by Delta James
They nodded.
One of the humans looked concerned and then said quietly, “I don’t want to insult you, Alpha, but I’m not sure I wish to become a wolf.”
Gareth helped Sloan up off of his lap, walked to where she sat, and touched her shoulder in a very paternal manner. “Then unless you change your mind, you will remain human. My pack has both wolf and human males. A female such as yourself will have her choice of mates...”
“Again,” Sloan said in a very teasing voice, “why is it everybody and her sister gets to choose her mate, but I get stuck with you?”
Sloan was gladdened to hear quiet laughter rumble through their men-at-arms. It was becoming obvious that Sloan had embraced her pairing with their alpha.
Gareth pulled her to him and nuzzled her neck. “Because you are the most fortunate she-wolf of them all.”
Sloan rolled her eyes. She was glad to see with Gareth’s assurances that the three women began to relax. The plan was for them to break down their camp today and return to Calon Onest. There, they would regroup with the rest of their army, provision themselves for their return to Ravenscar, and then depart tomorrow. Sloan realized that Gareth wished to give her a chance to say goodbye to her friends and those she had called pack before they departed for Ravenscar.
Preparations for their departure began and the three newest Ravenscar pack members pitched in readily to help. Later that evening, gathered with their people around the bonfire, Sloan shook her head at the differences a mere twenty-four hours could make.
“Is something troubling you?” Gareth said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and hugging her close.
Sloan grinned as she felt the familiar bulge nestled up against her buttocks making its presence known.
“No,” she said slowly. “I am sad that tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to my first pack and the first place I was ever happy...”
“It will not be forever. Alaric and I are close and would not ask you and Rowan to be parted for lengthy periods of time.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The rest of the evening was spent in the company of their men, Fallon, and the three newest members of their pack. Sloan enjoyed watching their burly soldiers doing their best to court favor with the three females who had been rescued the night before.
Finally, Gareth stood and brought Rowan to her feet. He bid their people a good evening and assured them they were to carry on as that was his intended plan, but in a more private setting with his mate. Sloan’s laughter when he tossed her over his shoulder and strode back to their tent assured those with them that their alpha would make good on his promise.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, they broke camp and headed to Calon Onest. Once there, Sloan and Rowan embraced one another warmly.
“You’re all right?” whispered Rowan.
“Very much so. You’re right... being mated to the right alpha is not so bad... although I have yet to know the intimacy of being knotted and tied by Gareth.”
Rowan smiled. “Wait until he gets you to Ravenscar. I daresay he will take no time in remedying that.”
They wrapped their arms around one another and walked into the main keep.
* * *
Gareth pulled Alaric aside and told him of the mutants who had a foothold in the fishing village just to the north of their territory. Alaric assured him that they would not remain this close to his people for long.
“But why are they here?” asked Gareth.
“They’re dam-builders...”
“Which is why it’s odd they are this close to the sea. Better they find stronger rivers to use for their lodges. Why come back to Britannia at all? Wolves and beavers have always been adversarial.”
“What are you thinking?” asked Alaric.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t know that we wouldn’t do better to set a group of men to simply keep an eye on them.”
Alaric narrowed his eyes. “What are you thinking, Gareth? I know that look.”
“I’m still unsettled by Edwyn’s attack on Calon Onest. He’s one of those who recruited you to come here. I agree that he probably thought you and Rowan would weaken one another, but to what end?”
Alaric shook his head. “Bah! Politics... and you wondered why I became a mercenary.”
Gareth snorted. “No, that I always understood. It isn’t that I like politics, I just know that they can’t be ignored. And Edwyn has never been a fan of yours or mine. Why send you to take Calon Onest? Did he believe you would kill each other, and he could scoop up the remains? If Rowan killed you, did he not think I would avenge you? And if I did, did he believe Ravenscar would be vulnerable? I think we had best send out a web of spies to gather information.”
Alaric nodded. “You are most likely correct. I’ll have some of my men head toward where you last saw the dam-builders.”
* * *
Those at Calon Onest had planned a celebratory pairing ceremony and farewell for Sloan. The food and merry making were enjoyed by one and all.
Sloan leaned over to Rowan. “I’m not sure that all of those who have been here will remain.”
“What do you mean?” asked Rowan.
Sloan nodded toward Arielle. “She seems quite taken with our beta, Ruari.”
Rowan watched for a few moments. “She does indeed. But he is beta and that would mean she would never be mistress to a pack.”
“She can be mistress in everything but name only. Seriously, Rowan, I haven’t a clue about running a pack.”
“You? Why do you think I want her to stay? Alaric thinks my reluctance to be a more traditional mate is me being stubborn. The truth is, I haven’t a clue as to what I’m doing. But have you noticed that Edan looks to be enchanted by your Mira?”
Gareth and Alaric joined their mates and entreated them to come and join the dancing. Sloan was surprised that Gareth was as graceful as he was powerful on the dance floor. She found it as easy to follow his lead as they danced as she did when they made love. The idea that she thought of their joining being more than just physical both surprised and frightened her.
* * *
The next day, shortly after the sun had crested the horizon, Gareth and his people were packed and ready to ride. At that point Gareth came to collect his mate. Rowan broke away from Alaric to embrace Sloan one last time.
“I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“You’ll be too busy fucking Alaric to even notice I’m gone,” Sloan said provocatively, prompting a growl from both Alaric and Gareth and laughter from Rowan. “And I know I’m far more interested in learning about this whole being knotted and tied thing.”
“Sloan,” scolded Gareth angrily as he pushed a wave of annoyed energy at her.
“You really shouldn’t go out of your way to goad him,” Rowan said, smiling.
“It’s no trouble at all... seems to come quite naturally to me,” quipped Sloan.
“As natural as feeling your mate apply his hand to your bare bottom when he has you face down over his knee?” growled Gareth.
Sloan rolled her eyes but placated him by going to him and drawing his head down for a kiss. He resisted her blatant attempt to circumvent his authority for only a moment before wrapping her in his arms and taking control of the kiss. She moaned and molded her frame to his.
Gareth growled into her mouth and then swatted her again. Alaric held Rowan back when Gareth lifted Sloan up onto the back of the big bay roan charger she had taken when she had made her desperate run before her transition. Alaric walked over to Gareth and the two embraced.
Alaric looked up at Sloan. “Take care of him, Sloan. He needs you more than he may ever say.” He turned to his brother. “And keep a strap handy for that one. She needs it far more than she’ll ever admit.”
Gareth grinned. “I have found other ways to ensure my beloved behaves herself.”
There was a slight tug on the hem of her gown as Arielle looked up at her with tears in her eyes.
“Yes, but just because things change doesn’t mean they won’t be even better. You have to take care of Ro for me. Promise?”
Brightening at the idea that Sloan would entrust Rowan’s care to her, Arielle smiled. “I will.”
* * *
Gareth mounted his own warhorse and leaned out of the saddle to kiss Sloan again. “Come, mate, we have a long ride back to Ravenscar. And I would see us home and you installed in my bed.”
“Would you now?”
“I would,” he said definitively and kissed her again.
Sloan rolled her eyes and glanced at their men, who were all studiously looking anywhere else and trying very hard not to laugh.
“I suspect you’ll make better time returning to Ravenscar than you did getting here to help me with Edwyn,” teased Alaric.
“I daresay so,” retorted Gareth. “After all, I am far more motivated by the prospect of knotting my mate for the first time than I was to save you from your mate’s need to pick a fight.”
Alaric laughed and then wrapped his arm around Rowan, who raised her hand in silent farewell.
“No last words with Rowan?” Gareth asked gently.
“There is no need. We both know how we feel about each other... and both know we are doomed at fate’s choices for our mates.”
“Doomed?” he asked.
“What would you call it to be forced into pairings not of our choosing to mates who think nothing of proving to anyone and everyone that they are alpha and will not be denied?”
He leaned across and kissed her again. “I call it fate.”
* * *
Arielle watched them depart and then returned to her room. She sat looking out the window trying to feel nothing but happiness for the two people she loved most in the world—Rowan and Sloan. Both had found their fated mates. The problem was that Arielle had briefly envisioned herself with each of those men. Her dreams of being mistress to either the pack at Calon Onest or Ravenscar were lost to her forever.
Perhaps she had set her sights too high. The beta of Ravenscar was very handsome and made her nether regions tingle. At least she would be with Sloan. Or maybe she needed to be more like Sloan and Rowan and figure out what she wanted and create her own destiny.
* * *
The visit with Rowan and Arielle had been difficult and left her tearful after they departed. They rode hard and made good time. Sloan was impressed that Gareth spent a great deal of his time in motion. He made sure to ride with her, but often rode back to check on the others, even those at the very end of their column. As the sun started to set, the company found a place to set up camp and did so quickly and efficiently.
Sloan was in their tent making their bed. Rowan had admitted to her that she held Gareth responsible for Sloan almost dying and that she and Alaric had quarreled over it. Sloan urged her to move past it for the sake of her pairing with Alaric. The brothers were close and no good would come of Rowan holding a grudge. When Gareth joined her, Sloan brought it up to him, asking that he be careful with Rowan’s feelings.
“Rowan will learn to behave or get her bottom spanked by my brother.”
“You could be a little nicer to her.”
“She rejects the fact that you are my fated mate and belong to me.”
“Did it ever, even once, occur to you that I might not want to be? You even admitted you wouldn’t have picked me,” she cried as the stress from her transition, the incident with the dam-builders, and leaving the only home in which she’d ever been happy finally converged as the tears began to fall in earnest.
Gareth reached up to cup her face and wipe away her tears with his thumbs as he kissed her gently. “You misunderstood me when we spoke of this before. If someone had asked me to describe my ideal mate, I would not have said a female human with a nasty temper, vile mouth, and a complete inability to behave without close supervision. I would have said I wanted a quiet, biddable mate who would make my life easy and bear my children with a minimum of fuss.”
“You wanted Arielle. Why didn’t you claim her?”
“Because I had her like, once before.”
“What?” she asked.
“You know my first mate was not fated; it wasn’t even a love match. She was a match made to seal an alliance. Eloise was everything I said I wanted. But unlike Arielle, she had been raised to be the pampered princess of the pack and had no desire to actually contribute but she was quiet, biddable, and pretty.”
“You got her with child.”
He shook his head. “The process for doing so was one she endured as few times as possible. She found no happiness in our bed. Even when I could get her to respond, she resented it and was ashamed that she had done so. Breeding her became a chore... one more thing that I had to do. I do grieve her loss as I feel we weren’t well suited and wonder if she would have been happier with another and if she would have been able to bear children without it taking both of their lives.”
“I’m sorry, Gareth, I didn’t know.”
“You, on the other hand, are wildly responsive and passionate; you are not someone to ask others to do for you what you can help them do or do for yourself. You are a strong, capable alpha female in her own right who will be my helpmate in caring for our pack. I will find solace, comfort, and abandon between your thighs. We will run together alone and with our pack through the lush hills and rocky shoreline of our home. Our pairing will be one that is celebrated for a thousand years or more.”
“But won’t your pack want their mistress to be shifter-born?”
He shook his head. “Not necessarily. There was a dark time in shifter history before the great plague. Female shifters were rare and female humans were turned against their will and auctioned off to the highest bidder. One of those females ended up as the fated mate to one of our alphas. Her name was Shea and she and her mate brought our pack out of the darkness and into the light. It is from them we get our creed: honor before glory. She bore her mate eight children, six daughters and two sons. As her sister was known as the Great Madonna of the DeMedici, Shea was often referred to as the Madonna of the North. Both of her sons followed in their father’s footsteps and turned their human mates. Your pack will see you as a gift from the gods. It has been more than two centuries since the Ravenscar pack claimed a human female as their mistress. So, you were fated not just for me, but for our entire pack.”
“Eight children? You expect me to have eight children?” she asked incredulously.
“Of course not,” he said, kissing her lightly. “I will expect you to out-produce her... all of them born of a knot.”
Sloan shook her head and could not only hear the laughter in his voice but could feel it bubbling out of him. She began to laugh as well.
“But you could have asked me,” she reiterated, trying to regain at least some of her outrage at the way he had usurped her life.
“I did; you said no,” he said matter-of-factly. “That I could not allow, so I claimed you as mine.”
Remembering how he had done so caused her to catch a breath. Before the upset could take hold, she could feel the soothing resonance coming from him as he returned to her side and nuzzled her comfortingly. Alaric was right; Gareth could be a real bastard, but she was finding that there was also a wounded romantic warrior that he revealed to few.
“Sloan, I know you would like me to admit wrongdoing but I will not lie to you. I do not regret the manner in which I claimed you as my mine. Might others have tried to woo you or claim you in a softer way? I’m sure they would, but you would never know in your heart that you could trust them to keep you safe, loved, and warmed for all the days ahead. When hard times come, as they always do, hold tight to the knowledge that nothing and no one would have kept you from me or that you inspired such passion and need in me that I tossed aside all convention and claimed you in the ways of our ancestors.”
> “If I cannot ask you to apologize for the way you claimed me, you cannot complain when I am not the obedient, sweet mate that you thought you wanted.”
“That seems like a fair trade. But know that just because I don’t complain, it does not mean that you won’t feel the wrath of my displeasure on your beautiful backside.”
Sloan leaned forward and kissed him. “I’m afraid.”
“Of what, beloved? Being knotted? Leaving Calon Onest? Being mistress to our pack?”
“All of the above.”
“Never be afraid; the gods themselves could not take you from me. Being knotted? There is nothing but ecstasy to be had in that most intimate embrace. I will wait until we are home to give your body time to fully recover from the transition. But I warn you now, mate, when I take you into seclusion, I intend to revel in your response to my passion for you. Leaving Calon Onest? Ravenscar is far more beautiful. Our roots there run deep, back through many lifetimes. I suspect it will feel as if you are finally coming home.”
Gareth left her briefly and brought back a tray of food to share with Sloan. She was quickly losing her fear at anything that lay ahead. As he had predicted, she was fast coming to believe that there was no place safer than Gareth’s embrace.
Ruari poked his head into the tent. “Are you ready for us, Alpha?”
“What now?” asked Sloan.
“A small treat and gift from my brother and his mate. And yes, Ruari, if you could get it set up, I believe it would go a long way toward restoring my mate’s good humor,” explained Gareth.
“Don’t count on it. Even you, my arrogant alpha mate, are not foolish enough to believe you are a god and can produce miracles in the wilderness,” quipped Sloan.
“Think not?” he said in a teasing voice. “Watch me.”
Sloan watched as Ruari opened the tent flap fully and several men brought in the large tub from Calon Onest with some water already in it. Setting it down in front of the charcoal brazier, others began to enter their tent to fill it up. Fallon joined them to add fragrant oils to the water and to set up and light several of her candles with soothing scents.