Birthrite (Legacy Series Book 2)

by Max Ellendale

  Caden cleared his throat once. No one spoke. He cleared his throat again and this time I looked at him. He nodded once when I was able to hold his gaze.

  "It's like they vanished," Xany added, looking from me to the guys.

  Caden picked up the article and reread it. Mal wrapped his arms around my middle again and I leaned back against him.

  My thoughts began to berate me. You're stupid. They'll never listen to you. Why would you even suggest something so dumb? A lump rose in my throat and I put my hands over my ears.

  "Nee," Xany said as she moved into the seat next to ours. Mal gripped my wrists and moved my hands back into my lap. Caden set the paper down but Hank looked confused.

  "What'd ya hear?" he asked me and looked between us. Xany went to speak but Caden interrupted. He stood up slowly, walked over to me, and then crouched down so that I was forced to look at him.

  "Shawnee, no matter what, I always want to hear what you have to say. Always. And, if I disagree, I'll tell you because I have respect for you," he said resolutely. I searched his expression before leaning against Mal again. "Stop listening to those thoughts of yours, they serve no purpose but to make you feel bad," he added and stood up to place a gentle kiss on my forehead.

  Hank watched Caden and nodded firmly, seconding what he had said. Xany beamed at him. I kept forgetting that Caden, being the Alpha, could sense almost anything his pack was experiencing. He usually hides it and lets us deal with it on our own. I wondered why my thoughts were suddenly a concern to him. I melted into Mal, who poked my side, popping again into my head.

  The thoughts, they come and go?

  When it takes me by surprise I hate it the most, like just now. I rubbed his arms.

  "Caden, my boy, you're a man of good word," Hank said as he stood up. "But I best be off. Gene'll be needin' to get to the shop soon an' I'm taking the cubs shopping for their schoolin' things," he said with a smirk.

  A whole-hearted chuckle burst forth from Caden. "What a load of fun." He grinned at Hank who clapped him on the back on his way out.

  "Thank y'all for a wonderful meal, an' good conversation. I'll call later after I get myself talkin' to the others about patrolin'. See you tonight at the ceremony." Hank beamed with his last statement, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Caden looked just as cheerful as he saw him to the door.

  My stomach churned at the thought of leaving the house for the ceremony. It was going to be my first time meeting the Sept and I wasn't looking forward to being surrounded by strangers. I turned in Mal's lap so that I could see him. My eyes wandered down his chest and he flexed his pecs. I smiled.

  "What do you say we go to lunch today, just you and me, and then we stop by Gene's shop to pick up those hides?" he suggested.

  I thought about his proposal and remembered how much I enjoyed spending time with him after our dinner date the other night. "That sounds nice," I said, smiling. "I didn't get to see much when I was there last."

  He grinned and kissed my cheek.

  "You were too busy being a hero, Nee." Xany giggled.

  "Well, hopefully I won't have to be the hero again anytime soon," I said as I moved from Mal's lap to help the others clean up.

  "You're a doctor, Nee, you're a hero all the time," Xany said.

  "That's different, Xee, it's my job...kind of. Though right now unemployment is more my forte." I smirked. Xany and Caden shared a hearty laugh at my expense.

  Chapter Ten

  Mal and I arrived back at the cabin after our lunch date just as Caden and Xany were getting ready for their dinner at Hank's. They were both dressed casually and Xany was bouncing around like a child awaiting birthday guests. Somehow I had known that she and Caden would choose each other as mates. Xany was smitten with Caden from the first moment she mentioned his name to me. Part of me wondered why she waited so long to make her move. Mal told me that they knew each other for years. Xany didn't seem like the type to let things linger. I think we were only in Utah about a month before things got pretty serious between them. Once they lived together, I guess they sort of just knew that they were meant to be. Kind of like me and Mal. From the first moment I looked into his eyes, I knew I wouldn't ever be able to look away.

  Mal rushed off to the bathroom to wash up and I gave Vanessa a call to remind her that I wouldn't be home tonight. I could almost hear her pouting through the phone. I'd have to make it up to her. Two nights of neglecting my feminine mate couldn't be a good thing. When I hung up, Xany got my attention.

  "Will you braid my hair for me, Nee?" she asked as she brushed out her hair in the main room.

  "Sure," I said and moved behind her. "Want me to do a Dutch braid?"

  "Yeah, that'll be different." She grinned and tossed herself onto the sofa.

  "Hold still." I laughed and ran my fingers through her hair while she squirmed about.

  Caden watched as I fixed Xany's hair so that the braid appeared on top of her hair and ran down the center. I tied it off with the piece of suede that she handed me.

  "You girls do the strangest things," Caden commented, though he couldn't take his eyes off her hair. Xany reached back to touch the braid and smiled.

  "Thanks, Nee!" Her voice was chipper.

  "Welcome. What's tonight going to be like, Caden?" I asked. Truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to the get-together. Socializing was not my strong point, especially in a room full of dominant werewolves whose behavior I knew nothing about. There would surely be some submissive wolves there as well, but I wasn't in the mood for any politics.

  "It's really just dinner with the Sept at Hank's house. The Leader will throw a dinner like this anytime an Alpha chooses a mate," he answered. "It's not a big deal, Nee, I promise."

  "She's worried she'll freak out, TB," Xany announced. I huffed at her.

  "You really are the mouth of the south, you know that?" I said, which made Xany giggle.

  "Mouth of the south!" she repeated, continuing to laugh.

  "You'll be all right, Nee." Caden grinned.

  Mal emerged from the bathroom wearing a button down shirt and jeans. He hugged me straightaway. I breathed in his scent and leaned into him. "Let's go, dude. I'm starving," he said to Caden who laughed and led the way out of the house.

  We drove the truck over to Hank's. I wondered why Caden didn't bend as often as Vanessa did. Maybe he just preferred a more conventional way of travel. When we pulled up to Hank's, half a dozen cars were parked in the driveway in front of his huge, rather modern looking cabin. I imagined that with nine kids, space was often an issue, but not in this house. The additions he'd built made up for it. It had long, elegant windows and a walk paved with cobblestones. A scattering of children's bicycles, skateboards, balls, and rackets littered the front yard. As Caden led the way around the back of the house, sounds of splashing and shouting erupted from Hank's in-ground pool. As soon as I saw the children, I was more relaxed. Everything was less official when children were around. I learned this in my mother's pack. Whenever something really serious was about to happen, we were sent away.

  Hank's place, like ours, was tucked deep into the woods and offered a significant amount of privacy. He greeted us in his usual cheery manner as we entered the house. A roar of excitement rushed through the room when Caden and Xany entered. Xany giggled when all the attention turned to them and people began shaking their hands and giving them hugs. Mal slipped his hand into mine and we followed them inside. My breath caught in my throat when I smelled the stale alcohol lingering in the air. It made my stomach churn.

  Does this help? Mal's voice entered my mind. Immediately the knot in my stomach dissipated.

  Yes, immensely. I gave his hand a squeeze

  Good, then I'll stay with you like this.

  I leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around me. How lucky was I to have a mate whose gift for telepathy would be my sole source of comfort? With Mal, I wasn't alone inside my head. And no longer vulnerable to the echoes that haunted me. I watched while
everyone fussed over Caden and Xany. They seemed so happy and it made me smile. I picked up on Caden's radiance pulsing through me like beams of light. Xany's face was glowing as one of the women shoved a wine glass into her hand. I thought that I overheard one of them saying something about a wedding.

  They're so happy, I told Mal.

  Very. Feels good, doesn't it? He lifted a brow at me.

  Yes. I can really tell how mating helps the pack feel more solid. I can sense them both so strongly, almost like I do you.

  It's really important, especially now that both of us have mated. He smiled at me. I squeezed his hand.

  I can hear your stomach rumbling even over all this noise, I said. His laughter rang through my mind.

  Let's get some food and avoid the attention. Isn't it nice when the focus is on someone else? His hand fell to the small of my back as he guided me toward the dining room.

  Yes, thank Gaia. We won't have to do this will we? And have everyone make a fuss over us?

  Nah, it's not the same for Betas. I'm glad of it, to be honest. That way we can do what we want.

  Me too.

  Mal led me over to the dining room where Gene had set up several long tables full of food. There were trays upon trays of nearly raw meat, then other trays of various dishes including hot dogs and chicken fingers for the kids. Mal piled his plate full of meat and I chose a stack of French fries and a few chicken fingers. We found ourselves a quiet corner outside by the pool where we could see the sun going down over the tree line and watch Hank's oldest son tossing his siblings into the water.

  The outside deck was wide and packed with chairs along the edges. As people fixed their dishes, they gathered in small groups outside. Caden and Xany continued to be fawned over. Xany glanced over to me with a bright expression that said. "Cool, huh?" I laughed and blew her a kiss. She smiled and bounced up and down at Caden's side before Gene tugged her over to introduce her to a man with a bunch of piercings.

  I'm really glad that Xany is happy. Caden too of course, I said.

  Me too. She can bother Caden now instead of me.

  You love her and you know it. I nudged him with my elbow.

  Yes, but she pushes my buttons to no end.

  She knows it. I laughed at him, which made him grumble and nudge me back.

  Suddenly, there was a clinking noise as Hank tapped his fork on the side of his beer bottle.

  "Attention, folks, attention," he said.

  Everyone quieted and turned to face him. Even the kids paused their playing in the pool. Hank was grinning goofily and I couldn't help but smile at him.

  "As y'all know, Caden and Miss Xany here have officially chosen each other as mates. As the newest members of our Sept, I'd like to speak for us all and say welcome and all the happiness to ya both!"

  Everyone clapped and hooted. Xany was giggling excitedly but Caden looked rather shy. I elbowed Mal and nodded in Caden's direction.

  "An' now, there is a very important ritual that needs to take place," Hank said and nodded to two men I didn't know. Both men stood and moved to either side of Caden. Gene took Caden's beer bottle from his hand and without warning the two men picked him up and tossed him right into the pool. He soared through the air and landed with a huge splash that made the entire Sept erupt with laughter. Xany was cracking up until Cote rushed over to her and took her by the hand. She looked at him oddly for a second before letting him lead her to the water's edge. They stood there and Cote pointed to the pool. In good spirit, Xany leapt into the water and landed a cannonball right beside Caden, who was just surfacing. I laughed heartily at Cote's politeness. I guessed he was supposed to push her in. He looked over at me when he heard me laugh and gave me a mischievous smile before jumping in right after Xany.

  "This is a lot less formal than I thought," I told Mal.

  "It's a celebration, Nee. Been awhile?"

  "Yeah, a long while. I'm not usually sober at parties so I never remember anything, or the stupid things that Vanessa or photos have to tell me about later," I said.

  "Photos, huh?"

  "Hush up," I said, swatting him.

  Caden and Xany wrestled around in the pool for awhile and several other people joined them. Well after sunset, the kids disappeared as they grew tired. The pool was left to the inebriated adults who took turns trying to drown each other, or dunk each other, something like that.

  "Hey, Mal," said a tall, fair-skinned man who came over to sit beside us.

  "Hey, Jake, how goes it?"

  "Not bad. Who's this with you?" Jake asked. I could tell he was asking Mal's permission to address me.

  "This is Shawnee," Mal said after a short pause. "Nee, this is Jake. He's the Beta in one of the other packs."

  "Oh. Hi, nice to meet you," I said and offered him my hand. Jake shook my hand and, when he leaned forward, I could smell the alcohol radiating from his breath. It made me a little sick.

  "Nice to meet you, too," he said. "I haven't seen you around before so I figured I'd introduce myself."

  Even though I kept my gaze away from his, the familiar tingle of panic started on my tongue. Mal glanced between us. Without warning, he put his hand on Jake's shoulder and shoved him right into the pool. The expression on Jake's face was priceless as he disappeared into the water.

  "Better?" Mal asked, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Mal!" I couldn't help my laughter. Apparently, Jake thought it was just as amusing and it only took a minute before another wolf was dunking him in the water.

  Mal was laughing when he leaned in to kiss me. His lips were warm and tasted sweet like the ice cream he had just eaten. My panic was quickly forgotten as I became caught in the tangles of his possession.

  The relaxed and playful environment was not something I was used to in the context of a Sept. In my old pack, any time the entire community got together it was usually serious and required absolute silence from anyone not being spoken to. Part of me wondered if I was dreaming. Mal rested his hand on my thigh as he kept me in the kiss.

  "C'mon," he said as he broke it and stood up.

  "Where are we going?" I took his outstretched hand.

  "Somewhere more private," he said and led me away from the pool and into Hank's backyard.

  People were scattered all over. Some in pairs, some roasting marshmallows by the fire pit, and others telling drunken stories to their pack mates. I smirked and pulled my eyes away from the sight of empty bottles of alcohol dispersed on the lawn. A few months ago, I would have joined right in with the drunken antics. Tonight, I realized that both the sight and smell of alcohol made me uneasy. Part of me was worried that I would be tempted; the other part was scared to death of what would happen if I ever touched it again.

  "You're thinking an awful lot tonight," Mal said and guided me toward something that looked like a little gazebo. When we got closer, I realized it was one of those rocking swing chairs. He took a seat and steered me to sit beside him.

  "I know. Am I being a party pooper?"

  "Not at all." He smiled as he slipped his finger under my chin and kissed me again. I melted into him without reserve. It was quiet out here away from all the others, though we could still see the house.

  "You can touch me, you know," he said suddenly.

  "What?"

  "Sometimes you seem afraid to put your hands on me, why?"

  "Oh... I didn't notice that I do that," I said and reached out to touch his cheek.

  "It's not all the time, just sometimes when we're kissing." He turned his head to kiss my wrist in the same spot that Vanessa often did.

  "Maybe I'm not sure where to put my hands." I laughed.

  "Such a lie." He chuckled and kissed me again, guiding my hand to his chest.

  I moved his shirt aside so that I could rest my hand on his bare skin. He was warm and soft. The kiss he led me through was tender, yet I could feel the hunger and desire that he worked hard to keep at bay. His hand slid from my neck to my hip where he rubbed, fingers snea
king up my shirt. I squirmed when he tickled me and broke the kiss. Mal's eyes met mine and I leaned my forehead against his, which made him smile. He took the opportunity to nuzzle me and brush his lips against my neck. The familiar warmth returned to my belly and I tilted my head to the side. His fingers wandered slowly up my body. He hesitated, then brushed the back of his hand across my breasts. At first, I let him. Vanessa taught me that touching me there wasn't as scary as the other places. He kissed me again; this time his hunger was more evident. Without warning, he lifted me into his lap where I was able to straddle his thighs.

  "I could just eat you," he said, his voice rich with need.

  I squirmed when I sensed his yearning and cupped his face for a moment. He turned slightly and tried to bite my fingers. I laughed softly before moving my hands behind his neck and gripped his hair, then pulled him into a forceful kiss. My thighs clenched his when he grabbed my rear and pulled me close to him.

  His breathing picked up along with mine. Our tongues mingled until both of his hands slid up the front of my shirt and pushed my bra out of the way. His bare hands cupped my breasts, fingers tweaking my sensitive nipples. Just when it started to feel good, I broke the kiss.

  "Stop," I whispered and rested my forehead against his. I was surprised to hear how winded my voice sounded. He stopped immediately and brushed his lips over mine.

  "What?" he asked, his voice sounding dazed.

  "I don't know," I said. A surge of emotion rushed through me and caught in my throat. I leaned back and fixed my bra and shirt, avoiding his gaze. "I just can't."

  Mal pressed his forehead to mine; his fingers dug into my hips.

  "What's wrong?" he whispered. I shook my head. Tears began to burn my eyes. "Talk to me, Shawnee..." His voice was hoarse, deeply laden with the hunger he tried to suppress. Again. I kept doing this to him. Every time we were together. It wasn't fair.