It surprised him that Johann didn’t move to soothe her. Nik really didn’t care to either. Let the old bitch catch her own breath. He stood patiently while she opened her drawer and pulled out a handkerchief, then dabbed at her face. Her stare was icy when she’d regained composure.
“We are one of the oldest and greatest breeds on earth. But with so few females, we risk diluting our line if rash measures aren’t taken.” She straightened and then slowly stood, walking around her desk with more ease than Nik had seen her move in a long time. She stopped when she faced him, standing a good foot shorter than him. “You’ll get your bitch. Both of you will. Don’t worry about that. But you will honor the ways of our pack, unless I smell you wrong.”
“You know that you don’t.” Nik itched to ask her what she meant by him getting his bitch. But letting her know he wanted more information would give her power he didn’t want her to have at the moment.
“Good. I expect you early at the pack meeting. All my good alphas should make a show tonight. I’m an old bitch, and my days are numbered. Let the pack see that you back the ways of our kind. It will go well for both of you.” She patted Nik on the arm, and her touch almost gave him the chills.
Chapter Five
Sophie’s stomach twisted in knots when she followed her sisters into the large living area. Grandmother’s den wasn’t like most other dens in the pack. Her living room could seat over half the pack, the spacious area more like a meeting hall than a room where her den would recline and visit after a good run or meal. Tonight every member of the pack who was of mating age filled the room. The older members of the pack—the ones who attended every meeting no matter what was on the agenda—and the young mothers took all the available chairs. Cubs didn’t run around like they usually did. Even they smelled the difference in the air. Some hovered near their mothers while others crawled around in human form with their tails dragging behind them.
“I don’t even want to be here,” Elsa sulked, stopping in the doorway before entering the large, overly crowded living area.
“Don’t let them decide your future without you,” Gertrude scolded.
“It’s not like we have a say in our future,” Sophie pointed out.
“Like single bitches ever have a say in anything.” Elsa crossed her arms in front of her and looked down when Johann walked over to them.
Simone followed behind him and focused on Johann’s back instead of looking at any of them. The bitch wore too much makeup and her jeans might as well have been painted on her slender legs. Her perfume hid the smell of any emotions that Sophie might have smelled.
“Come on over here,” he said, focusing on Elsa but then glancing at Gertrude and Sophie. “I hear the meeting won’t last long. We’ll take a nice, long run afterward.”
“Running to the other side of the world sounds good,” Elsa muttered, but then let Johann take her arm and lead her through the pack.
Sophie searched her pack, looking for Nik. Several males gave her the once-over. She bared her teeth and growled at each of them.
I belong to Nik Alexander, she wanted to let each of them know. One male she’d gone to school with reached for her and she silently thanked Johann when he turned and glared at the lunewulf.
“Stay with your littermates,” he growled at Sophie.
She hurried past the male, who laughed, along with the other guys hanging out behind the rows of chairs. They reached a stretch of wall where most of the other pack members she usually ran with were already gathered. Mostly, the small group of them talked about work or the run they planned for afterward—anything but the reason all of them were gathered here tonight.
“We’ll meet at Howley’s in Prince George.” Johann grabbed her attention. “You can ride with me into town after the meeting if you want, Elsa.”
Sophie had been searching for Nik, and her stomach twisted further when she finally spotted him at the other end of the room. He stood with a couple of the older pack members, hovering outside the door to Grandmother’s office. What was he doing standing up there instead of back here with the rest of them?
“I’ll ride with you, Johann,” Simone said.
“You would ride anyone,” Johann teased.
“Must not make you anyone special,” Elsa told him, winking at Simone.
Sophie ignored their banter. Nik stood with his back to her. His blond hair curled at his collar while broad shoulders made him stand out among the other males around him. Even with most of the pack standing between them, she noticed how his shirt stretched over his hard body. She wanted to join him, prance around her pack until she stood at his side. Tingles rushed over her just thinking about touching him, running her fingers up his arm until she could tangle them in his soft hair.
Derek Rousseau said something to him and he nodded, then turned and moved toward the wall. He hadn’t said anything about hanging out with the older pack members during the meeting. Grandmother Rousseau usually handpicked the lunewulfs who were closest to her when she addressed the pack. Sometimes they stood up there for a reason, either to speak during the meeting or because she wanted their help with something. Maybe Grandmother had sought him out after he’d left her earlier today.
She thought about their parting words. He wanted her to call him later tonight when she was alone in her bed. That would have to be after their run, which quite often was when she masturbated while unwinding so she could sleep. The way she felt right now, so antsy she could hardly stand still, she would have a lot of energy to burn off before sleeping.
What would it be like masturbating so he could listen? It sounded so intimate, so personal, like sharing a secret no one else knew about. Of course, that was exactly what it would be. But then giving him head in the barn earlier today had been pretty damned personal too.
The door to Grandmother’s office opened and, as if on cue, the pack grew quiet, everyone turning their attention toward their pack leader when she slowly entered the room. Nik took her hand while she moved to the podium slowly enough to make Sophie want to scream. The pack settled, giving Sophie a good view of Grandmother. Nik stood by her side once she reached the podium while she said something quietly to him. Sophie was sure her ears weren’t the only ones tickled and she wondered what the old bitch said. He nodded once, his expression unreadable, and then left her, walking over to stand alongside the wall.
He didn’t look toward the pack until he leaned next to an old bookshelf. And then he focused his attention directly on her. It was as if he knew all along exactly where she stood. He didn’t search, didn’t hesitate, but stared into her eyes. For the briefest of moments, everyone around them faded and she drowned in his dominating gaze. Nik knew where her thoughts had been. She didn’t know how. But when she looked at him, forgetting to breathe until her chest burned, his eyes grew brighter, as if silently promising her that soon she would experience sexual pleasure like she never had before.
And masturbating to an audience definitely qualified as a new experience. Her heart raced and a flush spread over her cheeks, making them burn. She sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of her own lust. It didn’t matter that she’d scrubbed herself in the shower earlier. She swore she smelled his come on her flesh.
“My fellow lunewulfs,” Grandmother began, her voice quivering with age. “It is always an honor to stand before you. I feel and smell the greatness that so many lunewulfs offer my humble den.”
Knowing what Grandmother was about to say—or at least having a vague idea—should have made her want to scream and run. She was no fucking brood bitch to be shared and bred. But Nik’s intent stare, the way he looked at her from across the room, somehow made being here less painful.
“Not many of you remember the early days when lunewulfs controlled most of Prince George. But you all know the history. We are one of the oldest breeds of werewolves. Our ancestors came over from Europe, carrying a strong pedigree and heritage. And today, in the twenty-first century, we are as strong and powerful as
our breed was when they first entered Canada.”
“Amazing that she knows what century it is,” Elsa muttered under her breath.
“Shush,” Johann scolded from behind them.
“We helped found Fort Saint James,” Grandmother continued, her voice rising with excitement while she recited the unneeded history lesson. “And soon after that, our breed became the founding fathers of Prince George. We have helped build oil refineries, breweries and dairies. Lunewulfs are respected by all breeds for our speed and intelligence. We are leaders, always breaking new ground and making way for other werewolves to sniff after.”
The old bitch paused and sipped at the glass of water sitting on the podium. She took a moment to stare at the pack and look around the room while letting the anticipation grow toward what she would say next. Sophie shifted, hating the sensation that rushed through her. Grandmother would drop the bomb any second, voice law that would impact the rest of her life. Sophie held her breath, not liking the aromas that hung heavily in the air. Resentment carried a foul smell.
“And that is why a new pack law will go into affect tonight. From this moment forward, all matings will be decided by me.” She held up her hand although no one uttered a word and, ignoring the deathly silence, took her time in continuing. “I have put a lot of effort into a list that will be distributed tomorrow. On that list are matings that will take place in the next thirty days. One bitch shall be mated to three males. Every bitch currently between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five not already mated will be on that list. Each bitch has three males she will mate with. The matings will be consummated during that thirty-day time period. Any mating not consummated will result in the death of the male.”
“Oh God,” a bitch closer to the front cried out.
Nik pushed away from the wall, growling loudly. A few whimpers from the pack members closest to him followed. Grandmother scowled in the direction of the outburst. The pack shifted, a few whispering among themselves, taking advantage of the momentary interruption to say their piece on the matter. Again Nik moved forward, his hair suddenly more tousled while his teeth grew, and the low rumbling from his throat could be heard where Sophie stood.
She didn’t get why he growled as Grandmother’s personal lunewulf. Usually he had nothing to do with pack meetings but simply attended them like she did. Her heart pounded too hard in her chest while she watched his muscles bulge. Nik could be a deadly looking lunewulf when he got pissed off. But his actions at the moment confused her. She couldn’t imagine him supporting this terrible new law so much that he would volunteer to keep the pack in order while Grandmother announced how things would be from this moment forward.
“As I just said,” Grandmother said louder, silencing the pack with her shrill tone. Nik’s menacing appearance more than likely forced everyone back into submission. The smell of anger lingered though. “All matings will now be prearranged. My decisions on which males mate with which bitch will be final and not open to discussion. Any lunewulf who wanders from his bitch will be killed. Likewise, no illegitimate cubs will be tolerated. Each bitch will be expected to produce cubs from each of her males. Any male or bitch who disobeys pack law will be killed. This is pack law. It will be obeyed.”
The howling started somewhere over by Nik. For all Sophie could tell, he might have started it. She couldn’t imagine that to be the case though. Nik wouldn’t approve of sharing her with two other males. As the howling grew until those around her joined in, Sophie’s heart lodged in her throat. The traditional way of showing approval and respect to their pack leader by leaning their heads back and allowing enough of the change to come forth while they howled, always occurred when a pack consented with their leader.
Lunewulfs were aggressive by nature, dominating and territorial. How could any of them howl over such a ludicrous law? She dared glance at her littermates. Gertrude had thrown her head back, her mouth forming a perfect circle as she bellowed with the rest of them. Elsa met her gaze, the look on her face matching the confusion that Sophie felt inside her.
Sophie looked away first, searching for Nik. He’d disappeared and Derek Rousseau helped Grandmother Rousseau away from the podium.
Where was he?
Strong fingers wrapped around her waist and Nik’s scent tortured her system at the same time that he whispered against her cheek.
“You will show your respect to your pack and give no indication that you are dismayed by pack law,” he ordered gruffly.
She raised her head, her insides swelling with need so quickly that she almost fell backward against him. Nik raised his head, letting out a low baritone that sent goose bumps rushing over her flesh. She howled with him, feeling the small hairs prickle to attention along her spine.
Three males. She would be required to fuck three males. And according to pack law, all of them would be at her beck and call. They would be her mates. She would be their bitch.
If Nik wasn’t one of the males, there was no way she would be able to honor pack law.
Nik lowered his head and the smoldering gaze he gave her just about soaked her panties. He wrapped his arms around her possessively, pulling her against his hard chest.
“Don’t worry, little bitch,” he whispered and nibbled on her ear. “I’ve taken care of everything.”
She turned, opening her mouth to question him. Nik pressed his finger to her lips and then ran it down her chin. Heat washed over her, creating a swelling throb between her legs.
“Not right now,” he whispered. “Trust me.”
She nodded but frowned, wanting more of an explanation right now. She wouldn’t get it. Nik’s hardened expression made that clear. His scent flooded her senses with pride, determination. His emotions didn’t make sense to her at the moment, but she’d question him first chance she had.
The meeting didn’t end like most pack meetings did. No one had time to hunt before showing up for the impromptu meeting. There was no kill laid out to share with the other dens. Grandmother Rousseau disappeared and the pack filed out front, leaving quietly. The feeling of unease and trepidation clung so heavily in the air it was like thick humidity. Sophie swore she could reach out and slice through it with her claws.
“Are you Grandmother’s new whipping boy now?” Johann asked Nik as they gathered around the cars out front.
“Hardly. The job is all yours.” Nik wrapped his hand around Sophie’s.
She figured Johann was lucky that Nik didn’t give him much more than a second of attention before looking at her littermates.
“Would you bitches like a ride to Howley’s?” Nik asked Elsa and Gertrude.
“If you’re buying,” Gertrude teased, then scraped her fingernails down his chest before winking at Sophie.
If any other bitch had touched him like that, Sophie would have been all tooth and claws. But her littermate was a tease. Sophie grinned and then gave Elsa a pointed look.
“Ride with us,” she told her youngest littermate.
Elsa looked so grief-stricken that a drink or two might do her some good. Elsa nodded and Johann looked ready to protest until Simone wrapped her fingers around his arm.
“Looks like it’s you and me, wolf man,” she said in a sultry voice. “Think you can handle it?”
“I’m sure I can find a few other males if you want the practice,” Johann told her.
“Oh hell,” Elsa cried out, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. “That’s not even funny.”
Nik put in a Tool CD when they were all situated in his car and turned up the volume, preventing any conversation on their way into town. They were a caravan of lunewulfs descending on Prince George for a night of fun and forgetting. Soon enough all of their lives would change forever, thanks to Grandmother’s paranoia that their breed would perish without drastic measures. Sophie sat up front, with Elsa and Gertrude in the back. Nik next to her made her heart pulse harder, pumping blood through her veins while the change warred with her human half. So many emotions rushed around
inside her that getting wild and crazy tonight sounded like a damned good idea.
More than a handful of cars pulled into Howley’s and found parking places. Nik followed Johann into the lot. Simone raised her head from the passenger seat, looking like she’d been giving him a blowjob on the way in, and turned around, her expression caught in Nik’s headlights. She gave them a broad grin and then turned and nipped at Johann’s ear.
Sophie turned down the stereo and leaned into Nik as he parked. “I should have thought to do that,” she whispered.
“You would suck my dick in front of your littermates?” Nik asked, giving her a shit-eating grin like he loved the idea.
“Like hell she would,” Elsa growled, pushing the car door open the moment he stopped.
“She’s such a party-pooper,” Gertrude said, snickering and then hitting Sophie on the head before climbing out on her side.
“Maybe Elsa is jealous of Simone since she was with Johann,” Sophie suggested, getting out on Nik’s side and dragging her nails down his chest while looking at Gertrude.
“I don’t think so.” Gertrude looked after Elsa, who’d joined some of the other bitches and headed into Howley’s. “He’s got the hots for her, but Elsa doesn’t seem to like anyone.”
“You two will need to keep a close eye on her once the list comes out tomorrow.” Nik’s serious baritone stilled the air around them. “My guess is that she is terrified of mating with any male right now, and she’s going to be given three.”
Sophie looked up at him, studying his strong jawbone and the stubble from a day’s growth. Those small hairs would torture her flesh if he rubbed his face over her skin. Just the thought of it made her blood boil while need pumped quickly into her pussy.
“We’ve always been there to help each other, and that won’t stop now.” She fought the sensations rushing around inside her and looked at her youngest littermate’s backside before Elsa disappeared inside Howley’s.
Lunewulf Law Page 6