Traditions_The Sweetwater Pack

by Terri L Vest

  Silas raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to say something inappropriate . . . "DRESS, than to have me go in there wearing whatever I can find in my closet that will impress no one!" Reika finished, knowing that she almost had her father regretting his decision to throw this party. Claire chuckled at the interaction happening between the two, both trying to get the others 'goat' as they say. Both too stubborn to admit that they just might be wrong about their views of this party and neither willing to give an inch towards an agreement of the others side. "This should prove to be a very interesting evening", Claire thought to herself.

  "Wonderful", said Claire. "Why don't you go get ready and we'll run and see what we can find!" Reika nodded and ran out of the room, now feeling the excitement from a rare shopping trip to the city! She loved spending time with her mother, and even more so when it was to go shopping!

  Silas strolled over to Claire and took her in his arms. "You sure do know how to handle that daughter of ours!" he said, smiling down on her with love in his eyes. "You take what could be a very difficult situation and turn it into something fun that she'll look forward to. How do you know how to handle that stubborn little spitfire of ours?" he asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.

  Claire chuckled, "Silly, I've had years of experience handling her stubborn father before her!" Silas feigned shock and outrage, "ME? Why, I'm the icon of patience and flexibility!" Claire raised an eyebrow at him, leaning back, and bringing a hand to her hip. "Excuse me, are we talking about the same person here?" she asked as she shook her head side to side. "You are clearly caught in an extreme case of denial my darling husband!" she laughed.

  Silas began to laugh and he pulled Claire back into his embrace and softly mumbled, "I'd never deny you anything my love. You are my world and I simply adore you!" He gently nuzzled at her neck, pressing up against her, trying to connect with her in every way the moment would allow. He relaxed his embrace just enough to be able to capture her mouth in a deep and passionate kiss. Softly moaning, Claire relaxed against him and reveled in the passion that only he could bring to her so quickly. She loved her mate with everything in her being and would die for him if the need arose to keep him safe. She knew he would do the same for her as well.

  Remembering that Reika would be popping back at any moment, Claire reluctantly pulled back from Silas. "You are a sweet talker my love, and know how to properly end a disagreement! However, our daughter will be ready any moment and here we are, making out like a couple of youngsters! Let me go now so I can prepare to take her to the city. If she's to be paraded like a prize, she must surely look like one!"

  "She is not being paraded as a prize!" Silas objected.

  Claire laughed at the look that crossed Silas' face. "I'm only teasing my love, but it is important that she feel confident and self assured, and nothing does that for a girl more than a new dress!" Reaching up to quickly kiss him, she turned and left the room to make her own preparations for the trip to the city.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Claire and Reika had driven into the city soon after the decision had been made to go. They thought they could do a little window shopping to finish the morning with, stop to have lunch someplace nice and discuss the dress options they'd found, then go back to make the purchase and still get home in time for Claire to get dinner on the table. There were several great dress shops that everyone seemed to frequent due to the large selection they carried and they were conveniently located on the same main street through the city. This removed the need to drive and park between each store. Most humans would tire with the long strip, however with being shifters, it provided a nice amount of exercise and fresh air and made their shopping experience an enjoyable one. Reika felt a lot more relaxed in the purpose of the trip and decided to worry about the main reason behind it later. She rarely got to spend alone time with her mother and she was going to make the most of it!

  As they walked along chatting, popping in and out of stores, she would occasionally get the feeling that she was being watched. She would try to casually look around without being obvious, but each time proved fruitless in locating the one responsible for the feeling. She ultimately decided it was her imagination and ignored the feeling whenever it seemed to reappear. Unbeknownst to Reika, there were several sources for the cause of that feeling. Scouts from the Carbon county pack had been keeping an eye on the stores for weeks, waiting to see if Reika appeared. Now that she had, they hurriedly got word back to their alpha that the one he sought was in town.

  Foster couldn't believe his luck. He figured it would take quite a while before Reika was located, when actually it only took a few weeks. He'd had a busy morning with patrol schedules and pack business, but now turned his attention towards the reason he was making a trip into the city, and how he was going to arrange for him to meet up with Reika. First he would connect with the scout that had last seen her and was now discreetly following her until he could arrive. He knew it was going to be challenging as his scout had reported that she was with, what appeared to be, her mother.

  Arriving in town, he sent out a mental communication to check on the scouts location and found he was very near. Excitement seemed to sizzle through his nervous system the closer he got until finally his objective was before him. Pretending to be window shopping, he peered into the shop she was in and felt a sense of relief flood through him. Being without her, where only his memory of her could satisfy the growing desire for her, he found that she was occupying the majority of his thoughts and making it difficult to think of much else. What he was most perplexed about was the fact that he'd seen this type of behavior before in wolf pairs where the male had imprinted on a female and she had eventually become his life mate. Could that be what had happened when he'd seen her in the woods? Was it fate that she was to become his mate? These thoughts burned into him more and more each day and he knew he had to get an answer soon before he lost his mind with his desire to have her.

  Keeping his scout with him for now, so they would look like two guys coming into the city for some guy time, he motioned for them to move away from the shop so they could be more discreet in their attempt to follow them.

  It didn't take long before the two women came out, laughing and talking. Foster could pick up on the subject of their conversation and was grateful the fates were working in his favor. They were heading to lunch! That would prove to be a much easier way to observe and hopefully engage them in conversation.

  The luck of fate was once again on his side when they chose an outdoor cafe to have lunch at! It was just before lunch so it hadn't gotten too busy yet, making it easy for Foster to choose a table near them. He purposely placed her to his back so that he could discreetly listen, hoping to find a good time to insert himself into their conversation somehow. His scout discreetly excused himself, saying it was good to see him again but he had "another appointment" to get to. They shook hands promising to do it again soon, before he turned and walked away.

  "I'm so glad we found the dress I had seen before. It's the most beautiful shade of emerald green and best of all, it's sexy! That should make father have second thoughts about parading me in front of all the single males of the pack!" Reika laughed.

  "Reika, you should not be trying to upset your father. You know he's trying to help you find a mate, and he's letting you choose him. He's only trying to simplify the process by gathering them all together!" said Claire. She couldn't help but smile at Reika's mischievous behavior but knew that Silas was not prepared for the 'woman' that would be presented before the males. Claire knew that he still saw her as his little girl, even despite the courageous and benevolent behavior she'd displayed in the Finn situation.

  "I know mother, but I can't help it. I know what the tradition is and some of it I understand, but I still can't help but fight against it. I shouldn't be forced to mate before I'm ready to. I haven't found the one I want to stay with forever, and rushing it because I have a birthday coming up is sure to doom the future of it without time
to bond and fall in love!" Reika wished her father had listened to her speech before the council and had brought about change before she had to be forced to be mated. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that years and years of tradition could be changed that quickly though. However it happened, and it would happen if she had any say in it, she only hoped it could be done before any of her own daughters were forced to be mated due to age.

  Though Claire sympathized with her daughter, she couldn't side with her and go against Silas or the council. Reika would just have to come to terms with pack rules and traditions, and the sooner the better. "Reika, why can't you stop focusing on that part of it and just try to have fun with this? You still have a little time. Relationships have been known to be forged in two months. If you go to this party with the right frame of mind, you might find someone you're attracted to and you'd have time to see where it goes. It could still happen the way you want it to! You have to put away childish wishes and desires and think about what's best for the pack, and honor your father by doing what he asks without throwing a temper tantrum every time the subject comes up."

  Reika knew that her mother was telling the truth and she hated having to become an adult. But, she also understood duty and honor and how the pack comes first, so, regretfully, she knew it was time to shed her childish ways. "Alright mother, you're right. I will try my best to be the woman everyone wants me to be and do the right thing. I will try to keep an open mind for the party tonight and see if fate will throw me a good choice for a life mate. And," she said with a mischievous smile, "I will look AWESOME doing it in that green dress!" she said in a sing songy, teenage way. Both women laughed, one from mischief and one from relief!

  "Let me go use the restroom and then pay our bill. Then we can head back over to the shop to have you try it on and pay for it!" said Claire, getting up from the table.

  Foster had been listening to the whole conversation and was worrying that his chance to meet her and bond with her was slipping away with the pending party. After all, with the natural tendency for all wolf shifters to be handsome and strong, what young girl wouldn't love to have a buffet of young available wolves thrown at her feet! He knew that now was his only chance and he seized it!

  After Claire had walked away, Foster turned in his chair and leaning towards her, he softly asked, "Excuse me, did I hear you have a birthday coming up soon?"

  Startled by the eavesdropping, Reika stared at the stranger daring to intrude into her private life. "Were you listening in on our conversation? A conversation that had nothing to do with you and therefore none of your business?" she blatantly asked. Though she was irritated with his audacity, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was!

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Being so close, it's a bit hard not to hear nearby conversations." he offered, trying to soothe her obvious irritation. "I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. I did catch something about a party tonight, I'm assuming your birthday party?" he asked and waited to see if she would respond.

  Reika didn't know how his voice seemed to soothe her irritation, but she found herself less irritated, and more willing to chat with him. After all, it was only about a birthday and a party. What harm could that cause.

  "I'm sorry I snapped at you," she said. "I was just startled by someone I've never met asking me about my birthday! Yes, you could say tonight's party is for my birthday. It's something my father is throwing together for me. Funny thing is, the guests are all going to be males! Great birthday gift, right?" She laughed at the surprised look that crossed the strangers face.

  "He's gifting you a room full of boys??" Foster asked incredulously. "That's a very strange thing for a father to do!"

  Now Reika really laughed. She was sure it did sound very strange to the average person and she hurried to explain. "Our 'people' have some customs that have been around for many, many years. This party just fits in with them in a way to simplify a process that I have to go through," she said.

  "Oh, I see." Foster said. "Can anybody come or is it only for your 'people'?" he asked, hoping for an invitation that could give him some real time with her. Hearing her laughter and seeing her smile up close had grabbed his heart in a way he'd never felt. He had to find a way to spend time with her!

  "I'm sorry," she said, " our people are . . . different than most. It's not really open to outsiders. They'd never understand the purpose or reasoning behind what will happen and it could cause us . . . difficulties," Reika explained.

  Foster leaned in and quietly asked, "Because you're a wolf?" Reika had stopped to take a drink of her tea and upon hearing his question, choked on it! She started coughing, trying to clear the tea. Foster stood, patting her on the back, trying to help.

  "Whu . . . Wha. . . What did you just say?" she said, struggling through the coughing to quietly ask.

  "I said, because you're a wolf? You are a shifter, aren't you?" Foster said quietly with a serious look on his face. He hadn't intended to approach her in such an upfront manner, but with the pending party tonight, he didn't have time to play games. He needed her to know that he was a wolf shifter as well so that maybe she would consider him as a guest to her party.

  "Oh my God, how did you know?" she asked with big, stunned eyes. Eyes that captivated him and drew him in, making him long to look into them every day for the rest of his life!

  "Because I'm one too," he said quietly. "There are several packs around here, you know. Yours isn't the only one."

  "Well, yeah, I do know that. I've just never met one while shopping in the city", she said, then laughed. "That sounds like I think all the others are aliens or something. I'm sorry, I don't mean that. I've just never met any other shifters outside of my own pack. I rarely come into the city."

  "I understand", he said. "I took no offense. So, this party tonight, is it your 18th birthday that's coming up and the party purpose is to find your life mate?"

  "This is very strange, talking to a stranger about pack things! But, I guess, if you're a shifter too, it's not new to you. Yes, my 18th is coming and my father, our alpha, and the council, feel it's important that I be mated by or on my 18th birthday. The last suggested mate didn't work out so well, so the search is on for another one and my father felt gathering the local available males at a party was the solution to finding another one", she said.

  "So, your father is the alpha. I understand now why the rush to get you mated", Foster said. "Has he considered any outside sources for possible mates? Any possible pack blendings that would be beneficial?" Reika blushed at the discussion, with treating like it was nothing more than a treaty to be signed by the leaders instead of her future life that was involved. Foster noticed the change in her demeanor. "I'm sorry, have I said something to upset you?"

  "No, not really. It's just hard to have my situation discussed as something no more personal than a business deal, instead of my life and future happiness. I understand the necessity, but even still, I wish it could be more personal and maybe even romantic," she said with a shrug and wave of her hand.

  "Ah yes, it does get impersonal sometimes for the offspring of an alpha. Very unfortunate for them! I understand your distress", he said as compassionately as he could.

  "Thank you for understanding", she said. "Do they do this in your pack too?"

  "Actually, no. We've prided ourselves on trying to keep up with current times, as long as things don't hurt the pack or it's future. The happiness of the pack is a contributing factor to its success. Sometimes, binding two packs together is beneficial to both. It ensures it's safety as well as ensuring it's big enough to protect it's own borders." Foster realized that he was starting to sound like an alpha and thought he'd better be careful not to divulge that just yet!

  Reika considered what he was saying. "That sounds awesome and makes so much sense! I wish my father would come to think that way - like YESTERDAY! Then I wouldn't be forced to mate with someone because he's a pack mate and I'm turning 18!" She sighed and slumped down i
nto her chair. She knew she was acting immature again but she just couldn't help it! Other packs weren't forcing their females to pick only from within the pack, why did hers have to?

  "By the way, my name is Foster. Would I be rude to ask what your name is?" Looking up from her 'pout' she smiled and sat back up. "Not at all, my name is Reika. I'm sorry if I'm acting like a child. Still struggling to conform I guess." Foster smiled and said, "Understandable! It's unfortunate."

  Reika was coming to realize that she enjoyed talking to Foster. Somehow he seemed to understand her frustration with the situation, maybe even agreed with her! It almost seemed calming when she talked with him. "I wish I could invite you to my party. I think I'd like to talk with you more", she said, blushing at the forwardness of it.

  "I know I'd like to talk with you more. You seem to be a very intelligent young woman. I'm intrigued!" he said, smiling a smile that was sexy as hell to her. Yup, she could use more time with him for sure!

  "Well, do you know the hill with the big tree on top between the Laramie pack territory and the Sweetwater territory? It's a great meeting place - if you want to talk some more that is," said Reika, surprised at her boldness!

  "I do know that area, I was just there the other day! How often do you get out there?" Foster asked, excited at the prospect of meeting up with her again!

  "I can pretty much go anytime I want to. Everyone knows that I love to walk outside and enjoy nature. It wouldn't be strange at all if anyone saw me walking that way!" she said, not sure why she felt like she'd be sneaking around to meet him.

  Foster smiled his sexy smile again, making butterflies buzz around in her stomach. "Great!" he said, "How about if we meet there tomorrow, say around lunch time. I can bring a lunch and we can chat some more while we eat!" Reika smiled brighter saying, "Wonderful! I'd love to!"