12 comments/ 21203 views/ 32 favorites Luna's Gift Ch. 01 By: whimsical_wishing The night was clear with millions of stars twinkling brightly. Jake stood on the balcony that connected to his room and looked across the pack lands. The air smells so wonderful up here, he thought as he brushed his sandy brown hair out of his dark brown eyes. His deeply tanned skin hid the fact he had spent the last couple of months shut inside, away from home, finishing his education. He rested his arms on the railing and admired the view. The forest was his first love. There were acres and acres of rocks, grass, trees, and animals. Not to mention the clear blue lake just a mile from the pack's home. The lake was huge and he could remember spending hours there as a kid swimming and exploring the caves nearby with his friends. It was the best place to grow up, especially for his wolf half. He was grateful that he had finished school and could remain here. With the exception of my father's most recent decision, tonight would have been perfect. I wish I could just enjoy being back. There was a knock at the door. Jake turned to see his best friend stride through it quickly. "Dude! Everyone's down at the Circle!" Mitch said. "You know it's the your-dad-is-stepping-down-as-alpha-making-you-the-new-alpha ceremony. I thought YOU out of all of us would definitely get an invitation?" Jake rolled his eyes and huffed as he turned back to look out at the forest. "Aw, come on Jake I'm just messin' with you. What's got you so down, man?" Jake, not bothering to turn and look at his friend, groaned, "I don't know. I just feel as if a boulder is about to be placed on my shoulders. There is a lot responsibility being the alpha. I don't know how to be the leader that my people need me to be. I don't want to let anyone down...and I don't know if I can be as good an alpha my dad is." "Jake, nobody is expecting you to be your dad. You'll do a great job all on your own. You're one of the best fighters I've seen. You'll have no problem protecting our pack. And if you do need help I'm sure your dad and the elders will be the first to give you advise." Mitch leaned back against the rail. He knew when his friend needed him to be serious, but he couldn't resist giving his friend a hard time, "Look on the bright side man, at least now you'll have even more hot tails chasing after you!" Jake turned, giving Mitch a lopsided smile. Leave it to Mitch to think about sex at a time like this. "I can hear it now." Mitch continues now mimicking a high female voice, "Have you girls seen the new Hamilton Alpha? Oh my, Jake is soooo cute! He's tall, dark, handsome and great...." "Well as my newly appointed beta I'm sure you will be getting the same treatment!" Jake said wanting to interrupt. He looked over to see Mitch's blue eyes go wide with delight at this unexpected announcement. "What are we still doing up here then! Lets get this party started so we can introduce ourselves with the neighboring packs!" Making their way downstairs, Mitch double-checked his shirt was still nicely tucked and Jake straightened his tie. Tonight everyone wore the best to welcome in their new alpha. Making his way over to the duo, Jake's father Aaron smiled. There is no separating those two, is there! "Are you ready son?" "Ready as I'll ever be." Aaron put his arms around his son as they headed outside. They followed the path down, each one lost in their own thoughts, until they came to the Circle. This site was aptly named because it was formed by a gently sloping crescent shaped hill. This was the site where all their ceremonies and challenges took place. There was enough space at the base of the hill for their warriors to practice their fighting skills or declare challenges, but small enough that spectators could sit on the sloping sides and watch the movements of any participant with ease. It was on this hill that the entire pack mingled while waiting for their alpha. As the trio entered, the pack sat on boulders, fallen trees, and blankets laid out hours before. When everyone was seated Aaron stepped forward smiling. Traditions are a funny thing. He thought. Here we all are dressed to the nines in the middle of our forest without shoes or socks! Ah well, the only time we seem to dress up is for these kinds of ceremonies. Maybe our ancestors needed a reason to dress up. This as good a reason as any I guess... "It is with great pride that I welcome back my son Jake from school. I know I had doubts he would ever graduate." There were a few chuckles at this remark. Jake looked down, embarrassed. "But now that his 30th birthday has pasted it is time that he take his rightful place as the head of this pack. Are there any who doubt his ability to lead this pack?" A large man near the bottom of the hill stood. "I challenge Jacob. Let him prove to us he has the strength to lead this pack." Jake took a step forward. He knew that Damion, the man who stood and was now moving toward him, was his dad's beta. He had only challenged Jake because tradition demanded that the new alpha prove himself to his pack. Even with this knowledge Jake's wolf was still incited. I AM the rightful alpha. Both men removed their clothing and swiftly shifted to their wolf's form. Jake's mocha brown wolf circled with Damion's tan wolf. The wolves fought back and forth for almost twenty minutes before Jake bit down on Damion's throat forcing him to surrender. Both wolves grinned, pleased with the outcome. The entire pack stood, removed their clothing, and shifted into wolves. "I would like to introduce the new alpha: Alpha Jacob Hamilton." Aaron shouted over the howling and yipping. Jake took off in a brisk run around the pack lands with the pack following close behind. His final part in the ceremony was to lead the pack in a lap around their territory; ending back at the Alpha's home where the party would officially get started. Under the full moon both forms of his pack would run, eat, drink, and be merry! Jake and the pack rounded the hill coming into the Circle. Some changed forms and put on their clothes; others simply grabbed their clothes in their mouths and hurried off to the Alpha's house. Jake moved slowly, watching his pack's excitement at what was to come. He looked up at the sky noticing the moon had not quite reached the highest point in the sky. Since the party wouldn't start until that point he knew that he had a few moments to sit in the Circle and enjoy the peaceful night. Aaron saw his son sitting at the base of the hill inside the Circle and sat down slowly by his son, "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Overwhelmed" Aaron chuckled, "I know how you felt. But hopefully what I have to tell you will help a little." Jake turned to look fully at his father. Aaron was grinning from ear to ear. "What do you know of our goddess?" Jake was confused, this was the last thing he expected his father to ask. Growing up each child was taught of the Goddess Luna. There was so much he was taught, but not knowing what his father was looking for Jake just covered the basics. "Well, she created this world and everything in it. We make sacrifices to her on the first full moon of the new year; and because of her love of the moon she is called Luna. Though she has a more formal name that we do not use. She watches us and protects us.... I'm not sure what else you're looking for." "Can you tell me how she protects us?" Jake opened his mouth to answer but closed it unable to answer. It took a few moments before he answered, "I can't give you a specific example." Aaron smiled, "As an alpha there is something the Goddess gives us to help us rule. It is one of an alpha's most closely guarded secret." He paused, "We guard this secret above all else so that none can take or use what is ours. The night an alpha is called to lead his pack the Goddess Luna bestows him a gift that will help that alpha during his reign." Jake stared at his father like he had grown a second head. He couldn't believe what his father just told him. Wow, I wonder my father got from Luna. "Before the moon reaches it pinnacle you need to be beside the lake. It is there Luna will give you something meant just for you. What she gives differs for each alpha and has proven invaluable to that alpha. Now I know you have a lot of questions but it is almost time and you need to be at the lake to receive your gift. You may ask me one question, the rest can wait until you get back." Jake couldn't hold his questions back, "What did you get from Luna? Grandfather? Has an alpha ever not received a gift from Luna? What if I don't? How will I know the gift when I see it?" Aaron laughed out loud at his son's questions. "I believe that was more than one question." He chuckled again. "Some gifts are easier to recognize than others, however there will be a glowing light above where Luna has placed your gift. When your grandfather went to the lake he noticed a light, much like the moon, but it was on the shoreline near the lake. When he reached the light he noticed a pendant lying on a rock. The pendant, it turned out, would get really warm when it sensed anyone who wished to do our family harm. At this point in our history treachery was running rampant through the packs. The pendant saved your grandparent's lives on many occasion. However, not every alpha gets a physical gift. Luna gave me the power to tell when someone was lying to me. Which is why you were never able to get away with much growing up! Every alpha from our family line has received a gift from Luna, but I am sure if an alpha had displeased the Goddess she would not bestow them a gift. Now you must get to the lake quickly. The moon will shortly reach its highest point and you don't want to miss out on your gift do you? We can talk about any other questions you may have when you get back home, okay?" Aaron looked at his son with pride; he knew Jake would receive something amazing from Luna. With that thought he added one last warning, "Remember whatever Luna gives you will be of great importance not only during your reign as alpha but afterwards as well. Guard it well." Jake gave his father one quick nod before racing off toward the lake with the wind pushing him forward. It seems someone else is also anxious for me to get my gift. He laughed to himself. I wonder what Luna will give me? There has been peace between the packs since his grandfather's reign, but that doesn't mean a pendant that warns when danger is near wouldn't be beneficial. Although being able to tell when someone lied to me would also be great. He thought of all those times he had lied to his father. Most of the time they had been little white lies, but sometimes as a child he had lied to get out of trouble. No wonder I could never get away with anything around him. He smiled with chagrin. He was relieved that Luna would give him something that would help him. Jake would take all the help he could get to be the best leader he could for his pack. As Jake reached the top of the hill and looked over at the lake quickly, he felt a wave of panic. He couldn't see a moonlight-like glow off on the shore. Slowly his eyes roamed again over every inch of the shore. At last his eyes found the pulsing glow on the edge of the lake nearest him. The light was fading with each pulse so Jake put in a burst of speed, his eyes never leaving the spot where the light was. The light had completely faded before he could reach it. In its place he saw a large black cloth lying mostly in the water. I wonder if Luna gave a cloak of invincibility...or invisibility. As Jake got within 100 meters his steps slowed to a walk. His skin could feel the vibrations of the magic, or whatever you called what Luna did to bring him his gift. The sudden movement of the black fabric stopped him entirely. What the... The smallest, palest arm he had ever seen lifted the black fabric off her head as she sat up slowly and looked around. She turned onto her hands and knees, steading herself before she pushed off the ground to stand. Dazed, he didn't realize he had started moving towards her again. Understanding dawned on him: the black fabric he noticed before was a long flow-y halter dress that covered her body. Her hand moved over her body as if realizing the exact same thing. The top of the dress clung to her like second skin until it reached below her hips; then it suddenly flared out cascading into a mass at her feet. She was still unaware of his presence as he continued forward taking in her features and burning them into his memory. Her skin was so pale; it seemed to glow in the moonlight. Has her skin ever seen the sunlight before? Is this the Goddess herself? She turned towards the lake. Her hands running through her long dark hair, pulling it to one side and wringing water out of it. He noticed her dress was backless, the fabric only covering her small butt and legs. Her entire body seemed small; the only thing she seemed to have a lot of was hair. It reached all the way down to her waist. She was no more than 5'4" and maybe 120 pounds soaking wet. He smirked at his own joke. Suddenly her body shook violently. He was close enough now to notice how her skin was covered in goose bumps. It is a little breezy and she is soaked, but she shouldn't be this cold! She must be very delicate. Just then she turned to take a step toward him but stopped suddenly when she spotted him. Her eyes went wide. He noticed her dress had a slit up one side that ended at her upper thigh before she took a step back removing her leg from his view. He also noticed the front of the dress was almost as low as the back. He gazed at her breasts. They were not huge by any means, but neither were they small. They're perfect...she's absolutely beautiful. Damn, now what am I suppose to do? Is this Luna? Is she here to give me my gift? Should I kneel? Dad didn't say anything about someone being here. Should I take her to the house? His mind swirled with unanswered questions. Her shaking increased, he knew he should do something but he didn't know what? The wind changed directions blowing her scent towards him. The ferocity of his feelings would have stunned him if he were able to think beyond one word: MINE! Rylan woke slowly. It was hard for her to concentrate on the world around her. She felt like the Earth was spinning. Is this what it feels like to be hung over? I don't even remember drinking. Concentrating on her body she become aware of the fact that she was cold and soaking wet. Slowly she opened her eyes. Nothing changed- everything around her was still black. She lifted a hand. As her fingers touched the fabric she pushed it down off her face. Stars and a bright full moon met her eyes. As she sat up she noted she was sitting on the edge of a lake. Turning on her hands and knees she took a deep breath to steady herself. Her head still swam but she was determined to get out of the water, if only to get somewhere warm. As she stood she felt a weight pull down on her body. She glanced down seeing for the first time what she was dressed in. Well no wonder I'm freezing my buns off! The dress was made of some kind of silky stuff with lace on top of it. The fabric was lightweight but the amount of fabric, especially at the bottom, weighed her down. This dress must weigh at least 20 pounds. She thought. Wow and I have basically nothing covering the top half of me. Looking down she saw the dress flowed beautifully up her hips, around her breasts, and hung around her neck. The neckline was an inverted triangle, leaving a generous amount of skin showing. It's a good thing this dress is so tight otherwise it would leave me very exposed. Maybe I could wring out the bottom of the dress and wrap it around me, there seems to yards and yards of fabric below the surface of the water. She looked out at the lake taking in her surroundings. Okay nothing looks familiar. I don't see anybody. Please, please, please let me be close to civilization. I know I can't make fire by rubbing sticks together. I'm definitely not that skilled! While pondering her situation she moved her hands to her hair to get the majority of the water out. Okay first thing's first. Get dry then go looking for help. A shudder wracked her body. On second thought maybe I should find help sooner rather than later. Turning to move out of the water she spotted a man only a few feet from her. She unconsciously took a step back. Her mind kicked into overdrive. How did I not hear or see him approach? How long has he been standing there? Wow is he is HUGE! Who is he? Do I dare ask him for help? What if I don't want his kind of 'help'? Man is he is gorgeous. Her eyes quickly roamed over his features. It was too dark to make out every detail, but she did notice he wore a black button up shirt, black pants, and a silver tie. No shoes or socks... weird. As her body started shaking harder from the cold she knew she had to ask for his help. Hopefully he would take pity on her and help, or at least tell her where she could find a phone. But before she could open he mouth the wind changed directions making her shake harder. His face once curious, if a little dazed, now took on a predatory glare. Fear gripped her. The edges of her sight began to dim until finally the little hold she had was lost and everything went black. Luna's Gift Ch. 02 Jake rushed to the female's side before she could hit the ground. Her scent was like nothing he had ever smelled before; it was light, fresh, and wonderful. If he could only smell one thing in the whole world, forever, it would be her scent. He couldn't get enough of it. I could live off her scent alone. As intoxicating as her scent was it couldn't even compare to how he felt when his skin first touched hers. It was euphoric. His blood pulsed in his ears as his heart beat faster in his chest. His body was on fire as desire and a desperate need to be closer to her body consumed him. His world had stop spinning around the dull sun and now rotated around this celestial being. All conscious thought had left his mind as his right arm snaked up her back and his fingers wound through her hair at the base of her head. His left hand pressed her hips closer to his center. He moved his face so that his nose ran softly across her cheekbone. He loved the way her soft body molded to his hard one; confirming she was made for him. The only thing that could make this moment more enjoyable was for her to reciprocate these powerful emotions. He wanted her to pull him closer, to feel her desire for him. It took him a split second to go from the euphoric bliss of her touch to the harsh reality of why she wasn't returning his desire. Her body is ice cold! What worried him most was that her body had quit shivering. He cursed himself for not paying more attention to her needs. He lifted her legs quickly in his arms ready to make a speedy trip to his home. As he turned, his legs caught in the tangle of her dress's train. Looking down at her body, he realized the dress no longer cover her lower half. Instead, the slit had pulled open leaving the majority of her legs and feet exposed. How can someone so small and vulnerable have such a strong hold on me? Her legs were toned but not overly muscular, she had knobby knees, and as his gaze followed down to her toes he was shocked to see her toenails were black. That can't be from the cold, can it? There were so many fascinating things about this creature he couldn't keep his head straight. Focus! He admonished himself. Kneeling down to rip the train off he paused. If this is the Goddess Luna, she may not think too highly of me if I were to ruin her dress- even if it were to save her life. He knew quite a few females who were peculiar about things like that. Females! He huffed. I wonder if she is like that? Hopefully she will thank me for saving this dress by wearing it for me again.. Then maybe I can more fully enjoy her in it! With that thought he gathered all the excess fabric, wrung out as much water as he could, wrapped it around her still body, and took off towards his house. For the first time in his life, he prayed. I can't lose her. Please let me make it in time to save her. He couldn't think of the consequences otherwise. His world now revolved around her. He looked down at the precious bundle in his arms. If this was indeed the Goddess, I doubt that any prayer on her behalf would be answered. Even with that depressing though he couldn't help uttering one last plea on her behalf. He pressed her body closer to his. Please be strong little one. I will take care of you; just hold on a little while longer. ** Jake couldn't believe how long it took for him to get to his house and up in his room. Until he knew more about this female and the part she played in him receiving his gift he was loath for anyone to know of her existence. His father's words seem to replay over in his mind. "Guard it well", he had said. Even though he trusted every member in his pack his top priority was to keep her safe. So he had snuck up to his room through the back entrance of his home. His mind kept replaying one question he wanted answers to the most. Was she the gift or was she delivering the gift. In one sense, it didn't matter to him either way. The bond mates' share was there and it was strong! She was his and he would do everything in his power to keep her here with him. However, thinking about being mated with a goddess worried him. And here I was worrying about being the alpha for my pack! It would make it easier if she was my gift, but why would Luna give me a female, a mate? Weres were not to be treated like property. Not in his region at least. And one thing was for sure: you did not just take a mate. Sometimes parents would arrange a match for their children. They usually did this for better relations between packs, or to make new allies. Both side were always agreeable; never was someone taken from his or her home unknowingly. What the hell was Luna thinking! Jake's mind was going a million miles an hour as he uncovered the female. He knew that he needed to get her warm, but he also needed to get to his father quickly. She still had not regained consciousness, her body still felt icy, her shivering had not continued, and her lips and most of her skin were blue. These warning signs made his decision for him and he laid her gently on the rug in front of his fireplace. Thankfully she was still breathing, he though as he started a fire. It was odd this early in the changing of the seasons to light a fire, but he knew she needed to get dry and warmed up while he went to look for his father. Moving to the closet he removed a large comforter to wrap around her slim body. I probably should have removed her dress. Oh well what's done is done. He looked down longingly at her body; he was loath to leave her for any amount of time. I can't believe I have found my mate. I may be confused about a lot of things that have happened tonight but I know without a doubt that we are meant for each other. This tiny female needs me to protect her. If the weather were too much for her what else would she need protection from? Jake was roused from his train of thought as he heard friend in the hall. "JAKE I'M NOT GONNA TO LET YOU STAY IN YOUR ROOM ALL NIGHT LONG! YOU ARE GONNA HAVE SOME FUN IF IT KILLS YOU." Mitch roared as he threw opened Jake's door. Seeing Jake kneeling over a pile of blankets in front of his lit fireplace, Mitch furrowed his brows. "Uh, what you doin'?" "Not now Mitch, go get my father and tell him it's urgent!" The strength of Jake's demand made Mitch pause only a moment before turning sullenly and walking back out the door. Man, hopefully the dude learns to chill or he will drive himself crazy before a week is up. Looks like I'm gonna have to show him how to have a good time. Maybe tomorrow. Jake needs a good night's sleep before getting him out of his comfort zone! I guess I better go let Elder Hamilton know his son needs him. Oh well, his thoughts turned cheerful, its just me tonight ladies! Jake turned his attention back to the beautiful creature at his side. He lifted one of her delicate hands and placed it between his carefully trying to warm her. It was true that the weather had started to get cooler late at night and in the early morning hours. But even the frailest Were had never gotten so cold. He sat down on the rug, and after pulling the blankets over both of them, pulled her on top of his lap and started rubbing his hands up and down her arms. Hopefully this helps, beautiful. I don't know about you but I know I will be roasting here soon. He heard footsteps down the hall and he turned to face his parents as they opened his bedroom door. "So my son, what..." Aaron was at a loss for words. He saw his son sitting under a pile of blankets in front of his lit fireplace. "What's going on?" "Dad I went to the lake just like you said. And well, I followed the light. And um, well when I got to where the light was last... um well I found... her." Jake didn't know why it was so hard to tell his father. Well it's not every day that you find your mate through divine intervention! He lowered the blanket so his parents could see his beautiful, mate's face. Jake didn't look up to see his parent's reaction. Every time he looked at her beautiful face he forgot everything and everyone around him. Worry creased his features; she was not warming up as fast as he wanted her to. Both Aaron and his mate Lydia were shocked, but for different reasons. Aaron couldn't believe that his son got a female as a gift. It was unheard of. Never had any alpha in their history received a gift that was well...living! Aaron wondered what powers this female possessed that made her worthy of being a gift. Luna wouldn't just send an ordinary Were would she? He eyed her skeptically. Lydia on the other hand saw her son's face gazing lovingly at the small female and marveled that Luna would give her son his mate. She must be an unusual Were and lived a far distance that the Goddess needed to bring her and my son together like this. "Is she the Goddess?" Jake whispered breaking both parents out of their thoughts. "No. I don't think the Goddess is that generous. Do you think you could handle the Goddess? Would you want to?" Jake's father chuckled. Jake smiled sheepishly then frowned. "What is wrong Jacob?" Lydia knelt down by here son and really looked at the female for the first time. Horror washed over her. This Were was sick. "Jacob what happened." Jake told his parents the whole story, starting at seeing the light at the lake's edge and ending with him carrying her home. While listening to her son, Lydia became Dr. Mom. She moved the comforter to the side while she checked her patient. Jake continued to rub his mates arms trying to get her warmer. "Jacob she is not well. I'm sure you have helped a little, but she needs to get out of these wet clothes. Stop rubbing her arms. We need to focus on her torso first; her arms and legs will warm up after her body is warmed up. Now the best way to warm her up quickly is using another's body heat: skin-to-skin. So I can either move her to her own room and have a medic come help her or I can leave her here with you to watch over her." She looked up at her son knowing the answer before her spoke. "I'll do it." I will always take care of you little one. "Let's get her in your bed quickly then." ** Aaron was stunned! Not only did Luna bring his son a female but also a mate! With as possessive as his son was around this small female, that was the only explanation he could come up with. This was unbelievable. He needed to find some answers, but he didn't know if the Alpha Hamilton History would give him the answers he sought. Even though it was a written account of every gift and any major event an alpha in the Hamilton pack felt needed to be passed down since its inception, if there had not been another situation like this then it wouldn't help. "I will go do a little research into this. Although I am afraid we may have to wait until she is awake before we reach any real answers." With that Aaron turned and headed out the door for his office. ** Lydia bent down and undid the clasp at the back of the female's neck. As gently as she could she pulled the dress off of the petite female. The only clothing that remained was her lacy short little underwear. Lydia arms moved to cradle the female while carrying her swiftly over to the bed. After laying her face up on the bed, she pulled the female's hair up to cascade on top of the pillows. As Jake watched his mom move his mate to his bed the sight of her unclothed body sent an overwhelming desire coursing through his body. Shit! Now how am I suppose get undressed with my mother standing right there. Embarrassed and red all over Jake stood behind his mother not knowing what else to do. Nudity was a necessity when you changed from Were to wolf. However showing his mom his raging hard-on was another thing altogether. Without turning to her son she said, "Quit gawking at her and hurry and remove your clothes. You said you wanted to take care of her but so far you are acting like a hormonal adolescent." Shocked at his mother's words Jake quickly stripped down to his boxers and moved over to the bed. He was still unsure of how to go about warming his mate. Lydia solved the problem for him when she opened the female's legs wide and said, "Climb up. Like I said before limbs can wait it's the body we need to start getting warmed up. I want you to lie on top her, holding your body as close to hers without suffocating her. Once she starts warming up you can change positions. Right now though, she needs your body heat encasing her as much as possible." While his mom was talking Jake moved over his beautiful mate. His legs lay between hers and slowly the rest of his body came down on hers. He made sure to hold most of his weight on his legs or arms. Partly not to squish her and partly because she was really cold. If we weren't inside I might freeze to death being this close to her! Looking down he was again amazed at this wonderful creature. He gave a sigh of relief when after a few minutes contact with his body heat she started to shiver. That's it... get warm! I'm here for you beautiful. He repeated his encouragement over and over again in his head. Hours later her breathing had evened out and her cheeks were a nice rosy color. Gently he leaned down and kissed each one. Jake rolled over bring her with him. He moved her head to his chest and stroked her back barely brushing the pads of his fingers over her skin. He couldn't seem to get enough of her. While lying in his bed with her all of his earlier feelings of euphoria had returned. He moved his hands through her soft tresses and over every reachable surface of her skin. A knock on his bedroom door made him quickly grab the sheet that had slipped and pulled it up over her shoulders. Lydia walked in her son's bedroom and smiled. She knew her son would not be so calm if his mate was not doing well. "I brought her some nightgowns and a couple changes of clothes. I'm sure she will want to wear something besides that extravagant dress she came in. I'll just throw these in your closet. How is she doing?" "Her breathing has returned to normal, body temperature seems normal, and her skin color is no longer blue..." Jake left his sentence unfinished. He could think of quite a few words to describe her skin but not wanting to embarrass himself further he turned to his mate and wrapped his arms around her. "Good, I'm glad. Your dad has been researching his family's history, but we still haven't come across Luna giving an alpha a mate. Both your father and I think she may have the answers to a lot of our questions. Unless Luna comes and tells us exactly what's going on." She sighed, "I guess we will know more once she wakes up." He smiled at his mom. He couldn't wait until his mate woke up and he could look into her eyes. Thinking about her eyes he realized he had never got a really good look at what color they were. He could just pry her eyes open but that seemed a little weird. He decided it would be another surprise for him when she woke. "Call us if you need anything, okay?" "I will mom thanks again." She kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair like had done so many times when he was younger before turning and heading back to her mate's office. Jake tensed all his muscles before relaxing them again. Now that he knew his mate was sleeping peacefully he decided he would do the same. ** Jake woke with a start. A strange sound had woken him up and he listened quietly for it to happen again. Instinctively he reached out searching to protect his mate. Becoming instantly alert for trouble he turned on his side his right arm touching her back. He stayed like that, one arm propping him up the other over her, until he was sure there was no danger. Now that the shock of finding his mate and the fright of her near death predicament was over he took his time to enjoy the sight of his mate. He wanted to know all of her. His eyes roamed over her body. She was lying on her stomach, arms slightly bent and under her hips. Her legs were separated with her feet rotated slightly inward. Jake combed his fingers through her hair, loving the sensation of it running through his fingers. Returning his fingers to the base of her scalp, he pressed harder wanting to gather more of it in his hands. Her moan froze him in place. Her legs shifted wider apart and her body stirred slightly, but other than that she appeared to be sleeping. That's what woke me up. She moans in her sleep! What an erotic little thing. I wonder if she is dreaming of being touched, of my touch, or is this just a normal nocturnal habit? Wanting to see if she moaned with out his touch, he moved his body further down on the bed so that their faces were mere inches from each other. He desperately wanted to touch her again, but he needed to see if she moaned because he touched her or if she just moaned while sleeping. To make sure he kept his hands to himself, he crossed his arms over his chest and laid down on them. He stared at her face wanting to kiss her plump lips. Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, Jake's lungs filled with her scent, and his longing increased. How could someone look so innocent while sleeping and at the same time be so seductive that it tempted him to insanity. Sighing his mate rolled on her side facing him. She placed both of her hands together under her cheek, moaned softly, and reached her foot out to touch his leg. His cock leapt out at the sudden contact of her touch. Her foot continued to stroke up and down his leg. He narrowed eyes and listened harder to the sound of her heart beating. She seemed like she was still sleeping. Unable to resist her any longer he pulled her closer to him. Her lips pulled up in a small smile and moaned again. Jake groaned and rolled onto his back. There was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight if she kept this up. She seemed to have the same idea because she placed one leg over his and placed her hand over his chest. Her moans were wonderful. They were short like an innocent hum but when coupled with her body movements...they were driving him wild! Jake love wanted to learn all of these little secrets about his mate; to know everything there ever was to know about her. Jake leaned in placing his face near hers. Slowly he moved both his nose and lips across the planes of her face, placing small kiss all over. Once he was sure he had covered her entire face, he moved down to her neck. His lips felt her pulse and he was so focused on it that it felt their heartbeats were one and the same. Moving down to her shoulders and chest he started using his hands to help his nose and mouth caress her. She moved closer to him in her sleep, threading her leg in between his and laying her head on his shoulder. While his hands barely traced patterns on her back, he felt her skin prickle and she shook ever so slightly. Jake's heart swelled at the subconscious desire his mate had shown. He loved this tiny female. And no matter what he would be there to protect and love her until forever. Death, he knew, could not stop the love he had for her. ** Rylan moaned. Her bladder was begging for release, but the rest of her body wanted to continue sleeping. Knowing she would not be able to go back to sleep until she relieved herself, she opened her eyes slowly and gasped. What the hell?! She thought. Where am I? She shifted slightly trying to get a good look at where she was when she felt and arm and body press closer into her. Slowly she turned and looked at the sleeping face of her bedmate. It's him! The man from the lake! What am I doing spooning it up in his bed with him? Her bladder again reminded her of its need for release. She grabbed a pillow and slowly moved down the bed until the pillow was in his arms and she was on the other side of the bed. Luna's Gift Ch. 02 Her body, being close to his all night, had her warmed up above normal. Sweat glistened her entire body making her nipples pucker when they met the cooler air in the room. She shivered and wondered where her clothes went. I can't believe I have spent a night in a stranger's bed naked! I am so not that kind of girl. What is mom going to say? To make sure she would not wake the man still sleeping, she stood on her toes and quickly followed the wall behind the bed to the first set of doors. Pulling the drapes away Rylan saw the faint lights of early morning. Lowering the drapes back into place she moved onto the next set of doors. Pulling the handles down she pushed the door opened and saw the biggest walk in closet her eyes had ever seen. As much as she wanted to explore the shelves of clothes, time was running out. Running on her toes again, she made her way to the doors that were ten to twenty feet diagonally to the right of the bed. Again she pushed the door handles down and pulled it open slowly so she could peer into the room. This room looked like a tiny living room. Comfy couches and chairs along with a coffee table filled the room. Closing the door quietly and turning to make sure the man was still asleep, Rylan was becoming desperate. She sprinted on her toes to the last door across the room. Finally, she thought as she hurried to lock the door of the bathroom. Rushing to the toilet she barely made it in time. Curiously Rylan looked around the huge bathroom. She was amazed how glamorous it was. There was not only a large Jacuzzi style tub with jets but also a walk in shower with four showerheads. The shower was not really wide, maybe six feet, but it was really deep...almost twice the width. In the front of the shower there wasn't a curtain or door but a half wall standing at five feet from the floor. It also had a showerhead poking out from each of the larger walls and one hanging from the ceiling, four in total. Finishing the bathroom off were two a beautiful sinks and a closet filled with the softest towels she had ever felt. Rylan pulled out one large towel and wrapped it around her torso. The towel was black and hung down to her knees. Looking in the mirror she was startled by what she saw. My hair! Last week she had gone to get her hair cut and colored. Before waking up here her hair went to the middle of her back and had some blonde highlights. Now her hair went to waist and was back to the coffee colored brown it had always been. What a waste of eighty bucks! But that was not the end of the differences in her body. While looking at her face, shoulders and arms she noticed that every blemish was gone. She no longer had tan lines, scars, and freckles from being burned by the sun... no blemish what so ever. Rylan lifted her towel slightly to check her knee that had always bothered her after she injured it during a high school sport. It too was miraculously healed. What is going on? She really didn't want to leave the safety of the bathroom, but she knew that was her only exit. To get to the only window in the bathroom she had to climb over the bathtub. It was a bay window so she knelt on it's ledged, opened it, and looked out. She knew she couldn't leave the house that way-- it was at least three stories high. Also it might be smarter to know where she was so she could also find how to get home. Maybe if she could find a phone she could call her mom and have her come get her. Ugh that would be so embarrassing! Try as hard as she might she could not remember how she ended up in a lake in the middle of the woods. The last thing she remembered before waking up was... she closed her eyes tightly... home? Yes she had just moved back in with her mom after a couple of bad years on her own. Ugh what am I doing here? Where is here? What is going on? Turning the lock and pushing open the door, Rylan tried to see if the man was still asleep in the bed. It was still early in the morning and the curtains were drawn across the windows so there was not enough light to make out more than a lump in the bed. Her heart was beating hard in her chest and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the bed. What am I doing? I need to find a phone, a map, a sign that says 'you are here', something that can help me get home. I definitely need to stop focusing on him and get out of here before he wakes up. Back on her toes she proceeded to make her way over to the set of doors that led to the living room. Half way to the doors strong arms reached around. Rylan screamed as fear jolted her nervous system. Terrified, she reared her head back smashing into a head. The arms around her released her instantly. Rylan turned to see whom her attacker was and saw the man from the other night. Not giving him a chance to react she made her way to the door but then darted in the opposite direction making her way to the balcony. With as big as the man was the only thing that would keep him from grabbing her would be to keep changing directions. She turned again toward the bed. Leaping onto it, Rylan turned again to jump off the end but the man had caught up to her. He dove making a grab for her but only caught the towel between his fingers. He yanked hard and Rylan was left wide-eyed standing on the bed in her boyshort panties. She gasped, crossing her arms to cover her breasts. Great there is no way I can escape here naked. I need to get to the bathroom to escape him and come up with another plan. Unfortunately, that moment of hesitation cost her. The man grabbed her leg knocking her off balance. Her hands flew to her sides to catch herself. In a second his body was over hers, he held her arms by her head, and his legs pinned her legs so she couldn't move them at all. His eyes were wide and there was a glint of something predatory there as well, his breath was coming out ragged, and his bottom lip was split. "I...I...I'm..." She stuttered. Knowing how vulnerable she was right now, she was terrified; hopefully he would be easy on her. Jake could not believe the tiny female in his arms. First she screams like she is being tortured, then head butts him clocking him in the mouth, then manages to dart out of reach longer than he would have thought possible, and finally inciting passion in him that he could hardly keep himself from taking her right then and there. Then there was her scent. Adrenaline from being chased around the room had caused her to start sweating, increasing the headiness of her scent. He could never forget this scent. Keeping his eyes on her, he lowered his head until his nose brushed across her jawline, down her neck, and across her collarbone. You've got to know what you're doing to me little one. Everything about this tiny female lured him in, calling to his essential nature. Luna did a great job! I'm so glad she brought you to me. "Good morning my beautiful mate," he whispered softly. Peering into her eyes Jake was surprised by what he saw. She wasn't pleased, or even surprised...she's wary! Cocking his head to one side he looked at her curiously. Every Were should know about mates. It was something to look forward to, as you got older. Not everyone found their true mate but when they did it was celebrated throughout the pack or packs. Jake needed to find out which pack she belonged to so the plans for their mating ceremony could be finalized. He knew he had never run across her scent before so she must have lived very far away. Suddenly he remembered he didn't know what kinds of Were she was. What family did she belong to; a cat, dog, or bear-- the possibilities were endless! With as small as she was she probably wasn't a bear, or the larger dog and cat species. Maybe she was a fox or an ocelot. He was overcome with this desperate desire to know her animal side that he quickly got up on his hands and knees overtop of her and blurted out "Let me see you". Rylan was unsure of this man's intentions and scooted backwards on her hands and feet. Belatedly she covered herself again with her hand and arms. "I think you've seen enough." He chuckled "Well not that I wouldn't want to see more you this side of you." His eyes roamed her body suggestively, "But I meant your animal side not your Were side." Shaking her head to get rid of her confusion, she jumped off the bed and walked backwards toward the bathroom. Jake followed her. "Please I just want to go home. Please just tell me where am I and let me use your phone and I will be out of your hair." Jake growled, what is she thinking? She wants to leave? I don't thinks so, not without me. "No! I don't want you to leave." Rylan was shocked. The only reason that she could think of for him to want her to stay all came down to this morning: her naked in his bed. How dare he! She was not some object in a perverted game of finder's keepers. Her temper was growing but she knew she needed to be level headed until knew exactly where she was. So she just glared at the man. Jake sighed he didn't want to fight with his mate he wanted to love her. He wanted to rub his whole body all over her and have her do the same. He couldn't understand why staying with him and being his mate upset her. Trying to calm and reassure her that he really did have her best interest in mind Jake spoke softly. "Please we really should get a few more hours sleep. I will explain everything, I promise, but right now we should get as much sleep as possible before we have to deal with this. There are many things right now that even I don't understand. I need to get a couple more hours sleep to be able to sort of all of this out." Jake held out his had for hers and looked into her beautiful eyes. They looked at him suspiciously, then turned calculating, then slowly they surrendered in defeat. He smiled and took two steps forward hoping she would follow him. He turned back around and caught her running to the bathroom, turn, smirk at her triumph, and shut and lock the door. If Jake weren't so tired he would have laughed. That female was quick and she was not going to back down to him. Jake sighed while glancing at the ceiling. How was this gift supposed to help him? She was making his life more complicated instead. ** After wrapping another towel around her body, Rylan sank back on the tub. Now what? She thought to herself. I sure as hell can't stay in here forever and I know that man is not going to just forget about me. I am after all in his bathroom. A loud knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. "Open the door beautiful." Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin she thought darkly. "No! Tell me where I am. Why did you bring me here? Why won't you let me go home?" " I don't know where you're from beautiful. But if you come out we can find out together." He would find where she was from, however she would not go back home unless he came too. Not wanting to have him come looking for her after she got back home, Rylan decided to give him the general area. "I live in America. Now where am I? Just give me a map and let me leave." What? Ugh mare ick ugh? I've never heard of it, I wonder where that is... "Beautiful, please come out so we can talk about this. I hate yelling through the door." Rylan's temper was at an all time high. He had refused to answer any of her questions and yet was still demanding things of her. "You know what I don't care what you hate..." or love for that matter. "I didn't ask for this. I'm not going to open the door. So unless you can magically open it yourself, you can forget about it." You are no match for me little one. "Fine you give me no choice but to break down the door." He threatened. Jake didn't want to scare her, but he was tired and didn't want to argue anymore. She rolled her eyes, oh quit being dramatic, she thought. He removed his boxers and shifted to his wolf form, ready or not beautiful... here I come! And with that thought he slammed into the door hard. She couldn't believe he was actually trying to break the door down. She climbed onto the windowsill and hid behind the long curtains. Hopefully he would make his way to the back of the bathroom, in his search for her, giving her enough time to run again. The door clattered to the ground in broken pieces. Jake was awake now and excited. Even though he was still a little annoyed, this cat and mouse game was driving him wild. She wanted to play, well let her see what she was playing with. He scanned the room. As soon as he found his little one he was going to prove his dominance and lay his claim on her! That thought alone had him hard. Jake took in a deep breath and listened closely for the sound of her heartbeats. His eyes zeroed in on the drapes hanging in the window. Climbing into the tub, he placed his paws on the sill and yanked hard on the drapes pulling them off their rod. Rylan look on in horror as the only wolf she'd seen in real life found her hiding spot and stared at her, giving her one long growl. I'm going to die! I can't believe that man sent a wolf to kill me. Tears streamed down her face and a heart-wrenching sob broke from her chest. Jake was shocked with her reaction to his wolf form. He knew he was a large wolf, but she looked as though he was going to eat her. He quickly shifted back to his Were form. His mate's eyes went wide and she gasped covering her mouth. All the color drained from her face and Jake wondered if she would faint again. He moved closer to catch her in case she did. Rylan backed up against the window as much as she could pulling up one leg and holding out both her hands in case he came any close. " Please," she whimpered. She couldn't say any more, her mouth was so dry it made speech almost impossible. Never in her life had she felt more scared and more alone. "I'm not going to hurt you beautiful." Jake soothed. "You must be a very small Were to be so afraid of me." He wrapped his arms around her small body and she tensed. He couldn't stand to not touching her while she was so distressed. Gently his hand caressed her back calming her. "You're not going to kill me?" Rylan was scared out of her wits, however with his hands gently stroking her back, she could feel herself slowly relaxing in his arms. "Of course not! Don't you feel it? Do you not know what this bond means for us?" Jake pulled her closer hoping that she would feel his love for her. "Us? I'm not like you; I can't change into a wolf. I didn't know that was even possible." Everything about this conversation was confusing her. She didn't understand Weres, and bonds, and anything else he was saying. "Well beautiful I didn't think you did shift to a wolf... especially after the way I found you. But you are Were so what animal do you change into? Something small I'm sure." "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. I can't...shift into an animal." Rylan was at a loss for words. "I'm not a... a Were. I don't even know what that really means." She grimaced as her head pounded from all the questions bouncing inside her brain. Seeing this Jake realized she should probably lay down. "Come on, let's go lay down on the bed and we will talk about this some more. I would hate for you to faint again and hurt yourself this time." "Um can I get some clothes first? I'm really uncomfortable running around naked." Jake smiled "You look beautiful doing it though." Rylan went bright red. Seeing this Jake nuzzled her neck. He picked her up tenderly and carried her to his bed. "My mother brought in something for you to wear. Let me go get it." He paused looking down at her. "Are you going to try and sneak out?" "No I'll stay if you are going to answer my questions." The thought of being properly clothed finally, appealed to her. No more running around in panties and a towel. Jake jogged into his closet grabbed the first night gown his fingers touched. He came back to the bed and held up the nightgown for her to see. "How is this?" "Um..." She didn't want to complain. Especially since she knew he could tear her apart if he wanted to, but she was hoping for something more along the lines of jeans and a t-shirt. Guessing at her hesitancy he said, "Both of us could still use a couple hours sleep. I figured this would probably be more comfortable to sleep in." Conceding to his logic, she pulled the nightie over her head. Jake was disappointed to notice she had managed to pull the nightgown down her body and remove her towel with showing any skin. She looked up at him smugly. "Okay, let's hear your questions." "Um, I don't even know where to start. There is a lot I don't understand." Rylan was suddenly exhausted. She took a deep breath so she wouldn't start to cry. "What are you? Who are you? You said you're a Were, like a werewolf?" He smiled, "Yes I am Jake Hamilton, the alpha of the Hamilton pack." She looked back at him, unfazed with his statement. "What about you, what is your name beautiful?" Rylan debated whether to tell him he was crazy. Then again maybe she was the crazy one. She couldn't deny what she just saw though. Only in her wildest imagination could something like this take place. Here she was talking to a werewolf --and not just any werewolf, but the 'top dog'. Jake seemed to be sincere, so she decided to keep talking. "My name is Rylan Johnson." "That's such a lovely name...Rylan. It fits you." He smiled. "What's your next question Rylan?" "Why do you think I am a Were?" "Because everyone one on this planet is. If you aren't a Were, what are you?" What the hell is going on? How can she not be a Were? She didn't look much different from the other females in his pack, other than being very tiny. All Weres from his pack, male and female, once they were fully-grown were at least six feet tall. "I'm human. What do you mean everyone on this planet is a Were?" Hugh mahn? She seemed to give him more questions than answers. "Just that. Every being, like me, on this planet started from the first Weres. It's kind of a long story but basically Weres evolved from being able to shift to seven different families of animal, to now being able to shift to only three. Which animal you shift to depends on your linage. You know if you parents were cats then you'll be a cat." Thinking that her parents must have abandoned her and she never learned what she was he asked, "So what other form do you shift to?" "I...can't...shift." "What? Not at all?" "No. Human's can't change from this form." She motioned towards her body. "Wow." "Yeah, you're telling me. Okay so if I'm not on Earth, where am I? You said that everyone on this planet could change forms. On Earth, humans can't change forms." "Right now you are at my house on my pack's land in the southern region of Gambia on the planet Torin." Rylan couldn't stop her tears from falling this time. "How did I get here? How do I get home?" She looked up into his face. What will I do if I can't get back? What about my mom and the rest of my family? Sadness filled her. Jake heart broke to see his mate so sad. "Don't cry beautiful. I'm here." He gathered her into his arms and gave her a big hug. "Don't cry." He pulled her head back and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. He hated to be the cause of her sadness and hated that he was going to cause her more. "You are here because of me. You are my gift." Luna's Gift Ch. 03 Rylan was grateful for this moment to collect her thoughts. Jake had talked until the sun had come up about how he had found her and what it meant, specifically to him. She was overwhelmed. Could Jake be right about this Luna? Rylan was not religious by any means, but she had always believed in a higher power. And it did make sense to her that there would be other worlds out there in the universe; life on Earth couldn't have been some freak accident. But what kind of 'higher power' screwed with lives like this? Maybe Jake was wrong, but how else could she have gotten here? The last thing she could remember before waking up on the lake was going to sleep in her room at her mom's house. Normal. Now her world had been shaken and turned upside down. More like totally removed from me, Rylan thought darkly. What was happening here? How could this have happened? Humans did not have the technology to travel through space quickly. If they had been responsible she would have been like... well dead, because it would have taken centuries to get this far from her home. She knew she couldn't be in the same galaxy. Probably nowhere near the Milky Way. Mankind had not even found a planet, moon... whatever, that could sustain the life of an ameba let alone anything larger or more complex! Well unless you talked to conspiracy theorists who believed that we kept aliens locked up at Area 51 and claimed the government knew a lot more than they were saying. But Rylan didn't believe those claims. She sighed. What if it was someone from this planet? What if Jake had interrupted someone from retrieving her? Or maybe Jake was the one to bring her here and told her that ridiculous story so she wouldn't be mad at him. Looking around the room Rylan decided that was probably not the case. She really didn't have any concrete proof but nothing about this room suggested 'advanced'. I don't know what really would constitute advance maybe computers... everywhere... for everything, automatic sliding doors, something... The room itself was a mystery to her. The furniture and décor was rustic and the materials they used were very basic. Wood, rock, mud, glass, and it looked to be some kind of metal; these seemed to be the preferred choice of building supplies. Rylan couldn't find anything that could be made of plastic or any other artificial material. However, the way they had been crafted was extraordinary. The carvings on the bedposts and dressers were intricate to the smallest detail making it appear as if the tree naturally grew that way; there were no marks or scrapes as if left by a blade or other tool. The rug on the floor was immense and flawless. The sheets that covered the bed were the softest thing Rylan had ever laid on. Both didn't seem to have a stitch holding it together at all; they simply stayed together on their own. The floor was wood, but instead of wood cut into planks, it seemed as if there was only one piece of wood covering the entire floor. There were no seams just one plank traveling from wall to wall. Impossible! There were no air vents for heat or air conditioning and yet the temperature didn't seems to fluctuate like she thought it should have without them. This place was such a contradiction. It was medieval. It was futuristic. It was amazing. Studying the room gave Rylan a chance to escape from the uncertainty that had filled her since awaking on this new planet. She tried to remember what the bathroom looked like but she couldn't think of any significant differences from the ones on Earth. It was luxurious that was for sure, but not strange. She was half tempted to go back and look around and discover its idiosyncrasies, but she couldn't. She wouldn't give Jake a chance to catch her unaware. The door was still broken so she couldn't lock him out, not that she could to start with. But she didn't want to give him the change to sneak up on her. She was a chicken and admitted it proudly. Her mother's voice filled her head 'better an alive chicken than a dead duck'. She smirked. That saying had always sounded a little ridiculous and still did. Thinking of her mother though made her ache. Now she was alone on an alien planet. Well alone with all of the Weres. Rylan wondered how she didn't realize back at the lake that she wasn't where she was suppose to be, on Earth. She tried to remember what the lake looked like. But her memory was hazy at best. She couldn't remember anything that seemed odd about the trees, rocks, dirt, or lake. Those few minutes she could remember, if she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that she was on Earth. It gave her a small flicker of hope that this world would be very similar to hers, a very slim hope. How did I get myself into this mess? She thought. How am I to survive living on this planet where everyone is so much bigger? Rylan was shocked at how huge Jake was as a wolf. She had seen grizzly bears smaller than him! Are all Weres as big? Are they all wolves? She hoped there were some nice smaller creatures that she wouldn't feel so helpless next to. A rabbit, she thought, cute and cuddly. An image of the rabbit from Donny Darko flashed in her head. Hell any rabbit, even a cute rabbit like Harvey the Invisible Rabbit, seems creepy at that size. One after another, small seemingly harmless creatures popped into her head but once she pictured them as big as Jake had been as a wolf, they no longer seemed harmless. I'm at the bottom of the food chain here. She hated feeling weak and dependent on others. What could be worse? Hell? Horror shot through her, What if I'm dead! She pinched her arm hard. Ouch, ouch, ouch! Okay I must not be dead. I mean you can't feel physical pain without your body right? Maybe I had a tragic accident and am now lying in a hospital in a coma, dreaming this really crazy dream. She huffed...unlikely this seems way to real. That left only one option left: Luna! She thought that last word with venom. What kind of low down, evil, vile. Ugh, I cannot think of name bad enough. Who does something like this! What in the... universe was this Luna chick thinking! What a lousy Goddess! Who, in their right mind, would follow such and awful person, goddess, whatever! Rage pulsed through Rylan's body. She wished there was one being in particular here so she could throttle her. Breathe Rylan. It won't do you any good to throw a fit. Remember it could always be worse. Her thoughts turned to Jake. He seems... well as nice as could be expected under the circumstances, albeit a little too friendly. Well, being found by a creepy pervert would have definitely been a whole lot worse. At least Jake seems trustworthy. We could definitely become great friends... That thought stopped her. He didn't want to be friends he wanted to be her mate. Mate?! At that point in the story Rylan lost the breath in her lungs. She still had a hard time thinking about it. This was the craziest, most confusing, unbelievable thing that had happened to her so far. It was ridiculous to think that someone she just met knew they were meant to be together because it was 'destined'. She rolled her eyes. Maybe Jake is crazy! Harmless, but crazy. It's too bad... he is really nice and so gorgeous. I wonder how many other things he is wrong about. Everything in her life up to this point made her have doubts of about the whole concept of mates, your other half, soul mates, life partners, whatever you wanted to call it. She didn't believe that there could only be one person for you forever. Her parents had divorced when she was little. Her dad was supposed to be the one guy who would always be there for her, but he didn't even call her let alone anything more significant after the divorce. All the guys she had ever dated had told her how much they loved her but they only lasted so long. Most of the time the "spark" that had drawn her to each man left within months or weeks if not days after their meeting. Still she had hoped that one day her knight in shining armor would come and rescue her from her loveless life. It was after this last painful relationship that she realized it was not possible. At that point Rylan had learned to protect her heart. She vowed she would move on and not let her heart enter the picture at all, whether it was going well or not, knowing it wouldn't last. She had tried to explain to Jake that she didn't believe in the concept of mates. "Jake, I just don't think that there is only one person out there for each of us. I mean, I don't know how to explain this so you will understand where I'm coming from...well take us for example. You believe that we are destined to be together, what would happen to you if I had died or never was brought here to you. You would be doomed to a life without knowing your mate? It seems worse to have a mate yet never see them than to not have a mate at all. You would never know true love. At least my way of thinking you can't miss your other half because there is no other half to miss. Besides I don't think people have the ability to love one person their whole lifetime." Jake did not like her response to his claim. Exactly what kind of world is this Earth? Was it normal for humans to not stay paired once they found their mate? Did they not have mates on Earth? These and many more questions ran through his head uncomfortably. He couldn't imagine a place where a mated pair would ever separate from each other willingly. He growled when she talked about being dead and then he frowned when she mentioned him not knowing her, his love. "Rylan, honey because we are mates those things didn't happen, the proof of it is right in front of you. You're here sitting here in my home with me. We were destined to be together, nothing could have stopped us from being together. There are some things that are just meant to be. I can't explain how I know this, but I feel it in every fiber of my being. My feelings towards you are real. I'm so excited you're here and I can't wait for you to meet the pack and show you around. Looking at you my heart races. Everything about you draws me to you. If you had been born on Torin I would have already claimed you as mine." He gave her a small reassuring smile. "However, I will be patient. I won't force you to, but you are my mate it's only a matter of when you allow us to mate. Make no mistake though you are mine and I will spend the rest of our lives making love to you..." He crawled across the bed toward her "...hearing you scream my name and wearing you out each night. Now that your here I know that I cannot live without you." He could feel the heat coming off her body. He grinned cheekily back at her while cupping her face, "Besides there is no way to be rid of me now!" This Earth must be a strange place. They must not know the meaning of true love. He then looked at her with a thoughtful expression, "Rylan, honey, do you believe in love at all?" This last question stunned Rylan out of her lust filled thoughts. Did she believe in love? "I believe people can fall in love, and then love each other until it runs its course. I just don't think that love can last between two people." "Then it isn't love sweetheart. That's lust and desire- both can be fleeting. I'm talking about the love that never dies or fades. I'm talking about the love parents have for their children, or the love of one soul mate to another. I'm talking about the love that strengthens over time no matter what happens to the individuals or how far apart they are. That is real love. That is how I feel about you." He whispered softly. Rylan looked into his eyes seeing the desperate plea for her to understand. She shook her head sadly, "Then no, I don't believe in love." As much as she cared for people and knew others cared for her she didn't think most had the capacity to love someone for so long. The saying 'out of sight out of mind' held especially true for her. She had sat there shocked by what he said. It was unfathomable to her that anyone could care for someone they had just met a couple hours earlier, let alone the strength he seemed to care for her. Most of those hours she had been unconscious! She wasn't about to argue though. She knew in time she would be proven right. Men here can't be so different from men back on Earth. He made some sense, but she still was unsure. She figured neither would let up on the issue so she just dropped it. She did like Jake. He had a smile that seemed like it could melt her if she let it and it was amazing how much she liked having him hold her. She had to admit to herself that if she had to pick a mate based on looks Jake would be the perfect candidate for the job. She loved his tanned skin and was surprised to notice that he had no tan lines. I wonder if he fake bakes, thinking of the tanning beds back on Earth. Somehow she didn't think so, the thought of him in his wolf form laying in an extra large tanning bed made her smile. She loved how tall and muscular he was. Not body builder muscular, just enough muscle that she knew he didn't shy away from manual labor. A part of her felt safe with him that she just wanted to curl up in his arms. The other part of her wanted to tackle him and see just how strong he really was. She sighed. He was beautiful, but she wouldn't get involved with him. When it went bad she would be alone on an alien planet. She thought of the past year and shuddered. She would not repeat past mistakes. Being here on this planet without Jake as a friend terrified her; she couldn't imagine being more alone. She just couldn't take the chance that he would change his mind and leave her for someone better eventually. Then again she was sure that Jake claiming her as his mate gave her advantages, probably the only thing going to keep her from being taken to have experiments performed on her. That thought jolted her nervous system like lightening. Oh man, would every Were on the planet demand that I be tested on, no matter what? She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Why me? She asked for the millionth time today. Never before had she felt so out of balanced. Her emotions were all over the place. At times her fear consumed her she never wanted to leave this room, other times she was so curious how similar her world and this one were. She felt grateful to Jake, rage towards this Luna, lonely, curious, nervous, sad, anxious and the list went on and on. Staring off into space lost in thought Rylan jumped when her stomach growled. Jake had gone to get some breakfast and she was anxious for his return. Rylan took deep breaths trying to calm herself down before Jake did come back. She hated to cry in front of people, especially people she really didn't know. Thinking about Jake put a smile on her face. She knew that through all her pain and confusion that she did feel something for him but she let her emotions rule her once before and she had vowed never to do it again. The next time she attached herself to another guy it would be for money not love. Okay maybe I wouldn't go that far. Ugh if only Jake hadn't said anything about being mates. I feel like there is a blade hanging over my head just waiting to fall. Her stomach growled again painfully and she tried wrapping her arms tighter around herself to quiet the noise and stop the pain. Just as she thought her stomach would shrivel up and die from hunger, Jake poked his head through the door startling her out of her thoughts. "Hey beautiful...are you okay." It was obvious to Jake that Rylan had been crying. He silently cursed himself. She didn't look like she was okay; between looking so tired she probably could fall asleep any second, with large dark circles to accentuate that fact. Her eyes were also puffy from crying he knew he wasn't taking very good care of her. He reminded himself that she was more delicate than any female he has ever been around and needed to be treated with a lot more care. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just hard to comprehend all of this right now, you know." Rylan tried to smile, but she was sure it came out more like a grimace. Jake looked at her wondering if he should say something to help soothe her. That's when he noticed the color of her eyes. I have never seen such a beautiful blue before. They look like she took the blue from the glaciers in the north. They are so vibrant and intense; it almost appears like they show her very soul. He stood almost transfixed starring into her eyes; it took him a few minutes to realize that she was waiting for him to say something. "I understand, well I brought a few things up for us to eat before we sleep for a few more hours. Come on." He held out his hand for her. She scooted to the edge of the bed and he watched as the nightdress he gave her to wear slide slowly up her thighs. He stood bewitched as she moved from the bed to her toes and watched the fabric swish back and forth across her legs as she walked towards him. I wonder if the Humans teach their females this seductive walk. The way the fabric swayed against her body was enough for his heart to start racing. Her gaze never left his and as she finally reached him and took his hand; he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her soft lips. Keeping his face inches from hers he took a deep breath and said, "Let's eat." He hadn't really left his siting room. He simply had poked his head out of his door and asked one of the guards his dad had sent as extra precaution for Jake's mate and asked one of them to grab trays of food. He had decided to stay in his sitting room for two reasons, he didn't want anyone to get any closer to his mate than was necessary until he mated with her fully and until he found a way to explain her to his pack. He also wanted her to have a moment to digest all that he told her. He knew he would feel overwhelmed if he had been the one to be magically moved to another planet. He had hoped that that moment helped her because it had been almost painful for him to be even that far away from her! And he didn't want to do that again anytime soon! When Rylan walked through the door she was surprised at the quantity of food piled on the coffee table. When he had said a couple of thing she was thinking maybe a bowl of fruit, a couple pieces of toast, and milk. Obviously 'a couple' had a different connotation here. Oh there fruit but at least four medium sized bowls filled with a wide arrange of fruit looking things.... some she thought looked similar and some she did not what they were. There was also bacon, sausages, milk, juice, eggs both scrambled and fried, and some different kinds of bread. Jake moved in front of the couch and motioned towards the food covered table, "I wasn't sure what you would like, so I made sure that there was a lot of different things to choose from." "Wow, this looks great. I'm surprised that a lot of this looks familiar. Hopefully that means that there won't be too many differences to adjust to." Jake smiled at her, encouraged by her sudden happiness at that thought. He hopes she adjusts to his world quickly- there were still so many things he wanted to share with her. Jake plopped on the couch motioning her over. "Come, eat as much as you like of what ever you like." Rylan's stomach growled louder. Blushing, she moved around the couch and sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table. "It all looks so good I don't know what to eat first." No sooner had she sat on the floor than he moved to sit beside her. He asked her what looked familiar and motioned to things she should try that didn't look familiar. Jake enjoyed watching Rylan try new foods. He loved the look of surprise delight when she found something she really liked and he almost laughed when she tried something she didn't like and tried to mask her dislike that was clearly written on her face. Luna's Gift Ch. 03 "You don't have to eat it if you don't like it." "I'm sorry." She didn't want to offend Jake or his culture. Since she didn't know what the acceptable customs were and what were not she tried to pretend to like what she just ate. Obviously she had failed. The offending food that she thought was yogurt turned out to not taste anything like yogurt. It was so gross she couldn't even put into words what it did taste like. "Don't worry about it. If you don't like it, you don't like. Besides I'm not really a big fan of this stuff either." He took bowl and moved it towards the back of the table. Rylan smiled gratefully, albeit shyly, back at Jake. She tried hard not to stare at him throughout breakfast, but the longer they ate the less and less she was interested in her food and the more she just watched him. She tried to look at him as discretely as possible so as not to alert him of her attention. She loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and his warm chocolate brown depths. His hair was so thick and silky looking she wished she could run her hands through it. But what stunned her the most was his size. It was true that at 5"4' she wasn't taller than much but he made her seem like a child in comparison. He had to be between 6'6" and 7 feet tall. He had a broad chest and large arm muscle that showed he kept himself in shape. The muscles on his chest and arms were defined and her desire to touch him grew. Finally noticing that Jake was staring at her, she quickly looked down at her plate. She grabbed another piece of fruit trying to calm her panicky heart. Breathing seemed to come harder to her and she took in slow calming breaths trying to hide how much he affected her. "Um, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about life here?" She needed a distraction for both herself and Jake and what better way than asking questions about him. "Sure, what do you want to know?" Jake was ecstatic that she wanted to know more about life on Torin. Maybe that meant she was ready to take other steps as well. "I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around fact that I'm the alien on a foreign planet. I've watched enough Sci-Fi movies about them; it's just hard to think of me as the alien in this case. And, I guess I'm a little worried about what others on this planet will think of me. Nobody is going to do experiments on me are they?" "No. You are my mate not something that others would experiment on." "Even if we don't become mated...right away?" She wasn't going to tack on the last two words but at the last minute she decided to bide her time and not make him angry with her right away. Especially since she wasn't sure what he would do if she upset him. Jake looked at Rylan closely. He knew they would be mated. It was inevitable. She was just being so stubborn! Deciding to placate her for the time being, because he was sure of their mating, he replied, "Of course. Beside you look so much like us in our Were form most people wouldn't realize you can't change forms." After a she let out a sigh of relief, Rylan's curiosity got the best of her again. There were so many werewolf stories from horrific to erotic to down right weird. How many of those stories applied to these Weres? As Jake watched Rylan contemplate her questions he slowly took her hand caressing her knuckles. "So is there anything else you are afraid of? Ask. Hopefully you will find that we are not so scary as you may think." She was getting agitated. She just couldn't seem to get the words out right. And how do you ask someone to tell you about their entire culture, lifestyle, likes and dislikes, etcetera. "Well on Earth there were quite a few myths about different imaginative creatures. Some were happy fairytales and others were the kinds of stories people made up to scare others. I mean there are stories of vampires, werewolves, and the Loch Ness Monster." She chuckled over the last one. "However I'm sure any of the stories I've heard don't apply to you or other Weres for that matter." "Humans are sure imaginative creatures aren't they! Well I can't speak for the vampire or the Loch Ness packs but I think I can answer your questions of werewolves." With each sentence she uttered he became more interested in the plant Earth. "Okay one of the myths is that werewolves can only be killed with silver bullets." "Hmm, I don't know what bullets are but there are many things that can kill Weres in general and werewolves in particular. Weres are very aggressive. All of them, wolves, bears, you name it. We are very territorial and are willing to defend what we believe to be ours. When something of ours is threatened we use what Luna gave us to defend and deter." Jake looked at Rylan, she didn't need to know all the gory details. So he figured he would just sum up the rest. "Anyway many things can kill a Were but usually when there is a conflict our teeth and claws seem to be most effective." "You don't know what bullets are? What about guns?" Jake shook his head no. "I take it they are fearsome weapons?" "Wow, yeah most humans would wet themselves if someone were to threaten them with a gun." Rylan thought of how to best explain these complicated weapon. "It's like a stick that you can put what we call bullets, they are kind of like rocks, and it shoots them out faster than you can see and if you were to get hit by them it could cause serious injury or even kill someone. Some guns are made to do damage at a large distance from their target." "Humans sound very dangerous." Jake held onto Rylan's hand as if inspecting it very closely. She couldn't tell if his tone was teasing or not. "But I imagine that since they don't have sharp claws or teeth they would need these fearsome sticks to defend themselves. Although, this is unusual. Is it for defending yourself too?" He was pointing to her toes and the black polish that was painted on them. Rylan ran her fingers over the black paint and looked quizzically at him. "No it's just nail polish. Uh, its like paint. It's decoration." She looked up disappointed; "I guess you don't have nail polish on this planet huh." The only thing Rylan did religiously was painting her toes. She loved to change the color based on her mood, but more often than not she would paint her toes black to match with whatever she wore. She was a little dejected at the thought of not being able to do that any more He saw her frown and knew that she was sad about the nail polish. He wasn't sure about her decorations, but he didn't like to see her unhappy so he tried to get back to his other thought. He tilted his head to the side, " I assume that you don't have sharp teeth since I haven't really taken a close look at them?" Rylan smiled showing Jake her teeth, he was disarming with his questions. She was half tempted to snap her teeth at him, let him see how threatening she could be. "Let's take a look at these formidable things." Jake slid closer to her. He gently traced the pad of his thumb over her soft lips. He leaned in closer as if to inspect her teeth. Rylan could now smell Jake and she drew in a deep breath. Her mouth went dry and she wanted him to move his hand and kiss her. I wonder what he tastes like. Rylan started daydreaming of him running his mouth across her jaw, grazing his teeth along the way. She imagined his nose and mouth inhaling and exhaling down her throat placing gentle kisses on the way down. His tongue licking... "Very dangerous." Jake said leaning up but not moving over. "So what's another myth of the human werewolf?" Rylan tried to swallow but her mouth was so dry she couldn't. She quickly reached for her juice and tried to remember exactly what Jake had called it. Carefully she took small sips so not to add choking to her list of embarrassing things she's done in front of Jake. "Well, I assume since I saw you both as a wolf and uh...Were that you don't need a full moon to change?" Jake nodded. "And since there are no humans here I guess you don't eat people or turn them into werewolves?" Jake laughed hard, "Well you're right about not having humans here to try, until now, and I admit you do look very tempting. I may just have to have a little taste to find out if you're good enough to eat." Rylan gulped after hearing his words. Not from terror, which probably should have been the appropriate response. She was finding it harder and harder not to fall for Jake. Jake ran his nose along her neck, took a deep breath, and started nuzzling her neck. "Mmm, you smell so good." And with that he started nibbling and kissing from her jaw down her neck and across her collarbone. Jake was battling himself between wanting to listen to her talk and gathering her up in his arms to start their mating. Rylan couldn't think past the sensations he was causing in her body. She could feel her body heating up as her pulse beat furiously through her veins. Moisture seeped into her panties and she was trying desperately not to moan out loud. Needing to distract Jake she said the first thing that came to her mind, "I never thought I would meet a werewolf." He paused and looked into her eyes. "I mean I have a really wild imagination and when I was younger, I pretended to meet and be a lot of silly things but somehow werewolf wasn't one of them." "Really?" Jake smiled at the thought of this small female acting like a wolf. The thought of her on all fours however, turned from amusing to alluring quickly. "What kinds of creatures did you pretend to be?" "Um, you know a lot of silly things." She said evasively. Now that she brought it up she was hesitant to tell him. She didn't want to come off as being just another silly girl. His opinion matter to me?! "I don't know. We are from different worlds. You may not have the same creatures we do here." "Well, um when I was little I really loved these Disney princess movies." She noticed he didn't quite understand so she went on to explain a little about the Disney movies and other fairytales she liked. "My favorite of all time is The Little Mermaid. So as a child I would pretend to be this mermaid who traded her fins for legs, found her prince, discovered a new world, fell in love, and lived happily ever after." She blushed as she finished talking. It sounded so much sillier now that she was older. "These fairytales sound so romantic and charming. Did you always pretend to be a princess?" It was a surprise, especially after the discussion they had about love, that she was a romantic at heart. He imagined what it would be like playing Little Mermaid with her as a child. He knew she would love to read their stories of the make believe creatures on Torin. "No! I was a little hellion growing up and I had a temper. I would pretend to be some wild jungle girl or a pirate, but somehow I always needed rescuing." Jake smiled down at Rylan, realizing what she had just said Rylan looked away from him and allowed her long hair to hide her face but not before he noticed a nice pink blush sweep across her cheeks. "Well I don't know about you beautiful, but I'm wiped out." He was glad to notice throughout their meal that she constantly looked his way. Oh and the smell of her arousal and her heart racing in her chest! He was so pleased to know that even as traumatic and this whole experience had been for her she still felt the strong pull, the mating bond, for him. He wasn't sure on her end if it was just the initial attraction, love, or what, but he was tired of waiting for her to realize what this truly was. He wanted now more than anything to feel her body clenched around his. "Ugh, yeah I think if I try to eat any more I may pop!" As they made their way back toward the bed, that had to be twice the size of a king on Earth, Rylan froze. She was very self-conscious about what happened next. She nervously smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkles on her nighty. The thought came again that she was not the type of girl to climb willingly into a stranger's bed so scantily clad, mate or no mate. She was not some whore and she definitely didn't want Jake to think so either. "You know I hate to impose on you. I think I will just sleep back on the couch." She turned, trying to make a hasty get away, when she ran right into Jake. Shock crossed her face. She was surprised how fast Jake had moved to block her path. "You are my mate. You aren't imposing in the least." He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug before he guided her towards their bed. "This is where you will sleep from now on. Your place is here with me." He loved Rylan but he was starting to get a little irritated. After all, how many times did a Were need to say 'you're my mate' before she would believe him. Ah there is the problem, she is not a Were. I need to have more patience. But how can I possibly be patient when she is this close to me. She tried to think of a way out of sleeping in the same bed with him, but nothing came to mind. This bed is pretty large; maybe if I sleep on the far side it would be like we were sleeping in two separate beds, right? Rylan moved to the other side of the bed and climbed in. The sheets moved silkily across her legs and the cold fabric sent goose bumps over her skin. She loved this part of getting into bed, except in the winter when she was already cold. As she scooted down the bed her nightgown started riding up her body. Rylan could feel her face start to heat up as she moved the gown back down her body. Get a grip he has seen less on me, she tried to reminder herself, besides it's not like he can see anything now with me covered. Rylan took a deep breath to steady herself and looked up to see Jake's face closer than she expected. "You're not sleeping all the way over there. Come here." He pulled her so both of them were in the middle of the bed. Jake knew there was no way he would get any sleep with her so close but not physically touching her body. "We are mates, I will not push you for more right now, but there is no way that I could sleep this close to you without holding you in my arms." He put his hand on her head pushing it down until her head lay on his chest. With one arm wrapped around her he slowly he ran his fingers through her hair. Rylan was uncertain about his ministration. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but it didn't take long until his soft, soothing touches lulled her to sleep. Jake couldn't stop smiling as he felt his mate relax until she was breathing evenly. Right now every worry and fear fell away. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. Jake couldn't imagine anything better than this moment with Rylan. *** Rylan stiffly tried to move away from whatever her body was stuck to. Her movements were slow and disjointed. As she lifted her head up she saw Jake open his eyes. As he smiled his eyes crinkled in that now familiar way. She subconsciously moved her hand to wipe the sweat that was created from her cheek resting on his chest. "Good morning beautiful," Rylan groaned she knew she looked a mess. Sleeping this close to him had once again caused her body to sweat. She felt anything but beautiful at the moment. Jake just chuckled and leaned in to kiss her, rolling on top of her as he went. For a moment she forgot everything but the feeling of his lips moving sensually against hers. His teeth gently nipped her bottom lip teasing her. He couldn't hold out much longer and started kissing her with passion. Rylan couldn't stop herself from pressing against him. Jake rumbled deep in his chest. The smell of her desire removed the last restraint he had put on himself. The nightdress that she wore was pulled down from her body along with her lacy panties. Jake threw them across the room, along with his underwear, and started nipping and kissing his way down to her breasts. Rylan was shocked. She had slept with other men, but they were nothing compared to Jake. While the others were tentative and careful, Jake was confident and a little rough. Rylan had always thought she wouldn't like pain with sex. No, that's not right. It wasn't painful or rough, just more intense...firm. It's more...more...ah, just more. The way Jake bit her nipples then caressed them lovingly with his tongue was quickly sending her closer to the edge. Then it struck her. NO! This can't happen. Be strong Rylan. You have to stop him. You will regret this later! Her hands fluttered at the tops of his shoulders. She tried to force her hands to push him away and struggled not to pull him closer. "Jake we can't." Jake growled. "I mean it Jake." Her words said no, but her breathy voice held hardly any denial. How can I get him to stop? He spread her legs, positioning himself in between them, without taking his mouth from her breast. "Just let go Rylan. We belong together." He moved his hands on her ankles and firmly squeezed then moved to the bottom of her calf and squeezed. He kept moving upward, squeezing as he went. Rylan's body tingled knowing where his hands would inevitably end. Stop it, Rylan. Think! How are you going to stop him? That's it! Growing up Rylan loved running. It had started off in grade school being chased in a game of kissing tag and continued into high school running the 100-meter dash. She loved the feel of wind in her face and the feeling of beating someone slower than you. Because of this, her legs were strong. She used her legs to push her body up hoping to buck him off of her. The one thing she didn't get expect was Jake to be so heavy! She was able to push him up but not throw him off. Jake, on the other hand, thought she was getting impatient with him and started working his way inside her. Rylan couldn't help the loud moan that escaped her mouth. Jake was not small and she couldn't believe how much of him there was. Her earlier misgivings about being with Jake disappeared when he touched her like this. Her entire body was a live wire and where her body met his, sparks flew. Rylan wrapped her legs around Jake's hips, holding on for dear life. She didn't know sex could be this consuming. The house could have collapsed around them and she wouldn't have notice. Jake moved his hands through Rylan's hair, moving some out of it out of her face. He loved the look on her face. He loved it almost as much as he loved her moans and whimpers of pleasure. He could tell the moment her climax hit. One moment her whole body went ridged and her mouth opened in a silent scream. The next moment her limbs shook and he pussy clamped down hard on his cock. He lasted only a few more seconds before her pussy drew his own orgasm from him. He lay down beside her still inside her, still hard. "Your mine, do you believe me now?" She could not deny he had affected her deeply, but she would be damned if she gave into him so easily. Instead she sat up with him still inside her and started to grind on him. He moaned at her teasing and dug his fingers in her ass. "Maybe you are the one who is mine." She smirked at the shocked look on his face. Oh I love this playful side of hers! Watch out little one, I'm not so easily outdone. Jake growled once low and deep. He moved to roll her over so he would be on top once again. However, there wasn't any more bed to roll onto. They both landed on the ground with Jake's legs tangled in the sheets. Rylan laughed while she crawled away. She sat and looked over her shoulder at Jake, "Nice try." So much for trying to show me who's dominate! "You're going to have to do better than that." She gasped when Jake started struggling to get to her and ran to the door straight across from her. The closet! Rylan turned hoping to get out of the closet and find another escape, but Jake had finally untangled his legs from the sheet and was slowly stalking towards her. Luna's Gift Ch. 03 "By the end of this day Rylan, you will admit that you belong to me." Jake paused to grab a silk tie and continued forward. Rylan had reached the middle of the room and saw that it was bigger than she thought. When you first entered the closet the shelves were so close together that it seemed more like a hallway. Then the room opened up into a large square room. The walls were lined with shelves and racks of shoes and clothes. In the middle of the closet there was a round plush couch. It had a high back and a flat top in the center. Wow! Jake backed her towards the couch and Rylan leapt up onto the cushion, moving so the back was between them. Her heart fluttered at his predatory gaze. "Oh and how do you think you are going to do that?" Jake jumped onto the couch and slowly drew his fingers through her hair on the back of her head pulling her face to his. "Like this." He kissed her slowly at first all the while fisting her hair then opening his hand, caressing his fingers against her skull. She is so easily distracted! While she gazed around their closet he had knotted his tie so all he had to do was to slip it on her wrists. He placed his arms through the loop and pulled her arms inside as well, placing her hands on his abs. Rylan let her fingers roam over his abs enjoying the feel of them. It was only when she felt a tug on her wrist that she opened her eyes to see them tied together. Jake stepped off the couch backwards and looped the end of the restraint not tied to her wrists in between the couch and its back. This forced Rylan to lay with her stomach across the flat top of the couch, her toes barely reaching the couch cushion. "There are small bars under here connecting the cushions together. I am tying you to this so that you cannot run from me while I teach you." "Teach me what?" She lifted her head up trying to pull her arms out of their restraints. "Just whom you belong to." Jake moved behind her massaging her shoulders. He moved slowly; down her back, to her hips, to her firm ass, to her outer thighs, to her shins, and then to the tops of her feet. "You are mine Rylan." She loved what Jake was doing to her body and hoped if she continued to play like she was unaffected he would continue to work his fingers over her body. "I don't think so." You have no idea what you are getting yourself into beautiful. Jake continued his assault, knowing she would soon be shouting his name in pleasure, admitting she was his. He moved his mouth to the inside of her thighs and spoke softly. "We can do this all day beautiful. Luna knows how much I'm enjoying this." He licked her from her knee towards her slit then changed directions moving around the base of her firm ass ending with a soft bite in the very center of her fleshy cheeks. Rylan gasped and then groaned when he repeated the process over and over first on one cheek and then the other. His licking was driving her mad! He was purposefully ignoring the place she wanted him most. Finally he spread her ass and took one slow lick from her clit to her anus then moving again slowly back to her clit resting his tongue on it. Suddenly he felt her legs shake and heard her loan moan as her orgasm hit again. Instinctively he lapped at her juices. He was shocked that she climaxed so quickly, but it almost immediately turned to pride as he realized her body recognized whom it belonged to. "Whom do you belong to Rylan?" She took a deep breath to slow down her racing heart. "Hmm, I don't remember." She smiled when she heard him growling. "Well then I best remind you." Jake moved to the back of the closet to grab something that would enforce his lesson. As he moved away Rylan pushed up so her toes were no longer touching the cushion to slacken her restraint. She was now able to remove the tie on her wrists. Rounding the couch she gave the cheekiest smile she could. "Try again Mr. Hamilton." With that she darted out of the closet. Jake couldn't believe his luck. He tried to get infuriated by her continued lack of submission, but instead he was getting more turned on by the minute. He loved that she was not as weak and frail and he first thought. It must have been the shock of being on a new planet that had her so timid and shy. Thank you Luna! She is magnificent. Rylan grinned when she heard Jake charging out of the closet to get her. She wasn't trying to get away from Jake. In fact she wasn't sure what she would do if he didn't chase her. She loved this cat and mouse game they played. She laughed as he grabbed her around the waist and pushed her up against the wall. Since she was so much shorter than him, he cupped his hands under her ass and lifted her higher so her head was mere inches below his. Jake ran his cock back and forth across her slit. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. "You know you just proved my point." She gazed at him with lust filled eyes. He paused with his cock poised at her entrance. "How's that?" "You are mine." "How do you assume that?" Jake was confused. It was her body that craved his; he had proven that back in the closet. "It is you who can't seem to let me go. You have chased me around your room." She moved her arms up his shoulders and behind his neck pulling him in closer, effectively moving his cock inside her. "You can't seem to keep your hands off me." Rylan moaned softly. She had climaxed more with Jake than she had with all her previous lovers combined. She was so sensitive that even these slow shallow thrusts were driving her towards another orgasm. "If that is so, then you are also as affected. How little I must do to bring you to your peak. How easily you respond to my touches. Cum for me Rylan, show me that you belong to me." Rylan couldn't stop her orgasm even if she wanted to. She repeated his name over and over again as the pleasure radiated from her body. Between her chanting his name and her pussy quivering around him, he could no longer hold back. He pressed against her and moaned at his own release. When he could speak Jake whispered, "Thank you." Rylan's eyes narrowed in confusion. "When you first awoke you were very wary of me. I'm glad you let go, though you took a lot longer than I thought you would." She looked up in to his warm brown eyes. Took a lot longer than you thought? These girl Weres must submit rather quickly to their mates. If that's what he looking for then he's got the wrong girl. A thought hit her; I'll show him how un-Were like I really am! "It was your sweet puppy eyes that finally did me in." She tried to look innocent as she said this. "I know now that you're harmless. Luna probably knew this as well and brought me here to help protect you." Jake growled and set her down, "Oh really?" I'll show her harmless puppy. He shifted and crouched into his hunting stance. Rylan was shocked but not scared. "No. Sit. Stay." As he continued towards her, she turned to take a few steps back, but tripped on the rug and fell. She was only able to get her feet beneath her when she felt Jake's furry chest on her ass. His muzzle nudged her pushing her on to her knees. She glared over her shoulder at him. Again he pushed her with his muzzle knocking her on her belly. He gave one long low growl. He's not going to stop until I admit he's tough, is he? Rolling onto her back she said, "Okay you win. You the toughest werewolf I've ever met." Jake eyed her; then backed up until his face was next to her pussy. Rylan leaned on her elbows until Jake took a purposeful lick up her wet slit. Embarrassed that he was licking at both of their fluids, she started scooting away from him until his jaws clamped softly around her inner thigh. He continued his attentions focusing on her clit, but he would back off just before she peaked. She couldn't take it any more. "Please. Please, Jake I need you. I need my mate inside me, please." In a flash she was on her knees with him thrusting furiously behind her. The pleasure his body gave her finally broke her resistance. "I'm yours Jake. I'm all yours." Jake gave one last thrust before emptying his seed into her. He was thrilled with Rylan's admission. "And I am yours Rylan." It took both of them longer to catch their breaths this time. "Jake a...are we m...mated now?" She asked softly once she could finally control her voice. He smiled and shifted back to his Were form. "No," he whispered "not fully." "Because you didn't bite me?" He chuckled pulling her up into his tight embrace, "Bite you? Is this another myth from the Earth werewolves?" Rylan could only blush in response. "If we bite while making love to our mates, it is only for the pleasure of it." All she could think to say was "Oh". Her mind and body were content. With her mate in her arms, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Jake chuckled again. You are mine my beautiful Rylan. I'm glad you see that now. *** Jake awoke later that night with something tickling his nose. He swiftly brushed it away and opened his eyes to see what was the perpetrator. Rylan lay with her back pressed against his chest and her hair on his pillow. He combed it down her back with his fingers; thoughts of what happened earlier today crossed his mind, hardening his cock instantly. She moaned then stretched out her tired muscles, pressing her ass firmly against his stiff cock. "Hello mate." Languidly she opened her eyes and gave a small smile, "Hi." Rylan turned and laid her head so she could feel his heartbeat on her face. "I can't believe how tired I still am." "Your in luck I know the perfect way to perk you right up." Jake placed kisses all over her face, neck, and chest. Yep, she thought, I'm definite wide-awake now. She moved her mouth so that their tongue entwined, pressing her body closer as well. Just as she was about to lose herself completely she heard someone clearing their throat. Rylan stiffened with surprise and embarrassment at what she had been caught doing. Jake, however, didn't seem surprised at all; merely frustrated at having to stop kissing. "It's nice to see you have some color back in your cheeks." Rylan peeked over Jake's shoulder to see a pretty woman standing at the bottom bedpost. Rylan wanted to die of mortification; her cheeks if on cue blushed further to reinforce this woman's statement. "Mother you are embarrassing my mate." Jake lips turned upward in a smile. He rubbed his hand over her arm a few times before moved his head to look at his mother. " Rylan this is my mother Lydia, mom this is my mate Rylan." He spoke the last word tenderly. Rylan went from being mortified at getting caught in bed with Jake to being extremely mortified at getting caught in bed with Jake by his mother! Way to make a good first impression, Rylan, she scolded herself. Where is a wreck-loose goddess to teleport me to another planet when I need one! She continued darkly. This was not how she imagined meeting his mom for the first time. Not that she thought about it at all but if she had this would definitely not be in the running. She tried to smile, but her embarrassment wouldn't allow control over her vocal cords. "Don't worry she doesn't think badly about you. Remember she helped me take care of you. He had been embarrassed earlier when he had shown his mom his hard-on, but now that he was covered it seemed less embarrassing. Even though she could obviously smell what they had been up to. He pulled the blanket further up her body, hopefully it would relieve her of her embarrassment. Praying for some good new about their current situation, he turned to his mom and asked what they had found. "Unfortunately nothing. We have not come across another situation like this in all our written history. Now it doesn't mean that it hasn't happened ever. It is possible that another pack has had the same thing happen to them, however there is no way to know for sure. Like your father told you last night, this is not something discussed openly. Alphas kept the secret of the gift to themselves. They wouldn't even discuss their gift with their own pack members. Luna's gift was something to be treasured above all else. They didn't want to run the risk of someone trying to steal their gift. To ask the other alphas about their gift would bring a lot of suspicion and a lot of unwanted attention to our pack. And especially to your mate." Lydia had sat at the bottom of the bed looking worried. Both Jake and Rylan sat up; as she did she made sure that the sheet covered her entire body except for her head. "So instead of worrying about the past, we must look to the future. There is going to be many hard decisions for you two to face together." Rylan gulped. She didn't mean to make this more difficult for Jake. As if knowing where her thoughts had taken her, he wrapped both arms around her placing a soft kiss on her temple. "As far as your father and I am concerned the gift you received from Luna is a lovely mate." Lydia smiled at Rylan. "Now our only concern is how do we announce to the pack as well as other who will inevitably have question about how she came here, why she can't shift from Were to animal, and what she did to you for you to become so attached to her so quickly." The last part was said with a smile. Lydia knew that most would not understand the attraction her son had for someone who was not Were, someone so alien. *** I want to thank all of those who commented on my last two stories. I don't really consider myself to be an author, just someone with some crazy stories stuck in their head. This chapter is for all those who wanted to hear more. I wouldn't have finished without those pleas to continue. I promise to try to post more frequently. Hope this chapter made up for the long wait. Comments, concerns, thoughts, predictions, etc. are welcome :)