And how about— I thought about the time that he forced Maya to irreversibly damaged the tip of her own tail because she wounded him. He claimed she was trying to murder him, but we knew the truth, it happened when she was fighting his advances—If Maya was innocent give yourself her punishment.
Reef was freaking the fuck out then, uselessly trying to fight the order of an Alpha. Shaking slightly, with labored breath and grinding his teeth his efforts were fruitless as he slowly moved his tail into position. It was shaking harder and harder, then quick as can be he slammed into the ground.
The impact looked like it happened in slow motion. The tip slowly crashing down and collapsing under the weight of the rest of the tail. Blood shot from all sides clouding the area and scenting it like evil. Reef lifted his tail up slowly, about a foot was beyond recognizable; there were tears and hanging flesh showing the muscle as well as the vertebrae.
I have to give it to him though, he didn’t make a sound or waiver his facial expression, but on the inside, he was screaming.
He fought through the pain and said, Is this how you want to win? With cheap parlor tricks? Do you think anyone will respect you when you’re Alpha? I think not. True predators understand that an Alpha is the strongest, bravest, and most ruthless amongst them.
That’s not true. It’s the shifter that watches over all aspects of their lives helping them progress into the future. You have done none of that, Reef. We’re stuck back fifty fucking years ago.
That’s not true, you have some modern conveniences. You know what was going on in the world.
Just enough so we don’t stick out when in public and draw unnecessary attention to ourselves! Is that not what you said?
You were safe, that was my job.
Sure we’re safe from the outside world, but we were never safe from you. Reef, it’s over. Your death is almost kind considering what you’ve put us through.
“He doesn’t have to die you know,” Lavender said. “You still have a wish left. I mean, he used his.”
He did what?
“Yes, as soon as you shifted crazy fast, like faster than a Lupinski, seriously, fast, he wished he could breathe underwater. A little backup plan if he couldn’t kill you with a bite, which he was unsure of even before then, he could keep you at the bottom long enough so you’d drown. Technically not cheating but still—”
Cowardly.
“I know, right?
So, Lucy is free?
“Yes, and being smothered by her husband and daughter.”
What do you think I should do with my wish?
“You could wish for something like him never to leave the bottom of this lake. He could spend thousands of years down here all by himself, that’s a fate worse than death, don’t you think?”
It was evil in its simplicity. I will make it a point never to get on this girl’s wrong side.
Wouldn’t the people who live on this lake mind?
Lavender said, “Does anybody mind?” She looked around checking for answers. “Everyone says no, and the fey says they can create a new false bottom keeping them safe and sealing him in forever.”
How would I word it that it doesn’t backfire?
“Lucy, how would she word it?” She hesitated, “Okay, got it thank you. The W word Reef couldn’t go more than two-hundred feet above the bottom of this lake, and you’re done.”
While Reef had shown some signs of being scared before internally, he physically showed signs of it as well now. His eyes were wide with fright, and his limbs were shaking except for the limp one. I knew it would be cruel, and that perhaps one day I might feel bad and release him from his personal hell, but I didn’t right now and said quite clearly, “I wish Reef couldn’t go two-hundred feet above the bottom of this lake.”
There’s a flash from above, it must have been an insta-wish. I admit, I braced myself just in case because it was Jenn, but nothing terrible happened. I gave Reef one last glance because I wasn’t interested in listening or seeing him for another second and turned to swim to the surface.
I didn’t trust Reef, so I kept my guard up. He told me loud and clear over his emotions he had no intention of letting me leave and hastily swam after me as soon as I turned my back. He was inches from biting my tail to stop me from going any further when I whipped around, and with precision, bit straight into his neck crushing his vertebrae and severing his artery.
I held on tightly as he jerked twice before he went limp forever. I opened my jaws and let him float gently to the bottom. It took him another moment to turn into a human, only then did I’d turn and swim to the surface. I passed Lavender on the way who nodded to me and then dissipated into little bubbles spreading out like the waves in a puddle becoming more opaque until there wasn’t a trace of her.
I was running out of oxygen, so I was swimming quite fast to the surface. My lungs were burning, and my heart was racing. I could see the light above me and knew I had twenty yards to go which was good because I was beginning to see spots in my vision and had to gnash my teeth together to prevent accidentally inhaling when that’s all my body wanted to do.
Chapter Nine
When my massive head broke the surface I gasped for air. It probably looked funny: a giant dinosaur flaying about in the water coughing and gasping; however, everyone was fascinated by me. Earlier they had only seen a bare glimpse of me when I broke the surface, and although they were watching the action above, video doesn’t have anything on seeing one of us in real life.
After I was breathing normally again, I used my back flippers to raise myself vertically in the water and placed my front fins on the very edge of the dock. My head was held high as I shifted almost instantly. I was a dinosaur one-second and a human being clinging to the dock and the next. I plugged my nose and put my head back into the water to get my hair off of my face and then lifted myself from the water onto the dock; praying that I appeared graceful while doing so.
Jeff was waiting for me with a towel. Although, he didn’t hand it over until his eyes swept the length of my body, all the way down to my tippy toes and back up hovering over my pussy and breasts. The lust in his eyes when they met mine again was overwhelming to the point where I was ready to jump him right there and then. But there was so much more behind them as well which I knew, because I was feeling everything he felt loud and clear to the very center of my soul.
Jeff may have only known me for a couple of hours at this point, but he loved me with every ounce of his being. And he was happy he was so young because that meant he had thousands of years to show me how much I was loved and appreciated.
Jeff stepped closer and wrapped the towel around me from behind, closing it in front of me and pulling me close. Such love was in his eyes I felt my heart grow. He opened himself up thoroughly and made sure I saw and felt him, the real him, and then bent and kissed on my forehead and then stayed there hovering. I lifted up when I couldn’t take it anymore, putting my hands on the back of his neck, pulled him a couple inches down, and kissed him softly. I had only opened my eyes and backed off an inch or two when he slammed his mouth on mine and gave me a kiss that made my toes tingle.
Nobody made a sound or did anything to stop us. No coughing, no laughing, no giggling, all their emotions told me they were happy for us and they’re trying their hardest not to ‘feel’ too much, distracting us from our moment.
We did eventually slow down finally pulling apart and were still gazing at one another when Walt said, “Congratulations, Alpha.”
A feeling of dread overcame me. I had done what was necessary and succeeded in freeing my pod from a tyrant, and yet I felt as if I was being punished for my efforts. I know Jeff said he’d go with me where ever so that wasn’t my worry. The fact was, Highlands hasn’t felt like my home for a very long time. I loved everybody in my pod, I did; and I never blamed them for their treatment of my mom and me since Reef took over. We are apex predators, our most prominent instinct is survival, and that’s what they were doing
, surviving. Even though I didn’t blame them, that didn’t mean I wanted to or should rule them. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a way out of it.
Walt’s expression told me I should never be allowed to play poker because he knew exactly what I was thinking and if I questioned that at all, what he said next proved it. “Did you know that my Brother Nate is older than me?”
“Yes.”
“But…” I think he was waiting for me to say something but when I didn’t, he continued, “…he’s not the Alpha.”
“No, you are—” By golly I got it! “Nate was supposed to be Alpha, but you are and—” Maybe I don’t get it. “I don’t know any other details. So how did you become the Alpha? How did it work?”
“I willingly gave it up,” Nate said. I hadn’t noticed he and his mate Sydney, as well as Walt’s mate, Andy, the rest of the Lupinski family, Jenn and her family, Lavender, and George had joined us at the end of the dock.
“But how did that work? Was it because you’re brothers? I’m an only child.”
“It doesn’t have to be a blood relative—” Walt began.
“Are you saying that you could have given the control of the Lupinski clan to a non-Lupinski?”
“No, of course not, that wouldn’t work, but your situation is different; the guidelines are a bit looser. With our hierarchy, it’s inevitable that at some point, someone will be born into an ill-suited position, or they don’t have the heart and passion for doing it justice. That’s life, it’s natural, it happens; so abdicating doesn’t have many requirements.”
“What are they?”
“It’s more of a suggestion, who you chose should be a descendant of an Alpha. A shifter that has no natural Alpha abilities or blood, the results don’t turn out well, like with Reef. If there isn’t anyone who you deem worthy, who will do all the things you said makes an Alpha, you shouldn’t abdicate. You need to think long and—”
I didn’t need to think long and hard I already knew, “I want to abdicate the role of Alpha to Seamus.”
“I didn’t think Alpha Angus had children,” Graham said.
“He didn’t, I was his nephew.” Seamus stood a little straighter, “Edi, you need to think about this, I think you’d make a fierce and brilliant Alpha who always puts her home first.”
“That’s it though, the pod hasn’t felt like home since my dad. My mom and you guys were all I had there. Me stepping in as Alpha isn’t going to change that.” I looked at Jeff, and he put his arm around me, “This is where I belong, this is the home I’ve been dreaming of.” My eyes welled up with tears, “We will still want to visit of course.”
“Perhaps, we can make it feel like a second home to you now that I’ll be Alpha.” I sobbed once, he opened his arms, and I walked into them for one of our infamous group hugs. Lucy and Jenn soon joined us, and we squeezed each other like it would be the last time we saw each other, it wouldn’t be, but that’s how we were hugging. Eventually, we pulled away from each other; all of us wiping away some tears.
“So, what do I need to do next?” I asked the crowd.
“We wait,” Jeff said.
“Why would we wait?” I asked.
“Because the full moon is at its height,” Walt said.
Jeff spoke, “The actual process of abdicating hurts, it will take you a couple days to recover.”
“And you don’t need the full moon to gift Seamus your power, but you do need it for a mating ceremony.” Ja’Lyn nudged her brother playfully.
“Seamus interjected, “I don’t mind being interim Alpha for a while, we can make it official whenever. If this is what you want, don’t put it off. Whenever you’re ready, I will be there. Just have a happy life, it’s all we’ve ever wanted for you.”
I hugged him again, “Thanks, Seamus, love you.”
“Love you too.”
I stepped away, and Jeff had his hand out for me to take, “Are you ready?”
I felt a breeze and realized I was wearing only a towel and laughed, “Do I have enough time to change? Call me crazy, but I never imagined I’d be rocking a towel at my wedding.”
“I can help you with that,” Lavender said and wiggled her fingers in our direction.
My towel was replaced with a white-satin spaghetti-strapped sundress that hugged my curves and went out at my waist to below my knees. It had intricate, beautiful beading on the bust, and a thick rhinestone belt– probably not something I would typically wear, but it made me feel beautiful and yet comfortable perhaps because I was still barefoot.
Jeff was dashing with cream colored linen pants and a white button-down silk shirt that brought the blue out in his eyes. Lavender hadn’t stopped with us, everybody at the end of the dock had a new outfit. All the men were similar to Jeff with white linen pants and a variety of colors of silk button down shirts. All the women had similar but slightly simpler sundresses to mine but in a variety of colors that matched their mates. Except Jenn and George who matched in deep purple but not mates unfortunately.
Lavender smiled and said, “You look so beautiful—”
“More than beautiful,” Jeff interrupted and I blushed.
“True, but something’s missing.” She squinted a little as if she was deep in thought, or went into a trance, and then opened them wide, “You need flowers.” She snapped and before the sound had even finished she was holding a crown made of delicate white flowers dangling gemstones; the largest being in the center and at the back there was a three-foot piece and sheer white silk for my veil.
I murmured, “It’s so beautiful.” She motioned for me to bend and she placed it on my head.
When I stood straight, most of the shifters around us ooh’ed and ah’ed.
Lavender waited until everyone hushed again then she said, “We need more flowers.” And ‘poof’ every woman up at the end of the dock held a bouquet and of white and yellow daisies–my favorites.
I looked toward the shore, one by one every post had an arrangement and garlands of white-silk streamed from each all the way down the dock. The yard had been transformed into one of the most elegant yet comfortable parties I had ever seen.
A large dance floor was set up, complete with a deejay and a light show. There were several smaller portable fire pits with chairs all around them. There had to be fifty circular tables and chairs for people to sit and eat, and the biggest table I had ever seen twenty feet long covered with food from one end to the other.
“You should start a party planning business; this is incredible,” I said.
“Thank you, but to be honest, I saw this setup in Southern Living when I was at the dentist last week. I think everything’s ready now if you guys are.”
Jeff smiled, “I’m ready, are you?”
I nodded my eyes already filling with tears, I dreamed of this moment for my entire life, though, for a very long time I never thought it would happen. My dreams were coming true.
Unlike traditional human weddings, in mating ceremonies between shifters the men and women weren’t separated behind the bride and groom. The couples stayed together holding hands or had their arms around each other forming a circle around us with Walt and Andy at the head directly in front of us.
Andy was a little misty, Walt was proud, and the emotions from everybody in the circle and beyond were of abject happiness and hope for the future, mostly. I could tell there were some dissenters in the crowd, but I wasn’t good and worried about that yet; it was my mating ceremony. Jeff and I would have had the rest of our lives to figure out what’s wrong and help them.
“Are you both ready?” Walt asked. We nodded smiling at one another.
Andy stepped closer and held her hands in front of her, palms up. Jeff put his left hand and me my right, palm up on top of hers.
“Under the light of the full Moon, we are here to join two shifters together forever as the Fates have written your destiny.” She gently took my hand and laid it on top of Jeff’s palm down.
Her eyes went slightly wide as if
she forgot something, then Lavender snap her fingers, and the beautiful thick braided ribbon I had stashed in my bag, one of my most worldly possessions, appeared in Andy’s hand.
Shifters understand that our mate is chosen by the Fates for a higher purpose, and bridges the gap between families, and connects you with all the mated pairs before you. This braided ribbon, held a single length of material from the bride’s dress of every mating that it had been used at. More than one-hundred were in mine, the one from my mother’s dress on top. This ceremony not only connected Jeff and me to each other, but to all those who came before us.
Andy lay the cord on top of our hands taking one of the ends and wrapping it around one way around our wrists, and then doing the same with the other. “May your ancestors guide you as you become part of the whole.” She put her hand on top of ours and squeezed from both the top and the bottom before stepping back.
Walt stepped closer and covered our hands with his own, “May your Clan be there for you in all times as you become one.”
Jenn let go of George’s hand and stepped closer covering ours with hers. “And may all future generations draw strength from this moment’s union. And I wish—”
Oh, shit, I thought.
“—you a long, loving, and healthy life together.” I could feel her uncertainty, she was as nervous as I was that something would go wrong with her wish, but her tattoos shimmered for a moment, and nothing fell from the sky. We both let out sighs of relief and a little giggle before she stepped back and George wrapped his arms around her from behind resting her head on his chest.
“May the Gods and Goddesses bless you and—” A bright ray of moonlight covered our hands making them glow and feel warmer. I gasped even though it was somewhat expected. We were true fated mates, and the Gods and Goddesses did bestow blessings when their wills were followed. “— and bind you for all time.”
He didn’t need to give the order to kiss the bride. Jeff used his free hand to wrap around my waist and lifted me up to kiss him. I opened myself up entirely to him, and him I we were one, well almost.
Covet the Curves: a Romance Collections Anthology Page 10