A.L.F.A. Mates

by Milly Taiden

  “He’s new. His name is Jeffry,” Scarlet said. “Moved here a month or so ago. He lost his male partner recently. That’s what I’ve been told, but I haven’t met him yet. He keeps to himself and doesn’t come out much.”

  Amie nodded and went back to her pancakes, which she seemed to be overly enjoying. He could make pancakes. Maybe. Just add water to Bisquick and flip, right?

  Toward the end of the meal, the kids started getting restless. Must be naptime soon. A lady he didn’t recognize came to their table to say hi to Amie and thanked her for the party. Then they went into private whisper-mode again.

  Amie sat back in her chair. “What is wrong with you people? Didn’t you learn all that before . . . you know?” She waved a hand in the air.

  “Not really,” Susan answered, looking around the room. “Shifters don’t date much because their animal doesn’t want to waste time on anyone but their true mates. So until they meet, it’s pretty much nothing.”

  Amie slapped a hand over her eyes. “God help the horny teens around here.” She leaned forward over the table. “Here’s what we gonna do. We need a place to hold another class.” The ladies squealed and bunched together.

  “We can use my place,” Cheryl offered.

  “Great. Sherri, send out another text to all the ladies inviting them. Tell them not to worry about lunch this time. I’ve got that handled. Oh, and tell them to bring any toys, which by the sound of it, many won’t have. See y’all shortly.”

  The ladies scattered and Frank wasn’t sure what was going on. “Obviously, you’re having another party, but you said you didn’t have any clothes to give away.”

  She kissed him solidly. “What we’re learning today doesn’t require clothing. In fact, the less clothing, the better this is.”

  Amie got up and sat down at the table with the new gay shifter and shook his hand. Her last statement about the less clothing bothered him. He had a bad feeling about all this.

  After a few minutes, the guy got up and hugged Amie then hurried out the door, not giving his cat the time to get jealous. But if he ever touched his mate again . . . Dumbass, his cat said.

  CHAPTER 20

  After a quick trip to the butcher’s and setup in the kitchen, Amie joined the group in the living room. Their guest speaker, Jeffry, had everyone’s complete attention. He laid furry handcuffs on the table beside him and picked up a scarf.

  “But you don’t have to buy something new, though Marianne would love that you do.” He smiled and Marianne whole-heartedly agreed. “You can use items at home. I have a scarf here, but a tie would work. Also, if you’re in the heat of the moment and don’t want to step away, here’s another idea.

  “Have your man lying down, then push his shirt over his head, but keep it on his upper arms. That way his arms are trapped.” Several of the ladies ooh and aahed. “If you lean his head forward and push the shirt lower on his arms behind his head, then he can’t even bring his arms down.” Many of the women liked that idea.

  Jeffry looked up at Amie and Cheryl and Amie gave him a nod.

  “The hostess asked me to give our upcoming lesson because for many you, your mate was your first and only sexual partner. Because of that, many of you may not know certain things gained with experience. It’s very important in every relationship to have a healthy and happy sex life.”

  Amie hurried into the kitchen and helped Cheryl with the hot serving dishes and paper plates. In the living room, they passed the containers, plates, and napkins to everyone.

  “Everyone take a sausage for class, but don’t eat it yet.” Some of the ladies understood right away and laughed loudly. “And for those of you with human males for mates, there are regular-sized hot dogs.” The rest of the room joined in the joke and laughter.

  Jeffry started. “Unlike Sherri’s blow jobs, which turn out very beautiful—”

  “Thank you very much,” Sherri interjected. “Today walk-ins need to come here until we’re done.” Amie laughed at the silliness. “Sorry, Jeffry. Please continue.”

  “Thank you, my sweet lady. Okay, unlike the name blow job, this requires you to suck. This is also called giving head, fellatio, BJ, going down on, oral sex, sixty-nine, blow me, suck chrome off a tail pipe, deep throat, get head, Lewinski, play the skin flute, suck dick, suck a nail from a board. You and your mate may even have a special name like ‘ice cream sundae.’

  “Now, women, I know you cannot fathom how men can like this, but trust me, they do.” He put his sausage in his hand. “Now, everyone take your sausage, and for the unlucky ones, their hot dog, and wrap your hand around it, making sure your pinky rests against his skin. This is called the base. Make sure your thumb is on the underside.”

  A lady raised her hand. “How tightly do we squeeze?”

  “Your mate will need to tell what feels good, but it will probably be tighter than you’d think. Now, on a real penis, the top is called the head and it has a delicate ring around it. Running your tongue around it or flicking it with your tongue will drive him crazy.” Jeffry shivered. “So good.” The women laughed at his actions.

  “It’s important to know, ladies, that you don’t have to put the penis in your mouth to make it good. But if you can, then you have more leveraging power to get what you want later.” He winked.

  “Next thing is to lick like you have an ice cream cone, all the way up the sides. You can also run your lips up and down.” Amie looked around, watching everyone lick their sausages. Some things should never be done in public. Licking hot dogs sexily would be one of those. Cheryl nudged her arm.

  “Where is Frank?”

  “His boss called, so he said he’d be here later.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. He just needs to check in for updates on stuff.”

  Cheryl nodded. “I’d always wondered where he went after school. I figured he’d go into the ALFA program since his father did, but I didn’t think he’d go that soon. From what I see, you two are an official couple. I’m glad he found you so early. You’ll have pretty babies.”

  Amie felt her face heat. Yes, her little Francis was very adorable. She turned her gaze to the group to see them all with sausages in their mouths, Jeffry still giving instructions.

  “Make sure to hollow your cheeks. Suck those things in as much as you can. Ladies, you have no idea what a difference there is between cheeks and no cheeks. All right, everybody together. Suck it into your mouth as far as you can go.”

  From the front door, two knocks sounded and the door opened, revealing Frank taking a step inside. All the women turned to him. He let his eyes skim the ladies with sausages half in their mouths. Without saying a word, he stepped backward and closed the door quietly.

  Amie hadn’t laughed so hard in years. She worried about peeing her pants. Her poor Frank. She hadn’t warned him what the sausages were to be used for except for the group to eat for lunch along with other finger foods. She wondered if Frank would believe her if she told him they were just eating that second he walked in. Probably not.

  Her phone buzzed. The text read I’ll see you at home. F

  “Okay,” Jeffry said. “That’s how to give a blow job.” He glanced at his watch. “We still have a few minutes, so I’ll show you the most popular toy for women: the Rabbit.” He looked up and paused. “Sorry, Alice.”

  “No problem,” came Alice’s high-pitched voice. “I already got my rabbit and he’s way better than a toy.” Her cheeks reddened while the ladies laughed.

  Cheryl leaned closer to Amie. “You know, I think Jean has the hots for Butch.”

  “The meat man?” Amie asked.

  “I heard that, Cheryl, and I don’t have hots for the man. He just happens to smell good.”

  “Yeah,” Cheryl said. “Like meat.” She tilted back to Amie. “You all should go on a double date.”


  “Amie,” Mom called from the group, “don’t listen to that woman. Obviously, she’s insane.” They laughed.

  “Jean, you’re just being stubborn,” Mrs. Holcomb hollered across the room. “We’ve all seen how he looks at you. Like you smell like meat.”

  Amie wondered . . . “I’m guessing this obsession with meat is because of being a shifter.”

  Mom looked up. “I’m so glad you’re aware of what’s going on.”

  Scarlet said, “Yeah, little Tommy shifted a paw when he fell off the slide. Cat was out of the bag, literally.”

  “Did he tell you all the things we can do?” Mom turned to Amie. “Did Frank tell you we can smell emotions? He knows when someone is lying. That’s why shifters make such good spies and police people. We have super-hearing, too.”

  “Don’t forget being possessive and protective,” one of the ladies call out.

  Alice added, “And you have to tell them to breathe deeply while you stand right in front of them to notice you’re pregnant. I know that one.”

  Cheryl looked concerned. “Does this mean Frank hasn’t mated or bitten you?”

  “If he bit me,” Amie started, “I’d kick his ass out of bed. Some BDSM is okay, but I draw the line with pain.” Judging by the laughter in the room, she had no doubt she’d said something dumb. “What did I say?”

  “Honey”—Cheryl laid a hand on her shoulder—“getting a bite during sex is like tying the knot. You’re hitched for life.”

  “So, Jean,” a lady said, “should we buy gifts for a mating party at your home soon?”

  No way in hell was Amie letting anyone watch her and Frank have sex. She’d stay single forever, or maybe a really long engagement. “No wedding gifts, please. Just buy me a sausage for my birthday later this month.”

  Jeffry spoke up, “I have one last thing to add, then I have to leave, ladies.” When he had everyone’s attention, he continued. “Remember that sex is a healthy part of being alive. But don’t forget that romance is also important. If your mate is a knob-head, then take charge. Have a picnic in the park or just lay under the stars while the kids play. Playground equipment is a great free babysitter. I hope to see everyone around town. It’s nice to meet everyone.”

  Amie watched as the females in the room embraced Jeffry in more ways than just a hug. Hopefully he would be able to heal from losing his mate with a great support group around him. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. The text from Frank read Let me know when it’s safe to come out. She laughed and texted back: Mom and I will be home soon.

  “Amie,” Mom said, “can we stop by the butcher’s for a moment? I need to get meatballs for dinner.”

  “Sure, Mom”—Amie winked—“meatballs. Is that shifter code for something I don’t want to know?”

  CHAPTER 21

  After cleaning up Cheryl’s home and giving out the rest of the remaining sausage, Amie found herself standing next to Butch. She thought back to the last time she was there and she remembered what had happened. He’d partially shifted and she ran, screaming, from the building.

  “Oh my god, Butch. I’m so sorry how I reacted to you the other day. I just learned about shifters a few hours ago.”

  “Not a problem, girly. I probably would’ve scared myself if I had a mirror.”

  Amie smiled to show her appreciation. Then she looked around for Mom on the other side of the store. “Say, Butch, ever think about asking Jean out on a date?”

  He froze in his tracks. “I—I don’t know if she’d go with me.”

  “Oh,” Amie said, “I’m pretty sure she would say yes.”

  “You think?” Butch looked at her with wide eyes.

  “Yup, but you have to ask her or she won’t. You can do that, right?”

  Color drained from the lion’s face. “What do I say?”

  Amie rubbed a hand over her forehead. These townies where just too much fun. “Just say, ‘Jean, would you like to go out?’ It’s easy.”

  Butch straightened up, indicating the woman of topic was coming. Amie stepped behind Mom as she laid meatballs on the counter.

  “Good afternoon, Butch. How are you?”

  Amie looked over Mom’s head at him. She nodded, giving him encouragement.

  “Jean. Would. You. Like. To. Go. Out.” This was probably the first lion who ever turned robot when asking out a girl. Mom stood staring at him, and he stared at her. Dear god.

  Amie waved her arms to get his attention. She pointed to her watch, mouthing, Six tomorrow. He looked at his watch.

  He said, “At six tonight.”

  Tonight? No, no, no. Amie shook her head. Tomorrow, she mouthed again.

  Then Mom said, “Six o’clock tonight would be great.”

  Amie dropped her head into her hands. This could be very bad. Mom waved and walked away. Amie grabbed the bag with the meatballs, which was still on the counter. She gave him a thumbs-up.

  Outside, Mom grabbed her arms. “Butch just asked me out.”

  “Yeah, isn’t that great?”

  “No! That’s not great. What am I going to wear? I don’t know how to fix my hair. Oh my god. What am I going to do?”

  “Mom. It’s going to be okay. I’ll help you.”

  “Oh, thank you. We have to get home.” In a blink, Mom was gone.

  Amie looked around. “Mom?” She turned. “You just did not disappear on me. This has to be a shifter thing.”

  “I’m sorry, dear.”

  Amie startled and whipped around. “Mom! Where did you go? What happened?”

  “Shifters have the ability to move so quickly, humans can’t track the action. Now let’s go.”

  • • •

  Frank sat in the rocking chair on the back porch. His mom and mate had kicked him out when they’d walked in. From what he could figure out, Mom was going somewhere. He thought he heard she was going on a date. But he knew that couldn’t be right. Though he did tell her the other day that she needed to get out more.

  He didn’t have time at the moment to worry about his mom. More serious things had come to light. His conversation with his boss was filled with good and bad intel. Good in that Giuseppe Ragusa had been under police scrutiny for a long time, bad in that several officers doing the watching had mysteriously disappeared over the years.

  Ragusa’s history was as full of death as any other popular gangster from old. True to modern Mafia, Ragusa was associated with several corporations. Frank was sure that was where the family’s money came from. He told his boss about the connection with the senator’s killing being covered by the bank robbery, his bill, Ragusa’s companies, and the money flow.

  What Frank found interesting was that Ragusa didn’t bail his son out of jail. His kid had to post his own money today. Guess Giuseppe didn’t want to fork out the $1.3 million needed to get his son out. Was there a reason besides the money that Ragusa let his son stay in jail? Nice family dynamics. No wonder Amie wanted out as soon as possible.

  Now the question was: How safe was Amie in his hometown?

  In the driveway, a car pulled up and stopped. A strange sight getting out of the car met his eye. If he was seeing correctly, Butch was dressed in a clean suit and tie. He’d never seen that in his life. He didn’t even think Butch owned such attire.

  Butch waved, opened the gate to the side of the house, and joined him on the porch. The smell of worry and slight fear followed in his path.

  “How you doing, Butch?”

  “Good, yeah, good. Haven’t done this kinda thing since school. Even then, not very much.”

  “Done what, exactly, Butch?” All types of things went through his mind. His protective shifter side woke.

  “Date, son. Somehow I asked your mother on a date. I barely remember doing it.” He wiped a hand over his brow. Frank let out breath of relief and laughed.

  “Com
e on inside.” He stood and opened the kitchen door. “I have meatballs simmering in sauce. Barely finished before getting kicked out by the women folk.”

  Butch grunted. “I hear that, man.”

  Inside, Amie poked her head from around the corner. “Hey, guys. Sit in the living room so Mom can make her entrance.” She smiled and gave him a wink. Oh shit, what did she do to his mom?

  Now as worried as Butch, Frank led their visitor into the other room. They sat in chairs opposite each other. Frank asked, “Where you all going?”

  “I thought I’d take her to the movies in Columbus.”

  Frank nodded. “I don’t have to tell you to behave yourselves, do I? No drinking or fooling around.”

  “No, I’m good. I’m not drinking anything but water.” Butch’s foot bounced up and down.

  “What time do you think you’ll be back?” Frank asked.

  “I’m figuring by eleven.”

  “That’s good. We’ll be waiting up.”

  Butch nodded his understanding.

  “You know,” Frank started, “my mom is priceless, and I hope you treat her like that. Don’t get into any dangerous situations, and if you need help, call me right away. Okay?”

  “Got it. Yeah. Thanks.” Both men turned when the ladies came into the room. Frank almost asked Amie who the hot woman with her was. Then he realized the “hot” woman was his mom. Oh, shit. He knew his mom got a haircut yesterday but he hadn’t seen it and hadn’t really made much of an effort to try. She’d been wearing a scarf on her head after going to the salon. His mom’s hair was short, pixie-like. Looked great on her. Her eyes were lined with color and she had cheekbones. And apparently, Amie had one more dress she hadn’t given away, because he couldn’t see his mom buying it. It was stylish and modest. Perfect for her.

  “Wow, Jean,” Butch said. “You look amazing. Well, you always look amazing, I just mean more amazing than normal—”

  “Yeah, Butch, we get it,” Frank said. “Remember what we talked about. And no sex on the first date.”