by M. A. Church
Warwick carefully examined what he’d been told. “Let me see if I understand this, then. There are two defined steps to a werewolf mating. The Chase is the first step. This is where you declare my intentions to mate Avery, correct?”
“Yes.
“If there’s a spurned lover, that’s when the Challenge could happen.”
“Again, yes.”
“If there is no Challenge, the Chase happens next. Once I hunt him down, we return to where everyone shifted, and you… what?”
“I proclaim the Chase successful and give you my blessing. After that, you return home, which I’m assuming will be your castle, and mate my son. That’s when the mark happens.”
“After I bite him, is he affected?”
“For werewolves, no. If a werewolf mates with a human, then yes, the human goes through a change, but that’s a whole separate issue and doesn’t apply since neither of you are human.” Suddenly Alpha Montgomery paused. “We can change humans to werewolves. Can dragons do the same?”
“No. You’re either born a dragon or you’re not. In that case, my bite won’t affect his biology in the least.”
“Well, then, after the mark, the two of you are officially mated. Normally we have a celebration for the newly mated couple. It’s like a reception for a human wedding.” Again, Alpha Montgomery fell silent.
Warwick mulled over the information he’d been given. All in all, it was pretty simplistic. “The celebration, am I supposed to do anything for that?”
“No. The pack throws the celebration. That’s my responsibility as Alpha. If you wish to donate to the celebration, I will not tell you no, though.”
Warwick had expected nothing less, but he kept that thought to himself since he was soon to be related to Alpha Montgomery. “When is the celebration held again?”
“That happens after the full moon is over. It also gives the pack time to make arrangements, buy gifts if they want, or cook food to bring. We tend to be rather… ill-tempered the night of the full moon, which is why we wait. The full moon isn’t exactly the best time to celebrate a mating.”
“We will do the Chase tomorrow night, then?”
“Yes. Unless you want to wait another month.”
Wait? His dragon growled out a resounding no to that. “Absolutely not. Another quick question.”
“Yes?”
“Am I required to shift?”
“Ah, that’s the norm. But since I’m not exactly sure how big you’d be in shifted form, I’m going to leave that decision up to you. You’re able to tap into the powers you have in shifted form while you’re human, right?”
“Yes.” That was all he was going to say on that subject. “You said the Chase happens on pack land. Am I to assume it’ll mainly take place in the woods?”
“More than likely.” Alpha Montgomery shrugged. “An open field doesn’t give the more dominant wolf much of a challenge, now, does it? Is being in the woods going to be a problem?”
“Why don’t we leave it at I’m quite a bit bigger than a werewolf. Thank you for sharing this information with me.”
“I’m going to add one more thing here since you’re not a werewolf. Make the hunt good. Avery isn’t going to make it easy on you, but he is an Omega. Please, for Avery’s sake, don’t find him too fast. If you do, it makes it look like he wasn’t a worthy opponent.”
Warwick stood. “You don’t give your son enough credit. I don’t know Avery very well yet, but weak is the last word I’d use to describe him.”
Alpha Montgomery stood and extended his hand. “Don’t find him too fast. That’s all I ask.”
Warwick shook the Alpha’s outstretched hand and released it. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, one last thing.”
“Yes?”
“Depending on Clarence’s success with your werewolf, Lisa, would it be permissible for me to bring him tomorrow night?”
“Please don’t be offended, but I would rather you didn’t. That time is for pack members only.”
“Understood. In that case, I bid you good day.” Satisfied his business was concluded, Warwick turned and left Alpha Montgomery’s office. Clarence’s unique scent was easy to find, and he followed it to Lisa’s office. The door was open, but still he knocked. He found Lisa and Clarence sitting on a couch, talking quietly.
“My business is concluded. Are you ready to leave?” Warwick asked.
Clarence kissed Lisa’s knuckles, then stood. “Yes, sir.”
Lisa stood too. “Since the contract is signed in duplicate, everyone has copies of the originals. Congratulations. Avery’s really sweet. We all love him.”
“Thank you,” Warwick said, pleased by the sentiment.
Clarence slipped a folded piece of paper into his pocket, then reached for his briefcase. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I’ll call you.”
She blushed lightly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Lisa escorted them to the front door. Clarence didn’t speak as they walked to Warwick’s waiting limousine. Once they were away from the pack house, Clarence turned to Warwick. “I take it things went well?”
“Very. Alpha Montgomery imparted some useful information about the mating ritual, which I’ll tell you about in a moment. But first… Lisa. She seems interesting. Lovely and smart—always a good combination.”
Clarence’s grin was blinding. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? We’re going out.”
“Indeed she is.” It’d been a while since Warwick had seen Clarence this excited over someone. Clarence tended to bury himself in his work. “In that case I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you, sir. Now, I’m very interested in what you learned.”
“Settle back, my friend. You’re not going believe what I have to tell you.”
Chapter Nine
BOXES littered Avery’s floor, but only a few actually had something in them. He’d decided if he was going to start a new life, then he’d go to it with only the things he cared about. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much.
A knock on his door dragged his attention away from the empty boxes. He wasn’t surprised to see Mandy standing there. “Hey. Come on in.”
“Hey.” Mandy walked into the room, moving some of the boxes out of the way with her foot, and sat on the edge of Avery’s bed. “Dad made the formal announcement to his inner circle. At least he had the courtesy to tell his family first. I was surprised to see you weren’t there.”
Avery shrugged. “He didn’t ask me to be. Anyway, it’s not like anything could be done to change the circumstances.”
“Does that mean you’re unhappy with this?”
Avery paused in packing a box that sat on his desk. “I…. Well, I can’t honestly say I’m thrilled with what he’s done, but I guess if it hadn’t been Warwick, it would’ve been somebody else.”
“Just the mindset needed to go into a new mating.”
Avery walked over and sat next to Mandy on the bed. “True. But, honestly, though, did any of our sisters, or you, mate for love?”
Mandy sighed. “Point taken, but let me add that I do love my mate.”
“Now, yes. But I remember a time when you weren’t too happy with Father for arranging a mating between you and Tim.”
“At least we knew who we were going to mate before we actually met them. Father threw you under the bus to save the pack’s ass, but there’s no point in rehashing that. I’m more concerned with the fact that we know next to nothing about dragons.”
“Look, you and our sisters knew what you were getting. I mean, each of you mated with somebody in the pack.”
“You’re making my point, you do realize that, right?”
“Yes and no. Because each of you mated a werewolf, the cultural rules of our society still applied. Men are men and women are women, and each of us has clear-cut types of jobs. All werewolves are born into a certain station in life and pretty much stuck there.”
“Our pack is not quite
that bad.”
“No, it isn’t. Still, do you honestly think Father would’ve ever considered you as a candidate for the Alpha position if I hadn’t forced his hand? In my entire life, all I’ve heard is how Omegas aren’t as aggressive, how we have to act a certain way, how the pack mustn’t put too much strain on us. I can’t speak for others like me, but I’m not made of glass. I won’t break under stress.”
Mandy stared at Avery for second, then nodded. “You certainly proved that last stereotype false. You’re handling this a lot better than I did.”
“I see this as a chance for me to really live as I want. To spread my wings, so to speak. Warwick hasn’t grown up with the preconceived ideas of what a werewolf pack member should be, and most especially who and what an Omega is.”
“What if the image he’s trying to portray isn’t who he actually is, though?”
“I don’t get that sense from him. I think what you see is what you get. There’s this vibe about him, one that says he doesn’t tolerate bullshitters. He might not say half of what’s going on in his head, but what he does say? He means.”
“He comes across as so… cool.”
“I guess in a way he kind of is. But remember, he’s old. Very old. I get glimpses into how ancient he is by the way he phrases certain sentences. But on the other hand, I can honestly say he’s never treated me as less than him. He listens, Mandy. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
“Especially since most werewolves higher up in the pack hierarchy tend to pat you on the head, right?”
“Exactly. Is he perfect? No. None of us are. Neither am I, for that matter.” Avery poked Mandy’s knee. “I find him fascinating. He’s such an odd mixture of old and new. Talking to him was great. I didn’t have to watch what I said—didn’t have to worry about being reprimanded for my smart tongue.”
Mandy snorted. “Like that ever did any good.”
“While Father never laid a hand on us, there was also no guarantee that a werewolf mate would be as forgiving with me. I’m going into this mating with a positive attitude.”
Mandy stared at Avery. “You’re really not afraid, are you?”
“Not afraid, no. Excited, overwhelmed, and maybe a little unsure? Yes. This is new territory for me. Plus, I haven’t had the chance to see him in shifted form. After the rumors I’ve heard… well, I’m more worried about that than anything.”
“Is that all you’re worried about?”
“Please don’t tell me you’re about to try to have the human equivalent of the ‘birds and bees’ talk with me.”
“Believe me, neither one of us wants that.” Mandy shuddered playfully. “But what goes on in the bedroom is damn well important too. Besides, our parents kept an eagle eye on you, especially when you dated. And, unlike me, you didn’t rebel.”
“Mainly because you caused enough trouble for the rest of us.”
Mandy scowled. “I don’t like being told what to do.”
“You don’t say?” Avery dodged the lighthearted punch Mandy threw at him. “What? It’s the truth.” Avery hollered when Mandy poked him in the ribs. “Stop that shit! I hate being tickled.”
“You’re hopeless. Well, seeing as you’re not in meltdown mode, I’m going to go. I only wanted to make sure you were truly okay.” Mandy stood.
Avery stood with her. “I’m fine, really. By the way, Warwick and I are going on a date tonight.”
Mandy poked him in the ribs again. “Oooh, your first unchaperoned date. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Avery slapped at Mandy’s long fingers. “Which pretty much leaves the whole field open. Stop poking me, for crying out loud.”
Mandy stopped with the tickle attack and studied Avery. “Huh. You really are okay with this, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I really am.” He met her gaze unflinchingly. “Now scoot. I need to get ready for my date.”
Mandy sauntered across the room. At the door, she stopped and turned to Avery. “One word of advice for my baby brother.”
Avery groaned. “And what would that be?”
“Wear something sexy.” Mandy winked and walked out of the room.
“Nothing but trouble,” Avery muttered, then wandered into his closet to see if he had anything that fit the bill.
AT the appointed hour, Avery was dressed and ready to go. The suit was a black Bespoken, but the silk tie and pocket square had a wild red-and-black design. A crisp white long-sleeved dress shirt finished out the look.
He’d brushed his dirty-blond hair into a gleaming waterfall and left it loose. The doorbell rang as he finished putting on his shoes. After a last glance in the dresser mirror, he hurried downstairs.
Warwick stood in the entrance with a servant waiting near him. Avery’s pounding heart stumbled in his chest. Warwick’s long hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Damn, he looked good even in his coat. Avery tried to get his heart under control before everybody in the pack house heard it. Wasn’t much he could do about his desire. Warwick froze, sniffed, and then turned to where Avery stood. A small smile graced Warwick’s lips. “Good evening.”
Avery swallowed. If his voice squeaked, he was going to turn around and walk out. How could one man be so sinfully handsome? He managed to unstick his feet from the floor and walked toward Warwick. “Hey.”
“You look exceptionally nice. Are you ready to go?”
“You too, and yes.”
Education? What education? Jeez, he sounded like an idiot.
“Thank you. Shall we, then?”
The servant moved to the coat closet to retrieve Avery’s.
“Here. I’ll do that.” Without giving the servant a chance to complain, Warwick took Avery’s coat and held it.
Avery turned so Warwick could slip it on. With a gentle hand, Warwick pulled Avery’s hair out from his collar. He shivered when Warwick’s cool fingers brushed against the nape of his neck. Avery shrugged so his coat would settle correctly across his shoulders, then glanced back, surprised to see Warwick still standing so close.
“Lovely,” Warwick whispered, his breath warm against Avery’s neck. “I can’t wait until tomorrow night. Can’t wait to have you screaming beneath me.”
The softly spoken words ignited a flame inside Avery. Blushing, he ducked his head. No snappy reply came to mind—not a single, solitary thing. All he could do was stand there and yearn.
Turning, he faced Warwick. Warwick’s eyes lingered on his lips. Avery licked them, and Warwick’s pupils dilated. He might not be able to think of the most elegant thing to say in response to Warwick’s comment, but his body knew what it wanted. He was tempted to climb Warwick and let nature take its course. After he stripped the insanely elegant suit off that lean body, of course.
“You… I… holy shit, Warwick.”
Those brilliantly odd eyes of Warwick’s flickered, and Avery wondered if he was about to find himself pinned against the nearest wall. His heart rate spiked, and Warwick growled, a low, rumbling sound coming from deep within his chest. Avery inhaled deeply, that sinfully sweet chocolatey scent of Warwick’s wrapping around him.
“We, ah, had better leave. Don’t want to miss our reservation.”
Really? That was the first thing out of his mouth? What a monumentally stupid remark.
Warwick blinked, a momentary look of confusion crossing his face, and then he stepped back. Desire left and perfect calm blanketed his face. “Yes. You’re right. After you.” Warwick stepped out of the way so Avery could pass him.
Okay, what the hell? The servant, who had tried to disappear earlier when the sexual tension escalated, stepped around them, grabbed the door, and opened it. Avery glanced at the blushing servant as he swept by with Warwick close behind. As they approached the limousine, the driver jumped out and hurried around to open the door.
With every step he took, Avery cursed himself silently. Warwick probably thought Avery was nothing more than a simpleton. When was he going to learn not to bl
urt out the first thing that came to mind? He climbed into the limo and sat.
His hopes rose slightly when Warwick sat next to him instead of across like Avery assumed he would. A moment later the limo driver was back in his seat and the car pulled away from the pack house. The privacy screen between them was still raised, thankfully.
Avery racked his mind trying to think of something to say. Maybe he should admit such talk caught him off guard and he didn’t know how to respond. Hell, he should tell Warwick straight-out he had no experience with such things like that.
What, exactly, did Warwick think that meant? Who wanted to talk dirty when there was a chaperone always several feet away?
Warwick stared out of one of the limousine’s windows. “I don’t like playing games, Avery. I’m much too old for such juvenile things.”
What? Wait. What? All thoughts of how to make things right vanished when he heard the frigid tone in Warwick’s words. Anger took the place of those thoughts. “W-what?”
Warwick continued staring out of the window instead of looking at him. “Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to take me on. I’ve dealt with men far more cunning than you and had no problem cutting them down to size.”
Fuck you and the dragon ego you rode in on. Fury burned away whatever lingering desire Avery had. There was that arrogant, elitist, egotistical attitude he’d been expecting from the moment he’d first seen Warwick, and it came out of nowhere. He gritted his teeth, trying to rein in his temper. Don’t pop off and say something you’ll regret. Don’t pop off and say something you’ll regret.
“I’d heard Omegas tended to be spoiled. I’d hoped you would be different.”
And fuck that too. Forget popping off. He was going to explode. “Listen to me, you overgrown lizard.”
Warwick jerked, his body stiffening as he yanked his gaze away from whatever was so damn entertaining outside.