APPETITE

by Kathyrn, Lorraine

  "We call it a Mating Ceremony," Damien said. He gave a brief explanation of what would occur, gently reassuring his mate's friend that she would be protected at all times and she would be escorted back to her room whenever she wished. He explained to Becky what kind of changes Charlie would go through, and what she would become.

  "So...you go through this ceremony, and then you will be a werewolf, too?" Becky asked her friend. Charlie nodded. "That. Is. Fucking. Rad."

  "Yeah, I kinda think it might be, too," Charlie said, beaming at her friend.

  "So, with the ceremony, everyone's going to be naked, huh?" Becky said, shooting Charlie a wink. "All free-love orgy type thing?"

  "Not...no...not really like that...." Damien stammered.

  "Oh, for fuck's sake, Beck. Put away the inner 15-year-old boy," Charlie laughed, poking her friend in the arm. "She's just having you on, cowboy. She's not really thinking it will be like that."

  "Really?" Damien asked, looking at Becky closely.

  "Really," Becky said with a chuckle.

  "I must say, you're taking all this really well," he said. He watched Charlie re-wrap her mostly uneaten burger and put it in the bag. "You hardly ate, dolcezza."

  "I'm not all that hungry," Charlie said with a smile. "I was really nervous, and it kind of soured my stomach."

  "Dolcezza?" Becky asked.

  "Italian for sweetness," Charlie said, smiling shyly at Damien.

  "Oh. Hmm...now my stomach is starting to sour a bit," Becky said.

  "Hey now..." Charlie laughed.

  "How did you find out?" Becky asked Charlie as she finished her sandwich.

  "It was kind of...not good?" Charlie looked at Damien to tell Becky.

  "Yeah," he moved to sit next to Charlie and put his arm around her. "That was my fault, actually. I meant to tell Charlie, ease her into it, but she accidentally saw me change."

  "Accidentally?"

  It was all confusion. We were making love in a field and a couple of pack members came upon us."

  "Making love in a field," Becky reiterated, snickering at Charlie's blush. "Yeah, of course you would be. Go on."

  "I started to shift, and Charlie went to run away from me. One of the pack tackled her, and I in turn tackled him. When I shifted back next to her-"

  "On top of me," Charlie interjected.

  "- she fainted."

  "Fainted!" Becky said, looking at Charlie, who nodded.

  "When she came to, she...well, let's just say it was a couple of days before she would accept me, accept what I am."

  "I can imagine," Becky said as they stood and packed up their garbage. Charlie folded the blanket and they head back towards the truck. She remained mostly quiet for the drive back to the ranch. Just listening as Becky asked Damien about being a werewolf, the ceremony, his family, his ranch, the political structure, other packs; offering a little information here and there, but letting Damien answer on his own.

  "You know, I keep wanting to...step in and say you shouldn't do this, Charlotte," Becky said, surprising Charlie by the use of her full name. "No..." Becky shook her head, correcting herself, "I keep thinking I should want to. But I don't. It's like...even I can feel this thing between you two."

  "Bond," Charlie said, smiling at her friend. "It's a bond between us."

  "Yeah. Whatever it is, I can kind of sense it, too." Becky looked at Damien through the rearview mirror. "It's pretty amazing," she said, smiling at him.

  "I can't believe you're taking this so well," Damien said, smiling back at her.

  "Yeah, well, I've always been a bit more open to some things than a certain little cook we both know," Becky said, nodding her head towards Charlie.

  "Oh?"

  "I told you about that, cowboy," Charlie said with a giggle. She turned in her seat to look at Becky. "Still – this is kind of huge, Beck. Thanks for being so understanding."

  "What kind of things?" Damien asked, his curiosity piqued.

  "Ghosts. Angels. Demons. And of course werewolves and vampires. Standard gobbledygoo nonsense," Charlie said with a shrug.

  "Clearly, Char, it's not nonsense," Becky said. She turned her attention back to Damien, "So, do they exist, too?"

  "What? Ghosts? Not to my knowledge," Damien laughed.

  "What about demons? Vampires? Witches?" Becky asked, leaning forward and putting her hands on the back of the seat in front of her. "What about werecats and werebears?"

  Damien was quiet as he considered his answer carefully. Charlie could sense the question was making him tense, and she began to regret her friend asking it. At long last, he answered. "There are a lot of...beings that humans have villainized throughout history. I think it was to make themselves, their own behaviors and actions, seem less frightening. They create these myths, which are passed on from generation to generation, people to people." He paused for a moment, reaching over to take Charlie's hand. "And they are just that – myths. But all myths are fruit grown from a seed of truth."

  Becky regarded him closely for a few minutes before sitting back again. "Alright. I can accept that answer."

  They turned down the ranch road and Charlie watched as her friend tried to take the vast landscape in. She glanced at Damien and noticed he looked a lot more relaxed. She smiled to herself, thinking she probably looked a lot more relaxed, too.

  "Any other questions before we go in and introduce you to everyone?" Charlie asked Becky as Damien pulled in to the garage.

  "Just one," she said, getting out of the truck and turning to face Damien as he got her suitcases out of the bed. Her face and tone were serious.

  "What's that?" Damien asked a little nervously.

  "You're not a republican, are you?"

  Charlie laughed so hard she snorted, which caused Becky to start laughing as well. Soon the two women were bent double, hands on each other's shoulders for support, as they laughed until tears wet both their cheeks, leaving Damien to wonder.

  The introduction of Becky to Damien's family went off better than Charlie had dared to hope. Everyone accepted her as Charlie's family, and welcomed her readily. Becky seemed perfectly at ease with everyone, and for the first time, Charlie's anticipation of the mating ceremony outstripped her apprehension.

  The next couple of days were busy ones. Charlie spent the mornings at the Full Moon Saloon, teaching the cooks the new menu and making sure the correct stock was ordered. Becky tagged along, partly for moral support, partly to appease Damien's concern for her being there before she was mated to him, but mostly just to be with her friend. Charlie did her best to get to know all of the staff, but especially Henry. He was a little wary of her at first, but her enthusiasm and open friendliness won him over quickly. In fact, she won everyone over quickly, and by the end of the first morning, Damien arrived to find them all singing together in the kitchen.

  The afternoons were spent learning the responsibilities of the Lead Beta and his mate, to both the pack and to the Alpha Pair. Damien spent the time taking Charlie around the ranch, introducing her to pack members and showing her some of the mechanics of running the ranch, and Darian and Eva showed her the wonderful world of ranch paperwork. Spreadsheet after spreadsheet, stacks of genetic registrations, grazing contracts, feed stock and receipts – the list went on and on.

  The evenings were spent socializing with the pack. At dinner, and afterwards mingling about. The entire ranch was gearing up for the hunt and the mating, and everyone popped in and out of the main house all evening. Charlie was a little nervous at first, not quite sure how Becky would be treated. Everyone knew who she was, and that she was here as her guest, but she wasn't sure how they would react to a human knowing about them. She needn't have worried, though. Everyone was welcoming to her. Becky was quick to make friends, and – much to Charlie's astonishment – make a date for the hunt with Anna.

  Late in the evenings Charlie, Becky, and the Dimeo family would retire to either Damien and Charlie's apartment or Darian and Eva's for some quiet time. Char
lie readily acclimated to the large, affectionate family, feeling at ease with all of them almost instantly. She was gratified to see Becky feel the same way.

  "You are getting a fantastic family," Becky said to Charlie. It was near midnight the night before the hunt, and they were sitting on the deck enjoying a glass of wine. Damien had gone up to bed an hour ago, giving the women some privacy.

  "Yeah, I am," she smiled at her friend.

  "I'm happy for you, Char. And...more than a little jealous."

  Charlie looked at her in surprise. "You have a great family, Beck."

  "Yes, I do," she admitted. She drained her glass and stood up, stretching with a yawn. "I have a great family, Charlotte, and you're included in that." Charlie beamed up at her friend. "But we're not close, not tight like this." She paused and Charlie nodded at the truth of her words. "And I don't have someone in my life who needs me more than oxygen. I haven't yet met someone who loves me enough to give up everything to have me. And I haven't found someone I could give my heart to knowing with certainty – with all justifiable certainty – they will treasure it more than their own." She bent over and gave Charlie an awkward, one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I am allowed my jealousy over that." She straightened up and head back inside.

  "Thanks, Becky," Charlie said quietly.

  "Good night, Char."

  "G'night."

  Charlie listened to Becky washing out her glass before heading to the same room she had used after she found out about Damien. She thought about what Becky had said. She sighed, looking out at the starry night, a feeling of joy swelling within her. Becky was right, she was lucky. Her smile broadened as she thought about the big, handsome man sleeping upstairs.

  Her mind turned towards the mating ceremony, and she realized she was no longer afraid. She thought about being nude in front of everyone, she thought about Damien's family – and the entire pack – seeing her scars, trying to recall the dread and apprehension she felt, but couldn't. Instead her mind kept bringing up images of Damien's eyes as he moved inside her. She thought of the feel of his hands and mouth on her skin. She closed her eyes and imagined his bronze skin glistening in the firelight around the stone and sighed, feeling her pussy tingle and her nipples get hard.

  "You, my friend, are horny," she said quietly to herself. They hadn't made love since the evening Damien's parents arrived. The preparations for Becky's arrival and the ceremony had been keeping them busy. By the time she got into bed, she was exhausted. Once she snuggled into his arms she was out for the night.

  Charlie sat up, wondering about the hunt. She knew the pack looked to Damien's kill as an omen on their mating. She chewed her bottom lip, her brow creased in concern – what if he didn't bring back something major? she wondered to herself. What if he did? was her next thought. Her lips spread in a private sultry smile, thinking about how he would want her to show her appreciation, what he might expect of her.

  "These thoughts are not helping," she muttered, feeling herself become more aroused. She stood, draining her glass before turning to go back inside, a small squeal escaping her when she saw Damien in the doorway. He leaned against the frame in his shorts, arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankle.

  "What thoughts would those be, dolcezza?" he said, giving her a boyish smile.

  She cocked her head, her eyes roaming freely up and down his body. Her body ached for him, physically yearned for him, but more than that, her being – essence, soul, call it what you will - cried out for him. She looked at his face, his expression still playful, and decided she didn't feel like playing games tonight.

  "Thoughts of you inside me, Damien." She took a step towards him and stopped, watching him tense slightly. "Thoughts of you filling me." Charlie took another step forward and stopped, her eyes intent on Damien's face as he stood up straight, his arms to his sides, his hands in fists. "Thoughts of you completing me," she said, her voice thick with her want.

  "Charlotte," Damien growled, stalking towards her.

  "Damien," she breathed as he put his arms around her. He pulled her against him, his arms around her waist, as she slid her hands up and down his chest. "I need you."

  He bent to kiss her, his hands moving to push her shorts down and steady her as she stepped out of them. He could smell her wetness clearly and groaned into her mouth. She undid his fly, her hands reaching in to stroke him as he shimmied out of his shorts. He slid his hands to her ass, lifting her off her feet against him.

  "Wrap your legs around me," he said, moving his lips against her neck.

  "Please, Damien. Please," Charlie moaned as she felt the head of his cock tease her clit.

  "Please...?" Damien prompted, his hands squeezing her ass as he maneuvered her against the wall next to the glass slider. Charlie moaned as his teeth found her earlobe. "Tell me what you need, dolcezza," he whispered.

  "You...I need you," she said, pulling her head back to look into his eyes as she slid one hand between them to gently grab his sex. "Please."

  Damien lifted her slightly as she guided his cock to her. "Move your hand," he breathed, slamming her down on himself as soon as she did so. She tensed her legs around him slightly as she cried out from the sudden invasion. He paused – one heartbeat, two – and began pumping, sliding in and out of her almost mindlessly. Her hands fisted in his hair as her hips moved, her heels against his ass and meeting him thrust for thrust.

  Their coupling was rough, furious, as they both released their pent up longing for each other. The night around them was dark and still, the only sounds were flesh against flesh and their harsh breathing as they fucked each other. Charlie felt herself start to come and dropped her head onto Damien's shoulder, biting down to muffle her moans. Damien felt her teeth against his skin and began pounding even harder into her, throwing his head back and grunting as he came.

  He slowly sank down on legs that felt like jello, settling on the deck, Charlie on his lap. She crossed her legs behind him and wrapped her arms around his head, holding him close. Damien nuzzled her, breathing in her heady scent, his hands running up and down her back as he caught his breath. "Better?" he asked after a few minutes.

  "Mmmhmm," Charlie said sleepily. She could feel him slowly sliding out of her as he shrank; the feeling made her shiver. "Much better, cowboy."

  "Come to bed, dolcezza."

  "I don't think I can move," she said with a sigh.

  Damien chuckled, gently pushing her off his lap so he could stand again. "Come, my love, let me take you to bed," he said, bending down to scoop her up like a groom would his bride.

  "Isn't that backward?" Charlie said with a yawn. She put her arms around his neck and laid her cheek on his shoulder.

  "Hmmm?" Damien prompted as he carried her upstairs.

  "Shouldn't you take me to bed and then fuck me?"

  "Thinking outside the box, my Charlotte," he said as they entered their bedroom.

  "Oh, right," Charlie giggled as Damien placed her on the bed. She took off her t-shirt and bra and climbed under the covers, watching as he walked around to his side. She had a small, satisfied smiled on her face.

  "What is that little smile about?" he asked, opening his arms to her. She lay her head on his shoulder and threw a leg over his.

  "I'm not afraid anymore, cowboy," she said, her voice low. She was making lazy circles in his chest hair with her fingertips.

  "You're not?"

  "No. Not at all. Not about any of it." She shifted more to her stomach, propping herself up on one elbow to look at his face. "I'm anxious, but for it, not about it. I want to do this. I want to be this with you. I want to be this for you. I want to be this, be yours, for your family – our family – and our pack. When I think about it, when I think about our ceremony, all I feel is happy. All I see is what I see when I look in your eyes.

  "All I see is love."

  "My Charlotte," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear. His voice was barely above a whisper, but she had no problem
hearing him. "I wish I could express how happy you make me. I wish I could find the words to tell you how I love you."

  "You do tell me. With every look, every touch, every kiss. You do."

  "I cannot thank fate enough for bringing you to me," he said, running a finger along her jaw.

  "I seem to recall you saying you wanted to curse the fates for making me your mate, cowboy," Charlie said, laying back down on her side.

  "Did I?" Damien asked, settling her in his arms and turning off his bedside light.

  "Yes, you did," she said, giving him a soft kiss on his chest.

  "Oh, yes. Right. Right. Now I remember."

  "Quite the change of heart you've had, huh?"