Pack Mentality

by Idella Breen

  “Um, hello! I’m right here.”

  Silvia studied Remus’s face before she grinned, showing off impressive canines. “No need to worry big guy. I know about boundaries and will respect them.”

  He scowled.”Does that include knowing when to back off?”

  Silvia’s grin grew fiercer. “If it needs to.”

  Remus studied her for a moment before nodding. “Then we understand each other,” he smirked. “Don’t make me regret trusting you,” he said before walking over to the ring. Remus glared at Silvia one last time before he finally ran and jumped into the ring. “Calm down, Cait.”

  Cait growled and pounded her gloved knuckles together. “About damn time. I thought I grew a gray hair while I was waiting!”

  Remus strapped on two gloves as one of the students helped him tie them on. Pounding them together to get a feel for them, he turned to Cait and smirked. “Sorry to say Cait, but those gray hairs have been there for a while, you just kept forgetting about them.”

  Cait grinned. “I’m going to enjoy beating your face bloody!”

  Remus scowled. “I’d like to see you try!”

  Ding! Ding! Ding! The sound of the bell put them in motion but Gwen wasn’t paying attention to them anymore as Silvia had grabbed her hand at some point and was now tracing designs on her palm which was proving to be incredibly distracting. Her body seemed to hum like a live wire in close proximity to this woman. A mixture of anxiety and warmth that seemed to fill her chest, much like a warm blanket and a hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter day. Gwen huffed as she tried to free her hand again. She hadn’t seen Silvia for a few days and the pain she had been ignoring due to being separated from her other mate was now being paid in full. She shuddered as Silvia’s fingers traveled up tracing circles along the inside of her wrist and up the sensitive skin of her arm before ghosting them back down and erecting a trail of goosebumps in her wake. The scent of jasmine invaded all her senses making her mind a little hazy. Silvia glanced at her and smirked spiking irritation in the back of Gwen’s mind. This damn woman knew what she was doing and it kind of pissed Gwen off. She shook her head to try and clear it and once again attempted to free her hand. Silvia simply curled her fingers and slipped them between Gwen’s forming a knot.

  “I thought you said you knew how to respect boundaries,” she hissed between her teeth.

  Silvia’s smirk turned predatory, “And I thought you agreed to go on a date with me. Imagine my surprise when the girl I was so keen on suddenly refused to answer my calls.”

  Gwen blushed in embarrassment. “What if I just wasn’t interested in you anymore? Can’t you take a hint?”

  Silvia turned, capturing Gwen’s gaze. Her eyes burned with an intensity that stole Gwen’s breath away. They smoldered as she held Gwen’s gaze captive, conveying dark secrets and a desire so deep it made the omega’s heart stutter in her chest and she realized that she couldn’t meet this woman’s expectations. Silvia wanted something she couldn’t give her. Not like this.

  “I don’t like being toyed with, omega. And I always get what I want.”

  It took a minute for Silvia’s words to register, and another for Gwen to get her breath back, but when she did it was with a little bit of anger. “I’m not something to be won over, Silvia! Just because I’m an omega doesn't mean you can pick me up like a prize.”

  Silvia frowned. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  They held each other's gaze only for it to be broken once more by a bell dinging. They looked up to see Cait and Remus going to their respective corners both a little worse for wear. Remus waved over to them and Gwen used her free hand to reach down and pick up the bag she had dropped while distracted. Silvia gently squeezed Gwen’s hand before letting go and the omega was slightly surprised and glanced back at her. Silvia simply smiled and nodded her head towards Remus. Gwen sighed, walking over to Remus she reached into his gym bag and pulled out a water bottle, before handing both the bag and the bottle up and over to him.

  “You’re looking more ugly than usual,” she smirked.

  He took both offered items and pulled out his mouth guard before squirting water into his bloody mouth. He wiped his face with his towel before meeting her gaze. “Believe me, it could be a whole lot worse.”

  “How so?”

  “Cait could literally roast me alive.”

  Gwen nodded. “So true.”

  Remus grinned, showing off still bloody teeth. “Wish me luck?”

  “You’ll need a lot more than I can give you.”

  “Every little bit counts.”

  Gwen grinned. “Good luck, then.”

  “You too,” he nodded towards Silvia who was speaking quietly with her brother. Remus tossed his bottle back into his bag along with his towel, rolled his shoulders, and met Cait back in the center of the ring. They squared off, and when the bell dinged, they picked up where they left off.

  Gwen sighed again and turned back around to face her own battle. There was no running away in the ring, there was only facing one's opponent head on and giving as good as was given or else, one would lose, plain and simple. Gwen was going to have to explain to Remus her relationship with Silvia, that much was left unsaid, even though he probably already had a pretty good idea about it. Still, it was a conversation she wasn’t looking forward to having. Steeling herself, she turned back around to face her own battle and met Silvia’s gaze unflinchingly. There was no time left to run away, now was the time to face her fears and overcome the part of herself that she hated the most, the part that was cowardly and scared. Silvia wanted something from her and she wanted something of her own from the woman. It would be a battle of wills to see if they could both walk away from this with something worth having. Where Jezebel was easy going and filled with a sense of lazy freedom, Silvia carried a different kind of freedom. It was the kind filled with deep responsibilities and attachments. Despite her trepidation, Gwen was looking forward to learning about both of her mates. Silvia carried an air of authority about her and now Gwen knew why. Silvia was a dog demon, an inuyoukai, and most definitely an alpha. Her spicy scent of jasmine wrapped around Gwen as she drew closer to the woman and she couldn’t hold back the shiver that traveled down her spine as Silvia reached out and latched onto her hand again.

  “You came back.”

  Gwen studied Silvia and couldn’t hold back the feeling of guilt when she saw insecurity in the other woman’s eyes. She had put that there or at least she had fed it to help it get to the monstrous size it was now, and all because she was fighting something that she should just let happen. Gwen tightened her grip on Silvia’s hand and surprise entered the other woman’s eyes.

  “I did.”

  “Why?”

  Gwen looked over at the ring. “Because, I belong right here whether I’m ready to admit it or not.”

  Silvia smiled softly and rubbed her thumb gently along the inside of Gwen’s wrist. “How long will you stay?”

  Gwen met her gaze again. “For as long as I’m wanted.”

  “What if you’re needed?”

  “Then I’ll stay for whatever time is necessary until I’m wanted more than I’m needed.”

  “What if you’ll always be needed?” Silvia’s eyes held a dark depth to them as she gazed at Gwen and the omega could only smile and tighten her grip on the slightly trembling hand in her own.

  “Then I’ll just have to stay forever, won't I?”

  Silvia nodded. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

  They stood in silence, the only sound was the pounding of padded gloves on soft flesh and the jeers from the surrounding audience but Gwen and Silvia held each other's gaze and the room around them disappeared as they existed in there own little bubble of silent understanding. Gwen was no longer running. She was facing her opponent and now her opponent had become her friend. Funny how things worked out when one stopped fighting against the inevitable. Whether Gwen wanted
to admit it or not, Silvia and Jezebel were her unstoppable forces, she should just let them pull her into their orbits.

  Silvia dropped Gwen’s had and caught Jezebel as she tipped forward and into her arms. The scent of the woman’s desire hit her as soon as she had her in her arms. Her nostrils flared and she breathed in the wild and musky scent, her grip tightening on the woman’s shoulders. Mine. The single word echoed from deep within her mind. Silvia’s eyes widened.

  “Is she okay?” Gwen stepped closer, her sunflower scent mixing with the musky wild scent of the woman in her arms. Mine. The sentiment echoed once again as Silvia gazed at Gwen, confusing her even more.

  “I think so,” Silvia said still trying to wrap her head around what her inner demon was telling her. Both of these women couldn’t be her mates, could they? She’d never heard of such a thing. Silvia pulled Jezebel closer and held her tightly. She couldn’t bring herself to let go of the woman. Gwen smiled when Jezebel rubbed herself against Silvia and released a deep purr. Silvia took another lungful of her scent and turned to Gwen. “A cat demon?”

  Gwen nodded and rubbed Jezebel’s back drawing out a longer purr. Silvia was confused. If Jezebel was her mate, then shouldn’t she feel jealous when Gwen touched her? And yet Silvia felt content, more than anything, to have both women close to her.

  “Gwen?”

  “Hmm?” Gwen said absently as she buried a hand into Jezebel’s hair and gently scratched her skull. She’s never seen Jezebel so vulnerable. Usually, the woman was sex-on-legs and flirty. She liked this new side of her too, Gwen thought as she held back a giggle.

  “Gwen?” Silvia said louder, drawing Gwen’s full attention.

  “Yes?”

  “How do you know this woman?”

  “Oh, well, she’s my mate,” Gwen said cheerfully.

  “Your mate?”

  “Yep!”

  Silvia waited for a beat, hoping that the other woman would say more but Gwen had gotten distracted when Jezebel began nuzzling into her hand.

  “I thought I was your mate,” Silvia was only able to keep half of the whine out of her voice, so it came out as more of a high pitched grumble.

  Gwen looked up and smiled. “You are.”

  “But you said—”

  “Silvia.”

  Silvia held her tongue.

  “Both of you are my mates.”

  “Both of us?” Silvia repeated woodenly.

  Gwen reached up and caressed her face. Silvia couldn’t help but lean into the touch. “Yes, Silvia, both of you are.”

  A deep purr pulled their attention back to Jezebel who was now nuzzling into Silvia’s neck while holding one of Gwen’s hands captive and close to her chest.

  “We need to snap her out of this,” Silvia said.

  “Any chance you know how?” Gwen asked.

  Silvia pulled Jezebel back and held her at arm's length until she stood unaided. “I can try something but she won’t like it.”

  Gwen shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

  Silvia grimaced but pulled back her hand and let it fly.

  Pain exploded on the left side of Jezebel’s face and she released a snarl as her vision cleared and some of the heat that had fogged her mind retreated.

  ‘Who—“

  “Ah, she’s back. Welcome back kitty cat,” the voice was in a husky timbre that made her shudder and some of the heat expanded in her lower abdomen. She bit her lip to snap out of it. That voice did things to her that she didn’t care to admit.

  “Silvia?” She said.

  “The one and only.”

  Jezebel pulled herself from the dog demon’s embrace, as she had stumbled forward when she was slapped, and immediately missed her warmth. “What happened?”

  Silvia shrugged. “We thought you could tell us.”

  Jezebel reached up and gingerly touched her face when it suddenly began to tingle as it healed. The woman really didn’t hold back, she thought ruefully. “I suddenly felt hot, then everything became blurry and—”

  She stopped. Jezebel knew exactly what that kind of reaction meant. She looked at Silvia in shock. Silvia nodded at her unspoken question.

  “All three of us?” Jezebel asked.

  Gwen chirped in, “Yep! A real trifecta!” She chuckled at her joke, neither Silvia nor Jezebel laughed.

  Finally, Jezebel nodded after an awkward silence between the three of them. “Well, I’ve never heard of my kind having two mates at one time but I guess it’s not that far fetched.”

  “At one time?” Silvia mumbled.

  “Yeah, it took me some time to get used to the idea too. Don’t worry, you’ll warm up to each other. For some reason, I’m just really happy you two have finally met. I mean, whoa! That’s a serious weight off my shoulders, if you know what I mean?”

  Gwen paused when she realized that the other two women weren’t paying attention. Instead, they were glaring daggers at one another. Jezebel was still rubbing her face.

  “You really don’t hold back do you?” Jezebel sniffed, “Typical dog, really. I don’t know why I expected any different.”

  Silvia’s nostrils flared and her lips set in a grim line. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Jezebel shrugged. “Exactly what I said. Do you need for me to dumb it down for you?”

  Gwen could tell that this wasn’t going to end well and yet her instincts were telling her that everything was going to be fine. So, she didn’t try to intervene.

  Silvia took a step forward. “Well, if you could control yourself and not turn into a big purring ball of snuggle bug then this would have never happened!”

  Jezebel tisked and wound her finger in the lone strands of green-dyed hair. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Snuggle bug? Really? Is that the best you can do? Really, I don’t mind if you call me something worse. Come on, give it your best shot, oh, big bad doggy.”

  “Butt sniffer—”

  “Really, that’s more your scene.”

  “Tail wagger—”

  “You again.”

  “Hairball—”

  “Either, or.”

  “Pussy cat—”

  Jezebel’s eyes glittered and sharpened. “Ah, that’s more like it.”

  Silvia was nearly nose to nose with the cat demon. Jezebel could smell the warm heady smell of jasmine and the heat that had momentarily retreated was now boiling in her lower abdomen. She couldn’t take it anymore. The woman’s husky voice made her panties wet and her smell made her head fuzzy. Jezebel reached out and grabbed the lapels of her leather jacket. Silvia’s growl was cut off as they smashed their lips together. Jezebel moaned into the kiss as she slanted her lips. Silvia tasted like winter mint, cold and sharp.

  Silvia wrapped a hand around Jezebel’s waist and pulled her into her while using her other hand to reach up and gently tilted Jezebel’s chin up for better access. She slipped her tongue into her mouth when Jezebel opened for her and let out a pleased moan of her own.

  Jezebel buried her hands into Silvia’s long white locks and pulled the woman impossibly closer. She didn’t want this to ever end. Her head was fuzzy and Silvia’s tongue was doing a good job of making her forget her name but she couldn’t help but feel like she was forgetting something else, something rather important.

  A gruff laugh broke the spell Silvia’s expert tongue had wound around her and Jezebel abruptly pulled back from the kiss with a wet pop. She held her hand against Silvia’s chest when she tried to follow and couldn’t help but smirk. Good to know she had as much of an effect on the woman as Silvia had on her.

  “Please, don’t stop on our account,” the gruff voice drew her attention to a man with short auburn hair and a grin that was altered with a split lip that was currently trailing blood down his chin even as it slowly began to heal.

  Jezebel realized that he was one of the boxers from the ring. She felt Silvia’s grip around her waist tighten and ran her hand down her back to calm her.

 
“Shut up, Remus!” Gwen shoved him slightly and he staggered a bit before regaining his balance. Remus flashed his teeth at her making both Jezebel and Silvia growl at him.

  Remus held up both hands and chuckled. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just joking. Right, Gwen?”

  Gwen glared at him. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t fantasize about my mates!”

  Remus turned serious and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  Gwen sniffed. “Just show some respect alpha, or you’ll be the one that suffers.”

  “Alright.”

  Gwen nodded then smirked. “So, you lost.”

  It wasn’t a question. Remus grumbled. “She got a lucky shot.”

  “I heard that old man,” Cait came over to join the group along with Snow. She barely had a scratch on her.

  “You didn’t just lose, you got your ass handed to you,” Gwen giggled.

  Remus shrugged and pulled out his towel to wipe the blood and sweat from his face. “Would you like to introduce us to your mates?”

  Smirking, Gwen gestured to her mates. “Everyone, Jezebel and Silvia. Jazz and Vi, this is Remus, my alpha, Cait and Snow.”

  Silvia nodded while Jezebel waved to two children behind her. Nathan came over when Silvia glanced at him. Silvia gestured to him. “This is my brother, Nathan Cain. He owns this place.”

  “And these are my siblings, Aaron and Sheik. Nathan, they’re in your kickboxing for beginners class. If they give you any trouble, let me know, I’ll set them straight.”

  “Like you’re straight at all,” Aaron mumbled and Jezebel slapped him in the back of his head.

  “Hey!”

  “Show some respect or no dinner tonight!”

  “Sorry, Jazz.”

  Jezebel nodded, satisfied then turned back to Remus and held out her hand. He looked confused.

  “So, you’re Remus Lander.”

  “And you must be Jezebel?” He asked as he took her offered hand.

  “I am.”

  “Nice to meet—” He cut himself off as her grip tightened painfully.

  “Jezebel Vega.”

  His eyes widened and both Sheik and Aaron giggled behind their sister.