by C. D. Gorri
“I understand Alpha,” Sue-Ellen acknowledged Declan’s threat. “May I leave now Alpha?”
“Yeah, we are done here.”
As Sue-Ellen opened the front door to leave Declan’s house, Jennifer was about to knock on the door. She couldn’t explain what was happening, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she instantly took a dislike to the female leaving her neighbors place.
Jennifer knew she was acting bitchy, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Sue-Ellen lifted her chin defiantly, wanting to let Jennifer she wasn’t afraid of her, when in fact, she was wary of the unknown female. It was impossible to tell if she was a shifter or not and for Sue-Ellen to presume this woman was to be the Alpha’s mate was just that…a guess. Sue-Ellen knew if she shifted and the other female wasn’t a fellow shifter, she could be put to death for exposing their kind to the outside world. She knew that if she were a human mating their Alpha, then she would be sworn to secrecy, but that wasn’t today. So, Sue-Ellen plastered a smile on her face, which failed to reflect the dislike and distaste she would have like to exhibit towards the female standing at her Alpha’s door.
“Thank you Sue-Ellen,” Declan’s voice resonated with authority. “Let me know if there are any changes to Colin’s case.”
Sue-Ellen didn’t bother to turn towards her Alpha. She knew the tone in his voice was one of dismissal.
“Hi Jennifer,” Declan smiled, the timbre in his voice being of a male speaking to his mate. “It’s a pleasant surprise to see you again.”
Jennifer smiled, but her eyes returned to watching the other woman as she walked away toward her vehicle and climbed in. She knew her behavior wasn’t normal, but again she couldn’t seem to control her reaction to finding another female at her neighbor’s house. Shaking her head, she put it down to hormones and shook it off.
“Hi,” Jennifer finally gave Declan her full attention after the other female’s car had left the property. “I’m not sure but I think my grandmother might also be Colin’s grandmother.”
Declan’s eyebrows lifted in utter surprise at the suggestion. “Really?” Declan considered the connection. “What makes you think that?”
Jennifer went on to explain how her grandmother got her pet name and that there was a partial family tree in the attic. Jennifer also said that she hadn’t had much time to go through the remaining things stored in the attic. Jennifer had no idea why she wanted to be wrapped in Declan’s arms as they’d only just met. She heard the sound of a wolf in the distance and turned to see if she could spot it amongst the tree line, but there was no movement. “Did you hear that?” she asked Declan.
“Hear what?” he asked, puzzled by what she might have heard.
“I heard a wolf,” she said. “It came from that way,” she pointed.
Declan looked in the direction she was pointing but knew there was nothing out there. He would have seen and heard it long before Jennifer. “Do you want to come in or would you like me to come to your place and we can take a look at the stuff in the attic?”
“I’d really appreciate someone helping with the stuff in the attic,” Jennifer admitted. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Declan and Jennifer spent the next couple of hours going through boxes. Declan opened one that was quite tattered, and after removing the baby blanket from the top of it, he found a photo album. He glanced at Jennifer, who seemed to be occupied with her own search. He opened it to discover that the first image was of his father standing beside another male, one he remembered well from. He could remember this male growing up, and it was strange he couldn’t remember when he left. It was another puzzle to be solved. There were a handful of other photos with his father in them, and then there was one with a blonde woman and a baby standing with the same male from his childhood. It was the same male from the first picture. It had to be Jennifer’s parents, and Jennifer must have been the baby. That would explain the unbelievable attraction that possessed him. His cock was hard, and even if Jennifer didn’t know it, her body was scenting of being ready to receive him. Without hesitation, he approached her from behind and placed the photo album in front of her. He moved closer, and her breath hitched. He knew she could feel his thickness. Jennifer leaned into his body as though they had been together before. Jennifer thought that maybe dreams really do come true on Seymour Avenue. Her hormones were driving her sex drive through the roof. She’d never wanted anyone more than she wanted Declan right here, right now. The thing was, he seemed to be up for it too.
Was it wrong to sleep with your next-door neighbor in less than a week of being neighbors? Declan sniffed her neck and growled, “God you smell so good.”
“So do you,” Jennifer whispered.
Declan slipped his hand up her leg and under her skirt, his fingers twisted in her underwear, and they tore without resistance. It was a turn-on, and she moaned to let him know how aroused she was. She pushed her buttocks back towards him, challenging him to take what he wanted because she wanted it to. It was easier being taken from behind. As it meant, she couldn’t see his eyes because the eyes were the window to the soul. And even if it was only for the here and now, she wanted the fantasy to keep her warm at night. His hand caressed the globe of her ass cheek, and he unzipped his pants to free his shaft that was engorged with heat for his female. His mate. This time he would not let her go. This time they would be joined as one. He would bite her and claim her as his.
He held his cock to position himself at her entrance and slid through her wetness to nudge her clit. Several strokes over Jennifer’s little love button, and she was panting for more. The head of his shaft settled at her opening, and she looked back over her shoulder with the same look of challenge as she’d had in the woods the night before. She rocked her hips, trying to encourage him to push into her. She needed to feel him, hard and fast. He had pushed her to the edge of climax, and now she wanted him to make good on his promise of fulfillment. She felt the shift of something inside her. It was unfamiliar, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She whined with a sudden onset of insecurity, but almost as though Declan sensed what was happening to her, he wrapped his arms around her as he slammed into her, filling her so completely. There was no way for her to tell where she ended, and he began. Their hearts were beating as one, and she offered her throat to him as if instinctually she knew he was her male. Declan trailed his tongue up her neck and nibbled on her ear, “Easy my little wolf,” he whispered.
Her head spun as though she’d been drinking and was intoxicated. It was as if she were dreaming, and she wondered if she’d fallen asleep in the attic. “Am I dreaming?” she asked, herself or Declan; she wasn’t certain. “Oh God you feel so good,” at this point, she didn’t care if it was real or not because she was going to cum so hard. It just kept building and building. It was as if she were made just for him, and he was made for her. Declan’s hand moved under the front of her dress and between her lower lips. He found her swollen clit, and with his middle two fingers, he circled hit with the same rhythm as his pumping penetration.
As she threw her head back, her body wracking with ecstasy, Declan bared his fangs and bit down on the area between her neck and her shoulder. His semen pulsed into the depths of her pussy. Her cervix opening and closing to receive his fertile seed deep into her core. Any idea of using protection, not even an afterthought. The first stage of the mating is completed. Declan felt a satisfaction overwhelm him with the knowledge that he had placed his mark on her. Any other male who went near her would know that she was someone’s mate.
“Hey guys, you up there?” Colin called out.
Jennifer and Declan quickly recovered as though someone had thrown a bucket of iced water over them.
“Yeah!” Declan responded. “We’ll be down in minute, put the kettle on will you?”
So after a lot of questions and answers, they confirmed that Jennifer’s grandmother was also Colin’s grandmother. There was no mention of Colin being a coywolf as Declan sho
ok his head when Colin attempted to go down that route.
Chapter Nine
Declan had no idea why Jennifer didn't know she was a wolf, but it seemed as if she was estranged from it. She'd mentioned hearing a wolf howl when there wasn't one in the woods. Her behavior was that of a wolf in heat when they were in the woods the night of the full moon and in the attic a couple of days later. She obviously didn't remember the time they'd shared in the woods, or she would have known they were mated, and she would have responded according to the mating ritual and returned his bite with one of her own.
There was more than just Colin's heritage to be investigated. He needed help from his pack to find out about Jennifer's family and how she came to be detached from her inner wolf. It was as though Jennifer had no idea her wolf even existed. His mate was experiencing some serious denial, resulting in a split personality disorder of sorts. But that was okay. He could work with crazy because that's what mates do. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the challenge of getting to know both sides of his female better.
Colin had already mentioned that his grandmother didn't have a digital fingerprint, but that could have been because he didn't have her correct name, only the pet one given to her by Jennifer as a child.
Declan concluded that Jennifer was the daughter of his father's second. He could recall a time when his father became reserved and didn't seem to be his usual self. Declan went back through the packs' journals and found entries of a mating between a human and the pack's beta, Braiden North. A side note advised of the human female leaving the area as the memories were too painful for her to stay, and she needed to raise her daughter without a father. It was put to the council at the time, and they agreed that it was highly unlikely that any offspring would result in the ability for them to shift.
Declan went back through the previous entries to find out what happened to Jennifer's father. He became so engrossed in the history of the pack that he almost missed the entry.
Today we lost one of the good ones. Braiden North fought with a member of the coyote pack. It is believed that it was not a fair fight as he seemed to be intoxicated even though Braiden didn’t drink. It was a fight for his sisters’ honor, making it a fight to the death. Cynthia North was denied mating with the son of the coyote pack as any offspring would be neither full wolf nor fully coyote. The leader of the coyote pack believed in keeping the purity in the line. He refuses to permit mutant hybrids to taint their pack, were the words he used. Cynthia felt she couldn’t stay after her mate’s rejection and because she also believed she had caused her brother’s death.
The information supported the relationship between Jennifer and Colin, making them cousins. It still didn’t provide the name of Colin’s father, but Declan figured that shouldn’t be too difficult to check out.
The history between the coyotes and wolves wasn’t great, but now he knew what could have put the rift between their packs dating back to this episode. He understood from Colin’s perspective that his father had failed his mother and him seeing as the dynamics in a pack can be so volatile depending on the quality of the pack’s leader. In the case of the coyotes, Colin’s coyote grandfather was a purist. There was nothing more vicious than someone believing that breeding is more important than happiness or a love match.
Colin was let off with a warning from the judge as it was strike one on a juvenile record. It was still a blemish on his record, but at least he wasn’t getting locked up for it and the records were sealed. Declan had raised his hand to take him under his wing and provide suitable housing. Colin was placed on a good behavior bond and released into Declan’s custody.
Declan spoke to Colin, so they were both of the same understanding when it came to Jennifer. Colin knew that his upbringing was messed up, but it didn’t mean that Jennifer’s was any less traumatic than his. It had to have been enough for her to be separated from her fur. He couldn’t imagine not being able to run wild to clear his head. He smiled to himself, feeling like he was home for the first time since he could remember. He had yet to be introduced to the pack, but that was fine by him. He’d decided he wasn’t going anywhere. Declan set him up in one of his spare rooms, and he was sitting at the kitchen table throwing together a baloney and cheese sandwich. Overall it was great to put down some roots, maybe find a girl, and…
“We are looking for someone to help with the cyber section of the packs business, would you be interested?” Declan walked into the room and leaned back against the kitchen bench. The leather of his jacket creaking as he folded his arms.
“Yeah! Hook me up,” Colin replied, not wanting to bust a grin too quickly.
“I have another guy, Killyon who does a lot of stuff on the dark web, but his time is expensive and his mate has just had a pup so I want someone who can give the guy a break.”
Colin stalled with his sandwich halfway between his plate, and his mouth wide open about to take a bite. His eyes flicked from left to right as though his brain was attempting to process something Declan had said. Finally, it got the better of him, and he sat his sandwich back down, “Look I know about where babies come from but you said she gave birth to a pup. Does that mean she was in wolf form when she gave birth and the baby was born a wolf pup? Bra I’m so confused.”
Declan realized that because Colin hadn’t been raised as part of a pack and he didn’t have any brothers or sisters, it was something he wasn’t versed in. Declan understood because he’d been part of the pack from the start, and he was the bigger brother to his siblings. He’d been horrified at the age of five when his sister Selena was born, and his father said their new pup was a girl. He’d been even more disappointed when they showed him his baby sister, and she wasn’t a wolf pup at all. He’d spent days pouting because he was big for five and smart too, and he didn’t comprehend why his father had lied to him about bringing home the new puppy when he’d only came home with his baby sister. Colin hadn’t been a part of that kind of family upbringing. So, when it came to things to do with the pack, he was no different than Declan had been when he was five.
“It’s a pet name for a new born baby that’s born into the pack. It’s like you and I. We weren’t able to shift until we hit pubity and they will be the same.”
“Oh,” Colin stared at his sandwich as he pulled the crust off.
Declan sensed that Colin was feeling a little insecure, so Declan told Colin about the memory he’d just replayed in his mind. Colin ate the sandwich he’d pulled the crust off and then another two in the time it took Declan to finish the story. He washed it down with a can of soda from the fridge before cleaning his dishes and clearing the kitchen table.
Colin understood that he and Jennifer were cousins but that she didn’t know him well enough to offer him a place to live in their grandmother’s house. However, she had mentioned that he was free to go through the stuff in the attic when he had spare time. Declan and Jennifer both thought it would be good for Colin to register at the local high school, and he was set to start on Monday. Jennifer had been to the local electronics store and purchased a new computer and a phone for Colin because she was certain that if her grandmother had known about him, she would have included him in her Will.
Jennifer knocked on the door and waited for someone to let her in. As it turned out, it was Declan, and her heart sped up just at the sight of him. They’d had a small handful of times to be alone since their time together, and she understood he was busy trying to do right by Colin as his guardian. It seemed that there was something else about Declan that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but given enough time, she was sure she would figure it out. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere. She was in hiding with nowhere else to go.
Declan’s phone beeped as he opened the door for Jennifer to enter. “I bought something for Colin. Is he here?” she asked.
“Ah yeah,” Declan answered, letting Jennifer walk past him. “He was in the kitchen.” Declan replied pre-occupied with flicking through his phone to read the messa
ge from his second. He clicked on the link and read the news headlines. His guts dropped as though he’d eaten a belly full of gravel, and it was brewing like a volcano inside his stomach. His back teeth clenched, and his jaw painfully zinged as he read the information in the article.
Declan wanted to howl. How could a mate be so perfect but then not be the person you want them to be? His wolf didn’t care one way or the other, but then he was all about animal instincts, unlike Declan, who, as the leader of the Wild Springs pack, couldn’t afford to be a bounty hunter and have a mate who was a wanted felon. He knew the information had to have come along the pipeline via Sue-Ellen. Declan should have known the female wouldn’t give up easily.
“Something’s come up. We need to talk,” Declan called Maddox. “Yeah I can’t do this over the phone at the moment but can you come over?” he hung up before his second replied.
Maddox had been Declan’s best friend for as long as he could remember. If there was anyone he wanted to help him with this, it was Maddox.
Chapter Ten
Declan paced back and forth. “Have you even asked her about it?” Maddox looked at him inquisitively as though he had grown an extra head or that his head was up his ass.
“No,” Declan replied, wondering if Maddox really knew what he was talking about because, at the moment, he seemed to be pointing out the obvious, which wasn’t what Declan had gone with under the circumstances.
“Okay,” Maddox picked at the leather fandugal thing on the end of his shoelace and wondered what that bit was actually called. Maddox would look that up later when he wasn’t in the presence of his best friend, the alpha of their pack and the mate of the latest local felon. As if Declan had noticed his attention was sitting at a deficit, Declan growled.
“Sorry, you were saying?” Maddox acknowledged his leader’s frustrated growl. He was about to wave his hand at Declan but then thought that would probably come across as condescending and followed through with his hand to rub at the back of his neck.