by Terri L Vest
He smiled at the effect he seemed to have on her, knowing she did the same to him. The passion that their connection created was another true sign of their fated mating status. He released her just enough to be able to guide her to their lunch spot and helped seat her on the blanket. "Then, you were able to speak with your mother last night?" he asked. "Can I assume that it is she that will be joining us soon?" He seated himself next to her and began to put out the dishes and food he'd brought for them. He'd had an assortment of meats and cheeses, as well as a variety of prepared fruits, along with a wine that best suited the menu. He wasn't sure what types of foods she ate so he'd kept it light and varied. "I hope that I've brought something to your liking. Since we don't know much about each other yet, I could only guess what you might prefer, or at least tolerate." He winked and smiled his sexy smile as he watched her pick up a few bites, seemingly enjoying what she was eating. Noticing he was watching her, she stopped and a soft blush spread across her cheeks. "Please, don't let me stop you from enjoying your food. I'm happy to see that I chose correctly and you are liking my choices!"
Smiling, she swallowed what was in her mouth. "Oh, you don't have to worry about what I'll like. I like it all! You will see that I have a healthy appetite and I love to eat!" Foster joined her in eating lunch and they lightly talked about unimportant things while enjoying their time together. As they finished up and were putting their utensils away, she noticed her mother coming. "Well, it's show time. She's here to find out if you're serious in your intentions, so brace yourself!" she whispered, knowing that her mother probably heard every word anyway.
As Claire approached, she watched how the pair interacted. They seemed in sync and comfortable together. Despite her warning to him, Foster didn't seem nervous or apprehensive. Claire liked that. It showed self confidence. She knew he would need that when he met Silas!
As Claire arrived, Reika turned to her saying, "Hi Mother. I'm so glad you could come!" The two shared a warm hug then turned to Foster who was smiling as he watched the interaction between mother and daughter. He loved to see closeness between family members. The world brought enough strife and distance to the packs without inter family discord as well.
Stepping forward, he reached out his hand and offered a warm handshake to Claire. "It's very nice to see you again," he said. "I can't deny that I'm both very pleased, as well as very surprised, that you seem to be taking this situation so calmly."
She smiled warmly at him, nodding her head. "It is an unusual circumstance to say the least. However, I know my daughter pretty well, and know that she's quite taken with you. I also know that she's very stubborn so it's best sometimes to let her explain her point of view and present her "evidence" before making any final decisions." They both chuckled as Reika dropped her eyes and softly blushed.
Foster motioned Claire over to where they had setup up their picnic. "I did bring an extra beverage if you'd care to have something to drink after your long walk," he said with a slight question in his statement.
"Why, yes, that would be lovely," she said as she seated herself. She was finding him to be just as charming today as he had been upon their first meeting. She only hoped that it wasn't a charade in hopes to sway her to their cause, when in fact he was totally different. She'd have to be careful, yet thorough, in her questions to him to see if he would betray a different version of himself. She had to know what they were dealing with before she put him before Silas!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When Foster had left Reika the night of her party, he had hurried back to his own territory to begin working on his plans to unite the two packs. Thoughts of how challenging it would be to accomplish this raced within his brain. He would begin with Jett, his second in command and most trusted friend. He knew Jett could quickly work his way through the shock of the situation and would ultimately have his best interests at heart. As much as Foster wished he could just focus on his relationship and ultimate claiming of Reika, he knew he must first solve the rift between the two packs and unite them if he had any hopes of successfully joining with Reika. He only hoped that it wouldn't prove impossible to accomplish.
Due to the strong connection he had with Jett, it was no surprise to be intercepted by him upon his arrival. There was usually no need to explain his mood as Jett was very intuitive and seemed to know something was up. "Sir, I sensed the intensity of your thoughts and wished to offer my assistance immediately," he said, keeping his head lowered in respect of his Alpha.
"No need to bow to me my friend, and I gladly accept your assistance", said Foster as he reached to shake hands with Jett. "We are about to enter into a very different time; one that I hope will bring much peace, happiness and safety for many! But, let us get inside before we discuss it as much planning will be needed for a smooth transition".
Once they had entered his suite, he began to fill in the details of what had happened so far, the fact he'd found his life mate, and what he hoped to accomplish between the packs to be able to peacefully claim Reika. Jett listened intently, showing a slight surprise upon hearing about Fosters life mate as well as the new plan to unite the two packs. "While I am thrilled to hear of your discovery of your life mate Sir, I am very concerned about the attempt to unite two packs that have been warring for many years," he said respectfully. "That's not to say I don't see the wisdom behind the attempt. On the contrary! Aside from your union with Miss Reika, uniting the two largest packs could bring much to both packs!"
"Agreed," Foster said, "though undeniably I'm most motivated by my need to have my life mate with me at the moment." Both men smiled knowingly. Many years had passed in his search and he was far beyond the time when he should have taken a mate. "Now, it's up to us to find a way to make that happen, and the best way is by uniting the two packs! I will be meeting Reika for lunch today. Her mother is hopefully going to join us afterwards to discuss how we can present me to the Alpha. Until that happens, I'm afraid claiming Reika as my own won't be possible. We must think carefully about how to proceed with the meeting and not ruin the chance of joining with her in the process. I don't want to settle on anything until after I've met with ... Claire I believe her name is, to see if she has any suggestions on how best to proceed. After all, she knows him best!"
As the Alpha and his second discussed the options, it was decided that the first step must be contacting the council and informing them of the desire to unite the packs. "There's been no battle for many years between the two packs and the threat from packs outside the state seems to be slowly growing again. The lull in the push for land is slowly ending and once again the desire to control larger territories is on the rise. The union between the Sweetwater pack and the Carbon County pack could solidify the safety of not just us, but the other packs within the state as well. I feel this is the best way to proceed. Do you agree?" he asked.
Jett nodded in agreement. "It seems the best approach, and the one with both packs best interests at heart; at least until it's known that you wish to claim their young princess for your own," he said with a wink and satisfied smile.
Chuckling, Foster checked the time. "Ok, let's continue this once I return from my lunch meeting and we'll firm up the details before going to the council."
He didn't need the approval of the Council to proceed, but he'd always sought their council on any big decisions regarding pack safety. He'd always believed that successful running of such a large pack was better in the hands of more than just one, though the ultimate decision would rest in his hands alone. Pushing away from the table they'd settled behind to discuss the matter, he noted that it was indeed time to head to his lunch spot. He preferred to arrive early rather than late. It always afforded him the opportunity to patrol the area and verify it's privacy and safety, as well as the ability to watch Reika's approach. He couldn't get enough of it. Her graceful yet strong moves stirred things in him he'd never felt before and he decided he liked it very much!
"While I'm gone I'd like you to arrange for a m
eeting with the council this evening, say 8:00 pm. That should give me enough time to finish up with Reika and Claire as well as return and meet back up with you to discuss our options. If they ask what it's about, just tell them I have a new idea to discuss regarding better security for our borders!" With a wink and a mischievous smile, he turned and headed to his lunch date hoping for a new beginning for the packs!
* * * *
As Claire settled herself with the drink Foster had handed her, she studied him closely. She couldn't help but see why Reika was so attracted to him. Along with a very handsome face, he had a nicely chiseled body showing his strength and a respectful, almost loving demeanor towards her. Claire was a believer of the imprinting process. She'd seen it happen enough to know it was not an old wives tale. It both thrilled her and worried her to think that Reika did appear to be one of the lucky ones to find her life mate. Though she and Silas had not 'found each other' and had the reaction of an imprinting, instantly bonding pair; their attraction had been very real and they had been lucky enough to have their arranged marriage turn into one they had both thoroughly enjoyed and agreed upon. She had no regrets of missing out on the 'imprinting' experience. She loved Silas with all of her heart and counted herself very lucky to be his wife!
Bringing herself back from the love ponderings, she faced the issue before them and decided to just jump right in. "So, you want to claim my daughter for you own, is that right?" she asked rather bluntly.
Reika had just taken a drink and with Claire's blunt statement, and the shock caused by it, she proceeded to spit it out, splashing Foster's face and chest. With a horrified look upon her face she quickly grabbed a napkin and started dabbing at his face while profusely apologizing! "MOTHER!", she cried, turning to face her mother after seeing that Foster had taken over the clean up of his face and clothes. She was mortified that her mother had just blurted that out! She worried that Foster would never want to see her again. As an Alpha, she was sure he would expect actions much more refined from his mate, or love interest, than what she'd just done!
As Foster dried his face and was dabbing his shirt, he struggled with containing the laughter that was fighting to come out. He saw that Reika looked very worried and Claire just looked to be waiting for an answer to her question. He had kept his head down as he worked to dry off, hoping that his need to laugh would subside but as he lifted his head and saw the difference in their demeanor, he lost the battle.
Just as Reika was about to apologize again, he burst out laughing. Her worry turned to confusion, then annoyance. As he continued with what had evolved into a full belly laugh, the creases in her forehead slipped away and she began to chuckle. Before she knew it, all three had crumbled into fits of laughter and any tension that may have existed slipped away.
As the laughter died down and tears had been wiped from their eyes, Foster spoke up. "Yes ma'am, I would like very much to claim Reika for my own, once Silas is made aware of the situation and has given his approval." Having said that, he reached over to Reika, grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side. "I believe that I have found my life mate and I will do whatever I need to do to make our union a reality."
Reika felt a bit shocked over his own blunt statement but with the look of adoration pouring over her as he addressed her mother's question, warmth settled within her heart and she was glad that he had answered her mother so honestly and openly.
Claire was surprised by his straight forward answer. She'd expected that he might try to point out the benefits and reasons why it should happen, but instead spoke from his heart and without hesitation. She knew now that the 'honorable gentleman' she suspected him to be was an accurate description. She would give no objection to their bonding and would in fact try her best to see it come to its fulfillment. She was rarely ever wrong about someone once she'd decided the type person they were - and she was very pleased with the person she felt Foster to be! "Well, alrighty then. We need to begin discussing just how we can pull this off! At this point in time Silas will see you dead before he'll give his only daughter, and prized gem, to an outsider, who also happens to be the leader of our rival pack!"
Foster was encouraged that this introduction had gone so well and he could tell that Reika was quite relieved herself. Both knew that having her mother on their side had been the first hurdle and a very necessary step. For the first time, real hope at the possibilities bloomed within them.
"I understand his feelings. I'd feel the same way were I in his shoes. I've started the ball rolling with my pack this morning. I met with my Second, Jett, and he is arranging a meeting for me with my Council this very evening. All they are being told for now is that I have a new idea for border security that I want to discuss with them."
Confusion settled across Claire's face. "Border security? What does that have to do with you meeting your life mate who is from your rival pack?"
"Meeting my life mate from our rival pack - one that happens to be a bit larger than our own - will begin with the why's and how-to's of joining both large packs for the good of this whole state, not to mention our own packs! I hope to show them that though we don't have trouble patrolling our borders, we do have an issue with locking down the safety of the pack - or any pack - in this state from packs outside the state. I believe we've all heard the rumblings of trouble stirring beyond our state border. I think it's time we address this issue and fix the problem before it starts! Once I address my council and get them on board, I will send a courier to the Alpha of the Sweetwater pack, namely Silas, and propose that we put our differences behind us and shore up our state borders together."
Both women had listened intently and Claire was very pleased with the direction of his approach. By trying to end the war between the packs, and needing to meet to discuss it all, it will provide an opportunity for Reika and Foster to meet. That one gathering is all that's needed to begin an inevitable imprinting! Claire knew that Silas also believed in the reality, and consequences, of imprinting. Once he sees that it has happened to his daughter, he will be loathe to cause her any pain in keeping her from Foster. It would ultimately bring about many good things for all involved.
"Foster, I applaud your plan and see the wisdom behind it. You are not just losing yourself in the seeking of my daughter's hand, but working to bring safety to all our kind in this state! I am very pleased that my initial feelings about you have proven to be correct. You are an honorable and decent man and I will be very honored to have you in our family!" said Claire with all the sincerity she could project.
"Ma'am, it will be MY honor to join such an esteemed family and I look forward to meeting Silas and working together to bring safety to our people!" said Foster.
"Ok," said Claire, "but first, there's one thing I must ask of you if this is going to work.” "Absolutely, anything," he answered. "Stop calling me Ma'am," she said. "The name is Claire," she said with a smile and a wink. Chuckling, Foster nodded. "Anything you say, Claire."
"Well then, I need to get back home," said Claire. Looking at Reika she said, "I will tell your father that you took the walk he suggested you take and that I met up with you to see if you were feeling any better about the party and your prospects. Foster, we need you to get your plan rolling pretty quickly because her father will keep pushing for her to take a mate and I will have to support him in that. If you want our daughter, you need to make it all happen soon so you can "MEET" her and do your imprinting. Without that, I'm afraid Silas will have her married off by her 18th birthday!"
"Over my dead body," mumbled Foster - Claire just smiled.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After Claire had left, Foster and Reika had talked for a while longer, savoring what could be their last precious moments together for a while. If he was going to pull this off quickly, he knew he needed to put his focus on how to unite the packs. This was going to be a major undertaking and the cost of not achieving this goal was higher than he was willing to pay. A future without her was not even an option.
She stood watching long after he'd disappeared. She understood his need to go, yet it left her with a heavy heart. The time between now and her birthday was going to be more challenging than any she'd known. To pretend to be considering another for her mate, while she longed so desperately for Foster, would test her abilities to hide the truth from her father.
Sighing, she turned toward home. She was so relieved to have her mother aware of the situation and even helping her pull it off! If anyone could sway the stubborn will of her father, it was her mother. Claire had wrestled with his stubbornness for many years and as long as she approached him with love, common sense and a desire to achieve the best interests for all concerned, Silas had always given her his ear. IF however, he ever suspected that he was being played, there would be hell to pay!