The Mating System: A Paranormal Shifter Romance

by Angela Foxxe

  When the first strong jaw wrapped around her hind leg, she knew that it was over. Alexa went tumbling to the ground, but was pulled backwards by the massive monstrosity of a wolf that was looming over her. Those heads each looked at her with the hunger of a starving loner, eyeing her in a way that made her feel smaller and weaker than usual. Alexa tried to scrabble away from the heads of the wolf, but it wasn’t allowing her to go anywhere.

  Fangs dug into her shoulder, and Alexa threw herself away.

  She woke in an instant when her head smacked against the roof of the den, and her legs scrabbled for any sort of release from the monster wolf. Only, there was no monster wolf. She was in the den, still darkened by the early light of the morning, and the twins were looking up at her with wide eyes.

  Sabrina was awake as well, sitting across from Alexa. Her arms were folded across her chest as she watched her daughter settle back into a calm state. Sabrina was frowning like Alexa had never seen before, and Alexa whined. Had she woken the three of them up with her nightmare?

  “Go outside you two,” Sabrina instructed, gesturing to the twins. They dutifully followed her instructions and ran outside. They were happy enough to be allowed outside before Sabrina was, she wouldn’t be there to ruin their fun and make them be quiet and listen to her orders.

  When they were gone, Alexa shifted back into a human. Her shoulder was sore, and the top of her head was pounding where she had smacked it against the roof of the den. “What happened?” she mumbled, looking up at her mother.

  “You had a nightmare,” Sabrina replied. “And apparently it was worse than they usually are.”

  Alexa nodded, thinking over the events that had happened. For as long as she could remember, she had always had the same nightmare every single night. They all involved the male wolf running away from his pack. They were never about herself. She thought more about what she had seen, and the image of Antony pulling Noemi close to his body was burned into her brain.

  “Yes,” she admitted, running her fingers through her hair. “Much worse than usual. I don’t know what made it happen,” she murmured.

  “I think you know,” Sabrina growled, a tinge of her wolf coming through in the way her eyes glinted as she spoke. “And you need to realize what it was saying to you. Stop this right now, Alexa. This is foolish. You will die. Your alpha friend will die. This Antony that you love so much will die.”

  Alexa, hardened by her mother’s words, turned a fierce glare upon the older wolf. “That’s not true,” she said, defiant of anything that Sabrina had to say.

  She stood and left the den, emerging into the world. There was a thick haze of clouds, threatening to break upon and pour down upon the world. Despite the awful weather, Alexa had a good feeling about that night. Even if it was only for a moment, she would be in Antony’s arms once more.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Alexa, according to Noemi’s instructions, didn’t interact with her for the entirety of the fifth day. It would have seemed too suspicious, and it would have been easier for other wolves to draw the lines between what was going to happen later that night. If there was one thing that Noemi had stressed to her, it was the secrecy of the whole act.

  The only problem was that Alexa desperately wanted to see Noemi. She wanted to make sure beforehand that everything was still going according to plan. She wanted to make sure that her dream hadn’t been true, and that Noemi wasn’t going to abandon her to a hoard of angry, ravenous monsters.

  Putting everything that she wanted aside, Alexa stayed to the area of the pack grounds that she usually frequented. She stayed close to the den, figuring that a lazy day after the nightmare she had just endured was what she needed.

  Occasionally, on patrol, an alpha would trot by and sneer at her.

  “Don’t you have anything better to do?” one asked, looking Alexa over as she tried to take in the tiniest rays of sunlight.

  There had been a break in the clouds for just a few moments, and she wanted to get the last of the sunshine while she could. There wouldn’t be time for her to relax once she was on the run with Noemi and Antony.

  “Not today,” Alexa said, as nonchalant as she could be.

  The alpha snarled, and normally it would have made Alexa cower with fear. She would have rolled over and showed her belly. She would have licked at the alpha’s chin to try and soothe his anger. Rather than any of those things happening, she felt as calm as she had ever been in her life. Right then, there was no need for her to fear the alphas. They were not going to be her alphas for long.

  A little grin broke out on her face as the alpha walked by, and she felt a surge of pride in her gut at the way she had made an alpha retreat uncomfortably. It was the best feeling that she had ever experienced in her life.

  Alexa rolled over onto her back, staring up at the clouds with a smile. Everything was going to be okay, she knew that. She would meet with Noemi later that night, and they would escape just as they did the time before.

  “Alexa, what are you doing?” her younger sister, Dixie asked. “Why are you laying on the ground? Aren’t you cold?”

  Alexa couldn’t help but shake her head. Yes, she was cold, but it didn’t matter. “It’s nice to just lay down sometimes,” she said. “Where’s Jean?” she asked, glancing around the area. Normally, Dixie wouldn’t be seen without him. It was more than strange to see the two of them separated.

  “Dunno,” Dixie said. She stretched out next to Alexa, mimicking her sister’s actions. “Mom says that you’re going away for a while.”

  “Why did she say something like that?” Alexa asked, sitting up. She propped herself up on her elbow to look down at Dixie. She didn’t seem upset, more like she was simply stating a fact.

  “Dunno,” Dixie said again. “It was something that she told me and Jean last night.” Dixie opened an eye, and looked up at Alexa. A little frown began to play upon her lips. “I don’t want you to leave,” she murmured. “What will we do without you?”

  “I’m not… I’m not leaving,” Alexa said. She had never lied to the twins before, and it made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach. “I don’t know why she would tell you something like that, but it’s certainly not true.”

  Dixie didn’t say anything for a long time as she looked up at Alexa. Eventually, she nodded. She knew that Alexa wouldn’t lie to her.

  “Did you tell anyone else what Sabrina said?” Alexa asked. She moved a hand forward to pet through Dixie’s wild blonde hair.

  “No, I didn’t tell anyone else,” she said.

  “You’re not lying to me, are you?” Alexa asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because if you told even one person that lie, they might think it’s true. And if they think that it’s true, I could get into a lot of trouble. I might actually have to leave if I get into a lot of trouble.”

  “I’m not lying,” Dixie promised, her eyes fixed forward on Alexa’s. She was so serious, and it wasn’t something that Alexa was used to from a child. “And Jean won’t tell anybody either.”

  “I know he won’t,” Alexa said with a smile.

  She glanced up at the sky, noticing how behind the clouds, the sun was getting closer and closer to setting. It wouldn’t be long before she would have to meet Noemi and their plan would be put into effect.

  “You should find Jean and go into the den,” Alexa instructed, sitting up properly.

  Dixie hopped to her feet and shifted with a happy yelp. As she tore off running, her tail behind her like a flag, Alexa smiled. That was the pup that she knew. That was the pup who she hoped would grow up safely and strongly alongside her brother and her mother.

  Alexa stood and made her way towards where the alphas frequented. She wouldn’t talk with Noemi, she wouldn’t even look at the she-wolf. She just wanted to make sure that Noemi was there. Just seeing her would put some confidence back into Alexa that everything was going to turn out fine.

  At the place where the alphas always were, Noemi was stretched out farthest from them, b
arely moving. It made Alexa’s breath catch in her throat, but then her tail flicked away a couple flies, and Alexa knew that all was well. She was relaxing, as she deserved to before the night.

  “What do you want?” a male alpha snapped. He was the same alpha that had been confronting Alexa time after time. It made her nervous, as though he knew more than he was truly letting on about. “How many times do we have to turn you away before you get the message?”

  “I was checking to see if there were any leftovers from today’s kill,” Alexa said. It was a good lie, and an easy one. Wolves would come by all the time for any sort of scraps that the alphas had to offer.

  “There was no kill today,” the male said. He crossed his arms and frowned. A glare was shot over his shoulder in Noemi’s direction. “She messed it all up.”

  Alexa wanted to ask what Noemi had done, but she knew that she could ask the alpha later that night. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

  “Yeah, so get out of here already,” the alpha snarled, bearing his fangs at Alexa.

  She took the hint, and walked away. Something in her longed to look back at Noemi and make sure that her friend was still okay, but she continued to walk forward. If she ruined all of their plans now, she would never be able to forgive herself. Noemi had put so much effort into their escape once, and she was doing the same thing again, despite being nearly torn to shreds by her fellow alphas.

  Alexa returned to her den, but didn’t enter inside of it. She sat a foot away from the entrance, staring up at the clouded sky. It was darker than usual, with no moon and no stars visible. She allowed her wolf to take over, bringing forward some of the night vision that the animal had, even if it was fairly weak.

  A moment later and Sabrina had joined her, sitting away from her daughter to give her space. They sat like that for a long time, neither really sure of what there was left for them to say. They had said all of the mean words that they could think of, and there wasn’t much else on the tips of their tongues.

  Sabrina was the first to do anything, moving closer to Alexa and wrapping her arms around her. She was cautious with her movements, never wanting to upset the younger wolf. Alexa sat still and accepted the gesture. She tried to appreciate it for what it was. It was the last time she would ever be able to touch her mother.

  Alexa turned her eyes towards Sabrina, who had her head rested upon Alexa’s shoulder. She looked weary, and older than she truly was. In that moment, she felt bad for the she-wolf.

  She wrapped her arms around her mother and returned the tight embrace.

  *

  Alexa, with the clouds still covering the moon in a thick blanket, had no real way to know what time it was. At some point, Sabrina had released her from the hug and had retreated into the den, leaving Alexa alone and at the mercy of her own thoughts.

  She was still consumed with fear from her nightmare, and it was enough to project images into the shadows that weren’t really there. With every rustle of a branch or of leaves, Alexa was afraid that it was the monster wolf from her nightmare and that she was going to be killed in a matter of seconds.

  The nightmare wolf never appeared, but in some ways, Alexa wished that it had. It would have been easier to be swallowed alive than to run for so long that she wouldn’t be able to feel her feet pounding against the ground.

  A hand went to her stomach, and she felt the little lump that she knew was there. Perhaps it was all silliness, but she knew that she had caught with Antony’s pups. He would be ecstatic to find out and see that she had been right all along. After all, a woman knew her body, whereas a male did not.

  Alexa stared up at the sky, trying to find shapes in the shadows of the clouds. It passed the time, and distracted her from her panicked thoughts. Without the moon shining above her, she had no idea if Noemi was abandoning her to make it on her own, if she was just running late, or if she was going to be there right on time.

  Along that train of thought, she wondered how Noemi would ever know that it was the right time. She was an alpha and had heightened senses, but Alexa doubted that she could see through the clouds and to the moon.

  Nervous and left with nothing to do, Alexa shifted into a wolf. Mottled white fur took over her skin, and her chest deepened and expanded to make way for the larger lungs of her wolf. She took in deep breaths of the night air, and tipped her nose to the sky. She could smell the rain that was seconds from pouring down upon them, and the air was positively charged with energy. She had never felt such a storm in her life, and it was approaching at such a fast pace.

  Across the clearing, a twig snapped, and Alexa jumped to attention. Her ears were pointed straight up, listening for any more sounds. There were none for a while, and then the rustling of bushes. She prepared for the worst. Alexa could already see the glinting of the monster eyes that were going to swallow her whole.

  Then Noemi stepped out of the bushes. Strong and proud, she held her chin high. She had a lupine smirk on her face. She knew that she had scared Alexa, and she was taking pride in that fact. Alexa trotted forward to greet her alpha, but Noemi didn’t allow her more than a shallow dip of her head. They had no time to sit and go through formalities. There was only so much time to get to the clearing, and even less time before her absence was noted.

  She gave Alexa a little huff, and the lower ranked wolf fell into step behind Noemi, her head held low. She watched Noemi for the slightest signs, something that Noemi was an expert at delivering. She knew just when to halt her pack, and when to move them forward. She was a true alpha, and Alexa envied her.

  Just as before, Noemi halted them at a set of bushes not too far from the pack grounds border. Alexa flattened herself underneath the wide leaves, while Noemi stood tall and proud. She examined the area for danger, her nose raised to the air to pick up any scents of other wolves.

  With the rain so close and the plants beginning to open themselves up for the water, it was nearly impossible to smell anything. She took much longer than the first time they had escaped, to be certain that there was no danger. They could not risk it.

  After what seemed to be an hour, Noemi trotted forward, and then broke into a sprint. She barked immediately, catching Alexa off guard. She was quick to follow instructions, and took off running after Noemi. After the events of the first time that they had escaped, they couldn’t risk waiting for an alpha to walk by and realize that Noemi was escaping again.

  This time, with only a few feet of lag between herself and Noemi, Alexa was able to keep up much easier than before. She refused to allow herself to fall behind, and to become prey to her own nightmare. The night was emulating her dream almost perfectly, but none of the events had begun to play out. She hoped that it stayed that way and that the three of them would make it to the free pack and never have to look back once.

  It didn’t take long for them to reach the clearing, but Noemi halted Alexa before they could burst out into the grass. There was a wolf standing there, and she assumed that it was Antony, but she wanted to be certain before the two of them threw themselves at a stranger’s paws. It would be just as dangerous as being discovered by their pack.

  Alexa lowered herself to the ground behind Noemi and whimpered. She knew that it was Antony. There was no one else that it could be. No one else knew of their plans, and no one else would be waiting for them. She whined up at Noemi, but the alpha dismissed her with a flick of her long tail.

  Noemi was as still as a statue, her glistening eyes focused forward on the ones in the field. Their eyes had locked, but there was yet to be a reaction from either party. It made Alexa’s fur stand up on end. Another hour seemed to go by, with Noemi silent and tense. She refused to move until the wind shifted, and she could see the wolf across the field with the little patch of moonlight that had burst through the clouds. She barked at Alexa, and the white wolf was on her feet in an instant.

  She looked Alexa over, and then nodded her head once. Alexa ran forward at breakneck speed, nearly crashing into Antony.
The two of them tumbled to the ground, engaging in a short play fight with gently snapping teeth and paws that would do no damage.

  Noemi was there a moment later, and barked at the two of them. She was the first to shift, followed by Antony and then finally Alexa.

  “We don’t have much time,” was the first thing that she said, her words rushed.

  “What’s happening?” Antony asked, looking between the two females.

  “We’re leaving,” Noemi said. She stole the words right out of Alexa’s mouth. Alexa didn’t mind too much, Noemi knew how to speak and how to say what needed to be said in the shortest amount of time. “You don’t have to come with us, but we risked coming out here to take you with us. We will leave if you cannot make up your mind.”

  Antony was silent.

  Alexa put her hands on his chest, and looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes, “Please come with us, Antony. We can escape this horrible system, and we can be together forever. Just think about it. We’ll join the free packs, or we’ll start a pack of our own. After all, there are already pups on the way.”

  “What pups?” Noemi asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

  Alexa laughed and put a hand over her belly. “My pups. Mine and Antony’s. They’ll be the first generation of escaped wolves. Won’t that be great?”

  “It’ll be fantastic,” Antony said. He dipped his head down and pressed a fleeting kiss to Alexa’s lips.

  “So is that a yes?” Noemi asked, raising an eyebrow. She had her hands on her hips, and she was pacing back and forth lightly in front of them. Every sound in her ears was multiplied, and it seemed as though she could see the glowing eyes of wolves all around them. “Because we need to leave. Right now.”

  “Yes,” Antony agreed. “I’ll go with the two of you. How could I ever say no?” He had a comforting hand on Alexa’s hip as he spoke.

  Noemi gave a short nod to the two of them before shifting again. She held her nose up high, scenting the air around them before giving a quick signal with her tail. Alexa and Antony shifted as well, trotting behind Noemi with their shoulders pressed together. Alexa was the only one who was calm. With Noemi and Antony by her side, she would be safe and protected. They would never let anything bad happen to her. She was certain of that.