Stay out of the range of that damned poison. Can you do that, Elizabeth?" he asked seriously. 

"I've seen what the potions can do first hand," I told him. "I don't need to actually experience them."

Nate and Anthony watched Lucas and I get ready uneasily. My hearing was excellent and I'd heard them talking. I knew they thought Lucas was unpredictable and I was uncontrollable. 

Nate explained carefully what we would be doing.

"We need you to make contact with the salesperson. All you have to do is purchase the spells. The money we are giving you is marked, so we can follow them once they leave," he said. "We'll take them down when it is safe to do so."

"Are we going to put a bug on the seller?" I asked. 

If we wanted to know what the seller knew, a listening device might be a good idea.

"We've done that before," Anthony interjected. "We'd like it if you could, but we don't want to push our luck."

"Show us how to do it and send us with one. If we get the chance we'll take it," I offered. 

"If you can't, we can always question the seller once we take them in. The main thing is to make contact," Nate assured me. 

Lucas had been quiet as we got ready, but he finally spoke, "I'll place the listening device if I get the chance. The Madam Alpha should not be expected to be that close to the seller."

The men agreed and taught Lucas how to discreetly place the little item. It was tiny, you wouldn't notice it unless you looked for it. 

Lucas and I loaded up into a beat up old pick up truck. I was surprised, because I got to drive. The rest of the team, my mate included, followed us in a series of vehicles. 

"Thank you, Madam Alpha," Lucas said as we drove.

"For what?" I asked.

"I was told you nominated me for this assignment. You honor me by allowing me to help. I have been waiting for something important to do since I was injured," he said.

"No problem, Lucas," I grinned, "just be yourself and we'll get what we need."

I used the directions Joel had given me and pulled the pickup into the lot of the seediest strip joint in town. I'd never been to this place before, but I knew about it. Several young women I had treated at the clinic picked up johns here. I thought it best to warn Lucas.

"Do you know what a strip club is Lucas?" I asked.

"No, Madam Alpha," he said scanning the dimly lit parking lot and low dingy building. 

"It's a place where human women dance in little to no clothing. They are supposed to just dance, but in some places the women have sex with men for money. This place is like that. The women in here will approach you to see if you want to see them dance or have sex," I told him. 

"What should I say?" he asked.

"I'm guessing Cindy may be a dancer. Tell them you want a dance from her. We'll see where that gets us," I answered.

I'd forgotten about the wires Lucas and I were wearing. I heard Joel's sultry voice invade my mind.

'How exactly do you know about these types of clubs?' he asked.

'I didn't grow up under a rock or in a were wolf den, that's how. Now quit pestering, I have a job to do,' I shot back grinning. 

Lucas and I made our way to the entrance to the club and Lucas did exactly what we needed him to do. He hunched his shoulders and his eyes darted back and forth. I copied him as he nervously clenched and unclenched his hands. 

At the door to the club a bouncer stopped us and asked for cash from Lucas. I got in free. Handing the man several bills, Lucas couldn't have looked more suspicious if he tried. Everything he did made him look like he was ready to run. 

"So, you looking for something special tonight, buddy?" the bouncer asked while counting the crumpled one dollar bills Lucas had handed him. 

"Cindy," Lucas grunted and shoved his hands in the pocket of his jacket. 

"She's here tonight," the bouncer said, "school girl costume. Sit right next to the stage and she'll approach you."

Lucas and I made our way into the club. The air reeked of stale smoke and I saw Lucas cough lightly. The entrance hallway was not well lit, but with my new senses I could see just fine. Considering how dingy it was I kind of wished I couldn't see all the dirt and grime. This place was gross. 

I led us up to a tiny table at the edge of stage. A busty woman with a see through outfit approached us and asked for a drink order. 

"Whiskey straight," Lucas grunted out and I asked for the same thing.

Our whiskey was delivered and Lucas took his in one large gulp. I sipped at mine and watched the people around us.

The lights dimmed so the stage was lit up and a booming loudspeaker announced Cindy was about to start. I watched as Cindy strutted out dressed in the naughty school girl outfit. 

Cindy looked young, which is why I guess they choose that outfit for her. She had honey brown hair pulled up in cute pig tails on either side of her head. Her pretty face was caked with enough make up to add a couple years to her features. Perky breasts jutted from the tight white top. She was tall, with long legs beneath the short skirt. Overall, she put off an air of innocent sexuality.

I knew werewolves didn't go to strip joints. Glancing at Lucas I couldn't see why not, he looked like he was enthralled. Evidently, they should go more often. 

A couple guys tossed money on the stage and as Cindy stripped she dipped to pick it up. Suddenly she was in front of us and Lucas threw a twenty down. Cindy grinned and spent a long time grinding in front of Lucas. She left and he threw another twenty down. Cindy spent most of her stage time picking up Lucas' cash. It seemed to irritate the other patrons. 

When Cindy disappeared a man approached us from the side. He looked greasy and smelled worse.

"You got some nerve man," he said towering over Lucas. "You can't horde them when they are on stage." 

I had a moment of panic that Lucas would do something stupid. My companion just laughed at the guy and stood up. 

Lucas is normal looking, compared to the werewolves I was accustomed to living with. Out here in the human world, he's a towering giant. The man got the hint and backed away, apologizing. 

When Lucas sat down he looked seriously at me. 

"I won't ever let her be hurt," he said quietly leaning over our table. "She will not spend time with men like that ever again."

It took a minute to process what he was talking about. 

"Lucas, do you mean Cindy?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, she is mine. I will protect her," he said nodding. 

There wasn't time to talk to him before Cindy came out from the back and headed toward us. She walked up to our table and plopped down on Lucas's lap. I could hear her despite the ambient noise as she whispered in his ear. 

Cindy thanked him for the money and asked what he wanted to buy. 

"Spells," Lucas choked out watching her. 

"I do my business in the private booths," she whispered standing and pulling him behind her. 

'Joel,' I called out, 'Lucas is in love with this girl or something. What do I do?'

'We heard,' Joel said, 'I'm not sure what she's done to him. We'll get it figured out, just be careful in there. Don't drink any more of your drink and bring us Lucas' glass if you can. This may be some new spell we're unaware of.'

I sat in my chair and casually put Lucas' glass into my purse. Several girls offered to dance for me and I politely declined. Several men asked me how much I charged and I had to tell them I was taken. There was nothing to do but wait for Lucas.

I was getting antsy by the time Lucas finally returned, he looked crestfallen.

"She won't come with me," he mourned. "She says she has to go back to her brothers."

I stood up wrapped him in my arms to pull him close. I couldn't sense any spells on him. He didn't smell like he'd ingested anything other than whiskey. 

"Did you get the spells?" I asked in a whisper.

"Yes, Madam, but she won't come with me. She says I'm nice, but she has responsibilities. I placed the device. We have to follow her," he said sounding heartbroken. 

Lucas and I made our way out of the club. Once we were in the van, Lucas started to talk to Joel via the wire. He begged my mate to let him keep the girl. She was his mate, he was sure, he could feel it. 

"I beg you not to hurt her," he said, "I will suffer as she suffers. Please, do not destroy my mate. I know you heard her. She said the money is to help feed her brothers. She doesn't want to sell the potions."

I pulled the truck into an alley and Lucas bounded for the van farther down housing Joel. By the time I reached them, Lucas was on his knees begging my mate. My heart ached for the big man, he had endured so much already. When he turned and started to beg me, my heart broke and I spoke without thinking.

"If she is really your mate, then we will not hurt her, Lucas," I promised. 

Lucas cried and kissed my feet. They had to drag him inside the van where they were monitoring Cindy's listening device. The way he was acting was much too obvious. 

Joel stood in the alley with me and he had a strange look on his face. I'd screwed up again, I just knew it. I did not have the restraint necessary for this position. My old life was all split second decisions and I was a creature of habit. I couldn't decipher Joel's look. 

'Thank you,' Joel sent into my head interrupting my internal monologue. 'If that girl is his mate, we will protect her. If she is not, we will have to convince poor Lucas of that. In the meantime, you have stopped him from potentially going rogue and having to be stopped.' 

'You think he'd go rogue over a stripper?' I asked incredulous.

Joel hugged me as he answered, 'I think he'd go rogue over his mate. Your decision to offer her protection, for now, gives us time. That was quite an ingenious way to word it. We are only held to protect her, if he continues to think she is a mate. If this is trickery, we will have time to see if it wears off.'

'I must be missing the significance of something,' I thought to him.

'Our word is our bond. I have always been true to my word and my pack expects nothing less from you,' Joel said pulling me into the van.

"I'd ask if you want to go back home, but I doubt you'd leave," Joel said settling down in the van.

"Sorry, buddy, you're stuck with me. I want to see how this plays out," I shrugged sitting next to him.

Listening to a stripper do her job was depressing. She said everything a man wanted to hear in that fake sugary voice. I was thrilled when her shift ended. 

After changing, the girl went and did some late night shopping. By the sound of it she spent a good bit of the money we had given her on meat. We continued to follow her and she went to a trailer park a couple miles away. 

We parked the van around a curve and watched her go into a small rental trailer. It sounded like she was cooking dinner. A truck dropped off several men in front of the trailer and I gasped.

"Those are wolves!" I exclaimed and Joel clamped a hand over my mouth. 

'With a wolf's sense of hearing, those are rogues,' he pushed into my mind. 

'Do they usually live in trailer parks with human females?' I asked. 

I had assumed the rogues liked places away from humans. Usually the human females they found were half dead or out of their minds. This situation did not add up.

'No,' Joel said, 'this is an unusual place to try and live.' 

The men went into the trailer, after taking their work boots off outside first. By the sounds coming from the listening device they were glad Cindy had bought dinner. They also called her June, apparently Cindy was a stage name. 

The rogues talked to June about their day as she finished cooking for them. They called her sister and talked like a normal regular family. I started to feel bad thinking we would destroy them. 

"We've never seen rogues act like this or live with a human that wasn't abused," Anthony whispered to Joel.

Joel nodded and continued to listen to the wire.

"Exactly how were you able to afford this much meat?" one of the rogues asked June as they ate.

"It was a good night at the club, Joseph. I am good at what I do," she replied.

"What did you sell?" he asked. "We've talked about those potions. The packs are looking for people selling those. They'll hurt you if they catch you, June. Packs don't care about human life, you know that. They'd kill you as soon as look at you."

The packs didn't kill humans. It wasn't clear to me who this guy was talking about. I looked over at Joel, but his countenance was stone. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 15



"It was just a little marijuana, Joseph, I promise. I don't sell those potions anymore," June lied. 

"Selling drugs will get you in trouble, too," another male voice intoned. "Human police would take you away from us. We'd have trouble getting you out. We've got to stick together. This family is all we have. Please, stop selling that stuff."

"Well, I'm not strong like you. I can't go work construction. There are only so many jobs I can get that pay cash under the table," she huffed. "I want to earn my keep, too." 

"Speaking of," one of the males said, "there's a guy promised us one hundred cash each to come and work the graveyard shift for him on the new road construction. We took the offer. It'll make a long day, but we need the money."

"You just got home," June said plaintively, "and you look exhausted. Can't you just not go tonight. I'll work an extra couple of shifts at the club and make up for it."

"Sorry, sis," another voice said, "it's hard to find work with the packs cracking down. We'll be home by dawn. Just lock the door and be safe, okay? Don't let anyone in."

"Well, how are you planning to get there?" she asked. "Do you need the car keys?"

"No, we'll leave you the car. We'll run. It's a straight shot through the field and up highway fifty-one."

The mood in the van was tense waiting for Joel's command. The conversation between the rogues and the girl was strange. This didn't sound typical for the way rogues treated female humans. I felt like we were about to be the monsters in this story.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 16



Thanks to all who left feedback or voted. I'm ridiculous about checking it. Please enjoy this next installment. DW

*

"Take down the rogues when they reach fifty-one," Joel commanded into a radio and then he paused. "The rogues are not to be hurt. Capture and subdue them, bring them back to the den alive and unharmed. I wish to speak with them."

I heard Lucas breath with relief.

"Thank you, my Alpha," Lucas whispered, "my mate loves her family. She would never forgive us if they were hurt."

'Why the change in how you treat the rogues?' I asked Joel through our bond.

'I feel there is something different here. There is history to werewolves I have only partially shared with you. This doesn't seem to be a dangerous pack of rogues. They may have escaped from Alpha DeSantos during his madness. If that is so, I would like such survivors in my pack,' Joel sent back to me. 

We waited in the van and watched the rogues head off a few minutes later. We sat quietly in the van, but Lucas was itching to go get June. Joel ordered him to let Anthony handle that task and then something metal hit the outside of the van. 

"Are you the FBI?" an elderly female voice screeched from outside.

Lights went on all over the trailer park and the woman continued to scream that the FBI was invading. Joel cursed and Anthony bolted toward June's door. Our organized plan was suddenly a mess. 

When we left the trailer park about twenty minutes later, it was without June. Anthony had broken into the trailer, but the girl was gone. He found an empty vial that smelled like 'the secret' and an open window in the back. 

The trailer was clean and well kept, according to Anthony. There were two small bedrooms. One seemed to be used by the males and the female slept alone. This was very unlike any rogue pack they had encountered.

Back in the van we heard over Anthony's police radio that a car had just been stolen one street over. The assumption was that June had taken it and gotten away. Joel didn't want to have to deal with human law enforcement, so we made ourselves scarce before they could show up. 

Lucas was distraught. He babbled incoherently about losing his mate. I shushed and tried to comfort him, but he was inconsolable.

A call came in as we made our way back to the den. The rogues were apprehended and were being transported. That part of the night had gone without incident.

Once we made it home I was greeted by my assistant, Emily, who took up her usual place beside me with a notepad and her PDA. I'm not entirely sure what she planned to take notes on, but she usually found something. 

I gave Lucas' glass from the club discreetly to Nate. He would take it to the healer. If June had been controlling Lucas with magic we would know soon. 

Joel, Emily, and I walked quickly into the den to talk to the rogues. I was curious to get a good look at them. Joel was interested to talk to them. 

Joel's belief they may be innocent was reinforced by several Council members that met us at the door. They had seen the rogues brought in and thought they knew who they were. 

The four young men resembled a group of four boys that were listed as missing from the De Santos pack. One of the boys was a spitting image of his father, the Council members told Joel. They were most certainly survivors of the De Santos tragedy. 

"I knew that boy's family," the Council member told Joel, "they were massacred by Alpha De Santos. They were good wolves, loyal to the end. If that boy is anything like his father, he's worth keeping."

We walked into a meeting room on the first floor. All the furniture had been pushed against the walls. The four young men were still struggling with their captors and looking wildly around the room. Everyone was nude, so I assumed they must have switched forms several times during the capture. 

"Good evening, gentlemen," Joel said calmly, "I am Alpha Joel Latro and this is my mate," before he could continue he was interrupted by Emily.

"Hi," she said focusing on a lanky kid at one end, "my name is Emily."

"I'm Brett," he told her with a goofy grin. "You're really pretty."

"Dude, shut up," the older guy in the middle said harshly looking over at his friend.

"No, she's okay," Brett told his companion, "I can feel it."

I stood shocked watching this odd display. Emily never forgot her place and right now she was oblivious she had interrupted the Alpha. 

"My Alphas," Emily addressed us while inching toward the boy, "I can keep him in my room. He's my mate, my real mate. May I keep him, please?" she begged. 

I grabbed Emily to keep her from going farther toward him. Looking at Joel he was deep in thought. 

I pushed into Joel's mind and saw his internal debate. These kids ran from a horrible tragedy, he didn't want to hurt them in the first place. The fact that one of them was destined to be mated to his pack member made him want to harm them even less. Joel didn't want to risk danger to the pack by allowing in unpredictable renegades, though. 

"Emily," I said softly, "please remember protocol. We don't know these boys. Apologize for interrupting your Alpha."

"I'm sorry, Alpha Latro," Emily said, "please don't hurt him. You have to understand, I need him. Please, let me keep him."

Joel ran a hand through his hair and addressed me through our bond. 

'We should not hurt a pack member's pre determined mate. If these boys are who I think they are, I'm letting them stay as full members. We've got the cameras in the den now. We could literally watch everything they did. Do you agree with me?' he asked. 

'I don't sense these are dangerous renegades. If you say they should stay, I agree with you,' I sent back to him. 

"Where are you from?" he asked the four boys.

When no one answered he crossed his arms and stared at them. Joel glanced back at Emily and an evil smile lit his face. 

"Emily, ask Brett where he is from," he ordered her. 

Nobody could resist talking to their mate. Joel was really playing dirty. 

She repeated the question and the boy told her they were from the De Santos pack. 

"Did you run from fear or when we cleaned out the De Santos den?" Joel asked.

"What the hell do you care?" the boy from the middle spat out. "We are half bloods, kill us now and get it over with." 

Joel sighed, "You are not half bloods, there is no such thing. Alpha De Santos made a horrible mistake. A changed wolf is a wolf. There is no weakness in you just because you were changed or the child of someone who was changed."

I was confused. From what I'd heard so far it sounded like the Alpha had turned on his pack. Still, this talk about half bloods didn't make any sense to me. 

"My mate was changed in the winter," Joel said gesturing to me. "No one believes the ridiculous ideology that the Alpha De Santos started espousing after his daughter disappeared. There is no difference in being born this way or being changed."

The boys stared at me with disbelief. 

"She is a doctor in the human world," Emily said directing her comment to Brett.

Despite my firm grip on her arm Emily was desperately trying to get closer to Brett. The Beta holding the object of her affection seemed to be having the same problem. They were like two ends of a magnet. 

"June got sick in t-t-the fall," the kid on the other end stuttered quietly, "remember t-t-that poor clinic we went t-t-to in the city. Isn't that t-t-the doctor who treated her? She wasn't a wolf t-t-then." 

"We tried to help her by licking out the sickness from her nose, but it didn't work," Brett told Emily and I cringed. 

"Just go to the clinic next time. My God, that's nasty," I said reflexively and shuddered.

"You think that's nasty?" the boy in the middle asked incredulously. 

"Yes, disgusting," I answered honestly, "I know you were just trying to help, but just go to a clinic next time." 

Everyone was staring at me. I looked at Joel and he was grinning. 

"Cleaning an infected area is not nasty, love." 

"Putting your tongue in someone's nose is filthy. I don't even see how that would help. Can we please stop talking about this? I feel like I'm going to throw up," I begged Joel. 

"You don't lick the wounds when you are healing in the infirmary?" Joel pushed. 

"That is different. I have never stuck my tongue into someone's nose," I answered putting a hand over my stomach. 

I hated nose picking and this was about the most severe case I'd ever heard of. Just the thought of it made my skin crawl. 

"She really wasn't born a wolf was she, sir?" the boy in the middle asked Joel with awe in his voice. 

"No, she wasn't," Joel answered and motioned to the Betas to let the boys go. "We didn't know what Alpha De Santos was doing until it was too late. We were able to step in and stop him finally. I'm sorry for what you've gone through. None of it was right and it should not have happened."

"We thought everyone would hate us," the boy in the middle said. "Our families were all friends. They met one night and decided it wasn't safe anymore. Our parents told us to stay together and to get away. They said that someone would pick us up, but no one ever came. We've stayed together as a pack and found a way to live on our own. I heard later all our families had been killed. We've been hiding ever since." 

"You deserve a pack. I would venture you need a pack," Joel astutely surmised.

The boy in the middle held Joel's gaze a moment before looking at the floor. "Yes, sir, it's been hard for us."

"What was left of your pack was given mostly to Alpha Sebastian Germain," Joel said, "but I am claiming you four as mine."

"You'd claim us?" the boy in the middle said sounding shocked.

"I will claim you as my pack members and protect all of you to the best of my ability. You have my word on that. You will not be intentionally harmed or treated with disrespect due to you lineage. All of your family will be safe here," Joel said solemnly.

"What if i-t-t-t's just a lie," the kid on the far end said quietly. 

He had blonde hair and sunken eyes. His skittish look told me everything I needed to know about his state of mind. The boy reminded me of Lucas.

"Kid," the large Beta behind him said, "the Alpha doesn't go back on his word, ever. If he says it's that way, then that's how it is."

"I bet you want something, t-t-though," the kid said watching the carpet under his feet.

Joel moved in front of the boy and nodded. "I do want something. I want to talk to the female that travels with you. You have my word I won't hurt her, but I want to know where she is getting the spells."

"Damn it," the kid in the middle cursed, "we told her to stop that, sir. Please forgive her. She's a human orphan. She found us and we've just stuck together. We've lived as a family for almost ten years now. She started selling those things and we told her to stop. I thought she had. She hated to see us go hungry, though."

"We don't want to harm her," Joel said, "I would like to question her, though. Can you tell us where she went? We were watching your trailer. One of your neighbors alerted her we were nearby and she ran." 

"No, sir, I don't know where she went," the boy said shaking his head.

"Keep looking for the girl," Joel ordered Nate. "Absolutely no harm is to come to her in our care."

"Yes sir, Alpha Latro, we'll keep on it," Nate said striding out of the room.

"Tell me your names," Joel demanded. 

"Joseph," the boy said and then pointed to the other boys introducing them as Brett, Michael, and Rick. 

"You are the acting Alpha in your pack, Joseph?" Joel asked.

"Yes, sir, I guess I am," the boy nodded.

"I would like to do this right. We will meet in the circle and we will battle. When I win, I lay claim to all of you," Joel said, "including the female."

"And what if I win?" Joseph asked puffing out his chest.

The Betas in room all snickered a little. 

"You've never fought a true Alpha, kid," Anthony snorted from behind me, "there's no chance of you winning."

As we walked to the circle Joel ran me through how this would happen. He would "battle" Joseph. When he won and Joseph submitted the rest of the renegade pack would come forward. Joel would inspect them and I should follow him. The rest of the pack would follow us. 

Once the introduction was done the pack would celebrate its newest members and their Alpha's superior strength. I remembered how the pack liked to celebrate Joel's strength and he smiled broadly. Personally, I felt there were easier ways to earn a good screw. 

When it came to the battle, Anthony wasn't wrong. It was over before it even started. I did note the kid had good potential, just no training. Joel had Joseph's neck between his jaws in less than a minute. 

Nobody really cared about the fight anyway, they were all too busy watching Emily get acquainted with her new mate. All their touching and kissing made me watch Lucas, who looked despondent. His distress was heartfelt. 

Joel nudged me mentally and I quickly divested myself of my clothing and shifted into the white wolf. I padded forward and inspected each of the new wolves. Sniffing their backsides felt so wrong, but my wolf knew it was the appropriate place to catch their scent.

We stood and watched as the pack paraded past inspecting their newest members. Several females seemed very excited to meet the new wolves. I had to laugh internally at that, it seemed pack life was already looking up for the ex-renegades.

I saw the pack standing in the circle watching us and a I knew what they were waiting for. I just wasn't in the mood. All I could think of was how bad Lucas must feel right now. In my mind I tried to conjure sexy images, but it wasn't working. 'Love,' Joel sent into my mind, 'Lucas will survive tonight without her. The security team will find her or she will find these boys. Relax and let me help you.'

Joel flooded my brain with erotic images. Mainly his memories of the things we had done and the love we'd shared. There were also a few things we'd never done, but that he wanted to try. His imagination blew me away. 

The passion took over as Joel circled around me. He crawled over me with a triumphant bark and the pack followed his lead. All the mated pairs were joined around us as wolves celebrating their leader. The unmated shifted to a human form and rejoiced that way.

The pack was in a frenzy, everyone enjoying one another. I loved to see them like this, happy and free. I howled my pleasure to the sky when my world exploded in orgasm. 

As we walked back to the den as humans I saw Lucas and felt bad again. He shouldn't be alone, he'd been alone for so long. It really was a sad story. 

"Lucas," I called, "where are you spending the night?"

"In the rooms that belong to my second cousins," he smiled sadly.

"In the morning you work with the security team and find June," Joel ordered.

"May I start tonight, my Alpha?" Lucas asked happily.

"Of course you may," Joel told him. 

"Where are the new wolves going to stay?" I asked Joel.

"I think Brett," Joel motioned toward the lovebirds behind us, "will be with Emily. Her family will allow him to stay with her, I'm sure. The rest will go to the quarters for the unmated young wolves on the main floor. The house officer will set them up."

'Is it safe?' I asked through our bond. 'Can we be sure they won't try to hurt anyone?'

'Leaving them in the holding cells would be safer, of course, but it felt wrong to me,' Joel sent back. 'After everything they've been through, opening our home to them seemed the decent thing to do.'

'We do have someone watching them on the cameras, right?' I asked.

Joel grinned and looked down at me, 'Yes, but that doesn't change what I said to them. I will protect them.'

'You're a good man,' I sent to him as he picked me up and carried me the rest of the way to the den. 

Joel and I stayed up late that night. He explained everything he knew about the Alpha De Santos tale. It was a long and very sad story.

It started innocently enough. Joel had heard something was wrong with the Alpha's only daughter, he didn't know exactly what. Alpha De Santos kept her secluded, but the rest of the packs didn't think that was too odd. Some children are sicker than others. 

The horror began in her ninth year and she disappeared. Everyone looked, but they couldn't find her. The DeSantos pack started to crumble after that happened. No one knew what Alpha De Santos had started to do until it was too late. 

Alpha De Santos decided his daughter's problems were because her maternal grandmother had been human. It started slowly. He demoted anyone with human ancestry. Later, he had a series of tests for anyone with any human blood in them. Eventually, he killed anyone with links to a human. 

The Alpha encouraged his pack members to hate humans and allowed them to turn on members with links to humans. Some of his pack members became so virulent that when it all ended, they splintered off into rogue packs. There were so many groups that spread across the country it was impossible to stop all of them. Those rogue groups were responsible for multitudes of human attacks and deaths. 

The four boys we had found were part of a very small number of the 'half bloods' that had escaped. Most of the escapees had gone straight to the other packs. Joel felt the boys must be very strong to have lived so long on their own. He wanted to see them stay and be happy, but he knew it would be hard for them. 

"They've learned to hate us and they still fear us. I think they know where the girl is, but they are afraid of what we will do to her. It's going to take some time for them to trust us. I'm hoping by giving them free reign of the den they will realize we don't mean to hurt them," Joel told me as we headed for the bed.

I snuggled with Joel and thought about Lucas. Part of me hoped he really had found a mate and part of me hoped he hadn't. It was going to be hard either way. 

The healer was at our door the next morning with the glass from the strip joint.

"No spells," she guaranteed us, "although they might want to invest in a dishwasher. I don't think this thing has ever really been cleaned."

I balked thinking I had drank out of a glass just like that one. 

"You have a superior immune system now, love," Joel reminded me when he caught the look on my face. 

Joel and I went to the security center and watched the videos from overnight. Brett had stayed with Emily's family. He had not left their quarters, no surprise there. Joseph and the others stayed in a room for unmated wolves. One of them had been out checking out a different part of the den all night. 

"The only thing they did that was questionable was take a bunch of food from the kitchen," the security chief told us. "We just assumed they were hungry, so we let it go."

"They're hoarding," Joel told me, "Alpha De Santos wouldn't let the impure eat with the pure. They had to scrounge for their food."

"I say we go invite them to breakfast in the main hall," I suggested. 

I had not spent a lot of time in the wing for unmated wolves. It was a lot like a college dorm. Joel and I walking through was like having the dean visit. Everyone poked their head out when they heard we were down here. 

Joel knocked on Joseph's door and he peeked out. Once he saw it was the Alpha he opened the door wide and I could see him gulp down his fear. His eyes were wide and the boys behind him looked just as panicked. They must have thought we were here to search the room. 

"It is early, I understand," Joel told them, "but my mate and I were hoping you all would join us for breakfast in the main hall."

"Sure, of course, Alpha Latro, we'd be happy to join you," he said motioning for the other boys to hurry up and get ready to go. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 16



The three of them were all dressed identically in plain t shirts and sweatpants. It was the emergency wear the pack provided. I wondered if we should buy them clothes or go to the trailer and get what they had. 

'What should we do about clothes for them?' I asked through the bond. 'Should we get them what they had from the trailer?'

'No,' Joel sent back, 'we will give them everything they need here. They must learn we can provide for them.'

'What if there is something sentimental of value in the trailer?' I pushed. 

The boys all stepped into the hall about that time with freshly brushed hair and washed faces. Joel motioned and we started down the hall.

'We are watching the trailer now. I doubt the girl will come back to it, but we'll clean it out before the trailer park does,' Joel said.

I nodded at him. That was satisfactory to me. 

The other young wolves on the wing were watching this with interest. All the heads stuck out the doorways looked almost comical and I struggled not to laugh. Hopefully, the Alphas' attention would be seen as a good thing and help these young men fit in. 

"I'm sure you will find something you like on our breakfast table," Joel told the boys as we made our way back down the hall. 

At first, breakfast was a strained affair. The boys kept waiting for Joel to explode at them. They flinched if he reached in front of them and Rick, when he talked, stuttered badly. Eventually, they started to relax the slightest. 

It helped the situation when Emily and her new mate came into the room. They sat with her family where she usually sat. It was obvious, even from a distance, Emily's parents were happy with her new mate. 

The boys at our table watched with growing interest as the young man was introduced to Emily's extended family. That was most everyone that came into the room. It was obvious the boy was already accepted.

"She's a pure blood, sir?" Joseph asked Joel watching Emily and Brett.

"Son, please don't use that term, nobody thinks like that. Since you mention it, I think her line has been all wolf. Honestly, I'd have to go back and check the records to find out," Joel said loading his plate back up with a thick slab of ham and passing the rest to Joseph. 

"T-The other packs wouldn't take our calls when we t-t-tried t-t-to ask for help," the stuttering boy, Rick, whispered. 

"Alpha De Santos used a switchboard and wouldn't let the calls outside the pack," Joel gently told them. 

The boys got braver and asked Joel more and more about what had happened. He was honest with them. Joseph wanted to know if specific individuals had survived. Joel promised to go with him to call Alpha Sebastian Germain and find out. 

'That's going to be an interesting conversation,' Joel told me through our bond. 'Sebastian claimed all of the De Santos pack that could be salvaged. He may demand some sort of payment for these four.'

'Would you pay him?' I asked curiously.

'Absolutely, these kids are born survivors. I have no doubt they are very skilled and resourceful. We just have to determine where their talents lie.'

The rest of the meal consisted of Joel trying to find out what the boys liked to do. At first, they were shy, but they slowly opened up. He made the conversation all about them and who doesn't like to talk about themselves? 

I noticed they watched me closely. When I touched Joel, they all cringed, bracing for attack. They didn't really believe we were the happy mated pair we appeared to be. 

I groaned when the doors opened and the human females were brought in to have breakfast. We were trying to acclimate the women the rogues had kidnapped to the pack, so they now took their meals in the main dining area. We kept them in the mix, but still separate. It was difficult. 

"Joel, I need to go watch the women. Nobody's had a fit in a couple of days and I can feel one coming on," I told him as I rose and kissed his head. 

I passed through the tables and went to sit with the five human women we had rescued. Most of their injuries were healed and now it was just the mental problems we were still dealing with. I just had to convince them wolves weren't all bad, so they would allow us to change them. 

Greeting the women politely, I took a seat with my coffee cup. I was used to the attention I got in the pack and wasn't surprised when someone appeared at my elbow. My assumption was they were there to fill my cup. 

"H-H-Hello," Rick's stuttering voice came from just beside me. 

I was a little shocked he had followed me over. He seemed too shy to follow me around. 

Looking up his big brown eyes were locked on the girl sitting to my right. She never spoke and her blue eyes rarely showed an emotion other than terror. Standing up, I pushed at his chest to move him away from her. The last thing I needed was her breaking down. She was fragile at best. 

"I saw you from over t-t-there," he continued, watching her over my shoulder, "you are so beautiful. What is your name?"

The girl stared up at him with a mixed look on her face. The terror was still there, but she looked curious about him, too. I prayed terror would not win out, when that happened we had to literally put her in a padded room. 

I placed one hand on Rick's chest and one hand pulled his chin until he was looking in my eyes. 

"She has been hurt and she is not a wolf. Why are you over here? Go back with the others," I commanded. 

My claws had grown a little and I knew my eyes were glowing gold. Rick looked stunned and the emotions washed over his face. 

"I just want to talk to her. I won't hurt her, I promise. May I please talk with her, Madam Alpha?"

Joel's voice crept into his mind and I heard him sigh, 'It's probably his mate the way he's acting. You aren't going to be able to keep them apart.'

Watching Rick I had to agree and shot back to Joel, 'What are we, the new dating game?'

Taking a deep breath I pushed my protective instincts down. This male would never harm his mate. 

"Rick, do not touch her unless she permits it and do not crowd her. If I see you overstepping the boundaries I will remove you," I stated.

Rick pulled up a seat next to the girl and looked at her. She cowered in her chair some, but she wasn't panicking yet. That was a good sign. He pushed a plate of bacon toward her and she took some, yet another good sign.

"You should eat more," he whispered to her, "the food will help you get stronger."

She nodded to him and I was floored. This particular young woman never responded to anyone. We had figured out her name by running her features through a missing person's database. It was April, she was only twenty-two. 

"Can you t-tell me your name?" he asked pouring orange juice in her glass.

Those blue eyes looked like they were going to bug out of her head, but she didn't speak. 

"It's not a big deal," he soothed, "you'll t-tell me later, when you want t-to. My name is Rick."

A kitchen worker appeared and refilled my cup of coffee. 

The table ate quietly for a little while. Rick made no attempt to touch April and I was glad. Removing him seemed like it would be a big scene.

"Rogues hurt her, Madam Alpha?" he asked me. 

"Yes, they hurt all these women."

"I'm sorry for that," he said directing the comment to the group. "How can I help?"

One of the other girls spoke to him, "You could let us go and leave us alone. We never wanted to be part of this," she said bitterly. 

"Donna," I addressed her, "I'm sorry, but that is not an option. We've talked about this."

This was an old argument and I felt for the girl. She was right. We were keeping them because we could, but we had no right. It was a useless debate, though. The rules were set in stone.

"I remember being in a pack when I was younger," Rick told her. "At the end, it was bad. In the beginning it was wonderful. This pack seems like that, the way it was in the beginning."

"What happens when it goes bad?" she asked him harshly.

"I don't feel like it will happen here. The Alphas here are strong and stable. Our Alpha was always afraid of something, we never knew what it was," Rick said scooping more eggs onto April's plate.

"I think he was afraid of weakness," I added to the conversation, "from what I've heard."

"Who isn't afraid of weakness?" Donna asked. "I'm weak and I'm terrified. Anybody here could beat me, just like those thugs that took me did. There is nothing to stop them."

"Then you should let them change you," Rick said. "You'll be stronger after the transition and able to hold your own."

Evidently, Rick remembered the rules about humans stumbling onto wolves. 

He continued to talk with Donna and shockingly, she responded to him in a positive way. He didn't say anything different than the rest of us had said, he just said it differently. The women leaned toward him and spoke freely. It was change from the way they usually talked to us. 

I watched Rick talk to the women and it suddenly struck me. He was getting through to them. In this noisy crowded hall, he had done something that allowed them to trust him. For weeks I'd tried to do that and had failed. He was markedly good at this naturally. 

'Joel, I know what Rick can do,' I shouted into his head. 

'Very good, love, he's yours then,' Joel called back laughing. 

April never did speak to Rick, but she watched him closely. When his arm was on the table next to hers I saw her scoot closer, so they touched. It was a good first step for her. 

Joel took all four boys when he went to call Alpha Sebastian Germain. He was able to provide the information the boys had asked about. 

As expected the other Alpha demanded some form of payment if Joel was keeping them. 

"I've got a couple of unmated trackers I could loan you for the year," Joel bargained. 

"I don't expect you'll let me take those young men back at the end of a year, why should I let you have your trackers back?" Sebastian argued. 

"My trackers are fresh eyes on an old case. They'll help you make more headway. If it's still open in a year and you want new eyes, I'll send you two more for a year," Joel said.

"And how long would this continue?" Sebastian asked cooly.

Joel turned and looked at the boys before he spoke. "Ten years, two of my best trackers every year until she's found."

"Make it twenty years and you have a deal, Joel."

"Done," my mate said nodding. 

"Your probably getting the better end of this deal, aren't you Joel?" Sebastian asked. 

Joel patted Joseph on the shoulder and agreed with the other Alpha. 

"These are special kids, Sebastian, I'm glad I found them," Joel said.

We talked to the boys for a while after they got off the phone. During the light conversation I noted Rick's stutter had returned with a vengeance, it had almost disappeared this morning. I wondered about it, but didn't ask for fear it would embarrass him. 

After the meeting I took Rick and headed for the infirmary while Joel dealt with things upstairs. I wasn't wrong about Rick. He had a sixth sense about dealing with people. He was an excellent listener and knew how to speak to people that had been hurt. 

As the days passed I came to trust Rick completely with the injured women. He spent most days watching over them. It was a big relief for me not to worry over whether they were with someone that would scare them. 

Rick listened to the survivors, they told him all their stories. It was like they'd known him their entire lives. His capacity to really appreciate someone's position was awe inspiring. 

I knew he must be counseling them, too. They were more open about the pack and less angry overall. His presence was a help to all of us that had been trying vainly to help them. They were less resistant to the idea of change and I was grateful. 

Something was also helping Rick, his stutter was disappearing. At first it was just when he was around April, soon it was all the time. He sounded like a different person without it. I hoped it was gone for good. 

Rick spent hours with April, sometimes he talked to her while she rocked back and forth. Other times he got out paint supplies and drew while she watched; he was quite an artist. All the attention finally opened her up. 

It took a couple weeks, but Rick got April talking. She told him everything that had happened to her. As usual, he listened and didn't interrupt. I found her sound asleep in his arms after she had finished her story.

Rick lay her in her bed and closed the door to her room in the infirmary. He walked right past me and out the main door into the hallway. I followed him on instinct.

Leaning over on the marble floors he lost the contents of his stomach. He vomited until there was nothing left. I stroked his back as he leaned on the wall. 

"The rogues that are left cannot continue doing this," he told me. "Those spells are evil, they give too much power to them. My sister, June, she knew something. I don't know what it was. She never would tell me. We have to find her. We have to stop the magic and the rogues."

"We're looking, Rick," I told him, "for the rogues and your sister. June is proving difficult, we don't know where she went. It's like she disappeared."

"Give me five minutes and a phone and I will find her, Madam Alpha," he promised me. 

Joel wanted to be part of this as did the entire security team that had been looking for the sellers. Lucas was ecstatic, of course, and demanded to be there. All in all, the security room was full of people as Rick started dialing. 

The other ex-renegades weren't as hyped as Rick was about finding June. Joseph still had reservations, I could tell, but there was nothing he could do now. He had to stand by as Rick dialed the numbers.

Joel had it set up so we could trace the call if we found June. The phone was also set up so the room could hear both sides of the conversation. As a group we would catch every nuance and hint to find her. Joel didn't want her to get away, especially if she knew something. Rick seemed sure he could get her to turn herself in without a lot of drama. 

The first couple calls were a bust. Rick tried several people that they had stayed with in the past. Finally, we hit pay dirt when he called a girl named Dia, he just called her D for short. 

"Hey, D," he told her when she answered the phone, "June's run and we're looking for her."

"Sounds bad, mutt," she said back to him, "but I haven't seen her."

Joel's brow furrowed at the derogatory term and the security team looked a little pissed, too. 

"She's nowhere, D, that means she went to you. We need to find her," Rick said.

The line was quiet for a moment before Dia spoke again. 

"Where's the stutter, mutt?" she asked, "You sound like a new man."

"We're in a good place, the stutter's gotten better here. If June knows where we are she thinks we're in trouble. This is a safe place. They are taking care of us and taking care of other humans the rogue werewolves have hurt."

I sucked in a gasp. Either this girl was a lone wolf or she was human that knew way too much. Joel looked as concerned as I did and was silently running a hand through his hair. 

"Mutt, mutt, mutt..." she murmured, "how are your brothers? Haven't heard from you guys in a dog's age."

The other boys all got on the phone and greeted her. They reiterated they needed to know where June was. The line was silent for the longest time and the security guys were trying to get a trace on it.

"You can't trace my line, you know," Dia said quietly.

"D, what's going on? Put June on the phone," Joseph demanded taking the phone.

"Or what, Alpha boy?" she asked aggressively. "What the fuck are you going to do?" 

"I'm not an Alpha," Joseph told her, "but I'm looking at one and you're pissing him off. If you have June, she needs to come in. She will not be hurt." 

"I've heard a thing or two about Alphas," Dia said. "Gossip is that around here their word is gold, if they'll give it." 

We all noticed that Dia said 'around here'. June had never left the area, that was good to know. 

"What do you want?" Joel asked snatching the phone. "My name is Alpha Joel Latro."

"Protection, Alpha Latro, and I know who you are. I want out when I give you the girl and her stuff. Let me walk away like I never met you and you never met me," she said. 

Joel's eyes flicked to me and I nodded, if June knew something we needed her.

"Done," Joel answered.

Dia took a breath and then spoke, "June's hurt, badly. We are outside town on route 301 now. I can take her to St. Sebastian's, they're about forty minutes away. It's the closest place, but she'll need protection. I'll drop her stuff off to you after."

Joel looked at me and said, "No, bring her to me, we have an emergency room on site and you're probably just as close to us."

"The den in the woods?" the girl asked and Joel winced at the terminology. 

Dia knew way too much and he had agreed to let her go. 

Rick got back on the phone and Dia knew exactly where we were. Joel sent Anthony and several other wolves to watch the roads as June was brought to us. We didn't want her to disappear again. 

After Joel hung up the phone he looked crossly at his new wolves. 

"How did you know this girl and what is she?" he asked.

The boys explained Dia was a human. She had been burglarizing a fifth story condo and fallen. She caught herself, but her grip was slipping. They had been in the alley below and June had begged them to help. Joseph climbed the building and lowered her to safety. 

"You told her you were werewolves?!" I accused getting irritated along with my mate.

"No, ma'm," Rick said, "she knew what we were. Dia knows all about things she shouldn't know about: werewolves, magic, just about anything. She taught us a lot about how to survive. We helped her steal for about a couple years and then Joseph said we should stop. He thought it wasn't a good way to earn money."

Joel and I both commended Joseph on his good judgement. Stealing was certainly a bad way to make a living. It was nice to see that when he was Alpha, he had his pack's best interest at heart.

"She's gone straight now, I've heard," Brett told us. "She came into some money and bought a semi truck. Now she does cross country trucking." 

Will, Sarah, and I went downstairs to ready the infirmary for a human. We had supplies, so we took a gurney upstairs to transport the girl on. It was equipped with oxygen and a defibrillator in case we needed it. We were prepared for whatever emergency was coming our way.

Anthony contacted Joel when he saw a semi pass. Evidently Dia was driving a her truck to drop June off. We all wondered how much 'stuff' June had in the back of the semi.

June's adopted family was all excited. They were desperate to see their sister. Lucas was also having a hard time containing himself. I hoped they wouldn't fight over who got to see her first. Especially, if she was injured. Their excitement added fuel to the energy in the den. 

We were all edgy. Everyone felt like something strange was getting closer. The mood on the main floor was tense and we all were waiting anxiously.

Something big and something bad was headed our way. I don't think any one knew just what it was, though.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 17



Thank you, thank you to everyone that comments and votes. I really appreciate the time you all take for feedback. It makes my day when I get a new comment. With the holidays looming the next chapter will be a couple weeks. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. DW

*

I watched as a shiny white semi pulled down the long drive in front of the den. I wondered how Dia planned to get it out. The driver stopped in front of the den and the rig shuddered to a halt.

A tall girl got out of the semi carrying another girl in her arms. Rick pointed to Dia and told Joel that was the person he expected. Joel watched her closely for a moment through the windows before opening the front doors.

Dia was young, but she seemed fatigued. It wasn't that she looked physically tired. She walked toward us carrying June as if the other girl was no weight at all. She looked weary, as though some great stress was wearing her down. 

The medical team rushed to get to June. She looked terrible. Deep bruises covered one side of her face and her arm was in a makeshift splint. As we got closer I could tell she was covered in a spell, 'the destroyer'.

June groaned in pain and saw her adopted brothers. In barely audible whispers, she begged them to run. They stood in shock watching her as the medical assistants brought our wheeled table out. 

We took June and laid her out on the gurney. Standing next to her, I watched her taking tiny struggling hiccups of air. Looking quickly at her neck, I saw her trachea was deviated off to one side. She was dying in front of us. 

"She got worse when she rolled off the bunk in the back about ten minutes ago," Dia told us watching June. 

I ripped June's blouse down the middle to expose her and saw the deep purple bruising on one side. 

"Pneumothorax," the healer and I said at the same time. 

"We need a knife," I called to our assistants and started to push the gurney toward the den. 

June wasn't breathing at all now, this situation was going downhill fast. 

Dia flicked a small knife from her right front pocket and offered it up. I took the knife and examined it quickly; it was sharp enough. Without a second thought I found the proper place and pushed the blade into June's chest. 

I could hear the growls coming from her adopted brothers and Lucas, but I didn't care. I had to release the pressure so she could breathe. The knife cut through her and as soon as it hit the built up air in her chest; it exploded out. 

June's blood sprayed twenty feet out the incision I had made in a fine mist and she gasped in a breath. You could literally hear the air as it whistled out the opening. The effect on June was instantaneous, she coughed and started to scream on the gurney. She was in pain, but at least she was breathing.

"What happened, Madam Alpha?" Lucas asked from right behind me.

"Broken rib probably cut her lung, air got into the chest cavity and couldn't get out. It built up until she couldn't breath anymore. She'll need a chest tube for a couple of days, but she'll live," I explained quickly. 

The healer took over and indicated I should stay. "I will care for the injured, Madam Alpha," she said pushing the gurney toward the den. 

I turned and Joel was having a staring contest with Dia. I broke the game up by handing her back her knife. 

Lucas and three of the four adopted brothers had gone with June, Rick stayed next to Joel. 

"Alpha Latro, may I ask Dia a question?" the young wolf asked my mate. 

Joel nodded but continued to stare at Dia. A bad feeling seemed to weigh the air down. This girl had brought something horrible to the den and I knew Joel couldn't tell what it was. 

"How'd she get hurt, D?" Rick asked.

"You'll have to ask her, mutt," Dia told him and Joel growled.

"I have had enough of the 'mutt' comments. I will not tolerate any more of that from you," Joel said. 

"You don't want me calling him that, fine, but that's the name he gave me when we met," Dia stated. 

"Just call me Rick, D. June's a little out of it to be giving information. What happened that got her all beat up?" he asked again. 

"Not part of the deal. Come get your stuff and let me get out of here. I have to go," Dia said irritably turning on her heel and walking to the back of the semi. 

"Sir, I don't know what's going on. She's never been like this with us before," Rick whispered to Joel.

"Be on your guard, son," Joel told him stepping forward.

I followed Joel toward the back of the rig. Dia undid the locks and levers and threw the doors open. None of the warriors or security people got in front of the doors when they were opened. They waited for instructions. 

I pushed into my mate's mind and felt his discomfort with this situation. Some deep instinct told him to be cautious, that there was danger very near. Softly, I told him I felt the same way. 

Dia stood looking at us and pointed into the truck. 

"Your shit's in there," she said. "Get it the fuck out. I'm not touching it anymore."

"Hell of a mouth you've got, Dia," Will said passing in front of the open doors and walking toward her. 

She backed away from him and the truck. "I got his word," she said pointing at Joel, "I get to leave. Don't touch me."

A warm breeze came through the trees and pushed into the trailer. The wind billowed back out at us and we gagged as a group. Rotten, putrid flesh assaulted our senses. The scent was strong and even Dia must have smelled it. She pulled her shirt over her nose and turned away. The wind died and we all stared at Dia. 

"What is in the back of this trailer?" Joel growled. 

"That shit is what June wanted. She asked me to get it for her and I did. It was a favor, a fucking favor. She wanted to trade it for her brothers, she said you'd want it. Consider it a gift from her. Now get it out of my truck. I want it away from me," Dia said still holding her shirt over her nose. 

'Stay away, mate,' Joel said into my mind, 'if something happens to me, you must handle things.'

The trailer didn't have a light and Joel looked into the long empty container. At the far end was a lump emanating the smell. I didn't look, I just pushed into Joel's mind and saw with his eyes. 

Joel jumped into the truck and walked toward the lump. In his mind I could feel his familiarity with the smell. His voice boomed out from inside the trailer.

"Ryan, you go to the infirmary and tell Lucas he is to watch June. He is her guardian and is not to leave her side for any reason. That is an order coming directly from me," Joel said. 

I stayed in Joel's mind as he strode through the empty trailer. The rush of his memories came from nowhere. His mother dead on the bed, his father's grief, and finally the face that caused all that harm sneering at him before her death. The last memory was Linda, Lucas' first mate, standing in the circle waiting for her punishment from the Alpha. It was a weird stack of memories all blended together. 

I didn't know anything or anyone Joel had just thought about, but I was seeing the world with his eyes. When he pulled back the thick plastic and opened the cloth on the floor of the trailer, I watched with him as a familiar face was uncovered, Linda.

The body was decomposing, but it was her. Joel noted that her skull cap had been removed. He looked and saw the space her brain should have occupied was empty. Her neck had been torn to shreds and clung to the body with a thin strip of flesh, he expected that. Joel pulled the cloth further away and saw where her chest had been opened surgically. Further down both legs had been severed mid calf and were missing. It was gruesome.

The flesh smelled putrid. Putting a hand over the body Joel noted it was warming, the core was much colder than the outside. Joel assumed she had been taken from somewhere very cold. Until being moved, the body had been frozen. 

The air around the body was ripe with magic. The corpse was literally dripping in spells. Even the cloth she was wrapped in was covered in spells. She was the source, Joel knew it.

This was why the potions never seemed to last; why their power waxed and they faded. They were made from something dead and decayed. The power of the werewolf body was slowly decomposing and falling away.

Joel re wrapped the remains and picked them up. He brought it to edge of the trailer and jumped down. Nate stepped forward and took the decaying remains from Joel. 

"It is part of the source. Go to the circle," Joel commanded. "Set up a pyre, quickly. We burn this tonight."

When the men were out of the way, Dia closed the doors. She started for the cab of her truck with purpose.

"She stays for now," Joel ordered quietly.

I was shocked. This was big, Joel never went back on his word.

Dia whirled to face the wolves with a pair of black .45's aimed at Joel. 

"I am leaving. You gave your word," she seethed.

"You will die out there and I need more information," Joel stated flatly.

"I don't know shit!" she screamed at him. "I don't have a damn thing to say to you and I'm not staying. I have to leave. You can't make me stay and talk. I have to get out of here now."

Will stepped between Joel and the girl, walking toward her. 

"Head or the heart, isn't that right, wolf?" she asked rhetorically. 

"Give me the weapons," Will calmly demanded. 

"I'm leaving. I had the Alpha's word. I have to get out of here," she repeated holding her ground. Come any closer and I will kill you."

"You won't kill me," Will said confidently taking a step toward the woman and her guns. 

The security team stood around in what I can only consider shock as Will continued to approach the girl. 

"How much thought have you given your plan to run?" he asked. "Where are you going to go that you won't be hunted? You took the most powerful piece of magic the witches have ever created and gave it to the Latro pack. You think we are predatory? They are worse."

Will continued to step calmly toward her as he spoke, "This is the only place you will ever be safe again. Did you take your truck for the pick up? Do you think no one noticed a semi sitting around?" he laughed.

"Or let's look at it this way," he continued, "Do you have a reputation? Aren't you someone that knows about witches, werewolves, and magic? Aren't you a thief? How long do you think it will take them to put it all together? I'm betting not long."

Will stood an arm's length from the girl with the muzzle of her gun in his chest.

"You are a sitting duck out there," he said motioning. "The Alpha is right. You need to stay here and share what you know with us."

They stood like that for a few moments until Will took the weapons from Dia's hands and tucked them into the back of his pants. Dia lowered her arms and watched Will cautiously. 

"Guard her. Check her for any other weapons and bring her with you to the circle," Joel ordered motioning for me to follow him.

I followed my mate through the woods to the circle. There wasn't any reason to tap into his mind right now. It was obvious just looking at him; he was seething mad. 

The source had been a member of his pack. All the destruction caused across the country had started on his home turf. Rage was radiating from him. 

When we reached it, Joel stopped me from stepping in the circle. Looking in, I saw Nate and the others had built a simple wooden funeral pyre in the center. They were laying the body on it when we got there. At Joel's command they lit the kindling underneath and bolted back so they were outside the circle of stones. 

Joel reached for my hand as he watched the scene before us. 

"The body will release its energy when it starts to burn. The circle is meant to contain magic. We will be safe out here," he said in that level voice I'd come to dread. 

The kindling burned slowly, catching the larger pieces on fire. Suddenly the light hit the body and the ground rocked with the explosion. Most of the energy was contained within the circle, but I felt the rivulets of power escaping its bounds. The fire burned hot for several more moments and then there was nothing but a pile of ash left where the pyre had been. 

I thought we should be happy the source was destroyed but no one looked that way. Everyone just looked angry and frustrated.

Looking to my left I saw Will and Dia. She watched the source burn and didn't seem in the least surprised about what had happened. She really was inured to all this magic and werewolf stuff. 

Leaving the circle I followed my mate. I was confused by the anger still radiating from him. He looked like he was in planning mode, as though this wasn't over. 

"It's not finished," Joel told me as we walked briskly back to the den. "They took off parts and removed the essential pieces: the heart and the brain. The spells will still work and they can make new ones from the flesh in the legs."

Once we were inside, Joel ordered the den locked up. The new security measures all clicked into place and the electronic security system was activated. We were on lock down now. 

Joel stared at Dia for a moment and she just glared back at him. He straightened his shoulders and turned for the stairs leading to the basement. Before he could make it, Will stopped him. 

"A conference room would be appropriate, Alpha Latro," Will told my mate. 

"I have no patience right now, Will. I will get this information by the quickest means possible," Joel said stoically pointing downstairs. "She has already stated she will not talk."

I knew what was in the basement. The rooms they used to torture information out of the rogues. Evidently he expected to make Dia talk the same way. That was wrong and I shouted at Joel through our bond I thought as much. Keeping Dia was bad enough, but at least she had agreed to that. Torturing her would be unacceptable. 

"The conference rooms will work just as well, Alpha Latro. I cannot allow you to do what you are thinking," Will said getting right in front of Joel. 

When Will moved away from Dia, I put myself between her and my mate. My stance became slightly defensive and I pushed her against the wall behind us. I could not, in good conscience, allow him to torture someone he swore he would release. It wasn't right and he'd not be happy with himself afterward. 

Joel never went back on his word, he'd told me that much. His behavior right now was so out of character. Whatever his reasons, I refused to let him make a mistake he would regret. 

"Are you challenging me in my den?" Joel asked stepping nose to nose with Will. 

"Yes, sir, if that's what it takes. I have no desire to fight you, though. I only request we do this in the conference room," Will calmly answered.

Looking between the two men I saw how big both of them were. If anyone could challenge Joel and stand a chance, it would probably be Will. A battle between the two of them would make an enormous mess right now. 

'Compromise,' I sent into Joel's mind and his gold eyes shifted to look at me. 'Try the conference room. What you are thinking of doing is not right.' 

Joel held my gaze for several moments and then shifted his eyes back to Will.

"My mate agrees with you Will, but we need this information. I will not stop until we have it," Joel told Will looking at me again. 

I turned to look at our prisoner. Dia shuddered visibly and her face was ashen. She knew enough to know what we were discussing. I prayed for her sake she had enough sense to just tell Joel what she knew.

Joel pointed to the first floor conference room on the other side of hall. Will moved past me with a nod and put a hand on Dia's shoulder. He guided her into it. She watched him with a mixture of curiosity and gratitude on her face as we followed her inside. 

Joel's security team stood casually along the walls of the conference room. They were ready to strike and restrain Will if the Alpha commanded it. It was a tense several moments as everyone arranged themselves. 

Dia stood beside Will at the head of the room and faced Joel. She had taken an appraisal of everything going on and I hoped she realized how futile her resistance would be. Joel didn't like the idea of hurting women, but I sensed in this case, he would make an exception. 

"Where did you get the body you brought us?" he asked. 

Dia paused for a moment and the guard started to close in. She spoke before anyone could really move on her, though. She gave an address outside of town.

"Who did you take it from?" Joel asked.

Dia took a deep breath and looked at Joel, "I don't have a death wish, Alpha Latro. You can hurt me all you want and I still won't know the name. June knew the place. She gave me the plans for the house. I did this as a favor to her. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but I don't know whose house it was. June just called her 'the witch'."

Joel appraised the girl for a moment and I heard his voice in my head, 'Do you believe her?' he asked me.

'I believe she's smart enough to know when she's outmatched. We can look up the information about the house on the property appraiser's web site. Ask her to tell you the entire story,' I thought back to him. 'If she's lying she may say more than she means to.' 

Joel got someone working on finding the information we wanted and then he turned back to Dia. 

"Tell me the entire story and leave nothing out," he commanded. 

June had called Dia several weeks before and told her the boys were in trouble. June had escaped out the back of the trailer, just like we'd suspected, when her neighbor started yelling. She had known the Latro pack was picking up rogues and her adopted family disappeared that night. June had feared the worst. 

Somehow, June had found out that the boys she called brothers were in the den. Dia wasn't sure how she did that. June told Dia she needed to get them out and she had a plan. 

Dia licked her lips and they looked dry. She passed a tired hand on her forehead and Will put a hand on her back. 

"She is cooperating, Alpha Latro, may she have some water?" he asked.

Joel motioned and a pitcher and glass were in front of us a moment later. Joel poured a glass for Dia and motioned. She hesitantly took the water and sipped at it. Evidently deciding it wasn't poisoned, she drank the whole thing.

"Thank you," she said nodding to Joel and then looking at Will.

Will stroked her back and encouraged her to keep talking. 

June told Dia she knew a woman that had asked her strange questions a year before. The woman knew June lived with werewolves and wanted to know if they would cooperate with her. June had initially been interested, since the woman offered money, a lot of money. One of the boys just had to do something for the woman. 

The woman had piqued June's curiosity. June had been to her home and knew she was a witch. June had never lost her thieving ways and broke into the woman's house later, just to look around. She didn't take anything, but she explored it completely. 

Something the witch had scared June. She feared for herself and her brothers. June convinced her family to move to the other side of town and cut off all contact with the strange person. 

"June said she found the body in a locked freezer in the garage," Dia told us. "She also found spell books and read through them. June's a smart kid and she figured out what the witch was doing. When the potions started coming out and they worked, she understood the body she had seen belonged to a werewolf." 

The room stood in stunned silence, but Dia kept talking. 

"I agree with June," she said speculatively. "The witch wanted a living source. I think that's what she wanted to have June convince one of the boys to do."

"How would a simple human know all of that?" Nate spat out from beside Joel. "I scented that female; she was human, not a witch."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 17



I smiled a little at Nate. This story must be driving him to distraction. 

"We talked to June about werewolf stuff," Rick admitted sheepishly, "and if you know where to look there is good material on the internet. We were all curious about magic for a couple of years, so we learned all about it. We had to protect ourselves against everything. We know a lot of things we shouldn't know." 

"Keep talking," Joel ordered Dia running a hand through his hair. 

According to Dia, June never stopped watching the strange woman; it became a hobby. When the woman moved and built a new house, June had checked it out. Somehow, June even managed to steal plans and security information for the estate as they were building it. There was a large area in the basement that was equipped to be a huge freezer; June knew what that was for. 

"She had me park the truck at the very back of the property, behind the tree line. I didn't think they'd notice it. I hoped they'd just assume I was a trucker pulling off to take some shut eye."

"Alarms don't deter me and the woman's security wasn't really designed to keep me out. I broke in and took the body from the freezer. June was supposed to wait in the truck," Dia said shaking her head. "I don't know whether she got out or if the guy beating her pulled her out. He was about to start chanting that fucking spell when I slit his throat."

"When did all this happen?" I asked.

"Early this morning or late last night, depending on your definition. I didn't know what to do and June wouldn't go to a doctor. She was supposed to arrange a meeting with you all, but she was so hurt. Since the guy had seen the truck I was afraid someone else might have also. I couldn't convince myself to stop anywhere. We've just been driving all day. I'm not sure what I expected to happen."

"That's all I know, Alpha Latro, you'd have to ask June if you want to know the woman's name," she finished defeated.

Dia sank into a chair that had been sitting beside her. Will pulled her head close to his hip and stroked the long black locks gently. I couldn't quite figure out his fascination with this girl. 

He had nearly gotten himself killed for her twice. Once when he stood in front of her weapons and a second time with my mate. Will's good sense must have left him to have become so brazen.

Dia was pretty, in that tough as nails sort of way. She was dressed in all black, I assumed left over from her caper earlier, but it seemed she had been honest with us. She had come armed, so she was obviously good with weapons, but she didn't shoot Will when she had the chance. She was a mix of dichotomies. 

"Of for the love of Luna," shot out of my mouth when I finally realized. 

Dia was Will's mate. 

"Problem, love?" Joel asked raising an eyebrow.

I sent the thought to Joel, 'She's his mate.'

'When we had our confrontation in the hall, I assumed as much,' Joel thought back to me. 'No man would risk my wrath over something less.'

'You believe her then?,' I asked, 'She's his mate, you believe she is being upfront with us?'

'I believe Will is going to protect her with his very life. Unless I wish to face repercussions from his father's pack, I must treat her well,' Joel sighed into my head.

Dia was watching us questioningly as we had our internal conversation. Unconsciously, she had woven a hand around Will's leg so it rested on his inner knee. He continued to stroke her hair and shoulders with a smile on his face. 

"What is going on?" Dia finally asked.

"The Madam Alpha has just had a revelation," Will told Dia looking down at her. 

"About?" she asked him, looking up. 

"About how important it was you came to us today," Will told her. "The witches will be hunting you, but I will protect you."

Will knelt beside her and took her head in his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Dia had her hands on his rib cage softly stroking him in return. 

Will spoke, looking directly into her eyes, "You will not be harmed here, ever, but you must stay. I am begging you to stay. The witches will want your head on a pike for exposing them. It would kill me if you were harmed. Please, promise me you will stay. I know the Alpha has scared you."

Dia nodded and Will grinned at her, "I need to hear you say it, promise me you will stay and not be afraid."

"Perhaps I could offer my apologies for my actions, Dia," Joel interrupted, "I only wanted what was best for my pack. It is the first time in a long time I have gone back on my word. Luckily, I was stopped from irrevocable harm." 

"The Madam Alpha would not have allowed me to hurt you," Joel gestured to me. "You don't need to be afraid here. I am ashamed, my actions were deplorable. My word has always been held in high regard, I wish to keep it that way. You are a friend here and will be protected, never harmed." 

Dia's eyes flicked around the room and I could see she was taking it all in. Joel's Betas no longer held their threatening stances and even Joel looked remorseful. It would take more than that to really convince her, but it was a good start. 

"I'll stay," she said watching Will.

Will grinned triumphantly and pulled her closer kissing her forehead. She seemed a little taken aback by the gesture, but she didn't fight him. 

"I should go check on June," I told Joel, "Sarah is good with human injuries, but only to a point."

"Go," Joel instructed, "come back to the security suite when you are done. I think this night is far from over."

"I would like to come with you, ma'm," Dia said rising from her chair. "I'd also like to see how June is doing." 

Dia and I headed quickly down the hall to where the infirmary was. It was an off shoot of the secure room, so it had much of the same protection. One of Sarah's assistants buzzed us in when we made it to the door. 

We walked into the room Sarah directed us to. June was laying in a bed surrounded by her brothers and Lucas. They all looked concerned. I took my time examining June before talking to them. 

June was resting, attached to a monitor on the wall above her. She had a chest tube keeping the air from building up in her chest again. Sarah had cleaned the spell off of her and bound her broken arm. Judging from the splint on her lower leg, that was broken also. Her face did look better, I assumed Sarah had healed what she could. 

"Her vitals are stable," I told the brothers quietly, "she's resting comfortably and right now that's the best we can do. She will take time to heal and we'll do our best to control her pain." 

I looked around at the boys and asked them if June had said anything to them.

"All she could say was that Dia had taken something from the witches. She kept saying we could use it to bribe the Alpha to let us go. She begged us to run," Joseph said holding June's hand. 

"You should let her sleep now," I told them. "Just one of you needs to stay with her."

Since Lucas had been elected June's guardian the other boys left without complaining. The boys wanted Dia to tell them what happened. We stepped into the central area and Dia repeated her story for them, while Lucas sat with June. 

I stepped away and talked to Sarah, but kept my ears open. The story Dia told the boys was the same one she had told us. 

Sarah wanted to know what had happened upstairs and I told her. 

"Ahh," she said, "that explains why Alpha Latro wanted Lucas down here."

"Why?" I asked.

"Catching his old mate's scent might have been confusing for him and seeing her again may have agitated him. I understand Alpha Latro not taking the risk."

"I thought you all burned the bodies of the dead," I told Sarah. "How did Linda end up in the witch's hands?"

"I don't know, Madam, but Lucas may. He trusts you more than anyone else here," Sarah told me. "If someone was going to ask what he knew, it should be you. Perhaps you could call him out and ask him. I'm sure Alpha Latro will want to know, too. I was young then, but it was my understanding that Linda was destroyed in a private pyre."

It was difficult to get Lucas to leave June. The oldest of the four boys, Joseph, had to swear he would look after her before Lucas would leave. I pulled him into an unused room in the infirmary and closed the door. 

I started slowly and repeated Dia's tale to him. When I got the part about Joel being in her truck and what he found, Lucas's eyes lit gold. I stopped talking and waited for him to calm down. 

"They have had Linda all this time," he choked out with ragged breath. 

"Yes," I told him, "do you know how that happened?"

Lucas sat heavily on the bed in the room and interlaced his fingers behind his neck. 

"June is my mate now. Is that right, Madam?" he asked me looking up. "May I keep her? Should I keep her? I have already had one mate. Most wolves don't get a second mate. Perhaps this is a sign I should be loyal to Linda." 

I sat in a chair in the room before I spoke. "June is a good girl. She is strong and loving. She is your mate. Linda destroyed your life in this pack. She did nothing for you and you paid a heavy price for her. Don't let her continue to exact that price from you. Accept that we found her body, but that June is yours now." 

"What did you do with the remains?" Lucas asked.

I told him we burned what we had found in a pyre. He seemed relieved and nodded. 

"The old Alpha told me he would not burn Linda's body," Lucas said as a fat tear rolled down his cheek. "He told me her remains would rot in the ground and her soul would never be reborn. Even knowing what I did about her, it devastated me."

"I left when I was told to, but stole back onto the grounds to find Linda's body. I had planned to take and burn it. There was a hole in the woods. I could tell Linda's body had been there, but it was gone. I assumed the Alpha had decided to burn her after all. I never came back after that, until you came along." 

I moved to sit beside Lucas and held him while he cried silently. From what Joel had told me, mourning the loss of a rogue would be treason, so I didn't ask why Lucas was upset. Eventually, he calmed some and asked to return to June. I thought that would be the best thing to do and encouraged him to go to her. 

I left the infirmary a short time later with Dia right beside me. She told me she was determined not to be killed by the witches. 

"I will share with you all everything I know about the security they have," she said. "It's daunting and meant to keep you all out, but I can help you."

We walked back to the security center where Joel was dividing everyone into teams. I also saw several of the talented computer hackers hard at work. 

"The house is owned by a corporation," Joel told me, "we're trying to find out who the individuals involved are. Is the human downstairs able to give us any information?"

"I doubt it," I said shaking my head, "Sarah's got June sedated heavily. We could use drugs to bring her around, but she'd be in enormous pain. I'm not sure she would be lucid enough at that point to tell you anything of use."

"Doesn't really matter who it is anyway," Joel said his eyes glowing eerily. "No one in that house will survive the night. We are going on the offensive for once in this damned battle. We'll find the rest of Linda and then we can destroy that."

I quickly told Joel what Lucas had told me and he ran a hand through his hair. 

"Dad was devastated by his loss. His judgement was impaired when it came to Linda. We will fix it tonight," Joel stated. 

Dia spoke up from beside us and offered her knowledge of the house's security, but Joel brushed her off. 

"I don't care if they know we are coming. I am bringing an army, their petty security will not withstand my force," Joel said with confidence. 

Dia argued with him, hotly. She told him there was security there to specifically weaken a wolf. Will came to stand silently beside her and appraised his mate. She was a ball of fire when she got worked up, that was obvious. 

"You told me you would protect me," Dia said pointing at Joel, "you can't do that dead. You need to take a tactical approach to this. Force will only get you so far. They are prepared for force."

"Odds are they know you are coming. They are probably waiting for you to bring your so called army. They will cut you down in an instant," she ranted her voice raising.

The room had gone strangely quiet as the warriors tried to pretend they weren't watching and listening. 

Joel growled and towered over Dia. "I will have you removed from my security center and placed downstairs if you can't control yourself. This is my territory you are in. I will protect it and I will protect you. The witches are not prepared for the full weight of my attack. We will destroy them before they are able to mount any resistance." 

"Joel, just listen to her," I argued softly. "What harm could more information do? Maybe there is a better way to do this. Perhaps charging in is a bad idea. Let's look at other options."

The whole of the security team was staring at our confrontation now. I heard several gasp when I disagreed with Joel. He noted it too and his beast rose further to the surface. I had inadvertently and openly challenged him in front of his men.

"Mate," Joel said loudly, "I will not allow your lack of knowledge in this area to be a hinder. Your skills will be needed later in the infirmary. If you cannot conduct yourself appropriately in my war room I will put you in the secure room myself. There you will be safe and out of the way."

I couldn't continue to fight with him here; it was just adding fuel to the fire. If I kept arguing with him, he probably would stick me in the secure room. I was loathe to do it, but determined to help my errant mate. In an effort to stay out of lockdown I lowered my eyes and stepped back. 

Joel accepted the submission with a grunt and went back to his planning. 

So much for being there for one another in a time of crisis, I thought. Joel was set in how he was gong to handle this. Just like his father, when it came to Linda and magic he was blind with rage. If I was going to help him, it would have to be without his consent. 

Taking Dia's hand I pulled her to stand with me along a wall. She tried to tell me this was foolhardy, but I shushed her and motioned for her to listen. I had already made up my mind, I would help the pack whether Joel appreciated it or not. We stood and listened to the plans silently. 

The idea was fairly simple. The area around the house was uninhabited. Joel planned place his wolves around the house and attack it as a single unit. The witch's defenses would be overrun. 

The room was a mass of energy as the wolves organized to make Joel's plan a reality. He stood in the middle of it all watching them. His gold eyes seemed to be taking it all in with pride. This was a battle he believed he could win. 

Dia shook her head and looked at me. I moved a finger to my lips and approached Joel in the middle of the melee. 

"I'm going back to the infirmary to help Sarah with the girl. I'll take Dia with me. Do well tonight, mate. I love you," I told him and kissed his lips. 

Joel kissed me back and went back to his planning. He was all business right now.

"Stay in the secure room," he ordered me. "The den stays on lockdown until we return."

I walked out of the security center with Dia. Her motions were jerky and she kept clenching her fists. She was incensed. 

"That house is ideally located for defense. It sits on a hill and looks over the surrounding area," she fumed. "The witches will take out half his force before they even reach the main property."

Dia paused for a moment and then continued to rant. 

"They will inflict as much damage as they can in the shortest amount of time possible. From the way their security is set up it looks like it calls the human police if there is a problem. The wolves will have to get out of there fast once that happens. The next time the wolves strike it will have to be with a smaller force. The witches will decimate your numbers and then run with the police as an escort."

"How," I asked standing outside the secure room, "how are they planning to take out that many wolves?"

"Fucking spells, they've got those sensors rigged all over the outside of the property. They don't pick up humans, we don't put of the right 'frequency', but they'll pick up wolves. The witches will coat your forces in 'the destroyer' and then stand back and chant with loudspeakers."

Dia continued to speak, becoming more animated, "It looked like they had heavy weapons inside, too. Anyone not hit with the spell will get hit with metal. Once the gun fire starts the cops will show up fast. Unless Alpha Latro wants to kill the town's entire police force, he will have to get his dead and wounded and get the hell out of there."

"There won't be any time to get what he needs inside," I mused walking briskly away from the secure room.

"Yeah, then the witches can run or stay. It won't matter. They will sit on their hill and watch it all play out. Hey, where the hell are you going?" she asked running to catch up with me. 

"Go back to the secure room and hang out with June," I told her. "I'm going to go interrupt my mate's plans. I can't let him send our pack on a suicide run."

"By yourself?" she asked incredulously. "Think you might need some help?"

I considered the Dia for a moment. She was a virtual stranger to me. All I knew about her was that she was a thief and a killer. She was hardly trustworthy, but I didn't have many options right now. 

"You up for more excitement today?" I asked her. "If you're not, go back to the secure room and hang out until I leave."

"Madam Alpha," she said sauntering forward, "this is exactly the kind of excitement I was built for."

Joel and his Betas didn't notice as Dia and I loaded up an old pickup truck with enough weapons to supply a small army. Somehow I managed to pull the truck out of the den without anyone at all noticing. They were too wrapped up in what they were doing to see us slide out the delivery entrance with the lights off. 

The night was dark and I sped through the forest. The moon was only a sliver in the sky above me. I drove with the headlights off to keep us hidden as long as I could. With my werewolf senses I could see just fine at night. Dia, unfortunately, could not and she held onto the truck's interior for dear life. 

"Motherfucker," she cursed, "you drive like a god damned maniac. I'd like to get there in one piece."

"Might I ask why you volunteered to come with me?" I asked ignoring her. "Not that the company isn't charming, but what exactly is your motivation."

"Will is part of the first wave of attack. That was what I gathered during the planning stage," she said simply.

"What's that mean to you?" I asked knowing full well; I just wondered how much she understood. 

"He's special and he saved my ass," she said quietly. "It feels like some freaky magic shit, but I don't want to see him hurt."

That was the most accurate way I could have hoped for a human to describe it. 

"Plan," said taking a curve much too fast, "we need a plan to make them stop. At least they need to pause before they hit the estate's security. Maybe if they see what's in front of them they'll stop."

Dia laughed at me. She'd been hanging out on the fringes of society her entire life. She knew werewolves. According to her they would only stop if the Alpha said stop. 

"They'd run into my semi going full speed if the Alpha told them to," she said. "You're different. I don't know if it's because of your rank or what. You don't feel the pull to follow his lead like the others do. For them the compulsion is non negotiable."

"Can you get us inside the house?" I asked her. "Do you know enough about the security systems to shut some of them down before they get there?"




Bound to My Mate Ch. 17



Dia grinned at me and told me yes. She'd just avoided the security last night, but she was sure she could turn it off, especially with a werewolf bodyguard. It seemed like we had a plan. 

As we drove I talked to Dia about the house. She had examined the plans June had given her for a couple weeks before the break in. Dia knew exactly where the security was based out of. She also thought there were several good places to hold the other parts of the source. She was a gold mine of information. 

"I just don't have any tools," she lamented. "They are all in my truck. I'll get some before we go inside, though."

I'd never been a burglar before, but Dia had been for years. As we passed through town she had me stop at a closed hardware store. She broke in and quickly took a replacement for the tools she didn't have with her. She also stole hunting clothes for me to wear to camouflage me better. We were as prepared as we were going to get.

Dia and I parked the truck a mile away from the property line. She loaded herself up with weapons. I took a gun, but assumed my native weapons would be more useful. Dia encouraged me to take a couple more.

"If you can avoid shifting we'll get further," she told me, handing over a large hunting knife. "They are expecting the wolves to mount an all out assault on them, we need to attack with stealth. I'm betting your werewolf form is larger and harder to hide. We need to be as invisible as we can be."

"I'm a white wolf," I informed her and she shook her head. 

"Damn it," she cursed, "nothing's ever easy."

The land moving up to the estate was covered in the highest security. Dia was prepared for it and moved us past it with no problem. The motion sensors and security beams didn't even slow her down.

As we moved closer to the house the defenses changed. The ornate trees and landscaping were all rigged with what appeared to be an advanced sprinkler system. Dia told me if we hit a sensor those would spray us with potions. 

I saw loudspeakers were attached to the outside of the house. Dia guessed they would use those to chant from behind the walls. We literally crept up the hill on our bellies to stay away from the sensors. Unlike Dia, I would set them off. 

As I lay in the manicured lawn next to Dia, I appraised the house. It was several stories and surrounded by a guard wall. I could see figures moving at regular intervals in the house and along the roofline. The witches were watching out for an attack. If my pack ran up this hill at them, they would be mowed down. 

Dia moved us quickly to a door on the side of the wall when the guard wasn't watching. We stayed stone still against the wall as a figure moved past us in the dark. The man held a weapon in his hands, but that wasn't what got my attention. 

He smelled different. His scent was similar to the way Linda's body had smelled. Either he was coated in magic or he was a witch. This was the right place. 

I wasn't sure how we were planning to get in and then the door beside us opened. The man walking out let the door fall closed as he walked away. Dia reached out and grabbed the handle a second before it shut. 

We slipped into what was obviously a servant's or delivery entrance. It was brightly lit and an armed guard was inside as we passed through the door. Like a snake my hand wrapped around his neck snapping it before he made a sound. 

Dia and I hid the body quickly in a closet. My strength was definitely useful for this way of life. I could see why Dia had wanted the renegades. What would have been difficult for her was quite simple for me. 

Joel's voice invaded my mind softly, 'You aren't in the den. No one can find you. I asked them to check on my mate, because I was too harsh with you. I didn't want to contact you, I feared your anger initially. Now it seems you must fear mine.'

I sent a list to Joel of what type of reception awaited him at the witch's house. 'Wave after wave will be coated in potion and then they will just call in the human police. You will be forced to retreat.'

Joel was silent in my head, but I felt him as Dia and I passed into the main compound. 

"We need to be up there," she whispered, pointing to a second story window. "It is near where the security is controlled. The lackeys smoke in there, so they leave the windows cracked and the alarms aren't armed for that window."

I grabbed Dia and jumped, clinging to the wall outside the window. Dia pushed the glass up and slipped inside. I followed her. 

Inside was a man asleep on the couch, he had a burned out cigarette laying in an ash tray beside him. He woke as I entered and started to pull a gun and yell. Dia slashed him across the throat to silence him. 

I heard Joel panicking in my mind. He thought we were caught. The man had made a sound before he fell and his body had hit the floor with a thud. 

Dia and I prepared for an attack, but none came. We stood still listening to the silent house for a moment. When we thought it was clear, we hid the mess.

I moved the body behind the couch quickly and pulled an area rug over the blood pool so it would be less obvious. Dia took apart the light switch and disabled it in a flash. Nobody that came into the room would be immediately alerted. 

Now I felt Anthony and Nate pushing into my mind. Their presence was unobtrusive. It seemed Joel just wanted a team to help him watch me. 

I started to move for the door and Nate asked me to wait. If someone had heard the man, they would be waiting outside for us to exit. Dia looked under the door and shook her head, she thought the same thing, but no one was there. 

I followed Dia through the expensive looking house. She pointed to a door at the end of a large hallway and indicated it was the room that controlled security. The main breaker box was also in there, she had already told me. 

"It's going to be guarded. If we can take them out fast, I can disable a chunk of their security," Dia whispered.

'Kill the power,' I heard Anthony say quietly into my mind.

'We will cut the phone lines,' Nate seconded. 

I told Dia what the men were saying and she shook her head. "Back up generator and cell back up for the phone lines, won't do any good."

'I'll get the phone lines, we are blocking the signal from the cell back up,' Nate told me.

'You all are here?' I questioned directing toward the men.

'You forced us to do this your way, mate,' Joel answered. 'Of course we are here, but we are biding our time. Does Dia know where the back up generator is?'

I asked her and she quietly told me downstairs on the other side of the house. She gave specific directions and Joel heard her through me. 

'Let us turn off the distribution system for the potion,' I told Joel, 'and then you can do what ever you want.'

'Be careful,' Joel warned. 'If I get one hint something is wrong we are coming in, whether it is off or not.'

Dia moved us into the security suite and there were several armed men inside. They laughed when they saw two women walk in. I dispatched two with the hunting knife rapidly, but the third got a shot off before I killed him. 

I barred the door to the security suite as Dia started to press buttons on the panels in front of us. 

Outside the door I could hear the stamping of feet as the witches realized we were inside. They shouted at us to open the door and bullets came flying through the walls. 

"The distribution system for the potions is off line," Dia said and then shot her .45 several times into the control board. "They won't be able to turn it back on. I think I've also taken down some of the alarms; there won't be audible alarms going off."

I saw the breaker box and tore it off the wall, literally. Hopefully that would disable the loudspeakers outside. The lights in the security suite died instantly and were replaced with back up lights. Bullets were whizzing past us in the dim half light.

Dia and I crouched low as the men assaulted the door and tried to get in. They were shooting so many rounds, we'd be hit eventually. Suddenly, the light died completely and I knew I had the upper hand. 

I bounded toward the door and a bullet grazed the side of my face. A second later a slug caught me square in the stomach and then another. My wolf didn't like standing here being a pin cushion. Shifting into the hybrid, I tore through the door and attacked the men in the hall. 

The hall was in chaos. The witches flung potions at me, but I dodged them with the speed I was known for. Some of the men had guns and were shooting. I heard shots coming from behind me. It seemed Dia was firing on the men. Working together, we took out the contingent that was there. 

I heard the attack happening outside. There was copious gun fire and I prayed my pack would be safe. At least they weren't being hit with that awful potion. 

A new noise got my attention. 

"They've got a chopper!" Dia screamed rising out of a crouch and walking along the wall. 

Someone was going to get away and odds are they had the source with them. I sent Joel the message in case in hadn't seen. 

"Where?" I growled to Dia.

"Roof," she said pushing past me and straining to see. 

I forgot, she wasn't suited to see in almost dark. I grabbed her and ran for the stairs.

We met several witches on the way to the roof. They manage to douse me with the potion, but no one was ever fast enough to chant the spell. Between Dia's guns and my claws we destroyed everyone we came across. 

Pushing our way onto the roof the helicopter was just taking off. I bolted for it and was hit with several rounds from a machine gun inside the chopper. My upper leg bone was hit on the right, I knew it. I just managed to move out of the line of fire.

Crouching and gathering my strength, I prepared to jump on the chopper again. Another round from the machine gun forced me to retreat behind a barrier on the roof. Thanks to my coat, They could see me just fine out here. I'd have to take heavy fire if I wanted to approach them. 

Dia had reloaded and took shots at the helicopter trying to stop it. It rose in the sky like she wasn't even trying. They were getting away. 

Suddenly a large black form jumped onto the roof. The wolf man leapt and dug his claws into the metal of the side of the helicopter. He managed to grab the man with the gun and tossed him several stories to the ground. Metal tore as the side of the machine was ripped to shreds. As we watched, it started to tilt strangely. 

"It's going to crash," I growled at Dia, grabbing her. 

We had to get off the roof right now. The black wolf man, who I recognized as Joel, was pulling the helicopter down. A human would never survive this close to something like that.

I slung Dia over my shoulder and slipped over the edge of the building. I climbed as quickly as I could, since my wounded leg wasn't working well. As we hit the ground, the building shook under my hands and horrible screeching sound was heard from above. 

Joel's voice boomed into my mind, 'Run now,' was all he said. 

Despite the pain I shifted into my wolf as I pulled Dia onto my back. I took off, getting us far away from the danger. If that thing was going to explode Dia had to get away. 

Wolves were all over outside fighting with human men and witches. The wolves definitely had the upper hand. I saw some of the witches trying to chant and fling potions, but it wasn't a very effective strategy. Ruining their sprinkler/ loudspeaker system seemed to have worked. 

A command came into my mind from Joel, it was directed to everyone. He gave specific instructions on how far to get back. I was just passing off the edge of the witch's land when the explosion rocked the ground.

Turning around I was horrified as a giant fireball encompassed the house. I wanted to go back and get Joel when his voice came into my thoughts again. This time he ordered everyone to retreat, the humans would be coming after the explosion. 

I had no idea where he was, but I was relieved to have heard his voice. 

"We gotta go," Dia said. "Our truck is parked just off the main road. The cops will have seen that explosion. If they check the back of our vehicle, it's still full of weapons."

I was turning in that direction when the second explosion tore through the air. This time I felt the full power of the source magic as it rushed past me. Even as far back as we were it still burned and it knocked Dia off my back. 

'Mate, are you all right?' Joel called to me.

'Fine, are you okay?' I answered, again relieved to hear his voice.

'Get back to the den right now,' he ordered, 'I will meet you there.'

He was obviously busy and angry. Now wouldn't be a good time to talk. I settled for just being glad he was alive and unharmed. 

Instead of focusing on Joel I turned to find Dia cursing on the ground trying to regain her bearings. The explosion seemed to have disoriented her. Finally, she managed to crawl onto my back and we started off.

I tore through the undergrowth to get to the truck. Dia was right, it was full of weapons. The police could not find it, we had to get there first. 

As I dashed away from the burning building the pain in my leg and stomach started to grow. Each step toward safety made me realize how badly I was hurt, but we had to make it to the truck. Finally, it came into view. Lucky for us, no one was there to see the giant white wolf and rider limp from the forest. 

When Dia got off my back I collapsed to the ground almost too weak to move. I wanted to curl up, lick my wounds, and sleep. Dia refused to let me crawl back into the undergrowth, which is what I wanted to do. 

"Shift!" she screamed at me and I did, falling back to a human form. 

Dia lifted me into the passenger side of the truck and got in the driver's seat. 

I saw her fiddle with the area under the steering wheel for a moment and the truck roared to life. It struck me I'd left the keys in my clothes, which I had torn off in the security room of the burning house. 

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Dia cursed looking over at me, "you aren't dressed and you're covered in blood. If we get pulled over this is going to look so bad. This road is going to be crawling with cops pretty soon."

She was right; I had to keep my wits about me. 

"There's got to be a blanket or something in the back," I said turning to dig around behind our seats. 

The pain in my leg was unbelievable and my stomach felt like it was tied in a hundred tiny tight knots. I could barely move, but I managed to rummage around. A small hatch opened behind Dia's seat and a set of emergency clothes was there. 

The dark colored t shirt and sweatpants I found were huge, obviously meant to be worn by a guy. I struggled putting them on. Everything hurt, I'd never been in this much pain before. Finally, I managed to dress myself and not a moment too soon. 

We were stopped by a deputy that had closed off the road. He wanted to know what we had seen and why we were there. He looked very suspicious and kept a hand on his weapon. 

Dia told him a story about seeing a fireball. She said we had been out on an early morning jog. In a high scared voice, she told him she wanted to get home and check on her kids. Luckily, the guy felt bad for her and let us through. 

My leg throbbed and my stomach was on fire. I focused on breathing and kept dropping into unconsciousness. When we'd take a turn or hit a dip in the road the stabbing sensation would jerk me back awake. 

Luckily, Dia was a careful driver. She drove under the speed limit and obeyed all the traffic laws through town. Trying to stay awake, I commented on it.

"There are cops everywhere right now. If I panic and race through town, we'll get pulled over," she said. "If anyone really takes a look at you or what's in the back, we're in for it. I don't even have a license with me right now. We can't afford to attract any attention."

She was right. I watched as several police cruisers zipped by heading toward the blast area. Checking the rear view mirror a state patrol officer was actually behind us right now. 

The sun was rising and Dia flipped her visor down so it wasn't in her eyes.

"Still better than being stuck in a dark room with witches shooting at you," she said squinting. 

"You shot at the guys in the hall while I was fighting them, didn't you?" I asked.

Dia nodded and continued to watch the road.

"How were you able to see well enough to shoot at them in the dark? You were stumbling around when you stood up," I commented trying to distract myself from the pain. 

"When you said you were white I didn't know you meant glow-in-the-dark white," she huffed, "I just aimed at the muzzle blasts and away from the big glowing thing in the middle."

I nodded and leaned back. My coat really wasn't much of a camouflage in anything short of a snowstorm.

"Is Alpha Latro angry with you?" Dia asked quietly.

"Yes, he's not done anything except shout orders."

"What will he do to you?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't know; last time it was a talking to," I said, remembering the time before that he'd chained me in our rooms. 

"I told Will I'd stay. I didn't want to disappoint him, but I couldn't bear the thought of him dying from that poison," she said. "You know, I don't even know why I care, but I do. I don't know anything about him. He could be a serial killer or a rapist for all I know."

"He's neither," I told her, "Will's a good guy. He really likes to follow the rules, though. Maybe you could loosen him up a little in that respect."

Dia laughed and looked over at me. "Just so you know, I've been in less trouble since I started following the rules. This is the most excitement I've had in six months. I might actually like to continue with his way of thinking."

We stopped at a light and she lifted my shirt to examine my stomach. It was a pulpy mess. Dia touched my leg lightly and I winced, her hand came away wet and red. 

"How bad is it?" she asked.

"Hurts like hell," I told her. "I'm not sure how I'm going to get out of the truck. I don't want to move. Every bump you hit, I feel."

We drove in silence for a while and I passed back out. 

I woke when Dia spoke again, "I haven't seen any wolves driving on the road. Do you know what happened to rest of your pack?"

"They didn't need to go through town. I bet they took the back way through the forest. That would have landed them on the other side of the witch's compound."

Dia nodded and continued to drive. Leaning my head back, I let myself fade out. At least when I was unconscious, I wasn't in pain. I knew if I could just rest, my poor body would heal. Dia was a good driver, so I relaxed. 

"Oh fuck," woke me up completely.

I struggled to gauge what was going on and what my reaction should be. My eyes felt glued shut and I opened them as best I could. Moving wrong lanceted pain up my body and pushed me back toward that nice comfortable place I'd been. 

"Fucking hell, oh fucking hell, he must be beyond pissed with you. Oh fuck, with us. Don't pass out, wake the fuck up," Dia said stopping the truck and shaking my arm.

Grimacing, I looked around. We were on the main road in the forest, there was no reason to stop here. Unless you counted the roadblock of black Suburbans and my mate standing in the middle of the road up ahead. 

Seeing Joel was a relief, he was all right and he'd get me taken care of. Obviously he was angry, but that I could deal with. Dia didn't seem to think that was the case. 

"Shit, shit, shit I knew I shouldn't piss off an Alpha. I told June this was a bad fucking idea and we'd be killed. Fuck loyalty, fuck friends this is what I fucking deserve," Dia panted, gripping the steering wheel. 

Joel wouldn't hurt me and, with Will for interference, no one was going to hurt Dia. If Joel was angry, I did know one punishment he liked, though. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 17



"He won't kill you," I muttered, trying to make my mouth work. "He may chain you up in Will's bedroom for a while."

It was funny to me, but apparently not to Dia. She started to load her weapon. 

Joel stood in the middle of the road about twenty-five yards away. His arms were folded across his chest. Apparently, he had gone to the fight prepared, because he was dressed in a tight black t shirt and black cargo pants. He even had black boots on. Joel looked commanding. 

My brain felt hazy and I focused inanely on his clothes. I was jealous of his outfit and wiggled my naked feet. Well, that's what I got for rushing in half cocked. I lost my shoe privileges. 

"I want shoes," I told Dia.

Her eyes were huge and she stared at me mouth agape. "What the fuck, man?" she asked rhetorically. 

Dia must have panicked because I watched her shove the truck into reverse and hit the accelerator. The tires spun but we didn't go anywhere. Dia cursed again and hit the lock button for the doors. 

In the rearview mirror I saw Anthony leaning on the back of the truck. We weren't going back the way we'd come that was for sure. Anthony caught me watching and gave a little salute.

Looking up ahead Joel was walking toward the truck with Will a half step behind him. They were dressed alike. When I squinted it was hard to tell them apart. 

Will would make a fine Alpha one day, I thought, assuming his mate didn't shoot him. 

'Dia has a loaded weapon,' I thought to Joel.

'Tell her to put it down, we just want to talk,' Joel said calmly into my head. 

I told Dia what Joel had said and she cursed, no surprise there. 

"You stay away," she screamed pointing the weapon at them through the windshield. 

"Dia," Will called from outside the truck not faltering in his stride, "baby, I just want to talk to you. I don't want to hurt you. You know that, right? Put the gun down."

Dia certainly had a soft spot for Will. She slowly lowered the weapon and set it in the cup holder. Her eyes never left him as he came around to her door. 

Groggily, I turned to look at my mate staring through the window at me. His face was set in stone. I reached out to push the button and the glass lowered between us. He stood still for a moment watching me and then all hell broke loose. 



Bound to My Mate Ch. 18



Okay, okay I was rude and completely callous. However, the cliffhanger got me tons of comments, which I'm addicted to. Thank you to everyone that wrote or commented. I'm working desperately to translate my wacky brain waves into something you all will enjoy. 

In response to the question "How much more?" I'd guess two more chapters. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that reads or takes the time to say something. Please enjoy this next installment - DW




Joel inhaled deeply as he watched me. Before I could blink the metal of the vehicle screamed as he pulled the door off the truck. Joel threw the twisted frame behind him and it skidded unceremoniously off the road. From my other side I heard Dia's panicked sounds as she struggled to get out. 

Joel took a step back and stood glaring into the truck. The shift came on him rapidly. His face elongated and his fierce canines were easily visible. A tortured howl erupted from his throat and those deadly claws slid out ready to do battle. 

Joel didn't scare me, he never had, but he was acting crazy. If anyone else had done what he just did, I might have had enough adrenaline to make a defensive gesture. As it was I just sat and stared at him, too shocked to move. 

It struck me to wonder if I hadn't pushed him too far this time. If I had, I realized it would surprise me. I was positive Joel would never be violent with me and would always forgive me.  

Suddenly, my mate seemed to regain control of himself. With obvious effort he reigned in the beast and pulled it back inside. He ran both hands through his hair and stepped hesitantly toward me again. 

"Mate," he asked in a strained voice, "where are you hurt?"

My stupor didn't pass quickly enough and Joel looked toward the other side of the truck for an answer. 

"The stomach, Alpha Latro," Dia whispered hoarsely, "and I think she took several rounds to the upper leg from a machine gun."

I looked over and Dia was outside the truck. Will had wrapped his arms around her and he was whispering soothing words in her ear. He was either giving her a bear hug or keeping her from running. The way she struggled against him I guessed the latter. 

"Elizabeth," Joel said to me softly, bringing my attention back to him, "can you talk to me?"

"Of course, I can talk to you," I huffed weakly watching him. "What is wrong with you? Were you planning on attacking me?"

Joel shook his head at my question and refused to answer further. 

He seemed like he wanted to touch me and didn't want to touch me all at the same time. I would have sworn his hands were trembling slightly. 

"When did this happen?" he asked finally, peeling the bloody wet shirt up to examine my stomach.

Joel dipped his head to examine the wound and his scent washed over me. He smelled so good, so comforting. It was okay, I was safe. I felt my eyes sliding closed and I started to drift again. 

"Just need to sleep," I mumbled when I heard him yelling my name a moment later. 

He would not just let me rest. Instead he stood barking orders at the men around us. 

"Shh," I mumbled reaching out and stroking his arm, "just be quiet, please, and let me sleep."

"Not yet," he murmured in my ear. "Stay awake a little longer."

I fought to open my eyes and he smiled at me. "Good girl, keep them open, I need to move you."

Joel reached a hand under my back and legs and started to remove me from the truck. I cried out in surprise as the pain reared its ugly head. Sharp lancing stabs ran through my stomach and through my leg. Struggling made it worse, but I couldn't help myself. 

I begged Joel to put me down, put me back, or at least to please stop moving. He ignored me and walked us over to a Suburban. Joel sat me down in the front passenger seat. When I was settled he walked around the truck and took the wheel.

We were alone together and for once the silence between us felt awkward. My muddled brain realized there had to be a reason he met me in the middle of the road. I should ask him, but suddenly I feared the answer. 

We were close to the den, but not too close. Had he been going to say I couldn't come home? Was I being cast out of his territory and barred from the den for defying him?

I was panting slightly, now from pain and mounting worry. It was irrational, I prayed I was just overreacting. I had been so sure he would just get over his anger. It had never occurred to me to be worried about what would happen if he didn't forgive me. 

Joel broke the silence between us. 

"When did it happen?" was all he said. 

"In the security room they shot me in the stomach," I said remembering. "One almost hit me in the face. I got lucky, it just grazed my cheek."

Joel put the back of his fist against his mouth, but didn't say anything.

"We ran to the roof and the guy in the helicopter got me in the leg when I tried to jump on it. Dia tried to distract the guy, but he kept gunning for me," I finished. 

"You were already injured when you ran from the house," Joel surmised.

"Yes," I said quietly. 

The pretty green scenery was lulling me to sleep. 

"My men watched you run. You were so fast, none of them saw your injuries," Joel said, but kept his eyes on the road. 

The tiredness was back again, worse this time. I just wanted to rest so badly. My mate was close. I was safe. The animal in me desperately needed to curl up and sleep. The SUV was warm and comfortable. It felt like I was laying in a field drowsing on a lazy summer day.

"No," cut through my haze and I was up again, woken from my weird peaceful dream. "Stay awake, Elizabeth, no sleeping right now."  

I whimpered in protest, but stayed conscious. It was a relief when we finally pulled in front of the den. I was so glad to see home, perhaps I could sleep just a little bit now. 

The vehicle was barely stopped when Joel jumped out. I howled my displeasure at being moved again as Joel pulled me from the car. He tucked me to his chest and ignored my irritated sounds.

The den was alive with activity. Everyone got out of Joel's way, but they were all craning their necks to see me.

As we made our way deep into the den I saw the line of injured waiting for the infirmary and Sarah's attention. Joel strode past to the front of the line without hesitation. The wolf that would have been next stepped back giving Joel room to pass him.  

"That's not fair," I said struggling in Joel's grip. "I don't want to butt anybody. They were here first."

"Silence, mate," Joel growled and kicked the door to the infirmary to open it. 

Within moments I saw Sarah hovering over my face. She deftly cut my outfit off. I tried to explain to her I wasn't next, but she didn't listen to me either.  

I must have faded out for a second, because when I opened my eyes Will was suddenly there, too. Joel had been yelling my name at me. 

"How did you run like this?" Will asked when I focused on him. "How did you carry my mate?"

"I had to protect the human, she wouldn't survive the blast," slurred out of my mouth. 

Luna, I was so tired. I couldn't even begin to care that they were picking and digging in my wounds. I tried to struggle away to find a spot to rest. Suddenly, I felt myself tied to the table. 

My brain started to work again, a least better than it had been. Unpredictable or usually young warriors couldn't be expected to control their shift during the manipulation necessary to heal them. I didn't fight the restraints, it was for the protection of the healers. 

Will looked down at me as he spoke and pulled my last limb tight to the table, "I will care for you, Madam Alpha. Rest now, we will help you heal."

Joel stood at my other side glaring down at me. He was angry or frustrated, I couldn't tell which. Being next to him back at the den felt safe, though. I let myself fade out watching him. 

****

I woke up and I could hear Joel talking. It sounded like he was on the phone. Opening one eye and then the other I looked around our bedroom. He had put me in our bed, that had to be a good sign. 

Joel seemed to be talking to someone about the source magic. From the sound of it, he was in his office. That gave me a minute to figure out what was going on, without facing him.

Soft blankets were wrapped around my naked body cocooning me in our bed. The sun was just beginning to rise in the sky outside. Stretching out I felt stiff, but otherwise fine. 

I moved my legs slowly one at a time, expecting a chain to be wrapped around at least one of them. They moved freely and no new metal 'jewelry' was to be found. That disturbed me, the chain was the punishment I expected.

Perhaps I wasn't healed enough for his punishment yet. Unwinding from the blankets, I passed a hand over my belly and the skin was perfectly smooth. My leg was also healed, although there was a small dip in the flesh on the front. For all the damaged I'd suffered it was remarkably little scarring.  

I heard Joel end his conversation and put the phone down. There was so much to be said and so much I was afraid of hearing. My mind whirred to what I should say if he wanted me to leave. I wasn't ready for this conversation. 

Maybe if I played like I was still asleep I could get out of the inevitable for a few hours more. Shutting my eyes, I lay perfectly still on the bed. Breathing slow and deep I concentrated on doing anything to fool him. 

Soft footsteps told me Joel came to stand beside the bed. He wasn't leaving and he wasn't moving. When I felt warm lips running up my neck, I figured I was caught. 

"I'm awake," I told him softly while opening my eyes.

Joel was leaning over me and took his time nibbling at my ear. 

"You are a terrible actress," he said quietly. "Silly me, thinking my mate would submit, just because I'd yelled at her. If I'd paid you any attention at all, I'd have known you were up to something when you left the security suite." 

I kept my mouth shut. Meeting his eyes, I just lay still and waited. 

Joel broke the staring contest to sit heavily on the bed beside me. He looked out the window deep in thought. One of his hands found mine and he wound our fingers together. 

"I washed you," he told me. "I knew you'd hate to lay in our bed covered in blood, dirt, and potion."

That hadn't been what I was expecting. 

"Thank you, Joel, that was very considerate. I'm glad you took the time."

We sat silently for several more moments and I wondered what I should be doing. If he expected an apology, I wasn't going to give it. Despite what I knew he felt, I thought I'd done the right thing. 

"You didn't answer me," he said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question," I said assuming I had gotten lost in thought and not heard him.

Joel's gaze stayed outside the window as he spoke, "After the fight, I calmed down and tried to contact you. You didn't answer me and I couldn't push into your mind. I thought you were blocking me. Anthony's police friends found the truck you and Dia were in and followed it until you reached the forest."

Joel turned to watch me, "I didn't know why you wouldn't talk to me. I took great offense at first and then I became afraid. You are my mate. You are an Alpha with a valid opinion. I ignored you and spoke to you disrespectfully. I wasn't sure what you would do."

"Joel, I wasn't ignoring you. I don't even remember hearing you," I said sitting up.

I searched my memories and couldn't remember hearing anything from him once Dia and I reached the truck. Granted I was in and out of consciousness. Still, it seemed I should have heard something. 

"I thought you would leave me," he said softly. "It would be painful, but it can be done."

Now I was on my knees on the bed grabbing his face. "No, I wasn't leaving you, Joel. I swear. I went there to protect you. Why would I leave you? Dia and I were coming back to the den. I was in and out of consciousness. I never heard you. Please, believe me."

Joel smiled a sad smile and kissed my palm. "I know that now. Dia told me she couldn't keep you awake. I couldn't reach you when you were unconscious. I know I treated you badly and I am sorry."

I didn't know what to say to him. I couldn't imagine how horrible he must have felt. Just imagining calling out to him and finding a blank space made me physically ill. 

"I wanted blood," he continued, "I didn't want to sneak in and take the source. After everything we've been through, I wanted to prove we were stronger. However, they anticipated that. Rushing in with an army, like I had planned, was what they expected. Stealth was a far more effective tool."

I was still focused on his earlier comments and sought to console him. "But it all worked out," I said stroking him. "Nobody's leaving, right? You aren't worried about that anymore, are you?"

"No, love, I'm not worried about that anymore."

I hadn't meant to make him think that. My brain wouldn't come up with anything logical to say. 

"Well," I groused, "I don't understand why you had to meet us with a roadblock. It scared Dia. You knew I wasn't leaving. I was obviously heading home."

Joel laughed humorlessly before he spoke, "When I realized you were heading for the den, I felt relief and then apprehension. I thought you wanted to fight with me in person. You told me you prefer to speak as humans. I wanted to get it out before we got in front of the pack," he said watching me. "I was embarrassed."

I thought about the way he had approached the car. He had kept his strides purposeful and measured. Joel had wanted me to see his calm resolve before we argued. He hadn't expected me to be injured, which explained why his wolf leapt to the surface when he smelled my blood. 

"Oh, well, I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to sleep," I admitted.

"You needed to sleep, but Will and Sarah needed to remove the shrapnel from your wounds so they would heal properly," he said stroking my thigh. "I'm sorry I couldn't let you rest when you wanted to. It was dangerous for us when you went to sleep like that. If you woke up agitated, you could have lashed out." 

Of course that made sense. I cringed thinking of the danger I'd put Dia in. I knew injured wolves were dangerous, especially so in that netherworld of sleep and wake. They tended to lash out to defend themselves without hesitation. It just hadn't crossed my mind to think of myself that way. 

Joel looked so miserable. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face held an uncharacteristically sad expression. My hands moved to his face and shoulders to comfort him. 

"This is all screwed up," I said stroking him. "You're supposed to be angry with me, not hurt. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want the pack to suffer."

"Elizabeth, do you know what it would do to me to lose you? Do you understand the pain I would feel? In the future, since it is evident you hold very strong opinions about our pack, let's talk through our decisions. I won't shut you out and you won't run off on your own. Can we agree to do that?" Joel pleaded. 

"No more running off," I promised him.

"And no more shutting you out," he promised in return. 

We sat in silence for a while as he looked at me and I looked at him. Finally he spoke with a small smile, "I know we didn't plan to work together, but we made a good team."

"You liked having a man on the inside, didn't you?" I teased lightly.

"You are stronger than I thought you were, love. I'd never want to put you in harm's way, but you could certainly handle yourself in battle," Joel complimented. "I do need to teach you how to avoid getting shot, though. I never thought that needed to be part of your training." 

We sat watching each other for a moment before I couldn't wait any longer to ask.

"Did you destroy the source?"

"Yes," he told me, "you saw me crash the helicopter. The witch inside had a case containing the last of the source's parts. I threw them into the fire after the initial explosion."

"How did you get away from the blasts?" I asked.

"Well," he said moving me to sit on his lap, "I have a mate that is incredibly fast. I've spent the last several months trying to get quick enough to catch her. All that work on my speed turned out to be very beneficial overall."

Joel sat watching me on his lap. He smelled so good, I burrowed my face in his neck.

"Don't you want to know who the witch was?" he asked stroking down my spine.

"I don't know any witches," I mumbled. "That information will probably be lost on me."

"Really, I was under the impression you had met Davonna," he said twirling my hair with his fingers. 

My mind flashed back to months ago. The aged black women that Joel had invited over after Ryana had tried to poison me. She and Althea had given me a protective potion to drink every day. It stopped Ryana's spell from working in the clinic. I did know Davonna. 

I gagged suddenly. That potion was source magic. I had been drinking bits and pieces of the decaying werewolf. My stomach turned and I groaned into Joel's shoulder. 

"Nasty, nasty, nasty I was drinking Linda's dead body for how long before you stopped me? Oh, that is so gross," I complained. 

"You get side tracked by the oddest things, love. You eat dead things every day," Joel laughed. "Are you curious if her friend, Althea, was involved?"

I asked the required question and Joel told me no. Althea still lived in the same tiny house she always had. Her bank accounts never showed any change. Joel's contacts told him she was in no way connected to the company they found that handled the money for the potions.

"Where was Davonna?" I finally asked. "How do you know it was her?"

"Except for the gunman you saw me remove, she and the very unlucky pilot were the only other occupants of the helicopter. You should have seen the look of shock on her face," he said laughing. "She never expected us to stop her. She tried to hurl spells at me, but that obviously did not work."

"Where was the source?" I asked.

"In a case attached to her wrist, which I removed," he said proudly.

I sat on his lap and watched his dancing eyes for a moment. "Do you mean you removed her wrist?" I asked stupidly.

"With great pleasure," he said eyes no longer dancing but glowing. "She suffered mere moments of pain before the fire took her worthless life. The witch deserved much more for what she has put our family through."

My stomach turned a little at the image Joel painted. He didn't seem to notice and continued on with the story.

With the new information of Davonna's involvement the hackers took their search in a different direction. They were merciless with the witch's accounts. Soon the computer guys had directly linked her to the money from all the different web sites that sold the potions. She was most definitely the person benefiting from the sale of the spells. 

Gossip in the witch community was that Davonna had cut ties with all her old friends when she came into money. She had told them an elderly relative had died, leaving her a fortune. She had nothing to do with any of her old cronies. 

"Do you think she and Ryanna were working together?" I asked. 

That made sense but he somehow doubted it. Joel had said Ryanna bought the potion she used, not that it was given to her. 

"I don't think so," he told me. "No way to know now, though. I grabbed the case with the source's parts and let Davonna die with her possessions."

"Why did she do it?" I pondered. "Why did Davonna hate you all so much?"

"I doubt she hated us anymore than she hated anyone," Joel said stroking my arms, "from what we've determined she was always very money oriented. She's tried multiple get-rich-quick schemes over the years. She's bankrupted several times due to poor investing. It seemed she knew the source magic would be unbeatable and was interested in the money selling it would bring."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 18



"That's not very exciting," I commented and he laughed. 

"I'm sorry this doesn't have to be a near death experience for you. Linda wanted power in the pack and was going to use source magic to accomplish it. The witches wanted the money such powerful spells would bring. It seems it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for them. Linda's death stalled Davonna. She had to learn to use the source's decaying body and it took time," Joel surmised. 

"You really think this whole thing was all about money?" I asked feeling stunned.

"Most likely," Joel answered.

That was unsatisfying in a way, but it made sense. What evil in the world wasn't perpetuated for financial gain? Davonna had a made a fortune selling those spells; she probably thought the risk to the rest of us was worth it 

Joel had also been around when June finally woke up in the infirmary. Once her adopted family convinced her Joel wasn't a cold blooded killer, she talked to him. She recognized pictures of Davonna, but said she had never spoken with Althea. Only Davonna had ever approached her.

She reinforced Joel's opinion that the entire operation had been financially motivated. June had told Joel that Davonna had promised her untold riches if she would just convince a brother to cooperate. In all her dealings with Davonna the woman had been obsessed with money. 

Joel's reaction was so odd. I couldn't quite wrap my brain around it. He didn't seem at all upset as he sat and talked through everything with me. 

"So, you aren't mad at me?" I asked. 

"Oh, I'm furious, but at myself. I was so angry at the witches, I wasn't thinking clearly. I lied to and then nearly tortured a human female. I spoke cruelly to my mate and ignored what was sound advice. It is embarrassing and I am ashamed."

"Joel, it wasn't that bad," I said lamely. 

In truth it was and he looked at me with knowing eyes, speaking slowly.

"How would I have been looked upon if I tortured a someone I swore I would release? Would my pack be able to trust me again after that? Then, in a foolhardy show of bravado, I humiliated you in front of our warriors."

Joel hugged me close, "What do I get in return for such terrible behavior? A true friend to our pack in Dia. A loyal mate that put the safety of the pack above her own. It was not what I deserved, not by a long shot," he finished. 

Joel looked so unhappy. I knew what he had said was the truth, but seeing him like this wasn't what I wanted. What I had expected was the arrogant male I'd become accustomed to. At this point, I'd prefer to be wearing that horrible chain rather than see him upset. 

Shaking my head, I spoke to him. "I couldn't stand the idea of you doused in that potion. The idea of watching the warriors suffer when there was another way...I just couldn't do it. You are a good man, you jut had a lapse in judgement," I paused for a moment watching him and continued, "and so did I. I should have been more insistent with you, so we could agree on a plan. Sneaking around you wasn't right and walking into that house alone with Dia was dangerous."

Joel hugged me as he spoke and I hugged him back. 

"You have a right to your opinion and I overstepped you because I could. I was a fool, such a great fool. I am begging you to forgive me," he said slipping me off his lap. 

Joel got down on his knee and asked for forgiveness again.

"Joel, I forgive you. Do you forgive me?" I asked cradling his face. 

"Of course, you are too good to me, mate," he said kissing the tiny dent in my thigh. 

We sat quietly together with Joel kneeling and resting his head on my lap. As I stroked his hair I thought about what he'd said and what I'd done. We still hadn't learned to work together. 

We'd both been used to doing things our own way. Neither of us was particularly talented at listening to the other. If we couldn't overcome this hurdle our relationship would be very rocky. Healthy relationships are full of compromise, I knew that. 

It wasn't that I didn't want to listen to him. I just wanted him to take my opinions into consideration. When I was in the house he, Nate, and Anthony had all been in my head and we had worked together. They had listened to me and I had listened to them.  

"What the hell?" I said suddenly and Joel's head came off my lap. 

He watched me for a minute looking tense before he saw the confusion on my face. 

"What is it love?" he asked quizzically.

"In the witch's house I felt Nate and Anthony press into my mind. They gave me directions and worked with me," I paused for a moment and considered what I was about to say next. "I was still in my human form, Joel. How did they do that? How did I do that? Am I some sort of a freak?"

Joel grinned knowingly back at me. "How many did you kill in the house?" he asked.

"I killed at least seventeen and mortally wounded four others," I ground out.

The wolf started to rise as the memories flooded back. I luxuriated in the smell of the blood and the sounds of the screams. It was a fitting end for the people that had hurt my pack.  

Although I felt I should be horrified at the carnage, I wasn't. I saw the entire event through the eyes of the wolf and she was very pleased with how it turned out. The Alpha bitch protected the pack and all was well. 

"As a human I don't believe you could have done that with the efficiency necessary. I think the wolf was fully in control. You retained your human skin for a time because it was more stealthy, which the wolf would appreciate," Joel said resting back on his heels. 

I nodded, my wolf had appreciated the deception of walking up like a weak human female. All the better to fool the stupid witches was her opinion. 

"You, my love, are a powerful wolf and all of you is aware of that. When it was necessary you handed over control to your wolf. She did everything, except wear her own skin. I've heard of this happening before. You are very lucky to be able to do it," he finished stroking my legs.

I was bloodthirsty, but at least I wasn't a freak. 

My stomach growled loudly and Joel put a hand over it. "Come, it is time for breakfast to be served." 

"How long was I out?" 

"You've only been asleep since yesterday morning," he said leading me into the closet. 

As we walked through the den the air was jubilant. Looking out a window I saw wolves weaving in and out of the woods surrounding the den. They were in full party mode. 

The dining room was a chaotic place. Everyone stood up when we walked in and there were lots of hoots and howling. 

'They're excited because the source was destroyed?' I asked Joel through our bond. 

He laughed out loud and pulled my chair out for me. "They are excited because they are off the lock down. We protected them and now they can feel safe in our territory."

'Do they know that we disagreed so strongly on how that should have been done?' I asked using the bond again.

'Yes, and our disagreement, as you put it, upsets them. They expect us to act cohesively, anything less is seen as weakness,' Joel answered.

I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. The last thing we needed now was to have the pack see us as unstable. Leaning over I captured Joel's lips and spent several long seconds kissing him. Hopefully, affection would help settle any questions. 

Joel seemed to like my idea. He pulled me out of my chair and onto his lap. Wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders, I relaxed into his embrace. Our tongues dueled for long moments before we came up for air. 

"Fucking hell, man," I heard from behind me, "nobody's shy about showing affection are they?"

Turning in Joel's arms I saw Will and Dia approaching us. She was watching the dining room with wide eyes. Our display of affection was being copied by all the mated pairs in the hall. It was an interesting site. 

"Dia, baby," Will whispered, "watch your language. Didn't we talk about this? Try not to use a curse word every sentence."

"It's hard, Will," she said honestly, "but I'll try harder."

Dia noticed us watching and shot me a big grin. Will wrapped her in his arms nibbling at her ear, but she seemed determined to have a normal conversation. 

"You look better, Madam Alpha," she said addressing me, wiggling out of Will's persistent embrace. 

"I feel better, thank you. You look rested," I told her. 

"Yeah, I slept until early last night. When I woke up, Will and I had a long...discussion. I slept some more after that," she said stroking just to the left side of her neck.

Will looked jubilant standing behind her and he couldn't stop touching her. 

"You're mated, then?" I asked watching them. 

They still stood by the table and Will's smile got bigger. If they weren't mated now, they would be soon. 

"Yeah, damn weird experience," Dia said absently stroking Will's hands that were splayed across her middle. 

Joel snorted and Will laughed nuzzling into her hair. It seemed she couldn't say anything that would really upset him right now. 

"I didn't realize you were so virginal, Dia," Will said softly. "You want to go back upstairs and we'll do it over and over again until you don't think it's 'weird'?" he offered. 

"Fuck you," she said blandly over her shoulder. "You bit me. You didn't even warn me. That hurt and now the scar feels strange."

I knew exactly what she was feeling. Dia was just more blunt than I had ever been. Moving back to my chair I pointed to the seat next to me and asked Dia to sit. 

During breakfast I sat and talked to Dia. She already knew much more than I had at this stage, but she still had questions. Since I had been human before, I was able to answer some of them. We talked until one of Joel's Betas came up to the table bowing and addressing us. 

"My Alphas," he said respectfully when he was noticed, "the pack would like to celebrate tonight. Several have asked me and I bring the request to you."

Joel turned purposefully towards me and asked, "Mate, the pack would like to celebrate our victory tonight in the forest by the lake. Would you like us to do this?"

"As long as you would like to go, I think it's a good idea," I said politely. 

The room burst into applause when Joel said he thought we should go. 

'So we have to be vocal in agreeing with one another?' I questioned into his mind.

'As much as we can be, until they believe we are strong and stable. Otherwise we may have someone try to challenge us,' he said back to me.

'You could best any challenger,' I thought confidently.

'I could and I have before,' he answered, 'but the challenges are stressful for the pack. They fear their leaders may be replaced at a moment's notice. They become restless. It is not a healthy atmosphere.'

Joel looked calmly out over his pack in the dining room and I took his hand. We sat silently watching them for several long moments.

"What's a celebration entail?" Dia asked, breaking the silence at the table.

"Running, fucking, eating, and dancing," I told her succinctly. 

"Humans allowed?" she asked.

"I'll carry you there, Dia," Will said pulling her in for a kiss. "It wouldn't be a celebration without my mate."

Joel and I left the dining hall after we'd eaten. I leaned into him and held his hand as we walked. I loved him, so acting like it wasn't a problem. Looking for ways to express it was odd though. 

We walked in silence to the infirmary. It was a busy place today. I was surprised when Donna and the other human females approached me happily. 

The women I had been helping to care for had seen me brought in the day before. My wounds were gruesome and they panicked, thinking I was a goner. Even April, who was usually collected thanks to Rick's influence, had a bit of a breakdown. It took Sarah and Rick a long time to calm them. 

"Madam Alpha," the leader of the group, Donna, addressed me grinning, "we're so glad to see you up and moving about. When we first saw you, we thought for sure..." she trailed off, but I knew what she meant. 

I had looked bad the day before when they saw me. It was one of the drawbacks of having them stay in the infirmary. They got up close to all the sick and injured as they were brought in. 

"You healed quickly," April said coming to stand beside her friend and eyeing me critically.

"It's part of the change," I shrugged. "Werewolves heal faster than humans."

I stood for a while and talked to the women about the change. They seemed accepting of the idea now. The pack didn't scare them anymore and none of them were ready to die. 

They were just unhappy about the notion of impersonal public sex. Except for April, none of the other girls had found a mate. They knew what happened during a changing ritual. Doing that with just, some guy, while outside was nerve wracking. 

Joel interrupted to explain to them something I did not know. 

"We will take you to visit with the other packs, since you are willing. If we cannot find you mates then my highest ranking single Betas will change you. You will find someone in the ranks you feel comfortable with. The ceremony can be held privately. We will not force this issue with you," he said.

"But mine..." I started to say and stopped. 

He never gave me the option of a private ceremony. Of course I'd never asked, so that may have had something to do with it. 

"You were changing to be their Alpha, love, and I appreciate you going through the entire thing," Joel answered kissing my head. "The pack can be made to understand the victims of rogues may not embrace all of our customs, but they expected it of you."

I shrugged. The ceremony hadn't been bad, just odd. 

The conversation with Joel seemed alleviate many of the women's remaining fears. Today was certainly looking up.

Walking into June's room was an interesting experience. While Lucas couldn't heal broken bones, the tissue overlying was less sore when he licked it. Now his hybrid form stood over her stroking his tongue over her ribs around the chest tube. 

She lay in the bed and her wide brown eyes met mine as we walked in. 

"It must be working somewhat," I commented as Joel turned to look at me. "It's not bruised anymore and she's taking deeper breaths." 

I was pleased with the progress June was making.

The giant hybrid seemed to hesitate in his work for a moment, but Joel gave him permission to continue.

"Hi, June," I greeted the curious girl in the bed, "I am Alpha Latro's mate, Elizabeth."

"My brothers told me to call you Madam Alpha," she said stroking Lucas's head as he worked.

June was a sweet girl. She told us she had been orphaned at a young age and ran away from a foster home. She'd run into the renegade wolves and stayed with them for the last ten years. They were the best family she'd ever known. 

She seemed just as unsure as her adopted brothers had been about my relationship with Joel. 

"I remember you," she told me, "you saw me late one night in the clinic in town. I know you weren't a wolf then. My brothers told me wolves hated humans. This is all very hard to understand."

Lucas had shifted back to his human form and dressed. He shook his head and kissed her hand. 

"I've told her over and over again, Madam Alpha. She's adjusting to the new ideas," he said.

After visiting June, Joel and I passed through the rest of the infirmary. Several warriors were still healing from potion burns. Fortunately, with the source destroyed the wounds seemed to be healing at a much faster rate. I commented to Joel and he shrugged.

"Do you want to see something interesting?" he grinned. 

I shook my head 'yes' and Joel led us over to Sarah's makeshift lab on the far wall. He pulled out several small vials and handed them to me. They were a nauseating mixture of brown and green sludge.

"What are these?" I asked holding the vials closer to my face.

"Source magic, decomposing just like the source was," he said taking the bottles back. "It smells of Linda and death now, so we shouldn't open them around Lucas. He finds it distressing."

"Does the magic work anymore?" I asked.

"Not even a little," he said smiling. "Nate and Anthony tried several vials of spells with no effect."

"They drank that?!" I asked alarmed. 

I looked filthy and disgusting. I couldn't imagine putting it in my mouth. 

"For the good of the pack," he said putting the spells away again. 

"So everything is fixed?" I asked smiling, "No more spells, no more source magic doesn't that mean the problems are all gone."

Joel grinned paternally and looked down at me, 'Do you mean,' he sent into my head, 'are we fixed? That is an entirely different problem.'

He sighed and inclined his heads to the few warriors still in the infirmary. 'They do not trust us,' he said. 'They think we are ill fitted as an Alpha pair. None would dare say this to me directly, but they have been brazen enough to tell Nate.'

I sighed and shook my head. There had to be a way to fix this. Joel had worked too hard to create a strong pack to just have it destroyed in one night. 

The rest of the morning was odd. I tried to agree with Joel about everything and anything. Honestly, I felt like a parrot saying whatever he did. My hands rested over him and when he moved I went with him. Finally, he rolled his eyes and looked at me. 

'It won't work, love. I openly insulted you and you snuck around behind my back. The pack will learn to trust us again, but it will not be accomplished in a day,' he sent into my head. 'Besides all that, I've gotten so used to you disagreeing with me, this feels wrong.'

I grinned and rose on tip toes to kiss his lips. If he found it disconcerting I'd stop with the obvious stuff, but I swore to myself I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Next time I would go slow and talk to him about our decisions.  

The pack planned to have dinner at the celebration, so everyone was ready to go early. They were literally salivating at the idea of bounding through the woods. In fact, everyone was excited to go to the party. 

Rick remembered celebrations from when he was a child. He had excitedly told April, who told the other human women. They all begged to go and I had to go down to the infirmary to speak with them. 

"Donna, these celebrations are fun, but the wolves act like wolves," I told them. "I'm sure we can find someone to carry you, but you'd have to ride on a wolf's back. There will be lots of fun and dancing, but also lots of sex. Are you all ready for that?"

"Will they have sex with us?" Donna asked paling slightly.

"Not unless you want to and if you don't that's fine. I just don't want you to be surprised by what you see."

Donna sighed and looked at the other women, "You want us to be wolves, so we should go. We trust you when you say they won't hurt us. It sounds like fun, we want to be part of this."

It turned out be a simple matter finding someone to carry the women. The pack welcomed the women as new members, despite the circumstances, and was happy to help include them. Being their escorts turned out to be looked on as an honor, so it worked for everyone. 

We took off from the den as a group with the noon sun beating down on us. The pack left in waves following Joel and I. We hit the forest and bounded through it excitedly. 

In a mood for some fun I darted ahead of Joel and kept his nose right at my backside. He caught up and nipped at a haunch. I slowed back to his side and he pushed his shoulder against me. Joel was stronger than me and the push sent me several paces to the side as he darted ahead. 

'Not funny,' I called to him catching up and passing him. 

Our little game continued for several miles. Suddenly I noticed we were alone. Our pace was fun for us and an all out sprint for anyone else.

'Joel,' I laughed into his head, 'we're going too fast for the pack.'




Bound to My Mate Ch. 18



Slowing to a graceful lope Joel allowed everyone to catch up to us.

The forest was lovely this time of year. The growth was thick and green. All around us birds were chirping. In the air the summer flowers put out their fragrant scents. I couldn't wait to see what the lake looked like. 

'Good hunting, too,' Joel sent into my head. 'Would you like to lead the women for the hunt this time?'

'Absolutely!'

We made it to the big lake and the area was beautiful. The sun shone across the water and little waves lapped at the shore. The large field we used to celebrate was thick with grass. Shaking a few errant leaves out of my coat I paced the area taking it all in. 

I saw the human women carried in and thought it best to explain to them what was about to happen. Walking toward them I shifted back to a human form as they dismounted their rides. 

"I'm taking the women to hunt," I addressed Donna. "You'll see the fires started over there where we'll cook the meat."

Joel jointed me and I saw the women gasp and turn red. 

"Nudity isn't a big deal at all is it?" Donna asked. 

"Not in the least," he said rubbing my shoulders, pointing to the lake he continued. "You all can go for a swim if you'd like. The water is fine. I have a couple Omegas that brought you all drinks in coolers if you need it."

Joel's face became serious as he spoke next. "My pack is very sexual, but they know you all are off limits. You could take off your clothes and verbally invite sex from any man here. They will not touch you until I clear it. Swim, dance, and be relaxed," he said, "I want you all to enjoy yourselves today."

The men that had carried the women had all shifted. They nodded and murmured agreement, swearing to watch the women if Joel wasn't. If it was the Alpha's goal the women felt comfortable, it would also be the pack's goal. 

"Alpha Latro," April said softly, "Rick and I...may Rick and I..." she couldn't seem to get it out. 

"He is your mate," Joel said patting Rick's shoulder. "If you are willing, I would never stop you from having a physical relationship with him."

I had to suppress a grin watching Rick beside April. Her question had taken him off guard. His cock, which had been laying limply started to twitch and grow. It would be an interesting night indeed. 

Turning to me, Joel took my shoulders and I heard him in my head. He gave me directions on the best place to find prey around here. At the mention of the hunt my wolf was salivating in my mind. 

"Men," Joel called out, "prepare the fires. The women plan to bring us back a meal tonight."

Amid the howling and yelling I turned toward the forest becoming the wolf. The female Betas shifted and followed me. I opened my mind to them and they opened up to me. 

Hunting like this, linked up to my pack, made it too easy. They wanted to go the same place Joel had told me about, so I took us there. We found a bounty of wild game and were soon dragging it back. We would eat very well tonight. 

I delivered the carcass of the wild boar to Joel's feet and he seemed impressed. The big animal had put up a huge fight though. I'd rolled in the mud several times with it before I broke its neck. 

"Roasted boar," Joel roared, "dig a pit to cook this monster in!"

Several Omegas came and struggled to drag my kill toward the cooking fires. 

Joel stood as a man and eyed me curiously. The other women that had dragged back kills were circling their men, wanting to celebrate their prowess. I wanted to bathe. 

"Can you catch me before I make it to the water, love?" Joel taunted backing away. 

I tilted my head and watched him for a moment. Was he giving me the option to get in the water and wash off first? 

He bolted for the water as a man and I took off after him. Chasing him in my wolf form wasn't appealing if he wasn't running in that form, so I shifted. 

I tackled him as he hit the water line and we splashed into the lake. We tussled in a few inches of water and I ended up dirtier than when I started. Joel landed on top of me and he held my hands immobile. 

"I think I win," he laughed kissing a less muddy space on my cheek. "I get to wash you." 

Joel picked me up and took me deeper into the lake. His big hands soothed over every inch of my skin. Dunking me in the cool inviting water, he even washed my hair. The impromptu bath got me clean and incredibly horny. 

"I want you," I whispered to him rubbing my hands along his neck and chest. 

My arms wrapped around his neck and I pulled myself up his body. Leaning closer I kissed his lips and face, tasting the clean lake water and his unmistakeable scent. Running my tongue along his jaw I tasted all the way to his ear. 

Joel's hands stroked my back and reached down to grasp my buttocks. He encouraged me to wrap my legs around his waist.

"Ahh, so the bath worked," he sighed slipping into my tight sheath. "I thought it might make you more receptive."

"I'm always receptive for you," I moaned as he moved me over his length. 

I felt Joel walking through the water with his member firmly seated inside of me. I wasn't sure what he was doing until he pressed my back against a smooth rock jutting out of the lake. 

"Is it too sharp on your back, love?" he rasped out thrusting gently. 

The rock was cool and slippery, but nothing was uncomfortable about it. 

I barely got out the word 'no' before he captured my lips. He conquered my mouth with his tongue as his cock plundered me beneath the surface of the lake. The water slurped and splashed between us as he moved restlessly against me. 

His hands were occupied forcing my hips into his carnal rhythm. I used mine to stroke and stimulate him. The bunching flexing muscles beneath my palms stirred my primal instincts. Human nails dug into his back and this pulled strained growling from Joel's chest. 

He enjoyed the slight pain, I realized. Grabbing his shoulders I pulled him close. My mark sat proudly on his skin and I licked my lips watching it. His scent was addictive and his blood was like wine. Feeling sure he wouldn't mind I elongated my canines and sunk my teeth into his flesh. 

"Sweet Luna," he groaned as I growled and sunk my teeth farther into him. "Anything you want, mate, take anything you want."

His taste was indescribable and the heat coiled in my belly. I rubbed and jerked my hips against him seeking to take more of him deeper. Releasing the bite I rubbed my tongue against the mark. It wasn't to heal, I didn't want to do that, I just wanted to taste.

"You are a beast, mate," he muttered running his lips over the mark at the side of my neck.

Grinning at his assessment I flicked my tongue out with the intention to heal the small bleeding wounds. I wasn't that bad, most of the time. 

Once I was done, Joel captured my lips with his. I tasted his mouth with increasing vigor as he pummeled me against the rock. 

A wicked grin lit Joel's face and he moved his grip on my hips. His fingers crept beneath the water until he splayed his hands across the crack of my ass. 

"Tease," he whispered in my ear pressing a finger against the rosebud of my ass. 

Trapped between a literal rock and a hard place, I had no where to go. Joel watched my eyes as he stroked the sensitive tissue. It felt surprisingly good. I relaxed and grinned at him, allowing the strange caress. 

"You like this?" he asked running his finger over the tightly puckered tissue. 

His hips had slowed and I ground myself against the pads of his fingers. No one else could see where his hands were and it added fuel to the sexual energy. Sure the pack was watching him take me in the water, but they didn't know exactly what we were doing. 

"Yes," I answered nipping at his lower lip.

Pressing in he dipped a finger past the tight ring of muscle. "Do you like this?" he asked breathlessly.

"Fuck me harder, pack leader," I demanded writhing against him. 

His finger pressed in farther as he groaned, "Tease, beastly tease."

Intent on driving me wild he bent and pressed his lips against his mark. His finger mimicked the motion of his cock plunging in and out in a sympathetic rhythm. With only the water for lubrication I felt the stretch and the pull of each motion. 

"More," I wailed tightening my legs around his waist. 

A growl rolled through his chest and he pulled out. Turning me around he pressed my chest against the rock. I lay over the surface as he pulled my legs apart and entered from behind. 

Wet fur indicated it was the hybrid now taking me. A clawed hand pushed underneath me and grabbed a breast, the other hand held my hip. The pad of that vicious clawed thumb stroked over my receptive asshole, teasing me. 

A mighty thrust later his knot was firmly seated and his short panting breath indicated he was nearing his end. I was, too. The knot rubbed me from inside out and I felt the orgasm starting to crest. 

Screaming his name over the lake I gripped the slick boulder I was on for dear life. His unearthly howl nearly drowned it out as he spasmed inside of me. 

Fur receded and Joel's body shrunk, pulling me down into the water. We were completely locked and it seemed like getting out of the lake would be fairly graceless. With the pack watching, I wasn't sure I wanted to be stumbling around stuck to Joel's cock. He laughed out loud at the picture of us I painted. 

"My thought," Joel panted into my ear, "would be to crawl into shallow water and rest there. There is no reason to get out completely."

We lay in the shallow water resting and talking while the pack played around us. 

The human women, as anticipated, seemed a little taken aback by the celebration. Their guardians were true to their words, though. They took turns watching the women and never left them alone. Eventually, the women got bold enough and stripped, walking into the lake. 

Joel and I had come undone and went toward them. They were talking and laughing in the water. Someone had brought a ball and they played a makeshift game of keep away from their current guardian, Anthony. 

When we approached they stopped playing and greeted us. I noted April and Rick were not with them. 

"Well," Donna said uncomfortably, "you said they could...be close and April really wanted to. Rick took her into the woods to a quieter place. He wanted it to be private, in case she got scared and they had to stop. He thought it would be too much, with everyone around."

Anthony interrupted, "I told the kid, Rick, a nice place. It's somewhere not real close to the festivities. Most of us wouldn't go that far, so no one will bother them."

Joel shrugged and motioned for the ball, which they threw him. We joined the game for several minutes before wandering out of the water and onto the beach. 

I walked with Joel tagging along over to the cooking fires. The Omegas tending the meat were all sweating and working very hard. I felt bad for them, everyone else was having a good time. I had to ask Joel about it. 

"Service to the pack, my love," he told me. "They will enjoy the festivities later, but this is their duty to the family."

Katrina bounced up beside us in her usual flurry of activity. "Will you dance with us tonight, Elizabeth?" she asked.

"I can't dance, Katrina," I admitted embarrassed, "and I saw what you all did last time. It looked complicated." She looked crestfallen, so I took a big breath and continued, "I would really like it if you helped teach me, though."

Squealing excitedly she pulled me with her and called for Shawna. I prayed the wolf had more rhythm than I usually did or this was going to be awful.

The girls had a wonderful time teaching me to dance with them. Donna had been a dance instructor before she was taken and joined in. Having her help made a lot of difference. I hoped by the time it came time for this tonight I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself. 

"We'll keep to a few of the simpler dances we can teach you quickly," Shawna promised. "If you are dancing, you will be leading us. We won't do anything you can't do." 

As the sun started to set the cooks started to divide up the meat. A huge hunk of the hog I'd caught was presented to Joel and I. We ate and the rest of the pack dove into the feast. 

I noted the human women all sipping on bottled water and eating near us, but Rick and April still were missing. 

"Do you think they got lost?" I asked Joel worriedly. 

Rick wasn't from here and April was a human. It wasn't inconceivable to me they'd wandered too far and couldn't find their way back. 

"Wolves don't get lost," Joel laughed at me, "April was hurt before, you know that, he's probably just taking his time."

With the meal done, the wolves were ready for the dancing. The bonfires were lit and everyone got ready for entertainment. 

Evidently, being a wolf had given me more grace than I'd originally had. I did the dances with very little faltering. It did help that Donna, who had picked up the moves quickly, danced beside me and coached quietly when I needed it. 

When I finished I was surprised to see Joel rise from his spot and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You danced for me," he said as he passed, "my turn."

Joel was proficient, to say the least. The men's dancing far exceeded the technical skill of what we'd done. Obviously, they'd all done this before, though. 

The men's dance was complicated and intricate. It showed the beautiful form of every male that stood in front of the bonfire. The show they put on was spectacular. 

I would absolutely have to get better at this for next time, I decided. Joel looked alluring and frankly I wanted to jump his bones again. If I could make him feel the same way about me, I'd do it.

Joel came walking toward me in the dim light. I rose to my knees and waited for him. The wind blew softly from behind me and I hoped Joel noticed my arousal. Judging from the gleam in his eye and the swell of his member, he did. 

"Did you enjoy my show for you, Elizabeth?" he asked softly brushing hair off my face.

Leaning forward I licked him base to tip as I watched his eyes. 

"I'd take that as a yes," he whispered.

My mouth closed on the head of his shaft and I took him deeply. Grunting softly he ran his hands through my hair. Gripping the back of my head he pulled me forward, until I took him to the root. 

"Amazing, Elizabeth," he groaned massaging the back of my head.

I liked him like this, completely at my mercy. Looking in his eyes I put my teeth gently on him and sucked hard. As I withdrew off the thick rod I slid my tongue over the base licking and stimulating. 

It was surprising to hear feet approaching us rapidly. No one would dare interrupt the Alpha pair mating, even I knew that much. 

"Alpha Latro, Madam Alpha forgive me for interrupting. Please..." Rick's voice begged from beside us. 

Rick was down on his knees breathing hard with April beside him, she looked panicked and so did he. 

Joel was angry but concerned.

"This had better be good, young ones," he said menacingly. 

"Rogues, in the woods, I saw them as I brought April back. They had our females with them. No one I knew was in a form that could hear me. I didn't know what to do..." 

Rick abruptly stopped talking as Joel shifted into the seething black hybrid werewolf.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 19



Enjoy this chapter and do not fear the cliffhanger ending! I swear I didn't do it this time. Thank you to all the loyal fans who take the time to read and comment. Seeing a new comment makes my day. -DW 

*

"Don't call the pack with a howl," I begged Joel still on my knees. "The rogues don't know we know, yet. Let them think we aren't onto them."

"Shift," Joel ground out quietly, "everyone here shift now, pass the word quietly."

The pack was silent watching us. Those that heard the command shifted, those that didn't followed the lead of the wolves that did. 

I heard Joel's voice ordering all the warriors to take up positions around the pack. 

Joel pushed into my mind and into Rick's at the same time. 

'Which way and when?' he asked.

'They looked like they might have been heading north, sir, last I saw them was about thirty minutes ago,' Rick answered.

'No better directions?' Joel asked quietly.

'I didn't want to get caught, sir. I wanted to get back to you and warn you, sir. None of my brothers were shifted, I couldn't call out to anyone I knew.'

The black hybrid looked at Rick and the shivering little human next to him. Pushing into Joel thoughts, he held the same opinion I did. Rick would have stayed out of their way to protect April. He could have howled a warning, but that would have brought the rogues right to his mate. 

'It may be for the better,' I sent to Joel, 'if he howled we'd know, but they would, too. We have the element of surprise now.'

Joel didn't agree, not even a little bit, but he let it slide. Instead he focused on the warriors and divided everyone into search teams. 

I felt the weird push as the minds of the pack melded and centered on Joel's command. Everyone but Joel was quiet, but I could feel them all shifting anxiously in my head. 

'We need to hit the main roads out of the woods,' Joel told all of us. 'Trackers get in your teams. Fan out and find their routes, focus on the area north of us.'

The trackers bolted out from the clearing. I could feel their discomfort. The pack had been all over the area around us. Finding the trails the rogues had left would be difficult and we did not have time. 

'They'll want out of our territory,' Joel told me, although everyone could hear us. 'Most likely they carried the girls to waiting vehicles and they'll move them across the country.'

Betas were divided into teams to monitor the exit roads from the forest. This time of night there would be almost no traffic. If they saw anything, they could call in back up. 

'What about the service road in the northwest corner of the national forest?' I asked Joel. 'You could get on the interstate fairly easy from there, even though there isn't an official entrance ramp.'

All the warriors were in our heads now. I sensed them all listening for Joel's response.

'That is a long run from here, Elizabeth, even for powerful wolves,' Joel contemplated. 'However, that interstate is the most direct access out of our territory.'

I could see in his mind as he calculated the distance and the time necessary to reach the road. 

'I could make it quickly and just watch it. If they were there, I could just let you know,' I offered. 

'Love, if this is the second larger pack we were tracking, we are talking about perhaps thirty violent wolves. If they saw you, they would kill you.'

'I swear to you Joel, I wouldn't move on them without back up. If they went that way I'm the only wolf fast enough to make any difference,' I argued as politely as I could.

'No suicide runs, Elizabeth, just watch the road,' was his command and I bolted out of the clearing. 

In the back of my mind I heard him order five wolves to follow me. I couldn't concentrate on them. My feet, I just focused on my feet and moving them as fast as I ever had. I ran for the service road where it neared the interstate. 

It was a long shot that they'd take this route. It was a massive hike through the forest even for me, however, it was all I could do to help. Standing in the clearing while Joel organized and monitored the search would have driven me crazy. Watching a road was a job I could do. 

I kept tabs on Joel's planning as I ran. He was moving his base of operations to a clearing much farther north. Reports from the few trackers he had sent in other areas seemed to be saying that no rogues had been in those directions. He was closing in on where the rogues would be quickly. 

I heard Anthony in my head after several more minutes of zipping through the forest. He wasn't talking to everyone, just me. 

'Madam Alpha, we are behind you. I'm begging you to be careful and be on your guard.'

'I'm not ready to die just yet, Anthony. I'm just on a sight seeing tour,' I sent back to him. 

The service road was not well known, but it was secluded. It curved in a large S down the side of a mountain. It was intended to monitor the satellite dish at the top of a small hill. Once the road straightened out it ran for miles eventually dumping into route 301. 

The piece of road I was interested in bordered the interstate. The interstate wasn't busy at night and it would be easy enough to drive through the trees and merge.

I was getting closer to the road when the smell hit me: fear and pack blood. There were male scents mixed, but I didn't recognize them. 

Opening my connection to Joel I heard him send everyone in my direction.

Staying hidden in the dense foliage I darted along the road until I found a set of vehicles. I watched as the rogues tried to pull my girls into the vans. The small Omegas they had taken resisted as best they could. I longed to jump out and fight, but I was seriously outnumbered and the pack was on its way.

As I stood and watched the girls put up a final bid for freedom. They attacked the rogues as a pack in an effort for the fastest two to get away. The girls didn't get far enough to shift and were dragged back. It tore at my heart to watch this display. 

It seemed to take an eternity, but the rogues beat the girls until they forced them into the vans. They drove back toward 301 and the interstate. Remembering my promise I followed along beside them, but did not intercept.

The lights were on in one van and I watched a vicious looking male pummeling something on the floor. It was one of my girls; I was sure of it. My promise to Joel made me helpless and I hated it. 

'Mate,' Joel called into my mind in warning, 'just follow them.'

It took every bit of effort I had not to jump the caravan. 'Just watching, Joel, not doing anything more.'

Suddenly the lead van veered off. They were going to cut across the empty field, through the tree line, and onto the interstate. Once they were there I couldn't follow as easy and we'd have a hard time stopping them. 

'Joel, I can take out their tires with my claws and then get out of the way. It'll stop them from getting on the interstate. I will not engage them at all, I swear,' I pleaded. 

The van was almost to the trees when Joel made his decision. 'Destroy a tire on each van and get back up on the hill. Stay away from them.'

I struck like a snake, clawing the tires on the driver's side. I moved so fast I was just a white blur with claws. Quickly, I darted up the hill. 

Anthony and his group joined me near the top. They closed ranks around me silently. We had no other reinforcements, so we just waited. 

The rogues jumped out of the disabled vans. Several tried to bring the Omegas they had kidnapped with them. The girls knew we were close and continued to fight as best they could. 

I wanted to help them, to run down the hill and slay the monsters that had kidnapped my pack. I waited for Joel, though. He was right; I would lose this fight. 

Anthony seemed to sense by distress and comforted me softly. The girls would be fine, he said, the rest of the pack would get here in time. Luna, I hoped he was right. 

The rogues regrouped and seemed to be forming a plan. They tried to pull the women to follow them and my females resisted them. It was obvious the pack was near, so the women tried to stay put. 

Horrified, I watched the scene before me. If the rogues couldn't have the females, they weren't going to leave them alive. I saw massive claws raised above my girls' throats. They were going to murder them in front of me. 

Joel moved like a shadow intercepting the clawed hands. Anthony and my guards rushed to his side and started to battle with the rogues. Outnumbered as they were, my pack knew how to work together. The warriors attacked and countered slowly decimating the intruders. 

The Omegas scrambled to get out of the way. I watched them move into and under the disabled vehicles. They refused to be in the way of this fight. 

I stood on the hill and watched. This is what Joel wanted, me out of the way and safe, but I hated it. It took every bit of self control to just watch the battle unfold below me. 

Somehow in the melee the rogues managed to peel Anthony away from Joel. He was no match for the five to one odds they pitted against him. They bit and slashed until he lay on the ground bleeding from multiple wounds. 

I sensed that the rest of the warriors and they were still many minutes away. Anthony did not have minutes. The bloodthirsty look in the eyes of the rogues confirmed they were moving in for the kill. 

Anthony was a good wolf and a good man. He had looked out for me since the day Joel found me. I still remembered when he pulled me over, concerned because I was driving too recklessly. I couldn't let him die like this. 

Bolting down the mountain, I tore into the rogues surrounding my Beta. They didn't expect my speed and I injured them badly. My claws were bloody and my teeth dripped with their sinew within moments. 

I felt Joel's acceptance of my actions. He pushed the battle plan into my mind and I followed his directions to the letter. Joel knew how to plan and how to fight. I wanted to learn from him. 

Adding me to the skirmish seemed to diminish the small advantage the rogues had in number. Barely trained and still new to this life, I was an Alpha and a force to be reckoned with. By the time the full complement of warriors arrived, the battle was already over. 

Several of the rogues had run, we had seen them turn tail during the fight. Trackers arrived with the warriors and Joel set them to the task. We were agreed on this. No rogues were living on our territory ever again. Whoever had run would not live through the night. 

The trackers work was easy in this part of the forest. Joel wanted a search and destroy. He sent trackers with teams of warriors to find and neutralize any rogue they found. He moved briskly around the area, making sure they didn't miss anyone. While he organized that, I took care of the wounded. 

There was a lot of healing that needed to be done. Several girls had oddly angled broken bones and Anthony was still bleeding heavily. As the wolf I dragged Anthony closer to the huddled female Omegas and started to work. I cleaned and healed as best I could in the field. 

Several of Joel's warriors were standing around and I ordered them to change the tires I had destroyed. Using the vans we could deliver the wounded back to the den most efficiently. The men shifted and quickly got the vans back in working order so we could use them. 

The girls all clung to me when I got near them. They reeked of fear and pain. I couldn't stand it and nearly cleaned off skin in an effort to comfort them. 

I replayed the day in my head and knew we had made a mistake. We trusted our lands to be safe and didn't worry about security at the lake. The pack had been in grave danger and if it wasn't for Rick we would have lost members. 

I felt this was my fault. It was my job to protect my pack from danger. I had failed to anticipate their needs. We came so very close to losing some of them it made me shudder. I was guilty and angry all at once and my bad feelings did not end there.  

Watching the battle with the rogues as I stood on the hill had been horrific. I had been like a sentry and watched Anthony nearly be destroyed. It didn't matter it was because Joel had asked me to. It didn't even matter I had eventually stepped in. I felt I was weak and ineffectual. 

With all the negative thoughts going on in my head, my mood was volatile. I was protective of the rescued females and Anthony to a point I wouldn't let anyone near them. I growled and showed teeth when anyone tried to approached them. It was like I couldn't think other than to know my own needed protection. 

One of Anthony's good friends came too close and I nearly took a piece out of his shoulder. The wolf bolted to the side and rolled showing his belly. I was preparing to attack again when I heard Anthony's voice. 

'You know, Madam Alpha,' Anthony sent weakly into my mind, 'I think it's you. I've never spent this much time being injured in my life.' 

My wolf was agitated and angry, but that made me laugh inside. I had managed to get Anthony sent the infirmary at least twice now. It took effort, but I backed down and allowed the pack to approach the victims.

Joel padded over to me and rubbed his nose along my neck. I was forced to breath him in and it calmed me further.

'Relax, love, they are safe. You don't have to worry,' he crooned rubbing down along my side. 

'We worked together,' I said absently still trying to gather some measure of control. 

'Yes, we did. It was a good first step and I think the pack will recognize it,' he said continuing to stand close for a moment.

'They need to get back to the den,' I said turning my nose toward the injured. 'Anthony lost a lot of blood and several of the girls have broken bones.'

Joel ordered several of his warriors to run with the caravan back to the den. I would feel much more at ease once everyone was safely inside our home. The rogues had seriously damaged my sense of safety in the woods I now considered mine. 

The trackers got Joel's attention as several made there way to where we were. The bodies of escaping rogues were being dragged out of the undergrowth for Joel's inspection. They needed their leader to coordinate the search. Joel walked around counting the kills the warriors had made and planned the search for any remaining stragglers that may have gotten away. 

I padded along beside Joel and growled at every leaf that blew around us. Despite Joel's comments I was still upset and having trouble keeping a handle on it. The warriors all backed carefully away from me. My mood was at best, unpredictable. Joel noticed, but didn't fuss at me. 

'Get Dia's truck,' he ordered Nate instead. 'Have one of the men that work the docks drive it down here and pick up the remains. I'm sure one of them knows how to handle a semi. We'll take the remains to the circle and burn them.'

'Dia doesn't own the trailer,' I argued for some reason, 'whoever she was trucking for would own the trailer part. We can't use it to haul around dead bodies.'

My brain just wouldn't work right. I felt agitated and just wanted to fight with someone. If that someone was Joel, so be it. 

'Shift,' Joel ordered looking over at me, 'we will speak in our human form.' 

Joel shifted and stood in front of me waiting. I fought with the urge to just do what he said. Eventually, I transformed back to my human skin and took a defensive posture. Wolf form or not I was ready to battle at the slightest provocation. 

Moving quicker than I anticipated Joel wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. "Feeling a little anxious, love?" he asked quietly nuzzling my neck. 

I tried to pull away from him. I wanted to fight, not cuddle. He was so persistent, though. Joel forced me to breath against his chest, so every bit of air was saturated with his smell. Eventually, I melted into the embrace and let him hold me. 

"I bought Dia's trailer from the shipping company yesterday. It still reeks of Linda's body," he explained not letting go. "You are feeling pent up because I made you watch an attack on your pack and did not let you take part. An Alpha will always feel anxious when they don't think they are protecting members."

He continued to hold and stroke me gently as he spoke. "You did a very good job of stepping in when it was needed. Anthony is grateful you didn't watch him die. The girls are grateful you stopped the caravan. It was not weakness to let me handle the renegades in battle, although I may be forced to reconsider your ability there."

"How did you know?" I asked sinking farther into his arms. 

The urge to rip and kill was slowly subsiding and I felt more like myself now. 

"I've been at this a very long time, my love," he said running his hands up and down my back. 

"I didn't like watching," I grumbled.

"I know," he laughed, "but you did it to make me happy, thank you."

We stood for a few more moments before Joel got back to the task at hand. We both shifted so we would have contact with the rest of the pack. He had sent teams to find and destroy any remaining rogues. As they dragged back the kills, he monitored the search. 

Several minutes passed by and then Will arrived with a group dragging several dead renegades. They had been watching a road further west and were the last to arrive. Will and his group had intercepted a couple rogues that almost got away. 

Suddenly Will turned toward the entrance to the service road and growled low and long. He bolted toward the main road without a backward glance. Joel and I pushed into his mind at the same time. 

Will had felt Dia through their bond. She wouldn't let anyone else drive her truck, despite the Alpha's orders. It was hard for her to find the service road in the dark and her agitation had gotten Will's attention. Dia was with a single male Omega driving toward us with renegades possibly on the loose. 

I thought it was pretty classic, but Joel did not appreciate being ignored. The last thing he needed tonight was a human to watch after. Joel sent a cadre of his warriors to surround the truck and protect it's occupants. 

'Can you imagine,' Joel fumed watching the truck pull slowly down the road, 'what Will's father would say if I allowed Will's mate to be injured? He would be livid. Not to mention I've already had to hear an ear full about the way I treated her. What a disaster.'

I felt like a fool, but I wasn't sure why Will's father would care if Dia was hurt. 

'Please explain that to me,' I requested.

Joel shook his big wolfy head and spoke into my mind, 'A werewolf can only have pups with their mate. Dia is the link to Will's line being carried on. Most of us don't get a second chance at a mate. Lucas was an exception,' he said walking toward the truck. 

'Emily also found a second mate,' I said thoughtfully and Joel snorted.

'The young ones often confuse attraction with the mate bond. They become overanxious. I take great pains to ensure it is truly a mate bond when the younger wolves come to me. If Emily had truly found her mate, he would not have hurt her.'

Joel was walking toward the driver's side of the truck and watching it with interest. I had the feeling he was intent on giving Dia a piece of his mind, but Will beat him to it. 

When the rig ground to a halt and Dia jumped out, Will shifted to his human form. He stalked up and started to talk quietly and quickly to her. She wasn't quiet in her response. 

"It is MY damn truck. Alpha Latro owns the fucking trailer. If you want it hauled around with this rig, I do the driving!" she screamed at him. 

Will responded cooly, but he was obviously upset, "Do you have any idea what you're picking up? The rest of their pack is scattered in these woods, for all we know. You just brought them a portal of escape. I know you were lucky to escape harm two days ago, but you may not be so lucky a second time. I am begging you to stop taking chances."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 19



Will had backed Dia against the truck as he spoke and now stood staring down in her eyes. She looked like a sharp retort had been on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it and glared at him instead. 

"Dia, baby, just get in the truck and sit still. Lock the doors and let us load this thing up. I'm going to ask the Alpha if I can ride back with you. Can you do that for me?" he asked kissing her neck lightly. 

"It's my truck," she whispered fiercely jerking away, "I don't trust anybody else to drive it."

"I know, baby," Will murmured into her ear, "but it's dangerous out here. Please, let me take care of you."

Joel and I had continued to approach and I could see the uncertainty on Dia's face. She didn't seem like the type of girl that was used to being taken care of. My guess was she found Will's concern sweet, but stifling. The proud part of her was going to demand she resist. 

I shifted to a human form with Joel and addressed Will and Dia. 

"Dia, may I wait in the cab with you while they load the bodies? My mate is also anxious having me stand out here," I said gesturing around.

Joel raised an eyebrow at me, but otherwise said nothing. He understood what I was doing. 

"Is it a male wolf thing?" Dia asked watching me carefully. 

"Yes, they are very protective," I nodded.

That seemed to decide her. She wasn't being coddled, we were being coddled and it was normal. If I wasn't going to put up a fight, she shouldn't either. 

I walked to the passenger side and sat down as she crawled in her side. We locked the doors and waited. 

We sat and felt the truck shift and sway as the back was loaded. A wolf stood outside my door, guarding it and I could see the same arrangement on Dia's side. 

"He's a controlling prick," Dia fumed staring straight ahead. "I've taken care of myself for a long damn time. I don't need to be treated like a child."

"He'll get a little better once you've been changed," I offered. 

I knew how she felt. Joel had initially come across as smothering in his protectiveness. It was disconcerting to get used to. I decided to change the subject, this discussion was just going to aggravate Dia. 

"The boys said you came into money and started trucking. What happened that made you start doing this for a living?" I asked. 

"Stealing is really hard work," she explained turning to face me. "Every time you go on a job there's a chance you won't come back. I took a big job and made it my last. The trucking thing just seemed to fit me. I'm independent and I like to travel."

We talked about the lifestyle she'd led for a while. It was interesting to me. I'd never known anyone who had been a full time thief. 

Suddenly, Dia sighed and stroked the steering wheel. "I feel guilty now, though. I probably should sell the truck and give the money back to the last ones I stole from."

"Why in the world would you do that?" I asked. 

"The money for the truck came from stealing from Will's pack," she said bluntly. "Humans hired me to steal business secrets. I snuck into the den and took what they wanted. I didn't know it was Will's family until yesterday. He called his dad, Cedric, and talked to him. I recognized his name."

Dia was the thief that had us all up in arms months ago. Considering her background, I should have figured that out myself. 

Suddenly, I saw Will's face behind Dia staring in at her. He must have heard what she was thinking about through the mate bond. As I watched he used one finger to tap forcefully on the glass. 

Dia turned, looking guilty, and watched him. Will pointed to the door lock and jumped down off the side of the truck. 

"Damn it," Dia muttered before she opened the door, "I can't believe he heard that."

Will stepped back up so he was looming over Dia through the open door. 

"As the representative for my father's pack, that makes this MY truck," he told her softly, "so don't give me anymore trouble about who drives it."

Dia fumed at his words, "I said I MIGHT give back the money. I did a job fair and square. It's not my fault your family's security is lax."

"You'll help me work on the security then," he said leaning toward her, "but it doesn't change anything. Stealing is not legitimate business."

Dia glared at him for a moment and I wondered how bad this argument could get. If Dia held to her way of thinking it wouldn't be over soon. 

"And, Dia baby," Will continued, "if you want three trucks, I'll buy them all for you. I'm just begging you to stop risking your life."

That last statement seemed to quell the sharp retort Dia was about to make. Her shoulders dropped a little and Will leaned down to kiss her lips. He spent a long minute exploring her mouth as I sat amused behind them. 

"Fine," was all she said once he released her lips. 

I heard Joel calling to Will from outside and he jumped down grinning at Dia. When she turned toward me her face looked slightly flushed. 

"Hell of a debater," she said leaning back on the seat and I had to laugh at that.

Once the truck was loaded, Dia managed to get us back on the main road. The truck had a guard you could not miss as it headed for the den. 

Once we were home Joel had her deliver the bodies to the stone circle. They were unloaded and ready to be destroyed as soon as we could. 

The pack was already in the den, awaiting our arrival. They crowded the bottom floors and stood watching over the railings on all three levels. The warriors were met with pats on the back and howling. The noise Joel and I received was deafening. 

It wasn't like they didn't know what happened, but Joel took the time to formally explain it. He bounded up the stairs holding my hand and addressed everyone as they stood in the entranceway. His speech was short and to the point. 

After the speech Joel summoned his warriors out front. He was still concerned we may have missed a rogue or two. The den was placed on lockdown as he busied himself planning the search for any stragglers. 

Knowing his search would take time, I went to the infirmary to try and help there. As I opened the door to the infirmary the human women rushed to greet me. I had forgotten about them in the field, but Joel had evidently gotten them home safe. They were all very glad to see me.

Considering their past experience with the rogue packs, the women were remarkably well put together. Even April, although she was trembling, was able to talk with me. They felt safe with our pack. 

Joel had sent them in the middle of a heavy guard back to the den. The women had been impressed with the way the wolves worked to protect one another and them from a threat. It made them feel better about staying with us. 

With the humans taken care of I looked around the infirmary. Pulling on a pair of sweats I realized I was going to be busy. The girls the rogues had taken were being treated by the healer. I joined her as we set bones and cleaned injuries. 

Rick helped us with simple tasks, but he looked apprehensive and afraid. He watched me when he didn't think I noticed. I couldn't tell what he wanted. I just knew I was missing something I should be doing, but I couldn't think of what it was. 

Joel came into the infirmary a little while later. His movements were brisk and commanding. From the way he acted his reason for the visit must be to reassure the shaken victims. 

Joel stopped at the beds of the rescued females and checked each of them himself. He patted their arms and stroked their faces as he talked softly to them. Several of the girls leaned heavily into his hands. A tinge of jealousy turned my eyes gold watching him act so affectionately with other women. 

It took a moment to remind the wolf he was certainly still mine. Caring about the pack was an important part of his job; I couldn't take this away from him or them. They needed to know their protector loved them. 

After Joel was done with the women he walked into the center area and his eyes fell on Rick. That heavy blank stare had Rick sinking to his knees before the Alpha. A second later April was beside Rick, wrapping her arms around him and trembling. They watched Joel with wide eyes barely breathing. 

I understood now. Rick felt he had done something wrong, he had been waiting for me to dole out punishment. I had never really thought about that as part of my role in the pack. Evidently, I should give it more thought. 

Joel pushed me out of my moment of surprise by sending a question into my head. 

'What do you want to do with him?' he asked never breaking his gaze on Rick. 

I pushed aggressively into Joel's mind and sifted through his memories and knowledge on pack behavior. Rick was in trouble because he put himself and his needs above the pack's needs. Joel felt he should have warned us as soon as he saw the rogues. 

'April is pack,' I sent to Joel. 'She is the weakest member of the pack. If the rogues had found her, we would have lost her for good. He came to us as soon as he could, but he should have been able to call out to someone in their wolf form.'

Rick didn't seem to know anybody. It struck me that was because, unlike his adopted brothers who had new friends, he stayed in the infirmary watching April all the time. 

'You make a valid point,' Joel mused. 'Rick spends too much time in this infirmary doting on his mate. He has not taken the time to fully integrate with the pack.'

'I think it would be counterproductive to punish him for protecting April,' I said. 'You are right, he spends all his time with the humans. Rick doesn't know the pack at all.'

'He won't like it, but it is time we changed that,' Joel sent into my head. 

"Rick," Joel's voice finally sounded and I could see both Rick and April shiver, "you spend too much time in the infirmary. You have not taken the time necessary to get to know the pack. While we appreciate you protecting our most vulnerable member, you cannot ignore the rest. You will work in the kitchen until we are satisfied you are fully functional in this environment. We will talk about your duties once our concerns are satisfied." 

Rick and April looked up obviously relieved as Joel continued. "April needs to be changed at the next full moon. Will you do this?" he addressed her. 

"Yes, Alpha Latro, I am ready to change," she whispered still clinging to Rick. 

Joel came toward me and planted a kiss on my lips before striding out of the room. He still had much that needed looking after upstairs, so he didn't even glance back. I turned back to the female I had come from treating and started back cleaning her cuts and scratches. 

"Madam Alpha," Rick said quietly from beside me, "should I go find the head of the kitchen now?"

"Yes," I answered picking dirt and rock out of the girl's cut in front of me. The wound needed to be flushed so it would close quickly.

"Who would I be looking for Madam?" Rick asked hesitantly.

I stilled my hands for a moment and felt guilty. Rick was a friendly guy and I had been hoarding him down here for my own purposes. He didn't know anything about what went on with the pack that wasn't directly tied to the infirmary or our human guests. 

"Go the kitchen and ask for Margaret," I sighed, "tell her what Alpha Latro just said. If she has questions she can call me down here."

April was at Rick's elbow as she asked, "What about me, Madam Alpha? May I work in the kitchen?"

As I thought about her question, I heard Rick almost run out. April was doing well with the pack, having a job might help her do even better. The purpose of moving Rick was so he would meet more wolves, though. 

"Rick has to integrate with the pack," I told her. "If you are in the kitchen with him he will spend all his time with you. I want you to work and do something you enjoy, but Rick is going to the kitchens for a purpose."

April fiddled with the blankets at the edge of the bed and I turned back to the girl I had been working on. The deep claw mark I had cleaned on her leg looked like it could use a couple of stitches, so I pulled out a suture needle. I'd just use some absorbable sutures to close the deeper tissue. 

"I like to sew," April said quietly from beside me. 

"I'm assuming you don't mean this type of sewing," I asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"No, Madam Alpha, I like to sew clothes. It was what I was going to school for," she answered still fiddling with the blanket. 

My patient on the bed raised her head and looked at April. "We always need more seamstresses, Madam Alpha," she told me. "I work making clothing they sell at a new business downtown. It's all one of a kind, special order type of things. If the human can sew, she could work with us."

As I stitched the girl's leg she and April talked about the job. April was thrilled when I decided she could work with them. Before being taken April had studied fashion design and was happy that information could be put to use. The conversation also distracted my patient from the pain of the stitches, so I was fine to let them talk. 

Eventually everyone was patched up and taken care of. I was exhausted, which Sarah believed was due to my blood loss the day before. My body felt absolutely drained. 

Finally finished, I trudged upstairs to our suites to wait for Joel. I stripped and showered quickly. Although I wanted to wait for Joel, I didn't make it. My eyes were shut as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

It was near dawn when I pried my eyes open. Joel was laying behind me, definitely not asleep. He had wrapped his arms around me. One hand was carefully tweaking and pulling on a nipple, the other warmly cupping my mons. I felt his pole nestled securely between my buttocks.

"I know you're awake," he whispered in my ear kissing the skin underneath. 

"And I'm tired and grumpy," I grumbled trying to wiggle away. 

The wiggling did not have the intended effect. I separated my legs slightly and Joel's hand moved further between them. He moaned and thrust his staff between my cheeks, so I assume that I had further riled him. 

"Don't you need to sleep?" I groused pressing my breast into his hand. 

The tweaking got stronger and it was starting to feel very good. The hand between my legs was also stimulating as it sat there warming my nether regions. 

"Not yet, I had a very successful hunt, mate," he answered, "but it left me feeling excited once I was done." 

"Once you were done killing rogues?" I asked turning to look at him.

"Oh, yes," he whispered placing kisses along my cheek, "several rogues. The strongest managed to get away from us when we attacked the vehicles. The 'leadership' of the pack must have run."

I took a deep breath as he continued to kiss over to my ear. He didn't smell strongly of blood. He smelled like soap and Joel. 

"You don't smell like a man whose been fighting to the death," I blurted out.

A sharp tug on my nipple reminded me he still had me in a very vulnerable position. Moaning, I arched into his hand. I wondered what else I could say to make him repeat that motion.

"I bathed before I crawled in bed with you," he growled low in my ear. "You, love, are very particular about what level of sanitation is acceptable."

"It was a big fight?" I asked turning my head to watch his eyes.

The growl low in Joel's chest rumbled through me. The hand that had been between legs left to run along my thigh. His eyes turned gold as he remembered.

"I went with, Dominick, our best tracker back to the service road," Joel started and I interrupted him.

"I know Dominick, he's not that big as a wolf. You really went with just him."

"Dominick doesn't need to be big, love," Joel growled. "I trained him to fight. He's fast, like you, and he listened to my lessons. He's a lethal warrior and he always finds what he's hunting. Now do you want to know what he found?"

I placed a hand over Joel's naked hip and pulled it closer. "Tell me the whole story," I demanded. 

"I was right to think we had missed some. Dominick found the trail right away. There were six of them still on our land. They had set up an ambush," Joel said slowly thrusting his hips against me. "Fools thought they knew the lay of my territory better than I did."

It never struck me to worry about Joel, but I suddenly realized I should. "You were outnumbered," I stated trying to wiggle around and look at him. "Were you hurt?"

The sharp tug at my nipple returned and I realized he was upset with me. 

"Of course not," he scoffed rolling me flat on my back. "Do you think they could hurt me? Do I strike you as a man who is injured?"

Joel looked down at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face. Rolling to face him, I kissed his lips. 

"I forget how strong you are," I murmured stroking his face with my fingertips. "You are always so gentle with me." 

I moved my fingers lower across his chest and belly. The muscles slid smoothly underneath my hands, no scratches even. Continuing to watch his eyes, I traced my fingers up his back.

Quite suddenly I found myself with both hands pinned above my head as Joel towered over me. He settled between my thighs and pressed his length between us. I felt it burning warmly against my stomach.

"Are you checking me for injury?" he growled. "Don't you trust me?"

I raised an eyebrow at the challenge. Using a foot I ran the sole down the side of his leg, inspecting it. He, of course, was not at all injured, but appeared very perturbed. 

An idea came to mind and I grinned as I spoke, "You may need healing, mate, my tongue might help ease an ache you are feeling."

Joel liked that idea and rolled off of me onto his back. 

"Heal whatever you wish, mate," he said folding his hands behind his head. 

Joel is a fine specimen and he seemed to radiate power. Leaning down I brushed my tongue across his lips several times requesting entry. When he opened his mouth I tangled our tongues and didn't release him until we were both breathless. 

The beast beneath me groaned as I passed my lips over his neck, actually finding and healing one tiny scratch. That nick did look more like he'd done it with his razor, though. It didn't stop me from tasting the tiny cut completely. 

"That isn't where I'm aching, love," Joel rumbled.

Inching down the bed I tasted across his wide chest and took his nipples in my mouth. I grazed him with my sharp teeth and he didn't even wince. Joel just lay still and quiet as I worked. He was being much too non-pulsed so I reached down and stroked his tool with my hand. 

"Ah," he groaned, "now that is where I ache my love. Put your mouth there and cure me of that ill."

Allowing myself to brush my lips lower over his stomach he rumbled. When I finally encompassed his smooth heat in my mouth he moaned. The sweet sound made me want to hear it many times over. 

Kissing and licking, I worshipped his staff. The wet sound of my lips working over his manhood were the only sound in the room.

"Take me deeply, love," he commanded hoarsely from above me.

He was the perfect picture laid out before me. A thin sheen of sweat was slowly forming over his body. He knew what he wanted, but he was trying to let me get there on my own. I had to admire his control.

Grasping the pulsing shaft I lowered my mouth over it. I moved so I was kneeling between his legs as I bobbed up and down. With every downward stroke I took him deeper and deeper. Soon I didn't need my hand to help so I placed them on his rock solid thighs for leverage. 

The feel and taste of him was making me crazy. Wetness was pooling between my thighs and my nipples felt tight. I wanted him badly. 

Joel groaned and bucked beneath me. He brushed my hair away from my cheeks to enhance his view, but otherwise didn't interrupt as I attended to him. 

The moment the wolf started to take over, I knew. The base of Joel's cock became thicker and the entire thing grew slightly in width. Looking up into Joel's beautiful eyes the gold glow was already there. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 19



Before the wolf could grab me, I jumped. My feet hit the ground as Joel roared behind me. He had been right the day before, I was a tease. I knew a mock chase would make the wolf insane right now. It was impossible to resist.

I bolted toward the bedroom doors and turned to watch Joel. At this point I was absolutely positive he would break them down to get to me. His ire was up and he looked seriously irritated. 

'The Alpha needs a reward right now, mate,' Joel sent into my mind as he stood beside the bed watching me. 

I slowly moved a foot toward the main room and away from him. The resonating growl made my hair stand on end.

'Try it,' the Joel offered conversationally, 'you won't get far.'

I stood in the doorway and watched my mate. He stood tall and proud. The first rays of the sun gave a slight glow from behind him

"I don't want to get far," I purred enjoying the game. "I like it when you catch me. Come away from the bed and chase me."

Joel considered this new information and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Perhaps I'm not in the mood to chase you," he said moving to lean casually on the post at the foot of the bed. "I might be getting tired. At that point you could just go back to sleep, is that what you want, my love?"

With his peace said, Joel moved to sit and then lay on the bed. He stretched out on his side. Propping his head up on his hand he grinned and watched me. 

He could scent me and my arousal, damn him. Joel knew I wanted him to chase me. If I ran out the door, he'd just stay in the bed and wait for me to crawl back to him. We both knew he would not have to wait long. 

An idea struck me and I grinned, if he wanted me to beg him, I would. Let's just see how long he maintained his control. He'd come off the bed to get me before long. 

Dropping to my knees I crawled back toward the bed. My tits hung down beneath me and I could see Joel was watching them sway. 

"What exactly are you doing, mate?" he asked raising an eyebrow. 

Telling him I wanted him off the bed would defeat the purpose. I wanted to see if I could make him to come and get me of his own accord. 

"I'm sorry, my Alpha," I purred. "You deserve a reward. What do you want?"

I was less than ten feet from the bed now. Spreading my knees wide, I sat back on my heels. My fingertips ran from my knees up the play at the crease at my thighs. My sensitive ears heard Joel's breath hitch slightly. 

The show was working so I kept going. Lightly, I tickled my belly and up my ribs. Bypassing my breasts, I ran my fingers along my collarbones and up my neck. To top off my show, I tilted my head back to display my neck submissively. I allowed my hands to fall back down and rest behind me while pressing my chest out. 

Joel sat up and threw his legs off the bed. I grinned inwardly, it was a game in my mind and I was winning. He'd come off the bed and get me any minute. 

"That's a pretty picture to put in front of me, my love," he said softly, "but I see the defiance in your eyes. You don't think you can fool me, do you? I know what it looks like when a wolf submits to me and you aren't."

Bastard. I dropped my head and leveled my gaze on him. Joel just sat on the bed watching me.

I wanted him. His tool was hard and still very ready; it drew my eyes. Inadvertently, I licked my lips watching it. 

"Come and get me," I demanded and he laughed. 

"You were thinking you could trick me into coming to you, into chasing you?" he asked. 

The growl rose from deep down inside of me and he found that even funnier. 

I was so frustrated I didn't see his quick movement off the bed. He was behind me in a flash, raising me with an arm around my middle. There wasn't time to struggle before the sheets were in my view. Joel dropped me stomach down on the bed and I struggled to turn and see where he was. The frustration was replaced by a slight wariness.

The wolf in my presence had just hunted and killed all night. He was a trained warrior and I was aggravating him for fun. Perhaps a little real submission would have been a better idea. 

Just as I managed to turn over and get my bearings, Joel placed himself between my legs. He pushed me back against the mattress and towered over me, grinning ear to ear. 

"I have waited a century for my mate, love. It doesn't bother me if I have to come and get you," he said lowering his lips to nibble at my neck. 

When my head dropped back submissively this time, there was no falsehood in the gesture. My knees raised on either side of him, cradling him in my center. My hands softly stroked his shoulders down to his waist. I needed him badly. 

"Please," I whispered, "please take me, Joel." 

The thrust home was glorious and a long moan escaped my lips. Joel lowered himself further over me sliding his hands under my back to grip my shoulders. His teeth found his mark at the side of my neck and bit down hard on it. My moans got louder with each passing second. 

Joel wasn't gentle. He rammed himself home each time and held me still in his grip. Lucky for him, I wasn't gentle either.

I tried to hold Joel's entire body to me. One of my hands grasped and grabbed at the flexing muscle of his buttocks. I drove my nails into his flesh spurring him faster and harder. The other hand wrapped in his hair pulling and twisting the locks viciously. 

The wolf liked the aggression and I felt the shift as Joel started to change. He wrenched his head away to look down into my eyes. The gold glow told me who was in control now. 

I got dizzy as Joel withdrew and flipped me on the bed. He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back so he could growl into my ear. 

"Get on the floor by the bed and shift. I want my mate right now," he said in a low gravely voice. 

I loved it when Joel got all commanding and Alpha in the bedroom. Heading for the floor beside us, Joel smacked my ass.

"I like the other side of the bed," he said. 

I turned to watch at him with a quizzical look on my face and Joel was grinning roguishly. His dark hair was tousled and messy. He looked playful.

"Move it, woman, or I might decide to spank you again. It was fun the first time," he growled pushing me the other way. 

"Bossy," I grumbled crawling down to the floor. 

Would it really have made a difference which side of the bed I chose? 

Joel was on my back in an instant, seeking to crush me to the floor. We tussled and rolled, but he was stronger. The dominance was a real turn on and I started to lose control of my own shift. Besides that in wolf form I was faster and stronger. Let him subdue me that way, I thought. 

Unfortunately for me, Joel was also faster and stronger in his wolf form. He pinned me to the floor and took the scruff of my neck between his powerful jaws. I felt him poised waiting to take me. 

'You like it when I'm bossy,' he sent into my mind as his body entered mine again. 'You like toying with the Alpha male until I subdue you on the floor.'

It was a simple statement, sent into my mind without malice or judgement. 

'I don't mind,' he said pumping in and out of my willing flesh. 

I felt his large front paws wrapping around to hold me tight. My buttocks lifted in the air, seeking to give him easier access. As always, mating with Joel was an all encompassing experience. 

The orgasm swept out of nowhere. I felt loved and protected. The current position of being completely at the mercy of this giant powerful beast was an aphrodisiac. My brain swam with pleasure, so I opened myself to Joel. 

The wolf above me came with a long loud howl. Anyone in the den would have heard it and knew the Alpha male had claimed his mate. Odds are the rest of the mated warriors were doing the same thing right now. 

I fell to the ground with Joel at my back. I was sated and sleepy, so I drifted off curled into the warm beast behind me. 

I must have shifted back to a human form. At least when Joel removed himself from me later, I was human. We were also in bed. He must have moved us here. 

"Good morning, love," Joel said kissing my neck. "Are you going to bolt for the shower and force me to restrain you?" he teased. 

"Nope," I saucily replied. "I have a better idea. How about you clean me until I'm satisfied it's done right."

Joel grinned and went to work between my thighs. 

"So we've learned to work together," I moaned as his tongue rasped against my sensitive clit. 

"Mmm-hmm," Joel said from between my legs. 

"The pack saw it, too," I whispered getting lost in his tongue snaking in and out. 

"Mmm-hmm," Joel answered again, not pausing in his work. 

"So now we can relax, right? No more death threats, no more potions, it's all back to normal?" I asked tilting my pelvis toward him. 

Joel finally stopped licking and emerged from between my thighs with a big grin. 

"If by normal you mean we now get to travel with our human guests to every pack I have contact with. Then yes, it's normal. We have to protect them, mate them if we can, or at least change them. It will be months before we get this mess sorted out. Every pack in the country will be doing the same thing. It is going to be an enormous hassle," he groaned looking down at my pussy longingly. "I'd much rather be doing this."

"April already found a mate," I said helpfully. "That's one down."

"Wonderful," Joel sighed stroking my hips, "now we just have to help her go through the change. After that it still leaves us four more in this pack and at least that many in seven other packs."

"I'll help you," I offered stroking his hair.

"Oh, mate, you will certainly help me," Joel nodded kissing my lower stomach. "If there is one thing all of this has taught me, it's that you are an Alpha. I no longer shoulder this burden alone. Welcome to my world, love," he finished placing his face back against my slick folds. 

Joel was right, things weren't normal at all. The wolf packs were all planning visits so we could play match maker with our rescued humans. We were expected to be either playing host or traveling with the humans until it got sorted out. I found the entire thing draining. 

It didn't take long to realize Emily found the intricate planning fun. She enjoyed setting up the visits. While I barely listened to Margaret discuss the menus we would have for our guests, Emily interjected ideas. When we went with the guest lists to discuss accommodations with the house officer, Emily took extensive notes on her PDA.

"You'll need to know exactly who is in which room, Madam Alpha," she told me briskly. "If you need to talk to someone, you don't need to be knocking on doors."

She was right, of course. The accuracy of the statement did not change the fact it bored me. It was annoying, time consuming, and not at all interesting to me. I'd rather be holed up in the infirmary taking care of my frequently injured pack. 

"Emily," I finally told her, "I put you in charge of this. Its your baby, so to speak, make your Alphas proud."

She was ecstatic. The only thing she asked for was a PDA with more memory. I was more than happy to give it to her. I had the model she wanted shipped next day air. Emily was officially in charge of the match making and I escaped downstairs.

I had to admit Emily worked fast. We were ready for the first visit weeks before anyone else. The women coming were from Will's father's pack. They were being driven across the country caravan style. Their rooms were set up before they even left their den. 

The Benson pack leader, Cedric, was accompanying them on this journey. He was excited to meet Dia. From what he had told Joel and I, he was thrilled his son's mate was a resourceful as she was. He appreciated her skills and was eager to see her. 

Dia, it turned out, was not eager to meet Cedric. She heard Cedric was coming and tried to run. She thought he would be after retribution from the theft. Will had heard her plans through their bond. 

With Dia flung over a shoulder, Will came to our rooms. 

"Alpha Latro, I apologize for the inconvenience," Will said loudly and politely as Dia screamed, "Dia seems to want to get away from me by stealing one of your motorcycles. I've stopped her, but she's told me she's going to run again. I need to use the chain you had made for your mate."

Dia screamed a series of curse words I'm not sure I'd ever heard before. She became hysterical, kicking Will countless times in the stomach. One of the kicks landed below the belt of Will's jeans and he doubled over, dropping Dia. 

Joel stepped away as Dia rolled into our rooms. 

"Motherfucker!" she yelled pointing at Will as he tried to stand up. "Your father is going to kill me for stealing from him. Your reaction to that is to tie me up like a god damned dog?! Are you planning to help him? Is this mating shit a joke?"

She lashed out viciously at Will with her fists when she was done talking. He blocked her blows, but couldn't seem to find the words she would trust. They almost declared war in our sitting area before Joel spoke up. 

"Dia you are in my territory and in my den. I swear I will protect you with my life. You are considered pack. Will's father, Cedric, will not harm you. I assure you, he has no thought of hurting you anyway," Joel said trying to soothe her. 

At the time he had been barring the door to our suites so their battle didn't fall back out into the hall. Joel didn't want the rest of his pack to witness this particular incident. Will was still considered the heir to the Benson pack. This type of gossip would be embarrassing. 

"I know about your promises," Dia hissed at Joel still crouched and focusing on Will.

I saw the look of hurt on Joel's face. She'd never know how deep that comment cut him, but the battle wasn't near over yet. It looked to me like she was going for the knife I was sure she kept in her boot. I knew she didn't want to hurt Will, but her drive for self preservation was going to come first. 

"What about me," I said from the side. I moved slowly and with my palms opened outward. "You are pack to me, Dia, and a trusted friend. You and I have fought together. Would you trust me with your life a second time?"

Dia panted watching me. She still kept tabs on Will, though.

"I stole from Cedric. I know it embarrassed him. I've heard of what happens to thieves when the packs catch them," Dia said.

It was a good start. At least she didn't say she didn't trust me. 

I spoke up with confidence now, "Katrina, the Beta with the short hair and the limitless energy, do you know her?" I asked. 

"Hard to miss," Dia commented taking a less defensive posture.

"She was a thief. Katrina was caught stealing in the den many years ago. Saul recognized her as a mate and that was the end of it. She was forgiven and changed. Now she helps train us," I said and Joel nodded. 

That had been the right thing to say. 

"They will want payback," Dia said, but there wasn't conviction in it. 

"I assure you," I said confidently. "The old Alpha will want a grandchild more than anything else. If you want to give back to the pack financially, it probably wouldn't be refused, but it isn't expected. No one is going to want to see you harmed in any way." 

"Fine," Dia said placing her knife back in her boot, "but I'm not wearing some chain. You better get that out of your fucking skull right damned now," she finished pointing at Will. 

"Baby, I just want to keep you safe," Will pleaded, his voice nearly breaking. "Don't run away from me, please. I couldn't bear it if you did. The pain of it unmans me."

Will looked like he was truly hurting. It seemed to affect Dia finally. She approached and wrapped her arms around him. I could hear her soft apologies for not listening to him. The giant man buried his face in her shoulder and I swear his body shuddered. 

"Take a moment," Joel said motioning to me. 

We left our own suites to go find sanity somewhere else in the den. These days that was hard to find. I'd be glad when all this mating business was done.



Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



ENJOY! DW

*

All the unmated were in a frenzy over the meetings with the human women that were coming up. The den was alive with excitement and anticipation. It was hard to miss. 

The first group of women were being brought to us by Cedric Benson, Will's father. He and his pack had found them when they cleaned out the rouge dens in their territory. Much like the women we had found, they were being kept and claimed by the packs. Every effort went into finding them mates. 

The pack was sure that the women belonged in the werewolf world. They were seen as a treasure trove for the unmated. Nobody doubted they would be special and unique.

The whole thing had confused me before Joel explained. The wolves worked with humans every day, most of them. It wasn't like they had never seen a human before. I couldn't understand what made these humans different. 

What I didn't grasp was the focus of their belief system. 

The wolves trusted fate and believed their fate was sealed by their goddess. Considering how they found their mates, that made sense. They believed any human dropped into their lap was destined to be mated to a wolf. In their opinion, why else would Luna have sent them that human? 

That made sense to me, especially after watching Lucas and June's relationship. Lucas became a different man, a calmer man once June arrived. It was hard not to trust a system that worked such miracles. 

From the moment she arrived, Lucas spent every minute in the infirmary with June. We even ended up rolling a cot in for him to sleep on, because otherwise he'd sleep on the floor. The big man never left her side.

I was grateful for Lucas' help, because in the beginning June was kept too drugged to do much. He fed her when she was awake and kept her comfortable as she slept. I was shocked the first time I saw him change the bag of intravenous fluids. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. 

June was doing something to him, too. Lucas seemed calm. He didn't startle when the door opened and his eyes only darted around when she was in pain. Lucas was serene as he cared for his injured mate. 

The human women that stayed in the infirmary took note of Lucas' continued presence. They watched everything he did with curiosity. Despite my explanations, they could not understand what he was doing.

"He's in there again, Madam Alpha," Donna whispered in my ear one day, "and he's...he's...it looks like he's washing her."

"Donna, I've told you. Lucas is her mate, he is caring for her. I promise you he will never hurt her."

The women were upset. They didn't mind Lucas sitting with June or talking to her. The idea of him bathing the young, wounded woman really set them on edge though. 

"She told us she only met him once before Dia brought her here," Donna insisted. "June barely knows him and you know how she is when the pain medicines kick in. She wouldn't have the strength to call out for help."

There was panic in the women's eyes. Despite their acceptance of this life, they still struggled with not fearing wolves. After what had been done to them, I understood their difficulty.

"Come on," I said and walked to June's room. 

The women all stayed well behind me as I knocked and opened the door. 

Lucas sat inside, beside June's bed. He was working on cleaning the skin under her arm when I entered. As I watched, he put the soapy rag back into one tub of water. A second towel from clean water rinsed her arm and then he dried the entire thing. 

June was dozing as Lucas worked. Her eyes were only half open and she didn't seem to notice I'd come in. 

"June," I called softly, not wanting to startle her. 

Sleepy eyes looked up at Lucas first. He smiled at her and pointed toward me. 

"How are you June?" I asked propping the door open and stepping fully inside. 

"Fine, Madam," she said sounding groggy. "My neck was sore earlier, but Lucas rubbed it and now I feel much better." 

"Lucas is giving you a bath today?" I questioned.

"Yes, Madam, I'd prefer it if he did it and not the helpers. They are so busy and Lucas doesn't mind," she said waking up a little more.

The women were still behind me and peering into the doorway. 

"You aren't afraid of him?" I asked bluntly.

Lucas cocked his head to the side and looked at me with the oddest expression. June gave a short laugh and winced. She grabbed at her side where the chest tube had been. Lucas' attention turned immediately to her. 

Shifting his tongue only, Lucas moved the bed sheet out of the way. He took long licks over the entire side of her chest. Unintentionally, he had exposed a taut breast, but he ignored it. He worked across her ribs until she breathed easier. 

"Oh, that's good Lucas," June sighed. "I hope it gets better soon. I feel like such an invalid."

"It will," I assured her as Lucas recovered her body with the sheet. 

"Why do you think I would be afraid of Lucas?" June asked as she stroked a hand down his beard. 

"He's a wolf and you're a human, June," I reasoned. "He's much larger than you and you barely know him."

Now both of them had the same quizzical looks on their faces. 

"He's my mate, Madam," June said, obviously confused. "I feel safe with him. Lucas would never hurt me; I know that."

"If I scared you in the past, I apologize, Madam Alpha," Lucas said shaking his head. "I meant no harm those many months ago. My mind was not right then; it is better now."

A sound came from the doorway and Donna stepped in shivering lightly.

"You're nude beneath those blankets, June, he could do anything to you," Donna said. "A man can't be trusted under those circumstances," she finished looking down. 

June looked between Donna and I for a moment before she spoke, "A mate can be trusted," she said. "The men here can be trusted," she gestured to the den. 

"I don't see how you know any of that," Donna said looking up. 

"My brothers live upstairs," June said with authority. "I know them. They wouldn't stand to watch abuse. They've seen too much of it in their lives. The pack is as peaceful and loving as they claim to be. If they weren't, my brothers would have removed me from here long ago."

The women stood and watched June for a moment longer before they disappeared from the door. 

I smiled at June and Lucas after the women left. I thanked them quietly for their help and left so they could continue June's bath.

The rescued women huddled in Donna's room and talked. After a few minutes I gave in to my instincts and called Rick down. He sat with them for several hours working through their fears. 

He really was amazing when it came to dealing with our psychically injured humans. Absently, I wondered what the other packs were doing with their rescued women, perhaps the same things. Hopefully, all packs had a person like Rick they could turn to. 

The pack continued to be wound up about the impending visit of the human females. It made being upstairs in the den a hectic place. Fights broke out over nothing and Joel was constantly reprimanding someone. I made a point to keep myself out of all of it and stayed resolutely downstairs. 

Soon even my sanctuary was dragged into the mating frenzy. June was healing fast from her injuries. She wanted to be better because she wanted to be with Lucas, her mate, in every way. 

It wasn't that I had something against physical relationships. In fact, I was happy to see June talking to the other women about how much she wanted Lucas. I hoped it would help the humans see the good in mated relationships.

My concern was that June was still healing from two fairly nasty fractures; both her arm and leg on the left side were broken. I worried about her not being able to handle the wolf's aggressive style of mating.

June knew what the wolf wanted to do to her and it didn't scare her. I told her I didn't want her that active yet. If Lucas got too rough, she could re-injure her healing limbs. That really upset June, she wanted to be with Lucas badly. 

It became a battle of wills down in the infirmary. Every day June found novel ways to tempt Lucas. He didn't want to hurt her, so he made an effort to listen to me. Lucas pleased her daily with his hands and tongue, but she wanted all of him.

From outside her door I heard her begging him. She wanted him to crawl over her and take her, damn any consequences. I walked in to find Lucas on the bed beside June, his hand buried between her legs, trying to sate her.

"Lucas, let me show you something," I told the surprised couple.

"No, Madam, I'm so close. At least let us have this," she begged. 

The air was literally saturated with the rich scent of their arousal.

"Up, Lucas," I ordered. 

The beds in the infirmary were all meant to be used for delivering children. They broke apart so the person helping deliver the child could stand between the woman's spread legs. When the bed was like that the woman on the bed was still fully supported by the structure under her, including her legs.

Quickly, I showed Lucas how to use the controls to set the height and how to take the bed apart. He moved between June's spread and supported legs staring down at his flushed mate. The understanding lit his eyes gold. 

"If you stood there, you could have her. It won't make the wolf perfectly happy, but I wouldn't worry that she was in a position to re break any bones," I told him. 

"My wolf will wait," Lucas promised hoarsely, "a taste of her will sustain me."

As Lucas removed the rest of his clothes while staring down at a panting June, I covered the little window in the room from the inside. Not that either of them seemed concerned with privacy, but it was the polite thing to do. 

"If she gets too active and her wounds hurt her afterward, let me know and I'll give her pain medication," I promised them as I stepped out. 

I doubted I'd hear from them for a very long time. 

The bed came apart every day after that. June was insatiable when it came to Lucas. He thanked me for finding a way to let him have his mate and not hurt her while doing it. 

The sexual energy emanating from June's room had ended up making my sanctuary, ie the infirmary, into a strangely tense place. I'd be ecstatic when June was well and could be moved to Lucas' rooms in the den. For now she just needed too much assistance to be put upstairs. 

All this concern about mating brought the talk of the visiting humans back to the forefront. I couldn't escape the pack's excitement about the visit. It felt like we were in sexual overdrive waiting for the first group to arrive. 

To put it lightly, I was glad when the train of SUV's came rolling toward the den holding Cedric and his rescued women. I knew it would be strange while they were here, but it would mean one down. We'd be that much closer to getting back to normal. 

Emily had the entire thing planned out. She told me she had scheduled times for the unmated in the pack to meet and greet the women in a safe environment. Everyone unmated was literally on lockdown unless they were at a meeting. It seemed strange. 

"Okay, Joel, question," I said watching the caravan drive down the road. "Why are we so worried about safety? The unmated are being treated like rabid animals. They aren't allowed out and every meeting Emily scheduled has a literal guard of our strongest mated Betas present."

Joel raised an eyebrow and looked down at me like I had two heads. 

"Do you remember Luna Ferus, love?" he asked incredulously. 

"Yes, you got really fresh with me, but I never felt I needed a guard around you."

Joel shook his head and looked down at me.

"Let me explain. It took every ounce of my self control to let you leave that bathroom alone. I nearly shifted when I smelled your arousal in the dining room. Had I been younger or less in control of my urges, you would have ended up slung over my shoulder and mated in the first space I could find," he said. "That would have made you angry. You wouldn't have understood and would have hated and feared me." 

"Well, Rick must have super human self control. He never acted out around April. He didn't touch her until many days after they met," I said still confused. "He didn't mate her until the celebration at the lake." 

Rick was young. He should not be in control of his urges according to Joel's theory. 

"Elizabeth," Joel sighed, "what did April smell like the day she and Rick first met?"

I remembered the dining room and the acrid scent of fear emanating from all the women at the table. April, especially, always smelled fearful. Her panic overwhelmed her, she couldn't sleep more than an hour at a time without medicines, before Rick. 

I started to understand and Joel finished with a clarification. "Rick responded to his mate's needs. She was afraid, near out of her mind with it. The wolf in Rick knew she was safe with you, the Alpha bitch, so he didn't lash out. He just sought to comfort her."

"Oh."

"The women arriving today will probably have been put at ease. They will be surrounded by Cedric's Betas and were promised protection. The Alpha is even traveling with them. If a wolf found it's mate with one of them, the poor man may over react and scare the women. None of us want that to happen," Joel finished raising an arm in greeting as the Expeditions stopped in front of us. 

The first person to step out was the Alpha male, Will's father. Betas, male and female, followed him out and started unloading their luggage. They watched the human women and spoke to them in comforting voices. 

The Alpha approached us with a purposeful stride. Joel had told me Cedric Benson was a warm and funny man. He looked a lot like Will, except with slightly graying temples. He eyed me up and down with some humor on his face. I assumed he and Will had probably discussed my many adventures. We talked amicably as the women unloaded. 

I saw what Joel meant about the women needing protection. The unmated in my pack were salivating at the chance to find a mate. Behind us no one was in the main lobby of the den, Joel had ordered it clear. The windows in every room were crowded with faces. Cedric's Betas were watching the faces in the windows intently. 

One of the larger men placed his hand on a shivering woman's arm and I heard him softly reassuring her. Much like in our pack these Betas took protecting their charges seriously, from real or imagined threats. The woman leaned into his touch and seemed to take some comfort from it. 

I heard laughing voices as our human females came outside. We had told Donna and the other humans that women were coming from another pack. I wanted our humans to come greet them. Seeing that humans were treated well here may help our new guests feel relaxed. 

Donna walked out confidently, as always, with a pretty summer sun dress on. She was laughing and talking to April about making a line of women's dance wear. Looking up at the women in front of her she raised a hand in greeting. She stepped forward and took her usual position in front of the rest of the women. 

What happened next was so fast, even I nearly missed it. One of the Betas surrounding Cedric's women shot forward toward Donna. He was mid shift into a large grey wolf when Joel collided with him. 

The two men landed on the front of one of the Expeditions, crushing the hood. My wolf went into overdrive and I shifted, ripping out of my clothes. I took a defensive stance between our visitors and the door to the den. 

It felt wrong growling at terrified human women, so I just stood and watched. Joel had subdued the grey wolf and forced his submission. As he backed away to stand next to me, Cedric was firmly demanding the man shift back. 

I heard the sounds coming from the women Cedric had brought. They sounded worried about the grey wolf, who they called Paul. They didn't understand why he'd acted that way. He was always so sweet to them. They were all very concerned. 

Cedric was giving the man a talking to I would have hated to get. That much lack of control was not tolerated. He said he couldn't decide if should demote him, beat him, or do all of the above. 

"Well, what the hell is wrong with you?" I heard Donna scream from behind me. 

She was huddled against the brick face of our den, but she hadn't gone back inside with the other women. 

"Are you and idiot? Don't you have any sense?" she screamed coming forward. 

I had to give her credit, she was acting braver than I would have expected. Admittedly, she smartly stayed behind Joel and I, but she said her peace. 

"I'm sorry," the man stuttered. 

He was back to being human with short cropped blonde hair and obvious bite wounds on his neck. Despite the wounds and the tongue lashing, his raging erection had not diminished at all.

He spoke, looking right past Joel and I, speaking directly to Donna. "It has been so long. I never thought I would find my mate. You have to understand, I'd given up hope. My wolf was so lonely. Your face, your voice, and your scent they all call to me. Please, I beg you. It was excitement, not aggression that made me act badly. Forgive me."

"That doesn't make any sense," Donna said bluntly. "Why would you shift and jump at someone like that? You could have killed me!"

The man, Paul, got down on his knees and held his hands at his sides. "I just wanted to get close to you, to verify it was real. I swear I'll never hurt you. Please, let me get close to you."

Donna had crept slowly forward until she stood between the front shoulders of my mate and I. She was interested in him, too.

"I feel something strange when I look at him," she told us. "I think I want to be near him, but I'm scared," Donna finished looking down into Joel's bright eyes. 

Joel walked toward the kneeling man and looked back at Donna. He wanted her to follow him. This idiot Paul could check her out if she allowed it, but Joel would bite his head off if he tried anything stupid. 

Since the emergency was over, my animal half was bored. I shifted back to my human skin, since I'd need it to apologize for scaring the six women huddled by the vehicles. 

Nudity was very acceptable in the pack, but looking at someone new always got the men's attention. I saw Cedric and his crew grin when I shifted back. I rolled my eyes at their blatant attention and started to call out to the human women. 

Joel's low growl stopped everything. He had seen the same thing I had seen and it pissed him off. I saw eyes drop immediately off my form. 

"Ladies, I am the Madam Alpha, Elizabeth. I apologize if we scared you. I would like to welcome you to our home."

"We could really use a bathroom break, Madam Alpha," one of the small women spoke up from the back of the group. 

Emily had showed up with a pair of sweats for Joel and I. She offered to take the women inside to the quarters they would be using. A set of female wolves would be on hand to handle getting them settled, but Cedric's Betas went with the women to make them comfortable. 

I threw on the now familiar emergency wear and stepped toward Cedric. 

"So," he said crossing his arms, "it appears that we will only be able to take mated Betas with us when we go on these little excursions. I apologize, Elizabeth, I didn't realize your humans would be greeting us. With the exception of Paul's outburst, it was a good idea."

"I apologize, Alphas," the kneeling man said sounding dazed. 

Donna had one hand on Joel and was running her fingers along Paul's cheek. 

"Of course you do, Paul," Cedric sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "As the human stated, you acted like an idiot and ruined one of our new vehicles. No wonder the damned dealership loves us so much."

"I'll pay you back, sir," Paul whispered as Donna knelt on the drive in front of him. 

Paul made no attempt to grab Donna, but seemed to be content letting her explore him. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



"You're...aroused," she said softly glancing down at Paul's bobbing erection. 

"All for you, beautiful girl. I've never seen a creature so alluring. I promise I'll bring you pleasure, all that you can stand," Paul whispered leaning closer to Donna. 

He wanted to scent her, but he didn't want to piss of the large Alpha next to her. Donna had been hanging out with us enough to know what Paul was trying to do. She tilted her head to the right to open her neck up to his exploration.

Joel took that as a sign she was no longer afraid and stepped back. When he shifted to his human form I passed him the pair of sweats Emily had brought. 

"Luna, I hope it's not like this every time," Joel said. 

Cedric grunted in response. 

"So," Joel said crossing his arms and watching the other Alpha, "how are we going to do this?"

I stood confused for a moment before I understood. Were we losing our female or was Cedric losing a Beta?

"You already have my son for now, Joel," Cedric chided, "I'd prefer to keep at least a few of my strongest at home."

"Thought he was being demoted. I could use a guy to clean the windows," Joel said cooly appraising the male slowly licking up Donna's neck. 

The guy was built like a rock. Joel didn't want him to clean windows that was for sure. He'd make a fine addition to the warriors. 

"Patience, young man," Cedric said to Joel and I stifled a laugh, "this little mating dance isn't done yet. I still have six females you may gain."

"You're trading us?" Donna shrieked standing up and pointing at Joel. "You're just going to give us away?"

She was panicking now. Fear and anxiety boiled off her in waves. It was actually more than when the giant wolf leapt at her. Donna was safe in the Latro pack, she was terrified to go anywhere else. 

Paul rose beside Donna. His strong arms wrapped around her and kept her steady. Paul soothed her and he turned Donna's body toward him. Her accusatory gaze stayed on Joel, though. 

"We will discuss it with you, child," Cedric said moving cautiously forward. 

Tears ran in rivers down her face and Donna looked crushed. I hadn't seen her this defeated since the day we took her in. Her broken sobs were wrenching. 

"You aren't being abandoned," Paul said wiping the tears with his thumb. "You have me. No one will ever hurt you again. Come on, my brave beautiful girl, don't be afraid."

"You don't even know my name," she sobbed pushing at his chest. 

Paul didn't let her go and smiled instead, "Tell me your name." 

"Donna Marie McCalister," she said formally, now alternating between watching Cedric and Joel. 

"Paul Adams of the Benson pack, very pleased to meet you," he said kissing the top of her head. "You have to at least come visit my family," Paul said throwing a glance to Cedric. "My sisters will want to meet you. My mother will love you. Please, don't decide you don't like us yet."

"I have no family to introduce you to," she said dully watching the ground. "I am a dead woman, at least according to the papers."

"We will share family then, Donna Marie," Paul crooned stroking her back. "The women in my family will all side with you in any argument, I am sure. They never agree with me. They will love you unconditionally. It will not replace all you have lost, but I will give you all I have. Please, give us a chance."

Donna pressed her face into Paul's chest and shook her head yes. Cedric smiled at Paul and nodded. Evidently Cedric had been through this before and had trained his Betas the way to talk to the victims. 

Emily reappeared and I asked her to find a room for Paul and Donna. Donna's room in the infirmary was too busy a place for a soon to be mated couple. I wanted them put somewhere close to the rest of the Benson pack. My gut told me we weren't gaining that Beta. 

I was just wondering where Will and Dia were. It was odd that Will had not come out to meet his father. That mystery was solved as soon as we walked in the den. 

Will looked absolutely exasperated and stood at an entrance to the hallway under the stairs. It led to a small series of rooms that was infrequently used. Dia stood behind Will, ready to jump behind the door and close off that section of the den. 

"Dad, nice to see you. Please promise my mate you won't hurt her and you don't demand payment for the theft at our den," Will said in a bored tone. 

Cedric grinned and stepped toward them. Feeling a little silly, I got in front of him and spoke with authority. 

"Dia, your son's mate, has requested the Latro pack protect her. We have sworn to do that to the best of our abilities. Please state whether you wish to harm this human, she is under our protection," I said hoping my little show would make Dia come out and play nice. 

Cedric's grin got bigger watching me. I guessed he was old enough all this chest puffing seemed kind of silly. 

"The Benson pack does not demand any retribution from the human that stole from us. I will not punish her or allow any harm to come to her. The human is not in danger, you have my word, Madam Alpha," Cedric said formally. 

I watched Cedric's face and his eyes were twinkling merrily. Will's father had a much better sense of humor than Will had, this was funny to him. I wished I could tell Dia that. 

A piece of paper with keys taped to it hit the marble floor and slid to Cedric's feet.

"Title to my truck and the keys, they are yours, Alpha Benson. It's the best payment I can offer you," Dia said still behind Will.

Cedric picked up the package and looked it over. "I had been told your mate was something of a hell raiser. Have you lied to me son?" Cedric asked still smiling. 

"I'm not an idiot," Dia said pushing past Will. "I've seen what angry wolves do to humans that attack their dens."

Dia's eyes were blazing, but the dark circles underneath told me she hadn't been sleeping well. Poor girl honestly believed Will's family would hurt her. It explained the completely out of character cowering she had been doing. 

"Ah," Cedric said striding forward and taking her head in his hands, "I see the stress marring your features, child. This isn't good for you. An Alpha's word is their bond. You have been offered protection by both our packs, you will not be harmed. Come to my rooms. There is a tea my mother used to make. It will relax you."

I looked at Joel with raised eyebrow as Cedric lead Dia up the stairs with an arm around her waist. He was still chatting away about the marvelous tea he would make her. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. 

"There is a set of rooms for visiting Alpha's. Cedric has stayed there before," Joel said watching them go. 

Will passed by Joel following his dad and Joel grabbed his arm. 

"You must impress upon her that what I did was wrong," Joel said, "she still believes an Alpha will lie to her. When you all take your parent's place, she must understand the correct way to act." 

"Yes, Alpha Latro," Will said automatically. 

Joel kept his hold on Will's arm and they didn't break their gaze. Will sighed and said what had been on his mind.

"She wasn't ever honest with anyone about anything. She found our ways refreshing. Dia respected our culture. What you did, it blew her expectations away. I don't know how to fix it," Will said looking the way his mate had gone. 

"Your father is a fresh face for Dia. Perhaps a fresh start," Joel sighed, "I will talk with him."

"Dad will fix this," Will said with conviction. "He has been around a long time and has a great deal of practice. I trust he will know what to say."

Joel released Will to follow his father. 

"Perhaps it would be better for Dia if I sent them home with Cedric," he said leading me to our rooms. "Despite Will's conviction he is learning here, his mate doesn't feel safe with us."

We got our answer to Joel's question at dinner. It was a private affair tonight held in one of the smaller dining rooms. Joel and I were breaking bread with Cedric's pack and the human females. 

The hall we were in was still fairly sizable. The women were seated together along a large table. Most of Cedric's Betas sat at another table. Cedric, Will, Dia, Joel, and I sat at our own smaller table. 

"What do you plan to have my Dia do after she is changed?" Cedric asked Joel. 

The phrasing was surprising, Cedric claimed Dia and was leaving her here. Joel didn't answer quickly enough and Cedric went on to explain Dia was bored just hanging out at the den. She needed something to do. His bright expectant eyes held Joel's for an uncomfortably long length of time. 

Joel spoke finally, "You know what I own Cedric. The business at the docks, the hotel, a new clothing venture, and several restaurants."

"Perhaps the local college has a place for her," Cedric said happily. "None of what you offer could sate my girl's creative spirit."

"I have contacts," Joel said slowly. "I'm sure I could get her placed in the next semester's classes."

"Good, good," Cedric said patting Dia's arm, "you choose whatever you want to study my girl. The bill goes to me, of course. It will give Will time to finish his studies, too. The boy has to get that degree finished."

Dia smiled at Cedric and looked warily over at us. I didn't get the feeling she wanted to stay. She trusted Alpha Cedric Benson, she'd obviously prefer to be with him. It just wasn't the appropriate time to talk about it. 

Instead of focusing on them, I watched Donna and Paul. He was eating at the table with the human females. The women from the Benson back all seemed at ease around him. Our women had initially looked leery of him, but warmed up quickly. I hoped he would be good for Donna. 

"Elizabeth," Cedric said bringing me back to the conversation, "I take it you have not been to one of these events we will have tomorrow."

"No," I told him shaking my head, "I've never been to one."

"They are a strange occurrence," he said dropping his tone so no one past our table could hear us. "We cannot simply parade the poor women past your eligible bachelors without making them feel like meat."

"Oh, no that would be bad," I said suddenly realizing I had left the planning of what was probably a delicate event to Emily, who was younger than I was. 

"What we usually do is pretend it is a social gathering. We send in ten or twenty men at a time to have some punch and cookies with the available ladies. As one leaves, another is admitted. The humans find it acceptable and the wolves tolerate the experience. How have you planned it?" he grinned. 

'JOEL,' I shouted through our bond, 'I have no idea what Emily planned.'

Oh god, had Emily planned a meat market? Were we about to be embarrassed in front of this old Alpha? My heart fluttered thinking about it. 

Cedric just continued to smile watching me.

"Cedric," Joel sighed, "don't panic my mate for fun. She is still new to this. Love," he said addressing me, "Emily called the other packs and we are all doing this the same way. That's how she set it up."

"Oh, good," I said feeling relieved, "but apparently I should have already known that."

"Don't let dad get you down, Madam Alpha," Will cut in eyeing his father ruefully, "he's just good pointing out a person's perceived deficiencies. My mother probably noted you never called them about the arrangements, only Emily did."

"No, no," I argued, "he makes a valid point. I should pay more attention to how things work."

"You are the Alpha bitch," Cedric said nodding. "It is your job to know what is going on at all times. The more attention you pay to what's going on around you, the less mistakes you will make that must be fixed later," he said eyeing Joel critically.  

"Hard to miss that one, dad," Will said staring at his plate. "Be a little more obvious next time and just call Alpha Latro down to his own circle." 

I looked between my dinner companions and wasn't sure what was going on. Will looked like a petulant child, Cedric looked calm, Dia looked confused, and Joel looked contrite. 

"Dia," Joel said looking over at her, "I owe you an apology I know you are not ready to accept. I never should have forced you to stay with us. Beyond that, threatening to harm you was beyond reprehensible. That is not how I was raised, which Cedric knows, and it is not how I usually act. I feel great remorse and hope one day you will forgive me."

"Thank you, Alpha Latro," Dia said reflexively, "I forg-"

Cedric cut her off with a wave of his hand. "My dear, I highly doubt this is the one day Joel was referring to. When you truly understand what happened that day, you may forgive him, not a moment before."

Dia hated being babied. She was irritated with Cedric's assessment that she couldn't figure this out on her own and it showed. 

"Alpha Benson," she said formally, "I am well versed in what a mistake is. I have made plenty of them. That day Alpha Latro was upset because the source had been in this town the whole time. I would have been upset, too, if someone dropped that "package" off at my door and refused to explain it. Hell, I might've gone back on my word and made them stay."

"An Alpha's word is their bond, my dear. It is a sacred-"

Dia cut him off this time. Her voice was raising and the human women were openly staring at us. Cedric's Betas were trying hard to ignore us. 

"It wasn't completely a mistake. If I had left and the witches had lived through the night, they would have hunted me down. Will was right, they would have found me," she huffed breathing hard and watching Cedric warily. 

"And threatening to torture you?" Cedric pushed watching her squirm. 

"That was a...bad thing, a desperate act. I can understand why he wanted the information quickly. The witches would have declared war on this pack when they found out Alpha Latro destroyed their money maker," Dia said. 

"That was a mistake, then," Cedric clarified.

"Yes, a mistake and I understand why he made it. Desperation to save his family drove him to do it. It's the reason everyone feels safe here. The Alpha would do anything to protect them, even if it shames him," Dia said.

"Ah, is that how it works?" Cedric asked taking a sip of his wine.

"Nobody is perfect all the time Alpha Benson. Circumstances drive us to what we have to for survival," Dia said. 

"Call me Cedric, Dia. You must understand, an Alpha's life is different. We are defined by our choices. The whole of our society is defined by our choices," Cedric said smiling.

"Then make the best choices you can, but don't expect perfection. Life isn't like that," Dia said gulping from her glass and slamming it back down. 

"Interesting perspective," Cedric said tasting the vegetable medley on his plate. 

Dia stabbed angrily at the food in front of her. Watching her I was sure she wasn't far from storming off. What I wasn't sure of was who she was more angry at: Cedric, Joel, or herself. 

Cedric grinned, quite satisfied with the way the conversation had turned out. I was torn with whether he was trying to force Dia to consider forgiveness or chastise Joel for a bad decision. Really, it could have gone either way. 

When Joel and I climbed the stairs after our nightly run, I was glad to see the bedroom. This day had been stressful and annoying. If anyone came to our door tonight I was tempted to pretend we weren't home. 

"Cedric is...," I whispered to Joel when we curled up together under the blankets. I couldn't find the word to describe him. 

"A good Alpha," Joel chuckled, "always in control and always teaching. He was my father's friend. Cedric swore to me he would do whatever he could to help me when I became Alpha. At the time I was powerful, but too young and inexperienced."

"Who was he teaching today?" I asked sitting up. 

"All of us," Joel grinned crossing his arms behind his head. "Dia needs to learn how to be a fair and respectable Alpha, capable of both anger and forgiveness. You need to be more involved with certain things and I need to control my temper better." 

"You don't mind him calling you out like that, in front of everyone?" I asked. 

I'd never seen Joel talked to like that by anyone.

"Cedric is my mentor, he'll probably always reserve the right to talk to me like that. It's one of the prices I pay to have the knowledge and wisdom he has gained over the years at my disposal," Joel shrugged. 

"So, not even a little irritation?" I fumed.

"Are you mad he called you out, love?" Joel laughed watching me. 

I watched him through narrowed eyes. Yes, I was upset another Alpha had noticed I hadn't been up to speed. Being knee deep in guts down in the infirmary was preferable to the boring things I had Emily do for me. I breezed past the mechanics of pack management because Joel and Emily did most of it. 

"Maybe," I equivocated instead.

"Meaning, yes," Joel said rolling to face me.

"Fine, yes," I frumped laying down and pulling the covers up to my chin. 

"I'd love it if you willingly spent time with me in pack meetings," Joel said softly watching my eyes. "I like having you near me. Your ideas are always novel and I enjoy listening to them. I know you don't like the meetings, though."

My hand went out to trace the line of Joel's cheek. I had hoped he didn't notice I avoided meetings with a passion. 

"I'll be better, Joel," I whispered as his lips brushed mine. 

"I know, my love," he said pulling me so we snuggled together, "we both will."

The next day dawned and I was anxious as soon as I opened my eyes. After seeing Paul's reaction to Donna the day before, I was nervous to see what would happen when we paraded our men past these women. Hopefully, it would not turn into a huge fight. 

Seeing the worry on my face as we dressed, Joel consoled me. 

"Love, we've done this before. We just weren't this formal about it. When we brought the women into the den initially, there was a risk. It's why we had them dine with the pack. A wolf finding its mate doesn't have to be violent."

"Quit changing your story," I fumed, "yesterday you said you wanted to kidnap me from dinner that first night. I'm just nervous we're going to have to take down some raging wolf...again."

"I know Paul," Joel laughed, "he's always been full of energy. I believe him when he says he'd given up on mating. His wolf just lost control momentarily. He never would have hurt Donna, though. Probably knocked her down and smelled her hard-"

I cut him off with a sharp sound. "Humans are fragile creatures Joel. The wrong move, even a slight one with enough force, could kill. I'm just nervous about it is all. The pack is all wound up about this."

"I'll talk to the pack again," Joel promised kissing my head. "We will remind them this morning how important their control is."

Joel and I took our breakfast with the pack in the main dining hall. The Benson pack and the humans ate in a smaller hall. The meet and greet would start about ten and last until it was done. At breakfast, Joel addressed the pack again warned them to be careful. They seemed to take his warning seriously. 

The pack was all excited and we ate in mostly silence, which was strange. When Paul, Cedric's Beta, came into the room the small amount of conversation died. Everyone watched as he came toward Joel and I. 

Paul walked with the easy gait of a powerful man. His face carried a small smile as though his appearance in the hall was completely normal. As he approached closer I could see the tension around his eyes, something had happened. 

Joel rose and I followed him. We stepped into the food preparation area and Joel ordered everyone out. Paul stepped through the door and closed it before bowing his head to Joel. 

"Speak freely, Paul," Joel commanded. 

"Alpha Latro, one of the females became upset this morning. The other women did not tell us because they feared we would lock her in a room in the infirmary. She hung herself from a fan in the room she was staying in," he said bluntly.




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



"Is she alive?" I asked, ready to run to the infirmary.

"No," Paul answered softly.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"She wrote a note. She has never stopped believing we were like those that took her initially. The thought of being forced to live that way terrified her. She had been looking for a way out of her choosing, permanently."

He sighed and continued, "When we told the other women, they weren't surprised. One of them told us she believed the choice of when and how to die should belong to them. Another of them broke in front of us, screaming we could take their freedom, but not their souls. After their outbursts this morning, I'm not sure how many of them really trust us."

"Get Rick and April," I said looking at Joel, "send them in to talk with these women."

"We have spoken with them many times, Madam Alpha," Paul said to me keeping his head low. "I'm not sure what these two wolves could say that would be different."

"Are you questioning my mate?" Joel growled.

"I only wished to say we have tried talking to them. It is not as though we have left them to their own devices. It is my Alpha's ability in this matter I seek to protect, sir," Paul said with his shoulders curling forward. 

Paul was doing everything he could to look submissive in front of Joel. Having had Joel's jaws around my own neck, I understood his impetus. Now was not the time for a power game, though, so I interrupted them. 

"I have someone in my pack that is very good at this, exceptionally good at this, Paul. His mate is one of the humans we found. Call Cedric, Joel. He needs to give Rick and April unrestricted access to his women. We have to fix this before we subject these women to the mating game," I said looking at Joel. 

I left the kitchen with Rick and April in tow several minutes later. Rick seemed confused to be told he wasn't working in the kitchen today. As we walked upstairs following Paul, Rick spoke up. 

"Madam Alpha, am I not doing a good job in the kitchens?" he asked. "I'm not a great cook, but I've learned to cut and section meat. I do it well, most of the time. Has Margaret complained?"

"You and I both know your talents are wasted in the kitchen, Rick," I told him. "You are only there to make friends, which I hope you are doing."

He seemed relieved, but still confused. "Yes, I have new friends. Margaret tries to let me do the food service so I meet more of the pack, but I'm not very good at it. I dropped a tray of drinks yesterday. I haven't learned the correct way to balance one," he said. "What am I doing now, though, if I may ask?"

We turned down the corridor leading to the suites the Benson pack were using and April spoke up. 

"It's the women," she said softly. "There is a problem with the women. You want Rick to fix it, the way he fixed us."

We had reached the door the women were waiting behind and I nodded turning to face them. Paul stepped down the hall to greet the other Betas there. They were all watching Rick and April with interest. I know what they saw, a small human woman and a young male wolf. Neither of them looked like anything special. 

"Rick, one of the women killed herself today, the other women don't trust us. We need them to see this our way," I said feeling guilty.

I knew what I was asking Rick to convince them to do. Give up their families and their past, just pick up and start over with us. In my heart I didn't believe it was fair. If it had been my choice, I probably would just have let them all go. 

"Madam Alpha," Rick said quietly, "may I speak to you."

Oh Luna, he was going to refuse. He probably felt like I did and didn't want to play the mind games to make these women see it our way. 

Oh well, we'd do the mating thing and try to keep them alive until they left our territory. 

"Of course, Rick, say what ever you need to," I said sounding defeated even to myself. 

Rick stepped uncomfortably close to me, but I held my ground. He leaned forward until he was literally whispering in my ear. His breath on my neck made weird little shivers run down my spine. It was disconcerting. 

"It's not my place to tell this to you, Madam Alpha," he said quietly, glancing at the Betas lining the hall, "so I apologize if it seems rude. I get the feeling from you that you think what I do for these women is somehow wrong or a trick."

I was surprised with his assessment, but nodded my agreement. 

"It's not," he said, "I've been reading our history in the library on my off time."

"A long time ago, they would occasionally let the humans that stumbled onto us leave. We were lucky when all that happened was the human returned. Horrible things were set in motion when the humans stayed away."

"They tried to forget us, but they couldn't. Most were driven to madness and in their insanity they talked. People would come and hunt us based on the ravings of these crazy humans."

"In the end, we would have to find everyone the human had told, plus the original human. The packs ended up slaughtering everyone that knew. Entire villages were wiped out."

I was shocked and sucked in a gasp, but Rick continued to speak.

"There is something about facing a creature they don't know exists that changes the way these people view the world. We are powerful and fantastic to them, but we do not appear in their history or their beliefs. It is as though everything they have been told is a lie. They begin to doubt. Soon their ability to discern fantasy from reality evaporates. Eventually they can't function in their normal lives and their world falls into bedlam."

Rick took a step back and lowered his head submissively in front of me. 

"Why did you look all this up?" I asked him.

"I wanted to understand why it was so important they stayed," he said, "I saw the guilt in your eyes when you spoke to them. Part of me wondered if such an emotion did not have merit. Perhaps what we were doing was wrong, perhaps what I had helped do was wrong."

"I apologize if I was not clear with you, Rick. I am grateful you saved our women. Please save these women."

"Of course, Madam Alpha, I will do my best. It was important to me that you understand why we do this, though," Rick said meeting my gaze briefly before lowering his eyes. 

He was right. There was no way to return to a normal life after this. If we let the women go, they would be always be afraid some not so imaginary creature was waiting for them. The fear would leave them unable to live a normal life. Madness was probably a blessing at that point. 

"Rick," I said laying a hand on his shoulder, "you are wiser than your years. Please help these women accept us."

"Of course, my Alpha," Rick said taking April's hand and stepping in to greet the humans from the Benson pack. 

I stayed in the hall for a while after Rick went inside. Part of me expected shouting or screaming, I don't know why. These women just seemed angrier than ours ever had. 

"They've had longer to dwell," Joel said leaning on the wall beside me.

I hadn't heard him sneak up on me and evidently I had been broadcasting my thoughts to him. 

"You pushed into my mind and reached out to me when Rick invaded your personal space," Joel said. "Evidently your wolf wanted me to know why another male was that close to you."

"He is very perceptive," I told Joel watching the door Rick had disappeared behind.

"Much more so than me and I find that disturbing," Joel said laying his arm around my shoulders. "I had no idea you felt guilty over convincing the women to stay. It never even occurred to me to explain that to you."

"I probably should have told you, but I didn't know how to say it," I admitted. 

It really was embarrassing. I should have thought to check the library for the pack's history. Of course there was a documented reason for the way they acted. My thoughts on the matter distracted me and I suddenly noticed Joel was in front of me. 

He had moved directly into my sight line as I stood against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of my head and leaned in. 

"I would much prefer," he said coming closer, "to be the one to explain things to you."

He started to place little kisses along my cheeks and over my ears. A long swipe of his tongue up my neck generated a long shiver from deep within me. 

"This side smells of Rick now," he said coming closer and crowding me against the wall. "I find it very...upsetting."

I looked up into his eyes and took a hand off the wall placing it against my neck. I leaned forward until our lips were barely touching and spoke.

"Then mark me yourself, pack leader."

I felt Joel grin against my mouth and then he sighed. 

"Cedric," Joel said straightening up, "wonderful to see you again this morning. Your timing is optimal, as always."

"Ah, young love," Cedric answered grinning broadly, "must you come down to this hallway and remind my poor fellows what they are missing out on at home?" he asked gesturing to the gathering Betas at the end of the hall. 

Joel grinned and pulled me against his side shrugging. Cedric just rolled his eyes at the gesture. 

"I have noticed," Cedric said conspiratorially dropping his voice, "the wonderful little cameras you have set up everywhere. All the public areas seem to be well covered, including the room our guests are having their meeting in."

Cedric looked toward the closed door in front of us and Joel smiled, nodding. 

"That small seating area seemed ideal for their conversation, as well as, for us," Cedric continued. 

"I was assured the cameras would be unobtrusive," Joel said. "Do you find them otherwise?"

"No, no," Cedric said waving his hand, "quite the opposite. I did not see them, one of my astute young wolves did. He's had quite a fun time pointing them out to me. No one else even noticed them."

Cedric glanced up at the camera for this hall and waved at it. "They would have been useful several months ago when my Dia was acting badly," he finished.

"Would you like to see my security suite, Cedric?" Joel asked casually gesturing toward the main hall. 

"Why Joel, how generous of you," Cedric said motioning to several of the Betas down the hall to come and for the rest to stay. 

We walked quietly into the security suite and everyone stood up. They had obviously been expecting the entourage, they would have seen us coming on the cameras. Joel directed one of the men to set up a a viewing of the camera we were interested in inside a conference room. 

The security men seemed to take issue with the strangers in our midst. They cautiously stood in front of their monitors and watched Cedric's Betas warily. 

"George would be most interested to learn about your set up here, Joel," Cedric said motioning to a younger man with him. "I would like to have a similar arrangement."

"Nate," Joel said motioning for his second in command, "set George up with whatever information he wishes. These are friends and can be trusted."

We left the Betas and went in the conference room with Cedric. As the door closed Cedric cast an eye at Joel. 

"Some of the other Alphas wouldn't mind having a piece of your territory, Joel," he said bluntly.

"Which is why I would never invite them to view this with me in this room," Joel said settling into a chair. "I rue the day I cannot trust my mentor and my father's best friend."

"Just so your young mate is aware, Joel," Cedric said taking his own seat. "I am quite impressed with the security you have here. You have taken to modern technology so well. I would hate to see someone confuse Elizabeth and take advantage." 

"Thank you for your concern," I said politely and took my own chair. 

I got the message, ask Joel before answering questions about our security. It was good advice, I had to admit. 

Joel had been right. The old Alpha was always in charge and always teaching. Considering how he still sometimes addressed Joel as 'young man', I wondered how young he must think I was. 

On the monitor, Rick didn't seem to be making much headway with the women. They refused to talk to him. Never one to miss a golden opportunity, he took the time to catch up with April. 

They sat on a love seat holding hands and talking. I knew they didn't spend as much time together since Rick had been in the kitchens. Both of them were enjoying each other now. 

Rick asked April all about her new job. April went into intricate details describing the ball gown she was making for one of the rich women in town. She had never been commissioned to make something like this before. It was amazing to her, she loved her new job. 

Even in school April had never been told designing could be like this. Her family had told her fashion design was a dead field. Wistfully, she said she wished they could see her now; it just wasn't possible. She was in a position she had dreamed of. 

The women started yelling. The wolves were liars and frauds. They had seen their true colors. April was not a human and she was not happy. 

I nearly went back down there when April used the sharp end of an antique letter opener to slice her arm open from elbow to wrist. The wound bled furiously. April sat on the couch and watched it, only sometimes blotting the excess away with a tissue. 

"Nobody checked the room for sharp objects before you put the suicidal women in there?" I asked quietly.

Neither man answered me. They were engrossed with the monitor. 

Finally, Rick healed the scratch with a long lick of his tongue. 

"A wolf would have healed from that," one of the women said quietly. "It probably would have been healed by the time the end of the cut was made if she was a wolf. The wolves that took me originally fought all the time. A cut like that never would last."

So it began. They started to talk to Rick and April stayed quiet beside him. She understood this was his show, her part was done. It was like they had planned to use her as an ice breaker.

Once the women started talking, they couldn't stop. They screamed and cried and told Rick every fear they had. The nightmares, the terror, and the loss they all felt came spilling out at him. He absorbed and dealt with all of it. 

In a room of five women near out of control with panic, he calmed each of them individually. It was amazing to watch. He never forgot a name or confused who told him what story. He used what they told him to lead them all to the same conclusion. 

They had to live, surviving was the only way to win this battle. 

"But we want to live and go home," one of the women wailed. "I have a family. They deserve to know I'm all right."

Rick calmly talked to them. He asked them all the questions their families would ask. He asked them how their families would feel if they disappeared a second time; it would happen eventually. 

"You've agreed to the change, now. If we let you return home, how will you explain to them you don't age like them anymore?" he asked calmly. "You won't, you know, we live many hundreds of years. The aging process is markedly slower."

I stopped breathing for a moment. Joel had never said I couldn't see my family anymore. I'd always just assumed I could. How would I explain to my observant aunts and cousins why I didn't get the characteristic family age lines? Would my drunk father notice I didn't really seem to change year to year?

Sitting next to Joel I went through the same grieving process the women were going through. I had to disappear, too. It wouldn't be hard. My family was distant, they only saw me every few years. It would take them a long time to realize I was gone. Tears formed in my eyes as I silently said goodbye to them. 

"I will share my family with you, mate. I know it is not the same, but it is all I can do," Joel said repeating Paul's words from the day before. "You may have everything I have, it is all yours." 

Heedless of the visiting Alpha beside us, I crawled into Joel's lap and cried. Lost in shock, I sat and listened to what Rick said. 

"Your families will accept your disappearance eventually. It is human nature to heal and move on from tragedy," he told the women and they screamed at him. 

Their relatives would never move on. I rallied with them, but had no conviction in my thoughts. My family would barely notice I was gone, I knew that. Perhaps the other women were not so lucky. 

"They will or they won't," Rick said, "but the more you appear and disappear out of their lives, will that make it harder or easier?"

"We could be normal, if you just left us alone," one woman cried on her knees by the fireplace. "We don't need to be like you." 

"Would you walk down a dark street anymore?" Rick asked the group. "Would you go camping? Sleep alone? Would you suspect every nightmare fantasy you have ever had could come true? Do you believe in monsters now? Are you strong enough to face them on your own?"

One woman had been pacing quietly by the window, I feared she would jump if the window was open. Joel told me the Betas outside the door would not let her get that far. If they heard it open, they would enter or Rick would stop her. 

"Are vampires real?" she asked quietly. 

"Does it matter?" Rick asked. "Did you know about werewolves? In five minutes won't another mythical creature permeate your senses and you will be terrified of that one? I beg you to accept your lives have changed. The only way to deal with it is to stay with us; we can help you, protect you, and guide you."

It continued for hours. The women went round and round with Rick until they each came to the same conclusion. They were not the same, their worlds had changed, and they could never go back to the way it was. 

The women sat around the room in huddled piles. Some clung to each other, some sat by themselves. Rick circulated the room and touched each of them. When none of them recoiled from him, he went to the door and asked for five of Cedric's Betas. 

Rick directed each of them to a woman. I felt unsure the women would accept comfort from their captors. Wasn't this Stockholm syndrome? Shouldn't this be wrong?

I had to remind myself it was not a bad thing. These women would not survive without us. Their acceptance was paramount in importance. 

We watched as Rick directed each Beta to a specific woman. He instructed them to hold the women and let them talk if they needed to.

"How did you know?" one human wailed burying her face into the chest of the female Beta holding her. 

"It is what I'm good at," Rick said looking up at the camera in the room.

"What do you want for him?" Cedric asked turning in our direction. 

"I'm not trading him Cedric, his home is here," Joel responded.

My mind was still too full of grief to really comprehend. It took a moment to realize they were talking about Rick.

"Hmph," Cedric huffed, "you've got the boy working in the kitchen, Joel. He has no use to you obviously. Let him come with me. I will train him to his full potential."

"You'd make him into a negotiator, Cedric. Look at the boy, he's a healer at heart. His drive to read people is based on a sincere desire to help. He has no interest in business. Rick would wither and fail in a corporate setting," Joel scoffed.

It felt odd sitting in a business meeting on Joel's lap, but he wouldn't let me leave. Honestly, I was glad he was holding me tight. I needed his closeness right now, because it felt like I was going to fall apart. 

"Perhaps we should have something to eat," I heard Rick say on the monitor. "I'm sure they would bring us something."

Joel pressed a button beside him and Nate appeared in the doorway of our conference room. 

"Rick is asking for food. Send them a selection," Joel ordered. 

"Chocolate," I said looking up, "send them something sweet, too."

Joel and Cedric both looked at me confused. 

"Human women sometimes like to have something sweet to eat when they are upset. It's not a good habit, but it happens."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



"Ah, young one, I thought you were a healer," Cedric said with mock surprise and clucked his tongue at me. 

"Even bad habits have their place," I smiled resting my head on Joel's shoulder. 

I felt better now, more like myself. Being near Joel had centered me again. I was going to lose a lot, but I had gained a great deal more. It would take time, but I would heal from the pain. 

Brushing my hair out of my face and drying the tear tracks on my cheeks, I had a realization.

"The big meet and greet was supposed to start at ten," I said searching Joel's face.

The women were not ready for that sort of thing right now and we were hours late for it. 

"I talked to the pack when you went to find Rick. They know what happened. The meeting will be held off," Joel said.

I rose from Joel's lap and paced in the room as the men talked. Joel suggested we go upstairs, there was something he needed to discuss with me. After promising to see Cedric at dinner, Joel and I made it up to our rooms. 

Joel had made arrangements for a late lunch to be delivered to us. A tray of mouthwatering chocolates were also sent up.

We ate and spoke a long time about the last part of my change. Joel had been avoiding telling me I couldn't go back. He had not wanted to see me upset. Apologizing for his weakness, Joel told me he had been keeping a secret from me. 

"There have been private investigators poking around down at your old clinic. One of them even came here, but I explained to him we had stopped dating. I told him you wanted to move away, that you headed for New York to work for an international aid group. He will find several false leads there that go nowhere."

"Your family has been looking for you, but they can't find any trace. The contents of the house you had are in a storage facility here. I tried to make it look like you just moved away without leaving a forwarding address," he finally told me. 

In a strange way, I was happy. Someone in the family had actually looked for me. I had not expected them to notice my absence so quickly. 

The way Joel had set it up, they would probably just think I had just forgotten about them and moved on. 

"That was my goal," he told me still seeming guilty. 

It was my turn to comfort him. Rick was right; I had to disappear. I spoke to Joel with confidence. 

"Thank you," I told him sincerely, "I think your idea will work. There is a cousin I have that is a recluse. He just cut ties with the family and lives in a rustic cabin somewhere in Wisconsin. At least, that's what his last letter said he would do. Hopefully, they will just think I'm like him. It's the most logical explanation."

I took a breath and continued, "You could have told me what you were doing. If I understood that I would have to leave them eventually, I would have worked with you."

"You were doing so well here," he said, "I wanted you to be happy, but there is one more thing."

I sat with him and nibbled on the sweets Margaret had sent up. As I sucked on a succulent piece of rich chocolate, I hoped the other women were enjoying the comfort food I had sent to them. 

Joel took a deep breath, "You can't use your last name anymore. You'll need a new name. I've had my contacts give you a new identity...and I changed your last name."

I giggled stupidly. My emotions were all over the place. What if had chosen some really awful name for me? Perhaps something hard to spell and I'd struggle with writing a check. 

Joel pulled a new social security card and a license out of the desk in his office and handed them to me. 

"Elizabeth Anne Latro?" I said smiling. 

Of course, he'd changed my name to match his. 

"I believe," Joel said, "that it is appropriate in human society for the woman to take her mate's name. I'm sorry you can't keep your own name in the middle as women usually do. It would be too obvious."

"Thank you, Joel," I said hugging him to me. 

I kissed his mouth tenderly holding his jaw.

"You taste like candy," he marveled dipping down to take my lips again, "I like it."

We curled in the bed cuddling for the afternoon. I offered sex, feeling guilty about just laying in bed with my mate, but he declined. 

"This is not about me wanting to bed you," Joel said into my ear, "this is about comfort. While your presence arouses me, your sadness sobers it. Let us just be here together for a little while."

While we lay there I talked and told him about my family and old friends I had. He listened and didn't interrupt. As I spoke about each of them, I knew what I was really doing was saying good bye. Wrapped safe in Joel's arms I let my past slide away, I wished the other women could have such comfort for themselves. 

"Cedric's pack will not leave them. They will stay with the women and comfort them, the way I am comforting you. Particularly with the recent suicide, the Betas will watch their charges very closely," Joel told me. 

"The other women in the other packs, they need that strange peace that Rick offers," I said as I curled against Joel's chest.

"We could offer to send him around," Joel said. "Put off the changing of his little mate another month and let him help our extended family."

I nodded sleepily. It had been a stressful day and I was tired. Having Joel's warm comfort so near made it difficult not to rest. I faded out listening to his slow steady heartbeat. 

Dinner much later that evening was a subdued affair. Joel and I once again dined with Cedric and his clan. The women were morose and red eyed. Part of that was grief over losing their friend. 

The Betas they ate with tonight encouraged them to eat and tried to keep the conversation light. The women seemed worn down by the stress of the day. They barely touched their dinners. When Rick appeared, they all smiled wanly at him. 

"Alphas if you don't mind there is a really funny movie that just came out. I had it sent to us," he said to us politely. "Everyone seems to be done eating. It's really a great film, but pretty raunchy."

"We are wolves. We are hardly formal, son," Cedric boomed smiling. 

"I had them set up in the next room where there are lots of places to sit," he said motioning and walking closer to Joel and I. 

Rick took me in for a moment before smiling softly. "Madam Alpha, you may like the film. Would you and Alpha Latro like to join us?" he asked. 

I thought I'd pulled together well after my spell today, but he could still see it. 

"Save us a seat," Joel said rising and offering me his hand. 

Rick was right. The movie was uproariously funny. Perhaps due to our volatile emotions, the human women and I laughed harder than anybody. It did seem to break through the tension in the room quite effectively. 

As I looked at the women all crying with laughter now, I hoped their good moods would last. 

The next day broke drizzly and wet. I fretted that this kind of weather wouldn't bode well for our meet and greet. Nobody had ever talked about what the weather meant to fate. 

"I don't know," Joel said when I voiced my concern, "maybe we should sacrifice something to the rain god."

I stood stunned. I'd never heard of Joel talk about sacrificing anything and I'd never heard of the rain god. My face stayed frozen in shock as I tried to remember where in Joel's office he kept the pack lore. Perhaps I could find more information there. 

Would my lack of preparation for this life never end? I wondered. 

Looking up at Joel, he was smiling broadly before he poked me in the ribs.

"Kidding," he said stepping away as I swung out to smack him. "Rain just means the forest is getting water, as far as I know."

We repeated our warnings to the pack at breakfast again. Rick had said we could have our meeting with the females. They were down, but they wanted to get this done. All of them knew why they were here. 

When the pre appointed hour rolled around finally, I found myself in a small library with all the human women. Even Dia, April, June, and Donna were present. Our humans were just there to provide moral support. I made small talk with them as several mated Betas from each pack strolled around. 

Margaret had set up a large glass punch bowl in the center and decorated a huge table with an assortment of tea cakes. Coffee and tea were also present if anyone wanted to partake. After some urging, Margaret got all the women to try something. Pretty soon, she had them casually nibbling and sipping their drinks as they perused the selection of books along the walls. 

Rick walked up to me in a well tailored suit and tie. He looked the part of young professional, until he tugged at the neck of his button up shirt.

"Stop it," April fussed pushing his hand away, "it's supposed to fit like that and it looks very nice."

"I agree," I said brushing my palm over the lapels of his suit. "You look very well put together."

He really did. The blue suit and modern tie looked sleek. Someone with some taste put this outfit together. I imagined April had helped.

"Nate's youngest brother is my size. He let April pick whatever she liked out of his closet," Rick said pulling lightly on the shirt again. "Alpha Latro said we were to be dressed up, but it feels like I'm wearing a dog collar."

"Aww, come on, kid," a large Beta from Cedric's pack joked coming up behind Rick, "you telling me Latro didn't put you in a flea collar when he took you off the street? Heard you guys were kinda mangy at first."

My temper flared and my eyes turned gold. Nobody talked to a member of my pack with that much disrespect. Rick was mine to protect. 

I summoned the wolf and held onto my human skin. The door opened conveniently on the other side of the room and the Beta soared through it. I'd moved with my legendary speed and hurled him into the hall through the open door. 

A dull crash sounded outside and the women all turned to the sound. 

"What was that?" Donna asked the woman she had been talking to, but none of them had seen anything.

The Betas that had watched weren't moving; they just stared at me. I politely excused myself and walked calmly out of the room. 

Joel and Cedric were watching from one side as the Beta dusted himself off. His eyes were glowing fiercely as he stood up. The wall behind him was destroyed, the small decorative table he'd landed on was demolished. He eyed me warily. 

I came to rest in front of him and addressed him as cooly as I could, "I believe we have a difference of opinion. How far you would like to take this difference of opinion is up to you."

The man straightened his outfit and bowed his head slightly to me, "Madam Alpha, I apologize if I offended you. I will watch my tongue when talking with your pack in the future."

"Lovely," I said turning to Cedric and Joel. "Cedric, please educate your pack members. I don't tolerate disrespect in my home and I'd hate to have to replace anymore wallboard."

Joel looked me appreciatively up and down. We'd have to talk about it later. 

"You'll be going back inside, mate?" Joel asked, "I'd like at least one of us in there."

"Of course," I said turning and striding back toward the door. 

As I turned I saw a line of my eligible, unmated standing and watching. They looked taken aback. Meeting the eyes of several of them, I saw them drop their gaze to the floor. 

I was pleased. Pulling the wolf back inside, I felt the gold bleed out of my eyes. 

Stepping back in the library, my pack members were grinning broadly. Cedric's pack gave me wide berth. The women were oblivious to all of it and waited patiently.

The unmated came to meet the women in waves. They would take a snack, shake hands, and make small talk. I knew from my experience it wouldn't take that long. Joel was standing outside telling them how to act. 

The Betas inside all held something in their hands, usually a glass of punch they didn't drink. They were waiting and watching for someone to lose their cool when they saw their mate. We really could have used this level of diligence two days ago, I thought. 

When Dominick, Joel's favorite tracker, came into the room. I saw what we had been looking for. His eyes locked on a particular human and they never left her. I was sure he had found his mate. 

For some reason Dominick always managed to look like a predator, even in his human form. He was deeply tanned from hours outside training the young ones to track. Even now, in a sport jacket and trousers, he walked like a cagey hunter through the small crowd of people. No one even thought to get in his way. 

Moving casually I positioned myself beside the woman he had noticed. Dominick would not attack me and I could be close to protect her if he became uncontrolled. I hoped things would be peaceful, Dominick was tough and wily. Although I stood calmly, I'd rather not battle this wolf. 

It was the first time all day I'd noticed the woman I stood next to. She had on thick glasses and brown hair pulled back in a bun. I knew Cedric would have given them their choice of what to wear, but what she had on was frumpy and didn't match. She looked disinterested. 

"You shouldn't be so bored, your mate may be here," I suggested as Dominick slowly made his way over. 

"Madam Alpha, let me make this clear, I've had enough of men to last me a lifetime. I'll become a like you and try to fit in, but I'm just not interested in having anyone around me right now."

"A mate isn't just a man," I said and Dominick stopped to listen, pretending to inspect the tea cakes, "he will treat you well and love you endlessly. It will not be like with the wolves that took you."

"Let's spread that out, Madam Alpha, to any man I've ever known. They are all the same. Spread your legs and then they're done with you. This is a waste of time for me. I don't have a mate and I don't want one," she said eyes blazing before she looked at the ground. 

This was not going to go well. I could already tell. 

"Good day, Madam Alpha," Dominick said approaching us. 

He offered me a fresh cup of coffee, fixed just like I liked it. I raised an eyebrow at him and spoke.

"You know how I take my coffee, Dominick?"

"I pay attention," he said calmly turning his gaze to the woman attempting to slide away.

"And you are?" he asked.

"Leaving," she answered taking a step back.

"Oh, please don't do that," Dominick purred. "I'll be accused of not playing nice at this function. The Alphas were all very clear about what we were supposed to do."

The woman paused and looked unsure. Dominick's reason for her staying seemed benign enough. He was just doing as he was told. 

"I should just have a name tag," she mumbled watching her feet.

"I could guess at your name," Dominick offered leaning forward, "so you wouldn't have to tell me."

That piqued the woman's interest and her indignation for some reason. She looked up at him with her eyes narrowed to angry slits. I could only imagine what she would look like when a wolf was trapped under her skin. 

"That is ridiculous, go talk to someone else," she demanded. "I don't like stupid dating games." 

Dominick must have liked the fire in her eyes. I think he wanted to see it again. He placed his face in hers and whispered one word.

"Maryellen."

She sucked in a gasp and looked like she wanted to hit him.

"So you talked to someone about us," the woman, Maryellen, fumed. "Do you want an award?"

"I didn't talk to anyone, Maryellen. That's what everyone calls you when they speak to you. I also know you don't like it shortened to Mary, that really aggravates you."

Dominick should not know that. The women had been kept away from the unmated in my pack for their protection. This should be the first time he met her. 

I sent a message to Joel that something was going on and I heard his growl in my mind.

Dominick was too crafty for his own good, Joel said. He was an excellent tracker, mainly because he knew how to cover his own tracks so well. It wasn't uncommon for Dominick to get away with something and then brag about it, because no one would know otherwise. Even if it meant punishment, he was proud of his accomplishments. 

While I had been communicating with my mate, Maryellen had been accusing Dominick of all manner of things. He just stood and smiled while she ranted. Dominick watched her flushed cheeks with pride. 

"If you're good," he whispered when she stopped for a breath, "I'll give you back the knife I took from your room."

That did it. Maryellen lashed out at his larger frame, seeking to drag her nails down his cheeks. Chuckling, Dominick quickly restrained her arms behind her back and hauled her body against his in one swift motion. 

The Betas in the room started to close in and I waved them off. Dominick's reputation was as a lethal fighter. To try to take her from him would lead to a giant brawl. I wanted this done peacefully. 

Dominick's eyes never left the face of the woman he held. He seemed oblivious to the commotion he was causing in the room as he spoke to her. 

"When I heard about the unfortunate death, I feared for your safety, sweet. I removed anything from your room that could be harmful," he said softly. 

"You had no right," she said struggling against him and pressing her chest into his. "It is mine, for my protection. I can't sleep without it."

"You slept fine last night," Dominick told her, taking a deep whiff at her neck. "At first you had nightmares, I soothed you so you never woke up. As I lay beside you in your bed, you snuggled against me. Once you were comfortable, there were no more bad dreams."

Maryellen stopped struggling and looked up at her new captor. 

Dominick spoke softly again when she said nothing, "You know you slept well last night, better than in a long time."

"You can't do that," she finally said, "Alpha Benson said no one could get in our rooms."

I saw Joel enter the library and Dominick noticed, too. He spoke quickly to Maryellen.

"You needed more rest than you were getting. I couldn't stand the way you looked so tired. You feel better today, I know you do, your fire is back," he said pulling the loose bun out, so her hair spilled over his hand. 

Joel came to rest several feet from Dominick and just stood there watching. 

"I have to go, Maryellen," Dominick said into her ear, "but I'll be thinking about you."

He released her wrists and started to pull away. Maryellen grabbed his hand.

"Where are you going to go?" she asked confused.

"I've been a very bad wolf. I'll probably be taken to the holding cells, until the Alphas have time to deal with me," he said.

Dominick didn't move to pull his hand away, but Maryellen moved. She put her other hand on his forearm and took a step closer to him.

"Are you coming back?" she demanded.

"Yes, I just have to be taught a lesson about following the rules," Dominick grinned. 

Maryellen saw Joel now, as he stood waiting to take Dominick away. She seemed conflicted for some reason. I watched her chew pensively on her bottom lip. 

"I did, you were right. I slept well last night," she whispered finally. Several heartbeats passed before she spoke again, "I could go with you," she said stepping even closer to Dominick and wrapping her hands firmly around his arm.

It was a touching scene. I hated the idea of breaking it up. He'd finally gotten through to her; taking him away now would just upset her. Obviously, he comforted her. She needed him, much more than we needed to put him in a holding cell. I sent all that thought to Joel. 

Joel muttered something to the ceiling and stepped toward Dominick. 

"Tonight, you and me in the circle," Joel told him. "You are lucky my mate is a romantic or I'd take you down there right now."

"Thank you Madam Alpha," Dominick said lowering his head to me. "I look forward to my lesson, Alpha Latro."




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



Joel winked at me and strode back out of the room. 

Maryellen seemed hesitant now that she was being left with Dominick. She stepped back from him and came to stand beside me. 

"Ah, Madam, in all the excitement I forgot why I approached you originally," Dominick said digging into his pants pocket. "I've been wanting to return these to you."

Dominick handed me a set of earrings. Tiger's eye surrounded by a band of silver, I had been wearing them the day Cedric arrived. When I shifted they had been thrust out of my ears. 

"How did you find these?" I asked.

"I saw the first one land, so I looked and found the other one," he said and then assured me. "They fell in the dirt, but I washed them."

He had found the backs to the earrings, too. I looked at the delicate jewelry in my palm and then watched Dominick. 

"You saw where my earrings landed from inside the den while standing at a window?" I asked suspiciously. "That seems difficult."

"It would have been difficult, from inside the den," he said glancing over at Maryellen and smiling. 

There were brushes and shrubs that decorated the outside of the den. We had them searched before the women arrived. No one but us should have been out front. It would have taken a damned sneaky and persistent wolf to be outside watching the caravan. Especially, close enough to see where my earrings landed. 

"They're yours," I said handing them back to Dominick, "you earned them."

"Ah, I have very little use for earrings," Dominick said, "but Maryellen, you don't seem to have any on."

Maryellen blushed and stammered out an answer about not wanting to get dressed up for this. 

Dominick reached forward and pushed her thick hair away from her ear on one side. He carefully inserted the post and affixed the earring. The same process was repeated on the other side. He took his time with the simple task, making sure to brush his fingers lovingly against her as he worked. 

"I like them on you," he said to Maryellen admiring his handiwork. "The brown and gold reminds me of how your eyes spark when you are angry." 

"They are hers," Maryellen stammered, looking at me. "I can't keep them."

"I gave them away as a prize," I told her. "Tell me," I said addressing Dominick, "should I be giving out prizes to anyone else from that day."

"Hardly," he snorted running a finger down Maryellen's arm.

"You're a tricky one, Dominick," I complemented, "but I know Alpha Latro trusts you."

"I am the best tracker he has," Dominick boasted, "no one hides from me for long."

Maryellen looked at Dominick with the oddest expression.

"I'm a tracker, too," she told him.

That didn't seem possible. Maryellen was soft with generous curves. She didn't seem like a rough and tumble type of girl. Tracking was grueling work and only attracted the toughest in the pack. I would have thought the same for the human equivalent.  

"I am...I mean I was a forensic accountant," she told Dominick pushing her glasses up her nose slightly. "People try to hide their money, it was my job to know where it went. I was the best in my department."

Dominick took her hand and led her to a small sofa off to the side. "Tell me how you did that," he said very interested.

Luckily the rest of the afternoon was boring. I didn't think I could stand another scene like Dominick nearly caused. When the meeting was over I was thrilled. 

Walking with Joel toward the circle later that night, I spoke to him about new concerns I'd realized. 

'Cedric's pack members were picking on Rick. It's not safe to send him around, they may try to hurt him,' I sent to Joel through the bond. 

Joel laughed out loud before he sent his thoughts back to me, 'That idiot wasn't after Rick, he was after you. They wanted to see if all the gossip about the new Alpha bitch was true. Some of the packs believe there is no way you are as strong or fast as they've heard.'

Joel threw an arm around me and continued with good humor tinting his thoughts, 'He was just goading you into a fight to see how you'd react. I personally enjoyed the show you put on. I imagine he expected you to come screaming to me.'

Joel continued to chuckle thinking about it. 

We made it down to the circle and Joel started stripping down. A very nervous Maryellen approached with Dominick close behind her. He seemed to be trying to stop her without grabbing and restraining her. 

"Please, Alpha Latro," she begged quietly, "please don't hurt him."

Her eyes behind the glasses got wet with tears and she was shivering.

Dominick looked really irritated and tried to tell her he'd earned a round with Joel in the circle, but she started to cry harder. Joel moved to touch her and she jerked away, utterly terrified. 

I stepped forward and held my arms out to her. She rushed into them and pleaded with me to make them stop. Evidently over the course of the afternoon, she'd gotten really attached to Dominick. Stroking her hair I soothed her. 

"Wolves like to fight," I whispered low in her ear. "I have a feeling Dominick likes to get a chance to battle the Alpha one on one. You know as well as I do he brought his bad behavior to our attention intentionally. He probably wants to impress you with his skill."

She had stopped crying and just rested in my arms. The men took that as a signal they could head into the circle. 

"Will the Alpha maim him?" she asked.

I couldn't imagine a world where the Alpha would really injure a member of his own pack. However, I had not seen the horrors she had.

"Never," I told her. "The Alpha loves his pack, he just wants them to follow his rules. Dominick is just going to get a reminder of who is stronger."

"What if Dominick wins?" she asked. 

"Then you'll be the Madam Alpha," I told her and the shivering started again. "I don't think you have to worry about that, though."

The battle began and it was fierce. They bit and slashed at one another with Joel drawing small streams of Dominick's blood on several occasions. Joel certainly didn't want to permanently harm Dominick, but he was showing him who was boss. 

It was too much for the young woman beside me. Maryellen tried to watch but she ended up with her face buried in my neck. I sighed, my wolf was really enjoying the battle, but I had to pay attention to her. 

Watching out of the corner of my eye, I saw the match finally end. Dominick submitted and Joel stood over him and howled. The pack cheered as Joel did a victory lap around the circle. 

"See," I said forcing Maryellen to look at Dominick, "he's fine."

The lanky brown wolf rolled to his feet and stretched. He didn't seem injured to me. When Joel saw him get up, he ran at him and the brown wolf rolled on his back again. Joel didn't stop soon enough and they tumbled together. 

Maryellen made a sound of horror as the started to fight again. 

"No, no," I ordered as she started to cry again, "they are playing. Watch them closely."

There was no threatening growling, just occasional bark as the men attacked and retreated. Both of them looked like they were having fun now, rolling and scuffling in the middle of the circle. 

"They are playing," she said awed, wiping away tears.

"Alpha Latro and Dominick are friends, Maryellen," I assured her. 

She finally seemed to believe me. Now the fight was fun for her to watch. The wolves sparred and separated. Everyone around the circle cheered and howled. 

I kept an arm around her as we watched the men and noticed how silky her shirt felt. 

"Cashmere?" I asked rubbing her arm.

"Yeah," she laughed, "Dominick had it in his room. I guess he must have gone shopping. He gave me new clothes to wear, all in my size. Everything is really nice."

I could appreciate why Dominick had picked the new clothes. The light gold sweater was fitted to Maryellen's ample bosom. The pants hugged her figure, accentuating her rounded hips and generous ass. He had chosen wisely, conservative yet alluring. 

"He said the shirt matched my earrings, but I can give them back, Madam," she said lifting her hair so the tiger's eye caught the light. 

"They were a prize to him and a gift for you," I said, "and I must agree with your mate. It is a lovely stone on you."

Joel forced Dominick's submission a second time and the pack roared its approval. 

My mate sauntered toward us, quite pleased with himself. 

Rick and April had appeared beside me and they took a confused Maryellen with them. 

"What's going on?" I heard her ask as I started to strip and shifted in the circle to join my mate. 

I was glad they were there to explain.

I circled Joel and he panted watching me. 

'Submit, mate,' he ordered.

I thought about running to make him chase me, just for fun, but we had guests. Instead I ran my body along his and stopped with my tail at his nose.

'If it wasn't for all the damned humans, I'd take you for a run,' he said licking across my backside. 

'Crawl on and take me,' I demanded dropping my front half to the ground.

Joel was more than happy to oblige. 

I sat with Joel in a pack meeting and thought about the last couple of weeks. It had taken me a long time, but I was finally accepting my duties as Alpha. Meetings were an expected part of my job, so I attended them. When it was necessary, I knew when and how to dole out punishment. Overall, I was getting better at this life. 

Things were still crazy. Rick and April had just gotten back, they had been to visit the rescued humans in every pack. The reports we got back all said it had made an enormous difference.

June had finished Lucas' healing process and there was no longer any trace of the loner he had once been. She refused to let him live in the past and kept him busy keeping up with her. They had become dynamic and active members of the pack. 

Maryellen was back to forensic accounting, with a twist. The pack made too much money and kept it for much too long. It had to be hidden and moved around. She hadn't been lying, she was very good. She taught our guys tricks they had never dreamed of, some of it legal and some of it not. 

"I was never able to say it to my boss," she told me one day, "the only way to be good at this, is to think like a thief would. I would spend hours thinking about how I would hide money, if I every had it." 

Besides all of that we were getting ready for Dia's changing ceremony. She had, at some point, decided to forgive Joel. Feeling more at home with our pack, she agreed when Cedric stated he would allow her to be changed here. 

When I heard raised voices outside our meeting chamber just before lunch, it surprised me. For all the stress of planning everything, there had been no new threats. I feared what would happen as Emily went out to investigate. 

Coming back in, Emily addressed all of us respectfully. "Our human guests wish an audience with the Alpha pair."

Joel shrugged and I nodded. We technically still had fifteen minutes before they started serving lunch. Joel excused the Council and we waited. 

Dia came in first, followed by April, June, and Maryellen. The women looked like they were geared up for a fight. Behind them, sheepishly, came their mates. 

"Sir," Will started to say to Joel and Dia raised a hand to shush him. 

"It isn't your decision," Dia snapped. "It isn't your ceremony. You aren't making any changes. This is about us, not you."

'Okay,' I thought to Joel, 'there must be a problem. Maybe they don't want to change yet.'

Joel sighed audibly. He didn't want to go through with them what he went through with me. 

"We have some demands," Dia stated flatly. 

"Please, I can't wait to know what they are," Joel said plaintively. 

I could see the images in his head. He was imagining having to deal with four human females wandering around fighting the change for months. Joel took some initiative before Dia could speak and offered a compromise.

"You know, ladies, victims of rogues are not expected to go through the change in the circle. I think I've made that quite clear. Maryellen and April are exempt from a public change. Dia, if you and June are against the idea, I would make the same exception for you. It's a tradition the pack likes, but isn't forced to adhere to."

"No," April said and Joel groaned sinking into his chair. 

If it would be fair to say a man as large as Joel was pouting, he was. 

"Sir," Dominick started to say and Maryellen stopped him from talking. 

"We want to go through this together," Dia said. "All of us in the circle at once in three days under the full moon. They don't want to wait and I don't see why one Beta," she said pointing at Will, "gets precedence over others."

I spoke up finally. "Dia, Will's not really a Beta, you know that."

"Here," she said pointing around us, "he is. My friends do not want to wait a month. We want to change under the moon with our mates. Don't make them wait another month."

"Cedric-," Joel started to say and Dia interrupted him.

"Cedric has agreed to my demands. I have already spoken with him. The others are not expected to prove their metal before the pack, but I should. As long as I force him," Dia gestured to Will with her thumb, "to subdue me, Cedric doesn't care if the rest of it is a shared ceremony."

"The other girls do not have to do that, the fight or the public ceremony," Joel said sounding relieved. 

"We know that Alpha Latro," April said. "It's very understanding of you to offer me privacy, considering my past. I want to change in front of the pack and become one of you." 

Rick shrugged his shoulders at her statement.

Maryellen seconded what she said, but Dominick shook his head violently. 

"No," he said looking at her. "You are not doing this in the circle with the pack."

"Dom, I want to," she said turning and placing a hand on his chest. 

"No, I won't risk it," he said caressing her arms. 

She started to disagree with him and he placed a finger over her lips. "No, Maryellen, your health is all that matters to me. We came today to support your friends, but you are not doing this. I know the Alphas will agree with me on this."

"April is going to do it," Maryellen begged pointing. "I'm strong enough. I can do this, too."

"You are a fighter and a survivor," Dominick told her, "but no."

"I love you, Dom," she said looking at her friends and trying to find one of them to back her up. "I know it means a lot to do this in the circle. We can get through this together."

"It is just a ceremony, Maryellen, and it is not necessary to me," Dominick stated. 

I was unsure about what was happening. In an effort to be a better Alpha, I spent a lot less time in the infirmary. If Maryellen was having problems, I didn't know about it. 

"Dominick," I said, "tell me why you are so against this."

I had to admit, Dominick looked angry I was asking. He probably thought I was going to try to force him to do this with Maryellen. Quite the opposite, I wasn't sure it was a good idea for any of our humans that had been traumatized. 

Changing in the circle was not something I would want a rape victim to go through. It seemed like it could re open old scars or even make new ones. Just based on that principle I already agreed with him.

"Madam Alpha," Dominick said formally, "Maryellen still becomes frightened if other males get too close. Someone stepped behind her yesterday and too spoke loudly; she panicked and screamed. The nights I patrol, she doesn't sleep. I leave her with my sister, but she stays awake all night."

Maryellen looked at the ground and seemed to be trying to disappear. I felt bad dragging this out, but it had to happen this way. Joel and I had to have justification for making this decision for her. 

"April is going to do it," Maryellen said pointing and pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Rick, April," I said addressing them, "are these problems you all suffer with?" 

"No, Madam," April answered. "I was afraid like that before, one day it just stopped. It just takes time and it gets better," she soothed Maryellen.

"A changing ceremony," Dominick said, "is loud and boisterous. Someone would be touching her intimately all night and I'm afraid she would feel fear."

I looked at Maryellen and waited for her to speak. "I'm not weak," she told us. "I can do this. I will make it through. I'll force myself."

I looked at Joel and he looked at me. Health, the human women, and the pack's women were all my purview. That put this squarely in my court. 

I stepped around the table we were at and stood in front of Maryellen.

"You agree with him, because you're a wolf, too," she said softly.

"I agree with him, because I don't want to see you hurt anymore than you already have been," I said gently.

Maryellen looked crushed when her eyes met mine. She really had wanted to prove she was strong enough, but I agreed with Dominick. There was a reason Joel didn't force the human women to have a public change and this was it. 

Turning on her heel, Maryellen left the conference room. When Dominick tried to stop her, she pushed him away and slammed the door. Dominick looked at me gratefully and apologized for his mate before excusing himself politely.

Everyone that was left seemed embarrassed by what had transpired. None of us would have chosen to make that a public conversation. Joel cleared his throat and broke the uncomfortable silence. 

"We should have enough slabs for all three of you to erect altars," he said. 

"Alpha Latro," Lucas said, "I checked the slabs myself. There are more than enough. The actual altar, we'll need to construct a few more. I checked around. Some of the guys might already be working on those."

"Three days Lucas, but build them well. The girls deserve the finest," Joel warned. 

It was a relief when we finally went to lunch. 

I was sad not to see Maryellen and Dominick in the dining room. I hoped they would work through her disappointment quickly. As we ate, I thought about the ceremony. All the pack would be there and most of them would be distracted. It was a potentially dangerous time. 

"I want security around the circle," I told Joel. "I don't want some freaky rogue pack or witch cult or even an evil fairy interrupting our night."

Joel put down his fork to look at me.

"Evil fairies?" he asked. "That's what you worry about?"

"Eh, I get tired of the mundane stuff like rogue werewolves intent on killing me," I shrugged. 

"Well, I'll have the whole pack on evil fairy detail for that night," Joel laughed continuing his meal. 

The pack was really excited about the change. They seemed grateful to Will and Dia, as though they were giving up something precious to share the ceremony. Perhaps they were, but neither of them seemed to mind. 

Dia's only concern was looking tough in front of the pack. I heard she had managed to convince Shawna to train her. Dia was spending her last three days as a human trying to learn to beat up a werewolf. Will was going to suffer for his mate the night of the full moon, that was for sure. 

As the day of the full moon rolled around the den was in a tizzy. Everyone was excited about the night time activities. We made sure to plan it so everyone got to take part. 

We were worried about security on a day as special as this, but we split up the watch over six shifts. None of the warriors would work more than four hours today. It was a concession they were quite pleased with. 

I went with Joel to the circle in the afternoon. The real party didn't start until the girls got here, but it was still fun. Radios pumped out music and food was brought from the den. We ate, danced, and lounged in the area around the circle. 

Joel and I had long since lost our clothing. I sunbathed nude in the clearing as Joel snoozed beside me as the giant black wolf. He told me he was conserving his energy for tonight. I laughed at his obvious enjoyment of his afternoon nap. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



Inside the circle were three mountains of activity. Each of the men, with the help of their closest friends, were erecting an altar for their woman. They dragged marble slabs in and set them up. The massive table they set on top got pulled in last and the pack howled as it was placed each time. 

The night got darker and the party got wilder. Joel and I watched as the pack fucked and frolicked in the woods. This was just an excuse to party. I couldn't imagine they would have any energy left by moonrise, but I was wrong. 

At the appointed hour all the music was turned off and the energy started to build again. Will paced nude inside the circle, while Lucas and Rick waited outside. When Dia, April, and June appeared at the edge of the forest the pack was humming with excitement. 

Dia marched in ahead of the other girls. They wore simple white dresses, Dia wore camouflage pants and a fitted brown shirt. Dia strode confidently into the circle toward Will. June and April stood at the edge with their mates waiting. 

"Pack Latro," Will called confidently, "tonight I wish to change my mate, Dia. Do you accept this new pack member?"

"Show us her strength," we called back as a group.

Dia crouched low and I heard her taunting Will. He ran at her and she launched at him. Dia dug her fingers into the side of his face and kicked Will in the stomach. He threw her off him and attacked again. This time she flew at him with a volley of quick punches. 

The pack roared its approval of her battle skills. They screamed and howled, punching the air in delight as the couple fought. 

"Damn, Dia is actually trying to hurt the poor guy," I whispered to Joel.

"He can take it," Joel whispered back to me, "but Maryellen can't."

I looked at Joel confused and he was looking off to our left. Dominick had brought Maryellen down to watch the changing. He had sat them on a blanket. Currently Maryellen was curled onto his lap shivering.

The pack was making too much noise and the violence in the circle seemed to be agitating her. I moved toward them and knelt next to Dominick. Maryellen flinched when I touched her back, but I kept my stroke firm and comforting. 

"I want to see this," she said keeping her face buried in Dominick's neck. "Please let me stay. I have to get better. I have to stop being afraid," she begged. 

Dominick nodded to me, so I agreed. At this point I trusted her mate's instincts to guide us to what she really needed. 

"Alpha Latro and I will be right here," I told her settling beside them. 

Joel joined me and we watched the rest of the fight. It was obvious to me Will was letting Dia express her strength as he ripped off her outfit. The pack seemed to enjoy the show they put on. Finally, Will pinned his mate to the earth and the pack roared. 

"What happens now?" Maryellen asked. 

She was looking around and seemed to have calmed down. I hoped the next part of this wouldn't scare her again.

"The men will make sure their mates are ready to accept the wolf," Joel said from beside me. "Once the men are sure, they will shift and take their mates. The goal is that the women find pleasure. When the women orgasm, the wolves will bite their mates with the intent of changing them."

Down in the circle Lucas and Rick were slowly removing the dresses from their mates. Rick had leaned April over the altar he had made and was licking down her back as he exposed her. Lucas had buried his face between June's breasts and was pushing her dress off her hips. 

Will had sat Dia on the stone altar and it looked like he was talking to her. He just ran a finger up and down her naked thigh as they spoke. 

"Will's not much for foreplay?" I asked Joel raising my eyebrow.

Both Joel and Dominick grunted and laughed. "Should we let him know you disapprove of his method, Madam Alpha?" Dominick asked. "If you're offering lessons, I know quite a few men that would take you up on it," he continued. 

"Dom," Maryellen chastised, "that is so inappropriate."

At least the conversation had distracted Maryellen from being afraid. 

Down in the circle Will had finally moved between his mate's thighs. He knelt down and spread her lower lips wide with his fingers. He took one lick up her slit and she moaned loudly. A second lick and her legs were quivering on either side of his head. 

Will stood up briskly and stepped so he stood between her knees. He leaned over her body and spoke into her ear. I saw her hand drift between her legs, but Will stopped her and spoke sharply.

"No mate, you must come around my cock. The other girls are not ready. You cannot touch yourself or this will start much too quickly," he said probably louder than he meant to. 

"Bet she's got a hair trigger," Dominick laughed and Joel joined him. 

Two new bodies settled in the grass beside us and I recognize the scent. Nate and Shawna had come down to sit with us. 

"I saw them in the gym when Dia was done working with my mate," Nate told Joel casually. "She and Will went at it on one of the mats in the spare training room. Will can't keep up with her, one touch and she's through the roof."

Maryellen looked at me with amusement on her face. The casual sex talk was evidently soothing her nerves. It made what was happening in the circle seem normal.

Down in the circle Rick had April kneeling on the altar so he could worship her center. She was moaned loudly and it looked like he had started thrusting his fingers into her waiting cunt. April started calling out to Rick to ride her and an excited wave rippled through the pack.

"I feel overdressed," Maryellen whispered to Dominick plucking at her shirt and shorts.

"You can be as naked as you like, Maryellen," Dominick told her. "I'm not changing you here. Later, in our rooms, we'll go through it."

"I know," she said, "but everyone else isn't dressed. It's just us still with clothes on."

Dominick sighed and looked at her sitting in his lap. "I don't really care what everyone else is doing."

Maryellen watched Dominick and chewed on her lip. Seeming to find resolve somewhere she stripped off her t shirt. 

Dominick spoke and it sounded low and hoarse, "You didn't wear a bra, mate," he commented. 

Maryellen had large brown nipples on bountiful breasts. They drew every man's eye in the surrounding area. Dominick's eyes lit gold and he growled threateningly.

"Mine," he said shortly, looking around and tightening his grip on Maryellen. 

"I have a set of my own, old friend," Nate said pulling Shawna to his lap.

"As do I," Joel said brushing my cheek with the back of his hand. 

The wolf calmed down, realizing he was with mated friends. When Maryellen noticed him relax, she shimmied out of her shorts. Now she sat naked on his lap. 

I scented the air and smelled only faint arousal from Maryellen. The show had been more about bravery and less about sexual desire on her part. 

"I'm glad you're more comfortable with us, Maryellen," I complimented her. "It's nice to see you are able to trust us."

"I do, Madam Alpha," she said proudly. "I'm less afraid than I was."

The show down in the circle was starting to get our attention. We watched as the giant black wolf, Lucas, mounted a moaning June. April was also making indistinguishable sounds of pleasure as a smaller white wolf crawled atop her. 

"Rick's a white wolf?" I asked feeling pleased. 

"I don't think April would let anyone else crawl over her like that," Joel rumbled into my ear. 

Dia was an entirely different story. She was a show all by herself. As soon as the wolf entered her she started mewling and scratching at the stone table he had her on. When he started to move it sounded like she came on his shaft immediately. 

The pack roared, thinking Will had missed his chance to change his mate. 

"She's just warming up," Nate laughed behind me. 

The wolves in the circle all continued to move over their mates. The keening cries from April and June told me they were getting closer. Dia had started clawing at the table again, obviously on her way again.

The pack was going mad watching the show. Many had given into temptation and started to rut and fuck. I remembered my own changing ceremony, watching wolves over human women around me. It was happening again as the pack mated in synchrony with the celebrated couples. 

The women in the circle broke in quick succession. Dia screamed a series of curse words and Will's giant wolf bit down on her writhing figure. June cried out Lucas' name hoarsely and the giant black wolf struck. April was the last to succumb and moaned as the spasms rocked her small frame. Within a second they were all unconscious as their mates panted over them. 

We cheered and howled, welcoming new life into our midst. I forgot to worry about Maryellen and shifted to the hybrid calling out over my pack. The resounding howl that returned to me was deafening. 

Suddenly, I remembered the shy human right beside me. I turned quickly to look at her. Wide bright eyes met mine, but they didn't look frightened, just curious. Maryellen pushed her glasses up her nose to get a better look at me and smiled. 

I shifted fully into the wolf as Joel did the same. Maryellen's hand tentatively came out to stroke my head. 

"You get bigger when you shift," she told me.

I chuffed at her and licked her hand. There was no fear surrounding her at all. Perhaps April was right, all she needed was a little more time. 

"We all get bigger when we shift, Maryellen," Dominick told her, "you will, too." 

"You'll change me tonight?" she asked. 

"Yes, in our rooms at the den," he told her. 

I saw him watching the circle with a certain amount of contained frustration. He didn't want to wait to greet the other new wolves. Dominick wanted to change her now. 

Shifting rapidly back to human skin, I spoke to both of them. 

"You saw the changing ceremony, Maryellen. Now we will greet our new pack members. I think it would be very acceptable if you went upstairs and joined my pack now. You can all meet after you have changed."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Madam," Dominick said grinning broadly. 

He scooped Maryellen up and slung her over his shoulder. She giggled and struggled slightly and her glasses slipped off her nose. 

"I need those," she said reaching down. "I can't see without them."

"You won't need them again," Dominick told her, but he still took them when I handed them to him.

"Why?" I heard her ask as Dominick strode purposefully away.

I knew why. The change would heal her eyes. She would not need glasses anymore. Changing had wonderful benefits.

I walked with Joel into the circle to check on everyone. My ears picked up the steady light breathing of the unconscious women. I moved to each of them and they were all fine, just knocked out temporarily by the change. 

Dia started to come around first. She turned her head to look at Will questioningly and he took her lips in a deep kiss. 

"She is there," Will said in awe finally releasing his mate.

The other girls slowly came to after Dia. April woke next stretching like a cat, despite the pole lodged between her thighs. June woke up last. She winced moving her leg and I was concerned. 

"Where does it hurt?" I asked her, touching over her previously injured leg.

"My thigh, Madam," she said pointing, "it's not the break. I think it's just a cramp."

Lucas reached down with his big hands and started to massage the area she had gestured to. Once the area loosened he sat her up like the other girls.

All three sat facing out with their legs spread over their mates. The men whispered soothing words in their women's ears. All except Will, who kept telling his mate to stop twisting on his lap. 

'Mate,' Joel sent into my mind, 'we must greet Dia first and then the other two girls. Once we are done, the pack will go, but not before.' 

I shifted the form of the wolf and approached Dia. She was being held with an arm across her chest by Will. I approached and my tongue flicked out to taste her intimately. She squirmed under my tongue and moaned. 

The wolf was there, Will had been right. It was the strangest thing to realize her scent had changed subtly, so I took a second taste. My tongue ran firmly over them this time and brushed her clit at the end. 

Dia visibly rippled around Will's shaft and it was his turn to groan. 

Joel nudged me out of the way and took a taste. He was perfunctory about it, but Dia didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were closed and her head was back on Will's shoulder. She was in either heaven or hell.

Joel and I moved to taste June and April. Both girls squirmed under our caress, but neither had the intense reaction Dia had had. I could scent the new wolf in each of them, too. 

Joel and I moved away from the altars to watch from the side as the pack greeted the new wolves. I stretched and shifted back to a human form, but Joel didn't. Sitting in the grass just outside the circle, I watched the pack. 

The big black wolf was in my face and I tried to look around him. Joel just pushed in between my knees and stood facing me.

"Do you want some attention, big boy?" I crooned stroking his head and neck. 

I knew he wanted me. We just couldn't get stuck together before we greeted our newest pack members. 

Joel barked and licked my neck in response to the question.

"Do you want to play?" I asked him scratching his ears.

Joel walked forward and drug his tongue over my nipple. I knew what he wanted, but I couldn't resist teasing him some. 

"Do you want to play fetch?" I asked continuing to ruffle his fur. "Do ya', big boy?"

'Did you just ask me if I wanted to play fetch?' Joel sent incredulously into my mind. 

Having realized that annoyed him. I kept it up. 

"Dat's a good boy," I said stroking his ears and grinning. "We'll go get a nice stick for you to play with in the woods."

'No, I'd rather not play fetch,' Joel said sounding truly irritated. 

"Come on," I said jumping up, "let's go find a nice big stick for you to play with."

The wolf lunged at me and I side stepped. I started to run and he was on top of me. Honestly, I was laughing too hard to put up much of a fight. I fell to my knees and the wolf pushed me until I lay on my stomach. 

"Do you want a chew toy instead?" I managed to sputter out as the wolf's jaws closed lightly around my neck.

Low growling got my attention and I thought it was funnier than before. Joel was so irritated and I was not responding like he thought I should at all. 

"I'm not a chew toy, big boy. Has nobody ever played with you? How sad," I giggled into the grass.

Joel's human hands flipped me and I continued to laugh until tears came out of my eyes. 

"How about I give you a chew toy instead?" Joel asked grabbing the back of my head. 

I wanted to continue to laugh but Joel's mouth pressed hard against mine. He pushed his tongue between my lips and examined my teeth before withdrawing. As he kissed me the humor had faded and raw desire started to take it's place. Raking my nails down his back and wrapping my legs around him, I hoped he'd get the message. 

"Finally," he muttered against my mouth, "I wondered if you would ever stop being annoying." 

"I was having fun," I panted placing kisses along his jaw. 

My hand went down to wrap around the thick shaft between us. Joel groaned low in his chest as I stroked him. 

"That a big enough stick for you, love? I have an idea, go fetch," he told me eyes twinkling.

I pushed my mate onto his back and flipped my body so I straddled his face. 

"Fetch like this?" I asked nipping and licking him tip to base. "Or like this?" I asked taking him deeply into my throat. 

"Like that, love, just like that," Joel roughly said as his fingers separated my wet folds. 

He used his tongue to tease the entrance to my womanhood and I dropped my hips down over him. He lapped and tasted the sticky fluids and then wrapped his lips around my clit. I moaned and sighed, slurping messily along his length. 

Enough, I wanted my mate inside of me, now. 

I felt the wash as the wolf pushed into my mind, demanding satisfaction. For some reason, she didn't surface, though. She just rolled under my skin making me feel like I was prickling with the change. 

"No," Joel said sounding muffled as he pinched the inside of my thigh. 

He sent the rest of his thought into my confused and passion laden mind. 'The wolf can't come out tonight. In honor of the women that took the wolves on the alter, no female shifts tonight. If it was male up there, the same would go for me.' I rolled off my mate and sat panting in the grass. His taste was on my tongue and my body was on fire. My legs were sprawled all askew and I had no desire to close them; I wanted him between them. 

"I need you, now," I said simply gazing at him laying propped up on his elbows. 

Joel rose slowly off the grass and came toward me. As I watched his muzzle grew and those ferocious teeth pushed down into his mouth. Within a moment the wolf stood in front of me, much like he had when I originally sat down. 

It struck me suddenly, this is what he had been trying to get me to do then. 

"You could have just told me," I huffed turning around and getting to my hands and knees.

The wolf was on me in an instant. The thick head of his cock probed my soft folds for only a moment before it was thrust home. I scrambled to keep my balance. His teeth closed lightly around his first mark, my mating bite, and he started to pump. 

'I want you,' he sent to me, 'I always want you, never forget that.'

Pushing against a giant wolf, I had very little leverage. In this position, in this form I just took whatever Joel offered. When he pushed his knot home, I had screamed at the intense fullness of it. 

The wolf above me slowed his motion and licked my back. I felt a nuzzle at my ear as Joel's voice crept into my mind.

'Am I hurting you, mate?' he asked.

"No," I answered him, "it's just so much like this. I'd forgotten," I told him. 

'I'll go slower,' he promised trying to control the wolf's need.

"Hardly," I grunted pushing against him, "faster and harder, I want all of you."

The wolf took the invitation seriously and all talking was done. 

All around us the mated were doing what we were doing. From the middle of the circle I heard Dia, the wolf was over her on the altar. The other girls were panting and sweating at the intense overstimulation of the changing. It was a madhouse under the full moon. 

The air in the clearing was thick with the sounds of pleasure and the smell of arousal. Caught up in the intense moment my body clamped down on Joel. I cried out my completion and the wolf followed me rapidly. 

I lay panting in the grass with Joel when we were done. My eyes were drawn to the tree line. Movement in the bushes got my attention, but it was just a young couple playing chase around the circle. 

"There are warriors out there patrolling," Joel whispered and kissed my ear. "The pack is safe. You can relax."

"There are other things out there, though, besides us," I said continuing to watch the edge of the forest. 

"Yes," Joel told me, "and the warriors know to look out for all of them."

"I don't know," I said softly.

The fear curled in my belly. Rick had been right. Every nightmare fantasy I'd ever had could be lurking in those woods. I didn't know what was real anymore. 

Joel wrapped me snuggly in his arms and rubbed his lips along my shoulder. 

"I will teach you," he said, "and you will help teach the young women that are becoming family tonight."

"There's so much to tell them, so much I'm sure I don't know," I said staring off into the distance. 

Joel placed his hand on my cheek and forced me to look toward him. Soon I was staring into his gentle blue grey eyes. He leaned forward and I breathed him in. 




Bound to My Mate Ch. 20



"You will learn, my love, but not tonight. This night is about celebration of beginnings within the family,"Joel said softly.

So we lay outside the circle in the soft grass as the pack met and celebrated new life. There would be challenges and loss, but we didn't worry about that right now. For tonight I rested beside my mate, bound to him in body and in spirit. 

THE END

I had so much fun writing this. It was a shock to realize anyone would read it. I'm hooked and completely addicted. Thank you so much to everyone that helped me out. I will be back. Special thanks to Mokkellke and to my loving husband Joel!