Caleb entered the den first holding the door for the women and then shutting it behind them. Mandy dropped to her knees in front of Emily and buried her head against Emily’s legs.
Emily gazed at Caleb helplessly but Caleb was fighting tears. The longing in his eyes saying he wanted to be on his knees with his sister.
In a choked voice he explained, “Family is everything to wolves. The two of us were united when we were young and have been with each other ever since. Now we have you and it’s hard to keep from rubbing our bodies with yours and sharing our combined scents.” He looked down at his sister with adoring sibling love. “Mandy and I slept in the same room until we were young teens and she still sneaks in and lies at the bottom of my bed when she’s upset. Forgive us for pushing our way into your evening but we could no longer wait.”
Tears formed in Emily’s eyes and slowly they made their way down her cheeks. She sank to her knees beside Mandy and placed her arms around her sister’s shoulders.
Caleb was suddenly there, kneeling on the floor, his larger arms around both women.
Mandy sobbed while Emily held tight, and Caleb gave comfort.
Lifting a tear stained face and looking at Emily, Mandy spoke pleadingly, “Can we change?”
“Please Emily. Our wolves need to scent you.” Her brother’s longing was evident.
“Yes.” With all the years of her life spent hiding what she was, she would never stand between anyone and their beast. Brandt taught her to love and find glory in her wolf.
Caleb shed his clothes and Mandy followed. They shifted before the falling material settled. Both wolves were all over her, licking her face and arms, and sniffing her body. Emily couldn’t help but laugh.
At a sudden sound from across the room, she looked up to see Brandt standing in the doorway. Her look was unsure and worried about his reaction.
“I forget how young the three of you are. Do you want to change? We can skip dessert and run.”
The look on her face gave him her answer. He walked over and helped her slip off her shoes. He knelt down, lifted her gown, and brought it over her head. Wasting no time, she removed her bra and panties. Brandt shed his outerwear his shift following hers. He turned and headed for the front door, which Dom opened for them.
“Will Thomas join us?” Emily spoke into his mind.
“No, they have other pursuits. This is for you and your siblings. I’m sorry, but I’m not yet able to let you run alone. I need to be near you.”
Brandt stopped and his snout rose into the air. He let go with a loud howl. Caleb’s followed and then Mandy’s. It was more than Emily could stand and hers rang through the night. In the distance fellow pack members answered their call.
“Who can keep up?” Came Brandt’s challenge.
They ran into the night.
Chapter 17
When they tired of running, Brandt and Emily left her siblings at their own home and then continued to the cabin. On the porch, they changed back to human and went inside. He noticed that Dom had neatly folded the discarded clothing they removed before their run and left them on the new coffee table she had brought over after Emily’s display of temper. On top of the clothing rested the necklace.
Picking it up, his desire ignited. “You promised me this, you naked and the bed,” his husky voice intoned.
He followed her to the bedroom.
She turned away, allowing him to secure the clasp. Her need permeating the air, she crawled onto the bed. Before she could turn over he pulled her legs toward him. She landed gently on her stomach. Peering over her shoulder, she watched him. With infinite slowness he trailed soft moist kisses from the arch of her foot slowly up the length of her body. His other hand massaged her calves and then the backs of her thighs. His lips traveled higher. Finally, his warm breath blew out lifting loose hair from her partially covered face so he could bring his lips to hers. Lifting his body, he shifted her to the side and then rolled, bringing her body over his.
She pushed up slightly. The heat of her eyes burning into his.
“This is a perfect memory to cherish,” he said with a deep throaty groan.
Her breasts hung down, the sapphire necklace swaying between them.
Passion ignited.
She lifted the lower half of her body and brought the warmth of her sex to meet and then surround his. Setting the pace, she slowly lifted herself up and then back down.
His hands moved to her hips but she fought the gentle coaxing of his grip to make her move faster. He accommodated her need and relaxed his hands though need burned through his blood. His face showed tightly leashed desire. His eyes drilled into hers.
Her body found its own rhythm and the musky spice of her mating scent filled the room.
When her inner muscles began pulsing in release, he rolled them over. Trapping her beneath him, his passion unleashed, and his erection thrust hard.
Her fingernails raked down his back. He shouted her name and their cries filled the night.
***
One day flowed into the next. The weeks passed in happiness and contentment. Emily spent hours learning to read. Brandt downloaded several programs on his father’s computer to help her progress more easily. When alpha business took Brandt’s time, she went to the main house and watched television. She absorbed large pieces of the world she never knew existed.
Food was another thing she couldn’t get enough of. Her reading improved and she began cooking and experimenting with simple recipes but her favorite remained barely seared steak.
Every day, she explored a little more of the green forests surrounding the cabin. Brandt had art supplies delivered but she had yet to use them. She didn’t know what was holding her back but her mate seemed to understand the things she couldn’t put into words.
Late one night, while running through the forest, Brandt tackled her and after shifting to human they made love beneath the stars. When their breathing slowed, his fingers threaded through her hair. His other hand made slow circles over her sweat dampened skin. He didn’t still his touch when he said, “Friends of mine are getting married, and they invited us to the wedding. They live quite a distance from here and we will fly to attend the ceremony.”
“They know of me?”
“No, but they soon will. They invited me through Cheri, which is the proper protocol. Our queen won’t attend but it is expected of me.”
“We will fly?”
“Yes, the clan has a private plane. I will take several of the pack’s wolves too. The proper number is ten. We’re mates and count as a single entity so nine other pack members will go with us. Before we leave I will take you shopping to buy you clothes. Humans have a thing called a birth certificate that you need too. We have the means to get one and to establish a past for you but it must be handled in the city. Will you come with me?”
“We can fly in the air in a metal bird?”
He could tell she hadn’t heard anything else he said. “Yes, and you will love it.”
“Can Mandy and Caleb go with us?”
He smiled, “Gregor, their father won’t be happy about them going to the city during your first trip but he shouldn’t have a problem with the wedding. I will make up the rest of our party with strong pack members.” Twirling his finger through her hair, he continued speaking, “When we attended the naming ceremony of the Central Clan, one of my younger wolves got out of line. The fault was mine and wouldn’t have happened if my head was out of my ass. We need to make up for my last visit.”
He kissed her gently, soft nips falling to the side of her mouth until he bit down gently on her lower lip. He inhaled deeply, loving the smell of her wolf, her human skin, and sex. Just on the edge he could smell slight apprehension.
“You’ll like Marcus and Amy. Marcus recently turned her to vampire and she is Marcus’ mate. The mate bond of Vampires is different than ours but just as powerful. Wolves don’t have weddings, we have always been part animal. Vampires were once human and remember that time. I thi
nk you will enjoy our visit.”
She smiled gently into his eyes, her scent calming. “I will enjoy anything with you. Right now though, I’m hungry.”
His rich laughter filled the night. “My mate, you are always hungry. A midnight snack is waiting in the kitchen but I get my snack when we return to our room.” He laughed more when she changed form and raced for the cabin on four fast legs.
***
The following morning, Brandt informed her she would begin training in self-defense with his father.
“Your wolf-self will learn the more it runs free, but your human side must learn control too. We are stronger than humans and if confrontations occur, we must remember to contain our strength and protect our secrets. Pack/human interaction training usually starts at an early age and you must learn too. I know you will catch on fast and my father is the best person to prepare you. He is not the most dominant wolf but he’s a killer in a fight. I also don’t want another male scent on you. It will drive me crazy. You have already absorbed my father’s scent by living in this cabin. I think I can control myself after he touches you. I have other concerns I must take care of and I’ll stay busy while you train.”
“When will I start?”
“I was thinking we would take a warm-up run and then I’ll leave you at the gym. We’ll run as wolves but clothing will be waiting for you when we arrive.”
They left the cabin and Brandt took her through a rougher course than usual. Other werewolves and pack mates in human form were interspersed throughout the area and going about their normal day, but none did more than glance up when the two streaked past. They were cautiously accepting Emily. Brandt took her to a small canyon and scaled an incline of rocks. On four legs, Emily was becoming more stable and tackled the loose rocks and steep incline with little difficulty.
After the canyon, Brandt led her to a large metal barn. It smelled of sweat, blood, and wolf. The double doors were open and they went directly inside. There were other wolves within but Brandt ignored them and led her to the showers and some shelves that held clothing. They shifted and both dressed in sweats.
“I’ll leave you with Thomas and come back in two hours. Will you be okay?”
She saw the concern on his face. She knew it would be a long two hours without him but she would survive. “Yes, but don’t forget me.”
He pulled her close and kissed her passionately then breathed deeply of her scent. “It would be no different than forgetting to breathe.” He took her hand and led her to his father. He said nothing just walked away.
“He’ll be okay. He’s alpha and life should be hard.” Thomas smiled at her. “Come on and I’ll introduce you before I kick your ass.”
She appreciated his teasing knowing he would never seriously hurt her. One by one the wolves welcomed her. They did not meet her eyes for more than a heartbeat but she detected no animosity, only the same curiosity she felt.
Her training began.
“You can kill a human with one blow, rip off their head with your hands, and not break a sweat. Not good. To the public eye, we are nothing more than human. And, we need to stay that way. I’ll start you on the heavy bag and show you what I mean. We will spend the last half-hour of every workout going full out. With Brandt by your side another wolf should never challenge you, but a situation may arise where you must fight and you need to know how to use everything you have. Ready?”
Lines of silver tape wrapped around the black heavy bag. It hung from a thick chain. Thomas showed her how to make a proper fist and he began striking the bag to show her what he wanted her to do. He moved over and let Emily stand in front of the bag. “Bend your knees and find your center of balance.”
Her first strike sent the bag ten feet back on the chain track. Thomas laughed and told her he wanted her to feel her own power. “Now you must hold back. It’s almost harder than fighting your own kind full-out.”
Emily was finally able to pull her punches and move the chain mere inches rather than feet. Even with what Thomas considered the light part of the workout, sweat dampened her brow and shirt.
Next was the speed bag, which caused the sweat to run down her face. Her hair was no longer damp, it was wet. Twenty minutes later they went into the ring for some sparring.
“It’s not hard when you’re calm. We will work on control when you’re angered tomorrow. That is another reason we don’t want Brandt here. He will have trouble controlling his reactions if you are feeling stressed. These lessons are important. We need to know humans are safe from you when you go out into their world.” He spoke while blocking her strikes and ringing her teeth a few times. They weren’t hard blows but he wanted her to remember to protect her face and knew the fastest way to impart the lesson was to cause a little discomfort.
Emily’s arm muscles were beginning to shake with the strain but Thomas wouldn’t let up. He barely broke a sweat.
Thirty minutes later, with a nod from Thomas, the other wolves left the gym. Emily looked around and then gazed questionably at him. “I thought you might feel more comfortable with our next lesson if we are alone.” He pulled his shirt over his head and then dropped his pants.
Emily watched until he stood naked. Brandt was a tougher version of his father. They had the same olive skin and dark brown eyes but a different kind of intelligence sparked from Thomas’. Brandt’s were more alive with his animal and the domineering force of being alpha.
Thomas spoke in her head, “What are you waiting for? It’s time to fight using your wolf.” He shifted and then used his powerful wolf body to send her flying.
Emily’s clothes were off in seconds and she too changed forms. Thomas came at her again and she twisted and nipped him on the shoulder. The fight was on.
He changed to human and clocked her K9 ear and head.
It hurt and she quickly spun away and shifted. She was breathing hard but before she could catch her breath, Thomas came in close and landed another punch to her jaw. He caught her nose too and blood streamed down her face, “Had enough?” His voice taunted in her mind.
She shifted at the same time she launched herself. Thomas was not where she expected him to be when she landed, and she spun feeling his teeth bite into her flank. Her painful howl reverberated throughout the gym
Two-hundred pounds of angry male alpha sent Thomas flying. He stayed down, which was smart. Emily defused the situation landing on her mate’s back and taking him to the ground. She stood with her front two paws on his side and spoke gently, “If you wanted to play, you only had to ask.”
Thomas laughed and rose to his feet to leave the gym. “I think you need to stay away until the two-hours are up. I have no intention of inflicting lasting damage to your mate, and if she grew up with us, she would have a few scars. You know she needs this.”
The large doors closed behind his father. Outside sunlight shown sparingly through small windows high up, casting shadows on the dark interior.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Her teeth circled her mate’s throat and she growled with a low rumble flexing her jaws slightly.
The body beneath her became human and his strong arms came up to grab chunks of fur and muscle on either side of her body.
Startled, she released her jaw muscles and in a blink she was airborne. Emily rolled, landed, and came up with her sharp teeth displayed.
“I thought you wanted to play?” Brandt’s voice was low. His hand came up and gave her the come hither signal.
Emily shifted, “No, you come here.”
He placed one foot in front of the other and stalked toward her. Her nose was bleeding and she had a large bruise on her cheek. He didn’t care, he knew she wasn’t seriously hurt and she was beautiful in fight mode.
Emily noticed the scent change and shifted back to wolf. “No, you don’t. You need to finish my lesson since you interrupted it.” She sent the message to his mind and danced away on four legs.
His shift was seamless. He turned and sprang in one move. His bod
y hit hers and they came to a stop with her neck between his jaws.
“The only way this battle will end is with you on your back.” He shifted. Her body also melded to human. She was pinned. The kiss was savage. He could taste her blood and sweat. Lust overcame his anger at seeing his father hurt her. Breathing deeply through his nose, he gentled the kiss and his teeth took her lower lip, applying pressure. “I’m sorry. I’ll stay away until your training is complete tomorrow.” He gave her a soft kiss on her bloody nose. “Let’s go home and get you cleaned up.”
Emily was no longer in the mood to argue.
Chapter 18
That night Brandt spoke more about Cheri and the gift vampires give to beastkind. He wanted his queen to take care of the bruise on Emily’s face. “By drinking our blood, vampires grant us immortality. They also speed our healing. Cheri has fed from you twice and monthly is more than adequate, but you are the mate of the alpha and need to appear at your best. It is expected but must be your decision.”
“I barely remember the past two times when I was given no choice. You’re telling me I don’t have a choice again but I can refuse. That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s part of being my mate and I’m sorry if it’s difficult for you to accept. You can refuse now since it isn’t necessary except to improve your appearance for our trip but you will share blood with Cheri over many lifetimes. If you were raised here, it would begin when you turned twenty-one unless an accident befell you and required her bite.”
“My brother and sister mentioned that I would be sent away until I was twenty-one, if it was discovered I was your mate?”
“They are right. I’m robbing the cradle with you but I can’t help myself. A wolf usually stays at home or goes to another clan until age twenty-one and then they have options. A mated pair can be together then. It’s very difficult when the mate bond is discovered early. The older wolf is in a constant state of need for the mate until he or she is at an age to allow them to bond sexually. Physical bonding without sex happens with supervision if the older wolf is having too much difficulty. But then, both wolves suffer once the younger wolf feels the pull. A wolf’s sexuality begins at around sixteen. It is frowned upon in the human world and in ours for an old man to have sex with a young teenage girl.”
Fang Chronicles: Emily's Story Page 12