“Fight you? What do you mean fight you?” Dakota just shrugged and changed. The big black wolf loped out of the back door. Rae heard the growls from several different wolves outside and followed Dakota. The back yard was circled with wolves, their eyes glowing in the dark, apparently word spread fast. Dakota and Joshua circled each other growling and snapping at one another, claws flashed. Joshua lunged and Dakota moved out of his way easily. Joshua circled and lunged again. Dakota caught his throat with his massive jaws easily and took him to the ground on his back. The crowd growled and snapped in protest. Dakota let Joshua up. He hadn’t broken the alpha’s skin. Joshua swiped at Dakota with his extended claws, Dakota hopped out of the way and turned to sink his teeth into Joshua’s nape. Joshua sank to the ground on his belly then Dakota let him up again. Rae huddled against the door, her hands fisted together against her chest. Joshua came up growling and took off for Dakota with claws and fangs now bared. They both snarled at each other. The claws connected with Dakotas hip tearing into the flesh there. Crimson showing in his fur instantly. Dakota yelped surprised and Rae screamed hiding her face behind her hands now barely able to watch. Her body trembled violently. Dakota spun and sunk his teeth into Joshua’s throat. Blood trickled from Joshua’s mouth. Dakota backed away and lay down on the grass waiting. Joshua lay down as he began to change back into her father. His hand held his throat as the pack closed in and encircled their alpha whimpering. Rae couldn’t see him and took tentative steps toward the circle. A small white wolf nudged several others out of the way so that Rae could get close to her father. She squatted down beside him, tears oozed down over her cheeks.
“Daddy? Please forgive me, I didn’t know that it was important make my kill.” Rae put her trembling hand against his clammy cheek.
“Rae, I’m not angry with you. I just want you to accept what you are and what your duty is.” His eyes closed and he winced in pain. She heard several desperate whines around her. He opened his eyes again. “You and Dakota are in charge now.”
“Okay Daddy. I do accept it, what I am and what my duty is, I understand now.”
“Have a lot of pup’s girl and lead my pack well, do me proud.” He murmured as air left his lungs and he passed away.
“I will Daddy” Rae shook him but he was already gone. “Daddy!” She wailed. The tears were uncontrollable now. Dakota had her by the shoulders now and lifted her away from her father. “Drágám, let’s go inside.” He carried her away from the crowd and into the house as the sobs shook her. He shut and locked the door then turned the lights off as he carried her to the bedroom. Dakota placed her gently on the bed then began tending his wounds.
“You’re hurt.” Her brows knitted and she worried her bottom lip until she tasted blood. Rae wiped clumsily at her tears and rushed to the bathroom for a damp washcloth and her first aid kit. When she returned, Rae stood in the doorway watching him. Dakota licked his palm and held it over the claw marks which already seemed to be healing. “How..? Can I do that?” The first aid kit slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
“If you want to heal it for me, come here. If you touch your tongue to it, it will be much faster than me trying to transfer the saliva with my hand. We have antibacterial and healing elements in our saliva.” Rae’s face brightened and she crossed the room to kneel at his side. She pressed her tongue into the gashes, her eyes drifted closed. Finally she could help him, could do something a wolf could do, and Rae started to feel right about all of this. About being a werewolf, about having a mate and accepting her life as it was meant to be. Her mate needed her help too and that made her feel needed for the first time…ever. She tasted the metallic tang of his blood and felt the cuts closing up under her ministrations. Dakota’s hand rested gently on her head now and she opened her eyes to gaze up into his face. His eyes were glowing bright blue. “Szerelem Drágám.” He saw the puzzlement in her eyes. “I love you sweetheart.” He smiled gently and helped her to her feet only to drag her into his embrace. “I’m sorry about your father. I tried to fight him without hurting him, I didn’t want to kill him, but he left me with no choice.”
“I know.” She said into his chest. “Daddy is a stubborn and prideful man. I don’t blame you Dakota but I am sorry all of this happened because of me. What will happen now? Can I give him a funeral? Is that appropriate? Or is there something else the pack will do?” Rae leaned back to look up into his handsome face. As much as she loved her father, she loved this man more. As much as she would miss her father, she would have been devastated without Dakota.
“I’m going to check on him. Wait here.” Dakota told her once he was dressed. Rae pulled her nightgown on and got into bed to wait for him.
Chapter 7
Dakota slipped into bed with her assuming that she was asleep. He took a very deep breath and let it out slowly. “What happened?” She asked softly turning to him and fitting herself into his side. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Don’t cry baby.” He hugged her to him. “They’ve taken him to his house and in the morning we will call a funeral home to come for him. He will need to be cremated by sundown.” His arm wrapped around her pulling her closer. He felt her nod against his chest.
“Does everyone hate me?” Rae feared that most.
“No sweetheart. They understand. Some are saying that he wanted it, that he never made Lauren kill. He’s been grief stricken since his mate was killed. We all knew that, he loved her so much. They think this was his way to pass his position on, to show that I am a strong leader and to put himself out of his misery. I tend to agree. Joshua hasn’t been the same since his mate passed away. We all felt bad for him. I don’t know how he held it all together for as long as he did after losing his family so suddenly that way.” Dakota took a deep breath. “We will have to move tomorrow.”
“What?” Her head came up off his chest. She could barely see him in the darkness. “Why? Are they asking us to leave?” Rae took a ragged trembling breath.
“No, Drágám. We have to move to his house, the alpha’s house.”
“I don’t want to. I like this house. I don’t want to live up there looking down at everyone and I will be haunted by him.” She knew her voice sounded whiney and she blamed it on the exhaustion but tried to keep her voice level now. “Can’t we stay here?”
“No, darling. We have to move. How would it seem if someone else took the alpha’s house up there and looked down on the alphas? The pack will expect us to move.”
“I don’t like that house. I like this house and besides we just ordered furniture for this house, that house is full of furniture.”
“What is it that you don’t like about that house that you like so much about this one?” His deep voice soothed her. His hand stroked her nape gently while his other hand cupped her face.
“I like the kitchen here, the floors are shiny, and my bathroom is bigger.”
“Okay, so we need to have the floors refinished. You like the stone work behind the stove and sink?” She nodded. “Okay, so I will have that done as well. You haven’t seen your dad’s bathroom. You only saw the hall bath, there are three more. Tomorrow we will go look okay? You and I will look through the house once he’s gone to the funeral home. If you want to bring your dishes or anything else you can. You shouldn’t make any rash decisions though; your family’s history is in the house. Anything you don’t want up there after you’ve thought it through, we will let the pack have a look at it and if no one else wants it, we will put it in this house for the next family that moves into it. Okay?”
“Okay.” She said quietly. Her eyes were getting too heavy to keep open now and she drifted. Dakota shifted and pulled her closer, with his cheek against her forehead, they slept.
***
Warm kisses trailed across her forehead and over her temple. She smiled. Her hands came up over his belly and chest finding their way around his neck. Dakota shifted and pulled her over him to straddle his hips. Rae looked up into
his face and kissed him. “Good morning.” She reached between them to tug his briefs down. Dakota rolled her onto her back and pulled her nightgown up over her head trapping her arms over her head. “Mmm…what’s this?” Dakota trailed warm kisses down her throat and over her collarbone. He nipped the round of her breast and left moist kisses down the ladder of her ribs. Rae writhed beneath him and bucked her hips up to direct his attention where she wanted it. He chuckled softly but paid her urgings no attention. His mouth was on her belly, caressing, kissing and nipping. Rae’s blood hummed. Her heart was pounding and knocking around in her chest. “Please…” She tried to wrap her legs around him but he pulled them off one by one switching the hand that held her arms above her head.
“Spread your legs Rae.” She did and he let go of her arms to cradle her hips. His tongue dipped into the well of her vagina then worked its way up over her clit. Her fingers wove into his thick dark hair. His lips closed over bundle of nerves as his fingers worked into her core. Rae’s hips ground against him, the quick orgasm shook her. Dakota turned her onto her belly and pulled her hips up to meet his. He entered her quickly forcing a long moan from her. He knew this was her favorite position. Rae loved the fullness she felt when he entered her. Dakota’s skilled fingers circled her throbbing clit now, Rae cried out as he brought her to climax again. Her arms trembled against her weight. She felt Dakota’s chest against her back, his body covering hers. “Darling, I’m going to mark you now, as your alpha. Our souls are bound now and for all eternity, you are my alpha, I am yours. We live, hunt and love forever. Do you accept this vow?”
“Yes.” She breathed.
“Tell me.” His strokes were slow but long and delicious. He was trying to hold his climax. She felt him tremble against her and was having trouble concentrating.
“Our souls are bound, you are my alpha.
“You are my alpha. We live hunt and love forever, say it.” Dakota hissed. “Hurry.”
“I am your alpha. We live hunt and love forever.” His teeth sank into the soft spot between her neck and shoulder now. She cried out, it stung and burned and felt wonderful all at the same time. Dakota stiffened and growled her name with his climax. He pulled out of her trailing kissed down her spine and pulled her down on the mattress with him.
“You have to mark me.”
“I did already.” She traced her fingers over the bite scars on his beautiful chest wishing she’d known enough to put them somewhere else. His beautiful pectoral was marked forever now.
“You have to mark me as my alpha female, we wouldn’t want any of the ladies to think that I was open for suggestions, would we?” Rae’s head snapped up at this.
“They could think that? They know that we are together. Don’t they?”
“Sometimes when a were is made the new alpha, he will choose several partners if he remains unmarked.” Rae climbed up and sank her teeth into the chord of tendon that connected his neck and shoulder. “Easy baby, I would never be interested in anyone but you, I promise.” She licked the wound until he chuckled and pulled her off him.
“Mine.” She growled into his chest.
“Yours.” He chuckled. “Get dressed. We have to pay our respects to your father. It will be a very busy day.” Rae showered quickly and dressed. Her hair was pinned tightly in a knot at the base of her neck. Anyone who looked would see the bite and she hoped they all looked. How was she supposed to take her father’s place? She’d only shifted into a wolf once. She knew nothing of being the leader or how to be in charge of all these people. Her father should’ve explained. Rae spit the toothpaste into the sink and rinsed. This whole thing was just one more step past weird. Now she had to cremate her father and move into his house. More weirdness, like being a werewolf was normal by comparison. She drew a long breath and let it out. Dakota opened the bathroom door. “Ready?” She nodded and walked with him to her father’s house.
Joshua was laid out in his only suit on a long table in the living room. The table was covered in a navy blue cover. He’d been washed and groomed by someone. His hair was neat and he looked like he was sleeping. Rae looked down into his face. He looked a lot older than he had yesterday. Today he looked his age. His hair had gone almost completely gray and there were deep wrinkles lining his face. “Why does he look so much older?” Rae whispered to Dakota even though they were alone in the room.
“His age shows to protect the pack from the humans. It would be difficult to explain why a man of seventy nine looked forty. Wouldn’t it?” Dakota squeezed her shoulders. Rae swiped at a tear.
“I guess so.” She sniffled. “Who are we supposed to call?”
“They’ve been called. He will be picked up in about an hour then he will be cremated. His ashes will be returned to you. You may keep them or you may scatter them. It’s your choice. I will let you have a minute.” Dakota turned to walk away and she reached for him.
“No. I…I don’t want to be alone with him.” She worried her bottom lip. Dakota smiled gently.
“Okay. I’ll stay with you as long as you want.” Rae put her hand on her father’s but drew it back quickly at the coldness of his skin. Death had always freaked her out. She wouldn’t stay in the same room alone with her mother either. The funeral director then told her it was perfectly natural and that a lot of people felt the same as her. Another tear slid down her cheek.
“I wish we’d had more time to get to know each other, for you to teach me. You were so stubborn sometimes, but I loved you. I will do my best to lead your pack as you would have wished. I will treat our people with kindness and respect. If you’re able please watch over me and guide me, I will miss you.” Tears gushed from her eyes wetting her face now as the sobs shook her. “Goodbye daddy.” Dakota wrapped her in his arms and stroked her back from nape to base, soothing her. When she’d quieted, he lifted her face to his and kissed her lips chastely. Rae turned to see the whole pack behind her in their best clothes all kneeling with their heads bowed. “What are they doing?” She whispered to Dakota.
“They’ve accepted us as Alphas and they will follow us loyally. I think it was your feelings toward your father that convinced them.”
“Please. Get up. There’s no need to bow, really. Is everyone going to the funeral home?” The hearse backed up the driveway outside. Rae heard the warning beeps it made. Her pack stood and six of the biggest men stepped forward to flank her father’s body. The gurney was wheeled in by two men and when it was turned parallel to her father, the six lifted him and placed him on the cart. Rae went to the kitchen where Naomi was making tea. She smiled at Rae and gestured to the nearest chair.
“He’s looking over you, Rae. Never doubt that.” The corners of her mouth lifted and the smile touched her eyes. “We will help you find your way, don’t worry about that. Do you need help cleaning, painting or rearranging anything? This is your house now. You should be comfortable in it. We are all here to help you Rae.” Rae nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You really loved him didn’t you?” Rae nodded. “We did too. You have your husband now and us and of course your pup.” Rae’s brows knitted.
“Pup? I’m not…” Naomi was nodding her head.
“You are Rae. No heavy lifting, no painting, let us take care of everything for you, you are carrying the future Alpha.”
“It’s a girl?” Naomi laughed.
“I don’t want to spoil everything for you Rae.” She chuckled again. When Dakota came into the kitchen she blushed. He leaned to kiss her cheek, his eyes glowed a brilliant blue. She melted under the gaze of her Alpha.
“I was going to wait until you figured it out and told me but it looks like the cat is out of the bag, huh?” He kissed her again and pulled her out of the chair. “Congratulations Missus Dakota.”
“It should be this way, a happiness to go with sadness, it balances everything.” Naomi said quietly.
“We will announce it to the pack. I think they could use some good news today.” He would lead these people. He w
ould know what to do for them. Rae had every confidence in him. He was fifty years or so older than her father and of a purer bloodline. Rae would follow him anywhere and had no doubt that this pack would as well. After growing up with just her mother, Rae suddenly had the family that she always longed to have. Soon she and Dakota would fill this house with many laughing children and she would never be alone or lonely again. Rae wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned her head against his chest.
“I love you Dakota.” He pulled her tightly against him cradling her head and kissing her hair. The pack members howled behind them and Rae smiled knowing now that it meant acceptance and good feelings. This pack, this family would learn and grow together, they would make Joshua proud, together.
~END~
Cover picture-SEXY ATHLETIC BODY -by Fxquadro
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Her Alpha Page 6