by Dawn Forrest
Khan held his gaze for a few seconds before cocking his head and saying, “Of course, Prime Hawke. I do not understand why I am being treated in this way, but I am not without manners.” Then he spun on his heel. “Celo Anil, let’s go. I see our bags have already been packed and are waiting for us, how thoughtful.” He smirked at Charles Knight and Sean Bruce. “Please do come and visit me in India.”
“Ye can count on it,” snarled Bruce
“I’m looking forward to it,” Knight added, staring hard into Khan’s eyes.
Khan held the gaze. “As am I,” he said softly but with deadly intent.
Will watched Khan swagger away with the purposeful, arrogant demeanor of one who thought he was leading the parade rather than being run out of town. That attitude concerned him as he wondered at the reason for such smug confidence. He had the feeling that he had not seen the last of Ashok Khan.
Now that the Indian Prime had left, the tension in the room dropped, and attention focused on Joanna and the Russians. They were all more than a little curious about how the claiming had gone.
“Ye marked ma cousin hard and strong, did ye nay?” Sean Bruce muttered to the Russians, having calmed down a little. There was concern, admiration, and a wee bit of jealousy in his voice.
He was merely verbalizing what they were all clearly thinking. There was no mistaking who she belonged to now. Will had to admire the twins in their overzealous effort to claim Joanna, and one look at their satisfied faces showed that it had been intentional. An endearing blush flushed Jo’s cheeks. Apart from looking a little tired, she appeared well and in good health. She clearly looked to her mates for support, and they stood close, encouraging her. Will could see how they moved carefully around her and looked at her tenderly, yet presented a strong, intimidating front to the rest of the room. Yes, even he felt a sort of envy amidst his happiness for them and relief that her scent was not now so overwhelmingly attractive. The lucky, lucky sons of—
Someone cleared their throat and interrupted his thoughts. Both Yuri and Vladimir turned to Will and addressed him as Alpha and Prime of Joanna’s Pack.
“I, Yuri Volkov, Alpha of Siberian Pack, claim Joanna Akara as my mate. We will bond tonight under the full moon.”
“I, Vladimir Volkov, Alpha of the Siberian Pack, claim Joanna Akara as my mate. We will bond tonight under the full moon.”
Usually only the male, the werewolf, made the declaration, but Joanna was also a werewolf, and she stood tall and declared, “I, Joanna Akara of the Montana Mountain Pack, claim Yuri and Vladimir Volkov as my mates. We will bond tonight under the full moon.”
The room was quiet for a moment, waiting for his response.
“I accept your claim. Bond well.”
The Alphas began to clap and offer their congratulations. Once the noise died down, he asked Joanna to address the Council.
Joanna relayed her mom’s tale, starting from her first “becoming.” She told the story in such a way that he felt he knew and admired the older Akara female more. He understood Katherine’s decisions better and realized that she had been afraid of losing her child if Khan claimed her or if Connor, her mate-by-claiming, found his true-mate. She explained how her mom had lived the past twenty-odd years, always wary, always prepared to run or resist, nearly always alone.
Damn it, Katherine was a female full werewolf and should have had a much better life, been treated with the utmost respect by the Packs. Instead she’d led the life of a loner, or worse, the life of a rogue, because she’d been hunted. He should have stepped up long ago and offered his protection. All Joanna wanted was for her mother to live in relative peace and be given the chance to fine her true-mate, as she had done. Will saw her squeeze Yuri’s hand and smile lovingly at him and Vladimir. It was what they all wanted.
* * * *
When she finished speaking, the debate began. She listened and watched carefully, trying to gauge the mood of the men in the room. Very quickly they agreed that, in principle, a female werewolf should not be forced to accept a mating claim. It was a relief to find that they weren’t complete cavemen as she had feared, but they were dominant men, and those older and unmated insisted that they should be given the opportunity to speak with her mom.
It was eventually decided that Katherine must agree to accept interviews with petitioning males, in a secure location if necessary. She would be given the choice to accept or reject a mating offer and to dictate the terms. Any agreement would be backed up by all Packs, and if broken, there would be severe consequences. The details would depend on the nature of the breach, but it was agreed that the whole Council, therefore all the Packs, would come to her aid. Will Hawke agreed that her mom could stay within his territory if she wanted to and that he would find her a quiet, secret location to live. If she required more protection, he would see to it.
“If we promise to behave, do you think she will agree to visit here in the next few days?” Charles Knight enquired, looking relaxed yet hopeful at the prospect of meeting her mom.
“Charles, I’m not sure that’s a good idea with so many Alphas around. When I smelled Jo yesterday, she was hard to resist.” She noticed Will’s cheeks darken a little with a blush.
“That hard, huh?”
“Yep, but then Jo’s hormones were also in overdrive due to meeting her mates. Perhaps if we give it some thought and put safety measures in place for Katherine, we can then request her presence for the day after tomorrow. We must all be careful and disciplined around her. I’ll be honest with everyone here.” He looked at her when he spoke. “I can’t promise that I won’t be interested in claiming her, but I won’t force it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
She thought that, if her mom didn’t find her true-mate, she could do a lot worse than Will Hawke, and that if there was one woman in the world that might be able to tame or at least handle this man’s beast, it was Katherine Akara. Still, she could see the disappointment he felt at the thought of claiming one other than his true-mate and knew that her mom felt the same. He had that old-fashioned quality—honor—in spades, but he was also a Prime and a male werewolf with needs. Sometimes the moon was cruel.
Chapter 14
He glared at Anil Kumar’s downturned face, pouring through his eyes all the malevolent rage that festered in his heart. Kumar waited, obviously extremely uncomfortable but nevertheless remaining impassive. They were sitting opposite each other in the large, comfortable seats of his jet, ready to take off. He briefly looked out of the small window to see Kil Hunt and the other warriors who had escorted them from The Den, waiting on the tarmac for them to leave. At least Hunt had helped tie up one loose end and saved him the trouble of killing Daniel Watts himself, although he did feel a bit cheated out of the pleasure. He had been favoring the idea of first slitting the throat of his queer little pet and then taking him roughly as he bled out. Oh well, no doubt there would be other opportunities to indulge in some of his fantasies, and anyway he was very close to getting his most coveted prize. Khan slowly closed down his emotions and fixed a joyless smile on his face.
“If I have to go back to India without the mate I want, then I will have to choose others on which to slake my lusts. Do you happen to know of any young, beautiful, fresh virgins around, Anil?” Yes, that’s right, think of your daughter, my friend.
“There are many such girls, my Prime,” Anil spoke softly.
He pulled his face into a frown. “I confess I am tired of the common ten-a-rupee peasant girls that my Betas procure. You would not believe how delighted some poor families are to be rid of one or two of their many useless daughters. For such a small sum of money they are willing to part with what is, after all, a burden to them. No, I think my tastes are changing.”
As good as Anil was at concealing his emotions, Khan could still detect a whiff of fear and anxiety. Good. There was a certain delight in teasing with thinly veiled threats.
“You know, Anil, I confess to having a bit of a perversion.�
� He shook his head and held up his hand as if Anil had tried to contradict him. “Yes, yes, it is true. I like to fuck virgins, hard.” He raised his eyebrows and bit his bottom lip as if confessing something naughty but amusing. “I especially like to take young women in my beast form.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I know that it is wrong, but I just cannot help myself, it is such a turn on.” He leaned closer to Anil’s ear and whispered conspiratorially, “Sometimes I get a bit carried away. I rut between her thighs a little too long and hard, or I bite a little too deeply, then it’s dinner after the show, if you understand what I mean.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “If I don’t get my Alpha bitch Akara, I will need a more robust female, one who will not expire quite so quickly and who can be passed on to other deserving males once I get bored. Yes, I may adopt a more sustainable approach. Reduce, reuse, recycle, as they say.”
Anil’s breathing hitched.
“Of course, if I have Akara, I will not need another.” He smiled widely. “Enough of this depressing talk of failure when we are so close.” He sat back and opened his briefcase. Hidden in the bottom was the tracking device. It took a few minutes of fiddling around, but he found the signal coming from the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
“Anil, don’t look so glum. I have her coordinates,” he said cheerily and winked. “But it wouldn’t hurt to pray to Krishna that I find and secure my female so that I don’t have to take another. Tell Vikram that, once we are out of contact with Kalispell air traffic control, we fly to Denver. Have him arrange for a helicopter to be waiting in Denver for us to depart immediately for this location in the Rocky Mountains.” He quickly wrote down the coordinates and handed then to Anil. “When you have done that, fix us something to eat. I’m feeling peckish and need to keep my strength up.” He chuckled gleefully as he waved his hand in dismissal.
* * * *
She paced around, looking at her phone as if it held the answers to all of her problems. In a way, it did. It was one minute past 10:30 a.m., when Jo was due to call, and she could barely stand the wait. She’d set out from the cabin a little earlier than necessary, just in case Jo tried to call sooner than the prearranged time. She stamped her feet to keep warm now that her body was cooling down from the hike up the slope. There were only a few clouds in the sky this morning, so hopefully the snow would hold off, allowing it to be a clear, bright night, perfect for hunting.
She nearly dropped her phone when it started to vibrate and ring softly. She never normally used a ring tone because who knew when it might unexpectedly reveal her position?
“Hello, Jo? Oh love, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Mom, I’m better than fine. I’ve got good news.”
Katherine listened while her daughter told her about the morning Were Council meeting. She began to relax, and soon her mood turned as light as a cottonseed. It was as if a great burden was lifted from her shoulders, and she finally allowed herself to hope that things could work out okay.
“A few of the unmated Alphas were hoping that you’d come to The Den in a few days, before many of them return to their countries.”
Gravity returned and fear crushed her. “Er, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Jo.” For now she simply wanted to settle somewhere and not have to constantly look over her shoulder.
“I know you’re scared, Mom, but one of those werewolves may be your true-mate. The Alpha Council only meets once every seven years, and it’s an opportunity to at least discount individuals. Who knows, you might even consider settling for something…well, for something else.”
“Something less, you mean.” It irritated her that Joanna would even mention it and because she knew it was a logical option.
“Mom, humans do it all the time,” Jo coaxed.
“We’re not human.” But would it really be so bad to make a life with a man without the bond, with someone I like and respect, maybe even could come to love?
She had always feared what would happen if she became too attached to a partner and then either one of them found a true-mate. But as her daughter just pointed out, that happened all too often with humans, as the divorce rate showed, but it didn’t stop people trying, hoping. They had said she could dictate the terms of any partnership and perhaps such issues could be catered to within a formal agreement. Time to stop bloody well being a relationship dodger.
“Was living with my father so terrible?”
She heard the hurt in Jo’s voice.
“I’ve already told you that your father was a good man, and I wouldn’t change going with him because I have you. I’ll come to The Den provided this Will Hawke and the rest of them behave. I want to see you before you leave.”
“God, Mom, as if I’d go without saying good-bye.”
She could just imagine Jo rolling her eyes. The love she felt for her warmed her to the tip of her cold nose.
“Can I tell Will Hawke where you are? He suggested that he could make sure no other werewolves go near the area.”
“Do you trust him, love?” For the first time she was putting her faith in someone else.
“Yes, yes I do.”
“Okay. Can he send some trusted mated men to pick me up in two days?” Might as well go all in and trust the guy.
“I can do better than that. Vlad, Yuri, and I will come and get you. Have a think about where you’d like to settle. I’d better go. Some mated women are coming over, and Angela and I are getting a talk about things that I’m not really sure I want to hear.”
“I wish I was there for you.”
“You always have been. I love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too. Bond well.”
* * * *
Jo sat with Angela in a quiet sitting room of The Den, sipping coffee. On the floor were scattered beautifully crafted Native American rugs, and similarly patterned blankets adorned the walls. A log fire smoldered in the hearth, making it a warm, comfortable, and relaxing place to be. They were waiting for some of the mated women to arrive. The Montana Pack liked pre-bound women to be thoroughly prepared. Apparently, Prime Hawke had a thing about making sure things went smoothly. The man ruled with a velvet-gloved iron fist. According to her mates and Angela, he was a reasonable, intelligent man, with a beast so potentially devastating that all other males, Primes and Alphas included, avoided confrontation. His beast had a dominant streak the width of Montana, but the man was very disciplined.
Vlad and Yuri were sitting in the Council meeting next door, but every five minutes one or the other would unashamedly stick his head in the room to check on her.
“Jeez, you’ll be glad when you’re true-mated, because then they won’t need to worry that some nefarious Were will steal you away.”
“You know, Angela, I don’t really mind. It’s pleasant not to have to look over my shoulder all the time. I’ve only really been doing it for a month, but it wears you down.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think.” She slapped her forehead.
“That’s okay. Have you ever seen a male werewolf in beast form?” She was curious because she had only ever seen her mom.
“I’ve seen my dad and Will Hawke. It’s strange because my dad is a similar size to Will in human form but not when they change. Will is big, massive actually. He’s over eight feet tall and broad, with muscle on top of muscle. He’s a Prime, the Prime, and I’ll admit I was scared. Hell, Jo, if truth be told, I’m a little worried about how Mike is going to be.” She took a deep breath. “I guess I’ve tried not to think too much about that, and he has been careful with me, but he’s a Prime, too.”
Jo now found herself in the support role for a change.
“I’ve only changed once, but when I did I was still aware of myself. Sure, my primal nature asserted itself and I wanted to run, hunt, and howl at the moon for a Pack and my mate, but I knew that I couldn’t howl as loud as I wanted, that I couldn’t risk attracting the wrong male, and I was able to repress that need. It was hard, but I did it. Mike adores you, and that will not change when he does. He won�
�t want to hurt you. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to be a male who tried to come between you, because that would end in much worse than tears.”
“I know. My mom has told me some of it already, and I hear what other mated women say, but I haven’t seen an aroused male in beast form. Mike is way big enough as it is.”
Before she could answer, Joanna heard feminine voices.
“They’re here.” She smiled and squeezed Angela’s knee. “Let’s get some answers.”
A minute later, about ten women bustled into the sitting room talking loudly and carrying bottles of champagne and cartons of fresh orange juice. It wasn’t yet 11:30 a.m., but they all seemed eager to start. Immediately the room was filled with excited chatter and laughter. She was introduced to Carol—Angela’s mom—and then to Karen Kaiteke, the wife of Paul, the Maori Pack Alpha. It was great to speak to someone who could tell her about her Maori family, her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
“You know, I bet my mom would like to see and talk to you. She may be here in a few days.”
“That would be great! Do you know why she never contacted us after she ran from Scotland? We were all so worried.”
“She was scared. She didn’t want anyone to know where she was, and she didn’t want to put anyone at risk. She thought that if unmated males believed she was captured they wouldn’t continue to search for her. She didn’t contact her parents because she knew they’d be obligated to tell their Alpha.”
Yuri stuck his head into the room and someone shouted, “Ah, one of the lucky males. Congratulations and good hunting tonight.”
All the women turned to look at him and raised their glasses. He nodded awkwardly, and his pale face pinked just below his cheekbones as he quickly backed out of the room to the sound of smothered giggles. Yes, even a strong werewolf could be intimidated by a group of chuckling women, and Jo reckoned that it might be a little longer before he stuck his nose in the room again.