The Alpha's Choice

by Jacqueline Rhoades

  "But I'll know they're there," she grumbled.

  Charles laughed at her complaints. "They're there every night; on the other side of the wall, across the hall, above our ceiling. They know what we do, kitten. You purr loud enough."

  "And with that image in my head, I may never purr again," she giggled.

  "You'll purr and loudly. I'll see to it. Now close your eyes." he said.

  She could feel his head nod and rise as he gave silent orders to his men and she heard the quiet rustle of their feet as they moved away and into their guard's positions. When she could hear nothing more than the sound of her own breathing, Charles stopped and set her on her feet.

  "Now you can look."

  "Oh Charles, it's beautiful," she said when she opened her eyes.

  The grassy clearing wasn't what she expected at all. It wasn't large, no more than ten or twelve feet across. All but one of the tree branches had been cleared away so a circle of moonlight defined their woodland room. From the remaining branch, a canopy of sheer, white netting cascaded from its circular frame to settle around a bed of downy white duvets sprinkled with rose petals. White pillows with crocheted lace edges were piled high at one end and next to their bed, a silver tray held a shiny silver bucket with champagne, two flutes, and a crystal bowl of strawberries.

  "You're not the outdoorsman I thought you were," she laughed softly. "I had something completely different in my mind."

  "I know," he said, unbuttoning the buttons at the back of her dress. They were tiny, but his fingers were nimble. "Smelly sleeping bags and a campfire or worse yet, a bed of moss."

  "Jo told you!" Kat turned to him laughing.

  "She's a loyal member of my pack and she wanted this night to be perfect for both of us." He slipped the gown from her shoulders kissing each as it was bared.

  The gown pooled at her feet and she left it there along with her thoughts and worries for the wolvers standing guard in the darkness. The magic surrounded them and sent a thrill of pleasure through her at each place his flesh touched hers. Charles was as naked as the day he was born and she ran her hands over his chest glorying in the feel of the curly blond hair beneath her fingers.

  She wondered briefly if she would ever get tired of the feel of him and decided she would not. When she was old and gray, she would still take pleasure in laying her head against his shoulder and running her fingers through the hair of his chest and along the line of his stomach. He would be old and gray then, too, but she would love him then as much as she did now.

  A tear fell from her eyes to his skin and he held her away to look at her face. "Second thoughts?"

  "No! Not ever. I meant what I said and don't you ever question it again. I love you, Charles Goodman. I always will."

  "Happy tears then. You never struck me as the weepy type." His fingers traced the lace along the edges of her demi-cup bra.

  "I never was until I met you." Kat closed her eyes to savor the feel of his hands at her breasts and sighed with pleasure as he freed the clasp and his mouth found her hardened nipple.

  "You're purring," he chuckle against her.

  "Softly," she whispered, "So only you can hear."

  He brought his lips to hers and they kissed lovingly, deeply, with a quiet passion that was different from their kisses before as if both were aware that this coming together was more important than the others. This night would seal their fates together for the rest of their lives.

  Charles kissed her as if they had the rest of their lives and when his lips left her, she whimpered a plea for their return.

  "Patience, kitten, patience."

  He'd left her mouth but his kisses didn't stop. He left a searing line of pleasure with them over her breasts and stomach. He removed her shoes and cast them to the side and then bared each leg of its stocking. When the stockings were gone, he kissed her through the tiny triangle of silk that covered her most intimate part.

  "Beautiful, so beautiful," Charles whispered as he kissed the silk of her panties again. "As soft and as silky as the woman beneath."

  Kat let her head fall back and said a silent prayer of thanks to Jo who'd ordered the expensive underwear, insisting her old nylon things wouldn't do.

  "I like them," Charles chuckled deep in his chest, "But I love what they're hiding more." He hooked his thumbs in the barely there sides and slid them over her hips and down her legs and cast them aside along with the gown still pooled at her feet.

  "This is how I love you best," he said as he rose, "Soft and naked in my arms. Come, kitten, you must be cold." He led her to the bed and pulled back the cover to tuck her beneath.

  Kat knew the spring night air was chilled, but she felt nothing but warmth at his touch and his words. The champagne and the strawberries sat forgotten as they tasted the sweetness of each other.

  She pleasured him with her mouth and hands as he pleasured her, their passion rising and peaking together, but without release. His fingers danced over her clit until her need was almost painful and then he turned her and gently raised her hips as he knelt between her legs behind her.

  She cried out when he entered her, not caring who heard. He filled her with his passion, driving into her with a force she relished and absorbed. Closed eyes opened wide when she felt him in her mind, his pleasure and fervency melding with hers. Higher and higher they rose together until an almost unbearable desire for completion overtook them both.

  He covered her then, his chest against her back, still driving deeply into her and then his mouth was at the soft place where her neck met her shoulder, the place where he'd found she was most sensitive. He kissed her, licked the spot once and then bit down, his teeth instantly breaking through the tender skin.

  Kat's cry was not one of pain, but of ecstasy as her body orgasmed in an explosion of sensation and light that rocked her to her core. Charles' body shuddered against her and he cried out her name as he reached his release with her.

  She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She could only feel his love bursting inside of her. He was her Alpha. She was his Mate. She collapsed onto their bed of pillows and down.

  Charles rolled to the side and gathered her to him. "Are you all right?" he asked and when she didn't answer, he asked again. "Are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

  Kat started to laugh. "If I say yes, you'll think you hurt me. If I say no, you'll think I'm not all right." Her body began to shake. "No," she said suddenly, "No, I'm not all right. I can feel them Charles. I can feel them all in my head. I can feel them all in my heart."

  Charles pulled the covers up around them and held her close to his chest. "It's the pack. You're their Mate. Lie quiet for a minute until you get used to it."

  They laid there, quiet in each other's arms, bathed in the moonlight and the afterglow of their lovemaking. She could still feel the pack, but it was no longer shocking nor painful now that she knew what it was.

  "Is this what you felt when the mantle fell?"

  "No," he told her quietly, "You share only a small corner of the mantle. The burden of it is mine to carry."

  "Oh Charles, I'm sorry. I didn't understand."

  "That's part of the burden of carrying the mantle. No one but another Alpha would understand. It's a fortunate Alpha who chooses a Mate whose heart is willing to carry even a small part of it."

  No one had asked her if she was willing to carry this and yet now that the feelings were becoming more settled in her mind, she knew that she was. This was no burden, but an honor; to be trusted with the emotions of her pack.

  "It's love," she said as sure of it as she was her own name. "The Mates who love their Alpha share that love with the pack. It's the ones who are taken against their will that can't share the mantle. Their love is stripped from them. They've nothing to share."

  Chapter 36

  The champagne bottle was empty as was the bowl of strawberries. Kat dozed, safe in her lover's arms and reluctantly roused at Charles' gently prodding hand. It was still dark and her woodlan
d bed was cozy.

  "Leave me alone, beasty boy. I'm having a lovely dream and you're ruining it." She snuggled in closer to the warmth of his body beside her.

  "Too tired to go for a run?" Charles said quietly next to her ear.

  She loved that voice, his sexy voice, so deep and rumbly.

  "I don't run," she mumbled, "You know that, beasty boy. I read someplace that it's bad for the knees and ankles. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I'm a city girl. We only run for the bus."

  She opened one eye and smiled coyly. "Unless, of course, some Big Bad Wolver comes along and wants to play. Then we'll run and run until he catches us."

  "I'm going for a run," Charles said, tossing his covers off and rolling to his feet.

  Kat stretched lazily, reaching her hands high over her head which allowed the covers to slide down and over her breasts.

  "Come back to bed, Big Bad" she coaxed.

  "My wolf wants to run. I thought my Mate would want to run with me."

  Kat was suddenly wide awake. "Holy shit. How could I forget? What time is it? How long do we have?" She crawled to the edge of the bed and onto the ground. On hands and knees, she looked up at her mate. "How do I do this?"

  "You don't. I do," he laughed, "And you don't have to start on your hands and knees although I must admit, the position is enticing. It reminds me of…"

  Kat sat back on her heels. "I figured if I'm going to end up on all fours anyway, there was no reason to get up."

  "Your right," he said, "I like that position even better. You're just the right height to…"

  "Get your mind out of the gutter, beasty boy. I thought we were going to run." She pushed herself to her feet and then looked around. "Are they still out there?" she whispered.

  "They are."

  "Can you make them go away?" She stepped closer to Charles, feeling exposed in a way she hadn't felt before. "When we change, I mean."

  "They can, but they won't. They know their duty." He pushed a stray curl from her cheek.

  "Will they run with us?"

  "Yes," he said firmly and raised his finger in warning. "And there'll be no changing my mind. They'll keep their distance ad let us be, but they will run with us and they'll keep watch."

  "So they'll see me when I stumble over my four paws and fall on my snout, when I step on my tail and then chase it."

  "You won't fall on your snout or chase your tail. If it itches, I'll scratch it for you." He took her hand. "Are you ready? Of course you are," he answered himself and they were suddenly engulfed in light and magic.

  Kat was so stunned, she didn't have time to think about what was happening to her body, as her form shrank and expanded into something new. Bone remolded as muscle reformed. The momentary ache in her face was replaced with a sharp tingling sensation over her entire body. A sharp poke in her rear end startled her and then it was done.

  Charles' wolf was grinning at her. She could feel his laughter even though he made no sound. Her nose twitched, attracted by the scent of the bed. Hmmm. Sex smells. Good smells. Charles smells. Better smells.

  Charles started to walk away and she followed him, cautiously at first, because four legs moved differently than two. She looked behind her at her tail and frowned. It dragged. She tightened her muscles. It rose and she smiled.

  She heard Charles laugh again and order her to follow. He wasn't speaking in words, but his meaning was clear. They walked a ways and then he began to trot. Kat had to trot to keep up. Then he ran. Energy burst through her limbs and suddenly she was flying over the ground.

  Sound was everywhere. Birds called in the trees. Squirrels skittered along branches, something rustled through the leaves at her feet and she jumped, skid, stumbled and ran on. Charles stopped abruptly. Kat stopped, too. Deer. Where? Ah, there. Kat's stomach tightened at the sight of the doe grazing peacefully fifty yards off. She was hungry. Hunt? No! She wasn't ready for that.

  Charles ran on and Kat was aware of the others running with them. Pack. Pack was good. They reached a clearing. Charles chuffed and an image formed in her head. She understood. Two wolves home. Report. She saw an image in her mind of a grassy area in front of them. Three wolves left. Three wolves right. Female follow.

  Her human mind was still active, but subdued. It marveled that she could see so well in the dark. Her wolf was unimpressed. The sights, smells, and feel of the night were more important. The Alpha was more important. The placement of the wolves surrounding them was more important.

  Charles faced her and placed his face next to hers, eye to eye. He laughed and bumped her snout with his. She bumped his back and suddenly they were bumping and pawing, mouths open, teeth flashing. He hit her hips and knocked her off balance. She regained her footing and lunged. He bowled her over and straddled her body. She kicked with her feet, rolled and took off. He chased. She evaded. She laughed. This was fun. This was play.

  Occasionally, Charles glanced at the sky, checking the time, she eventually realized. Her wolf had no sense of time passing. There were things a wolver had to learn.

  They played and ran until Charles said stop. It was time to go home. Home? This could be home. Run, play, hunt, eat, sleep, mate. Good. Her human mind gave an emphatic No! Home, children, food, mate. Game over. Time to go home.

  She was trotting toward the Alpha when the warning flashed through her. No! Run! and then Down! Kat was confused. She hesitated. A sharp CRACK! Gun. A cry of pain, a yelp. Charles ran past her. RUN! HOME! His directions were clear, but where was home? A picture of Hell Hall blossomed in her mind and suddenly she knew where home was. Kat ran.

  Two of the wolves ran with her and she was grateful not to be alone, but where was Charles? Her human mind told her to call out to him. Her wolf instinct told her not to. She was not his concern. As they ran through the trees, ignoring the path, she kept Hell Hall in her mind and let her feet fly. They knew the way home.

  As they reached the edge of the woods, one of the wolvers, nudged her gently, side to side and chuffed. Stop. Her instinct said run. Don't stop until you are home. Safe. The wolf nudged her again, more forcefully and she stumbled. Stop! Kat stopped.

  The wolvers to either side of her flashed and came home. Kat looked around, expecting to see Charles and then her human mind remembered that this was the full moon. The men could come home without his aid. She could not.

  "Stay here until we signal it's safe," one said. He was naked, but neither her wolf or her human cared. Both wanted her mate, her Alpha.

  Kat sat on her haunches to show them she understood.

  The two men were halfway across the field before Ryker came trotting out to meet them. As if given some unseen signal, other men came from the house and tents and travel trailers along the far side of the field. Ryker waved her in.

  She hesitated, suddenly conscious of her wolf body among all these humans. A tall, rangy, dark wolf suddenly separated from the men and trotted her way. River!

  He trotted up to her and tossed his head in the direction of the house. Come. Home.

  She yipped and if she'd been human, she would have covered her mouth. Where did that come from? She felt River laugh. He understood. He was new to this wolf business, too. Together, they trotted toward the house.

  Now what? Kat was quickly learning the disadvantages of being a wolf. She understood everything they were saying, but no one was saying what she wanted to hear and she either wasn't skilled enough or it was impossible for her to communicate. What was happening? Where was Charles?

  Bless her dear, curler covered head, Tilda brought her a bowl of water. Need overcame self-consciousness and she lapped at it thirstily, finally moving aside for River to drink his fill.

  "You should come inside," Tilda told her.

  Kat could only sit back on her haunches and stare dumbly at the woods to voice her refusal. River sat beside her.

  All the other men had apparently come home. Why hadn't River? She tried to form a picture of his human self in her mind with a question
mark. The picture reformed into his wolf. No!

  River snarled. Kat snarled back. River snarled again. Kat chuffed in exasperation and gave up. Teenaged wolves were as obnoxious as human ones. And then she thought maybe first timers couldn't come home on their own. Maybe they needed the Alpha or another male to show them the way. River wouldn't be the type to ask.

  She, on the other hand, was stuck here as a wolf until the Alpha brought her home. If he didn't make it back until after sunrise, she would be a wolf until darkness fell again. Shit!

  She blew out air through her lips to show her irritation, laid down facing the trees and lowered her head to her outstretched front legs. River mimicked her position and together they waited.

  And waited. And waited. Her wolf had no sense of time, only fast and slow, and her human had no watch. Her wolf waited a long, long time. Her human understood it might be only minutes, but she was a wolf and minutes had no meaning. Shit!

  When Charles finally came walking through the trees as a man, Kat was on her feet and running. She heard people yell at her to stop. She dodged the hands that would hold her back. Her mate, her Alpha was home and she felt an overpowering need to be near him, to see him up close, to feel his touch.

  She was vaguely aware that he carried another human in his arms, but that was not nearly as important as her need to be near him. She circled him, felt her head begin to shake back and forth in happiness and her body followed, right down to the tip of her tail.

  Charles didn't laugh or show any signs of greeting. It was like a slap and it was enough for her human side to take notice. Tanner lay unconscious in Charles' arm. His side was bloody and the smell was irritating to her nose. Charles was bloody, too, but she knew it was Tanner's blood and not his own. She could smell that, too, but she could also feel his weakness. She whined and nudged Tanner's hand. His breathing was shallow and his heart beat slow.