《The Merciless Alpha(erotica)》


 Fuck My Ass Harder

    Talia Stillwater¡¯s POV


    Fort Worth, Texas


    I adjusted the deep purple dress I was wearing, pulling the deep neckline down a little farther as I stared at the cards on the table. The private game had been going on for six hours, and it was now almost two in the morning. My five-thousand-dor buy-in to the twenty-person game meant that my stack of chips was nearly seventy-five thousand dors by now.


    ¡°Last hand, by rule we close at two,¡± the dealer said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± Donnie said. He was a typical Das oil brat, ying with his Daddy¡¯s money in an attempt to prove he was worth something. He was a good yer; he knew the odds and his face betrayed nothing, ever. We had been at different tables, knocking others out, until forty minutes ago when we were both put together at thest table. Now we were the only two left.


    I had the Ace of Clubs and Five of Diamonds in my hole cards, and the bet was up to twenty thousand. Themon cards were the Ace of Hearts, Five of Spades and the river was the Two of Clubs. I was listening carefully to his heartbeat as thest card was flipped, it skipped a beat. He¡¯d never betray it with his expression, but he couldn¡¯t control his heart. When he had a good turn, it would speed up a little. Werewolf hearing had its uses, I thought, and so did a she-wolf¡¯s body.


    I ran a finger from my chin down my neck as he fingered his chips. I was blonde, but I was no bombshell; I trained hard, my bodyfat was very low and my muscles were well defined. It meant I didn¡¯t have a huge rack, but what I had was disyed well by the dress I chose. In poker, you take any advantage you can get.


    ¡°Raise you ten thousand,¡± I said as my hand moved to the table. I moved a stack of chips to the center. I didn¡¯t need to clean him out, it was better for me to let him think he had a chance so I could wrangle an invitation to another game. If he got out now, he would walk away with a little more than twice his buy-in. It would not be a bad night for him.


    He tapped the table with the chips. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing,¡± he said.


    ¡°It will cost you all but two thousand, four hundred dors to find out,¡± I replied. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to walk away from the table, but that¡¯s the smart y right now. You don¡¯t have the balls to bluff me, Donnie.¡± I picked up my drink, Two Gingers whiskey on the rocks, and took a sip. He watched me like a predator as my tongue circled the ice cube before pushing it back into the ss.


    ¡°Call.¡± He pushed the chips to the center, then flipped over his cards. Ace of Hearts, Three of Clubs.


    ¡°You should have walked away.¡± I flipped over my cards, two pair would have beaten anything unless he had a pocket pair in one of themon cards. I pulled the chips in as he got up, cursing himself as the small crowd exploded into cheers. About half of the yers had stuck around, drinking and socializing untilst call. ¡°Cash me out, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Miss King.¡± In my card-ying persona, I was Ashley King, a twenty-one-year-old college student from Stanford. My real name, Talia Stillwater, age twenty, was a secret as well guarded as my werewolf. I had paid a lot of money to build up my new identity, keeping me off the radar of the government and the Werewolf Council.


    I followed him to the bar, where he handed me the backpack I had given him on arrival. I put a couple of hundred-dor bills in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling,¡± I said. ¡°Get these guys out of here and when Ie out, sneak me out the back.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all, Miss King.¡± He counted out the cash, withholding the 10% fee for running the game, and handed me the almost $88, 000 in cash and an envelope. I counted it out, then sealed it in the envelope and put it in my bag. ¡°I¡¯ll have Security keep an eye on the door.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I walked across the room, epting congrattions from the departing yers until I reached thedies room. I opened the door and locked it behind me. I unzipped the dress and stepped out of it, folding it and leaving it on the sink. I used the bathroom, then pulled on skinny jeans, an Imagine Dragons concert shirt which hung loose below my belt, and calf-high boots. I made sure my throwing knives were secured in the sides of my boots, and my Smith and Wesson M&P Shield sat secure in its inside the waistband, cross-draw holster to the right of my belt buckle. The eight bullets it carried were hollowpoints modified with pure silver in the center, designed to be effective against human or werewolf targets.


    It just wasn¡¯t safe being a lone werewolf, especially as a young female.


    I listened through the door as Charlie pushed thest yers out the door. A few momentster, there was a knock. ¡°Ready for you, Miss King.¡±


    I unlocked the door, my left hand staying near my belt buckle. High-stakes games like this were illegal, and could attract characters who weren¡¯t good losers, or just smelled an opportunity. Winning the money was important, keeping it was more important. Charlie stood there, his bouncer by his side. ¡°I¡¯ll take you as far as the back entrance, and Carl here can escort you to your vehicle if you wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Charlie. It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡± We went through the kitchen to the freight elevator, taking it to the ground floor. From there, he checked the cameras to make sure no one was waiting before he opened the back door. ¡°You have my number, you¡¯ll message me with the next game?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Miss King. You brought a little ss to tonight¡¯s game.¡± He opened the door and I let Carl go first; when he turned back to me, I walked out and the door closed behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯m parked a block over, on Waverly by the pawn shop,¡± I said. I never parked my ride next to the game, preferring to keep my mode of transportation out of sight. If I was really paranoid, I¡¯d park a half-mile away and take an Uber to the game. I followed just behind him, letting my senses out in the quiet of the August night. The scents of the city were all around, but nothing was threatening.


    When I got to my baby, a metallic-purple Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe with matching hard cargo bags, I rxed. The 1200 engine was plenty powerful, and the low ride made it easier for me to control with my five-foot-six, one hundred and twenty-pound frame. It had a full fairing and windshield, making itfortable for the long rides I had between towns. ¡°Thanks, Carl,¡± I said as I passed him a hundred. I took out the keys and unlocked the driver¡¯s sidepartment, removing my leather jacket and pushing my backpack down in its ce. Firing it up, I drove off into the night.


    I drove through the crappy part of town towards the hotel I was staying at. I could afford better, but nicer hotels copied driver¡¯s licenses and needed credit card deposits. The fleabags I was crashing at would look the other way for cash. I made my way to the room on the third floor,tching it behind me and wedging a chair against the handle just in case.


    I tossed my bag on the bed, taking the money out and putting it in my inside jacket pocket. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey I¡¯d bought the previous night and opened the door to the small deck overlooking what used to be a nice pool, and now was an algae-infested eyesore. Leaning against the railing, I took a swig as I tried to rx from the excitement of the game.


    ¡°Take it, bitch,¡± I heard from the next floor up. ¡°I paid extra so I could do whatever I wanted to you, and I want you to scream for me as I take your ass.¡±


    Jesus. What an asshole! It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯d been ced near a hotel room being used for prostitution.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be good for you, you¡¯re such a big and strong man,¡± the woman¡¯s voice said, and I froze. ¡°Fuck my ass harder, Daddy.¡±


    I recognized that voice.


    It couldn¡¯t be.


    Not after almost four years of my sister being missing, the search futile, the Packs no help in finding her.


    Running back inside, I knocked the chair aside and moved the bar and the chain before flinging the door open. Going to the stairwell, I went up to the fourth floor and stalked towards the room. I could smell her; it WAS her, it was different but still the same, like her wolfy-ness was gone, the scent she had before her first shift.


    I was going to fucking kill them all.


    ¡°Hey, Miss, this is a private floor,¡± a guy said as I moved past a room. He was a big guy, maybe six foot and over three hundred pounds. I could hear and smell the sex in the other rooms, and realization hit me like a brick. They had turned this whole floor into a prostitution racket, and this guy was the gatekeeper. A fat woman behind him was counting cash, she was probably the Madam.


    I thought quickly. ¡°STEVE! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, I¡¯M GONNA CUT YOUR BALLS OFF,¡± I said as I moved past him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be on this floor, Miss.¡±


    ¡°My fucking boyfriend is in here, I saw hime in! Now leave me alone, if he¡¯s with another woman he¡¯s fucking dead.¡± I pulled loose of his arm, running down the hall with him trying to keep up.


    ¡°STOP,¡± he yelled as I got to the door above mine. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. ¡°I told you, you aren¡¯t allowed up here, now turn around and get out of here before I put that tight ass of yours to work here too.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I turned and started walking back his way. ¡°FINE. But all his shit is going to be in the yard when hees home.¡± I let the ws on my right hand start toe out, keeping them out of sight. He moved to the side to let me by, and as he turned the pistol pointed away from me. I spun and grabbed his neck, letting my ws puncture deep before ripping his throat out.


    He dropped the gun, his hand reaching for mine. He was already dead, but his mind didn¡¯t realize it yet. Blood sprayed everywhere, the bright red painting the wall that I held him against. I followed him to the ground as his eyes zed over and his knees gave out and he died.


    I sometimes had to go ces I didn¡¯t want to leave prints, so I was ready for this. I wiped his blood off on his shirt, then pulled a pair oftex gloves out of a pocket in my jacket. Taking his pistol, I walked back to the room and kicked the door open.


    ¡°HEY WHO THE FUCK¡± Bang.


    His brains sttered against the wall on the other side of the bed. I didn¡¯t care who he was, I wasn¡¯t going to let him take another breath. He toppled off the bed, leaving a screaming naked woman behind. ¡°Tania, get dressed, we¡¯re getting out of here,¡± I said as I walked over to check he was dead.


    ¡°Talia?¡± She looked at me like I was a ghost.


    ¡°Hi, sis,¡± I said as I hugged her. ¡°Clothes, now, we¡¯ve gotta bounce here. Someone is going to report the gunshot.¡±


    She got to her feet and pulled the minidress over her head, then put on a pair of silver hooker heels. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± I said. She wasn¡¯t walking well, so I put my left arm around her and led her out of the room. The fat woman was leaning over the dead guy, trying to wake him up. I shot her between the eyes as she looked my way.


    We moved past them in the hall, Tania was crying and holding her face to my shoulder. One of the doors opened and a man wearing boxers and a Marlboro hat looked out, and I shot him too. When we got to the doorway, I made sure no one else was looking, then tossed the gun down the hallway and peeled off my gloves.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get back to my room,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, we have to get out of here now!¡±


    I opened the door on my floor. ¡°Trust me, the cops will be here any second and leaving now will just attract attention.¡± I opened the door to my room and pulled her inside, locking it behind us. ¡°Take a shower, NOW,¡± I said as I pushed her to the bathroom. I took the gloves and flushed them down the toilet, then pulled off my clothes and left them in a pile on the floor. While she got in the shower, I scrubbed the blood off my arms and face, then my leather jacket. I took her clothes with mine, putting them in a garbage bag in my backpack. I left her a pair of nylon shorts and a T-shirt on the counter, then joined her in the shower.


    I could hear the cops upstairs, the banging doors and screaming girls and the protests of the johns who were being arrested, but mostly I heard my sister¡¯s agony.


    She was a mess, sitting in the tub and holding her arms tight to her body as the sobs escaped. I pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly. ¡°You came,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d given up.¡±


    ¡°I never gave up on you,¡± I said. We held each other as the rusty water sprayed down on us.

 A Lone Wolf

    Tania was a mess.


    I shuddered with rage as I helped clean her in the shower. Bruises, scars, needle tracks, she had it all. She¡¯d been whipped before, and I couldn¡¯t feel or smell her wolf and I couldn¡¯t link her.


    It was no wonder I had felt the bond break, they killed her wolf.


    I finished washing her, then quickly finished my shower before toweling us both dry. I pulled the shirt and shorts over her thin body, she was eighteen years old and at least twenty pounds underweight. She could barely stay awake as I finished with her, so I tucked her into bed. She was deep asleep by the time I had her covered up. I had just put on underwear and a shirt from my backpack when there was a knock on the door. ¡°POLICE,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°Just a minute,¡± I said, trying to sound sleepy. I put the shorts I had grabbed back in the backpack and set it on the floor by the bed. I padded over the filthy carpet to the door and opened it as far as the chain would allow. A uniformed officer was standing there, and I could hear others knocking on doors farther down. ¡°What do you want, officer?¡±


    ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There was a shooting upstairs, and we¡¯re canvassing guests to see if you can help us find the killer.¡±


    There was no point in saying no, so I moved the door closed and moved back the chain. ¡°Just keep it down, my sister is still asleep, she got a little drunkst night.¡± I tugged the shirt down to cover my ass as I moved aside.


    He nodded, leaving the door open slightly. ¡°Were you here between the hours of two-thirty and three this morning?¡±


    ¡°We got back here about one thirty. My sister didn¡¯t feel good, she threw up twice and by the time I got her cleaned up and in bed it was maybe two? I don¡¯t know. I took a long shower and went to bed.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear anything? Gunshots? Yelling?¡±


    I shook my head no. ¡°People are yelling all the time in this ce, I just turn up my music a little more.¡±


    He looked past me to where my sister¡¯s hair spilled over the pillow. ¡°She was asleep by two?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She wouldn¡¯t wake up if a bomb went off in the room.¡±


    He nodded and handed me a card. ¡°This hotel is an active crime scene, it¡¯s being shut down. If you see the Community Service Officer downstairs in the lobby, she¡¯ll give you a voucher for another hotel. You need to leave now, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re being kicked out?¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sorry about the inconvenience but there were multiple murders in the building that are being investigated. If you remember anything that can help us out, give us a call.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you.¡± I closed the door behind him and let out a deep breath. We had to get out of here, and with the hotel closing, it was the right time to go. I needed help and my nomadic existence wouldn¡¯t work for me now that I had my sister back. I needed a ce to stay, somewhere I could get her the help she needed.


    I went to my backpack and grabbed a phone, dialing the one person I knew I could count on. ¡°Jarrod, it¡¯s Talia. I found my sister, and I need your help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bloody good news,¡± the low and cultured voice said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we cane to a mutually beneficial agreement again. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been abused, badly, and may be addicted to drugs they gave her. She¡¯s going to need support for detox, counseling, everything.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°How bad is she?¡±


    ¡°Barely functioning. I found her in a cheap motel being pimped out by a scumbag, Luna only knows how long they¡¯ve been doing this to her. Her wolf is gone, Jarrod, they must have killed it.¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Fort Worth, but I¡¯ll be moving soon. Cops are crawling everywhere, and I can¡¯t withstand any scrutiny.¡±


    ¡°You cane to the Coven. I¡¯ll take care of everything, Talia, and I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s cared for.¡±


    It was like a weight off my shoulders. Jarrod was a man of his word, over a thousand years old and raised in a time when your word was bond. If he said he would care for her, she would be. ¡°I know you will, Jarrod. I owe you for this, and I always make things right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the few wolves who does, that¡¯s why I like working with you. Those Pack mutts have no honor in their dealings with my kind. You, on the other hand, have always delivered what you bargained.¡± Vampires and werewolves have had a shaky peace over the past century, and both sides would push the envelope of eptable behavior. Peace didn¡¯t mean the absence of conflict, it was just driven underground and not talked about. Three times she had killed werewolves to settle ounts for Jarrod without the Vampire Master having his fingerprints on it, and three times the Vampires had saved her.


    I was intimately aware of the failings of the Alphas and the Werewolf Council. They had forced me to be a Lone Wolf, always at the edges of society, always one stupid move away from a painful death at their hands. Working with the Coven had sealed my fate, that was unforgivable in their eyes. Thest I had heard, the bounty for the Alpha Killer was over two million dors dead, four million alive. Werewolves would pay a lot extra for the show of torturing me to death. ¡°Whatever she needs, she gets. I¡¯ve got money now.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Child, your money is thest of the things I would need from you. Sunrise is in an hour, and I have a few things to prepare before then. Are you nning to stay as well?¡±


    ¡°For a while at least. I need to know what happened to her and who is responsible, then I¡¯ll need to leave for a while.¡± The thought of their blood in my teeth made my wolfe forward, she was unforgiving when it came to her family. ¡°I¡¯m on my motorcycle. We will be there sometime in the afternoon. I don¡¯t know how well Tania will travel, and I need to maintain a wide berth from the Packs in the area.¡±


    ¡°Take all the time you need to avoid them, you¡¯re useless to me dead. My familiars will be expecting you, and your room will be ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jarrod.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Talia. I¡¯ll see you at sunset.¡±


    He hung up and I put the phone by the bed while I packed, which took all of two minutes. I traveled light, and the clothes that weren¡¯t soaked in blood we were wearing. I pulled on my spare jeans and a fleece pullover, then socks and boots. Waking a reluctant Tania, I put her in socks, cargo shorts and pulled a second T-shirt over her sleep one before giving her the jacket. I was a werewolf, I¡¯d be warmer than she would, and I had jeans on. We¡¯d stop as soon as we could to get something better.


    ¡°Where are we going,¡± Tania asked, still a little groggy.


    ¡°To stay with some people that I know in New Orleans,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where are we now?¡±


    ¡°Fort Worth.¡± She didn¡¯t register any reaction to it, but it was clear she had no understanding of where she was. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said as she stood up. ¡°They would transport us in cargo vans, we were never told where we were. You¡¯d be collected from one hotel room and sleep on the way to the next one.¡±


    I put her in my running shoes and looked her over, it would have to do for now. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave on my motorcycle.¡± Her eyes got big. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to look at anyone or say anything, just stay at my side and follow my lead, all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said weakly. I grabbed the backpack, which had the bag of bloody clothes in it, and we walked out of the room into the hallway. We turned for the stairwell, walking away from the officer who was talking to someone near the elevator. We went down the stairs, keeping our heads down, and instead of heading to the lobby we exited the side door. My motorcycle was parked in the back of the lot, and I quickly put the backpack into it. ¡°Climb on behind me, put your arms around me and your feet on the pegs,¡± I said. She climbed on, her thin arms wrapping around my waist and her head resting on my shoulder.

 Packs Needed

    ¡°Am I really free, Talia?¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, sis. You¡¯re free and every one of those bastards who did this to you will pay with their lives.¡± I fired up the Harley and pulled out of the lot; it was four-thirty in the morning, and we still had an hour or so of darkness left. I headed for the freeway, knowing there was a 24-hour Wal-Mart at the exit.


    By the time the sun rose, we had gotten clothes appropriate for the road, and we were sitting in a booth at a pancake ce. I ate my normal amount, which was a lot, while Tania struggled to finish two pancakes and a piece of bacon. ¡°Tania, I hate to ask you, but I need to know.¡± She nodded, afraid to look at me. ¡°What happened the day you ran off?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t run,¡± she said. ¡°I was given away by Beta Todd. He held something over my mouth, I cked out, and when I woke up, I was locked in a room with a cor and chain.¡±


    Beta Todd, my father¡¯s trusted Beta male, the one who I looked to like a second father. The one who took over the Pack when my parents died.


    The one I¡¯d take pleasure in killing, slowly.


    Special Agent Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    I rolled over in bed, my hand searching for the cellphone that had ruined my night. Picking it up, I caught the time on the charging station and radio; three thirty-two. It was the duty officer at the FBI Das field office. ¡°Meechum,¡± I said groggily.


    ¡°Wake up, Randall, time to work.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Fort Worth police are investigating a quadruple-homicide at the Kirk Street Budget Inn,¡± he said. ¡°Two of the dead are subjects of your investigation into human trafficking, and they¡¯ve got a dozen women, some as young as thirteen, who were being pimped out by them.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Give me the address.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll text it to you. Martinez wants a full-court press on this, she wants the ring taken down before they can disappear again.¡± Rosalie Martinez was the Senior-Agent-In-Charge of the human trafficking group at the Das field office, and his direct supervisor. ¡°Get out there as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m moving.¡± I got up and turned on the light, illuminating the bare shoulders and neck of the woman I¡¯d picked up at the barst night. Like most humans, she was fun, but I couldn¡¯t let my wolf loose with her. Not that my wolf was interested, he was waiting for his mate and never came out when I was banging my one-night-stands. I reached over and shook her shoulder. ¡°Wake up, I¡¯ve got to get to work and you need to leave,¡± I said. ¡°FBI stuff.¡±


    ¡°I just want to SLEEP,¡± she whined as I pulled the covers off her.


    I smacked her ass lightly. ¡°Get dressed,¡± I said. ¡°Leave your number on the pad by door if you want to hook up again.¡± She groaned and rolled out of bed, grabbing her panties and her dress as she went to the bathroom in my apartment on the 22ndfloor of the Das condominiumplex. I had showered with herst night, mainly to get the heavy perfume she used off before we slept together. I walked to my dresser, pulled out some clothes and was putting my rubber-soled dress shoes on by the time she came out. ¡°I had funst night, and I¡¯m sorry about this,¡± I said as I tucked my . 40-caliber Glock 22 into my holster, and strapped my backup, a . 40-caliber Glock 27 into an ankle holster. I made sure my ck dress pants hung properly, then grabbed my suit jacket.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, I should have known sleeping with a Federal Agent wouldn¡¯t end up well,¡± she said as she picked up her purse. ¡°You¡¯re a great fuck, though, so I¡¯m leaving my number.¡±


    ¡°Do you need cab money?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll call an Uber. Thanks for the fun, Randall.¡± I kissed her, running my hand down her back before patting her ass and sending her on the way. I used the bathroom, grabbed a Mountain Dew and a bag of chocte mini-donuts, and was out the door. A few minutester I was driving my Jeep Cherokee out of the underground parking garage and through the city streets.


    The text message had the address and the phone led the way while I ate my Breakfast of Champions. My Mom would hold her hand over her heart and beg me to settle down with a nice she-wolf if she knew how I was taking care of myself, but my werewolf metabolism could handle it. Being a city wolf wasn¡¯t anything like how I grew up.


    My parents were Alphas of the prosperous Sulphur River Pack, north of Das near the Ohoma border. Our Pack ran a cattle ranch on almost ten thousand acres ofnd, plus we owned mineral rights to the oil below. I was the eighth of ten children and the fifth son, so I was well down the list of Alpha heirs. When I showed an interest inw enforcement after finishingw school, my father encouraged me to apply to the FBI. I¡¯d been an agent for six years now, starting out in Minneapolis before transferring to the Das office and the Human Trafficking Division.


    I picked Human Trafficking for two reasons; the practice disgusted me, and it gave me insight and ess into how identities could be created or transferred. The FBI had a whole division dedicated to witness protection relocations, and if you just needed an identity it was even easier. Packs needed this because werewolves lived longer than humans and a person who was eighty years old and looked to be thirty raised suspicions. A few of the frence forgers I¡¯de across had been ¡°privatized¡± by our Pack, working with and training our Pack members in their techniques. We now supplied identity services to werewolves across the country. It was a valuable and profitable line of work for us.


    I exited the freeway, soon rolling up to a piece of shit hotel in a bad part of town. It didn¡¯t shock me a prostitution operation was using a whole floor of this dump. I showed my badge to the cop at the entrance and pulled into the lot.


    As soon as I got out of the car, I scented her. My wolf rushed forward, looking for his mate, and I followed the scent trail inside.


    **************


    Special Agent Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    The scent trail led me to an entrance on the west end of the building, which was propped open. I had my FBI credentials on my belt, and I checked in with the locals and got a quick overview of what had happened. As I went in, the scent got much stronger. I pushed my wolf back as I went up the stairwell. I stopped at the third floor and took a deep breath; it was stronger on this floor, but I could follow it up to the fourth as well.


    I had to find her.


    Opening the door to the third floor, I followed it down five doors on the right. The room was slightly opened, but empty. Her smell, and that of a human female, was strong. I closed the door behind me, drinking in her scent.


    I put on gloves and started looking for clues. The room was clean, or at least as clean as could be expected for a shithole like this. The bed had been used, and I pulled and bagged some long blonde hairs from the two. I used dusting power to look for prints in the best ces, the door handles and the bathroom faucets. I took pictures of the best prints, then wiped them off. I¡¯d run themter if I couldn¡¯t find out who it was otherwise.


    After ten minutes, I hadn¡¯t found anything I could use. I got a text message, Agent Martinez was meeting with the local homicide detectives and wondering where the hell I was. I walked out of the room, pulling thetex gloves off and putting them in my jacket pocket.


    Upstairs, the ce was a hotbed of crime scene technicians and cops. ¡°Over here, Meechum,¡± I heard. I walked into a room where the big shots were.


    ¡°Are we advising or running this, boss,¡± I asked as I saw my Rosalie talking to the Chief of Police.


    ¡°Advising and assisting,¡± she said. ¡°The homicide is theirs, but we will be helping with the interrogations of the prostitutes and the money trail.¡±


    ¡°Four of the women we found on this floor have told us they were being held in sexual very,¡± a detective said. ¡°Four more aren¡¯t talking, and five are missing. The only one who wasn¡¯t seen after the shooting, her name was Star, not that it means anything.¡±


    ¡°Any surveince tapes?¡±


    ¡°Hell no, theputer hard drive crashed a few days ago and they haven¡¯t gotten it fixed yet,¡± he said with an eye roll. ¡°We¡¯re working the front desk people, there¡¯s no way a prostitution ring rolls in without help from the hotel. The other four girls who are missing took off to avoid the cops, we¡¯re looking for them. We¡¯ve got descriptions from the other girls but no real names.¡±


    It was true, most of the girls were given a first name, if even that. Whether recruited, abducted or sold, the girls who fell under the control of Dirk Carlson and his wife Peggy lost all control over their lives. They moved girls from town to town, using Craigslist and social media to reach their clientele. They were tough to track, because they would set up at sundown and be gone by morning. ¡°Meechum, you assist Homicide on the deaths. Kent and I will run with the interviews of the girls.¡±


    ¡°On it, boss,¡± I said.


    The lead homicide detective, Carl Anders, pulled me out of the room. ¡°Let me walk you through the room and get your impressions,¡± he said. He pointed into the open room across the hall. ¡°This is where Dirk and Peggy set up operations.¡±


    I looked in, the cash box was still on the bed, nothing looked out of ce. ¡°Not a robbery,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nope, there was over five grand in the box.¡± We walked down the hall a little. There was a chalk outline of a gun. ¡°Colt 1911, fired three times. Prints on the gun and the casings match Dirk. First victim here.¡±

 Betas and Alphas

    The first body was a man dressed in boxer shorts, lying halfway into the hall. The bullet had passed through the Marlboro logo on his ballcap and his brains were sttered on the doorframe behind him. There were no powder burns on his forehead, so the shooter had to be at least three feet away. There was a stick poking into the doorframe, showing the path of the bullet. It was pointed at the center of the hallway, and down at about a ten-degree angle. Looking behind him, the bed was messed up and it smelled like stale beer and sex. ¡°One of the Johns, maybe heard something and poked his head out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was a real upstanding citizen with a penchant for underage pussy. The girl found in the room was thirteen.¡±


    ¡°Clean shot, better than he deserved,¡± I said. ¡°Shooter is in the hall¡­¡± I moved until I was facing the victim, right hand up, moving along the line of the shot. I was six-foot-four, and if I raised the gun to sight it, I was shooting at a very shallow angle. I moved to the center of the hall and bent my knees until the gun lined up with the stick. ¡°This can¡¯t be right, unless the shooter is under five feet tall,¡± I said. Moving closer and to the right, my knees straightened slightly. Knowing it was at least a three-foot shop, I found myself on the right side of the hallway, at a height of five-two to five-seven. ¡°Shooter is short and may have had someone to their left.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. All right, moving on to the lucky couple.¡± We walked a few more doors down, and the smell of blood was overpowering. Dirk was slumped against the wall, his throat torn open, and Peggy was sprawled across his legs. I moved around them carefully; Peggy had been hit between the eye, the back of her head blown across the wall. The stick was just above the baseboard.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°She was over him when she was hit,¡± I said. When the back of the head is hit, all motor function ceases and the victim drops like a sack of potatoes. I did the same exercise with firing heights. ¡°It makes sense for them to be on the right side of the hallway, and that confirms a height of about five-six. I think anyone over six foot can be excluded, there just isn¡¯t enough room to fire at that angle.¡±


    ¡°What do you think killed him?¡±


    I put on gloves and leaned over to get a good look. As soon as I got close, I could smell her scent on him, and I froze.


    My mate search had just gotten a lot more interesting and dangerous. My mate was a killer and a hell of a shot, with blonde hair and going about five foot six. There was no way I was going to let on to them they were looking for a she-wolf.


    I looked closely at the wound, knowing from experience in the Packs what it was. She had shifted her hand, grabbing him with her ws and slicing through his neck like soft cheese. ¡°Looks like multiple sharp points, like one of those bear w things that you see kung fu guys with? What a mess.¡± His throat had beenid open, and blood was everywhere.


    ¡°Where is thest victim?¡±


    ¡°A few more doors down.¡± I could have led him there just by following her scent, and the scent of the human female she was with. It was another prostitution room, reeking of sex and sweat. The victim was nude, lying on his back on the far side of the bed. The bullet had struck him in the left temple and exited the back of his head.


    ¡°Nice fucking shooting,¡± I said. ¡°Three for three on head shots with someone else¡¯s gun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, our killer is good.¡±


    ¡°A pro,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t care how close you are, that¡¯s amazing shooting.¡± I looked at him again. ¡°So, we have our two ringleaders dead in brutal fashion, and two dead johns. The one in the hall looked out in the hall when he shouldn¡¯t have, but this guy was banging a chick when someone kicks the door in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s not easy to kick open one of these doors,¡± he said. I looked at the frame, it had been splintered. A werewolf could do it in one kick, taking out the multipletches would be more difficult for a human.


    ¡°What do we know about this guy?¡±


    ¡°Local guy, deacon in his church, suburban home and blue-cor job. No priors.¡±


    I smelled the bed and pillow and the human¡¯s scent was strong in it. Whoever she was, my mate hade here to get her out, then had taken her down to her room. She was either stupid or smart, and I wasn¡¯t betting on stupid. ¡°So, based on what I¡¯ve seen, we should be looking for a professional killer who is about five-foot-six and came to get this woman. She¡¯s the one who is missing, right?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because the killer ignored the girls in the other rooms and came right to this one. If the dead guy wasn¡¯t the target, the woman was.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They took the wrong person, because hiring someone with that skill level isn¡¯t cheap. Whoever she is, her parents are rich or connected, and I¡¯m betting on connected.¡±


    ¡°Come on, we need to talk to my boss.¡±


    I followed behind him, trying to figure out what to do next. I needed to talk to my father; there were things I knew about the shooter that only he could know about.


    I spent another three hours on-scene, working with Detective Anders as the bodies were moved and the scene was processed. I talked to the officers who had done the canvassing and got a description of the women in the room on the third floor. ¡°She was a hottie,¡± he told me. ¡°About this high,¡± he held his hand at my shoulder height, ¡°Looked like a gymnast or dancer, even in the middle of the night she had a perkiness to her. Blonde hair past the shoulders. Her sister I didn¡¯t get a good look at, but she was blonde too.¡±


    I had an idea and pulled out my phone. Going to the messages from my father, I scrolled up until I got to the picture that had been sent out with the reward from the Council. It was a surveince photograph taken on Alpha Kenyon¡¯snd before he was killed. I made it full screen. ¡°Was this her?¡±


    He looked at it and his eyes got wide. ¡°Yeah, definitely her. Such an innocent face, you just don¡¯t forget a girl who looks like that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I walked outside, I really needed to talk to my Dad, and I needed to do this in person.


    My mate was the Alpha Killer, and the Council wanted her dead.

 My Wolf Vision

    Four Years Ago, Tomah Pack, Wisconsin


    Tania¡¯s POV


    I surfaced in theke, shaking my hair as I took a breath. ¡°Nice one, Tania,¡± my best friend ire said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did a double backflip!¡±


    I smiled as I swam over to her and the other kids in the shallower water, tossing the rope swing back towards the shore. Pat caught it, handing it up until it was on top of the cliff again. The big oak tree¡¯s limb overhung theke far enough for us to get a good thirty feet out on the swing, and you could get a long hang time if you timed it right.


    I stepped out of the water, looking down at my body as I got out. I was getting curves now, my birthday had been two months ago, and I was going through a growth spurt. I was almost as tall as Talia was. My sister was sixteen, and I was pretty sure I¡¯d be taller than her when I was done. Curvier, too, if the early returns were true.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I moved over to the towel I¡¯d set out, drying my long blonde hair while I watched. There were twenty or so of us at theke on this hot August day. ¡°Talia, I need you toe up to the road, your parents are on the phone,¡±Beta Todd sent to me. I looked in that direction, the road was a good half-mile west of where we were.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes to pack up,¡±I said.


    ¡°Just shift and run up here,¡±he said. I looked around, everyone was busy swimming or eating down at the beach. I shifted into my straw-blonde and white wolf and took off up the hill. A couple minutester, I had jumped into the open passenger door of Todd¡¯s Suburban. ¡°Here you go,¡± Todd said as I shifted in the seat and closed the door. I grabbed the phone and put it to my ear, right as I felt something poke me in the neck.


    It burned like fire as the wolfsbane hit my bloodstream, and I dropped the phone as I stared at him in shock. I tried to call for help, but the link was blocked. I looked over at him, he was grinning as he saw the recognitione over me. I had been betrayed by a man I looked at as an uncle. ¡°What have you DONE,¡± I cried. I felt rage well up in me, but the drugs left nowhere for it to go as I slumped back into the seat.


    ¡°Goodnight, Tania,¡± he said. I fought the ckness for a few moments before I lost that battle too.


    Beta Todd¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t have much time, so as soon as she was out, I started driving. Turning off the main road, I followed a logging trail to the edge of the territory. Another vehicle was waiting, and I pulled up alongside them. I got out and went around, opening the door and taking the young Alpha heiress in my arms. ¡°Hold up your end of the bargain,¡± I said with a low growl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± the man said. ¡°My men will be in ce and ready when your Alphas return.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I put her in the back seat and closed the door, and they drove off.


    I drove right back to the Pack House, parking and going back to my office. It would be a while before her absence from the beach would be noticed, I hoped, and I was right. It was two hours before I got the panicked link. ¡°Beta, it¡¯s ire. We can¡¯t find Tania.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find her?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen her for a while, she must have wandered off. We can¡¯t reach her on the link, can you try?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±Betas and Alphas had the ability to ¡®break in¡¯ to wolves who were blocking outmunications, it was a necessity in case of emergencies. I waited a good twenty seconds before talking again. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing. Organize everyone, start a search from where youst saw her, I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    I ran out to my Suburban, broadcasting to the whole Pack on the way. ¡°Tania Stillwater is missing and is not responding to my calls,st seen at the beach by the rope swing. All warriors to the perimeter, patrol and report. All other avable Pack members are to respond immediately to the beach for search detail.¡±


    I drove quickly towards the beach, getting there as a few younger Pack members in wolf form were sniffing around on the road and the ditch. Pat shifted when he saw me. ¡°Beta, her scent led here but it disappeared.¡±


    I pulled my clothes off, shifting to my wolf and trotting over. It was important for me, since anyone who picked up my scent would now expect it. ¡°Tania entered a vehicle on the ess road above the beach. Warriors, close the roads leading out and report any activity.¡±


    ¡°Beta, the only activity at the main entrance was the return of a van with the food order from town, nothing outbound.¡±


    ¡°Search every road and trail,¡±I ordered. ¡°Any leads or scents are to be reported immediately.¡±


    I stayed in my wolf form, running down the road with a few of the younger members following. I turned off the main road to the logging trail, holding my nose down to the tracks. I left the juveniles behind as my wolf tore through the woods, knowing I had to get there first. It was the only way the others would scent me and not suspect me. I got to the boundary line of the Pack, where a chain ran across the trail, and stopped. By the time the others arrived, I had already circled the site several times. ¡°She was here,¡±I said as I sniffed at the ground. Crossing under the chain, I left Packnds and entered State Forest. The road here was open, and ATV¡¯s and mountain bike trails criss-crossed the area. ¡°Get the trackers up here,¡±I said. ¡°Warriors, the Alpha daughter has been taken. I want all women and children back at the Pack House, Group C warriors set protection. Group B warriors, I want constant patrols of the perimeter until further notice. Gamma Jones, bring a squad with to follow the trackers, they¡¯ll need to be in vehicles since they are going off Packnds.¡±The Pack was well-trained, and my orders were carried out quickly.


    I didn¡¯t have to worry, Tania was long gone. Every action I took was being judged by my Pack, and now was the time to prove I was capable of being the Alpha. The three trackers were in wolf form, and when the warriors arrived, one jumped up into each SUV. They would stay in that form, guiding the warriors as they followed the trail.


    I ran back to the Pack House, trotting past the guards who removed the reinforcing bars and opened the front doors for me. Going up to my office, I pulled clothes out the closet and sat at my desk. It was time to put the second part of my n into effect.


    I took out my cellphone and called my Alpha. ¡°Todd, I¡¯m a little busy,¡± Thomas said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, we have an emergency here. Tania has disappeared, we followed the trail off territory. Someone took her away.¡± I heard a scream, probably Luna Tasha.


    ¡°We have to leave NOW,¡± I heard him say.


    ¡°Talia¡¯s out on theke with her cousins,¡± the Luna said.


    ¡°Her grandparents can bring herter, we have to go,¡± he said. Coming back to the phone, he started talking again. ¡°What has been done?¡±


    I filled him in on what had been done; while I was talking, I could hear them getting into a car and the tires squealed a little. ¡°I was about to call the surrounding Alphas and ask for help,¡± I finished with.


    ¡°We¡¯ll call them, you focus on the search,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in two hours, maybe less.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. We¡¯re doing everything we can to get her back,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°I know you WHAT THE¡± and then was the screeching of tires and the crunch of metal before the line went dead.


    Forty minutester, I got the call from Alpha rk Grissom of the LaCrosse Pack, our Luna¡¯s older brother. ¡°Todd, it¡¯s bad,¡± he said. ¡°The car carrying your Alphas went off the road and down a steep embankment,¡± he said gravely. ¡°The Alpha and Luna were killed.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said, pretending to be in shock.


    ¡°We have Talia here, she¡¯s with her grandparents and my mate. The human authorities are involved, so we¡¯ll have to wait for the bodies to be released to us before we can hold services.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I paused for a minute, a grining over my face. The men had done their job perfectly, and we were both happy. They had a young female werewolf, and I had a clear path to the Alpha position. ¡°What do I tell the Pack? We¡¯re still in an uproar over the disappearance of Tania.¡±


    ¡°I think you should gather them and tell them,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be strong for the Pack, Todd. Hold things together and keep up the search for Tania. I¡¯m calling the Council, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get involved, but the Pack knows and trusts you. I¡¯ll make sure they understand that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the Pack stays together,¡± I said. ¡°Let Talia know we¡¯re all here for her.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± He hung up the phone, and I tossed mine back on my desk. Now all I had to do was convince the Council that I should be the new Alpha instead of some second or third son of an Alpha from elsewhere. The best way to ensure that would be to mate Talia, and that is what I would tell the Council was the best solution. After all, keeping the Stillwater pack in her bloodline would make everyone happy.


    It made my dick hard just thinking about it.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    When I came to, I was on a concrete floor and I was cold and naked.


    Opening my eyes, I didn¡¯t see much. There was a stairway, and a little lighting from under the door. My wolf vision was just enough to make out a few details; it was a basement, poured concrete floor and block walls. Boxes and utilities could be seen in the back, but the area around me was open. There was a support column a few feet away, with a thick chain padlocked around it.


    The other end was padlocked to a leather and metal cor fixed around my neck. I moved it, but it was noting off. At least it wasn¡¯t silver, that would burn badly.


    I grabbed the chain and pulled, it wasn¡¯ting loose. All it did was make noise as it rattled around the thick metal post.


    I took a deep sniff; the smells of the unfamiliar Pack wolves were stale. I couldn¡¯t hear any sounds in the house. I tried sending to my Pack but got nothing; I was probably too far away, since this house wasn¡¯t on ournd. I yelled for help, but no one responded.


    Looking around, there was a drain in the floor a few feet away, and a small stic bucket filled part-way with kitty litter. A hose ran over from aundry sink, at the end was a spray nozzle. I pointed it at the drain and squeezed, it was pressurized. I let it run for a little, rinsing off my arms and my body before it got too cold. I was thirsty, so I drank deeply. Whoever left me here was treating me like a cat, litter box and all.


    I got to know the limits of my new home as time lost its meaning. The cor was brutally effective at keeping me from anything, and my stomach was rumbling with hunger. There were noe windows, and the light through the door didn¡¯t vary.


    I heard a noise, someone was upstairs. I could hear heavy footsteps across the floor, then the sound of a deadbolt. The door opened, and I covered my eyes, standing and moving as far away as the chain would allow me. ¡°LET ME GO,¡± I said.


    He justughed and raised his hand. Pain shot through me as the cor sent a shock through my neck, locking up my muscles so I couldn¡¯t even scream. I fell to the ground, twitching until it was over. ¡°You don¡¯t look at me, you don¡¯t talk to me, you have no status anymore. You will do as you are told, immediately, or you will be punished severely.¡±


    All I could do was cry as he walked up and yanked on the chain, pulling me until Iy gasping at his feet.

 Still a Virgin

    Tania¡¯s POV


    He went to the refrigerator in the corner of the basement and opened the door. He removed a small vial; opening a drawer, he pulled out a syringe and filled it before putting it back in the refrigerator. I sat leaning back against the post, frozen with fear. ¡°Your arm,¡± he said. Trembling, I held it out, and he injected me with whatever that was. It was cold, and I waited for the sedative, but nothing changed.


    He tossed the syringe into a bin, then went back to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of orange juice and tossed it to me, then left without a word. As hungry as I was, I practically inhaled the juice. He went back upstairs, and I could hear him in the kitchen. Some timeter, the door opened and my mouth started to drool with the scent. He was carrying a paper te; on it was arge steak, corn and a baked potato. ¡°Eat, you¡¯ll need your strength,¡± he said. He left it just inside the range I could reach, and I moved for it when he started going up the stairs again.


    I¡¯d never had to suffer, I¡¯d never been denied anything in my life, and I¡¯d never appreciated a meal as much as I did this one. I tore into the steak, ripping pieces away with my teeth and swallowing them. ¡°Slow down or you¡¯ll throw it back up, and you¡¯ll still have to eat it,¡± he warned from the doorway. I swallowed, then paused to eat some corn before going back to the steak. I still ate faster than I normally would, since there were no friends to talk to and I didn¡¯t know when he would be back.


    He came backter, bringing more food, and my life fell into a routine over the next week. He¡¯d give me a shot, followed by a big meal, then anotherter on. The wolfsbane worked its way out of my system, and I was able to shift again. I was disappointed when the cor remained tight, preventing me from getting free, but at least I was able to sleep and be warm in wolf form. The first time he came down the stairs and I was in my fur, he hit me with a shock. ¡°You are to be in human form at all times when I am in this room,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    I shifted quickly, twitching as the electric shock dissipated. He gave me the shot, then went back upstairs. I was waiting for the food toe down when I started to feel hot. I moved my hands over my arms, it was like my skin was on fire. I started to sweat, and I felt myself be aroused.


    Very aroused.


    He opened the door again, looking down at me as I touched myself, trying to ease the need I was feeling.


    ¡°You¡¯re in heat, right on time,¡± he said. He had a small mattress in his hands and tossed it into the circle. He pulled me over with the chain, pointing down at the mattress I quicklyid down on my stomach. I groaned as he put a knee into the middle of my back, and I fought back the urge to fight him. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and put it over one wrist, then pulled my hands up and locked them on the other side of the pole.


    Iy there helpless as he went to the refrigerator and drew another shot. This one went into my thigh, and it burned. Wolfsbane. ¡°I can¡¯t have you shifting and hurting yourself now, can I?¡±


    I shook my head no.


    ¡°The shot will help a little with your heat, I understand it is your first one. Do you know what happens in a heat?¡± I nodded, my parents had talked to my sister and I about it. Heatsted a day or two and was designed to attract a male and bring forth pups. It didn¡¯t happen until after you were marked, but I hadn¡¯t been marked, I was still a virgin. My eyes got wide and I shook my head no.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re not marked, because I will not mark another while my Luna lives. However, the drugs simte the marking enough to kick off your cycle, and that is all I need.¡± He moved behind me, pulling me up to my knees and kneeling between my legs, forcing them aside. I kept shaking my head, my eyes begging him not to do it while my body begged him to go ahead.


    When the heat finally broke, he uncuffed me and left me with the mattress and a thin nket. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to shift for a few more days, and I have to make sure my heir is healthy.¡±


    Two weekster, a test confirmed I was pregnant. He made sure I had plenty of food and allowed me to have books as an enticement to behave.


    He never touched me that way again, and in the spring, I bore him a son. He was immediately taken away. I never got a chance to touch him, and I broke down as he carried him up the stairs.


    A weekter, another man came into the basement, and my life took a drastic turn for the worse.

 The Alpha Position

    Talia Stillwater¡¯s POV


    One Week after Tania¡¯s Disappearance


    I leaned into my grandmother¡¯s side as my parents wereid to rest in the Pack cemetery. They were ced in the same hole, their bodies wrapped in white cloth, his right hand sped forever to her left. Unlike humans, we didn¡¯t use caskets and we didn¡¯t defile their bodies by trying to preserve them.Instead, they were wrapped and refrigerated until the service could ur.


    I looked around through teary eyes, my Grandfather holding my other hand as we stood by the grave. My aunt and uncle, the Alphas of the Lacrosse Pack, were to our left. My sister and I were thest of my mother¡¯s line, and since she had disappeared there had been no clues, no calls, no nothing. It was like she had vanished into thin air.


    My family had kept me in LaCrosse until this morning, afraid that whoever took Talia might harm me as well. I was not allowed to go anywhere without a guard, and the adults didn¡¯t like me out of their sight. The abduction had everyone on edge.


    The oldest member of our Pack, a woman named Madelia, led the service and said the prayersmitting their souls to the Moon. The service was only a few minutes long, and before I knew it, I was being led to the edge. We buried our loved ones with mementos of their lives; I held a drawing of our family I had made when I was six. It was little more than a stick figure, but it was the first art project I had brought home from school. Mom had left it on the refrigerator for over a decade. I let it fall into the grave along with my tears. ¡°I miss you so much, Mom and Dad. I love you.¡±


    Since Tania was missing the service, I brought Wolfy, the toy wolf she had loved so much as a little girl. When she outgrew it and wanted to toss it, Mom had grabbed it and put it in her room. ¡°Help me find my sister, Luna,¡± I said as I dropped it in and looked up to the full moon above. ¡°She loved them so much, and she didn¡¯t get to say goodbye.¡±


    My grandparents dropped in their mementos, then we moved next to the Elder at the head of the grave. The guests started to file by, some dropping flowers, others something more personal. Many looked up to the moon, and many tears were shed. After leaving the grave, they would shake my hand or hug me and the rest of the family before moving off to the side. Thest toe by were the Alphas; two dozen hade to pay their respects to my parents, plus the American Werewolf Council.


    I didn¡¯t like the way they looked at me.


    It was traditional for the Alpha to start filling in the graves with the family. I stepped forward to take the shovel out of the dirt pile next to the grave, my grandparents and my Aunt and Uncle with me. I was surprised to see Beta Todd grab a shovel, but no one else seemed to mind. I took a scoop and tossed it down on my parents.


    The others followed and we made quick work of the pile. By the time we were done, I was ready to run under the stars. Pulling off my dress and kicking off my shoes, I shifted into my light tan wolf, with one white ear and a white tip to my tail. The others shifted with me, and we trotted towards the group which was also shifting in preparation for the run.


    I took a deep breath, ready to give the Alpha howl to start the hunt, when Beta Todd let out a booming howl of grief. My howl joined his, followed by the Alphas. The next howl I started, and this time everyone joined in. I took off on a run, leading the mourners into the well-worn trail through the woods.


    ¡°What was THAT, Beta? I AM ALPHA.¡±


    ¡°Not now, Talia. The Council and the Alphas are all watching us carefully, we cannot appear to be fractured or dysfunctional in any way.¡±He was running on my right side, the Alpha position, and I didn¡¯t like it a bit.


    ¡°Grandfather, the Beta should not be up here with me.¡±


    He just chuffed, they were right behind me. ¡°Tradition is the senior male and female wolves lead the run, he¡¯s supposed to be up there.¡±


    ¡°On my LEFT,¡±I said with annoyance. The run was a short one, circling the smallke and returning to the Pack House. I didn¡¯t wait for anyone, I ran up to my room and dressed in my ck dress and heels.


    Retuning back to the main hall, my Grandfather pulled me aside. ¡°The Council is in the conference room, they want to talk to you.¡±


    Finally. If they thought I was going to step aside, or give up my Alpha birthright to this Pack, they were sadly mistaken. I had talked about it with my family, they knew what I wanted and pledged to support me. ¡°Time to im the Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Packes first, always,¡± he said. ¡°Remember that.¡±


    He led me to the door; it was MY Pack, I wasn¡¯t going to knock on my own room. I opened the door, causing conversation to stop. The three members of the Council looked up from the papers they were reviewing, their annoyance clear on their faces. ¡°Thank you foring to Tomah, gentlemen,¡± I said as I moved to the head of the table and sat to face them.


    ¡°Your parents were fine Alphas and personal friends,¡± Council Chair Andreas said. ¡°They will be missed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°I will do everything in my power to carry on their legacy as Alpha of the Tomah Pack. I appreciate your support and I look forward to working with you as I settle into my new role.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons we are here today,¡± Councilman George said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t able to be the Alpha here,¡± Councilman Ricardo finished.


    My anger red, and I started to stand up. ¡°I have the bloodline and the hereditary right. IT IS MINE.¡±


    Chairman Andreas justughed at me. ¡°I admire your determination, we all do, but you simply aren¡¯t ready and aren¡¯t up to the job. You are sixteen years old and female. Name the highest ranking adult male in your Pack you have defeated in a spar.¡± I sat there, fuming. ¡°I thought so. Given time and training, you can grow into the Luna job in a few years, but you are not an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Your family cannot help. Your sister is missing, your aunt is already Luna of another Pack, and your grandparents are too old to take over a Pack again. We are here to determine what the best course forward is, not for you, but for the Tomah Pack and our kind. What you want, and what you think you deserve, isn¡¯t that high on the list for us,¡± Ricardo said.


    ¡°It is never good to have the Alpha position in question, and worse to have an Alpha who cannot control the Pack or defend his position atop it. Putting you in ce as Alpha would be suicide, you¡¯d be challenged and defeated within days, then that Alpha would face challenges. Packs have fallen apart, to the point that we had to absorb the entire Pack into another to bring stability again. You don¡¯t want that, do you Talia?¡± The Chairman was staring at me, his dominance rolling over me like a wave.


    My wolf was strong, but it pushed me back in my chair. ¡°Of course not, Chairman Andreas.¡±


    ¡°Good. We have several options, but none are optimal due to your age. Since it is two more years until you can be mated, it isn¡¯t as easy as just finding a male by your side. We also can¡¯t have another teenager, we need someone who can step into the Alpha position immediately,¡± George said.


    ¡°Someone who the Pack will respect, and will deter challenges,¡± Ricardo continued.


    Chairman Andreas sat back and smiled. ¡°We have spoken to the senior members of your Pack and to your family, and we are all in agreement on the path forward. It is not ideal; you will have to give up your Fated mate and be marked by the man who will be Alpha of the Pack and make you his Luna when you reach maturity.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    My heart went into my stomach; I¡¯d always dreamed of my Fated mate, and thest thing I wanted was to give him up. ¡°Just who is this man you¡¯ve decided to pair me with,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Beta Todd Aldridge has agreed to take you as his Mate and to take over the Alpha position permanently,¡± Chairman Andreas said. ¡°The Pack is familiar with him, and he¡¯s already performing well in the absence of your parents. The change will be seamless, and he¡¯s strong enough to deter others from challenging for the position,¡± he said.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t agree?¡± My stomach was threatening to lose the dinner I¡¯d barely eaten. Beta Todd was like an uncle to me; I¡¯d never looked at him as a potential mate, and the thought of being intimate with him skeeved me out.

 Out Like A Light

    ¡°Then we give the position to Todd after he chooses a female to mate with, or we find a mated pair of Alpha blood who are not the direct heirs to their own Pack and ask them to take over permanently. You would be moved to the LaCrosse Pack under the guardianship of your Uncle.¡±


    ¡°What about my right to lead the Pack?¡±


    Ricardo leaned forward. ¡°The only way you lead this Pack is by agreeing to mate Beta Todd,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not the worst oue; you are still Luna, your bloodline remains in this Pack, and Todd is a strong wolf and will be a good mate to you.¡±


    I just shook my head no, I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need an answer immediately,¡± the Chairman said. ¡°At the end of the three-day mourning period, the new Alphas will be announced. You just need to tell us your choice.¡±


    **************************


    Day of Tania¡¯s Rescue


    Talia¡¯s POV


    *************************Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    We left after I made sure Tania had eaten all she could and had plenty of juice. I was still in shock over her appearance; she was thin and weak, while my body was solid muscle. The past four years had treated us far differently, and my heart broke every time I looked at her.


    I was happy she had good clothes now; she had jeans, boots, a clean shirt and a leather jacket. I put my extra clothes in my storage on the bike, and she kept the backpack on as we got on my Harley. I fired it up and headed east towards Texarkana.


    The road noise made more difficult to talk, especially since she didn¡¯t have wolf hearing. When she was injected with an overdose of wolfsbane, it killed her wolf and prevented her from being able to shift again. The loss of her wolf affected everything we had in human form as well; the rapid healing, the strength, and the enhanced vision, smell and hearing. It rendered her as weak and desensitized as any human, and I¡¯m sure she misses it greatly. I couldn¡¯t imagine being apart from my wolf nature, my constantpanion in my mind, and my powerful fur side.


    We had ridden for a few hours and had taken off our jackets in the rising heat of the Texas day. The wind kept me cool, but Tania was not veryfortable behind me. She was sweating through her T-shirt and couldn¡¯t seem to cool off. When we stopped for lunch, she was tired and couldn¡¯t stop yawning. ¡°Tania, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She ran her hands across her upper arms. ¡°I need my shot,¡± she said. ¡°After a night we¡¯d get our shot, and we¡¯d sleep until the next town.¡±


    ¡°Shot?¡±


    ¡°H,¡± she said. My anger spiked again, and I wished I would have captured them and made them suffer. They got my sister hooked on heroin. ¡°I¡¯m all right, I can ride,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse. You let me know if it gets to be too much, and I¡¯ll find a ce to stop for the night.¡±


    ¡°I have to go to the bathroom,¡± she said.


    As soon as she was gone, I called Jarrod¡¯s house. His day butler answered, he had been his familiar for years and ran the daytime staff that cleaned and maintained the historic mansion. ¡°Malcolm, it¡¯s Talia,¡± I said. ¡°I may beter than I expected, and I¡¯m going to need some help when I get there.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ms. Talia. Master left me instructions to provide you with whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°My sister Tania was hooked on heroin while she was being held. I need a doctor to see her, and we need to n ahead for her detox.¡± I¡¯d heard horror stories about going cold turkey, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the pain my sister would face.


    ¡°Of course, Madam. We have a doctor on retainer, she¡¯s very discreet. I will inform her of the need and make sure the room is prepared for her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Malcolm. I look forward to seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°The staff is thrilled you areing, as is the Coven. Dinner will be your favorite.¡±


    ¡°See you soon,¡± I said as I hung up. Tania wasing back out, she didn¡¯t look good. I threw money on the table to cover the bill and went to the bathroom as she went out to sit by the bike. When I came back out, we got back on the road.


    Tania¡¯s symptoms got worse as the day went on, and she was barely awake as we pulled past the gates into the courtyard of the estate. Tania was awestruck as we walked in, me carrying my bags and her the backpack. The meticulously manicured formal gardens, the fountain and the cobblestone paths led to the deep and tall two-level porches in front. ¡°Wee to Mort De La Nuit,¡± Malcolm said as he opened the door and weed us in. Maids took our bags and walked up the grand staircase with them. ¡°You must be tired,e, we have drinks and refreshments waiting in the salon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Malcolm.¡± We followed him towards the back of therge building, until we reached a sitting room overlooking the gardens and the pool. The ceilings inside were twelve feet tall, with huge windows that opened at the top to let the hottest air out. Air conditioning had tamed the heat and humidity, butrge ceiling fans kept air moving. Antiques were everywhere, and maids we passed were scurrying about making sure everything was ready. He set us at a small table, bringing us pitchers of iced tea and lemonade.


    Although he was as non-threatening a man as I¡¯d ever met, I could see how Tania watched him and kept her distance. He allowed me to pour the sses, staying farther away than normal. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the Master you have arrived,¡± he told me. ¡°When you are done, the maids have taken your things to your room and will take yourundry from you. I assumed you would not want to be separated from your sister?¡±


    ¡°Never again,¡± I said. Tania looked relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of putting a second bed in your room,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you, Malcolm. It¡¯s good to be back.¡± He smiled and left, and I made sure Tania drank plenty of lemonade and ate some pastries before we went upstairs. She was not feeling well, and it would only get worse.


    Malcolm came back a few minutester and whispered to me from across the room that Jarrod would like to see me as soon as Tania was settled. He had been informed of her treatment and that her wolf was gone, and no human could have heard that. I helped her stand, and we walked together up the main staircase to the second floor.


    I walked down the familiar corridor to my room, which overlooked the pool and gardens on the back side. The room wasrge, as were all the guest rooms, since none were used by the Coven. The rooms along the front housed the Familiars, the trusted staff and willing blood donors for the vampires. Being familiars to vampires was a choice; the group was intensely loyal to Jarrod, and most had been with him for decades. After four years in hell, I couldn¡¯t imagine what Tania thought of the four-poster bed, the antique armoire, or the huge marble-tiled bathroom. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you clean,¡± I said.


    I helped her shower, getting in with her, then went to my armoire and found a sleeping shirt. As soon as I had her tucked into the smaller bed, she was out like a light. I dressed in a loose hunter-green dress and matching heels and went out of the room. Malcolm was waiting with one of the maids. ¡°Louisa will stay with her and inform us if our guest awakens or is distress,¡± he said. ¡°She should not be alone while undergoing this trial.¡±

 Welcome Home

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, nodding my head to the young maid as she entered and sat on a chair at the small desk by the window. I closed the door behind me and followed him down the back stairs, and through a keypad-locked door. The door closed before the next door in the vestibule opened, ensuring that sunlight could never reach inside. From there, we went down the stairs to the expansive basement, formed from poured concrete walls with no openings.


    It was the perfect ce for a coven.


    ¡°Talia,¡± the deep voice said as I came into view. Jarrod was standing at the base of the stairs, standing in tailored dress pants and a white shirt open at the cor. ¡°Wee home.¡±


    I jumped off the fifth step from the bottom, and he caught me and spun me around. ¡°Thank you for taking us in,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are family, even if you are more like the family dog,¡± he teased as he let me down. I smacked his arm lightly, then was caught up in hugs by Eduardo, Marceline and Anastasia. ¡°Come, let us sit. Malcolm has informed me of your sister¡¯s medical condition, but I need to know more.¡±


    We spent an hour going through it all; they were very familiar with my story, but what I knew of Tania¡¯s life in the past four years angered them all. I was considered family and hade to them inrge part because of what had happened after my parents had been killed and my sister disappeared. ¡°They need to be punished,¡± I said as I finished. ¡°But my sisteres first.¡±


    ¡°Does she know about our true nature,¡± Eduardo asked.


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t know how she will react. Vampires were our enemy, and our upbringing was to gather all the warriors and attack them before they could get close.¡± That was one reason I hade to them when the Council went after me. No werewolf would ever approach a Coven unless they wanted an all-out war. Vampires were extremely dangerous to werewolves; incredibly fast, their venom bringing death in seconds, and their ws capable of shredding flesh into ribbons. They also healed almost instantly, and this made them very difficult to kill.


    ¡°We will keep her ignorant until the time is right,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°She has enough to worry about. The doctor will be here after dinner to examine her. I¡¯ve also arranged for a nurse with detox experience to stay with us for a week.¡±


    ¡°A week?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that should get us past the worst of the symptoms. I am informed that other symptoms may persist for weeks, even months. She would have a long road to recovery even if the drugs were the only thing she was dealing with.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°How did she seem to you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still processing she¡¯s out of that hell,¡± I said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t raged yet, but it¡¯sing.¡±


    ¡°You have not either,¡± he said. ¡°I know how much you want revenge, but there is plenty of time to n and we will help however we can. Not just with Alpha Todd and his mate, but with the man who kept her like a brood mare,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you want to do about her son,¡± Anastasia asked me.


    I sighed. Her son would be three now and had no idea who she was or what her parents had done. ¡°I want to know where he is, and I¡¯ll give her the choice to get him back or leave him where he is,¡± I said. ¡°I will NOT allow that piece of shit to continue breathing past the end of the month. He must pay for taking her, for taking a year from her life and her own child.¡±


    ¡°We will help you find him. There can¡¯t be many three-year-old Alpha children.¡± He stood and pulled off his shirt. ¡°I can feel the anger boiling in you, Talia. Care for a spar?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love it,¡± I said. I pulled my dress off and kicked off my heels before shifting to my intermediate form and following them to the gym and training room. Therge area had packed sawdust on the floor and padded walls in thebat area.


    Sawdust absorbed the blood, and there was going to be blood.


    ¡°Fight to yield, no ws to the face, throat or groin,¡± Eduardo said.


    The fight started without a signal; I attacked, feinting a throat punch before dropping to sweep a leg. Jarrod easily avoided the fist, spinning into a kick that caught me on the shoulder and knocked me into the wall. I grabbed my shoulder, banging it into the wall to fix the dislocated shoulder, and turned and growled. ¡°Use your anger,¡± he said.


    I attacked without mercy, unleashing a furiousbination of kicks and punches as Jarrod blocked or avoided each one. He would punch or kick to interrupt my rhythm or gain space, but it was only a few minutester I realized what he was doing.


    He allowed me to exhaust my anger in the fight. He could have taken me at any time; I was lightning fast after years of training against them, at least if I was going against a werewolf. Against a vampire with any training, I was only a challenging kill.


    I felt better, and I shifted back to human form. Panting heavily and bleeding from several wounds, I walked up and hugged him. ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are wee. It¡¯s been too long.¡± We both walked to the bathrooms, where I took a shower. The cuts had healed by the time I emerged, and my dress and shoes had been ced on the vanity.


    There was a tone, and the sound of the door locks utching. It was now after sundown. I walked out where they were waiting for me. ¡°Join us for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Let me check my sister first,¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s with the doctor now, she will be brought down as soon as the examination is done. Doctor Anders will join us as well.¡± He held out his arm, and I slid my hand onto it, allowing him to escort me up the stairs. The inside door was now open, and he keyed thebination for the outer door, and we walked into the main hall.


    The normal employees were gone, only the familiars were allowed in the house between dusk and dawn. We sat at therge table, eating shrimp cocktail and drinking wine while we waited. Vampires could eat and digest food just like us, in fact Jarrod prided himself on his pte and his kitchen staff¡¯s skills. They required blood twice a week or so, more often if they were healing a lot.


    All conversation stopped when a young ck woman came down the stairs with a frightened Tania in her arms. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and she looked warily at the people gathered. ¡°Tania, wee to my home,¡± Jarrod said as he stood from his chair. ¡°I am Jarrod Valentine, and this is my family.¡± He walked behind the chairs, introducing Eduardo, Marceline and Anastasia. ¡°Please join us for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said nervously. Malcolm pulled out a chair for her next to me, and Doctor Nora Andrews sat across from us.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The soup course was brought out first, a seafood gumbo served with small hard rolls. I got her to eat some of both, though she didn¡¯t participate in the conversation and no one forced things. A small sd followed, then the main course. Since they knew we wereing, it was a rare b of prime rib with horseradish sauce. I had a thick slice, while Tania just asked for a small piece done medium. Dessert was Bananas Foster.


    It was an excellent meal, but Tania was starting to feel the withdrawal more. ¡°Thank you for the dinner,¡± she said quietly as we stood.


    Over the next week, I held her hair out of her face as she threw up over and over. I held her as she shivered, held her back when she was desperate to leave and find a fix, and sat up with her as she couldn¡¯t sleep. The nurse and doctor were fantastic, but I felt like I had been through a wringer by the time things evened out.


    In the meantime, we had found her son, alive and well in a Pack in Colorado.

 The Most Werewolf

    Two Days after Tania¡¯s Rescue


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    I spent almost twelve hours at the scene that first night with Detective Carl Anders and his team from the Das Police Department, assisting them in making sense of the multiple murders. Once the crime scene technicians were done with their work, we returned to his precinct to start working on suspects.


    My mate was good, not that her real name would ever pass my lips. Thest thing I was going to do was to tell them that the Alpha Killer, the most wanted werewolf in the world for two years running, was behind this.


    Instead, I worked things so I could focus on the woman who was in the room when the killer took out the man who was using her. The theory I had given them was that she was somehow important, and that a killer had been hired to get her back. The problem was, nobody knew who she was.


    Her prints were all over the room, but there were no matches on the FBI databases. She had never been arrested or fingerprinted, and the only people who might know her real name were dead. I knew from scent that she had gone down a floor and stayed in the killer¡¯s room, but nobody on that floor was suspected. The cop who canvassed that floor was hoping she¡¯d call, mainly because he thought she was cute and wanted to ask her out.


    I held back my growl at that thought. No one would know my mate but ME.


    By the end of the second day, we had nothing. There was no surveince that showed anyone but normal hotel guests, and that was from the hotel across the street and practically useless. The only eyewitness still alive was missing, and the initial forensics didn¡¯t tell us anything. There were no fingerprints on the murder weapon except the victims.


    Nobody could figure out why a killer would take out Dirk in such a close and brutal fashion but use his own gun to take out three more people. ¡°We¡¯re missing the point here,¡± I finally said as we sat around a bunch of pizza boxes on the table. ¡°Who was the first victim?¡±


    ¡°Dirk,¡± one of the detectives named Stan said. ¡°Peggy was shot and fell over him while he was already dead. The killer went to Star¡¯s room and shot the john, then from the bullet paths he shot Peggy then the other john before exiting on the stairway.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°If the person just wanted to rescue Star, why did he walk past the room where our two pimps were camped out with the cash? Wouldn¡¯t he just shoot the two of them and move on?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Dirk was already in the hallway,¡± Carl said. ¡°He¡¯s right, it¡¯s apletely different kind of kill. Close range, angry and bloody.¡±


    ¡°Almost like a different person,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh fuck, don¡¯t do this to me,¡± Carl said. ¡°You think there was a team?¡±


    ¡°It might make sense. Three of the kills were surgical, a professional job. The fourth was personal. If it¡¯s personal, it¡¯s someone who knows him and hates him, and that person came here nning to kill him.¡± I grabbed another piece of Chicago-style sausage deep dish and started to eat it.


    ¡°Or it is someone who mes Dirk for turning a girl he cares for into a heroin-addicted sex ve, being whored out to dozens of men a day,¡± Carl said. ¡°He might have taken that VERY personally.¡±


    ¡°And while this person is getting his revenge, his backup is getting the girl and making sure no one gets in their way,¡± Stan added.


    ¡°The person who killed Dirk would be covered with blood, I¡¯m talking Carrie-movie-like levels. The autopsy showed both the internal and external carotid arteries were not just cut, they had chunks taken out of them. She told me his blood would be spraying like a garden hose for ten to twenty seconds until his heart stopped, and the bloodstains on the wall and floor back that up. The killer would be covered in blood, yet we don¡¯t see a trail of blood down the stairs.¡± Carl leaned back in his chair and took a drink of his Diet Coke. ¡°The Luminol showed the bloodstains ended in the stairwell, which means the killer took his shoes off, and had Star take her heels off, because both the boots and the high heels tracked the blood down the hall.¡± Luminol made bloodstains show up under ck light.


    ¡°There¡¯s no evidence of a third person in the bloodstains,¡± Stan said. ¡°Not that the carpet gave us anything usable to identify the shoes, but it¡¯s only the boots and the heels.¡±


    I tossed my empty Coke bottle into the trash. ¡°It¡¯s driving me nuts,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping the FBIb can give us the type and size of boot, because that would back up my theory on the shooter being about five-foot-six. How¡¯s the hit man search going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Stan said. ¡°This was so clean, it¡¯s not like a mob hit, it¡¯s more of a military style. Fast, efficient and deadly. I¡¯ve got no good leads.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting nowhere,¡± Carl said. ¡°We¡¯re tired and just tossing shit out. Go home, get some sleep ande back in the morning with some ideas on where to go next.¡±


    ¡°I have amitment in the morning,¡± I said. ¡°All right if I show up after lunch?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Thanks for your help, Randall. For a Fed, you¡¯re a decent guy.¡± He and the boysughed. It was amazing what springing for pizza could do for your rep.


    ¡°Why, thank you. For a bunch of ignorant backwoods hicks, you guys are surprisingly smart.¡± We allughed as we got up and cleared the room.


    I went down to my car and set the GPS for our Pack house by the Sulphur River. I needed answers, and I hoped my father had gathered what I had asked him for. With the evening traffic, it took almost four hours to drive there with one stop.


    A few wolves came alongside my red Jeep Cherokee as I drove down the long gravel road towards the Pack House. I slowed down and let one wolf jump into my passenger seat, and he licked my neck before shifting back to his human form. ¡°Sloppy wee, Bobby,¡± I said as I pped the shoulder of my younger brother. He and his twin sister Bonnie were the youngest of our family, and she had found her mate in a Maine pack two years ago. Bobby was still looking while going to college.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 The Alpha Killer

    ¡°Good to have you back home, Randall,¡± he said as he buckled the seatbelt. ¡°It¡¯s boring here without you.¡± He smirked as he saw Mom and Dad standing on the front porch of the sprawling ranch-style home under the wide overhang of the roof. The house was connected underground to the houses surrounding it, and those passages contained additional storage and other rooms. ¡°You sure kicked up a ho¡¯s nest with your phone call.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, I need Dad¡¯s help.¡± Brent and Patricia had led the Sulphur River Pack, a strong and loving group of nearly a hundred people, for the past six decades and were still going strong. They were well respected among the American packs, bringing calm and reason to the discussions that could easily get out of hand. Each of us sons had been dragged to watch regional and national Alpha Council meetings, functioning as bodyguards for our sisters as the unmated searched for their other half. ¡°Did you put together what I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s got Mom worried. She doesn¡¯t want you anywhere near the Alpha Killer, even if it is for your job. She thinks she¡¯s more dangerous than a cornered rogue.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± He grinned as he got out, unconcerned with his nudity like all wolves on their home territory. He walked past our parents with just a kiss to Mom, while Dad was ring down at me and Mom was waiting nervously. I stopped on the steps below them, bowing my head slightly in deference to their rank. ¡°Father, Mother, it is good to be home.¡±


    ¡°Wee home, my son,¡± my Dad said as he opened his arms. I stepped forward, embracing him then being pulled into a hug by my mother. Both buried their noses in my neck, letting my scentfort their wolves after my absence. ¡°Did you have a good drive?¡±


    ¡°Once out of the cities, yes, but that is always the case.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can live among all those people and all those smells,¡± Mom told me. ¡°It would drive me batty.¡±


    I justughed as she pulled me inside. ¡°It just makesing home so much better.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re meeting in my office,¡± Dad said in a tone that made it amand. ¡°Your call has me worried.¡±


    I followed my parents to the conference room next to their shared office. Waiting at the table were my oldest two brothers, Dusty and Das, the heirs to the Alpha and Beta positions. My father¡¯s Beta, ¡°Bear¡± Baldwin, was sitting to the right of my father while my mother sat to the left. Bobby had put on jeans and a shirt and was sitting on the other side of my brothers, while I ended up at the position at the end opposite my father, with the Delta, Frank Madison, to my left.


    ¡°What I am about to discuss involves an ongoing FBI and Das Police Department investigation, and the information cannot leave this room,¡± I said ominously.


    ¡°It will not be spoken of to anyone else,¡± my father said, the Alpha ordering out. ¡°Why are you asking about the Alpha Killer?¡±


    ¡°Because she killed four people two nights ago in a Fort Worth hotel,¡± I said. ¡°I traced her scent from the crime scene to a room on the floor below, but she was gone by the time I got there.¡±


    My Dad rxed. ¡°That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it? I mean, the Alpha Council has been unable to bring her to justice, perhaps the human authorities can. Convicting her of multiple homicide in Texas, where they still have the death penalty, is better than having her threatening us all.¡±


    ¡°The people she killed for the most part won¡¯t be missed.¡± I filled them in on the basics of the case. ¡°The Alpha Killer walked into a temporary whorehouse, took out the two humans running it, and left again with one of the sex ves in tow. The question is why?¡±


    Bear shifted ufortably. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°The way she ripped out the throat of a human who ran the operation convinces me this was very personal. I¡¯ve been away at school and training, I¡¯ve not been following Council affairs and I¡¯m only aware that she is wanted. I took the surveince photo you sent me and pulled it up on my phone, and one of the officers made a positive identification that the woman in the room was her. With her was another young woman, also with blonde hair, who she said was her sister. She was human, and retrieving her was the focus, but who is she?¡±


    My father sank back in his chair. ¡°The Alpha Killer¡¯s real name is Talia Stillwater, but she doesn¡¯t go by that name anymore. She was the elder female heir of the Tomah Pack Alphas in Wisconsin. In the course of a few hours, her younger sister Tania was kidnapped from her Pack and her parents were killed in a car crash while rushing back home. She was sixteen at the time, her sister fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Oh Luna¡­ she found her sister in a whorehouse?¡± My mind was reeling; my wolf pushed forward, outraged that someone would do that to a werewolf, much less my mate¡¯s sister. ¡°No wonder she ripped his throat out with a shifted hand.¡±


    ¡°Her sister is still missing, there were no clues, no ransom, nothing. Her family searched for years, even now we get enquiries from her aunt and uncle, who are Alphas of the LaCrosse pack. Her Pack dered her dead a year after she disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she was the Alpha heir, why is it not her Pack?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a longer story,¡± my mother said. ¡°I can hear your heart racing, this is more than an investigation for you, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    I could never get anything past my Mom. Werewolf senses made it impossible to lie, especially to an Alpha. ¡°When I got to the crime scene, I caught her scent in the parking lot. I must have missed her by minutes because it was still fresh.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­.¡± My mom¡¯s hand went to her chest and tears started to fall.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mate, Mom. I have to protect her, she¡¯s MINE.¡±


    My Dad leaned forward, his hands on the table. ¡°There¡¯s a multi-million-dor reward, and she¡¯s been sentenced to death by the Alpha Council. Now you tell us she¡¯s responsible for the murder of four humans. You have to reject her, boy. She will destroy you if you let the bond form.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I just can¡¯t give her up.¡± I looked down at my hands as my Mom got up and rushed to my side.


    What a shitshow my life had be.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Second night after her parent¡¯s funeral


    I couldn¡¯t sleep. My mind would just not shut down and let me rest, it was like a ride that wouldn¡¯t stop even when you got sick and begged for it to stop. My mind kept reying things.


    My family and friends had rallied around me, and we were all hurting from the events of the past week. The reaction to the Council¡¯s edict, requiring me to be marked and eventually mated to Beta Todd, was mixed. For the adults like my grandparents and uncles, it was a pragmatic way to save the Pack and maintain my bloodline in the Alpha position. ¡°We all have to make sacrifices for the greater good,¡± my Grandfather had told me after I left that meeting. ¡°The Pack will be in an uproar without it and may not survive. Mating your Beta is not the worst oue here. Having you killed and someone taking over is.¡±


    ¡°All we have to do is hold on for a few years! Give me a chance to search for my true mate, the man who is supposed to be by my side at the head of this Pack,¡± I begged.


    ¡°Your parents wanted that more than anything, but that won¡¯t happen now. We have to y the hand we are dealt, not the hand we want.¡± He pulled me into a hug. ¡°I spoke with the Council members before you did, I even tried to push for Grandma and I taking over, but we¡¯re old and weak now. Putting me as Alpha makes the Pack vulnerable, and you could end up dead if the new Alpha sees you as a threat to his reign.¡±


    ¡°And what about Tania? Who is going to search for her if the Alpha is not willing to find her?¡± Grandma pulled me into her side. ¡°It¡¯s a hard lesson, but the Pack doese first, always. You will be marked, you have until you are eighteen before you are mated and a full Luna, but everyone will know that is your destiny. We will help you with the transition, I will teach you the things your mother was nning to show you as you became an adult. Nowe on, we need to eat dinner, and we can¡¯t insult the Council by beingte.¡±


    The dinner itself was an ordeal. Everyone talked around me, treating Todd like the Alpha while I was no more than decoration, a trophy for the winner to hoist. If I brought up concerns about Tania, they were brushed off by old men saying everything possible was being done, and I just had to be patient. Anytime something regarding my Pack came up, Todd would talk over me.


    I¡¯d had enough and excused myself before dessert was served. My best friends, Erica and Michelle, ran after me as I left. They could see I was about to explode and followed me onto the porch where I pulled off my clothes and shifted. I led them on a chase along the trails, ending at the beach area when my sister had disappeared from. I let out a long, mournful howl as my friends sat by me to lend mefort. ¡°I miss her so much,¡±I said.


    Erica nudged me with his muzzle. ¡°We all do, and we¡¯re so sorry, Talia. We were all having such a good time and then she just wasn¡¯t here. No one suspected anything until muchter.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Something just isn¡¯t right about her disappearance,¡±Michelle said. ¡°She didn¡¯t take clothes, a phone, not even a towel. We searched for ten minutes or so before we called Beta Todd, and there were no other scents around. She just got up and walked away, and the scent disappeared at the road.¡±


    ¡°Was she seeing anyone? Did she say anything to her friends?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, and we¡¯ve been racking our brains to think of anything that could help.¡±


    I showed them the meeting I had with the Council and the ultimatum I was given, and they were shaking with rage by the end. ¡°Those bastards,¡±Michelle sent. ¡°They expect you to give up your future to keep your title? What about what the Pack wants? I don¡¯t want Todd as Alpha, I want you.¡±

 A Perfect Luna

    ¡°The Council refuses to consider me as Alpha because of my age, and my Uncle and Grandfather agree with them. By Luna, why couldn¡¯t I be eighteen? If I was closer to mating age, I could just find my true mate and everything would be like it should be,¡±I said. ¡°If I let Todd mark me, I¡¯m giving my true mate up forever. Something about Todd just isn¡¯t right, and I don¡¯t even like him, much less love him.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, Talia?¡±


    I got up and walked down to theke, looking across at the moonlight rising over the waters. I loved my Pack, I loved thisnd, and I didn¡¯t love Todd. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I spotted a tub of Rocky Road ice cream in the freezer,¡±Michelle said. ¡°I say we grab it and some spoons and watch chick flicks until we fall asleep. Nothing is going to happen tonight anyway, it¡¯s still the mourning period. Tomorrow night is when Beta Todd is being installed as Alpha.¡±


    We had binged on ice cream and snacks, and my friends had finally fallen asleep about two. It was now three in the morning and I couldn¡¯t sleep. I opened the door, walking out into the hallway of the Alpha wing. There had to be more food downstairs.


    The light was on in the Alpha¡¯s office, and I could hear voices. Stopping by the door which had not fully closed, I could hear Beta Toddughing with Chairman Andreas. ¡°Things will work out for the best here, Beta. I know it grates to give up looking for your fated, but it¡¯s been decades for you with no sess. You¡¯ll be a good Alpha, and she will eventually be a strong Luna for you. It doesn¡¯t hurt that she¡¯s a hot little number.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn little princess, more like. Her father spoiled her, letting her think she was more than what she is.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Attractive arm candy and a capable pup producer,¡± Beta Todd said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have two years to correct her attitude before she is mated, and I will take advantage of every day. She will be a perfect Luna when I am done; meek, caring and absolutely obedient to her Alpha.¡±


    There was the clink of sses, then two tumblers hitting the desk. ¡°When you mark her, she will go into heat, and she might have one or two more before she is of age. How will you handle that?¡±


    ¡°Just because I can¡¯t fully mate her doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t have fun with her,¡± he said. ¡°There are skills she will have to learn quickly to meet my expectations.¡±


    ¡°It will be easier to control her once she is marked and the bond starts to work its magic,¡± Andreas said. ¡°Women are weak and easily controlled by the bond because deep down their wolves want to be dominated by a strong male. They talk about independence and equality, but deep down they want to be overpowered, pinned to the bed and pounded until they can¡¯t walk straight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that soon enough,¡± he said. ¡°What should I do about Tania?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone, and from everything I¡¯ve seen she left on her own. No one smelled any wolves outside the Pack anywhere in the territory, and there were no signs of struggle. She ran off with a rogue. End the search and wait for her to return when it goes bad, and it always goes bad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She was an impulsive little bitch.¡±


    I had heard enough, and I turned and moved quietly back to my room before they could know I was there. My mind was reeling with the news, but one thing was clear in my mind. I¡¯d cut his nuts off before I allowed a man like that to mark me.


    I walked back to my room, crawled into bed next to my friends, and fell asleep trying toe up with a n.


    I woke upte the morning of the third day after the funeral, knowing tonight at sundown would be the end of the traditional mourning period for an Alpha. Michelle was our early riser, and she had gone down to the kitchen and brought back breakfast for us all. I was starving and ate a lot despite the nervousness of the day. ¡°What happenedst night,¡± Michelle asked as she ced the trolley by the door. ¡°You seem distant this morning, and I know you didn¡¯t sleep well. I woke when you came back to bed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I said as we sat together on my bed. I took their hands and used the bond to rey the conversation I overheard.


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Erica said. ¡°That stuck-up caveman BASTARD!¡±


    ¡°Like you are going to just roll over, bake cookies and pop out pups for him,¡± Michelle said. ¡°You are Alpha blood, not him.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to matter to them or my family, all they see is my age and myck of a dick.¡± Harsh, but true. If I was a sixteen-year-old male, they would let me be Alpha, they would just make sure I had a good support structure and mentoring. Why was it so different for me? I had been raised to run a Pack, while Todd just executed his Alpha¡¯s wishes.


    We didn¡¯te up with anything, so I went to the only people I thought I could trust. I knocked on the door of my grandparent¡¯s room, and they opened it and pulled me into a hug. ¡°Grandfather, I have a problem and I need your help,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t allow myself to be marked by Beta Todd. Not afterst night.¡±


    He looked at me and just nodded. ¡°Can I bring your aunt and uncle into this discussion?¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, it might affect them too.¡±


    A few minutester, we were all together in the sitting area of the guest room they had been given. ¡°Last night I learned some things I was not meant to know,¡± I said. I had us all hold hands, and using the family bond, I was able to share my recollection of the conversation. When I ended the memory and lowered my hands, I could feel the tension in the room.


    ¡°That son-of-a-BITCH,¡± my Grandfather said. ¡°I trusted him.¡±


    ¡°I did too, untilst night. They have no intention of looking for Tania, and he has no intention of giving me any say in the running of the Pack. I may as well not be Alpha because he¡¯s just using me for my bloodline.¡±


    My Aunt pulled me into a hug. ¡°We will find your sister, even if your Alpha doesn¡¯t. We know her, she wouldn¡¯t run off like this. Someone had to take her, and we¡¯ll find her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°What should I do about tonight? The Council is going to install Todd as Alpha, and they expect him to mark me in front of the Pack as his mate. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Tears started to flow. ¡°I don¡¯t love him, and I won¡¯t be his toy. My mate is out there somewhere, and I want HIM.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby,¡± my Grandma said.


    We talked for about twenty minutes before it was time to decide. ¡°So I have three options,¡± I said.


    ¡°The simplest one is to leave with us, today, before the ceremony,¡± my Uncle said. ¡°You join our Pack, reach mating age and find your mate. You go to his Pack when you find him, at whatever rank he is.¡±


    ¡°And give up the Tomah pack and my bloodline¡¯s Alpha right to the Pack.¡± I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Yes, but the Council¡¯s n to put the Beta in ce depends on him mating you for stability. If you don¡¯t do it, we can push for the Alpha position to be put topetition. Eligible Alpha blood members would gather andpete, with the winner granted the job. Beta Todd would be hard pressed to win against such a field.¡±


    ¡°Option two,¡± I said. ¡°I tell the Council that the Alpha position is mine by line of session, and that if someone wants to challenge me, they can do so.¡±


    ¡°Beta Todd will certainly challenge you, and some other Pack members might as well. If you survive, there are bound to be challenges from outside the Pack as well. There are no female Alphas who are not widowed, and even those lose power quickly.¡± My Uncle never sugar-coated things for me.


    ¡°And with my fighting skills, I won¡¯t survive, or at minimum I will be exiled.¡± Alpha challenges were normally to the death, but no challenger was ever allowed to stay in the Pack after losing.


    I chose the third option. For better or worse, I was Alpha right now, and it was time to use that.


    I called the senior Pack members to my office, a little pissed that it smelled more like Todd now than my parents. Beta Todd was notably absent. ¡°Should I get the Beta,¡± my Theta and head of the guards, Nichs, asked me.


    ¡°No but have a vehicle and two warriors stationed outside the Pack House, we¡¯ll be needing it.¡± I sat in my father¡¯s chair. The other members were the junior Beta Victoria, who was in charge of the Pack House and facilities, and Delta Jacob, who was in charge of training the young ones. ¡°What I show you next is not to be shared to anyone outside this room without my permission,¡± I said, bringing my Alpha power to the forefront.


    ¡°Of course, Alpha,¡± they all replied. I showed them the conversation fromst night, but only the part where they talked about abandoning the search for Tania. I could feel their anger; she was a Pack member, and no one else believed she had run off.


    ¡°I cannot allow the Council to install Beta Todd as Alpha of my pack, nor take him as a mate, when he cares so little for my family and a fellow Pack member. We are family, and we don¡¯t give up on family, ever,¡± I said. ¡°For the crime of abandonment of a Pack member, I will be expelling Beta Todd from the Pack. Bring him to the car,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alpha, is that wise,¡± Beta Victoria said. ¡°The Council is still here, and we all know they n to make him Alpha.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t confirm him as Alpha if he isn¡¯t Pack,¡± I said. ¡°And I will never mate with that vile man. If the Council thinks I am going to roll over and y submissive mate to someone they choose for me, they don¡¯t me and they don¡¯t know this Pack. When I exin to everyone what is going on, the Pack will support me. My family has guided this Pack for centuries, and it won¡¯t stop now. Get the Beta, and bring him to the front of the Pack House.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± the Gamma and Delta said as they walked out.


    I gave them a few minutes to find him before sending a broadcast over the link. ¡°Wolves of the Tomah Pack, meet in front of the Pack House immediately. Attendance is mandatory for any member not on duty.¡±

 I Am Alpha

    I walked out of the office, Beta Victoria walking behind me, and my family and friends joined me at the staircase. We walked out to find Beta Todd standing by the car, nked by the Delta and Gamma. ¡°What is the meaning of this,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°Beta Todd has decided to abandon the search for Tania Stillwater, leaving a Pack Mate in the clutches of whoever took her. I will not abide such behavior from one of my Betas. Beta Todd is hereby stripped of rank and is expelled from the Tomah Pack. Warriors, take him away,¡± I said.


    He didn¡¯t move, and the Delta and Gamma didn¡¯t make him. He stared at me, meeting my eyes in challenge, but I wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°You don¡¯t have the authority to expel me from the Pack,¡± he sneered. ¡°You¡¯re a spoiled bitch who¡¯s never had to fight for a thing in her life. This Pack will never ept a young, weak and stupid female such as yourself as their Alpha, nor will the Council or other Packs,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡­ AM¡­ ALPHA,¡± I growled out. Some of the Pack members submitted, but less than half.


    He looked around and smirked. ¡°Then I challenge you for the Alpha position,¡± Beta Todd said. He looked over at the Council members who nodded their assent; if I wasn¡¯t going to go along with their n, they would put their man in anyway.


    ¡°The CIRCLE,¡± I said as I walked down the steps. The Pack stepped aside, letting us pass as we went to the dirt and grass circle behind therge garage building where we held challenges.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You lost your gambit, you need to yield before he kills you,¡±my Uncle sent to me. ¡°We will take you in.¡±


    ¡°I have to do this, win or lose,¡±I said. I was still mad at how it had gone down, people I thought would be loyal to me were more loyal to Beta Todd. He was seen as ¡°alpha-like¡± while I was just a girl, and that fed my anger.


    I shed my clothes and shifted into my light tan and white wolf as we reached the circle. I paced back and forth, watching him as he peeled off his clothing and handed it to the Gamma before shifting to his ck and tan wolf. I should have known he would alert the Council, and they probably said something to Pack members before I did. The betrayal left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    The Chairman walked into the ring. ¡°Since the position of Alpha of the Tomah Pack has not been established by the Council or bybat, this challenge is for the position. As with all challenges, it is to death or submission, with the fate of the loser solely at the discretion of the winner. No one is to interfere with the challenge and leaving the circle will result in forfeiture of the challenge and death. May Luna¡¯s will be done.¡± He left the circle, and it was on.


    My wolf wasrge for a bitch, three feet tall at the shoulder and a hundred and twenty pounds. I was fast and agile, but I was at a distinct experience and size disadvantage. Beta Todd¡¯s wolf was almost a foot taller, plus he had almost a hundred pounds on me. ¡°Any advice, uncle?¡±


    ¡°Stay away, use your speed and try to bleed him enough to weaken him,¡±he said. ¡°Don¡¯t let it turn into a wrestling match or it¡¯s over.¡±


    I growled at him, and he raised his hackles and growled back. ¡°I will enjoy the taste of your blood and your submission,¡±he taunted.


    ¡°Bite me,¡±I responded.


    ¡°That was the n, but I don¡¯t think I want you anymore. I can have my pick of far more beautiful and capable she-wolves than you.¡±


    I attacked first, dashing in and raking my right front w across his right haunch before he could spin away. He lunged after me, and I quickly changed direction, but his teeth caught just above my tail and he shed my skin open. The Pack howled at the blood we had drawn, wolves loved a good fight.


    I darted away, using the space in the circle to avoid him. He stayed in the center, letting me tire myself out. We traded shes and bites, and soon both of us had coats soaked in blood. The difference was that the blood loss was affecting my speed more than his strength.


    I was losing.


    I darted in again, using a move he had seen before, but this time when he turned and leaped after me I reversed and put my shoulder low onto his. He wasn¡¯t ready for that, and he tumbled over me onto his back. I followed quick as lightning, my jaws going for his throat. I got a good grip, biting down hard and shaking to try and rip the chunk out.


    He lowered his head, keeping me from moving the bite upwards from its current point high on his chest. It was too low to kill him, too far from his spine, and it left me vulnerable to counterattack. His back ws raked down my chest and stomach, opening up long slices. I shifted my body, but the damage was building fast and I was starting to lose blood rapidly. If I held on, I¡¯d be disemboweled in a few moments.


    I let go, and he was up on his feet in an instant. I backed away, my stomach bleeding and making movement difficult. He pushed his advantage, charging me and this time I couldn¡¯t get out of the way soon enough. He knocked me onto my back, and as I rolled away, he jumped on top of me with his teeth around the back of my neck.


    The wounds and blood loss had sapped my strength, and as his teeth pushed deeper into my neck and my face was pushed into the dirt, I made my peace with death. ¡°Submit,¡±he demanded.


    ¡°No.¡±I expected him to shake his head and snap my neck, but instead he just kept up the pressure. ¡°Just kill me so I can haunt your ass for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°The Pack will not appreciate their Alpha killing a female who hasn¡¯t reached maturity,¡±he said with a sigh before broadcasting to the Pack and assembled wolves. ¡°Talia Stillwater is cast out from the Tomah Pack and is made rogue. No one may speak of her or assist her in any way, or they will face treason charges. Any Pack who takes her in will face the wrath of the Tomah Pack.¡±


    I cked out.


    It was daylight when I woke again, weak and incredibly sore, somewhere outside Pack territory in the woods. It took me ten minutes to get up on my paws, another ten to limp to a nearby stream and take a drink.


    I had no money, no clothing and no Pack. My life would never be the same.


    Erica¡¯s POV


    Michelle and I watched in horror as our best friend Talia lost the challenge, leaving her a bloody mess on the dirt of the challenge circle. Our new Alpha¡¯s voice sted into our heads. ¡°Talia Stillwater is cast out from the Tomah Pack and is made rogue. No one may speak of her or assist her in any way, or they will face treason charges. Any Pack who takes her in will face the wrath of the Tomah Pack.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, what do we do, Erica?¡±


    ¡°Stay here and warn me if anyone is heading towards her room.¡±


    She looked at me in horror. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not involved, Michelle. You have family here, I don¡¯t.¡±I moved towards the back, once hidden by the edge of the garage I ran back to the Pack House and up to Talia¡¯s room in the Alpha Wing. Grabbing a backpack out of her closet, I quickly filled it with clothes, underwear and practical shoes. I put her purse in there, and her photos I took out of the frames and put into a pocked in the p. Thest things I took were in her desk, her banking information and the papers from her parent¡¯s will. Zipping it all up, I ran back out of the room and down to my Mini Cooper. I drove off Packnds as quick as I could, thest thing I needed was to be summoned back. ¡°Michelle, which direction did the warriors take her?¡±


    ¡°West,¡±she replied. I drove around in the dark through neutral territory from the south to the west side; since Tomah was trapped near the junction of Highways 90 and 94, and the Pack owned huge cranberry bogs in the area, it took a while to make my way. I got to within a mile of the western border and stopped the car along the gravel road. Getting out, I started to scent.


    I couldn¡¯t link Talia or even tell if she was alive, the Pack bond had been broken now. When I didn¡¯t smell anything, I moved a mile farther up the road and tried again, and this time I smelled blood.


    Leaving the car behind, I got out and put the backpack on. I made my way through the forestednd towards the source of the smell, and my heart dropped when I sensed her. She was still unconscious, but her wounds were healing. I got close enough to hear her shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat, but I couldn¡¯t get too close. If someone checked and found my scent with hers, I¡¯d be busted for sure.


    I hung her pack from a tree branch, hoping she would scent me when she woke and find it.


    I¡¯de back tonight and make sure she was gone.

 Back To Human

    Talia¡¯s POV


    I stayed by the stream, drinking my fill and trying to get my body to work again. My stomach and chest protested any movement; the shes were still healing, and a few scabs opened as I moved. I closed my eyes, using my nose to sense things. I could smell my blood strongly, as well as the warriors who had dumped me here. I could smell Alpha Todd¡¯s scent on me from the fight, something I needed to be rid of as soon as possible. I could also smell Erica¡¯s scent and it was fresh.


    First thing was to wash the blood off and get that bastard¡¯s scent off me. I moved along the stream until I found a deeper pool andid in it. The cool water from the underground spring helped ease the sting of the wounds and helped wash the dried blood from my light fur. When I was ready, I braced myself and shifted back to human.


    The pain nearly caused me to ck out again.


    I stood in the eighteen-inch-deep water, breathing and taking the pain in so I could ovee it. Using my hands, I washed away the dried blood from my skin and looked at my torn-up body. I was a mess.


    I walked out of the stream, letting the warm sun filtering through the forest trees and the wind dry my body as I walked. I followed the scent of Erica to the west. A few minutester, I saw the backpack and smiled. My friend had not abandoned me. I reached the pack and zipped it open, pulling out underwear, cargo shorts, a T-shirt, socks and hiking boots. My purse was in there, and I grabbed my cash and driver¡¯s license out of it and put it in my pocket. She had even brought the bank card, which essed the ount with my inheritance from my parent¡¯s estate. Thewyer held Tania¡¯s half for her, and my portion was not a fortune, but it was enough to get a fresh start. Alphas, at least honest ones, weren¡¯t getting a lot of personal wealth because they plowed the earnings back into the Pack.


    I said a silent prayer to Selene asking her to protect Erica for what she had done. It was incredibly brave of her to leave this for me after my exile, but it made my getaway so much easier. I put the backpack on and started walking west.


    It was well after sunset when I reached the gas station and mini-mart on I-94, and I was starving. I used my money to buy a few sandwiches, some beef jerky and snacks, and a tall coffee. I ate outside, stashing the snacks in my pack forter, and watched the pumps for someone who might help.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Hitchhiking wasn¡¯t asmon anymore, especially for young girls. I wasn¡¯t as defenseless as a human, but I wasn¡¯t stupid either. I kept an eye out for someone with out-of-state tes or an independent trucker, since the freightpanies had rules against passengers. I passed on men under fifty unless they were family.


    Somehow, being a beat-up sixteen-year-old didn¡¯t work well for getting a ride. The first few people I asked, including a younger couple, offered to call the police for me which I declined. Another thought I was a working girl and offered me cash and a ride for a blowjob, which I politely but forcefully declined. I was sitting by the door when a Mercedes sedan came in, with Louisiana tes. A beautiful woman got out, her red hair cascading down in waves to mid-back. She was in a simple ck dress and heels, her pale skin almost glowing in the fluorescent light. She looked to be in herte twenties and had no ring on her finger. She filled up the tank, then walked towards me. I caught her scent and fear went through me like a cold knife.


    Vampire.


    She had my scent as well and looked me over. ¡°What¡¯s a little injured pup like you doing out here all alone, wolf?¡±


    ¡°Cast out,¡± I said. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want any trouble from you and I¡¯m in no shape to fight. If you¡¯re going to kill me, do it quickly.¡±


    She just nodded and went inside to pay. I got up, my body protesting the movement as it continued to heal. She came out as I was halfway across the lot and she caught up quickly. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said. I froze; there was no way to escape her if I was at full strength, much less now. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride and you can tell me your story. My name is Marceline, Marceline Covington, but you can call me Marcy.¡±


    What the hell, I thought. All of the Packs would have been informed of my exile by now, and byw none would give me aid or shelter. A wolf who was exiled was exiled for life, destined to live a loner (peaceful wolf outside of a Pack) or a rogue (same thing but lives around Packnds and is hunted). If I was going to be killed, she would have done it already. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°I am Talia Stillwater, formerly of the Tomah Pack.¡±


    ¡°The Alpha daughter?¡±


    ¡°I was. Now I¡¯m nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your parents, the Vampires respected them and left them alone. Suspicions were being raised that Vampires had taken your sister, but I can assure you that is not the case. No one would risk war with the werewolves over an underage girl, especially one whose Pack was not an enemy of the Council.¡± For some reason, I knew she was speaking the truth. ¡°The Vampire Council met in St. Paulst night. We had representatives from every Coven present and none of us were involved.¡±


    I followed her to her car, which was a Mercedes S-550 luxury sedan. ¡°Hang on,¡± she said as she grabbed a nket from the back seat and spread it over the leather passenger seat. ¡°No offense, but your wounds are still bleeding. It¡¯s distracting, and the leather will stick to them.¡±


    ¡°None taken. Thank you for the ride.¡± I got in and settled into thefortable bucket seat, as she got in and fired up the twin-turbo V-8 engine. We pulled onto I-94 east towards Madison, and she drove like she didn¡¯t fear death or State Patrol officers. ¡°We¡¯ll get pulled over in a heartbeat around here, the State Troopers are thick between Tomah and the Dells,¡± I said from experience.


    ¡°Vampires don¡¯t get tickets,¡± she said. ¡°We have the ability to control the minds of humans, so I never get more than a warning.¡± She smiled as she pushed it up over a hundred miles an hour. ¡°You aren¡¯t as afraid of me as I expected.¡±


    ¡°I epted my own death not even twelve hours ago, and you would give me a quicker death than the Pack would.¡± It was true. I watched the road signs whip past, we were well outside my Pack territory now. I thought of my friends, of everyone in the Pack that I loved and would be forever separated from. Erica was bound to be discovered and punished for helping me. Tears ran down my eyes as we sped towards Madison. ¡°You really want to hear my story?¡±


    ¡°Talia, my coven is led by Jarrod Covington of the New Orleans pack. It¡¯s a two-night drive, even with me driving,¡± she said. ¡°You intrigue me; rarely is a werewolf calm enough to have a conversation with. At my age, I appreciate someone I can learn from.¡±


    ¡°How old are you,¡± I asked, immediately regretting it.


    ¡°Jarrod turned me when I was twenty-eight, the year was 1740. My father had arranged a marriage to a wealthy man in New Orleans, a man I had no wish of joining. The ship I was sent over on had been captured by pirates and I was taken as a ve. Jarrod was hired by my fianc¨¦ to get me back. He killed them all and offered me a chance to go free, but thest thing I wanted was to be married. He returned to New Orleans with me and reported that I had been killed during the attack. I was the first one in our Coven that was turned by him.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± She had been alive for the entire existence of the United States and more. ¡°My story isn¡¯t that exciting.¡±


    ¡°Still, we have time.¡± I told her everything, the events, my suspicions, even how my friend had risked herself to help me. We were on I-39 in southern Illinois by the time I finished. ¡°All I want to do is find my sister and get my Pack back,¡± I said.


    ¡°But you have to defeat Alpha Todd in the ring to take your Pack back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, either I or my mate would have to beat him. Since I¡¯m no longer wee in any of the Packs, finding my true mate is going to be near impossible. Most Packs will kill me on sight if I step on theirnds.¡±


    She thought for a while. ¡°I need to talk to Jarrod, but I can promise you this much. Swear to me that you won¡¯t attempt to harm me or my Coven, and I will swear to you my Coven will listen to you and let you go free if you do not wish to stay.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°Me hurt you? As if.¡±


    ¡°Sunlight, packs and wooden stakes are still weaknesses for my kind, and I need to trust you if we are to travel together,¡± she said.


    ¡°I swear I will not attempt to harm you or your coven. You have helped me and I owe you a debt for that.¡± I held my hand out.


    ¡°And I swear you will be safe with us until you wish to leave,¡± she said as she took it. Her hand was slightly cold but strong.


    ¡°Good. Then we can drive straight through. You can drive, can you not?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± I said. I¡¯d gotten my license three months ago.


    We were near Memphis as sunrise approached when she pulled off the freeway, heading to the back of a strip mall that wasn¡¯t open yet. ¡°Come on,¡± she said, popping the trunk and leaving the car running. I walked to the back and was surprised to see the trunk had been modified quite a bit. A mattress covered it, pillows were in there, as well as LED lights and some books. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t need to sleep, but we do need to avoid light. My trunk can function as an emergency shelter during the day; once it closes, it won¡¯t open again unless there is no UV light present. We can still talk, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to hear each other through the back seat if you don¡¯t crank the radio,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive safe,¡± I said.


    She crawled in the trunk. ¡°The GPS system has the location of our home loaded, just follow instructions and don¡¯t get pulled over. I¡¯ll let them know you areing and when to expect you.¡± She pulled her phone out. ¡°I like you, Talia. You remind me of how I was when I was younger.¡±


    I stopped for gas twice and got a drive-through breakfast, so I made it to the beautiful New Orleans mansion by lunch time. The gate opened as I approached, and the garage door was open as a man in a suit waved me in. He closed the door as I turned the Mercedes off, and I was awestruck by the size and contents of the garage. The Mercedes was the least expensive car in the six-stall garage, I figured. I heard a bar slide as I got out, locking the door. The man moved curtains around, making sure the door did not leak sunlight, then turned the overhead lights off to verify. ¡°It is safe, Miss Marceline,¡± he said.


    The trunk popped open and he helped her out, still holding her phone. ¡°Good, it was getting a little stuffy in there. Talia Stillwater, this is Malcolm, he is one of the familiars here and in charge of the day staff.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure, Madam,¡± he said with a bow. ¡°Your bag?¡±


    I handed it over as Marcy grabbed her bag out of the back seat. ¡°Malcolm, set her up in the guest suite. Talia, follow me, I need to introduce you to my Master.¡± We walked to the back of the garage, where she used her thumbprint to open a door leading to a small vestibule. The heavy metal doors locked, then she punched a code in to the second and it opened for her. ¡°Come on.¡± We went down the stairway which was barely lit with LED lighting, then through a narrow tunnel with doors on each side. It finally opened into a sitting area, a firece in the center, and lounge chairs arranged around it. Two men and one woman looked up at me as I entered, all were young and beautiful. The tall male that came towards me was tall, strong and handsome, with straight ck hair that was cut at shoulder length. ¡°Wee to my home, Talia Stillwater. I am Jarrod Covington, Master Vampire and Coven Leader.¡±

 I Owe The Alphas Nothing

    ¡°Talia Stillwater, Lone Wolf,¡± I said as I shook his hand. I was d I¡¯d had fifteen hours of driving to get used to being around a vampire, so I wasn¡¯t as nervous as I should have been. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    The other two, Eduardo and Anastasia, introduced themselves as Malcolm came down with champagne and a tray of snacks. ¡°Please, eat. You are still healing, she-wolf.¡±


    The tray was heavy on meats and cheeses, and Malcolm handed me a tall ss of juice. ¡°Marceline helped me escape, and I am in her debt for that. She said you might have use for me.¡±


    Jarrod nodded. ¡°She did, but you are not ready yet to perform the service we would ask of you. If you agree to my proposal, we will shelter you, provide for your needs and train you into the weapon you can be.¡±


    ¡°Weapon? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You want to take your Pack, and for that you must be a fierce warrior who can defeat a strong male Alpha. We will help you train until you are that she-wolf. In return, you will help us to eliminate problem wolves our Council wants gone, but without implicating our kind in the act.¡±


    ¡°You want me to kill werewolves for you?¡±


    ¡°A few, and no one who does not deserve death. You will know who and why, and if you don¡¯t agree they deserve death we will not force you. You solve problems for us in a way that won¡¯t blow back on the Covens.¡±


    I owed the Alphas nothing, I thought to myself. ¡°I agree to your proposal,¡± I said as I held out my hand.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said. ¡°Eat some more, then Malcolm will take you to your room. You must be tired, and we will discuss this further at dinner tonight.¡±


    He led me to a room, it wasrge and beautifully furnished with antiques. My clothes were already hanging in the armoire or in the chest of drawers, and my documents were on the desk. Malcolm pulled the draperies closed to darken the space as I caught a glimpse of the gardens and the pool. ¡°I will wake you an hour before dinner,¡± he said as I walked around.


    ¡°Half an hour, I¡¯m not a person who takes a lot of time getting ready,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very well, Ma¡¯am. If you require of anything, this inte goes to the kitchen and one of the staff will provide it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He left, and I pulled my clothes off and walked into therge bathroom. The shower was amazing, and now that my wounds had healed I scrubbed myself well before putting on a long shirt and crawling into bed. I slept like the dead.


    Fitting since I was in a vampire coven now.


    Ch. 10


    Erica¡¯s POV


    I drove my Mini Cooper back to the Pack House garage and parked it before going back to my room which I shared with two other girls. Michelle was waiting on my bed for me. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I will tell you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is she alive?¡±


    ¡°Barely.¡± I took a quick shower and changed to make sure no scents would follow me to dinner, but there was no hiding my scent in the woods. In her room I could im it was residual fromst night if they didn¡¯t go in there right away. Michelle followed me to the dining room, which had been decorated in celebration of the new Alpha for the Tomah Pack.


    My stomach churned as I watched Alpha Todde up on the elevated front table with the Alpha Council and the visiting Alphas and Lunas. Chairman Andreas said a few words of congrattions, ending with everyone raising their ss in a toast to his new position. Alpha Todd then addressed us all. ¡°Thank you for joining me and the Tomah Pack as we usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. I would like to acknowledge the help of the Alpha Council in this difficult time, as well as the support of the surrounding Packs. I look forward to continuing the alliances that our Pack has always treasured.¡±


    I noticed that the LaCrosse Alphas were not smiling at that, in fact they were ring at him. That alliance would not be easily repaired after what had happened to Talia, and what he said about searching for Tania. I sent to Michelle privately. ¡°Now that Talia was no longer in the Pack, would anyone bother to look for her sister?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Todd won¡¯t. She still has the Alpha bloodline and if mated to an Alpha, could challenge for the Pack again.¡±She shook her head. ¡°Do you see all those sluts trying to get Todd¡¯s attention? Word is he¡¯s nning to audition Lunas every night, and his calendar is already booked weeks out.¡±


    ¡°Selene, I can¡¯t believe they would fuck that,¡±I said.


    ¡°For a chance to be Luna, they¡¯d do more than that. Bunch of bitches, and just wait until he starts traveling to other packs.¡±


    We stopped talking as the dessert came out, a turtle cheesecake that was to die for. I was halfway done when I felt eyes on me; looking up, the Alpha was staring at me, livid. People started moving away from me as he stood. ¡°ERICA CONNALLY, COME HERE,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Oh fuck,¡±I said as Michelle looked at me in horror. I got up, walking forward to the table. His dominance washed over me and I dropped to my knees, showing my neck in submission.


    ¡°Erica, what did I order when my challenger was banished?¡±


    I looked up at him, shaking, and somehow found my voice. ¡°You said no one was to speak her name or help her in any way, and anyone who did would be guilty of treason.¡±


    ¡°And what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I packed some of her things and left them for her outside the territory, sir.¡± There were gasps in the room as they realized what was happening. I was as good as dead.


    ¡°And if someone helped her?¡±


    ¡°They would bemitting treason, Alpha.¡±


    The room was silent for a few moments. ¡°Thest thing I wanted to do to start my reign is to deal out punishment, but the first thing YOU did was tomit treason. Warriors, strip her and take her to the punishment pole.¡± The men moved forward, ws ripping off my clothes with little regard for the skin under them as I shook in fear. Michelle ran forward, but I shook my head no; this was my choice and my punishment.


    I was led out of the room and the entire Pack followed, along with the guests. My legs started to give way in my fear, but the men just lifted me so my feet barely touched the ground. The pole looked to outsiders like a gpole, but it was anything but. My hands were tied together with the rope before they were pulled high, lifting me up onto my toes. The warrior tied the rope off, leaving me helpless. ¡°Rx your body, struggling will make the pain worse,¡± he said as he stepped back.


    The Alpha came close as I sobbed. ¡°For the crime of treason, Erica Connally will receive twentyshes before she is branded and cast out.¡±


    I started to cry harder, hearing others cry and plead for mercy, but it was not toe. The Alpha unfurled the whip; it had silver dust imbedded into it, slowing the healing and increasing the pain from each cut. I closed my eyes and tried to rx, but when I heard the whoosh of air and the crack, it took a second for the pain to explode in my mind and all other thoughts ended.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    I screamed in agony.


    The second was on its way before my scream ended, and they kepting. Pain mounted until I couldn¡¯t scream any more, I couldn¡¯t breathe, I couldn¡¯t think. I didn¡¯t even recognize when it was done until he was next to me again. He was holding a metal brand, heating it with a propane torch until it glowed red-hot. ¡°Treason against a Pack is one of the worst offenses a wolf canmit. Death is too good for a traitor; instead, we mark their cheek so all who see them know what they are and why they are rogue. She will live the rest of her life in fear, running from Packs, being beaten or used by whoever wants to, trusting no one and not being trusted. She is the lowest of the low.¡± He grabbed my hair, holding me tight to the pole before the brand was pressed to my left cheek.


    I must have passed out, because I woke up in a man¡¯s arms. My back and buttocks were ame from the whip, and my cheek ached from the brand, which was followed by rubbing in silver dust so it would scar badly. I opened my eyes, I was cradled to a broad chest, his arms supporting my legs and my neck. I took a sniff and recognized the scent, I had visited the LaCrosse pack with Talia and Tania before. ¡°Alpha rk?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe, child,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re almost home.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand, I was rogue and branded with the ¡®T¡¯. There was no Pack that would take me in. My life was over, no man would ever consider mating me now. ¡°Home?¡±

 I Will Find Her

    ¡°After you were branded, you were taken off the territory and dumped in the same ce Talia was left. I wish I could have stopped it, but an Alpha off his territory has no power, and the Council was never going to interfere with an internal Pack affair like this. You were foolish to do what you did, Erica. Brave but foolish.¡±


    ¡°Talia was¡­ Talia IS my friend,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your loyalty to her is why I came to get you. Some of the men were already talking abouting out to find youter; rape of a rogue is no crime, even if underage. We said our goodbyes and grabbed you on the way out. If you wish, you may join our Pack, but we will have to keep you out of sight until things settle down.¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± I said. He pulled out a knife, cutting his finger before saying the words and touching his hand to my still-bleeding cheek. I felt the Pack bond snap into ce; I was lucky. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said before I fell back to sleep.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Suphur River Pack,3 days after Tania¡¯s rescue


    ¡°If she¡¯s your mate and you don¡¯t want to reject her now, you might after you read this stuff,¡± my father said. ¡°I called the Alpha Council and requested all the information they had on her, and they sent me this.¡± He tossed me a jump drive.


    ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°Part of the truth. I told him you called me because a woman who matched Talia¡¯s description came up in an investigation you were doing, and you needed the background to track her down. He was very eager to share the information and reminded me the reward is doubled if she is captured alive. He hopes that you will be able to do this outside the human system.¡± I started to growl at the thought. ¡°The Council does love their spectacles. After all the damage she has done, there would be a line of Alphas wanting to take part in her execution.¡±


    I was gripping my chair, and my nails were starting toe out as my wolf reacted. ¡°Stop that talk, love, you¡¯re stressing his wolf,¡± my Mom said as she stroked my back. I pushed the wolf back, taking deep breaths.


    ¡°I will find her, but I will kill her myself before I let her be turned over to them,¡± I said.


    ¡°She might kill you first, son. Don¡¯t underestimate her, ever. James Baldwin once said, ¡®The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.¡¯ James never came across a woman like this.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°How can that be? She¡¯s what, twenty years old, female and weighs maybe a buck twenty.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯ll kill your dumb ass before you know what is happening. Didn¡¯t the FBI teach you anything? The ones who are scared are unpredictable, but the ones who aren¡¯t scared are dangerous. Her life changed, she¡¯s faced death and she just doesn¡¯t care if she lives or dies. Add in that she somehow became a highly trained killer, highly proficient with guns, knives and hand-to-handbat. She¡¯s killed three Alphas and another two dozen high-ranking werewolves in just thest three years. Hell, the Council¡¯s direction is not to go after her at anything less than toon strength.¡± Damn. A toon was thirty men. Could she really be that dangerous?


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, bro, but you¡¯ve been away from this for a while. Dad¡¯s had me coordinating with other Pack Betas for years, and every meeting we have we talk about her.¡± Das looked over at Bear, who just nodded. ¡°Our standing orders to the Pack are to observe and report, until we can get every warrior and Beta we have around her. We¡¯re not underestimating her, ever.¡±


    It was a lot to take in. ¡°All right, I¡¯m tired and cranky. I¡¯m going to clean up and get some sleep. Das, can we talk in the morning?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk again after you¡¯ve had a chance to review the files,¡± my Dad said. ¡°Go. The rest of us need to talk about what this means to the Pack.¡± I got up, kissing my Mom¡¯s cheek on the way out, and closed the door behind them.


    If this was a shitshow for me, there could also be blowback onto my Pack. I was stuck in a minefield without a map. Heading for my room, I tossed the jump drive on my desk and took a long shower.


    A long COLD shower, followed by bed.


    I woke up just after six and went down to get breakfast. ¡°Morning, Randall,¡± my Mom said as she saw mee into the kitchen. ¡°You get any sleep?¡±


    ¡°Like a baby, waking up every hour crying,¡± I said with a smile. I pped my brother Bobby¡¯s shoulder as I sat at the table, he was the only sibling living at the Pack House who my Mom would cook for. ¡°You¡¯ve looked at the stuff and I haven¡¯t, what are your thoughts,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve spent far too much time thinking about what the Alpha Killer has done and too little on why,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s never exined her actions, she just shows up, kills them and leaves the cards behind.¡± To make sure the Council knew who was responsible, she always left behind an Ace and King, usually on the body.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was her sister she took out of the hotel,¡± I said. ¡°No one saw her, but from the interviews with the other girls we freed, she went through a living hell. Do you think she mes those Alphas or the Council members for what happened to her sister?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. There is a whole year after she was expelled from her Pack where she was not heard from, ending when the first body showed up.¡±


    Mom put some eggs, bacon and toast down for us, and I ate and thought about what he was saying. One thing was certain, I wasn¡¯t going back to work today. I sent a text to my boss and Detective Carl letting them know I wasn¡¯t feeling well and wouldn¡¯t be in today.


    By three in the afternoon, my bedroom had turned into the nerve center for my investigation. I had pulled in some white boards from the Pack school, and myputer and printer were put into use. I had divided the walls into sections from each attack, focusing on the potential motives for each. I had a whole section devoted to her sister¡¯s disappearance, and another on the missing year; that one was pretty much empty. Photos, statements and ideas were put up everywhere.


    ¡°Whoa, you¡¯ve been busy,¡± my father said as he came into the room.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to need more time.¡±


    ¡°You called in to work today, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve probably taken hardly any sick time, and I think you might havee down with a bad case of viral pneumonia. I¡¯m pretty sure Doc will give you a note saying you can¡¯t go back to work for a couple weeks.¡±


    He was right. I had a lot to do if I was going to find my mate and figure out a way to keep her. ¡°I¡¯ll send another text tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have any support you need from us, son. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m thrilled at who Selene has given you for a mate, but we don¡¯t get to pick it, we just have to trust she knows what she is doing. I would only ask one thing in return.¡±


    ¡°Anything, Dad.¡±


    ¡°When you decide if you want to ept or reject her, give me a call. The oue of your decision will affect far more than just you, and we have to manage it either way.¡±


    He was right, of course. ¡°I promise,¡± I said.


    Two dayster I had more questions than answers. I decided to go back to the beginning, to learn about what she was like before she became the killing machine she is now.


    I didn¡¯t want to go to the Tomah pack, because I didn¡¯t trust the Alpha. When I looked at the case through an investigator¡¯s eyes, it looked like an inside job. I didn¡¯t have any evidence, but when I looked at motive and opportunity, it came up to the same person.


    Who was in charge with the Alphas gone, was trusted by Tania, and benefited from the Alphas racing back to the Pack? Todd.


    Instead, I needed to talk to her family and friends. The top of my list was the person who had suffered the most from her disappearance, her best friend Erica. Dad made the call, and I pulled out the next morning, setting my GPS for Lacrosse, Wisconsin.

 Luna Gave Me a Mate

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you going to kiss her or kill her when you find her, Randall?¡±


    I looked over and red at my brother Bobby, who was looking out at the North Texasndscape flying by as we went north in Interstate 35. ¡°Not funny, Bobby. This woman has my head spinning.¡±


    ¡°You always did have to do things the hard way. Leaving for the University of Texas, going tow school, joining the FBI. You¡¯ve never epted anything because of your heritage, you insisted on doing things on your own, to make your own name. You could have stayed with the Pack, taken a job on the ranch, and had my life, but Noooo¡­ you have to do things on your own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kid eight of ten, Bobby. You at least have youngest child syndrome. By the time I grew up, my older brothers and sisters had already ruined every experience I hoped to have. I couldn¡¯t have any parties after Dusty¡¯s buddies broke into Dad¡¯s liquor cab and threw up on his office carpet. I had to buy my own car because they¡¯d already had six idents before I got my permit. All the teachers in EVERY grade, as you well know, looked at me with the knowledge of what the seven before me had done in their sses.¡±


    ¡°So what? I got all that PLUS what you did, and I got stuck with the Baby Princess who got whatever she wanted.¡± He just wasn¡¯t going to let me get away with it.


    ¡°Well, Mommy DID love you best. One dimpled-cheek grin, and you got thest piece of pie, you little shit.¡±


    He busted outughing. ¡°Damn, I knew it woulde down to food with you.¡± He looked back out the window. ¡°I¡¯m d Dad asked me to go keep an eye on you, I miss having you around.¡±


    ¡°I think Dad was hoping you¡¯d find a mate and get out of his house,¡± I teased. ¡°If he wants to watch a horror film, he pulls up ¡®Failure to Launch.''¡±


    ¡°Mom likes me there.¡± He fiddled with the satellite receiver, looking for a better song. ¡°I just hope the woman Luna has for me is a no-drama woman. Good looking, great in the sack, loves family andes from an allied Pack. I don¡¯t think I could handle a tenth of the difficulties you are going to have.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give her up without looking in her eyes and understanding who she is,¡± I said. ¡°If she¡¯s beyond salvage, I¡¯ll do what I have to do. Like I told Dad, I¡¯m not letting the Council torture her, and I¡¯m not turning her over to the human authorities. You should have seen that ce, Bobby. It turned my stomach to think of those poor girls being forced to live like that. If that was her sister in there, I don¡¯t have a problem with what she did. Hell, I would do the same thing if it was Bonnie who had been taken.¡±


    ¡°One big difference I can think of,¡± Bobby said. I looked over at him. ¡°You¡¯re nowhere close to the shooter Talia is. Three for three on head shots?¡± I snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to argue with me, I¡¯ve seen you shoot.¡±


    ¡°The professional in me admires her skills as much as the wolf in me is sad she had to develop them,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot.¡±


    ¡°I hope it works out, Randall. You need a woman who can keep you on your toes.¡± Unable to find a good song, he turned it off then leaned back in the seat. ¡°Dad sent us some information on the LaCrosse Pack and the Tomah Pack. How about I read it, then we quiz each other?¡±


    ¡°May as well, it¡¯s a long, boring drive ahead of us.¡± The more I learned of the LaCrosse Pack and how Talia¡¯s remaining family had behaved, the better I felt. Her grandfather still lived with the Pack, her grandmother having passed away a year after Talia was banished. Alpha rk Grissom, the older brother of Talia¡¯s mother, and his mate Teri were respected Alphas. They were even rumored to have taken in Talia¡¯s friend Erica after she was kicked out of the Tomah pack for treason.


    The Tomah pack just made me angry. I was convinced Alpha Todd was either responsible orplicit with the disappearance of Tania Stillwater, and I suspected him in the deaths of their parents. Pack politics and the Council had ensured any investigation was cursory, the deaths ruled an ident, the disappearance just a teen running away.


    It was time that someone not involved did a real investigation, and I didn¡¯t care what the Council or the Packs thought about it. I had an active case where the Alpha Killer was implicated, and I was going to find out what happened to her.


    We did tanks, alternating driving and sleeping so we could arrivete that night. I called the Alphas and told them we were close, and they sent a warrior out to meet us and lead us in. It was almost midnight, so by the time we paid our respects to the Alphas, we were taken to our rooms.


    The next morning, we joined the Pack for breakfast. It wasn¡¯t a huge Pack, maybe sixty people, but they were close like a big family would be. The food was good, and the Alphas introduced us and said we would be visiting for a time as we looked for our mates.


    I could tell Bobby was disappointed he didn¡¯t sniff his mate out when we entered the room, but that didn¡¯t stop the she-wolves froming up and saying hello. ¡°Maybe my sister and I can show you around the territory,¡± a curvy young woman said after confirming we weren¡¯t mates.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to meet with the Alphas and their leadership, my Alpha has some things he wants me to bring to their attention,¡± I politely declined.


    ¡°Renee, Rachel, show them around this morning but have them at my conference room by ten,¡± Alpha rk said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t get my senior leadership together any sooner because of previous engagements.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alphas. We will see you at ten.¡± I asked himst night to meet with specific persons, and he agreed to have them there. Theirnd was much different than ours, but it was nice. They hadnd both in the backwaters of the Mississippi and in the forested hills and bluffs south of the small town. ¡°How hard is it to run with all these people around,¡± I asked as we drove over the railroad tracks towards the inds that divided the backwaters below the dam.


    ¡°We usually avoid the river bottoms, too many boaters around in the summer. We normally run along the bluffs or in the woods at the base.¡± My Jeep was having fun on the dirt trails, we even got some offroad action in. All too soon it was time to return to the Pack House.


    I walked into the room, Bobby behind me. I was shown to the base of the table, with myptop in hand I asked if I could hook up to their 80¡å LED screen. ¡°That¡¯s a little much for a mate hunt call, isn¡¯t it,¡± Luna Teri said. She sat next to her mate at the head of the table. The Beta pair, Brad and Lori, and the Gamma pair, Michael and Sally, sat along the side opposite the television. On the other side, next to the Alpha, was Talia¡¯s grandfather. Bobby sat behind me on one of the chairs along the wall.


    ¡°I apologize for not being honest about my reasons for the visit, Luna, but I didn¡¯t want to alert anyone that my presence here was anything but a social call.¡± I pulled my identification out of my pocket and handed it to the Gamma. He opened my FBI identification, his eyes got wide, then he passed it down. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the FBI for four years now. Last week, the human trafficking task force I am assigned to was called in after a multiple murder in a seedy hotel in Fort Worth.¡±


    ¡°Nasty business, that human trafficking,¡± Beta Brad said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think it would be a problem this far from the cities, but they lure young girls in with drugs and attention.¡±


    ¡°True, and sometimes it is worse. The killer took out the couple who was running the prostitution ring, and two of the johns. When I arrived, I caught a scent, and it was the killer. She was a werewolf.¡±


    ¡°She? Murdering humans?¡±


    I pulled up the file on myptop and showed some of the crime scene photos. Their eyes got wide when they saw Dirk Carlson leaning against the wall with his throat torn out. ¡°Damn,¡± Gamma Michael said. ¡°Shifted ws or hybrid form. So was this some rogue she-wolf?¡± It wasn¡¯tmon to have female rogues, they didn¡¯tst long without protection.


    ¡°Not just any she-wolf,¡± I said. I flipped to the surveince photo the Council had sent out. ¡°The Alpha Killer herself. She didn¡¯t run either, she had a room on the floor below; one of the officers interviewed her and recognized her photo. She had checked in the morning before and was in her room when the police arrived. That¡¯s why no one saw a killer flee.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure it was her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha, I smelled her on the victim and followed her scent to the room. If that wasn¡¯t enough, she went three for three on head shots in the hallway. She was gone before I arrived, and the authorities don¡¯t suspect her.¡±


    The Beta female looked at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t divulge my werewolf senses, and I don¡¯t want to have her arrested because Talia Stillwater is my mate.¡±


    The room exploded in noise, and half of them got up from their chairs. It took the Alpha growling to calm things down again. ¡°The Alpha Killer is your mate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. When I realized who she was, I asked my Father to obtain the Council files on her. The first tragedy to befall her was the kidnapping of her younger sister,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Council and her Alpha said she ran off with someone,¡± her grandfather said.


    ¡°As an investigator, I need to know the truth, and that is why I am here. I intend to investigate the kidnapping and the deaths of her parents, because these events led to her banishment and her new career. I need to know if my mate is a heartless criminal or a wronged female driven by vengeance.¡±


    There was silence for a moment. ¡°Tania was our niece, and there hasn¡¯t been a body, a sighting or amunication from her since that day,¡± the Luna said. ¡°Her disappearance haunts me to this day.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything of hers with her scent still on it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Luna said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    As she left, the Alpha turned to me with anger in his eyes. ¡°Six months after my nieces were gone from the Tomah Pack, I got a call from Alpha Todd. He said he needed the space and had his people pack up all the personal effects of Tania, Talia and the previous Alphas. If I didn¡¯t want them, he was going to give them to Goodwill.¡± His hands were turning white as he gripped the edge of the table. ¡°We sent a truck and had them brought here, they are all in storage in case they return.¡±


    ¡°Was there any evidence to suggest she went voluntarily?¡±


    ¡°Never, but there wasn¡¯t evidence she was forced either.¡±


    The Luna came back into the room, handing me a blouse in a stic bag. When I opened it, the scent was still clear, and it confirmed my suspicions. I closed it back up and handed it back to my brother as she walked back to her seat. He took one sniff and ran out of the room with it. ¡°One of the things I found curious about the killings was that Talia went directly to a specific room where she killed a man who was with a woman and brought her out. The woman she rescued was young and blonde and ording to interviews with the other girls, had been a sex ve for years.¡± There were gasps and some of thedies started to cry. ¡°It was her, Tania Stillwater. I recognize the scent.¡±


    ¡°Her sister found her?¡± The Luna was breaking down, her mate pulling her into hisp andforting her.


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re gone now, and I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll contact you, but you are still Tania¡¯s family. I have to warn you, she¡¯s essentially human now. Whoever took her, killed her wolf too.¡± It was a lot to take in after four years of not knowing anything. It didn¡¯t surprise me when the Luna ran for a garbage can and threw up.


    ¡°Anything else,¡± the Alpha asked.


    ¡°If shees here, she¡¯s going to need professional help. In addition to how she was used, she and the others were hooked on drugs to make them easier to control.¡±


    ¡°We will take care of Tania if shees to us, or if you find her,¡± Alpha rk promised. ¡°Talia too, no matter what the Council says.¡± He looked at the others, who nodded. ¡°We will get them back, we will find those responsible and they will feel our teeth.¡±


    All the wolves in the room agreed, their family had been harmed and the wolves wanted blood. ¡°Randall, is your brother all right,¡± the Luna asked.


    ¡°Bobby, where are you?¡±


    ¡°Running it off, bro. I can¡¯t believe it. Luna gave me a mate like yours.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That smell. Tania Stillwater is my mate.¡±

 That Fucker

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    LaCrosse Pack House


    Tania, the poor child who had been taken captive at fourteen and suffered four years of unspeakable hell, was my little brother¡¯s mate.


    Fuck.


    He had toe back here, we needed to talk. ¡°Come back here, we need to tell them about this and I¡¯m not going to do it.¡± I looked over at the room. ¡°Bobby went for a run. His wolf gets upset when we talk about what happened and he needed to let it out.¡±


    Alpha rk stood up, his wolf was forward as well. ¡°I think it would be good if all our wolves got out for a few minutes. Please, join me for a short run. We have much more to talk about, and my wolf is making it difficult because he just wants to run to Tomah and kill that bastard right now.¡± I followed him and his leadership out of the room, and we pulled off our clothes and stacked them on the porch before shifting. My wolf shook out his fur, he was silver-grey with a ck saddle and muzzle. Bobby ran up as I jumped off the porch, his wolf had more ck coloration, but it was clear we were brothers. The Alphas took off for the woods, setting a fast pace. As guests, we ran in the middle behind the Alphas and Beta pair. We ran hard for about thirty minutes before we returned to the home and dressed again.


    We all felt better as we returned to the conference room and closed the door. ¡°What do you need to find out what happened, Randall,¡± the Alpha asked as we sat down.


    ¡°I want to interview as many people as I can who were around Tania at that time. I also want to interview each of you about what you remember about those days surrounding her disappearance through Talia¡¯s exile. Essentially, I¡¯m treating this like a cold case, taking a fresh look at all the evidence and re-interviewing all the witnesses to see if I can find anything new.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have our full cooperation,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°Beta Lori, please set him up with a room and clear your schedule, you¡¯ll be working with him while he is here. I need you to ensure he gets ess to any Pack members he needs.¡±


    ¡°If I may, Alphas,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Thest thing I need is for word to get out on what I am investigating. I would request that all of those who are interviewed be given an Alpha order not to talk about it, and we have a cover story for what I am doing.¡±


    ¡°We can do that. Any ideas for a cover story?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for Packs to arrange for exchanges of people, you can be here to determine if such an exchange would be profitable between our Packs,¡± Luna Teri said.


    ¡°That would work,¡± I said. ¡°Especially if it was six months long and we came up from May to October, and your wolves came down from November to April. It would be easier to get volunteers in each Pack that way. We could be interviewing young people and leadership on what they would like to see in such an exchange.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle that part,¡± Bobby said. ¡°I¡¯ll make it a real project, and once Randall is done with them I will take over. That way if they are asked what we talked about, they can answer honestly.¡±


    There were a few more things we talked through, and I handed the Alpha a list of the people I already knew I wanted to interview. ¡°If you know anyone else who would be of help, please add them,¡± I said.


    He looked at the list. ¡°Michelle joined my Pack a few months after Todd took over along with her family, she is going to the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse now. Everyone else works on Packnds, so they won¡¯t be a problem, except Erica. She was outcast as a traitor, and we haven¡¯t seen¡­¡±


    Luna Teri was ring at him. ¡°They need to know,¡± she said.


    They carried on a conversation over the bond before he let out a long breath and looked at us again. ¡°Beta Brad will take you to see her while his mate works with Bobby to set up an office.¡±


    I suspected they were helping her somehow, despite Councilws on those outcast as traitors, and I was d for it. ¡°Was a missing-person report filed with human authorities?¡±


    ¡°I filed one three days after she disappeared,¡± her grandfather said. ¡°The detective came out and interviewed some people, but nothing ever came of it.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°That¡¯s curious,¡± I said. ¡°Did they take DNA and fingerprint evidence as part of the investigation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they did, why?¡±


    I took a deep breath, this was deeper than I thought. ¡°When we ran Tania¡¯s fingerprints from the room she was in, they didn¡¯te up in the FBI database. If a missing person report was filed, her DNA and fingerprints would set off all kinds of rm bells.¡±


    ¡°That FUCKER!¡± Her grandfather figured it out first. ¡°He paid someone off!¡±


    ¡°Or he swapped out the fingerprints and DNA with someone else,¡± I said. ¡°This is good for me, I¡¯ll swing by the local Sheriff and find out about this case. I can say I¡¯m following up on the missing woman from my Das case.¡±


    ¡°What do you need from us, Randall,¡± the Alpha said.


    ¡°Let me do my job and uncover evidence that can prove who did this. Only then can we capture and try the people responsible. If you go after Todd now, you could spark a war.¡±


    ¡°It will be so,¡± he said as he looked at his leadership. ¡°We don¡¯t do anything or say anything until he¡¯s had his chance.¡±


    I had one more thing they needed to know, and it wasn¡¯t mine to say to I linked Bobby. ¡°Tell them who Tania is to you,¡± I said. ¡°There is one more thing you should be aware of.¡± I turned and looked back at Bobby.


    ¡°I apologize for running off earlier, but I was more than a little shocked. When I scented Tania¡¯s clothing, I recognized her as my mate.¡±


    ¡°Oh Selene,¡± Luna Teri said before breaking into a wide smile. ¡°Oh my, the Goddess has been busy. Two brothers mated to two sisters.¡±


    Bobby grinned, thrilled to know who his mate was. ¡°Yes, I am certain of it. I would humbly ask to be allowed to stay here, because if Tania returns to a Pack it will be here with her remaining family. I want to be here for her if she shows up.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s human,¡± Beta Brad said. ¡°Your brother confirmed it in Fort Worth. You recognized the wolf in her scent from when she still had one, will she still be your mate without a wolf?¡±


    ¡°My wolf does not care,¡± he said. ¡°He has recognized her, he wants her, and he wants blood on his teeth as well for what happened to her. If she cannot fight for her revenge, he will do it for her.¡±


    ¡°I will have to speak to your Alpha,¡± rk said. ¡°You should talk to him first.¡±


    ¡°I am calling him as soon as we are done here,¡± I said.


    Luna Teri looked at the clock. ¡°Lunch is in ten minutes, you should join us there. We will let the Pack know about your cover story. I think everything else, including your mates, should stay quiet.¡± Lunch was a quiet affair, but the potential for an exchange to spend winter in Texas was well received. I¡¯d told my father about it in our short conversation, and he could see a few Texas pack members wanting to escape the summer heat to go to Wisconsin. He¡¯d been shocked to hear about Bobby¡¯s mate, and it made my own investigation even more important to my Pack.


    After the meal, Brad and I got in his pickup and drove to the southern edge of the territory, where a small cabin overlooked the river valley. The cabin was surrounded by gardens and greenhouses, and the scents of herbs and flowers filled the air. A young woman appeared at the door, her beauty marred by a scarred ¡°T¡± on her left cheek. ¡°Erica, this is Randall Meechum of the Sulphur River Pack in Texas. The Alphas would ask that you answer some of his questions.¡±

 Strong & Dangerous

    ¡°Of course, Beta. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Meechum. Pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Call me Randall, please. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Erica.¡± I followed her into the cozy cabin, and as she walked in front of me I could see the crisscross pattern of whip scars on her back and shoulders.


    She must have felt me staring. ¡°They don¡¯t bother me, Randall. I don¡¯t regret a one of them, and this Pack has epted and protected me.¡± She had us sit on her couch, then brought over a pitcher of lemonade and some sses. The windows were open, letting the summer breeze through. ¡°No air conditioning here, it¡¯s off-the-grid power only,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to worse humidity in Texas,¡± I said as I epted a ss. ¡°You need to know a few things before we start, so you know why you can trust me,¡± I said. I exined about my job, the murder investigation, and the discovery that Talia was my mate and Tania was my younger brother¡¯s mate.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°Talia rescued her.¡± She sat back in her chair, trying to process it all. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to track down Talia, but I¡¯m trying to figure out what really happened with Tania and their parents. I have my suspicions.¡±


    ¡°You think Beta Todd was behind it all.¡± I nodded. ¡°Talia didn¡¯t trust him, she thought something was wrong and she didn¡¯t want to mate him ever.¡± She went through everything, from the day Tania disappeared to the Alpha challenge that resulted in Talia¡¯s exile.


    ¡°Why did you help her when the Alpha was clear about how it was forbidden?¡±


    ¡°Talia was getting no help from anyone. The Pack didn¡¯t back her im to Alpha, the Council dismissed her as a girl, and she didn¡¯t deserve her fate. All I wanted to do was to give her clothing and money so she could get away and make a life. She was my best friend, and I had to help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a loyal wolf,¡± I said.


    ¡°Michelle was too, but her parents would have suffered if she did it. My family was gone, so I took the risk and lost.¡± She traced the scar on her cheek. ¡°The Alphas collected me from the woods after I was cast out and brought me to their Pack. The healer used a cream to remove as much of the silver from the wounds as possible, but it was only enough to reduce the scarring from how bad it could have been. I stay here mostly, raising my nts and joining the Pack when there are no guests.¡±


    ¡°Did the police talk to you?¡±


    ¡°A detective talked to me and a few other girls who were at the beach, before Talia returned. We didn¡¯t know anything. She did a cool backflip off the rope swing, went back to her towel and we never saw her again.¡±


    ¡°Did you follow her scent?¡±


    ¡°Yes, up to the road, then we lost her. A bunch of us were searching for where it went when Beta Todd showed up in his Suburban. He shifted to wolf form and tracked her to the boundary line where her scent disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Wait, none of you could trail her but he did?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°We could smell her at the border, there were some other wolves that weren¡¯t Pack there. We were too young to leave the Packnds and search.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Beta Todd could taken Tania and handed her over?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Talia suspected him but had no evidence.¡± She finished her lemonade and set it down. ¡°Would you like another ss?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Did you ever see Talia again after she was expelled from the Pack?¡±


    ¡°No, never,¡± she said, but her heartrate picked up and she was looking out the window, not at me.


    ¡°Try again, this time with the truth.¡±


    ¡°I am telling you the truth.¡± She was really panicking now.


    ¡°Tell me now, or I bring the Alphas in and we get to the bottom of it officially,¡± I said.


    ¡°NO!¡± She sank back into her chair. ¡°I promised never to tell anyone, please don¡¯t make me.¡± She was begging me with her eyes.


    ¡°I will not tell anyone, but I need to know everything I can about what happened with my mate in the past four years. Please.¡±


    She let out a sigh and looked at her hands. ¡°The summer after she disappeared, Fourth of July weekend,¡± she said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t leaving my gardens, there were humans everywhere on the river and the Pack had guests, so I had to stay away. I was sitting on my deck, watching the sun set over the bluffs, when I looked over and she was standing in the treeline. She asked me not to say anything, that no one could ever know she had shown up. I agreed, of course, I was beyond thrilled to see her again. All kinds of things had been going through my mind, wondering if my sacrifice was worth anything in the end.¡±


    ¡°How did she look?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d grown, and she looked stronger and more dangerous. Her scent was off.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, her base scent was there, her wolf, but something else. I med it on being out of the Pack because she wasn¡¯t marked or mated, I checked that.¡±


    ¡°What did she say to you?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to know what I knew about Tania¡¯s disappearance. She couldn¡¯t risk going to the Tomah Pack, and she had picked up my scent at the border and followed it in. We hugged, she thanked me endlessly and said how sorry she was for what happened to me afterwards.¡± She started to cry. ¡°I didn¡¯t care. I told her everything I knew, and she gave me a phone number to call her if I learned anything about Tania that could help her find her.¡± She got up and went to her desk, copying a number onto a Post-it Note. ¡°She said it wasn¡¯t a direct number, but I could leave a message and it would get to her.¡±


    ¡°Did she say anything else that could help me?¡±


    ¡°She said she had taken a blood vow under the full moon to avenge her sister.¡± A blood vow under the moon¡¯s eye was sacred, it meant nothing else would be done until the vow was fulfilled. No Pack, Alpha, Mate or Family could stand in the way. ¡°She found people who were helping her train, and that when she was strong enough, she would find her and destroy those who took her. Her eyes were distant, like she was dead, it was unnerving.¡±


    ¡°Did she say anything about why she was in Wisconsin again?¡±


    ¡°She was given a job.¡± I thought about it; on July 10th, the Alpha of a Pack in the Upper Penins of Michigan disappeared. His body was found four dayster in neutral territory by his Pack.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    An ace and king of spades were stuck in his mouth.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    I spent the next two days interviewing people on the list, slowly building the picture of what happened that day. Michelle was a big help, not so much that she provided any new information, but she was still friends with people in the Tomah Pack and got them to agree to meet her off Packnds. The excuse was mountain biking on the trails near Sparta, and that was why I was taking a borrowed bike off the borrowed rack on the back of my Jeep.


    Bobby had stayed behind, so I put on my gear and followed Michelle on the trail from the parking lot. We rode about five miles in until we found an overlook on the bluff, giving a great view of the rolling terrain around us. I heard some activity on the trail as we stood by the railing before the cliff, and a few minutester two women and one man, all werewolves, rode up and stopped by the benches. The male was nervous, putting himself between the girls and the unfamiliar wolf who looked older and dangerous. ¡°Hi guys,¡± Michelle said. ¡°This is Special Agent Randall Meechum of the FBI, he¡¯s looking into Tania¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s one of us,¡± the man said.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. My Alpha dominance was making them all nervous, so I tried to hold it back. ¡°I¡¯m the eighth child of the Sulphur River Pack Alphas. Since I don¡¯t have to worry about being an Alpha or Beta heir, I went my own way and joined the FBI.¡±


    It was enough to rx them. ¡°How can we help,¡± the teen boy said.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at her disappearance like a cold case investigator, re-interviewing everyone and looking for new evidence. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to talk to you each alone. And please, don¡¯t talk about my investigation with anyone, I don¡¯t want to tip off whoever did this that I am looking.¡±


    ¡°The trail loops around, I¡¯ll take two with me and you can talk to Marty first,¡± Michelle said. He nodded, and she put her helmet on. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in twenty minutes. Come on, Christine, Anna, let¡¯s go have some fun.¡± They took off downhill on their bikes and momentster they disappeared from view.


    A little less than an hourter, I had finished with Marty and Christine. There wasn¡¯t any new information, but they confirmed what Erica and Michelle had told me; nobody scented her between the road above the beach and the Pack border. They didn¡¯t recognize the scents of the wolves at the border, and no other scents were there other than Todd¡¯s. It was Anna who made the trip worth it. ¡°Did anything about Beta Todd¡¯s behavior when he arrived at the road strike you as weird?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The scent trail Todd followed wasn¡¯t there. I¡¯m a tracker, I¡¯ve got one of the best noses in the Pack, and I was searching for half an hour up at the road before the Beta was even called. That scent disappeared, and the only way that happens is if she got into a car and drove away. I checked for hundreds of yards in every direction before he arrived.¡±


    I paused, this was the strongest evidence yet. Most wolves could scent, but trackers were gifted with super-sensitive noses and bodies built for endurance. Her five-foot-ten body was built for cross-country running, she could probably run for days without stopping in wolf form. ¡°Did you scent Tania anywhere else?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Beta Todd sent those of us who had followed him to the border back to the Pack House. On the way back, I picked up her scent again in his Suburban.¡±


    ¡°Did you say anything?¡±


    ¡°I asked him that night, he said he had given her a ride that morning.¡±


    Hmmm. ¡°Thank you, Anna.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Meechum?¡± I looked in her eyes. ¡°I know our Alpha is involved, and he needs to go. Things have not been good since he took over, and I¡¯m praying I find my mate and move away before it gets worse,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting this go,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hope not, because I think my Alpha had Tania¡¯s parents killed to take over.¡±


    I raised my eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about. ¡°The State Patrol ruled it an ident, the report said they swerved to avoid something, probably a deer, and went off the road into a tree.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just my impression, but Todd didn¡¯t seem too broken up by the loss of his Alphas. Plus, I was thinking, what better way to get the Alphas to rush back than to tell them their daughter is missing? um¡¯s Razor, the simplest answer is the correct one.¡±


    ¡°How does that work? He¡¯d have to be working with someone else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, because she has to be off Packnds. We panic, he calls our Alphas and they race home, right into the ambush. He takes out the entire Alpha family and takes over.¡±


    She had the mind of a cop. ¡°Talia wasn¡¯t with her parents, though.¡±


    ¡°Only because she was out water skiing with some other kids, and her parents didn¡¯t wait for her. They told her grandparents to bring herter. If she hadn¡¯t been out there, she would have been in the car too.¡±

 One More Complication

    She had been thinking about this for years, and she was right. She just couldn¡¯t prove it. ¡°I need to look into that ident as well,¡± I said. ¡°You should go to school and studyw enforcement, you¡¯d make a hell of a detective,¡± I said.


    She blushed. ¡°I start sses at UW-LaCrosse this fall. Michelle is going to work with her Alpha to see if my family can transfer to her Pack; if not, I¡¯m going to ask permission to stay with her family while I go to school. I haven¡¯t picked a major, though.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anna. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡± My head was spinning as I thought about what she said. Was Beta Todd devious and power-hungry enough to pull off something like this? He¡¯d ruined the lives of two innocent girls and may have killed their parents, just for an Alpha position. Motive and opportunity, I said to myself.


    The others showed up and Michelle said goodbye before we rode back to my Jeep.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven House


    ¡°So, she is over the worst of it,¡± I asked as we closed the door on Tania¡¯s sleeping form in our guest room at the mansion. I¡¯d spent thest week caring for her with the help of the staff and the doctor.


    ¡°Heroin withdrawal is not over quickly, but I think the worst of the symptoms is over,¡± Doctor Anders said. ¡°She may experience strong cravings for the drug, nausea, fatigue, restlessness or depression. The past week has been difficult for her. The Suboxone has moderated the intensity of the withdrawal. You can¡¯t think this is over now, she can feel effects for months, and long-term sobriety rates are not encouraging.¡±


    ¡°Can she travel?¡±


    ¡°Not alone,¡± she said. ¡°And she needs to continue her treatment wherever you take her. It¡¯s not just the heroin addiction; she¡¯s been through hell and needs ongoing counseling for the abuse she¡¯s endured.¡±


    I nodded; I loved my sister, I wanted the best for her, but I couldn¡¯t give her the full-time care she needed. I had my own work to do, and some people were going to die on my ws soon. Alpha Todd was the easy one on the list, but he would be thest one I¡¯d go after. I wanted Tania to watch the life drain from his eyes, and she wasn¡¯t strong enough for that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need the records of your treatment of her,¡± I said. ¡°I will ensure she gets all the help she needs when we get home.¡±


    She reached into her bag and removed a man envelope. ¡°I expected you would ask for this. Jarrod told me you were a guest here.¡± She handed me the records. ¡°I hope your sister is able to heal from this in time.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± I said as we reached the door. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± I let her out, closing the door behind me.


    Malcolm approached as I opened my eyes again. ¡°I will keep someone watching her, Jarrod needs to talk to you,¡± he said. I nodded and headed for the downstairs entrance, going through the double doors since it was still an hour to sundown. Jarrod was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs; I threw myself into his arms and cried.


    He picked me up and brought me over to the couch, sitting down and holding me on hisp. Marcy came over and hugged my back, she had been my closest female friend since she rescued me at that gas station four years ago. It took a while until I was calm enough to talk again. ¡°I can¡¯t take care of her and avenge her at the same time,¡± I finally confessed. ¡°And I vowed to avenge her.¡±


    ¡°You did, and you are close to fulfilling that vow,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°While you have been caring for your sister, we have been working as well.¡± Vampires didn¡¯t need to sleep, so they could get a lot more done than I could in a day.


    ¡°Did you find her son?¡±


    ¡°We think so. Of all the Packs in North America, only one has a single Alpha male heir who was born at about the right time for what happened to Tania, and no other male children.¡±


    ¡°Why did you search that way?¡±


    ¡°Tania said the man raped her to get an heir, meaning either he didn¡¯t have a living mate or his mate couldn¡¯t give him an heir. Alphas are most likely to be obsessed with an heir, since the Pack normally remains headed by the male bloodline. It¡¯s more likely they only have the one child, but it¡¯s also possible they have an older female child but don¡¯t consider her an adequate heir.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Like that would happen.¡±


    ¡°We also ruled out Alphas who were unmated, as even a bastard child could inherit the Pack. The only reason for an Alpha to use a captive surrogate is that you don¡¯t want the Pack to know it didn¡¯te from their Luna.¡±


    I looked up and saw Eduardo had hisputer hooked up to therge t-screen TV on the wall. ¡°This is Alpha Justin Heranus of the Copper Mountain Pack in Colorado,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s been mated for over seventy years to Rhoda. He found her when she turned eighteen and he was thirty.¡± He moved to another photo, showing the two of them holding a baby in a blue nket. ¡°Just over three years ago, he told his Pack that his mate was pregnant, but it was a high-risk pregnancy since she had multiple miscarriages over the years. He sent her to stay with her uncle, where their Pack had a specialist to care for her. She returned with a newborn baby boy they named Philip. This is what they look like in the official photo from thest Alpha Council summit.¡±


    The eyes¡­ the hair¡­ there was no doubt in my mind this was Tania¡¯s son. ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking fillet him slowly, dip him in alcohol then let him heal and do it again,¡± I said. This was my NEPHEW he had gotten by raping my sister when she was fourteen years old. I started to shake, my wolf wanted out.


    ¡°Rx,¡± Jarrod said as he rubbed my back. I pushed back against my wolf; I wanted blood too, but we had to do this right. Finally, I was under control. ¡°Good.¡±


    I was so d the Covens kept tabs on the werewolves; the files Eduardo showed me on the Copper River pack. It was prosperous, owning a ski resort and outfitter in the rugged Rocky Mountains. Alpha Justin had not participated in the Vampire Wars of thete eighteenth century and had no known enemies. The Pack numbered over a hundred and twenty, living in cabins and a gated housing development in the valley near the resort. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to get at him, and it wasn¡¯t enough to just kill him.


    I didn¡¯t know how involved Luna Rhoda was, or other members of the Pack. It didn¡¯t make sense that you could capture a werewolf and hold her for at least a year, and not involve others. Rhoda came to mind, she had the most to gain by holding a surrogate hostage, and she was gone from the Pack for months. ¡°Tania is brokenhearted that her baby is gone,¡± I said. ¡°I owe it to her to get him back. That¡¯s my first priority after she is safe.¡±


    ¡°What about the Alphas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them after my family is safe. Alpha Todd will have to wait, he¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± I stood up, walking over to the screen and looking at the photo of my nephew. My fingers went up to trace his cheek as a tear went down mine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to Daniel Steele of the Denver Coven. He¡¯s agreed to let Eduardo stay with them and set up surveince on the Pack, and to bring some of our familiars to help,¡± he said. ¡°Eduardo will make preparations, and when it is time, he can help with the takedown.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Watch, but don¡¯t interfere. I can¡¯t be seen as working with the Vampires, it would endanger their coven and all of you. I will not start a war over a werewolf matter.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°You¡¯re family, Talia.¡±


    ¡°I know, and you¡¯ve given me everything. I¡¯ll figure out a way after I get Tania back with our family in LaCrosse.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one moreplication you should know about,¡± Eduardo said. ¡°That shooting back in Fort Worth has gotten a lot of attention, both from local police and the FBI. The investigation included this man.¡± He put a photo up on the screen; he was young, strong and very good looking. ¡°His name is Randall Meechum.¡±


    Meechum. ¡°Oh shit,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. Randall is an FBI agent, but he¡¯s also the son of the Sulphur River Alphas. He was there that night, and you can bet he has your scent.¡±


    Fuck. Three years since I left this ce for my first kill, and I¡¯d never raised the interest of human authorities. Now the Council could use the FBI to find me and bring me to their justice. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°If you see him, kill him,¡± Jarrod said.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven


    I stared at the FBI agent who was able to tie me to the killings in Fort Worth. ¡°Has he identified me to the human authorities?¡±


    ¡°Not that we can tell,¡± Eduardo said. ¡°The police haven¡¯t gone public with any suspects, and these weren¡¯t the kind of people that are missed. If they have your name or description, they¡¯re keeping it close to their chest.¡±

 Humans Would Never Know

    ¡°What about the Council?¡±


    ¡°There you aren¡¯t so lucky. We had a person call his office and ask for him, and she was told he was out sick and was not expected to return for a week or more. He¡¯s not at his apartment either, ording to the doorman he left two days after the shooting. I think you have to assume he knows who you are, and he¡¯s looking for you for the Council, not the FBI.¡±


    I let out a breath. ¡°Just fucking great,¡± I said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the first thing I need to do is get Tania home and safe with our family. Once she¡¯s safe, I¡¯ll head to Denver.¡±


    ¡°I want you to have some backup, especially with Meechum out there,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°I want Marcy backing you up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going up there on my motorcycle, there¡¯s no ce for her,¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s flying to St. Paul tonight, the coven there will host her. As long as you arrange for the transfer after dark, she can watch your back.¡±


    I thought about it, Marcie was a fierce fighter, second only to Jarrod, but could only be out with the sun down. ¡°Emergency only, I can¡¯t have her scent around the Pack or they¡¯ll freak out,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay well clear,¡± she said. ¡°If you have to make a quick exit, I¡¯ll make sure you get away.¡±


    ¡°The LaCrosse Pack wolves are family, I don¡¯t want them hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just disable them, not kill them,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you hurt either. Have you given any thought as to how you are going to do this?¡±


    ¡°Erica. She¡¯s near the Pack border, and Tania will trust her. If anything goes bad, I¡¯m off Packnds in minutes.¡± We talked for a few more minutes, then I excused myself to go get some rest.


    The next morning, Tania and I roared down the driveway and headed north for Wisconsin.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Sparta, Wisconsin


    I dropped Michelle off at a caf¨¦ in Sparta to visit with her friends while I had some business of my own at the Monroe County Sheriff¡¯s Office. Tomah was actually a township, and the county seat was here. I showed my FBI identification to the Desk Sergeant and he put me in touch with their Missing Persons department.


    I shook Deputy Ben Dover¡¯s hand as he led me back to his desk. ¡°What can I do for you, Randall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m investigating a sex trafficking ring in Texas, and a name popped on one of the missing girls. One of the other girls said she was from here, but she wasn¡¯t in the Missing Persons database.¡±


    ¡°Name and when she disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Tania Stillwater,st seen July 18th, 2015.¡±


    ¡°That was before I was an investigator, Deputy Richard Long had the desk back then. Let me see what is in the system.¡± He typed a few things. ¡°Here we go. You want a printout?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I said.


    While the papers printed, we looked through the paperwork. ¡°Everything is filled out, but it never got filed,¡± he said as he looked through it. That would exin why her fingerprints and DNA were never in the system. We looked through it, there were a few statements but no leads. ¡°The file was closed on July 23rd saying the victim had returned home.¡±


    ¡°Who reported that?¡±


    ¡°Her guardian, a Mr. Todd Aldridge.¡±


    That fucker. Finally, I had some direct evidence. ¡°Did Deputy Long interview her after she returned?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see an interview, he just closed the file.¡±


    ¡°Can I speak to Deputy Long?¡±


    ¡°He passed awayst year, lung cancer.¡± Shit.


    ¡°Thank you, Deputy. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡± I took all the paperwork and put it in an envelope, then went down the hall and knocked on the Sheriff¡¯s door. I showed my identification and asked him for a moment. ¡°My investigation has taken a turn that involves your department,¡± I said.


    I quickly exined how I had traced one of the victims in Fort Worth back here and found the Missing Persons report had never been filed nationally and had been closed out without actually interviewing the victim. ¡°Deputy Long may have been involved in a criminal sex trafficking conspiracy,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t interview him, obviously, but I need to dig into his finances and records and for that I¡¯d like your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°It pisses me off to think such shoddy police work could have left that girl out there all this time with no one looking for her.¡± He called down to Personnel and had Deputy Long¡¯s personnel file brought up. I recorded the banking information, I would need that forter. There was nothing in his file to raise any questions, so I thanked the Sheriff and headed across the Government Center to the courthouse. I was able to get a judge to sign a search warrant allowing me to search Deputy Long¡¯s phone records and banking records for the period between July 18th and August 18th of 2015. Warrant in hand and scanned and emailed to me, I walked back to my Jeep. I picked up Michelle and asked her to drive us back to the LaCrosse Pack.


    I called in to the office, directly to our technical staff. ¡°Ate, I have a search warrant I need help on,¡± I said as I talked to the young tech whiz in the basement of our office. I emailed it to her, and she promised me she would get it going with the bank and the phonepany. ¡°Just email me the results,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be resting, word is you¡¯ve got pneumonia,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m bored as hell, my Mom is smothering me and I can¡¯t get out of bed except to go to the bathroom, so humor me,¡± I said, faking a cough at the end.


    ¡°All right, but rest up, we want you back healthy,¡± she said with a giggle. I knew of her interest in me, but I never allowed myself to get involved with someone at work since it would never end well. Now that I knew my mate was out there, I had no interest in anyone else. I thanked her again and hung up.


    It didn¡¯t take her long, by the time I was back in my room she had the cellphone and bank records. There were multiple calls between the 21st and the 23rd between Deputy Long and her grandfather, plus several with Beta Todd. The kicker was that on the 23rd, there was a five-thousand-dor deposit into the Deputy¡¯s bank ount from the Tomah Pack shellpany.


    I took the printouts and walked to the Alpha offices. ¡°I¡¯ve got the first hard evidence of Todd¡¯s involvement,¡± I said as Iid out what I had found today.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Is it enough to arrest him or take him to the Council?¡±


    I shook my head no. ¡°It¡¯s evidence of his involvement in quashing the investigation, but he could turn around and say he killed the Sheriff¡¯s investigation because he didn¡¯t want them meddling in Pack business. I need something more to go to the Council. As for the human courts, I might be able to get him charged with bribery, but with the recipient dead it¡¯s tough to prove.¡±


    He sat back at his desk. ¡°It builds a case, and that is key to preventing a war when we go kill his ass,¡± he said. ¡°What do you have left to do up here?¡±


    ¡°Not a whole lot,¡± I said. ¡°How is Bobby doing with the exchange ns?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°He¡¯s doing well, we have a half-dozen serious candidates. There are others interested in something longer if your father and I can work it out. It would add options for colleges beyond those avable in this area.¡± No Packs controlled territory where colleges were, but it was important to have a Pack around so you could have support and let your wolf out each weekend. If they stayed at my father¡¯s Pack, universities in the Das area would be possible. The other thing was that if your mate wasn¡¯t in your immediate area, a rotation would make it easier to visit other Packs across the country.


    Luna Teri walked in, carrying two Leinenkugel¡¯s beers with her. ¡°I thought you might want one before dinner,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day for you,¡± she said as she patted my shoulder and handed me one.


    ¡°Thank you, Luna,¡± I said.


    She went over to her mate, sitting on hisp she opened the beer and handed it to him before leaning back into his broad chest. ¡°Randall,¡± she asked, ¡°Your brother has been working with us and reading as much as he can to learn how to deal with a womaning out of the kind of abuse Tania has suffered. He¡¯s doing everything he can to prepare for her when he finds her,¡± she said.


    ¡°Bobby¡¯s a good kid, he¡¯ll be a good mate for her,¡± I said.


    ¡°And what are YOU doing to be a good mate for Talia when you find her?¡±


    The question hit me like a brick to the head. She was right; I¡¯d been so busy doing the investigation, I hadn¡¯t prepared at all for my mate. Hell, I didn¡¯t know whether I¡¯d kiss her or cuff her when I found her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I said. ¡°My Dad originally said to reject her, that she was damaged goods and would only bring me pain if I allowed the bond to grow. I can¡¯t do that, though. I have to look into her eyes and see what is there before I know what I must do.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my niece, Randall. I won¡¯t allow her to be harmed on mynds.¡± His voice was low and threatening.


    ¡°I could never hurt her,¡± I said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know. She¡¯s not the bubbly sixteen-year-old girl everyone remembers. I¡¯ve read the Council files, I¡¯ve seen the photos of what she has done. She¡¯s under a Council death sentence already, and she killed four people in Fort Worth. Texas still has the death penalty.¡± I paused and buried my head in my hands. ¡°What if she¡¯s too far gone? She¡¯s a trained killer, she waded through that hotel like she was shooting tes on the range. She must have smelled her sister, she went through them like a hot knife through butter. Straight to the room she was being held then back out.¡±


    ¡°But she covered her tracks well,¡± Teri said. ¡°The humans would never know, only your wolf senses could pick up where she had gone. Surely that means she is still rational and in control.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s almost scarier,¡± I said. ¡°To be too young to buy a beer but have more than a dozen dead people in your wake already. I know Tania is going to have trouble adjusting, anyone would, but she was taken and forced into that life. Talia CHOSE to be a killer, and I don¡¯t know how or if I can bring her back. I don¡¯t even know if I can have a life with her if the Council gets their way.¡±

 Let’s Do This

    Teri got up and sank down in front of my chair, taking my hands. ¡°Then you have to show the Council that she¡¯s the one who was wronged and get them to reverse their decision. Prove she was justified in killing those Alphas. Force them to remove the bounty on her head. That¡¯s the only way this has a happy ending for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. About so many things,¡± I said. ¡°If it¡¯s all right with you, I¡¯d like to spend more time with Erica so I can learn more about my mate.¡±


    Teri linked for a few moments then smiled. ¡°She would like you to pick up her dinner from the Pack kitchen and dine with her tonight. She¡¯d be happy to talk about her best friend.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alphas.¡± I walked out and down the stairs towards the kitchens, a little bounce in my step. Yes, I had to solve the mystery of Tania¡¯s disappearance, but I also had to figure out my mate. I might only get a moment to convince her to give me a chance.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    We had broken up the long ride into chunks, taking time to rx and see some sights along the way. Tania wasing out of her shell, the open road and the detox bringing back some of the fun-loving little sister I remembered. She still had nightmares, and she still avoided being close to men, but that was to be expected. I¡¯d gotten helmets with Bluetooth, and we were able to talk easily while we rode north.


    We crossed the Mississippi from Iowa to Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien, well downriver of LaCrosse, and stopped for dinner. I didn¡¯t want to get close to their Pack territory until it was dark. Our timing was perfect, the sun went down as we traveled north on Highway 35, turning onto a road that went within a mile of their territory border. Marcy was standing next to her sedan, ready to cover my exit if needed. I parked my bike facing the road, just out of sight and ready for a fast getaway if needed, and made sure my Glock was secure on my belt. ¡°You ready for this,¡± I asked Tania as she stood by the trail in the light of the full moon.


    ¡°I get to see them again,¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Our grandfather is here, Uncle rk and Aunt Teri, plus Michelle and Erica are all in this Pack now,¡± I said as I pulled her into a hug. ¡°They all love you and will take good care of you, they¡¯ll be with you as you heal.¡±


    She was crying as she looked up at me. ¡°I just got you back, I don¡¯t want to lose you again,¡± she said before she buried her face in my shoulder.


    ¡°I know, sis, I know.¡± I hugged her tight. ¡°I have to kill a few Alphas, and then I¡¯ll bring your son back to you. I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Unlike me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m weak as a human.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Tania Stillwater, you have Alpha blood and you are stronger than you think,¡± I told her. ¡°I love you, Tania.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    We walked through the woods; she followed behind me, letting me lead her through the dark hills by her hand. I could sense the boundary as we passed it from the scents of Pack wolves on the trees and the trail from the patrols. ¡°We¡¯re on Packnds now,¡± I said. ¡°If anyonees across us, I want you to sit down and ask to speak to Uncle rk. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be taking off for my bike.¡±


    She stopped, forcing me to turn around. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you stay with me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that to them. The Alpha Council has an arrest warrant out for me, and if I am caught on theirnds, they will be forced to turn me over or be removed as Alphas. I can¡¯t let them catch me, and I can¡¯t stay and talk with them. Erica doesn¡¯t count, she¡¯s technically not supposed to be there either, but that only matters to the Tomah Pack. I¡¯ve been to her cabin once, and that¡¯s where I¡¯ll leave you.¡±


    We started walking again; the wind was from the south, so I couldn¡¯t scent what wasing. We walked up thest rise, and I could see her cabin. The lights inside were on, and I smiled and led Tania forward past the gardens.


    I froze when I heard the front door m open. A big man rushed out onto the porch, Erica behind him. I pushed Erica aside while I drew my Glock. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hello, Talia,¡± the big man said as he raised his hands. I kept the pistol centered on his chest, he kept walking towards me. He stepped into the light from the window, and I got a better look at his face.


    Randall Meechum. FBI.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As I realized who it was, the wind shifted and blew his scent to me. My wolf rushed forward in my head, wanting to smell him again. ¡°Mate,¡± she said.


    ¡°NO!¡± I couldn¡¯t do this, not HIM, not NOW. Taking aim, I pulled the trigger then turned and ran for the border.


    Erica and Tania screamed, begging me to stop, but I didn¡¯t. I got on my Harley and got the hell out of there.


    ************


    Talia¡¯s POV


    New Orleans, Four Years Earlier


    Last night I had sold out my kind and cast my future with a vampire.


    I had been woken from my nap and dressed for dinner, which was held just after sundown with Jarrod and his coven. Malcolm had sent one of the servants out as I slept with a list of my sizes, and she had returned with bags of clothes for my closet. As I was in the bathroom, Malcolmid out an ice-blue dress and white heels, along with newce lingerie and stockings. I felt like I was ying dress-up, a sixteen-year-old girl getting ready for Prom, but this was real. I checked my appearance in the mirror; the bruises and cuts were healing and were barely visible under the makeup I found on the vanity.


    The food was excellent, as was the wine, and I quickly settled my nerves as the conversation flowed. Marceline had told me her story on the drive down, and the others were just as fascinating. Jarrod led off with his story.


    ¡°I was born in 701 A. D. in northern France; my father was a Knight in the service of his Duke, and I was brought up and trained by him to serve as well. It was a difficult time for France; the Muslim armies had taken Spain and were moving north into France, killing and plundering all who opposed them. It came to a head at the Battle of Tours in 732.¡±


    ¡°You were a knight,¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Not in the way you¡¯re thinking of, we didn¡¯t have cavalry then like they did. The Muslim army had stirrups, that let them fight from horseback in a way we couldn¡¯t. Charles Martel united the north of France and gathered twenty thousand men to stop the advance northward. My father and I were both sent to fight, we had horses to ride but we would fight from the ground with our swords. It was bad; few had armor or training, and the invaders had both plus experience and numbers. They outnumbered us three or four to one, but we had the high ground. They attacked over and over, but we pushed them back. The first night, I and a few other riders were sent on a mission.¡±


    He took another drink of wine, a far off look in his eyes. ¡°Twenty of us fell back to where our horses were and rode all night until we came upon the support camp of the Muslim army. We weren¡¯t many, but we raised a lot of hell; we burned food, ughtered horses, killed the cooks and armorers. The fires were bright enough the invaders panicked, many of them rushing back to defend their supplies and their plunder. In the confusion, their leader was surrounded and killed, and our side ended up winning.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin how you became a vampire.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Back then, vampires loved the confusion of war. It made feeding on humans easy, and no one noticed another dead man who had bled out. Our group was burning food carts when the fighters returned on horseback. I fled into the woods, but I took two arrows, one to the leg and one in my lower back. I gave them the slip, but the wounds were severe. I made it to a burned-out church, where I dragged myself to the altar and waited to die.¡±


    ¡°I fell asleep, sure I would not wake, but was woken by a pale-skinned man dressed in ck. He asked me if I wanted to live, if I would serve him forever if he saved me. I agreed immediately, I had a wife and child to return to. When his fangs descended and he bit into my neck, I was horrified. He drained me, I felt my heart stop, then he ripped open his wrist and forced the blood down my throat. I woke up three dayster,pletely healed and with a thirst for blood. I needed to go home, and he let me, knowing what would happen.¡±


    ¡°What did happen?¡±


    ¡°I found my family, and my lust for blood caused me to kill them. Pierre knew it would happen, newborn vampires are vtile and prone to bloodlust, and he didn¡¯t want me to have anyone except him. I served Pierre for two centuries, learning how to hunt, how to control minds, and gaining in strength until he died in a battle with another Coven leader. I fled, moving throughout Ennd and France, eventually forming my own coven here in New Orleans after I met and fell in love with Marceline.¡±


    She took his hand on the table, smiling up at him. ¡°Once we were in love, I agreed to change because the other option was to lose him as I aged. Now we have each other, and he¡¯s just as handsome as he was when he rescued me from those men,¡± she said.


    ¡°Vampires have mates?¡± I was shocked, I¡¯d never been taught that.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare, and it isn¡¯t the same as with werewolves where we recognize them by scent,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°It¡¯s more like human love, made more difficult by the istion most vampires maintain for safety. Anastasia was a housekeeper and the first of our familiars, she became like family and agreed to the change. Eduardo is our most recent change, and his story is his own to tell.¡±


    He took a drink of wine. ¡°I was an orphan and learned from people I ran with how to steal,¡± he said. ¡°I was a natural withputers and got a job with a securitypany that installed systems. I used it to case homes that I could robter. Ten years ago, mypany was installing rms and cameras at this house.¡±

 And I Screamed

    I startedughing. ¡°You decided to rob Jarrod?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and to make it even more funny, I decided to make my move in the middle of the night when now one was sleeping,¡± he said as everyone startedughing. ¡°I had the ess codes for the basement, with that kind of security I figured the real valuable stuff was down there.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°It was,¡± Jarrod said with a smile. ¡°He came down the stairs as Anastasia was feeding from one of our familiars. We couldn¡¯t let him go, and our ability to cloud minds does not include the ability to remove memories. We held him for a few days, and eventually realized that his skills would trante well to our kind. He¡¯s a whiz with technology andputers, something that we old people still struggle with.¡± I had tough at that. ¡°He agreed to the change and has fit in well.¡±


    ¡°Do you change many?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Jarrod said as he sat back. ¡°The more vampires in your Coven, the harder it is to hide your existence. It¡¯s like a Pack hunting ground, but it¡¯s a city you hunt in. Vampires don¡¯t have a Pack link or Alphamand, so you only bring in people who will follow your leadership or it bes a mess. Then there is logistics. Larger covens mean more feedings, more victims, more chances to get caught. I prefer to blend in and not attract attention, but that means using familiars. Same problem there; it¡¯s not easy to find good ones, and there¡¯s never enough. I bring servants in, building their loyalty first and finding those for whom our existence will be epted. The rest are never here outside daylight hours.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a lot,¡± I said.


    ¡°Our problems are like your own, we have to hide our nature while living amongst the humans.¡± I was familiar with those, my parents taught us all it was better to die than to let our secret out.


    We finished the dinner and moved to dessert, a moltenva cake. ¡°I have a question about our agreement, Jarrod,¡± I said as I finished. ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, and I just got my ass kicked by a man who¡¯s not even an Alpha. Even with training, I¡¯m never going to be able to go toe to toe with a male Alpha who outweighs me by a hundred pounds and has a decade of fighting experience. Are you just setting me up to die?¡±


    Heughed, along with the others. ¡°You think I¡¯d bring you into my family and send you out to die?¡± It did sound silly. ¡°You are correct in that you will not be asrge or experienced as the Alphas you will be taking on. We are going to train you constantly, making you an expert inbat in human and wolf form. We¡¯ll drill you until you are an expert shot with pistol and rifle. We¡¯ll teach you knife fighting and knife throwing. A year from now, you¡¯ll be the most lethal werewolf in the world.¡±


    My head couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Even if I train constantly, how does that fix my weight disadvantage?¡±


    ¡°You are going to be more than a werewolf,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to change you.¡±


    rm bells went off. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, vampire venom is certain death for a werewolf,¡± I said as I got ready to flee.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use my blood to form the bond,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to change you into a vampire, that won¡¯t work since you are already a supernatural being. Instead, I will inject my blood into you. The vampire DNA willbine with your own, giving you some vampire characteristics that will mesh with your human and wolf genes.¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been done before. You will gain vampire speed and strength, even a little bit of our ability to influence human minds, but you won¡¯t be a vampire. Just a werewolf who likes her steak bloody.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°The change is painful, incredibly painful andsts for days. Most of the werewolves who take the change die before it isplete. I¡¯m hoping that with your youth and your motivation for revenge, you¡¯ll have enough stubbornness to see it through. It is your choice, Talia, but you¡¯ll never be strong enough to fight them without it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t change me that night; instead, I traveled into the swamps, away from any humans, and found a ce I could see the moon rise high above me. Slicing my finger with a silver knife, I wrote my vow to avenge the ones who had taken my sister and stolen my Pack in my own blood before burning it. The sacred vowplete, I changed and ran.


    The next evening, I asked Jarrod to change me. He used arge syringe, transferring his own blood to my veins, pushing in the plunger until it was all inside me.


    It burned like fire as it flowed up my arm, then into my chest, and I screamed as it pumped into my brain.


    Three days I spent in agony as the change tore through me. Jarrod and the Coven did all they could; when I was running a high fever, they covered me with ice. When I was curled up and shivering, they covered me with warm nkets. When I couldn¡¯t move, they held my hand and talked to me.


    When the fever finally broke, I was famished. I shifted into wolf form as they released a sheep into the garage, which had been emptied of vehicles. I tore into it, gorging myself on the warm, bloody flesh. The bloodlust exhausted itself an hourter, and I shifted back. I was covered in blood, and pieces of the sheep were scattered everywhere. ¡°That wasn¡¯t fun at all,¡± I said as Jarrod stood over me.


    ¡°You survived, Talia. We¡¯re all proud of you.¡± He held out his hand an I pulled myself up, surprising myself as I went four feet into the air beforending on my feet. ¡°You are much stronger than before, you will have to get used to everything again.¡± He was right, my body almost hummed with energy. It was like learning to walk again as I moved towards the outdoor shower. ¡°Clean yourself off and we will start training,¡± he said.


    It took a lot of soap and scrubbing to get the blood off, then I dried and dressed in shorts and a sports bra with a T-shirt. Jerrod drove me out of the city as we worked on my senses; my smell and hearing was more sensitive than before. When we reached the forested area, I was set free, and I was FAST. It took most of the night to get used to it, the two of us running together, first in my wolf form then in human. Vampire speed and four-paw drive was a killerbination, and I loved it.


    I fell asleep on the way home.

 Kill The Alpha

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    LaCrosse Pack Lands


    I drove my Jeep over to Erica¡¯s cabin, a big cooler in the passenger seat that the kitchen had provided. The Pack made sure she got fed when she couldn¡¯te to the Pack House, or she didn¡¯t want toe all the way in. The dinner I was bringing was pot roast with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans, plus they packed food for breakfast and a bag of ice to keep everything cold.


    She was waiting outside as I parked, a smile on her scarred face. I hopped out and went around to get the cooler, taking it inside as she held the door open. ¡°Thanks for seeing me again,¡± I said as I set it down in her small kitchen.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice having a visitor, and you¡¯re Talia¡¯s mate. I¡¯d like us to be friends.¡± She pulled out some lemonade out of her small refrigerator as I set the dinner containers on the table. She grabbed some silverware as well. ¡°Alpha rk said you¡¯re making progress on the investigation.¡±


    ¡°Some. Not enough to go to the Council yet, but enough to back up Tania¡¯s story when shees back.¡± She needed toe back, and I hoped to Selene that she could tie that prick Todd to her kidnapping. He needed to die, slowly, painfully and publicly.


    ¡°Good. I want her, I want us all to have closure.¡± I served up the food as she sat down. ¡°Do you think Talia is going to be able toe home?¡±


    I stopped eating for a second as I looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m going to try, but it¡¯s not going to be easy,¡± I said. ¡°I really need to talk to her about the events of the past four years, though. The Council has her tried and convicted already, and I need enough to turn that around.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a nice person, she cared about everyone. She¡¯s thest one who deserved to be kicked out, but those people just wouldn¡¯t consider a female Alpha. Of course, she was sixteen then. Now, the Alphas are afraid of her.¡±


    That was one way to put it. They were terrified of her; she would show up, kill the Alpha and leave again. ¡°What did she like to do before this all happened?¡±


    ¡°She loved being on the water,¡± she said. ¡°Water skiing was her favorite, she¡¯d be out on the boat all day long if they would let her.¡±


    ¡°Was she a good swimmer?¡±


    ¡°She was a good athlete, she was fast and had good coordination. It never took her long to pick up anything. She was always ahead of our age group inbat training, and not just because she was Alpha blood. She worked hard to be the best because she wanted to be able to protect her Pack when the time came.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an admirable quality,¡± I said. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s that way now?¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    The windows were open, and a scent wafted through the windows. My wolf rushed forward, recognizing her immediately. ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± I said as I rose from the table.


    I went to the front door, she was right behind me. ¡°Tania is here too,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m letting the Alphas know.¡±


    I opened the door a little too hard in my eagerness to get outside, and it banged against the table by the door as I walked out. She was right behind me as we got out onto the grass. My eyes went to the treeline, and that is when I saw her.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    And she saw me.


    She pushed Tania to the side and drew a gun, pointing it at my chest. I had my pistol with me, but I didn¡¯t go for it. I couldn¡¯t use it against my mate, and I had to trust she wouldn¡¯t hurt me either. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she ordered.


    I brought my hands up to show her I wasn¡¯t a threat. ¡°Hello, Talia.¡± By Luna, she was beautiful. I looked past the Glock, which was pointed at my heart, to the blonde hair, the innocent heart-shaped face, and the athletic body which was in a Weaver pistol stance.


    ¡°NO!¡± She dropped the gun before firing, the round hitting between my shoes and ricocheting off into the woods. She turned and ran into the woods, fast as lightning, as I looked down to make sure I was still all right.


    Erica and Tania both screamed for her to stop, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Go to her,¡± I told Erica. She ran out to where her friend was sitting on the grass and hugged her as they rocked back and forth.


    I heard vehicles and wolves approaching fast; as the first raced into the yard, I held up my hands. ¡°Hold up, Talia¡¯s gone already,¡± I said.


    Gamma Michael shifted and looked around, scenting the air. ¡°Tania?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Give her space, let her family help her.¡±


    ¡°What was the gunshot?¡±


    ¡°Talia saw me and left, apparently she didn¡¯t want me to follow her.¡± It was the best I could think of; I knew that if she wanted me dead, I would have been dead.


    A Ford Explorer pulled in, and the Alpha pair got out along the Gamma female Sally. ¡°Everyone all right,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Fine. Talia panicked and took off for the Pack border, Tania is over there with Erica.¡±


    Alpha rk looked at his Gamma. ¡°Take a few men and follow the trail to the back border, but do not engage if she¡¯s still on ournd. She¡¯s family,¡± he said. ¡°If she¡¯s gone, don¡¯t pursue.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± he said as he shifted. The men circled around the edge of the clearing so they could stay away from the crying girls, then ran off into the woods towards the south.


    I went back and sat on the front porch, not wanting to interfere with the reunion that was happening. rk and Teri walked forward slowly, hand in hand towards their niece they hadn¡¯t seen in over four years. ¡°Tania?¡±


    She looked up from where she was crying on Erica¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Auntie Teri?¡±


    Teri dropped to her knees and Tania jumped into her arms. ¡°Oh baby,¡± she said as she hugged her tight.


    rk knelt down next to them, pulling both of them into a hug. ¡°You¡¯re home now,¡± he said as he held them tight.


    I got off the porch and walked over to the vehicles as they got up and Emily suggested they go inside. It was a good idea, more and more people were showing up, including my brother. I stopped him at the treeline. ¡°Not the right time,¡± I told him. ¡°She¡¯s safe, but she¡¯s overwhelmed, and she doesn¡¯t know you.¡±


    I looked over at Gamma Sally. ¡°I¡¯d rmend you ask the males to leave the area. After what she¡¯s been through, they¡¯ll make her nervous if they aren¡¯t family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. Soon enough, all the men had backed away from the cabin or were returning back to the Pack House. ¡°Michael said her trail leads past the borders towards the road. He¡¯s sending men to do a full circuit of our territory, just to make sure she isn¡¯ting in anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s long gone,¡± I said. ¡°I think she¡¯lle back eventually. She recognized me as her mate, I could see it in her eyes. My wolf and hers had a moment.¡±


    ¡°Right before she shot at you,¡± my brother asked.


    ¡°Yeah, right then,¡± I said with augh. I could hear them inside, they were still crying. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll give you a ride back to the Pack House and we¡¯ll have a few beers and celebrate your mate being here.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t recognize me,¡± he said.


    ¡°If her wolf is gone, how is she supposed to recognize your scent? You have to rx, let her family bring her back and let her feel safe before you meet her.¡± He just nodded, looking through the window at her. She was sitting on her Uncle¡¯sp, crying and talking. Michelle pulled up in her car and jumped out and ran into the room as well.


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± he said.


    ¡°Come on, mate boy. Let¡¯s go.¡± He got into my Jeep and we backed out of the parking spot and headed back to the Pack House. ¡°Call Mom, let her know what¡¯s going on. She¡¯ll never let you live it down if she hears it from anyone else first.¡±


    Heughed and pulled out his phone. ¡°Nothing has happened YET,¡± he said. ¡°It will, though.¡± He told Mom the story as we drove back to our rooms.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    I was zipping through the woods as my wolf pushed against my consciousness, trying to take over. She wanted her mate, he was there for the taking, and she filled my mind with his image and the images of what she wanted to do with him. He was a strong male who would be a good father to our pups, she knew that.


    Pups.


    I faltered as the image of me with children at my feet shed through my mind. I recovered and kept running, reaching my motorcycle and firing it up. I tore out of there like my ass was on fire, not even acknowledging Marcy as I took off. I saw the lights of her sedan in the rear-view mirror and heard the roar of the engine as she tried to catch up.


    I drove for ten miles until the road had a pullout overlooking the Mississippi River. Laying on the brakes, I stopped my Harley, put the stand down and got off just as Marcy pulled in next to me. ¡°Are you all right,¡± she asked as I looked over the moonlit river valley.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a long damn way from all right.¡±


    ¡°Tania is with her family? Safe?¡±


    ¡°Erica was there, she¡¯ll take care of her. I left before any family arrived.¡± I kicked a rock under the guardrail, listening as it tumbled down the cliff. Part of me wanted to follow it, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d made a blood vow, and it wasn¡¯t over yet. Everything, including my handsome mate, would have to wait.


    ¡°Something happened, Talia. Your heart is still racing.¡±

 A Free Advice

    I took a breath, forcing myself to calm and pushing back my wolf. ¡°Erica wasn¡¯t alone. Remember what Eduardo said about the investigator in Fort Worth?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Special Agent Randall Meechum, FBI and Sulphur River Pack.¡± She looked at me as I nodded. ¡°Oh shit. He was there?¡±


    ¡°Yep. He was eating with Erica when we arrived.¡±


    ¡°The gunshot I heard, you killed him?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± I said as I sank to my knees. ¡°I just scared him so he wouldn¡¯t follow me. He¡­ he¡¯s my MATE, Marcy.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± She turned and looked up at the sky. ¡°Your mate knows you were the one in Fort Worth who killed four people, his family has talked to the Council about you, and he¡¯s your destined?¡±


    I picked up a rock and threw it as far as I could, which was quite a long way, given my vampire strength. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s going to find me, he¡¯ll never give up. And when he finds me, he¡¯ll figure out that I¡¯m not a normal werewolf, that I¡¯ve been working with Vampires and have mixed my DNA with them. He¡¯s going to find me, reject me and drag me back to the Council to be executed.¡±


    ¡°Or he¡¯ll chain you to his bed so you can¡¯t run off until he¡¯s sated your lusts for each other.¡± I looked at her, she was always an optimist. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Tania is safe, there¡¯s no more business for me now. I have my blood vow, and that takes priority over everything. The first thing I need to do is to get my nephew back to his mother.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We can make Des Moines before sunrise if we leave now.¡± She walked back to her car. ¡°Are you going to be all right, Talia?¡±


    My wolf was whining in the back of my head, she wanted to return. I shoved her down as I straddled my Harley. ¡°I haven¡¯t been all right for years, Marcy. I¡¯ll survive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll survive and we¡¯ll help you figure this out. You have a mate out there, you can have your life back when your vow is over if we do this right. He¡¯s an Alpha¡¯s son, the two of you can retake your Pack and fulfill your destiny,¡± she said as she closed the door.


    Destiny? I¡¯d never be Alpha. No werewolf Pack would ept me now, my mate wouldn¡¯t ept me either. I wasn¡¯t a werewolf anymore, I wasn¡¯t a vampire, I had no ce in this world anymore. I was an instrument of vengeance, nothing more, nothing less.


    The Moon Goddess must hate me.


    *****


    Tania¡¯s POV


    LaCrosse Pack House


    We had stayed in Erica¡¯s cabin for almost an hour before I started to yawn. It had been a long ride up from New Orleans, and I was beat. I was still fighting symptoms from withdrawal as well, so as much as I hated to leave Erica, I had to go. ¡°Aunt Teri, I need to sleep,¡± I told her as I settled into her side on the small couch where I was sandwiched between them. Grandpa was in the recliner across from me, while Erica was sitting on a dining room chair.


    ¡°Go,¡± Erica said as she got up. She came over and hugged me. ¡°I¡¯m so d you are home, and Talia is all right,¡± she said. They had wanted to talk about what happened to me, about what was going on since I was rescued, but I wasn¡¯t ready to go through those memories yet.


    I just wanted to feel like I was home again.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Uncle rk said. ¡°Let¡¯s take you home.¡± He picked me up like I weighed nothing, which wasn¡¯t far from the case. Just being next to Erica or Talia showed me just how much my body hadn¡¯t filled out. I was skinny, weak and vulnerable where they were strong. I rxed into his arms as he carried me to the car, like he used to do when I was a young girl visiting with our parents.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I stayed in hisp as Grandpa drove us. I was relieved that they weren¡¯t pushing a bunch of people at me, they were letting me get used to them first. Even when we arrived at their Pack House, I didn¡¯t see anyone around. He carried me up the stairs, down the hallway of the Alpha Wing, past their offices and into one of the guest rooms. He set me in the bathroom, where Teri was already getting the shower going. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± I said as I leaned against the vanity.


    ¡°You¡¯re full of road dust and tears, baby, just a quick shower. rk, go get some pajamas out of our room.¡± He walked off and she closed the door behind him. ¡°Come on, take those off and get in.¡±


    I closed my eyes, pushing back the thoughts invading my mind. She wasn¡¯t like Peggy, I wasn¡¯t being held in a whorehouse, and I¡¯d be all right. I pulled off my shirt and got undressed, stepping into the warm shower. I heard Teri gasp in shock; she must have seen the scars.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    39 months ago, one week after giving birth


    The man who held me captive, raped me until I was pregnant, then took my baby from me had been gone for six days. Time was difficult to tell for sure in my basement prison; sometimes I could see light from the bottom of the door from upstairs, sometimes I couldn¡¯t. Day and night merged into each other as I pushed back the hunger.


    When he took my baby, he left me without food. I had all the water I wanted from the hose, and I¡¯d drink a bellyful when my hunger got too bad, but I was weakening. I¡¯d survived this time, only to be abandoned and starve to death in a basement?


    Luna couldn¡¯t be that cruel to me.


    It turned out she wasn¡¯t. I heard someone moving around upstairs, and I sat up with my back against the pole watching the door. The deadbolt moved, and the door opened, spilling light into the dark room. The man was big, his shoulders turning sideways to go through the doorway. He walked slowly down the stairs as I covered myself, unwilling to let him see my nakedness. ¡°Hello, Tania,¡± he said in a low, gravelly voice.


    I didn¡¯t say anything as he reached the bottom of the stairway. ¡°The Alpha sends his regards. The baby is doing well; the Luna returned with him two days ago, and he was presented to the Pack that night. Everyone is praising the Goddess for finally blessing their pack with a strong male heir.¡± He came closer, bending down at the foot of the mattress while I shook in fear. ¡°Your Beta was right, you¡¯d provide a strong child, with Alpha bloodlines on both sides. A much better option than having some pack slut or human surrogate.¡±


    ¡°Can I go? You got your baby, I won¡¯t say anything!¡±


    He roared withughter at my question. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want a war to break out, and he can¡¯t let there be a reason to question the legitimacy of his heir. No, your part is done, and with thates the problem of what to do with you. The Alpha left that up to me. Killing you and burying you in the woods would be the simplest fix.¡±


    ¡°NO! PLEASE! I¡¯m just a kid, I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this!¡±


    ¡°Tania, if you had a chance to grow into adulthood, you¡¯d realize that people don¡¯t get what they deserve.¡± He pulled a syringe out of his pocket; I stared at it like it was poison. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, really, but it¡¯s better than a shallow grave.¡±


    He grabbed my ankle and dragged me down the mattress until my cor was choking me. He used his shin to trap my left leg against the floor, while his left hand pulled my right leg straight. He flicked the cap off and plunged the needle into my thigh, pushing the liquid into my body before letting me go. ¡°Oh oh Goddess it hurts! Make it stop!¡± The chemical burned like fire in my veins, and my weakened wolf was howling in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, you can¡¯t stop it now,¡± he said. ¡°That amount of wolfsbane will kill your wolf. Take a second to tell her goodbye.¡±


    I closed my eyes against the pain, seeking out that ce where my wolf and I met in my mind. She was straining against the chains that were pulling her down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her as she howled in pain. She jerked against the chains, then went still. I started crying, it was like a chunk of me had been torn out of my soul. The ckness took me.


    When I woke up, I wasn¡¯t in the basement anymore. The room was the size of a small hotel room; I was lying on a queen-sized bed, naked under the white sheets. I could see a small bathroom through an open doorway, with a shower visible in the mirror.


    I sat up, reaching for my wolf and finding nothing. My head was spinning, so I didn¡¯t move until the room did. My feet touched the cheap carpet, but It was better than a concrete floor. Maybe things were looking up.


    My fingers went to my neck; the metal cor was not there, but a thick leather cor was in its ce. In the back was a stic box. I couldn¡¯t find a way to get it off, so I left it alone. The heavy door opened, and a man came in. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake. Crystal will be here soon to start your training, so get up and shower.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Why am I here?¡±


    Instead of answering, he pulled a box out of his pocket and pressed a button. The cor beeped once, then an electric shock raced through my neck. It hurt like hell, I wanted to scream in agony, but my chest wouldn¡¯t work for me. It turned off and I started to gasp in shock as the pain receded. ¡°Lesson number one, when you are told to do something, you do it, immediately and without backtalk. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said as I pushed myself to my feet. I moved past him to the shower. There was no bathroom door, so I saw him leave and heard the door lock. There was a generic shampoo and conditioner in there; I couldn¡¯t recall thest time I¡¯d been able to clean properly. I did my hair, then scrubbed my body clean. I was just getting out when the man opened the door again.


    He looked at my body as I dried off. ¡°Your previous owner didn¡¯t feed you, he told us as much. This is oatmeal, you need to eat it slowly or you¡¯ll throw it up again. These cans are a shake supplement, they will help you put on weight again. Drink one every hour between meals. No one wants to fuck a skeleton.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, I was just confused. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I took in the food.


    ¡°A little free advice. You are no longer free, you are an owned ve. You exist now to please your owners and those you are assigned to please. The sooner you ept your fate, the better it will go for you. If you try to escape, you will be tortured and killed. We have clients who pay special for that, so don¡¯t even think about it. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said, the tearsing to my eyes. I¡¯d heard about women who were caught up by the ve trade; I might not even be in the United States anymore.


    ¡°Eat, you¡¯ll need your strength.¡± He left the room, locking it again. I went over to the door and checked it was locked, then went back to the small table where my food was sitting. My stomach ached with hunger, and I pulled the cover off the Styrofoam bowl and smelled the oatmeal. It wasn¡¯t the same as before; there was none of the detail, like my senses had been dulled. Without my wolf, I was weak.


    I opened one of the shakes, drinking it in gulps. I poured a little over the oatmeal, taking a bite every minute or so and letting it settle. By the time the door opened, I was done.

 Fucking Your Ass

    A woman in her forties came in the room. She had bleached blonde hair and looked like her better days were behind her. She looked at me, then pressed a button on a box and my cor beeped. I jumped to my feet. ¡°Good, you¡¯re learning. A beep is a warning, if I hold the button for another second you get the shock until I let the button go again. When anyonees into the room, you will go to the kneel position I will teach you.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°In two weeks, you are going up for auction. My job is to prepare you so you fetch the highest price possible. You are young, which helps, but you¡¯re underweight and ribs showing aren¡¯t sexy. I¡¯m going to teach you how to walk, how to fuck and how to be pleasing to a man.¡±


    ¡°May I ask a question, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°You may.¡±


    ¡°Why would I care how much I sell for?¡±


    She moved until she was staring me in the eyes, our bodies touching as I was backed into the wall. ¡°A girl who fetches a high price at auction has value; she will still be used, but no one intentionally damages something valuable. A girl who doesn¡¯t listen to me, who doesn¡¯t do her best to be valuable, is just a pussy support system. You might end up with someone who beats you daily, or end up in some dive with homeless guys fucking your ass for five bucks a shot. The girls who sell for big money survive, the cheap sales are used up and disposed of.¡± I gulped, not meeting her eyes. ¡°Either way you¡¯re getting fucked, so at least be good at it.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Over the next two weeks, I learned how to satisfy men with my body, how to walk, stand and kneel. I put weight back on quickly, and by the time the sale arrived Crystal was happy with my progress. Bidders visited my room during the day, sampling the wares and deciding on how much I was worth. Cameras watched me, there was no chance to get a message out and no one who would help me. These men were the customers of a criminal empire, and I was the product.


    I sold for eight thousand dors. I didn¡¯t see the bidder. I was taken backstage, stuffed into a dog kennel for transport and loaded into a van. When I was let out, my new life as a sex ve began.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Lacrosse Pack House


    I woke in the middle of the night, restless and hot. I moved Teri¡¯s hand from around my waist; I was too nervous to sleep in the guest room, so I had crawled into bed with them. She didn¡¯t wake up as I silently moved to the door and opened it.


    I was startled a little when the big wolf looked up at me from his ce in front of the door. He turned his head to the side, looking at me. I moved my hand down, letting him sniff it. He licked it before I scratched his ears. ¡°You¡¯re a big boy,¡± I said. ¡°Can you show me where the kitchen is?¡±


    He nodded and got to his feet, his nails clicking against the wood floor as he walked. I kept my fingers in the ck fur of his saddle, the rest of him was silver and white. He was a handsome wolf, and I was trying to figure out who he was. He was nearly as tall as me, four feet tall at the shoulder, and looked to be over two hundred pounds. I held onto his fur as we went downstairs, then he led me to the back of the big house and into the kitchen.


    I turned on the light and went straight for the freezer. Opening it up, I found a selection of ice creams and grabbed my favorite, mint chocte chip. It was not a full quart, so I didn¡¯t grab a bowl. Looking in the fridge, I found some chocte sauce. I poured it on top of the ice cream, leaving the lid in the garbage. ¡°Come on, big guy,¡± I said as I put the sauce back. I saw some cheese curds in a bag, and grabbed those too. It had been YEARS since my teeth had squeaked while eating genuine Ellsworth cheese curds.


    I walked back into the front of the house, finding a spot on the L-shaped couch in the rec room. He jumped up on the couch next to me, and I put the food in myp. I¡¯d toss him a cheese curd, then I¡¯d eat some ice cream. When the ice cream was gone, I started sharing the cheese with him until that was done too. He looked disappointed when the food was gone.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt safe with him, safer than I had felt up in the bed with the Alphas. I yawned, thenid on my side in the big corner pad of the sectional. When I was settled, he crawled up until he was lying in front of me. I put my arm over him, burying my face in the fur on his neck, and went to sleep.


    *****


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Three Years Ago


    ¡°You sure you want to do this, T?¡±


    The instructor put the headgear on me over my blonde hair and buckled it under my chin. ¡°I need the challenge, Matt.¡± I put my mouth guard in, and he checked my gloves and equipment onest time. ¡°None of the women here can take me.¡±


    He moved back, letting me stand up in the corner of the Octagon at the New Orleans MMA Academy. It was the Friday Night Fights, and we were the main event. The crowd had swollen to several hundred. ¡°I don¡¯t want you getting hurt, the Turk has a hundred pounds on you and five pro fights.¡±


    ¡°He also runs his mouth about how women shouldn¡¯t be in the ring unless they are in a bikini holding up a round card. He needs to get his mind right.¡± The Turk walked around like he was the shit, and it was time to teach him a lesson in humility. His friends were just as bad, so it wasn¡¯t hard to goad him into a three-round match with a significant side bets. I¡¯d given a thousand dors to my girls to put into y, giving them a third of the action if I won. My odds of winning had gotten to twenty-five to one with the help of the other girls in training. ¡°Just referee the fight, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He turned and went over to the Turk before we met in the middle. ¡°Three-minute rounds, I want a clean fight, break if I tell you. Fight goes three rounds unless there is a submission or knockout. Shake hands and wait for the bell.¡± The crowd had gathered, and betting was fast and furious. I could hear the people talking, there was a lot of betting on first-round knockouts, and I heard my girl put a hundred bucks on me for that at twenty-to-one odds. This was going to be fun.


    The bell rang, and he moved towards me as I danced around, my gloved fists near my face as I kept my elbows over my ribs. I danced around him, moving out of the way of his jabs and sidestepping his rushes. It didn¡¯t take long to figure out his strategy; he wanted to get me against the ropes or on the mat where he could use his size and strength against me. He made ncing contact with my head a few times; his style was heavy on boxing, while I was more rounded in my style.


    I waited for my spot, and it quickly came when he overextended his jab. I ducked and spun, mming my left foot into the side of his stomach. It stunned him, and I could see him get mad. I kept up the attack, using my longer legs to counter his reach advantage. ¡°ONE MINUTE,¡± I heard someone say.


    He tried a roundhouse kick, but it was to me like slow motion. Instead of dodging the leg, I bent my knees and brought my hands up to grab his calf. I pushed up hard, lifting it until he was bent backwards and fell heavily to the mat on his back. I moved forward, stomping on his stomach then dancing away before he could react.


    ¡°That all you got,¡± I taunted. He got to his feet and bull-rushed me. I ducked under his arm, grabbing on to it I swung my body up until my legs wrapped around his neck. I let go, my upper body swinging behind him and pulling him to the mat again.


    I hooked my right leg around his neck, the knee in front and my ankle behind my left knee. Leaning back, I squeezed my leg as his hands tried to get me off. My legs had him in a chokehold, and I was cutting off his oxygen as well as the blood flow to his brain. Heshed out with his glove towards my chest, but I easily caught his glove and held on. He struggled in vain, and I could see his strength fading as his friends begged him to break the hold.


    He tapped out.


    The bell rang as I let go of his arm and extended my legs, letting him breathe again. The crowd was going nuts as I stood up and went to the corner; the girls were screaming and happy, while the men who bet against me were still in shock. The medic was still checking Turk out as Betty ¡®The Blonde Bombshell¡¯ White took my headgear off. ¡°That was AMAZING,¡± she said. ¡°We cleaned up on the betting tonight.¡±


    ¡°Collect it and meet me in the locker room, we¡¯re going to have some fun tonight,¡± I said. I showered and changed into jean shorts, ankle boots and a sleeveless ck top, which showed off the muscles and low bodyfat of the body I¡¯d developed in the past year of hard training.


    The training program Jarrod put me on was grueling; in addition to hours of running, yoga and weight training, I was learning multiple fighting disciplines from the human masters. They sent me first to Gunsite in Arizona, where I spent two months learning how to use a rifle and pistol until I could hold my own with the best of the military and police shooters. When I returned, I was enrolled in all the human fighting training I could fit into a week. I spent eight hours a day in dojos or gyms, then I¡¯d go back to the Coven and practice against vampires. In subsequent months, I had learned boxing, Brazilian JuJitsu, Krav Maga, Karate and now Mixed Martial Arts. All this was in addition to keeping my shooting skills up. Training to be a killer was my full-time job.


    I had be one dangerous bitch, at least to humans. My strength and speed had to be tempered when training against them, but I learned the skills quickly. Vampires were far more difficult to beat, although Eduardo was ¡®young¡¯ enough that it was a close fight. The others had centuries of experience and seemed to relish in leaving me bloody on the mat in the basement. I hadn¡¯t faced other werewolves yet.


    Betty handed me a thick wad of cash, my original thousand plus my share of the winnings. ¡°Not a bad night for you,¡± she said. ¡°When are you going pro? You¡¯re wasted here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°My parents would never allow it if they found out. They¡¯ve already picked out a man for me to marry and have kids with.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± she said. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They sent me to a finishing school to be a proper youngdy. I decided I liked street fighting more than dinner parties, and I can make enough to live without their allowance,¡± I said. ¡°The private investigator they hired is getting closer, so I¡¯m moving on to Miami. I¡¯ve got some fights set up there already.¡±


    ¡°You have time to party before you leave?¡± I just raised my eyebrow, of course I did. How could you be in New Orleans and not have a fake ID good enough to get into the bars? ¡°Good, we¡¯re heading to the French Quarter to get drunk and maybe find a hot guy to fuck us good and proper tonight.¡± She gave me the name of a bar and I told her I¡¯d be there, but I wasn¡¯t nning to show. It was time to cut my friends out of my life.


    Putting my gear in a backpack along with the cash, I walked out of the strip-mall gymplex down the street towards my motorcycle. I stopped when I was still thirty yards away, something was wrong. I smelled four humans, the unmistakable mix of sweat, aggression and lust on them. Sure enough, they stepped out from the shadows and moved to surround me. ¡°You think you¡¯re tough or something, don¡¯t you bitch,¡± Turk said as he moved close to me. ¡°I want my money back.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± I said as I kept track of the other three. They were blocking any escape, and no one was around to stop what they wanted to do. ¡°Go home, this won¡¯t end well for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy fucking that smart mouth of yours while Bob takes your ass. Grab her and pull her into the alley, boys, it¡¯s time this bitch learned the only thing a woman is good for.¡±


    Marcy had taught me knife fighting and throwing. She told me I should always have two knives on me, and tonight I was carrying four.

 My Vampire Purred

    There wasn¡¯t time for anything else, and I was in no mood to get raped tonight. I reached to the back of my jeans, where two short knives were sitting in leather sheathes at the small of my back. I pulled one out with each hand, then did thest thing they expected me to do.


    I attacked.


    When in a fight, you always go after the leader first, because if he goes down, the rest might run. His eyes picked up the glint of steel, but it was toote. My left hand plunged the de into his stomach, then the right sliced across his neck just below the ear. Blood sprayed out five feet as I turned to meet the second guy between me and my motorcycle.


    Bob was a musclebound former wrestler, and he wrapped his arms around my chest from behind and lifted me off my feet. I snapped my head back, breaking his nose, and when his grip loosened I plunged the three-inch des into his thighs. He screamed in pain and I was able to break free. I sliced a de across his throat before meeting the third guy with a knife to the chest.


    I tried to pull it out, but it was stuck in bone. The fourth guy had a pistol, and he pointed it at me as I followed guy number three to the ground. I had to hope he wouldn¡¯t fire with his guy next to me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to die,¡± I said as I let go of the stuck knife and let my hand drop to my boot.


    ¡°You fucking KILLED THEM,¡± he yelled as the gun shook in his hand.


    ¡°They needed killing,¡± I said. I removed the throwing knife in my boot and threw it in the same motion from my knees; the de flew true, puncturing his left eye and prating his brain to the hilt. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.


    I turned to the man in my arms, he was struggling to breathe as his lung was punctured. My inner beast surged forward, the scent of blood and the thrill of the fight was too much to hold her back. My fangs descended, and he tried to scream as I bit deeply into the artery on his neck and started to feed.


    I had struggled with my vampire nature this past year, especially thepulsion to drink human blood. This was the first time I fed outside the protection of the Coven; until now I had used willing familiars or blood bags to sate the thirst that came every few weeks. My vampire purred in satisfaction as I felt his life essence be sucked into my mouth and down my throat.


    I let him go when his heart fluttered to a stop.


    I looked around, letting my senses out. There was no one else around, and the other men had bled out. I was covered with blood and shaking. Standing up, I took a deep breath and pushed my beast back. I pulled the knives free, setting them on the ground, then pulled off my shirt. I used the back to wipe off as much as I could, then wrapped the bloody knives in them.


    ¡°You forgot something,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Shit you scared me,¡± I said as I saw her walking out of the shadows. ¡°How long were you there?¡±


    ¡°The whole time. You did well, but you can¡¯t leave him like that for the cops. Come here.¡± I walked over to where she stood by the man I¡¯d fed from. ¡°These puncture wounds can¡¯t be left for an autopsy. Plunge the knife into each hole, then stab it a few more times to make it look random.¡± I stabbed some more, there was almost no blood now. ¡°Leave him by this puddle of blood, they won¡¯t test to see how much came from each guy.¡±


    I grabbed his arm and belt, lifting the man easily and dropping him so his neck was in the pool of blood from where Turk had bled out. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    She handed me a pair oftex gloves and I put them on. ¡°Take their wallets, remove the cash and toss the rest. Make it look like a mugging.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much left in their wallets since I had most of their money, but I took the rest. She was parked nearby, she came back with a change of clothes and a stic bag. I pulled off my bloody clothes in the alley and used a big water bottle to rinse the rest from my hair, arms and legs. I wiped off with a towel and dressed. Marcy took the bag and tossed it in her trunk. ¡°You need an alibi.¡±


    ¡°The girls were going to meet up for drinks.¡±


    ¡°Go, have fun, make sure you¡¯re seen. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± I went back to my Harley, firing it up and heading for the French Quarter.


    We talked about it when we got home. I¡¯d already told everyone I was going to Miami, so I wasn¡¯t missed at the gym or the dojos I¡¯d been working out at. Two of the four men had rap sheets and gang connections, and none were missed. No one ever looked at it closely, thinking it was a gang fight that they lost.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve gone as far as we can with humans training you,¡± Jarrod said when we were done talking about what happened. ¡°It¡¯s time to see how you do against a werewolf.¡±


    **********


    Luna Teri¡¯s POV


    LaCrosse Pack House


    I woke up with the suning in the room through the partially open drapes and reached for my niece. Finding nothing, I sat up and looked around. The bathroom door was open and dark, and her scent in the room was stale. Getting up, I pulled on my robe and went into the hallway.


    Her scent was here, but it was overwhelmed by the scent of Bobby. He must have been sleeping at our door, his wolf pushing him to be as close to his mate as he could get. I checked in the guest room, it was still empty, so I went downstairs to the kitchen. ¡°Good morning Luna,¡± Alice said. She and two others were busy cooking breakfast. ¡°Breakfast is biscuits and gravy today.¡±


    ¡°Smells wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°Have you seen Tania?¡±


    ¡°The human we can¡¯t talk about outside the Pack?¡± Alice had mated one of our young men and joined the Pack two years ago, she didn¡¯t know her as my niece. My mate had put out amandst night, no one outside the Pack was to know about her. We didn¡¯t want those involved in her disappearance getting away because they found out she was still alive. ¡°In the lounge room.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I walked in, theirbined smells were stronger and I froze as I saw them together. Bobby was in wolf form on the big couch, his long legs hanging off the edge of the cushion. Tania was trapped between him and the cushions, but she looked very cozy. Her right leg was slung over his side, and her right arm was wrapped around his shoulders. His head was bent back so her face was using his neck as a pillow. She lookedfortable and she needed the rest; she had nightmares when she was in my armsst night, tossing and turning, but now she looked peaceful.


    I had to smile as I thought about Bobby¡¯s wolf, he was a smart one. He¡¯d found the one way to get close to his mate without scaring her, and the close contact would build the bond between them. Things were different when your mate was a human, since they didn¡¯t feel the mating pull like a werewolf would. It was more of a feeling of love and safety, it had been exined to me. ¡°You just feel like you are home in his arms,¡± one of the women who took the change and joined our Pack had told us. ¡°The love built up from there.¡±


    I picked up the empty ice cream container and cheese bag along with the spoon and brought them back into the kitchen to throw away. ¡°How long have they been there?¡±


    ¡°They were asleep when we got here at 4:30,¡± Alice said. ¡°Haven¡¯t heard a peep out of them since.¡±


    ¡°Let them sleep. If they wake up, offer them food.¡± I walked back up to our room, and rk woke when I opened the door. I told him where I found her and with who.


    ¡°Bobby¡¯s wolf is smarter than he is,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°When she wakes up, we need to get some answers. I want to know who took her and where she¡¯s been thest four years.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ready for that,¡± I said as I sat on the edge of the bed by him. ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯M ready to hear what she went through.¡±


    He pulled me into hisp, his lips moving down to kiss my mating mark at the junction of my left shoulder and neck. I moaned as I moved my head, giving him full ess as his hands moved up my sides. ¡°I want you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± I moaned as his hands cupped my breasts. My body hadn¡¯t changed much in the sixty years we had been mated, and I could pass as a woman in her early thirties in the human world. His fingers tweaked my nipples as his kisses moved along my neck, then they moved up and pulled the nightgown from my shoulders. The cooler air hit my breasts as it fell to my waist, and I leaned back into him as he resumed his y with them.

 Intentionally

    I could feel his arousal, hard against my thigh through the silk boxers he was wearing. My hand moved down to trace its length, causing his breath to hitch. ¡°Stand,¡± he whispered to me.


    I stood up, letting the nightgown fall to the floor. My panties followed them down, and I stood by the bed waiting for his next desire. Hey back on the bed, lifting his hips and I pulled his boxers down his leg. I licked my lips as his excitement was exposed; he was everything my wolf and I had ever desired, and he was all mine.


    I moved forward, leaning down over the bed until I was breathing on the swollen tip. My tongue licked out, tasting him before I took him into my mouth and then my throat. I kept my eyes on his as I used all my tricks to drive him wild; when I took him deep and started to hum, he pulled me off and tossed me onto the middle of the bed. Iughed as I saw his wolfing forward. I had teased him and now I would pay the price, a price my wolf and I were happy to pay over and over.


    He grabbed my hips and pulled my ass up in the air, bringing my knees underneath as my head remained on the mattress. He growled as he plunged his length into me, and I moaned in pleasure as he filled me. The room was filled with my moans of pleasure, the pping of his hips to mine and the liquid sounds from my overheated sex. I was working up to a huge orgasm, and he was too. He grabbed my hair and pulled me up and back, my back arched and my mouth open, then he bit down hard on my mark and I exploded. ¡°CLARK,¡± I yelled as my body shook with pleasure.


    He mmed in onest time and I felt myself being filled with his hot essence. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me up as the tremors continued to move through my body. When they were done, he lowered us back to the bed. He held me to him until he disengaged, then he got up and went to the bathroom before cleaning me up. ¡°It gets better all the time,¡± he told me with a smile as he wiped my thighs.


    ¡°Maybe my next heat will catch,¡± I said. I felt bad I had not been able to provide him an heir; the doctors had not found a physical reason in either of us, but I knew he was worried.


    ¡°It may or may not, but my love for you will not change,¡± he told me. ¡°Now let¡¯s get dressed, I smell biscuits.¡± I didn¡¯t bother showering; werewolves had a different way of looking at things including sex. The scent of sex on the Alpha pair reassured the wolves of the Pack that the Alphas were happy and the pack was prosperous. It also settled his wolf when there were powerful unmated males around, like the Alpha sons of the Sulphur River Pack. I pulled on underwear and a sundress, then thin sandals, while he put on cks and a polo shirt. He kissed me deeply before he led me downstairs.


    One of the kitchen girls was standing in front of the lounge area, keeping the people out while our guests continued to sleep deeply. rk had his hand on my back as we greeted Pack members on the way to our seats, where he pulled out my chair before sitting down. Breakfast was served over a two- hour period, so they weren¡¯t waiting for us, but they did stop eating until we sat. Trays and bowls were passed, and the topic of conversation was no surprise. Everyone was talking about Tania¡¯s return and Talia¡¯s disappearance.


    I saw Randalling down the stairs from his guest room, looking around and sniffing. ¡°Come in here, Randall,¡± I said as I waved at him. ¡°He¡¯s in the lounge room with Tania, she¡¯s finally sleeping.¡±


    His eyes got wide. ¡°She epted him?¡±


    ¡°His wolf is with her, she isn¡¯t scared by him that way. She¡¯s pretty overwhelmed by it all, you have to remember she was only fourteen when she was taken. You probably know better than anyone what she went through.¡±


    ¡°I do, and this is good news for both of them that they can be together.¡± He came in and sat down, the food being passed his way. ¡°Have you made any progress in finding her a therapist to work with?¡±


    ¡°Not within the Packs,¡± I said. I had made discreet inquiries of the other Lunas, asking about a counselor to help one of my young females who had been raped. ¡°None of the Lunas had any specialists, they all rmended talking to the Pack Doctor.¡±


    ¡°Pack Doctors aren¡¯t equipped to deal with this kind of trauma,¡± I said. ¡°From the victim statements of the other girls recovered, they were treated like cattle; drugged, beaten and tortured intopliance. They are going to need years of therapy, and even then, they will struggle to regain their lives. Post traumatic stress, difficulty forming rtionships, sexual dysfunction, even depression and suicide. I know Tania was strong, but she¡¯s lost her wolf and her hope.¡±


    ¡°I lost my baby too,¡± a voice said from the doorway. We all looked up, Tania was standing there, her hand gripping the fur on Bobby¡¯s neck as she leaned on him. ¡°He raped me and took my son.¡±


    ¡°Who took your baby,¡± I said as my heart broke for her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his name. He was an Alpha. Beta Todd gave me to him, he kept me leashed in a basement and made me pregnant. When my son was born, he took him.¡±


    The table was practically shaking with rage, and it was scaring her. ¡°CALM YOUR WOLVES,¡± rkmanded. ¡°Males, except Randall, leave us through the kitchen.¡±


    The men got up and walked around the table, knowing better than to look at Tania, and exited out the back door. I heard some shift and howl, probably going to run it off. The knowledge that this had happened to a fourteen-year-old girl, one who was family to us, and confirming who it was, had us all on edge. ¡°You are safe her, Tania. Come, sit down and have some breakfast.¡±


    She looked around, then looked at Randall. He was the only one she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Tania, this is Randall Meechum. He¡¯s from the Sulphur River Pack in Texas, and he is also a Special Agent with the FBI. He was involved in the investigation into your rescue from the hotel.¡±


    Her hand went to her face as she gasped and stepped back. ¡°He¡¯s after her? She helped me!¡±


    Randall held his hands up, shaking his head. ¡°I could never hurt Talia,¡± he said. ¡°She is my mate. I knew as soon as I scented her in the parking lot that she was my other half. I was here because I was trying to figure out what happened to the two of you four years ago. The humans do not know it was her, and they do not know she killed those men to rescue you.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    She rxed, nervously scratching at Bobby¡¯s ears as she took in the news. ¡°Your mate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw her just long enough for our wolves to connectst night.¡±


    ¡°She shot you!¡± Bobby was rubbing his head against her side, trying to calm her. ¡°She ran from you!¡±


    ¡°She missed, intentionally. Do you know why she would have run off?¡±


    She looked at me, then back to Randall. ¡°She went to get my baby back, and to kill some Alphas.¡±


    ¡°On her own,¡± I asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she ask us? You are family, we would help. We all want blood for what they did to you.¡±


    She looked down at Bobby, he just licked her hand and rubbed against her, letting her know it was all right. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need your help. She doesn¡¯t need any of you anymore.¡±


    Randall looked at her. ¡°Do you know where your baby is, Tania?¡±


    ¡°Talia does, she told me she was going to bring him back to me.¡± She walked over to her Aunt and Uncle. ¡°She won¡¯t ask for help because she knows the Council has an arrest warrant out for her, and you¡¯ll be in trouble with them if you don¡¯t turn her in. She told me she took a blood vow, to find and kill those responsible, and nothing would get in her way.¡±


    I gripped my mate¡¯s leg, a blood vow was unbreakable, even in death. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°When she has her revenge, she will turn herself in. She said she is beyond saving, so I have to live for both of us. I¡¯m supposed to move on, find my mate, have a family and live my life.¡± She pulled back a chair and sat down heavily. ¡°I think she got the easy half of the deal.¡±

 I Am The Alpha

    Talia¡¯s POV


    34 Months Ago, Upstate New York


    ¡°You ready for this, Talia?¡± Eduardo was sitting on the counter in the hotel bathroom, watching me as I pulled on my ck leather jacket over ck jeans, a ck T-shirt and boots. I double-checked my weapons, four throwing knives sat ready in my boots and jacket sleeves, and an autoinjector filled with a fast-acting sedative in my front pocket. I¡¯d left the Glock behind, I didn¡¯t want to risk jail time in this state that didn¡¯t recognize carry permits.


    It wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t kill someone twenty different ways without it. ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied as I pulled my blonde hair back in a ponytail, then covered it all with a ck bandana.


    ¡°This phone has one number in it, you can use it to contact me when you are done. As soon as the sun sets, I¡¯lle get you.¡±


    ¡°If I need it,¡± I said. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t pick an easy task for my first assignment.¡±


    He put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re ready for this, or Jarrod wouldn¡¯t send you.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°You going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°The do not disturb sign is up and we¡¯ve got the drapes closed and taped. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I gave him a hug and walked out, down the hall and stairs and out into the parking lot. I fired up my Harley and headed out for the bar Alpha Marvin Jones owned in the town just outside his territory. I drove through the Fulton County Lakes region to Eagle Bay, where the Harbor Bar sat.


    Parking my Harley facing out near the door, I got off and walked in. It was fall, the off season and a Wednesday, and there weren¡¯t many tourists around. I unzipped my jacket as I walked in, and I could sense that most of the people inside were werewolves, including all of the staff.


    I walked up to the bar, oblivious to their stares. Technically, I wasn¡¯t on Packnds so I couldn¡¯t be detained for trespassing. That didn¡¯t mean my presence was wee. My scent rmed them, and they all focused on me as I walked past the booths to take a seat on the barstool.


    If I was male, they would have considered me a threat. I was without a Pack, unmated, beautiful and alone, so I could smell their attention shifting from rm to lust. ¡°What can I get you, youngdy,¡± the bartender said. He was a big guy, at least warrior rank.


    ¡°Beer, menu and a meeting with your boss,¡± I said as I sat down.


    He asked to see my identification, and I showed him my newly forged Louisiana driver¡¯s license that showed me turning 21 two months earlier. He stared at it carefully, and his eyes zed slightly. He was linking to his Alpha, giving him my name and address no doubt. My Coven had spared no expense in creating my false identity, down to the real apartment in the city that was listed. I even had a credit history showing my job working for apany secretly owned by Jarrod. ¡°Beer and menu I can get you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take an India Pale Ale if you had it,¡± I said. He came back with a standard bar menu and a ss of Full Boar IPA. I ordered a burger with mushrooms and blue cheese and tried the beer, it was pretty good. The bartender went back into the office, right as another man sat next to me. ¡°That seat is taken,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyonee in with you,¡± the young wolf said. ¡°You¡¯re not the one but you look like you¡¯d be fun,¡± he said. ¡°Name¡¯s Boyd. Let me buy you a drink, prettydy.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    I reached for my beer, but he grabbed my right hand, turning me towards him as he held it tight. ¡°You¡¯ve got no rights here, rogue. Leaving with me for a quick fuck is your best option right now. The three boys in the back there want to take you to the Pack prison, where they can share you with all their friends.¡±


    My left hand had dropped to my boot as he talked. ¡°You have a nice cock, Boyd?¡±


    ¡°You bet I do, and I know how to use it.¡±


    ¡°You like your cock the way it is? It¡¯s not too big?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfection, bitch.¡±


    I moved the tip of the razor-sharp de in my left hand until it was poking through the fabric of his jeans, right where his hardened shaft was pressing against the zipper. ¡°Then you better sit your ass down where you came from before you lose half of it.¡± His eyes got wide as he looked down. I could see his wolfing forward, demanding my submission, and so I let MY wolf forward and she was pissed. My Alpha dominance pushed his wolf back, and he let go of me and backed off. I smiled and put the de back as he walked away.


    The smell of lust changed over to one of aggression as his took his seat,municating what happened with his buddies in the corner. I ignored them, enjoying the burger and fries as I waited. I had just finished up when the bartender came back out. ¡°The Alpha wants to know why you want to meet with him and who you represent.¡±


    ¡°Word is that there is a witness working with the FBI who saw two men abducting a woman in Syracusest month,¡± I said. ¡°The people I represent can make her go away.¡±


    He nodded and walked off. I finished my beer by the time her returned. ¡°Meeting will be on ournds. No weapons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave them on my ride,¡± I said.


    ¡°Boyd and the boys will escort you. Follow them and do not deviate or you will be killed.¡± I tossed a twenty onto the bar to cover lunch, then got up and went to my Harley. The four from the corner followed me out, two heading to each car. I made sure I showed them the knives as I took them out and put them into my saddlebags. Firing up my ride, I followed the first car out of the lot, the second behind me.


    We arrived at the Pack House twenty minutester. Driving up, the Pack looked like a small housing development mixed in with the rolling hills and trees, but I could see the subtle clues there was more. The chain link fence topped with barbed wire, the cameras, and theyout with the Pack House and gym at the center. Larger homes belonging to senior Pack leaders were on the inner ring, smaller houses surrounded it. They probably had the unmated staying in Pack House apartments.


    I parked my Harley when they came to a stop, and the four men escorted me up the stairs where I was met by an even bigger man. ¡°I¡¯m Beta Mark Turner. Follow me.¡± He led me into the house and up the stairs to a conference room, holding the door open for me. Four men were in the room, including the Alpha who I immediately recognized from his photo. ¡°Alpha, this is Amanda Keller. Amanda, this is Gamma Pierce, Delta Lawrence, Warrior Parker and Alpha Erich Shunn.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Wee to the Fulton Lakes Pack, Miss Keller,¡± the Alpha said as he stood and took my offered hand. He raised it up to his nose, a little confused by the scent. I could tell his wolf didn¡¯t like it. ¡°I understand you have a proposal for me.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said. ¡°I challenge you for the Alpha position at Fulton Lakes.¡± The five men stared at me, then the Alpha started tough, and the others followed. I stared him down, my dominance forward and my wolf pissed at being dismissed. When theughter died down, I continued. ¡°Do you ept, or do I take your submission now?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for theedic interlude, young she-wolf, but you are better suited to be UNDER a strong man than in charge of one.¡± The other men got up from their seats, two moving behind him while the other two blocked the door. ¡°Take her to the cells until I decide what to do with her.¡±


    I let my ws grow out as they dismissed me, and when the two men came to grab me, I was ready. Fast as lightning, I sliced clean through the neck of the man on my right before spinning and plunging my ws into the kidneys of the man on the left. He screamed in pain, and I snapped his neck before the other two men could react.


    One ran towards me, and with a jumping roundhouse I knocked him into the wall and out. The second man had gone wolf and leaped for my throat as Inded from the kick. Avoiding his jaws, I grabbed him by the scruff and slung his head down into the wood-paneled wall. His head broke through the wall, and before he could recover, I stomped on his exposed neck. A loud snap told me it was broken, killing him instantly.


    I turned to face the Alpha, who was now alone in a room with a pissed-off she-wolf who had just taken out his senior leadership in under ten seconds. I walked towards him, my bloodied hands dripping on his expensive carpet as he backed up towards the window. ¡°My question remains, do you ept my challenge, or do I take your submission now?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your worst fucking nightmare. You¡¯ve been kidnapping and changing human women, threatening to draw attention to our kind. That isn¡¯t eptable, especially as you¡¯ve tried to dump the ones who didn¡¯t make it in the back yard of friends of mine.¡± His eyes got wide, but he didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. My hand shot out, the ws piercing his upper left chest. I moved my hand around in there as his mouth opened in shock and his hands grabbed mine, but he was already dying. Finding what I wanted, I jerked my hand back hard. He was pulled forward past me as his chest ripped open, and he fell hard to the floor by his desk.


    I looked down at him, his heart in my hand. I reached over to his desk and grabbed a pair of scissors, then plunged the des through the heart, pinning it to the center of the conference table.


    The man I had knocked out was starting toe to. The thirst for blood led me to grab him and bite into the carotid artery just below his left ear. I took deep gulps of the warm blood as I listened to his heart weaken. I let go and sliced his throat open when I had my fill.


    My beast felt satisfied; he hadn¡¯t deserved to live, and they had all paid the price for breaking Councilws and endangering the local Coven. No longer would dead bodies be showing up around the Syracuse coven house; that was the kind of cold-war antics that could get us all in trouble. The fact that girls were being kidnapped and forced into a life they didn¡¯t want, well, that gave me satisfaction in ending them.


    I went to the attached bathroom and washed the blood off my arms and face, and used the towels to get the blood off my clothes and jacket. I liked ck because the blood didn¡¯t show, and leather because it would clean up well. I walked back into the room, cing an Ace and King of Clubs in the mouth of the dead Alpha.


    I opened the door and a few dozen Pack members were waiting outside. ¡°The Alpha, his bond broke,¡± Boyd said.


    ¡°It¡¯s to be expected when he¡¯s dead,¡± I said as I flung the doors wide open. ¡°Tell the Council to find leadership suited to the Pack, I don¡¯t want it.¡± I walked towards the stairs, the shocked werewolves parting for me like the Red Sea for Moses.


    ¡°Who are you, really,¡± Boyd asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha Killer.¡± I walked out, firing up my motorcycle, and left them shocked and leaderless behind me.

 Alphas Meeting

    Randall¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    I looked at the broken girl standing at the doorway and my heart just fell. Every dream, every good experience had been taken from her and she had suffered for years, three of them not knowing what happened to her own son.


    ¡°Please, sit and eat,¡± I said softly. I was d I¡¯d spent so much time in my division, I¡¯d learned from the best how to work with people who hade out of the harshest situations. ¡°None of us will hurt you.¡±


    She nervously came into the room, taking a ce across the table from me. I let her take some food and eat, while I focused on my own te and what we needed to do. ¡°How is she doing,¡± I linked with my brother.


    ¡°Better, she slept for a few hours and she¡¯s talking a little.¡±


    ¡°Does she know who you are or that you are mates?¡±


    ¡°No, and I¡¯m the one who should break it to her.¡±


    I grabbed an empty te next to me, and filled it with biscuits, gravy and sausage. I held it over the table. ¡°Tania? Would you mind putting this down on the floor for my brother?¡±


    She reached out, hesitant, but she took it from me. ¡°Snacks is your brother?¡±


    I held back augh as she lowered the food down to the floor and ignored my brother¡¯s cursing over the link. ¡°Snack¡¯s real name is Bobby, Bobby Meechum. He¡¯s my little brother, he came up here with me from Texas.¡±


    ¡°I call him Snacks because he helped me find the foodst night, and he ate almost a whole bag of cheese curds by himself. I don¡¯t think they have cheese that squeaks when you eat it down south.¡± She ate with her left hand while her right maintained contact with him as he wolfed down his breakfast. ¡°He¡¯s a nice puppy, he helped me sleep.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s good for that,¡± I said. ¡°He will stay with you as long as you¡¯ll have him. No one will harm you while he is by your side, I can assure you.¡±


    ¡°I know, as soon as I touched him, it was like I knew I was safe with him.¡± He looked up from his clean te, his tongue hanging out the side and the love clear in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s such a good boy, aren¡¯t you Snacks.¡±


    ¡°See, she likes me,¡± he sent.


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like puppies,¡± I sent back. ¡°Tania, I need to ask you to do something that I know is not going to be easy for you but is very important. I¡¯d like to get your statement on what has happened to you since the day you were taken.¡±


    ¡°Surely it can wait, she¡¯s not ready,¡± Luna Teri said.


    ¡°Right now, her sister is out risking her life to get her son back,¡± I said. ¡°The longer she is out there, taking the search and the revenge upon her alone, the more vulnerable she is. The Council and the Packs will kill her if they find her before we do.¡± I looked over at Tania. ¡°Please, she¡¯s my mate. I know she¡¯s not had an easy time of it, but I¡¯m here now, and so is this Pack. We need to know, so we can help your sister, and so we can make sure EVERYONE who was involved in your treatment is brought to justice.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me where she was going or who the Alpha was,¡± Tania said as she started to cry. ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW!¡±


    Bobby put his head in herp and Teri got out of her chair and hugged her as she cried. I looked over at Alpha rk. ¡°Alpha, may I talk to you in private for a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office.¡± We left the crying women alone and I followed him upstairs. He sat behind his desk as I took the chair in front of it. ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and listen to what happened to her, my wolf is going nuts that I couldn¡¯t protect her. Now that we know Beta Todd was involved, it makes me even more certain that he was involved in the Alpha pair¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Even more reason to get the statement. Let me do it, with Bobby and Teri there. I¡¯ll conduct the interview and videotape it so we have evidence to take to the Council when this all blows up.¡±


    ¡°What can I do?¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t be that many Alphas who had males born to their families in that time. Ask you mate to ask Tania how long it was between when she was taken and when she became pregnant.¡±


    He looked off, and a minuteter we had our answer. In the meantime, we pulled up a pregnancy calctor on the Inte. Now that we knew approximately the conception date in early September, we took from 34 to 42 weeks gestation and got a range of values. ¡°So that¡¯s a narrow range to start with, and we can throw out any Alpha with older male heirs. Not much of a point in kidnapping and raping a girl if you already have your sessor,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill him,¡± he said as he looked at the Council secure website. Every Pack Alpha and their family was listed there, with links to family photographs taken at the annual Council Summit.


    I looked at the photograph he was staring at. He was standing behind her, a toddler boy in herp, smiles on their faces. ¡°Alpha Justin Heranus and Luna Rhoda of the Copper Mountain Pack in Colorado. Son Phillip, DOB 5/20/2016,¡± I read. ¡°Damn. His face and eyes look just like her.¡±


    rk sent to a few people, and the room soon filled with his senior staff. He filled them all in on what we had learned. The mood was tense, and I had to be the one to defuse it. ¡°Before we load up and head west, I¡¯d like to point out that we don¡¯t have any proof yet. We don¡¯t have DNA evidence, we haven¡¯t even gotten an identification out of Tania yet. Let me do my job and build the case so none of these people get away with it.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just roll in there,¡± his Beta said. ¡°It would be an act of war. We have to get the Council involved. Wey out the facts, they arrest him and hold the trial, and we get our justice.¡±


    ¡°I want his blood in my teeth,¡± Alpha rk raged as he stood from his desk.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what is best for the Pack,¡± I said. ¡°Tania needs her family around her to recover, and it would crush her if you were hurt or killed on her ount.¡±


    He sat down, clenching his fists as he pushed his wolf down. ¡°Go back downstairs and see if Tania will agree to interview with you. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll call the Council and ask them to fly a team out here immediately. I want all the information we have gathered on Alpha Todd and Alpha Justin in this room by five.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it ready,¡± I said.


    ¡°Beta, have your men put together information on the Copper Mountain and Tomah Packs in case we have to go in there and grab the Alphas ourselves. I don¡¯t mind getting the Council involved, but if we have to we¡¯ll take our own action.¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±


    Before I left, I found a photo of Alpha Justin and printed it out along with photos of five other Alphas of simr age and features. cing them in an envelope, I went downstairs, where the girls weren¡¯t there. ¡°Where did you guys go,¡± I sent to Bobby.


    ¡°Luna¡¯s sitting room on the main floor,¡± he sent back. I followed their scents to a door, hearing their voices inside I knocked softly. ¡°It¡¯s Randall,¡± I said. ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Enter,¡± the Luna said. They were sitting on a couch in the small room, which had needlepoints and photos on the walls and high-backed chairs nking the couch. It was clearly a female space by the decorations, used by the Luna to entertain other females when her mate was dealing with Pack matters alone. ¡°Tania has agreed to talk to you about her experience, but she doesn¡¯t want anyone else in the room with us,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you, Tania. We can keep this just to us, but I do need to record the interview for use in a trial. I¡¯ll also ask you to make a short statement and sign it, identifying who did this to you. I was just speaking with Alpha rk, and he¡¯s going to bring the evidence to the Council so we can get justice.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Talia says the council is not to be trusted. They are after her.¡±


    ¡°The Council cannot ignore this, we won¡¯t let them. The trial of an Alpha has a jury made up of other Alphas. I¡¯d rather you not worry about that, I just want to find out what happened. I¡¯ll make this as easy as I can for you.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I asked her to sit up on the couch, with Snacksying with his head in herp, and moved Teri to the chair next to her. cing my phone on a stand on the coffee table, I adjusted it until it just showed her from the chest up. There were no clues as to where she was located, and you couldn¡¯t see Bobby¡¯s head. Her hands were both in his fur, nervously petting him to stay calm. I started the video, then sat back with my notebook. After stating my name and the date, I smiled at her and started slow. ¡°Can you tell me your name, birth date and family?¡±


    ¡°Tania Stillwater, born June 18th, 2000, formerly of the Tomah Pack. My parents are, I mean were, Johann and Rosa Stillwater, Alphas of the Pack. I have an older sister, Talia.¡±


    ¡°So, you were Alpha blood but not the Alpha heir.¡±


    ¡°No, my sister was, she had faith that the Goddess would give her a strong mate to lead with her. It didn¡¯t quite go that way.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can you tell me about thest few days you were at the Tomah Pack?¡±


    She closed her eyes for a moment, then started. ¡°Mom and Dad had a meeting with the surrounding Alphas, it was being hosted by the La Crosse Pack. I didn¡¯t want to go, one of my friends was having her birthday party. Talia had to go, she was sixteen and it was time to start looking for her mate. You know, all these Alpha get-togethers are chances for high-ranking wolves to look for their mates,¡± she said as her eyes rolled. ¡°We were down at the beach, ying on the rope swing. I had just gotten out of the water and was drying off when I got a link from Beta Todd that my parents were on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Beta Todd Aldrige?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told me to shift and run up to the road, he was waiting in his SUV with the passenger door open. I jumped in and shifted, but instead of handing me the phone, he injected me with something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the next thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°I woke up in a basement, chained by my neck to a post.¡± She described the basement, the conditions, and the Alpha who raped her and left her pregnant.


    ¡°Tania, I¡¯m going toy out some pictures for you. If you recognize the man who held you captive, let me know.¡± The photos in the envelope had been shuffled around; I showed each to the camera before I handed it to her. She shook her head no three times before I handed her the next photo.


    ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± she whispered. She was shaking and started crying.


    I took the photograph back from her and set it aside. ¡°I need you to look at the other photographs, just to make sure.¡± She told me no to the rest. I collected the photographs with Alpha Justin on top. ¡°The photo lineup identified Alpha Justin Heranus as the kidnapper.¡±


    We continued on through the injections and rapes, which took a while to get through and we had to suspend the interview twice when she broke down. During one of the breaks, there was a knock on the door. It was Alpha rk, with more photos. ¡°These are photos of the senior leadership of the Copper Mountain Pack,¡± he said. ¡°Teri told me she identified Justin.¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± I said. ¡°Can you have the kitchen send in some drinks and snacks? We may be here a while.¡±


    ¡°I have to go into the woods or shift and use the bathroom,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good time for a break,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re getting some food and drink brought in, but if you need to use the bathroom you can.¡± Teri walked Tania out, they were both still crying, while I walked to the front door and let Bobby out to run.

 My Nephew & The Luna

    Ten minutester, I had a muffin and a coffee in hand, and we started the interview again. She told of her baby being taken, being starved, then a new man showing up and taking her wolf. ¡°I think he was supposed to kill me, but he took my wolf instead,¡± she cried. ¡°He knocked me out and that¡¯s when I was sent to the ve auctions.¡±


    ¡°ve auction?¡± Shit. We¡¯d been looking for these people for years but had never found them. ¡°Can I show you some pictures and see if this man who took your wolf is one of them?¡±


    She nodded. I did the same exercise, except all the men were senior leaders in the Copper Mountain pack. ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± she said when the Beta¡¯s picture showed up. ¡°He took my wolf from me.¡±


    ******


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Copper Mountain, Colorado


    I had left my motorcycle at the LaCrosse Regional Airport. Marcy and I had driven her Mercedes sedan straight through to Denver and its coven.


    The unique nature of Alpha Justin¡¯s pack was also its weakness. Most Packs were insr, living and working inside the Pack borders. The Copper Mountain Pack lived in a gatedmunity in a remote canyon, but almost all of them worked at the sprawling resort fifteen miles to the northeast. The familiars had been monitoring the Pack for a few days now and noted how the majority of the Pack left during weekdays for work, including the Alpha.


    I had left Marcy behind in the Denver coven house; this would have to be done in daylight. Thete summer day in the mountains started early and ended at almost nine at night. During the night, there were too many warriors around for me to handle, and I couldn¡¯t involve the Coven in this.


    I thought about my n as I drove out of the Wal-Mart parking lot and headed for their homes. It was simple and bold; I was going to go in, grab my nephew and the Luna, and get out again. I even bought a toddler car seat at Wal-Mart and put it in the back.


    Once he was safe, I could go back and take care of the Alpha.


    I checked my weapons as I turned down the road towards the entrance to their homes. I had my Glock in a shoulder holster under the blue zer I was wearing with a white blouse top and grey cks. Throwing knives were sewn into the sleeves and lining of the zer. The right pocket contained several autoinjectors filled with wolfsbaneced sedatives, while the left pocket held two autoinjectors filled with high doses of wolfsbane. I stopped just before the fence and the gatehouse, getting out of the car as the werewolf sentry came out of the shack. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m here to see Luna Rhoda, my name is Amanda King,¡± I said with a smile as I walked up to him.


    He took a good sniff, raising his eyebrow. ¡°I wasn¡¯t notified, I¡¯ll have to check.¡± As soon as he turned, my hand left my pocket and the autoinjector pushed the fast-acting sedative into his system. His knees buckled, he probably tried to call for help over the link, but the wolfsbane would prevent that. I caught him as he started to crumple and dragged him back to the shack, setting him in the chair. I opened the gate then turned off the breaker, making sure it couldn¡¯t be reclosed.


    Getting back in the car, I drove straight to the Alpha home and parked in the driveway. I patted my jacket as I walked to the door and palmed another autoinjector, readying it in my left hand. Knocking, I could hear someone approaching before it opened. ¡°Can I help you,¡± an older wolf asked me.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Amanda King, the Luna is expecting me,¡± I said as I started walking in past the flustered maid.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am, but¡­¡± She stopped talking as the injection went into her neck. I caught her and moved her to a chair, closing the door behind me. I expanded my senses, no one else was nearby, but I could hear voices out back.


    I moved through the house, seeing Luna Rhoda sitting on the back patio, watching Phillip y in his sandbox. I opened the door and walked out, the autoinjector from the right pocket in my hand. As she turned around to see who wasing, I plunged the needle into her neck and covered her mouth.


    The sedative and wolfsbane coursed through her body as she struggled to escape me, but that wasn¡¯t happening. She went limp in moments, and with her link blocked she couldn¡¯t raise help. I really wanted to take her wolf away, but that would break the link and bring the Pack running. I couldn¡¯t afford that yet, but it was going to happen.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± The little boy had noticed his Mom passing out and had gotten out of his sandbox ande over. He pulled on her shorts, looking up at her with worry in his eyes.


    ¡°Mommy is not feeling good, Phillip, but we¡¯re going to take her to the doctor,¡± I said.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your Mommy¡¯s sister,¡± I said. ¡°Come on, you can open the doors for me. You¡¯ll be a big helper if you can do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Momma wake up?¡±


    ¡°She willter, honey. Come on.¡± I put an Ace and King of Hearts on the table by her chair, then I picked Rhoda up in my arms. I smiled at my nephew as he opened the door to the house. ¡°Can you get the front door? My car is outside.¡± He ran ahead to hold the door open, and I brought her out. ¡°Run ahead and open the back door of the car for me, then get into the carseat,¡± I told him.


    He opened the back passenger-side door before climbing in, and was sitting in the chair as I set her in the seat and buckled her in. I pulled out a pair of handcuffs, locking her hands together then attaching the cuffs to a chain I¡¯d installed below the seat. It would let her have some motion, but not enough to reach the door or show the handcuffs to anyone else, not that the tinted windows would allow it.


    As soon as she was in ce, I closed the door and went around to his side. After buckling him in, I opened a pack of Cheddar Goldfish and handed them to him, then moved the sippy cup I¡¯d prepared with water into his holder. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as he grabbed some of the crackers.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I need you to be a good boy for me while we drive to get Mommy help,¡± I said. I closed the door and hopped in, driving back down the road and out the gate. I didn¡¯t rx when I got to the main road; I turned south, following Highway 91 through the mountains. I didn¡¯t know how long it would be before the rm was raised and the Luna and her son were discovered missing.


    It wasn¡¯t as long as I had hoped. We were fifteen miles south of the Pack territory when Phillip¡¯s voice came from the backseat. ¡°Daddy wants to know where I am,¡± he said.


    Well, it was time to let the cat out of the bag. ¡°Tell him Amanda Keller is driving you and Mom to the doctor because she¡¯s not feeling good.¡± He closed his eyes as he linked back with his father.


    I pulled over to the side of the road, taking the needle from the door as I got out. It was a much smaller dose, no wolfsbane, just enough to knock him out for a few hours while I took care of things. I opened his door, plunging the needle into his arm before her could react.


    ¡°That hurt,¡± he said as he looked at me with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll kiss it and make it better.¡± I leaned down and kissed his arm, then his forehead as it slumped to the side. I closed the door carefully then got back in and got on the road.


    A half hourter, I arrived at the Leadville-Lake County airport where the six-passenger twin-turboprop ne was waiting for me. The human pilot had a flight n filed and the door open, the engines idling. He was being paid well for his discretion, and I¡¯d used him before. I parked next to the charter ne on the tarmac, then got Phillip out and carried him to it. I handed him and his car seat to the waiting pilot at the door, then went back and got the sleeping Rhoda and buckled her into the leather seat.


    When both were secured, I drove the Mercedes back to the lot, leaving the keys in the console. I called Marcy as I walked back in the noontime sun, letting her know the mission was a sess and I was getting on board. She told me the Pack was going nuts looking for the Alpha¡¯s family. I just smiled, it was time he experienced some of what MY family had gone through before I killed him.


    I got back on board the ne and told the pilot to depart. He closed and secured the door, then a few minutester we were up in the air and headed for La Crosse.


    I couldn¡¯t give Tania back the four years she had lost, but her son would be in her arms by dinnertime.

 He Knows Everything

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    Tania was stronger than I expected; the interview continued through lunch, getting her whole story out. Luna Teri was updating her husband with relevant information, but after the Beta took her wolf, things got murky. She could no longer tell who was human or werewolf with her own wolf gone, and the ve traders were expert at hiding their names and locations. The people she encountered only had first names, and she was never outside or exposed to radio or television.


    The whole story crushed my soul, it was so simr to other cases my unit had investigated. The ve training and auction ring was a ghost; they had auctions twice a year, and the clientele of these auctions was discreet and deviant. I asked as many questions as I could, looking for details I might use with my team back in Das. I called a halt at two in the afternoon, when it was clear Tania was exhausted. Teri took her back to the guest room while Bobby ran outside to take care of business before returning to her room.


    I gathered my material and met the Alphas and Betas in his office. ¡°The only werewolves I can verify were part of this right now are Alpha Todd in the Tomah pack, and Alpha Justin and Beta Jack of the Copper Mountain Pack,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much knowledge Luna Rhoda had of the kidnapping; she might be the ringleader, or she might have thought her mate used a surrogate.¡±


    ¡°She had to feel it over the bond when he was fucking someone other than her,¡± Luna Teri said.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t use artificial insemination, but if he did, we might never know his name,¡± I said. ¡°Where are we on the Council?¡±


    ¡°The Council Chair ising along with his Lead Enforcer and Chief Counsel. Their ne will be arriving at the airport at five,¡± Alpha rk said. ¡°I will go to the airport and bring them back. Teri, we need to make sure the kitchens are ready to host VIP¡¯s and the rooms are ready for them.¡±


    ¡°Already in progress, we¡¯ll be ready,¡± she said.


    The phone rang, it was a private line only used for official Alpha business. He answered it on speakerphone. ¡°rk Grissom here.¡±


    ¡°Alpha rk, good, I caught you at your desk. It¡¯s Chairman Lewis Wolfe. We¡¯re going to have to reschedule our meeting, I¡¯m afraid. The Alpha Killer has struck again.¡±


    ¡°Where,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Copper Mountain, Colorado. She¡¯s kidnapped the Luna and Alpha Heir of Alpha Justin¡¯s pack. We were already in the air when I got the call, so we¡¯re diverting to Cedar Rapids to refuel then on to Colorado.¡± The Council was headquartered in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.


    ¡°No. Continue here,¡± Alpha rk said. ¡°You need to see me before you go to Colorado.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You have to trust me, Mr. Chairman. I¡¯d never ask this of you without reason.¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond, we could hear muffled conversations mixed with engine noise. ¡°All right. The pilot can refuel in La Crosse, we¡¯ll be on the ground for thirty minutes. This better be good, rk. Alpha Justin is going nuts, as are the other Alphas in the area. Having the Alpha Killer around is bad enough, having her kidnapping kids is a whole new level. We¡¯ve got Enforcers who will be in the air within the hour, and we have to get on-scene to coordinate the manhunt. She¡¯s not going to escape us this time,¡± he vowed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at the airport,¡± Alpha rk said. ¡°Thank you.¡± When he hung up, there was a sigh of relief. ¡°We have to find Talia before the Council does, or she¡¯s dead.¡±


    He was right. There was no more time to build a case, I needed to find my mate before I didn¡¯t have one. ¡°Erica was given a number to call if she ever needed to leave a message for Talia. I think it¡¯s time I called it.¡±


    Alpha rk just nodded. ¡°We need to leave for the airport in two hours, and we need the evidence to be convincing enough that he stays here,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can edit the files, but nothing is more convincing than Tania,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s stronger than we thought. If we can get her to meet with them and tell them in person her story, it might be enough.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s exhausted,¡± Teri said. ¡°Make your preparations as if she isn¡¯ting, and I¡¯ll wake them in an hour and ask them if they wille along.¡±


    The meeting broke up, and I walked back to my room to start putting things together on myptop. I found the number in my notes and made the call. ¡°Hello,¡± a French-sounding voice answered after a few rings.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Randall Meechum, I need to get a message to Talia Stillwater. I was told you might be able to do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I can try,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you. Please ask her to call Randall Meechum at 555-867-5309.¡± She repeated the message, then hung up. I looked out the window. ¡°Please, my reluctant mate, PLEASE talk to me before it is toote.¡±


    ***********


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    I was busy on myputer, editing the video testimony that Tania had given and downloading them onto jump drives with the other evidence I had gathered. I had one drive for Alpha Todd, and another for Alpha Justin. Both contained enough evidence to justify an arrest warrant in the human world, but in ours? Arresting an Alpha was not something the Council liked to do. It threw the entire Pack into disarray, and often the Council would have to take over. The loss of confidence in leadership often lead to Packs fracturing, even disbanding as members sought stability elsewhere.


    The trust between a Pack and its Alphas was not easily forged but breaking it could happen quickly.


    I was finishing up work on Justin¡¯s file when my phone rang. I didn¡¯t recognize the number, and I was hoping it wasn¡¯t one of those annoying robocalls. ¡°Randall Meechum,¡± I said as I picked it up.


    ¡°You wanted to talk to me, mate?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat as my wolf surged forward. ¡°Talia?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I could hear aircraft noises in the background, it was difficult to hear her over the engines. ¡°You know who I am, Randall?¡±


    ¡°I know who your sister thinks you are. I know what your Aunt and Uncle and your Grandfather think. I know what the Council and the other Packs think. I know a lot about you, Talia, but I know nothing about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Randall. The Goddess really screwed you over in her choice of a mate for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. I need to find out, though. I¡¯m not going to throw away the woman meant for me without trying like hell to work things out.¡± I thought about what to say, she was the toughest woman I¡¯d ever heard of, and yet she was a scared little bird when it came to love. ¡°I want to see you, Talia. I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re FBI, you¡¯re investigating the shootings and you¡¯re working with the Council. How can I trust you?¡±


    It was a good question. ¡°I knew as soon as I arrived on scene in Fort Worth that my mate was there. I searched for you, but you must have just left. I protected you, Talia. Nobody in the FBI knows that you are involved or the real name of your sister. I have them looking for a professional killer, maybe the Cartels or Mob. As for the Council, they don¡¯t know anything yet. My parents asked for thetest information from the Council, but it was a routine inquiry. The La Crosse Alphas know with their leadership, but they are out for blood as much as you are.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t get involved,¡± she said.


    ¡°They ARE involved. You can¡¯t expect them to ignore what Alpha Todd did to your family, to their family. That¡¯s why I was here, I was investigating your sister¡¯s disappearance and the ident your parents were involved in. I was already putting together evidence to take to the Council before Tania arrived. Now that she is here, we have all we need to arrest both Alphas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for them. I made a blood vow, and I will fulfill it.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, Talia, but you don¡¯t have to do this alone. You¡¯ve stirred up a ho¡¯s nest in Colorado, when if you had talked to me and your Uncle, we could be arresting Justin right now. With Tania¡¯s testimony and a DNA test, it would be irrefutable. What did you do with them?¡±


    ¡°They are both with me. I told Tania I would return her son to her, and I will do that. Luna Rhoda is mine; I will find out what she knows, and she will suffer for what she has done.¡±


    ¡°Work with me, Talia. Let me help you, let me find a way to get the Council¡¯s warrant against you voided and have a life together. I just need a chance.¡±


    ¡°There is no chance for me, and when you truly know me and what I have done you will understand why it is better we reject each other now.¡± She was choking up, I could tell her mind was saying this, not her heart. ¡°I will bring nothing but pain and death to you.¡±


    ¡°Meet with me,¡± I said. ¡°Look into my eyes and tell my why we cannot be what we are destined to be. I love you, Talia.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything for a bit. ¡°I¡¯mnding at the La Crosse airport in twenty minutes. Meet me there, just you and my Uncle. My sister, too, if she wants toe.¡±


    ¡°Can she bring her mate?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what, her mate? She¡¯s human!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to my little brother Bobby,¡± I said. ¡°His wolf recognized and imed her as his mate, though he hasn¡¯t told her yet. He hasn¡¯t told her anything, because he¡¯s been with her in wolf form sincest night. It¡¯s cute, she feels safe with him and she doesn¡¯t shy away from him like she does with other males.¡±


    ¡°He wants her? He must know what they did to her!¡±


    ¡°He knows everything. I took her statement today, she told of everything that had happened over the past four years. He was with her the whole time, head in herp, her fingers scratching his ears and fur. He¡¯d never hurt her, Talia. She¡¯s starting to heal with him.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. ¡°You better head to the airport.¡±


    ¡°I guess. Can I¡­ can I talk to you after you deliver your nephew and the Luna?¡±


    ¡°Only if you ride bitch on my Harley,¡± she said. ¡°Ride with me and we can go somewhere safe to talk.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said. ¡°Call me when yound, mate.¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    She hung up, and I just stared at the phone for a moment before I started moving. I pulled the jump drives out of myputer and grabbed the hard copy files, then ran out of the guest room. I knocked on the Alpha¡¯s door and was called in. ¡°Alpha rk, I just talked to Talia. She¡¯s bringing Luna Rhoda and Phillip to the La Crosse airport now, we have to go. Just the two of us, maybe Tania if she wants to be there.¡±

 IF I Mate You

    He linked a few people, then looked back at me. ¡°My car is being brought around, and Teri is going to wake up Tania to see if she¡¯sing.¡±


    ¡°We may have to drive separate,¡± I said. ¡°We can¡¯t wait.¡± We were already out of his office; the Luna would be ten minutes behind us with Tania and their Beta. We jumped into the waiting SUV and took off for the airport.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    We were still in town when I got another call from the unknown number. ¡°We justnded,¡± she told me. ¡°Send the Alpha and Tania to the ne, Hangar Four. They¡¯re both still out, I left a note in her pocket with the time and doses of sedatives they were given for the Pack Doctor.¡±


    ¡°Alpha rk and I are close, I will send him to the ne. Teri and Tania are ten minutes behind us.¡±


    ¡°No one else?¡±


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to worry about us, we aren¡¯t going to arrest you or turn you in, Talia. We want the same thing you do.¡±


    ¡°I think you seek justice, I seek revenge,¡± she said. ¡°Have him drop you at the main gate, I¡¯ll be in the parking lot outside the terminal on my Harley. I hope you¡¯re not scared of riding a motorcycle,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hardly, I¡¯ve been riding them on my family¡¯s ranch since I was six,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d love to ride with you.¡±


    ¡°Talk, Randall. We need to talk, so you can realize why this thing between us will never work. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Love you, Talia,¡± I said. She hung up without replying, but I meant what I said. She was my mate, I loved her, she was MINE and I wasn¡¯t letting her go. I didn¡¯t care what she thought it was that would drive me off, it wouldn¡¯t.


    Fifteen nervous minutester, we were pulling through the gates and into the La Crosse Regional Airport. I was looking around for my mate, and I spotted her at the other end of the parking lot. ¡°Let me out here,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Good luck, Randall. Treat her right.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said as I unbuckled and jumped out. I walked across the lot towards her, every emotion in the world going through me at the same time. My wolf was forward, he smelled her, he wanted to smell her, run with her and mate her. I pushed back the images he sent as I walked towards the beautiful, strong woman that Talia had be. In the daylight, she was a vision. She was wearing ck jeans with a silver belt, calf-high boots and a ck Harley T-shirt. She was leaning against the seat of her motorcycle, a Softtail with metallic purple paint. Her blonde hair blew away from her shoulders in thete afternoon breeze, and Ray-Bans hid her blue eyes from me.


    She was everything I could ask for and more.


    She got off the seat of her Harley as I came closer, biting her lip nervously as she looked at the ground. ¡°Hello,¡± I said as I came up to her. ¡°Smooth, boy. Real Romeo.¡± I shut my wolf up and reached out, my fingers lifting her chin up to look at me.


    Tingles ran up my arm as I touched her, and she let out a soft gasp. I moved my hand to her cheek, the tingles multiplying, as she stood frozen in front of me. I reached my left arm around her as I moved close enough for her body to press against mine. I bent down, burying my nose in her hair as my hand pulled her nose into my shoulder. ¡°MATE,¡± my wolf confirmed. He was over the moon having her in his arms, and he couldn¡¯t wait to run with her. I took a deep sniff, sorting through theplex scent that was my mate. The part my wolf recognized was prominent, but underneath it was something else; something that smelled of death, but not quite.


    I pulled back from her, sorting things out in my brain, when it finally hit me. It had been years ago, I was just a pup, but the smell of the blood on my father¡¯s skin came to my mind. It couldn¡¯t be. ¡°Talia?¡± I cupped her face in my hands and looked in her eyes. ¡°Why do you smell like vampire blood?¡±


    She looked away from me. ¡°Not now,¡± she said. ¡°Hop on.¡±


    She straddled the low-riding Harley and I got on behind her. Wrapping my arms around her felt wonderful, and I enjoyed every moment of our ride. She took us back to the Interstate and up Highway 61 a few miles until we turned off. ¡°Great River Bluffs State Park?¡±


    ¡°We need to talk, and if you argue with me, I can toss you off the cliff,¡± she said. I just snorted and pulled my arms tighter around her muscled stomach.


    She paid for a day pass and drove to the parking lot. We got off and she led me up the trail. ¡°I need to tell you my story,¡± she said. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy, and I¡¯m not going to lie to you. If you want me, if you love me like you say you do, you¡¯ll let me exin everything.¡±


    I reached out my hand for her. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to everything you have to say, but you have to promise not to run from me. One way or another, wee to a decision today. I don¡¯t want another night to pass without knowing if my mate will ept me.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said with a shy smile. Her hand felt perfect in mine. ¡°When Tania disappeared and my parents were killed, I was is shock. I was sixteen, I never expected to be in that situation, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. My aunt and uncle kept me at their Pack for my protection, while Beta Todd took care of things at Tomah. In retrospect, that was the worst thing that could happen, because my Pack looked to him for leadership instead of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Beta Todd is behind your parent¡¯s death, but I don¡¯t have proof yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to die, I might keep him alive long enough to find out who else was involved.¡± The trail got steeper as we climbed up from the river valley, it was beautiful here. ¡°By the time I tried to assert my leadership, the Council and Todd worked together to make sure it didn¡¯t happen. None of them werefortable with a female Alpha, much less one my age, so I was given an ultimatum. Mate with Beta Todd to unify the Pack, or he would take it with another at his side. I issued the challenge. I wasn¡¯t going to take him as my mate ever, and I wasn¡¯t going to let go of the Pack. I fought as hard as I could, but I lost.¡±


    ¡°Erica told me how bravely you fought.¡±


    ¡°Erica was braver than I was. When I woke, I had been exiled. The backpack she left for me helped me make it to a gas station, and that is where I met someone who would change my life. For their protection, I¡¯m not going to give you their real names or their location.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything, not unless you let me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better you don¡¯t know. I was injured and weak, and who pulled into the gas station I was sitting at but a female vampire.¡±


    I froze, forcing her to stop. ¡°A vampire? She didn¡¯t kill you?¡±


    ¡°I amused her, evidently, and I was in no shape to fight. She offered me refuge, and I took it. I traveled with her to her coven and met the leader. I had made a blood vow to avenge my family, and he offered to train me, so I was strong enough to do it. What had I to lose? I was a rogue, I¡¯d lost my Pack and my family, and I couldn¡¯t do it as I was.¡±


    ¡°You joined the Coven?¡±


    ¡°I agreed to perform services for him in exchange for training and his blood.¡± She stopped and turned me towards her. ¡°Vampire venom is deadly to werewolves, and ingesting their blood is distasteful but harmless. However, the blood of a Vampire Master, injected into the body of a werewolf, creates a hybrid.¡±


    ¡°His blood is in you? Wait, you have a heartbeat¡­¡±


    ¡°The changes that urred were like changing a human into a wolf, but much more painful. It was like nothing I¡¯d ever experienced; the painsted for days. When I woke, I was different. I¡¯m not a vampire, I¡¯m still a werewolf, but the blood made me a little, well, vampire-ry.¡±


    ¡°Like a hybrid?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m stronger than a werewolf, I gained vampire speed, my aging has slowed and my bite is toxic to werewolves now. It doesn¡¯t kill them quickly like a real vampire bite would, death takes a week or so. The change is permanent; I didn¡¯t regret it until I saw you that night, because to bite you now would doom you to a slow and painful death.¡±


    She would never be able toplete the bond. No wonder she thought I would reject her. ¡°You can¡¯t bite me, but I could still bite you?¡±


    ¡°I think so. It¡¯s not like we have a lot to go on, this had only been done a dozen or so times in history before me and most of them died in the transition. It was worth it, because as you know, I can defeat Alphas easily now.¡± That was true, she waded through Packs like a hot knife through butter. Fast and brutally effective, she was an unmatched fighter. ¡°I trained for a year, then I started killing the people he wanted me as my part of the bargain. They weren¡¯t good men, and the Vampire Council wanted them dead without starting a war. Using me gave them deniability. I did what I was told. As I got older, I spent more time searching for my sister and finding ways to make money so I wouldn¡¯t burden the Coven. I had just finished winning a private poker tournament when I found my sister.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am that you did, because that led me to you.¡±


    ¡°I just was happy she was out. I took her back to the Coven and got her through the heroin withdrawals, then I took her home. I got enough information to her to know her son was alive in Copper Mountain territory, so I knew I had to get him first. Now that he is home, I¡¯m going to kill Alpha Todd and Alpha Justin. I can¡¯t do that with you, I¡¯m untouchable. Even being seen with me is enough to put you in danger. If I mate you, they¡¯ll still kill me, and that will kill you.¡± We had reached the East Overlook, it was empty and the view was amazing. ¡°That is why you must reject me, here and now. I am an abomination, a creature with the form of a wolf and the bloodlust of a vampire. I will never be epted by a Pack, I will never be an Alpha. The Council will never forgive what I have done at the behest of the Vampire Council. If that wasn¡¯t enough, I can¡¯t evenplete a mating with you.¡± She looked at me, tears in her eyes. ¡°I love you enough to let you have a chance at life, Randall. I, Talia Ann Stillwater, reject..¡±

 Holy Shit

    I kissed her, hard and possessively, stopping that nonsense right away. She tried to push me off, she was strong enough but didn¡¯t. It took a few seconds before her hands gripped my shirt and she responded to my kiss. We stood there, the bond deepening my the second, until I finally let her go. ¡°I won¡¯t let any of that stop me, Talia. Let me mark you, we¡¯ll figure out the restter.¡±


    She was shaking, but she showed her neck to me. ¡°Do it, quickly, before I can run away,¡± she said. My teeth extended, and I moved down and bit her neck at the junction of her left shoulder. I felt the bond snap in ce between us. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, and I am yours,¡± I said.


    ¡°For as long as I live, I am yours,¡± she answered. ¡°Even if that is only a week.¡±


    *********


    Alpha rk¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Airport


    I drove off soon after Randall closed the door, seeing my niece Talia standing by a motorcycle on the other side of the lot. I meant what he said about treating her right; she was my blood, and Teri and I were as close to her parents as she had. As hard as her life had been these past four years, all we could remember was the little girl who had grown up visiting us with the rest of her family.


    She was not a little girl anymore.


    She was more beautiful than the photographs showed, and she looked dangerous standing there in her ck outfit. I wanted to go to her, to hug her and tell her everything would be all right, but that couldn¡¯t happen. She¡¯d just kidnapped the Luna and Alpha Heir of a Pack and was turning them over to me. This was an act of war, and I was fine with that. I just didn¡¯t want the Council members to catch me in the act.


    I got a call as I drove down the line of hangars, the Council ne was ten minutes out. Shit.


    I drove to the hangar. The door was open, and the inside was darkened. There was one ne in there, a twin-engine turboprop with its door opened. I parked next to it and got out; going up the stairs I called out, but no one answered. The pilot must have left.


    Just as well, I didn¡¯t want any witnesses.


    The child was in a car seat, strapped to a seat by the door. He was the most important thing, so I unbuckled the seat and carried him out. Phillip was still sleeping, but the simrities between him and his mother were striking. I took a smell, I felt a family bond snap into ce. He was my grandson as far as my wolf was concerned.


    Teri pulled into the hangar and parked next to my car as I wasing out with him. Tania got out nervously; she was anxious to meet him, probably wondering if she could be his mother now. Teri took her hand and walked her to meet us. ¡°Oh, Selene, he¡¯s a beautiful boy,¡± she said.


    ¡°The Council is minutes out,¡± I said as I handed my mate the carrier. ¡°It¡¯s possible someone stays behind, so you all need to be out of sight and smell. Take Tania and her boy to Erica¡¯s cabin and stay there. Ray, get the Luna off the ne, put her in the trunk and take her to the cells.¡± I kissed Teri quickly, then jumped into my car again and drove off.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to have the scent of a kidnapped Luna on my clothes when I met with the Council Chair and his men. ¡°Talia, I have your nephew and the Luna now, they are safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied.


    I drove out and parked near the terminal, just in time for the business jet tond. Teri linked me to let me know they were clear of the airport, which removed one worry from me. A few minutester, the ne was parked on the tarmac. A fuel truck headed towards it as the engines wound down, but I waited until the stairway was down and the pilot came out before I drove over to it.


    The three men were waiting for me as I got out. ¡°Chairman Wolfe, wee to Wisconsin. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.¡± Lewis was clearly annoyed; he had been a council member for the past fifty years, taking over when Chairman Andreas retired, and the Alpha Killer had been his nemesis.


    ¡°You know Chief Counsel Lawrence Kendall and my Lead Enforcer, Carlos Mendez?¡±


    ¡°I have met them before, thank you foring. I think this conversation is best done in the air conditioning of my vehicle. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to sit in the back with the Chair and Counsel. Carlos, if you can get in the third row seat you¡¯ll be able to see everything.¡± I opened the door and let them in, grabbing myptop and the files from the front seat.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to hurry, rk. My ne will be ready to leave again soon. Every minute we waste, the Alpha Killer is getting farther away.¡± The Chairman was restless, it was time to ruin his day.


    ¡°Do you remember four years ago at the Tomah Pack?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Sad business. Daughter runs off and the Alphas die in their rush to get back home.¡±


    ¡°It was not an ident, and she didn¡¯t run off.¡± I opened the video file on myptop; Randall had cut the interview into segments which werebeled by topic. He knew Talia didn¡¯t trust the Council, so he hadn¡¯t included his identification of himself or all of the topics Tania covered after she was human. The video yer showed up, and Tania¡¯s face filled the screen.


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°No thanks to us,¡± I said. They watched in fascination then shock as she told the story of how Beta Todd lured her away from the beach, then injected her. ¡°In this packet is additional information from the investigation Imissioned on her disappearance. Included are statements from a tracker who verified Tania¡¯s scent disappeared between the road above the beach and the border crossing, but also appeared in Beta Todd¡¯s Suburban. Her grandfather filed a missing person report, and there is evidence to show then-Alpha Todd bribed the Deputy Sheriff to quash the report.¡± Counsel Kendall took the package from me, looking through the papers inside. ¡°This sh drive contains the information enclosed, including the video statements.¡±


    ¡°This is troubling information,¡± Lewis said, ¡°but we¡¯re busy tracking the Alpha Killer who has kidnapped the family of an Alpha.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s connected,¡± I said. I pulled up the second video file, which yed for almost fifteen minutes. Tania recounted her time in the basement, the injections to bring on her heat, her rape and pregnancy, and finally delivering her son to have him taken away. None of them said anything, but even the stone-faced Lead Enforcer had tears in his eyes when it ended.


    ¡°The BASTARDS!¡± Chairman Wolfe was pushing back his wolf, which wanted to tear throats out. The treatment of a fourteen-year-old girl by her Beta and then an Alpha was intolerable. ¡°Who did it?¡±


    I yed the next clip, this showed the photo lineup. There was a low growl from the Chairman when she identified Alpha Justin Heranus as the man who had held and raped her to get his heir. ¡°It¡¯s all connected, Mr. Chairman. My theory is that Alpha Todd swung a deal with Alpha Justin for their mutual benefit. Todd provided an Alpha-line female who could give Justin a heir, and Justin¡¯s men killed the Tomah alpha pair as they raced back home when she disappeared. With the Alpha family gone, he would get the Pack. The thing he didn¡¯t predict was that Talia Stillwater was out on theke and was left behind by her parents.¡±


    I could see they were putting it together. ¡°Talia challenged and lost the Pack, but she never gave up on her sister. She rescued her and sent her back to us. She didn¡¯t take the Luna and Heir of the Copper Mountain pack because she¡¯s evil, she did it because he¡¯s her nephew. You and the former Chairman failed to support her when she tried to keep her Pack, and the Council never truly investigated her sister¡¯s disappearance. She doesn¡¯t trust you. She doesn¡¯t trust me. She¡¯s just going to get her revenge.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Carlos said.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s going to be brutal, fast and effective, exactly what I would expect from her.¡± I handed the Counsel the second packet, with the information on Alpha Justin¡¯s pack.


    ¡°What can we do about this,¡± Lawrence asked to break the silence.


    ¡°Arrest Justin and any others who were involved before Talia Stillwater wades through that Pack like an avenging angel,¡± I said. ¡°Show her that the Council can police the Alphas, that we will work for justice without having to resort to her violence. We need this, Mr. Chairman. The story is going to get out, and Packs will be outraged.¡±


    ¡°We need to get ahead of this, sir,¡± Lawrence agreed. ¡°You may not have been Chairman when she was taken, but you and five others were all in power then. It¡¯s YOUR council now. Show them you won¡¯t stand for this. If we aren¡¯t seen as aggressively pursuing justice, the Alphas may insist on cleaning house and vote you all out of power.¡±


    It was rare, but if 60% of the Alphas voted to remove a sitting council, they would all be reced. I¡¯d be happy to lead the charge if they didn¡¯t do what was needed. ¡°Sir, I suggest you continue on to Colorado. Review the evidence, issue a warrant and start an investigation. Your Enforcers are already going there. My Pack will coordinate with other area Packs to capture and hold Alpha Todd Aldridge for trial.¡±


    ¡°You can handle that on your own,¡± the Chairman asked.


    ¡°Yes sir. Nobody outside the four of us and my Pack knows Tania is alive and back with us. I¡¯d ask that you withhold that information to those with a need to know until both are arrested. My investigator is fairly certain Alpha Todd acted alone, and we¡¯re fully capable of detaining him for trial.¡±


    The pilot knocked on the window and gave them a thumbs up, the ne was ready to continue its flight west. ¡°Agreed. Thank you, Alpha rk. I assure you we will get to the bottom of this. Come on, boys.¡± They got out, and I followed and shook their hands before they stepped back on board.


    I got back in my vehicle and drove off. Maybe we had a chance.

 All I Had Wanted

    Tania¡¯s POV


    I knew as soon as Iid eyes on Phillip that he was mine. His hair, his nose, his face, they looked like me. Teri took him and loaded him into her car as I followed behind. ¡°We have to hurry,¡± she said as she buckled the seat in ce. ¡°Hop in.¡±


    I went around to the driver¡¯s side and got in the back seat while the driver and Teri got in front. Snacks sat at my feet, sniffing Phillip¡¯s leg before putting his head in myp again. We drove out of the hangar while I looked at my little man, he was so big and strong for his age. I picked up his little hand in mine and brought it to my nose. He smelled like sand and grass, and I wished I still had my wolf so I could bond with him properly. ¡°Do you think his wolf will recognize me as his mother,¡± I asked as I looked at his sleeping face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Teri said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have any bonding time after he was born. We¡¯ll have to see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get all the help you need, Tania. Erica knows we areing, she can¡¯t wait to meet your little guy. I¡¯ll be there too.¡± I knew this, but would it be enough? I knew nothing about kids and I couldn¡¯t even take care of myself yet.


    I looked down at Snack¡¯s eyes and scratched his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can love anymore, buddy. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m worth loving.¡± He whined, pushing his way up onto the seat until he was licking my face. ¡°E, puppy slobber,¡± Iughed. He continued licking my neck and face until I finally pushed him off. ¡°All right, my Snacks loves me.¡± He barked andid his head by my neck as I petted him.


    Unknown POV


    I was furious as I got back on the ne. I couldn¡¯t believe how STUPID Justin had been. All he had to do was get his Heir then bury the girl in an unmarked grave in the woods. It was all going to shit now, and I couldn¡¯t count on him keeping his mouth shut. I turned on my burner phone and started a text message. ¡°Tania is at the La Crosse Pack with R&P. Get them back or we¡¯re all dead.¡±


    I hit send. He had enough time to be gone before we got there.


    Ch. 25


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Great River Bluffs State Park


    I stood there by Randall, my fated mate, the man Luna herself had made for me, and ran through all the reasons why I couldn¡¯t be his. I was under a Council death sentence. I wasn¡¯t a full-blooded werewolf anymore. I was working with the Vampire Council, and my mating bite would kill him slowly and painfully. Surely, he would see it was a mistake and reject me, because I wasn¡¯t worth loving.


    He listened to everything I told him, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t epting any of it. It was maddening. Here I was trying to save us both from the pain of a failed rtionship, and he kept looking at me like I was a precious gift. I¡¯d had enough of this, it was time to end this, no matter how much my wolf wanted his, no matter how good he felt when he touched me. I took a deep breath. ¡°That is why you must reject me, here and now. I am an abomination, a creature with the form of a wolf and the bloodlust of a vampire. I will never be epted by a Pack, I will never be an Alpha. The Council will never forgive what I have done at the behest of the Vampire Council. If that wasn¡¯t enough, I can¡¯t evenplete a mating with you.¡± My heart was breaking, my wolf was howling, but I had to do this for him. ¡°I love you enough to let you have a chance at life, Randall. I, Talia Ann Stillwater, reject..¡±


    He pulled me into his arms and kissed the hell out of me.


    I was shocked, but my wolf was in full agreement. The passion and the feeling of the mating pullbined to push my rational thoughts out of my mind, and my heart took over. I stopped pushing him away and grabbed his shirt instead, seeking to FEEL loved by him. My mouth opened as his tongue pushed between my lips, and I moaned into him as he took possession of that too. I was floating in the pleasure of our love, and for the first time in my life I felt like I was whole.


    I was gasping for air by the time he released me. ¡°I won¡¯t let any of that stop me, Talia. Let me mark you, we¡¯ll figure out the restter.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, he still wanted me. ME. Faults and judgements and changes, full disclosure, star-crossed lovers and all and he WANTED ME. My wolf was giddy, turning circles in my mind before dropping her front lets to the ground and raising her tail to him. It was no secret what she wanted from him.


    I grabbed onto the bond like a drowning woman to a lifeguard. ¡°Do it, quickly, before I can run away,¡± I said. I showed him my neck, the whole time telling my wolf she couldn¡¯t bite him back or it would kill him. He bit down, the pain was sharp but quickly turned into pleasure as the bond tied us together.


    I¡¯d been marked by my mate, and it felt amazing.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine now, and I am yours,¡± he told me over the mate link that had just formed between us.


    ¡°For as long as I live, I am yours,¡± I answered. ¡°Even if that is only a week.¡± I kissed him again, and it was like we went from ck and white to high-def color television. The tingles, the closeness, the love I felt pouring into me from him took my breath away. I melted into him, letting the contact between us calm us down until I could trust my legs to hold me up. ¡°Wow,¡± I told him as he pulled me to a bench and sat me on hisp.


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve been told dozens of times what it feels like to mate, and it¡¯s way beyond what I expected.¡±


    ¡°I never expected to find out.¡± I sat in hisp, enjoying his strong arms around me and his muscled chest. He was a fine example of a Alpha line male, tall and broad in the chest, narrow waist, powerful legs. I could feel his need for me under my legs too, but this was not the time or ce for that. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Your sister is heading back to Packnds with her son, they¡¯ll both need time and support to get over everything that has been happening. Luna Rhoda is heading for the cells. The Council should be heading to Colorado; my investigation gave them plenty to get an arrest warrant. If they do a proper investigation, it should expose everyone in that Pack involved in your sister¡¯s rape and you parent¡¯s murder.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust them? I sure don¡¯t.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯d like to be able to, we need them to work with us. If we can show you were justified in what you did, we can get the judgment rescinded. We can¡¯t do much with a death sentence hanging over you.¡±


    ¡°It will be over you too, they¡¯ll go after anyone who aids and abets me in evading their justice. I¡¯m counting on a lot of aiding and abetting from you, my mate.¡± I pulled his face to mine and kissed him deeply. ¡°Especially tonight.¡±


    He had a sharp intake of breath, and I could feel him shift ufortably under me. ¡°Alpha rk is going to contact the other Packs and arrest Alpha Todd as soon as the Council issues the warrant. He¡¯ll get what he deserves, your family will make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not just going to sit around,¡± I said. ¡°I have a blood oath to avenge my family.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± he told me. ¡°Look, I have to head back to Das sooner orter. Let the Council handle the werewolves, because there are a lot of HUMANS that hurt your sister they aren¡¯t going to touch. She gave me everything in her statements; names, locations, descriptions, everything I can use to track them down. That¡¯s my job in the FBI, going after these human trafficking rings. Come back to Das with me and help me find them.¡±


    ¡°And then what? Have them arrested? Let them take years to go through the justice system?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°I will have to work though my people, and that¡¯s not a bad thing. They have hurt, they ARE hurting more than just your sister. You freed twelve girls that night you took your sister away from those bastards. That¡¯s a drop in the bucket for these people.¡±


    ¡°I want blood, my beast does too.¡±


    ¡°There may be a chance for that, but you have to follow my lead. I can¡¯t have you getting caught, and we have to do this in a way that doesn¡¯t draw attention to the supernatural among them. Blissfully ignorant, remember?¡± It was what my Dad always insisted on when it came to humans. What they didn¡¯t know couldn¡¯t hurt us.


    ¡°So if I go to Das with you, we leave my sister here?¡±


    ¡°Why not? She has Erica and Michelle in the Pack, your aunt and uncle will be there for her as well as your grandfather. The Pack loves her, even without a wolf she will never be alone there. Bobby will be there every step of the way.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°You mean Snacks?¡±


    ¡°Yep. When the time is right, he will reveal himself as her mate. Right now it¡¯s enough that she trusts him and is starting to love him.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    All I had wanted since I found her in that shitty hotel was for her to have a life again. Here, she would have family, her son, her mate. They would get her the help she needed. It was everything I couldn¡¯t do for her. ¡°All right. Are you riding bitch to Texas or flying?¡±


    ¡°As much as I love having my arms around you, I do have my Jeep here. I have to drive it back.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be without my ride, so I guess I¡¯ll follow your cage.¡± A cage was what a biker referred to a car as. ¡°What about your family?¡±


    He told me about his big family and life on the Texas ranch. It sounded like it was t and hot there, but you rarely had to shovel snow, so they had that going for them. ¡°They¡¯ll love you as much as I do,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no pressure for you to be Luna or run a Pack. I¡¯m FBI because I¡¯m so far down the line for Alpha I¡¯m out the door. You can finish school, go to college, do whatever you want. We will have to live in Das for my work, but if the city gets to be too much we¡¯ll head back home and run around together.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t ept me. Even your wolf smells my vampire part and is afraid. It is instinct, something our wolves hold deep. A predator only fears a stronger predator.¡±


    He kissed me, his hand running up my side, brushing the side of my breast. ¡°I don¡¯t fear you, Talia. I love you. Everything you have done to make yourself stronger, I love all of it, because it is you.¡± His hand moved around to my back, fingers caressing my lower back, beforeing around and dancing across my hard stomach.

 The Alpha & Beta

    Which promptly growled like a bear waking up from hibernation.


    We both lost it, the romantic moment was ruined. Iid my head on his shoulder as the pressure of the day finally broke free. ¡°I think I need a burger,¡± I said into his chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find one.¡± He set me back on my feet, and we walked down the trail to the motorcycle. I kept my hand in mine, not wanting to lose contact with his skin. It was like I was afraid he would leave me if I let him go.


    We drove back to French Ind, south of the airport. I had verified with Alpha rk that they were home and the Council was gone. We went to a ce called River Rats and got a table on the deck overlooking the river. The burger was good, the fried cheese curds better, and I allowed myself to just be happy for a few hours.


    ¡°We should be going,¡± he finally said. ¡°My Jeep is back at the Pack House.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t go on theirnd, it¡¯s dangerous for them if I¡¯m seen there,¡± I said. ¡°My sister is fine, I will ask the Alpha to have someone pack your stuff and bring your Jeep here.¡±


    ¡°They are your family too,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t involve them. You are right, they can and will handle the werewolves involved. When it¡¯s all done, though, the Council wille for me, and now you. I can¡¯t let my shit stter all over those I care about.¡±


    He stood up. ¡°I need to use the restroom. Can you see what you might like on the dessert menu?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t need the calories.¡±


    He justughed. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to need your energy tonight, Talia.¡± I blushed as he walked away, my eyes looking at his jean-d ass and his strong back that stretched his T-shirt. The women in the bar stared at him like he was a piece of meat, and it stirred my jealousy. He was MINE¡­ but he couldn¡¯t wear my mark because it would kill him.


    This sucked.


    I opened the dessert menu, thinking back to his promise to give me a workout tonight. The thought of being with him on a road trip made my wolf excited and my body respond. ¡°Oh Selene, he¡¯s going to smell that when he returns,¡± I told my wolf.


    ¡°Good,¡± she replied. She wanted to see all of him, to shift and run with him. She wanted him to dominate her, pin her neck down and pound into her like a mate should. Nope, my first time wasn¡¯t going to be in the woods, he could spring for a nice hotel suite with a whirlpool.


    I waved over the waitress and ordered dessert. He came back, kissing me before sitting down across the small table. ¡°What did you get,¡± he asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± The waitress brought it over a few minutester; it was a true work of art. Arge fudge brownie on the bottom of a bowl, covered with a big b of mint chip ice cream. A second brownie topped it, and the whole thing was covered with hot fudge and whipped cream topped with a cherry.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wow,¡± he said as he looked it over. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°A Hot Fudge Goopie,¡± I said. ¡°Better grab your spoon because I¡¯m digging in.¡± He took the cherry and set it aside before we started working our way down. It was fantastic, and as thest spoon of brownie and fudge went into my mouth, I let go thest of my many moans of pleasure.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said as he leaned over and cupped my face.


    ¡°What? Is it on my face?¡±


    He picked up the cherry and put it in my mouth. ¡°Enjoy, I¡¯ll get my cherry tonight.¡± I gasped in shock and that was enough for him to cover my mouth with his, kissing me possessively. We broke apart when someone cleared their throat by us.


    ¡°Your Jeep is outside,¡± the kid said. ¡°Good luck, and thanks for bringing her back to us,¡± he said to me.


    He paid the bill and we walked outside together; his Jeep was parked in the back of the lot, a motorcycle trailer attached to the back. ¡°Did you do this,¡± he said.


    ¡°No.¡± I sent a thank you to my Uncle, who wished us a good trip.


    ¡°Good, now I get to hold your hand while we drive.¡± It sounded good to me. We loaded up the Harley and tied it down, then pulled out and headed back to Interstate 90 west.


    We were almost to Rochester when my phone rang, it was Marcy. ¡°Hey Marcy, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call you earlier. Tania¡¯s back home and I¡¯m on the road.¡±


    ¡°Talia, it¡¯s bad,¡± she said. ¡°Our familiars have been watching the Copper Mountain Pack. Two hours ago, six SUV¡¯s left, filled with warriors and the Alpha and Beta.¡±


    ¡°They are probably looking for me,¡± I said.


    ¡°They headed to Denver International Airport and bought tickets on the next flight to Minneapolis. They¡¯reing for you, Talia. You have to warn your family, because this is going to be a Pack War very soon.¡±


    She hung up and I looked over at Randall. ¡°Someone had to have talked,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a mole. Call your uncle now.¡±

 Two Sister Mated

    Talia¡¯s POV


    I was practically shaking, the idea that someone I trusted had betrayed us had my wolf prowling in my mind. I pulled out my phone and dialed. ¡°Uncle rk, there¡¯s a problem,¡± I said. I told him what had been reported to me about the behavior of the Copper Creek pack, leaving out who told me and why they were watching. ¡°Alpha Justin Heranus and maybe two dozen of his warriors are flying to Minneapolis. Someone gave up that I brought Luna Rhoda and Phillip to you.¡±


    I heard a crunch, then the phone went dead. ¡°I hope my Uncle has recement insurance on his phone,¡± I said. Randall was signaling for an offramp, getting ready to turn around.


    ¡°Put him on speaker when he calls back,¡± my mate said. I looked over at him, warm feelings coursing through me over the bond. ¡°We¡¯re a team now, you don¡¯t have to do it all alone.¡±


    The phone rang, and this time I put it on speaker. ¡°Sorry, Talia, the phone didn¡¯t survive the wall.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You heard what I said about Alpha Justining our way?¡±


    ¡°I did. Are you sure you didn¡¯t leave a trail for them to follow?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure, I flew out of a private airfield and the flight n was to Kansas City. I trust my pilot, he¡¯s human but discreet.¡±


    I heard him tapping on his desk. ¡°I have to say I¡¯m pissed; only a few people here knew about your flight in, and I trust them all. The only other people who know are the Chairman, Counselor and Lead Enforcer of the Council. They all seemed upset as they watched the video of Tania describing what Alpha Todd and Alpha Justin did to her.¡±


    ¡°You just showed them the edited videos I provided, right?¡± Randall had pulled back onto I-90 east now.


    ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t show anyone but her. There¡¯s no way of knowing where she is.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else they would expect her to be,¡± I said. ¡°They know I took my nephew and the Luna, and my only family is with you. Whether they know for sure or are going on a hunch, they¡¯re going tond in an hour and could be at yournd two hourster.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I looked at the phone, wondering what he meant. ¡°What do you mean good?¡±


    ¡°They want toe for me and my Pack, bring it. We¡¯ll battle on my Packnd, out of sight of humans. I can do whatever I want with them after I capture them on mynds. I don¡¯t need permission from the Council or anyone else.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Randall said. ¡°If the Council ispromised, we can¡¯t depend on them to take care of Justin and his men. He probably figures that if Tania is dead, and he kills the rest of her family rescuing his Luna, he can find a way to survive the storm that wille from her storying out.¡±


    ¡°Tania is the key here,¡± rk said. ¡°I thought she would be safe with us, and we will protect her, but we can¡¯t risk failing. He¡¯s not taking that boy back.¡±


    ¡°Can you move her somewhere safer,¡± Randall asked. ¡°Evacuate her with the nonbatants in your Pack to an allied Pack or neutral location?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. My problem is that if we truly have a mole in my Pack, I don¡¯t want him to know where she went to.¡±


    I had an idea. ¡°Have Aunt Teri drive Phillip, Snacks and Tania to the airport. We¡¯ll meet you there. I¡¯ll make sure she gets to a safe ce,¡± I said.


    He quickly agreed. ¡°Take Teri with them. I¡¯ll feel better knowing she is somewhere truly safe if the worst happens, and Teri can help them with the boy. He¡¯s awake now, confused and asking for his Mommy. His wolf did establish a family bond with Teri, though. He¡¯s Tania¡¯s son, no doubt about it.¡±


    I smiled. If his wolf had been awake, I would have loved to feel him make that connection with me. Maybe soon he would. ¡°Deal. You have my word, they will be safe and protected. You take care of your Pack,¡± I told him. I didn¡¯t want to lose him now that we had begun to re-establish our rtionship. It felt good to have family again. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to arrange a warm wee for them,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get Luna Rhoda away, they can¡¯t find her or her scent anywhere on my property.¡±


    ¡°Erica¡¯s not known to be in your Pack,¡± Randall said. ¡°Keep Rhoda drugged and have her take her somewhere out of mind link range. If you can get her to break the Pack bond, so much the better. Then you can honestly say you don¡¯t have her and no one in your Pack does either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, when this goes down the Council is going to be all over the ce. We¡¯ll need to clean her scent from the cell and the car, she¡¯s been nowhere else,¡± rk said. ¡°We have time, I guess. I just hate to break the bond with Erica, she¡¯s gone through so much in her young life.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°True,¡± I said, ¡°But she¡¯s never been able to fully embrace Pack life here, because her story is too widely known.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send her to my parents,¡± Randall said. ¡°They will take her in, and we can see if a change of scenery helps here out of her shell. If she doesn¡¯t like the North Texasndscape, I¡¯ll bring her to Fort Worth where she can go to college. She¡¯s wasting away here, unable to move forward with her life.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± rk said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know what to do about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell the girls to pack for a week or so, if it goes longer, I¡¯ll make sure they get what they need,¡± Randall said. ¡°We¡¯ll be at the airport in an hour.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± rk said. ¡°Congrattions on your mating, Talia, but you could have told me instead of having Alex notice your neck at the restaurant,¡± he said. ¡°Randall is a good man, so is Bobby. You two are in good hands.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle rk. I better let you go, we need to make some phone calls.¡± I hung up, then made a quick call to the pilot. I told him to get the ne gassed and ready for a long flight. I¡¯d call him in a few minutes with a destination.


    ¡°Where should we send them?¡±


    He looked over at me, love in his eyes. ¡°I have an apartment in a Fort Worth high-rise with a spare bedroom. We could stay there, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another apartment avable I could rent for a month or so.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be with them all the time there. They would be safest with my Coven, but I don¡¯t want to involve them,¡± I said. ¡°Last resort.¡±


    ¡°What about my Pack?¡±


    ¡°Would they take them?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Of COURSE they would, we¡¯re talking about an allied Luna, a trusted friend of my mate, their daughter-inw and their newest grandson,¡± he said. ¡°Mom¡¯s been over the moon since finding out about Bobby¡¯s mate, she¡¯s been threatening toe up to La Crosse since he first called her. Luckily, I convinced her to wait until Bobby has the guts to change to human form and tell her himself,¡± he said.


    ¡°Does she know about me?¡±


    ¡°She knows you are my mate, and she¡¯s concerned because of who you are, but she already considers you family. Doing this will not be a hardship.¡±


    I thought about it, I would feel better if they were out of the way and under protection I couldn¡¯t give right now. ¡°Call your Mom and Dad and ask. They are taking a risk with this, since the Alpha Killer abducted the boy from another Pack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their blood rtive, they will protect him.¡± He pressed a button on the steering wheel and told his phone to ¡°Call Dad.¡±


    The phone rang over the stereo system, hands-free. ¡°Hi Randall, how is the mate hunt going,¡± his father asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hello Alpha Meechum,¡± I said. ¡°Randall marked me a few hours ago.¡± I could hear a woman scream in the background, that must be his Mom.


    ¡°Congrattions, Talia. Wee to the family, and please call us Brent and Patty.¡±


    ¡°OH MY LUNA I have another daughter,¡± the excited woman said. She must have sat in hisp from the ¡®oof¡¯ he let out and the rustle of fabric. ¡°Was it romantic? Did he treat you right?¡±


    ¡°He was wonderful, Patty. More than I had hoped for. He marked me after kissing me senseless as we sat on a scenic overlook of the river valley.¡±


    She squealed in delight. ¡°It¡¯s going to be so much fun, two sisters mated to my youngest boys! I can¡¯t wait until all the little pups are running around underfoot!¡±


    ¡°MOM!¡± He heard her shushing her mate in the background. ¡°I know you¡¯re happy, but we have a situation here we need help with. Are you alone?¡±


    I heard the door closing then she sat down. ¡°We are now. What¡¯s going on, baby?¡±


    Randall filled them in on what was going on; Tania¡¯s rape and removal of her son, Talia snatching him from the Copper Mountain Alpha¡¯s house, the Council, the mole and the war partying to Minnesota. ¡°We need to get Tania, Bobby and Phillip somewhere safe until things are resolved with the Council. I thought about my apartment, but Talia and I have business up here first. We wanted to know if you would take them in.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask, son, they¡¯re family. They are ALWAYS wee,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just the three. They will be traveling with Luna Teri, my Uncle asked that she be kept safe while he deals with all this. My best friend Erica may being on her ownter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to meet your family and friends, Talia. We have a huge house here, lots of space for them and not near enough pups running around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send them to the rksville airport then,¡± Randall said. ¡°I¡¯ll give them your number and they can call when they have an arrival time. And Mom?¡±


    ¡°Yes honey?¡±


    ¡°Try to remember that Tania is only a few days out of a really bad situation, and she is trying to bond with a son that she hadn¡¯t seen since he was born. She doesn¡¯t like crowds or strange males. It would be best if she had a room just for them, and everyone is mindful of her adjustment.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go up there personally to pick them up, and we¡¯ll keep things quiet on this end.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Hopefully Snacks has fessed up by then or you¡¯ll have a big puppy running around the house,¡± I said.


    ¡°That boy hasn¡¯t told her she¡¯s his mate yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Randall said. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil it for him either, he¡¯s got to do this on his own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll be eating dry kibble until he can sit at the table properly.¡±

 Stabilize The Pack

    Randall and Iughed, it was fun thinking about my sister in a good way. It had been way too long. ¡°Thank you for this. Randall probably told you I have a blood vow to avenge my family, and that takes priority over everything else for me, even my mate. Soon she will be avenged.¡±


    ¡°Randall, you keep my daughter safe for me,¡± his mom said. ¡°I love you, and don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take good care of them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± he said. ¡°I love you.¡± He hung up, then took my hand. ¡°That went pretty well. My mom gets a little excited as you can tell.¡±


    I called the pilot back and gave him the airport so he could file a flight n. The nine-hundred-mile flight should take about three and a half hours.


    They were already loaded onto the ne in the hangar by the time we arrived at the airport. ¡°Tania,¡± I said as I rushed onto the ne. She was sitting in one of the leather seats, a napping Phillip in the seat across from her. I hugged her, crying a little.


    ¡°You¡¯re mated!¡± She pulled my shirt aside, looking at the red bite mark. ¡°Congrattions!¡± She hugged me again. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Talking to the Alpha,¡± I said. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me push him away.¡±


    ¡°Good, you deserve a mate more than anyone.¡± She was genuinely happy for me. ¡°I wish I had what you do.¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± I said as I scratched Snacks¡¯ ears while he sat in front of Phillip. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find your mate when you least expect it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no wolf, so no mate,¡± she said. ¡°It was taken from me.¡±


    ¡°Think about something for a moment,¡± I said. ¡°Our mate is made to be our perfect match, both for our wolf and our human parts, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°So, your mate and his wolf still have half of you they can find. Do you think he would rather find your human half that is perfect for his human half, or never find you at all?¡± She didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just kissed her forehead. I quickly hugged Erica goodbye, then Aunt Teri. ¡°Help her with this,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯ll get all she needs. Finish your vow, Talia, thene back to us.¡± I gave her a goodbye hug and stepped back off the ne. The pilot boarded, pulling the door up with him, and we drove out as he was starting the engines.


    I looked at Randall as we drove away. ¡°We have a n?¡±


    ¡°We do. Feel like letting the Alpha Killer run amok?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, I do.¡± I looked out the window and smiled before looking back at him. ¡°This time I want my mate by my side.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready then,¡± he said as he pulled back onto the interstate.


    *****


    Chairman Lewis Wolfe¡¯s POV


    The private aircraft had a television on the front bulkhead, and Kendall hooked hisptop up to it. He¡¯d already copied the contents of the jump drives onto it, and he handed them back to me. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else he has,¡± he said as he started opening files. They were numbered, but clearly had been edited.


    They watched the story of her abduction again, this time each was taking notes. Chief Counsel Lawrence Kendall was focusing on the information needed for warrants and prosecution, Lead Enforcer, Carlos Mendez was looking for clues as to who else might have been involved. I was fighting my own guilt as I watched the story.


    I hadn¡¯t been Chairman when this happened, but I had been in Tomah four years ago after this had happened. I had dismissed Tania as a runaway, and Talia as young and ill-prepared for leadership. Four yearster, Tania was a shell of herself; instead of strength and confidence, she was weak and skittish. Her eyes were not bright like the photos I¡¯d been shown, they were sad and hollowed out. My gut twisted as she told of her Beta, the man I had pushed to have mate with her sister to stabilize the Pack, had drugged her and handed her over.


    There was no doubt in her identification of Alpha Justin as the man who held and raped her either. I paused the video. ¡°Is that even possible? Can someone bring on heat in an unmated she-wolf?¡±


    ¡°It has been done,¡± Carlos said. ¡°There were some experiments done by the Mount Shasta pack a decade ago aimed at treating mated werewolf females who weren¡¯ting into heat. They used a mix of human fertility drugs; high doses over two weeks would fool the body into starting estrus. They gave up because they could induce heat in all the females, but the only sessful pregnancy was from a young female who hadn¡¯t mated another yet. There isn¡¯t a demand for fertility in the unmated.¡±


    ¡°Why go through all that with a young, healthy female,¡± Kendall said. ¡°Why not just mate the girl to start her heat and kill herter?¡±


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± Carlos said. ¡°You bind yourself to her during that year, and you and your wolf suffer. What if you haven¡¯t found your true mate? Are you going to give that up for a surrogate? Go through the pain and loss of losing a mate? Could you even get rid of her after she bore you a child?¡±


    ¡°And the other reason,¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re already mated,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s assume for a moment that Alpha Justin did this. He can¡¯t screw the girl without his mate feeling it.¡± Cheating on your mate was unheard of because there was no hiding it. The act made you ufortable, and your mate suffered like her insides were being burned out. ¡°He can¡¯t mate her without putting his Luna away first. The motivation is obvious, they¡¯ve been mated a long time and no heir, the Pack was getting nervous. Theck of an heir makes the Alpha vulnerable to challenge.¡±


    ¡°And he did have sex with her,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°If she¡¯s telling the truth, Luna Rhoda was in on it.¡±


    ¡°How do you hide this? It¡¯s not like the Pack can¡¯t smell her if she¡¯s pregnant, or doesn¡¯t see her that way.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°True. That¡¯s something we will have to follow up on when we get there,¡± I said. We continued to watch as she detailed her captivity. ¡°If she got pregnant within a month of capture, when would she have given birth?¡±


    We did some quick calctions on a 40-week gestational period and came up with May to early June, three years ago. ¡°Phillip¡¯s birthdate was recorded as May 20th,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°Right in range.¡±


    I went to the next video, it was describing her time after her baby was taken, starving and left alone. Her wolf had healed her, then the man killed her wolf and left her as a weak human. It was a cruel fate for a born werewolf, forever missing their other half. No wonder she looked so lost. I took note of the description of the man, and nearly came out of my chair when she talked about being sold into very. The video ended with her picking a photo out of a lineup, identifying the Beta of the Copper Mountain pack as the one who had given her over to the humans.


    Not only was this cruel, it was dangerous. Tania knew everything about our kind, including where the major Packs were located and their leaders. No wolf meant no Pack loyalty and no Alphamand. She was a loose cannon pointed at our heads.


    ¡°Thank Luna she¡¯s back with a Pack,¡± I said. ¡°Imagine if she had talked.¡± There were werewolves who had their wolves killed; it was ast resort, usually after the loss of a mate. They were kept with a Pack for support and monitoring. I turned off the screen as the interview ended. ¡°Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only got enough for warrants on three people, and two are Alphas,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°Let¡¯s look at the other evidence he sent.¡± We pulled up the statements; most of it was circumstantial, but in aggregate they looked guilty as hell. I¡¯d seen enough by the time we were crossing Nebraska. ¡°Lawrence, issue the warrants for the arrests of Alpha Justin Heranus and Beta Jack Meoffe of Copper Mountain and Alpha Todd Aldridge of Tomah. Send Todd¡¯s to Alpha rk and to Carlos, he can forward it to his team leaders.¡±


    ¡°What about Luna Rhoda?¡±


    ¡°Not enough evidence to show she was involved yet,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°If we get other evidence to show she was aware of the kidnapping or aided in it, we¡¯ll arrest her too. After we get her back from the Alpha Killer,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not much of a chance of that,¡± I said. ¡°Do it.¡±


    Minutester it was done. In an hour we would bending. Once we had linked up with Carlos¡¯ men, we would travel to the Copper Mountain Pack and arrest their senior leadership.


    It was time to clean up.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Somewhere over Iowa


    ¡°Ladies, this is your pilot. We are now passing over the Quad Cities area at our cruising altitude of 14, 000 feet. Flight time to rksville is two hours and fifty minutes, weather is expected to be good. Enjoy the free peanuts and thank you for flying with Bob.¡± I had tough, the Cessna 425 we were flying was small enough he could just turn around and talk to us. I looked at the safety manual in the pocked of the seat in front of me and reviewed the exit procedures. It was a small, twin-turboprop ne with a single pilot and eight seats. It wasn¡¯t tall enough to stand up fully inside, but the seats were wide andfortable. I¡¯d flown a few times when I was younger, and this was way more fun. The windows were bigger, and the flight was lower and slower. I unbuckled my belt and moved across the narrow aisle, checking on my boy.


    MY boy.


    He opened his eyes when I put my hand over his. He looked around, confused. ¡°Mommy?¡± He looked back and forth.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Phillip.¡±


    ¡°NOT MY MOMMY! I WANT MOMMY!¡± My heart broke as tears formed in his over-tired eyes and spilled down his cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Phillip. Your Mommy is gone now, but I¡¯m here. I love you too,¡± I said. He kept crying, and as I knelt by the side, I felt overwhelmed and helpless. What the hell was I even doing? He didn¡¯t know me, I¡¯d taken him from a mother and father who loved him and had cared for him since birth. How could this be the best thing for my boy?


    I was selfish and cruel.


    I moved back to my seat, sitting heavily and I buried my head in my hands and cried my eyes out. I felt fur as Snacks pushed his head in, moving between my thighs and my arms. His cold nose bumped against my cheek before his pink tongue licked my neck and jaw. ¡°I¡¯m a horrible person,¡± I told him as I hugged his neck.

 A Surrogate

    He moved back, tugging at my arm. Leaning across the aisle, he put his head in Phillip¡¯sp. The boy buried his face in his fur, his little arms pulling him tight. Just like with me, Snacks settled him down.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty smooth, probably a good time to take him out of that seat and hold him,¡± Teri said from behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll get him for you.¡± Snacks moved out of the way and Teri got up. She unhooked his harness and picked him up as he reached for her. ¡°It¡¯s all right, little man,¡± she said. ¡°Sit with Mama and look out the window!¡±


    She passed him to me and I sat him on myp, letting him look out the big window. ¡°See how high we are,¡± I said as I held him on my knee.


    ¡°Clouds pretty,¡± he said as he looked out. There were puffy cumulus clouds above us.


    ¡°Very pretty. That looks like Elmo,¡± I said as I pointed.


    ¡°Elmo?¡± I nodded. ¡°That looks like boat.¡± He settled down as we yed our game, and when he tired of that he sat in myp and leaned back against me. ¡°Why you mama?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± How to ruin a boy¡¯s life in thirty seconds. ¡°I¡¯m your mama because you grew inside my tummy for nine months. You¡¯re my baby boy,¡± I said as tears went down my cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m your baby boy?¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± I said as I gave him a hug. ¡°I love you, Phillip. I have always loved you.¡±


    He looked at me, looked down at my belly then back to my face. ¡°Mommy?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t take care of you when you were born, and your Mommy and Daddy kept you. I never stopped loving you and thinking about you. You¡¯re my love,¡± I said. I wished I had my wolf, she would have been able to reach his wolf and bond him to me. I didn¡¯t know if he felt anything. I was jealous of Teri for having a family bond with him I couldn¡¯t ever have.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I kissed his head. ¡°I think Aunt Teri might have something. When we left that gas station, it looked like a kid had found a hundred-dor bill and had been let loose in the candy section.¡± I smirked as she tried to defend herself.


    ¡°I got more than just candy, but don¡¯t drink too much. This ne doesn¡¯t have a restroom.¡± She reached into a bag under her seat and pulled out some food. ¡°How about some cookies?¡±


    ¡°COOKIE!! COOKIE!! Mumm mm mmm COOKIE!¡± He held out his hands and she handed him an open package of miniature chocte chip cookies. ¡°Fank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, baby.¡± She showed me the bag, I picked Twinkies. ¡°You could have FOOD, you know.¡±


    ¡°I like Twinkies. Got anything for my Snacks?¡±


    She pulled out some Slim Jims and took one out of the stic. Snacks was already looking up at her with begging eyes, and when she handed it to him, he snarfed it up in about two bites. She quickly fed him the other as Phillip and Iughed. He pointed at him. ¡°Shift, puppy, shift!¡±


    Snacks just leaned over and licked his face.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that around humans,¡± I reminded him quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re human,¡± he said with a huff.


    ¡°I used to have a wolf like you, but I got sick and my wolf died,¡± I said. ¡°I miss her, just like I missed you.¡±


    He looked at me for a minute, then hugged me around my neck. ¡°Wolfy says he loves his mama,¡± he said.


    ¡°I love him too.¡± There was no stopping the tears now.


    I held him until the pilot told us to buckle up because we were going into turbulence. Teri put him back as sat in my seat and watched. She was so good to me, so good to him. I could sense how badly she wanted a child of her own.


    Wended in rksville and taxied to a stop outside the terminal. The airport wasn¡¯t busy, and when the pilot put the stairs down a woman was waiting for us. She was dressed in a white sundress and wide hat and looked like a human in her forties. Snacks bounded down the stairs and ran to her, licking her and rubbing against her legs as she told him to settle down.


    Phillip put his arms up for me, and I unhooked him and lifted him to my chest. He hugged me around the neck as I walked down the stairs. It was hot and humid, ufortably hot, but I didn¡¯t care. I stopped a few steps from the stairway, letting Luna Teri go first.


    ¡°Wee to Texas, Luna Teri,¡± the woman said as Teri reached her.


    ¡°Thank you for hosting me, Luna Patty. Can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s so exciting! Come over here, dear, you¡¯re safe with us.¡± I moved closer to the woman, who pulled me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m Randall¡¯s mother Patty. This must be the little boy I¡¯ve heard so much about?¡±


    ¡°It is, Luna Patty. Phillip, can you say hello?¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± he said before burying his face back in my shoulder.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get into the Expedition before you guys melt from the heat.¡± She led us over to the red SUV and loaded us up. She helped with the car seat while the pilot and Teri got our bags and loaded it. When we were all in ce, she put the air conditioning on high and drove off. ¡°It¡¯s about forty minutes to the ranch, but I bet you guys want to eat and use a bathroom,¡± she said. ¡°Anyone for a steak?¡±


    Snacks raised his head off the seat and barked, making usugh. ¡°No dogs allowed,¡± Teri said. ¡°I¡¯d love some dinner if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Dinner was good, and Phillip was sleeping again by the time we arrived at their house. The ce was huge, but no one was around except her husband as we walked in. They showed us to a room, and it had a bed for me and a small bed next to it for Phillip. I got him undressed andid him down.


    I could do this, I told myself. I¡¯d survived everything they could do to me and dammit, I was going to start living again.


    Alpha Justin Heranus¡¯s POV


    Mount Shasta Pack Clinic, McCloud, CA


    Six Years Ago


    ¡°Alpha, Luna, the Doctor will be with you shortly. Luna, please put the gown on and hop up on the exam table.¡± The nurse left, vitals and historyplete. I helped Rhoda into the gown and up on the exam table. Then I held her hand as we waited for the obstetrician/gynecologist to see us. There were only a few dozen Medical Doctors trained in the human and werewolf world, and Doctor Tara Himen was the only one specializing in fertility.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this again,¡± Rhoda said as she looked down at her toned stomach. She was still as fit and beautiful as she had been when we mated almost sixty-five years ago. She was everything I could have hoped for in a mate; strong,passionate and loved by the Pack, supportive and loving with me. All those decades had passed, and we¡¯d never been able to have a child.


    It had all started normally. We mated, it kicked off her first heat and we hoped we would be one of those lucky couples that were blessed on their first try. She was disappointed when it didn¡¯t catch, but we knew we¡¯d be able to try again in a year. The next year, nothing. After twenty years of disappointment, a year came where she didn¡¯te into heat, then the next year it was back.


    The failure to get her heat became moremon, until it stopped altogether. Herst naturally-urring heat happened in 1992. She was only a hundred and ten years old, way too early for a healthy Alpha female to reach menopause. After ten years of nothing, we were referred to Dr. Himen.


    We had returned every year since then. Blood tests, X-rays, dye tests, nothing showed anything abnormal that would exin theck of her cycle. Whispers started to travel among the Pack females about whether their Luna had been cursed to be barren. She withdrew into herself, avoiding social events and avoiding her friends.


    We were getting desperate by the turn of the century. An Alpha couple that had no heir after this long was looked upon as being weak or defective, and challenges to my authority became moremon. I¡¯d defended my title more times in thest twenty years of my rule than I had in the first fifty. No matter what I said, Rhoda took it as her personal failing to not give me a son.


    She tried diets, vitamins, special herbal teas and potions brewed by local witches. She tried working out, not working out, sex all the time, no sex, anything she could think of. Finally, ten years ago, Dr. Himen started experimenting with use of human fertility drugs to try and initiate a heat cycle for her.


    It took a few years to find a treatment schedule that worked, and in 2008 she had a heat. I took her to a remote cabin, and we screwed like newlyweds. She would sit with her legs in the air for a half hour after every time we made love, then we would do it again.


    She didn¡¯t get pregnant, but we had hope again.


    The next year, the same thing happened. Then the next. Only once did she not get a cycle, but she never got pregnant from her cycles. The strain of it all was wearing her down, and was tearing us apart.


    There was a knock, then Dr. Himen came in. She was a small werewolf female, only about five-two and was in her forties. She was very intelligent, and her Alpha had sponsored her college and medical school. She worked at a clinic in Shasta and held office hours at the Pack. ¡°Alpha Justin, Luna Rhoda, how are you feeling today?¡±


    ¡°Disappointed,¡± she said. ¡°The pregnancy test came out negative again.¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± she confirmed. ¡°The blood test was negative. Are you feeling any lingering effects from the treatment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having pains in my ovaries, but they are getting better.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not umon, as you know. It¡¯s a side effect of the stimtion the fertility drugs give you. Let¡¯s check them out to be safe.¡± She wheeled over an ultrasound machine as Rhodaid back on the table. A few minutester she turned it off. ¡°The treatments are taking a toll on your body, Luna.¡±


    ¡°I can handle the pain,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your motivation or your toughness, I¡¯m telling you that your body is telling you to stop. I¡¯m also telling you that the study ising to an end.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± I said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only she-wolf in these trials. The results have not been what we hoped for. No mated female has had a sessful pregnancy since we started a decade ago. Last week I presented my results to the Alpha Council and our Pack Doctor convention, and the decision was unanimous. We are discontinuing the trials.¡±


    ¡°THEY WERE MY ONLY HOPE,¡± Rhoda cried. I moved over to her,forting her as she saw her chances dwindle to none.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luna.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for a while as I calmed my mate down.


    ¡°Is there any other option,¡± I asked. ¡°We are desperate, we have no heir and the Pack is bing unstable.¡±


    She sat back in her chair. ¡°The trials were not aplete loss. We did have a few unmated females, younger ones, who were able to use the treatment to initiate a cycle leading to pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°A surrogate?¡±


    ¡°Not in the way humans look at it, no. We don¡¯t have the facilities or ess to do in-vitro fertilization. No, the sesses we had involved females who wanted to remain unmated but were willing to be impregnanted by another male in order to provide him an heir. Two were sisters to the deceased female mate, while the other was an Omega who volunteered.¡±

 Implicating The Alpha

    ¡°I see. The volunteer would have to take the same treatment to kick off a heat cycle without having a mate of her own?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you think you can find a volunteer to provide you your heir, I can provide you with the injection schedule and the drugs you will need today. Your own Pack doctor will have to oversee the cycle, and I only have enough drugs left for you to try once.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare what you need,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I can¡¯t do more for you,¡± she said as she left.


    She handed us the supplies and the directions, then we left the clinic and returned to our car. Rhoda started crying as soon as the door closed and didn¡¯t stop until we were on the Interstate. I felt horrible; my mate was hurting, and I could do nothing. I reached over and squeezed her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± I said.


    She wiped her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not just that you need an heir, you need a STRONG heir who can defend his position. You¡¯re not going to get that my mixing your bloodline with an Omega, especially one desperate enough to give her first born to the Alpha. He would be half hers, and where does that leave me? What if she wants to be his mother? I¡¯ll never be able to show my face again in the Pack if it gets out that you went to another woman to get your heir.¡±


    ¡°I can find a way,¡± I said. ¡°They will ept the baby as ours alone.¡±


    ¡°How will you convince the Pack it is mine when I don¡¯t smell pregnant, I don¡¯t look pregnant and I don¡¯t give birth?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    All good questions. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She banged her head back against the rest. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way. We will have a son, a strong son with Alpha bloodlines on both sides, a boy that is ours and ours alone. We will have that as long as you trust me and do what I say, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll fuck another woman, you¡¯ll do that to me knowing what it will do to me.¡± She didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°I will do what it takes to ensure our son is born and takes over for me as Alpha of our Pack,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t enjoy it, but I will do it. You will take the pain and thank me for doing it.¡±


    She looked out the window, not saying anything for almost ten minutes. ¡°Do it,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the details, I don¡¯t want to see her or have her around, just bring me my son.¡±


    Chairman Lewis Wolfe¡¯s POV


    Eagle County Regional Airport, CO


    Present Day


    The ne taxied to a stop, and a few minutester we were out the door. Our driver was ready, and we were on the road in minutes. Four cars trailed behind us with the Council Enforcers, while Carlos¡¯ two squad leaders joined us in the spacious Suburban. ¡°Where are we at,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Warriors from the Grand Mesa and Colorado Springs packs are going to meet us near the freeway exit. The Grand Mesa warriors will work with First Squad to search the Pack offices at the Copper Mountain resort. Second squad wille in from the west, while I and the Colorado Springs warriors escort you to the Pack House,¡± Lead Enforcer Carlos said. ¡°Once everyone is in ce, we will sweep and arrest the leadership.¡±


    ¡°Rules of engagement,¡± Counsel Kendall asked.


    ¡°We are arresting, not invading,¡± I said. ¡°Warn them we have a warrant and interference with Council business is a punishable offense. Deadly force is only authorized for protection of yourself or others. Minimize casualties, make sure you are wearing body armor.¡±


    The directions were passed to all the men, and just off the freeway exit we started to link up. Six hours after we hadnded in La Crosse and learned of the allegations, we were ready to go. I looked over at Carlos, he was dressed out in camo body armor and heavily armed. ¡°Ready, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Go, and may Luna protect us all.¡± The four vehicles filled with Enforcers and Warriors led the way down the winding road towards the eastern edge of the Copper Mountain territory. Tensions rose as we approached, not knowing if we were detected or if they would resist.


    ¡°Through the gate, the gate was open and no guard was seen,¡± the lead vehicle said over the radio we were using to coordinate the different Packs and Council teams.


    ¡°Squad two, through the gate, no resistance,¡±


    ¡°Squad one, in the officeplex.¡±


    My vehicle stayed outside the gate for now, Carlos didn¡¯t want to risk me until the Pack grounds had been secured. I listened in on the calls, and it was clear that the people we were looking for were not here. ¡°At the Pack House,¡± my Lead Enforcer reported. ¡°Senior official present is the Gamma. He has ordered the Pack to cooperate. Alpha, Beta and almost all warriors are gone, sir. The Alpha took them out more than four hours ago, and he hasn¡¯t heard from them since.¡±


    Shit.


    Alpha rk¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    My Pack was emptying out quickly.


    I¡¯d made a call to my closest ally, the Alphas of the Winona pack. When I told them what was going on, they immediately offered whatever help I needed. ¡°Dan, I need two things quickly,¡± I told him. ¡°I have to evacuate my nonbatants until this is all over.¡±


    ¡°Of course, send them to us, we¡¯ll keep them safe,¡± Mary said. ¡°I¡¯d love to see Teri and the others.¡±


    ¡°Teri¡¯s noting, she¡¯s doing something else, but the others wille. They¡¯re packing now, they¡¯ll be leaving in fifteen minutes. I knew I could count on you.¡±


    ¡°You know it. Can I send men?¡±


    ¡°Volunteers only, Dan, and have them bring their rifles.¡± I quickly filled him in on the n I had. ¡°My Beta female will be in charge of the group, she¡¯ll call you when their convoy leaves. I have to go, it¡¯s a madhouse here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when we cross over into Wisconsin,¡± Dan said. I called two other Packs, in Arcadia and Genoa, and they volunteered to send about a dozen warriors each. I ran out to see off the caravan, and when I got back the warrant came across in my email for the arrest of Alpha Todd Aldridge. The letter attached authorized any Pack to apprehend him and hold him for trial.


    I didn¡¯t have time for this, but I couldn¡¯t wait either. I forwarded the email to the Alphas of the ck River Falls and Wisconsin Rapids Packs, then called both of them in a group video call. ¡°Sorry to drop this on you, guys, but I need your help.¡± I quickly went through the evidence that we had implicating Alpha Todd in the abduction of Tania Stillwater, and my suspicions he had been involved in the deaths of the Alpha pair.


    It took a minute for them to calm down enough to talk, and I heard furniture breaking in the background of Alpha John¡¯s office. The ck River Falls Pack Alpha had been friends with Alpha Johann since they went to camp together at age ten. ¡°Handling this will be my pleasure,¡± John said. ¡°I just hope he resists arrest enough I can get in a shot or two.¡±


    Alpha Richard agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll get on the road in ten minutes. John, we can meet up in Tomah and head west to the Packnds. I never liked that fucker and I was right,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thanks guys. I have to go, but if you could call me when you have him in your custody.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Richard said. ¡°What do we tell his Pack?¡±


    ¡°Call them all into the meeting room and show them the file I¡¯m sending you,¡± I said. ¡°Just make sure you have him cuffed, stuffed and out of there before his Pack sees what he did. You¡¯ll have to leave a Beta to take control of the Pack.¡±


    ¡°The Council is investigating?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve given all the information to the Chairman himself and the Counsel drafted the warrant. The Council Lead Enforcer will be in contact with you so his team can conduct a thorough investigation. Good luck.¡± I closed the video call and emailed both Alphas the section of Tania¡¯s story of the abduction. The Tomah pack was going to have a mass revolt when they found out what really happened.


    I almost felt sorry for him.


    With everyone else gone, I went to speak with my warriors. They were gathered in the Pack meeting room, most gathered around arge topographical map of our territory. As soon as I walked in, conversations stopped, and they turned and bowed their heads to me in respect. ¡°Gather round, gentlemen,¡± I said. They all sat and faced the screen.


    ¡°What are we facing, Alpha?¡±


    All I had told them was that we had information a Pack was nning to attack us that evening. Iid the whole thing out. The arrival of Talia Stillwater, also known as the Alpha Killer, with her younger sister. The revtions about how Alpha Todd abducted her and handed her over to be raped and bred. ¡°The man who did this, the man who took her son from her and left her to die, is Alpha Justin Heranus of the Copper Mountain Pack.¡± The anger boiled over, they wanted blood. ¡°The Council is on its way to arrest them, but Talia got to them first. She snuck onto theirnd and took Tania¡¯s son and the Luna and brought them back here. Both are gone now, but someone told Alpha Justin where they are and he¡¯s on his way with about twenty of his warriors.¡±

 My Blood Turned Cold

    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± the men said.


    ¡°Theynded in Minneapolis about an hour ago. They could be here in an hour, longer if they stop for supplies. We don¡¯t know if they have any allies meeting them, or if they brought weapons with them.¡±


    ¡°If they did, that will slow them down even more. Checked bags and TSA red tape,¡± my Beta said. ¡°I bet they show up in wolf form.¡±


    ¡°They will expect we are holding their Luna at the Pack House or cells and want her and the young boy back. We don¡¯t have to defend the territory, we defend the Pack House,¡± I said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s figure out the best way to do that.¡±


    Ten minutester, we had our n. ¡°The key is figuring out where they areing from. There¡¯s only three logical ways here, down Highway 52 to Rochester than over on I-90, down Highway 61 along the river to I-90, or they cross into Wisconsin and take 35 or 53 down. They all end up in Lacrosse on 35 going south to us,¡± I said. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t give us much time to react.¡±


    ¡°If they get out and run through the woods it doesn¡¯t matter much, does it?¡±


    I thought about it, he was right. ¡°I still want to get more notice. Frank, you drive up 61 and watch there. Larry, you take a car up by New Amsterdam with Connor and watch the intersection of 35 and 53.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s taking I-90?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°The Alpha Killer.¡± Some of the men let out a whoop, there was nothing their wolves understood more than vengeance. They all wanted to see Talia inflict pain on the man who ruined her sister. ¡°Get going, guys. The rest of you, we have reinforcements arriving soon. Here¡¯s our n.¡±


    Alpha Justin Heranus POV


    Interstate 90, crossing into Wisconsin


    ¡°Make your weapons checks and put on your vests,¡± I sent to my men as we drove over the Mississippi into Wisconsin. The wide river valley was divided into the main channel, which we crossed, then a maze of inds and backwaters. There was arge ind in the center, and on the far side we finally reached La Crosse.


    Soon, I would have my family back.


    I had been going nuts after I got the word the Alpha Killer had been to my home and taken my mate and my son. She was a nightmare. A rogue with Alpha blood, highly trained, deadly and with a chip on her shoulder the size of a mountain. The thing that kept me up at night thest three years was that she would figure out I was the one who bred her sister, then had her killed and buried in the woods.


    Thank Luna I had gotten that call from my buddy Carlos. He and I had trained together, an intensive course for future Alphas and Betas that used to be held every other year. We were thrown together as roommates and he was like a brother to me. Our paths had diverged; I had taken over my Pack after finding my mate, while he had thrown himself into Beta training at the Mount Shasta Pack.


    A decadeter, his life ns were ruined. The Alpha female died during childbirth, and the heartbroken Alpha killed himself to be with her. He was under thirty and unmated, with Alpha blood only on his mother¡¯s side, and was not allowed to seed. Instead, one of the Alpha¡¯s younger brothers took over and brought his own Beta with him. Demoted and unhappy with the changes, he had requested to be transferred to the Alpha Council Enforcer program.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    His new Alpha was happy to get rid of him.


    Since that day in 1961, they only saw each other at Alpha Council functions and asional visits. Never mated, Carlos worked hard and rose to Lead Enforcer for the council in 2001. He was in charge of all intelligence,w enforcement and protection operations, which meant he knew everything.


    Five Years Earlier


    I had traveled to a Council conference alone as my mate didn¡¯t want to go to Saratoga Springs. After the meetings were over, most of the males who didn¡¯t have mates along had headed to the hotel bar. When it closed, I ended up in a chair with a bottle of Two Gingers Irish Whiskey in Carlos¡¯ room. Everyone else except Beta Todd Aldridge had gone back to their room by four in the morning.


    I was happy getting my drunk on.


    Todd was a good guy, and he was lying on the couch with his arm over his eyes. I looked over at my buddy, he was drinking vodka straight and was just as fucked up as I was. It took a lot of booze to get a werewolf drunk, and the bottles on the floor showed how hard we¡¯d worked for it.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going with Rhoda,¡± Carlos asked. ¡°Any new treatments?¡±


    ¡°Nope. After the trials were ended by the Council, no one will touch it. She told us that our only chance would be to find a young she-wolf willing to be a surrogate, and give her the drugs to induce a heat.¡±


    ¡°So? That should be easy.¡±


    I took another drink. ¡°Easy if you want some Pack Slut or Omega, maybe. It only works if I service her during her heat, so her bloodline will be half of my son¡¯s bloodline. If I weaken him, he¡¯ll never take and defend the position. I need a strong Beta female, an Alpha would be better.¡±


    ¡°Shit, you may as well ask for immortality,¡± Carlosughed. ¡°Where are you going to find a high-ranking female willing to fuck you and bear your child, then just go away?¡± He took a long drink, then tossed the bottle into the pile by the garbage can.


    The sound from across the room surprised me. ¡°I can get you one,¡± Todd said. ¡°Alpha bloodlines from both parents. Unmated. She¡¯s underage, not that you care about that if you¡¯re going to rape her. You just need to make her disappear when you have the child you need.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I stared at him, wondering what his deal was.


    ¡°Carlos, I¡¯m in the same situation you are but I see iting. My Alphas have only two daughters; the eldest will find her mate, probably the son of another Alpha, and he will take over for them. The new generation will have no use for a man like me, and I¡¯ll be pushed aside just like you were.¡± He struggled to sit up. ¡°On the other hand, if the Alphas were gone along with one of the daughters, or if they were all gone, I¡¯d be next in line. I could mate one to cement my position, she¡¯s a hot little number that would be fun to bend to my will. Or I could find my own mate if they¡¯re both gone, I¡¯d have my pick.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my luck. ¡®How? Why?¡±


    ¡°We each get something we need, Justin. I deliver you one of the females for you to breed, and you get rid of the Alpha pair for me.¡± He stood up, walking over to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get some sleep before the morning meetings. This talk doesn¡¯t go outside the three of us. If you¡¯re interested, p me on the shoulder as we¡¯re leaving tomorrow. We will figure out a time and ce and make this happen for both of us.¡±


    The next morning, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. As the meeting broke up, I pped his right shoulder and told him he shoulde visit sometime.


    Present Day


    The first of six Suburbans turned onto the ess road that led to the La Crosse Pack House. I was in the trail vehicle with my ally, Eau ire Pack Alpha Bruce Eastwing. Our Betas were in the two lead vehicles. Between the two Packs, we had a force of three dozen heavily armed werewolves.


    The trucks elerated down the gravel road, only minutes away. There were no patrol wolves, no guards, and I smiled. We had achievedplete surprise.


    Alpha rk and his Pack would pay dearly for their involvement in the kidnapping of my family.


    Luna Rhoda Heranus¡¯s POV


    Northeast Iowa


    I felt like I was waking from surgery or something. My head ached, and my limbs felt numb. I fought against the fog in my brain, trying to think.


    I finally got my eyes open. It was light out, and things were fuzzy at first, but I could see my legs in front of me. I took a sniff, I didn¡¯t recognize anything; the smells of woods and another scent, one of cow dung and hay, came across. I looked up, seeing a small creek going through the trees around me.


    I tried to move but couldn¡¯t. My arms were behind me, around the tree I was leaning back against. I couldn¡¯t move them much, then I figured out the wrist pain was from handcuffs. I tried to contact someone, anyone through the link and it wasn¡¯t there. I screamed for help, and no one answered. I struggled to get free and it was hopeless.


    Phillip.


    Oh Luna, where was Phillip? I thought back to thest thing that happened; we were ying out back. The door opened, then a pain in my neck and then nothing until now. I¡¯d been drugged and kidnapped!


    The realization shook the rest of the fog from my head. I tried to get my feet under me but couldn¡¯t stand; the tree was rough barked and big enough around I had no freedom of movement. I couldn¡¯t shift, my arms would tear off if I did. I took a few deep breaths, trying to keep calm and think. Then I screamed for help again.


    Nothing.


    I closed my eyes and sought out my wolf, but she was still asleep. Probably silvered. If the cuffs were silver, they would prevent my wolf from doing anything. No shifting, no linking. That meant the person who took me was a werewolf.


    I heard leaves crunching downhill,ing closer. I scooted up the tree as far as I could, but I waspletely helpless. I was shocked to see a young girl, maybe just out of high school,ing up the trail by the creek. She was carrying a stic cooler and a briefcase-like bag. As she got closer, I was shocked to see the scarred ¡°T¡± on her cheek.


    The mark of a traitor, which meant she wasn¡¯t part of a Pack. I was being held by rogues, unstable werewolves with no Alphas and no rules. What could they want with me? ¡°WHERE IS MY BOY,¡± I yelled as she walked up from the creek.


    ¡°He¡¯s not your boy now, is he Rhoda?¡±


    My blood turned cold. ¡°What do you want? Money?¡±


    She justughed as she set the cooler down just out of my reach. ¡°Oh, Rhoda, do you think this is about money? Do you think the Alpha Killer cares about MONEY?¡± I was fighting to maintain control now, if I was under that bitch¡¯s control I was as good as dead. ¡°No, this is about justice.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything,¡± I pleased. ¡°Let me go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mate heard that a lot over the course of that ten months she was held,¡± she said. ¡°Before story time, we need to make sure you¡¯re alert and healthy. You¡¯ve been out of it for a long time.¡± She reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water. Opening it, she brought it to my lips. I was very thirsty, it was cold, and I drank it down eagerly. When the bottle was done, I felt better.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Erica Connally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you. Why are you doing this?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop looking at her face and wondering what she had done to deserve the brand at such a young age. It would prevent her from being epted by any Pack, a life sentence of being alone and vulnerable.

 The Revelation

    ¡°I think you should see for yourself. I haven¡¯t had a chance to watch the whole thing yet, so we can watch this together.¡± She pulled an iPad out of her bag and opened the case, powering it up and going to a video file. She started it ying and folded the case so it was held up, again just outside the reach of my feet. The volume was turned up high and a young woman¡¯s face filled the screen.


    The interviewer gave a date, just a few days ago, and his name, Randall Meechum. Meechum? They were Alphas in Texas. His deep voice continued. ¡°Can you tell me your name, birth date and family?¡±


    ¡°Tania Stillwater, born June 18th, 2000, formerly of the Tomah Pack. My parents are, I mean were, Johann and Rosa Stillwater, Alphas of the Pack. I have an older sister, Talia.¡± Oh fuck. The Stillwater Alphas were dead, years ago, and Talia Stillwater was the Alpha Killer. This girl was her missing SISTER.


    ¡°So, you were Alpha blood but not the Alpha heir.¡± I was shaking now. It couldn¡¯t be. Justin told me he needed a woman of Alpha blood to carry our son, could it be her? I remembered now, she ran away from the Pack just before her parents died. She was never heard from again, yet here she was.


    ¡°No, my sister was, she had faith that the Goddess would give her a strong mate to lead with her. It didn¡¯t quite go that way.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can you tell me about thest few days you were at the Tomah Pack?¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad had a meeting with the surrounding Alphas. It was being hosted by the La Crosse Pack. I didn¡¯t want to go, one of my friends was having her birthday party. Talia had to go, she was sixteen and it was time to start looking for her mate. You know, all these Alpha get-togethers are chances for high-ranking wolves to look for their mates. We were down at the beach, ying on the rope swing. I had just gotten out of the water and was drying off when I got a link from Beta Todd that my parents were on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Beta Todd Aldrige?¡± I knew him, he¡¯d even visited our Pack a few times, he was now Alpha of the Tomah Pack. The Council had installed him as Alpha after the Stillwater family was gone.


    ¡°Yes. He told me to shift and run up to the road, he was waiting in his SUV with the passenger door open. I jumped in and shifted, but instead of handing me the phone, he injected me with something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the next thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°I woke up in a basement, chained by my neck to a post.¡± I could barely watch, barely think as she talked about her captivity. It couldn¡¯t be, but when she described the Alpha who raped her and left her pregnant, I knew it was my Justin.


    ¡°Tania, I¡¯m going toy out some pictures for you. If you recognize the man who held you captive, let me know.¡± It only took a few, and when Justin¡¯s picture was shown, I could tell by her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Oh Luna, please stop, I can¡¯t watch!¡± I looked over at the young woman, she was watching with tears in her eyes. She paused it, ring back at me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t watch her talk about how your mate had her kidnapped? How he chained her to a fucking post and raped her repeatedly until she was pregnant?¡± She got up and walked to me, grabbing my hair and banging my head back into the tree behind me. ¡°You¡¯re going to face the truth of what you¡¯ve done. You¡¯re going to watch everyst second of her story, even if I have to fucking super-glue your eyes open and duct tape your head so you can¡¯t look away.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because I want you to see yourself like every werewolf in the country is going to be seeing you soon. You think this mark on my cheek bothers me? It¡¯s a fucking badge of honor to me. I got it for helping my best friend Talia escape after she lost an Alpha Challenge at sixteen against an adult Beta. Talia became the Alpha Killer, the Alpha Killer took you, and now I get you to myself for a while. Now watch.¡± She moved back, starting the video again.


    It went on for hours, well after the sun had set. I was crying; she had been brutally raped in that basement. All those times I felt Justin screwing the surrogate, I hadforted myself in my pain, thinking I was lucky he had found a volunteer. Instead, he was raping a fourteen-year-old girl who had been taken from her family.


    I threw up on myself as she told about her baby being taken. Erica gave me another bottle full of water, I spit out some and drank the rest, but she didn¡¯t clean it up. I sat there, tasting and smelling it as Tania told of being sold into very.


    When it was over, I looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    She pulled something out of her bag. ¡°You should have, Rhoda. You stole my friend¡¯s baby and ruined her life. You will pay dearly for that.¡± She hid her hand from me as she walked around in the dark, dappled light of the moon through the trees. I felt a needle in my arm, and then the fire started.


    ¡°What did you do,¡± I said as the pain raced into my chest.


    ¡°What your Beta did to my friend,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m taking your wolf.¡±


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Three Years Earlier


    I woke up, hot and sweaty in the dark, and couldn¡¯t move around much in the cage I was in. The dog kennel had a steel tray on the bottom, and a thin pad covered it. I was lying on my side, my knees up and unable to straighten them in the cramped quarters. I rolled until I was on my hands and knees, it wasn¡¯t tall enough for me to sit up or even get fully up. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Quiet, you don¡¯t want to bring Sir Mark in here, he¡¯ll whip us all,¡± a female voice said.


    I looked for her, but with my wolf gone my vision sucked. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Eros Ind,¡± another voice said. ¡°Wee to hell.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them, you¡¯ve got to be strong and survive,¡± a third voice said.


    ¡°How many girls are in here,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Twenty of us total now, eight are out with guests. Now go back to sleep. Your first day will be hard enough without extra punishments.¡± I heard the girls settle in, it sounded like the room was filled with cages. I didn¡¯t know how long I had been out. Thest thing I remembered was the auction, finding out my life was worth exactly eight thousand dors. I had jewelry my Mom had given me back home that was worth more than that!


    I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I justid there on my side, crying silently for what had happened. I lost my wolf, my freedom and now I¡¯d been sold as a sex ve.


    I was shocked when the door banged open, I jumped and banged my knees into the cage, then the light came on. ¡°Wake up girls, it¡¯s another beautiful day. Breakfast in twenty minutes.¡± The man was big, barrel-chested with long ck hair and beard, and behaved like he was King around here. He probably was.


    He went around the room, unlocking the cages and opening the doors. I could see there were a dozen cages along each side of the room, sharing walls. Each was about three times the size of mine, enough to hold a single bed mattress and tall enough to sit up. Compared to my cage, it was a pce. ¡°ve Cindy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Mark.¡± A beautiful blonde woman from the cage at the end, the voice I recognized as the one who told me to get more sleep. She crawled out of her cage and knelt on the concrete floor, head down, hands facing up on her knees which were spread wide, back straight and her naked butt on her heels.


    ¡°Get ve Tania cleaned up and fed, then bring her to Sir Ken in the staff dining room.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The man unlocked my kennel and walked out.


    ¡°Come on out, we don¡¯t have much time,¡± Cindy said. She helped me to my feet, my knees and back were sore but loosened up as we walked out of the room. ¡°Quick tour. This is the ve sleeping quarters. The bathrooms are ahead of us. When we are not needed, we are locked in here. Lights out is at three AM, wakeup at nine AM.¡± The other girls were leaving the showers and getting ready.


    All were nude except metal cors around their necks. I looked in the mirror, I had one too. ¡°I¡¯m cored now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They will exin it, but that is a smart cor. They know exactly where you are at all times, and you will set off rms if you are anywhere you are not supposed to be. The doors will work for you in approved areas, if not they will not open for you. They can also administer an electric shock onmand. Trust me, you don¡¯t want that.¡± She helped me sit on one of the toilets, there were four in a row, all in the open. Showers were along one side of the room, and four sinks in a line on the other. I quickly relieved myself, then she guided me into the shower and helped me wash my hair and body. After I dried, we went to the sinks. ¡°Let¡¯s get your makeup on, you want to look good.¡±


    I just stared at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been sold, drugged and locked in a fucking dog kennel, why the hell do I want to look good?¡±


    She turned me to her, hands on my face. ¡°Listen to me carefully, Tania. This ce is hard, but there are far worse ces than this to be a ve. The Masters own this ind. Rich men and women travel here because they can have all the sex they want, any time they want, with beautiful women as young as ten and as old as forty. The Masters watch everything, and they want to keep the customers happy. The more you are chosen, the higher your status and the better your treatment. Do everything well, and you may even find one of them likes you enough to buy you and take you home as their personal ve. Not freedom, but better than here.¡± She picked up the blush and started working on my cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m a ve, Cindy. I just turned fifteen.¡±


    ¡°You are, that won¡¯t change. If you have a bad attitude, show disrespect, fail to follow orders or don¡¯t fuck and suck with all your heart, you will be punished. They can make things very bad for you, and if you don¡¯t work out, they will rece you with another. You¡¯ll end up strung out, down by the docks with your bare ass out the car window taking dick for a buck a man.¡±


    I was fucked, literally and figuratively. ¡°So, you cooperate?¡±


    ¡°You survive, Tania. You do what they say, when they say to the best of your abilities. Don¡¯t give them a reason to punish you.¡± She looked at my face and decided it was good enough. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to the dining room, we¡¯re runningte.¡±


    That was the start of fourteen months of very on Eros Ind. They kept me shaved and looking young, that was a fantasy of some of the men. I quickly learned how to role y the slutty student, the horny daughter, the innocent church girl, the sexy cheerleader and whatever else they needed.


    The best of men were gentle, even loving with me.


    The worst would degrade and hurt me.


    Either way, I smiled and took it.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Myst client was a pure sadist. He tied me, whipped me, beat me, cut me with knives, burned me with cigars, broke my bones and left me half dead in his room. It cost him a lot in usage fees, because I was out ofmission for weeks. The scars he left behind meant I was picked less and less. The Masters bought a recement for me, and I was stuffed back in a crate.


    My life took another turn as I was sent down to the lower levels of hell. My life was now worth five hundred dors, plus shipping.

 The Alpha Struggle

    Bobby Meechum¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    I followed my mate and my child into the Pack House as my Mom led her to the guest room. ¡°Bobby, to my office,¡± my Dad sent.


    I stopped, looking at the closed door, then turned around and walked into the Alpha Wing and to my father¡¯s office. A T-shirt and basketball shorts were on the floor outside, so I shifted and put them on. I knocked on his door and went in. ¡°Wee home, son,¡± he said as he hugged me. ¡°Still ying puppy?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s skittish, Dad. She¡¯s had a rough time of it, and it hasn¡¯t been over for long.¡± I had talked to my Mom about it on the flight down, and I filled him in on what I had learned from her talks with Randall. ¡°Two weeks ago, she was being drugged and held as a prostitute,¡± I finished. ¡°I¡¯m amazed she¡¯s even functioning.¡±


    ¡°She has strength, she will push through this. She has her child now, she will do it for him.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°She needs her mate, Bobby.¡±


    My Mom picked this time to walk in. ¡°They¡¯re settled in. Phillip is sleeping and Tania is going to take a shower and go to bed. She¡¯s exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    She hugged me. ¡°You need toe clean on who you are, Bobby. She¡¯s not ignorant to what we are, she isn¡¯t a human who has to be eased into the knowledge of our true nature.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ready yet,¡± I said. ¡°Is it so bad that she trusts my wolf and takesfort in him?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, son, but she should be takingfort in her mate. The sooner, the better. You have a son to raise together, and she will need your help.¡±


    He was right. My wolf and I had already epted Phillip as ours, and he was very protective of them both now. ¡°I¡¯ll shift for them in the morning,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll keep the others away for now, and ease her back into Pack life,¡± Mom said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard for both of them to adjust, but we¡¯re here for you along with the whole Pack. We are all happy you found such a strong and beautiful woman to be your mate.¡±


    She was right. My mate was the strongest female I knew, having gone through hell and survived. She was beautiful to me, scars and all. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab some food then sit at the door in case she needs me.¡± I hugged them both and went back out, down to the kitchen. I made myself a huge sandwich and chips, plus a tall ss of milk. When I was done, I walked back to the guest room and pulled my clothes off before shifting. I curled up, my back against the door, and went to sleep.


    ¡°No! NOO! PLEASE DON¡¯T¡±


    Her screams of terror work me up. I jumped to my feet but was unable to get in while in my wolf form. I quickly shifted, grabbing the doorknob and finding it locked. She was still screaming in terror, and Phillip had now joined her. I put my shoulder to the door and broke it down.


    She was having a nightmare, she had rolled herself up in the sheets and was fighting to get free. I ran to her, ignoring her scratches and iling arms as I pulled her into my chest. ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s all right, I¡¯m here,¡± I said.


    My Mom appeared at the door, but I didn¡¯t stop rocking her and stroking her neck. ¡°Take Phillip please,¡± I linked. She went over and picked him up; he was tired, but he calmed in her arms and she walked him out.


    She finally stopped struggling and was now sobbing into my bare chest. My Dad looked in and I shook him off. I had this under control, and she didn¡¯t know him well yet. I kept talking to her as she calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Mom took Phillip back to her room, she¡¯s got him calmed down and he¡¯ll be asleep soon.¡±


    ¡°Who are you,¡± she finally said as she looked up into my eyes.


    ¡°Bobby Meechum. I¡¯m Randall¡¯s younger brother.¡±


    ¡°Hi Bobby, thanks for helping me,¡± she said. ¡°I should be freaking out, I don¡¯t like men, much less finding a naked man in my bed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯veforted you,¡± I told her as Iid down next to her. ¡°I¡¯m Snacks. I traveled up to Wisconsin with my brother.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I thought those eyes looked familiar. You¡¯re a good friend and brother to be helping me.¡±


    I let a breath out, gathering my courage. ¡°I¡¯m more than a friend, Tania. I¡¯m your mate.¡±


    Her eyes got wide. ¡°I don¡¯t have a wolf, I don¡¯t have a mate,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    ¡°My wolf imed you the first time he smelled your clothes,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, Tania. I love you. I love Phillip. And I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make you happy again.¡±


    Alpha rk¡¯s POV


    Present day, La Crosse Pack


    Talia had called almost forty minutes ago, reporting the convoy of Suburbans filled with werewolves heading east on Interstate 90. I brought my other lookouts in, and soon we had our own convoy a mile behind them as they crossed the river. Now all I needed was the direction they wereing from to attack my Pack.


    We kept the trail vehicles back, and I had people stationed along the road to watch for where they stopped. ¡°Alpha, they are turning in the main driveway,¡± my lookout reported.


    ¡°Attackers areing in the main entrance, all defenders move into position and ready the strips,¡± I ordered. I jumped into my car along with the reserve force of warriors, all of them from my allied Packs. We drove out, stopping about a quarter mile up the wooded road and using our vehicle to block the road. Alpha Dan and the Winona Pack took the left nk, the Arcadia Pack stayed behind the vehicles with me, and the Genoa Pack warriors took the right nk. We formed an arc, setting up behind rocks and trees with our rifles.


    ¡°Standby the strips, twenty seconds out,¡± I sent to my men. One of my men was hidden in the shrubs, right where the road was elevated three feet above the surrounding trees and swamp on a gentle left turn. The turn would keep them from seeing our vehicles until it was toote to stop. ¡°Everyone else stand by. Hold fire until instructed.¡±


    Thirty warriors took up positions behind the vehicles and trees, forming intersecting lines of fire towards the curve. I heard the caravan approaching and saw their headlights. When the lead vehicle hit the curve, my man pulled three spike strips across the road in rapid session, then shifted and took off.


    The strips did their job, blowing out the tires of the lead vehicle. It swerved to the right and rolled onto its side before hitting a tree. The second didn¡¯t fare much better. Its tires gone, it skidded to a stop with two wheels in the ditch. The other Suburbans would have done better, but the additional strips did their damage. In five seconds, all the attacking vehicles were disabled or stuck behind vehicles.


    ¡°Chase teams moving,¡± my Beta said. I had men hidden in the woods, on the hillside, and they rushed forward into the firing positions they had prepared. A truck was alreadying down the entrance road towards them, making sure no one could back up.


    I reached for the microphone on the PA system mounted on my truck. ¡°THIS IS ALPHA CLARK. YOU ARE SURROUNDED AND OUTGUNNED. PUT DOWN YOUR ARMS AND EXIT YOUR VEHICLES WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR.¡±


    ¡°Snipers, keep an eye on the doors. If anyonees out with a gun, take them down,¡± I reminded them.


    I looked through the binocrs at the Suburbans, disabled about fifty yards from our positions. There was panic in the cars; they were looking around at my men and the rifles, and it was sinking in that they had already lost.


    ¡°Alpha is in thest vehicle. He¡¯s pissed,¡± my Theta said.


    I picked up the microphone again. ¡°NO ONE HAS TO DIE OVER THE LIES YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD. THE COUNCIL HAS ISSUED AN ARREST WARRANT FOR ALPHA HERANUS AND BETA JACK MEOFFE FOR THE KIDNAPPING AND RAPE OF AN UNDERAGE FEMALE.¡±


    This news sent the wolves in the vehicles into a panic. Some were holding their heads, fighting Alphamand. I tried again. ¡°BRING THEM OUT AND YOU MAY GO HOME. RESIST AND YOU ALL DIE. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.¡±


    There was a struggle in the lead vehicle; the back door opened, and a big guy was pushed out backwards. Anotherrge mannded on top of him, and two more men jumped out and held the man down. ¡°DON¡¯T SHOOT,¡± the man said. ¡°This is Beta Jack. If you show me a warrant, I¡¯ll turn him over to you.¡±


    I recognized him, it was Beta Samuel Kirk of the Eau ire Pack. ¡°HOLD YOUR FIRE.¡± I looked over at my men, telling two of them toe with me and to bring silver chains. I walked around between the vehicles, the warrant in my hand. We met each other halfway. ¡°Beta Samuel,¡± I said as I showed him the warrant.


    ¡°Thank you for not opening fire,¡± he said as he looked it over. He linked to his Alpha and his Pack members that the warrant was valid. Immediately doors opened, and men exited and knelt on the road, hands over their heads. ¡°My Alpha sends his regrets, he¡¯s being held at gunpoint by Alpha Justin in thest vehicle. He won¡¯t go without a fight.¡±


    ¡°Then he shall get one,¡± I said. ¡°Have your men walk up past us and bring the Beta. They may exit the battlefield with honor.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The men got up, hands on their heads, and walked towards us. Beta Jack was being dragged between two men.


    I walked with them back to the vehicle and got the microphone again. ¡°LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE YOU DIE FOR A MAN NOT WORTHY OF THE ALPHA POSITION,¡± I said. Taking out my phone, I started to y the audio file, an edited version of Tania¡¯s story. It went for about two minutes, during which no one moved as they listened to her describe her abduction, her rape and then the stealing of her boy.


    ¡°He¡¯s saying it¡¯s a lie, he would never do that,¡± one of his men in the second vehicle yelled.


    ¡°DID ANYONE SMELL LUNA RHODA AND KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT? DID YOU SEE HER ROUND WITH CHILD? DID ANYONE ATTEND PHILLIP¡¯S BIRTH?¡±


    The questions hit home, as men started to get out, holding their heads in pain as they fought the Alphamand. In order to avoid it, they would have to reject their Pack and Alpha. Some screamed as they did this, falling to the ground, while others fought to stand and move. ¡°Alpha, there are only a half-dozen left in the vehicles, including Alpha Bruce. He¡¯s been chained up and is on the floor in back,¡± my sniper told me.


    The standoff might havested for hours, but for two people who walked up behind the disabled Suburbans. Her voice shook with power. ¡°ALPHA JUSTIN, I AM TALIA STILLWATER. THE ALPHA KILLER CHALLENGES YOU FOR THE POSIITON OF ALPHA OF THE COPPER MOUNTAIN PACK.¡±


    The men in the vehicle were shaking in fear, suddenly unsure of their survival. Three of them bailed out and rolled into the ditch with their hands over their heads.


    ¡°A CHALLENGE HAS BEEN MADE, ALPHA JUSTIN. YOU MAY USE OUR FIELD, UNLESS YOU SUBMIT NOW.¡±


    The door opened, and a furious Alpha Justin stepped out. ¡°I ept the challenge,¡± he said.


    I looked back at the young couple standing on the road behind them. Randall Meechum was smiling broadly, happy his mate was going to get her chance. Talia? She looked like a warrior angel ready to destroy.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

 Horror And Relief

    ck River Falls Alpha John¡¯s POV


    Tomah, Wisconsin


    We met in the parking lot of a McDonalds in Tomah, three vehicles from my Pack filled with warriors were ready to go. Alpha Richard and his warriors from the ck River Falls Pack were ready as well.


    The n was simple; surround, then the Alphas go and arrest.


    We decided to go in at sunset, hoping to catch the Pack at the end of their day. The long shadows would help hide our men as they surrounded the territory. If an rm was raised, the women and children would be close to the safe room, and only the patrols would be out. ¡°Remember to order them to stand down, no force except in self-defense,¡± I said to everyone. ¡°This is an arrest, not a war.¡±


    The drive only took fifteen minutes, exiting the freeway and following the roads along the north side until we were about a mile from the territory line. We pulled over to the side of the road near some trees, waiting for the coast to be clear before most of the men shifted and ran off into the woods. It took fifteen minutes for them to make their way into position. ¡°All men in position, Alpha,¡± my Beta reported.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I called Alpha Richard on his cellphone and he reported the same. He was going to stay at the south entrance, ready to drive anywhere to provide backup. ¡°Two minutes to enter the territory,¡± I said as I gave the order to drive forward. I hung up the phone and looked out from the passenger seat of my Expedition. My driver and two escorts were armed with pistols for the worst case event, silver shackles and tranquilizer guns if needed. There was a chain across the road, PRIVATE PROPERTY- NO TRESSPASSING and NO HUNTING signs along a fence on each side, all the things to keep the humans away. I could see a camera pointed at the entrance from the shed by the side of the road.


    It wasn¡¯t a normal shed, I¡¯d been here before and the rusted sheet steel exterior covered a reinforced concrete and steel fighting position and guard post. My driver honked the horn as I got out, and a young man in shorts and a John Deere T-shirt came out from behind the shed. He sniffed, picking up we were wolves and then he recognized me. ¡°Alpha, I wasn¡¯t aware you wereing,¡± he said as he hurried over to the chain. He quickly linked someone. ¡°The Beta wees you and your men to the Tomah Pack.¡±


    ¡°The Beta? Where is Alpha Todd?¡±


    ¡°Gone, sir. He left about five hours ago, didn¡¯t say where. The Luna and their son are with them. They are too far away to link, and he¡¯s not answering his cellphone.¡±


    Crap. Someone must have tipped him off. ¡°Take me to the Alpha¡¯s office and have the Beta call the Pack together, I need to address them all urgently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± He unhooked the chain and moved it aside as I got back in. I left the other men in ce for now but called Alpha Richard back and asked him to meet me at the Pack House.


    It didn¡¯t take long to arrive, and the whole Pack was walking towards the dining hall. The Beta couple was waiting for me. ¡°Alpha John, wee to the Tomah Pack.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a social call, Beta Mendez,¡± I said. I¡¯d worked with him before, he was a good man, a cousin of the Council Chief Enforcer. His mate Maria stood next to him. I handed him the arrest warrant. ¡°I¡¯m here to arrest Alpha Todd on orders of the Council.¡±


    He looked shocked as he read the warrant. ¡°He kidnapped Tania Stillwater?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you know where he is?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No sir. The Alphas left this afternoon, said they would be back after dinner but haven¡¯t returned. I tried contacting them but they aren¡¯t responding.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to his office,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t hold out much hope, but maybe he left a clue. Alpha Richard pulled up and joined us as we were walking in.


    When he opened the office, we could see drawers left open and the wall safe was as well. Looking inside, there were legal papers only. ¡°Anything missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. About a hundred thousand in cash, and the bank books and bearer bonds for the Pack.¡± He looked dejected. ¡°Shit, he¡¯s going to clean out the Pack ounts!¡±


    ¡°He already did if he¡¯s been gone that long,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have ess to the online ounts?¡±


    ¡°No sir, the Alphas had that.¡± I felt for him, it would be tough to ovee such a financial loss along with the newsing their way. ¡°Gather the Pack, I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡±


    He and his mate left, leaving Richard and I alone. ¡°Someone tipped him off,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s long gone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We better call the Chairman.¡± We used the phone on the desk to call the Council, putting it up on speaker. ¡°Chairman Wolfe, it¡¯s Alpha John and Alpha Richard. We¡¯re at the Tomah Pack, and Alpha Todd and his Luna are gone. They cleaned out the Pack safe hours ago and are not responding to calls or link,¡± I said. We discussed it for a few minutes, then we got down to the actions.


    ¡°Alpha John, what do you rmend for control of the Pack until I can get enforcers there?¡±


    ¡°I can stay here with some of my men,¡± I said. ¡°Provide some stability and guidance until the Council decides what they want to do.¡±


    A voice came from the background, I recognized it as the Lead Enforcer for the Council. ¡°Mr. Chairman, the Beta of that Pack is my cousin, he joined the Pack after the alleged kidnapping, so he wasn¡¯t involved. He¡¯s strong enough to hold the Pack together through this.¡±


    ¡°He is a good man,¡± I agreed. ¡°I have no objection. Do you want us to start a search of the area?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s nowhere close by now. Inform the Pack of the warrant and direct them to notify Beta Mendez of any contact with the Alpha pair, or any information regarding their whereabouts. We¡¯re wrapping up things in Colorado, Alpha Justin is missing too.¡±


    What a clusterfuck. ¡°I understand, sir. I need to go brief the Tomah Pack now, if you have the information you need.¡±


    ¡°I do. I¡¯m calling a videoconference of all North American alphas in an hour. You two and Beta Mendez can call in from there, then you can return home.¡± He ended the call.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s let them know.¡± We walked out and down to the mess hall, which was in a near riot by now. ¡°The Beta must have let them know why a warrant is out on their Alpha.¡±


    It was true; the pain and loss of that day over four years ago was still fresh, and finding out their Alpha may have kidnapped Tania was a shock. I held up my hands, and they quieted. ¡°First off, does anyone have any information as to where the Alpha pair are right now?¡± That was a no from the silence. ¡°All right, I don¡¯t have a lot of details, but I do want you to see what Tania said happened. I don¡¯t rmend any children see this.¡± While the children were taken out, I worked with the Beta to get the video file so it could y on the big projection screen they used for movie nights.


    There were gasps of horror and relief as Tania¡¯s face came on the screen. Many were crying as she went into her story, and when she told what happened that day you could have heard a pin drop. I could smell the anger in the room; she was one of their own and was loved by them all. Seeing her this way, older, scarred and sickly, it turned their stomachs. A few had to run for garbage cans as she described her rape. The news of her son raised the anger to a fever pitch.


    Not only was their Alpha daughter alive, she had a son, a son who was a bloodline heir to lead the Tomah Pack.


    ¡°What happened to Talia,¡± one of the men asked. ¡°That bastard drove her out of here, and we let him.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who rescued Tania. I don¡¯t have all the details, I just know that Tania¡¯s wolf was killed and she was being held as a sex ve by a crime family in Texas.¡± The Pack exploded in rage again at that. Having your wolf taken away was a fate worse than death for a werewolf, you would spend the rest of your days missing half of yourself.


    It was time to wrap this up before the videoconference. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything more now, but I understand your anger. Your Beta is going to join us and all North American Alphas to discuss this, plus the disappearance of Alpha Justin of Copper Mountain. They will find no refuge in any Pack, and we WILL bring them to justice.¡±


    ¡°WE WANT THEIR BLOOD ON OUR TEETH,¡± a man in the back shouted.


    ¡°LET THE ALPHA KILLER DO IT,¡± another answered.


    ¡°We have to catch them first. If you want to help, do what you can to find them.¡± The three of us walked out of the room, leaving them to process what they had just learned.


    Back in the Alpha¡¯s office, the Beta logged us onto the secure server that the Council used for the videoconference. We watched as the Alphas joined, and Chairman Wolfe ran though what they knew so far. There was shock and outrage at the actions of the missing Alphas. ¡°In addition to the two Alphas, the search for the Alpha Killer continues. Talia Stillwater remains atrge, and we have confirmed by scent and video that she kidnapped Luna Rhoda and her son Phillip.¡±

 I’m Still A Virgin

    ¡°IT WASN¡¯T HER SON,¡± Alpha rk of the La Crosse Pack said. He had arrivedte to the conference and red at the camera. ¡°Phillip is Tania¡¯s son, stolen from her at birth. Talia rescued her nephew just like she rescued Tania, while the Council refused to even investigate her kidnapping properly.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to revisit the past, Alpha rk, we have problems now,¡± Chairman Wolfe said.


    ¡°It¡¯s never toote. I gave you the information you needed to get the warrants on Justin and Todd, because we wanted to do this properly and legally. Beta Mendez, how long ago did you Alpha flee?¡±


    ¡°About six hours ago, sir.¡±


    ¡°Within hours of me informing the Council of the evidence against them, both Alphas disappear. I wanted to trust the Council, but I can see now that it was a mistake. The Council failed the Tomah Pack when they pushed Talia out of the way when their parents were killed. You failed Tania when you failed to take her disappearance seriously and didn¡¯t do a real investigation. Now you¡¯ve failed us again. Three strikes and you¡¯re out, Mr. Chairman. My family and my Pack is handling this ourselves.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± the Chairman said as he stood up and leaned on the desk. ¡°The Council was formed for dealing with problems like this in a civil and effective manner!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that working for you, Mr. Chairman? Alphas, does it give you a warm fuzzy to know that the Council is on the job, or are you wondering what else they¡¯ve covered up? We¡¯re doing just fine on our own. Tania has been reunited with her son and is safe in the proverbial undisclosed location. Talia has captured Alpha Justin and Luna Rhoda, and they will face MY justice in MY pack.¡±


    ¡°YOU have them?¡±


    ¡°The Alpha Killer will not be denied blood. They havemitted offenses were against my family or on mynd. Under Packw, their punishment is my decision alone. I will not turn them over, nor will I allow the Council or anyone else on mynd to take them.¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous,¡± one of the Alphas said.


    Alpha rk just red at him. ¡°I. DON¡¯T. CARE. The Alpha Killer has sworn a blood vow to take her vengeance on those who hurt her sister and killed her parents. She WILL get it, and I will make sure of it. You couldn¡¯t stop her before, and you won¡¯t stop her now. My advice? Stay on your Packnds and stay the hell out of her way, because she is in NO mood to suffer fools. Luna herself won¡¯t be able to help you if you aid or shelter Alpha Todd, and she finds out.¡±


    A bunch of them started talking over each other, and the Chairman finally muted the microphones to stop it. ¡°Alpha rk, where is Alpha Justin Heranus now?¡±


    He just smiled. ¡°He ain¡¯t no Alpha no more, Sir.¡±


    Chairman Lewis Wolfe¡¯s POVContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Copper Mountain Pack House, Alpha Quarters


    I was furious, my wolf wanted out, but I had to maintain control. I ended the videoconference before I exploded, and called all of the enforcers in along with the Betas of the Colorado Springs and Grand Mesa packs. ¡°Beta Nick,¡± I said as I looked at the big man from Colorado Springs. ¡°Contact your Alpha, let him know you are requested to stay here until I can arrange temporary Pack leadership. You are to be the de facto Alpha until reced,¡± I said.


    ¡°Understood, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Beta Oscar, the same for you except I¡¯m asking you to stand in as the Pack Beta until relieved. Both of you, inform your Alphas you may be needed for at least three days, up to a week.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, thank you sir.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving a Council member in charge?¡± My Chief Counsel, Lawrence Kendall, was looking at me like I¡¯d deviated from process. I had, and it was intentional.


    ¡°No. Enforcers, ce Mr. Kendall and Mr. Mendez under arrest and escort them to the cells.¡± There was hesitation, Carlos Mendez was their boss. ¡°NOW,¡± I said withmandcing my voice.


    They broke out of their inaction and moved forward, cuffing the two with silver-coated handcuffs designed to foil werewolf strength. ¡°This is outrageous, what are the charges,¡± Carlos said.


    ¡°Suspicion of treason,¡± I said. ¡°Take them away.¡± They did, and the two men did not know quietly. The Betas looked at me for an exnation. ¡°Alpha rk was right about one thing; someone tipped the two Alphas off about the warrants and the raids. I didn¡¯t tell them, so it had to be either Lawrence or Carlos. I¡¯ll figure out whichter, I¡¯ll be sending investigators out to get them. Confiscate their belongings, especially their phones.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Enforcers, the rest of you will be leaving with me for Tomah. Jerry, notify the pilots to prepare a flight n and be ready to leave in thirty minutes.¡± He ran out of the room to make the arrangements.


    I made a few more phone calls as the cars were brought around. ¡°Alpha John,¡± I said as I called the ck River Falls Alpha. ¡°Change of ns. I need you or Alpha Richard to take over the Tomah pack for the time being. Arrest Beta Mendez and put him in the cells on suspicion of treason. Carlos Mendez is under arrest here for the same charge, of tipping off the Alphas so they could escape the raid. The coincidence of the Beta being rted to him is too obvious to ignore. I¡¯ll be sending investigators your way soon. Don¡¯t mistreat him, he might bepletely innocent.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Chairman. I¡¯d be shocked if he condoned this.¡± He mumbled something off mic. ¡°Richard and I are still in the Pack House. There are no objections to my staying on as acting Alpha,¡± he said. ¡°If I may ask, sir, what are the long-range ns here? The Pack is very upset by the revtions of tonight. They want a Stillwater as Alpha again.¡±


    I sighed, I knew this would happen. ¡°Neither is mated, John. Talia Stillwater is a wanted fugitive for good reason, and Tania does not have a wolf. That would seem to be a prerequisite for the position.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t think the Pack cares. They want Tania to return to them, she¡¯s still family, and they never liked how Talia was forced out of here.¡±


    It was giving me a headache. I got the signal the cars were ready, so I walked out of the office as I talked. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot to deal with first. Keep the Pack stable, let¡¯s find Todd and find out if Alpha rk can get any more information out of Justin. I want to know who my traitor is.¡±


    This day had been a disaster. The Council was formed at the behest of the Alphas and could be dissolved or reced with a simpler vote of them. Alpha rk¡¯s words had shaken their faith in him and the Council, I could see it in their bodynguage. I had a day, maybe two to turn the narrative around before ¡®council ipetence and corruption¡¯ became the next issue, and then I would be out. I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack


    The La Crosse warriors came down, cing all the Copper Mountain warriors in handcuffs and seating them by the road. Only the Alpha, who was being escorted, and the Beta who was bound hand and foot, were different.


    Of all possible oues, this is the one I really wanted. All these men didn¡¯t need to die, only specific men did. When Alpha Justin came out of the car and epted the challenge, I knew I would get my wish.


    ¡°Alpha Eastwing,¡± Alpha rk said as he walked forward. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. He was furious at being yed for a fool and having his men endangered. ¡°Thank you for keeping this from escting, rk. I apologize for involving myself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. Take any of your vehicles still operating and send as many men as you can back to your Pack with your Beta. You and the rest may stay for the challenge, then we¡¯ll arrange transport to a local hotel for the night. You¡¯re going to need a shitload of new tires,¡± he said with a grin.


    Alpha Eastwing gave a few orders, and men started moving. Alpha rk had his men move the vehicles in front and behind out of the way so they could turn around and get out. Everyone else, including Alpha Justin who was still between two huge warriors, was making their way to the Pack House.


    Beta Jack was cuffed and shackled and being carried back by four men. Talia and I caught up to her uncle. ¡°What¡¯s the ns for him, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting to talk to you about it, Talia. He was the one who sold Tania into very, so perhaps she will want to choose or participate in his punishment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ready, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll contact my father, he can broach the subject with Tania and Bobby. I want to know who he sold her to, I n to take down everyone involved in Tania¡¯s treatment with the help of my lovely mate here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put him in istion and let him stew for a while, then. Make Justin suffer, Talia, but don¡¯t kill him just yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle rk,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s not getting off easy.¡±


    It was after dark, but the lights surrounding the challenge circle had been turned on. Igged behind everyone with Talia, holding her hand as we walked slowly towards the circle. ¡°I¡¯m so looking forward to seeing you fight,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not upset that I¡¯m fighting him instead of you? You¡¯re the male, I thought you¡¯d want to fight him for his Pack.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I have as much desire to take over his Pack as you do,¡± I said. ¡°If you asked me, I would do it for you, but you are not some weak female in need of my protection. You¡¯re the most dangerous person I¡¯ve ever met, and I¡¯ve met a lot of dangerous people.¡±


    ¡°I scare you?¡±


    ¡°Hell no, thinking about you out there beating the shit out of an Alpha makes me harder than Chinese calculus,¡± I said. Sheughed and squeezed my hand. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me because you are mine and I am yours. I am the lucky one, I have a mate who is just as strong and fierce as I am.¡± I looked over at her, she was looking at me in love and wonder. ¡°Plus, I bet you¡¯ll be a tigress in the sack.¡±


    ¡°RANDALL!¡± She hip-checked me, knocking me off bnce. ¡°I¡¯m still a virgin.¡±


    ¡°And I look forward to making you mine in all ways after this is over.¡±

 I’ll Make It

    The banter had the effect I wanted, it took her mind off what wasing up until we reached the circle. I was her second, responsible for ensuring no one tried to interfere with the challenge. Alpha rk, as the host Alpha, would referee the challenge. There wasn¡¯t much to do in a no-rules fight to death or submission, though.


    I could see phones out ready to record the fun. Curiosity was high, as she left plenty of bodies behind but no one saw her fight. She stepped into the circle, ring at Alpha Justin. He had stripped nude, ready to shift. ¡°I hate that everyone is going to see you nude before I¡¯ve fully mated you,¡± I said. ¡°Hopefully they see your neck and hold backments.¡±


    I saw her link, and Alpha rk made an announcement. ¡°Fair warning, males. Talia is marked but not mated, and her mate might rip out throats if you stare or makements about her.¡± Eyes immediately averted, no one wanted a jealous Alpha blood after them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby, I¡¯m not shifting until the end,¡± she said as she smiled back at me. ¡°Have a shirt ready.¡± She stripped down to her fighting clothes, a sports bra andpression shorts.


    She looked amazing, her body was an intoxicating blend of hard muscles and soft curves. Her ass was sculped by the Goddess herself, I concluded as she stretched. I was a lucky man.


    ¡°The Alpha of the Copper Mountain Pack, Justin Heranus, has been challenged for his position by Alpha blood female Talia Stillwater. The challenge has been epted and is to death or submission. If submission, the fate of the defeated is solely up to the victor.¡± He walked to the edge of the circle, whererge boulders separated the grass and dirt inside from the gathered people watching. ¡°Anyst words?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die for taking my family,¡± Justin said.


    ¡°Funny, that¡¯s what I was going to say. By the way, Rhoda knows what you did and it sickened her. She threw up on her minder, right before she was given a heavy dose of wolfsbane. Her wolf has been killed, just like Tania¡¯s wolf was taken from her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±


    He started moving forward as Alpha rk said ¡°Begin.¡±


    Just immediately shifted, his wolf was ck in color with a tan patch on his chest and brown and white socks. He charged her as she stood there, legs shoulder width apart and hands on her hips, seemingly unconcerned with him. I watched nervously as she waited until he was in the air, his jaws inches from her throat, and she wasn¡¯t there.


    Moving faster than I thought possible, she had moved a few feet right and spun around andnded a fist to the side of his chest. I heard a rib break as it thumped home, and suddenly he was spinning in the air. He crashed to the ground and rolled to his feet. I thought Talia would push the advantage, but she just watched him as he got back up. He shook his head, looked at her and attacked again, this time going for her left leg.


    She spun away, continuing the move she kicked he left leg out and caught him in the stomach. The air left his lungs as he was knocked sideways, and when he recovered, she kicked him in his left thigh. She let him continue, but now he was limping noticeably.


    She focused, letting her hands shift slightly as deadly sharp ws pushed out from her hands. ¡°Death of a thousand cuts, and he¡¯ll only get nine hundred and ny,¡± she sent.


    ¡°Focus,¡± I responded. Sheughed and went to work. He continued to attack, and every lunge towards her was met with a jawful of air and a slice of his fur. I was shocked; it was clinical, she was toying with him, never in danger. Alpha Justin was not a bad fighter, I knew he was stronger and far more experienced than I, but he had zero chance against my mate. She was skilled and zing fast, and his hide paid the price for his actions.


    Ten minutes turned into twenty, and she wasn¡¯t even winded yet. He was so covered with blood and torn up fur it astonished me he was still upright. Still in human form, Talia was breaking ribs, slicing flesh and tossing him around like he weighed nothing. He didn¡¯t have much longer.


    He gathered himself for onest try, painfully moving closer to her. He lunged for her right knee, and he was shocked as she suddenly shifted and leaped high over his back. Twisting in the air, shended and bit down on his right rear leg until a loud snap was heard.


    He howled in agony as she dragged him backwards to the middle of the ring. She let him go. He was panting in the dirt, unable to rise. She shifted back into her human form; she was covered with blood, none of it hers. I took off my shirt and tossed it to her as she walked around the torn-up mess that was Alpha Justin. She pulled it over her head, the T-shirt more like a dress on her, and I smiled as she took a sniff of it as the neck pulled down.


    ¡°Submit or I start breaking bones from tail to nose,¡± she said as she knelt down in front of him. He red at her, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond. His head dropped to the ground and he exposed his neck to her.


    ¡°Challenge is over by submission,¡± Alpha rk said. ¡°The new Alpha of the Copper Mountain Pack, Talia Stillwater. May her reign be just and prosperous.¡± She stood like the warrior she was as the men of her new Pack exposed their necks to her, signaling their eptance of her as Alpha. She went down the line, establishing the bond and searching their minds for signs of duplicity. The two that refused to submit were killed instantly, a single w stroke behind the left ear severing their artery and leaving them to bleed to death.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance, Alpha rk,¡± she said as she walked to stand as an equal to her Uncle. ¡°I would request you release my Pack members and provide them transportation to the airport. They will be returning home immediately.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alpha Stillwater.¡± He looked over at Justin. ¡°What is your wish regarding him?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any cages suitable for transporting a wolf?¡±


    ¡°Of course, glorified dog kennels, but silver ted and reinforced.¡±


    She grinned a little. ¡°That is perfect. Bring one here and lock him into it. Bring him water, but do not feed him or provide medical care. If he wants that, he¡¯s going to have to answer questions. I also want him to see what I have in store for the Beta who sold my sister into very, but that¡¯s tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°The guest Alpha suite is yours,¡± he said. ¡°I will have dinner sent upter.¡±


    I moved closer to her, pulling her into my side. ¡°She needs to clean up and do a few things first, we¡¯ll call the kitchen when we are ready,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you again. We will rest tonight, and tomorrow we continue with her blood oath. Everyone involved is going to die,¡± I said.


    We walked back towards the Pack House, hand in hand. Members of all the gathered Packs made space for us, their eyes kept down in respect of a superior rank and warrior. No one had ever seen someone like her, and we all knew she could take down any Alpha she wanted.


    I picked her up in my arms as she giggled and carried her back to our room. We¡¯d be out in the morning.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    I looked up at my mate as he carried me into the Pack House. He was handsome, dominant, smart, caring and romantic. I¡¯d hit the mate jackpot with him, and I was still shocked that he wanted the broken mess that was me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you that way,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve told you exactly how I see you, it¡¯s time for you to start believing it.¡±


    ¡°I just gave up on a mate,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m so thankful you didn¡¯t give up on me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, beautiful and strong. I can¡¯t wait to show you what making love is all about, but first we have to get this blood off you. I don¡¯t want anything of his on you.¡± He opened the door to the guest room and set me down in therge bathroom. Starting the shower, he turned and pulled his shirt from over my head. He pulled the remnants of my sports bra and shorts off and tossed them in the garbage, then pushed me into the shower to get the blood off.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± I said as he turned to leave.


    He turned and smiled, I could tell he was hoping for an invite. I didn¡¯t want to be apart from him. He took off his shoes and pulled his shorts and socks off. He was more impressive than I had imagined in the nude, and a flush of arousal washed through my body as I looked at him. He saw my look and matched it, his body showing exactly how much he enjoyed the view. ¡°Wash my back?¡±


    ¡°Hair first,¡± he said. He stepped into therge shower behind me and took the scentless shampoo from the shelf. He started to work it into my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp. It was like heaven.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to shower alone again,¡± I said as I melted from the pleasure of his hands on me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone again, so I¡¯m good with that.¡± He made sure all the hair was scrubbed, then used a hand wand to wash it clean. He repeated it again, making sure every speck of blood was gone.


    ¡°Talia, is this a bad time,¡± Alpha rk sent. Since we were family, we still had the bond even though I was now Alpha of a different Pack.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Better than in ten minutes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick. Erica is still waiting for word on what to do next, she¡¯s got Rhoda tied up in the woods and it¡¯s gettingte. I also got a message from Chairman Wolfe, he¡¯s having a videoconference with all North American Alphas in ten minutes. I need to know what to tell him about Justin, and how we want to handle finding Todd.¡±


    I shared the questions with Randall; he was my mate, my partner, and I was relieved I didn¡¯t have to decide on my own anymore. We quickly came up with a n. ¡°Uncle, be dismissive and suspicious of the Council. Remind them of their failures, and tell them you and your family are going to handle this on your own. The Council cannote here, and they can¡¯t tell you what to do. I don¡¯t want them to know how closely we are working together, or that I¡¯m mated to a Meechum yet.¡±

 I’m Not Mated Yet

    ¡°I can do pissed off. What if he asks if you are here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m family and I defended your Pack against a sneak attack by your side. You aren¡¯t about to arrest me or turn you over. Tell him the charges against me should be reviewed in light of recent events. If that doesn¡¯t work, well, I¡¯ve got a better track record than he does of getting these people. He can stay out of our way.¡±


    ¡°What about Erica?¡±


    ¡°Call her and tell her toe home. Chain Rhoda up outside in the challenge circle, near her mate. Close enough to talk but not to touch. I want her to watch him suffer and die.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll survive, he¡¯s cut up and near death, but his wolf will heal him.¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t. I¡¯ll talk to you in the morning. You can let them know that the Alpha Killer has taken care of Justin and Jack, and they need to stay out of my way as I clean house. Be very clear that I will execute vengeance on any who hide or aid Todd. I¡¯m dangerous, uncontroble, and the Council has no authority over me.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Have a good night, Talia. You deserve him.¡± He broke the connection and I realized he was right. This whole time I was feeling like I was lucky, when I was getting what I was always supposed to have. I turned and buried my face in his chest. He had finished my hair and scrubbing my body while I was talking to my uncle. ¡°I deserve you,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Of course you do my love. None of the bad things in your life have been your fault. I would have found you when you were of age and we¡¯d still be having a night like this. Well, maybe without the whole washing blood out of your hair thing,¡± he said as I snorted in a decidedly udylike fashion. ¡°Now before I lose the little control I have left, there¡¯s one other thing we need to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Oh Luna, I just want to go to bed with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, but Alpha Stillwater has decisions to make. Having you here on your Uncle¡¯snd is one thing, recognizing you as Alpha of arge Pack is another. The other Alphas are terrified of you, and if you be Alpha they mightbine with the Council to take you out before you grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°Assholes! One female bes Alpha and they all freak out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that. Their Alpha, Luna and Beta are all going to die. The Pack is going to be in disarray, and you and I are going to be far too busy to do anything about it.¡±


    He was right. ¡°So what can we do?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t care about it, we could give it to the Council to deal with. They can find an Alpha and Beta to take over.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want the Council anywhere near my Pack. A month from now, if I¡¯m done and I decide to go back, the new Alpha might not hand it over. I don¡¯t want to put them through that.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± he said. ¡°Let me call my father. You know how big my family is, and I could ask him to send two of my brothers to take over. Everyone would understand that it isn¡¯t permanent, just until the two of us decide to take it or give it up forever.¡±


    I had picked up a washcloth and started to scrub his body as we talked. His back made it difficult for me to concentrate, while the front was impossible. Sure, I¡¯d seen males before, and sex in the Pack was uninhibited and sometimes public. I¡¯d just never had one of those inches from my lips before, and I didn¡¯t want to talk. ¡°Call him and make it happen,¡± I said. I rinsed him off and pushed him out, before our first time ended up with me pressed against the limestone tile.


    ¡°Hurry out,¡± he said.


    I dried off, blow drying my hair and brushing my teeth as I tried to get up the courage to go to him. I looked at myself in the mirror; I had scars, but I was still feminine. I loved the way he looked at me.


    I opened the door and walked out. He was sitting on the bed, d only in boxer shorts, and he nearly dropped the phone when he saw me. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring me any clothes,¡± I said as I bit my lip.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve got to go. I trust you to make it happen.¡± He couldn¡¯t hang up fast enough. He stood up,ing to me as my knees suddenly failed to respond to mymands to go to him. I was shaking in need, and my wolf wanted out.


    He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, deeply and possessively. I felt my body preparing for him, and I could feel his hard length against my stomach. The shorts couldn¡¯t contain him. I moved my hand down as we continued kissing, wrapping my hand around it. My fingers couldn¡¯t touch as I explored him, while his hands made my back and ass feel like they were on fire. ¡°I¡¯m nervous about this,¡± I said.


    He turned, walking me back to the bed before lowering me onto it. ¡°Talia, you¡¯re going to have the best night of your life. I just need you to trust me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He knelt down on the rug next to the bed, moving between my legs. I tried to sit up and watch, but his hand moved up and held me down. I rxed back into the bed as I felt kisses start up my legs, on the inside of my thighs above my knees. It left a trail of fire behind, and I started to drip with need. My smell filled the room, and his eyes darkened as his wolf came forward.


    He put his big hands under me and pulled me to the edge of the bed, my legs hanging over his shoulders. ¡°Oh! Oh my. Oooooh yeah, that feels wonderful. OOOH!¡± I was moaning and writhing on his face a minuteter, as he introduced me to the wonders of my body. I¡¯d look down, see the love and lust on his face as he ate me out, then grab his head and moan again as he pushed my body higher and higher. I broke into orgasm, screaming his name. When he put a finger in, I came again. His other hand was moving between my erect nipples, teasing and pinching them until he set me off a third time.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t speak above a whisper as my body came back down. ¡°I need you.¡±


    ¡°You want this,¡± he said as he stood up.


    I saw him, my wolf forward in my mind, she wanted him too. ¡°Make me yours.¡± He smiled and moved forward as I scooted back on the bed on my elbows. He crawled over me, kissing his way up my body until he was settled between my legs. I could feel him poking there, and I took him in my hand and moved him to where I needed him. ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°The pain will pass quickly,¡± he said. He pushed forward, filling and stretching me ufortably. He leaned down to kiss me, and as our lips met he pushed forward and broke through until his hips were against mine. ¡°RANDALL,¡± I screamed as he took me.


    ¡°Rx and it will get better,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t move at first, then he started to move an inch or two. He was still stretching me, but the sharp pain was gone, and the stretched feeling was going away. I felt full, deliciously full, and the bond between us was throbbing with our desire.


    ¡°More,¡± I said. He smiled and started to pull out. I didn¡¯t want him to go, and I clenched on him to stop it which caused him to moan in pleasure. He backed almost all the way out then slowly drove back in.


    It was heaven.


    I wrapped my legs around his hips, I wanted him deep in me again. He started to move faster, and we were building for something big. I came once, and he slowed until it was over. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you hard now,¡± he said as he moved my legs to his shoulders.


    ¡°Take me, mate,¡± I said. The new position allowed him to drive deeper and hit different ces. The room filled with the sounds of our sex, the liquid sound I was making, the air being forced out of my body, and the p of flesh as he drove forward. I was holding on for dear life. I couldn¡¯t think, all I could do was feel, and then it happened.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He mmed deep, his cock pulsing deep inside me, and he bit down on my mark causing me to orgasm like never before. I screamed, then bit down on his shoulder, marking him back and letting my mate¡¯s blood coat my teeth.


    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± I shook my head and looked at the deep mating bite I¡¯d left on his shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked down and his eyes got big. ¡°Oh no.¡±


    I¡¯d just condemned my mate to a slow, painful death, and it was all my fault.


    Tania Stillwater¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    I looked at Snacks, I mean Bobby, who had just confessed to me that I was his mate and that he had epted me. I was shocked; the loss of my wolf meant I had given up on a mate after I was sold into very. ¡°You¡¯re epting me, and my son as yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He leaned forward and kissed my forehead; it felt warm and wonderful.


    I realized he had been with me the whole interview, keeping me calm and giving me strength. He knew EVERYTHING I had been through, and he was still here in my bedroom. He still looked at me like I hung the moon. I didn¡¯t know what to say. It was all I had ever dreamed of, finding the man the Goddess made just for me and having him hold me in his arms and say he epted me. I looked up at him, my hand reaching for his cheek. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yeah, I was smooth. He pours his heart out to me and I give him a one-word answer? ¡°Thank you, Tania,¡± he said with a wide smile.


    My mind and body were still in conflict, especially when I realized he was naked and only the tangled sheet was keeping him from poking me. ¡°I have to use the bathroom, and you need to get some clothes on,¡± I said. ¡°Just because I¡¯ve seen and had sex with thousands of guys doesn¡¯t mean I want to do anything with you right now. I¡¯m not ready for this,¡± I said as my arms went back to cover myself.


    ¡°I understand. Would you like anything? Snacks from Snacks? Maybe some cheese curds?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Go make me a sandwich,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be down after I check on my son.¡± I rolled away from him until he got up and left the room, then I untangled myself from the sheets and went to the bathroom. I took some time to wash my face, getting rid of the tears from my nightmare. I rarely went a night without them since I was no longer drugged to sleep quietly.


    I came back out and a beautiful woman was sitting at the end of my bed, she had a pair of sleep shorts and a cute pink and white pajama top. ¡°Who are you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m the older sister, Diane,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you might need some clothes, and I know you don¡¯t know your way around. Bobby asked me to help you, and I wanted to meet my new sister,¡± she said with a smile.


    I smiled back, women didn¡¯t threaten me, well, almost all. The ones who worked at the ve brokers, and Peggy, the husband of the man who was myst owner. I moved closer to the bed and she jumped up and opened her arms for a hug. I hesitated, just a moment, then let her do it for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for my brothers, even if I¡¯m pissed that I still haven¡¯t found MY mate. Even my baby sister is mated now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mated yet, I don¡¯t even know if it is possible,¡± I said as I pulled off the old clothes and put on the new ones. I could hear her gasp of breath as I took off my T-shirt and she saw my back and butt. They¡¯d left it scarred and ugly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± I turned back and saw the tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want pity, that doesn¡¯t help me. I need a friend, though.¡±


    She smiled and wiped a tear. ¡°I can do that. You¡¯ll love it here. Dad¡¯s keeping the crowd away for now, and Bobby and I will introduce you to people as you arefortable with.¡± She gave a giggle as she walked us to the door, which was hanging off the hinges. ¡°One of the omegas will rece it while you¡¯re eating.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Snacks wasn¡¯t going to let a door keep him out,¡± I said.


    She took my hand and led me down the hall. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you gave him that nickname, it¡¯s perfect. How did he get it?¡±

 The Vampire Council

    ¡°The first time I met him, he ate almost two pounds of cheddar cheese curds while his wolf sat with me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh crap! He was probably bound up for a week!¡± She walked to the door at the end of the hall, knocking softly before opening it. I followed her in; the room was dimly lit, and her parents were on the huge bed, facing each other. In between them, Phillip was sleeping with his head resting under her chin. He looked peaceful, and I knew he would be safe. I nodded to her and we walked back out, closing the door quietly behind us. ¡°Mom said he settled right down with them. She¡¯s thrilled to have a child in the house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s new to me too,¡± I said. My stomach announced my hunger loudly, and I giggled and moved down the hall as she led me downstairs to the kitchen.


    Snacks looked up as we entered the big room, filled withmercial-grade stainless appliances. ¡°I found some brisket, all you all right with barbecue beef sandwiches?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? My wolf is dead, but my tastes haven¡¯t changed.¡± It smelled wonderful as he took it out of the microwave and ted a big sandwich, along with potato chips and a big ss of milk. ¡°I can¡¯t eat all this,¡± I said as I looked at it. The bun was Texas-sized.


    ¡°Eat as much as you can, your body needs fuel to recover,¡± he said. ¡°You want one, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said.


    He handed her the te a minuteter, then joined me with his. He also handed me a big slice of a dill pickle. ¡°Mom canned thesest year, you can¡¯t get anything this good in a store.¡±


    We didn¡¯t talk much as we ate. The beef was smoky and tender, the sauce tangy, and he was right about the pickle. I enjoyed it, thankful to be free and with family. I didn¡¯t finish the sandwich, but Snacks took care of the extra.


    Diane wiped her hands and mouth, then gave me a hug. ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    She left the room, and I looked back at Bobby. ¡°Where do we go from here,¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone through all you did and if you still had your wolf, we wouldn¡¯t be talking right now,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m holding back, giving you time until you arefortable and ready because it¡¯s what you need. Do not ever mistake my patience for not wanting you, Tania. I¡¯ve wanted you since I first scented you, and I¡¯ll be the happiest man in Texas when weplete the mating.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you the bite back,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tattoo a mating bite on my neck to show them all I¡¯m taken,¡± he said.


    I looked up at the clock, it was three in the morning. ¡°Stay with me?¡± His eyes got wide and his wolf came forward. ¡°Just to sleep. I always slept better with my Snacks, and I want you to hold me and keep the bad dreams away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want too, Tania. You in my arms at night.¡± He led me up the stairs, and a man was finishing with the door. He bowed his head and put his tools away, then we went in. Someone had changed the bed, and Bobby pulled the covers back and covered me as I tucked in. He went around the other side, pulling his shirt off then going under in just his shorts. He was chiseled, and I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate what a strong man I¡¯d found. Heid on his back, and I rolled into his side, my head on his shoulder and his arm holding me tight.


    I felt safe, I felt loved, and I was asleep in moments.


    Chairman Lewis Wolfe¡¯s POV


    Somewhere over Iowa


    I¡¯d spent most of the flight on the phone, dealing with angry Alphas and the other Council members. I was catching hell from both sides; those who feared the Alpha Killer were furious I wasn¡¯t making Alpha rk turn her over, while others were furious at what had been done to her family. At least one of the men I had arrested was innocent, and that investigation had to start. I was hesitant to use enforcers for the investigation since their boss was a suspect, and the otherwyers on the Council staff had the same problem. I needed someone independent, someone with investigative experience. Kicking it around with the Enforcers on the ne, I got a few names. The top man on the list was easy.


    I didn¡¯t have his direct number, so I called his Alpha. ¡°Alpha Meechum,¡± the groggy voice said.


    ¡°Brent, it¡¯s Lewis Wolfe,¡± I said. I¡¯d known him for over a hundred years, and we¡¯d always been friendly. ¡°I need a favor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s three in the morning,¡± he said. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ve got to go to another room before my grandson wakes up.¡± I heard him moving, then a door closed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You heard the usations by Alpha rkst night. The reason we didn¡¯t arrest Alphas Todd and Justin was because someone betrayed us to them. I need to find out who, and I can¡¯t trust my own Council right now to find the truth.¡±


    ¡°What do you need from me, Mr. Chairman?¡±


    ¡°I want to borrow your son Randall for a while to head up the investigation.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear anything for a moment, then heughed. Full out bellyughed. ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already on the job, and he¡¯s not working for you. The younger sister, Tania, the one who was rescued? He was the one who did the interview with her. He won¡¯t work for you, but he will find out the truth.¡±


    Shit. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Positive. He doesn¡¯t want anything to do with the Council after what you did, and didn¡¯t do, for those girls. I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ll have to look elsewhere. Good night, sir.¡± He hung up.


    One of the warriors looked up from his phone, his face was ashen. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve got to see this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A video from my brother, he¡¯s a warrior in the Winona Pack. He said he took it at the La Crosse Pack.¡± He handed me his phone and hit y.


    My jaw dropped.


    Alpha Justin Heranus was being walked up the road into the challenge circle by a couple of big guys. It looked like there were multiple Packs there from the way they were standing in groups. The crowd parted, and two people walked through into the ring. One was the Alpha Killer. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said. ¡°When was this taken?¡±


    ¡°A few hours ago,¡± he said.


    I continued watching as the battle started, and it was one-sided. Alpha Justin¡¯s wolf, despite a hundred pounds in weight and decades of fighting experience, was no match for the lightning-fast female he was facing. She made him look like an untrained boy as she sliced and diced him.


    He never had a chance, and she didn¡¯t even shift until the end. She took his submission and his Pack from him as hey bleeding on the dirt from hundreds of shes. The other warriors were just as shocked; this was a foe none of them ever wanted to face. ¡°What is she,¡± one of the men asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Alpha Killer,¡± I said.


    Jarrod Covington¡¯s POV


    New OrleansC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Marceline left for the restroom, leaving me alone at our table by the dance floor of the nightclub. She loved to dance, and I loved to be with her. I felt the vibration of my cellphone in my pocket and pulled it out. I smiled as I saw the caller ID. ¡°Talia, nice job with Justin,¡± I said. ¡°You get your revenge?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a problem, Jarrod,¡± she said. She was crying, on the edge of control. ¡°I bit my mate. Oh Selene, what have I done? I bit Randall when we were mating! I didn¡¯t mean to, I can¡¯t lose him now! Not when I¡¯ve just found him!¡±


    ¡°Talia, calm yourself. The venom won¡¯t harm him quickly.¡± I looked at my watch, there was no time for me to get there tonight. ¡°Bring him to me, and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°OK. We¡¯ll leave immediately. Is there anything I can do now?¡±


    It may not work, but I told her. Maybe it would dy things until they could get here. In the meantime, I had my own problems.


    I needed to get the Vampire Council to rescind their previous decision, or Talia would watch her mate die.

 The Bargain

    Talia Stillwater¡¯s POVAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    La Crosse Pack House


    I licked at the mating bite I¡¯d left at the junction of Randall¡¯s left shoulder and neck. I¡¯d gotten him good, my teeth shifting enough to leave a good scar. Mating bites were the wedding rings of the Werewolf world; they scarred heavily, the shiny marks proiming to all that he was MINE. My vampire nature loved the taste of his blood, my wolf was satisfied now that the bond waspleted, and my human part was near a breakdown. ¡°Uncle rk, I need you in our room, it¡¯s an emergency,¡± I said. ¡°I need your Pack Nurse as well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± he sent back.


    ¡°Juste,¡± I said. I pulled Randall to the bathroom where I pushed him into the shower. I wiped the blood off my face and chest and pulled on clothes.


    The door opened as I pulled a T-shirt on. Uncle rk rushed in, looking me over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He could hear the shower, and I seemed to be all right, but I was still panicked.


    ¡°I bit Randall while we were making love,¡± I said.


    ¡°Congrattions, Talia. You¡¯re a mated wolf now, I¡¯m so happy for you!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve just killed him.¡±


    He listened to the shower. ¡°You can¡¯t fuck him to death, you know,¡± he said with augh. The Pack Nurse came in carrying her bag, looking around for the problem.


    ¡°What do I smell like, Uncle? Take a deep sniff.¡±


    He put his nose to my neck and sorted through the smells. ¡°Well, other than sex and Randall, you have your personal scent, and something else. It¡¯s not a Pack scent¡­¡± He sniffed again and his eyes got wide. ¡°It smells like vampire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is. I¡¯m part vampire, and my bite contains a diluted form of their venom. It will take a week or two, but it will kill him.¡±


    The nurse was horrified, there was no cure for the venom, but normally the werewolf died in minutes. He sorted through his thoughts. ¡°Alpha Justin¡­ you bit him at the end then had him put in a cage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, no matter what you or the Council may try, he¡¯s going to die slowly and painfully. I wanted it to be public, but now there¡¯s no hiding what I have be. I made friends with a Coven and they changed me, I¡¯m more than a wolf now. I need blood asionally, I have vampire speed and healing, and I have their venom.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± he said. ¡°The Council is going to flip.¡±


    ¡°I know this. Nurse, I need equipment for a blood transfusion set up by the bed,¡± I said. She moved over after rk nodded and started to pull stuff out. ¡°I have to get to New Orleans as soon as possible. I need you to take care of things here, I doubt I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Justin isn¡¯t a problem, and Rhoda will be here soon. What do you want done with the Beta?¡±


    ¡°I was going to have Randall interrogate him, but you¡¯ll have to do it. We need to know everything we can about who he sold Tania to. Send me the information and Randall and I will take care of it when we are ready.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡± He pulled me into a hug. ¡°You have a n?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if it works. It has to work, I just got him.¡±


    Randall came out of the shower, a towel around his waist. ¡°Do you have a flight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to hire a pilot since mine is still in Texas. If we can¡¯t find one, we¡¯ll have to drive. I don¡¯t want my name popping up on a TSA screen.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, but since I was responsible for multiple murders, you couldn¡¯t be too careful. ¡°Can I take Erica with me? Someone has to be awake with him at all times, and if we drive we¡¯ll need to swap.¡±


    He linked for a few seconds, then nodded. ¡°She¡¯s a few minutes out. I¡¯ll chain Rhoda up and brief my men, then I¡¯ll check back with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± I hugged him and he left.


    Randall was already lying down on the floor next to the bed and the nurse was prepping a vein for the transfusion. ¡°What blood type are you, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°O negative,¡± I said as she nodded. Universal donor blood type so no problem.


    ¡°I need you to sit in this chair for me,¡± she said. The tubing was soon filled with blood, going from my arm into his hand. ¡°How much blood does he need?¡±


    ¡°A pint is more than enough,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ten minutes then.¡± My call to Jarrod had given me a ray of hope. He exined that while the venom would normally slowly poison and kill Randall, my own blood might help him be immune. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to turn him into whatever weird hybrid I was, but it should give him more time. The blood needed to go straight from my body to his, hence the transfusion.


    We needed to get to New Orleans, because only a Vampire Master could save him, and only one would even consider doing it. He would be risking his existence and his Coven if he did so without permission again.


    Jarrod Covington¡¯s POV


    Forty Months Ago, New York City


    The Council had learned of Talia¡¯s change, and summoned me to an emergency meeting in New York City. I had flown inst night with Malcolm, my trusted familiar, and had been taken to the chambers five stories underground Manhattan.


    The Vampire Council was made up of the five oldest Vampires in North America. The youngest was sixteen centuries old, the oldest more than thirty. They were powerful men and women, not to be trifled with, and had absolute authority over our kind. I was escorted to their meeting room, where they sat at an elevated table while I stood in front of the chairs below them. ¡°I am informed your werewolf haspleted the change,¡± the leader said. Master Niki had moved his coven from Russia to San Francisco in the mid-1800¡¯s.


    ¡°She has, Master. The change took well, she is adapting to the changes in her strength and speed. She wascking in training, but her werewolf gics are very strong. Alpha blood both sides, and she is smart and clever.¡±


    ¡°This n is dangerous,¡± Mistress Dani said. ¡°These hybrids cannot be trusted. They are not bound to their Maker or their Pack.¡±


    ¡°This is true, Mistress, but she is loyal to me and has taken a blood oath for revenge. The change and her service is the price she paid to be given the power to exact her vengeance. I have no worries; she has fit into my coven well and is rapidly bing family. It is my opinion that this will provide her the stability the previous subjectscked.¡±


    ¡°She volunteered for unselfish reasons, that could help,¡± Mistress Edith said as she sat back. ¡°The rogue we recruited wanted power. What is to prevent your Talia from seeking this out once she realizes how much stronger she is than her old kind?¡±


    ¡°I have seen no signs of this, but we will be watching her carefully. She is showing no signs of problems with her human trainers. She is able to spar with humans in the fighting arts being taught and has mastered the limits on strength and speed needed to avoid attracting attention. In spars with my Coven, she can match our speed and power but is gaining experience. In wolf form, she is a beautiful mix of grace and fury.¡±


    ¡°When will she be sent on her first mission?¡±


    ¡°When she is ready, I expect in the next few months.¡±


    ¡°You must keep control over her,¡± Master Niki said. ¡°At the first sign of rebellion or instability, you are to destroy her. If she is captured by the wolves, she must not divulge her secrets. If the werewolf council finds out we are experimenting with hybrids, they will go to war.¡±


    ¡°I understand, sir. I am using a remote charge to ensure her destruction if captured, before they are able to learn of her true nature.¡± The system was normally used on prisoners; it was a small charge of high explosive connected to a miniature timer and radio receiver, surgically imnted in the neck. If not removed within 24 hours, or if a detonatemand was transmitted, it would blow the person¡¯s neck apart and cause rapid death.


    ¡°We use this one to aplish what we agreed to, but no more hybrids are to be created,¡± Niki said. ¡°She may live as long as she remains loyal to you and has value to us. Issue the decree to all Covens; any Master who creates or attempts to create a werewolf hybrid will be destroyed along with their Coven.¡±


    Present Day


    I made the phone call to the Council secretary, requesting a conference over the video system as soon as possible. While I waited for a reply, I called my other Coven members together. Marceline was flying back from Denver now that those Alphas had been taken care of. We gathered in the gardens behind the home, enjoying the warm night and the scent of the moonflowers and gardenias, and I caught them up.


    ¡°Talia¡¯sing here soon, and she and Randall will need our help. Prepare a room down here for them, they will need constant supervision until he¡¯s stabilized from the change,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Council forbid the change,¡± Eduardo said. ¡°It would be more merciful to kill him for her. Watching her mate wither and die may drive her insane, and I don¡¯t want to see her put down like an animal. The bond is still new, maybe it won¡¯t be as bad if it is done quickly?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll never forgive us if we take her mate from her,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°She will fight us to protect her mate. We have to let things run their course and be there to support her when he dies. If she is unstable, we need to be the ones to destroy her.¡±


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get that far,¡± I said. My phone buzzed, I got a text message with the videoconference code, I had to get on it immediately. ¡°Wish me luck.¡±


    I went into my office and opened myputer to the program, entering the code. On the other side, the Vampire Council was sitting in a conference room. The five were seated, and Master Niki started. ¡°What is going on that requires an emergency meeting with us Jarrod?¡±


    ¡°I received a call from Talia Stillwater, Master. She has asked me for help that I cannot give her without Council permission.¡±


    ¡°What could she need, she¡¯s setting the werewolf world into chaos right now,¡± Dani said. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten the reports of her abduction of the Copper Mountain Luna and Heir. Is this going to blow back on us?¡±


    ¡°No, Mistress. She¡¯s handled that problem quite ably.¡± I filled them in on how she had already defeated Alpha Justin and removed Luna Rhoda¡¯s wolf, and how the attack on the La Crosse Pack had been thwarted. ¡°Once the Council or Talia finds the coward Alpha Todd, her revenge on the werewolves will bepleted.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Master Louis. ¡°Our part of the bargain will beplete, and since we have no further use for her, she can be destroyed. No one will ever know of what we¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t the case, Master Louis. You see, she has found her mate, Randall Meechum, the son of the Sulphur River Alphas.¡±

 Pack Meeting

    ¡°We have no quarrel with them, Alpha Brent is fair and reasoned,¡± Master Dani said. ¡°Do they know she is a hybrid?¡±


    ¡°They do now. Talia¡¯s wolf took over as theypleted the mating and bit him. If I don¡¯t interfere, he will die in a week or two. The loss will force me to destroy her as well.¡± A few nodded, it was well known how unstable a werewolf became when they lost their mate. Manymitted suicide, in the worst case they might be feral and uncontroble.


    ¡°Put them both down now,¡± Master Louis said.


    ¡°I would like to turn him instead,¡± I said. Louis and Dani came to their feet, but quickly sat again as Master Niki mmed his hand into the table. ¡°Talia has been with my Coven for four years now, she is part of my Coven and my family. She has never refused a task, and three times she has risked her life in our service. The Mount Shasta Pack would still be performing medical experiments on vampires if it was not for her.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Fourteen months ago, we had learned two missing vampires were actually being held prisoner there. Rather than risk open war, the Council sent in Talia. She had killed the Alphas and Betas, all the medical personnel involved in the experiments, set theb on fire and returned the vampires to their Covens. It was all med on the Alpha Killer instead of vampires. ¡°She has value to us, even if we have no current jobs for her,¡± Mistress Edith said. ¡°You are looking at this as a problem instead of an opportunity. The presence of a mate stabilizes a werewolf and will do so for the hybrid. Allowing Jarrod to change her mate, should he volunteer to be changed, puts her back in our debt. I know of this man, he is an FBI agent. His contacts could be valuable to us.¡±


    ¡°We are creating a breeding pair of abominations,¡± Dani objected. ¡°We cannot continue this foolishness.¡± The debate continued for another ten minutes, and the Council seemed divided. Master Niki called for a vote, and it was 2-2 for whether to change him.


    ¡°Jarrod, I am going to allow the change, but you will be responsible for the pair. If it starts going bad, you need to end it. I expect daily updates with the Council until the change ispleted, then we will discuss how to use them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master. You will not regret this.¡± They cut the connection, and I let out a breath. Randall still had to agree to be like Talia, but I knew he would. The mating bond was above everything; if it meant they were outcast from werewolf life, that he would be living with a bounty on their heads, he would do it for her.


    And I would do it for her as well. She was more like a daughter to me than those I had turned, and I didn¡¯t want to


    Alpha Talia Stillwater¡¯s POV


    La Crosse Pack House


    By five in the morning, the transfusion wasplete, our bags had been packed and we were in a car being driven to the airport. Erica was happy to go along, she was looking forward to going somewhere else. My families would both wee her.


    We left my motorcycle and Randall¡¯s Jeep at the Pack. Alpha rk said he would have some of the wolves who were heading down for the six-month exchange to Randall¡¯s pack leave early and deliver it. Erica¡¯s meager possessions were packed in there as well.


    My pilots weren¡¯t happy to be woken in the middle of the night, but they were being paid well and took the job. The small executive jet was waiting for us at the hangar, and as soon as we loaded, he was taking off. On the ride down I filled Randall and Erica in on what had happened to me since I was kicked out of the Tomah pack. I held nothing back; I told them about taking Jarrod¡¯s blood, the pain of the change, and the physical changes that resulted. ¡°Since I am part vampire, I need you to be one as well or you will die,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to live without you.¡±


    He took my hand and looked into my eyes, sitting across the narrow walkway between the seats on each side. ¡°I would die for you, Talia. I¡¯m not going to leave you, not if there is a way to keep going. After watching you fight, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it. You¡¯re strong and deadly, and I figure this is my only chance to keep up with you.¡±


    I squeezed his hand, touched by his words. ¡°Questions about me are spreading, and soon we won¡¯t be able to hide my hybrid nature any longer. The Werewolf Council will want me dead.¡±


    ¡°They already have a warrant out for you dead or alive,¡± Erica said. ¡°What are they going to issue? A ¡®Double Secret¡¯ warrant?¡±


    Iughed at the Animal House reference. ¡°I mean it will cause the Council to want Randall dead as well.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. I¡¯m your mate, so I¡¯m already in danger as a way to get to you. At least this way, I have a better chance to fight my way out of it.¡±


    ¡°The change is incredibly painful, and not everyone makes it.¡±


    ¡°So is dying from vampire venom. Quit worrying, Talia. I want this. I want us. We¡¯ll work out the restter. My family won¡¯t abandon me, and yours hasn¡¯t either. Did rk kick you out when he found out you were part vampire?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°Mine won¡¯t either. If we have to live on our own out on some ind, just me and you and a couple little wamps running around in the yard, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    ¡°Wamps?¡± Erica and I both looked at him funny.


    ¡°Werewolf and Vampire. Wamps. Chubby cheeked wamp boys and cute little pigtailed wampettes.¡± We all cracked up, and I rxed with him. Suddenly, it didn¡¯t seem so bad. ¡°I want it all, baby. I want the dream with you.¡±


    I unbuckled my belt now that we had leveled off and moved into hisp. He reclined the seat so I had more room, and we were soon kissing. ¡°Hey, if you guys are joining the mile high club, give me a warning,¡± Erica said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find your man someday,¡± I said as I looked back at her. ¡°And you always have a ce with me. You¡¯re my best friend, Erica. I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I think I¡¯m going to take a nap, so TaliRan can have some private time. I totally ship you two.¡± She put her ear buds in and turned up the volume, looking out the window to give us some privacy.


    It wasn¡¯t like werewolves had issues with public sex. I pushed my jeans down and off, then straddled his hips. It didn¡¯t hurt as I lowered myself onto his hard length, and I threw my head back with the pleasure. He pushed up my shirt, ying with my tits since I wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. I unbuttoned his shirt, moving my hands over his chest as I started to ride him.


    It was bliss.


    Randall used his thumb to rub my clit as I rose up, then dropped down until he was pushing all the way in. A few minutes of this and I broke, shouting my release into his left hand as he covered it up. I copsed down onto his chest, and we started kissing while he started moving within me again. He moved his hands down to cup my ass and held me as he drove up into me. Faster and faster he moved, making me explode again and this time he came with me. He held me tight as we came down, and I rxed into his body.


    He popped out, and I could feel the trail of fluids leaking out. I reached down with a hand and caught them. Bringing my fingers up, I licked it off my fingers as I looked into his eyes. ¡°Mmmm¡­ baby batter,¡± I said with a smile. He swiped a finger into me and brought it to my lips, and I sucked it off like it was a tiny cock. When I was clean, I got down on my knees and used my tongue to clean him up before he pulled his jeans back up. ¡°I think I like being mated,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love it, and I love you.¡± I pulled my clothes back up and curled up in hisp, soon falling asleep.


    Alpha Brent Meechum¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack


    I woke at six thirty by habit, and I was tired. All the disruptionsst night made for poor sleep.


    I looked over at my wife and my grandson, and a wave of love came over me. Tania had so much taken from her, but she was giving Bobby so much now that he had her. Her son was strong and loving, and I knew we all would love him as our own. I reached over and cupped Patty¡¯s cheek with my hand. She fluttered her eyes open and rxed into my hand. ¡°Good morning, love,¡± I said.


    She smiled as she looked down at the boy who was cuddled up to her chest. ¡°It is a good morning. Cuddles are a good thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute and take him so you can get up,¡± I said. ¡°We have a lot to talk about this morning.¡± I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then came back out and dressed. Phillip was still tired, and he didn¡¯t wake up when I took him in my arms and leaned his head into my shoulder. I carried him downstairs and into the kitchen, where Sally, Becky, Laura, Marge and Catherine were starting breakfast for the Pack.


    ¡°Good morning, Alpha,¡± Sally said as she brought me a coffee. ¡°Who is this little guy?¡±


    ¡°My grandson Phillip,¡± I said. ¡°Bobby found his mate, Tania, and this is her son.¡± She looked at me, she didn¡¯t understand how she had a child but just found her mate. ¡°All will be exined this morning after breakfast at a Pack meeting we need to have. ¡±


    ¡°Well, breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes,¡± she said. She set it down at my ce at the big table, which sat thirty. Three more tables like this were in the room, and people started to fill the room as the smells of breakfast went through the big house. ¡°Pack Meeting will follow breakfast at eight AM in the dining hall. All members not on duty are to attend.¡±

 Yes Alpha

    The back door opened, and I heard little feet running towards me. They stopped when the saw the sleeping boy in my arms. ¡°Granpa, who dat?¡±


    I looked down at my grandchildren and saw my sons and their mates following behind them. ¡°This tired little boy is Phillip, he¡¯s your new cousin,¡± I said to Austin, a brown-haired four-year-old. His cousin and partner-in-crime, five-year-old Sandy was a beautiful girl with curly blonde hair.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He took Sandy¡¯s hand and they went into the y room to watch cartoons until breakfast. They would eat in another room under the supervision of the Omegas who ran the nursery and preschool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this into my office. Denise, you too.¡± She looked up from where she was talking to her mother, who had juste down the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring coffee in for everyone, sir,¡± Sally said as Das picked up my cup for me. My office was on the main floor under my bedroom; my mate¡¯s office as adjoining, there was a conference room on the other side of my office, and the Beta and Gamma had offices here too.


    Das sat in a chair and pulled Vivian into hisp, they were Austin¡¯s parents and the Beta heirs. Dusty took the chair by the window with his pregnant mate Kimberly. He was the Alpha heir; they had Sandy at home with them and their older daughter Opal was in college in Waco. Patty took Phillip from my arms andid down with him on the couch. ¡°I got a call from Randallst night, and you know Bobby and Tania arrivedst night as well. We have a lot of good news. Bobby has brought his mate home, and is working on getting her to ept it. Randall matedst night.¡±


    There were smiles all around, matings were always celebrated. Dusty was the only one holding back. ¡°His mate is Talia Stillwater? The Alpha Killer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and the new Alpha of the Copper Mountain Pack near Denver. Talia defeated Alpha Justin Heranus, the man who raped Talia and took her son Phillip from her, in the challenge circle.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Das said.


    ¡°Yeah. The Council won¡¯t like this, they want Talia dead,¡± Dusty said. ¡°They aren¡¯t going there, are they?¡±


    I shook my head no. ¡°Alpha Todd, the one who abducted Tania, fled his Pack before he was arrested. Talia and Randall are after him, plus the humans that held and abused Tania during her very. It¡¯s a blood oath, it¡¯s more important than the Pack.¡± They all understood that, and now that Tania was family, they wanted vengeance as well. ¡°She won the Pack fair and square. I don¡¯t want the Council handing it over to someone else. Randall and Talia may want it when her vow is over; Pack Alpha openings don¡¯te along often.¡±


    ¡°You want us to foster Alpha it?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hesitant bringing my mate into a situation like this, Dad,¡± Dusty said. ¡°Do we know what to expect?¡±


    ¡°The Alpha and Beta are dirty, and Talia executed two more warriors they brought to attack the La Crosse Pack when she took over. The survivors are returning, but part of the job is to find out which wolves were involved, and which are innocent.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might be a few weeks, it could be permanent.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m out,¡± Dusty said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take an Alpha spot in another Pack when I¡¯m the heir to our Pack. Das and Vivian may never get another chance to be Alphas, and they are strong enough to do it.¡± Kimberly squeezed his hand and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity for them if they want it.¡±


    Das looked at his mate, they were clearly linking, then he turned back and smiled. ¡°Mountains? Ski resort? Heck yeah, we want it.¡± He hugged his mate, both of them beaming at the prospect of being Alphas. ¡°Wait, who is our Beta going to be if Dusty isn¡¯t going?¡±


    ¡°Terry Baldwin would be good,¡± Dusty said. Terry was the oldest son of our Pack Beta, Bear Baldwin, and was unmated. The extra Alpha sons had blocked his path to advancement here.


    ¡°Agreed. He needs the experience, and he gets a chance to look for his mate. Denise, how would you like to be Beta Female?¡±


    She looked up at me, shocked. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯re not doing anything else, and you¡¯re strong enough for the position. You¡¯ll get a chance to look for your mate as well.¡±


    She looked over at Das and Vivian, who were both encouraging her to agree. ¡°Why not? Vivian will need help keeping Das from getting a big head,¡± she said.


    ¡°Das, go talk to Terry. I want you guys on a ne to Denver this morning. Take charge of the Pack and start cleaning house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Denise, you and Vivian need to pack what you¡¯ll need for two weeks and take a car with you. We can send more if you need it.¡±


    ¡°Yes Dad.¡±


    ¡°Vivian, if you want to leave Austin with us until you¡¯re sure it¡¯s safe, we can take care of him,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°We can always bring him up to youter.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be best, love. Just until we know what we have,¡± Das said. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t want you two leaving for Colorado until Terry and I have a better idea of how the Pack is. Dad, I¡¯d like to take a few others with, trusted warriors to watch our backs.¡±


    ¡°Pick two and take them.¡± I looked at my watch, it was time for breakfast. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, there¡¯s a lot going on today.¡±


    They got up and left, and Phillip yawned and looked at me from the couch. ¡°Morning, Phillip,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hi Grandpa,¡± he said. ¡°Bacon?¡±


    Oh yeah, this kid would fit right in. I held my hand out. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you some food and introduce you to the other kids,¡± I said. Patty and I walked him out, settling him with the nannies, then we joined our Pack at breakfast.


    Bobby and Tania didn¡¯te down, and he didn¡¯t respond to my link so he was still asleep. I told Sally to have breakfast set aside for them. They were in the same bed and he was human now, so things were progressing nicely.


    After breakfast, I walked into the lounge room and looked up on the projection TV we had set up, couches all around. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A buddy in the La Crosse Pack sent it to me,¡± one of my warriors said. ¡°This wasst night.¡± The video started with a man I recognized as Alpha Heranus being dragged up a road by two warriors. The room was filling with Pack members as the word spread and was packed by the time the fight started. No one said anything, we were all staring at the screen with our mouths open. It was brutal, dominant and effective.


    ¡°Shit, Randall is tapping THAT?¡± One of the warriors spoke up and was immediately silenced by my re.


    ¡°That would be Randall¡¯s mate and the current Alpha of the Copper Mountain Pack? I¡¯d speak respectfully of her in the future, Thomas.¡± I hid a smirk as he lowered his head. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡±


    The dining room had been cleaned quickly and everyone found a seat or a ce to stand. I told them everything I knew; about Tania¡¯s kidnapping and very, Talia¡¯s expulsion from her Pack, Randall and Bobby as their mates, and what it meant to our Pack. ¡°This is thest time Tania¡¯s ordeal will be spoken of unless she desires it. She¡¯s human, she¡¯s been badly abused, but she¡¯s also family now and we will all support her. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± everyone replied.


    ¡°You all should know that our rtions with the Werewolf Council are strained, to say the least. No Council members or their agents are allowed on Packnds without my express permission. On the good side, the La Crosse Pack exchange wolves will start arriving tomorrow. Those of you wishing to escape the summer heat for Wisconsin next spring, get your applications in to the Luna. Questions?¡±


    There were a few, then I dismissed them. I sent a text to Randall telling him what we were doing for Copper Mountain, then called the Chairman. ¡°Talia Stillwater is now mated to my son, Randall Meechum. They have authorized my son Das and his mate Vivian to stand in as Alphas until they are able to take over themselves. Das is on his way there now, he will get a turnover from the Council enforcers and temporary leadership, then have them escorted off Pack grounds.¡±


    ¡°The Copper Mountain Pack is under Council control, Alpha Brent. You have no authority.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°On the contrary, I saw the video of the challengest night just like you must have. Talia is the Alpha, she already has been recognized as such by the warriors who attended the challenge, and it is the Council who has no business there. If you have any problems with this, take it up with the Alpha Killer. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, my new grandson wants to y catch with me.¡± I hung up the phone, grinning at being able to put that egotistical bastard in his ce.


    Even the Chairman of the Werewolf Council was scared of my daughter-inw, and that amused me to no end.

 Pleasure And Pain

    Erica¡¯s POV


    Approaching New Orleans Lakefront Airport


    I¡¯d never flown in a ne before, so as I listened to music and ignored the noises from behind me, I watched the lights below as we sped south, and thought about how my life was changing.


    I had been grateful for everything the La Crosse Pack had done for me, but I was dying there. They kept me safe but hidden; I was only included in Pack activities when no one from outside the Pack was around, and I never truly felt a part of it. When Talia asked me to go to New Orleans with her, I couldn¡¯t wait to leave. After she exined about the Coven and told me I was always wee with her, I felt even better. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to treat me badly, and I didn¡¯t need a Pack if I had them for my family. Maybe I could go to school and work in the human world, where my scarred face was not held against me.


    I thought about a lot of things as we flew through the night. I knew Talia needed me in case something happened on the flight, but once we got to the Coven there was little help I could provide. They wouldn¡¯t want me around Randall during the change, she said she was vtile and had bloodlust when it happened. I wanted to see the sights, party a little and enjoy life. The only thing I wasn¡¯t going to do was have sex; I wanted to give that to my mate, and I had hope of finding him again.


    The fasten seatbelt sign came on and the pilot made an announcement we were descending fornding. I looked back at the new mates, they were asleep, she was still curled up in hisp and over his chest. I reached back and grabbed his knee, shaking it until he opened his eyes. ¡°We¡¯rending soon,¡± I said.


    He woke Talia up and she went back to her own seat. We had circled around the city and were heading north again tond at the airport. I heard Talia talking to someone, then she hung up. ¡°Malcolm is waiting at the airport already, and Jarrod is ready when we get there. He got permission to change you if you agree,¡± she said to Randall with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a catch, the Vampire Council is not known for their charity.¡±


    ¡°I know you have reservations, so did I, but desperation gets you past them. They never made me do anything for them that was against the best interests of both species. I don¡¯t regret the deal I made with Jarrod,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met a vampire,¡± I said. ¡°What are they like?¡±


    ¡°They smell of death, and your wolf will want to react to the danger she feels from them,¡± Talia said. ¡°You need to stay calm. The four vampires in this Coven are all good people, they are like family to me. They will not harm you, and you¡¯ll LOVE their house.¡± We were nearly down, so I watched thending then she told me about the gardens and the pool. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t sleep like we do, so they move underground during the day. At night, theye upstairs and use the rest of the house, go out on the town or host parties. It¡¯s fun.¡±


    By the time we came to a stop by the terminal, she¡¯d told me about each of the vampires there, plus Malcolm and the other familiars. I had trouble getting my head around humans who volunteered to serve and feed vampires. ¡°What is in it for them?¡±


    ¡°Security, belonging and pleasure,¡± Talia said. ¡°Some of them go back five or more generations of service to the Coven. They are trusted members of the family, you have to be to protect their secrets. From what I understand, the act of being fed on by a vampire during sex is better than any drug out there, and it¡¯s not bad without it either. They willingly give their blood.¡±


    ¡°Still gives me the willies,¡± I said, ¡°But I guess I¡¯ll have to get used to it. Not me, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. If they bit you, you¡¯d be dead in minutes. The only way they can drink werewolf blood is out of a bag, and it doesn¡¯t taste right to them.¡± The engines shut down, and we stopped talking about it as the pilots came back and opened the door. We walked out, and the first thought I had was that I was in a sauna. ¡°It¡¯s this humid in the MORNING,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it gets worse from here,¡± I said. Malcolm grabbed our bags as we piled into the waiting SUV, the air conditioning making it tolerable. The drive to the Coven house took time because of the traffic. Malcolm yed tour guide, pointing out localndmarks and telling stories as he drove.


    We went into the garage, and since this was an emergency, he took us straight down through the airlock to the basement where the Coven was waiting. ¡°Wee to my Coven,¡± Jarrod said as Talia and Randall walked ahead of me.


    My wolf was going nuts in my head. I pushed her back, I¡¯d been told to expect this, that the vampire scent would cause this, but it wasn¡¯t quite right. It wasn¡¯t fear or aggression, it was drawing me closer. I got to the bottom step and looked around the room, which was bigger and nicer than I expected. Talia was hugging a woman as Randall shook hands with Jarrod, and a woman and a man were waiting.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I looked at the two, my eyes locking with his, and my wolf broke through. ¡°MATE,¡± she said, and I was moving forward towards him. The man didn¡¯t know what to do when I jumped him and wrapped my body around his, my nose buried in his neck. ¡°MATE!¡± I pulled my head back and kissed him. It took him a second to respond, then his arms went around me and kissed me back.


    ¡°Well suck me dry and call me Dusty,¡± Randall said. ¡°Erica¡¯s found her mate!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions Eduardo and Erica,¡± Talia said.


    ¡°Eduardo, you may not bite her, but if you wish she can bite you,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°Let me get Randall going, and then I need to call the Council again. They¡¯re going to LOVE this.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to them, all I knew was that my mate was here, and we were wearing too many clothes. I broke the kiss long enough to pull my shirt over my head and take off my bra, then I pulled him close until his face was between them. His kisses moved past my shoulder and I gasped in pleasure when his lips closed around an erect nipple.


    ¡°Eduardo, you might want to take her back to your room unless you want your first time to be with an audience,¡± Randall said.


    ¡°Yes Master,¡± he said as he started walking me away. I was rubbing myself shamelessly on his groin as we walked, it felt like my core was on fire. It needed him and it needed him now.


    He opened a door and I saw his room. Vampires had beds, not because they need sleep, but because they like sex as much as werewolves do. I could smell a human¡¯s scent and red at him as he let me down. ¡°One of the maids, she means nothing to me,¡± he said. ¡°Now that I have found you, there will be no other.¡±


    ¡°I will kill any woman who touches you that way,¡± I said with a growl. He knew I meant it. ¡°Get new sheets,¡± I said. I was not going to im my mate in the scent of another woman¡¯s juices. I balled up the bedding and tossed it out the door into the hallway. He had grabbed new bedding out of the closet and was pulling the fitted sheet over the mattress. I changed the pillows and threw them on the bed, then removed my shorts and thong and crawled on top. I shook my naked butt at him, a clear invitation. My wolf and I were ready and our body was calling to him ¡®Take Me Now.¡¯


    He got undressed quickly as I watched with my head and shoulders pressed down to the bed and my hips up, the same position a female wolf used to indicate her desire for sex. I was quivering in need as I saw his body; he was not bulky or muscr, more lean and powerful. His abs were chiseled, and his hard cock was big and weeping for me. ¡°Take me, make me yours,¡± I whispered as he climbed onto the bed.


    ¡°When I¡¯m ready,¡± he said as he smacked my ass. My wolf was in heaven, she wanted her mate to dominate her and he was doing just that. I moaned in pleasure as he leaned forward, his tongue sliding through my needy pussy as he tasted my juices. ¡°You taste so good,¡± he said as he kissed and licked at my thighs and around my sex.


    I moaned again, trying to move my hips to get his tongue where I wanted it. He smacked my ass again, the pain bing pleasure as he rubbed the red mark he¡¯d left. ¡°Behave or I¡¯ll tease you even longer,¡± he said. ¡°I never expected a vampire could have a mate, and I¡¯ve got all the time in the world for this.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I begged him as he continued to lick around me, but not where I throbbed for him. He tormented me until I couldn¡¯t think straight, and when he finally decided to grant me release, it was like my mind and body exploded in pleasure. Time ceased to exist, and all that was left was his mouth and my pussy and the connection between them.


    I came back to myself, lying on the bed with his hovering over me. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I managed to move, bringing my hand up to his face. ¡°I need you, Eduardo. I need that hard cock in me, and I need to bite you and take you as mine,¡± I begged.


    ¡°Your mate is supposed to give you what you want, what you dream of and what you need, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your mate is your other half, and I need you, Eduardo. You are MINE and I want everyone to know it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t care that I¡¯m a vampire? That your kind is our enemy, that my bite can kill you?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess wouldn¡¯t have given you to me if there wasn¡¯t a way for this,¡± I said. ¡°We need to find it,ter, but right now I¡¯m begging you. Take me.¡±


    ¡°Your first time will hurt at first, then you will feel pleasure.¡± He rolled over, settling between my hips.


    I felt his hard length on me, my sodden lips sliding along it. I reached down, moving him until he was ced. ¡°Please. The pain is nothingpared to what I will have with you.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± He held himself up on his elbows as my legs wrapped around his thighs. He drove forward, and the pain shot through me as it felt like he was splitting me in half. ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Rx, the worst is over. It¡¯s going to be all pleasure from now on.¡± He leaned down and kissed me as the pain dissipated and my body adjusted. He started to move his hips again, and the pleasure started to build. Every ce our bodies touched was set ame. My body was desperate for him, for more of him, it was never enough. I pulled him down on top of me and ran my fingers down his back until I was cupping his ass, pulling him tighter every time he plunged in.


    We were both building to a peak, and my wolf was pushing forward. I allowed my face and jaws to shift, my caninesing it as he pumped me long and deep. ¡°Erica,¡± he moaned. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said.


    I was peaking, I felt him drive hard and hold me as he started to jet deep in me, and my wolf took over. Biting down on his shoulder, we tasted his blood as we broke into a million pieces from the pleasure ofpleting the bond.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven House


    We watched with amused grins as Eduardo carried Erica away to his room. I¡¯d watched a bunch of people find their mates, and this one was different only because he wasn¡¯t a wolf. If he had been, he might have taken her right there and not cared who watched.


    ¡°Well, now that introductions are over, down to business,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°We¡¯re under a time crunch, the longer the venom is in your body the worse it could be. I believe that changing you like I changed Talia will cure this, because vampires are immune to vampire venom and have greater healing capability. However, this change is permanent and incredibly painful, as I¡¯m sure your mate told you.¡±

 I Miss My Wolf

    ¡°She did. I understand the process and the implications of this change. I am doing it for her, and for us.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The Vampire Council was reluctant to grant me permission to change you. Hybrids like Talia are a risk; not held by makermand like a made vampire, and not subject to Alphamand due to her status as an Alpha. You are still Pack?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°Talia told me she swore loyalty to you when she was changed, and I will agree to the same. The conditions you gave her were that she would know who and why and be able to refuse if she did not agree they deserved death.¡±


    ¡°Then let us begin.¡± He took arge syringe off the table and Anastasia wiped the area with an alcohol pad, then used another on me. He slowly drew blood out of his body, filling the syringe. When he put it in my arm and started to push it in, it was like liquid fire moving into my body. I screamed in pain and the others held me down until it was all in.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven


    I wrapped my arms around my mate as hey suffering on the bed. The blood had circted through his whole body by now, and I remembered all too well the pain he was experiencing. ¡°I¡¯m here, love,¡± I whispered in his ear. ¡°You are doing fine. You¡¯ll get past this and we¡¯ll be together forever,¡± I said.


    He screamed until he couldn¡¯t scream any more. Jarrod put heavy leather mitts on his hands so he wouldn¡¯t tear his skin in his misery. I stayed behind him where he couldn¡¯t hurt me, letting the body contact soothe his wolf. He suffered for an hour before he finally passed out. Jarrod checked him and nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll be out for a while. You should clean up and call his parents,¡± he said.


    I thought about it and nodded. We hade straight here, and Randall didn¡¯t want to worry them until he knew if he would be able to take the change. I went to my room and pulled my sweat and blood-soaked clothes off, tossing them into the garbage. I stepped into the shower and scrubbed myself clean, then got out and got dressed again. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to this; there was still a chance Randall wouldn¡¯t make it. No matter what, their son would never be the same after tonight. He would be stronger and faster but never fully trusted among his kind again.


    I looked at the clock, it was eight thirty in the morning. I grabbed Randall¡¯s iPad and went into the guest room where Randall was being watched. Marcy was watching him. ¡°How is he,¡± I asked as my eyes looked him over.


    ¡°Fever is building,¡± she said. ¡°Another hour and we¡¯ll start with the ice. We¡¯ve got a whole freezer full ready to go into the tub.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got time then.¡± I used his finger to unlock his iPad and brought up Skype. His parents were listed, and I pressed the contact to call them. A few secondster, Alpha Brent came up on screen. He looked at me, and the worry must have been obvious. ¡°Alpha Meechum?¡±


    ¡°Brent, please.¡± He looked concerned; he was in his office and Patty came around to look over his shoulder. ¡°Are you all right, Talia?¡±


    ¡°Things have gone a little pear-shaped,¡± I said as I fought back tears. ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    ¡°We are. Talk to us, honey,¡± Patty said as she moved around to sit in hisp.


    ¡°There are some things that I didn¡¯t say earlier, things about me and what I am,¡± I said.


    ¡°I saw the video of the fight, Talia. It¡¯s pretty clear your speed has been enhanced, I¡¯ve never seen a werewolf move like you do.¡± Brent hugged his wife. ¡°The only thing I¡¯ve seen that fast is a vampire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m part vampire,¡± I said. ¡°After I was kicked out of Tomah, I took up with a vampire and her coven. Long story short, they took me in, and their Master changed me. It was excruciating during the change, but when it was done, I was able to be the fighter I am now. Part of the change is that my bite is fatal to werewolves, it just takes weeks instead of minutes.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make you less of a mate or less of a werewolf,¡± Patty said.


    ¡°I bit him. I bit Randall while we were matingst night.¡± I saw the horror on their faces as they figured it out. ¡°The only way to save him is to make him like me. My Master got permission from the Vampire Council and Randall is undergoing the change now. You need to know because for the next three days, he¡¯s not going to be able to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh Selene, I need to be with my boy,¡± Patty said with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, we¡¯re at a coven. I¡¯m here, and Erica is here too. My vampire family will take care of Randall just like they helped me.¡± I wiped a tear. ¡°He will be all right, but he will be like me. The Council and the other Packs will find out we have vampire blood.¡±


    ¡°Will you bring him home? After?¡±


    ¡°I still need to find and kill those who hurt my sister and killed my parents. Randall understands, that is why he asked you to send someone to take over Copper Mountain. If you hear anything about Alpha Todd¡¯s whereabouts, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Tania is here, she¡¯s doing better. Bobby finally revealed his human side to her, and they are sleeping together after a rough night. Phillip is doing better, he¡¯s with the other boys and girls now.¡± She wiped her face. ¡°Take care of my boy, Talia.¡±


    ¡°His brother Das is taking over as Copper Mountain Alpha, and our Beta¡¯s son as his Beta. They¡¯ll do just fine there. Don¡¯t worry about anything else, your Pack will be just fine until you¡¯re ready to decide if you will keep it. You take care of yourself too, Talia. We love both of you.¡±


    ¡°I will, Dad.¡± I didn¡¯t even realize I was saying it until it was out. I ended the call before he could see me break downpletely. I missed my parents terribly.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Sulphur Mountain Pack House


    I woke up in his arms, and for the first time in weeks I felt rested. I nuzzled my head into his shoulder, and he opened his eyes to look at me as he smiled. ¡°Morning love,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him as I closed my eyes again.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For not giving up on me. I know I¡¯m not what you expected to be dealing with.¡±


    He leaned down and kissed my forehead, and it felt warm andfortable to me. I was in a bed with a man, and it was because I had asked him. I was in control, if I told him to, he would leave. I ran my hand up his side, feeling the muscles underneath his skin. ¡°You¡¯re not a burden that has been foisted on me, Tania. You¡¯re a blessing. I¡¯m here because I want to be, because I love you, and I love our son. I know it seems weird and sudden, but my wolf and I know it is where we are meant to be. Just like you were meant to escape and find me.¡±


    ¡°I miss my wolf,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like this part of my soul is gone, and all I can do is think about how things would be different if she was here. I want to run in the woods, I want to feel the wind in my hair and the freedom we used to have together.¡±


    He rolled onto his back, bringing me with him so I was lying on top of him. I could feel his impressive length pushing through his shorts, poking into my stomach as his arms surrounded me. ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat some breakfast and go for a run,¡± he said.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°What about Phillip?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He had a good sleep with my parents, and he¡¯s ying out back right now with the other youngsters of the Pack. He¡¯s having a good time and making friends, we can see him on the way out. I¡¯d like to show you a little of our territory, and my wolf could use the run.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You can ride on my back. It¡¯s not the same, but it¡¯s the best I can do right now.¡± He looked towards the door. ¡°The kitchen sent up ate breakfast since we missed it. Why don¡¯t you freshen up and I¡¯ll get it ready.¡±


    I rolled off him and went to the bathroom, returning a few minutester. The guest room had a small sitting area by the windows, a small table and two chairs, and he was setting out the tes and pouring juice for us. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, fruit¡­ I would never take a good breakfast for granted anymore. We ate and talked, and I got my first look at his Pack grounds in the daylight. Rolling hills with cattle, stands of oak and pecan, and streams and ponds went as far as I could see. Thiste in the summer, the grass was dried out and it was hot and humid in the afternoon. ¡°We should go,¡± he said. ¡°The longer we wait the more miserable the humidity gets.¡±


    ¡°I felt like I was going to melt getting off the ne,¡± I said. He just kept his shorts on and put on flip-flops, while I changed in the bathroom into a short and halter top that had been left with the breakfast for me, along with a pair of sandals. He held my hand as we walked out and through the Pack House to the back door. ¡°Oh good, they fit,¡± Sally said as she handed me a small insted backpack. ¡°I put a lunch and drinks in there along with a swimsuit. It¡¯s not worth going out there unless you¡¯re swimming too,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Tania, this is Sally, she works in the kitchen,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°Thank you, the food and clothes were perfect,¡± I said.


    She leaned forward and hugged me. ¡°Wee to Sulphur River, if you need anything you just let us know,¡± she said. ¡°Now go and have fun!¡±


    We went out to therge patio in the back. There was an outdoor kitchen and a swimming pool with waterslides, plus a bunch of pic tables. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Only a few people were in the pool.


    ¡°Mostly working or in school. With the heat, it doesn¡¯t really pick up out here until after dinner.¡±


    We walked past the fenced-in y area where the preschool kids would y; they were inside now, and I saw Phillip napping in a puppy pile with the other youngsters. The nanny waved at me and smiled. I waved back. He looked like he was fine and I didn¡¯t want to wake him up. While I was looking in, Bobby had pulled off his shorts and flip-flops and shifted into his wolf. I picked the stuff up and put it in the backpack, then climbed on his back. It wasn¡¯t normal for a werewolf to do this, we could run in wolf form before we could crawl, but I settled in. He shivered as I leaned onto him, my hands around his chest in front of his legs, my legs crossed at the ankle by his tail, my knees holding him behind his ribs. He turned and trotted towards the treeline, speeding up into a run once I wasfortable.

 I Am Blood-Lust

    ¡°WOOOOHOOOOOOOO!¡± It was amazing to be racing through the woods again. I held on as he followed the hard-packed dirt trail along the creek. We ran hard for about twenty minutes when he turned away from the stream, into a heavily wooded draw that ended at rocky cliffs. We stopped by a gate in the tall fence, meant to keep deer and pigs out. They could drink downstream.


    At the bottom was a pool, deep and clear, surrounded by big boulders. A ten-foot waterfall sshed down from the rocky cliffside, and the sun turned the mist into a rainbow. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said as I hopped off.


    I heard him shift behind me. ¡°It¡¯s spring fed, and cool even in the summer. Come on.¡±


    ¡°I need to put my suit on,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s just us, I¡¯ve told everyone else to give us privacy,¡± he said. ¡°Pull those sweaty clothes off and swim with me.¡±


    With anyone but him I would have refused, but what would he see that he hadn¡¯t already? He knew about the scars from the beatings, the burns from cigarettes and cigars. If he didn¡¯t care, why should I? I pulled off the shirt and dropped the shorts, standing before Creation and my Mate in all my glory. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re more than I dreamed of,¡± I said as I looked at him.


    ¡°Come on, we need to get some cold water on this before I take you farther than you¡¯re ready for.¡± I blushed, because my body was starting to respond to him. If he took me as his right now, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would resist.


    He led me to the edge of one of the boulders, there wasn¡¯t a real beach area, just rocks. ¡°Shock treatment is best. To the right it¡¯s shallow enough to stand, off the left edge it is over ten feet deep.¡± He walked me to the left corner of the huge boulder.


    ¡°Together,¡± I said. He smiled and we backed up a few steps, then he squeezed my hand and we ran forward and jumped. The water was a shock to my system, it was not cool, it was COLD. I swam up and shook me hair. ¡°This is FREEZING!¡±


    ¡°Feels great, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He floated on his back, kicking over to where the waterfall was sshing down. I followed him through it, and on the back side there was a little shelf of rock just above the waterline that he pushed himself up on. I swam to him and he lifted me up, spinning me to sit on hisp. His arms wrapped around me and he nuzzled my neck. ¡°I love it here. No matter how hot the summer, it¡¯s cool here.¡±


    We sat there for a while, watching the water and talking about his home. When we got warm again, we¡¯d swim, theny out in the sun on the rocks. I¡¯d missed that too, my pale skin and visible ribs a reminder of my treatment. ¡°I¡¯m getting better,¡± I said as I pinched my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m going to get better.¡±


    ¡°You are, I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± he said. ¡°I know it won¡¯t be easy, and I know you will have setbacks and episodes. I promise you I¡¯ll be there for them, Tania. You¡¯re not alone.¡±


    I rolled on top of him,ying my head on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, Bobby. I don¡¯t need a wolf to tell me that you¡¯re mine, and I think I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Tania.¡± He pulled me up his body, kissing me gently. I cupped his face with my hands as his wrapped around my back, and our tongues sought each other as the kiss deepened. We made out like teenagers for a long time. I wasn¡¯t ready for sex yet, but I wanted to do something for him and the thing that had been poking me the whole time.


    I started kissing his neck and shoulders, pushing myself down until I was nipping at his nipples and running my tongue through his patch of chest hair. Continuing down, I settled between his legs and took stock of his manhood.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± he said as he got up on his elbows to look down.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t done this hundreds of times, but this time I want to,¡± I said. ¡°Let me love you.¡± He closed his eyes as my tongue licked up his length before circling the top. I smiled as he moaned and closed his eyes; I knew I was good, and I was going to use all I had learned on him. My right hand wrapped around his base, holding it up as I took the head into my mouth. My tongue swirled around the underside as I slowly took him deeper.


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s nice,¡± he said as I slid down his length. He reached the back of my mouth and I swallowed against the gag reflex, taking him smoothly all the way to the base. I stuck my tongue out,pping at the pebbled skin, then backed off and took a breath. I licked and sucked at the tip before again taking him deep. I knew he wouldn¡¯tst, the poor man had a perpetual hard-on since before he even saw me, and I was right. ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± he said.


    I looked up into his eyes and smiled. My hand jacked him as I hummed, the vibration enough to tip him over. I plunged down again, feeling his cock pulse as he shot rope after rope into my throat. I backed off, taking the rest in my mouth, then swallowed it and smiled. ¡°You taste good,¡± I said.


    ¡°I could die a happy man right now,¡± he said before he copsed back to the rock. ¡°Give me a minute and I¡¯ll return the favor.¡±


    ¡°After lunch,¡± I said. ¡°You might be there a while.¡±


    Talia¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven House


    The fever finally broke after three days. His eyes opened and he recognized me. I was crying, this hadn¡¯t been an easy time for me. I couldn¡¯t sleep, I couldn¡¯t eat, and my wolf and I hated we were the cause of his pain. I moved my hand over his damp face, pushing the hair aside. ¡°Wee back, baby,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love you, Talia, but don¡¯t make me do this again,¡± he said as he cracked a smile. ¡°I feel like shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve looked better, my mate. Drink some fluids, you need it.¡± He drained three bottles of Gatorade as fast as I handed them to him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you into the bath.¡± He groaned a little as I moved him; the change was on a DNA level ording to what Jarrod had told me, and every cell in his body had been through the wringer. I had no trouble hauling him up to his feet, my strength was and order of magnitude greater than a human female of my size. He leaned on me as he stood for a moment before starting to move.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He stumbled, and quicker than you could see his hand shot out and went through the wall. ¡°Focus on being smooth, your body is more than you remember. You¡¯re going to have to relearn everything, first to control your body andter to unleash it.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± he said. We moved into the bathroom, where the sunken tub was filled and the jets were on. Marcy had prepared it as soon as he starteding around. I helped him down into it before I pulled off my clothes and joined him. ¡°Cold water is best for now, sorry.¡±


    ¡°I thought finally being mated would be the end of cold showers and baths, love.¡± He looked down in the water. ¡°My body feels like it was run over, chewed up and tossed off a building. I can¡¯t even think about sex now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to test that today, but I am looking forward to mating you again. I just hope your vampire speed doesn¡¯t mean you finish in under a minute.¡± I looked up from where I was soaping up a cloth and saw the wolf in his eyes, plus the wildness of his vampire. He was gaining control with every passing moment, the pain leaving his body as the hybrid healing fixed him. By the time I had the two of us cleaned, he was moving without pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry and thirsty,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s like my throat aches.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the start of bloodlust,¡± I said. ¡°Your vampire nature ising through. Our vampire part cane out in our human or wolf forms, just the teeth either way. The drive is more like what your wolf is wanting instinctually. Your wolf will need to integrate with him just like your human side will.¡±


    He was starting to get cold, so I started draining the tub and got us some towels. He pulled me into his chest after we tossed the towels aside. ¡°I love you, Talia. I told you I¡¯d die for you, and now I¡¯m like you. Two of a kind, the only pair in the world.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said. ¡°Come on.¡± I led him out of the bathroom and we quickly dressed in athletic shorts and T-shirts. Leaving our room, I saw Jarrod standing outside Eduardo¡¯s room. ¡°How is she doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll being out of it in about four hours. This will work well, we can train them together.¡± He opened the door and we looked past him; Erica was on the bed, her body covered in sweat as Eduardo wiped her with cool cloths. He closed the door again. ¡°We¡¯re set up in the garage. It¡¯s four in the afternoon, so Malcolm is up there and will take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jarrod. I¡¯d never have all this without you,¡± he said.


    ¡°When he¡¯s fed, we need to talk.¡± He went back to the main area, something was on his mind. He hadn¡¯t said anything since Randall was bitten, but I¡¯d barely listened to anything around me. I was too focused on tending to my mate.


    I took Randall¡¯s hand and led him upstairs, through the airlock setup and into the garage. Ma was waiting for me; the garage had been emptied, and a sheep was standing in the far corner, looking for a way out. I could sense Randall¡¯s wolf and vampire pushing forward; his teeth were changing, and his eyes were turning ck. ¡°Shift and feed,¡± I told him. ¡°Embrace your true nature.¡±


    He pulled off his clothes and shifted into his huge wolf. He was bigger than before, even more dangerous-looking. His teeth were showing; the only difference was his canines were a little longer than before. One moment he was by my side, then next his teeth were around the neck of the ram.


    A wolf would rip the throat out, letting it bleed to death, but the vampire part fed differently. The venom paralyzed the sheep, and the long canines found the artery. He stood there for a minute, gulping down the warm blood. When the heart stopped, he tore out the throat and ripped open the belly.

 The Time Is Here

    He started to gorge himself on the warm meat, just like I had when I came out. He was about halfway done when the bloodlust lifted, and he looked over to me. He whined, moving aside. ¡°Eat my kill with me, my mate,¡± he told me.


    I pulled off my clothes and shifted, moving next to him. He reached in, removing the liver and dropping it at my feet. I picked it up, biting half and pulling it apart before gulping it down. I nosed the rest to him, moving in to get some of the tender meat from above the ribs.


    We finished twenty minutester, shifting back to human form. Malcolm had us stand by the drain and used a hose to rinse the blood off, soap and towels were ready for us. We pulled our clothes back on and returned downstairs.


    Jarrod and Marceline were sitting on the couch in the main area, and both smiled when they saw using down holding hands. ¡°Congrattions on making the change, Randall,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Thank you. You needed to talk to us?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to ever change a werewolf again, much less two in a day, but it is what it is. When Talia made the change, we learned a few things about how to train and handle a new hybrid. With two of you, and one of you being so damn big, training you here isn¡¯t a great idea.¡±


    Marcy continued as she held his hand. ¡°Your wolf doesn¡¯t like being cooped up underground. The other difference is that with you, we only had vampires to train you. With Erica and Randall, we have you, and you aren¡¯t restricted by sunlight like we were.¡±


    It made sense. ¡°You want a ce we can run, away from prying eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Another difference is that no one outside the Coven knew about you, while two Packs know about your change now.¡±


    Randall figured it out first. ¡°You want us to return to my Pack to train,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯d like you to consider it. More than that, I was hoping you¡¯d allow my coven members to travel with you to your Pack. It is well past time that we forged asting peace with the Werewolves. We have to start somewhere, and family is the oldest way of forming alliances.¡±


    I closed my eyes and thought about it; they were right. Randall, Erica and I were the bridges between the two species which had been at war with each other for millennia. My sister was mated to his brother, his family had epted me as Randall¡¯s mate, and they epted Randall now too. ¡°We have to wait for Erica.¡±


    ¡°You need to call your parents first, Randall. I¡¯m sure they were worried about your change, so reassure them and ask them if they would be willing to host us as we train you.¡±


    ¡°What kind of amodations will you need?¡±


    ¡°Something secure and underground during the day. At night, we will join them. As long as your Alpha gives his word we will not be harmed, I will do the same for his Pack members.¡± Permission was granted a short timeter, and I called the jet service and set up a flight department


    Todd ckstone¡¯s POV


    Chicago, Illinois


    ¡°I want to shift and hunt,¡± Mercedes said as she rolled over naked on the hotel bed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing on television, I¡¯m sick of room service food and I hate being in the city! So smelly.¡±


    I looked over at my mate, the one I chose after I subdued Talia and kicked her from the Pack. What a mistake I had made choosing her. She was a big-busted blonde who looked fantastic on my arm and could suck-start a jet engine. She was beautiful, but vapid; good to screw, but then you have to talk to her. That¡¯s when you realize she¡¯s the shallowest, most self-centered werewolf in the world. The Pack saw through her quickly.


    What¡¯s the difference between Luna Mercedes and a real Mercedes?


    Not everyone has been in a real Mercedes.


    I was ready to trade her in on a used Honda, but right now I couldn¡¯t afford the distraction of putting her aside. I was lucky I got the warning from Alpha Justin, because that fucker Carlos didn¡¯t tell me shit. He pushed his cousin off on me as part of the deal with Justin to get me the Alpha spot. If I¡¯d have been arrested or killed, he¡¯d have his Alpha job. It didn¡¯t quite work that way. I¡¯d traded text messages with a friend on the Council, and he told me the Chairman had figured out there was a mole. I grabbed all the cash and convertible money I could find, took my fake identification and credit cards, and ran off before they could get me.


    I made Chicago before word got out that I was missing. Big city downtowns were the best ces to hide right now; Pack wolves wanted nothing to do with noise and smell of them, and even rogues preferred the suburbs. The biggest threat here was vampires; all big cities had them, and Chicago had three. The next biggest threat was the cameras. If the werewolves had contacts, facial recognition could pick them up. That¡¯s why they had spent thest four days holed up in this suite at the Radisson Blue Aqua, on the thirtieth floor looking out over theke.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go anywhere yet, I told you this,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to get killed, I¡¯d be happy to drop you off a the nearest Pack.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t after me. I¡¯m not the one who let the Alpha Killer escape with her life.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± I backhanded her, knocking her off the bed. My wolf didn¡¯t like it, they were mates and we were supposed to protect her. She was driving me nuts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just a little wound up.¡±


    She looked at me with tears In her eyes and walked away. She grabbed a bottle of rum from the table and went into the luxurious bathroom, mming the door closed. I heard the bath starting; she wouldn¡¯t be out until the bottle was gone. I might have to send one of the bellhops out to buy another case of booze for me.


    I pulled out a burner phone and went out on the small patio; if the wind was off theke, it was almost tolerable. It wasn¡¯t. I called my contact, he owed me some favors and I was cashing them in. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± I said. ¡®What¡¯s thetest?¡±


    ¡°Lots happening,¡± she said. ¡°The Chairman confirmed that Justin, Rhoda and Beta Jack are all being held by rk in La Crosse. He won¡¯t allow the Council members in, but he did allow an Enforcer to question them. Justin is in bad shape; the bite Talia gave him is infected, it¡¯s moving up his leg. The Doctor said he can¡¯t do anything about it. He¡¯s got less than a week, they are keeping him in a fucking cage so everyone can see it. So far, he isn¡¯t talking. I¡¯ll send you a video.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Jack is in the cells, they are working him over but he hasn¡¯t said anything either. They have a television outside his cell, it¡¯s live to the camera where Justin is. His mate is chained up there too, not close enough to touch, and Erica took her wolf from her.¡±


    Erica. That was another bitch I¡¯d let go. She¡¯d helped Talia survive and I¡¯d marked her as a traitor, but rk¡¯s pack STILL took her in. They¡¯d hidden her from everyone else until Tania had mysteriously appeared. ¡°What do they know about me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. No one has seen or heard from you, so keep doing what you are doing. Arrest orders have been sent to all Packs, and they have a $250, 000 reward out for you. Rogues would turn in their own mothers for that kind of cash.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Any idea where the sisters ended up?¡±


    ¡°Tania is mated to Bobby Meechum of the Sulphur River Pack. We think she¡¯s gone down there, neither has been seen around the La Crosse Pack. Talia is mated to Randall Meechum, he¡¯s an FBI agent in the Das office. They haven¡¯t been seen either, and after beating Justin¡¯s ass she turned his Pack over to Randall¡¯s brother. Erica¡¯s gone too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the info. I need you to call me if there¡¯s any indication they are closing in on me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let them catch you, Todd. I have just as much to lose as you do.¡± She hung up on me and I set the phone aside.


    I had options. I had cash, enough to start over again somewhere else, but I¡¯d never be safe.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The Alpha Killer was still out there, and now she had the backing of two Packs and a mate. Tania, the only witness to my crime, was mated and under the protection of a strong Alpha. It would make sense they would gather at Sulphur River, and it was there I needed to make my move.


    The Alphas were scared shitless of Talia Stillwater. Killing her would gain me enough gratitude that I could get the Council overthrown and my arrest warrant pulled. It was the only way I could live openly, even gain a Pack again.


    It was time to gather an army.

 Sulphur River Pack

    Tania¡¯s POV


    I woke in the morning suddenly, my stomach heaving. I pushed my way clear of Bobby¡¯s arms and ran into the bathroom, barely getting there before I started to throw up. He came up behind me, pulling my hair back as I finished retching. I leaned back on my heels and he went to the sink, filling up a paper cup with mouthwash. I rinsed my mouth out as I flushed the toilet, spitting the green stuff in the swirling waters. ¡°Are you all right,¡± he asked me as he held out his hand.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Doc warned me this would happen.¡± I wasn¡¯t free of the drugs I had been addicted to while in captivity. Insomnia, chills, nausea, it could alle at any time and it did. My body was a mess, and Bobby was there for all of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few minutes. Breakfast ising up in forty minutes, so I¡¯ll check on Phillip if you want to take a shower.¡± He closed the door and I went to the sink. I brushed my teeth, thinking about how far I hade in a few short weeks. I was off the drugs, I was free, I had a mate, a son and a Pack. If I had a wolf, I¡¯d beplete.


    Bobby and I were slowly making progress. Since that day at the swimming hole, we¡¯d be morefortable with each other. We slept together, but he still hadn¡¯t mated me. The memories were still too much for me to get over.


    He was chipping away at my defenses rapidly.


    He was a good man, a good mate. He adored me, he protected me and he was showing himself a fine man and wolf to our son. He didn¡¯t push himself in as a recement to his father, he was just there for him. Watching him y fight with our son in wolf form was my new favorite thing to see.


    Phillip had been struggling as well; he missed his mother and father and wasn¡¯t old enough to understand why it all happened. He was prone to mood changes, crying fits and even physical outbursts. He¡¯d shoved another child in the nursery, then he¡¯d curled up in a ball and cried for an hour.


    Thank Luna for the people around us. The Alphas kept him at night, getting him through the worst of the homesickness he was feeling. The nannies and the other children were bringing him slowly out of his shell. He¡¯d fallen in with Austin and Sandy, his dominant cousins, and the Triple Terrors were continually challenging their minders.


    I finished up, thinking about what would be happening today. The Pack was relieved that Randall had made it through his change and couldn¡¯t wait to see him again. The Alphas had announced that the pair, plus Erica and four vampires, would be arrivingte tonight and would be guests for several weeks. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that; vampires were always our enemy, and I was taught to never trust them. Talia did, and that was enough for the Alphas. I¡¯d just have to get over it.


    I walked out into the room. Bobby had already made the bed andid out an outfit for me. Khaki shorts, a light cotton blouse, and sheerce underwear. I swear that boy has a lingerie fetish, and his sisters encouraged it. All my underwear was either sexy or for workouts, nothing for just lounging around in sweats. His sisters and inws were the ones who got my sizes and went into town to get me ¡°a few outfits.¡± When we got back to our room that day, the bed was covered with shopping bags, and I now had a good chunk of our closet. The clothes were beautiful, I thought as I got dressed.


    I heard little feet running to the door and smiled as I walked to it. The door pushed open, and a boy in tighty whities ran in and jumped into my arms. I lifted him up and gave him a raspberry on his bare stomach, causing him tough and try to get away. ¡°Where are your jammies, Phillip?¡±


    ¡°Too hot. Gramma kept hugging me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, Grandma loves you and you¡¯re such a good snuggler,¡± I said as I put him down. Bobby went to the dresser and pulled out some shorts and a ¡°Wolfy Time¡± T-shirt along with sandals. ¡°Are you excited about your run this morning?¡±


    The children were going on a tracking exercise in the woods. They would go about five miles out from the Pack House as a group, where they would meet a group of adult volunteers. Each of the adults hade to that ce on a different path. The pups would be assigned an adult scent to follow, and would have to track back to the Pack House while being watched. If they made it back, they got to y in the pool until lunch. Lose the trail, and they would get extra help in tracking. It was another way to teach them to function as Pack members. ¡°Mom said I¡¯ve got a great nose,¡± he said. ¡°Moming?¡±


    ¡°Mom is gone, honey,¡± I said as I pulled him into myp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Momma and Papa are here now.¡±


    He looked up at me, his little lip quivering. ¡°I miss Mom,¡± he said. ¡°You not Mom.¡± I just held him to my chest as he cried, and I cried too. There were plenty of people who deserved punishment, but my boy was getting hurt too. He¡¯d lost his parents, his friends, his home, all gone when he woke up in a new ce.


    He was still not talking at breakfast, and when we dropped him off at child care I told them what was going on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll pull him out of his funk,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I walked back to the Alpha Floor and joined Bobby, who was in the room with his leadership. ¡°You needed to speak to me Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said as I sat next to Bobby on the couch. I rxed into his side, my hand clutching his. ¡°I got this video from Alpha rk this morning, along with a request.¡± He put the video clip up on the screen, and I was shocked at what I was seeing.


    The silver cage containing Justin Heranus was coated with blood. He was lying on the floor of the cage, naked and filthy, and he was out of his mind with pain. As the man with the camera got closer, I could see why. The leg Talia had bitten was swollen, the skin ck and split open like a ham that had cooked too long. The red and ck was spreading, almost to his chest. Flies swarmed him, feeding from the blood that oozed from his wounds. It wouldn¡¯t be long until maggots were eating the dead flesh while the rest of him lived. ¡°Kill me, please,¡± he moaned in agony.


    The camera shifted to where Rhoda was chained by an ankle to a rock in the ground. She was dressed, but she was unhappy and sleeping as far away from her mate as she could get. ¡°She¡¯s been like this since she found out what he did,¡± rk said. ¡°I¡¯m convinced she didn¡¯t know what he did to get their son.¡± The video stopped and picked up again in the Pack cells. Beta Jack was chained to the wall, and had been beaten badly and tortured. ¡°We found out a few interesting things about Jack Meoffe when we got him talking,¡± rk said. ¡°The Alpha told him to ¡®get rid of her¡¯, expecting him to kill her and dispose of the body. He owed his bookie a debt and used her to pay it off. He figured as a human and a ve, she wouldn¡¯tst long anyway. We got a name, though. Joey ¡®Bag of Donuts¡¯ Veni. He¡¯s a mobster out of Chicago. Make sure Randall gets the name. As for this asshole, we aren¡¯t getting any more out of him. When he wakes up, we¡¯ll take him upstairs and let him ride the post until he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s a bad way to go,¡± Dusty said.


    rk looked at the camera. ¡°Justin won¡¯tst more than a day or two, and I need to know what you want to do with Rhoda given what we know now. I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡± The file ended, and I was still staring at the screen. I knew Talia¡¯s venom would kill him, but that was a horrible way to die. Not that he didn¡¯t deserve it.


    ¡°What is riding the post?¡±


    Dusty looked at his father who nodded to tell me. ¡°They bury a pipe In the ground, set in concrete. The man being punished is stripped, his hands shackled behind him, then with a little lube he¡¯s lowered onto the pipe until his ass is speared on it. It¡¯s high enough he can¡¯t get off, even on his tiptoes. Eventually his legs give out and he sinks farther until it tears his guts apart and he dies of sepsis or blood loss.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± I said.


    ¡°He deserves every moment of pain, Tania. Rhoda, that¡¯s more difficult. She told her mate to go ahead with a n to use a surrogate, but didn¡¯t know you were kidnapped and underage. She¡¯s lost her wolf, and will not be weed in any Pack again. Do you want her dead?¡±


    I thought about it; I didn¡¯t want to kill Phillip¡¯s mom, but I didn¡¯t want her in his life either. ¡°Where do I stand with Phillip? He¡¯s my son, DNA will prove that, but his birth certificate lists Justin and Rhoda.¡± We talked about it for a while before we came up with a n.


    Alpha Brent called the La Crosse pack and Alpha rk answered. ¡°Good morning rk, it¡¯s Brent. We¡¯ve been discussing your video, Tania and Bobby are here. We agree with your sentences on Justin and Jack. Circting the videos among the Pack will go a long way to showing this behavior will never be tolerated,¡± he said.


    ¡°Has Tania decided about Rhoda?¡±


    ¡°I have, Alpha rk. Have papers drafted up where she gives up her parental rights to Phillip and consents to a closed adoption. With her husband dead, the papers will let Bobby and I adopt him easily and get a new birth certificate. Then let her go, knowing she will never see him again.¡±


    ¡°If she refuses to sign?¡±


    ¡°Then I will swear a statement out that Justin raped and impregnated me and stole my child. The FBI will get involved since it went across state lines, and DNA will prove he¡¯s mine. With Justin dead, she¡¯ll face conspiracy to kidnapping, rape and everything else that happened to me. She¡¯ll die an olddy in Federal prison.¡±


    ¡°I see your point. I will make it happen, Tania. If there is anything else we can do, just let us know.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I will, Uncle rk.¡±


    ¡°How is Erica doing? I haven¡¯t heard from her since she left with Talia and Randall.¡±


    Brentughed. ¡°I should have told you, but she found her mate in New Orleans. They¡¯re arriving here tonight.¡±


    I heard a squeal in the background that must have been Luna Teri. ¡°EXCELLENT! It¡¯s about time she got some good news. I¡¯m d he epted her.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a little different too. They are making it work, and they are both happy from what I hear.¡±


    ¡°And Randall?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. They were able to fix it so Talia can fully mate with him, and they have. They¡¯reing too.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll let you guys go. Talia, you and your family are always wee here if you decide you need snow again.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. The heat down here is intense, but you don¡¯t have to shovel it.¡± We hung up the phone, and I rxed back into the couch. ¡°We have to give Randall that name.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Brent called Talia¡¯s number, not knowing if Randall would be busy.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Her voice sounded tired.

 Elder Mildred’s Home

    ¡°Hi Talia. I just talked to Alpha Brent. He got a name out of Beta Jack.¡± He told her the details.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯ll see what my mate knows about it, and get Eduardo looking. The man is a whiz withputers.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your next target?¡±


    ¡°He is. We take down the trainingplex, then find the customer list. Tell Tania we¡¯ll get these bastards.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I know you will, Sis. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. We¡¯ll see youte tonight.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Our business done, we walked to the home of Mildred Childress, one of the Pack Elders and historian. She had told us at breakfast that she needed to talk with us, but not why. Her home was small, with flowers out front and a wide porch with a pair of rocking chairs. She was bringing out a tray with homemade lemonade as we arrived, since Bobby must have warned her over the link. ¡°Elder Mildred,¡± Bobby said with a bow of his head as we got to the stairs.


    ¡°Bobby, bring that girl up here and sit her down,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Go inside and get a chair for yourself unless you want to stand.¡±


    He smirked, then sat down and pulled me into hisp. Mildred huffed, then sat down and offered me a ss. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into what happened to you since I heard you wereing,¡± she said. ¡°Giving up your wolf happens sometimes, having your wolf taken is quite different. I wanted to know if it was possible to get your wolf back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s never happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh, these young people don¡¯t know their history,¡± she said with a wave. ¡°It can happen, it¡¯s just that the circumstances allowing it rarely happen. I talked to my friends in other Packs, and Natasha in Kiev found something in her Pack archives. It was a case, like yours, where a young woman had been captured and was forced to drink wolfsbane to kill her wolf. The attacking Pack killed the wolves of all their captives, thinking they would destroy the Pack forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± I said.


    ¡°This happened in the fourth century. It¡¯s written down because she got her wolf back.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I leaned forward, hope suddenly there.


    ¡°She found her mate.¡±


    ****************


    Tania¡¯s POV


    My jaw dropped open. ¡°Wait a minute, how can a mate return her wolf?¡±


    ¡°Our wolves are given to us by Luna herself, but how do wolves recognize their mate,¡± she asked.


    ¡°By smell,¡± Bobby said. ¡°As soon as I scented her clothing, I knew she was mine.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why does her scent call to you? How do you KNOW it is your mate?¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, we were always taught that our mates¡¯ scent would be recognized by our wolf. We talked more about what happened AFTER you found him than anything else.¡±


    ¡°True, because we still have rules regarding mating, and it is important mates are respected. There are theories as to how we know our mate¡¯s scent, but I believe it is because we share a part of them.¡± I squeezed his hand and looked at him. ¡°Most Packs teach that you are born with two parts to your soul, your human and your wolf parts, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Yet we find some who have human mates, and they give them their wolf in mating?¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°Others do not find their mates, they choose another wolf or a human. They can change a human, but the mating is never the same as with a fated mate. There is a bond, but it isn¡¯t as deep or as satisfying as those with true mates. There have been multiple studies on this over the years; choice mates are not as happy as true mates, but we¡¯ve always assumed it was because they knew they abandoned a true mate out there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense, my parents stressed the importance of waiting for your true mate. It¡¯s why when the Council tried to push Talia to mate Alpha Todd to unify the Pack, she refused.¡± Iughed. ¡°Well, that and he was more than twice her age and a major-league asshole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give you another theory, one that I think fits the data better. I believe we are born as werewolves with three parts to our soul, two major and one fragment. The fragment is a piece of our fated mate¡¯s soul.¡±


    Bobby caught on first. ¡°So when you meet your fate mate¡­¡±


    ¡°Your wolf recognizes the soul of his mate that is already with him. In essence you find what you are missing, and the mating unites the pieces in both of you.¡±


    I looked over at Bobby, it was a more romantic way to think of it. ¡°So Bobby has a piece of my wolf soul in him?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. Being able to change someone with no wolf proves you can transfer a part of a wolf soul, even if it is your own. The example I found proved it is possible to transfer a wolf soul of your true mate and give her that back.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t anyone bite me? All the doctors said it wouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you for sure. Maybe the wolf soul recognizes someone else should be there. Maybe the hole in your soul cannot be filled by a different soul.¡± She finished her ss. ¡°I believe that when you take a choice mate, the rejected soul is pushed out and dies. That is why no one has ever found a fated mate after they have mated another. It¡¯s all my theory, backed up by history and lore. There¡¯s only one way for you to find out, and you¡¯re bound to do it anyway.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We need toplete the mating.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Worst case, I¡¯m wrong and you stay human, and he stays your mate. You can have the best life you can, given the differences in your lifespans. Best case, he gives you your wolf soul back and it fits like thest piece in the puzzle, because it belongs there.¡±


    ¡°Will it be enough?¡± I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up and have them dashed again.


    ¡°How much is one percent of infinity, Tania? One thousandth? If your soul is boundless, so is a piece of it. Whatever Luna wills, may ite to be.¡± She took the empty lemonade ss back from me. ¡°Now scoot, you two. You have better things to do than listen to an olddy rambling.¡±


    Bobby shifted under me, the talk of mating had gotten him excited and I could feel him pressing it into my thighs. ¡°I can think of a few things we can do,¡± he said as he waggled his eyes.


    ¡°When I¡¯m ready,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m human now, you can¡¯t just fall back on the bond to get what you want. You have to use romance, you have to date me, seduce me and love me.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± he said. ¡°Any ns for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Why sir, are you asking me on a date?¡±


    ¡°I am. I was thinking a pic by the waterfall. I¡¯ll have the kitchen pack some food for us.¡±


    I smiled, I loved that ce. ¡°I would love to pic with you.¡± I stood up and leaned down and gave Mildred a hug. ¡°Thank you for looking into this for me, you¡¯ve given me hope again,¡± I said.


    ¡°Love finds a way, Tania. It always does.¡±


    Bobby thanked her, and we held hands as we walked back to the Pack House. He must have linked the kitchen, because a basket filled with food and drink was waiting for us. Another bag contained towels and a nket. ¡°We¡¯re taking my truck this time,¡± he said as he grabbed the stuff. We loaded up and took the dirt road away from the Pack House, stopping at a small parking lot. ¡°It¡¯s not far from here,¡± he said.


    The noon heat was oppressive, and my clothes were soaked by the time we got there. He set the supplies in the shade on a rock. ¡°Swim first,¡± I said. He agreed, and we stripped off our clothes. I knew what to expect this time when we jumped into the pool together. It was a shock, then as we got used to it, it was better. We didn¡¯t swim long, pulling ourselves out on a rock to dry off. We stayed nude, it was cooler that way. Heid the nket down on a patch of grass and moss in the shade, then we sat and ate. The kitchen had made Italian sandwiches with pasta sd, fruit and cookies. ¡°That was excellent,¡± I said as I finished. I gathered the stuff and put it back in the basket, bending over with my back to him. I might even have wiggled a little, knowing from the little growls he let out that I was pushing him.


    I turned around and walked towards him. He was looking at me, his wolf forward, eyes ck with lust. I straddled his legs, lowering myself until I was sitting in hisp with my hands around his neck. ¡°Bobby,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°I want you to mate me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I can wait until you are ready. I don¡¯t want to hurt you or set back your recovery.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking on the way here about how messed up my view of sex is. I¡¯ve never had sex with someone I loved, and often the sex hurt me. You I love, and I know deep down you won¡¯t hurt me. I need to rece the nightmare with the dream, love. I need you to im me, make me yours. Mate me, big boy.¡±


    His eyes lit up and a huge smile spread on his face. ¡°I love you, Tania. I¡¯ll make this good for you, just tell me if it is too much and I need to stop. I won¡¯t be mad.¡± He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, our tongues exploring each other as his hands moved over me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my sex rubbing against his hard cock beneath me. I moaned in pleasure as I rubbed him. ¡°So beautiful,¡± he said as he started kissing down my neck to his mark.


    Heid me back, holding my wrists in one hand over my head as his other explored my body. I moaned loudly as his mouth sucked on a nipple then gently bit it. It was like an electric shock went down my body to my sex, which was opening and preparing for him. He moved his fingers through my lips, spreading the juices around. I was building quickly, and when he hooked two fingers and found that spot on the top I broke. ¡°BOBBYYYYYYYY!¡±

 Smelling Her Sex

    He kept his fingers going until I squirted my release onto his hand. I watched, drunk with pleasure, as he licked his fingers clean. ¡°Delicious,¡± he said.


    ¡°Take me, baby. I need your cock in me,¡± I told him.


    He moved between my legs, and I brought my knees up and used my legs to pull him in. He was a big guy, and he stretched me so good. ¡°Oh Luna,¡± I said when he was finally seated fully. He stopped, thinking I was hurt. ¡°Move, baby. I¡¯m no blushing virgin here, I want you to take me like a mate should.¡±


    He pulled back and plunged forward again, driving the air out of me as his hips met mine. ¡°Oh fuck that¡¯s good,¡± I said as he kept doing it. Soon my legs were over his shoulders and he was stroking that glorious cock into me, driving me to a powerful orgasm.


    He wasn¡¯t done. Pulling out, he rolled me to my stomach and lifted my hips up until I was on my knees. He plunged in deeper, the position allowing him to reach new ces inside me. It felt wonderful, and I told him and anyone within a mile just how good it was as I screamed out my pleasure with each orgasm he gave me.


    He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back until I was on my hands and knees. He started taking me even faster, pounding me harder than I¡¯d ever been taken. ¡°Tania¡­ I¡¯m close.¡±


    ¡°MATE ME BOBBY I NEED YOU TO BITE ME,¡± I screamed. I could feel him partially shifting, some furing out, then his knot formed and shoved inside me with a hard thrust. It felt like he¡¯d shoved his fist in there, but the pain was quickly reced by pleasure as it started stroking my channel. Every time he backed out, it rubbed on my G-spot. ¡°FUCK I¡¯M CUMMING¡­¡±


    He pushed forward and I felt him start to pulse as he filled me with his seed. He held me still, his bite on my shoulder keeping me from dropping to the ground. It was all too much, and I screamed until the ckness took me.


    I woke up, on my side, his big cock still locked inside me with the knot. ¡°Wee back,¡± Bobby said. ¡°You all right?¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I said. I felt different; something was pushing forward in the back of my head. I moved, which felt amazing, and soon I had him on his back and was riding him to more orgasms. This time, when he came, I felt something in the back of my head push forward and I bit down on his shoulder as we both came.


    ¡°That was freaking amazing,¡± I thought to myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, love.¡±


    I looked down at him, I hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°Bobby?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a mate bond, love!¡± I found it in my mind and opened it wide, feeling his love for me and his emotions over it. I started to cry, I couldn¡¯t stop. He just rubbed my back andforted me with words and bond. I was still sobbing in relief when his knot softened and we came apart, flooding his legs and the nket with our shared juices. ¡°You are my mate, you should have the Pack bond. Do you want to try?¡±


    I nodded. Closing my eyes, I looked in my mind and found links there. Two were brighter than the others, not as bright or thick as Bobby¡¯s link, but obviously the Alphas. ¡°Brent? Patty?¡±


    ¡°Wee to the Pack, Tania. We¡¯re so happy for you!¡±


    ¡°Did my boy treat you right in the mating,¡± Patty asked.


    ¡°He was wonderful. He is wonderful, and I love him so much,¡± I said.


    ¡°Take your time, we¡¯ll take care of Phillip,¡± Brent said. ¡°Even better, why don¡¯t you tell Phillip? You should have the family bond with him since he isn¡¯t officially Pack yet.¡±


    I closed the connection and looked in my mind again, finding the one to my boy and opening it up. ¡°Phillip? It¡¯s Mommy. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re swimming, Mommy. They have a waterslide that¡¯s SOOOO cool!¡±


    ¡°Have fun, baby. Daddy and I will be back this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, bye.¡± I was crying, but he was treating it like it was normal. I realized that it was, for him. I was the one who wasn¡¯t like the other, not until now.


    We swam again, cleaning ourselves and packing up our stuff for the walk out. ¡°When do you think I will shift,¡± I asked him as we walked through the gate.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°Changed mates normally shift on the first full moon, that¡¯s in a week. You were a wolf before, maybe that will make a difference. How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I feel like a happily mated woman,¡± I said as I squeezed his hand. ¡°I never knew it could be that good. I have a lot of memories to rece, you may have to do that a few more times.¡± He gave me a grin. ¡°Today.¡± He grinned more. ¡°Before dinner.¡±


    ¡°Baby, Please! I am NOT from Havana!¡± We both cracked up, he did a perfect Cleavon Little voice. I loved zing Saddles when we watched it together on his iPad on the ne down.


    The itching in my body got worse, and I was ufortable and rubbing my arms by the time we got to the truck. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I could feel my wolf, she wasing out. ¡°My wolf,¡± I said. I quickly pulled off the clothes and dropped to my hands and knees just before the first bone cracked. It hurt, the pain growing as my body struggled to keep up with my wolf¡¯s nature. It felt like an hour, but was more like a minute before it was over.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± Bobby said. He pushed what he was seeing to me through our bond; my wolf was the same straw-blonde and white wolf from before, but she was taller andnkier now. You could see her ribs more than was healthy, but this was me, MY wolf. ¡°Wee back, I missed you,¡± I said in my mind as our souls fused together again. She licked my face, her tail wagging back and forth as we hugged.


    I let her have control, she deserved it after all this time. Dropping our front end down, we barked and held our tail high. ¡°She wants to y,¡± I told Bobby.


    He shifted into his wolf and sniffed her, licking her face, then rubbing along her side and licking and smelling her sex. My wolf was giddy with her mate, he was strong and would be a good father and protector for our pups. ¡°Pups? I haven¡¯t gone into heat,¡± I told them both.


    ¡°Humans don¡¯t have heats, they have periods, and you aren¡¯t on birth control anymore,¡± Bobby said. ¡°Your birth control imnt was removed when you were brought to New Orleans, ording to Talia.¡±


    ¡°You mean I¡­ we¡­¡±


    ¡°We will see. It is the fertile part of your cycle, but with the change I don¡¯t know if it will work. We can always practice. I did MY part to make it work, though.¡±


    I butted him with my head. ¡°Yeah, your part is really long and hard. Catch me and maybe you can try again.¡± I bounded off into the woods, leaping over downed trees and running hard. I was exhrated, I was loved, and I had my wolf back.


    I didn¡¯t even mind when Bobby caught me for more practice.


    Deposed Alpha Todd Aldridge POV


    Chicago Lakefront


    Thest four days had not been good for me. I¡¯d gotten another call from my contact, along with a video. What I saw chilled me to the bone. I must have watched the new clip a dozen times before it all fell into ce for me, and I understood what it all meant. I had a lot to do, and I couldn¡¯t stay on the balcony forever.


    Mercedes was being a pain in the ass, wanting to go shopping or head out to the country to run. It¡¯s like she had no understanding of the situation we were in. When she came out to the balcony where I was busy on the phone, I¡¯d had enough. ¡°Get the FUCK back in that room, or get out and don¡¯te back,¡± I said. ¡°Your incessant whining is going to drive me to kill myself before the Council even finds me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me, I¡¯m not the one who kidnapped an Alpha¡¯s child. The Council warrant is for you, not me. The Alpha Killer is after YOU, not me. Why should I have to hide in here like a jail cell when YOU are the one who is in trouble?¡±


    What a vapid little shit. Did she not realize that we had stolen hundreds of thousands of dors from the Tomah Pack in our escape? Maybe she thought they would forget that, along with the way she had treated them for the past four years. ¡°Jail cell? Tell me where the fucking jail cell is with room service cuisine and in-room massages.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of this, Todd! I didn¡¯t choose you as my mate because I wanted to live my life as a rogue!¡±


    ¡°No, you chose me as your mate because you¡¯re a status-climbing bitch who would do anything to bag an Alpha. Well, congrattions Mercedes. You got one, and now he¡¯s not. You couldn¡¯t help me hold the Pack. You couldn¡¯t even give me a child.¡±


    Tears formed in her eyes, that was a low blow even for me. ¡°Fuck you, Todd. I called my parents, they said I could move back home until this thing blows over. I wasing out to tell you goodbye.¡±


    I stood up, backing her up against the patio door. She wasn¡¯t dominant enough to be a true Alpha female, she would tuck her tail and piss herself if Talia ever showed up. I was better off without her. ¡°You¡¯re right, baby.¡± I handed her a wad of cash. ¡°Take a cab to the airport and fly home. I¡¯ll send word to you when it¡¯s safe again. The stuff I need to do, you shouldn¡¯t be around for.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I could tell she was nervous, my dominance was too much. I didn¡¯t move. ¡°What,¡± she said.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I want my goodbye blowjob,¡± I said.


    She started to turn, but I didn¡¯t let her. My hand pushed her down along the door. ¡°Here? People might see!¡±


    ¡°So what? You¡¯re leaving, and if they see maybe they¡¯ll learn something.¡± I pushed her to her knees, and she reached out and undid my fly. She took it in her mouth, the tingles from the bond helping to get me hard since I wasn¡¯t finding her attractive right now. She used all her tricks, desperate to get me off so she could escape the public setting, but I wasn¡¯t letting her off that easy.


    When I was hard, I wrapped my hands around the blonde hair by her ears and started to fuck into her mouth. With her head so close to the ss door, she had nowhere to escape and my length started shoving into her throat. She fought the gag, using her tongue and breathing when I backed out. ¡°Such a hot little cocksucker,¡± I said. ¡°This is what you were born to do, to service your mate and take his load on or in you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t give her a chance to respond, as I was moving faster into her mouth. I closed my eyes, thinking of the way Talia had been in the video I¡¯d seen. Graceful, strong, beautiful and deadly, everything I would have had if I hadn¡¯t been so stupid as to kick her out. In my fantasy, I was balls deep in her tight pussy as she submitted to me, taking my seed and my bite.


    I didn¡¯t pay attention to her hands pushing and smacking my thighs, and I had blocked the link so she wouldn¡¯t pick up on my thoughts. When I finally looked down, it was because her eyes had rolled back in her head and she had passed out. I pulled my cock back, and she started to breathe again. I closed my eyes, jacking until I sprayed my cum over her face and body, then zipped up.

 The Fatal Attacked

    She woke up as the hot cum hit her face. ¡°You FUCKER, I couldn¡¯t breathe,¡± she said as she wiped away the tears.


    ¡°Call a cab, Mercedes. I don¡¯t need my dick sucked bad enough to keep you around.¡± I went back and sat down at the table, while she stood up and went back into the room. I watched the video of Talia¡¯s fight again as I listened to herin. Finally, the door mmed closed and I had some peace and quiet.


    ¡°You¡¯re better off,¡± I told myself. My wolf was howling, fated or not she was his mate, and we had hurt her. He didn¡¯t like me thinking about other women. We had been at odds since I had kidnapped and killed my way to the Alpha position.


    I put my phone in my pocket and went back inside the room. I pulled my suitcase up onto the bed, unzipping the pocket and reaching in for the cash. I wasn¡¯t surprised to find Mercedes had taken it, but she didn¡¯t know enough to get it all. I moved the false bottom out of the way, exposing the fat stacks of Benjamins I had hidden from her. I also had all the untraceable bank cards, bearer bonds and other convertible cash. She could keep the money, the fifty grand or so was cheap to get her out of the way.


    If I survived all this, I would break the bond and find another someday. Life was too short to be married to a joy sucker like her. Her taking off on her own might work in my favor; someone might kill her for me. I¡¯d get through the pain and be a free wolf again.


    It took me ten minutes to pack, and I called the desk to check out and have my car brought around. Every Pack in the country was looking for me, but none would expect me to go where I was headed. I would be in Pittsburgh by nightfall, and then the Chairman and I would have a little chat about his Alpha Killer problem.


    Chairman Wolfe¡¯s POV


    Council HQ- Outside Pittsburgh


    The jet had left Wisconsin at sunrise when the local airport opened, and the passengers would soon be arriving in my conference room. The Council was here, along with my Chief Counsel, Lawrence Kendall. The investigation into the mole had only taken a few days, and Lawrence was exonerated. Chief Enforcer Mendez was guilty as hell and was being held in silver in the Council cells until we could arrange a trial. I was in no hurry. The only real surprise was that it wasn¡¯t Mendez who warned Alpha Todd of the arrest warrant, it was Alpha Justin. As far as we could tell, Beta Mendez of the Tomah Pack was not involved in any of his cousin¡¯s misdeeds.


    The Tomah Pack wasn¡¯t about to turn over leadership to him. He had been released and returned to his original Pack.


    We had other business, and I opened the meeting with the mess Alpha Todd had left behind. ¡°Where do we sit on permanent leadership for the Tomah Pack?¡±


    ¡°No change yet,¡± Councilman Wyatt Pierce said. The newest member who reced me when I was elevated to Chairman, he was responsible for the Midwestern packs. ¡°Alpha John of the ck River Falls Pack has temporarily taken leadership of the Tomah Pack. The Tomah Pack finds this preferable to a temporary Alpha. They are still hoping that Tania Stillwater and her mate Bobby Meechum will return and take over the Pack. They are willing to wait while she recovers from her abuse.¡±


    Her story had rocked the Werewolf world, and she had a lot of sympathy among the Alphas. Pushing the Pack to ept someone else would be futile until she officially rejected the position. Bobby Meechum was young, but his parents were strong Alphas. No one knew how it would work to have a Luna with no wolf, but her Pack didn¡¯t care. ¡°I think it is best if the Council stays back on this one unless our help is requested,¡± Councilman Stu ck, representing the West Coast Packs, said. ¡°The Council¡¯s role in pushing out Talia from that pack is still very fresh.¡±


    ¡°I agree. The optics of us going in there and taking charge are bad, and politically it is better to provide quiet support. Let¡¯s focus on finding Todd Aldridge and recovering the money he stole. Chief Enforcer Smith, what is the status of the search?¡±


    ¡°No good leads, sir. He hasn¡¯t shown up on TSA databases, we have triggers loaded in the system if he tries to fly. The Packs have heard nothing. We haven¡¯t found anything on traffic cameras looking for his license tes, nor facial recognition in Vegas or therger cities. He¡¯s gone to ground somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Keep looking,¡± I said. ¡°How about the search for Talia Stillwater?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Nothing new. We know she was at the La Crosse Pack, but since then nothing. Our Enforcers have not been allowed there, except Investigator Donnelli, of course.¡±


    There was a knock at the door, and I recognized the scents. ¡°Perfect timing,¡± I said. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Two people stepped into the room. The first was Council Investigator Bruno Donnelli, and next to him was a middle-aged woman. ¡°Wee back. Investigator Donnelli, what can you report.¡±


    ¡°As you know,st night I was allowed limited ess to the La Crosse Pack for the purpose of questioning their prisoners.¡± The Council and other Alphas had put a lot of pressure on Alpha rk to allow ess at all; after much negotiation, he allowed an investigator and a doctor for two hours. ¡°Luna Rhoda confessed she asked her mate to find a surrogate, and didn¡¯t want to know the details. Her wolf has been removed and she is watching her mate die. Both men confessed their roles in the kidnapping and rape of Tania, and Beta Jack Meoffe confessed he sold Tania to a ve trader to settle a gambling debt. Both men asked to be taken into Council custody, which Alpha rk denied.¡±


    ¡°How are they doing? I¡¯ve heard rumors that Justin is dying slowly.¡±


    ¡°They both will die slowly and painfully, that is the sentence. The how is quite different.¡± He handed over a sh drive, and soon a video clip appeared on the screen. Gasps of horror, including mine, were heard as we saw the condition of the former Copper Mountain Alpha. His leg and torso were swollen and ck, the skin splitting in ces where pus and blood was seeping out. He could barely move, and you could hear hisbored breathing and his moans of pain.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT,¡± Councilman Lee said, he oversaw the East Coast packs.


    ¡°That is the effect of a modified vampire venom on a werewolf,¡± Doctor Tara Himen said. She had be the Council¡¯s staff doctor three years ago and had gone to La Crosse to verify the rumors of Justin¡¯s condition. ¡°I was able to take blood samples and swabs. The bite he received from Talia Stillwater was the source of the poisoning. My conclusion is that her bite contains a form of weak vampire venom.¡±


    ¡°Is it fatal? Can it be treated?¡±


    ¡°We have no effective antidote to vampire venom, and even though this kills much more slowly, it is just as certain a death.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have an antidote,¡± Councilman Miller said. His territory covered the south-central area of the US and northern Mexico.


    ¡°You should recall that the Alpha Killer destroyed the research facility we had and rescued the vampires held there. All our notes and experiments were lost, along with almost all the researchers. It set our efforts back a decade.¡± She paused and looked at the men. ¡°It¡¯s clear the vampires have been doing some experimenting on their own. You¡¯ve all seen the video of the fight and you know Talia can shift. What I¡¯m telling you is that she also has vampire traits, including their speed, strength and a form of venom. The Alpha Killer is a hybrid, that¡¯s why she is faster and more lethal than the male Alphas she has taken down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s monstrous,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s sold us all out to the Vampires, trading her allegiance to them and doing their bidding.¡± I leaned over the table, my hands gripping the edge. ¡°Everything else is on hold. We need to find the Alpha Killer and destroy her before she and her vampire friends create an army that can destroy us.¡±


    **********


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack Lands


    I didn¡¯t want to shift back, my wolf and I wanted to y. Bobby sent a request out to have some peoplee out and return the stuff from the waterfall and his truck to the Pack, while he took me on a tour of thends.


    We ran side by side, my wolf rubbing or nipping at him as we relished this freedom again. I knew I loved Bobby, he was a good man, and my wolf was instantly smitten. It was everything I had dreamed of as a girl, and the sex in both forms was amazing.


    We stayed out all day, his parents watching Phillip for me so we could have this time together. We covered dozens of miles of territory before the scent hit us. Deer. ¡°Care for some fast food,¡± Bobby asked me.


    ¡°Oh Luna yes, my wolf can¡¯t wait to hunt.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s work together. I¡¯ll work my way around to their right and chase them towards you. Pick a doe, with just two of us we don¡¯t need a huge animal.¡± The whitetailed deer in this part of Texas could get huge. I knew he didn¡¯t want me risking being hurt by a buck¡¯s antlers on my first hunt, but my wolf was confident. I licked his face and he moved silently off while I stalked closer.

 The Coven Alliance

    There were five of them, at the bottom of a hill where apple trees grew above a creek. I moved to the side of the hill, using the shrubs to hide me as I got closer. I was able to crawl close to the edge, about twenty yards from where I figured they would try to escape. Deer wouldn¡¯t break uphill. ¡°In position,¡± I sent to my mate.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to run straight towards them, get them to panic. Pick your target and trust your wolf, love.¡± He had gotten close, and the deer spooked and ran from him as he tore into the clearing. I tracked a small doe, a yearling, and sprang from my cover as she approached. I covered the distance In a few strides, and it was toote when she saw me. My wolf leaped up,tching onto her throat as my body weight knocked her down.


    I tasted the blood in my mouth as my teeth ripped her neck open. I shifted my grip, taking her spine in my jaws and shook. The loud crack of her neck caused her to still, and I dropped her to the ground.


    ¡°Nice job, love,¡± Bobby sent as he trotted up. He licked the blood from my face as I stood proudly over my kill. ¡°First bite is yours.¡±


    I used my teeth to pull the hide out of the way and get to the backstrap, the tender meat on top of the chest. Ripping out a piece, I swallowed it as my mate watched proudly. We worked together to eat our fill, then removed the rear quarters to bring home. We didn¡¯t like wasting meat, and we¡¯d only eaten half the doe. We cleaned our fur in the creek before lying in the shade to nap.


    When we woke, it was after dark. I didn¡¯t want to take control back from my wolf, and she wanted her mate. Licking his face, she woke him up and rubbed her face against his muzzle and neck. Bobby stood up as we sniffed, tails wagging, before he moved down and sniffed and licked at my sex. I was all for that and dropped my forelegs down before I took off into the woods. ¡°Catch me if you can,¡± I teased.


    I was fast, even if my body was still building strength back from my ordeal. I led him on a good chase, using my speed and quickness to change directions and keep him off bnce. Eventually he guessed right, we both zigged, and he rolled me. I tried to get up, but he was already over me, his teeth at my scruff. My wolf was giddy, her mate was dominating her and she was ready. She moved into position, tail to the side as Bobby¡¯s wolf poked around looking for the hole. His forelegs held me in ce as he drove home, seating himself in a strong thrust.


    I howled in pleasure as he took me hard and fast. This wasn¡¯t making love, this was a hard, possessive fucking and I loved every second of it. I whimpered when he forced his knot in, but that changed to a moan of pleasure as he started short-stroking me to a massive climax. My body stiffened before it broke, leaving me a pile of jelly held up by him and his big cock as he shot deep into my receptive sex.


    Heid us down, still tied together, and we fell asleep together.


    ¡°Bobby! Tania! Time toe home,¡± Alpha Brent said into our heads as we woke up. Alphas had the ability to break through mental walls to pushmunications where required. Looking around, the moon was up and we¡¯d slept for a few hours. ¡°Talia, Randall and Erica will be here with their guests tonight, I¡¯m leaving for the airport in an hour if you want toe with.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wait to show Talia I had my wolf back. ¡°We¡¯lle back.¡±


    ¡°Dad, we¡¯re about a twenty-minute run out. Tania took a deer, so if Phillip or the other pups want fresh meat, they can have it. We¡¯ll be ready in time.¡± I rolled to my feet, his knot having disengaged while we slept. My fur was sticky with his spend, so I walked down and rinsed in the creek before following him back to our kill, then towards home. He set a good pace over the open ground, and soon we were back at the Pack House.


    The pups were gathered in the grass, and they howled and yipped as we came in holding the legs in our jaws. We dropped them on the grass, and Phillip licked my jaw before taking his ce and digging in to the meat we¡¯d provided. ¡°I guess I have to shift back,¡± I said. ¡°This might hurt.¡±


    ¡°You know it will get better. You¡¯re a beautiful wolf and I love running with you.¡± I focused on the shift back, my bones crunching and body reforming until I was naked on my hands and knees again. ¡°By Luna I enjoyed today,¡± I said as I stood and was embraced by my mate. We turned and walked towards the Pack House, where the rest of our family was standing waiting for us.


    ¡°We¡¯re so proud of you two,¡± Patty said as she kissed us both.


    ¡°Congrattions on your wolf,¡± Brent said. ¡°I¡¯d hug you but you¡¯re stained with blood.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back down in fifteen minutes,¡± Bobby said. He led me in, past the Pack members who were pping and sending their congrattions, then up the stairs to our room. We showered together, then quickly dressed in jeans and shirts and returned downstairs. There were three Expeditions lined up in front, and we were in thest one with Dustin.


    Dad sent a broadcast to the whole Pack before we left. ¡°We will be returning with my son Randall, his mate Talia, and her friend Erica. All three are now hybrids of wolf and vampire, but they are also family and Pack members. With them are four Vampires from the New Orleans coven who saved Talia¡¯s life and are family to her. I expect all Pack members to treat them with respect, no matter what your instincts are telling you. They are not our enemy.¡±


    ¡°What are they like, Talia¡¯s friends,¡± Dusty asked as we pulled away.


    ¡°They are good people,¡± I said. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me they were vampires and I didn¡¯t know, but they were there for me as I was going through detox after my rescue. Talia trusts them, and so do I. I¡¯m thrilled for Erica, too. She gets her mate, and now she can mate him too.¡±


    ¡°So many changes,¡± Bobby said. ¡°Have you heard from Das?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s kicking ass and chewing bubble gum, and he¡¯s all out of bubble gum,¡± Dusty said with augh. ¡°Most of the people in that Pack are decent wolves, but the damage Justin did was extensive. Das has demoted or reced a number of wolves already, as he remakes the leadership there. The Pack was not run properly for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Is he safe?¡±


    ¡°He is. The wolves who went to La Crosse have returned home, and they are happy to have a Meechum in charge. I think they really want Talia to lead them.¡± He looked out the window. ¡°You know, Randall and Talia would be excellent Alphas if they took the job.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Revenge stilles first. Even if she was done with that, they¡¯d never ept a hybrid pair as Pack Alphas.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Das said. ¡°Wolves respect strength, and they have it. So do you.¡±


    I looked at him, a little shocked. I¡¯d seen myself in the mirror; I was underweight, undeveloped and unready. ¡°I¡¯m a long way from being strong.¡±


    ¡°The physical strength wille, but with Bobby at your side that won¡¯t matter right away. You have the inner strength and the bloodlines to lead. It is your birthright, and no one will take it from you should you decide you want to lead the Tomah Pack. Have you heard what is going on up there?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°Todd and his mate ran off, stealing money from the Pack. The Beta he brought in with him has left. They have no senior leaders, but they refused the Council¡¯s suggestion to bring in another. Instead, they are temporarily part of the ck River Falls Pack under Alpha John. They won¡¯t make a decision beyond that until they know your decision, Tania. The Pack is united in this. If you want to be Alpha, all you have to do is say so.¡±


    I leaned into Bobby¡¯s side, nervous about it all. I was fourteen and innocent when I wasst there, and I was no longer the same person. Bobby sensed my nervousness through the bond. ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide tonight,¡± he said. ¡°We all know it will take you time before you are ready to reenter Pack life as an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I want to visit,¡± I said. ¡°I want to see them all again before I decide.¡±


    ¡°Then visit we will,¡± he said before he kissed me. ¡°I will be happy as long as I am by your side, whether we are Alphas of a Pack or helping my parents here. Me, you, Phillip and any pups we have, that¡¯s what is important to me.¡±


    We talked the rest of the trip, and soon enough we were at the airport. The ne taxied in, and I was bouncing at Bobby¡¯s side as we waited for them toe out. Talia and Randall came out first, and breaking protocol terribly, I took off running and nearly tackled her as she came off the stairs. ¡°TALIA! SHE¡¯S BACK!¡±


    Talia hugged me back, freezing when she took a smell. ¡°You¡­ your wolf?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Bobby gave me my wolf back when we mated.¡± She squealed in happiness and hugged me again as the others came down the stairs.


    ¡°Formal introductions are needed,¡± Dad sent over the link, a little annoyed with me.


    ¡°Come on, we need to introduce them to our Alphas.¡± I held one of Talia¡¯s hands while Randall had the other, the Coven following us.


    ¡°Alpha Brent, Luna Patty, may I present my friends to you. Master Vampire Jarrod Covington, leader of the New Orleans Coven, and his wife Marceline.¡± Randall waited until the four had exchanged handshakes before continuing. ¡°Coven members Anastasia and Eduardo, and Eduardo¡¯s mate Erica.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m so happy for you Erica,¡± Patty said as she embraced the young woman. ¡°We¡¯ve heard so much about you! And Talia, it¡¯s so good to have people you love and trust here with us.¡±


    ¡°Come, we will return to the Pack House where we have ate dinner set up,¡± Brent said. He led Jarrod and Marcy to his vehicle, while Erica and the others loaded into ours.


    ¡°Erica, your scar?¡±


    ¡°Gone. Vampire healing is amazing,¡± she said. She looked great, young and glowing with happiness. ¡°OK, dish,¡± Erica said. ¡°How did you get your wolf back?¡±


    I told her the story, then she told me how she and Eduardo found each other. We caught up on everything on the way home. She told me about her time in La Crosse with Michelle, and how much she hoped I would return and take over Tomah. I looked over at Talia. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± she said. ¡°Technically I already have a Pack, and I¡¯m not done yet. The name rk got out of Beta Jack is opening all kinds of doors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to work in a few days,¡± Randall said. ¡°The ve traders and trainers are human and well hidden behind Mob connections. I can use my FBI task force to bust it up, but I¡¯m going to need your help, Tania.¡±


    ¡°I already gave a statement,¡± I said as I squeezed Bobby¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I know, and that worked well for the Council and Packs, but I can¡¯t use it with the FBI. It¡¯s important that you give a new statement, one carefully crafted to hide Pack involvement and focused on your time after you were turned over to the ve trading facility. My team will be pulling known associates and potential people involved, and we will need you to go through photo lineups, maybe even live ones. Your statement will be enough to get warrants, and we can start to pick them up.¡± He could sense I was getting nervous. ¡°My offices are in Das, it¡¯s not a bad drive from here. I can put you two up in my guest room or get you a hotel while you are there.¡±


    I looked at my sister. ¡°You agree with this?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Having me leave a trail of bodies in Chicago and elsewhere will attract too much attention. I promised to avenge you, Tania. Getting Randall and his coworkers to put these lowlifes in jail for decades will do that. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be able to focus on finding Todd.¡±


    ¡°Our Coven is helping, that is one of the reasons Jarrod wanted toe here,¡± Eduardo said. ¡°We have resources and contacts that Randall doesn¡¯t have. Talia is family, so are you. We want to help you.¡±


    ¡°Dad is ready to form an alliance with a Coven,¡± Randall said. ¡°It has been over a thousand years since thest time that happened, and we in this car are the catalyst. We will change our world together.¡±


    ¡°And it all started with a defeated, injured she-wolf who trusted a vampire she met at a gas station,¡± Talia said.

 Concluding With The Vampires

    Chairman Lewis Wolfe¡¯s POV


    Council Headquarters, PA


    After the meeting yesterday, all our resources were focused on locating the Alpha Killer. The La Crosse Pack wasn¡¯t cooperating, and the other logical ce to look was in Texas with the Meechums. They were even less cooperative, as their son was mated to Talia now.


    We had both Packs staked out, and we hit pay dirtst night. We had Enforcers monitoring the roads and airports near Sulphur River, and a private jetnded in the middle of the night. It was met by three SUV¡¯s from the Pack. Photographs taken at long range proved two disturbing things. One was that the Alpha Killer was being supported by Alpha Brent despite the warrants against her. The second was that they were colluding with vampires.


    I looked at the photograph and thements of the Chief Enforcer. The four vampires were known to be from New Orleans. They must have been the ones who changed Talia, and now they were working directly with a Pack. It was intolerable.


    I video called Councilman Miller, his oversight extended to the Texas, in fact all Packs in the South from there to Florida. ¡°We¡¯ve got a prob, Bob,¡± I said when he came on. I showed him the photo and told him what was happening.


    He was outraged. ¡°Alpha Brent has already shown his disdain for Council rule, unting ourws and decisions, and now he¡¯s seeking the backing of our enemies. You MUST bring this before the full Council, and we have to act quickly. If he can turn a small female like Talia into the Alpha Killer, imagine what will happen if he turns Alphas and Betas! They would wipe us out!¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll get a conference together. What I need you to do in the meantime is to put together a list of Packs who will help us. Eliminate those with strong ties to Sulphur River, we don¡¯t want them tipped off this ising.¡±


    ¡°How many warriors do we need?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Alpha Killer, idiot. ALL OF THEM.¡± I cut the call and went to get a drink. This information was giving me a headache, and it wasn¡¯t even eight in the morning yet. What the hell, it¡¯s after five in Australia.


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, it¡¯s Alex at the main gate. We have Todd Aldridge in custody, he says he needs to speak to you.¡±


    The missing Alpha Todd shows up at my gate? Now THIS is an interesting morning. ¡°Cuff him and have him escorted to my office.¡± I sent a summons to my Chief Enforcer and Counsel toe to my office.


    Five minutester, the former Alpha of the Tomah Pack was sitting in my office with my senior staff. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you had the balls to show up, Todd. Your mate sends her regards, by the way. We barely missed you in Chicago.¡±


    ¡°I expected that bitch to save her own skin, that¡¯s why I left. Don¡¯t think you can threaten me with her, I could care less what happens to her anymore. I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to make a deal, Todd. We have you, which will appease the Midwestern Packs when we execute you. We know where Talia is and who is protecting her. By sundown tomorrow, Talia will be dead, and you¡¯ll be facing trial.¡±


    ¡°Talia¡¯s not an ordinary werewolf.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of the abomination that Talia has been turned into,¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s protected by a Pack, you can¡¯t just go in there and grab her. Give me a pardon and use me as bait. I¡¯ll draw her to where you can capture her without coteral damage.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    I looked at my staff, and busted outughing. ¡°Coteral damage is required for this, the whole Pack has to go.¡± I sent for the Enforcers. ¡°Take this man to the cells and bind him in silver for trial.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the men said. They pulled Todd from the chair and hauled him out as he struggled and tried to tell us what a mistake we were making.


    I sent for Dr. Himen, there was more here I needed to know. She showed up a few minutester. ¡°I wanted to follow up on what you said yesterday,¡± I said. I showed her the picture of Talia with the four members of the New Orleans coven. ¡°You were experimenting with the captured vampires, looking for new weapons to use against them?¡±


    ¡°That was part of it, sir. The other part was analyzing their blood and venom to see if it was possible to transfer any of their traits to us.¡±


    ¡°What were the results?¡±


    ¡°Ingesting blood did nothing, but we suspected that. The werewolves that have killed vampires in battle showed no changes, so I didn¡¯t expect it. What I did find was that if I mixed vampire blood with werewolf blood cells, the vampire blood cells would surround and change the werewolf ones. I did some testing on prisoners, injecting blood directly into their bloodstream.¡±


    ¡°And the results?¡±


    ¡°Disappointing. The treatment was incredibly painful, and none survived it. They suffered for days before their bodies gave out. I did notice that their reflexes and strength increased as the change rolled through them, but they were out of their minds with pain and uncontroble. We abandoned that line of research.¡±


    I nodded, it WAS disappointing. ¡°Do you think this is what happened to Talia Stillwater to make her into the Alpha Killer?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. The Vampire Masters are millennia old, obviously one knew how to make this work and changed her.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s another possible reason. The vampires we had to experiment on were fairly young. One was turned a few years earlier, one a century ago. Even between those two, the difference in the strength of their blood and their skills was apparent. Vampires be stronger and more powerful with age, and Talia fell in with a Master Vampire. It might not just be the method, it might be because his blood was powerful enough to make the change without driving her mad.¡±


    More reason to kill them all. ¡°Thank you. Return to your work.¡±


    The video conference with the other Council members, who had all returned home after yesterday¡¯s meeting, was upon me quickly. I kept my end small, just me and my two senior staff members. When everyone was on, I filled them in. I went through where Talia was, who she was with and why that was important, and Dr. Himen¡¯s experiments. ¡°We have less time than we thought to act,¡± I said as I finished my brief. ¡°If the Doctor is right and the Vampire Master has the ability to change werewolves to be like Talia, his presence at a Pack is concerning. He could be changing some, dozens, hell he could be changing the whole Pack right now. Imagine an entire Pack, hostile to the Council and in league with our enemies, with her speed and strength. They could END us as a species.¡±


    ¡°We have to move quickly,¡± Councilman Miller said. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted Packs in the area I think we can rely on, and the response has been mixed. Those that were hesitant or expressed sympathy for the Stillwaters I didn¡¯t ask. Those who feared what she could do all promised men and support. In two days, we can add two hundred Pack Warriors to our Council Enforcers. Surely that¡¯s enough to take out the vampires and Talia.¡±


    ¡°Two days isn¡¯t fast enough, they¡¯ve already been there one. We need to invade before anyone he¡¯s trying to change can make the change,¡± I said. ¡°We need to attack in the morning, when the vampires can¡¯te out and fight us. We¡¯ll take out the Pack and burn out the Vampires.¡± The next ten minutes we spent talking logistics, battle ns andmand. My Lead Enforcer would be in charge locally, the Packs and Enforcers working directly for him.


    When there was a lull, my Counsel interrupted. ¡°Before we go back-pping each other about what geniuses we are in battle, let¡¯s back up a little and discuss the potential oues of our n.¡± Lawrence tapped the table. ¡°First off, you have the Council and allied Packs nning to attack a sovereign Pack, on its territory, with no warning and no charges. Then you are going to wipe them out to thest woman and child. How do you think the other Packs will react to that?¡±

 The Biggest Regrets

    ¡°They¡¯ll see we had to do it,¡± Councilman Pierce said. ¡°We¡¯re facing an exigent threat here.¡±


    ¡°We have no evidence that the Sulphur River Pack is creating hybrids, only that Talia, while a rogue, was changed by a vampire. Based on their familiarity, we can guess it was Jarrod Covington. If the Coven has been hiding her, they must be friendly to her. Is it all that surprising that she would bring her friends to meet her mate¡¯s family? There must be a lot to work out. Imagine if you roll in there, guns zing, and it¡¯s just a mating party with Vampire guests.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t take that chance,¡± I said.


    ¡°Legally, you have a process before force can be used against a Council pack. You have to file charges, the Alpha must be given a chance to respond in a hearing before the Alphas, and only if found guilty can force be authorized- and even THEN only to arrest the Alpha and Pack leadership. There is nothing in ourws that allows us to wipe out an entire Pack. The very idea is monstrous, and I¡¯m shocked we¡¯re sitting here discussing it.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for Council procedures,¡± Pierce said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time NOT to do it. Imagine your little scenario fails, and the Alpha Killer is out there. Every one of you will be on her hit list, along with the Alphas of every Pack who participated. Who wants to go first? You?¡± Kendall red at the Councilman. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that the Vampires will be killed as well. What if the Vampire Council knows of Jarrod¡¯s visit to the Sulphur River Pack? Wouldn¡¯t they use this mating between a Alpha blood werewolf and a hybrid as a chance to open a line ofmunication with their enemies? Luna forbid this Master is on an official diplomatic mission and we roll in there and kill him and his Coven. We could have all-out war with the Vampires then.¡±


    This was the value of Lawrence Kendall to my staff; when we started heading off somewhere, he¡¯d pull out the map and show us we were lost. ¡°So what do you suggest? Surely we can¡¯t sit back and do nothing while Jarrod and Brent build a hybrid army.¡±


    He sat back and looked at the camera. ¡°Why are you so afraid of Talia Stillwater?¡±


    Councilman Ricardo looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the tape, right?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Talia Stillwater was a sixteen-year-old kid when she was exiled and changed. By seventeen she¡¯d killed her first Alpha. You see her there. She¡¯s what, maybe five-foot-eight and a hundred and twenty pounds?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s deadly,¡± he said.


    ¡°You respect her as a fighter, and you should. Who wouldn¡¯t want that strength in their Pack? It¡¯s not her hybrid nature that scares you, it¡¯s that her loyalty isn¡¯t to you. Imagine if that same power was ced in someone of Alpha blood, a male twice her size and strength, with a century of fighting experience. How much more deadly would that be?¡±


    ¡°Order of magnitude,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°She¡¯s still a pup, not even of drinking age yet, and as a woman she¡¯d never be as strong.¡±


    ¡°You guys are looking at this all wrong. As the Chinese proverb says, ¡®In every crisis, there is opportunity.¡¯ Look at this situation another way. What opportunity do we have before us?¡±


    It was Chief Enforcer Jones who put it together first. ¡°A Vampire Master. Capture him, and we can make all the Alpha Killers we want.¡±


    Now Kendall smiled broadly. ¡°Exactly. We turn a single trained Enforcer and we have something far more powerful than Talia Stillwater, plus we deny the Sulphur River Pack the chance to create any on their own. It also puts a halt to any unsanctioned peace efforts. Hell, the Vampire Council might me Alpha Brent for the loss of their Coven and take care of the Pack themselves. Meanwhile, we have what we need to not just maintain power but make our power unassable. Even the Vampires will have trouble fighting one of our hybrids.¡±


    ¡°It would be a game changer,¡± Jones said. ¡°Right now, we need five or more Werewolves to take on a Vampire, since we have to control the limbs without being bitten. Covens aren¡¯t that big, if we could take them on one-on-one we¡¯d be able to wipe them out.¡±


    ¡°Made easier because the hybrids can walk in the sunlight,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve convinced me of all but one thing. How do we capture a Vampire Master without the Vampire Council ming us?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t capture him,¡± Kendall said. ¡°Another opportunity walked through the door this morning.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Todd Aldridge. A wanted former Alpha, on the run from us with a grudge against the Alpha Killer. We couldn¡¯t be med if he gathered a rogue army and took her and her friends out.¡± I pped Lawrence on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking genius. If he fails, the link back to us dies with him.¡± I looked at the camera. ¡°Call the Packs back. Tell them the Alpha Killer is in the region, and they need to increase their own readiness. Ask for a ready reaction force, a few dozen warriors, who can respond if directed. We may need them to swoop down afterwards and clean things up. Jones, get the Enforcers geared up and heading for Texas.¡± The call ended and people took off, we had things to do.


    ¡°Jones, let¡¯s go down to the cells and have a talk with Todd, shall we?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take much. Jones would be his liaison, providing him with money, weapons and intel. No one outside the Council would know he was working for us. In return, he wanted a pardon and one more thing. ¡°I want a chance to be a hybrid like Talia, then I want you to give her to me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The biggest regret of my life is kicking her out of my Pack instead of keeping her for my own. I¡¯m going to kill her mate and take her for my own.¡±


    What the hell, he¡¯d never live to make the change. There was no way I¡¯d give that kind of power to someone who wasn¡¯t loyal to me. ¡°Agreed. Bring me Jarrod and Talia, and you may be the first to change and take her as your mate.¡±

 Her Immunity

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack


    I groaned as I woke up, looking at the clock next to my bed. Two-twenty. My movement caused my mate to shift in my arms, her leging up and bumping into my morning wood. I groaned again as she moved her hand down to it. ¡°Morning love, or should I say good afternoon.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she said. ¡°I love waking up this way.¡±


    ¡°In my arms?¡±


    She grinned as she looked up at me from where her head was resting on my chest. ¡°Horny and you¡¯re already hard,¡± she said. She moved over me, kissing my chest and moving up my body. Herher lips were rapidly moistening as they rubbed over my length. My hands ran down her sides, grabbing her hips and moving her back and forth as I became even harder. ¡°I need you,¡± she said as he reached down and grabbed my shaft, aligning it with her opening and sinking back down. ¡°Oh fuck that¡¯s good,¡± she said as she bottomed out.


    She was hot and tight, and I tried to focus on her instead of the velvet glove around my cock. She started to rock back and forth as she put her hands on my chest. I moved my hands up to her perky breasts, leaning forward to suck on a nipple. Neither of us were going to hold out as she started moving faster. The sound of her hips smacking down on mine filled the room, each thrust pushing me deep inside her until I couldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°I¡¯m cumming, love,¡± I said as I let go.


    ¡°FUCK!!¡± She felt the first of my cum hit her deep inside and dropped down, her own orgasm squeezing me as she threw her head back and screamed. I grabbed her ass, holding her down on me until I had filled herpletely. She copsed back on my chest, enjoying the feeling over the mate bond. ¡°I love you,¡± she said.


    I hugged her tight. ¡°I love you too, Talia.¡± We enjoyed the moment, which was over as soon as I came out and our legs were covered with goo. She rolled off the bed, pulling me to my feet and leading me to the shower.


    We were enjoying the cleanup when my Dad sent to me. ¡°Talia, Randall, we need to talk with you guys. We¡¯re down in the safe room with your vampire friends. You missed breakfast and lunch but there¡¯s food down here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there in fifteen minutes,¡± I replied. ¡°Come on, duty calls.¡± We quickly finished and dried off before getting dressed. We were there in fourteen, hand in hand. Mom and Dad were sitting at a long table, along with all four of the vampires and Erica. Bobby and Tania came in just behind me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°While you have been changing, they¡¯ve been busy working on the leads for the ve trade. We need to make some decisions soon,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°We have three major targets,¡± Jarrod said as he walked up to the walls where bulletin boards were hanging, filled with photos and other documents. ¡°The first is the ve training facility where Tania was taken after Beta Jack sold her to Joey ¡®Bag of Donuts¡¯ Veni. Tania didn¡¯t recognize him, so we don¡¯t know if Joey just transferred her or if the Chicago Mafia is running it.¡±


    ¡°Either way, Donuts is going to have a bunch of holes in him,¡± I said. ¡°With the organized crime links, it probably would be best for me to bring in the FBI on this one. I¡¯m sure they have a lot more on him and his group than I do.¡±


    ¡°Which brings us to the facility. You were there for weeks, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, up until the auction,¡± Tania said. ¡°They never used their full names. Crystal was the only one who worked with me directly, I don¡¯t know herst name. The others were in the background.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can remember faces, with enough detail for a sketch,¡± Patty asked. ¡°We have a good artist in our Pack, and now that your wolf is back, you should be able to send images to her over the link.¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± she said. ¡°I can try.¡±


    ¡°Good. We can use facial recognition to search the FBI databases, right Randall?¡± I nodded. ¡°After that is the ind. You can¡¯t hide an operation that big,¡± Jarrod said.


    ¡°I think we know where that is, we just haven¡¯t been able to gather evidence to shut it down,¡± I said. ¡°They are on an ind under Colombian jurisdiction, controlled by the drug lords. Privatending strip, connecting from other inds so no US jurisdiction. Invitation only.¡±


    Patty moved over and knelt by Tania, holding her hand. ¡°I hate to make you relive those days, Tania, but we¡¯re going to need help here. There¡¯s no getting on that ind without an invitation, and operations like this are done by referral. I need the same things; names and faces of the staff you can remember, and anything you remember for names of customers.¡±


    Jarrod nodded. ¡°If we can track down the customers, we can use them to wrangle an invite.¡±


    ¡°What good will that do,¡± Tania said. ¡°There¡¯s dozens of people there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what Talia and I will be able to do with a few of our buddies,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t care if they search our luggage because we bring our own weapons. They¡¯ll be dead and buried before morninges.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tania said. ¡°What about giving a statement to the FBI?¡±


    I looked at my father. ¡°Randall, you and Talia are returning to your apartment tonight. In the morning, go back to work. Bobby, you call him when you guys are done here and set up a time toe to his work.¡±


    ¡°Is she going alone?¡±


    Dad shook his head. ¡°No, Talia is her sister, she will bring her in. The story will be that Tania ran off after the shooting, and you didn¡¯t see anything, and you were scared. You ran until you were able to call your sister, and she came and picked you up. You¡¯ve been in rehab under the care of Doctor Anders in New Orleans, and you are now well enough to give a statement. We will practice with you so you can say as much truth as possible while still protecting the Packs and the Coven.¡±


    ¡°I think I have a better idea,¡± I said. ¡°Dad, is Lou Walls still awyer in town?¡± Dad nodded, he was an older wolf in our Pack and often worked Pack matters. ¡°Let¡¯s bring him in, he can be the counsel for Tania. She¡¯s willing to talk, but she is worried about being arrested. Have him call my officete this afternoon and ask for me. When you are told I¡¯m not avable, ask to speak to my supervisor. Tell her you are willing to make a statement and answer questions on the Fort Worth killings and your time as a sex ve. In return, you want immunity from prosecution.¡±


    ¡°She was a victim, son,¡± Dad said. ¡°They aren¡¯t going to arrest her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s scared and she doesn¡¯t know that. She was involved in prostitution and she fled the scene of a crime. She also stole cash from the pants pocket of the man who was in there with her. They¡¯ll give her immunity, once Lou tells them what she is willing to provide.¡± They all nodded. ¡°Request that an agent interview her at Lou¡¯s office in town, because she¡¯s afraid to go back to that city since they haven¡¯t found the killers yet. My boss will send me, since this is in my back yard.¡±


    ¡°That could work,¡± Bobby said. ¡°I¡¯d feel better if she could be around home instead of traveling back to the cities. I want to be there with her.¡±


    ¡°How do we exin them knowing each other,¡± I asked.


    Dad thought a minute. ¡°We can¡¯t. I think Snacks will need to make aeback. It¡¯s not a stretch that a woman who has been through so much would bond with a big dog from my ranch, one we gave her for protection andfort,¡± he said. ¡°That way you¡¯re in the room and it doesn¡¯t raise more questions. We just need to get you a cor and a service dog vest.¡±


    ¡°I hate cors,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll feed you some of those liver treats if you behave,¡± Tania said with a giggle. ¡°I like this n, I don¡¯t have to spend hours on the road.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get plenty oftitude in questioning, you¡¯ll have the statements written up already and we can just ask rifying questions. Give them everything on the abduction, Todd is a fugitive right now and Justin is missing and will be dead soon. The Chicago Mob is likely running the training center. The ind is outside FBI jurisdiction, but we won¡¯t give them names or helpful details. Your time with Dirk and Peggy you can talk as much as you want; both are dead, and it has nothing to do with Packs. All you have to do is say you didn¡¯t see the shooter, and you grabbed cash and ran. Any objections?¡±


    ¡°Lou and I will make sure she stays within bounds,¡± Dad said.


    I nodded. ¡°We can also say that yourwyer put you with the sketch artist so you would have more to offer. When it¡¯s over you say you¡¯re done. You fear for your safety and are going back into hiding, only yourwyer will know how to reach you. I want you to disappear again.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. We¡¯re staying here, right?¡± Tania was leaning into Bobby forfort.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be wanted for anything, but I think it will be best if you stay on Pack grounds,¡± Dad said. ¡°Todd¡¯s still out there somewhere.¡±


    I looked over at my mate. ¡°With this n, there¡¯s no reason to risk you traveling to Das just to end uping back here tomorrow. You¡¯re safer here, and you can help train Erica while I drive.¡± She didn¡¯t look happy I was leaving, so I leaned over and kissed her. ¡°I¡¯ll call into work and tell them I¡¯m over my viral pneumonia and will be back in the office in the morning. Jarrod, I¡¯m going to be fine on my own, right? No bloodlust?¡±


    ¡°You should be good for another week before you need to drink again. You should spar with Talia and with us when you return; no one else in the Pack will be able to challenge you now. You already know the moves, now you need to adjust to your new strength and speed. If there are any questions, call us. We¡¯ll be here.¡±


    Dad tossed me a set of keys. ¡°Your Jeep is in the garage, two of the exchange wolves arrived with it this morning. Talia¡¯s motorcycle key is on the ring with it.¡± She almost grabbed for the ring, and I quickly detached the carabineer and handed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s been washed and gassed up.¡±


    ¡°Probably best if leave it in the garage for now,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s only one paved road and that¡¯s the driveway.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Vampire Briefing

    ¡°We¡¯ve got some dirt bikes in the pole barn if you want to ride,¡± Patty said. ¡°Any of the boys would be happy to show you the trails we have, and it gives you a chance to see ournd.¡±


    ¡°That would work,¡± Talia said.


    I stood up, and Talia took my hand as she stood by my side as I took her hand. ¡°Thank you all for the help. I¡¯ll be back here after the interview is done and we can go over the next moves.¡± Talia and I hugged everyone, then went back upstairs.


    I barely had the door closed before she had her clothes off and was yanking down my shorts. I moaned and leaned back against the door as she licked at my rapidly hardening cock. ¡°I need you,¡± she said between sucks as she looked up at me. ¡°Fuck me hard, baby. I want to feel it when you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re wamps with vampire healing, I could fuck you half to death and you¡¯d be good as new in an hour,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then fuck me half to death.¡± I smiled and picked her up, tossing her twenty feet onto the bed. Her naked body twisted in the air,nding softly on all fours. I kicked my shorts off and was behind her in a sh, grabbing her wrists and holding them behind her back. She moved her hips, trying to get me inside her. I lined up and mmed my hips into her, plunging deep into her tight pussy as she screamed in pleasure and pain at the sudden invasion.


    We¡¯d never really let go, our lovemaking had been at normal human speeds. She howled her pleasure into the pillow as I took her hard. The room was filled with the wet p of my hips hitting her sex, the grunts and groans of our exertion, and her begging me to fuck her harder, faster or deeper.


    She came explosively as I suddenly speeded up, fucking her from behind at vampire speed. I soon realized why even vampires didn¡¯t screw like this. No matter how wet and willing she was, if you move one object in another fast enough, the friction builds up heat.


    Lots of heat.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I pulled out, my cock red and the juices on it sending off wisps of steam. She rolled on her back, holding her legs open. I moved on top of her and shifted to face the opposite way, using my tongue to cool her insides as she took my length in her mouth. It only took a few seconds to cool us off, then I rolled off andy next to her. ¡°I guess that answers the question,¡± I said.


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°If I smoke after sex.¡± She looked at me, then busted outughing. I got up and moved over her, slowly pushing my healed length into her. ¡°Maybe a slow lovemaking is better.¡±


    We rocked back and forth as we kissed, but she needed more. Her legs wrapped around me, and I picked up the pace. I moved her legs onto my shoulders, changing the angle, and started pounding her hard again until we both broke as I came deep inside her. I moved her legs down, thenid on my back and rolled her into my side. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you tonight. I don¡¯t like being apart from you now that I have you.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way, Randall. I never expected to be happy, I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d still be alive by now. We¡¯re going to do this.¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± I said.


    ¡°Together.¡± She snuggled into my side, falling asleep.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep, so ten minutester I rolled out of bed and packed my bag. When I was ready, I leaned over and kissed her. ¡°I love you, Talia. Stay safe.¡± She let out a moan and snuggled my pillow. I let myself out.


    Twenty minutester, my Jeep was leaving the Packnds and heading towards the highway. I called my boss, who was thrilled to hear I was on my way back. ¡°You¡¯ve never been sick before, Randall. This pneumonia must have been bad.¡±


    ¡°It knocked me on my ass, I can¡¯t argue that. My Mom hasn¡¯t fussed over me that much since I was eight.¡± Sheughed. ¡°See you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Lots to do, Agent Meechum.¡± She hung up as I was reaching the main road.


    Unknown POV


    I was in my sniper¡¯s hide, the camera attached to the spotting scope and the scoped rifle next to it. I tracked the Jeep leaving Packnds, taking photos which were then sent to Todd at our hotel base. I called him up. ¡°Todd, you get the photos?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Randall Meechum. Let him go, he¡¯s not a target.¡± We had photos of the Alpha Killer and her four Vampire friends. He was offering ten thousand a week to be part of his army, and we¡¯d split a million dors if we captured Talia and Jarrod. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy, but being a rogue had never been easy.


    Do my job well, he had said, and there would be a spot for me in his Pack. Five years alone was long enough.


    Alpha Brent¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    ¡°Alpha, you need to see this, we¡¯ve got watchers near the entrances,¡± the warrior manning the security center in the basement of the Pack House said.


    I looked at my watch, it was just after three. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Jarrod in with me since this might be involving him.¡± I linked Patty who was with the children out back and asked her to meet me at the basement door. ¡°Hi baby,¡± I said as I pulled her into my arms as I reached the stairway.


    ¡°More intrigue,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I guess.¡± We went downstairs, and I grabbed Jarrod out of the safe room. He and his Coven were amazing because they didn¡¯t need to sleep, and Eduardo was a whiz onputers. I¡¯d put him with my alpha geek down in the server room and they were digging up all kinds of evidence.


    We entered the small security center, which had one warrior manning the station 24/7. High definition televisions showed the areas around the Pack homes, the entry roads, and other areas of interest. The technology was state-of-the art; all cameras were shown sixteen to a screen normally, and motion sensors or mouse clicks could be used to bring up details on tworge screens. The passive defenses, such as vehicle barriers, remote-operated fences and tear gas bombs, were also controlled from this room. Our Theta, Marvin Thurber, the leader of Pack security, was already there. ¡°What did you find, Michael?¡±


    ¡°Our perimeter patrol drone picked this up around lunchtime,¡± he said. He pulled up a video clip on theputer of the main driveway to the Pack House. Across the road, maybe a quarter mile away, the thermal imager picked up the shape of a man, prone in the bushes and pointed towards our territory. ¡°I made a note of it, but he was still a ways off. It was only when the drone saw this that I got nervous.¡± The next clip, of the back exit to our territory, showed a man in a group of trees.


    ¡°Sentinels,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yep. They were in the same ces as the drone did its nextp.¡± Our territory was huge, and it would take too many wolves to patrol the border to make it practical. In addition, we were in cattle country; if any neighbors saw a wolf, they¡¯d probably shoot it. We had purchased a half-dozen autonomous drones and programmed them to fly a surveince pattern. Flying high enough their engines were difficult to hear, their high-resolution cameras transmitted images live back to our security center. Once in our security center, artificial-intelligence image processing software matched the images to stored images of the territory and highlighted any differences. We always had one in the air at the edge of our territory, and another flying a one-mile perimeter from our homes. The technology brought it to the warrior¡¯s attention, and he could dispatch remotely-piloted drones from there. ¡°I sent a patrol out to scout it, they stayed out of sight and got eyes and noses on. They are both werewolves, both rogues, and both armed with long-range rifles.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Things just got real. ¡°Any more of them out there?¡±


    ¡°I think we may have some patrols in cars, but it¡¯s hard to tell. I can direct our patrols to investigate.¡±


    Jarrod shook his head. ¡°Better not to approach them or show any signs we are onto them. They probably know my Coven is here, maybe Talia is who they are after. They didn¡¯t shoot at Randall, they¡¯re just observing and reporting. Now that we know where they are out there, we have the advantage.¡±


    I thought about it, he was right. If they stayed off the territory, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it anyway. ¡°Keep an eye on them and let me know if others start to gather. Keep two drones in the air around the border at all times.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± Marvin said. ¡°I am also going to have a few of my best snipers find positions where we can observe and take out the targets if directed.¡± I nodded, knowing it would be good to have that option ready. ¡°Do you want to put the Pack on lockdown?¡±


    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t want anyone going out alone or unarmed. Changing our habits could tip them off too.¡± I sent a message out to all Pack members, informing them we had rogues monitoring the Pack borders. Effective immediately, no one was to go closer than a mile to the Pack border without coordinating it with Theta Marvin or myself. Once I was satisfied my Theta had it under control, my mate and I returned with Jarrod to the safe room.


    ¡°How are we going to get Tania out of here safely,¡± Eduardo asked as we briefed the vampires and Erica on what we had found. ¡°If it¡¯s Todd, he¡¯ll want her dead.¡±


    ¡°We have an advantage in that Todd thinks she has no wolf,¡± I said. ¡°We can use that.¡±


    Marcy looked at me. ¡°It might be best to move quickly. We haven¡¯t been here long. If Todd is raising a rogue army, the longer we wait the more people he has.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s after Talia and Tania,¡± Erica said. ¡°He probably thinks he can survive the bacsh if Tania isn¡¯t around to testify against him. Or, he thinks killing Talia will be enough to get the Council to pull its arrest warrant.¡±


    Jarrod smiled. ¡°Well, they don¡¯t know about the four of us, and they don¡¯t know about Erica¡¯s new abilities.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sometimes when you see the mousetrap, you just need to trip the bar and steal the cheese. We send Talia out in a car, something with bulletproof ss if you have it.¡±

 Sulphur River Pack2

    ¡°I have one armored SUV,¡± I said. ¡°I use it when my mate and I leave our territory.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Put her in it with a few of your top warriors. Put more in another vehicle. We will be the surprise, they¡¯ll never expect vampires to be working with you. The six of us will zip out and kill this rogue army while your warriors keep them engaged.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of dangerous, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not so much if we do this,¡± he said. He exined his n, and I went to talk to my sons and my Beta about how we were going to make it happen. Tonight, while Randall was back in Das and the Pack was resting, we¡¯d make our move.


    Just after sundown, Talia entered the armored SUV in the back seat behind the driver. Three warriors were with her, and all four were wearing body armor under their clothes. The vests included ballistic tes capable of stopping a rifle round, but their heads were still vulnerable. A second SUV with four more armored and armed warriors led them down the driveway. The group stopped at the end of the drive, where it met the county road. ¡°They are leaving Packnd now,¡± Theta Marvin sent from the security center.


    ¡°Be careful, love,¡± Patty sent to me. She and all the other nonbatants in the Pack were already in the safe rooms, just in case this was bigger than we thought.


    ¡°I will.¡± I looked at my iPad in the lead SUV, I had Erica, Jarrod, Eduardo and my Beta with me. The live feed from the drone overhead showed the two cars turning left. I could see the sniper tracking them, with a spotting scope not a rifle, and it looked like he was making a phone call. ¡°Time to spring the trap. We¡¯re two minutes back. In thirty seconds, take out the sentinels.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, Alpha.¡± We were running without headlights, and the hills would hide us from the sentinel for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Target down,¡± the sniper on my side sent.


    ¡°Target two down,¡± the sniper on the back road sent.


    ¡°Good job, men. Send the backups out and around,¡± I said. Since it was impossible for Todd and his people to know where we were headed, we figured they would set up before the first crossroads, which was about ten miles away in the direction Talia¡¯s motorcade had turned. The backups were going to approach the crossroads from the other side, making sure none of these bastards would escape. A second group of warriors was going to the crossroads on the side they didn¡¯t go to. They¡¯d either kill them or chase them if they came towards the other group. ¡°Marvin, what are the drones showing?¡±


    ¡°Ambush point is three miles ahead of Talia¡¯s convoy, at the bottom of the draw by Mitchell Creek,¡± he said. ¡°Twenty-one hostiles on both sides of the road, divided evenly on each hillside. There are men moving around by the bridge, it may be rigged to blow,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bail out before we reach the ambush point,¡± Talia said. ¡°Our escorts will stop just short of the top of the hill and draw fire.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, we¡¯ll be just behind you. Warriors, watch your fire because they¡¯ll be moving fast. Try to take Todd Aldridge alive if possible, kill the rest without mercy.¡±


    Everyone was ready. We were racing down the road, about a mile back of Talia¡¯s group with our lights off.


    I saw the brake lights ahead and knew it was starting. The two SUV¡¯s skidded to a halt just before the ambush point, and the warriors used the cars for cover as they started firing their rifles at the wolves lying in ambush. The drone video showed Talia moving quickly through the line of wolves on the left side of the road, leaving four dead in her wake in seconds. ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s not going to be anyone left for us at this rate,¡± I said as we pulled to a stop at the bottom of the next hill. The doors flew open, and the four vampires plus Erica disappeared faster than my eyes could track them. ¡°Cease fire, friendlies inbound,¡± I ordered.


    One warrior stayed with me, and I stayed back as I wasn¡¯t needed. I watched the feed as the four vampires and two hybrids killed the ambushers in a violent spree thatsted less than twenty seconds. ¡°All clear, Dad. Todd isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, you have four vehicles inbound your position from the secondary ambush point, we are in pursuit,¡± the backup team leader sent.


    ¡°Stay back, we¡¯ll be ready for them. Let¡¯s get these cars set up on the other side of the hill,¡± I said.


    Once we had moved the four vehicles out of sight off the sides of the road, I had them set up spike strips at the top of the hill. We had a few minutes before they arrived, so my men carried the dead to the vehicles and put them on tarps in the back. ¡°Two minutes out, take positions,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Dad, let your warriors do this,¡± Talia sent. ¡°We¡¯ll stay back and get any stragglers.¡±


    ¡°If you see Todd, grab him and get him out of there,¡± I said.


    The vehicles wereing fast, and they didn¡¯t slow down as they reached the top of the hill. The sound of blowouts was loud in the air as the spike strips did their job, and the first vehicle skidded and rolled onto its side. The second vehicle stayed upright but ran into the first. The third and fourth skidded to a stop. As the doors opened, my men unleashed a hail of bullets into them.


    ¡°Todd¡¯s in the lead vehicle,¡± Erica said. ¡°Shift fire, we¡¯re grabbing him.¡±


    The crossfire shifted back to the other cars, and since every wolf that showed his head died, there wasn¡¯t much return fire.


    ¡°Todd¡¯s in custody and we¡¯re clear,¡± Erica said. With that, the warriors moved forward, wiping out the rest of the resistance.


    When the gunfire stopped, I walked past the lead vehicle to where Jarrod was holding Todd to the asphalt. His jeans were stained with urine, and his shirt was spattered with the blood of his driver. One of the warriors brought over silver cuffs and shackled him. ¡°Get him out of here and to the cells now,¡± I told my men. He was loaded into the back of a vehicle and they took off.


    ¡°Load the dead into the vehicles and get them out of here,¡± I said. My Theta had already dispatched trucks to collect the cars that weren¡¯t driveable, plus cleaning crews and their gear. We didn¡¯t have much time, there were human ranches around and we needed to be out with the evidence before any Sheriffs arrived. The vampires fed on the wounded before cutting their throats, and the dead were piled and removed in minutes.


    I stayed around with a dozen warriors and the vampires as we waited for the trucks. We pushed the lead vehicle back upright, but it wasn¡¯t going anywhere with its tires shredded. The trucks arrived and we pushed the ruined vehicles up ramps and into them. The cleanup crew had tanks of hot water with bleach to remove the bloodstains from the road and the dirt on each side. We also removed the charges that had been set on the bridge.


    Thirty minutes after the attack started, we were done. I wanted to run, my wolf a little disappointed we didn¡¯t get into the action, and I was joined by the remaining warriors. We crossed back into our territory and beat the trucks back home.


    It was a good night; we only had a few injured, none seriously, and the Rogue Army was no more.


    I shifted back as Patty jumped into my arms, kissing me and weing me home. The scene was repeated by many of the other warriors, everyone relieved to be back after defending the Pack. I kissed her hard, then set her down and looked over at Talia, who had shifted and pulled on a long T-shirt. ¡°Ready for some fun?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Let¡¯s get Tania and Bobby then go talk to Todd.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Chief Enforcer Jacque Jones¡¯ POV


    Hampton Inn, Sulphur Springs TX


    I hadn¡¯t heard from Todd Aldridge in an hour, and their snatch-and-grab of Talia Stillwater should have been done long ago. I pinched my nose, knowing this was going bad. I needed to know how bad, so I grabbed my phone and keys and left the hotel room for my rental car.


    The drive took about forty minutes; he had told me she was spotted leaving and which direction, so I had a good idea of where they would have made their move. It was nearing midnight as I reached the crossroads, then took the country road that led along the edge of their Packnds. The night was warm, my windows were down and I had the radio off so I could concentrate.


    I came over a hill and braked quickly, pulling over to the side of the road. My headlights showed nothing but twone cktop, heading down to a bridge over a creek and back up the other side. Nothing appeared out of ce, yet everything was wrong.


    The smell of blood was strong in the air, as was the smell of gunpowder and bleach.


    I turned off my car, closing the door behind me as I took a good smell. There weren¡¯t any houses around and my senses were better in wolf form; moving to the passenger side of the car, I pulled off my clothes and tossed them in. Shifting into myrge ck and tan wolf, I took a deep sniff of the area.


    There was a lot of blood, but no bodies, so the wolves had cleaned after themselves. The bleach was cutting the strong smell, and I could see some ces where the road had been power washed. In the scrub I found fresh shell casings, mostly 5. 56mm but some pistol caliber as well. It must have been a battle.


    I spent the next twenty minutes processing the scene as I sniffed around the kill zone. There had been close to fifty people here, including four vampires. What was shocking to me was that the four vampires had arrived and departed with the Pack wolves. I had confirmed one thing; the Sulphur River Pack was working closely with the New Orleans coven led by Jarrod Covington.


    I had smelled the Alpha Killer before, and my mind processed the change in her scent. She was no longer rogue, she had the Sulphur River pack smell, and she was mated. The vampire wildness that was part of her scent was easy to detect, and I froze when I smelled it in another wolf.


    The Council would need to know this. There were two of these abominations running around this pack with the four vampires. How many more were they making? The new one was young and female. Imagine if they could breed true!


    I needed to call this in. The rogues were dead, and there was no time to raise a rogue army or look for usible deniability. We had the evidence now that the vampires were turning multiple wolves, and who knew how many more were on the way. It was time to call on the Packs and wipe this nest out before it killed us all.

 It’s Hot & He Said.

    I trotted back towards my car, my mind on the problem and not on my surroundings. It was a rookie mistake, and when I saw the man sitting in my car I froze. ¡°You¡¯re trespassing on mynd. Shift back,¡± the man ordered. I could feel his dominance, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, I could sense a half-dozen more wolves surrounding me. ¡°Council Chief Enforcer Jones. I didn¡¯t expect to find you so close to a group of rogues who tried to kill my Pack members. Your presence here is problematic.¡± He tossed me my clothes, and I pulled them on. ¡°Get in.¡±


    I sat in the passenger seat of my car as he started it up. I saw a few wolves starting to follow us along the road as we pulled back out onto the road. It didn¡¯t take long to find out that he knew far more about what I was doing here than I thought. ¡°We captured Todd Aldridge, and he¡¯s singing like a canary. Before you even drove out to see what happened, we knew you were his contact and we knew exactly what you were here to do.¡±


    I let a breath out. ¡°Where do we go from here, then?¡±


    ¡°That would depend on how loyal you are to the men on the Council. They hired a rogue army, led by a wanted criminal, to attack and capture members of a sovereign Pack and a Vampire Coven. My Pack and my allies will not stand for this, and when the other Packs learn of the Council¡¯s treachery?¡±


    ¡°The Council is doing what they must. You and Jarrod cannot continue to create these abominations. It will be the END of our species!¡±


    He justughed as we turned into the driveway for his Pack House. ¡°Do you know how Talia became the Alpha Killer?¡±


    I had my ideas, but no one knew for sure. ¡°She disappeared, then a yearter she makes her first kill. We all assumed she had dedicated herself to the warrior arts. It was only in the past few days that we realized she had be hybridized, and her strength and speed was from our enemies.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t our enemies, there is no dered war. Our kind does not have to be in conflict if we can findmon ground.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°Jarrod is a good man, as is his coven. I am proud to be bound to him through mating.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°How can you¡­¡±


    ¡°Talia is mated to my son Randall. Jarrod¡¯s blood runs within her, and he and his Coven took her in and became her family. As you suspected, it was Jarrod who turned her.¡±


    ¡°Because his blood was the only one strong enough,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I see you are notpletely ignorant of the process.¡±


    At this point, I had to start thinking of myself a little. Alpha Brent was not a power-mad Alpha, he clearly loved Talia and had no issue with her being his son¡¯s mate. ¡°The Council¡¯s doctor, Tara Himen, experimented with blood from captured vampires. She tried injecting their blood into prisoners, but it was a spectacr failure. She was the one who spected that the vampire blood they had was not strong enough. When we figured out Talia hadpleted the change, she said it was because of the Master Vampire¡¯s blood being stronger.¡±


    ¡°She is right, though it troubles me greatly to know the depths to which our own Council has fallen. I am d Talia was able to put an end to that madness.¡±


    I nodded, experimentation like this turned my stomach. ¡°Then you know why they wanted to take Jarrod. They saw how strong Talia had be, a young female with no training, and wondered what an experienced Alpha male would have. They intended to take the change themselves, to be unassable in their positions over the werewolf world.¡±


    He tapped the steering wheel with his finger as the Pack House finally came into view. ¡°Talia was a good candidate for the turn because she had no interest in the power she would gain. To her, it was just a tool to get the revenge she wanted. That is why she has refused to take a Pack, even when she has won them in battle.¡±


    I had found this fascinating when I was reading her files; it was not natural for a wolf. We naturally followed the stronger wolf, and the strongest were the Alphas. He stopped the car in front of the stairway to the front of the Pack House, where a fewrge men and their mates were waiting. I saw the chase wolves shift and move past them into the house, not paying any attention to me. It was curious; I was a strong wolf, the head of Council Enforcers, yet none of them showed any concern with my being here. It was like they knew I was no threat.


    With three hybrids, an Alpha pair and a couple Alpha blood sons, I wasn¡¯t a threat.


    I stepped out of the car and waited for the Alpha toe around by me. He led me up the stairs. ¡°Council Chief Enforcer Jacque Jones, this is my mate Patty,¡± he said as she nodded to me, ¡°Alpha Heir Dusty Meechum and his mate Kimberly, and my youngest son Bobby and his mate Tania Stillwater.¡±


    ¡°Wee to the Sulphur River Pack,¡± Patty said with a smile.


    I shook hands with each, pausing when I came to Tania. I knew her story, everyone did after she was found. ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf,¡± I blurted out. ¡°How?¡±


    She looked at her mate Bobby. ¡°The love of a true mate can work miracles,¡± she said as she hugged him.


    ¡°I hope to find out someday,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go inside and meet the others. We have a lot to talk about.¡± Alpha Brent lead us into the dining room, where the long table was filled with warriors and family alike. I froze at the door when the scent of vampire hit me. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that.¡± I gulped and pushed myself past the terror I felt when I came before the Vampire Master and his Coven. I practically dove for the chair he gestured for me to take. ¡°We have had a sessful night, and thiste dinner is a celebration.¡±


    The bottles of wine were passed, the first course was brought out, and Alpha Brent stood with ss in hand. ¡°I would like to propose a toast,¡± he said as he looked over the thirty or so people at the table. ¡°Tonight¡¯s operation was as smooth and sessful a mission as we could hope for. The intelligence and tactics were first rate, and I couldn¡¯t be prouder about how we executed the ns. The ns were a result of our alliance with Vampire Master Jarrod, and his Coven was key to this night. To Jarrod, Marceline, Anastasia and Eduardo, thank you for trusting us and may our friendship be a beacon for both our kinds.¡±


    ¡°Hear hear!¡± I joined in the toast, then he sat and we started the sd.


    The conversation was beyond enlightening. The family and friends didn¡¯t stay in one ce, people were constantly grabbing their tes and moving so others had a chance to visit. At one point I was across from Eduardo and Erica, a vampire and a hybrid, as they exined how they found out they were mates. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible to have a vampire mate,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible it was because I was her human mate before I was turned and that carried over, or if she mated with my vampire nature. It¡¯s not like we have a lot of data, our kinds are not in contact with each to find mates,¡± Eduardo said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I have my Eddie, and now that I¡¯m a hybrid we were able toplete our mating.¡±


    ¡°Was it difficult?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Jarrod had to plead my case before the Vampire Council, who was not happy with Talia being changed. We got permission to change Randall because Talia bit him, and me so we could mate. The Vampire Council will not grant permission easily. Some of them think we should be destroyed, but we have the votes for now.¡±


    I could see that. ¡°The Werewolf Council thinks that having a captive Master Vampire will allow them to be more powerful and cement their rule.¡±


    ¡°They have no idea what awaits them. The pain, the bloodlust; if it wasn¡¯t for the Coven¡¯s help and my mate¡¯s support, I would have given up. So many times I begged for death just to end the pain. Sure, I gained powers, but I¡¯m as much of an outcast now as I was when Todd carved the traitor symbol on my cheek. I¡¯m not trusted or epted outside of Packs I have family rtions with.¡±


    They moved away, and I started talking with Bobby and Tania. She had a boy on herp I recognized as Phillip. ¡°Hey there sport, how are you liking Texas?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± he said. He let out a big yawn, the frosting from the cake had rubbed onto his cheek. Luna Patty came over and picked him up, telling Tania to rx while she gave him a bath. He clung to his Grandmother as he waved goodnight to everyone.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing well?¡±


    ¡°Better than we expected,¡± Bobby said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in, being taken from the only parents you¡¯ve ever known and handed to others. It helped a lot when Tania got her wolf back and the bond could snap into ce.¡±


    ¡°And you, Tania? You went through so much.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Her eyes moistened and looked towards Bobby. ¡°I did, but my life haspletely turned around in a short period of time. I have my wolf, my mate, my son, my family and Bobby¡¯s family. I haven¡¯t been this happy since I was ying at theke.¡± We talked about Tomah Pack, and she spoke about wanting to go back and see her friends and Pack again. ¡°At some point, I¡¯ll either have to step up as Luna or ask someone else to step in. They deserve a leader.¡±


    I smiled at the two. ¡°I think they know the leaders they want. Life has a way of putting you where you need to be.¡±

 Traditional Immunity

    Jarrod got everyone¡¯s attention and lifted his ss for a toast. ¡°I thank you all for inviting me into your home. I am honored by your friendship, and I can see the love you have for each other so clearly. Some of you have more love than others, which even the safe room concrete doesn¡¯t muffle,¡± he said toughter. ¡°Love is what makes life worth living. Without love, immortality is a torture, but with the love of my Marceline and the others in my family, a family that now includes you, it is a joy. To Bobby and Tania, Eduardo and Erica, and Randall and Talia, the newest members of our family. May your lives be filled with joy and pups.¡±


    I raised my ss to this as well.


    I was given a room for the night, though it had no phone and my own phone was not returned to me. The guards were unobtrusive but there; I was not free to leave, and they were not going to let me contact the Council. As I took a shower, I wondered what I would even tell them.


    Jarrod wasn¡¯t creating an army; he was doing what had to happen so mates could have each other. The Pack was not aggressive or power hungry, something that couldn¡¯t be said about the Council. As I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, I realized it came down to one simple question.


    Who did I trust with the future of the Werewolf race? The Council, so willing to imprison and experiment to gain power, or the Alpha and Master I met tonight who were forging bonds of friendship?


    I wasn¡¯t sure about many things anymore, but I was sure of one. I would not allow the Packs to wipe out these good people who wanted to live peacefully.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Das, Texas


    I hated sleeping without my mate now.


    My whole life, I¡¯d never had an issue sleeping. Out on stakeout and there¡¯s a chance to grab ten minutes of shuteye? Out in seconds. Sleeping alone? No problem, out when I hit the pillow. With some one-night stand in my bed? Out before she gets out of the bathroom.


    Last night I tossed and turned for an hour. I finally got up and got the shirt I had worn yesterday out of the hamper and put it around my pillow, because it still held her scent on it. One sniff and I rxed and fell asleep.


    Yesterday Afternoon


    I had been driving home when I got a call from my boss, Special Agent-In-Charge Rosalie Martinez of the Das FBI Sex Trafficking Unit. ¡°Where are you, Randall?¡±


    ¡°Just hitting Das,¡± I said. ¡°Should be home in thirty minutes.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Too bad, looks like we¡¯re heading back up towards your parent¡¯s ce again.¡± She knew I came from an area near Sulphur River. ¡°I got a call from awyer in Sulphur Springs. His client is the missing girl from the Budget Inn. He wants immunity for her, and based on what we know the District Attorney will have no issue with it.¡±


    ¡°Was she in on the murders?¡±


    ¡°He says no, but she stole money from the john and ran off. I¡¯m hoping she can give more details on the killer. In any case, she has details on that ve training center we¡¯ve been trying to shut down, as well as previous owners.¡±


    ¡°Good. What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Be at the office by seven. The Assistant District Attorney for the case will be driving with us, along with an Assistant US Attorney for federal matters and Detective Carl Anders of the Fort Worth Police. More to the point, you as the junior agent will be driving while we work. We have an appointment with him at one o¡¯clock at his office. He will provide the witnesses¡¯ proffer, we¡¯ll sign the immunity agreement and take her statement and ask questions. I¡¯m sorry to turn you around like this, but you know the area and you¡¯re my lead on this case.¡±


    I knew this wasing. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the drive. Where are we on jurisdiction?¡±


    ¡°No change. The locals have the murders, we have the trafficking. So far, none of the girls we have interviewed have known anything about anyone other than the two dead perps. They were recruited into their ring. None had been with them more than six months and nobody saw nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised, they were kept busy with clients in those rooms.¡± The operation they had was mobile, often moving to cities with lots of tourists or major sporting events. Working through message boards, trusted agents or the Dark Web, they would show up, run for a night and be gone again. The girls might service twenty men a night, never leaving the hotel room. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get some sleep and see you in the morning.¡±


    I called my Dad back, letting him know it was on. He promised Tania and Snacks would be ready. I talked to Talia for a few minutes, but she had training to do. We¡¯d talk in the morning.


    This Morning


    My rm went off at five-thirty, way too early given how I slept. The text message on my phone made my heart drop. It hade in at three in the morning, and I must have slept through the ding. ¡°Baby, I have to go take care of a problem and I can¡¯t bring my phone. I love you and miss you.¡±


    I sent back immediately. ¡°Call me when you can, love you

 I Saw My Beta

    Lou made introductions, then we got down to business. The immunity paperwork was signed, then Louid out the information Tania was providing. They had done a good job; in each setting, her recollection had been transcribed with as much detail as she could remember. The statements were signed and in a neat pile. I was most excited by the drawings they hade up with, as were the others. ¡°These are very detailed,¡± Mnie said as they were passed to her. Done withputer software and aided by the images sent from werewolf to werewolf, they were better than any FBI sketch artist.


    ¡°My investigators were able to pair her with a skilledputer graphics artist, and we were fortunate Tania has a great memory for faces.¡± I set up a camera and started the interview. The next four hours were brutal, and I was wiped out by the time we stopped for dinner. Tania¡¯s memory was amazing; she had remembered names, identifying features, sexual proclivities, phone calls, all kinds of things that could corroborate her statement. There wasn¡¯t as much from the training facility as they were careful not to use names, but the people on the ind didn¡¯t care. They thought they were above thew, and the list of people who visited and abused her would keep us busy for months.


    Actors. Celebrities. Politicians. Idle rich. Businessmen. Judges. It was all there, in great detail, and we hadn¡¯t even gotten halfway through the time. When Tania and Snacks left to use the bathroom, I sank back in the chair. ¡°Fuck, if we can prosecute a third of these people it will be the biggest case ever seen,¡± I said.


    AUSA Michelle agreed. ¡°She wasn¡¯t sixteen for almost every session she¡¯s described thus far, and that makes these acts felony sex tourism with minors. Under the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today, the PROTECT act, plus the Trafficking Victim¡¯s Protection Reauthorization Act, they are each facing up to thirty years in prison.¡±


    ADA Albert whistled. ¡°That¡¯ll leave a mark. I bet they¡¯ll be shocked to find they can go all the way to South America and still get hit for sexual assault of a child. Do you think you can get indictments based on her statement?¡±


    ¡°Not just on that, but she has given us a lot of information on the people there. That pilot they use can fill in some holes for us if we flip him,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°We get the flights and passenger lists and it¡¯s a m dunk. Add in travel information, credit cards, phone records, eyewitnesses¡­¡±


    I could sense the AUSA¡¯s excitement; she was seeing this as the case that would make her career, and she was probably right. ¡°Can Tania file a case in civil court against them? I mean, if we don¡¯t have enough evidence to convict, can she file awsuit?¡±


    Albert nodded. ¡°I¡¯d personally rmend a dozenwyers who would love to get these cases. None of these people will want to go through discovery, they¡¯ll be eager to settle and have a non-disclosure agreement. If they go to court, any evidence is admissible for us.¡±


    The door opened and Tania walked back in, Snacks right at her side. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind but I ordered some pizzas so we can keep working,¡± Lou said.


    ¡°I just want to get this done and go home to my boy,¡± Tania said as she sat down. ¡°I¡¯ve already missed so much with him.¡±


    ¡°Where is home,¡± Rosalie asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s an undisclosed location,¡± Lou said. ¡°If you need to get in contact with my client after tonight, you¡¯ll do it through me.¡± We continued the interview, and she described in detail thest client she had on the ind, the man who almost beat her to death, who left her scarred and broken. I wanted this bastard bad. He was a famous film director who lived in France but spent a lot of time in the United States. After she described how he destroyed her and paid a fine to the owners for the damage, she started to cry. ¡°We need a break,¡± Lou said.


    ¡°Men leave,¡± Tania said instead. ¡°You need to see something, Ms. Perkins. Do you have a camera?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Rosalie said, pulling it out of her briefcase. She looked at us and we got up and left.


    I knew exactly what she was going to show them, I just hoped my brother was calm enough about it now. ¡°You going to be all right with this, Bobby?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the scars and I love her all the more for it,¡± he replied. ¡°You catch this fucker yourself, Randall. You and Talia make it a priority. He¡¯s going to suffer under Werewolfw, not human.¡±


    I walked away from the others towards the bathroom so they wouldn¡¯t see how pissed I was. ¡°You can count on it. He might bounce down a few stairs on the way to our cells, though.¡± She was my mate¡¯s sister, MY family too. I knew Talia would be all for a road trip for this asshole.


    We didn¡¯t stop until eleven at night. We had pages and pages of suspects. As Tania stood up to leave, I came towards her. ¡°I know it was very hard to go through all this again, and I can¡¯t tell you how sorry I am this happened. I promise you that we will use every resource avable to find the men who did these things to you and bring them to justice.¡±


    Michelle came up and impulsive hugged her. ¡°You¡¯re so brave, Tania. I have already talked to my boss, and we are putting together a team right now to build cases against these men. These criminal organizations are going to be shut down and girls like you freed, I promise you that.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She had her hand gripping Snack¡¯s fur. ¡°Put them all away.¡± With that, she walked out with herwyer.


    ¡°Great job, Tania, you did so much more than I had hoped for,¡± I sent to her as she left. ¡°Give Talia a hug for me.¡±


    ¡°I will when I see her,¡± she said.


    ¡°Randall, you need to call your father after you get them to a hotel,¡± Lou sent to me. ¡°A lot has gone down while we were talking.¡±


    ¡°Let him know I¡¯ll call him when I can. I don¡¯t know if they are going to want to get a hotel or head back home.¡± It turned out they were too excited to sleep. I ended up driving us back to Das, getting there at four-thirty in the morning. I dropped them at the office and went home with instructions to be back at one for a meeting.


    My office was going to strike a blow for justice. I knew they wouldn¡¯t give up on this, even if I had to leave the FBI.


    Alpha Brent¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    The celebration had ge into the night, yet I was up at six like clockwork. That was one of the things I¡¯d lost at fifty years of age, the ability to sleep until my rm. I don¡¯t know why I bothered to set it anymore. I linked with Security Control and everything was quiet. They were going to send a ¡°highway cleanup crew¡± out to the battle site to pick up brass and make sure no evidence had been left behind in the sunlight. So far, we had been lucky, now enforcement interest.


    I got out of bed and dressed quietly. Patty was still sleeping with Phillip curled up next to her. He¡¯d bonded quickly with his grandmother, and that had helped with his transition. He still had crying fits, he missed the parents he grew up with, but his wolf was helping him now. We¡¯d be watching him today since Tania and Bobby were going to do the interview with the FBI and thewyers. They¡¯d be gone after lunch, and it might go into the evening.


    Downstairs was quiet, only Sally was there making early breakfast for those on duty or who like me were up early. With the celebration, we¡¯d be having a pack brunch starting at nine instead of the normal breakfast. ¡°Good morning, Alpha,¡± she said as she brought me a cup of coffee. ¡°Biscuits are justing out of the oven. Would you like a chicken-fried steak with that?¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful, Sally. Take your time, I need to wake up.¡±


    I sat at therge table, iPad in hand, and thought about the day. We had worked over Todd Aldridge in the cellsst night, and he had quite the tale to tell. Heck, he was giving us information as he was being driven to the cells, which is why I knew exactly what Chief Enforcer Jones was up to when he showed upter. The Council was behind this all. Todd had cut a deal with them, bring them Talia and Jarrod and his te would be wiped clean.


    We would have to dispose of the rogues soon, and for that I was d we had construction equipment and thousands of acres ofnd. Sally sat a huge breakfast te before me, the steak covered half of it, four biscuits on the other, and it was smothered and covered with the thick sausage gravy. A huge ss of orange juice was set down next to it.


    A few more people straggled in and took their seats, and Sally was joined by four others as they started to prepare for a buffet brunch. ¡°Grandpa!¡± I looked up and smiled as Dusty¡¯s daughter Sandy ran into the room.


    ¡°Hey sunshine,¡± I said. ¡°Did you get up by yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, Mommy and Daddy areing,¡± she said. I saw Dusty and Kimberlye in the room ande sit by us. ¡°I¡¯m going to watch cartoons.¡± She ran off into the y room for the kids, obviously not hungry right now.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep in?¡±


    ¡°I think this boy is going to be a ser yer by the way he keeps kicking my dder,¡± Kimberly said as she sat down by me. Dusty sat on her other side.


    I saw my Beta, ¡°Bear¡± Baldwin, entering and I waved him over. Sally took their orders and I took the opportunity to talk. ¡°Priorities for the day. Cleanup of the road, I hear we have a crew heading out already, we need to make sure that area is sanitized before anyone else gets there.¡± Bear nodded, he would put someone on it. ¡°The rogues have to be disposed of. I want them photographed, identified and buried by noon. Take the excavator out by the old dump and make the hole deep, I don¡¯t ever want them found.¡±


    Bear nodded. ¡°They have cars, hotels, phones¡­¡±


    ¡°Dusty, you have cleanup from that. Collect everything that could track or identify them. If they¡¯ve rented a car, sanitize it and return it. If it can¡¯t be returned, get it to the chop shop. Same thing with hotels, go there, pick up all their stuff and check out. Leave the phones in a public ce, scatter them around so it doesn¡¯t look coordinated,¡± I said. ¡°Keep any cash, throw everything else.¡±

 Deal With It.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a team together and get on it,¡± he said. ¡°This could take a while.¡±


    ¡°Start with Todd,¡± I said. Sally set down food for them, and they dug in while we talked. ¡°I¡¯m going to go find out what Jarrod has found out overnight.¡± They had put Eduardo on theputer trails of the rogues, and Jarrod was interrogating Todd. Just a look from the vampire was enough to get him talking again. I got up, giving Sally and the girls in the kitchen my thanks, and walked across to the building that housed our cells underneath. I acknowledge the guard, who let me in the secure doors leading downstairs.


    ¡°Good morning, Jarrod,¡± I said as I walked down the stairs. ¡°I would have thought you¡¯d be back in the safe room by now.¡±


    He justughed. ¡°You werewolves and humans think we¡¯ll turn to ash if the sun hits us, but that takes sustained exposure over hours. We wear thick UV-resistant clothing, cover our heads and hands and wear UV-resistant sunsses, and we can walk in the sun long enough to move around,¡± he said. ¡°SPF 100 sunblock helps too, even if it is ufortable to be out there, we can recover from the damage of a short exposure. It doesn¡¯t mean we like it, though. It¡¯s easier to stay underground during the day.¡±


    I did not know that, and it made me feel good to see how he would trust me with something that could be used against his kind. ¡°How is our guest?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping. I got everything I could from him. He has balls, I¡¯ll give him that. He showed up at the Council, alone, and worked out a deal. The Council wanted me as a blood bank, and they told him he could have Talia as his mate if he came through.¡±


    Wait a second. ¡°So Talia was to be taken alive?¡±


    ¡°Yep. He¡¯s had a hardon for her ever since he kicked her out, no other she-wolf does it for him now. I don¡¯t think for a minute the Council was going to follow through with it. They were using him, knowing that attacking my Coven would mean war.¡±


    It was true. The Vampire Council would never allow a Master to be held captive by werewolves, for good reason. ¡°Why would the Council risk this?¡±


    ¡°What three things drive a man, Brent?¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°Power, obviously. Procreation, that¡¯s instinctual.¡± I thought about it for a while. ¡°Staying alive.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. For the Council, Talia and I are the trifecta. With my blood, they would gain power greater than any other werewolves. Procreation, it¡¯s instinctual for a male to seek the strongest female to reproduce with, to give them the strongest children. We don¡¯t know if hybrids can breed, none have been allowed to exist long enough to find out. The ones I knew of from vampire history were male, so Talia is a first. I have no doubts Chairman Wolfe nned to take her for his own.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already mated, with Randall.¡±


    ¡°To them, Randall is an inconvenience, just like your Pack is. You have to be destroyed, because you know their secrets, you defied them, and you have some control over her. They will wipe you all out, especially her mate, so he can take her and use the mating bond to control her.¡±


    I justughed at the idea, Talia was so dominant she controlled Randall, not the other way around. Then it hit me. ¡°Immortality.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Vampires are the living dead; we never age from the time we are changed. We exist until we are killed, which only happens if our head and heart are separated or one is destroyed. We can even regrow limbs if damaged. Werewolves live longer than humans, but you still face death. The hybrids gained our strength, our speed and our healing, but what if they gain the power we have for healing and eternal life? What WOULDN¡¯T the Council do to have that?¡±


    ¡°They would do anything, they would be in power forever.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And that is why the Vampire Council is so resistant to the hybrids existing. Two of the five wanted Talia destroyed just for existing. If she had not proven her loyalty to me and her usefulness to the Council, she¡¯d already be dead.¡±


    ¡°Three to two, huh? That¡¯s like the Supreme Court. One person dies and it could flip the whole bnce of power.¡±


    ¡°And now you know my problem. I do not regret changing the three, but I must be careful. If one of them starts behaving badly, Vampires and Werewolves will unite to destroy them all, because both Councils fear them.¡±


    We talked for a while longer, working through the options, until I had my n. I left him to go back to my office and started to make phone calls.


    The first was to the La Crosse Pack and Alpha rk. I filled him in on all that had happened and what it meant. ¡°Those BASTARDS,¡± he said. ¡°I want blood on my teeth!¡±


    ¡°I have a n, meanwhile, we have Todd in custody and the girls will have their revenge,¡± I said. ¡°Jarrod pointed out that our two Packs are in danger, since both of us know about the hybrids and both have family ties to them. Stay on a war footing, protect yourselves just in case they rally other Packs against you.¡±


    ¡°Again.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°I have plenty of allies after what Todd did. Let Talia know that Justin diedst night, alone and in pain. His mate wouldn¡¯t even look at him. I gave her some money to move on and she¡¯s gone now, headed off to human life.¡±


    ¡°Will she be a problem?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°I put a tracker inside her neck and we¡¯ll have a warrior following her. I made her record a statement about her involvement in the kidnapping and rape of Tania. If she bes a problem, we kill her or release the video to the authorities, and she spends the rest of her life in jail. She signed the paperwork for Phillip, that¡¯s in a Fedex envelope heading your way now.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to call an Alpha Conference at two in the afternoon,¡± I said. ¡°Tania and Bobby will be giving their statement to the FBI then, but I have other information. Todd is singing like a canary, and their Chief Enforcer, Jacque Jones, is disgusted enough to help. He was the liaison to the rogues and they won¡¯t be able to discount what he says like they will Todd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead. Email me the conference number and I¡¯ll start calling Alphas. I¡¯ll takest names starting with L, you get those from A to K. This is going to be fun, Brent.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have fun after the danger is over,¡± I said. ¡°Keep you Pack safe.¡± I hung up and sent an email to the Council and all Alphas with the request for the video call at 2 pm Central time, along with login details. I went down at eleven, catching thest of the brunch, then joined my mate and my children at the pool. Phillip was a good swimmer for his age, and he was screaming as he was tossed into the air by Bobby before plunging back in.


    ¡°How are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Good. She¡¯s losing her self-consciousness about the scars on her body; nobody is staring or saying anything, and you know a wolf has no issue being naked.¡± Werewolves found no need for swimsuits. We didn¡¯t have human body consciousness, and it allowed us to shift in the pool if we wanted. The biggest pool problem we had was fur, which is why we had extra filtration installed when it was built. I watched as Phillip was tossed twenty feet horizontally, shifting into his little wolf in the air and dog paddling back to his Mom before shifting back. They weren¡¯t the only ones at the huge backyard pool; some of the younger adults were ying basketball, while a bunch of adults were talking at the swim-up bar area we had.


    My mate looked over at me, she could see the stress. ¡°Go y with the kids, rx a bit. The afternoon will be bad enough as it is.¡±


    ¡°Come with me then,¡± I said. We left our clothes on the table by our chairs and I shifted, howling before I took off running for the deep end. Inded so my body sshed the young kids, who squealed in glee beforeing after me. Soon I was shifted back to human in the three-foot area with a half-dozen kids trying to pull their Alpha down. ¡°There are too many,¡± I said as I lifted my arms up, four kids hanging from them while the others hung from my neck.


    ¡°Deal with it, love,¡± Patty said as she swam away. I was looking at her and didn¡¯t see the attacking from underwater. My legs were knocked out from under me and I was pulled down backwards. I lost half the kids in the fall, and I stood back up and shook the water out of my hair. Bobby wasughing his ass off by his Mom, he must have done it. I red at him before turning my attention back to the kids, who wereughing as they went after me again.


    Tania and Bobby had to leave, but Phillip wanted to keep swimming. We stayed in the pool for an hour, just enjoying time with my Pack. She took him to shower and change while I went to the office. I asked Dusty and Bear to join me for the broadcast, mainly to help keep me calm since Patty wouldn¡¯t be here. The 80¡å hi-def screen in the conference room was being used, and the camera would only show me. I set theputer up, there were some things I was going to show them all and I got them ready. The software we used would allow photos and documents to be disyed for all.

 Honorable Alphas

    I was in ce ten minutes early; since I had called the meeting, I was running the show. I watched as the Alphas got on, each appearing in a small window on the right half of the screen. I smiled at Das as he came on representing the Copper Mountain pack. On the left, the person talking (I could click on a person to give them the floor) and the documents were on the top and bottom of the frame. Shortly after two, I started the meeting. ¡°Thank you foring on, gentlemen. Last night, an organized group of rogue warriors carried out an attack on my Pack, going after two vehicles just outside my territory. I am pleased to say that all but one of the rogues was killed, and the leader was captured.¡± I was studying the reactions; the Council was trying hard not to respond, while the others were pleased. ¡°Here is the list of the men who were killed.¡± I went through a slide show, showing each dead man along with their name and any information we had on where they were from.


    ¡°Those men came from all over the country,¡± one of the Alphas said. ¡°Why would they alle together at yournds?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Brent is not disclosing that his Pack is harboring the Alpha Killer,¡± Chairman Wolfe said. ¡°There is a reward for her capture, I¡¯d have no problem paying rogues for it if they capture or kill her.¡±


    ¡°My pack isn¡¯t harboring anyone, Mr. Chairman. Talia Stillwater is mated to my son, she is part of my FAMILY and part of my PACK. The real question is why the Council is bankrolling Todd Aldridge and paying rogues to get her. Todd kidnapped Tania Stillwater, who is mated to another of my sons, and had her parents killed. He walked in to the Council headquarters and walked out with money and a mandate. And I can prove it.¡± I started ying the video, it ran almost five minutes long and during that time all reaction was muted. Todd went through everything; his visit to the Council, the deal he made, where he got the money to hire the rogues, and what he was supposed to do. When it was done, I unmuted, and it was bem.


    ¡°ALPHA BRENT IS WORKING WITH VAMPIRES,¡± Chairman Wolfe yelled over everyone. ¡°He is betraying our kind. Talia is an abomination, a mix of vampire and werewolf, and it has to be stopped. The Master Vampire on hisnds right now did it, and we as a Council were right to demand their capture.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°If your cause was so just, why work in secret with ouws and disgraced Alphas? I have nothing to hide here. Talia was changed after a Vampire Coven took her in when all of US abandoned her. The vampires didn¡¯t kill her parents, Alpha Justin Heranus¡¯ men did. The vampires didn¡¯t take kidnap her sister, the man the Council elevated to Alpha instead of her did. The vampires didn¡¯t rape her sister and steal her baby, Justin did. And the vampires didn¡¯t take away her wolf and sell her as a sex ve, Beta Meoffe did.¡± I leaned forward, letting my face show that I was pissed. ¡°Yes, I have a Coven on mynds. They are Talia¡¯s family. Werewolves and vampires are NOT at war right now, and I¡¯m building a rtionship with them that could benefit us all. Talia proved to me that there were vampires who could be trusted, ones with more honor than some of the men on this call right now,¡± I finished.


    ¡°This is madness, and it must stop NOW,¡± Chairman Wolfe responded.


    Suddenly, the doors burst open in his room. ¡°I AGREE,¡± a woman¡¯s voice shouted. He turned and his eyes opened wide, just before Talia Stillwater grabbed him by the neck and lifted him like he was nothing. She mmed him onto the conference table, her ws extending, then she pulled her hand back.


    The front of his neck went flying away in a spray of blood, and Wolfe raised his hands to his neck. It was hopeless, arterial blood was spraying all over the room and he had seconds to live. Talia moved to the side and we heard a plea for mercy. When she came back on camera, she had the Chief Counsel, Lawrence Kendall, on his knees. Extending a w, she drew it across his throat and tossed him onto the table next to the dying Chairman he served.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She moved towards the microphone, covered in blood and totally dominant. ¡°These men gathered in this very room and decided they wanted me for themselves,¡± she said to the assembled Alphas. ¡°The entire Council voted to send rogues after me and my Pack. This Council also risked starting a war with the Vampires by capturing a Master for their experiments. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time the Council has experimented on vampires. I personally killed the Mount Shasta leadership that was doing it at their bidding and freed the two vampires they held. You would be at war right now if I had not taken action to defuse the situation,¡± she said.


    She casually grabbed each of the men with a hand and tossed them backwards. It looked like she wasn¡¯t trying, but these big men flew backwards and their dead bodies left dents in the wall behind her. ¡°I will no longer ept such leadership. My family will not ept it. My Pack will not ept it, and neither should honorable Alphas. The four of you on the Council who are not here to die at my hands, you have five minutes to resign. If you do not, I wille after you and your death will be neither quick nor painless. Do not think you will escape death, for I bring certain death with me. Choose a new Council, boys. Choose wisely.¡± She turned and walked off camera.


    A new face came into view, I¡¯d recognized him when they entered. ¡°Everything she just said was the truth,¡± Chief Enforcer Jacque Jones said. ¡°I have taken control of this facility pending the election of a new Council.¡±

 The Preparations

    Alpha Brent¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Alpha Office


    I didn¡¯t say anything for a while, I didn¡¯t have to. My daughter¡¯s actions and words had been far beyond anything I could have done. I was so proud of her; she was a strong female, a good mate for my son and would do great things in her life.


    I watched the clock as Alphas argued back and forth and general chaos reigned on the call. At four minutes in, I muted everyone. ¡°I hate to cut off the discussion, but my daughter DID give out a deadline that is kind of important,¡± I said. I unmuted one square. ¡°It ising up on five minutes. Councilman Lee, do you resign your position?¡±


    ¡°Hell no,¡± he said. I muted him before he could continue.


    ¡°Councilman Miller?¡±


    ¡°I resign,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°Councilman ck?¡±


    ¡°I resign.¡±


    ¡°Councilman Pierce?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you and her,¡± he said before I muted him.


    ¡°Councilman Ricardo?¡±


    ¡°I resign.¡±


    I muted everyone. ¡°You heard it, we have positions open for three regional Council members and one Council Chairman. As for the two remaining Council members, you don¡¯t have quorum to make any decisions. I have here a copy of the Council bws,¡± I said as I pulled up the appropriate page. ¡°Nominations for the open positions must be in within one week. Once the nominations are in, the candidates will have two weeks to campaign. A vote of two-thirds of the Alphas in the region is required for Council members, and a simple majority for the position of Council Chairman. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Councilman Lee, I call for a vote to recall you as representative of the East Coast Packs,¡± Alpha Johannsen said.


    ¡°So moved, a two-thirds majority of members is required to remove a sitting council member.¡± We went through the Alphas, all but two wanted him out. ¡°Councilman Lee is removed from his position as Council Representative for the East Coast. Of course, you didn¡¯t resign so I would keep watching my back, the Alpha Killer might kill you at any time.¡± I justughed.


    Councilman Pierce survived his recall, with six of eleven voting to remove him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to worry about that, now the Alpha Killer knows who is first. I fully expect we¡¯ll be taking nominations for your recement by the end of the week,¡± I said. ¡°Before we end, I want to thank you all for your patience. I know my daughter can be scary, but she is just. She does not kill without reason. She wants us all to live in peace, well, except those who she has sworn vengeance on. Those people will see her bad side.¡± There was some nervousughter. ¡°Nominations are due into Chief Enforcer Jones in one week by five PM eastern time. Thank you for attending the call.¡± I muted the microphone and watched all the Alphas drop off.


    ¡°Fuck, Dad, that was intense,¡± Dusty said. ¡°I thought those council members were going to shit themselves when Talia came into view.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s impressive,¡± Bear said. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure if her presence in our packs makes us more of a target because she¡¯s a threat to others, or if we¡¯re safer because no one would dare fuck with us.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t even know Randall and Erica are like Talia now,¡± I said. The phone on my desk rang, caller ID said it was Robert Steelman, a close friend and Alpha of the Texarkana Pack. ¡°Robert, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little shaken up by that disy, Brent, but that¡¯s all right. Talia does what is right in a direct and brutal fashion, and my wolf and I appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s special. Randall is a lucky man.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but I need to know. I¡¯ve been thinking about the best candidate for the Council Chairman position. I think it¡¯s you. I wanted to talk to you before I put your name in officially to see if you are interested.¡±


    ¡°Why me, Robert? There are others, retired Alphas out there.¡±


    ¡°Please. I saw the way you ran this meeting, the way you were on thest one. You are the kind of wolf I¡¯d trust to be in charge of things.¡±


    I sat down, I hadn¡¯t thought about this at all, I was an Alpha. ¡°I¡¯m still Alpha, the Council members have to be retired Alphas.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been Alpha for a long time, my friend. Dusty is old enough and more than capable of running your Pack well if you move up.¡±


    I linked my mate, asking if she thought I should put my name in, and she immediately responded. ¡°You¡¯ve already got Das up in Colorado, and I expect Bobby is going to end up in Wisconsin. You¡¯d be perfect, love.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Put my name in and we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to win, I¡¯ll make sure of it. You¡¯re what we need to reestablish confidence in the Council, and you¡¯re best suited to work out a deal with the Vampires.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Robert. Say hello to Rachelle for me.¡±


    ¡°I will. Bye.¡± I hung up and Dusty was looking at me. ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility, Dusty.¡±


    ¡°Toote. Kimberly is already sending me ideas for how we can redecorate the Alpha Suite when you move to New York.¡± He kept the serious look for about five seconds before he couldn¡¯t anymore and he and Bear broke outughing. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that far from the truth.¡±


    I hugged my son, I was so proud of him. ¡°When the timees, you¡¯ll be a fine Alpha for this Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks Dad.¡±


    ¡°Nowe on, we need to talk to the Vampires.¡± We walked out of my office and downstairs; I had set them up with the videoconference feed, no camera just a ve of my screen. ¡°She¡¯s efficient, isn¡¯t she,¡± I said as I entered the safe room where the Vampires were sitting.


    ¡°She always has been,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°I will need to report back to the Vampire Council, I just want to know if there is anything from this that I shouldn¡¯t ry to them.¡±


    I shook my head no. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you take a recording of the whole thing and show them. We need to be transparent; the ones who experimented with vampires are dead or out of power. Jacque sent trusted Enforcers straight to Medical to seize the records of the experiments and arrest Dr. Himen. I will make sure this doesn¡¯t continue.¡±


    He shook my hand. ¡°I¡¯m making arrangements to fly out, I¡¯d like to do so as soon as possible. The Vampire Council has demanded I appear before them in New York City. My familiars will be here shortly with a transport vehicle we use for daylight travel, it¡¯s like a delivery van but the back ispletely sealed from light. Erica will be traveling with us, as the Council has requested to speak with her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have them pull into the garage and we¡¯ll block the windows along the way.¡± I sent a mentalmand to the Omegas to get it ready. ¡°Erica will be all right?¡±


    ¡°I will make sure of it,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°Vampires rarely find their mates, and it is against ourws to harm them. I think they just want to take stock of what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good with this?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Eduardo will be with her, and they both need to learn about their vampire side. They are the only werewolf-vampire couple in existence, and that will make them the hope or the target of both sides.¡±


    ¡°How is herbat training going?¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly well. She got a decent base level of training at the La Crosse pack, and we¡¯re building on that. Her fighting is¡­ graceful? She moves so smoothly it¡¯s like a dance for her, a dance at very high speed.¡±


    I left them to get ready and went back upstairs to check the preparations. I met Patty up in the office, and the phone didn¡¯t stop ringing. Das checked in, his Pack wasing around and he wanted Vivian and Austin toe up there in a few days to stay. ¡°Has Talia decided against taking the Alpha spot?¡±


    ¡°She told me she will be busy for months cleaning up the messes, and she isn¡¯t likely to take it. She won¡¯t say for sure now, but she said it¡¯s more likely she takes over another Pack than she does this one.¡± Iughed as I thought about this, there were two Council members that she was going to eliminate soon. If they went back to their former Packs and those Packs decided to defend them¡­ well, there would be a few Alpha openingsing up too.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    The werewolves at the Council Headquarters stayed clear of me as I stalked the halls. The n Jacque and I hade up with on the ne ride here had worked perfectly. He pretended to have captured me, allowing us to prate theyers of security without dy. He took me straight to the conference room where he was on the call, and I¡¯m sure he thought this was going to be his moment. The Alpha Killer, in custody, under his control, and everyone happy the danger was over.


    The handcuffs had been modified so they wouldn¡¯t lock. As soon as we reached the door, I broke out of them. Kicking the door open, I made my dramatic entrance to the Alpha videoconference. A few minutester, the Chairman and the Chief Counsel, the men who had hatched the n to capture Jarrod and I for their own use, were dead on the table.


    ¡°Seal the exits and get men you trust down to medical,¡± I said. ¡°Arrest Dr. Himen and ensure the records are not destroyed.¡±


    ¡°On it, Alpha,¡± he said.


    I had not told him to call me that, I think he did it to annoy me as I was technically the Alpha of Copper Mountain. I walked into the Chairman¡¯s office, calling for his secretary to follow me. ¡°Is there a way to call everyone together so I can talk to them at once?¡±

 Unlimited Sex

    She showed me the PA microphone in the back of the office. I pressed the button. ¡°This is Alpha Talia Stillwater. All Council employees and families not on duty are to gather immediately in front of the Headquarters Building. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to make me track you down.¡±


    She paled, then turned and almost ran down the stairs. I looked out the windows and the building was emptying like there was a fire.


    My reputation had preceded me.


    I walked downstairs, meeting a frustrated-looking Jacque as he came up from the basement. ¡°Dr. Himen killed herself,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there was nothing we could do. She stabbed herself in the neck with a silver-ted scalpel.¡±


    ¡°Coward. Seal the room, we¡¯ll need to bring in outside people do go through the records. How many others were in the researchb with her?¡±


    ¡°Four, all have been taken to the cells. No live subjects were found.¡±


    I nodded, at least there was that. ¡°Leave only the guards, let¡¯s get everyone else outside.¡±


    He had a Pack link with the other members, one I didn¡¯t have because I hadn¡¯t officially taken over. I didn¡¯t n to either. He walked out onto the elevated stairs at the front of the building, holding up his arms for quiet. There were about seventy-five people gathered on the driveway andwn in front of us. ¡°The Chairman is dead, and until a new Council is elected I will be taking over all operations here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    I stepped forward next to him, and I could smell the fear. Most recognized me, and those that didn¡¯t were repulsed by the blood that still covered my clothes and body. ¡°Your Chairman and Counsel hired rogues to abduct me as I was under the protection of my mate¡¯s Pack. They failed, and I have killed them both in retaliation for their treachery.¡± I let that sink in. ¡°Anyone who attempts to delete, destroy or hide information from the investigationsing will be severely punished. Return to your homes; if you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. A new Council will be elected and life will go on. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need a shower.¡±


    I turned and walked back inside, going back up to the Chairman¡¯s private quarters. I wasn¡¯t going to be here long, I might as well enjoy it.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Das Apartment


    I was still tired when I woke up, yesterday had been a LONG day. I was very happy with how Tania had testified. She was such a strong wolf with a fantastic memory, no matter how much pain it caused her to remember all that. She was a good mate for my little brother and would be a fine Luna when she was ready.


    I looked at my phone and had something like fifty messages. It was eleven in the morning, so I called my Dad first. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Your little mate just flipped the werewolf world upside down, and in a good way,¡± he said. ¡°I sent you a video file, watch it when you can. The Reader¡¯s Digest version is that I held a teleconference with all the Alphas and the Council over the attack on us.¡±


    ¡°Woah, Dad, what attack?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Talia tell you about Todd and the rogues?¡±


    Now I was awake. ¡°No, I got a text from her while I was heading back to Dasst night saying she had stuff to do and wouldn¡¯t have her phone.¡±


    He snickered. ¡°Yeah, she had some things to do. She still does, I think. She is not talking, she just lets the damage in her wake do the talking for her.¡±


    ¡°Dad, the attack.¡±


    ¡°Todd managed to scrape together about twenty rogues, they kept an eye on our Pack entrances. We sent Talia out to spring the mousetrap, with the Vampires following behind to steal the cheese. It was smooth as hell since we had our drones up showing what was ahead of them. The rogues are all dead, and Todd is in the cells.¡±


    ¡°Thank Luna,¡± I said. ¡°Talia was not hurt?¡±


    ¡°We barely had anyone hurt, it was an ass kicking. Watching Talia, Erica and the Vampires fight, it was like everyone else was in slow motion. They had two chances, zero and none.¡±


    ¡°I bet. My mate is a fierce fighter.¡±


    ¡°Even Erica is bing one quickly, and the Vampires, especially the older one, are on an even higher level. They didn¡¯t leave much for the rest of us, but we did get some shots in. Anyway, that was two nights ago. The next afternoon, I called a teleconference of the Alphas toin about the Council hiring rogues and criminals to attack my Pack members. Chairman Wolfe was exining how the madness had to stop when your mate kicked the door in.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I said with augh.


    ¡°Yeah. She picked him up by the throat, mmed him on the conference table and ripped his throat out. Then she grabbed Kendall and slit his throat, throwing him on the table too. She¡¯s not even breathing hard, she¡¯s covered with blood, and she tells the other five Council members they have five minutes to resign before shees for them.¡± Dadughed. ¡°You should have seen their faces. Three of five resigned, and Councilman Lee refused but was removed by his regional Alphas anyway. The only remaining Council member is Pierce, the Midwestern Packs didn¡¯t reach the two-thirds majority. Talia is cleaning up the mess at headquarters, then I think she¡¯s going after Pierce.¡±


    ¡°I should be there,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re where you need to be. The werewolf side is just about done, but there are a lot of humans still needing their punishment. It is important to Tania they get it.¡±


    I closed my eyes, I knew my Dad was right, but the werewolf method was SO much faster and final. Rip out a few throats, bury the bodies and move on. ¡°All right. I have to get to work,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good luck. Check in with me when you can, and hopefully your mate will be done soon and back home.¡± He hung up, and I quickly dressed and left for work, grabbing a sandwich on the way.


    I was there just before one, and Rosalie called our whole task force into the conference room. ¡°The Deputy Director has promised me all the resources I need to shut this operation down, and I intend to do so quickly,¡± she said. ¡°Now that Randall and I are here, fill me in on what you found out this morning.¡±


    The team divided up her testimony, with one investigator looking into each person. Joey ¡®Bag of Donuts¡¯ Veni should have been the easiest. The investigator had asked for his file from the Chicago FBI office, in their Organized Crime Unit. Rosalie was going to have to step in, because they were iming jurisdiction. ¡°They will be happy to take our information, but anything with the Chicago Mob has to go through them,¡± the agent said. ¡°They im ongoing investigations, yadda yadda.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact my boss,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up a human trafficking bust because they¡¯re farting around with RICO or something. How about the training facility?¡±


    ¡°Running the suspect drawings through the system, that¡¯s going to take a while to sort the possible. It¡¯s not an exact thing, going from a drawing instead of a photograph. I¡¯ve sent along the drawings to the human trafficking divisions in all FBI offices. Nothing back on them yet, but it¡¯s early. We are assuming it is in the Midwest based on the Chicago Mob connection, but that doesn¡¯t have to be the case at all.¡±


    ¡°Keep on it,¡± she said. ¡°Where are we on the ind?¡±


    ¡®That witness is a gold mine,¡± another agent said. ¡°I¡¯m taking her list of names and creating files for each. I¡¯m looking at public source information that might corroborate this, but we need to get a US Attorney involved and start looking at warrants and indictments.¡±


    ¡°We have to keep this all close to our vest,¡± I said. ¡°If word of the investigation gets out people will m up. We build cases, pick ones to try and flip, then all of them at once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want from this end,¡± Rosalie agreed. ¡°You¡¯ll be working closely with AUSA Perkins. She¡¯s briefed her boss on the testimony, and she¡¯s practically going to be living with you all as we build our cases. One big, closing on them all at once. They¡¯ll be begging for deals and we won¡¯t need to give them any,¡± she said.


    ¡°What about the ind,¡± I asked.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°It¡¯s in Colombian territory, and their police aren¡¯t interested. The druglords own the cops and will not cooperate. We can continue to work through the State Department, but it doesn¡¯t look good,¡± she said.


    ¡°If we could get the records of that ce, we wouldn¡¯t need Tania as a witness at all,¡± I said. ¡°From what she said, there are around twenty sex ves there at a time, many of them children. It pisses me off that we know they are there, and we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°We think they are there, Randall. Tania¡¯s testimony is helpful, but she hasn¡¯t been there in over a year.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°So, we don¡¯t have jurisdiction, we don¡¯t have cooperation, and we can¡¯t do anything.¡± I looked around the room. ¡°What would it take for us to be able to move in there and rescue them?¡±


    ¡°State, Department of Defense, FBI, Justice Department, Homnd Security¡­ Jesus, Randall, do you have any idea how many hoops there are? If we can¡¯t get the Colombians to y ball, the President would have to authorize the use of force on a sovereign country¡¯s territory. I appreciate your passion, Randall, but there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    I choked down my thoughts. There was something that could be done, that SHOULD be done, but I don¡¯t think it was going to happen with the sanction of the US government. I needed to talk to my Dad, my mate and my family. ¡°Understood, boss.¡±


    ¡°Now, anythinge out of the information she gave us on the dead pimps?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, names of people we are running through the database. Since she was 17 or 18, all we could get them on is solicitation and that doesn¡¯t help much. Even with her testimony most will walk.¡± The investigator on this area was just as downcast as the one on the ind. ¡°The list of people isn¡¯t near as famous or rich. They did go all around the country, but the only ones to really go after are both dead.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Take time to document everything and turn it over, then help with the Ind johns.¡± She looked at me. ¡°I just don¡¯t get why guys would travel there and pay that kind of money.¡±


    ¡°Unlimited sex with underage girls and prostitutes, it¡¯s a weekend of fun,¡± he said. ¡°From what she described, they could make any fantasye true. Even if that fantasy involved beating the shit out of a girl before fucking her.¡± I had to push my wolf down, thinking of this and my sister-inw wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°I¡¯ve got to step out, sorry.¡±

 My Responsibility

    I could feel them watching me as I walked out and I didn¡¯t care. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before letting out a scream of frustration.


    I¡¯d like to say that after blowing off that steam and getting my wolf under control things got better.


    They didn¡¯t. At about five, a furious Rosalie came out of her office and called the team around her. She had been on the phone for twenty minutes, the blinds in her office closed, and I could smell her frustration. ¡°Attention please everyone,¡± she said as we stopped and gathered around. ¡°Effective immediately, we are to cease inquiries and investigations into the Chicago mob. Assemble the information you have and send it to me, and I will pass it to the Organized Crime bureau.¡±


    I mmed my hand on the table. ¡°Really? Those fuckers are taking this from us?¡±


    ¡°Those are my instructions. Randall, my office. Now.¡±


    She turned around and stormed back into her office, and I followed her in and closed the door. ¡°Take a seat,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re getting too involved in this case, you need to let things go,¡± she said as she sat down.


    ¡°Like you are right now?¡± She covered her face with her hands. ¡°What¡¯s going on, really.¡±


    ¡°Joey ¡®Bag of Donuts¡¯ Veni is an FBI confidential informant,¡± she said as she sat back in her chair. ¡°Organized Crime Unit won¡¯t allow any investigations to go forward, he has immunity from prosecution. It wouldn¡¯t do any good.¡±


    Fuck me sideways. ¡°Well, can¡¯t he give us information on the training facility?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t care about him or the facility, they are trying to take down the crime family. We are not to proceed with anything, including any investigation that could draw attention to him.¡±


    It was my turn to sit back. ¡°What did you find out about the ind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a no go, the State Department is trying to gain cooperation from them in other areas. Exposing a sex ind in their waters would embarrass the government further.¡±


    ¡°So we fucking leave twenty women, God knows how many of them American, sitting there to be abused and we can¡¯t do a fucking thing? What the HELL are we even doing? I should be leading a Hostage Rescue Team into that ind by tomorrow night, killing every one of those bastards!¡±


    ¡°Watch yournguage, Agent Meechum. I¡¯m still you¡¯re fucking boss, and we don¡¯t have authorization to kill them all, no matter how much you want to.¡±


    She was a good one, but this was bing difficult. My frustration boiling over, I stood up and punched the wall. I left a hole in it, looking at my fist I wasn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s a lot going on in my family right now and I¡¯m taking this case way too personally.¡±


    ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°I met a woman while I was back home. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s getting serious quickly. I think she is the one, but her sister¡­ her little sister was tricked into prostitution and died of an overdose. It¡¯s made my job all the more real and urgent. I¡¯m having trouble holding myself back from violence. if I found anyone that hurt Tania, I¡¯d be as likely to kill them as arrest them. Maybe more likely, I don¡¯t know.¡± I figured it was a good enough lie for now, it¡¯s not like I could say ¡®hey I¡¯m mated to the sister of our main witness who is mated to my little brother.¡¯


    She watched me as I took a few deep breaths to calm down. She knew my reputation with women, the whole office did. I didn¡¯t screw around on the job, but in my off time I screwed around a lot. I¡¯d never had more than a one-night stand, though. ¡°Really. She must be quite the woman to get a second date out of you.¡±


    I blushed a little. ¡°She¡¯s special, I love her.¡±


    ¡°Go back to her,¡± she said. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve hardly taken any vacation and your sick time doesn¡¯t count. With most of this investigation stalled, I don¡¯t need you in the field yet and I know how bad you are withputer investigations and paperwork. You¡¯re more of a ¡®bust heads and get confessions¡¯ kind of agent.¡± I smiled at her characterization of me, I hated the grunt work. I wanted action. ¡°This has been tough, take a week or two and get your personal life in order. If anythinges up, I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you shorthanded,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be beating up witnesses or shooting perps, do you have any idea how much paperwork that causes me?¡± She threw her hands in the air. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not asking. What you just said could get you in a lot of trouble if you told it to me and then it happened. I¡¯d rather you take some time off ande back when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I blew out my breath slowly. ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t change? What if I can¡¯t hold back?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to reassign you or you resign, Randall. The FBI is bigger than you, this case is bigger than you. I can¡¯t have it ruined because you can¡¯t control your anger. Now, it¡¯s been a long day. Go home, Agent Meechum.¡±


    ¡°Yes boss,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry about the wall.¡± I walked out, everyone in the office looking at me as I grabbed stuff out of my desk and left. I showed them my badge and gun. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m just taking a vacation,¡± I said. ¡°Keep on these assholes. I want to have plenty of warrants to serve when I get back.¡±


    There were some pats on the back and whispered ¡®good lucks¡¯ as I left, but they all knew this vacation wasn¡¯t my idea. It was a suspension with pay, without the paperwork.


    I took the elevator down to parking and got in my Jeep. I tried Talia, she still wasn¡¯t answering, then I called Dad. I told him what had happened and what my n was. ¡°Come on home, son,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this alone.¡±


    Damn right. I had a Pack, and we¡¯d take care of this ourselves.


    Master Vampire Jarrod Covington¡¯s POV


    New York, Council HQ


    ¡°What are THEY doing here,¡± the guard asked me at the door.


    ¡°They are here because they have business with the Council,¡± I replied.


    ¡°The Chairman will have to approve this, it is highly irregr.¡±


    ¡°They are MY responsibility, and I will not allow them to be harmed when I have brought them in good faith.¡±


    ¡°We shall see.¡± The big vampire went to a phone while we waited in the room, five floors below Manhattan. The waiting area off the elevator was ostentatious, serving to show the power and wealth of the vampires who lived and ruled from here. I looked down at the huge Persian rug we were standing on, hoping it didn¡¯t end up with blood on it. He returned a minuteter. ¡°You may proceed, but you and your Coven will be held to ount if they try anything. Mistress Dani is not happy about this development,¡± he said.


    ¡°Mistress Dani was not happy when I left,¡± I said. He led us forward to therge, gold-ted doors that led to the Council chambers.


    Six vampire guards showed up, two nking each of my guests. I looked back at them. ¡°Say nothing unless directed, and be respectful as I have discussed,¡± I told them. ¡°Mistress Dani and Master Louis are just looking for an excuse to kill you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to build bridges, not burn them,¡± Alpha Brent said. He was ate addition to my group, convincing me he shoulde just before our transport arrived. It was dangerous, but so was bringing a newly changed hybrid before a potentially hostile Council.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything unless asked, and then as little as possible,¡± Erica said. ¡°This ce skeeves me out.¡±


    The guard knocked at the door as we quieted. When he opened them, I entered first, walking to the center of the room below the five chairs for the Council members. My Coven and guests lined up two steps behind me; Marceline on my far left, then Eduardo, Erica and Alpha Brent, then Anastasia. We all bowed our heads respectfully, our eyes up. Their emotions were carefully controlled, but I could sense the mix of hostility, curiosity and surprise in their eyes. ¡°Master Jarrod Covington, reporting to the Council as requested.¡± I introduced my group, then introduced the five Vampires to them. Eduardo and the two werewolves had never met the Council before.


    ¡°Your scent is interesting, hybrid,¡± Master Lukaku said. ¡°I saw one like you sixteen centuries ago in Tangiers, but he was male and hostile. He was taken out immediately,¡± he said.


    ¡°It is different, a mix that doesn¡¯t belong together but on you it works,¡± Mistress Edith said. ¡°You are mates with this vampire?¡±


    ¡®Yes Mistress,¡± Erica said with a shy smile. ¡°My wolf imed him, as his nature imed mine. The change allowed us toplete our bond.¡±


    ¡°What changes happened with the bond,¡± Master Niki said.


    ¡°I have received mental bonds with my mate, her family and the Pack,¡± Eduardo said.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing. I didn¡¯t think vampires would change as a result of the bite, I thought she would gain our characteristics,¡± Master Lukaku said.


    ¡°We have blended, to what extent we are still discovering. The maker¡¯s bond I have with Master Jarrod remains intact. I am still bound to obey him. I also have an Alpha bond now; I can bemanded by him like any Pack member, but not if it vites themands of my Maker. I can defy the Alphamand on my own, it is just painful to do so.¡± He looked at them.


    ¡°Erica, do you have the same bonds?¡±


    ¡°I do not have a Maker¡¯s bond as my mate has described. My Alphamand remains in ce, but what I did gain was a family bond with his Coven. It¡¯s not the same as I have with Eduardo, I can¡¯t mentallymunicate, but my wolf and I consider them family and will protect them as if they were in my Pack.¡±


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Niki said. ¡°I would like to test this. Erica, Eduardo, please move over by the door, the rest of you to this side.¡± Weplied, not sure of what was going on. When we were in ce, he looked at me. ¡°Alpha Brent,mand Erica to defend herself and her mate to the best of her ability but do not kill.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He did so, I could see she was nervous. ¡°Now, Master Jarrod,mand your Coven members to remain where they are and not interfere.¡± I gave thatmand.


    ¡°We will be testing many things now,¡± Niki said. ¡°Alpha Brent, you are not to interfere, or I will have my guards kill you, understood?¡± He nodded. ¡°Martin, Yuri, attack the hybrid and beat her severely but do not kill her.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Yuri, the big guard who had let us in, replied with a bow of his head. He smiled as the two of them faced Erica, who was scared. She only had a few days of training in her new form, and these were professional vampire guards. I kept my face neutral, but I was furious inside. They were my responsibility, and I had told them they would be safe.

 A Wise Condition

    I looked over at Eduardo, he was not holding his emotions in check. He looked to her, linking her, and she shifted into her silver and ck wolf. She moved forward, in front of her mate and growling, as the two vampires moved apart from each other.


    The guards would have experience fighting werewolves, who normally fought in pairs or groups. Alone, they were vulnerable to vampire speed and venom, and that was how they attacked. Yuri blurred as he rushed in from her left side, his leg moving to kick her chest, but just as suddenly she wasn¡¯t there. I could barely follow as she jumped to the side before lunging in and biting his nt leg just above the knee.


    She wasn¡¯t there long, because Martin was already on her. His talons caught her shoulder, knocking her off as blood streamed from her side. She whirled and jumped for his crotch, her bite catching him where no man ever wants to be caught. By the time his scream of agony came out, she was already gone.


    Back and forth it went, a far morepetitive battle than it should have been. She could match their speed, her wolf was a strong fighter, but two vampires were too much to expect her to prevail against. Her coat became soaked in her own blood, and when Yuri sliced her right hamstring she copsed to the ground. The two vampires were on her before she could blink.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Niki said. ¡°Yuri, Martin, leave us. Send the doctor in.¡± As soon as they were gone, he looked at me. ¡°Release your Coven from theirmand,¡± he said and I did. Eduardo immediately went to his mate¡¯s side, she was on her side and panting heavily. ¡°Alpha Brent, tend to your Pack member. She fought well.¡±


    ¡°She did, Master Niki,¡± Alpha Brent said as he went over. A vampire doctor arrived, and Erica shifted back, the shift healing some of the damage. Eduardo carried her out, as the hamstring would need to be stitched so it could heal faster. Alpha Brent came back to stand beside me, his hands covered in blood. ¡°Did the demonstration answer your questions, Master Niki?¡±


    ¡°It did. She is strong, she fights like a wolf with the speed of a vampire. She is controlled, not a mindless animal.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too strong, she is a danger to vampires,¡± Mistress Dani said. ¡°This is a mistake.¡±


    ¡°She is bound by both sides to some extent,¡± Master Lukaku said. ¡°Given what we know of Talia¡¯s ability, she is more of a danger to werewolves than vampires. How are these hybrids being epted by your kind, Alpha Brent?¡±


    ¡°If you would grant me a few moments, I would like to show you exactly what I am dealing with among my own kind,¡± Brent said. He took out a sh drive. ¡°It¡¯s a video file from about ten hours ago, a videoconference with the North American Alphas and the Council.¡± A young vampire approached and took the file over to aputer.


    ¡°What is the relevance of this?¡±


    I answered for him. ¡°The Werewolf Council tried to attack his Pack members, specifically they funded rogue werewolves and a former Alpha to capture Talia Stillwater and myself. Their intent was to mate her to control her power, and use my blood to make themselves invincible,¡± I said to their gasps of shock.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Brent brought the file up, it was the start of the meeting. ¡°If you would indulge me, it¡¯s about twenty minutes unedited. I believe you should see it unedited to get the full picture.¡± Twenty minutester, they were looking at me with a new respect, and Talia¡¯s power y had their attention.


    ¡°What does this mean,¡± Master Louis asked.


    ¡°By ourws, Talia defeated the Council chairman so she is the de facto leader of all Werewolves now,¡± he said. ¡°She has no intention of maintaining that power, it does not interest her, and she has better things to do. The Council members involved in the decision to try to kidnap Master Jarrod, the same ones who authorized medical experiments with your captured vampires, they will all be reced. I spoke to herst night; the records of the experiment have been secured and the people responsible will be punished.¡±


    ¡°How can we believe that? Like we would trust dogs again.¡± Mistress Dani¡¯s anger pushed through, causing Niki to stare at her.


    ¡°I am here because I want to build trust between us,¡± Brent said. ¡°I never wanted war, but now I have a reason to establish a peace. Talia is mated to my son, and she considers Jarrod¡¯s coven to be her family. Tania is mated to another son, and Jarrod¡¯s coven helped her after her rescue. I will be forever grateful to them for that. Finally, Erica is a trusted friend of my family and has a mate bond with Eduardo. Our Pack and their Coven are tied together as friends and family. I can trust Jarrod, and he has trusted me. That is the basis of cooperation between our species, something we can build on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Master Louis said. ¡°We have long memories, we have seen peace treatiese and go.¡±


    ¡°That is true, and I¡¯m not here to rehash the distant past. I¡¯m offering a chance to establish a peace between our species at a time when we all have to worry about other problems. It is much more difficult in the age ofputers and cameras to keep our true nature hidden. Never before have humans had such a capability to destroy us, and for that reason alone we should be working together. War between us will only expose us and kill us all.¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± Niki said. ¡°We owe it to our kinds to find a way. Leave us, go see to your Pack member. I will call you when we have a decision.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Niki,¡± I said as I bowed before turning to the door. We walked through, the guards closing it behind us. We were lead through another door and down the hall to a small medical facility. ¡°Erica, you did well,¡± I said as I entered the room.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t scare them?¡±


    ¡°It was a test of both ability and restraint,¡± I said. ¡°We will know soon, but you held your own against two Vampire Warriors, not an easy task. Imagine what you will be able to do when fully trained.¡±


    Alpha Brent had gone over to the side of the table opposite where Eduardo was standing holding her hand. He inspected the wounds, seeing the serious ones were healing over already. ¡°Her healing is several times faster than mine,¡± he said as he looked at the cuts. ¡°I¡¯d need stitches for two days, she¡¯ll be ready to get them out in a few more hours.¡±


    ¡°Even if they had lopped off her leg, it would regenerate in a week or so,¡± I told him. ¡°At least that is what it would be for a vampire.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not find out,¡± Erica said. ¡°I need a shower before I get dressed,¡± she said. Eduardo led her to the attached bathroom while we cleaned up the room. The doctor stopped in, confirming she would be fine in a day or two. A young vampire popped in with new clothes since Erica had shredded hers in shifting. By the time she had changed, we were summoned again.


    ¡°The Vampire Council is in favor of exploring peace talks with the Werewolves as soon as new leadership is in ce,¡± Niki said. ¡°We are asking for two things as a condition for talks. One is that the information gained in medical experiments on our kind is destroyed along with those who obtained it.¡±


    ¡°I have already spoken with Talia. If you send a trusted representative, vampire or familiar to her at the Council she will allow them full ess to the investigation and the prisoners,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°The other is that you work with Master Jarrod to draft a simple non-aggression treaty, to ensure that neither side tries to take advantage of the time until we can negotiate a permanent agreement.¡±


    ¡°That is a wise condition, I will work with my friend and provide it to both Councils as soon as possible,¡± Alpha Brent said.


    ¡°Then go in peace,¡± Master Niki said.


    ¡°If I may, I have a request for your Council,¡± Brent said. I hid my surprise since he hadn¡¯t warned me. ¡°As you know, interactions with humans are dangerous for both our kinds. Talia¡¯s sister suffered greatly at the hands of humans and werewolves; we have our justice among our time, but there are many humans whose blood we want. If it is eptable to you, I would like your permission to work through Master Jarrod to request assistance from the Covens in cities where these humans must be tracked and taken. My kind does not live in these ces and we do not want misunderstandings about our activities near your Covens.¡±


    ¡°And what do we get out of this?¡±


    ¡°The men we want need to be punished, and it would be eptable to us if they were kept captive by you for feeding purposes. It would also give us a chance to work in concert with other Covens, showing them our intentions are honorable. Without your blessing to the work, they will not do so.¡±


    Niki looked at the others, then nodded. ¡°I will ensure all Covens are told of this Council¡¯s endorsement of the cooperation, but it will be up to them if they want to participate. If they do not, I will ensure they are kept aware of your activities and do not interfere, provided you do not threaten them.¡±


    ¡°That is eptable, Master Niki. Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No sir,¡± Alpha Brent said.


    ¡°Then go. You have a few more hours before sunrise, enough time to get back on your ne.¡±


    We left the room, entering the elevator and finally alone. ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls on you, Alpha Brent,¡± I said as the elevator started to rise.

 Challenge And Kill Him

    ¡°Talia isn¡¯t free of her blood vow until we have them all,¡± he replied. ¡°I want grandchildren to y with.¡±


    Iughed harder than I had in months. ¡°You werewolves are all the same about that,¡± I said.


    ¡°I want them, but Patty is insufferable about it. She wants little wamp pups running around the house.¡± I pped him on the back, and we walked out to our transport. We¡¯d be back in New Orleans by ten.


    Talia Stillwater¡¯s POV


    Council Headquarters


    I asked the Chairman¡¯s secretary to find me two things; clothes that could fit me and a pair of female warriors that could drive me. ¡°Females, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my mate wouldn¡¯t appreciate me being around unmated males. It was bad enough I traveled here with Jacque.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around, the Council doesn¡¯t have female enforcers but there might be some family members willing to step up.¡±


    No females allowed? That shit would be changing.


    I called Jacque to my new office and we went through his directions. He would be in charge while I was gone, calling me for any important decisions. In general, he was going to preserve evidence and keep order until the new Council was elected.


    When we finished, Gia and Tia were waiting for me outside the doors. The twenty-two-year old twin daughters of a Beta pair, they stood about five foot ten and carried themselves confidently. With raven-ck hair in ponytails and lightplexions, they were strikingly beautiful. ¡°Your background,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Our parents were Betas of the Allegheny Pack. Our father was rotated here to consolidate the identity change department,¡± Gia said.


    ¡°We have been trained to Beta level, but here we are utilized for developing backgrounds and finding identities that can be taken over,¡± Tia continued. ¡°We will protect you with our lives, not that you require us to protect yourself. You¡¯re awesome,¡± she said with a blush.


    I could see how thrilled they were to be asked to work directly for me. ¡°Pack a bag for a week,¡± I said. ¡°We will be driving a lot, so requisition a vehicle that is big enough we can sleep in it. You¡¯ll be alternating driving.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam Chairman,¡± they said together as they left. I found a bag and put the rest of my clothes in it just as Jacque knocked on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some tech for you,¡± he said as he handed me a phone. ¡°Generic ount smartphone, since you left yours behind. I loaded in the numbers I had for your family and my own personal phone, as well as the security center and your office here,¡± he said. ¡°This notebook has theplete Council records on each Pack; their territories, known members, profiles of leadership, everything we have.¡±


    ¡°All right, you can expect some blowback on Councilman Pierce, but if his son is smart he¡¯ll survive. Don¡¯t tell anyone where I am, let them think I¡¯m still on the warpath.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thinking for yourself,¡± I responded. ¡°I hope the next Council recognizes your talent and keeps you on. If not¡­ my family would love to have you if you need a ce.¡± I walked out, people scurrying out of my way as I walked to the car.


    I tossed my bag in the back of the Crown Victoria sedan, the big seat calling me in my fatigue. ¡°Where to, boss?¡±


    ¡°Gnaw Bone, Indiana,¡± I said. ¡°Wake me when we¡¯re there.¡±


    It was barely a half hourter when my new phone woke me up. I saw the caller ID, it was my mate. ¡°Hi baby, sorry I didn¡¯t call but I was tired,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy while I was gone,¡± Randall said. His deep voice affected my wolf, she was running around in my head, sticking her butt in the air and moving her tail aside. She wanted him. ¡°I saw the videoconference. You were amazing, baby. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been any more in love with you than when I saw you dominate those assholes,¡± he said.


    ¡°I miss you. Are you still working the cases in Das? How are they going?¡±


    ¡°Dead end,¡± he said. ¡°My wolf was getting too riled up about things. It turns out the man who bought your sister from Beta Jack is an FBI informant, and protected. When I learned the State Department vetoed action against the sex ind, it was too much.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t shift, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I put a hole in my bosses¡¯ wall. She strongly suggested I take some time off, so I am suddenly free and missing my mate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading west. I figure Alpha Pierce is at his home pack south of Indianapolis, then I¡¯m trying to decide if I go to Denver or Das. I should check in with the Pack I¡¯m the Alpha of, I guess.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything for a bit. ¡°Randall, do you want to be Alpha there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it will work,¡± he said. ¡°Would you do that to your sister? Live in the territory, with the Pack that raised your nephew as their own after he was stolen from you? Onnd where she was held and raped?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± I had no interest in the Pack, I had only wanted revenge on Alpha Justin. ¡°How is Das doing up there?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. He had toy down thew and make some changes, but the Pack is settling down quickly. He¡¯s confident enough he¡¯s bringing Vivian and Austin up tomorrow.¡± This was good, he wouldn¡¯t risk his mate and son if it wasn¡¯t stable. ¡°If we aren¡¯t going to take it, you should officially turn over the Pack to him. It will make it easier for them to make the Pack their own.¡±


    ¡°Road trip? You could meet me there in two days.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait two days. How about I fly into Indianapolis and you pick me up on the way?¡±


    ¡°Why not,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more fun with your man watching,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my Dad when he gets back, and Das,¡± I said. ¡°We should really be there as a family to celebrate his instation as Pack Alpha. It¡¯s a big deal for them.¡±


    I thought about it, and he was right. Alpha changes did not happen often outside a family without blood being spilled. It was a good excuse for a party, something Werewolves loved. ¡°The Council is required at an instation, the Chairman and the local Council member minimum. Right now I¡¯m it,¡± I said. ¡°I guess I could have Chief Enforcer Jacque Jones fly in for it, he¡¯s acting for me back at headquarters.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy flying in and out of Denver, so yeah. We should go all out. Das never thought he¡¯d have a chance to be Alpha and it should be special.¡±


    I remembered something. ¡°Where is your Dad?¡±


    ¡°Off with the Vampire Council and Jarrod. He¡¯s working on a peace n. I don¡¯t expect to hear from him until the morning. Listen, I¡¯ll talk to my Mom, she can work with everyone to set up the party. You think you can be there in two nights?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we can do it at moonrise.¡±


    ¡°All right, I love you, Talia. I¡¯m going to find a flight and get to the airport, I¡¯ll call you when I have details.¡±


    ¡°Just text me, love, I¡¯m going to try and get some sleep. Love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you more, Talia. See you soon.¡± I ended the call and set the phone in the cup holder, then closed my eyes.


    ¡°Madam Chairman,¡± I heard the female voice say as my shoulder was gently touched. ¡°We¡¯reing up on Indianapolis.¡±


    I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and sat up, looking at Tia and Gia in the front seat. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes from the exit for Alpha Lamont¡¯s pack, a little more if we are going to the airport first.¡±


    I looked at my phone, it was five in the morning. I had a text from Randall, his ne was arriving in forty minutes. ¡°Airport first,¡± I said. I quickly texted Randall back, telling him we would meet him outside baggage im. ¡°No, bathroom and food first,¡± I said.


    We stopped at the next exit for gas, bathroom and drive-through McDonalds. I got extra, figuring my mate might be hungry, and we got to the airport just as he wasnding. I stood outside the car, nervously pacing back and forth until I saw him and jumped into his arms. ¡°Randall,¡± I purred after we came up for air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car before I mate you right here against the post,¡± he said. I dropped down his front and took his hand; he was carrying a small bag. He looked every inch the fantasy cowboy in his ck cowboy boots, ck jeans and a T-shirt hugging his muscled torso and shoulders. We loaded into the car and headed southwest. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°Challenge and kill him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you want me to do it?¡±


    I thought about it, he was even stronger and better trained than I was, though he had much less experience with his new speed and strength. ¡°No, I think it is best if we keep your capabilities hidden until they are needed,¡± I said. ¡°Plus I hear my fighting is great for your libido.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± he said. We cuddled up in the back seat, enjoying each other until we arrived at the gate for the territory. A young guard came up to the driver¡¯s window; he recoiled at the smell, his hand moving to his holstered weapon. ¡°That would be a mistake,¡± Randall said in his Alpha voice. ¡°Inform the Alpha that Talia Stillwater is here to speak with him.¡±

 The Alpha Nominations

    He was shaking, he was so nervous. ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± He was linking, then he nervously approached. ¡°The Alpha will be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll get out and stretch after the long drive,¡± I said. The guard retreated back to his side of the gate blocking the road, while we all got out to wait. I did some stretching and warm ups, not knowing how stupid this Alpha was going to be. ¡°Any bets?¡±


    ¡°It will take more time because he¡¯s going to gather every warrior he can find before hees,¡± Randall said. ¡°And the Councilman will be hiding with the women and children in the safe room.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s already taken off the other direction,¡± I said. ¡°Fucking pussy.¡±


    ¡°Care to have a wager on that, my lovely mate?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to bet?¡±


    ¡°Well, when the instructors at the FBI academy thought you were unsure, they¡¯d ask if you bet your ass on it. One night of servitude to the other, doing whatever the other person says.¡±


    Oh, this could be fun. ¡°You¡¯re on, love. I¡¯m going to love getting a mani-pedi from you while I watch The Notebook and eat ice cream,¡± I teased.


    It turned out we were both wrong. He came out, he was just behind six lines of warriors, maybe fifty in all. Alpha Lamont Cranston was the only child of Councilman Pierce Cranston, having taken over three years ago when his father moved up. Unmated and no children, I hoped he was smart enough to move aside. ¡°What is your business here, rogue?¡±


    I bristled; I was an Alpha in my own right, and through mating a member of the Sulphur River Pack. My wolf growled lowly, causing a few of the warriors to move back. ¡°I challenge Councilman Pierce Cranston in singlebat,¡± I said. ¡°I have no desire to harm anyone else, but I will have Pierce¡¯s blood on my teeth this morning.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my father, he¡¯s part of my Pack. You have no standing to challenge,¡± Lamont said.


    Randall stepped forward; his wolf was just as dominant, but he was bigger and stronger than this Alpha. ¡°Let¡¯s be reasonable here. Your father sent rogues after my mate, and she wants revenge. She¡¯s the Alpha Killer; if you refuse, she¡¯s just going to challenge you for your position and kill you. Then she¡¯llmand the Pack to bring him forward and she will THEN kill him. There¡¯s no win in this for you, but you can go home today if you and your men just step aside. Let the man fight honorably and die with honor.¡±


    I thought it might work, I really did. Moving back, Randall got behind me as I waited for an answer. ¡°Watch our backs,¡± I whispered to Gia and Tia as nothing happened.


    ¡°You will not get a challenge, go home,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°Cross our boundary and you will die.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Such a waste of good wolves,¡± I said as I pulled my shoes and socks off. ¡°You men are going to die today, and for what?¡± I pulled my shirt over my head, I could hear Randall and the girls doing the same behind me. ¡°To protect a man who hired ROGUES to attack a Pack.¡± I tossed the wadded-up clothes back onto the car, then shifted to my wolf. Randall shifted, his bigger wolfing up next to me as the lines of warriors started to shift as well. When the twins shifted into their grey wolves, we walked around the gate and onto their territory.


    Alpha Lamont had moved back with his father, leaving lines of warriors between us. ¡°Kill her mate, that will make her vulnerable,¡± he said. ¡°ATTACK!¡±


    Fifty on four would normally be a short and violent fight, and this one was too. The first ten wolves who ran towards us were shredded as Randall and I tore through them like they were nothing. Blood sprayed everywhere as we ripped out throats or knocked the bodies flying. The wolves in the second rank were shocked, and several pissed themselves when Randall let out an angry growl. If they thought Randall was the weak link in our group, they were wrong.


    We kept moving forward, and this time the warriors were not eager to engage. The Alpha was clearlymanding them, forcing them toe even though their wolves wanted nothing to do with us. ¡°Wound them, there is no honor in this,¡± I said.


    We were covered in the blood of their friends and our dominance rolled over them. shing quickly, we disabled the reluctant attackers and then I saw something that made my blood boil.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Those fuckers were running away.


    ¡°Catch them,¡± I said as I leaped over two lines of warriors. Using our speed, we left the warriors behind and closed on the two Alphas. ¡°Take Lamont,¡± I said as I moved behind Pierce. I bit down on his tail, causing him to howl in pain as the skin was peeled back and the bones severed.


    He turned to face me, and I spit the end of his tail out. He growled and lunged for my front paws, but I easily avoided him and took a sh at his left shoulder. I could hear the growling and howls of pain from near me as Randall took Lamont apart, I just couldn¡¯t take my eyes off my foe. I didn¡¯t make it easy or short; these two had acted as cowards and would die that way. A paw swipe took out his left eye, leaving him vulnerable to attack on that side. I tore strips from him, moving in and biting before he could react.


    Then I took out his right eye, and he was truly helpless.


    I had promised to kill him, and I wasn¡¯t going to show mercy after that disy of cowardice. He rolled onto his back, his neck exposed, but he would not get a quick death. Instead, I ran my razor-sharp ws along his stomach. His intestines started to poke through, and I grabbed onto a loop and pulled. He howled in agony as he was disemboweled.


    I looked over at Randall, he had Alpha Lamont submitting to him. ¡°Shit, now I have a Pack,¡± he said.


    ¡°Kill him for his cowardice,¡± I said. He looked over at what I had done and chuffed, then did the same thing. ¡°Come on, we need to go back to the Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°They areing, I can sense them,¡± he said. We ran side by side towards their Pack Houses, howling for them to gather. The warriors filtered in, moving to us as we shifted and stood on the front steps of therge house. ¡°Gather around, you are not in danger. Take the wounded to the infirmary ande back here.¡± There were more injured than dead, thankfully the Twins were not in either group. They moved behind us to watch our backs. ¡°Your Alpha submitted to me,e forward, bring your families and establish the Alpha link with us now.¡±


    ¡°If we do not?¡± One of the injured warriors looked up at me.


    ¡°Then you are rogue and have one hour to leave thisnd before you are killed,¡± I said. ¡°I did note here to take this Pack, I tried to reason with him. You saw what happened. He was an Alpha without honor, and this Pack is better off with him gone.¡±


    The safe room must have opened, because the women and children were starting toe out and join with their mates and parents. ¡°Come, you are safe,¡± I promised.


    ¡°You are the Alpha Killer,¡± one of the girls said. ¡°You¡¯re my hero!¡±


    ¡°I was once a girl like you,¡± I said as I leaned down. ¡°Train and never ept you are less than a man.¡±


    It took an hour to establish the bonds, then we spent another six hours getting the Pack in order. The Beta male had been killed in the first attack, and his mate had killed herself. The Theta was still alive, he was injured but would recover. Randall put him in charge of the Pack until we could return.


    It hadn¡¯t worked out as I expected. My mate and I were Alphas of Packs hundreds of miles apart, and we didn¡¯t want either one of them. We got back into our car and headed west, where at least we could give up MY pack.


    **************


    Talia¡¯s POV


    I-70 West of Indianapolis


    It seemed like we were attached to our phones the whole way out. The only good part was that with the big backseat, I couldy down with my head in my man¡¯sp. The bond tingles as he moved his hand over my bare neck and shoulder felt amazing.


    I had my Chief Enforcer on speakerphone so we could both talk. ¡°It¡¯s not like we were PLANNING to take over his Pack, Jacque! The coward hid behind his warriors then ran when he saw they couldn¡¯t stop us,¡± Iined.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting calls from Alphas all morning, wondering if you are collecting Packs like some kind of Pandora bracelet,¡± Jacque said with augh. ¡°This is what, three now?¡±


    ¡°Technically the Tomah Pack I didn¡¯t take over, he abdicated when he heard I wasing for him.¡± Even my mate snorted at that.


    ¡°Well, they are getting nervous. No one minds if Tania and Bobby take over Tomah, she is a blood heir to it,¡± he said. ¡°With Copper Mountain, that was a supervised challenge; they are relieved to hear that you are turning it over to Das and Vivian, both are mature and trained for the job. They are worried about the Hoosier Pack, especially since you killed so many of them. When you¡¯ve done so much damage, it rarely ends well for an iing Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Not as many as could have died,¡± I said. ¡°It will take them weeks to heal and for the first to get their wolves back, the rest? I pray they find their mates.¡± When we tore through the lines of warriors, we did our best not to kill them, but our hybrid werewolf-vampire bite was going to slowly poison those who survived the wounds. There were fourteen of these, all would die horrible and painful deaths.


    We had spoken with the doctors and had decided on a strategy. The vampire venom worked against werewolves, but it wouldn¡¯t kill humans. The only chance they had, as we exined to those who were conscious and their mates, was to take their wolves from them. Large doses of wolfsbane were used to remove them, and I was d I wasn¡¯t around to hear the suffering. The men would have to heal as humans,plete with scarring and long recovery timespared to wolf healing.


    ¡°At least seven will get their wolves back quickly,¡± Jacque agreed. Those who had true mates would have their mates change them back, the same way Tania received her wolf back. The others would not be able to be turned again until they were found and imed by their true mates. It was a shitstorm for us. Not only had we killed the senior leadership, we had caused real damage in the Pack. He was right; not many in the Pack were happy we were in charge, but none wanted to be rogue either.


    ¡°Send out a message to all the Packs requesting nominations to be the new Alpha Pair of the Hoosier Pack,¡± Randall said. ¡°Make it happen, I want names in a week,¡± he said before he hung up.


    I looked at him a little confused. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t want it, you don¡¯t want it and they need leadership.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to give it to one of your brothers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of running out of brothers,¡± I said. ¡°Dusty is heir to our Pack, Das has Copper Mountain and Bobby will likely take Tomah. I¡¯m with you, and Matt and Mark, who are seniors at Texas Tech, aren¡¯t ready and both are unmated.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a mate to be Alpha,¡± I said.

 You’re A Family

    ¡°It helps settle the Pack, and most Alphas are more mature than college kids.¡±


    ¡°What about your sisters?¡±


    ¡°Well, Denise is acting Beta female at Copper Mountain, and Bonnie has her own Pack in Maine. Diane and Marjorie just became of age, neither is mated and they are still in high school. Of them, Denise is the closest to being ready, but this isn¡¯t a good fit for her.¡± I had to agree, it was going to be hostile. ¡°By opening it up to nominations, we take away the hostility they might feel against us and our Pack by taking over so many.¡±


    ¡°What is the process?¡±


    ¡°Nominations, the regional Alphas and the Council Chairman narrow it down to three, then those three will meet with the Pack. The Council makes a rmendation, but a majority of the Pack has to ept the new Alpha so they get the final say.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fair.¡±


    Another call came in, this time for Randall. ¡°Hi Mom,¡± he said as he put it on speaker.


    ¡°Hi baby, how¡¯s my new daughter doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. We¡¯re on the road and I¡¯m looking forward to not being Alpha soon,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about the party, I¡¯ve got everything well in hand. It¡¯s going to be a Texas-sized blowout, and our whole family is going to be there! I¡¯m so excited to see them all!¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not like the twins don¡¯t go to school a couple hours away, and you just saw Bonnie six weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh hush, boy, this is the first chance we have to get a family portrait with my new daughters, so make sure you dress nicely,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re packing your suit, and I¡¯ve found a nice dress for Talia.¡± Oh Luna, this could be a disaster. I haven¡¯t worn a dress since that night I was ying poker in Fort Worth! She must have sensed my hesitancy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not putting you in something ugly, Talia. Your sisters picked it out for you.¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s happening with Dad?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back in New Orleans, he and Erica are staying with her Coven. Both are going to fly upter today with the coven for the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°The light? Are we bringing caskets?¡±


    ¡°Vampire transport vans. Don¡¯t be crude,¡± she said. ¡°Drive safe, we¡¯ll see you soon baby.¡±


    ¡°Love you, Mom.¡± We kept working through our emails until dinner, then we took a nap. We¡¯d arrive just before sundown.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Alpha Brent¡¯s POV


    Private Jet to New Orleans, earlier that morning


    Erica and I slept most of the flight home while the vampires worked. So far, we hadn¡¯t seen evidence that the Vampire trait of not needing sleep would carry over into the hybrids. When I woke up, Erica was still curled up on the window seat, her head resting on Eduardo¡¯s shoulder. She was at peace andfortable, both things I had not expected when I had seen how torn up her body was after the fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°There are a few things we need to talk about.¡±


    ¡°In a minute,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll need coffee.¡± I went back to the small bathroom, running some water over my face beforeing back out. I saw a clock, it was just past eight in the morning. The jet¡¯s windows were all covered and sealed so light would not reach them. A travel mug of hot coffee was handed to me by a smiling Anastasia. ¡°Why are you so happy,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because I have a better chance of finding a mate now that I know I can search among werewolves,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t know what a shock it was for Eddie here to find Erica, and for them to recognize each other before her change. Vampires rarely ever find mates, there are exactly nine mates in North America right now with those two.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Well, we onlye out at night and we tend to keep to ourselves unless hunting,¡± she said. ¡°I wish I could circte more with the wolves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re family, I can help with that. There¡¯s nothing better than bringing mates together.¡± I checked my phone, I¡¯d gotten a bunch of texts and voice mails while I was sleeping. I called my mate first. ¡°Morning baby,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t call, we got out of the Vampire Council meeting reallyte and I just wanted to sleep.¡± I filled her in on what had happened. ¡°How are Randall and Talia doing?¡±


    ¡°Good, they are taking care of Pierce right now,¡± she said. ¡°They decided they are not going to remain Alphas of the Copper Mountain Pack, they are turning it over to Das and Vivian. We¡¯re all heading there today. The handover ceremony will be after moonrise tonight.¡±


    ¡°Everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yep, half of us have already left in the cars, the rest are flying to Denver this afternoon. We even have Bonnieing out with her Stanley.¡±


    ¡°I guess I need to find a flight, then. I¡¯ll let you know. I love you, Patty.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, my mate.¡±


    She hung up and I looked over at Jarrod. He wasn¡¯t trying to listen in, but with vampire hearing he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Jarrod, your coven shoulde. You are family, it¡¯s Talia¡¯s pack that is getting handed over to Das.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was going to ask if we could fly there. I could gomercial if you don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°No, it would be good to go. Let me talk to the Denver coven, they helped us with the abduction of Phillip and Luna Rhoda.¡±


    ¡°Invite them too, I¡¯ll clear it with my son.¡± I made that phone call; Das understood how important this party could be to our species and readily agreed.


    Wended and taxied into a hangar, which closed before the door opened. We walked across to the panel van, all of us sitting in the back. The jet was going to be refueled and would be ready to fly again about seven at night. When we got home and went downstairs, where food and blood were set out for us. ¡°What is next,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the Vampire Council is going to be talking with the Covens and that should get us some cooperation. What do you need first?¡±


    I thought about it; Randall and Talia were tied up with Pack and Council business, the FBI wasn¡¯t helping much, and we were heading to Denver. ¡°Randall wanted to go after Joey Veni, but he¡¯s protected. If he was to get anywhere near him, the FBI woulde down on him hard,¡± I said. ¡°We need to find out where this training facility is.¡±


    Jarrod smiled. ¡°Vampires do a very good job of finding out information, and a blood donor who won¡¯t be missed is always handy,¡± he said. ¡°Let me make a few phone calls. Chicago is a big city, there are three Covens there.¡± He and Eduardo went into his office.


    ¡°Make it look like a rival Mob family did it,¡± I said. ¡°He might be under surveince, so they need to be careful.¡±


    He came out ten minutester. ¡°Master Ahmad will handle it, he is more than happy to help the Alpha Killer rid the world of these scum.¡± Missing children and young women brought investigations, which made it harder for supernaturals to avoid detection. We all had something to gain by removing the very ring.


    ¡°Good.¡± We spent the rest of the afternoon going through the information we had on the ind, that was the next big thing. No werewolf packs or vampire covens were anywhere near the ind, and the ind was difficult to ess by boat. The airstrip was key, but the druglords controlled ess.


    We didn¡¯t have any ideas by the time we left.


    The party was underway when we arrived an hour after dark at the Copper Mountain Pack grounds. I introduced everyone to Das and his leaders, and Patty got her group photos before things got too wild. It was great having everyone I loved around as we celebrated the new Alphas and Betas.


    It wasn¡¯t without drama, of course. When Talia and Randall showed up and started hugging the family, my youngest boys, identical twins Matt and Mark, darn near tackled them as their wolves pushed forward. ¡°WHERE,¡± growled Matt as he smelled Randall¡¯s jacket, while Talia had Mark in a headlock and he was sniffing her arm.


    ¡°Parking the car,¡± Randall said as he figured it out. The two ran off, returning thirty minutester with Gia and Tia, all four sporting fresh mating bites.


    Then as we were on stage for photographs before the ceremony started, I saw my older sister Denise, the Beta female of the Pack, suddenly freeze and look towards the door. ¡°MATE,¡± she said as people got out of her way. There was amotion in the back, and those who didn¡¯t move fast enough were knocked down by the big Enforcer who was rushing the stage. It turned out Jacque Jones had a mate, and it was my sister.


    Photographs were dyed forty minutes until the bites had stopped bleeding and torn outfits were changed with new.


    Finally, with the moon rising over the mountains, the ceremony began. Talia and Randall, the current Alphas, opened the ceremony by thanking the Pack and guests foring. ¡°When I became Alpha, it was a result of me taking my revenge. I cannot be the Alpha you need, and that is why tonight I turn over the Copper Mountain Pack to Dusty and Vivian Meechum.¡± The crowd broke out in apuse. ¡°Strong, just and capable, I have every confidence they will return this Pack to greatness.¡± With that, she took a step back and sank to one knee with Randall dropping down next to her. By submitting to Das and Vivian, the Alpha mantle switched along with the bonds.


    ¡°Thank you, please rise my brother and sister,¡± Das said before pulling them into a hug. The ceremony ended with congrattions from the guests and dignitaries, then the entire Pack came by to solidify their bond with the new Alphas.


    ¡°What are you two going to do,¡± I asked my daughter Denise as we watched thest few people move through.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we need to talk,¡± she said. ¡°What are you going to do, Dad? The rumors are flying that you are going to be the next Chairman. If you need us, we will stay as your Chief Enforcer pair.¡±


    I pulled her tight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, do what you think is right. Jacque will be a fine Beta male if you stay here, and Terry can always return home or stay on in another position.¡±


    Thest of the new Pack members was through. The new Alphas stripped and shifted, calling their members to a hunt. ¡°Come on, Pops,¡± Denise said. ¡°Let¡¯s get some fast food.¡±


    Patty came over and we shifted, nuzzling each other before joining in the run. The mule deer were plentiful, and the party went all night long.

 The Least Of My Worries

    Tania¡¯s POV


    Copper Mountain Pack Grounds


    I had sent Bobby off to hunt with his brothers, those men were ultrapetitive about everything. I had no doubt there was money and bragging rights in y for who could bring back the biggest deer to the feast. I rubbed against him, not wanting to leave my wolf form, and moved over to where my sister Talia had returned.


    She, Erica and the vampires hunted differently; they were already back. Using their speed, they would travel miles away and have the animals in their ws before they could react. Their venom would paralyze it, and they would feed from the neck beforeying the animal down. Since they were maintenance feeds, they were careful not to take so much the animal wouldn¡¯t recover by the next day.


    ¡°How are you handling mated life, Tania?¡±


    I was d I couldn¡¯t blush in wolf form. ¡°It¡¯s everything my life wasn¡¯t¡­ everything I had given up on. I love that man so much it hurts.¡±


    ¡°If it hurts you should use more lube,¡± Bonnie teased as the other girlsughed.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Denise came over and nudged my muzzle with hers. ¡°Bobby¡¯s always been my favorite among the boys,¡± Denise said. ¡°He¡¯s so caring, perfect for you. The way he stayed in wolf form until you were ready to be with him, that was genius of him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know what werewolves were. Grey wolves don¡¯t weigh two hundred plus pounds and stand almost four feet at the shoulder,¡± I replied. ¡°It was just easier to be close to him when I didn¡¯t have to deal with memories of those men. ALL those men, especially when I had to give statements.¡±


    Erica came up and rubbed shoulders with me. ¡°We¡¯re going to get them all, Tania. Dad is working with the Covens and we have many allies among the Packs.¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong that I want to be part of killing them?¡± Werewolves had a much simpler justice system, they do the offense, they are tried and they die, usually at the teeth of the victim or family. ¡°I mean, when I was a human, stuck in that hell, all I wanted was to be free. I didn¡¯t dream of revenge, I felt guilty because I was free and others I knew were still being raped. You can¡¯t be held captive with all those other girls and not feel something for them, without making friends, and it hurt.¡± I leaned into Talia. ¡°Plus as a human, it wasn¡¯t like I was going to go around ripping throats out. Now my wolf wants blood, but everyone is treating me like a fragile toy. I want to be part of this, I think I NEED to be part of it in order to heal. I want them dead and I want the other girls freed.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to Bobby about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you know men¡­ he gets all super-protective, his wolf is furious they did this to his mate. I think he feels like he needs to prove himself to me when he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I proved myself to Randall and he still doesn¡¯t like me fighting,¡± Talia said. ¡°That¡¯s why I took off for the Council without telling him anything. He had work to do and I can handle myself, I¡¯ve done it for years. I¡¯m sure Bobby just looks at you as being young and untrained, he doesn¡¯t want you to be hurt.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t get to decide, does he?¡±


    ¡°Your rtionship with him is just that,¡± Patricia said. ¡°If you want to fight, you better let him know early because if you think he¡¯s protective now, just wait until he has you pupped. You¡¯ll never even train after that unless you start now.¡±


    Pupped. Pregnant. We hadn¡¯t been using any protection, but I hadn¡¯t gone into heat. Looking around at the new mates, including Gia and Tia, I figured there would be a lot of pupsing soon. ¡°What is thetest on the ind?¡±


    ¡°Randall said the FBI and US Government can¡¯t do anything, it¡¯s in Colombian waters and the government there isn¡¯t helping,¡± Talia replied as we started moving back to the Pack House. ¡°He¡¯s on thin ice already after his outburst with his boss. He can¡¯t touch this at all, and he needs a good alibi for when the Bag o Donuts disappears.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Vivian said as she led us to the front steps where our clothes had been piled. ¡°It¡¯s time to put together a n.¡±


    ¡°How? We have no assets down there, no covens or werewolf packs,¡± Talia said.


    ¡°When I was in college, we had an exchange student I became friends with, she was from Colombia. Beautiful girl, nice and smart as a whip. My Dad used to let here to our Pack grounds with me on weekends. She will help us.¡±


    ¡°You want to involve humans?¡±


    Vivian shifted, pulling the dress over her head as we all changed and pulled on our dresses and sandals. ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s a werecat. Jaguar, specifically. Her Pride is in the mountain jungles, near the town of San Cristobal. They have about twenty cats, maybe more by now.¡± Werecats are different than werewolves, and rarely interact. Territory fights with werecougars still take ce in the western states, and werejaguars were forced to leave Florida as werewolf numbers expanded. The cats are great fighters, but don¡¯t have the numbers or the teamwork of arge Werewolf pack. As a result of the territory fights, most werecats want nothing to do with us. ¡°They won¡¯t mind us femalesing but bringing male werewolves or vampires won¡¯t go over well. Male werewolves have a reputation for taking advantages of felines in heat.¡±


    ¡°Thinking with their dicks,¡± I said. ¡°Could I bring Bobby? He¡¯s my mate, and we can¡¯t leave him out.¡±


    ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll participate in the attacks, since they have to live among the Cartel. We could use their help with logistics if nothing else,¡± Talia said. ¡°The ind is about seventy miles southwest of Cartegena, and that¡¯s the headquarters of the Cartels. I¡¯m pretty sure nothing around there happens they don¡¯t get eyes on. A bunch of Gringos show up wanting to rent a boat, and they¡¯ll know. I¡¯d been thinking about hiring a boat out of Panama, but that has its own risks.¡±


    ¡°Basic n, right? We sneak in, we kill the bad guys and leave with the girls. What do we need for that?¡±


    ¡°There are twenty girlsst I was there,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s a big boat.¡±


    ¡°And it won¡¯t help withw enforcement if we just kill everyone and burn the ce down. The Colombian police are in the pocket of the Cartel, they¡¯ll cover it up.¡±


    ¡°You need their books,¡± I said. ¡°Records of all the guests, payments, the girls they have bought and sold. If we can get the FBI the evidence they need, they can track all this down and get them all. Then maybe my sister can settle down, her blood oath satisfied.¡± I hugged Talia, feeling sorry for her. She had given up everything for me, and now she couldn¡¯t even rest and enjoy her mate because of her vow. She had given up five Packs already.


    We had ended up in the Alpha¡¯s offices, and we sat around the table. Vivian brought up a map of the area on herputer, the rest of us watching on the eighty-inch hi-def television on the wall. A little work with Mapquest, and we had an overhead view of the ind. Named I Lizamur, it sat apart from other inds in the southern Gulf of Mexico. ¡°Where is the airstrip, you said there was an airstrip,¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Camouged,¡± I told them. ¡°I heard them talking about it once, there is ating raised over it when not in use. Suppliese in from the docks here,¡± I said as I pointed to the inlet. ¡°I know they use trucks to bring the stuff in. The guest vis are along the beach here, and the main house is where the dungeon, orgy room and other facilities are.¡±


    ¡°Orgy room?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t advertise unlimited sex weekends without orgies. The guests can do whatever they want with whoever they want. Expect to find girls as young as ten, usually by eighteen you¡¯re too old to give them what they want. In addition to paying clientele, the ind is run by the Cartels. They would use us too, and they were animals.¡±


    ¡°I just want to kill them all,¡± Talia said.


    ¡°We have to get the girls out. The guards, the staff- no mercy to them,¡± I said. ¡°As for the guests, well, anyone who flies to South America for the purpose of sex with children won¡¯t be missed.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy getting in,¡± Talia said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to work with the locals on that.¡±


    ¡°First things first,¡± Vivian said. ¡°We need to get to Colombia.¡±


    ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t even have a driver¡¯s license, much less a passport,¡± Iined.


    ¡°Oh hell, that¡¯s no problem at all,¡± Gia said. ¡°What do you think we do for a living?¡± I shook my head, I¡¯d barely met my brother¡¯s new mates. ¡°We do identities for the Council. Come to our room after this and we¡¯ll get you everything you need, in a fake name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my own papers, but Erica will need something,¡± Talia said.


    Erica nodded. ¡°I hadn¡¯t been out of Wisconsin untilst week.¡±


    ¡°Bobby will need one too,¡± I said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t help if his name gged with the FBI while they have their eyes on Randall. As soon as thises out, he¡¯ll be under a microscope.¡± We kept nning for another hour, and then the real fun started.


    Telling our mates, sans Bobby, that we were going to the ind without them.


    The next morning, the nning continued. Vivian had gotten a call from her friend, and after exining what we were asking for, she said she would talk to her Pride Leader. Vivian would be the only one flying to Colombia, where she would coordinate with the Pride on evacuating the girls we would free. They would also sanitize the area, removing evidence and bodies.


    Four people could fit on the airne that flew in every two days with new clients.


    Talia and Randall grabbed one man who I remembered, an oil man from Das who visited multiple times. They didn¡¯t say anything to him as they sedated him, a paralyzing agent that incapacitated him while he remainedpletely aware of what was going on. When I walked into the warehouse he was being held in, he lost control of his dder. ¡°Damn,¡± Randall said as he got the hose. Since Mr. Jones was naked, bound to a steel chair and located over a floor drain in the concrete, a good spraydown down the smell down to where I could concentrate.


    ¡°Hello Daddy,¡± I said as I sat in a chair across from him. He was shaking. ¡°I see you already met my sister and her husband.¡± He looked over at Talia and Randall, both of whom just stood there ring at him.


    ¡°And I¡¯m her husband,¡± Bobby said as he walked in the door and stood next to me. ¡°You hurt what is very dear to me, and I¡¯m so looking forward to returning the favor. You will not survive; we are not negotiating for your life, but for the amount of suffering prior to your death.¡±


    ¡°You see,¡± I said, ¡°Bobby here has had all day to think of ways to torture you, to take you to the brink of death and then pull back so he can do it again.¡±


    He was terrified, his hands firmly bound as he struggled. ¡°What do you want? Money?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Money is the least of my worries. No, I want information. How do you go about getting a flight to the ind?¡±

 The Pride Leader

    ¡°I text a phone number, then fly to Jamaica. They text back with a departure time from a private airfield in Nain. It¡¯s always the same pilot, always the same ne. The number is in my phone.¡± I picked up his phone from the table, walking behind him to put his thumb on it to unlock it. I pulled up the text message application. ¡°It¡¯s under Vacation Rentals,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you call flying off to have sex with twelve-year-olds,¡± Bobby snarled.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I pulled up the contact, there were multiple messages saved. ¡°Have you brought guests?¡±


    ¡°I have to vouch for and pay for them, but yes. I just add the number to the message. They have my credit card info, they just charge it to their resort.¡±


    How convenient, we wouldn¡¯t even pay. I texted the number, requesting a time tomorrow for a flight. ¡°What is the pilot¡¯s name and the tail number?¡±


    ¡°His name is Jose Guerro. I don¡¯t know the tail number, but I have a photo of a few of us getting ready to board the ne on my phone.¡± I pulled up his photo album, flipping through until I found it.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± I told Randall. ¡°Keep him here until we¡¯re done, we can¡¯t have word of his death getting out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. He and I are going to have a good time, and I won¡¯t even leave a mark on him that will raise suspicions.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt that a bit. Randall knew a few things about the use of electricity that would keep our guest in a world of pain for what remained of his life. When we were done, he would be paralyzed with a hard-to-trace drug and ced in his car, inside his closed garage. The cops wouldn¡¯t look closely into his suicide.


    Talia, Erica, Bobby and I boarded a ne for Jamaica three hourster.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    As soon as I heard back from Catarina Carreno, my Colombian werepanther friend, I started working on my travel ns. Of course, no flights went direct from Denver. I bought a ticket to Miami, from there I would fly to Bogata and then catch a hop to Cartegena.


    ¡°Be safe, love,¡± Das said as he walked me out to the car, the driver waiting with the door open. ¡°You trust this girl?¡±


    ¡°With my life,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will help us and it won¡¯t be tracked back to us.¡±


    He let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve got vampires in my house, why not werecats too,¡± he said. ¡°Let her know that she is wee here. A friend of you is a friend to our Pack.¡±


    I leaned in and kissed him, then bent down and gave Austin a big hug goodbye before kissing his cheek. ¡°Momma will be back in a few days,¡± I told him. ¡°I need you to listen to Daddy and have fun with your new Pack members, all right?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Lum you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I cried a little as I drove away, watching Das lead him back into the Pack House. I texted a lot while waiting for flights and read books as I flew between airports. By the time I arrived at the passenger pick-up line in Cartegena, I was exhausted.


    ¡°VIVIAN!!¡± The Range Rover¡¯s passenger window was down and an arm was waving madly at me. I smiled and grabbed my bag, but as soon as the vehicle stopped, Catarina was out the door and hugging the stuffing out of me. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you!¡±


    ¡°You too, Cat. It¡¯s been too long.¡± She tossed my bag in the front seat, then pushed me in the back as she climbed in behind me. ¡°Vivian, this is my mate Javier. Javier, my bestie from college, Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alpha,¡± he said as he turned in his seat and offered his hand.


    ¡°A pleasure. I¡¯m still not used to that greeting, I keep looking for my Dad when someone says it,¡± I said. We got on the road, and it was down to business. I updated them on everything I knew of the ind from my talks with Tania. I had satellite images of the inds, updated with her notes, and I covered the basic n. ¡°There are two parts to this operation,¡± I said. ¡°One is to go in there and wipe out the people running it. Talia is going to lead that; they will fly in, take care of the bad guys and fly back out,¡± I said. ¡°They can¡¯t fly with weapons, so those will have to be there when they arrive. I¡¯m assuming you can buy weapons? I need four Glock 19¡¯s and a subsonic sniper rifle, all with suppressors.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? You¡¯re in Colombia, it will take me less time to buy those than to hire a plumber,¡± Javier said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to need you to drop me near the ind. I¡¯ll sneak in with the arms, take out the sentries at the airfield and then cover our escape. My mate told me I have to avoid ¡®excessive risks.''¡± They bothughed with me.


    ¡°How can we help you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ do you know anyone who has a boat we can charter without arousing suspicions? A big boat capable of carrying twenty or more passengers?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Javier said. ¡°It¡¯s amercial fishing boat, almost forty feet long. The owner and his sons are in our Pride,¡± he said with a smile. My jaw dropped, and he justughed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are cats, I thought you wouldn¡¯t like the water,¡± I said.


    ¡°Jaguars love the water, we¡¯re excellent swimmers,¡± he said.


    I smacked the seat back in annoyance. ¡°How was I to know, we were in a DESERT!¡± My home Pack was in the mountains east of Tucson, Arizona, and both had attended the University of Arizona. ¡°Is your member avable? I¡¯ll pay, I just need to keep the transaction in cash and make sure he understands what he¡¯s getting into.¡±


    ¡°Let me handle that,¡± he said. He got out his cellphone and started talking in rapid-fire Spanish. ¡°He¡¯s open to it but he wants to meet you first and work out the fee.¡±


    ¡°I have money, and our Pack will owe your Pride a favor,¡± I said.


    ¡°How many men are on the ind,¡± Catarina asked as she looked at the map that showed the buildings.


    ¡°About twenty, most of whom will be armed. Add in another four to ten clients and any Cartel visitors.¡±


    ¡°Damn. How many are going in?¡±


    ¡°Four plus me, but trust me¡­ that¡¯s overkill. You¡¯ve heard of the Alpha Killer?¡±


    ¡°Who hasn¡¯t? It seems too fancilful to be true, though.¡± Catarina looked concerned. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need us there? We can supply warriors if our Pride agrees.¡±


    ¡°No, thest thing you need is for someone to link your Pride with this. Watch this,¡± I said. I pulled out my phone and brought up the fight between Talia and Alpha Justin. Her mouth was hanging open for the next few minutes.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she said. ¡°No werewolf is that fast. What is she?¡±


    ¡°Vampire and Werewolf hybrid. Incredibly fast and deadly, but she¡¯s a good person and can be trusted. Another like her will be along, plus her little sister and her mate.¡±


    ¡°The one who was kept here?¡± I nodded. ¡°Fuck. I almost feel sorry for those men.¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡± I put my phone away. ¡°Once the attack isplete, I¡¯ll signal your boat toe in to the cargo dock here on the ind.¡± I pointed out the narrow inlet and the dock. ¡°You¡¯ll load up the girls and I and we¡¯ll go back out to sea. The other four will get back on the ne and return to Jamaica, then fly home. By the time the Colombian police or the Cartels figure it out, we¡¯ll all be long gone.¡±


    ¡°Then what? We can¡¯t bring them into a Colombian port.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call a contact in the FBI and have them send the Coast Guard or Navy to us. We rendezvous and hand over the women and the evidence they will be carrying, then the boat returns home and I get off. It needs to be done this way so the Cartels and the Americans can never know exactly who did this,¡± I said.


    ¡°How much time do we have?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Javier said. ¡°We best get to the docks then.¡±


    The Pride leader, Pablo Rodriguez, and the fishing boat captain, Jose Mena, were waiting below decks on the boat. Catarina handed me a shawl to cover my blonde hair as we walked down the dock and onto the older vessel. Thirty minutester, we had a deal. I opened the secretpartment in my bag, withdrawing fifty thousand in cash and handing it over. ¡°You¡¯re paying in full?¡± Jose looked surprised.


    ¡°Your word is good, if I don¡¯t make it back you have your money and will finish the job,¡± I said. I gave Javier another ten grand. He would go get the weapons and the other supplies I had asked for. He left with Pablo, leaving us alone below decks.


    Catarina made an amazing dinner for us, and Jose took on fuel and provisions for the journey. Javier returned at nightfall, and Jose and his two boys got us underway. At three in the morning, we were slowly moving through the choppy seas, about a half-mile off the ind. I was dressed in a wetsuit, with mask and snorkel and fins, the weapons bag attached around my shoulders with a rope. It was sealed watertight and had enough air in it to float. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want more help doing this,¡± she asked.

 Sex Island

    ¡°Juste get me when I call you,¡± I said. We had picked an insertion point that was hidden from theplex, and there wasn¡¯t a significant surf or undertow to deal with. I¡¯d have to traverse the ind jungle, but I was a wolf- I wasn¡¯t worried about that. ¡°See you soon.¡± I stood and gave her a hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt,¡± she said. Jose idled the boat and I tossed the bag over the starboard side before letting myself fall backwards into the water. I came back up, moving away from the boat and heading towardsnd as they slowly moved away. I set a steady pace with my fins, and it wasn¡¯t long before I was poking my head up on a shallow beach.


    My wolf senses didn¡¯t pick anything up, so I took off my fins and moved into the trees. Stripping off my dive gear, I stacked it then shifted into my wolf. Finding an area of soft sand, I used my front paws to dig a hole then shifted back and put the gear in it. Covering it up with sand and branches, I made sure it would pass a cursory inspection before I turned to the gear bag.


    I pulled on the clothes inside; ck cargo pants, ck long sleeve shirt, thin ck leather gloves and a ck bva. The hood covered my blonde hair and left only my eyes exposed. I filled my pockets with the pistols and extra magazines, then slung the rifle onto my back. The rifle was the same type we used on my old Pack grounds to hunt wild boar with, an AR-15 in . 300 Whisper with a suppressor and four-power Trijikon scope. Capable of ranges out to two hundred yards, it had plenty of power and sounded no louder than a hand p. Thest thing I grabbed was the two canteens, both ck, they clipped to my belt.


    I put my cellphone in my breast pocket, the earphone into my left ear. ¡°Call Catarina,¡± I said and it rang. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± She hung up and I started moving through the jungle. Before sundown, I had my sniper hide built in the trees just off the runway. I didn¡¯t move from my position, suffering silently through the growing heat as the day moved along.


    The first sign of activity was a truck arriving at a control house. Theting that hid the airfield started to pull out of the way, and two men were securing it off to the side. A small twin-engine ne came into view, lining up with the runway it came in for a smoothnding. As it passed, I could see Talia and Tania in the windows.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    When the aircraft revved its engines to turn around at the end of the runway, I lined up my scope and took out the two sentries. By the time it hade to a halt, I had the men hidden in the jungle. ¡°We good?¡±


    I smiled at Talia as she got out. ¡°On n,¡± I said as I handed her a pistol, suppressor and four magazines of hollow-point ammo.


    ¡°Good. Cover us as we go, this won¡¯t take long. As for you, Mr. Jose Guerro, fuel the aircraft and be ready to take off when wee back. If you aren¡¯t, your wife and children will be dead before you are,¡± she told him. He nodded and practically ran towards the fuel truck, clearly frightened of her.


    I finished handing out the pistols, and they put on their hoods to disguise their features. ¡°Like we nned,¡± Talia said. ¡°Erica and I will go after the security center and the barracks, Bobby and Tania will go to the guest vis and the ve quarters. No mercy. Get the girls and send them to the dock.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tania said. ¡°Let¡¯s get the girls.¡±


    They moved off towards theplex as I moved to a position I could cover them from. ¡°Everyone in position,¡± Talia sent over the family bond.


    ¡°Ready,¡± Tania said.


    ¡°Ready,¡± I said.


    ¡°Three, two, one, GO GO GO!¡± The two hybrids were a blur, the sounds of their gunshots like an automatic weapon.


    The battle was on.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Sex Ind


    Bobby was running fast towards the guest vis while I went for the building where I had been kept. I could hear the gunshots, little coughs from Talia and Erica¡¯s silenced weapons, then answering bangs from the defenders. My wolf was forward, my senses heightened as I reached the door and put my shoulder into it.


    The door sted open and I was through, rolling onto the floor as I swept the room with my pistol. I saw a guard raising a pistol, and my shots were faster and more urate than his. The first 9mm hollowpoint hit him in the chest, the second into his face. He dropped to the floor like a switch had been turned off.


    I could hear amotion in Spanish and English start up in the cage room, but I didn¡¯t go there first. Turning left, I went down the hall to the offices where the ¡°trainers¡± worked. Kicking open the first door, I didn¡¯t see anything, but I could smell the fear. Moving into the room, I looked under the desk where Master Jake was hiding. He liked to hear us scream, so I shot him in the throat. He brought his hands up, the blood pushing out through his fingers, and I left. He would die alone and on his knees.


    I found one other trainer in the dungeon; Master Paco was a dangerous man, a true sadist who enjoyed punishing ves who misbehaved. As I kicked in the door, he moved behind a young girl, her dark hair covering her face, her naked body beaten and bruised as she hung from a chain to the ceiling. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said as I raised my pistol.


    He was holding a knife to her throat. ¡°Put the gun down or she¡¯s dead,¡± he said.


    She was half out of it, smelling of fear and urine, and she was maybe ten years old. ¡°Just rx,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Drop the gun NOW,¡± he said. I let it fall to the floor, then kicked it towards him when he told me to.


    ¡°Guys I have a hostage situation here, I¡¯m in a room on the north end of the worker¡¯s dorm,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Stall for time, I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Bobby replied.


    Paco smiled as he told me to put my hands on my head and kneel down. ¡°Do you know who is behind this? How stupid are you to take on the Cartel?¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, I needed to stall for time. He picked up my pistol. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Your transport ne,¡± I replied. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us.¡±


    He went over to the wall, removing a pair of handcuffs. ¡°Move and you¡¯re dead,¡± he said. I didn¡¯t do anything as he put a cuff over my right hand. ¡°Hands behind your back, put the cuff on your left hand,¡± he said. Iplied, the cuffs clicking closed. He checked both were tight before he pulled me up to my feet again. ¡°Let¡¯s see who you are,¡± he said as he pulled my bva off. ¡°Tania! Wow, long time no see bitch. I was sad when you got cut up and cut loose, you were my favorite ass to fuck,¡± he said. ¡°Now, you and I are going to walk out of here and onto that ne. Don¡¯t get cute, because you¡¯ll die before I do.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± I replied. We walked back into the hallway slowly, he was holding me in front of him. ¡°He¡¯s bringing me out, we¡¯ll being out the front door and heading towards the ne,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Not there yet, keep stalling,¡± Talia said.


    ¡°Tell them not to shoot,¡± he said as we approached the broken door. His left hand was gripping my shirt while his right was holding my pistol to the back of my head.


    ¡°DON¡¯T SHOOT WE¡¯RE COMING OUT,¡± I yelled, but I sure as hell hoped they did.


    Bobby¡¯s POV


    The vis used by these sad excuses for men were along a curving beach. Luxury appointments including a big bed, bondage gear and all-you-can-fuck underage girls. It was the middle of the afternoon, and most were avoiding the heat in the air-conditionedforts.


    Except one man. Sitting in the shade, a fruity drink in his hand as a young girl with her hands bound behind her chest leaned forward over hisp. He looked up at me just before the 9mm projectile split his eyes and sprayed his brains onto the sand. The girl looked up, seeing him then me. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, we¡¯re here to rescue you,¡± I said before I ran to the first cabin.


    The vis were well-insted and set a good twenty yards apart. Busting in the door, the open floor n giving no ce to hide, I located and killed the males and left the females behind. It took me about thirty seconds each, too long forfort, but no rm had been raised for them. I was about halfway down the line when I got the send. ¡°Guys I have a hostage situation here, I¡¯m in a room on the north end of the worker¡¯s dorm,¡± Tania sent.


    My wolf was furious, but we had to take out the targets quickly or the girls would get hurt. ¡°Stall for time, I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± I said as I ran to the next vi. This man had a girl tied spread-eagle on her stomach as he whipped her raw. He turned towards me as the door opened, dropping the whip in shock. I double-tapped him, one to his fat stomach and one to his chest. He fell backwards, and I ran out to the next one.


    The next guy was alone and asleep and had a bullet through his head before he could look. The next guy was in the shower, fucking a girl bent over in front of him. I shot through the ss, the blood spraying the wall as the girl screamed. ¡°Get dressed,¡± I told her before I left again.


    ¡°He¡¯s bringing me out, we¡¯ll being out the front door and heading towards the ne,¡± my mate sent. My wolf was howling, but I had two more to go. Talia answered, and as I went through the next door, I thanked Luna her sister was along. This guy had two girls in bed, sleeping on each side. I shot him through the forehead and left again.


    Thest one was empty.


    I ran back towards the dormitory, using all my speed to push through the jungle trails. I burst into the sun just as I heard a high-pitched scream, then a single shot rang out to quiet it.


    I turned the corner just as the body hit the ground.

 The Blood Oath Celebration

    Talia¡¯s POV


    Erica and I used our speed to reach the headquarters buildings. She went to the staff rooms, her pistol firing as she caught mening out, while I burst through into the offices. My skills were honed over years of practice, and I was firing and moving at high speed. Humans watching would only see a blur.


    I took out three in the front office, then rushed down the hall to the security center. I put five bullets into the lock, dropping the empty magazine and inserting another a fraction of a secondter. I released the slide to chamber a round, just as my boot hit the door up near the handle. The door was reinforced steel, but no match for my hybrid strength. It bent before opening, and I ducked to the side as a man opened up with a machine gun.


    Dropping to the floor, I moved my left hand with the pistol into the opening and rapid-fired until the pistol was knocked from my hand by a shot. I pulled it back, my thumb had been blown off by one round while another went through my wrist. I partially shifted my arms and hands only, my ws extending from my arms as I jumped up and blurred into the room.


    There were three men inside, one was dead and leaning over the security controls. The second was on the floor holding his hand over his hip, while the third had the gun. The ws on my right hand sliced through his neck before he could react, while my left hand knocked the Uzi to the floor. I broke his neck to make sure, then broke the neck of the man on the floor before looking around. Finding a main breaker panel, I ripped the cable out of the bottom and all the screens went nk along with the lights.


    My hand was bleeding badly, it would heal but I didn¡¯t need the blood loss. I tore off a part of a man¡¯s shirt and wrapped it around my hand, then found my thumb and put it in a cargo pocket. Satisfied that the bleeding would stop, I turned to the door.


    I went back out to look for stragglers just as Tania¡¯s send came through. Bobby answered, and she wasn¡¯t in immediate danger so I kept going. I found three more workers and killed them, ending up in the office of the leader of this ce. He was cowering under his desk, a short and fat man with a bad toupee and a loud Hawaiian shirt. ¡°Oh no, get out here and get your whuppin¡¯,¡± I said as I pulled him out with my right hand and tossed him across the room into the wall.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll give you anything you want, just don¡¯t kill me,¡± he said.


    I grabbed him under the chin and held him a foot off the ground. ¡°I want records,¡± I said. ¡°Every client, every ve, every payment. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°In the safe,¡± he said as his bowels let loose. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Open the safe,¡± I said.


    Erica came into the office. ¡°All other rooms cleared,¡± she said. ¡°Damn, he smells.¡±


    ¡°Make sure he opens the safe and gives us the contents,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to help Tania.¡±


    ¡°Sure, leave me with the crappy job,¡± she teased as I ran back outside.


    I ran for the ve building. The one-story structure was made of concrete block with a t roof. With one leap I was on top of the building, moving quietly towards the center of the front wall.


    ¡°He¡¯s bringing me out, we¡¯ll being out the front door and heading towards the ne,¡± Tania said.


    ¡°Not there yet, keep stalling,¡± I replied as I crept along the roof. I didn¡¯t want to make any noise to give myself away, not yet.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°DON¡¯T SHOOT WE¡¯RE COMING OUT,¡± Tania yelled. I was right above them.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I¡¯d taken out five men so far, most of whom were outside or went outside shortly after the rm was raised. When Tania sent about her hostage situation, I was looking for targets. I set up my scope on the front door, waiting for her toe out.


    I saw them in the doorway before she yelled, and I could see Talia setting up above her. He pushed her out of the door, the end of the silencer pressed into the base of her skull. ¡°Tania, on the GO I want you to drop your body forward and down.¡±


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    ¡°Three, two, one, GO.¡± I squeezed the trigger just as she moved, the . 300 caliber round hitting him just behind the left ear. I heard another shot as the pistol fired over her head.


    Tania pulled the handcuffs apart as she rolled on the dirt, freeing them just as Talianded next to her. ¡°You all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s get the girls,¡± Tania said. I got up from my sniper hide and walked towards them.


    ¡°TANIA,¡± Bobby yelled as he ran towards his mate. Picking her up, he held her tight as his nose buried in her neck to calm his wolf.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said.


    ¡°Bobby, you go help Erica, grab theputer hard drives and everything out of the safe,¡± Talia said. ¡°The girls are going to be in shock, and they don¡¯t need a maning in. Tania, with me to the ve quarters, and Vivan, you gather the women from the guest vis. Tell them to grab clothes if they can and get them to the docks as quickly as possible. Vivian, tell the boat toe in.¡±


    I pulled out my cellphone and called Catarina, telling her toe over and visit. That was our code for get to the docks.


    When I got to the guest vis, many of the girls were huddled together on the beach. ¡°Get clothes ande back here, you¡¯re all going home,¡± I said, then repeated it in Spanish. I freed the girls who had been tied down and gathered them all together. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re leaving by boat.¡±


    ¡°Who are you,¡± a brte teen asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯m a friendly ghost,¡± I said, my features covered by my clothes. They could tell by the tight clothing I was female, and they didn¡¯t ask more. I led them away from the beach and down the trail to the boat, avoiding thepound in the jungle behind us.


    ¡°The other girls,¡± a redheaded girl of maybe thirteen asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll meet us. No one will be left behind.¡± It took a few minutes to arrive, and the fishing boat was approaching the dock. I caught the line, and Catarina helped the girls board. The Captain and his sons stayed away from the scared girls as they huddled together on the deck.


    A few minutester, arger group made it to the dock and started to board. The girls were starting to believe their very was over, and they started to talk and hug each other excitedly. Tania was thest one to board, her face covered again, a young Hispanic girl in her arms.


    She held her out to Catarina, who almost dropped her when she got a sniff of the unconscious child. ¡°Maria?¡± She started to cry as she held her to her chest.


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°She went missing from our Pride six months ago, we thought she was dead,¡± she whispered too low for the humans to pick up. She set her on the deck, the other girls holding her.


    Talia handed over two bags. ¡°It¡¯s the stuff from the office, give it to the Americans with the girls. The other bag keep for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as tears ran down her eyes.


    ¡°Come see us sometime,¡± I told Catarina before I hugged her. Talia tossed the line back onto the deck and the boat started backing away from the dock.


    ¡°What was in the second bag,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Cash, close to a two million,¡± she said. My jaw dropped as I realized she¡¯d just given it to her, no questions asked. ¡°What? We can¡¯t exactly bring it back into the states in our carry-on luggage, and their Pride helped us out. It¡¯s not like it was OUR money.¡±


    It was true. We walked back, making sure we had not left behind any evidence, then headed back to the airfield. Jose was sitting in the cockpit, the engines idling and the door open. We loaded up and were rolling down the airstrip in seconds.


    Our pilot was the only person we left alive. As the only survivor, both the Cartel and the FBI would be after him. ¡°Take your family and disappear,¡± Talia told him. ¡°If you ever tell anyone who we are or what we look like, I¡¯ll make you wish the Cartel had gotten to you first.¡± With that, we left him at the airport and took a taxi across the ind.


    Two hourster, the four of us were sipping drinks in a Jamaican bar, watching the sun go down over the beach. We¡¯de through just fine; we hadn¡¯t lost anyone. All the men were dead, and Talia¡¯s thumb would grow back in a week or two.


    We drank in celebration of the blood oath being one big step closer to being done.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Das, TX


    I showed up at the Federal Building, showing my identification to get in through security with my firearm. It was four in the afternoon, and I knew things would be wrapping up in the office. I pushed through the door into the FBI floor, nodding at the receptionist as I walked past.


    I had barely walked through the door when Senior Agent-In-Charge Rosalie Martinez stepped in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be on vacation, Meechum,¡± she said as she crossed her arms over each other.


    ¡°I am, boss. I needed some stuff out of my desk, and a friend gave me these,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Free tickets to the Rangers and Twins tonight, ten rows up by first base. Who¡¯s in for dinner and a game? First rounds on me,¡± I said.


    She let loose a little smile. ¡°Damn, I have to pick up Valeria from my ex at five.¡± She had gotten divorced from a fellow agent a few years ago, her daughter was now nine years old.


    ¡°Bring her, I don¡¯t mind. We¡¯ll be at Smokehouse 557, or you can just meet us at the seats.¡±


    She thought about it for a minute. ¡°Why not,¡± she said. ¡°She¡¯d love the game.¡±


    ¡°Who else is in? I¡¯ve got three more avable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go if I can bring my boyfriend,¡± Lindsey said. The newest agent on our team, she was dating a DEA agent from the office downstairs. I handed her the two tickets. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the Smokehouse, that brisket sandwich is amazing,¡± she said.


    ¡°One more?¡± No one wanted it, they had all made ns. I walked out and took the elevator to another floor, walking back to her office. I knocked on the door. ¡°Miss Perkins,¡± I asked as the Assistant US Attorney looked up from her desk.


    ¡°Agent Meechum,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Your boss said you¡¯re on vacation.¡±

 The Training Facility

    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°I have an extra ticket to the Rangers-Twins tonight and I thought you might want to go. Dinner at the Smokehouse, the game, you know, have some fun in a social way.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re being social then call me Mnie,¡± she said. ¡°This isn¡¯t your way to ask me out on a date, is it? Your reputation precedes you, and I¡¯m not interested in being another notch on your bedpost.¡±


    I put my hand over my heart. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m taken. I met my match, but she¡¯s visiting her rtives in Wisconsin. This is strictly because I, and we, would enjoy yourpany. Rosalie is bringing her daughter, and Lindsey is bringing her boyfriend.¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Look, part of why I¡¯m on this enforced vacation is because I was taking things too personal. This can¡¯t be easy for anyone, and it¡¯s only going to get worse. I¡¯ll even buy you the first beer.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Need a ride?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She gave me her address and I told her I¡¯d pick her up in an hour. Leaving work, I went home and changed into casual clothes; sandals, cargo shorts and a Rangers logo patterned Hawaiian shirt. The summer nights are hot, and the long shirt would hide the badge and gun. I got in my Jeep and drove to her condominium tower, she was waiting outside in a light summer dress and ts. ¡°Thanks for this, you were right. I need a night just to have fun again,¡± she said.


    It took a while to navigate traffic, and we found a parking spot and walked to the Smokehouse. The ce was full, but we managed to grab a table by the time Lindsey and her boyfriend Thad showed up. I had the meat tter, corn bread and beans with a tall lemonade, while the others had brisket sandwiches. ¡°You sure you can eat that,¡± Lindsey teased.


    ¡°Yep, then I¡¯ll finish your sandwich,¡± I said. ¡°High metabolism from working out so much.¡± It was true, as a werewolf I had arge appetite and the hybrid needed even more calories. Thad was a good guy who treated Lindsey well. He spent a lot of time undercover, so he looked scraggly. Lindsey was dressed in a wifebeater and jean shorts to match.


    The food was good and Rosalie hadn¡¯t shown, so we paid and walked into the park. ¡°Hey Valerie, did you save any ice cream for me?¡±


    The raven-haired girl smiled as she looked up at me. ¡°Nope! Last bite,¡± she said as she put the spoon in her mouth.


    ¡°Oh, then you don¡¯t want this,¡± I said as I took the two chocte sundaes in souvenir batting helmets out from behind my back. Her eyes lit up and she reached for it, but Rosalie pulled her back down.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already had nachos, a pretzel and ice cream, maybe we need to make the fifth inning before we get you more,¡± she said. ¡°Now Mom hasn¡¯t had dessert yet.¡± I handed the sundae to her, and Valerie used her spoon to eat some with her. I sat next to Valerie, Mnie on my other side then Lindsey and Thad.


    ¡°This was a good idea,¡± Lindsey said after we¡¯d watched the game go to 3-3 in the sixth inning. The game was fun, and I found it helped keep me distracted from the worry about the group in Colombia right now. Mnie was a real fan, keeping score along with a runningmentary on the game.


    Valeria had crashed after her sugar high in the early innings. Her eyes were closing as she was leaning against her Mom. ¡°I think I need to get her home,¡± she said. She woke her up and said her goodbyes, which included her giving me a hug. She was a great kid, and that only made me think of having my own children, which made me think of Talia again. I had to force myself back into the game after they left.


    The four of us stayed around a local bar for drinks before we split up after midnight. ¡°Thanks for the tickets, it was fun,¡± Lindsey said. ¡°When are you off vacation?¡±


    ¡°A week or so more ought to do it,¡± I said. ¡°My girl should be back tomorrow and I¡¯ll spend time with her.¡±


    ¡°Mystery girl, huh? Well, you can¡¯t hide her forever.¡± She gave me a hug before they walked off, and I talked to Mnie about her about her family as we walked back to my car. The night was still warm, and she was pleasantpany. A month ago, I would have taken her home and screwed the hell out of her in another meaningless one-night stand. Now I had no interest at all beyond friendship. I dropped her in front of her condominium tower and drove home.


    The girls were not going tomunicate with any of us until they were no longer traveling under their false identities, so I had no text messages or calls. I checked the international news; nothing was out yet. I took a cold shower and went to sleep, one of Talia¡¯s shirts over the pillowcase so I could rest.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I woke up about nine and went for a run, trying to get some of the tension out of my body. After punishing the weight machines in the gym at my building, I made a phone call to my father. ¡°Hey Dad, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± he said. ¡°You know that ce we liked to get those bags of donuts, the one in Miami? It closed down. Too bad.¡±


    ¡°Miami? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, these chain stores and bakeries don¡¯t know how to make it the way I like. They still train in the old way down there, at least they used to. Some friends stopped by to pick some up, and the ce was dead. Out of business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I would have liked to have been there before it closed.¡± I almost wish I had done it, but it was better this way. ¡°I have some time until her flight, so I¡¯ll do some surfing and watch the news. Just keep me posted on things?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can I talk to Mom?¡±


    She got on, and I told her of my ns. In the werewolf world, the mating bond was a tie stronger than any human marriage ceremony, but we lived surrounded by humans. It was important to me that we be tied together in both worlds. More importantly, being married would mean I couldn¡¯t bepelled to testify against my wife if things went south. She was thrilled with the idea and said she would talk to Teri Grissom, the La Crosse Pack Luna. ¡°Their family is in Wisconsin, the wedding really should be up there,¡± she said. ¡°This is so exciting! When are you going to propose?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll say yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Randall, of course she will. Now you just have to get Bobby on board.¡± We talked for a few more minutes about logistics; the ceremony could be held on Packnds, the invitation list, who would officiate, she even started talking food and flowers. ¡°Let me get engaged first,¡± I finally said. ¡°I¡¯ll see her tonight.¡±


    ¡°Do you know her ring size? What style she likes?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± I made an appointment with a jeweler for a private showing tomorrow. The owner was a warlock who had helped me out on asion, so he knew the specific needs of our kind. If I bought her a normal ring, it would fall off her w when we shifted to our wolf forms. This jeweler could spell the rings, tying them to our human form only. The ring would disappear when we shift, reappearing when we shifted back. It was a neat piece of witchcraft, because rings and ws don¡¯t work well together in the forest.


    I ordered some Chinese delivery for lunch, then I surfed the web for news on the Sex Ind or the training facility for ves. Miami was not what I expected, but it made sense. Most of the ves were sent overseas; many ended up in the Mideast or Far East, never to return. What Dad was saying in a coded way was that a Coven in Miami had worked with us to shut down the training facility.


    And if the Packs and Vampires did it, they¡¯d all be dead.


    About one in the afternoon, I got the call I was expecting from the FBI Das Field Office. ¡°Meechum, if I find out you were involved in this, I¡¯ll throw your ass in jail,¡± Rosalie Martinez said.


    ¡°I¡¯m eating sweet and sour chicken and watching Fox News in my underwear,¡± I said. ¡°What could I possibly be involved in? You MADE me take vacation.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t on vacation anymore. Get your ass in here.¡± She hung up, so I finished lunch and got my suit on before driving in to the office.


    The receptionist told me to go straight to the conference room. When I walked in, SAIC Martinez was looking at the crime scene photographs sent from Miami. ¡°What happened,¡± I said as I looked at the scene. It was bloody, the vampires had taken advantage of the buffet, probably drank a little then hacked their throats with machetes to hide the marks.


    ¡°Warehouse in Miami near the docks,¡± my boss said. ¡°Ten dead, all at close range and brutally done. Twenty-three girls were in there, it is, I mean it WAS a sex ve training facility. Fucking sick what they were doing there.¡±


    ¡°Is this the one Tania Stillwater told us about?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, it fits her description. I¡¯ve got a call in to herwyer, I want to have her look at the photos of the men and see if she recognizes any of them.¡± She looked around the room. ¡°We cooperate fully with the Miami office. This is hitting the press, and it¡¯s going to explode. Someone walked in theretest night, killed every staff member then locked all the girls in a room. The FBI office got an anonymous tip at eight this morning, they hit the ce at ten and found this mess.¡±


    ¡°Pretty violent for a mob hit, and cutting throats is more a Cartel style kill,¡± I said. ¡°Is this a turf war?¡±


    ¡°Miami office said they found a symbol of the Juarez cartel on the wall in blood, so yeah, they¡¯re fighting. Drugs are just one thing you can smuggle, and the Cartels are bing a diversified organization.¡± It was true; drug cartels smuggled people, guns, cigars, they even controlled huge agricultural areas. If you bought guacamole, it was harvested and controlled by the Cartels in Mexico. ¡°Joey ¡®Bag of Donuts¡¯ disappeared a few days ago, and one of the dead men is tied to the Miami crime family. An operation this big must have organized crime backing. We may have Cartel moving in on American crime families. The Organized Crime Task Force out of New York and the DEA are heading down there to meet us.¡±


    ¡°Good, whoever these guys are who took them out, they did us all a favor,¡± I said. ¡°The girls? Are they all right?¡±


    ¡°They have them with counselors, getting statements. Not all of them are in a good condition to speak. From what we know, these girls have been drugged, beaten and assaulted since they were abducted. It¡¯s going to take a while to work through it all.¡± She moved to the head of the room. ¡°Lindsey, Reba, you¡¯re leaving tonight with me for Miami. We are merging our investigations. The Miami office is taking the lead. Randall, you are off vacation as of now. Tania knows you and I don¡¯t want her freezing up when she sees these people. Get her in a room, interview her and send me the results.¡±


    ¡°Yes boss,¡± I said. She was gone an hourter, and I worked until five then went home. It all worked out perfectly for me; I would have to go up to Sulphur Creek, and I could manage the FBI response in some way. I went to my desk and moved the appointment to tonight; the three would be staying at my apartment tonight, so we may as well get the ring shopping done.


    I had no doubt Bobby would jump at the chance to put a ring on Tania, and we¡¯d have our double wedding soon.

 You Can’t Keep It

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    DFW Airport


    My girl and the others werending in ten minutes. I sat in the line at baggage im, every few minutes sending out a message to my mate and hoping her ne was close enough. I hated being away from her; after so many years alone, I didn¡¯t like being that way now. I wanted to see her smile, feel her skin against mine, and fall asleep tangled up in her after another fantastic night of sex.


    Yeah, I had it bad, I thought to myself.


    ¡°Randall?¡±


    I smiled as I heard her voice in my head. ¡°Wee home, baby. Good flight?¡±


    ¡°Not as satisfying as the ind life,¡± she said. ¡°In and out, very clean. Anything on this end?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet, but the Vampires hit a ve training facility in Miami. I need to interview Tania officially, for the FBI investigation. I need to see if she can identify any of the dead men and women there.¡±


    ¡°Thank Luna. They rescued the girls?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-three rescued, all being processed. If it¡¯s not the same one, it¡¯s still a shutdown.¡± It was also the first real cooperation between Packs and Vampires. I had to wonder if some of the people there just disappeared, ending up in a basement as a Coven blood bank. I could only hope.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°I told the office that I have to go up to Sulphur River to interview Tania. I have everything I need already, but I think we need to eat and sleep before driving up there. After that I¡¯m open.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the others. We¡¯re just touching down now.¡±


    ¡°See you soon, love.¡± I changed my target to Bobby and told him my n of visiting the jewelers and setting up a double wedding ceremony. ¡°You in? We can stop on the way to my apartment.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said. ¡°Is this going to be an issue with you and the FBI? Her being rted to a witness?¡±


    ¡°Not as much as you marrying the witness. We met when I was back in Sulphur River and it was love at first sight.¡± Which was true. So amazingly true.


    I let him go as he was leaving the ne; since they each had just the one carry-on bag, they were outside in ten minutes. I pulled up and they climbed in, quickly back on the road. ¡°You guys tired from the flight,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Which one, there were three of them,¡± Erica teased. ¡°Cramped cabins, airport food and the TSA, what could be finer?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want, we can go back to my apartment and stay there overnight. Tania, I¡¯m supposed to go up to Sulphur River tomorrow to interview you for the FBI since someone knocked off that training facility in Miami.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to run,¡± Tania said. ¡°My wolf wants out.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s only a few more hours and we can sleep on the way. I¡¯d love to sleep in my own bed and eat Mom¡¯s cooking,¡± Bobby added.


    ¡°I¡¯m good with that,¡± Talia said as Erica nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of exhaust smells and humans. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°All right then,¡± I said as we pulled back onto the freeway. ¡°We just need to make one stop on the way out of town if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll wait in the car,¡± Erica said. I just snickered as thirty minutester we parked in front of Jewelry Magic.


    ¡°What are we doing here,¡± Talia asked as I ran around and opened the doors for her and Erica.


    ¡°Yeah, why is Bobby grinning like he knows something?¡± Tania moved next to her sister as they stared us down.


    I looked over at Bobby, letting him start. ¡°You know I love you so much, you¡¯re my mate and that¡¯s forever,¡± he said as he took Tania¡¯s hands in his.


    I took Talia¡¯s hands in mine. ¡°But we live in a human world, and I want to be tied to you there as well. I want to let everyone who sees you know you are taken, that you are mine and I am yours.¡±


    ¡°So we want to get you engagement rings and choose wedding bands,¡± Bobby finished.


    ¡°This is how you ask me to marry you? No bended knee, no romantic dinner,¡± Talia said as she red at me.


    ¡°No, this is how I get you toe in to the jeweler and pick out rings. If mydy wants romance, I¡¯ll romance the hell out of herter,¡± I said.


    ¡°Whatever you want I¡¯ll get you,¡± Bobby said. ¡°We were thinking a fall wedding, a double wedding for us. Invite our friends, have a party and celebrate the amazing women we¡¯ve fallen for.¡±


    Tania broke first. ¡°OK let¡¯s go,¡± she said as she started pulling him to the door. Bobby knocked as the CLOSED sign was showing; the owner came and unlocked it, weing them in.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Talia said as she leaned in for a kiss. ¡°Thank you for letting me pick out my own. I¡¯m not a normal woman and I don¡¯t want a normal ring,¡± she said.


    ¡°Come on in then,¡± I said as I took her hand. I held the door open for Erica.


    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s a witch,¡± Talia said as she scented the older man.


    ¡°He will spell the rings so they only show when we are in human form,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come see some of your choices, I serve many supernatural customers and I have a wide selection. If you do not see what you need, I can have a custom design made for you.¡± The girls started looking at trays, and soon narrowed down on what they wanted. Tania wanted a solitaire ring/bandbination made of white gold; both rings had a Celtic design, with a small stylized wolf¡¯s head near the top of the band.


    Talia surprised me, bypassing the normal gold and silver rings and finding a wider band of tungsten, a deep cobalt blue that matched her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like diamonds or gemstones, but I love this,¡± she said. The top of the blue band had a white circle like the moon, two wolves sitting facing each other and howling into the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have it in our sizes?¡±


    He justughed. ¡°I can make a ring disappear, making it fit is nothing,¡± he said. ¡°I can even spell it to remain in ce unless you say a word to release it, that way you never lose it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never take it off,¡± I said.


    Even Erica found something she liked, an antique filigree ring with a square-cut diamond and six rubies on each side as it wrapped around the sides. Since Eduardo wasn¡¯t here, she took a picture and sent it to him and the owner gave her a card with the details. ¡°We¡¯ll have toe by sometime after dark,¡± she said. He didn¡¯t skip a beat, finding the matching band for her and for him, both with rubies set around them.


    When they were done, I asked them all to go wait in the Jeep. ¡°Leave us a little mystery, maybe we will get what WE want or something,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are old enough to know the answer when given,¡± Talia said as she turned for the door. Erica took my key and they all walked out into the evening air.


    We confirmed our order, and since he had sized them when we tried them on it was easy to pack them up. He gave each of us the total, and I pulled out my debit card and paid. ¡°Cash all right,¡± Bobby asked.


    ¡°Always,¡± he said. He went into the back room to run my card. Bobby reached into his pocket, taking out a pack of hundred-dor bills.


    ¡°What is that,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Straight cash, bro.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°The safe on the ind, I kept a couple of these for myself, the rest we gave to the Pride.¡±


    I started to fume. ¡°Are you fucking stupid? Were you knocked on the head or something? That¡¯s money from sex very, the same nightmare she lived for years. Do you think she¡¯d want a ring bought with that money?¡± His face paled, he hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°Not to mention the risk you took bringing undered money into the country. You risked it all for some money?¡±


    He looked down at it, now that he saw it was tainted, he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯d throw it away if I bought it with this.¡±


    ¡°Let me buy them for you. I have plenty of money, or you can pay me backter?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d appreciate that. What do I do with this?¡±


    ¡°Get rid of it. Donate it to a battered women¡¯s shelter or a charity that helps womening out of sex very. You can¡¯t keep it, that money is cursed.¡± He put it back in his pocket as I told the owner to add Bobby¡¯s order to my card. A few minutester, jewelry boxes in our pockets, we rejoined our mates in my Jeep. With one more stop at an In-N-Out Burger for ate dinner and drinks, we were on the road and back home by three in the morning.


    ¡°My babies,¡± Mom said as she ran down to our car. Bypassing uspletely, she hugged Talia, Tania and Erica before leading them into the house. ¡°Get the bags, boys,¡± she said over her shoulder.


    ¡°Nice to see you too, Mom,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°Oh, quit pouting and take those bags to your rooms, can¡¯t you see these girls are exhausted?¡± We grabbed the bags out of the back as Mom talked to them about their ideas for a wedding.

 Masters In Bed

    ¡°Mom, it¡¯ste and we just want to take our mates to bed,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, give me some pups while you¡¯re at it,¡± she said before promising the girls they¡¯d talk more tomorrow. I walked Talia back to my room, d I had my own bathroom attached. After a quick shower, we fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms and everything felt right again.


    We woke about noon and walked down to the smell of bacon cooking. BLT¡¯s were for lunch, and for us that meant a stack of bacon on sourdough with a leaf of lettuce and a big slice of tomato. We talked wedding over lunch, the girls agreeing that it should be held on Tomah Packnds. ¡°Have you thought more about taking over as Alphas there,¡± my father asked.


    ¡°I did, especially on the way home,¡± Tania said. ¡°I¡¯m not the scared human I was when I was found, not anymore. Taking out those men on the ind was liberating; I survived, and they paid for what they did with their lives. My wolf is strong, and she wants her Pack.¡±


    ¡°We n to visit there soon, the sooner the better,¡± Bobby said. ¡°No one can move forward until we decide, and she¡¯s ready as long as I¡¯m by her side.¡± He leaned over and kissed her. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side,¡± he said in her ear.


    ¡°I need her statement, but I can get that after we¡¯re done,¡± I said. ¡°I can drive you back to Daster today so you can catch a flight.¡±


    ¡°I want to run with my mate tonight, can we leave in the morning? We¡¯ll get an afternoon flight tomorrow,¡± she said.


    We decided on an early evening hunt, then we¡¯d leavete in the morning. Bobby went off to buy the tickets while I pulled out the information that my boss had emailed me from Miami. I went through the photos with her and wrote out a statement for her to sign. She was able to identify eight of the ten dead people as being part of the training facility she had been held at. I scanned the statement in and emailed it to my boss, informing her I¡¯d be back at work in two days after spending another night at home.


    Ten minutester I got her answer in the form of a call. ¡°Forget that, get to Miami now. The Colombian police got a tip and raided Sex Ind, and everyone there is dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead? Oh my God, those poor girls!¡±


    ¡°The girls aren¡¯t there,¡± she said. ¡°All the staff and the guests were shot, and the girls just disappeared. Pack for a week and bring your passport, we¡¯re heading down there.¡±


    Mistress Dani¡¯s POV


    Vampire Council HQ, New York City


    I shifted in my seat, my anger threatening to rise as I watched the videoconference from Miami. The leader of the Miami South coven, Master Sebastian, had moved his coven from Cuba to Miami in the Ariel Boat Lift. Quickly establishing himself and growing a fortune in real estate, he was a powerful vampire, needing only more time to work his way into our council.


    I would never allow that, and this report was exactly why.


    ¡°The operation was very sessful. The information we received from the Chicago coven was urate, and we were able to overwhelm the human defenses without a problem. We killed ten, captured eight and erased the memories of us from all the survivors. None of the eight in our basement cells will be missed,¡± he assured us.


    ¡°What is thew enforcement response,¡± Master Niki asked.


    ¡°It¡¯srge, as you might expect for something with this many deaths, plus the very aspect,¡± he said. ¡°We left the girls locked in a room and called in an anonymous tip about noon. The locals sent in SWAT to free them. When they found the girls, they got the FBI and Justice involved. The local district attorney is all over television, as is the senior FBI man. This is the kind of story that gets noticed and we dropped it right in theirps.¡±


    Mistress Edith leaned forward. ¡°Master Sebastian, if the werewolves desired, would you allow them to seek their retribution against the ones you captured? Or would you turn them over to them?¡±


    ¡°I would prefer to keep them in my Coven. Under these conditions I can use or abuse them as I see fit, while the wolves would torture and kill them. They don¡¯t fit into ourws as familiars given their crimes against us. A reliable source of blood for my coven is a worthy payment,¡± he said smoothly.


    ¡°Their crimes were not against our species, unless you found a vampire among them,¡± Master Louis sneered.


    Mistress Edith shook her head. ¡°We have an alliance with the werewolves, even in tentative form, and they were harmed by these men. I have no objection to them being wiped and used for feeding.¡± Vampires had the power to wipe memories; for humans designated for feeding, they would remove almost all of them. The resulting person waspliant, calm and easy to maintain. Most Covens preferred to use familiars or to hunt for blood in the human world; it was seen as more civilized than wiping. ¡°I would prefer if you didn¡¯t wipe thempletely until the werewolves havepleted their inquiries. I know Talia wants vengeance against every single person who wronged her sister.¡±


    ¡°Why should we care about her,¡± Master Louis said. ¡°She¡¯s an abomination.¡±


    ¡°Right now, she¡¯s the leader of the Alpha Council. My sources tell me her father-inw is likely to be voted it to lead the Council next week,¡± Niki replied. ¡°It is good for us to have strong ties to those in power over the werewolves if our alliance is tost.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Well done to you and your Coven,¡± Master Lukaku said. ¡°It could not have been easy to carry out this attack without losses or detection, but you did it.¡±


    ¡°I agree, excellent work. Let me know if there is anything else you require, Master Sebastian.¡± Master Niki cut the feed, the council room lightsing back up. ¡°Well, that went faster than I thought,¡± he said.


    ¡°This will buy a lot of goodwill with the werewolves, since Tania Stillwater was held at this very ce,¡± Mistress Edith said as she sat back in her chair.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. Master Niki talked for a few more minutes about administrative things, then closed the meeting. I stood immediately, looking over at Master Louis. I caught his eyes and held them, nodding my head slowly. As I turned to leave, I knew he would find meter. I returned to my room, drinking from my familiar June to calm myself before he arrived.


    His knock came twenty minutes after the meeting had ended, and June let him in before departing for her quarters in the upper level. ¡°We have to move quickly,¡± I said as I ran into his arms.


    ¡°What you propose is dangerous in the extreme,¡± he said as I removed his jacket and tie. ¡°I did not be a Master just to be killed in a n that is not foolproof.¡±


    I unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his broad chest to my lips and fingers. We had beenpanions for centuries; not lovers and not mates. We were equals with needs that could be met. A Mistress couldn¡¯t spread her legs for junior vampires or male familiars, they were not at my level. Only a Master like Louis could take me the way I needed. Right now, I needed him to toss me down and fuck me hard.


    I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, and he shook it until it dropped to the ground. Leaning in, I started to unbuckle his belt while my lips kissed and sucked their way to his nipples. His pants dropped as my mouth sealed around one, sucking it lightly before my teeth nipped at it. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Undress me first.¡±


    I dropped to my knees, my eyes following his t stomach down to where his hard length pressed to escape his boxers. Removing his shoes and socks one at a time, I pulled his boxers down and moved the clothes out of the way as he stepped out of them. He stood before me, proud and handsome, his length bobbing inches in front of me. I looked up, hopeful, but he wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Stand and strip, slowly,¡± he said.


    I rose gracefully to my feet, reaching behind for the zipper of my dress and pulling it to my waist. Turning, I pushed it off my shoulders and let it pool at my waist. I shook my hips, letting it work its way down until it fell to my ankles. I was wearing a blood-redce pantie and bra set underneath. I stepped out of the dress, bending from the waist as I reached to pick it up and ce it on a chair. I knew what this would do to him, and I snuck a peek through my legs. He was holding his cock in his hand, imagining what was toe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle,¡± he said. Taking the two steps towards me, he moved the thong aside and rubbed my willing pussy with his bulbous head. My excitement coated his tip as I moaned in pleasure, my hands t on the ground. I tried to push back, to take him, but instead I heard a loud smack and felt my right ass cheek explode in pain. ¡°I told you not to move. If I have to paddle your ass red to get you to obey, I will,¡± he warned.


    I froze, allowing him to dominate me as only he could. He leaned over and unsnapped my bra, allowing it to fall towards my face before going to the floor. He pulled my panties down, telling me to step out of them and pick them up. ¡°Smell them,¡± he ordered.


    I brought them to my sensitive nose, I didn¡¯t need vampire senses to know they were soaked with my need. He knelt behind me, his thumb working its way into my sex as his other hand ran gently down my leg. ¡°Open.¡± I did, and he took the panties and stuffed them in my mouth. ¡°Keep your hands on the floor or I leave, and no cumming without permission,¡± he warned as he stood back up.


    He ced his hands on my helpless ass and plunged his length in with one hard thrust. I yelled into the panties, my cries muffled as he took me hard and fast. The position stretched my core as he repeatedly pounded into me. I closed my eyes, my body responding to his dominance and my greedy pussy tried to hold him with every thrust. I tried to hold off, but it had been too long since ourst session and he was fucking me too well. I came hard, screaming my release into the gag.


    He kept fucking me hard as his hand starteding down on my ass, spanking me again and again. ¡°I didn¡¯t give you permission to orgasm,¡± he said after six swats. Vampires healed quickly, but with his strength it didn¡¯t reduce the pain of the swats. He continued to spank my ass hard as he fucked me. The pain spread, then turned into pleasure and momentster I was cumming even harder on his big cock.


    ¡°That¡¯s TWICE,¡± he roared as he pulled out. Walking to the bedside drawer, he removed the vampire-strength reinforced cuffs with titanium clips. I was crying as I held position, hands still on the carpeting, waiting for the punishment he would deliver. He buckled the cuffs around my wrists and ankles, clipping the rings together. With the four attached this way, I was unable to move from this position. He picked me up and tossed me onto the bed, where I rolled into the center.


    He pulled me around until I was lying on my back, my ass hanging over the edge and my misbehaving pussy exposed to him. I looked over to where he was pulling his belt out from the pants that were still on the floor. Doubling it up, he walked back to me, still rock hard and ready. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate my orgasms being stolen,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s time to remind you of who is Master in this bed.¡±

 Wake Up Lovers

    I couldn¡¯t stop it and deep down I knew I should have obeyed better. I closed my eyes and forced myself to rx as the belt whooshed through the air and cracked on my helpless ass. I grunted into the gag as the line exploded in pain. He kept going,ying twenty hard strikes on me as I cried and tried to beg for mercy. When he stopped, I looked in the mirror on the dresser, my ass was crisscrossed with red welts. ¡°And now to punish the greedy cunt that took them,¡± he said menacingly.


    ¡°Noooo,¡± I said as I shook my head side to side, but I was helpless to stop anything. He stood back, taking careful aim before the belt swung over his head and down on my exposed pussy. My eyes rolled back as the pain exploded, and after five I was twitching in pain and need.


    ¡°You¡¯re even wetter than before,¡± he said as his fingers touched my abused pussy lips. The pain had abated a little, leaving behind a dull ache that was filled by his cock. He plunged in, holding my thighs down as he pounded me into a quivering puddle on the bed. I was rising rapidly towards orgasm, but I dare not; I looked at him, my eyes pleading for relief and he shook his head no. ¡°You want to cum so bad, don¡¯t you,¡± he said.


    I nodded, my eyes full of tears and want.


    Instead of granting me my release, he pulled out and rolled me over so my face was between my knees and looking at the sheets. I felt him spread my ass cheeks just before he pushed in, sheathing himself in my unprepared back door with a single hard thrust. I screamed into the gag and the bed, the burning only adding to my excitement. He pulled back and pounded me again, his hips smacking my red ass with each thrust. I floated off into subspace, the pain and pleasure merging, until finally he exploded deep in my bowels. ¡°Cum for me,¡± he said, and I did. I screamed, and it just kept going until my eyes rolled back and everything went dark.


    I woke, lying in bed in his arms. I felt sore but satisfied; no one but Louis knew how to bring out my deepest desires. He was watching me as I came to, a smug grin on his face. ¡°Enjoy your nap,¡± he said.


    ¡°I loved every second of tonight,¡± I said. ¡°You were like Ward Cleaver in the dirtiest line ever on broadcast television.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Where they are all sitting at the table and June Cleaver said, ¡®Ward, weren¡¯t you a little rough on the Beaverst night?''¡±


    Heughed with me. ¡°You needed a hard session. I could see it in your eyes.¡± I just nodded, rxing into his chest. ¡°Now tell me about this n of yours.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop Niki, and the only way to do that is to kill him,¡± I said softly. ¡°Once he is gone, Master Leonardo is next in line for the Council. He shares our views on the hybrids, I¡¯ve spoken with him.¡± Master Leonardo was in Buffalo, his Coven was closest to the Werewolf Council and its current leader, the hybrid Talia Stillwater and her hybrid mate. ¡°With Niki gone, the three of us will be able to raise you to Chair. Voting together, we can end this foolish idea of cooperation with the Werewolves and rid ourselves of these abominations. Master Jarrod, the man behind these horrid experiments, can be removed and executed for his crimes.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°The oue is good, but if we are caught, we both die. Master Niki did not get where he is by being weak or vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°We have to strike decisively,¡± I said. ¡°We willy the fault at the hands of the hybrids, that will turn our kind against them and the Werewolves once and for all.¡±


    He moved my hand off his chest, then sat up and walked to the bathroom. When he returned from a shower, he grabbed his clothes and started getting dressed. ¡°Your n has merit, but it needs detail,¡± he said. ¡°We must keep things secret as we prepare, or we are both dead.¡± He walked out the door, leaving me alone again.


    Talia Stillwater¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House, TX


    Work called for both of us, I guess. Randall was dejected, he was really looking forward to spending time with me and I with him. Hell, we hadn¡¯t even made love since I had returned, and now there wouldn¡¯t be a chance. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± I told him. ¡°The Council headquarters needs leadership, and with me gone and Jacque still in Denver with his new mate Denise, someone needs to return.¡±


    ¡°I hate my job,¡± Randall said as he pulled me into his arms.


    I kissed him, my arms around his waist. ¡°Your job is important, the FBI needs to get all these people that worked or supported the ve traders that hurt my sister,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re so close to fulfilling my blood vow, to letting me be free again. I need you to do your job ande back to me.¡±


    He let out a sigh. ¡°I wish you were there with me.¡±


    ¡°You need to protect me, if any evidence appears that ties me or the others to the ind attack, you need to be there to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Dad came over and put his arms around both of us. ¡°I¡¯m sending a driver to take you to the airport, you guys have been doing too much and you can at least have the drive together,¡± he said. ¡°Buy your tickets and pack, I¡¯ll have the car ready in fifteen minutes.¡±


    I hugged him, thanking him for the thought. It was a long drive, and now he wouldn¡¯t be driving. I got on my phone and bought a ticket to Pittsburgh, while Randall bought a ticket to Miami. By the time we drove to the Das airport and boarded our nes, we were catching thest flights of the night. I didn¡¯t have much to pack, so I put a bag together quickly and dressed infortable clothes for the flight. Randall was used to this, so he was ready just as fast. We said our goodbyes and went outside.


    The driver was waiting, a young female Omega driving a big Expedition. I raised my eyebrows when she opened the back door and I saw the back seats had been removed, reced by a mattress and a bunch of pillows. ¡°Your mom?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She must want pups something fierce.¡± We put our bags in the passenger seat and climbed onto thefortable love nest created for the trip. I kicked my shoes off, leaving them by the door, and as the big truck pulled out of the driveway I was taking my clothes off and folding them up. I didn¡¯t care if the driver could see or hear, the windows were heavily tinted and we had sheets. I had my mate and I was going to take advantage of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, you two have fun,¡± she said. ¡°I remember when I was first mated, the wolf wants what it does so enjoy the drive.¡± She had put ear buds in and sunsses on, focused on the drive.


    ¡°Get naked,¡± I told Randall as I started arranging the pillows and slipped under the sheet. He hung up his suit, blocking the other back seat window, then pulled off the rest of his clothes and set them on top of mine. He was just as ready as I was, and I jumped him as soon as he was under the sheets. The movement of the truck added to my own, and I rode him to my first orgasm before we left Packnds.


    We took a break between sessions, sitting together and talking about what was next. ¡°What do you think Jacque will do,¡± Randall asked. ¡°Stay with Denise or return to the Council?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Should we call them?¡±


    ¡°No video call, they¡¯re probably in the same condition,¡± he said with a chuckle.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    He grabbed his phone and called his sister on speakerphone, she picked up after a few rings. ¡°Randall? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Work calls, we¡¯re on our way to the airport. I¡¯m on my way to Miami, and Talia is heading back to Council Headquarters,¡± he said. Feeling mischievous, I worked my hand down his stomach to where his cocky sticky against his thigh. Stroking it lightly, I felt it twitch and start toe back to life.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Do you need Jacque back at headquarters, Talia?¡± I heard hime to the phone as she put it on speaker.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I need to talk to you about,¡± I said. ¡°Elections are going to be held soon, and when the new Chaires in he will bring in a new Chief Enforcer as well, someone he knows and trusts. I know Jacque is a good man, but there¡¯s no guarantee of future employment.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that,¡± Jacque said. ¡°I didmit to perform my duties in your absence, and I have work to do on the elections.¡±


    ¡°That work can be done remotely if you wish,¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m heading back, I¡¯m also a stopgap there until the new Chairmanes. My mate is going to be busy with work for a while, there¡¯s no point in both of us being miserable.¡±


    Randall chuckled. ¡°What my mate is trying to say is that your mating changed everything for you. Denise has family and a Pack, a spot as Beta. Has Das talked to you about staying on as his Betas?¡±


    Denise chuckled. ¡°He wants me to. Vivian is helping me run up the bidding for our services. The possibility that I might leave with Jacque for the council is helping to drive the price up.¡±


    I smiled, thinking she knew just how far to push her brother. ¡°If you are happy there, stay there. Jacque, I will need you back in a week for the elections and the turnover, but there¡¯s no point in returning now.¡± I had my mate hard now, my fingers slowly jacking him as he fought to remain calm.


    ¡°We have to talk some more then,¡± Jacque said. ¡°Thank you for letting me stay here with my mate. Do you need me to do anything while you are traveling?¡±


    ¡°No, I have everything I need right here,¡± I said as I squeezed his shaft and he bit back a moan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you back tonight, Randall,¡± Denise said as I moved down his body.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said as he looked at me before he hung up. ¡°You naughty little¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else as I took him into my mouth and sucked hard. I used my tongue to swirl around his head, then dropped lower until he was in my throat. I loved the feeling of having him helpless before me. I watched as his eyes rolled back and he fisted the sheets when my nose reached his groin. ¡°Oh Luna that¡¯s good,¡± he said.


    I worked him for another minute before popping off. ¡°I need more,¡± I said as I turned my back to him. He held his rod in ce as I moved over it before sinking down in a reverse cowgirl position. ¡°Fuck yeah.¡±


    ¡°I love this view,¡± he said as I started to bounce up and down on him. I knew what he meant; my training and bloodlines had left me with a sculpted body and almost no fat. My ass was high and firm, and the muscles of my back and legs moved as I fucked down on him. I started rubbing my clit with my fingers while my other hand steadied me in ce.


    The bond in ce between us made the sex amazing, and I lost track of how many times my man brought me to climax. Finally, he grabbed my hips and held me tight as his hips rose to me. I came onest time as he filled me with his seed.


    I didn¡¯t let him go, I shifted with him until I was lying on my side with him spooning me from behind. We fell asleep together, happy and satisfied.


    ¡°Wake up, lovers,¡± our driver said loudly. I looked up, the afternoon sun was bright and I could see road signs. Sitting up under the sheet, I could see the cars surrounding us on the freeway. ¡°We¡¯re twenty minutes from the airport. You might want to clean up and dress,¡± she said with a smile as she handed back a box of baby wipes. I looked at her, and she startedughing. ¡°His mom thinks of everything.¡±

 We Are Living Dead

    I took the box, pulling out a couple to clean up the mess we had made of each other. We moved the soiled sheets out of the way, then deted the airbed and rolled it to the back. Putting the back seat up, we climbed over and grabbed our clothes so we could dress. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± Randall said as he buttoned his dress shirt again.


    ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one,¡± I said. ¡°I never expected to have any of this, to have anything like you in my life. Thank you, love.¡± I kissed him deeply before sitting back and pulling on my yoga pants.


    We got to the airport and got through, but we were in different terminals, so I had to say goodbye after we went through security. I got to my gate only to find out that the aircrafting from Pittsburgh had a mechanical problem, and the return flight was cancelled. I went to a counter, and when I finally got to the front of the line there was nothing leaving for Pittsburgh before morning. ¡°How about another airport,¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a flight to Syracuse in twenty minutes,¡± the agent said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Getting my new boarding pass, I sent a text with the flight update back to my secretary in the Chairman¡¯s office. She told me she would send Enforcers to pick me up, given the distance we would get there about the same time. I remembered from my time in New Orleans that there was a Coven in Syracuse.


    Reaching out to them in friendship would be a good start, as they were the closest Coven other than Pittsburgh. I called Jarrod and asked him what he thought. ¡°I know Master Leonardo, but we aren¡¯t friends. Your idea has merit, I will speak to him and ask him to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jarrod. I have to go, I¡¯m boarding now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you with details. It will be dark well before yound so you can meet near the airport. Have a good flight, Talia. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Jarrod. Thanks for everything.¡± I hung up and boarded the crowded aircraft, thankful that I had upgraded to first ss. My secretary had been sending me material all day long, things that needed to be dealt with for the organization to function. She had been going nuts with both Jacque and I out of the office and the rest of the Council dead or resigned. I spent most of the flight going through the papers, making assignments and approving what I could. I¡¯d transmit it all when wended.


    I arrived in town just after eleven PM and walked out through baggage im. I could smell the werewolves waiting, they nodded respectfully towards me as one held the door open for me. I had pulled my phone out and caught up with the messages; one was from Jarrod. It included the private phone number of Master Leonardo. I pressed the number, and it started to ring. ¡°Miss Stillwater, I was surprised to hear you would be in my town,¡± the deep voice said with an French ent.


    ¡°It was short notice, my flight to Pittsburgh was cancelled but it gave me an idea. As you know, I¡¯m temporarily in charge of the Werewolf Council and you are one of the closest Covens to it. I was wondering if you would like to meet, informally and socially, so we could get to know each other.¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. ¡°I must confess I am a curious man, and we haven¡¯t had a creature like you around in over a millennia. I take it you justnded?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just leaving the airport now.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I request the honor of dining with you at the Texas de Brazil restaurant. I will be dining in a private room, let the staff know and they will bring you to me. Alone.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°It was a sudden trip and I haven¡¯t really eaten, and I¡¯m sure you will be goodpany. I will see you in thirty minutes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± He hung up, and I texted the details to both Jarrod and Randall. I wasn¡¯t sure how to take his insistence that we be alone, but I wasn¡¯t going to back out either. If we as a species were going to make this work, I had to extend the hand of friendship.


    My Enforcers were not as understanding. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re under orders to protect you and you¡¯re going to a private room with a Master Vampire. You can see the problem with that,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°This is a social call, and I¡¯m capable of taking care of myself even against a vampire,¡± I said. We arrived, and I left my guards in the bar area while I went to see the hostess. ¡°Talia, my date is waiting for me in a private room?¡±


    ¡°Of course, dear,¡± she said as she looked at me. I was younger and not dressed for a night out, I could sense her confusion but she recovered quickly. I was led back through the fancy ce to a small room overlooking theke. A handsome man, in his forties with salt and pepper hair feathered back along the left side, stood at the single table and smiled at me.


    ¡°Thank you for seeing me, Leonardo,¡± I said as I walked to him and extended my hand.


    He took it in his, bringing my hand to his nose and taking a good sniff as he kissed the back of it. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Mademoiselle,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°Please, join me.¡± He pulled out the chair opposite him, I sat and her returned to his seat as soon as I was settled. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of ordering wine, and the food will be here shortly,¡± he said.


    He wasn¡¯t kidding. A parade of servers came through, and my te was soon filled with four kinds of meat, potatoes, vegetables and bread. We ate like old friends, sharing two bottles of wine as I told him my story. He was a true gentleman, witty and intelligent, and I enjoyed the evening quite a bit. ¡°I wish I could stay longer, but I have a long drive and much work waiting for me,¡± I finally said as we finished the cr¨¨me¡¯ brulee with fresh strawberries. ¡°The meal was fantastic, just what I needed.¡±


    ¡°It was a pleasure dining with you, Talia. You are nothing like I expected,¡± he said.


    ¡°I spent four years living in a coven, Leonardo. I consider Jarrod to be my surrogate father, his family is mine. I have a werewolf family as well, and it is my dream we all find a way to live and thrive in peace,¡± I said as I stood.


    ¡°I have no doubt you will change many minds, Talia. I find your candor refreshing.¡±


    He paid the bill as I used thedies room, and I gave him a hug at the entrance before we left. ¡°Thank you for a lovely evening,¡± I said.


    ¡°Have a safe drive,¡± he replied. ¡°Your mate is a lucky man.¡±


    I smiled as I walked out with my escort. ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one,¡± I said as I walked out.


    Master Leonardo¡¯s POV


    I waited a few minutes after she left before I followed my men to our car. After getting in, I dialed the number. ¡°You were right, she is dangerous,¡± I said. ¡°Her ideas have their own appeal, and her own life shows it can work. If she is able to speak to the Packs and Covens, she will bring many to her side,¡± I said.


    ¡°And you see why she needs to be eliminated, and quickly,¡± Mistress Dani said. ¡°I will need your help, and for that you will be rewarded with power and money,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will.¡± I hung up, my driver returning me to our home. She had given me a lot to think about.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Eduardo¡¯s POV


    New Orleans Coven House


    The call from Talia came in about two in the morning, while we were enjoying ate meal in the gardens behind our mansion in the cooler night air. Jarrod talked with her for a while; her meeting with Master Leonardo had gone well. She liked him, and he seemed to ept her for who she was. It was the first of many such meetings she would need to make before the Vampire Masters would ept her existence.


    ¡°How many do you think wille to our side,¡± Erica asked as she cuddled into my side. She had flown in from Das, arriving earlier in the evening. Jarrod had held the dinner party in her honor, since she was a key yer in the Ind takedown. I was so proud of her; she was strong, beautiful and a fierce warrior despite her young age.


    And she was mine.


    Mated life was unlike anything I had ever known. I had talked with Jarrod and Marceline, the only vampire mates I knew, but their bond was nothingpared to mine. They had centuries with each other and could anticipate each other¡¯s thoughts and moves. Communication could take ce with a gesture, even a nce.


    Yet they had nothingpared to the mate bond he had with Erica. I could sense her presence, her feelings, even her thoughts. I could speak directly with her, mind to mind over great distances. I was never alone, she shared my mind and soul now and I loved it. We were a little disappointed that I couldn¡¯t talk with the other Coven members, but I could send to Alpha Brent and his Pack. It had just taken me time and practice to figure it out.


    I enjoyed the evening as my gorgeous mate sat in myp, drinking wine andughing as we talked with friends. Our trusted Familiars were here along with a few guests, and one of them got up and took the empty chair by us. ¡°Can we speak for a moment,¡± Dr. Nora Andrews said.


    I smiled at the doctor who had been so helpful with Tania. We didn¡¯t need doctors as our vampire healing and regeneration took care of many things, but we also dealt with humans. Having a trusted doctor who knew what we were and could keep a secret was a must. We didn¡¯t want our Familiars being asked questions by normal doctors, and sometimes humans had reactions. Who knew you could be allergic to a vampire bite? ¡°Of course, Doctor. How can we help you?¡±


    ¡°You know Erica is unique, and I have been studying the changes in her blood from before your mating to now so I can understand better what is happening. I realized tonight that I forgot one thing; I have not studied any changes you might see as a result of the mating.¡±


    I was confused. ¡°We are living dead, we do not age, change or evolve. We are forever frozen at the moment of our change,¡± I said. All Vampires knew this; your could learn new things, but you wouldn¡¯t change physically for the rest of your undead time. ¡°That is why vampires cannot have children; although the equipment is there, the creation of life cannote from the dead.¡±

 The Live Sperm Sample

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, though. I love him, and when it is time for us to have children, I¡¯ll ask a werewolf to donate so I can get pregnant,¡± Erica said.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯d like to run more tests. Could you stop by my office for a few minutes before I have to head home?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can do it now,¡± I said. Jarrod was still on the phone and the party would go on until almost sunrise, we could take a short break. Erica got up and I held her hand as I followed the Doctor to the small clinic she kept on the second floor. She opened a drawer, handing him two specimen cups. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°I need a urine and a semen sample from you, and a urine sample from Erica,¡± she told us. ¡°While you are doing that, I¡¯ll set up to take a blood sample from both of you.¡±


    I looked over at my mate. ¡°Urine is easy, the other I¡¯ll need help with,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I think saliva can throw off the results,¡± Erica said with a grin. ¡°You¡¯re on your own. You remember how, right?¡±


    Evil, she was evil. That was SOst week. ¡°Yeah, it hasn¡¯t been long enough to forget Rosie DePalma and her five sisters.¡± I grabbed the two cups and went into the attached bathroom, while Erica took her cup across the hall.


    I filled the urine cup first, setting it aside. Standing by the sink, I closed my eyes and thought of my beautiful mate on the night we met. Taking her clothes off, kissing down her body, that feeling ofpleteness when I buried my cock inside her warm depths. I heard her in the clinic, talking with the Doctor, and imagined her touching me. It worked, I started to get hard. ¡°Want some help with that,¡± she asked me as I started to stroke myself.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. The door opened and she stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door. She pulled her dress up over her head, hanging it on the hook on the door before turning back to me. She was a goddess; beautiful before, the same change that had removed her scarring had given her a perfection of body women only dreamed of. ¡°You are the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± I said as I looked at her in thecy lingerie she was wearing.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And you are the only man I will ever want,¡± she said. She turned me to face the mirror, her arms wrapping around my waist. ¡°Just hold the cup, I¡¯ll do the rest,¡± she said as she nipped my shoulder.


    Her right hand encircled my length, moving gently forward and back, while her left started to squeeze and massage my balls softly. ¡°Oh my GOD,¡± I said as I rxed into her strokes. My cock was rock hard, her touch so light on it, her nipples poking my back, the tingles of the skin-to-skin contact setting my body on fire.


    ¡°My mate, so ready for me,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°When you¡¯ve handed over the sample, we¡¯re going to our room. You¡¯re going to strip me naked, bend me over the end of the bed and fuck me until I can¡¯t walk straight.¡± Her right hand started to pick up the pace while her left stroked my hip, moving around to my ass. She continued to work me as she started to kiss and bite her way from my shoulders to my back and down further. She was kneeling, her right hand never stopping, as her lips started kissing down the cleft of my ass. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait much longer, lover boy. You better not miss the cup.¡±


    I grabbed the cup with my right hand as she pushed me, ending up leaning forward over the vanity. She kept jacking me as her tongue extended, licking around my ass. I¡¯d never been rimmed, and it felt different, but good. She got it good and wet for me. ¡°Jack yourself off and rx,¡± she told me as she let me go. I started working myself fast as her hands pulled my cheeks apart and her tongue plunged into my back door. I rxed into the sensation as she teased my backdoor open, then my eyes went wide. Something cold and wet touched my crack. Her tongue had widened, stretching me almost painfully, and extended deep inside me. The tip licked deep into my bowels as I lost conscious thought.


    ¡°OH FUCK,¡± I said as the sensation rocked me. I came hard, explosively hard, the jets filling the sample cup as I fought to stay upright. It was amazing and intense, and I told her so when she stood up and started to wash herself off. I could see her wolf tongue receding back into her mouth as her partially shifted muzzle went back to her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be long,¡± she said as she pulled her dress back on. ¡°I¡¯ve already given blood and I need that cock in me soon. I can¡¯t get enough.¡±


    I kissed her, amazed she was mine, then she opened the door and walked out. ¡°Don¡¯t run off Erica, we need to talk,¡± she said. I grabbed both samples and brought them out to Doctor Andrews. ¡°I take it you were able to finish,¡± she said with a grin.


    ¡°I had a lot of help,¡± I said as I set them down. I sat on the examining table and she took a blood sample, then told me I was done. ¡°I have to run these myself after hours, so it will take a bit of time to get the results. I¡¯d like to get samples every month for the first year.¡±


    ¡°Why,¡± Erica asked.


    ¡°You have both gained characteristics of each other, I want to know if that process is instantaneous or evolving,¡± she said. ¡°Other than the mate bond and mentalmunication, have you noticed any changes?¡±


    Vampire sight and smell was already superior to werewolf, as was healing. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°I feel different, happy, energized and content, but that¡¯s because I¡¯m in love.¡±


    ¡°Aww baby,¡± Erica said as sheid her head on my shoulder. ¡°I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°Well, let me know if you notice anything. Now get out of here, Eduardo, I need to talk with you mate.¡± She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I kissed Erica goodbye and left the room. I almost ran downstairs to prepare for her arrival.


    Doctor Nora Andrews¡¯ POV


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you alone because some of the questions I have, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve talked to him about them yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Erica looked worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but there are only two of you in the world so it¡¯s hard to tell what is normal. Now, you were a full-blooded werewolf up to now, I expect they told you about werewolf mating habits in your old Pack?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only the basics,¡± she said. ¡°Since the age of consent is eighteen, most of the instruction happens as you approach that age andes from your parents. Since my parents died when I was young, I lost that. With my new Pack, I had almost no chance of finding a mate, so I didn¡¯t care.¡± She looked at her hands. ¡°I suppose I should have paid more attention in ss.¡±


    ¡°Well, we really don¡¯t know what to expect from you because of your mixed nature,¡± I said softly. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t menstruate or be pregnant, but the humans they began as do. Werewolves have heat cycles once a year after mating. Have you had any symptoms of your heating on? Night sweats, flushed appearance, stronger scent or increased sex drive?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d kill him if my drive went any higher,¡± sheughed. ¡°Oh wait, I can¡¯t kill him, he¡¯s already dead.¡± Both of us cracked up, it was good tough to rx her. ¡°No, nothing yet.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know about your fertility until you or Talia gets pregnant or you go into a recognizable heat or human cycle,¡± I said. ¡°Then there is the whole hybrid thing. In the animal kingdom, two dogs can mate without issue, but a dog and a cat cannot because they are different species. If two species are close enough to reproduce, it doesn¡¯t guarantee their offspring will be able to reproduce. Do you know what a Liger is?¡±


    ¡°A lion/tiger mix,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, but it has to be a male lion and a female tiger. It cannot reproduce with another liger but may be able to with a lion or a tiger. The other case, a tigon, male tiger and female lion offspring, cannot reproduce with anything. For you and Talia, when your vampire and werewolf natures merged, it created an unknown hybrid. You have traits of both.¡±


    ¡°So we could be sterile, or only able to reproduce with another pureblood, or able to reproduce only with another Wamp.¡± She had taken on the shorthand for her kind, it was easier than hyphenating.


    ¡°Yes. You need to have hope; Luna gave you your mate, you need to believe she knows what she is doing.¡± I reached over and patted her hand. ¡°Of course, if you aren¡¯t ready for pups yet, you should use condoms. I¡¯m not sure if either human or werewolf contraception would work, and there is only one way to find out.¡±


    Her eyes shed when I talked about pups. ¡°If we can have children, I want them,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s another reason why I need to check up on you monthly.¡±


    ¡°How will I know if I get pregnant,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Symptoms are remarkably simr between humans and werewolves, plus your mate should be able to scent the change by four weeks,¡± I said. ¡°Over the counter pregnancy tests should work.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Doc,¡± she said. She gave me a quick hug and ran off to be with her mate.


    I took the sperm sample over to the counter where my microscope was. cing some of the fluid on a slide, I put it underneath expecting to see normal vampire semen: seminal fluid devoid of any live spermatozoa.


    I was shocked to see live sperm swimming around the field of view.


    There was only one exnation, since Eduardo hadn¡¯t injected Erica¡¯s blood like Erica had Jarrod¡¯s blood injected into her. Her mating bite had brought him, at least some of him, back to life. There was no point in the Goddess doing this if she did not want Erica to reproduce.


    The Wamp females are capable of reproduction.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Werewolf Council Headquarters


    The week since I had returned to the Council Headquarters had been hell for me. I finally gave up after four days, begging Jacque and Denise toe save me from administrative hell. My secretary and staff werepetent, but there was so much that had to be done. I was working eighteen-hour days, almost too busy to miss my mate.

 No Other Way

    Almost.


    We Skyped every night, and he was just as busy.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Miami FBI Field Office


    I arrived in Miami an hour before Homnd Security got a scrambled satellite phone call from the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless, a 210-foot long medium-endurance cutter. They had been hailed by a Colombian fishing vessel and had a story to tell. They had taken on neen girls ranging between ten and eighteen years of age, all of whom had been held captive on Sex Ind. When they were transferred, the crew of the fishing boat also handed over two bags filled withputers, paper records and surveince video.


    I was in the conference room with by boss Rosalie and the FBI teams from Chicago, Miami and New York. The conference call included the Captain of the Dauntless, Coast Guard headquarters, Homnd Security and Justice.


    It had taken almost an hour for the Captain of the fishing vessel to get his point across. The vessel was Colombian, the ind was run by the Cartel. He wouldn¡¯t allow a search, and he wouldn¡¯t give his name or that of his fishing boat. He was hired to wait off the ind until he was signaled, then go to the dock. People in ck outfits with hoods loaded the women on board. They gave him the bags and told him to not to look inside them. His instructions were to bring the girls north and hand them and the bags over to the Americans. Everything was done in cash, and he knew nothing else about who had done what on the ind.


    ¡°Look, he did us a favor by getting the girls out of there. He has to go back to Colombia without getting killed,¡± I finally said. ¡°He¡¯s an Uber ride, he can¡¯t tell us anything. We need to look at what they took from the ind and what the girls have to say.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t even tell us the name of their vessel, how do we know they weren¡¯t involved? They covered up the name with a tarp!¡± The US Attorney didn¡¯t like loose ends, they could be challenged in court.


    ¡°Look, you have the girls on board. Ask them if the men on the fishing boat did anything other than bring them north, and let¡¯s move on! The longer you have this boat tied up to the cutter, the more dangerous it is for them. If the Cartel finds out they helped, they are DEAD. Their families will be killed in front of them before they are tortured and killed. Damn it, they did us a solid, so let them go!¡±


    It took five minutes to get them to agree with me, after which the crew of the fishing vessel was allowed to depart.


    The cutter had an embarked helicopter, but it could only hold a half-dozen people. It was agreed that the ship¡¯s helicopter would fly the recovered bags and the girls in need of medical attention first, while two other helicopters out of Key West would fly out to get the others.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Rosalie said after the call ended. ¡°We¡¯re meeting them at Coast Guard Station Key West.¡±


    When the first helicopternded, I saw the faces of the girls and knew how bad it had been for them. They looked around nervously, like they were convincing themselves it was over. Rosalie and other female agents interviewed them after they were fed and given quick medical checkups. Their stories here heartbreaking and simr; all had been kidnapped or sold into the life. All hade through the ve training facility in Miami. All had been used by rich men.


    The bags of evidence were a gold mine. Theputer guys were still trying to track the encryption on the hard drives, but the customer profiles were in a book. Each person¡¯s picture, along with their visit dates, girls used, likes and dislikes were kept in great detail so the next visit could be tailored properly. My stomach rolled as I read through some of the entries, and my eyes opened wide as I read the names. It was a great start to taking down the people who made this disgusting business profitable. The visit dates would allow us to check Custom records and bank ounts, and certainly was enough to get warrants.


    There were going to be fireworks.


    We returned to Miami a dayter to continue the work. The US Attorneys were on the ball, working in secrecy with a Federal judge to get the warrants we needed. One hundred and sixty-two rich and powerful men would wake up in the morning to FBI agents raiding their homes and cing them in handcuffs. The girls were being housed on base for their protection, and to make sure the customers and Cartel were not tipped off.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Rosalie said after a marathon meeting with thewyers and the Task Force. ¡°There are fourteen men in Texas, and our team is going to pick some of them up.¡±


    We checked out of the hotel and caught a ride to the airport; while waiting for the flight, I called Talia. ¡°How are things going, baby?¡±


    ¡°Good but still busy,¡± she said. ¡°This election has to get over so I can get away from the paperwork!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll survive. How is the election process going?¡±


    ¡°Better. We¡¯ve got seven nominations for the Chair; all the regional elections wait until after that in case their guy doesn¡¯t make it. The first round of voting is tomorrow, and Dad was the first nominee.¡± Election as Chairman required a majority of Alphas to vote for you and was done using the videoconferencing software poll function. Each round the lowest vote getter was eliminated until someone got a majority. ¡°Today the nominees got to speak for five minutes on why they should be the next chair. It was interesting, to say the least. Your father was very convincing when he talked about the need to make peace with the Vampires and why he was the one who could do it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be a great choice. What were the other Alphas like?¡±


    ¡°Two were opposed to any alliance with the Vampires, both men have a bad history with them. The rest are more wait and see.¡± She paused for a minute. ¡°I got a call from Master Niki, the head of the Vampire Council. The Council wants to interview the people in theb and see the evidence themselves of the experimentation tonight. The Doctor who has been looking things over for them is ready to make his report and wants to deliver it in person to them. They want no secrets, and we have promised cooperation.¡±


    The Vampire Council meeting directly with the Werewolf Council was a big thing. ¡°You agreed?¡±


    ¡°There is no other way. I did remind them I was a temporary Chair and we could have a new Council seated in a few days. Master Niki said he preferred to do this now; he doesn¡¯t want to take chances the new Council will have a change of heart. He, Mistress Dani and Master Leonardo are driving down from Syracuse now. They will arrive just after sunset, and I¡¯ve got a ton of stuff to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, you know Leonardo and Niki is a fair man. Just be careful with Dani, she doesn¡¯t like our kind. I wish I could be there, but I¡¯m heading back to Das now.¡±


    ¡°Miami went well?¡±


    ¡°Very well. Watch the news.¡± I heard the boarding call for my flight. ¡°I have to go, love. When all this is done, you and I are going to take some time to be alone.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± she said. ¡°Bye love.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± I ended the call and found Rosalie, we had been bumped to first ss on the half-empty flight.


    I couldn¡¯t escape the feeling that something was wrong.


    *****


    Erica¡¯s POV


    Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport


    As soon as Jarrod heard the Vampire Council was going to the Werewolf Council Headquarters to meet with Talia, he started making arrangements. We would have to fly during the day to make it before the Council arrived just after sundown, which made things more difficult.


    It was the one time the vampires used coffins for transport. We used one of our closed-back transport vans to get to the airfield, where the contract pilot was waiting. I secured Jarrod in his, then went to Eduardo¡¯s coffin as hey back. ¡°At least we can talk mentally during the trip,¡± I said as I leaned down.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I love you, Erica,¡± he said before we kissed. I secured the lid in ce. There were no holes for breathing, vampires didn¡¯t have to have oxygen, it wasn¡¯t like it would kill them.


    I rode with Malcolm to the airport and into the hangar where the ne waited. The pilot and copilot were outside, waiting with the cargo door open in their twin-engine ne. I opened the door, stepping out in my ck dress with veil. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as we went to the back. They had a rolling cart they used to move the coffins to the ne, strapping them in ce. The copilot led me up the stairs, seating me in afortable leather seat as the Captain secured the door. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking off in a few minutes. Let us know if you need anything, there are drinks and snacks in the cooler here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. They went into the cockpit and I rxed into the seat. ¡°I wish you could be up here with me,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Mile high club for sure,¡± Eduardo answered. We talked the whole trip, me describing thendscape under us. ¡°I miss the sun,¡± he said after a while. ¡°I¡¯m still new enough to clearly remember life before the change.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    ¡°It brought me to you, how could I?¡±


    I thought about it for a while. My life had been difficult; orphaned, exiled, branded and hidden. Without all that, I never would have met Eduardo. ¡°You are right, love. Everything I went through was worth it to have you.¡±


    We arrived in thete afternoon at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport. Talia had sent an Omega down with a cargo van, and the two coffins were quickly loaded. Angie drove us out of the airport and onto the highway. We stopped at a Steak n Shake off Highway 28 for drive-thru then back on the road.


    I was taking a drink of my banana-vored shake when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, then the squealing of brakes and the toote reaction of Angie. The impact knocked me into the window as the van shuddered then rolled onto its passenger side. We skidded to a halt, our seatbelts saving us from serious harm. ¡°Are you all right,¡± I asked Angie.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she said. I unbuckled my belt, standing up on the broken window then freed her. I looked back at the cargo area in horror; the back door had popped open, and the lid of Eduardo¡¯s coffin was broken.


    He was lying next to it, the sunlight on his face, and he wasn¡¯t moving.

 Werewolf Council Meeting

    Erica¡¯s POV


    Highway NE of Pittsburgh


    ¡°Shit!¡± I climbed over the passenger seat and into the back. The two coffins had been a tight fit, and they hadn¡¯t been tied down. The impact had been over the driver¡¯s side rear tire and had damaged Eduardo¡¯s coffin, then when the van rolled his went flying. I worked my way carefully over the splintered wood and ss to where he was lying down near the roof of the van. ¡°Eduardo! Wake UP!¡±


    I could hear people pulling over, running towards us. We didn¡¯t have time to do anything else. I could already smell gasoline.


    Rotating the coffin until it was upright, I kept the battered lid open. Then I lifted Eduardo, setting him inside before closing the lid. It wasn¡¯t perfect, pieces of the rosewood lid were cracked and missing, but he was out of direct sunlight for now.


    Just in time.


    I heard someone pulling at the damaged van door, kicking it down out of the way before opening the other side. ¡°Ma¡¯am? You all right?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said.


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± he said. I let him lead me out; in the bright sunlight, several cars and trucks had pulled over to help. I was shaking; he asked if I wanted to sit down in his car. ¡°We have to get them out,¡± I said.


    Another man had gone inside and came out with Angie. She was walking slowly, banged up but not bleeding. I could hear sirens in the distance, then a voice shouted. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s catching fire!¡±


    ¡°NO! PLEASE GET MY FAMILY OUT OF THERE,¡± I yelled.


    ¡°The coffins?¡±


    I moved to the back, grabbing Eduardo¡¯s coffin. My rescuer grabbed the other side and we pulled and dragged it twenty feet clear of the van. Meanwhile, a few more men had grabbed Jarrod¡¯s coffin and dragged it next to us. His looked intact, just some scratches and dents. ¡°Erica? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, love. We were in an ident, you¡¯re by the side of the road now.¡±


    ¡°Baby? The coffin. It¡¯s broken.¡± I looked over it, thete afternoon sun was shining through the missing parts of the lid, and the lid wasn¡¯t closing right.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, love. I didn¡¯t want you to end this way.¡± I put on an act, pretending I was upset by the sight of my brother in the damaged coffin. ¡°Does anyone have a nket? Tarp? This isn¡¯t right,¡± I cried as Iid my body over the worst of the lid.


    The first Sheriff¡¯s Deputy pulled up, stopping clear of the wreck. He went to his trunk and grabbed a fire extinguisher before heading to the van. I could hear more sirensing quickly as I sobbed over the broken coffin. ¡°Erica? Something is wrong,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I replied.


    ¡°No, in a good way. I can feel the sunlight on my right hand and it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± I didn¡¯t have time to do anything because a second patrol car arrived, this one running to where Angie and I were sitting by the coffins.


    I looked up. ¡°You all right Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Just shaken up,¡± I said.


    ¡°The ambnces will be here in a minute, you should get checked out,¡± he said as he looked at Angie quickly. ¡°And you Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Bruised, I¡¯m all right,¡± she said.


    Leaving us, he moved to the second vehicle as the van fire was being put out. I could see the pickup truck that ran the red light, it had rolled in the ditch and was upside down. The driver was in bad shape, it looked like he had been ejected. Two men were standing by him, but his neck was obviously broken by the way he wasying on the grass. He checked his pulse then walked back up as the ambnce arrived. ¡°Driver ejected in the ident and is gone,¡± he said as the driver got out. ¡°Two people in the van are sitting by the coffins, no obvious injuries.¡±


    I pulled out my phone, calling Talia. ¡°There¡¯s been an ident. We¡¯re all right, but you need to send another van to pick up us and our cargo. One of the coffins was badly damaged,¡± I said. I gave her my location, and she told me she¡¯d get some people out my way as soon as she could.


    The adrenaline crash wasing, and the second ambnce arrived. They asked if we could stand and walk to the ambnce, and when I nodded, they helped me up. He wrapped a nket around me and I sat on the back of his rig. ¡°Can you put a nket over my brother¡¯s coffin? I don¡¯t want anyone seeing him like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can do that,¡± he said. He grabbed another nket and used it to cover the damaged coffin. ¡°Best I can do for now,¡± I said. ¡°Talia is sending help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, even if I don¡¯t understand it. My hand should have been turning ck by now, but it feels normal. The light even felt good on it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡± The EMT¡¯s checked us over, rmending we go to the hospital for testing, but we refused. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit my head and the seatbelt kept me in ce, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said.


    ¡°Some injuries might not be obvious,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I have friendsing, if I start to have any concussion symptoms or other problems, I¡¯ll go to the emergency room.¡± Thest thing we needed was to end up in a hospital with human doctors, blood tests and scans. The bruising I had gotten was already fading with my Wamp-speed healing.


    We spoke to the Sheriff, giving our statements. It didn¡¯t help much, we had the green light and we didn¡¯t see the truck until just before impact. ¡°The driver? He¡¯s dead?¡± I could see the Medical Examiner¡¯s van arriving, moving to where the body was covered.


    ¡°Yes. He wasn¡¯t wearing a seatbelt and was drunk, I could smell the alcohol on his body and there was an open bottle in the cab,¡± the first Deputy said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Where were youing from?¡±


    ¡°The airport,¡± Angie said. ¡°I work for the funeral home in New Bethlehem. Our normal hearse is busy with a funeral, so I had this.¡±


    ¡°Should I call a local home and get help?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯ve already sent another van to get us,¡± she replied. The fire trucks were gone, and the second ambnce had left with the driver¡¯s body. A van pulled up to the Deputy directing traffic, his window rolled down. ¡°That¡¯s our driver,¡± she said as she pointed.


    He waved the van in, and he stopped near the coffins. The driver hopped out, he was obviously an Enforcer from his build and the way he walked. He ran up to Angie, the two embracing as she started to cry on his chest. ¡°You¡¯re all right, love,¡± he said.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    When they broke apart, he held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Theo, her husband.¡±


    ¡°Erica.¡± The three of us walked to the back of the van, he opened it up then asked a few of the men standing around for help loading. They put Eduardo¡¯s damaged casket in first, then Jarrod¡¯s. The three of us headed for the front seat.


    ¡°You sure you want to decline transport,¡± the driver of the ambnce said.


    ¡°We¡¯re sure,¡± I replied. ¡°Thank you, you were very nice to us.¡± We handed back the nkets and loaded into the cargo van. A few minutester, we were clear of the ident scene and heading for the Council Headquarters again.


    ¡°How are our guests,¡± Theo asked. ¡°Those coffins looked beat up, especially the one with the damage to the lid.¡±


    ¡°Eduardo? You all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great, love. Just a minute.¡±


    I heard the lid of the coffin being pushed open, the wood creaking and splintering as he forced the lock. I looked back in horror. ¡°What are you DOING?¡±


    ¡°I told you, baby. The sun didn¡¯t hurt me.¡± He sat up, looking up at us and the bright lighting through the windshield. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± he said as he looked out onto the green rolling hills. He stood up, stepping out of the coffin and putting the lid down. He moved to the front, pulling me into a kiss. ¡°That was close,¡± he said.


    ¡°Drunk driver and we got lucky,¡± Angie said. ¡°How is this possible? You¡¯re a VAMPIRE.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The impossible is routine with Erica in my life,¡± he said as he rested his arms around my shoulders. ¡°Just like Erica is no longer just a werewolf, I¡¯m not just a vampire either.¡±


    ¡°The mating bite did this?¡±


    ¡°Doc said it was making changes in my body, but I never would have tried this on my own. Without the ident I¡¯d never know I was a Daywalker.¡± He kissed my neck as he hugged me from behind. ¡°I love you, Erica.¡±


    I leaned back into another kiss. I looked at his hands, they were unblemished. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± I told him. ¡°We can¡¯t let this get out. The Vampire Council already looks at me like some science experiment gone wrong. If you are a Daywalker, they might kill you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk to Talia when we get back. Theo, Angie, you can¡¯t mention this to anyone or we¡¯re in danger.¡±


    ¡°Mention what?¡± Theo just chuckled as held Angie¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything buy my mate.¡±


    The rest of the drive went in silence, each pair using the bond to talk. I couldn¡¯t believe it; the biggest restriction and danger to a vampire, having to avoid sunlight, was no longer an issue for my mate. He still didn¡¯t need to sleep, and now he could be with me during the day. It was a dreame true for us.


    We arrived at Headquarters and pulled into the underground garage. Talia, Denise and Jacques were there to greet us; I gave my family hugs as the back door opened and Eduardo jumped out. He had opened Jarrod¡¯s coffin, so he stepped out behind him. ¡°Well that was interesting,¡± Jarrod said with a smile as he walked to our group.


    ¡°Wee to the Werewolf Council,¡± Talia said as she hugged her foster father, then Eduardo.

 The Most Powerful Vampire

    ¡°We have much to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Talia, you need to Alpha Order Theo and Angie not to say anything about Eduardo being a daywalker,¡± I told her.


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Just do it, we¡¯ll exinter.¡±


    She pulled the two aside and gave them the order before they went up the stairs to their living quarters. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office, clearly we have a lot to discuss.¡±


    The path had been prepared for Vampires, all windows covered, as well as her office. We all went in and sat down. ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± she said.


    We went through the story of the ident and the damaged coffin, and Eduardo told of his hand and face being in sunlight with no damage. ¡°I was able to sit behind them the whole ride back. As a vampire, the sunlight would be blinding and painful, but it was as if I was still human. It not only didn¡¯t hurt, it felt nice to feel the warmth on my skin,¡± he said.


    Jarrod just shook his head. ¡°Vampires have been looking for a way to escape the curse of the night for our entire existence,¡± he said. ¡°If my skin had been exposed like his, the skin would have burned in under a minute.¡±


    ¡°It has to be the mating bite that changed me,¡± Eduardo said. ¡°Just like it changed me so I could have children.¡±


    Talia spit out the Coke she was drinking. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Andrews is doing some testing on us. The changes in Erica are more obvious, but she was looking at samples from me to see if a Vampire could change too. She found live sperm in my sample,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°It means Erica and I can reproduce, another impossibility for a vampire.¡± I leaned into his shoulder as his hand moved over my stomach. ¡°Another part of the curse of the Undead she has broken for me.¡±


    ¡°I think it wise we keep this to ourselves for now,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°The Vampire Council is split. I think Niki is fascinated by the changes, but Dani has made clear her feelings. She wants the hybrids eliminated. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, because if Leonardo and his Coven wanted to, they could tip the bnce.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°You think they would unseat Niki? The most powerful Vampire in the world?¡±


    ¡°Leonardo is ambitious and knows how to y the politics. I don¡¯t know what side he will fall on,¡± Jarrod said as he leaned forward. ¡°I know you had to invite them, but this seems like a setup. Not everyone wants peace, and I don¡¯t trust Mistress Dani at all. She must be nning to stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°And me me,¡± Talia said. ¡°It just makes sense, it isn¡¯t enough to stir up old hatreds with the werewolves, she needs to specifically target the three hybrids.¡±


    ¡°You are wise beyond your years, my daughter. That is exactly what she will do if she is allowed to do it.¡± Jarrod looked at his watch. ¡°Sunset is in ny-two minutes.¡±


    ¡°And they will arrive twenty minutester,¡± Talia said. ¡°We are meeting them at the edge of Council territory, just the three of us,¡± she said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be just the three of you now,¡± Jarrod said with a smile. ¡°Moves and counters.¡±

 Near Werewolf Council HQ

    Dani¡¯s POV


    ¡°I just don¡¯t believe the werewolves will really stop their experimentation on our kind,¡± I said as we were driven down the road by one of Master Leonardo¡¯s familiars. We had flown in to his Coven near Syracusest night and were expected at the Werewolf Council HQ shortly after sunset.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we are going ourselves,¡± Master Niki said as he sat on the couch. The transport vehicle was a modified ss A recreational vehicle, with a barrier between the driver¡¯spartment and the living area, and all windows reced with solid panels. It made for afortable trip, much nicer than the modified cargo vans or moving trucks we tended to use. ¡°Chairman Talia has been up front about what she found and has granted our Doctor full ess to the records. Hell, she rescued two of our kind from the facility in Mount Shasta. I have every confidence she will follow through, but that is why I¡¯m bringing you. If you are convinced, the rest of the Council will agree.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Council that must agree,¡± Master Leonardo said. ¡°I appreciate the invitation. I look forward to seeing Chairman Talia again, she is an impressive youngdy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met her?¡±


    He nodded at me. ¡°She had a flight problem and had to go into Syracuse instead of Pittsburgh, and Master Jarrod called and asked if I might want to meet her. We had a lovelyte dinner. I rather like her. I can understand why Jarrod thinks so highly of her.¡±


    I wanted to react, but I suspected it was part of keeping Niki unsuspecting of our true motives. Inviting Leonardo had been my idea, suggesting him because his Coven was close, and the Pittsburgh Coven master never left his city. Communications with Leonardo were difficult; I didn¡¯t know who might be listening, and I couldn¡¯t get away to n things. I sent my trusted familiar, June, to him with a pair of recorded messages. In the first, I told him my feelings about the hybrids and why we couldn¡¯t trust the Werewolves given our long history. Iid out how the Council was split, with Louis and I on the short side of the majority. ¡°You are next in line,¡± my message said. ¡°I need to know if you will be with us or with the Chairman and the others if you are elevated to the Council. Let my familiar know if you are with me.¡± When he indicated he was with us, she gave him the second video where Iid out our n to remove the Chairman and take over.


    The key was to me the Werewolves so no one would look at us. That was why we were traveling this way, with the Council meeting us at the edge of their territory. Between our two covens and Leonardo¡¯s, we had twenty experienced vampires near the meeting site. They had arrivedst night and dug caves under the hills to hide them from the sun and hid their scent like a deer hunter would. With Leonardo by my side, two masters against one with plenty of backup, we would kill Master Niki while the other vampires took out the hybrid and any werewolves around. When it was all over, we survivors would write the narrative about how the hybrid bitch and her wolves had betrayed our trust.


    There was a knock from the front of the RV. ¡°Sundown is past, Master Leonardo,¡±


    ¡°Open the door,¡± he said. The panels slid aside, allowing us to see forward through the windshield to the twilight and the passing trees. ¡°How far now?¡±


    ¡°Twenty minutes, sir.¡± He pulled out his phone and sent a text, I did the same with my phone. The innocuous group message just said we¡¯d be arriving on time at the Werewolf Council.


    It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. This was high-stakes poker, and I had to maintain control so my nervousness would not betray us. Thest attempt on a sitting Council chairman had resulted in a bloody purge and torments that left them begging for their own destruction. We could not afford to fail.


    Master Leonardo¡¯s face was just as impassive. He moved into the front seat next to his driver, looking out over the road as they approached the meeting spot. I spent my time going over the n. The vampire warriors would rush forward as soon as they saw the two of us attack Niki, ensuring the Werewolves and that bitch of a hybrid were killed before reinforcements could be summoned.


    I rehearsed the attack in my mind a hundred times before the RV came to a stop. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take care of the ceremonial part of this,¡± Niki said. ¡°Once introductions are made, we will be officially weed onto Packnds. Talia and her escort will join us back in our vehicle and we will drive together to Headquarters.¡±


    ¡°You sure we can trust them,¡± Leonardo asked.


    ¡°Trust but verify, as Reagan said.¡± He was looking at me when he said this, but immediately got up and walked for the door. Leonardo and I followed him off the RV, turning towards the front. The Werewolf Council had brought four vehicles, and I could smell maybe two dozen werewolves plus the distinct scent of a hybrid¡­ wait, TWO hybrids?


    ¡°Wee, Chairman Niki, Mistress Dani and Master Leonardo,¡± Talia said as she stepped forward to meet us. Behind her stood arge Hispanic werewolf and the second hybrid, Erica.


    ¡°Thank you for meeting with us,¡± Niki said smoothly.


    ¡°It is our pleasure. May I introduce my Chief Enforcer, Jacque Jones, and my friend Erica.¡±


    It was time. I didn¡¯t see the vampires, but they would not break cover too early or it would endanger us. The two of us were on either side of Niki as he went forward to shake hands. Catching Leonardo¡¯s eye, I held out fingers three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ GO!


    My talons had descended during the count and I shed at Niki¡¯s neck with all my speed and skill.


    Leonardo did nothing.


    My right hand was caught before it could touch him. Niki¡¯s right hand shot out and grabbed my throat, his ws prating my neck as he lifted me off the ground. I tried to bring my left hand up, but Talia had blurred forward with vampire speed and caught it with her own hands. Leonardo took over the grip on my right, and I knew I was doomed. Helplessly hanging there in the clutches of the strongest vampire in the world, I looked over to Leonardo. ¡°You were right about me in some ways, I am ambitious and want a ce on the Council,¡± he said in his ent. ¡°What you forget is that I am now, and always have been a man of honor. When I am raised to the Council it will be based on my deeds, not treachery.¡±


    I looked about in panic for the vampire warriors. Niki just shook his head. ¡°No one ising to save you, Dani.¡±


    ¡°My warriors are back home, I would not waste them on something like this,¡± Leonardo said as his talons pierced through my forearms.


    ¡°Your co-conspirator, Master Louis, is in the cells right now awaiting his fate.¡± Niki¡¯s expression was a mix of disappointment and anger, and I knew I was well and truly fucked.


    ¡°My warriors cleared the hills today. Burying vampires in shallow graves is not a smart move, all it takes is a few werewolves with wooden stakes. In the bright sun of midday, they were helpless against us,¡± Talia said.


    ¡°You BITCH,¡± I said as I turned to her. ¡°I will see you in HELL.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said. She nodded at Master Leonardo, and they each yanked hard on my arms as Niki held me a foot in the air.


    I screamed in agony as my arms were ripped from my body at the shoulders. ¡°For the crime of treason, you are sentenced to death, Mistress Dani. Said sentence to be carried out immediately.¡± His left hand came up, twisting my neck until it snapped.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Niki ripped her head from her shoulders, tossing her body to the ground by where her head rolled to. I tossed her arm on top of it. I called Eduardo up, he and Jarrod got out of one of the Pack vans in back. ¡°We will burn her body,¡± Eduardo said as he and two Enforcers moved towards the pile.


    Niki reached for my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry our first meeting had to be under such circumstances.¡±


    I shook it warmly. ¡°What is important is that the peace we are seeking to create will not be harmed,¡± I said. ¡°Master Leonardo, it is a pleasure to see you again.¡± I moved forward and he embraced my shoulders and kissed my cheeks, European-style.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It is my pleasure. I could not allow a beautifuldy like yourself to be harmed in the plots of bitter and power-hungry leaders. My thanks for your help today.¡±


    I looked around, the body had been wrapped in a tarp and was being carried back to a cargo van. ¡°Why don¡¯t we continue on to my office?¡±


    ¡°If you would join us, Chairman Talia, Master Jarrod,¡± Niki said as he extended his arm back to his RV.


    I followed the two men back on board as Jarrod came alongside. ¡°Thank you for being here,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You know I will always protect you, my daughter,¡± he said as he put his arm around my shoulder. ¡°When Niki called me, that wasn¡¯t the only reason foring.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Leonardo is the senior vampire not on the council, and he will be taking Dani¡¯s spot on the Council. What I didn¡¯t mention to you before is that I am the next person after him.¡±


    ¡°You mean?¡± It hit me, there were two plotters in the Council against the Chairman.


    ¡°Yes. Master Louis has been arrested and will be executed before the Council when we return to New York City. I am to be elevated to the Council before then.¡±


    I squealed in happiness, hugging him as we got to the door to the RV. ¡°So you¡¯re moving?¡±


    ¡°Marceline and I will move to the Council Headquarters, but we will not be moving the rest of the Coven. Anastasia will run the Coven and maintain the New Orleans mansion, and Eduardo and Erica are going to stay there with her.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be too far when Randall and I go back home,¡± I said. ¡°And there are plenty of flights to New York.¡±


    ¡°You and Erica will always be wee to visit,¡± Niki said as we sat down and the RV started moving again. ¡°He has made it clear you are family, and Erica is now part of his Coven.¡±


    We caught up on what had been happening during the short drive, then we met the rest of the staff on arrival at the Council building. I had their bags taken to their rooms, while we sat in my office. ¡°Before we tour the facility and talk with the prisoners, the team we assembled to investigate would like to make their presentation of findings,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excellent, bring them in.¡± We sat at myrge conference table as my team entered. The Vampires had sent their Doctor, a human familiar, while I had an investigator and a doctor. They took almost an hour toplete their presentation on the experimentation that had been going on here and in other facilities. ¡°You have my word that these experiments have been stopped, and the data from them has been destroyed on allputers and storage except this sh drive. We would have destroyed it already, but you deserve to know.¡±


    ¡°Are you satisfied with the investigation,¡± Niki asked their Doctor.


    ¡°I am, they have been transparent and the investigation was thorough,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good.¡± Niki took the sh drive, crushing it in his hand and dropping it on the table. ¡°I did not bring it, but I have overseen the destruction of all data from werewolf experimentation as well. It is an offense we cannot allow again.¡± He reached across the table with his hand; I stood and took it. ¡°Thank you, Talia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we could bridge the gap between our kinds,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You are the bridge we needed, part of each side,¡± he said. ¡°Your time in this Chair is temporary?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I said. ¡°Soon the Alphas will vote on a new Council; that is one reason I wanted toplete this business today, before it could be reversed. I do not think that will happen; most believe my father-inw will be the new Chairman. I guess we will see.¡±


    ¡°And the prisoners, those who did the experiments? How can we be sure they won¡¯t go back to what they were doing before?¡±


    ¡°Because their sentences have been issued and they will die tonight,¡± I replied. ¡°In fact, we need to go. When the moon is highest, they will be executed.¡±


    ¡°Not a fun way to spend yourst night as Chairman of the Werewolf Council,¡± Leonardo said.


    I just looked at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t want this job, I just killed to get it,¡± I said. ¡°Wait, that didn¡¯te out right,¡± I said as theyughed at me. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to turn it over, I just want to be with my mate and be normal again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a long way from normal, Talia,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°And it¡¯s a good thing.¡±

 Miami FBI Field Office

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Today was the day. In twenty-seven states, FBI teams would conduct coordinated raids of over two hundred people tied to sex very in the Ind. We were going at 0500 Central time, so we had briefed at three and our teams were sent out. Almost every agent including the Special-Agent-In-Charge of our Field Office had been paired up for this.


    The women and documentation turned over to us had been a gold mine. There was plenty of evidence against them, and the dates had been validated with Customs and Border Patrol records of people leaving and returning to the United States. The FBI Director had taken a personal interest in this investigation, seeing it for the public rtions bonanza it was going to be. The highest priority targets were the ones we had evidence used girls under age sixteen; the next wave would be everyone else we could identify. The US Attorneys were throwing the book at them, and they would face hard time.


    I was driving my vehicle, one other agent with me. Dressed in ckbat gear, we were on our way to the Residences at Stoneleigh, an ultra-exclusive high-rise condominium tower in the city. Our target, software CEO Todd Martinn, bought the twenty-second floor a year earlier for a cool six million dors. We had studied his photo; he was in his early thirties, a good-looking guy who was often photographed around town with different hot women. With his looks and wealth, he could crashnd in the middle of the Sahara Desert and be neck-deep in pussy by sundown. Why would a guy like this would visit the Ind every other month?


    Because he liked to whip young girls while he fucked them, and he thought he could get away with it. He¡¯d even used Tania a few times, until she became too ¡®developed¡¯ for his tastes.


    I was going to enjoy this. I was hoping he would be dumb enough to resist arrest, but I doubted it. Guys like this, who got their jollies off by using sex ves, would cry like little pussies when the handcuffs went on. I consoled myself by thinking about how even in prison, child rapists had a tough time.


    With that face and hair, I bet he¡¯d be nightly entertainment for the cellblock.


    ¡°You all right, Randall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Reba. Just thinking about this guy. What do you think he¡¯ll do when we go in? Run, resist, m up or cry for his momma?¡±


    She looked at his picture again. ¡°He¡¯s an executive, a rich guy with connections who thinks he¡¯s untouchable. A guy like this facing twenty years, he¡¯ll m up and ask for hiswyer, thinking he¡¯ll be out in time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Twenty bucks says he breaks down crying within a minute of the cuffs going on,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re on.¡± I turned onto the street and parked the ck Suburban in front of the grand entrance. A parking attendant in a gold-trimmed jacket opened the door for Reba, freezing when he saw herbat gear and FBI badge. I joined her a few secondster. ¡°Don¡¯t call anyone,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have a supervisor on site?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, at the security station inside.¡±


    ¡°Bring us to him.¡± He led us through the revolving doors and to a station at the front of the entryway. Looking at my watch, it was ten minutes to five. ¡°FBI business. You are not to call or warn anyone or you¡¯ll be subject to arrest, do you understand?¡± The supervisor nodded. ¡°Is Mr. Todd Martinn in his rooms?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, he came in about one in the morning, escorting a young blonde.¡±


    ¡°Is this typical behavior?¡±


    The doorman looked at his supervisor and nodded. ¡°Most nights, never the same woman twice,¡± he said.


    ¡°What time does hee down?¡±


    ¡°On a Saturday, he doesn¡¯t. He¡¯ll order a breakfast delivery around nine, then send the girl down to catch a cab and he hits the gym.¡±


    Perfect. We¡¯d pull him out of bed and his date could be the first to hear she¡¯s double the age of the girls he really likes. ¡°Do you have a key to his floor?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, but it¡¯s only for emergencies.¡±


    I unholstered my Glock, pulling the slide back and ensuring it was loaded and ready. I pointed at the doorman. ¡°You¡¯ll follow me with the key. If he runs or refuses toe to the door, you can either open the door for me or I¡¯ll kick it down, I really don¡¯t care.¡± I turned to the supervisor. ¡°When we exit on his floor, you lock the elevators down until your man here tells you I said it was OK to let them go.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The doorman took the key and led us to the elevator. ¡°The floors have a fire escape?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a stairway at the back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Take us to a floor where Agent Smith here can get across to the stairs.¡± He pushed the button for ten. ¡°When you are in ce, let me know,¡± I said.


    The doorman and I exited the elevator on his floor into the vestibule with a singlerge wooden door and a few chairs. ¡°In position, Randall,¡± Reba said over the radio into my earpiece.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I looked at my watch. Four minutes. It seemed like forever, but soon I was counting down. ¡°Five seconds,¡± I said over the radio. Stepping to the door, I rang the doorbell and pounded hard on it. ¡°OPEN UP! FBI!¡±


    I listened carefully for activity, I could hear a woman yelling and people moving around. ¡°OPEN UP! FBI!¡±


    The radio in the doorman¡¯s hand came on. ¡°I¡¯ve got a balcony door rm on his unit,¡± the supervisor said.


    ¡°HE¡¯S RUNNING,¡± I said into the radio. Raising my boot, I kicked hard at the door and busted it open. I was through the door, my gun out, as I heard Reba break through the back door. Seeing a sh of movement in the room ahead of me, I raced through to the dining room where therge French doors were still moving. Getting outside, I saw Todd to my right on the long narrow balcony, climbing over the rail. ¡°FREEZE,¡± I shouted as I ran towards him.


    He looked at me, then looked down, trying to decide. ¡°You¡¯ll die if you run,¡± I said as I held the pistol at his head. He looked down once again, and I could see him deting as he realized he was caught. ¡°Climb back over the rail.¡± He was already crying by the time he was on his knees with his hands on his head. Reba was inside with the woman, who was pleading ignorance about the cocaine in in sight. I cuffed him and pulled him to his feet, bringing him back through the door. ¡°Todd Martinn, you are under arrest for multiple counts of entering a foreign country to engage in sex with underage girls and now possession of a felony quantity of cocaine,¡± I said. The coffee table in the living room had a pile of it along with a razor de.


    He looked shocked as I read him his rights, and the tears were flowing. I smirked at Reba as I finished reading him his rights. She had just handcuffed the woman, who calmly refused to answer questions without herwyer, and shook her head at me.


    I didn¡¯t get to rough him up, but I won twenty bucks.


    We dropped them off for processing, then had two more raids before our day was over.


    The media was going wild, it was wall-to-wall perp walks since the US Attorney¡¯s office had tipped off the press and we were bringing in celebrities and the uber-wealthy all morning long.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    I-90E in Wisconsin


    I couldn¡¯t stay still if my life depended on it. My hand was shaking as I sat in the back of the car with Bobby, leaning into him for all the support I could get. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you, and your Pack loves you and misses you. They can¡¯t wait to see you again.¡±

 Destined To Run The Pack

    ¡°Nothing that happened to you was your fault,¡± Alpha Brent said from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to be alone in this if you decide to take it,¡± Patty said from the passenger side. ¡°We will make sure you two have all the help you need, and you will have strong allies around you. All of the Packs in this region want a Stillwater back in charge.¡±


    ¡°Plus, youe bearing a gift,¡± Brent said. ¡°It¡¯s only fair that Todd Aldridge¡¯s trial and sentencing goes on in the Pack he did so much damage in.¡± Todd was in the trunk, drugged and bound with silver. It had been a long drive up from Texas, but the trunk was morefortable than the cramped cell he had been kept in since his capture. Alpha Brent had given up his right to try him for the attacks on his Pack, instead allowing the Tomah Pack to have their justice. Kidnapping, conspiracy tomit the murders of my parents, and stealing Pack funds were more than enough to have him executed.


    My wolf was looking forward to it.


    The drive up from Texas had been eye-opening for me. I stayed in the back while Bobby, Brent and Patty alternated driving, stopping only for gas, food and bathrooms. We kept our speed down, not wanting to chance getting pulled over with a man chained in our trunk. Todd wasn¡¯t going anywhere; in addition to the silver, a pump was maintaining a sedative in his system so he wouldn¡¯t wake. He also had an IV drip to stay hydrated, and a catheter to remove urine.


    I smiled as I recalled Bobby talking about how much he had screamed and pleaded as they put that in while he was strapped to the table. Somehow the sedative hadn¡¯t been started yet, and the nurse took three tries to get the tube inserted in his penis and inted properly.


    None of this was a shock, in fact I was transported in simr ways during my captivity. No, what amazed me was just how much work was involved with being an Alpha pair. Unless they were driving, Brent and Patty were always busy on the phone or theirptop. Brent spent a lot of time lobbying for the Council Chairman position, but also dealing with issues back home. Patty was paying bills, negotiating withpanies that provided services and goods to the Pack, keeping up the books and checking on the investments and the running of our ranch. I remember my parents always being busy, but I wasn¡¯t the heir and I was too young to be trained.


    We all thought I had years before I¡¯d be of age, and I should just be a kid a while longer.


    Tears started running down my face as I thought of my parents and all the things I didn¡¯t get to experience with them. My life had been ruined, theirs taken, because of greed and a lust for power.


    Bobby didn¡¯t say anything, he just unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled me into hisp. I cried on his chest for a while as he rubbed my back, letting his love for me flow through the bond. ¡°You¡¯re going to be great, just don¡¯t think it will be easy or quick,¡± he told me. ¡°We¡¯re young, but we have lots of people who can help us find our way.¡±


    ¡°You want to be Alphas?¡±


    ¡°I want you to have your destiny. You were born for this, just like I was, Alpha bloodlines on both sides. Your Pack refused to consider anyone else unless you decide to abdicate. The Tomah Pack has been guided by a Stillwater for centuries, and you will continue that line.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a Meechum though.¡±


    ¡°Nothing but human tradition says a woman has to take her husband¡¯s name. Our children, the heirs to the Pack, will be Stillwaters because I will take your name instead of my own.¡±


    My eyes watered as I looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯d do that? What about your father¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got five other sons, he¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said and we both burst outughing. Patty looked back, then smiled and went back to her work.


    ¡°I need to talk to my sister,¡± I said. He handed me his phone and I called her. ¡°Talia?¡±


    ¡°Tania! Hey, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Bobby and I are talking about our old Pack. It¡¯s yours if you want it, you are the elder sister and you were the heir.¡±


    She answered right away. ¡°I don¡¯t want it, I want you to lead them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Randall and I aren¡¯t destined to run a Pack. If I was, I¡¯d have been there already. Instead I can¡¯t give them away fast enough.¡± We both had augh she¡¯d been an Alpha four times already. ¡°I have something else lined up if things fall into ce. If not, I¡¯ll be the wife of an FBI agent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    ¡°You should be, it¡¯s a big job. Don¡¯t let anyone blow smoke up your ass, it¡¯s a lot of responsibility and a cubic buttload of work. It¡¯s also the most rewarding job you can have in this world. The Pack is your family, you take care of them and help them be the best they can be.¡±


    Iughed at hernguage. ¡°Don¡¯t sugarcoat it, give it to me straight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll grow into the job, Tania. I¡¯m proud of you. No matter what they did to you, you survived and you¡¯re going to be back where you belong. I love you, little sis.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Talia.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do the ceremony without me. Now I have to go, this ce is a madhouse and I can¡¯t wait for a new Chairman to be elected so I can get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I hung up the phone, a smile on my face. They were right, I was born for this, and in my heart and my wolf I knew I was Alpha.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    I-90E near Tomah, WI


    I listened as my father-inw used the voice dial in the car to call John, the Thief River Falls Alpha who had been filling in as the Tomah Pack Alpha since Todd was deposed. ¡°John, we¡¯re ten minutes out, we¡¯re exiting the freeway now.¡±


    ¡°We will meet you at the gate, Brent. There are a few people who would like to be there with me, if that is all right.¡± He looked back at me and I nodded; maybe some of my friends? ¡°That will be fine. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    I held onto Bobby¡¯s hand with a deathgrip as I looked at thendmarks that I hadn¡¯t seen in four years. I could see the bluff I used to hike and run on with my friends, the hills that surrounded theke we yed at, even the roads that wound towards the Pack House. ¡°Tell me about your home,¡± Bobby said as he looked at the ces I stared at.


    I told him stories and memories, and soon I was calm and rxed, and we were turning onto the private road that led to the ess gate. ¡°Wow, even in Texas that¡¯s more than a few people,¡± Patty said. I looked ahead and my heart leapt in my chest. Behind the gate, behind the tall Alpha, stood my Pack.


    Every member of my Pack, from the oldest Elder to the baby in her mother¡¯s arms. They all hade here to see me and wee me home, and at that instant the emotions all hit me. I started to cry, happy tears, tears of relief. ¡°My PACK,¡± I said as we pulled to a stop.


    ¡°Our pack,¡± Bobby said. ¡°Come on.¡± He opened the door and stepped out, reaching back with his hand to help me out. When they saw me, they erupted in a cheer that almost knocked me down. I was crying and shaking, burying my face in Bobby¡¯s broad chest. ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, lean on your wolf. Go greet them like the strong woman you are.¡±


    He was right. I wiped my tears and snot on his shirt, then stood up straight and looked at them as they approached. I let go of Bobby¡¯s hand as I recognized my best friends from school, and ran towards them until we were hugging and crying together.


    I was passed from one hug to another, my wolf reforming the bonds as I smelled them and they submitted to me. I looked back at Bobby, he was watching me with pride as the Pack members introduced themselves. John and Brent were leaning against the car, catching up on Alpha business, while Patty was holding one of the babies and talking to a group of older women.


    The sun set, and my wolf wanted out to meet them all. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Go run with them again,¡± Bobby sent back. ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at the Pack House.¡±


    I smiled at him, he was so perfect for me, patient and strong and supportive. I was the luckiest wolf around. I asked if anyone wanted to run back in wolf form, and there were lots of volunteers. They all started pulling their clothes off, tossing them into vehicles with those who would drive back. About forty wolves waited for me when I had given Bobby my dress and shoes and shifted. I trotted forward, meeting the excited wolves in the middle of the road. I rubbed against them, smelled them, licked their faces and finally moved through them. Standing tall, I let out a howl and started for home, taking the shortcut through the woods.


    I felt free atst as I ran with my Pack.

 The Fuck You Will

    Bobby¡¯s POV


    I watched with pride as my mate led most of her Pack on a run through the moonlit woods. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join them,¡± John said.


    ¡°No, she needs this on her own,¡± I said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going so we can meet them there.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, it would be best if Todd was in the cells before they arrive. He¡¯d be a buzzkill for the celebrations,¡± Brent added. We got back into the car, following John¡¯s SUV with the rest of the cars behind us. We broke off for the isted building that looked like a tornado shelter, but actually was the Pack prison. Two guards met us, taking the still-unconscious Todd out of the trunk and carrying him towards the open door. Brent mmed the trunk closed, smiling as he heard the barks of the approaching group. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s meet them up front.¡±


    We drove to the parking area and I grabbed Tania¡¯s clothes as I got out. John, Brent, Patty and I were in front as the boisterous group broke though the trees and raced across thewn towards us. I recognized Tania¡¯s wolf in the front as she sprinted towards me. She leaped from ten feet away, shifting in the air and mming into me as I caught her in my arms. Her arms and legs wrapped around me, her naked body pressing against me as our lips met. ¡°Having fun?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bobby! I love you.¡± She unwrapped herself and I handed her the clothes I¡¯d dropped, she pulled the sundress over her head and put on the sandals. Around us, others were shifting back and gathering around. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s great to be back home,¡± she said to cheers.


    ¡°Come on, they¡¯ve made a wee home feast for you,¡± John said as he gestured towards the door. When we walked inside, a huge banner that said ¡®Wee Home Tania¡¯ hung over the stairs, and another that said ¡®Congrattions Bobby and Tania¡¯ was over the entrance to the dining hall. I took her hand as we followed the Alphas in and stood behind the long table that was on the slightly elevated far end of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s all just like I remember,¡± she sent me.


    ¡°It¡¯s home. There¡¯s bound to be a few changes, but it¡¯s still where you grew up.¡±


    She looked out over my Pack as they came in and took ces at the long tables. I could sense her emotions as she greeted friends and Pack members. Sure, they were older. The younger ones had grown a lot, while others looked no different. The best part was that they all looked at her with love, not with pity. She rxed as the night went on.


    The meal was fantastic, breaded and fried walleye, cheesy potatoes, corn on the cob and cherry pie. As we finished up, I could see people turning to her, waiting. ¡°Do you think you could talk to them a bit? Express your appreciation, maybe talk about what you¡¯ve learned when you were gone?¡±


    ¡°Can you start it out?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I stood up, pulling her to my side as I used a knife on one of the sses to gain everyone¡¯s attention. The room quieted quickly. ¡°Thank you all for your warm wee. My lovely mate has told me many stories of her younger days here, and she was not exaggerating when she talked of the beauty of your Packnds or the love among your Pack members.¡± There was some apuse, and Tania hugged me closer before she stood tall.


    ¡°A lot has happened to me since that day four summers ago when I was drugged and sold off,¡± she said in a strong voice. ¡°My sister Talia, she gave up everything and swore vengeance, and that justice is nowing to a close. The man who kidnapped and sold me is now in our Pack prison, and tonight will face Pack justice. The man who held me in a basement, raping me and forcing me to bear him a son, died a slow and painful death. My son Phillip has been returned to us, and will fly up with more of Bobby¡¯s family tomorrow.¡± At this, there were ps and shouts of congrattions. ¡°The humans who ran the training facility are dead, as are those who held me captive on the ind, and those who held me in very until Talia found me. After tomorrow, I will speak no more of justice, because I have it. They are dead and I am home.¡±


    The ce erupted in shouts and apuse, and I squeezed her hand as she stood there looking at them. She held up a hand and they quieted. ¡°I have a second chance at life, and I refuse to waste it. I have a mate, this wonderful man who helped me heal and love again.¡± I squeezed her and kissed her hair. ¡°I have my son, who shows me every day that good things cane out of bad situations. I have my wolf back. I lost my parents, and I miss them terribly. I have my sister again, plus her mate Randall Meechum, and a whole lot more Meechums in Texas and Colorado. Do you have any idea how many kids Alpha Brent has?¡± There wasughter, they knew he had a big family and that Talia was mated to Bobby¡¯s brother. ¡°Thest thing I need is you. I know I am only eighteen, and Bobby isn¡¯t much older. If you¡¯ll have me, we would love to be your Alpha Pair and bring the Stillwater name back to the Tomah Pack.¡±


    The roar from the crowd almost raised the roof.


    I didn¡¯t think the vote would be an issue. They loved her.


    Todd Aldridges¡¯ POV


    Tomah Pack Prison


    I pushed my mind up through the fog, shaking my head to clear the cobwebs. Opening my eyes, it was dark; the room and ceiling were dirty concrete. I was on a thin mattress, a few inches above the ground on a concrete tform. A dim light came through gap between the bottom of the door and the dirty floor. A paper te with a sandwich and a bottle of water rested there. I was in prison, I was naked, and I recognized the cell.


    I was back in Tomah.


    I was fucked. The Sulphur Creek Pack had turned me over to the people who I used to rule, the ones I stole from and abandoned.


    The smell of food got me going, and I sat up. My body ached, like I¡¯d been in the same position for a long time. I could see the marks from the silver where it had contacted my skin, the wounds healing slowly. I rolled with a groan to my knees and felt a tug on my cock. Looking down, I saw a tube sticking up my piss hole, a clear hose connected to a bag full of urine.


    I¡¯d been catheterized. I was d I wasn¡¯t awake when they put it in, but now what? ¡°HEY,¡± I yelled.


    I heard footsteps approaching. ¡°What do you need, bitch?¡± I recognized the voice, it was Ben, one of the newer warriors.


    ¡°I need the nurse to remove my catheter,¡± I said as pleasantly as I could. I hated it, my wolf didn¡¯t like his attitude but I was in no position to smack some respect into him like he needed.


    ¡°Yeah, they mentioned you¡¯d need help. Lie against the door so your junk is right at the edge, and push the tubing underneath so I can cut it.¡±


    ¡°The FUCK you will,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a balloon blown up inside your dder to hold that thing in ce. I can dete that, or you can pull a grape through your dick on your own. Personally, I hope you do nothing. I¡¯d like to see a sack of shit like you walking out to trial with a bag of piss in his hand, but whatever.¡±


    I had to get this thing out. ¡°Fine, give me a second.¡± I moved the food out of the way andid up against the door, pushing the tubing underneath. I felt a tug as he cut something off, then he yanked on the tubing. It ripped out, setting my dick on fire. ¡°SONOFABITCH,¡± I said as I rolled back.


    ¡°Get some rest,¡± he said as he walked awayughing. I pushed myself to my feet and walked gingerly to the sink. I washed my hands, then washed my junk off in the cold water. When the sting was gone, I went back and grabbed the food. I was starving, and I had no idea how long I¡¯d been out.


    I sat there for hours, wondering how this was going to go down. I wasn¡¯t going to grovel or beg for my life; fuck them all. None of them would sit in judgment of me, they didn¡¯t even have an Alpha. I did what I needed to do.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep. The underground prison had no clues as to whether it was day or night, but from the sandwich it was probably evening or night by now. I was startled out of my daydreaming by the sound of the reinforced outer door opening. I could hear and sense several peopleing my way. ¡°Turn and face the back wall or we¡¯ll hit you with the cattle prod,¡± a man said. I did what he said; no use fighting now. I knew the protocols; more warriors would be upstairs at the only other entrance.


    The door opened and two men came into my cell. They roughly cuffed my hands behind my back, then turned me towards the door. They were both Tomah Pack, but the man in the hallway was not. He was young but well-built, and I could sense the Alpha blood in him. ¡°Ready for your trial,¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    He just smiled as I was led forward out of the cell, stopping right in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m Tania Stillwater¡¯s MATE, you slimy fucker.¡± I expected him to hit me, but he just turned and walked towards the stairs. I was pulled forward between the two guards, suddenly even more nervous. I¡¯d expected to see Talia Stillwater here to take out another Alpha, I wasn¡¯t expecting Tania to have a mate. Hell, she didn¡¯t even have a wolf!


    When we got to the top of the stairs, I could see it was the middle of the night. The quarter moon was high in the air, that and a few small fires illuminating the scene in front of me. The path between the prison and the front steps was lined on both sides by Pack members spaced about six feet apart. As I was marched forward, they would say something then turn their backs on me.


    ¡°Traitor.¡±


    ¡°Kidnapper.¡±


    ¡°Rapist.¡±


    ¡°Thief.¡±


    ¡°You have no honor.¡±


    ¡°You betrayed us.¡±


    They had been my family, my Pack, and now they were rejecting me to my face. My wolf was furious; I hoped they would put me in the ring to defend my title. That Alpha blood mate of Tania, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against an experienced wolf like me.


    As thest pair of wolves turned, I arrived at the base of the stairs. I recognized several of the Alphas on the front deck; Alpha John of ck River Falls, Alpha Richard of Wisconsin Rapids, Alpha Mike of Green Bay, and Alpha Brent of Sulphur River. Two neutral Alphas and a member of the Werewolf Council were required to pass judgment on a sitting Alpha, and that made me smile. Instead of a trial, the pup was going to challenge me for my spot.


    The door opened and my blood froze. Two women came through the doorway, instantly recognizable. Talia Stillwater, the Alpha Killer, was holding the hand of her sister Tania as they walked forward. Talia¡¯s unique scent was forward, but so was the familiar scent of Tania.


    And she had her wolf.


    ¡°We have a quorum for the trial, Madam Chairman,¡± Alpha Richard said.


    ¡°Very well. The trial of Todd Aldridge on the charges of kidnapping of a child, essory to rape, two counts of murder of a sitting Alpha, conspiracy and theft of Pack property wille to order. Mr. Aldridge, how do you plead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ALPHA Aldridge to you, Stillwater,¡± I said with a sneer.


    ¡°That is Werewolf Council Chair Stillwater, and you aren¡¯t an Alpha. Not any more,¡± Alpha Richard said. ¡°After you abandoned the Pack and fled from the Council arrest warrant, you were removed and I have been acting as Alpha.¡±

 The Alpha Conference

    ¡°Now how do you plead,¡± Talia said.


    I did it, they all knew I did it, and I just wanted to get to the fight. ¡°No contest,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very well, we will move into sentencing. If anyone would like to speak towards the sentence,e forward and be recognized.¡± A few did, talking about the money I took or the good Alphas I had killed.


    Finally, Tania moved forward to speak. ¡°A quick death is too easy for him,¡± she said. ¡°He must pay for what he did, then die for who he killed.¡± She handed them a piece of paper. ¡°This is the justice I demand for being kidnapped and sold into very by this vile man.¡±


    Talia took the paper, reading it, then handing it to the other Alphas. They conversed quietly before they broke up the huddle and looked down at me. ¡°For the crimes of Theft, Kidnapping and essory to Rape, Todd Aldridge is to be branded as a traitor and given twentyshes with a silver whip. When he has recovered, for the two murders, he is sentenced to Pack Pursuit.¡± There were some gasps; it was an old sentence and particrly bloody.


    The guards grabbed my cuffed arms, leading me to the pole that stood in the center of the circr driveway. My hands were raised and attached to the chains hanging from the top, adjusted to hold me up and keep my back exposed to the whip. My ankles were chained close to the concrete the pole was set into, keeping me from moving away.


    The Pack had gathered around to watch. Talia and Tania walked up to me, each holding an implement of my punishment. Tania had pulled the brand out of the nearby fire, the red ¡®T¡¯ glowing in the night. ¡°Erica suggested this one. A fitting punishment for a traitor who sold out his own Alphas, and stole from his own Pack,¡± she said. ¡°Hold him.¡± Guards grabbed my hair and neck, holding my right cheek tight to the pole. I closed my eyes as it got closer, I could feel the heat of the brand as it got close.


    When she pressed it to my left cheek, I screamed in agony. She kept it there for a second, making sure the skin was burned through, then she pulled it back and the men let go. I could smell the burned flesh, and my face was on fire. A guard wearing gloved came up, and spread a paste containing silver kes onto the wound. The burning of the silver made the pain even worse and ensured werewolf healing would not take ce.


    Tania spit in my face and returned to her mate¡¯s arms as Talia let the silver whip unfurl in her hand. ¡°Twentyshes is the sentence. Remember every one.¡±


    The sound of the whip cutting the air and tearing through flesh was a familiar one, but I had always been on the other end of it. The leather had silver imbedded into it, and thesh removed skin in long stripes. I managed to stay silent through four, but the whip knows no rank. All who suffer under it will scream and beg for mercy, and I was no different. I cked out after twelve, only to have salt water tossed on my back to wake me up again.


    By twenty I didn¡¯t remember my name, I couldn¡¯t tell who was screaming or where I was.


    I came to hourster, back in the cell on my stomach, with any movement of my body being sheer torture.


    Tania¡¯s POV


    Tomah Pack House


    ¡°And so it is with great pride that I turn over the Alpha position of the Tomah Pack back to its rightful heir, Tania Stillwater, and her mate Bobby Meechum.¡± Alpha John ced his hands on my shoulders as he released the bond he¡¯d formed with my Pack members. I shuddered as the bonds reformed with me, each one seating itself in my mind. My wolf was giddy, and I could feel Bobby behind me as the same thing happened in his mind. I closed my eyes and focused on the dozens of new links that had formed, and felt those I¡¯d formed to the Sulphur River Pack shift. Alpha Brent was no longer my Alpha, Bobby and I were now equals to him. The bond shifted, along with Patty and all his brothers and sisters, to a family bond.


    When the bonds were in ce, I sent my first Alpha Command to my new pack. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    There wereughs and apuse from the room as we stood in front of the room on the raised tform. The Alphas who had joined us for the trial were here still, staying for the formal turnover. Talia and the Alphas had supervised the vote on shifting Alphas this morning. The vote had been unanimous.


    I stepped forward and hugged Alpha John. ¡°Thank you for taking such good care of them until I was ready,¡± I said with tears in my eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a good friend to our Pack and I appreciate it so much.¡±


    ¡°It was the least I could do for you, your parents were good friends, and our Packs have been allies for generations. If you need anything, even if it is just someone to talk to, just call me.¡±


    I let him go, and Bobby stepped up and shook his hand. I could feel his pride as we were congratted by the other Alphas before Brent and Patty enveloped me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so proud to call you my daughter,¡± Patty said as she cried. ¡°Two of my children are now Alphas!¡±


    ¡°Three soon,¡± I replied as I hugged her back. ¡°After today¡¯s vote I think the Sulphur River Pack will have new leadership.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is over till it is over,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect for the job, and I¡¯m voting for you,¡± I said as I hugged him. ¡°Dusty will be a great Alpha, you¡¯ve been training him for over a century and he¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you two,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    We sat down as the Omegas working the kitchen brought the feast out for us. They¡¯d gone all out; huge bs of ribeye roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, broli, fresh baked rolls and a jello sd. Conversations were muted with all the food in front of us, but I kept up a constant chatter with my new Pack members via the bonds. It would take me weeks to catch up on what everyone had been doing, so I focused on the big stuff. New matings, new babies, graduations, I talked to them all. The talk of graduations hit me as I realized my own situation and froze.


    ¡°What is the matter, love?¡±


    ¡°My school,¡± I said to him. ¡°I missed all of high school.¡±


    He took my hand. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Tania. We¡¯ll enroll you in school, maybe online, or even get you a tutor and homeschool you. You¡¯re incredibly smart and brave, this is just one more thing you need to ovee.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I never got to go to Prom,¡± I said. ¡°I never had sleepovers, or went to football games, or any of the things that kids my age got to do. All my friends are great, they are so supportive, but they seem so, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Innocent?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They have no idea how sick and twisted the world outside these grounds can be.¡±


    He picked me up, setting me in hisp and kissing me senseless as the Pack cheered the affections of their Alpha pair. ¡°You will be there to help them learn that when it is time, as well as how to fight and win against the evil. As for the rest, I¡¯ll give you every experience I can find a way to make up with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bobby. You¡¯re the best.¡± We kissed again, and I stayed in hisp as he pulled my te over. He cut bites of steak and fed them to me, his left hand dropping to rub my stomach. The symbolism was immediately apparent to my wolf, who was ready to move her tail aside and start making pups anytime. ¡°I¡¯m not in heat yet, and I don¡¯t know if I can even have children after all the abuse I took with them,¡± I said as I took another bite.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a wonderful mother, and I can¡¯t wait to get you pregnant and watch your belly get round with our child. When I see you with Phillip I see how caring your are.¡± I rxed into his arms as he ran his fingers over the rounded belly from all the food I¡¯d eaten. I was still underweight, and it was really obvious when I was next to my sister and her incredibly athletic body.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to spend a lot of time trying,¡± I teased him. I shifted my butt on hisp, feeling his cock hardening under me.


    ¡°You¡¯re ying a dangerous game, Alpha,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got forty minutes until the Alpha Conference starts.¡±


    ¡°We better eat fast and make our excuses, because I¡¯m going to need thirty to do what I n to do to your hot little body.¡± He set me back on my chair as I blushed, my wolf was giddy.


    We started eating quickly, which caught the attention of Patty. ¡°In a hurry to get somewhere,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Those grandpups don¡¯t make themselves,¡± I said as I pushed the te away. The table and those close enough to hearughed at my honesty. I stood and addressed the whole Pack. ¡°Thank you all for everything today, I love you and can¡¯t wait to spend more time with you, but right now I need mate time.¡± I pulled Bobby out of his chair and we made our way to the exit as the Packughed and congratted us. We were new mates, and that¡¯s just how things were.


    We raced up the steps to our new bedroom; the cleaning staff had removed every trace of the previous Alpha and the bed and sheets were new. Clothes flew everywhere as soon as the door closed behind us, and I squealed as he picked me up and carried me to the bed. His dominance appeased my wolf, but my human side wasn¡¯t quite ready to be taken that way. He read my mood through the bond and froze. ¡°You know I¡¯ll never hurt you,¡± he said as his hand ran down my side.

 My Concern Is Simple

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I get shbacks from¡­¡±


    He kissed me and moved onto the bed,ying on his back. ¡°Ride me, beautiful. It will be easier with you in control.¡± He was right, and I kissed my way up his body until I was licking his hard shaft. It was throbbing in my hand, so big and ready for me. ¡°Swing your legs up this way.¡± I did, and secondster I was squealing in pleasure around his cock as his tongue stroked my wet folds.


    ¡°Oh Luna that feels great,¡± I said. I knew everything about sex, I¡¯d been trained and conditioned to perform every normal and depraved act without hesitation, but I¡¯d rarely enjoyed it. Bobby was different, and my body responded to him. I took Bobby into my throat, humming softly as I moved until my nose was touching his heavy balls. He groaned in pleasure but kept his tongue busy, pushing me towards a quick climax.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to lose it if you don¡¯t stop, and I want to be inside you when I finally cum,¡± he said. I backed off, gently licking it to keep him hard while I let him tongue me to another shaking orgasm. When I quit trembling, I moved down and used my hand to position him at my entrance. ¡°Oh my LUNA,¡± he said as I sank down in a reverse cowgirl until he was fully sheathed within me.


    ¡°I love how this feels so deep in me, so big,¡± I told him as I started to move up and down. I was soon bouncing on him, the p of my ass to his hips sounding throughout the room. I was d we built bedrooms with lots of soundproofing, but nothing was going to stop the scream of pleasure I let go as he started to shoot his load into me and I came HARD.


    He grabbed my hips, holding me so he was deep inside me as the warm jizz coated my insides. I was shaking, unable to move as Iid back onto his chest. He hugged me to him as we both came down from our highs. ¡°That was amazing,¡± he said.


    I felt my stomach, even with the position I could feel him inside me above my belly button. He softened and fell out, our juices coating our thighs as the mess ran down. ¡°Ugh, we need to shower,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I like this scent on you,¡± he said with a smile. He rolled me onto my side then disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a washcloth and towel. ¡°I¡¯ll just clean the excess.¡±


    ¡°Everyone will know we just made love!¡±


    He just looked at me and smirked. ¡°Everyone KNEW we were going to make love as we left lunch, we shouldn¡¯t disappoint them. We¡¯re the Alpha couple now, we set the example for the Pack. You know they will takefort in our bond being new and strong.¡± He walked over and picked up my dress. ¡°Just put this back on, we¡¯ve only got five minutes until we have to be in the conference room.¡±


    It was another thing to get used to; when I was a ve, I¡¯d take dozens of showers a day to get ready for the next customer, and now my wolf agreed that carrying his strong scent was a good thing. He got dressed and we walked back out of our room and down the hall to the Alpha¡¯s offices. The other Alphas and their mates were already seated, the video conference disyed on therge screen on the wall. Each Alpha pair had their own camera and keyboard, theptops connecting them to the overall conference. I could see them lifting their heads and smiling a little as we walked in and sat down, and Patty gave me a quick hug as soon as I was sitting down.


    At two o¡¯clock Central time, Talia opened the conference. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is to elect the new Chairman of the Werewolf Council, since I have found I like being Charmain even less than being Alpha,¡± she said as people chuckled. ¡°Voting will be done by secret electronic ballot, with the results being tallied by Chief Enforcer Jacque at Headquarters. Election of the Chairman requires the votes of sixty percent of the Alphas. Since we are starting with six nominees, each round the lowest vote getter will be eliminated and we will re-vote until we reach an impasse or one of the candidates receives the required votes. Any questions on the process?¡±


    There were none. ¡°Good. Onest thing before we start. The Council is pleased to recognize that Tania Stillwater and her mate Bobby Meechum have been installed as Alphas to the Tomah Pack in Wisconsin. It¡¯s good to have a Stillwater back in charge of that Pack.¡± There was pping and congrattions as I smiled and acknowledged my peers. ¡°With that, each candidate may have two minutes to state their case as to why they should be the next Council Chairman.¡±


    I was obviously going to vote for Brent, but I paid attention and took notes in case he was eliminated in one of the rounds. After the speeches, Talia opened the voting. With it being done electronically, it only took a few minutes for all the votes to be tallied. I watched in suspense as Chief Enforcer Jacque read the results. ¡°Alpha Max, 3 votes. Alpha Taylor, five votes. Alpha Nathan, two votes. Alpha William, fourteen votes. And the next chairman, with seventy-two percent of the vote, is Alpha Brent Meechum.¡±


    There was pping and celebrations in the room as my father-inw was embraced by Patty, Bobby, Talia and finally me. Talia went back to her camera and called for quiet. ¡°I¡¯m proud to introduce your new Chairman, not just because I know how good a man he is, but because he is here in Tomah with me and I can hand over the job right now,¡± she said with a grin. Kneeling in front of Alpha Brent, she took his hands in hers as Patty stood with her arm around his waist. ¡°As the newly elected Chairman of the Council, I turn over the Headquarters and all duties and responsibilities over to you, Brent and Patty Meechum. May you guide and protect our kind with wisdom and courage.¡±


    He pulled Talia to her feet and into a hug before moving her to stand next to him. ¡°Thank you all for your confidence in me. The elections of regional Council members will ur on conference calls within each region, with results due to me by five PM eastern time tomorrow. Good luck, and may Luna guide you to wise choices.¡± He reached out and ended the teleconference.


    ¡°I need to talk to my family, there are many things to discuss,¡± he said as we embraced him again. ¡°Can you set it up?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, Mr. Chairman,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll start making calls now.¡±


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Tomah Pack Alpha¡¯s Offices


    ¡°Before we get on the big call, I need to talk to the three of you and Randall,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can get him on Skype,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s working, but hopefully he can get away.¡± I sent him a text with the address to call, and a few minutester I saw his call pop up on the screen. ¡°Hi honey,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Family meeting, can you get somewhere private?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just a minute, there should be a room open somewhere.¡± He moved around while the rest of the family sat down; Brent and Patty to my left, Bobby and Tania to my right. The screen showed him closing the door to an office, while I widened the screen to show all of us. ¡°Congrattions, Mom and Dad, you guys are going to do great things at the Council. And congrattions to Bobby and Tania. You¡¯re going to be fine Alphas, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks bro,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°Things have changed quite a bit in thest day, and the changes will have a ripple effect,¡± Dad said. ¡°I¡¯m turning over the Pack to Dusty and Kimberly immediately. Bull Baldwin can remain their Beta until one of the brothers is ready to rece him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe two, now that Matt and Mark have Gia and Tia, they could slot in as Beta and Gamma,¡± Randall said.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably how it will go, allowing Bull to retire.¡± Dad looked over at Bobby. ¡°Is there a Beta you would trust in this Pack?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± he said. ¡°Since Alpha Todd fled and Beta Mendez was arrested and released, we¡¯ve been operating without one. I doubt the Pack would ept him back, even if he would return.¡±


    ¡°My concern is simple; you are both new to the job and young. A good Beta pair can make your life a lot easier while you settle in, and it¡¯s no time for rookies. You need someone you can trust, someone with experience.¡± He put his hand on Bobby¡¯s back. ¡°Ideally, someone in the family or who you know well.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°When Denise found her mate in Chief Enforcer Jacque Jones, that was a great pairing for our family. Right now Terry Baldwin is at Copper Mountain as Beta Male with Denise as Beta Female, so one has to go. Of the two options, Denise and Jacque have the most experience. I think you should ask them to be your Betas, leaving Terry in Colorado.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I could see the idea turning over in his head. ¡°My big sister working for me?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to be Alphas but are excellent Betas. Both are experienced and would be a big help. Terry has potential, but he¡¯s still young and unmated. Your sister is the best choice.¡±


    ¡°Jacque is a good man, he¡¯s been a lifesaver for me at the Council,¡± I said. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to keep them on at the Council, Dad?¡± I had thought that he would talk Jacque into staying, allowing Denise to be with them in Pennsylvania.


    ¡°We talked about it this morning just in case it happened, and we have a different pair in mind for Chief Enforcer. That job requires people with a specific skill set. You need the body of a fighter, the mind of a cop and unquestioned integrity.¡±


    ¡°But Jacque and Denise have that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Who could walk into a hostile Pack and immediately gainpliance and carry out an arrest, even if the Pack refused to cooperate? Who has years of investigative experience? And who can I trust with my life as I build bridges between the Werewolves and the Vampires, with people on both sides who will be resistant to change?¡±


    It hit me. ¡°You want Randall and I to be your Chief Enforcers.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You two are easily the most qualified for the job. With the connections you have with the Covens, and Randall¡¯s FBI training and ties with humanw enforcement, you¡¯re perfect for the job.¡±


    ¡°But I swore a¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s left to avenge,¡± Tania interrupted. ¡°I love you, you never gave up, you rescued me from those bastards, but who is left to pay?¡± She got up and hugged me from behind. ¡°Todd is in the cells with a death sentence, Justin is dead, the training center is shut down, the ind is shut down, my pimps in Texas are dead! The only thing left is the people who paid to use me, and they¡¯re being arrested by the dozens! By the time the Feds and mywyer are done with them, I¡¯ll have my vengeance,¡± she said as her tears fell. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to move on and have your own life. Dad¡¯s right, you guys are perfect for the job, and he gets people in a top position who have his absolute trust and respect.¡±

 The Only Way

    I got up and hugged her tight as we let the tears flow. Since I was sixteen, exiled from our Pack after losing the challenge to Todd, I¡¯d been consumed by anger and a lust for revenge. So much had changed, but who would I kill now? I couldn¡¯t start killing humans, and the wolves involved were taken care of. I didn¡¯t want to be an Alpha, and I didn¡¯t fit in a Pack. I let her go, and she was pulled into Bobby¡¯sp. Turning to the screen, my tear-streaked face looked at my man. ¡°Randall?¡±


    ¡°Tania¡¯s right, your blood oath is finished. It¡¯s time we started to live again, and I want stability for us to raise our family.¡± The thought of pups had my wolf spinning in circles in my mind. ¡°The FBI was a good experience, but family and Packes first. The only reason I went that way was because I was so far down the list, I thought I¡¯d never have a Pack rank. Dad¡¯s right, the Covens will be morefortable with us involved since you and Erica have such close ties. If you want this, I¡¯ll resign my badge and we can move to Pennsylvania together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d do it for us, and for my parents, and for our kind,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing opportunity, and we would be keeping my parents safe at the same time. Dad¡¯s also right in that Denise and Jacque would be a big help for Tania. Dad, have you broached this subject with them yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to sound you all out first. If you turn down the Chief Enforcer positions, then they are my next choice. There¡¯s lots of moving parts in this, and your answer is key to it all.¡±


    ¡°How will the Packs react to me being on the Council? After all, I¡¯m the Alpha Killer!¡±


    ¡°I think the revtions of the past few weeks have resolved that. The Alphas you killed, they needed killing. Master Jarrod did not send you out without cause. I think there will be relief that you are back in the fold, constrained by ourws again. On your own you¡¯re too much of a wildcard.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder, leaning in. ¡°Patty and I trust you with our lives, that¡¯s enough for the Alphas. You will prove your worth quickly, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°And I want pups in the house now that I have to move,¡± Patty added.


    I broke outughing as I thought of how much my life had changed. I was going legit, starting a new life with an amazing man. My hand moved down over my belly as I looked up at the screen. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Randall said. ¡°I¡¯ll turn in my resignation today if you say yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll take the job.¡±


    Brent and Patty got up and hugged me, then Bobby and Tania did as well. ¡°You¡¯re going to be amazing,¡± Tania said. ¡°The only Wamp pair in existence, kicking ass with Council authority?¡±


    Iughed with her. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like paperwork.¡±


    ¡°So leave that for Randall! You¡¯re the one with the reputation, who cares if he¡¯s just as deadly as you are.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, sis. We¡¯ll still see each other, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s Council functions and these things called ¡®vacation¡¯ and ¡®airnes.¡¯ How long has it been since you¡¯ve taken any time for yourself?¡±


    I thought about it; since that summer day, I¡¯d been training or fighting constantly. ¡°You¡¯re right, Randall owes me a honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°As soon as things settle down, baby.¡± Randall gave me a kiss on the screen. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go put in my notice and start making arrangements. I¡¯ll get my condo sold and shipped up there, I should be able to get there in a couple of days,¡± he said. ¡°I love you, Talia Stillwater.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t put a ring on it yet,¡± I teased. ¡°I want romance and all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it. I love you all, but I have to go.¡± We said our goodbyes and he ended the call.


    ¡°I guess now we need to talk to Denise and Jacque,¡± Bobby asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get them on the videoconference then,¡± I said. We had to pull Das and Vivian into the call, since the move affected them as well. Dad let Jacque know that Randall and I were taking over as Chief Enforcers and the reasons why. They were happy for us, and were looking forward to a calmer life.


    The purges of the Copper Mountain Pack ranks had beenpleted. Terry was doing well as Beta, so they agreed to let Denise go if she wanted the Tomah job. Bobby and Tania made their pitch, and Dad exined why he thought it was best for everyone. The real question was whether Denise would work for her younger brother, and Jacque an Alpha less than half his age.


    ¡°It will be fun, Denise. Phillip and Austin will be able to y together, and there are other kids up here his age. Tomah is a great ce to raise your family.¡± Tania was going for the kill, bringing up the two boys and their friendship.


    ¡°We really need you,¡± Bobby added. ¡°I never expected to be Alpha, and Tania is going to be busy with school as well as the Pack. We could really use your help.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk about this first,¡± Jacque said. ¡°We¡¯ll call you back in a few minutes.¡± We ended the call and waited.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I got a text from Dusty, they¡¯re taking off in a few minutes,¡± Bobby said. ¡°Kimberly said the pups were ying in theke all morning and are exhausted. Sandy and Phillip are already asleep, check out this photo,¡± he said. He showed us his phone, the two were strapped into the seats in their boosters and were holding hands as they slept. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Phillip and the girls.¡±


    ¡°It was nice of them to take care of our boy for us while we had this time,¡± Tania said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disrupt everything for him until we had a decision here.¡± His brother had othermitments and couldn¡¯t get up here before the votes, so they had to wait until it was done to take the charter jet up.


    The video call came back, and as soon as the camera showed Diane, I knew their answer. ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± Diane said with a smile. ¡°Most of our stuff hasn¡¯t been unpacked yet, so we¡¯ll get it on a truck. We should be out there in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sis,¡± Bobby said.


    I felt better, knowing that my little sister would be in good hands. I felt a buzzing in my pocket and pulled my phone out, smiling at the number. ¡°Hey Jarrod, how¡¯s the Council?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem, Talia. A big one.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Master Louis has escaped. The guards were killed or wereplicit. They are all gone, and the video has been deleted. The noon shift reliefs went down there and found him gone.¡± This was bad. ¡°Just because the Council is behind peace with the werewolves and eptance of hybrids does not mean all Vampires are. This couldn¡¯t be done without the cooperation of other Covens. We¡¯re working it now.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not the Chairman anymore, Brent Meechum just took that job from me but he¡¯s in the room and heard what you said. I¡¯m the Council¡¯s Chief Enforcer now, so Randall and I will help in any way we can.¡±


    He paused for a minute. ¡°Just be careful, Talia. We took down Dani, but the basic n they had was sound. Keep yourself and the Council safe; these people will do anything to spark a war.¡±


    ¡°Because war is the only way to keep the two sides apart,¡± I said.

 Come In Here

    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    Das FBI Field Office


    ¡°Randall! Get your ass in here!¡±


    I had just walked out of the empty office where I¡¯d ducked to talk to Talia and was walking back to my desk in the cube farm when she yelled for me. Senior Agent-In-Charge Rosalie Martinez was poking her head out of her office and was pissed. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d done, but it really didn¡¯t matter now. ¡°Coming, boss.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She held the door open and gestured for one of the chairs in front of her desk. She looked absolutely exhausted; things had been going nonstop since that night at the ballgame. ¡°Are you sleeping, Rosalie?¡±


    She sat heavily behind the desk. ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody got time fo dat,¡± she joked, but it didn¡¯t deflect from her fatigue. ¡°I got at least four hoursst night, get off my ass.¡±


    ¡°How many more are we going to pick up?¡±


    ¡°I think we have them all for now,¡± she said. ¡°The press is going nuts, and now this.¡± She turned herputer to show the news article that she had pulled up. SEX SLAVES SUE SOFTWARE CEO, the headline red. The picture was of Todd Martinn, the young and wealthy software executive I had arrested at the start of the sweep. He was being perp-walked, cuffed with his head hanging, as I and Agent Reba led him to booking. UNDERAGE VICTIMS SEEK $100 MILLION.


    ¡°We knew this would happen, as soon as the story broke thewyers would be all over this. There¡¯s too much money to go after.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, this one had a head start. Check out thewyer¡¯s name.¡±


    I read the story quickly, finally getting to the quote from the intiff¡¯swyer. Lou Walls. ¡°Lou was Tania Stillwater¡¯swyer when she gave her statement, we met in his office up in Sulphur River.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been a busy man. He must have smelled blood in the water and struck fast. He has partnered up with the Dasw firm Dewey, Dewitt & Howe and they represent Tania plus nine of the victims who were rescued from the ind.¡± She leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ve kept those names strictly confidential due to their age, so I find it interesting a small-townwyer from your hometown is suddenly leadwyer for a case like this.¡±


    ¡°What are you really asking, Rosalie? Do you think I leaked it?¡±


    ¡°I hope to hell you didn¡¯t.¡±


    I looked her in the eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t leak it, but I didn¡¯t have to,¡± I said evenly. She sat back. ¡°Tania was an excellent witness, and she lived on that ind for two plus years. She was bound to know the real names and backgrounds of the other girls there, they slept in cages in the same room the whole time. She gave us all the details, and herwyer knew them as well. It wouldn¡¯t take much for him to contact their families and seek to represent them. Hell, he might have started before they were even found.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Tania would have insisted. Nobody knew what happened to her, or if she was alive. She just disappeared without a trace, just like the other girls. If I was her, I would have tried to find the parents of the other girls just to let them know they are alive.¡±


    She sat back, thinking about it. ¡°They would have raised holy hell if they knew the girls were being held overseas. It would be one press conference after another.¡±


    I shook my head no. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Tania and Lou advised them against that. With the girls held by the Cartel and the corruption in the police down there, making their im public would put the girls into a shallow grave within hours. No, he yed the long game. As soon as the indictments were issued, he was ready with a civil suit.¡±


    ¡°How can they have enough to file?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s smart, he¡¯s interviewed each of the girls since they were returned home and gathered his own evidence. This Martinn guy is a good one to start with; rich, scared and guilty as hell. He¡¯ll settle with them because hiswyers will make him. Even without a conviction, could you imagine a jury trial? Tania and her memoryying out every visit, every lewd act hemitted? Shit, a hundred million is a bargain. I bet they¡¯re preparing dozens more, and trying to pull even more victims in. It¡¯s a fucking rainmaker for thesewyers.¡±


    She thought about it for a while. ¡°It will interfere with our cases,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s like dominoes; the civil case, they get discovery, they can¡¯t hide behind the Fifth Amendment without the jury being able to take that as an admission they did something wrong. Any evidence or testimony, any discovery interviews, it all bes admissible in criminal court. You can¡¯t afford that, so you settle. Or, you dy, but then after you are convicted you lose even more. It¡¯s about time these ambnce chasers did us a favor and took these men down.¡±


    ¡°I need you to look at me, Randall, and tell me you haven¡¯t worked with Mr. Walls or Miss Stillwater on this or revealed any portion of our investigation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not working with Lou or Tania, but it¡¯s time I came clean on something. I¡¯m involved with Miss Stillwater, romantically involved.¡±


    Her eyes got wide and her mouth dropped open in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ a WITNESS¡­ she¡¯s only eighteen years old? What the FUCK are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking I¡¯m the luckiest man in the world, because this job brought me in contact with the most beautiful, amazing woman who is now my fianc¨¦.¡±


    She shook her head and looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re engaged to her. Tania Stillwater, a girl a few weeks removed from sex very.¡±


    I justughed, I had her. ¡°No, not Tania. Her older sister, Talia Stillwater. We met while I was back home, and it was love at first sight.¡±


    Rosalie¡¯s shoulders slumped and she leaned back into her chair. ¡°Jesus Christ, you had me going there. It¡¯s still not good, she¡¯s a family member of a victim in an active investigation.¡±


    ¡°I know. Look, I didn¡¯t give her any details of our investigation, but I did pass on that the girls on the ind had been rescued when we went to Key West. Her sister was really worried about them. They had all made a promise that if any of them got free, they would tell their families about them.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Still, this stinks and I have to report it. Your involvement with her could taint the entire investigation, Randall!¡± She looked down at her desk, trying to think of what to say in response. ¡°I need a statement from you, and Internal Affairs might get involved.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said. I stood up, removing my shield and cing it on her desk followed by my gun. ¡°I just got off the phone with Talia; I was offered a job where she is, working corporate security for apany near Pittsburgh. I was heading back to my desk to write my letter of resignation when you called me in here.¡±


    Her jaw was catching flies again. ¡°You¡¯re quitting? NOW? We¡¯re doing so much good!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You were right, I¡¯m too personally involved. I¡¯ve seen the effect on the family, boss. As satisfying as all the arrests were, you don¡¯t know how hard it was for me to resist.¡±


    ¡°Resist what?¡±


    ¡°Beating them within an inch of their miserable lives,¡± I said.


    ¡°You could transfer, work something else. You¡¯re a good agent, Randall, I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, boss, but I want my wife and future family to have more stability than this job requires. I want to spend every night of my life with her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Go type the letter and turn over your notes and assignments to Reba. I¡¯ll get started on the paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Rosalie.¡±


    I got up, and she came around and gave me a hug. ¡°We¡¯re going to miss you around here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Just keep putting the bad guys away, boss. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I walked back out to my desk, sitting heavily. Reba¡¯s cube was next to mine, and she looked over the partition with a quizzical look on her face. ¡°I resigned, effective immediately,¡± I said.


    ¡°What the hell, Randall? You can¡¯t just quit!¡± That got the attention of pretty much everyone in the office. ¡°Is she making you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just epted a job offer doing corporate security up by where my fianc¨¦ lives by Pittsburgh.¡± They looked at me in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t regret being an agent, but I want the stability this job can¡¯t offer me.¡± I epted their congrattions, including lots of ribbing about being off the market and how the singledies of Das would miss my attention.


    ¡°I should have known something was up when we went to the game,¡± Lindsey said. ¡°Not only did you go without a date, but you didn¡¯t even nce at that waitress with the huge rack.¡±


    ¡°Once I met Talia, I stopped thinking of other women,¡± I said.


    ¡°When will we meet this woman?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have to type up my letter and get my ce packed up,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see her again.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a picture of this wonder woman?¡± I just smiled, pulling out my phone. I brought up a picture of her sitting on myp at the dinner table back home, we were looking at each other like nothing else in the world existed. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s beautiful,¡± Lindsey said.


    ¡°Young, too,¡± Reba added. ¡°You robbing the cradle here?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a little younger than me,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing that matters to either of us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man, Randall. Take care of her, and take care of yourself,¡± Lindsey said as she gave me a quick hug. ¡°I gotta go.¡±


    The others finally left me alone and I typed up a resignation letter, printed it and signed it. There wasn¡¯t much in my drawers, all the stuff I wanted to take fit in a Xerox box. Leaving it on my desk, I went back to Rosalie¡¯s office. ¡°Here¡¯s my letter,¡± I told her after I knocked on the open door.


    ¡°Come in here,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t just walk out like this, Randall. This is government, there are forms to fill out, exit interviews, debriefings.¡±


    ¡°I just want to move on, boss.¡±


    ¡°I know you do, so here.¡± She handed me transfer paperwork to the bank robbery division in Pittsburgh. ¡°Take a couple of weeks of your back vacation, then go process out at the Pittsburgh field office.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for a transfer, Rosalie.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll spend a week stuck here in Das instead of being with your woman. Do it up there when you¡¯re ready, and maybe you¡¯ll change your mind.¡± She turned and picked up my gun and badge. ¡°Keep these for now.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t getting out of it that easy, but I did want to get going. ¡°Thanks, boss.¡±


    ¡°Now get out of here, I¡¯ve got bad guys to catch.¡± Iughed as I hugged her goodbye, then grabbed my box and walked out of the office.

 What The Hell…

    I had just made it to my Jeep and started the care when my phone rang. ¡°Jarrod?¡±


    ¡°Hi Randall. There have been a few developments.¡± He filled me in on the escape of Master Louis and what it might mean. ¡°The vampires are split, just like the Council was,¡± he said. ¡°I need you here in New York.¡±


    ¡°New York? Why not in Pennsylvania with my mate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who I can trust in this building, Randall. I¡¯ve got my Covening to stay with me, but only Eduardo can move during the day. I need you two here, tracking down Louis before he starts a civil war among our kind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡±


    ¡°It could be. Masters Leonardo and Niki are going to stay at the Werewolf Council with Talia, they are better off there. I need you on the next ne to New York, Randall. I already talked with Talia and she agreed.¡±


    Shit. I owed Jarrod everything, I had to help him. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m on my way.¡± I turned out of the parking lot towards the airport, a bad feeling in my gut as I drove.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Tomah Pack House


    ¡°How bad is this going to get, Master Niki?¡± We had been in the conference room as he was given updates from the Council, and I¡¯d gotten a call from Master Jarrod already. He convinced me that Randall was needed there along with his coven. The Vampire Council staff couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it could be really bad,¡± he said. ¡°Talia has seen our side, but you need to understand that our method of government isn¡¯t like yours. There is no Pack bond, no Alphamand. The vampires are loyal to their Maker, and the Covens are far smaller than your Packs. As such, it is more a collection of strong-willed people than a top-down military structure.¡± I watched Dad as he nodded, he was familiar with Jarrod¡¯s small coven. ¡°The Vampire Council is on your side strongly now that Dani is dead and Louis is on the run, but that doesn¡¯t mean the Covens will go along.¡±


    ¡°What do you think the proportion is that will align with Louis against us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Masters pride themselves on being emotionless and difficult to read, and politics are a blood sport. I¡¯m sure the two of them were working the Coven leaders for years.¡±


    ¡°The hatred is difficult to ovee for those who have been alive so long,¡± Leonardo said. ¡°Werewolves don¡¯t have the same memory as your lifespan is so much shorter. Others, like me, are more pragmatic. We realize that these wars have been harmful to both sides. With the technology surrounding us now, we can¡¯t take the risk of a war.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, things have changed quite a bit in these cities. All the surveince cameras, everyone having cellphones, government surveince; it all makes it more difficult for vampires to operate in the city.¡±


    My father-inw nodded at this. ¡°We don¡¯t have the same issues as you, but satellite imagery, drones and trail cameras make us restrict where and when we can be in our wolf forms. A war would be just as disastrous for us.¡±


    ¡°So what are you gong to do, Master Niki? Return to New York?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be wise,¡± Leonardo said. ¡°If Jarrod can¡¯t trust the staff, you shouldn¡¯t either. You are far more vulnerable on the road than you are here.¡±


    ¡°I trust them, and I know Talia and Brent will not allow anything to happen here. I¡¯m worried about the Packs, though.¡± Niki looked at Chairman Brent. ¡°What would cause war to break out the fastest?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Vampires attacking a Pack,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Oh fuck. All it would take is a couple Packs around the country to be hit and the Alphas would be demanding war.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got time, they won¡¯t be able to do anything until sunset.¡±


    ¡°Put the word out, Dad,¡± I said. ¡°All Packs should go on precautionary lockdown tonight. Get everyone but the fighters into the safe rooms and pull the warriors back to the Pack Houses.¡±


    ¡°No patrols?¡±


    ¡°Vampires would cut patrols to pieces before they can raise an rm, there¡¯s no point in getting someone killed. Set up cameras, put sentries on the roofs and arm them.¡±


    ¡°Put ultraviolet lights in ce, shining around the buildings,¡± Leonardo said. ¡°Buy as many UV lights as you can find, rece all the exterior lights with them. The light will blind the vampires as they get closer, and a focused beam can burn their skin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements for an emergency video call,¡± I said. ¡°The more prep time the better.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. Meanwhile, Leonardo and I will go through the Coven locations and try to identify those most likely to attack, and the Packs closest to them.¡± Niki was already pulling out his phone. ¡°We only have six hours until sunset on the East Coast.¡±


    ¡°We better work fast then,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll send an alert message, video conference in twenty minutes Dad. We can¡¯t dy.¡±


    I was more than happy to have Dad be in charge, but as Chief Enforcer, protecting our kind and the fragile treaty with the Vampire Council was MY responsibility. I went to my desk and logged in, pulling up the messaging program. ¡°YELLOW ALERT V-threat make preparations and fall back to defensive positions. Videoconference at 1500 EDT same protocol. This is NOT a drill.¡± Hitting send, I waited for the message toe into the dedicated pager. Every Pack had more than one of these, ensuring that with one message, every Pack in North America could be notified. Most kept it in the Alpha office and a security post that was always manned. It was only used when there was a threat against multiple Packs.


    The pager beeped, and I checked the message was received properly. I set up the videoconference and put it on mute so it would be ready for us. Then I called in my Enforcers and quickly briefed them on the actions that needed to be taken. ¡°Work with Master Leonardo¡¯s men on defense,¡± I said. ¡°Having vampires imbedded with our men will be more effective than working alone.¡±


    ¡°How many Vampires are we talking, boss?¡±


    ¡°Unknown, it depends on how many Covens he can rally to his cause and coordinate. I doubt they¡¯d take on two Masters and a Hybrid, plus the werewolves, with less than a dozen.¡± The men nodded, knowing we were not an easy target. We had experienced werewolf warriors and Alphas, and Vampire strength was proportional to age. ¡°I want all the nobatants within thirty seconds of the safe room as soon as possible. We¡¯ll defend the building, not the grounds. Issue rifles with silver ammunition.¡± Silver wouldn¡¯t kill a vampire, but it would slow their healing and make them more vulnerable to our attacks.


    ¡°I need permission to set anti-personnel silver charges,¡± one asked. I looked at him quizzically. ¡°We have homemade ymore mines, using pure silver balls as shrapnel instead of the standard steel ones. They can be set around the base of the building and remote detonated if the vampires get close. They¡¯re effective out to twenty-five yards.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we use them?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be picking silver off ournd for months if we set them off, Chief Enforcer.¡±


    If we were overrun, it wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°Use them. Use anything we can. The doors and windows need to be barricaded to dy them. Any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Fire,¡± one of the men said. ¡°We used homemade napalm fifty years ago when my Pack was attacked. It¡¯s difficult to kill a vampire with fire, but it sure fucks up their day. I can make some barrels up and attach them to remote-detonators where they might being through the trees. It will make a mess, but it will slow them down.¡±


    What the hell, the building was made of stone, it wasn¡¯t going to be burned down. ¡°Will you need anything to make it?¡±


    ¡°A visit to the mail room should do it, if I can¡¯t get enough packing peanuts there, I¡¯ll send someone to the UPS store. The form is simple, half a barrel of gasoline then you dissolve Styrofoam in it until full and thick. I¡¯ll get some of the Omegas working with me, we¡¯ll need at least a dozen barrels. The explosives and detonators we have in the arsenal.¡±


    I could just imagine what fifty-five gallons of sticky me would do to thendscaping. ¡°Get it ready. We meet one hour before sundown back here to finalize ns.¡± I divided the men into tasks and let them get to work. I only had three minutes until the start of the videoconference.


    Dad took the Chairman position, with me to his left and Jacque to his right. Master Niki and Master Leonardo had their own cameras but were not included in the conference yet. At precisely three PM, he unmuted his microphone. ¡°Before we start, an update. Chief Enforcer Jacque has resigned and will be moving to join his mate as Betas of the Tomah Pack. I have selected his recements; my son, Randall, and his mate Talia Stillwater.¡± There was shock on the faces of the Alphas.


    ¡°She is the Alpha Killer, a wanted CRIMINAL,¡± one of the Alphas yelled. ¡°She killed my brother!¡±


    ¡°Your brother was kidnapping humans and turning them without permission. He got a cleaner death than the Council would have given him,¡± I said. ¡°Anyone who thinks they can do a better job than me, or my FBI Agent mate, is wee to challenge either of us for the position once this crisis is over. Until then, shut the fuck up and listen to your chairman.¡± Wisely, he sat back down.


    Brent looked directly into the camera. ¡°Gentlemen, we have a problem.¡± Over the next five minutes heid it all out; the split in the Vampire Council over peace with the Werewolves and the Hybrids, the escape of Master Louis, and the possibility rebel Covens would attack Packs to spur a war.

 Peace With The Vampires

    ¡°I knew this was a horrible idea,¡± Alpha Thomas from Virginia said. ¡°How could we possibly trust the bloodsuckers to keep up the peace. What kind of fool is leading them anyway?¡±


    Dad just looked to his left and when Master Niki nodded, Dad brought them into the videoconference. ¡°I am Master Niki, Chairman of the Vampire Council, and this is Master Leonardo of the Syracuse Coven. Our Council is solidly behind the peace treaty, and all Covens have been informed as to the consequences of breaking the peace we¡¯ve brokered.¡±


    ¡°Consequences? You let the man ESCAPE!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t LET anything, Alpha Thomas. Good men died when those traitors broke him out of my cells. I¡¯ve already killed one rebellious Council member, and Louis will be killed when he is found. Any Coven that breaks the peace will be exterminated, and they all know this. I am here with Chairman Brent and his staff, working to keep all of you safe until I can find and destroy these rebel vampire covens.¡±


    The discussion went on for ten minutes, but it was going nowhere. People were shifting me, looking to use this to boost a candidate or sink another for the Council elections, or just trying to make themselves sound important. It was childish and I¡¯d had it. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± I mmed my hands on the table, denting the hardwood. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Right now we know there is a potentially serious threat to our kind, but we don¡¯t know where they might strike. It¡¯s time for you to protect your Packs as you were sworn to do.¡± Iid out some of the ideas we were using, including the UV lights and explosives. ¡°If you have other ideas to share on defending our women and children from the Vampire threat, then speak up. The rest can wait for tomorrow.¡±


    No one spoke for a while, then the first Alphas started to contribute concrete ideas. I felt better when Brent finally wrapped up the call.


    I was d I had Vampire sleep needs, because this was going to be a long night.


    Randall Meechum¡¯s POV


    JFK International Airport, New York


    I watched from my first-ss seat as the Delta Airlines jet touched down in New York. I had taken the first direct flight out, and the ticket agent flirted with me as she upgraded my ticket. I had to fill out paperwork to fly with my gun, but it all worked out. The sun was setting as we pulled off the runway.


    I turned my phone on, and it quickly filled with messages. I sent a quick text to Talia, letting her know I hadnded safe, and another to Master Jarrod.


    Talia called me back as I was leaving the ne, and as I walked towards baggage im I was caught up on all I had missed. It sounded like they had it well in hand, but she was worried about Jarrod. New York had more covens than any other city, and they¡¯d already broken Louis out. His Coven in Toronto was gone, the eight vampires in it nowhere to be found.


    A driver was waiting for me, one of the familiars Master Niki trusted implicitly. As we were driving, he filled me in on what was happening. ¡°We¡¯re going to the mattresses, so to speak,¡± he said. ¡°The ones Master Niki can trust with his life are protecting the lower levels of the Headquarters; the lower the trust, the farther away the vampires are stationed. Master Jarrod and his Coven are all in ce, working with Master Lukaku and Mistress Edith to contain this.¡±


    ¡°How are they containing it?¡±


    ¡°Master Niki is not a man to cross lightly. The Council members have been contacting every Coven leader personally to warn them. Only four have refused the call, and those Covens are going to be visited by those loyal to the Council. Examples will be made, and order will be restored.¡± It sounded like a n, but the sooner we found the rebels the better.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    We were halfway there when my phone rang. ¡°Jarrod?¡±


    ¡°Tell him to bring you in the back way and be careful. We¡¯re under attack.¡±


    Master Jarrod¡¯s POV


    Vampire Council HQ, 5 floors underneath Manhattan


    There were only two entrances to the sub-basements that held the Council floors. The normal way down was to take the elevator; a special pass card was required, and your face was scanned, and your identity confirmed by our security before the elevator started to move. The second way was through any escape tunnel that exited into the subway system below.


    We didn¡¯t see activity at either ce because they attackers didn¡¯t use the entrances.


    Louis and Dani had been nning for the takeover of the Council for years, and their Covens had used local construction projects to hide their activities. The first sign of attack we got was when the wall on the east side of the third sub-basement exploded into the storage room. ¡°Defense protocol, attackers on third floor east,¡± the announcement from our security control said.


    I¡¯d been told the Council vampire staff was normally well-prepared and drilled for attack, but we were understaffed with the defections. Whatever defensive ns we had the attackers knew just as well. I raced from my new office to the security station in the back of the fifth sub-basement. Master Lukaku was already there and watching the monitors carefully. ¡°You should go to the safe room with Marceline,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, I need to fight,¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t going to hide from this. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-eight hostiles entered through the breach before they took the cameras out,¡± the man said from the station. ¡°The elevator power has been cut, and we¡¯ve got at least six more in the subway where the emergency exites out. Those cameras are gone too, along with the cameras near the subway tunnel.¡± That wasn¡¯t good, we only had twenty loyal vampires plus the three Masters. ¡°The radios we use for security are jammed as well.¡±


    ¡°How are you coordinating the response?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± Master Lukaku said as he watched. ¡°We had six guards on the third floor, they were overwhelmed in seconds. We¡¯ve locked down the individual floors, that will slow them down a little.¡±


    ¡°Master Louis knows our defenses, he will expect that. Can you text or call cellphones?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°Use the PA system, at least you can let the defenders know the movements.¡± He nodded and made a broadcast as I pulled my phone out. I had nobody from my Coven here, but I did have Randalling in tonight. I dialed his cell, he picked up quickly. ¡°Tell him to bring you in the back way. We¡¯re under attack.¡± I gave him a quick status update, finishing with the attackers covering the emergency exit I wanted himing through.


    ¡°I¡¯m still twenty minutes out, Jarrod. Can you hold on?¡±


    I looked at the monitors, all we had left was the cameras in the lobby and on the floors they hadn¡¯t reached yet. The stairway was locked down, and the thick steel st doors between floors were as tough as a bank vault. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Using text messages, over the next five minutes we redeployed our people to meet the threat. ¡°I expected to Master Louis here, but Master Chen and Master Charles too?¡± I asked. Master Chen¡¯s coven was in Chinatown, while Master Charles was in Brooklyn.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been busy,¡± Mistress Edith said. She had been calling the other Covens, asking for help, but none were close enough to get here quickly. ¡°You can¡¯t use vampire speed in New York with cameras everywhere,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ll get here as soon as they can.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, they brought a blowtorch,¡± Master Lukaku said. I looked at the camera he was staring at, it was the stairwell to the third floor. The steel was starting to glow red near the handle, and a me punching through was shooting molten steel onto the concrete floor. He contacted the men on the fourth floor, updating them and directing them to set up defenses in that area.


    ¡°How long until they are through,¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s three lock points to cut through and those doors are six-inch solid steel,¡± he said. ¡°Half hour, maybe?¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s soon enough,¡± I said.


    Erica¡¯s POV


    Northeast Texas


    ¡°How long until we reach Sulphur River,¡± Anastasia asked. Now that it was past sundown, she hade out of the trunk of the Mercedes sedan I was driving.


    ¡°Thirty minutes,¡± I said as I looked at the navigationputer. Eduardo was in the passenger seat, working on hisptop furiously. ¡°Since the nearest Covens are in Das, Shreveport and Ohoma City, we should get there first.¡±


    ¡°Unless they pre-positioned,¡± she said. We were lucky; since Eduardo and I could be out in the sunlight, we were able to drive in the afternoon. When we got the warning from Talia, Jarrod asked us to move to reinforce Sulphur River from attack. His reasoning was simple; there wasn¡¯t time to move Anastasia by air, and he couldn¡¯t leave her in the Coven house. It made more sense for Randall to fly during the day and for us to drive to help his Pack. ¡°Can you check in with them?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I used the hands-free capability to make the call.


    ¡°Erica?¡±


    ¡°Hi Dusty. Any activity there yet?¡± We all were worried about them, because the Pack was a likely target for the rebellious Covens. With Brent leading the Alpha Council and the changes to make peace with the Vampires, he had a big target on his back. Add in his son¡¯s mating to Talia and the Pack¡¯s friendship with our coven, and no Pack was a more attractive target.


    ¡°Quiet so far. We¡¯ve got everyone except the warriors in the safe room for the night.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± We discussed some of the things they were doing to protect their territory while I drove west. ¡°We¡¯ll call you when we are a few minutes away, I don¡¯t want your guys taking shots at us.¡±


    ¡°It will be good to have you here, Erica. Hopefully it¡¯s for nothing.¡± We could be so lucky. I heard shouting in the background. ¡°I have to go, they¡¯re here. Our cameras just picked up vampires crossing the border line.¡±


    The line went dead. I put the gas pedal to the floor, pushing the sedan to over a hundred and forty miles an hour. I relied on my hybrid senses to keep me safe as I passed vehicles on the road like they were parked. I called Talia when I hit a stretch of open road. ¡°It¡¯s Erica. Vampires are attacking Sulphur River, they just crossed the Pack border.¡±


    ¡°I heard. How far out are you?¡±


    ¡°It could be over by the time we arrive.¡±


    Anastasia got a phone call a few secondster. ¡°Malcolm, slow down!¡±


    ¡°The house, they set the house on fire!¡±


    ¡°What house?¡±


    ¡°The mansion. They were too fast and they threw Molotov cocktails through the windows. The fires were too hot and there were too many. We didn¡¯t have time to save anything.¡±


    Oh shit. ¡°Ma, did everyone get out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who got out. I was cleaning downstairs and used the emergency escape. They killed the staff as they fled, gunned them down in the yard and the garden. I got out just before they breached the basement.¡± He was barely holding it together. ¡°The mansion, it¡¯s bad. They¡¯ll never put it out in time to save it.¡±

 Werewolf Council HQ

    Chairman Brent¡¯s POV


    I sent the update over the link to Patty, both of us were feeling terrible we weren¡¯t there to help. We had our own problems. ¡°This means we are guaranteed to be attacked,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± Talia asked.


    ¡°The rebels know that if they don¡¯t take out all the members of the Vampire Council, we will end them. Three members are at headquarters, and two are here. It doesn¡¯t hurt that you are here too, along with your father. They are going to try and decapitate both species.¡±


    I could see the anger running through her until she forced it down. ¡°What do we need to do, Dad?¡±


    ¡°Get ready.¡± I nodded; there wasn¡¯t much more we needed to do. We had already put everyone except the warriors into the safe room in the basement. The remote detonated charges were ready, men roamed the rooftops with silver-core bullets in their rifles. We had two Vampire Masters, one badass hybrid, an Alpha and dozens of experienced werewolf enforcers at our disposal.


    I almost felt sorry for them.


    The radio red from the desk in front of me. ¡°Control, this is Jones. We have multiple helicopters inbound our location from the southeast. I can hear them, but no lights. Maybe thirty seconds out.¡±


    I grabbed the radio. ¡°If they are under 500 feet, assume hostile. Blow the barrels in the trees if you can.¡±


    Ten secondster, I heard the sound of machine guns going off, the rounds mming into the building as the helicopters approached. Looking at the cameras, I could see three of them flying just above the treetops. Gunners were tethered and hanging out the doors, and four men were sitting on each of the skids. One of the tree-hung barrels exploded, the mes shooting fifty feet in all directions. The timing was perfect, but only one of the helicopters was in the zone. The mes shot upwards in a bright ball, licking the side of the helicopter as the rotor wash swirled it around. The five men on the right side were enveloped in the sticky gasoline mix and kept burning after the fireball was gone. The helicopter tilted hard to the left as the men dropped off into the trees.


    My men opened up with everything they had, but they couldn¡¯tpete with machine guns strafing the roof. The cameras showed one after another falling to the heavy guns as the helicopters circled the roof. ¡°SHOOT THE TRANSMISSIONS UNDER THE MAIN ROTOR,¡± I yelled over the radio. It came toote.


    I watched thest man get shot, his body dropping to the t roof behind the air conditioning unit.


    The helicopters dropped down, their cargo jumping to the roof and rolling to a stop. All that preparation for a ground assault was worthless, they went right over the top. ¡°Defend the stairways on the northeast and southwest corners,¡± I directed. We watched as the attackers opened the doors and dropped into the stairwell.


    Our men fired at them, but the vampires were lightning fast. Dropping down a level at a time, they absorbed the rounds but weren¡¯t stopped. Talons extending from their fingers sliced through men¡¯s necks, and fangs bit into shoulders as they stormed forward.


    Niki looked at me. ¡°Go to the safe room with your men,¡± he said. ¡°This is our fight.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that, Niki. We fight together.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for this.¡± I saw a blur of motion to my right before I was picked up over a shoulder. I could barely see as we zipped out the door and down to the entrance to the safe room. As I flew into the opening, I could see Jacquending next to me. I looked back to see Talia¡¯s face just before she pushed the door closed. ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡°Sorry Dad.¡± The door closed and automatically locked, the heavy steel mechanism locking itself in ce in twelve points. The timer would prevent it from being reopened for at least an hour.


    I got to my feet, looking at the camera next to the door as it showed the big room outside. Talia stood in her hybrid form; her ws were longer and straighter than a regr werewolf Alpha should be. Fur had covered her body and her face was a mix of wolf and human, her muzzle extended and filled with sharp teeth. Her canines were almost six inches long and straight like a vampire. The teeth extended over her lower jaws like the wolf version of a saber-tooth and venom dripped from the tips. She was fearsome, as were the two Vampire Masters on either side. They were standing ready, talons extended as they waited for the attackers to enter the room.


    Randall¡¯s POV


    Outside Manhattan Office Building


    Niki¡¯s familiar was in contact with their security center, so I was able to keep up on the attack as we drove closer. At this time of night, there wasn¡¯t as much traffic and fewer people. With the battle taking ce in the subbasements of a nearly empty office building, and that office building owned and run by the Council, there wasn¡¯t as much chance of humans getting in the crossfire.


    That didn¡¯t mean it was easy. The number of attackers they were talking was daunting, they were outnumbered three to one. They had three Vampire Masters to defend, but they had identified Louis and two other Masters in the first wave. There might be more waiting for them.


    ¡°Where do you want me, Jarrod?¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°There are two choices. The first is you head to the subway and clear the people out of the escape tunnel. There are probably fewer of them, we only saw six before the cameras were taken out.¡±


    I hated tunnels. They were kill zones with nowhere to hide. ¡°They are bound to have booby-trapped the hatch by now. Even if you are sessful, all we do is move this fight to another day. All the Masters are on the third sub-basement, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we haven¡¯t seen any motion elsewhere. They are still cutting through the door, they have maybe fifteen minutes left until they can enter the stairway.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Any other helping?¡±


    ¡°Not before they get through, no.¡±


    Shit. ¡°What is option two?¡±


    ¡°The shaft of the freight elevator. They used the fire department recall key to move it to the surface and keep it there.¡±


    ¡°How does that help me?¡±


    ¡°The lobby only shows one vampire up there. Take him out and remove the key and you can use the elevator again.¡±


    ¡°You want me toe get you?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, as soon as they see the elevator moving they will push the button and stop you on their floor. Our control only prevents the elevator from going down, we can¡¯t control which floor it goes to.¡±


    I had an idea. ¡°I can get down there if I make it to the elevator in back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll need the key card your driver has, but you should be able to open the door and remove the fire key, then use it.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll call you in a few.¡± We were only a block away now, and I saw what I was looking for. I gestured for the driver to pull up next to a shuttered-up food truck. Stepping out, I closed the manual valve on the four-foot-tall liquid propane tank and tore the copper hose from it, then pulled back on the upper part of the heavy cylinder. The chain and support snapped as I applied my hybrid strength, and I shoved it in the open back seat of the car. The whole thing took less than fifteen seconds before the door was closed and we were moving again.


    ¡°Drive by the alley first and make sure it¡¯s clear,¡± I said. We didn¡¯t see anything, so he parked in front of the loading dock. I called Jarrod as I got out with the cylinder. ¡°I¡¯m in ce, open the door,¡± I said. There was a click, and I pulled it open. There was a young vampire waiting inside; he looked at me, confused with my scent, before I put a bullet in his head. The shot didn¡¯t kill him, but using my vampire speed I was on him and ripped his head off. I tossed his body into the elevator and went back to get the cylinder.


    The fire recall key was still there, and I turned it off and inserted the card. I jumped up, knocking the escape hatch aside, then dropped back down. Pressing the ¡®B3¡¯ button, the door closed then the elevator start to move. I waved at the camera, not knowing if this was brave, foolhardy or stupid.


    As the elevator came to a stop, I decided the answer was ¡®Yes.¡¯ I shifted to my hybrid form, my clothes falling to the floor as I reached my eight-foot height.


    As the door opened to the surprise of the vampires, I hurled therge cylinder across the room. The impact on the concrete wall sheared the valve off the end, and the escaping gases shot it across the room like a rocket. I didn¡¯t wait. I jumped straight up through the emergency escape hatch and pulled myself clear of the cab. A few vampires rushed in after me, and I ignored them as I scrambled up the framing of the elevator shaft. My ws scraped on the steel as I moved up.


    The rapidly dpressing cylinder wreaked havoc on the vampires as it bounced around the room, at least based on the screams and bangs. It only took a few seconds before the concentration of propane in the atmosphere reached the Lower Explosive Limit, and a second after that before the mmable gas was touched off by the torch cutting through the door.

 Pleasant Diversion

    The explosion shot mes into the elevator, and I turned my back and hid my face as they raced up the shaft towards me. They receded just as quickly, and I jumped down through the open hatch. The stunned vampires in the elevator had no chance against me; my wed hands sliced two heads off, then I lunged forward and grabbed the back of a fleeing vampire¡¯s neck with my teeth. My razor-sharp canines plunged through his neck before he could scream. mming my hands on his shoulders, his head popped off like a cork.


    As I stepped into the devastated rooms, I didn¡¯t pause to let them recover from the shock of the explosion or the mes surrounding them. I started to wade through them at vampire speed, killing as many as I could before they could respond. It was a great strategy until I got to the ones who weren¡¯t as affected by the st.


    Faced with a half-dozen enraged vampires in front of me, I turned and ran back for the elevator.


    Jarrod¡¯s POV


    Vampire HQ, Fourth Sub-Basement


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± I said as I turned to the other two Masters. ¡°We need to be ready.¡±


    ¡°You really think he can pull this off?¡± Mistress Edith shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s one man, recently turned.¡±


    Master Lukaku put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°These hybrids are nothing like a newly turned vampire. Erica¡¯s fight in front of us proved that, and she¡¯s a woman with minimal training. Randall is a trained Alpha heir and FBI agent, just faster now.¡± He looked at me. ¡°His distraction is our best chance. Without it, we¡¯re trapped, and they¡¯ll be through the door before help arrives.¡±


    ¡°He is right about one thing. We have to end this now before things get out of hand. We can¡¯t let them leave this building.¡±


    The n was quickly put together and Master Lukaku briefed the loyal vampires we still had. When the distraction pulled their attention away from the door, we would release the locks and attack. ¡°Leave the Masters to us. The first in, go support Randall before they overwhelm him.¡± The rebels hate the hybrids more than they hate the Masters.


    ¡°Focus your attacks on the lower-ranked vampires,¡± I said. ¡°Stay in groups of three so you can watch each other¡¯s backs.¡±


    When he got in the elevator, we were all lined up in the stairwell waiting. We heard the sounds of the propane bottle banging around, then the explosion. ¡°NOW,¡± I shouted back to the control room. The hydraulic rams that locked the door in ce moved out of the way, and the vampires behind the door mmed it open as soon as it could move.


    I was in the back third of the group, being the new guy. The other two Masters were in the middle of the column of people running into the room. They pushed forward, zing into the room with speed before the shock of the attack was gone. When I rushed through, it was bem.


    Master Vampires are fearsome in battle because we are stronger, faster and far more experienced than the normal vampires. The average vampire is less than fifty years post-turn, since so many die early before really learning what they are. Those vampires were already dead, our men averaged two hundred years.


    We were still outnumbered. I moved to the right, slicing the head off a rebel as he was engaged with one of our men. There was no fair y or honor is this battle, they deserved no fair fight. Two more met their fates before I reached the elevator door. Randall was using the empty elevator as protection from being nked, fighting from the doorway. The men who had gone to his aid were locked in battle, so I helped even the odds before I spotted my adversary.


    Master Louis was standing back from the fray, content to have his minions suffer and die before he would fight the weakened opponents. I was not going to give him the chance. I twisted the head off a vampire protecting him before I rushed through the lines, sliding like a baseball yer until I was on my feet again.


    This isn¡¯t Hollywood, there is no ¡°My name is xxx, you killed my father, prepare to die¡± in war. My talons shot forward, and he avoided them with a lightning-fast move of his head. I moved so my left side was near the wall, hoping to get my back to it to protect it. He had the same idea, so like when a regr boxer fights a southpaw, we ended up slugging it out in the corner.


    Physically and in age we were evenly matched, and the fight showed it. We bothnded blows, talons ripped through flesh that healed again almost as quickly. His fighting style was clinical, but unimaginative; I started mixing in the moves from other martial arts I had learned, and that gave me the advantage.


    The fight had gone on for about thirty seconds, but if you slowed it down to normal human speed it would have been a three-minute round. My unpredictable moves and unfamiliar tactics were allowing me to slice more from him. He tried lunging for my neck with the talons of his right hand, and I took advantage of his overextension. Grabbing his wrist, I pulled it until his hand was back by my side as I fell backwards. I used my right foot, cing it in his stomach while I went into a backwards roll. ¡°RANDALL!¡±


    He turned as I continued my motion,unching Louis up and over my body before he could react. Randall¡¯s huge hybrid wolf roared as his wed hands pushed into his ribs and kidney, holding him upside down and facing me as Louis screamed in pain. He raised him up above his head and his jaws closed on his neck. With a shake of his head, Louis was decapitated, then his body was tossed at the men who were supposed to guard him.


    The attackers were shaken by the loss of their leader and Randall¡¯s roar, and we pressed the advantage. Side by side we waded through the room, dispatching enemy vampires without mercy. The room became quiet as we met Master Lukaku back by the stairwell. His clothes were torn, and he was slow to heal.


    There was no one left to kill.


    Randall tilted his head back, letting loose a powerful howl of victory. I allowed my talons and fangs to return and looked around. ¡°Mistress Edith?¡±


    ¡°Gone,¡± Lukaku said. ¡°So are the other two Masters.¡±


    ¡°Tend to the wounded,¡± I said. Our healing powers were not limitless; the more you were hurt, the longer it would take to recover. Men and women were helped back down the stairs to the infirmary, where flesh could be patched together until the bodies caught up.


    Randall had shifted back, his nude human form covered in cuts and blood. ¡°What about the ones in the escape tunnel?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t get them all. With the Masters gone, they will be easy enough to track down. I have two more covens that will be here shortly, I will task them with that,¡± Master Lukaku replied.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good.¡± He walked back into the elevator, moving bodies aside until he found the remains of his pants. He removed his keys, wallet, badge, gun and cellphone. ¡°I need to find out how Talia is doing. You should talk to Malcolm and Anastasia. They burned your house.¡±


    I nodded, heading back to the stairwell. The Battle of Manhattan was over.


    Dusty Meechum¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    I stood in the security room of our Pack House, as my men watched the cameras and others patrolled the grounds and rooftops. The Vampire threat was real; their speed and viciousness was legendary. It was certain death to be bitten, and few survived their talons.


    We needed numbers and cooperation to kill one; we had to slow it down, bite both the arms at the same time to hold it, then a third would go for the neck. Since they were so fast, two or three might be killed before we could seed. Entire Packs could be wiped out by a handful of vampires, in less time than amercial break on television. That is why almost everyone was in or near our safe room.


    My phone range, I didn¡¯t expect her call. ¡°Erica?¡±


    ¡°Hi Dusty. Any activity there yet?¡±


    ¡°Quiet so far. We¡¯ve got everyone except the warriors in the safe room for the night.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I talked to her about the defenses; we had explosives filled with silver in the tree line with tripwires, UV lights ¡°We¡¯ll call you when we are a few minutes away, I don¡¯t want your guys taking shots at us.¡±


    ¡°It will be good to have you here, Erica. Hopefully it¡¯s for nothing.¡± We weren¡¯t that lucky. rms were sounding in the security room, and cameras showed figures streaking across the field of view. ¡°I have to go, they¡¯re here. Our cameras just picked up vampires crossing the border line.¡± I hung up the phone. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Ten,¡± he said. ¡°Two minutes out.¡± It was a good thing that ournds were extensive, we had some warning. I called my father. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re under attack, ten vampires.¡±


    ¡°Get everyone in the safe room NOW,¡± he said. ¡°You cannot hold against that.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be Alpha and hide.¡±


    ¡°I love you, son.¡± He hung up, and I sent out the order. ¡°Everyone to the safe room NOW. Bull, you take over the roof position and detonate explosives on sight,¡± I said over the Pack Bond. ¡°You guys too,¡± I told the men in the room. ¡°Close it up and protect my family.¡±


    They followed orders, but they didn¡¯t like it. I took up my weapon for this fight, a modified Saiga semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun. The barrel had been shortened to make it better suited for close-quartersbat, making it highly illegal. The barrel magazine held twenty rounds of handloaded ammunition, silver pellets of course. It was a veritable shitstorm of firepower in a small room.


    I was in front of the entrance to the safe room in the basement of the house, gun at the ready. I heard the first explosion outside, quickly followed by several more as Bull set off additional charges we had set nearer the house. I could see the light from the fireball as the explosives set off containers of diesel fuel.


    ¡°Too many, sorry,¡± I heard from Bull before the sound of his gun firing was cut off by a scream of pain. I felt his bond ripped out.


    The first vampire burst into the room a secondter, and I opened up with the shotgun. He moved like a blur, but the shotgun¡¯s second shot caught his neck. His head was blown clean off, killing him, but he was close enough to me his body kept going. I was knocked backwards, skidding into the wall. Pushing the dead weight off me, I reached for the shotgun that had fallen next to me. Instead, my right arm was crushed as a foot mmed down on it.


    ¡°I love you all,¡± I said to my Pack as I looked up. The vampire with his foot on me was dressed immactely in a silver suit with a silk shirt and tie. Another vampire, this one dressed in ck jeans and a shirt, sent his talon through my left shoulder and into the wall behind me. A third came up and wrapped my legs in silver.


    I was helpless, unable to fight and unable to shift. The man in the suit was obviously the leader of the Coven, and four of his men were now gathered around me. ¡°Only one other puppy wanted to y, and he made a big mess on the porch,¡± a younger man said.


    At least we got five. ¡°You have to stall for time,¡± Kimberly sent. ¡°Erica and the others areing. If they didn¡¯t want something, they¡¯d have killed you already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry baby. I love you.¡± Our little conversation was cut short as a taloned hand reached down and wrapped around my neck. The talons in my shoulder were removed, but the arm hung useless by my side. I was lifted up, his hand mming my body against the wall. The talons prated my neck just enough to make moving a painful idea. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name at the gate,¡± I said.


    ¡°Master Vampire John Parker Snow, mutt.¡± He sniffed my neck. ¡°Where is the Alpha? Hiding behind the skirts of his women?¡±


    I justughed. ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You are his son.¡±


    ¡°I am the son of Brent Meechum, and I am also the Alpha of this Pack,¡± I said. ¡°My father is now Chairman of the Alpha Council, and this is MYnd.¡±


    ¡°That is too bad for you. My associates will have the honor of killing your father.¡± He moved until his face was inches from mine. ¡°You are dead, Alpha. The only question left is how many of your Pack share your fate.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. You.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t swing that way. Your women, however, might be a pleasant diversion before they are killed too.¡± He turned to the men behind him. ¡°Get gasoline or diesel fuel from the sheds and soak this ce down.¡± Two men zipped out of the room.


    ¡°What do you want from me,¡± I asked.


    ¡°The abominations must die. Turn them over to me and I will spare your Pack.¡±

 What About ME?

    I just smirked as I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re a littlete. Randall is in New York City; he left this afternoon. Talia is up by Pittsburgh on Werewolf Council business, and Erica is in New Orleans.¡±


    His talons moved deeper into my neck. ¡°Erica and the others were not in New Orleans,¡± he said. ¡°WHERE. ARE. THEY.¡±


    ¡°Up your ass and two blocks left.¡±


    His left hand moved, punching me in the side and breaking several ribs. ¡°Your loyalty and attitude are earning you a far more painful death than I had nned,¡± he said. His fangs extended and he bit into my shoulder, drinking deeply of my blood. I could feel the venom moving through my body. ¡°I will give you onest chance to save your people, Alpha. You will tell me what I ask to save them. I know this is true.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You know nothing, John Snow.¡±


    I sensed the movement but was unable to follow it. One moment I was pressed back against the wall, then the arm that held me fell to the floor in a spray of blood. By the time I looked up, it was over. The two younger vampires were dead, their heads removed. The Master was pinned to the wall by a furious Erica, unable to fight back because Eduardo had sliced his other arm off above the elbow. They mmed him to the ground and Eduardo kept him from moving away. That wouldn¡¯t heal quickly, I thought. ¡°He bit me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Stop the bleeding,¡± Erica said. She removed my belt and used it to stem the flow from his shoulder, while Eduardo used his on the left arm. Anastasia removed the silver chains from me and put them on their prisoner, leaving him helpless. ¡°Tell them toe out, the other vampires are dead.¡±


    I gave the order; the men had been watching what happened on the cameras and recognized Erica and Eduardo. The door opened, and Kimberly rushed into my arms while the Pack Doctor checked my injuries, her kit by her side.


    ¡°Doctor, remove as much blood as you can from this man and prepare for transfusion,¡± Erica said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡± She started digging around for the required equipment. ¡°Dusty, I¡¯ll give you a choice. If you take the same change your brother did, allowing this Master¡¯s blood to join yours, you will live and be like Randall and Talia and I. Refuse, and we will sedate you and let you die.¡± Everyone knew that a vampire¡¯s venom was death to a werewolf.


    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he said as he looked at her.


    ¡°She will need to take the change to be with you, since your bite will be lethal to werewolves when this is done. You know my story. The change is three days of unimaginable pain. I wished for death many times and was not given the release from this world I wanted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really selling this hard, Erica. You should do timeshares or something.¡± He looked at Kimberly. ¡°I won¡¯t do it without you.¡±


    She leaned her forehead against him, he was already starting the fever from the venom. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you, my love. For you and our children I will endure anything.¡±


    The doctor had inserted the needle and was drawing out his blood into the bag. ¡°How much do you need?¡±


    ¡°A pint if you can get it.¡± Some warriors had moved out into the room, while the families remained back and out of sight. She attached arge syringe to the line and used it to draw a vacuum, pulling the blood from his body. With no heartbeat, drawing blood from a vampire wasn¡¯t easy.


    Erica looked down at the Master Vampire and shook her head. ¡°You are your Coven have defied the Vampire Council. We will not kill you; no, that would be a kindness. You will be delivered to Master Niki and be punished along with any others that survive this night. I imagine your end will be memorable, as all examples must be.¡±


    ¡°You BITCH,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°Suchnguage. Lance, can you fetch me a hammer?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Erica,¡± the warrior said as he turned for the hallway. He returned with two, a normal w hammer and a framing hammer with a waffle head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know exactly what you needed so I brought two.¡±


    I hefted the framing hammer. ¡°This will work.¡± Raising the twenty-two ounce head, I brought it down just below his nose on the right side. Blood and tooth fragments sttered his face as the teeth were crushed. Before he could react, I brought it down on the other side. The fangs were broken off at the gums along with most of the teeth in the front of his mouth. ¡°Can¡¯t have you biting anyone,¡± I said.


    He spit out a wad of blood mixed with teeth at me, his upper lip torn. ¡°Afomuhnashun.¡±


    ¡°You have what you need, Doc?¡± She checked the bag and nodded, removing the needle. ¡°Give it to the Alpha now.¡± She looked back at me. ¡°Last chance to say no.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t continue to live this way, knowing that my little brother can beat me up,¡± I said. ¡°Change me.¡±


    The IV was started, and the Master¡¯s blood started to flow into his body. ¡°We need to move him, this isn¡¯t going to be pleasant,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°Get a stretcher and take him to his room.¡±


    ¡°What about me,¡± Kimberly asked.


    ¡°Take our children and be with them,¡± I said. ¡°Our Pack needs you to be strong with our Beta gone.¡±


    ¡°When his change isplete, I will ask Master Jarrod to change you,¡± Erica said. ¡°That way one of you is avable.¡±


    Iid back in the stretcher as I was carried upstairs, feeling like my body was burning me from the inside. Erica was wrong, the pain was much worse than she let on. When my brain shut off from the pain, I had my relief.

 It Wasn’t Personal

    Talia¡¯s POV


    Werewolf Council HQ


    ¡°Talia, I order you to open this door!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Dad. It¡¯s toote now.¡± My conscience would not allow for him to fight, not now. Our n was fatally wed in a way familiar to the French and their Maginot Line. We had put everything into defending against a ground attack, and instead they had gone around them. Fighting hand to hand in a building like this was a losing strategy, and the screams from above me bore that out. We simply could not regroup in time to do anything, and my Enforcers were dying.


    ¡°We¡¯ve locked down the upper level, Talia. We show a dozen or so vampires entering from the rooftops. We¡¯ve made a dent but not enough.¡±


    ¡°Have those who can fall back to our position and lock the rooms behind them, so we have time to prepare,¡± I sent back. The Pack House was fortified inside and out for just such a reason. Doors locked and steel barricades slid into ce, cutting each floor into quarters and isting the stairwells. It wouldn¡¯t stop them but each barricade to breach would slow them down. The vampires arrived in the room first, followed by the Enforcers they were embedded with.


    ¡°They will take a few minutes to break through,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± I told the remaining men and women. ¡°You are to protect the safe room and the backs of the Masters.¡±


    ¡°We wish to fight,¡± one of the vampire females hissed.


    ¡°You have your orders,¡± Niki said softly.


    Of course, at the worst possible time before battle, my phone rang. I pulled it out in annoyance, only to smile when I saw the video call was from my mate. He had blood on his face and behind him looked like a ughterhouse. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, love. The rebels failed, we lost Mistress Edith and the third floor of Vampire Headquarters will need aplete remodel, but they are all dead.¡±


    ¡°I have to go, our attackers are almost here.¡±


    ¡°Put it where I can watch and leave the line open, love.¡± I thought about it, he deserved to know what happened so he could congratte or avenge me. I set it on a table next to the door, pointed forward. ¡°What is your status?¡±


    ¡°We will win,¡± Niki said. ¡°Randall, Lukaku, you have proven your worth again.¡±


    ¡°Talia, I have heard back from Sulphur River, they have repulsed the attack as well.¡± I could tell there was something he was holding back, but there wasn¡¯t time. Thest door to the basement was blown open.


    I shifted to my hybrid form, guarding the entrance to the safe room. It was a safe haven for the people in it; the lock could not be opened from either side for ten minutes, and the thick steel would take hours to breach.


    ¡°We make our stand here,¡± Niki said as his talons extended. He moved to the center as I took his right. Leonardo moved to his left and we all took a ready position. A few secondster, the vampires at the lead of the attack entered the room. There were sixteen of them, and they looked more like soldiers than vampires. Dressed head to toe in ck body armor, they would have some protection against both bullets and teeth. Instead of attacking us, they quietly lined up against the wall by the door. I could sense their power; these were not the men in charge, they were troops. ¡°You will all die today,¡± Niki said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± a man said as he entered the room. He was tall and handsome, his ck hair perfectly framing his ssic features. His suit was expensive and immacte, and two other men followed behind him. These men were dangerous, my senses told me. ¡°Today we settle this dispute with your blood.¡±


    ¡°Master Vincent,¡± Niki said. ¡°You are a long way from Boston, and far too young to think you are a match for me. Nice of you to bring Master Esteban and Master Hermann with you, that will save me a trip to wipe them out.¡± The two Masters stood just behind them, suddenly not quite as confident. The troops were keeping a close eye on each other, muscles tensed and ready for the fight. This ce was a powderkeg and we were all carrying torches.


    ¡°I go where I am needed,¡± he said. ¡°It is not like the Council respects those who are not senior enough to sit on it. We will not sit back and watch you destroy our kind with your foolish ns.¡±


    Niki shook his head. ¡°Which part was it you objected to? Making peace with the Packs, or Talia?¡±


    His look as he turned to me was a mix of disgust and fear. ¡°You were a mistake, one that Niki and the Council failed to rectify for four years. You and all like you must be killed.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer with my jaw shifted, but Leonardo could. ¡°Why? She has proven herself to both Councils.¡±


    ¡°Because that bitch offends me by her very existence. The Masters who discovered this could be done ages ago killed them once they saw the monsters they had created.¡±


    Niki shook his head while I watched the others standing back. ¡°The Council has spoken on this. The creation of hybrids will only happen with our permission.¡± He stared at him, death a promise in his eyes. ¡°The hybrids are a key to our future, because they bridge the divide between our species. Not only can they be mates, as Erica and Eduardo have proven, they can reproduce.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? Vampires are sterile.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the Gods are smarter than we are. Maybe if we would put aside our prejudices and hatred, we would embrace the chance the Moon Goddess is giving us.¡± The men looked confused. ¡°I am the world¡¯s oldest vampire. Every person I knew before I was changed has been dead for thousands of years, and those who I care for are gone unless I cursed them to be like me. Unable to age, unable to reproduce, unable to find the person destined for me until now. Eduardo proved that there are mates to be found among the werewolves. She took the change, so she lived past his bite, but the mating bite she gave him changed him as well. He is no longer a vampire like us, he is alive in a way we aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s a hybrid?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know all he is yet, but we have proven he has viable sperm. He will be able to have a family, children, a legacy. Do you have any idea how much I would give for that? Who among you does not regret the part of the change that took that away from them forever?¡± I could see them thinking. ¡°Only a fool would reject that.¡±


    ¡°Then a fool I must be, because I¡¯d rather die than live with these¡­ these monsters you have created.¡±


    ¡°We are the monsters, Vincent.¡± He stared at him, then the other two Masters, then the men behind them. ¡°The Masters came here as part of arger n to take over the Council, a n that has failed miserably. The attack on the Sulphur River Pack has been repulsed and Master Snow has been captured. The attack on the Vampire Council has also failed, all but a few of them are dead and those that fled the area will be tracked down and killed before sunrise. You lost the element of surprise, and now you face two of the strongest Vampires in existence and a Hybrid who is the match of a young Master. If any of you kneel before me and pledge your loyalty to the Council, you will not be destroyed with the others.¡±


    ¡°He LIES,¡± Master Hermann said.


    He motioned to one of the men, who brought my phone forward so he could hold it out. ¡°Chief Enforcer Randall Meechum, another hybrid, is with us right now. Randall, what¡¯s the status?¡±


    ¡°The bodies have been bagged and we¡¯re into cleanup,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve managed the humans, but the pool table and bar area are pretty much toast now. Hey, let me get someone for you.¡±


    The next voice was Master Jarrod¡¯s. ¡°Ah, I see you have people over as well. Our guests could not stay long. As you can see, they couldn¡¯t hold things together.¡± Iter found out they had stacked the heads of the vampires and had shown that to Master Vincent and the others.


    ¡°Well, we shouldn¡¯t keep our guests waiting, it¡¯s rude to talk on the phone and not include them. I¡¯ll call you in a few minutes, this won¡¯t take long,¡± Niki said. He handed the phone back. ¡°You¡¯ve lost, Vincent.¡±


    It was the men behind himing to give themselves up that triggered the battle. An enraged Hermann decapitated one, and we were on the enemy like a duck on a June bug.


    Vincent barely got his hands up to stop Niki¡¯s attack, and I lost view of their battle as I rushed towards Master Hermann. He shed towards my neck, a move I expected and blocked with my left forearm. He didn¡¯t expect the speed of my reaction to match his, and wasn¡¯t ready for my right hand as I dropped down. My hybrid ws shed across his stomach, slicing four long furrows across his suit and into his stomach muscles.


    His eyes shed in anger as I jumped back, avoiding his left hand. I moved to my right, knowing my Enforcers and allied Vampires would have my nk. I focused on Hermann as the room exploded in an orgy of blood and body parts.


    He attacked with the confidence of a man who considered himself superior to me, thinking my size and sex would be a huge disadvantage. I smiled as I avoided the best he had, and he was bing frustrated. Unlike him, I had been fighting vampires and werewolves for years, and Marceline was more of a challenge than he was. With every attack, I used my lightning-fast counters to draw blood. I had a few deep cuts, while he was bleeding in dozens of ces.


    The room was suddenly quiet, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him. I could see Niki and Leonardo standing behind him as the remaining defenders circled us. I could sense Hermann¡¯s fear as he realized he was the only one left. I shifted back to my normal form so I could talk. ¡°You underestimated me, just like the others, and that is why you will die.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t personal, Talia. I did what I had to do.¡±


    ¡°So will I.¡± He lunged for me and I stepped under his attack, using my left arm to swing around his chest as Iunched myself onto his back. My legs wrapped around his hips while my right hand stabbed into his neck from behind. A w punched through the base of his head and into his brain stem. He lost control of his body and started to fall before I could pull my hand away. He was dead, but I made sure. Slicing across his neck, I severed his head and kicked it aside.


    Standing up, I heard a slow p building as Master Niki and the others saluted me. I looked around; the attackers were all dead along with a half-dozen of our side. Five vampires were on their knees, hands over their head, having given up when the fight started. In the corner, two Enforcers and one vampire were sitting, their wounds being tended by the others. ¡°It¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Niki said.


    ¡°Good, now someone get a shirt on my Mate before I lose my shit here,¡± I heard from my phone.


    ¡°They know I¡¯m yours,¡± I said as I walked to a cab by the door. Shifting and losing clothes wasmon, so many rooms had a cab with spares. I pulled a long T-shirt over my body then walked to the phone. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

 Tomah Pack Safe Room

    The door to the safe room had been opened, and Brent rushed out and embraced me. ¡°You should have let me fight,¡± he said.


    ¡°My job is to protect you, even from yourself,¡± I said.


    ¡°Baby, I¡¯ll call you back when things calm down, we¡¯ve got some cleanup here too.¡± I closed the conference and checked on my Enforcers. When thest had been sent to Medical with the doctors, Brent ordered me to follow. ¡°Why? I¡¯m going to be fine, it¡¯s just some shes.¡±


    ¡°Humor me,¡± he said. ¡°And if you can¡¯t do that, it¡¯s an order. We¡¯ve got plenty of people who can take care of this mess.¡±


    I reluctantly walked to the Clinic, my Vampire healing closing the wounds as I waited my turn. Patty came to sit with me and we started to talk about my wedding ns. ¡°Have you picked a date?¡±


    ¡°Mom, he¡¯s not even asked me to marry him yet!¡±


    She waved her hand. ¡°He mated you and he got you a ring, I bet you¡¯re wearing it within a day of him returning to you.¡± She was probably right; Randall was one of those ¡®know what you want and get it¡¯ types. ¡°Just don¡¯t wait too long.¡±


    ¡°You know there are plenty of other sons and daughters who are newly mated, you don¡¯t have to pressure me to give you grandchildren.¡±


    She just smiled as the Doctor approached. ¡°Please sit and remove your shirt, Chief Enforcer,¡± she said. I walked into the exam room as Patty said something in her ear. She smiled and came in, closing the door behind her. She cleaned the blood off, amazed that the deep cuts had already scabbed over. Testing my range of motion, she found the muscle was already healing as much as a werewolf would in two days. ¡°Well, at this rate you¡¯ll be fine by morning.¡± I could have told her that, vampire healing rocked. ¡°Now give me a sample, the bathroom is through there,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°This is as close to a physical as I¡¯ve been able to give you since you arrived, and I am responsible for your medical care.¡±


    I took the cup and went to the bathroom, filling it before bringing it back out and washing up. She pulled out a test from a drawer and my eyes bugged out. ¡°Is that a¡­¡±


    ¡°Pregnancy test. You¡¯re newly mated, so you¡¯re sexually active?¡±


    ¡°And adventurous,¡± I said.


    ¡°With only two female hybrids, I intend to monitor you closely to see if your body works differently than a normal werewolf female when ites to heats and reproduction. Have you felt any symptoms of a heating on? Restlessness, night sweats, excessive sexual arousal?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°No physical symptoms, and if you saw my mate you¡¯d understand it¡¯s anything but excessive.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to start a family, you should think of using birth control. You are young and healthy, so you have a good chance if¡­¡± Her timer beeped, and we both looked down at the test.


    A faint plus sign showed in the panel. I was pregnant.


    *******


    Ania¡¯s POVContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± I leaned back into Bobby¡¯s chest as we sat at theptop in the security section of our safe room. The entire Pack had been in here all night due to the threats of Vampire attacks. Bobby and I had been sitting in the room all night with the warriors. Two were constantly monitoring the cameras and motion sensors, and we were trying to keep up with what was happening elsewhere.


    I had felt helpless, and I hated that feeling.


    ¡°We think so,¡± Chairman Brent said. ¡°The rebel vampire attacks on the two Councils and the Sulphur River Pack failed, and we have no reports of other attacks. Chairman Niki isying down thew to the remaining Covens right now.¡± He was making it very clear that any Vampire who vited the peace he had made would be eliminated, them and their Coven. ¡°We¡¯re still cleaning up from the attack here. What I¡¯d like to do is get all of the Packs together at 0600 Eastern time on a videoconference. We¡¯ve got a lot to catch up on.¡±


    ¡°We can handle making the calls for you, I¡¯m sure you have lots of other stuff to do,¡± Bobby said. It was just over an hour away. ¡°Is it safe to leave the room yet?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that until sunrise, just to be sure,¡± he said. ¡°I have to go. Love you guys, talk to you soon.¡±


    ¡°Love you Dad,¡± Bobby said, then the video call ended. We went to work immediately, sending out a st email to all the Alphas and Betas in North America, then following up with phone calls. It would have been easier if we had Council members for each region, but those elections were yet to happen. We finished in time to freshen up and grab a snack, then we put the conference on theptop screen in front of us. The conference was being sent to monitors in the main area, so the whole Pack could watch, but only the two of us would be able to talk.


    ¡°Good morning Alphas,¡± Brent started. ¡°This isn¡¯t how I imagined my first day as Chairman would y out, but things have happened quickly. With me here in Council Headquarters are Vampire Council Chair Niki, Vampire Master Leonardo, and Werewolf Council Chief Enforcer Talia Meechum. Yesterday, the two Masters arrived at our Council Headquarters at the invitation of the former Chair, Talia.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to show the Vampire leadership that we were taking strong actions to root out the corruption and illegal experimentation on captured vampires,¡± Talia said. ¡°This was key to securing the peace, a peace that our new Chairman sealed in blood a few hours ago. It was not a peace that all Covens agreed with, and some of them rebelled against their own Council. We were attackedst night by three of them.¡±


    There was outrage among the Alphas, attacking our Council was a deration of war. Brent held his hand up and waited for quiet. ¡°The attacks were not against us directly. They were aimed at toppling the Vampire Council members here today so the peace talks would copse. That did not happen, because our vampire allies fought side by side with our Enforcers to hold them off. The attack was not without casualties; many fell in our defense.¡±


    Chairman Niki leaned forward. ¡°The Covens that did this are gone, destroyed. The Vampire Council wants peace, and our Covens are in agreement now. We will not be the ones to dishonor the sacrifices made to bring this about.¡±


    One of the West Coast Alphas interrupted. ¡°Mr. Charmain, wasn¡¯t part of the issue the Hybrids that the Vampires created? What is happening with them?¡± I felt my wolfing forward, now they were talking about my sister.


    ¡°The hybrids are a new thing, and both Councils are unsure as to what it all means for our kinds,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°We have only one who was created without extenuating circumstances, and that was Talia here four years ago,¡± Niki said. ¡°The most sacred thing among Werewolves is the mating bond; Randall was Talia¡¯s mate, and her bite is fatal to Werewolves, so Randall was changed to be like her. The real shock was with Erica. When she found her mate in a Vampire, it shook our worldview.¡± He paused to gather himself. ¡°Vampires might find love, they may change their love so they don¡¯t grow old, but we don¡¯t have mates. Yet, Eduardo found his with a werewolf, our historical enemies. She had to be changed to mate with him, and to our shock, he changed when he mated with her. The two things that are part of the Vampire ¡®curse¡¯ were the inability to be in the sun and the loss of our ability to procreate. The dead cannot sire the living, that is what we have always known.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± an East Coast Alpha said. ¡°You mean this mating cured those two things?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Eduardo is no longer like me or the other Vampires, he is something more. He hasn¡¯t lost his Vampire characteristics, but he is now a Daywalker with viable sperm. He is the evolution of our kind, just as Erica is the evolution of yours. The Vampire Council and the Covens are aware of the implications for both our kinds. We know that we may find mates among your kind, and you may find your matches among ours. Mated pairs have always been the way to build bridges. There isn¡¯t a Vampire out there who isn¡¯t filled with hope that they may find what Eduardo has found.¡±


    ¡°Imagine, a whole poption of adults who might find their mates in Werewolves,¡± Brent continued. ¡°We have to help them find each other.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to allow for werewolves to be hybrids if they volunteer,¡± Alpha John of Thief River Falls asked. ¡°We have seen how strong Talia became, there is not an Alpha among us who does not want that power.¡±


    ¡°I wish it was that easy,¡± Niki said. ¡°Only a Vampire Master can do the change, and if you talk to any of the hybrids, they will tell you the change is incredibly painful. The Vampire Council has forbidden making any future hybrids until we know more.¡±


    This didn¡¯t calm the Alphas, who respected power about all else. Having a young female be the Alpha Killer was intolerable to them. ¡°CHAIRMAN NIKOLAI, a moment please,¡± Kimberly said from the Sulphur River Pack House, Erica sitting next to her. ¡°There is one more Hybrid you are not aware of.¡±

 Any Other Casualties?..

    Everyone got quiet. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°My mate, Dusty Meechum,¡± she said to gasps. ¡°Inst night¡¯s attack, my mate stood alone against the Vampires that attacked. The leader, Master Snow, bit him in an attempt to give up the location of our father and the other hybrids. Erica arrived before he died, she and the New Orleans Coven taking out the Master and his people.¡±


    ¡°If you killed him, how is Dusty being changed,¡± Niki asked.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill him, but he doesn¡¯t have arms and his teeth are gone,¡± Erica said. ¡°The only way to save Dusty from the venom was to change him. I used him to start the change in Dusty.¡± The precise method wasn¡¯tmon knowledge, and she wasn¡¯t going to let on what happened. ¡°When he survives the change, I¡¯ll need a Master to change Kimberly so his mating bites won¡¯t kill her.¡±


    ¡°Any other casualties, Alpha Kimberly?¡±


    ¡°Everyone else withdrew to the safe room and with the New Orleans Coven¡¯s help, no one else died.¡± She paused as she looked offscreen. ¡°I owe my mate¡¯s life to Erica and Eduardo and Anastasia. They are true friends to the Sulphur River Pack.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± He waited to see if there were any other questions, then continued. ¡°For an update on the attack on Vampire Council headquarters, Chief Enforcer Randall Meechum is on the call. Randall?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Chairman Niki. The Vampire Council Headquarters were attackedst night by three Covens. I arrived in the middle of the attack, when the third sublevel had been taken over and they were cutting through the stairwell door. I was able to slip in behind, and the diversion allowed the remaining Vampires to counterattack. The attackers have been wiped out, even those who fled have been killed now.¡±


    ¡°Casualties must have been high,¡± Chairman Brent said.


    ¡°We lost a lot of good men in this war,¡± he said. ¡°Master Edith was killed in the fight, but Masters Jarrod and Lukaku survived. The fighting was intense.¡±


    ¡°We will not allow their sacrifices to be in vain,¡± Chairman Niki said. ¡°Now that the crisis is over, I will be returning to New York to oversee the recovery while your Chief Enforcer can return here.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Elections will take ceter today for the positions on the Werewolf Council,¡± Brent said. ¡°Regions are to report the results to me by 2000 Eastern time. Instation will happen in two days at moonrise. I¡¯d continue this until all questions have been answered, but I¡¯ve been up for almost forty hours now and we need to rest.¡±


    ¡°We have all had a long night,¡± another Alpha said. ¡°Our problems will still be there when we awake. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the update and thank you, Chairman Niki, for having the courage to achieve this peace.¡±


    With that, the conference ended. I closed the window on myptop and turned to look at Bobby. ¡°Your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong, he¡¯ll make it through the change,¡± Bobby said. ¡°We should talk to your sister, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She picked up her phone and called Talia. ¡°Sis, should I be worried about Dusty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie. He¡¯s going to go through hell in this change but there¡¯s nothing you can do to help him. Erica is there, his Pack as well. I¡¯ve already talked to Randall and Jarrod, we¡¯re going to head down there in two days to help. When you first wake up from the change, it can go bad quickly. We can make sure he is all right.¡±


    ¡°And Jarrod can change Kimberly.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll stay until she is stable as well. Dad is going to stay here, and Mom is going home to help. Just be warned, if you go down there, you¡¯ll be swept up in wedding nning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even engaged yet!¡±


    Taliaughed. ¡°Me either, but he¡¯s not going to be here until tonight. At least I know I¡¯ll like the ring when he finally gets down on his knee.¡±


    ¡°All right, we have to go. The Pack awaits.¡± I closed the call and got off Bobby¡¯sp. We had a Pack to release from the safe rooms and get back to normal.


    Kimberly¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack House


    I released everyone back to normal duties, and many went straight to bed. I asked the kitchen staff to prepare a light breakfast for those who would be staying up, but to focus on a big dinner tonight. We wouldn¡¯t celebrate the victory, at least not until it was over.


    I called Master Niki to ask him what I should do with Master Snow. Without blood, he could not heal and regenerate his lost limbs. ¡°Stake him out for the sunrise,¡± the Council chair said. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to deal with back in New York, and they were all warned.¡± I called two warriors, who carried him outside, him promising death and retribution the whole way.


    ¡°Put him on the pile with the rest of the garbage to be burned,¡± I said. After I made sure the Pack was taken care of, I went outside where the younger Baldwin boys, Matt and Lucas, had collected my Beta¡¯s remains had been collected in a box. Bull had fought valiantly, the dead vampires showed that, and they had torn him to pieces. ¡°Prepare him for the pyre,¡± I said as I touched his hair ¡°He died bravely and with honor.¡±


    He¡¯d been a constant in our lives, ever since I found my mate and came to this Pack. He was a good man and I will miss him. I went back inside and made the call to the Copper Mountain Pack. Terry Baldwin was going to be on the next flight down so he could be at the funeral.


    ¡°Alpha, I need you in Medical immediately,¡± the Pack Doctor sent. My heart dropped, the only person there was my mate. I ran down there, and beyond the open door I could see Dusty seizing up. The Doctor was struggling to keep him from hurting himself as his body fought the restraints. ¡°His fever is too high,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s going to damage his brain. Get an ice bath ready immediately,¡± she said.


    The attached bathroom had a shower, but one of the nearby guest rooms had a tub. I called the kitchen, telling them to bring ice, while I filled it with cold water. Eduardo and Erica carried his unconscious body in just before they arrived with bags of ice. He was out of it, but the seizure had stopped. ¡°Pour it in and go get more,¡± I told the Omegas as they dumped the ice over his body. He was burning up. ¡°Is this normal?¡±


    ¡°A fever, yes, but not like this.¡±


    The Doctor looked at Erica. ¡°Call your Master, I need to know what else to expect.¡± She got him on the phone and put it on speaker; Doc gave the history of the symptoms so far.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± he said. ¡°None of the others had that high a fever.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible we didn¡¯t use enough blood?¡± I was wondering if I had killed Snow too early.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Marceline and I will head your way immediately, I just have to arrange transport. I will call you with an arrival time, it will be during the day so we¡¯ll be traveling by coffin.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready.¡± I stayed with my mate, using a washcloth to cool his face and head. His temperature turned, finally below 106 degF again, and she let go a sigh of relief. ¡°He¡¯s good?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a long way from good, but at least he isn¡¯t getting worse. Keep the iceing.¡±


    The morning stretched into afternoon; his fever would abate, thene back with a vengeance. Eduardo and Erica had to restrain him when he started to seize again, while I kept his head above water. His screams of agony echoed through the building.


    The third time his temperature spiked, it didn¡¯te back down. His seizures stopped, I felt him shudder and rx, then he slumped down. I felt his bond tear from me, the pain was unbearable. ¡°GET HIM OUT AND ON THE FLOOR,¡± she yelled. They did. ¡°Start CPR, I¡¯ll be back with the crash cart.¡±


    I watched as Erica started chestpressions. All I could do was hold my hands to his cheeks and beg him toe back. I prayed, begging Luna to send him back. ¡°Where is Jarrod?¡±


    ¡°On the helicopter, we¡¯re twenty minutes out,¡± the escort said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have twenty minutes.¡±


    They alternated doing CPR as Doc furiously tried to restart his heart. Shocking, adrenalin, nothing worked. ¡°Stop CPR,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s over.¡±


    I copsed into the corner, unable to function without my mate. I could hear the helicopternding, but my loss made it mean nothing.

 Can’t Wait Forever

    Eduardo¡¯s POV


    Outside the Sulphur River Pack House


    I had been in contact with Jarrod before theynded at the airport. There was no time to waste, the Pack had felt the Alpha bond break and were in grief. Randall had traveled with the Jarrod and Marceline and supervised the coffins as they were transferred to the helicopter.


    Standing in the clearing past the training facility, I watched as the aircraft hovered thennded in the circle that had been hastily painted on thewn. I had a dozen men with me and two trucks, to unload the coffins and their precious cargo. Randall didn¡¯t even say hi as he took off running for the house, a small cooler in his hand.


    As soon as they touched down, two teams of six ran bent over to the doors. Pulling out the coffins, they carried them back to the pick-up trucks and loaded them up. By the time the helicopter was taking off again, we were already moving to the house.


    We unloaded and carried them inside and down the stairs to the basement and into the clinic area. There weren¡¯t windows in this area near the safe room, so we were able to let them out of the transport coffins. ¡°He¡¯s this way,¡± I said.


    We joined the small crowd in the exam room where Dusty¡¯s bodyy on the table, devoid of life. Kimberly was sitting in the corner, daughters Opal and Sandy wrapped around her as she sobbed uncontrobly. Randall was working with Doc, hanging a bag of blood from the IV stand. A momentter, the needle was in Dusty¡¯s arm. Randall gently squeezed the blood through the tube and therge-bore needle, forcing his blood into the body.


    ¡°How long until we know,¡± I asked him quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°It¡¯s not like there is an instruction manual for this.¡±


    The Doc cleared the room so we could talk to Kimberly alone. ¡°I wish you had gotten here earlier,¡± she said as she wiped the tears from her face. She saw the bag hooked up and Randall squeezing it. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The fact that his heart has stopped may not mean he ispletely gone,¡± Jarrod said. ¡°He was bitten first, then given the blood. The venom and the blood are fighting each other, one to kill him, one to change him. My hope is that my blood can tip the bnce.¡±


    She had the girls get up and she moved over to Jarrod as the girls went to Uncle Randall. ¡°It can¡¯t make him any more dead, I guess.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The other reason is the blood you used was from a younger vampire. Snow was a titr Master because he was head of his Coven, but he¡¯s half my age. With agees power. We know that using blood from too young a vampire will not work, but we don¡¯t have enough information to say exactly where the break point is.¡±


    No one said anything as we waited; Randall joined his sister-inw¡¯s hug as the blood bag emptied and the needle was removed. None of us knew if it would work, and there was nothing to do but wait.


    Ten minutes turned to twenty, then thirty.


    There was a gasp as Dusty suddenly took a breath, his body jerking as it suddenly restarted. Doc saw the heart monitore back to life as Kimberly grabbed his hand. ¡°Pulse is forty, blood pressure 70 over 40 and rising,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Will he be all right?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Doc said. ¡°Between the fever and the long time with no oxygen, if it wasn¡¯t for the vampire blood he would be brain dead long ago.¡±


    Kimberly leaned over, kissing him on the lips as her hand squeezed his. ¡°Come back to me, baby.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    His girls climbed up on the bed, begging him to open his eyes, and then he did. ¡°DADDY,¡± Sandy squealed when she saw him.


    ¡°My girls,¡± he whispered. He winced in pain, closing his eyes again. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been dead for almost an hour,¡± Kimberly said as she hugged him tight. ¡°Don¡¯t do that to me again!¡±


    His lucidity was short lived as his body heated up and the pain returned. His unconsciousness relieved his pain. ¡°He¡¯s going to be out of it for three days,¡± Jarrod said.


    She looked at her mate, her face showed a wide range of feelings. ¡°The mate bond is still gone. I felt it break when he died, I can¡¯t feel it anymore. The Pack bond isn¡¯t there either. He¡¯s back, but he¡¯s not back with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, Kimberly. When he finishes the change, we can see what we need to do.¡±


    ¡°Do you still feel the mating pull towards him,¡± Randall asked.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my mate, my wolf knows it but she¡¯s not getting anything back. She won¡¯t calm down, she can see him but still behaves like she lost him. It¡¯s like he lost his wolf.¡±


    ¡°He might have, but remember what happened to Tania,¡± Randall said. ¡°Her wolf was gone, but a part lived in her mate and she got her back after they mated. Perhaps you just have to mate with him again to restore everything. He did die before he came back.¡± It was all too much to think of.


    Jarrod looked at the exhausted family members. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and the girls get some sleep, I¡¯ll watch over him with my Coven.¡±


    She was exhausted, but she shook her head. ¡°No, I have to be here, in case¡­¡±


    ¡°You need to take care of yourself and your family, Kimberly. If anything changes, Erica wille get you. He will be well cared for while you sleep.¡±


    She was Alpha, he wasn¡¯t Pack, but he was right. She thought about it for a moment. ¡°The girls and I will get some food, then we¡¯re going to stay in the guest room across the hall,¡± she said.


    ¡°Erica will help you,¡± he said. She picked up Sandy and took Opal¡¯s hand, leading them out. Jarrod and I settled in, watching as Dusty¡¯s change continued. We monitored the symptoms as they returned to what we expected from our changes; his fever, the pain and the moving in and out of consciousness.


    The rest of the family started arriving that afternoon. I had never had a family like this; my father had left while I was a baby. My Mom was a drunk, more interested in her fuck buddies and her booze to care about me. Computers had been my savior; I was gifted with them and I fell in with some other kids in school. I spent all my free time learning and hacking and used my knowledge to make my own money. It was only after I had been caught trying to burrize Jarrod¡¯s mansion, and saw how his Coven worked, that I found out what a family was.


    Everyone had dropped everything when the news of Dusty¡¯s death was received. The fact that he was revived an hourter didn¡¯t change anything, they were already on the way. Das, Vivian and Austin plus his sister Denise shared a flight with Matt and Lucas Baldwin from Denver. Jacque took a flight to Madison so he could take his new spot as the Beta of the Tomah Pack, allowing Bobby and Tania to return. Brent had to stay at the Council until the new Council members were sworn in, but Patty and Talia flew down from Pittsburgh. Kimberly¡¯s parents and her younger sister flew in from their Pack in Kalispell, Montana.


    The Alpha and her daughters woke just before five, and immediately went to check on Dusty. He was still doing well, considering how traumatic the process was. Jarrod sent them upstairs after a short visit when Opal¡¯s stomach started to growl. They were shocked to see everyone waiting for them around the dinner table.


    Randall¡¯s POV


    The mood at dinner was somber; at moonrise we would send Beta Bull to the heavens. It was good to see everyone, but the circumstances sucked. Kimberly put on a brave face. She was Alpha and couldn¡¯t break down no matter how much she wanted to.


    The entire Pack gathered in the ceremonial area after sundown. The pyre had been built, and his body had been wrapped and ced upon it. His sons had taken care to find even the smallest of his remains. His face was covered with the white cloth. Kimberly and her children led the procession, each personying a flower, a photo or a trinket on the pyre before saying a prayer and moving on. His sons werest, each taking a moment to say their goodbyes. Rita, the eldest Pack member, blessed him and asked the Moon Goddess to ept his spirit.


    The three boys put ming torches into the dry kindling at the base of the pyre and then stepped back. The pyre caught quickly, the mes soon reaching twenty feet into the sky. I looked up, seeing a shooting star move under the moon. It was a good omen.


    The boys would remain until the fire was gone so they could gather the ashes. I walked away, hand in hand with Talia as she talked with her sister and Erica. ¡°Are you guys tired or do you want to go for a run?¡±


    ¡°I could really use a run,¡± Erica said as she looked at Eduardo.


    Phillip had fallen asleep on Tania¡¯s shoulder, and with a nce Patricia took her new grandson from her. ¡°Oh my Goddess yes,¡± Tania said. ¡°My wolf is dying to get out after everything that has happened.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too much? You haven¡¯t slept much,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep now anyway,¡± Talia said. ¡°Come on.¡± We moved into the woods, taking off our clothes and cing them in some boxes ced there for that purpose. I shifted into my wolf, Talia next to me, and we nuzzled each other before moving out. Tania¡¯s wolf looked much healthier than thest time I saw her, and Bobby was as attentive as always. Eduardo didn¡¯t have a wolf, but he had vampire speed and would easily keep up. I set a fast pace as we ran to the west, making a wide turn as we closed on our destination.


    Eduardo zipped forward, opening the gate for us at the end of the heavily wooded draw with rocky cliffs on each side. We reached the pool, the waterfall glowing in the shine of the three-quarter moon, and leaped off the rock into the spring-fed cool water.


    I shifted and turned to Talia, who surfaced by me. ¡°This ce is amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you show me this before?¡±


    ¡°Bobby and Talia needed it more than us,¡± I said. I looked over, they had swum over to a rock and she was kissing him, their heads just visible in the shadows. Erica and Eduardo had moved under the waterfall, yfully sshing each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    We swam for a while before Bobby decided we should all jump together from the top of the falls. ¡°Really,¡± Erica asked.


    ¡°It will be fun,¡± he said. We pulled ourselves out of the water and we followed Bobby and Tania to the top. The boxes were where I had a friend stash them, and I handed them out while the girls were looking over the edge at the dark pool below. They were giggling and pointing until they realized something was going on.


    Turning, they found the three of us kneeling, each with a ring in our fingers. ¡°I love you, my mate. Will you marry me,¡± we said in unison.


    ¡°YES!¡± The three girls squealed as we put the rings on their fingers that we had picked out after their return from the ind. I put her tungsten ring with the cobalt blue iy on her finger and whispered the spell. It would onlye off if she intentionally removed it, and it would disappear in wolf form.


    We sat together, and eventually Talia turned to me. ¡°I know I wanted romance, and this was romantic and unexpected, but why now?¡±


    The other girls were listening. ¡°We all want to marry our mates, but getting our families together is bing increasingly difficult as we take over Packs and the Council. We thought that if we went into town tomorrow and got our licenses, we could do the ceremony after Dusty wakes up and Dad is able toe here.¡±


    ¡°Three weddings, one big party,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°And we don¡¯t want to wait around forever, we want you to be legally ours, not just with the mating bond,¡± Eduardo said.


    ¡°What about our Pack,¡± Tania said. ¡°They should be involved.¡±

 Only Werewolves and Vampires

    ¡°We can have a reception there when we get back home,¡± Bobby said. ¡°It would be good to invite our allies once we are settled.¡± Marriage was not as big in the werewolf world, but it was important for legal reasons and dealing with humans.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t mentioned the best part,¡± Bobby said. The girls looked at him. ¡°Mom will only have two days to drive you nuts with her nning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal,¡± Talia said with augh. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take the plunge.¡± We stood together on the ledge and jumped, holding hands the whole way down.


    Talia¡¯s POV


    Sulphur River Pack Lands


    ¡°We should go back,¡± Randall said as I clung to him in the neck-deep water. ¡°In the morning we can go into town and register for our marriage licenses.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Tania is itching to spend more time with her boy, I can tell. Mom doesn¡¯t mind, she loves having time with them, but she¡¯s been away too long.¡± I got Bobby¡¯s attention and gestured towards home, he nodded. ¡°We¡¯re heading back in,¡± I said loud enough for them to hear over the waterfall.


    Eduardo looked at his mate, then shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re going hunting, we need some blood. We don¡¯t need the sleep anyway.¡± Vampires didn¡¯t have to sleep at all, and as hybrids we were finding we could get by with an hour or two a day. It was fine with me.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to let Randall sleep much.


    ¡°Coming,¡± Bobby said as he carried Tania to the rock. Lifting her up, she shifted back into her wolf and waited for him to do the same. Randall and I got out, shaking off the water before shifting. We followed the pair back to our clothes, then went back inside.


    It waste, and many had gone to sleep already. We showered quickly then got into bed. ¡°You tired?¡±


    ¡°Relieved,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t like being apart from you when people are in danger. I couldn¡¯t stop worrying until I finally heard from you, then we hear about Dusty and it all starts again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be better now,¡± I said as I tucked into his side. ¡°I love you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love you, and I¡¯m going to love you right proper tonight,¡± he said with a smirk. He pulled me close, kissing me passionately before moving down to my breasts. I never thought of them as anything special, I was too athletic to have cleavage. He didn¡¯t care, his big hands took hold of them and I moaned in pleasure as his tongue hit my swollen nipple. He kept his hands busy with them as his mouth moved lower, kissing the ridges of my stomach before settling between my legs.


    ¡°Oh Luna that¡¯s good,¡± I said as he took a long lick, his wide tongue pushing my lips aside. I was waiting for him to reach my clit when he froze. I looked down, my fingers in his hair, and tried to pull him to where I wanted him to go. He stared at my needy pussy with his mouth open in shock before his eyes met mine. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Oh shit. I should have known, but I wasn¡¯t nning to tell anyone until his father arrived. ¡°I was trying to figure out how to tell you,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s still really early, the Doctor figured it out when I was being checked after the attack.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, love.¡± I nodded, and he moved up and rolled onto his back, pulling me on top of him. ¡°We¡¯re going to be parents.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I was happy and scared and worried, and I couldn¡¯t tell for sure what he felt about it. ¡°Are you happy? We never talked about this, I¡¯m still young, we¡¯re not even married, we haven¡¯t started our new job, we haven¡¯t even LIVED together and what will everyone think and¡­¡± He pulled me into a kiss, stopping my monologue of reasons why this wasn¡¯t the best news for us. When he let me up for air, he was smiling. ¡°You¡¯re happy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thrilled, Talia. I¡¯m shocked, but this is great news. I can¡¯t wait to tell everyone.¡±


    I rxed into his arms, relieved he wasn¡¯t mad. We¡¯d never discussed birth control or when we wanted kids, we just mated and enjoyed each other. I thought I was all right because I didn¡¯t go into heat, but who knew what the normal was for a hybrid? ¡°Maybe we should wait to say something, at least until I¡¯m a little farther along?¡±


    He rolled me onto the bed, propping himself up on his elbow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did the doctor say something?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just very early. I¡¯d feel better if we waited until the end of the first trimester, just to make sure we¡¯re past the dangerous part.¡± Werewolf pregnancies were rare and early miscarriages weremon. No one knew why, but it did keep the poption from growing out of control with our longer lifespans.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how you would react, and with everything else going on I thought I would wait.¡±


    He kissed me again, then moved down and kissed just below my belly button. ¡°Hey little one, it¡¯s Daddy. I can¡¯t wait to see you when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I started to cry as I watched him; he was going to be a great Dad, and I was so happy.


    I had to convince him that making love was not going to harm the baby, and he finally gave me what I needed before we fell asleep.


    I woke to a kiss, Randall was sitting on the edge of the bed and was dressed. ¡°Come on, love,¡± he said. ¡°The other girls want to make an entrance with you to the breakfast table. There¡¯s betting going on over whose ring gets noticed first.¡±


    ¡°Really? You woke me up for that?¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s worth twenty bucks, yeah. Come on, breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, then we need to go to the courthouse.¡± I rolled out of bed, showered and changed quickly and was ready to go. I looked down at my ring, I loved the design I¡¯d picked out and the other girls had made great choices too.


    We walked out of his room when Bobby knocked and said they were ready to go. Tania was jumping with excitement as I hugged her, and Erica was raring to go. ¡°Remember, no overt acts or you¡¯re disqualified,¡± Eduardo said.


    We walked down to the dining hall on the main floor of the Pack House. Breakfasts were buffet style and served for two hours to amodate different schedules. We got in line, and the smells of the food really hit me. The eggs did something to my stomach, I didn¡¯t like it and then my stomach started to flip. I ran out the doors again, pushing open thedies room door and barely made it to the stall before I threw up.


    I flushed the toilet as I sat back, trying to get my stomach to settle again. The door opened and I smelled Patriciaing in. ¡°You all right dear? Morning sickness already?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. I stood up and went to the sink, running some water and cupping my hands to wash my face. She found a paper cup and some mouthwash and handed it to me, I swished out my mouth and grabbed the sink as I spit it back out.


    ¡°OH MY LUNA WHAT A RING,¡± she yelled as she grabbed my hand. ¡°When did he propose?¡±


    ¡°Last night,¡± I told her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back out before too many questions are asked.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to know something is wrong over the bond, Talia. You need to tell him.¡±


    ¡°I did, alsost night,¡± I said. We walked back out, and a few people were gathered around. People had heard what Mom said, and then there were more squeals of happiness as Tania and Erica¡¯s rings were spotted. All the females were gathered around the three of us, while the men epted handshakes and congrattions.


    ¡°What did you boys dost night,¡± Mom said as she bounced with excitement.


    ¡°We all got engaged, we¡¯re heading to get our marriage licenses after breakfast,¡± Randall said as he pulled me into his arms. ¡°We are going to take advantage of everyone being here to pull off a triple wedding.¡±


    That shut her up.


    For about ten seconds.


    ¡°WELL GO EAT we have SO much to do have you picked out dresses and FLOWERS how will we and EAT ALREADY! We have so much to do!¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all right,¡± I said. ¡°We have lots of time to get everything nned. We have to wait until Dad is here and Dusty¡¯s change is over before we do this, so we have until moonrise tomorrow.¡±


    Her mouth dropped open, and she just looked at the six of us in shock. ¡°Tomorrow night.¡± We just nodded as we waited for her toe back to us. ¡°You expect me to put together THREE weddings in two days?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Bobby said. ¡°That¡¯ll keep you from worrying about Dusty.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to help Dusty; we know what the change involves,¡± I said. ¡°n the reception dinner and dancing, we¡¯ll take care of the ceremony.¡±


    We finally got our food and sat down with Mom, Kimberly, Vivian and Denise. Splitting out the responsibilities among them, we finished just as my pancakes were done. I looked over at Kimberly. ¡°Is Jarrod still with Dusty?¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s in and out of lucidity, the fever is still going and he¡¯s in a lot of pain. He shoulde out of it tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    I got up and gave her a hug. ¡°He¡¯s strong, it isn¡¯t fun, but he will be all right. So will you when you take the change.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Talia,¡± she whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be with you.¡± Randall and I went with her to see her mate while Bobby arranged transport. It was a long day; we got our licenses, then drove to Das to shop for dresses and get the men their suits. We weren¡¯t going to look the same, and we weren¡¯t stuck on frilly white. Only werewolves and vampires were going to be present at this ceremony, and you couldn¡¯t wear something that couldn¡¯t be pulled off easily when it was time to shift for the hunt. Satisfied with our selections and with express alterations, we were able to head home after dinner.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

 You Saved Me

    The next afternoon, Randall carried his oldest brother out to the horse corral. We warned everyone else away for safety including Kimberly, who watched from the upper floor of the Pack House. Only the hybrids and vampires were allowed to be around as Dusty came out of his change.


    The fever was gone, and when his eyes opened the pupils were ck as night, the whites of his eyes tinged with the red of bloodlust. Fangs descended as he searched for the scent of the fresh blood. We had cut the side of a sheep tied to the fence, and in a sh Dusty was on it. His fangs bit into the animals neck and he pulled deeply at the warm blood. ¡°You made it, Dusty. You¡¯re like me now,¡± he said. ¡°Just rx and fill yourself with the blood, it will calm you down.¡±


    It took a few minutes for him to drain the animal and for his vampire nature to be satisfied. Jarrod and I ran him through some exercises to get him familiar with his new capabilities. ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel my wolf,¡± he asked.


    I told him our theories about how his being bitten first, and his human body dying, might have affected things. ¡°Your wolf mighte back on his own, or you might be like Tania and Kimberly could bite you and get him back. We¡¯ll have to see what happens.¡±


    He nodded, looking around with his new senses. ¡°I¡¯m alive,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s better than I had expected.¡± He looked over at Jarrod. ¡°I¡¯m starving, do you think I¡¯m safe?¡±


    Jarrod exined the early signs of bloodlust and how to maintain control. ¡°For the next week, a vampire or hybrid is going to be with you at all times to help you adjust and make sure everyone is safe.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± We walked him back towards the house, and Kimberly and his children ran out to meet him.


    That night, the back of the Pack House had been transformed with lights and flowers into a magical setting for a triple wedding. ¡°You ready to go,¡± Jarrod asked me.


    I nodded. We had drawn straws, and I was going out first with Jarrod giving me away. I stepped out of the house, walking along the path to the stage where our mates were waiting. I was wearing a sheer silver halter dress that clung to my chest, then molded around my stomach and hips before ending at mid-thigh. The halter left my toned back and shoulders exposed, and a slit in the side would give him a sh of leg as I walked. Erica was next, she had picked a light blue mermaid-style off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her figure. Alpha rk hade down from La Crosse to give her away. Finally, Tania came out in ck dress with crystals sewn into the bodice and along the side. She was looking healthy now, and radiated happiness as Brent walked her down the aisle.


    Our men were waiting, dressed in suits with ties that matched our dresses. Elder Mildred Childress was performing the marriage, made legal by a mail-order ordination she¡¯d gotten decades earlier. I hugged Jarrod, then he put my hand in Randall¡¯s as we faced each other.


    The ceremony flew by, the vows were repeated, and the rings exchanged. I barely noticed the crowd as we kissed after being pronounced husband and wife.


    The party went well into the night, and I was shocked at the number of guests that had shown up. The Texas packs were well represented, but they weren¡¯t alone. The Wisconsin Packs, especially Tomah and La Crosse, had many of their members show up. The new Werewolf Council and the remaining Vampire Council members were all here,bining the wedding with their first joint meeting. It was wild.


    I was sitting at our table while Randall went to get me some water when Tania sat down in myp. ¡°How are you doing,¡± I asked.


    She was crying as she looked out over the party. ¡°I never dreamed I¡¯d be this happy,¡± she said as I hugged her. ¡°I would have died if you hadn¡¯t found me. Thank you for not giving up on me. You saved my life.¡±


    ¡°You saved me too, sis. I was full of anger and had nothing else to live for. You gave me a reason to go on. Now look at how our lives turned out.¡±


    She wiped her face and leaned into me. ¡°I love you, Talia. The only way life could be better would be if you were pregnant too.¡±


    I looked at her, she looked at me, and then we hugged each other again as we celebrated.


    The End.


    ****************


    TO you my reader, thank you so much for supporting my work and making it this far. I hope you really enjoyed my story.. Still interested in reading more epic and thrilling werewolf stories, I will humbly suggest that you check out the next chapter. This next sequel ofptions contains a plethora of hot sizzling werewolf erotic romance stories that will keep you on the edge of your SEAT.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    It¡¯s going to be very much interesting and I hope you would love it.


    *******


    it¡¯s your votes, gifts andments that make writing stories fun. Without your feedback it wouldn¡¯t be worth it to post my stories here. Please, VOTE and/or make a public COMMENT.


    Support my work and be nice.


    Thanks

 ADRIANA BECOMES A WEREWOLF

    NEW STORY TITLE: ADRIANA BECOMES A WEREWOLF (EROTICA)


    A vige girl falls in love with a werewolf and the unexpected urs.


    Read and enjoy¡­


    *************


    Prologue


    Ulfr was a pure-blooded werewolf from the Forest Mountain. He was arge man, tall and muscr, ck hair falling in thick locks over his shoulders. He was one of the most powerful of his kind, and leader of his Pack, an Alpha.


    ¡®Damn the woman!¡¯ Ulfr cursed miserably under his breath.


    He gazed at the petite, slender female who tormented him through the window. The female produced a scent identical to the females in his pack and she wasn¡¯t even aware of it!


    Adriana saw him through the window and he waved to her.


    Without waving back, she pouted her lips and walked away. Ulfr was speechless. He could not decide if he was amused or insulted by her unsympathetic dismissal. As leader of his Pack, he was ustomed to attracting a female¡¯s interest. His looks were above average. Ulfr was not a vain man, but it was rare for anyone to ignore him.


    ¡®Damnit! Now she¡¯ll never talk to me again.¡¯ He raked his fingers through his hair and spun away from the window.


    Despite his superior strength and ability he was hopeless at courting her. This female was defiant and strong-willed by nature. That¡¯s what turned him on all the more. None of the females in his Pack would¡¯ve had the spirit to challenge him. Then again she wasn¡¯t from his Pack.


    In fact she was a pure human female and that was the problem.


    He closed his eyes and remembered the episode which made her upset with him.


    It had started well enough. Her hot, silky tongue invaded his mouth to spar with his. She¡¯d liked it, because Ulfr had smelled her scent pooling between her legs. He suckled on her lips. Adriana liked the tasting and groping.


    Then, somehow, she had managed to awaken the werewolf in him. It was that bizarre sound rumbling in his chest, something like a growl. Another sensation eclipsed his arousal. Fear verging on panic.


    He pulled his mouth free from hers, wrenched her hands off him and whirled around. His fangs had elongated and his eyes had changed. With his back to her, he trembled, his fists curling and uncurling as the ws grew bigger.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± He breathed frightened with every hoarse breath.


    She struggled to catch her own breath. Atst she spoke: ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer or turn around but only ran away to the safety of the mountain.


    For a second he blushed with self-disdain at the memory of the only way he¡¯d managed to satisfy his werewolf was by jerking off, but his need had swiftly overwhelmed his shame. He¡¯d rubbed his cock hard and fast, his breathing strenuous as the strain intensified beyond tolerance. Ulfr continued to pump himself, roaring as his seed shot out to spill all over his belly.


    That had beenst night and although it¡¯d eased some of the sexual pressure in him he still wasn¡¯t in the clear. The transformation had scared the hell out of him!


    Throughout a werewolf¡¯s life the wolf and the human were always aware of each other without one controlling the other. The wolf would provide strength and agility while the human provided freedom, nourishment and sex. The werewolf¡¯s surfacing was something the human could control, even when the pull of the Full Moon was strong.


    It was all about maintaining the right bnce, which worked for both man and beast. The human mind was always present, preserving some control, bncing the wolf¡¯s instincts.


    ording to legend if the wolf tookplete control, the man became the passenger in the beast¡¯s mind. Nothing would stop it until it got what it wanted.


    The werewolf was the stuff they told in ancient lore and legend. A genuine werewolf was that creature which walked on two legs craving for power. Keeping the beast in control was of the maximum importance.


    A pure werewolf was extremely dangerous, because it waspletely uncontroble. He¡¯d never turned into a full werewolf form before. It had only happened a handful of times in thest century. The oue would always be bloody and violent.


    Last night, the werewolf had fought to get out and im the female as his own. It had nearly won if he hadn¡¯t bailed out on Adriana at thest minute.


    That wasn¡¯t himst night.


    He was an Alpha and an Alpha was always in control. It was his duty to the Pack to maintain discipline and not to indulge in such stupid, irresponsible behaviour. He needed to mate and soon because of the full moon in three days time.


    A good old fashioned ferocious werewolf fucking would keep him from changingpletely.


    Although mating rituals did happen between werewolves and humans they were rare. Mating amongst werewolves was intense. He could be gentle if he remembered to be, but most of his mates were perfectly content to have it rough.


    As a pure-blood Ulfr was expected to mate with another pure-blood, but not necessary obliged to do so.


    He had considered using Adriana as his mate, but he was afraid of her reaction if he got to horny to control himself like the previous night. It wasn¡¯t like he could simply walk to her and say: ¡®I¡¯m really into you cupcake and by the way I change into a werewolf whenever you y with my penis!¡±


    Adriana¡¯s scent dangerously tempted him. If she were a werewolf he¡¯d take her forcefully as his mate and that would be the end of it. A part of him feared that he was not going to be gentle when the time came ¡­ assuming she¡¯d ept to be his mate.


    ¡®Adriana!¡¯ His member sprang upright.


    He needed her. He needed toe inside that tight cunt and fill her with his seed. Hunger liked he¡¯d never felt before burned through the veins of his cock. He needed to be inside her. He needed to change her into a werewolf.


    ¡®No!¡¯ Ulfr took a deep breath. He loved her too much to bear her rejection. Ulfr would rather that Adriana hate him than fear him.


    He¡¯d leave for the mountains today so he could mate with a female of his own kind. The best thing to do was to stay as far away from Adriana as he could.


    ¡°Ulfr!¡±


    He jerked his head up and realized the other person in the room was waiting for his response. ¡°Uh?¡±


    Ulfr felt grateful his long overcoat hid his erection tenting in his pants. It would¡¯ve been awkward exining why he had an erection for no particr reason.


    ¡°Have you been listening to what I said,¡± asked Sigmund, the self-proimed mayor.


    Sigmund was a potbellied bald little man with a thick bushy golden moustache. He was a keen businessman with arge acreage ofnd in the farming area.


    ¡°You want me to hunt the creature killing your livestock,¡± he said absently. Two cows were killedst night. It made him uneasy to think that such an incident should happen so close to mating season.


    He didn¡¯t want strangers roaming his mountain. Keeping werewolves a secret was hard to keep from the popce. It was bad enough that humans had hunted werewolves in the past, but a widespread panic was thest thing he needed.


    Sigmund folded his arms across his chest and took a step forward. He needed to crane his head upwards to meet Ulfr¡¯s eyes. He leaned in closer as if to share a secret. ¡°There¡¯s word going around.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°William thought he saw a creaturest night,¡± he waited for Ulfr to ask him to appease his curiosity. When he saw that he wasn¡¯t going to get the question Sigmund spoke in hushed tones: ¡°He thought he saw a Bigfoot running into the mountains!¡±


    The two men watched each other for a few long seconds ¡ª granting Ulfr plenty of time to observe the older man¡¯s emotions. Then suddenly Ulfr burst outughing: ¡°Sigmund, you sly dog. For a minute I thought you serious. Bigfoot, really!¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha-ha,¡± Sigmundughed nervously, but he had been serious about it. ¡°Of course the Bigfoot isn¡¯t real, but William saw something.¡±


    ¡°I think that as a mountain ranger I¡¯d have seen one by now,¡± he patted Sigmund friendlily on the shoulder. ¡°No, William was either drunk as usual or he probably saw his wife naked again!¡±


    Heughed heartily but inside Ulfr was cursing himself for being so stupid. He¡¯d been lucky that nobody more credible had seen him. He was an Alpha for crying out loud! It was his duty to protect the Pack.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sigmund wiped his bald head with a handkerchief. ¡°But that creature killing my livestock is real enough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ulfr assured him. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Err, there¡¯s something else I need from you ¡­¡± Sigmund seemed reluctant to speak. Ulfr raised his eyebrows at the subtle request in Sigmund¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s something personal. It¡¯s more of a favour, really.¡± Sigmund lowered his eyes. It was umon for Sigmund to be asking anything more than the usual mountain ranger business from Ulfr. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be asking you this, but I was wondering if you were heading up to the old mountain trail? My grandaunt has a cabin there ¡­ She¡¯s all alone for the winter. Foolish woman won¡¯te down ¡­ Says it¡¯s her home.¡±


    ¡°You want me to look on her? No problem.¡± Ulfr rubbed his chin calling to mind the elderly woman. She was one of the few humans who knew of the existence of werewolves. As far as he knew she was in good health. He didn¡¯t want any strangers walking up the mountain so close to the full moon.


    Ulfr turned to leave when Sigmund cleared his throat. Ulfr¡¯s jaw flexed violently, because he wanted to get moving up the mountain instead of wasting his time talking to Sigmund. Adriana¡¯s scent was still to strong in the vige and he was barely able to conceal his erection.


    With a calm voice and controlled rage he asked: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My niece wants to spend the winter with the old woman.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s out of the question.¡± He snapped too violently, but then regained his self-control. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s foolish to be roaming the mountain with a wild animal on the loose. Tell her to wait for a few days and then I¡¯lle back to take her.¡±


    ¡°I concur,¡± he fiddled with his fingers. ¡°But Adriana is adamant.¡±


    The mention of her name made his cock stiffen. She would be a fabulous fuck ¡ª intense and sexy. The werewolf in him howled in his mind, his hunger for the female growing.


    ¡°Adriana?¡± He said casually. ¡°The tanner¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Sigmund faced him, his eyes alight with rm. ¡°Please Ulfr! Do this as a personal favour to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­¡± Ulfr began.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take her she¡¯ll go alone. I know her.¡±


    Ulfr knew she would too. What¡¯s worse she¡¯d probably stumble on a werewolf fuck festival. There¡¯s no knowing the damage it might have on the Pack. The olddy, her aunt, would need to keep Adriana locked indoors.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Ulfr relented. ¡°I¡¯ll see to her safe journey, Sigmund.¡±


    Sigmund nodded, visibly relieved and he nodded back his goodbyes.


    Walking into the street Ulfr hissed in a low voice: ¡°Fuck! That girl is going to be the death of me!¡±

 It’s Not That Simple

    Ulfr dropped back his head and inhaled a breath of fresh mountain air ¡ª but there was something else. It was something sugary and sulent; apple pie, his favourite. His heart pumped, his body feeling vibrant. It was a feeling like he had never felt before.


    Without opening his eyes he identified the scent and said, ¡°Adriana, you should stay here. It¡¯s not safe in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±


    The determined tone in her voice impelled him to open his eyes. He needed to see her face, the challenge in her eyes and the confidence in her posture.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing her usual dress. She opted instead for practicality, a pair of trousers and a tight shirt which fitted her snugly. Her feet were enclosed in men¡¯s ankle-high working boots.


    ¡°So there are your father¡¯s pants,¡± Ulfr remarked with a smirk. ¡°I think I saw him running around naked looking for them only a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°How hrious.¡± The defiant lift of her chin made his cock stiffen. ¡°By the way I¡¯m not wearing any panties ¡­¡±


    Ulfr almost came in his pants. She would like it rough ¡ª no doubt about it. It would be one fabulous fuck after another ¡ª hard and fierce. The werewolf growled again in his mind taking more control. Using every ounce of his willpower he tamed the beast within.


    He¡¯d sent a message to the other werewolves to instruct the olddy to feign illness. Once Adriana reached the cabin she¡¯d be looking after her sick aunt while he was fucking the brains out of another female werewolf. He had to get this out of his system and fast.


    He looked at her for a long time and then sighed. ¡°I suppose you leave me little choice, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°We¡¯d better get going. I don¡¯t want us to reach the cabin before dark.¡±


    ¡°Is that necessary,¡± she nodded to the hunting rifle resting on his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s to protect you from the Bigfoot roaming the mountain, or haven¡¯t you heard?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Adriana nodded. ¡°So my uncle Sigmund told you.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky we¡¯ll get to see the Yeti, cupcake.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me cupcake,¡± she protested.


    ¡°As youmand.¡± He winked and began to walk. ¡°Cupcake.¡±


    Adriana grinned behind Ulfr¡¯s back as he trekked up the mountain trail. It was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods ¡ª the sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing and a good-looking man with a tight ass walked in front of her.


    However she wasn¡¯t there to take pleasure in thendscape or Ulfr¡¯s tight ass. She was going up the mountain to look after her great-grandaunt.


    She wondered why he¡¯d left in a hurry yesterday. She was hot as well as horny, but then he left without as much as a goodbye. It was like she suddenly contracted the gue.


    Maybe it was because he was of the mountain. The mountain people usually kept to themselves and her father would¡¯ve disapproved of a romantic liaison with Ulfr. There was only so much defiance that Adriana could get away with.


    Maybe it was for the best.


    ¡®It would¡¯ve been a bad idea anyway.¡¯ She tried to convince herself.


    She was from the vige and Ulfr was the leader of the mountain people. They could hardly have a sessful rtionship if both theirmunities were against them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we leaving the trail?¡± she asked after some time of trekking.


    ¡°How very observant.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stay on the trail,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I want to kidnap you.¡±


    He sounded like he was joking, but with Ulfr one couldn¡¯t tell for sure. She asked: ¡°Really?¡±


    He shook his head. Kneeling down he picked a piece of wood and broke it. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain in a few hours. That¡¯s why we¡¯re taking this short cut.¡±


    ¡°You can tell that by breaking a piece of wood?¡±


    Ulfr guffawed at thement and moved on.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe you know.¡± She stretched out her pace to keep up with him. Adriana was in terrific shape but Ulfr had a lot of muscle in those legs. And they were walking mostly uphill. ¡°I¡¯m able of looking after myself.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are.¡± He said uninterested.


    ¡°I am you know!¡± She sounded like she was trying to convince herself mostly. ¡°I¡¯d brought my own rifle if you hadn¡¯t tagged along.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t tagged along!?¡± He said astonished, but without turning around or slowing his pace. ¡°I¡¯m here doing you a favour, cupcake!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me cupcake, you know I hate it!!!¡± She roared and stopped. ¡°Why did you run away yesterday? What were you afraid of?¡±


    Ulfr suddenly stopped and turned. His eyes looked dark and a little cold. ¡°What do you mean by that,¡± he sounded a bit tense.


    ¡°Are you impotent?¡±


    ¡°What ever the fuck gave you that idea?¡± Thement stung his manhood as well as his werewolf. ¡°No! Fuck no!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand you Ulfr!¡± She raised her hands in the air expecting an answer. ¡°We¡¯ve been going out for a year now. You obviously like me and I like you. So why do you avoid me like the gue?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about ¡­¡± Ulfr¡¯s cock stiffened. Damn, he wanted her desperately. He wanted to fuck her and ride her until she screamed his name.


    ¡°Are all men as thick headed as you or has the mountain air constricted your brain?¡± She shouted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to yell,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m from the vige?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± he tried to keep himself from breathing in her scent.


    ¡°Look at me Ulfr, please!¡±


    Ulfr allowed himself to take a quick peep at Adriana¡¯s nipples outlined by the sweaty snug shirt. It turned out to be too much,bined with the salty scent of her perspiration.


    ¡°We must keep moving.¡± With that curt answer he walked away.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Prick!¡± She spoke within earshot.


    Adriana quickly caught up with him just as he turned north. Ulfr apparently trekked a trail that only a mountain ranger would know. At several spots he¡¯d unexpectedly change direction, at times taking them deeper into the woods, other times leading her up the hill.


    He couldn¡¯t resist inhaling deeply even while he walked onwards. That vour of her female flesh brought water to his mouth. The light breeze carried her scent towards him, provoking his senses. Had she noticed the bulge of his erection in his pants? He already had itst night, earlier this morning and still had it now.


    His sharp ears, as well as his nose, informed him that she¡¯d stopped instead of moving on.


    ¡®Why had she stopped?¡¯ He sniffed the damp air and smelled her female secretions. His erection grew harder, tenting his trousers. It felt so long and hard he itched to satisfy his member. With one hand already massaging his penis he inhaled deeply. He had to regain control of the beast in him.


    ¡°What is it,¡± he finally asked without turning to face her.


    He shouldn¡¯t have gone so many nights without sexual release. This was a mistake. His werewolf was getting out of control and then she¡¯d be afraid of him.


    ¡°I need a rest, please!¡± She wheezed. ¡°Five minutes!¡±


    ¡°Five minutes.¡± He replied relieve but not wanting to risk more time than absolutely necessary.


    They took a break, eating dried cheese, bread and water, but Ulfr seemed in a hurry to get moving again so Adriana didn¡¯t loiter.


    Dark clouds moved in and the breeze grew stronger. Her legs felt a bit cold, though the thick shirt she wore kept her upper body warm. She really wasn¡¯t wearing panties underneath. She¡¯d wanted to make Ulfr pay for having left her so suddenly yesterday. She¡¯d been thinking about Ulfr and about the insane possibility that she might have the asion to undress for him, with him. For the same reason she¡¯d taken the time to shave her legs and vagina with extra care leaving itpletely hairless.


    It was very doubtful but a girl had to have her fantasies. For the whole year she¡¯d fed those fantasies, which were all that had kept her warm. Now she felt for sure he didn¡¯t love her or want her.


    Ulfr stopped and nced over his shoulder. ¡°Are those boots any good?¡±


    She looked at her working boots and banged them at the heel. ¡°They seem good enough. Why?¡±


    ¡°We need to move up river for awhile.¡± He pointed to a shallow stream. ¡°We¡¯re going to get our feet a bit wet.¡±


    She nced towards the sky. Gloomy ck clouds warned of heavy rain. ¡°Looks like you were right about the rain.¡± He grumbled in reply and began to climb. The river became deeper as they moved on, spraying against her knees.


    ¡°Your aunt¡¯s cabin is just over the hills. She¡¯ll have a fire there for you to get warm.¡±


    Adriana nodded sensing the first shiver of cold running down her spine. Combined with the river, the rain and the wind which had stirred up, she was feeling pretty cold.


    Ulfr stopped to sniff the air. A confused expression crossed his face and made her curious as she stepped closer.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She had to raise her voice.


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    The cold tormented her and she¡¯d be grateful to be sitting next to her great-grandaunt¡¯s fire. She raised her head and shook back the long strands of blond hair that gelled to her face. A hand mped around her wrist and pulled,pelling her to move on. Cold wind cut through the fabric of her shirt and Adriana shivered.


    ¡°Cupcake, are you all right?¡±

 Satisfied His Werewolf

    ¡°D-d-don¡¯t call me cupcake you prick!¡± She trembled, astonished at how quickly the cold had overrun her body. ¡°I¡¯m still an-angry at y-y-you!¡±


    ¡°We need to get you inside,¡± said Ulfr with a smile and a touch of pride at how she was handling herself.


    ¡°A cup of coffee would be nice too,¡± she smiled bravely.


    He dragged her along with him like a Neanderthal, but she didn¡¯t care. Actually, she was grateful he¡¯d been with her or otherwise she wasn¡¯t sure she could have made it on her own. The mountain wind made her skin ache with cold. Her steps were clumsy and only Ulfr¡¯s hold on her made it possible for her to keep walking.


    They seeded in topping the hill and the tall undergrowth that had lined the path vanished. She looked up and saw the cabin. It wasn¡¯t much to look at but it was dry on the inside.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anybody home!¡± The word came out from her cold lips.


    Ulfr rubbed her arms and back. ¡°Just move it! We need to get out of the rain and out of these wet clothes.¡±


    ¡°Finally making your move, eh?¡± Sheughed awkwardly as she staggered behind him. She¡¯d fantasized about taking her clothes off for Ulfr but never when she was freezing or in front of her great-grandaunt.


    He guided her into the safety of the cabin and went directly to the firece. A pile of logs were alreadyid out and he grabbed a match, igniting the twigs at the bottom. Adriana went to the table and ced the basket down. There was a letter directed to her.


    ¡°Dear Adriana,¡± she read out loud. ¡°I¡¯m feeling sick and have gone to a friend¡¯s house for the whole winter. Go back down the mountain¨C¡± Adriana cleared her voice and stopped reading. She turned to Ulfr astonished. ¡°How did she know I wasing up here? Even I didn¡¯t know I wasing until this morning.¡±


    ¡°What assholes,¡± he said sinking down onto a hard stiff-backed chair.


    Ulfr rolled his eyes and swore silently. Those idiots had gotten his orders wrong. Now there was no way he could leave Adriana all alone on the mountains. He couldn¡¯t control himself anymore.


    Lust burned through him like fire. Yearning, sexual yearning, for too long suppressed, rammed down his resistance. His eyes dtedpletely ck; by some miracle he managed to suppress the rest of his transformation. Shuddering, he fought the urge to bite her. The struggle to maintain control over his mind was a Herculean feat.


    ¡°Why are your pupils so dted, Ulfr?¡± Adriana asked through chattering teeth.


    Standing up, his mouth curled into a slight sneer. ¡°It¡¯s all the better to see you with my dear ¡­¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s going to kill me.¡¯ She actually believed for one hysterical moment that he was a serial killer or that he was on drugs.


    Perhaps sensing danger she staggered backward, turning away from him. There was no ce for her to run, but reflexively her body sprinted towards the door. He clutched her shoulders, and he pulled her against him. Adriana was pressed against his hard, hot body and she gasped when he slid an arm around her upper body and his hand cupped her breast.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She objected, but he ignored it. He squeezed firmly and twirled his thumb over her nipple, which hardened into a rigid bead at the erotic stimtion of his touch. Her body suddenly felt hot with need.


    ¡°Lout,¡± she pped him breathlessly. ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of a defenceless woman!¡±


    Disregarding her p he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples and vibrations tingled through her. She arched her back a little, offering more of her chest to his touch.


    ¡°Well if you feel that way ¡­¡± he said with a smirk.


    She was going to p him again for smirking, but stopped herself. His hold on her with his hand had ckened, and she took one step back. ¡°Are you going to run to the hills now like you did before?¡±


    He chuckled and reeled her back into his iron grip. ¡°No. I should¡¯ve trusted you, but now it¡¯s toote.¡± There was a wild look in his dark eyes as he examined her. ¡°I only hope you can forgive me afterwards.¡±


    Adriana didn¡¯t understand what he meant by thestment and she didn¡¯t care. He was probably married or high on drugs, but it didn¡¯t matter. Not right now. Right now Ulfr had need of her and she sensed that she could help him.


    He took off his shirt and pulled her towards him. His muscr chest was hard and his nipples were light brown and pleasing to her eyes.


    ¡°Take it off,¡± Ulfr spoke in a low, almost intimidating tone.


    Fiercely, he pulled the shirt over her shoulders. She flushed in surprise and attempted to step back, but he held her with his hands, trapping her. He tossed the shirt across the room and his eyes locked on hers. Need tensed in the pit of her stomach when his hands cupped her breasts. He nced at her chest as he fondled her.


    ¡°What are you doing,¡± she mumbled, feeling blushed and confused.


    ¡°I need you Adriana.¡± He lowered his head and tugged at her nipple with his teeth. ¡°Please, no questions ¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright Ulfr,¡± she croaked. ¡°No questions for now ¡­¡±


    She should¡¯ve been objecting vociferously, but the moment was too incredible and erotic, and it shed with her good sense. It felt in some strange way the right thing to do. He sucked her entire are into his mouth. It felt wonderful.


    She shifted her weight, rubbing her thighs against his leg trying to create some friction. She could feel a delightful sensation between her legs. She wriggled desperately. She wanted him in her.


    She shivered as he undressed her trousers and boots. He took off his own clothes while passionately kissing and suckling her tongue. Secondster she was naked on her back, legs syed on top of the table. The firece was crackling with heat, but that wasn¡¯t the source of her overwhelming heat. Ulfrs¡¯ tongue licked her nipples slowly. When he bit down softly on the nipple she moaned slowly.


    Opening her eyes she realised that Ulfr didn¡¯t look like his usual self. The face was the same but something wasn¡¯t the same in him. She¡¯d never seen him naked before, but she now saw that he was advantageously endowed.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve guessed,¡± she cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± His voice slurred but he sounded concerned.


    He was thick and long; his testicles hung heavy and full below his imposing erect member. ¡°Oh nothing,¡± she murmured absently. ¡°I never thought you to be so ¡­ endowed.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± He grunted and sheughed quietly.


    Adriana wondered for a moment if she wasn¡¯t dreaming all this. Was any of this possible? She studied the rest of him. He actually looked taller now probably six-seven and covered in thick muscles that looked like he could take down a bear. His member was proportionate as the rest of him.


    Adriana was finally here. Sheid spread before him, offering herself for his pleasure. Knowing that he was weed, that she wanted his touch, Ulfr sank down before her and ced his mouth against the insides of her thighs kissing them.


    Everything was just as it ought to be. This was what he¡¯d been craving for a whole year; her taste, her scent, the feel of her skin against his.


    He had to have her like a werewolf!Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Fear like he hadn¡¯t felt since he¡¯d been a youth dug into his gut, squeezing itself around his genitals like an iron fist. She would leave him if he changed into a werewolf. He couldn¡¯t let her leave him. He needed her.


    How long would it be before the wolf showed himself when he became too excited? Some of the changes had already begun, but his human side was still in control.


    ¡®Hold the wolf inside,¡¯ he told himself mentally. ¡®She¡¯ll never know what you are if you control yourself.¡¯


    She was wet and his!


    The need to satisfy his werewolf wed hard against him. The sweet scent of Adriana¡¯s cunt juices soothed the beast inside him. It was crucial that he consume her juices.


    Ulfr had to taste and gorge himself on her juices. Her flesh burned him and he knew that this fire would save him. This fire could satisfy his werewolf forever. His cock was hard, impatient to plough inside her wet cunt but he held back.


    He slipped his hands up her legs, cupping her buttocks in his palms and yanked her toward him, angling her hips upward. Adriana gasped but didn¡¯t object. The fleshy mounds of her asscheeks filled his hands.


    He lowered his eyes. She was lying on her back on the table; her legs spread wide open and her hot cunt avable to him.


    Ulfr roared an animalistic roar which frightened Adriana, but her fears were forgotten when he fell forward and mped her sex with his mouth. At first he merely tasted her, savouring the alluring vour that ensnared him to her. He licked her slit, drinking the juices her body provided to him.


    He mumbled between slurps. Her spicy taste enticed his tongue and he drank again.


    He slithered his tongue inside her cunt and time seemed to almost stop. This was what his werewolf needed. He brushed his tongue along the inner edge of her vagina. Then he probed deep, as far as his tongue could reach.


    Adriana gasped and with one hand pushed against him. She sped her hands into his hair, using the locks as her harness to hold on.


    Ulfr restricted her movements, holding her in ce.


    ¡®Good grief!¡¯ What was Ulfr doing to her? This was pornographic.


    His tongue flickered around her sex, paying extra attention on her clit before sweeping a long path across her moist, open flesh. Then he plunged his tongue inside stimting the walls of her passage. His low, approving rumbles were stifled against her flesh.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Adriana¡¯s head banged against the table.


    Ulfr stopped, sucking on the sensitive clit which demanded his attention. He sucked in earnest. A throaty cry that broke from Adriana¡¯s lips and sitting up, she tried to dislodge Ulfr from his position. With a rough snarl, he ced a hand on her stomach pushed her back against the table and continued to suckle.


    Suddenly the licks of his tongue changed into steady, regr pulses against her clit. She felt her eyes bulge as the world twirled in a downward tone in the central point between her thighs. She ground her cunt into his face ¡ª struggling to bring him deeper. He growled and kept sucking harder.


    He reached up and slid two long fingers inside her cunt. The build-up was mind-blowing. Adriana gasped as the ze that had invaded her body blew apart.


    She blinked stupidly and stared expressionlessly at the ceiling. Her heart beat violently in her chest and her breath struggled to catch up to the distressed beat. Fulfilment pulled her eyelids down. She slumped against the table and listened to the sound of Ulfr¡¯s pleased smacking noises.


    His tongue trailed her bellybutton and she moaned.


    How was it that he had such influence over her body? She opened her eyes and watched Ulfr feasting between her legs. He waspletely engrossed as he carried on savouring her flesh, as if he couldn¡¯t get enough. She felt the hard pressure of his erection against her leg. Would he straddle her soon? She knew that sooner orter he had to release as well.


    As if reading her mind he spread her sex wide with his fingers. She reached down with a hand and patted his head. Her breathing was bing jagged, and her hips were bucking into his face. She needed to cum! She wanted to feel an orgasm. But it was not going to be ¡­


    At least not yet!

 Sexually Satisfied

    The werewolf had worked the female up to just the right moment. If he pushed her any harder she¡¯d be cumming on his face. Both her hands were on his head, insistently tugging him deeper into her tight snatch.


    Ulfr stood up with his penis hard free and pointing upright at full salute for Adriana.


    He slipped his fingers along her cunt lips as if testing her eagerness one more time before he embarked on the final assault. A spicy rush of her sexual fragrance wafted up and filled his nostrils.


    Ulfr reached between her legs and captured a smear of her moisture with his fingertip. He lifted it to his lips, licking his middle finger before offering it to Adriana. She opened her mouth to receive the taste. Her eyes widened in amazement as she eagerly suckled the full length of Ulfr¡¯s finger. The vour exploded in her mouth.


    ¡°More!¡± She pleaded much to her shock.


    Ulfr¡¯s finger went back for more. Drips of her cream disappeared as she leaned forward and sucked the end of his finger into her mouth. She was surprised by the taste. His fingers were in front of her mouth again, and she epted it greedily.


    The time hade to satisfy his werewolf.


    Ulfr wrapped his hands around her thighs and parted them as far as they would go, opening her for his pleasure. His manhood stood up stiff between his legs until it was pointing straight out towards Adriana¡¯s glistening moist cunt entrance. Lowering his big hands on her asscheeks he kneaded the soft flesh.


    Breathing hard, Adriana opened her eyes and thought about his cock fucking her, knowing it¡¯d hurt as it entered her, but wanting it anyway.


    Adriana released a yielding sigh and lifted her hips up as if offering her cunt to him in submission. A blur coated Ulfr¡¯s mind. A vague memory of him as a werewolf mating with his female under the wolf¡¯s influence surfaced. Ulfr pushed it aside. He needed to fuck his mate as a human.


    He took his right hand off her asscheek to wrap it around his thick penis and ced the head against her opening. The fragile control he¡¯d maintained so far shattered as he felt her hot, moist passage ease for him. He moved forward, thrusting deep, entering her cunt. His howl echoed off the cabin walls as she hailed his pration, clinging to him. He held himself motionless, delighting in the tight squeeze, listening to her breathing in hard pants from her mouth. He prodded his hips inward, sinking his shaft a fraction deeper. A tiny gasp in the back of her throat made him pause.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He asked, finding himself being only able to speak in singled syble grunts.


    Adriana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m ok,¡± she replied in the same breathless way. ¡°Carry on!¡±


    Ulfr lowered his head and began to leave light kisses along her neck, her shoulders, struggling to draw on his human strength, fighting the werewolf¡¯s urge to fuck her until she couldn¡¯t walk.


    He held off until he felt it ¡ª a slight sway of her hips as if she wanted more, wanted him deeper. He held her hips, his fingers jabbing into her flesh, and pulled back. With a long, firm thrust he rammed into her and waspensated with a moaned approval.


    ¡°Uhhh,¡± she sighed pressing against the table and raising her hips for a deeper pration. Each friction sent him in deeper and she took him, took all that he offered. In the pit of his soul he burst with triumph. This was the female for him.


    An entire year of sexual abstinence pushed him to cum sooner but he wanted her to savour the moment too. Her breath grew louder with every thrust her took. Adriana couldn¡¯t get enough air into her lungs. She arched her back, wanting him deeper, wanting more of his cock.


    His hips rammed into her spread thighs with a fleshy p and a protesting creak from the table legs. His cock was a jackhammer as it ploughed into the disorientated female. A rush of powerful sexual fever overwhelmed her, rendering her drained and amazed as he pushed deeper, harder and faster.


    Adriana¡¯s hands clutched the sides of the table which jerked and trembled at every thrust. She braced herself and let him pound into her. This was what she¡¯d wanted. Climax was so close, so palpable. The pressure swelled around her clit, stimted by the hysterical thrust into her cunt. She couldn¡¯t hold it back as her nails dug into his back as she was prated deeper.


    ¡°Ulfr!¡± Her back arched with incredible force and she cried out in blissful release.


    The spicy wet fragrance of her cunt filled the cabin and Ulfr knew he could drown in it. He cherished the pleasure he gave her, watching her breasts wobble and shaking with each thrust, hearing the singing moans she made.


    The beast in him growled and snarled. Ulfr fucked her with deeper and harder thrusts. He rammed it in hard, then pulled it back out and mmed it in again.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Another orgasm jolted through her body as her eyes swelled wide. Adriana held her breath because she hadn¡¯t been ready for another one so soon. Her legs fastened around his buttocks.


    Her body trembled and her ass bounced up off the table without hermanding it, and then did it a second time. A loud moan of orgasmic fulfilment echoed out of the cabin. Ulfr groaned as his cock was on the verge of release. His hands gripped her waist. He heaved her back and forth on the table, tugging her against his wild thrusts. His cock kept pumping into her.


    Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Ulfr let out a cry as he trembled violently with his stiff cock impaled deep within her. Their orgasms joined as one racing through their bodies, their mouths locked together and Adriana felt his cum flooding in her. She grabbed his neck and her legs shot outward.


    With a few final thrusts, Ulfr drained is balls into Adriana¡¯s womb. His cum began sliding down her legs. Adriana¡¯s eyes were closed as if blissfully asleep. Her mouth curled into a smile and her exhausted legs dangledidly over the table.


    ¡°Take my seed,¡± he whispered against her ear.


    A cold shiver ran down her spine. There was something ominous about his words. His hand caressed her blonde hair.


    Filling a female with his seed was like branding her as his mate for life. It was forbidden for werewolves, males and females, to mate with a human unless of course you chose to be bonded to a human for the remainder of your life. Vaginal secretions and semen acted as a method to modify the human giving them werewolf features, but it wasn¡¯t as permanent as a bite.


    Justing inside a human wasn¡¯t enough topletely change Adriana but it wasn¡¯t rmended either. Even now, he wanted to mark her as belonging to him. His seed had forged a bond between him and Adriana. Just one time wouldn¡¯t harm her but if he kepting in her again and again, she¡¯d be bonded to him. That bond could eventually be shattered but it would cause a great amount of pain for the both of them.


    That was why not everybody could be transformed. The council of elders had the ultimate authority to decide who could be changed. Only an Alpha male under attenuating circumstances could go over the head of the council of elders.


    Time was running out. It would be a full moon in three days and that meant telling her the truth or leaving her forever.


    ¡°Forgive me Adriana,¡± he said.


    She didn¡¯t hear him because her mind slipped into unconsciousness.


    Ulfr simplyy on top of her limp body with his head cushioned on her breasts. The cabin grew eerily silent. Adriana was spent. She¡¯d never felt anything remotely close to this. She felt truly like a woman and was well beyond sexually satisfied.


    With his hands clutching the mounds of her bottom, Ulfr picked her up and carried her limp body to the bed.


    THE END.. OF ADRIANA BECOMES A WEREWOLF

 WEREWOLF’S THREESOME

    Every full moon, since they first got together, Richard and Molly have been reveling in the greatest sex imaginable. He is a werewolf and, when he changes from human to his lupine form, he has all the proper body parts to give her the best times she ever had in bed. In between full moons, their sex lives are fairly mundane.


    One Saturday morning, after a night of incredible sex with her husband in his wolf form, Molly met her best and oldest friend, Rhonda, for breakfast. This was a normal thing; they get together like that at least once a month. The twopanions that morning had been roommates and confederates in some wild escapades while in college, and the women have remained bosom buddies ever since, with her friend serving as the Maid of Honor at Molly¡¯s wedding. The favor has never been reciprocated, because Rhonda has never wed, but the two women share all their secrets and all the gossip they have about their former ss mates and other mutual acquaintances.


    ¡°You certainly look happy this morning,¡± Rhonda remarked to her friend when they took their seats at the table. ¡°Have you been getting it good from your husband?¡±


    She certainly had, especially the night before which, fabulous though it had been, wasn¡¯t even one of the best ever with Richard in his wolf form. Molly was a bit flustered at the question, because she had never talked about the sex life she had with her husband, except in a general way. It wasn¡¯t a matter of being all that secretive; it was more that she thought the stories about her and Richard would not have been believed.


    Rhonda knew her old friend better than anybody else, and realized she had found out something. ¡°C¡¯mon, Mol, tell me about it. We don¡¯t keep secrets from each other. Remember how I told you how much George Boxlicker loved eating pussy, and how good he was at it, and how I fixed you up with him?¡±


    Molly remembered quite well; the tremendous orgasms she had gotten from George¡¯s tongue during her senior college year would never be forgotten. Even so, adventures like those were before she got married, and were no more than the female equivalent of booty calls. Making love with her own husband was another matter, not to mention letting somebody else know about Richard¡¯s lycanthropy.


    ¡°Richard and I made lovest night,¡± was as much as she would admit, at least at first.


    ¡°Well, sure. I can see that. C¡¯mon, tell me about it. Did you cum? How many times? Did he eat your pussy? Tell me about it, girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°He did eat my pussy, and I did cum. Eight times.¡±


    That waspletely true. The first two screaming, fist-pounding orgasms had been from Richard¡¯s long, almost prehensile tongue squirming all the way into her pussy and flicking around against her many hot spots. Molly had cum twice more while he had his paws pulling back on her hips, and was driving his big cock in and out of her. He climaxed too, and her third orgasm that time was with her pussy engorged with his steaming wolf cum and her ramming her clit back against the big knot that plugged her love hole and kept his juices from running out.


    After a few minutes of rest and the application of Molly¡¯s mouth to Richard¡¯s cock, they had done it again, with her cumming three more times. There had actually been fewer climaxes the previous night than during most full moons. Usually the deliriously happy couple fucks three times during Richard¡¯s time of being a wolf, besides his eating his wife¡¯s pussy to at least two orgasms.


    ¡°Eight times! Really!¡±


    Rhonda was quite impressed, even awed, and actually had a difficult time giving credence to her friend. They had always told each other the truth about such matters, and she knew Molly had almost always climaxed several times during their wild sex parties, but eight times in one night of sex, especially with her husband, seemed like too much to believe.


    I can hardly believe that. What position do you use?¡±


    ¡°Last night we used doggy style.¡± Molly didn¡¯t say it, but that was because it was the only way Richard could actually make full pration of her while in his wolf form. When he was a man, they preferred a face to face position.


    ¡°Really? That seems strange. As I recall, you always thought that was way too impersonal. You always liked to be face to face, with either the man or you on top.¡± The more Rhonda thought about it, the stranger it seemed, especially when it was her friend making love with her husband. ¡°Is there anything about Richard I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Molly was unsure how to answer that question. There definitely was something about her husband that was unique, at least in her experience. She didn¡¯t know what to say about it, because it was so far out of the ordinary. At the same time, there had always been a low keypetition between the two chums in college over who could bed the most men and cum the most and suck off the most BMOC¡¯s. Abruptly, Molly decided Richard was somebody Rhonda could never top or evene close to matching, and that she would tell her everything.


    ¡°Yes, there is something you don¡¯t know, and nobody knows,¡± she answered the question. ¡°My husband is a werewolf. Every time there¡¯s a full moon, Richard turns into a wolf, and we have the most and hottest and best sex anyone could ever imagine.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ a werewolf?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know you¡¯ve heard about them. Well, Richard is one.¡±


    ¡°But? Aren¡¯t they ferocious monsters who eat people?¡±


    ¡°Well, this one sure likes to eat me.¡± Molly grinned at the double entendre.


    Rhonda smiled also. ¡°I mean, from what I¡¯ve always read about werewolves, they tear people apart and devour them. If they actually exist, that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, this one exists, and I suppose other male members of his family are werewolves too. You know, Richard is the sweetest and the nicest person I¡¯ve ever met, and that doesn¡¯t change just because he turns into a wolf.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Molly looked quickly around the restaurant to see if anybody might be listening to their conversation. The room was almost empty, and no other patron was close enough to overhear them. In innguage, she described the physical attributes of her husband, while Rhonda listened, bing more interested as the discussion continued.


    ¡°And, the best part,¡± Molly concluded, ¡°is that he¡¯s only a wolf for a few hours out of a month. He gets really horny, and we go at it like I¡¯m his bitch in heat which I am, I guess. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a bit sleepy this morning, besides being all blissed out. I was uptest night, cumming and cumming and cumming again.¡±


    Rhonda listened in awe to the description of her friend¡¯s husband¡¯s virility and the talents of his tongue and cock. Her awe changed to envy, and then to a desire to share this paragon. ¡°You¡¯ve got to let me join you,¡± she said.


    The idea of her friend¡¯s husband being a werewolf was so far out of the ordinary that Rhonda was still not sure whether or not to believe it. Even if it was not true, though, there was certainly something happening with Molly. The look on her face meant that she had gotten some great sex the night before and, from a mythical beast or not, Rhonda wanted in on the action.


    Molly was a bit taken aback about that. She didn¡¯t answer for a few seconds, and Rhonda pressed her case.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Mol. You know how we used to share men all the time in college.¡±


    She was right about that, and some of Molly¡¯s best memories were sharing a king-sized bed in a motel with her friend and several men, and freely changing partners with each other. However, there was a difference. Those had been casual sex partners, no more than fuck buddies, with little or no emotional attachment. Rhonda was talking about doing the same thing with Molly¡¯s beloved husband. At the same time, she would certainly take a great degree of pleasure in one-upping Rhonda so thoroughly, besides wanting to share the great thing she had with her best and oldest friend.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, this being my husband and all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be like old times again, don¡¯t you see. And, it he¡¯s as horny as you say, Richard will have an even better time with both of us than he does with you.¡±


    That was true too and, the more Molly thought about the idea, the more she liked it. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Richard, and see what he thinks of the idea,¡± was as much as she was willing to concede. She was fairly sure that her husband would be in favor of the idea too, since sex with two sexy and uninhibited women, such as Rhonda and herself, was a thing most men would love to indulge in.


    She was right. Richard was a loving and faithful husband, and he would never stray, but he is, except for the lycanthropy, a normal man, and Molly was right about his being eager to ke his lupine horniness with two women. He knows Rhonda quite well, from his and Molly¡¯s wedding and from frequent socializing since then. Like Molly, her friend is rather short and plump in a very sexy and womanly way. Both of them have big breasts and bodies that seem to be designed for sex. Molly has creamy white skin and long, light brown hair while Rhonda is an African-American with short ck hair and chocte colored skin but, except for those strictly physical differences, they were very much alike, especially in sexual matters.

 Spread Your Pussy

    The date of the next full moon was easily determined by a look at a calendar, and they both agreed that would be the night they got together. An invitation the couple happily extended to Rhonda was eagerly epted, and all three people cryptically wrote the information on their appointment calendars. When that evening arrived, Molly drove to her friend¡¯s apartment and returned home with her. They entered the house and began making necessary preparations in their bedroom.


    The queen-sized bed was pushed against the wall, and the mattress was ced on the floor in the open space created. Rather than use the bed, they preferred the lower elevation, because there was always the possibility they would fall off during their wild gyrations, and the resulting injuries would be a problem to exin to the paramedics. The mattress was covered with a stic protector and a fitted sheet, and several pillows and four oven mittsy on top.


    Rhonda and Richard moved the dresser in front of the door and, while Molly knelt on the mattress and gave directions, they tilted the mirror so they would be able to watch themselves the way she and Richard always like to do. With those preparationsplete, all three of them removed every stitch of clothing and sat on the mattress to await the transformation.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± Richard announced a few minutester.


    Rhonda watched in amazement as the man¡¯s hands became long, hairy lupine feet, and a thick coat of coarse ck and white and gray fur spread itself all over his body. Richard¡¯s rather pudgy face elongated into a snout and, a few minutes after the beginning of the transformation, arge, young wolf stood before them. Molly tied the oven mitts onto all four of his paws, exining they were to protect their tender skins from his ws. He would not hurt either of them deliberately, but his movements sometimes grew quite frantic when he was close to climaxing. When Richard was ready for action, he moved close to their guest, sniffed at her pussy, and raised his head to look into her eyes with an inquiring look on his face.


    ¡°Just rx and lie on your back,¡± Molly directed her friend. ¡°He likes to start with your nipples.¡±


    Rhonda did as her friend suggested, and was immediately d she had. The werewolf moved in closer and started stroking her lush breasts with his long, tongue. The wet, pink giver of pleasure was not abrasive but, like all canines, Richard in his wolf form has a myriad of tiny fleshy knobs on his tongue, giving it a roughened texture. When those knobs caressed Rhonda¡¯s nipples, they were like thousands of miniature fingers gently massaging two of the most sensitive parts of her body. After a few minutes of switching back and forth between the erect nubbins, her upper body was squirming on the bed and she was cooing from the intense pleasure.


    It quickly got even better. Richard¡¯s sharp teeth and pointed snout make it imprudent for him to take a breast into his mouth and suck on it, but he was perfectly able to lick his way down Rhonda¡¯s sexy body. When he reached the source of the juices whose aroma had been so alluring, the wolf pressed his nose against her clit while his tongue mopped all the nectar from her legs and crotch. In his human form, Richard enjoys the vor and aroma of fresh pussy juices but, with his much keener lupine senses, they were hundreds of times more delectable.


    Spread your pussy lips for him,¡± Molly advised her friend.


    Rhonda took those directions and, secondster, was ted at what started happening. Richard pressed the narrow tip of his tongue against the small opening she was creating for him and thrust forward. The thick, muscr organ slowly forced a pration and burrowed into Rhonda¡¯s most private ce, sending immense waves of incredible joy crashing through her body.


    ¡°Uh! Uh!¡± she whimpered in bliss, as Richard¡¯s tongue caressed all the most sensitive spots inside her pussy while his nose massaged her clit.


    Rhonda¡¯s pussy has experienced a multitude of tongues and cocks and dildos and vibrators and fingers, but none of them has ever given her as much of a thrill as Richard¡¯s tongue was doing. It was as long as any of the other things, and much more supple, and moved around, the tiny knobs caressing sensitive ces she didn¡¯t even know she had. Sometimes Richard drew his tongue from her, so he could feast on the fresh juices she was producing, but he always thrust it back in after finishing his repast.


    After a few minutes of this treatment, unique in her experience, Rhonda¡¯s body was thrashing about on the mattress. Molly grinned at the antics of her friend, and assumed she was the winner of whateverpetition for far out sexual adventures they might have been having. Rhonda wasn¡¯t thinking of that just then; she was concentrating too much on the tremendous orgasm she could feel approaching, much like a volcano preparing to erupt.


    ¡°Oh! OH!¡± she cried when it exploded. She grabbed Richard¡¯s head and her body started rolling from side to side while her legs waved in the air.


    Richard was d Rhonda was holding his head, because it kept his nose and mouth where they belonged, pressed tightly against her delightful pussy and his tongue inside where the juices were at their freshest. He knew when she climaxed, because all her muscles clenched, before she sagged happily back against the mattress. After her orgasm, he pulled his tongue out and used it to sluice all her fresh nectar into his mouth, followed by thrusting it back in and applying the same motion that had been so much fun for them both when they started.


    Before Rhonda joined them that night, Richard and Molly had discussed what they would do, and had decided he would eat her pussy until she climaxed at least twice, followed by fucking her to as many orgasms as she reached before his climax. After that, he would do the same for his wife, and then it would be their visitor¡¯s turn again, and then Molly¡¯s. As a human, he couldn¡¯t even hope to aplish so much but, as a wolf, he was young and virile, and the only limitations were that he would retain his lupine form as long as the full moon remained in the sky, but no longer than that.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    While lying on her back and thinking of what a tremendous sexual experience she had just had, and what a fantastic orgasm, Rhonda realized Richard¡¯s tongue was burrowing its way into her pussy again. The long, agile organ was once again caressing all her hot spots and his nose was massaging her clit, the hottest of all. She could already feel her pleasure level mounting, and knew it would result in another orgasm, maybe as monumental as the first.


    ¡°Ooooo, Richard, that was fabulous!¡± she murmured. ¡°And it still is! Keep your tongue where it is, you¡¯re gonna make me cum again.¡±


    He needed no urging, and pressed forward, squeezing his tongue as deeply as he could into the wet pink hole that was being offered to him. The juices were just as delicious as they had been before, and the fragrance just as pleasing to his nostrils. Eagerly, he twisted and squirmed his tongue in the tight ce that was so delightful to all his lupine senses, including that of hearing, because he really liked hearing the sounds of pleasure Rhonda was making.


    ¡°Uh! Uh! Uh!¡± she whimpered, while her arms iled the mattress and her body thrashed about. ¡°Oh, my god, that¡¯s good.¡±


    It was good for Richard too, because he loved the aroma and vor of Rhonda¡¯s pussy, and he loved giving pleasure to a sexy woman such as his wife¡¯s friend. He continued twitching his head around, rubbing her swollen clit with his nose while his tongue reached ces not even the biggest cocks or dildos ever had. He continued giving immense pleasure to himself and the sexy woman until she started cumming again.


    ¡°Oh! Oh!¡± she cried out as the second eruption began. Once again, her hands clutched the head that was giving her such exquisite pleasure, and her body tossed and bucked around on the mattress. When her orgasm overwhelmed her, Rhonda¡¯s whole body spasmed, and she emitted a cry of ecstasy before sagging back onto the bed.


    The werewolf enjoyed another feast of her fresh juices before moving slightly back from Rhonda. Richard had immensely enjoyed everything about eating her pussy, and expected to do it a couple more times, but his own needs were paramount just then. After waiting a month since the previous full moon, he was horny and wanted very badly to fuck the pussy that had already been such a thrill to him. The vor and the aroma had made him even more needful that she was.


    Molly was aware of her husband¡¯s needs and his horniness. ¡°When you catch your breath,¡± she said to her friend, ¡°get up on all fours. You¡¯re about to get the best fucking of your life.¡±


    Until seeing Richard¡¯s transformation, Rhonda still had some doubts about what her friend had told her about Richard, but they were totally gone. While Molly checked the oven mitts on her husband¡¯s paws, she sat up and gazed at his cock. It was big and pink, hadpletely cleared its furry sheath, and was one of the longest she had ever seen. It was not as thick as some of the human cocks that had been in her pussy, but the big swelling at the base looked like nothing she had ever seen. Smiling in anticipation of that big lump against her clit, she eagerly got to her hands and knees, pulled some pillows under her torso, and got ready for another new and incredible sexual experience.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long. Less than a minute after getting into position, Rhonda felt the mitt-covered front paws on her hips and, secondster, the hard tip of a canine cock seeking entry to her pussy. She couldn¡¯t see what has happening, but Molly was holding Richard¡¯s cock to guide it to the wet hole that lusted for it. Once the tip made the initial pration, he needed no help, and the horny werewolf gave a strong thrust, wedging the next five inches into the pussy that awaited it.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Rhonda blurted, surprised at suddenly having so much hard cock inside her, but her surprise immediately gave way to delight. ¡°Give it to me!¡± she urged the wielder of that cock.


    Richard said nothing; he simply moving his front paws farther up on the dark-skinned woman kneeling under him, driving his cock more deeply into her. He had always admired the sexiness of his wife¡¯s friend, and was happy to have the opportunity to do more than just look at her. The knot at the base of his cock had reached the entrance to her pussy, and he instinctively wanted to wedge its thickness into her. For better leverage, his hind legs curled around thedy¡¯s thighs, and he pulled back with them and with his front paws on her shoulders while trying to drive his cock in even more deeply.

 Cry of Ecstasy

    ¡°Oh, my god, that feels so big! What is that?¡± Rhonda asked her friend.


    ¡°That¡¯s his knot,¡± Molly answered. ¡°Once he gets that big thing into you, you¡¯ll cum like crazy.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    That was what she wanted, so Rhonda started fucking her pussy back to meet the hard thrusts of Richard¡¯s cock. She nced sideways into the mirror, and grinned at the erotic sight that met her eyes. The big, gray and ck and white wolf was crouched over, ramming against her, and she was thrusting her pussy back at him just as hard. Molly¡¯s earlier description of herself as looking like a bitch in heat had been an apt one, and Rhonda felt much the same way when she saw her own reflection.


    As delightful a scene as it was, the sensations of the werewolf¡¯s knot massaging her clit as it squeezed into her love channel were many times better. Pleasure throbbed through her body from where the big lupine cock was cramming her pussy so full and, especially, from where her swollen clit was getting the most incredible massage it had ever received. Rhonda¡¯s body thrashed from side to side and her hips swiveled, driving her knees into the mattress and helping the big hard lump wedge even more deeply into her pussy, where she and Richard wanted it.


    Molly saw the movements of her friend and realized what was about to happen, that Rhonda was going to start cumming any second, and that her orgasm would be a monumental one. She had seen it on other asions, when they were roommates in college and bedmates at sex parties, and knew what she had to do. Quickly moving to kneel before her friend, she ced her hands on the swaying shoulders of Rhonda and pushed against them, wanting to keep the other woman from toppling over.


    She smiled too, at the face her friend was presenting. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was partly open in a grimace of intense pleasure, as she fucked back and forth, taking Richard¡¯s knot into the ce where it would do the most good. Molly heard her friend, as she moaned and whimpered and begged the young werewolf to fuck her harder and deeper.


    Whether Richard heard the entreaties or not was hard to tell, but he wanted the same thing, and his thrusts into Rhonda continued until she emitted a great cry of excruciating pleasure. She was starting to cum, and her erratic movements became even wilder as Molly pushed back against her shoulders, helping her husband keep their friend upright.


    When she climaxed, Rhonda uttered another great cry of joy, and all her muscles seemed to curl up into themselves and explode outward. After her orgasm, her body went almost limp, and Molly kept her hands where they were, knowing her friend would want to cum again, and that Richard still hadn¡¯t reached his climax. After a few more strokes, the big lump of hard flesh at the base of Richard¡¯s cock hadpletely crowded its way into Rhonda¡¯s pussy, and the bony tip was inside her even farther than his tongue had been earlier.


    Getting his knob wedged inside his partner¡¯s pussy had been instinctual for Richard in his wolf form but, once it had been aplished, his human side tookmand. He looked at the mirror and smiled at the sight of Rhonda on her hands and knees under him and Molly holding her upright. He had felt her climaxing, and his strokes into her slowed, because he wanted to bring her to another orgasm before he started cumming, and take his time doing it, giving them both as much pleasure as he could. He continued fucking her slowly, until Rhonda, realizing he was going to keep going, turned her head to look over shoulder.


    ¡°That was fantastic, Richard. I hope you can do it again.¡±


    A wolfish grin crossed his face, because he meant to do it again, and maybe again after that. He understood what she said, but was not able to reply, except for nodding his head and continuing the slow strokes of his cock into Rhonda¡¯s crowded pussy. Molly grinned too, because she was proud of her husband and the great fucking he had just given their friend, and the even better additional fucking he was starting to give her.


    By that time, she had caught her breath, and Rhonda starting thrusting back to meet the strong surges of Richard¡¯s cock into her pussy. She was cooing at the exquisite pleasure again, and her sounds of joy quickly evolved into moans. As their coupling continued, Richard said nothing, and was quiet, except for panting loudly, and a slight sound of whimpering. He was also immensely enjoying what was happening, and could feel his own climax building. His hope was for Rhonda to climax before he did, because filling her pussy with his hot wolf cum would probably bring her to another orgasm, especially if she jammed her clit back against his knot as Molly always did.


    Once again seeing how her friend¡¯s body was thrashing from side to side, and her knees were driving into the mattress, Molly knelt in front of Rhonda to keep her from falling over while in the throes of cumming. The grimace of extreme pleasure distorting her face elicited another chuckle, and Molly wished she had a camera to capture it on film. For another minute, while Richard¡¯s thrusts into the pussy in front of him continued, Rhonda¡¯s movements grew wilder, and she let out an incoherent cry of ecstasy and started cumming.


    Once again, her upper body tossed up and down and she would have fallen to the side if Molly and Richard¡¯s front paws hadn¡¯t been holding her upright. Her wild gyrations continued, until her whole body jerked and she howled in delight and rammed her pussy back against Richard for an ultimate time. After her orgasm, she would have fallen forward, except Molly kept holding her upright, because she knew Richard was about to cum.


    He knew it too and, this time, he didn¡¯t stop or even slow down. While Molly held Rhonda, who was limp as a rag doll, upright, Richard pounded his cock in and out of her, until he howled in joy and climaxed. A seeming ocean of cum gushed from his cock, which is normal for a wolf, and his knot made sure it stayed inside the woman he had just finished fucking. The viscous fluid was hot, ten degrees hotter than human semen, and Rhonda could feel it filling whatever parts of her vagina that were not already crammed by Richard¡¯s cock.


    It wasn¡¯t painful; it felt good, and emphasized the big knot that was crammed so tightly into her bloated love channel. Its presence was starting to bring her to another climax, which Rhonda wanted, and she knew how to bring it about. As Molly had talked about before, she started fucking herself back against the knot that was still tightly wedged inside her pussy.


    Richard unwrapped his hind legs from Rhonda¡¯s thighs and stood patiently, with his front paws on her hips, waiting for her to bring herself to another orgasm. Judging from how long his wife usually took to do it and how she described the sensations, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long. The plethora of hot wolf cum that filled her made her pussy even more sensitive than it would have been, and the knot that plugged the entrance was stretching it open, sending more ripples of joy through her body. His cock was not fully erect, but it was hard enough to send bolts of pleasure from all the most sensitive ces inside in her pussy, especially the base of her clit.


    ¡°Uh! Uh! Uh!¡± the sexy woman warbled in time to that hottest ce of all scraping against the big, hard knot as she rammed herself against it. ¡°Oh, my god,¡± she howled as another climax started.


    Richard remained stationary with his paws on her hips as Rhonda pitched and tossed in front of him. Molly did her part too, keeping her friend upright through the wild, uncontrolled movements of her body, until she sang out even more loudly and incoherently. Every muscle in her body clenched, and she copsed with Richard, his cock still held in her pussy by his knot, sprawling on top of her.


    Theyy there for a few minutes until the big lump softened enough for him to cautiously remove it from Rhonda¡¯s pussy. All his semen and her pussy juices, which had been bottled up inside her, gushed out and spread over the stic sheet that was protecting the mattress. There was a supply of paper towels avable, and Molly would clean up the mess before taking her turn with her werewolf husband.


    After the third andstst tremendous orgasm from Richard¡¯s cock, her fifth of the night, Rhonda was tired and needed to rest. Unlike her partner, she was only human. She would be ready for more after a couple of hours of Molly being subjected to the same excruciating pleasure, and knew she would want her second turn with her furry new friend. If Richard was up to it by then, and she believed her mouth would see to it that he was, she hoped to cum another four or five times. This was one night she would never forget, but she also knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk about it, because nobody would believe her.


    THE END OF WEREWOLF¡¯S THREESOME

 LOVE WITH A WEREWOLF #1

    Molly and Richard were naked as they sat quietly in their bedroom waiting for the moon to rise. It would be full that night and both were eagerly anticipating what the moon would do to Richard and what he would be able to do for himself and for Molly when the effects of the full moon were felt. Richard is a werewolf, but nothing like the savage brutes of movie notoriety. Due to some quirk in his gic code, the gravitational effects of every full moon gave him the shape and most other physical characteristics of arge, young wolf, but he always remained Richard, gentle and loving, especially toward Molly. Usually, their sex life is fairly ordinary, maybe not even that good, but every time the moon is full, it¡¯s earthquakes, hurricanes and skyrockets in the night.


    Their bed and dresser, with its mirror removed, were pushed against the door, just in case somebody might hear some of the strange noises that they would be making and try to investigate. Their mattress was on the floor because, as a wolf, it is easier for Richard to move around on the low surface than on the more elevated bed. Stacks of pillows were avable for Molly to put under herself or to otherwise help them with what they would be doing. The mirror from the dresser was propped up beside the mattress so she could look into it to thrill at the erotic sight they would soon be. Everything was ready and the rising of the moon was thest thing that had to happen.


    As the moon rose, they both watched Richard¡¯s hands. The first change in his outer appearance would be there when they would elongate into a wolf¡¯s paws and dark fur would cover their backs. Minutes before that happened, Richard would feel some of his internal organs rearranging themselves but that was hard to describe so it was easier to watch his hands to know when the change started.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± Richard announced. He didn¡¯t need to say anything else. The dark fur began rapidly covering his hands and he got on his knees just off the mattress so he would be ready. Molly sat on the edge of the mattress facing him and watching the fur cover his body, his ears grow pointed and his face change into a sharp snout. Minutes after the transformation started it wasplete and the form of arge grey and ck wolf was facing Molly.


    Although the body was that of a wolf, the mind and the emotions were those of Richard, who loves his wife dearly and yearns to sexually satisfy her and himself as well. He knows the art of making love to a woman but his human body is not up to the demands he wants to make of it. His wolf body, however, can satisfy any woman when it is directed by the mind of a man as loving and knowledgeable as Richard.


    Before doing anything else, Richard held out his paws and his wife strapped oven mitts on them. His wolf¡¯s ws were not really very sharp but they were sharp enough to inflict painful scratches on delicate parts of Molly¡¯s body during the enthusiastic fucking they would be doingter and the mitts were to prevent that. They had learned this from painful experience.


    Once the oven mitts were in ce, Mollyy on her back and cupped her breasts in her hands for her husband to lick. As a human, Richard¡¯s tongue was adequate for this forey but his long, pointed wolf¡¯s tongue was hundreds of times better. It curled around Molly¡¯s breasts, licking her there, especially her erect nipples, from every angle. Like that of all canines, the tongue of a wolf, even a werewolf like Richard, is covered with thousands of tiny knobs, giving it a roughened texture. When these tiny knobs caress Molly¡¯s breasts and pussy they are like thousands of miniature fingers gently massaging the most sensitive parts of her body. After less than a minute, she was cooing her pleasure and her upper body was squirming on the mattress. Richard thoroughly enjoyed the feel of his tongue on Molly but he was even happier at seeing how much pleasure he was giving his wife.


    He continued giving her that pleasure and, although it was intense, she was soon ready for Richard to go lower on her body with his talented tongue. As marvelous as it had felt on her breasts, it would feel even better on her pussy which, from what had just been happening and what would be happening momentarily, was already soaked with her juices. With his sensitive canine nose, Richard had been enjoying the delightful fragrance of those juices since the first droplets appeared and he was anxious to lick them up. From his experience, he knew they would taste even better than they smelled.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The human Richard eats Molly¡¯s pussy, of course, and they both enjoy it even though his tongue is short and blunt and not very agile. As a wolf, however, Richard¡¯s tongue is long and slender and almost prehensile. With Molly lying on her back, holding her pussy lips open with her fingers, Richard crouched between her thighs and pressed his nose against her clit. To most men, the aroma of a pussy as aroused as Molly¡¯s had be, is one of the most erotic things in the world. For Richard, with his keen lupine sense of smell, the aroma of the pussy of the woman he loves is hundreds of times more erotic, and he was really looking forward to spending hours licking her there and fucking.


    Molly was really looking forward to everything too, especially the fucking, but she was anticipating first having her pussy eaten by the greatest pussy-eating tool in the world, Richard¡¯s canine tongue driven by Richard¡¯s loving human brain. While she held her lips open, Richard snaked that superb tool into her. The slender tip slipped easily into her wet love hole and when he had prated almost four inches, he began moving it around, caressing all the most sensitive spots in the lining of her vagina with the rough knobs of his tongue.


    ¡°Oh! Oh! Oh! My love,¡± Molly blurted out as she could feel her first climax rapidly approaching. ¡°That feels so good! Your tongue is amazing.¡±


    His tongue truly was amazing that night, first, in what it could do for Molly¡¯s pussy and, second, the way it conveyed the vor of Molly¡¯s juices. They are delicious to Richard as a human but their vor is vastly improved when Richard tastes them with his wolf¡¯s taste buds. Besides his tongue, his nose pleasured his wife, massaging her clit better than any human tongue that ever existed. Needless to say, the aroma of Molly¡¯s pussy was an incredible delight to Richard¡¯s canine sense of smell and his cock was fully erect and out of his furry sheath. Although his lust was strong, his human love for his wife was easily enough to keep him from ravishing her as shey in front of him.


    Molly was certainly not lying still in front of him. Her ass was rocking from side to side and forward and backward while her pussy fucked up into Richard¡¯s canine face, deriving the most possible pleasure from the tongue that was caressing the inside of her pussy. ¡°I¡¯m cumming¡± she cried out joyously, and her hands squeezed his head to keep his tongue where they both wanted it.


    Lacking arms, he couldn¡¯t hold his wife¡¯s thighs to keep his mouth and nose where they both wanted them but Richard buried his snout as firmly as possible in Molly¡¯s pussy and his tongue continued twisting and caressing inside her. She kept a tight grip on her husband¡¯s head while her ass bounced up and down and in all other directions and her legs swung erratically from side to side as they both fully enjoyed her cumming. When she climaxed, her body jerked and her pussy made onest thrust against her husband¡¯s face. After that, shey quietly and her werewolf husband devoured all her fresh juices, the most delicious treat he could imagine.


    There were still hours left before the setting of the full moon and, much as Molly was looking forward to getting on her hands and knees and being mounted and fucked, she really wanted to cum again from his tongue first. ¡°That was wonderful, Sweetheart,¡± she cooed. ¡°Can we do it again? It¡¯s still early.¡±


    He was unable to speak except for meaningless wolf noises but there was nothing wrong with Richard¡¯s hearing. As always, he had truly loved eating his wife¡¯s pussy while in his wolf form and he wanted more of it, so he nodded his head, indicating yes. Molly once againy on her back, her legs spread and her fingers holding her pussy opened. The dark, young wolf that was her husband stepped forward to again bring immense pleasure to both of them.


    Molly¡¯s second orgasm from having her pussy eaten took longer and was even better than the first, even though, while in the throes of cumming, her strenuous and erratic thrashing separated Richard from her pussy. She climaxed secondster so this did not cause a problem but, for their greatest mutual pleasure, they both prefer to keep his mouth and her pussy together. Afterwards, shey quietly, gathering her strength and enjoying the feel of her husband¡¯s canine tongue as he feasted on her juices. She didn¡¯t rest and longer than necessary because she knew they still had hours of incredibly pleasurable love-making to do before the moon set and she was eager to continue.


    When she was ready, Molly sat up and the mattress and moved over. ¡°Okay, Sweetheart, time for your wonderful cock to get in on some of the action.¡± Richard happily stepped onto the mattress beside her, ready for what, to him, was the best part of the night.


    His cock was fully erect and all the way out of its sheath and Molly gazed at it with lust. The tip was bony and almost pointed and would easily enter her pussy once she had been mounted. After the tip, the cock that would soon bring her to ecstasy expanded into a long, thick cylinder, ending in arge knot, which was also tapered on the front to help it wedge into her and blunt right next to his body, to keep his cock inside her. Molly¡¯s pussy lubricated even more as she thought of what that knot would soon be doing for her clit. There was a drop of pre-cum on the tip of Richard¡¯s cock and she licked it off, relishing its robust vor.

 LOVE WITH A WEREWOLF #2

    Molly positioned herself on her hands and knees with pillows piled underneath. Richard stepped up behind her and licked her pussy and ass. She giggled and arched her back, prepared for the most wonderful cock she had ever felt. When he is a human, the loving couple prefers the full body contact of the missionary position but that had been provencking when he is in his wolf form, so they settled for what is usually called doggy-style for those times.


    With Molly in position, Richard rose up, ced his mitt-d paws on her hips and stepped awkwardly forward on his hind legs. She reached back with one hand and guided the tip of his cock into herself, sighing happily when it entered. Once the initial pration had been made, Molly put her hand back on the mattress and prepared for the hours of intense pleasure that were about to begin. With the tip of his cock inside her pussy, Richard gave a gentle push and the first two inches of his shaft surged into his wife. He whimpered his enjoyment and she moaned from the great feeling of having her pussy stretched by the big lupine cock for the first time in almost a month.


    Because it had been that long since thest full moon when Molly hadst had his wolf¡¯s cock in her, Richard wanted to be gentle and enter her slowly so there would be no pain from its size, which is muchrger than his human one. She was aware of this and loved him all the more for his consideration but it always felt so good plowing into her, even the slight pain feeling good, that sometimes she wished he would go a little faster. He was in charge of that part of their love-making, though, and knew they would be fucking for hours so he preferred to err on the side of caution.


    After several slow strokes by Richard, with his wife fucking back to meet him, his cock was in her all the way to his knot, which had just started wedging into her vagina. Molly, feeling it against the most erogenous ce in her body, arched her back and lowered her upper body until her face was pressed into the pillow, giving her clit the full benefit of its rough hardness. ¡°Fuck me hard,¡± she told her husband. ¡°My love button wants to feel your big, hard knot.¡±


    Until then Richard had been just resting his front paws on his wife¡¯s hips but once his knot had started into her, he moved forward so they were by her face. Molly looked into the mirror and smiled at the sight of her big furry husband on top of her with his cock buried in her pussy. She smiled even more and moaned with the intense pleasure as he drew it most of the way back and thrust forward again, his hard cock stretching her love channel and his knot massaging her clit.


    Over and over, Richard pounded his big cock into Molly, and, every time it plunged into her, the knot at the base of his big lupine shaft mmed into her clit, sending currents of ecstasy sizzling through her entire body. Molly was whimpering from the intense pleasure and her whole body was thrashing under her husband. His front paws were nted on the floor near her arms and the movements of Molly¡¯s upper body were limited by his furry legs. Richard¡¯s back legs were outside her thighs, containing the wild gyrations of her hips. As she approached what she knew would be an incredible orgasm, Molly nced into the mirror and saw the big ck and gray wolf that was her husband crouching over her. His back flexed rapidly back and forward, and every time it flexed forward he drove his cock deep into her pussy, filling her with its thick hardness and scraping her clit with his knot.


    ¡°Oh, yes! Oh, God, yes, I¡¯m cumming!¡± she screamed, her movements bing even more frantic. When she climaxed, her whole body spasmed. Molly would have copsed onto the mattress but the man/wolf who was fucking her held her upright until he would be ready to cum and fill her with his hot semen. Before that would happen, though, an adjustment would need to be made.


    A few minutester, after Molly had recovered enough of her strength from her orgasm, she made that adjustment. Leaning into the pillows under her, she reached back and slightly spread her pussy lips opening the entrance to her vagina. While she was doing that, Richard, who had been fucking with slow strokes, began driving his cock harder into his wife. ¡°Yes!¡± she cried. ¡°Give me your knot!¡±


    That was his intention and every time he rammed his cock into her, another fraction of the hard knot entered Molly, scraping her clit and driving her toward another orgasm. With a great surge, it was entirely inside; Molly screamed, partly from pain but mostly from the intense pleasure of having her pussy as full of cock as it had ever been.


    Molly had cum three times already and it was Richard¡¯s turn. He fucked into her harder and faster than ever and she fucked back to meet him just as strongly. Every time Richard drew his cock out and she moved back forward, her clit thumped against the base of his knot, once again filling her body with ecstasy and bringing her closer to another orgasm.


    Richard yelped from his pleasure as he climaxed, the muscles in his hindquarters clenching as he drove his cock into his wife onest time. When he ejacted, he filled her with his semen, much hotter than human ejacte and having a volume many times as great. As the thick fluid gushed into Molly, it filled her pussy, and would have overflowed except that Richard backed up, sealing her vagina with his knot, and starting to patiently wait until his cock softened and he could withdraw it from his wife.


    The flood of hot semen into Molly gave her a new sensation, with thebination of the heat and the added pressure sending out rolling waves of pleasure from her pussy. As wonderful as it felt to her, she needed to increase it so she started to fuck herself back against the knot that was plugging her, massaging her clit against it with every stroke, as if she were fucking a dildo protruding from a wall. A few minutes of this,bined with the throbbing pleasure of her filled pussy and everything else that she and Richard had done since her third orgasm, and Molly started cumming for the fourth time that night.


    This time, after recovering from her climax she waited for a few more minutes until Richard¡¯s cock had softened enough that he could remove it from her. When he was able to pull it out, a great gush of his semen poured out of her pussy, soaking into the mattress. Molly licked a few drops from hisid cock; she liked the taste but it was too strong for her to want more than a few drops.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Their first fucking of the night had been immensely enjoyable to Molly and Richard and they knew it would not be theirst. They had plenty of time before the moon would set and Richard, middle-aged as a human, was a young, virile wolf, and horny from being celibate since thest full moon. He wanted to make up for that and his cock would stiffen at least twice more, helped by his wife¡¯s mouth and hands, so they had no less than two more fabulous sessions of fucking before their night of pleasurable love-making would end. Molly would be able to cum at least two more times, even more than that if she wanted.


    They did need to rest a bit but both knew they had hours of great sex before them yet. Life was good to the happy couple and never better than when the moon was full.


    THE END

 FULL MOON RUT #1

    NEW STORY TITLE: FULL MOON RUT


    Read and enjoy¡­


    ************


    ¡°Look! She¡¯s receptive to his advances,¡± the older biologist whispered excitedly to his assistant. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now¡­¡±


    The pair were hunkered down in a carefully maintained blind a short distance away from a clearing where the activity was taking ce. The setting was surreal; deep in the woods near midnight under the piercing re of a bloated full moon. It was also the only possible time for such a study, a rare three-day period when the lycanthropes were drunk on the eldritch moonlight and engaged in a fierce breeding session. There were only five individuals in this particr pack: the Alpha male and female, who were currently near the bonfire in the center of their temporary encampment; another lesser-ranked bonded pair off to one side; and one lone solitary male who was sitting at the far edge of the camp and sulking.


    The scientist had named the Alpha pair Pitch and Glow for the purposes of identification; Pitch was a gigantic scarred veteran who had led this particr pack for well over three decades. Right now he was still in his human form, his muscled chest and arms twitching impatiently while his mate, Glow, a silver-haired woman of astonishing wild beauty was ying a game of cat-and-mouse with him. She would dart in, ruffle his wild ck mane with a giggle, and dance away again when he grabbed for her. When he finally stood up, the two humans could inly see his arousal.


    ¡°Do you have the recorder ready?¡± the biologist, Mitch Warner, asked of his assistant.


    ¡°I¡¯m already taping,¡± She Dover responded, her lens trained on the lesser pair, Grey and Blondie. The male, Grey, was in a partial shape-shift, his body covered in swatches of the fur for which he was named but not in a full metamorphosis. He had forced his mate onto her back and was between her legs, licking her with a tongue that was longer than it had any right to be. The female was in full estrus and her vulva was enmed and ultra-sensitive to her mate¡¯s sloppy ministrations. The long tonguepped at her weeping cunt with animalistic slurps and drool was beginning to drip from his lower jaw as it began to elongate. Mitch was right, it wouldn¡¯t be long now. The female, Blondie, was mewling in pleasure, her body beginning to sprout golden hair and her limbs starting to shift while Grey held down her twitching thighs and deliberately thrust his long tongue up into that delicious channel, making her growl in pleasure.


    Off to the side in full werewolf form, the outsider licked at his own engorged cock and shifted position ufortably. Brown was a neer to the pack and rtively young in lycanthrope terms and so didn¡¯t have enough seniority to get a mate. He was forced to watch the breeding from the sidelines and forbidden to participate, an ordeal that She figured must be pure torture for the virile male.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Mitch said in excitement, interrupting her feelings of pity for the smaller male. He grabbed her shoulder and pointed to where Pitch had managed to catch his teasing mate and wrestle her to the ground. She became suddenly submissive under his authority and dropped her eyes to his piercing re. She rubbed her hand into the lush thatch of pubic hair at her crotch and offered it to him. He sniffed at her palm and began licking it eagerly, his breath starting toe out in harsh pants of lust. Knocking her onto her back he nuzzled her full breasts and nipped at the erect nipples, his form beginning to warp and grow dark with coarse hair as the Change quickly enveloped him. Muscled arms became powerful forelegs that pried her thighs apart and his long muzzle impatiently prodded the wet slit of her cunt. He tasted her thoroughly, ver and juices coating his jaws as his tongue tasted and prodded until she was panting in excitement.


    With a massive effort, she managed to get away from him and shape-shifted into a stunning specimen of werewolf femininity. Standing erect on two powerful hind legs, her silver fur was longer than normal for her breed, immacte and groomed and practically glowing under the light of the moon that was poised overhead. It was no mistake that she was the chosen mate of this seasoned male. She looked over her shoulder at him and dropped down to all fours, moving her thick tail to the side in unspoken invitation.


    Pitch was on her in an instant.


    ¡°See there?¡± Mitch was whispering, ¡°You can inly see the os penis as the prepuce retracts. Like any canine species, there¡¯s a bone in the organ called the baculum that provides rigidity regardless of the male¡¯s level of sexual stimtion. A shame that us lowly humans don¡¯t have one of those, eh? Now soon we should see the bulbus ndis-¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She had heard all of this before and tuned him out as she zoomed in with the recorder. Pitch had his mate in the unmistakable doggy position and he was mercilessly fucking his mate as hard as he could. His long cock was unlike any human organ; narrow at the head but noticably expanding towards the base where the erectile tissue became a massive blood-engorged ball. He was jackhammering the female with harsh grunts of effort and Glow staggered under his greater weight, releasing whines with each thrust that could either be in pain or pleasure.


    She knew that werewolf coption was different from human sexual intercourse, because human males be erect first, and then entered the female; lycantrope males enter first, then swell and be erect. Pitch¡¯s cock was growing as the coupling continued, the bulbous nd at the base first pping up against the female¡¯s wet cunt and finally entering her, where she released a pained yelp at the invasion.


    ¡°Aha! The coital tie!¡± Mitch eximed in excitement.


    Pitch bit down on the back of her neck and his hindquarters shuddered as he climaxed into her receptive channel. When it was over, he awkwardly levered one leg over her back and the pair copsed to the ground, lying with their rumps close together, panting in the dirt from their efforts. Between their furry asses was a mass of engorged tissue, the male¡¯s cock was still embedded in her spasming cunt and trapped there by her powerful vaginal muscles. It was a guarantee that the thick cum wouldn¡¯t leak out and the slower sperm would have a chance to swim up to the fallopian tubes and ensure fertilization. They could remain connected that way for minutes or, in the case of inexperienced breeding pairs, hours.


    With a weary grunt, Pitch raised himself on one elbow and twisted around until he touched muzzles with his mate. With a weary bark, Glow began licking his face and around his ears in gratitude. Shortly after that her vagina muscles rxed and he pulled himself free andid down close beside her. The pair shape-changed into their hybrid forms and cuddled near the fire in a disy of affection that was almost human.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be at it for the next three days,¡± Mitch said with a smile. ¡°Alternating between sleeping, hunts, and breeding. It won¡¯t stop until her scent changes and he¡¯s sure she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    Lucky bitch, She thought to herself as she considered herst boyfriend; a one-pump-chump who had been oblivious to the concept of forey. That had been over two years ago and she had let work take over her life since then, and it was a job that rivaled no other. To be taken on as junior scientist in the Lycanthrope Project? It was a dreame true.


    Seeing that the Alphas were out of action for the time being, she swiveled her recorder back to the other pair. It was clear that Grey and Blondie had engaged in a rut of their own and they had missed it. Right now the hybrid male was on his back, clearly exhausted and the female, in her human form, was cleaning his shrinking cock with long swipes of her tongue. Clearly visible between her spread legs, a thick stream of cum was leaking from her recently fucked cunt.


    For some reason, She couldn¡¯t stop looking at the sight.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough taping for now,¡± Mitch said, grabbing for the camera and shutting it off. ¡°The neutralizer on our clothes will only protect us for another hour and I want to be out of here before it wears off. We¡¯lle back tomorrow night. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed. As they carefully left the blind, she spared one backwards nce to Brown, the outsider, who had moved off to the shadows with his back deliberately set towards his amorous pack members. It was a sight that haunted her as she and Mitch finally made it back to the van.

 FULL MOON RUT #2

    Brown was one miserable lycanthrope, that was for sure. His cock was as hard as a branch and it wasn¡¯t going away. It didn¡¯t help when Pitch and Glow began groping one another in that unmistakable precursor to another rutting session. He watched helplessly as his powerful leader began suckling his mate¡¯s breasts and teasing the pert nipples with yful growls. When she spread her legs to his questing hand, Brown¡¯s head almost exploded with the heady scent of her sex that wafted all the way over to where he was lying. He could smell thebined union of their juices and his mouth exploded with saliva while his hard cock throbbed against his lower belly with almost painful force.


    With a whine he slowly inched forward, barely aware of Grey and Blondie who were humping fiercely on the far side of the camp. The youngest pack member had his brown eyes trained solely on Glow who was on her knees and licking at her mate¡¯s balls. Her tonguepped at the heavy spheres, making him writhe in the dirt, while her free hand rubbed at hisid shaft. Her bare ass waved invitingly at Brown, the swollen slit of her sex clearly visible, the lips spread apart and streaked with drying cum.


    It was just too much for the virgin male. With a growl he pounced atop her back. Glow released a livid scream and in a sh, Pitch was on his feet and throwing the youth off her. Brownnded in an undignified heap at the edge of the camp and scampered away before his leader could punish him for his insolence in a way that would make the ache at his groin seem normal. With his tail between his legs, he raced through the woods, his ears t against his head and disappeared into the night.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    His body a vortex of whirling emotions, shame and anger the most prominent, he stopped at a stream the pack used for bathing and shape-shifted into his human form, stepping into the cold depths with a pained hiss as the water caressed his still aroused shaft. It helped to lessen his desire and he sat down on a submerged rock and stared up at the moon in exasperation. He howled once, a plea to those back at camp that he was sorry and waited breathlessly for an answering call. There was none. Until he was invited back, he was banished from the camp.


    Snorting in frustration, he dipped his head into the chilling water and shook out his long mane of hair. He then scrubbed at his skin with a handful of sand, trying to do anything to get his mind off of the moon and the breeding season it evoked this time of the year. It was the only time that lycanthrope females went into heat and emotions, like hormones, were running wild tonight.


    There was a light breeze that brought gooseflesh to his already-chilled flesh and he instinctively scented the breeze. Even here, he could smell the heady aroma of an excited female and his eyes suddenly dted in surprise. The wind wasing from the opposite direction of the camp! He scrambled out of the water and ran through the forest, led by that unmistakable odor and letting it eclipse all logic, only slowing down when he caught sight of a campfire. Proceeding silently through the undergrowth, he hunkered cautiously down when he caught sight of a lone female lying on a nket. She was on her back, naked, with her legs deliberately propped up to let the wind carry the scent of her sex into the forest.


    She knew that she was no longer alone but remained as she was, intent to wait him out. She was no longer wearing the neutralizer but hadthered on a lycanthrope musk that helped to disguise her human scent and possibly make her more eptable. This was obviously not something that Mitch would condone but her scientific curiosity outweighed the possible ramifications. She knew from studying the logbooks that single males had a higher mortality rate than bonded pairs, specifically around rutting season. With their instincts scrambled by the sensory overload they tended to die stupid, needless deaths. Lycanthropes were rare, and She knew from her studies that Brown was too special to lose by an unrequited heat. She wanted to help him and herself, too, in the bargain¡­


    After almost an hour, Brown finally appeared at the edge of the camp, his dark eyes suspicious and eager.


    She mimicked Glow¡¯s earlier behavior and rubbed her hand against her excited pussy and held her hand up towards him, the juices from her snatch coating her fingers. Scenting the arousal, Brown snorted impatiently and studied her for a few moments longer, his muscled form shivering with need and unease. His earlier excitement prevailed and he cautiously crept over to where she wasying, his dark eyes darting about for any sign that this might be some kind of a trap.


    She knew that Brown, like the rest of his pack-mates, were not unustomed to humans. She would never have tried this in any other ce than the Reserve, where Pitch led his small pack in rtive peace with only the asional study group keeping tabs on their supernatural behavior. As a result, they were tamer than their wild counterparts up north.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± She whispered, dipping her hand into her pussy again and offering it to him. ¡°I¡¯m here for you. Only for you.¡±


    At the sound of her words, Brown¡¯s young face tightened up in suspicion but quickly rxed. He didn¡¯t understand English but he was responsive to the tone of her words that were trying to convey that she wasn¡¯t a threat. The muscles across his hairy chest twitched as he squatted down beside her. Tentatively, he grabbed her hand and sniffed it and began licking her fingers. A sound that was almost a purr began to emanate from deep within his chest as he began sucking on the digits.


    She remained carefully prone on the nket and let him investigate her. He ran his rough hands among her arms and sniffed at her hair, drawing back slightly when he realized that she was fully human. The hesitationsted only for a few seconds and he began nuzzling her jaw line, teeth grazing the sensitive flesh as he worked his way down. She wasn¡¯t worried about a bite that could afflict her with his arcane taint; she had her inoctions up to date and was immune to it.


    He grabbed her breasts and kneaded them with inexperienced fingers, watching the nipples stiffen and rise with intent interest. When he began licking them, She broke her paralysis and betrayed a moan. He recoiled in surprise, cocking his head to the side in an almost amused gesture and went back at it, studying her face for her reaction. Her nipples were always sensitive at the best of times and when he began lightly biting at them, she couldn¡¯t stop writhing in excitement. There was actually a lopsided grin on Brown¡¯s face as he realized he was sessfully pleasuring her.


    He moved down along her stomach, licking at the soft flesh, and finally buried his nose in the small thatch of her pubic hair, inhaling deeply.


    Here we go, She thought and wasn¡¯t disappointed when he began licking excitedly at her clit. She spread her legs wider and offered herself to him. He buried his face into her snatch and licked withpulsive eagerness, his muscr body shivering with exhration. It was a strange sensation being eaten in this position; his tongue running in the opposite direction of what she was used to and the sensations only heightened her lust.


    He was stretched out beside her and she could inly see that his cock was hard and aching with need. Even in his human form it resembled a canine penis, with the ns hidden at the base instead of at the head of the shaft, giving it a slender, tubr appearance. Twisting her body she reached for it, gripping the foreskin and retracting it further so that she could get a closer look. It was covered in a spiderweb of bloodvessels and almost purple with arousal, a droplet of pre-cum oozed from the slit and she licked it off with a flick of her tongue.


    Brown jerked in shock at the unexpected sensation and swung his head around to see her wrap her lips around his shaft and begin to suck him. It was like no feeling he had ever encountered before and he came almost immediately, surprising her. One volley of thick cream went into her mouth, and the other sttered against her face as she gagged. A third, weaker streamnded on her breasts.


    ¡°Ah crap,¡± she muttered. Well, really, what did she expect? Don Juan of the forest? She began getting up to go clean herself off and Brown suddenly pushed her back down, frowning and shaking his head. To her astonishment he began cleaning her, licking up the sticky puddles of his own spend from her chest and then moving over to her face. When his tongue grazed across her lips she stuck her own out, sharing the taste of his tart semen as their tongues fluttered and probed against each other.


    He didn¡¯t stop until he was certain he had washed all traces of his ejacte from her face and then moved back down between her legs again, intent on that particr region that intrigued him the most. She¡¯s hips jerked in reaction when she felt his tongue brush against her clit and then deliberately prod her cunt, invading the slippery walls and scooping out the thick juices with growls of pleasure. His ws were gripping her legs with almost painful force-


    Wait a second- ws? Yes, he was starting to Change in his heightened sexual state, probably not even aware of it. She pulled away from him, earning her a frustrated snarl of confusion, and rolled over and got up on her hands and knees, spreading her legs.


    Brown recognized the invitation with something akin to amazement and came up behind her. He nosed her wet slit and licked it in gratitude onest time before climbing on top of her, clumsily pawing her breasts as he licked at the back of her neck. He hunched impatiently but couldn¡¯t find the entrance until she reached down and guided his cock into her pussy. After that assistance he mmed it home, making her cry out in surprise.


    The feeling of her shuddering walls around his throbbing member was indescribable and he surrendered to his full wolf state as he fucked her. Slobber dripped from his jaws and soaked her hair while his w-like hands squeezed her tits with each maddened thrust. His tail was lifted high like a g as his furry hindquarters thrust into her, his heavy balls rocking back and forth. It was a scene out of a horror movie; a small human woman being brutally fucked by a vering beast in the middle of the woods but She¡¯s cries were not one of fear or pain.


    It was excitement and pleasure.


    She could feel his engorged cock grow bigger as the savage rut continued. The engorged ns at the base were pping up against her erged clit and she released a panting scream as she climaxed. A gush of fluid exploded in her stretched channel, easing the way for his huge rod. She partially copsed under his greater weight, her cheek resting on her folded arms, and Brown epted this better angle of entrance and hammered into her with renewed fervor. Instinctively he knew that the coupling wasn¡¯t yet over, there was still something that had to happen. He dug his hind ws into the dirt and lunged forward as hard as he could with a savage growl. The bulb at the base of his cock entered her and She released a choked scream of pain at the invasion, struggling under him.


    Holding her firmly in ce, Brown¡¯s thighs flexed with each spurt of hise. She could feel her pussy being filled with his copious cream, the bulb firmly entrenched inside her cunt ensuring it that the semen could not be forced back out. The pressure was unbelievable and her body spasmed with each squirt of his cock until he was drained. Still, he didn¡¯t let her go,pelled by an unknown imperative that dictated he had to ensure the coupling so that she could be fertilized. She could have told him it wouldn¡¯t matter; crossbreeding between lycanthropes and humans was impossible.


    She tried to pull away from him and his jaws lightly sped the back of her neck in warning. She wasn¡¯t going anywhere. It came back to her that inexperienced pairs sometimes stayed this way for hours and that filled her with the first sensations of worry. She had hoped to let this male vent his sexual urges on her, not trap her for an hour in a rut position with his spent cum sloshing around inside of her sore pussy.


    Lunging forward, she managed to disengage his engorged cock with an audible ¡®pop¡¯ and his seed immediately began leaking out of her cunt. Brown released a livid snarl and tackled her before she managed to get away from him. Uneptable! His forearms wrapped around her waist with almost crushing force and he began fucking her again, impatience and need driving him to mate with this creature, even if she wasn¡¯t his breed.


    She¡¯s entire body rocked with the force of his hammering blows. Her fingers wed futilely at the nket and she released whimpers and cries with each frenzied thrust. Spermced juices were running down the insides of her legs, forced out by his rapidly pounding member. She wasing again as the girth of his cock expanded and rubbed against the excited froth-rimmed circle of her cunt. Just as she climaxed, he forced the bulb back into her and they both cried out together; a pained scream and satisfied howl of triumph that echoed in the still forest.


    More thick cream was shot into her bruised womb until his balls were finally empty. This time, She let him remain locked inside of her. She was really too exhausted to struggle. She fell asleep with his greater weight pinning her down on the nket and woke up shortlyter to still feel that ufortable packing of her bruised cunt. It was clear that Brown was going to wait her out for the duration and she groaned at the thought. Every time she dared to shift position to try and lessen that unbearable pressure, he grumbled and his muscr forearms tightened around her. It wasn¡¯t until dawn when the bulb finally disengorged and slipped from her pussy, and she could feel the spill of his semen oozing from the swollen lips of her sex. She groaned with relief.


    There was a distant howl in the woods and Brown¡¯s ears cocked with sudden alertness. The pack was allowing him to return! He sat up and then considered the prone female beneath him, clearly hesitating between desire and duty. Shape changing, he assumed his human form and let his fingers glide over her scratched stomach and dallied briefly in her soaked cunt, making her groan. He stared tentatively up at her face. Leaning over, he licked her lips and then offered her a grateful smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she said, smiling weakly back.

 DILF WEREWOLF NEXT DOOR #1

    Callie fidgeted on the doorstep waiting for it to open. The moon, full and bright, yellowish in its glow illuminated everything. It hung low in the sky, a hauntingmp light to remind everyone that Halloween was just around the corner. It had rained recently and the air had a cloying dampness to it with notes ofing winter. It wasn¡¯t enough to sink into the bones yet the rain had brought out the moldy, mossy aroma of the dying leaves. None of this would have been a problem if Callie had worn jeans and a sweater. Instead she was wearing her sexy red cocktail dress, ck leather jacket and favorite felt booties.


    The jacket was form fitting and the cocktail dress perfectly entuated her curves. Callie was a willowy, lean figure of a girl but with the rightcy bra her breasts swelled up. Ripe and supple. Not big but medium to fit a man¡¯s calloused palm with sensitive nipples to get him growling. Her t stomach tapered to a pert bottom, heart shaped then finally to a pair of long, shapely legs. Also¡­ she had decided not to wear panties tonight. She groaned at another soft autumn night breeze. The frigid air had the skin of her legs raising in goosebumps. She should have at least worn stockings. But she wanted to look sexy for Mack. She couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of Little Red Riding Hood in that moment. Given that her neighbor was actually a werewolf. Her thought made her smile and that was the moment Mack saw after he opened the door.


    ¡°Callie, I¡¯m so sorry to have kept you waiting!¡±


    Mack towered over her yet his height was never intimidating. Her heart sang with delight at his weing smile.


    ¡°No no it¡¯s fine!¡± Callie rushed past him into the warmth of his home. She caught a whiff of him, the small spice of cloves and clean soap. His hair was ck but with silver wingtips at the side of his head. A strong jawline covered in a well manicured beard and mustache. And velvety brown eyes that could melt a girl because when he looked at you it was like you were the only person in world to him. He was older than her yet he was incredibly fit. Muscr. Perfectly sculpted like a Greek statue still taut with little sag. His skin was bronzed and always warm to the touch. During the summer Callie had the pleasure of seeing his body whenever he mowed thewn or was in the pool with his kids. Broad chest with chiseled pecs hidden beneath a carpet of hair that trailed down his well toned stomach and lean hips to disappear into his shorts. Legs thick with muscle and a dusting of hair that was still ck. Even his feet were sexy and Callie never looked at feet.


    ¡°I should have known better than to wear a short dress and felt boots in damp weather.¡±


    She rubbed her arms and legs together to get more friction to warm herself up. Mack¡¯s gaze traveling up and down her body, she could see a hint of manly appreciation in his coffee-brown eyes.


    ¡°I think you look great. Pretty sexy,¡± his chiseled, sensual mouth curving into an all-too-sexy grin. But then it faded in a panic as he added: ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re attractive¡­ in an objective sense!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mack¡¯s heart squeezed at the sight of Callie¡¯s aura dimming. He hated seeing disappointment on her face. She was so beautiful and tonight it would be especially hard to control his wolf urges. Was she using a new shampoo? Lc and vani. Flowery and buttery softness. So feminine. Werewolf senses were so acute he could tell the brand of detergent she used. And her outfit. He was only wearing jeans and a cotton t-shirt.


    She was always lovely though. With that long brown hair that gleamed bronze in the right light. Stunning blue eyes the color of cornflowers that were always full ofpassion and lit up whenever she smiled. And her body too¡­ She was slim but still had those round womanly curves. He loved to watch her pert little ass flex and curve as she did her dawn yoga. His wolf would growl imagining those shapely legs wrapped around his hips as he plunged deep within her core. When she hade over to swim in his pool he couldn¡¯t help but notice her nipples puckering though her bikini top. He didn¡¯t know how he held a conversation with her. He must have licked his lips a few times imagining those sweet little berries in his mouth, getting hard and wet by his tongue. Yet Callie didn¡¯t seem to notice. And she always smelled¡­ so so good. Werewolves were attracted to people who¡¯s scents pleased them. And Callie¡¯s more than pleased.


    ¡°Being a yoga instructor has its benefits.¡± Callie shed him one her warm smiles that always made his wolf heart flutter. She did a little flirty twirl allowing him to take in those sweet feminine curves of hers outlined by the tight red dress.


    Mack swallowed. His mouth was suddenly dry and his palms became a bit mmy. He felt like a young pup with his first mating. He tried to make conversation¡­ yet she was standing so close her enticing silky scent was distracting. Mack snapped back to reality but his cock twitched in his jeans, pushing against his zipper.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you coulde over and¡­,¡± he gave a good hefty sniff to the air. ¡°Are you using a new shampoo?¡± Fuck! Why did he say that? His blood pulsed quicker as his wolf growled inwardly with pleasure. ¡°You smell¡­ you smell¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish that sentence. Mack would definitely scare her off. ¡°Never mind¡­¡±


    Callie saw his struggle. The air charged between them making them both sweat. But she didn¡¯t like seeing him nervous. She ced a reassuring hand on his forearm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. No I¡¯m not using any new shampoo though you¡¯re one of the few who would notice that. I guess having a super werewolf nosees in handy.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but notice his arm hair was feathery soft. Nor could she help but slightly run her thumb over his skin, feeling the corded muscles tighten beneath her gentle touch.


    Mack¡¯s skin absorbed that soft touch. His wolf growled happily. Callie was always so sensitive to his moods and seemed to know exactly what he needed. He luxuriated in her caressing hand almost barely hearing her ask, ¡°So¡­ where are the little pups?¡±


    Mack breathed a sigh of relief at the change in subject. ¡°They¡¯re with the ex. I have the house to myself the next couple of days.¡± Callie warmed at the news. It would give her a chance to¡­ ¡°Oh I have something for you.¡±


    He turned and brought out a small box wrapped in pretty green and gold paper. He blushed a little. ¡°It¡¯s a thank you.¡±


    Mack was always so cute when he turned shy. Even more sexy was a man who could be a shy boy sometimes. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Mack rubbed his neck, avoiding her eyes instead concentrating on a throw pillow in the living room and the faded violet pattern of the rug. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a human to be so nice¡­ given the history between my werewolf kind and your human kind.¡± His bearded face stretched into a warm smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling just a little, once more making Callie¡¯s pulse race.


    ¡°You were just so helpful thesest few months: babysitting the kids, cooking meals, hell you basically did more than my ex-wife has.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Callie licked her dry lips, tasting her cherry lip gloss. She tingled all over as her cheeks turned rosy, ¡°Honestly¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to see a werewolf single dad. I thought that¡­ I mean I don¡¯t mean to be rude but¡­¡±


    ¡°You thought we mated for life?¡± he helped finished. He wasn¡¯t mad or offended. He was always patient when it came to exining aspects of his culture. ¡°No, that mating for life, alpha/beta, soulmate stuff is a total myth¡­¡± His shoulders slumped, sighing heavily. Callie wanted so much to ease that sudden pain in his face away.


    She unwrapped the gift to find inside was a charm bracelet. A gold little chain circlet with her birthstone the emerald and her star sign Gemini followed by other things she liked¡­ A lotus for her yoga practice and¡­


    ¡°These are things we¡¯ve done together the past few months,¡± Callie spoke softly, in awe that anyone could be so sweet.


    Mack came closer, breathing in her natural bouquet with greed while showing her the charms. ¡°The carousal horse for when you took us to see the fair. A cupcake for¡­ when you saved that cake I tried to make for one of my kids¡¯ birthdays¡­¡± Mack¡¯s inner wolf growled again with pleasure at the joy on Callie¡¯s face. God¡­ her scent was stronger with warm, spicy after notes. His cock twitched in his jeans at the sight of her sultry rose petal lips parting in a sound of pleasure. He couldn¡¯t help the image of that mouth making sounds of passion as he¡­ He ground his teeth! Damn it stop that!


    Callie, thankfully, didn¡¯t notice his train of thought, her cornflower blue eyes sparkling up at him. ¡°Thank you, Mack¡­¡± She looked like she wanted to do something more. But she didn¡¯t move. Instead she passed him to ce her gift on the table and slipped the delicate chain onto her dainty wrist.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she twirled around turning that stunning smile back on him. ¡°We should go out tonight!¡±


    ¡°Go out?¡± Mack stuttered. ¡°You¡­ and me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Callie saw the sudden panic or was it hope? ¡°Guys and girls going out together isn¡¯t strange. I can even be your wing-girl.¡± She decided to ease his worries. Damn it this was not going how she had nned. What happened to her boldness? She wasn¡¯t wearing panties after all. She should just jump his bones already but¡­ maybe he wouldn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°Oh¡­,¡± Mack chuckled. ¡°You mean as friends.¡± Did he see disappointment in her eyes? Did he react too eager or not eager enough? Didn¡¯t matter. Why would a perfect, lovely young woman like Callie want to date an old dog like him? ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± he raked his fingers through his salt and pepper hair, messing it up in his nervous pulling. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I went clubbing. I¡¯m not even sure I can¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop being silly!¡± Callie¡¯s lush lips pursed into a cute pout. ¡°If you¡¯re nervous I can teach you.¡± Before he could protest she was inches away from him. ¡°Here¡­,¡± she took his hands,rge and calloused yet so warm, and ced them on her slim hips.


    ¡°Uhhhh¡­,¡± Mack stammered, his bearded cheeks blushing hard. That color seemed to spread as she wound her delicate yet lean arms around his neck. She watched the throat muscles flex at his hard swallow. Callie was so tempted to kiss that throat. Lick it. He smelled so good. Musky and earthy. Virile male that could dominate her tiny body with his big hard wolf body.


    ¡°Now¡­,¡± Callie¡¯s voice went to a low throaty whisper that sent a thrill down his spine shooting into his groin. ¡°Just¡­ sway gently¡­ that¡¯s it¡­ Just side to side¡­ See there you go¡­¡±


    They moved in one small circle, gently swaying to imaginary music. Mack¡¯s pulse quickened with forbidden longing as they continued to hold each other. Ever so slightly her breasts would lightly brush across his chest, a ghostly tease that made his blood heat. For Callie at every slight intimate contact her nipples swelled, sending tiny shocks to her core. Their bodies hungered and burned and yet both were too afraid to make the first move. If only Mack¡¯s hand would stray down to her buttocks he would feel she wasn¡¯t wearing anything down there. But she was sure he could smell her arousal. The heat grew until her thighs grew achy with need.


    In fact, Mack could smell her but still he thought he would frighten her away. It had been so long his wolf would jump out and hurt her. His fingers dug into Callie¡¯s satin-covered hips. Heughed to diffuse the tension.


    ¡°Look at you¡­,¡± he said. ¡°Teaching an old dog new tricks.¡±


    Callie gave him a yful p on the chest, ¡°Would you stop saying that, Mack. You are not old. Being 40 isn¡¯t old. In which case I¡¯m 32 and 8 years away from the nursing home!¡±

 DILF WEREWOLF NEXT DOOR #2

    Mack¡¯s body vibrated with hisughter. He couldn¡¯t help it. That husky happy sound that sent a sizzling heat to her stomach. He pressed his forehead to hers. Callie¡¯s breath hitched. His masculine presence was intoxicating. ¡°How did I get so lucky to have a neighbor like you?¡±


    ¡°You have¡­ an angel looking out for you I guess,¡± Callie¡¯s body warmed beneath his heavy-lidded stare. The temptation became too much for him. Mack moved his face to her neck, once more absorbing her very essence.


    ¡°You¡¯re so sweet¡­ and you smell¡­¡± he inhaled once. Twice. ¡°You smell¡­¡± Then Callie¡¯s world careened at his next words as his voice changed into a gravelly growl that wasn¡¯t human. ¡°You smell¡­ you just smell so good¡­¡± Her blood froze for a few seconds as she pulled back to see a pair of molten gold eyes searing into her with a primal hunger she would never escape.


    ¡°Your scent¡­,¡± Mack¡¯s human features seemed to morph into something more canine, ck hair growing and covering his human skin. ¡°Your scent makes me want to¡­¡±


    Callie¡¯s world moved as she was rapidly pressed into the wall, the force knocking the wind out of her and making her see colors. The only thing holding her up was Mack. His lips curled into slowscivious snarl, shing his white canines at her. Suddenly, however, sanity came back to him. His eyes bing their soft dark brown again. His face human again. His face paled with horror at what he had done. Quickly he rushed backwards leaving Callie to slump against the wall. Her legs had turned to water and she tried taking slow deep breaths to get her wind back.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I¡­,¡± Mack stuttered. His wolf was growling in protest at being interrupted. His body vibrated with the effort to contain his inner beast. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡±


    Once her world was upright Callie saw the stricken look on Mack¡¯s face. Instantly she wanted tofort him. Her naturalpassion overriding her instinct to run away. ¡°Mack¡­?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Mack took a step back. Yet still her scent intoxicated him it was so strong. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she continued anyway. ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No I¡¯m not sick but¡­,¡± Mack groaned as if in physical agony, raking his fingers through his hair frantically. ¡°Listen¡­ I think¡­ I think you should go home¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it¡­,¡± Callie shrunk with her insecurity. ¡°Was it something I did?¡± Her blue eyes like gleaming pools of periwinkle looked so hurt it killed Mack not to go over to her andfort her.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m¡­,¡± he swallowed hard, struggling to talk straight. ¡°You were just so nice and thoughtfuling over the past few months¡­ Filling the hole my ex left and well and I didn¡¯t want to scare you off and¡­ and¡­¡± He growled in frustration. His wolf was wing at the walls of his control. His face tightened then he sighed in surrender, ¡°I¡¯m attracted to you.¡±


    That confession had Callie¡¯s body quickening, her arousal adding spicy notes to her flowery scent. This girl was going to drive him mad. He spoke rapidly, ¡°I¡¯m attracted to you and well¡­ my wolf is¡­ really attracted to you. I¡¯ve been wanting to mate with you for months and¡­¡± he struggled with another growl. ¡°I just¡­ I just¡­¡± he sighed, his wolf reasserting itself with a husky growl that made Callie shiver with want. ¡°I just want to sink inside you¡­ I want to feel our bodies press against each other¡­ and¡­ FUCK!¡±


    Mack shook his head. His blood rushed making his ears hum. His strong body craved to dominate and mate Callie. He wanted to tear something apart. It suddenly became a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation. ¡°Callie,¡± his gentle brown eyes pleading. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you¡­ go home tonight¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think I can control myself¡­¡±


    Callie didn¡¯t move. She was torn between unease and arousal¡­ It was now or never. ¡°Mack, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°I feel the same about you.¡±


    Mack paused. Turning shocked eyes, that had turned a fiery whiskey color, in her direction. Clearly he didn¡¯t hear her right. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re attracted to me too?¡± He never dared to hope this beautiful young woman would feel the same way about him. A werewolf no less. Then she started walking towards him, he could read the intent on her face.


    ¡°No, stop,¡± Mack backed himself into the table but Callie was not deterred. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer I might¨C!¡± Her mouth stopped all protests. Her lips pressed firmly into his, nting across his trembling mouth and pushing her body against him. Her willowy arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers tunneling into his hair to try and bring him down to press harder. In a moan of surrender Mack wrapped Callie in his strong arms in a punishing embrace. Their mouths opened and tongues swept across each other giving each a deeper taste that both craved.


    Mack couldn¡¯t believe how good her lips felt. Mack had often on lonely nights stroked himself imagining the taste and feel of Callie on his tongue. Sweet, ripe cherries and the mint of her toothpaste. Her mouth was like silk, that small tongue bold in its licking. Callie was thinking the same thing. This sweet shy werewolf tasted better than she imagined. A dark, wild, spicy drug that she couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    His hands roved over her body hungrily. Raking through her silky light brown hair and feeling her warm curves rubbing sensually against him. He was certain she could feel how rock hard he was.


    ¡°Callie¡­,¡± Mack gasped sharply. He wanted to say something to stop her but then she ground her feminine hips into his groin. ¡°Fuck! You¡­ You¡¯re making it hard to resist¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to resist¡­,¡± Callie whispered, giving his lower lip a provocative nibble. She whimpered at the hard bulge throbbing against her. Even through his jeans she could feel the heat of him. He made her hunger, made her crave. She wanted to im every male inch of him.


    His wolf came back. Mack¡¯s features changing again into a feral demon. Hair sprouted on his arms, neck, and more of his face. His eyes two smoldering coals that prated deep into her soul. Even his muscles grew in size. His human grip held an unyielding, supernatural strength that had her swooning.


    His voice became that gravelly growl again, ¡°You asked for it.¡±


    He spun them around, reversing their roles with Callie pressed back against the table and Mack pushing into her. Animal hunger took over. The wolf-man shredded her leather jacket, his mouth devouring hers. Tongue forcing its way into her throat. In another second her dress was torn from her too. Her body convulsed in her gasp of surprise. She was wearing nothing but hercy bra that cupped her swollen, heaving breasts, her booties and the charm bracelet. No panties. And she had waxed leaving her perfect cunt on disy. So puffy and pink. Hot cream coated her opening.


    Desire raced through Mack¡¯s veins at the sight of her. ¡°My god¡­ You¡¯re¡­ practically drenched¡­¡± His nostrils red and eyes gleamed with ferocious lust. He lowered his hulking body to kneel between her spreading thighs as she herself propped her behind onto the table. Fuck his mouth was watering. He pressed his small snout closer, barely touching, his breath tickling her swollen lips. Rich vani cream. Sweet salty caramel. Sugary, salty delight¡­ and she was all his. ¡°You smell even better down here¡­¡± His animal eyes shot up to capture her soul. ¡°Naughty little human¡­¡±


    His fingers had be a little longer, his ck ws sinking into her delicate flesh yet careful not to break the skin. ¡°Just a few licks¡­¡± Then he quickly buried his tongue inside her sopping pussy. Callie¡¯s whole body surged with electric sensation. His tongue felt sooooooo good. Long, warm and moist it hit all those nerve endings at once in greedyps;bined with the coolness of his nose had her body singing in ecstasy.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Heughed huskily into her cunt growling in between greedy licks, ¡°Such a little slut you are¡­ mmmmm¡­ not wearing any panties¡­ mmmmm¡­ you came over to seduce me didn¡¯t you, little human¡­ mmmmmm¡­¡±


    Callie only answered in shallow breaths and needy moans. The sounds fed his male hunger. With a groan he pushed his tongue into her tight sheath. She jerked in his hold, her fingers tunneling into his ck and silver hair. She was so close and Mack could feel it.

 DILF WEREWOLF NEXT DOOR #3

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ mmmme for me,¡± Mack focused his tongue on her swollen berry, noticing that it made her convulse and moan the loudest. ¡°Come for your mate¡­ let me taste you¡­ that¡¯s it,e! Mmmmmmm!¡± Blissful, blistering pleasure seized her. Like a good girl Callie flooded his mouth with her sweet essence. Her body was shaking, mind reeling. She had nevere that hard before.


    Meanwhile, Mack continued to clean up the silky liquid. He was consumed by her taste. It was like ambrosia. This was one of his many fantasiese true. Over thest half year he had enough fantasies about her to fill a hard drive. Now here she was. Naked. Begging for him. God damn! He was so hard it hurt!


    She was covered in a light sheen of sweat, body still shuddering when the werewolf man stood up practically ripping the button of his jeans off. ¡°I need you,¡± he growled, his cock springing free it stood at attention, leaking pearly precum. Callie rallied to lift herself up, eager to see¡­ But when she got a look at that cock, the cock that was a major focus in her fantasies, she paused.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mack stopped though he wanted to sink so deep inside her he was inside her womb.


    ¡°N-Nothing it¡¯s just¡­,¡± Callie inched closer, eyeing the length with lustful curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a werewolf dick before¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t long but it was thick, a good kind of girth, red with throbbing veins and¡­ something at the base, a swelling just above his scrotum. She had seen him in a bathing suit and often her eyes would be drawn to his crotch wondering: what¡¯s he packing? Is it an animal cock or a human one? Well it was a mixture of both. Perhaps because he was half way between his human and animal form his maleness was also.


    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Mack had a moment of doubt. Callie was a petite thing, almost delicate. Would he even fit? ¡°I agree it¡¯s not like¡­ human cocks but¨C¡±


    ¡°Can I touch it?¡± she asked, the eagerness back. She was suddenly hungry for the forbidden.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Mack averted his eyes. Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. But he wasn¡¯t paying attention to how close Callie¡¯s small hand was. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ close to losing itpletely and¨Cah!¡±


    Toote, Callie wrapped her hand as best she could around the slick throbbing organ. She licked her lips, her mouth hungry for a taste but perhaps that would have gone too far. Gently she stroked, her thumb swiping softly over his crown to caress his growing knot at the base. He trembled in her hands. Having a shy yet terrifying beast such as him weaken at her slight touch was¡­ exciting.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot¡­ and hard,¡± she marveled. ¡°Like¡­ iron velvet¡­¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ Your hands¡­ are so soft¡­¡± And her look of wonder and lust made him throb harder. She gave a firmer stroke and looked up at him with eyes zed over in arousal.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t even wrap my whole hand around it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, baby,¡± Mack¡¯s hoarse growl hitched. Her fingers yed with him, tuning him like an instrument. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Oh god¡­ I need to be inside you!¡±


    Lost in his animal frenzy, Mack turned Callie around, bending her half over the table, her delectable bottom wiggling enticingly at him. Without any prompting the werewolf man plunged deep inside her. Luckily she was so wet he slid easily in though the thickness did make her wince a little. But it didn¡¯t matter. She moaned. His hands gripping her hips firmly as she became a vessel for his wild lust. He began to pump her with deep strokes, even and hard. Eventually that good girth was making her see colors.


    ¡°Fuck! So good¡­ like¡­ fucking tight hot silk¡­ And you take me so well¡­ Just like a good mate should!¡± Mack praised. ¡°I can feel you¡­ I can feel your pussy throbbing against my knot!¡±


    His hips gyrated in slow, grinding circles, his knot rubbing at her clit. And Callie met each driving thrust with a push back of her own. Mack was amazed that such a petite woman could match his wolf¡¯s sexual urges. His thick wolf cock pulsed harder while her human pussy, so hungry for it, was drawing him in deeper.


    Callie was mindless with pleasure. Good thing she was fit or else she would have broken a bone or two by now. Her fingers raked at the polished oak table that shook with the force of their mating. Her nipples hard and contracting behind the cups of her bra. Her lungsboring for breath but she had a darker need that didn¡¯t want any of this to stop. The house filled with the sounds of feral growls and hoarse, breathy moans, the pping of flesh and groaning of the wooden table. Their lovemaking was intense, stoked by carnal ferocity.


    ¡°I love your moans¡­,¡± Mack growled, his pants getting heavier, morebored. ¡°Such a good mate¡­ I wonder if¡­ you¡¯ll moan louder¡­ if I touch this part¡­ here.¡±


    Callie¡¯s body arched at her new cry. He was strumming on her clit, his cock driving faster inside her. ¡°Fuck, Mack!¡± She cried out. ¡°Oh god yes, baby!¡± That swollen bulge at the base of his cock was throbbing too. Her pussy had a mind of its own and she could feel it clench then soften, trying to get that bigger part inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re so close,¡± Mack bent over her, covering her body with his mass. He nuzzled into her neck, his canines scraping against her dampened skin. ¡°I can feel it. Come for me. Come for your mate!¡± He rammed his rod so deep his knot finally pushed past her entrance and that¡¯s when Callie felt her orgasm crash over her, radiating from the soles of her feet to burst in her core. Stars shed in her eyes the ecstasy ripped through her. ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s it! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m gonnae¡­ toooooooooo!¡±


    Mack howled his release. His pulsing cock gushed inside her. No woman had ever felt so good, so perfect. His muscles tensed then rxed. His wolf satiated his lupine features began to recede. They copsed together. Their skin grew salty with shared passion, breathing heavily, pulses throbbing. But Mack¡¯s knot remained.


    ¡°Holy shit, Mack¡­,¡± Callie giggled, after such a climax she felt light headed. ¡°So that¡¯s what being with a werewolf is like¡­¡± Mackughed too. His breath huffing against her neck, tickling her flesh. He kissed her neck and her back while his fingers trailed along her body. He reached beneath her to cup her breast. The creamy mound felt so pliant to his stroking fingers and loving palm. He should have gotten herpletely naked.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked suddenly afraid he did some permanent damage.


    ¡°Mmmmm will definitely have some bruises but I heal fast. Just need some tea and an epsom bath with eucalyptus and I¡¯m good to go,¡± Callie sighed happily. ¡°I like it slow and drawn out but that was¡­ wow!¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­,¡± Mack became shy again yet still yed with her breasts. ¡°I¡¯m usually more gentle but¡­ like I said it¡¯s been¡­ a long time.¡± He pushed himself up. ¡°Let me just¡­ ugh¡­ damn it.¡± He tried to pull his hips back but his knot remained rock hard. He blushed. ¡°Well we¡­ might be here a while¡­ knot needs to soften.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Callie wriggled her hips causing Mack to groan. It was like being hugged by a velvet fist. ¡°But next time we should do it in a bed.¡±


    He kissed her neck, licking at her salty sweet skin humming, ¡°Agreed.¡± He squeezed her breasts. ¡°And next time¡­ I¡¯ll give some attention to these beauties.¡± His teeth scraped across her shoulder sending shivers up and down Callie¡¯s body.


    ¡°Looking forward to that. And maybe I can give that wolf dick of yours a thorough licking too. I always wondered how werewolf cock tasted.¡± Such a minx, Mack chuckled to himself. Callie twisted her upper body just enough to look into those dark brown eyes of his. She caressed his face, smiling warmly at him. She looked so sexy like this, Mack thought. Her hair a mess, her skin flushed, and lips swollen from rough kisses. She had the glow of someone thoroughly fucked. ¡°So¡­ you called me ¡®mate¡¯.¡±


    Mack¡¯s cheek bones flushed then he looked away. ¡°Oh¡­ oh that well¡­ don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡±


    Callie pressed up and brushed a kiss across his lips. ¡°I liked it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ what I said was true¡­ I like you.¡± He wrapped his strong arms around her and she wiggled with a contented sigh. For a few minutes they stuck like that in silence, enjoying the closeness, breathing in the musky scent of sex that filled the room.


    ¡°Hey, about our night out¡­,¡± Callie said.


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­,¡± It was Callie¡¯s turn to blush now. Her ckshes fluttered like butterfly wings against her rosy cheek. ¡°How about we make it a date instead?¡±


    ¡°A date?!¡± Mack was ted. He nuzzled his lips into her ear. ¡°I would¡­ love that.¡±


    Callie turned her head and they kissed. More gentle this time. Languid. Sensual. Exploring the texture of each others¡¯ lips and mouths.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Although¡­,¡± Callie¡¯s kiss-swollen mouth curved into an impish smile. ¡°I might need to get a new dress.¡±


    Mack nipped at her lip and with mock-menace said, ¡°And make sure you wear panties this time. Or else¡­¡± He flexed his cock and she gasped, toes curling at the new pulse of delight coursing through her.


    Callie arched back and with mischievous pleasure suckled at Mack¡¯s ear lobe then licked his face. His beard scraped against her tongue and cheek. ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    Mack growled in response. He and his wolf were going to make her pay for that. Callie was looking forward to every bit of it.


    * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 THE PORCH WOLF #1

    Author¡¯s Note: This story contains no explicit sexual content.


    Miesville, Minnesota


    December 17, 2019


    The light snow crunched under my boots as I stepped out of my truck outside the brown single-story building. ¡°Wiederholt¡¯s Supper Club¡± was in big letters on the left side of the bump-out entrance, ¡°Bar-Lounge-Liquor¡± on the right. I mmed the door closed as traffic passed on Highway 61. Miesville wasn¡¯t even a one-stoplight town; all you got was a short 30-mile-an-hour zone as you passed. On my side to the west was the old Catholic church, graveyard, and an amateur baseball stadium for the Miesville Mudhens. Across the twone highway, there was an antique store, abined gas station and feed store, and a bar called King¡¯s ce with the best burgers in the state.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Tomorrow night I¡¯d be there, but Tuesdays were Prime Rib Nights at Wiederholt¡¯s. The best prime rib in the state.


    I hadn¡¯t skipped a Tuesday here in over three years.


    I walked towards the entrance as the ten-degree cold blew across my beard. The snow wasn¡¯t a problem now, but it was supposed to starting down fasterter tonight, and by tomorrow morning, the winds would be blowing it around. Christmas lights surrounded the entrance, and I stomped on the mat to get the snow off in the vestibule.


    The smell of the food hit me as I opened the second door, causing my wolf to stir a little. I rarely hunted anymore, my wolf didn¡¯t feel like chasing rabbits or squirrels, and for me to take down a deer would waste a lot of good meat. No, I preferred my meat to be seasoned to perfection, roasted not beyond medium-rare, and served on a tter with a side of ground horseradish and au jus. ¡°LEO!¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Mike,¡± I responded. He was one of the owners and the bartender tonight. His bar was long, running a good forty feet with a wide selection of liquor behind it. Mike and I had a close rtionship. I needed to drink, and he served the best.


    I¡¯d barely made it five feet before Olivia appeared before me. ¡°Wee to Wiederholt¡¯s, Mr. Volkov,¡± she said with a smile. Liv was my favorite waitress. Hell, she was my ONLY waitress. It ruined my night if she called in sick, and I had to deal with someone else.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you call me Leo,¡± I asked, just as I did every time I came in.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost my Grandmother¡¯s age, Mr. Volkov, and you¡¯re my customer. Come with me, your table is ready, and your food will be out in two minutes.¡± Liv was young, her dark-brown hair gathered back into a ponytail, with the face and body of a Greek goddess. If I was twenty years younger and unmated, I¡¯d be joining the line of men seeking her favor.


    Instead, I was widowed and reminded Liv of her grandfather. It was just as well; I couldn¡¯t bear to be with another after losing my beloved Catherine.


    She pulled the ¡°Reserved¡± sign off the small table, just around the corner from the bar tables but still within sight of the television. I dropped my coat on the chair, then took a seat with my back to the wall.


    Old habits die hard, and I was now a creature of habit.


    Liv grabbed my bottle of Sam Adams from Mike at the bar, setting it on the coaster with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with your food.¡±


    It was less than two minutes. The piece of prime rib was perfection, covering almost the entire te. The special was for the regr cut, but I paid extra for therge. It was over two inches thick, easily a pound and a half, and covered with mushrooms. Two cups held my ground horseradish, raw, and the au jus. Liv set a sd to the right and a baked potato with sour cream and bacon on the left. I reached for the A-1 to pour over the top. ¡°Thank you, Liv. Perfect as always.¡±


    She gave me that smile that lit up the room. ¡°Let me know if you need anything else, Mr. Volkov.¡± She went off to serve her other tables while I dug into my dinner. I kept an eye on her as I ate alone; I tried not to be creepy about it, but she was one of the few friends I had left. It wasn¡¯t that after a lifetime spent in this area I didn¡¯t KNOW people, but most were acquaintances. Werewolves living among humans couldn¡¯t get too close to them, so most rated a smile and a ¡°How ya¡¯ doin?¡± My true friends, the members of my old Pack, were all lost to me now.


    I had finished the Prime Rib and was working on the potato when I smelled other werewolvesing in. Bob and Leanne Parker were here with their son Chris and daughter Lisa. Leanne was from a Pack in Montana, and they had been mated for maybe ten years now. Bob still worked at Volkov Construction Company as an electrician, while Leanne stayed home with their children.


    I could see Bob¡¯s nose tilt up to take a sniff before he saw me. He ushered his family past me quickly, asking the hostess if they could be seated on the other side of the room and around the corner. In my mind, I¡¯d epted they were no longer part of my life. My heart and my wolf still felt hurt by the rejection. I¡¯d held his mating celebration in my back yard. I¡¯d held his children in the hospital room after their births. I¡¯d watched as they learned to shift before running about in the woods behind my house.


    Now he couldn¡¯t meet my eyes. I looked away from the family and went back to my sd. I reminded myself that it wasn¡¯t personal; they were all under Alpha Command. No person from my old Pack was allowed to talk to or acknowledge me in any way. Banishment from a Pack meant total separation. If I trespassed on theirnds, it was immediate death.


    I touched the scar on my left cheek, left with a silver knife as a mark of my status. No other Pack would touch me with a ten-foot pole.


    My wolf, already in pain from the loss of his mate, was slowly fading away as the enforced istion robbed him of the bonds he craved. Four years was a long time to be without a Pack. I probably had another year, maybe two, before my wolf gave up. We would finally join my mate and her wolf in Luna¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Another Sam Adams, Mr. Volkov?¡± Olivia was standing next to me, reaching down to take my meat te.


    I jumped a little, embarrassed at being so wound up in my thoughts that a human hade next to me without me realizing it. ¡°Yes, please.¡± She set a new bottle down, taking my old one. ¡°Thank you, Liv.¡±


    I watched her as she walked away; we¡¯d known each other for years, but I didn¡¯t know that much about her. I knew she lived in Hastings, a town of 30, 000 about eight miles north of here. She was twenty-three years old and was a single mother to Vicki, who would turn five inte March. Sometimes when things slowed down in the evening, she¡¯d spend a few minutes with me and show me photos of her.


    I read my newspaper and watched the news coverage as I finished my dinner; I always ate the sd and breadst as they didn¡¯t have to be hot. The winter storm was the main topic; the radar showed the heavy snow bands moving in by ten.


    Liv removed my dinner tes and brought me my turtle cheesecake. ¡°The storm is scaring people off, so Mike is cutting me loose early,¡± she said. ¡°Do you need anything else tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Liv. The food was excellent as always.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Volkov. I¡¯ll leave your bill.¡± She left the bill on the corner of the table, not that I needed to pick it up. Every Tuesday was the same. I pulled three twenty-dor bills out of my wallet and put it with the bill, leaving it on the edge of the table for her. The turtle cheesecake was my favorite dessert of the whole week, so I took my time with it. Liv stopped by a few minutester. ¡°Any change, sir?¡±


    ¡°The rest is for you, Liv. Have fun with Vicki.¡± She thanked me again as she left, heading for the office to get her stuff.


    I finished the cheesecake, noticing the restaurant had almost emptied in the two hours I had been here. I visited the restroom and wasing back to the main hall when Liv came running back in. She looked like she was about to break down in tears. ¡°Liv? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°My car won¡¯t start,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got cables in my truck. Are you parked in the back of the lot?¡± She nodded. ¡°Go back out there, and I¡¯ll pull around.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I can get one of the managers.¡±


    ¡°Liv, please. I¡¯m heading out anyway, and I get so few opportunities to rescue a damsel in distress these days.¡± She snorted but nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    I fired up the truck and drove around to the back lot, finding her car with the hood open. Parking in front of it, I grabbed jumper cables from the toolbox behind the seat and popped my hood. ¡°Have you ever done this before,¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied.


    ¡°OK, go sit in the car and wait for me to tell you before you try to start it.¡± I connected the cables between my battery and hers, the old Ford Taurus having seen better days. The battery terminals had heavy corrosion, and I could smell scorched oil in the enginepartment. I shook my head; the car would need a lot of work to be reliable, and I was sure she didn¡¯t have it. ¡°Start it,¡± I said.


    The engine cranked for about fifteen seconds before it fired up, sending smoke out the tailpipe. I disconnected the cables and put them away before going to stand by her driver¡¯s side window. ¡°Thank you SO much, Leo,¡± she said with a relieved smile.


    I smiled; at least off-duty, Liv would use my name. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I don¡¯t know if it is your battery or your alternator; if your car isn¡¯t charging, it could die on the way home. I¡¯d feel better if I followed you and made sure you got home safely.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be any trouble,¡± she said.


    ¡°Trust me, Liv, I have nothing better to do. The old man will sleep better after getting you home to your daughter.¡±


    I could see her shoulders rx. ¡°All right. It¡¯s up Highway 61 towards Hastings, turning left just after 190th.¡± I backed the truck up to let her out, then followed her onto the road. She drove the speed limit as the snow wasing down a little harder now. It took ten minutes before we pulled into the parking lot of a fourplex. She pulled into the spot marked ¡°3¡± while I took a guest spot; she came to my window as I lowered it. ¡°Thank you so much, Leo,¡± she said.


    ¡°You should clean the battery terminals and have your battery checked,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just going to get colder.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said as her shoulders slumped. ¡°You should get home before the roads get worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you next Tuesday, Liv. You¡¯re working Christmas eve?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I take all the hours I can get while Grandma watches Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you next week.¡± She walked off, and I drove out of the lot and back home. Heading back to Miesville, I went south on County 91 past Gopher Hills Golf Course, crossing the Miesville Ravine and finally turning into my driveway. I parked the truck in the garage and went inside, grabbing a fresh bottle of Jack Daniel¡¯s out of one of the cases by the door. I left that on the kitchen table as I pulled off my clothes andid them over a chair.


    It was a good night to run for two reasons. Deer hunting season was over, so there wouldn¡¯t be a bunch of people with guns out there. The snow was my friend tonight, as any footprints would be covered up minutester. Once naked, I grabbed the red cor with the dog tag saying ¡°MAX¡± and my address, plus a rabies tag. It was a necessary disguise; it might give a hunter or farmer pause before he took a shot at me. Putting it over my head, I shifted into myrge wolf and shook my fur out. Walking to the kitchen door that headed out to the expansive deck, I used a paw to press a hidden switch that opened it up. The motor closed it behind me as I moved out into the darkness.

 THE PORCH WOLF #2

    My wolf vision was much better at night than in my human form, but there was little color sensitivity. It didn¡¯t matter tonight; I knew the trail by heart after all these years. I worked my way along the edge of the ravine, working to where it connected to the Cannon River basin. Sitting on a rock above the cliff face, I let the wind and snow blow into my fur as I looked over the valley. Catherine and I had found this spot on one of our midnight runs, making love in wolf form under a full moon. It was the reason we had purchased thend and built the home we did, so we coulde here and lose ourselves in our wolves, yet be on the edge of a major metropolitan area for my work.


    I sat for an hour, thinking of all the happy times I¡¯d had here. Wolves can¡¯t cry, but we can howl. I pointed my nose to the sky and let my sorrow travel up to the moon.


    Ch. 2


    I trotted back to the house a little after midnight, following the trail by scent as much as sight with the snowing down hard now. I flipped the gate open that led to the pool, which I hadn¡¯t filled since Catherine got her diagnosis. It was another of a long list of things I had ignored since she found out she had cancer.


    The snow was four inches deep as I went up the stairs to the deck overlooking the back yard. I pressed the hidden panel with a paw, shaking the snow off my thick fur as the door opened. As soon as I was inside, I shifted back to my human form and dried off with a towel from the stack. I tossed that in a pile behind the door, then pulled on a pair of athletic shorts.


    My wolf and I both suffered from the loss of our mate. It was like the Goddess reached in and tore my soul in half, a wound that would never stop bleeding. I grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels from the table and went into therge living room, starting a fire in the firece to warm up while I got good and drunk. When the firewood was catching, I closed the screen and got up.


    I turned on the television and put the videotape into the VCR. Tuesday nights was when I¡¯d watch our mating ceremony. My father, Alpha Maksim Volkov, had officiated at his home in Welch, about five miles farther down the Cannon River from our current home. Our Pack had never isted themselves from humans; we lived and worked among them,ing together to run and celebrate, and helping each other out. The Pack ownednd that allowed us to let our wolves out and run, hundreds of acres of rolling hills in rural Goodhue County.


    I¡¯d attended the Winona Pack held aing-of-age ceremony for their second daughter with my father and brother. I was twenty-two at the time, popr with thedies, and had no interest in settling down. All of that changed when Catherine and her mother reached the stairway that led down to the room where her guests were waiting.


    I forgot to breathe. Catherine was a living goddess, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.


    Dark brown hair tumbled in waves to the middle of her back. Her face, so enchanting, a narrow nose and prominent cheekbones, below hazel-colored eyes that I soon lost myself in. Her 18-year-old body disyed to perfection in a green ball gown. Her scent reached me, and I was lost.


    Males moved to the bottom of the stairs to wait for her, and my wolf let out a ferocious growl. ¡°MINE,¡± he said as I moved to intercept her. Those eyes got big, then she took a sniff, and a feral smile spread over her face. ¡°MINE,¡± she said


    The smart males quickly got out of the way, the not-so-smart ones I knocked out of my way as I ran across the room to her.


    I jumped to the stair just below her, my nose going to her neck as my arms went around her. The scent had my wolf howling in glee, my jaw shifting in preparation. She tore my shirt aside so she could put her nose into my neck. Her wolf was just as ready as mine. ¡°im me,¡± she growled. She moved her head to the side, exposing the skin on her neck and shoulder, and I bit down to im her right before she bit my shoulder in return.


    My head was swimming as our souls twined together. My parents had told me what it felt like to im a mate, but that was just wordspared to the real thing. She was everything I could want, and everything I didn¡¯t think to ask for. I could feel her emotions. I could talk to her mind-to-mind.


    I released her shoulder, licking the bite to help it heal. Bringing my hands up to her face, I cupped it while I rested my forehead on hers. Nothing else existed but us; I didn¡¯t hear the people in the room or the shouts of congrattions. My head was reeling with the experience of melding with her.


    She held me close, her heartbeat racing just like mine.


    Her eyes, wide in wonder, pulling me into her very soul.


    When I could think straight again, I pulled back my head but left my hands on her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m Leo¡­ Leo Volkov, your mate,¡± I said.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Catherine,¡± she said. Her lips parted, her tongue darting out to wet them just before I pressed my own to hers. The kiss was beyond description, but our wolves wanted more. Leaning down, I swept her into my arms and started carrying her back up the stairs. Her mother went ahead of us, opening the door to her room.


    We didn¡¯te out until the next morning, fully mated as was our way. Our parents took us to the County Courthouse to apply for a marriage license and scheduled our mating ceremony for the next Friday night. We had to deal with the five-day waiting period for the civil ceremony; it also gave time for family and friends to be invited and attend.


    I hit PLAY, and the big screen came to life with the recording. After being used to HDTV, the old format was almost painful to watch, especially with the degradation of the tape after all these years.


    The video opened with me standing in therge living room of my house, the room emptied of furniture except for folding chairs and a small raised stage. My father stood at the center, I was to his left, my younger brother Ivan on my other side as best man. The room was filled with not just werewolves but humans; friends, coworkers and people from school. The service served a civil purpose only, helping us blend in with the humans around us, and giving us the legal protections of a marriage bond. Under Werewolf traditions, we were already as bonded as we could be.


    Music started to y, and Catherine appeared at the door. I paused the video, my fingers tracing over the outline of her face. I remembered the feel of her hair, the softness of her body, and the sound of her voice. I must have stopped the video a dozen times before it was over.


    And then I drank until I stopped feeling anything.


    When I woke, it was almost noon. The fire was out, the room cold. I closed the flue and went to the bathroom to do my business. The hangovers were as bad as the ckouts. Brushing my teeth to get the taste out, I took a few Tylenol and went to the kitchen. I drank a few sses of water and juice with the scrambled eggs and toast I made. I was minimallypetent in the kitchen, the main reason I ate out every night. When the dishes were in the sink, I shifted and then hit the button to go outside. I ran on my property for twenty minutes, checking the fences and refreshing the scents on the posts and trees around it.


    When I¡¯d finished running the perimeter, I went back to the house andid down on the porch that went from the garage wall to the front door. The stamped concrete was cold, but I had a thick mat near the steps. The walls and shrubs guarded me against the winter winds. Flopping down, I put my head on my paws and stared out at my yard and the road and trees beyond.


    After our mating, with our father still Alpha, the two of us began to look for a ce of our own. I had started a general contractingpany a few years earlier, drawing workers from among my Pack and friends from high school. Volkov Construction was growing steadily, and our parents helped us with the money to purchase thend. Eighty acres bordering the Miesville Ravine Park Preserve along one side, the rest a mix of farnd and orchard.


    I built the garage first, needing the space enclosed for a workshop, and the floor above for a two-bedroom apartment. We lived in that little space for two years while construction of our dream home continued around paying jobs. Our dwelling was a big one, over five thousand square feet; not only did Catherine and I want arge family, but we needed space for Pack functions when I took over from my father.

 THE PORCH WOLF #3

    My parents never saw us move in. A drunk driver took them, and our Beta pair away from us as they returned from a meeting in northern Minnesota. The State Patrol delivered the news, but my wolf already knew my father was gone. He¡¯d felt the mantle of the Alpha shift from my father to me. The will gave their house to my younger brother, and I received arger share of the money from their estate.


    Our lives were never the same after that day. I rushed our home topletion while we dealt with all that came with running a Pack. My brother Ivan became my Beta, and between him and Catherine, we made it work. It was hard, we rarely slept a whole night, but we were happy.


    I stayed outside until the sunset, then went back in to take a shower and change. Tonight was dinner at King¡¯s ce.


    I thought about taking the truck, then changed my mind and dressed for cold weather instead. I headed out to the garage. The four-car garage had my motorcycle and snowmobile in the second bay, beyond my truck. The third bay had my Jeep, the fourth bay Catherine¡¯s silver Lexus SUV. We¡¯d bought it a few months before her diagnosis, and I kept up the maintenance on it as if she would return to use it again.


    It reminded me that I needed to start divesting myself of things soon. I had to put my estate in order before my wolf died, and Catherine¡¯s possessions were a good start.


    Tomorrow. I couldn¡¯t handle it tonight.


    I zipped up my snowmobile suit before opening the door. With all the snow, it was the perfect time to take a ride on the trails that passed behind my home.


    As I straddled the Pris and started it up, I imagined for a moment a weight settling into the seat behind me, arms wrapping around my waist and holding on. I shook my head, pulling out and watching the door close behind me. Those days were over. She was gone, and if not for a promise to her, I would be gone too.


    Racing through the snow along the ditches towards Miesville, I put all that behind me. I would eat my fill, have a beer or two, then return home and grab another bottle. I would let the whiskey blot her out of my dreams and memories for a few hours, then start another day. Tomorrow would be at Las Margaritas for Mexican food, Friday at Dugarel¡¯s, Saturday at the St. James, Sunday at the Smoking Oak, Monday at the Chinese Buffet.


    And then back to Wiederholt¡¯s on Tuesday for more Prime Rib, and a chance to see Liv again.


    As I got off my snowmobile in the lot, my eyes went across the road and spotted Liv¡¯s car in the back of that lot. For a minute, I considered going there instead, before deciding against it. A half-pound burger and waffle fries awaited. As I sat at the end of the bar, the ce packed with snowmobilers, I jotted down a few ideas. If I did it right, everything would be ready by spring.


    Ch. 3


    Arriving home, I changed things up. For the first time in months, I had something to do that my wolf and I were excited about doing.


    Turning up the heat in the garage, I started by cleaning out the Lexus. It wasn¡¯t easy; I¡¯d find her sunsses, and remember when we went skiing. I¡¯d find a bottle of her perfume, and remember that night we went dancing in Minneapolis. The nket that we¡¯d picked on during our drive up the North Shore. It took two hours to get to the point I could vacuum and wipe down everything, with a dozen or more pauses and breakdowns along the way.


    Another hour of work and the car was clean on the inside. I had called from the bar to make an appointment with a garage in town to get the oil changed and a checkup, so I¡¯d do that after I woke up on Thursday. Looking at the pile of stuff I¡¯d removed from the car, I got some boxes and started putting together things to donate to Hastings Family Service. Other things, like her sunsses and the perfume, I¡¯d bring in with the rest of my mementos.


    I set them on top of the dresser, mixed with the photos and reminders of our life together. On the wall above it was a 24¡Á36¡å photograph of the two of us in wolf form, running through the woods. Taken the day after our mating ceremony, it showed the promise of a long life together and the joy of finding each other. I reached out, my fingers tracing the line of her neck. ¡°Not much longer, my love,¡± I whispered to her. I dropped my hand down to the urn that contained her ashes; I¡¯d found the maker online, a local woodworker who would do custom work. The cherry box had aser-etched photograph of her face on the top with her name above it, and ¡°Beloved Wife¡± below with the dates ¡°1972-2015.¡± Trees and running wolves filled the sides, theser-etched pattern forming a continuous run.


    Tears ran down my cheeks as I talked to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love,¡± I began. ¡°I never let you go. I never moved on like you hoped I would. How can I keep going without you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°I can feel my wolf fading. We both miss you so much. There¡¯s not much time left before we die, maybe by summer?¡± I¡¯d already outlived the only example I¡¯d seen of a widowed wolf. He made it three years before putting a bullet in his brain to stop the pain. I¡¯d made it four. ¡°My life is empty without you. I don¡¯t know why the Goddess hasn¡¯t taken me yet. I wish you hadn¡¯t made me make that promise to you to keep living. Life without you in it is tedium, broken by drunkenness. I have nothing to look forward to, only the ce I eat separates the days anymore.¡±


    I picked up the photograph of the two of us by the pool, surrounded by the Welch Pack at a summer Full Moon party. ¡°The istion is the worst part of it all. I¡¯d give anything just to run with the Pack again.¡± Putting it down, I wiped my tears. ¡°I decided to go through your things and give them away. I know you¡¯reughing at me, wondering why I still have your clothes after so long, but I couldn¡¯t bear to lose anything with your scent. Now everything is faded. There are people out there who can use your things, charities, even friends. It¡¯s time I cleared out things from the house, but I will never clear your memory away, my love. You will always be here for me.¡±


    I took a shower and went to bed. Just before I fell asleep, a thought came to my mind.


    For the first time in a long time, I hadn¡¯t gotten ckout drunk. That was ONE.


    The next morning, I felt better than I had in years. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t drink a whole bottle of whiskey,¡± my wolf noted for me.


    There was that.


    I drove the Lexus into Hastings, stopping at McDonald¡¯s to get some breakfast before dropping it at the shop. It didn¡¯t take long; the car was in excellent shape, with less than ten thousand miles on it despite being five years old. I had one more stop, this time to visit mywyer. I pulled into the parking lot of the office building and climbed the stairs. ¡°Wee to Burnley-Loesch, Mr. Volkov,¡± the receptionist said with a smile as she took my coat. ¡°Mr. Burnley will be right with you.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t sat down before Jacob Burnley came into the office. ¡°Leo, good to see you again,¡± he said as he shook my hand.


    ¡°Likewise.¡± Leading me back to his small office, I sat at the chair in front of his desk as he sat down.


    ¡°What can I do for you today,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I need some help with estate nning,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would agree, you haven¡¯t updated your will since the passing of your wife,¡± he said as he pulled up thest one on hisputer. ¡°It will still be valid, of course, there were contingencies built-in should she precede you in death, or you die together. but you should write a new one to ensure your estate goes where you want it.¡± He read through the terms. ¡°As it exists now, your entire estate would pass to your brother Ivan.¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t work for me. ¡°Including the value of my property and investments, I estimate the estate to be worth just under three million dors,¡± I said. ¡°What are the tax implications of that passing to my brother, or others I might designate?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for that size estate,¡± he said. ¡°The exemption for the federal Estate Tax is $11. 4 million as ofst year, so the estate itself will not be taxed. There is no Federal or State inheritance tax, so the beneficiaries of your estate will not have the amount treated as taxable ie. The only tax one would worry about would be capital gains on your property. If your home appraises at a million dors on the day of the inheritance, and it is sold six monthster for $1. 1 million, that extra hundred thousand would be subject to capital gains taxes.¡±


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t need to set up charitable trusts or other devices?¡± I¡¯d heard about people doing that to protect their children.


    ¡°For an estate of your size, it would not aplish anything. Now, ten years ago, when the deduction was a million dors, we might have done something. You could designate all or nothing to charity, and it will not affect the tax treatment.¡± He paused to let me think. ¡°How much of your estate is in liquid assets, things like stocks, bonds, and cash?¡±


    ¡°Everything except my home and its contents,¡± I said.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then all you need to do is work with me to designate who you want to be beneficiaries of your estate, and in what percentages. You can choose items, too; if you want your car to go to a particr person, we list that by asset and name.¡± It took less than an hour of his time to create a new will, one that reflected better my treatment since Catherine¡¯s death.


    Those who abandoned me would get nothing.


    I stopped at the U-haul store, picking up twenty boxes and six garment boxes, then at the grocery store to get more food from the deli. I only bought foods that I could heat and serve, the cooking gene having skipped me. Thest stop was the gas station, filling the tank and purchasing some gift cards.


    Returning home, I started the process of sorting Catherine¡¯s closet. Stepping in, I took a deep sniff, but her scent was long gone. We weren¡¯t fancy, country-club people; she had dresses and shoes, but most of the time, she dressed in jeans. I filled three boxes with shoes, then started to move the clothes on hangers into the garment boxes. By the time I had them all down in the garage, it was time to head out.


    The rest of the week was productive for a change. I finished the closet, the master bath, and her office. I made a dozen trips in the truck to the Salvation Army or Hastings Family Services, boxes filled with stuff I hadn¡¯t been able to let go of for four years.


    After years of living day by day, I was looking forward to Prime Rib Night. I prepared everything I needed, driving the Lexus into the parking lot in the back lot of Wiederholt¡¯s just after three in the afternoon. The owner, Mike, met me outside. ¡°You¡¯re doing a good thing here, Leo,¡± he said as he waved me to his truck. ¡°She¡¯s going to flip.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a good kid, and I know my wife would appreciate her old car going to someone like her,¡± I said. He drove me back to my house so I could grab my truck. Before I got out, I handed him a man envelope. ¡°I wanted to do something for your employees. It¡¯s some gift cards for the gas station. Can you make sure every one of them gets one, but don¡¯t tell them it was from me?¡±


    He took the envelope. ¡°I can say it was from a customer if that¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t have to do this, but they will appreciate it.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #4

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll see you at seven.¡± He waved and pulled out of my driveway, back at work before anyone would notice he was gone. I put the gift together. It was a small box containing the car¡¯s title, registration, two keys, and $4, 000 in cash. I watched the news, finally leaving the house in time to be there at my usual time.


    The ce was packed, but Liv and the hostess greeted me with big smiles. ¡°Merry Christmas, Leo,¡± she said as she brought me to my table. I smiled; finally, she was calling me Leo.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Merry Christmas to you, Liv. Is Vicki ready for Christmas morning?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°She talks about nothing except what she asked Santa for, and she¡¯ll probably try to stay up until hees. I¡¯ll be right back with your food.¡±


    With it being Christmas eve, the ce was packed well into the night. I finished my meal and picked up the bill, putting my usual $60 in the folder and cing the wrapped box on top. Liv froze when she saw it. ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Liv. Don¡¯t open it until just before you leave tonight.¡±


    I stood up, and tears came into her eyes as she moved forward and hugged me around the waist. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    She had to run off to her other tables, so I took a spot at the end of the bar. Mike came over and set a Sam Adams in front of me. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of happy employees tonight.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a hundred dors they can spend on their families instead of gas,¡± I said as I raised my ss. ¡°Merry Christmas, Mike.¡±


    The dining hall started to wind down by ten, and the wait staff was released as the tables cleared out. Mike came back to the bar, smiling like the cat who caught the canary. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now,¡± he said.


    I heard a high-pitched scream from the hallway leading to the bathrooms, soon followed by two other girlish screams. A few secondster, Liv came running into the bar area, her uniform reced by jeans and a sweatshirt. She spotted me and ran up, crashing into my side as I opened my arms for her. ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a car, Liv. I wanted you to have something reliable, and it wasn¡¯t like Catherine needed it anymore.¡±


    ¡°OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD,¡± she said. ¡°And the money?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay sales tax on it when you register, and you¡¯ll need better insurance. You¡¯ll also have to im the value above twelve thousand as taxable ie. I had mywyer figure out what it would alle to, and gave you enough cash to cover it all. It¡¯s all in the letter with the title.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she squeezed me tight. Mike and some of the other employees had gathered around, and they all congratted her like she just won the lottery. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Out in the back lot. Come on,¡± I said as I grabbed my coat.


    She hit the OPEN button on the remote as soon as she was out the door, and the lights on the Lexus shed in response. ¡°OH MY GOD!¡± She walked towards it over the frozen ground, just a few spots down from where her old car was. Opening the door, she started it up.


    I got in the passenger seat, giving her a quick orientation to where everything was. ¡°You should get what you need out of your old car, especially the booster seat,¡± I said.


    She didn¡¯t grab much, and I put the booster in while she was grabbing what she needed. When done, she pulled me into another hug. ¡°Thank you, Leo. This is the best Christmas present EVER,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Liv.¡±


    ¡°Leo? What are you doing tomorrow?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. King¡¯s ce is closed on Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Come over for Christmas dinner? It¡¯s not much, but I¡¯m making turkey and the works. I¡¯d like you to meet my Grandmother and Vicki.¡±


    ¡°It would be my honor,¡± I said. ¡°Can I bring anything?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve brought enough,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Show up by noon.¡± She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then slid down into the driver¡¯s seat. She waved to everyone watching as she pulled out into the cold night.


    I looked at the group that had gathered to watch. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next Tuesday, Mike,¡± I said with a grin before I walked around to my truck.


    I felt good about myself for the first time in years.


    Ch. 4


    I¡¯d barely opened the door to my truck before it hit me.


    I was going to her home for Christmas, and I had nothing for her grandmother or daughter. Heck, I didn¡¯t even know what to get Vicki; she¡¯d never shared much about the young girl beyond her pictures.


    ¡°Wait up,¡± I said to the group that was heading in. ¡°I can¡¯t show up at a girl¡¯s house on Christmas with nothing for her, but I have no idea what a five-year-old girl wants these days.¡±


    ¡°A phone,¡± one of the girls said.


    ¡°I can see how that would go over,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, dolls? Barbie stuff? You could ask her,¡± another replied.


    ¡°Vicki likes sharks,¡± Mike said. ¡°When Shark Weekes around, Olivia has to record EVERYTHING. She watches them over and over,¡± he said.


    Perfect. I could work with that. ¡°Thanks, everyone. Merry Christmas.¡± Instead of going home, I headed to Wal-Mart, the only ce I was confident would still be open at 10 pm on Christmas eve. I didn¡¯t even know her grandmother¡¯s name, but I wasn¡¯t going to leave her out either. I found a bouquet of wildflowers and put them in the cart, heading back to the toy section.


    The next hour proved to me how out of myfort zone I was with shopping for girls, something Catherine had always done. I walked like a zombie through the toy aisles, looking for something to please a kindergarten-age female Schimorphaphile. That is what Siri on my phone told me was the term for a shark enthusiast. I must have looked lost because one of the associates took pity on me and asked if he could help me find something. I exined my situation, and he scratched his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know, bro, but let me ask my friends.¡± He sent out a text, then started reading off the ideas he got back. ¡°Here ya go, boomer! SeaWorld at the Mall of America. They have wicked big sharks, and Barry says you can get memberships. If you can get her into Sharks After Dark, that would be way cool.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°We did it with Cub Scouts. You sleep overnight in the tunnel at the bottom of the shark exhibit, tiger sharks swimming over your head as you sleep. It was cool!¡± I pulled up the website, then went to the front. It was a much better gift than a Barbie.


    I picked up some cards and checked out, then headed home. I bought memberships for the three of them, so they could go as often as they wanted, then added one for myself in case they asked me toe too. I found out that the overnight was now called Sleep Under The Sharks, and was for groups of fifteen or more.


    Dang. Then I remembered that Vicki¡¯s birthday wasing up on Valentine¡¯s Day; Liv had joked about how she got the love of her life on February 14th. As much as her mother was struggling, I doubt they¡¯d ever had much of a birthday party. I made the reservation for that Friday night, and after paying, printed out the annual passes and the overnight. I put a season pass in each of their cards, then put the tickets for the party in Liv¡¯s card and the example invitation in Vicki¡¯s.


    I got home, walking past the cases of Jack into the house and right to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I was excited now about a day that I¡¯d dreaded the previous years. Christmas in the Pack meant getting together to eat, watch football, and go on a long Pack run together before heading off into the woods in pairs.


    I fell asleep thinking of the children we never had.


    I woke at ten, turning on the television as I walked to the bathroom. It was going to be a warm and cloudy day, with temperatures right around freezing. I had a couple of mini-donuts and a ss of orange juice, not wanting to spoil my appetite forter. I found a nice crystal vase for the flowers and set it with the gifts. Liv had said to arrive by noon, but I didn¡¯t want to be there TOO early, so I took a little time to pick up the house and start a load ofundry. Finally, at 11:30, I was driving my truck towards town.


    I pulled into the parking lot of her fourplex and parked in a visitor¡¯s spot. The door to Number Three opened when I was ten feet away. ¡°MERRY CHRISTMAS, LEO!¡± Liv and her mini-me Vicki were standing at the door, both wearing jeans and Christmas sweaters. I kept the gifts and flowers behind my back as I got to the door and was engulfed in hugs. Liv pulled me down and kissed my cheek again before stepping back.


    ¡°For the table,¡± I said as I brought the flowers around.

 THE PORCH WOLF #5

    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful, thank you,¡± she said.


    I stepped in enough they could close the door, then knelt down by the young girl with the matching brown hair. ¡°You must be Vicki,¡± I said. My wolf sat up, taking a deeper scent. Something was going on; she smelled like a werewolf. An ALPHA wolf. I took one more sniff and verified it was her, not a smell stuck to her clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re da car guy?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Mommy¡¯s car now. You¡¯re cuter than your pictures,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost FIVE,¡± she said as she bounced.


    ¡°I know! Can you put these under the tree for me?¡± I took the envelopes out of my coat pocket; she squealed as she carried them over to the four-foot artificial tree in the corner of the living room. I shook my head as I stood up. The LAST thing I expected to find was a werewolf in Liv¡¯s home. Did she know? Was she part of the Welch Pack now? And if so, why was Liv allowed to have anything to do with me? I put the thoughts aside as Liv came back from the table.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do anything,¡± Liv said as she took my coat. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you who is doing something for me,¡± I said. ¡°Without you, I¡¯d be heating up fried chicken and potatoes in the microwave while watching a Die Hard marathon.¡±


    Sheughed as I took off my boots. ¡°You might regret that decision after being with three women all afternoon. Come meet my mom.¡± She took my hand and pulled me into the kitchen, where a woman with brown and grey hair to her shoulders was mashing potatoes. ¡°Mom, this is my friend Leo Volkov. Leo, my mother, Natalie Andersen.¡±


    She turned to me, the potato masher still in her hand and now pointing at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you¡¯re ying, Mr. Volkov, but my Liv is not a person you can buy with expensive gifts, use up and leave behind,¡± she said. ¡°Hurt her, and I¡¯ll use this on your nuts.¡±


    ¡°MOM! God, Mom, he¡¯s almost YOUR age. Ew. Maybe I should be warning HIM about retired cougars prowling around looking for a rich boy-toy to take them to the casino!¡±


    I looked between the two as they red at each other before I busted outughing. I held out my left hand for Natalie to see. It still had my wedding band on it. ¡°I think I¡¯m in thatfort zone where I¡¯m too old for Liv and too set in my ways for Natalie.¡± I twisted the ring. ¡°I was married for twenty-five years before I lost my wife to cancer. I¡¯m not over her, and I¡¯m not looking for anyone. Catherine¡¯s car was sitting in my garage; we couldn¡¯t have children, and it¡¯s too small for me. I decided my favorite waitress could use a car that wouldn¡¯t die on her by the side of the road. I didn¡¯t ask for or expect anything in return.¡±


    It was like a balloon deting, as the tension in the room started melting away. ¡°Liv has been my waitress every Tuesday night for over three years. No matter how bad I felt, she would greet me with a smile and make my day brighter for an hour or two. She¡¯s a good kid, and it was worth it just to see her face.¡±


    Natalie put the masher back in the pot, then pulled me down and kissed my cheek. ¡°She told me the same story. It was a very nice thing to do for her. Merry Christmas, Leo.¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas to you, Natalie. It smells wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d offer to help, but my culinary skills involve boiling water and running a microwave.¡±


    Natalieughed as she put butter and cream cheese into the potatoes. ¡°Go sit with Vicki, we¡¯ll be ready to eat in fifteen minutes.¡±


    I exited the kitchen quickly, leaving the two women to talk about me, and found Vicki sitting on the couch with a stuffed shark. ¡°I got dis for Christmas,¡± she said as she held it out to me.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± I said. ¡°What kind of shark is that?¡±


    ¡°Gweat white. My favorite.¡± I sat next to her as she yed, trying to figure it all out. Our kind was physically identical to humans; the witchcraft that cursed us and blended our souls with those of wolves wouldn¡¯t show up in DNA. It was a blood curse, passed on from either or both parents. Having a child with a human was discouraged unless you were going to mate and change the parent too. The bite and change is a painful experience, one that is fatal more often than not. No one knew why some humans survived, and others didn¡¯t. There was only one way to find out.


    It was better to stick with our own kind.


    Leaving a child with humans was unthinkable. Our kind could shift shortly after birth, with the child following the form of its mother. As they grew, their wolves became more independent, allowing them to change at will by the time they were four or so. To prevent a child from shifting at school or in public, they needed to be part of a Pack; the Alpha wouldmand their wolf to only shift when he or their parents get permission. It was the only way to keep us all safe.


    Vicki crawled onto myp as she told me what she knew about Great White Sharks, which was a lot. I listened as my wolf sought out hers. She was there, alone and buried, but wanting to get out. I could sense hering forward and needed to stop it and fast. Looking into her eyes, I let my Alpha wolfe forward. She stared into my eyes for ten seconds, her wolf showing herself in her eyes, finally looking away as she submitted. ¡°Not alone now. MY PUP, MY PACK,¡± my wolf told me to my shock. I felt our wolves link, making her eyes go wide.


    He imed her as his own, right before Liv told us to go wash up for dinner. ¡°Come on,¡± Vicki said as she jumped off. She brought me to the bathroom, where she stood on a step stool to wash her hands. My wolf wasmunicating directly with hers, cing the order on her to never shift unless I told her it was all right. I washed my hands after she left, wondering how I could even broach the subject of her father. Somewhere an Alpha left a child behind with a human, and that child had the Alpha mantle and all it entails.


    They sat me at the head of the table, with Liv to my left, Vicki to my right. Natalie carried in the turkey, setting it next to me. ¡°Can you carve this while I bring the rest of the food in,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Knives I¡¯m good with,¡± I said. It only took a few minutes to cut enough turkey off the twelve-pound bird for us and ce it on a te before returning the rest of the bird to the kitchen. The food was passed around, and my te soon filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and gravy.


    ¡°Let us pray,¡± Natalie said as she held out her hands to the girls. I took Liv¡¯s and Vicki¡¯s hands in mine as we bowed our heads. ¡°Father, we thank you for this food and the blessings of this year as we celebrate the birth of your son. We also thank you for bringing a new friend to our table today, in Jesus¡¯ name, Amen.¡±


    The meal was full of interrogation masked by smiles and polite conversation, but it went both ways. I told them about my Catherine and her battle with leukemia, and how lost I had been since then. I found out Natalie was a retired Hastings district schoolteacher, and that Olivia had done a year at Marquette University in Madison beforeing to live here and have Vicki. There was more to the story than they told, but I didn¡¯t pry; I could read between the lines. Marquette was a Catholic university, and it wasn¡¯t cheap. Her parents must have sent her away when she turned up pregnant and unmarried.


    Liv was enrolled part-time inmunity college while Vicki was in school, and worked five nights a week at Wiederholt¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to do, are you getting any assistance?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± she said with a look towards her Mom. ¡°I get some aid from the state to help with Vicki, but I don¡¯t qualify for financial aid.¡± Ah. The only way she wouldn¡¯t qualify is because her parents make too much money; since she never brought her parents up, they probably weren¡¯t talking or helping. I couldn¡¯t understand why the father wasn¡¯t in the picture. A werewolf male would NEVER leave a pup on its own, so he must not know about her. It was all giving me a headache.


    I finished my te and half of another, enjoying the food and thepany. Dessert was Natalie¡¯s homemade apple pie and French Vani ice cream. ¡°That was fantastic,¡± I said as I finished.


    Liv stood to start clearing the table. ¡°Can you watch Vicki for a few minutes while we clean up?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Come on, shark bait,¡± I said as I helped the little girl up. We sat in the living room until they finished, talking about her school and her ns for Christmas vacation. She didn¡¯t have many, but she wanted to go sledding and build a snowman.


    I wanted so much more for her. Now that my wolf had imed her, I needed to be in her life, and that meant I had to get closer to both Vicki and Natalie. I didn¡¯t like her being so exposed; it was a miracle no other werewolf hadn¡¯t found her. She would have been taken or killed immediately, and Liv had no idea of the danger she was in.


    ¡°MOMMA PRESENTS,¡± Vicki yelled as the two came into the room. She jumped up and went to the tree, bringing back the envelopes that I¡¯d given her earlier. ¡°Can we open them?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Liv said. Vicki handed them out.


    ¡°You should open them at the same time,¡± I said.


    ¡°On the count of three,¡± Liv said. ¡°One, two, THREE!¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°SEA LIFE,¡± Vicki yelled as the membership card fell out. ¡°Momma, SHARKS!¡±


    ¡°Leo,¡± Liv said as she saw what was in hers.


    ¡°I thought Shark Bait here would like a membership; you three can go as many times as you want for a year. The overnight I figured she could invite some friends on, maybe for a birthday party? It sounded so cool I had to get it for her.¡±


    ¡°Sweeping under da sharks? YAAAH,¡± she squealed as she jumped on the couch and hugged me.


    ¡°You bring your nket and pillow and sleep in the tube with the sharks swimming over your head,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will you sweep with us too?¡±


    ¡°If you want me there, I¡¯ll be there,¡± I said. The food and theck of sleep caught up with Vicki a half-hourter, which is how I ended up asleep on their couch with a five-year-old sleeping on my chest.


    It had been years since my wolf was so content.

 THE PORCH WOLF #6

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s taken to him that fast,¡± a voice said as I starteding out of my slumber. ¡°Vicki¡¯s usually so nervous around new people. Are you sure they¡¯ve never met before today?¡±


    ¡°No, Grandma, they haven¡¯t. I¡¯ve told him a little about my girl, but I¡¯ve never brought her to work on Tuesdays when hees in.¡± That was Liv, the first voice was Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s been more than two hours. I should get her up, or she won¡¯t sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°You should take a picture, they look so peaceful that way.¡± I sensed Natalie leaning over, rubbing Vicki¡¯s back. ¡°If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think they were rted. Something just doesn¡¯t add up, Olivia. He¡¯s not after your money, so he has to be trying to get into your pants. Why else would he do all this for you?¡±


    ¡°Grandma! He¡¯s never once behaved in that manner towards me. He¡¯s a gentleman, a regr customer who lost his wife and is lonely. I don¡¯t know why he decided to do all this for me, but he¡¯s never once shown interest in dating me or any of the other girls at work. Even the divorcees gave up on him years ago, and they¡¯ll go after anything with a pulse! He¡¯s not the kind of man who uses women.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t,¡± I said as I opened my eyes. Their eyes got wide as I looked over towards them. ¡°You should be proud of the woman your granddaughter has be. No matter how bad a day I was having, I could count on her to smile and make me feel better. She works her butt off, she¡¯s raised a beautiful daughter and is the kind of daughter I wish Catherine and I had been able to have. If you want to know what I think of her, that¡¯s it. She¡¯s the daughter I wish I had.¡±


    I looked at Liv, who had tears running down her cheeks. She flushed red, then ran out of the room; I heard the bedroom door closing. Looking back at Natalie, she was shocked as well. She sat down on the chair, staring at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you said about how you felt that caused her to run off. It¡¯s more that you said it instead of the two who should be telling her that themselves. I¡¯ll go talk to her, why don¡¯t you wake Vicki up and keep her busy until wee out.¡± She got up and headed down the hall, knocking on the door.


    I twisted my body, sitting up while keeping an arm around Vicki. She stirred, opening her eyes. ¡°Tired, Leo,¡± she said as one fist rubbed an eye.


    ¡°Well, if we sleep any longer, I¡¯ll miss the rest of Christmas,¡± I said. ¡°What do you do after presents and dinner?¡±


    ¡°Watch shows and drink cocoa,¡± she said. ¡°Go see sharks now?¡± I had tough as she gave me her best ¡®please¡¯ face.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t open today, Vicki, it¡¯s Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Sharks ALL alone?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°The sharks have each other to y with, and I¡¯m sure they left someone to babysit. You¡¯ll have to ask Mom when you can go.¡±


    ¡°No school. Sharks!¡±


    ¡°Maybe on vacation,¡± I said. ¡°Do you want to see what it¡¯s like?¡± She nodded. I pulled out my phone and brought up some Youtube videos of the aquarium. We were watching sharks swimming around when thedies came back out. ¡°I had to tell her the aquarium was closed, so we¡¯re watching videos of it,¡± I said.


    Liv leaned over the end of the couch, watching for a few seconds with her daughter before she kissed her head. Her eyes were still puffy and red, but she¡¯d washed the tear tracks off. ¡°Who wants cocoa,¡± she asked.


    ¡°ME! Marshmallow, please,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°Vicki said your cocoa is the best, so I have to try it too,¡± I said. It was as good as advertised, made with heated milk and cocoa powder, with a bit of peppermint extract. The rest of the evening flew by; we watched animated Christmas programs, drank cocoa, yed Uno, and snacked on leftovers until it was time for Vicki to go to bed.


    ¡°Goodnight unky Leo,¡± she said as she climbed in myp to hug me around the neck. She¡¯d picked up on something Natalie had said, that I was like an uncle because I was Liv¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Goodnight, Vicki.¡± Natalie took her back to her small bedroom, leaving me with Olivia. ¡°You have questions,¡± I said.


    ¡°Many. Grandma has a lot more than me,¡± she said with augh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save the interrogation forter, then. In the meantime, I have a few questions for you. What can you tell me about Vicki¡¯s father?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s not in the picture,¡± she responded defensively. ¡°I don¡¯t see how it matters.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important. I¡¯ll exin whyter, but if you can humor me and tell me what you know.¡±


    She looked down the hall to verify the door was closed, then nodded. ¡°I was a good Catholic girl; my parents were strict about boys, not letting me date in high school. They sent me to Marquette, thinking a Jesuit university would keep me on the straight and narrow, but they had NO idea how wild those dorms were. I lost my virginity the first night there and had a lot of sex the rest of my freshman year. My roommate lived up by the Wisconsin Dells, and she invited me to stay with her over the Fourth of July back in 2014. My parents agreed, and I drove down to her house. We didn¡¯t tell anyone her parents were in California at the time.¡±


    ¡°The father?¡±


    ¡°We were partying with a group of her friends at the river, and one of them knew a guy with a houseboat. He said we could watch the fireworks from the Wisconsin River and hang out. John seemed cool. He was older, in histe thirties, but he was a good-looking guy. We met up with him after dinner, and he took us out on his houseboat. We went upriver and beached it on a sandbar for the night. The ce was wild; kids drinking and partying, swimming, water skiing, and having sex in the water. My roommate and her boyfriend were busy, and I was the only one who wasn¡¯t paired up with someone else. As night fell, I went back to the boat and hung out with John. He made some margaritas, pulled me into his chair to watch the fireworks, and started running his hands over my body. Pretty soon, my bikini was untied, and his hands were running free. I wasn¡¯t fighting it; like I said, he was good looking, and I was having fun. After the fireworks ended, he took me to his bedroom. We had sex a few times, quite good sex actually.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use protection?¡±


    ¡°I was on the pill, but I¡¯d forgotten to bring it, and I missed a few days. I didn¡¯t think it would matter, but six weekster, I found out that it did. I was crushed; the fall semester was starting soon, and my parents weren¡¯t going to take this well. I called my roommate in a panic, and she was able to get me John¡¯s phone number.¡±


    ¡°How did he take it when you called and told him?¡±


    She looked down at her hands. ¡°John¡¯s WIFE answered the phone. I couldn¡¯t tell her; my life was ruined, and I couldn¡¯t ruin his marriage too. I pretended I was selling magazines, and she hung up on me.¡± She wiped away a tear. ¡°I called back the next day and told him. After challenging whether the baby was his, he told me that having the baby was out of the question. I was to get an abortion immediately, and he would send me money for it. I refused both offers.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how you felt,¡± I said.


    ¡°My parents found out, and that¡¯s when everything else fell apart. I¡¯d rebelled against them and everything they taught me. They couldn¡¯t ept the harlot their daughter had turned into, not in their home or their lives. They kicked me out, withdrew me from school, and sent me here to live with Grandma so the scandal of my pregnancy wouldn¡¯t reach them.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t reconciled?¡±


    ¡°Thest time I talked to them was after Vicki was born. My mother called me her biggest disappointment and told me neither I nor my bastard daughter, would be allowed in their home.¡±


    With this, she broke down, and I reached a hand across to her. ¡°You¡¯re strong, Liv. You¡¯re raising a special girl, a blessing.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Have you made contact with the father since then?¡±


    ¡°No. I did look John up on the Inte once; his wedding photos were in the paper. Would you believe he¡¯d been married for a MONTH, yet he was sleeping with a drunk college student on the river? No, I listed the father as unknown, and moved on with my life.¡±


    ¡°What was his name?¡± I couldn¡¯t wait to look this bastard up myself; who would impregnate a human with their pup, and abandon her. Who would give up on an ALPHA pup at that?


    ¡°John Peterson. He lives up in northern Wisconsin, a ce called Marengo Lakes.¡±


    The name hit me like a punch to the gut.


    John Peterson was the name my younger brother took when he left to marry the heir of the Marengo Lakes Pack. He mated their only daughter, Brenda, in 2014.


    This was bad.


    I didn¡¯t get to ask more, as Natalie came back out. She sat at the table with us, an expectant look on her face. ¡°You want to know what is going on between your Vicki, Liv, and I,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my family being hurt,¡± she replied. ¡°She¡¯s not a toy for a horny old man.¡±


    I pushed down the anger at her implication. ¡°Before I answer your questions, I¡¯d like to ask a few more questions about Vicki.¡± I had many questions for her AND my brother. ¡°Has she ever told you that she hears a voice in her head?¡±


    The two looked at each other, then Liv nodded. ¡°I asked my pediatrician about it, and he didn¡¯t think it was a problem. Children have vivid imaginations, and it¡¯s not like the voice is telling her to harm herself. It¡¯s like an imaginary friend. She spends a lot of time alone; she doesn¡¯t always y well with others her age.¡±


    ¡°These y problems; are they because she is aggressive? Maybe acts out physically?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°I know because she and I share amon heritage; it¡¯s why I feel a pull to protect her, and why she feels sofortable with me so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Heritage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I canfortably discuss until I know more details. I need to make some calls and do some research, and I¡¯ll need a day or two to do this. Vicki mentioned she wanted to go sledding; would you consider visiting my home? There are some good hills there, and if you¡¯d allow her to go on a snowmobile, we could give her a little adventure on her school break.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #7

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been on a snowmobile in years,¡± Liv said. ¡°Neither of us own the gear for it.¡±


    ¡°That will be my problem,¡± I replied. ¡°Would Friday be all right? I can¡¯t cook, but I could pick you up at eleven and take you to lunch in town, then out to my property for the afternoon. I will answer all of your questions then.¡±


    ¡°Not tonight?¡± Natalie looked disappointed.


    ¡°Friday, I will exin everything if that is all right.¡±


    The two looked at each other, then Liv nodded to me. ¡°I will see you Friday at eleven,¡± she said.


    ¡°You kids have fun, I¡¯m too old to be on a snowmobile,¡± Natalie said.


    I couldn¡¯t stay around, not with the thoughts bouncing around in my head. ¡°I must be going,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for a lovely evening.¡± It took twenty more minutes toplete the Minnesota Long Goodbye, and I ended up taking a te of leftovers and some pie with me, but I made it home by seven.


    I had to make some phone calls before this situation blew up.


    I didn¡¯t even wait until I was back on the main road before I made my call.


    It wasn¡¯t a call to my younger brother, Ivan. It was to the parents of myte wife, the only ones who talked to me after I was exiled from my Pack. Larry and Donna Winters had retired as Alphas of the Winona Pack ten years ago, turning it over to their oldest son. They practically lived with me as they watched their daughter fade away from cancer that ravaged her body. I called his cell. ¡°Larry, it¡¯s Leo. Merry Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas to you, son. What¡¯s going on? You haven¡¯t called in months.¡±


    ¡°I know. I found a reason to start going through some of Catherine¡¯s things; I¡¯ve been donating them to charity and helping people. It¡¯s time to let go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time. I¡¯m happy you¡¯ve found the strength to tackle it atst.¡± I knew the decline of my wolf and my health had been watched by them, and that was one of the reasons I stopped meeting them in person. I couldn¡¯t take the pain in their eyes as they saw what was happening to me. ¡°Do you need our help?¡±


    ¡°I do, but not in that,¡± I said. ¡°I would like to meet with you and go over a few things. I found something in my travels I didn¡¯t ever expect to find, and I don¡¯t know all the implications of it.¡±


    ¡°What was it,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather exin in person. I¡¯ll bring along Catherine¡¯s jewelry box; Donna can look through it and take back any family heirlooms.¡±


    He covered the phone for a few minutes. ¡°We¡¯ll be in Red Wing tomorrow to meet some friends for lunch at the St. James. Why don¡¯t you meet us at ten at the Caribou Coffee there? We can grab one of the rooms they use for meetings.¡± I loved that ce, it was built into a historical building and was unlike any other store in the franchise.


    ¡°That sounds perfect,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The phone got handed over, and Donna picked up. ¡°Leo? This reason you mentioned; have you found someone? Are you finally ready to move on?¡±


    ¡°I found someone, but not to rece Catherine in my life. That hole in my heart will never be filled,¡± I said.


    ¡°She wanted you to live a full life, Leo. It¡¯s all right to find love again if the right womanes along.¡±


    ¡°I know that in my head, Mom, but my heart is still broken. Is it enough for my wolf to find a reason to keep living?¡±


    ¡°That Alpha¡­ I still can¡¯t look at the Welch Pack Alpha pair without wanting to smack the shit out of them. They should have been the ones to help you through your grief, not rip you from everyone you loved.¡±


    ¡°Water under the bridge, Mom. I¡¯m still here. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± I hung up and continued the drive, parking in the garage. I passed the cases of Jack Daniels by the door, reaching for one out of habit. I looked at the bottle and put it back. I¡¯d told my mother-inw I was bringing jewelry to look at, and I needed to get that ready. It also wouldn¡¯t help to show up at ten in the morning smelling of whiskey.


    I grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and brought it into the bedroom. She had a jewelry case in her dressing area, with four drawers and hooks for her nes to hang. Werewolves had slightly different tastes in jewelry due to our shifting. Most didn¡¯t wear many rings other than wedding rings, as the paws wouldn¡¯t hold them after a shift. Wedding rings could be quickly removed and left with clothing, or attached to a clip on a ne. The same issue arose during the shift with bracelets and watches.


    Nes were like cors and could survive the shift, provided they were loose enough around the neck for the extra size and fur. A ¡®choker¡¯ style ne would do just that to your wolf. Earrings survived the shift just fine, and some of the younger wolves had piercings. If we knew we were going to shift, we¡¯d take it all off. The women, especially those working and interacting with humans, wore jewelry to blend in.


    I had it easy. I never wore a watch, and I only had my wedding band. I¡¯d pull that off and put it in a pocket before shifting.


    I opened the first drawer, which was filled with pins and brooches. Jewelry on our clothes worked better than on our bodies, and Catherine had umted quite a few of them. Some had hidden meanings; the old mill, with blue gems forming the river and rubies the wheel, was a symbol of the Welch Pack. I started sorting them, leaving the ones I had purchased for her, and setting the others aside on the counter. If I didn¡¯t remember, I set it aside.


    When I was done an hourter, I went back to the kitchen and grabbed a bunch of ziplock bags. The snack-sized bags worked well for the smaller stuff; I used a bread tie to hook all the nes together before cing them in a quart-sized bag. I put the small bags into a gallon-sized bag, and that into a shopping bag with a zippered top.


    The next morning, I drove into Red Wing and got to Caribou well before ten. I ordered a muffin and arge coffee, and arranged for a small room we could use upstairs. Larry and Donna arrived with their coffees just before ten. ¡°Leo,¡± Donna said with a smile as I stood up. ¡°You look¡­ better.¡±


    I kissed her cheek, then shook Larry¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve made some changes in my life,¡± I said. ¡°Please, sit. I¡¯ll exin while you sort through that stuff. Anything you want for you or your daughters just set to the side.¡± I passed the bag to Donna, whoid the bags on the table.


    ¡°Who is she, Leo?¡± Larry didn¡¯t mess around. Only a female could cause my wolf to return.


    ¡°In my travels, I met a child. Almost five years old, living with her human mother. She¡¯s a werewolf, Larry, and she has the Alpha mantle on her.¡±


    The resulting spit-take and coughing fit took a minute to recover from and clean up. I was d all the jewelry was in bags. ¡°Let me get this straight, Leo,¡± Donna said as she cleaned coffee off the table. ¡°There¡¯s a girl out there with humans, and she¡¯s the firstborn of an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake on either one,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have to tell her father immediately,¡± Larry said. ¡°That¡¯s his first-born, and you know how dangerous it is to have a pup being raised away from other wolves and an Alpha. She could shift at any time, and do it among humans.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell her father,¡± I replied. ¡°The father cheated on his mate with the human mother, leaving her pregnant, and offered to pay for an abortion. She didn¡¯t ept, obviously.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to figure it out,¡± Donna said. ¡°The child is four, so this happened around 2014?¡± I nodded. ¡°He¡¯s a current Alpha?¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, his wife is going to serve up his nuts with barbecue sauce and cornbread,¡± Donna said. ¡°Do they have children?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Two.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She just shook her head sadly. ¡°Then they already know his child is out there somewhere. The Alpha mantle goes to the firstborn child 95% of the time, male or female. In every instance where the firstborn does not get it, the second does. Since the father can only pass the mantle to one of his children, they have to know there is another out there.¡±


    Larry leaned forward. ¡°The child is in great danger, Leo. This only goes one of three ways. One, the father ims the child, allows her to grow with his family in the Pack, and turns the Pack over to her when they retire.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Yeah, like the Luna is going to let the bastard daughter take her family¡¯s Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°He is Alpha of a Pack where he mated into the position? It wasn¡¯t his Alpha mantle, but hers that he passed on?¡±


    ¡°Correct. The father mated the only daughter of an Alpha.¡±


    Larry shook his head. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t pay attention to this, since you were born with the Alpha mantle, but it¡¯s different when the Alpha mantle goes to a female. When she mates, the Alpha mantle extends to him too. The firstborn of either will get it. Now, obviously, their child will not be a problem, but if he knocks up another wolf first, the first-born gets it. I suppose if they found the girl, they could let her inherit the pack, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it. The mantle will stay with this child unless she is killed. If that happens, and the father is Alpha, and still in power, the mantle would shift to the second-born child.¡±


    ¡°The one that is HER son or daughter,¡± Donna added. ¡°The one who is supposed to inherit the Pack.¡±


    ¡°Given the choice, they will kill her in a heartbeat,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the danger she is in if they find her.¡±


    ¡°And her mother might be killed as well, to cover the whole sordid affair up in werewolf and human worlds,¡± Donna said. ¡°The longer this goes on, the more pressure there will be to eliminate her. Theck of a mantle can¡¯t be hidden from the Pack, and they will talk. If it gets out, it will show weakness to other Alphas. Then there is the risk to the Pack if something happens to their current Alphas. Your parents are an example of how quickly things can change, Leo. If this Alpha pair died today, their Pack would have no true Alpha heir. It would be like the Welch Pack now; a Beta ying Alpha, but always vulnerable to takeover.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #8

    ¡°Your own Beta never would have defeated you if your wolf hadn¡¯t given up,¡± Larry said. ¡°An Alpha wolf with the Mantle doesn¡¯t lose to a Beta unless he wants to.¡±


    ¡°You know what happened, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I do. It was a mistake, but it¡¯s done now. The question is what to do with this girl. Since you didn¡¯t call the father and you¡¯re asking our advice, I assume you want to help her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like I NEED to help her, Larry. Our wolves, they¡¯ve bonded. Four years of fading away, and suddenly my wolf perks up and ims her as his own pup.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Nope. At first, I didn¡¯t know what to think. When I looked into her eyes, her wolf submitted to mine. ¡®MY PUP, MY PACK,¡¯ is what he told me. So, yeah, I need to help her.¡±


    Donna was shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. I¡¯ve heard of that happening with a mate, but never with a pup.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a second-chance mate; it¡¯s not that at all. My wolf sees her as his daughter.¡± My human side did too; she needed protection, and I wanted to be there to protect her.


    ¡°What about the human mother,¡± Donna asked. ¡°Is it possible she is your mate?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s less than half my age, Mom, and I¡¯ve never seen her that way. My wolf is not interested in her, and I¡¯m not interested in anyone else.¡±


    She put her hand over mine. ¡°This is an answer to my prayers, then. Not the answer I thought I would get, but an answer none the less.¡± I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been praying for a woman toe along and rescue you and your wolf from the trail to death you¡¯ve been walking. This girl will be your salvation, Leo. Love and protect her with all that you are, and who knows? Maybe someday you¡¯ll find a woman to run at your side again.¡±


    ¡°No woman wants a fifty-one-year-old former Alpha who¡¯s been banished,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see an Alpha and his heir, ready to make their own Pack a reality,¡± she responded. ¡°Keep her hidden; if a Pack wolf smells her and word gets out, either she¡¯s killed, or someone force mates her to bring the Alpha mantle into a Pack that doesn¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°Option three,¡± I said as I shook my head.


    Larry looked me in the eyes, his wolf staring mine down. ¡°There is an Option Four, where she bes Alpha of the Pack she chooses. If you don¡¯t want to be Alpha to a Pack, prepare her to run her own. Train her to be a good Alpha. It¡¯s her birthright, Leo.¡±


    ¡°What about her family? Her human family?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what to do there, son. You know the rules. You also know the risks of a werewolf child among humans. They are helpless and clueless against the danger she is in, just because she exists. If you can¡¯t remove them from the situation, you¡¯ll have to convince them to let you help.¡±


    I took a sip of my coffee as I thought, the temperature now low enough to drink. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to find a way to convince Liv.¡±


    Donna had only taken a few pieces out, and she returned the rest to me. ¡°Your daughter should inherit Catherine¡¯s jewelry,¡± she said. ¡°We have to leave, but we¡¯re a phone call away, Leo.¡± We stood up, and she kissed my cheek. ¡°You and your wolf are going to live and love again. I can feel it.¡±


    I watched them walk out and sat back to think. I had to be close, and for that, Liv and Natalie needed to trust me.


    Trust isn¡¯t easy to establish or maintain.


    I was going to have to show them.


    I arrived at Liv¡¯s house at eleven in the morning on Friday. ¡°Unky LEO!¡± Vicki raced at the door, reaching up for me while I was still walking up the sidewalk.


    ¡°Where is your jacket, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°In dere,¡± she said. ¡°Sharks! Unky Leo, we saw sharks!¡±


    I stepped inside the door, where Liv was waiting with Vicki¡¯s jacket. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to wait, so we went to SeaLife yesterday when they opened. I had to drag her out of there,¡± she said with augh.


    ¡°HUUUUUGE sharks, Unky Leo! Ovah my head!¡±


    ¡°Wow, it sounds like you had fun,¡± I said. ¡°Are you ready to have fun today?¡± She nodded as Mom zipped her jacket up. I looked around and didn¡¯t see Natalie. ¡°Is your grandmothering?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not up for it.¡±


    I led them out to my truck, where I¡¯d purchased a booster seat for Vicki that I installed in back. ¡°Snowmobiling is fun, but you have to have the right equipment or you freeze. We¡¯re going to get lunch, and then we¡¯ll go shopping.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy stuff, Leo,¡± Liv started to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping this will be something you want to do again, and I don¡¯tpromise on safety. Now, do you two like chicken strips?¡± They did, so we drove to Raising Cane¡¯s in Apple Valley and ate lunch before heading to Lakeville and the power sports dealers. It took almost an hour to get both of them set up with snowmobile gear and helmets before we were heading back east to my home.


    The garage had radiant floor heat installed, so as soon as I parked, we were able to get out and start dressing in their equipment. I¡¯d purchased matching suits for them, in ck and hot pink with the Pris logo. Snowmobile pants when on first, and I helped them adjust the straps over their shoulders as they extended well above their waists. I held open Vicki¡¯s new boots as she put her feet into them, then zipped them up and pulled the pant legs down over them. The jackets went on next, the racing neck tight, then the helmets. It took a while to get everything adjusted, but once we had it, they would go on a lot faster. Last on was the gloves. I took a photo with my phone of them in their matching Pris-logo suits; they looked amazing. I quickly pulled my gear on, then opened the garage door in front of the snowmobile.


    Vicki was bouncing as I brought the big sled out and started it up. It was a snug fit on the long seat, with Liv behind me, and Vicki in front, but I didn¡¯t mind a bit. Since Vicki had never been on one, I started slow. The little girl wasn¡¯t impressed as we puttered around mynd. ¡°Faster, Unky Leo! Faster!¡±


    ¡°We have to go to the trails then,¡± I said. ¡°I want you to hang on, and lean the way I do,¡± I said as I went out to the road. We had to drive along the ditch until I could join the trails that cut across miles of open farnd. Going a little faster, they liked that and the motion of going up and down the slope as I avoided power poles and drove over driveways. We caught up to a trail crossing a mile down the road. Turning on to it, there was almost a mile of t farnd ahead of us with a fifty-mile-an-hour speed limit. ¡°Hang on,¡± I said. I opened up the throttle, and both girls started to scream as the engine elerated us down the trail.


    I immediately slowed to a stop, thinking I¡¯d scared them. I was wrong. Vicki turned in the seat and looked at me with her gloves on her hips. ¡°No! We go FASTER, Unky Leo!¡±


    I turned around to check with Liv, who wasughing. ¡°You heard the girl,¡± she said. ¡°We feel the need¡­¡±


    ¡°THE NEED FOR SPEED,¡± I finished as I turned back and gunned the throttle. I don¡¯t know who had more fun on the trails, but it was the most fun I¡¯d had in years. We stayed out for another hour before the sunset, and by the time we got home, it waspletely dark. I¡¯d scheduled a pizza delivery for six, and we pulled into the garage at five-forty.


    Vicki gave me a big thank-you hug after I helped her get her helmet off. ¡°Go again? I want to go AGAIN!¡±


    ¡°Another day,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, and dinner will be here soon. Put your helmet on that shelf, then I¡¯ll help you with the rest of your stuff.¡± Liv helped her with the helmet, then we hung up the suits and put the boots and gloves on a dryer. ¡°You can take the gear home if you want,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think she¡¯ll want to ride again,¡± Liv said as Vicki agreed. ¡°You have a beautiful home,¡± Liv said as she looked around the big kitchen and the open main floor n.


    ¡°Catherine and I built it expecting we¡¯d have a big family, but it didn¡¯t happen that way,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more than I need, but I can¡¯t sell it because she was so much a part of building it. It feels like a museum sometimes.¡±


    She looked at a photo on the wall of Catherine and me on our wedding day. ¡°She was beautiful,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°Inside and out, the best person I¡¯ve ever known. We had twenty-five great years together,¡± I said. I heard the driveway motion rm and looked out to see the driver was here. Liv and Vicki set the table while I took care of the driver, then we had our pizzas. Liv and I both knew that after dinner, we were going to talk, and both of us were afraid of what might be said. You could tell how nervous we were by how we picked at our food while Vicki inhaled piece after piece.


    I¡¯d promised to exin everything today, and so far, I hadn¡¯t told them a thing. I was praying that Liv would listen long enough for me to exin everything. I asked her to help Vicki wash up, then meet me in the living room. I was hoping that being away from knives would give me the advantage.


    I went back to my bedroom and stripped, pulling on a terrycloth robe. When I came out, the two were sitting on the couch. Liv¡¯s eyes got wide when she saw what I was wearing, and I know she was wondering if she¡¯d made a mistake ining here. I sat down in a chair across from them. ¡°Vicki, have you been talking with that voice in your head,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Uh-huh. She likes you,¡± she said.


    ¡°What does she tell you about me?¡±


    ¡°Twust you. Unky is like us, he will help.¡±


    Liv had wide eyes and looked ready to snatch her up and run all the way home. ¡°Just rx, Liv. I¡¯m not going to hurt either of you, but I told you I would exin things to you. The exnation isn¡¯t something I can just do with words. I have to show you.¡±


    ¡°Show me what? Why are you in a bathrobe?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You might be frightened, you might even scream, but know that nothing that happens here tonight will hurt you. I promise you that you are both safe here in my home.¡± I stood up, pulling my arms out of the bathrobe before getting on my hands and knees in front of the couch. Liv¡¯s mouth was open as I let the robe hung down, still covering me, then I shifted.

 THE PORCH WOLF #9

    There were two screams as the changepleted, and the robe fell off.


    Vicki screamed, ¡°PUPPY!¡±


    Liv screamed, ¡°OH, FUCK!¡±


    Then Liv grabbed Vicki and disappeared out of the room in a sh. I heard a door m as the bathroom door locked.


    Well, that could have gone better. I shifted back, pulling on my robe and tying it as I listened to Vicki asking to see the puppy again, while Liv was cursing that her phone was in her purse, hanging from the chair at the kitchen table. I walked over to the door, d that she wasn¡¯t calling 911 right now. I knocked, and it got quiet in there. ¡°Liv?¡±


    ¡°What the hell, Leo?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf, Liv.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Werewolves are fantasy, fictional creatures that cannot exist.¡±


    I chuckled; she couldn¡¯t ept what she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Vicky, what did I change into?¡±


    ¡°BIG PUPPY! Momma, I wanna y wit da PUPPY!¡±


    ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t hurt you or Vicky, Olivia. I don¡¯t want you to be afraid of me, but you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I didn¡¯t show you,¡± I exined.


    ¡°You showed me, and I still don¡¯t believe you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Take a little time to think about what you saw, Liv. It¡¯s important you know the truth, because you two are in danger, and you won¡¯t see iting. I¡¯ll be waiting in the living room for you to decide. If you want to go home, I¡¯ll take you. If you never want to see me again, I¡¯ll leave you alone. If you want to talk, we¡¯ll talk. If you want to sit and y with the wolf in the room, we¡¯ll y. Don¡¯t be afraid of me; my wolf and I don¡¯t like it when you are afraid.¡± I walked away, going back into the living room. Tossing the robe aside, I shifted and curled up on the rug in front of the couch, my head ced so I could see around the end of the sofa and down the hall.


    It took ten minutes before I heard the bathroom door unlock, then it slowly opened. Liv poked her head out, looking at me. I rolled over onto my back, my tail whapping against the rug as they came into view. ¡°Nice doggie,¡± she said. Vicki was being held in her hand, an open bottle of rubbing alcohol in the other. ¡°Don¡¯t make me use this,¡± she said.


    I guess the medicine cab didn¡¯t have many weapon options; I was d she didn¡¯t think of breaking the mirror. I tried to make myself as non-threatening as possible; rolling onto my stomach as they came closer, I put my head on my paws while my tail kept wagging. ¡°Tell Mom that you are like me,¡± I sent to Vicki¡¯s wolf.


    Vicki brought her other hand to her ear, trying to figure out where my voice came from. ¡°Mommy, I heard Unky Leo talking in my head,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± She had moved them until one of the love seats was between me on the rug and the two of them near the kitchen.


    ¡°He said to tell you that I am like him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Tell Mom that I really am your uncle. It was my younger brother,¡± I sent to her. Well, either they would grab my keys and steal my truck to get away, or I¡¯d get them to sit down and talk to me.


    ¡°Momma, Unky Leo said he is my real unky. It was his wittle brother.¡±


    Her eyes got wide. ¡°No. It can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Show Mommy the pictures in the hallway.¡± Please, Luna, let her have the courage to know the truth, I prayed.


    ¡°Mommy, Unky Leo wants you to look at da pictures.¡± She pulled Liv towards the hallway, and she turned on the light. The walls were filled with photos of my life. Everything from my family as I grew, to my mating, my time with Catherine, and my brother Ivan¡¯s mating ceremony. The ceremony at Marengo Lakes, where he mated the only daughter of the Alpha shortly before he died.


    ¡°Oh, God¡­ Oh, God¡­ It¡¯s him,¡± she said as her fingers reached towards the photo. She let go of Vicki, allowing my niece to run back down the hall and plop down next to me. I kept my eyes on her mother as she tried to catch her breath and wrap her head around what she was seeing.


    I loved the feeling of her little hands running through my fur as she explored my wolf form. Liv came down the hall, dropping onto the love seat as she watched her daughter y with the massive wolf on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re real,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf. He was like you?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded my head yes before I licked up Vicki¡¯s face, making her squeal. ¡°Dog swobber,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± she said.


    I slowly moved to my feet, towering over Vicki. I stood over three feet tall at the shoulders, and my two hundred pounds was the same in both forms. I sniffed Vicki¡¯s neck, the cold nose making her squeal, then trotted down the hallway to my room. I reached up a paw and opened the lever door handle, pushing my way in. Shifting, I pulled on my clothes and walked back out. ¡°You did a good job telling your Mom,¡± I said to Vicki, who was now sitting in her Mom¡¯sp.


    ¡°You said you would exin it all,¡± she said. ¡°Start talking.¡±


    Ivan Volkov¡¯s POV


    Valentine¡¯s Day, 2014


    ¡°Quit whining and get in there,¡± my older brother and Alpha said as we approached therge Pack House. The 2014 National Alpha Summit was being hosted by the Gray¡¯s Peak Pack, a prosperous pack west of Denver. The ce was packed, over two hundred Alphas in attendance, most with their Lunas. I had taken notes andworked during the daytime meetings, but now was the thing I dreaded most.


    The meat market.


    A cocktail party where unmated men and women of breeding were shoved together in the hopes of finding their mates. I didn¡¯t like what they represented, and I already knew I wasn¡¯t going to find a mate there. ¡°I¡¯d rather take a run after being cooped up all day,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rules. All unmated Betas and Alphas and their children of age are required to attend, and no one can leave for at least an hour unless their mate is with them,¡± Leo said. ¡°Catherine and I are meeting with some friends from the Iron Range. Don¡¯t wait up for us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait up for me, I¡¯ll be back when the moon sets and my run is done.¡± Leaving them behind, I joined the line of men heading for the east entrance to the ballroom. At precisely seven PM, the doors opened, and the men started to file in. I was about halfway back in the line, and this wasn¡¯t my first time at one of these. It was a bit more organized than others, a long reception line ofdies in dresses wound back and forth inside the room. Each male would greet a female, lift her hand to his nose and sniff. If there was no match, he would smile and move on. When a destined pair found each other, the hosts and their security members would quickly remove them from the room before they started screwing on the floor.


    The show must go on, after all.


    This was my third one of these, eighteen being the minimum age. I had found my mate in the second; when I scented her, my eyes got wide, and I froze. She smelled my neck, shaking her head in disappointment. ¡°No Alpha mantle on you,¡± she said to me.


    ¡°Second son of the Welch Pack Alphas in Minnesota. My brother is the heir.¡±


    ¡°Not interested second child of the Provo Pack here,¡± she replied. ¡°I have better offers than you already. I reject you,¡± she looked down at my nametag, ¡°Ivan Volkov. Have a nice life.¡±


    ¡°I reject you as well, Tonya Skyles, you heartless bitch,¡± I said back. I continued with the meetup as if nothing had happened.


    Tonya¡¯s mating to an Alpha in Idaho was announced that night with dozens of other pairings, as I sat at the bar and drank myself into oblivion.


    Tonight would end up the same way. I started the motions of introducing myself to thedies. I did have a n. I¡¯d get through the line, hang out at the bar with the other disillusioned, and find a willing female to share a night of meaningless but athletic sex. I was looking for those who were just as tired of this charade as I was, and I had invited a half-dozendies to join me at the bar by the time I exited the line. Making my way to the bar, I bought two bottles of tequ and asked for a bunch of sses. Pouring seven, I downed the first and refilled it before my firstdy arrived. ¡°Ivan, did you save one for me,¡± the blonde she-wolf said.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like to join me on a trip to oblivion, I¡¯m your man,¡± I said. ¡°Here you go, Lynn.¡±


    ¡°To another year of freedom,¡± she said as she raised her ss.


    ¡°Freedom.¡± We tossed the shots back, and I poured more as otherdies arrived. Brenda, Lori, Dawn, Charlotte, and Gina stopped by to say hello and have a shot. Over the next twenty minutes, all but Lynn and Brenda moved on to other males. The bar was crowded and loud; I grabbed what remained in the second bottle and stood up. ¡°I need to get out of here. I don¡¯t want to hear another word about mates and how wonderful they are tonight,¡± I said. Lynn wanted to stay, but Brenda asked me to walk her to her room.


    I was a little confused, as Brenda wasn¡¯t giving off signals she was interested. Still, I offered her my arm and escorted her out of the room. ¡°Why are you so jaded about the whole mate thing, Ivan,¡± she asked as we got outside.


    ¡°I found minest year; she was upset that I didn¡¯t have what you have, an Alpha mantle. She rejected me before she knew anything else. Hell, she had to read my nametag so she could finish her rejection,¡± I said with a sneer. ¡°I don¡¯t know or care what Luna thought she was doing. Half of all human marriages end in divorce; I don¡¯t think Luna is any better at the game. For every disgustingly in love and devoted pair, there¡¯s probably another who don¡¯t belong together.¡±


    ¡°And yet our culture and traditions insist on it,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky; you get a choice in the matter. My father is not allowing me the same.¡±


    ¡°He cannot force you to mate someone. That is against ourws!¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #10

    ¡°True. My father cannot force me to mate a particr male, but applying pressure to take a mate is a different thing.¡± We reached her room; she opened it and invited me in. The portable housing was cozy, to say the least. The room contained a full-sized bed, a dresser, television, and a tiny bathroom with a shower. She sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. I pulled an empty drawer out of the dresser, setting it on edge as a table, and set the bottle and the shot sses on top of it before sitting down. ¡°Can I speak frankly, Ivan? Can you hold what I tell you in strict confidence?¡±


    ¡°I would be disappointed if you did not, Brenda.¡± I poured us each a shot.


    ¡°My father is not well,¡± she said. ¡°My mother passed awayst year, and he won¡¯t be far behind. I am the heir to the Pack, and I need a mate to run it properly.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of males here who would love to take you on just for the Alpha position, not just because you are a desirable young woman,¡± I said. ¡°If the word gets out, they will be hounding you.¡± Of course, she hadn¡¯t found her mate tonight. ¡°Are you disappointed you didn¡¯t find your mate here?¡± I raised my drink to my lips.


    ¡°I knew I would not,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m gay.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    That was enough to cause me to choke on my tequ. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a lesbian. I have no mate because I have no interest in men, I never have.¡±


    ¡°I bet that went over well with Daddy.¡± Werewolves, especially Alpha males, were tradition-bound and patriarchal. Homosexuality might be tolerated in the lower ranks, but there were no openly gay Alphas of either sex. A male might never take a mate and hide his true affections, but a female Alpha could not. I could see the truth in her face. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°No one does,¡± she said. ¡°My lovers have been few, human, and distant. I know what will happen if the Alpha position transfers to me while I¡¯m unmated, or if I was toe out. My Pack and I will be looked at as weak, a tempting target for anyone who fancied a challenge. I wouldn¡¯tst a year before it was taken from me.¡± She tossed a shot back and poured another. ¡°What I¡¯m looking for is a partner, not a mate.¡±


    I could see where the conversation was going. ¡°You think I could be that partner?¡±


    ¡°You do not believe in or expect a mating to result in anything mystical like true love. You are smart, strong, and ready to lead a Pack by my side. A partnership would get you out of your brother¡¯s shadow, and my Pack would gain a strong defender. I would not prevent you from seeking your pleasure in others, just as you would not prevent me from my own liaisons. Both of us would use discretion, of course. We must maintain appearances.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t that mated pairs couldn¡¯t cheat, they just couldn¡¯t do it without the other feeling it. It didn¡¯t cause pain, but there was no mistaking when your mate was having sex with another. ¡°You can¡¯t fake the mating im, Brenda. I would have to bite you and mate you, and you would have to bite me back.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be my first man; in my youth, I slept with a man before epting my true orientation. I would be expected to bear an heir, so sex between us will be required to achieve that. In the Pack¡¯s eyes, we need to be a stable and loving Alpha pair. You should not expect it to ur more often than required, though. I¡¯m sure you can find your release elsewhere.¡±


    I leaned back against the headboard, considering what she was offering. The chance to be an Alpha did note along often. My only other path to the job would be if my brother and his mate passed without an heir, the Alpha mantle dying with him. Having the Alpha Mantle was important; with it, your wolf was stronger, and yourmand over a Pack was moreplete. If I mated with Brenda, the mantle she received from her father at birth would be shared with me. My son or daughter would carry it after I was gone. ¡°So to summarize your offer. We agree to begin a courtship leading to us mating and leading your Pack together, presenting the image of a loving Alpha pair. Both of us may seek our sexual satisfaction, discreetly and freely, preferably far from our home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the mating either of us thought we would get as pups, but both of us would benefit, as would our Pack,¡± Brenda said. ¡°I don¡¯t need amitment to our deal tonight, but I would like to set the groundwork if you are agreeable.¡±


    ¡°What kind of groundwork?¡±


    ¡°We clearly aren¡¯t fated mates, but we do need to show interest in each other among the others. You stay here tonight, sleeping in my bed, so our scents mingle. We eat our meals together, we take walks while holding hands, and are seen kissing. I introduce you to my father, and you introduce me to your brother and his mate.¡±


    ¡°And after this summit?¡±


    ¡°We date for a few months, each of us traveling to the other¡¯s Pack. Along the way, if we both agree to proceed, we set a date for the mating ceremony.¡±


    ¡°And then we join together,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She poured us each another shot. ¡°That is tomorrow. For tonight, I want to get gloriously drunk and forget about the shit-storm that my life has be. I¡¯d like you to join me.¡±


    I raised my ss in a toast to her. ¡°It would be my honor, Alpha-Heir Brenda Petersen.¡± We clicked our sses together and drank.


    The hangover promised to be epic.


    Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    Present Day


    After the excitement of the day and evening, Shark Bait was fading fast. Vicki begged me to shift back into Wolfy, but I had too much to exin to Liv. If I couldn¡¯t convince her that I needed to be in their lives, that they all were in danger, I could lose her.


    The evening had gone reasonably well; I had exined to them what werewolves were, how we lived, and what Vicki would be. ¡°Werewolf children normally shift before they can crawl; they will follow whatever form their mother is in. By the time they reach ten years of age, their wolf bes more independent; they will shift on their own unless their Alphamands them not to. There is always a risk of having juveniles out amongst humans. Young werewolves might shift if frightened, or respond with more aggression than another child would because of their wolf.¡±


    ¡°Like Vicki at daycare,¡± she said. ¡°She was getting in trouble for biting other children.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since you are fully human, Vicki¡¯s wolf has grown without guidance from her mother or Pack. It will push forward, perhaps at an inopportune time. You can¡¯t think of her wolf as being separate from her; they are together and have been that way since birth. Her wolf will want to express herself, and she needs a safe ce to do that. This is why we normally homeschool our children or form private schools that are under Pack control. It is safer for them to remain among us until they learn to control their wolves, usually around high school age.¡±


    ¡°You would teach her?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The first shift is painful, but after you¡¯ve done it once, it is as simple and painless as telling your body to change shapes. Vicki is way behind on the training any other pup would have by this point.¡±


    ¡°PUP!¡± Vicki raised tired eyes towards her mother. ¡°I gonna be PUPPY.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our secret,¡± I told her. ¡°Only your mother and I can know about that,¡± I said. ¡°If the wrong people find out, they might hurt you, or take you away from Mommy. I will teach you how, and keep you safe while you learn,¡± I promised.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She snuggled back into Liv¡¯s arms, her eyes going closed again. As long as she got to be a puppy, she wasn¡¯t going to care about the other stuff. She fell asleep shortly after.


    Liv sat on the couch with Vicki¡¯s head in herp while I told her ¡®the rest of the story.¡¯ My younger brother was Vicki¡¯s father, and by now, he knew that she hadn¡¯t aborted the child as he asked. I exined the Alpha Mantle and what it meant for her to have it. ¡°So she can grow up to run her own Pack, but it¡¯s more likely someone would try to kill her so it can go back to your brother¡¯s children with his mate,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the greatest danger. The other is that Vicki isn¡¯t part of a Pack. Her wolf scent clings to her now; you wouldn¡¯t notice it walking by, but if a werewolf got close enough, they would pick up on it. As her wolf emerges, and after her first shift, you can¡¯t hide that puppy anymore. Werewolves will know as soon as she walks into the room. Wolves are territorial, and as a ¡®lone¡¯ wolf in their territory, she would be taken from you. For her own good, of course. An untrained Alpha heir female is a valuablemodity in a world where many Packs do not have Alphas with that mantle.¡±


    ¡°What would they do to me?¡±


    ¡°At best, disable you while they take her. At worst, they would kill you because you might know about us, and you¡¯re human.¡±


    She shook her head as she ran her fingers through Vicki¡¯s hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any of this, you know. I was just a college kid who wanted to getid.¡±


    ¡°And my brother should have known better than to have unprotected sex. He will be desperate to find and kill her, because only then can he bring the mantle back to his new Pack.¡± I shook my head at how screwed up this all was. ¡°Vicki is my niece, and my wolf already imed her as his. He and I will dly train her, and we would die to protect her. For the first time in years, I¡¯m waking up with a reason to get through the day. I have to live and be strong to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Making it to Prime Rib Tuesday wasn¡¯t doing it?¡± She sometimes teased me about my eating habits. ¡°You were always nice to me, but I could see your fading. I¡¯m d you¡¯re better now.¡± She got a text; looking at her phone, she noted the time. ¡°Grandma is wondering where we are, and I have to work the next four nights. Can you take us home?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°May I pick Vicki up?¡±


    ¡°Please, she¡¯s getting so big now,¡± Liv said. I put her on my shoulder, and on the way out, Liv grabbed her shoes and jacket. I was pleased they both left their snowmobile gear with mine in the garage, but I didn¡¯t say anything.


    Vicki didn¡¯t stir as I put her in the booster seat, and we were on our way. ¡°I know I¡¯ve given you a lot to think about tonight,¡± I started.

 THE PORCH WOLF #11

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. My head hasn¡¯t spun like this since I found out I was pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine. There are a few things I¡¯d like to ask of you and Vicki.¡±


    She looked back at her girl, then at me as I reached the road. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°For now, don¡¯t tell your grandmother about the werewolf thing. It¡¯s fine to say that you found out my younger brother is her father, and I¡¯m her real uncle. That might ease her worries about why I want to be around her, and you.¡±


    ¡°I could have told you his name, but you couldn¡¯t tell for sure without me looking at a photo of him from back then,¡± she reasoned. ¡°I can do that, but I can¡¯t promise Vicki will keep a secret.¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother may not believe her if she says I turn into a big wolf. You can tell her if you must. At some point, she will need to know the truth just as I¡¯ve had to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°As I said, the more her wolf pushes forward, the stronger her scent bes, and the more likely she is to shift. If you are taking her out in public, I would like to go with you. I can be there to scent for other wolves, and if they smell me with her, an Alpha wolf, they¡¯ll leave us alone. You¡¯re also not going to identally wander over a Pack boundary and cause an incident.¡±


    ¡°She wants to do a lot, especially now,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. The three of you are always wee in my home because you are my family. I¡¯m retired, and I don¡¯t mind having Shark Bait pull me around to look at stuff. I even have my own membership to SeaLife.¡±


    ¡°She loved that yesterday,¡± Liv said. ¡°I practically had to drag her out of the tubes in the shark cove.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, Liv. I would hope that you would befortable enough to let me watch her, maybe while you work. I need you around to help her as she learns about her wolf side.¡± We had reached Miesville, and I turned west on Highway 61. I only had seven minutes until we got to her house to talk. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be asking you tomorrow when we can go snowmobiling again, especially since we¡¯re supposed to get a few inches overnight.¡±


    ¡°She will want to do it all,¡± Liv agreed. ¡°I¡¯m curious about a few things. You said Vicki is a werewolf because her father was, that one parent is enough. What about when she grows up? Will she have to mate a werewolf, or can she have a human life with human children?¡±


    I tapped the steering wheel. ¡°She could marry a human, but her children will be werewolves. You can look at is as a dominant trait, it will alwayse out. With her wolf, she¡¯s more likely to be attracted to other werewolves, and them to her. An Alpha Mantle female with no Pack is desirable; she could start her own Pack, or strengthen another.¡± I paused for a second. ¡°It¡¯s our job to make sure she grows up and gets that choice.¡±


    ¡°That brings up the next question. Can you make me a werewolf too? If I need to do that to protect her, I will.¡±


    ¡°Can it be done? Yes, humans can be turned. It¡¯s a prolonged, painful change, and many do not make it. No one knows why some do and some don¡¯t; it¡¯s not always the best conditioned or the ones who want it the most. I think the Moon Goddess gifts a wolf to those she wants to have one, and the others die.¡± I looked over at her in the glow of the dash lights. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk your life too. I can train you in self-defense; we can get you a permit to carry a firearm, and I can teach you to shoot. I¡¯ll help you learn to protect her, Liv.¡±


    It was quiet as we drove thest mile, finally turning into her fourplex lot. I parked in the visitor¡¯s spot. ¡°Can you bring her in,¡± Liv asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I got her out and onto my shoulder, following Liv into their home.


    ¡°Sorry we were out sote, Grandma,¡± Liv said as she took off her boots.


    ¡°Oh, look at that girl, she¡¯s tuckered out,¡± Natalie said as she came over. ¡°Hand her over, I¡¯ll take her to get ready for bed. Did you kids have fun?¡± I kissed Vicki¡¯s forehead as I gave her over; she stirred, and I told her good night.


    ¡°We really like snowmobiling,¡± Liv said. ¡°Thank you, Leo, for a wonderful day. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m ready to talk more about it all.¡±


    ¡°Any time, day or night,¡± I said. I leaned down and gave her a quick hug. ¡°It¡¯s going to work out.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Leo.¡± I walked out, and she closed and locked the door behind me.


    Driving home, it was my head that was spinning. I was totally dependent on how much trust I could build up with Natalie and Liv in a short time. Being Vicki¡¯s uncle helped exin my need to be in her life, but what if Liv couldn¡¯t trust me because of my brother? Would she think I would help him save his mating and his Pack by turning her over?


    The thought of being frozen out of her life now had my wolf ready to bust out. I made it home, parking and stripping in the garage before shifting and going outside. I ran hard through the dark night, the clouds covering the moon. I ended up on our spot, looking down at the Cannon River Valley in the darkness, my head on my paws.


    If I was to protect her, I needed to be ready.


    I had to be strong, fast, and deadly again.


    No more boozing it up.


    Eat right and get my life on a regr schedule.


    Work out every day, in both forms.


    Improve the security of my house andnd, and see what I could do for Liv¡¯s ce.


    Most of all, I needed to step up and be an Alpha again.


    I trotted back home, shifting and going back inside. I showered and got ready for bed, thinking over how I could make this work. For a Pack to be recognized, you needed an Alpha and at least four other members. If I got the word out that I was back, I knew some would seek me out to join me, banishment, or not.


    As Iid down to sleep, I vowed to build a Pack that Vicki would be proud to take over when she was of age. She would be my heir; the daughter my brother rejected, would be the daughter my mate and I prayed for.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I fell asleep with a smile on my face for the first time in years.

 THE PORCH WOLF #12

    February 2005


    ¡°Something is wrong, Leo. I have no energy, and getting more rest isn¡¯t helping. If I had the flu, it would be getting better by now,¡± Catherine said as she walked into the kitchen.


    I checked her forehead with the back of my hand; she was still running a low fever. ¡°Sit down and try to eat some cereal while I see if I can get an appointment for you.¡± The flu bug had hit Minnesota hard this February, and they said to bring her to urgent care because no appointments were avable. I helped her get dressed, then carried her out to the truck.


    We had to wait an hour to get back there. Catherine was down eight pounds from herst appointment, and her fever was 100. 2 degrees. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt right for weeks,¡± she said.


    ¡°Any nausea? Vomiting?¡±


    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t feel like eating. I have had chills, and my joints ache.¡± The nurse wrote the information on the chart, then left while we waited for the doctor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo. Are you missing anything at work?¡±


    ¡°Todd can handle the crews,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m where I need to be.¡± Todd Miller was my new Beta, having taken over from my younger brother Ivan when he left to mate Brenda Petersen in Marengo Lakes. He also took over as foreman for Volkov Construction, thepany I¡¯d built up over thest twenty-five years to be one of thergest in Goodhue County. Mypany was thergest employer for my Pack members, but I was the majority owner.


    The doctor came in a few minutester; she was Canadian, having gone to school in Minnesota and falling in love with her husband. She talked about the history, then had Catherine sit on the exam table. ¡°Your nds are swollen,¡± she said. ¡°Any pain when swallowing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She checked her lungs were clear, then asked about the joint pain. Finally, she typed out an order. ¡°I¡¯m not convinced this is influenza; it¡¯s more like a low-grade infection. Are you active outdoors? Any tick bitesst year?¡±


    ¡°Very, we hike all the time when the weather is nice,¡± she said. Lyme¡¯s disease?


    ¡°Take this down to theb. They will draw your blood and get the results back to me. You can wait here until I return,¡± the Doctor said.


    We waited for over two hours, the nurse checking on us asionally to make sure we hadn¡¯t left.


    She was grim-faced when she came back, and she had another doctor with her, a man in his fifties with Einstein-like wild grey hair, partially tamed in a ponytail. ¡°This is Doctor McKnight; he¡¯s the Oncologist at the hospital. I¡¯ve asked him to look at your results and examine you,¡± she said.


    My heart dropped into my stomach as she introduced him. Oncologist meant cancer. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Doc?¡±


    ¡°The blood test showed a very high white count and the presence of malignant hematopoletic cells,monly called leukemic cells or ¡®sts.¡¯ These ur when your body¡¯s normal production of blood cells is deranged; instead of the healthy cells, immature myeloid sts are formed. You have cancer, Mrs. Volkov. Specifically, you have acute myeloid leukemia, the mostmon form of adult leukemia.¡±


    Catherine squeezed my hand hard as she tried to absorb it. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°We are going to find out,¡± Dr. McKnight said. ¡°I need to admit you to the hospital immediately, both to stabilize your condition and perform the tests we need to determine the course of treatment.¡±


    ¡°What kind of tests?¡±


    ¡°We need to perform a bone marrow biopsy to identify the specific type of leukemia. The results will help us understand the proper treatment regimen. We also need to treat you with broad-spectrum antibiotics, as the infection your body is fighting now is winning. The white cells you are producing don¡¯t work.¡±


    The next two days went by in a blur. Catherine was wheeled from one room to another, then back to sleep until the next test was ready. The fever was going away, thanks to the antibiotics, but the fatigue was no better. When four doctors showed up with Doctor McKnight, we knew it couldn¡¯t be good news. ¡°We received the biopsy results and the DNA tests of your blood marrow,¡± he said as he started. ¡°It¡¯s not what we had hoped for. The cancer is advanced and aggressive. The treatment is going to be difficult, and will require you to remain hospitalized.¡±


    ¡°What kind of treatment? And for how long?¡± My wolf and I were howling inside, wanting to take the pain from our mate so she wouldn¡¯t suffer.


    ¡°We would begin an intensive chemotherapy regiment tomorrow. The first course, called the induction phase, is administered daily over the next six days. It is a strong drug, designed to clear your blood of leukemia cells and reduce the number of sts in your bone marrow to normal levels. You will remain here, both because of the severity of the side effects, and your susceptibility to infection during the treatment.¡±


    ¡°All my white blood cells will be gone, so I can¡¯t fight anything off,¡± Catherine said.


    ¡°Yes. After six days, we let your body recover and start to produce blood cells again. We will then take another bone marrow biopsy to verify the treatment killed the leukemia cells. If it looks good, you will be released to return home. You will still be susceptible to illness and infection, so you need to limit exposure.¡±


    ¡°But I can be home,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes. After that, we start consolidation courses of chemotherapy. These are given over five days, with about four weeks between treatments. Consolidation chemotherapy is meant to kill the small number of leukemia cells that are still around, but can¡¯t be seen in blood samples. When that is all done, we sample your bone marrow again with another biopsy to verify the cancer is in remission.¡±


    ¡°This sounds difficult,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sugar-coat it; the regimen is difficult, and the side effects can be serious. It is necessary if you are to have a good oue.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t kidding. Chemotherapy was a shitstorm, a clusterfuck of symptoms, a virtual parade of indignities, torments, and problems. I held Catherine¡¯s hair as she threw up, and then her hair fell out, so I held her head. Open sores in her mouth, rashes on her body, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, loss of her ability to taste things, headaches¡­ it just went on and on. The doctors continually adjusted medications to address the side effects, but it was like the old cartoon of the leaky dam; they¡¯d find a drug that helped the rash, and she¡¯d develop the sore on the inside of her cheek.


    I ignored the Pack and thepany as I did what I could to help her. I would spend all day with her at the hospital, then drive home, shower and sleep, and start it again the next day. Visitors were restricted to her immediate family due to her susceptibility to infection. Larry and Donna moved in with me, helping as best they could. Catherine didn¡¯t have the energy to talk on the phone or greet people anyway. I would read her the text messages, send email updates, and keep her going as best I could.


    Catherine was a fighter; she wasn¡¯t going to give in to her diagnosis. ¡°I¡¯m going to fight this shit,¡± she had told me before they put the needle in for her first course of chemotherapy. It became our rally cry; it was what I told her before every chemo course started, and what I told her every night before I left.


    I stopped at Emily¡¯s Bakery and bought a cake for when the first course was done, with balloons and flowers. ¡°What do you want on it,¡± the girl asked me.


    ¡°Can you put ¡®Fight That Shit¡¯ on it?¡± She looked at me like I was nuts. ¡°My wife has cancer. She¡¯s fighting that shit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with that,¡± she said. The ¡°Fight That Shit¡± cake was a hit at the hospital. Her older brother ordered ¡°Fight That Shit¡± t-shirts, we had ¡°Fight That Shit¡± water bottles, and ¡°Fight That Shit¡± floral arrangements.


    Catherine didn¡¯t leave the hospital for sixteen days. When I brought her home, she rarely left the bedroom for the next few months. Her mother and I made sure Catherine kept on track with her many medications. She would sleep a lot, especially after her days receiving chemo. Finally, in May, she had her second biopsy.


    She broke down as I held her when the doctor called with the results. She railed against Luna, cancer, and the unfairness of it all. Her cancer had survived.


    We did it again, with slightly different drugs, and by September, that course of treatment had failed as well. The cancer was too advanced and too resistant to the therapy. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore,¡± she told me after we returned home. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of our time together on round three.¡±


    Tears soaked my face as I kissed her forehead. ¡°We¡¯ll make the most of the time we have left,¡± I told her. The doctors said there was less than a one percent chance of remission now, and gave her two to four months to live.


    She made it to Thanksgiving. As I fed her mashed potatoes, she made me promise I would not follow her when she was gone. ¡°I want you to live a full life, Leo,¡± she told me. ¡°We have eternity together in the Moon¡¯s embrace, no matter how long you take to get there. I want you to have stories for me.¡±


    I promised her I would not kill myself. It was a promise I wouldter regret.


    On ck Friday, surrounded by her family, Catherine Volkov rose to the moon at 8:22 pm.


    Her body was cremated, and the Pack celebrated her life with a Pack run on Tuesday night. I led the wolves through the woods, unable to cry in that form. We reached the point over the Cannon River Valley that was our spot, and I let out a mournful howl.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was thest time I led my Pack in anything.


    My love, my light, my reason to live was gone, and I didn¡¯t know what to do now.


    I didn¡¯t have anything to live for, and I didn¡¯t care.

 THE PORCH WOLF #13

    Present Day


    Waking before six, I put on running gear and went down to my home gym for the first time in years. The room was dark and dusty, and I pulled the cover off the treadmill before plugging it in. Turning on the stereo, I cranked some Pink Floyd while I ran.


    I was breathing hard after ten minutes; I wasn¡¯t a young wolf anymore, and my fitness had deteriorated after Catherine¡¯s diagnosis. I pushed on, alternating between thirty seconds of sprints and sixty seconds of jogging until I couldn¡¯t take any more. I walked ten minutes as a cooldown, leaving the gym sore and feeling every one of my fifty-one years.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Today was thirty minutes; tomorrow would be better. I took a shower and ate breakfast, then watched the news as I thought about my day. I was hoping that Liv would contact me early with more questions; it would be even better if she came over with Vicki. While I waited, I had a lot to do.


    My first call was to my inws, Larry and Donna. Larry picked up first. ¡°Leo? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is wrong, Dad,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then what are you doing up at seven in the morning?¡± I heard Donnaughing in the background.


    ¡°I need to talk about a few things. Are the two of you alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let me put you on speaker.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Leo,¡± Donna said. ¡°Did you talk to your niece and her mother?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± I walked them through the whole night. I told them everything I did and said, and what their reactions were. ¡°Other than running off to the bathroom, Liv handled it well.¡±


    ¡°That wasst night. Today, they¡¯ll realize that people shouldn¡¯t be turning into big, furry wolves. Liv and Vicki will be questioning everything you told them,¡± Donna replied. ¡°She won¡¯t do anything rash, at least I don¡¯t think she will. She¡¯ll focus on her daughter, that¡¯s what she¡¯s done for thest five years. It won¡¯t change now.¡±


    ¡°I agree. You took a risk, Leo, but it¡¯s not in their interests to expose our kind.¡±


    I was d they agreed with my actions. ¡°While I wait for Liv to agree with me training Vicki, I wanted to verify what I have to do to form my own Pack. I haven¡¯t paid any attention to Pack politicstely.¡±


    Larry chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s not much that has changed. You never lost your Alpha Mantle, so no one can question that you have the right to form a Pack. You need to meet the minimum size requirements and announce your Pack formation at the Alpha Summit. Once you are recognized, other Packs are required to respect your position and your boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Who would join me?¡±


    ¡°The fastest thing would be to take over your old Pack. You still have the Mantle, and Alphas Todd and Susan are just Betas, punching above their weight. If you get yourself back in shape now that you have a reason to fight again, you could defeat him. Kick him out of the Pack this time.¡±


    ¡°It could take months to regain my strength, and I don¡¯t have the time or the patience to go back. Todd did what was best for the Pack at the time. I said I¡¯d never return, and I won¡¯t. He can keep it.¡± I looked out my window. ¡°I have mynd, and I have enough room in my home that I could ask a few people to live here with me. Warriors, preferably, who can help train and protect Vicki as she grows up.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a Beta in mind,¡± Donna asked. ¡°The Beta pair will be your protection at the Summit, so they must be strong enough to do so.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the first idea who to ask,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to a werewolf outside of you two since the banishment. I don¡¯t get out, and if I run across someone, we don¡¯t even exchange a ¡®how ya doing.¡¯ Who is going to want to leave a sessful Pack for an old Alpha who gave up on hisst one?¡±


    ¡°You lost your MATE, my daughter, after twenty-five years together,¡± Donna said. ¡°Few can survive that kind of grief and keep their wolf sane.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea, but I have to talk to them first,¡± Larry said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I have an answer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. You guys have a good morning, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°We love you, Leo. Thank you for letting us help.¡± Donna hung up the phone, and I set it aside. Opening myptop, I started searching for surveince systems. I would have to rely on technology to provide some warning if someone came here after Vicki. I purchased amercial surveince system with wi-fi linked cameras and sr panels that I could use for the remote areas of my property, and hard-wired cameras for in closer. It had motion detection and rms that could be used to give me valuable seconds to get them to safety.


    I looked at my phone, but there were no texts or missed calls. I sent Liv a text. ¡°Thanks for listening, call me if you want to talk.¡± I went to my office as I waited for a response. Opening the gun safe, I pulled out a Smith and Wesson M&P9 Pro, the long-slide version of the popr pistol with tritium fiber-optic sights. I unloaded it, then moved over to the desk where I put a pad down to protect the wood. I stripped it, cleaning and lubricating it, then put it back together. I threaded a holster on, then slid it in ce. I grabbed an ammo box of target ammo, tossing it in a range bag with a dozen targets, some cardboard, and a staple gun.


    I put on a jacket and boots, then drove the ATV out to the range I¡¯d made in the back of my property. It was a V-shaped ravine, and I could shoot between five and fifty yards at multiple targets. I started out simple; slow fire from five yards. I was rusty, but after running through a few magazines, I started to get my muscle memory back.


    I moved back to ten yards, then started double-tapping targets from low ready, then drawing from the holster. It was like riding a bike; soon, I was running through shooting drills like the old days. When I noticed my uracy was fading, I¡¯d shoot at half speed and focus on making the transitions smooth. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast; I kept telling myself that until my body listened. You don¡¯t shoot faster by trying to be fast, and you don¡¯t shoot well when you hurry.


    I spent about two hours out there, shooting until I couldn¡¯t feel my fingers anymore. I packed up and went back inside, starting to worry that I¡¯d heard nothing from Liv. I cleaned the pistol and loaded it with hollow-point silver core ammunition, putting it back in the holster and pulling my outer shirt out to cover it. I was going to have to start carrying all the time if I was to protect her, so I might as well start now. Looking at my carry permit, I saw I¡¯d have to renew it soon. I¡¯d take the ss with Liv and put in both our paperwork.


    Tomorrow I would start on rifle shooting. I should alternate days until I was proficient again.


    It waste afternoon, and I was hungry. Liv would be working tonight, but I didn¡¯t want to push her. Instead, I kept to my routine and headed to Red Wing and the St. James Hotel. The historic hotel had a dark and quiet restaurant in the basement that I could hide in for hours. With every mile, I was getting farther away from Vicki, and my wolf didn¡¯t like it.


    I never made it to the hotel. I pulled over by the Dairy Queen into Johnny¡¯s Gyros, a tiny Chicago-style food ce that made better hot Italian beef sandwiches than Portillo¡¯s. I grabbed two with fries, then got a big milkshake from Dairy Queen before heading back towards Hastings.


    I was trying hard not to be that creepy guy, but my wolf didn¡¯t like his pup being vulnerable. I found a ce to park within sight of the fourplex and got the paper towels ready. I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking; the messy dipped sandwich was the worst possible food to be eating in the cab of my truck. The peppers and onions would fall out, my hands got coated with the juices, and the peppers burned my mouth and stomach. The heat was the reason I got therge vani milkshake, to quell the fire in my belly.


    It was dark just after four in the afternoon, so Vicki wasn¡¯t ying outside. When I cleaned up after my dinner, I pulled out binocrs and checked the windows. I could see the television, along with the back on Natalie¡¯s head. There were sharks on the screen, so Vicki must have been watching her shows.


    ¡°Raise your hands if you can hear my voice, Vicki,¡± I sent to her. I saw two hands in the air, then she jumped up on the couch and started to look around. Her wolf wasn¡¯t able to send back yet, and she was looking for me. ¡°Rx and watch your show. My wolf just needed to make sure you were all right.¡±


    She waved, still not seeing me, then she sat down to watch her show again. I stayed there for an hour until they left to go eat, then drove off to go to the grocery store. I drove by again on the way home, then continued on. I swung through the Wiederholt¡¯s parking lot, spotting Liv¡¯s car in the back row.


    She hadn¡¯t called or texted me back, and she¡¯d be busy working for another few hours. I couldn¡¯t barge in tonight, I had to let here to me. Disappointed, I drove home.


    I was surfing the web for supplies for my safe room when my phone buzzed. I picked it up, hoping for Liv and seeing Larry instead. ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you busy, son?¡±


    ¡°No, just doing some web surfing. Liv hasn¡¯t responded today, and I¡¯m worried.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be there in half an hour. Put some coffee on,¡± Larry said, and then he hung up.


    ¡®Something is going on,¡¯ my wolf told me. I quickly cleaned up the kitchen and living room and fired up the coffeemaker, anticipating the first werewolves to be weed into my house since my banishment. I was waiting outside for them when they arrived. ¡°Mike? Anita? What are you guys doing here?¡± Mike was the fifth child and third son of Larry and Donna; he and his mate were ten years younger than Catherine. I¡¯d watched Mike grow from an eight-year-old Alpha¡¯s son into an impressive young man.


    ¡°I heard you needed a Beta,¡± he said as he walked up, holding Anita¡¯s hand.


    I hugged them both, then Larry and Donna. ¡°Come on in,¡± I said as I opened the door. We settled at the kitchen table as Donna took care of the coffee. I looked at Mike and Anita, realizing that Dad had set me up. ¡°Why would you leave your brothers for me,¡± I asked them.


    ¡°You¡¯re family, and you need help,¡± he said. ¡°My brothers have the Pack well in hand; I¡¯m not fully utilized, just like Mom and Dad. We can do more with you. Building a Pack from the ground up would be fun.¡±


    ¡°It could get dangerous,¡± I said.


    ¡°Our niece needs us,¡± Anita said. ¡°Mike and I have been in charge of training the youth for fifteen years now. Vicki will need to learn to shift, then learn to be a wolf, and there isn¡¯t much time. John and Brenda have a son and a daughter. I called a friend in their Pack to ask her what she knew about John and his brother. She confided to me that the Alpha Mantle is not on either one of his children, and Brenda has kicked John out of their bedroom. He¡¯s sleeping in his office while she tries to find the bitch that took her mantle.¡±


    ¡°He might know her name already if John told her,¡± I said.


    ¡°They are looking for a girl named Olivia, who was a college student in 2014,¡± Anita replied. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #14

    The four left just before ten after I epted Mike and Anita into my new Pack as my Betas. With Vicki, that left me one person short of the minimum number for recognition. Larry said he had some ideas for that.


    In the meantime, they had to return home and pack up. I needed my Betas to stay at the house, which was fine with them since they were renting a small apartment. My home was sprawling walkout rambler; the main floor had the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and two smaller bedrooms. I was using one of them as my office, the other was a guest room. They chose downstairs instead, arge bedroom with a door leading out to the pool deck and hot tub. The man cave and gym were nearby, and Anita liked one more feature of the room. ¡°It¡¯s farther from your room, so you won¡¯t hear us,¡± she said with a smile.


    I watched them drive off, then went back inside. My wolf was restless; looking at the clock, I realized that Liz would be getting off work soon. She still hadn¡¯t responded to my text. I was trying really hard not to be that creepy stalker guy, but something told me to go to her. I poured the rest of the coffee into a travel mug, grabbed my keys, and went out to my truck.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It only took five minutes for me to drive to Wiederholt¡¯s and park on the side of the lot. I saw the silver Acura parked in the back; she would be there until herst tables left. I waited in the dark, my truck getting colder as I listened to ssic rock on Sirius.


    It was five minutes to eleven when the back door opened, and I saw Liv¡¯s blonde hair under her stocking cap as she walked out to her car. I waited until she unlocked her door, then started my truck. She let it warm up for a minute, then pulled out into the dark night.


    I waited until she had exited the lot, then pulled out myself. I didn¡¯t need to spook her by following too close since I knew where she was going. I was a good half-mile behind her the whole way home.


    I saw her turning left towards her grandmother¡¯s ce. I slowed and turned myself, stopping on the road and turning off the truck. I would watch her go inside then go back home. My wolf was still on edge, and I didn¡¯t know why.


    I sipped my coffee as I watched her park the car in her space and get out. She grabbed her purse and got out, walking to the door and unlocking it. The inside was dark, and when she closed the door, I started up the truck. I was about to put it in gear when the door opened again, and my heart dropped into my stomach.


    A man was pushing Liv out the door, a gun held to her back as his hand gripped the top of her jacket. Her hands were handcuffed behind her. Behind him, a woman carried a struggling Vicki over her shoulder, also handcuffed. They didn¡¯t even bother to close the door as they moved across the lot. I had a choice; stop them or call for help.


    I did both.


    I got out of the truck and pulled my pistol out, moving quickly towards the turnoff to her parking lot along the ditch. As the van pulled out, I called 911 and put it on speakerphone. ¡°911, what is your emergency,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said.


    ¡°I have a child kidnapping in progress at 19087 190th street, west of Highway 61 and south of Hastings,¡± I said. ¡°Two suspects, white male in his thirties with ck hair, blonde female in thirties. Victims are a five-year-old girl and her mother. Both are handcuffed and are now in a white Ford cargo van.¡±


    ¡°Units are responding, can you see a license te?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Stay on the¡­¡± I hung up and left it in my pocket as I took a shooting position behind a tree, my pistol up and ready. The soft glow of the three dots allowed me to sight in the darkness as they approached.


    The smart thing would be to wait for the cops; Hastings was only a few miles away, and it would be minutes until they got here. I couldn¡¯t take the chance that they would evade the police; I had promised to protect them, and that is what I was going to do. ¡°Vicki, you and your mommy,y down on the floor and stay down until I tell you it¡¯s all right,¡± I told her. I prayed that they would listen, and I prayed that my aim would be true. As the van approached me, I took aim at the driver¡¯s side window. They were ten yards away when I squeezed the trigger.


    The first shot punched a hole through the windshield at head height; two more shots quickly followed. The van veered to the left as it lost its driver, running into a snowbank and stopping. I was already moving, my pistol up and ready. I saw the woman moving up to the front, and two more shots went to the center of the windshield just before I reached the van. I kept going around to the back, pulling the door open and moving my pistol inside.


    I looked past my two girls on the floor of the van as I focused on the woman. She was trying to pull the guy out of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°FREEZE,¡± I yelled. She did. ¡°Put your hands on your head and kneel down, facing the front.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t lift my arm, you fucking shot me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Marengo Pack?¡± Both of them were werewolves.


    ¡°Stillwater. There¡¯s a bounty out on the girl, and we needed the money.¡±


    I could hear the sirens approaching, I wouldn¡¯t get much more time before they arrived. ¡°You¡¯re going to prison,¡± I told the kidnapper as I held the gun on her. That was the worst thing for a wolf, being locked away from the Pack and the Moon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go to prison,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She twisted as she reached for the gun in the front seat, bringing it around as I sent two rounds into her chest. The third hit her in the left eye, and that was the end of that.


    It was then I heard Vicki crying, Liv screaming, and sirens approaching over the ringing in my ears. ¡°Don¡¯t tell them anything about Packs or werewolves,¡± I said as I backed away. Not wanting to get shot, I moved a car length back from the van, leaving the gun on the ground underneath it, and got on my knees with my fingers interlocked on top of my head.


    I was surrounded by police thirty secondster; four covered me as another handcuffed me and pushed me face-down to the frozen pavement. Other officers were surrounding the van. ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± I told them as they reached the back. A Sheriff¡¯s Deputy climbed up and removed their cuffs, then handed Vicki to a waiting Hastings policeman. Liv was helped out a few secondster.


    Vickie was asking for me, while Liv was yelling at the officer holding me down. ¡°He¡¯s her uncle, he SAVED us,¡± she shouted at him. They didn¡¯t care; the officer pulled her along to a waiting car.


    ¡°LEO, I wanna go to LEO,¡± Vicki cried as she was carried away.


    I sent to her over the bond. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right, Vicki. Help your mom, and don¡¯t say anything about wolves. I love you, and I¡¯ll always protect you.¡±


    Finally, a detective showed up. ¡°Pick him up and put him in a car,¡± he said.


    They just finished standing me up when another officer approached from the direction of the apartments. ¡°Detective, you need to see this. Another victim is in the apartment.¡±


    Fuck. Not Natalie. I should have known; they must havee during the evening, grabbing Vicki and waiting for Liv to get home. Natalie would be a loose end, and wolves didn¡¯t like leaving clues behind. ¡°Olivia¡¯s grandmother was watching Vicki while she worked her shift at Wiederholt¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t say; he didn¡¯t have to, his eyes said it for him. I looked over at the detective. ¡°I saw Liv go inside, then they came back out with the kidnappers. I was the one who called it in.¡±


    ¡°You shot them?¡±


    ¡°I have a carry permit in my wallet, and I fired in defense of others,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll need to speak to mywyer before I provide a statement.¡±


    The detective nodded at me. ¡°You¡¯re being detained for questioning,¡± he said. ¡°Take him to the office and put him in an interview room.¡± Two Deputies led me away to a waiting car, pushing me into the back seat. As we drove off, I could see Liv sitting in the back of an ambnce with Vicki in herp, a nket wrapped around them.


    By the time I¡¯d been processed and booked into custody, my story had checked out. They had my phone, which had dialed 911. Liv and Vicki¡¯s both said I saved them and shot the two as they were being taken away. I had a valid concealed carry permit and no record.


    I still wanted awyer, but at least the Detective on the case took the cuffs off while I sat in the interview room. I made a phone call to Larry, and he made a few more calls. Thirty minutester, a man with a nice suit entered my interview room and introduced himself as mywyer. ¡°There are no surveince cameras or recordings allowed while I¡¯m in here. This is a privileged conversation between you and yourwyer. Any other time, assume you¡¯re on Candid Camera,¡± he said. ¡°I need you to tell me exactly what happened.¡± I went through the whole night with him, starting from how Vicki was my niece, and I was friends with her mother.

 THE PORCH WOLF #15

    When I was done, he looked up from his notes. ¡°Liv is lucky you¡¯re a stalker,¡± he said. ¡°Not that there was any criminal activity on her part. Hell, they should give you a medal. Those two might be dead if you hadn¡¯t been there to stop them.¡±


    ¡°Natalie?¡±


    ¡°Suffocated in her bedroom with a pillow,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing, or the ¡®what-ifs¡¯ from running through my head. If only I¡¯d invited them over to stay with me. If only Liv had called me back. If only I¡¯d watched over Vicki closer. ¡°And Olivia and Vicki?¡±


    ¡°They were taken to the hospital; Vicki was in shock and may have hearing damage from the shooting. Your father-inw is with them.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t go home, it¡¯s a crime scene. Tell Larry to take them to my house. He has a key.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass that on.¡± He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text message. ¡°The police want to interview you; before then, I want you to write out your statement, in your own hand. We¡¯ll read before we answer any questions. If I stop you, you shut up and let me talk. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Give me the paper and pen.¡± I took ten minutes to write it all out; the only thing I didn¡¯t mention was the conversation with the female werewolf in the van. I went from opening the door to her reaching for a gun as I shot her three more times. He looked it over, then knocked on the door and asked for the detective.


    ¡°Are you charging my client,¡± he asked first.


    ¡°At this time, we have no evidence of a crime on his part,¡± he answered. ¡°We would like to get his statement.¡± It took twenty minutes to go through it and answer questions; what I said must have matched up, because after the questions were over, he reached over and shook my hand. ¡°Officially, we do not encourage private citizens to involve themselves in situations like this,¡± he said. ¡°Off the record, you did a hell of a job keeping those two alive. You¡¯re free to go.¡±


    ¡°My truck and my gun?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to recover your car from the impound lot tomorrow morning, it was towed away as evidence. The gun is also evidence; I¡¯ll call you when the ballistics checks are done and you can pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± I was processed out, getting my phone, keys, and wallet back. Mywyer walked me to the exit, where Larry was waiting for me. ¡°Where are Liv and Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Your house. Donna is staying with them,¡± he said. ¡°Come on, they¡¯re worried about you.¡±


    It was almost four in the morning when I got back home, and Liv was still up waiting for me. ¡°LEO,¡± she said as she ran into my arms. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°How is Vicki?¡±


    ¡°She has a ruptured eardrum, it will heal in a few weeks,¡± she said. ¡°She was pretty upset you were taken away.¡±


    ¡°Can I see her?¡± My wolf had to know.


    ¡°Come on.¡± She took my hand and led me to the guest bedroom. Opening the door, I could hear her heartbeat and her breathing as she slept. I moved over to the bed, sitting down next to her and running my hand over her hair.


    She stirred and opened her eyes. ¡°Unky Leo?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Shark Bait.¡± She sat up and hugged me tight as I held her in my arms. ¡°You were very brave tonight.¡±


    ¡°My Unky saved us,¡± she said.


    ¡°I will always be there to protect you,¡± I said, and I meant it. I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone hurt my Pack members. ¡°Now it¡¯ste, and you need to sleep. I¡¯ll be here when you wake up, all right?¡±


    She nodded and then yawned. ¡°Pwomise?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± I kissed her forehead and tucked the nket up, then walked out.


    I closed the door as Liv looked at me. ¡°What now?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You try and sleep, and we¡¯ll talk in the morning,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your grandmother.¡±


    ¡°They killed her,¡± Liv said as she shuddered. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, and now she¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said as I walked her back to the kitchen. While Donna held her, I went back to my bedroom and found some nnel pajamas of Catherine¡¯s that I hadn¡¯t given away yet. ¡°You should take a shower and go to bed,¡± I said. ¡°Are you going to sleep with Vicki, or do you want your own room?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with my daughter,¡± she said. As she walked out, she turned back to me. ¡°That woman said there was a bounty on Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Until I can end the threat, you both need to stay here for your own safety. I¡¯ll be bringing in more people to help,¡± I said.


    ¡°Kill the ones responsible like you did those two,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s your own brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± I said. ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    Ch. 13


    I didn¡¯t sleep well or sleep long, and I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    I went down to the basement gym at seven, where my father was using the treadmill. ¡°Hey, Dad. Get any sleep?¡±


    ¡°No, I was making calls and watching the house all night. Donna is on patrol outside, and reinforcements are on their way.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I sat down on the seat of the Concept II rowing machine and started a warmup set, the program set for a 30-minute workout. The rower always kicked my ass.


    ¡°Mike and Anita will be here within the hour, and they¡¯re bringing ten men with them. Doug and Jenny were furious when they heard about the attack; killing humans and kidnapping children is not our way. When I told them we were staying to help, they agreed to send people up here to protect us for a few days.¡±


    Doug Winters was a good Alpha, even-keeled and respected by our kind. He¡¯d been in power for a decade now after the retirement of Larry and Donna. ¡°That¡¯s good, it will give me time to build my Pack up.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided how? You can¡¯t take everyone from the Winona Pack.¡±


    Iughed at the idea; Winona was an ally, and I wouldn¡¯t antagonize them. My brother-inw had stepped up for me enough by letting Mike and Anita go. ¡°There are people here who mighte to me if they know I am back. I should get the word out.¡±


    ¡°Can you trust those in your old Pack? And would they trust you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I started to move faster as the program moved into the next segment. ¡°I gave up on them. I guess I¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t talk to you,¡± he told me. ¡°The Alpha put the gag order on them all after your exile.¡±


    ¡°I know, I was there,¡± I said.


    February 10th, 2016


    ¡°Goddammit, Leo, wake up,¡± I heard as I felt a hand smacking my face.


    ¡°Leave¡­ me¡­¡± I was sore, hungover, and lying on my side in the bathroom.


    ¡°Jesus, what a mess.¡± Todd Miller, my Beta, grabbed me under my armpits and pulled me to my feet. I looked at myself in the mirror; I had a line on my face from the tile floor and dried puke on my shirt. I must have thrown up before passing out; looking around, I could see most of it made it to the toilet. Todd pulled the shirt over my head. ¡°Drop the shorts and get in the shower. Lucy threatened to leave the Pack if she had to clean up after another one of your benders, so I¡¯ll see if I can find someone to clean this up. I have a couple who¡¯ve pissed me offtely.¡±


    I opened the ss shower door and went in, turning the water on and letting it spray my face. I spent a while in there, first to wake up, then to get clean and shave. When I got out, one of the teen boys was cleaning up the floor near the toilet. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Beats four days on double patrols, barely.¡± I kept getting dressed.


    ¡°Alpha, are you going to be all right?¡±


    That was the question, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Randy. If I hadn¡¯t promised Catherine I wouldn¡¯t kill myself, I¡¯d be gone already. You can¡¯t imagine what it is like.¡±


    He started putting the stuff away. ¡°Why would you take a mate if it can destroy you like that,¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the pain that ruins you,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the knowledge that you¡¯ll never be able to close that hole in your heart. Once you¡¯ve had the fullness of the bond, everything else is nothing.¡±


    ¡°You could mate another,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re not THAT old, and you need an heir.¡±


    ¡°What I need, I can never have. Learn from me, Randy. Never promise to keep going after your mate is gone. Go to Luna together.¡± I walked out into the bedroom, where Todd was waiting for me. Dressing quickly, I let him pull me to my office. Dropping into the chair, he took the one on the other side. ¡°What¡¯s going on that made you interrupt my beauty sleep, Todd?¡±


    ¡°The National Alpha Summit ising up soon, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go for me? It¡¯s not like I want to be there.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do anythingtely,¡± he said with a sneer. Last year, I would have had my hand around his throat for his insolence. Now? I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t care about any of it. ¡°You go there like this, and you¡¯ll be challenged before you can sit down.¡±


    ¡°So? At least then I could go to the Moon and not break my promise to Catherine. There¡¯s nothing dishonorable about losing a challenge.¡± It was actually one of my better ns; if no one forced it, I¡¯d go looking for a fight.


    ¡°Did you stop and consider what happens to the Welch Pack then, Alpha? Your pack is the one who will suffer after they drag your carcass out of the circle. We could have anyonee in.¡±


    Todd didn¡¯t take a shit without a n; he wanted something. ¡°So, Beta, what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°I challenge you before the Summit and go there as the victor.¡±


    There it was. ¡°If you want the Pack, I¡¯ll give it to you. I¡¯ll call the Pack to my house, we can have this done by lunch.¡± He was right; I was not cutting it as Alpha, and they¡¯d be better off with me gone.

 THE PORCH WOLF #16

    ¡°There is more to consider than just your position,¡± Todd said. ¡°You own 70% of Volkov Construction; I own 15%, the rest is owned by other Pack members and Catherine¡¯s parents. If I kill you now, what happens to thepany?¡±


    ¡°Whatever my will states,¡± I said. ¡°If I remember right, half goes to Catherine¡¯s parents and siblings, the other half to my younger brother.¡±


    ¡°And that leaves me with a minority stake in apany that is 90% Pack. I want thepany, and I don¡¯t want to fight six other people to get full control of it.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been to a job site in months, and Todd had been running things for over a year now. ¡°I¡¯ll have mywyere up with a price, and you and whoever else wants in, you go get a loan and buy me out. One transaction, you take my whole interest for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that,¡± he said. ¡°Here¡¯s my offer.¡± He handed me a legal paper, a cash offer for my share in thepany, and a certified check for 1. 9 million dors.


    I handed the check back. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to mywyer today. What else?¡±


    ¡°I have to fight you for the Pack, Alpha Leo. If I don¡¯t fight, then I will appear weak a the Summit, and I could be challenged. I need a good fight, but a fight that you lose.¡±


    ¡°Kill me,¡± I said. ¡°You kill a man with an Alpha mantle, and that should buy you respect, even if the Mantle can¡¯t pass to you.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Do you think you were the only person who Catherine got a promise out of?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I swore to her that I would not kill you or let you kill yourself. I swore on the Moon, Leo.¡±


    ¡°Then what is your big n?¡±


    ¡°The sale goes through, and the challenge is set for tomorrow night. You invite your brother, your inws, and the surrounding Alphas. I want lots of witnesses to the fight,¡± he said. ¡°You and I put on a good show, you yield to me, and I show mercy to you and let you live.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d banish me from the Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the only way I can have the Pack and my honor.¡±


    ¡°Banishment.¡± It was a bitter pill to swallow. I would not be allowed contact with any Pack member; if they saw me, they would have to turn away and ignore me. I would not be allowed on theirnds, and would not be wee at runs or other events. The istion would eventually drive my weakened wolf mad, forcing the other Alphas to put me down before I became a danger to everyone.


    ¡°You¡¯d have money from the sale, your house and your life,¡± Todd said. ¡°Retire, move south, anything. Give to charities, maybe do volunteer work. Drink yourself to death. Spend stacks of money on strippers, and snort fistfuls of cocaine. Do whatever you want, Leo, because you no longer will be responsible for this Pack.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± If I wanted, I could always pick a fightter and get myself killed. Lone wolves were dangerous, lone wolves with the Alpha Mantle were dangerous AND unpredictable. Most Packs were run by glorified Betas who couldn¡¯t beat a bloodline Alpha in a fight; they¡¯d set their whole pack upon me before I could utter the words of a challenge. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to mywyer and get back to you.¡±


    It was surprisingly easy to withdraw from Pack life. The sale of mypany went through that night, and the challenge notifications were made immediately after. I called Catherine¡¯s parents and Alpha Doug Winters, their eldest son and current Winona Pack Alpha, and informed them of the challenge. They weren¡¯t happy with my Beta, but they would be in my corner. Larry agreed to be my second.


    The challenge was held in the woods behind my house. Larry and Donna were worried about me; I¡¯d barely talked to them since the funeral. I¡¯d lost weight, and I looked like hell. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, step down,¡± Donna begged me. ¡°Let me ask Doug to take you in.¡±


    I refused. I stripped and handed my clothes to Larry, keeping up the show. ¡°Cremate me and mix my ashes with hers if I lose,¡± I told him.


    The LaCrosse Alpha was the referee for the challenge, which was in wolf form. The circle was lined with bales of hay, about forty feet across. Once the fight began, only the referee and the doctor would be allowed in. I shifted into my wolf, shaking out my thick grey fur. Todd waited on the other side, his wolf mostly ck and not as tall. ¡°Fight is for the Alpha position at Welch Pack. You fight to the death or submission. If you submit, your life is in the hands of the victor.¡± Both of us nodded our heads. ¡°Begin.¡±


    I moved to the middle, hackles up, a rumbling growl deep in my chest. I was an Alpha, and this was MY pack to lose. Todd attacked, faking a leap for my throat before slicing at my rear nk instead. I caught him along the back before he got clear.


    The battle went on for twenty minutes; I didn¡¯t have to fake much, because I¡¯d trained Todd well. I just had to be a split-secondte on my attacks or in my defense, and the injuries started to mount. Both of us were bloody, and I was breathing hard. I pressed an attack, overextending myself, and found myself on the ground. Todd wasted no time, grabbing me by the throat and shaking. Blood poured into his mouth as his teeth mped over me.


    I stilled, lifting my neck and exposing my stomach to him.


    I submitted, and in doing so, I lost my Pack. Todd let go of my neck, then reared back and howled in triumph before shifting. Iy there, bleeding into the snow, waiting to hear my fate. Todd returned to his human form as the Pack cheered their new Alpha. ¡°What say you regarding Leo Volkov,¡± the referee said.


    ¡°Leo Volkov is banished from the Welch Pack. No member may speak to or interact with him from this day forward,¡± he said. ¡°Bring me the silver knife.¡±


    I had shifted back, the doctor holding bandages over the worst of my wounds. I was helped to my feet, where Todd grabbed my hair. He used the knife to make two parallel cuts on my left cheek, the mark of a wolf banished from his Pack. It would tell any werewolf I met that I was not to be trusted.


    The others all left as Larry and Donna helped me back to my house. Donna stitched me up before I asked them to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I wish things had gone differently.¡±


    ¡°You can survive this,¡± Donna said. ¡°When you need us, just call. You¡¯re family, we won¡¯t turn you away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said. Both of us knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The good news was that as a banished former Alpha, I didn¡¯t have to attend the summit. Thest thing I wanted was to be in the scratch and sniff lines.


    ****


    Present Day


    The cavalry arrived in a convoy of six trucks and SUV¡¯s, led by my new Betas. Mike parked his F-150 in front of thest door to the garage, while the others backed in near the pole barn. I waited for them at the front door, Larry and Donna waiting behind me.


    Mike was carrying a fewrge bags, while Anita had a backpack and a rolling suitcase. ¡°Is that all your stuff,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Hardly. When we got the call, we grabbed what we would need for a week or so. We¡¯ll get the rest when it calms down around here.,¡± Anita said.


    The others hade prepared; I saw rifle cases, winter gear, and sleeping bags with their bags of clothes. Six men, four women. ¡°Come on in,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be tight for a while.¡± The dozen people filed into the house, removing their boots and leaving them by the door. I sent Mike and Anita down to their room in the basement while the others gathered around. ¡°How many mated pairs are here?¡±


    Three couples raised their hands. ¡°You will have rooms, the rest of you will bunk where you can on the couches or floor downstairs. There are two bathrooms downstairs and one on this level; we have to share, so don¡¯t make a mess of it. You two,¡± I pointed at a young couple.


    ¡°Craig and Connie,¡± he said.


    ¡°You will take the guest room on this level when the guests are out of it. Leave your bags here. You two couples, you¡¯ll be in the guest rooms downstairs. Put your gear away and be back here in five minutes,¡± I said.


    They all dispersed. ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like an Alpha again,¡± Larry told me.


    ¡°I need to BE an Alpha again,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse. We can¡¯t avoid the shitstorm in the press and on television from an attempted child kidnapping and murder. Their names will get out, and the ones after her will be even MORE desperate to get her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in why they tried to kidnap both of them,¡± Donna said. ¡°They were already in the house, waiting for you. They didn¡¯t wake up Vicki until Liv got home, and Natalie must have been dead already. Vicki said she didn¡¯t see her as they were taking her out of their apartment.¡±


    Larry shook his head. ¡°If they wanted the mantle, all they had to do was kill Vicki, and it passes on to their next child! Why kill Natalie, and why wait around to capture Liv too? It¡¯s a huge risk to take, waiting around like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Brenda wanted to kill Vicki, then kill the woman who stole the mantle herself? Could that bitch be so heartless to want to do it herself,¡± I wondered to myself?


    Larry put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t, you¡¯d have lost Vicki.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they told me why they were kidnapping us,¡± a voice said from behind me. Liv was in the hall, looking tired but angry. She moved to me, wrapping her arms around me as she hugged tight to my chest.


    ¡°How long were you listening,¡± I asked.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Long enough. You tried to warn me, and I didn¡¯t listen. Now my grandmother is dead, and my daughter is traumatized.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotpany,¡± I said. I turned Liv until she was at my side, her hand gripping mine. The room rapidly filled with the new arrivals. I waited until they had all returned, then had them sit where they could. I couldn¡¯t help but notice one of the young men had wide eyes, his nose up, and he worked his way around the room towards us. ¡°Everyone, this is Liv Andersen. Liv is a friend of mine; she and her daughter, Vicki, are the ones you have alle to protect.¡±


    ¡°Thank you all foring,¡± Liv added. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you need so many,¡± she said to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± I said. ¡°Last night, two werewolves from the Stillwater Pack entered their home and murdered her grandmother. I managed to stop the kidnapping, and the pair who did it died at the scene. The people behind this are likely John and Brenda Petersen of the Marengo Lakes Pack.¡±


    One of the volunteers looked at me in shock. ¡°Your brother?¡±


    ¡°My brother got Liv pregnant within a month of getting mated. Her daughter carries the Alpha Mantle that John received when he mated Brenda; as long as she lives, their Pack will not have it.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #17

    ¡°What are you going to do,¡± Craig asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to Liv about this, but this is my n. We establish security here for Vicki; if they get to her, it¡¯s over. Liv, we need to keep her in the house and under guard. No going near open windows, no going outside.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to hate that,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, just like it can¡¯t be helped that you will have to go out sometime. The police will want to follow up onst night, and you need to make funeral arrangements for your grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that means my parents will being,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you deal with them. I¡¯m more worried about the attention it will draw. I n to be at your side wherever you go, and I¡¯ll have two others nearby as security.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think is best. I trust you to keep us safe, Leo.¡± She looked at my parents. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going for a scenic drive up north,¡± Larry said. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop in and talk with the Stillwater Pack Alpha and let him know that Vicki is under the protection of Alpha Volkov.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a full Alpha yet, I still need one more Pack member,¡± I said.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join your Pack,¡± the young man who had worked his way near us said. ¡°Brent Lawrence,¡± he said as he stuck out his hand.


    I looked over at Larry, who nodded while Donna buried her face in his shoulder and tried not tough. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of that in a minute.¡± I turned a painting around, and on the back was a satellite view of mynd with the borders marked. I briefed everyone on the property. ¡°Starting in ten minutes, we have a gate guard and a patrol 24/7. We can use a vehicle to block the entrance road, and a snowmobile or ATV during the day to run the perimeter. At night, the patrol goes in wolf form. Mike, youe up with a rotation for that.¡±


    ¡°Got it, boss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stocked to feed seventeen. I need two people to make a grocery run and pick up supplies for a week.¡±


    ¡°Craig and I will take that,¡± Connie said. ¡°I¡¯ll put together a menu and a shopping list.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Onest thing,¡± I said. ¡°Vicki is still sleeping, and she doesn¡¯t know you. Stay downstairs, use the patio entrance for now. When she wakes up, I¡¯ll move Liv and Vicki to the apartment over the garage. They will have their own kitchen and spaces, and the closet is a panic room.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have anything but what we were wearing,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°Give your sizes to Connie, she can pick up some basics for you at Sam¡¯s until we can get your things out of your apartment.¡±


    Donna looked back towards Liv. ¡°Give the Sheriff¡¯s Department a call and ask when they can give you ess to your things,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll watch Shark Bait while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Donna. You two were lifesaversst night. Well, almost as much as Leo.¡±


    I sent the wolves off with their orders, and Liv yawned. ¡°Go back to bed,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have mywyer call the detectives.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leo.¡± She headed back down the hall.


    The only ones left in the room now were my Betas, my inws, and Brent. I leveled him with a stare. ¡°Why did you offer to join my Pack, and why should I ept you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Liv is my mate,¡± he said. ¡°This is where I have to be to protect her.¡±


    ************


    I looked at the young man who just dered he was the mate of a young woman who was very special to me, one I looked on like she was my own daughter. ¡°You think Liv is your mate.¡±


    ¡°My wolf is sure of it. It doesn¡¯t feel like what I was told, though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± I stared in his eyes, and his wolf pushed forward to challenge me. I was Alpha, and the only reason his wolf would not submit in this battle of wills, was because it WAS true that Liv was his. A mate was the only exnation for his challenge.


    ¡°We should move this to your office,¡± Larry said.


    I led them down the hall and into the soundproofed room. I¡¯d built out the office myself, using ten thousand dors worth of cherry plywood and hardwood. The walls had raised panels, the ceiling a mural of the night sky. Therge window was bulletproof, the small closet a safe room. An immense curly-cherry desk sat in the center of the room, and the entire wall behind it was bookshelves over cabs. There were two leather chairs and a couch in front of the desk; I motioned for Brent to sit in the chair closest to the window as Larry and Donna took the sofa. ¡°What did your wolf tell you?¡±


    ¡°At first, he was confused and anxious; he wasn¡¯t sure. It was only when I came into the room that he told me my mate was here. Her smell wasn¡¯t what I expected, and I got closer so I could figure it out. I realized when I got close enough that she had no wolf scent, and she didn¡¯t react to my presence at all. How could I be mates with a human?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen often, but it has happened before,¡± Larry said. ¡°We don¡¯t know why some feel a mating pull towards a person who doesn¡¯t have a wolf yet.¡±


    ¡°My old Pack taught me that Luna made the match because of the wolf she was going to give the human,¡± Donna added. ¡°There are fewer than fifty thousand of us, and we all trace our bloodlines back to a much smaller line. New blood and fated mates keep us from gic issues.¡±


    It made sense; I¡¯d never had to deal with a human mate situation. The closest I¡¯d dealt with was with people who went through the change, and THEN they found a mate. They reacted the same way I did when the mate¡¯s scent hit them; an instant attraction followed shortly by the mating bite and sex. ¡°You and your wolf may be all cylinders firing on this mating thing, but Liv¡¯s engine isn¡¯t even in the car yet,¡± I told him. ¡°She¡¯s lived here for five years, and in that time, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ever dated. She lives for her daughter, who right now is scared to death of being kidnapped again. In thest few days, she¡¯s found out her daughter is a werewolf, that people want Vicki dead, and now her grandmother has been killed by those same people. She¡¯s got so many things going on that you¡¯ll be lucky if she notices you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°What do I do, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°You protect your mate with your life, and you gain her trust. You are going to have to win her heart slowly without her noticing what you are doing. She¡¯s like a nervous deer, ready to bolt, and you need to stalk her until the time is right. You only get one shot at this, so don¡¯t make your move too early and spook her.¡±


    He closed his eyes, talking to his wolf. ¡°We understand,¡± he said. ¡°I would like to call my Alpha before I switch Packs,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± I said as I put the phone on speaker. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to say when I swipe another.¡± I dialed Doug Winter¡¯s office, the Winona Pack Alpha.


    ¡°This is Jennie,¡± a woman answered.


    ¡°Hello, Luna Jennie, this is Alpha Leo Volkov of the Miesville Pack.¡±


    ¡°LEO! How is the girl? Did our people arrive?¡±


    ¡°They did, Jennie, and thank you for sending them. Liv and Vicki are sleeping now, it¡¯s been a rough time for them.¡±


    ¡°That poor girl. Let me get Doug in here.¡±


    I heard a door close, and Doug¡¯s voice came on. ¡°If you¡¯re Alpha Leo again, did you take another of my Pack members or find your own?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± I said. ¡°Brent Lawrence came into the house and found his mate in Liv Anderson, Vicki¡¯s human mother.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Doug said as Jennie let out a whoop. ¡°Nothing is easy with that boy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind a bit, Olivia is a beautiful woman,¡± Brent said. ¡°Alpha, Luna, I would like your blessing to leave your Pack and join the Miesville Pack.¡±


    ¡°You have our blessing,¡± Doug said. ¡°A mate and a future Alpha for a daughter, your parents would have been thrilled for you.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doug. I¡¯ll take good care of him, and we¡¯ll see how much his patience will be tested as he tries to get a human to fall in love with him,¡± I said. I hung up, and we performed the ceremony to add him to the Pack. He was immediately linked to Mike and Anita. ¡°Don¡¯t try to link Vicki yet, I¡¯ve been able to pass messages to her, but she doesn¡¯t know how to respond, and she doesn¡¯t know who you are,¡± I told him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get going,¡± Larry said. ¡°I¡¯ll have Alpha Doug call when I¡¯m closer, so the Stillwater Alphas don¡¯t have time to avoid me. They won¡¯t dare harm his envoys.¡±


    ¡°Their people attacked a Pack member of mine and a human under my protection,¡± I said. ¡°I need to know if they were involved, or those two did it on their own.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± The two left the room as my Betas entered. ¡°How is it going?¡±


    ¡°Schedule is made. Since we just got here, I thought it best if you do a circuit of the perimeter with the first patrol and show the patrols what they need to know. They can pass it on to their reliefs. Watch one, do one, and everyone learns.¡±


    ¡°Good idea, but after dark, I¡¯m taking them all out in wolf form.¡±


    ¡°We have the sentry posted at the main entrance, and Craig and Connie have left for town.¡±


    It was alling together nicely. ¡°Help everyone get settled in, and let me know when Vicki or Liv get up again,¡± I said. ¡°They have a lot to do today. I¡¯m heading out. Send a couple people to the garage for the tour.¡± I went out into the garage, putting on my snowmobile gear. Opening the door, I moved the snowmobile out, then left it idling while I started the ATV. Mike had sent down Carl and a mated pair, Kevin and LuAnne, to join me on the first patrol. ¡°Kevin, you two take the ATV. Carl, with me.¡± We took off, following the trail that ran along the fence line of my property. I had field fence topped with a single strand of barb wire surrounding my property, and the snow inside it would quickly pack down under the machines. It took twenty minutes, then I returned the snowmobile to the garage.


    Returning my gear, I went back to my office and called mywyer, Jacob Burnley. ¡°I want you to work with the Sheriff¡¯s Department on a few things for Liv,¡± I said. ¡°She needs her purse, phone, and keys that were left in her homest night, and she needs ess for her stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. I¡¯m sure the home will be sealed for the FBI since it was a kidnapping, making it a Federal case. They will be there most of the day, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind getting my truck back either,¡± I said.


    ¡°The impound lot should be open already, do you need a ride?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll get it myself. What about Liv¡¯s grandmother?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #18

    ¡°They need to do an autopsy, so I wouldn¡¯t expect them to release the body for a few days. Liv can make arrangements with one of the funeral homes in town.¡±


    So much to do. ¡°Jacob, am I off the hook?¡±


    ¡°It was a righteous shoot, Leo, and your permit was valid. Liv confirmed your story and said you saved them. They can¡¯t arrest you for not listening to Dispatch and stopping them yourself, as much as they would have liked you to wait. I can¡¯t see the District Attorney charging you with anything. I¡¯d get a new gun because it could be months before you get yours back.¡±


    Metro area Sheriffs loved to take in guns, but they slow-walked them back to the rightful owners. ¡°I¡¯ll do that today as well,¡± I said. If I could get down to Red Wing, I could have one today. ¡°Let me know what they say about Liv¡¯s things. They don¡¯t have a change of clothes of their own, so I need to get her in there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± I hung up and called Brent up to my office. ¡°You¡¯re with me, I need to pick up my truck from impound in Lakeville. Are you carrying?¡± He turned and showed me the pistol on his right hip, a Glock. ¡°Good. You¡¯re driving too, here¡¯s the address.¡± I slept most of the way there, paid to get my truck back, then followed him back home. It was lunchtime by the time I arrived home, and everyone was already up.


    ¡°LEO,¡± Vicki yelled as she ran towards me.


    ¡°Your hands are all sticky,¡± Liv said.


    I picked her up and hugged her back to my chest as I entered the dining room, keeping her hands away. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Grandma gone,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know.¡± I carried her back to the table, where she had been eating French toast and bacon. I looked into the kitchen where Connie was cooking up a storm. ¡°That smells great,¡± I said.


    ¡°Here, go sit down Alpha,¡± she said after scooping food onto the te. ¡°You¡¯re too skinny.¡± Brent came in behind me and got his te next.


    I sat by Vicki, with Liv on the other side. ¡°Girls, this is Brent Lawrence. He joined my Pack this morning, so you¡¯ll be seeing a lot of them. Have you two been introduced to everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Most of them,¡± Liv said. ¡°Vicki is a little jumpy around strange men.¡±


    ¡°Our Sharkbait will get used to them. I will never bring anyone into this house who would hurt you. There are a lot of people here helping now because we don¡¯t want anyone taking you from us.¡±


    My phone rang in my pocket; it was the Sheriff. ¡°Leo Volkov,¡± I said as I stood up.


    ¡°Mr. Volkov, it¡¯s Detective rk. Yourwyer contacted me about Ms. Andersen¡¯s personal effects. I understand she is with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just a moment.¡± I handed the phone over. ¡°Detective rk.¡±


    I ate and talked with Vicki as Liv spoke to him on the phone, hearing both sides of the conversation with my wolf hearing. She would not be able to visit the crime scene until tomorrow, and her grandmother would not be released for three more days. She hung up and handed it back. ¡°Do you have what you need until then,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Connie picked up a few things for us already,¡± she said. ¡°I have questions, though. Should I get a hotel room or something? I don¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d ask that. ¡°Liv, I want and need you two here. My wolf and I need to know you are safe and protected, and I can¡¯t do that elsewhere. You are no imposition at all.¡±


    She blushed a little at that. ¡°What about the funeral? Her school?¡±


    ¡°School will have to wait unless we can provide adequate security. As for the funeral, we¡¯ll need to n carefully. If they want to try again, that¡¯s one ce they can flush you out.¡± She didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°Whatever you need, awyer, money, it¡¯s yours. What are you worried about?¡±


    She nced at Vicki and shook her head. ¡°LuAnne, can you take Vicki and help her clean up,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I need to tell my parents her mother is gone,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I was her next of kin. When Grandma took me in after Mom and Dad disowned me, they didn¡¯t talk to her either. I haven¡¯t spoken to them since I told them I was pregnant. I need to tell them before the police release her name.¡±


    It was going to be difficult. ¡°Do you want me to call your parents for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to be there when I call, in case it goes badly.¡± I had finished eating, and Connie took the te away as I stood up. LuAnn took Vicki to watch television while we went into the office.


    She sat in myp as she dialed the phone on my desk. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s Liv. I have some bad news.¡±


    ¡°I have no daughter,¡± the woman said before hanging up.


    That was enough to cause Liv to break down; I held her as she cried. When she could breathe normally again, I asked her to go to Vicki. As soon as she was gone, I called the number back using my cellphone this time. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Andersen, my name is Leo Volkov. I¡¯m a friend of Natalie¡¯s from the Hastings area.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling me, Mr. Volkov? I don¡¯t associate with either of them anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m informing you that Natalie was killedst night in a kidnapping attempt on your daughter and granddaughter. You should be able to read about it in the news, or you can contact me directly if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I will let you know when funeral arrangements are made.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you never know when you¡¯ll lose the chance to repair the damage you¡¯ve caused,¡± I said. ¡°Olivia is a wonderful young woman and mother, and your granddaughter is special. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Mr. Volkov. Do not call me again.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± I said as I hung up. I just shook my head; they had no idea what they had tossed aside.


    Liv didn¡¯t hear back from the Sheriff untilte afternoon. The FBI had released the scene, and they would have deputies there to turn over the property to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can see where Grandma was killed,¡± she told me as she hung up. ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to sleep there again.¡±


    ¡°Can I show you something?¡± I¡¯d been busy setting up security and organizing the help, while she had been sitting in the living room with Vicki and six others, all watching movies on Netflix.


    ¡°I guess,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sharkbait!¡± Vicki looked up at me, as everyone else in the room answered with ¡°SHARKBAIT, HOO HA HA!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Unky Leo?¡±


    ¡°Come on, I want to show you something.¡± I opened a door in the back of the dining room, one they¡¯d probably figured was a closet. Instead, it opened up to a staircase. I started up, with the two following me. ¡°When Catherine and I bought thisnd and started to build, it took a long time to finish the house. Mypany had to do paying construction jobs first, and it took a lot of nights and weekends to get it done. The first thing we built was the garage, and above the garage, we built this to live in.¡± The door opened into arge apartment that ran the length of the four-car garage. The roof came down sharply at the front and back, with dormered windows letting in lots of light. The ceiling was twelve feet tall in the middle, and the ceiling sloped down until vertical walls intersected at about four feet tall.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± Liv said as she walked into the kitchen and dining area.


    ¡°The master bedroom and bathroom are at the end of the hall, and there is a smaller bedroom to the left on the opposite side from the kitchen,¡± I said. ¡°Aundry closet is on the left, past that is a three-quarter bath for the main area and guest bedroom. It¡¯spletely private; the only entrance is the stairway we came up, although the bedrooms have emergency exitdders under the windows. I¡¯d like to offer you this apartment for as long as you need it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than we need,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly afford it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about affording anything, it¡¯s about keeping you two safe. Someone wants both of you so much, an innocent grandmother got killed. It¡¯s not safe for Vicki to return to school, or for you to work right now.¡±


    ¡°So, this is our new prison?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t let her get defensive. ¡°This is your new refuge. You¡¯ll have a ce of your own, and you can involve yourself with me and the others in the main house as much or as little as you want. If you want to cook your own meals, the kitchen has everything but food. The apartment is furnished and ready to move in.¡±


    Vicki had moved off, looking out the window in the dining room over the back yard. ¡°My room?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This way,¡± I said. I opened the room; it had a twin bed with side tables, a dresser with a mirror, and a small closet. Vicki bounced on the mattress before Liv pulled her off. ¡°The master is right here.¡± Inside was a queen-sized bed with a vintage cherry bedroom set. I opened the door to the master bath.


    ¡°Momma, look at the TUB,¡± she said. Inside was a two-person whirlpool tub near a window overlooking the back yard. ¡°Bubble bath!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours for as long as you need it,¡± I said. ¡°Brent is taking a small room in the basement of the house, and Mike and Anita are moving into therger bedroom downstairs. The others won¡¯t stay on after we stop the threat.¡±


    ¡°Is that normal? For your Pack to live in the same house?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯smon for smaller Packs. When you have more than a dozen in the Pack, you need a mansion, or you start building or buying multiple homes close together. When I was Alpha, I helped them buy thend and build their homes.¡±


    ¡°Is that why your home is so big?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #19

    ¡°I thought I¡¯d have a lot of children. This apartment made sense if one of them mated young, and needed a ce of their own while still being close. That¡¯s how I think of you two. I want you to be close by for safety while still having a ce you call your own.¡±


    She sat on the bed, looking out the window. ¡°I ept, Leo. It¡¯s very generous of you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one less thing you have to worry about because you have too much on your te right now.¡±


    ¡°I need to get my stuff out of my old apartment,¡± she said.


    I¡¯d sent a mental summons to my Pack when she epted the apartment, and they knocked on the door beforeing in. ¡°We need to talk about security,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for either of you to be out alone. I¡¯ll be around whenever I can be to watch over both of you, but your Pack will be helping as well. Anita will be the primary bodyguard for Vicki, with Mike as your driver and roving security. Brent will be your primary bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°Not you?¡±


    ¡°It will raise fewer questions if you tell people I¡¯m your Uncle Leo since that is what Vicki calls me. I¡¯ll watch over you both. If things go south, Anita and Brent will get the two of you to safety while Mike and I deal with the threat. All three of them are legally armed and trained for this.¡±


    She looked at Brent, who I knew was VERY happy with this assignment. ¡°If you¡¯re my uncle, what is Brent?¡±


    He gave Liv a nervous smile. ¡°The best cover for me would be if I was your boyfriend,¡± he said. Liv¡¯s mouth opened, so he quickly continued. ¡°Nothing has to happen, but if we sit together, hold hands, that kind of thing. No one will think anything except how lucky a guy I am to be with a woman like you.¡±


    Smooth. The boy was smooth as frozen custard. ¡°Don¡¯t think of taking advantage of this,¡± Liv said. ¡°Nobody knows I have a boyfriend. Hell, I haven¡¯t dated in years.¡±


    ¡°We met in ss, and we¡¯re taking it slow because of your daughter,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll stay by your side during the funeral, or anywhere else we go.¡±


    ¡°I need Pack members close because the people involved are wolves, and the two of you can¡¯t scent the danger like we can. Since we¡¯re all Pack, we canmunicate silently between us.¡±


    ¡°I hear Unky Leo in my head, but he can¡¯t hear me,¡± Vickiined.


    ¡°Anita will be helping you with that,¡± I said. ¡°She will start training Vicki on using her wolf senses and preparing for her shift.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped teach the Pack youth for years, she¡¯s in good hands.¡±


    I looked at my watch. ¡°We should be going, the deputies said they would be ready in twenty minutes,¡± I said. ¡°Anita can watch Vicki back in the main house if that¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll all take my truck, and Brent will drive you back in your Lexus. I¡¯ve got moving boxes and tape out in the garage; let¡¯s grab all the things you and Vicki need, and we¡¯ll take care of the restter.¡±


    We arrived at her apartment on time, and the Deputies handed over the keys. It took thirty minutes for us to go through their rooms, filling boxes that Brent and Mike took out to the vehicles. Liv couldn¡¯t handle going into her Grandmother¡¯s bedroom, so she had me pack everything for her to sort throughter.


    We got home just before dinnertime; I could smell thesagna and garlic bread as soon as I opened the door. With the extra help, we got all the boxes unloaded and up to their new apartment in five minutes.


    My inws arrived as we were sitting down to eat. They didn¡¯t look happy. They sat at the open chairs at therge table, and I could tell by his eyes I wouldn¡¯t like the news. ¡°My brother,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Larry took a gulp of the red wine in his ss. ¡°The Stillwater Pack has legal and illegal sources of ie. The pair you killed had mostly done burries and insurance scams. The Alpha was apologetic; he had no idea the target was a werewolf, much less one under your protection. He¡¯s working to limit the damage, and he¡¯s furious about them killing your grandmother. It¡¯s bad business, and it is bringing too muchw enforcement attention to his people.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s furious,¡± Liv said coldly.


    ¡°Yes. The kidnappers should have waited until you were both at home alone, or grabbed you when you were driving her. The contract was to deliver the mother and the child to a location in Hudson, Wisconsin. John Petersen, your younger brother, was the one who ordered the kidnapping. He paid them ten thousand dors in advance, another twenty was due on delivery.¡±


    ¡°Is it enough to take to the Council,¡± Mike asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know what that would aplish. Vicki is a child, a werewolf that hasn¡¯t shifted and was not a member of a registered Pack at the time. The Council won¡¯t take action on what happens to lone wolves out there. When they hear about the Alpha Mantle, their first reaction will be to take her into custody for her own good.¡±


    My wolf didn¡¯t like that a bit. ¡°That won¡¯t be happening.¡±


    ¡°I agree. You¡¯re going to have to resolve this with a challenge against the Marengo Lake Alphas at the Alpha Summit in February. That gives you six weeks to get your sorry butt in shape.¡±


    ¡°It will be enough,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody is going to hurt them again.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let them anywhere near them,¡± Brent agreed.


    Not much else was said about it the rest of the meal; Vicki talked excitedly about her new bedroom, and soon she left with her mother to start unpacking. When the door closed, I looked over at Larry. ¡°Does Alpha Doug know?¡±


    ¡°We talked to him for almost an hour on the drive back,¡± Larry said. ¡°He can¡¯t keep twelve of us here long-term, but he¡¯ll do what he can. You need to prioritize expanding your Pack.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea there,¡± I said. ¡°We need to get through the funeral first. That¡¯s the next likely time for John to try to get them again.¡±


    ¡°If he and Brenda wanted them alive so they could watch, that¡¯s out the window now. They already killed once, they¡¯ll target Vicki and get the hell out.¡±


    ¡°Brent, see if you can find a bulletproof vest small enough to fit a child her size,¡± I said. ¡°Order one in Liv¡¯s size for her, and one for each Pack member. Expedite shipping, here¡¯s a card to use.¡± I handed him a charge card out of my wallet.


    Donna looked at the others at the table. ¡°Anything else we can do?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use the human authorities on this one,¡± I said. ¡°The Stillwater Alpha would have kept himself clean, and there won¡¯t be a cash trail.¡± I stood up. ¡°I need to get some sleep. I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.¡±


    Ch. 17


    I woke to the sound of a woman screaming.


    Jumping out of my bed, I ran into the hallway in my boxers towards the woman, who was yelling at someone to ¡®GET OUT! DON¡¯T LOOK VICKI!¡±


    I knew it was Liv, and she sounded pissed. I opened the door leading up to her room, just in time for a naked andpletely chastised Brent to race past me. ¡°FREEZE,¡± Imanded, and he almost fell over with how fast he stopped. ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Alpha,¡± he said as he pulled on the shorts that Connie tossed to him from the bin of spare clothes by the garage door. ¡°Liv opened the door and freaked when she saw me there.¡±


    ¡°In wolf form,¡± I surmised.


    ¡°My wolf must have taken overst night and wanted to be closer to her. I woke up when the door opened, and she screamed. I shifted to exin things to her, and she REALLY screamed, then the told me to get out because Vicki was right behind her.¡±


    ¡°And you thought you¡¯d shift into human form with Brent Junior flopping around and exin why you weren¡¯t creepy.¡± I just rolled my eyes. If it was only werewolves in the house, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, because we weren¡¯t shy about our bodies. We didn¡¯t shift with clothes on, and it was normal. I didn¡¯t have to guess at what a human female¡¯s reaction would be to a six-foot-two, two-hundred-pound naked guy outside her door. ¡°Go get dressed, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, you might want to get dressed before you go talk to Liv about naked people in her stairway,¡± Connie said.


    ¡°Yeah, that might help.¡± I ran back to my bedroom and quickly dressed, returning to the stairway as Brent came up from the basement. He was fully clothed this time. ¡°Stay here, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s grabbed a chef¡¯s knife or something.¡±


    He looked stressed. ¡°Let Liv know I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to frighten her.¡±


    I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a fine line between romance and stalking, Brent, and you just learned which side you were on. Have some breakfast, it¡¯s going to be a busy day.¡± I left him in the kitchen and went up the stairs to above the garage. I knocked on the door. ¡°Liv, it¡¯s Leo. Can Ie in?¡± I heard hering, then she opened the door and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s just me. Brent is downstairs and knows not toe up here again unless he is invited.¡±


    ¡°I freaked because Vicki was right behind me. We wereing down for breakfast, I don¡¯t have any food up here.¡± She let me in, and Vicki ran over to me. I picked her up and set her on my hip as we walked into the small living room. I tossed Sharkbait into the bean bag chair, making herugh as I sat down next to Liv on the couch. ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Brent. We met yesterday, and this morning he¡¯s camped out at my doorstep?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s young and new to my Pack, so he¡¯s eager to do well in his assignment. His assignment is to protect you; he and his wolf both know that. His wolf came up herest night, probably because he didn¡¯t think he could protect you from the basement. He wouldn¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Unless I trip over his furry butt and fall down the stairs, or he pokes me in the eye with that thing,¡± she said with a grin. I saw a quick sh of emotions that told me she didn¡¯t mind what she saw at all.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you want, I canmand his wolf to stay away.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m living among werewolves, and I need to get used to seeing them around. I didn¡¯t recognize Brent, I¡¯d never seen that wolf.¡±


    ¡°That we can fix.¡± I sent a mental call out to my Pack, asking them toe upstairs in wolf form, carrying their clothes with them.


    ¡°Unky Leo, can we ride the snowmobile today?¡±


    ¡°Look out the window, Vicki. What do you see and hear?¡±


    ¡°Sunshine. No clouds. Trees moving, it¡¯s windy.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #20

    In a Minnesota winter, that meant one thing. ¡°That¡¯s right. A cold front came throughst night, and it¡¯s below zero out there with a twenty-below wind chill. Today¡¯s a good day to stay inside.¡± She gave me the ¡®hands on hip and lower lip pout,¡¯ which made Livugh. ¡°Sorry, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Liv, can I bring in the other three Pack members to meet you in their wolf forms?¡± She nodded, and I went to the door and opened it. All three wolves trotted in, dropping canvas bags by the door. They sat at the entrance to the living room and looked at us.


    ¡°Puppies!¡±


    ¡°Werewolves like you, Vicki,¡± I said. ¡°This is Mike.¡± All three wolves were more muscled and almost double the size of a normal timberwolf. Mike¡¯s wolf was mostly ck, with gray and white on his chest and legs. He got up and walked over to where Liv was sitting, putting his head on her leg. She scratched his ear, then he went over Vicki for a big hug. ¡°His mate Anita, who is Vicki¡¯s primary protector. If you recall, they are my Betas, so they are in charge if I¡¯m gone.¡± Anita¡¯s wolf was smaller and leaner, colored a light gray with a lot of white mixed in. She went to Liv first, thenid down in front of the bean bag chair. ¡°And you met Brent this morning.¡±


    Brent approached Liv at a crawl, whining softly as he got closer before rolling onto his back. His wolf was almost entirely ck, except a white stripe down the center of his chest and the tip of his left ear. When Liv reached down and scratched his chest, his tail started to whap against the floor. Getting up, he went over to sniff Vicki before he returned and sat on the floor between Liv¡¯s legs. ¡°He¡¯s so soft and cuddly,¡± she said as her hands moved around to the front of his chest.


    ¡°Oh, Luna, mate feels good,¡± he sent me. ¡°I¡¯m all tingly.¡±


    ¡°No one else will make you feel that way, Brent. Don¡¯t mess it up.¡±


    Vicki was trying to climb onto Mike¡¯s back for a ride. Liv motioned her down. ¡°He¡¯s not a horse, Vicki,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right; she should learn how to ride one of us to safety if needed. Even after she shifts, she won¡¯t be as fast as one of us if we need to escape quickly. Mike, Brent, lie down on your chests, and I¡¯ll help them get on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± Brent said as he dropped down in front of his mate.


    ¡°Sharkbait, climb up on his back and wrap your arms around his neck,¡± I told her. She did, and she let out a yell as he stood up. ¡°Riding a wolf is kind of like when we rode the snowmobile. You need to hold on, keep low, and lean the way the driver does.¡± I moved her hands lower, having her grip the fur on his chest just above his legs. ¡°Don¡¯t grip too high, because he won¡¯t be able to breathe. Holding here is good. Keep your chest t to his back, and your legs bent on each side. You don¡¯t want them dragging down and tripping him.¡± I moved her legs to the right position. ¡°You can talk to him, but keep your head forward. You want to see what ising so you can anticipate his turns. If he¡¯s turning, lean the way he does, or you might go flying off his back. Mike, take her around the apartment while I work with Liv.¡±


    Vicki had a big grin on her face as they moved around the living room then out to the hallway. I had Livy down on Brent¡¯s back; she was able to wrap her arms around his chest and stayed in position as he stood up. ¡°Your arms can cross, and you can grab fur with your hands to stay in ce. Since you¡¯re bigger, your legs are much farther back on him. Bend your knees and cross your ankles.¡± She did, and I moved them just above his tail. ¡°You can squeeze to hold on, and you won¡¯t affect his breathing. Brent, take a fewps.¡± Liv squealed as he took off, and Mike came back in with Sharkbait. ¡°Vicki, Mike is going to lie down so you can get off, then I want you to get on Anita¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Yay! Wolfy rides!¡± She had an easier time with the smaller wolf, and a few minutester, they were asfortable as they could be.


    I had them get off and sit on the couch. ¡°You three go get changed,¡± I said. The three grabbed the canvas bags and went out of sight. ¡°What did you think?¡±


    ¡°Faster, Unky Leo! I want to go FASTER!¡±


    Of course, my niece loved speed. ¡°We will have to set up some rides outside when it¡¯s safer to be out there,¡± I said. ¡°You did very well as a wolfy jockey.¡±


    ¡°I want to ride a SHARK,¡± she said. ¡°Sea Life? Unky Leo can go too?¡±


    ¡°Someday,¡± I promised. Her tummy growled as the other three walked in. ¡°I think Sharkbait needs breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Connie made biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs,¡± Anita said. ¡°Do you like them?¡± She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve never had them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯ll love them,¡± she said. We all went downstairs, and it turned out she did like them.


    ¡°Do you eat like this all the time,¡± Liv asked as I got seconds.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t care to eat much. I wasn¡¯t working out, I wasn¡¯t doing much of anything. Now I have something to protect, and I need to get my strength back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda for today?¡±


    ¡°You will need to make funeral arrangements for your grandmother,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know what her wishes were?¡±


    ¡°She changed her will shortly after I came to live with her; herwyer has it.¡± I made a note, we¡¯d have to get him involved. ¡°She wanted to be cremated and interred with her husband at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. He was killed by the terrorist attack on the Marine Barracks in Lebanon. Grandma came back here and got a job teaching middle school, retiring just after I moved in with her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. I remembered the bombing in 1983. ¡°Did she want a memorial service here in town?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I should read the will again to be sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have mywyer contact yours and get any instructions she may have left. There is a funeral home not far from where you live, they can do a service there, or is there a church you go to?¡±


    ¡°Crossroads Church.¡± I knew the ce, they took over an empty retail space where a Wal-Mart used to be years ago.


    ¡°We can make an appointment with the pastor to set things up. Don¡¯t worry about the cost. Whatever you need, you will get.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked at me. ¡°Will you being along?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and we should leave Vicki here with the others. She¡¯ll be safe, and Anita can start doing some training with her.¡±


    We left an hourter after making calls to set up appointments. The memorial service was set for the following Saturday, January 4th, at 10 am, with visitation starting at eight at the church. The County Coroner was expected to release the body to the funeral home tomorrow, and they would contact us so Liv and Vicki could say their goodbyes before the cremation. We shared a pizza at Carbone¡¯s in between appointments.


    By two, the only thing left was to make arrangements with Fort Snelling, and that had to be in person. That gave me an idea. ¡°Winter break is almost over, and we¡¯re going to be going next to the Mall of America. I think we should take her to Sea Life again.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want her leaving the house.¡±


    ¡°Not without protection around her who can scent other wolves,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll bring my inws, the three from my Pack, and two others. We¡¯ll look like a family out for an adventure.¡± We went home and picked them up, driving with a car in front and behind my truck, all heavily armed.


    We made our way down to the aquarium, with Vicki excitedly showing us the Stingray Pool as we waited for our tour. Brent was happy, dutifully ying the boyfriend while we were in public. The aquarium had five juvenile Giant Guitar Sharks swimming around, and that was just the start. Our group took the behind the scenes tour, where we got to see all kinds of things like how they feed the fish, and a chance to go up top and look down over the massive aquarium. Finally, I got a workout holding Vicki up as she pointed out all the sharks and rays.


    We were finishing dinner and dessert at the Rainforest Caf¨¦ when Vicki started to cry. ¡°It hurts, momma! It hurts bad!¡±


    ¡°What hurts, baby?¡± Liv was going wild while her daughter started to curl up into a ball and cry.


    I felt her forehead; she was burning up. Shit.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s starting her shift. We need to get out of here NOW.¡±


    I tossed the keys to my truck to Brent as I tossed money on the table to cover dinner. ¡°Go get my truck and bring it around to the entrance. Mike, Larry, you too. GO.¡± They took off running, while I picked Vicki up in my arms. Liv, Anita, and Donna grabbed our coats and their purses and followed me out as I apologized to the waitress near the exit.


    We had to go a quarter-way around and down a level to get to the exit by parking garage we had used. Vicki¡¯s screams were attracting attention, with most moving aside while others watched to make sure she wasn¡¯t being abused or taken. The Mall of America has a lot of security, and one of them ran alongside us as we reached the second floor. ¡°Do you need medical assistance,¡± he asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s having an episode, it¡¯s happened before, and her medicine is in the truck,¡± I replied.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Liv said. ¡°The truck is here.¡± We left him at the entrance as we loaded Vicki into the booster seat and buckled her in. Liv got in back with her, and I called Anita to ride shotgun in the truck. Brent went back to drive the rear SUV, while Larry and Donna had the lead SUV. We rolled out of the lot as Anita taught Vicki how to breathe through the pain.


    It was a horrible ride. I called Larry as he reached 75 miles an hour as we headed for the Mendota Bridge. ¡°I know you want to hurry home, but we can¡¯t afford to get pulled over. Don¡¯t go more than five miles an hour over the speed limit. You know, drive casual,¡± I said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #21

    Vicki let loose another scream. ¡°We will. Take care of her.¡± I ended the call and looked in the mirror; Vicki looked miserable, and Liv was freaking out.


    Anita took over the situation while I drove. ¡°Liv, take her out of the booster andy her clothes down on the floor. She can¡¯t be strapped in the booster as her body changes, and I don¡¯t want anyone to see her or for her to fall off the seat as she moves. As the changees, her body temperature will go way up, and clothes will feel like they are poking her skin.¡±


    ¡°All of them,¡± Liv asked as she pulled her sweatshirt off.


    ¡°You can leave her panties for now. Vicki, I want you to get on your hands and knees on the floor when Mom sets you down.¡± It took another minute before she was down there. In the meantime, I told the adults to put on their winter gear before I turned off the heat in the truck and turned the blower up. The subzero weather was a blessing because I could use the cold air to cool her down and not lower the windows.


    ¡°How long does this take,¡± Liv asked.


    ¡°For a toddler, an hour or two. Vicki¡¯s doing it at a much older age than normal, so I¡¯m not really sure. I¡¯m hoping we get home before it gets too far along.¡±


    ¡°Her skin is so red!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s flush from her temperature, and because the fur is getting ready toe out.¡± Liv reached down to touch her back, and it caused her daughter to scream. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her anymore,¡± Anita said.


    I wished I was able to be back there and help the two through the shift because it was heartbreaking to listen to. Vicki was in a lot of pain, that woulde in waves and leave her panting. Liv was out of her mind with worry and unable to do anything. When the bones started to snap and reform, all we could do was offer encouragement.


    Anita was a wonder, always positive and even-keeled as she talked Vicki through the change.


    It took us fifty-one minutes to make it home. I pulled the truck into the garage, and Vicki was carried right into the kitchen. The table and chairs had been moved out of the way; a tarp was in ce under older nkets. Vicki was set down, her young body misshapen and twisted. Her arms and legs were farthest along. ¡°Everyone except Anita and Donna, head downstairs,¡± I said. I herded them out of the kitchen area to the stairs.


    ¡°Stay, unky,¡± a weak voice said. ¡°Stay.¡±


    I smiled as I turned back to my Sharkbait. ¡°I¡¯ll be here as long as you need me, but I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I went down the hall to my bedroom, stripped, shifted, and trotted back to the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re such a brave girl,¡± I sent to her.


    As more of her body shifted, she was no longer able to talk; grunts, screams, and growls were the ¡°Wolfy wants out,¡± she replied. My eyes opened wide at her send.


    ¡°She sent to me,¡± Anita sent with a big smile. ¡°I heard you, Sharkbait!¡±


    ¡°Hi Beta,¡± she said. ¡°Wolfy says it finish up soon.¡±


    Anita called her mate and Brent into the room as she told Liv what her daughter had sent. ¡°The change elerates as it goes, so it won¡¯t be long now.¡±


    Vicki was on her side, fur sprouting along her back. Anita took scissors and cut away her underwear as grey fur started to fill in. Her spine shifted and cracked, sounding like firecrackers as her bones realigned and a tail grew in. ¡°Rx and let your wolfe out, Vicki,¡± I told her. ¡°She¡¯s going to be a beautiful wolf.¡±


    A scream cut off in the sound of bones breaking and crunching; her face was shifting now. Her jaw extended forward, the teeth changing as it turned into a muzzle. Her ears grew pointed and moved up the side of her head, and her neck thickened and moved up from her broadening chest. Fur was covering her skin now.


    A minuteter, and it was over. Vicki had passed out from the pain, and in the ce of the little girl was now a juvenile wolf the size of a small German shepherd. Her mouth was open, her long tongue hanging out as she panted to catch her breath.


    You couldn¡¯t miss the smell of her Alpha Mantle mixed in with her juvenile wolf.


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Liv said as Anita motioned for her to go to her daughter. Now that the shift was over, it wouldn¡¯t be painful for her to be touched anymore. ¡°Her fur is so soft!¡± Vicki started to growl softly, a rumbling deep in her chest as her mother scratched and petted her fur.


    ¡°You know what she looks like,¡± I sent to my other Pack members. Her fur was solid steel-gray on top, moving around to her upper legs. Her belly, chest and up to her lower jaw was white, along with her paws and the tip of her tail. It was a distinctive two-tone color scheme.


    ¡°Liv, what does her fur color remind you of,¡± Anita said with a giggle as she figured it out.


    ¡°Gray on top, white on the¡­ oh my God¡­ she¡¯s a LAND SHARK!¡±


    ¡°SHARKBAIT! HOO HA HA,¡± all the others in the house yelled out in response.


    ¡°Could she be anything else,¡± Brent said with augh.


    Vicki opened her eyes, looking around at the people in the room. Her tail started to move as she saw my big wolf lying next to her, looking into her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s over, you¡¯re a wolf now,¡± I told her.


    She raised her head, then struggled to her feet. She fell as she tried to move. ¡°Let your wolf take over, if your human mind is in charge, you¡¯ll trip over your paws,¡± she told her. It took her a few minutes to get the hang of it before she was walking around, sniffing and licking at everyone who hade to see her.


    ¡°Tell them to shift and go outside, it¡¯s time to wee Vicki to the Pack with a quick run,¡± I told Brent.


    He passed the instruction along, and the wolves moved out of Liv¡¯s sight to strip and shift. They filed out the back door and down the stairs as Liv held it open. ¡°Do you want to go along,¡± Brent asked her.


    ¡°How? Oh.¡± She gave him a smile. ¡°Give me a few minutes to get dressed.¡±


    ¡°You have time. Leo is going to take her out through the garage, so she doesn¡¯t have to learn stairs in the snow,¡± he said. ¡°He said you should put on your snowmobile gear and a hat.¡±


    She ran up to the apartment to change while I walked Vicki out to the garage. I jumped up and hit the button to open the garage door in front of the snowmobile. Vicki ran under the door, turning to go run up the snowbank on the side of the driveway. ¡°Wait for your mother,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I want to y! Wolfy is fun!¡±


    A few minutester, Liv came out in her winter gear and climbed on top of Brent¡¯s. Donna was staying behind, and she looked at me. I barked at her as Vicki slid down the snowbank, shaking her fur off at the bottom.


    Donna was staying behind, and moved to close the door. ¡°Have fun,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll make some hot cocoa, and cut up some meat for our new wolf.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miesville Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°ALPHA LEO!¡± Vicki said as she ran up by me. I trotted around the side of the garage with Vicki on one side and Brent and Liv on the other. The other wolves were gathering in the back behind the pool fence. I gave a soft howl and started moving faster towards the woods behind my house. I was careful to keep to a pace that Sharkbait wasfortable with. Vicki¡¯s confidence and control improved by the minute, and soon we were in a good run for her. I led them along a path in the woods, turning back after ten minutes and emerging in the back again. We went around to the garage, where Donna had the doors open for us.


    Liv hopped off, her smile a mile wide as Brent followed the others into the house. She took off her gear and hung it up again. ¡°Are you going to tell her how to shift back,¡± she asked me.


    ¡°Not until tomorrow,¡± Anita said as she walked back out into the garage. ¡°The first shift is hard on the body. We¡¯ll feed her and let her body recover overnight. After that, shifting is easy and fast.¡±


    ¡°Unky, I need to go to the bathroom,¡± she said.


    ¡°Follow me, Vicki,¡± I said. I led her to a sheltered patch of trees behind the house, marking the edges with my scent. She squatted down with her tail out to pee, then dropped a steamer in the snow and ice. ¡°Good job. Let¡¯s go get some food,¡± I told her.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay.¡± We ran back in, and this time Liv closed the garage door behind us and let us into the house. All the people inside gave her a cheer and told her how proud they were of her shift.


    Donna gave her a bowl of cubed raw steak, which she gobbled up before taking a drink. It didn¡¯t take long for her eyes to close as sheid down in Liv¡¯sp on the couch by the fire. I¡¯d shifted and dressed, and I could see Liv was exhausted as well. ¡°Let¡¯s take her upstairs, you both should sleep,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. I picked the small wolf up like a baby and followed Liv towards the stairs. ¡°Today was a lot to deal with. It was hard dealing with the arrangements for my grandmother, it was fun at the Mall, I was close to a breakdown with her shift, and now I¡¯m just so happy for my little girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve both shown incredible strength with everything that has happened. I knew you had it in you, you¡¯re an oveer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been great, too,¡± I said.


    Brent was waiting by the door. ¡°Liv? I don¡¯t want to scare you, but I¡¯m pretty sure my wolf is going to want to be close to you again tonight. He doesn¡¯t like being in the basement.¡±


    She looked at me, and I nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll behave yourself?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go into your bedrooms. I¡¯ll be fine on the floor.¡±


    She let out a breath. ¡°You can sleep on the beanbag or the couch,¡± she said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    She opened the lock and held the door to her apartment open. ¡°Do you want her in her bed,¡± I asked.

 THE PORCH WOLF #22

    ¡°Put her in mine, I don¡¯t want her to wake up alone,¡± Liv told me. I followed her down the hallway, cing Vicki on theforter at the foot of her bed. When I turned around, Liv grabbed me around the waist and pressed her face to my chest. ¡°Thank you, Leo. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re family, Liv. Your daughter is my niece, and you are part of my Pack now. We will all protect you, but most of all, we will support and love you.¡±


    She stepped back and wiped her eyes. ¡°Goodnight, Leo.¡±


    I gave Vicki onest pat on the head and turned to go. ¡°Goodnight, Vicki. I¡¯ll make sure Brent stays in line.¡± She closed the bedroom door behind me.


    Brent was already in his wolf form, his clothes folded and on a table next to the couch. ¡°You do not enter her room without an invitation unless it is an emergency,¡± I told him. ¡°Stay in wolf form until you leave, or she asks you to change. And for Luna¡¯s sake, no dog farts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll behave, Alpha. My wolf is settled now.¡±


    I walked down the stairs, the exhaustion hitting me too. A week ago, my life was nice and quiet.


    It wasn¡¯t now.


    Ch. 19


    The days leading up to the New Year were hectic for our little Pack. Both of us had interviews with the FBI, who were looking into who else might have been involved in the kidnapping attempt. When they searched their Stillwater home, they found evidence that pointed to a decade of criminal activity. Cash, burner phones, guns, and burry tools were all present. The jewelry and other items they found tied the couple to a string of increasingly dangerous burries, including several home invasion robberies.


    The problem was that nothing had been taken from their home, except Liv and Vicki.


    We had discussed what we were going to share with the investigators and agreed we would not mention anything about werewolves or Alpha mantles to the humans. We did agree that she could tell them about Vicki¡¯s father and how he reacted to the news that she was pregnant. Larry thought it would help keep the Marengo Lake pack off our backs if they knew the Feds were watching them.


    Both of us were involved now because John Petersen, formerly Ivan Volkov, was my younger brother. I told them part of the truth; that John had married and move to Wisconsin, and we hadn¡¯t been in touch since after my wife died. I¡¯d withdrawn from my family, and he gave up trying to see me. I didn¡¯t know until after Liv came to stay at my house and saw the photos that John was Vicki¡¯s father. She had not had contact with John since he told her to get an abortion. When asked why she didn¡¯t list his name on the birth certificate, she was blunt. ¡°To him, I was a nothing more than a fun fuck before he went back to his new wife. I wanted nothing to do with him and nothing from him. He would have no im on my baby, EVER.¡±


    Truth, not the whole truth.


    They promised her they would follow up with him, but they wouldn¡¯t get much. They hadn¡¯t been able to keep our names out of the paper, but none would reveal that they were now living with me. ¡°She¡¯s my niece, and they have nothing. We¡¯ve been friends for years, and I had an empty apartment above my garage. My inws brought them to my home after the attack, and she epted my offer to rent it to her. Neither of them can handle being in the ce Grandma was killed, and it was in her grandmother¡¯s name, not hers.¡±


    The advantage of stalking her meant that I wasn¡¯t a suspect. They did interview people at Wiederholts and in the neighborhood, but they wouldn¡¯t find anything.


    I gave the agents the information I had on him, including his address and a photograph from his wedding.


    The FBI also asked about Liv¡¯s rtionship with her parents, and she was open about that too. She told them their reaction to her pregnancy and how they had disowned her. When Liv went to live with her Grandmother, they cut ties with her as well. ¡°They don¡¯t want anything to do with me or my daughter, and all the kidnapping did was embarrass them. They didn¡¯t care enough to kidnap us.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She called Mike at Wiederholt¡¯s and tried to quit her job. ¡°The FBI thinks someone hired the kidnappers, and I might still be in danger,¡± she told him. ¡°It is going to take months to deal with my mother¡¯s estate and everything else. I don¡¯t want you to hold a job open when I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever return,¡± she told him.


    I could hear his response. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you have to quit. Take a leave of absence; if you need two months, call me back in February and let me know how you are doing. Everyone misses you around here; almost every night someone asks me about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be all right. Grandmother had some insurance, I might go back to school full time when things settle. Thank everyone for thinking of us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at the memorial service,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, if you need anything, just call.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    He paused for a second. ¡°Have you talked to Leo? I still can¡¯t believe that the old man took those two out. Is he all right?¡± I bristled at the ¡®old man¡¯ment, I was *only* 51!


    ¡°Leo is doing ok. It was a shock for everyone, but thank God he stopped them before they got out of the parking lot. God knows what would have happened to us if he hadn¡¯t been there.¡± I smiled; I had defended my family, and I felt satisfied. It was the first Alpha-like thing I had done in years.


    ¡°I think it will be a while before he has to pay for his dinner in my ce. He¡¯s a hero.¡±


    ¡°He also killed two people in front of a young girl, and that isn¡¯t easy to get over. We¡¯ve all got some things to work through. Thanks, Mike. I¡¯ll stop in when I can and pick up my check.¡±


    ¡°We should go Tuesday; they¡¯ll expect me there,¡± I said. ¡°If all of us go, we¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, ¡°Would a house full of werewolves want to eat huge bs of prime rib?¡±


    I tried to keep a straight face,sting a heartbeat longer than she did. ¡°It would be good to see your friends there, and Sharkbait loves her beef now.¡±


    Liv rolled her eyes; ever since the shift, Vicki had been eating a lot of meat, the rarer, the better. Some of the Winona Pack members even took down a buck, dragging the fresh meat into the woods behind my home. Vicki hade out with the others, getting her first taste of ¡®fast food¡¯ in her canine form. Anita had been training her hard, taking her out every night from sundown until past ten in her wolf form. She was learning how to function as a wolf and use her senses to her advantage. She learned how to run in the dark, how to move without making noise, how to stalk, and how to track. Last night had been her proudest moment.


    shback


    ¡°Unka Leo, bring Mommy to the back door,¡± she sent me just after nine. I found Liv with the others downstairs and brought her up to the kitchen. When we opened the door, Liv jumped into my arms and screamed. Like a cat, Vicki had brought Mom a fat jackrabbit in her mouth, the blood staining the fur around her mouth. ¡°Momma doesn¡¯t like my present?¡±


    ¡°Momma didn¡¯t expect her little wolf to be bringing her dinner,¡± I sent back. I managed to turn Liv back to look at her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Is that your first rabbit, Vicki?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m very proud of you. Go back to the woods and eat it, then wipe your face in the snow before youe inside.¡± She ran back down the stairs and into the woods as I closed the door.


    ¡°I suppose I have to get used to her eating other animals, but did she have to bring it to me?¡±


    ¡°She was proud of herself and wanted to show you. Catching a rabbit isn¡¯t easy; she has to stalk close enough before attacking and be quick enough to get it before it escapes. It¡¯s a testament to how fast she¡¯s learning.¡±


    ¡°It freaked me out a little. I¡¯ll be sure to congratte Vicki and Anita, right after she finishes brushing her teeth and taking a bath,¡± Liv said.


    Present time


    The training was leaving her exhausted each night, and she was sleeping until nine or ten in the morning. During the day, Anita was teaching both of them about living in a Pack and around other wolves. After lunch, the two of them went up to their apartment for sses, while I went to my office. The first order of business was to make a reservation for twenty at Wiederholt¡¯s for Tuesday night. With the holiday it was busy, but I didn¡¯t minding in with the old people at five. The hostess was thrilled to hear from me and was happy to change my usual table for one to a much bigger one.


    The next thing I needed to do was to send out a formal notification to the surrounding Packs of the Miesville Pack territory and leadership. Larry and I had decided that these needed to happen before we started any recruiting of new members; the Alphas wouldn¡¯t like it if they lost people to an Alpha they weren¡¯t aware of. I listed myself as Alpha, Mike & Anita as my Betas, and one adult and one juvenile member to round out the minimum number. My Pack territory would be centered on my eighty acres ofnd south of Miesville. Every Pack was allowed a ¡®buffer zone¡¯ they could control around their owned property, up to two miles in every direction. Where this crossed the buffer of other Packs, the difference was split.


    I still had the map from when I was Alpha. My property anchored the western edge of the territory, while most of the homes andnd were farther east along the Cannon River Valley. Since I was no longer in that Pack, my area was no longer imed by them. I¡¯d verified this by runs along the County and Statends in the river valley, and set up my own boundary markers the old fashioned way.


    I peed on the trees and rocks along the new border.


    I used myputer and a satellite map to mark out the territory and the buffer, which included the Miesville Ravine and the north side of the Cannon River. Printing out copies, I addressed them to the Alphas of the five closest Packs and put them out in the mail. It would be after the New Year by the time they arrived, which worked for me. There was not going to be any hiding of my Pack or of Vicki now that she had shifted. Her scent was much stronger now. Anyone in the same room, or passing her on the street, would know exactly what she was with a sniff.

 THE PORCH WOLF #23

    Whether it happened at Wiederholt¡¯s or at the memorial service, we¡¯d have extra wolves around.


    By the time New Year¡¯s Eve rolled around, Sharkbait could shift smoothly between forms. I had given her an Alpha order not to phase into her wolf unless an adult told her, and I was confident she would be all right in public. Wiederholt¡¯s was a test run; emotions would be much higher at the memorial.


    It was a beautiful, warm afternoon, with temperatures near thirty. Brent had driven to Winona yesterday, returning with a trailer with two snowmobiles and gear. Two or three extras would be enough of an escort to let Vicki and Liv out of the house. ¡°Who wants to go snowmobiling,¡± I asked everyone after lunch.


    ¡°ME!! Please Unka Leo, go riding and go FAST!¡± I knew our little speed demon would be up for it.


    ¡°Liv? Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s safe,¡± she said. I told her we¡¯d have two escorts, and she agreed. ¡°Come on, Vicki! We need to get ready.¡± Vicki ran up the stairs to get her winter gear and wool socks on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in the garage,¡± I said as they disappeared. Brent was looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. ¡°I take it your sled has room for a passenger?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the right one,¡± he said with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tee it up, but you have to convince her. Make sure you have a pistol.¡± He took off to get his stuff, along with Craig and Connie. I changed in my room, cing my Glock in a shoulder holster under the light shell I¡¯d wear with my snowmobile suit. Liv was already in the garage getting Vicki dressed by the time I got out there; we finished dressing out, then I opened the door and pulled the sled out into the driveway. Brent and Craig were waiting, their sleds idling. ¡°Liv, do you want to ride with Brent? It wouldn¡¯t be as crowded as three of us on this machine.¡±


    ¡°Momma, race you!¡± Vicki loved the idea.


    ¡°Are you sure,¡± Liv said as I looked between them.


    ¡°It will even out the sled weights,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I drive some,¡± Liv asked Brent.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯refortable with it, it¡¯s all yours,¡± he said. Liv nodded and moved over to sit behind a beaming Brent, who was looking forward to her snuggled into his back, or his arms around her waist, for a few hours.


    ¡°Brent, you lead, we¡¯ll be in the middle. Craig and Connie, you stay back and watch our six.¡± He moved out, and Vicki was bouncing as we slid in behind them. We exited the driveway and drove north until we caught the trail.


    ¡°Ready to open it up, Alpha?¡± Brent¡¯s voice had a teasing edge; I think he just wanted his mate to hold him tighter.


    ¡°Stay safe, we¡¯ll keep up with you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Go, faster,¡± Vicki added. She could link with any of our Pack members in either form now. Faster is what we did, the bright sunshine giving us the visibility we didn¡¯t have thest time out. We were pushing eighty on the ts, and that close to the ground, it felt a lot faster than that.


    We went as far as Farmington before pausing for a break. ¡°Having fun, baby,¡± Liv asked as she got off Brent¡¯s sled and came over to her.


    ¡°SO fun, Mommy,¡± she said.


    ¡°Brent, can I drive back?¡± He nodded and moved back on his sled so she could get in front.


    ¡°Sharkbait drive, too?¡±


    How could you say no to those eyes? ¡°I¡¯ll have my hands on yours. If I tell you I have it, you let me take over, no arguments,¡± I told her. ¡°Let¡¯s start out slow in the first field, thedies are driving.¡±


    ¡°You go first,¡± Liv told me. Vicki had to sit in myp to reach the controls, and I wasn¡¯t going to let her go more than ten miles an hour that way. She had some trouble steering, so after a hundred yards, she was ready for me to take over again. I got her settled and waved for Liv to take the lead position. It turned out Liv was just as much of a speed junkie as her daughter, and we raced home at high speed. We arrived back home just before sunset, just enough time to shower and change for dinner before we had to leave for Wiederholt¡¯s.


    We took five vehicles north, parking together in the back lot. I let Mike go in first with some of the Winona Pack, while Anita and Brent stayed close to their charges. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few werewolves here,¡± Mike said.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not umon to have some here,¡± I sent back.


    ¡°What the hell is HE doing here?¡±


    Ch. 20


    ¡°Get ready to leave on my signal,¡± I told everyone. ¡°Someone is inside.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Alpha John Petersen, your brother.¡± Oh fuck.


    ¡°Do a walk-through, Brent, see if there are any other surprises.¡± I looked back at our group in the parking lot. ¡°My younger brother is in there, and I don¡¯t know why. Stay in the cars until I give the all-clear,¡± I said to them.


    ¡°He¡¯s HERE,¡± Liv asked, her face showing her panic.


    ¡°Get back in the car, please. We may have to leave quickly.¡± She went around to the other side of the truck, leaving Vicki strapped into her booster. ¡°Dad, you are in charge if anything happens. Get them home at any cost.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± he promised.


    ¡°Alpha, he moved from the bar to a table with Alpha Todd and his Beta. I don¡¯t sense any hostility. The three are the only werewolves here.¡±


    We outnumbered them eighteen to three, and we were in a public ce. If we were going to out ourselves, it might as well be now. ¡°Position yourselves at each end of the bar, we¡¯reing in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    I went over to the other cars and exined what was going on. ¡°Show of force on neutral territory around humans,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see their faces when they get a whiff of Vicki.¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to do this,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°Better odds here, and less likely to be a problem than at the Memorial. I need to figure out what my brother is up to.¡± Everyone got out of the cars and formed up around Liv and Vicki. ¡°We¡¯re just family and friends out for dinner,¡± I said. ¡°Keep it cool and follow my lead, and make sure Vicki is surrounded.¡±


    I led the way inside; there were shouts and greetings as we arrived, mostly for Liv. It took us a few minutes to make it to our table, at the side of the room near the back of the restaurant. I kept an eye on the three werewolves as we walked in, watching their reactions. Todd and his Beta looked at me with contempt, while John looked at me with a mix of sorrow and regret. It was when Vicki walked through the room that everything changed.


    Todd¡¯s eyes got wide, and he looked at me as he took a deep sniff. ¡°The fuck,¡± he whispered to his Beta. ¡°She¡¯s got a MANTLE!¡±


    John¡¯s reaction was more puzzling. He started to cry as he looked at her, and his wolf let out a low whine. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her as he watched his daughter walk with the group to therge table. His hands gripped the table until they were white, and I could see his wolf was barely holding on. He excused himself, walking out the front door before he shifted in front of everyone.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Why would John act like that, if he wanted her dead?

 THE PORCH WOLF #24

    Following my wishes, Liv and Vicki were sat in the center of the long table, on the wall side, nked by their guards Brent and Anita. I sat on the same side of the table, at the end closest to the threat, while Larry and Donna sat at the other end. The rest of our group filled in the remainder of the table. Our waitress greeted Liv eagerly, then took our drink orders. ¡°I¡¯ll take my usual, Sam Adams and king cut medium rare with potato, sd with ranch no tomatoes,¡± I told her. As she moved on, I looked over at Mike and Anita. ¡°I forgot my phone in the truck, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, I¡¯ve got to wash up,¡± he said. We left the table, but instead of going back towards the rear exit and the parking lot we were in, we headed towards the front, passing the other werewolves.


    ¡°What is going on,¡± Todd whispered as I approached their table.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The Miesville Pack is having dinner,¡± I whispered back as I passed. ¡°You should have the formal notification shortly.¡±


    ¡°Oh HELL no.¡± This pissed my former Beta off, and his own Beta had to hold him in his chair. I¡¯m sure his Beta was talking him off a ledge, reminding him they were in public and among humans. I turned my back to him, a reminder that I didn¡¯t consider him a threat to me. I had the Mantle, he did not, and if we fought this time? I would have something to fight for.


    I waved at the owner and shook Mike¡¯s hand at the bar as we passed, then went out the front door into the winter night. It was just below freezing, yet John was leaning against the building in his shirt sleeves. ¡°Watch my back,¡± I told my Beta as I walked to my brother. I opened the link to my Pack members, except Vicki, so they could listen in.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking good, Leo,¡± John said as I got close.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I kill you here and now,¡± I asked him. ¡°Vicki is your damn DAUGHTER!¡±


    ¡°YOU THINK I DON¡¯T KNOW THAT?¡± He started to shake, then looked at the ground. ¡°I can smell my mantle upon her, the mantle promised to my mate and our children.¡±


    ¡°What did you do, brother?¡±


    ¡°I fucked up, Leo. And now, I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡± He told me the story; his own rejection, the arrangement he had with Brenda, and how pissed off she was that another had the Mantle. ¡°She wants the Mantle for our eldest child, and she will stop at nothing to get it.¡±


    ¡°How did she find her?¡±


    ¡°Brenda didn¡¯t. I did.¡± He slid down the wall, sitting with his head in his hands. ¡°I know I told her to abort the baby. I know I didn¡¯t talk to her, support her, or help her. Biologically, she is my daughter. She carries my Mantle, and I¡¯m not worthy of it. I was trying to help her, dammit.¡±


    It hit me. ¡°You hired those idiots to kidnap them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deny it, and you can prove nothing, but getting them out of harm¡¯s way would have been worth it. Brenda is furious, and she hired private investigators to find Olivia and Vicki so she could have them killed. I was going to spirit them away, let them start a new life somewhere far from all this. The idiots couldn¡¯t even wait until the two were home alone, they just barged in there and killed the grandmother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d I killed them,¡± I said. ¡°Vicki is my pack, my heir. You have no im on her, and Marengo Lakes will not get the mantle back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to get the mantle back. I will not see my child killed so Brenda gets to pass on the Mantle to one of her own.¡±


    I slid down the wall next to him. ¡°The FBI knows about you, we told them.¡±


    ¡°I know, as soon as they approached my house, I ran. When the timees, it will end with me. I have proof I ordered the kidnapping with me; the confession will ensure the FBI closes the investigation. It will harm no other Pack but my own.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here? The FBI will be looking for you, and I can¡¯t let you near Vicki or Liv knowing you¡¯re responsible for her grandmother¡¯s death.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m no longer Alpha at Marengo. I broke my mate and Pack bonds with Brenda before I left, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to use the bond to track me.¡± He winced as he tried to stand up. ¡°I¡¯m getting a hint at what you went through, although I never loved Brenda at all. It was a business arrangement. Now that the failed kidnapping is in the press, she knows who the girl is and where she is. She¡¯ll be here soon, and I¡¯ll be waiting for her.¡±


    ¡°What happens when she gets here, John?¡±


    ¡°She gets killed, or I die protecting my daughter. I couldn¡¯te to you after what happened, so I went to Todd to buy his help. He turned me down.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Todd likes me, or my new Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Protect her. If Brenda and I die, her mantle can¡¯t be taken away.¡± He looked over at the entrance. ¡°Todd knows it¡¯s better to ingratiate himself with another Pack Alpha than to associate with a disgraced lone wolf. Watch out for him, Leo. He¡¯s always been an opportunist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not weak anymore,¡± I said.


    He nodded his head. ¡°I love you, Leo. I¡¯m sorry it ended up like this. I¡¯ll grab my coat and go; you guys enjoy your dinner.¡±


    When we got back inside, John went to the coatroom and I walked back towards my table. Todd and his Beta were staring at me. I walked right up to them and sat in the chair across from Todd. ¡°Long time no see, Alpha Todd,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re banished, Leo. Nobody will deal with you anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back. My birthright remains, my mantle intact, and I¡¯ve gathered the required number to get recognition. Nobody is going to care that a weak Alpha kicked me out of his Pack, even your own Pack members. Isn¡¯t that right, Beta?¡± His Beta was looking at me with wide eyes, knowing I¡¯d just gotten him in deep shit. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been treating my old Pack members well. Once they know they have an option, we¡¯ll see how many you keep.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Actually, I can. Your Alpha order onlysts as long as they remain in your Pack.¡± I pulled out my phone, sending a group text. I waited until the Beta¡¯s phone dinged; he looked at it and his eyes got wide. ¡°There. Every member of your Pack now knows that I am back as Alpha of the Miesville Pack, and I¡¯m epting new members.¡±


    ¡°You son-of-a¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet, we¡¯re among humans. As you can sense, I not only have the Mantle, but I have an heir with one as well. I know what you¡¯re thinking, that Marengo will reward you for helping to kill her. Understand this, Todd. If you harm her or assist Marengo to do so in any way, there is nothing in the world that will keep me from killing you. I will make it slow and painful, and kill your family in front of you before I let you die.¡± I stared into his eyes, my wolf forward, his strength backing up my words. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, Todd. Stay the hell out of this, and you just might live past the weekend.¡±


    He got up, tossing money on the table and pushing his Beta ahead of him. I got up and went back to my group. My beer, a Sam Adams, was waiting in my ce. I took a few of the crispy bread pieces while I waited. ¡°Sorry about that, I had to do some business,¡± I said.


    ¡°What did he want,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°He wanted to catch up, but that won¡¯t happen tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s my daddy, isn¡¯t he,¡± Vicki said. Liv¡¯s eyes got wide, and it took me by surprise as well. ¡°You talk, and I can hear things.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother and your father. He was mated when he met your mother, and that kept him from iming you as his own. It¡¯s nothing you did, Vicki. He loves you, but he has to leave you with your Uncle to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Leo, will I ever get to be with my father?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Vicki. He¡¯s done some bad things, and he might not have the chance.¡± I didn¡¯t want to go on; how do you tell a girl that the father who abandoned her mother also was responsible for her great-grandmother¡¯s death? I started on my sd as the awkwardness continued. The silence went on for a few minutes.


    Liv finally broke the quiet. ¡°Leo, do you do anything special for New Year¡¯s Eve? Any family traditions?¡±


    ¡°I go and get prime rib if it¡¯s Tuesday, watch the ball drop in New York at eleven, call it good and go to bed,¡± I said toughs. Carts rolled out with our food; I¡¯d warned Mike that our group ate a lot of rare and medium-rare beef, and he was ready for us. The te-size b was almost two inches thick, smothered in mushrooms, with raw horseradish on the side. I looked down to where Vicki was chewing her first piece of prime rib. ¡°How¡¯s your dinner, Sharkbait?¡±


    She smiled as Liv cut her regr-size prime rib into cubes for her. ¡°Regr¡± size meant it was only an inch and a quarter thick and maybe twenty ounces. ¡°I love it, Unky Leo!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll never eat this,¡± Liv said and she finished cutting it up. ¡°I eat the regr cut for three meals, and I¡¯m three times her weight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you she finishes her b off andes after yours,¡± I said.


    Thirty minutester, she was cutting cubes of her leftover steak and scraping them onto Vicki¡¯s te. ¡°I have no idea where she¡¯s putting that.¡±


    Anita justughed. ¡°Her metabolism has changed, and she¡¯s using up a lot of calories.¡±


    ¡°Who wants dessert,¡± I asked.


    Liv rolled her eyes when Vicki raised her hand and said, ¡°ICE CREAM!¡±


    I had my turtle cheesecake as Liv wondered where it all went.

 THE PORCH WOLF #25

    The meata hit Vicki before I paid the bill. She looked down at her distended belly, which had just added a scoop of ice cream to the beef she¡¯d eaten. She let out a very nondy-like burp, then leaned against Liv and started to fall asleep. ¡°I think she reached her limit on schnitzengruben,¡± I said with augh. Liv didn¡¯t get the reference, but zing Saddles was twice as old as she was.


    ¡°We should get her home, she¡¯s bound to sleep until noon tomorrow after that performance ofpetition eating,¡± Liv said. ¡°She¡¯s not even five yet, right? How can that even happen?¡±


    ¡°Changes,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s a lot more active now.¡± Mike stopped over, we asked him to thank the kitchen staff for the excellent meal. A few of Liv¡¯s coworkers stopped by to say goodbye as we put our coats on, all of them d that she was all right after the kidnapping attempt.


    They didn¡¯t know half of what she was dealing with.


    No other werewolves hade in during our meal, but the ce was full on the holiday night, and a bunch of people stood by the door waiting for tables. I looked at my phone, and I had a whole bunch of replies to the text I¡¯d sent out. I wasn¡¯t ready to look at them yet. I felt a little like Sharkbait, wanting a couch after the big meal and an early bedtime. I just shook my head at how I was changing. I was in bed now at the same time we used to go out.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Such was the life of a man in his fifties. When I was younger, I¡¯d show up at the constructionpany to find a couple of my older employees sitting in the break room, sipping coffee, and reading their papers. Work didn¡¯t start for another hour, and they weren¡¯t getting paid. It wasn¡¯t until I got older that I realized why. I¡¯d wake up at five in the morning, and wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to sleep. The only way around it was to drink heavily, and I wasn¡¯t going back to that.


    I pulled my coat on, then picked up a sleeping Vicki as Liv finished putting her jacket and hat on. A few people had gone outside to warm up the vehicles and check the lot for threats; when the all-clear came from Mike, we moved out of the supper club and into the cold winter air. I opened the back door to my truck and set Vicki in the booster seat, buckling her in. Anita closed the other side door behind Liv, then got in the passenger seat. I waited until the first two vehicles pulled out, then exited the lot behind them. While crossing 61, traffic held up the four warriors, then Brent and Mike in the tail car. The road was empty, and they¡¯d catch up. I fell in behind the first two cars.


    It was a short drive back home, just a few miles along the twone road, heading south in the darkness. The first part was farnd, then the hills and trees started in. Guardrails started to appear as the ravine approached. ¡°What did you talk to John about,¡± Liv asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get Vicki settled first, it¡¯s a long¡­¡± I stopped when I realized something was wrong.


    People sometimes say, ¡®my life shed before my eyes,¡¯ while others say, ¡®it happened so fast I don¡¯t know what happened.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the case. It was like time slowed down and I could see everything. Headlights came in fast from a gravel road on the left, and they weren¡¯t slowing down. It was a dump truck with a plow,ing right at me. He was going to hit us broadside, and the road had no ce I could escape to. I stomped on the brakes and turned into the truck instead of aiming away. Instead of hitting the side of my big pickup, I took the impact on the driver¡¯s side enginepartment.


    The dump truck spun my big pickup around like a top, sending us flying across the frozen cktop and into the guardrails. The steel cables on the guardrails were designed to slow a vehicle down and keep it on the road. It might have held us on the pavement if the dump truck hadn¡¯t hit us again, this time from the rear. We were still moving at over sixty miles an hour when my pickup was shoved over the rails and went airborne. I heard screaming, crunching metal and breaking ss as we rolled over several times on the way down the steep ravine. We hit and snapped off a bunch of smaller trees before finallying to rest upside down among the rocks at the bottom. We were a good forty yards from the road by the time we hit the tree that stopped our slide.


    ¡°LIV,¡± I yelled as I hung from my seatbelt. My left ankle hurt like hell, and I couldn¡¯t move my left arm. I punched the release button on my seat belt, but with the roof partially caved in, I didn¡¯t drop far. I tried to open the door, and it wouldn¡¯t budge. I rolled awkwardly, my feet smacking into Anita¡¯s head. She released her belt andnded on top of me with a yelp. ¡°Anita?¡±


    ¡°Shit that hurts,¡± she said. ¡°My arm¡¯s broken.¡±


    ¡°Liv? Liv, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°My shoulder hurts,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, God! Vicki! She¡¯s bleeding!¡± I managed to look back; she was hanging upside down in her booster seat, and blood covered the left side of her face. She must have hit the window as the truck rolled. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn¡¯t moving. Liv unbuckled her belt and fell to the roof of the crew cab with a groan.


    I turned off the engine as I could smell gasoline. Looking out the cracked windshield, I could see the tail lights of the dump truck driving off towards Miesville. Our two trail cars wereing from the other way. ¡°Let him go and call 911, we have injuries,¡± I sent to Brent and Mike.


    ¡°It was a Volkov Construction truck,¡± Mike sent back.


    I was going to kill Todd, and I was going to take my time doing it. The fucker had left me alive, and he¡¯d hurt my Sharkbait.


    The truck was facing back towards the road, with my side looking up the steep hill. ¡°Wolves in the trees heading for the Alpha,¡± I heard Brent say over the link.


    I could see theming through the cracked windshield. ¡°Unbuckle Vicki and get her away from that window, NOW,¡± I said. She didn¡¯t hesitate, she moved over and found the release, lowering her daughter down as best she could. She scooted around until her body was covering her daughter in the center of the smashed cab.


    We were sitting ducks here, and our protection couldn¡¯t shoot without risking us being hit too. A dozen wolves were sprinting our way, and help would not get here in time. ¡°SHIFT AND GET DOWN HERE,¡± I sent to the others. It was awkward as hell, but I was able to draw my M&P from behind my right hip. The driver¡¯s window was shattered, and I kicked it with my right leg to make a hole to stick the barrel through. I started firing at the approaching wolves, making them scramble for cover, and buying precious seconds.


    Anita kicked out the passenger side windshield and crawled out under the smashed hood, her broken arm trailing at her side. She used the front of the truck for cover as she opened up with her Glock on the wolvesing down from the other side of the ravine. I heard her rapid-firing her pistol and the pained howls of the wolves that were trying to take her down, then her scream as one of them got to her.


    One of the wolves shifted and kicked in the window next to Liv, knocking the ss fragments over her. I turned around and fired above Vicki¡¯s huddled body, aiming for the bare legs I could see. I heard a man scream as I hit his knee, and then my slide locked back.


    I was out of ammo.


    I couldn¡¯t use my left arm to reach the extra magazine I kept in the left front pocket of my jeans.


    I growled in frustration as a wolf¡¯s head poked through the window.


    ¡°NO,¡± Liv yelled as she scooted away from it, hiding Vicki behind her. The wolf crawled through the broken window, growling at her. Liv nailed him in the nose with her shoe, making him yip and pull back. He let out an angry growl, then snapped at her leg. Liv screamed as the wolf bit into her ankle, shaking her as he tried to pull her out of the truck.


    With her out of the way, Vicki would be helpless, and soon dead.


    I set my pistol down and tried reaching across to my opposite jean pocket. Pushing up, I managed to get the spare magazine to stick out enough I could grab it. Dropping the empty magazine, I set the new one on a t spot on the roof and mmed the pistol on top of it. Releasing the slide, I chambered a round.


    That was when the cavalry arrived. I heard howls of pain as the wolves attacking Anita got knocked clear of her. Liv was struggling and kicking, one knee braced against the frame of the truck to keep her from being pulled out by her ankle. Brent¡¯s wolf mmed into the throat of the one biting her, knocking him clear.


    More of my wolves arrived by the second, and the attackers fell back. A howl came from the top of the hill, and the attackers turned and fled. ¡°Let them go, we need to save Vicki,¡± I sent. ¡°There may be more.¡±


    The attackers slunk back into the woods. This was the only road through here, so they were probably running through the ravine to the Cannon River, or to vehicles hidden out of sight. Friendly wolves surrounded our truck as our other cars parked above us on the county road. Mike contacted me over the link. ¡°These your old Pack?¡±


    ¡°I recognize that wolf, he¡¯s Welch Pack, we¡¯ll get themter,¡± I sent back. ¡°Anita, how are you?¡±


    ¡°My jacket took most of the damage,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mike, make sure 911 has been called, we have multiple injuries.¡±


    ¡°On their way.¡±


    ¡°Get these bodies out of here and up to one of the trucks,¡± I ordered. ¡°Pick up brass and hide the blood the best you can, then shift and run home. Hurry up,¡± I said.


    Donna came down with a first aid kit. She was worried about Vicki, who was still unconscious. She handed Liv a big gauze pad to stop the bleeding on her scalp, then started to wrap the gashes on her leg. ¡°You cut yourself kicking the window out,¡± she told her. ¡°Everything else you can say is from the crash.¡±


    It took three minutes to sanitize the scene. Six of them worked in pairs to remove the wolf carcasses, while the rest picked up brass and covered up bloody snow. The evidence was on its way to my house before the first sheriff¡¯s cruiser arrived. Fire trucks and ambnces arrived shortly afterward.


    Vicki still hadn¡¯t woken up, and the EMT¡¯s were worried about a potential head injury. They managed to get the door open and soon had her taped down to a backboard and out of the truck. The steep hill made it difficult to get her up.


    Liv was right beside her, limping on her torn ankle and helped by one of the firemen. She was in the ambnce as soon as the gurney was inside, and they took off with lights and siren.


    ¡°Have Brent meet her at the hospital. She has toe back home by morning before the shift begins,¡± I said. Now that she had been bitten, it would be twelve to twenty-four hours before the symptoms would start. That couldn¡¯t happen in a human hospital.


    Anita¡¯s arm was splinted, and she was helped up the hill. Mike picked her up and set her in his car; she was refusing the ambnce, and he¡¯d drive her to the hospital himself.


    As for me, I got to ride up in the rescue litter. The EMT had my ankle splinted, saying it was likely broken, and my shoulder was dislocated. They shifted me onto a gurney and into the waiting ambnce.


    The whole way there I was praying to Luna that Vicki would be all right.

 THE PORCH WOLF #26

    I hate hospitals.


    I was wheeled into the Emergency Room and examined briefly. ¡°Mr. Volkov, your shoulder is dislocated. We¡¯re going to give you some drugs to rx your muscles, then we will use the Stimson technique to put it back in ce.¡±


    ¡°Just do it, Doc. I¡¯d have done it myself if they would have let me do it.¡±


    He just shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to roll you onto your stomach; just let your arm hang towards the floor.¡± He had a nurse hold tension down on the arm while he massaged the muscles, then moved my arm and shoulder de. I felt it pop back in ce, and immediately it felt better.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Do the same thing to my ankle and I¡¯ll clear out of here before the fun really starts for you tonight.¡±


    ¡°We always overstaff on this night, Mr. Volkov. The next stop for you is radiology.¡± There was good news there; the ankle was not broken, but it was bruised and swollen, with several torn ligaments and a severe sprain.


    Just after midnight, he was putting an immobilizing boot on the ankle and giving me my discharge instructions. I was to follow up with an orthopedist next week to see if surgery was required for the torn ligaments; otherwise, it was RICE, RICE, baby. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Since my same-side shoulder was also injured, I was to use the wheelchair as much as possible. ¡°Wonderful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is there someone in your home who can help you? I can give you some numbers for home health aides,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said. ¡°I need to check on the others who were in the truck with me if we¡¯re done here.¡± The nurse brought me back out to the waiting room, leaving me where Donna was sitting with Brent. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Donna started. ¡°Mike took Anita home, she had a clean break and her arm is in a cast now. Larry went too, he¡¯s supervising the cleanup of the scene. The carcasses are in your pole barn until you make arrangements to return them to the Welch Pack.¡±


    I looked over at Brent. ¡°How are Liv and Vicki doing?¡±


    ¡°Vicki woke up during the ambnce ride. She got her bell rung pretty good, and it caused her to throw up. And throw up again, then again. All that food she ate sprayed over the EMT¡¯s and their rig. They are probably still cleaning it up,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°She got five stitches by her left temple, but the MRI was clear. She has a concussion and is being held overnight for observation.¡±


    Thank Luna it wasn¡¯t worse. ¡°And Liv?¡±


    ¡°Bruises from the crash, and thirty-plus stitches in her leg to close up the gashes. She¡¯s up in the room with Vicki.¡±


    One of the Sheriff¡¯s Deputies was waiting for me; I gave him a statement about the crash, going as close to the truth as I could. I said it was a dump truck but didn¡¯t see anything other than the lights and the plow. I signed it, and he left.


    ¡°Ask the desk if I can visit my niece¡¯s room before you take me home,¡± I said. ¡°I need to talk to Liv.¡±


    It was past visiting hours, but since we were all in the same ident, they made an exception. They gave me the room number and called ahead that we wereing. Brent volunteered to wheel me up there; a wheelchair sucked when my arm was in a sling.


    When we arrived in the darkened room, Liv was by the bed in her own wheelchair, her bandaged ankle elevated. Her face lit up as we came in. ¡°Leo,¡± she said softly. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get better,¡± I said as I was wheeled next to her. ¡°How¡¯s our Sharkbait?¡±


    ¡°Dizzy and tired,¡± she said. ¡°They have to wake her every hour to check her because of the concussion. Thank God the MRI was clean and she didn¡¯t fracture her skull. If she passes her tests, they will let her go home tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a tough one, and sharks have cartge. Much more resilient than bone,¡± I teased and got a weak smile. ¡°We have another problem, and this one is with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, a few weeks for the gashes to heal up. I don¡¯t need rabies shots, do I? Is that a problem with werewolves?¡±


    I was my turn to be shocked, then smile. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be a problem. The doctor gave you a tetanus booster?¡± She nodded. ¡°That should cover it, and we¡¯ll watch for other infections. No, the problem is that you are going to turn into one of us.¡±


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to turn me because it was too dangerous. You said more die than make the change.¡± She was starting to panic a little, and Brent reached over and took her hand. She calmed almost instantly.


    ¡°I said we should not turn you voluntarily because of the risk. This attack took that choice out of our hands. The bite will infect you; a fever will start by morning, and you shouldplete your change byte tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liv.¡± She was looking between me, then at her daughter, then out the window and back again. ¡°We need to keep her calm, she can¡¯t run out of here or start telling humans about us. We have to protect our secret,¡± I sent to Brent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen what your daughter went through. Your change will take longer and be more painful than Vicki¡¯s since she was born a werewolf, and you are changing.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel better,¡± she said with a snort. ¡°Her change was horrible.¡±


    ¡°Lying to you about it won¡¯t make it any easier. Your daughter needs you to be courageous enough to make it through the change. It is going to be the hardest thing you will ever do, Liv, but you will do it. I believe in you. All of us in the house are pulling for you, Liv. We think that you are a woman of extraordinary character and strength, destined to take her ce among us. You have all the qualities we want in a Pack member. I don¡¯t believe Luna brought you into our lives to be taken out now. I refuse to lose my family, and you are FAMILY, Liv.¡±


    I could see the gears turning and the tears falling. ¡°Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°She will not be alone. My inws are going home to get a few hours of sleep; they will return and stay with her today. They are her grandparents, at least that is what we will tell them. It¡¯s close enough; I think of you as my daughter, after all, and you know they will keep her safe.¡± It was all I could do. ¡°Brent, go back down to Admitting and get paperwork that will authorize Larry and Donna Winters to check her out and bring her home. Liv can sign it as she won¡¯t be able to do it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°She might need a limited power of attorney. I¡¯ll find out and get her the forms she needs,¡± he said as he got up.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I stay here with her?¡±


    ¡°Unless the doctors change their minds, Vicki has to stay here under observation for another twenty hours or so. As soon as the fever hits, the doctors will think your wound is infected. Nothing they do will work, and no virus or bacteria will show up in the culture. You saw the changes in her body; we cannot allow humans to see that. You have toe home with us before it starts, and we will help you through it.¡±


    We continued talking, stopping only when her nurse came in to check her vitals, and wake her up to make sure she was still functioning normally. She had difficulty getting her to open her eyes, which Liv told her was normal. ¡°The smoke rm over her bed went offst year, and she didn¡¯t even move. I always do it this way. Let me try something.¡± She got up and leaned over Vicki, pulling the covers down and blowing a raspberry on her stomach. The noise and the tickling woke her quickly.


    ¡°MOMMY! STOP!¡±


    ¡°You need to get up, Vicki. The nurse needs to check you over again.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As the nurse checked her over, she caught sight of me sitting next to her bed. ¡°Unky Leo? You¡¯re hurt!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal up, Sharkbait. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°My head still hurts, and I¡¯m hungry,¡± she said. ¡°Can we go eat prime rib again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote for that,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Go back to sleep, you need your rest.¡±


    Brent came back up with the forms, which Liv had to take back downstairs so the notary could witness her signing them. I stayed and watched her as she slept.


    I was shocked when I felt a mental push from someone I hadn¡¯t linked from in years. ¡°Ivan? Brother? You¡¯re still around?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to stop by your house, but then I saw the wreck being winched out of the ravine. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Dislocated shoulder and severely sprained ankle. I¡¯m in a room with your daughter; she hit her head in the crash and has a concussion. Thank Luna that it wasn¡¯t worse.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident?¡±


    ¡°No. A Volkov Construction dump truck knocked us off the road, then Welch Pack wolves came after us at the bottom of the hill. Liv got her ankle bit, she¡¯s going to change in the next day.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #27

    ¡°That bastard,¡± he sent back. ¡°He went after Vicki?¡±


    ¡°The wolves came after the girls, not me,¡± I said. I¡¯d been thinking about this all night; if it was just that Todd didn¡¯t want me stealing his wolves, there was no need to go after Liv and Vicki like they did.


    ¡°He knows who she is from when I asked him for help protecting her. I bet his first phone call after I left was to my ex-mate to see what it was worth to her. You were just a bonus. If he waits to make a move on you, you¡¯ll have numbers and recognition. He always was a pussy, afraid of a fair fight.¡±


    He was right about several things. ¡°He will pay the price. I can¡¯t shift, and half my Pack is injured, but I¡¯ll make sure he suffers.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. ¡°He tried to kill my daughter, Leo. I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    ¡°He tried to kill me too. I want his blood on my teeth after I tear his fucking throat out.¡±


    ¡°I hear you, brother. Rest up. I wish things were different, and I could get to know Liv and Vicki. They¡¯ll never forgive me for her grandmother, though.¡±


    The whole situation sucked. ¡°When Liv and Vicki are ready to hear it, I¡¯ll tell them that you loved them,¡± I promised. ¡°May Luna guide your steps, my brother.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Leo.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he had nned, but I had an idea. Todd would be on alert, expecting me to retaliate, and he was one man.


    A man with nothing to lose.


    As the night went on, we napped in the chairs, waking on the hour when the nurse came in. By four, Liv didn¡¯t wake up, and I let her sleep. She would need all of her rest for what wasing up.


    It was just after six when the night shift doctor turned over her case to the day shift. They gave her another examination, which must have gone well. ¡°Do you have someone at home who can monitor her through the day?¡±


    ¡°We have several people who can do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excellent. Vicki is doing well enough that further observation here is not required. I will leave you with instructions about her care and what to watch for. If any of those ur, bring her back here immediately,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, she needs her rest, and to move around when she is awake. Walking around is good, running or sports are not. In three days, you can allow her to be more active, but stop the activity immediately if it triggers headaches, dizziness, or nausea.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°Limit things that can cause strain; no video games, limited television, reading, texting, orputer use at first. Follow the same rule, increasing them over time unless they trigger symptoms.¡±


    ¡°How long will she have the headaches and the other issues?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t tell us. ¡°Brain injuries are not predictable, like a broken bone or a cut. She may be fine in a few days, or symptoms could linger for months. You should follow up with your pediatrician in two weeks to have her stitches removed, sooner if there are any problems.¡± He went through a stack of forms with Liv and finished signing Vicki out.


    Vicki was excited to be leaving, but still tired. We had a parade of wheelchairs as we rode the elevator down to the exit, where Donna was waiting with Liv¡¯s silver Acura. ¡°I had it brought here just in case she was released. Your car was the only vehicle we had with a booster seat,¡± she exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Liv said. Donna and the nurse got Liv buckled in while Liv got into the back with her. She was moving slowly, and her torn-up ankle probably hurt with every move. I had a little more fun getting in the passenger seat with my boot and crutches, but I made it.


    ¡°Momma, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Vicki said. ¡°Can we have McDonalds?¡±


    ¡°Connie will have a good breakfast waiting for her favorite little wolf when we get home,¡± Donna said as we pulled out. ¡°We can¡¯t have a repeat of the ambnce in Mommy¡¯s car.¡±


    I snorted, and Liv looked shocked before she started tough. ¡°It¡¯s for the best, my tummy is always upsetter in the day.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat anything greasy or heavy, Liv. Fruit, juice, maybe some pancakes or oatmeal.¡±


    ¡°How long do I have until the fever starts?¡±


    ¡°Before lunch,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Mommy is sick?¡± Vicki looked over at her. ¡°You had owie, not sick!¡±


    ¡°A bad werewolf came into the truck and bit me after the ident, love. My ankle will heal, but I¡¯m going to get a wolf. She will be like yours, but bigger.¡±


    Vicki broke out in a smile until she remembered something. ¡°Your change hurts a lot, like mine?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go through the same thing, but it will be worse for Mommy because I¡¯m not as brave as my little girl is.¡± She reached out her hand and reassured her daughter. ¡°I will have people to help me, and I¡¯ll have my little girl there too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Wolfy out to help you, Mommy,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are not to shift until your mother, or I tell you to,¡± I told Vicki with an Alphamand. ¡°Your doctor said not to do anything that could cause you strain, and changing your head into a wolf¡¯s head is a strain.¡±


    ¡°A, man,¡± she said. Her eyes got wide. ¡°Will I be able to talk to you with my mind like I do with Unka Wolfy?¡±


    ¡°Once we teach your Mom how, you will be able to. She will be in our Pack with Brent, Mike, and Anita.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been getting calls from people about joining our Pack, Leo,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°I know. My phone has been blowing up with texts all night. Do you want to know what I told them?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°While we were still at Wiederholt¡¯s, I sent a text to all the numbers I had for my old Pack except for Alpha Todd. I also included the Alphas of the surrounding Packs. The text told them Alpha Leo Volkov had formed the Miesville Pack and was open to adding members.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what ticked him off,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t think he would act so quickly. Last night in the hospital, I sent the same people another text. I told them that Alpha Todd is on borrowed time. His cowardly attack on my truck resulted in injuries to me and two of my Pack members, one of whom is not even five years old. His Pack members also exposed their wolves and bit a human female. He KNEW there was a human and a juvenile in the truck, and he did it anyway. For these transgressions, I will have him removed as Alpha of the Welch Pack. When I recover, I wille after him, and he will lose his life. I warned them all that if they stood with him, they would share his fate. I signed it as Alpha Leo Volkov, Alpha of the Miesville Pack.¡±


    ¡°Dang, you didn¡¯t pause to catch your breath,¡± Donna said. ¡°My boy isn¡¯t happy that there has been another attack, and he¡¯s calling in more help. I told them that Mike is the only healthy Pack member you have right now, and you¡¯re all restricted to your home.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want another Pack war breaking out.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ll put so many wolves around your home that he won¡¯t dare try anything, and that will give some time for the Council to work this out.¡±


    ¡°I bet those pencil-pushers are THRILLED to have me back in the mix,¡± I said.


    ¡°Their primary motive is to make sure nothing spills out into the humans, and Liv and Vicki are all over the news. An Alpha is the FBI¡¯s prime suspect in a murder/kidnapping, two Stillwater wolves are dead, and a former Alpha took them out to save a human and her Alpha wolf daughter. You can count on a parade of senior Werewolves showing up. Heck, some may be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough going on, thank you,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to eat, then sleep until Liv starts her change.¡±


    ¡°What he said,¡± Liv replied.


    When we arrived home, a dozen people were waiting for us as the garage door closed. Liv and Vicki were carried inside and set at the kitchen table, while Mike got me into the wheelchair and brought me inside. I thanked Luna that I¡¯d had the foresight to adopt Americans with Disability Act standards for my home when I built it. The extra cost from the beginning was minimalpared to a refit. The doors were a few inches wider than standard, levers were used instead of knobs, there were no drop-offs on the main floor, and I had handrails by the toilets. I even had a shower on the main floor bathroom that would allow a wheelchair to roll right in.


    I had oatmeal, toast, and jam for breakfast with orange juice, taking my pain pills with them. Liv and Vicki left for their apartment with Brent before I finished; he would watch her and warn us when it was time. Mike helped me shower and get ready for bed before he left me. It was annoying; my body ached, and not just from the shoulder and ankle. Getting rolled in a truck had me bruised and sore. I put my arm in an immobilizer they had given me. It kept my arm at my left side with my forearm across my stomach while I slept. My ankle was just as annoying with the heavy boot on it. I covered myself andy back in the big bed. My head barely hit the pillow before I was out.


    It seemed like the next second when Anita turned on my bedside light and woke me up. ¡°Alpha, the FBI is here, and they insist on speaking to you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I grabbed my phone and looked at it; it was nine forty-two. I¡¯d had less than two hours of sleep. ¡°Put them in my office, I¡¯ll be there shortly,¡± I said.


    ¡°They¡¯re in there already. Let me help you with that.¡± She removed the immobilizer and helped me put on a clean T-shirt, then work my way into a track suit and slippers. When I was back in the wheelchair, she put my left arm in the sling and wheeled me down the hall. The two agents stood, an older female and a younger male. ¡°Agents, what brings you here,¡± I asked as Anita moved me behind my desk, kicking my desk chair out of the way. I kept the link open with her, Mike, and Brent as she left.


    ¡°I¡¯m Senior Agent Thompson, he¡¯s Special Agent Lockwood. Two attacks on the same woman and daughter, and both times you are there,¡± the woman said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in coincidences.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t like relying on luck, either. Every person in my truck was injured when we were knocked off the road, and it could have been four fatalities.¡±


    ¡°We need to know what happened,¡± she said. Iid it all out for them; they knew Vicki was my niece from before, and Liv was my friend. I told them about my offer to rent them the apartment above the garage, and how I asked my brother-inw to send some people to help keep her safe. ¡°We hadn¡¯t seen anything suspicious, and it was Tuesday night, prime rib night at Wiederholt¡¯s. We had about twenty of us, I thought it would be safe.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #28

    ¡°Did you notice anything suspicious there?¡±


    ¡°My younger brother John was having dinner with my former business partner, Todd Miller,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your brother is here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I talked to him alone for a few minutes. He heard about the kidnapping attempt and wanted me to know he had nothing to do with it. He knows he blew it with Liv, and he¡¯ll never be allowed into Vicki¡¯s life. After all, he was married and fooling around, and he left her alone and pregnant. Vicki is still his daughter, and he loves her from afar.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he would take her?¡±


    ¡°And do what? Liv isn¡¯t going to settle down with him, and he¡¯s still married, with children of his own. He wanted to see for himself that she was all right. He knew I had saved her, and he knew I ate every Tuesday at Wiederholt¡¯s, so he waited for me.¡±


    She looked up from her notes. ¡°This Todd Miller, who is he again?¡±


    ¡°He was my foreman, my right-hand man, as I built up Volkov Construction. After my wife died, I lost interest and sold my share of thepany to him. He is the majority owner of thepany now.¡±


    She tapped her pen. ¡°Volkov Construction? Do they own dump trucks?¡±


    ¡°Several. They still do contract plowing and road salting for some of the townships in the winter.¡±


    ¡°Did you recognize the truck? See any markings?¡±


    ¡°It was dark, all I saw was the headlights and the plow. I¡¯m sorry.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can you think of a reason why Todd Miller would want any of you dead?¡±


    ¡°I told him I wasing back out of retirement. Todd¡¯s a decent supervisor, but a crappy owner. Give me a year, and my newpany will be bigger than his and more profitable. Maybe he was scared I¡¯d take mypany back from him.¡±


    The two looked at each other. ¡°Anything else you can tell me?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to talk to Olivia and Vicki,¡± she said.


    ¡°Olivia has been up all night with her daughter, and she didn¡¯t see anything. She¡¯s already given a statement to the deputies at the hospital. Vicki was asleep during the ident and didn¡¯t wake until she was in the ambnce. If you leave your card, I¡¯ll have Olivia contact you when she¡¯s ready to talk.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone else see anything,¡± Agent Lockwood asked.


    ¡°If they did, they gave their statement to the deputies already.¡± I let out a yawn. ¡°I got very little sleepst night, and the drugs aren¡¯t helping. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Here is my card, and another for Olivia. Please call us if you think of anything that might be helpful.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I called for Anita and asked her to show them out, thene back for me. She returned a few minutester. ¡°Spread the word to the Winona Pack members about what I said.¡±


    ¡°Already done, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Then I want to go back to bed.¡±


    We were in the hall when Brent called to us. ¡°No time for that, the fevers have hit Liv. You¡¯re needed up here, Alpha.¡±


    >>>>>


    Liv¡¯s change was starting, right on schedule. ¡°I will be up shortly. Is Vicki awake yet?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s still sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Let her, it¡¯s going to be a while, and the screaming will eventually wake her.¡± I saw Larry approaching. ¡°We need to get the FBI out of here as soon as possible; Liv¡¯s change is starting.¡±


    ¡°I heard. Donna, Anita, and Brent are all up there with her. They¡¯ll move her to the master bath, that¡¯s farthest from the house. As long as she doesn¡¯t scream while they are in the driveway, they¡¯ll never know.¡±


    ¡°If they push to speak to her, it won¡¯t be today. She¡¯s exhausted and injured, and she didn¡¯t see anything anyway.¡±


    Larry nodded. ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll move them along. Now, what do you want to do about that fucking Todd?¡±


    ¡°Just like I sent out in my text, his neck will be in my teeth when I¡¯ve recovered. In the meantime, he¡¯s got Pack members who want out, my brother is out for his blood, the Council on its way, the FBI and Sheriff who will start poking around, and a pissed-off Momma Wolf about toe out. He¡¯s got plenty to keep busy with.¡±


    ¡°And Alpha Brenda?¡±


    I thought about it. I didn¡¯t need Brenda or her Pack anywhere near here with the FBI and all my other problems. ¡°You have friends on the Council?¡± He nodded. ¡°Fill them in on the situation and ask them to pay a visit to the Marengo Pack. Tell her I know she wants Vicki dead, but I also know she hasn¡¯t done anything to her yet. If she wants to live, it needs to stay that way. Vicki is my niece and my Heir. If she takes out MY heir, her own will not be spared when Ie for her.¡± Larry¡¯s eyes got wide; threatening children wasn¡¯t done, but he understood what I was doing. ¡°She is the reason my wolf hase back. If Vicki dies, I will stop at nothing for my revenge.¡±


    ¡°I will see to it your words are passed along verbatim,¡± Larry said. ¡°I just hope she listens.¡±


    We kept out of the way while coolers full of ice were carried upstairs to the apartment. I was d her bathroom had the two-person jacuzzi and the window overlooking the yard, as both would help with the fever. When they came down, two of the Winona men just looked at me with big grins on their faces. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Someone needs their old, beat-up ass taken upstairs,¡± one said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not carrying you bridal style,¡± the other said.


    The two picked me up in a fireman¡¯s carry, taking me up the stairs while Larry followed with my wheelchair. They set me back in and Larry wheeled me to the master bedroom. The three of them went back to the house, with Larry in charge of security. Liv was lying on top of her bed, her nket pulled away, and only a thin sheet covering her body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let this happen to you, Liv. I never wanted to put you through this.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bite me, Leo. It¡¯s all right. Tonight, I¡¯ll have a wolf, like my baby.¡±


    I reached over and took her hand; she was already sweating, the fever was building. Soon she wouldn¡¯t be lucid. ¡°Who do you want to help you through this? You¡¯ve seen how it is, and you¡¯ll be naked for most of it.¡±


    ¡°Donna, Connie, and Anita will help me. I want you close by, but not in the room until the change is finishing. Brent, the same goes for you.¡±


    ¡°And Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep her from me, but she doesn¡¯t need to see it all. Keep her distracted, y with her, whatever.¡±


    ¡°I have to go check on her,¡± Brent said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Even at home, she still needed to be checked every hour while sleeping.


    Donna put the thermometer up to Liv¡¯s forehead. ¡°One-hundred-four-point-two,¡± she said. ¡°Time for the ice bath.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Liv said as she was helped up.


    Anita pulled the sheet back with her one functional arm, exposing Liv¡¯s thin shorts and crop top. ¡°I¡¯ll let Mike know when we need more ice. Come on, Liv. It only sucks once.¡±


    Liv rolled her eyes as she stood up; she was a little wobbly as Donna and Connie helped her into the bathroom. I watched the door close and closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer to Luna. As much confidence as I had in her, in the back of my head, I knew the statistics. Luna didn¡¯t always allow humans to make the shift, and no one knew what she was looking for.


    I heard her cry out about the cold; a big tub full of cold water and a hundred pounds of ice wasn¡¯t pleasant. I resumed my prayers, interrupted when Brent came back out of Vicki¡¯s bedroom. ¡°How is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Good. Vicki probably won¡¯t sleep much past lunch.¡±


    I could see his wolf pushing forward with every noise that came from the bathroom. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long day, Brent, and she¡¯s not ready for you to be with her. You need to go blow off some steam and get control of your wolf.¡±


    His eyes shed, and he looked at me, then at the door. ¡°Liv needs her mate close by,¡± he said.


    ¡°Her wolf isn¡¯t here yet, right now you¡¯re a guy she barely knows, and she¡¯s naked in a tub. She¡¯s not letting you into her bathroom,¡± I said. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a suggestion, Brent. You have an hour before you have to check on Vicki again. Go out to the woods and run or go to the gym and work out. Go.¡± The Alphamand was behind it, and he let out a sigh and turned for the stairs.


    ¡°Keep me posted, I¡¯m right outside if you need anything, Anita. I sent Brent to work some of his aggression out, and Vicki is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°You know how this will go, Alpha. She¡¯s going to be in the tub for hours.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± With nothing else to do and no real way to move around with the wheelchair with one arm, I pulled out my phone and started going through the messages. My earlier texts, plus the word of the ¡®ident¡¯ we¡¯d had, caused my feed to blow up. I decided to send an update, but only to those who asked about me or expressed an interest in my Pack. The messagecked the anger of before; I told them my pickup had been knocked into the ravine and rolled several times. I said that I had a severe ankle sprain and dislocated shoulder, and another Pack member broke her arm. Liv and Vicki were out, so I sent the truth on them as well. My young niece was recovering from a head injury, and her mother¡¯s leg was chewed up badly. I finished by asking for prayers for speedy recoveries, and for theing change.

 THE PORCH WOLF #29

    They would know what that meant, but it was innocent enough if a human read it.


    Using the paste function, I got a bunch of replies out quickly. I was heartened by the response; it was far beyond the Welch Pack. They were sneaky; they couldn¡¯t respond to me directly while still under Todd¡¯s Alphamand, so they forwarded my message and their reaction to friends outside the Pack. Those friends then added on their own thoughts and sent it back to them while copying me. A little over half of the Welch Pack was interested in my offer of a Pack change.


    The constant was the outrage that injuring a child brought out. Many were questioning if Todd was behind the kidnapping and murder I¡¯d stopped.


    The texting helped distract me from the moans and cries of pain in the bathroom. It wasn¡¯t long before Brent wasing back up the stairs. ¡°Thanks, Leo,¡± he said. ¡°I needed that.¡±


    ¡°Did you run?¡±


    ¡°Sparred with a few of the guys downstairs.¡± The gym had an open area with mats where they could fight as humans. He disappeared into Vicki¡¯s room, but when he came out, she was with him. ¡°She heard Mom,¡± he said.


    Vicki walked to me, and I lifted her up with my free arm and set her on myp. ¡°Mommy has the fever, she¡¯s in an ice bath right now,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that,¡± she said as she rubbed her eye.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see her? I¡¯ll see if we can get you any lunch while you give her a big hug.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then slid off and went into the bathroom.


    ¡°Anita, I¡¯m going to send Brent down to get food, do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, your credit card. We want burgers and fries.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°Write down your orders, and I¡¯ll have it delivered.¡± Mine was easy; a half-pound Mudhen burger with seasoned waffle fries and sour cream. The Mudhen was named after the town baseball team and had sauerkraut, bacon, and swiss cheese.


    One of the guys went to pick it up, and the girls rotated out to eat. Vicki liked her cheeseburger with extra bacon; I¡¯d ordered a quarter-pound one instead of a kid¡¯s size, and that was the right call. ¡°How is Mom doing,¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s tired and hot, and she isn¡¯t talking to me,¡± she said.


    ¡°You were the same way when you were changing,¡± I said. ¡°You came through with a beautiful shark-colored wolf. What do you think Momma will be?¡±


    ¡°Momma is old, so maybe she will be grey like you?¡± I just about snorted my Coke through my nose at that.


    ¡°Your mother is NOT old,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky she didn¡¯t hear that, kiddo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m old enough to be Leo¡¯s Mommy, and I¡¯m not old,¡± Donna said. ¡°Larry and I are just as active as when we first mated.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s first mated,¡± Vicki asked.


    I just backed away and showed my hands; I wasn¡¯t the one who brought it up with a curious girl. Donna didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Well, we believe the Goddess Luna, who gave us our wolves and the ability to shift, also gives us mates. Larry is my mate, and Mike is Anita¡¯s mate.¡±


    ¡°Married?¡±


    ¡°We get married too, but it is more than that. Finding your mate is the happiest day of your life because that person is meant just for you. When you find them, your wolves im each other, and you are mated.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I couldn¡¯t look.


    ¡°The man and the woman bite each other on the neck, like this,¡± she said as she pulled her blouse down and showed the scar. ¡°It¡¯s our wolf way of showing that we have a mate we are with for the rest of our lives. Then we go to bed and see if we can make babies,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, you have sex,¡± Vicki said like it was no big deal.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°Mommy going to have sex with Brent?¡± Of course, this was said as I took a bite, and I almost choked on it.


    ¡°Why would you say that,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°I heard him say Mommy was his mate,¡± she said. ¡°I hear a lot with my Wolfy.¡±


    ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t know that yet, and you shouldn¡¯t tell her,¡± I told her. ¡°When her wolfes out, she¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°When I have mate, I have LOTS of sex,¡± Vicki said.


    I started coughing; I couldn¡¯t take this anymore. ¡°We don¡¯t find our mates until we are at least eighteen,¡± I said. ¡°Donna is right, it was the best day of my life when I found Catherine. I still miss her every day.¡±


    We finished the burgers, then Brent came up and escorted her downstairs so she could watch a show for a bit. She didn¡¯t need to see all the pain that her Mom would be going through.


    ¡°Help! We can¡¯t keep her temperature under control,¡± Anita said in a panic. I was helpless to do anything but listen as I heard them dump more ice on the floor. Brent came running up the stairs, followed by Mike and Larry. They left the door and window open, cooling down the room. ¡°One hundred and seven,¡± Anita said as she ran the probe against her forehead again.


    It was like watching a train wreck. Liv wasn¡¯t conscious, and a few minutester, she had a seizure. It ended after about thirty seconds, but then she was still. Too still. ¡°GET HER OUT AND LAY HER DOWN ON THOSE TOWELS,¡± Donna said. Mike hauled her out with Larry holding her legs, while the women frantically dried her off. They set her on the floor by the sink. ¡°No pulse, start CPR,¡± Donna said as she took her fingers off Liv¡¯s neck.


    Mike knelt next to her, cing his hands in position on her chest. ¡°One and two and three and four¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the defibritor,¡± Anita said. I watched as she attached the pads and turned the machine on. I always kept an AED in my truck when I was doing construction, and I had moved it to my kitchen when I sold thepany. Anita had been smart enough to have it along with a medical kit staged.


    ¡°STOP COMPRESSIONS, STAY CLEAR,¡± the machine said. ¡°ANALYZING.¡± A few secondster, it had enough. ¡°PREPARING TO SHOCK. PRESS FLASHING BUTTON.¡±


    Anita verified everyone was clear, then hit the button. Liv¡¯s chest jumped with the shock. ¡°ANALYZING.¡± None of us could breathe while we waited for the verdict.


    ¡°CONTINUE CPR.¡±


    No¡­.


    Mike restartedpressions after Donna gave her rescue breaths. I was helpless to do anything but pray. And pray, I did. I hadn¡¯t begged Luna like this since Catherine had died.


    The door opened to the apartment, and Vicki burst in, crying and yelling for her Mom. I grabbed her and pulled her into myp, holding her as we both cried. ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Trying to save her,¡± I said. They finished the set ofpressions and let the machine analyze her again.


    Brent was losing his shit. ¡°NO! I can¡¯t lose her, not now. Luna, I¡¯ll do anything. Take me, take my wolf if you need one, but let my mate live!¡± He fell to his knees and begged for her life.


    ¡°PREPARING TO SHOCK. PRESS FLASHING BUTTON.¡± Everyone leaned back with their hands up, and Anita pressed the button. Vicki screamed as her mother bounced off the floor. ¡°HEARTBEAT DETECTED. STOP CPR.¡±


    Donna leaned over, checking her carotid artery. ¡°Weak pulse, she¡¯s back,¡± she said. I watched as her chest started to rise and fall on its own again. ¡°She¡¯s still burning up. Move her back to the tub. I¡¯ll leave the pads in ce.¡± She disconnected the wires from the machine and stepped back to let the men pick her up again. As soon as she was in the tub, Vicki squirmed out of my grasp and went in after her.


    ¡°Let her stay,¡± I told them.


    Donna had Vicki sit on the edge of the tform the Jacuzzi was built into, near her head. She could talk to her mother and be out of the way. ¡°One hundred and five,¡± she said as she used the thermometer on her forehead again. ¡°Keep the iceing. Men, OUT.¡± If she regained consciousness, she would be mortified that all these men could see her. That would change with her wolf, as we werefortable with nudity, but that time was not now.


    While they were getting her fever under control, I told the extra men to rearrange the bedroom. Pushing the furniture against the wall and leaning the bed up against it cleared out a carpeted space for her. I had themy out a nket on the floor, then put pillows next to any objects she might hit. In the pain of the shift, a person mightsh out and hit something.


    ¡°How are you doing, Sharkbait,¡± I asked over the link.


    ¡°What happened? Why was everyone so scared?¡±


    ¡°Your mother had a very high fever, and the ice wasn¡¯t helping. Her heart stopped, and they had to use the machine to start it again.¡±


    ¡°She died?¡±


    ¡°The change is dangerous, but we will do everything we can to help her through. You¡¯ll help too, right? You can pray for her and talk to her. Tell her how much you love her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She leaned down and started whispering in her ear.


    I thanked Luna for her help as a ck wolf sat down next to me, his ck fur broken only by a few spots of white. I scratched at the ear with the white tip. ¡°Your wolf couldn¡¯t hold back?¡±


    Brent nodded and chuffed. ¡°I would make her nervous if I was in my human form and watching her. She likes me this way, and my wolf won¡¯t settle if she isn¡¯t in sight. I almost lost her before she even knew who I was,¡± he said.


    ¡°Everyone else knows, including Vicki. You wouldn¡¯t have said something about mating and having sex with Liv while Vicki was sleeping, would you?¡±


    ¡°It might havee up talking to others,¡± he said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Little wolves have ears, and they aren¡¯t always as asleep as you think. Links are safer around the young ones.¡±


    ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You have a long road ahead after Liv makes the change. She didn¡¯t grow up knowing about mates, and she won¡¯t understand or trust what her wolf is telling her. Nothing has changed except the strength of the pull she will feel for you. You are still going to have to get her to fall in love with you, and get Vicki to love you as a father.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #30

    He slid down until he was lying on the floor, his head on his paws in front of him. ¡°Sharkbait is a great kid. I will im her as my own, and Liv can give us little brothers and sisters when she is ready. I¡¯d die for them.¡±


    ¡°She knows. Liv saw you fight off the wolf attacking her, and Vicki heard what you said about her Mom in there. Time and patience, Brent. Trust me, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Liv fought the fevers for two more hours as we watched and prayed. None of the spikes were as high, and her heart didn¡¯t stop again. She woke up when it got below a hundred and three. ¡°Momma,¡± Vicki said as her eyes fluttered. ¡°Wake up, Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Vicki?¡± Her voice was weak, but recognizing her daughter was a good sign.


    ¡°Mommy is too hot,¡± she said.


    That didn¡¯tst long. With the fever part nearly over, Liv¡¯s temperature returned to normal just as the first bone broke with a loud snap. ¡°OH, FISHSTICKS,¡± Liv screamed with the pain.


    Donna was already draining the tub. ¡°We need to move you into the bedroom for the rest of the fun,¡± she said. ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Liv said. The girls helped her to her feet and wrapped a towel around her body before she stepped out. Brent got out of the way first, and Anita pushed me away. It took a minute to move her into the center of the nket andy her down. Vicki sat next to her, and Brent trotted over to sniff her and lick her neck before returning to the door. Sheughed at the feeling of his tongue.


    ¡°Liv, this next part isn¡¯t going to be pleasant as your body goes through its first change. We can¡¯t keep you covered as your skin will be very sensitive as the fur pushes through. Do you want Brent and me to leave?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I feel safer with you both here,¡± she said. ¡°My wolf agrees with me.¡±


    ¡°You can hear her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s weak, but we are talking. Brent,e over here by me.¡± His head and tail were high as he came back over and curled himself behind her. Another bone snapped, and she let out a scream. Her hands fisted in his fur until she rxed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt as much when I¡¯m touching him.¡±


    ¡°Then use him as a pillow,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Liv¡¯s wolf has told her you are mates,¡± I sent to Brent.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now. What matters is that her mate can ease her pain and help her rx.¡± That would be very important over the next few hours.


    As the change went on, the breaking bones starteding faster, and the pain became constant. She had to push Brent and Vicki away as her skin became red and sensitive before grey and white fur started to push through. ¡°Her fur is like mine,¡± Vicki said.


    An hourter, an exhausted female werewolfy sleeping on her side on the nket with a ck wolf curled behind her. She was gorgeous, mostly gray with some white on the bottom and a small white saddle in the middle of her back. Her legs and tail were grey with white socks and tips. Vicki thought she looked like a White-Tipped Reef Shark she¡¯d seen at the aquarium.


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know; the reef sharks are much smaller than a Great White, and they have ck areas on their fins. I think she looks like an Oceanic White-Tip.¡± I pulled up a picture of the shark on my phone and showed her; the shark had mottled white on the tips of her fins, and at up to thirteen feet long, was muchrger than a reef shark. ¡°They don¡¯t have those at SeaLife.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± Vicki said. ¡°Momma a White-Tip.¡±


    Anita came up from downstairs thirty minutester with a bowl of warmed steak pieces and a bowl of water. She set both down near Liv¡¯s nose, and Vickiughed as her nose started to twitch as the smell hit her. ¡°Wake up, Liv. You need to eat and drink, the change took a lot out of you.¡±


    Liv¡¯s eyes opened up and she struggled onto her stomach as she looked around. She was a little panicky, and her head was turning as she tried to figure out everything that was assaulting her brain. ¡°Your senses are different now, sharper, and more sensitive. Don¡¯t try and move too much yet. Let your daughter feed you.¡±


    Vicki sat by her head, picking up pieces of steak and feeding it to her Mommy. ¡°You have big white teeth, Momma, like an Oceanic White-Tip,¡± she said. As Liv ate, I kept exining what changes she had endured. When she¡¯d finished her food, she struggled to her feet and took her first steps on four paws. She drank a lot of water before we coached her through walking in her fur. Finally, it was time to get up and go outside.


    Donna helped her learn to go down the stairs, stopping her a few times from falling the rest of the way. Vicki wanted to run with her, but with her concussion, it wasn¡¯t safe for her to shift yet. I had her climb up in myp and we watched out the window as she walked out with Brent at her side. With our wolf vision, we could see them clearly in the moonlit winter night. He dropped down his front legs, his tail wagging as he tried to get her to y. She figured it out, and soon the two were chasing each other around the yard and y fighting. ¡°Mommy have sex now?¡±


    ¡°Mommy and Brent need to learn about each other first. When it is the right time, they will bite each other¡¯s necks and be mates. What happens AFTER that is not something little girls need to know about,¡± I said.


    ¡°Aw, MAN!¡± She crossed her arms in front of her, just like Liv did when she got mad. It was cute.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her. Your Mommy needs to fall in love with Brent before it happens. Brent will make her happy, and you three will be together forever.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She had been up all afternoon, and she was exhausted. ¡°I love you, Unky Leo.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Sharkbait.¡± She fell asleep on my chest as the two wolves disappeared into the forest together.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ch. 26


    I stayed there with Vicki sleeping on myp until I saw the pairing back out of the trees. ¡°Our lovers have returned,¡± I sent to Mike and Anita.


    ¡°Good thing, dinner is almost ready,¡± Anita responded. ¡°Liv shouldn¡¯t shift back yet, and Brent won¡¯t change until she does. I¡¯ll get Vicki, and send help to get you back down here.¡± It was time for Vicki to wake, so I gently woke her and showed her how her mother wasing back with Brent.


    ¡°She looks happy,¡± Vicki said as she watched her Mom nip at Brent¡¯s back leg.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to teach her how to link,¡± I told her. ¡°I have to bring her into the Pack first.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°She submits to me as her Alpha, then I¡¯ll be able to open up a link to her wolf. After she can hear me, we¡¯ll teach her how to talk with everyone else.¡± I had an idea. ¡°You¡¯ve got a family bond with her, can you tray and send her a mental message? Can you tell her dinner is almost ready?¡±


    ¡°I can try,¡± she said. She closed her eyes and concentrated. I could tell it worked because Liv¡¯s body froze, and she fell to the ground, sliding across the snow-covered grass. She looked up at the window as Vicki waved to her. ¡°It worked!¡±


    ¡°Nice job,¡± I said. Anita came in and picked her up, and she told her what she¡¯d done as they walked out. Mike and Larry came up to get me. ¡°I can hop down, just hold my bad side,¡± I said. Larry wrapped his arm around my waist, and I held on to the railing as I went down. Mike set up the wheelchair in the kitchen, and I sat down in it. My useless left arm kept me from moving. ¡°This is ridiculous. I need to rent a powered wheelchair.¡±


    I heard a squeal from the hallway, as Vicki appeared, driving a red-colored powered scooter. ¡°Look, Unka Leo!¡± She smiled as she steered past me into the dining room, taking ap before she stopped next to me. ¡°We got you a scooter!¡±


    ¡°Thank Luna for that,¡± I said. She hopped off, and Mike helped me into it and showed me how to use it. I drove it to my room, where I was able to slide off on my own and use the bathroom before dinner. I drove back to the dining room, where Liv and Brent were sitting to the side in wolf form. ¡°Did you two have fun,¡± I asked.


    Liv woofed, and came over to greet me. She licked my neck, exposing her own neck to mine. My wolf pushed through, epting her submission and bringing her into the Pack. ¡°Wee, Liv, to the Miesville Pack,¡± I sent to everyone.


    As soon as the link opened, Brent, Mike, and Anita were able to establish their own mind-links with Liv and add their greeting. Vicki heard them all, and she was hugging her Mom¡¯s furry neck. ¡°Thank you, Leo. This is so cool!¡±


    My eyes got big as I realized she¡¯d mastered how to talk back over the link. ¡°Vicki taught me while we were waiting for you,¡± she said.


    I scratched her ears, then gave Vicki a hug. ¡°Nice job, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°Mommy wants to watch one of my shows. She doesn¡¯t know what an Oceanic White-Tip looks like.¡±


    ¡°After dinner, and only for an hour. The doctor doesn¡¯t want you sitting in front of a TV that long,¡± I said.


    ¡°Everybody, sit down for dinner,¡± Connie said. She pointed herdle at me. ¡°Not you two. You¡¯ve been petting a wet wolf, so go wash up again.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Sharkbait,¡± I said. I drove us to the bathroom, where we both washed our hands before driving back out. They¡¯d left a space for me, and Vicki climbed up to her chair, which was higher so she could eat normally. Connie had made sausage and four-cheesesagna, garlic toast, and a sd for us. ¡°What else has happened today,¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had six people from the Welch pack stop by, asking to join your Pack,¡± Larry said. ¡°All of them have already cut ties with Alpha Todd. I exined what was going on, and they agreed to stop by again tomorrow morning.¡± He passed me a list of names; my eyes got wide. Four didn¡¯t surprise me based on their text messages, but two did. All were mated wolves with families. ¡°Going after a child didn¡¯t go over well with them.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #31

    ¡°They are all good people,¡± I said. ¡°I have no problem with any of them. If they want to join, have theme over now,¡± I told my father-inw.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°They are vulnerable as lone wolves, and I won¡¯t leave them out there to be picked off by Todd or anyone else,¡± I said. ¡°Call them now.¡±


    He got up from the table and walked into the living room to make the calls. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you being yourself again,¡± Donna said as we continued eating. ¡°I was worried we¡¯d lose you too.¡±


    ¡°You were going to lose me until I found a reason to get up in the morning again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still young enough to find love again,¡± she told me.


    I just shook my head. ¡°Love is a young man¡¯s game,¡± I said. ¡°I had the best woman in the world for twenty-five years. I¡¯ve finally made my peace with her being gone, and I¡¯m moving on again. I¡¯ll watch over my Pack members as they find their mates and raise their families.¡±


    ¡°And what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lly there on the porch and keep an eye on the young ones as they y in the yard or the pool. I¡¯ll soak up the sun as the younger ones grow and take over,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be watching your own kids out there too,¡± Liv said. ¡°You¡¯re too good a man to stay single, now that you¡¯ve stopped hiding in a bottle.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Even if I wanted to find one, it¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    Donna justughed. ¡°You forgot, didn¡¯t you.¡± I looked at her funny. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to go to the Alpha Summit. You¡¯re not mated. Guess who is going to the scratch-and-sniff?¡± My jaw dropped, and she startedughing at me. ¡°Who knows, maybe there is a she-wolf out there who doesn¡¯t mind a slightly-used Alpha with some tread left on his tires.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Luna.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see you get another mate. To watch as you catch her scent, the way your wolf just KNOWS she is the one. You look around frantically, needing to find her and have her in your arms. To feel the tingles of a mate when she touches you, and your souls connecting as youe together. Yes, I hope and pray I get to see you happily mated again.¡±


    The Summit was on the weekend after Valentine¡¯s Day every year, giving me about six weeks to recover from my injuries. My shoulder would take two weeks, the ankle a month. By the time I arrived there, I¡¯d have Todd¡¯s pelt on the wall. I looked over at Liv and Brent; Liv was staring at him, he was nuzzling at her neck, and they were having a deep conversation over the bond with each other. Everyone else stopped talking and looked at them, knowing what was happening. Her wolf hadn¡¯t told her, but her human side was starting to put all the clues together. They had a LOT to talk about.


    ¡°Leo, we¡¯re going upstairs. I¡¯m still exhausted from the change,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. In the morning, we¡¯ll talk you through changing back.¡± I watched here up and lick the side of Vicki¡¯s face, then she went up the stairs alongside Brent.


    I sent a mental message directly to Brent. ¡°She wants you up there?¡±


    ¡°Her wolf and mine are ready to mate, but she hasn¡¯t epted me yet. Her wolf wants me there, so yeah, I¡¯m going to stay with her tonight.¡±


    We finished up the dinner, and Vicki pped when she saw the dessert was chocte cake and ice cream. I was cleaning up her hands and face when Larry told me the first people were arriving. ¡°Bring them into the living room,¡± I said. ¡°Can someone watch Vicki for a while?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her down to the theater to watch a movie,¡± Donna said. She took her down the stairs just before the first person showed up.


    I smiled broadly as Luis Hernandez, and his mate Maria came in the door, their four children among them. Luis had run the drywall and roofing crews for Volkov Construction. ¡°Luis, Maria,¡± I said as I drove over towards them. ¡°Wee to my home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leo, what did he DO to you,¡± Maria said as she rushed over to check me out.


    ¡°He sent my truck on a ride to the bottom of the ravine,¡± I said. ¡°A few weeks, and I¡¯ll be back to normal.¡± I got a big hug from her, and a handshake from Luis. ¡°I recognize Carlos and Juan, they¡¯d be eight and six now, but who are these two?¡±


    ¡°Esmerelda is three, and Ernesta is eighteen months old. Girls, this is Alpha Leo.¡±


    The girls came over and looked up at me; I reached out and touched their faces with my hands. ¡°You make beautiful babies, Maria,¡± I said. They exposed their necks to me, and I epted them into my Pack.


    The door opened again, and this time Rufus Washington and his mate Kinesha walked in, carrying a baby. Rufus was an apprentice plumber when I left thepany behind. ¡°Rufus,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°You went to the scooter store already, Leo?¡± Iughed. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°You too, Rufus. Kinesha, you look radiant! Who is this one?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is our son Ron,¡± she said as she leaned over. I epted both of them into the Pack before she handed their five-month-old to me.


    ¡°He¡¯s almost perfect,¡± I said. Kinesha looked at me, a little wide-eyed. ¡°Too much of Rufus¡¯ face, but you know.¡±


    She smacked me as sheughed. Paul and Lois Temple came in next; both were in their sixties and were retired schoolteachers and coaches from the Hastings district.


    Brian Knight was next, with his new mate in tow. Brian was in the Marines when I was Alpha, and I¡¯d never met his mate, Ca. He leaned down and embraced me, then introduced his mate, a nursing student at Winona State University. ¡°What are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°I left the Marines after two tours in Afghanistan and got a job working security at the nuclear nt,¡± he said. ¡°I needed insurance while Ca was going to school, and Todd didn¡¯t have any openings.¡± I weed them all to the Pack, and we chatted while waiting for our fifth pair to arrive.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Nick and Jenny showed up. Nick was a veterinarian in Red Wing, and Jenny was his assistant. Having them switch Packs was a big deal because many Packs did not have a doctor. By convention, Pack Doctors were untouchable and could travel between Packs with safety. It was also our custom that any injured werewolf could be transported to another Pack¡¯snd under a truce agreement. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy,¡± I teased as Jenny came closer. ¡°How far along are you?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #32

    ¡°Six months, with a boy,¡± she said. I quickly brought them into the Pack, bringing it from five to twenty in less than an hour. I filled them in on everything that was happening. ¡°Liv and Brent are upstairs resting after her first shift, and the rest are downstairs with Vicki. Now that you¡¯re all with me, I expect some of the people from Winona will be heading back to their normal duties. I have a few extra bedrooms that will open up when that happens, or you can stay in your homes.¡±


    ¡°We can stay here if you have room, Alpha. We were living with my parents,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Jenny can stay here, and I¡¯lle after my normal working hours on weekdays,¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Paul and I can be here whenever you need,¡± Lois said.


    Rufus and Luis both had their own homes, and with their families, they would stay in ce. The men would take shifts working security at the house when they could. ¡°As long as we can protect this building, we¡¯ll be fine. Liv and Vicki won¡¯t be going anywhere until the funeral, and we¡¯ll have police protection for that.¡± The FBI was going to be all over the funeral as it was the likely next ce to attempt to capture or kill the two. I wished I could get around better. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call everyone from downstairs and meet the others.¡±


    Vicki was thrilled to have kids near her age to y with, and my living room with the big firece worked out well for an informal party. It was a perfect night, and I couldn¡¯t be prouder of my Pack. They had stood up for what was right, even at the cost of their Pack position, and now they were mine.


    Two couples from Winona returned home with my thanks, opening one room for Brian and Ca, and another for Paul and Lois. Both couples left to pack up what they would need for a week or so. I waved goodbye to them from the door, then drove back to where Vicki was sleeping on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll watch her, you get some sleep,¡± Donna said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. I managed to take a shower and get in bed on my own with the scooter¡¯s help. It was a good night.


    I awoke as soon as I felt the bed move; my wolf told me it was my pup, Vicki, so I rxed. I waited until she was kneeling next to my side before I brought my arm around and trapped her against my body. ¡°AAHHHH! UNKY LEO!¡±


    ¡°Who thought she would sneak up on her Alpha?¡± I started tickling her side, causing her to startughing and wiggling around.


    ¡°STOP!¡± I let her go, and she sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Momma sent me to wake you up, it¡¯s almost ten,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is she still in her wolf?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vicki said with a little disappointment. ¡°I wanted to y with her, but Brent told her how to change back.¡±


    ¡°You have a few more days before you can shift, if things go well,¡± I told her. ¡°Now go, Uncle Wolfy is more like Grumpy Wolfy when he¡¯s woken up.¡± Sheughed and slid off the bed, running out the door and closing it. Knowing she was awake, I sent a mental message to my new Pack member. ¡°How are you feeling, Liv?¡±


    ¡°Sore as hell from the shift. Some of the stitches on my ankle tore when I shifted back, and Dr. Cannon had to stop by and stitch it up again. You should see the marks on my chest from the defibritor, it¡¯s like I got branded. I don¡¯t rmend being the CPR dummy.¡±


    It could have been so much worse. ¡°You scared the hell out of us, Liv. I¡¯m so d you pulled through.¡±


    ¡°Me too. My wolf and I are talking a lot, and Brent won¡¯t let me take a step without being there. Is that your doing?¡± He was hopelessly devoted to her, and eventually, she¡¯d ask why.


    ¡°He¡¯s your guard, and he almost lost you after the ident. Then you are bitten, and he almost loses you on the bathroom floor. He and his wolf don¡¯t want you hurt a third time.¡± It was the best excuse I could give for now, so I changed the subject before she could continue. ¡°You¡¯re going to have questions, and you will have a steep learning curve to figure out your new skills. You and Vicki are both going to have to work hard to catch up with your new bodies and senses. Now that you¡¯ve made the first shift each way, the rest will be quick and painless. You¡¯ll need to spend a lot of time as a wolf as you learn.¡±


    ¡°Anita said we¡¯d start training after lunch. It will give me a chance to catch up to my daughter.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all thrilled to have you both in our Pack. I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± I¡¯d shifted over to my scooter and driven into the bathroom while we were talking; ten minutester, I was dressed and rolling out to the kitchen. A half-dozen people were sitting around the table drinking coffee. ¡°Morning, everyone.¡±


    Connie brought me some pancakes and bacon, a ss of orange juice and a cup of coffee. I¡¯d miss her cooking when she returned home; she could cook for two or forty without missing a beat. I thanked her and asked the group if anything happened overnight as I took a sip of juice.


    ¡°The FBI and Goodhue County Sheriff¡¯s department raided Volkov Construction and arrested Todd Miller this morning,¡± Larry said.


    I just about choked on my juice. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    Connie turned up the volume on the small television in the kitchen. As soon as themercial ended, it was the lead story. ¡°Acting on an anonymous tip, the FBI served a search warrant on the Volkov Construction Company and its majority owner, Todd Miller of Welch, Minnesota. Sources close to the investigation confirmed one of the trucks owned by thepany was believed to have been involved in the hit-and-run attack that hospitalized retired hero Leo Volkov, mother Olivia Andersen, and four-year-old Vicki Andersen. The source stated that paint scrapes on the truck ¡®appeared to be a match¡¯ to the paint job on the pickup truck driven by former owner Leo Volkov. That truck, containing Mr. Volkov and three passengers, was knocked off the road into a ravine.¡± The video showed my pickup in the ditch as the wreckers winched it back up to the roadway the next morning. ¡°The attack on New Year¡¯s Eve was only days after Leo Volkov foiled a kidnapping attempt on the Andersens. One person was murdered during that failed kidnapping attempt, and the Stillwater couple responsible died at the scene. The FBI will not confirm if the two attacks are rted. In other news¡­¡± Connie turned the volume off again.


    ¡°Oh, Shit,¡± I said. ¡°The FBI sure moved fast.¡±


    ¡°Unky Leo said a bad word,¡± Vicki said with a giggle.


    ¡°Oh, Chum buckets!¡± That made herugh. ¡°How did this happen?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Inside job, most likely,¡± Larry said. ¡°You talked to the families you brought inst night. Even if other Pack members don¡¯t want to leave, they might not like their Alpha going after a preschooler and a human. If they knew Todd was the driver, it would be easy. Call in the tip, saying where the vehicle is, and who was driving. If they find evidence on the plow or the dump truck that matches Leo¡¯s truck, and his fingerprints are on the dump truck, they¡¯ve got him for four counts of attempted murder.¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone in the Pack do that?¡±


    ¡°Money,¡± Paul Temple said. ¡°Volkov Construction isn¡¯t doing well; Todd hasn¡¯t been able to maintain the business since you left, and others are eating at his contracts. He¡¯s having trouble making payroll, and he¡¯s been taking out loans against thepany.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile,¡± Lois said, ¡°You¡¯re sitting here with millions of dors in the bank from your buyout that I bet you haven¡¯t touched. Taking your friends for ransom is usible; the ident could have been another attempt, but your friends arrived too soon. It also could be that you refused to pay him.¡±


    ¡°You and Todd argued in public at Wiederholt¡¯s less than two hours before the attack,¡± Larry said. ¡°What you said wasn¡¯t overheard, but we weren¡¯t the only ones to tell the investigators that you two had a contentious meeting. Anyone could see how much you cared for Liv and Olivia after Christmas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all usible,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the FBI is going to ask me again about the meeting at Wiederholt¡¯s. It¡¯s a little sketchy on the kidnapping, but if the Feds take Todd down on the hit and run, I¡¯m all right with that. It was so public that human justice will raise fewer questions than ripping his throat out in the challenge circle.¡± Liv looked up, a little shocked. ¡°Werewolves tend to settle things privately and permanently. I told Todd to stay out of it, and that if he hurt you, I would not stop until I had destroyed him.¡± It was a little more than that, but it helped her rx. ¡°Can we expect more contact from the Welch Pack today now that their Alpha is in jail?¡±


    Ca nodded. ¡°Leo, the Alpha order prevents Welch Pack members from talking to you. It doesn¡¯t apply to their friends unless he¡¯s updated it since he found out you¡¯ve started your own Pack. I think I¡¯ll make some phone calls and see how things are going.¡±


    We had some time before lunch, and Vicki wanted to learn more about Oceanic White-Tips. I pulled up some Youtube videos and streamed them to the big TV in the living room. Liv was impressed by the big-finned sharks, and we all had a goodugh when they talked about how they were the ¡°sea dogs¡± of the Shark world. They would circle things they were curious about, moving away and then back in when they saw an opening, like a wolf going after deer. They were also known to follow ships and boats around like a dog might follow its master. When I showed Liv some cellphone video I¡¯d taken of her after her first shift, she agreed the markings were pretty close. ¡°Momma is pretty,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°You both are,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t be prouder of the two; Liv had made a smooth transition, and Vicki was a born leader. We had loose meat sandwiches for lunch, then the two of them left with Anita for training. Liv shifted in the garage, while Vicki had to be in her snowmobile suit since she couldn¡¯t go wolf with her concussion symptoms.


    I went to my office and started answering phone messages and emails I¡¯d received. No one was ready to call the Welch Pack over, but it was on the edge of copse. I had another six families who wanted to join. I had recognized some of the scents of the wolves that came after Liv, and I didn¡¯t expect them toe to me.


    The thing no one knew about was what would happen to Volkov Construction. Carlos and Rufus had been running their own crews for years as subcontractors, and could easily survive thepany folding. The others, who worked directly for thepany, didn¡¯t know if thepany would go under.


    When the answer came, it was not from the person I expected. It was just after dark when a Ford Escape showed up at the gates, and the man inside asked to meet with me privately. ¡°Bring him straight to my office, and no one says or does anything to him,¡± I said. I called Anita over the link, as she was training the girls right now. ¡°Keep Liv and Vicki away from the house until I give you the all-clear. Take them back in the woods, so they don¡¯t see him.¡± I called for Larry and Mike to join me at the meeting. I wanted Larry for his years of experience, and I needed Mike as he was my Beta and closest advisor on Pack matters. I had no idea why he would show up here, given what he had done to my Pack members.


    I heard the door opening, and less than a minuteter, Ivan walked through the office door. He was followed by Larry and Mike. ¡°My brother,¡± I said as I lifted my right arm towards him. ¡°I did not expect you to be in town after ourst conversation.¡±


    ¡°And I wasn¡¯t going to let Todd get away with trying to kill my family,¡± he said. ¡°I spent a lot of time going through my options. I finally settled on the one that would have the best oue, not for me, but for Liv and Vicki, even if it meant not taking my vengeance.¡±


    ¡°And my vengeance? How am I to get that with Todd in prison?¡±


    ¡°I took that from you as well, and for that, I apologize. I do not apologize for taking the best option for my daughter.¡± I couldn¡¯t argue with that. ¡°After I talked to you while you were in the hospital, I did a little checking around. I stopped by the Volkov Construction business office.¡±


    ¡°You got in there?¡±


    ¡°Todd¡¯szy and knows nothing about electronics. The security system code hadn¡¯t changed since we ran the ce, and he¡¯d turned off the surveince cameras after he arrived that night so he wouldn¡¯t be seen driving the truck out. They were still off when I arrived.¡±


    ¡°The safe?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get in, but I left him a little present for the Feds in his desk drawer. A bag with ten grand in cash and a burner phone that I¡¯d used to set up the grab with the Stillwater duo. I erased the text messages, but their tech guys will be able to make the tie. No fingerprints, of course.¡±


    ¡°You are a real bastard, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m the best at something.¡±


    ¡°Asshole.¡±


    ¡°Prick.¡±


    It was just like old times. ¡°You called in the tip?¡±


    ¡°After I left. There was one dump truck missing; I could see the tracks from when it drove out. It will show up in the video before Todd arrived, and be gone after he turned the system off. Todd thought he¡¯d hide it, but those trucks all have GPS. I looked up where it was and included that in the tip I called in from Red Wing. The dump truck alone is enough to get an arrest warrant, and the cash and phone will get the Feds looking at him as the guy behind the kidnapping.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #33

    ¡°He¡¯ll deny it, of course.¡±


    ¡°Not much else he can do. The kidnappers are dead, and the phone may or may not be enough to convict, but it¡¯s enough to charge him. He¡¯s in enough legal trouble that he may never return. It¡¯s not the n I wanted, but I did it because it gives me a way out of this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not turning yourself in then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nope. Doing that won¡¯t fix Brenda¡¯s ns for Vicki. I have to deal with her next, or you two will never have peace.¡± He stood and put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°This might be thest time we are together, my brother. I will return to Marengo Lake and challenge her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bold.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since I broke the bond and fled, I would be exiled. Her Pack might not let me live long enough to see her and issue the challenge. After all, it IS her Pack, and her mantle, that she is trying to protect.¡±


    ¡°We could go to the Council,¡± I said.


    ¡°She has done nothing yet that we can prove. I hired the kidnappers, and we don¡¯t know if she even talked with Alpha Todd. The only chance I have to save all of my children is to take out their mother.¡±


    I put my hand on him; I knew his mating was based in a business arrangement, but the mating bite didn¡¯t care. Rejecting the bond was weakening him by the day, and killing her would go against everything the mating bond was about. ¡°Good luck, Ivan. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. When the time is right, let Vicki know that she deserves a better father than me. I pray she has a good life.¡± He walked out, Mike following him, as I sat back and thought. I heard the door close, then his car driving away.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, I went to the hospital in an ambnce after the hit and run. New Year¡¯s Day, we almost lost Liv during her first shift and brought five families into the Pack. Yesterday, Alpha Todd was arrested and my brother said goodbye before heading back for a showdown at Marengo.


    It had been a hell of a holiday week already, and I hadn¡¯t watched a single parade or football game.


    Now it was Friday. Liv was still hampered by the stitched-up gashes on her leg, some of which had reopened during herst shift. She wasn¡¯t supposed to shift again until the skin had healed together, at least a week from now. Sharkbait was recovering well, and the restrictions on her activities were being loosened since she wasn¡¯t having headaches or dizziness. She still had a day or two left before I¡¯d let her shift again, just to be safe. Anita¡¯s arm was giving her some pain, but her cast woulde off in six more weeks. In the meantime, she couldn¡¯t shift. And me? I was an ad for The Scooter Store for two more weeks before I could get a walking boot, and my arm had to stay in a sling for another three days.


    The most unhappy of us right now was Sharkbait. Liv was able to wrap her leg up tightly and get into a boot, which allowed her to go snowmobiling with Brent and two other guards. I knew that in the big picture, Liv wasn¡¯t the real target, Vicki was, so I was all right with them leaving. It would give Brent some time alone with her, and they could have a romantic lunch date alone.


    With guards in a nearby booth. Still, it would be Liv¡¯s first ¡®date¡¯ in over five years. She didn¡¯t even know why she was so nervous about picking out the ¡®right¡¯ clothes until I reminded her that, at most, she¡¯d take her snowmobile suit down to her waist. Now that the two could talk mentally, they would have a lot of time to get to know each other better.


    They had been gone for an hour, and Vicki was NOT happy that she could not go. ¡°We can¡¯t have your head banging around inside that helmet, Sharkbait,¡± I said. ¡°There will be other days to go.¡±


    ¡°But Unky Leo, I¡¯ve barely had any FUN this vacation!¡±


    ¡°No fun? Going to SeaLife wasn¡¯t fun? Going snowmobiling wasn¡¯t fun? Having your Unky Leo over for Christmas wasn¡¯t fun?¡± She wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Eating prime rib until your belly looked like you swallowed a ball, then throwing up in the ambnce wasn¡¯t fun?¡±


    ¡°UNKY LEO!¡± Iughed at her attitude. ¡°School starts tomorrow, and I can¡¯t do ANYTHING.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going back to school, little one. We can¡¯t protect you there yet, so you¡¯re going to be staying home.¡±


    Her eyes got wide, and she punched a fist into the air. ¡°YAAAAY! NO SCHOOL, NO SCHOOL!¡±


    That was when Lois Temple walked into the room. ¡°Yes, school, youngdy,¡± she said. It was like Vicki was a balloon poked with a pin, she deted so fast. ¡°I¡¯ll be working with your teachers to get the units and your assignments, and we¡¯ll do them up in your kitchen. That way you won¡¯t be behind when you can go back.¡±


    ¡°When,¡± she asked.


    ¡°When Uncle Leo finds the people who are trying to hurt you and stops them,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take, but I will make it happen. You can count on me.¡±


    She leaned back into my chest as we sat on the couch together. ¡°What should we watch next?¡±


    ¡°I know the perfect show for you, youngdy,¡± Lois said. ¡°It¡¯s a show called The Aquarium on Animal.¡±


    ¡°Do they have sharks,¡± Vicki asked. ¡°I won¡¯t watch it if they don¡¯t have sharks.¡±


    ¡°They have whale sharks the size of a school bus,¡± Lois said as she sat down in the chair and grabbed the remote. She found the shows and sat with us as we started from the beginning.


    ¡°That shark is HUGE,¡± she said as she saw the whale shark, which was a slow-moving filter feeder. ¡°The tank is SO BIG!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thergest aquarium in the world, with over ten million gallons of water,¡± I told her as I looked down at the article on my phone. ¡°It has about eight times as much water as the SeaLife aquarium.¡±


    She was absolutely fascinated, and Connie just brought us our sandwiches for lunch so we could keep watching. She loved the yful sea otters and the big sea turtle. We were still watching the episodes after it got dark when Brent and Liv returned. She was flushed and smiling. ¡°Did you have a fun date,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mommy mated?¡±


    ¡°No, Mommy is not mated,¡± Liv said quickly.


    ¡°Yet,¡± Brent whispered.


    She came over and smacked me behind the head. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You knew we were mates and you didn¡¯t tell me!¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t ready yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready for this NOW,¡± she said as she put her hands on her hips, the same way Vicki did when she was upset. Laughing at her probably wasn¡¯t the right thing, and she smacked the back of my head again. ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°Momma have sex now,¡± Vicki said matter-of-factly before she turned back to watch the show.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m¡­. AAARRRGH!¡± She ran up to her room and mmed the door behind her.


    ¡°It went that well?¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°She wanted to know why I was so clingy, and I couldn¡¯t lie to her,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s frustrated. Her mind is saying no no no but her body and her wolf are saying yes yes yes.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to resist forever,¡± Lois said. ¡°Her wolf will keep pushing her until she epts the bond.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s agreed to date me,¡± he said. ¡°She will introduce me as her boyfriend, hold my hand in public, and we¡¯ve had our first kiss. She has to get used to the idea of having a mate before it can move forward, and I¡¯ll give her that time.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯te down for a while, so you may as well watch with us.¡± He lifted Sharkbait up off the couch, sitting on one end so she was trapped between us. She was crying over the sea lion who lost his eye to a detached retina when it was time for dinner. ¡°Can you go upstairs and wash up, and bring Mommy down,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Okay, Unky Leo,¡± she said. By the time the two came downstairs to join us, most of us had already started eating. Her eyes looked like she had been crying. Brent helped get Sharkbait settled, cutting up her big piece of ham and putting a blob of cheesy potatoes on her te next to the green beans. ¡°Ham tastes better now,¡± she said.


    ¡°A lot of things are different once your wolf senses kick in,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m figuring that out,¡± Liv responded. ¡°How could Brent know I was his mate? I didn¡¯t have a wolf.¡±


    Larry took that one. ¡°We don¡¯t know how Luna picks out her mates. I have faith that she knew what she was doing and that you were always meant to be one of us.¡± He looked across the table at her. ¡°Is there something wrong with knowing you have a man who was made just for you, who will love you more than himself for the rest of your lives together?¡±


    She sat back, a little shocked. ¡°I always thought I would get to choose the man I fell in love with.¡±


    Donna picked it up. ¡°Do you believe in love at first sight? The fairy-tale romance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is it? You should be thanking Luna for the gift she has given you. You don¡¯t have to worry about him cheating on you because you¡¯ll be able to feel over the bond if he does. You don¡¯t have to worry about divorce because it¡¯s exceedingly rare among our kind. Talk to your wolf; she is already in love. I think your human is as well, you are just afraid of love.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for love,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have time to live without it,¡± I said. ¡°I had twenty-five years with my mate, and they were the best years of my life. I would give anything to have her back.¡±


    Larry took Donna¡¯s hand. ¡°We have been mated for over forty years now. She¡¯s the best thing in my life.¡±


    Mike took Anita¡¯s hand. ¡°I will do anything if only to see my Anita smile,¡± he said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #34

    Brent took her hand. ¡°You aren¡¯t alone now. You don¡¯t have to work to support yourself, and your life doesn¡¯t have to focus on your daughter. Vicki is growing older; she has Pack mates her age, and a whole Pack to look out for her. She¡¯s happy here. You don¡¯t have to sacrifice your happiness for hers, Liv. You deserve it, too.¡±


    ¡°Momma, I want to go to the Anta Aquarium for my birthday,¡± Vicki said as he finished off her ham. I started tough, and soon everyone else did too. The previous moment had been so poignant, so emotional, and Sharkbait didn¡¯t care. She wanted her sharks.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get in shark cages with Great White Sharks swimming around you?¡± It was fun teasing her.


    ¡°CAN I? SHARK SHARK SHARK!¡± She was moving her arms like shark jaws, pretending to take a bite out of Mommy¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they allow tiny shark bait like to be used to attract sharks,¡± I teased her. ¡°The big ones want a steak. You¡¯re more like a fun-sized candy bar waiting to be unwrapped. If we put you in a shark cage, you might fall out!¡± She huffed and red at me.


    My cellphone rang, and it wasn¡¯t someone I expected to hear from. I backed away from the table. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Leo, it¡¯s Susan Miller. Can I beg a few moments of your time?¡± Susan Miller was Todd¡¯s mate and the Luna of the Welch Pack. I still respected her, even as I wanted her mate¡¯s blood in my teeth.


    ¡°Of course, Luna,¡± I said. I opened the bond to Mark and Anita as I drove to my office. ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Everything is falling apart over here,¡± she said. ¡°Todd was not granted bail, but even if he was, I don¡¯t have any cash to bail him out. I need help from you, and fast,¡± she said.


    ¡°Todd owns a majority of Volkov Construction,¡± I said. ¡°Can¡¯t you borrow against that?¡±


    ¡°I do the books for thepany, Leo. It¡¯s been losing money for two years, and he¡¯s borrowed against both thepany and our home. We¡¯repletely tapped out, and with Todd in jail, the creditors will be all up my ass. I have less than a month until I have to dere bankruptcy.¡± I had no idea it was so bad. ¡°It¡¯s getting worse, because I¡¯m losing Pack members to you and to other Packs, and they are quitting Volkov as they leave. My children and I will be out on our asses by spring at this rate.¡±


    I had to know something. ¡°Your husband tried to kill me and my friends, Susan. Why should I care about his family being left destitute?¡±


    Susan paused before she answered. ¡°Todd told me what you warned him about at Wiederholt¡¯s. He did it anyway, and he missed his chance. I¡¯m begging you, Leo. I know you aren¡¯t that man. Take back thepany and leave my family enough that we can start anew somewhere far from here.¡±


    ¡°And Todd?¡±


    ¡°Todd will do what he needs to do for his family, Leo.¡±


    I let out a sigh. I hadn¡¯t nned to get back into the business, but arge portion of the Pack I now had, and those that would join, looked to Volkov Construction for their livelihood. Todd might be thergest owner, but he wasn¡¯t the only one. If thepany dered bankruptcy, many of them would lose a big chunk of their wealth. ¡°We have a funeral tomorrow, and I need some time to bring in an ountant to look at the books with me. If it is as bad as you say, I will see what I can do. Bring the financials over tomorrow afternoon at three.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Leo. I always liked you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Susan.¡± I hung up, closing my eyes as I started to think about it.


    What a mess.


    Ch. 29


    Ivan Volkov (John Petersen¡¯s) POV


    Marengo Lake Pack Border


    The moment I stepped over the border on the north side, my fate could only go two ways. I¡¯d be Alpha alone, or I¡¯d be dead.


    I had driven from Minnesota to northern Wisconsin, parking my car at a trailhead in the state forest that bordered the territory of my old Pack. Marengo Lake Pack shared no borders, and the nearest Pack was fifty miles away. As such, we¡¯d never spent much time on patrols. I used to run the perimeter every week, or after a heavy rain, and refresh the scent markers. That was part of the duties of an Alpha Male, spraying my scent on the Pee Trees and our territorial ims.


    I had waited for two hours after sundown before I moved, and no movement was detected. I couldn¡¯t believe it; with Leo pissed and me missing, she should have constant patrols going. Aplete circuit took just over an hour in wolf form. It was fortunate for me and potentially fatal for her. I moved forward, setting a pace slow enough to stay aware of my surroundings, but quick enough to minimize my exposure. The Alpha¡¯s Home was three miles away; the other Pack houses were spread along the private road that circled around the small, privateke.


    I stopped short of the homes, hiding in the woods under a thicket. I waited for five minutes, looking out for patrols. The Pack was not in any state of readiness for an attack. The homes had lights on, I could smell dinners being cooked, and I could see families through the windows. I moved between the houses, making my way to the edge of the clearing where Brenda¡¯s home overlooked the water. I could see the back of the home, and the shades weren¡¯t even drawn. I could see my children watching cartoons in the family room with Patrice, a seventy-year-old Pack member who was their nanny.


    Brian was almost four now, and Laura was eighteen months. They were innocent in all this, just as Vicki was, but they would be irreparably harmed by what was to happen tonight. To save all my children, I had to take their mother from them. When tonight was over, all three of my children would have reason to hate me. They would live, though.


    Marengo Lake was living on borrowed time. When I broke the bond with Brenda, both of us were weakened. We each retained the Alpha mantle, but that just made her more of a target. An ambitious male could take her as his mate and get the Pack and Mantle, or could just kill her and take over the Pack. She would not be able to ovee an Alpha-blood male in his prime.


    I could see the light on in the kitchen and dining rooms, but the curtains were drawn. The longer I stayed out here, the higher the chance of discovery. As a banished wolf, the entire Pack would descend on me and tear me apart. I moved through the shadows to the side door from the garage, shifted, and went inside.


    I reached into the extra clothes bin, grabbing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Pulling them on, I made my way to the door leading to the kitchen. Amazingly, it wasn¡¯t locked either. I turned the handle and went inside.


    Brenda was there at the table, but she wasn¡¯t alone. Two men and a woman were sitting with her. I could feel the dominance and power they exuded. It filled the room and made my wolf shrink back. ¡°Sit down, Alpha John. We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman. It is my honor.¡± The Regional Chairman, Lewis Wolfe, stood up and pointed to his seat. I walked around the table and took his chair, which was opposite Brenda on the long side. ¡°I will be brief. Now that you are here, the conflict between you will be resolved permanently. It is up to the two of you whether that resolution includes your continued existence. One way or another, you will not leave this table until that is done.¡±


    I gulped; the two men with pistols walking in from the living room were all I needed to see. One moved to stand where he blocked the exit to the living room and hall, while the other guarded the way to the kitchen. ¡°That is eptable to me, Mr. Chairman. I came here to reach an agreement or die.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°This is not the only crisis I need to deal with. I am going to leave you in the capable hands of the National Council¡¯s Chief Mediator, Luna Adrienne McInnis.¡± He gestured to the elegant woman at the head of the table, as the other Council member stood up. ¡°Adrienne, please advise me as soon as this mess is resolved.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Chairman,¡± she said. We all stood as the two Council members walked out the door. ¡°Sit,¡± she said. I sat quickly; her reputation preceded her. Her skill set made her highly valued in disputes. She had been Luna of a Pack in Maine and had lost her mate ten years ago. She turned the Pack over to her oldest son and went to work for the Council as part of her recovery. She was open, honest, patient, ssically beautiful, and intelligent. Strong males were drawn to her, and one word from her could calm an enraged Alpha. The force of her personality alone was enough to get them to sit and discuss things calmly again.


    She was able to mediate conflicts in a way no other person could because she could make all parties feel valued as she foundmon ground andpromise. If she couldn¡¯t get us to bury the hatchet, a bullet in the back of the head was the next option. ¡°I have had some time to discuss the history of this conflict with Luna Petersen. I would like to hear it from your side. Luna Brenda, you are not to interrupt at any time. If you have anyments, write them down and hand them to me when we are done.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a lying sack of shit,¡± she said before Adrienne mmed her hand on the table. She went white as she felt the re from her.


    ¡°Rules are simple. I ask the questions, you answer them. You address all your words to me, not each other. I do this to take the emotions out. Emotions get in the way of facts and resolutions, so they will not be allowed.¡± She looked over at me. ¡°John, tell me your story.¡±


    Over the next twenty minutes, Iid it all out. My rejection, my bitterness, and my arrangement with Brenda so she could maintain control of her Pack. ¡°I didn¡¯t care that she was a lesbian. It was an arrangement with a purpose; I was free to fuck around with other women as long as it didn¡¯t get back to the Pack. I screwed up, and I got a college girl pregnant. I hadn¡¯t considered the consequences, and by the time I realized she wouldn¡¯t get an abortion, she¡¯d disappeared. When Brian was born without the Mantle, I realized I had a problem. When Laura didn¡¯t have it either, I knew Brenda would not stop until the Mantle was back with her eldest.¡±


    ¡°Did she know who she was?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, but Olivia had called my phone twice, and I knew Brenda would be checking my phone records. We had several arguments about it; she med me, rightly, for stealing the birthright from her children and giving it to a bastard child. She¡¯d never loved me, and I hadn¡¯t given her the one thing she wanted with our arrangement; a mantled heir. When she told me she would kill my spawn to get it back, I knew I had to act. A few inquiries got me the name of a person, who got word to another, and eventually put me in touch with the ones who I hired to kidnap Olivia and Vicki.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #35

    ¡°You didn¡¯t order the murder of her grandmother?¡± Adrienne was taking notes, but at this, she stopped.


    ¡°Of course not. I wanted to get my daughter out of the way. I was going to ce them with friends in a pack to the Southwest, out of her reach.¡±


    She looked up from her notes again. ¡°Why not just tell her she was in danger?¡±


    ¡°From what? First off, she wanted nothing to do with me. My name wasn¡¯t on the birth certificate, I wasn¡¯t paying child support, and I sure as hell wasn¡¯t wee in her life. Second, how could I tell her that her daughter was a werewolf? I figured I¡¯d kidnap them, ship them to a Pack, and after they helped Vicki through her shift, she would make the change too.¡± I looked down at the table. ¡°The people I hired fucked up and ruined any chance I might have of being with my daughter in the future.¡±


    ¡°They did. The murder attracted the attention of local and Federalw enforcement, who have been poking around this Pack and others. The Council wants this attention to go away before anything else ispromised.¡±


    I told her what I had done to frame Alpha Todd. ¡°He tried to kill my daughter, and it¡¯s probably enough to convict him. If the FBI buys it, the investigation stops with him.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Brenda hired Todd to kill your daughter. He fucked it up too, attracting even more attention from the human authorities.¡± I red at Brenda but said nothing. ¡°What did you want to aplish bying here?¡±


    ¡°Vicki Andersen is my daughter. She has the mantle, but she is my brother¡¯s Alpha heir now. I want her to be safe, and if that means that Brenda dies, then I will kill her myself.¡±


    She finished her notes, then looked at both of us. ¡°Brenda, you want the mantle. That is not possible now that Vicki has a Pack and has been imed by the Miesville Pack Alpha. Taking it now would start a war that the Council cannot allow.¡±


    ¡°I need that mantle, Luna! Do you have any idea how vulnerable I am now?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± It took another twenty minutes to work out the details. Brenda would formally recognize Vicki as the heir of the Miesville Pack and foreswear any attempts on her life. In exchange, I would remain at Marengo, but not as Alpha, or as her Mate. I would be the Luna¡¯s Champion, her protector, and defender. I would live in my own house on the territory, in a home I would buy. I would work outside the pack, and I could mate another if I chose. My position would allow me Pack status and visitation with my children under shared custody. If Brenda mated again, I would be released from my duties but could remain in the Pack.


    When I stood, it was to shake Brenda¡¯s hand and make a blood vow to follow the agreement we had made here this night. Adrienne cut out palms before we pressed them together, sealing it forever. ¡°These men will remain here to observe. The Council has more work to do to manage this mess you two have made. I am leaving for Miesville now. You will not talk to anyone outside of your Pack until I return. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luna,¡± we both said.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. My babies were all safe, and I was here to see it.


    I wanted to tell Leo she was safe, but I could not. I watched Mediator Adrienne walk away, wondering how she was able to do it all in one night. Now she was headed for Minnesota.


    Leo wouldn¡¯t know what hit him.


    Ch. 30


    The FBI stopped by our home just before nine on Thursday night. ¡°Senior Agent Thompson,¡± I said when she was brought to my office. ¡°What brings you here tonight?¡±


    ¡°I need to speak to Olivia, privately,¡± she said.


    Liv had been kept up to date on what was going on through the link, so as soon as her name was mentioned, she was already at my office door. ¡°Whatever you say to me, you can say to Leo,¡± she said as she came in and closed the door behind her. ¡°He is family.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°There has been a breakthrough in the abduction case that we have not released to the public yet, and we would appreciate your discretion.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°I¡¯d never do something to hurt an ongoing investigation,¡± I added.


    ¡°We found a burner phone in Todd Miller¡¯s office along with a substantial amount of cash. The messages were erased, but we recovered them. They detail an offer to kidnap you and your daughter in exchange for money.¡± I let a breath out. ¡°The County is pursuing the hit and run charge, but the US Attorney in Minnesota will be indicting Todd Miller for two counts of attempted kidnapping and one count of aggravated murder.¡±


    ¡°It was him all along?¡±


    ¡°That is what the evidence shows. I know your mother will be sent off tomorrow, and I wanted you to know that the man responsible is in jail now. You can start living your life again.¡±


    ¡°Thank God, I¡¯ve been wondering how we would manage without Vicki¡¯s school or my work and school,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°Thank you for telling us,¡± I said. ¡°A lot of our friends and family have been giving up their vacation to help protect us, and now we can let them go home.¡±


    ¡°You have my card if you have any questions. Once the indictment is issued, Mr. Miller will be arraigned in Federal court. Miss Andersen, I will let you know when that urs. As for you, Mr. Volkov, the US Attorney¡¯s office reviewed your actions. His office determined that you acted in defense of yourself and others, and no charges will be filed. In fact, the FBI ns to recognize your heroism.¡±


    ¡°He saved us both,¡± Liv said as she got up and walked over. She kissed my forehead and turned back to the agent. She leaned forward and whispered in her ear. ¡°If you wait eight weeks until he can walk normally, he¡¯d appreciate it. You know what whiners men can be when they areid up. Riding a scooter isn¡¯t manly unless it has knobby tires and a gun rack.¡±


    Senior Agent Thompson barely held back herughter. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well aware of what sooks they can be,¡± she whispered back. ¡°With the threat over, we will not have thew enforcement presence at the memorial that we had nned on, but I¡¯m sure there will be many there to remember her life.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She opened the door and walked her to the front door; by the time Liv came back into the room with Larry and Mike, she was driving away. ¡°Your brother¡¯s ruse worked,¡± she said.


    ¡°So far. If Todd fights the charges, and they dig in deep enough, they might find an alibi for him,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°What we need is for Todd to ept a plea deal.¡±


    Mikeughed. ¡°Why would he plead guilty to kidnapping and murder? That¡¯s forty to life in one of those tough pound-you-in-the-ass prisons, not ten years in Stillwater for felony hit and run.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about motivation,¡± I said. ¡°Do you remember The Godfather Part 2?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a ssic,¡± Mike said.


    ¡°Michael tried to whack Frank Pantangele and missed, and the Feds had him. If he testified, Mike would never get out of prison.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, then Michael brought his brother over to remind him of the Code, and he took it back,¡± Larry said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°True, and he ended up in prison. Tom Hagen goes to visit him, and has a conversation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember that,¡± Mike said. ¡°Tom talked about how when a conspiracy against the Emporer was discovered, all of them would be wiped out, including their families. However, the senior ones, if they killed themselves, the Emporer would make sure their families were taken care of.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how we do it. Todd¡¯s a horrible businessman and an opportunistic ass, but he loves his family. He knows the Company is going bankrupt, and his home is mortgaged to the hilt. He has two children in grade school, and his wife will struggle to support them. She ran the office, but she¡¯s got no post-secondary education and she will be stuck in low-wage jobs. Add to it that the Pack is falling apart and her family is med for it? She¡¯ll be lucky to end up at the bottom of thedder in any Pack that will take her.¡±


    ¡°It sucks, but that¡¯s why you don¡¯t go after Alphas outside the challenge circle,¡± Larry said. ¡°When he tried to kill the four of you, he went too far. No Pack will take them, and the Council won¡¯t help. He¡¯s going to go nuts in prison.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dumb and out of options, but he can still do me a service,¡± I said. ¡°In the Godfather book, Michael was able toe back to the States after killing Solozzo and McClusky when another gangster facing murder charges confessed to the crime. In return, his family was taken care of.¡±


    ¡°You must really like that movie,¡± Liv said. ¡°It¡¯s SO old.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #36

    ¡°Greatest movie of all time,¡± I said. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯lly out the options to Susan Miller and we¡¯ll see if Todd will be a stand-up guy for his family or not.¡± Our meeting broke up and we went to bed early; tomorrow was going to be draining.


    The FBI might think the threat was over, but I knew better. Luna Brenda was still out there, and I hadn¡¯t heard back from my brother. He might even be dead by now.


    Breakfast started at six and was unusually quiet. Brent, Mike, Anita, Liv and I were leaving for the church early to set up the memorial tables and make sure security was set. The rest of the Pack and our allies from would caravan from my house, making sure Sharkbait stayed safe. Alpha Doug and Luna Jennie were bringing every warrior from the Winona Pack up in a show of force.


    Liv had found some things in the boxes she had packed, but she needed to stop by her apartment to get the rest of her grandmother¡¯s items. I waited in her Acura while she and Anita got what they needed, with Mike and Brent covering the front and back of the apartment. Fifteen minutester, she put a box in the rear and we were on our way.


    The funeral home had worked with the Pastor at Crossroads Church before and would be bringing the cremated remains in at seven-thirty for a private family viewing. Liv had done a lot of nning with the church over Skype, and volunteers would be there to help out. The main hall where the service would take ce had a raised stage; on the screens, photographs from her life would be shown on a loop. They left a lectern in the center of the stage, and the girls set up Natalie¡¯s photos and awards from her teaching career.


    In themon area outside the hall, the kitchen was getting ready to serve coffee and snacks. I parked my scooter near the front door, waiting for the arrival of the remains. Natalie had been cremated two days ago, and Liv could not attend due to her shift. The parade of cars showed up shortly after the setuppleted, and the wolves spread out to make sure it was safe before Vicki was escorted in. She went into the offices with her Mom to wait. When the hearse pulled up out front, I called for them toe out.


    I knew a talented woodworker in St. Paul who specialized in cremation urns, and I¡¯d given Liv the Nelson Woodworks website. She worked with him to design what she wanted; it was a solid cherry chest, with Natalie¡¯s wedding photographser-engraved on the top. Liv had given her grandfather¡¯s ashes to the funeral home, and they ced her remains in therge box with herte husband.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The funeral home director waited until Liv and Vicki were ready, then he ced the chest on a cart and rolled it in. Liv was crying and holding on to Vicki¡¯s hand while her other hand stayed in contact with the chest. No one said anything as the vessel was moved into the sanctuary and ced in front of the lectern.


    The pastor led a prayer for the family, and we all had ces reserved in the front row. I sat next to Vicki, while Brent had the other side of Liv. Larry and Donna, and Alpha Doug and Luna Jennie were in the same row. We had people throughout the room and at all the exits before public viewing began at eight.


    As soon as the doors opened, the parade of mourners began. Natalie¡¯s long teaching career was remembered by coworkers and students alike. I think Brent spent more time handing Liv Kleenex than anything else over the next two hours.


    A few minutes before the service was set to begin, Liv brought Vicki to the restroom. When she returned, she froze when she saw a couple in their forties in the front. The woman was on her knees, crying out, while her husband tried to pull her away. ¡°Mom,¡± she cried out as she buried her face in his chest.


    Liv waited until they had moved off to a seat in the back corner of the room before she came back to our row. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they had the gall to show up,¡± she sent.


    ¡°Your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I let our Pack know over the link what was going on so they could be watched, and Larry passed the same to all the Winona Pack members. Thest thing we needed was for them to ruin this service.


    The memorial service itself I barely noticed, as I was too busy watching Vicki and making sure she and her mother were all right. Her former principal and a coworker eulogized her before Liv stood to say her goodbye. She spoke about her grandmother¡¯s endless love andpassion and what it had meant to her students and her family. ¡°She was the best woman I¡¯ve ever known, and now she¡¯s gone. I love you and I miss you, Grandma.¡± She put her hand on the urn onest time as the pastor helped her off the stage. The service closed in prayer, and we were lead out first into themon area reception line.


    I made sure the girls had food and drink avable as they talked to people before they left. I didn¡¯t notice Vicki had moved away at first, but I was relieved that Anita was following her. She walked across the room to where Liv¡¯s parents sat, where Liv wouldn¡¯t see them, and they didn¡¯t have to look at her. ¡°Link me what happens, and step in if you need to,¡± I told Anita over the bond.


    Vicki went to stand in front of the couple, not saying anything until they looked up. Of course, they knew who she was, but they didn¡¯t reach for her, no matter how much they wanted to. I could see a tear in Vicki¡¯s eye as the little girl looked up at Liv¡¯s mother. ¡°Am I a bad girl?¡± Her grandmother didn¡¯t even raise her eyes from her hands. ¡°Why can¡¯t you look at me?¡±


    Her grandfather was shaking, and finally, her grandmother reached out her hand and touched Vicki¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± she said.


    ¡°My Grandma is gone, and you don¡¯t love me,¡± she said. ¡°I just want a Grandpa and Grandma!¡± Before they could respond, she turned and ran back to her mother. Liv red at them as she picked her daughter up, holding her tight as she cried on their shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Momma.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Liv said. ¡°I have you and the rest of our family. I regret doing some things, but I¡¯ll never regret having you. I love you, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Mommy.¡± Neither of them noticed when the couple left quietly out the back door.

 THE PORCH WOLF #37

    Vicki wasn¡¯t calming down, and people were backing up in line as they waited to say goodbye to Liv. ¡°Let me talk to her,¡± I said as I opened my arm to her.


    ¡°Can you go with Uncle Leo?¡±


    Vicki nodded, and Liv set her down in myp. I drove the scooter through the people milling around, all of whom were trying to politely ignore the meltdown that just happened. The pastor waved me towards his office; he opened the door for me. ¡°You can have some privacy here until you¡¯re ready toe back out. This has been a rough day for us all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Pastor.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He knelt down by Vicki and held her hand. ¡°Your great-grandmother was a wonderful person, and it is all right to be sad. Let the sad out, and then your heart will have room for all the good memories of her again.¡± She just nodded her head as the tears fell, and he left us alone.


    ¡°They don¡¯t love me,¡± Vicki said as she cried into my chest.


    I rubbed her back as I thought about what to say. How can you exin your own family turning their back on you? ¡°That isn¡¯t true,¡± I told her. ¡°There is nothing wrong with you, and nothing is your fault. You just have some very stubborn people in your family.¡±


    ¡°Momma too?¡±


    ¡°Especially Momma. She is very protective of her little wolf, and sometimes, that means keeping people away who might say mean things about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stubborn,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really? Who was the one stomping her feet and grabbing on to the rails at SeaLife because she wanted to watch the sharks instead of leaving to go eat dinner?¡± She hid her face in my chest. ¡°Stubborn is as stubborn does.¡±


    She thought about this for a minute. ¡°What about Daddy? He doesn¡¯t love me.¡±


    I scratched her back, making her rx, and her wolf let a low rumble go in her chest. ¡°Your Daddy does love you. He made some mistakes and hasn¡¯t been part of your life, but he does love you from afar. He is doing anything he can to keep you safe, just like I am.¡±


    ¡°And Grandma and Grampa?¡±


    I let out a breath. ¡°When your Mommy got pregnant with you, Mommy wasn¡¯t his wife. Your father was worried about what it would do to his marriage, and he was mean to your Mommy. She didn¡¯t yell and carry on about it, she just left him. If he couldn¡¯t openly be your father, she wanted him nowhere near you. She went home instead.¡±


    ¡°To Grandma and Grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Grandma and Grandpa were very upset that your mother was pregnant by a married man. She was too young, just starting college, and they thought it would ruin her life. They were embarrassed and wanted to send her away, so no one would know she had a child outside of marriage. Then, they wanted Mommy to give you to someone else to raise, so everyone could pretend she was never pregnant.¡± Her eyes got wide. ¡°Mommy is stubborn, and she loved you from the first time she knew you were growing inside of her. She refused to give you up, so your Grandfather sent her away and told her not toe back. That was thest time she saw them until today. They are all too stubborn to get over it and just love each other and you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± she said.


    ¡°No. You are the one good and right thing in this whole mess. Your great-grandmother took Mommy and you in, so Mommy wouldn¡¯t go back and do what they wanted. Both sides are dug in now, and there¡¯s only one thing that can bring them together again. It won¡¯t be easy, though.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Love. It¡¯s easy to ignore something when you don¡¯t see or hear about it, but today, you stood there and made them look at you. Their granddaughter, who they¡¯ve ignored all this time. There is no more secret; the news and the photographs have gotten back to their home in Madison. All of their friends and neighbors know that Mommy had a baby at neen and is a single mother. Mommy and your grandparents have to make a choice; do they keep ignoring the only family they have left, or do they find a way to be together again?¡±


    ¡°Could they?¡± Her eyes got wide.


    ¡°If they love enough to forgive each other, it can happen. It¡¯s not your fault, Vicki. It¡¯s not something you can make them do, just like I can¡¯t make you like cauliflower.¡± She giggled at that. ¡°All you can do is be cute and cuddly, and let that smile of yours melt the ice around their hearts.¡±


    Anita asked over the bond if we were done because they were ready to take Sharkbait home. I would stay with Liv as they packed up the mementos. We ate after everyone else left and packed the extra food up to take home. It was well past one in the afternoon when we transported her grandparent¡¯s ashes back to my home.


    ¡°Susan will be here in a little more than an hour,¡± Mike said as I joined my senior people at the table. We were a lot lighter now; almost everyone from Winona had returned home with my thanks. Larry and Donna stayed behind to make sure I didn¡¯t backslide into ¡®drinking and generalziness,¡¯ as she called it.


    ¡°Jacob Burnley will be here soon, so no shifting and watch what you talk about,¡± I said to everyone. Jacob was mywyer, and he wasing with an ountant. I didn¡¯t know her, but she had been digging through the Volkov Construction books with Susan since yesterday afternoon.


    Yesterday Afternoon


    When I¡¯d called Jacob after getting off the phone with Susan, he was shocked when I told him I was thinking of purchasing a controlling share of Volkov Construction from Todd Miller.


    ¡°Why would you do that,¡± he said. ¡°From what I hear, it¡¯s circling the drain, and that was BEFORE Todd got arrested. Let it go bankrupt and buy the scraps at auction. You can always build it up againter.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± I said. ¡°Todd isn¡¯t the only one who gets hurt if thepany goes under. There are good people, friends of mine, who are going to lose their life¡¯s savings if it hits bankruptcy. Susan also needs cash now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. The Millers have an expensive legal billing from the criminal case against him. Whatever Todd has left, I¡¯ll get for you in a civil case.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait months, and I want to keep the business afloat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay a lot more,¡± he said.


    ¡°What I need to know is what a fair offer is,¡± I said. ¡°Most of it will be taking over the debt load. As long as Susan gets the lien off her house, she will be happy.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll call in some favors and start my due diligence today.¡±


    ¡°Good. Susan will be at my house tomorrow at three. I¡¯d like to have an agreement by Monday.¡±


    I could hear him coughing in the background. ¡°Monday? Are you nuts?¡±


    ¡°Just do it, Jacob. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Present Day


    I smiled at Jacob as he came into my office. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re working a weekend,¡± I teased him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, the client insists on meeting today,¡± he said. ¡°May I introduce Patricia Cornwell, our forensic ountant.¡± He moved aside, and I saw a woman in her thirties, with rust-colored hair and a face full of freckles, approach me.


    ¡°Leo Volkov,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please call me Patricia,¡± she said with a smile as she shook my hand, then pushed her reading sses back up on her thin nose. ¡°You have a beautiful home.¡± My wolf had been nervous all afternoon, and I didn¡¯t know why. I took a deep sniff. She was fully human, wearing light floral perfume, a hair conditioner with an ocean scent, and budding arousal at seeing me. She was a beautiful woman hiding behind a professional image, and I didn¡¯t see a ring on her finger. The business suit she wore couldn¡¯t hide the figure underneath, with ring hips and a generous bosom. I saw her looking at the wedding band I still wore, and I could sense her disappointment. I finished my assessment before my look was impolite and gestured for them to sit at the chairs on the other side of my desk.


    ¡°Thank you. Myte wife helped design it when I first started Volkov Construction.¡± Anita brought in coffee and water, then closed the door behind her. I opened the link to the Pack adults so they could follow along. ¡°Let¡¯s start with my side, Jacob. What do I have in terms of liquid assets?¡±


    ¡°The money you received from the sale of yourpany has done quite well, and it continued to grow during your early retirement,¡± he said. ¡°You have liquid assets of just over two million dors, and you could borrow against your paid-off home for another six hundred thousand, though I wouldn¡¯t advise it. You have more than enough for a cash offer.¡±


    ¡°Patricia, what is your assessment of thepany?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Burnley is correct in that thepany is circling the drain. Mrs. Miller was cooperative, and I did not see evidence of hidden assets or liabilities. The problem has been a consistent loss of revenue over the past four years, resulting in operating losses that grew from one hundred thousand in 2016 to over six hundred thousandst year. The shortfalls have been covered by lines of credit, and most recently a home equity loan against the Miller¡¯s house. In my opinion, thepany will be insolvent before April, as their ability to borrow outstrips expenses.¡±


    ¡°How much debt are they carrying?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #38

    ¡°Todd borrowed $1. 2 million to purchase your 70% of thepany five years ago. Now, total liabilities are $2. 087 million against assets of $1. 46 million,¡± Patricia said. ¡°Cash flow is just as bad. Revenuesst year were $817k against expenses of $1. 422 million. Thepany settled fivewsuits for breach of contract in the past two years, with two more pending. The debt service is killing them; when youbine poor management with this kind of debt load, you have a death spiral.¡±


    ¡°What would you two rmend for a purchase price,¡± I said.


    ¡°Whatever the auction calls for,¡± Jacob said. I red at him. ¡°Volkov Construction needs a cash infusion of at least a million dors to remain liquid and reduce the debt load to a manageable amount, and they need to flip the revenue numbers. That is your job; you built thepany, you¡¯ll need to rebuild it in the eyes of the customers.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°How much are you buying? Majority share? Your seventy percent back? Or do you want the eighty-five percent the Millers now own?¡±


    ¡°Eighty percent would be ideal, but a minimum of fifty-one percent, so I have full control of thepany. Susan can keep five percent; if thepany turns around, she and her children deserve to share in the earnings. If it goes bankrupt anyway, they aren¡¯t out any more than they are right now. Her home equity loan gets paid back first; I don¡¯t want any loans left that are not secured by Company assets.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe Todd mortgaged his home to keep it afloat; all he did was risk losing everything he had.


    ¡°Let me run some numbers, and I¡¯ll let you know the parameters that would make for a fair offer,¡± Jacob said. ¡°You¡¯re putting a lot of money at risk for other people here. I hope you know what you are doing.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°I need to do a few more things before we meet with Susan. I¡¯ll leave you to your work for a few minutes.¡±


    The two went back to theirputers while I drove out into the hallway. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Larry,¡± I said.


    ¡°I got a call from my friend in the Council. They have been meeting with Susan Miller all morning, and they are very interested in this meeting you are having with her. They will be apanying her here.¡±


    ¡°Do they realize I have humans here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they care, Leo. They are also bringing in the big gun. Luna Adrienne McInnis is here to mediate between the Miesville and Welch Packs. He said that the Council will not leave until this mess is sorted out, one way or another.¡± Luna Adrienne was making her name with the Council six years ago before Catherine got sick and I stopped paying attention to Pack politics. ¡°If the State Department had Adrienne, we¡¯d have peace in the middle east within a week.¡±


    ¡°Or they¡¯d all be dead,¡± I said. ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    I opened the door to my office and drove back in. ¡°Change in ns,¡± I said. ¡°The meeting with Mrs. Miller is pushed back to six o¡¯clock. I need the two of you to prepare an offer. Write it up, leave the percentage of thepany, and the amount of the sale nk for now.¡±


    ¡°You n to close the deal tonight?¡±


    ¡°If it is to happen, it will be tonight. Sell assets as needed to ensure my portfolio has enough liquid assets to cover up to a $1. 8 million purchase price. That should be more than enough to cover whatever the agreement is.¡±


    Jacob Burnwell let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s never simple with you, Leo.¡±


    ¡°Think about what kind of indemnity we need to have and how to protect my interests. You¡¯ve got a couple hours, counselor.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He stood up and put his papers back in his briefcase.


    ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Volkov,¡± Patricia said. ¡°Here is my card, don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t returning for the negotiations?¡±


    ¡°No, my part is done. Todd Miller may not be a good businessman, but his wife kept the books properly, and I provided an urate ounting of the business financials. What you decide to do about that is not my area.¡± She gave me a smile. ¡°I hope to see you again when you are back on your feet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Larry, please see them out.¡± As they went to the driveway, I drove back to use my bathroom and freshen up. I was finishing up when Mike linked me. ¡°The Council members and Luna Susan just turned onto 91 in Miesville,¡± he said. They were a few minutes out and would pass Jacob and Patricia soon after they left my driveway.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do this in my office; I¡¯m not worried about Susan with the Council here. I will link if I need anything.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alpha.¡±


    I drove around to behind my desk, and Anita came in and ced a tray with coffee, tea, and snacks on the table by the window. ¡°Anita, please arrange the chairs for three people, with one of those chairs close to my desk on the window end for Susan,¡± I said. ¡°Seat them, offer refreshments, then leave me with them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want Larry or Mike in here to back you up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at enough of a disadvantage being stuck in this scooter; I don¡¯t want topound it by hiding behind another wolf. The Council will not allow us to harm each other, and Luna McInnis won¡¯t allow anything to get out of hand.¡± I had been considering my options for dealing with her since I found out she wasing; I had chosen my path and hoped it wouldn¡¯t burn me. Looking out the window, I saw the two cars drive in and park.


    Beta Mike met them as they came to a stop, and left the link open for me. ¡°Chairman Wolfe, Luna McInnis, and Luna Miller, wee to the Miesville Pack. I am Beta Mike Winters, at your service. Alpha Leo sends his apologies for not greeting you in person, but as you will see, his injuries prevented it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Beta Winters,¡± the Chairman responded. They walked into the house, where their coats were taken, and Mike led them to my office. ¡°Leo, it has been a long time,¡± he said as he walked into my office.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Indeed it has, Chairman Wolfe. I believe it was the 2014 Alpha Summit in Sun Valley,¡± I responded. My wolf pushed forward, alerting me to something, but he didn¡¯t say what. A pleasing scent, like cedar and rain, was in the air; it drew me in, but I couldn¡¯t identify its source.


    He shook my hand as he inspected my sling and boot. ¡°You will recover?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in eight weeks. The ligaments of my ankle took the brunt of it. The shoulder will be fine in two weeks.¡± He moved around the desk, and behind him was Luna McInnis. My breath caught in my chest as I saw her; she was tall and elegantly dressed, her deep-red hair gathered to hang down her back. She was wearing white cks and heels, a matching blouse with delicate beadwork, and a light grey jacket. ¡°Luna, wee to the Miesville Pack,¡± I said as I held my hand out. My wolf felt the dominance of hers and rushed to meet it. When our fingers touched, a tingle shot up my arm. My hand gripped hers a little tighter for a moment, and something passed between our wolves before I let her go again.


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Alpha Leo.¡± She held the look into my eyes a few seconds too long, before shaking her head slightly and stepping back. My wolf was acting weird; I pushed him back and went on with the greetings.


    ¡°Luna Susan,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Thank you foring.¡±


    ¡°My apologies for all that has happened between our Packs,¡± she said as her hand reached for mine. ¡°It should never have been this way.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I waited while they sat and received their drinks from Anita, and the door closed behind her before I started. ¡°Thank you all foring. I understand the Council¡¯s interest in this, but Luna Susan and I have a long history with each other. You are wee to observe, but the two of us are not negotiating through the Council. Mediation is neither requested nor required. Instead, I will work through these problems with my friend and former Packmate.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful if you can do that, but the Council¡¯s interest is in seeing this settled before any other human entanglements are created. Perhaps if you had involved us earlier, some of this could be avoided,¡± Luna McInnis said.


    ¡°Perhaps. In any case, I will not waste Luna Susan¡¯s valuable time.¡± I turned my attention to her, reaching out to grasp her hand. ¡°There is one thing we will discuss that is not negotiable,¡± I told her. ¡°Your mate knocked my vehicle off the road, seriously injuring a fellow Alpha, and three people who are very important to me. In the process, he caused the turn of a human and lost three of your Pack members attempting to kill a four-year-old girl. This was done without a proper challenge, and after I had warned him to stay out of a conflict between my Pack and the Marengo Lake Pack. The penalty for this is death.¡±


    She nodded and started to cry. ¡°I did not know,¡± she said.


    ¡°I believe you. What I need to know right now is whether you ept that your mate¡¯s death. If you want to fight for his life in the human or the werewolf system, we have nothing to talk about.¡± It was a hard line, but it was the only way. I handed her a Kleenex.


    ¡°I love my husband, but I can¡¯t forgive him for this,¡± Susan said. ¡°Three of my close friends are widows, and he¡¯s facing decades in prison. He left me with this big mess, and I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to live and where I will raise my boys now,¡± she said. ¡°He decided on these actions without me, because he knew what I would say. I will mourn his death, but I understand it must happen.¡±


    I gave her a minute topose herself. ¡°What were you hoping to achieve tonight, Susan?¡±


    ¡°My Pack is disintegrating around me,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not just you starting your Pack; people see what is happening with Todd, and with Volkov Construction, and are running away as fast as they can. I¡¯m not worried about someone challenging for my Alpha position, Leo. In a week, there won¡¯t be five wolves left with me.¡±


    I patted her hand. ¡°I have a way to end the human investigations if you are willing to help, and Todd does what we need him to do.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    I looked over at the Chairman and Luna McInnis; they were following closely, but giving me room to lead the meeting. ¡°I think we can agree on a few goals we would all want here. Our people have a stable Pack structure, Volkov Construction continues to provide good jobs for many of our members, and you and your children are provided for. Would you agree?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I would add one thing, and that is my status. I¡¯m worried I won¡¯t find a Pack willing to take my family after what my husband did.¡±


    ¡°I will take you in my Pack if you agree to the terms, Susan. As you said, you and your children were not part of the decisions. I will not see you punished for them.¡±


    She looked up, her face showing a little bit of hope. ¡°You would do that? What would your Pack say?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #39

    ¡°They would say I extended mercy to an old friend and her family. I would not allow anyone to retaliate against you,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you need from me?¡±


    ¡°The original kidnapping attempt on Liv and Vicki was funded by my brother Ivan, as Vicki is his daughter. He got Liv pregnant while she was in college, just after Ivan left here to be the Marengo Lake Alpha. As his eldest child, she got the Alpha Mantle from him, instead of Luna Brenda¡¯s first children. Ivan knew his mate wanted Vicki dead and thought he would be able to get them out of danger. Instead, the wolves he hired killed an innocent human before I killed both of them.¡±


    Susan looked over at the Chairman, who cleared his throat. ¡°The Council is aware of this. What happens with John Petersen and Marengo Lake Pack is not germane to these discussions. We were able to confirm that Luna Brenda offered to pay Todd for killing Vicki, so her eldest would regain the Mantle. We cannot allow the FBI to trace the activity back to another Pack.¡± Chairman Wolfe turned to me. ¡°The Council has met with your brother and Luna Brenda. Your Pack members, Vicki specifically, are no longer in danger from Marengo Lake. We have a blood oath to that effect.¡±


    My eyes went up; a blood oath was serious business. To vite it, you had to kill your wolf first. ¡°Good. My brother lives?¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± Chairman Wolfe said.


    ¡°Back to the n,¡± I said. ¡°Your mate is going down for the hit-and-run, he did that on his own. Ivan framed him for the kidnapping; the FBI has cash and a phone used to arrange the kidnapping with the two Stillwater wolves. It¡¯s enough to charge him, but to convict him? That¡¯s iffy. You are going to convince Todd to confess to both the hit-and-run and to funding the kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°Why would he confess to a Federal crime he didn¡¯tmit,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°To provide for you and your boys. Todd will ask for a plea deal and confess to the crimes; you will link him what he needs to say to make the confession believable. He will sign the plea, and then he will be killed in prison before the plea is epted in court.¡±


    She looked up. ¡°KILLED?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If Todd kills himself, you don¡¯t get a life insurance payout. The standard policy for Volkov Construction is a half-million-dors. I can find someone willing to shank him for under ten thousand dors.¡± Susan shivered. ¡°It¡¯s better this way. He won¡¯t know it¡¯sing.¡±


    ¡°Why before the court epts it?¡± It was the first time Luna McInnis spoke up.


    ¡°Thew only allows a guilty plea to be valid after entered in court and filed by the Judge presiding over the case. If a person dies before then, even if they confessed, by rule, they are NOT GUILTY. I will also ensure that your estate is not sued by the victims of the ident. The insurancepanies might go after you, but your business insurance will be forced to cover it. After all, your husband was not guilty of attempted murder.¡±


    I waited for them to think about it for a while before I continued. ¡°As far as the FBI and State are concerned, the case dies with Todd. That stops any further investigations into Welch and Marengo, and gets us off the news. Is that satisfactory to the Council?¡±


    ¡°It is, provided the Pack situation here is also resolved peacefully,¡± the Chairman said.


    ¡°You use the life insurance money to pay off the loan against your home, the remainder you invest. If you want to leave, it gives you the money to start over. If you want to stay here, you can remain in your house, join my Pack, and continue your work running the business office.¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Susan said. ¡°I will do it. I will make Todd understand what he needs to do so that we are provided for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask of you,¡± I said. ¡°As for the business, I will buy back my interest in Volkov Construction and take over management again. Right now, you and Todd own 85% of apany that is months away from bankruptcy. We both know this; your cash flow is negative, and you are tapped out on loans. You could try selling equipment, but then you can¡¯t generate ie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very aware of the situation, Leo. Miss Cornwell and I went over the books in detail. It doesn¡¯t take an MBA to know we are running out of money.¡± She looked down at her hands. ¡°Nobody knew how important you were to thepany until you were gone.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will leave you with a five percent stake in thepany, the same five percent the other foremen have. When thepany rebounds, you will have a stake in it. The eighty percent I purchase will infuse enough cash to make the March balloon payment and pay off the high-interest line of credit. The purchase price will be $1. 2 million, leaving loan payments that are within revenues. I will also provide up to a half-million in low-interest loans to thepany while we turn things around. In a year, thepany will be making money again. The value of your 5% stake will grow quite a bit from the fifty thousand by the time you retire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a generous offer, Leo. Miss Cornwell said we would be lucky to get more than half a million, based on our assets and liabilities.¡± She looked at me, hope in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a good deal for you.¡±


    ¡°As I will tell mywyer, I don¡¯t want thepany I founded to fail.¡± I extended my hand to her. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wonderful. As for your Pack, it would be cleanest if you merged with Miesville. I will allow any who do not want toe into Miesville to go elsewhere; we will provide rmendations. The only exceptions are Parker and Thomas.¡±


    ¡°Why them?¡±


    ¡°Because Parker was the one who bit a human, and Thomas tried to take my niece. The rest of those involved may apologize ande in, but those two are dead if they enter ournd.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°Both quit the Pack this morning. Good riddance.¡± She looked over at me. ¡°What is my rank in your Pack?¡±


    ¡°Beta officially, you¡¯ll be in charge of Pack finances and the business. You¡¯ll also be acting Luna.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Why? You¡¯ll be mated soon.¡± She nced quickly at Luna McInnis, who blushed and looked down at her hands.


    ¡°My mate is dead,¡± I said. Adrienne stood up and excused herself, practically running out the door.


    My wolf demanded we go after her, but I had work to do.

 THE PORCH WOLF #40

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Chairman Wolfe told me.


    ¡°What?¡± I was confused; what had I done?


    ¡°Luna Susan, please join me in the other room. Alpha Leo needs some time with his wolf.¡± They stood and walked out as I tried to figure out what was wrong with Luna McInnis.


    I moved my scooter towards the window; the skies were rapidly darkening, and I could see Mike¡¯s wolf outside with a red-furred female and another male I didn¡¯t recognize. She took off towards the woods, running hard with the two in pursuit.


    The door opened, and Anita came in to check on me. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole. How could you do that to your mate? You get a blessing from Luna that few are fortunate to find, and you reject her without a second thought?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Adrienne is our MATE,¡± my wolf told me. ¡°You hurt her!¡±


    I thought back to all the cues I¡¯d dismissed. My wolf¡¯s anxiousness. The scent that drew me in. The tingles in my arm as our fingers touched. His desire to follow after her. ¡°Fuck! Why didn¡¯t you say something to me?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t ready to hear it. I was going to let you get to know Adrienne, but I never thought you¡¯d be so rude and dismissive of Adrienne to her FACE! You looked at another woman and told her she could have her ce in your Pack because you didn¡¯t have a mate. She had hope again, and you crushed it like a bug with your rejection,¡± my wolf replied. I looked over at Anita, who was ready to kill. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°He never told me she was my mate.¡± I felt like dried up dog-shit on the sidewalk.


    ¡°She¡¯s out there picking up pieces of her heart, Alpha. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly go chase her down!¡± I hated the scooter and the injuries for making me so helpless.


    ¡°You figure out a way to fix this, Alpha. A Pack needs a strong Luna, and she is all that and more. Hell, if it came to a vote, we¡¯d keep her and kick your sorry ass out,¡± she said. ¡°Mike is letting her run out her anger in the woods. You better prepare some spectacr groveling for when she returns, or she¡¯s liable to reject you back.¡± She turned in a huff, leaving me alone in my office.


    I looked out the window, but it was facing the wrong direction. I drove the scooter out of the office and down the hall to my bedroom, intending to sit and watch the back. As I came in, my eyes caught the shrine to Catherine I¡¯d built on top of my dresser. My hand turned the controls without conscious thought, spinning me until I was facing it. The urn¡¯s design was at my eye level, the running wolves and trees reminding me of our happy days. The photograph above, of our wolves together. I looked at the photos on the dresser, reaching for the one from the Pack party around our pool eight years ago.


    Catherine in her bikini by my side, surrounded by our friends in and out of the water. Tears rolled down my face as I looked at all I had lost. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I didn¡¯t let you go like you asked me to,¡± I said. She wanted me to live, love, and be happy when she was gone. Until Christmas, I was one for three, barely.


    ¡°Unky Leo?¡± The voice from the part-open door broke me out of my funk. ¡°You crying.¡±


    ¡°Come here, Sharkbait,¡± I said as I wiped my eyes.


    She came over and climbed up into myp. She didn¡¯t say anything, she just hugged my chest as I cried. ¡°Mommy said you still miss your mate,¡± she finally said when I had stopped sobbing.


    ¡°Every day I wake up wanting to see her, and my heart breaks again when she¡¯s not here,¡± I said. I showed her the photo. ¡°She was so full of happiness. She would have loved you.¡±


    ¡°I miss grandma,¡± she said. ¡°Will I always feel like this?¡±


    ¡°It gets better,¡± I said. ¡°You remember the ones who die in your heart, and you move on with your life.¡±


    ¡°How is that going,¡± she asked. My jaw dropped a little; she was insightful beyond her years.


    ¡°Not well, I¡¯m afraid. Catherine wanted me to move on and find another mate; she was worried I¡¯d fall apart and lose the will to live. The sad part is that she was right. If I hadn¡¯t found you and your Mom, I¡¯d still be a mess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right to be happy. Mate told you,¡± she said as she snuggled into my chest. ¡°I love you, Unky Leo,¡± she said.


    ¡°I love you too, Vicki.¡± I put the photo back on the dresser as she fell asleep in myp. I closed my eyes and sought out my wolf in my head; he was whining and upset. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t ready for another.¡±


    ¡°She is ready for us if you can fix this,¡± he replied.


    Making my decision, I took off my wedding band and ced it on the dresser next to the urn. As I rubbed Vicki¡¯s back, I heard a wolf howling her pain and loss to the moon. It broke my heart.


    Luna Adrienne McInnis¡¯ POV


    My brain had been in a fog since I entered the room and scented Alpha Leo. My wolf, normally disinterested, was watching him closely. When we touched, I felt it through my arm and right to my core. I knew he felt it too; his hand caught mine for a moment before he let go. I felt my wolf surge forward to meet his and knew he was my mate.


    Then he let my hand go and went on.


    I sat back, confused. This wasn¡¯t what happened the first time I found my mate; I¡¯d jumped him, and we were both half-naked by the time we got to my room. I watched Leo, wondering if he was in THAT much control. Of course, the Council was here on business, so maybe he wanted that out of the way. I couldn¡¯t very well mediate a dispute if he was my mate, so I was relieved when he told the Chairman he didn¡¯t need me.

 THE PORCH WOLF #41

    As soon as the work was done, we¡¯d be together and straightened it all out, I told my wolf. She waited patiently as he went through his proposal. I was impressed; Leo was in a ce of strength. He could have demanded anything, and Luna Miller would have to take it. Instead, he found a solution that neutralized the humans and served the best interests of both Packs. I had to admit, it was better than the ns in my head when we left the Welch Pack.


    I liked his wolf; he was dominant but fair, maybe not as strong as mine, but he hadn¡¯t needed to be the bitch I was to get things done. He treated Susan well, cing me where ity and help where it was needed. It was difficult evaluating him physically when he was in a scooter, his arm in a sling and lower leg in a brace. His face and arms showed bruises from the ident. He wasn¡¯t as bulky as I expected in a mantled Alpha, but what Susan told me would exin it. She said Leo had remained in a funk after his mate died of cancer, and it got so bad that her husband took over for the good of the Pack. When Pack members saw him, they¡¯d all said he was wasting away. She expected he would be dead in a year or two, not starting another Pack. The little girl at the center of all the problems was the reason for his return. His niece gave his wolf reason to live.


    I started to pay more attention as he finished his proposal. My wolf took notice when he told Susan that she would be acting Luna. ¡°What is he thinking,¡± I asked my wolf.


    Then he said the words that broke me. ¡°My mate is dead,¡± Leo said.


    My wolf howled, and pain coursed through my body as I felt the rejection of his words. It took a moment to do anything, and I stopped my wolf as she rushed forward to attack him. ¡°NO. Not here,¡± I told my wolf. I excused myself and left before my emotions got away from me. I walked out, heading back towards the front door. I practically ran out to our car, but I couldn¡¯t run away like I wanted. The Chairman¡¯s guard had the keys, and his business here was not done. I opened the door, then stripped off my clothes and tossed them in the back seat. Shifting into my rust-colored wolf, I shook my fur out.


    Wolves couldn¡¯t cry like humans could. My heart was broken, and I just wanted to get out of here.


    A ck wolf with some white and gray underneath ran out the garage entrance, moving towards me but leaving me my space. I took a sniff; he was the Beta, here to watch over me. I was not in their Pack, and I was in wolf form on Leo¡¯snd. The Chairman¡¯s guard also came out in wolf form and joined us. I chuffed and headed towards the woods I had seen behind the house; I needed to run to settle my wolf. As I did, I caught a glimpse of Leo in the office, looking out at me.


    It would be thest time he would see me. I would leave with the Chairman and return home to Maine to lick my wounds. I¡¯d been shocked to find a second chance mate, but at least it never went as far as establishing a bond. I¡¯d never survive the loss of another mate.


    The Beta took the lead as we ran hard through the woods, and I stayed on his tail so he wouldn¡¯t cken the pace. The guard followed behind us as we weaved along the trail, heading down into a ravine. We turned to the right when we reached the Cannon River, running hard through the snow for a few miles. He took us back up to the bluffs, then we looped back towards his property. He slowed on the slick trails near the limestone cliffs, finally slowing to a walk as we reached a rocky point. He looked back at me, then crawled to the edge and put his head on his paws.


    I sat near the edge; the view was beautiful, the moonlight making the snow glow softly, while it sparkled off the river below. I was breathing heavily for the run, but my chest ached from more than just the cold temperatures. It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my body. Raising my muzzle to the sky, I released my pain and loss into the night sky with a long howl. It echoed off the bluffs on each side as I listened; far away, another wolf howled in response.


    Iy down next to the Beta, looking over the edge. The cliff dropped off at least eighty feet into the rocks below, more than enough to end my life if I chose. I caught my breath as I thought about my life, and when I got up, I had made the decision.


    I was not going to be defined by a male. I¡¯d made my reputation without him, and I would go on with my life without him. It was his choice and his loss.


    I stood up and motioned with my head to the Beta; I wanted to head back. He led us through the trails, and it wasn¡¯t long before we saw the lights of Leo¡¯s home ahead of us. When we got back to the car, both males left me to dress; the guard went back to the front door, while the Beta went into the garage. As I pulled thest of my outfit back on, the Beta was waving for me from the garage. I followed him into the cavernous space. ¡°I know it¡¯s not my business,¡± he started.


    ¡°But you¡¯re going to talk about it anyway,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. My mate has told me about what happened, and before you go back in there, there are a few things I¡¯d like to say.¡± He told me about the short history of the Miesville Pack, and the condition Leo had been in. He pointed to the stacks of whiskey boxes by the entrance to the house. ¡°His normal day was to sleepte, eat poorly, go to his usual ce for dinner that night, then grab a bottle on the way in and drink it until he fell asleep again.¡±


    ¡°I got the basics of his life. I fought the same things,¡± I said.


    ¡°He and his wolf broke out because Vicki and Liv needed him. He¡¯s never let go of Catherine, his previous mate. We don¡¯t think he was ready to find another.¡± He looked towards the door to the kitchen. ¡°Please, talk to him before you make any final decisions. He needs you as much as you need him.¡±


    ¡°I need no one,¡± I said, ¡°but I¡¯ll speak to him. I am still a Council negotiator, and I have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He opened the door to the kitchen for me; I walked in to find the Chairman talking to a preschool-age werewolf and her young parents.


    ¡°Ah, Adrienne. Sit, dinner will be served soon. This is Olivia Andersen and Brent Lawrence, and their daughter Vicki. Liv and Brent epted each other shortly after her changepleted, and Vicki here made her first shift about a week ago.¡±


    I set my shoulders and sat down. ¡°Congrattions on your mating,¡± I said with a forced smile. I could sense the mantle on Vicki. ¡°And on your shift.¡±


    ¡°After our meeting, I believe the Council is not required here. I have urgent business in Michigan, so I will be leaving momentarily.¡±


    ¡°I will grab my things and get ready to go,¡± I said.


    ¡°No. Alpha Leo¡¯s n is a good one, but it is just a n right now. I want a Council representative here to monitor it and make sure it happens. You¡¯re the one. You will stay here, in this house, and brief me daily on progress.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t do this to me. ¡°Sir, if we could speak in private, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to be here right now.¡±


    ¡°You are here. Your mate is here. If I have to lock you in a room until you can work this out between you, I will. Adrienne, the only way you leave here unmated is if you kill him first.¡±


    I sat back, my wolf and I were furious. If he thought I was going to bend down and move my tail aside for this man after what he did, they had another thinking. ¡°That just might happen,¡± I said with a growl.


    ¡°Good luck, Mediator McInnis. Thank you all for dinner, and congrattions on your Pack.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    *********


    ¡°Alpha, the Chairman is leaving, and Luna Adrienne is remaining here,¡± I heard from Anita over the link.


    I opened my eyes; I¡¯d moved to the bed, napping with Vicki, who was now gone. ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly,¡± I said. I asked my wolf why he didn¡¯t wake me when she came back, and he said she wasn¡¯t ready for me yet. I slid onto the scooter and drove over to the closed door. The Chairman was putting his coat on when I drove into the living room. ¡°I apologize for my absence, Mr. Chairman.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #42

    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right, Alpha Leo. It was an enlightening time for me as I met your Pack members,¡± he said as he moved to the door. ¡°I have othermitments, but the Council will be watching this situation closely to ensure it is resolved promptly. Luna McInnis will remain here until that time. I expect you will work closely with her; she represents the Council in this, and reports directly to me.¡±


    ¡°I will not let you down again, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°I hope not.¡± He went out the front door, apanied by his guard.


    As soon as he was in the car, I turned the scooter around to go into the kitchen. I didn¡¯t get far; a sultry redhead was in my way, her body shaking with anger. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Adrienne. My words and actions hurt you in ways I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m ashamed that I did that to you, especially in front of others.¡±


    I felt the p before I heard it; the left side of my face exploded in pain. ¡°You dismissed me like I was NOTHING! You cut my heart out and tossed it in the garbage with your Kleenex,¡± she said. She had her fists at her side, trembling as her anger fought at her control.


    I resisted the impulse to put my hand to my face or strike back; I deserved that p and more.


    I let a breath out and looked into my mate¡¯s stormy green eyes. She was right to be furious with me; if she had rejected me and left, I would have understood. I could see her wolf pushing forward, challenging me. My wolf came forward, seeking his other half. The animals didn¡¯t need love; once they recognized the other, the attraction was like with rare-earth mas. My wolf was all for iming her and spending the night making love. Of course, her human side would rip my nuts off if I tried it. ¡°I know that now. The words and the tone I used caused you great pain. I wish I could take them back; I wish that I could have chased after you and exined myself. My heart ached when I heard your howl, knowing I was the cause.¡± I reached my hand out for her. ¡°I did not reject you, Adrienne. My wolf knew, but he did not tell me because he did not think I was ready. I know what you are now.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready now?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will not lie to you, Adrienne. I had never let my mate go after she died; it has only been in thest week or so that I¡¯ve started to give away her things and sort through her effects. While you were running around, I left my wedding band on the dresser for the first time since she slid it onto my finger thirty years ago. I¡¯m a work in progress, but I¡¯m making progress.¡±


    ¡°I know how hard it can be, and I had a Pack that helped me through. Luna Susan told me you withdrew from everyone, and then you were banished. It¡¯s a miracle you survived.¡± She was right; Alphas did everything to extremes, even grief. ¡°I will not reject you, not unless I have to do so to protect my heart again.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to do that, Adrienne. I know what a gift you are, and I trust Luna. If she gave you to me and me to you, there is a reason. I beg you to be patient with me while I get my life back in order. I¡¯m not ready to be your mate YET, but I will be.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°I am to monitor the progress of things here for the Council, and I will do that. I will get to know you and your Pack along the way. Until my job is done, there is no ¡®us.¡¯ We get to know each other as friends first.¡±


    I let out a breath I was holding. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°You will not regret it. There is a guest room on this level that is ready for you, this way.¡± I led the way back to the hallway, going to the bedroom next to mine that Liv had used that first night.


    ¡°It will be fine, though I didn¡¯t bring much with. I may have to do some shopping.¡±


    We were interrupted by a call to dinner. Adrienne led the way back to the kitchen as I enjoyed the view. She was tall and athletic, with the body of someone a decade or two younger. I think she sensed me looking at her because her hips started to sway a little more in those white cks.


    I didn¡¯t have much time to watch before we reached the dining room, where all but two ces were taken. Adrienne was left with the chair to my left as I pulled up to the opening for me at the head of the table. My Pack was already recognizing her as the Luna. Luna Susan was on the right, as a fellow Alpha and guest. ¡°You¡¯re still alive,¡± Donna said as she brought the manicotti and sausage over with Anita. We passed the trays around, filling our tes with the fantastic smells of the meat and cheese. I cursed that my arm was still in the sling because I couldn¡¯t serve my mate as I wanted to.


    ¡°Our Goddess has blessed me with a second chance, a mating pull between myself and Luna Adrienne. A second mate is a rare and happy urrence. I have issues I need to work out, and the Luna has Council business here to attend to. The timing of thepletion of this bond, if it does happen, is a private matter between the two of us alone. Is that understood?¡±


    Everyone answered yes. No one would eat until the Alphas did; I deferred to Adrienne, taking my bite a half-second after she did.


    Sharkbait broke the silence. ¡°No sex?¡±


    I inhaled a bit of the manicotti, starting to cough as I choked on the piece. Adrienne smacked me three times in the back, thest after I got the pasta out of my trachea. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said weakly.


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± she said. ¡°Vicki, what do you know about mates?¡±


    ¡°Mommy is mates with Brent, but no sex yet.¡± If I wanted to crawl under the table, I could Imagine what Liv was thinking.


    ¡°Yet,¡± Brent said before Liv elbowed him.


    ¡°Unky Leo¡¯s mate died, and he was sad. Now youe, and he can be happy. Bread, please?¡±


    Liv quickly pushed more food onto her te, hoping she¡¯d stop talking. Adrienne wasn¡¯t intimidated. ¡°My mate died too, and I was sad for a long time. There is nothing better than the mate bond, and nothing harder than living alone after it. I can sense your strength, Vicki. You will be a strong female, and Luna will find the right person for you too.¡±


    ¡°Boys are yucky,¡± she said.


    The rest of the meal was uneventful, and Adrienne, Susan, and I returned to my office. I had texted mywyer, Jacob Burnley, with the financial terms Susan had epted earlier. The paperwork for the sale of eighty percent of Volkov Construction back to me was ready. It took Jacob an hour to go through all the forms and obtain the signatures he needed. ¡°The money will be transferred Monday prior to the paperwork being filed with the Secretary of State¡¯s office. Per my client¡¯s instructions, the money will be directly transferred to the indicated creditors.¡±


    Susan rose and shook his hand. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Burnley. You and Patricia have made this unpleasant task bearable.¡± She left with Adrienne, leaving me alone with mywyer.


    ¡°You overpaid,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I know, but I have my reasons,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hope so. Thepany is a mess, and you¡¯ll be a busy man turning it around.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing jack point shit for years, Jacob. It¡¯s about time I got back to work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be struggling for long. It¡¯s been fun, Leo. Maybe now I can enjoy my winter vacation.¡± I escorted him to the door and shook his hand before he left.


    I was exhausted from the day. I readily agreed to a movie night in the living room with those who weren¡¯t going for a Pack run. Liv still couldn¡¯t shift because her ankle wasn¡¯t healed, but Vicki¡¯s concussion symptoms were gone. Liv said she could run with Anita and Adrienne; they would do some training with her when the rest of the Pack took off for a hard run.


    I let Liv pick the movie, and she selected ¡°Rocketman.¡± I didn¡¯t argue; I liked Elton John. I hoped the documentary would be as good as some of the other ones I¡¯d seentely. I just about spit out my popcorn when the first song and dance routine started. ¡°What the hell is this,¡± I said as I pointed at the screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s a musical,¡± she said.


    ¡°What? Themercials didn¡¯t say that!¡± Of course, I ended up watching the whole thing. Just shoot me now.


    The wolves came running into the house, shifting and going to their rooms. Sharkbait¡¯s little wolf was covered in clumps of snow and ice. She jumped up on the couch, giving her Momma a lick as her wet paws tracked over her clothes. ¡°Upstairs, SHOWER,¡± she said as she got up to follow her.


    I turned the television off and went back towards my bathroom, d I¡¯d invested in the on-demand water heater for when so many people were in the showers at once. I took my own shower, put on shorts and a shirt with my arm immobilizer, and readied myself for bed. Instead of heading for the sheets, I turned the other way and went out into the hall. The house was quiet and dark; I stopped by the guest room. Lightly tapping, I wished Adrienne a good night. ¡°Good night, Leo,¡± she responded.


    Smiling, I went to bed and turned the light off. Sleep escaped me; my wolf was anxious. He wanted his mate.


    The door opened just as I thought I might get up again since sleep wasn¡¯ting. ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°Come in, Adrienne.¡± I could make out her, in her pajamas, nervously approaching the bed. ¡°Your wolf won¡¯t let you sleep either?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I moved the covers aside. ¡°Come on in. I¡¯ll behave,¡± I said. Adrienne slid into the bed, moving until my right arm was wrapped around her back, and her leg was draped over mine. I kissed her forehead, and we were asleep in moments.

 THE PORCH WOLF #43

    I opened an eye when I sensed the door opening and closing. My wolf wasn¡¯t rmed; in fact, he was happy. Our mate was snuggled into our side, her scent filling the air in my room. I hadn¡¯t had nightmares, and I¡¯d slept deeply. Looking over at the clock on the bedside table, it was just past one in the morning.


    Adrienne was sleeping peacefully. I didn¡¯t want to move and wake her, so I didn¡¯t sit up. I heard here around the bed to my side. ¡°Unky Leo?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing up, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Mommy and Brent are making funny noises. Can I sleep with you?¡±


    I could just imagine what those two were doing. Now that Liv had epted Brent as a mate, a physical rtionship was inevitable. Liv had never dated, focusing on work, school, and her daughter. She would have no idea what was going on with her headboard banging against the wall, the box spring creaking, and the strange noises they were making. ¡°Come on in and go to sleep,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t lift the sheet with my bad arm, but she managed to get in. She smelled like shampoo and soap, her shark pajamas with long sleeves and booties looked cute on her. She snuggled in, her back against my side, and we both went back to sleep.


    The next time I woke, it was to the smell of bacon. I had to go to the bathroom, which presented a problem. I was trapped by a sleeping mate to my right and a sleeping girl to my left. My scooter was on the right, so I had to poke the bear.


    I pulled Adrienne closer, kissed her forehead, then moved my arm out from under her head. She didn¡¯t like that, and her arm moved across my chest as she clung to me. Her knee moved up, bumping into the next problem, just below my waistband. Her knee couldn¡¯t move up any farther without causing damage. ¡°Adrienne,¡± I whispered as I tried to get my arm free.


    ¡°Mmmuugh,¡± she said.


    I kept shaking her gently. ¡°Adrienne, I need to get up.¡± I must have gotten through, because she rolled onto her back, freeing my arm. I couldn¡¯t use my other arm to get over her, so I pulled the sheets and nket away and scooted down to the base of the bed. She didn¡¯t like the cold and rolled back into the warmth of my spot in the middle. By the time I had her covered again, she and Vicki were snuggled up with each other.


    I looked back at the scene as I drove into the bathroom; my mate, and a girl I had imed as my own daughter. Two weeks ago, I wouldn¡¯t have believed either was possible.


    I finished my business and let them sleep as I went out into the hall and to the kitchen. Donna was there with Anita, Lois, and Ca. They were putting together a Sunday brunch. ¡°There are going to be a lot of guests this morning,¡± Donna said. ¡°Luna Susan informed her Packst night that it was merging into our Pack. I worked it out so the interested Pack members could stop by this morning, so you could bring them into your Pack.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I¡¯d been so focused on what I did to Adrienne yesterday that I hadn¡¯t considered the impact of our deal on dozens of families. The sooner they had their ce in the Pack, the better.


    ¡°Sit down and eat.¡± I drove over to my spot, and she brought me waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I looked back towards the hallway. ¡°Let them sleep, we¡¯re going to have a lot of people eating through the course of the morning.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been neutered, so I lost THAT bet,¡± Anita said.


    Iughed a little as I took the orange juice from her. ¡°Our wolves wouldn¡¯t rest until we were together. I still have a long way to go with her human side.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push,¡± Larry said. ¡°Go about your business, show her what you are as a person and as an Alpha,¡± he said.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you ignore her,¡± Donna said. ¡°Introduce her as your second chance mate, talk about a future together, ask for her advice. If you behave as if your mating is a done deal, maybe she¡¯ll start to believe you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do much worse than what I did in the office,¡± I said. ¡°I have a lot to learn about her.¡±


    The door from the garage apartment opened, and Liv came down with Brent right behind her. She looked a little panicked as she searched for Vicki. ¡°Where is she,¡± she asked.


    ¡°She heard noisesst night and came down to sleep with me,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s still in there.¡± Liv¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment as she realized what I meant. ¡°Nice hickie, by the way.¡±


    She pulled at her shirt, which didn¡¯t cover the mating bite on the left side of her neck where it met her shoulder. Brent showed his, more on the corbone than the neck, but still a good, deep bite. ¡°I had no idea it would be like this,¡± Liv said.


    Brent wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling into her new mark. Her knees weakened, and she moaned at the sensation before she realized where she was. ¡°Not here,¡± she whispered. ¡°I need to check on my baby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a te,¡± Brent said.


    Liv came back out alone, not wanting to disturb either of them as they slept. ¡°Vicki barely knows who Adrienne is, I¡¯m shocked she¡¯s curled up with her like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her wolf,¡± Brent exined. ¡°Adrienne and Leo are Alphas, and our wolves feelfortable and protected with them, just like she does with you.¡±


    She thought about it. ¡°I have so much to learn.¡±


    ¡°I would like you all to stay here this morning,¡± I said. ¡°The Welch Pack is merging with ours, and few of them have met either of you. You are important to the Pack. Not only are you new members and mates, but because Vicki is my heir.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Liv looked at me like I was crazy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve exined the Alpha Mantle, and what it means for Vicki that she has it. She will have the strength and power to rule and defend a Pack. My wolf and I think of her as a daughter; as you know, Catherine and I could not have children. I have a mate again in Adrienne, but the chances of us conceiving an heir together are remote. Vicki is the heir to this Pack, Liv. She¡¯s going to be an amazing Alpha when she is of age.¡±


    Liv looked at Brent. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she has to do anything now, she¡¯s not even in first grade yet,¡± Brent said. ¡°She¡¯s a mantled female in this Pack; unless she leaves to be elsewhere with her mate, the Pack will pass to her when Leo and Adrienne are gone. That¡¯s a good thing, Liv. Packs are more stable if the line of session is known.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a hungry Alpha now,¡± a voice said from the hall. Adrienne was leading a sleepy Vicki into the room in her shark-footy pajamas. ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡±


    I gave her a big smile. ¡°Good morning Adrienne. How did you sleep?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I feel rested,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Vicki went over to sit by her Mom, and the chair next to me opened up for my mate. Donna asked her what she would like, then went to get her a te.


    ¡°We are going to have a busy day,¡± I said. I exined what would be going on with the Pack members arriving to join. ¡°If you arefortable with it, I¡¯d like you by my side,¡± I said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t epted the bond or the position,¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°I know that. I also know your official capacity is as an observer for the Council. I propose we use that; we acknowledge that Luna has given us a second chance at a mate, but we are not acting on it until the Council business is concluded. In the meantime, you are observing the merger and seeing how we operate.¡±


    She took a sip of coffee, thinking it over. ¡°I can ept that,¡± she said.


    As the morning went on, and fifteen more families joined our Pack, I could see herfort level growing. She wouldn¡¯t let me hold her hand, but I did everything I could to show my eptance of her. I introduced her as my future mate, asked her opinion, andplimented her experience as Luna and with the Council. It was hard to get a read on what she was thinking; her years as a mediator had trained her to keep a neutral expression no matter what was said. ¡°What are they saying about Adrienne and Vicki,¡± I asked Anita. She was downstairs, where the informal party was along with the children, while I was doing Pack business in the living room.


    ¡°They like Adrienne, her reputation precedes her. She would be an asset to any Pack.¡± I smiled at that; she was better qualified to run a Pack than I was. I wondered how this would work with us. ¡°As for Vicki, that girl could charm the socks off a freezing man. They love her, and love that you have imed her as your heir. They also LOVE Liv and Brent. Nobody can believe that she is so strong and blessed just days after making her first turn. There¡¯s a lot of excitement about the additions.¡±


    ¡°And the subtractions? The ones who left?¡±


    ¡°Good riddance. After meeting Vicki, anyone on the fence about what Todd did is pissed at him now. The idea of their Pack being responsible for her nearly dying makes them sick. They love her. She¡¯s down there with the kids, and she is already forming them into her own mini-Pack.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Anita.¡± It was nearly noon, and I¡¯d just brought thest family into the Pack. ¡°Can I have one person from each family join me in the upstairs living room in five minutes, please,¡± I said. ¡°Adrienne, I will be speaking to each of the families about the direction of the Miesville Pack in a few minutes. Before then, I need to take a quick break.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you back here.¡±


    She went to her guest room to freshen up while I drove to my, soon OUR bedroom. I needed the crash bars around the toilet to move around. When I came back out, I parked in front of the picture window, facing almost two dozen people, who represented the eighty-seven members of the Miesville Pack. Susan sat to my right, her Alpha status gone, and she looked relieved. I waited for Adrienne to arrive and sit next to me before I began. ¡°Before I start talking about the future, I¡¯d like to apologize for thest five years. The loss of Catherine devastated me, and I stopped wanting to live. I pushed away all those who tried to help, including many of you in this room, and I ceased to be the Alpha you needed. Todd came to me, worried that if I showed up at the Alpha Summit that way, another Alpha would kill me and take over.¡± Some of them grumbled at this. ¡°He was right. We made a deal; I would sell him my shares in Volkov Construction, and then I would take a dive in the challenge fight he made. Per our agreement, I was banished.¡±


    ¡°He never should have cut us off from you, Alpha,¡± one of the wives said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #44

    ¡°Todd was scared I¡¯d recover ande back to im the Pack again. He shouldn¡¯t have worried; if not for a little girl, I¡¯d still be drinking my life away in self-pity. Liv gave me a reason to let go of Catherine¡¯s things, and then Vicki gave me a reason to live. When I saw her and scented the mantle, my wolf imed her as my own. The two gave me a reason to live again, and for that, I¡¯ll be eternally grateful. Without them, I¡¯d never have met Luna Adrienne, and I¡¯d never have you all in my living room. It¡¯s worth every injury I¡¯m dealing with now to make it to this point.¡±


    I waited for everyone to settle down before I continued. ¡°You have heard that I have repurchased eighty percent of Volkov Construction. That is true; I¡¯ve infused capital back in so the debt load can be reduced, and I will lead thepany back to where I left it and beyond. I did this because I love and care for all of you that work for me and depend on thepany for your livelihood. It will not be easy to turn it around, but I¡¯m confident that next year, we will be profitable again.¡± There were a lot of smiles from this; everyone had been dreadingyoffs and bankruptcy sales. ¡°Your jobs are safe.¡± There were cheers at this.


    ¡°We have a lot to do as we bring this Pack together. Next Saturday night, there will be a Pack run to celebrate the merger. As was our tradition, we will spend the afternoon and evening together, eating a big potluck dinner, before we run when the moon is highest. The focus of our Pack will be family. We will help each other, encourage one another, and celebrate the good things in our life.¡±


    I looked over at Adrienne, inviting her to say something. She shook her head; it was not her time. ¡°Susan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank Alpha Leo for doing what he didn¡¯t need to do, and bringing the remnants of our Pack into his,¡± she said. ¡°I look forward to continuing to serve as your Beta.¡±


    ¡°What about Todd,¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Todd attacked another Alpha and tried to kill a child,¡± she said. ¡°His life is forfeit. He would be dead already if he hadn¡¯t been arrested.¡± She looked at me, then back at the Pack. ¡°He did not confide his ns in me, or I would have stopped it. I will mourn the mate I loved, but this is where I need to be right now.¡±


    It was a good meeting; we answered questions for another hour before we stopped due to hunger. It was a full house on short notice, so a few people had gone to Sam¡¯s Club and picked up the fixings for sandwiches, chips, and sd. We got the children their food to take downstairs, then the adults moved to where there was room. I stayed in the living room, while Adrienne went downstairs with some of the mothers to spend time with the kids.


    I was telling stories when Liv¡¯s cellphone rang, and her face showed her shock as she saw who it was. ¡°Hold on, Mom,¡± she said as she stood up. She ran up the stairs to her apartment as I wondered what was happening. A few minutester, Brent ran upstairs after her. Both resisted my inquiries over the link, so I waited. Ten minutester, the two came down. She had been crying, and she walked over and sat by me. ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Liv?¡±


    ¡°My Mom is still in town, but Dad returned home to work. She wants to talk to me and to spend time with Vicki. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    I reached over and held her hand. ¡°She¡¯s still your mother. It¡¯s all right to want to have her in your life again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Vicki to be hurt. They can¡¯t hurt her if they aren¡¯t in her life.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°They are hurting her because they are NOT in her life.¡± I thought about it for a minute. ¡°Meet her, but not with Vicki. Bring Brent along; he¡¯s your fianc¨¦, and you should introduce him. He can protect you and get you out of there if it goes badly.¡±


    She held up her left hand. ¡°If he liked it, he should have put a ring on it,¡± she teased.


    ¡°I liked it, so I bit it,¡± Brent replied. ¡°We should go ring shopping today.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Mom is staying at the St. James Hotel down in Red Wing. We could meet for dinner and drinks at Jimmy¡¯s. There are ces there that we can have some privacy.¡±


    ¡°Sunday is my normal night at the Smoking Oak. After everyone we¡¯ve had here today, I¡¯m not having anyone in the kitchen tonight. I¡¯ll take Vicki with us so she can have a b of ribs. If it goes well, let us know, and we can bring her to you. If not,e on over and party with us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I have to know.¡±


    Olivia Andersen¡¯s POV


    Brent and I drove to Woodbury to look at rings. I was wearing a turtleneck and a loose-weave sweater, making sure my mating bite was covered. I didn¡¯t need any humans thinking I¡¯d been attacked until the mating bite scarred over. Brent said that the visual warning of the scar to other werewolves was just part of what the mating bite did. It also mixed our scents, thebination telling others that we were mated and who our mate was. ¡°You¡¯ll learn just how much you can find out by scent alone as you get used to our life,¡± he told me. ¡°It¡¯s not just that we have unique scents that you can track or recognize. You¡¯ll be able to break their smell down to where you can tell their rank and Pack. You¡¯ll be able to tell if they are in the fertile portion of their cycle or pregnant. You can tell if they are happy, horny, nervous, or terrified. You can tell if they are getting sick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a dog?¡±


    ¡°Humans know that dogs have a sense of smell far more sensitive than theirs, and they can be trained to use it. Dogs can tell many things from urine left on a signpost. We do the same thing, you know.¡±


    ¡°You pee on signposts?¡±


    ¡°We mark the edge of our territory. When you can shift again, we¡¯ll run it together. The Alpha¡¯s scent is strong to reflect his dominance. He marks the trees to im the area and warn others away. Pack leadership will often add their own marks in between to back up his im.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever understand what I¡¯ve gotten into here.¡± Thest thing I wanted to do was to find some days-old urine stain and stick my nose in it.


    ¡°It gets better,¡± he told me as he squeezed my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about how this all ended up; I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t grow up thinking you¡¯d get bitten before you got a ring.¡±


    ¡°You are current on your rabies vination, correct? I didn¡¯t see a tag on your cor when you jumped into bed,¡± I teased. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Brent. I liked you from the first time I saw you, but I was scared. So much was going on, and it was all I could do to stay strong for my daughter.¡±


    ¡°You did that. You are amazingly strong, and you¡¯ve done a great job raising Vicki,¡± he said. I blushed as I turned away at the praise. My parents had told me to give up my baby because a teenage single mom couldn¡¯t be as good a parent as she would have with a married couple. I would like to think I proved them wrong; Vicki was a great kid. ¡°The good news is that you can pick out just the ring you want, provided it is under one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-seven dors with tax.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to wipe out your savings,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to dip into my thousand-dor emergency fund,¡± he replied. ¡°Alpha Leo said he would pay for our wedding, though it will be modest. He would like us to choose the wedding venue, and the Pack will host a reception in the back yard. Leo and Catherine used to hold epic pool parties in the summer, and you know it will have lots of food.¡±


    I thought about it; the wedding was for legal reasons and human interaction. In the werewolf world, our bond was present and unbreakable. ¡°Could I invite my friends? Girls I worked with, friends from back home?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Alpha just orders no shifting while humans are around.¡± I started to cry as we pulled off the freeway. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Liv?¡±


    ¡°When I was a kid, Mom and I would talk about the wedding I¡¯d have. We had a lot of fun talking about it. Then after I was disowned, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I didn¡¯t date, I didn¡¯t have time for men, and marriage wasn¡¯t anything I worried about. Now that I¡¯m nning a wedding, I don¡¯t have my parents in my life, and my grandmother is gone.¡±


    ¡°The Pack will help you; I¡¯m sure Anita will be thrilled.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I wiped the tear away. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be able to get a ring to match the wedding bands we found?¡± Wolves didn¡¯t do silver, and I didn¡¯t like gold for jewelry. We could do white gold, but when I started looking online, I fell in love with a matched wedding band set made of tungsten carbide. It was engraved with trees and wolves howling into the sky. It was reasonably priced, beautiful, and practical, perfect for my new life. I wanted an engagement ring that would look right next to it.


    We pulled into a store and talked with the jeweler. ¡°You¡¯re not going to find a match for that in a diamond setting,¡± he said. ¡°Tungsten Carbide is strong but brittle. You can¡¯t move the prongs around for the stone.¡±


    ¡°What would you rmend?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never get the silver color of the tungsten to match up with titanium, white gold, or silver. So, don¡¯t try. Go with a ck gold setting for the engagement ring. It will match the ck color at the base of this pattern on the band,¡± he said. He found some examples; the darker matte color was a good match for what we saw on the screen. An hourter, Brent was on his knee, asking me to marry him, and he slid the half-carat diamond onto my finger as I said yes.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even with the order of the wedding bands, which we verified sizes on at the store, we didn¡¯t wipe out his savings. As we drove home with the setting sun, I kept looking down at my left hand. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± Brent replied. There were squeals of excitement as I showed everyone my ring when we got home, especially when I showed them the wedding bands we had ordered. It was unconventional, but so was our love.


    As we left for the St. James, I could feel the good mood of the day slipping away. Brent noticed. ¡°How do you want to handle this,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to know anything more about my private life until I know if she will be included,¡± I said. ¡°She would have seen you with me at the funeral with you, leaning on you. I should take this off,¡± I said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #45

    ¡°No. You are my fiance,¡¯ and that isn¡¯t up for discussion. It¡¯s better to let her know you are moving on in your life, with or without her. Don¡¯t take that ring off for her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize for anything other than sleeping with John without protection. Everything I did after that, I¡¯m proud of.¡±


    ¡°Damn right.¡± We parked nearby, and he held my hand as we took the elevator up to Jimmy¡¯s. The hotel bar was old-fashioned, hearkening back to the days of speakeasies. Leather furniture, dark oak woodwork, and a wide selection of spirits and food awaited us per the website. I¡¯d never been there.


    I spotted Mom moments after walking in. She had taken one of the small tables near the window, the low leather chairs around it. She looked surprised that I didn¡¯t show up with Vicki. ¡°Mom, this is my fiance¡¯, Brent Lawrence. Brent, my mother, Kathryn Andersen.¡±


    Brent held out his hand to her; she paused for a moment, looking at my ring, then shook it briefly. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± he said. ¡°We missed you at the funeral.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring,¡± she said. The waitress went off to get us diet cokes, plus another cocktail for Mom. I didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d be staying long enough to eat yet. ¡°This is hard,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been told all my life that I needed to follow the lead of my husband, but I just can¡¯t do it anymore. He was wrong to disown you, Olivia. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? About what? About pushing me away in my time of need? About valuing your reputation in themunity above your own daughter? About pretending your granddaughter doesn¡¯t exist?¡± Mom was crying now. It hit me. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re talking to me, does he.¡±


    She managed to shake her head, no. ¡°He thinks I¡¯m visiting my sister in Duluth.¡±


    Wonderful. ¡°Why are you here? You¡¯ve never defied Father in anything.¡±


    ¡°And what did that gain me? My MOM died, and I didn¡¯t talk to her for thest five years of her life because she took you in after we disowned you. Sitting in that church, I realized I would NEVER get that time back with her, or with you, or with Vicki. I have a granddaughter who is almost five, and she hates me.¡±


    ¡°Vicki doesn¡¯t hate you any more than I do, Mom. She doesn¡¯t understand.¡± I¡¯d never talked badly about my parents in front of her, for just this reason.


    ¡°After Nick left for home, I called my pastor. I¡¯d never told anyone the full story; for an hour, I poured out everything to him, ending with what Vicki asked me at the funeral. When I was done, I asked him what I should do.¡±


    ¡°What did he say,¡± Brent asked.


    ¡°He asked how it was working for me so far,¡± Mom said. ¡°I broke down crying. I told him my family was torn apart and I couldn¡¯t bear to continue this way. He then told me what an IDIOT I was to do this to you. He reminded me that true love required forgiveness, and I had shown none. You made a mistake, but you moved forward and raised a wonderful little girl without us. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I¡¯d like to have you in my life again.¡±


    Wow. ¡°What is Dad going to say about this?¡±


    ¡°He and I will be having a long talk when I get home. I can¡¯t go on like this, Olivia. I love you, and I miss you.¡±


    Was it enough? Would my father change his mind? None of these questions mattered as I moved into my mother¡¯s arms for the first time in almost six years. We let the pain and heartbreak of all those years out, in public, as the bar patrons tried to ignore us. Finally, I said those three words I never expected to say to her. ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    The house cleared out as the new Pack members returned home, and Liv and Brent went off to meet Liv¡¯s mother. I called ahead to The Smokin¡¯ Oak and reserved arge table, to the shock of the hostess. I¡¯d been going there on Sundays for years, always alone, always at the same table.


    Anita drove my truck, and I was stuck in the back with Vicki. My scooter was driven up into the bed using ramps, then strapped in ce. Adrienne rode shotgun, as I pointed out some of the local sights as we drove east towards Red Wing. Mike drove the second car with Larry and Donna, and Brian Knight drove a third with his mate Ca. Susan was up in Minneapolis, getting close enough to Todd to link to him about the agreement we¡¯d made.


    Anita parked in a handicapped entrance, using the temporary tag my doctor had given me. The smell hit us before the truck doors even opened. The smell of open fire and meat was thick. My wolf and I loved the scent of the ce.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It took a few minutes to get my scooter down and join the rest inside, where they waited by the hostess table. ¡°I think I might like this ce,¡± Adrienne said as she stood behind me.


    ¡°I want RIBS,¡± a fascinated Vicki said as she watched the meat moving around. Mike had picked her up so she could see over the screen that kept children from burning themselves.


    The owners knew how to get people in; the oak fire and rotisseries were right by the entrance. Motorized racks carried bs of pork ribs, whole chickens, pork shoulders and beef around, letting them taste the mes and then move away to slowly cook and rotate. We were brought to our table, and I had Adrienne on my right and Vicki on my left as we sat down. The waitress passed out menus and took our drink orders. ¡°It all sounds so good,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°May I suggest something,¡± I asked and she quickly agreed. ¡°The Rotisserie Sampler tter to share. We get ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket and beef tips plus the sides.¡±


    ¡°I want RIBS,¡± Sharkbait said, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to share!¡±


    We gave our orders, then the waitress asked Vicki if she wanted chicken strips or macaroni and cheese from the kid¡¯s menu. ¡°Full rack of ribs, please,¡± she said. Our waitress looked at me and I nodded, so she wrote it down and moved on.


    An hourter, she put thest of thirteen rib bones down onto her te.


    ¡°Where does she put it,¡± Adrienne said as she looked over at her. We¡¯d finished ten minutes earlier, and I think she expected to eat some of her ribs, too.


    Vicki went to point at her tummy, but her hand was caught by Anita and the wet wipe she had in her hand. Vicki¡¯s hands and face were cleaned of the sauce, which took several wipes, then she took her to the Ladies Room to wash up. Mike followed, standing guard outside the door without being told.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite the girl,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I can see why you imed her.¡±


    ¡°She saved me as much as I saved her,¡± I said. I told my mate the story about my friendship with Liv, and my decision to give her Catherine¡¯s car.


    ¡°Did you have a romantic interest in her?¡±


    ¡°No, and even if I had, she wouldn¡¯t have gone along with it. At the time, I had nothing. I decided to go through Catherine¡¯s things, finally, and I knew she could use reliable transportation. I didn¡¯t need the money as much as I needed to feel I had done something worthwhile. I knew she had a daughter, but I didn¡¯t know she was a werewolf until I was invited to her ce for Christmas. Vicki hadn¡¯t shifted and waspletely unprotected; my wolf imed her as his own that day.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there was a preschool werewolf child out there with no one around to help her,¡± Adrienne said with a shiver. ¡°If she had her first shift among humans, it would have been a disaster. You did the right thing; even the Council would have struggled with helping her since she had no ties to any Pack.¡±


    ¡°They are more than just my Pack members. I see Liv as the daughter I should have had, and Vicki as my heir. I love them both, and I hope you¡¯ll grow to love them as I have.¡±


    ¡°That girl could melt the hardest heart,¡± she said. ¡°Mike said she spent twenty seconds with Liv¡¯s Mom. I bet they find a way to reconcile, just to spend time with her grandchild.¡±


    ¡°They were foolish, and it cost them years of memories,¡± I said. ¡°I was foolish, and it almost cost me you.¡±


    ¡°You recovered a lot faster,¡± she said as she squeezed my hand under the table. ¡°As long as we are still breathing, there¡¯s still a chance.¡±


    Sharkbait came running back to the table, giving both of us a quick hug before we sat down. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Dessert, Unky Leo?¡±


    I reached across with my right hand and tapped her distended stomach. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is room in there for anything, Sharkbait. Even Great Whites stop eating when their stomach is full.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ they have CHOCOLATE CAKE here. With ICE CREAM.¡±


    I looked over at Adrienne, who was trying not tough. ¡°Would you like dessert, love?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat a whole piece,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe we get one slice with three forks?¡±


    ¡°Yaaay,¡± Vicki said. A few others decided to share desserts, and we somehow managed to put the thick slice away. I put a stack of cash down to cover the bill and a generous tip, then used the restroom before we left. Once again, I was frustrated by the injuries. I couldn¡¯t wait until I could get my arm out of the sling and get a walking boot.


    As I waited in the back seat for the scooter to be tied down, I checked in with Brent. I was pleased that there was reconciliation urring with Liv¡¯s mother; I didn¡¯t want her to be without family at her wedding. ¡°We are eating dinner here, then Liv is going to go up to her room for a while. I think I¡¯ll try their fine whiskey collection while I¡¯m waiting.¡±


    ¡°Take as much time as you need. Sharkbait can barely stay awake, so we¡¯ll get her home and to bed. Tell Liv that she ate a full rack of ribs by herself.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s impressive.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #46

    ¡°And then she had chocte cake and ice cream for dessert.¡±


    I could sense his amusement over the link. ¡°We need to take Vicki out running again to work off those calories.¡±


    ¡°School starts in the morning, she¡¯ll burn it off with the others.¡± I was serious about her not returning to public school, and this weekend had solved the problempletely. The wolves of the former Welch Pack homeschooled through fifth grade, and Vicki would slide in with them. Paul and Lois Temple would resume the Pack school, which would move to my basement. Their ssroom lessons would be alternated with wolf training that Anita and some of the otherdies would supervise in the woods on my property.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading home now. Take care of your mate.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alpha.¡± By the time we turned onto Highway 61, Vicki was asleep, and I was drowsy. I updated everyone that Brent and Liv would be backte. ¡°Adrienne, what are your ns for tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I need to go to the construction office and start cleaning up the mess,¡± I said. ¡°I need to let all my subcontractors, suppliers and customers know that I¡¯m back in charge before they move on to someone else.¡±


    ¡°You should stay with us,¡± Anita said. ¡°We¡¯re setting up the Pack school, and we have a lot of work to do withbining Pack funds and duties. I could really use help from you, Larry and Donna to untangle the mess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not agreed to be your Luna,¡± Adrienne protested.


    ¡°She needs your help, not your signature,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Great, she said FINE, which every male knew meant ANYTHING except that she was fine. Oh well. I would use any means, fair or unfair, to win her over. Groveling? Check. Wining and Dining? Double-check. Flowers? Roses set for morning delivery. Cute kiddos? Sharkbait and a half-dozen more in the basement. She¡¯d be back in my bed tonight, this time without her wolf forcing her there.


    Vicki would be there too, I was sure. With her mother and Brent outte, she¡¯d want her Alphas. That bond was forming quickly, as the wolves of my mate and heir got closer. I sought to make it impossible for her to leave when her Council job was done. ¡°Adrienne, do you like your Council job?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at It, and the Council needs my help,¡± she quickly replied.


    ¡°I understand that, and I know your reputation. That wasn¡¯t my question, though.¡±


    That kept her quiet, and she watched the town turn into the Cannon Valley as she thought. ¡°I needed the job as much as it needed me,¡± she finally said. ¡°I had too many memories in my Pack, and my son and his mate needed to make their own way as Alphas. Staying busy helped me to recover from the loss. It gave me a reason to get up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had your strength,¡± I said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even work, and then when I was alone, I did nothing. I wasted away for years, doing just enough to exist. It¡¯s going to be a shock to my system when I show up at work in the morning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret, you wake up and work and hope it gets better,¡± she said.


    ¡°You make it better,¡± I said. We made it home and went inside; Anita took Vicki upstairs, waking her to take a shower and get dressed in her Finding Nemo pajamas. Adrienne went to her room to get ready for bed. Mike helped me get into my shower, where I could use the bench built into the limestone surround. He helped me into my bed, letting me scoot into the middle. Vicki backed up to me in her sleep, instinctively looking for the warmth and protection of her Alpha.


    I set my phone rm for seven and ced it on the table, turning out the light. A few minutester, the door opened, and Adrienne walked in. I opened the covers for her and she slid in, her soft nnel pajamas and skin against mine. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to be able to sleep apart from you, not anymore,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to sleep apart from you. I love you, Adrienne.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to expect from that; I knew she was still upset, but I was doing all I could. She rolled towards me, reaching for my lips with her own. They touched, setting off tingles, then more as her hand cupped my cheek. She deepened the kiss, her hand moving around behind my head to pull me closer. I didn¡¯t want it to end, but it did.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Goodnight, Leo.¡± She settled into my side, and I stroked her back lightly as she dropped off to sleep.


    My wolf and I were happy, our mate and our heir next to us and sleepingfortably. It was too perfect tost, and Monday wasing.


    Susan Miller¡¯s POV


    Minneapolis, Minnesota


    Todd¡¯swyer had met with him following his arrest. The US Attorney¡¯s office charged him with two counts of kidnapping, second-degree murder, and four counts of attempted murder from the hit-and-run. Since the arrest hadete in the week, his arraignment would not be until Monday morning, at the Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis. He was facing life in prison.


    Saturday


    I met with my mate¡¯swyer the morning; he was a werewolf in the Afton Pack, so we could talk about the unique problems of werewolf incarceration. He¡¯d gotten Todd to sign over power of attorney to me so I could operate the business and banking while he was in prison. That was what gave me the authority to sell Alpha Leo all but five percent of our stake in Volkov Construction.


    The picture Jonathan Turner, Esquire, painted about his chances of beating the charges wasn¡¯t encouraging. Todd had admitted the hit and run to him, but vehemently denied anything to do with the kidnapping. ¡°Even with attorney-client privilege, he says he was set up,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°He has no idea where the phone and the money came from. It¡¯s going to be difficult for me to prove he was framed since the desk is his, and his office is always locked. Then he went after the targets again with a dump truck.¡±


    ¡°Will he be granted bail?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely given the seriousness of the charges. If the judge grants it, it will be a high amount, five to ten million dors. You¡¯ll have toe up with ten percent in cash to cover the bail bond.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if it was five hundred thousand. I don¡¯t have any money, we¡¯re almost bankrupt,¡± I told thewyer. ¡°The house is mortgaged to the hilt, and our credit cards just got maxed out with your retainer.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s probably best that he remain there for now. Alpha Leo wants his pelt above his firece, and the Council can¡¯t be happy with him either. Monday morning, the charges are formally entered. He¡¯ll give the judge his not guilty plea, and a court date will be set for a few months down the road.¡±


    ¡°The constructionpany will go bankrupt before the trial, and I¡¯ll have nothing,¡± I said sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Susan. The retainer covers the cost of my services, but a trial is going to be much more expensive. He really should consider a plea bargain when it is time, or he¡¯ll never get out.¡±


    ¡°What does jail do to a werewolf?¡± I¡¯d heard stories, but I¡¯d never had to deal with something like this.


    ¡°It slowly kills them. With the cameras and the cramped quarters, you can¡¯t shift. You¡¯re also separated from your Alpha and your Pack. If we don¡¯t intervene, his wolf will slowly die over the next few years. We can¡¯t allow that to happen, as there is a chance it goes feral and shifts among them. At some point, they have to be taken out if they don¡¯t kill themselves first.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That is why we don¡¯t imprison our guilty. We kill them quickly and quietly.¡±


    ¡°In part. The werewolf society can¡¯t incarcerate a wolf long-term and expect to get a functioning member back. If Todd hadn¡¯t been arrested, he¡¯d be facing Council trial and execution by tomorrow. He attacked a fellow Alpha without proper notice and challenge, and he caused the forced change of a human. Both of those acts carry the death penalty with the Council.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°We worry about the arraignment first.¡±


    Sunday afternoon


    I felt a lot better after my meetings with the Council and Alpha Leo. The deal he offered was beyond generous for my children and me, but the price would be high for Todd. He would have to plead to something he did not do. For once in his life, he would have to sacrifice for the greater good.


    I didn¡¯t know if he would do it. Todd was my mate, but that didn¡¯t blind me to the kind of person he was. He manipted and schemed to get to where he was, and he was good at it. I parked at Fort Snelling and got on the light rail into Minneapolis, getting out at the Hennepin County Government Center. Moving into the retail buildings nearby, I found a spot on the skyway where I could sit and look at my phone. No one passing by would ever know that I was mentallymunicating with my mate and husband, in a jail a few blocks away. ¡°Todd? Can you hear me?¡±


    The answer was immediate. ¡°Susan, FINALLY. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In the skyway a few blocks away. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Frustrated and pissed off. Mywyer can¡¯t get arraignment until tomorrow, so I¡¯ve been stuck with these lowlifes all weekend. You have to get me out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can, Todd. I talked to yourwyer, and he thinks you will be denied bail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. Get the money ready.¡±


    He was delusional. ¡°WHAT money? Tell me where the hell I¡¯m going toe up with a half-million in cash, maybe more? Thepany is going bankrupt, and you¡¯ve already borrowed against all the equity in our home. I don¡¯t know how the kids and I are going to live while you are in prison, Todd! The Pack is gone, everyone is leaving, and I¡¯m stuck with the bills. We will be living out of our car before your trial even starts!¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Ungrateful bastards. They should be raising money to get me out.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re scared and pissed off at what you did. The Council is here now, and they aren¡¯t happy that our conflicts are spilling out into the human world. They want it fixed quickly and quietly. They¡¯ve already spoken to Alpha Leo.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #47

    I could sense his anger as that name went to him. ¡°Fucking has-been Alpha Leo, screwing up everything. Why couldn¡¯t he just die after losing his mate like everyone else? It¡¯s all his fault, him and his brother.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything for a bit. ¡°If Ivan could have kept his dick in his pants after getting mated, there would not have been a problem here. I tried to kill that guy for you, and for the Pack.¡±


    ¡°Killing a little girl and her human mother is somehow supposed to be good for the Pack? It¡¯s RUINED us, Todd! No Pack will touch us now.¡±


    ¡°The money Luna Brenda offered for her death would have kept the business solvent until spring. If the boys had finished the job down in the ravine, we¡¯d have the money already. Alpha Leo hadn¡¯t been recognized by the Council formally, so they¡¯d get over that.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°They aren¡¯t ¡®getting over¡¯ anything, Todd. The Chairman is here with his mediator and his guards. They¡¯ve already interviewed men that were part of the attack, and they know what you did and why. Luna Brenda has confessed to offering you the money to kill an Alpha and his heir. They are going to try you in absentia, Todd. You won¡¯t need bail, you¡¯re better off where you are. You will have a death sentence on you in our world if you ever get out of jail.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m an Alpha!¡±


    ¡°Not anymore, my mate. You can¡¯t be an Alpha without at least five members, and all you have left is your family.¡± I let him think about that for a bit. ¡°What kind of life will we have with you in jail? No Pack will take us, and with thepany in bankruptcy, I¡¯ll have NOTHING.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± he said. ¡°There has to be a way out of this.¡±


    It was time to give him the offer. ¡°I was given an offer, via the Council mediator, that would settle the human involvement in this mess and provide for our family. They want you to plead guilty to all charges, including the kidnapping, and take the prison time.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± I could feel his rage over the bond; he was probably hitting or breaking something right now. I waited calmly for almost ten minutes before he came back to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t order the kidnapping; that is a setup.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t, and so do they, but if the FBI keeps poking around, it will lead ces the Council does not want them going. You¡¯re guilty of the four counts of attempted murder, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Talk to your attorney and get him to work out a plea deal.¡± I kept talking, telling him that he should say he had be obsessed with Olivia after seeing her at Wiederholt¡¯s. He had heard of the kidnappers through some ex-cons he¡¯d met. He¡¯d offered ten grand upfront and ten more after delivery to bring Olivia and Vicki to him; Vicki was taken to ensure Olivia cooperated with his ns for her. He never thought they would be stupid enough to kill the grandmother. The hit and run was a target of opportunity; he¡¯d seen Liv with Leo at Wiederholt¡¯s that Tuesday. Leo had saved the two, and now they looked very friendly with each other. If he couldn¡¯t have her, Leo wouldn¡¯t either, and he could take out all three at once as they went home.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? All I have to do is confess to enough felonies to keep me behind bars forever, and then what?¡±


    ¡°Then I sell off most of thepany before it goes bankrupt. The mortgage on our house gets paid off, and enough debt gets cleared for thepany that it has a chance to grow again.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a bit. ¡°Who is buying my part of thepany?¡±


    ¡°Leo Volkov.¡± If I thought he was mad before, he was worse now. It took fifteen minutes this time before he came back to me. ¡°Most of the Welch Pack is now with him. He agreed to let us stay in the Pack, and I can keep working in the office. With the mortgage paid down, we won¡¯t have to sell our home. All we need to do in return is for you to plead guilty.¡±


    ¡°No FUCKING way. Not Leo. He doesn¡¯t get to win. I¡¯ll die before I let that bastard have hispany back. Susan, you are FORBIDDEN from having anything to do with Alpha Leo or the Miesville Pack.¡±


    That asshole was going to ruin it all. ¡°It¡¯s the ONLY WAY, Todd! If we don¡¯t grab this lifeline, you¡¯re dead, I¡¯m broke, and the kids and I are on the street! Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°I want you to kill Leo and Vicki, Susan. Finish the job. If they die while I¡¯m in jail, thewyer can use that to show that I¡¯m innocent.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°It¡¯s the only way we can be together again.¡±


    Vicki woke up first, getting up and quietly leaving the room. My rm went off a few minutester; it was Monday. For the first time in years, I was going to work.


    Adrienne rolled over and grabbed my phone off the side table, turning it off. ¡°Morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good morning, love,¡± I replied. It had been another restful night, no nightmares or waking up. She helped me sit up, removing the arm immobilizer. I moved my shoulder around, and there was soreness but no pain. ¡°At least I can start using this arm now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Keep it in the sling unless you need it out, and it will heal faster,¡± she said as she helped me into my scooter. ¡°When do you change to a walking boot?¡±


    ¡°I have an appointment Wednesday,¡± I said. She went to her room to get ready while I went into the bathroom and did the same. When I got out to the table, Donna was serving pancakes and bacon to Sharkbait, Larry, Mike, and Anita. I ruffled the girl¡¯s hair as I drove by. ¡°Excited for the start of school,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Pack school!¡± I pulled into the open spot as Vicki told me about the ssroom downstairs that had been put together. ¡°No more bus rides!¡± I was happy that the new Pack would be doing homeschooling, at least for the younger pups. It was hard to teach all the sses and have all the sports and extracurricr activities in middle and high school, we sent them to public school then.


    Liv and Brent came downstairs towards the end of the meal and sat down after both kissed and hugged Vicki. ¡°The meeting with your Mom went well,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Better than I thought it would go,¡± Liv said. ¡°Mom wants to be part of our lives again, and the two of us have made up, but it¡¯s far from the end of the story. She has to convince Dad, and before that, she has to visit her sister in Duluth. If she doesn¡¯t, Dad will be very upset that she lied to him.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you kept in touch with your aunt,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°My father has four brothers, my aunt is married to the youngest,¡± Liv said. ¡°When Dad disowned me, he tried to make sure I had no one else in the family to run to. He told them that it was them or me. The only one he couldn¡¯t control was Grandmother; she lost touch with both her daughters after taking me in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s messed up,¡± I said.


    ¡°Appearances are everything to my father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t put you in the stocks, flog you and then make you wear a scarlet A. Does anything change now that media has told everyone you are a single mom?¡± She shrugged her shoulders. All this because a college girl made a mistake being with a married man, then kept the baby. ¡°I imagine she¡¯s not going to have an easy time convincing your father to let you back in.¡±


    ¡°She knows. Dad is rigid in his ways. Changing his mind now would be admitting he was wrong.¡±


    I just shook my head. I noticed Vicki had been following along with the conversation. ¡°Will she be my Grandma?¡±


    ¡°She wants to see you too. I invited Grandmother to stop by the house on her way up to Duluth,¡± Liv said. ¡°She should be here in an hour or so.¡±


    I¡¯d be gone by then. ¡°What are you nning to tell your Mom?¡±


    ¡°None of the werewolf stuff, obviously. I thought I would take Mom up to the apartment and show her where Vicki and I live. Brent doesn¡¯t have anything up there, and we won¡¯t mention he¡¯s living in the house. It¡¯s hard enough knowing we¡¯re getting married soon.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°All the other students will be arriving then, so we¡¯ll get them downstairs quickly and let Sharkbait stay upstairs with you. No shifting, obviously. Vicki, you need to be careful with what you say about your school and your life here. No mentioning Packs, wolves, or shifting.¡±


    ¡°I know, Unky Leo. Mommy told me.¡±


    Liv looked over at me. ¡°What do I say about you? Or my work?¡±


    ¡°Work is on hold until things settle down,¡± I said. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m rted through Vicki, and I¡¯m helping you both out. It helps that I¡¯ve known you for years.¡± We finished up the guys helped me out to the garage. Adrienne¡¯s rental car was in my bay; my truck was totaled, but I hadn¡¯t picked out a recement yet. There wasn¡¯t much of a point until I could drive. After I got in, they loaded the scooter in the back of the sport-utility, and we started driving towards Red Wing.


    As we pulled through the fence into the parking lot of Volkov Construction, I started to get a little emotional. I remembered every aspect of this, from clearing the lot to furnishing the office. I could see a few cars here already as we parked. ¡°Susan is here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good, you have a lot of work to do in there,¡± Adrienne replied. That was true; when I entered the office, three Pack members were waiting with Susan for me. Luis Hernandez, who did drywall and roofing, was sitting in the corner with his McDonald¡¯s bag. Rufus Washington was leaning against the wall; he is our plumbing supervisor. Craig Price, our Site Foreman, was at his desk next to mine, with Susan at her reception desk by the door. ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Adrienne said as she held the door for me.

 THE PORCH WOLF #48

    ¡°Good morning, Alpha, Luna,¡± Susan said. ¡°We have no active work sites today, but we have a big problem. Todd isn¡¯t going for the deal,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, he ordered me to kill you and Vicki instead.¡±


    I drove over to my desk as everyone watched me for a reaction. ¡°I kind of expected Todd would do that,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo. I did everything I could to convince him, but he thinks with the two of you dead, hiswyer can argue the real criminals are still out there. What do we do now?¡± She looked beyond nervous, she was shaking, thinking the whole deal was going to fall apart now. If it did, she¡¯d be left destitute.


    ¡°You do NOTHING about this,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°This is now Council business, and my job here was to make sure the agreement was enforced.¡± She looked at the clock. ¡°I need to call the Chairman and update him, then get my orders. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be busy,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do what you need to do, one of them can drop me at home at the end of the day,¡± I said. I reached my hand up, pulling her into a kiss. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, you clean up this mess,¡± she said before turning and leaving.


    I watched her go, wondering what she was thinking. I didn¡¯t have a mind link with her yet since we hadn¡¯t mated, and she wasn¡¯t a member of my Pack. I didn¡¯t know what the Council would do, but I had my own problems.


    ¡°Susan, the deal was with you and I¡¯ll uphold my end. The sale goes through, you¡¯re still a Beta in my Pack, and you¡¯ll have your home equity loan paid off, and a job to support your family.¡± Her relief was immediate. ¡°Meanwhile, there¡¯s a lot of work to do. Bring me the bills.¡±


    She picked up the stack of them and ced them on my desk. ¡°I need to get up to speed first. Let¡¯s start with current projects and work our way towards the bids.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long, as there were only three jobs we were doing, along with contract snow plowing for a township. I was getting a better idea of how bleak things were when the door opened, and Jacob Burnley walked in. ¡°Leo! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Monday, and I¡¯m behind already,¡± I said to mywyer. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Paperwork. Susan and I need to file the forms with the Secretary of State¡¯s office for the ownership transfer, and we need to visit several banks to take care of the financials. Do you want to go along?¡±


    I had a lot to do. ¡°Am I needed?¡±


    ¡°Not really, you¡¯ve signed the forms, and I have your power of attorney if anything elsees up.¡±


    ¡°Then go, I¡¯ll keep working here.¡± Susan grabbed her stuff and left with him while I picked up the phone.


    I spent the next hour speaking to every person that Volkov Construction had contracts with. I informed them that I had purchased back a majority share in thepany, that we were not going anywhere, and that we wouldplete our contracts on time with quality. For those who had dealt with us before, I could sense the relief that I was back in charge. For the others, they were cautious, not knowing what the future would be with Todd in jail. We would have to prove to them that everything was all right.


    The financials couldn¡¯t wait any longer, as many of the problems with suppliers would go away with the cash infusion I was bringing. I gave thepany a zero-interest loan of two hundred thousand dors, with Jacob taking care of the paperwork and the banking transfer. That gave me the money in the checking ount I would need to take care of bills, and there were many of those.


    The workers were another issue. Luis and Rufus were doing all right; they had filled in the gaps in work with Volkov by subcontracting for other jobs. Craig Price had more issues as the foreman; he¡¯d had toy off workers due to the declining amount of work, and the money issues were interfering with his purchases of supplies. Deposits for the current jobs had disappeared into the pit of debt that Todd had umted, and some of our suppliers had cut us off.


    ¡°Start making phone calls and getting crews together,¡± I told Craig. ¡°I¡¯ll straighten out the suppliers.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°I want the Herling job finished this week, the other two by the end of the month,¡± I said. His eyes got wide, they had a lot longer in the contracts toplete them. ¡°I know. Right now, we need to have some wins to show Volkov is back. The best way to do that is to finish the current jobs ahead of schedule. If we need overtime, I authorize it. If we need to bring people on, do it, start with Pack and add others where you need. Don¡¯t skimp on quality, just get it done, starting this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± he said. He started making calls from his desk. January was a slow time for constructionpanies since you could only dig and work in spaces that were closed off from the weather. The good news is that as soon as the weather warmed, there was a backlog of homes and other work. It was that backlog I needed to be able to bid and win on if we were going to turn thepany around.


    I made one call to the Sheriff¡¯s Department to find out when the dump truck would be released from the impound. The deputy was surprised to find out that I now owned thepany again; since the truck¡¯s title read Volkov Construction, there would be no issues getting it back when it was no longer in evidence. The problem was that just like my pistol, it wouldn¡¯t get there until the trials were over. After all, Todd¡¯swyer might want to check it out too.


    While I was on the phone, I called the Ford dealer about a recement for my totaled truck. There was a little sticker shock as I found out how much truck prices had gone up in thest six years, but they had what I was looking for on the lot. The insurance payout on my old truck would cover about a fifth of the cost, so the rest came out of my cash. It would be ready to go by four this afternoon if I showed up and signed the papers at three.


    Susan was dropped off after all the paperwork was done, and she brought Italian Beef sandwiches from Johnny¡¯s Gyros in town. Trying to eat the messiest sandwich in the world with one hand didn¡¯t work, so I took my sling off for lunch before I ruined my shirt. It was worth every twinge of pain as I chewed on the beef and hot peppers, though.


    I pulled the bills and the checks for the local suppliers and gave them to Craig. He left soon after, taking a few people and trucks with him to bring ounts current and pick up the supplies we would need for tomorrow. It hadn¡¯t taken him long to get the people he needed to kick the first project in the butt and get it moving again.


    I made a few more calls after lunch. I tried Adrienne¡¯s phone, and it went straight to voice mail. I left a message saying I loved her and missed her, and I¡¯d be home before five with my new truck. Then I called Liv to see how the morning went for them. ¡°Did you Mom show up?¡±


    ¡°She did, and she stayed with us for an hour,¡± Liv said. ¡°I barely got a word in edgewise, between her apologies and Vicki showing her everything in her room. She said to thank you for saving our lives, and for helping us out.¡±


    This was good. Vicki deserved better than to be abandoned by her grandparents. ¡°How is school going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think this ss is going to be a handful,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°Poor Lois! At least she can growl at them to get them to stop messing around. Hopefully, it will all settle down in a few days.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Thest two weeks haven¡¯t been much of a vacation for any of us.¡± We talked for a few more minutes, then I called Mike and asked if he and Anita could pick me up from the Ford dealer at four. Once all the personal stuff was done, it was back to work, paying the bills and checking ount receivables.


    I spent thest hour going over the maintenance histories of the equipment. It was as I suspected; maintenance had been pushed off to save money, and now it wasing due. I started to put together a n to get it done before the spring season began.


    By two forty-five, I¡¯d had enough. ¡°Susan, can you give me to the Ford dealer?¡±


    ¡°I normally don¡¯t leave this early,¡± she said.


    ¡°School is ending, and I¡¯m sure if you let the girls know you¡¯d be wee to stay for dinner,¡± I said. ¡°You have enough drama in your life, let us help you.¡± She grabbed her keys and the guys loaded me up, then she dropped me off in front of the dealer on the way through town.


    I checked out my new truck parked by the door. It was fancy, with leather seats and all the electronics of a car these days. I¡¯d brought along the door and tailgate decals for thepany, and those were put on the white truck while I was doing other things. The cost wasing of the business ount, not my personal one, so it had to have the ads.


    Anita dropped Mike off just before four, and he got me in the front before folding the rear seats up and getting help to lift the scooter in. ¡°How was work,¡± he asked.


    ¡°A lot tougher than retirement,¡± I said. ¡°It feels good to be doing something again, though.¡±


    ¡°Donna¡¯s making fried chicken tonight. What would you have donest year on a Monday?¡±


    ¡°Chinese buffet. Eat as much as I could, then have the munchies two hourster,¡± I said. ¡°Is Adrienne back?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard a thing.¡± I pulled out my phone and tried calling, getting voice mail. This time I sent a text telling her I was on my way home and was hoping to see her for dinner. It was an adjustment for me, knowing my mate had her own career with the Council. I had no idea how we would reconcile her demanding job and its frequent travel with being my mate and Luna of the Miesville Pack.


    I hoped she epted me so we could find out.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

 THE PORCH WOLF #49

    Council Mediator Adrienne McInnis¡¯ POV


    I was pissed, and I let the Chairman know it as I drove my rental car away from Leo¡¯s office.


    Yes, he was my mate, and he was making it DAMN hard to resist him. It hadn¡¯t started well, but I could understand him better than I let on. He wasn¡¯t over his fated mate less than five years after losing her to cancer. Could I me a man for loving his mate that much?


    Could I fault him for losing his ability to lead his Pack?


    Could I me him for hitting the bottle to dull the pain?


    Could I fault his wolf for hiding the knowledge from him when his wolf knew his human side couldn¡¯t handle it yet?


    No. I couldn¡¯t me it at all, because every wolf who survived the loss of a mate did the same things. Some pulled through faster, some killed themselves to join them. His mate made him promise not to do that, but she couldn¡¯t make him love again. It took a little girl with an Alpha mantle to break the shell around his heart.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I had time to do the rest.


    If he¡¯d been able to shift and had taken me into the woods that night, we would havepleted the mating that night. My wolf had already chosen him, and his wolf had epted her. It was the other halves that we had to convince.


    As I filled the Chairman in on what had happened with Todd, I was filled with anger. It wasn¡¯t at Leo, who had handled the situation better than I could have hoped. He was a good Alpha, who looked at the good of the Pack and not just himself.


    It wasn¡¯t at Susan, who did her best to convince us and reported back to us his reaction.


    No, it was at Todd. He threatened the life of my future mate and our Pack heir. For that, I wanted his balls hanging from my rear-view mirror, and his head on a fencepost.


    ¡°How is Leo handling this,¡± the Chairman asked me.


    ¡°He acted like he expected him to reject the offer,¡± I replied. ¡°Todd used to be his Beta, he¡¯s known him for years. He told Susan that it didn¡¯t affect the deal he had with her. She¡¯s going to keep her job and her home, and she¡¯s already in our Pack.¡±


    ¡°Our pack? Do you have news for me, Luna McInnis?¡±


    Shit. That slipped out. ¡°My personal life is on hold pending the resolution of this mess, Mr. Chairman. I have not mated, nor have I promised anything as of yet.¡±


    He chuckled at that. ¡°Noted. I do appreciate your dedication, Luna.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now, the deal Leo made would have had Alpha Todd admit to hiring the kidnappers, tying a nice little bow around the FBI investigation and leaving it in a file cab in the basement. Since he has refused, the next best thing would be if he were to expire before this goes to trial. The sooner, the better.¡±


    ¡°I agree. How do you propose we do this?¡±


    ¡°WE don¡¯t do anything, Mr. Chairman. I¡¯ve got this handled. I will inform you and the rest of the Council when it is resolved.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything; he didn¡¯t have to. When he thought it through, he¡¯d realize I¡¯d given him usible deniability. If it worked, he¡¯d take credit for resolving everything and protecting our secret. If it went south, he¡¯d truthfully say he never ordered me to do anything. He¡¯d then me it on the mate bond, with Leo driving me tomit the acts he¡¯d never authorize himself. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your call then, Adrienne.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Chairman.¡± I cut the call and pulled over to the side, finding the name I needed and setting the map program on my phone to give me directions. It would take me almost an hour to drive upriver to Stillwater.


    Stillwater was a logging town, with beautiful Victorian homes along the Stillwater River northeast of St. Paul. The suburbs had filled in between it and the Twin Cities, and now antique malls, cafes, and shops filled the narrow streets of downtown. It was also the location of the State Prison.


    I drove through and into the opennd north of the city, finally turning at the fire marker into a gravel driveway. Signs warned against trespassing or soliciting, and cameras pointed towards the road. A cattle gate ahead of me brought me to a halt about fifty feet from the pavement. I waited, knowing the Pack would send someone out when I didn¡¯t turn around.


    It only took a few minutes before a man driving an ATV approached from the other side. He got off and walked around to my window as I rolled it down. I let my dominance out; itbined with my werewolf scent to bring him to a halt, his head bowed to me. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Luna McInnis of the Council, here to see Alpha Mark Conway. Open the gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luna,¡± he said as he practically ran for the gate. He opened it, and I drove through, not waiting for him. He would have linked his Alpha already. Sure enough, when the driveway opened to therge Pack House and some smaller homes, Alpha Mark was waiting at the steps with Luna Belinda.


    I parked at the base of them, the Alphaing down to open my door. ¡°Luna McInnis, wee to the Stillwater Pack,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. Is there a ce we can speak in private?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You remember my Luna, Belinda?¡±


    We greeted each other with the traditional touch of the cheeks. ¡°You look radiant, Belinda. Are you expecting?¡±


    ¡°Eight weeks along,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Congrattions to both of you. Belinda, you should sit in on this meeting, if you have time.¡±


    ¡°For the most powerful woman in the Council, I will make time,¡± she said as she led me inside. The Pack House was of typical design; three stories plus a full basement in an E-shape. It wasrge enough to house fifty wolves, with dining, entertainment, and offices downstairs and living quarters in the basement and the upper floors. The Alpha offices were straight ahead, through heavy dual doors.


    I sat in a chair in front of his desk as Belinda offered me a coffee. ¡°Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,¡± I said.


    ¡°Luna, this isn¡¯t a social call, is it.¡± Mark was nervous, and Belinda might not have been informed of everything. I wanted her in here to gauge her reactions.


    ¡°It is not,¡± I replied. I opened my messenger bag, removing the two photographs I¡¯d taken off the Council registry. When werewolves changed Packs, reports had to be made to the Council. ¡°These two men and their families joined your Pack recently,¡± I said.


    He looked at them and nodded. ¡°Parker Nielsen and Thomas Conboy, transfers from the Welch Pack. Parker is newly mated, and Thomas has a mate and a young daughter. Both transferred after Alpha Todd¡¯s arrest. They had already quit the Welch Pack, which I understand is no more.¡±


    I handed him Council warrants for their arrests. ¡°Parker and Thomas participated in an attempt on the life of Alpha Leo Volkov; specifically, the two of them went after the passengers in his back seat. One passenger was a human, who was bitten on the ankle and underwent a forced turn. The other was a girl, not even five years old, who is Leo¡¯s heir and holds the Alpha mantle.¡±


    You couldn¡¯t fake the surprise that took over both their faces. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Mark said. ¡°I¡¯ll have them brought here immediately.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said. ¡°These two are a small part of a muchrger problem. Alpha Leo wants them brought to his Pack to face trial and receive Werewolf justice. However, the biggest problem our people have right now is in jail in Hennepin County.¡±


    He sat back. ¡°Alpha Todd.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The human authorities have all the proof they need to put Todd in jail for the hit and run, but we both know that he was set up on the murder and kidnapping charges.¡± Alpha Mark raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s speak frankly. Nobody would be using your Pack members for the kidnapping of a child without you knowing about it. Don¡¯t waste my time on denials; I know Alpha John of Marengo came to you with the contract, and I know you sent your people to do it. The Council doesn¡¯t like activities that bring human interest, and your Pack is taking far too many risks.¡±


    He sat back as Luna Belinda tried to gather herself. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t known that her mate was involved in the kidnapping attempt that left an innocent human and two of their Pack members dead. ¡°You want something, or you¡¯d have warriors here with silver chains already.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are more worried about the FBI and Law Enforcement¡¯s investigation into Olivia and Vicki Andersen that your illegal activities. This investigation needs to end in the next few days. If left unchecked, it¡¯s not just you that is in danger. It could affect Marengo Lake, Welch and Miesville.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And the only way it ends is if all the principals are dead.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Todd hired your two, and when all three are dead, they dere the case solved and move on. You know the objective, and the Council and I don¡¯t want to know the details.¡± I tossed him the arrest warrants. ¡°If this situation resolves itself in the next week, I will convince Alpha Leo to withdraw the charges with the Council against Parker and Thomas. You know the penalty for attacking humans or Alpha heirs; their pelts will be hanging from Leo¡¯s fence by sundown if the trial urs. I¡¯m sure they will be highly motivated to find another solution.¡±


    Belinda came up behind her mate, her hands on his shoulders, her body shaking. ¡°What about us?¡±


    ¡°If the situation resolves, you can consider this visit to be a warning to you. Keep your Pack in legal activities, and stay off the human¡¯s radar. If the Council has to spread the wider to quash this problem, anyone involved in the kidnapping will not be spared.¡± Her mouth dropped as she figured out what this meant to them. Her hand dropped to her stomach, instinctively protecting her child.


    ¡°I will make sure this problem is taken care of,¡± Alpha Mark finally said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck it up. Thest thing we need right now is to draw even more attention to the case.¡± I set my cup down on the desk. ¡°Thank you for meeting me. I can find my way out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you,¡± Luna Belinda said. We left her mate behind; he would be linking his leadership and making ns that I did not want to know about. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this happened,¡± she said as we walked towards the front door.


    ¡°You have a limited time to change the way your Pack operates before it destroys itself,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll need to push Mark to make the changes. Encourage him, guide him, and threaten him if necessary to get there. If the other Alphas find out what he has done, it won¡¯t just be Alpha Leoing for him.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #50

    ¡°I understand,¡± she said as she opened the front door. ¡°Thank you for giving us a chance to fix this.¡±


    ¡°One chance, Luna. Make it count.¡± With that, I got into my rental car and drove away. The gate guard was waiting, waving as I passed before he closed it behind me. I smiled as I turned back towards Stillwater; I could imagine the conversations going on in that office for the rest of the day.


    I made some phone calls as I drove in the general direction of my new home. I talked to my son Anthony, the Alpha of the Baxter Pack in Maine. He was overjoyed at the news that I had found a second-chance mate. ¡°When is the ceremony?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t epted him just yet, and I still have Council business that takes precedence,¡± I told him. ¡°We had a shaky start, and he¡¯s still getting his mind right from the loss of his own mate. I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°A Pack in Minnesota,¡± he said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t find a mate in Florida, Texas, or Arizona? You know, so Pam and I have a warm ce to stay in the winter?¡±


    I justughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a vote in this either. me Luna.¡± We talked for another thirty minutes until I pulled into the parking lot on the east side of the Mall of America. I needed to get some clothing until I could return to Maine and sell my house. I spent a few hours buying new outfits to get me through the next few weeks.


    As I passed the Lower East Side, I saw the signs for SeaLife. Vicki¡¯s enthusiasm about her sharks was contagious; I needed to visit here with them soon. It was so different seeing things through their eyes. Young children hadn¡¯t been disappointed, betrayed, or hurt by the world. I chuckled as I thought about what she said about us; Leo was sad, but I was here and made him happy. It was so simple to her.


    He made me happy too.


    I joined the rush hour traffic and headed south for home.


    **************


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    I smiled when I saw Adrienne¡¯s car parked next to the pole barn. She hadn¡¯t called me back or replied to my texts, but I knew I¡¯d see her soon. We pulled my new truck into the extra-deep stall, the extended-cab pickup truck easily fit inside the garage with room to spare. Mike came around and got the scooter out, helping me slide down into it. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until I can use my arm again,¡± I said. ¡°And get a walking boot.¡±


    ¡°Scooter-boy doesn¡¯t exactly scream Alpha, does it,¡± Mike teased as I drove towards the house. He set the plywood down for me to drive up the stairs and get into the dining room. The smell of fried chicken had me hungry in an instant.


    ¡°How¡¯s the new truck,¡± Donna asked as she popped out of the kitchen to give me a hug.


    ¡°Fancy. It¡¯s a long way from the AM radio and gear shifter of the old days,¡± I said.


    ¡°Go get washed up. We¡¯re eating in ten.¡± I thanked her for cooking, then drove down the hall to my room. I could hear people downstairs, including a certain little girl who always made me smile.


    I opened the door and drove in, closing it behind me. I was about to start moving again when the bathroom door opened, and Adrienne walked out.


    In acy bra and panty set.


    She froze when she saw me, starting to cover up. ¡°No, don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°By Luna, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    Her face was flush with embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were home.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were changing in here.¡±


    She walked over to the dresser that used to hold Catherine¡¯s clothing before I donated most of it. Opening one of the drawers, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a nnel shirt. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I put my things away. I did some shopping today, as I didn¡¯t bring a lot of clothes with me on this trip.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Is there anything left in the guest room?¡±


    ¡°No. There was no point in keeping my things in there. My wolf wouldn¡¯t let me sleep away from you.¡± My eyes couldn¡¯t avoid her body. She was almost fifty, but her body was still a work of art. She obviously worked out, with lots of weight training and cardio. I could smell her arousal, and she could sense mine. ¡°Did you find you worked out more after your mate was gone?¡±


    ¡°Not for a few years,¡± she said as she pulled the tight jeans up, her rounded backside jiggling as she hopped. I was entranced. ¡°I tried a lot of things to move on with my life. Working out was the healthiest of them. I tried to keep it up after I joined the Council.¡±


    ¡°You did better than me. I didn¡¯t start again until recently.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t ready yet, Leo. Moving on after the loss of a mate doesn¡¯t go by a form you can write down. It took time, family support, a therapist, and a reason to get up every morning. You moved on when you were ready to, and not a day before.¡± She pulled the shirt on, buttoning the red and ck as she did.


    I couldn¡¯t decide if she was hotter in id or in lingerie. Maybe I¡¯d have to get her id lingerie. Yeah, that¡¯s the ticket. ¡°I¡¯m getting there, Adrienne. Vicki and Liv gave me a reason to live, and you have given me a reason to love again. I¡¯m not the same man I wasst week, and I¡¯m far from the man I was a month ago.¡± I looked at her, the love my wolf and I had for her shining from my eyes. I was afraid to move as she came towards me.


    She leaned down, capturing my lips in a kiss. I closed my eyes as the tingles of the mate bond shot through my body, further aggravating the excitement down below. The kiss went on for a few seconds, then she let me go. I felt physical pain at the loss of contact. ¡°Wash up, dinner¡¯s almost ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± I used the bathroom and washed up before driving back out to the dining room. The rest of the people who lived here were at the table, with Susan and her children joining us. I drove to the open spot at the head of the table just before Donna brought the tray of chicken over. ¡°Thank you for cooking tonight, Mom. Tomorrow night is my treat.¡±


    ¡°Wiederholt¡¯s?¡± Vicki was bouncing in her seat.


    ¡°Tuesday night, so yes. The tradition of Prime Rib Night can¡¯t be lost. It brought you and your Mom here, after all.¡± Vicki pped as Liv looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I promise to get you home safe this time, Liv.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, but I was hoping I could go back to work sometime. I¡¯ve always worked hard, and I don¡¯t want to take advantage of your generosity.¡±


    Adrienne was scooping mashed potatoes on my te, staying quiet on this as I answered. ¡°You aren¡¯t taking advantage of me; you couldn¡¯t, Liv. You are family and Pack now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just stay inside and help clean and cook,¡± she said. ¡°I need to set an example for Vicki, and I¡¯m notzy.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± I¡¯d talked briefly to Brent about her studies and now was as good a time as any to discuss them. ¡°Adrienne, in your son¡¯s Pack, how do you handle college and vocational training?¡±


    She was a little shocked to be asked but quickly recovered. ¡°We¡¯ve always believed in investing in our members. We finance up to four years of college or job training at a public university; if the person wants to go to a private school, they can use their own money or schrships to make up the difference. The Pack is there to support you as you find your way in the world; we want every person to be ready to contribute, whether in a Pack job or among the humans. If you work in the human world, you pay a portion back to the Pack for room and board. That covers expenses, and pay of the people who work for the Pack.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What if they need more schooling, like a doctor or awyer,¡± I asked.


    ¡°We will pay some of the cost, provided they serve the Pack in a capacity we need,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s all about what is best for the Pack. A Pack doctor isn¡¯t cheap to train, and he or she has to work in the human system to maintain their qualifications.¡±


    I looked over at Susan. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but how did you handle things in the Welch Pack?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t pay up-front, but we did have tuition reimbursement for those who work for the Pack for a defined time, and whose skills are needed. I should talk to you, Alpha, about the ones in that program who are now with you. They wouldn¡¯t bring it up, but they are anxious to hear about any changes.¡±


    ¡°We will have to figure that out, I guess.¡± I looked back at Liv. ¡°We want our Pack to prosper, and our members to be happy and engaged. I want you to go back to school full-time,¡± I said. ¡°With Vicki going to school here, you should be able to do that around the chores and Pack training you¡¯ll still have.¡±


    Brent took her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be working, and we¡¯re a team now. The Alpha is right; finishing your degree should be your focus. A degree in Elementary Education would allow you to take over the Pack school, allowing Paul and Lois to return to their retirement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two years,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°It¡¯s five if you keep going at the pace you are now,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t want to force her, but I wanted to push. ¡°sses start again in a week, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°Contact the admissions office and see about adding a few more sses this semester and in the summer. Finish your generals, then we¡¯ll see about transferring you into Winona State in the fall.¡±


    It was more than she hoped for, and her eyes showed it. ¡°All right,¡± she said.


    Adrienne changed the subject at the right time. ¡°Vicki, how was your first day of school?¡±


    ¡°It was fun, Auntie Adrienne,¡± she said. I could see my mate¡¯s face twitch at the title, and I smiled a little. Vicki knew we were mates, and that made her Auntie. ¡°Tomorrow, we are going to the zoo!¡±


    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± she said. ¡°Is it only for the kids, or can adults go?¡±


    ¡°Could youe? Please?¡± Vicki had her best pouty-face on.


    I linked with Lois, who was thrilled at having the Luna spend time with the children. ¡°Lois would be happy to have another adult to help out,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Are any SHARKS there,¡± Adrienne asked.


    Vicki nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as SeaLife. Tiger sharks and leopard sharks only, and not as big. They have snow monkeys and wolves, but Miss Lois said we can¡¯t talk to them.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°No, we may look simr, but we are humans who can be wolves. A simple blood test would show we aren¡¯t wild wolves. Your wolf isn¡¯t much smaller than those timberwolves are, and I¡¯m a small horsepared to them.¡±


    ¡°Luna is too! I can walk under her, and my ears don¡¯t touch!¡± Adrienne has a powerful Alpha bloodline and was a mantled Alpha. She was noticeably bigger than Susan and even taller than Catherine was. My wolf loved the look of her in her fur. We talked about a lot of things, including my first day at work. Susan looked like a different woman now that she didn¡¯t have the Pack and thepany weighing her down.


    ¡°How was your day, love,¡± I asked.

 THE PORCH WOLF #51

    ¡°It was good,¡± she said. ¡°I finished early and swung by the Mall of America to do some shopping. I thought of Sharkbait when I saw the aquarium,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± She had left my work to take care of the Todd problem, and I wanted to know what was going on with him. It affected my Pack and my family.


    ¡°Council business,¡± she replied. ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I saw Todd was in court this morning; were you there?¡± She shook her head, no. ¡°At least his bail was denied. His trial is set for April.¡±


    ¡°I heard,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°This is the tastiest fried chicken I¡¯ve had in years, Donna. Is it your own recipe?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s,¡± she said. It was clear she wasn¡¯t going to say more, so I left it alone. After dinner, Liv took Vicki upstairs for her bath time, while the rest of us rxed over coffee or drinks.


    ¡°Thank you for the college talk, Alpha,¡± Brent said. ¡°I know she wants her degree done before we can start a family, and if we wait too long, Vicki will be too old for them to really bond.¡±


    ¡°From what Sharkbait said about the noises and banging up there, you might be starting a family already,¡± I teased. ¡°It¡¯s tough to put a condom on in wolf form, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    His face flushed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if she got pregnant right away, but Liv would be mortified if she got pregnant before getting married again. I don¡¯t want her disappointing her family again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you ¡®technically¡¯ have a guest room in the basement,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe you guys can keep it down, and Sharkbait will stay in her own bed tonight.¡± I didn¡¯t mind a pup crawling in bed forfort, but I didn¡¯t want to make a habit of it. I had a mate to take care of, and I didn¡¯t need anyone else in my bed for that.


    Susan left for home with the kids, and we watched the news and a documentary on coral reefs before it was time for Sharkbait to go to bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower and go to bed. This work thing is exhausting,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in soon,¡± she said. I drove into my room, grabbing a pair of shorts. I tossed it on the vanity as I parked by the shower. I pulled off my clothes, the loose athletic pants and boxers going over the boot I was wearing on my left ankle. I left the sling on the counter, then started the ufortable process of taking my shirt off.


    ¡°Let me,¡± her voice said as she came up behind me. My eyes got wide as I realized she was already nude. She guided the shirt off, then helped me move into the shower and sit on the seat. She had the water on and the shower wand in her hand before my brain caught up with me. ¡°You aren¡¯t in as bad a shape as I expected for a used model with lots of miles on the chassis. A few months with the treadmill and weights, and we¡¯ll be able to see your abs,¡± she teased.


    ¡°ssic forms never goes out of style, love,¡± I said. I rxed and tried unsessfully to keep my body from responding as she did my hair. Her fingers felt fantastic as they massaged my scalp. The tingles were setting my body on fire as if the scenery wasn¡¯t enough. After that was done, she cleaned the rest of my body, saving the best forst. She finished it quickly, leaving me on edge as she turned around and did her own routine before she rinsed us both off.


    We finished our bedtime routine, and she didn¡¯t put my shorts back on before helping me back on the scooter.


    She said I didn¡¯t need them.


    She was right. We were marked and mated before ten, making me the happiest wolf in the house.


    *************


    January 21st


    ¡°Rx, you look beautiful,¡± I said as I walked over to her in her wedding gown. She was a vision in white, the dress handed down from her mother. It was an off the shoulder design that showed off her mating bite. Brent was a lucky man.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting married,¡± Olivia said as she took my arm.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Kathryn and Aunt are here,¡± I replied. It was the first time her Mom had visited since they met in Red Wing, with her husband still stubbornly refusing to acknowledge Liv or Vicki. Her Aunt had been convinced and came down from Duluth with her husband to attend. The rest of the bride¡¯s side was made up of friends from work or school, plus the Pack. Brent had a half-dozen family members here, along with the Winona Pack Alphas, Larry, and Donna.


    Vicki had already gone down the short aisle in the basement meeting room at Wiederholt¡¯s. When we asked the owner about having a reception there, Mike immediately offered the small space for the service as well. The rows of folding chairs out for the service would be reced by tables for the reception. Later, the dance floor would open and a sound system would y the music they had selected. It meant no need to travel between sites, and privacy for the forty or so people who had gathered for the festivities.


    Liv and Kathryn hadn¡¯t needed much time to n the wedding, wanting a simple affair for family. With her father refusing to pay for it, I stepped in as her Alpha and father figure. ¡°If you weren¡¯t in such a hurry to get married, we could host it by the pool in the spring,¡± I¡¯d told her. ¡°That¡¯smon for Pack weddings.¡±


    ¡°There are humans involved in this one, and I don¡¯t want to wait,¡± she replied. Keeping the guest list down and taking Mike up on his offer kept the cost under four thousand dors. It was smart; better to save your money for a house while you live rent-free in the apartment than to spend big on a wedding and honeymoon.


    Vicki was the flower girl and had already walked forward while spreading white rose petals along the aisle. Her dress was grey on top, fading to white in the skirt; she liked it because it looked like shark colors. Anita and Mike were next to leave the back room, walking down the aisle as Matron of Honor and Best Man. Her dress was a light grey silk top with a white and grey skirt, while the men were dressed in light grey tuxedoes with white shirts. Fist-sized silk moonflowers, since the real ones wouldn¡¯t keep, and white roses formed the corsages and bouquets. When they reached the front, the music changed to the wedding march, and that was our cue.


    I wiped the tears from her eyes and handed her an extra Kleenex to hold in her hand with her flowers. ¡°Keep your eyes on Brent, and try to enjoy this.¡±


    We stepped out of the door, turning to the right before reaching the back of the aisle. Liv held my right arm instead of my left due to my injuries. My left arm was out of the sling but held onto a cane to help with bnce since my left foot was still in a walking boot. Liv wiped her eyes in happiness as she took in her mate, waiting for her with Larry and the wedding party. We walked forward slowly, staying in step, as everyone stood and turned towards us. I stopped just short of Brent, lifting her veil and kissing her on the cheek. ¡°I love you, Liv,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you, Unky Leo,¡± she said with a smile. She stepped up next to Brent as I turned to sit between the mother of the bride, Kathryn, and my mate Adrienne. As soon as I sat down, Vicki got up and came over to sit in myp. That was fine with me.


    Larry¡¯s marriage ceremony was short and non-religious. Werewolves don¡¯t talk about Luna or the Moon among humans, but he did spend time talking about the ¡®bonds of love¡¯ and the importance of themitment to each other. They wrote their own vows, surprising everyone when they called Vicki up to stand with them as they exchanged rings. ¡°Liv, when I saw you, I knew that we would be together forever,¡± Brent said. ¡°I love you to the moon and back. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of our lives. I promise to be a father to Vicki as my own daughter. I promise we will raise her to be as strong, courageous, and independent as her mother is. I love you always, my wife.¡± He slid the band onto her hand, the silver ring with the ck engraving, showing the wolves in the trees.


    I¡¯m an Alpha, a strong wolf, but I was pulling my handkerchief out at that. Olivia¡¯s vows kept the waterworks going. ¡°Brent, I¡¯vee to love you in a way I never expected or thought possible. You and Vicki are the best things that have ever happened to me. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of our lives. I promise to respect your ce in our family as my husband and Vicki¡¯s father. I promise that all of our children will be raised with the honor, respect, and strength of character you have shown me. I will love you always, my husband.¡± She slid his band onto his finger.


    ¡°By the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota, I pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±


    ¡°And the daughter,¡± Vicki said as she looked up at them kissing, while the audience apuded. Brent picked her up, and they each gave her a loud smack on the cheek before setting her down. The three went back up the aisle and into the back room, followed by the rest of the wedding party. They would sign the marriage certificate and take a few minutes to collect themselves while we changed the ce around.


    ¡°Everyone, stand up and fold up the chairs against the walls,¡± I said. With that done, it only took Mike¡¯s staff a few minutes to bring the tables in and set them up. A long table across the dance floor was set up for the wedding party, while round tables filled the rest of the room. Tablecloths, centerpieces, silverware, and candles were in ce and everyone was seated again within ten minutes.


    I sent a mental push to them that we were ready, and a minuteter, the door opened. The newlyweds, Vicki, Mike, Anita, Larry, and Debbie took their seats at the head table. Almost immediately, the forks were tapping the water sses until the couple kissed. It was Tuesday, of course, and the Prime Ribs wereing out to the tables quickly.


    I¡¯d tried to convince Liv that ¡°something old¡± could mean Prime Rib Night, but she used the wedding dress for that instead.


    The dinner was a lot of fun, and when the time came for toasts, I stood up with my ss. ¡°I¡¯ve known Olivia for years; every Tuesday, at the same table upstairs, she was my waitress, my friend, and my confidant. She never gave less than her best, and always had a smile on her face. She¡¯s worked hard to raise her daughter, and she found a great husband in Brent. The two of them are perfect for each other, and I couldn¡¯t be happier to be here to watch them join together. To Mr. and Mrs. Brent Lawrence, may your marriage be blessed with joy, health, and children.¡± I raised my ss as everyone drank to them.


    The rest of the evening was a st, with the meal and cake finishing up, followed by the dancing. With the boot, I wasn¡¯t going to cut a rug, but I did dance in ce with Liv as her father before giving her over to Brent. A few others, including Vicki, risked being trampled by the boot for a short time before I gave up and sat down again.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The children started to go home with parents by nine. A dejected Vicki went home with Larry and Donna. They were staying in the guest room and told us to ¡°have fun ande backte.¡±


    Adrienne and I didn¡¯tst much past ten. We said our goodbyes and drove home, holding hands the whole way. ¡°That was fun,¡± I said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #52

    ¡°It¡¯s different, but it has to be with the humans involved. I think I prefer a Pack mating ceremony.¡± That is what we were nning to do. We¡¯d made some arrangements already, but Adrienne needed to sell her Maine house and move her stuff to Minnesota first. ¡°Even then, it¡¯s for the government or for show. We¡¯re already linked together, and our bond is stronger than any ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said as I squeezed her hand. ¡°I do like the honeymoon thing.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°A double honeymoon with a five-year-old shark junkie is fun?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Warm weather, beaches, and seafood buffets will be fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Luna, imagine the looks on their faces when they see what ¡®kids eat free¡¯ means with Sharkbait,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°There go the profits for the night,¡± I agreed. ¡°She gets that food bump and it¡¯s gone by the morning. Thank Luna she can run it off in training, or she¡¯d be round by now.¡± We pulled into the garage and went inside; it was quiet. We shared a shower and went to bed. Liv and Brent were spending the night at the St. James Hotel, while Adrienne was going to the airport to catch a flight to Maine. She¡¯d be back in a week with her stuff.


    I had a few days to store or donate the rest of Catherine¡¯s things before she got back.


    January 29th


    Vicki stood with me as we waited for the two vehicles to arrive. My shoulder was doing well with the physical therapy, and I had another week before I could take the brace off my ankle. Adrienne had called from Miesville a few minutes ago. Her son Anthony and daughter-inw Pam were driving the small U-Haul.


    Thest few weeks had been a whirlwind, but it was worth it. I finally had the constructionpany moving forward, and we were starting to get contracts for the spring. The Pack was rallying around us, and spirits were high.


    Livy was in school full time, while Vicki attended Pack school in the morning and wolf training in the afternoon. Brent was starting a job working security at the nuclear nt in March, where he would be working with Brian Knight. He would be in training until April and then start rotating shift work. The three were still living in the apartment over the garage and would use it for a few more years, at least. I didn¡¯t mind; I loved having them around. The big house wasn¡¯t so lonely with Sharkbait running around.


    The home had emptied out as things settled down. Todd had been found unresponsive in his cell one morning, and the investigation closed down with his death. With the threat now gone, Larry and Donna returned home along with the remaining warriors the Winona Pack had sent. I¡¯d even gotten my pistol back from evidence.


    A car slowed and turned in, a truck right behind it. My wolf was bouncing around in my head as she drove into the garage stall for her, the silver Lexus LX stopping in front of us. ¡°LEO,¡± she yelled as she got out and ran to me. I hugged her tight, my nose close to her neck. Vicki was hugging her leg, and she picked her up and hugged her too.


    ¡°Wee home, love.¡±


    ¡°Let me introduce my family,¡± she said. The U-Haul was backing up to the door closest to the house, and when it was shut down, her son got down. ¡°This is Alpha Anthony, my boy,¡± she said as I shook his hand. He had his mother¡¯s dominance and her father¡¯s build; he was an impressive young wolf. ¡°And her mate, Pam.¡± Pam was a strikingly tall woman with curly brown hair to her shoulders.


    ¡°Wee to the Miesville Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wee to our family,¡± Anthony replied. We went inside to get to know each other.


    *********


    February 11, 2020


    When I purchased the tickets for Vicki to do the Sleep With The Sharks at SeaLife, she had just been that daughter of a friend. I gave them for Christmas because I knew how much Liv struggled to do things between school and work, and I thought it would be a fun party for the two.


    I had no idea that Sharkbait was so crazy about sharks.


    I never expected that Vicki would be a werewolf with an Alpha mantle, who had never shifted and was living unaware among humans.


    I never thought I would adopt the two into my family, with Vicki as my heir.


    And I never dreamed I¡¯d be a mated Alpha, required to attend the annual Alpha Summit.


    The incredible changes in the past five weeks created a schedule conflict for us. I had booked Vicki¡¯s birthday party for Friday, February 14th. She couldn¡¯t wait to go and to take her new Pack friends with her.


    Vicki¡¯s birthday party, however, shared the date with the opening night of the Alpha Gathering, held this year at the Augusta Pack in Georgia. Adrienne and I had to go, and she wanted the Chairman to perform our mating ceremony there. When she told me, I realized it was a brilliant move politically. We would have our binding and the recognition of the Miesville Pack at the same time, with all the North American Alphas and Betas in attendance. We would permanently resolve any questions about my status after being exiled by Todd. The Chairman, her closest friend, would perform the ceremony, and Anthony and Pam would stand as our seconds.


    I was a mantled Alpha, as was my mate, and we would show everyone our mantled Heir. All Packs would have to recognize that Vicki was mine by adoption.


    We would all be there for the weekend, along with our Betas, Mike and Anita. I called SeaLife and moved her party to tonight, Tuesday the 11th. Of course, Vicki was happy that it woulde faster. Since all of the children attending were in the Pack, and they were all homeschooled, it made it far easier to organize.


    We took nine children ages three to ten, and six adults on the excursion in four vehicles. Olivia took Lois along with Vicki and Esmererda in her SUV. Maria Hernandez took Carlo, Juan, and Ernesta in her minivan. Adrienne drove two other children and me in her Lexus, while Anita took two children in her car. We all parked on the second level of the east parking ramp and gathered in the parking garage across the skyway to the mall entrance. The adults had bags with pillows and sleeping bags, while the kids carried small bags with their pajamas and stuffed animals. ¡°All right, kids,¡± I said as we gathered together. ¡°Does everyone have their buddy? Hold hands in the air.¡± Four pairs of two hands went up; Maria had Ernesta on her hip, and they held their hands up; she would buddy up with her youngest.


    ¡°Stay together, and don¡¯t talk to anyone that an adult doesn¡¯t talk to first,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go have fun!¡±


    The kids were excited, and Vicki and Esmerelda ran ahead to the esctor while holding hands. Anita hurried after them, telling them to wait over the bond. My hackles raised when two young men changed directions and headed right for them. ¡°Keep the others together,¡± I told Maria as I smelled the scent of other wolves. Adrienne was already moving to intercept the two, who turned and ran back to Anita.


    ¡°Anita, return the children to Maria. Be ready to leave on short notice if more are around,¡± I said. I cursed my walking boot, which kept me from responding as quickly as I wanted. As it turned out, it was not necessary.


    The two warriors had bared their necks at Adrienne already and moved back from the children. The oldest looked to be around twenty, the younger maybe eighteen. ¡°Our apologies, sir. We caught her scent, and it intrigued us.¡±


    ¡°Moving aggressively towards children from another group is never a good idea,¡± Adrienne said as I moved next to her. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Mark and Brian Farnsworth, from Little Canada,¡± the older man said. ¡°Ten of us came down here after work with Alpha Carl and his mate. We¡¯re meeting some friends from Prior Lake.¡±


    ¡°The Mall is open territory, so as long as you stay clear of our children, we don¡¯t have a problem. Ask your friends to avoid SeaLife tonight; the kids have an overnight. Please pass along my respects to Alpha Carl.¡±


    ¡°Alpha? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know your name or Pack.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Leo Volkov and Luna Adrienne, from the Miesville Pack,¡± I told him.


    His eyes got wide, and he stared at the scar on my face as he recognized me from the news. ¡°You¡­ they¡¯re the ones. Stillwater?¡± I was sure the fact that the kidnappers and their shooter were all werewolves wasmon knowledge among the local Packs.


    ¡°Yes. Have a pleasant evening, Mark and Brian.¡± They couldn¡¯t leave fast enough, thebined dominance of our wolves too much for them to withstand. ¡°I should have sent someone in first,¡± I said.


    ¡°Give me the tickets. I¡¯ll go ahead and check us in,¡± Adrienne said. My wolf didn¡¯t like having her go ahead of me, but right now, she was the stronger fighter. I handed her the passes, and she went down the esctor to the entrance.


    I walked back to where Maria, Anita, and Lois had the children lined up against the wall. ¡°Vicki and Esmerelda, if you run off like that again, you¡¯ll be going home. This mall isn¡¯t our territory, and there are other of our kind here. That goes for everyone else; we stay together in a group. Pairs stay together, and pairs stay BETWEEN Pack adults. Does everyone understand?¡± All the children nodded at me; I¡¯m sure Lois had alreadyid down thew.


    Vicki had tears going down her cheeks, while Esmerelda was pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Unky Leo,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha,¡± Esmerelda said.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven. I understand you are excited, but we need to stay safe, all right?¡± The girls nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and check-in.¡±


    All of us got wristbands, and our things got put in a storage closet forter. We were taken to a party room to eat pizza. After the dinner, we met up with the guides for the behind the scenes tour. The tour was a st; we saw where the meals for aquarium fish were prepared. I couldn¡¯t believe they were using the same seafood supplier used by the Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory in the mall. We saw the medical facilities, then went upstairs to where the pumps, filters, and quarantine tanks were. The whole tour took over an hour, and Sharkbait was in her element. The other children were having fun by the time we took the nighttime tour of the aquarium.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Adrienne and I were holding hands and enjoying the time with the Pack children as we watched. Sharkbait kept pointing at things and asking her to look, which made me wonder when I lost my favored status. At ten, we took the children into locker rooms to change into their jammies, then brought their sleeping bags and pillows out. We set up in a section of the shark tank tube, putting three adults on each end with the children in the middle. ¡°If you need to get up or go to the bathroom, you take an adult with you. One of us will always be awake and watching over you,¡± I told them.

 THE PORCH WOLF #53

    They set up along one side of the tube, leaving the other to walk on. Maria took the first shift, each ny minutes long. I put my sleeping bag down such that I was head-to-head with Adrienne¡¯s, and we held hands as we fell asleep.


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s one in the morning, you¡¯re up,¡± Anita told me as she shook me awake.


    I opened my eyes, a little shocked to see a tiger shark above me in the darkness of the aquarium night. ¡°I have it,¡± I said as I sat up. She went to her sleeping bag on the other end while I fished around in my gear bag for the thermos of hot coffee I¡¯d brought along and the travel cup. I filled it up with the strong brew, then stood up and took a sip. It was quiet, almost eerie, with a few lights above the water simting the moonlit night. The tunnel itself was dark, just some exit signs and LED lights marking the path with a dim glow. My wolf vision could make out all the details, and I took a deep sniff. My wolf was calm, my Pack safe. I took a drink and began to walk down to the other end. I was halfway there when I felt someone looking at me. ¡°Unky Leo?¡±


    Sharkbait wasn¡¯t sleeping; her eyes were wide open as she watched the sharks swim over her head. ¡°What are you doing awake?¡±


    ¡°Watching the sharks,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You have school tomorrow,¡± I said as I sat down next to her.


    She pointed at the big tiger shark swimming over, its mouth open exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth. ¡°I could stay here all week,¡± she said. ¡°Sharks don¡¯t have to sleep. They swim all the time.¡±


    ¡°But fish can sleep. Do you know why?¡± She shook her head, no. ¡°Because they go to SCHOOLS.¡±


    She smacked her head. ¡°That was bad, Unky Leo.¡±


    ¡°Dads aren¡¯t supposed to be funny. I¡¯ll sit with you while you go to sleep, Sharkbait.¡± She finally closed her eyes as I held her hand, sipping my coffee with the other. My ny minutes went fast, and I wasn¡¯t tired, so it was four before I woke up Adrienne. A quick kiss and I was asleep until six.


    The lights came back up, and it took a bit of time to get everyone to the bathroom and back into their normal clothes. Breakfast was juice and donuts, and I stayed with the group as the drivers went to get the cars and bring them to the end of the skyway. Adrienne linked me a minute after they left. ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem, Leo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Carl and some of his men are here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming out,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they stay away as we load up the children,¡± my mate told me. She was staring down Alpha Carl as I emerged at the stairway. Adrienne stayed with her car while the others picked up the kids.


    Carl was standing with his arms crossed, leaning against his Jeep. He and his men didn¡¯t move while we got the kids out of the way.


    I reached my mate and took her hand as the others loaded up our other cars. The two children we¡¯d brought got buckled into Maria¡¯s minivan, despite not having child seats for them. ¡°Be ready to get them out of here quickly,¡± I told them.


    ¡°He won¡¯t do anything here. There are too many cameras and too much security,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out what he wants.¡± We walked forward together, and Carl and his Beta came forward to meet us. The other four guys stayed by their cars. ¡°Alpha Carl. It¡¯s been a long time,¡± I said.


    He stopped five feet from us, looking at the scar on my face. ¡°When my men told me, I had to see to believe it,¡± he said. ¡°You got banished after losing a challenge for the Welch Pack,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes. It was a bad time for me.¡±


    ¡°Catherine was a good wolf. We all understood your struggle.¡± He ran his fingers through his thinning hair. ¡°You¡¯ve drawn a lot of presstely, bringing two Packs under scrutiny. It made me wonder.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wonder what,¡± Adrienne said. I could tell he didn¡¯t like being questioned by a woman, but Adrienne wasn¡¯t any woman. She carried Alpha Mantle dominance and the authority of the Council.


    ¡°Whether you killed Todd to get your Pack back. Killing a fellow Alpha is a serious matter. Todd was a friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a serious charge, Carl.¡±


    ¡°I could understand you wanting to take back your Pack without a challenge. After all, you were banished.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°I formed a new Pack, Carl. Todd was an idiot; he tried to kill my heir and me, and he failed. It was his pride that drew the attention ofw enforcement.¡± I pointed down at my ankle. ¡°I would have loved to get my teeth around Todd¡¯s neck when I healed up, but he died without me.¡±


    ¡°You had nothing to do with it?¡±


    ¡°How could he,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Todd died in jail. His mate is in our Pack; how could an Alpha kill his Beta¡¯s mate?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Luna, the Council owes us a report on this matter.¡±


    ¡°The Council owes you nothing,¡± she responded. ¡°The path Todd took led to his death among the humans. If he had an issue with Alpha Leo, he should have called for a Council Mediator.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re his MATE,¡± Carl said.


    ¡°I know. Leo didn¡¯t need my help; he¡¯s more thanpetent in running a Pack and defending what is his.¡± I loved the hanging threat she left him. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us, we have to get the kiddos home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow us, we¡¯re already on edge, and you know I won¡¯t hesitate to shoot,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for threats. I just wanted to talk to you,¡± Carl said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at the Summit.¡± We turned our back on him and walked away, knowing he would be upset that we didn¡¯t consider him a threat. He drove away before our car started. ¡°That was interesting,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it than just a friendship,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll ask Susan when we get home. Let¡¯s join the others.¡± Thankfully, the rest of the trip was quiet, and we returned home safely.

 THE PORCH WOLF #54

    We had to fly out from Minneapolis to Anta early Friday morning. It was a small group; Adrienne, Liv, Vicki, Mike, and Anita. We left Susan back home; the breaking of her mate bond was causing her problems, and she needed to stay with her children. There would be plenty of Scratch and Sniffs for her to attend when she had recovered from his death.


    It was the first time Vicki had flown in an airne, and she loved looking out the window. Adrienne and I had exit row seats with Mike, leaving Anita, Liv, and Vicki a few rows behind us. The bondes in very handy when flying, and she kept us all informed of what she was seeing. Too excited to sleep, she watched videos with Anita on her tablet until it was time tond.


    I went to get the rental minivan while they went to the baggage im. We nned to have our dual honeymoon, starting in Anta, then down to Ondo. The Summit went through Sunday afternoon, and then we would return to Anta and visit the Aquarium. It took us a few hours to get up to the Augusta area. ¡°Liv, Vicki, I need you two to stay close to your guardians during this time. Sharkbait¡¯s mantle and my appearance is going toe as a shock to some, and I don¡¯t want any problems,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why would I be a problem,¡± Vicki asked.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t often that a mantled Alpha child exists outside a recognized Pack,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t seen other Packs, but other Alphas aren¡¯t like Leo. The difference between a mantled Alpha and one without the mantle is a big deal. Mantled Alphas like you are stronger, tougher, and bigger. In a world where your position in life is what you can fight to achieve, they are the top dogs.¡± Vicki giggled. ¡°So to speak. We don¡¯t like being called ¡®dogs¡¯ at all.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a power thing,¡± Liv asked.


    ¡°Yes. If you have an Alpha pair without mantles, and they find a child with a mantle like Vicki, it¡¯s a big thing. Vicki would be a stronger Alpha heir than any child the two could have together. The benefit would carry through the generations, as long as the mantle stays within their Pack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they mate someone with a mantle and bring it in that way,¡± Liv asked.


    ¡°Maybe you already have a mate without one, or the mantled Alpha isn¡¯t willing to leave their home Pack. The number of mantles necessarily decreases; there is only one per generation. If the Alphas can¡¯t have children, or an only child dies without an heir, the line dies out. More and more Packs every decade are run by wolves without Alpha mantles.¡±


    Adrienne picked it up. ¡°That is why we brought you here, Vicki. The other Alphas need to acknowledge that we have imed you as our heir, so when you take over the Pack eventually, there are no surprises.¡±


    ¡°I love Unky Leo,¡± she said as she snuggled into Liv¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I love Alpha Leo too,¡± Liv said.


    I followed the GPS through Augusta and turned into a long drive through the tall pines. Guards were waiting at the gate and came to the window. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. Your name?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne Volkov from the Miesville Pack in Minnesota,¡± I said.


    He looked at his list. ¡°Yes, sir. Please follow Warrior James to your quarters, and have a good summit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± One of the guards jumped on a motorcycle and waved for us to follow. The Pack Grounds were expansive; to the outside world, this was an exclusive gated housing development where homes never went on the market. We went past the main house, heading for a building off on its own. I parked in the spot next to where he stopped.


    ¡°LEO,¡± Adrienne said as turned the key off. A dozen armed men moved out of the building and surrounded our car. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything; we have a kid in the car.¡±


    The leader of the men came to my door and pulled it open. ¡°GET OUT AND ON THE GROUND,¡± he said as he pulled at my arm.


    ¡°Cooperate, I¡¯ll figure out what is going on,¡± Adrienne said.


    I could hear Vicki crying for them to leave me alone as I was put face-down on the hot asphalt and handcuffed with silver. The cuffs would burn if I struggled, and they cut off my mental links with the others. The security men searched my pockets, tossing my keys and other things into the car. ¡°What am I being arrested for?¡±


    ¡°Quiet, rogue,¡± the leader said. Men pulled me to my feet, one on each arm as they led me towards the building we had parked behind. ¡°We appreciate your cooperation. Normally, our prisoners don¡¯t deliver themselves to the door of the Pack cells.¡±


    I should have known something was wrong. I got onest look at the car, still surrounded by gun-wielding guards, with a frightened girl¡¯s face against the window. The jail door opened, and the men marched me through. They brought me to a room marked ¡°Processing.¡± A man ced a coated silver dog cor around my neck and locked it in ce. He affixed it to a chain hanging from the ceiling, a winch removing the ck until it was almost pulling me off my heels. ¡°Mess around, and you¡¯ll dangle from it until you stop kicking,¡± the guard warned. He removed my handcuffs as the men stripped the suit from me and passed it off for others to search. I had to undergo a cavity search, four men armed with cattle prods watching as a fifth put the gloves on. ¡°Can you at least buy me dinner first, so I don¡¯t feel like such a slut?¡±


    The teasing earned me a shock from a cattle prod but was worth it. The handcuffs went back on.


    The men didn¡¯t talk to me beyond giving me orders, and I couldn¡¯t contact anyone else with the silver cor. The men escorted me out the other door, which led to a barred hatchway. It was unlocked and lifted, and then I was led down the steel stairwell to the darkened area. Four cells were downstairs, each heavy steel door with a slot to view inside, and a narrow slot to deliver food. If it were a traditional design, the inside of the door was coated with silver.


    They walked me to cell number one. A guard removed my handcuffs before I was shoved into the room, the heavy door mming closed behind me. On the raised b, there was a thin pad with two sheets, a pillow, pillowcase, and a nket. Next to it was a pair of orange scrubs and boxer shorts, plus some cheap flipflops. The room was underground and cold, so I dressed quickly and made the bed beforeying down on it. I had no idea how long I¡¯d be here, and I was tired. Closing my eyes, I fell asleep.

 THE PORCH WOLF #55

    Adrienne¡¯s POV


    As they took Leo away, I tried to open the door and go after him. One of the guards ced himself in front of the passenger door, shaking his head ¡®no¡¯ as I turned back to watch Leo disappear. Vicki was having a breakdown in the back seat, crying, and yelling for Leo. Liv was shocked, while Mike and Anita were tense. None of us had traveled with guns. They had all the advantages, and we would have to wait.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Adrienne?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Liv. The guard called him a rogue, but that doesn¡¯t make sense unless¡­¡± I figured it out. ¡°Oh, fish sticks.¡±


    ¡°What were you going to say,¡± Liv sent privately.


    ¡°We came here in part to have Leo¡¯s Alpha status confirmed. That might be the problem. Chairman Wolfe ising; I¡¯ll get this straightened out.¡± The guards snapped to attention as two men in expensive suits approached the vehicle. Chairman Wolfe, my boss, and the Midwest Region Chairman, walked towards us behind Council Chairman Daniel Sanders. He was head of all Werewolves, including Wolfe and six other Regional Chairmen.


    I was now in Leo¡¯s Pack, and I couldn¡¯t link him.


    The two leaders walked up on the driver¡¯s side. ¡°Remove the girl,¡± Chairman Sanders said. One of the guards opened the back seat and reached for Vicki¡¯s car seat straps.


    ¡°NO,¡± Liv said as she pushed him away. Her wolf was rushing forward, and she started to shift. A second guard hit her with a Taser, causing her to seize up and drop to the floor. Vicki¡¯s screams got more panicked as her mother twitched by her feet.


    ¡°ENOUGH,¡± Adrienne raged. ¡°Mike, Anita, STAND DOWN.¡± They sat back, unable to fight her Alphamand. ¡°Lewis, what the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Chairman Wolfe, Luna Adrienne, and I¡¯m not in charge here,¡± he said.


    I looked to Charman Sanders. ¡°Under my emergency order, I am cing Vicki Andersen in temporary protective custody,¡± he said.


    ¡°From who? She¡¯s in MY PACK, Mr. Chairman, and today is her fifth birthday. It¡¯s awful nice of you to taser her MOTHER in front of her for her birthday!¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Yourck of respect is noted, Luna Adrienne. Guards, remove the child and take the mother with her to their room. If she behaves, she¡¯ll be able to stay with her.¡± He moved aside to let the men back in.


    ¡°Vicki, behave, and go with them. Help your Mom until I can get back to you,¡± I told the frightened girl.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She was still crying, but she didn¡¯t fight as one of the men unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her from the chair. Another man pulled Liv out, helping her stand to her feet. Coated silver nes were attached around their necks, cutting off any mind links. Four guards then escorted them across thewn towards the main building, while I sat in the seat and focused on my breathing.


    I was a Mediator. I couldn¡¯t lose my shit. I had to focus on fixing the problem.


    My wolf wasn¡¯t as patient. We were going to find out who was responsible for this, and rip their intestines out with a rusty spoon.


    ***********


    Adrienne¡¯s POV


    Once Liv and Vicki were out of sight, I thought the guards would let us go. I was wrong.


    Chairman Sanders spoke up again. ¡°Luna Adrienne, you may exit the vehicle. The two in back, they are your Betas?¡±


    I got out as the guard opened the door, holding back my wolf. ¡°Yes. Betas Mike and Anita Winters of the Miesville Pack.¡±


    He leaned into the open door and took a sniff. ¡°Send them to a hotel for now. You may stay or go as you wish.¡±


    That was thest straw. ¡°They are my Betas! They have a right to be here! This reception is an OUTRAGE, Mr. Chairman, and I won¡¯t stand for it! Release my pack members at once!¡±


    I noticed the guards moving behind me as I spoke to the Council Chairman. ¡°Be quiet, Luna, or I¡¯ll have you restrained in silver and tossed in the cell next to your mate.¡± Chairman Wolfe had a look on his face that was begging me not to continue. I swallowed my next sentence and steeled my face, making it neutral again. ¡°I have to arrange Leo¡¯s hearing. Chairman Wolfe, control your employee or get her the hell off of the Summit site.¡± He turned and left, with half of the guards going with him.


    Chairman Wolfe came up next to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it happened this way, Adrienne, but I could not stop it. Please, send your Betas away. Their presence will only make things worse.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Chairman received two legal petitions this morning. The initial ruling is that Leo is not eligible to be an Alpha. A banished wolf cannot be a Pack member, and Leo was banished from the Welch Pack.¡±


    ¡°He formed a new Pack, Lewis. He didn¡¯t do anything with Welch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s moreplicated than that. Send your people away, ande to my office. The guards will escort you when you are ready.¡± He turned and walked back towards the main house.


    ¡°Give me time to speak with my Betas. They will not leave the van.¡± The leader of the guards nodded, so I got back into the minivan and closed the door. I shifted to using our link so the guards wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I think I know what is going on.¡±


    Mike was pissed. ¡°They have denied Leo his Alpha status? If they do that, what is our status?¡±


    ¡°Packless as well. They are giving the two of you a break by having you leave; technically, you are rogue wolves on Packnds. If you do anything other than drive out of here, you¡¯ll be silvered and put in cells with Leo.¡± I didn¡¯t like it, but I gave the order. ¡°You are to drive out of here and find a hotel to stay at near Augusta. You will be too far out for the link, but I will check in on you periodically by phone. If you do not hear from me for 48 straight hours, you are to fly back home. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luna,¡± they both said.


    ¡°Good. While you leave, call every Pack member and inform them that our Pack status is in question. They are not to go on any other Pack¡¯snd until further notice, even if invited. I don¡¯t want to end up with anyone else captured or killed.¡±


    ¡°I will call them myself,¡± Anita said. ¡°What about Sharkbait? They fucking SILVERED a five-year-old and hauled her off!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about Vicki and her mantle,¡± I said. ¡°Leo doesn¡¯t have enemies that are still alive, and nobody is worried about his Pack bing a problem. No, Leo¡¯s death would be a means to an end. If he isn¡¯t an Alpha because of his previous banishment, his entry onto Packnds is a death sentence. With him out of the way, what is Vicki¡¯s status?¡±


    Anita thought for a bit. ¡°You¡¯re still her Luna, right? If Leo can¡¯t lead the Miesville Pack, you can?¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°I didn¡¯t form this Pack, Leo did. Technically, we have mated, but until the mating ceremony is over, I¡¯m not officially recognized as Luna of the Pack either. Whoever filed theints is smart. They¡¯ve found a way to clear us out of the way.¡±


    Mike jumped in. ¡°If we don¡¯t have a Pack, then we can still be Packless wolves, right? We still have a bond, Liv and Vicki are ours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Packless wolves are not a problem unless they band together, which we have done. Other Packs could attack us and wipe us out if they consider us a threat, and Pack Law would support it. Alternatively, they could offer us ces in their Packs. Either way, they won¡¯t let us continue as is.¡±


    ¡°Can you be our Alpha? You have a mantle.¡±


    ¡°I could, but another can challenge me for the spot. How effective do you think I¡¯d be if they just killed Leo? I¡¯d be in no shape to lead you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Mike said. ¡°What about Sharkbait? If she doesn¡¯t have an Alpha, they can¡¯t force her and Liv to join a Pack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong,¡± I said. ¡°If Vicki was of age,ws on mating would apply. Since she is not, everything changes. There is a specific Werewolfw for Packless underage wolves with mantles. The first Alpha without a mantled heir to find the Packless mantled child can im her. In this case, she would be ¡®adopted¡¯ by the Alpha into his Pack and be his heir. The Council would enforce the im, forcing the bond to shift.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Anita said. ¡°What about Olivia? She¡¯s not going to let her another Alpha take her daughter!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure whoever is behind this would offer Brent and Olivia a ce in their Pack. It would secure their cooperation. Leo would be dead, and I would be grieving. I¡¯d tell them to go, for their own good.¡±


    ¡°Madness!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now go, I need to find out who is behind this and get Leo recognized.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luna,¡± Mike said.


    I got out of the van as they moved to the front seats. The guards watched them drive away, the one with the motorcycle following them to the exit. I turned to walk towards the main house, and two of the armed guards fell in behind me. ¡°I¡¯m a Luna and a Council mediator, I don¡¯t need an escort,¡± I said to them.


    ¡°Chairman¡¯s orders. He doesn¡¯t want any incidents, and you have already made threats.¡±


    The Chairman didn¡¯t know the half of it.

 THE PORCH WOLF #56

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    I was still shaking, not trusting my legs as we walked towards the main house. I¡¯d seen videos of tasered people, but those didn¡¯t do it justice. ¡°Where are we going,¡± I asked the goon who was ¡®helping¡¯ me along.


    ¡°A guest room in the Council¡¯s wing,¡± he said. ¡°For now, you are in protective custody. As long as you cooperate, you¡¯ll befortable.¡±


    ¡°And if not?¡±


    ¡°Protective custody can be in the cells, too.¡±


    That part, I understood. I looked up at Vicki; a female guard was carrying her in front of us, her head on her shoulder so she could see me. She was quietly crying, but she was all right. I tried reaching her on the bond, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I can¡¯t link my daughter,¡± I said.


    ¡°The silver cors prevent you from shifting or linking,¡± the guard said.


    I reached up and felt the cor; it had a small box on the front and foam on the outside. I went to pull it off; the foam-like coatingpressed, then I felt my fingers and neck burn. I quickly let go. ¡°What the heck?¡±


    My guard looked annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know about silver?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯te up in conversation, no.¡±


    We were almost to the house. ¡°Silver ismonly used in controlling werewolves. It burns on contact with the skin; those cors have a coating to keep it off your skin unless you pull on it. Don¡¯t try and cut it off either; if you try to tamper with it, the cor will give you a shock that makes a taser feel like a tingle. It will knock you out.¡±


    Damn. ¡°Anything else this thing can do?¡±


    ¡°GPS tracking, so don¡¯t try running. We¡¯ll find you, and then you¡¯ll be in a cell lined with silver.¡±


    We entered the impressive ntation-style home and took stairs to the top floor. One of them opened a door, and I followed Vicki¡¯s guard inside. She set my daughter on a couch facing a television; I could see a bathroom and a bedroom through open doors. I went and sat on the couch, pulling my daughter into myp. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right, baby,¡± I told her as she cuddled up to me.


    ¡°There are drinks and snacks in this refrigerator, and we will bring your meals. If you need anything, inform the guard posted outside the door. Our security office just set GPS rms both of your cors; if you leave the room, you¡¯ll get the shock, and we¡¯lle by to toss you into the cells. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Who do I thank for the hospitality,¡± I said with a sneer.


    ¡°You should be thankful you have this, it could be far worse for you.¡± With that, he turned and left.


    It took a few minutes before Vicki spoke up. ¡°My wolf is mad,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mine too. She doesn¡¯t like not being able to talk to her Pack. Don¡¯t touch the cor; it hurts.¡± I set her beside me and picked up the remote from the coffee table. ¡°Why don¡¯t you find something to watch while I check this ce out?¡±


    She started looking for Animal while I looked around. We were on the third floor with locked closed windows, not that it mattered. I couldn¡¯t see the building where we had parked, and I couldn¡¯t link the others. No phone was in the room, and my cellphone was in the car. I couldn¡¯tmunicate with anyone but the guard, and I wanted nothing to do with them.


    I found some snack-sized bags of animal crackers and goldfish, a bottle of orange juice, and a Coke. Taking them back to the couch, I sat with Vicki on myp. ¡°No shark shows,¡± she said with a frown.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ do we have Netflix?¡± I checked, and soon we were watching a Disney documentary called ¡°Oceans.¡± We ate our snacks until the adrenaline crash hit and she closed her eyes.


    I woke as I heard the door to our room opening. A woman wasing in with a tray, dressed as a maid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were sleeping,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d had time for lunch, so I brought some sandwiches and chips.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I moved Vicki off of me. ¡°Do you have our bags? We don¡¯t even have pajamas.¡±


    ¡°I will ask,¡± she said. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°I want to speak to Luna Adrienne,¡± I said. I needed to know what was going on around here.


    ¡°I will ask,¡± she said as she left. I ate the Club sandwich as I waited.


    And waited.


    ________


    Adrienne McInnis¡¯ POV


    ¡°Chairman Wolfe asked me toe to his office.¡± I had walked into the Pack House, following Lewis¡¯ scent to the offices on the right side, and the guards had stopped me.


    ¡°He is not ready for you, and frankly, Luna, you haven¡¯t calmed down enough for us to let you talk to him. Please join us in the dining room. There is time for you to eat, as I understand you¡¯ve been traveling all day.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± We headed towards the dining room. ¡°Where is my luggage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in your van,¡± he said. ¡°Once you know you¡¯ll be staying, you can have it delivered to the front gate.¡±


    I stopped and stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m a Luna and a Council Mediator, boy. You¡¯re the ones who kicked my people out. Call them and get our luggage here now.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t about to do what I wanted. ¡°Ma¡¯am, everything I¡¯ve done has been on direct orders of the Council Chairman. I don¡¯t work for you, and you can¡¯t intimidate me. I¡¯m Alpha blood, just like you. I don¡¯t have a mantle, but you won¡¯t push me around, either.¡±


    I stared him down. ¡°We all do what we¡¯re told, in the end,¡± I said. I walked into the room and heard my name shouted from the corner. Anthony and Pam had a table along the side, and I rushed over to embrace them. When I let go, I red at my escorts. ¡°He¡¯s my son. Back the hell off; you can keep your eye on me from the door.¡± The guard nodded and backed off.


    ¡°What the fuck, Mom? What¡¯s going on that you need a security escort?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what threatening the Council Chairman gets you, I guess.¡± His eyes got wide. A few of my friends from the Council and other Lunas pulled up chairs to listen in. One of my friends brought me some food and a ss of milk. ¡°So it all went to shit when we arrived. My mate is in the cells, my Pack mates are in ¡®protective custody¡¯ somewhere, and my Betas have been kicked offsite. They haven¡¯t even shown me the legal filings, and we had no chance to defend ourselves before the initial ruling.¡±


    ¡°When can you find out,¡± Anthony said.


    ¡°He wants to see me after I calm down, apparently,¡± I said.


    ¡°Great, that won¡¯t take long,¡± Pam said, which caused Anthony to bust outughing.


    Theughing spread like wildfire, finally reaching me. ¡°I¡¯m not THAT bad! I have to maintain control of my emotions for my job.¡±


    Anthony wiped his eyes. ¡°When it doesn¡¯t involve family, you have a poker face. When it was me, you were like a momma bear on a rampage.¡±


    My babysitter came over and leaned down next to me. ¡°The Chairman is ready to see you,¡± he said.


    ¡°About time.¡± I drained the rest of my milk and wiped my hands on the napkin. ¡°If I don¡¯te back, I¡¯ll be in the cells or the morgue, and I won¡¯t be the only one.¡±


    ¡°Kick his ass, Mom,¡± Anthony said.


    I knew most of the people in the room, and there were three people whose reactions I questioned as I walked by. The first was Luna Brenda of Marengo Lake. She was sitting at a different table than John was; he looked mad, as I¡¯d expect a father to feel after hearing his daughter had been silvered and ced in custody. Brenda looked like that girl that tattled on you, then smirked as you got sent to the Principal¡¯s office.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 THE PORCH WOLF #57

    The second was Alpha Carl Owens. He was watching me like I was his enemy; after his ambush of us at the Mall of America, I wasn¡¯t sure that was wrong. He was sitting with Alphas and Lunas from the Twin Cities metro area.


    The third was Alpha Mark Conway of the Stillwater Pack. I¡¯d used my authority with the Council to force him to kill a sitting Alpha in prison. If he figured out that no one above my level in the Council sanctioned the deal we made, it would go badly for me. He looked confused, wondering how my business might affect his. I hoped he never found out the truth.


    The guards led me into the hallway towards the Alpha¡¯s office. For the duration of the Summit, the Augusta Alpha had moved into his Beta¡¯s office, and the Council took his office and conference room. He opened the door to the conference room, stepped aside, then closed it behind me.


    ¡°Ah, Luna Adrienne, just in time,¡± Chairman Sanders said from the head of the table. ¡°Please sit. I believe you know everyone?¡±


    All of the Regional Chairmen were at the table. I looked at them with my face expressionless, and my wolf held back, just like when I worked as a mediator. On his left sat Norman tt, East Region; Jacob Burns, Eastern Canadian Region; Kurt Markingham, Western Canadian Region, and Lewis Wolfe of the Central Region. To his right sat the Counselor Randall Albertson; Lnd Carter, Southern Region, Luke Smith, Mountain Region, and Spencer Timms- Western Region. That left the end seat for me. I sat down and ced my hands on the table. ¡°Have wee to our senses yet,¡± I asked.


    About half of the Chairmen couldn¡¯t hold back their snorts at my response. Chairman Sanders leaned forward. ¡°The chargesid against Leo Volkov are serious, Luna Adrienne.¡±


    ¡°What charges? My MATE was pulled out of the car, cuffed, and silvered without a single warrant. My Pack members, one FIVE YEARS OLD, were hauled away by strangers, silvered and confined. What could justify tasering a mother in front of her child?¡±


    Counselor Albertson responded. ¡°The Council received a formalint from Alpha Carl Owens, stating that Leo Volkov illegally imed Alpha status. I reviewed hisint and found it to have merit. Leo Volkov lost a challenge; the Council recognized Todd Miller as the new Welch Alpha. Leo¡¯s banishment was in ce of death. As you know, Packw prevents any Pack from taking in a wolf that has been exiled by another Pack.¡±


    ¡°True. No Pack has epted Leo; he formed a new Pack. He remains a mantled Alpha blood wolf.¡±


    ¡°Leo might form a Pack, but he is permanently outside the Council and civilized werewolf society. Any group he assembles is considered rogue and poses a threat to surrounding Packs. The Chairman agreed, thus the arrest order. Leo Volkov is a rogue wolf on Packnds, and will be executed tonight for that offense.¡±


    It took every bit of self-control I¡¯d developed to keep from leaping across the room and ripping his smarmy face from his body. I took deep breaths. ¡°Just like that? No public hearing, no chance to respond? You¡¯re going to execute MY mate based on a technicality?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thew, Luna,¡± he said.


    ¡°I demand a hearing on the charges,¡± I said. ¡°And a jury.¡±


    ¡°A rogue isn¡¯t entitled to a jury trial,¡± the Counselor responded.


    ¡°A Council Staff Member is, and I remain one. The charge against my mate is running a rogue Pack. I am Luna of that Pack. If my mate is guilty, so am I. I demand the trial.¡±


    Chairman Sanders leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ll grant it. Trial tomence at seven PM tonight. The Unmated Leadership Reception will wait until the hearing concludes.¡±


    ¡°eptable. What were the other two petitions?¡±


    ¡°Both are contingent on Leo Volkov¡¯s execution, so they don¡¯t matter,¡± the Counselor said.


    ¡°Yet you have our designated mantled heir, Vicki Lawrence, in protective custody while her protectors have been ordered offsite,¡± I replied. ¡°Why do I suspect both petitions regard her?¡±


    Chairman Sanders shook his head. ¡°They are. One is by Luna Brenda Peterson. Her petition states that Vicki¡¯s mantle is from her via her former mate, John. She seeks custody over Vicki to keep her mantle in her Pack.¡±


    Figures. ¡°And the other?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Carl states he discovered Vicki this week. If Leo¡¯s Pack is illegal, he is iming her under the Abandoned Mantled statutes. He and his mate have children; he would take her into his Pack and make her his heir.¡±


    That figured. ¡°I need awyer and ess to Alpha Leo to prepare for the hearing,¡± I said.


    My two guards came in. ¡°ce Luna Adrienne under arrest and put her in the cell with her mate,¡± Chairman Sanders said. My eyes got wide, and before I could react, the guards had my arms behind my back and were pping silver handcuffs on my wrists. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised, Luna. You insist on sharing Leo¡¯s fate? Well, that starts now. Get her out of here.¡±


    The two almost dragged me out of there. Any restraint I might have had was lost as I yelled my outrage at the Chairman. Guests stared as I was pulled past them and out the doors. As I went down the stairs, Anthony caught up to me. ¡°At least my prediction was right,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not quite, they grabbed me before I could rip anyone¡¯s balls off,¡± I said. ¡°Find us awyer, and fast. Get him or her to the cells; the trial starts at seven.¡±


    ¡°Give ¡¯em hell, Mom,¡± he said as we reached the jail facility.


    I was taken into the processing room, given a silver cor, and chained up. There was a dy as they got enough female officers there to strip and search me. It was just after three in the afternoon when they shoved me into Leo¡¯s cell. ¡°Leo,¡± I said as I ran into his arms.


    ¡°Adrienne, what the hell is going on,¡± he said. I gave him the Reader¡¯s Digest version before ourwyer arrived.


    By moonrise tonight, we¡¯d be free or dead.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    The yelling in the hallway was my first indication that something was changing. I muted the television so I could hear it.


    ¡°Step aside, Larson, I¡¯m going in there,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said.


    ¡°Luna Wolfe, I¡¯m under orders directly from Chairman Sanders. No one goes in there without his express permission, except to deliver meals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M THE MATE OF A CHAIRMAN AND I¡¯M ORDERING YOU TO STEP ASIDE,¡± she yelled.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, Luna, take it up with your mate. I cannot allow any of you to go in there without his direction.¡±


    Another voice started. ¡°Well, I am the mate of Chairman Sanders, and I¡¯m ordering you to move aside before I get the keys I need and pull them out of your pocket through your scrotum.¡±


    Iughed; he was stuck. I heard a key in the door; I woke up Vicki before it opened. Three olderdies rushed into the room, their faces showing their anger as they saw my daughter¡¯s state. ¡°Oh, HELL no,¡± the one in the lead said. She turned back to the flustered guard. ¡°You get that cor off her NOW.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get my supervisor. I don¡¯t have the equipment to remove it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then get his furry little butt up here and bring the key,¡± she said. ¡°Go. We¡¯ll be fine here.¡± The guard looked relieved as he was practically running back out the door. As soon as it shut, thedies turned to me as Vicki crawled in myp. She let out a breath, blowing a strand of graying curly brown hair that had escaped the hairpin that held the rest back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this. I¡¯m Luna Gina Sanders, mate to that idiot who did this to you.¡± I giggled at her exasperation.


    ¡°The Chairman is in your doghouse?¡±


    She nodded, making us allugh. ¡°Big time. I can¡¯t believe this,¡± she said as she reached for my cor. ¡°This is Luna Carolyn Wolfe and Luna Bonnie Carter.¡±


    ¡°Olivia Lawrence. This little one is Vicki. Today is her fifth birthday, and it¡¯s been a lousy one so far.¡±


    ¡°Sharkbait,¡± she said as she snuggled back into my chest, still sluggish from her nap.


    Carolyn knelt to look in her eyes. ¡°My mate told me he met you in Miesville, and you were a cutie. He was right.¡±


    Bonnie was shaking her head. ¡°What a crappy way to treat someone on their birthday! We were in the dining area when we found out about your treatment, and now we¡¯re here. I don¡¯t know what those men were thinking. You don¡¯t treat people in protective custody like criminals! Who thought it was a good idea to do this to a child?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± the Captain of the Guard said as he entered the room with two other guards. ¡°My apologies, Luna. My direction was to confine them to the room, and our normal confinement practice is to use the cors.¡±


    ¡°We will be redefining your NORMAL, Captain,¡± Luna Gina said. ¡°Remove the cors.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± One of his men, wearingtex gloves, ced an electronic device over the box. A few secondster, he had deactivated the electronics and released the silver band. The cors went in ziplock bags, the contaminated gloves in the trash. As soon as the cor was off, I checked the Pack links. I couldn¡¯t reach Leo or Adrienne, but I did get Mike and Anita. ¡°We¡¯re getting the hell away from this ce. Bring the car to the entrance and wait for us,¡± I told them.


    The Captain¡¯s men finished and left. ¡°We will watch them from a distance from now on.¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed, Captain,¡± Luna Gina said. We were alone again. ¡°So, what would you like to do now?¡±


    ¡°Leave,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m new to this whole werewolf thing, Luna. I¡¯ve had my wolf for about six weeks, and Vicki here had her first shift shortly before that. We don¡¯t care about the council, the mantle, or any of the politics that go on here. The ONLY reason we came was for Alpha Leo was going to introduce Vicki as his heir.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that is going to happen,¡± Gina said. I could tell by her face and the way she looked at Vicki with pity, that there was something she was not saying.

 THE PORCH WOLF #58

    Carolyn looked worried. ¡°I think it would be best if they weren¡¯t around tonight, to be honest,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a little rough.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Bonnie said. ¡°And it¡¯s her birthday. There has to be something more fun than this. What do you want to do, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Aquarium,¡± she said.


    Gina nodded. ¡°You know¡­ I have to stay here, but you two don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Bonnie said. ¡°I¡¯d rather see the whale sharks than oversee a scratch ¡®n sniff.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°We¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves. We should ask if it¡¯s all right with you to go there, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯de along?¡± I would prefer to be leaving on my own.


    ¡°We would be with you, and some guards would remain in the area. There are still dangers, Olivia. You need protection for good reasons; too many power-hungry Alphas are around.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You two can ride with us; I don¡¯t want any of those guards in our car. I need to let Adrienne know we¡¯re leaving, so she doesn¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t reach her on the link, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that,¡± Gina said. ¡°I¡¯ll clear it with my mate while you guys head to the car.¡±


    It was too easy. At the aquarium, when I could talk to one of the Lunas without Vicki listening, I¡¯d find out the truth about what happened today.


    ************


    Olivia Lawrence¡¯s POV


    We brought along the sandwich for a hungry Sharkbait and grabbed some food from the kitchen on the way out. Luna Gina met us at the door. ¡°The Chairman agreed to this trip as long as you keep the guards around. There will be four of them, in two vehicles.¡±


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to drive them, fine,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want these idiots around my daughter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s a little more than a two-hour drive,¡± Luna Bonnie said as she carried a cooler from the kitchen. ¡°This should tide us over for the trip there.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    We followed her out to the driveway. Our Betas drove up in our rental minivan, escorted by two cars. Vicki ran over and jumped in her protector¡¯s arms, Anita spinning her around.


    Mike patted her shoulder when they stopped. ¡°Hey, kiddo. Are you all right?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Mean people tazed Mom!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Anita said as she brought her to the car seat. ¡°She is all right now, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still mad at them,¡± Vicki said. I buckled her in, then sat next to her.


    Bonnie sat in the back with Anita, as Mike drove with Carolyn riding shotgun. ¡°Just follow the lead car; they know we¡¯re in a hurry,¡± she told Mike. We departed while Carolyn worked her phone. ¡°We will get there about five-thirty, and they close at nine. We do get a twilight rate on tickets, so I bought those online. I¡¯d hate to get there and not be able to get in.¡± She looked back at me. ¡°It¡¯s kind ofte, especially for dinner. Will she be all right with it?¡±


    ¡°I slept with da SHARKS,¡± Vicki said between bites of her bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, heavy on the bacon. ¡°I can stay up!¡±


    ¡°She will,¡± I said. ¡°Dinner too, if it is steak or ribs. After that, my little meat-eater will sleep all night.¡± She finished eating before we left Augusta proper, and I gave her a tablet to y games on. I was telling them about her shark fascination when I felt Bonnie give me a tap on my shoulder.


    It was a phone; I took it and looked at it. On her Notes page was a message to me. ¡°Do not react. We¡¯re trying to keep your daughter from finding out about this. Leo and Adrienne are under arrest and in the cells. There is a hearing tonight; him forming a Pack will mean their death if they decide it¡¯s not allowed as a banished Alpha.¡±


    My eyes got wide, and I felt the car swerve a little as I passed the news over the link to Mike and Anita. ¡°We have to go back,¡± I typed and gave it back.


    She passed it back to me. ¡°NO! If they die, Vicki is in danger. That¡¯s why we¡¯re getting you well away from the other Alphas. There is nothing you can do to help, and they won¡¯t let you see them. Giving Vicki a fun birthday is the best thing you can do right now.¡±


    I passed that on and thought about it. ¡°Bonnie is right,¡± Mike responded over the link. ¡°It¡¯s all about Vicki. Distance is our friend.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but I don¡¯t trust anyone who is not in our Pack,¡± Anita added.


    ¡°We y it by ear, but if it goes bad, we ditch the watchers and go on our own.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to let men I didn¡¯t trust decide my daughter¡¯s future. Who could kill Leo, the kindest man I¡¯d ever met? Or Luna Adrienne, who my wolf loved? ¡°Anita, send a message to the Pack and let them know what is going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it already,¡± Anita said.


    We talked about anything other than Leo¡¯s trial as we drove to Anta. I liked both of the olderdies; they had great stories and answered all my questions about Pack life. I wanted to trust them, I really did, but I knew who their husbands were. I trusted Lewis Wolfe, yet he just stood there as Sanders ordered them to take Vicki. Both men watched the security guys hit me with a taser and then haul us off in silver like it was nothing. I had a sudden thought; what if they weren¡¯t here as OUR help, but to help their husbands? Would three experienced Lunas defy their mates like that? I sent my suspicions to Mike and Anita.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s devious,¡± Mike said. ¡°You¡¯re right. They have four warriors, and three experienced Alpha females, against two Betas and a female with almost no fighting experience. No offense, Liv.¡±


    ¡°None taken. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t scented any deception, and why would Bonnie tell you about the trial if she wanted to capture you?¡± I didn¡¯t know. ¡°One thing is for sure. If they are going to take us, they will do it before we are among humans. Since you are driving, that means in the parking lot.¡±


    ¡°Have your knife ready to go when we get there. We each bought a shiny Spyderco folding knife at a sporting goods store while we were out since we can¡¯t carry pistols. They won¡¯t get through the metal detectors going into the aquarium.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°There is one other option, Liv,¡± Mike said. ¡°They don¡¯t need us at all. They only need Vicki, and a big aquarium is an easy ce to disappear with a child. All they have to do is tranquilize her, and everyone will think she¡¯s sleeping after a long day.¡±


    Shit. Mike was right; we were just things to be handled. I expanded the link to include my daughter for this part. ¡°Vicki is NEVER alone, and you can¡¯t run off on your own,¡± I said. ¡°There have to be two Pack members within your reach at all times. If you can¡¯t do that, we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Better if one of us is holding her hand or carrying her,¡± Anita responded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand, Mommy,¡± Vicki said. I cut her back out of the link.


    Anita had an idea. ¡°If we start feeling nervous, tell the security guys that the security guys are stalking us. It might give us just enough time to slip away.¡±


    We were in Anta and nearing the Aquarium exit when Mike linked again. ¡°Anita, quietly remove your knife and keep it out of sight by your side. They¡¯ll go after you and Liv first. Liv, if it goes down, get out of the car and take Liv to the nearest crowd of humans. Yell that one of the men exposed himself to your daughter. That should slow them down.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± My stomach lurched as we wove through the streets and into the parking garage. I was looking forward at Carolyn, sneaking nces at Bonnie, and an eye out at the guards in the surrounding cars. We drove up, finding a section that wasn¡¯t full, and pulled into three adjacent spots.


    ¡°Be ready,¡± Mike said.


    The Lunas didn¡¯t move, not even when I hit the button to open the side door. I watched as the four guards got out and took up positions around our car. Carolyn turned around, her hand in her jacket pocket. ¡°This is going to be so much fun,¡± she said. I was petrified she would pull a syringe or something out.


    Mike was watching her, his left hand by his hip and ready.


    She pulled out her cellphone. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see this ce!¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± said Sharkbait. I got out, then helped Vicki as we all exited the car. ¡°Maybe we are just paranoid,¡± I said.


    ¡°Paranoid keeps you alive,¡± Mike replied. Our group walked to the elevators and made our way inside. We took a picture in the entrance, and I made sure I had a group shot, plus a picture of Vicki alone.


    ¡°SHARKS, MOMMY!¡± She started pulling me forward.


    ¡°We have to wait for Miss Carolyn, she has our tickets,¡± I said.


    Her eyes were wide as saucers as we walked in. It was ten minutes to six, and we made a beeline for the Ocean Voyager exhibit. Vicki wanted to go through the tunnel and see her sharks.


    The trial started in an hour. I¡¯d let myself forget about it for now, and focus on the joy on my baby¡¯s face.


    She pulled our whole group towards the entrance, which was marked by a Home Depot sign. As soon as we rounded the corner, we all froze in awe. The window into the expansive exhibit was ten feet wide and went up 23 feet to the waterline. On the other side of the two-foot thick acrylic panel, a whale shark slowly swam past.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. Vicki had her face pressed to the clear panel; she didn¡¯t even move for a few minutes. When she did, it was when Mike asked her if she wanted to go on his shoulders so she could see better. ¡°Are we staying here all night, or going through the tunnel,¡± I finally asked my enraptured child.


    ¡°TUNNEL!¡± It took some walking to get there, and there was a line. On one side of the tunnel, there was a people mover, and our group got on it. Mike held Vicki on his hip so she could see better. Whale sharks, cktip reef sharks, giant guitarfish, sandbar sharks, and zebra sharks were all around us. I pointed at a giant grouper. ¡°That fish could swallow you whole,¡± I said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #59

    ¡°I¡¯d bite him until he let me go,¡± Vicki said as she went back to watching the giant whale sharks. It was an impressive aquarium, a much bigger scale than the one back home.


    When we were making our way to the exits as the aquarium closed down, Bonnie got a text. ¡°It¡¯s gone to the jury.¡±


    ************


    Alpha (?) Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the hearing room,¡± Lawrence Fenwick said as he closed up his briefcase. Thewyer in real life, who served as Beta of the White Mountain Pack in Franconia, New Hampshire, was a good friend of Adrienne. They had worked on several cases together in her time with the Council.


    The guard opened the door and let him out, leaving me sitting on the thin cot with Adrienne. I was shocked when they pushed her into the cell, and more so when I found out why. It was audacious but ingenious; by cing herself in legal jeopardy with me, she forced the Council to grant her full legal rights. These rights included the right to a jury hearing of her peers and representation. It was far more than that allowed a rogue, especially a Rogue Alpha. For them, the Alpha would dere guilt, and the execution was summary judgment.


    I pulled Adrienne up on myp, enjoying the feel of my arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got you into this, love,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She snuggled her head into my neck, the tingles making us both excited. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You are a good man, a good mate, and a good Alpha. I don¡¯t want to be anywhere else right now.¡±


    I ran my hand over her head and neck, setting her wolf to rumble deep in her chest. She couldn¡¯te out, the silver cors prevented that, but she was there. My wolf wanted her badly. ¡°If this goes badly, I die with no regrets. Liv, Sharkbait, and my Pack helped me live again, and you let me love again. My wolf and I will be happy as we go to the Moon.¡±


    ¡°What do you think happens to us when we go,¡± she asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She let out a breath. ¡°I always thought that when you died, you and your mate would be together forever. When you cross over, will you be walking with me, or going alone to Catherine?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will he understand? I was alone for ten years, and I didn¡¯t expect to find you. Luna set it up, right?¡±


    I hugged her a little tighter. ¡°My Catherine thought so. She didn¡¯t want me to kill myself to follow her; she wanted me to move on and find happiness again. I think they will both be there waiting, and they will be happy for us. I want to spend my eternity with both of you.¡±


    Adrienne¡¯s head leaned back, and I pulled her into a kiss that became deeply passionate. Another thirty seconds and the guys watching the cell camera would get a show, but it was not to be. The door to the cell opened, and four big guards and their supervisor came in carrying silver shackles in their gloved hands. ¡°Time to break it up, lovebirds,¡± the leader said. When this was over, I was going to find this jerk and have a ¡®friendly spar¡¯ with him. My ankle hadn¡¯t fully healed from the ident, but it would be a short and painful fight for him. ¡°Volkov, stay where you are. McInnis, face the wall over here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s LUNA McInnis, officer,¡± she said as she got up from myp. ¡°My status has not changed.¡±


    He stuck her in the thigh with the cattle prod, causing her to cry out in pain. I was off the cot in a second, but the guards were waiting for me. I took one prod to the sternum, and another to the side of my stomach. Thebination made my muscles lock up, and I dropped to the ground with a thud. By the time I could move, a chain was around my waist with my hands shackled at each side. Cuffs around my ankles connected by an 18¡å chain would prevent me from running. The guards pulled me to my feet in time to see Adrienne¡¯s limp form dragged out the door.


    It was no longer a friendly spar. I wanted that officer¡¯s blood on my teeth for hurting my mate. She didn¡¯t resist; she just pointed out that she was entitled to some respect.


    I moved as quickly as I could after her. I tripped a few times due to the chain, but the guards kept me moving. We went up the stairs and out the door into the night.


    I looked over at Adrienne as we were marched side-by-side across thewn to the main building. Only Alphas and Lunas were allowed in the trial room, so a crowd of lower ranks surrounded us as we moved through. Some shouted encouragement, while others told us they looked forward to our executions. The idea of a banished Alpha raising a Pack scared them.


    We went into the dining hall via a side door. The chairs in the back were already filling with Alphas and Lunas. A raised table was in the front for the Council, and chairs on the far side for the jury. Two tables faced the front. At the far one, Council Counselor Randall Albertson sat with another wolf. Ourwyer, Lawrence Fenwick, was seated at the other. He smiled as he saw us, then nced at our shackles. ¡°Remove those,¡± he told the guards.


    ¡°They are rogues,¡± the supervisor said.


    ¡°Not until adjudicated as such. Chaining defendants like this prejudice the jury. Are you saying that five of you can¡¯t handle two prisoners wearing remote-controlled silver cors?¡± The supervisor paused, linking his supervisor, then directed the removal. Adrienne and I sat down as he went over the rules. ¡°The Alphas will be asked if they have a conflict of interest that would prevent them from reaching a just verdict. Those that do not will put their names in a bowl, and seven names will be drawn to form the jury. Since this is a death penalty case, the decision must be unanimous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, right,¡± Adrienne asked. ¡°We only have to convince one juror.¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°For you, Luna, that is true. However, Leo has already received summary judgment. To reverse that will take a unanimous verdict.¡±


    ¡°That means a split verdict¡­¡±


    ¡°Would free you, my love, only to watch me executed,¡± I said. Her face fell. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I can¡¯t go through that again. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then, we have to win.¡± The bailiff called us to our feet, and we remained standing as the Council members filed into the room.


    Chairman Sanders opened a folder and started to ready. ¡°Leo Volkov was found guilty of being a banished wolf raising a rogue pack, and I sentenced him to execution. Luna Adrienne McInnis, his mate, has petitioned to be a co-defendant since she is Luna of the Miesville Pack. As Luna McInnis was a werewolf with Council standing, she has been granted this hearing by a jury of her peers. Each of you has a card to write your name on. If you can give impartial justice, put your card in the jar as it goes by.¡± Ten minutester, four men and three women sat in the chairs for the jury.


    ¡°Counselor Albertson, opening statement.¡±


    He stood and walked to the jury. ¡°This is a simple matter. Leo Volkov was banished from the Welch Pack five years ago. The evidence is incontrovertible; all you have to do is look at the scar on his face. Ourws on banishment are clear; once banished, they cannot join another Pack. Ever. To enter Pack grounds is a death sentence.¡±


    He turned and pointed towards us. ¡°Leo and Adrienne formed a Pack with dozens of members. The Welch Pack no longer exists because of Leo Volkov¡¯s actions. Enforce ourws and uphold the Chairman¡¯s decision for death.¡± With that, he walked back to the prosecution table and sat down.


    ¡°Counselor Fenwick, the Defense may make an opening statement.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman.¡± He stood and walked over to the jury. ¡°The only thing you heard that is true is that Leo Volkov was banished five years ago. When we finish, you will be thanking Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne for what they have done.¡± With that, he sat down.


    ¡°Mr. Alberson, your first witness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. The prosecution calls the Council Registrar, Lte Washington.¡± An older woman walked forward, and the bailiff swore her in. ¡°Mrs. Washington, you record proceedings and status changes for the Council?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Births, deaths, matings, Pack changes, if a status changes, I enter it into the database.¡±


    He handed her a form. ¡°Do you recognize the signature on this banishment form?¡±


    She looked at the paper and nodded. ¡°That is my signature. I sign the form and file it after entering it into the database.¡±


    Ourwyer stood. ¡°Mr. Chairman, the defense will stipte that the banishment was properly filed with the Council if it will save us time.¡±


    ¡°Prosecution has no objection.¡±


    ¡°So ruled. Any other questions for the witness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Chairman. Is this the notice of Pack formation from the Miesville Pack you received in the mail?¡± He handed her a form.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Who is listed as the Alpha and Luna?¡±


    ¡°The Alpha is Leo Volkov, and the Luna is Adrienne McInnis. They are mates.¡±


    ¡°Has it been entered?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, it is waiting on the Chairman¡¯s signature,¡± she said.


    ¡°When does a Pack recognition take effect?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°On the day of approval, of course.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Your witness.¡± He walked back to his table.


    ¡°This will be fun,¡± Lawrence whispered as he got up. ¡°Mrs. Washington, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a noise?¡±


    ¡°Objection, relevance,¡± the prosecutor said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow some leeway,¡± the Chairman said.


    ¡°Mrs. Washington?¡±


    ¡°Of course it made a noise,¡± she said.


    ¡°And if a Pack formed in the wilderness and you did not receive formal paperwork from it, is it still a Pack?¡±


    She was flustered. ¡°All Packs have to register themselves, how else will the Council know about them?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #60

    ¡°Of course, we all have our paperwork to deal with,¡± Lawrence said with a grin as the Alphas chuckled. Paperwork was universal. ¡°My question is simpler than that. Does the Alpha make a Pack, or does the Chairman signing a form make the Pack?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°What does the form require for a Pack to be valid?¡±


    ¡°You need an Alpha with five members linked to him,¡± she said. ¡°The Pack members are listed on the form, along with the Packs they previously were in.¡±


    ¡°And those members were listed on the form?¡±


    ¡°They were, although one was a juvenile with no previous Pack affiliation. That was highly unusual.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We have no further questions for this witness.¡±


    The prosecution called a witness to review the Werewolfws regarding banishment. ¡°Banishment is reserved for the most serious offenses, and is usually given instead of death,¡± he said. ¡°In some ways, banishment is worse than a quick execution. The wolf needs the social interaction and belonging of a Pack. Without it, their wolf slowly wastes away, and they die alone.¡±


    ¡°Can a banished wolf form a Pack?¡±


    ¡°A rogue pack, certainly.¡±


    ¡°Your witness.¡±


    Lawrence took thew book from Albertson as he passed. ¡°When a wolf is banished, do Councilws apply to them?¡±


    The witness looked confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, if they are banished, they are no longer part of any Pack. No Pack member can interact with them. They cannot join another Pack, and they are subject to death if they trespass on Packnds. Correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±


    ¡°So, if the banished wolf does not trespass on Packnds, he remains outside the jurisdiction of the Council. After all, the inhibitions in this section apply to Packs within the Council.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are correct, but Volkov is on Packnds,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have no further questions for this witness,¡± he said as he sat down.


    ¡°Mr. Albertson?¡±


    ¡°The prosecution rests,¡± he said.


    ¡°The hearing will be in recess for fifteen minutes, after which the Defense will present its case.¡± He banged the gavel, and we all rose as the Council filed out.


    I squeezed Adrienne¡¯s hand before the guards took us out of the room. That had gone well for us.


    ***********


    Stillwater Alpha Mark Conway¡¯s POV


    I was outside taking a break when a woman came up next to me. ¡°Mark, a moment alone?¡±


    Luna Brenda Petersen was lighting up a cigarette; I nodded, and we walked away from the Pack House. ¡°I¡¯m worried Leo is going to get away with this,¡± she said.


    ¡°The Council fucked up by inviting him,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to argue a rogue Alpha is trespassing when you¡¯re invited in and escorted.¡±


    ¡°Those men could fuck up a wet dream. I need Leo out of the way, Mark. He killed two of your Pack members.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what she was proposing. ¡°They are prisoners, and we¡¯re at a damn Alpha gathering with security everywhere.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way to get to someone. There¡¯s fifty grand in it for you if he¡¯s found not guilty and still dies tonight.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°If he¡¯s not guilty, he¡¯s a recognized Alpha I¡¯d be killing.¡± Then it hit me. ¡°Right now, he¡¯s a rogue. That can¡¯t change until the juryes back. There¡¯s no penalty for killing a rogue.¡±


    ¡°I think we understand each other.¡± She tossed the butt onto the ground, grinding it under her fashionable shoes, then walked back without me.


    Alpha (?) Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    The break was long enough for the guards to take us to a set of bathrooms behind the kitchen. Of course, as soon as we were out of sight of the jury, they put the ankle shackles on, ¡®so we didn¡¯t get any ideas about running.¡¯ The chains scraped along the tile floor of the bathroom as I shuffled back out.


    As we went through the kitchen, I had an idea. I saw one of the cooks and waved him over. ¡°Do you have anything we could eat? A man¡¯sst meal shouldn¡¯t be airne food.¡±


    ¡°Nothing hot, but there are some desserts.¡± Now THAT . We couldn¡¯t go back into the hearing room yet, so we all ended up leaning against the wall, eating a slice of cheesecake. It wasn¡¯t Wiederholt¡¯s and their turtle cheesecake, but it was pretty good. I had strawberry, and Adrienne had blueberry, and we fed each other cake as the humans did after their weddings.


    We left the tes stacked as the shackles came off before going back into the courtroom. Everyone was in ce again when the Council filed back in. Chairman Sanders banged the session to order. ¡°Counselor Fenwick, your defense.¡±


    Lawrence stood up next to us. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The defense calls Luna Susan Miller.¡±


    Counselor Albertson stood. ¡°Objection! Luna Miller is now a Beta in Leo¡¯s Pack.¡±


    ¡°She also was present for the events that resulted in Alpha Leo¡¯s banishment. She is avable by videoconference as this trial is so sudden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± the Chairman said.


    Lawrence had arranged for the monitor and teleconferencing equipment to be brought in during the break, and soon he had Susan onscreen and sworn in. ¡°Susan, what led to Leo¡¯s ouster as the Alpha of the Welch Pack?¡±


    ¡°When Catherine died, it devastated him,¡± she said. ¡°He withdrew from everyone, and the Pack was suffering. Todd did all he could to keep thepany going, and I was dealing with the Pack issues. Leo wasn¡¯t eating or taking care of himself. He¡¯d lost weight and interest; he¡¯d promised Catherine he wouldn¡¯t kill himself, but he couldn¡¯t make himself live, either. His mate also made him promise not to invite a challenge, suicide by Alpha if you will, so he was stuck.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a bad time.¡±


    ¡°It was terrible. We were rmed because the Alpha Summit wasing up. Leo was in no shape to represent us, and that made us ripe for takeover. We needed to take over the Pack before it fell apart, and do it in a way that others wouldn¡¯t challenge. Todd came up with a n and went to Leo with it.¡±


    ¡°Leo was in on this?¡±


    ¡°He had to be. Most of our Pack worked at Volkov Construction, thepany Leo had built up over twenty-five years. If Leo died, thepany gets sold to the highest bidder, and that wouldn¡¯t be us.¡±


    ¡°What was the deal?¡±


    ¡°Leo would sell Todd his interest in thepany so it would stay in the Pack. Todd would challenge Leo for the Alpha position before the Summit, and Leo would let him win. Todd would exile Leo instead of killing him. He could stay in his house and have plenty of money to live; he just had to stay away.¡±


    ¡°Was Leo stronger than Todd?¡±


    ¡°Leo is a mantled Alpha. Todd was Beta blood. Even at his lowest, Todd couldn¡¯t take him. Leo¡¯s dive would make it seem like he was stronger than he was. Other Alpha blood wolves were less likely to challenge him, then.¡±


    Lawrence walked back towards the table and pointed at me. ¡°So, other than losing an Alpha challenge in a deal he made with the next Alpha, Leo did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Leo is now, and always has been an honorable wolf. That is why when our Pack fell apart after Todd¡¯s arrest, most of us ended up going to Leo¡¯s pack.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Your witness.¡±


    Counselor Albertson stood and walked towards the television. ¡°Mrs. Miller,¡± intentionally leaving her title out, I grumbled, ¡°Alpha todd banished Leo Volkov from your Pack per Pack and Councilws?¡±


    ¡°He did. Our Pack members were Alpha-ordered not to interact with him, we banned from Packnds, and the proper notifications got made. His home was his own, so he remained there.¡±


    ¡°I see. Did your mate have any interaction with Leo after that?¡±


    She thought about it. ¡°Not until the night Todd ran Leo¡¯s truck off the road. Todd had been at the same restaurant, and Leo sat with him and treated him like a Beta again. He was FURIOUS; Leo told him that the Miesville Pack had formed, and he was taking transfers from other Packs. Leo had sent a text message to all our Pack members, letting them know and inviting them to consider it. Todd knew he wasn¡¯t the businessman or the Alpha that Leo was. That¡¯s why he ran them off the road with a dump truck.¡±


    ¡°Leo threatened a sitting Alpha in public.¡±


    ¡°He warned him to stay away from his heir,¡± she replied.


    ¡°No further questions,¡± he said.


    ¡°Redirect, Mr. Chairman?¡± Lawrence stood and got permission. ¡°Beta Miller, how did you learn that Alpha Leo was forming the Miesville Pack?¡±


    ¡°A pack member forwarded a text message from him,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can you read that message?¡± She took a minute to find her phone and do so. ¡°That message went to more than just your Pack, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it went to all area Alphas.¡± She showed the list on her phone.


    Lawrence turned around to the audience. ¡°How many of you received that text message on New Year¡¯s Eve? Please stand if you did.¡± About fifteen Alphas from Minnesota and Wisconsin stood. ¡°Now, of this group, please remain standing if you were concerned to hear Leo Volkov was forming a Pack.¡± All of them sat down. ¡°No more questions, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°The witness is released. Next witness?¡±


    ¡°The defense calls Central Region Chairman Lewis Wolfe to the stand.¡±


    This time it was Chairman Sanders who looked shocked. ¡°Mr. Wolfe is a member of the Council sitting in judgment,¡± he said. ¡°It would be improper for him to testify.¡±


    ¡°Chairman Wolfe was witness to key events critical to the defense of my clients,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°The jury is deciding guilt, and the Council already sentenced him.¡±


    A minuteter, Lawrence started his questioning. ¡°Chairman Wolfe, how long have you known Leo Volkov?¡±


    ¡°I was at his mating ceremony, so going on thirty years,¡± he said.


    ¡°When did you find out Leo was forming a Pack?¡±


    ¡°It was after the news stories broke, first the attempted abduction of the girl and her mother, then the second attempt on their life by Alpha Todd. As a Council member, it was my responsibility to bring the matter to a close quickly and without human intervention. Luna Adrienne and I traveled first to Wisconsin, then to Minnesota. I met with Luna Susan, then apanied her to Leo¡¯s home.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°What was the purpose of that meeting,¡± Lawrence asked.


    ¡°The Welch Pack was imploding with Todd in prison. The best way to bring peace to the Region was to encourage the Welch Pack to merge with the Miesville Pack. It went better than I thought; our Mediator didn¡¯t have to do anything. Alpha Leo made sure Susan and her Pack members got a fair deal.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #61

    ¡°I see.¡± Lawrence turned to the jury. ¡°So the regional Council chair arrives at the Miesville Pack and brokers an Alpha meeting that results in most of Welch pack joining Leo¡¯s Pack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like more of a recognition of the Miesville Pack¡¯s status than any piece of paper,¡± he said.


    ¡°Objection, spection,¡± Albertson said.


    ¡°Overruled. The witness may answer.¡±


    Wolfe looked at the jury. ¡°Honestly, I never considered Leo to be anything OTHER than a Pack Alpha. We are better off with him among us.¡±


    ¡°No further questions, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    Lawrence sat down while Albertson tapped on his legal pad. ¡°Cross, Mr. Albertson?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°The defense would like to call Warrior Lucas Davenport to the stand.¡±


    A young man came forward and to be sworn. ¡°Mr. Davenport, you had the gate duty earlier today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°And your responsibility was to verify guests were on list before allowing anyone past?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Lawrence handed him a few stapled pages. ¡°Is this the guest list?¡±


    He looked at it. ¡°Yes, sir. My initials are by every guest I checked in.¡±


    ¡°Please read the line I¡¯ve highlighted.¡±


    He looked down at it. ¡°Miesville Pack. Alpha Leo Volkov, Luna Adrienne McInnis, Heir Vicki Andersen, Mother Olivia Andersen, Betas Mike, and Anita Winters.¡±


    ¡°And what does this asterisk mean?¡±


    ¡°I was to inform the Security Captain when they arrived. He told me to wave them through and have Ken escort them in.¡±


    ¡°Did you know why?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, not untilter.¡±


    ¡°No further questions, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Prosecution has no questions,¡± Albertson said.


    Lawrence rose. ¡°The defense rests, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Very well. We will stand in recess for twenty minutes, then return for oral arguments.¡± He banged the gavel, and we all stood as the Council and jury left.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling good about this, love,¡± I said.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t over till it¡¯s over,¡± Adrienne replied. She squeezed my hand before our guards pulled us apart.


    We stood near the rope that divided the spectators from our area. The mood in the room had changed; I could hear people behind me wishing me luck as the guards put the shackles back on. Some even pped my back or put a hand on my shoulder in support. ¡°This won¡¯t take much longer,¡± Lawrence said as he reached around to grasp my far shoulder. ¡°OW!¡±


    ¡°What,¡± I said.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s ring cut my finger.¡± He sucked the blood off before reaching for a handkerchief. ¡°No big deal.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to see if we can get a sandwich or something this time,¡± I told him the guards led us off towards the kitchen. We were in luck. The same cook had steak sandwiches waiting for us.


    ********


    Alpha Anthony McInnis¡¯ POV


    I squeezed Pam¡¯s hand as the defense rested. ¡°That went better than I could have hoped,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Lawrence kicked ass,¡± she replied. We stood as the Council Chairmen, and the jury members walked out. It was frustrating not being able to talk to Mom, but the silver cors were in ce. No mentalmunications could get past silver on your body. We were in the front row of the audience, just to the right of the defense table. ¡°Let¡¯s give her some encouragement as they leave.¡±


    We moved over towards the table. Mom was standing behind the chair as a guard got ready to put the shackles back on the prisoners. A dozen or so people were moving to the front; they were close enough to the audience that you could touch them if you leaned forward over the rope. The guards had done nothing to stop it during the first break, so more came forward now. ¡°What is Mark Conway doing up here,¡± I asked her as we waited our turn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he¡¯s heading for Leo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find out, get the attention of a security guard. Conway sent wolves to kidnap Vicki. There¡¯s no way in hell Leo wants him around.¡± She let my hand go, and moved off to the side. I pushed my way around the back of the crowd by Mom and over towards the group by Leo. I watched as Mark pushed his way between two other Alphas, his left hand reaching out towards Leo.


    As his hand came down towards his neck, Beta Lawrence¡¯s arm went around Leo¡¯s back. Instead of pping Leo, his hand came down on thewyers. ¡°Ow,¡± Lawrence said as he pulled his hand back.


    Mark pulled his arm back and turned to walk away. I heard Lawrence say someone¡¯s ring cut his finger as I followed the Stillwater Alpha out of the room. He pulled a ring off his finger and dropped it in a trash can by the door. ¡°Pam, I think Mark tried to poison Leo. He tossed the ring into the garbage can on the left side of the entrance. Have Security take custody of it, and for Luna¡¯s sake, make sure the security guys don¡¯t let him leave!¡±


    ¡°That bastard! I¡¯m on it,¡± she said.


    Mark went out of the Pack House and across thepound to his quarters for the Summit. He ran inside; I found his car and hid nearby to wait. ¡°Love, it looks like Mark and his Beta are packing to leave. What¡¯s going on with Security?¡±


    ¡°The Guard Captain and Chairman Sanders are on their way to you now,¡± she said. ¡°They found the ring. It had a needle on it and residual poison and blood. They need to find out what it is, and if there is an antidote.¡±


    That sad excuse for an Alpha HAD tried to kill Leo but screwed up big time. Killing what some considered a rogue Alpha might be swept aside, but not a respected and innocent Pack Beta. ¡°How is Lawrence?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at the clinic; whatever it was has already paralyzed his hand. The ring was a miniature autoinjector; when he pped his hand down, the needle injected its contents.¡±


    I was joined behind the adjoining house by the Guard Captain and Chairman Sanders. ¡°He¡¯s still in there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. He and his mate and Beta.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We need to know what poison Mark used, while there is still time to save Mr. Fenwick¡¯s life. Are your men in ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Twenty men have surrounded his building, and two cars are ready.¡±


    The Chairman nodded. ¡°Take him down and keep him alive.¡±


    He nodded and went off; we watched as his men moved forward. They stormed the house from all sides, and thirty secondster, a man waved us in.


    The Beta was in the living room by the luggage, hog-tied, gagged, and silvered. We went up the stairway to where a dozen men were standing around Alpha Mark and Luna Belinda Conway. She was gagged and struggling, and he was defiant as we walked into the room. I moved over to the wall and watched.


    ¡°Why the FUCK am I under ARREST,¡± Mark snarled.


    ¡°Assault and Attempted murder,¡± Chairman Sanders said. ¡°People witnessed you using that poison ring, but you hit Lawrence Fenwick instead of Leo Volkov. Lawrence is a Beta, engaged in official Council business. You¡¯re not walking away from this one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything.¡±


    ¡°If you care for your mate or your Pack, you should talk now. We have your ring. Lawrence is being checked out by our doctors, and he wasn¡¯t your target. You have a few minutes here to change the narrative before it¡¯s toote to save him, Mark. If it is murder, your fate is cast, and nothing will change it.¡±


    He looked over at his mate; she was pleading with her eyes for him to say something. The guard removed the gag. ¡°You can¡¯t let an innocent man die, Mark!¡±


    His shoulders sagged. ¡°It was all Brenda Petersen¡¯s idea. She offered me fifty thousand to kill Leo.¡±


    ¡°What did you use, Mark?¡±


    ¡°Botulism toxin, a high dose. The paralysis will spread through Lawrence¡¯s tissue until it affects his respiratory system, and he stops breathing.¡±


    The Chairman looked at the Guard Captain, who nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve passed the information to the doctors at the clinic,¡± the Captain said.


    Sanders nodded. ¡°Good. The next question is WHY.¡±


    ¡°Why do I do anything? Revenge and money. Leo killed two of my Pack members, and Brenda Petersen offered me fifty grand to kill him. The best part was that he¡¯d die before you clear him, so even if I got caught, all I did was kill a rogue.¡±


    The Chairman shook his head. ¡°Is there any proof that Luna Brenda paid for the hit?¡±


    Mark shook his head, no. ¡°It happened on the first break. I had to run back here and get the ring, then get back to the trial. Payment would have been after Leo was dead.¡±


    Crap. I wanted that bitch¡¯s head on a pike, and it would be his word against hers. ¡°Fake Leo¡¯s death,¡± I said.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± The Chairman turned around. ¡°How?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #62

    ¡°Let closing arguments finish up. After you and the jury leave, Leo copses, holding his chest. Rush Leo to the clinic with medics, gurney, mask, the whole bit. Spread rumors that he¡¯s had a heart attack, and it doesn¡¯t look good. When you finally return to the trial, announce that Leo Volkov died of a massive heart attack. Suspend the trial until the morning. Then you have the Captain here wire up Mark for sound as he goes to collect.¡±


    Chairman Sanders looked down at Mark. ¡°You have ten seconds to agree to this n, or you go to the cells.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not dying for that bitch¡¯s problems.¡±


    The Chairman looked at the guard captain. ¡°Make it happen. We¡¯re going back to the Pack House before we attract suspicion. And NO ONE says a thing about this, do it all over the link.¡± The Chairman grabbed me and pulled me out of the room with him. ¡°That was good work,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve be a fine Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°The doctors know what to do now, they¡¯ve given him the anti-toxin. He¡¯s heading back to the courtroom now.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief.


    I¡¯d saved his life.


    I waited until he had left and returned to the Pack House before I exited the home. ¡°Where are you, my love?¡±


    ¡°At the clinic,¡± she said.


    ¡°Meet me by the fountain,¡± I said. I moved over to the formal garden, sitting on a bench. A minuteter, Pam sat in myp. ¡°Things are going to happen soon. We need to react as people would expect, but know that everything is all right,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, love. I can¡¯t say.¡± I set her on her feet. ¡°We need to get back inside.¡±


    We got in just before the bailiff called everyone to their feet. Chairman Sanders called the hearing to order, and Counselor Albertson walked to the jury. ¡°This is a simple matter for us,¡± he said. ¡°Banishment is permanent and total. Once banished, no Pack can take them in. They are permanently outside our society, doomed to die alone. The defense would have you believe that this isn¡¯t the case. Why, all you have to do is gather five people, dere yourself Alpha, and we have to wee you back with open arms! Does this make ANY sense at all? Can you imagine the problems it will create if Rogue Alphas hear about this?¡± He paused for effect. ¡°Put an end to this madness. Leo and Adrienne are rogues on Packnd. Uphold the decision.¡±


    He sat down, and Lawrence practically jumped to his feet. ¡°This is a simple decision,¡± he said. ¡°Leo Volkovmitted no crimes. Alpha Leo voluntarily epted banishment as part of a peaceful power transfer, for the good of his Pack. He isted himself for five years before he found a reason to be an Alpha again. He gathered members, dered himself and his intentions to the surrounding Alphas, and rescued the jobs and the Pack of the same ones who had to ignore him.¡± He turned and pointed at Leo. ¡°The Council Chairman himself recognized his Alpha position when he showed at his home with a Mediator. The Council invited him here, with him arranging for his bonding ceremony with Luna Adrienne to happen in front of you all. If these are the acts of a rogue, I pray to Luna that ALL our Alphas be rogues like him,¡± he said.


    Turning back to the jury, he finished up. ¡°It is the Council that has wronged Alpha Leo, weing him here as Alpha before arresting him for trespassing. Overturn the order, and wee Leo and Adrienne as the Alpha and Luna of the Miesville Pack.¡±


    He sat down, and the Chairman finished up with jury instructions. ¡°The trial is in recess until the jury returns with its verdict,¡± he said as he banged his gavel.


    ¡°All RISE,¡± the bailiff said. We waited until both the jury and the Council filed out before we were allowed to move.


    ¡°Nice job, Counselor,¡± I said as I went over to thank him. ¡°Leo?¡± Leo was grabbing his left shoulder. ¡°Leo, are you all right?¡±


    His eyes rolled back, and he fell to the floor. His guards rolled him onto his back, one of them checking him out. ¡°He¡¯s not breathing,¡± he said.


    Adrienne was freaking out as her guards hauled her out of the way. One of the guards tore off Leo¡¯s shirt, while another guard knelt next to him and began CPR.


    ¡°MEDIC!! MEDIC!!¡± One of the guards ran outside, heading for the Clinic.


    ¡°MAKE A HOLE,¡± a man yelled. He ran up and handed a guard the portable defibritor kept in the Pack offices.


    The Clinic wasn¡¯t far away, and the EMT¡¯s arrived in minutes. The AED was not connected yet, and they quickly transferred him from the floor to the gurney and strapped him in while the pads were connected. The guard straddled him to continue CPR while they moved out. They pushed Leo out the door as the rest of us watched in shock.


    ¡°Oh, Luna! MOM,¡± I said. She was off to the side, the guards holding her up as she was crying and begging Leo to wake up. ¡°MOM, STAY STRONG, HE¡¯LL SURVIVE THIS,¡± I yelled to her.


    Chairman Sanders came back into the room. ¡°Release her, she needs to be with her mate,¡± he said. ¡°Guard her and leave the cor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the guards said.


    A minuteter, I had an arm around Mom as I helped her over to the clinic. Pam ran ahead and got the door for us. The nurse led the three of us to a conference room, where Leo was sitting in a chair. He wasughing and drinking a Coke with the doctors and the guards. ¡°You¡¯re all right,¡± Pam said in shock.


    ¡°You can¡¯t say anything,¡± I told her. ¡°Someone paid to get Leo killed, and we¡¯re going to let them think it worked.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she said as she hugged Adrienne tight. ¡°You knew about it too?¡±


    ¡°We had to make it public and convincing,¡± Mom said.


    Pamughed as they both sat down. ¡°You had me convinced. I¡¯d have lost my shit out there if Anthony hadn¡¯t told me everything would be all right.¡±


    We talked for about ten minutes before the guard got a mental message. ¡°Time for Phase two,¡± he said. ¡°Luna Adrienne, you¡¯ll have to scream loud enough for them to hear you in the Pack House. We¡¯ll simte sedating you. Alpha Anthony, Luna Pam, you¡¯ll return to the Alphas and pass on the news. Massive heart attack, doctors did everything they could, you know.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°Mom and Leo will stay here tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll guard them in a room. Everyone involved in this is under Alpha orders not to say anything.¡± He opened the door. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, Luna.¡±


    The scream Mom let out nearly broke my eardrums. ¡°NO!! LEO!¡± She broke out in sobs, then stopped when the door closed.


    We waited a few more minutes before we put on our sad panda faces and walked out. Most of the people present at the Summit had gathered outside the clinic, waiting for word. I gripped Pam¡¯s hand as I stopped at looked at them. ¡°At nine twenty-nine, Alpha Leo Volkov was pronounced dead. The doctors did all they could, but the heart damage was too extensive. We would ask that you keep his family in your prayers.¡±


    I led Pam through the group, many expressing their sympathies as we went by. I took my mate to our room and locked the door.

 THE PORCH WOLF #63

    Olivia Lawrence¡¯s POV


    We loaded up into the three vehicles and joined the line of cars departing the parking garage of the Georgia Aquarium. I was nervous about Leo and Adrienne; now that the case was with the jury, anything could happen.


    I didn¡¯t know what I would do if they were found guilty and executed. Leo was a friend before he was my Alpha; I met my mate through him, and he was a better father to me than my own. Vicki loved Leo and Adrienne and would be devastated if her Alphas died.


    ¡°Where do you want to eat,¡± Luna Carolyn asked as she pulled her phone out.


    ¡°My Sharkbait here likes her meat,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°If she stays awake long enough.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t find steakhouses open thiste, it¡¯s mainly bars left open,¡± Donna said. ¡°Would pizza be all right? There¡¯s a good ce nearby.¡±


    ¡°PIZZA!¡± Vicki was pping her hands together.


    ¡°Sounds like a winner,¡± I said. Bonnie got on her phone and gave Anita directions to Max¡¯s Coal Oven Pizzeria, which was only a few blocks away. The smell of sauce and cheese had my mouth watering before I even got out of the car. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to how much more I can smell and taste now, much less see,¡± I said.


    Our protective detail had sent a man ahead to check out the ce, and when all was good, the group of us went inside, and the hostess sat the six of us at a long table in the center. Our guards took a booth near the entrance. We ordered fiverge pizzas and talked about what we¡¯d seen tonight. Five minutes after our drinks arrived, my phone buzzed.


    And buzzed.


    And buzzed again.


    And it wasn¡¯t just me; all of us, even the Lunas, were getting text messages at the same time. ¡°Oh no,¡± Bonnie said.


    Anita¡¯s face was pale. ¡°What are we going to tell Vicki?¡±


    ¡°About what,¡± I said. I hadn¡¯t started reading the texts yet.


    ¡°Leo copsed in court. He¡¯s had a heart attack,¡± she replied.


    ¡°We have to get back there,¡± I said. I waved at the waitress. ¡°We¡¯ve got an emergency, can you box up the pizzas and put the drinks in to-go containers?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Luna Bonnie tossed a hundred-dor bill on the table as the others downed their drinks. ¡°Use the bathrooms before we go, we¡¯re not stopping,¡± she said.


    I took Vicki¡¯s hand and pulled her towards the bathrooms. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Leo¡¯s in the hospital, and we need to get back to him,¡± I said.


    She stopped, making me halt, too. She looked up at me, her eyes watering. ¡°Unky Leo is sick? Will he be ok?¡±


    I bent down and wiped her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know, baby. We¡¯re going to take our food and drive fast to see him, and we can pray together that he¡¯s all right.¡± Vicki liked praying with me for people; her little face took on a determined look. ¡°Well,e on, we have to go!¡± We did our business, all of us did, just in time for the pizzas toe out. Luna Bonnie and Mark grabbed them as we took our drinks, and in minutes, we were back on the road.


    As Mike pulled onto the freeway, I unfolded a napkin to put on Vicki¡¯sp and put a few pieces on one of the paper tes for her. I got my slices and ate while I was catching up on the text messages. Word of his heart attack had spread through the Pack like wildfire. Brent was helping Luna Susan back at the Pack, and he had sent out several group texts, and a few more to me. I dialed his number. ¡°Brent?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Liv, are you all right?¡±


    My voice was breaking as I talked to my mate. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Have you heard anything?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re in Anta. Some of the Lunas took us to the aquarium, so we would be out of the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the best,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you if I hear anything else,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re on our way back.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Liv, and tell Vicki I love her too.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Daddy,¡± Vicki said in between bites of her all-meat pizza.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I love you too, Sharkbait.¡± He hung up the phone, and I went back to eating.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at your phone, Liv,¡± Anita said to me as I heard Bonnie gasping behind me. ¡°And don¡¯t react to this.¡± Oh crap. ¡°Leo¡¯s dead, Liv. Massive heart attack, he never had a chance.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, God!¡± I looked back at Bonnie; her eyes told me she knew. I shook my head no as I pointed at Vicki; she didn¡¯t need to know right now. ¡°How long until we get back there?¡±


    ¡°Just under two hours if we don¡¯t get pulled over,¡± Mike said.


    I sent Brent a text saying I¡¯d heard, and we were heading back as quickly as we could. ¡°IS THAT A GOOD IDEA,¡± he responded.


    ¡°THINKING NOW. BYE.¡± I turned the phone off, not wanting Vicki to get a glimpse at the screen, and not wanting the constant buzzing of all the messages. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hell on Adrienne, but she has her son and his mate there with her,¡± Mike said.


    ¡°We left because we didn¡¯t want the uncertainty of what would happen to Vicki if Leo died,¡± Anita said. ¡°We¡¯re going right into the fire.¡±


    ¡°And the Lunas aren¡¯t stopping us,¡± I said. ¡°We have to get away from them.¡±


    Anita was panicked. ¡°And go where? They¡¯ll be looking for us at the airport and back home.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now; we need to get rid of our escort first.¡± We drove for a few more minutes while he thought about how to do it. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy; we had a car with two warriors in front and back of our own, plus two Lunas inside. We had to lose the escorts, then get the two out of the car.


    Vicki polished off half a pizza before her eyes started to close. I used the wet wipes on her face and hands as she was falling asleep. With the long day and the food, she¡¯d be out for hours. ¡°Vicki¡¯s asleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, be ready as we approach these exits. The timing has to be perfect, or I¡¯ll go to the next one. Anita, have your knife ready in case Bonnie tries to stop us. Liv, reach forward on my left side, and take my knife. Keep it hidden; when I tell you, you have to use it to keep Carolyn from stopping us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready, love.¡±


    I watched the miles go by anxiously as we drove east on Interstate 20. We were in the leftne of the freeway, moving at over eighty-five miles an hour when the next exit came up. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± he said as we pulled ahead of a semi-truck in the rightne. I grabbed the handle and braced myself as he suddenly swerved in front of the truck, barely making the exit ramp. The minivan went right to the edge, almost rolling over before he got it back under control. It worked; the trail car couldn¡¯t react in time and couldn¡¯t use the rightne. They would have to turn around, and that gave us precious seconds.


    ¡°What are you DOING,¡± Bonnie said.


    ¡°Stay quiet and do nothing,¡± Anita said as she pressed the knife to her throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± I warned Carolyn. I had my left arm around her neck, the knife poised at her throat as I hugged the back of the passenger seat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this! We are trying to help you,¡± Bonnie said.


    ¡°Forgive us if we¡¯re a little hesitant to trust the Council right now,¡± I said.


    Mike had made a couple of turns, pulling into a McDonald¡¯s. ¡°I think we lost them,¡± he said. ¡°Ladies, get out.¡±


    Carolyn opened her door, and I moved into the passenger seat as she got out. Mike pushed the button for the sliding door, and Anita made sure Bonnie left too. ¡°It was a fun evening,¡± Anita said. ¡°Go, Mike.¡±


    He pulled forward even before the doors closed. ¡°Toss the phones, they¡¯ll use them to track us,¡± Mike said. I handed rolled down the window and tossed it into a drainage pond we were passing. We got out onto the city streets, heading away from the freeway. ¡°We need to get rid of the rental car. Sooner orter, they¡¯ll report it stolen or get someone to hack the GPS.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #64

    I got on the minivan¡¯s navigation system and found the closest National Car Rental location that was open. We headed south until we picked up 407, heading southwest of Anta until we arrived. Mike turned the rental van in while I waited by the curb, a sleeping Vicki still in her booster seat. Anita rented a mid-sized car and helped me load Vicki into the back as Mike returned. He pulled out of the lot and back onto the road.


    ¡°Where to,¡± I asked.


    Mike just shook his head. ¡°Worst case, the Council uses all its resources toe after us. Rewards, wolves sent out to look at likely ces, stakeouts around our Pack and our families. We have to avoid detection and wait it out,¡± he said. ¡°Two, three weeks, maybe more. When we make contact with someone in our Pack, it¡¯s in a driveby using a mental link. Until then, we can¡¯t have ANY contact with anyone.¡±


    ¡°What if our Pack isn¡¯t around by then?¡± If Leo was rogue, who knows what might happen to the rest of us.


    ¡°Then we won¡¯t be able to hear anyone on the Pack link,¡± he said.


    ¡°South,¡± I said. ¡°They will expect us to head home.¡±


    ¡°Anyce in particr?¡±


    I thought about where we might go that was away from wolves. I¡¯d love to go to Disneyworld, but werewolves visited theme parks too. It wasn¡¯t like you could hide a five-year-old with the Alpha mantle. It needed to be out of the way, remote, and with some room for us to let our wolves out.


    Anita poked around on the navigation system. ¡°Let¡¯s head towards Montgomery, then west to Texas,¡± she said. ¡°No one will expect it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t have any clothes or anything.¡±


    ¡°Leo gave me a debit card with ess to an ount he¡¯d set aside for us. We have enough money to make it a month if we have to. Drive through the night, we¡¯ll take shifts,¡± I said. ¡°We can stop at a Wal-Mart in the morning and get clothes and stuff.¡±


    It was a good n. Get far away and stay out of sight. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± Mike told us. ¡°We¡¯ll be two states away by morning.¡±


    *******


    Luna Carolyn¡¯s POV


    I watched the minivan pull away from us in the McDonald¡¯s lot, pushing down my wolf¡¯s desire to go after them and make them pay for threatening us. ¡°Call the guards, I¡¯m calling my mate,¡± I told Bonnie. She dialed one number while I dialed another. ¡°Lewis, it¡¯s me. Liv and the others kicked us out of their car and drove away after learning Leo was dead.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± I heard him talking to some of the others. ¡°Sanders will be back soon, and we¡¯ll talk about it. Have the guards pick you up, and I¡¯ll call you back. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Shaken up, but all right. We got kicked out at knifepoint after almost crashing the minivan to get away from our escort.¡± I heard his growl at knowing that we were in danger. ¡°We should have expected it with the news of Leo¡¯s death. They don¡¯t trust us, love.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t given them a good reason to trust them. I love you, baby.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I¡¯d just hung up when one of the guard cars pulled up, and we got in the back. Bonnie had told them thest direction we¡¯d seen the minivan going, and we headed that way. Five minutester, it was clear they were gone.


    Lewis told us toe home, so we got the cars back to the freeway and drove east. ¡°Dammit, they took all the pizza with them,¡± I said as my stomach growled. One slice just wasn¡¯t enough.


    Alpha Anthony McInnis¡¯ POV


    Once we got to the room, I called my Betas to join us. ¡°Keep the illusion going,¡± I told her. When the Betas arrived, I switched to the link. ¡°From now on, only mentalmunication. Pam, I need you to stay here, and I need them to guard you. Things are going to get bad out there tonight, and I don¡¯t want you anywhere near it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± my Beta asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t divulge that now,¡± I told them. ¡°The doctors needed to sedate Mom; when she wakes, she¡¯s going to need our help.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how tough it will be to lose her SECOND mate,¡± the Beta female said. ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡±


    ¡°I know you will. I¡¯m going to head down and figure out what is going on. I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± I kissed Pam deeply, then walked out. My wolf and I hated lying to my packmates, but the illusion had to beplete, or it would be for nothing.


    I headed downstairs to the entryway, where most of the Alphas and Betas were gathered and talking. Chairman Sanders came in and called for quiet. ¡°The trial will not restart tonight, even if the Jury returns a verdict,¡± he said. ¡°With one defendant dead and the other sedated, we will resume no earlier than tomorrow morning. The Single Wolves Reception will start in twenty minutes. All unmated females are to report to the Gymnasium, and all males line up outside the East entrance.


    ¡°Twenty minutes to scratch and sniff, no trial until the morning,¡± I sent to the three in our room.


    ¡°May Luna bless some with their mates,¡± Pam said.


    ¡°May Luna rescue them from awkward moments,¡± I replied. I¡¯d only attended one. It was when I turned eighteen, and I found Pam partway down the line. She was twenty-two, and it was her fourth.


    ¡°You never knew the disappointment that came with being alone at the end of the night,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m the luckiest wolf in the world. I found you my first try,¡± I said. I closed the link and started walking around, keeping my eyes on Alpha Mark. He didn¡¯t have much time to talk to her; since Brenda had rejected John as her mate, both of them had to attend the Scratch ¡®n Sniff. I watched as Mark caught Brenda¡¯s eye and walked away. She followed a minuteter.


    Chairman Steele walked up to me. ¡°I need to speak to you in private, Alpha McInnis,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Chairman.¡± He led me out of the room, but instead of heading upstairs to the offices, we went downstairs. He led me to a door marked ¡°SECURITY CENTER.¡± A guard was waiting, his gloved hands holding a cor. ¡°Let him put that on, and then you cane in,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re silvering me?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t take any chances that you will link to someone and ruin the operation.¡±


    ¡°Love, I¡¯ll be out of touch for a while, don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t link me.¡±


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Love you.¡± I turned around and let the man attach the silver-core cor. He closed the locking mechanism and slid the cover over it. The metal was dipped in ck stic, so it didn¡¯t burn my neck, but it cut off my wolf. I didn¡¯t like it a bit.


    ¡°Come on.¡± The guard opened the door, and we walked in. ¡°The wires are working well?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± the guard Captain said. ¡°We have audio and video from this camera hidden in his tie, and audio backup from under his shirt.¡± The room was full of screens showing the installed security cameras, but the main screen showed what Alpha Mark was seeing. ¡°We have officers surrounding the area, far enough back not to raise suspicions.¡± Mark was walking into the woods surrounding the mainpound. He found a small clearing and sat on a fallen log. It wasn¡¯t long before Luna Brenda Petersen arrived in her cocktail dress and handbag.


    ¡°You wanted Leo dead, and he¡¯s dead. I want my money.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your business, it¡¯s mine,¡± I said.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It is my business if it can blow back on me,¡± she said.


    He paused. ¡°Fine. I used a poison ring. He barely felt the poke, and the toxin causes cardiac arrest after ten minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°Poison can be detected, Mark! They can find it in an autopsy,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a im in on his heir. If they figure out Leo¡¯s death was murder, I¡¯m the prime suspect.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you pay a professional. Fifty thousand dors, in cash, now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have all of it here. I can transfer the bnce, or have it delivered to you after the summit.¡± She pulled her purse around, reaching in and taking out a wrapped stack of bills and handing it to him with her left hand. ¡°Ten thousand.¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #65

    He reached down as she came closer, taking the bill. The next moment, the camera was moving around, and we saw a sh of a silver knife. ¡°BITCH,¡± he said.


    ¡°MOVE IN AND TAKE HER DOWN,¡± the Captain said to his men.


    The camera recorded thest moments of Alpha Mark¡¯s life; the camera showed the knife plunging into his heart before he fell to his knees. Thest thing it showed was the pine straw as he fell face-down onto the forest floor.


    The security controller shifted to one of the bodycams of a guard responding to the scene. They arrived twenty seconds after the order and surrounded a shocked Luna Brenda. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest for murder,¡± one of the men said as he pointed a rifle at her. ¡°Drop the knife and get on your knees.¡±


    She looked around frantically, but there was no escape from this. The bloody knife was still in her right hand, her body covered in Alpha Mark¡¯s blood. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said. Before anyone could react, she mmed the silver knife into her heart.


    ¡°GET A MEDIC HERE,¡± one of the men shouted as they rushed forward. A gloved hand removed the knife and ced a handkerchief over the wound. It was hopeless; silver prevented clotting, and the bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop without surgery. Brenda¡¯s eyes zed over, and her body went limp before the medics arrive. We watched as they worked on Brenda for a minute before the men sat back. ¡°She¡¯s dead, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Bag them up and bring them to the morgue,¡± the Captain replied. ¡°Send guards to arrest the mates and Betas until we can find out how much they knew about this.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said. Brenda and Mark had avoided a public trial and punishment, and I was pissed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad an oue,¡± Chairman Stevens said. ¡°Brenda was going to die, but we would have to spare Mark for making the deal. This way, both are dead, and we can deal with the cancers in their Packs.¡±


    I let out a breath. ¡°What about Leo?¡±


    ¡°In the morning,¡± he said.


    ¡°Everyone thinks Leo is dead,¡± I said. ¡°That was all to set up this trap, and that¡¯s over. Can we tell the truth?¡±


    ¡°Not a good idea, sir,¡± the Captain said. ¡°We don¡¯t know if any of the other Stillwater or Marengo Pack members were involved yet. We need toplete the arrests and conduct interrogations. The safest ce for Leo to be right now is dead.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Chairman Sanders said. ¡°We will reveal at the start of the trial in the morning. Anthony, it goes without saying that you can¡¯t say anything about this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°People are going to notice the two are missing, and the arrests of the Pack members. We have to tell everyone something.¡±


    The Chairman thought for a minute. ¡°A private dispute between the Packs turned deadly. The Council is investigating,¡± he said. ¡°Captain, I need an edited copy of the video, including the aftermath, for the morning.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    I had one more thought. ¡°Mr. Chairman, the Miesville Pack members must be frantic about Leo¡¯s death. Can we tell them?¡±


    ¡°They are in Anta right now; they visited the aquarium with two Council Lunas. We can inform them when they return, as long as they remain isted from everyone else.¡±


    It was the best they would get. I could only imagine what Olivia and Vicki, wolves for less than six weeks, would think about all this. All they knew was Leo and Adrienne, and you could see how much they loved him.


    Sharkbait must be inconsble.


    The guard removed my cor before I left. ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back, thank Luna,¡± Pam said. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, but I don¡¯t want to tell you any details until it is revealed. Sorry about the link block, he had me silvered until the operation was over. I just got out.¡±


    ¡°Are youing back?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve been asked to help oversee the scratch and sniff; why don¡¯t you join me? The Betas are released.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you downstairs in ten. I have to get ready,¡± Pam replied.

 THE PORCH WOLF #66

    I had a good twenty minutes to hang out and drink with the other Alphas, easy.


    ******


    Luna Carolyn¡¯s POV


    ¡°We¡¯re entering Packnds,¡± I sent to Lewis as we drove past the guards at the entrance.


    ¡°How are you,¡± my mate replied.


    ¡°Tired and hungry. All our food was left behind, and we got back here as quickly as possible.¡± I could still taste that pizza, and I wanted more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the kitchen send some food to the clinic. I need you and Bonnie toe to the clinic. The guards will let you in.¡±


    Now I was rmed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Luna Brenda of Marengo Lake killed Alpha Mark Conway of Stillwater.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I felt terrible, Luna Belinda was fourteen weeks pregnant with their first child, and now their baby wouldn¡¯t have a father.


    ¡°Brenda paid Mark fifty grand to kill Alpha Leo Volkov. It¡¯s all on tape, but she pulled a knife and killed him instead of paying him the money. When our guards arrived momentster, she killed herself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my LUNA.¡± What a mess, two Alphas dead at the Gathering? Three with Leo? ¡°Is Belinda at the clinic?¡±


    ¡°We took everyone left in both Packs into custody, and Luna Belinda started to miscarry. She¡¯s in the clinic now. The other Council members and I are waiting for news. Come straight here, to the conference room.¡±


    The driver was already heading there, thanks to Donna, but her mate hadn¡¯t told her why. I filled her in before the car stopped. We were out of the back in a sh, hurrying to the door and pushing aside the guards. ¡°Belinda must be a mess, she¡¯s going to need us to pull through,¡± I said as we moved down the hall. We burst through the door, and I froze. ¡°What the HELL,¡± I said as I saw Leo and Adrienne sitting in the corner. ¡°You¡¯re DEAD!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to anyone outside this room. We don¡¯t know how big the conspiracy was yet,¡± Chairman Sanders said.


    Lewis pulled me into hisp; I leaned back, letting him scent me to calm his wolf. ¡°Olivia and Vicki took off after they heard you were dead! Have you at least told them it isn¡¯t the case?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone outside of this room until morning,¡± the Chairman said.


    My jaw dropped; I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°OLIVIA AND HIS BETAS THINK HE IS DEAD! How can you DO that to them, to his Pack?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Chairman Sanders said with a growl. ¡°Council business takes priority over a minor inconvenience to a Pack, especially when the Alpha involved is already facing death!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I shook my head; I couldn¡¯t believe this. ¡°There is a little girl out there who will be crushed when she finds out her Alpha, Unky Leo, is gone. His Pack may already be disbanding, afraid of what will happen if he is gone. This is madness!¡±


    ¡°Control your mate, Chairman Wolfe, before I have her silvered and restrained,¡± he replied. He didn¡¯t like a woman questioning his decisions.


    ¡°Why not silver someone else, it worked on a FIVE-YEAR-OLD,¡± Bonnie said.


    ¡°WHAT,¡± Leo asked as he jumped to his feet. Two guards behind him shoved him back down in his chair. ¡°YOU SILVERED MY HEIR?¡±


    ¡°The Lunas stopped that as soon as we found out about it, Leo,¡± I said. ¡°It was a seriouspse of judgment by people tasked to ce her in protective custody. Bonnie and I took them all to the Anta Aquarium for Vicki¡¯s birthday, and she had a great time. If it not for the news of your fake death, she¡¯d be here with you right now.¡± Adrienne calmed him down, and I continued. ¡°What will they do now? Where will they go?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll hide from you,¡± Leo said. ¡°With me gone, Vicki has no protection from those who would use or kill her. Mike, Anita, and Liv will disappear to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°Worse than that. My Betas will expect the Pack to be taken over by the Council, so they won¡¯t call anyone or ask for help. They¡¯ll find somewhere far from any Pack and settle down. I¡¯ve given them ess to funds that can support them for years if needed.¡± Leo put his head in his hands, and I could feel the pain off of him. Vicki was family.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that in the morning,¡± Sanders said. ¡°For now, you should get some sleep. The Captain is conducting interrogations with the other Pack members to see what they know. We should be able to ¡®undead¡¯ you when the hearing picks up in the morning.¡±


    One of the guards came in with a tray filled with sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Lewis got me an Italian meat sandwich, Cool Ranch Doritos, and milk. With everyone eating and the Chairman on edge, it was better to shut up and eat.


    One of the doctors poked his head in, his scrubs stained in blood. ¡°We did everything we could, but she lost the baby. We couldn¡¯t stop the blood loss. Belinda didn¡¯t make it; we called it five minutes ago,¡± he said before he went to shower.


    My sandwich fell to the table, and I started to cry.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    It was two in the morning when Anita woke me up. ¡°We¡¯re almost to Mobile, bama. I need to get gas and let Anita drive,¡± he said. ¡°We should all use the bathroom. Bring Vicki, too; we won¡¯t stop again until morning.¡±


    I rubbed my eyes; Mike was slowing as we exited Interstate 85. He pulled into the truck stop and parked by the gas pump. I turned to Vicki, shaking her gently until she stirred. ¡°Come on, Sharkbait! Time to go to the bathroom.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes and slowly woke as I undid the buckles on her toddler seat. She didn¡¯t want to walk, so she held onto my neck as I walked across and into the bright store. I found a family bathroom and went in with her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to go, Mom,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be driving for a while, so go anyway,¡± I said. After we were both done and washed, I carried Vicki back out. She was asleep again before Anita came back with a bag.


    ¡°What did you get?¡±


    ¡°Mountain dew and chocte donuts,¡± she said. ¡°I can drive all night on those.¡± I just rolled my eyes. ¡°There¡¯s still pizza around. I picked up some apples, bananas, and Twinkies, too.¡±


    ¡°Twinkies?¡± I just shook my head. ¡°They have an expiration date only because the Government makes them have one!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Zombind, even though he was right,¡± she said.


    ¡°They are so artificial they don¡¯t even spoil! Anita, if a pill bottle says ¡®take with food¡¯ and all you have are Twinkies, you should wait,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Creamy goodness and spongy cake! More for me, then,¡± she said with a grin. She pulled up to the door, waiting for Mike to get out of the restroom.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°It was abination of two factors. We looked for the best aquarium in Texas that wasn¡¯t near any Packs. We¡¯re heading to Corpus Christi.¡± Dang, that was almost to Mexico. ¡°It¡¯s too hot, open, and dry for Packs down there. The other option was near Das, but there is a Pack in Denison.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re picking a hiding spot based on aquariums?¡±


    ¡°Vicki needs distractions. There are worse ways to do that than to hop from aquarium to aquarium.¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°What if we run across other werewolves?¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°We leave,¡± she said. ¡°We won¡¯t be staying anywhere more than a day or two. It¡¯s better to stay on the road.¡±


    Mike got in the passenger seat, and Anita got back on the road, following the navigation system. I moved back to the third row,ying down to sleep. I¡¯d drive at the next stop.


    Ivan Volkov (John Petersen¡¯s) POV


    So far, the Summit was a waste of my time. I wasn¡¯t allowed in the courtroom to support my brother because I wasn¡¯t an Alpha anymore. Brenda didn¡¯t include me in any of her discussions, as I was ¡®only¡¯ her protection. Once she figured out no one was going to challenge her, she told me to stay away from her.


    That was the easiest order to follow that she¡¯d ever given me. I hung out with the Betas, drinking and watching sports in the basement until it was time for the singles to head up for the mandatory disappointment period; the ¡®scratch and sniff.¡¯ A few of us hung together, passing a bottle around as we waited in line. It irked me that I had to go; what did they expect would happen? My real mate had rejected me immediately, and the arranged mate did it after we had two children. I would cut my junk off before I¡¯d take a third try at this mating thing.


    The bottle of tequ we were passing was almost to the worm when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I reached my hand up over my heart, unable to breathe. ¡°John, are you all right?¡±


    I shook my head no as I dropped to a knee. As quickly as the pain came, it went away again, and with it went the Alpha bond I had to Brenda. I shook my head as my wolf howled. There was only one exnation.


    Luna Brenda was dead.


    ¡°Brenda¡­ something happened to her,¡± I said as I stood up. ¡°I have to find her.¡±


    I tried to smell her, but there was nothing. She wasn¡¯t in the area. Finding one of the security guys, I exined the problem. He linked with his boss, then gestured for me to follow him. ¡°Luna Brenda has been found dead. Follow me please, Alpha Volkov.¡±


    Alpha Volkov. After she rejected me, I went back to my old name, no longer needing to keep the Petersen name that she and our children had. I may as well go back to my birth name. I walked with the security guy towards their building; I could see peopleing in and out. Before I could react, I was surrounded by a half-dozen me, one with silver shackles. ¡°Ivan Volkov, you are under arrest. Kneel and be silvered.¡±


    ¡°On what charge,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Conspiracy tomit murder,¡± he said. I looked around; the men had pistols loaded with silver ammo and cattle prods. There was no point in fighting; I went to my knees and allowed them to handcuff me. The men ced a silver detention cor around my neck and shackled my ankles with a chain connected to my handcuffs. The men pulled me back up, then took me to the cells. I was processed and led into a cell in the basement. They didn¡¯t say anything as they removed everything but the cor and left me alone.


    They must have figured it out.


    I was technically guilty of murder. With Brenda gone, the Council must have decided to clean the house at Marengo Lake. I had arranged for Vicki¡¯s kidnapping, a bungled job that resulted in her great-grandmother¡¯s death. I would plead guilty and face my death with honor.


    As I fell asleep, I wondered if I would have a chance to apologize to my daughter before it was toote.

 THE PORCH WOLF #67

    Olivia Lawrence¡¯s POV


    Anita drove until the sun was up, and we pulled off the interstate as we approached Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ¡°Pancakes all right with everyone?¡±


    ¡°PANCAKES, YAY!¡± Vicki had woken ten minutes earlier and was a little sore and crabby from being in the booster seat all night. I couldn¡¯t me her, my neck had a crick in it, and I¡¯d had to wipe the drool from my face when I woke up.


    ¡°IHOP it is,¡± Anita said.


    ¡°Just pull in front and get out, I¡¯ll fill the tank ande back to you,¡± Mike said.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± She stopped in front of the doors, and I unbuckled Vicki and helped her out. Mike drove off as we reached the door. ¡°Let me check it out first,¡± she said as she went in.


    I stretched my aching body out as Vicki copied me. ¡°My butt is sore,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mine too.¡±


    ¡°Where is Unky Leo?¡±


    I knew she was going to ask, and I didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth yet. We needed to be somewhere I could let her cry it all out. Hell, I needed a ce to cry it out, but a pancake house wasn¡¯t that ce. ¡°Leo and Adrienne are busy in Anta. We¡¯re going on an adventure instead.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes got wide as she looked around. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Louisiana,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know how the Mississippi River begins in Minnesota?¡±


    ¡°At Lake Eyetacka,¡± she said.


    ¡°Itasca,¡± I corrected. We had visitedst summer with my Grandmother; we had jumped across the rocks where the river started in a bay on the Northwoodske. It was only twenty feet across, while by the time it got near us, it was a big river. ¡°We¡¯re almost to the end. After breakfast, we¡¯ll drive over the Mississippi again, close to where it goes into the Gulf of Mexico.¡±


    Anita waved us in, so I held open the door, and we walked into the restaurant. ¡°This way,¡± the waitress said. A minuteter, we were seated in a booth with a booster seat for Vicki. She put down three menus and a paper kid¡¯s menu with some crayons. We ordered drinks, and by the time Mike was back, we were ready to order. ¡°What would you like, youngdy,¡± she asked Vicki.


    ¡°Chicken-fried steak smothered and covered, with eggs sunny-side up and extra pancakes instead of hash browns,¡± Vicki told her. The waitress looked at me and raised an eyebrow; I nodded, and she wrote it down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the same with the hash browns and a side of bacon,¡± I said. Mike ordered a steak omelet, and Anita a breakfastbo. ¡°I told Vicki we were on an adventure,¡± I said. I continued over the link to the adults. ¡°I said Leo and Adrienne were busy.¡±


    ¡°Are you excited?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s is Loo-see-ana?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to drive until around lunchtime so we can get to Texas. We¡¯ll find a ce by the beach where we can stay a few days.¡±


    ¡°Beach? The OCEAN? SHARKS?¡± She was bouncing in her seat.


    ¡°Yes, yes, and maybe,¡± Anita said. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t see any big sharks with Sharkbait in the water,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯d find out who has the bigger chompers!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± We finished breakfast andughed at the waitresses¡¯ eyes as she saw Vicki¡¯s bulging stomach. I took my daughter to wash up as Mike paid the bill.


    ¡°Get out to the car now; another werewolf couple just walked in,¡± Mike told me. ¡°Don¡¯t look, just walk out.¡± I made sure Vicki was ready and picked her up; I didn¡¯t want to be dragging her if something happened.


    Mike was standing near the entrance, and I walked past him and out before he moved. Anita was waiting by the car; she buckled Vicki in while I got in the driver¡¯s seat. Mike took the passenger seat. ¡°Just go,¡± he said as soon as the doors closed.


    ¡°Who were they,¡± I asked as I pulled out of the lot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was a mated couple, maybe fifty. The two just nodded at me as they went by; they didn¡¯t smell like rogues,¡± he said.


    ¡°Did they scent Vicki?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. He looked in the side mirror again. ¡°No one is following us. Get back on the freeway and let¡¯s put some miles behind us.¡±


    I did, and he rxed and fell asleep by the time we passed the Mississippi. With Anita sleeping off the meal as well, I appreciated the mental bond even more. Vicki and I were able to talk without disturbing the others.


    We had a slower time through Houston, luckily not hitting it at the morning rush hour. Mike took over at the next stop and drove the rest of the way to Corpus Christi. We drove directly to the harbor where the Texas State Aquarium was, arriving about two in the afternoon. ¡°Let¡¯s GO,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°We need to find a hotel, and it¡¯ste,¡± I told her. ¡°We need to eat lunch, too.¡± I checked north of the aquarium and didn¡¯t like the look of the hotels, so we drove over the harbor to the south side where therger hotels were. We settled on the Emerald Beach Hotel, the four of us taking adjoining tenth-floor double-twin rooms with a bay view. ¡°What do you think of the ocean,¡± I said as I brought Vicki out onto the balcony.


    ¡°WOW,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s salty and smells like fish!¡±


    We ate lunch, then did some shopping. We all needed swimsuits and towels, plus I bought sunblock and swim goggles for the girl. I talked her into going on the beach today, and we¡¯d do the aquarium in the morning.


    We changed into swimwear, then went out to the beach behind the hotel. Anita imed four lounges under one of the beach umbres. The groomed sand was warm as the rest of us ran across it to the gentle surf. Vicki screamed in happiness as she hit the water, jumping up as the first wave crashed into her. I held both her hands, keeping her steady as we kept moving into deeper water. The next wave would have been over her head; when she jumped, I helped her go over it. I stopped when the water was to her chest. ¡°Dive the next wave,¡± I told her. She was a good swimmer for her age, but I wasn¡¯t going to let her hand go. She had her goggles on, so when the next wave came, she leaned into it and went underwater.


    For the next ten minutes, she was swimming the hotel beach ¡°looking for sharks¡± in the shallow water. I¡¯m sure they were out there; bull sharks, hammerheads, cktips, and others were all present in these warm Gulf waters. It just wasn¡¯t likely to be on the well-maintained hotel beach.


    When she got tired of our ¡®boring¡¯ beach, Mike escorted us as we walked north along the surf to the public McGee Beach. It was more crowded than the hotel beach. After a few runs into the water and some prospecting for shells and crabs, Vicki was ready to head back.


    Mike ended up carrying a worn-out Vicki back to the hotel beach. Anita was already rxing with a drink in the shade when we got back. We used the outdoor shower to wash the salt off, then joined her. Vicki fell asleep in her chair almost immediately. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go up and shower and change,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be up a littleter, and we can go to ate dinner.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to guess what Anita was nning as they walked off; she left the scent of her arousal behind. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and watched the seagulls fly around as my daughter napped in the warm breeze.


    Ivan Volkov (John Petersen¡¯s) POV


    I hadn¡¯t been asleep long when the door opened, and a man walked in. The guard closed the door, telling him to bang on it when he was ready. ¡°Who are you,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m yourwyer,¡± he said. He held out his hand to me as I sat up on the mattress. ¡°Lawrence Fenwick. I was your brother Leo¡¯swyer, and I guess I¡¯m yours now. I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± he said.


    ¡°Having Brenda dead is not a great loss. It solves a problem or two, although I had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I felt Brenda die, then I was silvered and brought here,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Your brother, Leo. After the jury left, he copsed in the courtroom. It was a massive heart attack; he didn¡¯t suffer. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. How could my brother be dead, and I didn¡¯t feel it? I reached out to him, but the bond was blocked. ¡°I never felt the bond break,¡± I said. ¡°Does silver do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Luna, this was all such a mess, a mess that I had started when I tried to remove Vicki from her home. If I had done nothing, she would have been under Leo¡¯s protection. Her great-grandmother would still be alive. And, Olivia might forgive me for how I treated her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have time to grieve your brother. The Council interrogators will be taking you soon and questioning you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead because of me,¡± I said.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You need to stop saying that. You don¡¯t have a fifth amendment right against self-incrimination, but you don¡¯t have to volunteer information either. I¡¯ll be with you; answer the questions truthfully. They¡¯ll know if you are lying.¡±


    As we waited, I told him everything that had happened; my rejection, my arranged mating with Brenda, the fling with Olivia, and the failure to produce a mantled heir. I continued with the kidnapping attempt, the brokered agreement with Brenda, and our fragile agreement. ¡°She didn¡¯t want me around her after no one challenged her on arrival,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been hanging out and drinking. I don¡¯t even know how she died.¡±


    The door opened, and two guards came in. They moved me down the hall to an interrogation room. Mywyer watched from a chair in the corner while they shackled me to the chair. The interrogator, a former Alpha in his sixties who looked like Captain Picard on Star Trek, sat at a table across from me. ¡°Alpha John Petersen,¡± he said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #68

    ¡°Ivan Volkov,¡± I said. ¡°I only changed my name because Brenda wanted her family name to continue, and she was the mantled one. It¡¯s time for a change, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    He made a note. ¡°Where were you tonight?¡±


    ¡°I was drinking with the Betas in the rec room until I got called for the Scratch ¡®n Sniff, then I was waiting in line there until the arrest,¡± I said. I gave him the names of people I had partied with.


    ¡°How would you describe your rtionship with Luna Brenda?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Our rtionship ended when Brenda went after my daughter,¡± I said. ¡°She found out that I¡¯d slept with a human, and that resulted in a pregnancy. Brenda rejected me, and I left the Pack. She offered money to Alpha Todd Miller of Welch to kill Vicki, an attack that injured her, her mother, and my brother. I went back to Marengo to kill her, but Mediator McInnis and Chairman Wolfe were waiting. They hammered out an agreement; I would stay on as her Alpha Protector, and she wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Did the agreement extend to anyone else?¡±


    ¡°No. I should have insisted on it being broader, I guess. Brenda¡¯s dead now, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He tapped the paper. ¡°Brenda¡¯s death leaves you as Alpha of Marengo,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know. I thought about refusing it, but our children deserve a chance to inherit the Pack, mantled or not. I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter now.¡±


    ¡°Were you part of any discussions between Luna Brenda and Alpha Mark of Stillwater Pack?¡±


    Lawrence caught my eye; I was to answer the question and ONLY the question. ¡°No. Brenda didn¡¯t trust me after I returned. I had my own house on Packnd, I had no Alpha authority, and she did not seek my counsel. I was a bodyguard and a threat to those who might challenge her, and that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°How did she feel about your brother?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Brenda hated Leo with a passion. He imed Vicki as his heir, stopping her from killing the girl so the mantle would return to HER heirs. I know she put a im in on Vicki with the Council; although she would not break the blood oath she made, I figured someone else would do the job for her. You know, a ¡®Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest,¡¯ Rasputin-like moment. I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. Vicki is my firstborn child, and I would dly sacrifice my life to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°Would she act against Leo directly?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Brenda is a coward; she wouldn¡¯t dirty her manicured nails with that. It¡¯s easier to pay someone.¡±


    The interrogator closed his pad. ¡°Return the prisoner to his room,¡± he told the guards. ¡°You will remain in the cells while we verify the information andplete the investigation.¡± With that, I was unhooked from the chair and taken back to my room.


    Iid back on the mattress pad, more confused than ever. What had Brenda done before she died?


    **************


    Alpha Anthony McInnis¡¯ POV


    I woke early, the sleep inadequate to prepare me for the day. It didn¡¯t matter; the Summit schedule was full, with Alpha mandatory meetings starting after breakfast. I had a heads up on the changesing, but I couldn¡¯t say anything about them.


    It was going to rock the conference when the word got out.


    I came back from a shower and kissed Pam, shaking her to wake her up. ¡°We should get to breakfast early so we can get a good seat,¡± I told her.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ my eyeballs hurt,¡± Pam said. ¡°Why did you let me drink so much?¡±


    ¡°I tried to warn you. Never drink with people who are trying to drown out their pain,¡± I said. It hadn¡¯t been a very sessful mating gathering; only four couples emerged. The rest partied most of the night. I handed her a ss of water and some painkillers. ¡°Hydrate, it will help.¡± She drank it down, then went to take her shower. I dressed and checked my phone for messages. As expected, there were a lot of texts about Leo¡¯s death and asking about my Mom¡¯s health. My idea worked perfectly in establishing Brenda¡¯s guilt, but at a high cost. If it was me in charge, I would have told everyone Leo was alive as soon as Brenda and Mark were dead; at thetest, when their Betas and mates were in custody.


    I couldn¡¯t answer much, but I did tell them Luna Adrienne was doing as well as could be expected. My next call was to Olivia¡¯s mate, Brent Lawrence. I could hear his fatigue, and knew he¡¯d barely slept, if at all. ¡°Brent, it¡¯s Anthony McInnis.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Alpha. How is our Luna doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dealing with it. I¡¯ll have her call when she¡¯s able.¡± That wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°How is the Pack handling it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re devastated, of course. It¡¯s been a rough time.¡±


    ¡°It will get better.¡± He grunted, not willing to go there yet. ¡°Have you heard from Olivia, Mike, or Anita?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ aren¡¯t they with you? I got a bunch of photos from the aquarium yesterday.¡±


    ¡°They were driving back here with their security escort when they heard about Leo. With the whole mantle thing, it spooked them. They ditched their escort and disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t know where they are?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve tried texting them, but they don¡¯t respond, and their phones go right to voice mail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try again. Call me back in five.¡± When I did, he wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°I go right to voicemail as well. I got on herputer and used the ¡®find your iPhone¡¯ app. They are east of Anta. I¡¯ll text you what it¡¯s showing me.¡±


    The pic came through; it was on Pan Road, a few blocks south of the exit. I texted Luna Carolyn, asking where they were stranded. ¡°PANOLA ROAD MCDONALDS OFF I-20,¡± she texted back.


    ¡°They tossed the phones so we couldn¡¯t track them,¡± I told Brent.


    He let out a breath. ¡°Liv will find a safe ce before she contacts me. Mike and Anita will keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can from down here. Do me a favor? Let me know if they contact you? I just need to know they are all right, and I know Mom will be worried.¡±


    ¡°I will. Take care of your Mom, Anthony. I know she hasn¡¯t been here long, but we all love her. If you need to take her home to help her get over this, just do it.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thanks, Brent.¡± I hung up as Pam came out of the bathroom, ready to go. We went down to breakfast, which was a lively affair. The rumors were flying about the Stillwater and Marengo Lake Packs; no one had seen any of the Pack members since about tenst night. Some of the Betas said Security guys pulled John Petersen out of line, and he didn¡¯te back.


    The room went silent as Chairman Sanders walked to the front. ¡°There are a few changes to today¡¯s schedule. In twenty minutes, all Alphas and Lunas are to be in the conference hall. Betas and other staff not on duty are to be here in the dining hall, where the proceedings will be on closed-circuit television. We have a lot to get to, so be on time. Enjoy your breakfast.¡±


    I could see people react, Alphas and Lunas moved to get their food while others stood back, knowing they could eat during the broadcast. ¡°I wonder what they are going to say,¡± Alpha Doug Winters said as they sat down at our table. We¡¯d be friends with the Winona Pack Alphas during our visit to Miesville.


    ¡°I hope they find Leo not guilty,¡± Luna Jennie said. ¡°He deserves to be sent off as an Alpha, not a criminal.¡±


    ¡°I have a good feeling about the trial,¡± I said. ¡°Adrienne¡¯s fate is still with the jury.¡±


    ¡°How is she? I can¡¯t imagine losing a mate once, and this is her second,¡± Jennie continued.


    ¡°Coping,¡± I said. We finished our food and went to wash up before going into the room. The other Alphas had left us our seats behind the defense table, knowing the trial wasing to a close. I shook Beta Fenwick¡¯s hand as he waited, thanking him for his spirited defense.


    The room filled as the hour approached. The door to the kitchen opened, and a shackled Luna Adrienne shuffled to the table. As soon as the guards had the shackles off, the bailiff called for us to rise. The jury returned with the Council, and the Chairman gaveled the hearing to order. He wasn¡¯t wasting time. ¡°Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?¡±


    ¡°We have, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    The bailiff took it, and the Council members read it. ¡°In the matter of Leo and Adrienne Volkov, do you uphold the rogue status deration or unanimously dere them to be Alphas worthy of Council recognition?¡±


    ¡°We find them Alphas worthy of Council recognition, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    The room erupted in cheers, quickly silenced as the Chairman banged his gavel. I pulled Pam close and kissed her. ¡°The Council thanks the jury for its service. Please remain in your seats. Guards, remove the silver from the defendant.¡± The guards brought the device up and removed her cor.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mom,¡± I told her family link that I could now establish.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you two,¡± she told us as she sat at the table again.


    ¡°Bring in the defendant,¡± the Chairman said. The door to the kitchen opened again, and a shocked hush fell over the room as Alpha Leo walked in.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± someone in the back yelled. Leo didn¡¯t respond. He kept his head high as he walked over to the table. Taking his ce next to his mate, Leo kissed her before turning back to the front. The room exploded with people talking and yelling.

 THE PORCH WOLF #69

    ¡°ORDER,¡± the Chairman said as he banged the gavel. The room instantly quieted. ¡°During the trial, there was an attempt on Alpha Leo¡¯s life. Alpha Mark Conway attempted to poison him using a needle hidden on a ring he was wearing. The attack poisoned Beta Fenwick by mistake. He is alive now because of the observation skills and quick actions taken by Alpha Anthony and Luna Pam McInnis. Alpha, Luna, please stand. The Council thanks you for your actions.¡±


    I stood holding her hand as the room apuded me. We sat down quickly, wanting to move on.


    ¡°Our security staff found the ring and arrested the Stillwater Pack members before they could flee the Summit. We made a deal to find out who had hired him for the job, and as part of the deal, we found the antidote that saved the Beta¡¯s life. Alpha Mark agreed to wear a wire as he met the person who paid him to kill Alpha Leo. Dim the lights, please. The next part is easier to watch than to exin.¡±


    The room went into darkness, and the televisions on the wall came up. It started in the woods, as Luna Brenda approached him. The room watched in stunned silence as they talked about Leo¡¯s murder and the fifty-thousand-dor payment. There were screams when Mark got stabbed in the heart, and gasps as Brenda killed herself. The lights came back up, and everyone started to talk.


    The Chairman let it go for a minute before he gaveled the room back into order. ¡°The leadership of both Packs has been ced in custody pending thepletion of an investigation. Are there questions?¡±


    ¡°What are we doing to stabilize those Packs during the investigation,¡± an Alpha stood and asked.


    ¡°We have asked two retired Alpha pairs to step in and provide interim leadership,¡± the Chairman replied. ¡°Larry and Donna Winters, former Alphas of the Welch Pack in Minnesota, have agreed to take over the Stillwater Pack. Steve and Ca Ingalls of Green Bay have agreed to take over Marengo Lake. The length of their term will depend on the changes required and the avability of suitable permanent candidates. Those interested candidates can notify their Regional Chairs, but no decisions areing this weekend,¡± he said.


    Wow. Talk about cleaning house! Larry and Donna were Leo¡¯s inws, and both Alpha pairs were sticklers for following thews of werewolves and men. Stillwater was going to be a far different Pack by Monday.


    ¡°What about my im on Vicki Andersen,¡± Alpha Carl asked.


    ¡°There is no valid im by you,¡± the Chairman said. ¡°You can¡¯t ¡®discover¡¯ a mantled child in the Pack of an Alpha. The only valid im is by her biological father, Alpha Ivan Volkov of Marengo. That im is on hold pending the investigation, as Ivan is in custody now. Also, both Vicki and her mother are members of the Miesville Pack. The Council will not force them into another Pack if they choose to remain with Alpha Leo.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman,¡± Leo said. ¡°I have a question. Where are my Pack members, including Vicki? The Council took them into protective custody on our arrival.¡±


    Chairman Wolfe answered instead. ¡°When word of your ¡®death¡¯ reached them, they escaped from the guards and Lunas we had protecting them. They have not made contact with anyone here, and no one has reported seeing them. Their minivan was returned to the agencyst night.¡±


    Leo stood to his feet. ¡°Everyone present has heard the Chairman affirm that Vicki Lawrence is my recognized Heir. I don¡¯t need to remind you what the penalty is for attacking an Heir.¡± He paused for effect. ¡°I do not want anyone chasing after them or attempting to capture them; they are afraid, and this might make them do something stupid. I would ask that all Alphas contact their Packs and share a photo I will provide the Council. If anyone sees them, I would ask that you contact me immediately. Just tell me where they are so our Pack can tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡°The Council affirms your request. If you forward the photo to Chairman Wolfe, he will forward it to all Alphas and Betas in the country.¡±


    Leo turned to us. ¡°Crap, my phone was in the rental car,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have a photo I¡¯ll send the Chairman,¡± Pam said as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°Two other things,¡± Leo said. ¡°Someone ordered my five-year-old heir silvered and confined. I want his name, and I want his ass in the ring with me tonight.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill a member of my Guard,¡± the Chairman said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill him, but I will teach him a lesson,¡± Leo said. ¡°The other is that I would like to withdraw my request to have our mating ceremony here during the Summit. I can¡¯t do that without my family here.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Alpha.¡± He answered questions for another twenty minutes, then told us to take a twenty-minute break while they rearranged the room.


    As soon as they left the room, I leaped over the barricade and embraced my Mom. Leo, Pam, and others surrounded us as we cried happy tears of relief.


    We¡¯d all dodged a bullet.


    *********


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    The wolf was bleeding and badly limping as I circled him. I faked an attack on his rear leg; when he moved away, I had already shifted directions and put my shoulder into his. The impact knocked him on his back, and my teeth were at his throat before he could recover.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him,¡± Adrienne said over the link as my teeth closed down, his blood filling my mouth. I gave his neck a shake, and the wolf beneath me stilled. He moved his jaw back and exposed his throat to me. I epted his submission and released him.


    Trotting back over to my mate, I sat as she scratched at my ears. ¡°I think he learned his lesson,¡± she said loud enough for the others around the challenge circle to hear. The medics arrived, moving the injured Guard Captain onto the stretcher. He¡¯d live, but the scars would remind him that children were not to be silvered. Ever.


    ¡°Come on, big boy, let¡¯s get you cleaned up.¡± I limped after her; the fight had strained my healing ankle, and I had a few w marks and some torn flesh from bites. The Pack had an outdoor shower area for wolves to wash off mud and blood beforeing in. She pulled her clothes off and hung them up before turning on the water. I let the spray soak my fur as she grabbed a washcloth and some scent-free shampoo. I loved the feel of her hands on me as she scrubbed the dirt and blood out of my fur. I hated the sting of the water and soap on my open wounds.


    When she had me clean, she rinsed me off and turned the water off. I walked off to shake, then trotted back over the patio stones and shifted. ¡°We need to get these stitched,¡± she said as she looked at my back and side.


    We both dried off, her helping around the still-bleeding wounds, then I put on my sandals and pulled on a loose pair of basketball shorts. There was no point in dressing further before we got to the clinic. One of the visiting doctors cleaned and sutured the gashes before covering them with bandages. ¡°Go on, get out,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s left for tonight,¡± I asked Adrienne as I pulled my clothes out of the bag and dressed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a challenge for a Wyoming pack, but nothing we have to be at,¡± she said. ¡°The controversial issues were all handled before dinner tonight. Tomorrow morning will be announcements, Council elections for the Eastern and Mountain regions, and voting on proposed changes to Werewolfws. The Summit ends at eleven so everyone can get back home.¡± Unfortunately, Chairman Sanders had two years left on his five-year term.


    One proposed change dealt with thews on banishments. Some Alphas were very upset after learning what had happened with us on arrival here. The proposal from Cascade-region Pack was to distinguish banishments forw vitions from banishments for losing challenges. The former would still require other Packs to observe it, but thetter would only apply to the Pack expelling the losing wolf. I was confident it would pass.


    Another potential change was less likely to pass, but one our Pack would support. It would require a Council member to officiate over trials for which the Alpha sought a penalty of permanent banishment or death. It was a restriction on their power that some Alphas resented, but it would ensure fair trials and consistent sentencing.


    ¡°Is there any blowbacking from your deal with Stillwater,¡± I asked. ¡°Ivan is still in the cells.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± she said. During the morning meetings, Adrienne drafted a statement in which she told the Council everything she had done at Marengo, Miesville, and Stillwater to contain the human interest in Vicki¡¯s abduction. She couldn¡¯t ignore Ivan¡¯s involvement in the original kidnapping in the writeup. At lunch, we brought in Beta Fenwick, hiswyer, to read it over.


    ¡°If you swear to this in the presence of two Alphas, the Council cannot punish Ivan for the kidnapping and murder,¡± he said. ¡°A Council mediator effectively granted him amnesty during the meeting at Marengo with him and Luna Brenda.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the authority to grant amnesty,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Only the Chairman has that.¡±


    ¡°The Central Region Chairman told you to ¡®resolve the situation¡¯ and tell him when you had finished. You did just that. The resolution you reached did not require you to confess to the killing to the authorities; Mediator McInnis effectively shut that investigation down as well. Legally, the deal you mediated is binding as you were acting as the Chairman¡¯s direct agent. Your involvement closes the issue with the Council; there is only one way to punish him for the kidnapping now.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What is that,¡± Adrienne asked.


    ¡°The aggrieved party or their champion could challenge him in the circle,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°Olivia could demand justice, and Brent, you, or Adrienne could enter the circle with Ivan as their champion.¡±


    That gave me pause; Brent would fight if Olivia asked, but Ivan would wipe the circle with him. She would refuse the challenge to keep him safe. I didn¡¯t know if I could fight my brother for them if asked, not knowing what I did now. I didn¡¯t think Adrienne would fight either.


    I didn¡¯t know what Olivia would want to do; she loved her Grandmother, but I think she understood what Ivan was trying to do. Vicki was too young to challenge, and I didn¡¯t know if she would ever meet her father. The best thing for everyone would be to let it go.


    After Lawrence left, we had two Alphas witness her signature, and she gave it to Chairman Wolfe during the lunch break. Chairman Sanders was furious when he found out, that much we knew. No one said anything to us during the afternoon or dinner.

 THE PORCH WOLF #70

    We walked back to the Pack House, exchanging greetings as we passed the others. Many were outside enjoying the warm Georgia weather. Few Packs stayed in the deep south, the heat and humidity challenging their wolf forms. As we walked in, we saw the doors to the Council room closed and a guard outside. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t know tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°The worst they can do is fire me,¡± Adrienne said as we walked to the stairs. ¡°That¡¯s not the worst thing. I was thinking about quitting, honestly. I can¡¯t see how I can bnce being a Luna again with a Council job that involves lots of travel.¡± She leaned into my side and wrapped her arm around me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be apart from you, either.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Adrienne.¡± I opened the door to our room, and she was stripping off her clothes before the door closed again.


    Naturally, my new cellphone rang. It was a TracFone that one of the guards had given me, so we had a number to go with the message the Council put out to help us find Vicki. I pulled it out of my pocket; I didn¡¯t recognize the phone number or the area code. ¡°Leo Volkov,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alpha Leo, this is Marge Johnson of the Atchafya Pack in Louisiana,¡± the woman said. She sounded like a grandmother. ¡°My mate and I think we say your girl and the others at the International House of Pancakes in Baton Rouge about seven o¡¯clock this morning.¡±


    ¡°Baton Rouge?¡± I waved to Adrienne; she opened up aptop and went to Google Maps. ¡°Are you sure it was them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good look at the girl because her mom was shielding her from us. I could smell the mantle on her as they passed, though. How many five-year-old girls with Alpha mantles are there? When Marvin and I saw the picture our Gamma had, I knew it was them.¡±


    I had to know for sure. Looking over Adrienne¡¯s shoulder, I saw the driving distance. They must have driven all night to be there by then, but it was doable. ¡°Did you talk to them?¡±


    ¡°No, but I talked to their waitresster. I told them I thought the mom might be my neighbor¡¯s daughter. The server said that little girl packed away a whole chicken-fried steak breakfast with extra pancakes on her own! Can you imagine? Her little belly looked like she swallowed a balloon!¡±


    Now THAT was my Sharkbait. ¡°Did you see where they went?¡±


    ¡°No, but the IHOP was right off Interstate Ten, east of town.¡±


    Adrienne was already moving the map, seeing where they might be going. ¡°Marge, thank you for the call. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d I could help. You bring that girl home safe, you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. Goodnight.¡± I looked at the map. ¡°If they were in Baton Rouge fourteen hours ago, how far could they have gotten?¡±


    ¡°No farther than Texas,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯ll drive for days non-stop with a five-year-old wolf. They probably wanted to get far away from Augusta before they stopped.¡±


    I called Brent as she worked on a circle that represented that drive time. ¡°Brent, we got a hit on them. This morning at seven, an IHOP off Interstate Ten near Baton Rouge.¡±


    ¡°Louisiana? Why would they be down there?¡±


    ¡°Not many Packs, and a lot of open territories to hide in,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°They drove past the exit for New Orleans, so they are probably still going west. That means they are heading for Houston, San Antonio, or points further south. Worst case, they are going to head through New Mexico and Arizona to Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Being on the road has risks; I don¡¯t see them driving for days,¡± Brent said. ¡°Maybe they are making a big loop to head back here? Interstate 35 goes right through San Antonio. They could head north there ande back to Minnesota in a direction no one will expect.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to ground with Sharkbait,¡± I said. ¡°If you were going to hide somewhere AND keep a little girl happy, where would you go?¡±


    ¡°Fogo de Chao for unlimited meat,¡± Brent said with augh. ¡°No, it would be to aquariums. Sharkbait LOVES aquariums. She could spend all day at one.¡±


    ¡°Adrienne, look up aquariums in Texas. Brent, you look up aquariums farther West, all the way to southern California.¡± That list was pretty extensive. ¡°All right, to narrow it down, eliminate any aquarium without arge shark poption.¡±


    Ten minutester, we had our list. The most likely suspects were in Corpus Christi and Das in Texas, Long Beach in California, and Mandy Bay in Las Vegas.


    We decided to split things up. I would go to Corpus Christi, Adrienne to Das, Brent to Las Vegas, and Ron Temple would go to Long Beach. Hopefully, their blocks would be down so we could contact them with the Pack Bond; if not, we¡¯d smell them.


    Either way, we¡¯d bring them home.


    **********


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    As soon as we were off the phones, Adrienne got her clothes back on, and we went to find the Council. We found them in themon area, and one look at my mate had them moving towards the conference room with their Lunas. I let her take the lead because she knew them, she understood them, and because I wasn¡¯t going to get in the way of a Momma Wolf out to protect the young of her Pack.


    ¡°All of this is YOUR fault,¡± she said as sheid into them in the conference room. ¡°You silvered our girl. You said she¡¯d be safe going to Anta. You faked Leo¡¯s death, and then you refused to tell anyone it was fake until the next morning.¡±


    ¡°We did what we needed to do,¡± Chairman Sanders said testily.


    ¡°You did, at the cost of my Pack. They spent twelve hours thinking their Alpha was gone, and four of them took off because they thought Vicki was the next target. They are out there somewhere, alone and vulnerable, because YOU wanted a dramatic moment in the morning.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know how big the conspiracy was,¡± Chairman Wolfe said. ¡°Secrecy was needed.¡±


    Adrienne rolled her eyes so hard she saw her brains. ¡°Really? They were TWO HOURS away, far out of link range, and TWO of your mates were with them. You don¡¯t trust your Lunas enough to tell them the truth, so MY people don¡¯t go through hell?¡± It wasn¡¯t just Adrienne ring at them; their wives joined in. ¡°They ran away, far from here. Leo and I need to find them.¡±


    ¡°The Summit isn¡¯t over yet,¡± Sanders said.


    ¡°We¡¯re buying ne tickets,¡± I said. ¡°We will stay for the required votes, but we WILL be leaving early. We can¡¯t wait around to get to where we think they are going, or we might miss them.¡±


    ¡°How will you find them,¡± Luna Carolyn asked.


    ¡°We put Pack members around and hope they don¡¯t have their blocks up so we can contact them with the bond,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a long shot, I know, but Mike and Anita are well trained. They will think the Council and the Packs are after them, so they will go dark and deep until it¡¯s safe.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure who to trust, so we didn¡¯t say where they were spotted.


    ¡°And that means they¡¯ll be vulnerable to rogues,¡± Adrienne added. In the end, they couldn¡¯t argue with us. They agreed we could leave after the debate and votes in the morning, skipping the ceremonial portion at the end of the Summit.


    We voted on the required measures after breakfast and left before nine. One of the guards drove us to the Anta-Hartsfield airport to catch our flights. I kissed Adrienne goodbye in the terminal as she caught her ne to Das. My ne to Houston left thirty minutester.


    I took an expensive Uber ride to the Texas Aquarium in Corpus Christi, using the time to talk with the Pack members I hadn¡¯t talked to in the morning. Everyone was doing well, and thankfully, none had left the Pack after the report of my death. I got a call from Adrienne, who had arrived at the SeaLife Grapevine aquarium. ¡°Nothing yet,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot like the one back home. Vicki would like it.¡±


    ¡°What about the other aquarium in Das?¡±


    ¡°Das World Aquarium isn¡¯t near as big. Neither is the one in Austin or San Antonio. If they are looking for big sharks, they¡¯ll be here or at Texas State.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they went to Das first, or they wouldn¡¯t have gone so far south before turning west. You might need to hang around a few days to see if they stop while going north.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I just hope you aren¡¯t toote to get to them if they went to Corpus Christi. They could have visited the aquarium and left already.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Do you honestly think our Sharkbait would show up at ten in the morning and be ready to leave by four?¡±


    ¡°Ready to go eat, maybe,¡± Adrienne said with augh. ¡°Good luck, honey. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I said. I called Brent next. ¡°How is Vegas?¡±


    ¡°Good, I arrivedte this morning,¡± he said. ¡°I have to say, Mandy Bay is a FINE hotel. It would be a hell of a honeymoon spot.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she will show up, and you get your wish,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can dream.¡± I bet he could. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting Adrienne in a room there and seeing the show. ¡°If they drove without many stops, they would take 28 hoursing the fastest way. You have to add another eight for the detour south to Baton Rouge. I don¡¯t expect them here until tonight at the earliest.¡±


    That made sense. ¡°One other ce they might go, but not until tomorrow. The Tanked guys have their retail store in Vegas. Sharkbait loves the show, and they might stop in.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll talk to the store when they open, give them a photo and ask them to call if theye in. I can say they are wanted for questioning or something.¡± I heard slot machines in the background. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m walking around, just in case.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. By the way, the room is on your credit card.¡± With that, he hung up. I almost called him back, but it wasn¡¯t worth it to save a few bucks on a room. If they showed up there, he needed to be close.


    I¡¯d talked to Ron this morning; he was flying to Los Angeles now since they couldn¡¯t reach there before tonight. I looked up and saw Corpus Christiing up.


    I prayed to Luna that I was right about where they would go.


    Vicki (Sharkbait) Lawrence¡¯s POV


    I woke up before Mom, so I sat up in bed and watched Animal she got her wake-up call at eight. ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°Morning, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°Aquarium today?¡±


    ¡°Aquarium today,¡± she replied. She stumbled into the bathroom, and I got dressed before she came back out. ¡°I need coffee,¡± she said.


    ¡°I need PANCAKES,¡± I replied. Coffee was yucky.


    ¡°Are you two up,¡± Anita sent to me.


    ¡°Ready to head down,¡± Mom replied. ¡°We¡¯ll get a table.¡± She grabbed the room key and took my hand as we went out to the elevator. My tummy growled. ¡°I guess you are hungry.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 THE PORCH WOLF #71

    ¡°Hungry like a Great White Shark,¡± I said with a giggle. There was a breakfast ce on the main floor, and we got a booth near the window. With the booster seat, I could see out to the water.


    ¡°Eat a big breakfast. We¡¯ll have a light lunch at the aquarium, then barbecue for dinner,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Barbecue?¡± Anita slid in across from me with Mike next to her.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a ce a few blocks from here, they even deliver,¡± Mom said.


    We ordered, and as the waitress walked away, Iughed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe that¡¯s all for me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d never take bacon from those chompers of yours,¡± Anita said. ¡°I might lose a hand!¡±


    By the time I was done with the tall stack of blueberry pancakes and bacon, I was full. ¡°I can¡¯t move,¡± I said.


    Mike reached across and poked my belly, which was round and hard like a ser ball. ¡°I guess we go back upstairs instead of the aquarium,¡± he teased.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I let out a burp, then said, ¡°excuse me,¡± while Mom red at my manners. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. Mom had to take me to the bathroom, but we were on our way and at the aquarium entrance with tickets when it opened up at ten. ¡°YAY,¡± I screamed when the door opened. Mom had the map and led us to the entrance to the Caribbean Sea exhibit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a tube,¡± Mom said with a little disappointment. ¡°But this window is HUGE!¡±


    ¡°Sixty-eight feet long, over twenty meters,¡± Mike said as he read the guide. ¡°This is nice.¡± Since we were the first in, Vicki took a spot in the middle and watched. The exhibit had several sandbar sharks, shallow-water predators between five and eight feet long. Barracudas, rays, and other fish swam by as I watched. Mom let me watch until I¡¯d seen enough, then we went to the Inds of Steel exhibit. This one looked like an oil rig and had a pair of Sand Tiger sharks. Once I saw enough there, we went through the other disys until I had seen them all.


    Mom got me a sandwich as we took a break. ¡°What do you think,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not as good as back home,¡± she said. ¡°And Anta is MUCH better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think this whole aquarium could fit in that one exhibit in Anta,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun. I like tiger sharks.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go around again, or do something else?¡±


    ¡°One more time, just the ones with SHARKS,¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe we could tour the USS Lexington, that¡¯s easy walking distance from here,¡± Mike said. ¡°Would you like to see some nes and go on the big ship?¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t sharks, but it sounded fun. We went back through, then we left into the bright sun and walked onto the pier. ¡°THIS IS HUGE,¡± I said as we got up next to the carrier.


    ¡°As long as nine football fields and up to three thousand men lived on it during World War Two,¡± Mike said. Everything was so BIG, so grey, and so cool. We went everywhere on the big ship. It had airnes, a cool flight simtor, and other stuff on the big deck. Inside, we saw where people slept and ate, and even where they steered the ship from. My favorite was the theater, where I put on these funny sses, and everything looked real. Mom said it was called ¡°three-dee.¡±


    My stomach growled as we walked off the ship and down the gangnk to the pier. ¡°Thank you,¡± I told Mike as we walked back. He had carried me part of the time and helped me get through the hatches.


    ¡°I had fun too,¡± he said.


    We walked back to the aquarium where the car was. Everything was closing down, so a lot of people wereing out. I caught a glimpse of a man waiting on a bench by the entrance. ¡°UNKY LEO,¡± I yelled as I pulled Mom forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run,¡± Mom said. She looked where I was going, and didn¡¯t see anyone. Mom got down to my level as Mike and Anita came around us. ¡°Baby¡­ Unky Leo isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°I SAW him, Mommy! By the door!¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t be here, love. We got news from Anta. Alpha Leo had a heart attack. There was nothing they could do. I¡¯m so sorry, baby, but Leo is dead.¡±


    Tears were flowing down Mom¡¯s face as I shook my head, refusing to believe her. ¡°NO! He¡¯s here! I saw him!¡±


    She pulled me into her arms. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sharkbait.¡± Everyone turned to the man who had just walked up.


    Mike took a step back.


    Anita covered her mouth.


    Mom fainted.


    And I ran into Unky Leo¡¯s open arms.


    *************


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    I picked up on old scents as soon as I arrived at the aquarium, and I thanked Luna they were there.


    Paying the admission, I went through the whole ce. I found ces their scent was stronger, all spots where you had excellent views of the sharks. None were fresh, so I kept going. I got to the exit and still no sign of them. Reversing course, I walked through again. The scents were the same, just fainter.


    Walking out to the parking lot, I scented their car and went over to it. I didn¡¯t see their bags, which meant they had a hotel room. The scents outside were old and faint; I would have to wait. I walked back towards the entrance, finding a bench from which I could see the car while all those exiting the aquarium would have to pass by me. I pulled out my phone and made a call. ¡°Adrienne, they are here,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, thank LUNA! Let me talk to them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are, but they were at the aquarium earlier, and their car is here. I¡¯ll call you when I have them.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Should I rent a car ande down there? Fly home?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to fly, not until we were all together. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything yet,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Brent and Ron next.¡± I got ahold of Ron first, telling him to head back home. I called Brentst because I didn¡¯t expect him to hang up for a while. ¡°Brent, it¡¯s Leo. They are here in Corpus Christi. I found their car outside the Texas State Aquarium, but they aren¡¯t inside. They must have walked off somewhere.¡±


    He let out a relieved breath. ¡°Any sign of foul y?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I could tell the group spent time at the ces I expected and walked through the rest.¡±


    ¡°Sharks,¡± Brent said. ¡°Always the sharks.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The ce isn¡¯t as nice as SeaLife, so I can see that she might have gotten bored. Maybe they went shopping or out to eat.¡± It was a tourist area, they could be doing anything. ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss them, so I¡¯m waiting between the aquarium and the car.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of disappointed they aren¡¯ting to Vegas,¡± he said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll look for a flight.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°You two never had a time just for yourselves, not with all the things that have been going on. Let me talk to Liv first. Adrienne and I can take Vicki on an adventure, and I¡¯ll send your mate to you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything at first, making me think he didn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°I¡¯m sure Vicki would LOVE to show her Unky Leo some aquariums between Texas and Minnesota,¡± he said. ¡°I bet you could stop at a half dozen.¡±


    Iughed; there was San Antonio, Das, St. Louis, Chicago¡­ probably more if I did a real search. ¡°I¡¯ll see what they think when they get here.¡± The wind was blowing off the ocean, and I thought I recognized a scent. ¡°I have to go, Brent. I¡¯ll call you when I have them.¡±


    ¡°Take care of my family, Alpha,¡± he said.


    ¡°You got it.¡± I hung up and looked around; the scent was gone with the shift of the wind. I looked at the time; the sun was going down, and the aquarium would be closing soon. The flow of people went faster as closing time came, making it more difficult to watch the lot.


    ¡°UNKY LEO,¡± I heard a child¡¯s voice yell from far away, towards the back of the lot.


    It was Sharkbait.


    I got up, joining the crowd heading for the lot as I looked for my family. Their scents hit me as I got closer. I spotted them a row away from their car; Olivia was hugging Vicki, telling her how sorry she was, as Mike and Anita stood behind her. ¡°NO! He¡¯s here! I saw him!¡± Vicki was insistent.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vicki,¡± Liv said as I walked up.


    She must have told her I was dead. ¡°Hello, Sharkbait.¡± It was at this point that they all looked at me. Vicki ran towards me, and I picked her up as she jumped into my arms.


    Olivia took one look at me and fainted.


    Before anyone could react, she fell to the side and smacked her head hard on the pavement. ¡°LIV,¡± I yelled as I set Vicki back down. Anita was already by her side, rolling her carefully on her back. She was unconscious, and there was a gash on her forehead that was bleeding badly. ¡°Here,¡± I said as I pulled out a clean handkerchief.


    ¡°Apply pressure to the wound,¡± she said. ¡°Mike, run inside. Have them call 911, and see if they have any medics avable.¡± He took off running as a crowd formed around us. ¡°What the HELL, Leo? You¡¯re supposed to be dead!¡±


    ¡°The Council faked my death to get proof Luna Brenda was behind the attacks. You guys took off before we could tell you the truth,¡± I sent back. ¡°The bleeding isn¡¯t slowing,¡± I said.


    ¡°Keep the pressure on; head wounds tend to bleed. Vicki, I want you to sit here and hold Mommy¡¯s hand.¡± She was crying, and this would give her something to do as a crowd started to gather around.


    ¡°What happened,¡± a medic said as he set his bag down next to her head.


    ¡°She passed out and hit her head on the pavement,¡± I said.

 THE PORCH WOLF #72

    ¡°Passed out before or after hitting the ground?¡±


    ¡°Before.¡±


    ¡°Any history of heart trouble, seizures, or fainting? Medications?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± I said.


    He pulled on gloves and prepared somerge gauze pads; removing the handkerchief, the EMT took a quick look before he put the pads over it. ¡°Hold pressure here,¡± he said. He put on a blood pressure cuff and took her pulse. I heard a siren as the ambnce pulled into the lot; the security people moved others back so it could park near us. ¡°Female, early twenties, sudden onset unconsciousness followed by head trauma. BP one hundred over sixty-four, pulse seventy-two, no known conditions or medications,¡± he turned over to the ambnce crew.


    They brought over the gurney, and we carefully transferred her into it. ¡°Where are you taking her,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Christus Spohn,¡± he replied as they wheeled her away. ¡°Follow us close.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. I buckled Vicki into her car seat as Anita got the car started. The ambnce hit the lights and siren, and we stayed behind them. We drove across the bridge, past our hotel, and south to the hospital.


    ¡°I have to tell Brent,¡± I said. Taking out my phone, I called the number. ¡°It¡¯s Leo. Get to the airport and get a flight to Corpus Christi as soon as you can. If you can¡¯t get here, fly to Houston or San Antonio and drive down.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Vicki all right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Olivia. She passed out and hit her head; we¡¯re following the ambnce to the hospital. She hasn¡¯t woken yet.¡±


    ¡°SHIT! I¡¯m on my way,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I know more.¡±


    I had just hung up when the ambnce pulled into the emergency bay. Anita dropped the three of us at the Emergency Room entrance before going to park the car. I didn¡¯t see Liv as they rolled her in, and she didn¡¯t answer the mental call either.


    I did get to spend fifteen minutes giving insurance information and registration, while Anitaforted a rather upset little girl in the waiting room. We all smiled a few minutester when her mental send reached us. ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine,¡± she told us. ¡°Leo, can you and Vickie back?¡±


    ¡°Ask your nurse if we can,¡± I said.


    ¡°Doc says not until he¡¯s done stitching me up,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mommy is all right?¡±


    ¡°I just hit my head, baby. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I was scared, Mommy. You didn¡¯t wake up!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°Stay with Unky, Mike, or Anita.¡±


    It was another thirty minutes before the nurse called us back. She had a bandage over the cut and looked exhausted in the bed. The Doctor asked if it was all right if he spoke about her status in front of us, and she agreed. ¡°The loss of consciousness was a concern, but she exined she had an emotional shock. Her blood pressure was a little low, so we¡¯ll be monitoring that, and she should follow up with her doctor at home,¡± he said.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And her head,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Eight stitches to the scalp, and a concussion. We¡¯d like to admit Olivia for observation overnight; given her condition, it would be best to have her monitored until we are sure everything is all right.¡±


    ¡°Condition?¡± I looked at her, wondering what she hadn¡¯t told me.


    ¡°Temporary condition,¡± Liv said. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    Now it was my turn to be shocked. I sat down before I ended up in the next hospital bed. ¡°You¡¯re having a baby?¡±


    She nodded as Vicki started jumping up and down next to her. ¡°Baby sister! Baby sister!¡±


    ¡°It could be a baby brother. It¡¯s too early to tell.¡±


    ¡°Brothers are yucky. I want a SISTER.¡±


    I got up, walked over, and kissed her forehead. ¡°Congrattions,¡± I told her. ¡°Does Brent know?¡±


    ¡°No, and don¡¯t tell him. I want to do that.¡±


    ¡°No one can reveal to anyone else that Olivia is pregnant,¡± I said with an Alpha order.


    The doctor left, and a few minutester, they came in to bring Olivia up to her room. ¡°Say goodbye, we¡¯lle in the morning to see her,¡± I told Vicki. We said our goodbyes. ¡°Brent is on his way, he¡¯ll drive here from Vegas if he has to,¡± I said to Liv. ¡°We¡¯ll take good care of Vicki for you.¡±


    ¡°I know you will, Leo,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re still with us.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been a stressful weekend. I need a vacation from my vacation.¡±


    ¡°I need a honeymoon,¡± she said. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    We drove away, stopping to pick up some barbecue to take up to our rooms. I talked to Brent, who was at the airport waiting for a flight. He couldn¡¯t make it before nine in the morning, no matter how he tried. It was toote on a Sunday to get a good flight.


    Vicki ate through a rack of ribs and two pieces of Texas toast before she started to nod off. Anita got her cleaned up and in bed while we cleaned the table. When Anita came back out, she just sank into her chair. ¡°Part of me wants to know everything that happened, while the rest of me wants to sleep,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to know tonight,¡± I said. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll pick up Brent and take him to the hospital. We can figure out the next steps from there.¡±


    ¡°You get the other bed in this room,¡± she said as she got up. ¡°If anyone wakes me before seven, I will hurt them,¡± she said as they went through the connecting door between our rooms.


    I took a shower and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a new day.


    Ch. 59


    Ivan Volkov¡¯s POV


    I spent another day and night in the cells before they came back for me. This time, I was allowed to shower and put on sweatpants and a shirt before I was shackled again. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Your hearing,¡± one of the guards said. He tossed flipflops on the ground, and I put them on. I was taken upstairs and escorted back across thewn to the Pack House. The barrage of smells from earlier was gone; now Sunday night, almost all the guests were gone. Cleanup crews were everywhere as we walked into the house.


    The trial room was no longer since there wasn¡¯t the audience. Instead, the guards brought me to the hallway outside the Alpha¡¯s conference room. I smiled at Beta Lawrence Fenwick, mywyer, as he stood by the door. ¡°Ah, Ivan, good news,¡± he said. ¡°The Council has dropped charges against you for the kidnapping attempt on Vicki and Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± I thought we were in for a fight on this one.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have much of a choice after I raised the issues, and they spoke on the phone with Mediator McInnis. To say they weren¡¯t happy would be an understatement. They chewed her out pretty bad, at least until she hung up the phone on them.¡±


    My eyes got wide. ¡°Luna Adrienne HUNG UP on the Council?¡±


    He just shook his head. ¡°Yes, right after she told them off for challenging how she did her job, told them where they could shove said job, and told them to kiss her furry red butt. Not on the left side, not on the right side, but right down the middle.¡± Now this made meugh, and the guards couldn¡¯t keep a straight face either. ¡°Suffice it to say they will need a new Mediator.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Luna now; she doesn¡¯t need the job. It¡¯s too bad; she was good at it.¡± Her reputation was excellent, and I¡¯d seen first-hand how she could find or force an agreement as needed.


    ¡°If I¡¯m in the clear on the kidnapping, why am I here?¡± I hadn¡¯t done anything else wrong, and I hadn¡¯t vited the blood oath I¡¯d made.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they know what to do with you.¡± My eyes got wide at that, but there wasn¡¯t more time. The door opened, and the guards escorted me into the room.


    The Council sat around three sides of the table; Lawrence took his seat, and guards ced me next to him. ¡°What the hell should we do with you,¡± Chairman Sanders said.


    ¡°You can start by letting me out of these shackles,¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing to justify this treatment, and I am an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°That is yet to be determined. Guards, remove his bindings and leave us. I think we can handle this without your help.¡± No one said anything until they were gone. ¡°Your Betas were cleared of any charges. They arrived at Marengo Lake this afternoon with Steve and Ca Ingalls; those two are taking over the Pack.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking MY Pack from me,¡± I said with a low growl. My hands gripped the side of my chair as I pushed my wolf back.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chairman Sanders said. ¡°We¡¯re taking actions to stabilize the leadership of both Packs involved. Stillwater is a lost cause; we¡¯re cleaning house there. We¡¯re here to figure out whether you can go back to Marengo or we get someone else.¡±


    ¡°Marengo isn¡¯t my home Pack, but it is MINE,¡± I said. ¡°It is my children¡¯s birthright.¡±


    ¡°Your birthright went elsewhere when you fucked a college kid,¡± Chairman tt said. ¡°It went to Miesville. You only have a mantle because you got it from your mate.¡±


    ¡°And I would do anything, hell, I HAVE done everything, to protect that daughter as well as my other children. Brenda couldn¡¯t handle how it went down, and she paid the price. I wasn¡¯t involved; I would have stopped her if I had known.¡±


    Chairman Wolfe leaned forward. ¡°That is the problem we¡¯ve found up in Marengo. The Pack is irrevocably split; some side with you, others would never ept your leadership after what you did to your mate and the Pack. It is Alpha Ingalls¡¯ opinion that allowing you to run Marengo would be a failure.¡±


    I sat back; since the blood oath, I had been around the Pack, but I never integrated back into the Pack. Brenda kept me away and poisoned the well against my leadership. ¡°I could take it; no one there could defeat me for the position,¡± I said softly. ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    ¡°We believe you were once a good Alpha and could be again,¡± Chairman Sanders said. ¡°We¡¯d like you to take your son and daughter with you, and take over Stillwater instead. The Council will find a new Alpha for Marengo.¡±


    I sat back; it was brilliant. I¡¯d still be a mantled Alpha with a Pack, but I¡¯d be back in Minnesota, less than an hour from my brother. My problems in Marengo would go away. In their ce would be far different problems in Stillwater. There, I¡¯d have to guide an entire Pack where criminal activity was epted. ¡°What about Vicki?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #73

    Chairman Wolfe spoke next. ¡°If your daughter does not take over Miesville? Vicki is a mantled Alpha; she could take over Stillwater instead. She¡¯s young, and a lot could happen in the next decade.¡±


    He was right; with Leo mating again, if Adrienne got pregnant, his mantle would pass to his child. ¡°It would be good to be around my brother again,¡± I said. ¡°I agree in principle. What is next?¡±


    ¡°You return to Minnesota and meet Alpha Larry and Luna Donna at Stillwater Pack,¡± Sanders said. ¡°You would take over as their Beta, learning the Pack and helping to put it on the right path. When they believe you are ready to take over, they will inform the Council.¡±


    ¡°And my children?¡±


    ¡°Their nanny will bring them to you when you are ready,¡± Wolfe said.


    ¡°I¡¯d want to bring the nanny into the Stillwater Pack if she agrees. I need help with them, and my children will need thefort of a familiar face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can work something out for them,¡± Wolfe replied.


    I thought about what a move to Stillwater would represent. ¡°Is Leo Volkov in agreement with this n? I don¡¯t know how he feels about me since the kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°Leo has not been in contact with us; he is trying to track down four members of his Pack who left here under unfortunate circumstances,¡± Sanders said. I raised my eye; there was something more. ¡°They believed Vicki was in danger when Leo¡¯s death announcement came out, and they ran.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him when I can. I don¡¯t want things to be awkward between us.¡± I looked around the room. ¡°Anything else? If not, I need to book a flight.¡±


    Lawrence reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me for using your credit card? The flight leaves at five-thirty in the morning. Your ride will depart at two AM.¡±


    I looked at the clock; it was almost ten. ¡°I better eat and pack, then.¡± Lawrence and I stood. ¡°Thank you, gentlemen. I am grateful for your wisdom in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Do not make us regret our faith in you, Alpha Volkov,¡± Chairman Sanders said. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Brent Lawrence¡¯s POV


    Never in my life had I gone from tion to a gut punch so quickly.


    Leo called and told me he¡¯d found them. Then he called back to say they were on the way to the hospital. I ran back to my room, packing and calling the desk to check out and get a ride to the airport. The whole way there, I searched in vain for a flight that could get me there tonight. I¡¯d already missed thest flights to Das, San Antonio, and Houston, and the connections to Corpus Christi were on puddle-jumpers. It was a fourteen-hour drive there, so that wasn¡¯t happening either. I tried my best at the airport, finally settling for a pair of flights that would get into Corpus at nine in the morning.


    I tried calling Leo back, but it went straight to voice mail. I called Adrienne instead. ¡°Luna? It¡¯s Brent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello, Brent! Isn¡¯t it great news?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That Leo found them,¡± she said. ¡°He called me a while ago. He was supposed to call me back, but he must be busy. He isn¡¯t answering his phone.¡±


    He didn¡¯t call his mate back? He was going to pay for that. ¡°Luna, there¡¯s been an ident. Olivia fainted and hit her head on the pavement outside the aquarium. She was taken by ambnce to the hospital.¡±


    I heard the phone drop, then more noise as she picked it up again. ¡°Brent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Leo told me to get there as soon as possible, but I can¡¯t get there until nine in the morning. They were at the hospital when Ist talked to him.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°It¡¯s a six-hour drive from Das. I¡¯ll be down there as soon as I can,¡± she said. ¡°Olivia is in good hands, Brent. They¡¯ll keep your family safe.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I said. ¡°Have a safe drive.¡± I ended the call, walking towards the departure gate for my 0515 flight. I may as well get some sleep.


    *************


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    I took a shower and went to bed as soon as Vicki was down for the night. I was exhausted, but I couldn¡¯t settle. My mind was going a mile a minute, trying to catch up on what happened over the past few days. My wolf was anxious about Olivia¡¯s injuries and had spent a lot of time keeping Vicki calm. It didn¡¯t help that we were in Corpus Christi, Brent was in Las Vegas, and Adrienne was in Das.


    Das. OH CRAP! I sat upright, suddenly realizing that I¡¯d never called my mate back. Thest time we talked, I was waiting for the group toe back to their car. I looked over at the clock; it was just past eleven. Hopefully, she got a hotel room and slept through everything. I pulled out my cellphone and gave her a call. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hi, honey. I didn¡¯t wake you, did I?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I didn¡¯t want to sleep until I¡¯d talked to you again.¡±


    Hmmm, maybe I¡¯d escape with my fur intact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get back to you earlier, we¡¯ve had a little excitement here, and I forgot to call you back.¡±


    ¡°I understand you¡¯ve been busy, after all, a PACK MEMBER IS IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER PASSING OUT AND HITTING HER HEAD, AND MY MATE ¡®FORGOT¡¯ TO CALL ME BACK.¡±


    Oh. Crap. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, honey.¡±


    ¡°Thank Luna that Brent called me, or I¡¯d be sitting in the parking lot waiting to find out what to do next,¡± she said. ¡°He called me on the way to the airport.¡±


    ¡°I can get you a flight,¡± I said.


    ¡°I already looked, nothing is rolling tonight. I¡¯m south of Das already; I¡¯ll be there early in the morning. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m close.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the update on Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Observation overnight for the concussion and some stitches. Liv will be fine. Vicki is handling it well, and Anita has been a big help.¡±


    ¡°Good. I have to go. You wouldn¡¯t think there would be traffic at this time of night, but construction zones suck.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Adrienne. Drive safe.¡± Hanging up, I texted an update to Susan at the Pack, telling her I would talk to her tomorrow when we had a n. I set my rm for six-thirty since visiting hours started at eight. Closing my eyes, I went to sleep.


    ¡°Unky Leo, wake up,¡± a voice said as someone tapped my shoulder. I opened my eyes, shaking my head to wake up. Vicki was standing by my bed in her Shark Tail pajamas, holding a phone. ¡°Luna wants in.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°She does?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯sing up now.¡± I took the phone from her and set it back on the table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee her,¡± I said. I held her hand as we walked to the door and peeked into the hallway. We only waited a minute before the elevator door opened, and she stepped into the hall.


    ¡°Luna!¡± She ran towards her while I made sure the door didn¡¯t close.


    Adrienne picked her up and walked her back. ¡°We have to be quiet; it¡¯s four in the morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hi, my love,¡± I said as I kissed her and pulled her into my side. ¡°We missed you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted,¡± she said. ¡°I need a shower, I¡¯ve been driving all night, and my back hurts.¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡± I put Vicki back to bed as she showered, then I gave her a massage when she came to bed. She fell asleep halfway through, so I turned the light off andid next to her. She turned into my side, and we were soon asleep.


    My rm went off, and I quieted it and used the bathroom beforeing back in and getting Vicki ready to see her Mom. I left a note for Adrienne, kissing her before we headed down to breakfast. After watching Sharkbait¡¯s breakfast disappearance act, Mike dropped us at the hospital before going to the airport to pick up Brent.


    Olivia looked better, and Vicki climbed up in bed with her so her Mom could hold her tight. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°My head hurts, but they¡¯ll be releasing me soon,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s one problem.¡± I lifted a brow. ¡°The doctor doesn¡¯t want me flying, and driving long distances will not help me.¡±


    ¡°I have a solution for that,¡± I said. ¡°Brent will be here soon, and Adrienne arrived early this morning. Would you let us take Vicki home, and you and Brent can have a honeymoon on the beach?¡±


    ¡°Could we? Does he even want that?¡±


    ¡°I was going to send you to Vegas before you got hurt. I didn¡¯t have a chance to ask,¡± I said. ¡°Mike and Anita can fly home; they have work and other stuff to do. Adrienne and I can have our own adventure with Vicki while you¡¯re having fun. I think there are a half-dozen aquariums between here and home.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re in for,¡± Liv said with amusement. ¡°If Brent agrees, then yes.¡±


    ¡°There are lots of fun things to do on the Inds before the spring break crowd arrives,¡± I said.


    ¡°Unky Leo, what are you talking to Mom about?¡± Vicki was sitting up on the bed, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°You, of course,¡± I teased.


    The doctor came in, giving her the discharge instructions. Since Mike was at the airport and Adrienne was still sleeping, I had to call an Uber to take us back to the hotel. Anita took Liv to the deck overlooking the beach to eat breakfast while I went back to the room so Vicki and I could get in our swimsuits. ¡°Liv is out of the hospital, and we¡¯ll be down at the beach,¡± I told a sleepy mate. ¡°Sleep as long as you need.¡± She mumbled something and went to sleep again. I updated the note, just in case.


    Vicki was swimming and looking for sharks when Brent arrived. He came straight to his mate, picking her up and setting her on hisp while he made sure she was all right. Vicki saw Brent and went running up the sand to hug him. While they caught up, Liv linked me again. ¡°We¡¯ve talked, and if Vicki is all right with going on an adventure with you, we¡¯ll stay here for a week or so.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her?¡±

 THE PORCH WOLF #74

    Vicki was ready to go back to the water when Liv stopped her. ¡°Baby, I have a question for you. Mommy and Daddy were thinking of staying here for a bit while Mommy rests. Would you want to go on an adventure with Uncle Leo and Aunt Adrienne?¡±


    ¡°Adventure?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°SeaLife Grapevine in Das, SeaLife Kansas City, St. Louis Aquarium, and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago,¡± I said. ¡°We can take a week or so to drive home, and stop at each of them on the way.¡±


    ¡°Can we, Mom?¡± She looked to me and back to Liv. ¡°You¡¯ll be all right without me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll survive,¡± Liv said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to FaceTime me at least once every day, or I¡¯ll cry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, mommy. I¡¯ll tell you ALL about the sharks.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°We have some other news, Brent.¡± She sent directly to me, asking to remove the Alphamand, and I did. ¡°Vicki, can you tell Dad what we found out about Mommy yesterday?¡±


    ¡°She bonked her noggin,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°No, the other thing,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Mommy is gonna give me a baby sister!¡±


    ¡°Or brother,¡± Liv added.


    Brent¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Only a few weeks. Congrattions, Daddy.¡±


    ¡°OH, LIV!¡± He pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The usual way. The pill hadn¡¯t taken effect yet, and your animal side can¡¯t put a condom on.¡± She moved his hand to her belly. ¡°I know we talked about me finishing school first, but¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± Brent said. ¡°I¡¯m so happy right now!¡±


    I picked up Sharkbait. ¡°We have to go look for the mighty Hammerhead. Why don¡¯t you two go back up to the room for a while?¡±


    ¡°Adrienne¡¯s still up there,¡± Liv said. ¡°I guess we can be quiet.¡±


    I turned towards the beach. ¡°Send my wife out when she wakes up, we¡¯ll be swimming.¡±


    We never did find that hammerhead shark, but we did see some stingrays. ¡°Come get dressed. We need to take Mike and Anita to lunch, then we drop them at the aquarium,¡± Adrienne sent to me. ¡°And by the way, when were you going to tell me we were taking Sharkbait on an aquarium tour?¡±


    ¡°Communication, the key to a happy rtionship,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like fun,¡± she replied. We got everyone ready and headed to Joe¡¯s Crab Shack. It was no cheaper to feed a hungry Sharkbait seafood, we discovered. Brent took Mike and Anita to the hotel, turning in their car rental and getting his own. Adrienne had rented a Ford Escape, so we were good to go after moving her car seat in.


    Brent and Liv took over the adjoining hotel room with its king-sized bed, leaving the dual full-size beds for us. I found a ce nearby that rented jet-skis, and the three of us found out that ¡®water snowmobiles¡¯ were a lot of fun too! The sun and the swimming, followed by Whataburgers, wiped Vicki out. She was asleep by eight.


    I kept Adrienne up until eleven, keeping things quiet as we yed under the sheets.


    I woke when she practically jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. When I heard her throwing up, I got up and went after her. She had just flushed, and I handed her a cup of water to rinse her mouth. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the shrimp,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to bed.¡±


    When she came out, she grabbed my arm. ¡°I need you to go to the drugstore and pick up a few things,¡± she said. She walked over to the desk and wrote them down.


    I raised my eyebrows when I read it. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we got lucky. Sore breasts, morning sickness, food smells I suddenly can¡¯t stand; it¡¯s happened before.¡± An hourter, I came back, and she did the test.


    Liv wasn¡¯t the only pregnant female in my house.


    Ch. 61


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    In the morning, we moved Vicki¡¯s car seat to Adrienne¡¯s rental car and loaded up. Adrienne had been queasy at breakfast, and I didn¡¯t want to have them both cooped up in the car for hours on end. Adrienne sat in back with her as they used her phone to n out the trip. Our first stop was San Antonio, where the zoo had a small aquarium attached.


    Now that Adrienne was in the mix, she wanted to visit more than just aquariums. After hearing what she wanted, I had to agree. She wanted to visit some of the country¡¯s famous barbecue ces.


    Vicki and I were in full agreement with that.


    Luckily, San Antonio was less than three hours away. Adrienne was feeling better, and I wanted some authentic Mexican food. We went off a web search and ended up at a small ce called El Chivito Tortas Ahogadas. I found out Adrienne spoke fluent Spanish when she and the owner started talking animatedly. ¡°Just find a seat, and I¡¯ll order,¡± she said. The meal was fantastic; I tried torta ahogada, Argentinian empanadas, and fish tacos. When lunch finished, we checked into a hotel before heading over to the aquarium. ¡°Don¡¯t expect too muchpared to some other ces,¡± I told Sharkbait as I paid.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to life than just sharks,¡± Adrienne added. The aquarium had more freshwater exhibits, lemurs, and a stingray and sharkgoon. ¡°Someone stole one of those sharks a few years ago; they grabbed it and put it in a bag in their stroller,¡± she said.


    ¡°Bad people!¡±


    ¡°Yes, very bad.¡± We spent a lot of time at the touch pool watching the small sharks; a juvenile cktip, horned shark, bamboo sharks, banded shark, smoothhounds, even a guitarfish. It was only a few feet deep, and kids could lean in and touch them as they swam around. I bought some food, and Vicki got to hand-feed the sharks as they swam by her.


    ¡°I want a SHARK,¡± she said as we washed our hands after we left the exhibit.


    ¡°Home aquariums can¡¯t have big sharks,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re not going to have a mature cktip at home.¡±


    ¡°We need a BIG tank, Unky Leo!¡± I could just imagine. I was pretty sure that in the next few years, a saltwater aquarium would be in our house, and a small shark would be in it. We spent the afternoon there before her stomach growled. ¡°Barbecue?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. Adrienne had left early to do some shopping, as we didn¡¯t have all the clothes and things we would need for the trip. When she returned, we piled into her car and drove to our first barbecue stop, The Smoke Shack, conveniently located a few blocks away. A ssic Texas barbecue, we were soon sitting at a table with a tray loaded with ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and sides.


    The only indicator of Vicki¡¯s progress was the growing pile of rib bones in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try the brisket or the pork? Maybe some chicken?¡±


    ¡°No, Unky Leo,¡± she said as she tossed another bone down. Finally, she gave up as Adrienne was packing up the few leftovers. ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± she said as she came back to the table after going with my mate to wash up.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. We¡¯ll have to eat dessert on our own.¡±


    Her eyes got wide as she saw the banana puddinging over, the edges defined with Ni wafers. ¡°I need a spoon,¡± she said.


    That set the pattern of our next week. We would drive after breakfast to the next ce, eating lunch or dinner at a famous barbecue ce. The afternoon into the evening would be the aquarium, then dinner before heading to a hotel. On the way to Das, we hit up Louie Mueller Barbecue before going to the SeaLife Grapevine. It was a lot like our aquarium back home, and Vicki liked it a lot better. Dinner was at the Cattleack BBQ; their brisket and beef ribs were excellent, and we even got Vicki to eat them. ¡°Man does not live on baby backs alone,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Werewolves could,¡± she said as she went back to her ribs.


    After Das, we made a long drive up to Kansas City to make the pilgrimage to Arthur Bryant¡¯s. There, we had the burnt ends, pulled pork sandwiches, and, of course, the ribs. We spent the day at SeaLife Kansas City, alternating who was with Vicki so we could each get some shopping done. After that, it was across the state to St. Louis.


    St. Louis was a style of barbecue heavy on the sauce, where Texas was more dry rubs and brisket. We ate lunch at Jone Bar-B-Q. We had to go there for lunch, because the hours were ¡°11 AM until we run out.¡± We all got ribs, and they were excellent, eaten on pic tables out front. It would have been easier to tie Vicki to the roof and go through a car wash than to clean her up with wet wipes. That girl got sauce EVERYWHERE.


    The fun part was the brand new St. Louis Aquarium. Adrienne and I hadn¡¯t seen the Anta Aquarium, so this one was fun to visit. Built at Union Station, a huge train station in the World War Two era, and blended the old and new seamlessly. The Shark Canyon exhibit had 250, 000 gallons, making it half the size of the shark exhibit at the Mall of America.


    We made it to Chicago on Friday and got a hotel room downtown on the South Loop. When we got to our room, people were waiting for us.


    ¡°MOMMY! DADDY!¡± Vicki ran into the room, jumping into her Mom¡¯s arms as she sat on the bed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t let you have ALL the fun,¡± Brent said as she moved to his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the Shedd Aquarium with a shark expert!¡± We ended up spending the weekend in Chicago; we visited Shedd on Friday, the Natural History Museum Saturday, and the Museum of Science and Industry on Sunday. ¡°I think I need a vacation from my vacation,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more ce to go,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll get there tomorrow.¡± We left Monday after breakfast, driving up towards Wisconsin. The SUV was full since Brent and Liv had taken a shuttle to the hotel. Vicki didn¡¯t realize where I was going until I exited 90/94 in the Wisconsin Dells.


    ¡°Waterpark?¡±


    ¡°The Great Wolf Lodge. Where else?¡± We had adjoining rooms again, with Vicki staying with her parents. Vicki swam all afternoon and evening, dinner poolside, and then again in the morning. By the time we left at noon the next day, she was exhausted. ¡°She¡¯s going to sleep the whole way home,¡± I said as I looked in the mirror at her, already drooling onto her shirt.


    ¡°Good,¡± Liv said. ¡°We¡¯ve had a lot of fun. Thank you for taking her so we could have some alone time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We enjoyed spending time with our granddaughter.¡± Her eyes teared up a little; with her father still refusing contact with her, our rtionship meant a lot.


    ¡°How is it going to work for her now that you two are having a child? Is she still your heir?¡±


    ¡°She will be six years older than both of our children, and who knows what will happen in the next ten to twenty years,¡± I said. ¡°I can promise you that I will love and protect her as my own. When the timees, as a mantled Alpha blood female, she will have choices. I will let her make the choice that is best for her.¡±


    ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t your Pack?¡±


    ¡°What if her mate has a pack elsewhere? It¡¯s a lot of unknown. I¡¯d rather that we focus on stabilizing our Pack, rebuilding thepany, raising our young, and seeing you two through your pregnancies. I¡¯m far more nervous about Adrienne and our baby than Vicki¡¯s mantle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some reading, and I¡¯m nervous too,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s real. I thought I was too old to need birth control.¡±


    ¡°It only takes one,¡± Brent said. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you and Liv get to be pregnancy buddies, both due in early November.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be fat and sweaty all summer,¡± Adrienneined.


    ¡°Beautiful, and the pool will feel so good,¡± I said.


    Adrienneughed as she remembered something. ¡°You got lucky. When I was pregnant with Anthony, it was winter, and I had a craving for a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait. He tried five ces before I called him back and told him to get me Mexican food instead.¡± I tried to act relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when the cravings hit, a mate who wants to have sex again will get it for us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, dear,¡± Brent said quickly.


    ¡°We have our first well-baby visits on Thursday,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but with you moving here recently, I didn¡¯t know if you had a doctor. We have appointments right after each other.¡± She reached her hand out to Adrienne. ¡°Could you be there for mine? My Mom probably won¡¯t be able to get away, and you¡¯ve done this before.¡±


    ¡°Only if you are there for mine,¡± Adrienne said.


    We got home before dinner, and most of the Pack was there to greet us. The children all went downstairs for supervised y while the adults had a meeting upstairs. ¡°In the end, we got what we needed. Miesville is a recognized Pack, Luna Adrienne¡¯s mating is acknowledged, and the Alphas know Vicki is my heir. Also, my brother Ivan is heading to Stillwater to take over that Pack.¡±


    Adrienne pulled Olivia and Brent up next to her. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be changes around here,¡± she said.


    ¡°WE¡¯RE PREGNANT,¡± Liv said with a huge smile.


    ¡°Congrattions, you two,¡± thedies said as they descended on Olivia.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°We are BOTH pregnant. Due in November.¡±


    The house shook with the screams of joy at that one. The broke early, as it was a work night, and we were tired.


    I worked Wednesday and took the afternoon off Thursday for the first of our baby appointments. Olivia wanted the two of us in the room for her checkup, and we all had tears seeing the first ultrasound. The waterworks continued with Adrienne¡¯s examination. ¡°The good news is that you are in good health, and many women in theirte forties have healthy babies. We will be monitoring you closely, especially as you enter the third trimester,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take a look, shall we?¡±


    Adrienney back on the table as I held her hand, and the doctor started looking with the ultrasound probe. The little ck sack came into view, the baby a little bean inside. She printed a photo. ¡°Everything looks normal,¡± she said, but as she moved the probe around, she stopped again. ¡°Baby number two looks normal, too.¡±


    ¡°WHAT,¡± Adrienne asked.


    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯re having twins.¡±


    Adrienne stared at her, then looked at me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you knocked me up with TWINS at the first opportunity,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fraternal twins, too early to tell the sex,¡± the doctor said. She got a view with both babies and printed that out for us. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in four weeks. Diet, exercise, and neonatal vitamins.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    She walked out, and we just looked at each other. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need a bigger house,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #1

    Summary: An Alpha Comes of Age. (Sequel to The Porch Wolf).


    Read and enjoy..This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    *****************


    School of Environmental Studies (Zoo School)


    Apple Valley, Minnesota


    February 14th, 2033


    I closed my locker, ignoring the streamers and decorations my friends had put on the outside for my eighteenth birthday. I was now eighteen, and I was no longer able to use my youth to escape destiny.


    I had barely turned around before Amy had her arm around me. ¡°Ready to go? We¡¯ve to a lot to do before the party.¡±


    Amy Miller was three months older than me, and the second of three children from Beta Susan. Her older sister, Siena, had met her mate at the Scratch ¡®n Sniff two years ago and was now living with her Beta Heir mate in the upper penins of Michigan. Her brother Luke was a sophomore at Eastview High School, not that far south of the Minnesota Zoo property, where our school sat on ten acres ofnd. We met after her family came to the Miesville Pack with most of the defunct Welch Pack. We had been best friends and swim buddies ever since. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, Amy. Besides, we have to hit the pool first.¡±


    Amy and I had spent as much time in the water as possible as we grew up, most of it in the pool at Alpha Leo¡¯s home. Our parents had suffered through early morning swim practices, day-long swim meets, school teams, and state tournaments. We both swam for Eastview since the Zoo School only had four hundred students, all juniors and seniors. We¡¯d both wanted to attend since I was in middle school, and I¡¯d pretty much forced our parents to move into the district so I¡¯d have a better chance to enroll in the program. It was open to enrollment to people outside the Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan school district if there was room, and we couldn¡¯t take that chance.


    Amy¡¯s Mom sold their house in the country and bought a big townhouse in Apple Valley shortly after the merger. My mother and stepfather, Liv and Brent, had lived with my Uncle Leo and Aunt Adrienne until I was twelve. I had two younger brothers now, Mark and Chance, who were twelve and ten. When our family outgrew the apartment above the garage at Leo¡¯s ce, I¡¯d begged them to move into the right district. We¡¯d moved to a suburban home in Apple Valley, about a twenty-minute drive northwest. We still spent a lot of time in Miesville on weekends, spending time with our Pack friends and running in the woods in our wolf forms. If we go more than a few weeks without shifting, our wolves start acting up.


    We reached Amy¡¯s Honda ord and tossed our bags in the back. I started going through the messages I¡¯d received for my birthday on my phone as she pulled out of the parking lot. My heart almost stopped when I read one from Ocean Ramsey, the famous shark conservationist, former model, and free-diver. ¡°OH MY GOD,¡± I yelled as I read it.


    ¡°Damn, Vicki, there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with my ears until THAT,¡± she said.


    I *might* have been a little loud in the enclosed space. ¡°Ocean sent me a birthday greeting! She said that now that I¡¯m a legal adult, I can free dive with her without her insurance people objecting!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! When?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but whenever it is, I¡¯m on it like a duck on a June bug! Maui over spring break? We could film some promotional videos for my project!¡± I¡¯d been a fan of Ocean Ramsey ever since we found her videos on YouTube, showing her swimming with Great White Sharks. For my sixth birthday, my parents had a photo of her swimming next to Deep Blue, a 20-foot pregnant Great White, turned into a mural for my wall. On the wall by my bed was a signed poster from when I first met her in San Diego at age eight. She¡¯d taken an interest in the little blonde girl who loved sharks, and we¡¯d kept in touch ever since. ¡°Do you want to go with?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if I can, but I¡¯m not swimming with THOSE things. Sharks are your thing; I prefer dolphins. Smarter, faster, and they won¡¯t bite a chunk out of your ass.¡±


    ¡°Yet we¡¯re still friends,¡± I teased. ¡°You did a great job with the write-in campaign to bring them back.¡± Dolphins had been a mainstay at the Zoo its first 35 years, but when maintenance closed the exhibit, the remaining dolphins were re-homed. The beluga whales were long gone as well, sent in 1987 to San Diego after the male of the pair developed a bad infection. Discovery Bay now had a pod of four Pacific Whiteside dolphins, thanks to the lobbying of the Legiture to fund their return in thest round of Zoo upgrades. As seniors in ourst semester, we got to focus on our favorite part of the Zoo for an apprenticeship-like experience. Amy was helping train the dolphins, while I worked with the sharks. The Zoo was the only ce left to see them in Minnesota after SeaLife went bankrupt following the Covid-19 shutdowns of 2020 and 2021.


    We talked about our projects and homework during the short drive to Falcon Ridge Middle School, where the pool was. Since our high school season was over in the fall, we had to work out when we could. It was avable for only thirty minutes between the time the pool emptied, and when the middle school team practice started. Thanks to the earlier end time of their school, we would have about four minutes to change and shower before we were losing time.


    Both of us had changed into our suits under our clothes in the break before thest ss, so when we hit the locker room, we just had to remove our street clothes and hit the shower. We waved to Coach Sullivan as we entered the pool area and put our gear on. Mask, snorkel, weight belt, and extra-long free diving fins went on before we slipped into the water.


    As soon as the boys were out, Coach whistled at us and held up his hand. ¡°SIX,¡± he yelled before he tossed the diving rings into random locations in the 25-meter-long, tenne pool. It was our training game, one he designed to push us to swim farther and longer underwater. We had to retrieve them all beforeing up for a breath.


    We did our breathing exercises, calming out bodies before starting our stopwatches and slipping quietly under the water. I went left, and Amy went right. The long fins and porpoising swim motion helped me move through the water with minimal effort, conserving the oxygen in my muscles. My best time underwater was four minutes and twelve seconds; Ocean Ramsey could stay under for six and a half minutes.


    I spotted the first ring and grabbed it as I caught the location of the second. The third ring took a little more searching, but I found it near the swim tforms. I caught up to Amy, who had two and was looking for thest one. It took us another thirty seconds to find it. By the time we breached the surface by Coach, we¡¯d been underwater for nearly three minutes. Both of us hung off the edge as we breathed deeply, making up for the lost time. ¡°Not bad, girls,¡± our old swim coach said. ¡°Now that you¡¯re warmed up, we¡¯ll try eight.¡± He tossed the rings in while we continued to breathe.


    We did the drills until there were only three minutes left. ¡°Finish it strong, out and back as fast as you can,¡± Coach said as the boys started lining up by the pool for their practice. The High School Boy¡¯s Swimming season was almost over, with Regionals on Friday and the State Tournament at the end of the month. I could feel them watching my ass as I moved like a torpedo underwater. I did a kick-turn and powered back to the other end, touching three seconds before Amy did.


    ¡°You look good as a mermaid,¡± Josh Spencer said as he reached a hand down for me. I let him haul me out of the water, then turned aside before his hand could smack my ass. We¡¯d been friends for years and even dated for a bit sophomore year, but it didn¡¯t work out. He wanted to screw anything that moved, and I was saving myself. We ended it amicably and were still good friends. ¡°Happy Birthday, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Josh.¡± I sat on the starting block to remove my fins. ¡°Good luck this weekend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having a party after the meet, and I¡¯d love to see you there.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t; I have to go out of town this weekend.¡± Coach blew his whistle, and he turned to go. ¡°Swim fast,¡± I told him as I packed my gear. I walked into the girl¡¯s locker room with Amy, which was empty. We put our suits in the dryer then hit the shower. ¡°I wish we had a seriously deep pool to swim in,¡± I said as I rinsed out my long blonde hair. ¡°We can hold our breath as long as we want, but it¡¯s not the same as getting down thirty or forty feet.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t building pools that deep anymore,¡± Amy said. ¡°Fuckingwyers and insurancepanies have gotten rid of high dives and tforms, and springboard doesn¡¯t need more than twelve.¡± It sucked. ¡°Are you excited? You could be turning in your V-card tonight!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me,¡± I said. ¡°The party is for our Pack and a few others. I¡¯ve already met all the boysing; if there is a mate bond there, we would have sensed it, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you could ¡®work out¡¯ with Josh if you don¡¯t find a wolfyboy who gets you all hot and bothered,¡± she teased.


    I turned the shower off and grabbed my towel. ¡°I¡¯vee this far, and I¡¯m not giving my body away to scratch an itch,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that itch is awful damn fun to scratch if you find a guy with the right equipment who knows what he is doing.¡± Amy lost her virginity at 15 at a youth camp with a pack in Wyoming. Despite a bad first experience with a ¡®two-pump chump,¡¯ she started dating older boys and found a few good ones along the way. Amy hooked up with dozens of humans and werewolves since, but none since before she came of age. Thest thing she needed was to find her mate and have the smell of another man on her. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll both find our guys this weekend.¡±


    ¡°I hope to Luna that I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I know what happens to girls who find their mates as soon as they came of age. Look at your sister! She just turned twenty and has a six-month-old baby and another on the way. Remember when she talked about going to college and studying architecture?¡± I shook my head as I dried my hair. ¡°All her hopes and dreams, gone with a single look from her mate. No, thanks. I want to have a life of my own first.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #2

    ¡°Siena is happy, Vicki. She loves her mate and her baby, and wouldn¡¯t change a thing.¡± I pulled on my jeans as she dried off. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say never. Anything can happen at a scratch ¡®n sniff.¡±


    ¡°Fucking Council. For fifty years, the Summit has been the second Sunday in February. I¡¯d miss it by ONE day, and have another year before I¡¯d have to go. But NOOOOO! Miss Alpha Mantle has to be in the parade, so they push the meeting back a week this year!¡±


    Amy came over and hugged me. ¡°If we both strikeout, we¡¯ll head to the beach.¡± The Summit was near Pensac, Florida, this year.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go diving,¡± I said. ¡°I already looked, we can rent gear from a dive boat since we¡¯re both open water qualified.¡± Both of us had been PADI Junior SCUBA qualified since we were allowed to test at age 10, and fully qualified open-water at fifteen.


    ¡°Deal.¡± We dressed quickly and got out of there; there was a lot to do to help Adrienne prepare the Alpha house for the big party.


    ********


    Alpha Home, Miesville, Minnesota


    ¡°Vicki, take this over to the snack table,¡± my Mom said from the crowded kitchen. A dozen women were furiously heating, cooking, and prepping the mountains of food needed for the party. I grabbed therge metal serving pan full of Buffalo wings and took it to the side table where the warmers were ready. I slotted it into the holder, then lit the warming me underneath.


    I took one look around before going back. The dining room was all tables stacked with food now, and more was downstairs at the kitchen down there. You could feed an army with what they were putting out! Folding chairs were everywhere, and bulky furniture moved out to make more room. Banners, streamers, and balloons were everywhere. I must have looked overwhelmed because my Dad came up and hugged me from behind. ¡°Nervous?¡±


    I nodded, rxing back into Brent¡¯s chest. He¡¯d mated my Mom when I was five, and he was my Dad in every way except by DNA. I¡¯d always called him that, saving ¡°father¡± for my bio-dad. He¡¯d be here too, along with some of the Stillwater Pack. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ MUCH. You know me, I¡¯d have been happy with a candle and a piece of cheesecake at Wiederholt¡¯s with the family.¡±


    ¡°Youring of age is a big deal, Sharkbait. Your whole life could change tonight.¡± I tensed up, and he felt it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I just shook my head, which didn¡¯t stop him. He knew me too well. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the alcove leading up to the upstairs apartment where we first lived with Uncle Leo. He sat me on the stairs and sat next to me, his knees popping as he did so. ¡°Ow, that sounds like it hurt,¡± I said.


    ¡°Getting old sucks, and getting old as a construction worker sucks more.¡± Dad had joined Volkov Construction shortly after mating Mom and had worked his way around all the trades before bing a Site Foreman four years ago. ¡°Now spill.¡±


    I pulled an envelope out of my pocket. ¡°I got this in the mail today.¡± I handed him my eptance letter to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, to their Marine Biology program. I bit my lip as I watched him read it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked so hard for this, Vicki. What is this now, four eptance letters?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°University of Minnesota, Duke, Oregon State and now this. Amy got one too. It¡¯s where we both want to go; they have a dolphin studies program, and it¡¯s right on the Gulf of Mexico. Year-round diving.¡±


    He froze as he realized the problem. ¡°There¡¯s no Pack that far south.¡±


    I nodded as he thought through what I¡¯d already figured out. The University of Minnesota I couldmute to from home, while Duke and OSU had friendly packs nearby. In the Tampa Bay area, we¡¯d be on our own. ¡°That¡¯s why Amy and I would room together.¡± Alpha Leo would never allow me to be so exposed alone, and even with Amy along, it would be a stretch.


    He looked at me as I took the letter back and put it in my pocket. I could see his face as he realized the problem. ¡°The only way this works is if the two of you don¡¯t find your mates in the next four years,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard enough convincing the Alphas and our parents of this, Dad. Add in a hormonal, overprotective mate, and my dreams are over. There¡¯s no way I go to Florida for college if I find my mate this week. Even if I don¡¯t, if I find him in a year? I¡¯d have to transfer to another college if he even lets me go to school. I¡¯ll end up here or at his Pack, and everything will take a backseat to him, our pups, and my stupid mantle.¡±


    Dad put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. ¡°Finding your mate is not a bad thing, Vicki. It was one of the best moments of my life, even though she was clueless, and I had to suffer through her change for her to recognize it.¡± Mom had been human when Dad came to Leo¡¯s and recognized her as his mate. ¡°Your mother was in school, and she finished her degree and went on to get her Master¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t easy, but she had her family and her Pack to help her with you and the babies.¡±


    ¡°She would have been so much better off if she¡¯d never gotten pregnant. She struggled so much before we met you.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t trade what happened for anything. She got both of us out of the deal, so it was worth it.¡± He pulled me up off the stairs and into hisp as I hugged him andid my head on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re an amazing youngdy, Vicki. Smart, driven, beautiful, a natural leader. Don¡¯t be afraid of your destiny.¡±


    ¡°What if I want to choose my destiny for myself?¡±


    ¡°The Goddessughs at your attempts to tell her what to do. Trust that she has your best interest at heart, and be open to what she gives you.¡± He looked at his watch. ¡°You did a good job of hiding, but you better go change and get ready for the party. I¡¯ll send Amy up after you.¡± He pushed me up to my feet again.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Sharkbait. It¡¯s going to be all right.¡± He walked back into the dining room as I wiped the tears from my face before going upstairs. I changed into my dress and put some light makeup on, then went back down to the dining room.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Luna Adrienne said. ¡°Come over here.¡± She led me to the entryway, where a long table sat along the wall. ¡°You¡¯ll be greeting guests as Jenna takes care of the jackets. We¡¯ve got plenty of room for boots on the mats. Set the presents on the table and send them inside where your parents will meet them in the living room.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t mingle?¡±


    ¡°Not until everyone is here, or people will keep trying to find you. Let the younger ones know the downstairs is open; Beta Susan is in charge down there, and Amy said she¡¯d ¡®handle the music for me.¡¯ Whatever that means.¡± It was almost six, and the first cars wereing in the driveway. She turned to my parents. ¡°Mike is handling the bar, and Anita is your go-to for food and drink issues. Point out the bathrooms to the visitors. Any questions?¡± We all shook our heads, no. ¡°Great! It¡¯s going to fun, Vicki. All the unmated males will take a good sniff when theye in, so smile and make the best of it.¡±


    ¡°If a stray hand grabs my ass, they might lose it,¡± I said. Beta Mike made sure all the Pack females knew how to defend themselves, and I¡¯d be quite good at it. It helped keep the human boys in line too.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Just try not to break the furniture or get blood on your clothes. Happy birthday, Vicki! We¡¯re so proud of you!¡± I gave her a big hug before she ran back to the kitchen to supervise thest-minute preparations.


    Despite my fears, the party was a big sess. One hundred and sixty-two people came in before Adrienne said I needed to eat something and mingle before the cake, and none were my mate. I saw a lot of disappointed faces as they moved on in the reception line, and only once did I have to put a guy in an arm-bar when he tried to grab my breast. I ate a te of food while talking with the adults, then grabbed a bunch of wings and ribs and headed downstairs to be with my friends. There were about twenty people near my age, and thirty or so younger kids. We took over the man cave while the younger kids and their babysitters watched a movie in the theater room.


    I loved Leo¡¯s man cave. On one side was a long bar and a shuffleboard table, while the other had arcade machines and a three-by-five-by-twenty-five-foot long aquarium. Dad and Leo built it in time for my seventh birthday; it was a monster, over twenty-seven-hundred gallons. It originally had hundreds of tropical fish and four sharks, but they had grown quite a bit since then. Now, it had a stable poption of about a hundred fish, including two horned sharks, one coral catshark, and an epaulette shark. I still did maintenance on the tank every weekend, but Leo got the aquarium bug too. He now had a live coral reef tank in his office upstairs, which requires daily maintenance but is beautiful.


    The tables had been moved to one side of the room with the food, leaving a small dance floor at the other end. I was having a great time dancing with the guys when Alpha Leo called everyone to gather upstairs for cake.


    The sheet cake was HUGE, and I gasped at the decoration. A free diver, who looked like me, was swimming over a coral reef with sharks all around me. ¡°HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SHARKBAIT¡± was the title, and eighteen candles zed away on top. shes popped as I stood by it. ¡°Make a wish, Vicki,¡± Mom said.


    I took a breath and blew the candles out. After cake, those who wanted to followed the Alphas on a Pack Run. Pack members had purchased much of the surroundingnd, so we had a longer run than when I was a pup. The party went until midnight downstairs, and I was exhausted by the time we left. Tomorrow was another school day, and on Friday, we would fly out for the Alpha Summit.


    So far, I¡¯d gotten my wish.

 SHARKBAIT #3

    Theck of sleep had me nodding off in math ss, earning me a warning on Tuesday. We only had pool ess Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so Amy drove us to her house. Her Mom put a gym in the basement, including a Universal gym and fighting mat. I did upper-body weight training for thirty minutes, and then I swapped ces with Amy on the treadmill for a run. When we finished, we worked on grapples from our Brazilian Jujitsu sses. We¡¯d finished showering in her room when Beta Susan called us down to dinner.


    The chili had been cooking in the crockpot since Monday, and she¡¯d put the breadmaker on time dy before heading to work. Fresh, hot bread with the thick chicken chili was my favorite winter food. I¡¯d melt butter into the bread, then spoon the chili on top and eat it that way. ¡°Great dinner, thank you,¡± I said to Susan between bites.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she said. ¡°Tomorrow night, dinner will be at the Alpha¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Amy asked. ¡°Is it some Beta business I need to be there for?¡±


    ¡°No, you two are the only ones invited since I¡¯m not going to the Summit this year.¡± Each Alpha pair got to bring their Pack heir (if of age), any unmated Beta-level and above, and one Beta pair if there were none in the two previous categories. Amy was going as an unmated female, and I was still the designated Mantled Heir. Even if I wasn¡¯t, I was Alpha blood and would have to go. The lower-level Pack members were luckier; there were regional and national social events where they could find mates without all the Council rules. If you didn¡¯t want a mate, you didn¡¯t go. It could work for years if your mate didn¡¯t visit your Pack.


    ¡°Why does he want to talk to us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just logistics and such.¡± Alpha Leo had figured out that a few Packs could split the cost of a charter business jet and end up a lot closer to the host site, with none of the TSA hassles.


    ¡°What if I find my mate?¡± Amy was particrly vulnerable since any mating would require her to go to her males¡¯ Pack. At least with my Alpha Mantle, I had a CHANCE of staying here, provided my mate was Beta blood or not a mantled Alpha heir.


    ¡°You would return to his Pack with him, thene back here to say goodbye. I¡¯ll pack your things and have them shipped to your new home,¡± Susan said. ¡°You know the drill, baby.¡±


    ¡°I have school! I can¡¯t just transfer out with a few months left in my high school! I NEED the sses for college!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a conversation to have with your mate and your new Alpha if you find your mate,¡± she told her daughter as she held her hand. ¡°Your head will be so far in the clouds you won¡¯t care about these things.¡± I just mentally cringed at this; it was what I was afraid would happen to me. The Mate Bond was powerful, and our wolves didn¡¯t care about worldly things like school and friends. ¡°Chances are, you¡¯ll be back home on Sunday night,ining about having to get up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Amy said.


    My phone dinged, and my eyes got wide as I read the message. Today at school, we were working on our conservation project. I sent a message with the basics of my idea to Ocean and asked her advice. The text from Ocean said she would help! She was going to call after she got off work, which meant eleven PM my time. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get to our homework,¡± I told Amy. When we were back in her room, I showed her the text.


    ¡°Call your Mom and stay over tonight,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to sleep for another half hour in the morning since I don¡¯t have to drive over and pick you up.¡± Mom agreed to the sleepover as we did it all the time. I had some extra clothes in Amy¡¯s closet for just this kind of thing, just like she had stuff at my house. We spent the night catching up on homework and preparing for our talk when my phone rang just after eleven.


    ¡°Hi, Ocean! Thank you so much for calling me back. I¡¯m here with my best friend Amy,¡± I said over the videophone. I was almost shaking with excitement.


    ¡°Aloho Vicki and Amy! I got your idea, and it¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ve got a few people in the room who I thought might want to hear it.¡± She introduced her husband Juan, shark expert Doctor Felipe Martinez, and World Wildlife Federation Director Pam Kettering. ¡°This is the high school student I told you about; I¡¯ve been friends with her since she was six. Vicki, the floor is yours.¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°For my senior project, I wanted to do something to help with shark awareness and protection. Despite years of surveys and tagging, the world still doesn¡¯t know enough about the movements of sharks on a year to year basis. My project is to implement a donor-funded tagging and tracking program to increase the number of tagged sharks of all species by order of magnitude.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fine goal,¡± Director Pam said, ¡°but shark tagging and tracking is an expensive process. We typically tag between two and five hundred sharks in US waters each year. How are you going to expand tagging by that much with limited research resources?¡±


    ¡°By allowing people to adopt sharks for a reasonable price. They purchase a satellite tag, and when it is attached to a shark, they get a photo and the transceiver number. They can watch on a website to see where it is now. We could set it up to give them text message updates and allow them to share their shark on social messaging. Heck, if we can sell people a star, a shark is so much cooler a gift!¡±


    There was someughter in the background. ¡°It¡¯s been done before and failed,¡± Doctor Martinez said. ¡°The University of Miami had a program like this a decade ago. (Author¡¯s Note: See sharkresearch. rsmas. miami. edu/donate/adopt-a-shark/ ) It never really caught on because it was too expensive, and there were too few sharks avable to adopt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I talked to the University about why, and I have some ideas on that. First of all, the cost of satellite tracking devices hase WAY down since then. In quantity, they are about three hundred dors each, correct?¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± he said.


    ¡°That makes it much more affordable and should result in more participation. The cost is achievable by individuals or ss fundraisers.¡± I was nervous, but at least they hadn¡¯tughed at me.


    ¡°The satellite tag is just a small part of the cost of a tracking program, Vicki. On a good day, we might tag a dozen sharks, needing a boat and crew and fuel. There¡¯s only so many of those,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the second part of the proposal. I propose that we enlist the help of sport andmercial fishermen in our efforts to tag the sharks.¡± I heard the intake of breath; the rtionship between conservationists and fishermen was not always good. Commercial fishing for sharks was banned less than a decade ago, but ¡®idental¡¯ mortality ins and on long lines still killed tens of thousands of sharks a year. ¡°The new trackers attach to the dorsal fin without tools in a few seconds, and the boats already bring sharks onboard. A picture and a tag, and we¡¯re on our way. You don¡¯t get the detailed data, blood samples, and such we get on a research vessel, but it costs us almost nothing.¡±


    There was some talking in the background, and the conversation flew around us as they talked back and forth about the idea. ¡°Vicki, how do you propose we get the cooperation of the fishing fleets?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the sport-fishing group,¡± I said. ¡°Most of them are catch-and-release already, so we appeal to them to help us understand and manage the poptions. It¡¯s a true statement that hunters and anglers have done more for conservation efforts than anyone else. They still get to fish, but when they let it go, they can track it. I wouldn¡¯t doubt that we get a lot of people buying tags so they can follow the trophies they have caught. Also, they are more likely to release a shark with a tracking device than one without.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Pam said. ¡°What aboutmercial fishermen?¡±


    ¡°They are already under pressure to reduce the number of shark deaths due to their activities,¡± I said. ¡°It can help them in a few ways. Tagging sharks they release gives us a better idea of the dyed mortality of the catch. Tracking the sharks can also give them real-time information on current patterns, allowing them to avoid shark concentrations. It also means better information on areas that require protection on a seasonal basis.¡±


    ¡°Seasonal,¡± Ocean asked.


    ¡°Yes. The major opposition to marine reserves and no-fishing zones is that we are ¡®taking away¡¯ areas where they can fish. If we can show that shorter duration restrictions, like fishing seasons, would protect identified breeding and nursery grounds? It would be easier to get that passed than a nket restriction.¡±


    We talked for another thirty minutes, as I answered questions. In the end, it was Ocean who brought things to a close. ¡°You¡¯ve given us a lot to think about, Vicki. We¡¯re impressed with what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Having a famous person on board would help get things going.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one we should be thanking,¡± Pam said. ¡°I think your idea has great potential, but potential means nothing without the will to carry through on the idea. It will take a lot of time, a lot ofworking, and a lot of work to get it going. My question is simple: how much do you want this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been crazy about sharks since I was four,¡± I told them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that I live more than a thousand miles from an ocean because I¡¯m passionate about this.¡±


    ¡°Good, because you¡¯re going to be front and center for the rollout and the advertising,¡± Ocean said. ¡°Face it, I¡¯m getting older, and you¡¯ve got the look I did when I first started. It¡¯s time to pass the torch.¡±


    Before the call ended, I had an invitation to go to Hawaii over spring break and dive with Ocean and her research team. The team gave me contacts in their organizations to work with, the goal of having a formal proposal ready by June and the first sales in time for Christmas.


    ¡°OH MY GOD,¡± I screamed as I hung up. Amy and I started jumping around and screaming; this was BIG. I was on a first-name basis with people who could help me make a difference.


    Amy¡¯s Mom came into the room, telling us to quiet down and get to sleep.


    Sleep did note quickly. I was on the path towards my dreams, and nothing was going to stop it.

 SHARKBAIT #4

    I was tired but excited the next morning at school as I told my project advisor about the phone callst night. I couldn¡¯t believe that people like Ocean Ramsey, Doctor Martinez, and Director Kettering not just LISTENED, but were actively encouraging me. I could see a path forward where I¡¯d make a real difference in the world, and it felt amazing.


    Amy was just as excited, and we spent lunch figuring out what we would have to do to get to Hawaii on Spring Break. It was going to be tough; we both had worked as lifeguards the previous summer, but our savings were earmarked for college. ¡°We need to work on schrships,¡± Amy said with a sigh.


    ¡°Yeah. We won¡¯t get more than what it would cost to go to the U of M.¡± Of the four schools that epted me so far, the University of Minnesota was the closest and the cheapest. Duke and Eckerd were private schools; the University of Oregon was a public school, but I¡¯d have to attend as an out-of-state student. For all three colleges away from home, I¡¯d have to add a lot of money for room and board. ¡°You know the rules. A degree in marine biology doesn¡¯t help them, so we¡¯re on our own.¡±


    ¡°I wish we lived on the ocean instead of this frozen prairie,¡± she said. I knew what she meant; both of us were abnormal. Where everyone else wanted mountains and woods, we wanted seawater and reefs. ¡°What do you think Leo will say about our ns?¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°He¡¯s so¡­ rigid about things,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d that Mom doesn¡¯t have to go. She HATES those meetings.¡±


    ¡°With good reason,¡± Amy said. ¡°Mom said that it isn¡¯t bad for her, other than watching over the younger ones and the parties.¡± My Mom and I had traveled to an Alpha Summit when I was five, and it didn¡¯t go well. Leo and Adrienne went on trial, Leo nearly died, and Mom, Brent and I ended up running for our lives.


    I kept working on my project in the afternoon, and we did our swim practice before heading home to finish our homework and pack. We arrived at Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne¡¯s house just before six, well after sundown. We walked in the front door, only to have Andy yell andunch himself at me from six feet away. ¡°VICKI!!¡±


    I caught him and put a foot back to steady myself before he knocked me on my ass. I tossed him to Amy, who caught him and spun him around before putting him down. ¡°Hey, Crush,¡± I said. I¡¯d gotten him hooked on Finding Nemo as a kid, and if I was Sharkbait, he had to be the sea turtle.


    ¡°ANDREI MAKSIM VOLKOV, you behave! Amy and Vicki, stop encouraging him!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luna,¡± Amy and I said in unison. We finished taking our coats and boots off and walked towards the dining room. Adrienne was finishing with setting the table, and she took a moment to hug both of us.


    ¡°Hey kids,¡± Leo said as he kicked open the door from the deck overlooking the patio and brought the heavy tray of meat inside. I smiled and jumped in ce a little as the smell hit; Leo had made ribs on his smoker. ¡°You don¡¯t mind if this dinner is a little informal, do you,¡± he teased.


    I gave him a big hug as soon as he set the tray down. ¡°Thank you, Unky Leo,¡± I said. Ribs were my absolute favorite, and Leo¡¯s were as good as any barbecue joint we¡¯d ever visited, and we¡¯d visited a lot.


    ¡°Sit down, I¡¯m hungry,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s MY line,¡± I teased. Leo brought the beans and cheesy potatoes in while Adrienne sliced the cornbread. I loveding over here when he fired up his smoker, but that wasn¡¯t often in winter. Luckily, today was on the warmer side, even if he had to shovel his way out to it. I only saw five ce settings. ¡°Where are Mike and Anita and their brood?¡± Our Betas had four children, Cole (10), Jessie (9), Sienna (7) and Delton (5).


    ¡°They took their kids over to his grandparents and are visiting for a few days. They¡¯ll be traveling down and back with the Winona pack,¡± Leo replied.


    ¡°Who are we traveling with,¡± Amy asked as we sat down.


    ¡°Let us give thanks first,¡± Leo replied. We thanked the Moon Goddess for the blessings she gave, and for the food before us. There wasn¡¯t a lot of talk at first as we filled out tes, more like tters given the full bs of ribs. My love for them hadn¡¯t ckened, and I could still eat myself into a meata. ¡°The Summit is on privatend northeast of Pensac, bordering the ckwater River State Park. We¡¯re taking a charter ne out of Red Wing, so you¡¯ll have to leave school about eleven and drive here. The four of us, along with Stillwater Alpha John and Luna Karen and their Betas, will depart at one in the afternoon. We should arrive at the Summit by six.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll check-in, have dinner, and then Unmated Mixer begins at eight,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Do you have your dresses?¡±


    I nodded; my Mom had insisted, saying it could double as a Prom dress if I went this year. ¡°I have one, but what¡¯s the point? If my mate is there, he¡¯s probably going to rip it off of me or get blood on it when he bites my neck. If he¡¯s not, I¡¯m not sticking around to deal with drunk, horny males trying to sample my goodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, an Alpha Mantle and Heir. Amy, you are Beta blood. The Mixer is a chance to make friends among those near your age, friends that will help once you take on greater responsibilities.¡±


    I set down a rib bone. ¡°Yeah, about that,¡± I said. ¡°I would like you to announce at the Summit that the Miesville Pack Heir is your son Andrei.¡±


    A spoon hit the te as Luna Adrienne looked over at me in shock. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do. Andrei is your blood while I am Leo¡¯s niece.¡±


    ¡°My wolf adopted you when we first met,¡± Leo said. ¡°You are as much my daughter as he is my son.¡± He looked over at his son, who was just as shocked.


    ¡°It is best for everyone, and we should be clear about it,¡± I said. ¡°My taking over Miesville has never been a given. We both know that if my mate is mantled as well, I¡¯ll have to go to his Pack. Andrei won¡¯t have that. His mate wille here.¡±


    ¡°The chances of your mate being a mantled Alpha or Heir is very slim, Vicki. There are only a couple unmated males like that,¡± Adrienne said.


    I let out a breath; they didn¡¯t get it. ¡°You don¡¯t understand me, Alphas. You look at the Alpha position as your birthright, and the best part of being a werewolf. You love being the heads of our Pack, and want that for me.¡± Both of them nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not like that. I have ns for my life that cannot happen as an Alpha. My ns don¡¯t include an arrogant, overprotective male and sitting at home barefoot and pregnant.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be¡­¡± Adrienne started.


    I held up my hand. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what happens when people find their mates. It changes them. Females who want to go to college and have a career are uprooted, move across the country, and sacrifice those dreams for their mates and new Packs.¡±


    ¡°You know Miesville isn¡¯t like that! We encourage our females toplete their education and have a career,¡± Leo said. ¡°Your mother sat at this table after being mated, and we encouraged her to finish her education.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, you did. A degree in elementary education, so she could take over the Pack School. Where would you use my degree in Marine Biology to help a Pack in Minnesota? How would my dream of conducting shark research at sea mix with being an Alpha?¡± They didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°It won¡¯t. The difference between us is that you look at me finding my mate as the beginning of a great new life, while I see it as the end of my hopes and dreams.¡±


    No one knew what to say, so we went back to eating. It was Adrienne who broke the silence. ¡°Amy, what do you think?¡±


    She looked at me, then her Alphas. ¡°Vicki and I have dreamed about going to school together and working on the ocean since we were little,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m more worried than she is. She has a chance to stay here in Miesville, and I know her father would like her to take over Stillwater eventually. I could end up anywhere.¡± As a Beta female, she would go wherever her Beta or Alpha-ranked mate lived. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to finish high school here, much less be able to follow my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Have you chosen a college,¡± Adrienne asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve narrowed them down,¡± I said. ¡°Both of us have eptance letters from the University of Minnesota and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. I also have Duke and Oregon State, while Amy has North Carolina and the University of Washington. My first choice is Eckerd.¡±


    ¡°Mine too,¡± Amy said.


    Leo thought about it as he ate a rib. ¡°Minnesota is a good option if you stay. It¡¯s not likely your mate is nearby, as the area males were at your birthday party. It¡¯s best to dy any decisions until after the Summit,¡± he said.


    ¡°What happens after the Scratch ¡®n Sniff if we don¡¯t have a mate,¡± Amy asked.


    ¡°It turns into a weekend-long social event. There are training sses, fighting tournaments, and hunts if you aren¡¯t required to be in the meetings,¡± Leo said. ¡°We¡¯ve learned to give the young males an outlet for their frustrations if they don¡¯t find a mate.¡±


    ¡°We want to go diving,¡± Amy said. ¡°There are charters in Pensac that will take us out to where the USS Essex, which was sunk as an artificial reef.¡±


    I could tell Leo was mind-linking with his mate before he talked again. ¡°I¡¯ll make the two of you a deal,¡± he said. ¡°IF you participate fully in the Mixer and find at least two males to join you in the dive, I¡¯ll not just agree to your outing. I¡¯ll pay for it,¡± he said.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 SHARKBAIT #5

    I didn¡¯t expect that. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Summit is about making social contacts and breaking down barriers between Packs. The two of you love diving, and you can use that to make new friends. The bigger the group, the better if you are going off on your own,¡± he said.


    ¡°You might find people eager to hang out with you and talk sharks, especially among the Packs nearer the coast,¡± Adrienne said.


    I looked at Amy, who nodded. ¡°You have a deal,¡± I said. We finished the meal, and somehow I found room for the warm pecan pie covered with New York Vani ice cream for dessert. I¡¯d run a little longer on the treadmill tomorrow to work it off.


    ¡°Luna has a n for your life, Vicki,¡± Leo said as we put our coats back on at the end of the night. ¡°Things will all work out, and what you want is bound to change as you mature.¡±


    ¡°I know, Unka. I just don¡¯t want them to change right now.¡± He embraced me before I moved to Adrienne. ¡°Thank you for dinner.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Vicki. Get some sleep; it¡¯s going to be a long weekend.


    Amy didn¡¯t say much as we drove away; we both had a lot to think about after the talk. The sword over our head was that one (or both) of us could be mated and moved out by Monday. Our friendship would continue, but nothing would ever be the same for us.


    I gave her a quick hug after I unbuckled my seatbelt in my driveway. ¡°At least we get a free scuba diving excursion out of the deal,¡± I said as I leaned back.


    ¡°If we¡¯re not mated,¡± she said. ¡°The odds aren¡¯t in our favor. Most of the matingse from females that have juste of age.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we can control, so let¡¯s agree not to worry about it. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I watched her drive away before I walked through the light snow that was falling to my front door.


    Things would have to work out. Wouldn¡¯t they?


    **************


    Thursday night was all studying. Friday morning, we had to take our afternoon exams before leaving school early to get to the airport. We picked up our luggage and headed out the door. ¡°Do you have your PAADI open water card?¡± Without our certification card, we wouldn¡¯t be able to rent the gear.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± Amy teased. ¡°I¡¯ve got my phone and wallet too, and I¡¯m wearing clean underwear in case the ne crashes.¡± I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm as I loaded my suitcase in the back seat. Both of us had more clothes than we would need for a simple weekend getaway. I didn¡¯t want to, but my Mom insisted. We would need to have enough clothes to continue to a new mate¡¯s Pack, and have enough clothes tost until our stuff could be shipped there.


    ¡°What suits did you bring?¡±


    ¡°My coral one-piece and the neon pink bikini,¡± she said. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Hey, if I¡¯m single, I¡¯m going the turn some heads.¡± She would with that body and THAT suit. It provided just enough support and coverage to stay legal. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Sharkskin one-piece and my green bikini,¡± I said. It was more modest in cut but still drew attention to my curves. It was less likely toe off during free diving, too. ¡°It won¡¯t matter, we¡¯ll be in wetsuits more than swimsuits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy we¡¯re in a warm ce by the water. It could have beenst year, in Vail.¡± Yeah, going from one winter to another wouldn¡¯t have been as much fun, even if the mountains were fun to run in. We dropped our car off at Leo¡¯s, moving our stuff into a van one of the Omegas was driving. It was a twenty-minute drive to the Red Wing Airport, where our charter business jet waited. It was well-appointed inside, withfortable reclining leather seats, a t-screen monitor, and a conference table withputer ports. We were wheels-up ten minutes after arriving, and after we climbed to altitude, the seats could swivel towards the table. Amy and I were near the back, and I was sitting next to Luna Karen and Ivan. Leo and Adrienne were opposite us, with the Stillwater Betas, Richard and Carol, on my right.


    ¡°Are you excited about your first mixer,¡± she asked. Karen was a good woman; her parents were unranked, and her Alpha¡¯s son mate had rejected her for it. She didn¡¯t go to the mixers due to herck of rank.


    Instead, Karen threw herself into her education and work after that, bing a Nursing Supervisor at a hospital near Bend, Oregon. She hade to the Twin Cities six years ago for a conference, where she met John at a gathering of local Packs. The two of them, both veterans of rejection, found love in each other. A monthter, they were married and mated, and she was now the Head Nurse at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater. Luna blessed her with a heat at age 46, and it took. They had twin boys, Keith and Kevin, almost four years old now.


    Her addition to the Stillwater Pack had been the final step in stabilizing and reviving it. Ivan, who went back to his old name after the Luna of Marengo Lakes died, spent years clearing out the criminal elements and bad apples in his Pack. Karen was apassionate and outgoing female, and her presence bnced Ivan perfectly. In thest five years, transfers had grown their back by almost half again to eighty members.


    I¡¯d liked her from the first time I met her, and I could see how happy she made my father. Somehow, I ended up a bridesmaid at her wedding. I took her hand and tried to smile. ¡°I¡¯m nervous, Karen. My whole life could change big time, all in the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°Whatever happens, you¡¯ll still be the same youngdy you are now. Luna has a n for your life. Good or bad, you¡¯ll be fine in time. I¡¯m proof of that.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could be like you and not find my mate until I¡¯ve got my education and career in ce. I can¡¯t take the idea of having to leave my school and friends and travel halfway across the country with a man I don¡¯t know.¡± Amy took my other hand; she had the same issues.


    ¡°You know, nothing REQUIRES any of that. No Council ruling or Alpha can require you toplete the mating, and nothing says you have to move to his Pack immediately. If it happens, talk to him about it. Most likely, he¡¯s a son of a Pack leader and is only the Heir to a leadership position. Tell him what you want and work it out.¡± She was the first person to tell me that I would have choices, even after finding my mate, and I loved her for it. ¡°Your wolf may fight you on this; when it finds its other half, the pull to be with him is powerful. The longer you put it off, the tougher it is, especially when your heat arrives.¡± Heat was a biological pull to procreate, and it was days of hell if your mate was not there to make love to you.


    ¡°I could visit on weekends, and we could attend the same school,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re not property, and you¡¯re not without choices. Work out something, so you still get what you want.¡± She squeezed my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sad you didn¡¯t find your mate at your birthday party. I was hoping you¡¯d stay in the area so we could see you more.¡±


    All this talk about mates made me ask a question I¡¯d not had the courage to ask, and no one discussed. ¡°Karen? What happened to the man who rejected you?¡± Her face shed pain. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s too painful.¡±


    ¡°No, you should know,¡± I said. ¡°My fated mate rejected me in favor of another female he wanted instead, the daughter of his Pack¡¯s Beta. The day before their mating ceremony, she found her mate and left him. His wolf became withdrawn over the next few years, wanting what he¡¯d thrown away. He started to drink and get in trouble at work. He got drunk one night and drove home anyway; his car left the road and hit a tree, killing him instantly.¡± It takes a lot to get a werewolf drunk. ¡°It took me years to get over him. Like Luna Adrienne, I threw myself into my work until the pain faded.¡± She wiped a tear away as Ivan held her other hand. ¡°Of course, life is so much better now. I have everything I ever dreamed of.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Karen,¡± Ivan said as he leaned across the seat to kiss her. I turned to give them some privacy and think about what she said. I was a Mantled Alpha Heir; I brought power to my mating, and my dreams didn¡¯t have to die.


    I felt so much better as we stepped off the ne into the heat and humidity of the Pensac afternoon. We¡¯d gone from ten degrees to eighty, and I loved it. A van from the Summit drove out to meet us, and five minutester, we were driving out past the palm trees towards the gathering.


    The property was the winter retreat for arge, prosperous pack in the Northeast. Arge central building held meeting rooms, dining facilities, and a conference room. Dozens of small cabins surrounded the central building, and dozens of travel trailers sat parked in lots designed for them. ¡°Some of the closer Packs brought their recreational vehicles,¡± Leo said as we drove past the fancy rigs.

 SHARKBAIT #6

    The driver stopped at adjacent trailers, one for each Pack. Leo took their stuff towards the Master Bedroom, while Amy and I hung up our clothes in the small closet next to the stairs for the queen-sized bed above the fifth-wheel hitch. It wasn¡¯t long before we were back in the van for the short drive to the main house to check-in.


    Leo and Adrienne were greeted warmly by the host Alphas and others, while Amy and I felt the eyes upon us. ¡°Wee to the Summit,dies,¡± a young man in a white suit said. I took a sniff; he was Alpha blood and disappointed he felt no pull to us. ¡°Tonight¡¯s dinner is buffet style in the main hall, and here is your schedule of events. Enjoy the Summit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel,¡± I said as I put the nametag on the light summer dress I was wearing with sandals. Leo must have made the call after our talk; my name tag only said Miesville Pack, not Miesville Heir. ¡°Let¡¯s eat and get out of here,¡± I sent to Amy as we walked into the dining room. Conversations stopped, and people stared at us as we walked to the line. ¡°I feel like the rabbit at a greyhound race.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯ve never seen a mantled female,¡± she replied.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking at YOUR body like they look at tonight¡¯s dinner,¡± I said back to her. Amy¡¯s body was fuller than mine, and she looked amazing in her dress. The Cuban roasted whole pig at the carving table made just as many mouths water. I tuned out the crowd and focused on dinner, thankful that the tes were extrarge, so I didn¡¯t need two.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    We found some other young women andmiserated on the looks we were receiving as we ate a wonderful dinner. The pork was amazing, rubbed with Adobo spices, and injected with marinade with orange and lime juice. The cook told me it was buried in a metal box overnight with coals surrounding it. The resulting meat was tender and juicy and made fantastic sandwiches. It was AMAZING, and Leo agreed it was some of the best pork barbecue we¡¯d ever had. He¡¯d already gotten the recipe.


    Our table grew as more unattacheddies arrived. The unmated males were kept on the other side of the room to avoid interaction before the Unmated Mixer. We talked about tonight and our ns for the weekend. Two of them were scuba qualified and gave me their phone numbers for tomorrow¡¯s dive trip. A few others wanted to go to the beach. Few of us wanted to stick around if our mates were not here.


    When one of the host females approached our table and asked if we had any questions, I had one. ¡°I need to let my wolf out for a run,¡± I said. There were nods around the table; we still had a few hours until we had to be back.


    ¡°Meet me at the entrance in fifteen minutes, and we¡¯ll have an all-female run,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s a good trail that takes an hour at a hard run.¡±


    I told my Alphas about it, and all our women wanted in. ¡°Let the males preen and posture, I want to RUN,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. There was an enclosed area with lockers and a concrete floor near the trees. Our group stripped and shifted before heading out. The trail was fun but t; the sandy soil let you kick up the trail through the trees and around the swamps andkes of the property. I felt a lot better when we returned. ¡°We better go get ready,¡± I said as I slipped my sandals back on.


    We took a shortcut to the RV parking area, walking together since the older people had to go back to the main building. We were partway through the back end of the lot when I froze.


    The most incredible smell came to me on the light breeze blowing from the trailers. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± my wolf told me.


    ¡°Vicki?¡± Amy was looking at me, reading my expression, and she suddenly understood what was happening.


    I raised my nose and followed the scent upwind. My wolf was going nuts, and when I got close enough to the trailer with my mate in it, I knew why. ¡°OH yeah, yeah, FUCK! Give it to me harder, baby,¡± a woman said from the bedroom.


    ¡°Shit yeah, my love. You¡¯re so fucking hot,¡± the man said.


    I heard the sound of his hips pping into her and the smell of their sex. I couldn¡¯t move; I couldn¡¯t think. Amy figured it out, wrapping her arms around me as my nails started to shift. I was going to kill that bitch. ¡°Calm down, Vicki. Now is not the time.¡±


    I stood there shaking as my mate finished fucking a woman who wasn¡¯t his. My mind was going everywhere, and all I could do was listen. He started talking as theyy together. ¡°After tonight, my father will let us mate. Six of these mixers is enough to convince him that my mate doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°I want you to im me tonight,¡± the female said. ¡°It¡¯s finally time to make me yours. Make me your Luna, my love.¡±


    Tears fell down my face as he agreed to give up my rightful ce for her.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°We missed the turn for ¡®Okay¡¯ five minutes ago,¡± I replied. ¡°I need to get out of here before my mate picks up my scent.¡±


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you back to our trailer,¡± Amy replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell the Alphas, not yet. Not until I decide what I¡¯m going to do.¡± I let Amy pull me away from the trailers, moving down the line to where our ce was. I closed the door and turned the air conditioning up.


    Amy held me as I cried out my anger and pain to the Goddess as I steeled my heart for the rejection.

 SHARKBAIT #7

    I looked at the clock and realized we only had thirty minutes left to get ready. Wiping my tears, I sat up and looked at my best friend. ¡°We should shower and get dressed,¡± I said. ¡°We have to go.¡±


    Amy let me up, but she was looking at me, wondering if I was going to shatter. ¡°Are you going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better than him,¡± I said. ¡°I have to be there, but I need you to back me up because I don¡¯t want to fall apart in front of the North American Packs.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you through a quick shower.¡± A lifetime of quick showers and changes after swim practice had both of us putting final touches on our hair and makeup fifteen minutester. I didn¡¯t need makeup to make my cheeks glow, as the rage burning inside me was enough for that. Amy moved behind me as I looked in the mirror. ¡°You look incredible, Vicki. Your mate is an idiot.¡±


    I stepped back and put my silver heels on, which brought me up to nearly six feet in height with the heels. My dress was ocean blue, kind of a shiny pebbled pattern that reminded me of shallow waters. The sleeveless dress showed plenty of firm cleavage and made a bra impossible to wear. The fabric clung to my body as it got to my narrow waist, where a fake diamond belt emphasized my figure. It then red out over my hips, with a slit in the below-the-knee skirt up to just below my underwear. Thigh-high stockings and a garter beltpleted the ensemble.


    Amy¡¯s dress was just as striking, and her fuller figure made a statement. I didn¡¯t know what kind of bra could hold up her bust in the strapless mermaid-cut white dress, but it was a miracle of engineering. The white satin hadce at top that flowed down one side, while the cut emphasized the difference in size between her bust, butt, and waist. The dress went just above the white heels, clinging to her legs. ¡°How the hell are you going to sit in that, much less dance,¡± I said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to have it on long,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°If your mate is here, you are on your own. I¡¯ll call Leo to bring me home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon you,¡± she replied. ¡°But we need to go.¡± I adjusted the shark-tooth ne I had chosen, and we walked out the door. As soon as we got out, the shes started as the phones took their pictures.


    We posed for a few, then Leo came up and kissed my cheek. ¡°May I escort youdies to the ball,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. We each took an arm as we walked out to the main road and the two blocks to the main building. ¡°Where are the boys at?¡±


    ¡°They wille over once all of you are ready,¡± Leo said. ¡°You¡¯ll have a short time to mingle with the otherdies before theye in, and they will be brought in one at a time over maybe half an hour. We don¡¯t want someone going nuts if his mate is talking with a guy farther down the line.¡± Unky Leo should have been worried about the violence that was going to take ce BEFORE the men arrived. I felt like shanking a bitch. I sent a mental message to Amy, asking her to hold me back so I didn¡¯t carve her heart out with a sd fork. ¡°You two look amazing,¡± he said before he kissed our hands at the door. Enjoy the night and rx,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a memorable evening, I can tell that already,¡± Amy said.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I snorted a little; that was true. ¡°I¡¯ll try to behave,¡± I said. We left Leo behind and went inside. The dining room was now a party room. A bar and some tables were at the back, a dance floor and band next to it, and the rest was tables and couches for people to sit and talk. Decorations covered the walls, and we looked around until one of the Council Lunas found us. She told us we had a few more minutes to socialize before we had to line up for the first man waiting toe in. We were to offer our hand for a sniff, smile, and let him move on if he wasn¡¯t the one. There would be plenty of time to talkter for those who didn¡¯t find their mate.


    I followed my nose, ending up at a woman in a deep-red gown. She had glossy ck hair going to her waist, looked to be in her early twenties, and had the dominance level of a Beta. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Vicki Lawrence, from the Miesville Pack in Minnesota,¡± I said as I pasted a smile on my face.


    ¡°Traci Mercer,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m with the Killington Pack in Vermont,¡± she said as she shook my hand.


    ¡°Cool, that¡¯s a ski area, right?¡± She nodded. I introduced Amy as the Luna called for us to start lining up. ¡°This is our first time, and we¡¯re kind of nervous,¡± I said. ¡°Would you mind if we stood by you in line?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± she said, so I moved just in front of her with Amy on my other side. ¡°This is my sixth andst one.¡±


    ¡°Really? You aren¡¯t waiting for your mate,¡± Amy asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°My fiance¡¯ and I don¡¯t think our mates are out there,¡± she replied. ¡°Timothy¡¯s father is our Alpha, and he knows we are in love. He won¡¯t let us mate until he¡¯s been through the lines seven times, and this is the seventh. He¡¯s going to mark and mate me tonight, and I¡¯ll be Luna by morning. We would have done it years ago if the Alpha didn¡¯t insist.¡±


    The door opened, and the first man came in; we were maybe twenty girls from the end, so we had more time. She was more than happy to talk about Timothy and what a fantastic guy he was. ¡°What if one of your mates is here tonight,¡± I asked. ¡°Are you going to give up both of your fated for each other?¡±


    ¡°We already swore to each other we would,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Our mates might be dead, or they might have mated someone else. Timothy needs a strong woman by his side, and I¡¯m his other half.¡± I honestly didn¡¯t know whether to congratte her or sharpen her toes and pound her into the ground. She hadn¡¯t even showered after their post-dinner fuck, so his smell was on her skin, and his seed was probably dripping down her thighs. My wolf had gone past anger to resignation.


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± I sent to Amy as thetest male walked in. My heart broke as I saw him; he was tall, handsome, and muscled. Standing maybe six-foot-four and weighing over two hundred pounds, he was every bit an Alpha male. His frosted blond hair cascaded to his shoulders, framing a strong jaw and high cheekbones. His tanned face and bright white teeth had many women looking his way. ¡°By Luna, he¡¯s good looking.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a disgrace,¡± Amy replied.


    ¡°Amy, ask Leo to wait outside, tell him I might need him soon,¡± I said. As he made his way down the line towards us, I made my decision.


    He picked up my scent a few women down, freezing for a moment before he started to sweat. He stammered through a greeting, then made his way towards me. I could feel his wolf reaching for mine, but he had his animal on a tight leash. Amy could have sh-frozen him with the look she gave him.


    Finally, he was in front of me. ¡°Vivian Lawrence,¡± I said as I held my hand out to him.

 SHARKBAIT #8

    He reached for me, and a shock traveled up my arm as our fingers touched. Both of us knew what it meant, but neither of us acted on it. ¡°Timothy Lords,¡± he said softly. ¡°You are the mantled one.¡± I could see the confusion in his face; he didn¡¯t expect to find a mate tonight, much less one of equal power. ¡°At least you had the decency to clean your whore¡¯s slut sauce off your dick before you met your mate,¡± I said as I started to squeeze his hand.


    He looked in panic at Traci, who was staring in shock at him. ¡°She¡¯s¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll save you the trouble. Timothy, Traci, you two deserve each other. I will not stand in your way if you want her instead of me.¡± Timothy was at a crossroads now, and he had to make a decision. Do you choose the one you came with, or the unknown woman currently breaking your fingers in her grip? The sound of the bones in his hand shattering was like popcorn. ¡°ept me or reject me, but do it NOW.¡±


    He looked over at Traci, who was begging him to stay with her. He made his choice. ¡°I, Timothy Lords, reject Vivian Lawrence as my mate.¡±


    My wolf howled in anguish, and he almost dropped to his knees. ¡°And I, Vivian Lawrence, ept your rejection.¡± I let him go as the nascent bond broke, only staying upright because Amy grabbed me. ¡°Get me out of here,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°That bitch is totally screwed now,¡± Amy told me. ¡°Her married name will be Traci Lords. You know, like the porn star.¡±


    Theugh distracted everyone from the train wreck that my life had be as we walked away. Amy led me to the door where Leo and Adrienne were waiting and sent me out. I was able to let the door close before I lost it, crying out my pain and humiliation into Unky Leo¡¯s broad chest. He picked me up and carried me away.


    I didn¡¯t have to tell him what had just happened to me.


    My mate had rejected me for another, and there would be no happy ending to this weekend.


    ***********


    I barely remember the walk back to our trailer; Luna Adrienne opened the door, and Leo took me back to their bedroom. I couldn¡¯t make out any words as my heart broke, and I wasn¡¯t up for linking either. Amy would be filling her Alphas in on what happened, so I didn¡¯t need to.


    Leo set me on the edge of the bed and took my heels off while Adrienne grabbed a long sleep shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her, love. You take care of the problem.¡±


    Leo looked furious. ¡°The Council is involved now. I¡¯ll keep you up to speed.¡±


    He closed the door behind him as Adrienne knelt in front of me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of this dress, dear,¡± she said. I sobbed as Adrienne unzipped my dress, then she helped me stand so I could let it drop. She put the shirt over my arms and head, then helped remove my expensive lingerie. My Luna tucked me in, then changed and slid in with me. She gathered me in her arms, my head resting on her bosom, as I railed against the unfairness of the world. Adrienne didn¡¯t tell me it was going to be all right, she didn¡¯t say she was sorry, and she didn¡¯t vow to punish the male who hurt me. Her wolf figuratively curled around mine as she howled in pain, sharing my pain.


    It took a while for me to calm down and breathe normally. It hurt SO much, and we hadn¡¯t formed a full mate bond yet. I had a new respect for my Alphas, both of whom had lost mates they were with for decades. I couldn¡¯t imagine the pain they had ovee. ¡°Your Mom wants to talk to you,¡± Adrienne said as I rxed. ¡°Can I call for you?¡±


    I nodded, and she grabbed her phone and ced the video call. Mom and Dad were both in the frame; Mom¡¯s hand went to her mouth when she saw me, and Dad looked like he was about to explode. ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°It HURTS so bad, Mommy,¡± I managed to say. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he wait for me? Am I not good enough?¡±


    She was crying too; her heart was breaking for her daughter. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know you, Vicki. It can¡¯t be you. This one is ALL him.¡±


    ¡°A real man would have waited for you, and he would have listened to his wolf,¡± Dad said. ¡°Amy said you gave him a choice.¡±


    ¡°He picked HER over me,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯ve been nning to mate for years, and his Alpha was going to let him after tonight. I gave him a choice, and he cut my heart out,¡± I said before I started crying again.


    ¡°I love you, Vicki. I can be therete tomorrow morning; it¡¯s toote to get there tonight,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯te down here,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing will change because you are here, and ast-minute ticket will be crazy expensive. The Alphas and Amy will help me, and I¡¯ll be back Sunday night.¡±


    I could see her shoulders sag. ¡°I just want to hold my baby and tell her it will be all right,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Adrienne is doing a fine job of that,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be all right, Mom. I¡¯ve got my Alphas and my best friend, and the Gulf of Mexico is just a few miles away.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going diving, are you?¡± She looked at Dad, then back to me. ¡°Are you going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°Diving helps me work through things,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful under the water, especially when I¡¯m free diving. No tanks, no engines, just me and the sharks. It gets my mind right.¡±


    ¡°If you need some chum, I know where you can find it,¡± Dad said.


    I just shook my head; Dad was very protective of me, and always had been. If I told him I wanted Timothy Lords dead, he¡¯d make it happen. ¡°I think it would be better if I just got some sleep,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good idea. Things will be different in the morning,¡± Mom said. ¡°Call me when you wake up? No matter the time?¡±


    ¡°I will, Mom. I love you.¡±


    ¡°We love you too, baby.¡±


    I ended the call and flopped back onto the pillow. I looked over at Adrienne and saw the side of her shirt soaked in tears. I reached out to it. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please. I went through beach towels after my mate died.¡± She looked at me and must have thought the worst was over. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a shower and wash that makeup off, then get some rest.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. The shower felt good, and after getting my jammies, I crawled into the queen-sized bed over the fifth-wheel hitch. Adrienne helped me settle in the cramped space, with only a few feet of space above the mattress, then closed the curtain separating it from the living and dining area. Sleep didn¡¯te for me; instead, the events of the night kept running through my head, like a video on loop. Mom was right, I finally concluded. The rejection was all on him.


    He never even gave me a chance.


    I heard Leoe back in, and I could tell he was upset by his scent. ¡°What¡¯s happening, Unky Leo,¡± I said softly. They both would be able to tell I wasn¡¯t asleep by my breathing, so there was no point in hiding it.


    ¡°Can Ie up and talk,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Leo kicked off his shoes and removed his jacket, shirt, and tie before crawling up on the other side of the bed. I tossed the covers off and rolled into him, his strong arms holding me tight, just like he¡¯d done a thousand times since iming me as a young girl. ¡°I have to say, bringing you to an Alpha Summit has never been boring.¡±


    Iughed and smacked his chest; this was my second, and it wasn¡¯t MY fault they arrested him and put him on trial for being a rogue. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my fault,¡± I said. ¡°I thought I did well not to beat her ass bloody.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, Sharkbait. You carried yourself well, handled the situation, and kept it together until you were outside. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°I said some mean things,¡± I said.


    He shook his head. ¡°Please. Nobody with a nose could miss that skank¡¯s smell, which is why no one but you would stand next to her. What tramp would have sex right before the scratch ¡®n sniff? I feel sorry for her true mate.¡± He looked at me. ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been up here for a while, and Amy is blocking our link.¡± I could tell he was hesitant. ¡°Tell me, Leo. I have to face the others in the morning, and I need to know what happened after I left.¡±


    He let out a breath. ¡°You¡¯d think after getting a smackdown like that a smart person would step back and evaluate their decisions. Instead, Traci doubled down on stupid.¡±


    ¡°What did she do? She didn¡¯t get into it with Amy, did she?¡± Amy could defend herself, but she also had a temper. Traci would be in the hospital if those two shed.


    ¡°I wish. No, as soon as you left the room, she jumped Timothy and imed him.¡± My jaw dropped; to not just initiate the mating bite as a female but as the lower-ranked wolf? ¡°And he imed her back.¡±


    Wow. Yeah, those two were mated to each other now, and there was no chance of himing back to me. Traci Lords would have to die before he¡¯d be able to think about me again.


    Not that I¡¯d take him back. ¡°It¡¯s over, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Rejecting a mantled Alpha female for a Beta? It¡¯s unheard of. Alpha Theodore can yell and demand all he wants, but ourws are clear on this. Timothy and Traci chose each other, and that is the end of that.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°The Alpha challenged our rejection and his mating? Can you even DO that?¡± Mating should not be the business of the Werewolf Council!


    ¡°He tried, but it didn¡¯t go anywhere. I told him to pack sand; the two of youpleted the rejection, and his son now had his Choice Mate.¡±


    I could see he didn¡¯t say everything. ¡°What ELSE did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I told him if his son or daughter-inw didn¡¯t stay out of your sight, they¡¯d never find the bodies. I strongly urged him to send the pair back home immediately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth getting in trouble, Unky. I only wanted to beat the shit out of them for a few minutes.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°You and I aren¡¯t the only ones who would like a piece of them. There¡¯s a line forming, and your Mom is pushing her way to the front,¡± he said. ¡°None of the other Alphas are happy with the situation. W agreed we would reinforce the importance of waiting for your true mate with our young. Seven years is NOTHING in the big picture. Now their selfishness has cost their Pack prestige, and their next Alphas will be weaker than Luna intended.¡±


    I took a few moments to think about this. ¡°What is going on with Amy?¡±


    ¡°I asked her to try and have a fun evening, as there was nothing more she could do for you.¡± He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. ¡°You should try and get some sleep, especially if you are diving tomorrow.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can I?¡±


    ¡°Same deal, I don¡¯t want you two going alone. I wish I could go, but I have to do Alpha stuff.¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Stupid Alpha stuff,¡± I said in my child-like voice. It¡¯s what I used to call his work when I wanted to y with him, and he was busy. ¡°I love you, Unka Leo.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Sharkbait.¡± He tucked me in, and I fell asleep in moments.

 SHARKBAIT #9

    The fur brushing over my nose woke me up.


    I opened my right eye, looking through the morning light to the big lug of a wolf taking up half of my bed. Leo¡¯s wolf must have taken overst night and brought him up here. It wasn¡¯t umon for a wolf to do something like this, curling up with a family or Pack member that is hurting. I scratched behind his ears, finding the spot that caused his leg to start thumping against the wall. ¡°Who¡¯s my good boy,¡± I teased as his paw hit the sidewall.


    ¡°Adrienne?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Vicki.¡± She moved the curtain aside, and she shooed her mate off the bed and sent him to get dressed. ¡°How are you this morning?¡±


    I thought about it for a minute; the pain wasn¡¯t as all-epassing asst night, but it was still there. I felt like part of my soul had been ripped away, leaving the rest torn and bleeding. I checked my wolf in the back of my head, and she wasn¡¯t any better off. She had curled into a ball, shivering, with her tail covering her eyes. I tried to call her forth, and nothing happened. ¡°It hurts, and my wolf won¡¯te out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come on down,¡± she said. I scooted to the edge, and she helped me down before pulling me into a hug. ¡°Your wolf is hurting more than your human side is,¡± she said. ¡°Your human side saw him for a few minutes. Your wolf started bonding with his wolf as soon as she smelled him.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t respond to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°It could be weeks. After my mate died, I didn¡¯t shift except when she decided to howl her grief to the moon. It took a month before we were working together again, and I could shift at will.¡±


    ¡°What about the pain?¡±


    ¡°You learn to live with it,¡± she said as we sat down at the table. ¡°I wish I could tell you something else, but healing takes time.¡±


    I thought about the stories I¡¯d heard from the widowed, but the people who knew best what I was going through were in the next trailer. Both Alpha Ivan and Luna Karen had their mates reject them. ¡°I need to talk to my Father,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s bringing Karen with him as soon as they get dressed,¡± she said. ¡°Leo already asked him. We figured you would have questions.¡±


    I had more than a few. ¡°If I feel this bad, what does Timothy feel like?¡±


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. I lept into my father¡¯s arms as Karen hugged me from behind. ¡°My little girl,¡± Ivan said as their wolvesforted mine. ¡°I won¡¯t ask if you are all right, because I know you aren¡¯t. I¡¯ll be here for you, though.¡±


    ***********


    We sat back down as Leo came out and grabbed the coffee cups. I asked my question. ¡°What happens to us now that the rejection isplete?¡±


    ¡°There is no more ¡®us¡¯ between you and Timothy,¡± Karen said. ¡°The rejection severed the link the Moon Goddess ced between your souls. If you had walked away from each other, perhaps in time, you might find a way to heal it. That option isn¡¯t there anymore.¡±


    ¡°Because he mated with Traci,¡± I said.


    Karen nodded. ¡°Yes. When you mate another, the link is permanently severed. Even if Traci died now, your wolf wouldn¡¯t feel any pull to Timothy. As far as your wolf is concerned, he¡¯s dead.¡±


    It felt like that. ¡°I was barely able to walk out of there, how did Timothy ever mark that bitch?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t his wolf. I figure his wolf was ready to mark you and didn¡¯t react fast enough in his pain when his human side decided to mark Traci instead.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Is he hurting like I am?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, not now that he has a mating bond. His wolf must be furious with him, though. There¡¯s a long list of people that are furious with him right now, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s already on a ne home,¡± Ivan said.


    ¡°What happens to her mate now that she has chosen another male?¡± I didn¡¯t feel sorry for the bitch, but some guy just dodged a bullet.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to know. Now that she is mated, there is no bond for his wolf to sense. If they met today, she¡¯d just be another mated wolf to him. Our best guess is that he looks and looks and never finds her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d feel sorry for him, except he managed to avoid getting tied to that toxic bitch,¡± I said. ¡°My mate is gone, so I won¡¯t feel anything either.¡±


    ¡°At some point, we think the Goddess grants you another mate. You can wait until you feel the pull again, or maybe you fall in love and mate that person.¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t be the wolf who takes another¡¯s mate from her.¡±


    Karen put her hands over mine. ¡°I know that, Vicki. You need to heal, and after you heal, be open to whatever Luna has for you.¡±


    I nodded, my hand moving to my chest where it felt like the big, empty space resided. ¡°I need to finish school, and there is college,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. I was afraid of leaving here with a mate, and now I¡¯m not.¡± I tried to put on a brave face, but Leo knew me better. He pulled me into hisp, letting me rest against his chest as I gathered myself again.


    His hand ran up and down my back, calming me. ¡°You can¡¯t be alone now, Vicki. You still are a Mantled Alpha, but your wolf has withdrawn, and that makes you vulnerable.¡±


    I looked up at him, a little shocked. We¡¯d built up my self-defense skills so I could defend my neck. Without my wolf, I was as weak as any human. I hated the idea of a minder, but he was right. ¡°I understand,¡± I said softly. ¡°Maybe I should fly home early and let the Pack protect me instead.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leo said. ¡°I think it would be better if you stayed here where we can help you. Most of the leaders here were shocked at what happened to you. Thedies from the party will have your back, I just want to make sure you don¡¯t leave them behind. There¡¯s also the dive trip I booked and paid forst night.¡± My eyes got wide and looked at him. ¡°My brother and I have to be around for the meetings, or I¡¯d go.¡±


    ¡°Lunas can get away with skipping the meetings, so Karen and I are going,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°When the other females found out what you wanted to do today, we got dozens of people who wanted to be with you. We had so many volunteers that we changed the non-mated activities today to a beach day.¡±


    ¡°The charter can handle up to ten divers, and the rest are going to set up a party on the beach. I¡¯m a little concerned about the amount of food and drink they are taking away from here,¡± Leoughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be all right. We both know who eats more,¡± I said as I stood up. I tried to link my best friend, and her wall was still up. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Amy? Did you send her to stay somewhere else?¡± All of the sudden, no one wanted to look at me. Leo looked at Adrienne for help. ¡°What?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let her tell you at breakfast,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°It¡¯s not our ce. Oh, my! Look at the time. We should be getting to breakfast before they run out of bacon!¡±


    John and Karen got up and asked me to talk to them if they had any questions. ¡°We¡¯ll walk with you after you change,¡± Leo said before he followed them outside. I quickly changed into a pair of jean shorts, a loose top, and sandals, then went out to join them.


    It was not afortable walk.


    It wasn¡¯t that people avoided me; it was how they reacted when they saw me. The wide-eyed recognition, followed by the look of pity, then the ufortable silence as they tried to figure out what to say or do around me. It was like I was a broken toy they thought might explode at any moment. Leo and Adrienne held my hands as I walked between them, covering the few blocks between our trailer and the main house.


    When we walked into the dining hall for breakfast, all conversation stopped, and everyone was staring at me. I¡¯d epted what my Alphas had told me; none of this was MY fault, and I had done nothing I should apologize over. ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± I said loudly and with a smile. ¡°Did you leave me any bacon?¡±


    There were a fewughs, and people started eating and talking again as we went to the buffet line. One thing Mom and I had learned about werewolves is that we are creatures of contact; we express sympathy, solidarity, andfort with our touch more than words. Almost everyone we came close to gave me a handshake, a pat on the arm or shoulder, or a hug. All this made it take a while to get through the line. I had my tray with my pancakes, scrambled eggs and cheese, orange juice, and a pile of bacon strips. ¡°Where are we sitting?¡±


    Leo pointed to the ¡®old people¡¯ area. ¡°Adrienne and I have to sit with the other Alphas and Lunas, but Amy is over there in the corner. She saved you a spot.¡±


    I followed his arm to look across the room and saw her waving at me.


    She was at a table with two other couples.


    She was sitting on thep of an athletic-looking guy who had his arms around her waist.


    And her fresh mating bite was disyed by the loose-neck shirt she was wearing.

 SHARKBAIT #10

    I froze. I almost spilled my tray, the ss of orange juice sliding towards the edge until I caught myself and saved it.


    I took a second topose myself, letting out a breath before I looked up again.


    Amy was my best friend in the world.


    She found her mate and had imed him already.


    She had nothing to do with the shitshow that my life becamest night.


    I pushed my heartache aside, smiled, and walked to her table. As soon as I set my tray down, she was engulfing me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vicki,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°I should have been there for youst night, but Alpha made me stay and keep the mental wall up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Amy. I couldn¡¯t have made it through that without you by my side. I barely made it out of that room.¡± She stepped back and let me wipe the tear from my eye. ¡°And you found him! Congrattions!¡±


    Her smile broke through as she turned to the guy standing at her side wearing khaki shorts and a bright green Oregon Ducks T-shirt. ¡°Vicki, this is my mate, Kai Steele,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Vicki. Amy¡¯s told me a lot about you,¡± he said as he shook my hand. I took a good look at Kai; he looked to be in his early twenties, with dark hair cut short and a face that showed a Polynesian part of his heritage. He wasn¡¯t much taller than Amy, standing just under six feet tall, but his body looked chiseled in stone. Broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, well-defined muscles, and a firm grip. He wasn¡¯t a bodybuilder, and his arms were too big to be a biker, and he was too bulky to be a runner or climber. We all sat down at the table. ¡°Kai is Hawaiian for ¡®sea,¡¯ isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He smiled at me as he pulled Amy to his side, where she was clearly happy to be. ¡°Yes, my mother is full-blooded Hawaiian. She met my father when he was a Marine stationed at Kaneohe Bay. He knew she was his mate, but it took him two years to get her to fall in love with him and agree to the change.¡±


    ¡°Kai also means ¡®food¡¯ in Maori, ¡®forgiveness¡¯ in Japanese, and in Europe, it means ¡®warrior.¡¯ It fits him perfectly,¡± Amy gushed. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, his hand stroking her side and breast. No one minded; new mates were like newlyweds, but less inhibited. Packs were used to overt disys of affection.


    ¡°Your father was the werewolf,¡± I reasoned. There were no Hawaiian wolf packs.


    He nodded. ¡°My father is the Beta of Security for the Three Sisters Pack, near Bend, Oregon. For generations, our Alphas have sent their warriors and Betas to have training beyond what our Packs could give, so most of us spend time in the military orw enforcement. We even have a former Secret Service agent.¡±


    It sounded like a good idea, and I wondered why more didn¡¯t do it. ¡°How does that work with your wolves?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Steve Dauntless orders us not to shift unless absolutely necessary, and they have silver-core chains for their dog tags. That keeps them from showing abilities or strength beyond what a human would have. It¡¯s a risk, but the knowledge and experiences we gain are priceless for our jobs.¡±


    I liked him. ¡°Are you in the military? I mean, you¡¯re in great shape, but that hair¡­¡±


    Amy was running a hand along his bicep, and he was stroking her muscr shoulders as they sat together. They couldn¡¯t keep their hands off each other. I was happy for her, but I felt a stab of pain in my soul because that should be ME now, too. ¡°I¡¯m in my senior year at Oregon, in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. When I graduate, I¡¯ll receive mymission as an Ensign. I have orders to report to SEAL training in Coronado.¡±


    My eyes got wide; those boys were hardcore warriors. Then I realized what that meant; SEALs did a lot of swimming. ¡°You like the water? Swim a lot?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I love it. Amy and I were talking about diving, and I have my open-water dive card with me. I n to join your trip if that¡¯s all right with you. Diving in Oregon is much colder, and the waves are much stronger.¡±


    Amy TOTALLY hit the Mate Jackpot with this guy. A pang of jealousy hit my gut, and I pushed it aside. ¡°I¡¯d love that. My Luna ising along, so I¡¯ll dive with her while you and Amy dive together,¡± I replied. Adrienne had figured she might as well tag along one day we went to lessons and found out she loved it. ¡°Do you have a big family?¡± Would it be too much for him to have a hot brother who lost his mate and needsfort? Come ON, Luna! You OWE me!


    ¡°Not that big,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m the oldest at twenty; my twin sisters are seventeen, and my younger brother is fourteen.¡±


    Damn. ¡°Three Sisters is Luna Karen Volkov¡¯s old Pack, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a beautiful area. She showed me some pictures once. I can¡¯t imagine mountains like that.¡± It couldn¡¯t be more different than the Minnesota prairie andkes regions. After all of the drama with me being a mantled ¡®extra,¡¯ I hadn¡¯t been brought along to many other Packs.


    ¡°We¡¯re right next to the Deschutes National Forest, with thousands of square miles of wilderness in our back yard. You can run from the heat of the day by the river to the mountain snowcaps and back in one day. There are mule deer, elk, moose, and bears in abundance. Our Pack makes up a lot of the town of Sisters; we have almost three hundred members.¡±


    ¡°You HAVE toe out and visit, Vicki! I want to share it with you,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are always wee at my Pack, Sharkbait. Leo and Alpha Steve have already talked about it, and Leo trusts us to protect you.¡±


    I tried a mental send to Amy again and got nothing. ¡°Are you still blocking my mind-link? Didn¡¯t Leo lift the order on you?¡±


    ¡°No, I joined the Three Sisters Pack about twenty minutes ago, so you lost the Pack link to me.¡±


    My shoulders slumped; she was moving on without me. I¡¯d never again share those private conversations with her in boring sses or while swimming underwater. Now I had to panic. ¡°What about school? Are you leaving the Zoo School?¡±


    Amy looked up at her mate. ¡°We¡¯re still talking about it. Both of us are seniors, and we both want to finish up at our schools. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be apart from her, but her education is important if she is to achieve her dreams. We¡¯ll be apart plenty while I¡¯m in the Navy, and I want her to have more to her life than a cheap apartment and a baby while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    My eyes got wide. ¡°You two¡­ um, you¡¯re using protection, right? Or are you nning to have a pup right away?¡±


    They both got nervous. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to the Pack Doctor about birth control injections when we get home,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t exactly roll a condom on with paws and ws.¡± Both of them cracked up, meaning they¡¯d already done it Wolfy style. Hell, she had all night to make love to him while I was crying and sleeping. ¡°Now eat, your food is getting cold.¡±


    I went back to my breakfast while Amy told me about what I¡¯d missed after I left. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t talk about my useless ex-mate, just about what happened when Kai stepped in front of her, and their eyes first met. She was SO happy, and I let her have her moment. ¡°I called my Mom and told her the news. She was thrilled for me, and worried about you,¡± Amy said.


    I¡¯m sure the news of my rejection went through the Pack like wildfire. ¡°I¡¯m happy because you¡¯re happy, Amy. You¡¯re my best friend. Don¡¯t ever think you have to hold back because of me,¡± I said. Amy started to cry, I began to cry, and then we were hugging each other. ¡°I¡¯ll get over this and move on with my life.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m abandoning you when you need me most,¡± she said.


    ¡°No. Luna knew what she was doing when she put you two together. Right now, I need to feel like she has a n for ME too. Let¡¯s face it;st night kicked the shit out of all the ns we had made beforeing down here.¡± I sat back and wiped my eyes. ¡°Except for the trip. We¡¯re STILL going diving.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± she said. Most people knew, but Amy announced there was room on the diving boat for six more people if they had SCUBA qualifications and money. The group filled up fast, with anotherrger group nning to head to Navarre Beach to enjoy the warm weather and Gulf breezes. It was close to us than Pensac, and we could drive to it after the scuba charter finished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the beach, we¡¯ll take care of everything,¡± one of the women said. ¡°All you need is your bikini and nket.¡±


    That worked for me.


    Something clicked. ¡°Kai, how far is the University of Oregon from Sisters? Isn¡¯t it on the other side of the range?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little more than ny minutes to my school, and less than an hour to Bend, where Oregon State is. That¡¯s in the summer; the mountain passes get shut down with snowstorms. Three hours ofmuting is a lot, so my Pack owns a condo near campus where we stay. We usually have a couple of students staying there as they go to school.¡±


    I looked at Amy. ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten my eptance letter from the University of Oregon,¡± I said.


    Her eyes got wide. ¡°If I get in, we could¡­.¡± She looked at Kai, then looked at me. ¡°Do you think? Would you?¡±


    ¡°We have to talk to Alpha Steve, and you still have to get into the school,¡± Kai said. ¡°There are online sses you could take while you¡¯re with me as I train.¡±


    It was the beginning of a n. I took Amy¡¯s hand. ¡°Florida is cool, but I can¡¯t see Leo approving me going there now. It¡¯s too much of a security risk, and I was kidding myself to think otherwise. Oregon? With a friendly Pack to host and my best friend sharing a home with me? I think I can talk my Mom and Dad into letting me go there. It¡¯s a top-five Marine Biology program.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work it outter,¡± Kai said. ¡°We need to leave in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Do you need your stuff out of our trailer,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Leo brought it to our roomst night,¡± Amy said.


    ¡®Our¡¯ room. It just reminded me I¡¯d always be the third wheel until Luna gave me another mate.


    Life would go on; I¡¯d cry, I¡¯d rage, I¡¯d sit quietly, but I¡¯d ovee. Leo, Adrienne, Ivan, and Karen had all done it and found their happiness in the end.


    In the meantime, I¡¯d pursue my dreams.


    Kai and Amy were in the back of the open-top Jeep Wrangler, with the wind making it tough to carry on a conversation with them. I was in the front seat with Jennifer, who was a thirty-year-old Beta in a Pack from nearby bama. We¡¯d taken three cars, and Luna Adrienne was in an air-conditioned sedan behind us. I didn¡¯t mind; the morning was warm, the breeze blew my long blonde hair, and I felt free. It reminded me of being in wolf form, traveling in a car with your head out the window.


    We arrived an hour before departure and did our gear rentals and equipment checks. The water was warm enough we didn¡¯t need wetsuits, so I was diving in my bikini with a diving shirt over it. The suit was a bit more robust than the one I had for the beach because I didn¡¯t need a wardrobe malfunction forty feet down. I looked in the mirror as we got ready to leave the locker room, and reminded myself that it wasn¡¯t MY fault.


    My legs were long and tan, with smooth muscles and a firm ass. I had a t stomach that hinted at the muscles underneath, and my breasts were high and firm. I had the shoulders of a swimmer, broad and strong. My face was like my Mom¡¯s, oval-shaped with a thin nose and deep blue eyes. I turned to look at my backside in the mirror. That asshole would never have a booty like THIS in his bed.


    And I¡¯d never have those broad shoulders, those chiseled arms, those kissable lips¡­


    ¡°Are you all right,¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said as I grabbed my bag.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You look like you just dropped your ice cream cone on the sidewalk,¡± she said as she put her arm on my shoulder. ¡°No one expects you to act like nothing happenedst night.¡±


    I looked at her, and she pulled me into a hug as I let out a wail. Soon I was surrounded by five other women, all lending me sympathy and strength until I was able to get my emotions under control again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Random things just set me off.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go out if you¡¯re not ready,¡± Jennifer assured me.


    ¡°No. The water is my happy ce.¡± It always had been. I followed them out to the dock, where we loaded the dive boat and cast off. The Divemaster questioned everyone on their dive experience, particrly with deepwater dives, and what they wanted out of today. ¡°What do you rmend,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the Oriskany is a fun dive, but it takes an hour to get there and back, and the superstructure is at a hundred and twenty feet. Not everyone here has experience going to that depth, and the bottom time is limited. With recovery time and travel time, you¡¯d get about a half-hour total on the wreck.¡± Not everyone was as hard-core as Amy and I about our diving. With our drysuits, we¡¯d dived to that depth in Lake Superior, and THAT is cold. ¡°Instead, I¡¯d suggest diving the USS Massachusetts. It¡¯s not far from the jetty, and it¡¯s in thirty feet of water. The ship was built in 1890, it¡¯s been on the bottom of the channel for a century. Coral is everywhere, lots of fish, and you can still make out the features. No dpression, maximum bottom time, and no mandatory rest between dives.¡±


    Thirty feet was NOTHING to a free diver. Amy and I looked at each other and nodded our agreement. ¡°That sounds like a better n,¡± I said. The others agreed, and it wasn¡¯t long before we were at the dive site. Just because it was shallow enough to stick out of the water at low tide didn¡¯t mean it was easy to dive on. Currents were strong, you had to watch out fors and fishing lines caught in it, and there was boat traffic around.

 SHARKBAIT #11

    We did onest inspection of our gear as we approached the dive site. The divemaster pointed out the hazards, asked if we had questions, checked our gear, then let us hit the water. Adrienne and I went on air, checked our masks, set our dive watches, and let ourselves fall back into the warm Gulf waters.


    As soon as I was under, I felt alive again. Staying next to my dive buddy, we kicked down to the sand bottom near the bow of the ship. The only thing I could hear was the bubbles from my breathing, and the sounds of boats driving by.


    The next thirty minutes were a st. The reef was mature, and we saw a lot of fish. The biggest was a Goliath grouper that must have gone two-hundred-pounds, with a mouth big enough to stick my head and shoulders in. Barracuda, snapper, amberjacks, triggers, redfish, and dozens of others swam with us around the shipwreck.


    We saw a few sharks, too. The biggest was an eight-foot tiger shark that swam past without a care in the world. A nurse shark was nearly as big, with smaller cktip reef sharks and a brown shark too. All too soon, the bottom time was up, and we made our way back to the boat.


    We changed tanks and rested for a few minutes, then made our second dive. This time we explored some of the features near the stern, farthest from the boat. I saw bubblesing up fast from divers just out of sight, and it was too rapid for normal breathing. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure nothing is wrong there,¡± I said as I pointed towards the shaded area.


    Adrienne spotted them first and put her hand out to stop me. I looked over at the pair and almost spit out my regtor.


    I could see Kai¡¯s white butt moving as he faced away from me, his swim trunks lowered to his thighs. He was holding Amy by the waist, her legs wrapped around his back, and her bikini bottoms clenched in her hand. They were too busy to notice us, and I didn¡¯t need to see the underwater conception of their first child. I shook my head to clear the image. ¡°We should give them some privacy,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell them we saw this.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Amy the one who wanted to maximize her bottom time,¡± Adrienne replied. She took a few photos of them with her underwater camera. ¡°I¡¯ll get it blown up and give it to them as a mating present. It will look great on their bedroom wall.¡±


    This time I did spit out my regtor. They were still going when we swam away.


    After three dives, Adrienne was done and we didn¡¯t have enough time left for a full dive. I talked Amy, Kai, and Jennifer into skin diving near the stacks. Amy and I paired up and showed Kai what we¡¯d learned in our time at free diving. We could stay underwater for almost a minute and a half longer than he could, and Jennifer gave up well before then.


    All too soon, the dive time was up. I removed my swim shirt to get some sun and enjoy the feeling of it on my skin; after all, we weren¡¯t in frozen Minnesota now. No one was sitting by me when one of the other werewolves brought me a bottle of water and asked if we could talk.


    Terry Foster was a nice looking man in his mid-thirties. He got right to the point. ¡°I know the timing of this sucks, and I also know you aren¡¯t ready to think about this yet. I just wanted to meet you and tell you of my interest.¡±


    ¡°Interest in what,¡± I asked.


    ¡°In you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not EVEN interested in that,¡± I said. ¡°My mate was taken by another woman. I will never take a male from another, no matter how lonely and desperate I am.¡±


    ¡°I understand. If I may, can I tell you my story?¡± I nodded as I leaned back and took a drink. ¡°My father was and still is Alpha of the Clearwater Pack, on the Pacific side of the Olympic Penins in Washington. Sixteen years ago, I met my mate just after she turned eighteen. She was in a Pack in Idaho we visited. She was everything I dreamed of, but her Pack held to the Old Ways. We didn¡¯t mate immediately like so many do now. We had to save ourselves for the Mating Ceremony at the next Full Moon.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad,¡± I said. ¡°Kind of romantic.¡±


    ¡°More like the world¡¯s biggest case of blue balls. It was eighteen days until the Full Moon. My father left me behind with their Pack, promising to bring my mother along when they returned.¡± He leaned back and let out a sigh. ¡°A weekter, I joined her Pack for a run in the mountains. Her brothers kept us separated, and on the narrow trail, I was too far away to save her. A rockslide swept her over the edge, and she died instantly.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said. Terry¡¯s mate had been taken from him as he watched helplessly. I couldn¡¯t imagine what that must have been like.


    ¡°I attended my first Scratch and Sniff at eighteen and was forced toe back the next year knowing no one was there for me. I¡¯m the only child, so you can imagine the pressure on me to find a Luna has be overwhelming now that I¡¯m thirty-five. My father is slowing down, and I need to step up.¡±


    I put my hand on his leg, and there were no tingles and no mating pull. ¡°I¡¯m not your mate, Terry.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My father and stepmother were both rejected by their mates but found each other when they were older than you. My Alpha and Luna were both widowed, yet they found each other. My Mom was human and found her mate in my Pack. All three pairs felt the mating pull.¡± I patted his leg, feeling sorry for him. ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope, and don¡¯t discount looking among the humans. I don¡¯t know what Luna has nned for me now, Terry, but I¡¯m in no hurry to get a man.¡±


    He smiled and stood up as Adrienne wasing back. ¡°I wanted you to know you have options. I would like to get to know you, and who knows? Maybe Luna will put us together.¡± He shook my hand and went back to his seat, leaving me to wonder what would happen.


    Adrienne sat next to me, pulling me into her side. ¡°You handled that well,¡± she told me.


    ¡°I think I needed to hear it as much as he did,¡± I replied. ¡°Thank you for being here with me. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d handle Amy¡¯s happiness this well without you around.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy for her? Deep down?¡±


    I closed my eyes and thought about it. ¡°I¡¯m happy for Amy. She got the man of her dreams. I just wish that he had a twin brother who was MY mate.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #12

    It didn¡¯t take long to shower and change in the locker room at the dive shop. This time, I put on my string bikini. The shark motif made this suit my favorite, even though they had to be very small to fit on the triangles of fabric that made it up. I smiled as I checked it in the mirror; I rocked this outfit! I pulled a long, thin T-shirt over my head and put on flip flops before grabbing my bag and heading out.


    It wasn¡¯t a long trip down the Strand to the beach they had picked, and it was warm and breezy. Jennifer parked the Jeep in the lot, and we walked over the hot sand to join therge group set up around some of the grills and pic tables. ¡°Did you guys have fun,¡± Karen asked as she walked up.


    ¡°Some more than others,¡± I said as I looked over at Amy and Kai with a knowing nce. Her mouth dropped, and she turned red as a beet as she figured it out. ¡°It was a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°Very scenic,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Lots of wildlife to see.¡± She smirked at Amy as she walked past the couple. They had towelsid out for us, so I set my bag down on one before pulling off my T-shirt. I could see a bunch of human males that decided to hang around this stretch of beach, hoping to meet some of the hotties in our group. I ignored them as I headed back to the grills.


    The burgers were great, and I was starving after a full morning of diving. The afternoon was a st. We had about three dozen people there, enough to get a good volleyball game going and some touch football. The water was warm and inviting, and there were plenty of people to rub suntan lotion over my back. More people from the Summit arrived around dinnertime, and they brought steaks and all the fixings with them.


    I was sitting at a table with a few other single females when I saw Terry get up and walk along the water towards the far end of the beach. He¡¯d participated in today¡¯s activities, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it. I felt an urge to follow him, so I did. ¡°Where are you going,¡± Adrienne asked as I walked past their table.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Terry,¡± I said.


    She looked over at Karen. ¡°We¡¯ll take a walk as well. It will feel good after a big meal like that.¡± She took my hand. ¡°Never alone,¡± she said. ¡°Especially not with a desperate unmated Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Terry would never do that, but I need to speak to him,¡± I said as we walked away. The two Lunas dropped back as I jogged through the wet sand to catch up to Terry Foster. Luckily, he was stopping to pick up shells and toss rocks out into the surf, so it didn¡¯t take long. ¡°Terry?¡±


    He smiled as he turned to me. ¡°Hello, Sharkbait,¡± he said with a smile. I blushed a little at his use of my kiddie nickname. ¡°I had some time to talk with Amy and Kai today. Your friend was a fountain of knowledge on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Luna, I¡¯m going to smack her into next week,¡± I griped. ¡°Do you want to be alone? I don¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy yourpany, Vicki. It doesn¡¯t have to be more than that.¡± He turned and kept walking down the beach away from our group. I fell in next to him, the waves licking at our feet as they finished their run up the shore. We didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about what you said,¡± he finally let out. ¡°I¡¯ve been so obsessed with finding a mate that I¡¯ve let the rest of my life pass me by. This is the first time in years I¡¯ve just gone out with a group for the fun of it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go out?¡±


    ¡°I did, but it was always with a purpose. I¡¯d visit Packs to look for my mate, but I¡¯d leave right away if I didn¡¯t find her. I didn¡¯t stick around to make friends or experience new things. The older I¡¯ve gotten, the less fulfilling my life has been. I train, I do my Beta duties, and I try to sniff out my mate. Today was different. I knew my mate wasn¡¯t here, but I let myself have fun just for the sake of fun. Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, Terry.¡±


    He stopped and turned to me. ¡°You did it all. I only signed up to dive because I wanted to get close enough to make my offer without scaring you. What you said to me on the boat gave me hope again. I¡¯ve spent so many years being bitter at our Goddess for what she took away that I¡¯ve not prepared myself for what she has in mind for me. Maybe the reason I haven¡¯t found my second-chance mate is because I haven¡¯t let go of my first one.¡±


    He stopped and walked into the surf until the waves hit his knees. I walked behind him, cing my hand on his back. ¡°We grieve in different ways,¡± I said. ¡°My Uncle lost his will to live after his mate died of cancer. It got so bad that his Beta challenged him and took over the Pack, leaving Leo as a rogue. He had money, a big empty house full of memories, and cases of Jack Daniels to drown his sorrow with.¡± Terry didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared at the water as his fingers rubbed the canine tooth that hung with some precious stones from his ne. ¡°His wolf was dying slowly, and he didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°What turned him around?¡±


    ¡°My mother was a waitress at the restaurant he ate at every Tuesday, and she became friends with him. When her car died, he realized that his wife¡¯s car was still sitting in the garage, unused. He couldn¡¯t bring his mate back, but he could help out a friend. The car, her clothes, her jewelry; none of it would do him any good once he died, but all of it could help someone now. My Mom invited him for Christmas when I was almost five, and that¡¯s when he discovered I was a werewolf.¡±


    ¡°You had no idea?¡±


    ¡°No, my Mom was human; she¡¯d had a fling while on break from school with Leo¡¯s younger brother and got pregnant. He wanted her to abort it. Mom left town, and we had no idea I was a werewolf, much less a mantled Alpha female. It caused all kinds of problems,¡± I said with a sigh.


    He snorted. ¡°I can just imagine.¡±


    ¡°The Council got involved, and Luna Adrienne came to his house. She recognized him as her second-chance mate right away, but Leo¡¯s wolf didn¡¯t tell him. He wasn¡¯t ready yet; he hadn¡¯t moved on. When he finally did, his wolf came back. They¡¯ve been together for thirteen years now.¡±


    Terry sat down, letting the surf run over his legs and up to his chest. ¡°I haven¡¯t shifted for five years,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t hear my wolf. I know he is there, but he won¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    I got down behind him, hugging his body from behind as the emotions came out. He was clinging to the ne as the tears went down his face. I knew that the tooth he wore was from his lost mate, and as long as he clung to it, he¡¯d never be free. ¡°Let her go,¡± I told him as I held him tight. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to live again.¡±


    ¡°What is going on,¡± Adrienne linked to me as they kept watch from down the beach.


    ¡°He¡¯s finally letting go of his mate,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    It took a few minutes for him to make the decision, and I could sense his wolfing forward as he did. He pulled the ne over his head, staring down at the tooth. ¡°Goodbye, my love,¡± he said. I stepped back as he got up and walked until he was in waist-deep water, then threw the ne as far as he could into the warm waters.


    He walked back and pulled me into his arms for a hug. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Still no mating pull.¡±


    ¡°I could have told you that,¡± I said as he let me go. ¡°Adrienne felt it even when Leo didn¡¯t. None of the females you¡¯ve met are yours, or they would have known.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°A man can dream,¡± he replied as he took my hand and walked out of the surf with me. ¡°You¡¯re an amazing youngdy, Vicki. You are going to do great things, I can sense it.¡±


    ¡°Right now, I want to get some of the pecan pie they brought along for dessert,¡± I said with a giggle. We started back towards our group, passing the Lunas as they watched. I let him hold my hand as I felt his wolf making his presence known.


    ¡°AIDEN? AIIII-DAN! OH GOD, WHERE¡¯S AIDAN?¡±


    The four of us ran towards a woman who was standing in the surf, looking frantically for her boy. I didn¡¯t see anyone swimming out there. ¡°Where did youst see him,¡± Terry asked as we reached her.


    ¡°Right out there! He was only up to his chest in the water! Oh GOD, AIDAN!!!¡±


    ¡°Call 911, Karen,¡± I said as I ran into the surf. Adrienne, Terry, and I spread out and started to look, but it was difficult. We didn¡¯t have masks, and the churning waves limited our visibility. I started swimming as soon as the water was waist-deep, looking for the boy. ¡°Please, Luna, let us find him,¡± I prayed as I got to deeper water.


    I thought I saw something ahead of me at the edge of the dropoff. I took a deep breath before kicking below the water. I could feel the riptide starting to move me and swam with it, figuring it would take the boy as well.


    I¡¯d been under for over a minute when I saw an arm. Swimming towards it as fast as I could, I grabbed the boy off the bottom and pushed off towards the surface. He was dead weight, not moving, and I screamed for help as soon as I broke water.


    Terry was the closest to me and reached me first. The two of us swam into shallower water, and Terry pulled the boy out as soon as his feet touched bottom. I was exhausted from the swim and from holding my breath. A man I didn¡¯t know helped me to the beach and sat me down.


    I looked at where they had the boy; his fingers were blue, and no one knew how long he¡¯d been underwater. Terry was giving rescue breaths as Karen performed CPR. I could hear the siren as a Jeep from the lifeguard station at the main part of the beach approached; this section did not have lifeguard coverage.

 SHARKBAIT #13

    The two lifeguards had an automatic defibritor with them and attached it while Karen finished her set ofpressions. The machine shocked his heart and got it going again. We all let out a sigh of relief when he coughed up water.


    He opened his eyes, and his Mom was crying as she held his hand. She didn¡¯t let go until the ambnce arrived.


    She turned to us as we were giving our statements to the lifeguards for their incident reports. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said through her tears as she hugged me, then Adrienne. When she grabbed Terry around the waist, I saw it.


    His eyes shed with his wolfing forward, and he froze for a second. His arms came down around her as his nose took in her scent. His teeth were starting to shift, but she was human. ¡°Terry,¡± I said as I pinched his ear to get his attention. ¡°Maybe you can follow the ambnce in her car while she rides with her son?¡±


    My words got through, and he nodded. ¡°Give me your keys, and I¡¯ll gather up your stuff and bring it to the emergency room for you.¡±


    She looked lost but was clinging to him like a baby monkey without knowing why. ¡°All right,¡± she said. They went to where her nket and bag was; she took her purse with her, while he gathered everything in the towel.


    She climbed into the back of the ambnce as I walked with Terry towards the parking lot. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°My wolf didn¡¯t listen to me when I tried to hold him back.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± I told him. ¡°I had no idea it would work that quickly.¡±


    He just shook his head as he pressed the remote, and her minivan opened up with its lights shing. ¡°I don¡¯t even know her name, she might even be married,¡± he said as he tossed the stuff onto the passenger seat.


    ¡°You have to get her to fall in love with you before you tell her,¡± I said. ¡°Help her through this, and it will get you close.¡±


    He started up the van and moved the driver¡¯s seat back so he could get his long legs in. ¡°Thanks, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Terry.¡± He closed the door and drove out of the space, tucking himself right behind the ambnce as it drove away with lights and sirens.


    Luna did what she wanted when she wanted. I felt Adrienne and Karening up behind me as I watched them drive away. ¡°You did good, kiddo,¡± my Aunt said as she put an arm around my shoulder. ¡°How many lives is that now?¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± I said. I¡¯d been involved in two rescues as a lifeguard at the Apple Valley pool, and now this. ¡°I have to let go of him and move on,¡± I said.


    ¡°Luna will wait as long as she needs to,¡± Adrienne agreed.


    ¡°Can she let me finish grad school first,¡± I asked. Both of themughed before we started walking back to our part of the beach.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ************


    We missed the rest of the party, as we had to speak to the police as well. Then the press showed up, more than happy to show hot-ass women in bikinis as heroes of the day. Since I was the one who found the boy underwater, they all wanted to talk to me. I brushed off the praise, saying I wasn¡¯t the only one who rushed in the water. I was just lucky enough to find him in time.


    I finally made it back to my stuff, pulling on the long shirt as the air started to chill with the setting sun. We drove back to the Summit location, arriving after dark. ¡°We saw you on the news,¡± Alpha Leo said when we were close enough to link him. ¡°You make me proud.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Unka Leo,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good, because there is a cocktail party going on now, and you and Adrienne need to be here.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± Adrienne had a knowing smile as she went back to her bedroom to change. I quickly showered and did my hair before pulling on a pair of ckce panties. I opened my little closet and reached behind the ball gown for the cocktail dress I brought. I couldn¡¯t wear a bra with it, as the back had a daring dip to just above my butt. Theck of a bra didn¡¯t matter with my athletic build, and I might as well take advantage of it while I¡¯m young enough to pull it off. The off-the-shoulder bodycon dress hugged my figure, ending high on my thighs. I paired it with ck-strapped low heels, not needing to raise myself any further with my height. Simple diamond stud earrings and a shark-tooth nepleted my outfit.


    I was watching the national cable news when Adrienne came out. ¡°You look hot,¡± I told her. She was wearing a deep-red halter-top dress that hugged her curves to her thighs before a ruffled skirt continued to just above her knees. Lace ents gave a peek of skin, and her mating scar was visible in the front. She finished it off with matching red heels, pearl earrings, and a matching ne.


    ¡°It takes a little more preparation at my age,¡± she replied as I stood. ¡°Look at you! Rinse off the saltwater and pull a dress on, and you look fabulous.¡± I giggled a little as I went to open the door for her. ¡°Vicki, where is the rest of your dress?¡±


    ¡°They ran out of material,¡± I said as I stepped down. The breeze felt good on my skin as we walked towards the main building.


    ¡°I think we need to put an armed guard on you. That dress is positively dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that little girl anymore, Luna. That bastard may not be here anymore, but I¡¯m pretty sure the word will get back to him about what he gave up.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply to that, and soon we were passing through the front doors. The party had been going for a while, and the room quieted when we entered. Someone started to p, and it picked up momentum like a wave until everyone was standing and apuding. The Committee Chairman and his mate, Lnd and Bonnie Carver, came up to thank us. He held up his hand, and the room quieted. ¡°Most of you saw the news tonight, where a beach outing for a young mother nearly turned tragic. Thanks to Luna Adrienne Volkov and Vicki Lawrence, a human boy is recovering in the hospital tonight. You make us proud,¡± he said as he reached forward to shake our hands.


    Bonnie gave us each a hug, and I was happy to see her. She¡¯d been one of the Lunas who had taken me to the Anta Aquarium for my birthday as a young girl. We¡¯d kept in touch since then.


    Some of the guests started asking for a speech. Adrienne put a hand on my back and gently pushed me forward. ¡°This one is all yours, Sharkbait. I just sshed around.¡±


    ¡°Thank you all. Is Luna Karen here?¡± She was encouraged toe forward, and I took her hand. ¡°Many people responded, but three peoplebined to save the boy. I was lucky enough to find him where the riptide had carried him, but by the time I got him to the surface, I was out of air. Terry Foster pulled him to shore and began CPR with Luna Karen. We didn¡¯t do anything special; we acted on our training, and it all worked out.¡± I looked around. ¡°Did Terry make it back yet?¡±


    An older man stepped forward; from his face, I could tell it was Terry¡¯s father. ¡°My son is still at the hospital with the family. Hopefully, that family will soon be OUR family, as my son informed me that the mother is his mate.¡±


    You could have heard a pin drop in the room before there were shouts of joy and congrattions. I just smiled; he had a lot of work ahead of him, but my Mom proved it would be worth it. As the other Council members came through to shake my hand, the party got going again.


    An hourter, I was ready to leave. Most of the people my age were off in the woods or at the pool. I was stuck here in a dress, listening to women I didn¡¯t know talk about how I needed to meet their grandson or nephew. ¡°Alpha, how long am I expected to stick around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back if you¡¯re ready,¡± he told me.


    We were nearly done with our goodnights when Chairman Carver pulled us aside. ¡°May I have a moment with the two of you in private? And can you ask your mate to join you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Chairman,¡± Leo said. Adrienne joined us a few momentster as well as his mate, Bonnie. Lnd led us to the second-floor offices, where he opened the door to a small conference room and asked us to sit. ¡°What can we do for you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Lewis Wolfe, your Regional Chairman for the Midwest, wille to the end of his twenty-year term at next year¡¯s Summit. He indicated he intends to retire instead of seeking reelection.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leo said.


    The Chairman held up his hand. ¡°Hear me out, please. The Regional Chairman is an important position, so we need to have the best candidate elected to the spot. Chairman Wolfe rmended the two of you as his recements, and the Council agreed that you would be great in the job if elected.¡±


    ¡°Why,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Luna Adrienne. In most Alpha pairings, the female is not as active in the political and rtional aspects of the job. Your experience as a Council mediator,bined with the decades the two of you have been respected Alphas, makes you the logical choice.¡± He looked over at me. ¡°It¡¯s quite the honor to serve as a Regional Chairman, and well-deserved. Your Alphas are perfectly suited for the job, and you are strong enough to take over the Miesville Pack for them.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not mated,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°We know, and we also know now how mature and level-headed you have be. You didn¡¯t create a scene with your rejection; instead, you handled it with ss and maturity. You show a great deal of empathy and understanding, and no one will ever question your courage. The Miesville Pack is stable and healthy, and you will still have your Aunt and Uncle avable to you if you need advice.¡± He could tell I wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°I would have spoken of this earlier, but we had to see who Luna had selected for her mate. Timothy was a mantled Alpha, and if he wasn¡¯t such a fool, you would have joined his Pack. I was hoping you would find a mate without a mantle and stay in Miesville, but that was not to be. Unless, of course, you choose to take the mating proposal of an unmated male.¡±


    ¡°NO! I have made my decision clear. I will not be the female that steals another wolf¡¯s mate,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°We respect your choice, Vicki. Nothing must be decided tonight, and the change does not take ce until the elections next year. That gives you plenty of time for a leadership transition at Miesville.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything negative right now,¡± Adrienne warned.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given me a lot to think about,¡± I said diplomatically.

 SHARKBAIT #14

    ¡°You are a worthy female, Vicki, and we all think you are strong enough to be Alpha on your own until Luna brings you a mate. Leo, Adrienne, you know how we feel about you. We all hope you will agree to step up and seek the Council position,¡± Lnd said.


    ¡°As my niece said, Mr. Chairman, it¡¯s a lot to think about,¡± Leo replied.


    I let out a yawn, which Adrienne caught. ¡°I think we need to get Vicki home. She didn¡¯t get much sleepst night, and this has been a long day,¡± she said.


    Lnd and Bonnie went to stand, so we did as well. ¡°Of course,¡± Bonnie said. ¡°We can speak more in the morning if you have any questions.¡± She led us to the door, closing it behind us as we walked away.


    ¡°That was interesting,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°You know how I feel,¡± I told them. ¡°It¡¯s Andrie¡¯s birthright to take over Miesville, not mine.¡±


    ¡°But you could hold the spot for him,¡± Leo countered.


    ¡°It¡¯s WAY too early to be discussing anything other than what is for breakfast tomorrow,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Let¡¯s get her back to the trailer. Are you going to sleep or head back out with the younger crowd?¡±


    ¡°Sleep,¡± I said as we walked out the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with her, and you can do the politicking,¡± Adrienne said.


    Leo looked over at her like she was punishing him. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say how you were so much better than me at the political side?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Yes, but you aren¡¯t wearing three-inch heels and a tight dress,¡± she countered.


    Sleep that night did note easy. If I turned down the Alpha position, I¡¯d ruin any chance of Leo and Adrienne bing Regional Chairs for at least twenty more years, maybe forever. If I took it, my dreams of going off to school and studying sharks woulde to an end.


    Either way, dreams were going to die.


    ***************


    I woke up and looked at my phone; it was six in the morning. My text messages had blown up, and I¡¯d missed dozens of calls. I scrolled through the list as Iid in bed, stopping at a caller ID from WALA Television in Mobile, bama. She had left a message. ¡°Vicki, this is Shannon Eckersly from FOX10 News in Mobile, bama. I was the reporter who interviewed youst night after the rescue? Our phones have been blowing up with callers wanting to know more about you and the rescue! I just got off the phone with Fox and Friends, and they want to interview you in the morning! Can you believe it? Millions of people watch that show every morning! I was hoping to talk to you, but please call the news desk back, and they will give you the details. The morning show would interview live in our studios here in Mobile. Call me back! I¡¯m so excited for you!¡± She left the phone number and hung up.


    I checked the other messages, mostly people congratting me, and butt-scooted my way to the bottom of the bed. Leo was up already, sitting at the table with his coffee while reading the news on his tablet. ¡°Morning, Sharkbait,¡± he said as I dropped to the floor.


    I kissed Unka Leo on the cheek and went over to the fridge to grab a Mountain Dew. I needed caffeine, but I hated coffee. Sitting down across from him, I stole one of the donuts off his te. ¡°You were up early,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m always up early, Sharkbait. That¡¯s what happens to old men,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Your interview has thirty-seven thousand views on Youtube so far. I rmend you don¡¯t read thements; you¡¯d think these kids had never seen a girl in a bikini before.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I pulled up the site on my phone and found the video. ¡°I got a message from the news station in Mobile,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know. The station called your Mom, and Liv called me.¡±


    I bit into the chocte bismark, sucking the custard out of the center. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being a celebrity, Leo. I just followed my training and got lucky.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That may be the case, but you might want to reconsider the whole celebrity thing.¡± I looked at him quizzically. ¡°Who is your hero?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Ocean Ramsey,¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°And how does Ocean get her message out to the world?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s famous,¡± I agreed as I figured out where he was going. ¡°She used her looks and her diving to make videos and photos that went viral.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Get people to watch, then teach them about sharks. It¡¯s not fair, but it¡¯s true. If Ocean hadn¡¯t been hotter than Georgia asphalt in that wetsuit, no one would have heard of her.¡± He set thest donut aside for Adrienne as we each took another.


    ¡°You want me to do the interview,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. Face it, Vicki; you are young, smart, and beautiful, and people want to know about you this morning. By next week they will have moved on. Today you have a chance to talk about the sharks you love, and your n to massively expand the tracking of sharks so we can better protect them. When else will you have a chance to reach tens of millions of people at once?¡±


    He was right; I wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Strike while the iron is hot?¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°Exactly. I already told the station you would do the interview. The helicopter will pick you up in,¡± he looked down at his tablet, ¡°Forty-two minutes.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°WHAT? I just woke up!¡±


    ¡°Get in the shower as soon as Adrienne is out, and wear something nice. Adrienne is going with you. Don¡¯t worry about hair and makeup; the helicopter will ruin your hair anyway. They¡¯ll fix you up at the station.¡±


    ¡°GAAAH!¡± I gobbled down the rest of the donut and washed it down with the rest of the can of Mountain Dew. I finished washing my hands as Leo walked back to the bedroom, giving me privacy as Adrienne exited the shower into themon area. ¡°Aunt Adrienne! You knew about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, dear. You needed your rest, but NOW you need to get in the shower. Chop chop!¡± She started to get dressed as I pulled off my jammies and headed into the bathroom. Ten minutester, I was back out with a towel wrapped around me.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of choices in clothing, as a ball gown and cocktail dress weren¡¯t appropriate, and we¡¯d traveled infortable clothes. I went with the shark-patterned blue sundress and white sandals, while Adrienne wore a patterned skirt and white silk blouse. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Leo said as he came back out. He was in a suit, ready to head back to the meetings that Alphas endured all weekend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°For everything. I don¡¯t know where my head would be right now if I didn¡¯t have the two of you here with me.¡±


    I got pulled into a group hug as the emotions hit me. ¡°Don¡¯t get snot on your dress,¡± Adrienne said after a few moments. I nearly choked as I pulled back andughed. Leo handed me a handkerchief, and I dried my eyes. ¡°Nowe on, we have to get to the clearing behind the main house to meet the helicopter.¡±


    I followed my Luna out the door, and we started walking towards the main house. ¡°What about Luna Karen? She and Terry did CPR, so she was part of saving the boy too!¡±


    ¡°Karen doesn¡¯t want to be involved,¡± Adrienne replied. ¡°You¡¯re the photogenic one.¡±


    ¡°And Terry?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s helping his mate at the hospital; the boy was kept overnight for observation, but they say he will be fine. You should talk about their efforts, though.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± We had reached the back, and someone had spray-painted an X on thewn for thending spot. I could hear the helicoptering. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a helicopter before,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rush,¡± Adrienne said.


    The news helicopter red out andnded, the engines spooling down. The right-side door opened, and a man in a flight suit came over to us. After telling us the obvious point that we should keep our heads down, we moved to the door and climbed in. He helped us get strapped in and put headsets on us to cut the noise. ¡°Press this button, and you can talk to us,¡± the pilot said before he climbed into his front right seat.


    I pushed the button. ¡°Thank you foring to get us,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s our honor, Miss Lawrence,¡± he said said. He gave me a quick brief of the controls, which I could see from the seat behind the copilot. ¡°Do you want a gentle or fun ride?¡±


    ¡°FUN!¡±


    The pilot twisted the throttle with his left hand until the engines were at full speed, then he raised the collective lever to make us rise into the air. He used the pedals to swing us around as we elerated forward; in moments, we were speeding across thewn at head height. As we approached the trees, he pulled back on the cyclic. The nose went up and we rose quickly above the trees. Less than a minuteter, we were cruising at two thousand feet and two hundred knots to the west. The flight didn¡¯t take long, and when we touched down on the rooftop of the television station, I was disappointed it was over. ¡°We¡¯ll take you back when you¡¯re ready,¡± the pilot told us as he shut the engines down.


    ¡°Thank you! That was SO fun!¡± I¡¯d taken videos and a lot of photos on the flight, which was MUCH more fun than a ne.


    Thirty minutes after we arrived, I¡¯d been sprayed,bed, powdered, and buffed until I was ready for the three-dimensional high-definition cameras. A young woman led me to a studio where a producer sat me down on a chair. On the screen across from me was the feed from thework feed of Fox and Friends. The cameraman, producer, and Adrienne were the only ones in the room when the door closed. ¡°You¡¯re up next, after themercial break,¡± the producer told me. ¡°Lance and Nikki will tease the interview before they bring you in. The red light on means the camera is live.¡± The screen I was watching was directly under the camera. ¡°Talk into the camera when you can, and rx. You¡¯re going to do fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°You got this, Vicki,¡± Adrienne told me.


    I used my breath tricks for diving to help calm my heart rate down as themercials came to an end. The show came back, with Lance talking to the camera. ¡°Wee back to Fox and Friends Weekend. Yesterday, strangers on a remote beach near Pensac, Florida, responded to a frantic Mom¡¯s cries for help. Her seven-year-old son had disappeared under the waves, and time was running out. Thankfully, a hero was there to save the boy, and she is with us this morning. Please wee Vicki Lawrence, from Apple Valley, Minnesota.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #15

    The red light came on as the main feed showed a crowd shot of people apuding. ¡°Thank you for having me on,¡± I said.


    Nikki picked up the questions. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the video a half-dozen times, Vicki, and I still can¡¯t believe it. Can you walk us through what happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I was walking along the beach with a friend, Terry Foster, and my stepmother, Karen Volkov, when we heard the Mom screaming for her boy. We ran over and found out her son was gone. She pointed to where shest saw him, and Terry and I went into the water to find him.¡±


    ¡°We have cellphone footage showing what happened next,¡± Lance said. The video showed four of us in the waves, my thong bikini bottom prominently featured by the person recording the video.


    ¡°We were looking through the shallow water, and we didn¡¯t see anything. There was a dropoff a little farther out, and a bit of a rip current. I figured the current might have him, so I dove in and swam with the current as I looked along the bottom for him.¡±


    There was a clock along the bottom, counting up. ¡°The clock shows the time you spent underwater in this rescue,¡± Nikki said. ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a lifeguard and an open-water scuba diver since I was fifteen, and I¡¯ve been free-diving a lot longer than that,¡± I said. ¡°I just reacted to the situation.¡±


    The clock was past thirty now. ¡°What was going through your head now?¡±


    ¡°I was praying that I would find him before it was toote,¡± I said. ¡°I had no idea how long he¡¯d been under before we got there, or how far the riptide had carried him. With the surf, visibility was only about ten feet. It was a needle in a haystack.¡±


    The clock was now over a minute, and Nikki kept going. ¡°How long can you hold your breath underwater?¡±


    ¡°Close to four minutes if I have time to prepare. In this rescue, I could only take a few deep breaths before diving, plus I was swimming hard. I was almost to the end of my endurance when I saw an arm.¡±


    ¡°Wow. What was going through your mind when you saw it,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Get him to the surface,¡± I said. ¡°I knew if I went up to catch a breath, I might not find him again. I pulled him to my side and kicked for the top.¡±


    The video showed meing up on the left edge before the cameraman spotted me. ¡°One minute, forty-two seconds,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°My prayers were answered,¡± I said. ¡°I yelled for help. Terry was close enough to take over and get him to shore, where he and Karen started CPR. I barely had the energy to make it out of the water, as you can see.¡± No wonder my story went viral; I was on my hands and knees at the water¡¯s edge in a tiny bikini, my boobs hanging down as I breathed hard, and my ass on full disy.


    ¡°You¡¯re a true hero,¡± Nikki said as she wiped away a tear. ¡°You are a senior in high school, right?¡± I nodded in response. ¡°What is in your future?¡±


    I smiled as now I could make my pitch. ¡°Since I was a young girl, I¡¯ve been fascinated by sharks. I n to get a degree in Marine Biology, and I¡¯ve got a project I¡¯m just starting to help in conservation efforts for sharks.¡±


    ¡°Really? What kind of project,¡± Lance asked.


    ¡°One of the issues we have in protecting shark species is that we don¡¯t know enough about their movements and where they mate and birth their pups. If we learn more about them, we can better target our conservation efforts.¡±


    ¡°How do you n to do this,¡± Lance asked.


    ¡°My idea to make inexpensive trackers avable on a wider basis, and offset the cost by letting people ¡®adopt¡¯ a shark they could track online. The University of Miami tried this a decade ago, but the cost of a tracking device and the cost of catching and tagging sharks was very high, and few got tagged. I want to enlistmercial fishermen, anglers, biologists, and government inrge-scale tagging and tracking efforts. Sharks are amazing predators; I don¡¯t want to see any more species going extinct like the Great Hammerhead Shark.¡±


    ¡°That would be a tragedy,¡± Nikki agreed. ¡°Thank you for joining us this morning, and good luck with your project.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having me,¡± I said. The light on the camera went off, and I let out a breath as Lance told everyone that the weather would be next after themercial break.


    ¡°That was FANTASTIC,¡± Adrienne said as she rushed forward.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I was so nervous,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anyone had a video of the rescue!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think those shots hurt your reputation one bit,¡± she said as she pulled me into a hug. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to beat the boys away with sticks.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. Everyone thanked me, then it was back to the helicopter.


    ¡°How would you like to fly us back,¡± the pilot asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? YEAH!¡±


    ¡°Get in.¡± He put me in the front left seat, the collective sticking up between my legs, and rudder pedals on the floor. After getting me buckled in and the headset on, he went around to the right seat. The copilot sat behind me with Adrienne on the other side. He walked me through the pre-flight checks, and let me start the turbojet engine. ¡°If I say HANDS OFF, let go of the controls and the pedals. I¡¯ll keep control until we are away from popted areas, so don¡¯t touch until I tell you.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. As we took off and flew east, the pilot exined what he was doing and why.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start simple. I¡¯ll keep the rudder and collective, and you take the cyclic when I tell you. Do you see that creek down there?¡± I nodded; we were about a thousand feet above the winding water. ¡°Pretend we¡¯re looking for a lost fisherman and follow the river with the aircraft.¡±


    I took the cyclic and started to fly, moving the stick side to side to stay over the water. The pilot even let me dive down to five hundred feet for a bit before we came back up to cruising altitude. By the end of my time, I had all three controls and was FLYING A FREAKING HELICOPTER!


    He took over for thending approach, and set it down right on the mark. I hugged both men and thanked them profusely before following Adrienne back across thewn. I waved at the two men as they took off again.


    ¡°BEST DAY EVER,¡± I said with a big grin.


    ************


    Thankfully, the Summit was ending after the farewell luncheon. Adrienne and I had just enough time to return to the trailer before we had to go. Both of us packed our bags, leavingfortable travel clothes out for when we returned. A driver would be taking us to the private airport shortly after things wrapped up, and we were in a hurry to get back home.


    Mom had packed the dress for me with this meal in mind, and it was ssy butfortable. The four of us shared a table with Amy and Kai, who were sitting with their Alphas. Steve and Carolyn Dauntless were proof Luna liked opposites; he was tall and thin with a deep tan and bright white hair, while she was short and muscled like a gymnast, with a fairplexion and raven-ck hair to her waist. The males stood up as we approached the table and got introduced.


    ¡°So this is the infamous Sharkbabe,¡± Steve said as he brought my hand to his nose in greeting.


    I blushed, thinking he had misheard my nickname. ¡°Sharkbait, although I think I¡¯ve outgrown that nickname by now,¡± I said nervously.


    ¡°Sharkbabe is what they are calling you on social media now,¡± Amy said. ¡°You¡¯ve gone VIRAL! First the rescue, then the interview this morning? Have you even turned your phone on today?¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°I turned it off before the interview, and I couldn¡¯t use it while I was flying the helicopter! I kind of forgot about it. I left my phone with my travel clothes.¡±


    ¡°People are posting memes about you everywhere,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°My phone has been ringing off the hook, and half the boys at school want me to get them a date with you,¡± Amy said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, Luna,¡± I said as we sat down. ¡°What the hell did I get talked into doing?¡±


    Leo pulled me into a side hug. ¡°You did a great job this morning; everyone was proud of you, and you nted a seed. The real question is what you do with your newfound fame.¡±


    I sat back and thought about it; I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I never nned on having to deal with ANY of this stuff. I just wanted to finish my shark tracking project, graduate, and go to college!¡±


    Kai justughed. ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to go back to the way it was, Vicki. Like it or not, you¡¯re a celebrity now. You either OWN it, or it owns you. Just like this morning, when you used your tform to talk about your project. You can take your fame and turn it into money and awareness, or you can wait for it to fade away.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t fade away,¡± Amyughed. ¡°Have you SEEN yourself in that bikini? Shit, girl, you looked like a model! I wish I had abs like yours!¡±


    I shook my head because Amy¡¯s body was just as hot as mine. ¡°I just need time to think about what to do next. I¡¯d like to find a way to push my project forward. If I can build on this morning, maybe that can help.¡±


    Adrienne just chuckled. ¡°I bet those people you talked to earlier this week are DESPERATE to ride your coattails now. Not even Ocean has that kind of audience, not anymore,¡± she said. ¡°You should talk to them about how we can fast-track your idea, or at least turn the notoriety into donations to shark conservation funds.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I promised. ¡°Amy, what are you two doing next?¡±


    ¡°I would like to hear this as well,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°You both have school to finish, and Kai¡¯s active duty stint begins shortly after graduating from Oregon.¡±


    She got a little nervous. ¡°I¡¯d like to bring Kai home to meet my family,¡± she said. ¡°Alpha Leo, could we travel home with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Leo said. ¡°You will always be wee with our Pack, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #16

    ¡°I can do my sses online until Thursday morning¡¯sb, so I n to stay with her and fly back Wednesday night,¡± Kai added.


    ¡°And when will you be bringing your Mate to your family, and to meet her new Pack,¡± Steven asked.


    Amy held his hand, and they looked at each other before he answered. ¡°We honestly haven¡¯t figured it out yet,¡± he said. ¡°She rightly wants to finish her schooling. There is nothing like the Zoo School in Oregon, and we don¡¯t know if she can do all or part of it online.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk with my Mom, and Kai has to talk with his parents,¡± Amy said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out in a week or two.¡±


    Carolyn pped her hands at this. ¡°Excellent. I like her,¡± she told her mate. ¡°She has enough backbone to stick up for what she wants, and not just roll over and do whatever her mate wants. She¡¯ll be a good addition to our Pack.¡±


    ¡°Your time together will face many challenges in the next five years,¡± Steven agreed. ¡°There will be multiple moves for his training plus deployments for six months at a time or more. You¡¯ll rely on the rtionships you build with our Pack members, as well as the family and friends you have in Minnesota.¡±


    ¡°Especially when you have children,¡± Carolyn added.


    As they talked about pups, I started to understand just how much my best friend¡¯s life had transformed since we arrived on Friday. Us going to school together full-time was not even possible. From their talks, Kai would relocate at least five times in the next two years. After that, they may be at the same base, but he would be gone the majority of the time. She wouldn¡¯t be able to attend college except online and still be with her mate.


    I shuddered at the thought of how close I¡¯de to disaster.


    If Amy and I hadn¡¯t walked past that trailer, if I hadn¡¯t seen Timothy and Traci rutting without concern for their potential mates, things would have been very different. I would not have approached Traci to find out their n; like everyone else, I would have avoided the slut who was stinking up the ce with another man¡¯s seed. Timothy would have found me in the line, and if Traci wasn¡¯t there watching, he might even have marked me. This afternoon, I¡¯d be having the same conversation aboutpleting school, and I bet I¡¯d get a different answer. Timothy¡¯s father would insist on me going there immediately and having my things shipped out. Some Alphas didn¡¯t even allow the new female to return home for years. I let out a sigh; my dreams would have vanished like a shark into the depths.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Vicki?¡±


    I looked up, panic on my face as I realized I had NO idea what the question was.


    ¡°That she should finish high school in Minnesota,¡± Leo bailed me out.


    ¡°You know, I love spending time with Amy, but it¡¯s none of my business. She and Kai need to work out the boundaries of their new rtionship as they learn about each other and grow. I¡¯ll support whatever decision they make,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very diplomatically said,¡± Steven agreed.


    ¡°And she¡¯s right,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°They have enough on their tes as new mates without everyone telling them what to do. Let¡¯s give them time and space to make the decision that is right for them.¡± With that, the servers came out, and the speeches began.


    I wanted to talk to Amy in private, so I gave her a signal with my eyes. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said as I got up.


    Leo was about to get up to escort me when Amy jumped up first. ¡°I¡¯ll walk her there,¡± she said. We quietly exited the room and went down the hall to the bathroom. As soon as I shut the door, she pulled me into a hug. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For supporting us,¡± she replied as she let me go. ¡°It seems like no matter what I want to do, I¡¯m disappointing someone. It¡¯s tough standing up to a new Alpha and Luna I barely know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Amy, and nothing is going to change that. I meant what I said. You¡¯re eighteen and mated; Luna, that sounds like a bad reality television show!¡± Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll always be a phone call away.¡±


    We finished our business and went to wash up. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to finally turn my phone on when we leave and see just how bad it is,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be proud or embarrassed by the ¡®Sharkbabe¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter,¡± she asked. ¡°Cheryl Tiegs is eighty-five now, and she¡¯s still making money off posters she made in the seventies. You¡¯re smart, sexy, and confident; use that to kick open some doors and make some money. Shark research is a lot easier when you own the boat,¡± she teased.


    I was grinning about that idea as we walked out the door. I should have been paying more attention.


    A sh of movement from behind Amy caught my attention, just in time to see something hit the back of Amy¡¯s head. She pitched forward and started falling towards the carpeted floor as I caught sight of her attacker. She fell hard, but I didn¡¯t reach out to her. I moved into an attack position as he backed away from me, his face hidden by a mask.


    ¡°LEO KID¡­¡± and I felt the link break at the same time a bag went over my head from behind. My vision went away under the thick bup. There was a cable or chain at the bottom that must have been silver, and a second attacker started dragging me towards the door with it. I got a sniff of chemicals, so I held my breath. Trying to get it off was foolish, so instead, I started sending elbows into the stomach of my captor while my feet blindlyshed out to kick his shins.


    ¡°Punch her,¡± the man behind me said as we exited the building.


    His punch was like a hammer to my gut, knocking the wind out of me. I took a breath before I could stop myself, and I felt the cknessing. ¡°LEO,¡± I yelled, and then it was done.


    I was floating below the ocean, looking up at the fuzzy bright light. I couldn¡¯t hear anything, and I couldn¡¯t move anything. My vision went in and out of focus. The smell was what I recognized first; stale, musty air.


    I fought towards the light, my sensesing online as I woke up. I could feel the sheets and the mattress below me. I blinked my eyes, and they adjusted into focus. Moving my head took a little longer.


    I was in a small room with a bare light hanging from the ceiling. The concrete block walls were bare and unpainted, with stains and bugs crawling over them. I could hear a fan running, and found the ductwork in the ceiling where fresh air came in. There was a metal door in the wall closer to my feet.


    I tried to roll onto my side, and that is when I noticed the cor. Laying back, I moved a hand up to my neck. The silver cor had a loop in front, connected with a padlock to a chain piled to the left of my head. Following the chains back, I saw an eye-bolt set into the concrete.


    I tried to send out over the link to Leo, knowing it wouldn¡¯t work. My kidnappers knew what I was, and they would make sure my wolf stayed down. They had taken all my clothing and left me naked on the bed, probably to ensure I wasn¡¯t wearing any tracking devices. I forced myself up on my elbows and backed up towards the wall until I was sitting up. My muscles were sore, telling me I¡¯d been out for a while. My stomach flipped, and I focused on my breathing until the wave of nausea passed. It was only then that I checked my body for injuries and blood.


    They hadn¡¯t raped me, at least not yet. My throat was sore from when my kidnapper dragged me out with the chain. I swallowed and managed to whisper to myself, finding reassurance that there wasn¡¯t permanent damage.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Relieved, I took a closer look around the room. A folding chair and a small metal table sat in the corner near the door. On the other side of the room, apact refrigerator sat with a box of gran on it.


    It took another ten minutes for the drugs to fade to the point I could move all my limbs without having to concentrate on it. I stood to my feet with a hand on the wall, and then I took a few steps to determine how far the chains would allow me to go.


    It wasn¡¯t far. I got about halfway to the door. If I reached out with one foot, I couldn¡¯t quite reach the refrigerator or the table. I heard footstepsing, and decided I better sit down before the door opened. I was sitting with my back to the wall again as the metal door unlocked and opened. Two men came into the room; one I recognized, and one I didn¡¯t. ¡°Beta Todd,¡± I said to the younger man as he stepped aside, watching the door.


    The other man looked to be in his fifties, with grey hair at his temples, a receding hairline, and the start of a beer gut. He kept the scars and bearing of a man who had been a warrior all his life. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± he said as he moved to the table and sat down. ¡°I know these aren¡¯t the usual amodations for a celebrity like yourself, but we have a lot of privacy out here. There¡¯s nothing but snakes and gators for miles in any direction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be much safer chained up on a dingy mattress with silver around my neck,¡± I answered defiantly. ¡°Especially with a couple of upstanding Betas from the Killington Pack watching over me.¡± The older man fixed his son with a re. ¡°Did you enjoy the beach party, Todd? I¡¯m sorry I had to run off and save someone instead of listening to yourme attempts to getid, despite that inbred face of yours.¡±


    Thatst bit of sass just MIGHT have been a bit too much. The older man was out of his seat in a sh. I felt pain explode over the left side of my face as his punch hit me, knocking me off the mattress. I rolled up to my feet, taking a defensive stance at the end of the chain. ¡°Fucking BITCH! You WILL learn your ce.¡±


    ¡°Take off the fucking silver, and I¡¯ll show you just how well I know my PLACE, Beta. You and your loser of a boy over there will never be the wolf I am, and you both know it.¡± He came across the bed,shing out with his left foot. I blocked it with my right arm and counter-punched into his thigh, only for his right hand to hit my ribs hard. The cor went tight, keeping me from moving away as he started to beat on me. Without my wolf speed and strength, I was nowhere near the fighter he was.

 SHARKBAIT #17

    I ended up face down on the floor, bleeding from my mouth and face with a few broken ribs. ¡°I had nned to give you food, water, clothing, and a bucket to piss in. Your attitude will keep you from any of that today.¡±


    I crawled up onto the mattress, unable to hide the pain from my ribs as I moved. ¡°My family will find you, and you will suffer for your actions,¡± I promised.


    The father justughed. ¡°No one will EVER find you, Vicki. And no one will ever know what happened.¡± He walked out, with Todd following quietly behind him. I heard the door lock as I managed to roll onto my back on the mattress.


    They hadn¡¯t bothered to hide their identities, I realized.


    That was bad. If my capture is for money or political reasons, they would have hidden their faces and their scents, ensuring it couldn¡¯t trace back to them. Todd and his father weren¡¯t worried about it because I was never going to leave this room alive.


    My face was throbbing, and my left eye started to swell over as I thought about what might be going on. Killington was Timothy and Traci¡¯s Pack. The Alpha of Killington, Theodore Lords, had been furious at his son when he found out he¡¯d rejected me in favor of his chosen mate. Was all this a means to fix that mistake, and force me to mate Timothy after all?


    As I thought about it, I saw all the reasons why that would NEVER happen. The first problem was Traci; she was now the future Luna of the Pack. The only way to put me in the job would be to have her killed first. Todd¡¯s father would never kill his eldest daughter to put me in ce. That doesn¡¯t even count the whole ¡°gotta get my wolf to agree to it and bite him¡± thing. After he imed Traci, the bond Luna had for us broke and wasn¡¯ting back. No, if they wanted me to cooperate, they would have taken Amy instead of me.


    Amy. I started to cry as I thought about my best friend and myst nce at her. She had no idea it wasing and was out before hitting the floor. These assholes might have KILLED her with how hard they hit the back of her head. I couldn¡¯t imagine what Kai was thinking when he saw his new mate lying on the carpet. What about Susan? Hell, my Mom and Dad were probably on their way to Florida already!


    I had to keep my wits about me. They would NEVER stop looking for me, and they would tear the Werewolf world apart to get me back.


    So if mating wasn¡¯t the long game, what was?


    Revenge? Was this Alpha so petty that he would take me to get at Leo? For what? Leo had a son and heir; I was close to him, but they had to know that Leo would stop at nothing to avenge me. There was no need to abduct me, just to kill me, unless they wanted to torture me to death and send him the tape. If THAT was the case, why have food and drink in the room?Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As if I didn¡¯t have enough of a headache, the two started talking in the other room. I rolled over until I could put my ear to the floor and listen in. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back to the Summit before the Council questions my absence. The Alpha can only pretend I¡¯m out searching for so long,¡± the father said. ¡°Take her temperature every morning as Doc told you, and call me when it is time. Don¡¯t even turn on that burner phone until then, got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and only say that Mom ising,¡± Todd said. ¡°If anything goes wrong, call and let you know Mom is sick.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave the house; you¡¯ve got everything you need for weeks here. You can use the bitch¡¯s mouth if you need to get off, but don¡¯t dip your wick. We need to make this work for Traci. We¡¯re all fucking dead if you screw this up.¡±


    ¡°I know, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, son. Everyone thinks you are training with a Russian Pack so they won¡¯t question your absence. Do this right, and you¡¯ll be home by the end of the year.¡± I heard a door open and close, then a vehicle started and pulled out.


    It all made sense now.


    They didn¡¯t need me as more than an incubator. Impregnate me, take my mantled baby, then kill me and toss my body to the alligators.


    I tugged at the cor, the exposed silver burning my fingers slightly. This kidnapping wasn¡¯t a spur-of-the-moment thing; their Pack had found a remote home, stocked it with food, prepped a cell for me, and nned their exit strategy. They had been nning this for months, maybe years.


    Timothy and Traci were going to mate after this weekend, and Timothy could have a mantled heir. Why bring me into the picture?


    I felt a pit in my gut as I realized why. Like my biological father, he must have given his mantle to another child, one no longer in the Killington Pack and beyond Alpha Theodore¡¯s control. Without me, the only female Alpha-mantled toe of age for the next twelve years, his Pack could be left without one.


    Timothy and Traci wanted to steal my baby and raise it as their own, and Traci¡¯s father and brother were going to make it happen.


    Iy there, trying without sess to poke holes in the logical conclusions I¡¯d made. My anger built as I felt my life slipping away. It was worse than my worst fears; I¡¯d turn into Princess Puppy Mill without the Princess part.


    I picked up on what the Beta had done to Todd. There was no way the Pack Beta could disappear without raising suspicions, especially since Killington would be a prime suspect. His son was stuck here with me for the next nine to ten months. He seemed like a decent guy when I talked to him at the beach party. Was that an act, or was all this dumped on his shoulders?


    His father was an asshole, expecting me to be broken and raped intopliance. It was just the two of us for the rest of the year; his father might stop in with supplies every month or so. My life would be better if I could get him to see me as a person instead of a womb.


    I didn¡¯t want to be beaten and used every night.


    I heard him walking towards the door and pushed my anger back. He pushed the door open, seeing me lying on my side on the thin mattress. He had a first aid bag in his left hand, which surprised me. ¡°Vicki, my Dad has the only key to your cor, and he¡¯s not here. If you think you can take me out and escape, you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯ll die of dehydration before hees back here.¡±


    I was weak and could see out of only one eye. If he was going to patch me up, I wasn¡¯t going to fight him. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said as I wiped a tear off my bruised cheek.


    I didn¡¯t move as he set the bag down on the table, well out of my reach. He pulled out an ice pack and handed it to me. ¡°Put that on your eye while I clean you up,¡± he said. The cold helped calm the pain and throbbing. He was surprisingly gentle with the washcloth as he cleaned the drying blood off my face and neck. ¡°That ring of his did some damage to your face,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to stitch it up.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how?¡±


    ¡°As my father¡¯s son, I had to learn early to patch myself and my siblings up.¡± He went back to the medical kit as I considered what that meant. Warrior training could be rough, and cuts and injuries happened. The way he said it implied it was more than just ¡®training.¡¯ If his dad beat them, I needed to use that to get him to see me as a fellow victim and not an assignment. He came back with a hemostat and a curved needle with stitch attached. ¡°I don¡¯t have any local anesthetic,¡± he said apologetically.


    ¡°It will distract me from how much my ribs hurt,¡± I replied. Todd was efficient with his stitching, covering the wound with antibiotic cream and a band-aid.


    ¡°Won¡¯t your father get mad at you helping me,¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°Fuck him,¡± Todd said. ¡°He¡¯s not stuck in this house with you. If that wound gets infected, he¡¯s not the one at risk trying to keep you healthy. Now, let¡¯s see those ribs. I¡¯ll need you to sit up,¡± he said. With his help and a grimace of pain, he got me sitting on the edge of the mattress. I yelped in pain as he probed the bruised area, feeling the bones. ¡°Best I can do is give you more ice packs and some anti-inmmatories,¡± he said. ¡°You have two broken ribs, but they haven¡¯t punctured anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said. ¡°It hurts like a bastard when I move.¡±


    He grabbed his trash and put it back in his pocket, then went back to the small fridge. The shelf was full of water bottles. Todd grabbed two, along with a handful of gran bars. He set them all by the bed, then went over and shook out a couple of Aleve capsules. I was already drinking the water when he handed me the pills. I tossed them back and drained the rest of the bottle. ¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Both of us are stuck in this shitshow, and I¡¯d rather not fight you the whole time we¡¯re here. It¡¯s going to suck enough as it is. Make sure you eat something with the pills. I didn¡¯t follow the ¡®take with food¡¯ instructions a few years ago and ended up shitting blood.¡± He walked out, leaving the door open. I opened one of the gran bars, chewing it slowly, then washing it down with the water. I was starving, my breakfast having been interrupted. From my hunger, it had been a while since the Beta snatched me.


    When he came back, he had some things in his hand. He set a metal bucket and a roll of toilet paper by the bed. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯ve used it, and I¡¯ll empty it. These won¡¯t fit, but they are better than nothing.¡± He tossed a shirt on the bed as he held out a pair of boxer shorts. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Todd moved the underwear over my legs and pulled them up as I painfully lifted my butt off the mattress. They were hopelessly big, so he twisted the front and put a rubber band over it to hold it in ce. Crude, but effective. He then held out a short-sleeved button-up Panama shirt, helping me get it on and buttoned without hurting me further. ¡°Why give me these,¡± I asked.


    He got a little embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman, Vicki, but you aren¡¯t my mate. You don¡¯t need the embarrassment, and I don¡¯t need the temptation.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #18

    ¡°Your father seemed to think you would take advantage of me.¡± Todd¡¯s father told him to use me for his sexual release as long as he didn¡¯t risk pregnancy. The way he said it told me he¡¯d done it himself.


    ¡°My father is not the person I aim to be.¡± He was getting a little upset, and when he turned and fled the room, I watched the door m shut behind him. Did I go too far?


    I took the ice pack off my face and moved it to my ribs afterying back down. I was going to use it until it was warm.


    I must have drifted off because I woke to the door opening. I could smell the food, and Todd had two tes in his hands. He set one of them on the table, then handed me a paper te. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a cook, but it¡¯s edible,¡± he said. It was a steak from the grill, with instant mashed potatoes and two dinner rolls with butter.


    I took the te and the stic fork, my stomach growling as I smelled it. I didn¡¯t have a knife, so I picked the steak up and took a chunk out of it. It was perfectly prepared. ¡°You grill like a champ,¡± I said after I swallowed the first piece.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I eat with you. Eating alone sucks.¡±


    ¡°Did that happen a lot as you grew up?¡±


    ¡°No. With Mom and the three of us, I was rarely alone. That makes this time all the more grating. They get to go home and act normal while I am stuck here with you.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not MY choice,¡± I said.


    He took a big bite, taking some time to think as he chewed. ¡°Both of us are caught up in things that are much bigger than ourselves. We can¡¯t avoid the oues, but we can try to make things less, um, unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Unpleasant is a pretty weak term for being kidnapped, raped, bred, and killed,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Dad said they¡¯d let you go after you give birth. He promised me.¡±


    I dropped my fork and looked at him. I kept staring until he looked at me. ¡°There is no way in HELL your Alpha lets me leave this room alive,¡± I said. ¡°He can¡¯t. You took me out from under the noses of every Alpha in North America. There won¡¯t be a human or werewolf in the country who doesn¡¯t know about me.¡± I pointed at him. ¡°You both didn¡¯t hide your identities, so I know what Pack is responsible. If I leave and tell someone what you¡¯ve done, there won¡¯t be a male left in your Pack by sundown.¡± I let that sink in. ¡°What do you think Alpha Leo and the Council are doing right now?¡±


    He took another bite and slowly chewed it. ¡°They are looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Every Pack is suspect, but some more than others. Killington is at the top of the list, along with Alpha Carl Owens of Little Canada. He¡¯s the fucker who got Leo arrested and tried when I was five years old, and he tried to get me assigned to his Pack. Your Alpha was major-league pissed I didn¡¯t mate his son.¡±


    ¡°Timothy was always going to mate Traci,¡± he said. ¡°They swore it to each other.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Leo will be out for blood, as will my biological father, Alpha Ivan, and all our allies. They dumped you down here with me because they have to pretend they have nothing to do with it. The Council and the other Alphas will be all over Killington looking for me.¡± He picked at his food, and I kept going. ¡°Timothy lost his Mantled Heir, didn¡¯t he,¡± I said.


    Todd¡¯s eyes got big. ¡°How did you know that? NO ONE knows that.¡±


    ¡°Logic,¡± I said.


    ¡°Four years ago, Timothy got an Omega in the Pack pregnant. She knew what would happen to her child if she stayed, so she fled. No one has seen her since, but Timothy got a photo of her and her son a yearter. Alpha Theodore has been trying to find and kill the family ever since.¡±


    ¡°Nice. That¡¯s the same thing that happened to me as a child. As for how I knew, their actions bear it out. Why go through all this? Why risk getting the Pack eliminated to get a child from me if Timothy can have a mantled heir with his chosen mate?¡± I let it sink in. ¡°Your father has you tracking my morning temperature. When they hear I¡¯m ovting, Alpha Theodore will send Timothy down her to rape and impregnate me.¡±


    ¡°Timothy isn¡¯t a rapist,¡± he defended.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Iughed. ¡°Who is going to tell anyone? You? And why wouldn¡¯t he want to find out what he gave up when he rejected me? He¡¯s going to have to drug me to do it. There is no way I¡¯m letting that diseased dick of his anywhere near me while I¡¯m conscious.¡±


    He looked down at his food and pushed it away, drinking some water. ¡°What else did you figure out?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be tossed to the gators right after I am.¡±


    Now I had his attention. ¡°No. I¡¯m the Beta¡¯s son; Alpha would NEVER do that.¡±


    ¡°Really? Let¡¯s y a game of what if. Under your n, you and I stay down here for the rest of the year, giving Alpha Theodore usible deniability they had anything to do with the kidnapping. They don¡¯t call, don¡¯t talk, and cooperate fully with the Council investigation. I¡¯ve disappeared without a trace, and so did you.¡±


    ¡°Dad said they would say I was training in Russia.¡±


    ¡°And it would take the Council less than five minutes to prove that was a LIE, and implicate Alpha Theodore in a conspiracy to abduct a Mantled Heir. Now, would you like to try that n, or what is behind door number two?¡± I was reeling him in like a walleye.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A version of the truth. Your father says you disappeared overnight. On yourputer, they find messages talking of your obsession with me, and insisting I will be your mate. They open everything to the Council, working by their side to track you down. Alpha Theodore even kicks you out of his Pack in disgust.¡±


    He tapped his fork nervously. ¡°But, Dad still has toe here to give me food, and Timothy still has toe here.¡±


    ¡°They can ditch their duties long enough to do that, especially after the initial investigation ends. Of course, they won¡¯t tell you anything about what is going on out there. They didn¡¯t even leave you with a radio or television, did they.¡±


    He shook his head, no. ¡°The radio in the van was removed.¡±


    ¡°So now we fast forward to the end of the year. Your Alpha treated you like a mushroom, keeping you in the dark and fed a line of shit. They take the baby and kill me to end the trail. The next bullet goes in the back of your head. With you dead, the trail ends. Case closed.¡± He was closing his eyes. ¡°Now they have a baby that has my smell to it. Timothy feels a family bond and adopts the orphan child. Better yet, Traci fakes a pregnancy, or gets knocked up at the same time and presents my child as a fraternal twin. By the time the wolf emerges, and the mantle is evident, everyone believes the child is theirs.¡±


    ¡°Traci wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± he tried to say.


    ¡°Tracy bes Luna with a mantled heir. Timothy gets the Pack. Theodore gets his grandchild. And the Beta sees his daughter as the future Luna. The only one who doesn¡¯t make out is you, Todd. You¡¯re the expendable one.¡±


    He got up and closed the door behind him as he ran away. The truth hurt, but these truths would be hard for anyone to ept.


    I finished my food andid down on the mattress again, falling back to sleep.

 SHARKBAIT #19

    Iy there, trying without sess to poke holes in the logical conclusions I¡¯d made. My anger built as I felt my life slipping away. It was worse than my worst fears; I¡¯d turn into Princess Puppy Mill without the Princess part.


    I picked up on what the Beta had done to Todd. There was no way the Pack Beta could disappear without raising suspicions, especially since Killington would be a prime suspect. His son was stuck here with me for the next nine to ten months. He seemed like a decent guy when I talked to him at the beach party. Was that an act, or was all this dumped on his shoulders?


    His father was an asshole, expecting me to be broken and raped intopliance. It was just the two of us for the rest of the year; his father might stop in with supplies every month or so. My life would be better if I could get him to see me as a person instead of a womb.


    I didn¡¯t want to be beaten and used every night.


    I heard him walking towards the door and pushed my anger back. He pushed the door open, seeing me lying on my side on the thin mattress. He had a first aid bag in his left hand, which surprised me. ¡°Vicki, my Dad has the only key to your cor, and he¡¯s not here. If you think you can take me out and escape, you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯ll die of dehydration before hees back here.¡±


    I was weak and could see out of only one eye. If he was going to patch me up, I wasn¡¯t going to fight him. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said as I wiped a tear off my bruised cheek.


    I didn¡¯t move as he set the bag down on the table, well out of my reach. He pulled out an ice pack and handed it to me. ¡°Put that on your eye while I clean you up,¡± he said. The cold helped calm the pain and throbbing. He was surprisingly gentle with the washcloth as he cleaned the drying blood off my face and neck. ¡°That ring of his did some damage to your face,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to stitch it up.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how?¡±


    ¡°As my father¡¯s son, I had to learn early to patch myself and my siblings up.¡± He went back to the medical kit as I considered what that meant. Warrior training could be rough, and cuts and injuries happened. The way he said it implied it was more than just ¡®training.¡¯ If his dad beat them, I needed to use that to get him to see me as a fellow victim and not an assignment. He came back with a hemostat and a curved needle with stitch attached. ¡°I don¡¯t have any local anesthetic,¡± he said apologetically.


    ¡°It will distract me from how much my ribs hurt,¡± I replied. Todd was efficient with his stitching, covering the wound with antibiotic cream and a band-aid.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Won¡¯t your father get mad at you helping me,¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°Fuck him,¡± Todd said. ¡°He¡¯s not stuck in this house with you. If that wound gets infected, he¡¯s not the one at risk trying to keep you healthy. Now, let¡¯s see those ribs. I¡¯ll need you to sit up,¡± he said. With his help and a grimace of pain, he got me sitting on the edge of the mattress. I yelped in pain as he probed the bruised area, feeling the bones. ¡°Best I can do is give you more ice packs and some anti-inmmatories,¡± he said. ¡°You have two broken ribs, but they haven¡¯t punctured anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said. ¡°It hurts like a bastard when I move.¡±


    He grabbed his trash and put it back in his pocket, then went back to the small fridge. The shelf was full of water bottles. Todd grabbed two, along with a handful of gran bars. He set them all by the bed, then went over and shook out a couple of Aleve capsules. I was already drinking the water when he handed me the pills. I tossed them back and drained the rest of the bottle. ¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Both of us are stuck in this shitshow, and I¡¯d rather not fight you the whole time we¡¯re here. It¡¯s going to suck enough as it is. Make sure you eat something with the pills. I didn¡¯t follow the ¡®take with food¡¯ instructions a few years ago and ended up shitting blood.¡± He walked out, leaving the door open. I opened one of the gran bars, chewing it slowly, then washing it down with the water. I was starving, my breakfast having been interrupted. From my hunger, it had been a while since the Beta snatched me.


    When he came back, he had some things in his hand. He set a metal bucket and a roll of toilet paper by the bed. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯ve used it, and I¡¯ll empty it. These won¡¯t fit, but they are better than nothing.¡± He tossed a shirt on the bed as he held out a pair of boxer shorts. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Todd moved the underwear over my legs and pulled them up as I painfully lifted my butt off the mattress. They were hopelessly big, so he twisted the front and put a rubber band over it to hold it in ce. Crude, but effective. He then held out a short-sleeved button-up Panama shirt, helping me get it on and buttoned without hurting me further. ¡°Why give me these,¡± I asked.


    He got a little embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman, Vicki, but you aren¡¯t my mate. You don¡¯t need the embarrassment, and I don¡¯t need the temptation.¡±


    ¡°Your father seemed to think you would take advantage of me.¡± Todd¡¯s father told him to use me for his sexual release as long as he didn¡¯t risk pregnancy. The way he said it told me he¡¯d done it himself.


    ¡°My father is not the person I aim to be.¡± He was getting a little upset, and when he turned and fled the room, I watched the door m shut behind him. Did I go too far?


    I took the ice pack off my face and moved it to my ribs afterying back down. I was going to use it until it was warm.


    I must have drifted off because I woke to the door opening. I could smell the food, and Todd had two tes in his hands. He set one of them on the table, then handed me a paper te. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a cook, but it¡¯s edible,¡± he said. It was a steak from the grill, with instant mashed potatoes and two dinner rolls with butter.


    I took the te and the stic fork, my stomach growling as I smelled it. I didn¡¯t have a knife, so I picked the steak up and took a chunk out of it. It was perfectly prepared. ¡°You grill like a champ,¡± I said after I swallowed the first piece.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I eat with you. Eating alone sucks.¡±


    ¡°Did that happen a lot as you grew up?¡±


    ¡°No. With Mom and the three of us, I was rarely alone. That makes this time all the more grating. They get to go home and act normal while I am stuck here with you.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not MY choice,¡± I said.


    He took a big bite, taking some time to think as he chewed. ¡°Both of us are caught up in things that are much bigger than ourselves. We can¡¯t avoid the oues, but we can try to make things less, um, unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Unpleasant is a pretty weak term for being kidnapped, raped, bred, and killed,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Dad said they¡¯d let you go after you give birth. He promised me.¡±


    I dropped my fork and looked at him. I kept staring until he looked at me. ¡°There is no way in HELL your Alpha lets me leave this room alive,¡± I said. ¡°He can¡¯t. You took me out from under the noses of every Alpha in North America. There won¡¯t be a human or werewolf in the country who doesn¡¯t know about me.¡± I pointed at him. ¡°You both didn¡¯t hide your identities, so I know what Pack is responsible. If I leave and tell someone what you¡¯ve done, there won¡¯t be a male left in your Pack by sundown.¡± I let that sink in. ¡°What do you think Alpha Leo and the Council are doing right now?¡±


    He took another bite and slowly chewed it. ¡°They are looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Every Pack is suspect, but some more than others. Killington is at the top of the list, along with Alpha Carl Owens of Little Canada. He¡¯s the fucker who got Leo arrested and tried when I was five years old, and he tried to get me assigned to his Pack. Your Alpha was major-league pissed I didn¡¯t mate his son.¡±


    ¡°Timothy was always going to mate Traci,¡± he said. ¡°They swore it to each other.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Leo will be out for blood, as will my biological father, Alpha Ivan, and all our allies. They dumped you down here with me because they have to pretend they have nothing to do with it. The Council and the other Alphas will be all over Killington looking for me.¡± He picked at his food, and I kept going. ¡°Timothy lost his Mantled Heir, didn¡¯t he,¡± I said.


    Todd¡¯s eyes got big. ¡°How did you know that? NO ONE knows that.¡±


    ¡°Logic,¡± I said.


    ¡°Four years ago, Timothy got an Omega in the Pack pregnant. She knew what would happen to her child if she stayed, so she fled. No one has seen her since, but Timothy got a photo of her and her son a yearter. Alpha Theodore has been trying to find and kill the family ever since.¡±


    ¡°Nice. That¡¯s the same thing that happened to me as a child. As for how I knew, their actions bear it out. Why go through all this? Why risk getting the Pack eliminated to get a child from me if Timothy can have a mantled heir with his chosen mate?¡± I let it sink in. ¡°Your father has you tracking my morning temperature. When they hear I¡¯m ovting, Alpha Theodore will send Timothy down her to rape and impregnate me.¡±


    ¡°Timothy isn¡¯t a rapist,¡± he defended.


    Iughed. ¡°Who is going to tell anyone? You? And why wouldn¡¯t he want to find out what he gave up when he rejected me? He¡¯s going to have to drug me to do it. There is no way I¡¯m letting that diseased dick of his anywhere near me while I¡¯m conscious.¡±


    He looked down at his food and pushed it away, drinking some water. ¡°What else did you figure out?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be tossed to the gators right after I am.¡±


    Now I had his attention. ¡°No. I¡¯m the Beta¡¯s son; Alpha would NEVER do that.¡±


    ¡°Really? Let¡¯s y a game of what if. Under your n, you and I stay down here for the rest of the year, giving Alpha Theodore usible deniability they had anything to do with the kidnapping. They don¡¯t call, don¡¯t talk, and cooperate fully with the Council investigation. I¡¯ve disappeared without a trace, and so did you.¡±


    ¡°Dad said they would say I was training in Russia.¡±


    ¡°And it would take the Council less than five minutes to prove that was a LIE, and implicate Alpha Theodore in a conspiracy to abduct a Mantled Heir. Now, would you like to try that n, or what is behind door number two?¡± I was reeling him in like a walleye.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A version of the truth. Your father says you disappeared overnight. On yourputer, they find messages talking of your obsession with me, and insisting I will be your mate. They open everything to the Council, working by their side to track you down. Alpha Theodore even kicks you out of his Pack in disgust.¡±


    He tapped his fork nervously. ¡°But, Dad still has toe here to give me food, and Timothy still has toe here.¡±


    ¡°They can ditch their duties long enough to do that, especially after the initial investigation ends. Of course, they won¡¯t tell you anything about what is going on out there. They didn¡¯t even leave you with a radio or television, did they.¡±


    He shook his head, no. ¡°The radio in the van was removed.¡±


    ¡°So now we fast forward to the end of the year. Your Alpha treated you like a mushroom, keeping you in the dark and fed a line of shit. They take the baby and kill me to end the trail. The next bullet goes in the back of your head. With you dead, the trail ends. Case closed.¡± He was closing his eyes. ¡°Now they have a baby that has my smell to it. Timothy feels a family bond and adopts the orphan child. Better yet, Traci fakes a pregnancy, or gets knocked up at the same time and presents my child as a fraternal twin. By the time the wolf emerges, and the mantle is evident, everyone believes the child is theirs.¡±


    ¡°Traci wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± he tried to say.


    ¡°Tracy bes Luna with a mantled heir. Timothy gets the Pack. Theodore gets his grandchild. And the Beta sees his daughter as the future Luna. The only one who doesn¡¯t make out is you, Todd. You¡¯re the expendable one.¡±


    He got up and closed the door behind him as he ran away. The truth hurt, but these truths would be hard for anyone to ept.


    I finished my food andid down on the mattress again, falling back to sleep.

 SHARKBAIT #20

    I woke in the morning when Todd opened the door. I knew it was morning because he was bringing me pancakes.


    Todd set the paper te on the floor and handed me a disinfectant wipe. I¡¯d woken in the night to use the bathroom, so he took the bucket away as I cleaned my hands. I was starving and started eating before he returned with his te. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said all night,¡± he said. ¡°This morning, I called a friend in the White Mountains Pack. He said your kidnapping is all over the news, and the FBI is offering a reward. He also said my father had appeared on television, pleading for me to turn myself in.¡±


    I could see the hurt in his soul as he said this. His Pack and family had turned on him, and there was no going back now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Dad never told me any of this before Saturday night. This house, the supplies, the n? He had that all ready to go. You were right; after the babyes, we would disappear, and I¡¯d take his secrets to the grave.¡± I kept eating as his hurt poured out. ¡°Please believe me. I wouldn¡¯t have done this if I had known what was going to happen.¡±


    I had to be careful now. ¡°You aren¡¯t without guilt, Todd. You participated in the kidnapping of an Alpha, and you were the one who knocked out Amy.¡± His eyes belied his guilt. ¡°You will have to answer for that.¡±


    ¡°I could run away from all this,¡± he said.


    ¡°And live the rest of your life on the run from humans and werewolves alike? That¡¯s not much of a life, and you¡¯ll never find your mate that way. How can you find her if you have to avoid every other wolf?¡± It would be a lonely, and likely a short existence. ¡°How long before you get caught by the police or shot by a hunter? How long before a Pack hears about a wolf where there should be none, and sends a patrol out to hunt you down?¡±


    He pushed his te aside, unable to eat. ¡°There has to be another way,¡± he said.


    ¡°Give me the phone,¡± I said. ¡°Let me call my Alpha; he can make sure Theodore and Timothy are taken into custody by the Council and face justice.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°And my father?¡±


    ¡°Someone has to face the human system, Todd. This act wasn¡¯t your idea, and other than Amy, you haven¡¯t hurt me. End this now, and I¡¯ll speak on your behalf to werewolves and humans alike.¡± I felt sorry for him; he was a decent male caught in a nightmare. I could talk Leo out of killing him. ¡°Surrender peacefully to the police and get awyer. Get a plea bargain in exchange for testimony against your father. He will shut up and take it because he doesn¡¯t want this blowing back on the rest of the family.¡±


    ¡°The Council will go after my sister,¡± he said.


    ¡°The Council will find out what she knew and act ordingly. No one died, Todd. Not yet. It¡¯s time to end this before it getspletely out of hand.¡±


    He got up and went into the other room,ing back with the burner cellphone. ¡°I¡¯ll surrender, but we have to do this the right way. You need to talk to Leo and the Council and tell them what you know. They can take care of Theodore without tipping off my father the police areing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing, Todd.¡± I opened the phone and dialed Leo¡¯s phone. When he picked up and answered, I could hear the fatigue in his voice. ¡°Unka Leo, it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t say anything, and don¡¯t let on you¡¯re talking to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is everything all right,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°It will be. Go somewhere private, Unka. Bring in the Council but no Alphas for now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± he said. ¡°Talk to me while I round them up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine, nothing I can¡¯t handle. How is Amy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in intensive care. The blow to the back of her skull and caused her brain to swell. The doctors had to remove a piece of bone to relieve the pressure.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said. ¡°Will Amy be all right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re praying she will. She¡¯s in a medic; we¡¯ll know when she wakes up.¡± I heard the sound of a door, and the background noise went away. ¡°I¡¯ve got the Chairman here, and the others areing. Talk to your Mom.¡±


    He handed the phone off, and a worried Olivia came on. ¡°Baby?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s almost over.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, but that¡¯s not the issue. The police will find me soon. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m going to be all right.¡±


    ¡°Who do I have to kill,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Stay out of it, Mom. The Council is going to handle this.¡± I heard other voices enter. ¡°The Council is here. I¡¯m giving Alpha the phone again. I love you, baby.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put you on speaker,¡± Leo said. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°This is Vicki Lawrence. I¡¯m in a rural home with Beta Todd of the Killington Pack.¡± I heard growls and shouts; I continued anyway. Iid out what had happened; how Todd¡¯s father had set up my kidnapping at the direction of Alpha Theodore. How they nned to use me to produce a mantled heir to Timothy they could pass off as their own. ¡°Todd didn¡¯t know the details of the n beforehand, and he hasn¡¯t harmed me. He is going to give himself up after calling 911 to this location. I need you to take Alpha Theodore and his mate into custody, grab Timothy and Traci up in Vermont, and make sure no one tips off the Beta that the cops areing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Miss Lawrence?¡±


    ¡°This is Beta Todd, Mr. Chairman. Everything Vicki said is true. Now that the FBI is involved, this can¡¯t end unless he is arrested and tried.¡±


    ¡°I wish we hadn¡¯t involved humans, but he¡¯s right,¡± one of the men said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it. Call the cops, and we¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Council,¡± I said before I hung up.


    My next call was to 911. ¡°911, what is your emergency?¡±


    ¡°This is Vicki Lawrence. I¡¯ve been kidnapped,¡± I said.


    The operator sounded startled. ¡°Do you know where you are, and is your kidnapper still there?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t, but I am,¡± Todd said. ¡°My name is Todd Mercer. Our address is N2248 Azalea Trail in Bradley.¡± He gave her a second to get it typed in. ¡°My father was the one who kidnapped her. His name is Max Mercer, and right now, he¡¯s back at the scene of the crime and pretending he had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Mercer is behind my abduction, and he assaulted me before leaving me chained up,¡± I said. ¡°You need to arrest him before he finds out you¡¯reing to get me.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, officers are on their way. I will contact the FBI and inform them as well,¡± the operator said. ¡°I need you to stay on the line until they arrive.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. ¡°Tell the cops to bring boltcutters. Todd doesn¡¯t have a key to the padlock on my cor.¡±


    ¡°Cor?¡± She was talking over the radio now. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Max beat me up, I¡¯ve got some broken ribs,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dispatch an ambnce as well. You hold on, Miss Vicki, the first unit is five minutes out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surrendering myself,¡± Todd said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait out front for them.¡± He got up and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wait on your knees with your hands on top of your head, and follow instructions,¡± I told him. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself shot now.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done, Todd,¡± I said. He walked out the door, leaving it open. I heard the front door open and close. ¡°He¡¯s outside now,¡± I told the operator.


    ¡°It will only be a few more minutes.¡± The dispatcher was right; I could hear the sirens approaching. When the cruisers stopped, there was yelling as they took Todd into custody.


    I heard the front door opening, and officers yelling ¡°Clear¡± as they swept the house. A young Deputy was first into my room. ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± he said. His partner joined him, both looking around in disgust. ¡°Are you all right,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± I said.


    Another man came in with a pair of boltcutters. They managed to cut the padlock off and take the cor off. I rubbed my neck, the small cuts and bruises there hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t rub it,¡± one of them said. ¡°Can you stand?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #21

    ¡°I think so,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll need help getting up. The bastard broke my ribs.¡±


    ¡°Just stay put then,¡± he said. ¡°The ambnce will be here in a minute. We¡¯ll take you to the emergency room at West Florida Hospital.¡±


    I brought the phone back to my ear. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m going to call my Mom now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, dear.¡±


    I made the call to Mom¡¯s phone this time. ¡°Mom? The police are here. I¡¯m free!¡±


    ¡°By the Goddess, I¡¯m so happy now,¡± she said.


    ¡°They are going to take me to West Florida Hospital to get checked out. You need to meet me there, and bring some clothes,¡± I said. ¡°I look like a mess, and I have a few broken ribs.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there, baby. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom.¡± I hung up the phone and gave it to the officer. ¡°You¡¯ll need this as evidence. It was his phone. I just used it.¡±


    As the men started taking photos, the ambnce arrived, and the EMT¡¯s brought the gurney through the house. Working together, they lifted me onto the stretcher without hurting my ribs too much. A minuteter, I was in the back of the ambnce. ¡°The FBI will meet you at the hospital to take your statement,¡± the Deputy who cut off the lock said.


    ¡°Thank you, Deputy,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re all d you¡¯re safe,¡± he said before he closed the back doors and smacked it twice to tell the driver it was secure.


    The EMT with me hooked me up to the monitors as she talked me through my symptoms. She put in an IV drip, and removed and checked the cut on my cheek that Todd had stitched up. She told me they would have to be re-done. ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad to close the gap, but we¡¯ll get a stic surgeon to do it. We don¡¯t want a scar to ruin that beautiful face of yours.¡±


    I almostughed, which hurt. ¡°I must look like a boxer who lost bad,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like one too.¡±


    ¡°I have to ask. Did those men rape you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any pain or difort there.¡± She rxed at that. ¡°Max hit and choked me before he left yesterday. Todd cleaned me up and dressed my wounds.¡±


    She gave me more ice packs for my face and ribs, and after talking to a doctor, she gave me some IV medication to help with the pain. By the time we arrived at the Emergency Room, I felt much better.


    Then I saw the crowd waiting for me. Press and cameras were everywhere as the ambnce pulled to a stop, and the staff opened the door. The reporters shouted questions at me that I wasn¡¯t going to answer; I just waved one hand and gave a thumbs-up before we were out of sight. ¡°VICKI,¡± Mom said as she came to my side. She was able to hold my hand for a few seconds before she had to let go and return to the waiting area.


    They wheeled me into a treatment room where a nurse cut my clothes off and put me in a gown. The staff, including the doctor, was female. The doctor did a full exam before sending me off to X-ray for films of my face and chest. When I returned, Mom was in the room, and the Doctor was looking at my injuries on arge monitor. ¡°Was I right,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Close. Two broken ribs, one cracked, and a fractured cheekbone. We¡¯ll get you fixed up and out of here in a few hours,¡± Doc said. She taped up my side around the broken ribs and talked to me about what to do and not do. ¡°The cheekbone will heal on its own,¡± she said.


    The stic surgeon came in and reced the stitches on my cheek. ¡°Follow up with your doctor in two weeks to have them removed,¡± he said as he finished up.


    With the medical stuff done, it was time to talk to the FBI. The agents were professional, walking me through what I remembered. I told them what Max and Todd did and how I was able to get Todd to see how he¡¯d been yed. ¡°Todd didn¡¯t know what his father had in mind for me, and he didn¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said.


    ¡°He hurt your friend,¡± the senior agent said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch.¡± He left me his card in case I remembered anything else, then they left.


    Mom and Adrienne came back into the room with a nurse and a wheelchair. ¡°Leo couldn¡¯te, he¡¯s dealing with the fallout,¡± Luna said.


    ¡°You¡¯re ready for discharge,¡± the nurse said.


    ¡°Not looking like THIS,¡± I said. Mom pulled out a bag, and they helped me put on underwear, a button-up blouse, khaki shorts, and sandals. ¡°I want to see Amy,¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought you would. Amy¡¯s still in aa, and you can¡¯t go into the room,¡± Adrienne said. The nurse pushed me out into the hall, where I got waves from other nurses as we went down the hall. We went up the elevator to the ICU.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Kai was sitting in the waiting area, and I squeezed his hand as he got up to walk with us. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this,¡± I told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he replied. ¡°I should have gone with you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Beating yourself up will do no good for anyone. Be strong for Amy; she needs you.¡± I thought I was ready to see Amy, but I wasn¡¯t. My best friend was in the hospital bed, her hair shaved, and her head wrapped in gauze. Machines surrounded her, and she looked dead. Only the slow rise and fall of her chest told me she was alive. ¡°No,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Todd let you go, but he bashed the back of her head in,¡± Kai said.


    Tears flowed down my face as I looked at my best friend in the world. I could plead for leniency all I wanted, but if Amy died in the course of a kidnapping? Todd would never get out of prison.


    And if he ever did get out, Kai would kill him.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°I need to know what happened while I was gone,¡± I told Adrienne. She thanked the nurse and let her know we¡¯d be staying for a bit. As soon as there were no humans in the waiting area, she guided me to a seat next to Kai.


    ¡°Everything went to shit from the time you alerted Leo,¡± my Luna replied. ¡°He jumped up like he¡¯d been shocked, said your name, and ran from the room. I was right behind him, with Kai and his Alphas. We got out of the room, and a tear gas container went off. Leo didn¡¯t care; he ran through it and out the front door.¡±


    I could feel Kai starting to shake; I reached over and took his hand. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like for him. Kai picked up the story. ¡°I saw Amy lying on the ground before the tear gas cloud covered her up. I held my breath as I ran in and picked her up. She was limp in my arms; I brought her outside andid her on the grass. I could barely see from the gas; others hade out other exits and were running to help. I felt so helpless,¡± he said as tears went down his cheeks. ¡°Her blood was soaking the ground, and her pulse was weak.¡±


    ¡°They took you away in a catering van they had parked by the door,¡± Adrienne continued. ¡°Leo and a few others shifted and took off after it. They blew the bridge as soon as they passed over it. The cars we sent couldn¡¯t continue the pursuit, and the wolves lost him shortly after. You were gone, and there wasn¡¯t a fucking thing we could do about it.¡±


    ¡°Is that when you called the humans in?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°We needed an ambnce and hospital for Amy, and we don¡¯t have the resources down here to locate a van that could be going anywhere. The Chairman found out as I was giving a description of the van and tes to the 911 operator. To be honest, he was pissed at me for bringing them in. We were still having the argument when Leo came back. His nose was running, and his eyes could barely open. He didn¡¯t give a fuck about anything except getting you back and Amy to the hospital. He told the Council that they needed to fix the fucking bridge, so the ambnce to get in. His dominance was flowing out of him; even the Council members were afraid of him like this.¡±


    ¡°What happened next,¡± I asked.


    ¡°They fixed the fucking bridge,¡± Kai said. ¡°They had timbers and wood in the shed, and everyone pitched in to get it done before the ambnce arrived. By then, Leo had convinced everyone to y it straight. We were having a conference, the girls went to the bathroom, and two men knocked out Amy and took you. I went with Amy in the ambnce, and my Luna followed in a car. The rest I watched on holo-television in the waiting room. Sharkbabe¡¯s kidnapping was wall-to-wall all day.¡±


    Adrienne continued the story. ¡°We gave our statements and waited. The local police and sheriff departments set up roadblocks, watched the airports, and had all-points-bulletins out on that van and never got a sniff of it. The FBI took over the case an hourter. Since you are famous and Leo owns a huge constructionpany, we went with the ransom angle. They set up taps on our phones in case the kidnappers called.¡±


    My mind raced with this; I¡¯d called Leo, and if they were monitoring the call, I¡¯d said things about the Packs I shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Oh shit, I called his phone.¡±


    ¡°Leo gave the FBI his business phone number, not his unlisted personal phone,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°He has all the Pack contacts on his personal and couldn¡¯t let the FBI ess it.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Local agents informed your mother, who already knew from the media coverage. The day went on forever with no calls. No leads. Nothing until you called Leo to tell him you were all right.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Beta Max? Does the FBI have him in custody?¡±


    Adrienne looked at the floor. ¡°The Council did what you asked; they put Theodore and his Luna in silver and locked them in their rooms with guards. After the FBI heard, they came for the Beta. As soon as he realized the situation, he pulled out a gun and started shooting. He got shot twenty-two times before he went down.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said. I leaned my head back against the wall; I wanted to see that fucker suffer for what he did, and he¡¯d taken that away. ¡°And Todd?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in jail, and he was smart enough not to say anything without awyer. The Council is sending one to work with a local. He¡¯ll make sure this goes no farther than the two of them.¡±


    My eyes got wide as I worked through the implications of all this. ¡°Todd has no leverage for a plea deal anymore,¡± I said out loud.


    ¡°He tried to kill my mate, the fucker isn¡¯t going to live,¡± Kai growled.

 SHARKBAIT #22

    ¡°That fucker could have left me to die. Instead, Todd gave himself up before I could be raped, bred, and killed,¡± I replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s all in the human system now. You have to let the anger go for now. Amy needs you.¡±


    Kai let out a breath. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just difficult to control my wolf.¡±


    ¡°You should take a break, Kai. Get showered and changed, have a decent meal, maybe let your wolf out for a hard run. Beta Susan can watch over her daughter without you while you refresh.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even slept, have you,¡± Adrienne asked. He looked worse than me, and I¡¯d had the shit beat out of me. He didn¡¯t answer; he didn¡¯t have to. ¡°Come back to the Summit and get some food and rest.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be that far away,¡± he protested.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hotel not far from here. Get a room and get some room service and sleep.¡± I finally convinced him, and he hugged me before he walked towards the elevators. I waited until he was gone before I rolled my wheelchair over until I was next to Beta Susan. ¡°What are the doctors telling you?¡±


    She looked just as bad as Kai, but no one was going to tell a Mama Wolf to leave her pup. ¡°Amy had a depressedpound fracture right here,¡± she said as she pointed to a spot just below the back of her head. ¡°The neurosurgery team removed the bone fragments, stopped the bleeding, and moved therger pieces of bone under the skin of her stomach to keep them viable for re-use. Right now, the key is to control the swelling inside her brain. If the pressure is too high for too long, parts of her brain could die,¡± she said with trembling lips.


    ¡°Oh, Luna,¡± I said as I let out a breath. ¡°What is the treatment?¡±


    ¡°They expect the swelling to be gone within a week, at which time they will piece the bones back together. After that, they will bring Amy out of thea, and we find out what kind of brain damage she might have. That area of the brain handles visual functions. My baby¡­ my little girl might not be able¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t say any more; it was too terrible to contemte. I hugged her from one side while Adrienne hugged her from the other. Finally, she dabbed her eyes with a Kleenex and continued. ¡°The doctors said it could be weeks, maybe months before she can leave the hospital.¡±


    Months? I couldn¡¯t be gone that long. ¡°What about your family?¡±


    ¡°Siena is going to stay in Michigan, but she will be here when Susan has to return home for other reasons,¡± Mom said. ¡°Luke is going to move in with us for the rest of the school year. If it goes into summer, he¡¯ll go live with Siena¡¯s Pack.¡± Luke was a sophomore, so I could keep driving him to school. ¡°We need to get home, Vicki. Leo doesn¡¯t want us around all the other Alphas, and you need to get back to school.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have a bodyguard anytime you leave the house,¡± Adrienne said.


    My face fell. A minder? ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t negotiable, Vicki. First, there is your newfound fame. I don¡¯t know if you noticed the crowd of press outside, and you haven¡¯t seen what is going on in the cyber world. You are a celebrity, and celebrities need protection from the weirdos. Wolf or otherwise,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t shift with broken ribs, and the Summit only left you in more danger. Colleen Underwood has already been in contact with your school, and as aw enforcement officer, she can carry firearms on or off-campus. She will not leave your sight. If you are going somewhere more public, other Pack Warriors will be along.¡± Colleen was a Deputy Sheriff in Dakota County; the Pack must have swung a deal with her boss to get her assigned to my protection detail. She fixed me with the look that said, ¡®don¡¯t fuck with me on this,¡¯ so I didn¡¯t bother.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said with that tone that meant it was anything but fine. ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°As soon as we get to the airport,¡± Mom said. ¡°Your bag is packed and in the car. You need to say goodbye to Amy now.¡±


    ¡°Can I go in,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Family only,¡± Susan said. She leaned over and embraced me. ¡°I¡¯ll give her that when I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I know you¡¯ll take care of her.¡± Mom let the nurse know we were leaving the hospital, and an orderly came over to push me out to our car. Hospital rules, you know.


    The press was gathered in the lot across from the Emergency Room entrance when we were spotted. They started to push forward, which the Police didn¡¯t like. ¡°Enough,¡± I said. ¡°Go back over there and behave, then I¡¯ll make a statement.¡± The police helped get them off the ess road as Mom helped me to my feet. I walked over and stood in front of the cameras as they yelled questions at me.


    I looked like crappared to thest time I¡¯d been in front of cameras. ¡°First off, I would like to thank every person involved in the search for me after my kidnapping. My family and friends, strangers,w enforcement, EVERYONE who tried to find me have my thanks. I would also like to thank the Sheriff¡¯s Deputies and EMT¡¯s who found me and brought me here. I was lucky that my kidnapper lost his nerve and let me go, and I know so many other victims don¡¯t get this ending. There is one other victim that needs your prayers. My best friend, Amy Miller, is upstairs in the Intensive Care Unit with a traumatic brain injury. The back of her head got bashed in to keep her from interfering in my kidnapping. Right now, she is in aa as the doctors fight swelling in her brain that could have devastating consequences,¡± I said as I wiped away a tear. ¡°Please pray that she makes a full recovery.¡±


    They shouted questions over each other, so I pointed at one reporter. ¡°Miss Lawrence, how did you get your injuries?¡±


    ¡°You mean you can tell I got hurt,¡± I said toughs as I touched my swollen and bruised face. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t look anything like I did thest time I was on television. The older kidnapper used me as a punching bag while I was chained to the wall. In a few weeks, my face will be back to normal, and my broken ribs will heal. Like I said, I got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Vicki, how do you react to people calling you Sharkbabe?¡±


    Iughed, then grimaced as my ribs hurt. ¡°I can¡¯t control what people say about me. I¡¯m not a model or an actress; I¡¯m a high school senior with a passion for sharks and shark conservation. Let¡¯s just say I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing any photoshoots for a while.¡±


    I answered a few more questions, then as I turned to go back to the car, someone shouted at me. ¡°What do you say to those who say this was all a publicity stunt to boost your career?¡±


    I froze, taking a moment to breathe and push my wolf back before it came out and killed a bitch. I turned and looked at the camera, making the disgust clear in my face. ¡°I¡¯d say that is a sick and twisted thing to believe,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d give up everything I have in a heartbeat to watch my best friend walk out of the hospital right now. You should be ashamed of yourself.¡± I turned and got into the back of the car, letting Adrienne buckle me in. We pulled out as the cameras rolled.


    ¡°You handled that well,¡± Adrienne said as we turned onto the main road.


    ¡°Can you believe that asshole?¡± I was still mad.


    ¡°Assholes and idiots are everywhere,¡± Mom said. ¡°You can¡¯t stop them; you can only hope to contain them.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± I said. I wanted to be surrounded by my Pack again.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    I grabbed my purse off the seat and pulled my phone out, powering it up. As I expected, it had blown up with messages of all kinds. My phone¡¯s voicemail was full, and I had thousands of text messages. I started filtering the results, starting by hiding anyone who was not on my contact list.


    That got it down from ludicrous to merely unmanageable.


    Sorting by person and stacking took care of those who had tried to call or message over and over. I tried to look through and gave up. Iposed a short message thanking everyone for their concern, saying I was going to recover while Amy needed our prayers, and that I would be home and back to school soon. I also said that it would take me weeks to get through all the messages, so please don¡¯t be offended if I don¡¯t respond to you right away. I sent that to everyone on my contact list.


    Mom¡¯s phone dinged, and she smiled as she looked at the message. ¡°That was a good idea,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about responding. Who do YOU need to talk with now?¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± I said. I called Brent¡¯s phone; he¡¯d stayed in Miesville with Mark and Chase while Mom flew down after my kidnapping. ¡°Hi, Daddy,¡± I said.


    ¡°By Luna, it¡¯s great to hear your voice,¡± Brent said. ¡°How¡¯s my Sharkbait doing?¡±


    ¡°Fine, Dad,¡± I said. ¡°I guess it¡¯s Sharkbabe now.¡±


    ¡°Not for me. You¡¯ll always be the little girl who would run under my chest on the Pack runs,¡± he said. ¡°I saw your press conference at the hospital. Your makeup could use a little work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need a five-gallon-bucket of cover-up for this shiner,¡± Iughed. Ow. ¡°Stop making meugh! That hurt!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. Have a good flight, and I¡¯ll see you soon. I cleared a path out to the smoker so I could make your favorite tonight.¡±


    ¡°Ribs?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You can have all the broken ones,¡± Brent teased, making meugh AGAIN. This time I gave a little yelp of pain, but I didn¡¯t care. Daddy could always cheer me up.


    ¡°I love you, Daddy.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Vicki.¡±


    I hung up and went back to my contact list, and one name jumped out. I hadn¡¯t talked to her since my appearance on Fox and Friends, and I was curious about what the reaction was to it. I hoped she would have good news for me, and that she would be up already. I sent her a text, and she responded right away, so I called her. ¡°Vicki! My God, girl, you¡¯ve had a time of it!¡±


    ¡°I know, Ocean. I think I would be safer free-diving with sharks than having dinner with my family,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the airport now and going home, and I¡¯ll be back in school tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready? I was just watching the news, and you looked, um, kinda like?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #23

    ¡°Like the surf steamrolled me on the rocks?¡± Sheughed. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about my Fox and Friends appearance and what we can do next. My Uncle Leo is right; I have a tform now, and I need to use it. What is going on at your end?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯sing together a lot faster than I thought,¡± Ocean said. ¡°We talked to the Florida researchers, and they are on board. They still have the software and website; it needs updating, but that¡¯s it. They¡¯ve also been working on a new design of shark tracker that we think can be useful, and it is far cheaper.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Satellite technology gives moreplete data, but the tags are still expensive. That¡¯s when a student had a great idea. We don¡¯t care about setting up zones in the open ocean and deep water, because that isn¡¯t where the critical habitat is we need to protect. What we need is all coastal.¡±


    She was right. ¡°And since tags only work near the surface, we don¡¯t get much activity in the open ocean anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yep! So we shifted from satellite technology to cellphone technology, and the costs are far less.¡±


    What? Are we giving sharks cellphones? Can you hear me now? ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°The tag passively listens for cell tower transmissions. When it has reception, the cellr tag activates and pings the towers in the area. We already have the technology to locate your phone, which now is on the dorsal fin of a shark. When it makes contact, it can transmit a text message with depth and temperature information saved every five minutes since thest upload. It¡¯s not enough to track them precisely, but it¡¯s better than nothing. The device then shuts down for fifteen minutes, then resets for the next time it is near the surface. With arger battery, it can go for up to six months.¡±


    Wow. It was a cool idea. ¡°How does it attach? Do they have to puncture the fin?¡± Some tracking devices use barbs to attach to the body, or you have to punch a hole in a fin. Getting control of a big shark long enough to do this was dangerous.


    ¡°Even better. The team designed a system that uses rare-earth mas and rubber ridges, with a pole you use to attach it. The front or read edge of the fin hitting the center of the folding device triggers a spring. Combined with the rare-earth mas, it securely attaches in less than a second without harming the animal. Closing the spring starts the tracker up.¡±


    ¡°How cheap are we talking?¡±


    ¡°We have a quote for ten thousand at $255 each. Thepany won¡¯t set up the factory for any order smaller than that.¡±


    I did some quick math. ¡°You need toe up with two and a half million dors just to get them built.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and none of us have a budget that will allow us to move quickly. The upfront cost was the reason Florida didn¡¯t move ahead. We might be able to put it in next year¡¯s budget, but we were hoping you could help us with fundraising. That¡¯s the fastest way to get there.¡±


    I thought about it; we¡¯d have to move fast, but that wasn¡¯t much in the big scheme of things. ¡°We need a fundraising site and a n quickly,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t looked through my phone yet, but I¡¯m sure I have television shows begging me for interviews.¡±


    She talked to someone in the background for a minute, then came back on. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything today. We¡¯ll get something put together by tomorrow so you have a ce people can go to make donations. We¡¯ll do it through one of the existing foundations, so it is tax-deductible.¡±


    There was no way I was talking to ANYONE today when I got home. I was going to eat myself into a meata and sleep until it was time for school. ¡°I can do that. Thank you for listening to me, Ocean. You have no idea what it means to me that you¡¯ve been my friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re MY friend,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s giving me street cred with my daughter and her friends that I know Sharkbabe.¡±


    ¡°I have to go, text me with any updates,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the air soon.¡±


    ¡°Have a good flight,¡± she said before she hung up.


    ¡°That sounded like a good conversation,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°It was,¡± I said. ¡°Two-point-five-five million is a lot of money, though.¡±


    ¡°Two fifty-five for the transmitter, another forty-five for overhead, shipping, and advertising,¡± Mom said. ¡°Three hundred per. That¡¯s low enough to get individuals to buy them and is low enough that a ssroom or small group could afford it.¡±


    I could tell Mom and Adrienne were linking, so I went back to reviewing my message. A few minutester, I got a text from Unky Leo. ¡°Get me a link, and you¡¯ve got your first ten thousand. You¡¯ll have toe up with the other 2. 54 million on your own,¡±


    I let out a squeal as they smiled; they had to have told Leo about it. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I sent the same to my Alpha. It was a great start.


    I sorted through my messages again, this time looking for ones from mediapanies. There were a lot of them, and some had offers of money. I deleted the ones from the sleazier groups. Still, a few outlets offered to pay. One magazine offered half a million dors for an exclusive interview if I gave them full ess to document my life for a few days. It was a lot of money.


    I showed the email to my Mom and asked her what she thought. ¡°It sounds good at first, Vicki. Half a million is a lot of money for your project, but you¡¯re short-sighted.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°If they are willing to pay you half a million, they are doing it to take creative control. You don¡¯t know what the editors will do with that ess, or how they will paint you or your friends. They aren¡¯tmitting to printing or supporting your cause because they are paying for a product.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°Also, their ¡®exclusive¡¯ means you can¡¯t go on other talk shows or public appearances unless sanctioned by them. If you want exposure for your project, this won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Give a lot of interviews,¡± Adrienne said, ¡°But insist you have two minutes at the end of the interview to talk about your project. Get their agreement they will not just allow it, but show it. Make it clear that without that, you¡¯ll go elsewhere. Also, the program must disy the website and phone number for donations and include a link to it on their website. It costs them nothing, so make them do it. You¡¯ll make more in donations from the widespread coverage than from an exclusive-rights deal.¡±


    ¡°And you need to get out and talk to people directly,¡± Mom added. ¡°You have contacts at aquariums, right?¡±


    ¡°Some, but Ocean has a lot more, and the World Wildlife Federation has a lot more,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Make up some posters or photos with your picture and the sharks in the background. Heck, we¡¯ve got some great underwater photos from our Bahamas tripst fall,¡± Mom said. She was right; Amy and I had done a lot of free-diving among the hammerheads and tiger sharks in the area. We¡¯d had one of the photos blown up for my wall, with a reef shark in front of me and a tiger sharking over my left shoulder. ¡°Set up events where you can give talks on your project and have peoplee forward and get posters signed and donate.¡±


    That could happen; it would be a lot of travel, but it was do-able. ¡°It would be cool if I could get Ocean involved. I¡¯m the new kid, and she¡¯s been doing this for decades.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± I sent her a long message with the idea, asking if she would be interested and if she could help me with contacts to get it going. I felt a lot better about this idea than anything else, because it was simple, and I got to go to aquariums.


    The one thing I hated about the n was that Amy wouldn¡¯t be able to help. She¡¯d always been there for me, and now when she needed me, I¡¯d be running around doing everything else. I told them what I was thinking, and Mom quickly put my mind right. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do that her mother and mate won¡¯t already be doing,¡± Liv said. ¡°You need to live your life and call her with the stories.¡±


    We¡¯d arrived at the private airport, and we weren¡¯t the only ones. Adrienne dropped us next to our ne, and we climbed aboard as the co-pilot stowed our bags. Ivan and Karen were sitting with their Betas and their drinks. After the greetings, Mom got me settled. ¡°They let you all go from the Summit,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Everyone present had already given statements, so after your release and Beta Max¡¯s death, there was no reason to stick around. The Council wanted us out of there before the press arrived,¡± Karen said.


    ¡°And I wanted to get home,¡± my Father said.


    My stomach picked that moment to growl. ¡°We should have stopped for food on the way here,¡± I said. ¡°I can almost smell the barbecue.¡±


    ¡°Your wolf has withdrawn, and it¡¯s affecting your senses, Vicki. Can¡¯t you smell of what is in the cooler?¡± Mom smiled as Ivan slid it over to us.


    We had to wait until after takeoff before Mom could prepare the meal. She brought me a te with two Kaiser rolls, stuffed with beef brisket and sauce, and topped with a scoop of colew. A big travel mug of sweet teapleted the meal. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to my father as I wiped off my face and fingers.


    ¡°Get some rest, love,¡± Ivan replied. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long week.¡±


    Father was right.

 SHARKBAIT #24

    I never thought I¡¯d look at school as a refuge, but it was. Our flight n got leaked to the press, and a half-dozen cameras were waiting for us as we got off the ne at the Red Wing Airport. I didn¡¯t have much more to say, so Leo moved me past the cameras and into the waiting cars for the ride home.


    The first day back was nuts, with everyone wanting to talk about things I just didn¡¯t want to discuss. The Principal called an assembly during the second period, during which he read an email from Amy¡¯s Mom, and allowed me to say a few words. ¡°I¡¯m hurt, but nothing like Amy,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m famous now, but only because I got lucky and I had the training to help. Please, don¡¯t treat me differently now. I¡¯m the same person I wasst week,¡± I said. I looked towards the back of the hall. ¡°With armed security.¡±


    By the end of the day, the novelty had worn off. I couldn¡¯t swim with my face and ribs hurting, so I sat in the back as Colleen drove me to pick up Luke from school. He had a few buddies around, all who wanted autographs. I signed a few magazines and then we went home.


    Mom had been busy while I was gone. She¡¯d taken a few weeks of vacation, knowing that my life was going to be overwhelming. ¡°We need to choose what photos we want to make promotional prints and posters from.¡± She had a dozen photosid out on the table, mostly of me in and around the water. Three shots were ones Adrienne had taken on the dive trip, two showing sharks in the frame, the third with my free-dive gear aftering out of the water.


    The two pictures from the beach party couldn¡¯t be more different. I looked at the photo of me in my bikini ying volleyball, which showed off my athletic body. Another two were from after the near-drowning. One was taken during the television interview and showed me from the thighs up. I looked pretty good for being wet and exhausted. The other showing me on hands and knees after crawling onto the beach, breathing hard, wet hair stered to my head, and my boobs pushing the tiny bikini top away from my body. ¡°The teenage boys will love that one,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great shot,¡± Mom said. ¡°You worked hard to get in that shape, and that picture shows you as the hero you are.¡±


    ¡°My tits are practically falling out, Mom!¡±


    She justughed. ¡°You picked out that suit, and it¡¯s not like the world hasn¡¯t seen you. Use those girls while you can, Vicki. All too soon, they can¡¯t defy gravity anymore.¡±


    I just chuckled and went back to the photos. The rest were fromst year¡¯s dive trip. My favorite was a shot looking down on the sand and coral bottom, with hammerhead and cktip reef sharks were everywhere. Amy and I were free-diving among them, twenty feet down, wearing bikinis that showed off our muscr butts and legs. You couldn¡¯t see our faces, but it was the shot that reminded me most of Ocean¡¯s works when I was a kid. ¡°Can we put Amy on a poster?¡±


    ¡°Susan said it would be all right,¡± she said. ¡°I sent her a photo and got permission. You can¡¯t even tell it¡¯s her in this shot. When she wakes up, we¡¯ll talk to her about being in more of your promotions.¡±


    ¡°How many do I need?¡±


    ¡°People like choices,¡± Mom said. ¡°I think we need three posters and four photos. You can sell them at the appearances to be signed, and raise a lot of money that way.¡±


    I went back to the photos, pulling one out from under a headshot, taken before the Pack Christmas party. I held up the picture of me in that ocean-blue ball gown I¡¯d worn to the Scratch and Sniff. I had put on a brave smile and posed for it, not wanting to let my Alphas know I was falling apart inside. ¡°Really? You have to remind me of that night, Mom?¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful, Vicki, and we needed a shot of you in something that is not beach or dive wear.¡± We talked through the options, settling on the photos. The two after the rescue, plus Amy and I underwater, were the three posters. Two underwater photos with sharks, the ball gown, and the volleyball photo were the choices for 8¡Á10 glossies. ¡°Do you have a website for donations yet?¡±


    ¡°Let me check.¡± We did; it was https://. ocearch. org/? list , and it was awesome.


    (Author¡¯s Note: Since this is fictional and 13 years in the future, the link is to actual shark tracking data from satellite tags.)


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this to the printer in the morning and get going on some runs. Have you decided what shows you are doing this weekend? It would be nice to have some avable for that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on that tonight. I¡¯d rather not travel, but it¡¯s better to do it in person. Dateline wants to do an hour special on me for Thursday night. They said they would send a crew out here to do the interview Thursday after lunch. I wanted to talk with you first.¡±


    ¡°It gets a lot of viewers,¡± Mom said. ¡°A whole hour?¡±


    ¡°I think they n to interview other people as well; the crew is already here. They said they are doing the story regardless, but it would be better if I¡¯d cooperate.¡± I said. ¡°It makes me a little nervous to ask others to be part of this.¡±


    Mom reached over and patted my hand. ¡°Vicki, no one has to talk to them that doesn¡¯t want to.¡± She sat back and thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t want the interview done here; this house is enough of a circus already. Leo said you could film it in his man cave.¡±


    I looked up, excited, because the big aquarium was down there. It would make a good background. ¡°I can miss school?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the Principal now. You¡¯re working on your Senior Project, after all. I¡¯m sure there is some wiggle room in your scheduling.¡± She picked up her phone. ¡°I think you should ask your Faculty Adviser to be part of the interview. It will help you to be taken seriously in this.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°We all know a blonde with nice tits can¡¯t be smart, right?¡± We bumped fists and made the call.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The Dateline producer was thrilled, and spend part of Wednesday and all day Thursday doing interviews and background. The TV crew filmed some of my sses, talked to my teachers, and even interviewed Ocean Ramsey about the project. Of course, no one told me what they talked about, so when I sat down in front of the cameras, I was a little nervous. They lit up the basement for the cameras, and they loved the aquarium. They let me take a few minutes on camera to show them the fish and talk about my early love for sharks and the ocean, despite being so far away from it.


    I was sitting on a stool, facing the reporter, with the camera on my right side so my swollen face wouldn¡¯t be so distracting. The makeup could only do so much to cover the bruising and swelling.


    We spent over an hour talking about different things, with my Mom and my Alpha watching from behind the cameras. I rxed as we went on, talking about how my life had changed recently, and what I was doing with my newfound fame. I talked about my dreams for shark research and conservancy and how the new tags would provide far more information on sharks than ever before. Researchers tended to tag the biggest sharks due to the expense, but the smaller sharks can provide valuable information. Great White Sharks change their eating preferences significantly as they grow, meaning they feed in different ces.


    I thought we were wrapping up when the reporter looked to the camera and started talking. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen the video of the rescue. Tonight, for the first time, we get to reunite the rescuer and the rescued. We¡¯ve got a young man here who wants to thank you.¡± A door opened, and a boy ran towards me as I got off the stool. He ran to me as I knelt, his arms going around my neck as we clung to each other.


    I forgot about the camera as his Mom joined us in the hug. ¡°Thank you for saving my baby,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I was there to help,¡± I said. I got another shock when Terry Foster and Diane Volkov came down the stairs and joined the group hug. I couldn¡¯t believe the Dateline team had brought together everyone involved in the rescue.


    Leo invited Denise Chalmers and her son David to dinner, along with her new boyfriend, Terry, to dine with us after the crew left. They didn¡¯t know our nature yet, but they didn¡¯t think it weird to have dozens of coworkers and friends over for a party. I sat next to the three of them during dinner. ¡°Why were you in Pensac,¡± I asked Denise as she filled her te with pasta and Italian sausages.


    ¡°To visit my husband¡¯s memorial marker,¡± she said. ¡°Rick Northard was a junior at the Naval Academy when we met and fell in love. We married during June Week, and I was pregnant with David before he started pilot training. It was October twenty-fifth when his ne went down in the Gulf of Mexico. He and his instructor pilot died in the crash. They recovered the instructor, but never found Rick¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I moved back in with my parents in Pittsburgh, so I¡¯d have help when our son came. I started working at General Electric as a product designer, and now I¡¯m a frence inventor.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s brilliant,¡± Terry said proudly. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve probably never heard of any of her patents.¡±


    Denise justughed. ¡°Most of my inventions are in the manufacturing area.¡± She was a nice woman, her boy was having a great time with the other kids, and Terry was smitten with her.


    The Dateline show was ratings gold. The production team did a great job of editing, and there wasn¡¯t a dry eye in the house as the Pack gathered to watch the show that night. I was happy they spent so much time talking about my tracking project, and the website was prominently featured. Ocean texted me during the show, telling me people almost crashed the site, and donations were through the roof.


    I set up more interviews for the weekend, and the World Wildlife Federation helped with setting up events at aquariums. I was leaving the Today Show set when a woman asked if she could buy us lunch. ¡°My name is Mercedes Reeves, and I¡¯m the Director of Marketing for Bodyglove Activewear,¡± she said as she handed me her card. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you about an endorsement deal.¡± Lunch AND money? Sure.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°You have youth, looks, and talent,¡± she replied. ¡°Add to that your love for the ocean and the active lifestyle. We¡¯d like to design a whole line of clothing and swimwear around you as we try to make inroads on that market.¡±


    Sheid out a contract for us; we would have six photo shoots a year, appear at trade shows and events as a Bodyglove representative, and wear their products exclusively. I would get to work with their designers on the line named for me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up what I¡¯m doing for shark conservation for this,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #25

    ¡°We don¡¯t want you to. Your work is part of why we want you,¡± Mercedes said.


    I told Mom I liked the idea, while she wanted to see if there were better offers. ¡°I¡¯ll need ourwyer to review this,¡± Mom said. ¡°We are interested.¡± It took a week to close the deal, and the next weekend I was to be in the Bahamas for a shoot.


    Amy woke up as I was posing in the surf, and I wasn¡¯t there for her.


    Our ne flew out of the Nassau airfield onte on Sunday afternoon. The Bodyglove shoot had been exhausting; we had visited a dozen or so locations, some at different times of day or night, to get the shots the photographer wanted. Time was money, I quickly learned. The small army of specialists in makeup, hair, lighting, and photography worked smoothly to go from setup to setup.


    There was no changing room; three people held up towels, and I stripped off the old outfit, was handed the new one, and put it on in thirty seconds. I went from sand to surf to boat to underwater then back; after the sunset, it was streets, restaurants, and nightclubs for the casual wear. I didn¡¯t get back to the hotel until past one, and we started shooting at six Sunday morning. That day was shorter, as they saw how the shots had turned out the day before. The photographer was relentless, moving and posing me as he took shot after shot. I hoped they would give me copies of the best pictures, but they didn¡¯t. Phones weren¡¯t allowed, so Mom didn¡¯t even have her own photos.


    Modeling isn¡¯t easy. I worked my tight ass off. We signed the contract when we arrived, and a hundred thousand dors (before taxes) went into my ount. I¡¯d get more for each appearance, and twenty grand for each day of modeling. It was exciting because money was freedom. It meant I could study whatever I wanted, without having to worry about how the Pack would benefit from it.


    The cargo hold held threerge suitcases of new clothes; it was everything I had worn, and a lot that I hadn¡¯t. Now that they had my exact measurements, Mercedes promised me a few more boxes would get shipped straight to my house. When they said they wanted me to wear their clothing line, they weren¡¯t kidding. The contract had significant penalties in it for being photographed in clothing from other designers unless Bodyglove didn¡¯t make an equivalent. That meant I could still wear my North Face ski jacket, but I needed a Bodyglove shirt underneath.


    I¡¯d even talked them into sending a smaller collection for my Mom and Amy. It wouldn¡¯t do to be photographed with them and have them not wear the same brand, right? They wouldn¡¯t get paid, at least not yet. I hadn¡¯t given up on bringing Amy into the campaign when she was ready.


    Mom was sitting across from me, with Colleen across the aisle sleeping. ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you said anything about Amy except that she woke up,¡± I said as the ne climbed to altitude. ¡°Surely, you know more than that.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you distracted by something you could do nothing about,¡± Mom replied. ¡°Try and get some sleep before we get there.¡±


    ¡°WHAT. IS. HAPPENING.¡± I may have put a bit too much growl into it, causing my mom¡¯s wolf to sh a rebuke. I growled back even more; this was my best friend!


    ¡°Amy has been in and out of consciousness since yesterday. It is still too early to tell, and the doctors have a lot of testing left.¡±


    ¡°MOM! What happened?¡±


    I could see the sorrow in my mother¡¯s eyes; Amy was like another daughter to her. Tears started to fall as her carefully-maintained fa?ade crumbled like a sandcastle in the rising tide. Liv had to take a drink of water andpose herself first as the pit in my stomach spread. ¡°The blow to the back of her head was in the area of the ipital lobe. The skull fracture was depressed, and the doctors had to remove the pressure on that area of the brain. It¡¯s not umon for it to take time before you know if the damage is temporary or permanent.¡±


    She was starting to scare me. All kinds of things went through my mind. ¡°What happened, Mom?¡±


    ¡°That area of the brain is where visual images are processed, recognized, and sent on to other areas of the brain. Amy woke up, and she couldn¡¯t see,¡± Mom said as she started to cry.


    No. Not my best friend! ¡°How bad,¡± I asked.


    ¡°The doctors don¡¯t believe it is her eyes or her optic nerve. She can sense light and dark, but cannot focus and cannot make out objects or faces. She says it¡¯s all a blur.¡±


    Oh, my Luna. Amy, who never hurt anyone, had her sight taken from her in a cowardly attack.


    I felt anger rise within me. Anger at Todd, who hit her and did this to her. Anger at the Killington Pack, whose Alpha had set it all in motion. Anger at Beta Max, who got off way too easy with his quick death. Anger at myself for not sensing them earlier or reacting faster.


    And anger at the whole fucking Werewolf system that wanted my stupid Mantle so badly, they would do this to my best friend to get it.


    ¡°God, Mom,¡± I said as I started to cry. ¡°What do I do now?¡±


    ¡°You be there for your best friend and help her get through this,¡± Mom said. ¡°Brains areplicated; she could make aplete recovery in time, or she could have this the rest of her life. Either way, she¡¯s your best friend.¡±


    She was, she still IS. My mind was going a mile-a-minute trying to think of what this all meant. ¡°What does Beta Susan say about the treatment?¡±


    ¡°She will be in the hospital for another week, at least. The doctors glued the bone back together and put in a protective metal te. She¡¯s still on strong drugs to keep the swelling down, and she¡¯s not allowed out of bed.¡±


    ¡°Is she all right otherwise?¡± So much could happen with a brain injury, enough that I stopped researching it because it drove me nuts after I got home.


    ¡°Susan said she has no paralysis; she can hold objects, drink, and her speech is not affected. Her thinking isn¡¯t back to normal, but that¡¯s probably due to the painkillers and other drugs. Her wolf is still there, and she can link with her mate and Pack. She won¡¯t be allowed to shift until surgeons remove the te, though.¡±


    That was better than me; I didn¡¯t know if my wolf woulde out if I asked her. She was still there and still hurting. ¡°Did she agree to let me use that photo of us diving for the poster? I know Susan said it was all right, but I¡¯d feel better if Amy said so.¡±


    ¡°She remembered the shot and was thrilled to be along for the ride,¡± Mom said. ¡°Kai wasn¡¯t as thrilled to find out his mate¡¯s ass would be on the walls of teens everywhere.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him in one of those tight men¡¯s suits, and put both of their asses on the next poster,¡± I said with augh. ¡°Get that tween girl demographic something to look at.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have both of them growling at people in the lines,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯ll need to catch up on homework while you are waiting to testify tomorrow.¡± The Council had waited until Amy woke up, to see if she could add anything to the testimony. She told them and the FBI that she saw nothing and remembered nothing.


    She never had a chance. I should have brought someone to watch us. I should have been more vignt. I was the one facing danger, not newly-mated, sweet Amy.


    ¡°How long do we have at the hospital?¡±


    Mom looked at the time. ¡°Maybe an hour before visiting hours are over. At eight, it¡¯s off to the hotel. The ne leaves at six in the morning, after the mandatory pilot rest.¡± I loved the convenience of the private jet, but it did have limits. I started signing a stack of photographs that Mom would use for those who donated via the website and not a live event. I¡¯d never been so d that my signature wasn¡¯t legible before this. Signing your name hundreds of times in a row felt like punishment.


    I handed over the stack before wended and grabbed my overnight bag before we got out. Susan was waiting by her car, and I ran to her and hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hush, girl. Amy needs you to be strong for her right now. She¡¯s starting to feel depressed as the reality of her blindness hits. She needs to know you don¡¯t think of her differently, and you¡¯re still her best friend,¡± Susan said.


    I backed off and let Mom in. ¡°I will,¡± I said. We got to the hospital just before seven, and visiting hours ended at eight. Susan got us up to speed on what was going on, so I didn¡¯t have to ask Amy questions about it.


    ¡°Go, we¡¯ll let you two have some time alone,¡± Mom said. Kai was back in Oregon for school, so she was alone in the room.


    When I got off the elevator, I ran ahead, following the scent towards her room with the bag I had for her. ¡°Amy!¡±


    She looked towards me, her nose up as she smelled the air before she smiled. ¡°Vicki!¡± I moved to her side, and though her eyes were looking, they didn¡¯t track me. She was using scent and hearing instead. I set the bag on the table and leaned down, kissing her forehead gently while I held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said as tears formed in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t stop them.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who is sorry, I should have insisted on an escort,¡± I said. ¡°The whole thing sucked.¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± Amy said, ¡°And I don¡¯t have to go to any of them again until I¡¯m a Beta.¡±


    ¡°Bitch,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Model,¡± she teased back.


    ¡°True, but I brought you goodies. I¡¯ll send more when you get settled.¡± I pulled a few of the items out, describing them as she felt the fabrics. I had a bunch of swimwear, shirts, beach wraps, and dive tops. ¡°This bikini will look fantastic on you when you take your man out on the beach in San Diego,¡± I said.


    Amy snorted. ¡°After BUDS, he probably won¡¯t want to see sand or surf for a while,¡± she said. BUDS stood for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL course in Coronado, California. The ss had a dropout rate that could go over ny percent. ¡°He talked to hismanding officer about a hardship discharge, but he can¡¯t get one since we weren¡¯t married when I got attacked. If he doesn¡¯t take hismission, he has to go to the Fleet as an enlisted sailor.¡±


    ¡°You told him no?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #26

    Her voice got high and whiny. ¡°I thought you understood! I want to marry a SEAL. I want to live overseas. I want to be the wife of a Special Operator!¡± Iughed as I caught the take-off to the line from that ssic old movie my Mom liked, ¡®An Officer and a Gentleman.¡¯ Richard Gere is over eighty years old, for crying out loud.


    The visit was just what we both needed to cheer each other up. Amy told me about how wonderful Kai and his family had been to her, and I told her about modeling and fundraising. I asked her about school; it turned out she finished two of her sses, she¡¯d have enough credits to graduate. The teachers agreed to let her work independently, and so she could finish school in a few weeks. ¡°Maybe I should do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°You need to finish your project, Vicki. It¡¯s been your dream to do something big for shark conservation, and you need to go for it. Mom said that you¡¯ve already raised over two million dors.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty wild,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll have enough for the first production run, and we start aquarium appearances again next weekend.¡± The first appearance at the Minnesota Zoo had been, well, a zoo. I walked into the auditorium as a bunch of boys yelled, ¡°SHARKBABE! OOH LA LA! SHARKBABE! OOH LA LA!¡± I blushed but got through the talk and signed photos and posters for hours.


    We raised over fifty thousand that day.


    Our team was thrilled at the exposure, and we put a million deposit down on the first unitsst Friday. The deliveries would start in two weeks.


    Mom and Susan came to the door. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Susan said. She wasn¡¯t allowed to stay past visiting hours, and she would be going back to the hotel with us.


    ¡°Dang it,¡± I said. ¡°I miss you, Amy.¡±


    ¡°I miss you too, Vicki. Make sure those bastards pay for what they did at the trials.¡±


    That was the next stop; Killington, Vermont, the winter yground where the Council was going to hold trials on the senior Pack leadership. I couldn¡¯t give Amy her sight back, but I could make sure she got justice.


    Wended at a nearby airport, and a van met us to drive us to the rural location where the Killington Pack resided. I felt my left forearm, where a silver-ted fighting knife was stapped under my long-sleeve blouse. My jacket had a holster sewn under the left shoulder with a Baby Glock inside, with silver-tipped bullets. The Ker vest I was wearing underneath did nothing to tter my figure. Colleen and Mom were packing as well; Leo was not taking any chances with my security this time. We were not staying at the Pack; instead, we had rooms at a hotel in a nearby town.


    ¡°The Alphas will not allow weapons in the trial room, so that is a vulnerability,¡± Colleen said as she gave me her security brief. She had been in touch with our allied Packs and the Council while Mom and I were at the hospital. ¡°You can keep the vest on, and we will be nearby with our allies around us. The Council will keep the defendants and their supporters away.¡± We would have a lot of allies in that room.


    ¡°You go NOWHERE without Colleen and at least one other Alpha or Luna we trust, and the more around you, the better,¡± Mom said. ¡°Adrienne, Karen, and Carolyn will all sit by you when you aren¡¯t testifying.¡± Carolyn was the Three Sisters Luna, which was Kai and Amy¡¯s Pack. They were close allies now.


    Colleen nodded. ¡°No one approaches you, not even to shake hands. It¡¯s distasteful, but we can¡¯t forget how Leo almost died at his trial.¡± The previous Stillwater Alpha had tried to prick him with a poison-tipped ring when I was five. ¡°I¡¯d prefer that you stayed in a secure location unless you were testifying.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I have to be there for Amy, and I won¡¯t hide from them,¡± I said.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    As our van reached the gate, we picked up an escort. Leo and Adrienne joined us in our van. Another vehicle with Alpha Ivan, Luna Karen, and four others led the way to the Assembly Hall, where the trial would take ce. Conversations stopped as we walked in the door, and I waved at a few people I knew as we moved to the hall. Security checked our weapons, giving us tags to retrieve them when we left.


    Our allies had reserved a section of the chairs, and I saw Betas and Lunas taking seats around the room as I moved forward. The jury, the North American Alphas, had several rows of chairs set up along the right side. The witness chair was in front of me, left of the Council table, and behind the Prosecution table.


    On the other side of the barricade separating the audience from the front of the room, Beta Lawrence Fenwick saw us and approached. Leo and Adrienne greeted him warmly; Lawrence had defended them in their Council trial thirteen years ago. Now, he would be prosecuting the case against the leadership of Killington. ¡°You are going to be my first witness,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll lead you through the timeline you gave me in your deposition. Keep calm on cross-examination, as they will try to rattle you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for them,¡± I said. I sat and checked my phone as we waited for the trial to begin. Mercedes told me her management was thrilled with the shots, and her designers were already working to incorporate my style into a new line for next year. They wanted to schedule an event to kick off the line; I texted her that I¡¯d be in Hawaii inte March on spring break. Kai texted me, thanking me for cheering Amy upst night. He was stuck at school for a few days, taking exams and making arrangements for distance learning so he could spend more time at the hospital with his mate. Susan texted me with a message from Amy that was short and sweet. ¡°Burn their asses,¡± she said.


    I snorted and sent back a thumbs up.


    Mom elbowed me to turn the phone off when the Council room door opened. We all stood as they walked in; the Council Chair would be the judge, the Alphas the jury, and the Council would determine the sentence. I hadn¡¯t even noticed the defendants were standing behind their table. I looked over at the Killington Alpha pair, their son Timothy and mate Traci; I wanted their blood in my teeth for what they did. The proceedings were scrambled and sent to all Packs for viewing, but it wasn¡¯t like Amy could watch it.


    Literally.


    It took twenty minutes to get through the trial procedures, directions to the audience and jury, and dealing withst-minute defense motions. The defense team tried to get Beta Fenwick disqualified, saying his Pack stood to benefit from a guilty verdict, and he was too close to the Miesville Pack. Lawrence spanked him, quoting Barry Goldwater: ¡°Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.¡± In his opening statement, heid out the conspiracy of the Killington Pack to steal a mantled Heir from a captive Alpha Heir.


    The lead defensewyer, Parker Stevenson, got up to give his opening statement. ¡°You will hear a lot of stories today. The Prosecution will ask you to believe their theories of massive conspiracies, led by the Defendants. Do you know why they are theories?¡± He paused for effect. ¡°Theories exist in the absence of proof. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard by which you members of the jury must decide guilt or innocence. Anything less than that is not justice.¡±


    With that, the Prosecution case started. Lawrence had a sworn statement from Todd Mercer he wanted to have read into the record, and Parker immediately objected. ¡°You must exclude the statement as the Defense has not cross-examined the witness,¡± he said.


    ¡°I offered to bring you to the Florida prison with his legal team, and you refused,¡± Lawrence countered. ¡°The sworn statement is valid.¡±


    After some discussion, the Chairman sustained the objection, and the statement got tossed. I didn¡¯t like this, as Todd was the only corroborating witness to me.


    I was called to the stand next. I moved through the barrier and up to the witness seat, where I swore to tell the truth, and Alpha Leo backed that up with Alphamand. It took almost three hours to get my story out, thanks to the near-constant objections. Parker remained silent as I described my treatment, interjecting when I rted what Todd said about motives or when I talked about the reason for my abduction. ording to him, it was hearsay or wild spection. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be hearsay if you heard Todd¡¯s statement,¡± I said after he interrupted again. That earned meughter from the crowd and a rebuke from the Chair.


    I saw the looks of horror on people¡¯s faces as I told my story; even my family hadn¡¯t heard everything in my testimony. Iid out the logic that led to my release; that Timothy had gotten an Omega pregnant, taking his mantle with him. That Alpha Theodore was obsessed with keeping a mantled heir and was behind the plot. That Timothy and Traci were involved in the plot, as he had to inseminate me, and Traci needed to raise the child as her own.


    On cross-examination, Parker was ruthless. On point after point, he asked me how I knew that to be true. He pushed for me to admit it was my opinion, but I wasn¡¯t going there. ¡°Look, Timothy fucked up,¡± I finally said. ¡°Traci said in front of witnesses that Alpha Theodore was going to allow her to choice-mate Timothy if he didn¡¯t find his mate at the Summit. Do you honestly believe he picked THIS year because he thought seven years was enough?¡± I looked around the room. ¡°There are dozens of werewolves here that didn¡¯t find their mates for decades, but they waited. Alpha Theodore knew Timothy had pissed the mantle away, and the only way to get it back was with ME. No other mantled female hase of age in thest five years, and I am the ONLY oneing of age for another twelve years. You moved the Summit back a WEEK just to get me to the scratch and sniff, so don¡¯t insult me by implying it was anything but a chance to see if I was his mate!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, please instruct the witness to stick to the facts of the matter,¡± Parker said.


    ¡°Those ARE the facts. Everything would have been fine with Alpha Theodore if Timothy would have imed me as his mate. Instead, he ruined everything and forced the Alpha and Beta to their backup n. They ALWAYS intended to take me prisoner and use me to incubate an heir.¡±


    ¡°OBJECTION, Mr. Chairman! She is cing motives where she doesn¡¯t have proof!¡±


    ¡°The witness can exin her logic with the permission of the Court,¡± Lawrence responded.

 SHARKBAIT #27

    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± the Chairman said as he motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°The very ce I woke up showed the advanced nning to kidnap me,¡± I said. ¡°Think about it. They found and purchased a home on arge swath of uninhabitednd. They¡¯d stocked the house with enough food for a month. A concrete room with a steel door was in ce, including an eye-bolt sunk deep into the concrete wall. There just happened to be a heavy chain and silver cor there to hold me as I woke. Finally, Max had Todd trained in how to track basal body temperature to detect ovtion, and told him to call when it was happening. That¡¯s not your typical required knowledge for a male who hasn¡¯t found his mate. It IS critical knowledge if you can only get the male away from the Council watchers for a short time toplete raping and impregnating her.¡±


    Parker stared at me, and I stared right back. My wolf shook herself off in my mind and came forward, not appreciating the dominance y he was making. He looked away first. ¡°No further questions,¡± he said.


    ¡°Court is in recess for one hour,¡± the Chairman said. We all stood as the Council exited, followed by the Alphas.


    Lawrence escorted me to my family, and we talked as we let the room empty. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a separate room for lunch,¡± he said as he led me out. ¡°The Council has been cooperative on your security.¡±


    ¡°Or they¡¯d have Leo¡¯s boot in the asses,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I¡¯d say our chances of being nominated for the Council are near-zero now. Leo has intimidated, browbeat, or just in dominated the other Alphas and the Council members. They¡¯d have to be crazy to try something now.¡±


    ¡°But we will be ready if they do,¡± Mom said. We exited the room, returning our weapons to their ces, then moved to a conference room on the main floor of the business offices. I sat down, exhausted from the time on the stand. ¡°You did well up there,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is enough,¡± I replied.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Lawrence is just getting started,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Eat.¡± The Pack had supplied sandwiches, chips, and milk, and I made quick work of it. We were rxing when the door burst open, and a man I didn¡¯t know walked in. He froze when he saw four guns pointed at him. ¡°Who are you,¡± Adrienne growled.


    ¡°Warrior Patrick,¡± he said. ¡°The Chairman needs to see you in their chambers immediately,¡± he said.


    ¡°Who specifically?¡±


    ¡°Beta Fenwick and Heir Lawrence only,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Yeah, not happening,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°We¡¯ll all walk with you back to the Council chambers.¡± The Warrior protested they weren¡¯t allowed but relented when he realized they wouldn¡¯t let me leave alone. We walked back to the room where the Council sat, and I waited outside while Adrienne verified they had sent for us.


    I went in, escorted by my mother and guard. ¡°You asked to see me, Mr. Chairman?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve just received some news from Florida,¡± he said. ¡°Beta Todd Mercer was found dead in his cell this morning.¡± I gasped at the news. ¡°Hiswyer reports that he hung himself with his bedsheet.¡±


    Damn.


    The news of Todd¡¯s suicide hit me harder than I thought it would. I hated him for what he did to Amy, but in our time together, I saw he was a decent wolf at heart. I hated his father for ruining his life, choosing his daughter¡¯s future over his son¡¯s life. ¡°Are we sure he killed himself,¡± I asked.


    ¡°He was being kept in solitary after multiple threats on his life. Prisoners don¡¯t like rapists,¡± Lawrence said.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t rape me,¡± I said.


    ¡°They were going to, and prisoners watch television too.¡± He moved to the table and opened his briefcase. ¡°When I was down in Florida, Todd gave me a letter that I was to give you in the event of his death. I should have seen thising; I expected him to be depressed, but he was resigned to his fate.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that,¡± I said.


    ¡°The US Attorney was going for blood,¡± Lawrence replied. ¡°She didn¡¯t need his confession with all the evidence she had, and Amy¡¯s extensive injuries took away any chance at a low sentence. She was offering fifty years in prison, parole after thirty with good behavior.¡± My jaw dropped; no werewolf could stand to be locked up that long without going mad. ¡°He¡¯d get life in prison if it went to trial.¡± He pulled the letter out and handed it to me.


    I took it and walked to the corner of the room for some privacy while I read it. ¡°Dear Vicki- If you are reading this, I am already dead. I know Alpha Theodore will try to take me out to protect himself. Now that I¡¯ve given my statement, it won¡¯t matter if he does. What happened, happened, and wishing things were different can¡¯t change anything. I¡¯m going out on my terms; one final act to save our kind from the prying eyes of human authorities.


    The only defense I have left is the truth, and that is what my statement contains. I hope it proves useful in removing the rot that is ruining my Pack.


    The consequences of my actions are more severe than I expected when we talkedst. I don¡¯t regret letting you go; that was one of the few things I¡¯ve done right. I regret that my father will not face punishment. I regret that Amy Miller will pay forever for my cowardly actions. I regret that you were hurt. And, I regret that somewhere out there is a woman destined to be my mate that I will never get to meet. I will find the courage to end my life; only in this way does she have a chance to find a male worthy of her.


    I go to Luna with the hope she will give my wolf another chance. He wasn¡¯t part of this, and he deserves a better host than me.


    Thank you, Vicki. You didn¡¯t ruin my life. I did that on my own. You saved me from going to Luna with blood on my hands. Tell Amy I am so sorry, and I will ask Luna to help her when I see her. (s) Todd Mercer¡±


    Tears were rolling down my face as I held the letter with shaking hands. ¡°Vicki,¡± Mom asked as she embraced me from behind.


    ¡°He killed himself,¡± I said. I held out the letter to Adrienne. ¡°Read this to them?¡± I sat in Mom¡¯sp as my Luna read the words to the Council.


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, I¡¯d ask that Vicki and her family leave us, and we bring Parker Stevenson in for a sidebar conference,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°The letter makes it clear his statement was a deathbed confession. I¡¯ll be entering a motion to reconsider its admittance into the trial.¡±


    The Chairman nodded. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, Luna,¡± he said to Adrienne.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get out of your way,¡± she replied. Our group left the room and headed back to our conference room; we didn¡¯t say anything or talk to anyone on the way back.


    We returned to our seats a few minutes before the end of the scheduled break. The Alphas forming the jury filed in, and the defendants were at their table, but thewyers and Council werete. It was another fifteen minutes before they entered the room, and we convened again. ¡°The Council was informed of the death by suicide of Beta Heir Todd Mercer during the recess,¡± he began. The audience knew about this, as the news spread like wildfire over lunch. ¡°I previously excluded Todd Mercer¡¯s statement as the Defense had not deposed him, and he was not avable to be cross-examined at trial. However, his suicide note makes it clear this was a deathbed confession. As such, it is an exception to our normal rules of evidence, and will be allowed.¡± I smiled as I saw the expression on Alpha Theodore¡¯s face change to dread. ¡°The Bailiff will read the statement into the record.¡±


    I listened with the rest of the room as the old wolf read Todd¡¯s words. He started four years ago, around Thanksgiving of 2028. ¡°On Monday, the Omega assigned to clean my room was new. I asked where Monique Robinson went, as she had been doing the job well for years. ¡®She ran away,¡¯ I was told. When I asked around, no one had any idea where she went or what happened to her. It was just after school started the next year that I noticed how distracted Timothy was in our training. That night, I went to his room and, over a bottle of whiskey, I got him to open up. He showed me a letter he¡¯d received from Monique along with a photo. The baby boy in the picture was much lighter inplexion than Monique was, but he had Timothy¡¯s eyes. Monique said the baby was his and included some of his hair as proof. She wanted him to sign away his parental rights so her future mate could adopt Tyler.¡±


    Wow. ¡°Timothy didn¡¯t know what to do; he wanted to fight for his child. I convinced him to go with me to talk to the Alpha in the morning; Tyler was an Alpha heir and belonged with us. It didn¡¯t go well. Alpha Theodore was furious he had gotten not just an Omega, but a ck Omega pregnant. He refused to consider bringing the child into the Pack. He ordered Doc to perform a DNA test. When it came back showing Timothy was the father of the child, the Alpha directed my father to find and kill the woman and the son. We searched, but the trail was cold. No Pack records showed her or the boy; if a Pack was hiding them, they were keeping it very quiet.¡±


    ¡°Things only got worse for Timothy when he and Traci fell in love. My father was under intense pressure to find Monique, as Timothy got older and faced the pressure to mate. My father desperately wanted Traci to be Luna. He knew the only way to ensure his bloodline stayed in the Alpha position, was if Traci bore Timothy a mantled Alpha. Timothy wanted to get married, but Theodore insisted he wait until after this year¡¯s Summit first.¡±


    Of course, you have to get Princess Puppy Mill. ¡°I was next to Timothy in line when he met and rejected Vicki. I was shocked; here was everything he and his father wanted, a woman destined for him who would bear a mantled child, and he rejected her. She walked off before Traci imed him, and he imed her back. I didn¡¯t find my mate, but the next day, Beta Max told me we were to capture Vicki and hold her. I should have asked more questions, but I didn¡¯t. I knocked out Amy Miller as they came out of the restroom, then drove the van to the hideout my father had prepared. When she woke, he beat her. He told me I should break her and use her for my pleasure, but I couldn¡¯t fuck her. I was to keep her alive and monitor her temperatures, then call when she was ovting. Unless there was an emergency, I wasn¡¯t to leave or call anyone.¡±


    ¡°It was after he left that I started to question what we were doing. It wasn¡¯t for revenge, and it wasn¡¯t for money. Vicki was not the one who harmed Timothy, and with his mating, there was no chance of them getting together. Talking with Vicki exposed me to the truth; that this had always been about getting Timothy another Alpha heir. I wouldn¡¯t participate in the rape and murder of an Alpha, so I let Vicki go. I wish I had more evidence, but I can say this. My sister was going to be Luna now, no matter what happened with Vicki. The only reason to do this to Vicki was to take her child, Timothy¡¯s child, and pass it off as their own. The one who wanted the mantle was Alpha Theodore; he must have ordered my father to be ready to kidnap Vicki if she wasn¡¯t Timothy¡¯s mate. Follow the trail and get justice for them. Signed, Todd Mercer.¡±


    The defensewyer took notes, knowing he couldn¡¯t cross-examine. The next witness called was Doctor Peter Pendleton, the Pack Doctor for the Killington Pack. He was sworn, but a silvered Alpha Theodore could not give an Alphamand. Lawrence Fenwick started the questioning. ¡°Doctor Pendleton, did you conduct a paternity test for Alpha Theodore on behalf of his son, Timothy, in 2029?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°The test showed Alpha Heir Timothy was not the father of the child in question.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The DNA results were conclusive.¡±


    ¡°You took the DNA sample from Timothy Lords personally?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I took a cheek swab and sealed it in the sample container, then sent it and the hair sample in immediately.¡±


    ¡°And there was NO chance that the sample could be contaminated or tampered with?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #28

    He shook his head no. ¡°It was never outside my possession, and I took it straight to the Federal Express office and overnight shipped it. I had the results the next afternoon.¡± He looked smug, as did Timothy. I knew the Doctor was lying to protect the Alpha family, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how Lawrence might catch him in the lie. I doubted Parker would let Alpha Theodore or Timothy anywhere near the stand in this case.


    ¡°Doctor, did you provide instruction to Beta Heir Todd on how to monitor a female¡¯s basal temperature to predict ovtion?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I did, at the direction of Beta Max. I¡¯ve provided such guidance to many Pack females and their mates over the years.¡±


    Lawrence looked at him. ¡°Do you normally provide this to an unmated male?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No further questions.¡± Parker looked pleased and did not cross-examine. They excused the witness, and the Chairman called a twenty-minute recess. The rest of the afternoon was Lawrence trying to fill in the holes in his circumstantial case. The property purchase was in the name of a Pack shell corporation, and the money transfer had the signature of the Alpha and Beta. Pack records showed Omega Monique Robinson had left the Pack in November of 2029, but the new Pack wasn¡¯t listed. Council rules required notification of a Pack change or her status as a rogue, neither of which happened. With that, the Prosecution rested.


    The Defense moved to dismiss the charges against the Defendants, stating the Prosecution had not proved their case. The motion was usually a formality, rejected by the judge before moving on. In this case, Parker sessfully argued that the Killington Luna and Traci had not been implicated directly by any of the evidence or testimony. The Chairman dismissed charges against them and ordered them released. Traci smirked at me as she kissed Timothy and moved to the audience area.


    With that, the Defense rested. The Chairman dered a one-hour recess for dinner before final arguments.


    During the dinner, Adrienne got up and went to talk to a Luna I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I have something to take care of, I¡¯ll see youter,¡± she sent to us. Dinner was a New Ennd Boiled Dinner, heavy on the corned beef. It also had cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, turnips, and beets. It wasn¡¯t bad, but I wasn¡¯t about to request it at home.


    As the trial restarted, the Chairman called for Lawrence to make his closing statement. Instead, he handed a paper to the Defense table then the Chairman. ¡°Mr. Chairman, the Prosecution requests to call the witness listed, who just arrived at the proceedings.¡±


    ¡°Objection,¡± Parker said as he jumped to his feet. ¡°The Prosecution did not list this witness, nor did we have a chance to depose her!¡±


    ¡°The witness will directly rebut testimony presented this afternoon. As she is a rebuttal witness, I am not required to provide prior notice,¡± Lawrence said.


    The Council conferred briefly, and the objection overruled. ¡°The Prosecution calls Monique Robinson to the stand.¡±


    Gasps filled the room as the rear door opened, and a young woman of Caribbean heritage walked in with Luna Adrienne at her side. She kept her head high as she went to the witness stand, ignoring the high-ranking wolves staring at her. The Bailiff looked at Adrienne as she walked with her to the witness stand. ¡°Personal guard,¡± she said quietly. ¡°She would not testify without my vow of protection.¡±


    The bailiff looked to the Chairman, who waved him back to his seat while Adrienne moved to stand behind the witness. Lawrence smiled at her as he began. ¡°Miss Robinson, what was your position in the Killington Pack in 2029?¡±


    ¡°I was an Omega, assigned as a maid to the Alpha and Beta quarters,¡± she said.


    ¡°And in this time, did you have a rtionship to Timothy Lords?¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°No, not until the night he raped me.¡± Timothy looked like he was going to pass out. Parker objected to her statement, and the Chairman overruled it. The Alphas and the crowd looked like they wanted to kill him. ¡°I¡¯d finished my duties when Timothy Lords called to ask for additional towels. When I came to his room, he trapped me in the bathroom, removed my clothing, and held me against the vanity as he took my virginity.¡±


    ¡°Did you report this rape,¡± Lawrence asked gently.


    ¡°To who? It¡¯s the Alpha¡¯s eldest son, the Next Alpha. Who is going to believe Monique, the weak Omega maid, over him?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I requested different duties, and I was careful to avoid Timothy as much as I could. It didn¡¯t always work, as he forced me three more times that week.¡±


    ¡°So you left Killington,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes. I found I was pregnant, and Timothy was the father. I knew Alpha Theodore wouldn¡¯t react well. I had a friend who had a friend, and I got out of there.¡±


    Lawrence let that sink in. ¡°Did you have any contact with Timothy after that?¡±


    ¡°Not until after Tyler was born. I was a single mother, struggling to pay my bills. I was hoping he would acknowledge paternity and provide some child support. I sent him a letter and photo, along with some of Tyler¡¯s hair, to prove my son was his.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear back from Timothy?¡±


    ¡°No, I got a letter from Alpha Theodore a few weekster. It had passed through a mail forwarding service to where I was living. The Alpha wanted the baby, and offered fifty thousand dors for the child, along with a letter giving up paternity. He included a waiver of parental rights ready for my signature and a check for ten thousand dors as a ¡®good-faith¡¯ gesture.¡±


    ¡°Did you take the money?¡±


    ¡°Hell no. I knew my son would be dead as soon as I turned around,¡± Monique replied. ¡°Here.¡± She opened her purse and pulled out the letter and the check.


    ¡°The Prosecution enters the letter and check into evidence.¡± Lawrence passed it to the Chairman before taking it to Parker¡¯s table and letting him read it.


    ¡°Why are you here today, Miss Robinson?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because these men are liars and killers. My son will never be safe with them in power, and I couldn¡¯t sit back and watch them walk away from this,¡± she said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll be in danger froming forward,¡± Lawrence asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a dead woman if Killington finds me,¡± she said. ¡°My son is safe, and if I don¡¯t return, he¡¯ll disappear. He¡¯s got the Mantle, and I won¡¯t let them kill him for it.¡±


    Lawrence nodded. ¡°I called you as a rebuttal witness because your testimony directly contradicts that of Doctor Pendleton. The Killington Pack Doctor stated the paternity test conclusively showed Timothy was not the father. Do you have any other evidence to show he was lying?¡±


    She opened her purse and removed a baggie with a swab. ¡°I took his DNA,¡± I said. ¡°Run another test, this time using Timothy¡¯s DNA instead of someone else¡¯s. Take mine, too. You¡¯ll have your proof then.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #29

    ¡°OBJECTION,¡± Parker said.


    The Chairman was in no mood for this. ¡°Overruled. Doctor Martinsen is in the audience?¡±


    A middle-aged Luna stood up from the back of the room. ¡°Yes, Mr. Chairman?¡± She was Luna of a Pack near Boston.


    ¡°You can obtain samples and have them analyzed for DNA, correct?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. I can drive them to theb and have the answer in a few hours.¡± He called her forward, and she took cheek swabs from both adults.


    Lawrence went back to questioning the witness. ¡°Monique, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be 21 in July,¡± she said.


    ¡°So when you were raped multiple times by Timothy Lords, how old were you?¡± Parker objected without sess; the Chairman wanted to hear this.


    ¡°Sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, the Prosecution charges Timothy Lords with the rape of an underage female, and charges Doctor Peter Pendleton with perjury,¡± Lawrence said.


    ¡°So noted,¡± the Chairman said. ¡°Bailiff, take Doctor Pendleton into custody.¡± The guards had been watching the Killington Doctor closely and were ready when he tried to run. He was silvered and chained quickly, screaming as they dragged him out of the room.


    Lawrence looked over at a shaken Parker. ¡°Your witness,¡± he said.


    Parker walked towards the witness,posing his thoughts. ¡°Miss Robinson, did Alpha Theodore ever threaten you if you didn¡¯t turn over the child?¡±


    ¡°You read the letter. The Alpha said it would be ¡®best for all concerned¡¯ if I did.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, you are just ASSUMING that Alpha Theodore¡¯s intended to kill the child, not to bring his grandson into the Pack.¡±


    She snickered. ¡°It seems reasonable considering the lengths the Alpha would go to take Vicki¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Yet you have no evidence Alpha Theodore ever did so. Isn¡¯t it reasonable for him to think that his Grandson would be safer with his Pack than on the run with a rogue Omega?¡±


    ¡°No, not when he tried to kill us at least once.¡±


    ¡°Miss Robinson, you are using a sitting Alpha of attempted murder. Do you have a single shred of proof to back up your usation?¡±


    ¡°Only if he will agree to testify,¡± she said calmly. ¡°He let me go when he found out what the Alpha truly wanted him to do.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not say out loud,¡± she said.


    The Chairman motioned for Parker to return to his desk. ¡°Bailiff, pass the witness a pen and paper,¡± he said. Monique wrote a name down; the Chairman read it with a raised eyebrow before he passed it to the other Council members. ¡°This man can give testimony rted to your im,¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Yes, but only if he agrees, and only if he is no longer under Alpha Theodore¡¯smand,¡±


    The Chairman waved the bailiff over. ¡°Have this man brought to chambers. The hearing will be in recess for ten minutes.¡± He banged the gavel, and the Council filed out to their room with Monique and Adrienne.


    ¡°What just happened,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Breakthrough,¡± Mom said. ¡°We¡¯ll see his Pack turning against him.¡±


    Ten minutester, the Council returned with a male in his thirties; he was well-built and had the bearing of a warrior. Adrienne brought Monique over to sit in our area while he testified. ¡°Court is now in session. Warrior Kendall Wright has transferred the allegiance of himself and his family to the Miesville Pack.¡± Good, that meant all the previous Alphamands that bound him were gone. He was sworn in, with Alpha Leomanding him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good man, a strong warrior, mated with two young girls,¡± Adrienne said to us privately. ¡°He deserved a better Alpha.¡±


    Lawrence was first up. ¡°Warrior Kendall, have you met Monique Robinson before?¡±


    ¡°I have, sir.¡±


    ¡°How did thate about?¡±


    He looked at the defense table with disgust before starting. ¡°In April of 2031, Alpha Theodore and Beta Max called four of us into his office. The Beta gave us photos of Omega Robinson, who had left two years ago. The Alpha said that Omega Robinson had stolen from the Pack. She was reportedly working at a caf¨¦ in Charleston, South Carolina. The four of us were to apany the Beta there, where we were to kill her and her family.¡±


    ¡°Kill? Not recover?¡±


    ¡°No, he was specific. I thought it weird that he didn¡¯t ask to recover the property, or even say what it was. The five of us flew to Charleston and went to the location. I was assigned to cover the back alley, while the Beta and two others went inside, and the driver waited in front.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°Monique rushed out of the back, carrying a baby in a child carrier. I stopped her; she was so frightened and begged me to let her go. I got a good sniff of the child, and I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± He paused and looked at Timothy. ¡°The boy had an Alpha Mantle.¡±


    Lawrence picked it up from there. ¡°The boy was the ¡®pack property¡¯ that Monique had stolen.¡±


    He nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose as he gathered himself. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior and a father. I have a code of honor I live by, and I don¡¯t kill children,¡± he said. ¡°I told her to go, and she ran off. I bounced my head and shoulder off the door, blocking it with my body. When the Beta made it to the alley, she was gone. I told him her guard had knocked me out.¡±


    ¡°You defied Alpha order,¡± he said.


    ¡°I missed my opportunity to carry it out,¡± Kendall replied.


    ¡°And these three other warriors can back up your allegations?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°If removed from Command, yes.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, the Prosecution adds a charge of Attempted Murder of an Alpha Heir to the charges against Alpha Theodore.¡± The charge he faced now was only Kidnapping of an Alpha Heir. The Chairman epted the new charge and told Lawrence to continue. ¡°Your witness.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Parker stood up. ¡°To be clear, the Alpha never told you specifically to kill the child.¡±


    ¡°He said to kill Monique and her family.¡±


    ¡°No further questions, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Any further questions for Miss Robinson,¡± he asked. Bothwyers said no. ¡°The trial will adjourn until eight AM.¡± He banged his gavel to end the session. ¡°Miss Robinson, the Werewolf Council offers you its assistance and protection. Our children are our greatest treasures. We will be happy to assist in helping you join a Pack, where you can raise him among our kind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir, but I must decline. I have all the protection I need and trust. Have a good evening.¡± She got up and walked out with Luna Adrienne before anyone could react, and before the Council left the chamber.


    ¡°Where are you taking her,¡± I asked my Luna.


    ¡°Back to her friend,¡± she replied. ¡°She knows we will help if she needs it, but she is safer on her own.¡± I snorted; my life proved that. Tyler deserved better.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been protecting her all along?¡±


    ¡°No, but we¡¯ve been helping a friend do it. Her protectors contacted me after she found out she was pregnant. Monique knew we could be trusted.¡±


    ¡°Because you had helped a woman with a mantled child before,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I have to go soon.¡±


    ¡°Are you being followed?¡±


    ¡°Killington has allies too. They won¡¯t be able to track her in a helicopter.¡±


    I smiled at this; of course, they had already worked out her escape. Once again, we stayed behind and let the room clear out. I turned on my phone and sent a text to Kai, with a message for Amy. ¡°Things are going well, no answer until tomorrow.¡± I followed it up with a photo of the letter Todd had left for me, asking Kai to read it to her when she was ready.


    He texted back that she was resting after a long day of neurological testing, but she was showing progress. That was excellent news.


    Leo was beset by both Council and Pack, all of whom wanted him to turn over the Omega and her mantled son to them. It got a little loud, and I watched as the sides formed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my call,¡± he finally said. ¡°Monique is not in my Pack. I am not privy to her location, and I am not involved in her protection. She asked Adrienne to get her to trial and back out, and that¡¯s what we did. If she wants to stay hidden, you need to let her and stay away.¡±


    ¡°He is the true heir of the Killington Pack,¡± one of the Alphas said.


    ¡°Alpha Theodore would kill him if he could,¡± I said as I stood and turned to the men. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt her story, and I¡¯ve got scars from these same conflicts. Do you want the boy to be safe? Then STOP LOOKING FOR HIM. All you are doing is driving him farther underground and away from his people. Let him grow to be of age, and he can make his own decisions about his mantle.¡±


    ¡°What she said,¡± Leo said proudly. ¡°Now if you will excuse us, we have to go.¡±


    Our group formed protective rings around me as we moved outside and to the cars. I didn¡¯t rx until we were off Pack property. ¡°That was an interesting day,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be involved in discussions about the trial,¡± Leo said. ¡°Try something else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received two-hundred-and-twenty-eight invitations to Prom, and eighty-seven marriage proposals this week,¡± I said.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Armed guards. We need more guards. And sharks, with frickin¡¯ LASERS attached to their heads.¡±


    I justughed as we drove to the hotel.

 SHARKBAIT #30

    The next morning, after our family cleaned out the hotel breakfast buffet, we arrived back at the Killington Pack for the continuation of the trial. The mood in the hall was different this morning; you could feel the simmering anger. Rapists were the lowest of the low, and finding out what happened to Monique had people on edge.


    They wanted blood.


    We had to disarm as we headed into the room, walking to the same front corner we¡¯d taken over the day before. The Killington Pack supporters had be far less numerous, and no one sat near the Luna or Traci in the front row. No matter what the verdict was, that Pack would never be the same. ¡°What is happening with Killington,¡± I asked one fo the Lunas behind us.


    ¡°Word is dozens of people have left already for other Packs,¡± she said. ¡°More are asking about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, the rats who leave a sinking ship are the only ones behaving rationally,¡± I said.


    ¡°We saw the same thing with the Welch Pack after they attacked us,¡± Mom said. ¡°It all worked out in the end. Sometimes you need a shakeup to get the shapeup.¡±


    At eight, the trial continued. The first person called was Doctor Martinsen. ¡°Doctor, you performed the DNA samples on Miss Monique Robinson and Timothy Lords, and used those to show the paternity of minor child Tyler Robinson?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said. ¡°I transported them to theb and watched as they performed the testing.¡±


    ¡°And what were the results?¡±


    She looked down at the paper. ¡°The testing conclusively showed that Miss Robinson and Mister Lords were the biological parents of the minor child.¡±


    There weren¡¯t gasps in the audience, most expected it, including me. It was more growls, at the scientific proof of the rape.


    ¡°Is there any possibility it was someone other than Timothy Lords? His father, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. The test was conclusively a paternal match.¡±


    ¡°The prosecution enters the results into evidence. Your witness, counselor.¡±


    I bit back augh as I looked at Parker Stevenson, the Defense Counsel, who was watching his defense get shredded. Arguing DNA evidence was a loser, and he knew it. ¡°No questions, Mr. Chairman,¡± he quickly said.


    ¡°The prosecution rests, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    Now the fun part. The only chance he had to argue the case was to put Timothy or Theodore on the stand, and no sane person would do that. ¡°The defense rests, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Closing statements then, Beta Fenwick.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman.¡± He rose to face the Alphas. ¡°There are facts in this case that are not in dispute. Timothy Lords, the Killington Alpha Heir, repeatedly raped a sixteen-year-old maid. Her departure from the Pack was not recorded with the Council as required. The rape resulted in a child with the Killington Alpha Mantle. After Alpha Theodore¡¯s money wasn¡¯t enough to get the child, he sent a team out at least once with instructions to kill her and her child. Thankfully, this attempt and any others he may have tried failed. The Killington leadership had a problem; their son was in love with his Beta¡¯s daughter, but she was not his mate. If he allowed the mating, their first child would not have the Alpha Mantle, proof of his infidelity, andpletely uneptable to the Alpha.¡±


    Turning to the defense table, he continued. ¡°He needed a baby with a mantle to make up for his son¡¯sck of character. There was a mantled Alpha femaleing of age; she would be at this year¡¯s Summit, and a child with her would carry the mantle. Long before the summit began, ns were in ce to capture this female and force her to bear a Killington heir. If Luna¡¯s will had prevailed, Heir Timothy would have imed Vicki Lawrence, and no one would have known. Instead, he rejected her. Two dayster, Vicki was abducted and chained to a wall. A Beta was severely injured in the attack and is now blind.¡±


    ¡°The Beta¡¯s son was to call when she was ovting, so Timothy could get his mantled heir. The only good part of this story is that the captor gave up when he realized what his leaders had nned for them. That is what happened; it is now that you, Alphas of the jury, need to hold leadership to ount. The defense will soon argue that there is no direct evidence of the Alpha ordering the kidnapping. That is true; Beta Max¡¯s death took away that link. However, you are allowed to look at the totality of the evidence. Theodore signed for the money to buy thend where Vicki was held captive. Thisnd had no value beyond its proximity to the Summit andck of neighbors. Someone told the Doctor, who lied on the stand about paternity, to instruct Todd in taking temperatures. Someone paid for the supplies and the vehicle. Someone let their Beta and his son leave the Summit and covered for them as we searched for her captors. That person was Alpha Theodore.¡±


    Damn. Lawrence was on a roll. ¡°am¡¯s Razor is a rule stating the obvious answer is usually the correct one. No one benefitted more from Vicki¡¯s abduction than Alpha Theodore. Beta Max didn¡¯t care; his daughter was going to be Luna regardless.¡± He turned back to the jury to close. ¡°It is time to close this sad chapter and hold the ringleaders responsible. Bring back guilty verdicts, as is your duty. Thank you.¡± He returned to his seat, and Parker rose in his ce.


    ¡°I told you at the start of this trial that theories exist in the absence of proof. You¡¯ve heard a fanciful theory. It¡¯s a story that belongs among the trashy teenage werewolf books on Wattpad.¡± He turned to the Alphas. ¡°No direct evidence ties Alpha Theodore or Timothy to the kidnapping. Nothing. It¡¯s all smoke and mirrors, and that is NOT enough to meet the standard of your jury decision. What that Beta did to Vicki was horrible, but it was what the Beta did. Both men killed themselves. Don¡¯t allow your thirst for vengeance to cloud your duty to the truth.¡±


    With that, he sat down. ¡°He didn¡¯t mention the rape or the assassination attempt,¡± I sent to Mom and Adrienne.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mention what you can¡¯t get out from under,¡± Adrienne replied.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Following jury instructions, the Chairman put the trial in recess, pending a verdict. We ended up back in our room, and I pulled out my phone to catch up on emails as I waited. I checked the website and let out a squeal. ¡°We hit $2. 54 Million,¡± I eximed. Pulling up the website, I saw the mail-order fundraising split between people buying trackers and people buying posters. ¡°Check this out, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d I let you talk me into the heavy breathing poster. It¡¯s number one.¡±


    ¡°People love a hero,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°With her thong backlit by the sun,¡± I said with a giggle. I went through the messages and saw one from Mercedes. She was setting up two events and a photoshoot in Hawaii for me; they would fly me first-ss to the Ind, and leave the return date open. I could bring three guests along; I just needed to tell her the names. It was the vacation I¡¯d promised to Amy, but I didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d be able to go. I forwarded the dates to Kai along with a trial update.


    He called me back. ¡°Hey, Vicki. We were just talking about you. I¡¯m putting you on speaker.¡±


    ¡°Hi bestie,¡± Amy said. ¡°I wish I could see you right now.¡±


    Holy crap, she¡¯s joking? ¡°Me too,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve missed all the fun. I think Timothy sharted when Monique walked into the room. He¡¯s screwed so bad hiswyer didn¡¯t even try and argue it.¡±


    ¡°And Theodore?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he tried to kill Monique¡¯s son. That¡¯s a big fucking deal, and he knows it.¡± I needed to change the subject. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°My head feels like it¡¯s been run over by a car,¡± she said. ¡°The doctors don¡¯t even want me to get my head wet for two more weeks, and it will be months before I¡¯m allowed to swim. They don¡¯t want any pressure on my healing skull.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°When can you fly?¡±


    ¡°I get out of here in another ten days, and I¡¯ll continue with outpatient treatments at a hospital in Eugene. Mom is going to move out to the University of Oregon condo where Kai lives now. That way, Kai can finish his school, and I can be close to the hospital.¡±


    I checked my schedule. ¡°I¡¯m doing an event at the Oregon Coast Aquarium two weeks from Saturday,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d like you to join me if you can.¡±


    ¡°Why? I look like Frankenstein, and I¡¯m not the famous one,¡± she protested.


    ¡°You¡¯re my friend, and you¡¯re part of my dreams, too,¡± I replied. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re selling a bunch of those posters with us swimming in the Bahamas. I would love for people to meet you so you can autograph them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on her signature,¡± Kai promised. ¡°If it can happen, we will make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kai.¡± Someone knocked on the door and told us the verdict was in. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. Take good care of my swim-buddy,¡± I said. ¡°I love you, Amy.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Vicki.¡± I hung up and powered the phone down as we all got up to head back in.


    The Chairman looked to the jury foreman, an Alpha from ska. ¡°Has the jurye to a verdict?¡±


    ¡°We have, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll start with Doctor Peter Pendleton. On the charge of perjury, how do you find?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    ¡°For defendant Timothy Lords, on the charge of conspiracy to kidnap an Alpha heir, how do you find?¡±


    ¡°Not guilty.¡± I saw a sigh of relief on the defense side, but it wasn¡¯t over.


    ¡°On the charge of rape of an underage female?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡± Good. Timothy was acting tough, but the little bitch knew what this meant, and his balls were probably hiding up his asshole right now.


    ¡°For Alpha Theodore Lords, on the charge of conspiracy to kidnap an Alpha heir, how do you find?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    ¡°On the charge of attempted murder of an Alpha heir?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    The Chairman thanked the jury for their service. ¡°Trial is in recess until 1400, at which time we will reconvene for sentencing and punishment.¡± He banged the gavel, and we all stood as the Council walked out.


    ¡°One great thing about werewolf justice is that it happens fast,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°The sentences will be carried out before dinnertime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not watch,¡± I said nervously. ¡°But I have to. I need to be able to tell Amy I saw them punished for what they did.¡±


    ¡°You may have to do more than watch,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Victims and family members are allowed to participate in the punishment.¡±


    ¡°Monique and Amy aren¡¯t here,¡± I said. ¡°Both have more of a im than I do.¡±


    Alpha Steve Dauntless, Alpha Leo, and Alpha Ivan all joined us. ¡°I will im rights for Amy, as she is in my Pack now,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°And I will stand in for Monique,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. We tried to rx and eat, and I caught up on my messages. Mom and I spent time on my busy travel schedule. I was flying out almost every Friday afternoon and returning Sunday night. On some weekends, I was making four or five aquarium appearances. I was booked solid through May. ¡°Our charity has already raked in our target. Maybe we just call fundraising over soon,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #31

    ¡°Over? Did you say OVER? Nothing is over until WE say it¡¯s over,¡± Leo said as he stood and gestured wildly. ¡°Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?¡± The others in the room all startedughing.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Unky Leo, the Germans didn¡¯t bomb Pearl Harbor!¡±


    He looked at me like I was the idiot. ¡°It¡¯s a movie quote, Sharkbait. From ¡®Animal House¡¯ in 1979.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°The movie is more than fifty years old! You can¡¯t expect me to know that!¡±


    He just shook his head. ¡°No appreciation for ssic movies or ssic rock with these kids,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°As for the charity, I agree that you need to wrap it up with your project. You¡¯re still doing the show for Shark Week with tagging off Cape Cod this summer, and Bodyglove¡¯s campaign will pick upe summer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Bodyglove pays more than expenses,¡± I said. I closed my eyes, thinking of all I needed to do. ¡°I also have to figure out where I¡¯m going to school. I thought I was going to Oregon with Amy, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s going to follow Kai around for his training. He¡¯s going to move like five times in two years until he gets assigned to a SEAL team.¡±


    ¡°What does your heart say,¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I want to help Amy, but I don¡¯t know if Kai and Amy want me along for the ride,¡± I said. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t regain her sight, she¡¯s going to need live-in help that Kai can¡¯t provide.¡±


    ¡°Oregon has online options, especially for the first year,¡± Alpha Steve said. ¡°Many lectures are online, with exams in person or proctored. That¡¯s what Kai went back to arrange. I was going to suggest that for Amy so she can study at his bases. When Kai deploys overseas, she can return to the Pack and attend sses in person.¡± It was a lot to think about, but I liked it. ¡°How can I stay with her on a military base?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Steve said. ¡°We will figure it out. You¡¯re wee at our Pack and to stay at the condo in Eugene to go to school.¡±


    I thought about things as I went through more messages, then it was time. We were all in our ces when the Council filed in, looking grim as they stared at the three men chained in silver. The Chairman got right down to business. ¡°Doctor Peter Pendleton, you have been sentenced to twentyshes.¡± His knees gave way as the guards grabbed him to hold him up; as a Doctor, he would have seen the results of the punishment. He knew what pain and recovery was in store.


    ¡°Alpha Heir Timothy Lords, you are sentenced to castration, then fortyshes. Theshes will ur in groups of twenty with one month between each part of the punishment. Your family will pay restitution to Monique Robinson of two hundred and fifty thousand dors, plus two thousand dors a month in child support until Tyler reaches the age of eighteen.¡±


    Timothy looked like he was about to throw up. He should have expected it; rape was punishable by castration, and with her being underage, theshings were the only punishment short of death.


    ¡°Alpha Theodore Lords, you are sentenced to death. Your estate will pay two hundred thousand dors in restitution to Vicki Lawrence, and one million dors to Amy Steele. Guards, take them to the Punishment Pole.¡±


    The three men were half-dragged out of the room to their fates. The guards forced Timothy and Theodore to their knees to watch Peter¡¯s punishment. A big guard cut off his shirt and shackled his wrists to a chaining from the top of the post, leaving him stretched tall. Theshings were brutal, and his screams echoed in the mountain valley.


    I stopped watching after ten, watching Timothy instead. He would do this twice, and his face showed his fear. No one would pity a man who would use his strength and position to rape another.


    When it was over, his back was raw and bleeding, and he was barely conscious. The guards loaded him on a stretcher, and bearers took him to the infirmary.


    A crying and struggling Timothy was dragged to the pole next. He¡¯d pissed his pants in fear, but that didn¡¯t matter as the guards cut his pants off. Luna Adrienne imed rights in the name of Monique and pulled out a silver-coated knife from the holder on her calf. Doctor Martinsen set up her equipment next to a gurney, ready to stitch the wound closed so he wouldn¡¯t bleed out.


    I forced myself to watch. The Doctor washed his groin with Betadyne to help prevent infection, then taped his cock up out of the way. She poured alcohol over Adrienne¡¯s de, then stepped aside. ¡°For raping my charge, I remove your manhood,¡± Adrienne said as she gripped his balls and tugged them down. A swift slice, a scream, and he passed out. Guards quickly took him down as Doc held a pad over the wound, then she stitched it up as his mate and parents watched in horror. Traci threw up on the ground as the pain hit her through the bond.


    Finally, it was Alpha Theodore¡¯s turn. He said his goodbye to his mate and walked tall to the pole. His hands were secured behind his back so his neck would be open. Alpha Steven imed the right and pulled out a vicious-looking Bowie knife coated in silver. ¡°Last words?¡±


    ¡°I love you, honey.¡±


    Alpha Steven grabbed his hair and sliced his neck from side to side. Blood sprayed out as he let go; Alpha Steven stepped back and watched as the life drained from his eyes. His mate screamed in agony, first from the injury, then from the loss of her mate. All of the Killington Pack felt the loss of their Alpha¡¯s link, andmand of the Pack shifted to his Luna.


    ¡°Timothy will be returned to the cells to recover. One month from today, he will be brought out to receive the first twentyshes. Anyone who interferes in his punishment will share the same punishment.¡± The Chairman looked around the crowd, his dominance making them all look away. ¡°We are done here.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #32

    One Month Later


    Hanauma Bay, Hawaii


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Vicki. Tilt your head to the right a smidge, and arch your back.¡± Click click click, the photographer¡¯s camera going rapid-fire as I posed in the knee-deep surf. The tropical breeze felt fantastic on my exposed skin, of which the bikini left a lot. It was much better than back home in Minnesota, where the Pack was getting mmed with eighteen inches of snow right now. ¡°Turn your right hand towards me and lift it slightly, so the mask is visible. Smile, girl, you¡¯re in paradise.¡± I was carrying a mask and snorkel in one hand and fins in another, looking like I was about to dive. I SO wished I could, but I couldn¡¯t ruin the hairstyle just yet.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I kept posing as the shoot went into its fifth hour. We were moving from the overlooks to the beach and now to the surf. I¡¯d been in sundresses, exercise gear, casual clothes, and now I was on my eighth swimsuit. The small crowd that security kept back kept busy filling social media with pictures of me, which only fed the celebrity. ¡°I wish they could close the beach for this,¡± I sent to Colleen. She was my bodyguard for the trip, on a leave of absence from her Sheriff¡¯s duties.


    ¡°It would make my job easier,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Mercedes is encouraging it. It builds anticipation for the swimsuit line and is free publicity. I thought you¡¯d be more worried about tonight.¡±


    The first three days of my Spring Break trip to Hawaii were work, and it wasn¡¯t just photoshoots and fan events. Mercedes wanted to get me on the gossip pages and had arranged a ¡®date¡¯ for me with a local celebrity. Skip Bonino was a twenty-one-year-old extreme sports athlete, whose social media following was in the tens of millions. I was going to be seen out on the town with him, dancing the night away at the clubs and the beach, all wearing Bodyglove fashions. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a nice guy,¡± I said. ¡°We can have fun, but he¡¯d better keep his fingers off the goodies.¡± I was still a virgin and intended to stay that way until I found my mate. Well, the mate that was WORTHY of my neck.


    The tropical sun was high in the sky, and I¡¯d be burning by now without the preparation. Mercedes had insisted I use a tanning machine regrly so I wouldn¡¯t look like a pale Minnesotan with a spray-on tan. She¡¯d sent me one as a business expense, and it had joined our exercise equipment in the basement. With the deep tan and the suntan lotion, my skin practically shined now. We finished with the bikini shots as Iid in the shallow water. I walked over to the ¡°changing room,¡± a h hoop holding up the fabric panels that hid me as the assistants raised it over my head, and stripped off the wet suit. I put on a more practical swimsuit this time, along with a dive knife to strap to my leg. I smiled, knowing this meant it was free-dive time.


    The fashion photographer was packing up, and I thanked him as I walked back out. ¡°It was a pleasure, Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°I wish all my models listened and behaved like you. I¡¯ll make you look amazing.¡± I gave him a brief hug, then Mercedes pulled me aside to meet the dive photography team. I drank an energy shake as we talked; only snacks, no meals as they didn¡¯t want my ¡®prime rib belly¡¯ as Mom called it showing. There were four safety divers with scuba gear, a divemaster, a fashion coordinator, and an underwater photographer. We went over the dive n, which had us going out to the deeper, less-visited areas of the underwater national park. We spent two hours diving between the coral formations, feeding the abundant fish with frozen peas, and trying to get the small reef sharks to cooperate with the photography. I thought I¡¯d be too far out to change, but no. The men turned around as I stripped off one suit underwater and put on the next. I even changed my skin diving gear three times.


    I didn¡¯t even notice it was work because I was having so much fun. I was disappointed when we had to go back in and walk up the trail to the parking lot, but the shoot wasn¡¯t over just yet. We piled into vehicles and headed for a marina, where we loaded onto a dive boat with the rest of the team. Diving made all the other stuff worth it. I had on one of my shark-inspired wetsuit designs as we dove reefs and wrecks for the next three hours. I changed wetsuits with the tanks, once wearing just a bikini bottom and long-sleeve dive shirt, and finally just a bikini.


    By the time we returned to our hotel, I wanted to sleep. ¡°Get in the shower,¡± Mom said. ¡°Skip¡¯s picking you up in forty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. I spent time washing my long blonde hair, braiding it down my back. Mercedes said we would start at a beach luau, so I wore a white bikini with an ocean-themed beach dress over it. Colleen picked me up at the door; her loose flower-pattern dress had plenty of room for her to reach her ¡°essories.¡± She escorted me past the paparazzi outside our hotel, where I did my part by posing for a few pictures. The driver took us to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, located on the beach. Colleen got out first, her eyes alert. Skip was waiting for me, wearing board shorts and a Hawaiian silk shirt, unbuttoned enough to show the gold chain bouncing on his chest hairs.


    He held his hand out to me as I stepped out of the car to the clicks of the photographers. ¡°Thank you for joining me tonight, Vicki,¡± he said as he held out a flowered lei.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to it,¡± I said. Skip put the flowers around my neck, and I bit back annoyance at the strong scent. My wolf, which had recovered from her loss of a mate, was not pleased. She wanted to shake her head until the stupid thing came off. I didn¡¯t like it because it would mask my senses, but I couldn¡¯t take it off now. I let him kiss my cheek and take my hand to lead me through the hotel. The paparazzi couldn¡¯t follow, but both of our camps had photographers along to catch the action.


    We had front-row seats at the luau, which matched entertainment, music, and food in equal amounts. I think I shocked Skip with my appetite; I wasn¡¯t one of those women who had three pieces of lettuce and a finger sandwich andined of being full. ¡°You¡¯re not like any other model I¡¯ve met,¡± he said as we rxed over the main course.


    Iughed. ¡°I hope not. I¡¯m a diver and a student, Skip. The modeling kind of fell into myp. I work hard, and I y harder,¡± I said.


    ¡°That, we have inmon,¡± he said. I was hoping he wasn¡¯t a vain adrenaline-junkie yer, but I was wrong. He downed drink after drink, while I sipped on fruit juice. He spent almost the entire time talking about his adventures, only asking me questions to see if I¡¯d done them as well. I could feel his eyes trying to look through my dress, and it creeped me out a little.


    As the meal ended, the hosts asked for volunteers to learn to h dance. Skip naturally volunteered me, knowing I¡¯d have to take off the dress to put on the grass skirt. Gritting my teeth and vowing to tell Mercedes where she could stick her matchmaking. I could see the photographers going as I learned the dance; I picked it up quickly, and I had a lot of fun with the girls. The crowd apuded as I returned to my seat, where Skip didn¡¯t even get up for me.


    Dancing on the dance floor by the beach was fun, although I had to push his hands away from my ass and move away when he tried to grind on me. This kind of crap was why I didn¡¯t like dating human males. A yer like Skip didn¡¯t want to be my friend. He wanted to party and drink with hot women all night in public, then have a hot fuck in his bed. He expected me to drop my panties like every other girl because he was Skip Bonino.


    I wasn¡¯t impressed, and I wasn¡¯t interested. At least with werewolf males, if I said I was waiting for my mate, they would back off, and we could just have fun.


    Skip pounded the rest of his drink and set it on a table. Taking my hand, he guided us to a dark spot on the dance floor. His hands were all over me as he tried to take advantage of the rtive privacy. ¡°Stop,¡± I said, as Skip pushed the shoulder strap of my bikini top off my shoulder. I put it back, shooting him a re. He¡¯d behave for a minute, but then a hand would go after my ass or tits. ¡°It¡¯s time for this date to end before I have to kick his ass in public,¡± I sent to Colleen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a car brought around,¡± she said. She walked off to talk to a hotel employee.


    Seeing my minder leave only emboldened the drunken male. He grabbed my left arm and started dragging me off the dance floor towards one of the beach cabanas. ¡°Call an ambnce while you¡¯re at it,¡± I said.


    ¡°STOP,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a cabana reserved, and no one will disturb us while I give you the fucking you deserve,¡± he replied.


    ¡°LET. ME. GO.¡± I could see a cameraman in the shadows, and I didn¡¯t want to get in a fight unless I needed to. I was not going anywhere with him willingly, though.


    Instead of doing releasing me, he pulled me until my back was against his chest, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. ¡°Not until you can¡¯t walk straight, bitch. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    That was enough. I raked the edge of my sandal down his left shin, following that up with an elbow to Skip¡¯s exposed ribs. I use the surprise to drop and twist out of his grip, rolling away in the sand as he fell on his ass.


    Skip was now drunk AND pissed off. ¡°BITCH,¡± he said as he scrambled back to his feet, a little unsteady.


    ¡°Walk away while you can,¡± I said as I eased into a fighting stance.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy breaking you,¡± he said. He was a good six inches taller and had sixty pounds on me, but he wasn¡¯t a fighter. He tried to bull rush me, but I ducked under his arms and shot my knee into his stomach. It was a hard shot that sent him to his hands and knees. All of those expensive drinks and the fancy food came up in one long retch.


    He wiped his mouth as he got up, his anger evident. Now he wanted to hurt me, and since he didn¡¯t stay down, it was time to end this. Skip lunged forward and reached for my neck, but I grabbed his shirt as I dropped down and put my foot into his stomach. I used his momentum to toss him over my head with my leg as I rolled onto my back. Hended heavily on the wet sand, groaning in pain. I walked over to him as he was trying to get up to his hands and knees. ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you up,¡± he said as he pushed himself up to his knees.


    ¡°You should learn that NO means NO,¡± I said before I kicked his upper left arm from the side. I heard the bone snap, and Skip screamed in pain. ¡°Thanks for dinner,¡± I said as I turned around.


    Colleen was waiting for me. ¡°I can¡¯t take you anywhere,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°The ambnce is pulling up now.¡±


    I nodded, taking the towel to wipe off the sand, then pulling the dress back over me. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to exin this to the cops,¡± I told as the officers came out of the hotel.


    ¡°Nah. Our photographer was smart enough to videotape the whole thing when you told him to stop. He wasn¡¯t the only one, either. You¡¯re going to be famous for your fighting now, too.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with.¡± It took an hour to give my statement, and I showered and went right to bed when I got back to our hotel.

 SHARKBAIT #33

    The next morning¡¯s shoot was at a tall waterfall on the big ind, so we had to meet Mercedes at the airport and fly there by helicopter. Colleen was right; the video had hit the inte within minutes, and the news had been ying it as we ate breakfast. I was expecting Mercedes to be mad when she showed up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°For what? That asshole got what he deserved. You kicked ass and looked great doing it, in a Bodyglove bikini,¡± she said. ¡°Your fight was on every channel in the world this morning, and no one mes you except Skip. You told him to stop, he announced his intention to rape you, and he got his ass kicked for it. My phone has been ringing since midnight, Vicki. Press interest in your appearance at the Surf Shop is off the charts!¡± This morning was thest photoshoot, as my schedule had me signing autographs and talking to fans at the store from two to four this afternoon. ¡°Could you do a press conference before the signing? PLEASE?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You better feed me,¡± I said as Mom rolled her eyes. ¡°And we can¡¯t short the fans. As long as there is a line, I¡¯m going to sign,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t sign the pictures and posters Mom had printed at the Bodyglove events unless a fan brought it in. Mercedes made sure some of the best shots from my first shoot became posters that bore the Bodyglove logo by my name, and they were free.


    ¡°As long as we finish by six. We have the Executive Dinner and the reveal of the best shots from this week¡¯s shoot starting at seven. You¡¯re going to wow them, Vicki.¡± At my first modeling job, the bruises on my ribs and face had to be hidden by my poses or erased digitally. I¡¯d fully healed since then, and Hawaii was a beautiful backdrop. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the photos we took yesterday.


    My fans deserved my time, I¡¯d vowed earlier. I was still amazed at how much money we¡¯d raised for shark research in just one month. We¡¯d ced a second order for more of the trackers, since we shattered our fundraising goal. We already had over five hundred tags active, with moreing online every day. Tomorrow, I was going out with Ocean and her team to tag Hawaiian Tiger Sharks with a documentary team. Our cheaper tags had a considerable advantage over previous designs; you could attach it to the end of a pole, then push it towards the shark¡¯s dorsal fin from the front or back. The mp would trigger when the edge of the dorsal hit the fold of the tag, so you could tag without capturing the shark first. The new method meant a lot less stress on the sharks, and a lot more sharks you could tag in a day.


    I couldn¡¯t talk the pilot into letting me have the controls on the return trip, which was the only bad part of the day. The press conference was chaotic, but the video was as clear as my story. It gave me a chance to talk about respect for women and the meaning of no. I don¡¯t think Skip would be getting as many dates once hispound fracture healed.


    I loved the signing, so many fans from little kids to grandparents. I signed, posed for pictures, and thanked people for over three hours until the store sold out of Bodyglove merchandise.


    The dinner with the Bodyglove executives was even better; they loved me as their spokesman, and their sales had nearly doubled since the campaign began. The CEO wanted to lock me into a long-term deal as soon as possible and asked me what it would take. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the modeling, and I love the public events, but none of this was something I set out to do,¡± I said. ¡°I love three things in my life; my family, my diving, and sharks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made a substantial contribution to your shark tagging study,¡± he said.


    ¡°And I appreciate that very much. I love yourpany, and I want these lines to seed wildly, and that¡¯s why I want to talk to you about Amy Miller.¡±


    ¡°Your best friend, the one who was injured in your kidnapping?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Amy¡¯s vision has improved a bit, but she may have permanent damage. That won¡¯t stop her,¡± I said. I pulled out my phone and showed some photos of the two of us together. ¡°We¡¯ve trained and dived together since I was five. She¡¯s going to dive again, and you should be with her when she does.¡± He looked up at me in shock. ¡°She¡¯s young and beautiful, more than I am. Her courage sets her apart. The press is going to notice, she¡¯s going to attract interest, and you need her wearing Bodyglove when that happens.¡±


    ¡°How soon is that?¡±


    ¡°This summer.¡± I could see him thinking; in the fall, they would be nning the rollout of the spring lines, ones that I had more input in designing. ¡°Amy and I are best friends, and you can work with that in next year¡¯s campaign. Give her a contract, and you won¡¯t regret it.¡± Having the two of us working and traveling together would be like a dreame true.


    ¡°You¡¯re not what I expected, Vicki. I¡¯ve never met someone so energized in the idea of me hiring someone else.¡± He shook his head as he smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mercedes about it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the only one smiling as the photos came on the screen during dessert; the CEO was having a rather animated conversation with Mercedes. The shoot had been a big sess.


    ¡°I love it when a good nes together,¡± I sent to Mom.


    Eugene, Oregon


    Three Weeks Later


    I checked myself in the mirror onest time; the Bodyglove-designed evening wear was beautiful on me. Inspired by the waters of Monterey Bay, the green strips resembled a kelp forest that swayed as I moved. The deep sea-blue by my hips got lighter as it moved up my body, ending in fake diamonds surrounding the bust and back representing the surface. My shoulders were bare, the thin straps doing just enough to hold everything in ce. I topped it off with shark earrings and a beautiful diamond ne Leo gave me for my sixteenth birthday, one that originally belonged to his first mate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you are ready,¡± I said as I pulled Amy forward. Her dress was a shimmering white, like the moon on a winter¡¯s night. It clung to her curves like paint and set off the ck hair of her wig. Her diamond choker matched the engagement ring she wore on her left hand. ¡°Kai is not going to be able to speak when he sees you,¡± I teased.


    She moved her hand along her side. ¡°I wish I could see, but it¡¯s all fuzzy. I can see blobs where we are, but no detail.¡± Her vision was very slowly improving; her doctors said it could be years before enough of her brain rewired itself so she could see again. In the meantime, we rejoiced in every improvement she made. ¡°I can almost imagine what this dress looks like from the feel.¡±


    ¡°Those Bodyglove designers went all out for you,¡± I said. The weekend after my Hawaii trip was the shark tagging event at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It was the first public event for Amy since the attack. She was nervous, but we had her back. Well, us and Kai¡¯s twin sisters, Makani (¡®wind¡¯ in Hawaiian) and Noni (¡®heavenly mist¡¯). The pair worked with a local service dog training center to get certified as a seeing-eye dog while Amy was in the hospital. The vest and harness allowed them to go everywhere with Amy now, and since they were twins, they could alternate off fur time so each could get a break.


    The fans loved her. They had heard my story, but Amy¡¯s determination to see and dive again was inspiring. We sold every poster we had of the two of us, and she posed for hundreds of pictures.


    Mercedes was impressed. I¡¯d convinced the Bodyglove CEO she was worth a contract, and Mercedes was there to find out. Over dinner, she offered Amy ten thousand dors to do a test shoot the next day. Amy wasn¡¯t sure it would work, because she didn¡¯t see how beautiful she was. The injury took her hair, but the rest of her body was hotter than mine.


    The next day, we were on the rocky and wave-tossed Oregon coast. The makeup girls handled Amy like an old friend, making herfortable as they used different makeup and wigs on her. She looked great in the swimsuits, and better in the wetsuits. It was during a morning break that the photographer spotted them.


    Kai and Amy had walked off together, her ¡®dog¡¯ by her side. The photographer hid behind boulders as they came back, catching the loving couple as they enjoyed the day. ¡°These are dynamite,¡± he said after they noticed him. ¡°Is he under contract?¡± Mercedes said no. ¡°Get him a contract. You can¡¯t fake what I just saw. I HAVE to capture this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can sign a contract, I¡¯m in the Naval Reserve,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Take them anyway,¡± Mercedes said. ¡°We¡¯ll work it out when I¡¯m not freezing.¡± And so they did. The rest of the shoot was of the two of them, modeling an entire line of Bodyglove products. They were freezing by the time the day finished. When they reviewed the shots on Monday, Mercedes was begging to get them both under contract.

 SHARKBAIT #34

    One Month Later


    Hanauma Bay, Hawaii


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Vicki. Tilt your head to the right a smidge, and arch your back.¡± Click click click, the photographer¡¯s camera going rapid-fire as I posed in the knee-deep surf. The tropical breeze felt fantastic on my exposed skin, of which the bikini left a lot. It was much better than back home in Minnesota, where the Pack was getting mmed with eighteen inches of snow right now. ¡°Turn your right hand towards me and lift it slightly, so the mask is visible. Smile, girl, you¡¯re in paradise.¡± I was carrying a mask and snorkel in one hand and fins in another, looking like I was about to dive. I SO wished I could, but I couldn¡¯t ruin the hairstyle just yet.


    I kept posing as the shoot went into its fifth hour. We were moving from the overlooks to the beach and now to the surf. I¡¯d been in sundresses, exercise gear, casual clothes, and now I was on my eighth swimsuit. The small crowd that security kept back kept busy filling social media with pictures of me, which only fed the celebrity. ¡°I wish they could close the beach for this,¡± I sent to Colleen. She was my bodyguard for the trip, on a leave of absence from her Sheriff¡¯s duties.


    ¡°It would make my job easier,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Mercedes is encouraging it. It builds anticipation for the swimsuit line and is free publicity. I thought you¡¯d be more worried about tonight.¡±


    The first three days of my Spring Break trip to Hawaii were work, and it wasn¡¯t just photoshoots and fan events. Mercedes wanted to get me on the gossip pages and had arranged a ¡®date¡¯ for me with a local celebrity. Skip Bonino was a twenty-one-year-old extreme sports athlete, whose social media following was in the tens of millions. I was going to be seen out on the town with him, dancing the night away at the clubs and the beach, all wearing Bodyglove fashions. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a nice guy,¡± I said. ¡°We can have fun, but he¡¯d better keep his fingers off the goodies.¡± I was still a virgin and intended to stay that way until I found my mate. Well, the mate that was WORTHY of my neck.


    The tropical sun was high in the sky, and I¡¯d be burning by now without the preparation. Mercedes had insisted I use a tanning machine regrly so I wouldn¡¯t look like a pale Minnesotan with a spray-on tan. She¡¯d sent me one as a business expense, and it had joined our exercise equipment in the basement. With the deep tan and the suntan lotion, my skin practically shined now. We finished with the bikini shots as Iid in the shallow water. I walked over to the ¡°changing room,¡± a h hoop holding up the fabric panels that hid me as the assistants raised it over my head, and stripped off the wet suit. I put on a more practical swimsuit this time, along with a dive knife to strap to my leg. I smiled, knowing this meant it was free-dive time.


    The fashion photographer was packing up, and I thanked him as I walked back out. ¡°It was a pleasure, Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°I wish all my models listened and behaved like you. I¡¯ll make you look amazing.¡± I gave him a brief hug, then Mercedes pulled me aside to meet the dive photography team. I drank an energy shake as we talked; only snacks, no meals as they didn¡¯t want my ¡®prime rib belly¡¯ as Mom called it showing. There were four safety divers with scuba gear, a divemaster, a fashion coordinator, and an underwater photographer. We went over the dive n, which had us going out to the deeper, less-visited areas of the underwater national park. We spent two hours diving between the coral formations, feeding the abundant fish with frozen peas, and trying to get the small reef sharks to cooperate with the photography. I thought I¡¯d be too far out to change, but no. The men turned around as I stripped off one suit underwater and put on the next. I even changed my skin diving gear three times.


    I didn¡¯t even notice it was work because I was having so much fun. I was disappointed when we had to go back in and walk up the trail to the parking lot, but the shoot wasn¡¯t over just yet. We piled into vehicles and headed for a marina, where we loaded onto a dive boat with the rest of the team. Diving made all the other stuff worth it. I had on one of my shark-inspired wetsuit designs as we dove reefs and wrecks for the next three hours. I changed wetsuits with the tanks, once wearing just a bikini bottom and long-sleeve dive shirt, and finally just a bikini.


    By the time we returned to our hotel, I wanted to sleep. ¡°Get in the shower,¡± Mom said. ¡°Skip¡¯s picking you up in forty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. I spent time washing my long blonde hair, braiding it down my back. Mercedes said we would start at a beach luau, so I wore a white bikini with an ocean-themed beach dress over it. Colleen picked me up at the door; her loose flower-pattern dress had plenty of room for her to reach her ¡°essories.¡± She escorted me past the paparazzi outside our hotel, where I did my part by posing for a few pictures. The driver took us to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, located on the beach. Colleen got out first, her eyes alert. Skip was waiting for me, wearing board shorts and a Hawaiian silk shirt, unbuttoned enough to show the gold chain bouncing on his chest hairs.


    He held his hand out to me as I stepped out of the car to the clicks of the photographers. ¡°Thank you for joining me tonight, Vicki,¡± he said as he held out a flowered lei.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to it,¡± I said. Skip put the flowers around my neck, and I bit back annoyance at the strong scent. My wolf, which had recovered from her loss of a mate, was not pleased. She wanted to shake her head until the stupid thing came off. I didn¡¯t like it because it would mask my senses, but I couldn¡¯t take it off now. I let him kiss my cheek and take my hand to lead me through the hotel. The paparazzi couldn¡¯t follow, but both of our camps had photographers along to catch the action.


    We had front-row seats at the luau, which matched entertainment, music, and food in equal amounts. I think I shocked Skip with my appetite; I wasn¡¯t one of those women who had three pieces of lettuce and a finger sandwich andined of being full. ¡°You¡¯re not like any other model I¡¯ve met,¡± he said as we rxed over the main course.


    Iughed. ¡°I hope not. I¡¯m a diver and a student, Skip. The modeling kind of fell into myp. I work hard, and I y harder,¡± I said.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That, we have inmon,¡± he said. I was hoping he wasn¡¯t a vain adrenaline-junkie yer, but I was wrong. He downed drink after drink, while I sipped on fruit juice. He spent almost the entire time talking about his adventures, only asking me questions to see if I¡¯d done them as well. I could feel his eyes trying to look through my dress, and it creeped me out a little.


    As the meal ended, the hosts asked for volunteers to learn to h dance. Skip naturally volunteered me, knowing I¡¯d have to take off the dress to put on the grass skirt. Gritting my teeth and vowing to tell Mercedes where she could stick her matchmaking. I could see the photographers going as I learned the dance; I picked it up quickly, and I had a lot of fun with the girls. The crowd apuded as I returned to my seat, where Skip didn¡¯t even get up for me.

 SHARKBAIT #35

    Dancing on the dance floor by the beach was fun, although I had to push his hands away from my ass and move away when he tried to grind on me. This kind of crap was why I didn¡¯t like dating human males. A yer like Skip didn¡¯t want to be my friend. He wanted to party and drink with hot women all night in public, then have a hot fuck in his bed. He expected me to drop my panties like every other girl because he was Skip Bonino.


    I wasn¡¯t impressed, and I wasn¡¯t interested. At least with werewolf males, if I said I was waiting for my mate, they would back off, and we could just have fun.


    Skip pounded the rest of his drink and set it on a table. Taking my hand, he guided us to a dark spot on the dance floor. His hands were all over me as he tried to take advantage of the rtive privacy. ¡°Stop,¡± I said, as Skip pushed the shoulder strap of my bikini top off my shoulder. I put it back, shooting him a re. He¡¯d behave for a minute, but then a hand would go after my ass or tits. ¡°It¡¯s time for this date to end before I have to kick his ass in public,¡± I sent to Colleen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a car brought around,¡± she said. She walked off to talk to a hotel employee.


    Seeing my minder leave only emboldened the drunken male. He grabbed my left arm and started dragging me off the dance floor towards one of the beach cabanas. ¡°Call an ambnce while you¡¯re at it,¡± I said.


    ¡°STOP,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a cabana reserved, and no one will disturb us while I give you the fucking you deserve,¡± he replied.


    ¡°LET. ME. GO.¡± I could see a cameraman in the shadows, and I didn¡¯t want to get in a fight unless I needed to. I was not going anywhere with him willingly, though.


    Instead of doing releasing me, he pulled me until my back was against his chest, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. ¡°Not until you can¡¯t walk straight, bitch. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    That was enough. I raked the edge of my sandal down his left shin, following that up with an elbow to Skip¡¯s exposed ribs. I use the surprise to drop and twist out of his grip, rolling away in the sand as he fell on his ass.


    Skip was now drunk AND pissed off. ¡°BITCH,¡± he said as he scrambled back to his feet, a little unsteady.


    ¡°Walk away while you can,¡± I said as I eased into a fighting stance.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy breaking you,¡± he said. He was a good six inches taller and had sixty pounds on me, but he wasn¡¯t a fighter. He tried to bull rush me, but I ducked under his arms and shot my knee into his stomach. It was a hard shot that sent him to his hands and knees. All of those expensive drinks and the fancy food came up in one long retch.


    He wiped his mouth as he got up, his anger evident. Now he wanted to hurt me, and since he didn¡¯t stay down, it was time to end this. Skip lunged forward and reached for my neck, but I grabbed his shirt as I dropped down and put my foot into his stomach. I used his momentum to toss him over my head with my leg as I rolled onto my back. Hended heavily on the wet sand, groaning in pain. I walked over to him as he was trying to get up to his hands and knees. ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you up,¡± he said as he pushed himself up to his knees.


    ¡°You should learn that NO means NO,¡± I said before I kicked his upper left arm from the side. I heard the bone snap, and Skip screamed in pain. ¡°Thanks for dinner,¡± I said as I turned around.


    Colleen was waiting for me. ¡°I can¡¯t take you anywhere,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°The ambnce is pulling up now.¡±


    I nodded, taking the towel to wipe off the sand, then pulling the dress back over me. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to exin this to the cops,¡± I told as the officers came out of the hotel.


    ¡°Nah. Our photographer was smart enough to videotape the whole thing when you told him to stop. He wasn¡¯t the only one, either. You¡¯re going to be famous for your fighting now, too.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with.¡± It took an hour to give my statement, and I showered and went right to bed when I got back to our hotel.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The next morning¡¯s shoot was at a tall waterfall on the big ind, so we had to meet Mercedes at the airport and fly there by helicopter. Colleen was right; the video had hit the inte within minutes, and the news had been ying it as we ate breakfast. I was expecting Mercedes to be mad when she showed up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°For what? That asshole got what he deserved. You kicked ass and looked great doing it, in a Bodyglove bikini,¡± she said. ¡°Your fight was on every channel in the world this morning, and no one mes you except Skip. You told him to stop, he announced his intention to rape you, and he got his ass kicked for it. My phone has been ringing since midnight, Vicki. Press interest in your appearance at the Surf Shop is off the charts!¡± This morning was thest photoshoot, as my schedule had me signing autographs and talking to fans at the store from two to four this afternoon. ¡°Could you do a press conference before the signing? PLEASE?¡±


    ¡°You better feed me,¡± I said as Mom rolled her eyes. ¡°And we can¡¯t short the fans. As long as there is a line, I¡¯m going to sign,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t sign the pictures and posters Mom had printed at the Bodyglove events unless a fan brought it in. Mercedes made sure some of the best shots from my first shoot became posters that bore the Bodyglove logo by my name, and they were free.


    ¡°As long as we finish by six. We have the Executive Dinner and the reveal of the best shots from this week¡¯s shoot starting at seven. You¡¯re going to wow them, Vicki.¡± At my first modeling job, the bruises on my ribs and face had to be hidden by my poses or erased digitally. I¡¯d fully healed since then, and Hawaii was a beautiful backdrop. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the photos we took yesterday.


    My fans deserved my time, I¡¯d vowed earlier. I was still amazed at how much money we¡¯d raised for shark research in just one month. We¡¯d ced a second order for more of the trackers, since we shattered our fundraising goal. We already had over five hundred tags active, with moreing online every day. Tomorrow, I was going out with Ocean and her team to tag Hawaiian Tiger Sharks with a documentary team. Our cheaper tags had a considerable advantage over previous designs; you could attach it to the end of a pole, then push it towards the shark¡¯s dorsal fin from the front or back. The mp would trigger when the edge of the dorsal hit the fold of the tag, so you could tag without capturing the shark first. The new method meant a lot less stress on the sharks, and a lot more sharks you could tag in a day.


    I couldn¡¯t talk the pilot into letting me have the controls on the return trip, which was the only bad part of the day. The press conference was chaotic, but the video was as clear as my story. It gave me a chance to talk about respect for women and the meaning of no. I don¡¯t think Skip would be getting as many dates once hispound fracture healed.

 SHARKBAIT #36

    I loved the signing, so many fans from little kids to grandparents. I signed, posed for pictures, and thanked people for over three hours until the store sold out of Bodyglove merchandise.


    The dinner with the Bodyglove executives was even better; they loved me as their spokesman, and their sales had nearly doubled since the campaign began. The CEO wanted to lock me into a long-term deal as soon as possible and asked me what it would take. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the modeling, and I love the public events, but none of this was something I set out to do,¡± I said. ¡°I love three things in my life; my family, my diving, and sharks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made a substantial contribution to your shark tagging study,¡± he said.


    ¡°And I appreciate that very much. I love yourpany, and I want these lines to seed wildly, and that¡¯s why I want to talk to you about Amy Miller.¡±


    ¡°Your best friend, the one who was injured in your kidnapping?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Amy¡¯s vision has improved a bit, but she may have permanent damage. That won¡¯t stop her,¡± I said. I pulled out my phone and showed some photos of the two of us together. ¡°We¡¯ve trained and dived together since I was five. She¡¯s going to dive again, and you should be with her when she does.¡± He looked up at me in shock. ¡°She¡¯s young and beautiful, more than I am. Her courage sets her apart. The press is going to notice, she¡¯s going to attract interest, and you need her wearing Bodyglove when that happens.¡±


    ¡°How soon is that?¡±


    ¡°This summer.¡± I could see him thinking; in the fall, they would be nning the rollout of the spring lines, ones that I had more input in designing. ¡°Amy and I are best friends, and you can work with that in next year¡¯s campaign. Give her a contract, and you won¡¯t regret it.¡± Having the two of us working and traveling together would be like a dreame true.


    ¡°You¡¯re not what I expected, Vicki. I¡¯ve never met someone so energized in the idea of me hiring someone else.¡± He shook his head as he smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mercedes about it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the only one smiling as the photos came on the screen during dessert; the CEO was having a rather animated conversation with Mercedes. The shoot had been a big sess.


    ¡°I love it when a good nes together,¡± I sent to Mom.


    **********


    Eugene, Oregon


    Three Weeks Later


    I checked myself in the mirror onest time; the Bodyglove-designed evening wear was beautiful on me. Inspired by the waters of Monterey Bay, the green strips resembled a kelp forest that swayed as I moved. The deep sea-blue by my hips got lighter as it moved up my body, ending in fake diamonds surrounding the bust and back representing the surface. My shoulders were bare, the thin straps doing just enough to hold everything in ce. I topped it off with shark earrings and a beautiful diamond ne Leo gave me for my sixteenth birthday, one that originally belonged to his first mate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you are ready,¡± I said as I pulled Amy forward. Her dress was a shimmering white, like the moon on a winter¡¯s night. It clung to her curves like paint and set off the ck hair of her wig. Her diamond choker matched the engagement ring she wore on her left hand. ¡°Kai is not going to be able to speak when he sees you,¡± I teased.


    She moved her hand along her side. ¡°I wish I could see, but it¡¯s all fuzzy. I can see blobs where we are, but no detail.¡± Her vision was very slowly improving; her doctors said it could be years before enough of her brain rewired itself so she could see again. In the meantime, we rejoiced in every improvement she made. ¡°I can almost imagine what this dress looks like from the feel.¡±


    ¡°Those Bodyglove designers went all out for you,¡± I said. The weekend after my Hawaii trip was the shark tagging event at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It was the first public event for Amy since the attack. She was nervous, but we had her back. Well, us and Kai¡¯s twin sisters, Makani (¡®wind¡¯ in Hawaiian) and Noni (¡®heavenly mist¡¯). The pair worked with a local service dog training center to get certified as a seeing-eye dog while Amy was in the hospital. The vest and harness allowed them to go everywhere with Amy now, and since they were twins, they could alternate off fur time so each could get a break.


    The fans loved her. They had heard my story, but Amy¡¯s determination to see and dive again was inspiring. We sold every poster we had of the two of us, and she posed for hundreds of pictures.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Mercedes was impressed. I¡¯d convinced the Bodyglove CEO she was worth a contract, and Mercedes was there to find out. Over dinner, she offered Amy ten thousand dors to do a test shoot the next day. Amy wasn¡¯t sure it would work, because she didn¡¯t see how beautiful she was. The injury took her hair, but the rest of her body was hotter than mine.


    The next day, we were on the rocky and wave-tossed Oregon coast. The makeup girls handled Amy like an old friend, making herfortable as they used different makeup and wigs on her. She looked great in the swimsuits, and better in the wetsuits. It was during a morning break that the photographer spotted them.


    Kai and Amy had walked off together, her ¡®dog¡¯ by her side. The photographer hid behind boulders as they came back, catching the loving couple as they enjoyed the day. ¡°These are dynamite,¡± he said after they noticed him. ¡°Is he under contract?¡± Mercedes said no. ¡°Get him a contract. You can¡¯t fake what I just saw. I HAVE to capture this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can sign a contract, I¡¯m in the Naval Reserve,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°Take them anyway,¡± Mercedes said. ¡°We¡¯ll work it out when I¡¯m not freezing.¡± And so they did. The rest of the shoot was of the two of them, modeling an entire line of Bodyglove products. They were freezing by the time the day finished. When they reviewed the shots on Monday, Mercedes was begging to get them both under contract.

 SHARKBAIT #37

    It turned out that Kai couldn¡¯t sign a contract due to his Navymitments, but he COULD sign a release allowing them to use the photos. He did so dly after Amy signed a one-year contract like mine. We celebratedte into that night; not only did the contract help with the young couple¡¯s finances, it meant the two of us could make appearances together. Amy and Kai got to keep everything they modeled, and a shipment of other clothes soon followed. Amy could lose money if she got photographed in another brand of clothes, so she had a new wardrobe. That included the new design Bodyglove formalwear we wore tonight.


    I heard a knock on the door, and Makani came in with Noni dressed as the seeing-eye dog. ¡°Time to go,¡± Makani said. She led us out down the stairs to where Kai and Jason King, my date tonight, waited in their full-dress Navy choker-white uniforms.


    We stopped a few steps from the bottom and waited for their jaws to close. ¡°Wow,¡± was all Kai could say. Jason managed to recover and greet me with a big smile. ¡°Ladies, your chariot awaits,¡± he said as he bowed to us.


    Amy put her arm in Kai¡¯s as they led our group out of the Pack condo and to the waiting limo. Noni ran ahead and jumped in the limo after my friends, and Jason helped me as I sat across from him. Makani was in her formal gown, as her date to tonights Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Spring Ball would meet her there. Tonight¡¯s ball was to celebrate the seniors who would soon be graduating.


    After the Hawaii disaster, it took a lot to talk me into another blind date with a human. Kai vouched for Jason, who was his second inmand in their unit¡¯s Midshipmen structure. I found him to be a pleasant date and a gentleman. Jason was a Mechanical Engineering major, headed for Nuclear Power School, then the attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783).


    We arrived to find a waiting mob of photographers, reporters, and students curious to see me. My fame showed no sign of cking, and word of our attendance had been all over social media. Makani exited first, her date, a freshman, leading her towards the stairs. Noni ran out and sat next to the door, as Kai helped Amy step out. She kept one hand in his arm and the other on the dog¡¯s harness as they smiled for the cameras. When they¡¯d had their moment, Jason stepped out and helped me out to the cheers of the crowd. I waved at them and smiled; I was thrilled to be here at a military ball with my best friend.


    We made our way up the stairs to the ballroom to the shes of cameras. I walked next to Jason through an arch of upraised swords, then to a reception line where we met the officers and distinguished guests. Since Kai and Jason were the senior Midshipmen, we joined the line as the other guests came in.


    There was a short speech by Admiral Connor Kincade, and then the dancing began. Our parents made sure Amy and I knew how to ballroom dance as young girls, and Jason was surprisingly good as a lead. We had a great time, but he wasn¡¯t my mate.


    Amy was over the moon. In Kai¡¯s arms, she didn¡¯t need to see; she followed his confident lead as they waltzed around the dance floor. They were such a great pair, and my heart filled with joy at seeing her this happy.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    My wolf and I had gotten past the rejection; both of us d we never bonded with Alpha Nutless. Adrienne had filled me in on thetest with the Killington Pack before I left for the airport. The Luna had stepped forward to lead the Pack after Theodore¡¯s execution. She didn¡¯t have a lot of help; Traci was her highest-ranking wolf now, and she had problems of her own. Many med her for the situation they were in; if she had stepped aside for Timothy¡¯s fated mate, they would have had a dominant pair as Alpha heirs. Luna had not favored them since. Instead, Timothy received his first set of twentyshes with the silver-infused whip and would remain imprisoned until he got the second. Adrienne said two Alpha-blood and two Beta-blood males had filed challenges with the Council to take on the Killington Luna or her champion, her son.


    Yes, he¡¯d been castrated, flogged, and imprisoned, but Timothy still had an Alpha mantle. He would not go down without a fight. The Council would have the contenders fight each other, with the winner getting a shot at the Killington Alpha position. There were no guarantees, but many, including me, hoped that new leadership would save that Pack. The Council had even asked me to file a challenge, and Iughed in their face. Life was doing enough to punish the mate who rejected me, and I didn¡¯t need those headaches.


    One good piece of news hade our way. We both received ourpensation ordered by the Council a few days ago. I¡¯d heard Killington had to liquidate investments and sell some properties to pay it, which was another blow to the once-sessful Pack. With their finances drained and half the Pack leaving for others, Adrienne didn¡¯t think Traci wouldst at Killington long enough for their child to be Alpha.


    Yes, Traci got knocked up by the man she stole from me. It was even possible that I witnessed the conception just before the Summit¡¯s Scratch and Sniff. It would be their only child, and would never hold the Alpha mantle unless they could find and kill Monique¡¯s son. Adrienne assured me that would never happen.


    I was on the dance floor until my feet ached; Jason tried a lot, but every male in the room wanted a dance with the Sharkbabe. I danced with everyone from plebes (first year NROTC midshipmen) to Admiral Kincade and took a bunch of pictures with them. Mercedes would be pleased, as social media would fill up with me in the Bodyglove design dress.


    It was nearly midnight when Kai let Jason know it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, then left to climb into the limo. Kai and Amy were lost in each other, while I leaned into Jason¡¯s chest and Makani looked out the window.


    ¡°Can we keep the night going,¡± Jason asked. ¡°I know a ce we can get some food and talk,¡± he said.


    I cupped his cheek, leaning forward to kiss him. He tried to deepen it, but I pulled back. ¡°You¡¯re a nice man, Jason, and I enjoyed my night. You just aren¡¯t the man for me. I can¡¯t lead you on by telling you otherwise,¡± I said.


    The ¡®it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s me¡¯ didn¡¯t go over well, but he nodded. ¡°I enjoyed the night as well. I hope we can be friends.¡±


    ¡°I would like that. My best friend is engaged to your buddy; we might see each other again.¡± I gave him a goodnight kiss when we returned to the condo, and he walked to his car to head back to his apartment. I had my heels off as soon as I crossed the threshold.

 SHARKBAIT #38

    Kai led Amy to their room, and they wouldn¡¯t be out untilte morning. Noni shifted, pulling on a long shirt and pair of shorts she¡¯d left by the door. ¡°I¡¯m having ice cream,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± I quickly added. The hors d¡¯oeuvres weren¡¯t near enough for me, and I wanted to sit for a while. I went up to my room, hanging up the dress and removing the jewelry beforeing down in sweats. I had a great time with Kai¡¯s younger sisters as we watched movies, ate lots of snacks, and gossiped. The males who Luna matched with them would be blessed.


    ¡°How do you like dating humans, knowing your mate isn¡¯t out there,¡± Noni asked quietly.


    Makani looked at me and joined in. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t mind dating that human because I know my mate is out there, but you?¡±


    I took a drink as Iposed my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve only had a few dates since it happened, and you saw the one in Hawaii, right?¡± They nodded, the video had gone viral. ¡°My wolf has zero interest now in males. I went out with Jason as a favor to Kai, and so I could be there with Amy at her first adult formal. I¡¯d be just fine if I never dated again, but my bosses at Bodyglove want to see me out and about.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to visit Packs, or wait for the Scratch and Sniffs,¡± Makani asked.


    ¡°By Luna, I never want to go to one of THOSE again,¡± I said. ¡°The Council will make me, though. I¡¯m going to fly in, let the males parade through, then head for the airport again. They can make mee, but they can¡¯t make me stay.¡±


    ¡°Was it that bad?¡±


    ¡°Worst time of my life. Finding my mate while he was balls-deep in another woman, standing next to her as his seed was still on her thighs, then the rejection? It hurt. It hurt a lot. With time, my wolf and I realized how lucky we were it happened that way. I mean, can you imagine what could have happened? If we had imed each other that night, I would have woken to a jealous, pregnant girlfriend, then find out he¡¯d raped and impregnated another woman! I don¡¯t need that shit. I¡¯d rather be off Australia diving with the sharks.¡± Their eyes were wide. ¡°I¡¯m the exception to the rule. Look at Kai, that man is so in love it¡¯s sickening.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to find a mate,¡± Makani continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting around for a man to make my lifeplete,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got my n, and I¡¯m going to carry it out. If Luna wants to toss a werewolf male, or even a human male, in my path, she¡¯ll have to do the work.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°A human?¡±


    ¡°It can happen. My Mom was human when Brent found her. Terry Foster found his mate in a human female with a son.¡± I smiled as I grabbed another beef stick off the tray. ¡°For both of them, their wolves knew who she was as soon as they caught a sniff of her. I¡¯ll wait for my wolf to tell me my mate is here. Until then, I need a man like a submarine needs a screen door.¡±


    ¡°I want a mate,¡± Makani said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be away from Noni, and I don¡¯t want to leave this Pack.¡±


    ¡°Luna has ns she won¡¯t tell you,¡± I said. ¡°Just don¡¯t give your neck to a man who isn¡¯t worthy of it.¡±


    *************


    ¡°Amy Miller.¡± I jumped to my feet and cheered with the rest of my ss, the whole auditorium letting out a tremendous ovation. Amy kept her left hand on the handle on top of her seeing-eye dog, Makani, as she slowly ascended the stairs to the stage. She walked to where the Principal of the ¡®Zoo School¡¯ waited for her with big smiles. ¡°Congrattions, Miss Miller,¡± he said as he shook her hand. Amy thanked him and took her high school diploma. The Principal gently turned her to face the crowd for photos. Finally, she turned and walked off the other end of the stage.


    I looked up into the stands where my Pack sat with arge contingent from the Three Sisters Pack. After Amy was able to continue her studies, they worked out a deal with our school to let her finish the two sses she needed to graduate while she recovered in Oregon. For her ssmates, it was the first time they had seen her since February.


    I sat in my chair after that, holding my diploma. I won the award for Best Environmental Project with my shark tagging. As my adviser presented the award, he said it ¡°set a standard that no student will ever exceed.¡± I guess that having the head of the World Wildlife Federation, and noted shark conservationist Ocean Ramsey, show up at your project presentation guaranteed me an ¡®A.¡¯ Our project had now raised over four million dors for tagging and tracking operations, and over seven thousand tags were active, with hundredsing online every week. I could pull out my phone, pick an area of coastline, and see dozens of tagged positions and tracks of individual sharks. The school even ¡®adopted¡¯ five sharks, and disyed their track updates on monitors in the hallway.


    When we tossed our mortarboards in the air, I went to hug Amy. It took a while, as all of my ssmates wanted to hug me too, and Amy had a line. Finally, we moved outside for more photos and congrattions from family and friends.


    Amy and I traveled separately to our homes, putting on our Bodyglove suits under Bodyglove sundresses and meeting for our graduation party at Alpha Leo¡¯s country estate. The ce was overflowing, the home and pool area filled with guests.


    Mom had us bringing a lot of food, so I used the big bowl of potato sd as a prop to help me get through the crowds. Once one of thedies in the kitchen took it from me, it was endless hugs and well wishes on the way to the pool deck. Almost everyone from Miesville and Stillwater Packs was here, mixing with representatives from all the local Packs and Three Sisters. Allied Packs had also arrived in force, bringing unmated wolves near my age along. Any Alpha or Beta son who hadn¡¯t been at the Summit came to meet me, just in case. Functions like this built rtionships and alliances between Packs.


    In other words, this was a blowout. At least five hundred guests filled Leo¡¯snd.


    A whole row of grills and smokers lined the area around the outdoor kitchen, putting out tons of meat to go with the other food. Since the graduation ceremony was at two in the afternoon, they were going full out to get everyone fed.


    Amy and I were good hostesses, spending our time talking and thanking all the guests foring. No males caught my wolf¡¯s interest, but we did get two matings out of the night. The gift tables were overflowing, meaning we would have a LOT of thank-you cards to write over the next week.


    It wasn¡¯t until well after dinner that the Alphas, Lunas, and Council members took over the Man Cave in the basement. The remaining adults gathered in the house, allowing Amy and I to pull off our dresses and join the party in the pool. Amy was still legally blind but had been making steady improvement; she could make out shapes better now. The metal te in her head was gone now, and she¡¯d been able to shift for a few weeks. Unfortunately, the vision loss affected her wolf in the same way, making it impossible for her to run on her own. The fuzzy vision wasn¡¯t correctible with lenses as it was in the image processing area of her brain and not the eye. We were encouraged that it was getting better every month. Amy spent most of her time in and around the hot tub with Kai, while I yed volleyball and talked with my friends.

 SHARKBAIT #39

    Makani and Noni were having a great time, and many a young man made ns to meet them after they came of age in October. They were beauties inside and out, and Kai was thrilled to include them in their trips. He and Amy had been on two more modeling shoots since signing their contract, and we made three joint appearances at Bodyglove events. Mercedes hadn¡¯t signed them, but she gave them lots of free clothes as they often appeared in the background at public events.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    It was just after ten when Leo called for me to join the group downstairs. Kai and Amy were already getting up, with Alpha Steven calling them. I dried off and pulled my dress back on before going inside, taking the indicated seat in front of the aquarium. Mom and Brent came to sit next to me, while Susan took the spot on the other side of Amy from Kai. ¡°I¡¯ve dreaded this day¡¯s arrival for months,¡± Alpha Leo said. ¡°Children grow up and leave the den, going to find their way in this world. For Amy, it is to join her mate as he undergoes SEAL training and his service to our country. With Vicki, it is her dream to join her friend as she studies marine biology. Both youngdies have been valued members of our Pack, and though we celebrate with them, we will miss them as they go. Vicki, it¡¯s time.¡±


    I stood up, walking over to where Leo and Adrienne stood with Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn. ¡°I love you,¡± I said as I walked into my Unka¡¯s and Aunt¡¯s arms. It had to be done as I needed to be able tomunicate mentally with the others. Composing myself, I stepped back. ¡°I, Vicki Lawrence, renounce my membership in the Miesville Pack and request to be released, Alpha Leo.¡±


    ¡°I release you from our Pack,¡± Leo said. I felt the Pack bonds break; if I didn¡¯t know it wasing, it would have brought me to my knees. I felt so alone; only my family bonds remained.


    I turned to Alpha Steven. ¡°I, Vicki Lawrence, offer my allegiance and loyalty to the Three Sisters Pack and Alpha Steven,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is with great pride that I ept Vicki Lawrence into the Three Sisters Pack,¡± Steven said. He put his hands on my head, and I felt the new Pack bonds snap into ce. There were far fewer new bonds due to the limited numbers here, but my wolf reveled in having a Pack again.


    ¡°Wee, Vicki,¡± Carolyn sent into my mind as my new Alpha pair embraced me.


    ¡°I get my bestie link back!¡± I just smiled at Amy¡¯s voice in my head. We did the Pack transfer tonight because tomorrow morning, we would be leaving for San Diego. Amy and Kai were going with his parents to the fully-furnished house we were renting on Coronado Ind, getting things set up before he had to report to SEAL training on Monday morning. If he made it through the training regimen, he would be spending at least a year at the Amphibious Base a few miles to the north.


    Our rental was hideously expensive, over eight thousand dors a month. Kai would get an officer¡¯s housing allowance, but that wouldn¡¯t cover much of it. Kai¡¯s parents and his Alphas were covering costs for the twins to live with us for their senior year in high school. The twins were staying with me as my security, and as Amy¡¯s seeing-eye dog. The rental condominium had a boat slip, and I¡¯d been looking into buying or renting a boat we could use as a dive tform. I was hoping to join up with a research team heading to Catalina Ind and the Great White Shark nursery ground. Who knows, maybe during Hell Week, we¡¯d do a drive-by of the beach and remind Kai of why he had to persevere. It would be like An Officer and a Gentlemen, but without the mooning part. A stunt like that could threaten our modeling careers, after all!


    The twins wereing with me so we could have some girl time. We¡¯d be driving my Ford Excelsior SUV to my appearances in Kansas City, Das, and Las Vegas for Bodyglove¡¯s line of swimwear. I had all my clothing and gear, while another Pack member was moving things from Three Sisters down for them. We nned to have a great time swimming, diving, and surfing at the beach while Kai suffered in his training.


    All these thoughts went through my head as I Leo motioned for us to sit down again. ¡°I want you to remain vignt for threats and stay safe out there in California,¡± Leo said. ¡°There are no Packs south of Los Angeles, but the Big Sur and Sequoia Pack Alphas are here. I thank them for their offers of refuge and assistance should it be necessary.¡±


    ¡°I thank you as well, and we look forward to getting to know you and your Packs over the next year,¡± I said to the Alphas and their Lunas. We talked during today¡¯s party, and I had invited them and their Betas down to visit once we got settled. As the Mantled Alpha Heir, I was the most dominant wolf and the leader of our group.


    Adrienne continued for her mate. ¡°Colleen Underwood has turned all the information she has on potential threats to you over to Alpha Steven and his security men.¡± As a celebrity and model, I had attracted the attention of some stalkers, creeps, and crazies. ¡°We don¡¯t think Timothy and Traci will go after you, but they are kill-on-sight if they show up. Leo told them to stay away from California and Minnesota.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they wille after me,¡± I asked. ¡°Nutless and Skank have enough problems of their own.¡±


    ¡°They have little to lose, and they still me you for their misfortune,¡± Leo said.


    I snorted; it wasn¡¯t MY fault Timothy had rejected me, or that his father had me abducted to get his Alpha heir. I wasn¡¯t the one who challenged his mother for the Alpha title, and I wasn¡¯t the one who tore her throat out in the ring. Timothy and his pregnant mate Traci got kicked out of the Pack as the new Alpha¡¯s first order of business. No other Pack was willing to take them in. Not only was he a convicted rapist, but he was still a mantled Alpha blood who could challenge the leadershipter. The pair were now rogues, destined to live on the fringe of werewolf society. If they showed up, they¡¯d be lucky if they ended up in pieces and dumped over the boat as chum. ¡°We will be careful, and I doubt we¡¯ll have any shortage of visitors from our old Packs once the weather gets cold again.¡± San Diego had beautiful weather year-round; if not for the crime, taxes, and cost of living, it would be the perfect ce to live.

 SHARKBAIT #40

    I couldn¡¯t wait to start my new life.


    ************


    ¡°Curb stepping up to grass in five, four, three, two, one, now,¡± I sent to Amy as we ran off the paved bike trail and into the park. The cool of the morning felt great, and the mile we¡¯d jogged was a good warmup for our beach run. ¡°Slow to a walk now,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get the shoes off,¡± I told the other three. We removed our jogging shoes and socks, stowing them in the backpack I had with the water. We walked out onto the loose sand of Silver Strand. We left towels and bag on an open section of sand, then moved down to the surf line. ¡°Four miles each way,dies,¡± I said with a grin. Amy was out of shape from her time in the hospital, while Makani and Noni didn¡¯t have that excuse. They were Beta daughters who hadn¡¯t been training as hard as they should.


    That ended as soon as Kai¡¯s parents left, and Kai left for BUD/S training five weeks ago. ¡°We¡¯re all each other has here, and we WILL be training hard,¡± I told the three. ¡°If you think you¡¯re going to lie around on the beach all day, sip fruity beverages, and flirt with humans, you may as well go home now. We are going to run or swim EVERY MORNING. We are going to lift weights three times a week. We are going to practice fighting in human form. We will drill protection scenarios, we will keep our eyes open, and we will stick together. Got me?¡±


    Amy nodded; she was used to working out with me, and I think she missed it. ¡°I¡¯ll need help,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right by your side,¡± I said.


    Makani said, ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    Noni wasn¡¯t as sure. ¡°So we¡¯re NOT going toy around on the beach sipping fruity drinks and flirting,¡± she asked quietly.


    I lost it, and myugh was contagious. ¡°Amy and I are swimsuit models, we have to keep our tans and show off our Bodyglove swimsuits,¡± I said. ¡°There will be time.¡±


    Since then, we had gotten in a good routine. We started running the beach every morning at six, taking advantage of the mostly-empty park and the cool sand. After the run, we¡¯d do yoga and calisthenics on the beach. The area near the beach entrance had exercise stations with things like step tforms, pull-up bars, monkey bars, and other equipment.


    We had to run on the bike path for a mile to get to the beach, and I was slowly pushing them for longer and longer runs. asionally I¡¯d move us away from the packed, wet sands to the loose stuff that made your legs burn. The twins hated the wakeup, but their bodies were getting stronger by the week.


    Now, they didn¡¯tin as we fell into our routine. I was running in front with Amy two paces behind me, and the twins in a tail position. We headed north towards the amphibious base where Kai was going through Hell Week. His BUD/S ss 255 had started with a hundred and forty men, and thirty quit already. The instructors expected to lose half his ss by the weekend. ¡°He¡¯s out there,¡± Amy suddenly said. We lived too far away for her to stay in mind link range, but if we got close enough on the beach, or if they were training in the ocean to the south, he could link up. ¡°I told him to stay strong for us, and that I love him,¡± she said.


    I sent him a quick encouragement, and I think his sisters did as well before he shut it down to concentrate on his paddling. Ten minutester, we made the turn and headed back down the beach. After a water break, we did yoga on the grass to stretch out, then went through calisthenics. Situps, pushups, lunges, burpees; if it was good enough for Kai, it was good enough for us.


    We were doing pull-ups when I saw the males starting to gather around. Human, but there were six of them. ¡°Get ready to leave,¡± I told the others. ¡°Noni, you get Amy clear of here. Makani, keep control, you can¡¯t show your wolf,¡± I said as the men moved closer. They started to say vile things to us as they tried herding us towards the parking lot. We didn¡¯t have a car there, and that wasn¡¯t our safety. I¡¯d run to the ocean and drown the fuckers before I¡¯d let anyone get shoved in a car.


    ¡°BACK. OFF.¡± Makani moved to my right as we casually got into ready positions. Amy was being led away from us.


    ¡°Aw, sugar, we just want to party a little,¡± the punk in front said. ¡°You are some FINE looking bitches.¡±


    I just snickered, the human had no idea. ¡°We¡¯re not interested. Move along before you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I bet she¡¯d feel SO good,¡± his buddy said.


    ¡°You take the two on the right,¡± I sent to Makani.


    ¡°I believe the youngdies asked you boys to leave them alone,¡± a deep voice said. The leader of the punks turned towards the new person. It was a man about fifty years old, wearing swim trunks and a Trident T-shirt with INSTRUCTOR on it. The way he looked at them was priceless; it was the look of a predator, who had ZERO doubt in his mind that he could fuck them all up if he wanted to. ¡°Now, run along while you can.¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, old man,¡± one of the boys said as he tried to get in his face.


    The man let out a sigh, looking like he couldn¡¯t believe they were making him do this. As quick as a mongoose, his hand shot out, his knuckles hitting him in the throat just below the chin. He went to his knees with his sole focus now on trying to breathe. ¡°Now!¡±


    The other five boys didn¡¯t think we were a threat, so they all turned to help their friend. Before he could take a step, my spinning heel-kick knocked the leader the fuck out. Makani kicked the closest male in the balls, then drove her knee up into his face as her interlocked hands pulled his head down into it. With three of the sixid out, and the fourth begging for mercy as his elbow bent to an unnatural angle, the other two backed off with their hands up. The man let the guy¡¯s arm go. ¡°Get these guys out of here and nevere back,¡± he warned them.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They grabbed the two guys off the ground, leaving the teeth behind, and hauled them towards the parking lot before the old guy changed his mind. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he told us. ¡°The riff-raff isn¡¯t usually up this early in the morning. I¡¯m Ted Northridge, but please call me Hammer.¡±


    ¡°Vicki Lawrence,¡± I said as I shook his hand. He had a firm grip, but I was a dominant predator as well, and I gave just as good. ¡°Thanks for the assist.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing. I haven¡¯t had that much fun in weeks, even if you did take two of them out yourselves. Nice form, by the way. You¡¯ve had training?¡±


    ¡°Judo, karate and Krav Maga since I was six,¡± I said. ¡°These are my friends, Makani, Noni, and Amy.¡± The twins shook his hand, and he noticed Amy¡¯s face as she tried to find his hand to shake. ¡°Amy was attacked in February and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She is legally blind,¡± I said as I moved her hand to his.


    ¡°But I¡¯m getting better,¡± Amy said with a smile. ¡°The blobs are getting sharper.¡±


    ¡°I think we can take a break from our workout for a few minutes,¡± I said as I watched the SUV drive out of the lot.


    ¡°You¡¯re a SEAL instructor,¡± Makani asked him.


    ¡°Retired Master Chief Special Operator,¡± he replied proudly.


    ¡°My husband, and the twins¡¯ older brother, is in the ss,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Oh shit, Hell Week. Good for him. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard it all, but your support is important for him to make it through.¡±


    ¡°Kai will make it, he¡¯s too stubborn not to,¡± Amyughed.


    ¡°We should get our stuff,¡± I said. ¡°If someone called the cops, we may have to exin ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you until you are safely in your car, that is, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Hammer said.


    ¡°We¡¯d appreciate that,¡± I said. Noni grabbed our stuff and brought it to the pic table, where we sat and drank water while we got to know each other. Hammer was a great guy, with a lot of stories to tell from his career. His wife had been an executive at a San Diegopany, who died of cancer three years ago. With his love gone, Hammer hung around the bars with his SEAL buddies and taughtbat skills at a local dojo. ¡°I have a question for you,¡± I said. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time Amy and I have faced threats, but since her injury, it¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a burden on them now. Half our group was out of action because I can¡¯t fight, and Noni had to protect me,¡± Amy said dejectedly. ¡°I can¡¯t see a target clear enough to hit anything, so my training does me no good.¡±


    ¡°Do you all have the same training?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve only had Krav Maga,¡± Makani said as she indicated Noni.


    ¡°One thing I know from being a SEALbat instructor is that no one discipline works for everything. Karate has be too focused on form and tournaments; it¡¯s no longer concerned with doing damage. Krav Maga is better, but it is about hitting hard then getting away. I teach how to go through. What I need to know is what you girls are looking for when you have to fight. Is it to get away, to win, or to destroy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some history would help,¡± I said. I started with the kidnapping when I was five, and told a sanitized version of my story up to now. Hammer only stopped me when I talked about my Bodyglove modeling. ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯ve seen you,¡± he said. ¡°The dive shop has your poster on the wall!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got our posters on a LOT of walls,¡± Amyughed before I continued.


    ¡°We HAVE to go diving sometime. I know all the good spots around here,¡± Hammer said.


    I didn¡¯t want to get distracted by dive talk, so I continued on. ¡°There is at least one person out there who might still want to kidnap or harm me, plus any danger our celebrity status ces us in,¡± I said. ¡°We might need to fight back and escape, or we might have to fight for our lives. I¡¯m not going to be chained again,¡± I vowed.


    ¡°Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°Have any of you studied it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it on MMA fights.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I would suggest for Amy. Grappling and getting the guy on the ground takes away the size and vision advantage your attacker might have over her. I¡¯ve got girls in my dojo who are like spider monkeys, crawling around on guys twice their size until they choke them out or submit them. If nothing else, it dys and disables her attacker until you can rally help to her.¡±


    ¡°We should all learn,¡± I said. ¡°What about those more destructive tactics?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #41

    ¡°I don¡¯t teach pretty techniques to SEALs; all I care about is winning the fight,¡± he said. ¡°Knifebat, chokes, eye gouges, nut shots, biting, whatever it takes to live. Maximum damage in the minimum time.¡±


    ¡°Will you teach us?¡± Amy asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be here at least a year. We have sses in the fall, but it¡¯s all online. We can work around your schedule.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do gentle, and you¡¯d need to train five days a week to get up to speed in that time,¡± Hammer said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wake up at five-thirty in the morning to run the beach because I¡¯m on vacation,¡± I replied. ¡°I saw your eyes and your bodynguage. You had no doubt you would win the fight. That¡¯s the look I want to have, and what I want my friends to have. We can pay for the lessons. Just tell us where and when.¡±


    He thought about it for a minute. ¡°Be here at six in the morning tomorrow. I¡¯ll run with you and decide if you¡¯re worth my time,¡± he said.


    I held out my hand. ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask.¡± The cops didn¡¯t show up, and we packed up our stuff as we watched him head out on his run. ¡°Let¡¯s get home and look this guy up. I need to know he¡¯s legit.¡±


    It turned out he was. The next morning, he led the run, leaving all of us in his dust at the end. We didn¡¯t give up, and as he ran us through exercises, I could see he was a little impressed. We even did some sparring on the beach so he could gauge our skill level. ¡°Ten in the morning to noon, every weekday,¡± he said as he handed me the card with the name and address of his dojo. ¡°If you don¡¯t show, I¡¯ll know you¡¯ve quit on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be at my husband¡¯s side in a fight, not hiding behind him,¡± Amy said defiantly. ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re too stubborn to quit,¡± I said with augh. I¡¯m sure Hammer had heard that from thousands of students.


    He was right. His training wasn¡¯t gentle at all. My wolf and I loved it.


    **************


    On Thursday, we had to rush home to shower and change after dojo. Amy had been invited to a luncheon with the wives of the other BUD/S ss members at the home of the Base Commander. I was going as her driver, and I was bringing Noni as her seeing-eye dog. Makani was going to stay home and bake for the uing weekend when her brother would be off.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The luncheon started at noon, and it was eleven forty-five when I drove up to the gate. Security was tight; a guard with an explosives-detection dog walked around our SUV as another guard came to the window. He had saluted when we stopped based on the officer sticker on the car, then asked for our identification as I rolled down the window. As I took Amy¡¯s dependent military ID card, he recognized us. ¡°Holy shit! It¡¯s Sharkbabe and Bootyglove!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Is this something I need to mention to the Base Commander when we meet him in ten minutes?¡± Amy HATED the name that social media had given her. I teased her about it, payback for her Sharkbabe teasing, but it was perfect for her. Her butt filled out the suits better than mine did.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. That was not professional of me, and I can¡¯t apologize enough for my outburst,¡± he said nervously as his partner came to the window. He checked our names against the list and handed back our identification. ¡°You may proceed, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I put the vehicle back in drive and pulled away. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to squeal on that kid, are you? He¡¯s obviously a fan.¡±


    ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t do it again, I won¡¯t. My husband is an officer. I need them to respect me, or they aren¡¯t respecting him.¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t need Kai beating the crap out of the military police.¡± I drove through the base to the housing area, parking before therge home assigned to the Base Commander. I let Noni out of the back, and she ran around to sit by the passenger door as I helped Amy out. She held onto the harness as we walked in our dresses and heels to the front door, where a g Lieutenant weed us in and checked our names off the list.


    ¡°Announcing Mrs. Amy Stone and her friend Miss Vicki Lawrence,¡± he said as he led us to the patio area where the party was.


    Rear Admiral Thomas Kirk and his wife Myka rose to wee us. ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of your shark research project,¡± the Admiral said as we shook hands. ¡°Are you going to continue in this area?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a boat, but we have our gear, and I have a line on a dive shop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you in mind for our next dive trip. I¡¯m sure the guys wouldn¡¯t mind you joining us. Wee to our home.¡± His wife was just as pleasant to us. Soon, she had Amy sitting at the table and was introducing her to the other wives and the one husband. I was ¡®extra,¡¯ so I stayed back with the Admiral as he waited for his part. Admiral Kirk had been a SEAL for twenty-four years and was retiring in the spring. He loved to scuba dive, and he told me about some of his favorite spots nearby.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done any diving with Amy since her injury,¡± I told him. ¡°Her skull fractures have healed, but with her vision, I¡¯m afraid it will not be safe. She can¡¯t make out shapes or objects. It¡¯s just fuzzy blobs to her. I know she misses it, and I miss diving with her.¡±


    The Admiral looked at me. ¡°Have you done any night diving? Or diving in low visibility?¡±


    I nodded; it was part of my open-water sses back in Minnesota. We¡¯d dived a strip-mineke at night. ¡°A few times. Amy and I participated in some missing-swimmer searches in the river, and you could barely see your hand in front of your face.¡±


    ¡°As part of SEAL qualification, the men have to attack a ship in a simted enemy port. They swim at night, underwater, for two miles using only their watch and apass. It¡¯s difficult to see as you swim, but when you get under the ship, there¡¯s no light at all.¡± I started to get what he was saying. ¡°Vision isn¡¯t required to dive. She can do it, with the right conditions and a swim buddy. Start with easy dives, but get her out there. She can¡¯t let her disability take away the joy in her life.¡± It was sage advice, and I was thinking about it as his wife asked him to say a few words.


    ¡°Thank you all foring today, and thank you for all you do for your men and your nation. The training required to be a Navy SEAL is the most demanding training program in the world. Each ss starts with almost a hundred and fifty students, and we graduate somewhere between eight and forty-two. Hell Week isn¡¯t over, and we¡¯re already down to sixty-five in the ss. You cannot imagine, and they cannot adequately describe what they are going through right now,¡± he said.


    ¡°When they make it to the weekend, they¡¯ll have time off to recover. It is not the time for nagging, projects, activities, or demands. They will sleep, eat, and recover. Anything else out of them is a bonus.¡± He picked up his cover. ¡°I have to return to the office, and my wife will tell you more. This week was the worst week of their lives, but next week they have toe back for more. If you want them to make it, you need to show them you love and support them through it all. Thank you.¡± He kissed his wife and walked out, shadowed by the Lieutenant.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your normal weekend,¡± his wife picked up. ¡°They will have less than four hours of sleep total since Tuesday. Expect them to fall asleep in the car, then sleep for at least twelve hours when they get home. Try to get them to eat and shower first; easy to digest proteins like eggs are best but make their favorites so they will eat. Their bodies will have sores and even rashes from the chafing and dampness. Take care of them. Massage their aching muscles. Help their bodies recover and be ready for Monday. As the teams say, the only easy day was yesterday. Any questions?¡±


    I listened in as stewards served us tea and sandwiches. The food was good, but the portions only dulled my appetite. None of thesedies had the metabolism that Amy and I had. I did manage to sneak some bacon to Makani under the table, which she wolfed down.


    After leaving the luncheon, we stopped at Arby¡¯s for roast beef sandwiches and shakes, then hit the Navy Exchange for groceries before returning home. Sailors and their families recognized Amy and me everywhere, and it only got worse as word of our presence on the base spread like wildfire. I ran out of the promotional photos we kept in the car, and we spent a lot of time taking pictures with our fans. I made sure we got some taken with sailors in front of the Bodyglove dive equipment section of the store, and forwarded them to Mercedes. Amy and I agreed that we should do some military-specific appearances, maybe with the USO.


    Hourster, I drove out of the base towards home. We bought lots of extra food, as Kai had warned Amy he would be bringing a few single buddies back with him. He¡¯d rather have his boat crew recover with us rather than being stuck in the barracks all weekend. With that in mind, I bought a whole beef shoulder roast to make clod, and four pork butts for pulled pork. We could smoke the meats ahead of time and have them ready to reheat over the weekend. After putting it all away, we put our skimpy suits on and went out back to get somete-day tanning in. Our condo had an enclosed deck with a hot tub, so we had our privacy. I was about to fall asleep when my phone rang. It was from Bodyglove Corporate, which meant Mercedes. ¡°Hey, boss,¡± I said.


    ¡°I got your pictures, and I can¡¯t agree more,¡± she said. ¡°If you and Amy do a USO tour, Bodyglove will support the hell out of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make some calls and see what we can do,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a big Navy Exchange at the main base here in San Diego. We could do an event there, easy.¡±


    ¡°It would be great publicity. Social media is loving you today. I swear that dog makes Amy even more beautiful. Get me a number for the store¡¯s manager, and I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± She paused. ¡°Now we get to the fun part. Discovery Channel called me. They are filming a show on Great Whites for Shark Week off Cape Cod, and their host broke his leg. They need you to rece him on short notice. They will cover your expenses and offered fifty thousand upfront, plus residuals and appearance fees. They also agreed to use our new line of Bodyglove wetsuits and swimwear we provide.¡± Mercedes was coordinating all of my appearances, but I had veto power if it wasn¡¯t in my Bodyglove contract.

 SHARKBAIT #42

    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks, starting July 31st. We want you out there the 30th to appear at an event in Boston, though.¡±


    As host of the show, I¡¯d get a lot more screen time, I¡¯d do the voice-overs, and get more dives in. I could do it, but I couldn¡¯t leave Amy with just the girls. ¡°I¡¯m in. Send me the details.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Amy would want to make the appearance with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask, but I doubt it. Weekends with Kai are precious, and she isn¡¯t continuing to the expedition.¡± A few more minutes and she hung up.


    I filled the girls in on what was happening. As expected, Amy didn¡¯t want to go to Boston. I¡¯d need security for the travel and appearances, but I didn¡¯t want to pull the twins away from Amy and their training. ¡°Let me call Mom,¡± she said. ¡°She and Luke want to visit anyway.¡± After a few calls back home, we had it nned. Our parents would fly out a few days earlier to visit with everyone. Beta Susan and Luke would stay with Amy and the twins, while my Mom and Dad would fly to Boston with me for the appearance, then to the expedition. Colleen would escort me back home after. ¡°Thank Luna for the extra beds,¡± she said. Our apartment had a fold-out sofa and chair in the living room, plus we had intable beds if needed. It would be cozy, but we¡¯d have room.


    The weekend couldn¡¯te soon enough for Amy. She was distracted at the dojo the next morning, and Hammer called her out on it. ¡°Your enemy doesn¡¯t care about your problems. He will ruthlessly exploit yourck of awareness,¡± he told her as he locked her in a submission hold. She tapped out and rolled to her hands and knees. ¡°Again.¡±


    She got her focus back, this time getting around his back to apply a chokehold. I was proud of her; she was the best of us four at grappling, and her eyesight wasn¡¯t as much a disadvantage when fighting from the ground. Hammer had me going against a male who outweighed me by fifty pounds and had years of training on me. I was getting my ass kicked. The twins were taking on two girls but had nowhere the skill. Hammer started calling them ¡°tackling dummies.¡±


    We all needed the hot tub after lunch.


    Amy was practically bouncing as we waited outside the training facility for the ss to walk out. The same women we talked to at the luncheon were standing outside their cars with us. The fences and buildings kept the training area out of sight, so we could only wait. I looked at my watch, and it was nearly five.


    We heard a loud shout, and a few momentster, the first men came out of the building. I hear other wives scream and run to meet their men, while I waited for Kai toe out. I saw him walking with three Petty Officers, all in their summer-white uniforms. ¡°He¡¯sing,¡± I told Amy.


    My best friend let out a squeal as Kai wrapped his arms around her and swung her around. As he was kissing her senseless, I smiled at the three guys with him. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Vicki,¡± I said as I extended my hand towards the closest man.


    ¡°Larry Owens, from South Dakota,¡± the man said with a Midwestern ent. ¡°This is Ricardo and Manuel Jiminez. They hail from San Antonio.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± I said as I shook the twin¡¯s hands. Larry was probably twenty, but the twins looked like they just graduated from high school. All of them were well-muscled, but not bulky.


    ¡°Thank you for taking us in,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get some real food.¡±


    Iughed at this as they put their bags in the back of the SUV. ¡°Oh, we will feed you,¡± I said. ¡°Climb in, and we¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Kai and Amy had finally broken apart, and he helped her back into the center seat as he sat on the passenger side. ¡°We¡¯ll be home in fifteen minutes,¡± I told them. Myka Kirk was right; all four fell asleep before we left the base. ¡°He looks exhausted,¡± I sent to Amy.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him back.¡± She leaned into her sleeping mate as I drove us back home. Makani and Noni were waiting for us as I pulled into the garage. The men wouldn¡¯t move unless you made them. Amy kissed Kai until he woke up, but we weren¡¯t doing that. ¡°Help get the guys on your side up and out,¡± I told the twins.


    I got Larry up and moving, but the twins took a little longer to get the twins going. When they were all standing, I made introductions. ¡°Larry, Ricardo, and Manuel, these girls are¡­¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Off limits,¡± Kai quickly said.


    I red at him. ¡°This is Makani and Noni, Kai¡¯s younger sisters. They are seventeen-years-old and going into their senior years in high school, hence Kai¡¯s protectiveness. You can tell the difference because Makani has an earring inside her left ear, while Noni has ¡®no¡¯ earring.¡±


    Larry shook their hands while the twins were smiling widely. ¡°We¡¯re only eighteen,¡± Ricardo whispered.


    ¡°I HEARD THAT,¡± Kai said as he walked into the house.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Noni said. ¡°We¡¯ve got some food for you, and your beds are ready.¡±


    ¡°I think I love you,¡± Manuel said as he followed them inside. I had them hang up their uniforms, shower, and leave their dirty clothes in a basket in the hall. The men were used to moving quickly, so they were done in minutes.


    The girls helped them eat pulled pork sandwiches and chips, and then Noni brought out her surprise dessert. ¡°I baked these special for you; Hammer said they were the best dessert for someone getting done with Hell Week,¡± she said proudly. She opened up the tin, exposing the homemade treats. ¡°Sugar Cookies!¡±


    Kai almost choked on his sandwich, Larry just stared at her with his eyes wide, while the twins startedughing their asses off. Noni was almost crying, thinking she did something wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll eat your cookies any day,¡± Manuel said with a grin as he reached for one.


    ¡°They look a lot better than the ones we get,¡± Ricardo agreed as he took a bite. ¡°Very good! Thank you, Noni.¡±


    She looked to her brother for an exnation. ¡°Kiddo, ¡®sugar cookie¡¯ has a different meaning at BUD/S. As a punishment, the instructors send you out into the surf. When you are soaked, they have you roll around in the fine sand until it is EVERYWHERE, and you look like a sugar cookie.¡± I could see Noni¡¯s ears getting red as she got mad. ¡°The sand rubs against you the rest of the day, and it sucks like you can¡¯t believe. This Hammer guy was fucking with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him,¡± Noni said. ¡°I thought I was doing something nice for you!¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Larry said. ¡°They¡¯ll never turn me into a sugar cookie again without me thinking of youdies and your special dessert. That dream will get me through the day.¡± He couldn¡¯t stop yawning. ¡°I need to sleep,¡± he said.


    Amy took Kai into their room, and I didn¡¯t expect them toe out for a day or so.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said. I led Larry to the fold-out single bed from the chair, and he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.


    ¡°I hope you guys don¡¯t mind sharing this bed,¡± Makani asked the twins as she led them to the fold-out sofa.


    ¡°Are you kidding? These amodations are two kids short of normal,¡± Manuel said as he pulled the sheet back. ¡°Unless you join us.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for everyone if we don¡¯t,¡± Noni said with augh.


    ¡°Get all the sleep you need,¡± I told them. Secondster, they were dead to the world.


    We finished eating and cleaned the kitchen, then headed out to the deck to enjoy the evening. ¡°Don¡¯t flirt too much with those boys,¡± I warned.


    ¡°They seem nice, and they¡¯re our age,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°But we won¡¯t do anything until we are of age,¡± Makani said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if they were our mates, though. They are hot as hell and would make great Betas. Plus, with human mates, we wouldn¡¯t have to change Packs.¡±


    I just let a sigh out. ¡°Well, none of those boys are MY mate. I don¡¯t even know if Luna has granted me another yet,¡± I said. ¡°What are we going to do about Hammer and his joke?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to choke him out,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gang up on him,¡± Makani agreed.


    ¡°Or we get Kai to help,¡± Noni continued.


    I had an idea. An evil, twisted, wicked n took shape, and the girls were excited to put it into y.

 SHARKBAIT #43

    The next morning, we dressed and headed out on our morning run without Amy, who wanted to stay with her man until he woke. I set a good pace for the beach, where we stretched and did our yoga while waiting for Hammer to show up. When he said hello, Noni burst out crying and ran towards the water. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± Makani said as she ran off after her twin.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Hammer asked.


    ¡°She trusted you,¡± I said. ¡°She spent Thursday making cookies for the guys, and proudly served Kai and his buddies when they got to our ce. Noni¡¯s pride turned into a huge embarrassment as the guys refused to eat them. They thought SHE was ying a trick on THEM. They didn¡¯t even stopughing at her when she started crying. She ran to her room and hid, noting out until this morning. By the time we figured out what ¡®sugar cookie¡¯ meant, they were all asleep. Who knows what the guys from his boat crew think of her now?¡±


    I could sense Hammer was shaken up by this turn of events. Noni¡¯s sobs could be heard from the surf line as she yed up her fake emotions. ¡°It was a joke,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Hell of a punch line,¡± I said as I walked off. ¡°She¡¯s been crying all night.¡± I joined the two at the surf line; they had listened over the link, so we didn¡¯t have to say anything. I pulled the two girls into a hug. ¡°They¡¯ll be upter, and we¡¯ll straighten it all out,¡± I promised.


    Hammer looked ready to hand her the keys to his convertible if it would get her to stop crying. He approached her like a young boy about to get a whooping from his momma. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Noni. I never meant for you to get hurt,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Hammer,¡± Noni said quietly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°They loved the cookies.¡± Noni grinned as she watched his jaw drop, then she took off down the beach before he could react. Makani and I took off after her, leaving Hammer taking off his shoes and yelling that he would get us. We weren¡¯t as easy to catch now, so we were a mile up the beach before he grabbed Noni and started to drag her towards the surf. Makani jumped on his back and wrapped him up, while her twin dropped down and took out his legs. The three of them grappled for a few minutes while I watched andughed. Finally, Hammer tapped out. ¡°No hard feelings?¡± Noni said as she helped him out of the shallow water.


    ¡°That is the LAST time I let tears affect me,¡± Hammer said as they walked out of the water. We finished our run and calisthenics, and I asked Hammer if he¡¯d like toe home and meet the guys. ¡°No, they need this weekend to rx,¡± he said. ¡°Take care of them,dies. I¡¯ll see you Monday.¡±


    We ran home and showered before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. Our three guests didn¡¯t wake until they smelled the bacon. Makani took food into Kai and Amy¡¯s room for them while they ate all the eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes we prepared. ¡°That was the best food I¡¯ve had in six months,¡± Larry said as he sat back. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to soak for a while after our morning workout. Care to join us?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Larry said for the three.


    Makani grabbed some of Kai¡¯s extra Bodyglove swimsuits out of the hall closet as the two sets of twins cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. I took the cover off the hot tub and got the jets going before going into my bedroom and changing. ¡°MODEST bikinis or one-piece,¡± I told the twins. ¡°We don¡¯t need them to suffer from blue balls all weekend.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Makani said. ¡°Ruin all of our fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep Kai from killing his ssmates,¡± I told them. I shouldn¡¯t have worried; the men kept their hands to themselves as we talked and rxed.


    ¡°This feels fantastic,¡± Larry said as he looked over at me. He was moving his back around on the jet, working the kinks out. ¡°I¡¯m so sick of the cold-ass water.¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least you¡¯re used to the cold,¡± Manuel said with augh. ¡°We never got that cold unless we were going into the walk-in beer cooler in our Dad¡¯s liquor store.¡±


    ¡°You made it through Hell Week,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m proud of Kai, and I¡¯m proud of you guys too. I know you don¡¯t make it this far on your own.¡±


    ¡°Kai¡¯s a born leader,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°He¡¯s always joking around and keeping our spirits up. I don¡¯t know how he puts up with the teasing, though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°It took about two seconds for the instructors to put posters of Kai and Amy¡¯s ads on the bulletin board,¡± Ricardo said.


    ¡°And being married to Bootyglovees up about every ten minutes,¡± Manuel added.


    ¡°They call him Mr. Abs because of his posters,¡± Larry added. ¡°Or Paris, because he¡¯s a fashion model. Sometimes it¡¯s Arm Candy or Posterboy. Anything to try and get under his skin.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°I suppose they¡¯re makingments about me, too.¡±


    Larry nodded. ¡°Yeah, you aren¡¯t blind, so you¡¯re fair game. There are plenty of pictures of you around the base. You¡¯re a nice person, and an even more beautiful woman in person, though.¡±


    I blushed, getting out of the tub and wrapping a towel around my body. ¡°Anyone need a drink? I¡¯ve got water, orange juice, lemonade, and Coke,¡± I said.


    When I came back out, the twins were sitting on the edge of the hot tub, while the guys hadn¡¯t moved. I handed out the stic bottles of orange juice. ¡°What do you want to do today,¡± I asked them.


    Larry pointed at the lounge chair in the shade. ¡°I¡¯m going from here to there and back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Ricardo said as he got out. He walked over to one of the loungers, set the backrest full down, andid down on his stomach.


    ¡°Ricardo, your back,¡± Noni said as she saw the damage. He had bruises and scrapes on his lower back and down to his thighs.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Manuel said as he took the lounger next to him. ¡°We all get beat up.¡±


    Makani was already going inside to get the lotion Hammer had rmended to help them recover. She tossed a tube to her sister as she bent over Manuel¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m going to put some of this on you to help it heal,¡± she told him.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. The boys were in heaven as the girls rubbed the lotion into their backs, moaning in pleasure as the lotioning turned into a massage.


    Larry looked over at me as he got out of the tub. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage, but no happy ending,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± I ended up straddling his body as I worked the kinks out of his back. Werewolf shifting sometimes results in bone and muscle issues, so we all learned how to move and massage things back into ce as we grew up. I was digging my heel into a knot in his lower back when I looked over at the twins. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They fell asleep,¡± Noni said. ¡°So much for our seduction routine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young for that anyway,¡± I said.


    ¡°October is only a few months away, and then we can find our mates,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°May Luna grant you worthy males,¡± I said as I went back inside. ¡°And feel free to find me a decent guy,¡± I added to myself.

 SHARKBAIT #44

    Amy came out of the bedroom a few minutes after I linked her that it would be ready soon; she looked happy and freshly fucked. ¡°How is Kai doing,¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s still recovering, but that just means I do more of the work,¡± she said.


    ¡°Eww. Keep it down today.¡± She just smiled and got that dreamy look on her face again.


    Kai came into the kitchen a few minutester, sitting at the table. He looked exhausted, and I was sure they would be going back into their room after he ate.


    I¡¯d taken a third of the beef shoulder clod and shredded it, mixing it with BBQ sauce in the crockpot to heat up. My Unky Leo loved clod because you could get a twenty-five-pound shoulder, the part the butcher usually cut up into pot roasts, and end up with twenty pounds of meat. Wolves LOVED their proteins, and the long strands of beef with the smoke at each end were tasty. Kaiser buns, colew, and baked beanspleted the meal.


    His three friends came in off the deck, stretching their bodies out as they did. I was watching the girls, as they checked the twins out while trying to hide that from their big brother. I tossed them Bodyglove T-shirts from my promo stash to put on before they sat down. ¡°That smells amazing,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°Beef clod? That¡¯s some home cooking, senorita!¡± Manuel smiled at Makani as he slid into the chair next to her, while Ricardo sat between the two. I prepared two sandwiches for each of the men, passing them to the table as the girls made sure their tes were full.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always loved barbecue, and my Uncle taught me how to smoke meats. It was prettymon for us to n road trips based on the barbecue joints we wanted to try,¡± I said. ¡°We learned a lot of the regional specialties.¡±


    Ricardo had taken cole w and stacked it on top of the beef. He took a big bite, nodding as he chewed. ¡°Is this a homemade barbecue sauce?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust the ones I can get at the Exchange, so I made my Uncle¡¯s Texas Smoke recipe,¡± I said. ¡°Is it good?¡±


    ¡°Vicki, all barbecue is good,¡± Manuel said. ¡°I should have my dad hook you up with some sauce from the Mesquite Shack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try anything once,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I don¡¯t use much mesquite on my Traeger; it¡¯s easy to use too much and overpower the meat. I like using oak for beef and cherry for pork.¡±


    ¡°With food like this, I¡¯d marry you in a heartbeat,¡± Larry said as he moved on to his second sandwich. ¡°You must have a boyfriend around.¡±


    I felt a pang of loss but pushed it down. ¡°No boyfriend. I thought I had a serious rtionship in high school, but on Valentine¡¯s Day, I found out he was a cheating asshole. I¡¯ve dated since, but nothing serious.¡± He got a smile on his face. ¡°And I don¡¯t need a boyfriend now. I¡¯ve got a busy summer, then Amy and I start college.¡±


    Ricardo turned to Noni, only to stop when he saw Kai ring at him. ¡°My sisters don¡¯t need boyfriends either,¡± he said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t control their lives from BUD/S,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°They are young, kind, smart, and beautiful. Guys will be lining up for the chance to meet them.¡± The twins just smiled at his words.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it,¡± he said. ¡°Amy tells me you are training with a former SEAL instructor?¡± He was eager to change the subject, and we let him. We talked about what we were learning in the dojo and our workout routine. ¡°It¡¯s working; I have a tougher time pinning Amy down and having my way with her now,¡± Kai teased.


    ¡°KAI!¡± Amy smacked him and chased him back to the bedroom.


    ¡°We won¡¯t see them until dinner,¡± I said as I watched them go.


    ¡°What is it like to be a swimsuit model,¡± Larry asked.


    ¡°I enjoy it, but there¡¯s more work than you think,¡± I said. I told the boys about the long shoots, the constant pressure to be in top shape, and my growing fame. ¡°Just going to the Navy Exchange is a two-hour trip now because of how many people recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy it while itsts,¡± he said. ¡°Fame can be fleeting, so get as much money and travel out of it while you can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my Unce told me. My dream is to finish school and study sharks; I¡¯ve got eight or so years of school ahead of me, and modeling is going to pay for it all.¡±


    Larry looked at the twins. ¡°Are you two going to get into the business? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡±


    Noni just giggled. ¡°We¡¯re here to help Amy while Kai is in training. We don¡¯t have a modeling contract, but Mercedes, that¡¯s the Bodyglove person Vicki works for, she has given us stuff knowing we get photographed in public with her. We don¡¯t have Amy¡¯s amazing ass, or Vicki¡¯s abs and legs.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you are perfect,¡± Ricardo said as he put his hand over hers.


    ¡°We should clean up,¡± I said as I tossed cold water on the budding romances. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys hit the hot tub again? You look like you could use it.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Manuel said. ¡°We¡¯ll help you first.¡± With the boys clearing the table, it only took a few minutes to put things away. We kept the crockpots with the meat and beans on low in case anyone wanted moreter.


    As I watched Ricardo and Manuel rub their partner¡¯s necks and shoulders while they sat in front of them in the hot tub, I realized that I couldn¡¯t get in the way of romance. They were big girls and knew what they were doing. I drew out more of their backgrounds as we soaked. Ricardo and Manuel wanted to be SEALs since they were six years old. Three-sport athletes in high school, they turned down schrship offers to y ser. Both graduated a semester early so they could get through boot camp in the spring; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t have started BUD/S until next year.


    Larry had joined the Navy to get away from his dead-end hometown after his parents lost their ranch. He wanted to be the best of the best, and to him, that meant being a SEAL. He¡¯d finished a year of college before deciding that wasn¡¯t for him.


    We¡¯d cooked in the tub long enough, I thought. ¡°You should join us for our afternoon yoga session,¡± I challenged them. ¡°It will help stretch you out and get your muscles to recover faster.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to keep up,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°Yeah, they aren¡¯t as limber as we are,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Manuel said as he looked at his brother. The three of us wereughing over the link as we set up the mats on the open portion of the patio, the lounges moved aside. We had to put three mats in front and three behind, and of course, the guys had to be behind us so we could teach them the positions. They tried hard to keep up, but it was harder than it looked.


    Every time I looked at their damp swimsuits, I could tell exactly how hard it was.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The twins and I teased them mercilessly, both with our words and our bodies. I could hear the groans of frustration every time we went into ¡°downward dog¡± or ¡°standing straddle forward bend.¡± After thirty minutes, the guys were begging for mercy. ¡°Thank God, you three aren¡¯t instructors,¡± Larry said as he sat down, his hand covering his excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve never hurt so good in my life.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #45

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take showers and change,¡± I said. ¡°We can hang out and watch a movie or something.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± he said as he practically ran away.


    ¡°Those boys will be fantasizing about us all week,¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what Kai says or threatens, I like Manuel, and if he asks me to be his girlfriend, I¡¯m going to say yes,¡± Makani said. ¡°He¡¯s not my Dad, and he¡¯s not my Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Same for me. Ricardo is a great guy, and there¡¯s something about him that makes me think this isn¡¯t just a fling.¡±


    I could just see Kai¡¯s explosion when he found out. ¡°Two things. Don¡¯t let it get serious until youe of age, and you have to tell your parents before Kai does.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Noni said. ¡°We¡¯ll call Mom and Dad while the guys are asleep. If they won¡¯t allow it, there¡¯s no point in telling Kai what we think.¡±


    I had to keep reminding myself that although I was Alpha blood, I wasn¡¯t THEIR Alpha. Sure, I was in charge of the home, but I needed to respect the Three Sisters Pack. While they were talking to their parents, I would ask Luna Carolyn for her advice on how to handle this.


    The guys went down for their naps after the showers, and I went back to my bedroom to call the Luna. Her advice was simple; don¡¯t get involved. ¡°Let the parents be parents,¡± she said. ¡°They aren¡¯t of age, and you aren¡¯t a surrogate mother. The girls aren¡¯t doing anything illegal, immoral, or hical, are they?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! We¡¯ve been training hard and enjoying the summer,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then let them have fun. You should have some fun as well, Vicki. It¡¯s easy to end up lonely and alone when recovering from rejection. You have to make an effort to make friends, to be social, and to have fun yourself. When was thest time you asked someone out?¡±


    ¡°It was junior year in high school,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are jetting around the world, and you don¡¯t make time to have fun and enjoy it unless it swims. You don¡¯t have to live a spinster¡¯s life. If you like a guy, go on a date with him! It won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    I just snickered, I¡¯d had dates that might. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll love a date where I bring my security detail along.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a celebrity. Meet people, go to parties, and be seen doing so. Mercedes will love you showing up on the gossip pages.¡±


    She would. ¡°Thanks, Luna. You¡¯ve been a big help.¡± I thought about Larry; he was a good guy, but I felt nothing for him. He was a friend because he was Kai¡¯s ssmate, and that was all. It wasn¡¯t the end; I bet Kai would have a LOT of friends wanting toe over on weekends.


    The twins didn¡¯t get quite as much encouragement. Their parents didn¡¯t forbid them from seeing Manuel and Ricardo, but they wanted to meet them first. It was a good thing they would be arriving in the middle of next week before I left for Boston.


    The rest of the weekend went well. The girls spent all their time with Ricardo and Manuel, learning about each other and falling in love. Kai and Amy eventually joined us for more than just meals, and we did a group outing on Sunday. I didn¡¯t want to have the guys nervous around a former instructor or their Base Admiral, so I didn¡¯t call either for the dive. Instead, we hooked up with a diving charter in La Jo, renting gear for the guys while we brought our own. The ce we dove was remote, an area in the Marine Sanctuary named ¡°Seven Central¡± for the seven-gilled sharks often seen there. Visibility wasn¡¯t bad, and the depths of five to twenty-five meters meant experienced free-divers like us could have a lot of fun.


    I asked everyone to take and post photos, which the charter operator was more than happy to do. The shots were better in skin-diving gear, as the tanks and straps didn¡¯t cover so much. I was in my whale-shark pattern wetsuit, while Kai and Amy were wearing their matching Tiger Shark pattern.


    Kai dove with Amy for the first hour, getting herfortable underwater again. She was hesitant at first, but she could tell the bottom from the surface. Once Kai had her along the bottom, she could feel her way along the sand and the rocks. Once again, the mind-link we had was a blessing as we were able to talk to each other underwater.


    When it came time to dive the deeper waters for the seven-gills, I had the charter divers bring their scuba gear and cameras as I took Amy as my partner. None of the guys could stay under as long as Amy and I could.


    The seven-gilled sharks were plentiful, and it was a new experience for me. I¡¯d seen broadnose seven-gills in aquariums, most recently at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but never in the wild. Our presence didn¡¯t spook them, with a half-dozen swimming around us when we reached the bottom. We were able to spend about two minutes at a time before returning to the surface to breathe. I used the link to describe everything, and the charter guys got some great videos.


    Amy was both thrilled and disappointed as the boat returned from the dive spot. ¡°I love being out here again, but it¡¯s so different when I can¡¯t see clearly,¡± she said. ¡°I could feel them swimming by, even though they were a dark spot. The bumps were wild.¡± That wasn¡¯t always good, as bumping was done by sharks to decide if you were food or not. The sevengills ranged from five to eight feet in length and could be aggressive towards divers, but we didn¡¯t see that. I spotted a bunch of leopard sharks, one nurse shark, schools of small tope sharks, and a couple of blue sharks. We also saw sea turtles, sea lions, and a lot of other marine life.


    One of the charter boat instructors sat by me on the boat run home when he figured out I wasn¡¯t with any of the guys. He was a nice guy, and he asked me out on a date. I gave him my phone number but told him I¡¯d be out of town for a while. That led to a talk about my Shark Week filming, diving around sharks, and diving ces I needed to visit. ¡°Any time you and your friends want to dive, call me up,¡± he said. Amy and I took pictures with them all and signed a poster for the dive shop before we left.


    Early on Monday morning, there were sad faces as we dropped the guys off at the base again. I gave Larry a friendly hug after he thanked me for everything. ¡°Take care of your buddies,¡± I said. ¡°Everyone makes it through.¡±


    Manuel and Ricardo got more than just hugs from the girls, though their makeout session couldn¡¯tpare to Amy¡¯s. ¡°Next weekend,¡± Kai promised. They all walked away with big smiles on their faces, unlike some of the others who looked like they dreaded the return. Hammer told us that a few students every ss make it through Hell Week just to ring the bell on Monday morning.


    Our guys would never ring the bell. We¡¯d make sure of it.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Amy said, staying motionless as the men walked away. I could see the tears going down her face, and I waited until they were gone before I led her back to the car. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ve got stuff to do,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #46

    The end of the month came up quickly, and Amy and I drove to the airport to pick up our parents and Amy¡¯s brother. Traffic had us running behind, and they called me to say they were waiting at the curb before I made it to the airport. I¡¯d barely stopped the SUV before Susan had the passenger door open and was hugging the hell out of her daughter.


    I popped the back hatch and got out, embracing my Mom as Brent and Luke put the luggage in the back. We crammed into my car and got back out on the road, heading south for the Coronado Bay Bridge and our home. ¡°Thank you foring out,¡± I told my Mom, who was in the middle of the back seat. Susan was in front, and Amy was clinging to her as her wolf tookfort in her scent.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± Olivia said. ¡°You are looking good, both of you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing well here,¡± I said. ¡°We keep busy during the week, and most weekends we get Kai and some of his friends with us.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy,¡± Brent said.


    We headed back across the Coronado Bridge and onto the Strand, stopping at Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill for dinner. ¡°Try the grilled swordfish,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get a few different dishes and share,¡± Susan said. ¡°We don¡¯t get seafood like THIS back home.¡± It was a good idea, and with an appetizer sampler and our dinners, we had a great meal. We got home at almost eight at night. Makani and Noni were there to greet us, and we were upte at night talking and catching up on what was going on back home.


    We talked Luke into going running on the beach with us, so our morning run and exercise was a little more fun. He managed to keep up, which was more than Hammer expected. When we got home, our Moms had taken over the kitchen and had a big breakfast ready. ¡°We have to leave in fifteen minutes to get to the dojo,¡± I said. I only had room for two others in the car, though.


    ¡°We cooked, so you boys clean up,¡± Mom said as she put her te in the sink.


    ¡°The hot tub is ready if you want, or just rx,¡± I said. ¡°We will be back about twelve-thirty.¡± The four of us changed into yoga pants and sports bras, putting T-shirts over the top and carrying our uniforms. Hammer didn¡¯t believe in belt colors to denote progress; instead, he had ranking boards of all the students on the wall. Beat the man or woman above you in a challenge grapple, and you moved up.


    It was a lot like Pack rankings. We were new, but we weren¡¯t at the bottom anymore. There were still a LOT of people above us, though.


    We parked in the lot less than five minutes before ss started, so we were in a hurry to get in. As we entered the building, Susan suddenly stopped. Since she was leading Amy in, it almost resulted in Amy falling before I caught her. ¡°Are you all right,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Go,¡± Susan said as she passed Amy to me. ¡°Don¡¯t bete.¡± The four of us dressed in our training gi and lined up on the mat as we waited for our Sensei to arrive. I heard a door open and a gasp from behind me. ¡°What is going on, Mom?¡± I didn¡¯t have a link with Susan since I wasn¡¯t their Pack anymore.


    ¡°Later,¡± she said.


    I focused on the lesson, as we practiced different arm locks and leg locks on each other for an hour. After a short break, we practiced grappling with our partners for thirty minutes, then sat around the center ring for the challenge fights. Wanting to move up and impress my parents, I called out Alex Thornton, who was six fighters ahead of me. ¡°You¡¯re not ready for me,¡± he said as he walked to the starting line.


    ¡°Game on,¡± I said as we bowed to each other.


    ¡°FIGHT,¡± Hammer said. Challenge fights were to knockout or submission. Dangerous holds like blocking airways or neck twists are banned. I expected Alex to go for the quick win, so I yed defense against his size and reach advantage. He took me to the ground, but I was blocking his moves. For the next three minutes, he tried getting me into a choke, only for me to slip out of it.


    Finally, he made a mistake, and I was on it. I got my right leg up between his arm and his shoulder, wrapping it around the back of his head. I rolled him to my left as my right arm pulled his right across his body, and my left leg locked my right leg in ce. With one arm, he couldn¡¯t fight me off before the cutoff of blood to his brain would knock him out. After three seconds, he tapped out, and I released him.


    I didn¡¯t celebrate; it wasn¡¯t the way here. ¡°Good spar,¡± I said as I untangled myself from him.


    ¡°You¡¯re learning quickly,¡± he said as he helped me to my feet. Amy fought next, against a woman now ranked just ahead of me. She didn¡¯t win, but she gave her all she could handle. After three more fights, the session was over. Hammer dismissed the ss and walked to the wall to update the changes.


    ¡°That was AMAZING,¡± Susan said as we walked over to them at the side of the room. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can fight like that without seeing her!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the feel,¡± Amy said as she hugged her. ¡°The closer I am, the less my vision matters.¡±


    ¡°You did well,¡± Mom told me. ¡°I think we need to incorporate that into some of our training back home. It seems like a good way to defuse situations without having to injure someone.¡± I had to agree; it was fun to learn new disciplines, and no Mixed Martial Artist was without at least a passing ability at grappling. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet your instructor.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. I walked over to ask Hammer to join us.


    ¡°My mom wants to invite him for dinner tonight,¡± Amy sent me. ¡°She¡¯s acting weird.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of food, but I don¡¯t know if he will ept. We can ask.¡± Hammer smiled at our Moms as he walked back with me. ¡°Hammer, this is my Mom, Olivia, and Amy¡¯s mother, Susan.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you. Your daughters are excellent¡­¡± He had shaken Olivia¡¯s hand, but when he touched Susan, it was like a shock went through them both. He recovered quickly. ¡°Students. I wish all of my students had their conditioning and desire to learn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to find she is continuing to learn and grow now that she¡¯s on her own,¡± Liv said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m thrilled to see how well Amy is doing after her injury,¡± Susan said. ¡°Have you ever taught a student with vision issues?¡±


    ¡°I had a student who lost his left eye, but nothing like this,¡± Hammer said. ¡°She¡¯s inspirational, she doesn¡¯t let it stop her, and she makes no excuses. It¡¯s great for me because I can point to her and show how a physical problem doesn¡¯t stop her from being a good fighter.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #47

    I could tell he was getting ready to leave, but Susan was almost shaking; could he be? I looked at Amy. ¡°I think he¡¯s Mom¡¯s second chance,¡± she told me.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but we girls are making a big dinner tonight now that our families are here. Would you like to join us? I¡¯m sure the guys would like to meet you.¡± I prayed he would say yes, or Susan might take it as a rejection, like when Leo dismissed Adrienne after they first met.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? We¡¯ll have more than enough,¡± I promised. ¡°It would mean a lot to us if you came. Six o¡¯clock?¡±


    He looked at his calendar. ¡°Man, I¡¯ll have to give up take-out chicken and baseball on television,¡± heined.


    ¡°We¡¯re having pulled pork, ribs, cornbread, waffle fries, and colew,¡± I countered. ¡°Plus, you can see the television from the hot tub if you bring your suit.¡±


    He turned back to Susan, reaching out his hand for hers. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind? I don¡¯t want to take away from your family time.¡±


    She smiled widely at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you about your experiences in the SEALs, it¡¯s fascinating,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see you there, and I¡¯ll bring some local beer for the adults,¡± he said. ¡°Gotta go.¡± He walked back towards the office as Susan watched his every move.


    ¡°We should get home,¡± I said as I pulled my gi off and folded it up, pulling the T-shirt over my head. ¡°We have a LOT to talk about.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    No one said anything until we left the parking lot. ¡°Is Hammer?¡±


    ¡°My mate?¡± Susan asked. ¡°My wolf said so.¡±


    ¡°WOOHOO,¡± Amy said as she pulled her tight. ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m forty-four years old, baby, and widowed for thirteen years,¡± Susan said dejectedly. ¡°Hell, I stopped going to the Summits when I turned forty because I didn¡¯t think Luna would give me another. I¡¯ve not given a man a second nce since Todd died, and I don¡¯t know what to think now. I wasn¡¯t expecting a human male.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty hot, isn¡¯t he,¡± Mom teased. ¡°I bet you could still bounce a quarter on that ass of his.¡±


    It was funny watching Susan get all flustered about it. ¡°Did you pack a swimsuit,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°The green one-piece,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, HELL no,¡± Amy said. ¡°No granny suits for you! Vicki, you¡¯ve got to help pick out a nice bikini for Mom¡¯s hot tub time. Something guaranteed to get a strike when it goes in the water.¡±


    Iughed at that. ¡°Susan still has the body of a much younger woman. Put those curves into the yellow bikini? Hammer will bite into that, develop lockjaw, and get dragged to death.¡± I snuck a nce at Susan and saw her jaw drop.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Mom said. ¡°You are only here for a week, and the mate bond doesn¡¯t work with him the way it does for our kind. Trust me, I know. It took a lot of persistence for Brent to get me to fall in love with him.¡± She leaned forward and put her hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We all want you to be happy, Susan. If you don¡¯t want him, just say so.¡±


    ¡°I want him,¡± she whispered.


    Amy smiled and turned around. ¡°Good. Makani, I need you to take my Mom to the spa this afternoon. The rest of us will get everything ready for dinner.¡± She turned back towards her mom. ¡°Operation Hunky Stepdad has begun.¡±


    ************


    I looked approvingly at Susan as she and Makani came back from the spa. Hammer was a warrior; he¡¯d want a strong woman, not some ditzy, heavily-made-up, desperate divorcee. Susan¡¯s hairid in gentle waves down her head to her shoulders. Her face glowed with health, and her fingers and toes had been manicured and coated with clear polish. She looked naturally beautiful.


    We switched ces, and I took Susan into her daughter¡¯s room to look through her suitcase. She¡¯d brought sensible clothing for summer, but we didn¡¯t want to blend in now. I found the yellow Bodyglove bikini and handed it to her. ¡°Put this on while I look for a dress,¡± I said.


    She looked at the pieces of neon-yellow fabric connected by thin straps like I was nuts. ¡°I haven¡¯t worn a suit this revealing since before my first child,¡± she objected.


    ¡°Put it on, trust me,¡± I said.


    She went into the bathroom,ing out like her suit was on fire. ¡°I can¡¯t wear this! You can see my stretch marks!¡±


    I had her turn around. ¡°You look hot,¡± I said. ¡°Hammer¡¯s only going to get a glimpse before you get in the tub, so don¡¯t worry so much.¡± I handed her a colorful, light silk dress with Hawaiian flowers on the print. She pulled it over her head and smoothed it out. ¡°See? Perfect.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thin enough to see the suit under it!¡±


    ¡°I know. That will tease Hammer¡¯s eyes while you remain covered. The poor guy is not going to know what hit him,¡± I said excitedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m trusting you with this,¡± she said.


    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t had a date since the Obama administration?¡± Susan let out a breath. ¡°Hammer is a great guy. We¡¯ve told you how he came to our aid at the beach, and how good a trainer he is. Hammer retired to take care of his wife, and then he lost her anyway. He¡¯s lonely, but he felt something today. We can all see it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so nervous!¡±


    I grabbed Susan¡¯s hands so she wouldn¡¯t damage her makeup. ¡°Just rx. The bond is going to help you. Treat it like an ember; protect it from the winds, feed it tinder, and turn it into a roaring fire.¡±


    We walked back into the living room, where Brent and Luke were watching a baseball game. ¡°Wow, Mom,¡± Luke said as he saw her. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It feels weird to be romancing a male with my son and daughter in the room,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°He¡¯s your mate, Mom,¡± Amy said. ¡°I¡¯m excited, and he¡¯s a strong male. We¡¯ll get himfortable and disappear when it is time.¡±


    The cornbread wasing out of the oven when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come on, Mom,¡± Amy said. The two opened the door to Hammer, who was nervously standing with two six-packs of beer in his hands. ¡°Wee to our home, Hammer,¡± Amy said.


    Susan held the door open as he walked in, kicking his shoes off and leaving them by the door with the others. ¡°Thank you for inviting me. That smells great,¡± he said. ¡°Can I put these somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± Susan said. He almost dropped one of them as her hand touched his, but theypleted the handoff.


    Amy reached for his arm, and he offered it. She led him into the living room, confident in her steps in her home. ¡°You met Luke this morning. This man is Vicki¡¯s father, Brent Lawrence,¡± she said.

 SHARKBAIT #48

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Brent said. ¡°Thank you for taking good care of our daughter.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a great kid,¡± Hammer said. He sat on the couch with the guys as we got the table ready; I didn¡¯t miss how his eyes followed Susan¡¯s body as she moved between the kitchen and the dining room table. Naturally, we set him next to Susan at one end of the table, while Brent and Liv took the other. Dinner was a lot of fun, with lots of stories as we lingered over the food and drink. The two rxed, finding little reasons to touch each other without being obvious.


    It was nearly sundown when I realized that they were lost in a bubble together. ¡°Girls, help me clean the table,¡± I said.


    ¡°We can help,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Hammer, can I ask you a favor?¡± I asked. ¡°My parents have never seen a sunset over the Pacific. Do you think you could take them to the beach while we clean up?¡±


    He looked at Susan, who took his hand and nodded at him. ¡°A walk on the beach sounds wonderful after that meal,¡± she said.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± he said. They got up and headed towards the door. ¡°You guys will let them have their time, right?¡±


    I could sense Brent¡¯s amusement in his answer. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll just sit on the sand and wait for them toe back,¡± he said.


    Amy let out a breath when Hammer¡¯s Mustang Convertible left our driveway. ¡°That went well,¡± she said.


    ¡°So far, so good. Let¡¯s get everything cleaned up. Liv is going to warn us when they areing back, and we need to be in the hot tub when they walk in. If we can¡¯t talk Hammer into a soak, Susan has no excuse to show him that bikini.¡± There was not much left of the food to put in the fridge, and it was almost ten o¡¯clock when I got the warning. ¡°Hot tub time,¡± I said.


    Amy and Luke got in the tub with me, leaving plenty of room for our parents. ¡°Come in and rx,¡± Amy told them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right there,¡± Brent said as he led Liv to the bedroom to change.


    Susan pulled off the dress, exposing that neon yellow bikini to Hammer¡¯s wide eyes. She turned away and folded the dress before leaning over to set it on the table. ¡°Do you need to borrow a suit,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± he stammered before he pulled his shirt off. His cargo shorts were over a swimsuit, so he¡¯d listened when we told him to bring it. He helped Susan get into the hot tub before he sat at her side. ¡°How are your feet doing,¡± he asked as a foot floated over his legs.


    ¡°A little sore after the long day,¡± she said. Hammer started rubbing her feet, not stopping when Liv and Brent joined us. Makani stocked the cooler on the deck with ice, beer, and water for us before going back inside to call their parents.


    Ten minutester, Mom was in Brent¡¯sp as he rubbed her neck, and Hammer¡¯s massage had moved up Susan¡¯s leg to above the knees. ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed,¡± I told them. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Amy is in my room tonight since my Mom and Dad are taking the master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going too,¡± Amy said. We said our goodnights and got out, wrapping towels around us before going back inside. Luke went inside to watch a movie with the twins, leaving the ¡®old people¡¯ alone in the hot tub. Amy was able to handle her routine alone, so I took my shower and got into bed. She came in just after I turned the lights out, sliding under the sheets next to me. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s working,¡± she whispered to me.


    ¡°We have to let them do it alone. Your Mom should talk to Brent about how to handle a human mate. Have her call Terry Foster as well. He just got engaged to Denise Chalmers, and is nning to tell her about us soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope it works,¡± Amy said. ¡°Is Terry changing her?¡±


    ¡°He will tell her about the change, but he doesn¡¯t want to risk it. Not while her son is young,¡± I said. ¡°You know the odds, and your Mom does too.¡± It was a coin flip to change humans, and there was no predicting who would survive. My Mom¡¯s heart stopped during the change, but they got her back. It was safest not to attempt it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The next morning, the twins took the car to the airport to pick up their parents while I took Amy, Luke, Liv, and Brent out to the beach for our morning workout. Susan was still sleeping when we left; she had gone out forte drinks with Hammer after Brent and Liv went to bed. Luke said she came in about two in the morning and went to sleep right away on the foldout couch, not telling him anything.


    She didn¡¯t smell like she¡¯d slept with him yet.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised to find Hammer waiting for us at the beach; as a SEAL, he was used to operating on little sleep. He was in a good mood, but he wasn¡¯t a man to kiss and tell. Instead, he turned north and set a punishing pace for the rest of us. Brent and Liv decided halfway through that they¡¯d prefer a walk on the beach instead, and they didn¡¯t catch up again until our calisthenics finished. ¡°Hammer, can I ask you a favor?¡±


    ¡°You can always ask,¡± he said with a smirk.


    ¡°We only have one car, and not enough room for everyone who wants to watch us at the dojo to fit,¡± I said. ¡°Makani and Noni¡¯s parents flew in this morning, and Luke wants to watch too. If a few of us could ride there and back with you, Susan wouldn¡¯t have to stay home.¡± That got me a sh of a smile.


    ¡°I suppose I could find room in my car for Susan, Brent, and Luke,¡± he said. ¡°The four of you could bring the girl¡¯s parents in your car.¡± He looked over at where my parents were watching. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them home. You five, run.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± I said with a horrible salute and augh. By the time we got home, everyone was sitting around the table eating breakfast. I greeted Kaia and Jack warmly, not having seen them since the week we moved in. With all the parents, there was no room left at the table. I grabbed a big bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and raisings, scrambled eggs with cheese, and fruit and took it out on the back patio to the ¡®kid¡¯s table.¡¯


    When we arrived at the dojo, I smiled as I saw Hammer holding Susan¡¯s hand as they walked towards the door. We changed and lined up as the other students came in. Hammer spent most of the session teaching takedowns and reversals, rotating partners until we were well-acquainted with the mat. The twins each challenged up at the end of the training session. Makani moved up two spots with a submission, while Noni fought to a draw. When we finished, Hammer drove them home before returning to the dojo for his afternoon sses.


    Dad ordered pizza for when we got home, and all too soon, it was time for us to leave.

 SHARKBAIT #49

    We were flying out early to Boston for my Bodyglove appearance, and then my parents would drop me off at the research boat for the documentary. Alpha Leo was worried about how long it had been since I had spent time in my fur since I¡¯d be confined to a small boat with no other werewolves for two weeks. His solution was for the three of us to visit Luna Adrienne¡¯s old Pack in northern Maine for a few days. Oh, and Anthony and Pam would be hosting a party in our honor, with lots of young, single males from Northeast packs.


    Makani dropped us off at the airport, my parents each with a carry-on bag. I was wheeling a carryon and a big suitcase packed with my diving gear and the outfits I¡¯d need. We were flying business ss, which was a pain inparison to the private nes I¡¯d used. I spent most of the flight going over the information I had on the expedition while talking over the link with my parents. I was d Brent spent some time talking with Susan before we left.


    I loved the Baxter Pack¡¯snds, and I ran my wolf ragged for two days. Their Packnds were extensive and bordered the immense Baxter State Park. We could run for hours in any direction, and there were lots of streams andkes around. In certain ces, you could see Mount Katahdin in the distance. We didn¡¯t have mountains like this in Minnesota. At almost a mile in elevation at the top, it was the tallest in Maine.


    I didn¡¯t find a second chance mate on Friday night, but the party was epic. Instead of the stuffy, formal affairs that the Council put on, the Baxter Pack had a cookout on the sand beach of their privateke. The single males all came up and introduced themselves, moving on when there was nothing from our wolves. No one harassed me or was anything but friendly, and I could rx and have fun.


    Saturday morning, I was up early, rafting the river with others my age. The rapids were fun, but the water fights in the calm river between them? More fun. My underwater swimming ability came in handy in the ¡®dunk wars.¡¯ The game was to steal people from other rafts. The normal was to row close enough to bounce off, then pull people into your raft as you moved away. The other way was more difficult. If you could sneak up and pull them into the water with you, they had to go to your raft until their own was ¡®eliminated.¡¯. I took out three people, rising from the depths and leaping to grab their shoulders like a Great White hitting an unsuspecting seal.


    I loved this Pack, and I felt a pang of regret as we said our goodbyes. Why couldn¡¯t my mate have been from a ce like THIS? What was Luna thinking?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The Pack lent us a warrior as extra security, and to be our driver. It was a long drive, and it gave me a lot of time to talk to my parents about my future. I let out my frustrations with Luna to my folks, and we talked through everything that had happened over thest few months. ¡°Even Susan got another mate,¡± Iined. ¡°It¡¯s like Luna is rubbing these in my face. What did I do to deserve this?¡±


    ¡°Did you do anything to him before he rejected you, Vicki?¡± Brent asked.


    ¡°No. Timothy rejected me first.¡±


    ¡°He did, and in the long view, Luna did you a favor by freeing you from that man,¡± Mom told me. ¡°Last year, you told me you didn¡¯t want to find a mate right away. You had ns and dreams, you wanted to travel and study sharks, and a mate would just tie you down. Now, you¡¯re traveling and studying sharks. Why isn¡¯t that enough to make you happy?¡±


    I had to sit back and think about it for a while. What changed in me? I didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes. ¡°Amy changed everything,¡± I said. ¡°She and Kai are so perfect together, so in love, and totally supportive of each other. Seeing their rtionship in person shows me that I don¡¯t have to give up my dreams if I have a mate like that.¡±


    Mom sat back, smiling as me with that ¡®Mom-always-knows-best¡¯ look. ¡°Exactly. When Brent found me, he didn¡¯t hold me back from my dreams. He encouraged me to pursue them. Yes, we made sacrifices, but life rarely happens like you expect it will. What is important is that you decide things together.¡± She let that sit for a bit before she continued. ¡°I bet Amy never expected to be attacked or to lose her eyesight, or that she¡¯d be moving to San Diego as a military spouse. Her whole life changed, yet she¡¯s so happy she glows. That is what a true mate will do for you, and why you need to wait patiently for Luna to bring you to him.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime, live my life?¡±


    Brent squeezed my hand. ¡°Exactly. Have fun, meet people, do things. Form the friendships and develop the talents that will help you in your life, no matter where it takes you.¡± I leaned into his shoulder, takingfort in the man who had loved me since I was five. We talked about the opportunities my modeling and charity work had opened up. I was making enough money doing this work that I¡¯d be able to put myself through college and graduate school without having to work other jobs. I wouldn¡¯t be dependent on a job or a Pack for the money I needed.


    The driver finally arrived at our Boston hotel, arrivingte on Saturday night in the big city. We were all tired from the drive and hit the beds right away.


    The Bodyglove event was at the downtown Macy¡¯s department store. Our driver brought us to the freight entrance, where store security met us and led us to a private room to prepare. The makeup artist and hairstylist got me ready, and I wore one of the new line¡¯s dresses and shoes. When we entered the main store, the line stretched as far as I could see. By the time it ended, my hand was tired from signing autographs.


    Mercedes took the three of us to Legal Harborside for dinner. We ate lobster and seafood as the boats went by. ¡°We¡¯d like to increase the number of events for you and Amy in the next six months. You¡¯re hot, and sales have doubled over the same quarterst year. It¡¯s all since we rolled out your ads,¡± Mercedes said. ¡°We are getting to the end of the season here for swimwear. The Paris fashion shows areing, where we release next year¡¯s line, and it¡¯s the start of the season in the Southern hemisphere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of travel,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth it,¡± she said. ¡°Thirty percent of our sales are south of the equator now. Local markets want to see familiar settings in the promotions; it makes them feel more connected to the product.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about security,¡± Brent replied. ¡°She¡¯d be a long way from home.¡±


    ¡°Each of them could have private security, whether theye along, or we hire local protection. We¡¯d pick up that expense.¡± She reached into her bag and pulled out a paper, pushing it across the table. ¡°I¡¯ve put together a proposed schedule. I hope you¡¯ll look at it and let me know what works for you,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, all expenses will be paid. Under the contract, you get your standard appearance and photoshootpensation. We will also pay a thousand dors extra for every day you¡¯re out of the country.¡±


    I took the paper, ncing it over quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll look at it on the trip, and I¡¯ll need to talk with Amy and her family as well. Kai¡¯s training is intense, and she won¡¯t want to be away from him for extended periods. We are both starting college this fall, too.¡±


    ¡°I understand most of your sses are online, so your school can fit in around this schedule. When else will you get to dive the Maldives? Australia? Rio de Janeiro? Capetown?¡± She was right about that. I¡¯d give up a LOT to be able to dive in some of those shark hotspots. ¡°And if this expedition goes well, I think I can get you on a show National Geographic is doing. Wouldn¡¯t you like to film off the Great Barrier Reef this winter?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide my excitement at that. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this one goes. Two weeks at sea with a research vessel is different than three days off Catalina Ind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an exciting time,¡± Liv said.


    The next morning, the driver took us down to Cape Cod. We stopped for breakfast at a quaint vige before he delivered me to the docks at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I looked around in wonder at a ce I¡¯d dreamed of as a kid. ¡°Vicki Carlson,¡± a man in jeans and a pullover sweater with a scraggly beard asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re cutting it close. I¡¯m Leonard Wood, the First Mate on the Ocean Explorer. I¡¯ll take that to your cabin. Say your goodbyes; the safety brief is in fifteen minutes,¡± he said.


    ¡°I guess this is it,¡± I said as I turned to my parents.


    ¡°Have fun, but do good work,¡± Mom said. ¡°Anthony will send warriors to pick you up and take you to the airport. Call if you can,¡± she said. ¡°I love you, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± Brent hugged me tight, and I could see tears in his eyes as I walked to the gangnk. The Ocean Explorer was a converted fishing trawler that was over a hundred feet long. I could see shark cages, remotely operated vehicles, and racks of tanks and dive gear. I recognized the Captain, the Expedition Leader, and the Producer of the documentary as they looked down at me from the bridge. Stepping aboard, I couldn¡¯t wait to get to work.

 SHARKBAIT #50

    Leonard was waiting for me as I stepped on board. ¡°Your cabin is this way,¡± he said. We went down a level, passing the galley and crew¡¯s mess to enter a long hallway with doors on both sides. ¡°Women¡¯s bathrooms and shower are here,¡± he said as he passed the door. ¡°Navy showers only; you get yourself wet, do the scrubbing with the water off, then rinse at the end,¡± he said. ¡°No more than thirty seconds of water use total.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said as he stopped in front of a door with my name on it. The cabin was the size of a small closet. It had a few drawers for gear under a single bed, a sink and mirror, and a desk that could fold-down while you sat on the bed. It was big enough for aptop, and there were power and inte cables nearby. A porthole about eight inches wide gave a glimpse of the outside. ¡°Cozy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Most of us spend our free time in the crew¡¯s mess or topside,¡± he said. ¡°Speaking of which, let¡¯s finish the tour and get up there for the safety brief.¡± There wasn¡¯t much below us I needed to see; engine rooms and storagepartments mostly. On the main deck was the diving and research gear, and the next level up was the bridge deck. The ship carried arge davit on the back, which was an inverted ¡°U¡± shape secured with joints to the stern, and equipped with hydraulic rams. It was able to lower a cradle into the water to support a twenty-foot shark and raise it to the deck so the researches could ess the animal safely. Shark cages were folded andshed to the rails, and rows of scuba tanks and apressor were just aft of the superstructure. Two small remote-operated underwater vehicles sat in cases near the bow. In all, it was a capable research ship.


    The crew and production team gathered for the safety brief before getting underway. Captain Steuben ¡°Stubby¡± Merrill led the brief with Leonard pointing out the equipment. There were life rafts on each side, lifejackets, rescue lines, throw rings, and a review of line safety. ¡°Never put a part of your body between a line and a fixed object, or step into a loop that could tighten or pull you overboard,¡± he said. ¡°Just like divers, carry a knife when you are up on decks, and pay attention to what is going on around you.¡± The two went over procedures for man overboard and lifeboat stations, and when there were no questions, he dismissed us in preparation for getting underway.


    Doctor John Holliday was the expedition leader, and he pulled me aside. A renowned shark researcher in his early forties, his distinctive white beard made him look like Captain Ahab. ¡°The team will be meeting in thirty minutes to go over the expedition strategy. It¡¯s down in the crew¡¯s mess,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Thank you for having me along, Doctor Holliday. It¡¯s a great honor to be part of your team. I¡¯ve watched your work for years.¡±


    He gave a quickugh. ¡°Doc or John, please. Your producer looks like he needs to talk. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Erik Johnston was there when I turned around, along with two camera operators. I signed the same consent form the crew had signed, giving the Discovery Channel my permission to be seen in the documentary. ¡°This won¡¯t do,¡± he said as he looked at my cargo shorts and T-shirt. ¡°Get a bikini on with a shirt, and don¡¯t forget sunblock. I don¡¯t want you red as a tomato by day two. We¡¯re going to start filming as we pull out, so hurry.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They were paying the way, and they knew the deal with Bodyglove was helping to finance the documentary, so I did what they said. I changed into a scuba-style bikini in the tiger-shark patter, with a matching Bodyglove scuba shirt over it, and boat shoes. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and came back on deck in time. The cameramen took shots of us as I helped retrieve the lines, and we got underway. I wanted to work hard and fit in, and Leonard was happy to teach me as we worked together.


    I spent some time on the main deck before Erik told me to join the Captain on the bridge for more shots. Captain Stubby was friendly, exining what was going on as he piloted the ship out of the harbor and out to sea. We were targeting areas of the Cape withrge seal poptions. The Great Whites had been returning here each summer for the past four decades, as the seal poptions exploded. Their numbers were so high now that some were pushing to remove Federal protections on them.


    In addition to Great White Sharks, the Cape area had other shark species. The basking shark, a filter feeder sometimes mistaken for a Great White, was an asional resident. Shortfin mako sharks fed on open-water fish and blue sharks are in deep waters. The Porbeagle shark is the only year-round resident, often found in groups and reaching up to ten feet. The distinctive white spot on the back of their rounded-top dorsal fin helped with identification. There were also spiny dogfish, with their long, narrow snouts and white spots. Common in shallow waters, they were small sharks up to five feet long.


    The cameramen shot everything that was going on, some of which might make it into the show as background. They also installed fixed cameras on the bridge, overlooking the bow and stern, on top of the davit arm, and in the crew¡¯s mess. Only the cabins and bathrooms were off-limits to filming ording to the contracts. ¡°We will have thousands of hours of footage by the end of this expedition. Digital storage is cheap, missing something is expensive,¡± Erik said.


    There were three groups of people on the boat. The boat crew consisted of Captain Merrill, First Mate Wood, Engineer Marcus Marconi, Chef Dee Boyar, and deckhand Connor McCloud. The Discovery Channel team had five people; all four cameramen were qualified divers and would alternate off-camera and safety diver work. The scientific crew, led by Doctor Holliday, included four male and two female graduate students. Doctor Gianna Goodwin, a fifty-year-old veterinarian who specialized in shark species, rounded out the group. I went down with the cameramen to the crew¡¯s mess for the expedition brief.


    None were my mate.

 SHARKBAIT #51

    The expedition n had three parts. ¡°The first five days will be for Great White tagging. We will use chum to bring them in, baits on barrels to catch them, then haul them into the cradle and bring them on board. Our goal is two a day, measured, blood sampled, and tagged. We¡¯ll also fit them with the detachable fin cameras before we release them.¡± The ¡®fin cams¡¯ hade a long way since the days of attaching a GoPro. Now, they would record video, depth, and temperature information for a week before automatically detaching and floating to the surface, where a beacon helped us find them. ¡°This is first so we can follow the tagged fishter, and we have time to recover the fin cams.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep Vicki in view when the sharkse on board,¡± Erik said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll assign her to the water pump,¡± Doc replied. ¡°Your job will be to put the pipe in the shark¡¯s mouth that pushes seawater over her gills. Try not to lose a hand while doing it.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it,¡± I said.


    For the second five days, the expedition will focus on getting footage of the Great White poptions in action off the seal-covered beaches. We would be doing a lot of diving in the cages, documenting the sharks as they stalk and attack. ¡°We¡¯re using our autonomous cages for this work,¡± Doc Holliday said. ¡°Two divers will be in each of four cages, at depths between fifteen and eighty feet. One camera operator with one expedition crew will be in each. Vicki, I know you have the dive qualifications, but you¡¯ve been in shark cages before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a few times off California,¡± I said.


    ¡°Brian, you will brief her on the safety diver responsibilities and how our new cages work when we put them together. Erik, make sure she¡¯s paired with your most experienced cameramen.¡± Brian was a grad student with curly brown hair and a deep tan. He didn¡¯t look like he was happy with the assignment. Carl Harris, who had two decades of experience filming underwater, was thrilled. He knew that being with me would mean more of his footage would make the final cut. ¡°We will use the tank arrays in the cages to get three hours of dive time, and we¡¯ll dive three times a day. Unlike the shark tours, we won¡¯t be chumming to bring them close. We want to catch them feeding on the seals using their natural behaviors.¡± That was a LOT of time underwater, and I couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°The third part is the filler, and we¡¯ll use this in bad weather. We¡¯ll move into sheltered, shallow waters, free-diving or scuba diving, and tag smaller species using the mp-on tags provided by Vicki¡¯s team.¡± Some of the guys groaned at this; the glory was in the twenty-footers, not a four-foot shallow-water shark.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to do with a pole, and it¡¯s fun,¡± I said.


    ¡°We will attach cameras to the poles and masks for this part,¡± Erik said.


    ¡°Lots of dive time when we otherwise would be out of action,¡± Doc said. Shallow-water diving didn¡¯t have rest restrictions to it, so you could change tanks and go back in.


    ¡°We arrive at the first tagging area in four hours,¡± the Captain said. ¡°Get your gear ready, and lunch is at eleven.¡±


    Sally, one of the grad assistants, took me under her wing and showed me how the tagging process went. A Ker-reinforced sling lined the bottom of the J-shaped shark cradle, the supports to the outside. ¡°Once the shark has exhausted itself against the barrels, we use the winch and this pulley to bring them headfirst into the sling. Cradling is the most dangerous part for both shark and human, as they could panic and thrash about. To prevent that, we let it fight until it¡¯s barely moving, then we loop a line around the tail and control it from this side,¡± she said.


    ¡°That could take a while with a big shark,¡± I said.


    ¡°It can be hours of waiting, but there¡¯s no other way. Once we get it in the sling, the davit lifts it out of the water and sets it on the desk. Your job is important; getting water over the gills will minimize stress and thrashing while we are doing our other work. We all have jobs; measuring, blood samples, attaching the satellite tracker, attaching the camera. Our goal is for the animal to spend less than a minute out of the water. To do that, we train like a NASCAR pit crew. Since you are new, you get the easy part. Get the PVC pipe into its mouth and turn the valve to start the water flow. Keep the pipe in until the shark is out of reach.¡±


    ¡°Sounds easy enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get wet, which is one reason Erik wanted you there. Have fun; hopefully, you¡¯ll be up close and personal to some BIG sharks soon.¡±


    We arrived in the first area and set out barrels with drop lines and hooks, starting the process of catching sharks. While we waited, we ran through the process three times using an intable shark pool toy. I was d I was wearing swimwear when I saw just how much water came out of the 3¡å PVC pipe I was wielding.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I heard a shout from the bridge wing that one of the barrels had a shark. It would go underwater for ten minutes at a time, then pop back up elsewhere. It finally stopped moving an hourter, and we moved in to get it. Leonard snagged the ck barrel line with a boat hook, and they pulled it onto the boat and attached the line over the pulley and to the winch. Every time the shark fought, we stopped bringing it in and waited for it to exhaust itself. Finally, we got it the Great White on the surface. The team got asso over the tail and pulled the shark onto the sling. Twenty secondster, it was on the deck.


    I was pushing the stic tube in between its jaws before it touched down, turning the valve and starting the water flow. The team was poetry in motion as it worked on the twelve-foot-long male. I listened as team members called out measurements to the recorder, and as they reported tasksplete. The tag wasst to finish, needing a hole punched in the dorsal fin to attach it. ¡°CLEAR,¡± Doc said, and the davit began to raise. I pulled the tube out when the shark reached shoulder height and turned off the water. We watched as the cradle submerged, and the shark swam off, disappearing back into the depths.


    It was SUCH a rush.


    ¡°Nice job, people,¡± Doc said as the davit raised again. ¡°We¡¯ve got another on a barrel already.¡±


    I was having the time of my life.

 SHARKBAIT #52

    Our first day of the expedition was over, and we¡¯d had a great start. The weather was perfect for our work. Thest of the six Great Whites had been tagged an hour before sundown, and we pulled the remaining barrels out of the water. We stowed the gear and cleaned up, smiles on all our faces after a busy day. Erik was thrilled with the video we had taken, especially of the seventeen-foot, four-inch female. This giant of a fish weighed about 3, 500 pounds and was the secondrgest Great White ever to be fitted with a satellite tag. Doc Holliday was looking forward to data on such a big shark. Size mattered, and the big girls had different habits and diets than smaller Great Whites had.


    I¡¯d gotten quite wet during the day, so I¡¯d taken a quick shower then changed into shorts and a T-shirt. Chef Boyar was making burritos to order, and I was starving. Mine had chunks of steak and chicken, along with rice, red beans, salsa, cheese, and sour cream. Taking the te and a big ss of milk, I walked over to a ce next to Sally. ¡°Did you have fun today,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Today was a dreame true,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to leave.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± she said. ¡°This is the fun partpared to spending time crunching numbers and writing papers.¡± Theresa, Kyle, Chip, and Dale filled the rest of the table. All of them were graduate students and were in the ce I wanted to be in eight more years.


    I found out what their lives were like, and they quizzed me on my sudden fame and my modeling career. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be getting paid to wear a wetsuit,¡± I said as I rolled my eyes. ¡°My Mom was right; I had my fifteen minutes of fame, and I used that tounch my shark-tagging drive. When Bodyglove saw me doing that, they asked me to model for them. I never expected it to be like this; I was hoping to get some free clothes and a diving trip!¡± The rest of the tableughed at this. ¡°It just kept building, so I¡¯m riding the current as far as it can take me. College isn¡¯t cheap, you know.¡±


    Chip just about spit out his Coke at this. ¡°You¡¯re not fucking kidding, Vicki. Research science doesn¡¯t pay back a hundred and fifty grand in student loans.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m making money while I can, all in pursuit of my dreams.¡±


    One of the camera guys came in and waved to me. ¡°Erik wants you up on the bridge in ten minutes, something about filming some background scenes,¡± he said.


    ¡°Got it. I better get dessert then.¡± I collected the empty tes from the table and put them in the racks before I grabbed some desserts for the table. It was apple pie with French vani ice cream. I handed out the extras before diving in, moaning in pleasure at the taste. This Boyar chick could cook.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a model eating like you,¡± Dale teased. ¡°They have one shrimp, and they are full.¡±


    I justughed at that. ¡°I was a swimmer and diver before I was a model, and I¡¯m still that way,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a big appetite and high metabolism.¡±


    ¡°You did good today, kid. Not bad for a Sharkbaby,¡± Chip said.


    ¡°Sharkbabe is what they call me online now. My nickname growing up was Sharkbait,¡± I said. I finished thest of the pie and stood up. ¡°I better get going.¡±


    Brian, the grad student who wasn¡¯t as weing, stood up as I did. ¡°Better run along, Shark Barbie. I¡¯m sure they need your tits up on the bridge,¡± he said.


    I froze, my head slowly turning to look at him. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, people,¡± he said as the room quieted. ¡°Let¡¯s not kid ourselves about what is going on with Shark Barbie, the high school graduate and documentary headliner. Is she here because of her vast experience in shark biology?¡± He let that sit out there as I fumed. ¡°Is she here because she brings vital knowledge on shark behavior?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an asshole, Brian,¡± Sally said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ignorant, Sally. You and I are working this expedition for free as part of our graduate work, and Discovery Channel is only paying us a hundred and fifty dors a day to be in their show. Shark Barbie is only qualified to show off her boobs in a bikini and get her t-shirt wet, and she¡¯s getting paid fifty grand! Where is the fairness in that?¡±


    Brian had moved between me and the door, and I didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°Step aside, Brian.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you going to cry, little girl? Or maybe you banged the producer to get this job, and he wants another taste?¡± I didn¡¯t want to get in a fight on my first day onboard. Brian was pushing my buttons, though. ¡°You don¡¯t belong here. You¡¯re in the way, and you¡¯re taking dive time away from people who are doing real research. Just because the producer wants to showcase your body for ratings doesn¡¯t mean we have to go along with it. Perky tits and a firm ass don¡¯t make you an expert,¡± he sneered.


    ¡°For a graduate student at a research institution, you have no idea of how things work, do you?¡± He blocked my way, so I continued. ¡°These tits cradled three children as I saved them from drowning. THESE TITS got me national exposure that I used to unveil a shark tagging project in cooperation with the World Wildlife Federation and the University of Miami. THESE TITS helped raise over five million dors for shark research through our website and personal appearances. THESE TITS got me into boardrooms and dinner parties where I could meet donors. And yes, THESE TITS are part of the reason I¡¯m here. Discovery isn¡¯t here because they want to help your research. They are here because they are filming a show that will bring them big ratings, and pay for their expenses many times over with advertising revenue. I did one earlier this year, and they liked how it turned out. The producer hired me for a bigger role this time because I bring value to his work. It¡¯s a business, Brian. To have a highly-rated show, they want a show host that people will tune in to see.¡± He didn¡¯t look convinced, and the rest of the room was watching with their mouths hanging open. ¡°Research doesn¡¯t happen without fundraising. Part of fundraising is having people that donors want to meet! Without that, there IS no expedition! So unless your face and abs can carry the show, and I¡¯m pretty sure they can¡¯t, shut the hell up and do your job.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a blonde; you know NOTHING,¡± Brian said.


    ¡°I know if you don¡¯t step out of my way, you¡¯re going to have trouble moving in the morning. I have work to do.¡± I didn¡¯t have time to deal with his crap.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t just step aside. Instead, he reached out and squeezed my tits with both hands. ¡°They don¡¯t feel like they are worth fifty grand,¡± he said with a leer. ¡°Maybe fifty bucks.¡±


    That was it. I closed the gap, bending my knees as I grasped Brian around the waist and lifted his weight off his feet. Pushing my shoulder forward as my arms pulled back, I mmed his body to the deck. His breath rushed out of him as my shoulder drove into his sr plexus, and I brought my knee up hard to crunch his nuts. He couldn¡¯t even take a breath to scream out his pain.


    I wasn¡¯t done with him yet.


    I took the top position, moving up as he tried to roll out to his right side. I got my left arm behind his head to keep it tight to me and keep him from rolling me with his greater size. I put my right arm around his left arm and across his chest until I could grasp my left arm above the elbow. The hold controlled his arms, one underneath us, the other trapped by my arm, and kept his head pinned to my side. He was still struggling and kicking out, so I finished him by moving my left arm up his back and rolling until my left shoulder was on the deck, letting my body weight apply pressure to his neck. My chokeholdpressed the artery on the side of his head that went to his brain. ¡°Tap out,¡± I told him.

 SHARKBAIT #53

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± he said. I kept the pressure on, and five secondster, he was limp.


    I let him go and stood up, looking around the crew¡¯s mess to the shocked faces. ¡°When he wakes, tell him if he ever touches a woman like that without permission, I¡¯ll break both his arms.¡± Walking out the door, I mmed it shut and walked up the stairs to the main deck.


    I couldn¡¯t face anyone, not just yet. I went to the rails and looked over the water instead, the quarter moon just rising to the east over the rolling swell. Tears came to my eyes as I thought back at what just happened. Today had been SO good until now. I felt like I was part of the team, doing what I loved. Was it all just politeness? Did the others resent me for being here like Brian did? Was I just kidding myself, thinking I was more than a pin-up girl?


    I heard the bulkhead door open behind me, light spilling out and then going away again as it closed. It was Sally; I could scent her before her hand rubbed my back as she moved next to the rail. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I looked at her, and the tears down my face told the story. ¡°This is all I ever dreamed of doing,¡± I said.


    She pulled me into a hug. ¡°The rest of us don¡¯t feel that way,¡± she said. ¡°You work hard, you listen, and you don¡¯tin about anything. You have nothing to worry about, Vicki. You belong out here, and you¡¯re doing the job you got hired for.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not jealous of me?¡±


    ¡°I wish I had your body, but I can see you¡¯ve worked hard to get it. I wish I had your drive and energy. I¡¯m twenty-seven, and I haven¡¯t aplished a fraction of what you¡¯ve done in eighteen years.¡± She let me go, and we went back to looking over the water. ¡°I love it out here. I wish I didn¡¯t have to deal with people like Brian, but they are still out there. You handled him well.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to deal with him for thirteen more days, and he hates me now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will be a problem,¡± she said. ¡°What he did was not just inappropriate harassment, it was sexual assault.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not filing aint. I took care of it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Theresa and Dale are talking to the Captain and Doctor Holliday right now.¡± I looked at her in shock. ¡°It was uneptable behavior, and the team is not going to stand for it. It wasn¡¯t his first time, but this time there were witnesses and proof.¡±


    I suddenly realized what she meant; the Discovery crew had cameras in the crew¡¯s mess recording all the time, so they had the whole thing on video. ¡°This time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Theresa and I have dealt with low-level shit from him for years; ¡®idental¡¯ contacts and lewdments when we are alone. Going after you the way he did will end him. The University has strict policies on this, and he¡¯s going to get what he deserves. Finally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk to Erik. I don¡¯t want that video to get out.¡±


    She startedughing. ¡°Are you kidding? That scene is going to be ratings GOLD. You stood up to the bully, Vicki. You proved you were more than your tits, and you kicked his ass when he tried to take advantage of you. And I¡¯m going to have a watch party and eat popcorn while I watch him get choked out by Shark Barbie.¡±


    ¡°Sharkbabe is a nickname I don¡¯t like, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Shark Barbie makes me sound like a ditzy blonde,¡± I said.


    ¡°More like Shark Barbare,¡± she giggled. I looked at her, not understanding the reference. ¡°You¡¯ll have to look it up.¡± She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dried my face. ¡°You have a job to do, Vicki. Go up to the bridge, find your producer, and do it. I¡¯ll see you at breakfast, kid.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I walked to the outside stairs leading to the bridge, wondering what kind of reception I would get. All conversation stopped as I entered the room, and four sets of eyes were looking at me.


    ¡°Vicki, are you all right,¡± Captain Merrill asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°Angry, but physically, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d still like to have Doctor Goodwin check you over when she¡¯s finished treating Brian. Adrenaline can mask injuries, and I need her findings for the report.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m filing aint with the University over the sexual harassment and assault I witnessed,¡± Theresa said. ¡°If you want to file criminal charges, we¡¯ll be witnesses for you there, too.¡±


    I looked back at the Captain. ¡°What happens to Brian now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s confined to quarters while I collect statements. I¡¯ve already called back to Woods Hole; they will send aunch out tomorrow with a recement crew member. I¡¯ll need your statement as well, tonight, if possible.¡±


    ¡°What about the fight? Am I in trouble for that?¡± I¡¯d read the policies, and fighting was grounds for removal from the expedition.


    ¡°You reacted to a physical assault and ended it. Rather effectively, I hear,¡± the Captain said. ¡°I¡¯ve not heard anything that would warrant punishment for you, although I still have toplete the investigation.¡±


    Erik looked at me. ¡°We have no issue with your actions. My men were happy you defended yourself before they had to intervene. It¡¯s always better when the victim gives a bully his due.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Any chance of keeping this out of the documentary?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Erikughed. ¡°Sorry, but no. This footage is better than the sharks today.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking,¡± Captain Merill said. ¡°It¡¯s the adrenaline dump wearing off. You should go sit for a while,¡± he said as he walked me towards the port door. ¡°Go make your statement, either handwritten or emailed. Erik¡¯s team will be back up here when you finish.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take her,¡± Theresa said.


    I let them guide me back to my cabin, and Theresa sat with me as I called my Mom and told her what happened. She was upset the incident urred but satisfied with how the Captain was handling it. I opened myptop and typed out an email with my statement; I sent copies to the Captain, Doctor Holliday, Mercedes, and my parents.


    The taping tonight was all stuff that might be used in the show to set up the next day¡¯s activities. The film crew ran cameras as we looked at charts and tracking data to pick out the likely locations of other Great White Sharks. I asked a lot of questions, some simple and some more technical. As the host of the show, I represented the viewers, and Doc and the Captain were the experts.


    When I finished and went back to the Crew¡¯s Mess, everyone who hadn¡¯t been on the bridge was waiting for me except Brian. I froze, wondering what was going on.


    Leonard was the first to speak. ¡°On behalf of the crew, we want you to know we support you and we want you here,¡± he said.


    ¡°The same for us,¡± Chip said. ¡°What Brian said was mean, and it was wrong. We want you here because the expedition is better with you as part of it.¡±


    ¡°Hell, we love filming you, Vicki,¡± the lead cameraman said. ¡°You make us look good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told them all. ¡°I need to sleep, though. It¡¯s going to be a long day tomorrow.¡± I got hugs and handshakes from everyone as I moved through. I fell into bed exhausted, but sleep didn¡¯te easily. Brian¡¯sments stung, and I was going to work twice as hard to show everyone how wrong he was.

 SHARKBAIT #54

    The next morning, everything was back to normal except Brian wasn¡¯t around. Doc had us deploying the baited barrels in deep water off the southern tip of Cape Cod, hoping to get the Great Whites during the heat of the day. The big sharks were more sessful hunting seals in the morning and evening when the low light helped hide their shapes in the depths.


    We¡¯d tagged one ten-foot male, releasing him into the ocean again. ¡°Vicki, the Captain needs you on the bridge,¡± Leonard told me as I stowed the hose and pipe.


    ¡°On my way,¡± I said. Today was warm and overcast, and I¡¯d ditched the long-sleeve diving shirt for a logo tank top over my modest bikini. I wasn¡¯t the only one; the crew may not get paid a lot, but they didn¡¯t turn down free clothes and diving gear from Bodyglove. Theresa was rocking a tiger-shark-pattern one-piece, while Sally went with the bikini and long T-shirt. I smiled as I looked back at them; their dating prospects would not be hurt by how they looked in this documentary.


    I got up to the bridge and looked around; the Captain was alone. ¡°You needed to see me, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I need you to stay here during the transfer. I don¡¯t want any more drama.¡± I could see a boat, a thirty-foot offshore fishing vessel with a Woods Hole logo, approaching from our starboard quarter. ¡°I spent a lot of timest night and this morning on the phone, and the President and Provost reviewed the evidence I¡¯ve collected. They agreed there was sufficient evidence of harassment to bring him before a student tribunal.¡±


    I looked out from the bridge wing, and I could see Brian walking out with his gear bag to the stern. The crew and staff were ignoring him as the boat approached. ¡°I had it handled.¡±


    ¡°Quite well on a personal level, but this isn¡¯t about just you. The harassment urred on school property, in front of students and staff. It will be handled by the school, with or without your continued involvement.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything as he pointed the big vessel cross to the wind, creating a calmer area for the smaller boat to approach. I could see a woman in her early twenties standing with her bags on the bow. She was wearing a floppy hat, sunsses, shorts, and a Bodyglove T-shirt. The smaller boat bumped into us, lines held us together, and the woman came on board. A minuteter, Brian was gone. ¡°Go introduce yourself. There¡¯s a shark on, and we have work to do.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I went back down to the main deck and introduced myself to Bonnie, a tall redhead who was a first-year graduate studies student. To my surprise, she hugged me and thanked me. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Theresa sent me the cellphone video she took and told me to call Doc and volunteer. I didn¡¯t make the cut weeks ago, but I was the first to ask. Ten minutes after I get the gig, an executive from Bodyglove is asking me my sizes. Now I¡¯m here, and you¡¯ve got another friend, and I¡¯ve got a bag of free clothes to wear!¡±


    ¡°Fringe benefits,¡± I said excitedly.


    Doc came over and weed her to the crew. ¡°Get into swimwear because you¡¯re going to get wet. You¡¯re taking over the shark hose. Vicki, you¡¯re taking the Shark Cam.¡±


    ¡°And lots of sunblock,¡± I said. Bonnie¡¯s fair skin would be burning quickly, even in the cloudy skies.


    ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± she said as she went below decks to change.


    I went back to talk to Theresa, who had taken over the camera spot for Brian this morning and would be returning to her job writing down the measurements. She assured me this was fine, as she was nervous around the big animals. She walked me through the process, which wasn¡¯t as simple as I thought. ¡°You¡¯ve got one shot to get it right,¡± she said. ¡°The camera activates when the mechanism closes, and ittches itself onto the fin, like a zip-tie. If you put it on wrong, it could fall off, or the camera shot won¡¯t show what we want. ce it a third of the way up the dorsal fin and as close to horizontal as you can get. Squeeze it tight and get clear. If you mess it up, hit this button to release it and wait for it to drop off, then try again.¡±


    I ran through everything in my head. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to ask for help. Better to take ten more seconds on board than to lose the camera.¡± We rxed with the crew as we waited for the shark on the line to tire itself out. Bonnie was well-liked by the other students, and no one was looking at me like I did anything wrong.


    The shark was a small female, ten feet long. As the davit swung the cradle onboard, I waited nervously with the camera in my left hand. I let the tagging guys get into ce, since their job took longer, and leaned over the shark just forward of her dorsal fin. Keeping everything I learned in mind, I positioned the camera but didn¡¯t make the final squeeze just yet. ¡°Theresa, this good?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she said.


    I squeezed thest couple clicks to make sure it was firmly in ce, verified the camera light showed it was running, then stepped back. ¡°Camera on,¡± I said. Fifteen secondster, the davit was moving again to return the shark to the water. I went to the rail to watch her slowly swim away.


    We tagged four more sharks that day, but only two the next. I was up on the bridge the third night for my on-camera talks with the Captain and the Doctor, and they didn¡¯t like the forecast for the next two days. A storm moving up the coast would bring heavy seas; bringing sharks on board would be much more dangerous as the ship rolled in the waves. ¡°We need to move inside the Cape; the question is whether to keep tagging Great Whites or shift to smaller sharks.¡±


    ¡°Are we seeing or tracking Great Whites there?¡±


    ¡°Not often,¡± Doctor Holliday said.


    ¡°They like having deep water nearby,¡± I said as he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, and these wide, sandy expanses are better suited to other sharks. There are harbor seal colonies in these ces that might attract some.¡±


    ¡°Or we take a few days to go after smaller sharks with the cell trackers,¡± I said.


    The Captain agreed with me. ¡°That would be my preference. We¡¯re having sess out here, and the change would do everyone good. It¡¯s too rough to switch to the cages.¡±


    ¡°Shallows it is,¡± Doc said. ¡°Let everyone know we¡¯re diving tomorrow, Vicki.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #55

    I almost ran downstairs, excitedly telling everyone hanging out in the crew¡¯s mess about the change in ns due to the storms. We¡¯d all learned to ignore the cameras that were always in the background. Doc joined us a few minutester, and I took the time to brief everyone on the shark trackers I¡¯d brought and how they worked. ¡°I prefer to use them on a pole while I free-dive,¡± I told them. ¡°I pick out sharks underneath, swim down from behind them, and push the tracker onto the rear of the dorsal fin. It won¡¯t close unless the edge hits the middle of the V-shape, so you¡¯ve got an eight-inch window when you push it forward. It snaps into ce, which releases it from the pole, and you both swim away.¡±


    ¡°Why not scuba gear,¡± Bonnie asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re in shallow water, and you are faster swimming without the tanks, and less likely to spook the sharks. The only good scuba strategy I know is to sit on the bottom with a bait box to bring them in, and try and tag them when they approach. You have to get them straight on or straight away to make it work, though. If they circle you, there¡¯s no change to attach it.¡±


    ¡°The transmitters are coded?¡±


    ¡°They are numbered. You need to record the tag number and the length and species or any other detail so we can send it to the University of Miami registry at the end of the day. Here is what the tracking data looks like.¡± I used theputer to go to the site, pulling up the map showing the Cape Cod area. ¡°So far, there are over twelve-thousand trackers that have gone live. Two-thirds of the tagging activity in this area ising from sport fishing, the rest bycatch frommercial fishing.¡± The screen showed a mass of dots and tracks. ¡°On the right, you can set it to disy only the most recent locations or only a single species,¡± I said. I selected the most recent Porbeagle hits; a dozen dots appeared, all located in the Billingagate Shoals. ¡°Going after shortfin mako would be extremely difficult while diving. Here are the spiny dogfish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve convinced me,¡± Doc said. ¡°I¡¯ll have the Captain head for the Shoals. If you arefortable free-diving, pairs can try that. The rest of you will work off the Zodiaks or this ship, using scuba gear and bait boxes. Get some sleep, as there¡¯s going to be a lot of water time tomorrow,¡± he said.


    It turned out that only Bonnie had the gear and experience to free-dive with me, so the next morning, we took a Zodiak with a cameraman to water that was about twenty feet deep. We dumped a bait box over, basically a metal box with holes and chum in it to attract the sharks. The cameraman stayed down with us for thirty minutes, getting his underwater shots of us with the sharks. The rest of the time he stayed in the boat. He was leaving the rest to the fixed cameras he had on top of the bait box and the small cameras attached to our poles. For the next three hours, Bonnie and I dove the site repeatedly, tagging fourteen Porbeagle sharks, two spiny dogfish, and one Great White male that was about eight feet long. The cameraman pulled the bait box up, and we motored back to the Ocean Explorer for lunch.


    The other three teams had much less sess. With the need to change air bottles and rest between dives, their bottom time was limited. It was also more difficult for a stationary diver to see and tag the sharks. They had tagged fifteen Porbeagles, three Spiny Dogfish, and one ten-foot Blue Shark. Thetter was a pleasant surprise to the divers operating off the main ship.


    After lunch, all the divers headed to shallower waters, like we had been diving in. By five, I had run out of tags, and the Porbeagle poption had more tags tracking it than ever before.


    With all of my tags in use, and the storm still sending high winds and seas into the outer Cape, we stayed inside the protection of Cape Cod overnight. On the bridge, I used abination of recent sightings, satellite trackers, and a few of my cellphone trackers to propose a strategy. ¡°There are Great Whites in the area, which we proved yesterday,¡± I said. ¡°The problem is theck of deep water. You can see almost all the sightings are in the deep channel on the south edge of Billingagate Shoals, here off Wellfleet.¡±


    Doc looked at the charts, then back to my data. ¡°The deepest water is near the edge here, just over fifty feet. This area where the depth changes quickly to less than twenty feet looks promising. Great Whites love the drop-offs. Back to barrel fishing?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s too murky to use the cages. We¡¯ll have to tend the barrels when they blow up into the shallows, but we can use a zodiac for that and stay in deeper waters,¡± I said. ¡°The sharks will head for deep water when hooked, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. The Great Whites found here will be feeding on fish and smaller sharks, maybe harbor seals. I don¡¯t expect to find big ones, but we need to tag the younger ones too. They are the ones justing into maturity,¡± Doc said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll anchor here for the night,¡± the Captain said. ¡°We¡¯ll have a short transit to the fishing grounds in the morning.¡±


    I walked back down to the galley, spreading the word about tomorrow¡¯s n to the excited crew. Some had been hesitant to use my ¡°cheap¡± tags but now understood that quantity had a quality all its own. A few people were ying with the tagging data from the University of Miami, whichbined data from the usual tags with the new ones I¡¯d gotten into y. There was far more data than they were used to, and a wider variety of species and broader expanse of sizes than before. ¡°This is fantastic,¡± Chip said as he explored Bull Shark sightings along the East Coast. The variety could tolerate brackish and even freshwater, often traveling hundreds of miles ind along rivers. ¡°My sister would freak if she knew twelve-foot sharks are swimming the river she rows crew on,¡± he said. I looked at the map; sure enough, data from a bull shark well up the Merrimack River near Lowell, Massachusetts. ¡°She¡¯s at UMass Lowell,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Yeah, probably best not to say anything,¡± I said. I saw Dale return with one of the camera guys before he asked Chip if he was ready. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Interviews and background,¡± Chip said.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± Dale confirmed. ¡°Reactions to the day¡¯s activities, questions,mentary to voice over video taken today.¡± I must have looked a little surprised. ¡°They aren¡¯t doing it with you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what they are using the bridge time for,¡± I said. Or maybe they are talking ABOUT me. With all the drama I¡¯d caused, perhaps they were setting this up to be more reality show and less a serious documentary. I¡¯d have to ask Erik about it tomorrow because I was tired from all the swimming. I went back to my cabin, talked to Amy and my parents for a few minutes on the phone, then went to bed.

 SHARKBAIT #56

    The next day was moderately sessful; we tagged two Great Whites and one Shortfin Mako before we had to shut down due to high winds. We lost a day as the storm blew through, and Erik did interview me for a few hours during that time. The next day we were back off the eastern edge of Cape Cod, tagging nine new Great Whites over the next three days. Thest days of the expedition would be with cameras only, trying to catch footage of attacks on the grey seal colonies along the rocky shores.


    We started setting up the cages in the early morning as we transited around the northern edge of the cape to the seaward side. Chip and Theresa were helping me learn about the design as they set them up. ¡°Previous cage designs were limited because they hang down from the boat, and the divers are dependent on the tanks on their back,¡± Chip said. ¡°We designed these to be autonomous. These aluminum-d foam floats along the top provide plenty of positive buoyancy to keep the cage up top. Instead of hanging from the boat, we anchor with a rope from the bottom.¡±


    ¡°These eighty-pound concrete blocks are plenty, and you can have over two hundred feet of rope. We ce the anchors in the target area, feed the rope into the wheel here, and you have depth control anywhere in the water column without needing assistance.¡± Theresa demonstrated the mechanism for me. It was as simple as a boat winch. Release the brake, then use the crank to move up or down. ¡°When you are ready to surface, you can just release the brake and let your buoyancy take you up. In an emergency, cut the rope here with your knife and float up.¡±


    ¡°This is the best thing,¡± Chip said as he showed the four extrarge air tanks along opposite sides near the bottom. ¡°Eight times as much air as from carrying your own on your back, and your regtor hose connects into it. Without the tanks, you have more room in the cage to move around. You can stay down for about three hours at a time. We press up the tanks while the dive team rests, then you go back down again. One cameraman and one safety diver per cage.¡± We¡¯d use all four, as we only had four cameramen.


    ¡°What if something happens to your regtor or hose,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Buddy breath to the surface, or use this device that you¡¯ll be carrying on your weight belt,¡± he said as he showed me the emergency air regtor. It was a small tank with an integral regtor and mouthpiece. ¡°Twist the mouthpiece ny degrees to start the air, and it¡¯s good for three minutes.¡±


    We finished assembling our cage just after the other three finished. We didn¡¯t arrive on station until almost nine in the morning, but with safety briefs done, we were ready to go. We set one cage in shallower water, about twenty feet, while the others we anchored over the drop-offs closer to where we had caught the sharks earlier. The seal colonies were loud and avoided the ship as we set up.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    We had four cameramen and seven divers, meaning we would be rotating the safety divers. When the deepwater cameramen were on their rest cycles, we would be sending a pair of researches down with hand cameras. I was up first, in the shallow-water cage set in ce only thirty yards off the crowded beach. The anchor went over the side before the cage was put in the water. I swam to the cage in my skin-diving gear, going in the top hatch and going on air before connecting the floating nylon rope to the wheel and cranking it tight. Once I had it stabilized, Frank swam over and handed in his camera gear before pulling himself in. Hetched the top closed and gave the thumbs up, and the Ocean Explorer moved to the next location.


    We did onest check of our gear before I started cranking the cage down to the bottom. I stopped when we were suspended just a few feet above the seafloor and set the brake. Frank got his camera going, taking a full rotation around as we got used to moving together. We had to make sure the air hoses didn¡¯t get tangled, but other than that? This dive was fun, and it was going tost for hours.


    The seals quickly went back to normal as the boat left, and a few curious ones came up to the cage before zooming off. Since this was Erik running the show, each cage had multiple fixed cameras showing inside and outside, a small camera attached to the top of my mask, plus the big underwater camera Frank had. As the safety diver, my job was to make sure nothing snuck up on Frank while he was focusing on his camera work. The aluminum cage had openings big enough for a shark¡¯s nose to get in, and we¡¯d all watched Jaws a few too many times in our lives.


    For an hour, we saw nothing but seals. Their sudden absence was a tipoff that a predator was around, and it didn¡¯t take long to find it. A thirteen-foot Great White with a tag was swimming near the bottom towards us. The shark circled the cage, even taking the bars in her teeth before deciding we weren¡¯t dinner and moved on. It disappeared into the deeper waters.


    The panicked swimming of a big seal caught my eye, and I got Frank¡¯s attention on it just as the Great White came rushing up from the deep. He wasn¡¯t going after that one, but at a smaller seal at the surface. The big shark rose like a rocket from the deep, mming into its victim as it breached the surface. Frank kept the camera on the scene as the shark swallowed half of the seal, the rear half spiraling down as the water was colored red. The big shark circled for the rest, tearing it apart to swallow it in big chunks as the remoras picked off the small pieces. They quickly swam back and attached themselves to the shark as it headed for deep water.


    Ho. Lee. Shit.


    Frank was still filming, and he brought two fingers to his mask and then pointed them away, the signal to keep my eyes peeled. With blood in the water, more sharks might show up, and they did. A smaller male Great White swam through the blood looking for the source but moved on. A half-dozen smaller sharks, including a shortfin mako, made an appearance as well. I checked my diveputer and the tank pressures, calcting we had less than thirty minutes of air left. By our safety rules, it was time toe up.


    I tapped Frank on the arm, pointed at the dive time, then signaled for the surface. He nodded, still filming, as I released the brake. The cage rose slowly to the surface, finally bobbing in the waves. I set the brake so it wouldn¡¯t drift off, and we waited on air for the Ocean Explorer to return.


    ¡°Tell me you got that,¡± I said as soon as I was up on deck.


    ¡°Money shot,¡± Frank said with a big grin. He pulled his fins off, then stood and picked me up, spinning me around. ¡°THAT WAS FANTASTIC,¡± he said. ¡°Nice job spotting it, or I might have missed it.¡±


    We told the story of the hit as Erik downloaded the file to hisptop; the removable memory card would be locked up in the safe when he finished. Most of the crew watched as he yed the segment, whooping in glee at what we¡¯d caught. ¡°I think we need to move another cage closer to shore,¡± he said.


    ¡°We should get the first shift out and see what they have first,¡± I said. ¡°Who knows? They might have better shots.¡±


    ¡°This is tough to beat. I dream of footage like this,¡± Erik said.


    We spent all but one of the remaining days doing shark dives, but no footage came close to what we had gained that first dive. We did some chumming, bringing big sharks in close to the cage, but that wasn¡¯t the same.


    All too soon, we were heading back to Woods Hole. We left about four in the afternoon, leaving us time for a celebration dinner. Chef Boyar did it up, with surf and turf, twice-baked potatoes, and mixed vegetables for dinner. I was enjoying the lobster tail when the big television screens fired up. ¡°We have a LOT of work to do in the editing room, but we put together some of our favorite footage for this sneak preview,¡± Erik said. ¡°Enjoy.¡±


    It was scene after scene of our sess, roughly in chronological order. It showed us leaving port, then first Great White shark we tagged. There were shorter views of other sharks, but Eric showed the entire process of capturing thru releasing the second-biggest Great White ever tagged. I slumped in my seat as Brian insulted me, only to be hugged and congratted as I saw myself take him down. I hadn¡¯t seen what happened when I left until now. I saw Sally running after me, while Chip ran to get Doctor Goodwin. Nobody went to Brian¡¯s aide as he woke up and pushed himself until he was sitting up. ¡°What happened,¡± he asked.


    ¡°You got your ass kicked,¡± Dale said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky she did it already, so we don¡¯t have to.¡± Doctor Goodwin took him back to the infirmary, while Theresa and Dale left to talk to the Captain.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told my friends as the scene ended.


    ¡°No problem, Sharkbait,¡± Theresa said as she handed me my dessert. The crew had started to call me that after the Shark Barbie incident. They found my original nickname to be more fitting, given my sess at attracting sharks. I took a bite of the Turtle cheesecake. Fluffier than at Wiederholts, but still good. Yum.


    There were great shots of us tagging sharks, and some fascinating ¡°shark-cam¡± footage. The highlight of the night was the beginning-to-end attack run by the Great White on the grey seal that Frank had captured in our first dive. When the preview ended, there was a loud cheer that I enthusiastically joined.

 SHARKBAIT #57

    Erik sat with me after; he had months of editing to do with the thousands of hours of footage they had taken. He knew they had more material than a single one-hour Shark Week show could hold. He was going to push for two hours, or better, a series of one-hour episodes throughout the week. He would call me when he was ready for me to do more interviews and voice-over work as he finished the edits. ¡°You did a great job out here, Vicki. The camera loves you, and the audience will rte to you. I¡¯m so happy Bert opted out, and we hired you in his ce.¡± Bert was the original host who backed out weeks before.


    ¡°This was a life-changing adventure for me. If you need me for the next one, give me a call.¡± It was true; I¡¯d chased my dream these past two weeks, and found out I could hold my own. I¡¯d even earned the respect of my peers along the way.


    After dinner, I had to pack my bags and get ready to leave. I¡¯d made a lot of friends, and I had their numbers stored in my phone now. It was almost sundown when the Ocean Explorer approached its pier.


    I expected a driver to be waiting for me. Instead, Luna Adrienne was there with three big warriors from the Baxter Pack.


    It couldn¡¯t be good news.


    I thanked the crew and Captain before stepping off the boat and on to the pier. It was only a few steps before Adrienne had me in her arms, hugging me tightly. ¡°You look like you had fun,¡± she said as she let me go again.


    ¡°It was more than I dreamed it could be,¡± I said. ¡°No offense, but why are you and the muscle here?¡±


    ¡°Things happened while you were at sea.¡± One of the guys grabbed my bags and put them in the back of the big Ford SUV before climbing in the passenger seat. The other two headed for a second car in the lot, whose driver hadn¡¯t gotten out. I caught a glimpse of a submachine gun under one of their jackets; they weren¡¯t kidding around. You needed serious credentials to pack that kind of heat in THIS state. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the way to the airport.¡±


    I climbed in the back seat with her, enjoying the air conditioning after the long day. As soon as the doors closed, I was looking at my Aunt, but she was already on the phone. ¡°Olivia? It¡¯s Adrienne. I¡¯ve got Vicki with me, and we¡¯re leaving Woods Hole now. We¡¯ll see you in an hour and a half.¡±


    An hour and a half? We couldn¡¯t even get to the airport by then. Why would Mom be here in Boston? ¡°Can I talk to her?¡±


    Adrienne hung up instead. ¡°There¡¯s time for talkter, Vicki. Right now? I need you to listen.¡± She had that look she got when the shit was hitting the fan, so I just waited. ¡°Two days ago, we were informed that a contract is out there on you. Someone on the dark web is offering a two-hundred-thousand-dor bounty on your head.¡±


    I could feel my wolf forcing herself forward; nails began to lengthen and dig into the seat, and teeth started to push down in my mouth. I focused and forced her back; losing control here would aplish nothing. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure. We¡¯re on our way to meet the one who sent the warning. He wants to tell us in person, and insisted you be there.¡±


    That seemed odd. ¡°Can you trust him? Is that why you¡¯ve brought the security?¡±


    ¡°We have mutual respect and seek to maintain the peace between our species, but never make the mistake of trusting one of them. The warriors are with us because even though one man turned down the job, another may have taken it. Leo and Alpha Steven have already agreed on this much; you will have an armed detail with you at all times. The leader of this detail will be at least Beta rank.¡±


    I slumped down in the seat; this would be obvious to everyone, and I¡¯d lose any freedoms I had enjoyed. ¡°What about Amy? And the twins?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard of any threat to them.¡±


    That was good. And bad. It meant Amy would be able to stay in San Diego while Kai was stationed there, with the twins to help. Coronado was exposed; the apartment was on a public street, with a canal behind it and no security outside its walls. It didn¡¯t have patrolled borders, surveince systems, and hundreds of wolves around. ¡°Am I being ordered back to Packnds? Is that why you are here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re evaluating our options, Vicki. In the end, the Alphas do what is best for you and the Pack. You know that.¡±


    Shit. I did know that. ¡°I have obligations, modeling appearances! I owe Mercedes an answer on the additional events that she wants Amy and me to participate in.¡± I let my head fall back. ¡°This is happening at the worst possible time.¡±


    ¡°Life sucks at times,¡± she said without a hint of sympathy.


    Fine. Adrienne had never pulled punches in my training; as a future Alpha, she expected a lot from me. Alphas had to make hard decisions, sometimes unpopr ones, for themon good. ¡°Who are we going to see?¡±


    ¡°Alexander Corvinus. He is the Master Vampire of the New Ennd region.¡±


    VAMPIRE? Oh, SHIT. Vampires and werewolves do NOT mix, and it¡¯s not because one is sparkly and the other drools. Packs share an uneasy truce with them and other supernatural beings, staying to borders established over a century ago after thest war. Vampires controlled the big cities, Werewolves the countryside, and Merpeople the fishing viges and coastlines. ¡°A vampire is looking to kill me?¡±


    ¡°No, but he is the one who has the information we need. Vampires never do anything out of friendship or charity, though. He will want something in exchange. I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s why he wants you there instead of dealing with me again.¡±


    What could a Master Vampire want with me? ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out. Now, while we drive, tell me what you know about Vampires.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Vampires are a cursed race that conquered death, never aging and capable of immortality. The curse makes them dependent on human blood to survive. They must feed every few days to maintain peak condition; if they stop, they be weaker, and a powerful bloodthirstes upon them. The feral vampire attacks are the source of the human legends about them.¡± Adrienne nodded to continue. ¡°To feed, vampires entrance unwilling victims by looking into their eyes. The victims bepliant throughout the neck bite while the vampire feeds off the artery. Vampire saliva heals the wound almost instantly, leaving no evidence behind. The human does not remember anything about the attack; they wake up an hourter, down a pint of blood, and feeling hung-over. Older vampires can enter a human¡¯s mind to read and remove memories.¡±


    Adrienne seemed pleased by my recall. ¡°As werewolves, we are unaffected by their attempts at hypnosis. However, the blood of another supernatural is like rocket fuel for them. It makes them stronger, sharpens their senses, and focuses their powers for a few days. Before the Transylvania ords, vampires held werewolves captive to collect their blood, and werewolves killed vampires on sight. The ords have held, thanks to defined borders and openmunications between the ruling Councils.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve talked to them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, in my time on the Council. We have to resolve conflicts, get permission to enter territories, and even request their services to clean up idental werewolf sightings. I¡¯ve dealt with Alexander several times in person. Now, what can you tell me about Vampire society and structure?¡±


    ¡°They are ruled by a North American Council, made up of Master Vampires based in thergest cities.¡±


    ¡°Which cities?¡±


    I had to think about it. ¡°Boston, New York, Washington, Anta, Miami, Port-Au-Prince, New Orleans, Houston, Das, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City. Twenty-one Master Vampires with New Orleans as their home base. Each Master Vampire rules a region and can ce a Coven in therger cities within their territory. A Coven can have no more than five vampires, of which only one can be less than ten years turned.¡± Oh shit. ¡°Wait; San Diego is with the Los Angeles territory.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Coronado is technically not big enough to be within a Coven, but the Master Vampire in Los Angeles gave your Alpha her permission for your group to move there. That kind ofmunication is key to preventing misunderstandings. Without permission, werewolves can visit major cities for innocent reasons, but cannot live there. Now, what happens to vampires with time?¡±


    ¡°They get stronger, but there is a limit.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Unlike werewolves, vampires do not have Mantles or wolves of Alpha or Beta strength that makes leadership predictable. Master Vampires want strong vampires to defend their territory, but too strong a challenger gets you killed. They can live forever, but most vampires live shorter lives than we do.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like a fun existence,¡± I said.


    ¡°They have money and power, high sexual appetites, and they don¡¯t sleep,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Add in the chance at immortality, and you can see why Familiars want in.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    We¡¯d made it back to the Interstate and were heading north towards Boston. ¡°Now for the important stuff. Why are vampires dangerous to us?¡±


    ¡°Teeth that can rip and tear, ws that grow to the length of their hands and are razor-sharp. The tips can inject a venom that causes paralysis in seconds, and you suffocate within minutes.¡± Even a newly turned vampire is lethal.


    ¡°And how do you kill them?¡±


    ¡°Coordinate your attacks like you would a moose or elk. You have to separate the head from the body, blow them up, or burn them to keep their flesh from regenerating. Stakes in the heart, sunlight, crosses, silver, garlic, all are useless against them.¡± All warriors had to learn the tactics passed down from previous generations, even though none of them had ever fought one.


    ¡°How widespread is the hunting of humans,¡± she quizzed.


    ¡°Random attacks are discouraged, as surveince cameras and cellphones have made it more dangerous. Vampires will meet victims and bring them to apartments or buildings where they can feed out of sight. Like werewolves, vampirew has harsh penalties for endangering their kind. Master vampires rely on their stables of familiars, humans who are loyal to them alone. Familiars provide services including blood and sex, hoping to prove themselves worthy of a turn. Turning a human into a vampire requires Council permission. Newly turned vampires are unstable, and they require careful supervision and a reliable food source to prevent problems. An unauthorized turn gets the whole coven wiped out.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #58

    For the rest of the ride, Adrienne told me everything she knew about Alexander Corvinus and his coven. We pulled into a downtown hotel parking garage, taking the elevator up to a room where Olivia was waiting. She pulled me into her arms as I broke down crying. Today had been a whish, from the highest of highs to the depths of fear.


    I was sick and tired of this shit.


    Mom pushed me towards the bathroom, handing me a dress and clean lingerie. I took a long, hot shower, something I missed over the past two weeks. The silver dress was a Bodyglove design, and the stretchy ocean-themed fabric clung to my curves with the skirt ending at mid-thigh. I paired it with silver pumps before going back into the room.


    ¡°We need to leave now, Vicki,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Go,¡± Mom said before she kissed me. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    I squeezed her again, then walked after Adrienne into the hallway as the security guys covered us in front and back. A quick drive to an office building, and a ride on a private elevator, and we arrived at the offices of Sterling Investments. The receptionist was a beautiful woman in her twenties, with the scent of death and blood.


    My first contact with a vampire had my wolf pushing forward to meet the threat. I shoved her back; no one would risk a war over this. Leo would burn the covens to the ground if they hurt us.


    ¡°Adrienne! Pleasee in, and thank you foring, Miss Vicki. We have much to talk about,¡± a handsome man in an expensive suit said from his office.


    ¡°Thank you, Alexander.¡± Luna Adrienne signaled for the guards to remain in ce and urged me forward with her hand. We walked into the corner office, where two others sat waiting for us.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°It is a pleasure to see you again, Luna Adrienne,¡± Alexander Corvinus said as he closed the door to his office behind us.


    ¡°Thank you for the warning,¡± she said.


    ¡°I owe you that much,¡± he said. ¡°Ah, Vicki Lawrence, we meet atst. I¡¯m a big fan.¡± He held out his hand, and I took it in mine for a brief handshake. My wolf didn¡¯t like it and pushing me to run; other than his smell, he looked normal. Well, if your ¡®normal¡¯ is ¡®male model hot with a killer body and wless skin and teeth.¡¯ It was no wonder vampires could entice women into giving up their bodies and blood. ¡°I¡¯ve been following your career this year; it¡¯s rather impressive. I was intrigued enough to purchase fifty tags through your website this spring.¡±


    Fifty tags meant a fifteen-thousand-dor donation. That was big time. ¡°Thank you for the support,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been a whirlwind.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. There have been enough attacks on youtely, and the world is a better ce with you in it. Please, let us sit and talk.¡±


    The office was as impressive as the man;rge windows framed a killer view of the city and the Harbor. Unlike the austere and clean modern designs in steel and ss, Alexander Corvinus¡¯ office was like stepping back into a Victorian library. The ceiling held museum-worthy murals andplicated moldings, most of them gilded. The walls held rich tapestries, full bookshelves, andrge paintings of sailing ships and battles. An ornately carved desk sat on four wfoot feet that matched the high-backed chairs and other antique furniture from the Victorian era. Sitting on the tables and shelves were more precious sculptures and vases than I¡¯d ever seen. I rxed as he led us to a set of chairs surrounding a small table.


    If he nned a fight, it wouldn¡¯t be with all these priceless works of art around. No, I thought as I looked around, this office was an expression of him as a person. I would bet that he had collected the pieces himself. ¡°Just how old a vampire is Alexander,¡± I sent over the family bond.


    ¡°He was born in 1860. He was a sessful trader before his turn.¡± That exined it. Vampires collected beautiful items, perhaps to make up for an inability to have human love or children.


    He offered tea or coffee; Adrienne asked for coffee, and I asked for water. The female vampire, who looked to be about twenty, got up to get them without saying a word. She had the wless beauty vampires were known for; with her long blonde hair and athletic body, she could have been my sister.


    Alexander didn¡¯t introduce me to the human male sitting in a chair by himself near the window. The man looked up briefly as we passed, then went back to his phone. His off-the-rack suit, rubber-soled shoes, and bad haircut pegged him as a cop. I spotted the sh of a badge on his belt, and the bulge of a shoulder holster.


    The female returned with the drinks, then went to sit next to the man by the window. Adrienne was eager to find out what he knew. ¡°What do you know about the threat,¡± she asked him before taking a sip of the coffee.


    ¡°Quite a bit, but your credit doesn¡¯t cover that,¡± he said as he leaned back in the chair. ¡°Information is amodity, and thus have value. I am hoping you will agree to the terms.¡±


    ¡°That would depend on what the information is and what your terms are,¡± I said as I cut off Adrienne. Alexander looked a little surprised, but pleased, at my interjection. I wasn¡¯t going to sit back and let others decide my future, not anymore. ¡°You know who put the contract out on me?¡±


    ¡°One step at a time,¡± he said with a disarming smile. ¡°An acquaintance of mine deals in wet work. He¡¯s developed a reputation for getting problems solved, quickly and quietly, without leaving clues.¡± Wet work included assassinations, arson, kidnapping, and extortion. ¡°He was offered a contract for you and epted the down payment. I can give you the proof of the contract¡¯s existence; that is what I am offering.¡±


    ¡°So all you offer is proof that I am in danger?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like much.


    ¡°Without proof, what chance do you have of finding and charging the one who is after you?¡±


    Adrienne cut in. ¡°I have a damn good idea of who would do this,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him for even thinking of Vicki.¡±


    Alexander chuckled. ¡°Ah, yes, Nutless and Slut.¡± I must have looked shocked because he just smiled at me. ¡°Youngdy, I am over two centuries old and have been a Master Vampire for over a century in this town. I have contacts within the supernatural world and without. I know more about your life than you would befortable with, including the enemies you¡¯ve made. I¡¯m sure your ex-mate or his woman would love to see you dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he would,¡± I sent to Adrienne.


    Alexander leaned forward and continued. ¡°You cost Timothy his parents, his Pack, and his balls. Traci lost her position as a future Alpha and her entire family. Both inherited enough money to pay the contract.¡± That was my bet. ¡°I¡¯m sure Skip Bonino would like revenge; you cost him millions in endorsement money and contracts, plus you put him out of action for eight weeks with a broken arm. That meant he missed a chance to defend his X-Games title. There¡¯s also Brian on the Ocean Explorer, whose clumsy harassment ended up getting him kicked out of university. He¡¯s now immortalized on social media, and his quite-rich parents aren¡¯t happy about it. Then there are the ones who might see you as a way to get at your Alpha pair, as you are exposed and vulnerable in all your travels. Whether it is Human or Pack justice you seek, if you take action without proof, you¡¯re just guessing. I can¡¯t imagine the Council will appreciate that, even for rogues.¡±


    Shit. Alexander was right. ¡°How much money do you want for the proof?¡±


    Heughed at me. ¡°Money? Please, Vicki. Look around you. Some of these pieces are worth more than you have raised for your charity.¡± I¡¯d raised five million, so I suddenly felt nervous sitting on this chair. ¡°Money does not interest me when there are far more valuable things in this room.¡±


    I could feel Adrienne¡¯s anger re as she figured out what he wanted. ¡°NO. Come on, Vicki, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°What is it you want in exchange for the proof,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your blood, of course.¡± My blood ran cold as my wolf urged me to flee NOW. ¡°The blood of a powerful werewolf is what I desire. Not enough to harm you, no more than you would lose by giving blood. You would be perfectly fine and walk out of here, having lost nothing you cannot rece in a few days.¡±


    We had talked about what our blood did for a vampire. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll talk to a Pack doctor and have a pint drawn for you in the morning.¡±


    He shook his head and chuckled. ¡°Vicki, please. Would you open up a rare Bordeaux and serve it in a Dixie cup? There is no need for that. We can do this right here, right now, and it will be over in a minute.¡±


    That was it for Adrienne. ¡°Oh, HELL no,¡± she said. ¡°No male gets near her neck until we find her mate. Come on.¡±


    ¡°You could do it,¡± I said to Adrienne quietly.


    ¡°No, she cannot,¡± Alexander said. ¡°I have no desire to enrage her mate by such an intimate act. It must be you, Vicki, and it must be your decision. I only take blood freely offered to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, and I have a stable of familiars who provide for my needs. Your blood is special, Vicki. It is your choice.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Adrienne said as she pulled me to my feet.

 SHARKBAIT #59

    We started walking towards the door as Alexander stood. ¡°You should know what happens if you walk out,¡± he said.


    I stopped, forcing Adrienne to turn as well. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; my man is not going to ept the contract. He will have to return the down payment and refuse the job. Whoever wants you dead can offer it to another. Are you confident enough you can find and neutralize the threat before someone kills you, and maybe those who are with you? Can you risk all that over a simple blood donation?¡±


    There was a simple answer to this, and it was no. I needed to do this because I could not endanger my friends and family. ¡°I have to do this,¡± I told my former Luna.


    ¡°We can find them and stop them,¡± she said. ¡°Werewolf blood is like crack to them. Do you think it will stop with just one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my choice.¡± I pulled her into a hug. ¡°Wait outside until I call you back.¡±


    ¡°Leo¡¯s not going to be happy, and Alpha Steven will be furious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still my neck and my call.¡±


    I let her go, and she walked to the door. ¡°Hurt her, and I will end you all.¡±


    ¡°I gave my word, Adrienne.¡± He looked at the two in his office. ¡°Leave us.¡±


    Momentster, we were alone. ¡°How do you want to do this?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over to the window? The view this time of night is spectacr.¡± He turned off the lights in the room, which would keep prying eyes from seeing anything going on. He pulled a chair over for me, helping me getfortable. ¡°Rx and breathe. It doesn¡¯t hurt, and it will heal almost immediately.¡±


    I pulled my hair off my shoulders, gathering it into a ponytail. Alexander¡¯s hands rested lightly on my shoulders, and I sensed it as he leaned down. I had to force back my wolf as his mouth approached the left side of my neck; he waited for me to rx, then he opened his mouth and bit down.


    I felt a quick sting that turned to pleasure as his fangs prated my skin and into my artery. I could hear and feel him sucking my blood into his mouth, swallowing it quickly. I started to feel light-headed from the lowered flow to my brain.


    He kept his word, though. A few more mouthfuls, then he pulled his fangs out and licked at my neck. The saliva healed the wound, and I ended up with two red dots and some vampire saliva on the side of my neck. I reached up, fascinated at the process. It hadn¡¯t been bad at all.


    I turned and looked at Alexander, which may have been a mistake. I could see my blood as he licked it from his lips and teeth. His face looked rapturous as the blood hit his system; his body was trembling with the power boost. He took a moment to control the effects, and then he stood tall and smiled down at me. ¡°Thank you, Vicki. You may call Adrienne back now, and we will continue.¡±


    ¡°All done,¡± I sent to Adrienne. The door opened immediately, and she rushed to my side to verify I was all right. Like a nervous Mom with her pup, she sniffed and checked my over before she rxed. ¡°It was no big deal,¡± I said.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it,¡± she said as Alexander brought the lights up, then called his people back into the room. She led me back to the chairs we had been at before.


    The Master Vampire stopped at a highboy secretary, removing a package sealed in a big Ziplock bag. Waving the cop over, he handed the bag to his man. ¡°This is Detective Sargent Jack O¡¯Meara of the Boston Police Department, Homicide Division.¡±


    My eyes got wide, and I heard Adrienne suck her breath in. ¡°You have a cop?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of things, Vicki. Some are beautiful, others valuable, and many are useful.¡±


    ¡°Very convenient,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°It makes each job easier,¡± the woman said. He pulled a letter out in a smaller ziplock bag. ¡°Four nights ago, a woman left an envelope for me with the bartender at a ce I use as a drop site. It offered fifty thousand dors to kill ¡®swimsuit model Vicki Lawrence.''¡±


    This beautiful vampire was the assassin? Wow. ¡°You took the deal?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be rather famous this year, Vicki. I¡¯ve seen your swimsuit ads and your television show, and you¡¯re a strong werewolf powerful allies,¡± she replied. ¡°Fifty grand to kill a husband nobody cares about is one thing; killing a connected or public figure is quite another.¡±


    The Detective picked it up. ¡°You can¡¯t just pretend to investigate, then close an investigation when the press and the brass are both up your ass to find the killer.¡±


    That made sense. ¡°So what did you do? You told Alexander about it, and he told Luna Adrienne?¡±


    Alexander nodded. ¡°The activities of my coven and familiars are measured and carefully monitored. Naturally, I warned Luna Adrienne because I have no wish to start a war between our species. I also directed Emily to take the contract.¡±


    Emily was a weird name for a vampire assassin, but she continued. ¡°My response was ¡®fifty thousand upfront, another hundred and fifty when she¡¯s dead.¡¯ Last night, she left this envelope.¡± She handed me another bag; inside were five bundles of hundred-dor bills, and a printed piece of paper.¡±


    I looked through the stic at the note; it included my Coronado address, a description of my SUV including the license te, my Friday afternoon and Monday morning trips to the Amphibious Base, uing Bodyglove appearances, and my morning runs and Dojo training. ¡°Someone has been watching me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. There was a memory chip with surveince photos and videos,¡± Emily said. ¡°As you can read, she expects me to fulfill the contract in the next two weeks.¡±


    I could see how mad Adrienne was getting. ¡°Do you know who is paying you?¡±


    Emily pulled up her phone and yed a file for us. It was a surveince video from a bar. A woman wearing a courier uniform with a baseball hat walked in, talked to the bartender for ten seconds, handed him the package, then left again.


    It wasn¡¯t Traci. ¡°Any idea who that is?¡±


    Detective Jack nodded. ¡°She¡¯s an employee of a deliverypany. I didn¡¯t look too closely to avoid spooking them. Thispany probably got the package from another delivery service with directions to send it on. It¡¯s enough to hide the sender from me.¡±


    There was no short-cut here. ¡°Did you catch a scent?¡±


    ¡°The perfume was overwhelming, so there was no scent I recognized. You could try,¡± Alexander said.


    I remembered Traci¡¯s scent well from the Scratch and Sniff, despite the coating of my ex-mate¡¯s spunk. I opened a corner of the bag, taking a deep sniff before quickly closing it again. The overpowering floral scent made my eyes water; it was as bad as running the perfume counter gauntlet at Macy¡¯s on the weekend. I tried to sort through it and got nothing. ¡°I can¡¯t make it out. Damn, you¡¯ll have tounder that before you spend it.¡±


    ¡°That was my reaction,¡± Alexander said. ¡°Jack, tell them what you think.¡±


    ¡°The person behind the contract is local,¡± he said. ¡°Emily doesn¡¯t work outside New Ennd, and there is plenty of local talent in California that didn¡¯te into y. The window to hit Vicki in Boston is between the Ocean Explorer and the airport,pared to dozens of options in Coronado. That tells me the person lives in the region and is familiar with the underworld here.¡±


    It made sense. The Killington Pack in Vermont was a three-hour drive away. If the Detective was right, it eliminated Skip Bonino, the California boy. It did not eliminate Brian as a suspect, but killing me over our incident on the Ocean Explorer was extreme. ¡°If the person ordering the hit is this careful, with this many cutouts, how do we catch them?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but there are two options. You believe that Timothy and Traci Lords are behind this, so you need to find them.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°They were exiled from Killington, and aren¡¯t allowed on Packnds, but they could be anywhere in the Boston area.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°That is true, but they would need a ce to stay. That means they have rented an apartment or a house, or they are staying somewhere with a friend.¡±


    Adrienne nodded. ¡°I can speak with the new Killington Alphas. They can look through the Beta¡¯s records and financials, and see if they can figure out who might be helping them.¡±


    Alexander nodded. ¡°The city is Vampire territory, and they would know it. It would be a ballsy move to hide out in our territory, and Timothy has no balls,¡± he said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he isn¡¯t close. There are hundreds of towns where he could hide among humans and away from werewolves and vampires. It would be a needle in a haystack to even scent them.¡±


    ¡°There are over eight million people in the greater Boston area,¡± Emily said. ¡°Even if you sent hundreds of wolves to roam the streets, it could take months.¡±


    ¡°Traci is pregnant,¡± I said as I looked up. ¡°She would be about six months along. That means doctor visits,¡± I said. ¡°We must have people working for the National Health Organization who can search for pregnant women at that term in this area, focusing on those having their first baby and new to the area,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we have assets who can help. If not, we¡¯ll get our hackers going on it,¡± Adrienne agreed. ¡°Heck, they might be using their real names still.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten any hits on addresses for them in my searches,¡± Jack said. ¡°That means they are staying with someone, or they changed their names.¡±


    It was going to be a challenge. ¡°What¡¯s your other idea?¡±


    Alexander sat back and smiled. ¡°Kill you, then follow the payment back to who sent it.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #60

    Adrienne stood up in front of me, nearly shifting at the thought. My wolf was begging to get out, to rip this thing to pieces.


    Alexander didn¡¯t move; he just sat there and smiled. ¡°Rx, my friends. I don¡¯t mean we kill her for real. We just make it look like she¡¯s dead.¡± Adrienne slowly calmed down and sat again, pushing her wolf down and doing her breathing exercises to rx. ¡°I would hope we have established enough trust to continue?¡±


    ¡°How would we do this,¡± I said.


    ¡°You notice the resemnce between you and Emily,¡± Alexander said. ¡°With clothes, a change in hairstyle, and makeup, she could pass for you. We set up a hit where you are taken out, with cameras that show the whole thing. Emily recovers from her ¡®fatal¡¯ wounds, and we keep you out of sight under my protection until I have the people behind this in my hands.¡±


    Adrienne considered this for a moment. ¡°The Council will want them for trial, assuming we are right about who it is.¡±


    ¡°Your council will want them dead, correct?¡±


    ¡°Leo warned them about going after me at the trial,¡± I said. ¡°Execution is the only oue for them. A rogue attempting to harm a Pack wolf, especially a ranked one, is automatic death.¡±


    Detective Jack spoke up. ¡°Will her pregnancy affect the oue?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know, but Adrienne did. ¡°Traci¡¯s execution would be postponed until after she gave birth. Her remaining family would im the child. If none exist or step forward, a childless Alpha pair could im the child. Alpha blood orphans do not happen that often; even without a mantle, that child is important.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My coven would take care of all the arrangements, and trace the payment back to the people responsible. All you would have to do is y your part and follow my directions,¡± Alexander said calmly.


    I could imagine. ¡°And you would do this out of the goodness of your heart?¡±


    Alexanderughed loudly at this. ¡°Jack, Emily, leave us.¡± They got up and left. ¡°Surely, you understand that these acts have value, and there is a cost for the services of my coven,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you want, Master Vampire Corvinus?¡±


    ¡°Alexander, please. After our moment together, I think we are on a first-name basis,¡± he said softly. I shuddered, recalling his breath on my neck before the bite. ¡°I want two things, and they are non-negotiable. I¡¯m sure you know that your blood is powerful stuff. I¡¯ve never felt anything like it, and I want it again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to be your familiar,¡± I said as anger rose.


    ¡°I would not ask that.¡± He looked back towards the door. ¡°I have been the Master Vampire in this region for over a hundred years, and I intend to challenge for leadership of the Vampire Council on the thirty-first of October in New Orleans. The Supreme Vampire is an old and powerful creature. His skills are superior to any other Master, hence his long rule. With your blood, I will be strong enough to defeat him. I will call for you before the trip, and you wille here and allow me to drink from you again before I leave. It is a small price to pay for my assistance,¡± he said.

 SHARKBAIT #61

    I hated the thought, but one time would not be that bad. ¡°What is the other condition?¡±


    ¡°If I capture the two wolves, the Werewolf Council allows me to hold them captive until their deaths.¡±


    Adrienne shook her head. ¡°The holding of werewolves by Vampires is expressly prohibited by the Treaty. It¡¯s out of the question.¡±


    Alexander got up and went to his desk,ing back with a scroll. He unrolled it on the table; it was a handwritten copy of the Treaty. ¡°The specifguage is that ¡®no werewolf will be taken prisoner or held against their will,''¡± he said.


    ¡°So how will this work?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll volunteer to remain in my dungeons to keep breathing,¡± Alexander replied confidently. ¡°I will ensure they never escape, and no harmes to them; in return, they would supply me with a regr supply of Beta or Alpha-blood. When the child is born, Adrienne will take the child to its new home.¡±


    ¡°The Werewolf Council would not agree to this,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°It costs them nothing,¡± Alexander said. ¡°If werewolves capture the pair, you¡¯ll execute them after the child is born. If I find them, I keep them. Either way, you get the baby, and the rogue wolves are no longer a threat to the Packs. That is why I needed you here, Adrienne. I need you to convince your Council to approve the deal. Without this agreement, you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    ¡°You would not carry out the contract, correct?¡± Adrienne¡¯s re was unsettling.


    ¡°Of course not. We would return the money, but nothing prevents those two from hiring another hitman,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to remove the threat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to provide the blood,¡± I sent.


    ¡°I guess I have to speak to the Council,¡± she replied. ¡°It will take me a day or two to get an answer from the Council,¡± she told him.


    ¡°And Vicki? Will you carry out your part?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wonderful. I believe that concludes our business, then.¡± We all stood, and Alexander put the bag with the money in my hand. ¡°You paid for the evidence, so this is yours.¡±


    I took the clear bag with the cash. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly walk through the hotel with this in my hand,¡± I said.


    ¡°Quite right.¡± We went back over to the secretary, and he pulled out a folded gift bag. I put the baggie inside, and he taped it closed. He walked us to his door. ¡°It has been a pleasure meeting you, Vicki. I hope we can do business again soon.¡±


    I bet. I didn¡¯t miss how the vampire looked at my neck with longing. ¡°Thank you for the warning, Alexander. We will be in touch.¡± He held the handshake a little too long.


    ¡°I will contact you with the Council¡¯s answer,¡± Adrienne said as she took his hand. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, it¡¯s been a long day, and we need our sleep.¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± he said.


    We walked past the receptionist and did not have a chance to say goodby to Jack or Emily. Our security escort fell into ce around us, one already waiting with an open elevator. ¡°That was interesting,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nothing out loud until we get to the car. You¡¯re right; it wasn¡¯t what I expected to hear.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°The hotel. I need to set up a Council meeting, and we need to keep you safe but in the general area. I¡¯m sending you back to Baxter, where you can have more protection. Then I¡¯ll head to Killington to look into these two some more. There¡¯s something about this that doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±


    ¡°I know Traci and Timothy are mad at their loss of station, but what did they expect would happen when the rape came out? I don¡¯t see how killing me makes it any better,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no bond, and I have no interest in Timothy. They have enough problems as rogues without dropping two hundredrge on a killing.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is someone else?¡±


    ¡°I think we need to find those two before Alexander does. Maybe then we can find out the truth.¡±


    We reached the parking garage, and our vehicle was waiting for us. As soon as we were in, the bodyguards ran ahead to our escort car and got in. Less than ten minutester, I was back in the hotel room. ¡°We leave at nine, breakfast at eight,¡± Adrienne said as she left me in the double-room with my Mom. ¡°We have a lot to talk about tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything tonight,¡± I said as I hugged my aunt. I told my Mom everything that had been going on since we left as I took a quick shower. She was not happy I¡¯d let Alexander drink from me, but understood why I did it.


    We fell asleep shortly after.


    The next morning, I was dragging. I needed more sleep, especially after the two weeks of work at sea. If I looked tired, Adrienne looked like she hadn¡¯t slept. ¡°Change of ns,¡± she said. ¡°Leo and Brent hired a ne and flew outtest night with Chairman Wolfe. They should be arriving in Killington within the hour,¡± she said.


    Lewis Wolfe was the Midwest regional Council member and a close friend. He was nning to rmend Adrienne as his recement before the events at the Summit. It said a lot that all three were on their way out East. ¡°Unky Leo blew a gasket, didn¡¯t he.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. Leo and Brent aren¡¯t happy about what Alexander did to you. I expect they¡¯ll be talking to you about thatter.¡± I bet. He was as protective as Brent was. ¡°He¡¯s going to coordinate the search effort. Chairman Wolfe is calling the Council to Killington; they will meet tonight when thest arrives. Leo is asking every Pack in the region to assist with the search for Timothy and Traci. I¡¯m going to take a driver and the smaller vehicle to Killington, while the rest of you head back to Baxter. I want you to get there quickly, but stay safe. You don¡¯t leave the car without two of them next to you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She left a few minutester, while I was getting seconds on waffles and bacon. My guards were getting a bit nervous, especially when some people recognized me and came up to ask for autographs. They all rxed when we were on the road again.


    I called Amy and filled her in on what was going on. ¡°I¡¯ll be in Baxter for a week or two,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my Dad will make me postpone the Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach appearances next weekend, or our gig the following Tuesday at the Navy Exchange.¡±


    ¡°That sucks for you; it¡¯s easy money and fun,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d love to join you out east, but I¡¯m not giving up any Kai time, and he¡¯s not going to travel while recovering from the training week.¡± First-ss flights, high-end hotels, fantastic food, and adoring fans usually made for a good weekend. Kai needed to sleep and prepare for the next week of training, and Amy knew being at home was more important. For the first four months of BUD/S, they got weekends off. He¡¯d be training seven days a week from Halloween to Christmas, and then the travel started for him.


    ¡°What do you think of the revised event schedule Mercedes sent? I owe her an answer soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up any weekends before the end of October, but I¡¯m game for any weekday trips,¡± she said. ¡°November and December, I think we hit that hard in the southern hemisphere. I¡¯d love to dive the Barrier Reef or South Africa with you, and when else will we have a chance?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see the world. Even if it is fuzzy, and I have a dog at my side,¡± Amy said with a giggle. ¡°I mean, Paris during Fashion Week? Hell yeah. Book me solid at the end of the year.¡±


    ¡°The first runway model with a seeing-eye dog in a Bodyglove harness!¡± It would be nice to travel with her and keep her mind off Kai¡¯s training. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do to get more midweek events for you in the meantime. I don¡¯t want to hide in a cave, Amy. I have to convince a few people of that.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be afraid of everything, right? You¡¯re an adult, Vicki. Stand up for what you want.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Steven about us traveling more,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want more security than just the twins. Hell, he¡¯s probably sending people down here right now after the threats on you.¡±


    It sucked, and I didn¡¯t like draining resources from the Pack; sooner orter, they¡¯d realize it was easier to keep me on Packnds than to live in Coronado. I wanted to travel and find my mate, not hide out with minders. Everything else was ready; all our college sses are online this fall, so Amy only needed to be in Coronado to see Kai on the weekends. ¡°Is your eyesight improving?¡±


    ¡°Every week,¡± she said. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t make everything out, that dive in La Jo taught me I can still have my fun.¡±


    We sure did. ¡°I need to figure this shit out, and then I¡¯ll let Mercedes know. Now, how is Susan doing with Hammer?¡±


    Amy gave a littleugh. ¡°Mom¡¯s reeling Hammer in like a marlin. She¡¯s spending every night at his ce now. Shees home sore with a smile on her face; he¡¯s nailing her like a new roof.¡±


    ¡°Good. Susan deserves to be happy again.¡± Hammer was a great guy, and she deserved it.


    ¡°I have to go, Vicki. Call me tonight.¡±


    ¡°I will. Tell the twins I miss them.¡± I hung up and leaned back in the seat, watching the cars go by as we drove out of Boston.

 SHARKBAIT #62

    I caught up on sleep on the drive north, resting my head on Mom¡¯s shoulder. We stopped only for gas and food, and two men waited outside the bathroom at Arby¡¯s while Mom and I used the facilities. We got our food to go as one of the guards filled the tank, and we were back on the road. A couple of beef, bacon and cheddar roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, and a vani shake was my lunch.


    The guys did their best to keep my mind off things, drawing me into conversations about my diving, my training, and food. There were far worse ces to be stuck than Baxter¡¯s expansivends in the summer.


    We were almost there when I got a call. ¡°Hi, Daddy,¡± I said to Brent as he came on the video screen.


    ¡°Hey, baby. It¡¯s good to see you. You got a lot of sun out on the water,¡± he said.


    ¡°I did, but with the time in the wetsuit and shirts, I¡¯ll need to even things out before my next shoot,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t pose in a bikini with a farmer¡¯s tan.¡±


    ¡°The tortures you have to deal with for your job,¡± he chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of sun at Baxter¡¯s beach for you. Take a few days to rest while we untangle this mess you¡¯ve found yourself in.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Iined.


    ¡°I know. Things just happen because of you and what you are. Adrienne exined what happened at the meeting, and I understand your reasoning for going ahead with it. In the end, the proof Alexander traded you is going nowhere. Our trackers could not pick out a werewolf scent, and we found no fingerprints or DNA on the package. His ¡®proof¡¯ proves nothing, and I don¡¯t trust him. No more offering yourself as a midnight snack for vampires, Vicki. He¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I had to find out,¡± I said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t live with myself if Amy or the twins are hurt because they are around me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to find Timothy and Traci. The Council can sort this crap out, and you can go back to your work. Hopefully, this is only a few days.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be stuck here. ¡°I havemitments, Dad. Bodyglove has me doing appearances at surf shops in Virginia Beach on Saturday, and Myrtle Beach on Sunday. I don¡¯t want to back out when I¡¯m negotiating to make even more appearances with Amy in the future. It¡¯s important, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I know it is. Your Uncle and I freaked out a bit when we found out what was going on, but we feel a little better now. Since the contract is still in y, but the Vampires won¡¯t act on it, putting you on total lockdown isn¡¯t required. To be safe, Mom¡¯s going to stay with you, and we¡¯re going to add some female security. Colleen Underwood has volunteered, and Three Sisters will send a warrior to meet you in Virginia. If you can let Mercedes know you¡¯ll need an adjoining room for them, you can keep your appearancemitments.¡±


    That was a relief. ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯m more worried about human stalkers than Traci Lords, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about your blind dates.¡± Iughed at that, as my history with those was well-documented on Youtube. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back. Have a safe drive, and I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Dad.¡± I hung up and looked out the window at the trees passing by. Dad was right; I needed to rest after two weeks of hard work on the boat. Laying out on the beach and running in my wolf sounded damn good right now. ¡°Any beach partiesing up?¡±


    The driver just chuckled. ¡°The boys started nning it as soon as they found out you wereing back,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re going straight to theke. Alpha Anthony asked his Mom what you¡¯d want for dinner, and she told him ¡®ribs.¡¯ They¡¯ve been over the coals for an hour already.¡±


    Mmmm¡­. Ribs.


    We arrived on Packnds about three in the afternoon. I swam for an hour to get my exercise in, then spent a few hoursying out with the girls on the beach as we waited for the food to be ready. I was wearing my tan-through bikini, which didn¡¯t cover much, and there was no shortage of volunteers to help with the lotion. We watched the unmated males posturing to the girls as they yed beach football, all of them trying to impress us. The girls mercilessly dissected their looks, personality, and equipment in the whisperedmentary that had meughing my ass off. The mated girls teased us virgins until our faces were red as beets.


    As the dinner approached, I got up and went to the bathhouse to shower and change for dinner. I came back out in jean shorts, flip-flops, and a Bodyglove crop-top. The cooks were finishing up the ribs, and I had to know what they were doing. ¡°No early pickings, even for you,¡± Bonnie warned as I approached the massive charcoal-fired smoker. I could see a motor and chain on the outside, telling me there was a rotisserie system in the smokebox.


    ¡°I just wanted to know how you make it. I love barbecue, and I can¡¯t helpparing the regional differences,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough to barbecue this far north because all we have for wood is pine and por,¡± Bonnie said. ¡°I have to buy charcoal and add smoked hardwood chunks to make it right, and there aren¡¯t any pig farms nearby, so we don¡¯t do ribs often. The sauce is my secret recipe.¡±


    I tasted it; it was simr to a Kansas City sauce, but the sweetness was slightly different. Brown sugar was there, but there was more to it. I sorted through the vors before I figured it out. ¡°Is that maple syrup?¡±


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°The rest of it is pretty standard; I go light on the seasonings, and the rub is just paprika and salt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love the recipe. I¡¯m sure Adrienne would love a taste of home.¡±


    ¡°What part of SECRET RECIPE did you fail to understand, girl? Come on, then. If you¡¯re that much of a fan, you can help me ther them up.¡±


    Oh, hell yeah. Bonnie handed me a bowl and a sauce mop, then opened the door on the front of the smokebox. The inside had trays holding the ribs, the rotisserie system moving them in a circle through the smoke. The rotisserie ensured the ribs cooked evenly despite any hot spots in the smokebox. It was the same setup I¡¯d seen back home at the Smokin¡¯ Oak. We each took a side, spreading fresh sauce on the ribs as they rotated past. It smelled amazing, and I couldn¡¯t wait to eat.


    She closed the door as I put the stuff on the small table by the smoker. Other cooks were making dozens of ears of corn on the cob, a cauldron of baked beans, and a table full of Texas toast. ¡°You guys went all out,¡± I said with a smile to her.


    ¡°You were worth it,¡± Luna Pam said as she snuck up behind me and gave me a big hug.


    I rxed into my cousin¡¯s embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you send people to rescue me.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Bored warriors cause problems. I got to send them on a real mission, into their of a vampire! It was a great training experience, and no one got hurt. Unlike this football game,¡± she grumbled as she looked over to the sideline. A warrior was bleeding from a cut on his eyebrow as the Doctor sewed him up. ¡°Tonight¡¯s party is a good thing because I¡¯m sending thirty wolves down to Boston in the morning. Your father has rustled up a few hundred volunteers to search the suburbs for Traci and Timothy. Our assigned region is everything east of Route 1 up to Salem. We¡¯ll have wolves driving and walking through them until we locate their hideout.¡±


    Damn. That was a HUGE search area with hundreds of thousands of people in it. ¡°Can¡¯t you narrow the search down?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying that too. In the meantime, we will keep looking. Who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky.¡± The search was the proverbial needle in a haystack. Regions made sense; all the wolves would recognize a scent that wasn¡¯t Pack, even if they didn¡¯t know the target¡¯s smell.


    The food, thepany, and the setting were perfect, and I rxed and had fun until well after dark. I was walking back to the Pack House when my phone rang. It was Unky Leo. ¡°Hi, Unky,¡± I said as I answered.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you sote, Sharkbait, but the Council just ended its session. My mate presented the facts, and it didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They were furious that the Master Vampire fed directly from you. Did you know that a vampire¡¯s bite creates a link between him and the victim?¡±


    Oh, shit. ¡°What do you mean, a link?¡±


    ¡°Adrienne didn¡¯t know either; it¡¯s not like either of us had to deal with this before. The saliva acts on you physically and mentally. Physically, it stimtes the production of blood cells so the vampire can feed more often without weakening you.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t cause any harm. Mentally is a different thing. Werewolves still cannot bepelled, but it removes mental blocks and makes you morepliant to their wishes. I¡¯m sure you felt the pleasurable part of the bite. The effect is cumtive; the more bites, the stronger the desire to please the vampire. Often, the subject will be sexually involved with the vampire. The change allows the vampire to feed when endorphins are released, making the blood even better for their tastes. The wolves who returned after the treaty was signed had difficulties adjusting to life away from their Vampire masters, like a drug addict going cold turkey. Some even killed themselves, although we don¡¯t know if that was out of shame or loss.¡±


    Crap. ¡°So, biting is out.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t risk cing you around Master Corvinus again.¡±


    ¡°That was part of the deal; Alexander said it wasn¡¯t negotiable.¡± He needed me in October.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Council rejected the request to allow Traci and Timothy to be kept by Vampires, even if he catches them. It¡¯s cruel punishment to make them the ves of a coven. No, they will face Pack justice when we catch them.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Adrienne know about this?¡±


    ¡°After the Treaty, the knowledge wasn¡¯t that important anymore, as we separated our kind from vampires. I didn¡¯t know either. You¡¯re the first known werewolf to be bitten by a vampire in over a century.¡±


    Wow. I wish I¡¯d known more. I touched the spot on my neck where his fangs had entered. I shivered at the thought of being connected somehow to that bloodsucker. I couldn¡¯t imagine being kept in his prison, fed on time after time by him until I willingly gave him the rest of my body. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Adrienne is returning to Boston to give him our answer. After that, we will join the search with the other Pack volunteers that are flying in today. You will fly back home with your Mom tomorrow; there¡¯s no point in keeping you here now. We aren¡¯t going to trust your safety to a vampire.¡±


    It was a relief to hear this, as I wasn¡¯t keen on the idea of faking my death anyway. ¡°If we refuse his deal, Emily rejects the contract. Another assassin could take it,¡± I said.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 SHARKBAIT #63

    ¡°Wake up, Sharkbait,¡± Mom said.


    I groaned and refused to move. My head was pounding, my tongue tasted like a cat took a dump on it, and my stomach was rolling like a heavy ocean swell. I managed to get an eye open, for a moment, until the bright sunshine came in the window that my Mom just opened. ¡°Uhhhh¡­.¡±


    ¡°I warned you not to get into drinking games with those boys,¡± she said. ¡°Get up and shower, we leave in an hour for the airport.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again,¡± I swore as I tried to roll myself to the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Nothing good ever happens after someone hands out shots of Jaegermeister,¡± Mom said with augh. ¡°I had to learn that lesson the hard way, and now you¡¯ve learned it too.¡±


    My stomach flipped as I stood up, and I ran for the bathroom. I barely got the seat up in time, and Mom held my hair back as I emptied my stomach. I stood up and rinsed my mouth out with the ss of water my Mom handed me, then brushed my teeth and got in the shower.


    Mom had two bottles of water and some Tylenol waiting for me when I came back out. I drained one with the pills before I got dressed. I chose a shark-pattern sundress in teal and ck, strappy sandals, and dark sunsses. ¡°Feel better,¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Drink the other water and finish packing so the Omegas can take it to the car. Breakfast is in ten.¡±


    ¡°Where are we flying out of?¡±


    ¡°Private airport in Waterville. One of the Pack members owns a share of a Cessna and volunteered to fly us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking a little ne back home?¡±


    She picked up the messenger bag that held the cash I¡¯d gotten from Corvinus. ¡°I had it washed and dried after they finished looking for clues,¡± she said. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t carry that much cash through an airport without getting in trouble.¡± Mom opened the bag and removed a small stack of bills. ¡°The charter nees out of your end, baby.¡±


    ¡°I guess. I¡¯m just not looking forward to being cramped in a noisy airne all day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll live.¡±


    With my pounding headache, I didn¡¯t feel like I would. ¡°There better be barf bags by the seats,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Come on, Parties-With-Wolves,¡± Mom teased. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food into you.¡±


    I left the bags on the bed and went downstairs to the breakfast buffet. I went heavy on starches, with a big stack of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Mom went to sit with the high-ranks, while I found some fellow sufferers fromst night¡¯s festivities and sat down. ¡°Never again,¡± I said as I poured a ss of orange juice.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I¡¯ve said that at least five times since I came of age in March,¡± Dot said as she poked at a sausage link.


    ¡°Nothing good happens after midnight,¡± Jessica agreed.


    ¡°I got even; I threw up in my mate¡¯s carst night,¡± Dawn said. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember himing to bed.¡±


    My stomach started to feel better with food in it as I worked the stack down. ¡°It was a great party, though.¡±


    ¡°I bet you go to a lot of great parties since you¡¯re famous,¡± Dot said.


    ¡°Not as many as you might think,¡± I said. ¡°I spend a lot of time working, and I¡¯m not old enough to go clubbing. My boss wants me seen out on the town, so I¡¯m on the gossip pages, but my security keeps me out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Until you have to kick his ass,¡± Jessica said with augh. ¡°I love those videos.¡±


    ¡°Nothing they didn¡¯t deserve,¡± I said. ¡°In the meantime, I travel to cool ces to model and dive.¡± I told them we were flying back to Red Wing on a small ne; I might stay a few days to see friends before flying back to San Diego. By the end of the meal, I felt better.


    I was surprised when Jessica, Dot, and Carl joined us in the car heading to the airport. ¡°Luna Pam said we could hitch a ride with you guys to Minnesota, then rent a car to drive home and stop at some Packs on the way,¡± she said. ¡°Onest attempt at finding our mates before school starts up again.¡± Since the three weren¡¯t ranked wolves, they don¡¯t attend the Summit. They relied on travel and visits by other wolves to try and find their mates.


    ¡°Mom, does this ne have room for three more?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine,¡± she said.


    Great. I was feeling better by the time we arrived at the airfield. The driver stopped in front of a hangar where a sleek single-engine ne waited with the stairs down. It was far from the puddle-jumper I expected. Travis DuBois was walking around doing his pre-flight checks. ¡°Hey, guys. Leave your luggage by the stairs and go take a seat, we¡¯ll be leaving in ten.¡±


    Mom handed him an envelope with the cash for the charter while I grabbed our suitcases. I took the messenger bag into the cabin, hunching down as the ceiling was about five feet up. ¡°This is SO COOL,¡± Jessica said as she moved to the back of the ne to sit down. The executive aircraft had a center aisle and six leather seats in pairs. The front seats faced the rear, next to a refreshment area. They could share fold-out tables with the front-facing seats in the middle. There was even a small bathroom in the back corner.


    Mom took the center chair on the left, and I put my bag on the right one. ¡°I want to watch Travis,¡± I told my mom. Going back down the stairs, I caught up to the pilot as he was stowing the bags away. ¡°Travis? I¡¯m interested in aviation, do you think you could walk me through what you are doing?¡±


    ¡°I can do better than that.¡± He took his shlight, touching it to my left, right, and left shoulder. ¡°I dub thee Lady Co-Pilot of Coronado.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I can use thepany, and the right seat is open. If you can follow my directions and not touch anything I don¡¯t tell you to, you can stay there.¡±


    ¡°I can do that!¡± I was practically bouncing as we finished pre-flight checks. I¡¯d snuck a nce into the cockpit as I left, and it was modern with all kinds of screens and controls.


    Travis exined each check as he did it. We checked the fuel tanks, the flight surfaces, instrument ports, and tires. We climbed up, and I watched as Travis secured the door, then I climbed carefully into the right seat. He walked me through the start checklist for the engine, then talked me through what he was doing as he taxied out to the runway. Travis radioed to get takeoff clearance, then had me push the throttles forward before releasing the brakes. The agile ne elerated quickly, and I called out ground speed until he pulled the yoke back. We lifted off the ground, and I retracted thending gear and reported them stowed as Travis continued the climb. ¡°The autopilot on this ne can do anything but the takeoff andnding if you tell it what you want,¡± he said. ¡°You can¡¯t learn by watching, though. Take the controls and maintain a five-degree rate of climb until we reach five thousand feet,¡± he said.


    I took the controls, focusing on being smooth as I got a feel for the aircraft. Flight control had us turn to 250 degrees and climb to our cruising altitude of 22, 000 feet. Travis talked me through the maneuver and set the autopilot once we were stable. ¡°Nice job,¡± he said.


    ¡°That was so cool!¡±


    ¡°I love my job,¡± he agreed. Flight time was just under four hours, but it was still too short for me. I was like a curious toddler, asking questions and learning as we flew west over the Great Lakes. When we were on approach, he surprised me again. ¡°You¡¯re going tond the ne,¡± he said. ¡°I can take over at any time, and if I say ¡®hands-off,¡¯ you raise your hands in the air and take your feet off the pedals,¡± he said.


    I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs as I piloted us into the approach to Red Wing Airport. Travis gotnding clearance and local conditions. ¡°The wind is at 15 knots from twenty degrees right of the nose, so it will slow us down and push us left. You have to use the rudder to hold your position centered on the runway.¡±


    ¡°So, I keep our nose pointing a little to the right with the rudder?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Right before touchdown, you straighten it out with the runway. Use the lineup aids to see if you¡¯re drifting left, right, up, or down, and fly to correct. Be smooth, and if you can¡¯t handle it, ask me to take over.¡±


    By the time we taxied to a stop outside the hangars, I was a sweaty mess. Travis talked me through the engine and system shutdown procedure. ¡°Thank you! That was AWESOME,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have a real aptitude for this, Vicki. You should take lessons and get your private pilot¡¯s license.¡±


    ¡°Another thing for the list,¡± I said. I saw the vehicles from Miesville Pack pulling up next to the ne. ¡°Are you staying with us?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take my FAA break and refuel, then I deadhead to Chicago and turn it over to another pilot. Now go, you¡¯re sweating up the leather seats.¡±


    I got out after him and helped him with the door and stairs. It had been a great day; I got to fly, I had fat stacks of Benjamins in my bag, and Leo¡¯s pool was open.


    The party would be fun, but I was leaving if the Jaegermeister bottle came out.

 SHARKBAIT #64

    The next two weeks for me went on without incident, although the increased security presence was a pain. The Bodyglove appearances in Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach were packed, but it was nothing like our joint appearance at the Navy base. The two of us signed autographs and took photos with Sailors and Marines for over five hours. Amy often had Noni in the pictures, with the photogenic wolf hybrid wearing her Service Dog harness. The store finally cut off the line, and we finished ten minutes after it was closed.


    Mercedes ensured the press was invited and sent a few boxes of swag along to give out as prizes. The Navy Times even did a feature on us.


    Hammer volunteered to work security for the event and stayed busy, preventing any aggressive young men from causing a scene. He¡¯d brought a few of his buddies along, their dress uniforms with ribbons and SEAL Tridents an unspoken signal to stay behaved.


    Hammer let them know he was going to take Amy and her dog (home to have ate dinner with her family. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe out with us for dinner,¡± Petty Officer James McFadden said. He had curly red hair, stood just taller than me, and had that SEAL body that was fit as hell without being bulky. I loved his smile and his easyugh. Amazingly enough, all of Hammer¡¯s buddies that volunteered today were in their twenties and single. I¡¯d politely turned down fifty or so dating requests and three marriage proposals already today, so James had adjusted his tactics. ¡°Have you ever been to McP¡¯s Irish Pub? Best Reuben in town.¡±


    ¡°I went for lunch once,¡± I said. ¡°I need to change, can I meet you there?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, we¡¯ll get a table outside,¡± he said with a smile.


    With the threats still active, I wasn¡¯t allowed to go alone. Colleen would trail me in her car and watch from the parking lot, while Makani shifted before I put her cor and leash on. McP¡¯s was dog-friendly if you stayed outside.


    I walked into the restaurant an hourter, my hair tied back in a ponytail, and wearing khaki shorts and a Bodyglove wave-print silk blouse. The ce was still busy with the dinner crowd morphing into the bar crowd on the weeknight. James waved me over; he was wearing boat shoes, cargo shorts, and a bright Tommy Bahama shirt. I hung my purse on the back of the chair he pulled out, then sat at the small table. Makani curled up under the table where she could watch the entrances. ¡°Where are the other guys?¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t make it,¡± he said with a grin.


    I raised an eyebrow as he sat down. ¡°How much did that cost you?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine the others turning down this time willingly.


    ¡°It was a price I dly paid,¡± he said. He was smooth; he was out on a date with me even though I would have turned it down an hour ago. I had to respect his tactics. ¡°I wanted a chance to get to know you, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m eighteen, right? That I haven¡¯t started college yet?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I do. I¡¯ve read the stories about you on the web, and I¡¯ve talked to Hammer and others about you. I know you are selfless, driven, and kind. I know you are wary of those you think might want you for more than you can give. And, I know how much you love the water.¡±


    ¡°What did Hammer say when he found out your n to go out with me?¡±


    James winced at that. ¡°He said if I hurt you, I¡¯d be lucky if the sharks got me before he did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s like that. You know he¡¯s dating Amy¡¯s Mom, right?¡± He nodded. They were a serious couple, and Hammer had already asked her to move in with him. ¡°She¡¯s my best friend, and we both work out in his dojo. He¡¯s wrong, though.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the one you have to worry about.¡±


    He raised his ss to me. ¡°I know. You¡¯re tough and strong, Vicki, and I find that attractive in a woman.¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t like meek, submissive blondes with tits for brains? There are plenty to be found in a SEAL bar like this.¡±


    ¡°Nope. The spirited fillies are the most fun to ride.¡± That had meughing.


    ¡°I hope you can handle it when I can outswim, outrun, and out-fight you.¡±


    ¡°If they let women be SEALs, I could see you in the ss. We will see how good you are another day,¡± he said with a grin.


    Conversation flowed as the food came and went, and I barely noticed the time as the night moved on. We listened to the band, danced, and talked about our busy lives. James was from Chicago and had joined the Navy at eighteen, bing a SEAL at twenty. He¡¯d deployed twice to Afghanistan before receiving orders to Coronado. Now twenty-seven and a First ss Petty Officer, James was taking a SEAL Advanced Combat Skills course at the base. He loved his job because he got to ¡°blow shit up and kill bad guys.¡±


    I could respect that. We bonded over food and our shared love of diving. I told him about my adventure on the Ocean Explorer, while he had me rolling with stories about his experiences as abat diver and Special Forces operator.


    It was well past midnight when we finally walked out, holding hands as he walked me to my car. ¡°I had a great time tonight, Vicki. Thank you.¡±


    I turned after unlocking my car, my hands moving up around his shoulders. I looked up into his eyes, my lips parting slightly as my tongue flicked out to wet them. He wrapped those strong arms around my waist, pulling me close as his mouth moved down to mine.


    He wasn¡¯t my mate, but he was a damn good male, and I liked him a lot. The tentative kiss I gave him wasn¡¯t enough. My mouth opened slightly, and I let out a low moan as he deepened the kiss. His hands moved up my back then back to the curve of my ass, making my skin tingle. I ran my fingers through his short hair as his mouth possessed mine. My nipples were hard as rocks, scraping against his hard chest by the time the kiss ended. ¡°Call me,¡± I said as I caught my breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have your number,¡± he said.


    I opened the door and got in after Makani jumped across to the passenger seat, rolling the window down. ¡°You can beat it out of Hammer,¡± I said with a grin. I backed out of the spot and drove off. I was leaving him with a smile on his face and a big bulge in his pants, and he left me buzzing and wet with need.


    He wasn¡¯t Mr. Right, but he¡¯d make a damn good Mr. Right Now. Waiting for my mate seemed silly when it could be a decade or more before we¡¯d meet.


    If Luna even gave me one.


    I needed to talk to Hammer and Amy about this.


    When I got home, I was shocked to see Unky Leo waiting for me. ¡°Why was your phone off,¡± he said after he hugged me.


    ¡°I was on a date! Why are you here?¡± Adrienne had joined the hug, but this was a surprise.


    ¡°The Council called off the search,¡± he said.


    It had been over a week. ¡°Traci and Timothy never returned to their townhouse in Haverhill?¡±


    ¡°No, and from the stale scents left behind, they werest there shortly after you left on the Ocean Explorer. Traci missed her well-baby appointment the day before you returned, and she has not rescheduled. Plus, we found their phones in their bedroom and their car in the garage. There has been nothing since then,¡± Adrienne said as we sat down. Amy was already in bed, but Colleen and the twins joined us.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think this was a setup from the beginning,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why do you say that,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Do you remember how confident Alexander was when he told us the deal?¡± Adrienne nodded. ¡°He made a big deal about his payment being ¡®non-negotiable,¡¯ like we¡¯d HAVE to pay it.¡±


    ¡°True. Even when I turned the deal down, Alexander didn¡¯t react like I thought he would.¡±


    ¡°That is what has been bothering me. Alexander didn¡¯t care that hundreds of werewolves were crawling around New Ennd, and he wasn¡¯t worried about our search. Now we know that Timothy and Traci disappeared almost a week before payment for the hit. Why would Alexander not worry about us finding the two first?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°If they were dead, there would be no reason to ask for Council permission to hold them,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°He already IS holding them,¡± Leo concluded. ¡°The whole thing was a setup to ratify his hold on prisoners he already has. Without the deal, holding them risks retaliation from the other Vampires, or war with the werewolves.¡±


    ¡°And the deal would bring me over into his control,¡± I said. ¡°Even under a Council deal, he would have to turn them over after the baby is born for trial and execution. I¡¯m the long term y.¡±


    ¡°Why would he need you if he has Timothy? He¡¯s mantled Alpha-blood, just like you,¡± Noni asked. ¡°His blood should be strong enough to get him through the challenge.¡±


    ¡°By making the second time a ¡®special case,¡¯ it makes me more likely to agree. Vampires can live for centuries, so he has more patience than our kind does,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve let that vampire feed from my neck once already. If let him again, and the third, fourth, and fifth times are even easier,¡± I said. ¡°It would be that way without the effect of his bite.¡±


    ¡°And in the long term, his bite brings you closer until he takes you as his lover,¡± Adrienne said. The thought was too much for Leo; he stood and shifted, his clothes ripping apart as he changed into his fur. Adrienne and I had to tackle him before Leo could break down the patio door and escape. After a few minutes, he calmed down and trotted into the bathroom. I grabbed an extra pair of Bodyglove shorts and a T-shirt out of the closet stash and tossed them on the counter before closing the door. He back out wearing them. ¡°He won¡¯t have her,¡± Adrienne said as she sat in hisp.


    ¡°Alexander is vulnerable as long as he holds them in vition of the Treaty,¡± I said. ¡°The other Vampires will turn on him to protect the peace.¡±


    ¡°And none of them want one Master to have the advantage of a werewolf blood bank,¡± Adrienne agreed.


    ¡°We have no proof,¡± Leo said. ¡°We don¡¯t even know for sure that he has them. We¡¯re making assumptions that we can¡¯t back up.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to find proof, and our Council can bring it to theirs,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s holding them somewhere in the city limits of Boston, I¡¯m sure. They have to be in his territory, close enough for him to feed periodically without raising attention. We need to find out where.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Under the Treaty, we can¡¯t enter the town except for innocent reasons.¡±


    ¡°Boston has a lot of history, and our young need to learn it,¡± I said. ¡°We identify the potentials and wander past them. Maybe we catch a scent.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    We talked for another ten minutes, but no one had a better n. ¡°I¡¯ll contact my son in the morning,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Security stays tight,¡± Leo said. ¡°For all we know, there may be someone else out there after our Sharkbait. Alexander may have been twisting the truth to meet his aims.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m tired, and we have to be up to run in the morning,¡± I said as I stood.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about your DATE over breakfast,¡± Leo said menacingly.


    ¡°He¡¯s HOT, and that kiss was worth of a romance novel cover,¡± Makani teased.


    I just rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± I said as I kissed my Uncle and Aunt goodnight.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be over at Hammer¡¯s ce, in his guest room,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°We¡¯ll be here before you leave for your run.¡±


    Iid in bed a half-hourter, thinking about the date and smiling. My fingers drifted down my body as it responded to my daydreams, one cupping a breast, the other moving under my sleep shorts. I kept my eyes closed as I dreamed about a different ending to the night, one where he took me home and ravished me again and again. My fingers moved faster, rubbing my clit and sliding into my slick channel as the fantasy continued. I buried my face in the pillow as I built to a climax. I came hard on my fingers, my core squeezing them like a vice as my body locked up in spasms.


    Exhausted and satisfied, I finally fell asleep.

 SHARKBAIT #65

    A week had passed since I returned to Coronado. The Baxter pack searched potential sites where Alexander¡¯s coven might be holding werewolves, but found nothing. ¡°Master Corvinus may have nothing to do with Traci and Timothy¡¯s disappearance,¡± Adrienne admitted on the video call. ¡°Alexander swore he doesn¡¯t know who tried to hire Emily. Since we turned down his deal, he has no way to find out. He did wish us the best of luck in keeping you alive.¡±


    ¡°Asshole.¡±


    ¡°A very old, smart, and rich asshole with a taste for your blood.¡±


    The information we¡¯d gotten from the Council historians indicated the effects of the bite couldst for months. Leo and Mom didn¡¯t want me anywhere near them, just in case. ¡°What happens now?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep up high levels of protection forever,¡± she said. Colleen had to return home a few days ago for her real job as a Dakota County Sheriff. Between Three Sisters and Miesville Packs, we would be able to keep at least one dedicated werewolf bodyguard with me for all nned events through September. When I traveled, Bodyglove would pay for local security details for me. It was a cost of business, especially overseas, where kidnappings for money were still happening. At home, I needed protection from the paparazzi, crackpots, and crazed fans that I gained as a celebrity.


    I was running out of summer, with sses at Oregon starting up in two more weeks. Although our fall sses were all online, Amy and I had to attend Freshman Orientation. It would be our chance to tour the school, meet the professors, and pick up a lot of Duck swag for the family and around the house. Makani and Noni were already up in Oregon, spending time finishing their Pack training and seeing friends before the summer ended. ¡°Once we get back from Eugene, things will calm down. With lectures and homework, I won¡¯t be going out much except for Bodyglove events. Beta Susan will be here to help.¡±


    ¡°She has her own life, Vicki. She¡¯s got her rtionship with Hammer, and she needs to help Amy while the twins and Luke are at school.¡± Amy and Luke were moving into Hammer¡¯s home next week, and Luke would be attending Coronado High School with Makani and Noni. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll stay alert and never go anywhere alone.¡±


    ¡°I promise, Aunt Adrienne,¡± I said. ¡°Best case, Alexander made the whole thing up, and there is nobody out to get me.¡±


    ¡°Worst case, they hired someone else,¡± she said. ¡°Now, what is this about you having a boyfriend?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve gone out a few times. He¡¯s a nice guy. You¡¯d like him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like a man in histe twenties dating an eighteen-year-old girl,¡± she said with a bit of anger in her voice. ¡°He¡¯s almost a decade older than you!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s spent that extra time in training and on deployments, Mom. Hammer would kick his ass if he thought James was a bad match.¡± I wasn¡¯t kidding, either. He stopped by the dojo during my training yesterday, and Hammer sort-of forced him to demonstrate attacks with guns and knives for the ss. What that meant was that Hammer mmed, bent, and choked-out Petty Officer McFadden a couple of dozen times during their ¡®demonstrations.¡¯ He could barely get his leg over his motorcycle when we left. ¡°Between him and his SEAL buddies, I¡¯m safe.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Have fun, but don¡¯t do anything stupid, and don¡¯t give up on your mate,¡± she said. ¡°You know it can¡¯t get serious if it isn¡¯t him.¡±


    ¡°I know. Tell Leo I¡¯ve almost got that sauce figured out.¡±


    ¡°He was worried. You know Bonnie will go to her grave without giving her recipe out. I love her food, so the next time we¡¯re together, you can make ribs, and I¡¯ll give you the verdict.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°We love you too, Vicki. Good night.¡±


    I hung up the phone and got dressed for the party. One of the guys in James¡¯ toon was leaving the Teams for private life, and his Commanding Officer was hosting a farewell barbecue at their home on the base. Colleen was gone, but I wasn¡¯t worried about the short ride to the amphibious base. Once at the party, I¡¯d be surrounded by dozens of the finest warriors our country could produce.


    I wouldn¡¯t be alone on the back of my boyfriend¡¯s motorcycle, after all.


    I dressed in jean shorts, a muscle T-shirt, and a Bodyglove short sleeve ocean print blouse. Heading for the front hallway, I took down my riding gear.


    My modeling contract had some uses in it that affected how I had to live my life. I¡¯d gotten used to only going out in public with Bodyglove brand products; Mercedes kept my closet filled with theirtest fashions, and I wore them. Another use dealt with ¡®activities likely to cause injury or disfigurement¡¯ and specifically included motorcycles. I called Mercedes when I found out James wanted me to ride with him. ¡°The safest thing is not to get on a motorcycle, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but I live in San Diego, and I¡¯ve been on snowmobiles and dirt bikes since I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°At least wear the proper gear,¡± she told me. ¡°If you crash and get road rash on your legs or arms, your career could be OVER.¡±


    ¡°I can order a leather suit and helmet.¡±


    ¡°No. Give me a few days,¡± she said. Three dayster, Amy and I received FedEx boxes from her. Inside were one-piece armored leather racing suits, motorcycle boots, and custom-painted shark-themed helmets.


    I took my suit down off the rack, pulling the form-fitting leather over my legs and arms before zipping up the front. James LOVED the way my ass looked in leathers; he said I looked like a blonde Kate Beckingsale from the ssic Underworld movies. I put the boots on and grabbed my sandals, helmet, and a swag bag as I heard his Suzuki Ultra 1200 sportbike pull into the driveway.


    ¡°Have fun,¡± Amy said as I opened the door. ¡°We¡¯ll be at Hammer¡¯s ce tonight, painting Luke¡¯s new bedroom and cleaning out the garage. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait up,¡± I said. I kissed James, who looked hot in his racing suit. I put my sandals in his saddlebags and pulled on my gloves and helmet. Swinging a leg over, I settled in behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. James took off, smoothly elerating through the residential streets before hitting Silver Strand Boulevard. It was a short ride to the Lincoln Military Housingplex.


    We parked across from the house on Saipan Road, and we bagged up our leathers and helmets and brought them with us to the back yard. ¡°Hey, guys!¡± A man in histe thirties with shaggy brown hair, graying chest hair, board shorts, and Ray-Ban sunsses ran up to us. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he finally trusted us around you, Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°Commander Mark Prentice at your service. I¡¯m this bum¡¯s Commanding Officer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for inviting us,¡± I replied.


    ¡°We had to invite James to get you here, so we did. Come on back, my wife and daughter want to meet you.¡± He led us around to the back yard, which overlooked the beach leading down to San Diego Bay. The Naval Base piers were right across the water from us. ¡°Joan!¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    A beautiful brte in a sundress looked up from where she was setting out snacks on a table. ¡°She¡¯s here! Jessica!¡± Her mini-me appeared at the patio door, a pretty girl of about twelve in the middle of her growth spurt.


    Jessica¡¯s face lit up when she saw me. ¡°You came!¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I said as she ran into me and hugged my waist. ¡°I heard you like sharks.¡±


    ¡°I DO! Come on, I¡¯ll show you!¡± I told James to have fun, and let the girl pull me inside to her bedroom. She had the poster with Amy and me diving with sharks, and I saw we both had signed during my Navy Exchange event. I borrowed a Sharpie and signed the other poster, this one me on the beach. I handed her the swag bag I¡¯d brought for her, and she squealed in delight as she pulled out the autographed Bodyglove T-shirt and sundress. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± We talked about diving for a few minutes before Joan showed up to get us back out to the party. Jessica stayed behind to change into the dress.


    ¡°You made her year,¡± Joan said as she walked me back to the kitchen.

 SHARKBAIT #66

    ¡°I¡¯m d James said something to me. I was a lot like that as a kid.¡± I helped her get more things out of the fridge, and we joined the men and their wives and girlfriends in the yard. I had a lot of fun, and Mark¡¯s smoker put out good food. The party started to get wilder after sundown, and around eleven, James asked me if I was ready to go. ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay?¡±


    ¡°This is the part where the heavy drinking and manly posturing begins. I¡¯d rather get you home.¡±


    ¡°You cane back if you want,¡± I said. At eighteen, I couldn¡¯t drink with these guys without getting them in trouble. Our age difference ate at me at times like this.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather spend time with you.¡±


    Good answer. We said our goodbyes and put on our leathers for the ride back home. It was a beautiful night, the full moon high over the surf as it came in on the beach. I hugged him from behind as I thought about what I would do tonight. I had the house to myself, the hot tub would feel fantastic, and I might ask him to stay over.


    A pick-up truck elerated and moved into the leftne, slowing as it came up next to me. I looked over at the light tan F-150, seeing the shadow of a driver through the tinted window. It sped up again, then swerved hard right into ourne. James braked and swerved to the right, but the truck forced us off the road.


    The Suzuki¡¯s front wheel hit the soft sand of the shoulder, sending us flying. Inded painfully and rolled,ing to a stop in the scrub brush and rocks. The pickup truck stopped for a second, then drove off.


    It didn¡¯t have a license te.


    I crawled over to James, who had mmed into some of therger rocks near the road. He wasn¡¯t moving.


    I called 911; when the patrol car stopped near us, I called Hammer.


    Someone tried to kill me.


    *************


    The first police officer to arrive knelt next to me. ¡°Are you all right, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± I said. I¡¯dnded on the sandy shoulder and James. ¡°Help him,¡± I said as I pushed myself to my hands and knees. The ambnce wasn¡¯t far behind.


    My body hurt as I moved into a sitting position and removed my helmet. I checked my limbs, and it didn¡¯t feel any sharp pain, and I could take a deep breath. That was good; no broken bones. I looked at my helmet in the shing lights; the paint was trashed, and the visor cracked.


    Better than my head.


    The EMT¡¯s arrived, and I waved them off to help James first. He still hadn¡¯t regained consciousness, but he was breathing. They brought over a backboard, controlling his neck as they rolled him carefully onto it. They taped his helmet to the board and put a cor around his neck, then lifted him onto the gurney.


    As I was watching them, I gave a quick statement to the policeman. I hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at the driver, but I did provide a detailed description of the truck. ¡°It was intentional. The pickup sped up toe alongside and look at us, pulled ahead, cut us off, and then slowed to make sure we had no choice but to go off the road.¡±


    ¡°Was it road rage?¡±


    ¡°We had just pulled onto the highway up at Lincoln Housing and hadn¡¯t passed anyone. We never saw him before.¡± The gurney was almost to the road. ¡°I have to go with him,¡± I said to the officer.


    ¡°Do you think you can walk?¡± I nodded, and he helped me to my feet. I was bruised but could walk. ¡°A detective will visit you at the hospital and take both of your statements,¡± he said.


    ¡°Catch that fucker,¡± I said. The guys helped me into the back and closed the door. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Sharp Coronado Hospital,¡± the EMT said as we took off with lights and sirens.


    ¡°He¡¯s a SEAL, active duty. Doesn¡¯t he go to the Naval Hospital?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the closest. The doctors will evaluate him in the ER first and transferter if he needs it.¡± He was busy attaching leads to his chest.


    I took hold of my boyfriend¡¯s hand, praying to Luna he would be all right. My phone picked that moment to buzz. It was Hammer. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In the ambnce with James, heading to Sharp ER,¡± I said. ¡°I need you to go to his CO¡¯s ce on Saipan Road.¡± I gave him the address.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got his phone number; I¡¯ll call him instead. I think I can see you up ahead. We¡¯ll be in the doors right behind you.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who is with you?¡±


    ¡°Susan and Amy. We left Luke and the twins at the house. Call your Mom and let her hear your voice.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thanks, Hammer.¡± I hung up and called my Mom back. ¡°Hey, Mom. I¡¯m all right,¡± I said as she started crying. I only had a minute to talk before we arrived at the hospital, and I had to hang up.


    I watched as they took James away, then a nurse helped me down. I had my helmet still, and she sat me in a wheelchair with it on myp. She wheeled me into an exam room and closed the door. She helped take my riding gear and clothes off, leaving me in my underwear, then she gave me a gown to put on. I looked down at mycy underthings and let out augh. ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± the nurse asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the old Mom saying. ¡®Make sure you¡¯re wearing clean underwear in case you get in an ident.¡¯ Now the Doctor gets to see my lingerie before my boyfriend does.¡±


    Sheughed and pulled the cart over. After taking vitals, history, and symptoms, the doctor came in. She looked at the helmet and my leathers sitting on the chair; they were dirty and scratched from the crash. ¡°I¡¯d say your gear paid for itself,¡± Doctor Thompson said as she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re still safer when you don¡¯t ride a donorcycle.¡±


    ¡°How is my boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with the attending,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you¡¯re all right first.¡± It took about twenty minutes to check me out. ¡°I¡¯m going to send you for an X-ray as a precaution. I¡¯ll check back soon.¡± The x-ray was clean, and she told me to rest and take Advil for the soreness before signing my discharge.


    Another nurse stopped me as I was gathering my things into a bag the nurse gave me. ¡°Your friend is asking for you,¡± she said.


    I followed her to another room, where James was in a hospital bed with an IV and monitors. His left wrist was in a brace where ity on the covers. ¡°JAMES,¡± I said as I dropped my gear and ran to his side. Leaning down, I kissed him as my fingers ran softly across his face. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Concussion, two broken ribs, and a broken left wrist,¡± he said. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Bruises. Inded on a big SEAL, and he broke my fall.¡± I leaned down and kissed him again, this time taking more time and tongue.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± I broke free as his doctor came in. ¡°Ortho will be here shortly to cast your arm. Once that is done, we¡¯ll transfer you to a room so we can keep you under observation overnight.¡±


    ¡°I can watch him at home,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve done it before.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, perhaps. Mr. McFadden took a hard blow to the head. He¡¯d be dead if not for his helmet.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± The doctor left, and the nurse came back in. ¡°The police would like to speak to you before you leave, Miss Lawrence. His Commanding Officer wants to see him, and only one person can be back here at a time.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± James said. ¡°Come see me in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Visiting hours start at nine,¡± the nurse said.


    I grabbed my stuff and walked out to the waiting room, where my people surrounded me. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sore, but fine.¡± I told them about James as a detective waited to get my attention. ¡°I¡¯ll give my statement over there,¡± I told him as I pointed to the far corner of the room. ¡°I want my Aunt Susan with me.¡± The three of us walked over and sat down. I told him everything I knew, which wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°If you saw the truck, could you identify it?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± he said.


    ¡°We found a truck matching your description abandoned in Ch Vista. It¡¯s now in impound. I¡¯d like you to look at it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. Susan took my gear with them while I drove with the detective to the lot. It was the one that had run us off the road, a fresh scratch on the passenger door showing where his mirror hit. I focused on the driver¡¯s scent, sorting through the other smells. I recognized it, and my anger boiled. I was going to kill that fucker, and the Master Vampire who ordered the attempt. Alexander dared to hurt someone I cared for, and for that, I could not forgive.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything to a human about THAT, though. ¡°This is the truck that ran us off the road,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was reported stolen yesterday. Hopefully, our crime scene guys can get something out of it.¡±


    I thanked him and got into Hammer¡¯s car. We didn¡¯t say much on the way home; I was tired, and I needed sleep.


    I didn¡¯t see the text that came in until the morning. I almost choked on my eggs when I saw it.


    ¡°Unknown Number: Don¡¯t do anything stupid before you talk to me. Say nothing ande alone. Meet me at the Das-Ft. Worth Airport tonight at six PM, Pappadeaux¡¯s Seafood Bar, C14 if you want the truth. Emily¡±


    Oh, I was ready to do something stupid.


    I just hadn¡¯t decided which of several stupid things I was going to do.


    I was still debating when Susan grabbed her keys. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. I grabbed my purse and followed Susan out to the car. The visit with James went well, but he wasn¡¯t going home. An ambnce wasing to take him to the Naval Hospital, where they would keep an eye on his concussion symptoms for another day or two. Since I couldn¡¯t bring him home, that made my decision easier.

 SHARKBAIT #67

    I couldn¡¯t just run away on my own; I¡¯d made promises too. In the car, Iid out what I knew and showed Susan the text. ¡°Emily was the assassin Alexander said was ¡®hired¡¯ to kill me. Alexander was behind this, but why would Emily send this text?¡±


    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the secure terminal, in a restaurant open to the terminal and cameras everywhere,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a lousy ce for a hit. Emily picked it because she knows I¡¯d think it was safe.¡±


    ¡°Or that¡¯s the perfect way to get you to rx enough toe,¡± Susan said. ¡°Still, a vampire will sense a werewolf four gates away. You can¡¯t take any of us with you, not even from another Pack. You could take Hammer?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°They¡¯ve been watching us, so they know who he is. What we need is a human to watch over me that they don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°IF you go,¡± Susan said. ¡°We know Alexander was involved now. We can turn this over to Leo and Adrienne, and let them take care of it.¡±


    ¡°I have to go,¡± I said. ¡°Emily knows something. For some reason, I trust her.¡± I had a better feeling around her than I ever did around Alexander.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head for the bridge, you call Hammer and ask him if he knows someone he can trust to watch you. They need to be inw enforcement so they can be armed on the ne and in the terminal.¡±


    As Susan drove us over the Coronado Bay Bridge towards San Diego, I talked to Hammer. Hammer¡¯s friend Ben was in the Drug Enforcement Agency and was willing to help out. There was a flight leaving at noon; I bought a ticket and texted the info to Ben so he could get his own. Susan waited with me until we saw his Uber drop him off, then I opened the door.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Susan said as she dropped me at the terminal. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t seem right, turn around and find Ben.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you.¡± I went inside through the TSA line and found a pizza ce in the terminal. Ben sat down a few tables away, pulling out one of those old-fashioned paper books as he waited. I looked at my phone and texted James. ¡°Short notice business trip, I¡¯ll be backte tomorrow. Rest up and heal.¡±


    ¡°I miss you already,¡± he sent back.


    Wended in Das at four. I went to a ticket agent and bought a return flight to San Diego, leaving at eight. Ben was sitting close enough to hear the flight number, and he went to a different agent to get his ticket while I sat down again. We were both seated in Pappadeaux¡¯s by five, me facing the terminal with him seated farther back.


    As I finished my seafood tter, I smelled the vampire approaching.


    *************


    I looked up to see Emily approaching. She looked young and sessful; pencil skirt, white blouse, and three-inch pumps. The vampire smiled and hurried over like I was an old friend. ¡°Thank you for meeting me,¡± she said. She spoke in barely a whisper, knowing I would be able to hear her clearly above all the background noise.


    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have,¡± I said just as quietly. ¡°Your boss tried to take out my boyfriend and me. He¡¯s in the hospital, and I could have died.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a part of that decision. When I found out about it, you were already in the hospital,¡± she said. The waitress came over, and she ordered a vodka martini. ¡°I wish you weren¡¯t in the middle of all this, but Alexander is like that. When he sees something he wants to add to his collection, he does whatever it takes to get it.¡±


    ¡°He wants me,¡± I said knowingly.


    She nodded. ¡°If there is a ¡®type¡¯ Alexander looks for in a woman, we are both it. It¡¯s why he turned me and kept me as his lover for so long, and why he keeps me around long after I¡¯ve moved past being in his bed. You are young, beautiful, and powerful. Once he tasted you, nothing else mattered. You were going to be his.¡±


    Stupid mantle blood! My life would be SO much simpler if I were a Beta. ¡°I¡¯m not like you,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the attraction. Your blood makes Alexander all-powerful when he drinks it, and the forbidden fruits taste the sweetest. If either Council objects too much, he can turn you into one of us,¡± the beautiful vampire said. ¡°It has happened before. You lose your wolf, but gain our powers and immortality.¡±


    Like hell. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he just send flowers or jewelry or something?¡± Emily giggled at my reaction; Alexander was the creepiest stalker EVER. It didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Why send Detective O¡¯Meara out to California if he was trying to lure me into his bed?¡±


    ¡°Two big reasons. The first is that Alexander is possessive; he doesn¡¯t like you getting close to another man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m NOT HIS WOMAN,¡± I said a little too loudly.


    A few people looked our way, but a re from Emily had them turning their eyes back to their tes. ¡°Alexander is insanely rich, attractive, and used to getting his way with women. If there ispetition for a woman he wants, he doesn¡¯tpete; he eliminates thepetition. If James had moved, O¡¯Meara would have shot him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have killed him if he got out,¡± I said. Even as I said it, I knew I was talking trash. Motorcycle racing suits didn¡¯t tear when you shifted like most clothing, and I could barely sit up after I stopped rolling.


    ¡°Get in line. Alexander wasn¡¯t happy James survived, and he was furious about how close you came to getting killed. He was supposed to kill your boyfriend and scare you into thinking you were the real target.¡±


    I was going to fucking KILL this vampire. ¡°Is James in danger?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She nodded her head. ¡°Hospitals present challenges, but a man like O¡¯Meara can still get to at target. If he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯ll end up in his hotel room with a bullet in his brain by Sunday. A Master Vampire can always find more familiars.¡±


    I needed to tell Susan and make sure he got a protective detail. Holding up my hand to Emily, I sent a quick text to her, telling her my boyfriend was still a target. ¡°And the second?¡±


    ¡°You turned down his deal, and with that, his leverage with the Werewolf Council. The second part of the deal was just as important as the first. He didn¡¯t think you¡¯d call his bluff, and now he¡¯s got a big problem.¡±


    We were right. ¡°Alexander had Timothy and Traci under his control before he even contacted me.¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyebrow raised along with her ss, and she slipped me a grin as she realized we figured it out. ¡°Yes. Alexander has contacts in the supernatural world, and he knew the pair was rogue. When they moved to the Boston area, he had Maximillian and Louis capture the pair and put them deep underground.¡± It was my turn for an eyebrow to go up. ¡°Louis is another vampire in our Coven, forty years turned. You know a coven is limited to five vampires, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what Adrienne taught me.¡±


    ¡°Alexander runs the coven. Maximillian¡¯s turn was in 1864; he was one of Alexander¡¯s familiars during my time as a newly turned vampire. When I survived my first ten years, Alexander received permission to turn him. He brought our coven up to five. Maximillian is smart and ambitious, and Alexander has been ying us against each other for a long time. We both want to take over the Coven and are equally powerful, but he has Alexander¡¯s favor right now. Maximillian is doing everything he can to see Alexander wins the Supreme Vampire position so he can take over in Boston.¡±


    ¡°The one that Alexander is nning to challenge for on Halloween,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I was able to nt a listening device in Alexander¡¯s office, and I know their n. They are collecting as much blood from the werewolf pair as they can before it bes too dangerous to keep them. When that timees, they will drain them dry and dispose of the bodies. Alexander gets the blood from Timothy, while Maximillian gets blood from Traci. Both of them will be strong enough to win their challenges after ingesting the stored blood.¡±


    Stored blood? ¡°Why would they use stored blood? Why not keep the rogues alive as long as you need them?¡±


    Emily took a sip of her drink. ¡°The offer to you was a desperate attempt to get the Werewolf Council to ept the idea of Alexander keeping werewolves, even if they were rogues. Adrienne made it clear to him that the Council would NEVER allow it, no matter the circumstances. The Vampire Masters will destroy our entire Coven if they find out, as it risks war with the Werewolves and is against our Laws. The longer they stay alive, the higher the chance of discovery. Alexander is betting he can keep them hidden for another month or two. That is long enough to store six to eight pints of their blood. That would give each of them enough power boosts to withstand any challenges that may arise in their first year in power.¡±


    I despised Timothy for rejecting me, and Traci was a rank-climbing slut, but I¡¯d never wish this on them. Imprisoned and drained by vampires while you are pregnant? Horrible. ¡°Timothy is mantled Alpha blood. Why isn¡¯t his blood enough? Why me?¡±


    ¡°Timothy¡¯s damaged goods. Even among mantled Alphas, there are grades of power. His blood is better than Beta blood, but it¡¯s not as good as yours. In wine terms, Timothy¡¯s blood is Boone¡¯s Farm in a box, while yours is Beringer Private Reserve. Both are red wines, but one is far superior.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe how they thought of blood as we thought of wine, but I understood what she was saying. ¡°Why tell me this? You must be putting yourself in danger, going against your Coven leader and rival.¡±


    ¡°The only way for me to survive is to have the Council take out Alexander and Maximillian, without destroying me along the way. I can¡¯t talk to the Supreme Vampire without Alexander sending me. Instead, I¡¯m sending you.¡±


    I just about choked on my dessert. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to walk in and demand an audience with the most powerful of your kind?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You might want to bring Adrienne along, but that¡¯s up to you.¡± She reached into her purse and removed a memory chip. ¡°These are the recordings I made in Alexander¡¯s office. It is proof of what he has done and what he ns.¡± Emily handed me a small card. ¡°The first address is Maximillian¡¯s hideout in South Boston. He¡¯ll have the two hidden there. The second is the Supreme Vampire¡¯s home in New Orleans.¡±


    I thought about the risks to me. ¡°I want something in return for the risks I¡¯m taking, both in believing you, and going into that nest of vipers,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°When Alexander is gone, I get half of the antiques and artwork in his office. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be redecorating, and you won¡¯t miss the money. After all the time he¡¯s owned them, they will be untraceable.¡± Alexander was a billionaire, after all, and she would inherit his kingdom.

 SHARKBAIT #68

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Emily said as she stood up. ¡°I have to catch my connecting flight. Put an end to this, Vicki.¡± She shook my hand, then tossed a twenty-dor bill on the table and walked off.


    I stared at the card. Making a decision, I picked up my phone and called Luna Adrienne. ¡°I need you to fly to New Orleans on the next avable flight,¡± I told her when she answered.


    ¡°New Orleans?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a man we need to see. It¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything; she was probably linking to Leo. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I will be after this. I¡¯ll meet you at the airport, text me your flight information.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in during the drive.¡± I let her go, then wrote a note on a napkin and dropped it at Ben¡¯s table. ¡°Thank you for the drink, but I have a boyfriend,¡± I said as I walked off. I found a ticket agent and changed my flight to New Orleans.


    That vampire was going to die, and I wanted to do it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    **************


    I boarded the flight for New Orleans, stuck near the rear in a center seat due to thete ticket buy. Ben was just in front of the bathrooms at the back of the ne. Thank Luna that it was a short flight with only one crying baby.


    We waited together in the lounge near the gate Adrienne wasing in at for almost an hour. She started interrogating me on what was going on while her ne was stillnding, and kept it up until she stepped into the terminal. I had her caught up by the time Adrienne pulled me into her arms and squeezed. ¡°You bold, reckless girl,¡± she said as she sat back. ¡°I¡¯m kicking myself for letting you get into this situation.¡±


    ¡°It was the right move at the time,¡± I said. I turned to Ben. ¡°We¡¯ve got it from here. My Aunt will protect me now. Thank you for everything, and have a good flight back to San Diego.¡± I handed him an envelope with his fee in cash, and he pocketed it as he walked off. We couldn¡¯t bring a human to where we were going next.


    My Aunt had called ahead to rent a car, and soon we were making our way through the sweltering August heat to get into the full-size sedan. We were on our way to the French Quarter, where the sprawling three-story Italianate mansiony just a few blocks off the tourist area. It was my first time in New Orleans, and I could see why the vampires liked it. ¡°Drunk tourists, voodoo, poverty, all within easy walking distance,¡± I said.


    ¡°Preying on tourists makes it more difficult to establish patterns,¡± Adrienne agreed. We pulled up to an iron gate between amercial building and the neatly manicured grounds of the mansion. Adrienne rolled down the window to speak into the security screen, where a uniformed guard appeared on the small screen. Looking around, I spotted a dozen surveince cameras, two concealed sniper positions, and the outline of the pop-up vehicle barrier system. These vampires didn¡¯t y around with security. ¡°Adrienne Volkov and Vicki Lawrence here to see Master Cyprian Pontalba.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment, Mrs. Volkov?¡±


    ¡°No. It is worthy of Mr. Pontalba¡¯s time.¡±


    The video went dark as we waited. It was a few minutes before the gates started to move apart. The guard appeared on the screen again. ¡°Pull around to the left and park in the visitor space. Mr. Pontalba¡¯s assistant will meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± We pulled forward and turned just before the garage at the back of the property, parking in one of the marked visitor spaces. A beautiful young woman came out of the mansion, holding her tabletputer in one hand. ¡°Let me do the talking unless I ask you to fill in,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°These Masters can be fickle and easily offended.¡±


    ¡°They give me the creeps,¡± I said.


    We got out as the raven-haired woman reached the front of our rental. She was a vampire, so her actual age could be anything, but she looked like she was about my age. Her skin was pale and wless, her body sculpted by a God, and even I was a little intimidated by her beauty. ¡°Wee to the Dufour Mansion, Luna Adrienne, Miss Vicki,¡± she said with a bright smile. ¡°My name is Cornelia, and if you¡¯d follow me, we¡¯ll get youfortable until the Master is avable.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± my aunt replied.


    We followed her up the stairs to the wrap-around porch and inside the entry door; if Master Corvinus¡¯ office was plush, this ce was a museum. Antiques, paintings, and many other priceless items filled the space. The ceilings were very high, at least twelve feet, and transom windows along the top would have allowed for air cirction in the times before air conditioning. Marble floors stretched wall to wall, while ceramic tiles ran up the walls ten feet high. The wall hangings hung from hangers near the ceiling. ¡°Interesting choice of materials,¡± I said as I looked around.


    ¡°As you know, flooding in New Orleans is fairlymon. The mansion design allows for floodwaters up to eighteen feet high without structural damage; when the floods recede, we rinse off the tile and bring everything down from storage in the upper rooms,¡± Cornelia said. ¡°Add in hurricane shutters and solid construction, and this house has survived everything Mother Nature has thrown at her.¡±


    ¡°What happened during Hurricane Evelyn?¡± Evelyn was a Cat 5 storm that had flooded most of New Orleans to levels not seen since Katrina. In addition to the high winds, the storm surge was fifteen feet above sea level.


    ¡°We had time to move the priceless objects to secure storage ind. The flooding reached within a foot of the top of the tile. It was a close one.¡± I had a lot of respect for hurricanes, and couldn¡¯t imagine living in a ce with those AND streets already six feet below sea level. She led us up a staircase to the second floor, where woodwork and tapestries took over the d¨¦cor. We ended up in a sitting room overlooking the garden. A human maid brought us lemonade and cookies as we waited. ¡°I will get you in as soon as I can,¡± Cornelia said as she checked on us a half-hourter. ¡°Master¡¯s schedule is full.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Circumstances did not allow us to request an appointment.¡±


    An hourter, we were still waiting. ¡°How long do we wait,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Until he sees us. Vampires do not sleep, so eventually, he will find time for us. How is your friend doing?¡±


    ¡°He expects to leave the hospital in the morning; I¡¯d like to be there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we will be back in time if this goeste. Make other arrangements,¡± Adrienne said.


    I sent a text to Susan, asking if she and Hammer could watch him if I didn¡¯t make it back in time. ¡°Way ahead of you, Vicki. We will be bringing him to our ce, and Commander Prentice is assigning someone to protect him while he recovers. NCIS is investigating the attack with Coronado Police. They think it is more likely retaliation against a SEAL than an attempt to kill a swimsuit model.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #69

    I could see them thinking that way, but the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was never going to learn about werewolves. ¡°Have you seen James tonight?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get in, but Hammer did as he is retired military. His girlfriend took off, his body is busted up, he can¡¯t work, and his motorcycle is totaled. It¡¯s like a country song.¡±


    I sent James some messages, but either the Navy hospital didn¡¯t allow him his phone, or it broke in the crash because he never responded. I started checking my other messages Makani and Noni wanted to help, but Alpha Stephen was making them finish their training.


    Mercedes was freaking out and wanted to know if I was all right. I assured her I was fine, with just a few bruises, and the custom motorcycle gear she sent had saved me. ¡°I¡¯m still good for our scheduled appearances. I can use new riding gear; the leather is too beat up to reflect the Bodyglove brand now,¡± I sent her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but you need to consider NOT GETTING ON MOTORCYCLES ANYMORE. You are lucky your career didn¡¯t end yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready for San Francisco on Saturday,¡± I sent back.


    The maid returned, bringing two tes of Shrimp Creole with white rice and a bottle of wine. We ate silently, going over our ns for how we would broach the issues with the Supreme Vampire when we finally got an audience. I spent some time after dinner updating my social media, which had gone wild with the reports of the ident. There was even video someone had shot at the crash site. I left a long post letting everyone know I wasn¡¯t hurt, and how my safety gear saved me from serious injury.


    It was nearly midnight when Cornelia appeared at our door. ¡°The Supreme Vampire will see you now,¡± she said. We followed her out of the room and down the hallway to an ornate double-door. She knocked before opening the door and waving us in.


    No photos existed of Supreme Vampire Cyprian Pontalba, and Adrienne¡¯s description did not do him justice. He was arge ck man with a bald head and broad shoulders. Dressed impably in a white linen suit, he rose from behind the ornately carved rosewood desk that dominated his office. I could see why Alexander wanted Mantled Alpha blood before challenging him.


    ¡°Luna Volkov,¡± Cyprian said in a deep baritone voice. ¡°Your Council Chairman was shocked to hear that you were in my home requesting an audience. He did not send you, and you do not convey his authority. You are not even on the council anymore,¡± he said as he greeted her by lifting her hand to his nose.


    Raising back up, he moved to me. ¡°And Alpha Heir Vivian Lawrence,¡± he said as he lifted my outstretched hand. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet one as young and aplished as yourself.¡± He froze when he got a good sniff of me. ¡°Who bit you?¡±


    ¡°That is why we are here, Master Pontalba,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please, call me Cyprian. Sit, and we will discuss this.¡± Adrienne and I sat in the antique red-upholstered chairs in front of his desk. ¡°You were bitten voluntarily?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there is more to the story,¡± I said.


    ¡°Perhaps you should start from the beginning,¡± he said as he sat back. Adrienne started to talk, but he held up his hand. ¡°Vicki is the one who let one of my kind feed from her, and I want to hear her story,¡± he said. ¡°Leave us.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°She is my responsibility,¡± Adrienne objected.


    ¡°She is of age, is she not? Did she offer her neck, or did you offer it for her?¡± Her face answered for her. ¡°Wait outside, Luna. Your niece is in no danger from me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She got up and walked out. I¡¯d seen Luna Adrienne deal with obstinate Alphas, disputes, and feuds in the thirteen years I had known her. I never saw her back down before another the way she did at this moment. ¡°Leave the link open for me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Cyprian reached into a refrigerator behind his desk and took out a bottle of water for me. ¡°The beginning is a good ce to start,¡± he said.


    ¡°For that, we need to go back to mying of age,¡± I said. ¡°It was in Florida at the annual Alpha Summit that I found my mate balls-deep in another. From there, it went downhill.¡±


    ¡°Take your time,¡± he said as he leaned back. ¡°I have all night.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #70

    It took me twenty minutes toy everything out up to the point of meeting Emily in Das. Cyprian called in Cornelia to take notes, and two other vampires listened from chairs along the wall. ¡°I trust Emily more than Alexander,¡± I said. ¡°Her motivation makes sense. If they are holding the two and it gets out, she knows your Council will destroy her Coven. Bying forward to me, then to you, she hopes to escape the punishmenting without betraying her Master.¡±


    Cyprian leaned back in his chair. ¡°She betrayed him to you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Least evil of the options,¡± I said. ¡°When we arrived, you called the Chairman of the Werewolf Council before you even asked why we were here. If Emily had arrived unannounced, would you have called Master Alexander before asking why?¡± He thought about it, then nodded. ¡°She couldn¡¯te here, and she couldn¡¯t contact you directly.¡±


    ¡°And she stands to gain power and money if she is right,¡± he said.


    ¡°If she is right, then she is averting a war between our kind,¡± I said. ¡°The Packs will not tolerate werewolves being kept captive as blood banks. It doesn¡¯t matter if they are rogues; the female is PREGNANT. All Pack werewolves will understand the threat if this stands. We have a chance to head that off and keep the peace that hassted over a century.¡±


    ¡°Thoughts?¡± Cyprian looked to his advisers, neither of whom he¡¯d introduced when they arrived.


    ¡°If her information is correct, we MUST act quickly,¡± the first one said. ¡°The treaty is between species and requires the Councils to control their kind. A war between us in this age of technology is unthinkable. We must crush the idea of gaining power this way before it spreads.¡±


    ¡°By offering her neck, Vicki tempts other Masters to seek out Werewolf blood to maintain their positions. It is the equivalent of an arms race among our kind, one that cannot end well. Master Alexander has Mantled Alpha blood in his system; he will be a difficult target to take down.¡± He looked at the ground. ¡°Even for you, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Cornelia?¡±


    ¡°Master Corvinus wants your position, and will stop at nothing to get it,¡± she said. ¡°At the first hint that his secret is out, he will kill the pair and hide the evidence. The blood he will hide until he needs it.¡±


    ¡°I need more than suspicions and secondhand reports to justify removing him and his Coven,¡± Cyprian said.


    ¡°Emily ced a recorder in Alexander¡¯s office,¡± I said. ¡°She provided me with recordings. You may not believe me, but perhaps you will believe his own words.¡± I handed over the memory chip; Adrienne had already copied them and listened to them, but I had not. ¡°Anything I should tell them about the recordings Emily gave us?¡±


    ¡°They are in chronological order, and she¡¯s edited them well,¡± Adrienne replied.


    One of the men put the chip into a tablet and started to y the recordings. My eyes got wide as I listened in; I was shocked that he would be so cavalier about his acts. When the vampire finished ying the recordings, I expected to see Cyprian showing anger or disgust. Indifference was not what I expected. ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°What do you expect from me, pup?¡±


    I bristled at the insult but kept my wolf down. ¡°I expect the Vampire Council to do what the Werewolf Council would do if we heard a Pack was holding Vampires captive. I expect you to free the pair and punish those who broke yourws.¡±


    He didn¡¯t react to that. ¡°And how does this desire of you benefit me?¡±


    I had to spell this out? The Supreme Vampire was centuries old! ¡°I just brought you evidence of wrongdoing, acts that could result in a species war reigniting, and you¡¯re worried about what YOU get out of the deal?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said. Instead of continuing, he got up and looked out the window overlooking the gardens. ¡°You brought me proof that Master Corvinus vited ourw and is hiding it from the Council. Your problem is with HIM, not with me. I shouldn¡¯t get in the middle of a lover¡¯s quarrel.¡±


    My anger was building as I stood. ¡°That Master is going to use his blood bank to strengthen himself. He ising for YOU, Master Pontalba! My warning should be enough for you to act, even if YOUR SELF-INTEREST IS NOT!¡± I wanted to wrap him up and choke some sense into him.


    He just stared at me, unemotional, his eyebrow going up as my anger burned out. I was deted and embarrassed when I realized what he had done. Cyprian had goaded me like a child, and I had proven my immaturity andck of self-control. I sat down again, using my breathing exercises to calm myself.


    Heughed at me. ¡°You¡¯re glorious in your passion, young Vicki. It is no wonder Alexander desires to add you to his collection of beautiful things.¡±


    The thought of Alexander controlling me made me shiver. ¡°I¡¯m d I can provide you with some amusement,¡± I said snippily.


    ¡°You could persuade even me to take a walk on the wild side, even though I find your species to be crude and overly emotional. Still, I bet you¡¯ll be a hellcat in the sack once someone manages to pry those thighs apart.¡±


    I wanted to smack the shit out of him, but that would just prove his point. ¡°I prefer my lovers to have a pulse and a soul,¡± I said as I stood again. ¡°I see I am wasting my time. Thank you for listening to me. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have important business with people who can get off their asses and do something.¡± I turned around and began to walk towards the door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said as I reached for the handle. I stopped but didn¡¯t turn back. ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t help.¡±


    I turned around with my hands on my hips. ¡°You refused to act, so why should I continue this conversation any further?¡±


    ¡°Please, sit.¡± Cyprian motioned towards a love seat near the door. I sat, and he took the spot next to me. ¡°Ask your Aunt toe in, please. I know she¡¯s been listening via the link.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I let out a giggle a few secondster.


    ¡°What is so funny,¡± he asked.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She told me I graduated from the Leo Volkov School of Diplomacy. I told her that school didn¡¯t exist, and her reply was ¡®Exactly.''¡±


    Luna Adrienne picked that moment to walk in and took the seat that Cyprian indicated. ¡°Luna, I asked you to be here so you can confirm what I¡¯m about to tell your niece.¡± He looked over to the others, then back to me. ¡°The Vampire Council is a ruling body, but my authority over individual Covens is quite limited. You brought me evidence, but I cannot arrest or execute another Master on my own.¡±


    ¡°What is your process?¡±


    ¡°It would start with me calling for a meeting of the full Council. I would provide the Masters with the equivalent of an indictment, specifying the charges andying out the evidence against him. The Council would meet here three dayster. Master Corvinus would have the opportunity to defend himself, including cross-examining witnesses and introducing exculpatory evidence. Eventually, the Masters would vote. If found guilty, Master Corvinus would face execution.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work for Traci and Timothy,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°Within minutes of me calling for the conference, the pair would be dead and buried. I can¡¯t send my vampires onto another Master¡¯s territory without their permission. The ONLY exception to this is during a time of open warfare between vampires and another species.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see how any of this meant him helping us. ¡°So you can bring Master Corvinus to judgment after he¡¯s had the time to kill two werewolves and hide the evidence,¡± I said.


    ¡°Unless,¡± Adrienne said as she picked up where he was going.


    It finally hit me. ¡°Unless the Werewolves start a war.¡±


    He smiled and sat back, pleased that I put it together so quickly. ¡°And that attack on Vampire territory has to wait until my people are close enough to intervene and restore order after the prisoner rescue.¡±


    ¡°I have already begun to gather warriors from eight Packs to storm the building where the pair is captive,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°It was my backup n in case you didn¡¯t help. They will be assembled by six in the morning, just outside the Boston city limits.¡±


    Cyprian nodded approvingly. ¡°A wise n. My private jet is ready, and we should go now if we are to make Boston by seven.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #71

    Cyprian and his vampires grabbed a few bags before we left his office. ¡°Give her the keys to your rental car, and she will return it,¡± Cordelia said to Adrienne as she passed one of the human familiars.


    ¡°Papers are in the glove box,¡± she said as she handed it over.


    We walked across to the garage, loading up in his ck Cadic SUV. The gas-guzzling tank was fifteen years old, built before Federal standards took away the size and power fromter versions. The bench seats gave us plenty of room to getfortable. ¡°How are we going to coordinate this,¡± I asked them. ¡°You need to make it look like a war, but not too big of one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°Your werewolves need to rescue the two wolves. Anyone else at the building is a casualty of war; they will either be vampires or familiars. Alexander would not trust anyone else to hold them.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°You will run into Maximillian for sure, maybe one or two other junior vampires, based on the tapes Emily provided,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Hit it hard and get out of there, because Alexander and any remaining Coven members can be there in fifteen minutes. The rm will go out as soon as they scent you, or the first door opens.¡±


    It made sense. ¡°How are you going to do this, Luna?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the rescue gets done quickly and quietly. We¡¯ll be long gone before reinforcements arrive.¡± She had that smile to her that said she had something up her sleeve. ¡°Technology has improved a little since thest war. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±


    She was no fun. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°You are the distraction,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°You need to meet with him in the morning at his office to ensure he is AT his office when we attack. If he is in the building with the captives, your attack might fail.¡± I could see that; having two or more powerful Vampires on Mantled blood would be a disaster, no matter how many wolves we throw at them. I spent the rest of the short drive thinking of what I would say, and then I stepped behind the hangar when we reached the airfield and made the call.


    ¡°Vicki, this is a surprise,¡± Alexander said as he answered.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± I said. ¡°My Alpha and my parents can¡¯t figure out who is behind the attacks, and I can¡¯t live like this anymore!¡± I started crying as he calmed me down. ¡°You have contacts that my family doesn¡¯t. I need the hitman stopped, and the person behind it dead.¡±


    ¡°My helpes with a price,¡± he said.


    ¡°I understand that. I¡¯m getting on a redeye to Boston right now, on my way to Woods Hole to film some additional segments for the shark documentary. I can stop by your office at eight in the morning if you can see me. We can discuss your price then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Eight will be fine. I look forward to seeing you, Vicki. I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    ¡°I missed you, too. Goodnight, Alexander.¡± I hung up and walked back to the others as they finished loading into the Learjet. ¡°Eight o¡¯clock at his office,¡± I told them as I sat down.


    ¡°Good,¡± Cyprian responded. ¡°Now, take this, and I¡¯ll exin what you need to do when you meet.¡± He handed me a small bundle inside a Ziplock bag. I looked at it for a second before realizing what it was. ¡°Open the bag and let it drop in there, that will keep any scents but yours from attaching.¡± I did so, zipping up my purse after it was in the bottom of the bag.


    It took almost an hour to finish the nning, and I slept for the rest of the flight.


    Cyprian had an Uber waiting for me when we arrived, while Pack vehicles picked up everyone else. Adrienne and the vampires rode in the same car, with the wolves giving them a wide berth. The airport had a locker room with a shower, and I scrubbed the scent of vampire off my skin and hair before putting on clean clothes and tossing the old ones. They were gone when I came back out, so my ride took me downtown.


    I arrived early enough to stop at a caf¨¦ for breakfast. I was thankful no one recognized me sleep-deprived, bruised, and starving. I had two breakfast croissants with egg, cheese, and sausage, plus arge orange juice. I wanted to get my fluids up forter.


    I walked into his office building just before eight and took the elevator to his floor. Emily met me at the elevator. ¡°Wee back, Vicki. Master Alexander will see you now,¡± she said without emotion. She walked me to the door and opened it, remaining outside as she closed it.


    ¡°Vicki,¡± Alexander said as he came around his desk. ¡°Sit, please.¡±


    I did, and I thought about James nearly dying until I let out a sniffle. Alexander had a handkerchief out in an instant, and I used it to dry the tears from my eyes. ¡°I know one thing you want from me, and I¡¯ll give it, but not the same way. You weren¡¯t honest with me about the effects of drinking from my neck, were you?¡±


    He at least pretended to look contrite. ¡°No, but I didn¡¯t want to scare you off. I¡¯m sure they told you the effects would wear off in time.¡±


    ¡°They did, but now you¡¯ll only get the bottled version.¡± I opened my purse and retrieved the kit. I used a disposable alcohol pad to prep my left arm, then removed the needle cap and inserted it into a vein. The blood bag I left on the floor, the tube turning red as it started to fill the bag.


    His mood changed when he smelled the blood, and he forced himself to go back behind the desk. I smiled as I saw the effect it had on him. ¡°Finding the people after you will not be easy,¡± he said. ¡°I will have to devote time and money to the search, and I will need to call in favors. None of this is cheap.¡±


    ¡°I have money,¡± I said.


    He waved his hand. ¡°I will make more money off investments during this conversation than you are worth, Vicki. Money does not interest me. The things I am looking for are worth more than money.¡±


    ¡°My blood?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Among other things. I will require much more than that bag, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°I will give you one like this every six weeks for a year,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t give blood more often than that.¡±


    ¡°Two years,¡± he said. I gulped and nodded my assent. ¡°I don¡¯t want it delivered by FedEx, either. I will send my jet for you, and we will enjoy dinner and drinks together while you make your payment. I wish to enjoy yourpany as well as your blood, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°IF you find them and eliminate them,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this. My Mom is going to be furious with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you, Vicki. I like you, and I want to see what you be. The world is a better ce with you in it.¡± He smiled at me as I looked down. The bag was nearly full. ¡°Oh, onest thing,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± Did he want my firstborn child?


    ¡°I would like you to sign this for me,¡± he said. He reached behind a bureau and pulled out a framed copy of the poster showing me on my hands and knees after saving the boy.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. I took a Sharpie out of my purse before he set the frame in myp. My dear Alexander, thank you for everything. Your Sharkbabe, Vicki.¡± I put the pen away and handed him back the poster. ¡°I think it¡¯s full now,¡± I said as I lifted the blood bag. I used the mp in the kit to close the tube, then pulled the needle out and held a pad over it.


    ¡°Let me,¡± Alexander said. He moved the pad aside and gently kissed the needle site. His saliva instantly healed it. ¡°Exquisite,¡± he said as he licked the blood off his lips.


    I wrapped the bag up and handed it to him. ¡°I need to meet my driver and head down to the Cape,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, Alexander. I hope you call me with news soon.¡± I sent a text saying I was ready to leave but wasn¡¯t to my driver. Instead, the message told the new Killington Pack Alpha that it was time for the assault to begin.


    ¡°I will put all my resources on this,¡± Alexander said. ¡°Have a good trip.¡± I walked out just as his phone rang.


    Emily greeted me at the reception area. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out shortly.¡±


    Her phone started to buzz; looking at it, she frowned. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency message to meet in the parking garage,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± the receptionist asked as she grabbed her purse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I heard a scream from inside the office, and the sound of furniture breaking. Emily rushed inside the office, freezing when she saw what was happening.


    I was right behind her.


    Alexander was on the floor, the blood bag I had just given him in his hand. Some of my blood covered his face and lips, but it was bubbling violently like an acidic reaction and blistering his skin. He screamed as he tried to wipe it off to no avail, the fleshing with it. He started coughing violently, sending ckened chunks of flesh flying out of his mouth.


    The receptionist fainted as she looked at her dying master.


    ¡°Help¡­. Me¡­.¡±


    Emily looked at me, her eyebrow rising before she nodded respectfully to me. Walking over to the wall, she took down a katana and drew the de. ¡°It¡¯s your kill if you want it,¡± she said.


    I did.


    Alexander tried to raise his hand, but the sanguinarine in my blood was eating his body from the inside. The deadly toxin is derived from the bloodroot nt and was already inside the bag when I added my blood to it. ¡°This ends with you,¡± I said.


    He closed his eyes before the razor-sharp de separated his head from his body.


    I cleaned the de on his five-thousand-dor suit coat, then held it out to Emily. ¡°No, it¡¯s yours now,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s priceless, forged by Japanese Master Masamune around 1300. Consider it a down payment on your share of the antiques in this office.¡±


    My phone dinged. ¡°Retrieved¡±


    I looked around, not wanting to stay. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you to divide these things equitably and ship my portion to me in Coronado, Master Emily,¡± I said. ¡°My people have retrieved the captive werewolves, and we will all leave your territory now.¡±


    ¡°That would be best. I¡¯d hate to have war break out.¡±


    I barely kept theugh in. ¡°Thank you for your trust in me, Emily. I won¡¯t forget it.¡±


    ¡°You yed your part perfectly,¡± she said. ¡°I cannot be med for the actions of a werewolf, after all. It was foolish of the Master to have you in his office alone. With Alexander and Maximillian dead, I must step up and lead.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Master Emily.¡± I walked out of the room, leaving her with the body. I saw a light nket over the back of an antique chair in the reception area; I wrapped the Japanese sword in it. I didn¡¯t need to attract the attention of the police or the Uber driver.


    Twenty minutester, I was out of vampire territory. My face broke into a wide smile.


    I¡¯d done it.

 SHARKBAIT #72

    I got out of the Uber in the parking lot of the airport. Luna Adrienne, Alpha Leo, and my parents were all there waiting for me. I almost forgot the sword in my excitement to get to them; I quickly thanked the driver, then grabbed my wrapped bundle, and stepped out. I was engulfed in hugs, eventually able to breathe and move again.


    I saw Supreme Vampire Cyprian Pontalba standing well apart from the werewolves milling about the parking lot. He stood with a small group of vampires, some from his Coven, some not. ¡°We heard Master Alexander is dead,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°He is,¡± I said. ¡°I removed his head with this sword. Emily is now in charge of the Boston Coven.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Master Cyprian must have heard that because he turned towards me. He walked towards our group, apanied by another Vampire wearing an expensive suit. They stopped a few feet away from me, as my family formed a semi-circle behind me. ¡°You killed Master Corvinus?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I said.


    ¡°How,¡± the well-dressed man asked.


    ¡°My apologies, Heir Lawrence. This man is my colleague, Master Vampire Vincenzo Mn, the New York City Coven leader.¡±


    ************


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I said as I offered my hand. Vincenzo shook it warily. ¡°I obtained recordings that told me Master Corvinus was not just lying to me, but he ordered the attempt on my life a few days ago. The same audio verified Corvinus was holding two ranked werewolves in the basement of a building in his territory, making them into his personal blood bank. Both acts are grounds for war between our species.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this until a few minutes ago,¡± Vincenzo objected.


    ¡°We found outst night. Luna Adrienne raised the army, and you know the rest.¡± I could see Timothy and Traci sitting in the open door of a minivan, their injuries being tended to by a Pack doctor. I looked at Cyprian. ¡°You were able to verify Corvinus was viting the treaty?¡±


    ¡°We were,¡± he said. ¡°Our people arrived at the location just after the werewolves brought the pair out. Two of Corvinus¡¯ vampires died fighting them.¡±


    ¡°Now, how did you kill Alexander,¡± Vincenzo asked.


    ¡°I got close to him and used this sword to remove his head,¡± I said. ¡°He fucked with me, and I took him out.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Vincenzo said.


    ¡°The Werewolf Council is satisfied that the Vampire Council did not know of or sanction Master Corvinus¡¯s actions, and we have retrieved our people and killed the ones responsible,¡± Luna Adrienne said. ¡°Our people are out of Coven territory and returning to their homes. We would prefer to treat this as an aberration in an otherwise sessful treaty between our peoples.¡±


    ¡°I would agree,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°If our Council had known of his actions, the oue would have been the same. We have no wish to go back to the time before the treaty was in ce.¡±


    ¡°What about them,¡± I said as I pointed to the newly-freed couple.


    ¡°I will ensure the new Coven leader providespensation to them for their suffering,¡± Cyprian replied. ¡°Alexander had plenty of money; Emily can provide restitution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d our peace will endure, and I thank you for your assistance,¡± I said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to endure a stern talking-to from my father and my Uncle about going off on my own.¡±


    That got a smile out of Cyprian. ¡°If you are ever in New Orleans, you are wee in my home, young Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°I will need to stay here for a week or so until the Masters can meet, and Emily faces any challenges to her new status. My aircraft is at your disposal as long as you need it, Vicki. Have a safe trip home.¡±


    That was cool! I loved private jets, and it would make traveling with a samurai sword easier.


    Vincenzo extended his hand, this time bringing mine to his nose. ¡°I will not miss your next public appearance in New York. Thank you, Vicki, for resolving this cleanly.¡± The pair turned and headed back towards the other vampires.


    I turned back to my family and opened up the links. ¡°The Volkov School of Diplomacy is great! First, you kick ass like Leo, then you smile and mend fences like Adrienne.¡±


    They all startedughing. ¡°We better get you on the ne before your diplomacy goes bad,¡± Unka Leo said. ¡°Can we trust his pilot?¡±


    ¡°They are human, and I trust Cyprian wants us safely home,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t have anything except my purse and my new sword. ¡°I wish I could shower and change. I wiped the blood off where I could, but it¡¯s soaked into my dress.¡±


    ¡°I know, the smell is awful. I think I have something in my bag you can use,¡± Mom said.


    The pilots had another twenty minutes of preflight, so we sat in thefortable cabin of the aircraft. My Mom saw the hilt of the Japanese sword sticking out of the nket. ¡°Can I see that sword, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as I pulled it out.


    It was centuries old, and the craftsmanship was incredible. ¡°What do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°It was on Alexander¡¯s wall. Emily said it was priceless, made around 1300 by Masamune.¡±


    Mom had her tablet out and started searching for information while Dad pulled me close. ¡°You¡¯re taking too many risks, Sharkbait,¡± he said. ¡°Look, you¡¯re giving me grey hairs.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Dad, you had grey hairs when you met Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a little wild, but it¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going out of my way to get into trouble!¡±


    ¡°I know, honey. I just worry about you.¡± I leaned into his shoulder, the fatigue getting to me. ¡°Now, why do you have a boyfriend who is much older and rides a motorcycle?¡±


    ¡°Da-aaad,¡± Iined. ¡°James is a good man, a SEAL. I like him a lot.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not your mate,¡± Dad said. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt him if you let him get too close.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. I needed to change the subject. ¡°Luna, how did you guys take the vampires down so fast?¡±


    ¡°Armor and methrowers,¡± she said. ¡°Smelled horrible, but it¡¯s effective. It doesn¡¯t kill them right away, but it hurts them enough to bring the swords to bear. You aren¡¯t the only one who lopped off a vampire head today.¡±


    ¡°My sword wasn¡¯t as expensive, but it worked just as well,¡± Leo responded. ¡°Maximillian was defending the entrance to the cer when he got lit up and charged us.¡±


    I smiled and moved over to hug him. ¡°My Unky Leo is such a badass,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love you, Sharkbait,¡± he responded.


    ¡°HOLY SHIT,¡± Olivia said. ¡°Look at THIS!¡± Mom had a page up talking about Masamune, whom the page dered to be the greatest of all Japanese swordsmiths. I saw the photo she was pointing to; ¡°Honjo Masamune¡± was the title. The sword was an exact match to the one in herp.


    ¡°How?¡± I kept looking back and forth between the photo and the sword.


    ¡°The Honjo sword was the Sword of Shoguns,¡± she said. ¡°It was the finest sword Masamune created and is a Japanese National Treasure. Itsst sighting was in 1945 when the owner turned it in with fourteen other swords to a police station. The American Military upation had ouwed the manufacture or possession of swords. An American soldier signed for it, but no one matching that name was in the military in Japan. The sword¡¯s whereabouts are the subject of much spection; it is so well-known that selling it is impossible. Some think the sword was destroyed with the other collected weapons.¡±


    She handed me the tablet, and I read the article. ¡°I can¡¯t keep this,¡± I said. ¡°It belongs in a museum, not on my wall!¡±


    ¡°Your finding this will be a big story, and there will be questions if you bring it in,¡± Leo said. ¡°Questions you can¡¯t answer.¡±


    We talked for a few minutes and came up with a n. Instead of flying to Minnesota, we flew to Washington, DC. My newfound fame came with some benefits; the starstruck assistant at the Japanese Embassy was incredibly helpful. He was thrilled at the prospect of me filming a documentary in Japan about deep-water sharks. He got me a twenty-minute appointment with the Ambassador that afternoon. He was surprised when I asked that the Military Attache attend but agreed when I mentioned Amy¡¯s husband was a SEAL, and the project might include military divers.


    When we arrived at the Japanese Embassy, I only brought my parents inside with me while Leo and Adrienne went off to dinner. The Military Attache, a Commander in the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, met us at Security. The katana raised some eyebrows in the X-ray. ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± I said.


    ¡°I will have to hold it while we are inside,¡± the Commander said. With that, he escorted us to a waiting area where we drank tea and nibbled on snacks as we waited. ¡°Where did you get this,¡± he said as he looked at the sword closely.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather tell the story once,¡± I said.


    With that, the door opened, and a young woman asked us to follow her. The Ambassador looked up as we entered, and the Commander made the introductions. ¡°You wish to film a documentary in Japan,¡± he asked me.


    ¡°Yes, but that was just an excuse to meet with you. Commander, the sword?¡±


    He handed it over to his boss, and the Ambassador¡¯s eyes got big. ¡°This¡­ it can¡¯t be!¡±


    ¡°The Honjo Masamune sword. It is my gift to the Japanese people.¡±


    The Ambassador gently set the sword down and sat back in his chair. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Part of the reason I brought it to you is that your experts could authenticate it. I am fairly certain of what it is, but even if it is another maker, it is still worthy of museum disy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Take high-quality photographs and send them off to the experts,¡± I said. ¡°I can wait.¡±


    He made a phone call, and ten minutester, the emails and phone conversations wereing fast and furious. I couldn¡¯t follow thenguage, but I could sense the excitement. ¡°Further testing will be required to verify the age, but it matches thest known photographs of the Honjo. This gift is extraordinary,¡± he said.


    ¡°I prefer the donation remain from an anonymous donor, except those at the highest level of your government who need to know,¡± I said. ¡°All I am doing is returning a treasure to your people, and I cannot say how I obtained it.¡±


    ¡°Did you steal it?¡± I shook my head, no. ¡°Then it is of no consequence. My people are in your debt, Vicki Lawrence,¡± he said as he stood and bowed. ¡°If there is anything we can do for you, just ask.¡±


    I asked for only one thing, and he was happy to provide it. The Ambassador quickly set up a teleconference with the Prime Minister and the head of the two Japanese Houses. After informing them of my gift and desire to remain anonymous, they gave me time to address them directly. They listened attentively as I passionately advocated for shark conservation and the importance of banning shark-fin soup. I even got an invitation to testify in front of Parliament when the conservation bill came up for debate.


    We dined with the Ambassador and his family that night, leaving about ten that evening to head back to the airport. I couldn¡¯t keep the smile off my face after today¡¯s events.


    I slept the whole way back to Minnesota.

 SHARKBAIT #73

    Between all the people who wanted to talk to me back home and the FAA-required pilot rest, we couldn¡¯t take off again until after dark that night. With the time change, it was still midnight by the time Susan was dropping me off at home. ¡°Thanks for the ride,¡± I told her. ¡°Tell James that I¡¯ll see him first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± she said. ¡°Get some sleep, Vicki.¡±


    I walked to the front door and unlocked it; it was dark inside, but there were two smells present. Amy was the strongest, but the other was unexpected. I walked into the living room and saw James lying on the couch, dead to the world. I turned off the television and covered him with a nket before heading back to take a shower.


    I¡¯d done a lot of thinking about our rtionship while I was gone. I liked James a lot, and my human side could grow to love him. My wolf wasn¡¯t interested in him. I¡¯d talked to Mom and Brent about it, and that was unlikely to change if James became a werewolf. ¡°Your animal side knows what it wants,¡± Brent said. ¡°What if you fall in love and marry him, then you find your mate? What if you change him, and he finds his mate in another? What if he dies during the change?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer any of those questions. Mom wanted me to end the rtionship before it got any deeper while Dad just cautioned me not to let him expect much. ¡°I know kids your age don¡¯t need a rtionship to have fun,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t lead him on; it¡¯s not fair to him. He¡¯s much older, and deserves someone he can marry and raise a family with.¡±


    Having him in my home didn¡¯t help. I finished my shower, dressing in a T-shirt and panties for bed. I walked out of the bedroom to check on James before nodding off.


    He¡¯d pushed the nket off and rolled onto his back while I was gone. He wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt so I could see his injuries now. His left wrist was in a cast, and I could see the deep bruising from his broken ribs on his left side. Susan said his concussion symptoms had lessened, but he was still getting headaches and could be light-sensitive.


    Looking down at his loose shorts, I could see one thing that wasn¡¯t injured. His manhood was hard as steel, pushing up the thin material. The stic waistband was the only thing holding it back from me.


    I licked my lips and knelt to take a closer look.


    I wasn¡¯t ignorant of sex; it was all around me as I grew up in a Werewolf pack. Saving yourself for mating was encouraged, but not all females did. Amy and I even ¡®practiced¡¯ things at sleepovers, so I knew what I was doing, though this was my first time.


    I didn¡¯t want him waking up right away, so I moved my hand gently down his stomach and under the waistband that his little head was stretching out from his six-pack. I grasped his hard shaft gently, my fingers moving around it as my other hand pulled his shorts down out of the way. He wasn¡¯t overly long, but he was thick. I moved my head down, taking the head into my mouth and licking around it. He smelled manly, and the stimtion had him moaning in his sleep. I moved farther down the shaft with my tongue gentlyving him until he was at the back of my throat. I backed off until I was at the tip, then took him deep again.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he said sleepily. I felt him moving, but I didn¡¯t stop. This time, I pushed past the gag reflex and took him into my throat. ¡°Fuck, Vicki!¡±


    I backed off after a few seconds, then turned and smiled at him in the dim light. ¡°Lie back and enjoy this, James. I don¡¯t want you hurting your ribs.¡± I took him deep in one long move this time as his head fell back to the pillow. I moved up and down on his shaft, using my tongue and lips in what I hoped was a decent first effort. His moans and whispers told me it was. Popping off, I kissed the tip. ¡°Dating a free-diver has its advantages,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°This.¡± I took a few deep breaths as I licked him, then I drove his cock into my throat until my lips were at the base.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± he said as I swallowed around him. My tongue snaked out to lick his balls, and I moved around him to let his hard cock rotate while still in my throat. His hands went down to my head, gently holding it while I licked and sucked on his manhood.


    A minuteter, he got the idea as I still hadn¡¯t taken him out of my throat. ¡°Jesus, Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m close.¡± I smiled in victory, moving up and down slightly while keeping the head froming out. I could feel his muscles tensing, and his cock swelled a little in my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± he warned.


    I didn¡¯t pull off the way he expected; instead, I buried his cock deep in my throat and held him in ce with my hands around his muscled ass. He exploded down my throat, a half-dozen spurts going straight to my stomach as emptied his balls. I backed off, taking thest of him in my mouth. It was salty, but not unpleasant; I licked around the head to make sure I got it all before I moved back onto my knees. ¡°How was that,¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°Fucking amazing, just like you are,¡± he said as he looked over to me. His fingers moved to my face, caressing it as I leaned into them. He must have seen the doubt in my face, and it clicked for him. ¡°Have you ever?¡±


    ¡°Not until tonight,¡± I said. ¡°I did learn at a few rowdy sleepovers with the girls, but I¡¯ve never been with anyone.¡±


    ¡°If that was your first try, I¡¯m not going to survive you as an expert.¡± He pulled me towards his face and down for a kiss. I¡¯d heard some guys didn¡¯t want to taste themselves, so I almost pulled away. He didn¡¯t let me. His wee home kiss was long and left no doubt as to how d he was to see me.


    I backed up a bit. ¡°I¡¯m tired, and you need your rest,¡± I said. ¡°Come to bed with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± I helped him sit up, noticing his grimace from his injured ribs. I took his hand and led him to my bedroom. I pulled down the sheets and helped him getfortable. I tossed my shirt aside as I went around to the far side of the bed. I climbed under the covers with him, and he pulled me to his uninjured right side so my head was resting on his shoulder. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°In the morning,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk then.¡± I fell asleep quickly, his scent in my nose and his taste in my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m having the most erotic dream.¡± That is what I thought to myself as I started to wake. It felt like butterflies were flitting across my wet sex, teasing me with their gentle caresses. The wet strokes got longer, and I nearly came as something circled my clitoris. ¡°Oh,¡± I moaned softly. My right hand moved down to help out, stopping short when it met hair.


    I figured out what was happening right at the point James licked me from bottom to top, ending with him circling my clit and sucking on it gently. ¡°JAMES,¡± I cried out as I started to orgasm. I held his head in ce as my hips bucked against him, his tongue sending me from one toe-curling orgasm into the next. He finally relented, looking up at me with a satisfied grin. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said.


    ¡°Turnabout is fair y, I figure,¡± he grinned as he pushed himself up from between my legs. He kissed me deeply, letting me taste myself on his lips. ¡°You need to get up. Hammer will be here in ten minutes for your morning run.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I said as I rolled out of bed. I grabbed my running shorts and a sports bra out of my drawer, pulling them on. I heard James groan. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Covering such perfection is a tragedy,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have the girls flying all over while I run,¡± I said. ¡°Get dressed. You can take my car to the beach and work out at the exercise park instead.¡± We met Amy by the door, locking up and stretching for a minute while James drove out of the garage. He was gone before Hammer showed up. The three of us started jogging down the road towards the beach.


    ¡°You two had funst night?¡±


    I blushed as I looked at Amy. ¡°Oh, Luna, it was SO good,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s not your mate. You¡¯re ying a dangerous game.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You fooled around before you met your guy,¡± Iined.


    ¡°Yes, but I was honest with them that it was going nowhere. I see the way James looks at you, Vicki. He¡¯s falling in love with you.¡± She let me think about it for a while. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy. Don¡¯t toy with him.¡±


    She was right. Dammit.


    **********************


    After our morning workout finished, we showered and changed before we all went over to Hammer¡¯s ce. Susan was making a big breakfast for us. ¡°You¡¯re already taking over his house,¡± I teased as I helped bring the food over to the table.


    ¡°He¡¯d emptied the ce of everything that reminded him of his wife, and gave her family the antiques back that were family heirlooms. He turned this big home into a bachelor pad,¡± Susan replied. ¡°A poker table doesn¡¯t make for a good dining room setup. He moved that to the recreation room off the patio.¡±


    ¡°And Mom talked to him before she moved our stuff in,¡± Luke added. ¡°As long as she leaves his man-cave and the garage alone, she¡¯s got carte nche for the rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m happy you two are settling in.¡± It was always nice to see an example of someone who got a second-chance mate; it gave me hope. ¡°When are you going to tell him about our kind?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not ready yet,¡± Susan said. ¡°I should tell him before we return to Minnesota for Christmas. I don¡¯t want everyone to have to hide what they are because he¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°And changing him?¡±


    ¡°Not until we¡¯re married and only if he wants it. My wolf and I can handle him this way, and we don¡¯t want to risk him not making it through the change. I don¡¯t know if I could survive the loss of a second mate.¡± It was a logical choice, given the risks of changing him. No one knew why only half survived, but if strength and willpower counted, Hammer would make it. ¡°When are you having that talk with James?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #74

    ¡°Today,¡± I promised. As fun asst night was, it was a mistake. Getting involved sexually with him made what I had to do with our rtionship even harder. I had to know what it was like to be with a guy, and now I knew.


    It was pretty damn good.


    The guys came back into the room as we finished setting the table. Their timing was perfect, arriving as all the work ended. I sat between James and Amy, and his hand quickly found mine under the table. ¡°Amy, how is Kai doing in his training?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t getting any easier,¡± she said. ¡°Ricardo and Manuel are nning to stay with us this weekend. Larry broke his foot in training; he¡¯ll have to recycle back through another ss.¡±


    That meant starting over, and another Hell Week. ¡°That sucks. The twins know Makani and Noni are in Oregon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s better food and living conditions than they would have at the base.¡± The two were still interested in Kai¡¯s younger sisters, who were back home at their Pack training until school started down here.


    We were in the middle of eating when there was a knock on the door. It was Commander Mark Prentice, apanied by a man with a cheap suit and a badge from NCIS. Hammer invited them in, and James stood up when he saw his Commanding Officer. ¡°What¡¯s going on, sir?¡±


    ¡°The body of a Boston Police Homicide detective was found yesterday at a townhouse in Boston. He ate his gun,¡± the NCIS man said. ¡°In his home, Boston police found a trove of surveince on Vicki Lawrence, including a log of her movements. His hair matches a hair that Coronado Police found in the pickup truck that ran the two of you off the road. DNA testing will confirm it, but airline tickets they found ced him in San Diego at the time of your ident.¡±


    I tried to look shocked. ¡°So, I was the target, not James?¡±


    ¡°It would appear so,¡± the agent said. ¡°Here is the number of the investigator in Boston looking into the case. She needs you to call her today to see if you recognize the man or have previous run-ins with him.¡± He handed over a card with the details.


    The Commander spoke next. ¡°Petty Officer McFadden, since the investigation determined you are not the target, I called off the assignments for guys to watch over you. I expect to see you in the office Monday morning.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    The pair left, leaving James wondering why I wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± he said.


    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯d be shocked at the stuff my Bodyglove security detail deals with,¡± I said. ¡°Fans I can deal with, but some people get obsessed. When they don¡¯t take no for an answer, my detail has to get involved. I¡¯ve had death threats before, and I¡¯ll have wackos to deal with again.¡±


    ¡°You should stop if it is that dangerous,¡± James said.


    I stared at him. ¡°Look, I love what I do, and I won¡¯t stop doing it for anyone. I can take care of myself. Plus, I have people watching over me when I¡¯m in public as part of my contract.¡±


    James was getting angry now. ¡°Yet a man finds you and almost kills you within a mile of your house!¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did. He almost killed me while I was in thepany of a highly-trained Navy SEAL.¡±


    I saw his face drop as it all hit him at once. James med himself for endangering ME because of who HE was, and things HE had done in the past. Now, he knew that he failed to protect me when I was trusting him to keep me safe. It was a hard pill to swallow. ¡°You¡¯re right. I couldn¡¯t protect you, and you almost died because of it.¡±


    The sound of my fork hitting my te after I dropped it froze everyone. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡±


    ¡°You got hurt while you were with me,¡± he said.


    I smacked his forehead with my fingers as he sat there looking guilty. ¡°You heard the agent! He was obsessed with me, watching me for DAYS, and I didn¡¯t notice. Did any of you guys notice surveince?¡± Everyone else, including Hammer, said no. ¡°The first time I saw that guy was when he pulled up next to us on the road. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been through this a hundred times in your head. Tell me what you could have done differently when that truck cut you off.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°I could have braked harder, maybeid the bike down,¡± he started.


    I smacked his forehead again. ¡°I was there, you know. You had maybe half a second to react before he¡¯d knock us off the road. You braked and swerved, only crashing when the front wheel hit the soft sand. I went over the front of a motorcycle at fifty miles an hour, James. I LANDED on you and broke your ribs. I walked away from that ident with only bruises. I¡¯d say you did a HELL of a job of protecting me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I saw the ident scene. Sometimes, the best possible oue is that you live through it.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll take a car from now on. My boss is right,¡± I said. ¡°Being on a motorcycle is too big a risk to my career.¡±


    ¡°My motorcycle is totaled,¡± he said. ¡°I need to decide if I¡¯m getting another one. Doc said another concussion might result in a medical discharge.¡± The unfortunate part about concussions was that the more you had, the less trauma it took to get the next, and the longer it took to recover. He¡¯d had one severe concussion before this one when his Humvee got too close to an IED in North Africa.


    The rest of the meal was subdued. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay and help Mom after we get back from the dojo,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°I should head back to my apartment,¡± James said. ¡°Things should get back to normal now that my concussion symptoms don¡¯t require someone to monitor me around the clock.¡±


    It was a chance to be alone. ¡°Amy, if you drive with your Mom, I can take James by his apartment after training. We¡¯ll get lunch while we¡¯re out.¡± The apartment he shared with another SEAL was almost an hour away, a few blocks from the water in Mission Beach.


    ¡°Fine,¡± James said. He watched us grapple at the dojo, where I fought off a challenge and kept my spot in the rankings. Amy moved up two spots after her fight. Even Susan was no longer at the bottom of the list, despite only a few weeks of instruction.


    When James and I got into my car, it was time for me to talk. ¡°James, we need to talk,¡± I said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he muttered. No man wanted to hear those four words. ¡°What about?¡±


    ¡°Us,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t been open and honest with you about myself and what I¡¯m looking for,¡± I said. ¡°You know I¡¯m an eighteen-year-old virgin?¡±


    ¡°As shocking as it is, yes,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that with your looks and fame. You¡¯ve got guys falling over themselves to get close to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saving myself for marriage, James. It hasn¡¯t been easy, and God knows you aren¡¯t making it any easier on me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire by getting into bed with me wearing only a brief bit of silk,¡± he said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t told me how inexperienced you were, I might have woken you in apletely different way.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± This talk was hard, and I took a moment to focus. ¡°The thing is, I like you a lot, and you¡¯re fun to be around. Deep down, though, I know I don¡¯t love you, and I don¡¯t see myself loving you. I know you aren¡¯t the one I¡¯m going to marry. I feel guilty I¡¯m leading you on when all you can be is a friend with benefits.¡±


    ¡°Is it the age difference? My job?¡± He was trying to hold back his emotions; I could hear it in his voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re at far different ces in our lives,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve got the military, deployments, the Teams, and you deserve a woman who can be there to support you through that. A woman who can give you a home and a family. I¡¯m not her.¡±


    ¡°You could be, Vicki. I¡¯m falling in love with you.¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°I¡¯m starting college in a week. I have my career, one that involves me traveling the world. I¡¯m going to be filming specials, going on expeditions, modeling, and advocating for shark conservation. I¡¯m going to be gone more than I¡¯m around, and I¡¯m going to be dating other men. You¡¯ll see me with others in the gossip pages, and it¡¯s not fair to you. I¡¯m a teenager, James, and I¡¯m going to be a whole different woman in five years. I can¡¯t be in an exclusive rtionship with you, James. I¡¯m not ready for that with you or anyone else.¡±


    It was a hard pill to swallow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let you go, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°You never had me, James. There¡¯s only one man out there who can capture my heart, and it isn¡¯t you.¡± His eyes closed, and I saw a tear forming. ¡°Find the woman who is like that for you. I¡¯m still your friend, and I want you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Vicki. I WAS happy. I¡¯ve never met a woman like you. All other women pale inparison.¡±


    We didn¡¯t say anything for the rest of the drive. I pulled into the parking lot of his building, and he grabbed his bag from the back seat as I came around to the passenger side. ¡°I wish I felt like you do, James. You¡¯re a good man.¡± I melted into his arms and let them wrap around me.


    ¡°Friends with benefits is the best I can get,¡± he asked. I nodded against his chest. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it. Who knows what life will bring, Vicki? Besides, I need a friend with a ce near work who has a hot tub.¡±


    I startedughing as the tears came. ¡°Keep your eyes open, James. I want you to find that woman meant for you.¡± He kissed me goodbye, and it was different now. I let him go and went back into the car, watching him walk into the lobby as tears ran down my face. I wiped them off and backed out of the spot.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears. I didn¡¯t want to be in an empty house, so I drove to Hammer and Susan¡¯s ce. Susan could tell I was upset when I linked her I¡¯d be over, and she met me at the door. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right, Vicki,¡± she said as she pulled me inside. I was in her arms, sobbing away, and Amy soon joined us.


    ¡°It¡¯s so unfair!¡± I broke down again. ¡°Why is Luna doing this to me? What did I do to deserve this pain?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Vicki. I do know that waiting for your mate is the best thing you can do.¡± I tried to sleep on their couch, but it wouldn¡¯te.


    I promised myself I¡¯d spend more time looking for my mate, even showing up at the Scratch and Sniff every year.


    I promised myself I¡¯d focus on my studies and my sharks.


    And I promised myself I¡¯d never let another man get close to me again until I found the man for me.

 SHARKBAIT #75

    Kai and his friends stayed over the weekend, but I wasn¡¯t much of a hostess. I worked out, ate, and prepared for my uing appearances. For every Bodyglove event on my schedule, I had radio and television interviews to do. Almost all were taped ahead of time with the local hosts and yed in the leadup to the event. By getting them done early, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them when we were in Oregon for the next two weeks.


    The extra security was over, but Alpha Steven didn¡¯t want me alone in public anymore. That was fine with me; I didn¡¯t feel like going anywhere. Even food didn¡¯t get me going.


    Amy finally had enough on Monday when she had to drag me out of bed for our morning run. ¡°You¡¯re better than this, Vicki,¡± she said. ¡°I know it sucks, but life goes on. I want my Sharkbait back.¡± She was right. I embraced her, then started to dress for our run. I heard the sound of air brakes and a diesel truck outside, then the too-close sound of a backing rm. ¡°Vicki, what¡¯s going on with the truck?¡±


    I ran out to the kitchen in my shorts and sports bra, pulling a Bodyglove tank top over it. Amy¡¯s vision was slowly improving, enough to tell it was a semi-truck, but not enough to read the side. ¡°ATLAS MOVING COMPANY,¡± it said on the side. ¡°Tell your Mom, have theme over just in case,¡± I said as I reached for the pistol we kept on top of the fridge.


    ¡°Hammer says to stall,¡± she replied from the phone thirty secondster.


    The truck stopped short of our garage door and set the brakes, the cab sticking out into the road. The driver got out with another man, both dressed in logo coveralls and ballcaps. The driver knocked at the door. ¡°Who is it,¡± I said.


    ¡°As Moving. We have a delivery for Vicki Lawrence.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Give me a minute to get dressed, and I¡¯ll be right out.¡± The guy walked back to his coworker, and they unlocked the back of the truck and swung the doors open. I could see different-shaped objects inside, all covered with moving nkets or packed into wooden or cardboard boxes.


    ¡°We¡¯re in ce,¡± Susan said.


    I looked out to see her with Hammer, walking down the street while holding hands. I tucked the small pistol into the pocket of my shorts and walked outside. ¡°I¡¯m Vicki Lawrence,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to see some identification before I can deliver this, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. Amy came up behind me and handed me my driver¡¯s license. He looked at it for a few seconds, then gave it back to me. ¡°Sign for delivery, please.¡±


    ¡°What if something got broken during the move? Is it insured?¡±


    ¡°It is. There¡¯s a signature below that for whether you have any damage ims. This signature just allows us to unload.¡± I read the parts, then signed where he had the X. ¡°What is this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Furniture and things. We picked it up in Boston and drove straight here. We¡¯re supposed to give you this stuff too.¡± He handed over a thick man envelope with my name on it.


    Emily. The office things. ¡°Aunt Susan? Can you look at this while Hammer and I help get this stuff put away?¡±


    They came up the driveway, and Susan took the envelope and went inside. Amy hit the button to open the garage door, allowing the movers could get their ramp down. Hammer took one look and shook his head. ¡°You better pull your car out and park it at my ce,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re going to fill up this garage and more.¡±


    I grabbed my keys and made room, running back from his nearby house. Susan was running things; furniture, pottery, and sculptures were staying in the garage for now, while textiles and paintings went into the living room. She was checking items off a list as she directed things. ¡°How much stuff did I get?¡±


    ¡°All of it,¡± she said as she flipped through the ten-page shipping manifest. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after they are gone.¡±


    It took almost an hour for the men to finish. All of the items had to be unpacked and inspected for damage, then repacked for now. Susan ran the unloading while Hammer and I kept busy with the inspections, marking the containers if they were undamaged. Amazingly enough, everything came through without a hitch. I signed the spot stating no shipping damage observed and tipped the guys five hundred each for their work. ¡°You guys did a great job packing and driving,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am. Have a nice day.¡± They loaded back up into their truck and drove off as Amy pushed the button to lower the garage door.


    ¡°What the hell just happened,¡± Hammer said. ¡°This isn¡¯t Ikea crap! These are museum-quality antiques! It must be worth a fortune!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll exin more once I¡¯ve had a chance to look at the paperwork and see what I¡¯m dealing with here. In the meantime, we should eat breakfast since we missed our run.¡±


    ¡°Luke has breakfast ready,¡± Susan said. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our ce and eat. I take it you aren¡¯t going to dojo today?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go,¡± I said. ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t going anywhere, and I need to keep my training up.¡± Hammer smiled at that; he understood the need to skip this morning¡¯s run, but not his training.


    We went back to his ce, where Luke had been flipping pancakes and frying up sausages and eggs for thest half hour. We all thanked him as we grabbed tes of food and tucked in. ¡°Susan, how much can we trust Hammer to know of the real story?¡±


    She had to think about that for a while. ¡°Hammer¡¯s already suspicious, and he¡¯s too stubborn to let things go. He knows there is more to that motorcycle attack than the NCIS let on. Maybe this is Luna¡¯s way of forcing the issue?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be home from the dojo at nine,¡± Amy said. ¡°We should talk to him then. That gives Vicki eight hours or so to figure out what she owns.¡±


    ¡°Who sent you all that stuff, Vicki?¡±


    I took some time chewing the stack of pancakes I¡¯d just stuffed into my mouth. Of course, that¡¯s when I get asked a question. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the paperwork, but I recognize some of the pieces from a friend¡¯s office in Boston.¡±


    ¡°Who do you know in Boston who would give you millions of dors worth of antiques?¡±


    ¡°A filthy-rich businessman who told me he was in love with me and wanted me to stay there and date him. He was pretty old, and I wasn¡¯t interested in what he had to offer. I turned him down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hell of a severance package,¡± Hammer noted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. I think it will end up being a full-time job for me, just when I don¡¯t need any more drama.¡± Now THAT was the absolute truth. The next Monday morning, Amy and I were flying up to Oregon for the start of the school year.


    ¡°Let the girl eat,¡± Susan said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to leave in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Luke, could you stay at our ce while we¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Vicki. I¡¯ll take the list Mom was using and start looking things up on the Inte. Maybe I can give you an idea of what is valuable and what is crap.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Luke.¡± It would have been a lot less painful for me to stay home and look up stuff because I was distracted and got my butt kicked during the ss. I tapped out after only thirty seconds when I was challenged, dropping three spots in the rankings.


    We stopped at Sawatdee for Thai takeout; I loved their Squid Pad Thai. When we walked in, Luke was staring at a painting he had leaning up against the wall, one of several he¡¯d removed from the cases. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We have a BIG problem, Vicki,¡± he said.


    I put the bag of food on the table and started to get sses down. ¡°What kind of big are we talking about?¡±


    By now, Susan and Amy were in the kitchen. Luke turned the screen on hisputer to show me the website. ¡°Take a look at that painting, then at this,¡± he said. The painting wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d have in my house; dark and uninteresting, it showed a woman ying the piano while another woman sang, and arge man sat facing away who must have been their instructor. Looking at the screen, it was the same. ¡°You found it?¡±


    ¡°Not just any IT, Vicki. This painting is The Concert by Johannes Vermeer. Thieves stole it from the Isabe Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990, along with twelve other works of art.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Alexander was rich as hell, why did he buy stolen art?¡±


    ¡°Vicki, that painting wasst valued at over three hundred and fifty million dors. It¡¯s the most valuable piece of stolen art in the entire world.¡±


    Ch. 57


    I dropped the tes I was carrying over, causing them to shatter on the floor.


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Look at the one next to it.¡± The next painting I liked a lot; it was dark, with a group of men in a wooden boat with sails, fighting the big waves tossing it around like it was nothing.


    ¡°That one I like,¡± I said. ¡°Lots of action, lots of brushstrokes.¡±


    ¡°You should. It¡¯s a Rembrandt; The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. It was stolen in the same heist, and is worth an estimated one hundred and fifty million dors.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Amy added.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Susan said.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I picked up the broken tes and swept the floor while I thought. Susan was looking over her son¡¯s shoulder as he checked other websites.


    Finally, my stomach growled and snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s eat while we think about this. The paintings aren¡¯t going to get up and walk away,¡± I said.


    Luke moved hisptop, and we dug into the food. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly keep these,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t keep stolen items,¡± I said. ¡°What did the envelope have it other than a packing list?¡±


    ¡°A will,¡± Luke said as he handed it over. I read through it quickly as I ate my spicy rice noodles and squid. It was pretty simple for such a fortune. Mr. Alexander Corvinus¡¯ estate was to be split evenly between his wife, Emily, and his brother, Maximillian. Max, of course, died in a tragic fire at his warehouse, meaning Emily would get everything.


    The art and antiques in his office and home, though, were willed to one Vicki Lawrence of Coronado, California. Emily gets his fortune tax free as his spouse, while the Feds and California would bend me over and take half of my share.


    I handed this to Susan and let her read it. ¡°Will this hold up?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Luke said. ¡°The statute of limitations on the art heist has expired. If you had stolen it, they couldn¡¯t prosecute for it. The FBI investigation was closed out decades ago.¡±


    I had to wonder; if these paintings were stolen goods, then how many other things in my home had been taken? ¡°We need toe clean, and soon,¡± I said.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Susan said. ¡°Today, we can say we didn¡¯t know and walk away unscathed. The longer we hide them, the greater the legal exposure could be.¡±


    We finished the food, and we all agreed on the path forward. ¡°You need to make the calls, Vicki. The works went directly to you, and you are the listed beneficiary in the will.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°You should take Amy and Luke back to Hammer¡¯s house. They don¡¯t need to be involved in this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m calling Alpha Stephen,¡± Amy said. ¡°He needs to know. You¡¯re not going to be able to hide this. I¡¯ll get him to send down a few warriors to help protect you and the art.¡±


    Susan agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll call Leo and Adrienne, and have them give the Council a heads up. The shit is going to hit the fan by tonight.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #76

    My first call was to the FBI Field Office in San Diego. ¡°I need to report the recovery of stolen art,¡± I told the receptionist.


    ¡°Hold, please.¡± A minuteter, a male agent in his twenties came on the line. He was clean-cut and athletic, just what I¡¯d expect from the junior guy in the office. ¡°FBI, Special Agent Powell.¡±


    ¡°Agent Powell, I¡¯vee into possession of at least two pieces of art stolen in 1990 from a museum in Boston. I¡¯d like to turn them in.¡±


    ¡°If you can bring them to the field office, we¡¯ll give you a receipt and take your statement,¡± he said as he sipped on a cup of coffee.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The two paintings I know of already are worth at least five hundred million dors.¡± THAT was enough to get his attention; the phone dropped to the desk, and I heard him shouting for others. ¡°Take a look.¡± I turned the phone so that he could see the paintings, and I exined what I¡¯d learned.


    He took my address and told me a team was on the way. I next searched for the number of the museum, eventually getting ahold of a curator.


    She fainted when I told her why I was calling.


    Her assistant picked up until she was able to talk again. With my address and the video evidence, they promised to retrieve the paintings as soon as they could get a flight here.


    My third call was to Boston, using the number on the card she had given me in Das. ¡°Vicki! I understand you received your inheritance?¡±


    ¡°You screwed me over, Emily! There¡¯s stolen art in here!¡±


    ¡°Oh, rx, I knew about that. That¡¯s why Alexander willed you all of the art and antiques; you¡¯ll lose a bunch when you figure out what is hot. I hope you don¡¯t mind making millions of dors, taking a headache away from a grieving widow.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be enough interest in Alexander¡¯s death without bringing it to my doorstep. When the FBI shows up, I¡¯ll show them his office and private rooms. Nothing but office furniture and records are left now, except for the Sharkbabe room.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Vicki, I had to have some reason why myte husband would gift millions of dors in art and antiques to a teenage girl he only met twice. Your signed poster has a prominent spot on the wall in that room. Alexander covered the Sharkbabe room walls with photographs of you, and a screen shows your appearances on television on an endless loop. A recliner in the middle is the only furnishing, well, except for the small table with the lube and the tissues.¡±


    Oh. My. God. ¡°Why would you do this?¡±


    ¡°Alexander and I were having marriage problems because he was OBSESSED with you. The FBI will see that, and that exins you being in the will. It¡¯s weird, but it works. I have to go, so good luck!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I think.¡± I had to sit down as my head was reeling with everything going on. I wanted to dive down deep and sit there until I was out of air. I¡¯d use the quiet to think in my happy ce.


    It wasn¡¯t to be.


    Sirens wereing closer as I walked towards the garage. I was a little shocked when two Coronado Police cruisers stopped in front of my house, the officers hurrying to my door. I met them on the porch. ¡°Officers?¡±


    ¡°Are you Vicki Lawrence,¡± Officer Brooks asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°The FBI asked us to secure the scene until they could arrive,¡± Officer Martinez added.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°You might as welle inside then,¡± I said as I opened the door.


    ¡°We¡¯ve supposed to secure the entrances to the home,¡± Martinez protested.


    ¡°You can do that from inside,¡± I said. ¡°And don¡¯t call me Ma¡¯am, I start looking for my Mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and wait for the FBI,¡± Officer Brooks said, but Martinez walked in with me.


    ¡°Can I offer you a drink? Water? Coke?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, Ma¡¯am.¡± Martinez moved to the patio doors, pulling up a folding chair to sit looking out.


    It was a good thing that he got that chair. An hourter, twenty FBI agents were inside my home. Susan had retained awyer, who sat with me as I gave my statement. ¡°You had no idea you were in the will,¡± the agent asked dismissively.


    ¡°I¡¯d only met Alexander Corvinus twice. I know he was a big fan, and I think he had a crush on me, but we never even kissed. The first I knew about the will was when the semi-trailer parked in my driveway.¡±


    He looked at the manifest I¡¯d provided. ¡°Where did Mr. Corvinus get the art,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. I remember some of the antiques were in Alexander¡¯s office in Boston. I¡¯d never seen these paintings before now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that Mr. Corvinus kept these private, given how famous the stolen art is,¡± mywyer said.


    ¡°When I realized the two paintings were hot, I stopped looking up the rest of the stuff and called you immediately.¡±


    He was struggling to believe the story. ¡°So you saw them for the first time less than two hours ago?¡±


    ¡°Not really. When it was delivered this morning, I did a quick check for shipping damage so I could sign the forms. I barely paid attention to what they were, though. There was so much going on.¡±


    In the end, the rest of my week got spent in thepany of the FBI, Museum staff, insurancepanies, and private owners. Roughly half of the items Emily had dumped on me were stolen, with the rest not registered to any previous owners.


    In the end, I didn¡¯t want a damn thing from Alexander in my house. I contacted Sotheby¡¯s Auction House, consigning the remaining items to auction in Los Angelester in the year. The FBI cleared me of any wrongdoing and even gave me amendation for recovering the art. Everything made the news, of course, and I gained a lot of goodwill with influential people.


    With no criminal charges, the reward money starteding in. The thirteen recovered works from the Gardner Museumted me twenty million dors in reward money alone. The rest of the stolen goods gained me eight million more in reward money from insurancepanies, paid out as the original owners traveled to my home to retrieve their property.


    I spent hours every day with mywyer, ountant, and investment manager as I got ready to leave for Oregon. My sudden wealth was mind-boggling for a girl who grew up in a Minnesota suburb. I had almost fifteen million in assets now, even after withholding for Federal and California taxes. I signed over million-dor reward checks to of Amy, Luna Adrienne, and Alpha Steven to thank them for their efforts, and I donated another million dors to my charitable foundation for shark conservation. My investment manager assured me I could livefortably on interest ie now, without having to touch my fortune. It was heady stuff for a teenager.


    ¡°What are you going to do with your newfound fortune,¡± Amy asked on Sunday as we packed for Oregon. Kai and the boys were soaking in the hot tub after dinner while I was in her bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy a boat,¡± I said. ¡°Something big enough to go open ocean and hang a shark cage from.¡±


    ¡°Wait until after the auction of the rest of the stuff,¡± Amy said with augh. The Sotheby¡¯s auction house estimated the rest of the collection would fetch me another ten million dors. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need a bigger boat.¡±


    *********


    Any thought of college life like any other student was gone before we made it to the registration office.


    Mercedes had been right when she called usst night to remind us of the terms of our contract. ¡°You¡¯re going to be all over social media,¡± she said. ¡°Media, students, and even the faculty want to be seen with you. You¡¯ll receive more attention than you arefortable with, and invitations you should never ept. Conduct yourselves as representatives of ourpany, and ALWAYS be seen in Bodyglove merchandise. Even in your private rooms, people who visit will take and share photos of you.¡±


    That was why we showed up with Bodyglove line dresses and heels for the first day of school. I was wearing a print that showed forty different species of sharks, while Amy¡¯s dress was in an ocean pattern. We had security from our Pack, two male and two female warriors in ck suits plus Amy¡¯s ¡®seeing-eye dog,¡¯ and we needed them just to get away from our SUV. The press was waiting for us, along with a few dozen students. We smiled as we got out, the cameras clicking away as we waved.


    The crowd closed in with everyone excited to see us. We must have spent twenty minutes signing autographs and taking photos with people, and we hadn¡¯t gone fifty feet from the car yet. The group was friendly, and we got invited to every sorority, fraternity, and dorm party there was this week. The crowd continued to build as our presence hit social media, and the mood started to turn. I could hear shouting as a fight broke out in the back, and the crowd kept pressing in on us. Campus Security was trying and failing to keep the area around us open. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here, Vicki. This isn¡¯t a defensible position,¡± the lead warrior sent.

 SHARKBAIT #77

    ¡°Back in the car,¡± I ordered. The three warriors started to push towards the rear door of the car, where the driver waited with the engine running. Some members of the crowd saw what we were doing and moved to block us, but a loud growl from the dog stopped them. Hands reached out to grab us, and I heard a rip as the sleeve of my dress tore in someone¡¯s hand. Amy pulled loose from another¡¯s grasp, and our guards formed a wedge to make a path for us. Amy and I grabbed onto their suit jackets to keep up after we broke out of the people. The first warrior got the door, and Amy and I piled in the back with our guards. As soon as we were all inside, we were moving. I watched as our fans filled the street, watching us drive away. ¡°Everyone all right?¡±


    Nothing more than bruises with my ruined dress being the only damage. Since we were werewolves, we pulled out another dress from the emergency clothes we kept in the car, and I quickly dressed behind the tinted windows. The driver looked back as we stopped at a light. ¡°Where to, boss?¡±


    ¡°Home for now,¡± I said. There was no point in us trying to go to orientation, not when the reaction was like this. No one said anything as we drove. The ten-minute drive took twice that, as we shook the paparazzi trying to follow us to the condominium the Three Sisters Pack maintained near the campus for Pack students. I just shook my head as we moved through the city, amazed at how things had changed. I¡¯d been famous before, I¡¯d hung out with celebrities, and I could handle crowds. My newfound wealth, and the scandalous manner I¡¯d attained it, had the gossip rags out for blood.


    We parked in the garage, letting it close before we got out. No one at the school knew where we were living, and we weren¡¯t going to advertise it. ¡°I need to talk to the Alpha about this,¡± the lead warrior said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call the Dean¡¯s Office and see what we can do,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more than Campus Security should deal with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will calm down that quickly, either,¡± Amy said. ¡°Too many people want a piece of you, and they¡¯ll go after me to get to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty popr on your own,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m happily married, though. You¡¯re the dream girl,¡± she teased as she went into her room.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked up the number for the Dean¡¯s Office and had him on videophone a few minutester. ¡°I want to apologize for themotion,¡± I told him as I closed the door to my room to talk.


    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, Miss Lawrence,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve already been briefed by Campus Security. We should have assigned more people to you knowing your celebrity.¡±


    ¡°It was more than I normally get,¡± I said. ¡°I thought this would work for me, but it won¡¯t. My presence puts the school and your security team at risk. I¡¯d still like to meet you and the faculty I¡¯ll be working with, but walking around campus won¡¯t be happening.¡± We discussed some options and agreed to a new n before I hung up.


    ¡°Are there any good barbecue spots around here,¡± I asked as I came back out.


    ¡°Way ahead of you, Sharkbait,¡± Amy said. She handed me the tablet, which had the menu for Bill and Tim¡¯s Barbeque and Taphouse. ¡°All of us have our orders in already.¡± I added a brisket sandwich and a full rack of rib te to the list of food and charged it to my new corporate card. My ountant and investmentwyer knew I¡¯d need more anonymity, so they formed two entities. The ¡°Three Sisters Investments, LLC¡± card was for personal use, while ¡°SB Fashions¡± was for business. It made it easier to separate thingse tax time.


    ¡°We meet starting at noon, so there¡¯s plenty of time for the food to arrive.¡± I exined the arrangement I¡¯de to with the Dean. I¡¯d linked it to the warriors as I talked through it, so I knew the Alpha was in agreement too. ¡°All of our course work is going to be online since it¡¯s too dangerous for us to attend sses. We meet in the administration building with the Dean. He is arranging for all our Professors to stop by between one and four. We¡¯ll get a chance to meet them, get our course materials, and ask questions.¡± I guess when you are rich and famous, the Dean assigns real staff to you. Our fellow freshmen would be lucky to see a professor, as graduate assistants teach undergraduate sses.


    ¡°So much for having fun as college students,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the Pack tonight,¡± the lead warrior said. ¡°You can stay and rx for a few days while Alpha Steven works out a n for your security. You saw what it was like here; it¡¯s going to be like that everywhere.¡± I hadn¡¯t seen it because we¡¯d stayed home and flown a private jet up here. This morning was my first public appearance; I could just imagine the circus my next Bodyglove event would be.


    ¡°I should do an interview or something to get the media off my back,¡± I said.


    ¡°I bet Mercedes would love that,¡± Amy said.


    I sent our boss a text, asking her for help in setting something up.


    The import of what Alpha Steven wanted finally hit me. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to move,¡± I said. Amy groaned, she liked our ce. ¡°The cops won¡¯t keep people away from our rental home forever, and it isn¡¯t big enough for the security we will need.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live alone yet, and I don¡¯t want to move in with Mom and Hammer,¡± Amy said dejectedly. Her vision loss meant she couldn¡¯t live alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start looking for a bigger ce to rent,¡± I said. ¡°Something with five or six bedrooms.¡± We¡¯d need three or four for us, plus room for the guards.


    ¡°Call your investment guy. Real estate is a good investment, and he¡¯ll probably want you to buy for tax reasons.¡± I did, and Amy was right about his advice. We spent the next hour looking at ces for sale in Coronado; we liked being close to the base, and I wanted a house with a boat slip, pool, and hot tub. It was quickly apparent that the pool wasn¡¯t happening, at least on Coronado Ind. Real estate was too valuable to waste on a swimming pool. The houses were built as big as possible, right up to the zoning setbacks. The canals gave the most expensive homes private piers that could ess San Diego Bay. I found a few candidates and sent them off to my investment guy to review. ¡°We¡¯ve got one other problem with buying a house,¡± I suddenly realized.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the cash and the roommates,¡± Amy said. ¡°We just have to find the right one!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. The Vampires.¡± Amy and the other warriors looked at me, not understanding the problem. ¡°Part of our arrangement with the Vampire Master in Los Angeles when we came out was that we would be living there temporarily while your husband was in training. Luna Adrienne set it all up for me. It¡¯s quite a different story to be buying a house there. Now your Mom and brother have moved in, and she might turn Hammer? Instead of four students, we could have a former Luna, a new Werewolf, an Alpha heir, four Beta heirs, and as many as four warriors living in two houses in Coronado. The Vampires will rightly see us as a Pack setting up in a major city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d think you¡¯d have some pull with the Vampires now,¡± Amy said. ¡°You can work it out.¡±


    I had tough. ¡°I think I¡¯m good with two of the Masters, but to the others? They have to know I poisoned and killed one of their strongest Masters and got away with it. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be proud, scared, or pissed.¡±


    ¡°You need to talk to Adrienne,¡± Amy replied.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I went back to my room to make that phone call. It took ten minutes to update her on everything happening to me.


    Adrienne reminded me that Master Vampire Caroline Grey was over the Los Angeles region, but San Diego was arge enough city to have a coven of four vampires in it. Coronado was technically not within the San Diego city limits, but it was right across the bridge. ¡°I can¡¯t see the Vampires allowing a small Pack into their backyard, Vicki. You should think about moving elsewhere, and not just for that reason,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the properties in San Diego; there are no yards, no woods to run in, no ce for your wolf to get out. Security is a nightmare there. Homes have no buffer zones to the property lines, you have ess from both roads and water, and you are unable to shift with the people and surveince around.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that bad,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s more. Land prices are insane, even with your wealth. Kai is only there for a year, then he and Amy might end up based on the East Coast. Susan and Luke are with Hammer now, and he can¡¯t learn to be a wolf out there. Why would you go long-term on a short-term situation? Is this the ce you want to set down roots? You could find your mate tomorrow, Vicki.¡±


    I had tough at that, but she had a point. I was eighteen and not ready to tie myself down to anyone or anything just yet. ¡°What should I do instead?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°You need to meet with Master Caroline sooner, rather thanter,¡± my former Luna said. ¡°Susan, Luke, Kai, Amy, Maka and Noni are all one family; you and your security are not. Your mantle, your deeds, and your fame make it unlikely that she will let you stay in Coronado with the security detail you¡¯ll need. Perhaps you can work something out for a more rural location between San Diego and Los Angeles, or up in the mountains.¡±


    Wonderful. ¡°You are right in that we have to meet,¡± I said. ¡°I will call the Master tonight and set up a meeting,¡± I promised. ¡°Can you be there?¡±


    ¡°I could, but I shouldn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not a representative of the Council, I¡¯m not your Luna, and I¡¯m not part of your group. You need to handle this, Vicki. Your reputation exceeds mine, and you should use it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡± I heard the door open, and that meant lunch had arrived. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Adrienne.¡±


    ¡°You left to make your way in the world, Vicki. So far, you¡¯ve gone far beyond anything I dreamed. Be well, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± I hung up and went back out, the smell of barbecue filling the room. It was all right for Eugene, never to be confused with a barbecue hotspot. Loading into the car again, we drove back on campus and pulled into the parking garage at the administration building. Out of sight of anyone else, Campus Security escorted us to a conference room where the Dean was waiting.


    The meetings were a mix of logistics and solicitation. The faculty was helpful and supportive, thrilled to have us as Ducks.


    The fact that we hadn¡¯t started sses yet didn¡¯t stop the Dean from pushing me for donations to the University.


    Ah, the joys of sudden wealth.

 SHARKBAIT #78

    As it turned out, we didn¡¯t have much choice about whether we should move. We had a one-year lease on the condo, but that didn¡¯t matter. All the police activity created a ¡®nuisance¡¯ for residents, and that was a vition of the lease agreement. I didn¡¯t care; we¡¯d already determined the condo wouldn¡¯t work for us, and we didn¡¯t have that much there anyway. I passed the details on to my ountant with instructions to close things out by the end of September.


    Amy flew down to San Diego to rejoin Kai¡¯s sisters in the townhouse, with Kai¡¯s mother as her escort. Alpha Steven wanted me to spend some time at his Pack, and I needed it. I drove back to Three Sisters with the rest of the guards. My wolf wanted to run, and the mountains had me raring to go. The guards could tell; as soon as we crossed onto Packnds, they asked if I wanted to run the rest of the way with them.


    Hell yeah, I did!


    The driver pulled over, and I stepped out and tossed my clothes in the back before shifting. It felt great to be in my fur again. I shook out my grey-over-white coat before I trotted over to the side of the road with the two warriors. They ran into the woods with me following close behind the pair.


    It felt so good to stretch my legs, and the two set a fast pace. The warriors had size on me, but I was a better runner. I paced them until I recognized the trail heading home. Barking out the challenge, I sprinted ahead of them and ran hard for the Pack House.


    They had no chance. I sent a mental call to the Alphas, letting them know I was minutes away from the front door.


    I broke out of the trees into the clearing and tore across thewn. The pups were ying in the grass, and they barked and ran towards me as I blew past them at full speed. I didn¡¯t slow as I approached the six steps leading up to the overhanging porch at the front door. Instead, I leaped high, shifting in the air and stumbling towards the front door where an amused Alpha Steven kept me from crashing into the wall. ¡°Having fun,¡± he asked as Luna Carolyn tossed me a T-shirt dress out of the cab nearby.


    ¡°Loads,¡± I said as I pulled it over my body. The two warriors were just breaking out onto thewn, breathing hard from trying to keep up. ¡°You have no idea how badly I needed that run.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± he said. ¡°Get your things to your room and thene to our office. We¡¯ve got a lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± My luggage was by the door; I grabbed the suitcase and bag and walked through the big lounge area towards the stairs leading to the third floor. Makai ran over and took the suitcase from me. ¡°Thanks, little guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so little, I¡¯ve been working out,¡± he said to my smile. Makai was Kai¡¯s 14-year-old brother, whose name means ¡®goes toward a sea¡¯ in Hawaiian. ¡°Can I swim with you in the morning? Kai tells me that¡¯s the best workout.¡±


    ¡°Swimming has always been my favorite,¡± I said. ¡°Easy on the joints, and builds strength without all the bulk. Be down here at five with your swimsuit, towel, and running shoes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here, Sharkbait. How is my brother doing?¡±


    We reached the room I was assigned in the hall with the other Pack Betas; it was the smallest, but I was rarely here. I set the bags on the bed as Makai sat at the desk chair. ¡°He whines a lot,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°SEAL training is incredibly hard, and his body needs time to recover on the weekends. He spends a lot of time sleeping and in the hot tub.¡±


    ¡°How can he sleep with Amy there? I figured he¡¯d be banging her like a broken screen door in a tornado.¡±


    I whipped a t-shirt at his face, and he wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch the unexpected missile. ¡°That¡¯s your sister-inw!¡± I said in my outraged voice.


    He grabbed the shirt and tossed it back to me. ¡°He is, right? I¡¯ve got money down that she¡¯s pregnant before the New Year.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bet on such things, because you¡¯ll lose. Amy and Kai have a lot going on with her vision loss and his training. If they decide it is not the right time for them to start a family, then they will take steps to prevent it. Regardless, it¡¯s none of your business what a mated couple does in private.¡± I pulled out a pair of sandals and a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom. ¡°Even if they broke the bed twice already.¡±


    ¡°I KNEW IT,¡± Makai said as he ran for the door. ¡°Alpha says ten minutes.¡±


    I showered quickly before dressing and heading for the Pack offices in the opposite wing. The Alpha and Luna shared a big office with a conference room on each side for more private meetings. I sent that I had arrived, and they called me in.


    Alpha Steven was sitting in one of the oversized chairs near the window, Carolyn on hisp. ¡°Have a seat,¡± he said as he pointed to the other chair. There was a ss of lemonade waiting for me, and I nodded to the Luna in thanks. ¡°I guess we know school isn¡¯t going to work for you now.¡±


    I had to agree. ¡°Maybe we could get away with being celebrities at UCLA, but not Oregon,¡± I said. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t just me, Amy¡¯s fans mobbed her too. Who knows? In a couple of years, if we stop modeling and doing appearances, it might get better?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening for you, though,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°Your modeling career is just taking off, and you¡¯re a rich woman. You¡¯d have to find your mate and drop out of public life for a few years, and even that might not work.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this, but I¡¯m going to make it work for good,¡± I replied. ¡°Amy and I are still under contract to Bodyglove for another nine months, and I alreadymitted to additional events. I won¡¯t go back on my word. I need extra protection, and I¡¯ll pay for it. It isn¡¯t fair for the Pack to have to support my work otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Getting people to help isn¡¯t the problem, Vicki. We have plenty of trained warriors and Betas willing to take on such thankless duties in crappy locales.¡± That drew augh from Carolyn too. ¡°If not for Amy needing to be near Kai, I¡¯d ask you to stay here.¡±


    ¡°I thought about that, I even thought about going back to Minnesota, but I told Amy I¡¯d stay with her. She lost her sight because of me, and I need to be there.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Carolyn said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know, but she¡¯s my best friend, and Amy needs me. Kai sees her on weekends, and he¡¯s sleeping for half of that time. She does her best, but she can¡¯t see well enough to live alone. We take the same sses; I can help her study while the twins are in high school. Susan has Luke with her, and she has enough stress to deal with already. We need to be there on weekends, and I don¡¯t want to be in a hotel.¡± I told them about us getting evicted, and my conversation with Adrienne about the Vampires. ¡°It¡¯s just for this school year. By next summer, Kai and Amy will be moving, and the twins will have graduated.¡±


    ¡°October tenth theye of age, and who knows what will happen then? Imagine if those SEAL trainee twins are their mates? What a wrench that would be in the works.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t mind that a bit as I liked Ricardo and Manuel almost as much as the girls did. The only thing holding them back was the knowledge that human mates were umon. As Beta females, the Pack would host arge party for them, inviting eligible males from Packs across the entire Northwest. ¡°If their mates are out there, I pray to Luna they find them before the Scratch and Sniff.¡±


    ¡°Your wolf needs to be out more often than you are letting her go, Vicki. I know you can¡¯t shift in Coronado, so you need to head somewhere at least every other week to shift and run. I need to be with you when you meet with Master Caroline,¡± Steven said. ¡°The Council brokered the deal with the Vampires, but you are MY responsibility. We should set up the meeting before you make any other ns.¡±


    He was right. There was no point in looking for another ce until we knew if the Vampires would let us stay. He made the call; we arranged to meet Master Caroline at her office in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday evening. He reported the meeting to the Northwest Region Councilman while I chartered a private aircraft to take us down and the Alpha and his bodyguard back home.


    I enjoyed my downtime, rxing with other singles my age, and taking advantage of the Packnds. It was all too soon when Alpha Steven led me into the 40th-floor office suite of Caroline Grey. Two imposing vampires opened the doors and followed us in, remaining by the door. ¡°Alpha Dauntless, wee to Los Angeles,¡± Caroline said as she stood up behind the ss and stainless steel desk. ¡°And Vicki Lawrence, I¡¯ve heard so much about you,¡± she said.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± I said as I shook her hand.


    She raised my hand to her nose, sniffing the skin. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± she said. ¡°You let Master Alexander feed from your neck.¡±


    ¡°Once, and never again,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please, sit,¡± she said. We sat in the ck leather and metal chairs. ¡°You are far more than the college freshman and model that was represented to me when you moved out here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It has been a rather busy summer, and not the one I expected,¡± I said.


    She stared at me, and I held her gaze. Caroline was a beautiful woman, looking to be in herte twenties even though she was centuries old. Her skin was perfect, and her ink-ck hair hung straight down past her shoulders. Her eyes were old and cold, and I had to look away before she could see into my very soul. ¡°Tell me how you killed Master Alexander,¡± she demanded.

 SHARKBAIT #79

    ¡°First, you have to understand why,¡± I said. ¡°Corvinus was holding werewolves captive and harvesting their blood, but it was MY blood he craved. He had his familiar force my boyfriend and I off the road, nearly killing him.¡±


    ¡°And for that, you killed him?¡±


    ¡°It was preferable to war. I knew that as soon as Alexander found out Werewolves were storming the prison gates, he would drink my blood to gain power. The blood bag had sanguinarine in it before I started filling it with my blood, so Alexander never had a clue. The toxin weakened him, and I took a Japanese sword from his wall to decapitate him.¡±


    ¡°The Honjo?¡± I nodded. ¡°The Japanese people celebrated its return but never mentioned where it came from.¡±


    ¡°Emily promised me half of the art and antiques in his office if I would help. She gave them all to me, knowing half was hot, and I¡¯d have to deal with the FBI. She altered the will and made up the ¡®Sharkbabe Room¡¯ to convince them she was the innocent wife.¡± I shook my head. ¡°The paparazzi are on my ass 24/7 now, while she took his billion-dor fortune and faded into the woodwork.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°You came out all right,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your enemy, Vicki, but I¡¯m notfortable with you on my territory either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no threat to you, Master Caroline. My associates and I merely want to remain in Coronado while we go to school, and Kai is in SEAL training.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe that, but your behavior is that of a Pack carving out territory. Instead of the four of you, there are two more living with a human, and more wolves staying for weeks at a time.¡±


    ¡°I had to deal with threats to Vicki¡¯s life,¡± Steven said.


    ¡°Amy¡¯s mother visited and found her mate in a human friend of ours. She has to be here with him,¡± I added.


    ¡°Renting a home is far different from moving into private property,¡± Caroline responded. ¡°Let me make this simple. I will not allow more than five adult werewolves to live in Coronado, and no werewolf will own property there. If you cannot ept that, you should leave.¡±


    Kai, Amy, and I were three, Susan four. The twins were underage, but only for another six weeks. Luke wasn¡¯t going toe of age this school year, which was good. ¡°There are a few questions I have,¡± I responded evenly. ¡°Makani and Nonie of age in October and are already enrolled in high school. I would prefer they both stay with their family until the school year ends.¡±


    She tapped her nail on the ss before responding. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you who made up the five adults. If you want the twins to stay, another adult needs to leave.¡±


    ¡°What about Susan¡¯s mate? He owns the home, but he¡¯s human.¡±


    ¡°The rules apply regardless. If Susan changes him, he¡¯s another adult werewolf in my territory, and he cannot own property. Either Susan doesn¡¯t change him, or they sell the house and move.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best deal you are going to get,¡± Steven sent to me.


    ¡°I understand and willply, Master Caroline,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would hope so, Vicki. You¡¯re far too interesting a person to end up dead.¡± She stood up, indicating the meeting was over.


    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± Alpha Steven said. We shook hands again, and I followed Steven out of the office and to the elevator with his guard. ¡°That was fun,¡± he said.


    ¡°They are creepy as hell. I¡¯m d I can¡¯t settle too close to them.¡±


    Susan was waiting for us downstairs; we dropped the two men at the airport before heading south towards San Diego. We had a lot to talk about on the drive.


    Things would have to change under the new agreement with Master Vampire Caroline. Day visits were still allowed under the treaty, but overnights we couldn¡¯t exceed five werewolves between the two houses. Kai¡¯s mother, Kaia, made five; Kai, Amy, Susan, and I all counted for now. We all met back at our ce after Jiu-Jitsu practice with the twins and Luke to discuss options.


    ¡°Whatever you choose, you need better human security,¡± Kaia said.


    ¡°Can Kai and Amy live in base housing?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°There is a waiting list, and Kai is junior to almost everyone,¡± Amy said. ¡°We get a housing allowance, but it isn¡¯t enough to cover anything within an hour of the base. The only way Kai could sign the lease on this ce was because Vicki was paying a third, and his parents were covering for the cost of the twins. We can¡¯t leave now, not with Hammer¡¯s house down the street and the kids in school.¡±


    ¡°What about apartments? Maybe a high-rise with security?¡±


    Amy shook her head. ¡°That would work for us and maybe the twins if we got a two-bedroom ce, but Vicki is eighteen and a security risk. Vicki would need her own apartment in the same building. Why not get a bigger house?¡±


    ¡°A bigger condo won¡¯t help since we can¡¯t bring in more wolves,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only for eight months. I don¡¯t want to sign a lease on something that isn¡¯t month-to-month.¡±


    ¡°What other options do we have,¡± Makani asked. ¡°If we are going to have to leave when wee of age, it would be better for us to return to the Pack now before school is too far along.¡±


    ¡°What do I do if Ricardo is my mate?¡± Noni had a look of panic on her face. ¡°I know he¡¯s in training, but I couldn¡¯t live in Oregon if he is still here!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another reason not to make firm ns,¡± I said. ¡°Susan and Luke have to stay unless they can convince Hammer to move back to Minnesota. Amy has to stay as long as Kai remains stationed at the base. That leaves the twins or me to stay here after theye of age.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who should stay,¡± Makani said.


    I shook my head, no. ¡°I won¡¯t force you out of school when I¡¯m gone so much, and I have other options. I¡¯m also the one who needs all the security. It makes more sense for me to return to Three Sisters or Miesville and have the Pack protect me. I¡¯ll pay for your housing, so you guys don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Susan thought about it. ¡°I could talk to Hammer about taking us all in at his ce. He still one extra bedroom, a second if he gives up his man-cave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never ask him to give up his man-cave, and he hasn¡¯t even put a ring on your finger,¡± I replied. ¡°How is that going, by the way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dropping as many hints as I can, but he¡¯s clueless,¡± Susan said with augh. ¡°I can¡¯t marry him until he knows about what we are. I should do that soon.¡±


    ¡°After he proposes,¡± I said. ¡°You have time.¡± We needed to split things up a bit. ¡°All right, let¡¯s divide and conquer. Susan, you talk to Hammer about us getting evicted and sound him out on at least temporarily putting us up. Makani and Noni, you two are on Coronado rental search. Look for a three-bedroom home or apartment, preferably with a month-to-month lease. Kaia, I need you to call the Pack and the Council if necessary. Find out where I can go that is close to Coronado without requiring the Master¡¯s permission to live there.¡± After all, Packs could be in surrounding suburbs and areas all the time. There were a half-dozen Packs within an hour of the Twin Cities, and Minneapolis had a Master Vampire. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up here for lunch tomorrow and go over what we learned. Everyone brings their best option to the table.¡±


    With that, I took myptop out to the patio and sat in the warm breeze surfing the web. I was rich, I loved being out on the water and diving, and I didn¡¯t have much stuff. Maybe living on a boat would be a solution? I started searching for yacht leases and didn¡¯t have much luck; there were plenty for sale, but not for rent. I needed something with at least three bedrooms, a full kitchen, and enough space to live on for extended times. It also needed to be seaworthy so that I could take it to Catalina or San Clemente Ind for week-long diving trips. It also needed room for scuba gear, a crane for a shark cage, and a swim tform in the back. I quickly discounted the houseboat-style that couldn¡¯t handle open ocean swells. Looking at the yachts for sale, I couldn¡¯t find what I needed in anything under a sixty-foot motor yacht. The bigger boats were more like houses in terms of price, but still far cheaper than a home in Coronado.


    I called my Stan Greenberg for advice, exining to my ountant what I was thinking. ¡°Buying a boat to live on is simr to buying a home,¡± he said. ¡°You pay for slip fees and maintenance, but you don¡¯t pay property taxes. You can go from ce to ce at will, which you can¡¯t do with a house. With a big enough yacht, you can be VERYfortable living on board.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any leases avable in the range I¡¯m looking at,¡± I said.


    ¡°Most owners are trying to sell a depreciating asset, not lease it,¡± he replied. ¡°You have the money to buy one, but if you don¡¯t like it, you¡¯re the one taking the loss while it¡¯s on the market. Here¡¯s what you can do. Find one you like that has been on the market for a long time, like six months or more. Maybe they want too much for it, or the market for that type of boat isn¡¯t that big. Insurance, maintenance, and dock fees are draining the owners month after month. Offer them a one-year lease with an option to buy at a set price at lease expiration, with cash upfront. They might jump at the chance, hoping the market is better in a year.¡±


    It was a good n, and I certainly had the money to make it work. ¡°I¡¯ll keep looking.¡±


    ¡°When you find what you want, let me know. I¡¯ll go along, pretending to be the buyer. You¡¯ll have to disguise yourself, so they don¡¯t think they are dealing with a newly rich teenager.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Susan along to y your wife,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the least boring of all my clients, Vicki. Send me listings for the ones you like best, and I¡¯ll make the calls for you.¡±


    I spent the rest of the day looking for yachts for sale at various brokerage houses within a thousand miles. I had an idea and called my ountant back. ¡°Stan, you know I¡¯ve done shows for Discovery Channel, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Vicki. Thetest is in editing now.¡±


    ¡°What keeps me from filming on my own and selling it to thework?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #80

    He thought for a minute. ¡°Nothing, but it¡¯s all about risk. When thework fronts all the money, they take the risk. The producers pay people to appear and set the budget. If it is sessful, they reap the benefits.¡±


    ¡°And they make a lot of money off of my appearances,¡± I said.


    ¡°True. If you appear again, you could negotiate for arger cut, but you risk the producers choosing someone else.¡± I did have a following, but no one was untouchable. ¡°If you produced it yourself, you pay all the costs and take all the risks. You would need to form a productionpany, hire workers, do the filming and editing, then sell the finished product. If it sells for a lot, you make a lot of money. If it doesn¡¯t sell, you eat the entire cost.¡±


    ¡°But as a business, I could write off expenses against future profits,¡± I said.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    It would be one big step towards making myself more than just eye candy, and I¡¯d be in control of the final product. I was still worried about how the incident on the research boat would get edited for when the show came out. I wasn¡¯t at fault, but the one constant of reality television was that sex and conflict sell. They could make the scene look any way they wanted with the right editing, and I had no right to block it under the contract. ¡°All right, I¡¯ve found five yachts that meet my criteria. I¡¯m emailing them to you in order of preference.¡± I sent the files along.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start calling right away and let you know if any are interested in the lease.¡±


    We agreed not to say anything over dinner, but I could see Makani and Noni weren¡¯t happy. Once the call was over, I started researching the production of shark documentaries. The articles I found were light on production costs or profits, but I recalled that Bodyglove had partnered in the production of my Cape Cod documentary.


    I asked Amy and the twins to join me. ¡°Why do you think people will watch the documentary on sharks I was in,¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Cool shark footage,¡± Makani answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s Shark Week, and it¡¯s new stuff,¡± Noni answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good show host,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of great camera footage out there, and hosts with far more shark knowledge than me,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re famous, and you can exin things without making people feel stupid,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re getting closer,¡± I answered. ¡°There is one thing I have that the other hosts they considered can¡¯tpete with.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± Makani asked.


    ¡°A great set of tits,¡± I responded.


    I cupped my breasts to make the point. ¡°Let¡¯s face it; I got hired for the documentary because of my looks. My ability to talk intelligently about sharks was just a bonus, as was my diving. The producers know sex gets viewers to tune in, and viewers drive advertising profits. I want to be the one making the profits, not just the spokesmodel who gets paid to show her cleavage.¡±


    Amy looked up in shock. ¡°Isn¡¯t that feeding the problem? Using sexual appeal to get viewers?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be foolish not to use what we have,¡± Noni said. ¡°Face it, we could put you two in canvas sacks, and you¡¯d still be hotter ¡®n Texas asphalt. Your careers could end at any time; Amy could start a family, and Vicki could find her mate and take over a Pack. You should get everything you can while you can.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to be part of it,¡± Mni said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m cleaning the gear at night. I¡¯ll help wherever you need me.¡±


    Amy looked saddened. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯m going to be able to contribute,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t drive the boat, I can¡¯t be a safety diver, and I¡¯m not a shark expert. I¡¯d be taking up room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never leave you out,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you just stand there in a bikini looking hot, you¡¯re on my team. You¡¯re my best friend, and we¡¯re in this together.¡± I pulled her into a hug. ¡°Your vision is getting better every month. I have faith you¡¯ll contribute.¡±


    She looked at me when she pulled back. ¡°You¡¯ve spent your whole life working to get adults to take your seriously, Vicki. You¡¯re finally getting respect for your work, and now you want to sex it up? Won¡¯t this throw all that progress away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to outgrow the pinup model persona. Even if I get the education, people will still call me ¡®Sharkbabe¡¯ and make fun of me behind my back. Getting my doctorate is a decade away, Amy! I can get ratings AND respect the way I n to do it.¡± I looked at the twins. ¡°What kind of show is the most popr among teens through early twenties women, the demographic that advertisers want the most?¡±


    ¡°Reality shows,¡± Noni said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°All those vapid blondes and slutty brtes, jumping in and out of bed with random men.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Exactly. Reality shows have been popr for decades, mostly directed by men who exploit women desperate for fame.¡±


    ¡°So, you want to turn yourself into a reality show?¡±


    ¡°Exactly right. Think back to what I¡¯ve told you about the two weeks I spent on the research vessel. We got amazing videos of sharks, we had respected scientists, and cutting edge gear. So what ends up getting all the publicity? A dustup between a Neanderthal male and me that ends with him choked the hell out. Even in science, the reality show wins.¡± I stood up to walk around the table, the excitement too much to sit still. ¡°Look at the four of us. Two are eighteen, and two are seventeen, and we all look like models. And what are we doing in the next six months?¡±


    ¡°Working our asses off on tour,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Exactly. You and I will be touring Europe, Africa, South America, and Australia for two months starting in November. Not only do we have modeling shoots and fan events, but we will be diving in some of the best shark waters in the entire WORLD? Why wouldn¡¯t we bring along a small crew to capture that on film?¡± It just made sense to use what we already had nned to capture footage.


    ¡°Will Mercedes allow us to piggyback on her events? After all, she¡¯s paying the way,¡± Amy asked.


    ¡°Amy, Mercedes might pay for some of it! They still do television shows on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and it¡¯s great publicity for the brand. Millions of people will see the shows and events from behind the scenes. Along the way, we dive with local professional divers and expert academics, tying the educationalponent into each show. If we do it right, we can do a half-hour show on each location we visit, then sell the entire series to awork for big money. We can call it ¡®Swimming with Sharkbait¡¯ or something.¡±


    ¡°Shark Tails,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Dangerous Waters,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°Sharkbabes,¡± Noni added.


    ¡°Whatever the name, it¡¯s a fantastic idea,¡± Makani said. ¡°Instead of apologizing for our looks, we capitalize on them. We work our asses off to make for good television. The hot bodies will be incidental to the work we do.¡±


    I loved that part. ¡°We will control the production and editing so we won¡¯t end up with trashy romance and sex. We let everyone see what we are; young, beautiful, talented, smart, and virtuous. Well, except Amy. From all those noises at night, I¡¯m pretty sure Kai¡¯s pirate ship has plundered her shores for booty.¡±


    ¡°Har de frickin¡¯ har,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m married, so it¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be dating famous people around the world to stay visible on social media,¡± I said dejectedly.


    ¡°What about us,¡± Noni asked. ¡°How can we help?¡±


    I hated to be the hardass. ¡°Sorry, girls, but you have school this fall. You can¡¯t miss months at a time to be with us.¡±


    Makani leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement. ¡°Why can¡¯t we take online courses like you two? We could do them while we travel. This is a paid gig, right? We¡¯ll work around our job. Mom and Dad will understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.¡±


    ¡°And our boyfriends will be stuck in SEAL training with Kai. At least let us try to get permission to go along,¡± Noni begged. ¡°I¡¯d dly give up my senior year at a human high school for a chance to be rich and famous.¡±


    I looked at Amy for help, and she spoke first. ¡°You can¡¯t sign a contract without your parents until you are eighteen,¡± she said. ¡°If you find your mates when youe of age, you will have other obligations.¡±


    ¡°It might be a good idea to go online regardless,¡± I said after thinking about it. ¡°School is just starting; if you use the online option, you don¡¯t have to change in the middle of the year if you are mated, or we have to move to another city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll broach it with Mom as a contingency, but I¡¯ll need the two of you there to talk to my parents and the Alphas about going along on your adventure,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°nning isn¡¯t quite to the point of handing out contracts yet. If everyone agrees, I¡¯ll have to work it out with Mercedes to get you under contract with Bodyglove first. That will ensure you get modeling pay at our photoshoots and appearances and free clothing. Anyone we bring on-board for the episodes would need a short-term contract to get their consent to be in the show, and to wear Bodyglove clothing.¡± I took a drink of my Diet Coke as I thought. ¡°We can make a show that shows little girls that you can be beautiful and smart, and one the boys will watch without their parents being ufortable. No trashy drama, just plenty of beautiful scenery in and out of the water.¡±


    ¡°How do we prevent sexual harassment likest time? I won¡¯t put up with it,¡± Amy said. ¡°Imagine what would happen if Kai saw footage of a guy grabbing my boobs as Brian did to you? He¡¯d kill him!¡±


    I have a n for that. ¡°We¡¯re going to have an all-female crew,¡± I said. ¡°Girl Power is the other half of the idea. Do you think I¡¯m the only blonde who gets underestimated and underutilized because of her appearance? I bet I can find divers, underwater photographers, editors, directors, audio techs, and scientists who would jump at the chance to be part of this project.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #81

    Amy had the next question. ¡°Once the Bodyglove tour is over, what then? Do we wait for more appearance next year, or go off on our own?¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas, but we¡¯ll talk about them more tomorrow,¡± I said.


    We tossed around a few other ideas for another ten minutes before I went into my room and gave Mercedes a call.


    An hourter, I hung up the phone. Mercedes was thrilled with my ideas and promised to talk to the CEO about them in the morning. She begged me not to tell anyone else until she did. At a minimum, she said Bodyglove would swing a simr deal to share production costs in exchange for prominent product cement. She sent me a copy of the contract she had with the Discovery Channel production team and copies of the invoices they had received so I could see what I was getting into. Since they were paying 20%, it was a simple matter to figure out the total cost of the production.


    Ours would be much smaller in terms of crew, but we were talking three to six months of shooting instead of two weeks. I¡¯d have to put a million dors into the project to make it work, but I had the money.


    I could make it work.


    Hammer pushed us hard early the next morning during our beach workout. The three of us were on our return run on the beach, catching up to the twins. The girls hadn¡¯t built up the endurance for the full length run yet. ¡°Your travel can¡¯t stop you from your workouts,¡± Hammer said as he set a punishing pace in the wet sand. ¡°You need to find time for them. Fitness centers, morning runs, swimming pools, whatever it takes. If you ck off workouts with how much food you eat, you¡¯ll start gaining weight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worked so far,¡± Iined.


    ¡°A youthful metabolism covers a multitude of sins,¡± he answered. ¡°Your body isn¡¯t growing as much now, and the calories have to go somewhere as your metabolism slows. You need to start thinking and eating like an elite athlete.¡±


    ¡°You mean like Kai eats,¡± Amy asked. The guys loved my barbecue, but they bnced their tes with grains, fruits, and vegetables. We were eating a lot of lean meat and pasta on weekends now, mostly fish and chicken.


    Hammer grunted his approval. ¡°Exactly. Lots of protein, low fat, high carbs. Fuel your muscles without the other stuff that doesn¡¯t help your body, like the sugars and the fats. Your bodies are your work, girls. You need to keep them in top physical shape, or your careers will die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never be one of those models that eats a bite and says she is full,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re too active for that. Two hours a day of workout, and eat right. You¡¯ll keep your strength up and the fat off.¡±


    ¡°Hammer¡¯s right, Vicki. No one wants to see a muffin top over your bikini bottoms.¡±


    The horror! I looked at Amy¡¯s body; her curves were more generous than mine, but her muscles were well-defined as her bodyfat was low. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I skipped workouts during my travel, and ate a lot of restaurant food and barbecue.¡±


    ¡°It only takes a few days to lose everything you gain over weeks of hard work,¡± Hammer replied. ¡°That¡¯s why it is so important for you to learn and maintain healthy habits.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like when we were in training for swim team, Vicki,¡± Amy said. ¡°We never missed a workout.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said defensively. ¡°There¡¯s just been a lot of shit going on in my life! It will get better now.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± sheughed. ¡°If anything, you¡¯ll have more demands on your time. Do you have any idea how many people want a piece of Sharkbait now? Your publicist says you are up to triple-digit marriage proposals a day now.¡± I was SO d Mercedes had talked me into hiring a person to take care of all that. There was no way I could keep up with the emails, social media upkeep, and media requests without her. ¡°Sudden fortune will change your life more than fame has, so you need to focus on what is important to you.¡±


    I was breathing hard, and our run was almost over. The parking lot only a hundred yards away as we pushed towards the finish. I was thinking about everything and not paying as much attention to where we were going, and Amy paid the price. Her foot caught on a clump of seaweed I hadn¡¯t warned her of, and she fell to the ground with a wet thump. I stopped running and turned around; she¡¯d face-nted in the sand, her hands unable to stop her from our run at full speed. ¡°AMY!¡±


    She pushed herself back up to her hands and knees, spitting out the sand. When I got to her side, she was crying. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Looking her over, I could see scrapes and small cuts on her knees and arm. Amy didn¡¯t respond; she rocked back onto her knees, holding her hands out in front of her as she sobbed uncontrobly.


    I wiped the sand and tears off her face, and she looked at me. Her right hand came up and touched my face. ¡°Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Talk to me, Amy! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I can see!¡± She was looking around in wonder as the twins ran up. ¡°It¡¯s all right. These are happy tears!¡±


    Hammer held up three fingers from five feet away. With the blurred vision Amy suffered from, she¡¯d only see a blob where his hand was. ¡°How many fingers am I holding up, Amy?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡± He dropped his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how good a body you had! Mom¡¯s a lucky woman.¡±


    ¡°Your vision isn¡¯t blurred now,¡± I asked.


    ¡°She looked into the distance. ¡°Around the outside, it is still blurry, but I can see things I focus on now!¡±


    ¡°Makani, Noni, run home and let Susan know what happened.¡± They took off for home as I knelt in front of my best friend. ¡°Amy, I want you to look at my nose, all right?¡± She nodded, and I saw her eyes looking at mine. ¡°Can you see my face clearly?¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said as tears ran down her face. ¡°It gets blurry again at your shoulders.¡± I had her focus on my nose, then tell me how far my hands could move before they got blurry again. She had a roughly circr area of good vision in the direction she looked, but that was huge for her. It meant that she would be able to function again.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get that sand off you,¡± I said as I helped her stand up. She looked like a sugar cookie. ¡°Susan knows, and she will call your neurologist and set up a call.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell Kai for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll link him when we drive past to head to the dojo. You stay home and figure out what happened.¡± We reached the beach shower, and I helped her get all the sand off of her hair and body. While we were cleaning up, Hammer grabbed our bags for us. I pulled out Amy¡¯s towel and tossed it to her, and we both smiled as she caught it. ¡°We need to get Amy home so she can talk to her doctors,¡± I said. ¡°They need to know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Better vision through facenting?¡± Amyughed as she dried her hair. She didn¡¯t care HOW it happened; she was thrilled it HAD happened. Even partial vision was a significant improvement over what she started with today. It meant being independent again. ¡°Maybe I should smack my head again and get the rest of my vision back.¡±


    ¡°NO,¡± Hammer and I both said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with a good thing,¡± I said. ¡°The doctors will check you over and tell you what is going on.¡±


    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± Amy replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d never risk this going away.¡± We put our shoes back on and started the cool-down jog home. You couldn¡¯t wipe the smiles off our faces as we arrived back at the condo, where Susan was waiting. Tears ran down both their faces as Amy ran into her mother¡¯s arms.


    Hammer went back to his house to shower and change while I ran back to my room to do the same. Ten minutester, I was helping get breakfast on the table. Susan had an egg bake with sausage and mushrooms in the oven, so I helped with toasting the English muffins and setting the table. Everyone dug in, and I made an effort to eat more fruit with the meal. The mood was festive, and Amy was over the moon. I was starting cleanup when Amy¡¯s neurologist called back. He was excited about the changes and wanted to figure out why. He gave her an appointment to get an MRI, with a follow-up appointment after lunch. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t make your meeting,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you my notes,¡± Susan added. ¡°Hopefully, you can find a new ce quickly.¡±


    ¡°If you get in a jam, you can move in with us,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Although money takes care of many issues, so I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll figure this out. Nobody wants to move back in with their parents, right, Amy?¡±


    Amy blushed a little. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to this,¡± she said. ¡°I love you all, and I can¡¯t thank you enough for all you¡¯ve done for me, but someday I¡¯ll have a ce with Kai!¡±


    ¡°Not too soon, I hope,¡± I said. ¡°I kind of like having a roommate.¡±


    ¡°Things are going to be nuts until his training ends,¡± she said.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we better get going,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Vicki is going to spend a lot of time eating the mats if she doesn¡¯t pull her head out of her butt and focus today.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t THAT bad,¡± Iined.


    ¡°Vicki, everyone in that dojo is out to dominate you today. The men want to date you, and the women hate you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°They better be ready, because I¡¯ll choke a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Get ¡¯em for me, Sharkbait,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Come on, kids. I¡¯ll drop you at school and bring lunch for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Luke, you take twins to school in the car. Vicki, you don¡¯t go anywhere alone now, and you know it. I¡¯ll take you to the dojo, and you can hang out there until Amy and Susan pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about living arrangements when you guys get home.¡± I was a little pissed off as I grabbed my gear. Here I was, a multi-millionaire at eighteen, and I couldn¡¯t even get a ride home from the dojo!


    It was time to spend some money.

 SHARKBAIT #82

    I was frustrated by things, and I took it out on the woman I challenged at the dojo. I dominated her, moving up five ces in the rankings after submitting her in less than thirty seconds. I could see a few of the people near my rank suddenly reconsider their ideas about taking me on.


    Everyone was treating me differently now that I was rich. People who never paid attention to me wanted to get closer, while others I counted as friends suddenly didn¡¯t know how to interact anymore. A few of the more aggressive males asked me out, and I turned them down politely. ¡°Stuck-up bitch is too good for us now,¡± one said as he left. I just rolled my eyes; I didn¡¯t have time for his crap anyway.


    Amy was the lucky one. She had a great guy who was devoted to her.


    I couldn¡¯t even enjoy the dating game because I couldn¡¯t get too close to anyone. I wondered what James was doing now. I still liked him, and he was into me before I was a rich girl. I¡¯d never know for sure with anyone else if that was why they wanted to be close to me. I decided I¡¯d sent him a text, asking if he¡¯d gotten his motorcycle back yet and if he wanted to get together sometime. At least I would as soon as I had my phone again. Hammer had them all ced in racks as we walked in today.


    I tried linking Amy, but she was too far away. I ended up sitting by myself in the chairs along the side of the dojo, watching the higher-ranked fighters in their matches. Two men and one woman in my ss were professional Mixed Martial Arts fighters, working their way up the ranks, and they were damn good. You didn¡¯t advance far without being at least functional in jiu-jitsu, so they trained part of the day with Hammer.


    When the ss was over, Hammer made a few announcements then dismissed us. Lauren, who was the female MMA fighter, waved me over. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you,¡± she said. ¡°You have a lot of talent, Vicki, and I can¡¯t believe how quickly you¡¯ve learned this. Do you know other disciplines?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken judo and karate since I was six, and started Krav Maga at twelve,¡± I said.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯d be fun to fight MMA style.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m under contract to a modeling agency. Getting my nose busted or breaking something would cost me a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Maybe someday I¡¯ll have your problems,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m fighting in Vegas on the thirtieth in the UFC Fight Night 287. I¡¯d love to see you in my corner for it; I think we¡¯d both get a lot of publicity out of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check my schedule,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure my publicist would love to see me there with some arm candy.¡±


    Sheughed at that and gave me her number. ¡°Let me know, and I¡¯ll hook you up with the guy who can get you front row seats.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know by Monday,¡± I told her. I wanted to go, and I thought about who I¡¯d take; Amy and the twins wouldn¡¯t leave on a Friday, so I¡¯d have to travel with security. Hammer and Susan? Would I ask James, or have my publicist and Mercedes arrange a date? Las Vegas had tons of celebrities, and their security could help cover me while I was there. I hadn¡¯t been there since I was eight and we visited the Seaquest aquarium there. It wasn¡¯t the biggest, with only cktip, smoothhound, and nurse sharks, but the buffets were fantastic.


    Maybe I could work out an appearance there on Thursday night or Friday? I¡¯d have to talk to Mercedes about it after I checked the schedule on my phone. While I was at it, I¡¯d speak to Mercedes about security. I didn¡¯t want to travelmercial anymore unless it was international; if it cost more to charter a jet, I¡¯d pay it. It worked better with my security that way, and I¡¯d be spoiled.


    I walked over to the rack that he¡¯d installed by the entrance, retrieving my phone from the slot. I went back to the chair, checking messages while the facility emptied out. ¡°Get changed, we¡¯ll go grab lunch,¡± Hammer told me.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I took my bag back to the locker room and changed into jean shorts, Bodyglove tank top, and a thin Bodyglove print top. He was waiting at the door when I returned. ¡°Why the phone rack,¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Go on Youtube and search for yourself and fights,¡± he said as we walked to his car. There was a cameraman taking videos as we left; I was sure the headlines would have me in a torrid affair with my instructor, who was more than twice my age, by tonight¡¯s gossip shows. I smiled and posed briefly, trying to make the best of it.


    Hammer opened my door, and I slid in; I had the search results before he pulled out. I expected the takedown on the beach and in the crew¡¯s mess to make the list, but I didn¡¯t expect the other five. All were taken in the dojo during challenge fights, by someone who hid their phone to tape it. ¡°Someone vited the rules that said the phones stay off in ss,¡± he said. ¡°Just like a teacher, I have to collect them now.¡±


    I watched the videos as he drove us to the sushi restaurant he¡¯d picked out. The matches weren¡¯t anything special, but thements were off the hook. Everything from ¡°I¡¯d marry her in a heartbeat¡± to ¡°that b**** needs me to teach her some respect.¡± They were getting lots of views; my celebrity wasn¡¯t falling off. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that bad,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s against the rules. Just because you¡¯re famous doesn¡¯t mean you and the others in the videos don¡¯t deserve privacy,¡± he said. ¡°If things get worse, we may have to move you and the other girls to private lessons. Keep that in mind when you¡¯re looking for a new ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got options now, and so does Amy,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to go through them when the twins get home from school. I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re getting booted from our condo.¡±


    We parked and walked into the restaurant; Hammer was a regr, and the owner weed us. ¡°Somece private,¡± I said when I saw the cellphonesing out. He led us to a table in the back, and Hammer spoke to the waitress in her nativenguage. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you spoke Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Two years stationed there, and I took advantage of it,¡± he said. ¡°I took the liberty of ordering for us, a sampler of their sushi styles.¡±


    The food was tasted great and was nutritious, as Hammer reminded me. I decided to change the subject. ¡°How are things going with you and Susan?¡±


    ¡°Fine, not that it is any of your business.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a smitten kitten,¡± I said with a giggle. ¡°Amy and I want Susan to be happy, and you make her happy. You two are perfect for each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried we¡¯re moving too fast. We¡¯ve known each other for a few months, and she¡¯s already living with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the match that is important, not the time. My Dad knew my Mom was the one for him before she¡¯d even talked to him. My Uncle was engaged to my Aunt within a week, and both of them were widowed. Love happens in its own time.¡± He didn¡¯t say much more as we finished up, and he had sses to teach when we got back to the dojo.


    I used his office to catch up on messages and phone calls. I sent the text to James, but he didn¡¯t respond right away. I checked my schedule; I didn¡¯t have an event until Saturday night in Tampa Bay so it could work. I texted the details to my publicist and to Mercedes. I could arrange for an aquarium talk on Friday during the day for my charity if Seaquest agreed.


    My ountant updated me that he had one maybe and two no¡¯s thus far, with two more owners not responding yet. I started looking at sports cars, then realized what a safety issue that was. I started looking at armored SUVs instead. Leo was going to insist on full-time security and other measures due to my new wealth. You couldn¡¯t be too careful about kidnappings this close to the border.


    I was choking on the prices when Susan linked me that they were pulling in soon. I waved at Hammer as I walked behind his ss and out the door, jumping into the back seat of the SUV. ¡°What did the Doc say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡± Amy justughed; she was so happy. ¡°They have no idea what changed, and I don¡¯t care. We did a lot of testing, though. I¡¯ve got about 18% of my field of vision back now to where I can see clearly. I might get more with time, or I might not see any change at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you still legally blind? Can you drive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no. Since I have less than 20% field of vision, I can¡¯t drive, and I still meet the blindness definition. Unless I¡¯m looking directly at something, it¡¯s still a blur. I can keep my dog and my cane,¡± she said sadly.


    ¡°At least you have cool dogs.¡± I reached forward and held her hand. ¡°But now you can read and write and see things when we dive, right?¡±


    ¡°Little areas at a time, but yes. I can use my phone and read parts of aputer screen.¡± She asked about my day, and I told them about my conversation with Hammer. ¡°Do you think your pep talk worked,¡± Amy asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I replied.


    ¡°He¡¯lle around. They always do,¡± Susan said with a grin.


    We were heading over the Coronado Bay Bridge as a destroyer headed out for sea under us. ¡°Amy, you have money, and your vision is back. You and Kai can do anything you want. Do you still want to live with the twins and me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± She looked at me like I was an idiot. ¡°We need each other, and the girls are sweet. I don¡¯t want to change anything! I¡¯ll save our money, at least until Kai and I can settle down somewhere.¡± I let out the breath I¡¯d been holding. Everything else in my life had changed so much that I needed my friends and family to stay with me. ¡°I want to be close to Mom and Luke, too, but not TOO close.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°We should wait until the kids are back home before we discuss your next ce,¡± Susan said.


    She was right; we didn¡¯t need to repeat everything. I liked my idea, but I wanted to hear what ideas the others had.


    I went back to looking up boats on my phone, this time looking at dive boats. If we ended up in a house, we were still getting a boat!

 SHARKBAIT #83

    Hammer was still at the dojo when the twins and Luke got home from school, so we all met at our ce for dinner. It gave everyone a few hours to finalize their part while Susan madesagna and garlic bread for dinner.


    I gave my ountant a call, and he had some good news. ¡°I have an interested seller on the 2004 Pacific Mariner 85,¡± he told me. I got all excited because this was the number one boat on my list. ¡°I sent an appraiser over, and I¡¯ll email you the report. Structurally it is in good shape, with the interior and appliances reced two years ago. The engines have only five hundred hours since theirst overhaul, which is good. He¡¯s listing it for two-point-six million, but he¡¯s smoking something if he thinks that will work. I did my research onparable yacht sales, and we ended at a reasonable price. I offered two hundred thousand to lease it for a year, with an option to buy for another one-point-nine million at the end of the lease. All this is a contingent cash offer.¡±


    ¡°Contingent on me liking it?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯d never buy a car without a test drive, and you shouldn¡¯t buy a boat without living on it for a few days. It¡¯s up in Long Beach; I arranged for you and any guests to ride it down with the crew so you can see how it works. You¡¯ll leave Wednesday, and the ship¡¯s crew will drive back on Friday. If you decide not to proceed with the lease, you¡¯ll pay six thousand dors and walk away from the deal.¡±


    I liked the idea, and I had another idea for the trip. ¡°What kind of crew?¡±


    ¡°Captain, First Mate, and a chef/housekeeper,¡± he said. ¡°I expect you to spend a lot of time with the Captain, learning to drive the boat and learning the systems unless you n to hire someone to do that for you.¡±


    ¡°I want to learn, but I might need to hire at times,¡± I said. ¡°The terms are eptable, and I¡¯ll bring my people to the docks in Long Beach on Wednesday. Email me the details, and thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I meant what I said, Vicki. You¡¯re never boring.¡±


    ¡°My next project for you is to find a vehicle, preferably used, that has bulletproof ss and armor. I¡¯m going to need protection when I head out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He hung up, and I started looking through the information that he sent me. I linked Amy, asking her toe to my room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± she said.


    ¡°That marina the Navy runs next to the base, Fiddler¡¯s Cove. Can you use that?¡±


    ¡°Kai¡¯s active duty, so he probably gets priority,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re buying a boat?¡±


    ¡°Damn right. I need a ce to put it.¡± I put a call in with Amy listening in. Her jaw dropped when I mentioned the size of the boat I needed pier space for, but they had an opening for the next two weeks. Amy put a deposit down on it for a Friday arrival. When she got off, I showed her some of the pictures from the sales website. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to the others until I talk about it, all right? I want to hear what they think too.¡±


    ¡°I will, but you have my vote! Damn, that thing is SWEET.¡± She left the room, and I made some phone calls to the people I wanted on my shakedown cruise. It was my money, but I¡¯d be foolish to ignore those with my best interests at heart. Soon enough, we were sitting down to dinner.


    ¡°I may as well start,¡± Susan said. ¡°Hammer is willing to help you out if you can¡¯t find housing quickly, but you¡¯d need a new ce by the time you get back from your world tour.¡±


    Kaia picked it up next. ¡°First off, after talking with my husband and the Alphas, we agreed that leaving Makani and Noni in Vampire territory aftering of age is a non-starter. Amy still needs their help, though. I¡¯ll go to your school tomorrow and enroll you in online sses for your senior year.¡± The twins bounced with happiness and hugged their Mom. ¡°This is your only warning. If your grades slip, we¡¯ll pull you back to the Pack and put you in school there so fast you won¡¯t realize you¡¯ve left. Do you understand me?¡± They quickly agreed, and she looked back towards me. ¡°My part was to determine the boundaries of Master Caroline¡¯s territory. As it turns out, Coronado isn¡¯t technically part of her territory boundary, which is the San Diego city limits.¡±


    ¡°So we can stay here?¡± Amy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. We started requesting permission from the Master for any Navy or Marine Corps personnel who were stationed here back before World War One. The bases are spread all over San Diego, Coronado, and Point Loma, with the main Naval Base in National City. It was easier to request permission for any, and that is now precedent. We have recognized her territorial limits to include Coronado.¡±


    ¡°Where can we go to be free of her rules? Staying here isn¡¯t an option, except for you and Luke,¡± I said. There was no way to have the twinse of age and have the security I needed in Vamp territory.


    ¡°You could go south, towards Imperial Beach.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Makani said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be that close to the Mexican border for security reasons.¡±


    Kaia agreed with that. ¡°You could go east into the mountains, or north across the San Diego River. Anything along the coast from Mission Beach to La Jo would be close enough to drive to get Kai on weekends, and the neighborhoods are safer.¡±


    La Jo had good diving. I liked that idea. ¡°Any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°You all could move back to Three Sisters, which solves the security issue. Amy could fly back with security on weekends, and we¡¯d still stay under the limit with just me and Luke here. You could go to a hotel on weekends if you don¡¯t want to stay with us. My understanding is that there aren¡¯t a whole lot of weekends left for him this year anyway.¡±


    That was true; he had weekends off until November, then we wouldn¡¯t see him until Christmas. That¡¯s when we nned our World Tour anyway. I looked at the twins. ¡°Girls, what did you find for rental properties?¡±


    ¡°We got the heads up about the territory, so we¡¯ve been looking north and east of the city. There are some nice areas a few hours east with room to run, but none are for rent. Most of what we found is north.¡± She pulled out her tablet and opened up a map. ¡°It depends on what we want. The Mission Beach and Pacific Beach areas are closer, with a younger crowd and the beach. They are also very crowded, making security more difficult. There are some fantastic properties in La Jo; it¡¯s the rich people area, and leases and rentals are avable for a price.¡± The girls showed us the properties they thought would be best; one was a four-bedroom, two-story home on Mission Beach, the other a five-bedroom mansion in a gatedmunity in La Jo. It had a fenced yard, pool, and ocean view. ¡°What did youe up with,¡± Makani asked.


    ¡°I went a little wild, but I had my reasons. You all know I want a boat that can get out to ces like La Jo and San Clemente. I love the water, and I started thinking about how cool it would be to have a boat big enough to anchor at a dive site for the week. One thing led to another, and this is what I¡¯m looking at.¡± I pulled up the photos of the yacht on my tablet, turning it to show everyone.


    ¡°HOLY SHIT,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°Language,¡± Kaia warned, but she was smiling. Luke¡¯s jaw was hanging open as he looked, and the twins¡¯ eyes were huge. Only Amy didn¡¯t react. ¡°Why don¡¯t we clean the table and head into the living room.¡±


    Two minutester, I sent the screen to the big screen in the living room as we all headed for the couches. Everyone took their ces, and I flipped through the photos and talked about the yacht. ¡°It has three bedrooms with queen beds, and a fourth with a twin bed and two bunks,¡± I said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s HUGE,¡± Kaia said as she looked at pictures of the living area, galley, and dining room. Beautiful woodwork and furnishings gave it the look of an expensive condominium.


    ¡°Check this out,¡± I said. The below-decks area had four bedrooms and engine rooms. The main deck contained the living room, kitchen, dining room, and the pilothouse. The upper level was set up for entertaining. Overhangs protected most of it from the sun and rain, while the sides were open to the weather. It included an outdoor kitchen and bar, along with tables, couches, and other ces to rx. It even had a two-person hot tub next to the intable boat stored by the davit.


    I figured it was perfect for enjoying the ocean breezes after a long day of diving.


    ¡°Seriously? You want to buy THIS?¡±


    ¡°Why not? I can park it at any marina I want, I take my home with me, and I¡¯m not limited to a single property. If I want to anchor off the Catalina Inds, I can do it. If I want to take it up the coast to Eugene, I can. We can use the inte to do our schoolwork and pull in when we need to travel.¡±


    ¡°Security?¡± Susan didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°It locks up as well as a house, and there is only one way onto the pier at the marinas. With all the expensive boats, the marina security is usually good.¡± I finished the presentation. ¡°I can afford it, and I¡¯m taking this for a test drive Wednesday through Friday from Long Beach down here. I¡¯d like you guys along,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will you have enough room for us?¡± Kaia was wondering if she should go.


    ¡°The crew will be on board, and they¡¯ll take the stateroom with the bunks. We¡¯ll have three queen-sized beds in the remaining cabins; Amy can bunk with me in the Master, and the twins can use air beds on the floor. The Alphas can have one the VIP stateroom, while my parents will use the remaining stateroom. Susan, you and Luke cane if you want. The extras can crash on the couches on the main deck or up top.¡±


    ¡°Alphas?¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°Yes. I invited Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn on the trip. I need them to befortable with the decision since they are helping me organize our security. My ountant set it up so I could ¡®test drive¡¯ the yacht and see how it works for me before I buy it. Having all these guests tells me if it will work for some other ns I have.¡±


    ¡°What ns,¡± Susan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about those on the trip down.¡± In the end, everyone wanted to go on the cruise. If it didn¡¯t work out, the La Jo estate looked like the best alternative. We could make an appointment to see it the next week.


    Captain Thomas Vickers and his wife Lte, who was the Chef, called me to verify everythingter that night. I gave them the passenger numbers, and helped her select a menu; they would be ready to leave port at noon.


    I hired a bus to take our group up to Los Angeles, stopping at the airfield for the rest of our guests. Brent and Liv had flown to Oregon, then joined the Alphas on a private jet down to Long Beach Airport. I was thrilled to see them as they got on board. ¡°A cruise? Such a nice surprise,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering why such short notice,¡± Carolyn said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything once we get underway,¡± I promised. It wasn¡¯t long until we were at the pier on the Long Beach waterfront, carrying our travel bags onboard the ¡°Good Times.¡± The Captain and crew stood in their uniforms to wee us aboard. I walked over first since I was the potential owner. ¡°Vicki Lawrence,¡± I said as I shook the Captain¡¯s hand. He and his wife were in their fifties, their deep tans contrasting with the grey hair.


    He smelled weird. Salt, ocean, something I hadn¡¯t scented before, and his wife and first mate smelled the same. He looked at me, his eyes going wide in shock. He looked from me to the Alphas, and he let go of my hand and stepped back.


    Alpha Steven was right behind me. ¡°How could you hire MERMAIDS,¡± he thundered over the link.

 SHARKBAIT #84

    I froze under my Alpha¡¯s anger. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°All three are mermaids,¡± he said. The crew looked just as shocked.


    I stepped in, my training as to be a good host kicking in, and it was MY boat. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m Vicki Lawrence, and I rented the ship,¡± I said with a smile.


    Captain Thomas quickly recovered. ¡°Wee aboard the Good Times, Miss Lawrence. My wife and your chef and housekeeper, Lte.¡±


    She was smiling as she shook my hand. ¡°I love your work,¡± she said.


    ¡°And my daughter and First Mate, Loretta.¡±


    I shook her hand; she looked a little older than me, with a deep tan and long blonde hair. ¡°Let me introduce my guests,¡± I said. ¡°My Alpha and Luna, Steven and Carolyn Dauntless of the Three Sisters Pack in Oregon.¡±


    The Captain nodded respectfully to the Alpha pair. ¡°Wee aboard, sir. It is an honor,¡± he said as he extended his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Steven said as he gripped it. Carolyn was friendly as they greeted thedies, but tensions were still high.


    ¡°My parents, Brent and Liv Lawrence, Betas in the Miesville Pack in Minnesota.¡± My parents weren¡¯t in on the Alpha¡¯smunication and showed no hesitation in their greetings. I introduced Amy, Susan, Makani, Noni, and Luke, all of us gathering in the covered area at the stern of the ship.


    Captain Thomas got our attention as we looked at the beautiful boat¡¯s amenities. ¡°I thought we could start with a quick tour, and you can drop your bags off where you will be sleeping,¡± he said. ¡°We can finish with a safety brief and then get underway shortly afterward.¡±


    ¡°That would be fine, Captain,¡± I said. He pointed out a few things in the outdoor lounge area, and then we went inside to therge salon. Luke and Susan left their bags in the chairs, two of which folded out into single beds. The living area wasrge andfortable, with a big television and bar. I was impressed by the small dining area and the kitchen, which waspact but well-equipped. A bench and table were on the far side, then the enclosed pilothouse.


    ¡°The stairs lead down to the staterooms or up to the weather deck,¡± the Captain said as we looked at the ship¡¯s wheel and controls, all the electronics up and running. He led us down the stairs to the master suite.


    ¡°This is OFF THE HOOK,¡± Amy said as she walked in.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Per your request, two extra beds are here,¡± Thomas said.


    There was plenty of room, and the bathroom was nice and big. We left our bags and went forward to the other two staterooms; both were smaller but well-appointed. Going back up, we continued to the Flying Bridge. It has the same controls to operate the yacht as the pilothouse but was higher up and exposed to winds. Behind it, there was a bar and mini-kitchen surrounded by storage benches. The 2-person hot tub and the motorunch Zodiak boat were in the sun at the stern end. ¡°If there is anything you need, ask any of the crew, and we will provide it,¡± the Captain said as he finished. ¡°Are you ready for the safety brief?¡±


    ¡°I think we should talk about the elephant in the room first,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°You three are Mermaids, and our group is all Werewolves. Forgive me if I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Captain Thomas stood with his hands sped behind him, and his head bowed respectfully. ¡°That was a shock to us as well, but it makes no difference to the crew. Would it be helpful if I told you about us?¡±


    ¡°It would,¡± Alpha said.


    ¡°My family lives south of Los Angeles, near Laguna Beach. We moved there twenty years ago when we couldn¡¯t financially keep our fishing business afloat. My wife and I started hiring on as yacht crews, piloting vessels from forty to two hundred feet long for the rich and famous.¡±


    ¡°That has to be fun,¡± I said.


    ¡°It has its moments. Our reputation rests on ourpetence and discretion. It doesn¡¯t matter whether we like the client or not; our job is to operate safely and attend to their every need. I rarely see supernatural beings, but I will treat you like my other clients. You will have noints about your cruise when I return you to shore.¡±


    The Alpha and Brent were thinking about it, but I had the power here; it was MY charter, and these people worked for me. ¡°I¡¯m happy to have such an experienced and capable crew, and since no humans are along, it gives us a freedom we otherwise wouldn¡¯t have,¡± I said. ¡°As I mentioned on the phone, I intend to lease this boat for a year and potentially buy it. I¡¯d like to spend as much time as I can with you, learning how to operate it properly.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Miss. We are thrilled to have a charter that shows interest in more than just partying,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°Now, the safety brief.¡± He went over where the lifeboats and life jackets were, where to assemble if someone fell overboard, and other precautions. Soon, Loretta and Lte were taking in the mooring lines, and he showed me how the thrusters and engines could work together to move us away from the dock. Turning the yacht in ce, he set course for the harbor entrance.


    Makani, Noni, and Amy had already taken off their cover-ups and were lying on the padded cushions on the bow. They were garnering a lot of looks as we passed the other boats. The adults stayed upstairs in the lounge area behind the flying bridge as Lte brought out cocktails and trays of snacks. Luke and I sat in the chairs on either side of the Captain, watching and asking questions. He exined what he was doing and why. There was a lot to consider; rules of the road, buoys and markers, winds, currents, and the seas. ¡°Do I need a license to operate my boat,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Technically, no,¡± he said. ¡°I would not rmend it without proper training, though. Driving this around without the knowledge and experience could lead to disaster.¡± He talked about his Captain¡¯s License from the Coast Guard. ¡°It is well worth it to bring on an experienced person until you¡¯vepleted the course and arefortable with operating it yourself. Even after you are capable, you should understand that piloting a big boat like this requires your full attention. You can¡¯t be a host and drive the boat. That is why most owners ofrge yachts employ crews like ours. It lets them enjoy the time and be with their friends and family.¡±


    Once we were out on open waters and the traffic lightened, he set the autopilot on a course for Catalina Ind and called Loretta up to watch the bridge. ¡°Let me show you the engine room,¡± he said. It was interesting, and Luke and I learned a lot about the boat as he showed us how it worked. We made our way back up to the upper deck right when Lte was bringing up lunch. The Reubens were fantastic, and I spent more time rxing with my family as we transited the Pacific south.


    We tied off to an anchor buoy at Two Harbors, and the four girls all went to get our dive gear. Loretta drove the intable for us, heading into Isthmus Cove and anchoring above the reefs. The twins were snorkeling, while Amy and I stayed under for minutes at a time with our free-diving gear. Amy was able to see what she looked at now, and that made all the difference. I was disappointed when my Mom told us toe back and get ready for dinner.


    The mood on the boat was much happier by the time we showered and changed, joining everyone in the salon. ¡°What happened while we were gone,¡± I asked my parents.


    ¡°The Alphas and the Captain spent a lot of time talking and found out they had a lot more inmon than they thought,¡± Dad said. ¡°There¡¯s been very little interaction between our kinds, and it has been that way for centuries. They stay in small family units, rarely interacting with others of their kind, and blending in among the humans. They stay on the ocean because it is their safe space, just like the woods are for us.¡±


    ¡°The ocean is my safe space, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°We both believe in the Moon Goddess, but we call her Luna while they call her Atargatis. Oh, and we both don¡¯t trust vampires.¡± I had to chuckle at that. ¡°If you think the scratch n sniff is bad, they don¡¯t have anything like it to find their mates. The males have to travel from home to home when they can afford to look for a mate.¡±


    ¡°That would suck for them,¡± I said.


    ¡°More so because there are only a few hundred mermaids out there. Their females are fertile only once every one to two dozen years, and few families have more than two children. They can¡¯t change by bite as we can, so there are no human mates. They can reproduce with humans if there isn¡¯t a merman around; that¡¯s the source of the stories about mermaids seducing sailors. They have to kill them to protect their secret.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand the hostility; I liked the three I¡¯d met. With my love of swimming and the ocean, I had to wonder if the Moon Goddess had mistakenly given me fur instead of fins. ¡°Are you guys having fun?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been rxing, drinking, and telling stories. That¡¯s old people fun.¡±


    That was great news. Dinner was a lot of fun; the older crowd ate in the salon dining room, while the young ones ate outside at the table by the stern. The weather was perfect, with cool ocean breezes. Lte had made a seafood feast for dinner, and it was spectacr. We had a great time after dinner, watching the sunset up top before retiring to the salon to rx.

 SHARKBAIT #85

    We got underwayte the next morning, taking a short run and anchoring in Moonstone Cove. Here, we got everyone in the water and having a good time. We dove another three ces around meals, finally getting underway after dark and heading for La Jo. It was a little different sleeping while we were moving, but it was veryfortable. When I came up the next morning, we anchored near a remote free-diving spot. The water was too deep for most, but Amy and I could free-dive down fifty feet or more.


    That night after dinner, I gathered everyone in the salon and told them about the ns I had for not just this boat, but my career. I used the television and my tablet to show them what I¡¯d researched. ¡°The show I would produce would be a reality show based on our lives and our adventures,¡± I said. ¡°Modeling, diving, and education would all be represented. We¡¯d start as we leave on our Bodyglove World Tour, then use this boat as a tform for filming additional episodes over the next few months. I think we can put together a season of quality hour-long programs with significant financial upside.¡±


    They had a lot of questions, but we had a lot of answers. Dad was happy we were talking an all-female crew, but Carolyn wanted the majority to be werewolves for protection. I told them I would look for people in the Packs, but the specific skills needed probably didn¡¯t exist among them. Alpha Steven was concerned we didn¡¯t have enough adult supervision.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about partying, this is business,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m putting my money on the line because I believe in this, and I won¡¯t let anyone derail it. I¡¯m bringing in a director, crew, underwater photographers, and everyone else I need. It costs too much money to mess around,¡± I said. ¡°In between episodes, this will be our home. We can dock outside Vampire territory, and I can have all the security and visitors I need.¡±


    We talked about it for hours, then went to bed without an answer.


    Our parents and our Alphas agreed to support my ns before we docked at the marina in Coronado on Friday morning. I was thest one out, locking up the boat behind me. I¡¯d called my ountant on the ride in and told him to execute the one-year lease.


    I thanked Captain Thomas and Lte, then told Loretta goodbye. She¡¯d been great with us; if she were a werewolf, I¡¯d have hired her and her Mom on the spot. The crew got into their rental car while we piled into the two cars we¡¯d left in the lot.


    It had been a great time, and I was sad to see everyone head back home.


    We had a lot of work to do if we were to make this all work.


    The first thing I had to think about was a crew for the yacht. I didn¡¯t need anyone while my boat was in port, but the fine print of the lease agreement required me to hire a properly licensed staff if taking it away from the docks. Even after I owned it outright, my insurancepany would insist on proper staffing, or they could deny the im.


    I had talked to Captain Thomas and Loretta on the way into port about the requirements to get a Master¡¯s license. There was no ¡®pleasure boat¡¯ exception once I started taking on film crews. The ¡®Good Times¡¯ had a seventy-ton discement, and I intended to operate it in the open ocean. USw required the Captain to have a Coast Guard Master license valid up to 100 tons, authorizing operation up to 200 miles offshore. It wasn¡¯t an easy license to get; you had to have 720 days at sea, with at least 90 of those in the past three years on a vessel over fifty tons, and pass aprehensive exam. The minimum crew size was the Captain and a Deck Hand.


    I wasn¡¯t going to be at sea for that long for years.


    ¡°There¡¯s a big ¡®but¡¯ in that, though,¡± Thomas had said. ¡°A licensed Master is required on the bridge when the boat is not at anchor or docked, but Coast Guard regtions don¡¯t allow the Master to be there for more than twelve hours a day. So, you have to go from port to port, anchorage to anchorage, each leg less than twelve hours. If you want to make a long transit, you need two people licensed to that level to go straight through.¡±


    ¡°Where do I find a second Master,¡± I asked. Who knew owning a big-ass boat like this could be so COMPLICATED?


    ¡°Right here,¡± Loretta said. ¡°I¡¯ve been crew on my father¡¯s jobs since I was sixteen. I¡¯ve got my First Mate license already, and I take my Master¡¯s license exam next month.¡±


    ¡°What about deckhands? Could we use Makani and Noni?¡±


    ¡°They could assist, but they don¡¯t have a Mate¡¯s license, and there is no time to get them in the timeframe you are talking about,¡± Thomas said. ¡°Lte is also a First Mate, so despite her duties in the kitchen, she counts. With the three of us, you meet requirements for any transit you want to make. My family can provide all you need, plus as fellow supernaturals, you don¡¯t need to hide your true nature around us.¡±


    That conversation was on my mind as I made up a list of what people I would need for each part of the project. The first part of the adventure was the easiest. I needed a traveling film crew for a little more than two months. I made my list.


    Director, with experience with underwater filming, preferably in documentaries


    Camera operators (2) with SCUBA qualification and extensive underwater and above water experience. Must also be able to operate hand and fixed cameras above water.


    Sound Technician


    Safety Diver (hire locally?)


    Scientist (hire locally)


    Security (2) (Best if can double as safety diver)


    I needed at least two camera operators, as I needed to capture what was going on in the boat at the same time as what was going on underwater. The list barely changed for when we moved onto the yacht.


    Master 100 Ton Ind/Near Coastal (2) Must be US citizens


    Mate


    Cook/Housekeeper


    I thought about using the twins to cook and clean, but they were going to be part of the reality show. I made a note to talk to them about SCUBA qualifications and free-diving practice. I was going to be busy, so I was hoping Amy could get them the sses and work with them before we left.


    I had promised Alpha Steven I would hire werewolves whenever possible, but I didn¡¯t have much hope that I¡¯d find two USCG-licensed Masters of the right tonnage rating among the group. Iposed a letter to the Alphas, telling them I was putting together a crew for a documentary series, and asking for any qualified females in their Packs with interest to contact me with their resume. The email included approximate dates and promised market rates and travel. I sent the draft to Alpha Steven and Alpha Leo first, making sure it was ready before I sent it to the rest of the Alphas that night. They responded within the hour, and I sent it out before we left.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    With Susan¡¯s help, the girls made three runs to the Marina with our stuff. They got our clothes and other bed/bath things packed and loaded onto my yacht by four. We didn¡¯t have much to start with, and the furniture stayed with the condo. They also brought our kitchen stuff and enough food for the night and morning. Susan promised to deliver groceries to us on Saturday morning. We left the twins there and headed for the base.


    Amy and I waited in the parking lot outside the Special Warfare Center for Kai and his buddies toe out. They looked beat after another week of training, but Kai¡¯s face lit up as soon as he saw Amy. She took off running into his arms, leaping up for him to catch her and spin her around. ¡°Amy?¡±


    ¡°I got some of my vision back, my love! I can see your face now!¡± She proved it by moving in for a lip-lock.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s great!¡± Ricardo hugged Amy as soon as Kai let her go, letting go before Kai got upset.


    ¡°How much of your vision came back,¡± Manuel asked as he got his hug.


    ¡°Eighteen percent field of vision, a rough circle where I¡¯m looking,¡± she answered with a big smile. ¡°Outside that circle is still blurry, but I¡¯ll take it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, honey,¡± Kai said as we started loading into our SUV. Amy got in the back with her husband and Manuel, as Ricardo had called shotgun.


    I drove out of the base, startling them all when I turned left into the Fiddler¡¯s Cove Marina. ¡°Wait, where are we going,¡± Ricardo asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± I said as I pulled into an open parking spot.

 SHARKBAIT #86

    Kai looked at Amy and me as he got out, and he didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to spend more time on the water after the week I just had,¡± he said.


    Manuel came around with his bag. ¡°Yeah, are we going sailing or something?¡±


    ¡°Or something. Come on.¡± I led them to the gate for the docks, using my key card to open it up. I led them along the docks, passing the smaller day-sailers and fishing boats. They were trying to figure it what the surprise was when a sexy voice from above caught their attention.


    ¡°Hey sailors,¡± Makani said as she stood by the rail on the upper deck in her revealing white bikini.


    ¡°Fancy having a drink with a few lonelydies,¡± Noni asked as she came up next to her twin in a ck bikini of the same style.


    Manuel dropped his bag in shock, while Ricardo just stood there. Kai looked at Amy, wondering what was going on. ¡°Come aboard, boys,¡± I said as I walked the gangnk to the swim tform at the stern of the Good Times.


    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me,¡± Kai said as he walked up the stairs behind me. ¡°This is yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and the girls and I are living here now. Ourndlord booted us out after all the police attention we got from the art,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m leasing it for a year with an option to buy.¡±


    I opened the sliding door to the salon. Amy took Kai¡¯s hand, leading him forward to thedder heading down to their stateroom. We wouldn¡¯t see them until dinner was ready. I looked back at the twins, who were ck-jawed as they looked at the opulent surroundings. ¡°This way to your room,¡± I said. We went down the stairs, and I pointed at their door. ¡°Change into swimsuits and head back up,¡± I told them.


    I¡¯d barely set my bag down and looked around before I heard them heading back up to the twins. I spent some time organizing my things as the three couples had some time to themselves. Heading back up to the kitchen, I put the potatoes in the oven and started preparing the broli for steaming. While I waited, I watched the evening news and checked my messages. ¡°Thirty minutes,¡± I warned the girls when the time was right. ¡°Fire up the grill and make sure those steaks don¡¯t get overcooked.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready,¡± Makani sent back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get showered,¡± Amy sent back.


    I timed the cooking so I could mash the potatoes with cream cheese, butter, and sour cream. The broli finished steaming, and I put it in another bowl and carried them up to the upper kitchen. Manuel was grilling the ribeyes with Makani, while Noni was tucked up next to Ricardo on the couch. I set the food down on the table, which Noni had already set. Amy was flushed as she followed Kai to the table and sat down. ¡°What are you guys drinking,¡± I asked as I went over to the refrigerator. ¡°We¡¯ve got beer, hard cider, milk, Coke, and water.¡±


    I handed out the drinks as they called them out. Manuel ted the big steaks, and we all sat down at the table while the ocean breeze swirled around us. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a toast,¡± I said before everyone started. I raised my Coke and looked across at Amy. ¡°To the strongest woman that I¡¯ve ever known. She¡¯s been through so much, but her smile never faded, and she never let adversity stop her. I love you, Amy.¡±


    Tears were going down her cheeks as everyone took their drinks. No one said anything for a few minutes, as the food was too good for idle conversation. The talk dide, and it went well after sundown. We told the boys about our ns for the future and our shakedown cruise adventures on the boat. They were supportive of us, but that couldn¡¯t hide the jealousy. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be in training for eight weeks straight while THEY get to jet around the world and dive all those cool spots,¡± Manuel said.


    ¡°And they get PAID FOR IT,¡± Ricardo agreed.


    ¡°Technically, these three get paid for it. I sign the checks in the hopes I make a lot moreter,¡± I said.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I¡¯d do it for free,¡± Kai said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get plenty of dive time in the next year,¡± I teased. I wasn¡¯t kidding, either. After BUD/S finished up, the training just got tougher. It cost three million dors and took eighteen months to turn a sailor into a SEAL. ¡°How many are in your ss now?¡±


    ¡°Thirty-two,¡± he said. ¡°Lost two this week when they failed exams.¡± It wasn¡¯t just injuries or the physical challenges that could wash you out; SEAL training was mentally challenging. I could tell how much more confident the guys were since we first met.


    They told us some stories, and when the breeze started to get too cold, we moved the party down to the salon. Amy and Iid out what we knew of our schedule for our overseas trip. They were worried about security, but we¡¯d have that in spades, plus camera crews to record everything. ¡°You¡¯re dating future reality television stars,¡± Amy told the guys.


    ¡°I¡¯m good with that,¡± Ricardo said as he pulled Noni in for a kiss. ¡°Television could use some reality, and I know you four won¡¯t skank it up like those other shows.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to your Commanding Officer about this, Kai,¡± I said. ¡°We are going to start filming the show before we leave, and we¡¯ll be filming for months after we return to the States. You three are part of our lives, so you should be part of the show. I can¡¯t pay you, since you¡¯re in the Navy, but I will need permission from each of you and the Navy to have you on the show.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do Monday,¡± he said. ¡°I want to be wherever Amy is, cameras or not.¡± The twins quickly agreed, knowing the alternative was to be left out.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather speak to Admiral Kirk first,¡± I said. ¡°Amy and I have both met him before, and it¡¯s my project. I want to sound him out about doing some filming WITH the Navy for an episode. I could see us diving in restricted waters off San Clemente with SEALs, or the four of us going through elements of SEAL training. I think it would be a winner for the Navy and ¡®Shark Baits.¡¯ Imagine the ratings when the guys take off their shirts and flex.¡±


    ¡°Sun¡¯s out, guns out,¡± Amy agreed.


    Ricardo whispered something that made Manuel break outughing. ¡°What?¡±


    Manuel caught his breath. ¡°He said that if you four do the workout in full view of the ss, half the guys will ring the bell just to join you.¡±


    I had tough at that. ¡°We¡¯ll try not to interfere.¡±


    ¡°It would be a st to go through some of your pool training with your instructors,¡± Amy said. ¡°So many things open up if we get the cooperation of the Navy.¡±


    ¡°Not so much,¡± Kai said, wincing as he remembered. Amy and I had watched some documentaries and talked to Hammer to get a better idea of what he was going through. SEAL pool training was much more than just swimming. They would tie your hands behind your back and your ankles together, forcing you to push off the bottom and take a breath before you sank back down. Instructors would push your limits, seeing if you could keep a clear head and function when you were drowning. They would roll you, tear off your mask, kink your airlines, even turn off your tanks. It was dangerous training, and sometimes people died. ¡°You¡¯re right, though. You grease the skids, and I¡¯ll send the special request chit up the chain. It probably has to go to Washington, but the Admiral¡¯s support will be key.¡±


    Amy had gone to get another round of drinks, handing her mate a cold beer before handing out the rest. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re living like this just a short distance away from where we are getting our asses kicked daily.¡±


    ¡°I could drive up and down the coast off the beach if that would help,¡± I teased. ¡°Amy and the girls could wear their bikinis for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I need to focus on training,¡± Kai said.


    Makani picked up the teasing. ¡°It¡¯s not all fun and games. We have to exercise, stretch, and work on our tans, you know. Modeling isn¡¯t as easy as it looks.¡±


    ¡°I bet you guys don¡¯t worry about getting a pimple on your forehead,¡± Noni added.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Kai said.


    I started yawning just after ten, exhausted from the long days. ¡°I¡¯m turning in,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys in the morning. Hammer will be here at six-thirty for our run,¡± I said.


    ¡°We better get some sleep, then,¡± Amy said. ¡°Come on, honey.¡±


    ¡°Turn out the lights when you go to bed,¡± I told the two sets of twins as I made sure the door was locked.


    I went back to my stateroom, showering, and heading to bed. I was out like a light.

 SHARKBAIT #87

    Monday morning, Amy and I returned the boys to the base after a fun weekend. Kai and Amy loved the yacht, and Manuel and Ricardo didn¡¯t want to wake up from their dream. They¡¯d spent the weekend rxing on a multi-million dor yacht with two hot girls they were falling in love with. I prayed to Luna that they were mates; the girls deserved men like them.


    We¡¯d had a few problems with paparazzi and pushy males during our morning run. One man had even tried to tackle me, ending up on eating sand as Makani swept his legs out from behind. Hammer was bing more and more concerned with our security; when we returned inside the marina fence, heid it out. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to stop with the beach runs unless we get a lot more security,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you worried about me getting hurt,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than the danger of kidnappers and obsessed fans. I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll hurt someone, and they¡¯ll get it on tape. You¡¯re a celebrity, and not all the threats you¡¯ll face are physical. Did you know that almost all lottery winners get sued multiple times?¡± I did not. ¡°Lottery winners have been sued, and lost, over twenty-year-old ¡®verbal contracts¡¯ because they once said they¡¯d split the winnings. A winner got sued by her Pastor because after donating one and a half million dors to the church, it was the ten percent the Pastor said she promised. Extended family memberse out of the woodwork, as do scam artists. It ismon to be sued frivolously, with the intiffs hoping you¡¯ll pay them money just to go away. That¡¯s where you are now, Vicki. You¡¯re eighteen-years-old and have a worth over ten million dors. Every bum and scammer out there wants a piece of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I have an ountant, a financial nner, a publicist, and you all,¡± I said as we walked down the docks.


    ¡°That helps, but lottery winners are more likely than the average person to go bankrupt in the next three to five years. They spend money frivolously, invest in shady deals, give money to rtives and friends, and get sued repeatedly. You¡¯ve got a good head on you, but you need to think long term and understand that your life will never be the same. You can¡¯t hang out at the Mall, or go to the movies, or even run on the beach anymore, Vicki.¡±


    The attention sucked. I didn¡¯t want to give up the money or the fame, but I loved our beach runs. ¡°What about the base? Could we run there?¡± From the Marina, the base entrance was only a few blocks away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, and safer than a public beach. I can get on with my retired identification, Amy has her Dependent ID, and you have your ID card as Amy¡¯s attendant. The twins are Kai¡¯s sisters, but we¡¯d have to register them as visitors every day. That would be a problem.¡±


    It could work; we could even get the service dog harness and bring one of the twins as her dog. ¡°What else could we do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a small exercise room on the boat, and there is room for a treadmill and a stair climber up by the flying bridge. Working out on your property is better than being out in public.¡±


    It would only be for another eight days, anyway. Our dock space rental at the marina would be up, and we¡¯d be moving to the Driscoll Bay Marina, just over the border from Master Caroline¡¯s territory. We had to be up there before the twins came of age. The marina was near Sea World, which reminded me that I wanted to do a show with their marine mammal rescue group. ¡°I¡¯ll look at getting some exercise machinester today,¡± I said.


    We got back on board, following the smell of pancakes and sausage to the kitchen. ¡°Shower and change, we eat in fifteen minutes,¡± Susan said as we walked by.


    ¡°You can use the shower in my room, Hammer,¡± Amy said as she followed me down to my room. She grabbed her clothes,ing into the master stateroom and closing the door. ¡°Every time I see this room I get jealous of you,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it when you¡¯re sharing it with the twins and me,¡± I said. Things were going to be cozy when we brought a film crew on board. I was kicking around ideas for how to rearrange things, but I wanted to talk to Captain Thomas first. I got through the shower first, with her right behind me. We both made it back upstairs and sat down to a big breakfast.


    Susan looked at me as she sat down. ¡°Your ountant called while you were out, Vicki. He found a 2028 Lincoln Navigator armored SUV for sale up in Los Angeles that meets your requirements. It passed mechanical inspection, so he bought it and will have it delivered between ten and noon today.¡±


    ¡°Armored SUV?¡± Hammer¡¯s eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Yeah. You aren¡¯t the only one worried about our security, and I needed to buy a car. My Uncle insisted I get a vehicle that could survive an ambush with AK-47¡¯s. I asked Stan to see if he could find one for under sixty thousand, and he did.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°A Navigator is a tank,¡± he said. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Big enough for all of us to travel in, plus a security detail,¡± I replied. ¡°I could have gone with something smaller, but more space is good.¡± I looked over at where Hammer was touching Susan¡¯s thigh as he leaned in to whisper something, unaware that we could easily hear him.


    ¡°Mom, if Hammer takes us to the dojo, can you pick us up,¡± Amy asked. She agreed, and Hammer felt better that we weren¡¯t driving alone. We finished breakfast and left the two lovebirds to talk.


    I had no idea what a ho¡¯s nest I¡¯d created with a simple job opportunity letter until I checked myputer while Amy and I waited to leave. I¡¯d gotten plenty of responses, both from women interested in the jobs and from Alphas that thought the whole thing was a terrible idea. The objections fell into three categories, each of which I would have to deal with formally now that the Council involved itself.

 SHARKBAIT #88

    The first objection was to the celebrity status Amy and I had attained, and others like Makani and Noni might find, too. The letter made it clear that the hires must agree to appearances in the show, regardless of their position. ¡°Werewolves need to blend into the poption, not stand out,¡± the conventional wisdom said. The fame from rescuing the boy was unavoidable, but everything since then was ¡®risky¡¯ and ¡®self-serving.¡¯ Never mind that I¡¯d raised millions for my charitable foundation, or that my modeling job would have paid for my schooling. No, I was supposed to get mated, take over a Pack, and start popping out pups, like a good little Luna.


    The second objection was to my restriction on female-only applicants. Werewolf society is strongly patriarchal, and the idea of a bunch of females without Manly Male Protection and Oversight was anathema to them. In some Alpha¡¯s minds, we were risking ¡®their¡¯ females with my ¡®foolish¡¯ insistence on an all-female crew. It was more than just a job when werewolves were involved. To work together effectively, the Werewolves all have to be in the same Pack and share the Pack link. It meant their females might join Alpha Steven¡¯s Pack and never returned. Worse, they feared that I was going to be that Alpha, forming a new Pack on the high seas, and doing it without a man at my side.


    Their final objection was to me personally. I was eighteen and just starting college; what did I know about anything? After all, I¡¯d made my fortune by enthralling a Vampire Master, not by hard work. I proved I could pose for the cameras and talk intelligently, but there was no way I could pull off aplicated project like this. I was risking more than just money. How could anyone entrust their Pack members to a girl barely of age?


    The Werewolf Council decided to hold a hearing on my n on Thursday at the Three Sisters Pack. I called Alpha Steven back, getting more details. He wanted me there on Wednesday night to go over our strategy and meet the Regional Chairs as they arrived. Luna Adrienne would being as well, which made me feel better about navigating the shark-infested waters of Werewolf politics.


    Checking my other messages, I saw that Seaquest Las Vegas would be thrilled to have me make an appearance on Friday. Mercedes was on board with it and had worked with Lauren¡¯s agent to secure four ringside seats for me for the UFC Fight Night at the Begio. Bodyglove would have a photographer at the aquarium, and my publicist would ensure I¡¯d get lots of exposure during the fight. I made a few calls, speaking with the VIP department at the Begio. They arranged for two suites and additional security for me during my visit; I¡¯d spend Thursday and Friday nights at the exclusive hotel. Saturday evening was my appearance in Tampa Bay, and then I could fly back home Sunday.


    My next call was to the charter air service I was using. I arranged for flights from San Diego to Bend, Oregon Wednesday afternoon, and from Bend to Las Vegas on Thursday evening. Once I was in Vegas, Bodyglove security would escort me on a first-ss flight to Tampa Bay and then back home.


    I asked Amy if she wanted to go, but she said she¡¯d stay here. ¡°I can¡¯t afford weather or a mechanical problem keeping me from Kai on Friday afternoon,¡± she said. ¡°Plus, this is your project. Having me there would make you look weaker.¡±


    I had a lot of nning and other work I had to do before I jetted out of town.


    We had to get everything else out of our condo and get it cleaned up this week. Amy and I asked Susan to supervise this after we came back upstairs, and she agreed. ¡°You know Lauren is fighting in UFC 287 on Friday, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s got a tough match,¡± Hammer said.


    ¡°She asked me to watch the fight, and I think her sensei should go.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing for security,¡± Hammer asked.


    ¡°I was going to have a retired SEAL sitting by me, and maybe an active-duty SEAL on the other side. Casino security will help as well.¡±


    I told them about the ringside seats, the exposure, and the event at the aquarium. ¡°I have to fly to Oregon first, and I¡¯ll arrive in Vegas on Thursday. If you and Susan can go, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°I have sses to teach until one on Friday,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Who¡¯s the SEAL?¡±


    ¡°James, if he wants to go.¡±


    ¡°I thought you broke up with him,¡± Hammer said.


    ¡°I still like him, but I decided he wasn¡¯t the guy I was going to marry. Vegas is a chance to make up for the way ourst date ended in the ditch. I was going to call him today.¡±


    ¡°Short notice, he might not be able to get off before Friday afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I fly to Oregon and back down to Vegas with Vicki, so she isn¡¯t alone,¡± Susan said. ¡°You and James can fly to Vegas Friday and meet us there. The fights don¡¯t start untilte anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check into it,¡± he said.


    Dojo went well, and Lauren was thrilled I was going. I left a message for James, and he called me back at lunch. We had a good talk; James still wanted me but understood that I wasn¡¯t going to get serious with him. I told him he could stay with me in Vegas, but I was leaving there a virgin. We¡¯d see about the rest.


    I was ying with fire, but the burn felt so damn good.


    The four of us were burning the candle at both ends to get everything going. We kept up our exercise routines, did our coursework for our sses, and finished the move by Tuesday. We did get our damage deposit back Wednesday, and the neighbors whoined about the police waved at us as we left for thest time.


    Hammer took Susan and me to the private air terminal over his lunch hour. I grabbed the bags while they said goodbye; he walked us to the entrance and watched us check in before returning to the dojo. Our flight was in a small dual-turboprop business aircraft, not a jet. It couldfortably seat six, so the two of us had plenty of room. After takeoff, Susan brought out the Italian cold cut sandwiches, chips, and juice bottles for our lunch. ¡°What is your n with the Council tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking any shit from them,¡± I replied. ¡°Where does the Council get off telling me what I can do with my life?¡±


    Susan snorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°Alphas bitch, and the Council listens. Men always think that the only way something gets solved is if they get involved in it.¡± I pulled out myptop and worked on my presentation during the flight, which got a little bumpy as we moved north. I was relieved when we finallynded at the airport in Bend.


    Kaia and Jack were waiting for us as we got off the ne, and we both got big hugs before piling into their SUV. ¡°Staying out of trouble, Vicki?¡±


    I just snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Kaia. It¡¯s Alphas being all Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Well, you convinced us to let our daughters go on your adventure, so a bunch of Alphas and Council members should be easy inparison,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen our twins get this excited about anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a lot of fun,¡± I said. ¡°We should have them signed to an endorsement deal by next week. What¡¯s on for tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Jack said. ¡°People are flying in all evening, and Alpha Steven is greeting them and getting them settled.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to be there? I¡¯d rather not talk about things tonight and then repeat everything tomorrow. I¡¯d rather wolf out and stretch my legs.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Susan said. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since my wolf was free.¡±


    ¡°City slickers,¡± Jack said with augh. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Alpha if you can do a border patrol. A good six-hour run will settle those wolves right down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said. Susan didn¡¯t want to be gone as long, so she took our bags to the rooms while I met up with the warriors and trackers doing the patrol. I put my clothes in one of the boxes in the woods before shifting, shaking out my gray-over-white fur. I gloried in my freedom as the four of us took off at a fast pace, heading for the border.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I got back just after midnight,ing into the kitchen looking for meat. ¡°I figured I could wait for you here,¡± Alpha Steven said over his milk and apple pie.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I said respectfully, as I went to check the fridge. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be up.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you before the others see you in the morning, Vicki.¡± I found leftover barbecue beef and scooped some into a bowl to heat up in the microwave.


    ¡°Is there a problem with my ns?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have approved it if there was,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s something bigger at y here, and I haven¡¯t figured out what it is.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t like the money and power I¡¯ve attained?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I think it¡¯s more than that. People have had ns for you since you were five, Sharkbait. Those ns don¡¯t go away because you don¡¯t like them.¡± I was getting damn tired of people thinking they could direct my life. I took the meat out and put a piece of apple pie in the microwave. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take shit from anyone, even the Council. You¡¯re a Mantled Alpha Heir; you could form a Pack in an hour if you wanted to.¡±


    I knew this, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that, Alpha. I like being in your Pack, and I still need your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± He put his dishes in the dishwasher, then walked out of the kitchen. I had my sandwich and dessert, then waved at a few friends upte watching movies before heading to bed.


    In the morning, I avoided the senior wolves gathered and took my food to the back tables where the teens and single wolves hung out. I knew them all from previous visits, and they all wanted to hear about my adventures. All too soon, I was grabbing myptop and heading for the conference room with Luna Adrienne.


    There was videoconference equipment set up, and I could see on the wall disy almost two dozen Alphas that were here to participate. I plugged in myptop so I could share my presentation, then sat down to wait for the Council members to arrive. Four filed into the room, led by North American Chairman Lnd Carver. The other attendees were Kurt Markingham (Western Canada), Spencer Timms (West), and Lewis Wolfe (Central). Lewis shot me a grin as he walked in; we went way back. On the teleconference were Norman tt (East), Jacob Burns (East Canada), William Parker (South), and Luke Smith (Mountain).


    Chairman Carver started the meeting. ¡°Wee, fellow Chairs and Alphas. Today¡¯s meeting is to approve or deny the proposal by Vicki Lawrence to form a productionpany and film a reality show involving werewolves.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, a point of order,¡± I asked.


    He looked at me with an ¡®already?¡¯ face. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Sir, the topic of this meeting involves werewolf females only. However, other than Chairman tt and Chairman Burns, none of their mates are here. Female matters are the responsibilities of the Pack Lunas and your mates. They should be here too.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #89

    Nothing like a stink-bomb to start the meeting off, but I was right, and they knew it. I wasn¡¯t about to let an all-male panel decide these things. After a few minutes of active discussion, Lnd Carver finally gave up. ¡°Call your mates to you, or have them call into the teleconference. We will take a five-minute break to allow them to join.¡±


    ¡°Nice job, keep them off-bnce,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Oh, I will.¡±


    The Chairman gaveled the meeting back to order and restated the purpose. As soon as he finished, I raised my objection. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chairman, I challenge the right of this body to render decisions on personal and Pack business or employment matters,¡± I said. ¡°I have not requested the assistance or permission of the Council in my business ns. The Council has no jurisdiction over Pack or personal investments or employment decisions provided they do not vite Councilw.¡±


    Chairman tt jumped in, already red-faced with anger. ¡°You¡¯re putting werewolves on TELEVISION, young woman! It¡¯s not allowed!¡±


    I shared my screen, pulling up the relevant Councilws. ¡°No Pack or Werewolf shall intentionally or unintentionally expose humans to their nature or existence. Vition is punishable by imprisonment or death.¡± I let that sink in. ¡°I¡¯m not doing a documentary on werewolves, Mr. Chairman. I¡¯m doing a reality show about four young models who travel the world and dive with sharks!¡±


    ¡°There will be cameras around you all the time. All it takes is one loss of focus, and we could be exposed,¡± tt continued.


    ¡°So werewolves are no longer allowed to work with humans, or in ces with security camera coverage?¡± I let that sink in for a moment. ¡°This isn¡¯t us hiring on as actresses. My show is a werewolf-led production from top to bottom, provided I can find qualified female werewolves to fill the spots. If not, I¡¯ll be reaching out to humans and mermaids for assistance. I haveplete editorial control as the producer.¡±


    Mentioning ¡®mermaids¡¯ caused another uproar. ¡°We don¡¯t associate with their kind,¡± Chairman tt growled.


    ¡°Why not? The three I hiredst weekend were pleasant and professional. I would rather have a fellow supernatural than a human, and I n to hire them for the yacht shoots.¡±


    Finally, it was Luna Adrienne who cut through the chatter. ¡°Mr. Chairman, you have not ruled on Miss Lawrence¡¯s objection as to jurisdiction.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked at his regional Chairs, then at the Council Lawyer. ¡°This hearing will recess for thirty minutes, at which time I will rule on the objection.¡± He banged the gavel and got up, while the people watching on video walked away from their cameras.


    I looked over at Luna Adrienne. ¡°Fancy a snack?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if they have Rocky Mountain Oysters in barbecue sauce,¡± she replied teasingly, ¡°because you¡¯re roasting some nuts this morning.¡± We walked out behind Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn, who went off to talk with the senior people in attendance.


    The videoconference was televised-only in the dining room, and many Pack members had watched. I went in to get a drink and got mobbed by the females of the Pack. They¡¯d never seen a female stand up to power like that, and they liked it. I talked to several of the single female warriors from Three Sisters and visiting Packs, exining my vision and needs. ¡°So, the all-female thing is to show more boobs in the show?¡± one asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with hot young women in bikinis on a show about four swimsuit models, but it¡¯s more than that,¡± I confessed. ¡°I made my decision for multiple reasons. No guys involved means no sexual harassment drama like myst show. I also want to showcase female divers and scientists.¡± I got a few nods at this. ¡°It¡¯s convenient, too. The film crew will go everywhere with us, with no worries as to where the men can and cannot go. Finally, my yacht is big, but it¡¯s not a cruise ship. Quarters are going to be tight, and I don¡¯t have room for separate staterooms and bathrooms.¡±


    ¡°So no males at all?¡±


    ¡°Not if I can avoid it. I may have no choice on the Captain I hire for the yacht, but he¡¯s mated, and I¡¯ll keep him out of view. His daughter can also skipper the boat, and his wife is an excellent cook.¡±


    ¡°If I hire on as security, that¡¯s my job, right? You don¡¯t need extra bimbos in the background?¡±


    ¡°Onshore, security is paramount; I need to stay safe, and so do my friends. When we are at sea, I¡¯m hoping to find security people who can double as divers, camera operators, or deckhands. We¡¯ll be a small group, and we¡¯ll need flexibility.¡±


    I got two more resumes before it was time to go back in. We stood as the Council walked in, and some weren¡¯t happy. I found it interesting to see how the Lunas and Alphas differed in their expressions as we came back to order. ¡°The hearing is now in session. I sustain the objection as to jurisdiction in part. I find the Council has no legal basis to interfere in the business matters of Packs or Pack individuals pre-emptively, as some of the petitioners requested. Pack Alphas have the responsibility to ensure they operate under Councilw and good-faith practices.¡± I smiled; they wouldn¡¯t be stopping me now. ¡°However, given the notoriety and public nature of the proposed project, I find it is within Council purview to review the n and make rmendations as to whether it should proceed as is.¡±


    That didn¡¯t go over well with many, but I tried to hide my excitement as he continued. ¡°Miss Lawrence has be the most famous person of our kind since hering of age, and with that exposurees risks. Vicki, please present your business n to the Council and Alphas forment.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman.¡± I put up the presentation, starting with my concept, then proceeding through the hiring request I¡¯d made, and how it fit into my business n. ¡°Alpha Dauntless requested that I hire werewolves where possible for security reasons, and I agree. I recognize that few of our kind spend a lot of time in the water or behind the camera. As I said, I will fill out the crew with qualified women as required.¡±


    Chairman Parker got my attention. ¡°As the Producer, you have control of what gets shown?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest reason I¡¯m using my own money, to retain that control,¡± I said. ¡°Once shooting isplete, I¡¯ll bid out the entire season of shows with an option for additional seasons.¡±


    ¡°I wish you well, youngdy. You¡¯re either brave or foolish, but I haven¡¯t decided which yet.¡± I had tough at that.


    ¡°I think it is foolish to have all these women out there without a strong male presence to protect them,¡± Chairman Burns said. ¡°I cannot rmend any female join this project.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, like the Rock in those old movies. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m weak?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re young and unmated,¡± he sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Mantled Alpha Female,¡± I said. ¡°I could challenge any non-mantled Alpha in the country and win, and we all know it. Every one of you wanted me to find my mate in your Pack, knowing it would make you stronger.¡± I held his eyes, longer than I should, until his wolf came forward at my challenge before I lowered my eyes again. ¡°The warriors I hire as protection will be just as capable. My three friends are all Beta rank. I could turn them into a Pack and provide a quite capable defense, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll forbid my females from joining,¡± one of the Alphas said.


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± I replied. ¡°Go back to your Pack females and tell them you forbid them from gainful employment and travel. Tell them you consider them too weak and vulnerable to be allowed out from under the control of men like you. When they leave you, AND THEY WILL, maybe you¡¯ll see them again on my show.¡±


    THAT was tossing a Molotov into the discussion. It took the Chairman some time to get control back, and then we went into questions and answers. Finally, I¡¯d had enough, as we were rehashing the same things over and over. ¡°Mr. Chairman, I¡¯ve heard the concerns and addressed what I could. As you ruled earlier, I don¡¯t need Council permission for what I do, but I would prefer to do this with the Council¡¯s blessing. With your permission, I¡¯ll retire until called while you deliberate on whether to provide that.¡±


    ¡°Excellent idea, Miss Lawrence. We will take a thirty-minute recess while the Council considers the issue in private.¡±


    We all stood as they walked out, and I let out a deep breath. ¡°Did Ie on too strong?¡±


    ¡°I sensed some Leo Volkov School of Diplomacy in there when you said you could kick half their asses, but you did fine, Vicki. Some of them needed that bitch-p. You¡¯ll be a fine Alpha someday, and you don¡¯t have to take shit from anyone.¡±


    The reaction from the Lunas and females was even better. The Council had little choice when we came back to order. ¡°The Council wishes Miss Lawrence good luck in her project, and thanks her for appearing before us and listening to the concerns of senior leaders. Meeting adjourned.¡±


    I basked in the hugs as they left. Next up was Vegas, with appearances and a hunky SEAL friend-with-benefits.

 SHARKBAIT #90

    It was going to be fun.


    ******


    Hafsa and Fiona sat with us on the flight to Vegas; the two warriors from Three Sisters were both applying for the show, and this was a good test of them. Alpha Steven had suggested them for my security, and I¡¯d hired them on the spot. Both would apany me to the events Friday in Vegas, then travel with me to Tampa for the Bodyglove appearance.


    I¡¯d done a lot of talking with them on the flight down. Fiona was in her early forties, with a hint of grey in her short brown hair. She retiredst month from the Secret Service, having never found her mate. Fiona had extensive experience in personal protection, was in top shape, and an expert pistol shot. As retiredw enforcement, she could also carry concealed weapons anywhere, including on aircraft. ¡°Why would you want this job,¡± I had to ask after discussing her background. ¡°After being on the Presidential detail, watching four teenagers would be boring, right?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea, do you,¡± she replied. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°That hearing today cemented things in the eyes of us females, Vicki. I¡¯ve battled sexism and paternalism in the human and werewolf worlds my entire life. No one has ever seen a female force the Council to back down like that, and it was done by a girl barely of age. You¡¯re the future, Vicki. I don¡¯t just want to protect you; I NEED to protect you.¡± She leaned back and let me think of that. ¡°Plus, you¡¯re going to fun ces and doing cool things. It¡¯s far from a boring assignment.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Have you done any diving?¡±


    ¡°Recreational SCUBA and snorkeling, nothing fancy. I¡¯ve got my certification and about fifty dives, mostly freshwater, down to a hundred feet.¡±


    That was better than nothing. ¡°Get as much dive training in as you can before you start work. I¡¯ll even pay for the lessons.¡±


    Fiona looked shocked. ¡°I got the job?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never find someone else with your background, and I want you leading my security detail. If I can turn you into a safety diver or backup camera operator, that¡¯s a bonus.¡± We discussed her sry, timing of the jobs, and the nature of the shooting. ¡°You don¡¯t mind appearing in swimwear, do you?¡±


    Sheughed at that. ¡°I won¡¯t be embarrassed, but I can¡¯tpete with you four. Are you going for the MILF audience now?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt.¡± I had her trade seats with Hafsa.


    Hafsa got out of the Marine Corpsst year, after spending four years in Embassy Security and VIP protection. Her Persian heritage showed through in her ink-ck hair and delicate features. ¡°You¡¯re mated,¡± I said as I read through her resume. ¡°Why would you want this job?¡±


    ¡°My husband¡¯s deployment goes for ten more months, so I have time,¡± she responded. She met her mate Michael, a Three Sisters warrior, in the Marines. She had no diving or camera experience, though, and that would make it tough to get thest remaining spot.


    Uniformed security members from the Begio met us at the airport, driving a white limousine. Fiona got out to talk to them before waving us forward. The limo took us to an underground VIP parking area, where we checked in before going up on an express elevator to our rooms. I had the center suite, with my detail through the connecting door, and Susan¡¯s suite on the other side. I hung up my things and unpacked while the others did the same. ¡°What is the n tonight, Boss,¡± Fiona asked.


    I looked at my phone; it was five in the afternoon. ¡°Dinner, then the Spa for a massage and mani/pedi,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can go for that,¡± Susan agreed. We decided to try the Japanese restaurant since we¡¯d be going to the steakhouse tomorrow when the men arrived. After the spa treatments, we retired to our rooms.


    The event at the aquarium went well; my speech was well-practiced by this point, and I loved talking to the kids about sharks. We had tens of thousands of our trackers in the field now, and I showed them the kind of data we were getting from them. ¡°For the cost of a concert or a fancy dinner, you could help tag a shark and help us understand them better,¡± I said. We raised about fifty thousand dors that afternoon for my foundation, and more woulde inter. I signed posters and photos for almost two hours before we returned to the hotel.


    Security warned me the men were on their way up, and I was ready for him. ¡°Damn,¡± James said as he opened the door to see me standing by the window in a thin silk robe. ¡°You look beautiful, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, James. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± He crossed the room, pulling me into his arms and kissing me hard. I moaned into his kiss, pressing my body against his.


    I pulled the tie on my robe before pulling his shirt off. James moved his hands inside the silk to caress my bare breasts and back. ¡°How much time do we have,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just enough to take the edge off you,¡± I said. I backed up to the window, which overlooked the fountains as the show began. ¡°Watch the show, James.¡± I dropped to my knees, pulling his shorts down with me.


    ¡°Oh my GOD,¡± he said as I took him into my mouth. He kept his hands on the ledge, watching the fountains go off as I licked at his length. I took the tip into my mouth, swirling my tongue around, then went back to licking him from base to tip again. My hands cupped his heavy balls as before I sucked one into my mouth, making his knees weak. I took a few deep breaths as I went back to the tip, and in a single move, I took him deep into my throat. ¡°FUCK,¡± he said as his hand moved to my head. I could go a long time without air, longer than he couldst. I stuck my tongue out to lick his balls, and that was more than he could take.


    I felt his cock swell up, then pulses of hot cum started shooting directly into my throat. I stayed in ce as rope after rope spewed forth, then slowly withdrew and licked the tip clean. ¡°That should hold you until after the fight,¡± I told him.


    He reached down for my arms, pulling me up into a deep kiss. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dressed for dinner. Shower and get ready, jackets are required.¡± He stepped out of his shorts, and I smacked his ass to get him moving.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re ying that way?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± I promised. While James was in the shower, I fixed my makeup and pulled on my Bodyglove-design bodycon dress. The shark-tooth design hadce panels that kept it legal but made it impossible to wear a bra underneath. I put on diamond stud earrings, a graduation present from my Alphas, and a shark-tooth ne on a white gold chain. Three-inch designer heels finished off the look.


    James opened the door, a towel around his waist, and just looked at me for a few seconds before walking out. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t decide if I like you in that dress, a bikini, or naked best,¡± he said.


    ¡°We need to leave in five,¡± I replied.


    He quickly dressed in tan cks, a silk dress shirt, and a sport coat. I linked my security team when we were ready; they were waiting outside the door in business wear, jackets covering their weapons. I knocked on Susan¡¯s room, and they quickly joined us. ¡°You look great, you two,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your DRESS,¡± Hammer asked.


    ¡°You like? Mercedes thought this would get a lot of attention at the fight.¡± She was always pushing the limits.


    Hammer shook his head, but Susan stepped in. ¡°She¡¯s a MODEL, dear. That¡¯s conservativepared to some of the things she¡¯ll wear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving, let¡¯s go.¡± We went down to the Prime Steakhouse, on a patio overlooking the fountains. Dinner was excellent, and we enjoyed our time. We weren¡¯t bothered while we ate, but I did sign autographs in the casino area for a few minutes until we had to head to the arena for the fight. The cameras followed me the whole night.


    I¡¯d never been to a UFC fight, but I enjoyed it a lot. Lauren was the third fight on the undercard, going against Ming Xu. The first round matched up Lauren¡¯s boxing and karate skills against Ming¡¯s Muay Thai kickboxing. Lauren was deadly quick with the jab and moved fluidly around her opponent. Only once did Ming get her hands behind Lauren¡¯s neck, pulling her close to use her knees and shins.


    In the second round, Ming brought her right knee up to Lauren¡¯s left rib, but Lauren countered quickly. Turning into the raised knee, she hooked her left arm under it and wrapped her right leg around Ming¡¯s nt leg. Lunging forward, Ming couldn¡¯t move, and Lauren drove her hard to the mat.


    They swapped positions while grappling for about thirty seconds until Lauren was on her back with Ming¡¯s left arm trapped between her legs in a figure four lock. Ming tried to escape by going over the top, but Lauren¡¯s spread right arm stopped it. Ming took her left wrist from her left side to a reverse grip around Lauren¡¯s left waist, and that¡¯s when Lauren took advantage. Grasping the wrist, she sat up, her legs driving Ming¡¯s left shoulder to the mat as her body pushed the arm up in a way it wasn¡¯t able to go.


    Ming tapped out, and the crowd went wild.


    ¡°Holy shit, an Omata!¡± Hammer was standing and cheering as Lauren stood up, and the referee raised her arm. The announcers nearby were talking about how rare this submission was, only used a handful of times in MMA wins.


    I was shocked; I¡¯d seen Hammer demonstrate it, but it wasn¡¯t an easy submission to pull off. ¡°Way to go, Lauren!¡±


    We watched the rest of the fight, then joined the fighters and guests at a private party off the casino. James and I lost track of each other as the party went on. Mercedes and her photographers kept introducing me to people, and everyone wanted a picture or a word. I saw James sitting with Lauren and some of the other fighters at a table, and thought nothing of it.


    An hourter, James and Lauren were sitting alone in the corner, oblivious to their surroundings. He pulled her into hisp as they kissed and talked, her hand moving inside his shirt. Hammer pulled me aside as I was watching them from across the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two,¡± he said. ¡°Are you together or not?¡±


    Lauren got up, taking his hand and leading him out the doors. ¡°I guess not,¡± I said, a tear forming in my eye. I had told James that we were just friends with benefits, that I didn¡¯t love him, and I wanted him to find someone who could give him a future.


    Maybe he¡¯d find that with Lauren.


    I wiped the tear as I turned back to the party. I never expected to be dumped in Vegas.

 SHARKBAIT #91

    I¡¯d barely looked away when the door opened, and Lauren walked back in. She greeted a few people, but she wanted to talk to me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to talk to her right now. ¡°Keep me calm and get me out of here if it looks like I¡¯m going to cut a bitch,¡± I said to my Pack members.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Lauren, she¡¯s almost here.¡± I felt her approaching and turned when she said my name. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can we talk in private for a moment,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a drink,¡± I said. We walked over to the bar where I ordered a virgin screwdriver, and then we retired to the side of the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want things to be awkward between us, so I wanted to make sure what James told me was true,¡± she said.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°That you broke up with him a few weeks ago, telling him you didn¡¯t love him, and there was no future for the two of you.¡± I did say that. ¡°He said you could be friends with benefits at most. You brought him to the fight because you needed a date for the cameras, and I saw how you ignored him at the party.¡±


    You put it that way, and I sound like the bitch. ¡°He told you the truth,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I like James, but it isn¡¯t the kind of like that would lead to anything. We¡¯ve fooled around a few times, but he wasn¡¯t getting my virginity, and he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    She seemed relieved. ¡°I like James a lot, and he wants to spend time tonight with me.¡±


    ¡°I figured that when you were in hisp,¡± I said with a bit of an edge. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t own him. I used him for the cameras, and I nned to use him to scratch my itchter. That¡¯s all. I told him when we broke up that I hoped he found someone who could give him family.¡± I looked back towards the door. ¡°Where did he take off to?¡±


    ¡°To grab his stuff out of your room. It¡¯s not fair to you for him to stay there now. He¡¯ll leave his key card on the dresser.¡±


    And that was how it would end. ¡°Can you give James a message for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said.


    ¡°Tell him that a real man would have talked to me before he started messing around with another woman behind my back.¡± Her eyes got wide. ¡°I hope he treats you better, Lauren. See you next week in ss?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She turned and walked off, leaving the party to have fun with my date.


    I turned around, disappointed to see that the cameras had caught the interaction. Luna only knows what else they got on tape. I told Susan and our security team of my worry over the link; I¡¯d handled it with ss, so they told me to do nothing. I socialized and posed for photos for another hour before we retired back to our rooms.


    James had texted Hammer and I that he was going to drive back to San Diego with Lauren, and offered to reimburse me for the flight. Our concierge told us the breakfast buffet at the Begio should not be missed.


    So we didn¡¯t.


    We rolled through that thing like Patton through Sicily,ying waste any hope for profits that day. Hammer and Susan decided to extend their vacation, so hotel security arranged a limo for us to head to the airport for our flight to Tampa Bay. I flipped through my phone as we drove, wondering why I had all the sympathetic text messages about how sorry or angry people were.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    That¡¯s when I checked the gossip websites. ¡°Shark Babe Ditched In Vegas,¡± ran the headline. ¡°MMA Fighter K. O.¡¯s Vicki¡¯s Love Life.¡±


    I read the article, which made things far more scious than they were, then called Mercedes for advice. ¡°Did I screw this up,¡± I asked.


    Sheughed. ¡°Vicki, this story is better than if you¡¯d had a perfect date and gotten engaged,¡± she said. ¡°You two are the top of pages all over the inte. You look fabulous in your dress, and thements are sympathetic. Quit worrying,¡± she said.


    In the end, she was right. The Tampa event was packed, and I spent hours signing and taking photos with my fans. In the downtime, I worked on my business n. I¡¯d received almost a hundred resumes from Packs, but almost none were in the film crew positions. On a whim, I sent the list to Captain Thomas and asked if he could help.


    He called me back when we were heading to the airport in the back of a limo. ¡°Captain Vickers,¡± I said. ¡°Did you get my email?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? I don¡¯t want you getting in trouble with your leaders over hiring our kind.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I said. ¡°I want your family to crew the Good Times starting in January through April when we are shooting along the coast,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be diving eight sites, spending about a week at each before returning to port and setting up for the next one.¡±


    ¡°It says here you want an all-female crew, so my wife and daughter are interested, but I¡¯m not getting snipped for any job,¡± he said.


    I had tough at that. ¡°You¡¯re mated, and we¡¯ll use Loretta for shooting scenes after she¡¯s licensed.¡± We talked for a bit aboutpensation, filming, and endorsements. ¡°This will work out well for you with all the exposure,¡± I said. ¡°Four months of constant work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of my season,¡± he said. ¡°Let me get back to you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, before you go, I have a few other questions,¡± I said. ¡°I need to move from Fiddler¡¯s Cove to Driscoll Bay Marina up by Mission Beach in the next week. Can you find time for that?¡±


    ¡°Tuesday afternoon,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have Lte drive us down, and Loretta and I can move your boat for you.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. While you¡¯re on board, I wanted to ask you about modifications I can make to carry more people. Four staterooms won¡¯t do it.¡± I sent him the link for the ns and photos from the sale, but he had one more piece of advice. ¡°Vicki, you¡¯re leasing this boat, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for a year with an option to buy.¡±


    ¡°Have yourwyer look at the lease agreement. It¡¯s prettymon for renters not being authorized to make physical changes to the boat without owner permission, and what I¡¯m thinking, he¡¯ll never agree to.¡± I told him I¡¯d ask as soon as I was off the phone; if nothing else, I could just buy the thing and do whatever I wanted to it. ¡°I¡¯ll make some calls and see what I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Thomas.¡±


    I spent time rxing with the guys on Sunday, then Monday was all about looking through resumes. Security was the easiest to fill, with over fifty applicants for two spots. Fiona was head of the detail. Her assistant was Carly, a twenty-two-year-old warrior from the Clearwater Pack in Washington State. She had been a collegiate swimmer and had been diving in the cold and dangerous Pacific waters for ten years. She¡¯d never done underwater photography outside a Go-Pro, but I offered her the same deal as Fiona. Find someone to learn from before October, and I¡¯d pay for the lessons.


    The real issue stemmed from our traditional separation from human endeavors. There was no one qualified to be an underwater camera operator, much less a sound technician or director.


    Werewolves didn¡¯t do Hollywood.


    I was about to give up when I got an email from Captain Vickers, followed by a phone call. ¡°I found some people for you to look at,¡± he told me when I picked up.


    I opened the attachments as we talked.


    The first one was for another USCG Vessel Master, Patricia McNeil, who operated out of San Francisco. ¡°Why another Captain?¡±


    ¡°I have long-term customers andmitments, and the winter is my busiest time, Vicki. I cannot destroy my customer base by forcing them elsewhere. However, with Patricia and Loretta, you¡¯ll be covered. It¡¯s far simpler for me to hire a rece a mate and cook than for you to find another licensed Master.¡± It made sense, and it would keep to my all-female crew ideal. ¡°Open up the next resume.¡±


    I was shocked; I recognized the director¡¯s name from the Shark Week programs she had done over the past decade. ¡°Linda Cartwright is one of yours?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± he said. ¡°Would it surprise you that many of my kind find their livelihood on the water?¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± I replied. ¡°The other resumes?¡±


    ¡°Also ours, and people she trusts. I figured you¡¯d hire your kind for security, so I didn¡¯t ask anyone for that. Give Linda a call soon; she is close to signing for another project next spring.¡±


    I did, and she came down with the Vickers family on Tuesday for the short trip north. The girls and Iid out everything as we left the docks; Linda was enthusiastic about the idea. ¡°People have been running celebrity specials during Shark Week for decades. I think Shaquille O¡¯Neal¡¯s next show will have him in a shark cage sponsored by the Scooter Store,¡± Linda joked. ¡°Your ideabines the attraction of reality shows with science and the drama of underwater shooting. I¡¯m far morefortable with thetter, but we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°I want people to see our lives as they revolve around modeling and sharks, but we aren¡¯t trashy and vapid girls. There won¡¯t be bed-hopping and ma-drama.¡±


    ¡°Good, I hate that,¡± she said. ¡°Have you ever dealt with the unions for productions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m eighteen,¡± I said.


    ¡°That would be a no. Your list of personnel wasn¡¯t extensive enough for a project like this, and we have to do things ording to contracts. Did you know that if you film a sixty-minute show, you have one set of rules, but if it goes to ny minutes, the rules change? Or the difference between a miniseries and a television series?¡± Nope, not even. ¡°You¡¯ll drive yourself nuts trying to learn it all, and you don¡¯t have time for that. Your main focus should be in front of the cameras since you¡¯re the center of the show.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #92

    ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    ¡°Let me handle everything rted to the crew as an assistant producer. I¡¯ll hire the crew, deal with the red tape, and direct and edit the show. In return, I get twenty-five-percent of the ie from the project.¡±


    ¡°No sry, just like me. I remain the producer, and I have full control over the final cut,¡± I replied. ¡°Pay for the staff?¡±


    ¡°Director¡¯s Guild scale during the shoot, taken out of my percentage at the end,¡± Linda replied. ¡°I have confidence this is a winner, so I¡¯d rather have the shot of a big payoff. The staff gets paid union scale, and your security people will have to get their union cards and enter the apprentice program for camera operators. We don¡¯t wantbor issues.¡±


    It was so much I hadn¡¯t considered. ¡°Let me run it past mywyer and ountant, and I¡¯ll let you know tonight,¡± I said. She handed me a proposal which included the people she wanted, and the costs, for bothnd and sea portions of the filming.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think this could make us both rich,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go enjoy the ride. It¡¯s a pity having a boat like this and not enjoying it.¡± She was right; we were nearly out of San Diego Bay when we got up to the flying bridge. It was a lively conversation, as we talked about what things we could get on film and turn into a good show.


    After we docked and hooked up to power, water, and sewer, we shifted to what the yacht would need. Thomas brought us down to the salon to talk about modifications. ¡°The list you sent out would have fifteen people on board for a week to two weeks at a time. Linda tells me that twenty is a more realistic number.¡± Damn. That was a LOT. ¡°You four of were going to share the master stateroom. Three boat crew plus one in the forward stateroom, and two each in the other two staterooms, means you still need bunks for eight elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°A little remodeling. Three of your staterooms have queen beds; remove them, and put two sets of bunks in. Now you have room for sixteen in the four staterooms, all of which have bathrooms and showers attached. That leaves four spots elsewhere.¡± He pointed at the rear corner of the salon, across from the television. ¡°Two of these chairs fold out into sleepers. Rece the couch with two more, and install a curtain around the area to keep the light down.¡±


    It made sense. ¡°What happens when we finish filming?¡±


    ¡°Keep the beds in storage, then hire people to change it back. Eventually, you¡¯ll want a purpose-built boat, but I understand you¡¯re trying to kill two birds with one stone here.¡±


    I felt a lot better as they left, but I needed to meet with my legal and financial people, and I wanted Leo to sit in the meeting by phone as an adviser. In the end, we agreed it was the best path forward.


    Sharkbait Productions, Inc. formed the next day, and its first employee was Linda Cartwright. I also solicited bids for a ship¡¯s crew from Patricia McNeil.


    Things had to move fast because we were starting filming in just over a month.

 SHARKBAIT #93

    The pace of activities never slowed. I liked the new marina, but we had a LOT to do. The new exercise equipment arrived along with The Tank, my new armored car. It was huge, but Fiona was happy with it. I don¡¯t know how much stuff she stored behind quick-ess panels or under the seats.


    I kept Fiona and Carly on the payroll, bringing them onboard my boat as soon as they could get free. Both of them had SCUBA lessons five days a week with a divepany in the marina area, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. My goal was to get them open-water certified and get them some experience with using underwater cameras. One would also run errands while we were on the boat, at least for what couldn¡¯t be delivered.


    Amy and I would alternate days on the treadmill and stair stepper in the morning while the twins did their high school coursework. After ate breakfast, we¡¯d all go to the dojo for training, grab lunch on the way back, then the twins would work out while we studied. Amy and I were taking a full te of sses, but since our schedules were the same, we could help each other study.


    I¡¯d finish up my sswork, then dive into my Sharkbait Productions work. Being a producer wasn¡¯t easy; I had to make hiring decisions, do budget and payroll, buy equipment, schedule events, and n episodes. I¡¯d have gone crazy without Linda. She had a few weeks before her nextmitment, so I moved her into the Hyatt Regency across the marina from us. I¡¯d given her leeway in choosing her crew, and a weekter, she hadmitments from the people she wanted.


    Makani and Noni¡¯s birthday was on October tenth, and we had to be back on Packnds for the party. We were flying up Saturday for their party on Tuesday night. Amy was staying behind with Carly since the boys wereing over for the weekend, while Fiona was going home with us.


    I didn¡¯t envy the twins and what awaited them. As Beta daughters, there were a lot of young males interested in seeing if they were their mate. The party was going to be huge; in addition to the avable Three Sisters Pack members, almost two hundred guests would be there. It was a lot of high-stakes sniffing.


    There were financial considerations in y as well. I¡¯d convinced Mercedes to offer them modeling and appearance contracts with Bodyglove, but her parents wouldn¡¯t cosign for them so they couldn¡¯t be signed until they were eighteen. I was nning on hiring them into my show, which would be a lot more fun with four subjects than two.


    We¡¯d all warned them about getting too close to Manuel and Ricardo Jimenez, the twin SEAL trainees on Kai¡¯s boat crew. Young love didn¡¯t allow for that, and every weekend showed how their feelings were blossoming for each other. It was toote to break up with them now. If they found their mates, their wolves would want their mates at the first scent. Their human side might love their sailors, but I doubted they¡¯d give up their mates for them. They¡¯d feel bad, but they¡¯d get lost in the mating and never look back.


    The Jimenez twins would be devastated if the girls left on Saturday, and everything was great, then they broke up with them the next Friday.


    I had no idea if their mates would also be twins, but I could see them worry about finding them. Would they end up in different Packs? What would happen to their ns? The curse of the female werewolf was uncertainty; in a moment, your entire life would change. On the Alpha¡¯s instructions, they were to have all their things packed and ready to ship to their new home if they found their mates. They wouldn¡¯t evene back to the boat to move out.


    The stress was wearing them down as the week moved on.


    It was the same feeling I had when I went to the Alpha Summit back in February. I had a n for my life, and it didn¡¯t include being Princess Puppy Mill somewhere away from home. I let out a breath as I remembered how close I¡¯de to just that; without the rejection, I¡¯d have been in a leadership mess at Killington worthy of a Werewolf reality show. I¡¯d hoped to get through without finding a mate but didn¡¯t.


    The girls came down to the kitchen for lunch on Friday, and they could barely maintain focus long enough to heat their beef and rice. ¡°You two need to rx,¡± I told them. ¡°Whatever Luna decided will happen, you can¡¯t change it now.¡±


    ¡°I know that up here,¡± Makani said as she pointed to her head, ¡°but my heart prays that Manuel is my mate. I want what Amy has with Kai; we¡¯ll get to see the world, and he¡¯s busy while we¡¯re on tour.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°And if not, I hope I don¡¯t find another. I want to see the world and have fun before I get tied down to a mate and a Pack,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°I felt the same way when I came of age,¡± Amy said. ¡°I found Kai, and Kai supports my dreams. I pray that you find a mate who loves you enough to let you fulfill your dreams.¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t walk through the recreational vehicle area on the way to your party,¡± I said with a grumble.


    Amy smacked my arm. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°No matter what happens, we¡¯re going to eat well. Kaia told me they were roasting ten whole hogs in their pits.¡± I couldn¡¯t wait.


    They needed a distraction, so I pulled out the big board I¡¯d made up of events for our trip. The calendar covered from thest week of October until Christmas eve, all set on a poster-size double-sided page. I¡¯d filled in the events Mercedes had booked using a ck Sharpie, along with the flight information between locations. The schedule had a travel day, followed by two to four days with appearances, then an off day or two before the next travel day. ¡°I can¡¯t do this all myself,¡± I said. ¡°In each spot, I want to find a nearby dive spot or scenic spot. Research what the best ces are, then find out who the experts are in that area. Bring me back ideas and phone numbers so I can start setting things up.¡±


    ¡°May as well, all my stuff is in suitcases already,¡± Makani said. ¡°I¡¯ll take Capetown, Rio de Janeiro, and the Bahamas.¡±


    ¡°Dibs on Brisbane, Melbourne, and the Maldives,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on the rest,¡± Amy said.


    That and schoolwork kept things quiet until I left with Fiona to go pick up Mercedes from the airport. Since Bodyglove was a title sponsor in the shark documentary off Cape Cod, she got an advance screening copy of the show. We were going to watch it tonight and discuss how Bodyglove could leverage the November premiere into boosting sales.


    I waited in the armored SUV as Fiona stood outside, waiting for Mercedes to appear. We didn¡¯t wait long, and she climbed into the back with me as Fiona went back to the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Wee to San Diego,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be here, Vicki.¡± We discussed the Bodyglove product line for 2034 the whole drive, one that I¡¯d given a lot more feedback on since I signed. I was excited to see what else we coulde up with under their proposed Shark Babe line.


    Fiona dropped me at the marina, taking Amy and the twins to Coronado to pick the boys up at the base. Susan and Hammer were in my kitchen when I arrived, already working on dinner. ¡°I¡¯m so excited to see this,¡± Susan said as she greeted us.


    ¡°It smells amazing, Susan,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Fish tacos,¡± she said. ¡°Help me set the table.¡±


    We had everything ready when the girls arrived with the guys in tow. Dinner was a rxed affair, with the guys happy to just sit and eat for a bit. Susan even brought Key Lime Pie for dessert.


    We retired to the salon for the documentary, closing the drapes and putting it on the big screen. ¡°How long a show did we get out of it,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two hours at the most, although thework could divide it into two one-hour shows, or even edit it down to ny minutes,¡± Mercedes said.


    Two hours of television time meant only 87 minutes of content, the rest going to promos andmercials. Susan set out snacks as I helped with drinks, then we turned the lights down and watched.


    When the credits rolled, everyone started apuding. I had tears rolling down my face; it had turned out better than I thought. I knew we¡¯d captured some amazing videos of sharks from the onboard highlights, but seeing it in a finished form was even better. I know not everyone agreed with bringing me onboard as a hostess, but the screening showed how well it had worked. I¡¯d ask the questions people wanted to know, and the experts would answer. I didn¡¯t look stupid; I looked like someone who loved sharks and wanted to know more.


    Of course, the drama with Brian was a good fifteen minutes of screen time. The argument was shown in its entirety, using three different camera views. When I stormed out after the fight, the director toggled between me on the main deck and the chaos I¡¯d left behind. I started crying, and Mercedes stopped the screening for me.


    ¡°I had no idea it was that bad,¡± Amy said. ¡°All that got released on social media was just the ending.¡±


    ¡°Things were much better after he got kicked off the boat,¡± I said. ¡°The other women rallied around me, and the administration did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Nice chokehold,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I can¡¯t even get mad at him; you kicked his ass verbally AND physically.¡±


    ¡°I think we need a ¡®THESE TITS¡¯ T-shirt,¡± Noni said. ¡°I¡¯d wear it.¡± I didn¡¯t know if it would pass muster, but she was right; that would be the social media tag line for the show.


    ¡°Maybe a ¡®Shark Babe¡¯ line of those, swim shirts too,¡± Makani added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch the rest, shall we?¡± There was more, including snippets from interviews with other women talking about the sexism they¡¯d dealt with in their careers. You¡¯d think that by 2033 we¡¯d be past all that, but no.

 SHARKBAIT #94

    The money shot for the special was the underwater view of a Great White attacking a seal on the surface. Breaches in seal attacks had been a staple of shark documentaries for years, but ours was the first where the camera caught the entire attack from below. There were screams and whoops from the others as they watched. ¡°That was AWESOME,¡± Kai said as the credits rolled.


    ¡°That¡¯s what ourpetition is,¡± I told everyone. ¡°We can have more fun, but we do need to havepelling underwater footage. Without that, it¡¯s just a travelogue.¡±


    ¡°We can do this,¡± Amy said. ¡°You just proved it.¡±


    It was a tearful goodbye as the twins left the twins behind, and I said goodbye to Amy and Kai. ¡°Don¡¯t break the bed while we¡¯re gone,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Welded aluminum frame,¡± Kai said as I hugged him. Everything on a yacht was strong and light, so there was a lot of aluminum tubing.


    Fiona walked us out to the Tank, which Carly had waiting near the gate to the marina. Makani and Noni were quiet, while Fiona and I were looking forward to heading back. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to let my wolf out,¡± I said.


    ¡°It will be nice to visit with family again before we head overseas,¡± Fiona agreed.


    We had packed light for three days, while the twins had to pack for a week. If they found their mates, they had to be ready to leave for his Pack, and have enough tost until their things arrived. They were sitting close and needed to rx. ¡°Focus on your breathing, like when you¡¯re getting ready to free dive,¡± I said. ¡°Let the nervous energy out with your breath.¡±


    I did the exercise with them, helping them calm down. ¡°Luna¡¯s choice has already been made. You have to trust her.¡±


    Makani looked at me with a ¡®you¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡¯ look. ¡°That¡¯s YOUR advice after what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied. ¡°Luna matches our wolves, but the human part is the wild card. Timothy has a good wolf: strong, proud, and a mantled Alpha, but his human was an asshole. He couldn¡¯t stop his human from his stupid to criminal acts. I feel bad that he¡¯s stuck with the two of them now.¡±


    ¡°Luna will find you someone worthy,¡± Noni said. ¡°She owes you.¡±


    ¡°My life isn¡¯t that bad,¡± I said. ¡°I live on a yacht, I¡¯m rich, and I¡¯m chasing my dreams. I can live without a man, right, Fiona?¡±


    Fiona¡¯s face showed pain just before her professional mask slid back into ce. She was still on duty until we got to Packnds. ¡°You can live, but it¡¯s not the same,¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯d trade my entire life since I came of age for just a few years with my mate. Look at Amy or Susan. It¡¯s that big a deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiona. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± In trying to make the twins feel better, I hurt Fiona.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Vicki. I¡¯ve lived like this for a long time. Romance novels and BOB help me through.¡± Bob? Oh shit, BOB! Fiona smirked as she watched my face. ¡°Get a rechargeable model; batteries are expensive.¡± Oh, Luna! I turned red as a beet.


    ¡°What do you rmend,¡± Makani asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve just got a basic one,¡± Noni added.


    ¡°The Hitachi is the gold standard, but you should never be without your Rabbit,¡± Fiona replied, and this led to an active debate I refused to participate in. I couldn¡¯t believe we were debating theparative merits of various adult toys with two girls about toe of age.


    ¡°Are we seriously talking about this,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t ¡®we¡¯ until you tell us what is in your bedside drawer,¡± Makani teased.


    ¡°Not going there.¡± I was thrilled when we got to the charter terminal and loaded onto the ne. I put my headphones on and listened to music while I worked ahead on my schoolwork. I encouraged the twins to do the same, knowing their week might turn upside down. Years of training had taught Fiona to sleep while in the air, so that is what she did.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I was d I did my work early because Kaia dragged me into event nning and decorating for the party. I spent a lot of time ondders, hanging decorations and lights for the party in the Pavillion by the beach. I begged off the day of the party to help the crew with the barbecue, learning how to do whole hogs over wood coals. With ten to work with, they varied the seasonings and vors of each. I got to rub up and inject one of them my way, using the recipe I¡¯d developed over thest ten years with Leo.


    Guests were arriving all day. They all filtered through to say hello, and for some to get that sniff. I didn¡¯t find my mate, but I didn¡¯t expect to. After all, most second mates showed up yearster if ever, and it had only been eight months for me. It wasn¡¯t all bad; three couples found each other, to the delight of the gathered crowd. I tended to my hog, talked and told stories, and watched the area fill up with Pack and guests.


    At seven PM, everyone gathered in the back for the party to start. Alpha Steven¡¯s direction was to have all the unmated males line up from the back door of the Pack House to the Pavillion. The remaining people stayed well back, between the Pavillion and theke, giving the line space. Alpha Steven weed everyone to theing-of-age party for Beta Heirs Makani and Noni Steele, and then the doors opened.


    I let out a gasp as I saw the two for the first time today. Their glossy ck hair, worn up in aplicated twist, was held in ce by a jeweled hair and pins. Their makeup was perfectly applied, enting their eyes and full lips, but it was their dresses that stole the show. The sleeveless dresses showed an expanse of tanned skin, the bodice showing the gentle rise of their breasts. The dresses tapered down to their narrow waists, ring over their hips to end just above the knees.


    They were visions in white.


    It was a wave of disappointment as the girls walked down the line slowly. Males took a deep breath, smelling their hands, then letting them go when nothing happened. In a way, it was worse than the Scratch n Sniff because everyone was watching you! There was a groan as they reached the Pavillion, where their parents waited for them. Kaia embraced them both, thinking they would be unhappy, but they were all right with it.


    ¡°LET¡¯S PARTY,¡± Alpha Steven said, and the band started up. The girls were in constant demand on the dance floor, and I was too. I barely got to eat around all the fun.


    After ten, there were fireworks followed by a bonfire. The girls and I traded our dresses for casual clothes, as the stories and drinking began. Couples were starting to leave now, heading to the woods or the Pack House to continue their celebrations; I had multiple offers and turned them all down. I ended up sitting on some benches near the fire. ¡°Alpha, why do some of our kind have such a hate for mermaids? I didn¡¯t have any problems with them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and Elder Mildred tells it better than I can,¡± he said. He sent a call out for her, and she made her way out to the bonfire to see us. ¡°Mildred is our historian; her great-great-grandfather died in the 1850s, during thest set of Troubles,¡± he said.


    She settled herself in, pulling her light sweater around her. ¡°Mermaids? Sneaky little bastards they are,¡± she said. I snorted at hernguage but listened. ¡°There were mermaids along the coasts and rivers when our Pack first arrived here in Oregon. They hade over with the Spaniards, moving north from Mexico into California and the Pacific coast. The Packs came inter, mostly ovend, escaping the wolf hunts and civil war that forced many to flee for new territories. It was inevitable we¡¯d fight over territories; at first, it wasn¡¯t bad because we settled in different kinds of ces, and our numbers were small. As we expanded and Packs split, we started to contest the best hunting and fishing grounds.¡±


    ¡°Mermaids don¡¯t have Packs as we do, right?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Most mermaid settlements had between three and ten people in them, so they could never win a stand-up fight against even a small Pack. If we could get between them and the water, we¡¯d ughter them. But, if they made it to water, they would disappear.¡±


    I sensed the next part. ¡°And the mermaids woulde backter,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯d burn settlements and smash their boats, and they would attack our weak spots. Patrols, juveniles, women, they didn¡¯t care. They used gueri tactics against us to great effect. You couldn¡¯t reason with them; once they started fighting, the only way to stop them was to kill them. It wasn¡¯t long before all Packs had kill-on-sight orders for any Mermaids.¡±


    ¡°How did it end?¡±


    ¡°The Gold Rush and the expanding human poption made it impossible for us to hide the war any further. The Alpha Council put out an order requiring all Packs to stay at least twenty miles clear of any remaining Mermaid settlements. The attacks stopped within a few years, and that became the peace that hassted until this day. We stay apart to keep the peace.¡±


    I thought about this for a while; it had been three or four generations since that time. ¡°What about today,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been our practice for so long that most Alphas don¡¯t know anything else,¡± Steven said as he pulled his mate close. ¡°I believe that supernaturals should work together where they can, and the Captain and his family struck me as honest people. I think if you treat them fairly, they¡¯ll do the same for you.¡±


    It was a lot for me to think about. ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed,¡± I said. I thanked them for everything, then said goodnight to the twins before returning to my room.


    I¡¯d had my morning run and breakfast before the girls showed up downstairs, hungover and exhausted. I handed them some juice and went to get them tes while they moaned about how they¡¯d ¡®never drink like that again.¡¯ Makani looked at her phone. ¡°We only got three hours of sleep,¡± she groaned. ¡°When do we leave, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°In an hour. You can catch a nap on the ne,¡± I said. I had to get back home to continue my work, so I¡¯d scheduled my return flight before we came. Since the twins didn¡¯t find their mates, they wereing home with me. They slept on the way to the airport and the whole flight to San Diego.


    They felt better by the time we got back on the boat, and we spent the rest of the week working hard so we could enjoy the weekend. Friday came quickly, and the girls were waiting when we returned with our SEAL trainees.

 SHARKBAIT #95

    Both of the girls froze as the men came on board. I watched as their noses went high in the air, and their wolves pushed forward. ¡°MATE,¡± I heard each of them growl, too softly for the humans to pick up on. Makani jumped from the stairs into Manuel¡¯s arms, and he spun her around as he kissed her. Noni hade down the other stairs, running into Ricardo¡¯s.


    They stopped kissing, and each girl took a deep sniff. I could see their faces go from confusion to realization to shock before they pushed their man away. Trading ces, they ran into the other male¡¯s arms and started kissing their lips and shoulders.


    ¡°Noni? I¡¯m dating your sister,¡± Manuel said as his brother looked on, confused.


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Noni said as she wrapped her legs around his waist. ¡°You¡¯re MINE now.¡±


    I was biting backughter as I watched the boys looking back and forth like this was a tennis match. Makani finally got Ricardo¡¯s attention, pulling him into a deep kiss, and Noni wasn¡¯t far behind. ¡°Oh, Luna, you know how to liven up a party,¡± I sent to Kai.


    ¡°Do I have to kill them?¡± He was not happy watching his little sisters getting hot and bothered with his friends. ¡°They just turned eighteen! And they are still in high school!¡±


    ¡°And they are closer in age than you and Amy are, and you didn¡¯t wait until she graduated before you mated her,¡± I replied. ¡°Manuel and Ricardo aren¡¯t much older than they are. Still, they are human; things will go slower with them than with a wolf.¡±


    ¡°Damn right, they will.¡± He watched as the girls clung to their men as they took them up the stairs and into the salon, finding ces on the couch to continue making out. Kai took Amy¡¯s hand and followed Fiona and me up the stairs.


    I closed the salon sliding door behind me. ¡°Anyone have any ideas how we exin this to the twins without telling them the truth,¡± I asked them all over the link.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kai answered. ¡°Guys,¡± he said loudly, getting their attention. ¡°Go down to the extra stateroom, shower, and change.¡±


    The girls didn¡¯t want to let them go, but obeying orders was a habit for them. They got up, grabbed their bags, and followed Kai below decks. With three SEALs here, I gave Fiona the night off; she would be back for me after lunch tomorrow.


    ¡°Girls, with me.¡± Makani and Noni followed Amy and me into the kitchen. ¡°This could end up being a mess, so I want you to figure it out now. Call your parents and let them know what is going on before the guys get back up here. Amy, you call Alpha Steven and fill him in. And EVERYONE, start thinking of how we¡¯re going to get you out of this situation without revealing the existence of the mate bond.¡±


    ¡°Would that be so bad? They ARE our mates,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°They¡¯re human, and you never know how they will react. If the guys are in love with you, what do you imagine is going to happen now that you¡¯ve gone all wife swap on them? It¡¯s WAY too early for that; you need them to bemitted to you before you spring that surprise. Now get going.¡± The twins moved back into the salon, and Amy went down to her stateroom, where herputer was. I started working on dinner. I wasn¡¯t their Alpha, but I was the dominant wolf, and the one Alpha Steven left in charge down here.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯d prepped a big tray ofsagna after lunch, and I pulled that out of the fridge after starting the oven. I had time to slice, butter, and season the Italian bread with garlic before I put the tray inside. I set the timer, then went downstairs to talk to Amy. ¡°You guys decent,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± she said. She and Kai were still on video with Alpha Steven, so I sat on his other side. They were discussing whether the girls would be able to resist the mating impulse with the boys.


    ¡°I think you all need toe clean with the twins and with Hammer,¡± Steven said. ¡°The longer this goes on, the greater the chance you don¡¯t control how they find out.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say yes, but we¡¯re not dealing with normal people here. The Jimenez boys are warriors, and while they may not feel the full bond with the girls yet, they are loyal to Kai. Exposing their secret would go against that loyalty.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way. They¡¯d been on Kai¡¯s boat crew from the beginning, a bond forged through incredible adversity. ¡°Once they get past the idea that the girls switched on them, they¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°How do we deal with that,¡± Kai asked. ¡°They were confused about the whole thing. I think they felt they were ying a trick on them.¡±


    ¡°With the truth. The girls didn¡¯t feel right about how things were going, and seeing them again made them realize they¡¯d matched up with the wrong one. I bet by morning, they¡¯re just fine with it.¡±


    The morning. Thank Luna that I had a fourth stateroom! I sent the idea to the twins over the link, not knowing what their parents might say. ¡°This weekend will be difficult to pull off; I have the auction tomorrow night, and I need to n it if we want to be somewhere remote. I can¡¯t have them running off, and people are surrounding us here.¡±


    ¡°y it by ear, Vicki. I trust the three of you will help them through this. Ideally, you¡¯d do this at sea where they can¡¯t run, and if you have to protect our secret, you take them out.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even want to think of what it would do to the girls if their men rejected them and what they were. We¡¯d have to kill them to protect our secret, and that would hurt us all. ¡°I¡¯ll see about next weekend; I¡¯ll see if I can get a Captain down here to take us out.¡±


    ¡°Keep me posted,¡± Steven said. ¡°And talk to Susan; it might be best toy this on Hammer at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mom once we figure it out,¡± Amy replied. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Remember that this is good news,¡± he said. ¡°The girls are truly blessed to find their mates early, and their mates are strong humans. If they make the change, they will be formidable additions to the Pack. Vicki, ce Alphamand on them; their wolves are not to shift or im them without my permission.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Alpha. Goodnight.¡± Kai closed up the video call while I asked the girls toe in. They left their men upstairs and filed into the room. ¡°We¡¯ve got some things to talk about after speaking with Alpha Steven. He¡¯s cing Command on you. You are not to shift or im your mates without his permission.¡± As a mantled Alpha heir, Imanded their wolves to obey. It wasn¡¯t as strong as it would be with Steven here, but it would help control their wolves until he could reinforce it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noni said. ¡°My wolf was pushing for control; she wants her mate.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell the boys when you saw them? They must have asked what was going on.¡±


    ¡°We said we felt like we were better matches this way. They were confused, but we¡¯ll get them over it,¡± Makani responded. ¡°I shut down Ricardo when he asked if we were going to have an open rtionship thing going on. I told him if he looked at Noni that way again, he¡¯d be sleeping back on the base.¡±


    ¡°My way or the highway,¡± Noni said. ¡°Manuel couldn¡¯t say ¡®yes ma¡¯am¡¯ fast enough.¡±


    That was a relief. I pulled a quarter out and looked at Makani. ¡°Call it in the air,¡± I said.


    ¡°Heads.¡± It was tails. ¡°Makani, you and Ricardo can take the twin bed up in the crew¡¯s quarters. Noni, you stay in your stateroom.¡± The girls started grinning widely, while Kai began to growl. ¡°You need to be careful, girls. Control your wolves, and don¡¯t go too fast. Your first times should be special.¡±


    ¡°And you better use these,¡± Amy said as she pulled a box of condoms out of her bedside table. She split them up between the two girls.


    ¡°And for Luna¡¯s sake, keep the noise down,¡± I said as I looked towards Amy, who started turning red. ¡°I can¡¯t believe everyone is gettingid but ME.¡± I walked to the door, heading up the stairs to the main deck. The twins were waiting for their girls toe up, and the girls decided to test them. Standing next to each other, they waited to see who would approach who.


    Luckily, Navy men know the right answer when given, and soon the two pairs were engaged in heated liplocks again. I went back to the kitchen and worked on the sds while they moved to the salon. When Amy came up, she and Kai helped set up the outdoor table on the fantail for dinner. It was a pleasant evening, and the breeze would help keep the smell of their pheromones from building up.


    With three happy couples and me being the ¡®plus one,¡¯ I felt a little left out. That feeling went away as soon as they all started talking about who they could set me up with on a blind date. ssmates, instructors, students at the Dojo, people at the Marina, all tossed out to my embarrassment. Left to their own devices, I¡¯d be wading through months of pointless dating. ¡°Guys, please. I¡¯m all right,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, between school, Bodyglove stuff, and preparing to film the series, I don¡¯t have TIME for a guy right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, your show just got a lot more boring,¡± Kai said with a grin. ¡°You aren¡¯t just dragging along a marrieddy now. The other two have serious boyfriends.¡±


    ¡°Serious?¡± I looked at the Jimenez brothers. ¡°No veo anillos en sus dedos?¡± (I don¡¯t see rings on their fingers?)


    ¡°No por mucho tiempo,¡± Manuel replied as Ricardo nodded his head. (Not for long.)


    ¡°El que duda est¨¢ perdido,¡± Noni said with a grin. (He who hesitates is lost.)


    ¡°A menos que quieras que salgamos con otras personas en el extranjero,¡± Makani added. (Unless you want us to date others while overseas.)

 SHARKBAIT #96

    The boys looked at each other, panicked. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest jewelry store,¡± Ricardo asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do it NOW,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the evening.¡± Dinner was good, and Amy cleared the table while I grabbed the dessert out of the oven. Pecan pie with French Vani ice cream was the perfect way to end the meal.


    The girls cleared the dishes away and went to get drinks, leaving me alone with Kai and his friends. ¡°Are the two of you all right with what happened today?¡±


    ¡°It was weird, but it worked out fine,¡± Manuel said. ¡°Honestly, it kind of fell out that way the first weekend we were over. I would have been cool with either one, but Makani was the one who put lotion on my back, and I didn¡¯t want to mess it up.¡±


    ¡°Noni was such a sweet girl; when she came to me, I was happy with it. I¡¯m just d it¡¯s all worked out.¡±


    ¡°I was kidding about the rings, guys. You have time. Those girls are falling hard for you, and you don¡¯t have to worry about them on our trip. I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± I promised.


    ¡°Take your time, develop the rtionships, and if you get engaged? Make it memorable.¡±


    Amy justughed. ¡°Like you?¡±


    ¡°I fell in love with you the moment I saw you,¡± Kai said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to wait another moment.¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Love-drunk couples surround me,¡± I said. ¡°I have some work to do before bed. You guys enjoy yourselves, and try to keep it down tonight.¡± We all got up and went back inside, and I went down to shower and get ready for bed.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I checked my email and messages; Sotheby¡¯s wanted me there for the 2 PM auction start, a time picked to allow the European buyers to get in.


    Mercedes asked me to wear two particr dresses she had sent tomorrow, both new designs that would be released soon. The paparazzi would be all over the auction and my evening. She¡¯d scheduled me for a meeting with the Bodyglove executives over dinner, where they wanted to discuss my television series ns.


    I pored over budget estimates and the daily report on production issues from Linda Cartwright until my eyes zed over. I headed to bed, turning on music to drown out the sounds of the happy couples on board.


    I woke up at six-thirty, and the boat was quiet.


    Dressing in my workout clothes, I headed to the upper-level deck and the exercise machines next to the outdoor dining room. I started on the treadmill, stretching out at a slower pace for five minutes before beginning my interval training routine. By the time another forty-five minutes was up, I was glistening and panting for breath.


    I rolled out the pad and started my yoga routine, stretching out sore muscles as I watched the sun rising over the mountains. The marina was quiet, the parties fromst night over. I waved back at an older gentleman who was sitting on his yacht drinking coffee with his morning paper. I had time, so I pulled the cover back on the two-person hot tub and lowered myself in. I left my bike shorts and top on, as the marina was too exposed to go nude. I¡¯d already seen photos of us taken from the parking lot or other boats, and there was no screening around the hot tub.


    I pulled out my phone and started looking through messages; there weren¡¯t many. One of the first things I did after getting a publicist was to get a new phone number, linked to her ount. Anything sent to me that wasn¡¯t from one of my approved contact numbers went to her first and was forwarded if I needed to see it. The Three Sisters werewolf with the job was good at her work; she would send responses to fan letters, handle press inquiries, and pass security threats to Fiona from thefort of her home office. Mercedes offset part of her expense, while I picked up the rest.


    Linda had worked with Mercedes to firm up our travel schedule and sent me the dates and ces where we would be able to shoot our diving spots during the tour. I¡¯d befriended dozens of scientists and shark researchers through aquarium visits, charitable work, and the two documentaries, so I started with that list of people andposed an email. After a brief introduction to our all-female concept, I got to the meat of the letter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve formed a newpany, Sharkbait Productions, Inc, and will be filming segments at different stops during our Bodyglove modeling tour for a shark-diving-based reality show. I¡¯m looking for local female shark experts in these areas who would be willing to host the four of us for a day of diving at a local shark hotspot. We would bring the film crew, including underwater camera operators, and we would hire the boat and crew or pay for expenses that day. Either scuba or free-diving would be weed based on local conditions. The expert featured on each episode, along with any boat crew shown, would be paid for their appearance and would be provided with Bodyglove line clothing for the shoot. Please pass this email on if you know of someone who can help, and we will contact them directly. Thank you, Vicki Lawrence, Producer.¡± Below the letter was the list of locations and dates.


    I sent the email from the Sharkbait Productions ount that Linda and I used. I figured it might take a while, as almost all of my contacts were in the United States and Hawaii, but I was wrong. I had the first response before I got out of the hot tub.


    ¡°Got room in there for another,¡± Kai asked as he came up the stairs.


    ¡°Sure. Where¡¯s Amy?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping.¡± Kai pulled off his shirt and lowered himself in wearing his board shorts. The water level rose to the top, some sloshing over with the jets. ¡°Damn, that feels good.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help noticing his body; he was in great shape when they mated, but SEAL training had it at another level. He wasn¡¯t bulky, as they didn¡¯t build muscles that way, he was strong, with incredible endurance. I could see the various cuts, abrasions, and bruises he¡¯d picked up during the week. ¡°How is training going?¡±


    ¡°The only easy day was yesterday,¡± he said as he closed his eyes. ¡°It never lets up. It was a good week; nobody injured, and nobody rang out.¡± They made it easy to quit, a bell in the courtyard was in view for most training. Ring the bell, and you¡¯d get a hot meal, a cot, and a ticket to do something else in the Fleet. Out of a ss of a hundred and forty-six, only twenty-six remained, and they were a little over halfway through the first phase of their training. In a few weeks, they¡¯d be training full-time with no days off for two months.


    ¡°How are you handling your sisters finding their mates?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better about it this morning,¡± he said. ¡°Amy and I had a long talk. The girls already knew them, and their human sides liked them a lot, which is better than most mates get. I barely knew Amy before our wolves bonded. It also helps that I know the guys, and I know they¡¯ll treat them right.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we calledst night after you went to bed. They were surprised but happy. After they didn¡¯t find their mates in the Pack, they were sure they were going to be moving out of the region to be with whoever their new mates were. The two could even get split up for the first time in their lives. Having human mates adds some different problems, but they will stay with Three Sisters and stay home.¡±


    ¡°You guys could get assigned to Little Creek in Virginia, on the other side of the country.¡±


    ¡°True, or we could be here. It¡¯s also likely we end up on different teams in different ces, with different deployment and training schedules. We¡¯ll work it out. Mom understands that when the guys deploy their mates can return home. She¡¯ll see the girls more this way than if they mated into another Pack.¡±


    ¡°And Amy?¡±


    ¡°That depends on what happens with her Mom and Hammer. If everyone stays here, Amy will stay with you or her Mom when I¡¯m gone. She could also go back to Three Sisters or Miesville.¡±


    I saw Amye up in her exercise clothes, and she kissed her mate before heading to the treadmill for her workout. ¡°What are you guys nning today,¡± I asked.


    ¡°The girls want to go shopping,¡± he said. ¡°Susan ising, so Hammer will be along.¡±


    ¡°Go early, so the crowds aren¡¯t as bad,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have the Tank and both of my bodyguards, so hire a limo and security if you need it. I¡¯ll cover it.¡± Amy wasn¡¯t as high-profile as I was, and there would be four SEALS with them, but a driver would be worth it. ¡°Talk to Mall security, or better yet, avoid the malls and go to individual stores. A quick call and you can arrange to shop while the store is closed to the public. Linda has contacts at the stores we normally use.¡± After-hours shopping was the best, and I spent enough to make it worthwhile.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be backte tonight, and you guys cane to the Sunday buffet at the Hotel del Coronado tomorrow if you want.¡± The spread there was fantastic, one of the best I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Admiral Kirk invited me, Hammer, Commander Prentice, and his daughter Jessica out on his dive boat for the afternoon.¡± I¡¯d never turn down a diving trip, and Jessica reminded me of myself when I was twelve. I¡¯d make her day by diving with her.


    ¡°You should see if you can bring a camera operator, plus a few Go-Pros,¡± Amy said. I looked up, shocked to think about it. ¡°Why not? There¡¯s no starting time, and it would be great for the show. Hell, you should have a camera following you around tonight.¡±


    ¡°The auction isn¡¯t part of the show,¡± I said.


    ¡°It could be. You¡¯re going to be there with the rich and famous, and you¡¯ll be wearing something hot. You can¡¯t use the film you don¡¯t make,¡± Amy said.


    She was right. ¡°The invitation allows me to bring a guest, and it didn¡¯t ban cameras,¡± I thought out loud. I made a quick call to Linda and asked her about it. ¡°I can¡¯t distract my security, so whoever it is will have to go as my date,¡± I told her.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind ofte, but let me see what I can do,¡± she said.


    While I was waiting, I called up Admiral Kirk. If he wasn¡¯t willing to have a camera aboard, there was no point in calling Mark Prentice. ¡°Admiral Kirk, it¡¯s Vicki Lawrence. I have a favor to ask for our dive trip tomorrow.¡± I quickly exined how I¡¯d like to take the chance to get some film of me diving with Jessica and the guys tomorrow.

 SHARKBAIT #97

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. It gives you something to do while waiting for official permission to film on the base. Last I heard, your request was approved through the Navy and is with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.¡±


    ¡°I only have a few weeks before we leave, but I¡¯d love to get something arranged for after the New Year,¡± I said. ¡°A day or two of filming should give us plenty of material for a show.¡±


    ¡°Well, Myka decided not to go, so I¡¯ve got room for two photographers on this trip if you can make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Thomas. I¡¯ll talk to Mark and make sure he¡¯s all right with it. I¡¯ll see you at the dock in La Jo at noon tomorrow, and I¡¯m buying dinner.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t turn down a free dinner,¡± he said. ¡°Have a good auction.¡±


    My next call was to Commander Prentice, the SEAL Team CO I¡¯d met at the party right before James got run off the road. The phone was answered by Jessica, who squealed in happiness when she heard me say who was calling. ¡°Jessica, can you get your Dad for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, he¡¯s in his Man Cave,¡± she said.


    I heard her going down the hall before the phone got handed off. ¡°Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Hi Mark, sorry to bother you, but I have a question for the two of you about tomorrow. You know I¡¯m going to be filming a reality show about modeling and diving?¡±


    ¡°The Admiral talked about it, said you were going to be filming next year,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting ready for production, and Amy asked me why I wasn¡¯t filming our dive tomorrow. I don¡¯t need permission since the dive is on personal time, but I will need yours.¡± A few minutester, we had it all figured out. He and the Admiral would sign film releases, but Jessica would get paid for her appearance, the money going towards her college fund.


    By the time I was showered and dressed, Linda had arranged camera operators for the auction and the dive tomorrow. My ¡®date¡¯ for tonight was Bill Carson, who would meet me there.


    I got in the Tank with Fiona when Carly drove to the Marina gate. I traveled in shorts and a T-shirt, working on myptop during the two-hour drive north on Interstate Five to Los Angeles. The tinted ss allowed me to change along the way, and I put on my minimal makeup when we stopped at traffic lights. When we pulled up to the auction house off Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, the media was waiting for us.


    I¡¯d texted Bill when we were a few blocks away, and I could see him on the stairs with his camera. ¡°I¡¯ll get out first, and you follow me in,¡± Fiona said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Bill; he is just here to film. Keep your eyes open, smile, and if anything happens?¡±


    ¡°Get back to the Tank,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She and Carly got out first, on the street side, walking around the back where she met Sotheby¡¯s security. A brief conversationter, and she was opening the door.


    I put a leg out, showing a mile of tanned skin as I carefully moved so I wouldn¡¯t sh my underwear to the dozens of cameras outside. My dress was tight, hugging my curves as Mr. Ferguson helped me exit. Carly stayed with the car, Fiona moved to the side, and I smiled and posed for the photographers before walking inside with the Director of the Los Angeles Office.


    I toured the exhibition briefly, then went to his office to sign some paperwork before the viewing started at noon. The collection had been avable on the web for weeks, and on disy for thest three days. ¡°Excitement is building about the collection,¡± he said. ¡°The details we¡¯ve found and verified since you consigned the pieces have pushed up the estimates.¡±


    ¡°Are there any expected to reach seven figures,¡± I asked.


    He indicated five. I picked one, a ssic tiger-maple wfoot highboy and lowboy set. ¡°This one is for charity, to the Shark Conservation Fund,¡± I said.


    The viewing was like nothing I¡¯d ever attended; the Hollywood elite and California wealthy were out in force. Everyone wanted a moment of my time, and some of the men wanted more than that. I was young, rich, and beautiful in a ce that wanted all three. I received numerous invitations to parties, most of which I declined due to my work schedule. I couldn¡¯t drink the champagne, and I wanted to chow down on the appetizers, but I didn¡¯t. I had to focus on the sale and the cameras.


    I sat off to the side as the sale began, Fiona standing against the wall behind me. There were fifty-two items in the sale catalog I had in my hand. The first painting sold at twice the auction estimate, and it just went from there. Bidders on phones kept raising their paddles, eager to purchase items that had never publicly sold until now. When the Goddard and Townsend highboy/lowboy auction came up, I spoke briefly about the proceeds going towards shark conservation. It didn¡¯t matter; the previously unknown set was in perfect condition after over two centuries, and the price quickly climbed past a million. It finally sold for 1. 45 million dors.


    I was keeping a rough count in my head two hourster, and the numbers far exceeded my dreams. I epted congrattions and thanked many of the guests as they left, finally ending up back in the office. ¡°What is my total takehome,¡± I asked Mr. Ferguson.


    ¡°First off, Sotheby¡¯s is pleased to waive our premium for the charitable sale. The foundation will receive the full amount in your name by next week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I should be thanking you, that was one of the most exciting sales in memory,¡± he said. Looking at hisputer, he showed me the screen total. ¡°Total sales excluding the donated items were $19. 28 million, less the 13. 8% sale premium, is $16. 62 million to you.¡± Even with the State and Federal taxes, I¡¯d clear nine million dors for myself, bumping my worth up over twenty-four million.


    I was going to need a bigger ountant.


    Linda had left a message requesting a teleconference about boat preparation with her, my ountant Stan Greenberg, Captain Thomas Vickers, and his daughter Loretta. I had time while we were driving to Spago¡¯s for our dinner, so I got them on the line along with Uncle Leo and Amy. ¡°What¡¯s going on everyone,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I heard you did well at the auction,¡± Stan said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I did. I cleared over sixteen million before taxes,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we wanted to talk about, Vicki,¡± Linda said. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with Thomas on the proposal for remodeling the yacht, and we think it¡¯s a mistake,¡±


    I looked at the screen; Thomas, Loretta, Stan, and Amy were all nodding their heads. I felt like they¡¯d punched me in the gut. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my boat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start,¡± Amy said. ¡°We¡¯re already having trouble fitting everyone in if the twins have their boyfriends along. If we go out for more than a day trip, someone has to sleep up in the salon, or we have to bring in a cot or air mattress. For you, or me and you, it was fine, but the girls are part of the team now. You might need something bigger, or a design with more cabins than this.¡±


    She was right; just the idea of taking Hammer and Susan along with the boys and two crew members would mean people sleeping in the salon. ¡°What else? Stan?¡±


    My ountant cleared his throat. ¡°Right now, you have a one-year lease deal that is the extent of your financialmitment to this yacht. If, as Amy said, you decide you need something else, you can walk away and do that with the knowledge of what living aboard a boat is. All that goes away if you exercise your purchase option like you¡¯d have to do to make the changes Thomas has proposed. You¡¯d be making a multi-million dormitment based on less than two months living here and a couple of short cruises.¡±


    ¡°What other advantages would I be giving up,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Insurance is one. When you lease it, the owner maintains the insurance. If you buy it and use it formercial purposes, you¡¯ll pay all insurance, and the rates will be higher because of the passengers. There¡¯s also a legal liability; as the boat owner, you have ultimate liability. That doesn¡¯t go away when you lease the boat back to your productionpany. The financials are another. Leasing the boat to the productionpany you own creates audit opportunities for the IRS.¡±


    ¡°What else am I missing,¡± I asked.


    It was Thomas¡¯ turn. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re talking about putting twenty people on a pleasure yacht designed to hold less than half that infort. There aren¡¯t enough bathrooms, showers, water tanks, or staterooms for what you want to do. Equipment is going to bang into fiberss, holes drilled, drawers and cabs will break, and that fancy woodwork will get scratched. When you go to convert it back to what it is now, you could have thousands of dors in repairs to make. You can count on it;pare your boat to the research vessel you were on this summer, and you know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    The Ocean Explorer was functional; aluminum or stainless surfaces, linoleum floors, and two-person staterooms. Lots of staterooms. ¡°You may as well pile it on. What else?¡±


    Linda picked it up. ¡°Think about what the Ocean Explorer had that you don¡¯t have on your yacht.¡±


    ¡°The big D-davit on the back that could haul the shark or equipment in and out. A big, open work area on the stern to operate off. A bigger kitchen and dining area. About thirty feet in length, with a structure that could handle bigger waves.¡±


    ¡°All true,¡± Linda replied. ¡°The other things it had were a dedicatedputer room with backup power, rooms for editing and directing, davits to allow more than one shark cage or device, and plenty of wire chases to run cables through for the cameras.¡±


    It made my head hurt. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t crush my ns like this without an alternative,¡± I said. ¡°What do you rmend?¡±


    ¡°Linda and I asked dozens of Captains, Expedition Leaders and Producers to tell us what we should be looking for in a shark research boat capable of hosting twenty or so people for up to two weeks at a time. We got a lot of feedback, and it was surprisingly simr,¡± Thomas said.

 SHARKBAIT #98

    ¡°Amercial vessel between one hundred and one hundred and forty feet in length, preferably a catamaran or trimaran for stability,¡± Linda continued. ¡°Forward superstructure with an open main deck within eight feet of the waterline for at least forty feet to the fantail. Swim tforms on fantail or sides. Onerge U-davit and at least one smaller davit and multiple winches. Dedicatedputer space. A wetb and refrigerator/freezer spaces for chum and specimens. Rooms for monitoring cameras and editing.¡±


    It was a lot to take in. ¡°Do you have something like that in mind?¡±


    ¡°We have a few possibilities,¡± Linda answered.


    I looked at the time. ¡°I have dinner soon, and we won¡¯t be able to decide this tonight. Linda, work with the team and give me at least three options other than using the Good Times. One of them should be leasing a research vessel, and the other two buy options. We can go over it on Monday.¡±


    ¡°Tuesday,¡± Thomas said. ¡°We¡¯ll have better information by then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine. Stan, don¡¯t proceed with the purchase of the Good Times while we evaluate options. We¡¯ll need your input on the tax implications of each; Linda, you should look at its suitability for filming, while Thomas can help with things like berthing and seakeeping. Thanks for your help, everyone. Thomas and Loretta, can you stay on?¡±


    Everyone else left. ¡°I need to take the boat out for the day next weekend, maybe an overnight. Are you avable?¡±


    ¡°I am Friday until noon Saturday,¡± Loretta said as they checked their calendars. Thomas was not. ¡°I¡¯d like to leave Friday night and return Saturday morning. Nine passengers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll book it,¡±


    ¡°Also, a short cruise on Friday the 29th, just down towards Coronado and back. I want to host a party for Kai¡¯s ss before we head overseas. Probably fifty to sixty people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that one too,¡± Loretta said. ¡°Do you need catering for that? Lte can do it if she hires local help.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Have your Mom put together a proposal for the food, and I¡¯ll hire a bartender.¡±


    ¡°Lte can do everything under one bill,¡± Thomas said. ¡°I¡¯ll have her draw it up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I looked out the window, we were nearly there, and I hadn¡¯t changed yet. ¡°I have to go. Send me the details.¡± I closed the phone down, and I quickly doffed my dress then got into one more suited for evening wear. Silver with sea green highlights and a halter top, it draped down to a knee-length skirt. Matching silver heels and jewelrypleted the look, just in time to arrive at Spago¡¯s.


    Two hourster, I walked back to the Tank,pletely exhausted. The food at Spago¡¯s tasted great, but the portions were TINY for a wolf. ¡°Find somewhere to stop for dinner on the way home,¡± I said to Carly. They needed to eat since my security team didn¡¯t get to eat at the restaurant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if there are any barbecue joints on the way back to the freeway,¡± she said.


    I got Amy, Linda, Stan, and Leo on the video call. ¡°Well, that was interesting,¡± I told them all. ¡°I wish Mercedes had warned me.¡±


    ¡°What happened, Vicki?¡± Leo looked concerned.


    ¡°Bodyglove likes the idea of all the exposure, but the financialmitment I¡¯m asking of them would be a big chunk of next year¡¯s advertising budget. They want both to reduce their share of costs while forcing me to ept other Bodyglove models and endorsers into the show.¡±


    ¡°If they want to spend less, they get less,¡± Stan said.


    ¡°They want it all, I guess. I threatened to bring on other sponsors to make up the difference. I was pretty clear with them on the scale of my investment in this project. I¡¯m not going to let them bully me into making this a puff piece, but I did make some concessions.¡±


    ¡°Like what,¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not budging on the all-women part for the diving. There are a few people they want me to bring in for the dives; Bodyglove-endorsing surfers and extreme sports athletes, mostly. I said I would consider the girls for that. For the guys, I said they¡¯d have to be single, and they could take me on a date. That¡¯s as far as I¡¯m willing to go, and in the end, they agreed to the terms, and kept the investment the same.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Leo said. ¡°You¡¯ve had a busy day, Vicki. You should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± After getting some real food, I fell asleep for the rest of the drive. It was midnight when I got back home, and everyone was asleep already.


    The next morning after breakfast, I grabbed my diving gear (both scuba and free-diving) and left in the Tank for La Jo. We picked up Bill at his hotel; he had his dive gear and multiple cameras with him, including an underwater one. Thomas had a twenty-five-foot boat at a marina there, and the others were already on board. Jessica was practically bouncing around in her Bodyglove wetsuit, eager to dive with me. I got my gear stowed, and we headed out into the bay to the dive spot Thomas had selected. ¡°Where are we headed?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kelp forest, in the middle of the sanctuary,¡± he said. ¡°Twenty to fifty feet of water.¡± That was good; it was shallow enough to free dive and deep enough for a good SCUBA dive. ¡°Have you dived on the kelp before, Jessica?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°We go there a lot since it¡¯s too far out for the divers to reach from shore,¡± she said. We sat and talked while I pulled on my wetsuit. Even after the long summer, the waters here were cold, so I had a thick tiger-shark pattern wetsuit with booties and a hood I¡¯d put onter. Bill was invisible but all-seeing, capturing my conversations as all good cameramen do. I was wearing a ne with a waterproof, wireless microphone to help him pick up the talk.


    We got to the dive site, and Thomas dropped anchor in thirty feet of water. ¡°There¡¯s a dropoff to the west that goes down to fifty feet; I like to dive the edge as that is where the sharks hang out. I¡¯ll partner with Mark, and you partner with Jessica?¡±


    ¡°That works, Bill will be with us too,¡± I said. ¡°We stay close because it¡¯s easy to lose each other in the kelp. If you can¡¯t see me, you abort the dive and head to the surface immediately, understand?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she promised. We pulled our gear on and did our buddy checks. Bill attached a Gopro to the top of my mask and gave another to Mark in case they ran into something. Bill got in the water first, making sure his underwater camera worked and recorded Jessica and me as we fell back into the water.


    The kelp grew from the muddy bottom to the surface, forcing us to dive vertically. Bill had positioned himself slightly away from us, and I let Jessica lead us down, using the anchor rope as a reference. I wasn¡¯t sure howpetent a diver she was despite her Junior Open-Water SCUBA certification, so I stayed close. We reached the safety stop at fifteen feet and oriented ourselves, adjusting our buoyancy to neutral before double-checking our gear. I checked Bill, and when we all had thumbs-up, we continued to the bottom.


    The kelp fronds weren¡¯t as long down here, and there were spots where the kelp wasn¡¯t as thick, and it was easier to see. There was a lot of sea life about; sea lions, green sea turtles, garibaldi, kelp bass, and more. We didn¡¯t see anyrge sharks, but we did see a shovelnose guitarfish and a few leopard sharks. I had a great time letting her lead me around until we reached the five-hundred-pound mark in our tanks.


    The three of us ascended to fifteen feet, waited the prescribed time, then surfaced. ¡°THAT WAS AWESOME,¡± Jessica said as she took out her regtor. We swam back to the boat and pulled ourselves onboard, doffing our tanks. A few minutester, Thomas and Mark joined us. Thomas knew I wanted to free dive, so he pulled anchor and moved us into shallower waters, off the San Diego Cliffs and Sea Caves. We snorkeled for an hour together before I grabbed my free-diving fins, and Bill put on his extra tank. Moving out into slightly deeper water, I spent twenty minutes diving with the sea lions while he filmed me.


    We motored back to the dock, all of us satisfied with the afternoon of fun. Bill had lots of footage that we might be able to use in the show, which was a bonus for me. We changed into our clothes in the locker rooms at the marina, Jessica and I getting into matching Bodyglove-design cotton dresses and ts. We all piled into the Tank for the short drive to Eddie V¡¯s Seafood. I¡¯d reserved a table on the patio overlooking the water, and the food was everything you¡¯d expect for the prices. We had a great talk and had just ordered dessert when a youngdy approached with a piece of paper. ¡°Vicki Lawrence?¡±


    ¡°Yes, would you like an autograph?¡± I was used to this happening.


    She handed me the envelope. ¡°You¡¯ve been served,¡± she said before she turned and walked away. I opened the envelope and nced over the paperwork inside.


    Brian, the graduate student I¡¯d choked out on the Ocean Explorer, was suing ME for ¡°assault resulting in injuries, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other damages¡± and was seeking ¡°more than fifty thousand dors¡± in Massachusetts court.


    The guy who grabbed my tits and told me, ¡°They don¡¯t feel like they are worth fifty grand, maybe fifty bucks,¡± now wanted his fifty grand.

 SHARKBAIT #99

    I put the letter in my purse, still fuming. ¡°Rx, Vicki. You knew this would happen,¡± Fiona sent me.


    ¡°What was that,¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°The man who sexually harassed me over the summer is suing me,¡± I said.


    ¡°The THESE TITS guy?¡± Of course, Jessica said that a little too loud, which got a bunch of tables looking at me. Her father red at her. ¡°You kicked his butt,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Yeah. No good deed goes unpunished,¡± I said. ¡°I guess this is why we spend money onwyers.¡±


    Mark was shaking his head. ¡°I saw that on YouTube after it happened. I don¡¯t think you can be quiet about this. It¡¯s outrageous; you should be the one suing HIM for sexual harassment.¡±


    ¡°I just might do that. I¡¯ll see what my team has to say.¡± I hope Adrienne has tranquilizers handy when Leo finds out about this, much less Dad. I rxed as the waitress came back with the desserts. I¡¯d ordered the Hot Chocte Godiva Cake, while Jessica had the Bananas Foster Butter Cake with butter pecan ice cream, med tableside.


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years since I could eat like that and stay slim,¡± Thomas said. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to do another mile on the treadmill from LOOKING at those desserts.¡±


    ¡°Youthful metabolism and hours of exercise,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been like this for years, first with the swim team and now with diving, running, and martial arts. I know it won¡¯tst forever, but I like eating! I work out every day with SEALs, so I¡¯m not cking off. Hammer is pretty seriously involved with Amy¡¯s Mom, and we¡¯ve been working out with him almost since we got here.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Mark said. ¡°I thought you and James made a good couple, but I guess that didn¡¯tst.¡±


    ¡°I kicked him in the shin and told him he was an idiot after the Las Vegas videos came out,¡± Jessica said proudly. ¡°Not that it mattered. Lauren¡¯s dumped him already.¡± No wonder she hadn¡¯t talked to me at the dojotely.


    We had a great evening, and Jessica didn¡¯t want to go. ¡°School night, and I need to study too,¡± I said. ¡°It was fun diving with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. I thanked the guys, then Bill, Fiona, and I got back into the Tank and headed back. We were all full, as I had put my security and my cameraman at the next table and bought their dinners too. ¡°Bill, tell me you got some of that on tape,¡± I said.


    He just smiled. ¡°I had a camera on you the whole time, and the footage after you read the summons is going to be gold,¡± he said. ¡°I could practically see the steaming out of your ears.¡±


    ¡°I better deal with that before that bastard releases anything to the press.¡± I called mywyer¡¯s phone, leaving a message for him and telling him I¡¯d scan and send the documents when I got home. He called back and calmed me down; from a legal perspective, hisint had no merit. ¡°Then why file it?¡±


    ¡°Harassment and hoping you pay something to make it go away.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± I¡¯d been thinking of a few things. ¡°I¡¯d like to go on a counter-offensive in the press. Is there any downside to that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t deviate from what happened, and don¡¯t say anything defamatory,¡± he said.


    I hung up and got on a conference with the people I trusted: my publicist, my ountant, Alpha Steven, Linda, Mercedes, Leo, Adrienne, Amy, Kai, Dad, and Mom. I quickly exined what was going on and read the first part of thewsuit. ¡°My first question is what this means to our brand,¡± I asked.


    Mercedes justughed. ¡°No worries there, Vicki. The show is going toe out during the November sweeps, so the timing is perfect. The videos of his assault and your ass-kicking have been out for months, and we can tease the extra footage we have. The more press coverage we get of thiswsuit, the more opportunities toe out against harassment and sexism.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest getting in front of this,¡± my publicist said. ¡°Do an interview, maybe with one of the morning shows, and go after him hard. Talk about how difficult it is to get taken seriously as a person; maybe open up about some of the other harassment you¡¯ve endured.¡± We had our n by the end of the call, and my publicist would set up the interview.


    Stan asked me to stay on the line after the others dropped off. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with Captain Thomas on the options, and we think you¡¯ve missed a simple option for a vessel,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oregon State University owns two oceanographic research vessels, obtained using government grants in 2021,¡± he said. ¡°Both vessels are the same; almost 200 feet long, equipped for ocean floor mapping, and capable of berthing thirteen crew and sixteen scientists for three weeks at a time. Why not use those?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Oregon, not Oregon State,¡± I said. ¡°Thergest boat the marine biology program has is a forty-two-foot trawler.¡±


    ¡°You have to ask. If not there, maybe with Scripps in San Diego, or another West Coast university?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. Thank you, Stan.¡± I hung up, flipping through my contacts until I found the number of the Director of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. I sent him a text asking him to call me about research vessels.


    He called me right back. I exined that I needed a vessel suited to marine research and diving between January and May for my show, with an outline of what I needed. He said he¡¯d contact his colleagues and get back to me.


    I had a lot going through my head as I got back to the Good Times; I talked briefly to the three couples rxing in and around the hot tub before heading to bed. My publicist had an interview arranged with Good Morning America at eight the next morning, and I had to be at the studio in downtown San Diego for the remote.


    I was sitting in the green room the next morning, waiting for my turn, and only then did I realize the setup I¡¯d be facing. The segment before mine was devoted to the press conference Brian¡¯swyer had tapedst night and released this morning. The show yed his announcement, including the footage showing him getting taken to the ground and choked out. ¡°My client did not deserve to suffer permanent injuries over a disagreement,¡± he said. ¡°Thiswsuit seeks topensate him for the pain and suffering he¡¯s dealt with since this vicious attack by a martial arts expert.¡±


    ¡°But should your client profit from the consequences of his actions,¡± the host asked.


    ¡°The reaction was so out of proportion to his actions as to be unreasonable, and we believe a jury will agree with us,¡± he said.


    ¡°I guess we will find out when this goes to court.¡± He ended the video feed and looked at the camera. ¡°We¡¯ll be back after these messages with headlines, weather, and an exclusive interview with the other party to this case, model and shark conservationist Vicki Lawrence.¡±


    The assistant producer came in and brought me to the room, hooking me up for sound and exining the camera and monitor status. I just nodded, fuming that I had to respond instead of getting out front. The producer counted down to the start of the segments as Alyssa Thompson, the morning co-host, gave the introduction to this segment. ¡°With us today is Vicki Lawrence, the young woman in the viral video whoid the smack-down on the graduate student who sexually assaulted her on a research boat. Wee to Good Morning America, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alyssa. It¡¯s great to talk to you again.¡± I¡¯d appeared with her twice before, once after the ocean rescue, and once for my shark conservation foundation.


    ¡°What is your reaction to thewsuit and the statement you just heard?¡±


    ¡°I think it shows that stupidity can be a permanent condition,¡± I deadpanned, causing her to spit her coffee out. ¡°It¡¯s not like the whole country didn¡¯t already know of Brian¡¯s openly sexist and criminally abusive behavior.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t file charges against him after it happened,¡± Alyssa challenged.


    ¡°I thought the situation had been handled well at the time. Captain Merrill and the administration acted quickly, and Brian got kicked off the ship and out of school by the next morning. I received nothing but support from the crew, and the expedition was a great experience for me. That does not mean that I will not file criminal assault charges in the future.¡±


    ¡°Brian¡¯swsuit uses you of intentionally causing permanent injuries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure his symptoms showed up shortly after he found out I had money,¡± I replied. ¡°I wanted to leave, and he sexually assaulted me first. I took him down and used my training to choke him out.¡±


    ¡°You admit to strangling him until he lost consciousness?¡±


    ¡°Jiu-Jitsu does not strangle; I was not stopping his breathing. You apply pressure to the side of the neck, momentarily cutting off blood flow to the brain. Five to ten secondster, it¡¯s nap time. You see it all the time in Mixed Martial Arts fights, and others have done it to me dozens of times at the dojo. Let¡¯s be honest here, Alyssa; the only injury was to his reputation, and thiswsuit is a desperate grab for money. He and hiswyer think I will pay him to go away, but they don¡¯t understand how stubborn I am. I will go bankrupt fighting this before I pay that man a DIME.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strong statement, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°You need to be capable and determined to make it in this world with predators like that around. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve dealt with it, and I bet many women watching this are nodding their heads right now. They are thinking of times they were harassed, ridiculed, or discriminated against because they dared to be attractive AND smart.¡±


    I had her; I could tell that in her eyes. ¡°So, what do you say to those people who think you got where you are because of your appearance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving that speech from the boat again,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I¡¯ve worked hard to get where I am, and I¡¯m working even harder to achieve my goals. My physical appearance got me my break, and I¡¯ll admit that. When you get that chance, though, you still have to bepetent enough to take advantage of it. I enjoy modeling, I love shark research, and I love representing Bodyglove. Their support has been a great help in getting my foundation up and running. We now have over twenty thousand trackers on thirty-two different shark species around the world, providing valuable data on shark migration and behavior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite the achievement at the age of eighteen. What is next for you?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #100

    ¡°I start a world tour for Bodyglove that runs to the end of the year. I¡¯ve also formed a productionpany, Sharkbait Productions, Incorporated, to develop reality series and documentaries centered on diving and shark research. Oh, and I have to do my freshman chemistry homework.¡±


    That got herughing. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to your studies.¡± The camera turned off. ¡°That was Oregon State University freshman Vicki Lawrence, who has enough on her te without nuisancewsuits. In the next segment, legal expert Veronica Marist and Congressman Louis Washburn debate whether it is time to bring a loser-pays rule into civil court.¡±


    I let out a breath as the assistant producer helped remove the earpiece and microphone. ¡°You did well,¡± she says. ¡°You should have broken his arms, though.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Dad said he should have been chum.¡± I left the studio and went straight to the dojo, knowing I could get some running in before my ss started.


    ************


    I was almost to the dojo when mywyer, Lawrence Fenwick, called me. Beta Lawrence had been a friend of our family since he defended Leo and Adrienne in front of the Council thirteen years ago, and his small practice was now helping me. ¡°How did I do,¡± I asked him.


    ¡°You did well, but he¡¯s not giving up. Skip Bonino is joining the suit, and they are alleging a pattern of excessive force by you.¡±


    Skip was the extreme sports athlete in Hawaii who tried to drag me off and rape me; I¡¯d beaten him up on video before breaking his upper arm with a kick. ¡°These guys don¡¯t learn,¡± I said.


    ¡°The glovese off, Vicki. I need you to go to the FBI office in San Diego and file aint against Brian for indecent assault. It¡¯s a misdemeanor under Federalw. Take thewyer you used when you ended up with the art.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s bound to file a criminalint against me,¡± I said.


    ¡°He can try, but I doubt if the US Attorney for Massachusetts will pursue that. Yourint, she will jump on it. It has everything a politically-motivated prosecutor looks for; clear video evidence, a sympathetic victim, and publicity.¡±


    ¡°Why the FBI? The vessel belongs to a Massachusetts research institution.¡±


    ¡°The FBI has jurisdiction on the high seas, and you were outside of waters ¡®wholly within the boundaries of the state.''¡±


    I arrived at the dojo, waiting in the car for the call to finish. ¡°What is the advantage of the criminal charges?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to embarrass you and get a quick payout. Even though it is just a Federal misdemeanor, he¡¯s stuck. If he pleads guilty, the conviction feeds into his civil case and makes him look bad. Brian should refuse to answer questions using his fifth amendment rights, but in civil court, his refusal to answer CAN be used against him. As long as the US Attorney doesn¡¯t charge you with assault, you are better off.¡±


    I started thinking like a publicist. ¡°Are you in New Hampshire?¡± His Pack lived in the White Mountains.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m at my office.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best if we did this at the FBI Office in Boston. I can tip off the press that I aming. There is more interest in that area in the story, and we take it right to him. Maybe we can meet with the US Attorney or her representative in person.¡±


    I heard him chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s a three-hour drive, so you¡¯ll pay for a full day, including my lunch.¡±


    ¡°Worth every penny. Besides, you know you¡¯ll be working on stuff for other clients while a Pack member drives you there. You better not double-bill for your time.¡± Lawyers. If they thought about your case while sitting on the toilet at home, they charged you.


    ¡°You¡¯re my favorite client, Vicki; nobody gets people spun up like you do. Text me your flight time, and I¡¯ll have you picked up at Logan.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you, Lawrence.¡± I hung up and made another call, this time to my Mom. After exining the situation, she agreed to my n, and Fiona did as well. I pulled up a travel app and booked first-ss seats on the flights I needed, then texted the information to Lawrence and Olivia. ¡°Come on; we should tell Hammer what¡¯s happening.¡±


    He was waiting for me when I came in the door. ¡°I have to go to Boston for business,¡± I said.


    ¡°I saw after my run this morning. If you need an expert witness for your trial, I¡¯m there for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Hammer. I¡¯ll be back the day after tomorrow.¡± Fiona called and had Carly pack overnight bags for us, driving them to the airport so we wouldn¡¯t have to backtrack. I had one more call to make, and it was more of a courtesy, though I was curious as to how her life was going now. I found the number for Master Emily on my phone, and her assistant immediately patched me through.


    ¡°Vicki, what an unexpected pleasure,¡± Emily said.


    ¡°ns change, and I¡¯m on my way to Boston now,¡± I said. I quickly exined my n.


    ¡°Good. I had half a mind to find that man and drain him dry; it would improve both of our worlds.¡± I had tough at that. ¡°What else is going on? Your life is so busy now, I suppose.¡±


    I gave her the condensed version; school, modeling, and the struggles to get my productionpany up and running. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have to be an expert on offshore research vessels at eighteen,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Girl, I¡¯ve got centuries on you, and I still learn new things every day. Let your friends help you, and put experts where you need them. That¡¯s what your money can help with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying. I asked my team to bring options to me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve inherited some investments in shipyards andmercial shipping; I¡¯ll reach out to my people as well. Send me your wish list, and let me take you out to dinner tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It will have to be early, my flight leaves at seven PM, and I¡¯ll have my mother and my bodyguard along.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. My people can pick you up from the FBI office when you¡¯ve finished with them, and take you to the airport after dinner. I¡¯ve got a lot to talk to you about.¡±


    I bet she did. She¡¯d been Master Vampire of Boston for long enough to have some stories. ¡°I ept. Thank you for the time, Master Emily.¡± I hung up the phone and put it in my purse.


    ¡°Vicki, are you sure this is a good idea,¡± Fiona asked. ¡°We¡¯re only three werewolves, and you¡¯re putting yourself with a Master and her Coven.¡±


    ¡°Emily is an ally, and I need to maintain that rtionship,¡± I said. ¡°One of these days, I¡¯ll take you to New Orleans, and you can meet the Supreme Vampire. Cyprian¡¯s a friend, too.¡±


    We got on the ne, arriving at dinnertime in Minnesota. Mom and Dad were waiting for me outside the airport; it was great to see them again. I was so busy that I missed just being with my family. I got in back with Mom, excited to be home. ¡°What¡¯s going on tonight?¡±


    ¡°Pool party and barbecue at the house. Short notice, but everyone wants to see you. Leo went and bought four cases of ribs at Sam¡¯s Club as soon as he heard you wereing.¡± A case had fifteen full racks, so that was a good start.


    Mom helped me work through some of my worries as we drove to Miesville. ¡°You¡¯ve taken on too much, too fast,¡± she finally told me. ¡°Susan says you aren¡¯t getting enough sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going after my dreams, and some of this stuff isn¡¯t my fault,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°Priorities,¡± Dad said. ¡°What are you doing now that you could throttle back on?¡±


    That was more difficult. ¡°I¡¯m under contract to Bodyglove, and I¡¯ve alreadymitted to the tour. I¡¯ve got serious money invested in the productionpany, with more toe. I can¡¯t ck off on my fitness with my modeling, but I suppose I could drop Jiu-Jitsu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that almost every day,¡± Dad said. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to do it for months, so would a few more skipped sses matter?¡±


    Dropping down to two a week would free up some time. ¡°That leaves diving and school.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but school should not be your priority right now,¡± Mom said. I just looked at her like she¡¯d grown a second head. ¡°Why did you want to get your doctorate, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°I love sharks, and I wanted to do research and be respected in the field,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve formed a research foundation without a college degree. You¡¯ve filmed two documentaries without a college degree. Now, you¡¯ve formed a productionpany with ns for a reality show and more documentaries, still without a degree.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Things aren¡¯t the same as they were at the Alpha Summit. You¡¯re famous, you have a modeling contract, and now you¡¯re independently wealthy. You¡¯re going to learn about sharks and get respect in the field for what you do as a PRODUCER, not as a doctoral student. You¡¯re much more important than that.¡±


    It hit me like a Great White nailing a seal from the depths; I¡¯d spent so long thinking I had to get a degree to achieve my dreams, but I was living my dreams NOW. ¡°You think I should quit school?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, but you will burn yourself out at a full-time student load. You¡¯re more like I was when you were a baby; you have a job, you have responsibilities, and you only have time for a few sses at a time. It will take longer, but you will still get there.¡±


    I was taking fifteen credits right now; if I dropped down to eight, that would halve my schoolwork. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Can I blow your mind a little more,¡± Dad asked.


    My mind was reeling already. ¡°You guys have been talking about this, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not just Susan who was worried about you. Amy was as well,¡± Dad said. ¡°You¡¯re doing the basics right now, but you should think about majoring in business administration instead of marine biology. Take the courses you like on sharks as electives, but you¡¯re a business owner and manager now. You need to learn more about taxes than taxonomy.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #101

    ¡°My head hurts now,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mom said. ¡°Rx and have fun tonight.¡±


    I did. The party was epic, and the weather was unseasonably warm. I had a great time with my old Pack and didn¡¯t get to sleep until after two in the morning. That was only midnight West Coast time, but it meant the four-thirty AM wakeup was WAY too early for me. I slept the whole flight.


    The press and paparazzi were out in force as I walked in with my Mom to the FBI Branch Office in downtown Boston. It didn¡¯t take long to swear out theint about the sexual assault. An Assistant US Attorney read it over and assured me she would act on it promptly.


    I thanked Lawrence for his help as we walked down; he was returning to his Pack immediately. Mom, Fiona, and I all entered the limo that Emily had sent for us. Since it was only three in the afternoon, the driver took us to Emily¡¯s office. Fiona waited in the lobby while Mom and I went to talk with Emily.


    ¡°Wee, it¡¯s great to see you,¡± Emily said as she came out from behind her desk to meet us.


    I introduced my mother before looking around. I couldn¡¯t see any remnant of Corvinus¡¯ office remaining. Leather and ss furniture, hanging textiles, and movie poster prints gave the room a modern feel. ¡°You¡¯ve settled in nicely,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve consolidated my position here,¡± she said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy; I had two challenges to fight off, and I had to rece two Coven members. I was lucky enough to find strong but not dominant recements.¡±


    ¡°Unlike wolves with ranks, most challenges within a Covene from junior vampires in it,¡± I sent to Mom. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help? You¡¯ve done so much for me already,¡± I said.


    ¡°There is one thing I would ask, but I will understand if you refuse,¡± she said. ¡°When I go to New Orleans, I expect one or more of the other Masters to challenge me. I¡¯d like the edge only you can give me.¡± She opened a drawer in her desk, removing a blood donation bag and kit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me with my own,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better this way,¡± she said evenly.


    ¡°It is in my interest to keep you in power,¡± I said as I held out my hand for the kit. Mom helped prep the area, then inserted the needle into my arm and taped it down. It would only take fifteen minutes to give her the blood she would need to strengthen her. ¡°Did you hear anything back from your contacts on a research vessel?¡±


    ¡°I did, but I wanted to wait until you agreed to the blood first. I didn¡¯t want you to feel obligated after what I have to tell you.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Mom and I both looked up. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easiest to go see it, and you can tell me if it meets your needs. I have my ne on standby; if you change your return flight from Boston to New Orleans, we can leave in thirty minutes and be there tonight.¡±


    I was game; she wouldn¡¯t waste my time, and New Orleans was one of three other Vampire-controlled cities I felt safe in besides Boston. I had an ally there, and we had decent rtions with Minneapolis and Los Angeles. ¡°Are we seeing the Supreme Vampire?¡±


    ¡°It was his idea,¡± she said. I got on my phone and canceled my return flight, linking to Fiona while Mom texted the change in ns to Leo, Brent, and Alpha Steven. I thought about Linda. ¡°My director is heavily involved in making this work, can I have her meet us in New Orleans?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± I got the destination airport, then called Linda and told her to get to the airfield. Calling the jet charter service, I set her up with a private flight leaving in an hour, with a return flight the next morning. Mom would flymercial back to Minneapolis, so I got that flight as well. By the time I¡¯d purchased her ticket, the blood donation had finished too.


    Emily opened a safe wall, revealing a refrigerator where she carefully stored the blood. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± she said. I washed up and drank a bottle of juice before we went back to her limo. Thirty minutester, we were in the air.


    Wended twenty minutes before Linda¡¯s jet would arrive, and we waited in the limo with Supreme Vampire Cyprian Pontalba. He knew we would be hungry, so his driver had stopped at Liuzza¡¯s By The Track, bringing shrimp po¡¯boys, garlic-fried oysters, and gumbo. Linda was lucky she wasn¡¯tte, because the food was disappearing fast.


    As soon as she got in, we drove towards New Iberia.


    Meanwhile, back in Boston, Brian was getting perp-walked past the press before I¡¯d finished dinner.


    *********


    Driving through the town, we followed the roads through the swamps until we reached an industrial area about eight that night. ¡°Most of thesepanies provide support for offshore oil drilling in the Gulf,¡± Cyprian told us. ¡°I have a substantial interest in one of thesepanies, C&C Technologies. You¡¯ll be meeting with Steve rke, the President of thepany.¡±


    ¡°What do they do?¡±


    ¡°They perform underwater seabed surveys, pipeline mapping, and inspection services. Many of these rigs are in water over a mile deep.¡± The limo parked in the small lot, a steel building with thepany¡¯s logo in front of us. ¡°We have some other business, so we¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Other business,¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Vampires have to eat too, and they like to spread things around,¡± I said as she got out.


    ¡°Only one fresh scent, and it¡¯s human,¡± Fiona told me as she opened the door for us.


    A ck man in his fifties, his short hair graying on the sides, opened the door of the building. ¡°Wee to C&C Technologies, I¡¯m Steve rke,¡± he said with a strong Cajun ent.


    ¡°Vicki Lawrence,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lifesaver, model, shark conservationist, and now television producer,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of your work.¡±


    I smiled and continued. ¡°Linda Cartwright, director, and Fiona, my head of security.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you all. Well,e on back,¡± Steve said as he held the door open. He led us through the offices into a warehouse. The big space overflowed with rolls of cable, towed sonar arrays, and other equipment.


    ¡°Cyprian said you do marine surveys and inspections. What is involved with that?¡±


    ¡°Lots of towed sonar arrays and maic mapping equipment for the survey work. With the inspection and repair, it¡¯s mostly remote operated vehicles. We do have a two-person submersible capable of diving to over two thousand feet, and remote vehicles capable of diving more than five miles down.¡± Damn. That was some impressive equipment. ¡°The Scout has worked well for us, but the new technologies require more than she can give us,¡± he said. ¡°Underwater pipeline inspection and repair has gone to autonomous robot crawlers with artificial intelligence that can be deployed and retrieved weekster. They are too big to deploy from our old vessel, so we had to buy a bigger survey boat with a heavier hoist capacity. That left the Sea Scout without much to do, and boats cost money to maintain.¡±


    I knew all about that now. We walked out to the pier behind Steve. I stopped when I saw it; the ship was a thing of beauty. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said. The catamaran design was almost twice the size of my yacht, with a forward superstructure, a big open area aft, and not one but TWO A-frames. One went nearly the entire width of the stern, the other on the side, plus a marine crane.


    ¡°Do you mind if I record the tour,¡± Linda asked as she pulled her phone out.


    ¡°Not at all. This boat is the Sea Scout Multipurpose Survey Vessel by All American Marine,¡± Steve said as we walked towards the gangnk. ¡°Launched in 2009, it¡¯s constructed of welded aluminum, so it¡¯s lighter than a steel hull and won¡¯t corrode. One hundred and thirty-four feet long and thirty-seven feet in beam, it¡¯s big, stable, yet can turn on a dime and race to the job site. Top speed is twenty-six knots, and seakeeping is excellent. It¡¯s big and fast enough to pull a water skier across the Gulf of Mexico nonstop. Come on.¡±


    I was shocked at the speed. It was twice as fast as the other research vessels I¡¯d looked at on the Inte, and four knots faster than my motor yacht was! In my terms, it was as fast as a Great White, but not quite as fast as a Mako.


    We walked on board; since Steve was expecting us, all the lights were on, and the working deck was well-illuminated with work lights from the superstructure. It was more than enough to work safely after dark. ¡°This deck area is HUGE,¡± I said. It was twice as wide and deep as the fantail of the Ocean Explorer, thanks to the catamaran construction.


    ¡°With the A-frames, you could easily deploy a submersible or remote-operated vehicle, or multiple shark cages,¡± Linda said as she looked around. ¡°Great lighting and shooting positions from the forward superstructure and the room makes shooting safer for the camera operators.¡±


    Steve walked over to the A-frame at the stern. ¡°The big frame has a 14, 000-pound capacity, while the auxiliary has 10, 000. We can run winch cables up to five thousand feet long. The hydraulic crane has a five-ton capacity andunches the sixteen-foot Zodiac up there.¡±


    ¡°More than enough for what I need,¡± I said. Even the most massive Great White that the Ocean Explorer brought aboard was less than three thousand pounds.

 SHARKBAIT #102

    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the main deckpartments,¡± he said. ¡°Wetb and storage here, and with the catamaran design, plenty of room. My jaw was on the ground as we took the main deck tour; it had twelve staterooms with twenty-six berths, many double bunks with a small desk. He showed us one of the four shared heads with showers and toilets. Other spaces included a fitness room with a treadmill and exercise bike and aundry room with two sets of washers and dryers. We finished in a crew lounge with three tables and television, next to amercial kitchen and walk-in cooler. ¡°The Sea Scout was designed with fourteen-day open-water expeditions in mind, carrying up to twelve crew and fourteen scientists. Everything about it is designed around that mission, including fuel storage. It can race out at full speed to a site in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, spent two weeks on station at cruising speed, then race back to port again. It¡¯s unique in that it has four engines and propellers; one set is big, the other small. You use all four diesel engines at top speed, but at low speed, you only use the two smaller engines to go between four and eleven knots. It makes it more fuel-efficient; add in over eleven-thousand gallons of fuel capacity, and it can go anywhere in the world. I¡¯ve taken it through twenty-foot waves, but I can¡¯t rmend that while you¡¯re eating.¡±


    I was falling in love with this ship with every step; I just hoped I could afford it. Even buying it used, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be cheap. ¡°What is your normal crew load for missions?¡±


    ¡°For underwater survey and mapping, we bring more technicians, but I¡¯ve never had more than twenty. Four to eight crew, depending on the mission.¡± He took us up thedder to the 01 Level. ¡°Most of the survey work goes on in thisb; there is aputer room attached.¡±


    ¡°I want this vessel,¡± Linda whispered as we walked around theb. Multipleputer work stations and desks filled the expansive workspace that took up the whole level. ¡°I can do anything I need up here. Tons of space to monitor cameras and edit, and plenty of space for theputers and cameras. You can even run mission briefs here.¡±


    We followed him up to the pilothouse above; it was huge, spanning the width of the ship and giving three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views. The steering station had all of the electronics you¡¯d expect. ¡°As a survey boat, we need the Scout to be able to maintain position regardless of winds and seas. Bow thrusters and engines help with that, plus it can use GPS or reference to an object on sonar to show rtive position. We have three means of deploying sonar probes, two through valves in the hull, the third through a moon pool on the deck, all with winches.¡±


    ¡°If you can lower a sonar probe, you can lower underwater cameras, and you won¡¯t interfere with anything else,¡± Linda said with a grin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back down.¡± The deck forward of the superstructure was much smaller, holding only the anchor winss. He took us back through the watertight doors, then down to one of the engine rooms in the catamaran structure. I didn¡¯t know a ton about engines, but they were big, the space was clean, and he pointed out the generator, reverse osmosis unit, and other features. We climbed back out of the engine room and headed back to the fantail. ¡°What do youdies think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s PERFECT for what we need,¡± I said. ¡°Plenty of room for a breathing airpressor and air bottles. The only thing it doesn¡¯t have is a dive tform off the fantail.¡±


    ¡°You could lower a portable tform in ce with the side A-frame when you need it, and not affect work on the stern,¡± Steve said. ¡°We haven¡¯t done any diving as our work is in much deeper water.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Or have small, folding dive tforms anddders added to the back of each catamaran.¡± Linda was making sure her camera caught everything. ¡°The things we could do with a ship like this? It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°I hope it works out for you,¡± Steve said after he heard a car horn. ¡°Your car is waiting. Can you see yourselves out while I shut everything down out here?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Thank you for the tour, and I¡¯ll send you something when I get home,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t bring any of my Bodyglove swag with me, but he¡¯d be getting something in the mail soon.


    I felt like a kid in a candy store as we walked out, and Linda was just as excited. I¡¯d picked up on how the Sea Scout was no longer useful to them, but that didn¡¯t tell me if I could afford it. We joined Emily and Cyprian in the back of the limo and drove off. ¡°Is that what you were looking for,¡± Cyprian asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than I thought to look for,¡± I replied. It was perfect.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it,¡± he said. ¡°We were going to put in on the markette this year.¡±


    I wanted it, but I didn¡¯t want to appear desperate. ¡°What are you asking for it?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not ready yet. We have to get it pulled out of the water for her Coast Guard inspection. While she¡¯s out, we need to overhaul the four diesel engines and main generator, rece the shaft seals, upgrade electronics, and remove the hydrographic survey gear andputers,¡± he said. ¡°Add in refurbishing the kitchen and staterooms with thetest equipment and running fiber optic everywhere, and it¡¯s a big job. The overhaul will take about two months, Steve tells me. When it¡¯s over, the Sea Scout will be as good as new.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know if I can afford it,¡± I said. ¡°A vessel like this is not cheap, and the maintenance isn¡¯t either. A boat like this has to sell for millions of dors! Probably more with the overhaul you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Vicki. It is not for sale,¡± Emily said.


    It felt like I¡¯d been punched in the gut.


    Master Cyprian got my attention. ¡°Mypany is donating the refurbished vessel to your research foundation, Vicki, along with one of our older ROPOS remote-operated vehicles, and some other gear we think you¡¯ll find useful. Mypany gets a tax deduction, and you get the research boat. You and Linda can work with Steve rke on how you want it outfitted, and he will make it happen,¡± Cyprian said.


    I sat there in shock, unable to form a word. The silence stretched on for an ufortable amount of time. ¡°I think you broke our Sharkbait,¡± Linda finally said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I moved across the limo, giving the Supreme Vampire a big hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve garnered that reaction,¡± Cyprian said with a small smile. ¡°When Emily sent me your wish list, I knew I could make ite true.¡±


    ¡°Why would you help me like this,¡± I said as I sat back.


    ¡°For over a century, our kind barely talked beyond what was needed to keep the peace,¡± he said. ¡°You were the one who saw beyond that and forged a bridge between us. I also respect your enthusiasm andmitment to conservation. Since direct payments would raise too many eyebrows after Master Alexander¡¯s death, Emily and I are cooperating on this. I will be donating the vessel, and she is paying for the overhaul.¡±


    I hugged Emily as well. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°What good is money if you can¡¯t help your friends out,¡± she said. ¡°The timing works out well for everyone. We can have the Sea Scout ready by December so we can deduct it from this year¡¯s taxes. Your tour ends just before Christmas, so you can start filming as soon as January. I just need to know where you want it delivered to.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even thought about that. It was in the Gulf, but most shark studies were done around Florida or up the East Coast. The spots I had in mind for my show were all on the West Coast, from Mexico up to Seattle. ¡°How would I get it to San Diego?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got enough range to go through the Panama Canal,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°If we had longer, we could load it onto amercial vessel and ship it to you. Or, you could stay in the Antic and pick a new homeport. The waters of the Gulf in this area are too muddy for your purposes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Linda said. She looked at me, just as excited. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to move here for the overhaul, so I can purchase and install everything we need while in drydock. You need to think about who else needs to be involved; at a minimum, your future Captain should oversee the boat¡¯s overhaul, plus an experienced scientist to help get it outfitted it properly for shark research.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that tomorrow,¡± I said.


    Maybe by then, my heart rate might return to normal.


    I was pinching myself the whole drive to the airport, not saying anything that might break the dream I was having. Our jet was ready to depart as soon as we arrived. It wasn¡¯t until the doors of the business jet were closed, and we lifted off that I turned to Linda. ¡°PLEASE, tell me that ACTUALLY happened to me. I¡¯m not dreaming, right?¡±


    Linda reached out and pinched my arm to prove it. ¡°I have the entire tour on video, including the meeting with the vampires. I never stopped recording,¡± she said. ¡°And thanks for not giving me ANY warning on that! I almost sharted myself when the door opened, and the scent of vampires, werewolves, and gumbo hit me.¡±


    ¡°The gumbo was good, though.¡± I still couldn¡¯t believe it. I hadn¡¯t wanted to pull my phone out while in the limo, but I took it out now and turned it on. Opening up a group text to Amy, Makani, Noni, Brent, Olivia, Beta Lawrence, Leo, Adrienne, Linda, Captain Lte Vickers, and my Alphas, I sent them all a message. ¡°Search is over for a research vessel!! Will exin in the morning, 9 am PT/11 CT conference call for all that can make it. We¡¯re all doing great. Love you, SB.¡±


    Everyone I just texted was supernatural, but not everyone in my team was. I sent a separate text to Stan Greenberg, my ountant, and my investment manager. ¡°Research vessel is being donated to my foundation. I need to know what this means for me if I¡¯m using it to film my shows. Send me an email with a summary ASAP.¡± I would need this for the group call.


    Linda airdropped the video file to me as I read through the messages I¡¯d missed.


    When I turned my phone off again, I opened up my juice bottle and looked across at Linda. ¡°Am I just kidding myself that I can do all this?¡±


    ¡°Hell, kid, I don¡¯t know if I can do all this,¡± Linda replied. ¡°Hire who you need to get this done. We¡¯ve got a couple of weeks until we head out on tour, and then we¡¯ll be busy with travel and filming the show for two months. These are the same two months that we need for the Sea Scout overhaul and outfitting. We can¡¯t be in two ces at once.¡±


    ¡°We need to put people we trust in ce to take care of this,¡± I said. ¡°We need someone to oversee the overhaul. I¡¯d like that person to be the Captain of the ship once it¡¯s back at sea.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #103

    ¡°That makes sense. I have a tech guy I work with a lot. I¡¯ll work with him on designing what we need; we can fly back there and sketch it all out, then he can return after the equipment arrives and get it all installed. We¡¯re going to put everything out there from photography to editing so we can get a head start. I can stay on the vessel and use the survey room to edit in between expeditions.¡±


    ¡°I need to figure out how to outfit this baby for shark science instead of ocean mapping, too. I don¡¯t have much experience in that.¡± I¡¯d only been on two vessels, although I had watched a lot. ¡°I could reach out to Doc Holliday.¡± I pulled up my contact number for Doctor John Holliday, the shark researcher I¡¯d worked with on the Ocean Explorer. ¡°John- I need help with outfitting a 134¡ä boat for shark research. Are you avable for a day or two in the next week? I¡¯ll handle travel and expenses. Vicki¡±


    Linda didn¡¯t say anything for a few more minutes. ¡°I was going to suggest hiring crew full-time, instead of hiring for each expedition. The design is two weeks at sea, so a two-on two-off rotation makes sense from a scheduling standpoint. Start inte January, so we have more time to prepare. We work on a schedule from there.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Schedule? I don¡¯t even know if we¡¯ll be East or West coast right now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be in San Diego?¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°If I do San Diego, we could start at Guadalupe Ind and work our way north to San Clemente, Catalina, Farallon Inds, and Puget Sound,¡± I said. ¡°The problem from a show perspective is that Great Whites, especially the bigger ones, don¡¯t start showing up at Guadalupe untilte summer, and not in the Farallons until October or November. We¡¯d be better off going to Hawaii in the spring for them.¡± Great White Sharks migrated thousands of miles a year, sometimes disappearing into deep water for months at a time. ¡°On the East Coast, you¡¯ve got hammerheads, bull sharks, great whites, tigers, reef sharks, and many others. We could do Honduras, the Florida Keys, New Smyrna Beach, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, maybe Cuba.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the sharks made our choice for us. Leave the Sea Scout in the Caribbean for the winter and spring shooting season. After that, in the summer and fall shooting season, we either keep moving up the East Coast to Cape Cod, or we move the Sea Scout to the Pacific for Great Whites.¡±


    I nodded, but there were more ideas in my head. ¡°You forgot some options. We could send the Sea Scout to Hawaii, Australia, or South Africa after the overhaul. All three will be in peak season for sharks.¡±


    Her eyes got big, and she started tapping on her phone. ¡°Hawaii is the closest, but that is still a six-thousand-mile transit that would take fifteen days or so. South Africa is even farther away, 8300 miles. That¡¯s twenty-five days nonstop at 12-knot cruising speed, but you¡¯d have to stop at least once for food and fuel. Australia? That¡¯s another thousand miles further, making for a month-long voyage with a real stretch between stops in Panama and New Zend. I don¡¯t think either one should be our maiden voyage on the Scout.¡±


    It was a lot to consider, but we needed to decide before I started partnering with researchers and before we set a schedule. I made a list on a legal pad, listing the four locations and their pluses and minuses. Ten minutester, we looked at it.


    Linda pointed to the East Coast option. ¡°This is the lowest cost and lowest risk. Florida and the Caribbean offer good diving, better visibility, multiple species, and warmer waters. It¡¯s better for the show if the four of you are free-diving in bikinis instead of wetsuits with hoods and booties. The other advantage is that the Sea Scout is ALREADY in the Gulf. You save two weeks of transit and a lot of fuel by not having to send it through the Panama Canal.¡± She looked out the window, then back. ¡°Plus, if we run into any problems getting the boat ready, we¡¯d have more time to recover on that side of North America.¡±


    ¡°It puts everything across the country instead of around here,¡± I said. ¡°I was kind of looking forward to being home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that long a flight, and if we do two-on, two-off rotation, we¡¯re only gone one weekend a month,¡± Linda answered. ¡°We won¡¯t be going into port in the same ce, either; we¡¯ll have the crew transit to the next episode¡¯s base while we are gone. Either coast, you¡¯re moving north the whole time.¡±


    She was right. It wasn¡¯t like the guys were going to be in Coronado the whole time. They had jump school and other specialty schools they would be attending over the next year, and many were not in Coronado. Long term, they could ask to be on an East or West coast SEAL team, but ¡®the needs of the Navy¡¯ would have the final say. ¡°Better to be flexible.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Decide in the next week or so, because we¡¯re running out of time before the tour.¡±


    I snickered. ¡°Looking forward to following four teenage girls around for two months?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how,¡± Linda said. ¡°What¡¯s left to get film of before we leave?¡±


    ¡°Amy¡¯s neenth birthday party is the weekend after this, but don¡¯t tell her. I¡¯m inviting her husband¡¯s SEAL ss, their wives, and girlfriends out for a cruise on my boat.¡± Her eyes got wide, thinking of all that man-candy on my yacht.


    ¡°Can I record it? PLEASE?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get releases signed.¡± I was hoping to hear back from him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will get permission to shoot that episode about undergoing some of the SEAL training until after we return, though.¡±


    ¡°We have plenty to do without it.¡± We started making lists of things we knew we wanted to get done; gear, people, and support. I had a lot figured out by the time wended in San Diego.


    The next morning, I got an email from my ountant. The bottom line was that the Foundation¡¯s use of the boat to support shark research was perfectly legal. The film crew and the four of us would have to reimburse the foundation for our added costs, like our food. Also, if we did any shooting that wasn¡¯t incidental to shark research, we would have to pay the Foundation for that time. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal, because we expected shark research to be the focus of the at-sea times. Operating and maintenance expenses, including the crew, were the responsibility of the Foundation.


    When everyone avable joined the video call, I yed the tour video that Linda had recorded without telling them what was going on. They all knew I¡¯d found a boat, and it was fun watching expressions as they fell in love with it. When Master Cyprian said they were DONATING it to my foundation, people went wild. Amy was crying, while the twins were jumping up and down and screaming behind me. I ended the video and waited for everyone to calm down. ¡°So, we have a boat,¡± I started.


    ¡°One HELL of a boat,¡± Lte said. ¡°That¡¯s faster than any yacht I¡¯ve driven.¡±


    ¡°Linda and I made some lists of what we will need to get done by the end of the year to be ready for shooting in January. She is going to supervise the purchase and instation of cameras, video editing, and lighting on the Sea Scout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get all the wiring runs and mounts in ce during construction, and put the cameras inst, so they don¡¯t get damaged,¡± Linda agreed.


    I looked at Lte on the screen. ¡°I need a person to oversee the Scout¡¯s overhaul and learn the systems. To that end, I¡¯d like to hire, at a minimum, a Captain and an Engineer this year and get them to New Iberia. Lte, I¡¯d like that to be you. You¡¯ll have the discretion to hire the crew you want. They should be female, and I¡¯d prefer supernatural, so please send the postings out to both our people.¡±


    I could tell she was shocked; she didn¡¯t expect to be offered the job as a newly licensed Captain. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk about the contract, but I¡¯m interested.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have a bunch of werewolves, so make sure the cook is good at her job,¡± I said toughter. ¡°Thest part is outfitting the Scout for shark-specific research. I¡¯ve reached out to one person already; once we have a n, I¡¯ll need to run it past the Foundation¡¯s board for approval.¡± I chaired the Foundation, but Alpha Leo, Luna Carolyn, Amy, and Ocean Ramsey were also board members. Between the million dors I had donated and the $1. 4 million from the Sotheby¡¯s auction, we had enough cash to buy a lot of gear. I¡¯d be putting another million into my productionpany based on the budget numbers I was crunching.


    I exined our n for two-on, two-off shooting schedules starting in January. Then I put up the slides talking about the potential locations, which led to a lively debate. The consensus was to stay in the Caribbean for the winter and spring and worry about the summerter. ¡°Are you returning to San Diego between expeditions,¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my intent, but the girls may go to wherever their mates are training,¡± I said. I could tell the twins were nervous, as we were going to exin to their boyfriends and Hammer about our true nature this weekend.


    Leo asked me to call him back when the call finished. I went into my bedroom to make that video call. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Unky?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to tell me how proud of you I am,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve aplished a lot, and you have a lot going on. Don¡¯t hesitate to ask for help or slow things down if you¡¯re overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°As a future Alpha, you have responsibilities during the reveal and the eventual turnings. Normally, I would tell you that if they respond badly, you have to kill them to protect our secret. You¡¯ve given yourself an option that none of the current Alphas would consider.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he was saying. ¡°You have friends in the vampire world. IF you can trust them, and that¡¯s a big if, then I think you should work to get one of them onto your yacht this weekend. I also think you should bring one onto the Sea Scout for your expeditions.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Vampires can remove memories, Sharkbait. It¡¯s better than killing their mates.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 SHARKBAIT #104

    The rest of the week was a blur. Amy and I both called the University and dropped half our sses, going to part-time status. I needed the extra time because I was only getting a few hours of sleep a night with everything on my te.


    By Thursday morning, Linda and I were back in New Iberia. Steve met my group, which included Doctor Holliday, electronics whiz Kim Sturgeon, Captain Lte Dauntless, and her choice for Engineer, Patty Holmes. We spent all day on the Sea Scout, now out of the water at the Diamond ¡®B¡¯ Shipyard.


    We gathered in a back corner of the break room, chowing down on poboys and seafood tters from Bon Creole that I¡¯d purchased for everyone working today. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict,¡± I asked when I¡¯d slowed down enough to talk.


    Lte was the first to start. ¡°Steve¡¯s ns to upgrade the marine electronics and overhaul the engines are aggressive, in that the engines have time left on them, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s part of their tax deduction. The living facility upgrades are mostly cosmetic.¡±


    Patty agreed. ¡°Mechanically, we¡¯re in good shape for a vessel this old. I found a few sections of hull starting to show signs of fatigue cracking, so we¡¯ll get those ground out and rewelded.¡±


    ¡°How is it from the audio/visual standpoint, Linda?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got sketches now with the equipment I need and where it will go, so Kim can start ordering and installing in the survey room and running cables. There are spare prations and conduit, and plenty of power. Most of ourputer gear is morepact and efficient than ship¡¯s design anticipated, even though it has far more processing capacity and storage.¡±


    Kim nodded at this. ¡°We¡¯ll put the primary server and equipment in the existingputer room, and backup server on the main deck in a closet that used to hold signal processing equipment for the towed sonar. I¡¯ll also install remote-operated cameras in themon crew spaces, on and above the deck working areas, and over the sides. Anything we do will have at least two cameras showing it, plus any portables. We can monitor and control them all from the survey room. What I¡¯m most excited about is the moon pool.¡± In the center of the ship was a two-by-two foot opening, with a retractable post designed to mount sonars and other equipment on that could be lowered below keel depth. ¡°I can put a high-quality underwater camera on that with a remote operator, and it will have a perfect shot of anythinging up to the boat.¡±


    I looked over at Doc, who was drinking milk while he tried to wash out the hot spices from his mouth. ¡°Where do we sit for shark research equipment?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a great base of support equipment in the A-frames and crane, and plenty of deck space. Honestly, I wish I was the one using it!¡± He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. ¡°Here¡¯s a list of the gear I would purchase and either install or store onboard.¡±


    I looked at the list. At the top were shark cages, two of them, one bigger than the other. ¡°Why two?¡±


    ¡°You have two rigs that can deploy them at the same time. That allows cameras in one, and researchers in the other.¡±


    That made sense. There were three remote-operated underwater vehicles listed, and they weren¡¯t cheap. ¡°We¡¯re getting the ROPOS donated, why not use that?¡± The ROPOS was 2016 technology; it had powerful thrusters, a long deployment cable, cameras, and mounts for gripper arms or scientific instruments.


    ¡°It¡¯s a capable tform, but much more than you need for shark research. We rarely go more than three hundred meters down,¡± John said. ¡°If you were targeting six-gill sharks at extreme depths, it would be all right, but the ROV is the size of a small car. The support equipment takes up a short container. It would use up a ton of deck space, so I¡¯d ask to leave it here until there is a mission need.¡±


    ¡°These you listed are better?¡±


    Doc nodded as he pulled up one of them on his phone. ¡°Much smaller and easier to use. You can pilot them with a phone or tablet, and the cameras are excellent. The big one is good to 300 meters, the small one down to a hundred meters. I prefer ROV¡¯s to fixed cameras as I can move them around, and they can stay down for hours. The small one gets power from topside, so it can stay down as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°Why two of the smaller ones?¡±


    ¡°They get the most use, and I¡¯ve seen Great Whites try to eat them,¡± he said. I saw tworge drones with cameras. ¡°Get someone training to fly the drones and pilot the ROV¡¯s; they have simtion programs you can use. The drones work great for finding sharks in shallow water, and you can lower small cameras into the water and look around. I like this style because of its range and payload capacity.¡±


    ROV pilot seemed like the perfect task to give to Amy; her vision still hampered her diving, but focusing on a screen would be fine. I figured I could get the twins to learn to fly the drones. I could get one of the small ROVs and the drones sent to San Diego so we could practice with them off my boat.


    We got back to work and had our ns set before we left. I left the list of gear and a credit card with Lte, who would ensure everything got ordered and installed. Our targetpletion date was December 15th. She and Patty had signed their employment contracts, making them the first full-time Sharkbait Foundation employees.


    Friday, we all caught up on our work, wanting to have the weekend free for when the guys showed up. They were tired and beat up, and the girls took them to bed early.


    The next morning, Captain Lte and her Mom, Loretta, were arriving and preparing for our day cruise while the couples were still asleep. Hammer, Susan, and Emily came on board soon after. Emily stayed with me while the other two went upstairs to enjoy the view. It was a good thing I¡¯d warned everyone that a Master Vampire wasing because even knowing it was happening, they still froze when she came close. ¡°Thank you foring, Emily,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to help, and I wanted to talk to Master Caroline before the summit in New Orleans,¡± she replied. For those who thought vampires were pale creatures afraid of the sun, her tanned skin and athletic figure were a shock.


    ¡°Hopefully, we won¡¯t need your powers,¡± I told her. I¡¯d called her a few days earlier, exining my dilemma. She offered toe personally, telling me that vampires below Master status might struggle to remove memories without causing more damage. I didn¡¯t want that, and I didn¡¯t trust any other vampire the way I did her. ¡°Master Cyprian sends his regards.¡±


    I waved her to a couch where we could talk in private. I¡¯d been thinking for a week about my rtionship with the two Master Vampires. Adrienne told me that ¡°vampires never do anything out of friendship or charity; they want something in exchange.¡± I had helped rid Boston of Master Alexander, with Cyprian¡¯s help and to Emily¡¯s benefit. In return, she made me a rich woman by offloading millions in art and antiques. Now, they were making a multi-million-dor donation to my Foundation anding to my aid with the mate situation. ¡°Emily, are we friends?¡±


    ¡°I would hope so,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that doesn¡¯t happen with vampires.¡±


    She just nodded at that. ¡°Centuries of conflict don¡¯t go away in a year, Vicki. Master Cyprian is patient; he takes a long view of things, thinking in generational terms.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do you think the Werewolf Council would say if our Council approached them about increased cooperation?¡±


    I just snorted. ¡°The Council wouldn¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. To build trust and cooperation, we have to start with a generation not yet poisoned against us. You are the one we believe we can build that rtionship with over the years, and your actions thus far have proven the wisdom of that choice.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the future, Vicki. Young, powerful, and a bridge between the species. Just look at who is here today! It was unthinkable to have humans, werewolves, mermaids, and vampires in the same vicinity, and you¡¯ve got them all working together on a boat!¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I wanted to talk more, but I felt the engines start. Hammer and Susan came up the stairs. ¡°We¡¯re going up, care to join us,¡± I asked them. ¡°This is Emily; she¡¯s my friend from Boston.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± Hammer said as he shook her hand. ¡°Cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll warm up in the sun,¡± Emily said as I led them up the stairs. The guys joined us, all of us enjoying the cruise. At full speed on the open ocean, the cool ocean breezes pushed us down into the salon, which still had all of the curtains drawn. The couples sat together on the couches, while Emily and I took the chairs. I ducked into the bathroom, removing my clothes and wrapping a sheet around me beforeing back to the center of the room.


    ¡°I asked you all to be here today because there is something you need to know,¡± I said. We¡¯d agreed on this n, thinking it best the girls stay in contact with their mates. ¡°The girls and I are different; we are more than you think we are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, and we love it,¡± Manuel said as he pulled a smiling Noni into his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to show you. Don¡¯t be frightened; I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I said. With that, I let go of the sheet at the same time I shifted. In a second, my human body became that of a big grey-over-white wolf.


    ¡°DA FUCK,¡± Ricardo said as he pulled Makani behind him, standing to protect her.


    ¡°SHIT,¡± Manuel said as he dove over the back of the love seat, pulling Noni after him.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you trusted me enough to tell me you were all werewolves,¡± Hammer said quietly. Susan looked at him in shock, and he pulled her close and kissed her. ¡°Cold nose!¡±


    Susan and the twins started tough. I moved over to Hammer and put my jaw on his leg; he started scratching my neck and ears. ¡°So beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°Show me your wolf, my love.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #105

    Susan stood and pulled her dress off, shifting into her slightly smaller wolf. She crawled back onto the couch,ying across his legs as he petted her chest and rubbed her stomach, making her tail whap against the cushion.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, you know them both,¡± Makani said as she hugged Ricardo from behind. ¡°Sit down and let here to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of them too?¡±


    ¡°My whole life. I¡¯m like you, but with the ability to change into a wolf at will. And like a wolf, I have a mate.¡±


    Noni had gotten Manuel back on the love seat by now. ¡°And my mate is you, Manuel,¡± she said.


    ¡°And Ricardo, you are MY mate,¡± Makani said as she snuggled in. I walked over to the pairs, letting the guys touch me and convince themselves I was real. When they had calmed down, Emily held up the sheet so I could shift back behind it. I walked to the bathroom to get my clothes back on.


    When I came back out, all of the girls were in their wolf forms. ¡°How did you know, Hammer?¡±


    ¡°Your eyes. When you get emotional, they re just a little. I¡¯d seen it years ago, and I recognized it. After that, it was the little things that gave it away.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like how you weremunicating without talking, and how your hearing and smell was so much better. Ian told me about what he could do when we were on a joint patrol with the Aussie Special Air Squadronds.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡±


    ¡°Summer of 2021, during an operation in the Sudanese Desert. We were pinned down in the desert by hundreds of rebels, and a haboob kept us from getting air support. I thought I was dead when I was down to myst magazine,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Two of my men had already died, and Carl and I were both injured. Ian was thest of his unit still fighting. He tossed me hisst magazine, shifted, and sprinted into their lines. I could hear their screams as they fired wildly, tracking his progress as he tore them apart. The rebels fled, and we survived.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Ian?¡±


    ¡°He stumbled back to us, naked and bleeding. He had four gunshot wounds and multiple shrapnel wounds; he looked like a horror movie. I talked to him as we waited for the medevac. He was medically retired after being awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.¡±


    It was a hell of a story. ¡°None of you said anything?¡±


    ¡°Half of us were dead, and the rest of us were only alive because he¡¯d wolfed out. He asked us to keep his secret, and we did.¡±


    It was a hell of a story.


    And as far as the Council knew, no werewolves lived in Australia.


    ***********


    Emily and I left the four couples in the salon, giving Susan and the girls time to exin everything to their men. It was a good thing we had a long boat ride to and from Catalina plus Sunday because they would need every minute. Emily went up to the flying bridge to talk with Lte, while I went to the kitchen to speak with Loretta about the party.


    Loretta was going to handle all the food and drink and would hire local help as bartenders and waitresses. Given the number of people I expected, Lte was bringing two extra crew members. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything but enjoying yourself,¡± Loretta told me. ¡°I love this kind of thing. Sandwiches and snacks are the way to go since you don¡¯t have room for everyone to sit at a table.¡±


    ¡°Your menu is fine,¡± I said. The staff would board the Good Times in Mission Beach, and Lte would take us to the Marina just outside the base gates. The ss got liberty at four and coulde straight out. Linda would be there with her camera people, getting releases from those who agreed as they boarded. Once underway, we would head out of San Diego Bay and down off the Pacific side of Coronado to almost the Mexican border before we turn and head back to drop them off around midnight.


    I wanted the guys to be partying and drinking just a few hundred yards from where they will be hauling logs around on Monday.


    I left her to prepare breakfast and headed upstairs.


    I¡¯d linked with Kai as they were getting on board, letting him know the n for the party. He was pretty sure most of his ss would show, but less than half of them had wives or girlfriends in town. ¡°Do you think you could help with the boy/girl ratio? It makes for a better party.¡±


    It was Amy¡¯s party, so I took out my phone and made a few calls. The Miesville and Three Sisters Packs had single young females friends of ours; it didn¡¯t take much beyond ¡°boatload of hot, single SEALs¡± to catch their interest. I invited a few single women from the Dojo, and a few models from Los Angeles I¡¯d met at photoshoots. I told everyone to bring their bikinis and dancing shoes and meet at Fiddler¡¯s Cove Marina at four. I also booked hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency in Mission Bay for the out-of-town werewolves; they could ride back to the pier with us since they couldn¡¯t stay in Coronado overnight.


    Linda would love this; there would be lots of great party footage, with me ending up alone.


    Again.


    I grabbed a Diet Coke and spent the rest of the time learning about navigation and rules of the road while talking with Lte. We anchored at Ripper¡¯s Cove, a small inlet with a long sand beach only reachable by boat. We were lucky; since this was the off-season, no other boats were present. After lunch, we did some diving in the shallow areas before returning for dinner. The guys were taking it better than I expected; the twins finally had an exnation that made sense for the girlfriend switch. ¡°You tell by the smell,¡± as Noni exined.


    One of the first questions that came up was whether they would be werewolves now. I¡¯d asked the girls not to answer until we were all together; over dinner, Iid it out for them. ¡°Changing a human into a werewolf isn¡¯t without risk. Roughly half of the changes don¡¯t work out, and we don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re strong and determined, we¡¯ll make it through anything,¡± Manuel said.


    ¡°And we¡¯ve buried strong and determined mates before,¡± I said. ¡°Just because your mates are here doesn¡¯t mean you get a pass. Once bitten by her wolf, the change begins. Fevers, pain, finally the breaking of bones and reforming of your body. Hours of agony, followed by death, or a sessful change.¡±


    ¡°What if we aren¡¯t changed?¡±


    ¡°There are many pairs who do just that,¡± Susan said. ¡°The bond between mates remains, but it is much weaker than between wolves. You can grow old together, have children who will be werewolves, and never have to take the chance of not making it.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t decide now, either. I¡¯m sure the girls exined the basics of Pack structure to you?¡± The three nodded at me. ¡°Making the change isn¡¯t the end of the process. You need to be under an Alpha to keep your wolf stable, and you need months of training in using your new form. You have to learn hunting, tracking, Pack history, government, and supernatural beings.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°There are more?¡± Ricardo¡¯s eyes got wide.


    ¡°Emily¡¯s a vampire, and Lte and Loretta are mermaids,¡± I said. ¡°And that¡¯s just on my boat.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Manuel said as Emily shed some fang.


    I focused them back on me. ¡°There¡¯s a whole world out there you know nothing of, guys. It can wait, though. You two have SEAL training toplete first, and you need at least three weeks of leave before we could consider a change.¡±


    ¡°Can we do it here,¡± Hammer asked.


    ¡°No. You need Packnds to run on, and I¡¯m not an Alpha yet.¡± I could see his disappointment; he didn¡¯t have Navymitments, unlike the twins. ¡°This isn¡¯t a decision you should rush to make. It¡¯s more dangerous than your jobs are.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°The girls love you, and you love them. That¡¯s enough for now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I hoped it was.


    Hammer got me alone on the transit back, pulling me out to the dining table on the fantail. ¡°Susan doesn¡¯t want to change me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me her,¡± I said as I handed him a beer out of the cooler. ¡°Did she tell you of her past?¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± he said. ¡°Susan said she used to be a Luna of your old Pack before she lost her mate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember many of the details since I was only five and was justing into Pack life. My Uncle Leo was Alpha until he lost his mate; Susan and her mate took over the Pack. When Leo got back in the game and formed the Miesville Pack, Susan¡¯s mate tried to kill us. He died, and losing your mate is the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf. She had a rough couple of years, followed by another decade of being alone. She doesn¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    He leaned back and took a sip,posing his thoughts. ¡°I understand, but it¡¯s my job to protect Susan and our family. I can¡¯t do that without my wolf, not the way I need to do it. I can¡¯t take my ce in the Pack, either.¡±


    ¡°Susan doesn¡¯t care about that, and Leo doesn¡¯t either.¡± I could see he was determined to make the change, not wanting to be weaker than his mate. They¡¯d have to work that out between themselves. Long term, they couldn¡¯t stay here; Susan would need her Alpha around. ¡°Have you talked about where you will live?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #106

    ¡°Susan wants me to move to Minnesota to be with her Pack, while Luke wants to stay here until after he graduates,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking. I¡¯ve seen the weather reports! It¡¯s like a hundred degrees warmer here in the winter.¡±


    I had tough at that. ¡°True, but our wolves love the snow, the forests, and the deer. Our bodies run hotter, and our wolves don¡¯t like hot weather. It will be difficult to stay here.¡± I summarized what the territorial arrangement was with the Los Angeles vampire. ¡°If you are changed, I¡¯m sure your wolf will be dominant. You¡¯ll be in a better ce around our kind.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He nodded to that. ¡°We are going back over Thanksgiving. I need to decide by the end of November; the dojo lease is up at the end of the year, and it¡¯s a year-longmitment. I¡¯m thinking I¡¯d be better off relocating to the Twin Cities and opening in the spring. We could live at her ce until we sell both homes. We should have enough equity to buynd adjacent to Leo and build a nice ce.¡±


    I thought that would be an excellent n. California real estate prices were much higher, so he¡¯d do well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the four of us. We could be anywhere by the spring, and I¡¯ve got my security team. Hell, we¡¯ll be gone filming at least half the time anyway.¡± Susan came out to join us, and we spent some time just enjoying the trip back to the marina.


    The next week went by quickly, as we made final preparations for the tour. Linda¡¯s team worked closely with the Bodyglove representatives, ensuring we had flights and hotels and activities scheduled. Diving opportunities were limited, so we found local experts in each area and made arrangements to dive with them. We¡¯d spend more time traveling and doing events than diving, though.


    I was nervous as we pulled into the marina in Coronado on Friday afternoon. I had a dozen single females from the two Packs on board, all hoping that they¡¯d find their mate among the warriors like Kai and the twins had. Some were already calling me ¡®The Love Wolfy¡¯ after all the people who had found mates around me. ¡°Not funny,¡± I replied. ¡°I think Luna is trying to piss me off with all that.¡±


    ¡°She owes you a good one,¡± Amy replied. ¡°You have to admit this is more fun that the Scratch n Sniff. Now rx and enjoy yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± I went down to the dining area by the gangnk; Linda¡¯s camera operators were there with the release paperwork. As people came on board, the team would ask them to sign a release. If they refused, we¡¯d take their picture so we wouldn¡¯t show their faces in any video we used. Everyone knew we were filming a reality show, so I didn¡¯t anticipate any problems.


    A dozen beautiful young women were waiting for us on the pier, all in heels and swimsuits with cover-ups. I weed them all on board and let the staff take care of getting themfortable. Music was ying upstairs, and the ce was rocking by the time the guys showed up. When we pulled in lines, we had fifty-eight guests and eight crew on board.


    I made sure Lte passed as close as allowed to the Amphibious Base, ensuring the sailors got a good view of the bikini-d women lining the rails. Kai¡¯s ssmates were having a great time getting to know the girls as we motored out of San Diego Harbor.


    The food, wine, and beer were flowing as we made the turn, heading south around Coronado Ind. The ss was lining the rails, alternating spots with the gorgeous women as we slowly passed the beaches where they suffered through their training. I was pretty sure the guys on shore could hear the music as we cruised by. On the return trip, just after dark, we sang ¡°Happy Birthday¡± to Amy as we passed it again.


    The guys only had a few months of BUD/S left, and training was difficult for the two dozen men left. I wanted them to have something different to think about on that beach, or when they were paddling rafts or swimming out to sea. I wanted them to remember tonight.


    We dropped most of our passengers at the dock just before midnight, taxis waiting to make sure they got home safe. It was a fun night; none of the werewolf females found their mates, but a few of the humans left with sailors they met.


    The next night, our flights left for Hawaii, and the first leg of our tour.


    *********


    ¡°On Tour¡± was a euphemism for ¡°working your ass off.¡±


    Hawaii was a good example. We were all sitting in business ss, the twins and Amy in the row with me. We worked on our coursework, preferring to do this when we weren¡¯t in paradise. Mercedes was along as the Bodyglove event coordinator, Linda had two camera operators with her to handle the filming for the show, and Fiona and Carly were running our security. Our flight left at dinnertime, and with the time changes, we arrived at our hotel in Honolulu about ten PM local time. ¡°Get some sleep because we start shooting at seven.¡±


    Waking early, we ran the beach together before breakfast. Mercedes wanted to get shots on Waikiki Beach, with Diamondhead in the background, before the beaches got crowded. It didn¡¯t matter; word spread, and the police and our security had to work to keep people back. The photographer started with us on the beach. He shot some basic poses, ying on the same side in a simted volleyball game, sunbathing in matching chaise lounges, and walking towards and away from the camera. Two male models were also here, and they were in and out of the shoot. When Mercedes rotated us out to change clothes, the photographer kept going with other models.


    By the time we finished at this location, it was past noon. Lunch was small and not filling, as apparently my ¡°barbecue gut¡± wasn¡¯t a good look for the cameras.


    Mercedes loaded everyone onto buses to head to the next ce, which was at the top of Diamondhead. Celebrities didn¡¯t get a free pass from the long hike up the trails and through the tunnels to the rim of the extinct volcano, but at least I didn¡¯t have to carry any equipment! It was my first time up here, and the view was amazing. Mercedes wanted shots with Waikiki in the background. ¡°It¡¯s all about local ties,¡± she told me. ¡°We¡¯ll pick a half-dozen or so shots out of today and use them for the local advertising.¡±


    After we got down from the summit, we loaded into cars and headed for the North Shore. Getting out at Sunset Beach, we walked down to where the HIC PRO surfingpetition was going on. ¡°The next two hours are about meeting people and getting organic photos of you interacting with fans and surfers,¡± Mercedes said. ¡°Don¡¯t hang out together, mingle. Social media is our friend here. Every fifteen minutes, you¡¯ll change suits in the bathrooms. Three of the surfers endorse Bodyglove, so make sure you¡¯re both seen with them a lot.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± I said as I tossed my cover-up into the van. Linda handed out nes that doubled as microphones, so the cameras wouldn¡¯t need to be so close and could still pick up the sound. Fiona was going to keep an eye on me, while Amy was with Carly, and the twins would link if they needed help. I¡¯d never been to a surfingpetition, and it was awesome. I was recognized immediately, and fans soon surrounded me. I signed autographs, took pictures, and spent time talking sharks with fans young and old for the first hour. Coming out after a bikini change, I spotted Todd Kanoheh, one of the Bodyglove surfers who had just finished his heat,ing out of the water with his board. He was young, only seventeen, but he was making a name for himself. He was only five-feet-eight, but his curly ck hair and wide smile had me rxing immediately.


    He¡¯d finished second in his twenty-five-minute heat, riding five waves, the top two scores counting. He smiled waved at me, then told the security guy to let me through into the contestant area of the beach. ¡°Vicki Lawrence,¡± I said as he invited me to sit by him on the bench.


    ¡°Todd, I¡¯m your date tonight,¡± he said with a smile. My eyes widened, as I hadn¡¯t known who, just that I would be having a public date with one of the Bodyglover surfers. ¡°You won¡¯t have problems with me, Vicki. I¡¯ve seen the videos, and I like my arms the way they are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I said as I sat down next to him. ¡°You know we¡¯re going to have cameras and everything along.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s all right; we do what we need to do and try to have fun doing it. Life is short, enjoy the hell out of it, that¡¯s my motto.¡±


    ¡°No jealous girlfriends to crash the party?¡±


    He snickered. ¡°I¡¯m a little like you; I¡¯m too busy to be messing around with the pro hos on tour.¡±


    ¡°And my boy is a gentleman,¡± a Hawaiian woman in her early forties said as she handed a bottle of water to him.


    ¡°My mother, Malia,¡± Todd said. ¡°Mom, this is Vicki Lawrence. Mercedes asked me to escort her tonight.¡±


    I held out my hand to her, but she pulled me into a hug instead. ¡°You do good things for sharks,¡± she said. ¡°I like you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Where are you taking her,¡± Mom asked as she fixed her nce on her boy.


    ¡°I was going to find out what she liked to do before I made ns,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I like to eat a lot,¡± I said without thinking, then put my hand over my mouth when I realized I¡¯d said that out loud. Todd startedughing, and Malia was trying not to.


    ¡°Seriously, you lead with that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, they barely feed you on these shoots, and I love barbecue,¡± I said to defend myself. ¡°I love to dive and swim, of course. Dancing can be fun, but I¡¯m not very good at it. I don¡¯t like to drink, and I¡¯m not a party girl unless it¡¯s on a beach or at a pool. I¡¯m kind of boring.¡±


    ¡°Do you surf?¡±


    It was my turn tough. ¡°I grew up in Minnesota, a thousand miles from any ocean. I¡¯ve never even tried.¡±


    ¡°You bring her home, Todd. I¡¯ll feed her, and then you can teach her how to surf.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to cook for me,¡± I said. ¡°You should know I¡¯ll have a director, two camera operators, and a security guard with me.¡±


    ¡°They can eat too,¡± she said as she stood up.


    ¡°I hate to ask this, but,¡± I started nervously. ¡°I know my friends would love to try surfing, but Amy is married, and the twins have serious boyfriends. Mercedes won¡¯t arrange blind dates for them.¡±


    ¡°My family will help teach them, and I don¡¯t mind,¡± Todd said.


    Mom put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll invite more family, and we¡¯ll make a party of it. I¡¯m sure they would love to meet you and your friends, and they don¡¯t mind going in the water. I¡¯ll let everyone know and get started on dinner while you two go meet the fans. Sponsors are an important part of your job, Todd.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± he said as he shed that smile again. He was a good kid. Todd held his hand out for me as he got up, and I held it as he walked down towards the water. We let the camera people take some photos before we spent time together with our fans. Mercedes loved the idea of surfing lessons, and the girls were excited about having a home-cooked meal.

 SHARKBAIT #107

    Todd held my hand any time he could, and I¡¯m sure the social media posts with us leaving the event together would be out before we got into our van. He let go as soon as the door closed. ¡°Sorry, Mercedes asked me to make our date look real,¡± he said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mind, and the date is real to me,¡± I replied. Todd was a nice guy, but since he wasn¡¯t of age, there was no way of telling if he was my mate. I could do worse, and I had. ¡°It cut down on the date requests and marriage proposals. Only three of those today,¡± I said as I rolled my eyes.


    I asked him about his surfing, and he talked to me about my reality show. ¡°Producing the show yourself is a ballsy move,¡± he said. ¡°High risk, high reward, like that big wave that will score high or put you through the washing machine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s be so much more than I anticipated, and now with the Sea Scout, there¡¯s so much more I can do,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can dive with big sharks! They scare the crap out of me when they show up while I¡¯m surfing,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe I need to take you shark diving to make up for you teaching me to surf.¡± Maybe I could; I¡¯d have to check with Ocean, because on our off day tomorrow, we were using her boat. I sent her a quick text to ask.


    We rolled up with three vehicles to Todd¡¯s home in the hills overlooking the North Shore town of Haleiwa. As always, our guards got out first, and Carly froze as soon as she stood up. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± she sent to us. ¡°MATE IS HERE.¡±


    ¡°You CANNOT shift, Carly, he must be human. Fiona, stay with her.¡± I waited for Fiona to give the all-clear, then we all got out and followed them to the back yard of the small house. Guests packed the yard, and a long table was filling with native Hawaiian dishes. To say it smelled fantastic was an understatement; I wanted Todd as my mate just for his Momma¡¯s cooking alone.


    Todd walked us around, introducing us to his extended family. It turned out that Carly¡¯s mate was Michael, Todd¡¯s older brother, who worked for a constructionpany in Waikiki. ¡°You¡¯re off duty until after we get back from the shark tour tomorrow,¡± I sent to her. We could always use more divers with cameras, but the show wasn¡¯t as important as meeting your mate.


    I watched her talking with Michael as Todd sat me at the table. ¡°Try a little of everything, we may have gone slightly overboard,¡± Malia told us.


    Dinner was a lively affair, family members trading ces with each other, so the four of us could spend time with them all. The food was amazingly vorful, using tropical fruits and sauces. I begged a few recipes out of Todd¡¯s mother and aunts, and I had a little Sharkbaby belly by the time we loaded up to go surf.


    We went to a beach with a gentler surf, our group joined by Todd¡¯s father, younger sister, and cousin. Carly learned to surf in the cold waters of Oregon, so she went to a different beach with Michael.


    I¡¯m sure Linda got plenty of blooper footage out of our learning time. I was a strong swimmer, but I was better under than on top of the water. Todd was patient, helping me until I was able to pop up and ride a wave. ¡°WOOOHOOOO,¡± I yelled as I rode it into shallow water.


    ¡°Great job,¡± he said as he swam in. I jumped on him, pulling him close and kissing him in my excitement.


    I liked it a lot, and so did he.


    The kiss turned into a make-out session in the knee-deep surf, caught on film by the ever-present crew.


    We watched the sunset from the beach before he lit a fire. He invited a bunch of his friends to join us, and soon we were dancing and having fun well into the night. When it was time to go, I didn¡¯t want to leave. After a lingering goodbye kiss, I got back into the car for the ride to our hotel.


    ¡°You look like you had fun,¡± Amy said as she nudged me out of my fog.


    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°Todd¡¯s going to meet us at the dock in the morning. Ocean said he could join us.¡±


    I got as much sleep as I could; tomorrow was a Bodyglove off day, but Amy and I were joining Ocean Ramsey and her team for the day. We brought our free-diving gear, while Fiona brought the big underwater camera and smaller ones to attach to our masks. Ocean¡¯s husband volunteered to film with another camera, so we were set.


    I had to hold Todd¡¯s hand as Ocean did the dive briefing for the spot she had chosen. The area was perfect for free diving. It wasn¡¯t too deep twenty to forty feet, clear water, and a sand and coral bottom. ¡°This is one of my favorite spots for big tiger sharks,¡± she said, making Todd grip my hand tighter. She spent a lot of time talking about their behavior keys and what to do if they started getting aggressive. ¡°I¡¯ll dive with Vicki and Jane with Amy. Each camera operator will be with a safety diver. Once Todd isfortable, he can take Amy¡¯s ce.¡±


    Amy agreed; as much as she loved diving, her limited field of vision was a liability in a dive with multiple big tiger sharks. We anchored at the area, and the camera operators got in the water first, followed by Ocean and me.


    I was in my element, and it was a great spot. There were a half-dozen tiger sharks around, ranging from eight to thirteen feet long. We alternated our descents, one pair diving down for a few minutes, then resting while the other dove. The big tigers weren¡¯t aggressive, which gave us some great footage. I even got Todd to dive down close enough to swim next to one. I promised to watch Todd at one of his uingpetitions, and we shared a long kiss before I left him at his house.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It had been a dream day, but Linda was banging her head against the headrest as we drove back to the hotel. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do both, and there is SO much more footage to go through than I anticipated,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s not enough time between shoots to be both director and editor of a reality show. I¡¯m going to need help.¡± After discussing it for a while, Linda decided to hire an editor to travel with us. While we were filming, she would be setting up the rough cut of the previous day. Watching the dailies before going to bed would be a habit for us.


    The next morning, we were off to the airport to travel to Tahiti, followed by Fiji, New Caledonia, and New Zend.


    And that was before Thanksgiving.


    ***********


    I was rxing after diving with Tiger Sharks in Fiji when I saw the message from the Japanese Prime Minister. We had talked over videoconference when I returned the Honjo sword to the Japanese Embassy; at the time, I asked for a chance to testify before his Parliament about shark conservation. A bill requiring shark fins to be attached toplete carcasses when sold wholesale or for export wasing up inmittee, and he needed my help with it. Powerful interests were organizing against it.


    Why would that be such a controversial issue? Japan was a big yer in the world fishing market; its fleets went everywhere, floating processing facilities wheres and long lines caught thousands of sharks a day. The demand for shark fins in the Asian market had led to the practice of ¡°finning,¡± where shark fins were cut off with the animal still alive, the rest of the body tossed overboard to drown. The barbaric practice persisted because fins were more valuable than shark meat. The proposed change would reduce the number of shark fins that could be stored and returned, reducing profitability.


    The change was not a total ban, which wasn¡¯t realistic given the demand. Only fifteen years ago, fishing harvested one hundred million sharks a year. That number was down to seventy million a year now, but only part of that was due to conservation efforts. The majority of the drop was due to overfishing, and dozens of shark species were threatened or extinct.


    It wasn¡¯t toote, so I called him back. His assistant put me in touch with him. ¡°Minister Hirotashi, it is an honor to speak with you again,¡± I said with a bow of my head.


    ¡°Miss Vicki, thank you for returning my call. I apologize for the short notice, but the hearing just got scheduled.¡±


    ¡°I would like to testify, should my schedule work out. Right now, I¡¯m on tour.¡± It sucked because there were no days off for us, with the reality show filling the off days.


    ¡°Perhaps this will help convince you to visit Japan,¡± he said. ¡°Princess Aiko invites you to go scuba diving with her in the southern Chiba prefecture. She and the Environmental Minister want to appear on your show. The Princess believes the way to reduce shark fin consumption is by changing the minds of the young.¡±


    It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Princess Aiko was the Emperor¡¯s only child, a beautiful and intelligent 32-year-old woman. If not for the paternalistic sessionws for the monarchy, she could be Empress. She was very popr in Japan, and rarely made appearances outside official events. ¡°It would be an honor to dive with Her Imperial Highness. I will speak to my team and make the necessary arrangements.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to hearing from you,¡± he said.


    I was screaming as I ran out of my hotel room, banging on Mercedes¡¯ door as I called for everyone else to join me. The girls gathered the mermaids on the way, and we all ended up in Mercedes¡¯ suite. Iid out what the Japanese Prime Minister had told me. ¡°We can¡¯t turn this opportunity down,¡± I said. ¡°The public rtions value of this is huge.¡±


    ¡°It would mean canceling or postponing the event in Christchurch,¡± Mercedes said.


    ¡°Japan is a muchrger market,¡± I countered. Diving and wetsuits weren¡¯t as prevalent, but the potential market for sportswear and dresses was huge. ¡°Compromise.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± Mercedes asked.


    ¡°Amy and the twins do the event with you in Christchurch, since it is a Bodyglove event. I travel with Fiona and Linda to Japan, leaving Carly to film things here. Hire another local photographer if you need it. We still meet the schedule, and we get the conservation appeal and the exposure in Japan.¡±


    I could tell Amy was disappointed, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Mercedes did too. ¡°I agree,¡± she said. ¡°I will get you a swag bag to bring as a gift for the Princess. I can¡¯t have her diving with you in Rip Curl gear,¡± she said with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get her sizes,¡± I said.


    I got all the arrangements made by the time we got to New Caledonia and had the honor of speaking with the Princess twice. The Japanese press was waiting when I arrived at the Tokyo Airport, which led to an impromptu press conference.


    ¡°Miss Lawrence, you are a college freshman with no credentials or experience in the area of fisheries management,¡± the first reporter asked. ¡°Why should anyone give your testimony any credibility?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #108

    I resisted the urge to use the THESE TITS line, thankfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been fascinated by sharks for fourteen years. In that time, over a billion sharks have died, many of them discarded alive, their fins cut from their bodies. In fourteen years, twenty-eight shark species gained Endangered or Threatened status, and twelve are feared to be extinct. Poption surveys show shark numbers down ny percent from the turn of the century.¡± I let the numbers sink in. ¡°Sharks don¡¯t vote, they don¡¯t donate to candidates, and they can¡¯t testify in person. Concerned people like me have to do that for them. I don¡¯t want to look in my children¡¯s faces and tell them about the sharks lost in the next few decades if we can¡¯t fight for them now.¡±


    I wiped a tear away. ¡°In the United States, we nearly hunted wolves to extinction. It took decades to bring these magnificent creatures back, and only then did we realize how important they were to the ecosystem.¡±


    ¡°Surely you¡¯re not advocating a ban on shark fin trade,¡± another reporter asked.


    ¡°I wish I could convince people of the truth of the damage their bowl of shark-fin soup causes,¡± I replied. ¡°I could tell them how the cartge they think helps them isn¡¯t even digested. I could show them the studies proving shark fins do nothing to prevent cancer; in fact, the toxins and heavy metals that build up in those fins are putting them at a GREATER risk of cancer. I wish I could change the traditions and folk tales that push shark fin prices up,¡± I said. ¡°When people stop paying for it, fishermen will stop harvesting them. That change takes time, and an outright ban would lead to the trade going underground on the ck market. What I can advocate for is RESPONSIBLE management of our resources. The proposedw will reduce the kills of threatened species by making it possible forw enforcement to identify them. It also makes sense. If you are going to harvest a shark for food, utilize all of it. Respect the resource and allow poptions to recover and stabilize.¡±


    Having made my point, I answered a few more questions, including one about my dating life. Fiona linked that security was ready, and my car was waiting, so I thanked the reporters and was escorted out the back of the room. ¡°That went well,¡± Fiona said.


    ¡°I dare them to dismiss me,¡± I said. Linda asked for and received permission to film the meetings, but any footage would have to be approved or deleted. It was better than nothing and would be dynamite for the show.


    I met briefly with the Prime Minister and a few of thewmakers pushing the conservation bill, posing for photographs and signing autographs for them and their families. Instead of heading to the hotel, I traveled with the Prime Minister to the Imperial Pce. ¡°Wow,¡± I said as I stepped out.


    Aides took me to where the Emperor, his wife, and Princess Aiko were about to dine with a dozen other guests. ¡°Ah, the guest of honor,¡± Aiko said as she came over to me. I bowed to the Emperor, the Empress, and then to the Princess. ¡°Wee to our home,¡± she said as I straightened up.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me,¡± I said.


    I learned over tea and sushi that everyone present knew me not just for my conservation and modeling work, but as the person who returned the Lost Samurai Sword of Power. ¡°Our scientists and historians have verified the sword and its maker,¡± the Prime Minister said. ¡°You asked for anonymity, but if you want your testimony to work, I think we should use this.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I¡¯d used the sword to kill Master Alexander and never considered keeping it once I found out what it was.


    ¡°By epting a sword from me, along with the thanks of the Japanese people,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°There is a press conference scheduled in thirty minutes. The Prime Minister will make a statement, and the Curator of the Tokyo National Museum will show the sword before it goes on permanent disy. The Emperor will present you with a sword and the gratitude of a nation.¡±


    It was genius, and I¡¯d get a sword out of it. ¡°It would be an honor,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t mind the truthing out now; everyone knew about the antiquities I¡¯d inherited from Alexander, and this was just one more. The ceremony in the Pce was well-attended, and the sword¡¯s return was big news. The Emperor presented me with a sword set from Master Swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo.


    I stayed overnight in a guest room just down the hall from Princess Aiko, after staying up watching movies and eating ice cream with her. She loved the clothes, and we talked excitedly about our diving experiences. Late the next morning, I testified with three other conservationists in favor of the bill. I took some hard questions but held my own.


    A helicopter took us south to the port in Chiba, where we boarded a dive boat. As soon as the Princess and her guests arrived, we got underway. Eight of us dove the reef, surrounded by dozens of Banded Houndsharks in the three-to-six foot range. We also saw a few Japanese Horn Sharks moving slowly along the reef. The highlight of the dive was finding a Blotchy Swell Shark. This rare species was under a coral overhang, hiding from bigger predators by inting its body with water to wedge itself in ce. I dove with the Princess, with her security and our cameras following us as we explored the reef three times. I was disappointed when darkness forced our return.


    While we¡¯d been diving, the Pce staff had reviewed the video we¡¯d taken, and removed nothing of consequence. It was going to be a hell of a show when it got done, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see the daily.


    We flew directly to Brisbane, Australia, for the next stop on our tour.


    **********


    The airliner crew and some passengers recognized me from the news coverage, and I took some photos and signed some autographs before settled into our first-ss seats. Social media was king, as Mercedes said, but it was also tiring. Linda could fly in a tracksuit and tennis shoes, and no one cared. Me? I had to wear a Bodyglove-designed dress, makeup, and heels. I found myself looking enviously at girls wearing jeans, t-shirts, and a hoodie.


    The flight was half full, giving me time to catch up on some homework I was taking Chemistry, English Literature, and American History, and spending ten to twenty hours a week on it. I¡¯d only had enough time for it because Lte had the Sea Scout overhaul under control. I read over hertest report; the engine overhauls would finish in a week, and the living quarter refurbishment was starting with fresh paint and fixtures. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and we were on track to finish by mid-December.


    The three of us arrived after lunch, just an hour after the rest of our crew arrived in Brisbane from New Zend. Mercedes said a limo would be waiting to bring us to the hotel, so we rolled our carryon bags through the second floor of the international terminal, passed through Customs, and went down to the passenger arrival area outside.


    ¡°Over here,¡± Linda said as she spotted our ride, the driver holding a sign with her name on it, and Carly waiting by the rear door. I saw Linda pulling her camera out, but figured she was getting transition shots for the show, a few seconds to show as ¡°Brisbane Airport, Queennd, Australia¡± appeared in subtitles on the screen. I smiled at Carly as she opened the door for me. I was bending down when the smell hit me.


    No.


    It couldn¡¯t be!


    ¡°Susan?¡± I stepped into the car and squealed; she was sitting on one of the benches with Hammer on one side, and Amy and Luke on the other. ¡°What are you DOING here?¡± I hugged her before sitting down across from them as the rest of my team got in.


    ¡°A few things have changed since west talked,¡± she said.


    I looked down at where she held Hammer¡¯s hand, catching the glint of a big diamond. ¡°He finally asked you to marry him?¡± She nodded, holding it out. The ring had arger round diamond, with deep red rubies surrounding it and tapering to the in white gold band. ¡°Congrattions!¡± I gave her another hug, then hugged Hammer before returning to my seat as the driver pulled away from the curb. ¡°I thought you were spending a week in Minnesota!¡±


    ¡°ns changed,¡± Hammer said.


    Susan nodded. ¡°We got ast-minute deal on the airline tickets and decided toe down here and spend some time together. We missed you guys.¡± I missed them too. ¡°We didn¡¯t want you guys worried about us since you have so much of your own going on. The Pack was shocked to see you on the news with the Emperor, and Amy says your show taping is going well.¡±


    ¡°Almost too well,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re getting so much material that cutting it down to one season, even with an hour per, is going to be tough.¡± The rough cuts of the dailies were usually over an hour, and we only had 43 minutes of broadcast time for an hour episode.


    ¡°And we have hours of film from Japan and New Zend to work with now. I¡¯m never getting a day off,¡± Lindained.


    Luke was excited. ¡°You got to dine with the Emperor, and he gave you a SWORD! How cool is that?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice,¡± I said. I¡¯d shipped the sword to Uncle Leo; he could disy it in his home, and it would be away from the salt air on my boat until I had a permanent home for it. ¡°The diving was cool, too. There were so many sharks on that reef! It was a tribute to the marine preserve¡¯s effectiveness.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #109

    ¡°Your mother sends her love,¡± Hammer said. ¡°She said to tell you to keep chewing bubble gum and kicking ass. She loved how you handled the press conference and your testimony.¡± I¡¯d gotten a lot of positive feedback since then, and Ocean had shared the press conference with her huge Twitter and Facebook followings. The bill had made it out ofmittee, which was farther than it had ever gotten before. The Prime Minister didn¡¯t know if it would make it out of the Legisture this year, though.


    ¡°We¡¯re all proud of you, Sharkbait,¡± Susan said. I blushed a little and stayed quiet, hoping the subject would change.


    ¡°What are your ns,¡± Amy asked her Mom.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting married,¡± Hammer said as he held her hand up.


    My jaw dropped, and Amy looked like a fish gasping for air on the dock. ¡°WHAT?¡± She looked between her Mom and Hammer. ¡°WHEN?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Susan answered.


    I looked at the divider; the privacy ss was up, so we could talk. ¡°Why so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, a lot of things have changed for us,¡± Hammer replied. ¡°I sold the Dojo to another instructor; I didn¡¯t make a lot, but it will keep going, and it would cost too much to ship the equipment to Minnesota.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re moving back home,¡± Amy asked. Susan nodded. ¡°And your house in Coronado?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the market now. Luke will stay there until Christmas break; the parents of Leo¡¯s first mate, Larry and Donna Winters, volunteered toe out and stay with him while we stay in Miesville. Hammer is going to make the change after we get home, so we need to stay with Alpha Leo.¡±


    Things were moving fast, but that wasn¡¯t shocking. Hammer was a man of action; once he decided what he wanted to do, he¡¯d make it happen. ¡°That¡¯s why you are getting married now,¡± I said. ¡°In case he doesn¡¯t make it, you inherit his estate.¡±


    ¡°My mate WILL make it,¡± Susan said as she squeezed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution. We couldn¡¯t get married without you there, Amy, so we came to you.¡± Amy hugged her mom tightly, moving in front of her so Hammer could get into the hug as well. I smiled as I watched them; Amy liked and respected Hammer, and she was genuinely happy that he was her second chance mate. I would miss seeing them when we returned to San Diego.


    All of the sudden, Amy stiffened and backed off. ¡°OH. MY. LUNA. We have a wedding to n!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Amy. We already arranged everything with the hotel; the ceremony will be just before sunset on the beach. You¡¯ll be my Maid of Honor, and Luke will be Hammer¡¯s best man. We¡¯ll get married, have dinner in a private dining room, and then the honeymoon starts.¡±


    I looked over at Linda in a panic. ¡°What about our schedule? Can we do this?¡±


    Linda just smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve known about this since Fiji, Vicki. Your date will be here an hour before the ceremony; he knows it¡¯s a wedding, but he¡¯s fine with that. Hammer is pretty smart for a SEAL, you know,¡± she said with a tease.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No wedding nning, no expensive dress or fittings, a short walk to the Honeymoon Suite, and they escape the Minnesota winter for a Brisbane spring! Genius!¡±


    Susan rolled her eyes. I had to agree, it was pretty slick. ¡°We¡¯ll have a reception back in Minnesota when we return,¡± Susan said. ¡°Plus, I get free flowers from the hotel, and Vicki is providing the videographer!¡± She stuck her tongue out at Linda, getting her back for the earlier tease.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you are getting married NOW. If you¡¯re moving to Minnesota, you¡¯ll have plenty of time for the change after everything is moved and you are settled.¡±


    ¡°I need to take the change soon,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I have responsibilities, and I¡¯ll need my wolf for them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± Susan added.


    **********


    Amy was shocked again. ¡°How far along, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks. I was a weekte, which isn¡¯t umon at my age, but I figured I¡¯d take one the morning before Thanksgiving. It was positive. We haven¡¯t told anyone else yet, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d not say anything. We haven¡¯t even seen a doctor yet.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± I said. The two wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the secret for long; right now, Susan¡¯s scent change was barely noticeable if you got close. In a few weeks, sensitive noses would pick it up just being around her. It made sense now why they were getting married so quickly, as they could pass it off as a honeymoon baby. Hammer was already a possessive male, and a pregnant mate gave him more drive to survive the change. ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re happy, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m over the moon,¡± Susan said. ¡°I thought we might have difficulty with getting pregnant.¡±


    ¡°You had no difficulty with HOW to get pregnant,¡± Amy teased. ¡°I think the whole neighborhood knew what a stud you had in your bed.¡± Hammer looked proud at this, while Susan was a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m still in shock,¡± Hammer confessed. ¡°I was happy with meeting Susan¡¯s granddaughter when she visited Miesville for Thanksgiving, and she¡¯s due in three weeks with a son. With this news, everything had to move up. I decided to move now because I don¡¯t want to be doing it while she¡¯s eight months pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Things can change fast, as we¡¯ve all seen that this year,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was all going to happen anyway, Mom,¡± Amy said. ¡°He¡¯s your mate. You belong together, and I love you both.¡± She wiped her tears away as Hammer kissed her forehead, hugging them both. ¡°What about Siena? She won¡¯t see your wedding.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to watch the live-stream with the Miesville Pack,¡± Susan replied. ¡°She barely made it through the flight from Michigan with April; a tiny dder and a toddler isn¡¯t a greatbo for travel. There was no way in HELL she¡¯d fly with a kid for thirty hours to get here, and we didn¡¯t want to wait until your tour was over. So, we decided on a beach wedding with family and a few friends!¡±


    The friend thing triggered a memory from when the girls came out as werewolves to their mates. ¡°Are you going to meet up with Ian while you¡¯re down under?¡±


    ¡°His flight from Port Arthur should arrive in two hours; he¡¯sing with his wife and son for the wedding,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see him again. Want toe to the airport to pick him up? His son is your date tonight.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the wedding party, so I just had to show up in a bikini with a light dress over it. I looked at my phone. ¡°Sure.¡±


    We were pulling into the hotel, so the rest of the conversations would have to wait. We checked in and dropped our luggage off, then our whole group headed to the lounge for ate lunch.


    There was no way I was waiting six more hours to eat, after all.

 SHARKBAIT #110

    Amy and Susan had appointments at the spa, so they took off to start preparing. Luke, Noni, Makani, and few others wanted to hit the beach for the afternoon, and I sent Carly to watch over the girls. Linda needed to work on editing, so she left for her room. Fiona rode with Hammer and I in the limo to the airport.


    ¡°What do you know about his son,¡± I asked Hammer.


    ¡°Not that much. Ian didn¡¯t say much about them.¡±


    ¡°Are they werewolves too?¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never asked.¡± I used my phone to look up Ian Corcoran on the Web. There was a lot of material on his Victoria Cross, the Australian equivalent of the US Medal of Honor. The page had a photograph of the Queen presenting the medal to him. He was a handsome man in his Special Air Service uniform, thirty-four years old then, and leaning on crutches and a bandage on his left ear. The citation confirmed what Hammer told me, minus the ¡®wolfing out¡¯ thing. The survivors swore that he left with only a knife, attacking multiple enemy positions on his own. Ian didn¡¯t stop until the attackers fled. He spent the next two months in the hospital.


    Retired from the service due to permanent hearing loss and damage to his left knee, he retired to the family home in Port Lincoln. There were no photos of his wife Dorothy, although they married in 2008, and their son Nichs was born in 2010. That would make his son twenty-two years old, I thought.


    A search on Nichs didn¡¯t find much. He wasn¡¯t on social media, but I did get his student photo from the University of Adide School of Medicine. My heart skipped a beat; Nichs was hot as a Vegas summer. Drool-worthy, effortlessly, movie-star HOT. Wavy light-brown hair to his shoulders, tanned skin, bright blue eyes, a strong jawline, and broad shoulders had me thanking Luna for little favors like tonight¡¯s blind date. ¡°Call me a Doctor,¡± I muttered to myself. PLEASE, LUNA, don¡¯t let him be a jerk!


    ¡°What did you tell him about us,¡± I asked Hammer.


    ¡°Nothing. I called Ian to say I was getting married in Brisbane, and I¡¯d love to see him and his family if he could make it. He let me know the three wereing and their flight data. I didn¡¯t want to say anything about supernaturals over the phone.¡±


    ¡°This should be interesting. I asked Adrienne if the Council knew of any werewolves in Australia; they had no reports. Ian and his family have stayed off their radar, perhaps for centuries.¡± Ian was born in Port Lincoln in 1987, so there had been werewolves in Australia for at least half a century. ¡°How can a Pack operate that long without anyone knowing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Fiona said. ¡°How could you function without the chance to find a mate? Do they have an Alpha to keep them stable?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out soon,¡± Hammer said. I started reading up on Port Lincoln since I¡¯d run out of material on Nichs. The city of 15, 000 on the Southern Ocean was known as the Seafood Capital of Australia, with sport andmercial fishing plus a thriving aquaculture industry. It was a good ce to find big Great Whites and a popr vacation destination. It had the highest per-capita concentration of millionaires in Australia, and the port filled with fancy yachts during the summer. It was over seven thousand nautical miles from San Diego, though; that was a LONG way away.


    I started clicking on shark-diving tours and YouTube videos; I liked the diving. Clear water and big sharks were perfect for filming. It was too bad we only had time for Melbourne and Perth after diving the Great Barrier Reef in a few days. Adide wasn¡¯t a big enough city for Bodyglove to stop in.


    We pulled up to the airport, and Hammer sent a text with where we were waiting. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s stretch our legs,¡± he said as he opened the door. Fiona stood behind us as we waited for them toe out; a few people recognized me, but no one approached. Finally, Ian and Dorothy walked out the door, his right hand holding hers, his left on his cane. His hairline was receding, and a vivid scar went from his left cheek to what remained of his ear, but it was the same proud man from the ceremony. ¡°IAN,¡± Hammer said with a big smile.


    They got within five yards when Ian suddenly stopped, pulling his wife behind him. His nose was taking a deep breath, and his eyes dted and darkened as his wolf came forward. He straightened up and started to growl as he looked first at Fiona, then at me. His wolf tried and failed to dominate me, lowering his eyes first. His wife was human, which I found interesting. The whole dominance posturing thing was over in five seconds, with no one outside our group noticing. ¡°What ARE you,¡± he asked.


    Hammer had noticed the behavior. ¡°That¡¯s best talked about in the limousine,¡± he replied. ¡°This is Vicki Lawrence. She¡¯s the best friend of my future daughter and head of Sharkbait Productions. Her bodyguard, Fiona, is behind her. Vicki, Fiona, this is Ian and Dorothy Corcoran.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet the man who saved Hammer¡¯s ass,¡± I said with a grin as I offered my hand to them. My wolf was pushing forward, but not in an aggressive way. It was something else that was bothering her, and she wasn¡¯t saying.


    That broke the ice, and Ianughed as he took my hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let him forget it, either,¡± Ian said with a grin. ¡°It was a bad day, and we were lucky any of us survived.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get awarded the Victoria¡¯s Cross for being lucky,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve met plenty of SEALs, but you¡¯re the first Special Air Service veteran. I¡¯m curious if youds are as tough as your reputation.¡±


    ¡°The SEALs aren¡¯t bad for bloody Yanks,¡± Ian teased. ¡°You get tougher men training in the cold and rain of the Hignds than on a beach in Coronado.¡± I snuck a nce at Hammer, who was rolling his eyes. ¡°Nichs is getting our luggage; he should be out in a few minutes.¡±


    The longer I stood waiting, the more active my wolf was bing. I didn¡¯t figure out why until the sliding doors opened and Nichs walked out, carrying two suitcases and a backpack.


    My wolf pushed forward, her tail wagging fiercely in my mind. I whispered a single word as I stood motionless, my body unsure what to do next. ¡°Mate¡­¡±

 SHARKBAIT #111

    Wicklow Mountains, Irnd


    May 24, 1798


    I checked the harness on the draft horse, making sure it was secure for the trip down the mountains. ¡°Calm down, Robbie,¡± I said as he fed the old mare a carrot. Moving back, I made sure the cart was in good shape in the dim light after sunrise. A full load of charcoal piled under a tarp, ready for market, and a breakdown would be catastrophic. Philip Corcoran had a job to do, and I was going to do it well.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I could hear my Mother¡¯s voice from inside the house, a benefit of the werewolf hearing I had.


    ¡°We need the money the charcoal will fetch at market. Our boy is thirteen, so he¡¯s too young to fight. If anyone else made the trip, either the Irish Rebels or the English would force him to join. The Pack needs the potatoes and medicines he¡¯ll bring back from the market.¡± My father was a low Beta in the Pack, responsible for ensuring we had enough food and supplies to wait out the troubles that wereing. I was climbing into the seat on the wagon when he came down to see me.


    ¡°Philip,d. Go straight to the market in Laragh, conduct your business, ande right back,¡± he ordered me. ¡°Do not speak to anyone about anything else; spies are everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I will, Father.¡± I took the reins, Robbie leading me down the road towards the vige twenty miles away.


    I could sense my brother and cousin as they ran alongside in the woods for the first mile, stopping at the narrow pass leading into our valley. The Irish people were ready to revolt, and Alpha Bracken was determined to avoid entanglement in such affairs. Our Pack lived in the mountains, felling timber, and making charcoal to trade while farming in the areas we could. The twenty men, twenty-eight women, and fourteen children of my Pack struggled to survive in a world gone mad.


    The millennia-long struggle between France and Ennd became a proxy war in Irnd. After France supported the American Revolution, the King called for volunteer militias to defend Irnd from the possibility of invasion. The Irish Volunteers turned into the Irish Patriot Party, and they used their power to push for greater political independence. Some reforms happened, although Catholics still could not hold offices.


    The French Revolution changed everything. The liberal ideals of the Revolution, urring in a Catholic country, led to the formation of the Society of United Irishmen seven years earlier. It brought together Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, and other dissenters to push democratic reforms and Catholic emancipation. We stayed out of it all, but we paid attention to what we heard in the viges.


    War with France broke out in 1793, and the United Irishmen saw a chance to use French aid in an armed insurrection to break free of English rule. I¡¯d heard speakers talk about the United Irishmen in previous trips to town; they boasted two hundred thousand members! I couldn¡¯t imagine that many people working together, and I thought they would be invincible.


    None of it mattered to us; we were godless Paganists to them, worshipping the Moon Goddess.


    I met no one on the roads, and I arrived at the market just after lunchtime. Delivering the charcoal, I took the money from it to buy the medicines. Every shilling left I used to buy sacks of potatoes. I had the load secured and was heading back out of town by three.


    I¡¯d barely made it a mile when I heard the sound of horsesing fast. Looking back, I could see the English Cavalrying. Wanting no part of it or them, I pulled off the dirt trail into a clearing and waited for them to pass. Twenty horses stopped to rest, but two kept going. Peeling off from the others, they trotted towards me.


    The lead horseman pulled up alongside my cart, while the second went to the back. ¡°Name, boy,¡± the soldier asked.


    ¡°Philip. Philip Corcoran,¡± I said nervously.


    The second man had thrown the tarp back, exposing the bags of potatoes. Drawing his sword, he thrust it through the pile a few times before cleaning it. The leader looked back at me and the small bag I had next to me on the bench. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡±


    ¡°Medicines and herbs, from the market,¡± I said.


    The soldier held his hand out, and I handed it over. ¡°You have a lot of food and medicine here,¡± he said. ¡°Enough to supply arge camp.¡±


    ¡°No, sir; it¡¯s for my family. We make charcoal up in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°No family is this big, even in Irnd. No, boy. You¡¯re with the rebels.¡± He drew his sword. ¡°We¡¯ve got a big United Irish camp hidden in these mountains, and you¡¯re going to lead us to them,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about a rebel camp,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m just taking these back to my parents.¡±


    ¡°You are, are you?¡± He rode around the wagon. ¡°Then take me to them.¡±


    I could not do that; it was an Alpha order. No human was to set foot in our valley. The location of our Packnds was a closely-held secret; there was only one pass through the mountains, and that entrance was covered with vegetation to hide it. Leading soldiers to our home was an unthinkable betrayal. At best, the English would draft us into military service. At worst, Pack members would die, and they would burn our homes. We wouldn¡¯t shift to fight, because the people would burn the mountains down if they knew werewolves lived there.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Almost instantly, a sword was at my throat. ¡°What did you say, boy?¡±


    ¡°I said no. I will not help you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Tie this rebel to that tree,¡± the leader told the other soldier. More men approached; my hands were bound, the rope going over a high branch. The men pulled until I was suspended just higher than my toes could reach, leaving me swinging in the cold breeze. A knife cut away my shirt, and one of the soldiers approached with a whip. ¡°Give him tenshes to loosen his tongue,¡± the leader said.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The soldier was old, his cheek badly scarred, his teeth rotten, and his disposition worse. ¡°You¡¯re going to sing for me, boy.¡± He stepped back and loosened the whip, swirling it around before sending it flying at my unprotected back.


    CRACK! Pain exploded on my back as the whip cut through skin, setting me on fire. I screamed in pain, interrupted by the next CRACK as the secondsh fell. After six, I couldn¡¯t catch my breath before the next scream tried to begin. I was sobbing uncontrobly as the tenthsh fell.


    The leader walked over to where I was swinging in the wind. Staying clear of the blood that dripped down my ruined back onto my breeches, he grabbed my chin and spun me to face him. ¡°You will take me to them, or you will die in agony,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t betray my people. Gathering the blood and spit in my mouth, having bit my tongue in theshing, I spit the mixture into his face. ¡°Then I die,¡± I said with all the bravado I could muster.


    He let go andughed as he wiped his face clean. ¡°Oh, I like this one. The boy has spirit, and that makes it all the better when they break. Ten moreshes, and then we will see if the answer changes.¡±


    The newshes crossed over the wounds from the previous, and there was no spot untouched on my back by the time the second round finished. I was praying for death by number sixteen. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, you English prick.¡±


    The man with the whip hit me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me, then everything went ck as pain exploded on my cheek.


    Pain. Searing, agonizing pain was all I felt as I woke.


    I could feel something moving under me, each sway and bump pulling at the scabs on my back, sending fresh jolts of pain to my head. I tried to open my eyes, but my left one wouldn¡¯t cooperate. It was dark, and I found myself in a crowded box carriage. It smelled of blood, fear, and death. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± a voice said as his hand came down to my neck. ¡°They did a job on you, boy. Your back is a mess. My name¡¯s Lewis.¡±


    One attempt at lifting my head was enough to convince me he was right. ¡°Philip. Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Prison transport heading to Belfast,¡± the man said. ¡°You and a dozen other rebels, all saved for a bog date with the hangman. What did you do?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    Laughter broke out around me until the guard banged on the side and told us to be quiet. ¡°Son, we¡¯re all innocent. The King won¡¯t care about that little detail, though.¡±


    He was right about that. The English sent Lewis to the gallows on arrival, along with half of the men with me. They liked to make a show of punishments, thinking to intimidate the popce.

 SHARKBAIT #112

    The Irish Rebellion was doomed before it started; informants got the leaders arrested, and the French reinforcements nevernded. Iter found out that pockets of resistance kept going for a few years, but the reprisals were brutal. The English soldiers killed prisoners, raped women, and wiped out entire families and viges.


    I never did give up the location of my Pack, and only my age kept me from swinging at the end of a rope. I never got to say goodbye to my family, and they never knew what happened to me. In the end, I received a ¡®merciful¡¯ sentence; the English put on a prison ship, shackled below decks for a six-month voyage to the new penal colony on Australian territory. Half of the prisoners died in transit, and brutal discipline met any disobedience. The smell of vomit, feces, and urine was a constant; sleep was fitful, and not at all in heavy seas.


    It made me wonder if I was the lucky one, after all.


    I weighed barely a hundred pounds and had just turned fourteen when I was marched off the ship at the penal colony in Sydney Harbor.


    ***********


    Sharkbait¡¯s POV


    November 2033


    Brisbane Airport, Australia


    My wolf pushed forward, her tail wagging fiercely in my mind. I whispered a single word as I stood motionless, my body unsure what to do next. ¡°Mate¡­¡±


    Nichs looked just as shocked as he stared at me. The bags he carried dropped to the ground as his entire body froze up. His eyes went to mine, and we lost ourselves in them. The mating pull snapped into ce between us at that moment, and I could sense his wolf surging forward.


    ¡°IN THE CAR,¡± Fiona yelled as she grabbed me from behind and dragged me into the limo.


    Nichs growled, his shifting on as he saw me taken away. Ian reacted before he could shift in front of God and Country; grabbing him by the ears, he pulled his son down to his level. ¡°Calm,¡± he ordered.


    I was growling at Fiona as she fought to get me to sit down. ¡°Not here,¡± she growled back while keeping her eyes from a direct challenge to my wolf. ¡°Breathe. Your mate is not in danger, and this is not the ce.¡±


    She was right. I sat back, focusing on my breathing, and pushing my wolf back. Nichs was shoved into the limousine a momentter, his eyes searching for me. I grabbed his hand and pulled him next to me. I turned to him, my face going to his neck as his nose went to my neck. I couldn¡¯t get enough of his scent; it called to me, calmed me, and excited me. I could feel my canines pushing forward; my wolf wanted to mark him and make him mine forever.


    From the way his lips were fastened to my neck, I knew he felt the same. I could feel his caninesing in, right before his touch left me.


    Another second and we would im each other.


    ¡°WAIT,¡± I said as the door closed. I couldn¡¯t, no, I WOULDN¡¯T give my neck up to a man who wasn¡¯t worthy of it. I didn¡¯t care how good he smelled, or how good he made me feel.


    I needed to know who he was first.


    I pushed him off me, shoving him into the corner of the bench.


    Nichs¡¯ wolf didn¡¯t want to wait. He shifted in the back seat, tearing his clothes off, his ck wolf fighting to get to me. Ian grabbed him by the scruff, pushing him to the floor. ¡°ENOUGH,¡± Ian said as he let his full Beta dominance out.


    It wasn¡¯t enough, and Nichs continued to struggle. He turned his teeth towards his father, willing to spill blood to get free. I couldn¡¯t allow this to continue, or we¡¯d tear this car up.


    I let my inner dominance out. The Alpha Mantled wolf in me forced everyone in the car to submit to my will. It crashed into the Aussie wolves like a tsunami, washing away their ability to disobey. Ian fell back onto the seat, his eyes wide open, and his neck bared. Nichs rolled onto his back before shifting back to his human form. I watched, amused and aroused, as he grabbed his torn shirt and covered himself with it. ¡°Sit down and behave,¡± I told them both.


    They did, their eyes never leaving mine. ¡°Fiona, please retrieve Dorothy and their luggage. She¡¯s probably wondering what the hell just happened.¡±


    ¡°I am, too,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Of course, Vicki.¡± She stepped back out, holding the door for Dorothy and Hammer to enter, then closed it until returning a few secondster with the two suitcases and the backpack. She set the suitcases down and handed Nichs his bag so he could change. I used the inte to tell the driver we could leave.


    Dorothy wasn¡¯t happy with her boy. ¡°You drongo,¡± she said as she smacked him in the back of the head. ¡°Put that stiffy away! What were you thinking? You¡¯d get nuddy, bend that She over the boot, tear off her knickers, and root away on camera?¡±


    I looked at her, then at Ian, as Nichs pulled on some cargo shorts. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forget you Yanks don¡¯t speak Aussie,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°I told him he was a fool that needed to get clothes on to cover his erection because he sure wasn¡¯t getting naked, bending you over the trunk of the limo, and screwing you in front of everyone at the airport.¡±


    Looking at his muscled chest, maybe that would be worth the arrest and deportation that would follow. It would make great reality television, but Linda wasn¡¯t here to film it. ¡°Right, then. I¡¯m sure you have questions.¡±


    ¡°Who are you,¡± Ian asked. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°I am Vicki Lawrence, Mantled Alpha Heir, and member of the Three Rivers Pack in Oregon. Fiona is a Pack Warrior and my bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°What is an Alpha,¡± Nichs asked.


    It was my turn to be shocked. How could these two be werewolves and not know what an Alpha was? ¡°Your people are in a Pack?¡±


    Ian asked for water, and I handed over a few bottles out of the cooler. He took a long drink,posing himself. ¡°We organize by family units. The oldest male is responsible for the extended family living with or around them. My wife and son, my younger brother, and his family are my responsibility. We share a big home in Port Lincoln.¡±


    Nichs had finished getting dressed and was staring at me with a mix of fear and lust. ¡°You said I was your mate.¡± I nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not even friends yet. I want to be your friend and more; my wolf is going nuts in my head telling me you¡¯re my mate, though.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re more than friends,¡± I told him. ¡°Come here.¡± He moved over next to me, and I slid into hisp. My wolf and I wanted to calm him, and contact was the best way to do that. I rxed into his arms as the fear went away. ¡°When the Moon Goddess created werewolves, she made them in pairs. One male and one female, searching for each other from the moment wee of age, the perfect match. Mates until death.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re mates?¡± He had his nose buried in my hair, as my hand moved under his shirt and over the eight-pack of a stomach he had. I could doundry on those abs. ¡°We are meant to be together.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That feeling you had when you first smelled me? That is the mating pull. Our wolves reached out for each other; they¡¯ve already started to bond, and our human side has to catch up.¡± I snuggled into his arms, my wolf happy with the contact. ¡°This is only the first part.¡±


    Dorothy turned to look at Ian. ¡°Did that happen when we met?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this happening. I fell in love with you, but my wolf has never said anything.¡±


    We were going to have to start with the basics. I spent the next ten minutes teaching them about mates and the mating pull, then a rundown on Pack structure and leadership. Everything I told them was new to them.


    ¡°So, your wolf is dominant over mine since you are an Alpha,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Yes. Alpha blood wolves are dominant over all others, and Mantled Alphas are the strongest of all. The Alpha¡¯s dominance allows them to maintain order, enforce discipline,mand obedience, and keep the Pack running harmoniously. A strong Alpha can have a Pack with hundreds of members.¡±


    Ian just shook his head at that. ¡°We¡¯ve found that things fall apart once we get more than twenty in a group. We lose the ability to link with each other, and the group splits up and moves apart.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How many of you are there in Australia,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Eighty-seven, total, fifty-six of them with wolves. There are ten groups total, all along the southern coast from here to Tasmania. We don¡¯t like the heat up north,¡± Ian said with a grin.


    Ten mini-Packs, with zero knowledge of what they are and what mates are. ¡°And no werewolf has found his mate among your kind, or amongst the humans?¡±


    ¡°This mate stuff is all new to me,¡± Ian said. ¡°We all descended from a single man, who came to Sydney as a prisoner in 1799. The men marry human women, like Dorothy and I, or the females a human male.¡±


    ¡°Do your wolves im them? Bite them on the neck, like Nichs was about to do with me?¡±


    Ian nodded once. ¡°My Great-great grandparents married each other. They were second cousins. They bit each other and lived. I don¡¯t know of any others.¡± That made sense. In addition to potential inbreeding issues, the wolf would never agree unless the other was the mate. Why didn¡¯t Luna find mates for them?


    ¡°If we get bitten by a wolf, we die,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It has always been that way. I have to be careful when they are ying as wolves, so I don¡¯t get an idental bite.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a crapshoot,¡± I said. ¡°It is possible to bite a human and turn them into a werewolf, but only half of them survive. We don¡¯t know why some make it, and others don¡¯t. We do know that a sessful change requires an Alpha to be present; an Alpha can pull the wolf forward and calm it throughout the change. If you don¡¯t have an Alpha, it¡¯s unlikely the person survives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m getting married now,¡± Hammer said. ¡°My bride, Susan, is a werewolf. After we return home, she¡¯s going to change me into a wolf.¡± That shut them up. Their eyes showed how shocked they were; they thought it was a terrible idea. ¡°I understand the risks, and I¡¯ve made the decision.¡±


    Dorothy looked at her husband. ¡°Could you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk losing you, my love,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re everything I need.¡±


    He was probably right, but I knew that changing her would be a mistake. If she weren¡¯t his mate as a human, she wouldn¡¯t be his mate after the change. In this case, ignorance is bliss.


    I could see we were getting close to the hotel. ¡°Today is about Hammer and Susan, not me. Please don¡¯t say anything about Nichs and I being mates. We have a lot to talk about and now isn¡¯t the time.¡±


    *********

 SHARKBAIT #113

    June 1, 1803


    Sydney, Australia


    ¡°Corcoran!¡± The guard yelled across the field, where a group of us were loading cut building stones onto a cart. ¡°Get over here!¡±


    I walked over as fast as the shackles on my ankles would allow, the two-foot chain making my stride shorter than a freeman. It was something I¡¯d gotten used to in my five years as a convict at hardbor. Now eighteen years old, my back was a mass of scars fromshings old and new. I stopped five feet away from the soldier and stood at attention. ¡°I¡¯m Corcoran.¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± He turned and walked towards the Administration building, stopping at a desk where a Lieutenant was reading some papers.


    I waited until he acknowledged me with a wave of his fingers. ¡°Prisoner Philip Corcoran reporting, sir.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother looking up as he wrote in a book. ¡°The ship that arrived today is bringing in new prisoners, and the Governor is offering you parole to make room for them. This paper is your Ticket of Leave. Can you read?¡±


    ***************


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He handed the form to me. ¡°Verify the information is correct and sign it.¡± I read through it quickly. It started by listing my name, date of arrival, the ship I arrived on, my ¡®offense¡¯ of providing support to traitors to the Crown, and my seven-year sentence. The next section was the conditions of my release. I could not leave the Sydney territory for two years without permission. I had to obey allws and regtions of the Sydney Colony. I must find employment and support myself and any family. My freedom was conditional on the will of the Governor. The ticket¡¯s conditions were so vague that looking at someone the wrong way could put me back in chains. It had happened to a man I¡¯d been working with this morning. I took the quill and signed on the line. ¡°Don¡¯t make any trouble; we¡¯ve got enough Irish rabble here now. Guard, take him to the cksmith, then release him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I could hardly believe it as I shuffled to the hut where the cksmith used a cold chisel to remove the shackles from my ankles. I walked out a free man. Lonely, thousands of miles from my home, but free.


    I also had no money, no job, and nowhere to sleep for the night. My wolf had not been out in five years, and I didn¡¯t know if he would evene out now. I did know that my best chance for a full belly and a good night¡¯s sleep did not lie near the prison, so I headed west. I reached the edge of the settlement just after nightfall; finding a hollow log to hide my clothes, I stripped and shifted. It hurt, and I struggled toplete the change after so long.


    I shook out my ck fur after steadying myself on four legs again. I looked a mess as I inspected myself in the soft moonlight. I could see the patchy hair on my back where the whip strikes had torn flesh, and I had bare spots on my real legs where the shackles had left permanent scars. I listened, hearing only the wild, and smelling only the fires from the homes in the distance.


    Letting out a chuff, I turned to the west and ran as a wolf for the first time in years. The strangend didn¡¯t bother me; I was free, the wind in my hair and the moon at my back. I ran until I couldn¡¯t sense humans at all, then stopped at a stream to drink.


    I was hungry, and my wolf wanted to hunt. Heading upstream, we went slower now, sniffing the air for scents. I picked up something strange and turned away from the creek to follow it. Cresting a small hill, I crept forward in the grass until I saw them.


    Kangaroos. Six of them, each as tall as a man, feeding in the grass below. ¡°Like deer with feet that can break your bones,¡± I said to myself. We¡¯d heard about them in prison and eaten their meat on rare asions. They were big and fast, capable of leaping eight feet in the air, and vicious when cornered.


    I would need to get close. Sniffing the wind, I retreated and moved around until I was approaching from directly downwind. I moved towards the herd slowly, moving when the grass did, my belly low to the ground. I patiently waited, watching until the closest faced away from me. I picked my target, a smaller one, and rushed forward to leap onto its neck.


    One spotted me and let out a bleat, causing the herd to freeze and then run. I¡¯d already made my leap, and the warning was toote for my victim. Sharp teeth mped around its throat, ripping into the flesh as my weight pulled it over. It struggled and tried to get up, but I kept the pressure on its throat, just like my father taught me. It took a minute for the kangaroo¡¯s energy to wane fromck of blood and oxygen, and then ity still.


    I¡¯d done it. Sitting up, I howled to the moon in thanks and triumph, and then I tore into the warm flesh and gorged myself. I tore the stomach open, pulling out the innards that would spoil the fastest. I gorged on the nutrient-rich liver before tearing into the tender flesh of the shoulders.


    I woke up just before sunrise, flies around me and the dead carcass, and dried blood matting my fur. I ate as much meat as I could, then pulled the remains towards some trees to get it out of the sun.


    I followed my scent back to the stream, finding a shallow pool where I could wash my fur clean. The cool water felt good on my skin. I rolled around in the slow-moving water, rubbing my matted coat against rocks to help loosen the dirt and blood. I¡¯d climb out and shake myself dry, then go back in and keep washing. When the water ran clear, I shifted to human form and just sat there, enjoying the moment.


    It was too dangerous to go back towards the settlement in the day; men with muskets could be out, and they would shoot a wolf on sight. Instead, I walked back to my kill. I tossed the carcass over a high branch, then shifted and curled up on a patch of grass in the shade. Full and free, I fell asleep again.


    My wolf woke me three times during the day, thest to chase away dingoes that want the meat. The warm day will have it rotting soon, so I eat my fill just before sundown and leave it on the ground. The scavengers will have it to bones by morning.


    I washed my fur off one more time, then set off east for Sydney again. I¡¯ve enjoyed this time as a wolf, but staying like this is too dangerous. I need to survive as a human. I need to get a job, save money for passage, and make my way home.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reaching my clothes stash well after dark, I dress and fall asleep again.


    I wake when the sun is high in the sky. The unfamiliar sound of femaleughter in the distance awakens me. Sitting up quickly, I look around. I¡¯ve rarely seen women in my time here; the British held them in a different area of the prison vessel, and they were too valuable to the Colony to be subjected to the hardbor the males were. One in seven prisoners sent to this world were female, mostly poor and uneducated. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t an easy life; most turned to soldiers or wealthier freemen in exchange for protection. Those men kept them sheltered and pregnant, so what was one doing out here?


    I stood up to follow the sound, walking silently through the woods as I¡¯d learned as a child. They were quite a ways away, and it took me ten minutes to close on them. I spotted them about a hundred yards away, a girl of maybe fourteen, the younger maybe ten. ¡°Laura, how much farther,¡± the young one asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Laura replied.


    ¡°Are we lost? We¡¯ve been walking for HOURS.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do we have here,¡± a deep male voice said.


    ¡°Stay behind me, Emma,¡± the older girl said. ¡°We got lost looking for one of ourmbs,¡± the older girl said.


    I saw the male; he was in his thirties, a sword on his heavily scarred back, his body muscled from years ofbor. Another man, shorter and thinner but just as scary looking with a long knife in his belt, came up next to him. They looked like escaped convicts, living outside the Colony boundary, and stealing to survive. ¡°Good news for us,¡± the big guy said.


    ¡°I get the young one,¡± the skinny man said.


    ¡°No. These two are our tickets out of this shithole. I imagine their father will pay almost anything to get his little girls back safely.¡± The two men stood in front of the elder girl, the younger clinging to her from behind. ¡°Who is your father?¡±


    ¡°Neil Baillieu,¡± Laura said softly.


    ¡°I know him,¡± the skinny one said. ¡°Owns a lot ofnd and sheep, one of the richest men in the Colony.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #114

    The big man reached out, pulling the ne from Laura¡¯s throat, then grabbing the one from the neck of a terrified Emma. ¡°Take these to Neil¡¯s home,¡± he told the skinny man as he handed them over. ¡°Tell him we will return the girls for five pounds each. If he refuses, tell him they will die by sundown, just like they will die if he tells the authorities or tries to follow you.¡±


    The skinny man took the nes and put them inside his shirt. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Enough for us to get passage on a ship and start over,¡± the big man agreed. ¡°Go.¡±


    The skinny man left, and he left me with choices.


    I could walk away, leaving the girls at the mercy of these men.


    I could charge them, outnumbered and unarmed.


    Or I could use my wolf.


    I couldn¡¯t live with the first two, so I chose the third. Pulling off my clothes behind the tree, I stacked them before shifting into my wolf. I watched until the skinny man was out of sight, then circled well away from them until I caught his trail.


    He was not paying attention, and that was all the break I needed. The sound of my paws didn¡¯t register in time, and he turned to look as I leaped for his throat. I bit through the soft flesh, ripping arge chunk free as my momentum carried me past. Spitting it out, I watched as he struggled for breath as his blood saturated the grass around him. He fell face first, letting out a rattlingst breath, and then was still.


    I shifted, picking up the knife from his belt. Using it, I hacked at his neck and shoulders, hiding the evidence of the bite that killed him. I thought briefly about taking the knife back against the big man. My knife against his sword, untrained as I was with it, was suicide.


    I tossed the de as far as I could, then shifted back and returned to the clearing. I let loose a howl of rage when I saw Laura, stripped and struggling, trapped under the man as her sister cried. I ran forward, leaping onto his back, my teeth and ws digging into his flesh.


    He bucked me off, screaming in rage, and tried to get to his sword. I lunged for his arm, biting down until I heard bones break. He flung me off, and I rolled a few times before I got up again.


    When he turned to his sword, it wasn¡¯t there.


    Laura was.


    And Laura plunged the sword through his stomach as she screamed her rage.


    I quickly moved between them, pushing the older girl back to her sister as the criminal fell to his knees, then onto his side. ¡°Thank you,¡± Laura said as she ran her fingers through my fur.


    I shifted, my body covered in blood. ¡°Get dressed and help your sister,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Neither were afraid of the wolf turned man.


    *********


    ¡°We need to stop by a drugstore before we go to the hotel,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Hammer looked at me, a little concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I said as I rxed into Nichs¡¯ side. ¡°A little too good, and I don¡¯t want to risk pregnancy, so you¡¯ll need a prophctic or two.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to be able to deny my wolf for long; tonight, unless Nichs turned out to be a colossal mistake, I was going to turn in my V-card with my mate.


    ¡°Oh, a chemist. I¡¯ll get a big box,¡± Nichs said. He pressed the button, telling the driver to watch for one. ¡°Stop at the bottle-o, too, so I can grab some coldies for the room.¡± He let the button go. ¡°You guys need anything while I¡¯m in there?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± This stuff was driving me nuts. I was going to have to get an English-Aussie Dictionary on my phone.


    ¡°Liquor store for beer,¡± Dorothy said. We stopped at the bottle shop first, and Nichs went in alone. ¡°What is it like for you to find your mate?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my second time,¡± I said. ¡°My first mate, I scented him and found him banging his girlfriend. He rejected me for her.¡± I still felt the pain and anger. ¡°Luna gave me another. With Nichs, it¡¯s like we¡¯re rare-earth mas, pulled to each other, and almost impossible to separate. I feel calm and safe in his arms.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t fall in love first?¡±


    ¡°Our wolves know we belong to each other. Our human sides will catch up,¡± I said.


    ¡°What would have happened if you and Nichs hadn¡¯t met,¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe that Luna orchestrated our meeting,¡± I said. ¡°If we never met, I¡¯d be alone, or I¡¯d choose a mate. Once a wolf mates with another, the link to the wolf Luna intended for him is gone. When Timothy chose Traci over me, it left a hole in my soul that only now is filling. Whoever Traci was supposed to mate with, I believe Luna will choose another for him.¡± He dodged a bullet with that bitch. ¡°I¡¯m not the only wolf with a second-chance mate. My old Alphas found each other long after their mates died. Susan¡¯s husband died over a decade ago, and now she found Hammer.¡±


    Nichs got back in with a bag, then we drove a few more blocks, and he got out again. I peeked in the bag when he got back in; he¡¯d bought two dozen extrarge ones. I raised my eyebrow, and he just shrugged.


    I was going to be so sore in the morning!


    Amy was waiting outside the hotel for us when we arrived, tipped off by my warning. She handed Nick and Ian their room keys, then handed Hammer a small bag. ¡°Your outfit. Go change and be back down for pictures in an hour,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Use Nichs¡¯s room,¡± I suggested. Amy looked at me, wondering what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m not in the wedding party, so it won¡¯t take long for me to change. We¡¯ll use our room.¡± I stopped to link to her. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just go help your Mom get ready.¡±


    She looked at the way he looked at me, and a light bulb went off. ¡°He¡¯s your MATE?¡±


    ¡°Not now, it¡¯s Susan¡¯s day. I¡¯ll stay in Nichs¡¯ room tonight.¡± She got the hint and walked off. We got in the elevator, and I was thankful his rooms were not adjoining his parents. That might be a little embarrassingter. He opened the door, and Hammer walked in behind us. ¡°Grab your stuff, and we¡¯ll head to my room,¡± I told my mate.


    Nichs put the beer in the fridge, then set his bag on the dresser. ¡°Mom said boardies and thongs are fine for the ceremony,¡± he said as he kicked off his sandals and grabbed some flip-flops.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you Bodyglove swimwear since you¡¯re going to be in the ceremony,¡± I said weakly. ¡°We¡¯ll see you downstairs, Hammer.¡± I took his hand and led Nichs down the hall. I knocked on Mercedes¡¯ door, and she let us in. Five minutester, Nichs had signed a release for filming and walked back out dressed in a Bodyglove shark-pattern shirt and board shorts.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I opened the door to the room Amy and I shared, scenting to verify we were alone. As soon as the door closed, I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his hips. He pushed me into the wall, our tongues dueling as we fought to get closer. My wolf wanted his, but I still wasn¡¯t ready. ¡°Come on,¡± I said. I led him to the bed, where I pulled his shirt off beforeying down beside him, my head tucked on his shoulder. ¡°I know almost nothing about you, and I can¡¯t go farther until I do,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to tell,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two, but I turn twenty-three in two weeks. I was born in Port Lincoln; as Dad said, we live with his brother and his family. I just finished my fourth-year exams at the University of Adide Medical School. I¡¯m in the Bachelors in Medicine program there; two more years to go, then I can start my internship.¡±


    That was different. ¡°In the States, you would get a Bachelor¡¯s degree, then go to medical school for two years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same program here,¡± he said. ¡°I just started my summer break, and I return to school in March.¡±


    I raised my head and looked at him. ¡°So, you have the next three months off?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Nobody has time off in my family,¡± he said. ¡°Our family has a small aquaculturepany that raises Southern Bluefin Tuna for the wholesale seafood market. The season opens soon, so we send our longline boat and a trawler out to the Great Australian Bight to catch our limit.¡±


    ¡°How many can you catch?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the biggest operation, so a total of fifty tons. We only have one vessel authorized formercial bluefin fishing, and Uncle Cormac is the only one authorized to receive them.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know a ton aboutmercial fishing, but I knew bluefin tuna could be worth ten thousand a fish in the Japanese market. Mako sharks were the only ones fast enough to catch the nimble fish unless they were on a fishing line. I¡¯d seen videos of a four-foot tuna cut in half next to a fishing boat by an opportunistic shark. ¡°It¡¯s that regted?¡±


    ¡°It has to be. Overfishing almost wiped the fishery outst century. The government tightly controls the harvest now; every fish caught gets a permanent, barcoded tag, and its length and weight entered into a database. The tag remains in ce through export and sale. Inspectors carefully check shipments to make sure everything is legal.¡±


    ¡°You said you use aquaculture.¡± It was like ranching, but with fish.


    ¡°Yes. Once the fish is caught and tagged, we ce it inside a put out by the trawler. Once we limit out, we slowly tow all the fish back home and transfer them to an aquaculture pen out we have in Spencer Gulf. We feed them through the summer and fall, growing them out before harvesting in the winter.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I could imagine the sharks swimming around, trying to find a way to get to the fish. ¡°You feed them pellets like catfish?¡±


    ¡°We catch and process baitfish for that. We feed the fish twice a day. We can put ten to twenty kilos on each fish between catch and processing,¡± he said.


    ¡°How do you get them back out in the winter?¡± I could imagine trying to catch these big tuna; even in the confined aquaculture pens, some of these fish were bigger than I was.


    ¡°Divers ands. The fish have to be handled with care, as any damage lowers the market value. We capture, gut, gill, and freeze them for transport quickly and carefully.¡±


    That had my interest. ¡°You dive?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been diving since I was six,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite part of the job.¡±


    That was good. Now for the Timothy question. ¡°Any girlfriend, fianc¨¦, or ex?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve dated, but I¡¯ve never had a serious rtionship. My parents raised me to be careful with my heart. You can¡¯t let anyone get too close unless you can trust them with your life. The consequences of getting a girl pregnant, or picking the wrong girl, are too great.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He let out a sigh. ¡°From childhood, we are raised knowing that we are different, and we must protect our secret with our lives. If you get a girl pregnant, the child will have the wolf. If the human can be trusted and brought into the fold, they are. If not? They can¡¯t live. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never risked it.¡±


    There was NO WAY. ¡°You¡¯ve never?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never gone farther than oral,¡± he said. ¡°I want to save lives, not take them. Staying a virgin until marriage was the only way I could ensure that.¡±


    Wow. ¡°I waited as well,¡± I said. ¡°I wanted to save myself for my mate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had a boyfriend?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°I¡¯ve had some good dates, but I haven¡¯t gone any farther than you have.¡± I snuggled into his side, thrilled that he waited.


    ¡°What happens now,¡± he asked.


    ¡°We have choices, but this isn¡¯t a normal situation,¡± I said softly.


    He kissed my forehead, tingles spreading from where his lips touched. ¡°If we were at your Pack and found each other, what would happen?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°We would have marked each other almost immediately, biting each other¡¯s neck and shoulder to im our mate and forge a mind-link between us. After that, we would mate physically. Some new mates don¡¯t even make it to a room; they start going at it right there. Once the mating isplete, the less-dominant wolf would move to the Pack of the more dominant wolf.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more dominant than me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes. Your wolf will gain an Alpha mantle and strength from the mating. Since none of your family are Alphas, we would instantly be the dominant wolves on the Australian Continent. That is another reason we need to talk; our mating will create the opportunity to form a Pack, and that isn¡¯t something to rush into.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡±


    He was confusing my caution for something else. ¡°NO! I do want you.¡± I moved up and kissed him deeply before returning to where my heady on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m cautious because my first mate ripped my heart out, and this whole situation is so damnplicated now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I ran my hand over his chest while I talked. ¡°I turned eighteen during an Alpha Summit. It was a gathering of all North American Alphas, bringing along all unmated Alpha and Beta rank wolves. I was a senior in high school, with dreams of bing a shark researcher and going off to college. My biggest worry was that I¡¯d find my mate and have to move to his Pack, leaving my friends and my school. Then I¡¯d have to give up my dreams to have babies.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #115

    ¡°You don¡¯t want children?¡±


    ¡°I do, but most Packs don¡¯t live near the ocean. I wanted to go to school first, not go to school part-time at night as my Mom did, and not to study something the Alpha thought would help the Pack. That probably would have happened if Timothy hadn¡¯t rejected me; his Pack was ind, and his parents were pressing him to mate so they could secure the next generations. Instead, I pushed my shark tagging project, signed with Bodyglove as a model, participated in two documentaries on sharks, and now I¡¯m producing a reality show about my life. I¡¯m living my dreams, and now I¡¯ve found you.¡±


    ¡°Timothy was an idiot to give you up. I¡¯m sorry he hurt you, but if he hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡± I rolled on top of him, kissing my way down from his face to his neck. He tasted better than anything; my hands and mouth kept moving, following the hairs on his chest down to his stomach. My hands were about to investigate the warm bulge in his trunks when I was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°Mom needs everyone down on the beach for pictures,¡± Amy sent into her mind.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I said. ¡°I have to get dressed so we can go to the wedding.¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Pack link. Susan, Amy, Fiona, and Carly can all talk to me mentally, just like you will be able to after you im me.¡± I rolled off the bed, grabbing my bikini out of my suitcase before walking into the bathroom. I was used to quick changes from my job, so a few minutester, I was back out with my hair fixed, light makeup on, and my shark-grey bikini that would match my mate¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Nichs said as he finished buttoning up his shirt. ¡°You look fantastic.¡±


    I blushed as I reached into the closet and pulled out a brightly-patterned silk beach dress. Nichs¡¯ breath caught as I pulled it over my body and let it fall around me. ¡°Come on, my mate,¡± I told him as I took his hand. ¡°You owe me dinner and dancing.¡±


    ¡°I did promise to show you a good time,¡± he said with a grin.


    *******


    One day free, and I¡¯d revealed myself to humans.


    Fuck, what a cock-up. I shifted as soon as I was out of sight of the two girls, racing back to the creek I¡¯d passed. I washed my fur in the water, then shook myself to dry before repeating it. Running back to my pile of clothes near them, I shifted back to my human form and pulled on my clothes. ¡°I¡¯m back, you¡¯re safe,¡± I said as I walked out into the clearing.


    ¡°You came back,¡± Laura said. She was sitting on a fallen tree, gripping the sword that was almost as tall as she was with one hand, while her other held her torn shirt up. Emma was by her side, looking at me with wide eyes. ¡°The other man?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t hurt you now. My name is Philip, Philip Corcoran.¡± Laura was shaking, the adrenaline dump from the fight was wearing off. Her shirt was barely a rag, with no way of staying up. I pulled my shirt off and handed it to her, turning my back to them so she could pull it over her head. When I looked again, she was wearing my worn shirt like a dress. ¡°Are either of you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Emma¡¯s hip hit a rock; she can¡¯t walk. I¡¯m all right.¡± The look of pain in her eyes told me she wasn¡¯t, but she was acting brave.


    ¡°Emma, can I check your leg?¡±


    She looked at Laura first, then nodded. I gently checked her ankle, knee, and hip for motion. Her hip was tender, but I was able to move it around. The bruise would be painful, but she would recover. ¡°Try walking on it.¡±


    Emma stood up, and I could tell it hurt. I held her as she tried to walk, but she let out a cry of pain, so I helped her sit down again. ¡°I¡¯ll have to carry you home,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Doggy ride home,¡± she said.


    I stopped a few feet away, kneeling until I was at their level. ¡°The dog helped you, but you cannot tell anyone about him,¡± I warned them. ¡°Please. Men will hurt him if you tell them the dog saved you.¡±


    ¡°Why? The doggie was nice,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°People are afraid of what they don¡¯t understand. They will hurt me too.¡± I looked in their eyes, pleading with them to understand. The other choice was too horrible to think about; I was foolish to shift back around them.


    Laura whispered in her sister¡¯s ear, and Emma smiled and looked at me. ¡°Our secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our secret,¡± I said. ¡°We tell people the bad men tried to hurt Laura, but I fought the man instead until Laura stabbed him.¡± I still couldn¡¯t believe this blonde wisp of a girl had run him through with a sword. ¡°If they want to know more, you can¡¯t remember. You were frightened.¡± With these two, the less said, the better.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take us home?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I helped Laura to her feet; I could smell the blood, but I didn¡¯t want to know if the man had hurt her that way. ¡°Leave the sword here,¡± I told her. ¡°There is no one left to hurt you, Laura. You were very brave today.¡±


    ¡°Very foolish,¡± she said as she looked at the ground. ¡°I got us lost, and this happened.¡±


    ¡°Wandering off was foolish, but you didn¡¯t deserve what happened next.¡± I picked up Emma in my arms, holding the young girl against my chest. ¡°Come on.¡± I didn¡¯t know where they lived, but I knew which way the skinny man had gone, so I followed that scent. It wasn¡¯t long until we came across the other man. The dingoes had found him, four or five of the wild dogs ripping into his carcass. I turned so Emma wouldn¡¯t see, but Laura had spotted the body, and she turned aside and began throwing up. ¡°Close your eyes, Emma.¡± I stood there until Laura¡¯s retching was over; she wiped her mouth and stood up again. ¡°Keep your eyes on me only,¡± I said softly. She moved up next to me, using me to block the view.


    We walked for another hour, moving at Laura¡¯s slower pace. She was more hurt than she let on. We were taking a rest for my arms when I heard men shouting their names. I stood up and cupped my hands, yelling back in their direction. ¡°OVER HERE! HELP!¡± The girls started crying as they heard the horses approaching.


    The first to arrive were two mounted soldiers. Spotting me with the girls, my whipshings on disy as Laura had my shirt, they drew swords and closed fast. I moved a few steps away from the girls, dropping to my knees with my hands up.


    I don¡¯t think the soldiers cared; they were going to kill first and ask questionster. ¡°NO!¡± Laura moved in front of me as the two riders came to a stop. ¡°He saved us,¡± she said as she cried.


    One of the men sheathed his sword and jumped off his horse. ¡°I was bringing them back,¡± I told them.


    More men on horses arrive, one of them in a panic. ¡°LAURA! EMMA!¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°DADDY,¡± Emma cried out. She tried to get up but fell back painfully.


    ¡°Her hip is bruised; I had to carry her,¡± I told the men. Neil Baillieu rode up, rushing to embrace them.


    ¡°Take them home, we¡¯ll finish up here,¡± the Sergeant told her.


    Neil picked up Emma, but Laura grabbed his arm and led him to where three soldiers were watching me. ¡°Daddy, this is Philip Corcoran. He saved us from the bad men who tried to hurt me.¡±


    The anger in his eyes quickly changed. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Your daughters were brave,¡± I said. ¡°When I came back to the clearing, the man had torn Laura¡¯s clothing and was trying to overpower her. I knocked the man off Laura, and while we were fighting, she grabbed his sword and ran him through.¡±


    ¡°You were a prisoner?¡± I could see Neil¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°My papers are in my shirt,¡± I said as I nodded my head towards Laura.


    She pulled them out of the pocked, and her father looked them over. ¡°Released yesterday,¡± he said as he looked up.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to find work on a farm. I herded sheep and raised crops in Irnd, and I need a job.¡±


    Neil handed the papers to the Sergeant. ¡°If he checks out, send him my way. I can always find a ce for a good man.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a traitor to the Crown,¡± the man said.


    ¡°He was thirteen years old.¡± With that, he walked back to his horse, lifting Emma onto the saddle.


    ¡°Lawrence, escort him back with the older girl,¡± the Sergeant ordered. Momentster, the two horses were trotting away, leaving me with five confused and pissed off Cavalry members. ¡°Now, where were we?¡±


    ¡°An hour¡¯s walk to the first man, another ten minutes to the second,¡± I said. ¡°Assuming you want to find the people who tried to hold the girls for ransom and rape the older one.¡±


    ¡°Tie him up, he can lead us there,¡± the leader said. One of the men bound my wrists behind me with a leather thong and tied a rope around my neck that lead back to one of the horses. As I walked, I gave my story and answered their questions. I don¡¯t think they believed me.

 SHARKBAIT #116

    They didn¡¯t mind when the rope ¡°identally¡± pulled me off my feet, made more difficult by my hands being useless. It waste afternoon when we got to the clearing; a musket shot drove off the dingoes. One of the soldiers threw up when he saw the body, but it helped my story if they couldn¡¯t tell how his throat got torn out. ¡°I know this guy,¡± another man said. ¡°He escaped five weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°This is the runner,¡± the Sergeant asked.


    ¡°Yes. Look in his pockets. He carried the girls¡¯ nes as proof for the ransom.¡± The soldier pulled out the two lockets and handed them over. ¡°The girls were attacked this way.¡±


    ¡°What about the body, Sarge?¡±


    ¡°Dingoes gotta eat too,¡± he said as he mounted up again. I led them back to where the big many in the sun, more of the wild dogs on him. My story checked out; the sword wound in his belly killed him. ¡°Cut him free,¡± he ordered. ¡°Get him on your horse. I don¡¯t want to be out here past nightfall.¡±


    One of the men extended his hand, and I swung onto the horse behind him. We rode back to Sydney, arriving at sunset, and went straight to the prison administration building.


    ¡°Corcoran, that didn¡¯tst long,¡± the Lieutenant said.


    ¡°His story checked out.¡± He gave his boss everything he had learned, including the identities of the two dead escapees.


    ¡°Put him in a cell for now,¡± the Lieutenant said as he took back my papers. ¡°The Governor can decide tomorrow.¡±


    It took two days, but the next time I walked out of that prison, I had a pardon from the Governor in my pocket. I was surprised to see Neil Baillieu waiting with a spare horse. ¡°Mister Baillieu,¡± I said as I approached him. ¡°Are the girls all right?¡±


    ¡°They will be fine, Philip. Come on. I¡¯ve got a job for you.¡±


    **********


    Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort


    Gold Coast, Australia


    ¡°This is a hell of a ce for a wedding,¡± Nichs said as we walked across the boardwalk at the hotel pool towards Mirage Beach.


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed the hotel could put everything together this quickly,¡± I replied. I was jealous of Susan; she¡¯d found a way to have her big day without months of nning hell. We found the wedding party near the lifeguard tower, with Linda herding them for the different shots she would need.


    ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re here,¡± Linda said as she spied me. ¡°Join the family for a few shots.¡± I reluctantly let go of Nichs¡¯ hand and put on a big smile as I joined Susan, Hammer, Amy, and Luke on the sand near the crashing surf. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this is taking a little longer, but I¡¯m doing some short video segments as well as still photos,¡± she exined as she moved me to stand with Amy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. Linda got some still pics after the twins joined us, with and without our wraps, and that attracted a little attention. Hotel security worked with Fiona to keep the crowd behind the rope barrier set up for the ceremony. There was a flower-covered arch stuck into the sand, and a dozen white folding chairs arranged in front of them. Speakers on posts nked the arch and softly yed Susan¡¯s ssic rock ylist. Linda started taking some video of the people arriving as Amy and Susan headed back inside to wait for the service to begin.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Makani sent to me as I snuggled into Nichs¡¯ side while we walked down the beach. We had about ten minutes before we had to be back, and I wanted to be alone with him.


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± I answered innocently.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at him like a b of Grade-A Prime Man-Meating off your smoker,¡± Noni said. ¡°You¡¯re drooling. I take it your date is going well?¡±


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± I said back. ¡°Nichs is studying to be a Doctor, AND he¡¯s been diving since he was a boy.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool us, Vicki. We know you.¡±


    ¡°Later.¡± I stopped, pulling Nichs around before wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning my head back for a kiss. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t go too far,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not until I get you back to my room,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Everyone is going to smell my arousal.¡±


    He justughed. ¡°You¡¯ll be apples. Me crackin¡¯ a fat will show on video in these bathers. I can¡¯t swim with those shark biscuits, so give me a minute to get my donger down.¡±


    I looked up at him and raised my eyebrow. ¡°Do I need to pull up Google Trante on my phone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine, but I¡¯ve got to lose my erection because it will show on camera, and I can¡¯t swim out and hide with the new surfers. I can turn the Bogan twang off for work, but it¡¯s fun watching you try and figure out what we say in in English.¡± He looked out at the waves breaking onto the shoreline in front of us. ¡°Back home, I¡¯d walk into the cold Southern Ocean, and it would shrink right down. Here the waters are too warm.¡±


    I turned him around and led him on a slow walk through the wet sand. It felt so good just to be with him. ¡°You shoulde with me on my tour,¡± I said. ¡°Can your family spare you for a few weeks? I¡¯ve got events in two more cities, and we¡¯re filming a dive on the Great Barrier Reef the day after tomorrow¡¯s Bodyglove event.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked off. ¡°Dad said, and I quote, ¡®Mom will be mad as a cut snake if this She isn¡¯t home for Chrissie with us.¡¯ We¡¯re mates, love, and my human side is just figuring out what that means. My wolf doesn¡¯t have any doubt; you are mine, and I am yours. I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°We both havemitments,¡± I said as I looked out at the ocean. ¡°You have your family business, your school. You can¡¯t just walk away from everything.¡±


    ¡°We will figure it out, just like you¡¯ll figure out what I¡¯m saying after a few days.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said with augh. We took our time, talking about what my schedule was like for the next month. We were going to continue working our way west in the Southern Hemisphere. After Sydney and Perth, it was up to Singapore for a big fashion show. After that, a photoshoot in the Maldives, then to Capetown, South Africa. After a few days diving with Great Whites, we would fly across the South Antic to Rio, then north to Rio de Janeiro, Jamaica, and Cancun. The tour ends in Acapulco, Mexico, on Friday, December 23rd. ¡°After that, I nned to be back home until we start filming in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-January.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Home is a flexible idea,¡± I said as we crossed the rope into the private beach area.


    Ian and Dorothy were waving for us from chairs in the front row. We sat down on the chairs a few minutes before Hammer and Luke walked down the aisle to stand at the right side of the arch. Both were in white swim trunks with flower print Bodyglove shirts. Pachebel¡¯s Canon in D started, and we all stood and turned to the hotel.


    Amy walked out first, looking lovely in her white bikini with a sheer flower-pattern beach coverup. Linda was moving around, recording the video while also live-streaming it to our Packs. When the music changed to Wagner¡¯s Bridal Chorus, we finally saw her.


    Susan appeared in the walkway, but it was her escort that had my jaw drop. UNKY LEO? What the HELL? How did they keep THIS secret?


    Susan looked radiant; her white bikini visible under her sheer white wrap, a white veil, and white sandals. Leo was barefoot, with gray trunks and a Bodyglove print shirt with different shark species on it. As the music yed, the two made their way down the beach until they stopped just before the flower-covered arch. The music stopped, and the minister began. ¡°We gather here today to witness one of life¡¯s great moments, the joining together of two souls in the bonds of marriage. Who gives this woman in marriage?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Leo said. He kissed her cheek and handed her to Hammer, shaking his hand before turning to sit by me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± he said.


    The wedding ceremony was pretty standard, but the people and the scenery made it memorable. The couple had written their vows, and there wasn¡¯t a dry eye watching by the time they exchanged the rings. ¡°You may now kiss the bride,¡± the minister said.


    ¡°About time,¡± Hammer whispered as he pulled Susan to him. Lifting her veil, he drew her into his body and kissed her for a long time. She was flushed when they broke apart.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Kendall.¡±


    I barely avoidedughing; I¡¯d never heard Hammer¡¯s real name, and that was probably why. Still, it had been a beautiful ceremony, and I was pping as they walked back up the beach. As soon as we got off the sand, I jumped into Leo¡¯s big arms and hugged him.


    Nichs growled and pulled me back to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± I said before Leo could react. ¡°Nichs Corcoran, this is my Uncle, Leo Volkov. Leo is Alpha of the Miesville Pack and is like a father to me.¡±


    I could sense Nichs¡¯ wolfing forward, but Leo was a Mantled Alpha, and it didn¡¯tst long. Ian was just as affected, so Leo pulled his wolf back and focused on Nichs. ¡°It is good to meet a friend of my niece. How long have you known our Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to know that she is MINE,¡± he replied with a low growl.


    ¡°Nichs, this is Susan¡¯s day. We aren¡¯t going to talk about that!¡± I was a little mad, but a new mate was possessive and didn¡¯t like me showing affection to other males.


    ¡°But we WILL talkter,¡± Leo promised. I took Leo in my other hand, introducing him to everyone else in attendance as we gathered in a private room for the reception. The ce was decorated beautifully, the two-tier cake by the windows looking out over the pool. So much had happened so quickly for us; it was great to be able to celebrate Susan and Hammer¡¯s union.


    We danced, partied, and swam well into the night. When Susan left for their room with her husband, everyone gathered around Nichs and me. ¡°Spill,¡± Makani said as she pulled the doors closed.


    ¡°Nichs and I are mates,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything before the wedding because this isn¡¯t my day, it¡¯s Susan¡¯s. I love Nichs already, and we are going to mate tonight.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to his Pack, or is heing to Three Sisters? Or Miesville?¡± Noni and the others were already trying to figure out answers to questions I hadn¡¯t asked yet.


    ¡°We need help, Uncle Leo,¡± I said. ¡°There is no Pack down under. There are about seven dozen werewolves and human spouses, in family groups of up to ten, scattered in small towns along the Southern Ocean. Everyone in Nichs¡¯ family descended from a single Beta wolf two centuries ago; they had no idea what an Alpha or a Pack was until I told them.¡±


    Leo sat heavily into a chair. ¡°That¡¯s unheard of,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need help. When we mate, Nichs gains the power of a Mantled Alpha. The two of us will instantly be Alphas of the Australian Pack, but forming that Pack and turning it into a cohesive unit is going to be difficult.¡±


    Leo was working through things in his mind. ¡°I need to bring Adrienne into this conversation,¡± he finally said. ¡°This raises all kinds of issues beyond just you and your mate.¡±


    I could imagine. ¡°Let¡¯s go to your hotel room and set up a call. My parents and Alpha Steven need to be part of this too.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leo said to my surprise. ¡°The Pack and these problems will still be here in the morning. You two need to mate before the pheromones you¡¯re putting out drive us all nuts. I¡¯m sure your parents would appreciate knowing before you im each other, even if it¡¯s only by a few minutes.¡± I blushed, but he was right. I could barely sit here talking while my wolf wanted to im her mate. ¡°Ian, I assume you can speak to the status of the wolves here?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #117

    ¡°They are all family, so yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°Fine. Join me in my room for a nightcap, and we¡¯ll make this call tonight. Maybe we can figure a few things out before they emerge in the morning.¡±


    *********


    Sydney, Australia


    1811


    I watched the ship disappear over the horizon, taking thest of the family I¡¯d worked for and protected for almost a decade out to sea. Neil Baillieu was a shrewd businessman, and he¡¯d made a killing providing sheep for the burgeoning city. His political contacts with the Governor and the Military helped cement his fortune; his eldest daughter, Laura, married a Commander in the Royal Navy, an assistant to the Governor of Sydney. She and her husband returned to Ennd two years ago.


    Emma had grown into a beautiful youngdy, and Neil had political aspirations in Ennd. Selling hisnd and herds, he¡¯d booked passage on a ship bound for London.


    The family had given me a job and a ce toy my head, but my background made me wholly unsuitable as a suitor for Laura. When she was near marriage age, I approached Neil to request his permission to court his eldest. ¡°You are a good man, Philip, but you will never have my blessing,¡± he said as he put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°My daughters are going to marry men of wealth and station. You have neither, and you never will.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter cares for me,¡± I said.


    ¡°She will get over that,¡± he said. A yearter, she was engaged.


    After that conversation, I found my job assignments changed. No longer was I working out of their home in Sydney; instead, I was spending months at a time in the farther-out pasture holdings with the sheep. I built a small cottage on one of the plots, turning it into a cozy little home.


    In gratitude for saving his daughters, Neil left me the small farm I¡¯d lived on while tending his flocks. I held the title to forty acres of pasturend at the edge of the Sydney settlement in my hand as I walked back up from the docks.


    I needed to get back home.


    I needed my family.


    1806, Sydney


    Katherine Logan was a stubborn and proud woman, and that wasn¡¯t a goodbination in prison. It didn¡¯t help that men outnumbered women seven to one in the Colony. She had arrived in 1804 as a political prisoner; her father had been a leader in the United Irishmen under Robert Emmett. He and her brothers had died in the 1803 rebellion or the reprisals following it.


    Kate and her younger sister Margaret spent months in prison before starting their long voyage to Australia. Margaret didn¡¯t make it; a typhoid outbreak imed her, and her body was tossed overboard near the Falnd Inds. Kate didn¡¯t take a lover among the crew, as some of the other women did; she¡¯d rather die than lie with an Englishman. Upon arrival in the colony, Kate was one of the first prisoners at the ¡®female factory¡¯ at Parramatta Gaol, a newly constructed two-story facility for women. Instead of marrying up or being selected to serve in a wealthy colonist¡¯s household, she spun wool as punishment for the next two years.


    She was a ¡®difficult¡¯ prisoner, and her back had half as manysh marks as did mine. When I first saw her in the streets, she was nearly feral. The government provided no housing or means of support for them, so the women were selling their only asset- their bodies- to survive. Kate was catching rats and looking for food behind a pub when I walked by.


    Two men had her cornered in an alley near the docks, her tattered clothes torn. One was trying to rip the rest of her shirt off as she struggled against him.


    Her panicked green eyes met mine, and I fell in love at that moment. I turned and entered the alley as she bit his hand, right before he pped her face. ¡°On your KNEES, whore!¡±


    ¡°Thedy is not interested in your offer,¡± I told the two men as I came up behind them.


    ¡°She¡¯s nody,¡± the first man said. ¡°Twopence, and she¡¯ll do anything I want.¡±


    ¡°Twopence, huh?¡± I walked up to the two men; they each weighed twice as much as the emaciated woman, her red hair barely visible after thest punishment shaving. I handed her the coins. ¡°Do anything YOU want to HIM,¡± I whispered.


    She held the money in her palm, a grin spreading across her face as she caught my meaning. Standing up, she walked towards the john with her hips swaying, licking her lips.


    Then she kicked her tormentor in the twig and berries so hard he threw up.


    ¡°HEY,¡± hispanion yelled, but my knife was already at his throat. ¡°Take him home,¡± I said with a low growl. He picked up hispanion, helping him out of the alleyway. ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± I asked her when her green eyes turned back to mine.


    ¡°Kate,¡± she said.


    ¡°Kate, do you have a ce to stay?¡± She shook her head, no. ¡°You do now. I have a small cottage; you can bed down there if you like.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sleep in your bed,¡± she replied.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t room for you anyway,¡± I said. ¡°You can help with cooking, cleaning, and other things. I¡¯ll make sure you have a roof over your head and a meal in your belly.¡± She didn¡¯t look sure. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,ss. Give it a try; if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll bring you back tomorrow.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bring her back the next day.


    A yearter, her hair had grown back, Katherine gained back her weight, and blossomed into a beautiful Irish bride. A yearter, our son Emmett arrived. He was nowing up on his third birthday. Kate lost our next baby a few months in, and since then, we hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant. It didn¡¯t matter to me; Emmett was a happy baby, and I loved my family.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy. During the first two years of our marriage, Sydney suffered from a terrible drought. We had done better than most; I¡¯d dug a well that kept our crops going, and our sheep watered. Still, we barely raised enough food to survive. The dry grass couldn¡¯t support the flock, which was now a quarter of the size it had been when Neil left for Ennd. I was supplementing our stocks by hunting in wolf form, but this was bing more dangerous by the month. More and more colonists had the same idea, and none would hesitate to shoot a wolf.


    I hadn¡¯t told Katherine about my dual nature when we lived together; I¡¯d shift and run far from home and any other humans. Even after we married, I kept quiet, afraid she would reject me if she knew the truth.


    I probably should have said something after Emmett was born. I didn¡¯t remember from Irnd what would happen if a werewolfid with a human, so I didn¡¯t know if my son would be able to shift or not. I could feel the bond in my head, which, as a baby, only let me sense his emotions and some basic thoughts. I didn¡¯t say anything until he was about ten months old.


    I heard Kate¡¯s scream from inside the cottage as I was drawing water for the sheep in the early morning. Rushing back inside, I saw Katherine in a corner, waving her apron at a small ck wolf pup. Instead of scaring the animal away, the puppy thought it was a fun game. He chased it, yipping as he tried to catch it with his little teeth. ¡°KATE! Stop.¡±


    She stopped waving the apron but stayed in the corner. ¡°How did that THING get in here? And where is Emmett?¡± She looked on, her bright green eyes wide as the pup ran over to me.


    ¡°Stay calm, my love. Emmett is right here,¡± I said as I scratched the pup¡¯s chin. Pulling off my clothes and boots, I shifted into my big ck wolf.


    And Kate screamed again.


    It didn¡¯tst long. Kate watched me on the wooden floor of our cottage, y-fighting with my son until she gathered the courage to approach. She started by touching my fur, then sat down and giggled as Emmett ran over and plopped himself down in herp. He turned over, short legs sticking up, and promptly fell asleep as she scratched his chest and stomach. I shifted back, sitting up as my wife looked down at our son. ¡°He¡¯s beautiful,¡± she finally said. ¡°How?¡±


    That took a whole puppy nap to exin.


    ¡°What does this mean to me?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed, my love,¡± I said. ¡°We will need to be careful. Babies are unpredictable; now that he can shift, he can do it at will. I don¡¯t have to tell you what would happen if anyone saw Emmett or me shift into a wolf.¡±


    ¡°They would kill us,¡± she concluded.


    ¡°Yes. That is why my Pack lived in the mountains, hidden from the others around us. Adults would trade and interact with those around them, but the children remained hidden.¡±


    ¡°How does that work for us?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I shook my head. ¡°Eventually, we will have to move from here.¡±


    That time didn¡¯te until Emmett was near of age. The Governor was givingnd grants to areas away from Sydney to attract settlers. I applied for and received argend grant on the Shoalhaven River, about a hundred miles south of Sydney.


    We sold ournd and most of our flock before leaving for the new settlement near Nowra. Our newnds were well-suited to farming and raising livestock, and our family prospered. I lived long enough to bury my wife and see my son fall in love and marry at the age of twenty-eight.


    I didn¡¯t live long enough to see them join the settlement that would be Melbourne.

 SHARKBAIT #118

    Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort


    Gold Coast, AustraliaExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I was nervous as I held Nichs¡¯s hand, walking quickly away from the wedding reception to the hotel elevator. ¡°I¡¯m happy for Hammer and Susan,¡± I said as we waited for the elevator.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good bloke,¡± my mate agreed. As soon as the door to the elevator closed, he pulled me up against his hard body. ¡°And you have been teasing me all night, my beautiful mate.¡± The thin clothes did nothing to hide the heat of our bodies for each other, nor did they hide the scent of our arousal. I could feel his rapidly-hardening shaft growing between us, pressing against my stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s not teasing if you back it up,¡± I said as I slipped my hand inside his trunks, gripping his length. Our bodies hid it from the security camera, and I took


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± He leaned down and grabbed me around the legs, lifting me onto his broad shoulder as he walked down the hallway. I squirmed, which led to a loud smack on my butt and a squeal. ¡°Your wolf may be dominant, but not now,¡± he said.


    My wolf was silent; the shameless hussy was so happy to be mating, she would put up with anything. My hands were free, so I used one to smack his ass back. He didn¡¯t take time to react, stopping at our door and opening it with the card. A few stepster, and his strong arms were tossing me into the middle of the bed. I bounced once, then rolled onto my hands and knees as he turned to lock the door. ¡°Strip,¡± he told me. I got on my knees and started to pull my dress off, and he stopped me. ¡°Slowly.¡±


    He sat in the chair opposite the bed as I kicked my sandals off and stood next to his chair. I pulled my phone out, starting some music I could dance to, and cing it on the table behind him. I started moving with the music, using moves Amy and I had learned on sleepovers while watching videos. His eyes were wide, and he loved it.


    I moved around him, moving my hips and body until I was between his legs. Crossing my arms, I pulled the dress up slowly, an inch or two at a time, while I rolled my hips underneath it. When it cleared my head, I was facing away from him. I tossed the dress onto the other chair, then reached for the ties that held up my top. I channeled burlesque moves, loosening the strings and letting it fall to the floor while I danced.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said. I backed up until my legs hit the chair, then leaned back until my ass was grinding into his shorts. I felt handse forward, and I smacked them before standing up. ¡°No touching thep dancer,¡± I teased. ¡°Behave, or I¡¯ll have the bouncer throw you out.¡±


    ¡°He can try,¡± Nichs said, but his hands moved back to the arms of the chair. I started dancing again, moving to the beat, and covering my breasts with my hands as I turned around. His breath caught in his throat, and I could see his wolfing forward.


    I let my hands slide down my stomach, then slowly pulled the bikini strings loose on my bottoms. As it fell to the floor, he leaned forward. ¡°Stop,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but I stopped dancing. Nichs stood up, moving around me, his eyes examining everything. ¡°Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lift your hair off your neck, and link your fingers together.¡±


    I was standing naked in the center of the hotel room, taking up the vulnerable position, and I¡¯d never been dripping like this before. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    He moved off to the bathroom,ing back with a terry-cloth tie from one of the hotel robes. ¡°Nothing is wrong. I want our first time to be amazing.¡± He held the belt in his hands. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    Could I? I¡¯d barely known him half a day, but my wolf was shivering in anticipation. His dominant behavior was turning me on, and I wanted to see what he would do. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He covered my eyes with the soft cloth and tied it behind my head. With my vision gone, everything else got magnified. Every scent stronger, every noise louder, and every touch set me on fire. He ran his fingers lightly from my arm to my side, and I yelped and moved away.


    I heard a whose before feeling a hard smack on my left butt cheek. I yelped again and twisted, bringing my hands down, and earned a smack on my OTHER butt cheek for my effort. ¡°I told you not to move,¡± he said. ¡°Do I need to tie you up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said as I returned to my pose. This time, I focused on not reacting to the touch. It was difficult, as each contact sent tingles through my body, and a signal to my sex to prepare. Nichs started with my hair, brushing it gently before massaging my scalp. Magic fingers moved to my face, lightly brushing my cheeks and lips before moving to my neck.


    It was all too much. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not without permission, my love, or you¡¯ll earn a punishment.¡±


    I bit my lip, I changed my breathing, I did multiplication tables, I even thought about budget numbers for Sharkbait Productions as his fingers moved down my shoulders while he stood behind me. His hands moved around, cupping my breasts, his fingers twisting my erect nipples. ¡°Please,¡± I begged.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Oh LUNA, I prayed as his hands moved down my stomach towards my sex. I was on such a hair-trigger that I¡¯d explode if he touched me. ¡°PLEASE!¡±


    ¡°Cum for me, my mate,¡± he said as his right index finger tapped on my engorged clit.


    I went off like a bomb. Screaming in pleasure, Nichs held me up as his fingers pushed me from one explosion into the next. When it finally ebbed, I found myself on the bed with the sheets pulled down. ¡°Wow,¡± was all I could say. I moved my hands up to the blindfold, only for him to grab them.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Reach over your head and hold on to the headboard. If you let go, I stop.¡±


    I reached up and found the rails, grabbing on as I heard the sounds of his clothesing off.


    I never knew how frustrating but HOT it could be, not being able to see or touch, while being seen and touched. His fingers, lips, and tongue plundered every erogenous zone I knew of, and a few I didn¡¯t. I asked for and received permission three more times, thest two with his face buried between my legs.


    I felt him lift himself and crawl up my body, kissing my navel, thenving my breasts again before settling between my legs. I heard a wrapper open, just before his hard cock started sliding against my sodden sex. I begged him to put it in me.


    He pulled the blindfold off. ¡°I want to see your eyes as I do this,¡± he said.


    ¡°Make me yours,¡± I moaned. I felt the swollen head moving between mybia, lubricating the condom, and then he started pushing in. My mouth opened as he stretched me, stopping when he reached the barrier. He was a big guy, and it took a moment for me to adjust.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I nodded. He leaned down, kissed me, and pushed his way through.


    The pain red but was soon gone, reced by a sense of fullness. He stopped moving, letting me adjust until I started moving against him. He started stroking gently, the feeling indescribable. He allowed me to move my hands, and I put them to use immediately. We built to a peak, my legs wrapped around his hips and my hands pulling his ass forward as he pounded me into a quivering mass of jello.


    Our wolves came forward, teeth lengthening in readiness for the im. I moved my face right, picking out the spot where his neck met his left shoulder. With one hard thrust, he set me over the edge again, and I bit down hard.


    The bite triggered his orgasm, and his wolf took my neck, biting deeply. The bond popped into ce between us, linking us together forever. I took my teeth out, licking the wound as my teeth receded.


    He rolled off to the side, pulling me until I was facing him. We didn¡¯t say anything as we recovered; we didn¡¯t need to. ¡°I love you, Nichs,¡± I sent to him over the new link in my mind.


    ¡°I love you, Vicki.¡± We rested a few more minutes, then showered and cleaned the blood off. Mating scars healed quickly, but the iming scars would be a visible sign to all of our mating. Our scents would change, further warning other wolves of our status.


    ¡°How do you feel,¡± I said as we walked back into our room.


    ¡°Powerful,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s like my wolf drank a bunch of energy drinks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Alpha mantle strengthening him. Your wolf bes as strong as mine.¡±


    I looked at the clock after another round of lovemaking; it was three in the morning. We had breakfast at seven, followed by a meeting about the Australian Wolves. I snuggled into my mate¡¯s side, my nose filled with his scent as we dropped off to sleep together.

 SHARKBAIT #119

    Leo¡¯s POV


    I asked Ian, Dorothy, and Amy to join me for the phone call. They gathered the opened bottles of wine and spirits and some of the food to bring along. The twins and Sharkbait¡¯s security detail headed off to bed, and Linda went back to her room to start editing the video she¡¯d shot today.


    It was disconcerting having a mermaid around in such proximity, but Sharkbait trusted her, and I would learn to. They weren¡¯t exactly an issue in the middle of the United States, preferring small coastal towns on the oceans. Only Vicki could have bridged the gap, just like she did with the vampire nation.


    It was early morning back home, and even earlier in Oregon, which was two hours behind Miesville time. I sent a meeting invite over text message to Alpha Steven, Olivia, and Adrienne while we rode up in the elevator. Almost immediately, I got a call back from my mate. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Leo? Is everyone all right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is great, but you know how good Vicki is at creating headaches. This one is a whopper, and I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She got her second chance. I¡¯ll tell everyone at the same time, all right? We¡¯re heading back to my room now. Love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Leo. Talk to you soon.¡± By the time I had everyone settling in my room, which was on a different floor so Vicki wouldn¡¯t smell me, I¡¯d gotten confirmation texts from the others. I set up myptop for the videoconference; it used encryption so we could talk freely. We sat back far enough that all four of us could be seen on the camera, and waited for the others to get on.


    Brent and Olivia were on first, quickly followed by Adrienne. It took a few minutes for Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn to get on, and then I started. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Did you get a chance to see the wedding?¡±


    ¡°It was beautiful,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of the weather,¡± Olivia agreed. ¡°Amy, you looked beautiful too.¡±


    I turned to Ian and Dorothy. ¡°You might recognize these two from the video. This man is Ian Corcoran, formerly of the Australian SAS and recipient of the Victoria¡¯s Cross. Hammer invited him because Ian saved his life in Africa years ago. His wife Dorothy and son Nichs came as well.¡±


    ¡°Was Nichs the one sitting with Vicki,¡± Olivia asked.


    ¡°Yes, he was her date,¡± I replied. ¡°Has she talked to you recently?¡±


    ¡°Not for two days,¡± Liv said.


    Great; the kids hadn¡¯t called home before starting to mate. I¡¯d have to tell. I let out a breath, deciding to go for the band-aid approach. ¡°Ian and Nichs are werewolves, and Nichs is Vicki¡¯s mate. They are in his roompleting the bond right now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything; I just watched the emotions y over their faces. Shock, confusion, finally ending on wide smiles and pure joy for Vicki, finally catching a break in the love department. ¡°My baby is mated?¡±


    I smiled back at Olivia, the former human waitress who had a fling with my brother, and my niece was the result. Her mate Brent was hugging her to his side as the tears flowed. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll talk to youter tonight after they emerge from their room.¡±


    It was Adrienne who caught on first. ¡°There aren¡¯t supposed to be any werewolves in Australia,¡± she said. ¡°Ian, what Pack are you with?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Ian replied. ¡°My entire family descends from Philip Corcoran, who the British imprisoned at thirteen years of age and transported here after the 1798 Irish Rebellion. Up until today, I didn¡¯t know what a Pack, a Mate, or an Alpha was. Everything we know about being wolves got passed down from our ancestors.¡±


    ¡°How many are you?¡±


    ¡°Eighty-seven in the extended family, fifty-six of whom are werewolves. The rest are like my Dorothy, humans we have married and started families with. There are small family groups of ten or less along the southern coast and Tasmania.¡±


    Adrienne was gobsmacked; it was inconceivable that the Council didn¡¯t know about that many wolves, or that the Aussie wolves didn¡¯t know about werewolf life. The Council would freak about thirty-one humans with knowledge of our kind, much less so many wolves not under Council and Alpha control. ¡°What did you know about werewolves before today?¡±


    Ian let out a sigh. ¡°Secrecy was the most important thing. To be revealed was to die, so we rarely shift unless we are miles from any humans. If one parent is a werewolf, the children will be too. We avoid sex unless we find someone we can love and trust to keep our secrets, someone like my Dorothy.¡± He lifted her hand to his lips, then continued. ¡°Biting someone will kill them horribly and painfully over a day or two, so we don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°There are thirty-one humans in your family,¡± Alpha Steven asked. ¡°Are any your mates?¡±


    ¡°There are thirty females and one male,¡± Ian replied. ¡°As for mates, we didn¡¯t know what that meant. What Vicki described to me is something I¡¯ve never felt. We marry our spouses, and we damn sure don¡¯t bite them as it would kill them. As for bringing humans in, we kind of had to. We can¡¯t marry our cousins, right?¡±


    Adrienne was starting to see what I was referring to with the headaches Vicki could cause; she rubbed her temples and looked back at the camera. ¡°Ian, what do you know about Philip Corcoran¡¯s family? Where in Irnd did he hail from?¡±


    ¡°The Wicklow Mountains,¡± he said. ¡°Philip sent a letter back to his parents after he was a freeman. Eighteen monthster, he got a letter from the local priest. Philip¡¯s entire family died in the rebellion or the reprisals. The soldiers burned their homes to the ground. That¡¯s why he never thought to return to Irnd; there was nothing there for him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Do you know his parent¡¯s names? Or any of the other members of that vige?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ian replied.


    Adrienne was already thinking. ¡°The European Pack genealogies are avable through the Council so I can start there. What rank was Philip?¡±


    ¡°Beta rank,¡± I said. ¡°Feels like low Beta, but their dominance could have weakened over the generations.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find. Maybe some of the wolves escaped to other Packs, or they moved elsewhere,¡± Adrienne said.

 SHARKBAIT #120

    ¡°I think we need to keep all this secret until we are ready,¡± I said. ¡°No one has even told the people here about wolves yet. Thest thing I want is a bunch of Council fools running down here with Alpha-bloods hoping to form new Packs. They deserve a chance to determine their future.¡±


    Luna Carolyn was first to react to that. ¡°With Vicki mated to one of them, she is the obvious choice to be their Alpha.¡±


    ¡°If they even want her as Alpha,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°What if their old Pack still exists? Or what if they don¡¯t want to join Packs? It¡¯s a mess, and that isn¡¯t even considering the whole mate situation.¡±


    Now they were getting it. ¡°Vicki is still eighteen. Her life wasplicated before, and this will just add to it. She needs to figure out what she wants to do with her mate and her life, and we need to be there to help her with it. If she decides to be the Australian Alpha, then we help her get her Pack up and running.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk to Ian¡¯s family,¡± Steven said. ¡°Is it possible to gather them all together in the next few days?¡±


    ¡°We have two more days on the Gold Coast, then a travel day to Melbourne before events and a dive trip there,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°My Uncle has a station a hundred and fifty clicks from Melbourne; it¡¯s one of the ces remote enough for us to shift,¡± Ian said. ¡°I¡¯ll call him now and set up a short-notice family gathering.¡±


    Steven nodded. ¡°Try and get all the adult wolves there that you can. Leo, what help do you need?¡±


    ¡°Trainers and teachers,¡± I replied. ¡°The poption has been so isted that they don¡¯t know the full capabilities of their wolves, and they know nothing of Pack life. Ideally, we¡¯d have enough that each of the ten family units could have someone travel back home with them after the gathering ends. That way, we get everyone up to speed quickly, before long-term decisions are needed.¡±


    Steven considered this for a moment. ¡°The teachers we use with the children would be best suited. I¡¯ll ask my Pack who would be avable for an assignment of a couple weeks or more and get you a list.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already here, so I¡¯m going to stay for a while,¡± I said. ¡°Vicki can¡¯t walk away from hermitments, and she only has a few more stops in Australia. Her tour doesn¡¯t end until almost Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Take Vicki back into your Pack, the girls too,¡± Steven said. ¡°That keeps the link between them and ces Vicki under your authority. If the Aussies want to join a Pack, it¡¯s better to do it with you than Vicki right now. You can stick around and visit each of the groups while she finishes hermitments.¡±


    ¡°It gives her a chance to settle with her mate,¡± Carolyn agreed. ¡°If Vicki decides she wants to be Alpha, you can turn them over to her and return home.¡±


    It was quiet for a bit as everyone thought it over. ¡°What about Hammer,¡± Amy asked. ¡°They were going to head back to Miesville so he could make the change.¡±


    ¡°Do it there,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°You are there as Alpha, and it¡¯s only fair for them to see what all is involved before considering if they want to change their wives.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fly down too,¡± Olivia said. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been through the Change, I can help. I want to be there for Vicki and meet her mate.¡±


    I looked at my watch. ¡°All right, it¡¯ste down here, and there¡¯s a lot to do. Let¡¯s have another call at eight PM Central, six Pacific. That¡¯s ten in the morning here, so it gives us a chance to sleep and eat first.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, Alpha Leo. I have to say that life is far more interesting with Vicki around. We¡¯ve started calling her The Love Wolfy.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°And you¡¯ve only had Sharkbait in your Pack for four months.¡±


    I said goodbye and sent everyone back to their rooms.


    ********


    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    *beep* *beep* *beep*


    I reached over and silenced the rm on my phone, searching for it in the unfamiliar room. Looking at it through eyes heavy from sleep, I could see it was six-thirty. I let the phone fall back and tried to sit up, but there was an arm around my waist, pulling me back to a muscled body. ¡°We have to get going,¡± I said.


    ¡°My bag is in Amy¡¯s room,¡± he responded. ¡°So is yours.¡±


    I sent out to Amy, who was already awake and dressed. She brought our bags stuff down the hall while I used the bathroom and came out in a robe. Nichs went into the bathroom while I answered her knock. When I opened the door, she made a face at the smell. ¡°I don¡¯t have to ask how YOUR night went,¡± she said as I let her in.


    ¡°A lot like your first night with Kai, I bet,¡± I teased back.


    Amy set the bags on the dresser and then pulled the robe aside to look at my mark. ¡°He did a number on you,¡± she said as she looked at the scabs. ¡°What are you going to do at the photoshoot?¡±


    ¡°Hide it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll say I scraped it on a rock while swimming, so I have to wear a wetsuit or a swim top.¡±


    ¡°Kind of hard to pull off unless you go swimming this morning.¡± We kicked around a few ideas, settling on the best one. ¡°It will be fine; the twins and I will handle the bikini stuff.¡± She gave me a quick hug. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Vicki. Nichs seems like a good guy.¡±


    ¡°He is, and he took good care of mest night,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°I know that look. You don¡¯t have time, so get dressed and get downstairs. We have a lot to do before the bus leaves.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amy walked back out, and I walked over to the window to let some fresh air into the room. The resort looked beautiful in the morning sun. I opened my bag to find clothes to wear. Setting them out, I heard the shower going, so I joined him. ¡°How are you feeling this morning,¡± he asked as I moved under the spray.


    ¡°A little sore, but it was worth it,¡± I said. We had fun getting each other clean, but Amy was right. We had to hustle out and dress to make it downstairs on time. I chose a dress with a closed neck to cover the wound as we held hands all the way down to the hotel restaurant. A few people recognized me, and I had to stop for photos or a quick autograph, so we were a few minuteste arriving.


    Everyone was sitting at a big table except for the newlyweds and us. Mercedes had left early for the shooting site, so everyone there was werewolf or mermaid, and they all knew what happenedst night. ¡°Congrattions,¡± Leo said as he embraced me, then shook Nichs¡¯ hand. ¡°Take care of her.¡±


    ¡°With my life,¡± he said, and their eyes met. This time, Nichs¡¯ wolf didn¡¯t back down right away; he was an Alpha Mantle wolf now. We epted congrattions, then went to the buffet line to strap on the feed bag. ¡°Wow,¡± my mate said as I left with the te piled high. ¡°That¡¯s some impressive te management skills.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m active, and I like to eat,¡± I said. ¡°These photoshoots are brutal; they don¡¯t feed us anything, just water to keep us hydrated. I¡¯ve learned to eat a lot before and after, and this buffet looked good.¡± Of course, after a bunch of werewolves went through it like Patton through Sicily, the staff had to refill everything.


    We had just sat down when Susan and Hammer came through the door. We all stood and apuded the couple on their first full day as a married couple. No one had told them I¡¯d found my mate, so Susan looked confused when I hugged her. She looked over at Nichs, who pulled his shirt aside to show off his iming bite. ¡°You found your MATE?¡±


    ¡°And mated him. It will make it easy for me to remember your anniversary.¡± Sheughed at this, then congratted Nichs before greeting the others.


    When they sat down, Leo got our attention. ¡°I¡¯ve set up a conference room for ten, and we have a lot to discuss. Until then, don¡¯t say anything out loud unless you¡¯re in your room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start making calls right away,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°What is your schedule today, girls?¡±


    I answered first. ¡°Bus leaves the lobby at eleven. We¡¯re visiting a few locations with the photographers. At four is an appearance and signing at a surf shop on the south end, then at seven on Surfer¡¯s Paradis Beach. We should finish around ten.¡±


    Amy picked it up. ¡°We leave at five tomorrow for the airport and a quick hop up to dstone. From there, we take a helicopter out to Heron Ind in the Great Barrier Reef and join a team from the University of Queennd for some research dives. We¡¯ll stay overnight in Brisbane for an appearance the next day, then a travel day to Melbourne.¡±


    Nichs looked at me. ¡°Am I going with you?¡±


    I panicked, not knowing if there would be room. ¡°Can he,¡± I asked, looking at Linda. She was in charge of the documentary shoots.


    ¡°Can you operate a camera?¡± He nodded. ¡°Take Carly¡¯s spot on the trip; she can drive up to Brisbane and have a day off. Using a camera topside is simple, so Fiona and I will do the dives with the team.¡± It made sense; a mate would be more protective than any bodyguard. ¡°Slight change to the travel ns. I¡¯ve changed tickets for me, Vicki, Leo, and Nichs to leave after the Brisbane appearance, arrivingte to Melbourne. There¡¯s going to be a Corcoran family reunion on your Uncle¡¯snd, Nichs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m calling everyone this morning to set it up,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°We need to go, Nichs is going to teach me how to boogie board,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some tape of that,¡± Linda said. ¡°It will go well with the surfing lessons from Hawaii.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #121

    Thirty minutester, wearing a long-sleeve swim top and bikini bottoms, I was making my way inshore on a wave. I tried to turn too hard and wiped out, staying underwater long enough to rip the fabric on my shoulder and use my nails to scrape off the scabs on the front of my shoulder from my mating scar. I swam back in, holding my shoulder as blood leaked between my fingers. ¡°NICHOLAS,¡± I yelled.


    He ran into the surf and carried me back to our chairs. He held a towel over my shoulder as a lifeguard ran up. ¡°Scraped it on a piece of coral,¡± I told them.


    ¡°It looks worse than it is,¡± Nichs said.


    Another lifeguard arrived with a medical kit; lifting the towel away, they cleaned the wound with alcohol and taped a gauze pad in ce. I refused further treatment, and they filled out an incident report before letting me go.


    A small crowd had gathered, and plenty of phones recorded my walk off the beach with the bloody pad on my shoulder. I smiled and reassured people I was fine, even making a crack about how ¡°shark diving is safer for me than surfing.¡±


    We took a shower and changed the dressing before going down to the conference room to join everyone. I introduced Nichs to my Alphas old and new, and then I found out just how much they had done while we were sleeping.


    Ian started the reports. ¡°I have contacted my brother and all the otherpounds, and we will meet three days from now at his station northeast of Melbourne. The count is fluid, but I stressed how important it was and how we needed as many wolves from each family to attend as possible.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡±


    ¡°That Nichs found his mate in an American woman. They knew what a mate was from Inte fiction and movies, even if none of them have experienced it.¡± He gestured for the next person.


    ¡°I did some research, aided by an archivist I know in the European Council,¡± Adrienne began. ¡°I wish I had better news, but the priest was right. English troops wiped out the Wicklow Pack in the 1798 rebellion. Philip Corcoran was on the list of the deceased.¡±


    ¡°There were no survivors?¡±


    ¡°Three women escaped and joined other Packs, but none were blood rtives, and none above Omega rank.¡± I squeezed Nichs¡¯ hand as Dorothyforted Ian, while Adrienne continued to read. ¡°We were able to locate Philip¡¯s aunt in the records of the Glenveagh Pack in Northern Irnd. She didn¡¯t have children, however. You are thest of the line. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do we have any volunteers,¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°There are several interested, but there is a lot to work through before we send them. Two don¡¯t have valid passports, and there are other concerns since we are in school now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our situation as well,¡± Steven said. ¡°Lots of interest but many obstacles. How long will they be needed?¡±


    I thought about what they would be going through. ¡°A few weeks minimum, but it would be great if a few could stay for three or more months. We don¡¯t need someone with each of the ten groups all the time.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could do some of the sses over secure videoconference? That would solve all the problems except the time difference,¡± Adrienne suggested.


    ¡°That would work for things like history, Pack structure, Packw, and other topics,¡± I said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Wolfy Uni,¡± Nichs chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    We talked for another twenty minutes before we had to wrap up so we could catch the bus. I looked at the screen where Brent and Liv were participating. ¡°Mom, you should fly into Melbourne, no point ining here while I¡¯m working,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting it set up this morning,¡± she said. ¡°Have fun at work. And congrattions to the two of you! I can sense how happy you are, and that¡¯s all I ever wanted for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom, Dad.¡± Leo ended the call as those of us that had to leave stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll be backte,¡± I said. ¡°Can you old people behave while we¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t behave while you¡¯re here,¡± Susan teased. ¡°Now go.¡±


    By the time we loaded onto the bus with our bags, Mercedes was waiting and had seen the photos. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, but my shoulder got chewed up. Bikini tops are out of the question today.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work around it.¡±


    I introduced her to Nichs, my date here, and we loaded up. ¡°I know your wolf is going to be possessive and not want people to see me touched or posing for others, but you need to keep him under control. Modeling is my job, and nobody is going to take me from you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he promised.


    We started up at the iconic Surfer¡¯s Paradise beach, shooting in the sand in front of the hotels and the breaking wavesing in. This section of the Gold Coast got crowded, so we hit it in the middle of the day. A good-sized crowd watched as the four of us posed and yed around. We changed into brand sundresses, then went to the SkyPoint Observation Deck to take pictures from the 77th floor with the entire coastid out under us. That was pretty cool, and I¡¯m sure that the shot of the four of us in thong bikinis and high heels, our heads against the windows looking down, would be famous. We also did the climb where you go to a tower on top wearing a climbing harness. It was much more fun, but not as photogenic.


    We got back in the bus, eating a light snack as we drove south to Burley Beach for a few shots, then further south to Congatta Beach. I had a healthy glow from the sun by the time we got to the surf shop packed with fans. There was a short program showing the four of us in action, including shots from this tour. We had a question and answer session, which was interesting. The twins were getting more interest than before, which was good, as Amy and I would likely retire at the end of our contract. After that, we set up three lines for autographs with the twins sharing one. The surf shop sold a lot of the stuff we signed, and we took a ton of photos with our fans.


    Dinner was a ¡®cut lunch,¡¯ what I call a sandwich, on the way north. The second event was a lot more fun, with an older crowd. I¡¯d had to calm Nichs down a few times, especially during the marriage proposals and the ones whose hands started to wander. Fortunately, Fiona was there to stop things like that.


    The next day, diving in the Great Barrier Reef, was a bucket list item for me. There was a lot of sea life, and we shot some great video, but there weren¡¯t the number or size of sharks I¡¯d hoped to see. ¡°Overfishing copsed major species since 2000,¡± our guide said as Linda filmed. Shark meat is called ¡°ke¡± generically for things like fish ¡®n chips stands. ¡°Shark finning is illegal, but when fins are worth $30 a pound, the meat at 30 cents a pound flooded the market. It took a few decades for the fishery to copse, as the number of mature adults cratered.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #122

    ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°When my professor was diving here as a student, tiger sharks and hammerheads were everywhere. Helicopters, aircraft, and drones made it too easy to find and catch the big ones, and we¡¯re still paying the price. Thank God we came to our senses and set aside underwater preserves in areas like this. Perhaps in twenty or thirty years, we¡¯ll see those numbers again.¡±


    ¡°What about Great Whites?¡±


    ¡°The water is too warm up here for them now. They didn¡¯t fall as far as other species, since Whites have been threatened species for decades. Once we came up with effective monitoring for beach areas, the pressure to cull the adults has lessened.¡± Crowded beaches now had sonar webs that could senserge sharks and give warnings.


    That trip was epic, even if they wouldn¡¯t let me fly the helicopter. Brisbane was nice too, a mall setting with a lot of people looking on. Linda was happy with all the footage we¡¯d taken and headed for the hotel as soon as we arrived in Melbourne. The rest of us got into a van with Nichs¡¯ cousin, heading north to their station in Bonnie Doon.


    ***********


    I think we were all a bit nervous as we drove past farms and parnds towards Bonnie Doon. Our ne had arrived from Brisbane just after midnight, bringing me with Amy, Makani, Noni, Nichs, Fiona, Carly, Olivia, and Leo. The girls had changed their flights so they could support us.


    My Mom had arrived in Melbourne an hour before we did, and it was great seeing her again. Ian and Dorothy had flown in two days after the wedding, and Susan and Hammer would fly to Melbourne tomorrow with Linda and the crew. ¡°How many people showed up?¡±


    ¡°Most of them,¡± Craig said. He was Uncle Joseph¡¯s eldest son and still lived at the familypound where the meeting was. He was single and a sophomore in college. ¡°Dad said only three of our kind couldn¡¯t make it. Most of the wives came with, so this is the biggest gathering in a long time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I replied. ¡°How is your wolf doing?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a little intimidated right now,¡± Craig replied honestly. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt the kind of dominance Leo puts out, much less yours. And it is a little weird feeling Nichs¡¯ wolf now; our wolves used to be equal, and now mine just wants to roll on his back when hees up.¡±


    ¡°A lot will change now,¡± I said. I¡¯d spent a lot of time talking with Nichs, Ian, and Leo about what we would be doing.


    ¡°Remember when you were worried that mating and bing an Alpha would mean you might not get to go to college for what you wanted,¡± Mom teased. ¡°Those were the days!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± I replied. ¡°Easy buttonpared to this.¡± Heck, it was going to be hard to bnce a mating with my career andmitments, much less family on the other side of the world and an untrained Pack.


    Craig told us about his family and theirnd as we drove, and soon we arrived at his family¡¯s station. He pulled to a stop in front of a sprawling one-story farmhouse. There were tents pitched around the yard and a few campers off to the side, only a few with lights showing. ¡°Full house?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how full. Come on, my parents, Joseph and Margaret, are waiting by the door.¡±


    As always, I let my bodyguards get out first, and that¡¯s when everything went to shit. ¡°MATE,¡± Fiona growled out, and she took off for the stairs and Joseph. He had no idea what was happening, so he growled and pushed his wife behind him. By protecting this woman and growling at her, he was rejecting her. It was a p at her wolf, and she shifted to eliminate the threat to her mating.


    ¡°NO! STOP,¡± I yelled as her wolf leaped for the pair.


    Joseph shifted as well, but his wolf was confused. It wanted the beautiful she-wolf running towards it, not the human behind him that his other half loved. Fiona crashed into Margaret and bit into her arm as she screamed and tried to fight off the enraged wolf.


    Leo shifted before I could, and he knocked Fiona off of Margaret¡¯s chest. He quickly pinned the struggling wolf, holding her neck until she submitted to him. Joseph¡¯s wolf thought about interfering, but Leo¡¯s dominant wolf looked at him, and he backed down.


    I took control. ¡°Craig, take your mother inside and take care of that bite. Joseph, go inside and change while Leo and I deal with Fiona.¡±


    Craig helped his Mom up, holding his shirt over her bleeding arm as she cried. Family members had started to gather around, drawn by the screams and the dominance of the new arrivals. Joseph shifted back first. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her,¡± he asked.


    ¡°She attacked a human,¡± I said. ¡°That must be dealt with.¡± He grabbed a pair of shorts that one of the family members tossed him and grabbed his torn clothing before going inside. I took over for Leo, kneeling and holding Fiona¡¯s scruff while he jumped back into the van and pulled on new clothes. Ian approached me. ¡°Do you have a silver cor or something you use to restrain wolves?¡±


    ¡°There are a post and chain in the back Joseph use for punishments,¡± he said.


    I pulled an apologetic and devastated Fiona around the house, chaining her up to the thick post set into the ground. I didn¡¯t have to tell her how badly she¡¯d messed up; she¡¯d attacked a human, and there was a fifty-fifty chance that Margaret would die. Fiona¡¯s life was forfeit if that happened. Even if Margaret survived the forced change, Fiona earned a harsh punishment.


    There was no guarantee Joseph would choose Fiona over the woman he¡¯d been married to for decades, and no guarantee he¡¯d forgive her for his wife¡¯s death. Fiona let out a mournful howl before lying down, her head on her paws.


    If there was a worse way to bring the Werewolf world to this family, I couldn¡¯t think of it.


    ¡°We could have handled that better,¡± Amy sent to me as I finished up.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± I¡¯d reached my limit on problems three problems ago. ¡°Can you and Leo handle things for a few minutes? I have to call Alpha Steven and tell him what happened.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t take long. Craig will finish bandaging up Margaret in a few minutes, and everyone is gathering in the living room to figure out what is going on. They are pissed and scared for Margaret, who they think is in for a painful death.¡±


    I pulled out my phone and walked away from the house as I made the call. ¡°Vicki? What¡¯s going on?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #123

    It was close to noon there, so they knew it was the middle of the night for me. ¡°We arrived at the station to meet everyone, and things went bad. My dog Fiona bit the owner¡¯s wife. I¡¯ve got her tied up in back until the test resultse through.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything; I was speaking in code with the open line. I couldn¡¯t openly say that his Pack Warrior went full loco werewolf on the human. ¡°Will you send her home?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you about that after we know how bad Margaret¡¯s bite is.¡±


    ¡°Keep me posted; when there is a chance, we should probably have another videoconference. In the meantime, I¡¯ll defer to Leo¡¯s judgment on things if it can¡¯t wait until you get home.¡± That was the kicker; it would be dangerous to bring Fiona home with a death sentence on her. Leo would make the call and would carry out the sentence here if needed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know he is acting for you locally. Thank you, Steven, I¡¯ll call you when I know more.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Vicki. Good luck.¡±


    I hung up the phone and went inside through the door to the kitchen. Margaret was sitting at the table, tears streaming down her face as Craig finished taping the dressing down. ¡°Margaret, I¡¯m Vicki, Nichs¡¯ mate. I wish we had a better meeting than that, but thank you for opening your home to us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s killed me,¡± Margaret said as she looked at her arm.


    ¡°Maybe not. Come on, let¡¯s join the others, and we¡¯ll unpack everything that just happened and what it all means.¡± Craig and I helped her to her feet and brought her into the living room. Adults packed the room, maybe fifty of them, most of whom had just woken up. Every horizontal surface had someone on it, including the floor. Joseph was sitting in his recliner, and Craig moved his Mom to sit on hisp. Although his arms held her, I could see in his eyes how conflicted he was.


    Well, I might as well get started. Since I was likely to be the Australian Alpha, Leo thought it would be best I linked my hands with Nichs and faced the crowd from the kitchen entrance. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Vicki Lawrence. Arriving with me tonight are Alpha Leo Volkov, from my home Pack in Miesville, Minnesota, in the United States.¡± Leo waved and smiled, but few met his eyes. They¡¯d felt his power when he shifted, and everyone knew it was more than their wolves had. I quickly introduced my mother, Amy, the twins, and Carly. ¡°It iste, so I thought I¡¯d answer some of your questions quickly tonight, and we can go over them in more detail when we¡¯ve all gotten some sleep.¡±


    ¡°What is happening to that wolf who attacked Margaret for no reason? He¡¯s killed her,¡± one person asked.


    ¡°That wolf is Fiona, a warrior in the Three Sisters Pack in Oregon. She is my bodyguard and my responsibility,¡± I said evenly. ¡°I¡¯ll exin what happened soon, but she is tied up out back until we can set her punishment for attacking a human.¡± I looked out among them. ¡°What is your experience with bites?¡±


    ¡°They are always fatal,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Not for us,¡± I said. ¡°When a werewolf in its wolf form bites a human, a transformation begins. My mother used to be human until a werewolf bit her during an attack on our car. She survived, but not all do. We don¡¯t know why some make it, and some don¡¯t, but we DO know that an Alpha needs to be present at the change. If the person is strong enough and in a Pack structure, about half make it.¡± There was some grumbling. ¡°We will be here for Margaret to give her a chance.¡±


    ¡°Why was she attacked?¡±


    ¡°I should first exin what mates are,¡± I said as I put my arm around Nichs. ¡°When the Moon Goddess created our kind, she gave us mates. Your wolf recognizes its mate by the smell, and the attraction between you is strong and immediate. The bond is until death; it is deeper and more satisfying than any marriage. Since we have some new mates here, maybe they can exin what it felt like.¡± I gave Nichs a chance to describe it. It was all new to them, and I could see it on their faces. None could deny what was in front of them, though. ¡°Joseph is Fiona¡¯s mate. She saw Margaret as a threat to her mating and tried to eliminate it.¡±


    Margaret stood up, looking at her husband. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°It all happened so quickly,¡± he said. ¡°At first, I was defending you, and then my wolf refused to harm Fiona.¡±


    ¡°And this is the problem your istion has created. Just because you don¡¯t interact doesn¡¯t mean Luna hasn¡¯t ced mates in the world for you. Fiona waited for a quarter-century for her mate to find him married and living here. Marrying a human doesn¡¯t break the attraction to a mate; only by rejecting the mate, the death of the mate, or iming another wolf as your mate does the attraction go away.¡±


    It was a lot to take in, especially for Joseph. ¡°What happens next,¡± he asked.


    ¡°You, Margaret, and Fiona will hopefully have choices to make,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hopefully?¡± Margaret asked.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t survive the change, Fiona will be executed, and there aren¡¯t any choices left. When you be a werewolf, you will not be Joseph¡¯s fate mate. That is Fiona; you¡¯ll have a fated mate out there as well, someone we don¡¯t know yet. If the two of you decide that your life together is more important than your fate mates, you im each other and be choice mates. Your mating breaks the bond with Fiona and whoever your fate mate was, allowing Luna the chance to find another wolf for them. That is what happened to me; my fated mate rejected me for another, and Luna gave me Nichs instead.¡±


    ¡°What if I want Fiona,¡± Joseph asked nervously.


    ¡°If you choose to mate with Fiona after her punishment ends, you would divorce Margaret in the human world and allow her to go around other Packs to find her match.¡± It caused another round of murmuring.


    ¡°What about me,¡± a woman asked while being held by her husband. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk death for him, even if it is a coin flip.¡±


    ¡°No one can make you risk the change if you don¡¯t want to, but there are other people affected than just you,¡± I replied. ¡°You all live your lives with human spouses, but your true mates suffer because they never find you. They might die, frustrated and alone, never knowing why.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #124

    ¡°We owe it to them to help you find each other, even if only to reject them so they can get a second-chance mate,¡± Leo said. ¡°What we would do is send a piece of clothing with your scent around to the Packs until someone recognizes it. We would then bring the two of you together so you could reject them in person, or im them and put your wife aside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot to think about, and nothing must happen immediately,¡± I said. ¡°I think we should all go to sleep and pick this up tomorrow. Make sure you spend time with Margaret, as once the fevers begin, it won¡¯t be easy on her.¡±


    ¡°And tomorrow we will talk more about Pack structures, Alphas, and our wolves,¡± Leo promised.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There wasn¡¯t much room, and there was so much unrest that Leo and I decided our group would shift and puppy pile in the living room. It didn¡¯t take long for others to join us; it was natural for wolves to gravitate to the dominant wolves under stress. By morning, the majority of the assembled wolves had joined us on the carpet.


    ***********


    My wolf woke to the smell of bacon frying. Untangling myself from the puppy pile, I trotted over and grabbed my bag before heading to the bathroom. Emerging clothed in shorts and a T-shirt, I walked into the big kitchen where Margaret was cooking up breakfast. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said sleepily.


    ¡°Not a morning wolf, are you,¡± Margaret teased as I wiped the sleep out of my eyes.


    ¡°No, but I never sleep through a meal. Can I help?¡±


    ¡°You can take over pancakes,¡± she said. I started making tefuls as I chatted with the other women helping out. Olivia joined us, pitching in with eggs. Honestly, I was surprised Margaret was here at all. I would have thought she¡¯d be with Joseph or her family. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°The wound tingles, but no fever yet,¡± she said. ¡°Is there anything you need to prepare?¡±


    ¡°Ice. Lots of ice, and if you have a bathtub-sized cattle tank or tub, that would be good. It¡¯s better to do this outside on the grass.¡± I talked through what would happen during the change; one way or another, it would end tonight. ¡°I believe that those who make it through the change do so because they are too stubborn to die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to, trust me,¡± Olivia added. ¡°I had a daughter to live for, and my mate was there. I didn¡¯t know how important that was, but my new wolf did. It was the most painful experience of my life, but it¡¯s like having a child. As soon as I was in my wolf, I didn¡¯t mind the pain anymore.¡±


    Margaret nodded her head at the thought. ¡°Joseph isn¡¯t my mate. I could see it in his eyes; his wolf wants Fiona, not me. He¡¯s going to leave me.¡±


    I put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°Perhaps, but your family is here. Your son and daughter will find their mates, and they will give you grandchildren. Your mate is out there, waiting for you. Today doesn¡¯t have to be the end. Make it a new beginning.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°They¡¯re beginning to wake up.¡± There was no way everyone could eat at the table, so instead, the food went into warming trays on it. As people came through with their paper tes, they would find a ce inside or outside to eat. I kept making pancakes with the other women until Margaret stopped me. ¡°Grab a te; we need to talk.¡± She asked my Mom and Leo toe with her, ending up in her sitting room with our food on the small table. ¡°I want to talk to you about Fiona,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Fiona was still chained up in back, and Amy had taken her some food.


    ¡°What is she like?¡±


    I told her what I knew about her. I talked about Fiona¡¯s degree and service, her retirement from the Secret Service, her time as my bodyguard, and her family. ¡°I think she came along because she was frustrated,¡± I said. ¡°Imagine going to gatherings year after year to find your mate, and it never happens. All she had was her work, and the girls and I became her family to protect.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a tough woman,¡± Margaret said.


    ¡°She is. I know she regrets what happened. It wasn¡¯t you that she was mad at, it was Joseph. She thought he rejected her without giving her a chance.¡± It was a crappy situation all around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Fiona to die,¡± Margaret finally said. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t make it, I don¡¯t want you killing her on my ount. It¡¯s bad enough Joseph loses me; don¡¯t take away his mate, too.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how it works,¡± Leo said. ¡°We havews on this.¡±


    Margaretughed. ¡°Laws? Whatws of yours apply to an isted group of werewolves who had no idea what mates even were?¡±


    ¡°Fiona knows thews,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m the one she harmed. I forgive her for what she did, and I¡¯m asking you to show her mercy. Surely she deserves that after the life she¡¯s lived for others.¡±


    I looked at Leo, d that I wasn¡¯t the Alpha who had to make these decisions. ¡°You¡¯re a good person, Margaret. You¡¯re going to be a better wolf.¡± We saw a shiver run through her; the fevers wereing. ¡°You should eat all you can now as you¡¯ll need the energy forter. Go, be with your family.¡±


    She wiped the sweat from her forehead and got up, taking her te with her. When the door closed, I turned to Leo. ¡°Can you reduce the sentence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to Steven first, but yes. As long as the Council is not involved, there is flexibility with this.¡± We didn¡¯t talk for a bit as we finished our tes. ¡°This is only the start of the problems. Margaret and Joseph are willing to let each other go, but what happens to the husband who chooses his mate, and his wife doesn¡¯t want the change? What do we do then?¡±


    ¡°I could ask the vampires to help. Wipe their memories?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how that would be possible,¡± Mom said. ¡°We¡¯re not talking about removing a single memory from something a person saw or did. We could be talking decades of living with and among wolves. What are we going to do, wipe out everything back to their high school days? And what about their families? Everyone knows who they are and who they were married to.¡±


    It was a dumpster fire. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with thatter. We¡¯ve got a whole group of people out there who don¡¯t even know what an Alpha is.¡±


    ¡°Or a Pack,¡± Leo said. ¡°You are right; mates can wait. Forming a Pack out of them is a higher priority. I think we should demonstrate by bringing you girls into the Miesville Pack again.¡± My eyes got wide. ¡°Alpha Steven suggested it, and it makes sense. You and Nichs may end up being Alphas here, but you have othermitments. I agreed to stay down here and help get these wolves settled. I can bring them into the Miesville Pack for now, and you or another Alpha can split off with themter.¡±


    It solved a lot of problems that I¡¯d been unable to resolve. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I hugged my Unky Leo. ¡°Nichs isn¡¯t ready to be an Alpha yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep him with me while you continue on your tour, and he can learn as we go. We should get going,¡± he said.


    I made sure Margaret was getting what she needed first. Her daughter Bonnie was using cold rags to help her since drugs didn¡¯t work on this fever. Mom volunteered to stay with her, while Craig was setting up a cattle tank outside and filling it with water. Olivia would be able to listen in on our training through the link and keep the two updated.


    One of the cousins had collected every Esky they could find before making heading into town for ice. With everything set and the morning dishes cleaned, Leo gathered everyone in the back yard for ss. I noticed that Joseph was sitting alone, keeping himself between the families and Fiona as he scratched her neck. He¡¯d made his choice.


    Leo started with the stuff I learned as a pup. ¡°Leadership in a Pack flows from the Alpha,¡± Leo said. ¡°The Alpha has the power to bind the Pack together, to enforce discipline, resolve conflicts, and to keep everyone working together as a unit. Packs have a minimum of five members, with thergest Packs having close to five hundred. My Pack, the Miesville Pack, is amon size with about a hundred members.¡±


    ¡°How many Packs are there,¡± one of the young men asked.


    ¡°Over two hundred in North America, each iming an area ofnd as their own,¡± Leo answered. ¡°Another eighty-seven scattered across Europe, Russia, and Asia. Each Pack governs itself, but the Alphas elect a Council to resolve conflicts between them, set and enforcews for the Packs, and protect our secrets.¡±


    ¡°Membership in a Pack is a mutual agreement between the wolf and the Alphas,¡± I said. ¡°Movement between Packs requires relocation, so it isn¡¯t something done on a whim. Most transfers happen when mates find each other, and the female goes to the male¡¯s Pack unless she is of higher rank. You can also transfer because of school, jobs, or a desire to move. I grew up in Leo¡¯s Pack, then transferred to Alpha Steven¡¯s Three Sisters Pack when I started college.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #125

    ¡°Is Nichs moving to the United States with you,¡± another asked.


    I blushed. ¡°We haven¡¯t decided. It¡¯s a unique situation because there is no Pack or Alpha in Australia yet, and Nichs has school and family here.¡± Nichs smiled and reached for my hand as I continued. ¡°Do you know how your wolves can talk to other closer family members in your minds?¡± The wolves nodded. ¡°That is the family link, but it fades out with rtives that aren¡¯t close, which is why you don¡¯t have it with everyone here even though you all descend from the same person. The next kind of link is the Mate link, which Nichs and I formed when we imed each other by biting necks. It is the strongest and most powerful of all links; not only can you talk, but you can feel each other¡¯s emotions, even project images and memories across it with practice. The Pack Link is a broader version of the family link; once the Alpha brings you into the Pack, you canmunicate mentally with any other member of the Pack who is nearby, whether rted by blood or not. Having thatmunication allows the Pack to coordinate efforts and work together despite the numbers involved.¡± I used my mate link to get Nichs¡¯s permission for the next part.


    Leo continued. ¡°To demonstrate how this happens, I am going to bring these fourdies and Nichs into the Miesville Pack. Alpha Steven has already agreed to the transfer.¡± With that, he did the short ceremony and brought the five of us in. ¡°Wee to the Pack,¡± he sent us.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Nichs said. He tested the link with all of us, then individually. ¡°It¡¯s true; I can link to all five of them now instead of just Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Do we HAVE to join a Pack?¡±


    ¡°No. There are pack-less wolves, and we call them rogues. Some were kicked out of Packs and not epted into others, while others choose not to ept an Alpha. It isn¡¯t normal or healthy for a wolf to live this way; they end up going feral, and Packs have to hunt and eliminate them before humans get hurt. The stories the humans have about bloodthirsty werewolvese from such rogues. A rogue is also killed on contact if they enter Packnds.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°That exins a few things,¡± Ian said. ¡°We don¡¯t do well away from our families. A few have headed into the Outback and never returned.¡±


    ¡°The natural ce for a wolf is in the Pack structure. It¡¯s how we are to live,¡± Leo said. We talked and answered questions for another hour before Leo offered up the chance to join his Pack. Three families left, along with a few more married couples. For the rest, it was like an altar call you¡¯d see television evangelists do; a line of people heading up, Leoying his hand on them, and they walk away happy and crying. Not everyone chose to do it yet, but three dozen did.


    I left Nichs in the sses and went to see how Margaret was doing. She was in a swimsuit in the tub, with ice covering the top. ¡°How is her temperature?¡±


    ¡°Hundred and two,¡± Mom said. ¡°The first wave is just starting.¡±


    I pulled Craig away to talk to him. ¡°How are YOU doing,¡± I asked. These events had all had to be a shock to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m barely holding it together,¡± he confessed. ¡°I¡¯m mad at Dad for dumping Mom, but then I wonder how I can be mad at him for finding his mate? I can tell how much he loves her, how his WOLF loves her while he just put up with Mom. I look at Nichs and see how happy he is with you, and my wolf wants HIS mate too.¡±


    ¡°There will be time for that, I promise you. We need to help your Mum pull through.¡± She¡¯d need something to hold onto when things got bad, and Joseph wasn¡¯t it now.


    ¡°I know.¡± I helped him carry another Esky from the garage before going to help with lunch. They were doing burgers and chips, so I volunteered to work the grill. Leo and I alternated teaching through the day, and by the end of dinner, another ten wolves had joined the Pack. One of them was Joseph.


    Not everything went smoothly. With all the wolves descended from a Beta rank, the Pack didn¡¯t have the spread of dominance you¡¯d have in other Packs. The wolves started to jockey for position, and challenges not won with stares and intimidation turned to tooth and w. Leo officiated many a battle as wolves found their ce in the hierarchy.


    Only one thought to challenge Nichs, and others thinking about it changed their minds after his shift. Nichs¡¯ wolf was half again asrge as they were now, and dominance rolled off him in waves as he stalked towards a distant cousin. Wisely, that wolf rolled on his back and exposed his neck. With a grasp of his neck, Nichs had won his spot in the Pack below Leo.


    The girls and I had to be back in Melbourne tonight, but I couldn¡¯t leave until Margaret¡¯s fate was known. She¡¯d made it through the fevers and was now on a nket suffering through the bone breaks of her first shift. Her family gathered around for support as she screamed in pain with each one. ¡°She¡¯ssted longer than anyone I¡¯ve seen before. Previous bites haven¡¯t survived the fevers,¡± Ian said over the Pack link.


    ¡°Her wolf is there, and Leo is calling it out,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the difference; without an Alpha, the human and the wolf fight each other until both die.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy, but two hourster, a small ck and white wolfy on the nket, panting to catch her breath. Leo brought her into the Pack, and we all weed her while she recovered. I had Craig feed her some raw steaks he¡¯d cut up for her as he scratched her ears.


    I was happy as we drove back to town, knowing the death penalty for Fiona was off the table. I promised Margaret that I¡¯d help her find her mate while her divorce was going through. She didn¡¯t want to stay in Melbourne; she wanted to see the world. Her mate was likely to be older, perhaps widowed, and that narrowed down the possibilities.


    It had been a long day, I thought, as I fell asleep in my mate¡¯s arms.

 SHARKBAIT #126

    Nichs found out pretty quick that wake-up sex just wasn¡¯t going to happen. When I woke to an rm, I looked a mess and felt worse. I pushed his arm away, stumbling my way to the bathroom. I nced at the dried drool on my cheek and my unruly hair before washing my face and pulling the hair into a ponytail.


    I traded ces with him and dressed in my running clothes. The four of us needed to keep up the cardio training, so it was an early-morning run before we had to leave for the television studio. With Fiona unavable, Nichs was my primary security, with Carly watching from the car. I¡¯d keep him close, treating him like a new boyfriend for the cameras. No human would know we were more than married already.


    The twins had asked about a running course, loading it into their watches before leaving. They set a good pace, and we finished the ten-kilometer run before the sun came up. I was impressed; Nichs kept up with us, and the girls were in far better shape than at the beginning of the summer.


    I ran into the shower first when we got back to our room. I¡¯d just finished my hair when my mate opened the curtain and stepped in with me. He looked bright and chipper while I was still yawning. ¡°We got up at four-thirty in the morning. How can you be so awake?¡±


    ¡°Doctors and fishermen both start their days before sunrise,¡± he said.


    ¡°Models and television personalities don¡¯t,¡± I said, moaning as he started massaging my shoulders from behind. ¡°That feels so good.¡± He continued down my back as I stretched to loosen up after the run. It wasn¡¯t just the bond telling me he wanted to go back to bed, but if we did, we¡¯d miss breakfast.


    I NEVER missed breakfast. I¡¯d get up, eat, and go back to bed if I needed more sleep.


    We got dressed and met the rest of our team downstairs for breakfast. I was heading to the Channel 7 studio for The Morning Show, a national talk show like Good Morning America in the States. Amy was going on two local news programs. The twins were staying at the hotel, calling into a half-dozen radio morning shows to hype our appearances at SeaLife Aquarium Melbourne and two surf shops.


    We loaded into the limo for the short drive to the downtown studio. Along the way, Mercedes briefed me on the morning show personalities and what the topics would likely be. She had a dress in a garment bag for me and handed Nichs a memory stick. ¡°This is from your Brisbane appearances,¡± she told us. ¡°Thirty seconds of you guys on the beach and meeting fans, and a few minutes Linda did underwater on your dives. They may or may not y it depending on where they want the interview to go. They are entertainers, not hard news, so I doubt they n to ambush you.¡±


    I changed in the dressing room before the makeup and hair people descended on me. While they worked, Lucy Stefanovic came to do some show prep. She was well-briefed on my foundation and my productionpany, so she asked good leading questions. ¡°Things are pretty boring today, and the viewers will love you,¡± she said. ¡°In the first segment, we¡¯ll cover your television and conservation efforts, and talk briefly about shark conservation in Australia. In the second, we¡¯d like to have some fun and y a game.¡±


    ¡°What kind of game?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it will be fun. I¡¯ll see you out there.¡± The first segment came about after the national news, weather, and sports. She did show the video from Brisbane in the background as we talked about my foundation, shark tracking, and the two documentaries I¡¯d been part of. ¡°I understand you¡¯re nning to produce content now,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I have camera operators following my group on tour for Bodyglove, and we¡¯re diving at every stop we can. It¡¯s going to be a reality show about the four of us and our adventures.¡±


    ¡°Reality show?¡± Lucy looked shocked.


    ¡°Not like THOSE reality shows,¡± I said with augh. ¡°Amy is married to a Navy man, and the rest of us have serious boyfriends, so there will be no drugs, cops, or bed-hopping. Instead, we¡¯ll be letting people into our lives and dives as we travel the world.¡±


    ¡°Lives and dives, I like that,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Is this young man be your boyfriend?¡± The producer put up a video, probably purchased from the paparazzi, of Nichs and I boogie-boarding in Brisbane.


    ¡°He is,¡± I said proudly. ¡°We¡¯re working through thenguage barrier. He¡¯s Australian, you know.¡±


    That got her tough. ¡°More with model and television personality Vicki Lawrence after the break.¡± Once we were inmercial, Lucyughed and patted my hand. ¡°You¡¯re a great interview,¡± she said. ¡°Would you mind if your boyfriend joined us for the next segment?¡±


    I looked over at Nichs in the studio audience; he was all right with it, so they quickly got him a microphone as a makeup girl dusted his face to knock down the re from his forehead. She had Nichs sit in a chair on Lucy¡¯s opposite side, while she checked to make sure the game was ready on herputer.


    The director counted in after the break, and the studio audience pped as Lucy started up again. ¡°We are back with American television personality Vicki Lawrence and her new Aussie boyfriend. Joining us is Nichs Corcoran, a medical student from Port Lincoln.¡±


    ¡°Nice to be here,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°When we saw you two arrive this morning, I knew we had to have some fun, so we¡¯re going to y a game. I will give each of you five words or phrases; for Vicki, they will be in Australian ng, and for Nichs, they will be Minnesotan. As an incentive, for each correct answer, we will donate a hundred dors to the Sharkbait Foundation for ocean research. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fair dinkum game,¡± Nichs said. ¡°No helping each other out, let¡¯s y fair.¡±


    ¡°Ya sure, ya betcha,¡± I said with a smile. We didn¡¯t talk like that in Miesville, but after Fargo came out decades ago, it was just assumed anyone from Minnesota sounded that way.


    ¡°First phrase goes to Vicki,¡± Lucy started. ¡°Arvo.¡±


    ¡°Afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Correct. Nichs, here¡¯s your phrase. ¡°For Pete¡¯s sake.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked confused, then got a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Also correct!¡± She turned back to me. ¡°Bluey.¡±


    I¡¯d heard this in Brisbane. ¡°A Jellyfish!¡±


    ¡°Correct. We also would have epted a cattle dog or a heavy wool jacket.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #127

    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s so confusing when you have the same word for three things! I told Nichs I was going to buy an Aussie-English Dictionary.¡± Iughed; this was fun.


    ¡°Back to speaking Minnesotan. Hot Dish.¡±


    Nichs was clueless. ¡°A frying pan?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lucy said. ¡°A baked casserole. Vicki, have a biscuit.¡±


    ¡°A cookie! I love my desserts,¡± I said with a smile


    ¡°Correct! Back to Nichs. Minnesota State Bird.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°A duck?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, that is the Mosquito, or a Loon if you¡¯re literal. Vicki, your word is Mozzie.¡±


    I had no idea. ¡°Someone from Melbourne?¡± This answer got the audienceughing.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry, that is ALSO a mosquito.¡± Crap. ¡°Nichs, your word is Skol.¡±


    He was thinking hard. ¡°Someone said that at the party. Cheers?¡±


    ¡°Correct! Vicki, yourst word is Pash.¡±


    I smiled at this one. ¡°A kiss?¡±


    ¡°Correct! Last one for Nichs. Have a bar.¡±


    He closed his eyes. ¡°Chocte?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it means a pan cookie or brownie,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°This is whymunication is so difficult,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I¡¯m learning fast, though. I love Australia!¡±


    ¡°And Australia loves you. You also earned six hundred dors for your Foundation; the screen is showing the information for the Sharkbait Foundation if anyone else would like to donate. Where can people meet you today?¡± I talked through our scheduled appearances, thanked her, and then it was off tomercial.


    ¡°That was great!¡± I got up and hugged Nichs. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got three of five!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing research too,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you for having us, Lucy.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. I¡¯d like to interview you again if you¡¯re back in Australia again.¡±


    I looked at Nichs and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure that will happen. No matter what, I have your contact information, and maybe we can do something when the shows areing out featuring Australia?¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely.¡±


    The aquarium appearance was pretty standard, but it was fun meeting the kids and signing photos with the other girls. The two appearances were well-attended, and Mercedes was pleased. It had been a good day, and we were tired by the time we left the second store.


    Our day was far from done, though. We had a conference call with Leo, Steven, and the others right after dinner, and I was hungry. We found a barbecue restaurant on the South Bank called San Anton by Bludsoe¡¯s BBQ, and it was pretty good. It served American-style barbecue with ribs and brisket, but the sauces had a unique Aussie twist to them. I was curious and spent some time talking to the owner about my second-favorite subject after sharks.


    I was rxing in my meata on the way back to the hotel when my phone rang. I didn¡¯t recognize the number; it was in New York State. Few people had my personal phone number. ¡°Hello?¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice answered. ¡°Vicki, it¡¯s Bonnie Carver. I hear congrattions are in order.¡±


    ¡°Luna Carver?¡± Bonnie was the mate of Lnd Carver, Chairman of the North American Council. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but about what?¡±


    ¡°Finding your mate, of course! It was good thinking with the whole ¡®cut my shoulder on a rock¡¯ bit, but he¡¯s sporting a matching bite under that shirt of his if you look carefully. He¡¯s a strong and handsome young man; you¡¯re a lucky girl!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± My mind was racing; thanks to all the paparazzi, hiding my mating bite didn¡¯t work as I hoped. I wasn¡¯t ready for this conversation at all.


    ¡°I was hoping to learn more about his family, but there is no Nichs Corcoran on any of our Pack rosters. Is he a human? A rogue? Are you changing him without permission?¡±


    Oh. Shit. ¡°My leaders are fully aware of the circumstances, Luna. Thank you for calling, and you¡¯re right. I¡¯m a lucky girl who cannot talk of this now because I have no privacy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter, then. Lnd has questions of his own.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Luna.¡± I hung up and immediately called Leo, informing him about what just happened.


    I¡¯d hoped we would have months to settle things down with the Corcoran family before the Council got involved, and I hadn¡¯t wanted to announce my mating until the Council Summit.


    Poof.


    There went THOSE ns.


    Nichs and I hurried up to our room, where my Mom and Amy joined us for the conference call. I saw Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn on one camera, Adrienne was on the second, and the third had Unky Leo and Ian Corcoran. ¡°Hi everyone,¡± I said. ¡°Did the Council call?¡±


    ¡°I got a call from Chairman Carver about two minutes after I got the message from Leo,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°He said he was disappointed that he had to learn about the mating of a Mantled Alpha Heir from wolves watching social media instead of from her Alpha.¡±


    ¡°How did you handle that?¡± Bosses hated looking bad when they didn¡¯t have information.


    ¡°I told them that you had requested privacy due to your unique situation. After all, you are halfway around the world in a high-profile job among humans. You barely had time toplete the mating before rushing off to your nextmitment. I may have promised a party to celebrate at ater time once you return to the United States.¡± That seemed fair. ¡°After that, he was questioning whether you would continue in my Pack or return to Miesville. I told him you only changed because you were living with Amy and Kai¡¯s younger sisters; if you moved out on your own with your new mate, you¡¯d likely go back to Miesville. That seemed to satisfy him for now,¡±


    ¡°I can live with that. Thank you, Alpha. I¡¯m d I left the political stuff to you.¡± Thest thing I wanted was a bunch of Werewolf Council poking around in my business. It was far too early to expose Nichs¡¯ family to the other Packs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be that easy,¡± Leo said with a sigh. ¡°I got a call from the Chairman next. He knows Nichs isn¡¯t on any Pack roster with the American or European Councils. No Corcorans are active in any Pack, including in Irnd. He¡¯s not on the list of known rogues, and he wants me to find out why.¡±


    ¡°How long can you hold him off,¡± Adrienne said.


    Leo shrugged. ¡°A few days?¡±


    ¡°You may not have that long,¡± she replied. ¡°One phone call and I was able to find Philip Corcoran in the European Pack Archives. Someone is going to say that if he¡¯s not in the archives, maybe his father or grandfather was. It¡¯s all electronic, and if they ask the same archivist? They¡¯ll find out that I found out the answers first, and didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°If they start pulling strings, we are screwed,¡± Ian said. ¡°They don¡¯t even have toe here. They can use public records in Australia to trace our families and identify every Corcoran back to Colonial times.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t allow the Council to take over down here,¡± I said with panic in my voice. ¡°You know what they think about humans who know our secret! They¡¯ll want them killed, or forced toplete the change!¡±


    ¡°The Council can have investigators and enforcers down there in a day,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Hell, they might already be on the way. By the time they arrive, they¡¯ll have names and addresses of every rtive to Nichs Corcoran they can find. A rental car and a few days, and they¡¯ll know two things. One, there are a lot of humans among them, and two, most of them are in the Miesville Pack. That fact ces both groups under the authority of the North American Council.¡±


    Ian looked confused. ¡°Our ancestor hailed from Irnd, so shouldn¡¯t it be the European Pack that has authority?¡±


    Adrienne shook her head, no. ¡°They would like to im credit, and if they had found the Corcorans before Sharkbait did, that would have been the case. The problem is that there was no Alpha in Australia, and the Corcorans never formed a Pack structure. Legally, the Wicklow Pack ceased to exist centuries ago.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #128

    I thought about it for a minute, but it was Nichs who came up with the answer first. ¡°The only reason the North American council has jurisdiction is that the Miesville Pack is part of that Council?¡±


    Unka Leo nodded. ¡°And since I imed the Corcorans as my Pack, I also im the territory and the problems.¡±


    ¡°Seems pretty simple, then,¡± Nichs said. ¡°Vicki and I be Alphas of our new Pack, and you are only here along with her family and friends to help us get established.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s genius,¡± Adrienne said with a grin. ¡°Technically, Vicki is going to her mate¡¯s Pack, which is not under the jurisdiction of either Council. Nothing forces Vicki to join the North American Council; with her history with them, it¡¯s understandable why she would refuse. The Europeans could offer to restore the Corcoran Pack, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re nning to return to Irnd.¡± She looked at Nichs. ¡°Right? I mean, is there any thought about moving away from Australia?¡±


    ¡°Nobody here is saying anything about doing more than visiting,¡± Ian said. ¡°Our family has been here since Sydney was a foothold on the continent. We have homes, rtives, and jobs. We love it here.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Nichs said. ¡°I¡¯d move anywhere to be with Vicki if it was just us, but it won¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°And the needs of the Packe first,¡± I said. It was a lesson Leo and Adrienne had taught me early and often. ¡°Does the Council know that Leo is Alpha right now?¡±


    ¡°No, but it will be obvious once they get here,¡± Leo said.


    I hated to miss a dive day, especially in Australia. Tomorrow we were filming a dive with big Great Whites, and I had to pass. ¡°Amy and the girls will film without me tomorrow. Nichs and I will drive back first thing tomorrow morning, and we can do the handover of the Pack. That way, you aren¡¯t Alpha the next time the Council calls.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready for this, Vicki?¡± Mom was hugging me from the side. Bing an Alpha was a big fucking deal! Taking over this Pack meant I wouldn¡¯t be heir to the Miesville Pack or the Stillwater Pack anymore. We¡¯d make our home here in South Australia, a thirty-hour flight from home. Every n for my life was no good anymore; everything from my foundation to my yacht to our new research vessel was on the other side of the world. Add to that our responsibility for the lives of about eighty people.


    Nothing in my life would ever be the same.


    I¡¯d be a mated Alpha beforepleting my first college ss.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known it was a possibility, but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen this way,¡± I said.


    ¡°Luna puts us where she needs us to be, not always where we expect to be,¡± Steven said. ¡°She chose Nichs as your mate, and she kept these wolves hidden from the world until you found them. I have every confidence in your ability to lead them.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t turn a Pack over to someone I didn¡¯t trust,¡± Leo said. ¡°We both knew this had to happen sooner orter.¡±


    I nodded at that. Adrienne was next. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who CAN stand up to the councils, Vicki. You have good reason to be wary of the North American Council, and you¡¯ve stood up to them before. You can stop their investigations in their tracks, legally, by dering your territory and banning wolves from entry without permission.¡±


    ¡°Eight AM Melbourne time is six PM Eastern time, three PM Pacific,¡± I said. ¡°Adrienne, can you set up a conference call with the Council and interested North American Alphas for that time? Hell, invite the European Council, even though it will be around midnight for them,¡± I asked.


    ¡°What is the subject?¡±


    ¡°Tell them I will be taking my ce as a Pack Alpha,¡± I said. ¡°That should get some interest.¡±


    She smiled at that; I¡¯m sure the rumors of their retirement from the Miesville Pack would be flying around. In any case, my fame and wealth meant there would be great interest in the announcement. ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± my Aunt said. ¡°This is going to be fun to watch.¡±


    I had no doubt that would be the case. ¡°Show up with your popcorn and snacks,¡± I teased. It was time to get serious. ¡°I want to know what is happening to Warrior Fiona before I take over the Pack,¡± I said. ¡°She is my friend, and I don¡¯t want to sit in judgment of her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Steven about that after we finish here,¡± Leo said. ¡°She is still a member of the Three Sisters Pack.¡±


    ¡°I do need to know your intentions with her,¡± Steven said. ¡°Her mate will be in your Pack, and she works for you.¡±


    ¡°I want her back,¡± I said. ¡°She lost control of her wolf for a few moments, and she needs consequences for that, but I don¡¯t want her life ruined over this. I know Margaret doesn¡¯t want that, either.¡±


    ¡°We will figure it out,¡± Leo said. ¡°You look tired. Get some sleep and get up here early; the Pack needs to be yours before the call starts.¡± We ended the call, and Mom and Amy got up.


    ¡°Great, another early morning,¡± I said as I walked with them to our door.


    ¡°Quit bitching! You were getting up early anyway to go shark diving,¡± Amy teased.


    ¡°Getting up to catch the helicopter ride out to the Great Australian Bight is a lot easier to wake up for,¡± I said with a frown. ¡°Have fun without me.¡±


    ¡°I will, Alpha Vicki,¡± she said, escaping out the door before I could catch her.


    ¡°Goodnight, baby,¡± Mom said. ¡°I¡¯ll ride out with you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at breakfast at six,¡± I replied. ¡°I love you, Mom.¡± She gave both of us a hug, then the door closed, and it was just the two of us left. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten seconds to strip or else,¡± I said as I put my hands on Nichs¡¯ chest.


    ¡°Or else what?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Eight. Seven.¡±


    He had his clothes off by two, and I had mine off by zero. Pushing him onto his back, I told him to keep his hands above his head, or I¡¯d stop. He moved his hands up, and I leaned over and grabbed his rapidly hardening shaft in my hand. I¡¯d been thinking of this all day.


    I started licking it from the base to the tip on the underside, then each side. My right hand was caressing those heavy balls, and I felt them jump as my left hand moved the spongy head into my mouth. ¡°Fuck,¡± he said, fighting the urge to move his hands down to me. I swirled my tongue around him as I sucked gently, then started taking him deeper. I pushed him to the back of my mouth, then swallowed around him to take him into my throat. I kept going, taking his whole length before backing off. It didn¡¯t take long until he was warning me he was about to cum.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said as I gripped the base of his cock and squeezed. I waited until the contractions passed, then slowly started to lick again. ¡°Condom?¡±


    ¡°On the table,¡± he said. I got up and pulled one out of the wrapper.


    Climbing over him, I straddled his head and lowered myself so his tongue could prepare me for more. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I said as his tongue went to work. I moved his hands up until they were on my breasts, closing my eyes and moaning as he squeezed them and pinched my nipples. It didn¡¯t take long before I went off, just the first one of many I nned on tonight.


    I moved down his body as I rolled the condom on. Holding him in ce, I let myself ease down on him until I bottomed out. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I said as he filled me again.


    ¡°That¡¯s the sexiest sight I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± he said. I grabbed onto his knees and started to move up, feeling every ridge and vein as it slid by. I dropped down faster the next time, moaning in pleasure. I wanted to make itst, but it felt too damn good. I came a second time, but I knew a bigger one wasing. Faster and faster I went until I screamed in pleasure, my body locking up as my pussy gripped him tightly.


    ¡°YES,¡± he yelled as he held my hips, pumping up into me as his orgasm hit like a freight train. He caught me as I leaned back onto his chest while we caught our breath. ¡°Wow,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah. We better shower and get some sleep.¡±


    Mated life was great.

 SHARKBAIT #129

    Linda was disappointed I wasn¡¯t going along to dive with Great Whites, but she understood I had more important things to do right now. We finished up the hotel breakfast, and Mom and I sat in the back of our borrowed SUV. Nichs drove since Ca was notfortable with driving on the left side of the road.


    During the drive, we used his phone to video conference in with the rtives who left early. Nichs let them know that we would be taking over from Leo today; since he knew them all, he did most of the talking. ¡°Events are driving us to do this earlier than we wanted, but we believe this was always the path set for us.¡± He asked them to keep an open mind, as the option to join us was always there. ¡°There are going to be a lot of changesing, as you can imagine.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Whether you formally join us or not, you¡¯re still family,¡± I said. ¡°We will still love you and protect you.¡±


    Nichs promised to keep in touch with them all, and we ended the call shortly before arriving at his great-Uncle¡¯s station in Bonnie Doon. I¡¯d let the Pack know we wereing, and they were waiting outside for us when we drove up. Leo and Joseph were at the bottom of the stairs, while the rest gathered on the porch andwn. ¡°Wee back,¡± Joseph said as he greeted us.


    ¡°Thank you; it¡¯s good to be back.¡± I saw Fiona standing stiffly in the back, her eyes down, and tears still running down her face. I looked back at Leo. ¡°What did you decide?¡±


    ¡°After discussing it with Alpha Steven and Margaret, we agreed that death and banishment were not appropriate punishments. Fiona had a chance to apologize not just to Margaret, who she harmed, but to the family members who saw it.¡± Her attack was the worst possible way to introduce new werewolves to the isted group, and Fiona made our jobs far harder. ¡°The first part of her punishment isplete; she received tenshes this morning.¡± Lashes would remove skin and leave permanent scars. ¡°She has been stripped of Pack rank for six months. She will eatst, get the worst job assignments, and work harder than anyone else during this time.¡±


    In a society where rank was everything, and you¡¯d spent years earning your spot as a warrior, the loss of a high Pack rank would be tough to take. Some wolves would choose the life of a rogue rather than the humiliation of being unranked. ¡°What about my tour?¡±


    ¡°Fiona will continue to protect you, but Ca is now in charge of your protection,¡± Leo said. ¡°Ca, that does not mean you cannot take advantage of her knowledge and experience. Fiona also understands that she is to do whatever is necessary if Vicki is in danger.¡±


    I looked back at Fiona, whose eyes met mine briefly. ¡°I will protect the Alpha with my life,¡± she vowed.


    ¡°Her sry for the next six months, minus minimal living expenses, will go to Margaret. That includes any payments for her work on shows taped during this time. In essence, Fiona will do all the work and reap none of the benefits. After six months, you may restore her position and privileges within the Pack.¡±


    It was a harsh sentence. ¡°Fiona, you have agreed to this?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sent to Leo. I knew Leo had told everyone what had happened and why he was turning the Pack over to us. I was d I didn¡¯t have to exin Councilws and politics to them. ¡°Does anyone have any questions before we do this,¡± I asked.


    There were a few, and they weren¡¯t easy to answer.


    ¡°How are we going to live as a Pack? Ian is in Port Lincoln, while we live in Tasmania,¡± a cousin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but nothing will change right away,¡± I said. ¡°Nichs still has his school in Adide, and I have my work. I n to get my Australian citizenship and settle down here. I¡¯d like to have Pack members close by where I can, but it isn¡¯t a requirement.¡±


    ¡°In my Pack, everyone lives within a twenty-minute drive of my house,¡± Leo said. ¡°We can ry the mind link to anyone in the Pack, and we gather together often. My home is the social center of our Pack. Over the years, Pack members have purchased surroundingnds, giving us more privacy and freedom of movement.¡±


    I nodded at that. ¡°I will not make moving a requirement of being in the Pack. If you want to move closer to us, we will help with that. What I can promise is that it won¡¯t be in a big city, but it will be near enough to one. I like having room to run.¡±


    ¡°Who are your Betas going to be since we are all descended from a Beta,¡± another asked.


    This one was more interesting. ¡°I will start with temporary Betas who are familiar with how a Pack runs. We are doing this because I have workmitments until Christmas, and Nichs will need help. My Mom has volunteered to stay for a few weeks, as have Hammer and Susan.¡±


    ¡°Hammer wants to be a werewolf, and he¡¯s asked me to do it down here rather than waiting until they return to Minnesota,¡± Leo said. ¡°It¡¯s one more chance for those considering the change to see what is involved.¡±


    Nichs pulled me into his side. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who is going to find a mate and change my life,¡± he said. ¡°All of you who choose to look, we will help you search for the one meant for you.¡±


    ¡°The first weekend of February, there is a gathering of North American Alphas. At this event, Beta level wolves and above of mating age attend a social function nicknamed the ¡®scratch and sniff.¡¯ The purpose is to find mates. I intend to bring up as many of you as wish to attend, and I¡¯ll request they bring unmated of ALL ranks. I expect some of you will leave for your mate¡¯s Pack, while others will bring new blood into our Pack. I¡¯ll wait until after that upheaval before I formalize any ranks.¡±


    ¡°And for a lot of you, it won¡¯t matter,¡± Nichs said. ¡°If you¡¯re living remotely with your family, nothing will change unless you visit others.¡±


    We were out of time before the phone call, so without objection, we proceeded with the transfer of the Alpha position from Leo to us. I felt the power shift and the weight of the mantle on my shoulders for the first time.


    It was a heavier burden than I had anticipated. Our wolves pushed forward, helping us shoulder the weight of our new responsibilities. ¡°We can do this,¡± my wolf assured us.


    We epted the congrattions of the Pack before heading inside to Joseph¡¯s office. Ian, Joseph, and Olivia sat outside the view of the camera, leaving me in the center with Nichs on my right and Leo on my left. I could see dozens of people had already joined the secure teleconference, which the North American Council was hosting. Chairman Carver was in a fancy conference room with four Regional Chairs, the Councilwyer, and the head of the Council Enforcers.


    I did have friendly faces in the crowd. Adrienne was representing the Miesville Pack, with her son Andrei next to her. As soon as my announcement came, everyone would know he was the Mantled Heir to the Miesville Pack. My biological father, Ivan Volkov, would lose the most. No longer could he hope that I¡¯d take over for him when he and Luna Karen retired. Instead, they would pray one of his older girls would mate an Alpha blood strong enough to defend his position. Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn were waiting, and they had a bowl of popcorn in theirp. I snorted and pointed it out to my mate; I loved those two.


    Like all Council videoconferences, there were two levels of ess. The Alphas appeared on the screen and could talk, while lower ranks could watch the feed but not participate. I adjusted my dress, making sure my mating bite was visible as the meeting started.


    ¡°This informal meeting of the North American Alpha Council wille to order,¡± Chairman Carver said as he banged a gavel. As the leader of the teleconference, everyone saw what he wanted them to see. If you wanted to talk, you had to ¡®raise your hand¡¯ in the software and be recognized; everyone was on mute by default. ¡°This is an informational meeting, so no official Council business is on the docket for today. Joining us by invitation are members of the European Council and European and Asian Alphas. Thank you, gentlemen, for staying upte enough to participate.¡±


    Lars Svensson, the European Council Chair, spoke next. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Chairman Carver. We are curious as to our involvement in this topic,¡± he said.


    ¡°Perhaps Luna Adrienne can help with that since she requested your presence on this call. Luna Adrienne?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I¡¯ll send you to Melbourne, Australia now, where my niece has an announcement to make.¡±


    Leo unmuted our microphone, and I smiled at the camera as I squeezed Nichs¡¯ hand. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Alpha Vicki Corcoran, and this is my mate, Alpha Nichs.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on your mating,¡± Chairman Carver said. ¡°It must be a wonderful feeling to take over Miesville from Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne, both of whom must be looking forward to their retirement.¡±


    I smiled and turned to Leo, who was shaking his head. ¡°You are mistaken, Mr. Chairman. Adrienne and I remain Alphas of the Miesville Pack. Our son Andrei remains our heir.¡±


    Chairman Carver smiled and unmuted Alpha Ivan. ¡°Congrattions to you and Luna Karen. You must be excited to have your daughter taking over the Stillwater Pack!¡±


    Ivan leaned forward with a grin. ¡°We aren¡¯t going anywhere, Mr. Chairman.¡±


    I waited until the Chairman turned back to me. ¡°What Pack are you two Alphas of?¡±


    ¡°The Southern Cross Pack,¡± I said. ¡°Our Pack territory incorporates the continent of Australia.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #130

    After iming all of Australia as ours, the phone call descended into bem. Chairmen were shouting at me and each other, Alphas were trying to speak, and the European Council members were outraged. ¡°Nice way to drop the bomb on them,¡± Nichs said as we sat patiently.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And it¡¯s just beginning.¡± I watched as Chairman Carver banged his gavel, trying to bring the meeting back to order. nking him on the table, I saw Midwest Regional Chairman Lewis Wolfe hold up his ss in a toast to me. I smiled back; he was a friend, and he respected the way I threw down that little nugget like it was nothing. On his outside, William Parker of the South region looked confused, while East and Mountain Chairmen Normal tt and Luke Smith looked pissed off. As long I was unimed, they could dream of matching a son with me and bringing my power into their bloodline. Now that dream has crashed down. I knew some wanted to blunt the power that Luna Adrienne and Leo wielded among the Alphas, and that wasn¡¯t happening either. Still, it was how I imed an entire damn CONTINENT for my Pack that pissed them off.


    ¡°THIS IS RIDICULOUS,¡± Chairman Smith said. ¡°Australia is fucking HUGE, and a few wolves just can¡¯t im it as their territory!¡±


    ¡°And yet we just did, and there isn¡¯t a damn thing you can do about it,¡± Nichs said evenly. He didn¡¯t know or care who these people were, and his mantled Wolf wasn¡¯t taking shit from anyone. ¡°We aren¡¯t asking for your permission. The Southern Cross Pack Alphas are INFORMING you that Australia is our territory. Under werewolfw, we have imed our borders and announced our Pack Leadership.¡±


    ¡°And we expect those borders to be respected, or consequences will result,¡± I said evenly.


    Lars Svennson interrupted the shouting among the North American Council members. ¡°Alphas, a territorial im like you¡¯ve just made has specific legal requirements for it to be valid. Perhaps we could quit carrying on like two-year-olds having a tantrum, and go through these requirements like the leaders we are supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± Chairman Carver said. The others in the room sat back in their seats as he turned to the Council Lawyer, a female in her fifties. ¡°Do you have the relevant section ofw?¡±


    ¡°I do, Mr. Chairman,¡± she said as she looked down at herptop. ¡°As you know, territorial ims can be based on discovery, usage, capture, or treaty. Thetter two are not relevant, as Packs have not fought a war over the Australian territory, nor has any treaty between Packs granted thend, so only the discovery or usage statutes are relevant to this discussion. Alpha Nichs, which is the basis of your im?¡±


    ¡°Both are,¡± my mate said evenly.


    Her eyebrow raised as she looked back to her screen. I could see how the other Council members wanted to interject, but the Chairman was holding them back, and all the Alphas had their feeds muted. He was not going to be embarrassed in front of the European Council like that again. She continued. ¡°The discovery statute requires that the iming Pack discover a territory that has never been under the jurisdiction of another Pack.

 SHARKBAIT #131

    A member of Pack leadership must im it before the leadership of at least two other Packs. The usage statute is simr, although it does not require the Pack to be first. It requires continuous upation of the imed territory by at least five Pack members for a minimum of one year with no conflicting im from another Pack.¡±


    ¡°Surely we aren¡¯t saying that visiting Australia on a jet ne is sufficient to meet this statute,¡± Chairman tt said with disdain.


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t, and don¡¯t call me Shirley.¡± He got a fewughs out of that old joke. ¡°Traveling on a sailing ship for six months in the eighteenth-century counts,¡± Nichs countered. ¡°Our Pack traces back to Philip Corcoran, a werewolf and Beta¡¯s son from the Wicklow Pack in Irnd. He was arrested and convicted of Treason in the 1898 Irish Rebellion at the age of thirteen. He joined thousands of other prisoners shipped off to Australia,nding in the Sydney colony. He earned his freedom, married, and raised a family. His descendants have continuously upied the Australian Territory ever since.¡±


    The mention of the Irish Pack caught Chairman Svensson¡¯s attention. ¡°The Corcoran Pack relocated to Australia?¡±


    ¡°The Corcoran Pack is dead, Mr. Chairman,¡± Nichs said. ¡°Philip was a Beta, and he had one son. The English wiped out his entire Pack between the rebellion and the reprisals. A check of the European Pack records showed that he had no living rtives, which he found out for himself in the early 1800s. We are not reiming that Pack name, nor are we cing ourselves under the dominion of the European Council. We are not North American, European, or Asian, and we are the only Pack in existence in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia does not fall under the dominion of your Councils; we do not ask for nor desire your help.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The rejection had Chairman Carver leaning forward, holding back his anger. ¡°Miss Lawrence was under the North American Council! That puts your Pack under our authority as well,¡± he stated firmly.


    ¡°It does not,¡± I said. ¡°Nichs did not join my Pack, nor did I form a Pack in North America. I joined Nichs¡¯s pack in Australia. When a female goes to her Mate¡¯s Pack, the Pack and Council she came from cannot retain oversight or rights to her. It has ALWAYS been that way.¡±


    Carver looked over at hiswyer, who nodded her head slightly, telling him I was right. He looked back towards the camera. ¡°You have a mantle, and he didn¡¯t. By rights, he should be joining you in the Miesville Pack.¡±


    ¡°That is a convention, not aw. Circumstances allow for the newly mated pair to make their own decision. It was not in the best interests of his Pack to be ruled from an Alpha seven thousand miles away, and they did not want to relocate to America. The only choice I had was to join his Pack as I did.¡±


    ¡°Howrge is your Pack? Who is in it?¡±


    ¡°I would rather not say, as the number is still changing. After centuries of living here, it¡¯s far more than five,¡± I said. ¡°I am not required to submit a Pack roster to you, and I have no ns to do so.¡±


    ¡°I can attest that Nichs and Vicki meet the minimum requirements for a Pack under thews of either Council,¡± Leo said evenly. ¡°Not that she is subject to either, of course.¡±


    I just smiled at that. ¡°Unfortunately, this is a busy time for our new Pack. As such, we will not be entertaining visitors or granting ess to our territory for at least a few months. I would remind you all that prior permission from myself or Alpha Nichs will be required before any werewolves enter Australia.¡±


    Chairman tt was so red it looked like he might stroke out. ¡°This ispletely uneptable. No Pack is outside the jurisdiction of the Councils! You can¡¯t let them hide out down there and pretend our Councils don¡¯t exist!¡±


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s been that way for centuries,¡± I said. ¡°This Pack got along just fine without you, and it doesn¡¯t need you now.¡± My statement caused another round of shouting; the Council hadn¡¯t been my friend, and they weren¡¯t going to bully me now.


    ¡°Mates,¡± Chairman Wolfe said, and that quieted everyone in the room. ¡°There must be werewolves in your Pack looking for mates.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I was not the only one to find my Mate in this Pack. I intend to help them find their matches after they have learned the basics of Pack life as we all know it. As you can imagine, with no contact with outside werewolves for centuries, it¡¯s going to take a while to get them ready. With that, I will let you go. We have a lot of work ahead of us today, and our business here isplete.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Chairman Svensson said. ¡°I would like to offer the services of the European Council Archivist to help you research the history and lineage of the Wicklow Pack. You also have my support if you wish to reim your ancestralnds in Irnd and return home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the archivist, but no to the reiming,¡± Nichs said. ¡°We are Australians, and always will be.¡±


    Lars nodded at that. ¡°When you visit, we¡¯ll show you all we can of your heritage. Your ancestor was a strong man to survive all that, and you¡¯ve kept this secret from everyone, including us, for centuries. When you are ready, we will be happy to wee you back to the rest of the werewolf world.¡±


    I needed to bring this to an end before it got out of hand. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, fellow Alphas. Have a good day.¡± I ended the call before anyone could say anything, switching to the Pack-level feed that Leo had the codes to ess. We could listen in and see the reactions as they argued back and forth.


    The arguments continued for twenty more minutes with three major factions. The first, mostly in North America, wanted that Council to bring the Southern Cross Pack into its jurisdiction by any means necessary. The second centered around the Europeans and wanted to wait things out until we would voluntarily join a Council. Thest group ate popcorn andughed at how much trouble an eighteen-year-old part-time college student could stir up without even trying. They wanted to know if their mates were in the Southern Cross Pack all along.


    ¡°How did we do, Uncle Leo?¡±


    He ended the feed and turned to me. ¡°You kicked over the ho¡¯s nest, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m d you stepped up when you did, or this could have gone differently.¡±


    ¡°iming the whole Continent was the key,¡± Mom said. ¡°If you had just imed Southern Australia and Victoria, the Council would send a small Pack to im Queennd, maybe another to Western Australia. Those Packs would be under the North American Council, and they could use that to force you into their council as well.¡±


    ¡°Any attempt to nt a Pack in Australia now would be an act of war,¡± Leo said. ¡°Loving, brilliant, and driven. You¡¯re my favorite niece.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Unky.¡±


    ¡°You need to get back out there with your Pack,¡± Leo told me. ¡°You don¡¯t have a lot of time to get to know them, and those bonds are important.¡±


    He was right, and not just about the Pack bonds. I still had a month of touring left, and I¡¯d have to leave Nichs behind to do Alpha stuff. ¡°Ca, I need to free up some blocks of time to visit Pack members and be with my mate. Talk to Linda and Mercedes and see what kind of flexibility we have in terms of dates and travel. See what Linda thinks about having more adventure days with me sitting out, too.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #132

    ¡°I¡¯ll get on the phone,¡± she said. As our security, she had all of the details avable to her.


    ¡°I have to get to the airport and pick up Hammer and Susan,¡± Ian said. ¡°We should all get going.¡±


    I let the others leave, telling Nichs I¡¯d be with him shortly and pulled Joseph aside. ¡°How are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± he said. ¡°Margaret is filing for divorce today; I hope we can keep them civil, but even with that, it will take four to six months before it is official. Fiona refuses to mate with me while under punishment, and she hardly has time to sleep.¡± I could imagine; she was the ¡®dirty little jobs wolf¡¯ in a Pack where many med her for splitting up a happy marriage. Right now, we were limiting her tasks while her back healed, but that wouldn¡¯tst. I¡¯m sure people were thinking up all kinds of unpleasant things for her to do. ¡°It hurts me to see her in pain.¡±


    ¡°It will get better. When Margaret finds a mate and more Pack members find theirs, they will understand why it had to happen,¡± I told him as I pulled him into a hug. ¡°Every time you see or talk to Fiona, tell her that you love her, and you are proud of her. A lesser wolf wouldn¡¯t have the strength to do what she is doing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Luna,¡± he said as he stepped back. ¡°I think I¡¯ll do that right now.¡±


    I spent the next few hours talking with my Pack members and getting to know them. It was a lot of fun hearing about their homes and lives, but I could sense their fear of the changesing. Everyone came out to meet Hammer and Susan when they arrived with Ian, a fresh mating bite disyed on Hammer¡¯s neck. ¡°Congrattions,¡± I said as I hugged them both. I pulled his shirt aside to get a good look at the scabs. ¡°Last night?¡±


    ¡°Late afternoon. We wanted to time it so the fever wouldn¡¯t start on the ne, but we weren¡¯t up all night with the change,¡± Susan replied.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to keep you up past thete news,¡± I teased. ¡°We¡¯ve still got the tub out back, so we¡¯ll organize for ice.¡±


    ¡°No worries, the Eskys are in the back,¡± Ian said. I got a couple of the boys to haul them out back while we walked back inside to introduce them to everyone.


    After lunch, I gathered all of the humans with Olivia, Hammer, and Margaret. I started by reviewing what the Councilws were about humans, and how my actions this morning ensured they didn¡¯t apply to the Southern Cross Pack. ¡°The Councils are paranoid about humans finding out about us, but you¡¯ve managed to live for centuries without their rules,¡± I said. ¡°If you are happily married, nothing needs to change right away. Your husband and your children will be Pack, and you will be too, except the whole mind link and furry butt stuff.¡± This crack earned me a few chuckles. ¡°We¡¯ve also decided to make a few changes in how we handle your husbands if you stay together. I think we all understand the risks of making the change are too high, even if your husband takes you as a choice mate after.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We decided our ns might help wolves in other Packs, but it would be at your expense,¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe I can help,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Let¡¯s say you decide not to change anything; you stay married, and you stay human. Vicki was trying to help the fated mate your husband was abandoning to tell her she should look elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that simple, of course,¡± I said. ¡°For your husband¡¯s intended to get a new mate, he needs to reject her, and that has to be in person. It doesn¡¯t matter whether we send him or his clothing around; at some point, he¡¯ll have to look her in the eyes and reject her for you to break the potential bond.¡±


    ¡°And we all saw what Joseph did when he found his mate,¡± Margaret continued. ¡°It may not matter how much you love each other, not when his wolf ising forward to im what is his. He could leave you for her, just like Joseph did, and it¡¯s not his fault. It¡¯s what his wolf is demanding of him. A mate is THAT important to a wolf.¡±


    Olivia picked it up next. ¡°Let¡¯s say we send his shirt overseas, his mate recognizes the scent, but he doesn¡¯t go. She doesn¡¯t get a second chance mate without the rejection, and if she takes a choice mate, it might be someone¡¯s fated. It wouldn¡¯t shock me if she tried to show up at your doorstep and confront him directly.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do,¡± one asked.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I didn¡¯t want to say these things, but I had to. ¡°Think carefully about what you want. If you aren¡¯t happy in your marriage, cut your man free. Divorce him and let him find his mate. I will make sure you are taken care of in the settlement, along with your children, and you keep the secret to protect your family.¡±


    ¡°And if we are happy? If we want to live the rest of our lives together?¡±


    ¡°We do have to consider the fated mate in this case.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°There is only one other way to break the potential bond he has with her. His wolf has to die.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #133

    ¡°Die?¡± My statement shocked the women in the room, and Sally in front was the first to speak it. ¡°That¡¯s necessary?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at it from the perspective of his fated mate,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s only cut free to find another if your husband takes another wolf as his mate, or his wolf dies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but screw her,¡± Bevery said. She was a young woman, married only three years, with a baby girl almost a year old. ¡°We don¡¯t know her, and we don¡¯t have any obligation to her. I don¡¯t mind sending Hank¡¯s shirt over, so she knows he isn¡¯t iming her, but I¡¯m not taking away his wolf for anyone.¡± Many of the women nodded at this, and I understood why. They had to love their spouse enough to ept his wolf, and they knew how important it was to him.


    ¡°Letting her know that way has to be better than not knowing at all, which is where we were until you showed up,¡± Debbie said. ¡°I¡¯m less worried about his fated mate than I am about myself. I know you said you¡¯d protect me, but we¡¯ve also learned what the Councils think about humans with knowledge of your kind. They are going to figure it out as soon as they start digging into our family trees.¡±


    Shit. I hadn¡¯t thought of that. Tracing back the line of the Corcoran family would show all the branches that were grafted in by marriage. Since no other wolves were around, they¡¯d have to be human. ¡°They¡¯ll have a list of you by nightfall,¡± I said softly. ¡°The Councils can¡¯t do anything about us immediately, except to learn all they can about your lineage. I bet the investigators are already digging into public records.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all going to show up; marriage certificates, birth records, census records, property purchases, employment, everything,¡± Olivia said. ¡°We have to assume they will have a list, and it¡¯s not realistic to assume they don¡¯t know. If you have children that shift, you¡¯d HAVE to know.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say you¡¯re gone, and one of these Council types shows up at my doorstep,¡± Sally said. ¡°What are they going to do?¡±


    My blood ran cold at this. ¡°The Enforcers would kill you on sight to protect the secret,¡± I concluded. ¡°That is Councilw on the matter.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this would happen right away,¡± Olivia said. ¡°After all, you just found out about the Council, and they will give you some time to ¡®do the right thing¡¯ and take care of the problem. It¡¯s when they conclude you won¡¯t handle it yourself that they might send people to do it. It would be against Packw toe onto our territory, but humans are not Pack, so killing them would only have recourse in the human system. They could even send other humans or vampires to do it for them.¡± She shook her head as she looked at me. ¡°You¡¯ll be under a lot of pressure to resolve the problems without your help.¡±


    Sally stood up and faced me. ¡°Harry and I talked about thisst night, and we made our decision.¡± She pulled her shirt aside, showing the scab from his bite on her shoulder. ¡°I want to be like him. I want to be able to protect our children, and I want him to be happy. Once I make the turn, Harry is going to take me as his mate.¡±


    You could hear a pin drop. Louise stood up next, showing the bite on her neck. ¡°I asked Ted to change me. I want to run next to my mate and feel the bond that you have.¡±


    I looked between the two. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what a change looks like, and you know what the odds are, and you still want to proceed?¡±


    They both nodded, and Louise responded first. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to make sure he is mine forever. If I stay human, there¡¯s the possibility his true mate finds him someday and takes him away. All of you will be wondering the same, plus you¡¯ll have to worry about people wanting you dead for what you know. Vicki hasn¡¯t said it, but I will. Taking your husband¡¯s wolf away won¡¯t keep you safe from the Council; it just gives them two humans to kill instead of one.¡± She let that sink in; I couldn¡¯t argue with her logic. ¡°Even if you divorce him, the Councils will know who you are and what you know. You¡¯ll still be in danger, but without the Pack to protect you. Ted and I went through all the possibilities, and the BEST one, the ONLY one with a chance for both of us to have a happy life, was to turn me. The mate bond is forever if I live, and the problem goes away if I don¡¯t.¡±


    The women in the room looked at me. ¡°Can you protect us from the Council,¡± one finally asked.


    ¡°I can try,¡± I said honestly. ¡°It would be difficult. We aren¡¯t like some Packs with a small, defined territory and everyone living in the same building, or at least the sameplex. We have families scattered across three states, and no groupsrger than ten. If the Council decides to send in Enforcers to remove humans from my Pack right now, it would be hard to stop.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to lie to my Pack, ever. ¡°That¡¯s why in the long term, we need toe together as a cohesive unit in one area.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I want ess to the ocean, ess tond to run in, and enoughnd to ensure our privacy. How we achieve that, we¡¯ll figure out as a Pack.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    We talked for another half hour, stopping when Louise started to get the fever. I was shocked that the two went ahead, but there was nothing to do now but support them through their change. ¡°If anyone else is thinking about this, please don¡¯t take a bite now. I have to leave tomorrow morning for Perth, and I wouldn¡¯t be here to help you shift.¡± I looked at the two. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone before now?¡±


    ¡°It was always our decision to make,¡± Louise said.


    Tonight would be a lot of work with three humans changing at the same time. Mom, as always, went for the practical aspects. ¡°Joseph said to use the hot tub for the ice bath, but we¡¯re going to need a LOT more ice. He¡¯s sending some of the boys into town now.¡± The four-person portable spa was a better idea than more cattle tanks; it was insted and big enough to submerge the three. ¡°Take Louise and Sally, get them into suits, and bring them outside. We¡¯ve got a lot of work to do.¡±


    That was for sure. Math told me that there was a one-in-eight chance that all three would make it through the change, the same chance as all three dying tonight. I couldn¡¯t imagine the damage it would do to Susan and my new Pack if none made it. I walked outside on my own, finding a spot in the trees a few hundred yards from the house where I could think. ¡°Luna, I need your help here,¡± I prayed. ¡°You¡¯ve given me all these humans, and I want them all to live. I don¡¯t know if I can do this if half of them die, or the Council goes after the ones who don¡¯t make the change.¡± I wasn¡¯t a mystic or a priestess; I never saw Luna or heard her words, and I didn¡¯t know what her answer would be. Luna gave me Nichs as my second chance mate, and that meant exposing his family to the rest of the werewolf world. I had to believe it wouldn¡¯t end in tragedy.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I smelled Nichs before he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me back into his hard chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± I confessed. ¡°We opened Pandora¡¯s box, and there¡¯s no easy way to fix everything.¡±


    ¡°Events will have to run their course,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s like a viral infection; you can¡¯t stop it or cure it. All you can do is treat the symptoms, and hope the patient survives. It¡¯s not a reflection on you or your leadership, because there is nothing you can do to fix centuries of istion.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #134

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry,¡± I said. ¡°When I was five, I was living with my grandmother and my Mom. My biological father was the werewolf who got my Mom pregnant, and they didn¡¯t know what I was. Leo was the one who found me and brought me into Pack life.¡± I snuggled back into him as I talked. ¡°Mom was in the same situation as these wives are now. As a human, she would have to decide if she loved Brent enough to risk the coin flip of death. The attack took the choice from her, but I think she would have made it anyway. His love was that strong.¡±


    ¡°The lucky ones in this Pack are the ones who didn¡¯t marry,¡± Nichs replied. ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t allow myself to fall in love with a human. I¡¯m finally seeing the wisdom of how our female wolves lived, rarely taking a mate, and only getting pregnant on random hookups they¡¯d never see again. They are the ones who get to find their mates without entanglements, and experience what I have now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been praying for the humans in our Pack,¡± I said. His arms on my body set my skin aze, and my desire for him was rising by the moment. I wanted him. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside for a bit and have some fun,¡± I said huskily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shift and run as wolves,¡± he said. ¡°We haven¡¯t done that yet.¡± He pulled my shirt off, setting it over a branch, then started to strip himself. A minuteter, our clothes were hanging out, and we were rubbing our faces together as wolves. His wolf was slightly bigger than mine, the result of the Alpha mantle he now had. His glossy ck fur was a contrast to my silver and white. ¡°Our pups could have all kinds of interesting patterns,¡± I thought out loud to him.


    ¡°cktip reef sharks?¡±


    I chuffed at the thought, then shook my head. It wasn¡¯t the time for puppy dreaming. ¡°I could use a good run,¡± I told him.


    **************


    ¡°We can¡¯t go off our property in the daytime, but there¡¯s a good trail away from the neighbors.¡± He took off slowly, then as we warmed up, he elerated to a sprint. He was in good shape, but I had no trouble pacing him. He took me down the trails, up and around the low hills and scrub, as we ran the property. I saw a creek on our right, and we followed it until it widened into a deep pool. Nichs didn¡¯t slow as we ran side by side. ¡°Let¡¯s swim,¡± he said, both of us leaping into the air at the edge of the pool and shifting in midair.


    I didn¡¯t know how deep it was, so I turned the jump into a shallow dive,nding a good five yards from the bank. The water was cold and deep, more than I could touch as I started to tread water. I shook my hair out and moved into Nichs¡¯ arms. ¡°Nice,¡± I said.


    ¡°This was always my favorite spot as a kid,¡± he said as he pulled me towards a smooth rock below the surface, one he must have known about because you couldn¡¯t see it. I ended up straddling his waist as he pulled me close. ¡°I dreamed of this moment.¡±


    ¡°You dreamed of me?¡±


    ¡°I dreamed I¡¯d get to show this ce to the woman I loved, and I dreamed we would bring our children here to swim and y as wolves.¡± I moved forward, my arms pulling him close as my body molded to his. ¡°This is better than a dream.¡±


    The cold water couldn¡¯t cool his arousal, and I could feel him swelling between our bodies. I wanted him just as much; shifting in hisp, I started rubbing my sex along his length, making him groan in pleasure. We kissed deeply as his hands cupped my ass, and he moved me up until his tip was at my entrance. ¡°Please,¡± I asked.


    The contrast between the cold water and his warm shaft made me hypersensitive to his movements. I moaned as the broad tip pushed inside; I wanted it all, but he was taking it slow. He eased me down, sometimes lifting me slightly before lowering me to take another inch. I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to pull him further. Finally, I moaned into his mouth as he bottomed out. ¡°So good,¡± he said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Take me,¡± I begged him. He started moving me up and down his shaft, making me feel every ridge, every vein along the way. ¡°MORE!¡±


    Holding me tight, he stood up, bringing our hips out of the water. He kept a grip on my ass, but now he started to pound up into me as I held on. ¡°YEAH, TAKE ME,¡± I yelled out as I held on for dear life. I came hard, screaming my release to the wilderness, then came once more before he stopped. He pulled me off him, setting me on my feet and turning me around.


    ¡°Hold on to the rock,¡± he said.


    I bent over, finding the surface below the water just before his big cock mmed into me from behind. I moaned in pleasure as he pounded into me, pushing me into an even stronger release. I could feel him building to his own, and that¡¯s when I realized the problem.


    We were unprotected.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, making him stop. I turned around, sinking to my knees. ¡°Let me finish you this way.¡±


    I took his throbbing member into my mouth, tasting my juices and the creek water. He was close to the edge, and I knew just how to push him over. I used a hand to start jacking his shaft at the base while I moved the tip around in my mouth. I could feel him tense, and his balls pulled up, and his cock swelled, a moment before the explosion came.


    ¡°YES,¡± he yelled as I took him deep into my throat, letting the pulses of his hot cum go right to my stomach. When I released him, he fell backward into the cold water. I licked my lips and watched as he floated on his back; this man was MINE, and I loved him.


    I did have to be more careful about birth control, though. My human side wanted to wait until things settled down, while my wolf wanted it all now. Having a pup was the natural result of finding your mate, and her instincts drove her to get pregnant. It was for that reason that we hadn¡¯t made love in wolf form yet, as I wasn¡¯t on birth control, and you couldn¡¯t put a condom on with your paws. If he had mounted me on our run, we¡¯d be on the train to Pupsville before his knot disengaged.


    I didn¡¯t worry about that now, but I resolved to talk to Mom about other options. We rxed for a few minutes in the water, letting our bodies recover.


    ¡°Alphas, lunch will be served soon,¡± Fiona sent to us.


    ¡°We¡¯reing, thank you,¡± Nichs replied.


    ¡°We just did,¡± Iughed as I stood up.


    My stomach growled, making himugh too. ¡°Let¡¯s feed you before you waste away to nothing.¡± I could feel his eyes on me as I walked out. I wasn¡¯t shy about my body; I was a swimsuit model, so I was used to people looking at me with lust in their eyes. This look was different; I could feel his emotions as we shook off the water. He couldn¡¯t believe how blessed he was by our mating, and I felt the same. I wanted him all the time, and circumstances didn¡¯t allow it. He could feel my regret at getting out. ¡°Make the most of the time together, because that¡¯s all we can do until we¡¯re never apart.¡±


    I had to agree. My modeling contract had been my big break, and I loved my work, but I hated that it would be taking me away from Nichs and the home we¡¯d build. We shifted and ran back to where our clothes were, getting back to the house right as the line was opening. The barbies were going, and thin steaks wereing off. ¡°Line up and eat,¡± Fiona called out as she set buns and cut vegetables out.


    Lunch was steak sandwiches, mine topped with mushrooms and ground horseradish, along with chips and dipping veggies. We took our food over to one of the outside tables, and I watched as the rest of the Pack lined up. Most of the jockeying for position was over, so it went smoothly. I could see everyone ncing towards the hot tub, where three people were in the grip of the fevers. Olivia and Leo were over there, and they would need to eat. I finished my food, washed up, and went to relieve them. ¡°Go eat. Fiona can¡¯t eat until you do,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re charting their temperatures, next set is due in ten minutes,¡± Olivia said as she pointed to the infrared thermometer and clipboard. I looked as they walked over to the food line, and no one above a hundred and two yet. It would get a lot worse.


    Nichs and I stayed with the three for the rest of the night. There wasn¡¯t the same sense of dread in the Pack as when Margaret was changing. Now, they knew it could be different than a painful death.


    Hammer was the first to make it through, and his wolf was heavily muscled, with fur a mix of ck, white, and sand. His dominance level was below ours, but not by much. He was a dominant Beta, perhaps as strong as a non-mantled Alpha blood, and a good match in power to Susan. The pair was easily strong enough to lead a Pack if they chose.


    We had to revive Louise once after her heart stopped, but both of them made it through the change. Their wolves were a little below average size, fitting for their Omega level of dominance. Their husbands quickly imed them as their own, taking them to a bedroom to rest.


    We only had five hours of sleep before we had to get up to go to the airport. Nichs was going with me to Perth, but then he would return to Port Lincoln to help with the tuna farming. We said our goodbyes, as the families were returning that day to their homes. I had contact information for everyone now, and I promised to keep in touch.

 SHARKBAIT #135

    Leaving them was hard. We were taking ate flight, catching up with the rest of the group in Perth, who traveled in the morning. Mom stayed with the Pack, while Fiona and Carly traveled with us as our security. As the ne took off from Melbourne Airport and headed west, I kept looking back towards Bonnie Doon. ¡°How do we do all this,¡± I asked Nichs as we flew over the Southern Ocean. ¡°I can¡¯t be a student, a wife, a celebrity, a producer, AND lead our family.¡±


    ¡°And I can¡¯t be a husband, a student, a fisherman, and a leader either,¡± he said. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a week since our paths crossed. We haven¡¯t had a chance to talk about what is important to us now.¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to be a doctor?¡±


    He closed his eyes and thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have until March to decide.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to drop out of college, at least for now,¡± I said. ¡°I already dropped to half credits, and I haven¡¯t thought about it for a week. In all my priorities, it¡¯s the lowest. I¡¯m also going to ask Mercedes about ending or at least reducing my Bodyglovemitments after this tour. I can¡¯t keep up this travel, and I don¡¯t need the money.¡± I started thinking about all the thingsing up after the beginning of the year. ¡°I¡¯ve got a yacht in San Diego I won¡¯t be there to live on, and a research boat in Louisiana I don¡¯t know what to do with.¡±


    ¡°One thing at a time. Finish your world tour, then Mom expects you for Christmas.¡±


    He was right. I¡¯d have at least three weeks off when the tour wrapped up, and we could figure it out then.


    Deep down, I knew I would have to change a lot of things in my life for the good of the Pack.


    **********


    We¡¯d spent the rest of the flight talking about living together after my tour ended. Since Nichs hadn¡¯t left home yet and I had money, we could do almost anything.


    The fancy yacht life wasn¡¯t going to happen, though. Bringing it to Australia and renting a berth could happen, but would it be worth it? I already paid $200k upfront for the year lease, and the buy price was another $1. 9 million. That kind of money could buy a station, what we would call a farm or ranch, here in Australia. We could get a spread like the one at Bonnie Doon, with plenty of room to run. The Sharkbait Foundation also had the Sea Scout, so I wasn¡¯t going to be using my boat for my productionpany. I exined the situation to Nichs to get his advice.


    ¡°The lease is a sunk cost unless you can get some of it refunded,¡± he said. ¡°Amy, Noni, and Makani are living there now, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°They can pick up the cost of the berthing space and other fees, and that gives them six months or so to find another ce to live.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll be using it, since I¡¯m spending Christmas here, and I¡¯ll only stay in the States long enough to film the shows. I don¡¯t want to be away from you that long.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°The girls can get a ce to live on short notice if they need to. If you let the owner know you aren¡¯t picking up the buy option, he can get it listed again. Maybe if he sells it, you can get some of your lease money back? You could ask him.¡±


    That¡¯s one of the things I loved about Nichs; he listened, and he thought out all the angles. I thanked Luna that my ountant had talked me into the ¡®lease with the option to buy¡¯ deal. The yacht seemed like a good idea at the time, and I loved it, but it wasn¡¯t practical for me now. He was right; I sent a group text to the girls, letting them know what I wanted to do, thanks to the inte capability on the aircraft. They thanked me for letting them continue to use it until the yacht sold or the lease expired. With their agreement, I forwarded the note to my ountant andwyer with instructions to get me out of it.


    The next thing we talked about was my schedule. Before mating an Aussie, I didn¡¯t mind a flight from San Diego to Miami or the East Coast to join the Sea Scout for two weeks. Now, a thirty-hour flight wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do often. I sent a note to Linda, Loretta, and the Sharkbait Foundation board exining my problem and asking for ideas.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Loretta, the Sea Scout¡¯s Master, replied to me. ¡°The locations you set out are only a day or two apart at the speeds the Scout can reach. Its design allows for sprints between work locations, after all. Only the ship¡¯s crew has to stay for the transit, and supplies can be brought on board when we disembark or embark. Loadout with supplies and the film crew and leave port, transit to dive location, ten days filming, then drop the film crew at the nearest port. They get a couple of days off and fly into the next town while I drive the Scout to the next port, then we start again.¡±


    ¡°Can we do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to bring another Master on board since we will be transiting more than twelve hours in a day, but I can find someone. Most mariners prefer working several months straight like this; it won¡¯t be a problem. You¡¯ll also have to skip the northern areas, as we¡¯d be done filming in March or April. There¡¯s plenty of spots in the Gulf and Caribbean, though. By doing it this way, you fly over once, spend 8-10 weeks filming, then fly back to your man. Once it is over, we take it back to the yard for a maintenance window, and go from there.¡±


    I had to admit that it sounded good. ¡°Work with Linda to draft a schedule, and then we¡¯ll talk. Thank you,¡± I sent back.


    Nichs had been looking over my shoulder as I talked. ¡°What are you going to do with the Sea Scout after the filming season ends?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I can travel, but it¡¯s a little more daunting to move it. I thought it wasn¡¯t worth the transit to Hawaii, much less Australia.¡±


    ¡°Probably for the best. It would do all right in the Great Barrier Reef area, but the Southern Ocean can get a bit rough for a design like that.¡±


    I enjoyed visiting Brisbane, but the heat and humidity just got worse as you kept going north. I couldn¡¯t imagine a wolf livingfortably in the tropics, which is why we weren¡¯t considering anything in the northern half of the continent. That left us plenty of choices. Looking at a map on my tablet, we drew a line just north of Perth on the west coast, crossing the continent to Port Macquarie on the east coast. The line left the major cities of Perth, Adide, Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney in y, along with Hobart in Tasmania.


    I drew another line away from the coast. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live more than an hour from the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me you; you can afford a lot morend, but it gets pretty hot and dry in some parts of the Outback. That¡¯s why almost everyone lives near the coast.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense to move away from your extended family if we want to centralize in one area,¡± I said. I had him mark on the map all the locations where his family members lived. That narrowed things down, knocking out Perth and all of Western Australia, Canberra, and anywhere north of Sydney.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be too far from a university,¡± I told him. ¡°You should continue your studies, and I want to study Business and Marine Biology. The members of our Pack are going to want to go to college too.¡±


    ¡°That knocks out Port Lincoln; it¡¯s way too far. Adide works, as do Melbourne and Sydney. Heck, even Tasmania has a university with a medical school.¡± I leaned my head against his shoulder, frustrated because there were so many decisions to make! He squeezed my hand. ¡°Is it that important to figure everything out right now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Take the yacht. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but a few monthster, your life changed. It¡¯s no longer the right answer. You¡¯ve tossed a bunch of money into something you can¡¯t even use now.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He let out a sigh. ¡°Yes, we have to decide where to live, but nothing is forcing us to do that now. You aren¡¯t going to school right away, but if I do, we need to be around Adide for two more years. After that, we could go anywhere. You¡¯ve barely seen the country, and you¡¯ve only seen one of the homes of a Pack member. You don¡¯t know enough to make a good decision right now.¡±


    He was right. ¡°So, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for a ce we can rent in Adide. When youe back for Christmas, we¡¯ll spend some time traveling. We¡¯ll visit all our Pack members, and you can see each area and how much you like it. I bet if you left them with a list of what we are looking for, they could keep an eye out for anything in that areaing on the market.¡±


    He was right. Wended in Perth, and a driver brought us to our hotel. We met the boat at nine for the ride out to the West End of Rottnest Ind, a jagged expanse of rock and heavy surf about ten miles out from Fremantle. The location was one of the best we¡¯d done; theyered rock formations, coves, and breaking waves made a perfect backdrop for the four of us in our swimsuits and diving gear. I especially liked the clear waters of Fishhook Cove. The visibility was outstanding, making for good filming with all the sea life and natural formations. We got in some great free-diving before heading back for the appearance at the surf shop. Nichs went to do some other stuff, arriving back towards the end of our event.


    We ended up at a beachfront restaurant in Fremantle called Bather¡¯s Beach House, with fantastic views from the patio looking west into the Indian Ocean. Linda must have liked the ambiance because she was filming us as we sat around the table. The sun was just setting over the water, and the cool offshore breeze was light. After we ordered, Nichs got up, but instead of walking off, he dropped down to a knee. ¡°Vicki, I¡¯ve loved you since our eyes first met at the airport. I want you in my life forever.¡± I looked down at his fingers, where he was holding a white gold engagement ring, with a deep ocean-blue sapphire surrounded by smaller diamonds. I was frozen, unable to breathe, with only the tears from my eyes showing anything. ¡°Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?¡±


    I looked from the ring to his face, seeing the love for me, and I snapped back to life. ¡°YES! Of course, I will marry you!¡± He slid the ring on, then stood up and kissed me while the entire restaurant apuded.


    When we finally came apart, we epted congrattions as Linda kept filming. I could see other phones out; the Inte would soon explode with the video of the Sharkbabe getting engaged to a man she¡¯d known less than a week. I didn¡¯t care; they would never understand that our mating was a far stronger bond than any religious or civil ceremony. I knew we¡¯d have to get married so I could get resident status in Australia, but I didn¡¯t expect it this soon.

 SHARKBAIT #136

    The manager bought us champagne, and we sipped on bubbly as I looked at my ring. The oval-cut sapphire drew your eye, and it was huge! ¡°How big is this stone,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two and a half carats,¡± Nichs said with a grin. ¡°I wanted to make sure everyone could see you were engaged.¡±


    ¡°It works,¡± I said as I kissed him. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. How did you know I didn¡¯t want a big diamond?¡±


    ¡°Your Mom,¡± he said.


    ¡°I should call her,¡± I said as I thought about it.


    ¡°Just wave and tell her hello, I¡¯ve been live-streaming this back to Melbourne and Miesville for thest fifteen minutes,¡± Linda said with a grin. ¡°They saw it all.¡±


    I turned my hand towards the camera and showed off my ring. ¡°Thanks, Mom. You did great.¡± I turned back to the girls. ¡°Some reality show we are. One started as a married woman, two got engaged before filming started, and the fourth didn¡¯t make it a month before she was off the market!¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can¡¯t me Nichs for putting a ring on it,¡± Makani said with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, he couldn¡¯t risk some heartthrob in Rio sweeping you off your feet,¡± Noni teased.


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance of that now,¡± I said as I turned back to my man. ¡°When should we get married?¡±


    ¡°Christmas on the beach,¡± Amy suggested. ¡°We finish up in Acapulco, then fly back here for Christmas. Olivia, Leo, Hammer, and Susan will still be here, and your Dad can bring Mark and Chance down after school goes on break.¡±


    ¡°That could work if you¡¯re all right with our Moms nning things while you¡¯re on tour,¡± Nichs said. ¡°Great time for a party, and the sooner we are married, the faster I can get your paperwork started for residency.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m all right with the time, but I want to get married in a shark cage off the Neptune Inds with a twenty-foot Great White Shark as my ring bearer.¡±


    I looked around the table, working to keep a straight face as they tried to figure out how to talk me out of that insanely bad wedding idea. Amy yed it straight. ¡°Can they fit four of us and the preacher into one of those cages?¡±


    ¡°And how do you keep the shark from swimming off with your ring,¡± Makani asked.


    ¡°What then, do you throw a chum bouquet and see which shark is next to be pregnant?¡± Noni looked at me as I finally lost it. ¡°You¡¯re just messing with us, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I wasughing as I nodded. ¡°You have to admit it would be great for the reality show.¡± I was happy to see Nichs hadn¡¯t objected; as long as I was his at the end of the day, I don¡¯t think he cared how we got there. ¡°Maybe for our honeymoon.¡±


    Strong arms pulled me back into a toned body. ¡°I love you, Vicki Lawrence.¡±


    I leaned my head back for the kiss. ¡°And I love you too, Nichs Corcoran.¡±


    ***********


    It waste when we got to our room, and Nichs was SO gettingid. I kept looking between my engagement ring and my man all night; mating was a private affair, while this was VERY public. He opened the door let me in; our bags were on a stand, and the fancy room awaited. ¡°What is this,¡± I asked as I looked at all thece and decoration.


    ¡°Bridal suite,¡± Nichs said. He led me to the center of the room. A king four-poster canopy bed was on one side, with a gas firece and arge jacuzzi opposite. Sheer fabrics hung from the canopy, and a champagne bottle was chilling next to sses and chocte-dipped strawberries. ¡°And you¡¯re wearing too many clothes for my liking.¡±


    I reached up and detached the neck hooks of my dress, letting it fall over my hips and to the floor. Nichs sat on the edge of the bed with eyes full of lust as he looked me up and down. I gave him a smirk, then stepped out of it and picked it up toy over a chair. Of course, I made sure I was facing away from him when I did this; I heard his breath catch when I bent down. Standing up and still facing away from him, I unhooked my bra and tossed it on top of my dress. He had his shirt off and was pulling off his socks and pants. ¡°Still too many clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was pulling out a condom, and I heard the foil as he opened it. I hooked my thumbs over the sides of my thong, pushing it over my tanned hips. Shaking my body, I let them fall to the carpet, then stepped back and bent at the waist to get them. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said.


    I wrapped my arms behind my calves, grateful to the yoga routines that kept my body flexible. He stepped to me, grabbing my hips, and plunged his perfect cock into me in one long thrust. ¡°NICHOLAS,¡± I yelled as I felt him stretch me. It didn¡¯t hurt, I was more than excited enough, but this position touched ces I didn¡¯t know I had. He pushed me back until just the tip was inside, then mmed forward until he bottomed out. It took my breath away, but it felt SO good. I couldn¡¯t do anything in this position except squeeze him, and the domination had my wolf panting with lust. He took me hard and fast as I held my legs, unable to move. The only sounds were the p of flesh and the moans of pleasure as we built to a peak.


    ¡°Give my your hands,¡± Nichs said. I let go of my legs and held them up where he could grab them. He pulled my shoulders up until I was bent over ny degrees, still getting pounded hard from behind. I came hard, my legs giving out as he kept going, his hands moving to hold me up by the waist.


    He pulled out and caught me before I copsed to the floor. I was still recovering from my orgasm when I felt him lift me. Heid me on the edge of the bed with my legs over his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet, my love.¡±


    I looked at him with hooded eyes as he plunged his steel into me again. I loved how he looked; strong, muscled, and with a sheen of sweat as he took his mate to new heights. It only took another minute, and I was climbing the mountain again. ¡°NICK!¡±


    ¡°Come for me, baby,¡± he said as his thumb started rubbing fast over my clit. He pinched it, and I went off like a bomb. My greedy pussy mped down on him like a vise, pushing him over the edge. He mmed as deep as he could with a shout, and I could feel his cock begin to pulse into the condom. He pushed forward twice more before it was done. Turning me on my side, he copsed next to me, both of us breathing hard. ¡°Crikey,¡± he said as he rolled to his back. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I might be a little sore in the morning, but it was worth it,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Shower and bed?¡±


    ¡°Shower, make sweet love again, then bed,¡± I countered. The second round was slow and sweet, leaving us satisfied and exhausted as I fell asleep in his arms.


    We woke to our rms, taking some time to soak and make love in the jacuzzi. We were getting dressed in clothes over swim gear when Amy mind-linked to me. ¡°Vicki, there are some people who would like to meet you down here in the restaurant,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a buffet.¡±


    ¡°Magic words. We¡¯ll be down soon.¡± Today¡¯s adventure was in the waters off Rottnest Ind, this time with scuba gear. Linda had chartered a dive boat, and the local guides told stories of encounters withrge Grey Nurse Sharks and other species. With the water rity I¡¯d seen yesterday, it was going to be fun. ¡°Are you diving with us or watching,¡± I said as I pulled on my boat shoes.


    ¡°I want to dive with you,¡± he said. He may as well; he was part of the reality show now. It wouldn¡¯t hurt the ratings to have him out there. ¡°Linda said I could take Fiona¡¯s spot, and Makani will run a dive camera. Fiona¡¯s back hasn¡¯t healed enough to dive. Besides, I don¡¯t want you out of reach until you have to leave.¡±


    I squeezed his hand as we got to the door. Fiona and Carly were waiting for us, and we took the elevator down to the main floor. When we arrived in the dining room, we found everyone in a private room, and there were four people I didn¡¯t recognize. I took a smell, and it was distinctive.


    ¡°Mermaids?¡± Nichs felt confused over the bond. Meeting Linda had been a revtion; he¡¯d run into their kind before but hadn¡¯t known what that smell meant. No one in his family did; in Australia, there wasn¡¯t the hostility between species that North America had. The Mermaids didn¡¯t show themselves as supernatural to the Werewolves they came across, and the Werewolves didn¡¯t seem to care they were around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get our tes and sit down,¡± I said. I loaded up my te as Amy filled us in. ¡°Linda has been in contact with her family, and they have rtives here in Australia. Now that you are staying, they are worried that the wars with werewolves that drove them from Ennd to here will reignite.¡±


    ¡°Are they local to this area?¡±


    ¡°One couple is from here, while the other two are from Bunbury a bit south.¡±


    We sat down, and Linda introduced to Matt and Nicole from Fremantle, and Terry and Tina. ¡°Good to meet extended family of Linda¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    Matt looked around, making sure that the wait staff was out of hearing range before he talked. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to cause a public scene this morning when you join us. We run the dive shop and charter you are using today.¡±


    I looked at Linda; she booked the travel, so she must have known. She looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I told them it was all right, but our kinds haven¡¯t mixed down here.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t learned about me, then,¡± I said. I gave the four a short background; my life as a human before finding out my true nature, my experience with vampires, and my friendship with Linda and other mermaids I¡¯d brought on board the project. ¡°One of the worries associated with my television show is that we would identally expose our nature. I wanted to have an all-werewolf crew, but there aren¡¯t enough of us interested in the ocean and sharks. I¡¯m the weird one,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Amy teased. ¡°I¡¯m not much better.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #137

    ¡°I found the people I needed among the mermaids, and it¡¯s working well. Your people have the skills I need to crew my expeditions, and we get to build bridges along the way.¡±


    Terry didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you are forming an official Pack and iming all of Australia. Where does that leave us?¡±


    ¡°Nothing has changed for you unless you want to change it,¡± I said. ¡°If you want nothing to do with us, I¡¯ll sign a treaty with you, establishing territories and rights, and leave you in peace. I didn¡¯t im all of Australia because of you; I imed it to prevent other Alphas from trying to move here and start problems. Our Pack is not under the North American Werewolf Council, no matter how hard they try to insist that I am.¡± They rxed a little. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you will work with us because my Pack is different than the ones in America. I expect that I¡¯ll be filming shows in Australia eventually, and I¡¯ll need a new ship and crew to do it. Hell, I¡¯d even make you a part of my Pack if you want to join us. We should be able to live without fear of attack by another.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have our kind in your Pack?¡±


    ¡°Why not? I have humans in my Pack already, and I like you guys. You¡¯re more at home in the ocean than I am.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you were until recently, and it doesn¡¯t bother me either,¡± Nichs said. ¡°I¡¯ve known Curt and Nancy Flood for years; they run a salmon farming operation across the bay. Good, hardworking people who smell weird.¡±


    ¡°My cousin,¡± Nicole said. We talked more as we ate; there were more mermaids than wolves in Australia, scattered around the continent in fishing viges and ports. ¡°I¡¯m booked solid through summer and fall, but I¡¯d like to put a show together after that focused on Australian sharks. Linda can let you know what kind of people we¡¯d need; if you can spread the word to your family, we can see if any would be interested in working on it.¡±


    ¡°I can do that. We should eat quickly and go. It¡¯s almost seven-thirty,¡± Linda said as she looked at the time. Our boat would leave at eight. I did the disappearing act with my food, knowing we wouldn¡¯t have a big lunch today.


    Our diving gear was already at the charter, so we loaded into a hotel shuttle and followed Matt and Nicole¡¯s truck to the pier. It wasn¡¯t a long transit out to the far side of Rottnest Ind, our first diving spot. Linda rigged up stationary cameras on the boat, and she had multiple handheld cameras to record the trip. She also rigged GoPro cameras to the sides of our masks and made sure the underwater cameras were ready. We pulled on our Bodyglove wetsuits over our bikinis or trunks, checked our gear, and sat down for our diving brief.


    Nicole led the brief while Matt drove the boat, while Fiona filmed it. ¡°We¡¯ll be diving the Opera House today; it¡¯s an underwater cave with a wide entrance a few clicks west of the ind. The cave entrance is at fifteen meters, and the back of the cave reaches twenty-six meters. You¡¯ll be using double tanks for more bottom time.¡± She went through the dive n, including the safety stops and dpression n. ¡°Matt will be in charge of the divemaster topside, and I am the dive leader. I¡¯ll pair with Linda, and I¡¯ll be helping her set up for the shots she wants. How are you pairing?¡±


    ¡°Nichs and I will pair up and go with you and Linda,¡± I said. ¡°Carly and Makani will pair up and film Amy and Noni.¡±


    ¡°Visibility is good, and there is a lot of sea life around. We can expect to see multiple Grey Nurse sharks using the cave to rest in during the day. They are also known as Raggedtooth sharks and are simr to Sand Tigers. These sharks are still listed as ¡®Vunerable¡¯ in Western Australia and Endangered in Queennd. Touching and harassment of the sharks are prohibited.¡± Grey Nurse sharks were nocturnal hunters, so a dark cave was a great ce to hole up, outside of ocean currents and big predators. They weren¡¯t the same as theid-back nurse sharks I¡¯d seen in North America waters, who would rest on the bottom and had whiskers like a catfish. These looked like a stretched-out Tiger Shark, with a conical nose, a tail a quarter of their body length, and a mess of sharp teeth. ¡°The nurse sharks can be big, but they are skittish and will take off if you approach them. The best strategy is to stay in one ce and allow them toe to you. The best camera shots are looking out of the cave, so the sharks are backlit. The corals and marine life are just as good, so enjoy the dive.¡±


    ¡°Any other sharks expected in the area,¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°There have been Great White sightings around the ind, but I haven¡¯t seen any here. Hammerhead sharks and cktips are moremon outside of the cave on the reefs. As always, keep together, and scan everything around you,¡± Nicole finished.


    Linda went through our shooting n, which focused on getting sharks and good-looking people in silhouette. We anchored near the entrance, put on our tanks, and started the first dive. ¡°I love how peaceful it gets when I¡¯m in the water,¡± I sent to everyone. We did our safety stop on the way down, checking each other¡¯s equipment and adjusting our bast, then descended to the coral and sand below at a twenty-meter depth. Looking around, I could see a twelve-foot Hammerhead swimming in a sandy area. Linda got some shots before we followed Nicole to the cave entrance.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The three Grey Nurse Sharks were between six and ten feet long. They scattered as we got close. Following our shooting n, Nichs and I headed for the back of the cave with our camera team following. Amy and Noni set up on one side of the entrance.


    It was worth the wait. The cave dive put us with a dozen or so adult Nurse Sharks slowly moving around schools of smaller fish. As the sharks got used to our presence, they came closer and closer. Linda got a great shot of a big one swimming between the camera and us. Amy¡¯s group was having just as much fun, with more sharks hanging out near the cave entrance.


    All too soon, the diveputer told us it was time to head for our first safety dpression depth. We left the cave and headed for the anchor, then made our prescribed dpression stops before finallying out of the water. ¡°That was AWESOME,¡± I said as I climbed on board.


    ¡°Great film,¡± Linda agreed.

 SHARKBAIT #138

    We rested and had cut lunches out of the cooler as we transited to the next dive location, a reef teeming with sea life. We didn¡¯t see any big sharks, but it was still a beautiful dive spot. I didn¡¯t envy Linda; editing this visit to just 39 minutes of television would be tough. It would be a good episode, great if she finished it with this shot of Nichs peeling his wetsuit down to expose his ripped abs.


    ¡°Who has the hotter mate between us,¡± I sent to Amy as I started to drool.


    ¡°Your man is hot if you like that bulging muscle thing,¡± Amy countered. ¡°Kai has that lean swimmer look I can¡¯t get enough of.¡±


    ¡°I do like those muscles, but I love how he uses that body to make me scream. I used to think you were kidding about how good it was. It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Amy started coughing as she tried not tough, getting up to hand out drinks from the Esky. ¡°One more night for you to know the wonders of mated life before we head to Singapore.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to focus on that right now, not while I was riding the high of a dive day and holding my mate¡¯s hand. I leaned back and let the ocean breeze dry my hair as the boat returned to port.


    I liked this area, even if no other werewolves lived here.


    We arrived back at the pier at dinnertime, and Linda went back to start editing while we joined Matt and Nicole for dinner at their home.


    Terry and Tina arrived shortly after, making it six wolves and four mermaids for dinner. Matt grilled jumbo prawns on the barbie while Nicole made rice and steamed vegetables to go with it. After talking about our day, Terry talked about what he had done. ¡°I¡¯ve made contact with the heads of the thirty-two Mermaid families in Australia,¡± he said. ¡°They were intrigued by the idea of joining your Pack, but they aren¡¯t sure what that means for them quite yet. They were unanimous in their agreement to sign a treaty with you. As I said, we don¡¯t want any trouble, and both our species have lived here for centuries.¡± He pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across to me.


    Nichs and I looked at it; it was a simple non-aggression treaty, each side recognizing the other, promising to resolve disagreements peacefully. ¡°I have no issue signing this,¡± Nichs sent to me.


    We both signed, then two mermen signed on lines for their families. ¡°I will have to circte this among the other families to get their approval before I can give you a copy. Unlike your Pack structure, each family group is an independent entity.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much how we operated until we found out what an Alpha was,¡± Nichs said.


    We talked a little more about my productionpany and ns for the future. Since they were mermaids, they didn¡¯t have to be SCUBA qualified to operate underwater cameras as long as everyone on the boat was supernatural. ¡°I¡¯d still like them to be open-water qualified and have camera experience since some expeditions involve university teams or other humans,¡± I said.


    ¡°Won¡¯t your bodyguards be doing that for you?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten that far,¡± I said. ¡°I had bodyguards because I was an unmated Mantled Alpha and a celebrity making public appearances. I¡¯m mated now, and I¡¯m going to focus on my productions instead of modeling after my contract ends next year. I should be fine traveling with my mate or other Pack members.¡±


    ¡°And who knows what will happen with the three of us,¡± Amy said. ¡°Our mates are military men, so we can¡¯t move down under with Vicki. We might fly in to shoot a documentary, but that¡¯s about it. I¡¯m getting out of the modeling business, too. Kai and I want to start a family once he¡¯s settled on a Team.¡±


    ¡°We might keep modeling, but we have to turn our mates first,¡± Makani said. ¡°Nothing is for sure with that.¡±


    Matt smiled at them. ¡°You are young, enjoy your youth while you have it,¡± he said. ¡°You leave in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have a flight at ten to Singapore,¡± I said. ¡°We should be going. We haven¡¯t been getting much sleeptely.¡±


    ¡°Neither have the people in the rooms around you,¡± Amy teased.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t any better!¡± I rolled my eyes as the mermaidsughed. ¡°New mates are insatiable.¡±


    We said our goodbyes and caught a ride back to our hotel. Our group was just inside the lobby when Fiona froze. ¡°Vampires,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Lawrence, Mr. Corcoran. Congrattions on your engagement,¡± a man said as he walked out of the bar. He looked to be in histe twenties, with that perfect look and expensive suit I¡¯d expect from a Vampire Master. He stopped and extended his hand; I could see another vampire on a couch in the lobby lounge, while a third was waiting in a chair by the door. ¡°My name is Allesandro Mri. Miss Emily asked me to look you up, as she wasn¡¯t able to travel to congratte you in person. She asked me tomunicate some things to you privately in her absence. Please, allow me to buy you a drink.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t try anything in public,¡± I sent to everyone. ¡°A friend of Emily is a friend indeed,¡± I said as I grasped his hand firmly before Nichs shook it. ¡°You guys head back up, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told the other girls. Fiona and Carly stayed to watch their counterparts in the lobby and near the bar entrance. I held Nichs¡¯ hand while Allesandro led us to the quiet booth in the back he¡¯d taken.


    We sat at therge table; after ordering drinks, he got down to business. ¡°I want you to know that I speak for Emily and Cyprian. If you doubt this, please, call either of them, and they will verify.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    No Vampire would dare speak for the Supreme Master and a Vampire Master without their authorization; it would be a quick way to lose your head. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. How are my friends doing?¡± I didn¡¯t know how much he knew of my rtionship with the Master Vampire of Boston, or the Supreme Vampire of North America. I didn¡¯t know how many vampires knew I had killed Master Alexander, the previous Master of New Ennd.


    ¡°They were shocked and pleased to see your engagement on the news,¡± he said. ¡°No one expected you to find a husband down under.¡±


    ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t, but I¡¯m thrilled it turned out this way,¡± I said as I leaned into Nichs¡¯ shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯s an amazing woman,¡± Nichs agreed. We paused our conversation while the waitress brought our drinks.


    When she was gone, he continued. ¡°You understand that Cyprian had hopes that you would eventually swing the Council to a more cooperative rtionship than we have enjoyed as a people,¡± Allesandro said.


    ¡°I share his sentiments. I understood he was making a long-term y by befriending the next generation of our leaders. Your view of time is considerably different than ours, and the current Council is resistant to change.¡± I hadn¡¯t talked in-depth to my mate about my vampire interactions, so I was exining for Nichs¡¯ benefit too.


    Allesandro nodded. ¡°Resistant is an understatement. Coral reefs grow faster than your Chairmen do.¡± I had tough at that; coral reefs took decades to mature. ¡°He believes recent events ce you in a unique position to force a change.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°By taking advantage of our istion and the trust you have in others.¡± He pulled a napkin over and took a pen out of his jacket pocket. He drew a diagram of the North American Werewolf leadership, from the Council Chairman, through Regional Chairs, to Pack Alphas. Next to that, he drew the Vampire Council, with its Supreme Vampire and regional Masters down to Covens. Below those two, he drew the ¡®t¡¯ organization of mermaids, with family leaders in loose affiliation.


    ¡°Put lines between them that no one dares to cross, and you have it,¡± I said.

 SHARKBAIT #139

    ¡°This is what you left,¡± he said. ¡°And this is what you have here in Australia right now.¡± He drew Nichs and I over our Pack, Allesandro over his Coven Leaders in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, and the decentralized mermaid families along the coast. ¡°No lines,¡± he said. ¡°There never have been.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I didn¡¯t know about either of these kinds until this week,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Because our history in this Colony was different than the Americas, or Europe,¡± Allesandro said. ¡°I grew up and was turned in London in the seventeenth century. My leader sent me here; I arrived in Sydney in 1805. I met Philip Corcoran once; he didn¡¯t know what to make of me, and I didn¡¯t react to him. He was the only one of you I met, and I kept track of him and his descendants until now. None of you showed any hostility, so there was no need to enforce borders and treaties. I set up in the growing cities, while your ancestors fled for new territories every time it started to get crowded. The others were the same, mostly mariners who settled here. They preferred smaller fishing viges and didn¡¯t cause any trouble. The continent was big enough for all of us to live our lives as we wished.¡±


    ¡°No border wars, no treaties,¡± I said to myself. ¡°I¡¯ve signed a treaty with the others; it¡¯s a simple non-aggression pact. I would be happy to extend the same to you, and I could introduce you to their leaders.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but Cyprian has a bigger n.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to think of that. I was an eighteen-year-old Alpha female with a new and untrained Pack, a full day¡¯s flight from my home Pack. What could I do? ¡°What kind of n?¡±


    Allesandro smiled and picked up his pen. He took the picture of the Australian order, drawing a big circle around the three groups. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you are under a lot of pressure right now, Vicki. The North American Council desperately wants you back under their authority, while the European Council would like to steal you away to spite their rivals. Neither group wants what is best for you or your family. What Cyprian is proposing, and I agree with, is to throw away the old order. We create an Australian Council. My people, your people, their people. All united under a single banner, iming the Australian continent for ourselves. No supernatural of any kind would enter without our agreement, and no foreign Council could do a damn thing about it.¡±


    My jaw dropped, and I sat back, amazed at the elegance of the n. In one act, we¡¯d cut out the legs of the Werewolf Councils and set in ce an example of cooperative governance that would shake up the rest of the world. ¡°It¡¯s brilliant,¡± I said. ¡°There is a lot of work to get there, especially to bring all the Mer aboard. Still, I want this to happen.¡±


    ¡°Cyprian and Emily have promised to assist in any way they can,¡± Allesandro promised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on it while you are gone,¡± Nichs said. ¡°I can work with Matt and Terry, who are already working on getting the treaty approved.¡±


    ¡°Christmas break,¡± I said. ¡°Nichs and I are getting married in Port Lincoln over Christmas; if we could gather all of us in one ce, we could make this happen by the end of the year.¡± I looked over at Nichs. ¡°We¡¯ll send you a wedding invitation.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Allesandro said. ¡°I can see you are tired, and I know you leave early tomorrow. Here is my contact information; call me anytime.¡± He got up and walked out, his men following him to his luxury car.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it all tonight,¡± Nichs said as he held his hand out to me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡±


    That sounded damn good.


    **********


    ¡°I¡¯m not sorry about anything. You can sleep on the ne,¡± Nichs said before he pulled me into another kiss. We¡¯d been up almost the whole night doing what new mates do, and I was sore and exhausted.


    Still, I wouldn¡¯t change a moment. It would be a month before I could see Nichs again, and until then, I¡¯m left with BOB and my memories. LOTS of memories. ¡°I have to go, love.¡±


    ¡°Call me when you get to Singapore.¡± We kissed onest time, and then I followed the rest of our group into the international section of the airport. Nichs was heading back to Melbourne, where he would spend the next month learning how to be an Alpha from Leo. I looked back through the ss to where he was standing and the waterworks started. ¡°I miss you already,¡± I sent to him.


    ¡°The month will go fast, and then we¡¯ll be together again,¡± he said. We kept up the conversation over the link as I boarded the jet, and when we were out of range, I fell asleep.


    We arrived in Singapore, which was the cleanest big city I¡¯d ever seen. We had a big meal before I went to bed early. After all, I wouldn¡¯t have roon eyes for our appearances. The fashion show was packed, with the four of us hitting the catwalk in everything from formal gowns to bikinis. The signing events were well attended and orderly; the people were friendly and patient in the long lines. The food was excellent, as was the hotel. It was a great stop, yet I had a hard time enjoying anything we did without my mate along.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was now one of those lovestruck, co-dependent new mates.


    I confessed my problems to Amy as we sat in our room, waiting for the series of video calls we had set up with America. It was early morning there. ¡°How do you handle being apart from him?¡±


    ¡°I stay busy and work out my frustrations when I can. Running, swimming, lube, toys, and my rechargeable Hitachi,¡± she said with a blush.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not the same, not even close, but it scratches the itch. I wish we could talk on the phone like you do with Nichs; phone sex would be better than jilling off to memories.¡±


    That was an idea. ¡°Kai does the same?¡±


    ¡°More workout and no toys, but yeah. It doesn¡¯t get any easier as you spend more time apart; the bond reacts to your separation by increasing the pull you feel to be together again. It makes you and your wolf suffer, but it can only get so strong. Kai¡¯s father told him that it peaks in a few months as you train yourself and your wolf to ignore it. You can do this, Vicki. It¡¯s only another month!¡±


    ¡°Anything else I can expect?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #140

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to suffer through three days of heat and jump the nearest warm body with a functional dick. That only happens in those trashy werewolf stories weugh about.¡± There was an entire genre of werewolf stories out there, most of which had no connection to reality. So much misinformation abounds that actual Werewolf writers could include the truth, and it just blended into the genre. ¡°Kai¡¯s absence makes me sad, but I have to learn to live with it. He had SEAL training with no days off for our entire tour, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯d be seeing him if I stayed home. He¡¯ll be deploying for six months or longer at a time with the Teams, so I¡¯ll just have to get used to it. It helps that I keep myself busy with training, work, and school. What else can I do until the next time I see him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I must sound like a whiny bitch. We¡¯ve only been separated for a couple of days, and you haven¡¯t seen Kai for almost six weeks.¡± It was probably easier for the twins and Carly, who hadn¡¯t bitten their human mates yet.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I talked to Nichs on the phone when I could, but he was busy too. He and Leo were finishing up in Bonnie Doon as the families returned home. For the next few weeks, they would be traveling southern Australia and visiting families. They would stop to see all families, whether they had joined the Pack or decided to wait.


    I¡¯d also called my Mom a few times; she had traveled home with my parents to start nning our wedding. My text messages were full of ideas for cakes and dresses. ¡°Tomorrow, we don¡¯t have to leave for the airport until mid-afternoon. Maybe we should do some dress shopping for the wedding?¡± I wanted to handle this part on my own, as our Moms had enough to figure out in a few short weeks.


    ¡°One problem with that idea,¡± she said. ¡°Our contracts.¡±


    Crap. Amy was right; our Bodyglove contracts stated that we would only appear in public in Bodyglove designs. The photos of our wedding would get international coverage. ¡°Bodyglove doesn¡¯t have a line of wedding dresses,¡± I said. I called my Mom in a panic, putting her on speakerphone, and sheughed at me. ¡°Vicki, we¡¯re way ahead of you. Mercedes and I talked about your dress the day after you got engaged.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°The Bodyglove designers already have a good idea of your style from what you wear and the feedback you¡¯ve given. They are working on ideas now and will have sketches ready in a few days. Why do you think I¡¯ve been asking your opinion on so many things?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were trying to get me to focus on the wedding,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I was trying to see if you were more traditional or modern on the dress thing. These days, white isn¡¯t a standard anymore, and you saw what Susan got married in.¡±


    ¡°Mom, that would be the hottest poster ever if I did a beach bikini wedding,¡± I said to tease her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m still hoping for the shark cage wedding, but it would be tough to get the entire wedding party in there,¡± Amy said with augh.


    ¡°It worked for them, and if that is what you want, I¡¯ll support you. We have to work extra hard to figure things out over text messages, and we don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ve even sent the bridesmaid¡¯s dress photos to the girls for their opinions. They can¡¯t blend into the background, not with those bodies,¡± she teased. I had tough; the joke was that the bridesmaids were in, so the bride looked better. I couldn¡¯t do that to them; I wanted their dresses to be ones I¡¯d be happy to wear, too.


    ¡°We have some time in the morning, so the girls and I will get together and start looking in earnest,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want a stuffy formal affair or a heavyce dress and train. We¡¯re doing the ceremony in their back yard, not a cathedral.¡±


    ¡°I know, honey. It¡¯s your day, so figure out what you want, and we¡¯ll make it happen.¡±


    I loved my Mom so much. ¡°Thank you, Mom. I¡¯ll see you in twenty minutes on the call.¡± I said goodbye until then.


    ¡°Time for the vamps?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± We¡¯d set them up first since Vampires didn¡¯t need to sleep. Meetings were easy to arrange early. I called up the secure videoconference link on my tabletputer and waited for the four people to join. ¡°Hi, Aunt Adrienne,¡± I said as her face came up. She was in the kitchen of their house, her first coffee of the morning in front of her.


    She wasn¡¯t a morning wolf, either. ¡°Hi girls,¡± she said as she took a sip. I¡¯d asked her to join us because she was with me starting with Alexander and was the only true diplomat in the family. I didn¡¯t need Leo¡¯s style if I was putting together a Supernatural Council in Australia.


    Adrienne was soon joined onscreen by Supreme Vampire Cyprian, Master Emily, and Master Alessandro. The usually unemotional vampires seemed happy to see me. ¡°Congrattions on your engagement, Vicki,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°Have you set a wedding date?¡±


    ¡°We have,¡± I said. ¡°Wednesday, December 28th of this year, at the Corcoran home in Port Lincoln. Invitations will be forting, but I wanted to personally invite each of you, with a guest, to attend.¡±


    The others didn¡¯t answer until Cyprian did. ¡°That is¡­ generous of you. I trust our presence will not cause you any trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not with our Pack or the Australian guests. I don¡¯t intend to give any warning to the other guest flying in, though.¡±


    ¡°Is that wise,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°The other wolves may take offense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± I said. ¡°You are right in that an Australian Supernatural Council is the best way for us to gain freedom from the existing Councils and foster cooperation. My goal is to negotiate and sign an agreement that we can announce at the wedding. We have to work in secrecy to get that done.¡±


    Luna Adrienne nodded. ¡°The North American and European Werewolf Councils covet Vicki¡¯s territory, and she will y them against each other until then. If they get wind of what is happening, they will move against her Pack before it can get established.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #141

    Nichs and I agreed that we needed to have some ¡®shock and awe¡¯ to pull off the treaty without the Councils attacking us. ¡°The Council members are aware of my dealings with Emily, and they don¡¯t like it. I can exin inviting the Supreme Vampire and the Master Australian Vampire from a diplomatic standpoint, and in recognition of your support of my Foundation. The wedding is the perfect venue to enforce a temporary truce between the species. I expect to see a lot of powerful Werewolves in attendance.¡±


    ¡°The Council Chairmen and some Regional Chairs wille just to press their ims to the Southern Cross Pack. They don¡¯t like Vicki¡¯s independence, her work with Mermaid ns, or her im of the entire continent of Australia. They will want to size up Nichs and their Pack on their own,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t like the Mermaids, but they are not afraid of them,¡± I said. ¡°They are afraid of you and the power you represent. A show of unity will convince them it would be unwise to challenge the new Australian order.¡± I let a smile show. ¡°They won¡¯t even feel it when their legs get cut out from underneath them.¡±


    **********


    The epic diving and packed events of our tour helped keep my mind off my mate, who was thousands of miles away. I felt sorry for Linda; there was so much good film that I knew a lot of it would never make it to air. There was enough for a show at each stop.


    After leaving Singapore, we went to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. This series of inds spread over hundreds of square miles with clear blue water around them. The inds were surrounded by sand ts, coral reefs, and canyons to form a paradise of shark diving. Linda loved the warm and clear waters because it meant lots of free-diving in revealing bikinis as we cavorted with massive whale sharks. These gentle giants, filter feeders, could grow up to forty feet long and weigh twenty tons. It made for great television as the four of us swam with them. The Maldives had dangerous sharks, like sand tigers and big hammerheads as well. We saw a dozen different species of sharks in our daytime dive, plus turtles, rays, and reef fish.


    Then we went out scuba diving at night.


    It was un-freaking-believable. Hundreds of nurse shark swam around us, between three and eight feet long, as we formed a circle with our lights on the sandy bottom. Nurse sharks are not an aggressive species, especially during the day. Capable of forcing water over their gills at rest, they often rest on the ocean floor or swimming around slowly. Despite theirid-back nature, you still had to be careful around their mouths; they ranked #4 in the number of humans bit because people don¡¯t consider them dangerous.


    At night, these predators came alive. We could see dozens swimming above us while dozens more swam between and around us as we remained motionless on the bottom. The sharks woulde right up to us, sometimes begging for scratches like cats. We made two dives into forty-foot water before the charter ended. ¡°Did you SEE that,¡± I said with a wide grin as I was helped into the dive boat by a member of the crew.


    ¡°They learn to associate the boat and the lights with food,¡± the guide said. They would bring down some bait buckets with whole fish and feed the sharks, causing them to school when they put down anchor in the same spot at night.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Amy was bouncy as she got her dive gear off. Her vision had been steadily improving, so now she could see about fifty percent clearly in front of her. Diving was safer for her now. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get Kai here someday. The diving is wild, and I¡¯d love to get one of those over-water huts on a reef,¡± she said. The huts were popr with honeymooners and couples, built over the shallow water with only a wooden walkway connecting to them. You could sit and watch the sea life swim under you, or go from bed to ocean in seconds.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool, but a long way for me. Even longer for you.¡± By the time we got back to our rooms, it was almost three, and we slept until it was time to go to the airport.


    We had a puddle-jumper and a few connecting flights to get to Capetown, South Africa. The climate was a lot like southern Australia, and the diving was simr as well. The Great White poption wasn¡¯t the same as it had been at the turn of the century. Pods of Orcas had devastated the big sharks in False Bay, killing them and eating their livers. The Great White poption was still recovering, and they weren¡¯t as concentrated as in the Air Jaws days.


    Rio de Janeiro lived up to its reputation with its party atmosphere and great food. Hot bodies and tiny swimsuits weremonce on the beaches, so our shoots didn¡¯t cause trouble. We did have a lot of armed security around us, and Fiona and Carly kept busy coordinating that. We had overflow crowds at our appearances since my documentaries aired dubbed in Portuguese. Linda took the opportunity to yed teaser footage from our current project in the rooms for the people in line, and I could see a lot of smiles in the audience from that.


    We spent four hours signing autographs and taking pictures with the crowd. ¡°Esses peitos,¡± many of the men said with a big smile as they posed with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t until after the event that I learned from my guide what it meant. ¡®These Tits¡¯ had followed me to South America.


    The next day, we left for Arraial do Cabo Marine Reserve, a protected reef area a few hours north of Rio. We boarded the boat of the dive charter Linda had organized, and our expert was waiting for us. I gave a big hug to Marine Biologist Sofia Graca Aranha, our expert for the day. We¡¯d met once during a World Wildlife Federation function, and she was one of my heroes. In 2017, Sofia filmed a fourteen-episode show for Brazilian television highlighting the fragile marine life under threat from overfishing and pollution. I¡¯d found it on the Inte as a young girl, watching it with subtitles. She was now in herte thirties and a beautiful woman. Linda was going to love this footage.


    The turquoise waters and abundant sea life were great for filming, but we didn¡¯t see anyrge sharks. That didn¡¯t mean there were none; we saw tigers, cktips, hammerheads, and others, but nothing of great size. Still, it was a good day; the best reefs were in ten to thirty feet of water, meaning we could free-dive them easily. The corals and tropical fish were beautiful, and we even dove a shipwreck. In between dives, we talked about shark tagging and conservation with Sofia.


    I learned a lot from her, especially what it meant to be young and beautiful in the academic world. ¡°It will be harder for you because you have embraced being a model,¡± she told me. ¡°The inte is forever. Those scenes and sayings will always be there, ready for someone to use to dismiss you as a useless blonde. No matter how smart you are or how many degrees you attain, you will forever be a hyphenated woman.¡±


    ¡°Hyphenated?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your name will onlye after ¡®swimsuit model-student¡¯ or ¡®producer-biologist¡¯ or ¡°television star-researcher.¡¯ They will choose which ones they emphasize based on how the speaker feels about you or how they want to make you feel inparison.¡± It was a hard truth, but she was right. I saw this already on my television and radio appearances. ¡°I had to fight the same way to get respect as I worked for my doctorate. Some men feel threatened by thebination of beauty, strength, and intellect. Eventually, the ones that know you respect your intellect, but you have to prove yourself by working twice as hard.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret making the show?¡± Like me, her show had made her famous, but she had the same ¡®dash¡¯ problem now.


    ¡°No. For me, it was never about being sexy or famous; it was about the ocean and its life. If people found me sexy, that was on them. This reality show you are making is dangerous. Edit it one way, and it¡¯s fun and educational; edit it another way, and it bes frivolous and exploitative. That¡¯s why most reality show stars end up looking bad. It is the producer that has the power to shape how people feel about the subjects.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the producer,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re right; I saw that in myst documentary. They made me look more qualified than I was when it easily could have been the ditzy spokesmodel routine.¡±


    ¡°And you will have more power and influence as a producer of these shows than you ever will as a model or a student,¡± she said. ¡°My advice? Don¡¯t worry about degrees. You don¡¯t need the money or exposure from modeling. Learn how to make high-quality television shows and use your face and talent to get people to watch. You will educate more people and do the world more good with your documentaries than by sitting in ss, listening to lectures.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #142

    She nodded. ¡°A few hundred people may read my Doctoral Thesis on deepwater shark diets. Millions saw my television show, and it changed public attitudes. It helped with the push for marine reserves and protections. Which do you think did the most good? Which do you think I¡¯m prouder of as I look back?¡±


    ¡°The show,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯ve changed more with your foundation and your tagging program than anything you¡¯d do at a university. I bet you¡¯re having more fun, too.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked out over the water as we ate lunch and waited to arrive at our next dive site. ¡°A lot more,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m so busy that I had to prioritize, and freshman chemistry lost out big time.¡±


    She snorted at that. ¡°You¡¯re young, rich, beautiful, talented, and about to get married. Enjoy it. If yourck of a college education bothers you, tackle thatter.¡±


    ¡°Strike while the iron is hot?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t have regrets as you look back on these years. Live life to its fullest, and let the rest take care of itself.¡± I didn¡¯t respond for a while. ¡°Of course, a hot husband and constant sex help big time.¡±


    ¡°SOFIA!¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve seen the pictures of you two!¡± We dissolved intoughter, joined by the others.


    Of course, they heard everything, but I didn¡¯t mind. Sofia validated for me that I was doing the right thing, and the girls were too. We dove another three sites, and Sofia and I were close friends by the time we finished.


    When we got back to shore, my phone had a message to call Adrienne. Since we were almost in the same time zone now, I called her from the car. ¡°Leo would be SO jealous of me right now,¡± I told her before I talked briefly about our dive trip.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have some news for you,¡± she said. ¡°I have a source in the Council that warned me they are nning to take a harder line with you if you don¡¯te to heel soon.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Carrot and stick. The Council representative will meet you when you arrive in Jamaica. His job is to convince you to join them voluntarily.¡±


    Great. I was hoping to avoid the Council entirely until the wedding. ¡°Who are they sending?¡±


    ¡°Lawrence Fenwick.¡±


    I smiled; Lawrence had defended Leo thirteen years ago before the Council and had prosecuted the Killington Alphas and my ex-mate. He was a family friend, and I trusted him. ¡°They are trying the soft sell first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t believe Lawrence is a security risk but prepare for anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Nichs know; it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they tried the stick back home while dangling the carrot in Jamaica.¡± We¡¯d have to wait and see what the Council gave to Lawrence to tell me. ¡°How goes the negotiations back home?¡±


    ¡°We have the basic structure and format figured out. Give me another week, and we¡¯ll have another videoconference.¡± Since the mermaids were decentralized, it took a lot longer to get their feedback and agreement on anything. Some parts of the treaty were easy, but how to resolve issues among three groups when only two might agree was far more difficult. Someone needed to lead, after all. We talked for a while longer before I let her go.


    I wanted to go to bed early, but Mercedes insisted we make appearances at the nightclubs so the press and cameras could see us in our Bodyglove designs. Amy and I finally got back to our room at two in the morning and slept until it was time to leave for the airport.


    It was a long flight to Jamaica, connecting in Miami. Thank Luna, we were in first ss, where we could stretch our legs and get some work done. Linda was doing rough edits on herptop while I was going over wedding preparations. Mom didn¡¯t understand the non-traditional dress I had chosen until she realized why I chose the two-color scheme. The girls were thrilled with their design, and Mercedes promised they would be ready for fittings when we got to Cancun, our second-tost tour stop.


    Wended in Kingston, Jamaica, and cleared Customs when I got the first warning something was off. ¡°Alpha, we have multiple wolf scents out here,¡± Carly sent from the other side of the security checkpoint. ¡°At least five males.¡±


    I quickly whispered in Linda¡¯s ear what was going on, then directed my people. Linda and her assistant went through into the main terminal with the twins and Mercedes. With all the security and cameras, I didn¡¯t think they would try anything here. Still, we waited on this side until Linda had secured our transport van to the hotel and had the luggage loaded. ¡°Stay together. Fiona to my right, Amy to my left.¡± Amy took Fiona¡¯s carryon bag so her hands would be free, and we walked together through the security doors.


    Counselor Lawrence Fenwick was waiting about twenty feet away in a lightweight grey suit, and he smiled when he saw me. ¡°Miss Vicki, and Mrs. Steele, it is a pleasure to see you again,¡± he said. ¡°I was thrilled to hear your eyesight was recovering.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amy said as we stopped in front of him. Carly was keeping an eye on the four Council Enforcers closer to the exit doors. No one else was close.


    ¡°Lawrence, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± I said as I smiled back. I gave him a quick hug, followed by Amy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find you here.¡±


    ¡°The rough life of a semi-retiredwyer. There are worse assignments than Jamaica in December,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°I didn¡¯t have your hotel, just your flight information, so I had to meet you here. I know you¡¯re a busy woman, so perhaps I could offer you a ride to your hotel?¡±


    I looked at the four enforcers, then shook my head no. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know them. Security rules, you understand, after the attempts on my life. I can offer you a ride, and you can catch up with your boyster.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to speak in private,¡± he said.


    ¡°At the hotel,¡± I replied. Lawrence epted the ride and told the Enforcers to leave for their car while he followed us to the hotel van. When we settled in, I asked him to turn off his phone and verified his escorts were not in his Pack so they couldn¡¯t link. ¡°Are you working for them now?¡±


    ¡°No, the Council asked my boss if I would be the courier for this,¡± he said. ¡°He sends his congrattions on your engagement, by the way. We were all shocked to see your announcement a few weeks back.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #143

    With a human driver and Mercedes, we had to be careful for now. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m blessed. Only a few weeks left until I¡¯m Mrs. Nichs Corcoran.¡± We talked about our families and my tour during the trip. When we arrived at the hotel, Amy went up to our room, while I waited in the lounge with Carly, Fiona, and Lawrence. The four Council Enforcers set up to cover the exits. ¡°Send the goons away, Lawrence. They make me nervous.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Vicki. I don¡¯t have the authority.¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t. I took out my phone and called the Council Headquarters. Chairman Carver¡¯s receptionist answered. ¡°Hi, this is Vicki Lawrence. Please inform Mr. Carver that if he doesn¡¯t recall his security men in the next ten minutes, Counselor Fenwick will be returning without conducting his business with me.¡± I hung up before she could respond.


    ¡°He won¡¯t like that,¡± Lawrence said.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to. Sending the muscle was a power y that I don¡¯t appreciate; they are the steel fist inside your velvet glove. I don¡¯t report to him, and I won¡¯t stand for intimidation tactics. We¡¯ll know in a few minutes how serious the Chairman is about negotiating.¡±


    The Enforcer at the main entrance answered his phone and red at me.


    ************


    We watched as the big Enforcer acknowledged his directions and ended the call. Walking over towards us, he leaned down by Lawrence¡¯s ear. ¡°We¡¯ll be outside if you need us, sir,¡± he said. He turned for the exit, followed by his three associates.


    ¡°Those men were for you,¡± Lawrence said when they were outside. ¡°The Council is concerned for your safety, Vicki. Jamaica and Mexico are not safe ces for rich young women.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the Council than kidnappers, Lawrence.¡± Mexico was close to a failed nation-state after decades of battles with the cartels. Huge interior areas were no-go for the police, and assassinations and kidnappings were rampant. The government plowed big money into the safety of the resort areas to keep the tourist dorsing in, but you dared not leave that area. We would be hiring a full armed security detail there. ¡°The Council had me silvered and confined at the age of five. The Council had my Uncle tried for being an Alpha. The Council tried to tell me I couldn¡¯t do my television show. The Council is trying to force my Pack into submission. No, the LAST thing I¡¯ll do is ept Council Enforcers into my inner circle.¡±


    Our drinks and appetizers arrived, and we paused a moment until the waitress was gone again. Lawrence smiled as he bit into a jumbo shrimp, washing it down with a sip of his Mojito. ¡°I tried to tell them that, but they insisted. For some reason, they refuse to ept that you don¡¯t like them.¡±


    Amy and the twins joined us after dropping their stuff in our rooms. The waitress took their drink orders and their order for more appetizers. The area of the lounge we were in afforded us some privacy, and its public nature would keep the enforcers from doing anything stupid. ¡°The Chairman must have sensed something because he sent you instead of a Councilwyer.¡±


    ¡°Chairman Wolfe volunteered toe, given his rtionship with your former Alphas, but was overruled. Chairman Carver worried that if he sent an envoy at that level, it would mean he recognized your independence from the Council and your im to Australia.¡±


    Always politics. ¡°And as a retiredwyer, you could speak freely without it being formal.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Exactly. I was thepromise, and it earned me a free vacation. Almost free, at least until I get my credit card bill. My mate is taking advantage of my absence to do some shopping.¡±


    We all had a chuckle at this. ¡°I hate to keep you two away from your fun, so perhaps we should just conclude our business and let you get back to your romantic beach vacation.¡±


    ¡°If you wish.¡± He opened up the leather folder on the table and removed a set of papers. ¡°As you know from yourst teleconference, the North American Council is iming authority over you and your Pack. As such, they have asked me to provide for you the relevant documents and materials for you to ept your ce within their Council membership. The Council bws and background materials are on the thumb drive; it is encrypted, and Luna Adrienne will provide you with the ess code when you request it. These papers, when signed by you and your mate and the Council Chairman, will affirm your membership in the North American Council with all rights and responsibilities associated with membership.¡±


    I took a moment to look through the papers. The contract was as Lawrence stated. Our Pack would submit to Councilws and oversight, and in exchange, we would gain nothing important. At seven thousand miles from the nearest Pack, standardized visitation agreements and resolutions of border disputes meant nothing to me. ess to their justice system? Please. I¡¯d seen it in action, and I was not a fan.

 SHARKBAIT #144

    ¡°If I was to join his Council, what region would I be assigned to?¡± It was a reasonable question; my old Pack was Midwest Council, and the Three Sisters pack was Western States Council.


    ¡°The closest Pack to you is on the West Coast, so that would be the obvious choice. Given the flight distances, if you would rather choose the Midwest region, I¡¯m sure the Council can make that amodation.¡±


    I closed the folder and set it to the side. ¡°You know I¡¯m not ready to sign this now.¡±


    ¡°I did not expect you to, nor would I allow it if I was yourwyer,¡± he said as he reached for anotherrge shrimp. ¡°I already told the Council that due to your busy schedule and separation from the rest of your Pack and your mate, they should not expect an answer immediately. The Chairman did ask me to obtain amitment for when you would make that decision.¡±


    ¡°He got the invitation to the wedding, so he knows I¡¯m getting married,¡± I said with a blush. I¡¯d picked them out online, and Mom had sent them out a week ago. ¡°Inform him he will have a decision by January fifteenth. That gives me time for mywyer to review the paperwork and for me to catch up on Pack business after my honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°That leaves little time before the Alpha summit, which is invitation-only for members of the Council. Surely you want to attend with your unmated?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to help my Pack find their mates. I was assuming that the Council would not hold that hostage to having my signature on this paper. If the Council cannot find a way to let my people attend, I will have to work directly with other Alphas outside their authority.¡±


    I could sense his nervousness at my answer. ¡°The Chairman wants what is best for your Pack and the other Alphas, and that means time is of the essence. He is making a significant demonstration of the Council¡¯s respect for your new Pack by flying for over a day to attend your wedding. Chairman Carver intends to conduct your induction ceremony into the North American Council at that time.¡±


    ¡°The Chairman of the European Council will be there as well,¡± I said evenly. ¡°He also is flying a long distance to attend, and hees to me to negotiate my membership, not demand it. I spoke with Chairman Svensson two days ago. Instead of demanding my Pack¡¯s submission, he and I talked about areas we might forge cooperation and opportunities he would make avable to help my new Pack. He also indicated he would grant ¡®significant flexibility¡¯ in the rules to help my isted Pack adapt to life with the rest of the world¡¯s wolves. That is one of my concerns, you know. The Southern Cross Pack has CENTURIES of istion to ovee. Leo and I busy teaching them about basic things like the mate bond! What Chairman Carver wants is like taking an isted Amazon tribe and putting them in New York, then expecting them to know and follow all thews.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was that bad,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than you can imagine. The Europeans understand this; they see the joining of my Pack to their council as a process, not a signature.¡± I tapped the folder he¡¯d given me. ¡°It¡¯s a far different situation than an existing Pack splitting, or an Alpha child iming his new territory. My people will look this over, and he can expect a counter-proposal that reflects the specific needs of my people.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said as he took thest shrimp. He took a business card out of his pocket and slid it to me.


    ¡°I have your number,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is the number of Lance Coleman, the head of the Council Enforcer detachment.¡±


    ¡°I already told the Chairman I didn¡¯t need his men, and I don¡¯t trust them.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I know that, but do you want to deny these men two and a half weeks of paid work in tropical hotspots when they might be useful to you? Have them secure the perimeter or something. They are highly trained security people, and Mexico is dangerous.¡±


    I handed the card back. ¡°My decision is final. If I see these men around me, I¡¯m going to assume a hostile intent. I rmend you inform the Chairman of that, so there are no misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he said. ¡°If you have no other questions, I¡¯m going to find my wife while I still have a retirement fund left.¡±


    We allughed at that. ¡°Enjoy your time here, Lawrence. What I said about the Enforcers does not apply to you or your mate. We would love to see you at our events if you have time, and maybe we can have dinner?¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± he said. ¡°Enjoy your evening,dies.¡±


    ¡°How did I do,¡± I asked the girls. They were all in my Pack now to maintain the mind link during our tour.


    ¡°You kicked ass,¡± Amy said. ¡°You put the North American Council on the defensive. That part about the European Council was a masterstroke. Did Lars say all that?¡±


    ¡°Hell no, he called to thank me for the invitation and said he looked forward to talking in person,¡± I said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it was true or not, it will make them rethink things, and that gives me time.¡±


    ¡°As long as the two don¡¯tpare notes.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that will happen. Lars would love to snatch our Pack out of their grasp. We should finish this food and get settled; we leave for dinner in an hour. Jamaican barbecue.¡±


    I¡¯d said the magic words.


    *********


    Jamaica had beautiful beaches, and the modeling and appearances were fun. ¡°Can you believe this is getting boring,¡± I said as we rode back to the hotel. ¡°Incredible scenery, fantastic diving, adoring crowds, and now gourmet food before retiring to a luxurious room.¡±


    ¡°It will be over soon, and then you can sleep in the woods all you want,¡± Amy said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I love every second of this,¡± Makani said. ¡°I know I¡¯ll probably never live like this again if I don¡¯t keep up with modeling.¡±


    I looked over at Noni. ¡°It¡¯s a better deal than your shark expeditions. The Sea Scout looks functional, but it¡¯s not a four-star resort on a sugar-sand beach.¡±


    I had tough at that. ¡°No room-service massages or cabana boys,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s going to be rough.¡±


    The next day, we set out for a ce that was not our typical shark dive. We worked through a mermaid family that ran a diving charter, and they had obtained special government permission to dive a restricted area. Our expert was Dr. Henry Smallworth, an underwater archaeologist from the Institute of Jamaica, a man in his fifties with a permanent smile and a salt-and-pepper beard. ¡°How much farther, Henry?¡±


    ¡°Another five miles,¡± he said. We gathered around as he told us the story. ¡°The Spanish held Jamaica, and the English took it over in 1655. The harbor at Port Royal was the finest in the Caribbean, and the English Privateers grew rich raiding Spanish shipping. Port Royal rapidly grew into what was called ¡®the most wicked and sinful city in the world.¡¯ Gold, jewelry, booze, women, ves; it was all traded there. By thete 1600s, it was the secondrgest city in the New World behind Boston. Pirates made it their base, and wickedness abounded until God ended it in one minute.¡±


    ¡°What happened,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°On the morning of June 7, 1692, a magnitude 7. 5 earthquake hit. Port Royal was a city built on a foundation of sand. The shaking caused buildings to fail and roadways to sink into the ocean. In moments, entire neighborhoods disappeared, and thousands died. Some got sucked into the ground like quicksand; others died when buildings fell or drowned when the waters came. Those who survived the earthquake watched in horror as tsunami waves wiped the earth clean of what remained.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°Two thousand people died, and thirty-three acres of the city sank under the waves. That¡¯s where we are diving today; the Sunken City of Port Royal.¡± As we arrived at the edge of the dive zone, Henry exined the rules; obviously, we could not disturb or remove any of the objects, and we had to stay together under his escort. The diving was in depths of fifty to eight feet of water, meaning we¡¯d get a few good dives in between the mandatory rest periods. ¡°Anchoring isn¡¯t allowed, so this boat will use its engines to control its drift as we swim. We will swim legs roughly parallel to shore, starting in the deeper water.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #145

    We got suited up, Linda checked our cameras, and we entered the water. It was the weirdest dive ever, but it was unforgettable. Our group moved in a V-shape, following Henry¡¯s lead as he took us down what used to be a city street. You could still see timbers from ships, stones from copsed homes, and paving stones from the streets. We finished our first tank and returned to the boat, heading back to the starting area while we rested and talked about what we had seen. We made two more dives on the site before calling it a day; with Linda and Carly filming plus the GoPros on our facemasks, we had plenty of footage for the show.


    After the diving, we docked in Port Royal and had dinner before taking a private tour of the National Museum of Historical Archaeology. Henry was the perfect tour guide, talking to us about the artifacts and tying them back to the earlier dives. Linda kept filming as he showed us around. I loved the table-sized holographic model of Port Royal before the earthquake; with the push of a button, it changed into the post-quake ruins. I couldn¡¯t thank Henry enough for his help, and I made sure to get his address to send him an advance copy of this episode.


    Our next stop on tour was Cancun, Mexico, and Linda had worked with Mercedes to arrange an extra day off before we had to be there. Mercedes flew back to Bodyglove headquarters with the twins to speak to the executives. Amy and I had already informed her that we would not be extending our contracts; we didn¡¯t need the money, and we needed time for other projects. Makani and Noni were interested, but only if there was enough flexibility to work around their futures as military wives.


    Linda, Amy, Carly, Fiona, and I flew to Los Angeles instead, where Stan Greenberg picked us up from the airport. Stan was the ountant for Sharkbait Productions, and we were talking money today. The Discovery Channel, which had broadcast the first two documentaries I appeared in, was begging for first refusal rights on our new show. I hadn¡¯tmitted to this, but I did agree to give them a private showing and a chance to bid before cing the show on the open market. If Discovery wanted to keep us from jumping ship, they would have toe up with a deal that would knock our socks off.


    We arrived in the boardroom at ten AM, greeting the executives gathered with big smiles. Discovery had done well by me, and it was good to see Erik Johnson from the Woods Hole documentary again. ¡°If you ever have questions about show production, give me a call,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d love a chance to work with you again.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I promised as I moved to the front of the room. I had a brief presentation made up, highlighting what I intended the show to be about and how it would show. We had decided to offer two seasons as a package, 26 episodes of 43 minutes each, for a fixed up-front price.


    ¡°Can you supply that number of episodes in that time,¡± the Vice President of Programming asked.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The first eight episodes are ready, and the remainder will be avable sequentially to finish by the end of June,¡± Linda said. ¡°If you start during February sweeps, you could run weekly without interruption.¡±


    That raised a few eyebrows. ¡°Is there enough underwater footage to support that,¡± asked Erik. ¡°We shot for two weeks to get enough footage for a one-hour documentary.¡±


    ¡°If the show focused solely on the diving, then no,¡± I said. ¡°The show involves sharks, but it¡¯s really about the four of us and our lives. The tour stops we are making provide plenty of material for a good show, between our interactions, our modeling jobs, and our diving.¡±


    ¡°We expect it will attract a broader and younger demographic, one that might not watch a documentary but WOULD watch a reality show about four attractive, athletic women,¡± Linda said. ¡°It won¡¯t be trashy or sensationalistic, because these women are not like that. After all, Amy is married, Vicki is engaged and will be married in a few weeks, and the twins have serious boyfriends. It isn¡¯t a show you¡¯d see on MTV; it is a show you can proudly watch with your sons and daughters every week. Perhaps a view of the first episode will help you understand where this is going.¡±


    ¡°Cue the show and hit the lights,¡± the CEO said. Forty-three minutester, the mood in the room was upbeat. ¡°I¡¯d like to see another, to see if it is to the same standard,¡± she said.


    ¡°Pick a number between two and eight,¡± Linda said in response. She chose seven, and Linda handed over the memory stick with Episode Seven.

 SHARKBAIT #146

    When it finished, people were whispering at each other as we waited to hear from them. Mordecai, one of the junior executives, asked us toe with him. He waved to Erik to follow, and we gathered in the lobby. ¡°Off the record, I loved your show, and my girls would go wild for it,¡± he said. ¡°Erik and I are going to take you to lunch while the bigshots put together a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± Amy hadn¡¯t talked much, but she had a good read on people. She spent the meeting watching their reactions, not the shows.


    ¡°Very good. Basic salesman stuff; never let them leave without a deal because they won¡¯te back.¡± I turned to Mordecai and smiled. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°There is a wonderful restaurant on the top floor of this building,¡± he said. Smart, not even letting us go back to our vehicle. We rode the elevator to the top, taking a table with a view of downtown and the ocean beyond. We didn¡¯t talk business, but I had a great time talking to Erik about producing shows and trading stories. Erik¡¯s presence gave me an idea. I struggled with how to handle day-to-day Sharkbait Productions in America while staying with my Pack in Australia. Linda and Erik were friends who had worked together before; perhaps he could be an associate producer and work with us?


    One thing I knew for sure; with all the movers and shakers in Hollywood, our appearance here would not go unnoticed. ¡°I bet we have messages from five otherworks before we finish dessert,¡± I said.


    I was wrong. It was seven.


    Mordecai looked at his phone and called the waitress over to settle the bill as we finished our drinks. ¡°They¡¯re ready for you,¡± he said as he stood.


    ¡°Good, because we¡¯ll have time to talk with the other sevenworks who know something is going on if we wrap this up in the next hour.¡± His eyes got big, and he couldn¡¯t get us back downstairs fast enough. He ducked into the room, opening the doors for us a few minutester.


    I could sense the tension as we sat down. ¡°Thank you for lunch; it was lovely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± the CEO said as she sat taller in her chair. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. We want to broadcast your show, and we have prepared a generous offer for it.¡± She went through the particrs, and I had to fight to keep my expression from changing as I heard the numbers. ¡°We also want the right to match any offer for future documentaries from Sharkbait Productions. We¡¯d like to keep your brand on ourwork.¡±


    ¡°Right to match isn¡¯t as good as the right to refusal,¡± Amy said over the link.


    I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of a right to match; when I shake someone¡¯s hand and seal a deal, it means something to me. I could grant you the right of refusal instead. When these programs be avable, I¡¯ll have a much better idea of their worth on the open market. If you turn down my proposal, I¡¯ll shop it elsewhere.¡±


    A few eyes got big. ¡°We¡¯ve never made a financialmitment like this before,¡± the VP of Programming said.


    I made a show of looking through the figures, then closed the folder and pushed it in front of Stan. He didn¡¯t even open it, as he could run numbers in his head faster than I could put them into a calctor. ¡°This show is going to be a hit, and we both know it. Stan?¡±


    ¡°The baseline number is eptable, but bump it up by a hundred thousand dors for every half-million viewers, broadcast and onlinebined,¡± Stan said. ¡°When it blows away thepetition, we gain as well.¡±


    ¡°We would also offer bonus programming for one-third the per-episode fee,¡± I said. ¡°It would be a fan-talk format, like Sharks After Dark. We would bring in guests, the four of us could make appearances and ask questions, trivia, follow-ups, and things like that. It¡¯s cheap programming that builds the brand.¡±


    It was also a way to get paid for another thirty minutes with a few hours of work, which I could do from my home in Australia.


    The negotiations went quickly after that. We had discussed our strategy and minimum numbers, and we had gone well above that. The final deal was worth a minimum of thirty-five million dors, and an option for the aftershow at four hundred thousand an episode. Payment would be in stages; Linda delivered the first eight episodes as the CEO handed over the first check. ¡°This is the start of a long and profitable rtionship,¡± she said.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± We managed to hold our screams and jumping around until we reached the parking garage.


    **********


    We ate dinner at the airport before taking a direct flight to the vacation destination of Cancun, Mexico, on the Yucatan Penins. We arrivedte, getting to our room well after midnight. We were excited, but the girls were already asleep when we got in. Amy and I quickly showered and got to bed, hoping to get some sleep before we had to be up for the modeling session.


    We caught up on each other¡¯s adventures as we ate breakfast, using the mind link for anything sensitive. I was thrilled for the twins; they left with contract extensions that would keep them in the Bodyglove family until 2036 with a significant pay raise. It had the schedule flexibility they needed to work with their school and mates, and they would pay them to make two USO trips before the contract expired. I was thrilled to hear this, as I knew how much they wanted to spend time with service members. Our appearance at the San Diego Exchange was one of our best. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about doing a show on SEAL training, but we should consider a USO show as part of our reality show,¡± I said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I¡¯d LOVE that,¡± Amy replied. ¡°Can we fit it in?¡±


    ¡°We can if we do one less show on the Sea Scout,¡± Linda replied.


    ¡°Or we turn one show into a documentary,¡± I said. ¡°Think about which location would make the best shark-focused documentary, and we can change that out. Maybe one on Hammerheads in the Keys or Bermuda? Great Hammerheads make great shows.¡± We might as well, Discovery wanted them too, especially for Shark Week.


    ¡°We can see what wee up with, and maybe our local expert has an idea.¡± A documentary took a couple of weeks to film, as you wanted lots of underwater videos to fill the show.


    The twins had been thrilled at how sessful our negotiations had gone. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to do the talk shows,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°We cane up with some fun games and contests,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°I bet you can,¡± I said. I grew up watching those shows, and I had my ideas. Trivia contests, bloopers, behind the scenes moments, and interviews would quickly fill up a 21-minute program. We¡¯d still have to work hard to make a quality product, but I could do it from home. Wherever that ended up being, I thought to myself.


    We did a lot of the shooting early before the beaches got crowded. We did attract spectators, but Ca worked with local police to keep a perimeter. We finished at the beaches by ten, and then our party had a police escort to Captain¡¯s Cove, a restaurant with seating on the pier. We ate a light lunch on the water while Mercedes and her photographers took candid shots. This time, the shoot was emphasizing beach wraps and dresses. Finally, we went back to the Westin Ocean Vis and Spa for photos in the expansive pool and spa areas.

 SHARKBAIT #147

    We finished at three, giving us a short break in our rooms before we had to leave for the public appearance at a local surf shop. With Christmasing, it was a popr event, and we gave out Bodyglove T-shirts and other swag to the adoring crowd. After a good meal and some dancing at a local club, where I failed miserably on camera at salsa dancing, it was back to the hotel.


    The next morning we met our security escort, four off-duty Mexican police officers, and loaded into three SUVs for our trip into the countryside. We¡¯d hooked up with a dive shop specializing in diving cenotes, sinkholes now filled with freshwater, oryers of salt and freshwater, that dotted the jungle. Juan was our guide, an English-speaking twenty-five-year-old dive instructor who ran tourist dive epeditions. We piled our gear into the backs and hopped in; Linda, Amy, Fiona, and I were riding with Juan, while the twins and Carly followed. ¡°What can we expect today?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to blow your mind on three dives, allpletely different cenotes,¡± he said. ¡°Have you done any cave diving?¡±


    ¡°Smaller caves in the ocean, and mining pits back in Minnesota,¡± I said as I thought back to the cave near Perth we¡¯d dove on.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to love these. We are diving three cenotes today; one shallow, one medium-depth with lots of formations, and one deep. The first is all snorkeling, the second we¡¯ll snorkel then scuba, thest is all scuba. We¡¯ll be in depths from five to eighty feet.¡±


    ¡°Photographic conditions,¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°The best you¡¯ll ever see,¡± Juan promised. ¡°Crystal clear water that makes it appear like you¡¯re floating in the air. In some ces, you¡¯ll need good lighting for your cameras, and everyone will be carrying underwater shlights. The best shots are when the broken rays of the sune through the water and light the caverns up. Get the cameras on the bottom and shoot up as they swim through the rays, and that¡¯s the money shot.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°How is the temperature? Are we going to need wet suits?¡± Even though we were in the tropics, groundwater could be cold.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a wetsuit for the second two dives. Our first one has perfect conditions for snorkeling, with wide swaths of shallow water, lots of fish and vegetation, and warm temperatures.¡±


    That would give us a chance to wear some more revealing swimwear, which would make Mercedes happy. ¡°How about crowds?¡±


    ¡°We have paid extra to have privacy for the time of your shooting,¡± Juan said. ¡°Linda made it clear she needed the best filming conditions, so I blocked off two hours at each of the first two sites. The third is on privatend, and we¡¯re diving it only because the owner is a fan and wants to be on your show. I¡¯ve been in that cenote once, and it blew me away.¡±


    We arrived at the first dive area, a long, shallow cenote near the ocean called Casa Cenote. It was a popr tourist spot, but we traveled by kayak to an entrance at a more remote area reserved for us. Our gear was minimal; mask, snorkel, and our free-diving fins. As we paddled across the turquoise waters and looked at the sand and mangrove roots under it, I started getting excited. ¡°This is fantastic,¡± I said as we arrived at our dive site.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    The management had strung a line across warning the area was closed, and one lifted it so we could paddle under it. Juan gave us a quick brief of the area as we arrived at a small beach area. Linda and Carly were using scuba gear to stay underwater and film; Fiona was going to follow us snorkeling with her camera. Of course, we had small cameras built into the sides of our masks, as Linda never met a camera she didn¡¯t like. We were also wearing our waterproof nes with the built-in microphones. I pulled my diving shirt off, leaving me in a white bikini with a narrow back. Amy had chosen a red one, while the girls were in matching neon green and neon pink. Onest gear check and the ceremonial starting of the cameras, and we slid under the water.


    The edges of the cavern were broken limestone and mangrove, and there were thousands of small fish among them and the algae growing like fields of grass. The tangled mangrove roots were fun to swim around, but soon Juan led us to deeper water. Linda would motion for us to swim somewhere as she maneuvered to get the light and the shot right, and we¡¯d do it. After her second tank, we changed gears. ¡°We¡¯re doing the Crack now,¡± he said. ¡°Normally we do this in scuba gear, but it¡¯s only twenty feet deep, and you two can free-dive it if you want. It¡¯s open along the top if you need toe up for air.¡±


    The twins weren¡¯t asfortable, so they got on scuba gear as well. They followed Juan through the long broken-rock formation first with Carly filming. We waited until they were out of sight before we started after them. Linda dove to the bottom with Fiona staying near the surface with cameras running. We¡¯d added weight belts around our narrow hips to stay down; after our breathing exercises, we started our dive.


    The key to a long free-dive is economy of motion; the more you move, the faster you use up your oxygen. We kept our arms still and used the big muscles in our legs and hips to drive the extra-long fins we used to push ourselves down. It didn¡¯t take long to level out just above the bottom, and it was spectacr. The crack was between two and five feet across, with sheer rocks on both sides reaching towards the surface. Boulders and sand were on the bottom, and we moved through the winding passage for almost three minutes before we headed to the surface for air. ¡°Wow,¡± I said as I took deep breaths.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± Amy agreed. Fiona kept filming above water while Linda stayed at the bottom looking up. After preparing, we dove again, taking three more trips before wepleted the run.


    ¡°That was the warmup,¡± Juan said. ¡°Time¡¯s up, let¡¯s get back to the cars and head to the next spot.¡±


    We stowed our gear and headed out, this time to the Dream Gate Cenote. Half our security team waited at the cars, while the other two waited by the water. As we pulled on our wetsuits near the water entrance, Juan and a local guide gave us our diving brief. ¡°Dream Gate is a limestone cave with an opening to the air,¡± he told us. ¡°Like other caves, it has formations formed over millions of years. It is not allowed to remove, break, or disturb these formations, so be careful as you dive in narrower areas. Buoyancy control is critical as you swim through the caverns, so stay on top of that. The maximum depth is thirty feet, so no dpression points are required. Keep your lights on bright and wide; the camera lighting will help as well. The more light, the better the formations show.¡± We grabbed our shlights, while the camera operators put dual high-power lights on each side of the camera.


    We broke into two groups; Amy and I would follow the local guide with Linda and Fiona, while Carly would film the twins with Juan. The entrance was a round hole with light streaming, and as we got down lower, it took my breath away.


    The cavern looked like a cathedral to the Gods. Isted columns covered in calcite formations stretched between the floor and ceiling, looking almost alive with the oozing flow of the calcite. Looking up, I saw the cavern ceiling was covered with thousands of stctites from millions of years of groundwater leaching into the cave. Below us, stgmites and mounds littered the floor. I¡¯d toured caves back in Minnesota and Wisconsin as a kid, and these looked just like them, except filled with water. Visibility was exceptional, and I could understand what Juan said about it feeling like you were floating in the air. Only the bubbles broke the illusion.


    Things got better when we started exploring the caves off the main cavern. We had to go single file as it got tighter, and I knew the ¡®mask cam¡¯ footage would be sensational. When our tank air gave us the warning, I was disappointed. We swam back and changed tanks, this time switching areas with the twins to see other parts of the cavern. After the second bottle, our time was up, and we had a big problem. ¡°How are we only going to do ONE episode with all this footage,¡± I asked Linda. ¡°This is unreal!¡±


    ¡°Good problem to have,¡± she said.

 SHARKBAIT #148

    We loaded up for the third site, where the owner waited for us at the locked gate off the road. Santiago waved us through, then closed up and walked to his Jeep. He led us a few miles into the jungle, stopping in a small clearing. Linda got out and started filming as he greeted us. ¡°The Cenote is down this trail,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m too old for it, but you kids have fun.¡±


    We geared up as Juan gave us the brief. ¡°This Cenote is a pit-type, with sheer walls and almost a hundred feet deep,¡± he said. ¡°There is ayer of hydrogen sulfide at sixty feet that looks like fog. You can go beneath it, but you¡¯ll be out of sight, so don¡¯t do it alone.¡± Hydrogen sulfide was a poisonous gas produced by rotting organics, and theyer meant there was no current to disturb it. Juan went over the dive n and safety stops; we would have only a few minutes below theyer. We left our security and Santiago at a pic table by the rocks that formed the edge. It was a four-foot drop into the water, and a rope was hanging down to pull yourself outter. This time, we were all staying together. We jumped off the rock into the cold water, stopping at the first safety stop at ten feet to do buddy checks.


    The narrow opening to the pit meant natural light wasn¡¯t as plentiful, and that sunlight broke up in the jungle canopy. The effect was to have narrow beams of light that prated the clear waters to the bottom. Combined with the crystal clear water, it would look great on television.


    There weren¡¯t the cave formations or fish like the previous dives, but the water was crystal clear. The natural light was so striking that Linda didn¡¯t use artificial lights to brighten it up. The walls opened up into a slightlyrger canyon as we descended, and Linda took lots of photos looking back up at us as we followed the walls down.


    As we got closer to the milky fog of the hydrogen sulfideyer, we started to see the remains of trees sticking up through it. They must have fallen in when the sinkhole copsed, and now they were spooky ck skeletons poking up through the mist. We stopped at fifty feet, spending a few minutes exploring the cave just above the swirling fog.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Linda dove below it with Juan, signaling for us to wait one minute. When we couldn¡¯t see them anymore, we counted until it was time, then the four of us dove through theyer as Fiona and Carly filmed from above. Theyer wasn¡¯t as thick as I thought, and I could see Linda¡¯s camera lights as I swam down. Under theyer were more trees and clear water, and we clicked our lights on to explore. After five minutes, it was time to go back up. This time, we emerged like ghouls from Hell through the mist as my security team filmed.


    We made our safety stops on the way up, finally emerging near the entry rocks. Juan exited first, then collected the camera equipment, tanks, and fins, stacking them by the rocks. Once he did that, we each grabbed the rope so he could pull us out of the water. Soon, only Linda was left, as she took a few more shots of the scenery from the base of the rocks. We were all smiling like fools; this had been a great day of diving. I needed toe back here again.


    It was Fiona who reacted first and linked me. ¡°Something is wrong. Our police aren¡¯t here. Santiago¡¯s bag is at the pic table, and he isn¡¯t.¡±


    We all quieted at her warning and took a sniff; a breeze came through, bringing with it the scent of blood. ¡°Stay here, something is wrong,¡± Fiona told us. She grabbed a pistol out of her bag as I reached for the knife strapped to my calf.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± a man¡¯s voice said. Looking up, three men carrying AK-47¡¯s, their heads covered so I could only see their eyes, stepped out from behind the trees above us. ¡°Toss the knives and guns in the water, and put your hands on your heads.¡±


    I looked around, seeing more men with guns. Where the hell were the police? ¡°I don¡¯t see a good option,¡± I sent. ¡°Do it,¡± I said. I tossed my knife behind me, the ssh joining the others. I was d Linda hadn¡¯t said anything. Hopefully, she was hiding, and they wouldn¡¯t notice she was missing from our group. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about Linda, and don¡¯t look back. If they don¡¯t take her, she can get help.¡±


    A shot rang out, and I looked in horror as Juan¡¯s chest exploded in red. He fell back into the water, dead before he sank out of sight. ¡°WHY? He didn¡¯t DO anything?¡±


    ¡°Our orders were to bring the women. Walk up here single file and into the van. If you resist, you die.¡± Keeping our hands on our heads, we walked up towards the gunmen.


    ¡°The hidden faces are a good sign. It means they want to ransom us, not kill us,¡± Fiona said.


    Santiago¡¯s body was in the trees along the trail, one bullet in the forehead. He was a nice man who didn¡¯t deserve to die. Reaching the parking area, I could see the police vehicle was gone. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they were scared off or on the take,¡± I said.


    ¡°Either way, they are dead men,¡± Fiona promised.


    Our hands were zip-tied behind our backs. One of the gunmen held the door open to a beat-up panel van, while two newer SUVs parked in front of ours. The back was hot and bare, a cage separating us from the driver and armed guard. We sat on the floor as the door mmed shut, and the van lurched forward towards our uncertain future.


    ******


    Linda¡¯s POV


    This cenote had been truly epic. The cinematography of the girls slowly emerging from the misty depths was a highlight of my directing career, and I couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the hotel and start editing.


    I stayed back as the others exited the water, getting a few shots from just above and below the waterline. The clear water and high sun through the trees illuminated the sinkhole walls, setting light and shadow in clear contrast. I had my camera in the water, breathing through my snorkel when I heard Fiona¡¯s warning. ¡°Stay here. Something is wrong.¡±


    I hugged the underside of the boulder we were using to exit the cenote, making sure nothing metal banged against it. I was out of sight unless you walked to the edge of the boulder and looked down.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I didn¡¯t recognize the voice, and as a mermaid, I wasn¡¯t in on their werewolf mind link. ¡°Toss the knives and guns in the water, and put your hands on your heads.¡±


    Shit. Where the fuck were the cops we hired? I should have known better and hired some mercenaries; they were more reliable than the police around here. ¡°Do it,¡± I heard Vicki say. I stayed quiet as knives hit the water near me, sinking quickly towards the depths. There was a louder sound as the gun skittered across the rock before dropping to the water, almost hitting me. I grabbed the barrel just before it sank, tucking it into my belt. I kept the camera rolling, thankful that the shell nes they all wore contained hidden microphones.


    I jumped as a shot rang out, followed quickly by a body hitting the water next to me. I could see Juan¡¯s face as his lungs filled with water, and he started to sink. With his tanks off and a weight belt, he¡¯d go right to the bottom. The girls screamed, and Vicki¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°WHY? He didn¡¯t DO anything?¡±


    ¡°Our orders were to bring the women. Walk up here single file and into the van. If you resist, you die.¡±


    I waited as I listened to them walking away from me, back up the hill towards our cars. I waited until I hear them being ordered into the van before I slipped my tank and fins off, stashing them in a crevice. I grabbed the rope and pulled myself up to where I could peek over the edge. The GoPro on my right wrist was recording; I didn¡¯t see anyone, so I climbed out as quietly as possible. Our clothes were still where we left them on the rocks, with our phones smashed to bits next to them. I doffed my wetsuit and put on shoes before picking up the pistol again and moving towards the trail.


    I saw Santiago¡¯s body, cursing myself once again as I tried to get closer without being seen. I caught a glimpse of the girls just before the cargo van door was closed. I hid behind a tree, using the camera to record the license te numbers of the two older SUVs and the van. I had no chance to stop them; there were six men, all armed with rifles, and I was one woman with a pistol. I watched them drive away, thankful they hadn¡¯t burned or disabled our vehicles.


    I had to call for help, but my phone was dead. I ran over to verify myptop was still locked in our car; the kidnappers hadn¡¯t disabled or stolen it, only taking the women. I thought about the implications of this as I turned back; they weren¡¯t worried about being followed, or that our gear would provide clues for the Mexican Police. I ran back down the trail, gathering up the clothes and dive masks on the ground. Fiona¡¯s pocket had our keys in it, so I put those in my cargo shorts before carrying all I could back up the trail. I opened the doors, tossing the bags in the back, and dug out myptop. It had its own cellr data connection.


    Getting in the driver¡¯s seat, I fired up the rental SUV as I opened myptop on the console next to me. I drove back towards the road carefully, making sure I didn¡¯t get spotted. Myputer booted up, and I used a voicemand to tell it to video call the person who could call out the cavalry. ¡°Linda? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Kidnappers took Vick, Amy, the twins and their security about seven minutes ago,¡± I told a startled Luna Adrienne. ¡°Fucking Mexican police squad we hired for extra security took off. Six men were wearing ck hoods and jungle camouged uniforms, armed with AK-47¡¯s and AR-15¡¯s. Three vehicles, two silver Jeep SUVs, and one older white panel van. I got some video, but I don¡¯t know if I got tes. The property owner and our scuba guide are dead.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I could see the door to her office opening and peopleing in.


    ¡°I hid in the water, and they never saw me,¡± I said. I quickly told Vicki¡¯s aunt everything I¡¯d done and seen. I reached the gate by the road; when the kidnappers left, they put the chain back up. I stopped behind it. ¡°SHIT. They are on the main road. Just a minute.¡± I got out of the SUV, taking down the chain before looking at the tracks. Jumping back into the car, I moved theptop, so I was on camera again. ¡°They headed south from my location.¡±


    I gave her what I could, the address of thend, and everything I remembered. That¡¯s when it hit me. ¡°The microphones,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I bought them from the same supplier who does Survivor and other reality shows. They have a GPS transmitter in them; it sends a signal to a satellite every fifteen minutes as long as the microphones are on.¡± I pulled up the program, sending the address and password to Adrienne as I logged on. ¡°I¡¯ve got them,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°All four together, heading towards Nuevo Durango on 109. I¡¯ll call the cops.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°There were cops in on this, and we don¡¯t know how high the corruption reaches. We don¡¯t want them to find out we can track the girls. We¡¯ll send a team to retrieve them.¡± I could see people in the background talking on phones; I had a feeling there would be a big flight of warriorsing down from Minnesota on vacation.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Adrienne thought for a minute. ¡°Call the police. Tell them about the kidnapping and murders, but don¡¯t let on you saw anyone or anything. Two people are dead, and we can¡¯t hide that.¡±


    ¡°All right. What about the video I shot?¡±


    ¡°Send the files to me. Take anything that shows the kidnapping or after and hide the memory cards. Once that is done, call the cops, then the American conste.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #149

    ¡°I¡¯ll be tied up for days, maybe arrested,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll sendwyers, guns, and money,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°We¡¯ll get our girls back, Linda. You did everything you could today.¡± She hung up, already yelling for someone to get the car ready.


    I started pulling memory cards from the cameras I¡¯d collected, transferring files to theptop, then deleting everything before putting the cards back. Once I had the video files sending to Adrienne, I used theputer to call the police. It didn¡¯t take much acting ability to sound emotional and distraught. I then called the American Conste in Cancun. They said they would send someone to the scene; I could tell it wasn¡¯t their first time dealing with tourist kidnappings. ¡°If they wore hoods, they are after a ransom,¡± the FBI liaison said. ¡°There is a local gang that does this, and it sounds like their work.¡±


    ¡°I hear sirens; I have to go,¡± I said. I closed down myptop and tossed it in the back seat. When the police approached, I stood by the turnoff and waved them down. Crying, I repeated my story, pointing down the trail to where the owner¡¯s bodyy on the jungle floor.


    One of the officers moved my car out of the way as more cars and a detective arrived. He had me show them where I hid during the kidnapping, as one of his men jumped in and retrieved the rest of my gear. ¡°The scuba guide is down there?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s almost a hundred feet down.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got divers,¡± he said. I went through my story, telling him everything I overheard. I¡¯d hired the police through a local agency, and I gave the detective the details. ¡°We were diving, so we heard nothing until we got out,¡± I said.


    I sat with the FBI liaison as the police continued to process the scene. ¡°Will we get them back?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your friend has money, so we¡¯ll keep a watch on her ounts,¡± she said. ¡°The Australian Conste is sending an agent to stay with Vicki¡¯s mother, while agents out of our Seattle and Minneapolis offices are staying with the other families. If they call, we¡¯ll assist, and I hope to hell that they call with a ransom demand.¡±


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then this wasn¡¯t about money, and that¡¯s the worst-case scenario. Your friends are famous, and owning them would give bragging rights among some of the world¡¯s richest assholes. If they enter the global ve trade, they could disappear in some Mideast estate, never seen again.¡±


    ¡°That happens?¡± I was shocked.


    ¡°More than you might think. Sheiks and oligarchs like owning blonde American girls, and dozens disappear every year from Mexico. The local kidnapping ring targets both rich Americans for ransom and beautiful but alone Americans for the ve trade.¡±


    ¡°How do they get out?¡±


    ¡°Private aircraft, shipping containers, even diplomatic luggage. When you have money and power, you can own anyone or anything.¡±


    It made my heart ache to think of those girls, drugged and transported overseas to end up as sex ves. If their new owners were human, they had no idea what they were getting into with those six girls. If they didn¡¯t keep them silvered, they would wait for the opportunity to shift and kill them all.


    A dive team arrived, and I briefed them on what I knew of the cenote. An hourter, men were pulling Juan¡¯s body out of the water. The divers recovered the knives and my underwater camera; I¡¯d thrown Fiona¡¯s pistol deep into the jungle on the other side of the road. I thanked the men as I broke the camera down and stowed it in the open case with my gear.


    It was five hours after they disappeared before I was allowed to leave. The police put a hold on my passport and told me to remain at the hotel until the investigation wasplete.


    I followed the consr agent back to Cancun, worried the whole time about my friends. Security was tight, and I had to pass two checkpoints to get back to the tourist area. There were television stations set up outside our hotel when I arrived. A bellhop ran over to me, and he loaded all of my equipment cases and bags onto a carrier while I grabbed myptop.


    One of the reporters recognized me, and they all ran towards me to get a statement. Word of the kidnapping had gotten out. Letting out a sigh, I turned around near the front doors and waited for the cameras to turn on. ¡°Someone took my friends away,¡± I said as tears streamed down my face. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t hurt them; they are good people. I want them back,¡± I said.


    ¡°Has there been a ransom demand?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; you¡¯ll have to talk to the police.¡±


    ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t see me. That¡¯s all I¡¯m at liberty to say.¡± With that, I turned and walked towards the front desk. Hotel security kept the reporters out as I headed for the elevators.


    The hotel concierge approached me as I walked. ¡°Miss Cartwright? May I be of any assistance?¡±


    I pulled my broken phone out of my purse. ¡°I need a new phone,¡± I said as I handed it over with a stack of pesos. ¡°If you could arrange that and get the SIMM card transferred, I would appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am. I will bring it to your room personally.¡± I nodded and headed to my room, followed by the bellhop and his cart.


    Looking around my room, I could see the evidence of a police search that must have taken ce during my interrogation. I took a quick shower and pulled on fresh clothes before setting up myputer for a video call. Adrienne was in the air. ¡°Anything yet?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything except that I have good people on this. I¡¯ll be at the hotel in three hours, and we¡¯ll set up amand center. Leo¡¯sing, along with Nichs and a bunch of others.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Whatever she knew, she couldn¡¯t tell me around others. I heard a knock on the door, and the concierge handed me my new phone and my change. I gave him arge tip as I fired it up; I had many messages when it finished downloading. The police still had everyone else¡¯s phones, not that it would do them much good. I couldn¡¯t even get into their rooms, as the police had secured them as potential crime scenes.


    I quickly texted everyone to tell them I had my phone again and was back at the hotel with nothing else to do. Sitting down with myptop, I started editing everything I had of the kidnapping, starting with the GoPro video I¡¯d taken while chasing after them. I sent the encrypted video file to Adrienne, Alpha Leo, and Alpha Steven.


    I ordered room service and continued to search for clues, stopping only when there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find Adrienne and four other men. She pulled me into her arms, hugging me as I broke down. ¡°Grab yourputer ande with us,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s time to find our girls.¡±


    *****


    Vicki¡¯s POV


    Wemunicated over the link as we drove to our fate, nning out when we would make our move. ¡°We can¡¯t do it now. You¡¯ll dislocate your shoulders if you shift in these zip ties, and there¡¯s no way to get through the cage or out the back door.¡± The cage had no openings, and where the handle for the doors would be, there was a steel te welded over it.


    ¡°I could shift a nail, cut through these zip ties, and when they open the door, we could take them out,¡± Amy suggested.


    ¡°No. There are six men with rifles, and they expect we might try to run. No, we have to wait for a better opportunity.¡±


    ¡°What about these nes? They transmit, right?¡±


    I thought back to what Linda had told us. ¡°They record and transmit, and they are still on,¡± I replied. ¡°If they search for something transmitting on this frequency, they might find us.¡±


    ¡°Lay down until your head is behind me, and I¡¯ll pull it off,¡± Amy said. I was closest to the driver, so I went onto my side as Amy turned slightly towards the back. She worked until she could touch my neck, then Amy rotated the loose-fitting ne until she could pop the sp.


    ¡°Put it in my mouth,¡± I told her. She moved until I had it in my teeth, then I struggled to sit upright again with no hands. Noni got a foot under me, and that was just enough to make it to a sitting position. The guards weren¡¯t paying attention, so I leaned my head against the cage and let the ne fall. It hit my hip,nding in the corner. I butt-scooted around until I had my back to the corner; using my fingers, I pushed the ne through the opening until it was under the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°How long do those transmit,¡± Fiona asked.


    ¡°Four to twenty-four hours, depending on how much you talk,¡± I replied. ¡°If there is no noise, they go into sleep mode. Better than nothing, though.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right, Ca?¡± Noni looked over at me, then linked, ¡°We should talk every five minutes or so just to get them to transit, or they won¡¯t find us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ca said. It was the female version of ¡®fine,¡¯ which meant anything BUT that. I could tell she was mad at herself; she was in charge of my protection, it happened on her watch, and she felt terrible about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± I told them all. ¡°Cross-training my security as camera operators took away from their mission and left us vulnerable. I should have known better.¡±


    Ca shook her head, no. ¡°No, Alpha, it¡¯s not your fault. We had security, I hired them, and they took off. I¡¯m going to hunt those men down and kill them for what they¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, and that¡¯s an order,¡± I said. ¡°Those men may be crooked, but they are still cops, and we¡¯re in their country. For all we know, the Cartel could be behind this. Those bastards don¡¯t hesitate to wipe out whole families in front of you if you don¡¯t y ball.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #150

    We¡¯d been driving for about twenty minutes when we slowed down, turning off the paved road. We spent the next twenty minutes getting knocked around as the van navigated a crappy dirt road through the jungle. ¡°Get ready, and y scared and cooperative. We don¡¯t need heroes. We need them to rx because six women aren¡¯t a threat to them.¡±


    With onest lurch, the van pulled to a stop, and I heard the men get out of the other van. The two in front turned around, holding their weapons at ready as the others approached. The man riding shotgun leered at us. ¡°Resist, and you will get hurt. We can have a lot of fun with you and still get paid.¡± I heard the doortch. ¡°One at a time.¡±


    The gunmen put blindfolds over our eyes before taking us out of the van; all I saw before that was trees out the front and back. I was thest one out; I tried to scent as much as I could. I sorted through the scents of the six men as best I could.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I felt the dirt change to concrete under me, and the smells got far stronger. It was hard to pick up their unique scents over the stench of cheap aftershave, tequ, sweat, and sex. I felt a knife go between my wrists and cut the zip tie away. ¡°Take off your clothes,¡± the man said. I didn¡¯t argue; I reached around and unzipped my wetsuit in the back. Peeling it down and off, I continued by taking off my bikini. ¡°Very nice,¡± the man said as his hand groped my left breast. I started to move away from him, which earned me a smack on my cheek. I bit back the urge to fight back as I tasted blood in my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re worth so much money because I bet you can fuck like a porn star. That¡¯s why I love this job; you can only sell a person you kidnap once, but you can sell a pussy like that a dozen times a night for years.¡±


    I took a deep breath, memorizing his scent. My wolf would enjoy the taste of his blood on my teeth. ¡°We¡¯re all right, Vicki. They¡¯ve got us chained up in here.¡± I rxed again as he went back to pinching my nipple.


    ¡°At least we get to keep the others for a while. Your buyer is paying a lot of money to be the first to take you.¡± He took my arm and led me inside, sitting me down on the cold and damp floor. I felt a cor going around my neck; it was steel, not silver. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and that gave me hope.


    I took inventory of the scents. ¡°Where is Fiona?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the oldest and probably worth the least, so I think I¡¯m their entertainment for the night. They took me inside the house and tied me over the couch,¡± she replied. ¡°Alpha Vicki, it has been my honor to serve you. If I get a chance to escape, I¡¯m taking it.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Fiona.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m closing the link. I don¡¯t want to distract you.¡± I felt her shut it off, so we wouldn¡¯t sense her pain. It didn¡¯t matter; with our hearing, we could hear her screams as they gang-raped and beat her. She never stopped struggling against them or stopped cursing them in three differentnguages, not until they knocked her out. A few minutester, three men brought her into our room and put the cor around her swollen neck.


    One of the men looked at Carly. ¡°We¡¯ll be having your ass for breakfast. Have a good night,dies.¡± They pulled the steel door closed, locking it from the outside with a padlock, and walked back to the house. The fuckers wereughing the whole time.


    It had been dark for hours; I tried to sleep, but the mosquitos and tropical heat made that hard. It didn¡¯t help that we were bare ass to concrete, either. I sat up when I heard several vehicles approaching. The men in the house came outside, and the leader sent two of his men to guard us. The rest he told to hide behind the trees and cover him while he concluded their business.


    The two vehicles that pulled in sounded big and expensive, not the cheap SUVs our kidnappers had. These were the money people, I was sure. I moved over to the metal door, putting my ear against it to hear better. Doors opened, and the leader greeted the new arrivals. ¡°Lawrence, do you have the money?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Carlos. Let¡¯s see the women first.¡± I heard them walking our way and moved away from the door. The wind shifted, and his scent blew in through the louvers at the bottom of the door. I pushed back a snarl of rage; the betrayal cut deep. They would all die, slowly and painfully, at my hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t react,¡± I told the others. The padlock opened, and a shlight shined in my eyes. I didn¡¯t look away; instead, I stared at the buyer with every bit of hatred and loathing I could muster.


    He looked at us, then walked back out the door. ¡°How much for all of them?¡±


    ¡°We were supposed to get half a million for Vicki, and the rest of them were the rest of the payment. They will do well at auction, at least the younger ones will.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about your business n, Carlos. I asked for a price.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred thousand for Amy, two hundred fifty each for the twins, and another hundred each for the older ones. One point five million.¡±


    ¡°One point two million, cash, here and now.¡±


    Carlos didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds, and it grated at me to hear our fates negotiated like this. ¡°Done. Bring me the money, and your men can load them up.¡±


    They walked away, and the first gunshot scared the hell out of me. I heard the men scream as they got cut down, cursing in Spanish before the neers put them out of their misery. When the shooting stopped, Lawrence came to the doorway. ¡°Leave the clothes and the nes behind so the cops can find this ce. Cor these bitches and put them in the transport cages.¡±


    The men who came in carried cattle prods and silver cors, and we had no chance of fighting against them.


    Our situation had just gone from bad to worse.


    *****


    Luna Adrienne¡¯s POV


    I hadn¡¯t stopped working since Linda gave me that call.


    I made three calls as soon as I got off the phone with her. I called Leo in Australia, letting him know his niece and her friends were in trouble. I called Alpha Steven in Oregon, letting him know three of his Betas and two of his Warriors were victims. Finally, I informed Alpha Ivan Volkov, Leo¡¯s younger brother, at his home in Stillwater. Vicki was his biological daughter, and he was very protective of her.


    While I was talking, one of the Omegas had purchased ne tickets, while another packed my bag. Just twenty minutes after finding out, five of us were heading out. All told, I had over three dozen warriors, trackers, Betas, and Alphas from three Packs on their way to Mexico.


    While driving to the airport, I made my next call. I didn¡¯t trust the man, but Vicki did, and his support was making the Australian Pack independent of the North American Council. After exining this was an emergency, his secretary put me through to him. ¡°Adrienne, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad news, Master Pontalba,¡± I told him. ¡°I was just contacted by Vicki¡¯s producer. A gang of kidnappers in Cancun has taken Vicki, Amy, Noni, Makani, and their two bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± He yelled for some people toe in. ¡°Are they like us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so; it sounded like locals,¡± I said. Mermaids didn¡¯t have our sense of smell, but it was enough to sense a fellow supernatural if they were close.


    ¡°That¡¯s a start. How can I help?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sending people down there as quickly as we can, but I was hoping you have contacts in the area. I can¡¯t use the authorities, but I need someone who can respond faster than we can. We are six hours out.¡±


    ¡°Master Hernando Vespi is over Mexico City. I¡¯m sure he has associates in Cancun.¡±


    I just bet he did. What better ce for vampires to ply their trade than a beach resort area full of drunk tourists? It was a lot like how Cyprian stayed hidden in New Orleans. ¡°I have trackers on them, but I don¡¯t know how long they will work before the kidnappers remove or disable them. Time is of the essence.¡±


    ¡°Pass that information along to Master Vespi directly. I will call him and have him contact you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Cyprian.¡± I needed that callback, so I waited for it instead of calling others, sending text messages to those friends outside the Packs. We were passing the refinery in Rosemount when my phone rang with an overseas number. ¡°Hello, this is Adrienne Volkov,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mrs. Volkov, my name is Hernando. A mutual friend asked if I could be of assistance to you.¡±


    ¡°Please! Bandits in Cancun captured my niece and her friends,¡± I said. I gave him the information I had, including the website and codes to follow the trackers. ¡°They still show active, but who knows for how long.¡± I¡¯d been watching on myptop, and they were still together and still driving away from Cancun.


    ¡°Why not give this information to the local police?¡±


    ¡°The local police may be in on it. Four officers were ¡®protecting¡¯ the girls. If it¡¯s not straight ransom, my first suspect is my own Council. I can¡¯t drag humans into that mess.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± He issued a few orders with the phone covered. ¡°I will send my people to help. Is this the best way to reach you?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± I gave him my flight number and arrival time and that I was traveling with four others. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Vespi. We will be in your debt for this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will be. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    Masters Emily and Cyprian were more friendly than Hernando, who was typical of the vampires I¡¯d met. Leo called just before we arrived at the airport; he, Nichs, and Joseph were in travel hell. They had to fly from Melbourne to Sydney, catch the long flight to Los Angeles, then make the connection to Cancun. It was going to be two days before they would arrive.


    The good news is that there were regr flights to the Mexican beach resorts from Minneapolis in December; the bad news was that they were packed full of drunken vacationers. Although the flight time was just over four hours, with security at each end and the wait for the departure, it was almost eight hours total. My secretary snagged thest first-ss seat for me, and I stowed my carry-on bag above it, putting my purse under the seat. The rest of my group were not as lucky; they were seated near the restrooms in the back. Alpha Steven and three of his men would arrive in another hour. Alpha Ivan and the rest of our teams would continue to show up over the next day or so.

 SHARKBAIT #151

    I got a text message from Hernando Vespi when wended. ¡°Found the missing things but not the girls. I¡¯ve sent a driver to bring you. Still looking.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I whispered to myself, forcing back the anger. We¡¯d missed our chance. ¡°I got an update from the Coven,¡± I sent to my people. ¡°Sally, you¡¯re going with me on a shuttle to the hotel with our luggage. We¡¯ll get our rooms and start setting up amand post.¡± If the girls were gone, this was more of an investigation than a rescue mission; I needed to coordinate the response, not get out there in the field. I had Colleen Underwood with me, and as a Deputy Sheriff, I ced her in charge of the two trackers that would be going with her. ¡°The vamps are sending a car for us to take you to theirst known location. They are helping us out, so be on your best behavior. Also, NO ONE is alone, ever. If they can take Sharkbait, they might be after us too.¡±


    Esmerelda was waiting for us, holding a sign with my name. She was a petite vampire with a dancers body and raven-colored hair to her waist. She looked to be about twenty but was probably closer to a hundred years old. ¡°Is that everyone?¡±


    ¡°These three will be going with you. Sally and I will be setting up at the hotel until the rest of our group arrives,¡± I said. ¡°Please pass on my thanks to your Master for his help, and I hope to hear from him soon.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I went to work as soon as we got to the hotel. Check-in went quickly, and I gave the concierge a list I¡¯d prepared with what I needed. As a resort that hosted convention visitors, they had everything I needed. A steady stream of orders went out to employees, and I had it all within an hour. I rented a conference room on the hotel¡¯s second floor with keycard ess for the five cards I¡¯d requested. Even hotel maids would not be able to enter without being let in. I had them stock it with office supplies, plus it had a half-dozenrge monitors I could connect to theputers we were bringing in.


    I was just setting up when I got a text from Alpha Steven; they were pulling in to the hotel. I gave him the conference room I was in, along with my warning to stay escorted. ¡°Thank you foring,¡± I told him as I opened the door to his group.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get them back,¡± he said after the door closed. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you to go get Linda,¡± I said. He left his investigator in the room with Sally while the other three escorted us to the elevator. Linda looked like hell when she opened the door, and I pulled her into my arms and gave her a big hug. ¡°Grab yourputer ande with us,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s time to find our girls.¡±


    ¡°Damn right, it is,¡± Linda said as she picked up herptop. ¡°Thank you for getting down here so fast. I¡¯ve not been able to do much on my own.¡±


    ¡°You stayed free and got word to us, Linda.¡± We got back in the elevator, getting off at the second floor and going into the conference room. I had a map of the Yucatan Penins on one of the monitors, and when everyone sat down, I started. ¡°We¡¯ll get to Linda¡¯s story shortly.¡± I pointed at arge wall monitor disying a satellite image of the Yucatan Penins. ¡°We are here, and the property where they got kidnapped is over here. I have a team traveling to this area with the vampires; Master Hernando Vespi said it is where he found the tracking devices. Ensuring the girls remain in this area where we can find them has to be our highest priority. We need to cover the airports, not just here, but in I Mujeres, ya del Carmel, and Cozumel.¡± The first a little north, while the other two resort areas were to the south of us and closer to the kidnapping site than Cancun. Cozumel and I Mujeres were both inds, but there were ferry services to the maind.


    ¡°The police will be watching the airports,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°It¡¯s all over the news.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more likely they leave in a private aircraft from one of the smaller airports, disguised as cargo, perhaps. I want to make sure we have a wolf there, preferably a tracker, to search for their scents.¡±


    Roger, the Three Sisters investigator, agreed. ¡°We should also keep at least two people at the main airport for the same reasons. It will be suspicious if the same people are there all the time. We can rotate people through, especially as more people arrive. We keep one inside the security area and one outside, at a minimum.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a dozen more people here in the next two hours,¡± I said. ¡°Should we keep the warriors here, ready to move out if we get a lead?¡±


    ¡°No, we need a mix of skills in at least three teams,¡± Roger replied. ¡°We can fit six people in a car. One driver, one tracker, and four warriors.¡± He got up and pointed at three locations on the map, spaced evenly. ¡°From these locations plus here in Cancun, we can respond within an hour to anywhere over a wide area. Once those teams are in ce, we can expand out as we need.¡±


    It was a good n, and it made sense.


    We just needed a clue as to where they might be.

 SHARKBAIT #152

    Colleen Underwood¡¯s POV


    Coven Vehicle, West of Cancun


    It was quiet as we drove through the dark jungle of the Yucatan Penins. Our vampire driver, Esmerelda, either didn¡¯t know or wouldn¡¯t say anything. She just went towards the spot where our people had been.


    I was texting back and forth with Luna Adrienne. The signals from the nes had stopped, but she had thest known location. Pulling it up on Google Maps, I turned to the satellite view. Two buildings and a carport in a jungle clearing, one trail leading in, and nothing but trees around for miles. It was the perfect spot for a hideout. ¡°This is our target; we need to find out all we can without leaving clues, as eventually, the Mexican Police will find it. Jenny, when we make the turn off the road, I want you to shift. Run a perimeter at least five hundred yards from the clearing. If anyone got away, I want to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll link you when I¡¯ve finished the circuit.¡±


    ¡°Mark, watch my back. I don¡¯t trust vampires as far as I can throw them. Stay with the car, and keep your eyes and ears open. If there is trouble, you are to shift and run. Pick up Jenny when you can, and call the Luna for help. DO NOTe after me if this is a trap. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± I could tell he was unhappy with the order; warriors wanted to fight, and leaving a Pack member behind was against his code. He moved his phone, keys, and wallet to a pouch hanging around his neck. If he had to shift, it would stay with him as his clothes shredded or fell off.


    Ten minutester, we were near the turnoff. We slowed down and turned onto a dirt track, where the headlights illuminated a man. As soon as Esmerelda stopped, Jenny got out, leaving her shoes and dress in the SUV. She shifted into her small ck and grey wolf and took off to the east with her nose in the air. I closed the door behind her. The man walked to the passenger door and sat down, and Esmerelda started driving forward. ¡°Where is that wolf going?¡±


    ¡°Perimeter check. I want to make sure no one else is out there.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I am Mateo, leader of the Cancun Coven.¡±


    ¡°Colleen Underwood and Mark Johnson of the Miesville Pack in Minnesota. You found the trackers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we were toote to find anyone alive. I have to warn you; the scene is gruesome.¡±


    ¡°Sheriff¡¯s Deputy. No matter how bad it is, I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± I saw the clearing up ahead. ¡°Let me out at the near edge of the clearing. I¡¯ll check the scene myself.¡±


    ¡°What about us,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Go back out and drive a mile or two down the road; wait for my call. If the police find this ce, the car is trapped. I can always shift and run.¡±


    ¡°Do what she says,¡± Mateo told Esmerelda. She stopped as soon as the clearing started, and I got out. Opening my purse, I pulled out the crime scene kit I carried while off duty. I donned the Tyvek suit, putting my hair inside the hood, then booties and gloves. Mateo got out with me. ¡°It¡¯s better if I do this alone,¡± I said.


    ¡°My footprints are already on the scene, so more won¡¯t matter,¡± he said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I pped the side of the SUV, and Esmerelda backed up and started to drive off. The first thing I did was to use my senses to take in the scene. Taking a deep sniff, I sorted through the smellsing to me in the light breeze.


    Blood and gunpowder dominated. I could smell the girls, their scents betraying their fears. ¡°What did you find when you arrived?¡±


    ¡°Six men, dead next to their rifles,¡± Mateo told me. ¡°Three in the trees back there,¡± he pointed to the spots, ¡°Two in the house, and one up here by the parking area. There was a gun battle, and they lost big time.¡±


    ¡°Their attackers weren¡¯t injured?¡± We knew from Linda the gang had AK-47¡¯s; you¡¯d think they¡¯d have taken a few down with them.


    ¡°If they were, they took them with them when they took the girls.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Stay behind me while I walk the scene.¡± I went first to the parking area; the attackers hade here in cars. I could see spent brass, 5. 56mm from an AR-15 or simr weapon, but I could also smellrge quantities of bleach. I killed the scents of anyone who had gotten out of the car. ¡°The attackers were supernatural,¡± I said. ¡°They knew to hide their scents.¡±


    ¡°That was my conclusion,¡± Mateo said. ¡°From the tire tracks, they had tworge vehicles.¡±


    The dead man had been hit five times in the chest and twice in the face and hadn¡¯t gotten off a shot. sh burns on the skin indicated the shooting was at point-nk range. ¡°The attackers got close, but they weren¡¯t entirely trusted,¡± I said. ¡°Only the leader went to them; the rest stayed back in support.¡±


    Mateo snorted. ¡°Like that did any good.¡± As I walked away from the parking area, the bleach scent weakened, and I started to pick up others. I stopped a few times to sort through them. The leader was the strongest, but I could scent the five others as well. I could pick up the girls¡¯ scents, easily picking out Vicki and Amy¡¯s familiar scents. The trail led from the center of the clearing to the small concrete building and back.


    I stopped outside the building to look at the two dead men outside. They¡¯d gotten off some shots, but not for long. Both had single gunshots to the head. Their brains painted the whitewashed block walls behind them. ¡°Damn. The attackers had training.¡±


    Mateo nodded. ¡°The three in the treelines got cut down just as easily. A Cartel hit squad is my conclusion. Many of them are ex-military, special forces types. Highly trained and dangerous.¡±


    There was an open barrel nearby; looking inside, I found a pile of wetsuits and bikinis. They belonged to the girls. ¡°You left this?¡±


    ¡°It confirms the girls were here. Burning it would create a lot of smoke, so we left it.¡±


    I went to the open doorway and took a sniff. The smells of the girls were strong inside, and they raped one girl. I could smell the blood, semen, and sweat. Peering in, I could see the dried fluids on the concrete floor next to the cors and chains used to hold them. It wasn¡¯t a Pack member, but I wanted blood on my teeth. As I gathered myself, I picked up a new scent.


    A familiar scent.


    One that didn¡¯t belong within two thousand miles of here.


    I sniffed the door, then walked inside. Picking up one of the cors, I couldn¡¯t deny it any longer.


    Lawrence Fenwick, awyer and friend to the Alphas for over a decade, had taken the cor off Vicki himself.


    I had to push back my wolf. ¡°Mark, send a text to Luna Adrienne. Tell her Lawrence Fenwick took them.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t. Lawrence¡¯s scent is on the cor used to hold Vicki in the smaller building. It¡¯s all over here.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Be careful, Colleen.¡± I broke the link as I looked around; other than the humans and a few vampires, I didn¡¯t smell anyone else. ¡°You were in here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my men and I had to check it out. We found the cors over there in the corner, smashed, and we took them with us. The police don¡¯t need to know about the trackers.¡±


    He was right. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the house.¡± We walked back out, and I could smell the raped she-wolf¡¯s scent mixed with the males. Going inside the small house confirmed my suspicion. The gang-rape happened on the couch before taking her back into the prison. I looked around the rooms for clues; in the bedroom, I found a cellphone with the leader¡¯s scent on it. ¡°Did you find any other phones?¡±


    ¡°No, just that one.¡±


    It was locked, needing a code or a fingerprint to open. Walking back outside, I went over and pressed the dead man¡¯s thumb to the pad. The phone opened up; looking through the messages and the call log, I got the proof I needed. I memorized the number of thest call, made just a few hours ago, then walked back to the house. I returned the phone to its previous spot and kept looking around for another ten minutes, finding nothing. ¡°Colleen, perimeter run is done, no scents detected crossing it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Wait near the entry road for pickup.¡± Staying longer wasn¡¯t going to help; I had what I needed. ¡°We¡¯re done here. What are you nning?¡±


    ¡°Torch the ce. It will destroy most of the evidence, leaving enough out in the other building to tell the police the truth. Most importantly, the fire will lead them here after we are gone.¡±


    I considered the alternatives; this was the best. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Gas cans near the carport. I¡¯ll get them.¡±


    Five minutester, the rest of our group was back, and the small house was on fire. We turned onto the main road, heading back towards Cancun before the mes were visible from the road.


    As we drove, my emotions were all over the ce. I was furious that a family friend would betray Vicki like that, but something about the crime scene was off. I closed my eyes, going through everything in my head again as I tried to figure it out.


    Mateo used a burner phone to call in the fire to the emergency number once we got clear.


    I¡¯d found nothing at the scene to lead me to the missing girls except Lawrence Fenwick¡¯s scent. It was going to crush our Alphas to know he¡¯d been a part of the kidnapping plot. Alpha Leo would not make his death quick or painless, and he would not stop until every wolf involved had their blood staining his teeth. He loved his Sharkbait enough to go to war with the entire Council.


    I¡¯d report back to my Alpha, and we¡¯d go from there.

 SHARKBAIT #153

    Colleen Underwood¡¯s POV


    I texted innocent-sounding messages to Luna Adrienne while we drove northeast towards Cancun, letting her know we¡¯d be back shortly. She promised me ¡°Uncle Lawrence¡± would join us soon;st she heard, he was on vacation in Jamaica with his wife.


    We had to cross two police checkpoints on the way in, and I saw first-hand how vampires worked. When the soldier came to the door, Mateo caught his eyes, and the man went into a trance. ¡°Wave us forward and forget this happened,¡± the vampire told him. He waved us ahead without looking in the car.


    As we pulled away, he went back to work as if nothing had happened. Now THAT was a handy skill to have. Adrienne had warned me that older vampires could control or erase human minds. At least as fellow supernaturals, we weren¡¯t susceptible. ¡°You don¡¯t worry about cops or checkpoints, do you?¡±


    ¡°One at a time, it isn¡¯t a problem. When surrounded by a group, things get dicey; I can¡¯t put more than one in a trance at a time. If I get the leaders and the others obey without question, I can pull it off,¡± Mateo replied.


    He did the same at the next checkpoint, and soon we were in front of the hotel. ¡°We¡¯re back,¡± I sent to Luna Adrienne.


    ¡°Send the others to their rooms; they can pick up the keys at the desk. I need you in the conference room.¡±


    After we stopped in front of the main entrance, Mateo got out with us. Esmerelda opened the trunk, and he handed me a gym bag. It was heavy, and I quickly used my strength to handle it. ¡°You might need this,¡± he whispered as he leaned in to hug me goodbye. ¡°My contact information is inside. My instructions are to provide you any assistance you might request; as you saw, our presence can make moving around a lot easier for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure my boss expresses to yours how helpful you have been,¡± I replied as he stepped back. The bellhop came over to take my bag, but I waved him off. Mark and Jenny headed to the front desk while I took the elevator to the second floor. I linked my Luna when I was outside, and she opened the door to the conference room for me. The room was full of people, not all of whom I recognized.


    ¡°What is in the bag,¡± Luna asked me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mateo, the local coven leader, said we might need it.¡±


    I set the bag on the table with a clunk. One of ourputer technicians took a wand, pointing to it when the light showed a transmitter. ¡°Bugged?¡±


    ¡°Apparently.¡± The technician pulled out a knife, removing the bug and smashing it with the handle. Attempting to listen in on our conversations wasn¡¯t neighborly. ¡°Open it up; let¡¯s see what the Vampires brought for us.¡± Unzipping the bag, we found a dozen pistols, all Glock 19¡¯s, with extra magazines and boxes of 9mm ammunition. Also in the bag were two Uzi machine pistols. Iid them out one at a time as the tech scanned them; none had transmitters. Once the tech cleared me of any bugs, people could start talking.


    Adrienne went around the room, introducing me to the ones I didn¡¯t already know. I¡¯d not met Alpha Steven, and he looked ready to kill. His mate Carolyn was just as pissed off; she just handled it better. ¡°Tell us what you found,¡± Luna Adrienne ordered.


    ¡°They were there for a few hours at the most,¡± I said. One screen showed thepound¡¯s satellite view, and I used aser pointer as I talked. ¡°The girls were kept cored and chained in the concrete storage building here. They were loaded and unloaded from this area where the cars parked.¡±


    ¡°Any other movement?¡± Alpha Steven looked about one word from exploding.


    ¡°The men took one of the women from the Three Sisters Pack to the house. I didn¡¯t recognize her scent. She was gang-raped, then returned to the building afterward. She was bleeding on the floor.¡±


    That was too much, and Alpha Steven stood up and punched the wall. ¡°SONOFABITCH!¡±


    Carolyn wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him back to the table. His fist was bloody, and the wooden chair rail left a few splinters in his hand. ¡°This isn¡¯t helping anyone when you hurt yourself,¡± she told him as she pushed him into the chair. ¡°Get her the scent bags.¡±


    There were six stic bags on the table, containing clothing items from each of the six missing girls. I sniffed each in turn, remembering each of their scents from the holding area. ¡°All six were there, and this one was the one who they raped,¡± I said as I tossed the bag over.


    ¡°Fiona,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°By Luna, she deserves better.¡± I looked at her; surely, NO woman deserves rape! ¡°Fiona waited for decades to find her mate and almost lost it all when she attacked his human wife. They were going to mate after his divorce was final, but now she¡¯d lost her purity to these animals.¡±


    There was nothing I could do about that. ¡°I scented six men, Linda said six men, and six men are dead.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Adrienne got my attention back. ¡°Your impression of the killers?¡±


    ¡°Highly trained, probably ex-military, at least six people. The group got close, then opened up on a signal. Some of the men never got a shot off, and this was no spray-and-pray. Assigned targets, and bursts into the chest or headshots took them out. The whole battle was over in less than five seconds.¡±


    Alpha Steven looked concerned. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°The number of rounds fired and the location of the bodies. They never had a chance, Alpha. They were amateurs in a professional game. I figure six people because all the targets got killed at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Humans? Wolves?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I pointed at the area where the cars parked and where the attackers had set up. ¡°They sprayed bleach on the whole area; I couldn¡¯t pick up a scent. The only other person I picked up, and this was in the cells, was Lawrence Fenwick. I¡¯ve met him before, and I¡¯m positive it was him.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, as much as I don¡¯t want to,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°After getting your message, I talked to my mate. He¡¯s having Ivan send people to Lawrence¡¯s pack in New Hampshire. Leo is going to Jamaica, where we believe he¡¯s still pretending to be on vacation.¡± Alpha Steven looked concerned. ¡°The previous tour stop was Jamaica. Beta Lawrence was waiting for them when they arrived, with four Council enforcers. The Council was using his friendship as leverage; he gave Vicki the forms she would need to join the North American Council. The Chairman¡¯s words made it clear that the Southern Cross Pack membership was mandatory.¡±


    ¡°I saw the videoconference, and I know enough to understand that Vicki doesn¡¯t want that,¡± Carolyn said.


    ¡°The Council said the four enforcers were there for her protection,¡± Adrienne said while holding up air quotes. ¡°Those four and two more could easily have done this.¡± Council Enforcers were experienced warriors, trained inbat in both forms, with and without weapons. Many of them had prior SWAT or military training, so they had thetest tactics. Using telepathy, they could move and act as one. It was the kind of skill that would be needed to take out six armed men in seconds. ¡°The Council Chairman called Leo a few hours ago, offering any support we may require.¡±


    ¡°He called me too, and I told him that he didn¡¯t have resources where I needed them,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°The bastard had the gall to say that he regretted Vicki had refused his offer for a protective detail, that with Enforcers she¡¯d be safe. Vicki turns down his offer, and now she¡¯s missing? I¡¯ll fucking skin him alive.¡±


    It was Carolyn again who had to calm him down. ¡°Right now, all we have is Colleen¡¯s word that she scented Lawrence.¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± I said. ¡°There was one cellphone in the house. Thest phone call came from this number.¡± I rattled off the number I memorized.


    Adrienne checked her phone. ¡°It¡¯s Fenwick¡¯s personal cellphone number.¡± She was shaking with rage; somehow, she pushed it back. ¡°I¡¯ve been up for too long, and there is nothing we are going to aplish tonight. More help is arriving in the morning, and we need to be ready for them.¡±


    ¡°Get some sleep,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°I slept on the flight, so I¡¯ll keep things going while you get your rest. You too, Colleen. You did a good job tonight, and we¡¯ll need you at your bestter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. ¡°What should we do with the weapons?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #154

    Adrienne answered that one. ¡°Take one, make sure it is functional, and keep it where you can get it. We have to be careful, though; if the police catch you with it, we¡¯re not going to be able to stop a long prison term.¡±


    I had no desire to be stuck in a Mexican prison. ¡°Understood, Alpha.¡± I picked up one of the pistols and two spare magazines, tucking the gun behind my belt in the back, where my loose print blouse would cover it up. As a standard duty weapon for police for decades, I was well-practiced with its use and maintenance.


    I showered and was asleep within ten minutes of getting back to my room.


    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    After being cored with stic-covered silver to prevent linking and shifting, the vampires walked us across thepound to where a delivery van waited with the back doors open. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this,¡± I said as the leader dragged me along by the cor. ¡°I have friends, and they will take your head off for touching me.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Do you think Master Vespi is intimidated by that little bitch in Boston? A vampire so weak she had another kill her Master? Or do you think my Master cares what Supreme Master Pontalba, that senile old man in New Orleans, thinks?¡±


    Oh, shit. It was worse than I thought. As I reached the van, I could see cubes set up inside. The vampires busy were stuffing Makani into one. She screamed as she grabbed onto the bar to keep it from closing. The vampires secured the cage with a silver-coated lock; she had almost no room to move, and touching the hinged top would cause a silver burn.


    Pushed out of the way, they opened up a cube for me. Knowing resistance was futile, I cooperated as they shoved me down into the cage and locked it up. Once we were all in ce, they moved boxes and nkets around, hiding us from view and blocking out all light. The doors mmed, and we drove off.


    ¡°Fucking vampires all along,¡± Amy said.


    I¡¯d trusted them, and now we were all paying the price.


    *************Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Colleen Underwood¡¯s POV


    I bolted upright in bed, shocked as my sleeping brain had put together for me what had been bothering me. ¡°SHIT!¡± Jumping up, I went to the bathroom as I used the link to warn my Luna. ¡°LUNA ADRIENNE! WAKE UP!¡±


    A Pack member could send, but an Alpha didn¡¯t always receive routine sends, or they might never get anything done, including sleep. Our wolves were smart, though; when it was Pack safety, her wolf would feel my wolf¡¯s intent and make sure the warning got through. ¡°Huh? Colleen?¡±


    ¡°I figured out what was missing at the crime scene. I¡¯m getting dressed; we need to talk to the others in the conference room right away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s four-thirty in the morning, give me ten minutes,¡± she said. ¡°Make sure they have coffee.¡±


    I quickly dressed and headed down the hall to the elevator, arriving at the conference room. After knocking, the door opened to someone I hadn¡¯t seen before. She was a small woman with long ck hair; behind her, a taller white male stood protectively. ¡°You must be Colleen,¡± she said as she looked me over and stepped aside for me toe in.


    ¡°Yes, Colleen Underwood, warrior of the Miesville Pack,¡± I said with a slight bow of my head. They were Beta rank, and I could feel the power.


    ¡°I wanted to hear your story myself,¡± she said. ¡°I am Kaia, and this is my mate, Jack Steele, Beta of the Three Sisters Pack. Amy is our daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°I wish we were meeting under more pleasant circumstances,¡± I said as Jack ushered me to an empty chair. Only the new couple and Alpha Steele were in the room thiste at night.


    ¡°Time is of the essence,¡± Alpha Steele said. ¡°The Steeles just arrived with another ten of my Pack; they had to fly into Cozumel and take a shuttle to here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m approaching,¡± Luna Adrienne said to me. I got up and opened the door for her; she swept into the room, and I could see all of them deferring to her, even Alpha Steven. She greeted the Steeles as old friends, then sat down. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Colleen?¡±


    ¡°Something was bothering me about the crime scene, but I didn¡¯t put it together until I was asleep,¡± I said. ¡°I think it was a setup.¡±


    Eyes got wide, and Steven leaned forward. ¡°A setup for what?¡±


    ¡°To me Lawrence Fenwick and the Council for the abductions.¡± I had their attention. Standing, I went to the big monitor disying the satellite view of thepound. This screen was touch-sensitive, so I took the digital pen and started marking things up. ¡°Inw enforcement, you sometimes run across a crime scene where the bad guys have changed things around to meet the story they want you to believe. Changing what really happened into something else isn¡¯t easy, though. There can be dozens of little things that can give away how the crime scene changed. Moving a body means blood evidence doesn¡¯t match up; there might be scuff marks where they dragged it, or the positioning might be wrong. Most of the time, the changes happen quickly and without thinking everything through. It all looks right at first until you start thinking about what isn¡¯t there. And that brings us to this.¡±


    I circled the area around the parking, where bleach had wiped out the scents. ¡°This is the area where bleach wiped out scents, and it worked. I smelled nothing except the other vampires here. Now, I¡¯ll use white to show where I found the bad guy scents.¡± I marked the dead men and the trails that led between the two buildings and the parking area. Switching to red, I continued. ¡°These are the scents of the six women.¡± The lines went from the bleached area to the cells, with one line to the house. I switched to blue. ¡°And this is where I found Lawrence¡¯s scent.¡± This time, the marks were all inside the small building.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Steven said as he picked it up. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Lawrence¡¯s scent going back and forth to the parking area like the others?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s the one thing missing, and I didn¡¯t figure that out until a few minutes ago. Lawrence¡¯s scent appeared on the doorway and the cors, nowhere else. That doesn¡¯t make sense either; the only way to leave a scent on the cor is to touch it with bare hands, but that would leave fingerprints for the police to find. Sloppy and unthinking, and Lawrence is neither.¡±


    ¡°How would they get his scent there if he¡¯s not involved,¡± Jack asked.


    I picked up one of the ziplock bags on the table that had Makani¡¯s shirt with her scent on it. ¡°The same way you have her scent here. Wipe the cors with his shirt, and transfer the scent but not the fingerprints.¡± I thought about it a little more. ¡°We didn¡¯t burn the small building. If the Mexican police don¡¯t find prints on the cors, we know it was a setup.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to believe Lawrence could do this to us,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°How did they do this?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be hard to sneak a maid into their room in Jamaica and swipe a dirty t-shirt,¡± I said. ¡°Far easier for vampires, who couldpel the cleaning staff. If someone DID steal it with the intent to set Lawrence up, we have a much bigger problem.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The girls met Lawrence when they arrived in Jamaica. They had one day of appearances and one day of diving, then a travel day where Vicki went to Los Angeles, finally a day of shooting in Cancun before the diving day. That means the vampires have been nning this for at least five days.¡±


    Adrienne caught what I meant. ¡°They would have hired the gang to take them, then killed them to hide their involvement,¡± she said. ¡°To the police, it would be ve trading or kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m convinced that the vampires wiped the humans out.¡± Going back to the screen, I picked green for the vampires. ¡°All the brass was found here, in the bleached area. As I said, it was a professional job. The vamps want us to believe it was a Cartel team, but what scents are missing?¡±


    Adrienne picked it up. ¡°You never mentioned any human scents other than the six kidnappers.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. There never was a Cartel hit team; I would have picked their scents up near the gangsters when they checked to make sure they were dead or in the house or holding room. I never smelled anything except vampires. There would be no reason for a Cartel hit team to use bleach at all! The only people who would do that would be the vampires, knowing I wasing and wanting to erase evidence before I arrived. The simple exnation is that there was never a Cartel hit team, and it was the Vampires all along.¡±


    No one said anything for a moment, then Adrienne¡¯s eyes got big. ¡°LAWRENCE!¡± She grabbed her phone, calling a number, but it didn¡¯t answer. I could see her frustration as it went to voice mail. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s me. Our friend from New Hampshire may be innocent after all. Call me.¡± She called two more numbers, leaving the same message. Tossing her phone onto the table, she leaned back and let out a sigh. ¡°Leo should arriveter today in Jamaica, but he sent some of our people to grab Lawrence and his mate if they are still in town. Hopefully, they didn¡¯t rough him up.¡±


    ¡°His framing is a theory, Luna. Lawrence still might be in on it, and we don¡¯t know about the Council¡¯s potential involvement,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°Best to keep all options on the table until we get more information. There are too many suspects with too many reasons to want Vicki out of the way. We can¡¯t focus on only one right now.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough to go after the Council OR the vampires right now,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Colleen, is it possible you are wrong? Could Lawrence be working with the vampires?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± I said. ¡°The evidence neither convicts nor clears him. If the Council is involved, they could have hired the Vampires to take her, and they used a local gang to lead the authorities astray. The Mexican covens are well known for their illicit activities.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t convinced Jack about my theories yet. ¡°If the Vampires are involved, why the whole charade with you at thepound? Why not simply pile the bodies and torch the whole ce after they take the girls?¡±


    ¡°The tracking nes,¡± Alpha Steven concluded. ¡°The kidnappers didn¡¯t remove them, and we had the track of their progress to their hideout. That ce is so remote they could have left the girls there for weeks. Giving over the tracking data forced their hand; they knew we¡¯d be going there with or without them. They had to wipe out the kidnappers and stage things before we arrived. By picking Colleen up from the airport, they controlled how Colleen would see the scene.¡±


    ¡°While the rest of the coven escaped with our girls,¡± Adrienne concluded. ¡°Who could be anywhere now.¡±


    ¡°Better with the vampires than on a container ship or private jet heading to the Mideast,¡± I said. ¡°If Master Vespi has them, they will stay in Mexico.¡±


    ¡°If the vampires have them, they will wish they were ves to Arab sheiks,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°It makes things much moreplicated, and a wrong move could mean war.¡±


    ¡°Who can we trust,¡± Alpha Steven asked.


    ¡°No one who isn¡¯t family,¡± Adrienne replied. ¡°Master Vespi is involved somehow, and Master Cyprian gave us his name. I don¡¯t trust the Werewolf Council, and we can¡¯t trust Lawrence Fenwick. At this point, I don¡¯t trust Linda either. Her story is that the kidnappers didn¡¯t see her, but it¡¯s also possible that she was working with them. Thest dive site was on private property, known only to the dive guides.¡± She tapped a finger on the table as she thought. ¡°As far as anyone knows, we suspect the Cartel took them, and the Vampires are helping us find them. The only people who can know of our suspicions are the mates of the girls, their parents, and their Alphas. If it gets out that we suspect the Mexico City Coven, they might decide to kill and bury them before we can get them back.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #155

    Fuck. I reached behind me, pulling out the Glock I¡¯d taken earlier. I ced it on the table. ¡°The Coven gave us these, but as tourists in possession of firearms, it¡¯s leverage for them too. One phone call to the police, or one checkpoint with a search, and we¡¯re spending twenty years in a Mexican prison.¡±


    Steven nodded. ¡°They won¡¯t do anything against vampires anyway. Take the bag and hide it for now,¡± he said. ¡°The rest of you? Get some sleep. I¡¯ll have breakfast delivered here at eight, and we¡¯ll go over our ns for the day.¡±


    I stood up and grabbed a napkin, wiping my prints from the gun before holding it inside the folds. Walking over to the bag of guns in the corner of the room, I returned mine. The bag was heavy, but I pretended it wasn¡¯t as I left the room. I walked down the stairs to the garden area; the pool was empty at this time of night, and the only people were in the bars. Walking through thendscaped garden area, I noticed that most of the nts were in removable containers buried in the mulch. Walking through the area looking for a ce hidden from any surveince cameras, I picked my spot. Lifting out a thirty-inch diameter flowerpot, I used my hands to dig a hole in the sand underneath and buried the bag before putting the pot back. The flowerpot stuck out a little higher, but not noticeably so. I pushed the mulch around it and walked off, finding a towel by the pool to wipe off my hands before going back inside.


    Sleep didn¡¯te easy, but it finally came.


    *************


    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    The van ride sucked; my body ached from being stuffed into the cage, but I dare not shift enough to contact the silver lining the top. Hard bumps in the road would jolt us, and we would touch the silver anyway. We bit back the screams. Our guards promised to sedate us if we didn¡¯t keep quiet, and we¡¯d rather be awake for this.


    I could hear a small ne taking off as we drove along a paved road and knew we were at an airport. The sound changed, along with the sound of an electric motor moving the door. ¡°We¡¯re in a hangar,¡± I whispered. The van came to a stop, and ten minutester, the back doors opened.


    I blinked a few times as I adjusted to the light. We were in a private airfield hangar, near where a twin-turboprop aircraft sat. It was the size of a smallmuter aircraft, capable of moving a dozen people around whilending at smaller airfields. ¡°Can you fly that,¡± Amy whispered?


    ¡°I¡¯ll fly a jumbo jet if it gets us out of here,¡± I whispered back. ¡°I need a chance.¡± With silver cors on our necks and multiple vampires around, that chance wasn¡¯ting easily. Vampires were a challenge for experienced werewolf warriors; their speed, fangs, and venom-carrying ws made one-one-one a losing fight for us. We would need at least three-on-one to have a chance, and right now, it was six-on-four IF we could get free.


    One of our guards came forward, pulling Noni¡¯s cage forward. ¡°We¡¯re going to let you go to the bathroom one at a time, and then we¡¯ll get you loaded on the ne. If you resist in any way, we¡¯ll stuff you in the cage and put you underneath with the cargo. Hopefully, you won¡¯t freeze to death before we get to Mexico City.¡±


    ¡°We will cooperate,¡± I told him. Now wasn¡¯t the time to fight.


    The guard set Noni¡¯s cage onto the concrete floor, and a guard unlocked the silver-coated padlock. She stood up and stepped out, moving stiffly. Another guard fixed shackles around her legs and cuffed her hands in front of her. They shuffled her to a bathroom, and she came out wearing an orange prisoner jumpsuit. The guard escorted her up the stairs to the ne as her twin went to the bathroom. I was thest one to go; when I got on board, the other five were in ce on the seats. The guard pushed me into an open seat next to Amy before connecting a chain to both sets of shackles. The chain went to an eye bolt under the seat, attached to the airframe; I wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    The vampire pilot climbed up and closed the hatch, leaving only the two guards in the cabin with us. The better odds didn¡¯t matter, as we were held securely and silvered to prevent shifting. I looked out the small window as we pulled out of the hangar and onto the runway. The sign said, ¡°Aeroclub Baca.¡± Based on the sun and the open ocean to our north, we were on the Yucatan Penins¡¯s northern edge.


    As we lifted off the runway, I felt our best chance at freedom slipping away. The vampires had left us no good options, and the police didn¡¯t stop us at the airport. Mexico City was a big city, with a Master Vampire over it and the entire region. They could hide us anywhere and keep us as long as we were useful to them. The guards ignored us, so we quietly talked as we flew west towards our prison. Noni turned around in her seat. ¡°Why does the Vampire Master want us?¡±


    I looked at her. ¡°Virgin Beta daughters.¡± I looked up at where Ca and Fiona sat. ¡°Warriors.¡± To my right to Amy. ¡°Beta.¡± Then to myself. ¡°Mantled Alpha. What did Master Alexander want? Werewolf blood,¡± I said. ¡°Drinking our blood makes them more powerful. Master Emily and Master Pontalba each wanted my blood to fend off challengers.¡±


    Amy thought about it for a moment. ¡°Why all of us? Why not just you, since your blood is the strongest?¡±


    It was a good question. ¡°Remember what the vampire said when they took us from the hideout?¡±


    ¡°He talked about Master Emily being weak because she used you to kill Master Alexander and called Master Cyprian old and senile.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°If the minions think that way, the Master does too. What do Emily and Cyprian have inmon?¡±


    She thought for a minute. ¡°Emily used your blood to fend off challenges, and Cyprian allowed it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Think about it from an outside perspective. For over a century, holding and harvesting of werewolf blood has been against thew. The Vampire-Werewolf Treaty makes it a capital offense to capture and hold us. Yet, here we are, captured and held. Why?¡±


    Makani came up with the answer first. ¡°The Master doesn¡¯t respect the authority of the Supreme Vampire anymore; once he started allowing the use of werewolf blood in challenges, the rules changed. If Emily gets to use werewolf blood, why can¡¯t he?¡±


    She was close. ¡°That would exin taking me, as I supplied the blood to both Emily and Cyprian. One could almost make a case that I am a voluntary source now. With my blood, he¡¯s stronger than Master Cyprian while keeping the Supreme Vampire away from a willing supplier. It doesn¡¯t exin taking six of us, though.¡±


    No one spoke for a few minutes until Amy¡¯s head came up. ¡°The Master Vampire in Mexico City isn¡¯t nning to challenge Master Pontalba for his spot. He¡¯s building an army to take it by force.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s going to harvest our blood to make that army invulnerable,¡± I agreed. The thought of being used in a plot to overthrow my friends made my stomach roll. I fought back my nausea, but it was a losing battle. ¡°I need a barf bag,¡± I announced loudly. I could see one in the seatback in front of me, but with my hands shackled, I couldn¡¯t reach it.


    ¡°Help her. I don¡¯t want to smell vomit the rest of the trip,¡± one of the guards said. The other got up from his seat, opening the bag just in time to catch the first wave. There wasn¡¯t a lot toe out since we hadn¡¯t eaten since yesterday, but my body tried anyway. When I finished dry heaving, he opened a water bottle for me. I rinsed my mouth and spat it back into the bag, thanking him as he rolled the bag closed and put it in the trash container.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Amy looked concerned as I leaned back and closed my eyes.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first kidnapping. I think my body is reacting to the idea of being locked up again.¡± I was quiet for a bit, letting my stomach settle again. ¡°What do you think is happening out there?¡±


    ¡°Our families are going nuts,¡± I said.


    ¡°I almost feel sorry for the Master Vampire. The whole world is going to line up against him,¡± Amy said as she looked out the window.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°The Vampires stayed alive by staying in the background, plotting, and nning. The Vampire Master wouldn¡¯t take us unless he knew he could get away with it. That meant he was casting the me on someone else. It could be Supreme Vampire Cyprian, or it could be the Council.¡±


    ¡°The negotiations when the vampires arrived made it look like ve trading,¡± Amy said. ¡°ming it on humans is the safest y.¡±


    ¡°I just hope our families see through it to figure out who took us, or we¡¯re dead,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°As long as they can harvest our blood, we have value to them,¡± I replied. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid to get yourself killed. We have to survive until our rescue.¡± I had to believe a rescue wasing, for my sanity and to hold my Pack together. Without hope, we were no more than a blood bank.


    To pass the time, I started talking about ourst Cenote dive. Quiet discussions about the dive and the shots we could use for our show took our minds off our predicament, and I was d the guards were ignoring us. When we descended fornding, I felt better about things.


    Wended at Aeropuerto de Atizap¨¢n, which was on the northwest side of the Mexico City area from what I could see out the window. We taxied to a spot far from the buildings, and I smiled as I saw a Mexican Police cruiser approach along with a gray unmarked van.


    I should have known better. Two officers got out and took up positions on either side of the ramp, as the guards inside the ne put on prison guard hats and windbreakers. One at a time, guards walked us off the ne and locked our shackles to welded steel rings in the prisoner transport van. To anyone looking, it was a prisoner transfer. No one got close enough to figure out the car was a fake, and the guards were all vampires.


    Before we left, the guards put ck hoods over our heads. Our sight was gone and our noses didn¡¯t help, as the smell of the city was overwhelming. Mexico City¡¯s pollution, overcrowding, and thin air made it ufortable for us. It was colder than I expected. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be over a mile up,¡± Amy said as she focused on her breathing.


    ¡°Probably closer to eight thousand feet,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll get used to it.¡± We drove for over an hour through the city until the van stopped and turned off. When the doors opened, guards took us across arge interior space and down a stairway. When the hood came off, I was standing in a musty-smelling room with no doors or windows, hewn out of solid stone. A set of bars filled the opening, and I could sense the silver coating on them.


    ¡°Wee home,¡± the vampire guard said as he took my shackles off. The others were already free, lined up by the bunk beds, as guards with cattle prods watched them. ¡°Rules are simple. Do what you are told, without hesitation, and keep the cell clean. If you resist or attempt to escape, punishment will swiftly follow. Your meal will be here soon, so make your beds and settle in.¡± He walked away, and I could hear a gate slide shut, then a deadbolt on the door at the top of the stairway.


    ¡°Well, this is cozy,¡± I said as I looked around. There were bunks along the back wall in two stacks of three, each with sheets and nket folded up by the pillow. To the right, behind dividers, were the toilet, sink, and shower. The partitions were only shoulder-height, and the front was open to the cameras I could see in the top corners of the cell and outside. On the other side of the door was a small pic-type table with two benches bolted to the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s like camp,¡± Amy said with a smile.


    ¡°We better make our beds before they get back,¡± I said. ¡°I have a feeling things could be a lot worse.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

 SHARKBAIT #156

    Alpha Leo¡¯s POV


    I was getting tired of airnes.


    After the LONG flight from Australia to Los Angeles, I sent Joseph and Nichs on to Cancun to be closer to their missing mates. While waiting for my flight to Jamaica, I called up with my mate from a small office in the first-ss lounge. None of the news was good; the girls were gone, and we didn¡¯t know where they were or who took them. We couldn¡¯t talk openly, but I understood that our earlier information on Lawrence Fenwick might not be right. The kidnappers might be working with Lawrence, or they were setting him up to take the fall.


    Either way, I¡¯d be there in six hours to look my friend in the eye and find out.


    I called Tom and Janelle Cartwright before I boarded my flight. The couple worked for Volkov Construction, Tom as a finish carpenter and Janelle as a kitchen and bath designer. In the Pack, he was a warrior, while she was our best tracker. Adrienne had diverted them to Jamaica as soon as Lawrence¡¯s name hade up. As a young couple, they fit right in with the other tourists, and Janelle meant they could stay far away and not lose them. ¡°How are our friends doing?¡±


    Tomughed. ¡°I think he should hire a jet to fly home; it would be cheaper than paying all the extra luggage fees goingmercial. He¡¯s finding cafes and bars near wherever his wife is shopping and reading a book while he waits. I swear that Lawrence is more pack mule than predator now.¡±


    ¡°No indication he¡¯s made you?¡±


    ¡°None. We¡¯ve been careful to stay downwind and cover our scent. I¡¯m in a car two blocks away right now.¡±


    ¡°No change to your orders. I¡¯ll be there in six hours, and one of you can pick me up at the airport.¡± I gave him my flight information, then hung up.


    I slept through most of my flight, waking when the nended. I felt a Pack member pushing into my mind. ¡°Alpha? Did you see your phone messages?¡±


    It was Janelle; she must be the one waiting for me. ¡°No, I just woke up. What¡¯s going on?¡± I powered up my phone while I waited for an answer.


    ¡°Mr. Fenwick is dead,¡± she answered.


    ¡°WHAT? How?¡±


    ¡°Lawrence was sitting at an outdoor table, drinking coffee at a caf¨¦, when a car drove by and unloaded on him with an automatic weapon. He hit multiple times, one of them in the head. He never had a chance.¡± I could tell by her send that she was shaken up by it. ¡°There was nothing we could do, boss. We were too far away, and then the people panicked, and Tom couldn¡¯t get there with the car.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Shit. ¡°Any leads on who was responsible?¡±


    ¡°Nothing certain. The shooter had training; this wasn¡¯t some gangster spraying and praying. The killer kept the rounds on target. He also deployed a tear gas grenade that cleared the area and prevented us from getting a scent or following the car. Jamaican police found it a few miles away, burning on the side of the road.¡±


    I thought about it as I walked off the ne and down the jetway towards Immigration. ¡°What about his mate? Is she all right?¡±


    ¡°Tom followed her to the police station; she is still there. My mate is thinking about breaking into their hotel room while she is busy with the detectives. He could see if there is any evidence of a plot before the police think of searching it.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that; she will know if another wolf has been in their room. Tell Tom to keep an eye on her, and I¡¯ll handle it another way.¡± We talked about what they had seen of Lawrence while I waited in line at Customs. He behaved like a retired man on vacation with his wife. ¡°We saw no suspicious behavior from either of them,¡± Janelle said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that Lawrence is innocent in all this, Janelle. You weren¡¯t watching him the day the girls disappeared. It¡¯s easy enough to fly from here to Cancun and back in a day, especially with your mate covering for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe it, Boss? I¡¯ve met him, and I don¡¯t.¡±


    I let out a breath as I handed my passport over to the agent. ¡°I pray to Luna he¡¯s innocent. Lawrence was my friend, and I don¡¯t want to find out that he betrayed us all.¡±


    A few minutester, I was in the passenger seat of the rental car as Janelle drove us to the hotel. I checked in and hung my clothes up in my room when I got a send from Tom that they were on the way. I¡¯d been thinking about the best way to proceed, and after running it past Adrienne, I made the call. ¡°Stan, it¡¯s Leo Volkov. I just heard about what happened with Lawrence; I¡¯m as shocked as you must be.¡±


    The Alpha of the White Mountain Pack sounded like he¡¯d had a rough day. ¡°It makes no sense at all, Leo. Lawrence was a retiredwyer; who would want him dead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Stan. So much is happening these days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit! Leo, I¡¯m sorry. You must be going nuts with your niece and her friends getting kidnapped.¡±


    No shit. ¡°That¡¯s part of why I called you, Stan. Adrienne asked me to talk to Lawrence in person; you know he met with Vicki a few days ago, at the request of the Council.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Chairman wanted some documents delivered and asked me if I thought Lawrence would mind a free vacation. Naturally, I agreed, since he¡¯s known Sharkbait for a long time.¡± There was a pause. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think, but I have to follow up. I justnded in Jamaica, and I¡¯d like your permission to talk to Mary. I can help her settle affairs here and get her on a ne for back home.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate that. It isn¡¯t good for the newly widowed to be alone.¡± All Alphas knew how unstable a wolf could get after losing its mate; suicides often followed, and no one could afford a feral wolf roaming around Jamaica.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Mary home,¡± I promised. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything except wait for news out of Cancun, and Adrienne is handling that. I owe it to Lawrence to keep his mate safe after all he did for me.¡± We talked for a few more minutes before I hung up when Tom said they were pulling in.


    I was waiting when Mary walked in, escorted by a police officer. ¡°LEO,¡± she said as she saw me. She fell to her knees, and I rushed to her side and pulled her head to my chest as she broke down crying.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± I told the policeman, who was now joined by two detectives and more uniforms.


    ¡°We have a warrant to search her room,¡± the lead detective said as I helped Mary to her feet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go up there,¡± Mary cried into my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything, Mary. Give me your room key.¡± I called Janelle over and asked her to take Mary to my room and stay with her.


    I went with the police to their room. ¡°Lawrence and Mary are old friends, and I flew in to meet with them today,¡± I said in response to their questions. ¡°I want to see his killer caught, but I also have to make sure Mary gets the support she needs until she can get Lawrence home.¡±


    The search didn¡¯t take very long, and the detectives took photographs of the papers in Lawrence¡¯s messenger bag instead of confiscating them. When they were gone, I switched ces with Janelle. Mary couldn¡¯t bear to look at Lawrence¡¯s things or smell his scent, so I asked Janelle to pack their bags. I agreed to swap rooms, and Janelle stayed with her while she slept in my room.


    It took two days to clear the paperwork to get his body released to us after the autopsy. Authorities had no leads on the killers. The baggage handlers loaded Lawrence¡¯s body into the aircraft as Mary broke down again. I sat with her in our first-ss seats on the flight to Boston.


    I¡¯d gotten no answers from Lawrence, but I did get copies of what he left with Vicki that day. Even his death answered nothing; the kidnappers could be ridding themselves of a loose end, or killing him would make the false narrative more convincing. My next move was to confront Chairman Carver, and it wasn¡¯t going to be pretty.


    If I had to burn down the werewolf world to get my Sharkbait back, I was ready to light the match.


    ***************


    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    It didn¡¯t take long to confirm that they were after our blood. We got our first meal delivered by a young vampire female; chicken enchdas, refried beans, and rice. It tasted great, and I was famished. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried they drugged the food,¡± Noni asked as she looked at her te while I vacuumed my food down.

 SHARKBAIT #157

    ¡°They have other ways of getting ourpliance,¡± I said. There were several gallons of drinking water and some Solo cups, and I took a long drink. ¡°This is a good sign I was right. They don¡¯t want to harm us because they need us strong to provide blood. It doesn¡¯t make sense to harm the merchandise.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re like dairy cows now,¡± Amy muttered.


    ¡°Pretty much. Kept in the barn, fed, and milked often.¡± The others dug in; we hadn¡¯t eaten in almost a day, so we were all hungry.


    When the woman returned for the trays, I was shocked that they left two gallons of drinking water and the cups for us. I pointed at the water, and she shook her head, no. ¡°Beber el agua,¡± she said as she walked past the guards.


    ¡°Drink the water,¡± I tranted for the girls, as Amy and I had taken several years of Spanish in high school. Fiona had taken German, while the twins and Ca had taken French. ¡°We¡¯re probably dehydrated, so it¡¯s a good idea.¡± I filled my cup again as I listened to the guards head back upstairs. Escape wasn¡¯t in the cards; I couldn¡¯t even grab the bars of the cell door with the silver without using my clothes as gloves. Even if we left the cell, we wouldn¡¯t get past the gate at the bottom of the stairs and a heavy door at the top. Add in cameras and an unknown number of guards, and we had no chance.


    The guards came back an hourter with their cattle prods. This time they brought a nurse with them. ¡°We are going to take blood from each of you,¡± the lead guard said. ¡°You don¡¯t want to resist.¡± He pressed a button on the prod, making electricity dance across the probes. ¡°You¡¯ll be in agony after we shock you. Then we¡¯ll tie you down and take your blood anyway.¡±


    ¡°We will cooperate,¡± I said. The guard had us eachy in our beds; moving quickly, the nurse went from one person to the next, cleaning our arm and inserting a needle to fill the waiting blood bags. She took two pints from each of us, twice the usual donation amount. I was a little woozy when she finished up and removed the needle.


    ¡°Necesitan beber mucho jugo y descansar (They need to drink lots of juice and rest),¡± she told the guards.


    ¡°Toda lo que tenemos es agua (All we have is water),¡± I replied.


    The guard nodded at her as she packed up her bag, the blood bagsbeled with our names, and carefully packed into a case. ¡°Me har¨¦ cargo de ello (I¡¯ll take care of it),¡± he replied. He sent one of the guards upstairs with the nurse. ¡°Don¡¯t sit up too fast. You¡¯re bound to be lightheaded.¡±


    He was right. I was in the middle bunk on the right; I turned on my side and slowly moved until I was sitting on the edge of my bed. ¡°What is your name,¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Guard,¡± he replied. The first guard came back down, carrying a stic gallon of orange juice and another bottle of grape juice, and set them on the table with some snack bags. The guard took a small remote out of his pocket and handed it to me. ¡°Enjoy a movie or something as you recover.¡± With that, the guards walked out and left us alone again.


    I hit power on the remote, and arge television came on in the hallway outside the bars. The first channel was in Spanish, but I opened up a guide and found Fox News in English. ¡°They must be confident we aren¡¯t going anywhere,¡± I said. ¡°They don¡¯t even care if we know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I slowly stood, helping the girls up before moving to the table where we could sit and recover. I downed a ss of orange juice, then refilled it as I munched on some pretzels and watched the news. Compared to myst kidnapping, this was Disnend.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a news story came on about our disappearance. I saw my parents standing with Luna Adrienne and the Steeles at a press conference. The Mexican police were ¡®working tirelessly to find the men responsible.¡¯ Luna Adrienne came to the microphone, and in fluent Spanish, offered a five-million-dor reward for information leading to our recovery. I whistled at that. Five million dors was a LOT of money, even for a vampire. Fox showed highlights of the press conference with subtitles, but it was clear they didn¡¯t have any leads. Hell, we weren¡¯t within a thousand miles of Adrienne right now. Hidden deep underground as we were, satellites would never see us, and no one was going to stumble upon the hideout. Vampires were smarter than that.


    None of us had any energy, and soon we were getting ready for bed. The vampire who cleaned up after our dinner also had dropped off clean clothes and toiletries. I knew the guards were watching, but there was no privacy we could expect here. I stripped down and tossed the dirty clothes into a hamper on the other side of the bars. I quickly showered and changed into clean underwear, a T-shirt, and thin pajama pants before I got into bed. The other girls did the same. ¡°Should I leave the television on,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fiona said from the bunk above me. ¡°Just leave the volume down.¡±


    I got up three times with Fiona as she woke with nightmares about her rape. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like for her to go through that. Fiona spent her life inw enforcement, then as a warrior and my protector. She was the strongest woman I knew, yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Fiona was still moving slowly, her body bruised and battered, and the welts from the belts they used still fresh. She was more than twice my age, and she didn¡¯t need my assurances or advice. Fiona couldn¡¯t even get her revenge, as the vampires had killed all the men who raped her.


    I just held her hand until she could fall asleep again, then I tried to sleep myself.


    The lightsing on woke me up; Fox News was still ying in the background, and it was six in the morning. I sat up, and my stomach rolled. I jumped up and ran to the toilet, getting the lid up just before I started throwing upst night¡¯s dinner. I was still coughing up stuff when Amy pulled my hair off my face and started rubbing my back. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I¡¯d stopped heaving, and I moved back onto my heels. Ca handed me a cup of water; I washed my mouth out and spat into the toilet, flushing it away. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said as they helped me up. ¡°I probably overatest night.¡±


    ¡°None of us are throwing up, and I¡¯ve seen you eat far more than that recently,¡± Amy said. ¡°Come on.¡± She stayed with me as I brushed my teeth. ¡°Any other problems? Are these tender?¡± She poked at my breast, and I turned and red at her with the toothbrush still in my mouth. ¡°When was yourst period?¡±


    I rinsed my mouth out and thought about it. ¡°Just before we left for Hawaii,¡± I said.


    ¡°That was eight weeks ago, Vicki!¡± Oh, shit. ¡°Tell me you and Nichs used protection.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we did!¡± I thought back to those times that things got a little out of hand. ¡°Mostly?¡±


    Ca pointed to the table. ¡°Go sit down.¡± When I did, she leaned over and took a deep sniff of my crotch. She grimaced when she stood back up.


    ¡°Pregnant?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Yes. Four or five weeks along, I¡¯d say. Your mate probably knocked you up when he took your neck.¡±


    ¡°Of course he did,¡± I said as I rolled my eyes. I¡¯d hit the Luna Trifecta. I met my destined, mated him, and ended up pregnant the same day.


    In the werewolf world, my pregnancy would be a cause for celebration. Sure, it was unnned, but the Pack would have its heir, and the child would carry the mantle. Having an heir meant the Pack had a future, and stability would help our new Pack grow. I just had to shake my head. When I¡¯d gone to the scratch ¡®n sniff after my birthday, I¡¯d been afraid my mate would make me quit school and work to raise babies. Less than a yearter? I¡¯d dropped out of school, gotten pregnant, and was quitting my modeling job. I wanted to find Nichs and tell him; I wanted him to pick me up, spin me around, and tell me how happy he was.


    That wasn¡¯t happening. In an underground prison, it wasn¡¯t good news at all. Who knows what the Vampires would do when they found out? Would they kill it? Allow me to bring it to term, then sell the mantled child? Or would they keep the child to live its entire life as a blood ve to the Vampire Master?


    The panic attack began as I imagined them hurting my baby, and I began to hyperventte. ¡°Rx, Vicki. Do the breathing exercise we do for free-diving,¡± Amy said.


    I tried, but it didn¡¯t work. My hands went to my waist as I imagined a vampire draining my child of its blood. Spots formed in front of my eyes, and I lost focus on their faces. Their voices seemed muffled like I was underwater, and then it all went ck.


    ************


    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    It had been four days now since the kidnapping, and I was out of patience.


    I¡¯d had many discussions on the encrypted video chat with Adrienne and Alpha Steven since Lawrence¡¯s death. His killing neither proved nor disproved his involvement, but Adrienne brought up one important pointst night before I left Jamaica. ¡°Leo, either way, we have to take on the Council.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± If the Council wasn¡¯t behind it, shouldn¡¯t we leave them alone? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I find out the truth first?¡±


    ¡°The truth doesn¡¯t matter for Vicki and Amy,¡± she told me. ¡°Let¡¯s say the Council is behind this. What would you do?¡±


    That was a simple question; I¡¯d kill them all as my wolf had urged from the first phone call. ¡°I¡¯d kill everyone connected with this. If they tell me where the girls are, they might escape with their lives, but not all their body parts.¡±


    ¡°And if it is the vampires?¡±


    That was a tougher ask. ¡°If the Vampires have them, the treaty is void. I¡¯d gather an army of werewolves and wipe them out.¡± The Volkov School of Diplomacy was pretty easy to learn.


    ¡°And which one should we go after, Leo?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°If the Vampires framed Leo, they did it to sow division amongst the werewolves. If they don¡¯t get it, they might harm Vicki or the girls until it happens. I¡¯d rather not have them suffer because we don¡¯t take the bait.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re brilliant,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m your mate, to guide you through things that will get you killed,¡± she said. I growled a little at the implication, but I knew she was right. ¡°We didn¡¯t know enough yet, and our one lead is a literal dead end. We¡¯re going to have to bluff them into action.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #158

    ¡°By being you, Leo. When you take Mary home, this is what I want you to do.¡± She exined her ideas, and she was right. I was far more nervous about what she had nned than what I was going to do.


    Alpha Steven would remain in Cancun and run ourmand post while we were gone. It was dangerous, and it might get me killed, but we had nothing else to go on.


    Alpha Stan¡¯s POV


    White Mountain Pack, New Hampshire


    The entire Pack turned out for Lawrence¡¯s final trip home. They stood shoulder to shoulder, lining the perimeter of the circr driveway in front of our big Pack House. The mood of the Pack was somber; Lawrence was well-liked, and his death was senseless. I couldn¡¯t imagine what Mary had gone through over thest few days.


    It was fortunate that Leo was there for her. Leo and I had been friends for decades, and I knew how close he had be to Lawrence since that Alpha Summit almost fourteen years ago now. Lawrence had defended Leo and Adrienne in front of the Council and had earned their respect and gratitude.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If Leo hadn¡¯t been there, Mary might have killed herself as soon as the police let her go. It was the way of things; Leo and Adrienne¡¯s work with the Council reduced the number of suicides, but it still urred eighty percent of the time. Not everyone had enough courage to go on alone.


    I saw the headlights through the trees, and with a mentalmand, every Pack member stood tall and extended their right arm towards the center. I¡¯d sent two cars to the Boston airport to retrieve them, and a neighboring Pack supplied the hearse.


    The cars took a slowp around so each Pack member could extend their sympathy and support towards Mary. She and Lawrence did not have children; a virus took her fertility as a child, and they refused to use human doctors for aggressive treatments. Instead, they threw themselves into Pack life, serving and loving them all. No one had a bad thing to say about the couple, and there wasn¡¯t a dry eye anywhere.


    The cars stopped in front of me, and my Beta opened the door and helped Mary out. She was crying, and my mate and I had to hold her up as the pallbearers took their ces at the rear of the hearse. I nodded my thanks to Alpha Leo as he took his ce behind the senior Pack leadership.


    The pallbearers removed the coffin and followed our Pack Elder down the trail leading to our cemetery. Our group fell in behind them, followed by the entire Pack in rank order. The air was cold, and light snow fell as we walked the quarter-mile to the hillside overlooking thepound and the valley. When we arrived at the gravesite, the men set the coffin on a stand and stood back.


    The service flew by. Lawrence¡¯s closest friends gave brief remarks, including Leo. I reminded everyone of Lawrence¡¯s long and faithful service and his love for our Pack and asked them all to support Mary as she adjusted to life without him. Finally, the elder said a prayer to Luna just as the skies cleared, and the moonlight illuminated the clearing. The detail lowered the coffin into its final resting ce, and his mate was first to toss a handful of dirt upon it.


    My mate and I sat next to Mary as the people filed past. They gave her hugs or words of encouragement after tossing a handful of dirt onto the coffin. When thest was through, we followed them back to the Pack House and stripped to make the change.


    A Pack Run was how we celebrated and mourned; it was our expression of love for each other. We shifted and headed downstairs and out to the grassed area at the center of the driveway. Her friends brought Mary to stand with us, and as thest wolves joined, I howled to start the run.


    I took off at a slow pace towards the short trail we used for ceremonial runs. Mary trotted in the ce of honor between her Alphas. Behind us, Alpha Leo ran with my Beta pair, and the rest of the Pack followed. The circuit was about two miles in length, done slowly so even the smallest Pack members could keep up. When we returned to the Pack House, I let out a long, mournful howl. On my second howl, the Pack joined in, our plea for the Moon Goddess to wee him to her presence.


    We went back to the Pack House and changed back into our clothes, meeting downstairs for the wake. It went on until after midnight; my mate and others left, and I finally told everyone to wrap it up. ¡°Leo, the guest room is open for you,¡± I told him as I stood up from the chair I¡¯d been using.


    ¡°I have to leave early, Stan. I was hoping you might have time now to discuss some important matters in private.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We can use my office.¡± I dismissed my Betas, telling them to get their sleep, and led him down a quiet hallway to my office. Walking in ahead of him, I headed for the bar I had built into a bookcase behind my desk. ¡°Bourbon?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I poured the amber liquid over ice and turned to hand his to him. His hand came forward, and before I could react, I felt something lock around my wrist.


    It was a handcuff, a silver handcuff. ¡°The fuck?¡± I dropped his drink and my own, but the silver was already working against me. I couldn¡¯t link anyone for help, and Leo pushed me into the bookcase. He got my arms behind me and locked the other wrist in ce, and now I was truly fucked. ¡°Leo? What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to talk about my niece, Stan. You¡¯re going to answer honestly, or you¡¯ll die tonight,¡± he said as he pulled a knife out of his back pocket. He moved me to my office chair, pushing me down into it. ¡°Why was Lawrence down in Jamaica?¡±


    ¡°He was on vacation with his mate,¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°Wrong answer,¡± Leo said before the knife stabbed down into my left thigh. I screamed, and Leo covered my mouth until I stopped. ¡°No one can hear you, and you can¡¯t link for help, Stan. You used to brag about the soundproofing in this room, and now it¡¯s to my advantage.¡± He removed his hand. ¡°Care to try again?¡±


    ¡°He took a job for the Council,¡± I told him. ¡°Chairman Carver called and asked me for a favor.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°The day before he left. The Council wanted to deliver a message to Vicki, but the videoconference scared them off. They didn¡¯t think she¡¯d meet with them officially unless they broadcasted it live. Lawrence was a family friend, and as a retiredwyer, it was off the books.¡±


    ¡°What did he take to her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Leo¡¯s eyes got hard, and the knife hovered over my right thigh. ¡°I swear on my mate, Leo! I passed along the offer, and it was Lawrence who agreed to do it.¡±


    I watched nervously as his eyes bore into mine and hoped he believed me. The knife moved away.


    ¡°Lawrence opened an ount in Jamaica while he was there. Two deposits went into the new ount by wire transfer, each of fifty thousand dors. The first happened the day he met with Alpha Vicki. The second was the day after she disappeared.¡± The knife came up towards my eyes as Leo gripped my hair in his left hand. ¡°What did Lawrence do for that money?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The knife came close to my left eye, the point touching my skin just below it.


    ¡°Lawrence was a Beta; he didn¡¯t take a shit that wasn¡¯t approved by you,¡± Leo said. ¡°The left eye goes first.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I swear!¡± I was shaking, and I couldn¡¯t believe Leo, my friend, was doing this to me. ¡°I told you everything!¡±


    Leo stared me down, finally taking the knife away. ¡°If I find out you are lying, nothing will stop me. I will attack this Pack and burn it to the ground. You will watch your mate die before you bleed out into the snow.¡±


    I saw his arm swing towards my head and thought it was over for me. Just before the butt of the knife crashed into my temple, I heard Leo say he was sorry. Pain exploded on my temple, and it all went dark.

 SHARKBAIT #159

    Luna Adrienne¡¯s POV


    I came back down from my room with my travel bag, which contained enough for an overnight and the ne rides. ¡°I need to talk to Alphas and parents, alone,¡± I told everyone in the room. ¡°Everyone else, take a twenty-minute break.¡±


    Alpha Stephen, Alpha Nichs, Beta Brent, Beta Olivia, Beta Jack, and Beta Kaia stayed in the room. I waited until the door closed, then handed Alpha Stephen a sh drive. ¡°If I don¡¯t return after two days, call a meeting of the North American Alphas and y this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A video statement from Colleen with what she found at the kidnap site, and why I believe the Vampires are behind their disappearance. I can¡¯t tell the Council or the Packs what to do, but I will tell my friends and allies one thing. If I don¡¯t return, we are already at war with the Vampire Nation.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going that I need this before you leave,¡± Steven asked.


    ¡°New Orleans. I need to confront Supreme Master Pontalba about the kidnappings. If he is involved, I¡¯m going to kill him.¡±


    They all looked at me, hoping that I was joking, but I wasn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± Jack finally said.


    ¡°As a heart attack,¡± I said. ¡°If Cyprian is involved, the entire Vampire Nation is our enemy. I¡¯ll dly sacrifice myself to cut the head off of the enemy organization.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Adrienne. Do you know what Leo will do if you die?¡±


    I slowly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken about it with Leo. He will kill as many as he can before they take him down.¡±


    ¡°By the Goddess, I hope he¡¯s innocent,¡± Steven said. ¡°This situation is beyond explosive; it¡¯s global thermonuclear war. We could have open warfare between wolves and vamps! Nothing would ever be the same.¡±


    Nichs stood up, moving between me and the door. ¡°You need to lead your Pack while Leo is out there, Luna. I¡¯m the one who should be going to confront Cyprian.¡±


    ¡°You? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my mate who is missing; no offense, because I know Vicki loves you like she does her mother, but she is MINE.¡±


    ¡°I have met Cyprian before, and I was part of previous negotiations,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Yes, but I was part of the negotiations with Master Allesandro in Australia, the negotiation done at the behest of Master Cyprian to create a new model of cooperation. I still believe Master Allesandro was sincere, and that is why I believe Master Cyprian isn¡¯t involved. Logically, he has nothing to gain from open warfare with werewolves. I believe the Master will be shocked to hear our suspicions about Master Vespi.¡±


    ¡°And if he¡¯s involved?¡±


    ¡°If he is, it¡¯s better for me to kill him, Aunt Adrienne.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be better! Vicki needs you, Nichs! You¡¯re young and have your whole lives ahead of you!¡±


    ¡°Back up a little and look at it from the outside, Luna. You aren¡¯t just Vicki¡¯s aunt; you¡¯re Luna of a Pack in the Midwest Region, subject to Councilws, and bound by the treaty between werewolves and vampires. Me? I¡¯m a wild card. I¡¯m not a member of any Council, I¡¯m not signatory to any treaty, and I have no history with Master Cyprian. If things go bad, the Werewolf Council can write it off to a crazed mate who med Cyprian for Vicki¡¯s disappearance. You can recover from that short of all-out war. If YOU kill him, you pull them all in with you.¡±


    I sat down, thinking about what he said. He was right, dammit. ¡°Can you do this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fly all the way here to fuck spiders,¡± Nichs said. ¡°If those bloodsuckers have Vicki, I¡¯ll find out. You¡¯re right; we¡¯ve got nothing to go on and no idea where the girls are. If I can shake loose a lead, it¡¯s all worth it.¡±


    I stood up and looked in the eyes of the man my niece was mated with, and thanked Luna for giving her a good match. He was young, but he¡¯d walk through Hell with a jerrycan of gasoline to rescue his mate. You had to respect that. ¡°Together,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll make the appointment, you go in, and I¡¯ll back you up.¡± I held out my hand to him, and he shook it firmly.


    ¡°There is no way I¡¯m letting two Alphas go to New Orleans without backup,¡± Alpha Steven said.


    ¡°We need people who can handle a sword,¡± I said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to get enough wolves in the building to take them down that way.¡±


    ¡°Hammer will go,¡± Nichs said. ¡°He loves those girls, and he¡¯s got morebat experience than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go as well,¡± Brent said. ¡°Ever since Vicki started dealing with the Vamps, Alpha Leo has had our warriors training with swords and machetes.¡±


    I looked around the room; my solo tour was now a small band, but I understood the reasoning.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    We bought the ne tickets, and thirty minutester, the four of us were on the way to the airport. ¡°When are you going to tell Cyprian we areing,¡± Nichs asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not. You¡¯re going to show up with an introductory letter from me. We¡¯ll be a block or two away,¡± I said.


    ¡°How are you going to get in there? I heard you talk about the defenses at the vampirepound,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my problem,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I know a few people, and I can get ahold of some things that aren¡¯t street-legal. I¡¯m going to spend a little bit of Adrienne¡¯s cash when we get there.¡±


    I could just imagine what Hammer had in mind. I knew he joined the SEALs so he could blow shit up, and that hadn¡¯t gone away with time. We caught our afternoon flight,nding in New Orleans just after dinnertime. Our driver, the mate of a Pack Warrior in Mexico with us, had arrived an hour earlier and procured a rental Suburban. She also brought along gold coins and bearer bonds, the untraceable funds we¡¯d need to purchase what we needed.


    Using GPS, she drove us to a pier, stopping in front of the gate. ¡°I have to take it from here,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Go pick up something for dinner, and be back here in an hour.¡±


    We found a seafood house and sat in the car, eating shrimp po¡¯boys while waiting for the hour to be up. When we returned, Hammer was standing next to a few wooden cases and a bunch of bags. I rolled down my window. ¡°Did you get everything on your Christmas list?¡±


    ¡°And then some,¡± he said. Hammer and Brent quickly loaded the gear in the back, and we drove off. Hammer spotted a shut-down gas station and had her pull us around behind it. We all got out, and Hammer opened the door. ¡°There will be metal detectors when you go in, meaning we can¡¯t use standard weapons. Add to it that guns will piss them off instead of killing them, and our options are limited. Nichs, take off your shirt and pants.¡±


    He tossed them on the seat as he stripped down. Hammer pulled a machete from the case, held in a canvas scabbard. ¡°Won¡¯t that show up on the metal detector?¡± Nichs raised his eyebrow as he looked at the two-foot-long weapon.


    ¡°It¡¯s made of an advanced ceramic. Razor-sharp edge, not good if you hit with the t of it.¡± He used wide medical-style cloth tape to secure the scabbard to his back, where the handle would rest just below his shirt¡¯s cor. ¡°Reach back and pull that out. I left the bottom loose, so it¡¯s morefortable and easier to draw.¡±


    Nichs pulled it out, the white ceramic gleaming in the dim light. ¡°Good,¡± he said. Getting it back in was more of a challenge. ¡°If you pull it out, you¡¯ll either be dead, or you¡¯ll drop it before you leave. The cloth tape on the handle won¡¯t hold fingerprints.¡± He quickly attached two smaller knives, one to his left forearm and one to his right calf. The des on these were about ten inches long.


    ¡°Do I get the same?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #160

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hammer said. I pulled my dress off, and he attached a shorter knife, more like a Gurkha de, between my shoulder des and under my bra strap. I had another knife hanging from a chain around my neck, the sheath between my breasts where I could pull down to draw the de. Thest knife I attached to my left thigh.


    ¡°What about you two,¡± I asked as I pulled my dress back on.


    He tossed Brent one of the bags. It only took them a few minutes for the two to dress in the matte-ckbat armor with the helmets. Semi-automaticbat shotguns werest out. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be using rifles,¡± Nichs asked.


    ¡°The shotguns do more damage in a short time,¡± I replied. ¡°It won¡¯t kill them, but it will slow them down until they can use the swords.¡± Thest item toe out of the bags was a pair of Katanas, which they put in the back seat on the floor. ¡°What else did you buy?¡±


    Hammer smiled. ¡°Rockets, satchel charges, and thermite grenades. If we have to fight our way in, I¡¯ll make a new entrance.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, he would. I shared all I knew about Master Pontalba¡¯s hideout; I hadn¡¯t seen much. We used a satellite view of the buildings on my tablet. I drew the hallways to Cyprian¡¯s office, the cameras, and the guard posts I¡¯d seen as we drove towards Bourbon Street.


    We stopped two blocks away, and I handed Nichs the introductory letter. ¡°If you can¡¯t get in, call me,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I got this, Aunt Adrienne,¡± he said. He stepped out of the SUV, adjusted his suit, and walked towards Supreme Vampire Pontalba¡¯s headquarters.


    ***********


    Alpha Leo¡¯s POV


    I had very little time to make my escape before someone would wonder why Alpha Stan wasn¡¯t responding, and a search would quickly find him. I had to get out.


    The silver would prevent the link, but that wasn¡¯t enough. In the bar, I found somerge cloth napkins. I used one to gag Stan, tied one around the knife wound in his thigh to stop the bleeding, and two more to bind his legs together. I saw keys hanging near the door; I grabbed the one for the 2010 Ford Mustang GT500 and pocketed that as well. I slipped out the office door, locking it behind me, then ducked into my room. I grabbed what I needed, putting them into my North Face winter jacket, and left the bag on the bed. I went back out to the hallway, trying to act like nothing was going on as I walked through the Pack House.


    I only saw a few people, and I smiled at them as we passed. They bowed their heads respectfully and went on, which was good. I passed by the kitchen, where people were still cleaning up, and entered therge garage attached to the house. The building had thirty or so bays and a full-service area at the back. I pressed the remote car open, and the red Mustang¡¯s lights shed from the second bay. Climbing in, I adjusted the seat then used the door opener. I started the car as the door was rising, driving out and closing it again as quickly as possible.


    I was on edge as I drove out the ess road towards the guard shack near the state highway. I had to slow down, but the guard waved me through without a second look. As I turned south, I let out a breath I¡¯d been holding.


    I used my phone to ess the navigation program and set it for my next destination. I didn¡¯t know if I would make it from New Hampshire to the New York Adirondacks before someone found Stan. Then, I didn¡¯t know what he would do when he woke up. Best case, he wouldn¡¯t want anyone to know I got the best of him, and he¡¯d keep it to the Pack. We both knew that in a fight between us, I¡¯d win.


    Worst case? He¡¯d say I went feral and attacked him. He could pull in all his regional allies and the Council, hoping someone would kill me on sight.


    With that in mind, I drove away as fast as I could. That meant just five to ten miles an hour above the speed limit because getting pulled over for speeding in a stolen car wouldn¡¯t be good either. I had to hope that Stan wouldn¡¯t involve humanw enforcement, but he just might.


    Staying to the main roads, I avoided crossing into any Packnds on my way to the Lake cid area. I was lucky that we were close to the Winter Solstice, as it was still pitch ck when I made the turn onto the road leading to the Keene Valley Pack. I found a ce to pull off the road, then hid my clothes in the woods before I shifted.


    The sky had cleared, and the moon was still high enough to see my way through the trees. I ran past the NO TRESPASSING- NO HUNTING signs and then the border patrol trail. The scent was rtively fresh, so someone had been through recently. That was good; I might have a few hours before my incursion onto theirnd was noted.


    Lnd and Bonnie Carver based his North American Council chairmanship out of a small Pack office building in Keene Valley, and they built arge home in the hills a few miles from the Pack House. His eldest son ran the Pack, and like most previous Alphas, Lnd stayed clear of his son¡¯s rule. I followed the creek until I saw his house, then made a break for the back of the house.

 SHARKBAIT #161

    I stopped and shifted near the patio door, listening carefully for any hints of being spotted. When I was satisfied, I checked the sliding door leading to the breakfast area. The door was locked, which I expected, but the house wasn¡¯t rmed. ¡°Probably thought no one had the balls to break in,¡± I said softly. Holding on to the bottom of the handle, I pulled up a half-dozen times before the lock stopped working, and I could slide the door open.


    I grabbed a carving knife from the block on the kitchen counter and headed for the hallway I figured led to the master bedroom. I was almost there when the door opened, and Bonnie appeared in her nightgown. She screamed, and I reacted faster. Pulling her into my arms, I put the knife to her throat and pushed her back into the bedroom. Lnd was out of bed, reaching in the drawer for a weapon. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, and don¡¯t link anyone, or she¡¯s dead,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want any innocents to get hurt.¡±


    He was smart enough to take his hand out of the drawer without the gun that he wanted. ¡°Put the knife down, Leo. Whatever your problem is, we can talk it through.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little toote for talk, Mr. Chairman. Back up against the wall.¡± Bonnie was crying, and he didn¡¯t have a choice. I moved towards the bedside table, spotting the Colt 1911 pistol he¡¯d tried to reach. Without warning, I dropped the knife and shoved Bonnie into his arms. While he caught her, I took the firearm out and covered them both. ¡°If anyone interrupts us, I¡¯ll shoot your mate first. Then I¡¯ll kill you before l take as many of them as I can with me. I¡¯m a mantled Alpha with nothing to lose, so that will be a lot. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lnd said, but his wolf was itching to get out.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s go to your office, shall we?¡± I had the couple walk ahead of me down the hall to his private office. I kept the gun to Bonnie¡¯s head as I told Lnd what to do. ¡°You have silver cuffs?¡±


    ¡°In my drawer,¡± he said.


    ¡°Take two pairs out, and nothing else.¡± He did, and I turned his mate around so he could ce the cuffs on her. With her disabled, I kept the gun on Lnd as I set his mate in a chair in the corner. I had him cuff himself with his hands in front this time. ¡°Startup yourputer, and set up an emergency video conference with all North American Alphas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s seven in the morning, East Coast time! It¡¯s not even four in the morning out west, Leo!¡±


    I smacked him on the side of the head with the butt of the pistol, opening up a cut under his silver hair. ¡°I¡¯m aware of how the time zones work, Mr. Chairman. There is an emergency summons code. Use it.¡±


    He pulled up the program and sent the coded message. The alert set off rms on Alpha phones andputers across North America, waking many of them up. The message he sent told them to get onto the videoconference; we watched as one after another came up on the screen. I¡¯m pretty sure they were shocked to see Chairman Carver sitting in front of me as I held a pistol to his head.


    It took about ten minutes to get everyone there before I told Lnd to unmute himself. ¡°Thank you for joining us,¡± I told them. ¡°I apologize for the wakeup, but I have urgent business with the Council. Five days ago, gunmen in Cancun kidnapped Alpha Vicki Lawrence and five of her friends while they were on location for their television show. A dayter, we found the hideout they stayed at before the gang turned them over to the man paying for the abduction.¡±


    ¡°We know about the dead gunmen; it was on the news,¡± Lnd said.


    ¡°Yes. What was NOT on the news was that a werewolf was the one who came to pick the girls up. I knew this man and considered him a friend. He died before I could talk to him, but I know why he was in the area and who he worked for.¡± I moved the gun directly behind Lnd¡¯s head. ¡°Chairman Lnd Carver sent Lawrence Fenwick to meet with Vicki Lawrence in Jamaica. His mission was to present Vicki with the Council¡¯s ultimatum to join the North American Council or else. Vicki refused to give her answer that day, as is her right as an independent Alpha.¡±


    ¡°That proves NOTHING,¡± Lnd said. ¡°Yes, I sent Lawrence down there to give her the information packet. That was all he did.¡±


    ¡°Our investigators found Lawrence Fenwick¡¯s scent at the hideout in the Yucatan, including on the cors used to hold the girls. His was the ONLY scent that didn¡¯t belong there.¡± I let that sink in. ¡°Chairman Carver is behind their kidnapping, and he will pay the ultimate price for hurting my people. The rest of the Council is under notice. Resign your positions. Produce the girls alive and unharmed, and you will live. If you refuse to resign, or if I don¡¯t have them back by Christmas, I and my allies will kill everyst one of you.¡± Reaching forward, I ended the conference call.


    Luna Adrienne¡¯s POV


    I left Hammer and Brent in the SUV and trailed behind Nichs a half-block or so as he walked towards Master Pontalba¡¯sir. I kept walking as he talked to the human guard, who got on the phone with someone else. I kept walking, ncing back to see him going in as I reached the corner.


    I walked another two blocks, then turned and walked back the way I came. I didn¡¯t see anyone outside the second time I passed. I found an outdoor caf¨¦ closer to Bourbon Street and sat down to have a coffee. The waitress had just brought it when a man, a human I didn¡¯t know, asked if he could join me. ¡°I¡¯m old and married,¡± I said dismissively.


    ¡°I¡¯m young and familiar,¡± he said as he took a seat anyway. It was a simple way of telling me he was a familiar, a willing human servant to his Vampire master. ¡°Master Pontalba requests that you join Nichs in a meeting with the other leaders present.¡± My blood ran cold; had they already taken Nichs out? I cursed myself for getting close enough; the vampires must have scented me and followed me here. I looked around for where they might be, figuring this man wasn¡¯t here alone.


    ¡°Nichs is fine. Call him if you need reassurance. The two gentlemen in the ck Suburban with license te NA8=7VY two blocks away shoulde as well. You might want to have them change first, as that attire isn¡¯t suited to the office.¡± He waved the waitress over. ¡°We have to return to work earlier than expected, Miss. Could you put that coffee in a travel cup for thedy, and bring a cup for me as well?¡± She took care of our drinks while my newpanion tossed a ten-dor bill on the table. When the drinks returned, he stood and held out his hand for me. ¡°Mr. Pontalba has been expecting you.¡±


    ¡°I see that,¡± I said. I tried to cover up how flustered I was; our efforts to use stealth to approach wereughable. Cyprian must be on high alert if he¡¯s monitoring streets blocks away. ¡°I have to go speak to my friends about this.¡±


    ¡°They are waiting for you. Just show up at the entrance when you are ready.¡± He took his coffee and walked off, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened. I had a Pack link with Brent, so I filled him in on everything while I sat there and sipped on my coffee. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Call Nichs, and see if he uses the distress codewords. Meanwhile, we¡¯re taking off ourbat gear. We¡¯ll swing by and pick you up in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Is that wise?¡±


    ¡°Alpha, if they want us dead, it won¡¯t take much to do it. Hell, one phone call to the police, and Hammer and I are never getting out of Federal prison. Reaching out to you like this is a good sign they aren¡¯t involved. If they want to talk, let¡¯s talk.¡±


    I pulled out my phone and called Nichs. If he answered me with ¡°Luna Volkov,¡± it meant he was under duress. The phone only rang twice before he answered. ¡°Hi, Aunt Adrienne. Did you get the invitation?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°It was a little surprising, but we¡¯re on our way.¡±


    ¡°Good. Vicki¡¯s friend from Boston is here, and she¡¯s looking forward to seeing you again.¡±


    That would be Master Emily. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡± I hung up just before the SUV parked across the street. I took my coffee and walked across the street, getting into the backseat. I nced back, seeing the ck bags in the third-row seating area that contained their body armor. ¡°He¡¯s not under duress,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are we packing?¡±


    ¡°Knives and pistols. You¡¯re my bodyguards; they would expect that from you.¡± Hammer nodded and reached into a bag at his feet. He strapped abat knife to his left forearm and put a Glock in his waistband. Meanwhile, Brent had driven up to the entrance. ¡°May as well pull in; they¡¯re expecting us.¡± What I didn¡¯t say is I didn¡¯t like leaving our SUV with its weapons and explosives on a public street in this city.


    Brent turned into the parking lot, stopping at the guard shack. ¡°Adrienne Volkov to see Master Pontalba,¡± Brent said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Park on the far side of the lot,¡± the man answered. Brent waited for the gate to lift, then drove into the courtyard. He parked in the same ce we¡¯d parked when I wasst here with Vicki. We waited a few seconds for Brent to arm up, then Hammer got out and came around to open my door. He stayed next to me as Brent followed behind us towards the door.


    Therge door opened to a familiar person. ¡°Wee to New Orleans,¡± Master Emily said to me. ¡°This way, please; we have much to talk about.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #162

    ¡°We do,¡± I answered as we followed her through the door. ¡°Have you been in town long?¡±


    ¡°Three days,¡± she said. ¡°I lost the bet. I thought you would show up yesterday. I should know better than to bet against Cyprian; he¡¯s forgotten more than I know.¡± She led us through the building to Cyprian¡¯s office. Tworge vampires guarded the door, and one politely asked us to put our hands against the wall for a search.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Louis. They are my friends,¡± a familiar voice said from inside the room. I figured that since they knew everything else about us, they also knew we had knives and guns. They just didn¡¯t care, which meant they weren¡¯t worried about us doing any damage with them. I didn¡¯t know whether that should make me rx or worry more.


    Master Pontalba opened therge wooden door and walked straight to me. ¡°Luna Adrienne, it is good to see you again,¡± Cyprian said as he took my hands in his. ¡°I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Life sometimes does not allow for that,¡± I said. ¡°Are you and your people involved in Vicki¡¯s abduction?¡± May as well get to the point.


    ¡°I did not authorize or direct the kidnapping, nor is it sanctioned by the Vampire Council. It is, however, vampires that are responsible for it.¡± I started to tremble as my wolf came forward; she wanted blood. ¡°Please,e inside and talk. We have much to discuss.¡±


    I followed him into the room, smiling as I saw Nichs at the table with five other men. Hammer stayed by the door while Brent moved until he was standing behind me. Cyprian pulled out a seat at the end of the conference table for me, then walked around to his ce at the other end. Nichs was to my left, and Master Emily took the spot to my right. ¡°Masters, may I introduce Luna Adrienne Volkov of the Miesville Pack in Minnesota. Luna Adrienne is a former Council Mediator and is Vicki Lawrence¡¯s aunt.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having us here today,¡± I said diplomatically.


    ¡°You already know Master Emily from Boston,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°Next to her is Master Christopher Dauntless from Toronto, and Master Monique Robinson from Anta. On my right is Master Frank Bongino from Chicago.¡±


    ¡°And Master Vincenzo Mn from New York City, it is an unexpected pleasure to see you again,¡± I said to thest man. Vincenzo had helped us in Boston with cleaning up the Alexander problem.


    ¡°Luna,¡± he said with a small smile.


    Master Cyprian sat down, and everyone looked at him. ¡°First off, Adrienne, I owe you an apology. When Vicki disappeared, you called me for help, and I put you in touch with Master Vespi. At the time, he was the vampire leader in the area who could respond the fastest. What I did not know was that he was part of the plot.¡±


    My wolf rushed forward; she wanted blood. It was Brent who came up behind me, holding me in my chair as he talked my wolf down. ¡°These people aren¡¯t the ones you want between your teeth, Luna. We need to know what they know.¡±


    He was right. ¡°We¡¯ve had our suspicions, but we didn¡¯t know if we could trust you, Master Cyprian. After all, you had given us his name, and that implied you trusted him.¡±


    ¡°It does, and that was my mistake. The information Vespi provided me about the case didn¡¯t make sense, and your silence spoke volumes. We started checking into the Mexico City Coven, and what we found shocked us. Before we get into that, I¡¯d like to hear from you why you were suspicious of Master Vespi.¡±


    I nced at the other men, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Can I speak freely?¡±


    Cyprian nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll exin moreter, but it isn¡¯t just your Werewolf Council that has a split in it. Each of these Masters at the table, I trust to have my back. They are here to deal with the problem.¡±


    It was time to put up or shut up. Did we trust these Masters with the truth? I looked at the other three werewolves, and each agreed I should continue. ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you?¡± I pulled the sh drive out of my pocket; one of Cyprian¡¯s familiars took it and projected the video file I told her onto the screen. It took about ten minutes to watch Colleen¡¯s summary of what she found at the scene. When it was over, I summarized what we¡¯d done since then. ¡°We don¡¯t believe Lawrence Fenwick was the agent responsible for the kidnapping. Lawrence is a family friend, and I don¡¯t believe he would be a part of this.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t he be ckmailed or bribed into doing it,¡± asked Master Dauntless.


    ¡°His behavior did not suggest it,¡± I replied. ¡°Leo spent days with his widow, and we believe he never left Jamaica. Colleen¡¯s theory that the vampires nted his scent is the only one that makes sense to us. Vampires and werewolves both understand scent trails, and it¡¯s telling that bleach was only used around the parking area. If you were trying to get away with it, you¡¯d burn or bleach it all.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emily said. ¡°If they nted Lawrence¡¯s scent to frame him, then killed him so he wouldn¡¯t talk, what is the long y?¡±


    I leaned forward a little. ¡°We believe the Vampires who did this are hoping to spark a war among the Werewolves. My mate¡¯s reputation precedes him; by framing the Werewolf Council, they hope to trigger a war between Packs. That¡¯s what Leo is busy doing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting a werewolf war when the Council didn¡¯t do it?¡± Cyprian was shocked at this.


    ¡°If the vampires don¡¯t think the kidnapping is enough to start the war they want, they might kill the girls to push it along. We¡¯d rather it appear their n is working for now.¡± Cyprian and the others sat back, thinking about this. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to know how you know Vespi is involved.¡±


    Emily looked at me, her hand moving over to cover mine. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± she said. ¡°Vicki helped me, and that is what kicked this all off.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #163

    Alpha Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    ¡°You¡¯re a dead man,¡± Lnd said as I moved back behind his chair.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure your Pack warriors are surrounding this house already, waiting for your son to arrive and tell them what to do. The only reason they haven¡¯t attacked is that they know I could kill the two of you before anyone can stop me, and they¡¯re right. You reinforced your office as a safe room, correct?¡± I¡¯d felt how heavy the door was and could see the industrial hinges it swung on. ¡°Concrete-reinforced walls, bulletproof windows, and an armored entry door. The telephone on a separate line from the rest of the house, and I bet if I opened some doors, I¡¯d find an armory.¡± He didn¡¯t have to answer; I knew by his reaction that I was right.


    It was standard practice for Alphas to have a safe room. Mine was in the basement directly below the master bedroom, but Lnd¡¯s home didn¡¯t have a basement. His office was next to the master bedroom. That meant a second entrance, likely in the back of a closet or off the master bath. ¡°Where is the second entry, Lnd?¡±


    ¡°What second entry?¡±


    I pointed my gun at Bonnie. ¡°Don¡¯t make your mate suffer for your stubbornness, Lnd. The emergency exit from your bedroom.¡± I clicked off the safety, and that was enough of a threat.


    ¡°The bar cab swings out,¡± he said with his hands to his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    I backed up and waved for him to open it. He swung the bar cab out, revealing a hatch that was open into his bedroom closet. ¡°Close and bar it,¡± I said. Heplied, pulling the steel hatch closed and locking it with four dogs that slid into matching holes in the steel frame. Now we were secure; it would take a bomb to enter the room.


    I needed one more person in here. The two couldn¡¯t link with their silvered handcuffs on, but the phones still worked. ¡°Call your son. Tell him toe alone and unarmed to the door to your office.¡± Lnd picked up his phone. ¡°If anyone else enters the room, your mate starts taking bullets. Make sure he understands that, Lnd.¡±


    Lance answered, and their conversation was brief and to the point. Lance and his Betas were hesitant; it didn¡¯t make sense for them to add people to a hostage situation with a vtile Mantled Alpha. He relented after I mentioned that eight silver-core bullets were more than enough to make his mother suffer for hours. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching on the cameras,¡± I warned the Alpha.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ming in. Don¡¯t hurt Mom,¡± he said.


    I had Lnd bring up the security video on theputer; as I suspected, dozens of wolves surrounded the house. Lance had a key, and he walked inside the house alone. When I confirmed Lance followed instructions, I told Lnd to get up and let him in. While he moved, I went to the opposite corner of the room. From there, I could cover the doorway and Bonnie. Lnd unlocked the door, and I could hear the maic bolts retract with a click. The door opened, and a furious Lnd came into the room. His eyes went over to verify his mother was unharmed, and then he red at me. ¡°You¡¯ve lost it, Leo. You won¡¯t leave this room alive.¡±


    ¡°That could be,¡± I said. ¡°Still, we need to talk.¡± I tossed Lance a handcuff key. ¡°Release your mother, then have her ce the cuffs on you with one of your arms through Lnd¡¯s. Once you and your father are locked together, she can leave, and we¡¯ll have our talk.¡±


    His wolf didn¡¯t want to be silvered, but he wanted his mother out of danger. The two moved over to where Bonnie was sitting, and he released her and tossed me back the key before cuffing himself as I directed. ¡°Sit and stay,¡± I told the men. ¡°Bonnie, this way.¡± I checked the surveince camera one more time before opening the door for her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, but it was the only way,¡± I said as I let her out. Once she was gone, I locked the door again. I moved back to his desk, where I could keep an eye on the surveince system while we talked. Bonnie ran out of the house to her Pack warriors, who escorted her to safety.


    ¡°Sit back and rx, gentlemen. We have a lot to talk about, starting with Lawrence Fenwick. Tell me why you hired him.¡±


    ¡°Vicki was not listening, and I¡¯d heard rumors she was talking with the European Council about joining them. That was not eptable; she is a North American Alpha, and she belongs in our Council.¡± He let out a breath. ¡°After that little stunt she pulled on the conference call, I was all for sending Enforcers down there to establish order. Our investigations showed her new mate and his extended family were a danger to us all. Marrying humans and not mating them? Uneptable, both from a Pack and a security standpoint. One spurned lover, and our secret could be out.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°We had an emergency Council meeting a few dayster after we knew more about what was going on. We reached no consensus on how to proceed. Some agreed with me that we should force her Pack into Council oversight andws, while others wanted to give her time to agree to it, even if it was European Council oversight. Chairman Wolfe was the only one who wanted us to recognize the Southern Cross Pack as an independent entity.¡±


    I could sense he was telling the truth; the only shock was hearing Wolfe¡¯s support. ¡°What happened out of the meeting?¡±


    ¡°We agreed to give her until the end of the year to decide before we took any stronger actions,¡± Lnd said. ¡°Chairman Wolfe warned us about how stubborn Vicki should be; after all, she has Volkov blood.¡±


    ¡°He knows her well,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°Because of that, he rmended we try more carrot and less stick. I proposed sending him to meet with Vicki, but some of the other Chairmen vetoed it. We didn¡¯t want anyone to misconstrue this visit as being our recognition of her Pack or her Territory. Wolfe suggested sending Lawrence to meet with her on tour, unofficially. After some discussion, we agreed to let Fenwick take a shot at convincing her to do the right thing.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you give him to give to her?¡± If Lnd lied about this, he was a dead man. He didn¡¯t know that as soon as the meeting was over, Vicki talked to Adrienne and told us everything, including sending us photos of the documents.


    ¡°Copies of the Councilws and bws, and a standard contract used to bind new Packs into the North American Council. I drove up to New Hampshire and met with Lawrence and Alpha Stan about it. Since it was Council business, we paid for the trip in exchange for his help. He was more than happy to meet Vicki and her friends in Jamaica.¡±


    ¡°And did he contact you again?¡±


    ¡°Vicki contacted me first. I sent four Council Enforcers along with Lawrence. Vicki was traveling to Mexico for her next two tour stops. She was traveling with two female warriors as security. That isn¡¯t NEAR enough for a rich, beautiful young Alpha and her friends in THAT country. Vicki called me and refused my offer of men. She said if anything, she needed protection FROM me. Can you believe that?¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡¯s experience with you and the Council hasn¡¯t always been good. Your predecessor did silver her when she was five.¡± Vicki had never forgotten the duplicity of the Council all those years ago. Adrienne and I had to get past it to work with them, but she¡¯d found a way out. ¡°What did you do then?¡±


    ¡°I called the Enforcers home. Lawrence called me after the meeting, saying that he¡¯d delivered the information. Vicki hadn¡¯t signed it, but he didn¡¯t expect she would until her tour finished and she was back home. That was thest I heard from him; he and his wife were going to enjoy their vacation. I was shocked when I heard someone gunned him down.¡±


    He was telling the truth. I could feel that in my gut. I didn¡¯t like Lnd personally; I disagreed with how he ran the Council, but he wasn¡¯t part of the plot to kidnap Vicki. ¡°I believe you. Now I need you to listen to me. Vicki¡¯s abduction is one part of a much bigger n, and one wrong decision can end up with hundreds of us dead. Understand why I have done the things I¡¯ve done the way that I did them.¡±


    ¡°You hurt my mate,¡± Lnd growled.


    ¡°I threatened to hurt her, but she didn¡¯t get a scratch. I need the two of you to put aside your anger for the good of our kind.¡± I took the pistol and unloaded it, leaving the ammunition on the desk and tossing the gun by the door. Getting up, I unlocked one cuff from each man, leaving the other so they wouldn¡¯t be able to link. ¡°It was the vampires all along,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Vampires? FUCK,¡± Lnd said. ¡°I knew Vicki was foolish in trusting them.¡±


    ¡°Vicki had no intention of ever joining the North American Council,¡± I told them. ¡°The European Council was sniffing around, but she was leading them on as well. Vicki and Nichs already made a deal in Australia. The Southern Cross Pack was joining forces with the Vampire Master of Australia and the Mermaid Families to form a Supernatural Council over the continent.¡±


    Lance¡¯s jaw dropped while Lnd put his head on his hands. I gave them a minute to think about it. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. A lot of people won¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Master Allesandro didn¡¯t do this on his own. The Supreme Vampire authorized it; he thinks that the Southern Cross Pack can prove that cooperation works. He hopes it will prompt a change in North America over time. After all, none of us were alive for thest War. My mate agrees with my niece; the best thing supernatural beings can do in the modern world is to band together and help each other. Not everyone wants peace, though.¡±


    ¡°Other vampires?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We think the Master of Mexico City is holding the girls. They used Lawrence to frame the Council in her disappearance, then killed him to seal the trail.¡±


    Lnd thought about it for a moment. ¡°If all this is true, why not bring it to the Council? Whye here and threaten me in my home?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one. Before I came here, I interrogated Alpha Stan and used him of involvement in the plot. Hopefully, someone has found him by now, and he¡¯s getting treatment for the stab wound in his leg.¡±


    ¡°By the Goddess, you are a bull in a china shop,¡± Lnd said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t answer the why question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been five days since the girls disappeared. We don¡¯t know where they are, and no one has demanded a ransom. Adrienne, Nichs, and Alpha Steven agreed that the kidnappers want to kick off a war among werewolves. It¡¯s not a secret how I feel about Vicki or the Council. I¡¯m giving them the appearance of starting that war.¡±


    ¡°Appearance? You¡¯re doing a great fucking job of starting a real war,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°I did all this because it has to look real, Lance. These Vampires may have sources, even Alphas, who want to burn any bridges to other species that Vicki has built. I have to believe the girls are safe, but what if the Vampires who have her don¡¯t see wolves at each other¡¯s throats over this? Vicki is in an Australian Pack, but the other five are in Three Sisters Pack.¡±


    It took a minute for Lnd to figure it out. ¡°They start leaving bodies,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe my niece, or her friends, or maybe they start killing werewolves in the States in a way other werewolves get the me.¡± I went around and sat in front of the desk. ¡°That¡¯s why both of us have to die here in this office, Lnd. Everyone saw my threat, and everyone will believe Lance when he reports he killed me, but not in time to save your father. Battle lines will start forming, and it will give us time to find and rescue the girls.¡±


    ¡°What do we do? Stay here and y dead?¡±


    ¡°Lance, you¡¯ve got a big job here. You need to inform your Pack, then do another emergency Alpha call. Tell them we¡¯re both dead. Alpha Stan will support what you say about Leo going crazy, I¡¯m sure. When the Chairmanshipes up, I want you to support Chairman Wolfe as the interim Council Chairman. Later today, we¡¯ll set up a private chat with Wolfe and fill him in. He¡¯s the only one on the Council I trust with the truth.¡±


    ¡°And after that? I can¡¯t hide here forever,¡± Lnd said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a fake identity, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°We sneak out of here tonight and head to Mexico City. We¡¯re getting the girls back.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #164

    Consu Mardona¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind me leaving early?¡± Maria, the other dayshift nurse in the blood bank in my unit in the basement of Hospital Angeles Metropolitano in Mexico City, looked at me hopefully.


    ¡°Have fun on your date,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing waiting for me except soap operas.¡±


    ¡°I owe you,¡± she replied as she rushed off to the locker room to change. The door closed, and I let out a sigh. Maria was fun to work with, but fun wasn¡¯t the same since Master Vespi entered my life. He was waiting for me in my apartment after myst day of work before my annual vacation six months ago; I didn¡¯t remember anything after that until I woke up, a powerful thirst for blood in my throat. ¡°You are a vampire now, and you belong to me,¡± he said.


    It took me the whole week to realize how right he was. I couldn¡¯t disobey him, and I couldn¡¯t fight the need to feed. It was worse than any hunger I¡¯d experienced as a child, a primal force that demanded blood to sate it. Vespi brought forward a victim, and it was like my mind was a spectator to what happened next. My fangs pushed in, my mouth opened, and I fed on the neck of the innocent man until he passed out. Only then did Master Vespi order me to let him go.


    Doctor Cortino, the medical examiner who Vespi turned decades ago, had given him my name. Master Vespi had started turning ten humans a week into vampires and needed a more reliable blood supply. In their first few months, the newly turned could be difficult to control while hunting, which is why the Vampire Council strictly limited the numbers of young ones. New vampires were far more likely to drain victims and didn¡¯t have the discipline to stop killing.


    Master Vespi¡¯s solution was to bring the blood to them. In my position at the hospital, I could skim a dozen pints a day out the door. ¡°Expired¡± blood, off-the-books donors, donors who ¡°failed¡± testing, or who had disqualifying medical histories all ended up in my lunch cooler at the end of the day.


    I now lived on Master Vespi¡¯s estate, little more than a ve to the centuries-old Vampire Master and the older vampires there.


    I finished the cleanup and the admin for the day, then filled my cooler with the blood I¡¯d set aside. Clocking out, I walked out the door and waited for the bus. The bustling city¡¯s smells were almost intolerable with my enhanced senses. I¡¯d fed earlier in the day, so I could resist the need to dine on any of my fellow travelers. It was far easier to find a person in aa, or at the end of their life, and drink from them.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    It took me forty minutes on the bus and ten minutes walking to go from the hospital to my Master¡¯s home. Located in an exclusive neighborhood in Coyoacan, a historic neighborhood near the University, it was an impressive estate. Ex Hacienda de San Pedro Martir sat on almost an acre ofnd, surrounded by a razor-wire-topped stone wall. The oldest part of the home dated back to 1521, built by a Captain under Spanish conqueror Henan Cortez Pizarro. Since then, owners had expanded it into a two-story mansion with over twenty-two thousand square feet of luxurious living space. The patios and formal gardens were well-tended, and as I walked to the gate, I admired the sculptures.


    ¡°H, Consu,¡± the vampire guard said as he opened the gate for me.


    I thanked him and went inside, walking into the library, then waiting for the hidden entrance door to open from the guard downstairs. Master Vespi had lived on the property since 1982. His men excavated a cave deep underneath the foundation that was nearly as spacious. I walked down the dim stairway, pausing at the bottom. Cameras verified my identity, and with a click, the reinforced door opened towards me. The guard waved at me as I passed, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Paco was one of the older vampires at theplex, almost a century old. He liked to sexually abuse young girls before draining them dry, swearing that virgin blood was like no other.


    I went into the storage room and opened the refrigerator door. I sorted the bags by draw date before cing them on the shelves. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how much space there was. No matter how many I brought, I¡¯d never keep up. I walked back out, and Paco stopped me. ¡°Master needs you to double your daily supply.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a big risk with what I¡¯m taking; doubling it will get me caught,¡± I said.


    In a sh, Paco was out from behind the desk. Before I could react, I was hanging two feet in the air with my back against the wall and his ws digging into my neck. ¡°Then you better not get caught,¡± he said. ¡°Your medical assistance is needed at the cells. Report to the guards there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said. Going to the small room I shared with another newborn vampire, I grabbed my medical kit and slung it over my shoulder. It took me ten minutes to walk through the dark streets to the office building Vespi owned, a front for one of his legal businesses. I didn¡¯t have to knock; the guard verified my scent and opened the door. ¡°I heard you needed me?¡±


    ¡°One of the girls isn¡¯t doing well,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s vomited twice, fainted once, is weak, andining of pain in her belly.¡±


    ¡°Fever?¡±


    ¡°Her friends say no.¡±


    It could be a lot of things. ¡°Open for me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in with you,¡± he said. ¡°Take me to my patient, please.¡± We walked to the doorway leading to the basement cells; he opened the door and walked down with me. One of the girls was sitting with the blonde girl, who was clearly in pain


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Even as a youngling, I can defend myself against silvered werewolves. Besides, they need me to help their friend. They won¡¯t risk anything.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll be watching.¡± He locked me into the cell with them, then retreated to the gate at the bottom of the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to examine the patient. Please move away, or the guard wille back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman said as she got up and joined the others at the small table.


    ¡°How do you feel, Vicki,¡± I asked her. I¡¯d recognized her from the news ying on the television at the hospital. She was a swimsuit model from the United States. With her hair damp with sweat and a grimace on her face, she still made me look like a troll inparison, even after my vampire makeover.


    ¡°Sharp pains, here,¡± she said as she pointed just below and to the left of her belly button. ¡°I¡¯ve also thrown up a few times, and I passed out once.¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± I said. Nausea and dizziness could be a result of blood loss, but the pain concerned me. She yelped when I pressed on the area over her ovary. ¡°Are you sexually active?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.


    ¡°When was yourst period?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± she said tearfully. ¡°Five to six weeks from conception. We can smell it already. I was spotting earlier.¡±


    She was still bleeding slightly, as my nose could sense that. ¡°Let¡¯s confirm you¡¯re pregnant first,¡± I said. Handing Vicki a cup, I helped her to the toilet to use it. By the time I had her settled in bed, we had our positive result. I finished my exam. ¡°Remain on bed rest for the next three days, no getting up except to go to the bathroom. I¡¯ll talk to the guards about getting you more iron-rich foods and snacks. I want you to eat every two hours or so, as much as you can without throwing it back up. Keep up the juices and water as well; you need to recover blood volume and avoid dehydration.¡± I packed away a blood sample and some of the urine to run at work, but I was ny-nine percent sure of what was going on.


    It wasn¡¯t good news, especially without ess to a hospital. I wouldn¡¯t tell a patient that, though. I was a nurse, and this was beyond me.


    ¡°Am I losing my baby?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #165

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to tell. I¡¯ll be back to check on you soon. Don¡¯t give up hope.¡± The guard let me out, and I walked back upstairs before I said another word. ¡°I need to talk to the Doc,¡± I said as I pulled my phone out.


    ¡°Not here. Call on your way back.¡± I left the building, walking a few blocks before I sat on a park bench and called Doctor Cortino. After describing the symptoms, he agreed with my diagnosis. ¡°Under normal circumstances, I¡¯d tell you to bring the patient to the hospital for a confirmatory ultrasound followed by aparoscopy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Master will never allow that,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I know. The other treatment option for ectopic pregnancy is an injection of methotrexate. There¡¯s a 24-hour Pharmacia near you; I¡¯ll call in the prescription.¡± He briefed me on dosage and monitoring. ¡°Run the hCG of your blood sample tomorrow at the hospital, then recheck her levels in a week. If the treatment works, the embryo will stop developing and dissolve before it ruptures her Fallopian tube. Monitor her bleeding as well; if she starts hemorrhaging, Master will have to decide if he wants her in the hospital or dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll monitor her,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I walked to the pharmacy, picking up the vial. Once I injected Vicki, this pregnancy would end. I didn¡¯t know much about werewolves, but I knew how much they loved their pups. Vicki would attack me before she let me take her baby away, even knowing it could never grow without killing her.


    Vicki and the others were sleeping when I returned to the building. ¡°I need to see the patient again,¡± I said. The guard nodded and took me downstairs. They woke up when the lights came on. ¡°Stay at the door,¡± I said.


    Going in, I checked her and asked if she had eaten as I directed. While she updated me, I drew up the drug. ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Vitamins, your blood showed a deficiency,¡± I lied. I injected Vicki in the shoulder, then walked out. I waited until the cell door closed before I talked again. ¡°Vicki, the news isn¡¯t good. The pain is from an ectopic pregnancy; the cells didn¡¯t make it to your uterus. If we don¡¯t stop the pregnancy, you will rupture your tube and bleed out.¡±


    The blood rushed from her face as my words hit. ¡°My baby?¡±


    ¡°Your baby never had a chance, Vicki. The drug I gave you will stop the cell growth, and hopefully, your body will flush them out. Your friends need to watch you; if you see significant vaginal bleeding or your pain bes more severe, have the guards call me. You can expect cramping and some bleeding, like a heavy period, in the next few days.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I left her with her friends, who were trying tofort her. As I walked up the stairs, I could hear her crying out her loss to her Goddess.


    I walked back to my new home, remembering the dreams I¡¯d had of finding a man and raising a family. All my dreams were stolen from me to ensure Master¡¯s blood supply, and I resented the hell out of it.


    I just couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    I crossed the street to a cantina, taking a spot at the end of the bar. Vampires didn¡¯t need human food; we could eat it to blend it, but we couldn¡¯t metabolize it. Alcohol, however, worked for vampires as it did for humans. I ordered a tequ and looked up at the news, not wanting to go back to thepound just yet. The bartender brought me the ss, and I tossed it back, enjoying the burn.


    I saw pictures of Vicki and the other girls; it was a press conference, and the big news was the five-million-dor reward for information leading to their return. I memorized the number, running the possibilities through my head. The bartender brought me another tequ, and I raised an eyebrow. ¡°From the gentleman in the booth,¡± he said.


    Looking over, a handsome man in his twenties sat with his friend. What the hell, I thought; a girl has to eat! Tossing the second shot down, I put the ss back on the bar before walking over. His buddy took off, so I slid into the seat across from him.


    Two hourster, I was sitting on a couch in his apartment as he snored away in his bed. He¡¯d been a decent lover, and his blood was good. He¡¯d wake up in the morning with a killer hangover and memories of hard sex. I couldn¡¯t use my phone for this; I grabbed his phone off the table and walked into his bedroom. Using his thumbprint to unlock it, I called the number I¡¯d memorized. A man answered the hotline, and I had questions. ¡°The people who hold her are dangerous. How can I make sure they don¡¯t find out I¡¯m the one who told you?¡±


    ¡°We will give you a number, and that is the only way we ever know you,¡± the man said. ¡°Once the information pans out, call us and give us your number, and we will transfer the reward to your ount.¡±


    I thought about it; it was dangerous, and I was dead if my Master read my mind and found out. Still, I was already dead, and I wanted my freedom. ¡°The six girls are in Mexico City, in an underground cell.¡± I gave him the address and a description of theyout. ¡°Their Master is not there, but three or four of his young are.¡± I was sure the man on the other end was a werewolf, so he¡¯d understand what I meant by that. ¡°If you see a young Hispanic woman who gives herself up, promise me you won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°We have to verify your information and make a n. You should know soon.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, miss. You¡¯re doing the right thing.¡±


    ¡°You need to take him out. Promise me you¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°You can count on it,¡± the man said. With that, I hung up and headed back to the cells. I¡¯d rather be diligent and stay with my patient than risk Paco would find me at the Coven. I disappeared into the night, praying that I¡¯d done the right thing.

 SHARKBAIT #166

    Luna Adrienne¡¯s POV


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Master Emily said. ¡°Vicki helped me, and that is what kicked this all off.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked at her in shock. ¡°How is this your fault, Emily? You didn¡¯t take the girls.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the blood,¡± Emily replied. ¡°Vicki agreed to donate a pint of her blood for my use. I drank it just before arriving in New Orleans to meet with the other Masters. It went as I expected; two of the stronger males from other covens challenged me for my spot as ruler of Boston.¡±


    ¡°Did the blood help?¡±


    ¡°It did; with it, I dispatched both men quickly enough that no others took the chance. However, some of the other Masters scented the werewolf blood in my system and objected. Master Vampire Caroline Grey was vocal about it; she formally used me of viting the Werewolf Treaty and demanded my immediate execution.¡±


    I could see how they might be upset, given what I knew about the power that came with Vicki¡¯s blood. ¡°I know of Master Grey; she did not like having Vicki and the girls in Coronado.¡±


    ¡°Part of that may be because she resented what Vicki did for me. I yed the surveince video from my office to prove Vicki gave her blood voluntarily. Master Cyprian ruled that I was not in vition of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°But werewolf blood was now on the table.¡± A simple gift with such far-reaching effects.


    ¡°Yes, and it appears Master Vespi decided to make a power y for it,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°He¡¯s been quietly gathering allies since that meeting.¡±


    ¡°I was one of the Masters he approached,¡± Master Dauntless of Toronto said. ¡°For over a century, I¡¯ve been openly dismissive of Master Pontalba¡¯s leadership.¡±


    ¡°We are allies, but by distancing himself, he has given me several warnings over that time,¡± Master Pontalba said. I gained a new respect for Cyprian; you had to be thinking long-term to even think of such a strategy.


    Master Dauntless continued. ¡°Master Vespi called me two days ago. He wanted my support in the election of a new Supreme Vampire after he takes out Master Cyprian. Vespi implied that the change would happen in the next few weeks. I asked him how he knew he¡¯d be able to beat Cyprian in a challenge. Heughed and told me not to worry, as the senile old fool would be gone soon.¡±


    ¡°Because he has Vicki¡¯s blood.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°He also has Beta blood avable for the Masters supporting him.¡±


    I thought about it for a while. ¡°I can understand wanting Cyprian out of the way, but why start a war with werewolves?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is happy with the peace treaty or our Council, Adrienne,¡± Master Mn said. ¡°Masters chafe at the restrictions the Vampire Council ces on the size of covens and restrictions on turning new vampires. You wolves were not alive when thest war ended; Vespi is vocal about wanting to destroy the werewolves as a force in our world. He would be more than happy to maintain only a captive breeding stock for his use.¡±


    The capture of my former Pack mates was one thing; that idea was monstrous. If your goal was to subjugate an entire supernatural species, then spurring a war among them would make your job easier. ¡°When do we kill this fucker?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a couple of my familiars down to Mexico City, and they¡¯ve set up surveince around Master Vespi¡¯s home. That¡¯s all I can do under our rules; if I was to send vampires into Mexico City, it¡¯s me who would face sanctions.¡±


    ¡°So, you do nothing?¡± I hoped for more than waiting.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get ready,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°The people in this room are heading to Mexico, along with thirty or so experienced fighters. We will station ourselves just outside Master Vespi¡¯s territory and wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait for what?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for you to rescue the girls, of course. We can¡¯t risk moving against Vespi without knowing where the girls are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going in with us?¡±


    Master Cyprian shook his head, no. ¡°We can¡¯t enter Vespi¡¯s territory without permission except during a war with other supernaturals. You start the war, and we¡¯ll finish Vespi.¡±


    I liked it. ¡°I have people in Cancun, but Vespi is in Mexico City. I need to get people and equipment down there fast.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that,¡± Master Mn said. ¡°My ne ising down tomorrow with vampires from New York, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, and Washington, DC. Master Cyprian is bringing fighters from New Orleans, Houston, Das, Kansas City, and Chicago. Your people are wee to join us; we have plenty of room on my Boeing 797.¡±


    The man had an airne? By Luna, these vampire masters were rich! I did some quick calctions; we had some East Coast allies and more in the Midwest and Pacific Coast. ¡°I can bring forty or so if you have room.¡±


    Master Mn just smiled. ¡°Bring weapons, too. I¡¯ve heard rumors that Vespi is ignoring the rules on turns; there¡¯s no telling how many vampires and familiars you¡¯ll have to fight through.¡±


    ¡°What about Customs? And the TSA?¡± We were afraid to carry weapons in Mexico for fear of arrest.


    ¡°You¡¯re traveling with vampires, Luna Adrienne. We can mour the agents and walk right through Customs without a search. As long as it¡¯s inside a bag or suitcase, we can get it through.¡±


    Damn. That was one handy talent to have. ¡°I¡¯ll have my warriors bring their fighting gear.¡± I got the information on the flight times and gates; as a charter, we weren¡¯t using themercial airline terminals. Instead, we¡¯d be flying out of a cargo hub.


    ¡°Give the hangar info at the gate, and you can drive directly to the ne. One of my people will be at the security post,¡± Master Mn assured me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my people there,¡± I promised. The meeting ended shortly after that, as I needed to make a bunch of phone calls. I was taken aback at the number of Alphas who agreed to send warriors, Betas, or evene themselves. Taking on vampires was a dangerous business, and losses were likely.


    I went to bed that night, praying to Luna that Leo would survive. I had been confident I could go to the vampires and verify my information. Leo went to confront the Chairman of the Alpha Council by himself.


    When Leo calledte the next morning, all my pent-up emotions came out. He spent a few minutes calming me down before he could fill me in on what happened with him. I gave him the flight information, and he promised me he would be on the ne.


    That night, we met the ne during its refueling stop. We were joined by two dozen werewolves who had flown in from Packs from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest. Since they flewmercial, they couldn¡¯t bring weapons along. Hammer had his contact and picked up a few more bags of goodies to distribute.

 SHARKBAIT #167

    Wended the next morning at Pue International Airport. It didn¡¯t look to be much; we parked on the tarmac of the mostly-cargo facility two hours southeast of Mexico City. A Customs agent and two Federal Police boarded the aircraft, stamped our passports, and left without checking any of the bags. Two caravans of vehicles waited for us, one driven by Vampire familiars, the other by our Mermaid allies. Master Emily was the only Vampire to stay with us. She would coordinate our attacks with the other Masters and entrance any people at checkpoints we might hit. We wished each other luck and parted ways.


    We found a hotel, and I checked in with Alpha Steven at themand post. He and his warriors needed to move against the Cancun vampires when we attempted the rescue to keep the element of surprise.


    All we needed now was an address.


    *******


    Consu Mardona¡¯s POV


    I checked on Vicki several times during the night. The drug was working, and she was experiencing pain and cramping as her body rejected the embryo growing in her fallopian tube. Physically, she was fine, but emotionally? She was devastated. Her friends understood and were supporting her as they could. I saw firsthand how much werewolves supported each other with touch; Vicki was never alone, at least until I was examining her. One or more girls would be sitting with her, holding her hand, or hugging her.


    I¡¯d juste back up from the cells after the four AM check when the guard pulled me aside. ¡°You¡¯re needed back at the house,¡± he told me. ¡°Master wants to see you.¡±


    I fought to keep my emotions under control; had they found out already? What tortures might await me if they knew I¡¯d called the hotline? ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be back after my shift today. Call me if she starts to bleed heavily or has otherplications.¡±


    He just nodded and watched me leave. Master had six vampires assigned to the building; since they didn¡¯t need to sleep, that was more than enough. I¡¯d seen a familiar arrive a few hours earlier, giving the guard dinner and a fuck. I¡¯d never seen one of the guards step outside of the building.


    The streets were dark and quiet as I walked to the exclusive neighborhood. The guard at the gate was expecting me. ¡°Master is in his office,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I walked into the house, surprised at how many vampires were present. There were dozens inside, filling out paperwork or getting photographs taken. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Master wants everyone to have a passport,¡± one of the vampires replied. ¡°One of the familiars will ensure they are in our hands by the end of the year.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I have mine already,¡± I said. I made my way through the crowd and to the stairway leading to the second floor. Master Vespi¡¯s office was at the end of the hall. I checked in with his assistant, and she told me to go inside.


    I fought to control my emotions as I walked to his room. It made no sense for him to bring me to his office if he was nning to kill me, right? The rug in his office was priceless. No, if he knew I¡¯d betrayed him, he would have his men take me down to the basement cells. I knocked on the ornate double-door and slid inside when he told me to enter. ¡°You asked for me, sir?¡±


    ¡°Consu, yes,e over here.¡± I walked to his desk, keeping my eyes down. ¡°How is your patient?¡±


    ¡°It is good that we caught her ectopic pregnancy early, Master. Left untreated, it could have killed her. The drug I administered appears to be working, and she should make a full recovery in a week.¡±


    ¡°And how will this affect our harvesting?¡±


    ¡°For the two pints we have taken already, their bodies have already reced the volume. The bleeding Vicki will suffer from her miscarriage will be like a heavy period. It will not be enough to affect your schedule, provided she gets adequate food and rest.¡±


    ¡°Good. Take two more pints from each in three days, as scheduled,¡± my Master said.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He must have sensed my disapproval. In a sh, he was around the desk with my chin gripped tightly in his hand. ¡°You disagree with my instructions, Nurse Consu?¡±


    My eyes got wide; Master¡¯s standard method of resolving disagreements involved heads flying off. ¡°Of course not, Master. I¡¯m sure you understand the effects of taking that much blood that quickly.¡±


    ¡°I expect you to minimize those effects, not question my directions.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master. I will ensure they are properly cared for to give you the highest quality blood.¡±


    Master Vespi let my chin go and turned to the other man in the room. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Father Rodrigo to join us for a short ceremony.¡± He held my hand tight in his as the priest approached.


    ¡°Do you, Hernando Vespi, take Consu Mardona as yourwful wedded wife?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he said.


    My head was spinning. He expected me to marry him without even asking first? I snuck a look up at his eyes, and his expression quickly had me looking away. Yes. He did.


    ¡°And do you, Consu Mardona, take Hernando Vespi as yourwful wedded husband?¡±


    I had no choice. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°ce the ring on her finger,¡± Father Rodrigo said. My Master pulled my shaking left hand up and slid a diamond-encrusted wedding band on it. He then took a in band out of his pocket and put it on. ¡°By the power vested in my by the Holy Catholic Church and the State of Mexico, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±


    His lips descended, taking mine, his fangs nipping at the skin and drawing blood. He sucked on my lip before swiping his tongue over the puncture to seal it. When I¡¯d recovered my senses, Father Rodrigo had already signed the marriage certificate. Master signed it, then watched as I ced my signature by his. As soon as the Father was out of the door, Master¡¯s hand was around my neck, forcing me to my knees. ¡°Read nothing into this marriage,¡± he said. ¡°I have my reasons for taking you as my wife. You will still work, and your assignment with the wolves does not change. Understand that you are still a newborn, Consu. Marriage does not change your status in the Coven. It is a lesson your predecessor did not take to heart.¡±


    My head was still swimming, but I knew enough to tell him I understood. ¡°I will inform the Coven of your new status. Your things are being moved into my room now. Your body is now mine, exclusively. If anyone takes what is mine, they will answer to me. Strip those clothes off.¡±


    I started to get up, but he pushed me back down. I quickly pulled my dress off and removed my underwear before resuming my position kneeling before him. My husband and Master looked down at me. ¡°Hands behind your back.¡± I quicklyplied. ¡°Remove my cock and prepare me.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I leaned forward, moving my mouth to push the fabric aside and get the zipper in my teeth. I pulled it down, then used my lips and tongue to extract my husband¡¯srge cock out from his linen dress pants. Taking the head into my mouth, I gave it a light suck, then started to swirl my tongue around the head. I felt it starting to swell, and I lightly hummed as I started moving it deeper into my mouth.


    I¡¯d been a twenty-four-year-old virgin, a good Catholic girl waiting for marriage when the Master had changed me. He¡¯d taken my virginity after I awoke as a vampire, and two dayster, he¡¯d taken my ass as well. Once he¡¯d had his fun, there were plenty of older vampires who taught me how to please them. I¡¯d learned a lot in six months about how to please a male.


    Master put his hands behind my head, pushing the head of his cock into my throat. I swallowed around him, extending my tongue to lick his clean-shaven balls until he pulled me back off. ¡°Vampires give the best blowjobs,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t need toe up to breathe.¡±


    He didn¡¯t let me, not for another minute. When he pulled me off, he kept a hold on my hair and hauled me to my feet. I bent at the waist over his desk when he shoved my head down on it. A momentter, he hilted himself in me. Vespi wasn¡¯t much for forey, and he didn¡¯t care if his woman enjoyed it. He fucked me hard and fast, finally unloading across my back and ass. He grabbed me by the hair again, pulling me off the desk and back onto my knees. ¡°Clean me.¡± I licked his cock and balls clean as his cum slowly dripped down my back. When he was satisfied, he zipped back up and grabbed the marriage certificate off the desk. ¡°Clean up and get to work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± I stayed on my knees until he left, then took several Kleenex and used them to wipe myself down. Dressing quickly, I couldn¡¯t wait to get back downstairs and shower.


    ¡°Your things are in Master¡¯s room,¡± his assistant said. ¡°Do not shower. His scent will help establish your position.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I turned to the adjoining door that led to his opulent bedroom. My Master was not there, but I found my clothes hanging up in the closet and in one of the antique chests. I changed for work, then headed out the door again.


    Paco was waiting for me; he sniffed the air, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to say anything critical of his Master¡¯s decisions. ¡°Back inside,¡± Paco said. ¡°Master directed me to brief you on the security features in the building.¡±


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t happy, but he took me through everything. ¡°The walls are three feet thick, and the windows are bulletproof ss. They aren¡¯t bomb-proof, so stay away from them as you make your way to the safe room. There is an escape pole over here in the closet.¡± He showed me where thetch was, and the mirror in the closet opened into a heavy steel door. Inside was a fireman¡¯s pole. ¡°At the bottom is a door to the basement. Go.¡±


    I grabbed the pole, sliding down quickly until Inded awkwardly at the bottom. I opened the heavy door into the basement hallway, stepping aside as Paco reached the bottom. He showed me the controls for the entrance. ¡°Green allows the doors to open. Yellow closes the door and locks them; you have to press green again to allow them to reopen. Red is the emergency button; it closes and locks all the entrances. Never press the red button.¡±


    The red button was under a stic coverbeled ¡®Emergency Lockdown.¡¯ ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone who needs to make it to the basement may be here yet. Once pressed, a timer prevents the doors from opening again for six hours. Only the Master and the senior guard down here are authorized to use that.¡±


    I¡¯d spent plenty of time in the basement, so I didn¡¯t need a tour. ¡°What happens if werewolves or other vampires try toe down here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to have a bad day,¡± Paco said. ¡°Booby traps, electric fields, even liquid nitrogen dumps that can freeze them solid in seconds.¡±


    ¡°And if they wait us out?¡±


    ¡°We escape through the sewers,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a hatch in that corner.¡±


    ¡°I feel a lot safer now,¡± I said.


    Paco nodded. ¡°If the rm sounds, get your ass down here as quickly as possible.¡±


    I looked at my watch in panic. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss my bus,¡± I said.


    ¡°Master instructed me to drive you,¡± he said. ¡°He also said to give you this.¡± He reached below the table and pulled out arge purse. ¡°It¡¯s insted, the bottom essed by unzipping this panel,¡± he said. ¡°Twice as many bags each day.¡±


    ¡°Why so many?¡±


    ¡°Master is gathering everyone for training over the next week.¡± My head was spinning as he drove me to the hospital. I moved my things into my new purse, still carrying the cooler for my ¡®lunch¡¯ I always had. I got so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t realize we¡¯d arrived until Paco told me to get out. ¡°I¡¯ll be back at four,¡± he told me.


    I noticed I was wearing my wedding ring as I was walking to the locker room. Pulling it off, I stashed it in my purse. Thest thing I needed from my coworkers was questions about my love life.


    I took a walk at lunch, finding a deserted spot at the back of the parking area. Thest twenty-four hours had changed everything; I was a traitor, now married to the Master I hated, and I had no idea why he would choose me.


    Calling the number again, I told them everything I knew. The man told me he would text me just before the attack began, so I could get to safety.


    My only hope was that they would knock off Vespi before he figures out what I¡¯d done.

 SHARKBAIT #168

    Hammer¡¯s POV


    If anyone had told me a month ago that I¡¯d be on a ne filled with weapons, explosives, and vampires, I¡¯d haveughed my ass off.


    By the time we loaded into our vehicles outside of Mexico City, my whole worldview had changed. Vicki had made friends with two powerful vampires, and I was d they were on our side. I got to spend some time on the flight talking with some of the other vampires. When Randall, a vampire from New York, said he would tell us how we should take on the Mexican vampires, he didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°We¡¯re faster and stronger than you, and our ws can inject venom that is fatal to you. You think you are better off in your animal form, but you are not,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± A dozen warriors were listening in, and most of them looked shocked at this.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not fast enough, and your wolf is more vulnerable to tooth and w. You have to fight in groups, two going after the hands while another goes for the neck, right?¡± That was pretty much how we had been taught and practiced. ¡°Fighting new and even young vampires, you can get away with those tactics. They aren¡¯t fast enough to keep you away, although you¡¯ll lose some of your people going for the ws. Go against vampires like us, more than a century old, and you¡¯ll end up as bloody fur. You¡¯re better off in human form with body armor that can provide some protection against the ws. Speed and skille with age, and it makes a big difference.¡±


    ¡°How big?¡±


    ¡°A Master vampire can take on a dozen newborn vampires or werewolves at once and not be in danger. It¡¯s another level entirely. Luckily for you, we don¡¯t think Vespi has arge number of older vampires. If rumors are true, he has lots of young ones. It will not be an easy fight for you.¡±


    I thought about what he said. ¡°How would you go about it?¡±


    ¡°Technology has changed since thest war, and your attack ns have to change with them. How did they teach you to kill a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Fire, beheading, crushing, sometimes explosions too, but they have to be big and close,¡± I said.


    ¡°Vampires can regenerate flesh and heal in moments during battle as long as they have their head about them. You have the two ways, but not the why. Beheading a vampire prevents regeneration, while the other methods work because the damage overwhelms their ability to heal. It doesn¡¯t matter how you do it; repairing damage takes energy from their reserves of blood. When they use up their blood reserves, they can¡¯t heal anymore, and they die. Well, as much as the undead can die.¡±


    ¡°Weapons?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Not how you¡¯re used to it, though. You can¡¯t double-tap a vampire and expect him to go down. Empty a thirty-round magazine into that fucker, and he¡¯ll stop. He may or may not die, depending on how long since hisst feed, but you¡¯ll knock him down enough to take his head off. A ded weapon is the best way to do that.¡±


    ¡°Coordinated attacks? Guns followed by swords?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I would do it. methrowers and shotguns work better than rifles. It doesn¡¯t matter where you hit them as much as how much damage you can create fast. If it¡¯s too little or too slow, they¡¯ll heal and get to you.¡±


    I smiled a bit; we had a couple of methrowers along, and they were epic. By the time wended, I had a lot of respect for the vampires in our group. They were highly trained men and women.


    Big picture, our groups had two missions. The werewolf group was there to rescue Vicki, Amy, and the rest of the girls. The Vampires were there to take out Vespi. Once the girls were free, our allied Masters would wipe out the Mexico City Coven for breaking the peace deal. It was the only way that would avoid war.


    I got to know Maribel, a gymnast-sized mermaid, as we drove to our hotel. She was a bubbly brte in herte teens who worked with her family on their shrimp boat. I learned about her home ya de Chachcas, a small tourist town an hour north of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, and asked why she¡¯d traveled all this way to help. ¡°Vicki is important,¡± she replied. ¡°For the first time in centuries, our kind has been embraced by werewolves. In Australia, she is working to bring us together with vampires and werewolves, bringing us into power and security we¡¯ve never had. My father contacted Linda, asking how we could help.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you driving, especially since some of us aren¡¯t fluent in Spanish. We¡¯ll keep you safe, I promise you.¡±


    Sheughed at me as she nced over. ¡°I¡¯ll keep YOUR furry butt safe,¡± she said with a giggle.


    ¡°You fight?¡± She didn¡¯t look or act like a warrior.


    She giggled. ¡°I¡¯m a lover, not a fighter,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    I wanted to ask more, but we¡¯d arrived at our hotel. Master Emily went in and returned with our room keys; she¡¯d booked an entire floor for us. As she handed them out, our Alphasid down thew. ¡°Nobody leaves the floor without permission,¡± Leo said. ¡°Order room service or delivery, stay out of sight, and keep the weapons hidden but ready.¡±


    I was sharing a double-queen room with Nichs. We spent the day sleeping, eating, watching Englishnguage news, and talking about Vicki. With nothing to do but wait, I told him all the stories about our time in Coronado. I was incredibly proud of what she and Amy had aplished at a young age, after all. Nichs had a growling problem when I talked about the men harassing her at the beach or her former boyfriends crashing his bike with her along, but he got over it. I even spent some time teaching him the basics of jiu-jitsu. We had a few meetings in Leo¡¯s suite discussing rescue ns and getting to know each other. Without a target, however, all we could do was sit and wait.


    The Navy made me a professional at sitting and waiting.


    I was sleeping when Leo¡¯s summons woke me in a moment. ¡°We¡¯ve got a location. Get your ass to my room,¡± he said.


    I was inside the Alpha¡¯s room in less than a minute. All of the Alphas were present, along with Ken Waltrip, a warrior from Three Sisters who had been a Marine Scout Sniper. Adrienne was in the middle of a videoconference with Alpha Steven back in Cancun. ¡°The tip is credible?¡±


    ¡°We think so,¡± he said. ¡°It was specific, and the person was worried about retribution. Here, I¡¯ll y it for you.¡± I listened as a woman¡¯s voice, clearly Hispanic, said the six girls were in an underground cell and gave the address. I thought about her words regarding vampires; they were specific, yet general enough if a human overheard. The caller was a vampire willing to betray her Master, yet she wanted to live.


    Meanwhile, Adrienne had used Google Maps to bring up a satellite view of the building. It was in a business and light industrial area, a two-story office with a warehouse behind it. Alpha Steven hung up a few momentster.


    ¡°You guys are the experts; what do you think,¡± Adrienne asked as she turned to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good ce to hole up,¡± I said. ¡°No other buildings nearby, it¡¯spletely fenced off from the road, and the warehouse lets you drive inside and unload out of sight.¡±


    ¡°We need eyes on it,¡± Ken said. ¡°The tip sounds good, but it could also be a trap.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Leo said. ¡°How would you set up surveince?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ken and I looked at the surrounding area; we were looking for ces we could set up a sniper hide, something with a good view of the building while the others nned an attack. It had to be close enough to see everything but far enough away that our scent and presence wouldn¡¯t spook them. Ken and I had picked our spots when Maribel came in. He was going on top of a factory two blocks north o the target, while I found a cheap motel two blocks up the road from the front of the building. ¡°She¡¯s going to drive you,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Stay out of sight as much as you can.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #169

    ¡°Understood,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll call when we are in ce.¡±


    Heading back to my room, I started packing gear. I¡¯d cross-trained in the SEALs as a sniper, and I had urbanbat experience. I pulled out the case holding my urban sniper rifle. It was a suppressed and scoped AR-15 chambered in . 300 ckout that I used for hunting wild boar. Thebination of the silencer and the subsonic round reduced the sound to that of a hand p. The downside was that the slow and heavy round wasn¡¯t good at long distances. With the zero at a hundred yards, the bullet dropped eight inches at 200 yards, twenty-eight inches at 300 yards, and over five feet at 400 yards. I made sure my Glock was secure in its inside-the-waistband holder behind my right hip and made sure my loose shirt hid it well. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to get some food and water for the wait,¡± I told Maribel.


    ¡°I already have that,¡± she said.


    Ken was ready a momentter, his weapons a scoped AR-15 with a copsible stock, carried in a gym bag. He¡¯d grabbed Matt, another Pack warrior, to serve as his spotter and backup. ¡°You Marines can¡¯t stand being alone,¡± I teased. SEAL snipers often worked alone, while Scout Snipers trained in pairs.


    ¡°Gets boring,¡± he said. We loaded into the SUV, and Maribel followed the navigation system to the first dropoff point. I handed out the radios and headsets as we drove; they were short-range but effective. We¡¯d use the phone for anything else.


    Maribel parked in the alley, and Ken and Matt ducked out. It was still pitch ck before the sunrise, and nobody was at work yet. The two were scaling a fire escape as we drove off.


    Maribel drove around and parked behind the hotel, and I started to get out. ¡°No, stay here,¡± she said.


    ¡°You should go back,¡± I said.


    ¡°These guys won¡¯t speak English, and you need a room. You also need backup. Wait for me to wave you in.¡± She got out and walked around to the front desk; a few minutester, she had opened a side door and waved. I crossed the lot with my bag, and we took a stairway to the third floor.


    She¡¯d gotten us a corner room facing the street. I went to work setting up my hide; I¡¯d be shooting at an angle through the window and down. I made sure the blinds were closed, then went to work moving things around. I ended up lying on top of the dresser, using pillows and nkets to make it morefortable. The drapes and blinds were closed except for the hand-sized opening I would look and shoot through. The cheap hotel air conditioner was struggling as is, so I left the window closed. The thin ss wouldn¡¯t affect the shots after the first one.


    ¡°Wolf one, in ce, nothing visible,¡± I heard over the radio.


    ¡°Wolf two, same.¡±


    ¡°Wolf one, sending the tracker out on recon. He¡¯ll stay well clear.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea; six werewolves in one ce for days would leave a strong scent, perhaps carried through venttion ducts outside the building. It was just after sunrise when I got the word back. ¡°Wolf two, wolf one, positive contact with multiple friendlies,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m calling it in.¡±


    Bingo. Daylight would bring people and traffic, so we would have to wait until after dark to go in. Meanwhile, I¡¯d make sure none of these fuckers got away.


    **********


    Alpha Steven Dauntless¡¯ POV


    Ourmand post had been busy since the tipster called us on our hotline. I¡¯d listened to the recording of the call a few dozen times, hoping to pick up any more information than she had given us.


    Lte had taken the call, and I¡¯d put on headphones to listen when she waved for everyone to be quiet. It wasn¡¯t a long call, but she had her code, and she¡¯d given us the things we needed to know. We had a location, and we knew they were vampires. In Mexico City, that meant Master Vespi.


    Our group agreed the call was credible, so my next call was to Alphas Leo and Adrienne. Leo sure kicked over a ho¡¯s nest with his antics in the Northeast. The Alphas had watched the conference call in horror. Later, Alpha Lance informed the Packs that Leo had killed the Chairman before his men could stop him. The entire Werewolf world was teetering on the brink of war, just as Master Vespi had nned.


    It didn¡¯t leave us much time, but Adrienne¡¯s gambit to go to Supreme Vampire Cyprian Pontalba had paid off spectacrly. I hadn¡¯t believed how fast our new allies had organized, helping to smuggle in dozens and dozens of people and their gear to Mexico City.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Early this morning, we had confirmation that the girls were there. ¡°The tip was correct, Steven,¡± Adrienne said over the secure videoconference. ¡°One of the Three Sisters trackers picked up their scent. We have two sniper teams with eyes on the building now.¡±


    ¡°When are we going in?¡±


    ¡°Tonight,¡± she said. ¡°There are too many civilians around during the day. We¡¯re busy making ns for a coordinated assault after sunset, which is at six-oh-three. Target time is neen hundred.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s twenty-hundred here,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m taking out the local Coven at the same time. The Coven ordered the abduction, and they¡¯ve been stroking us off the whole time we¡¯ve been here. I want Mateo¡¯s head on a fencepost.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have no arguments from our end. We had to be coordinate it perfectly; if Vespi gets a warning, our people will die. If it doesn¡¯t work out, let them go, and Pontalba can round them upter.¡±


    There was no way I was losing this one. ¡°I¡¯ll handle my end. Stay safe, everyone. We¡¯ll talk this afternoon.¡± I ended the teleconference and pulled all my people together into the room after breakfast. I updated them on our target time and asked them to start thinking of the best way to take out our local vampires.


    ¡°You look like hell,¡± Colleen said after the meeting broke up. ¡°When was thest time you slept?¡±


    ¡°I got an hour inst night,¡± I said.


    ¡°Respectfully, Alpha, we need you to be ready for tonight. Trust your people with the assignments you¡¯ve made, and get some sleep. I¡¯ll handle this room for you.¡±


    I looked around at my people and knew she was right. ¡°Fine, but you wake me up if anything important happens.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alpha,¡± she replied.


    I walked back to my room, took a quick shower, and was asleep moments after falling into bed.


    ¡°ALPHA, WE NEED YOU BACK IN THE ROOM,¡± one of my warriors sent me.


    ¡°On my way,¡± I said as I rolled out of bed. My body was protesting my getting roused from a deep sleep. I looked at the clock, and it was just after noon. I¡¯d gotten maybe four hours of sleep. I reached for clean clothes. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Our girl called back.¡±


    ¡°Share it over the link,¡± I said.


    I finished dressing as I heard the phone call over the mind link. ¡°¡­ will recover in time, but Master ordered me to take two more pints from all of them in three days. Taking that much blood a week after thest two-pint withdrawal will leave them weak. I¡¯m worried that after the miscarriage, Vicki won¡¯t heal properly.¡±


    ¡°Did he say why he needs more in three days?¡±


    ¡°No, but Master is getting passports for everyone, and they should arrive before the end of the year. I think he¡¯s nning something big then, and he¡¯s trying to get as much blood stored before then as he can. He might even n to drain them before he departs because I can¡¯t take more blood that early.¡±


    Shit. If our informant hadn¡¯t called, Vespi¡¯s army would be unstoppable by then. I finished dressing and headed out into the hallway.


    ¡°Can you tell us anything about his home?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s excavated a huge underground safe room below the mansion. The entrance main entrance is in the library on the main floor, hidden behind a bookcase. It¡¯s like a vault door, and the stairs to the door on the bottom are booby-trapped; there¡¯s a system to flood it with liquid nitrogen and other defenses. There¡¯s another entrance, a fireman¡¯s pole from the master bedroom upstairs, plus there is an emergency exit that leads to the sewers. They showed it to me this morning; I think he¡¯s going to stash me there if it gets dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of the way now? Safe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at work now, but I¡¯m nowhere near safe,¡± the girl said. ¡°Master is raising and training an army. He must have over a hundred vampires he¡¯s turned in thest few months, and they need blood. I¡¯ve been skimming bags from work, and Master ordered me to take twice as many. The familiars can¡¯t keep up, and the older vampires are hunting every night.¡±


    Fuck me. A hundred vampires? Cyprian was going to shit. ¡°We have eyes on the ce you told us about, and we haven¡¯t seen anyone go in or out yet. Are they holed up there?¡±


    ¡°Not in the main building, but they live and train in the warehouse attached. I haven¡¯t seen them, but I¡¯ve heard them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. We¡¯re going to move soon, and you won¡¯t be in danger much longer. When we start the attack, we¡¯ll text a code word to you with the time. When wee in, shout the code word and stay on the ground. Our people will not harm you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that will matter,¡± she said. ¡°Something else is going on. Master never paid much attention to me, but I was called to his office this morning before work. When I arrived, Master Vespi had a priest waiting, and we got married.¡±


    ¡°Married?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he had me sign the certificate and everything. He killed hisst wife, but I have no idea why he picked me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. Keep your head about you and wait for our signal. You¡¯ve earned that reward and more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the reward; it¡¯s about being free from this man. I wish I could go back to what I was, but I know it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    I heard a click just before I arrived at themand post. ¡°Let me in.¡± The door opened, and everyone looked at me. ¡°We got that on tape?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± Colleen said.


    ¡°Get it ready to y,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m getting the other Alphas up on videoconference.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #170

    As soon as I started to tell Luna Adrienne what happened, she made a call. Master Pontalbo¡¯s face joined the conference. ¡°Sorry about that, but his group is in a different location,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear this call.¡±


    ¡°A HUNDRED of them in the warehouse?¡± Leo was shaking his head. ¡°How the hell do we get past a hundred fucking vampires?¡±


    ¡°A hundred newborns,¡± Cyprian said. ¡°Little power or training. It changes our ns, but Vespi is doing us a favor by gathering them in one ce.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at much greater risk of failure,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Your job remains the same, Alpha. Storm the building and free the girls; we¡¯ll keep the vampires off your back.¡±


    We talked for another five minutes, and then I let the others go to continue their nning on their own. We had our own problems to consider.


    Consu (Mardona) Vespi¡¯s POV


    I went over every scenario while I finished the rest of my shift at the hospital. Taking more blood hadn¡¯t been difficult, but it wasn¡¯t repeatable. Sooner orter, someone would discover the missing blood, and I¡¯d get fired.


    I stashed it in my new purse as I got ready to leave. I was vulnerable, and I hated that feeling. Master had picked me for my work connections, not for my fighting ability. What would happen to me after the attack? Would he figure it out? One bag of Vicki¡¯s blood, and he¡¯d be unstoppable.


    I froze as I got to the office door.


    Vicki¡¯s blood. In a time of danger, he¡¯d drink Vicki¡¯s blood.


    I walked back to my desk, cing a spare set of crimping pliers and spare crimps in my purse. Walking out the door, I didn¡¯t take my usual bus. There was a store nearby that specialized in herbs, natural treatments, and unproven remedies. Walking in, I smiled at the older woman behind the desk.


    Ten minutester, I was in a cab heading for Master¡¯s home. The ce was quiet, with only a few guards upstairs. I entered the library and waited for the door to the basement to open.


    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± Paco said.


    ¡°I missed my bus getting the extra blood, and I had to take a cab here,¡± I said. Paco probably knew that already, as the video surveince he monitored would have shown me getting out of the cab. ¡°I have to drop off the supplies, then go check on our prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long there. Master may need youter.¡±


    I shuddered to think of what he might need. ¡°Of course.¡± I walked off to the storage room, verified I was alone, and opened the refrigerator drawer. cing the bagged blood on the shelves, I opened the box where I kept the ¡®special¡¯ blood. Finding the two bags from Vicki, I grabbed my supplies from my purse.


    Withdrawing arge syringe, I filled it from the bottle of bloodroot extract I¡¯d purchased at the shop. I injected half into the first bag just below where the tube was crimped off and made sure the poison made it into the main bag. I then cut the tube just below the injection point and re-crimped it. A minuteter, both bags were back in ce, and the tools were back in my bag.


    I had one more idea. I took the other bags of werewolf blood and ced them at the back of the refrigerator, under the most recently obtained blood. Taking some regr human blood, I used a Sharpie to match the markings I¡¯d made of the werewolf blood. If something happened, they wouldn¡¯t get any boost.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in an hour or so,¡± I told Paco as I headed back up the stairs.


    If I got through tonight, it would be a miracle.


    ***********


    Sharkbait (Vicki Lawrence¡¯s) POV


    My baby was gone.


    I wiped the tear from my face as Iid on the bunk, recovering from the cramp a few minutes earlier. It was the worst period of my life; the flow was heavy, and the cramping worse. I¡¯d already soaked through two maxi-pads, and I would need more. The smell of blood was strong in the cell; the only good part was that the vampires spent little time down here now. They were watching on the surveince system and listening in to our conversations. We couldn¡¯t use a link with the silver cors on, so we had to whisper and take advantage of our hearing.


    We¡¯d kept the news on, and that hadn¡¯t helped at all. Our story didn¡¯t appear much anymore, as nothing had changed, andw enforcement found no leads. One of thementators on Fox spected about our fate. ¡°It¡¯s been almost a week since the girls disappeared, and their parents have not received a single ransom demand. Given the younger girls¡¯ fame and beauty, I believe they were victims of an international sex very ring.¡±


    ¡°Is thatmon,¡± the interviewer asked.


    ¡°Moremon than we would like to think,¡± he said. ¡°There are a lot of sick people in this world. For some, owning a famous and beautiful woman is a status symbol. Having the power to do anything you want to her, knowing what she was, is worth a lot of money. Strung out on drugs, abused repeatedly, and without hope? These girls are unlikely to make their twenty-first birthdays.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a depressing outlook,¡± the host said.


    ¡°The people who kidnap, sell, and hold these women make sure they never see the light of day. Eventually, they are too far gone to keep, so they are killed and buried.¡±


    ¡°Turn that off,¡± I said to anyone listening.


    ¡°Where are these people¡­.¡±


    The news show was no longer on; Amy was flipping through the channels. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Eve. There must be something else on,¡± she said. Changing it to Discovery Channel, she found ¡°Air Jaws 10¡± showing. ¡°Perfect,¡± she said as she came over to sit on the edge of my bunk. ¡°Remember those times we¡¯d stay up all night waiting for Santa Jaws to show up?¡±


    Iughed; our Pack had a few traditions that were a little different than others. The entire Pack would gather at Leo¡¯s house on Christmas Eve and stay for three days of fun and eating. Santa Jaws was Leo¡¯s creation; the costumed shark with a red hat preferred donuts and coffee to milk and cookies, and keeping him full was important. If he was hungry, he mighte downstairs and steal the treatsid out on tables for Christmas day! To prevent this, all the Pack children would sleep in the rec room in a big group.


    Amy and I always picked a spot near the stairs, under the table of popcorn balls and chocte candies. That way, we could reach up and grab candy from the table without getting out of our sleeping bags or waking the others. The two of us were tactical thinkers, even back then.


    ¡°I remember the year you pretended to sleep until Santa Jaws passed, then grabbed the candy-stuffed remora off his back,¡± I said with augh. Leo had found the two-foot-long rubber toy at one of the aquariums we visited. It was hollow and stretchy, with a suction-cup mouth that had a pinky-sized hole in it. Our first Christmas in the Pack, he¡¯d taken hours shoving hard candies into its sucker mouth until it was full, and then he hung it from his costume. The first year, I was the one who got it from him. I tied it by its tail to my headboard, and every day I¡¯d spend a minute milking a butterscotch or peppermint candy back out its mouth for school.


    ¡°That was epic,¡± she said with a smile. We woke up to Amy screaming as she hung upside down, beating Santa Jaws about his legs with the rubber remora as the costumed figure walked back to the stairs. It took all twenty of us piling on to get him to let go. ¡°I was eating candy until March!¡±


    We watched shark shows through dinner. The Discovery Channel was doing everything it could to help find us. They were running a crawl periodically with the tip line number. Every hour they ran a 30-second spot with ourst photographs and the reward information. Finally, they were running my previous shows daily and teasing our new series relentlessly. Our disappearance was good for ratings, even if some people thought it was all a publicity stunt.


    Adrienne had blown up at a reporter who suggested that yesterday. ¡°Two innocent people DIED during this kidnapping. What kind of sick person are you to believe anyone would do this for publicity?¡± Adrienne could fillet and skin a bitch in seconds, and that reporter changed her tune. I thought back to Juan, our friendly SCUBA guide, who they shot before our eyes. I remembered seeing Santiago¡¯s body along the trail, the owner of thend we were diving on. By Luna, diving and filming our reality show seemed so long ago.


    We were watching ¡°Air Jaws 12¡± when the door upstairs opened. I heard two sets of footstepsing down the stairway before the gate opened, and they walked to the outside of our cell. ¡°Have you eaten recently,¡± the guard asked the nurse. ¡°The blood smell is pervasive, and I can¡¯t have a youngling losing control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine; I work around the smell of blood all day,¡± the nurse replied. ¡°I¡¯ll wave when I¡¯m ready to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be watching,¡± he said as he locked her inside the cell with us.


    Amy got up, moving to sit at the table with the other girls. They wouldn¡¯t do anything that would stop me from getting treatment, and they knew the drill. The nurse set her medical bag down on the edge of the bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Crampy, but the nausea is gone, and I¡¯m eating,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve soaked through two maxi-pads.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was checking my temperature with an infrared thermometer while she talked. It beeped, and she put it back in her bag. ¡°You¡¯re not running a fever, which is excellent. I told you to expect the heavy bleedingst time, and I¡¯ll leave you more pads. It¡¯s going to be heavier than other periods because your body thought it was pregnant, even though the baby never made it to your uterus. Any sharp pains?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #171

    ¡°A few. Not like before.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± The nurse lifted her bag and pulled the nket down to my feet. She removed and unfolded a surgical pad, spreading it on the bed and sliding it under my butt. I felt something cold and metallic on my leg as she tucked it in. ¡°Don¡¯t react to it or show it,¡± she whispered. ¡°Help ising soon. If vampirese for you, fight back. Don¡¯t let them move you, or your family will never find you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡±


    She pulled out a small device with a long, narrow probe. ¡°This is a portable ultrasound unit with an internal probe. I¡¯m going to use this to verify the ectopic pregnancy is clearing out on its own, all right?¡±


    Like I could refuse anything down here. ¡°OK.¡±


    She used a lubricant on the probe, then inserted it into my vagina and started to move it around. The screen on the device showed all kinds of stuff I didn¡¯t understand, and she pressed a button to freeze the screen. ¡°It¡¯s good news,¡± she said. She pointed at a dot. ¡°This was the original ectopic site. It looks to be breaking up, with smaller cell groupings here and here,¡± she said as she pointed at other spots. ¡°Flushing the lines clear may take a while, but this means the drug worked. You may get the asional sharp pain as the clumps of cells move down the tube, like passing a kidney stone. I don¡¯t see any permanent damage.¡±


    ¡°I can still have children?¡±


    ¡°Only one of your ovaries was affected, so that was never an issue. Once the cellr clumps are clear, the travel of eggs on your left side can resume. There is a potentialplication; scarring of the tubes can make future ectopic pregnancies more likely. That risk is minimal since we caught it in time, and you are young and healthy.¡±


    I was letting out tears of joy and sorrow at the same time. It was proof my baby was gone, but the hope of another pup in the future when we got out of here. I had to keep faith in my family and Pack that they would get us out of here; I knew they would stop at nothing to get us back. I had to be the Alpha the girls needed and keep it together until help arrived. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The nurse put the ultrasound unit away and took a blood sample. She finished her examination and cleaned me up before cing a new pad in ce. ¡°You¡¯re doing fine,¡± she continued with her usual speaking voice. ¡°Keep to the bedrest for another two days, and notify the guards if you get frequent sharp pains or excessive bleeding. Make sure you eat and drink frequently.¡± She left a couple more maxi-pads on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Iid back down as she waited for the jailer to let her out; I didn¡¯t move until after they were upstairs. Moving a hand down under the sheet, I felt for the object the vampire had left me. I slowly pulled the knife up along my right side, feeling the wooden handle and the long de. It felt like a chef¡¯s knife from a kitchen, maybe ten inches long. I moved it until it was near my shoulder, just under the covers. ¡°Fiona, can youe here a minute?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Alpha.¡± The other girls went back to watching television, while Fiona came over and knelt by me. ¡°Did everything go all right on your checkup?¡±


    ¡°Hug me and reach your hand under the sheet by my chest. Take it and hide it, and make sure the cameras don¡¯t see it,¡± I whispered to my bodyguard. She leaned forward and embraced me while her arm slid under the covers. She stilled momentarily but recovered. I felt her holding the knife, and when she leaned back, she was hiding it under her left arm. ¡°Help me up? I need to use the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied. I pulled my covers off, then Fiona wrapped her left arm behind me and pulled me up. I gave her a moment to stash the knife under her pillow, then walked over to use the bathroom. When I got back, I pretended to cry, and Fiona crawled into the narrow cot with me. She held my face to her shoulder while I whispered what had happened. ¡°Get your rest, Vicki,¡± she said as she got out and tucked me in.


    I should try and sleep, but the news had me too wound up. Someone was working against my captors, and my family was on the way. Fiona spread the word to one person at a time, making sure it didn¡¯t look suspicious.


    ¡°They¡¯re reying your Woods Hole documentary at seven, Vicki,¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s next? THESE TITS got me kidnapped and stuck in a Mexican vampire prison?¡± Even the twins had tough at that. ¡°Let¡¯s watch it. At least the sharks are cool.¡±


    Ca made sure we all had drinks and snacks, and we all settled down to wait for the show to start. The opening had just started when I heard multiple explosions mixed with gunfire. ¡°Get down,¡± I said as the building shook above us. Dust and dirt shook loose from the hewn-rock ceiling, and I rolled back against the wall. The twins ducked under the table while Fiona, Amy, and Ca ran for the beds.


    ***********


    Alpha Steven Dauntless POV


    The wolves remaining in Cancun had five hours left before we¡¯d lose our only shot at taking out the local Vampire coven. At eight PM, we either attacked, or they¡¯d disappear.


    Killing Mateo and his Coven mates would be immensely satisfying, and I wasn¡¯t going to miss my chance. We needed a way to do it away from the heavily policed, camera-thick Cancun hotel area if we wanted to escape jail.


    The n we came up with wasplicated, and we had little time to implement it. I sent most of the people left from the Southern Cross, Stillwater, and Miesville Packs out to set up our ambush.


    At five in the afternoon, I gave Mateo a call on the number he¡¯d left for me. ¡°I got a call from the kidnappers,¡± I told him. ¡°They want a million dors per woman. We¡¯re going to pay it tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Mateo said. He was an excellent liar because I didn¡¯t sense any deception. He damn well knew the girls weren¡¯t here, and money would never get them back. ¡°How can I help?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be carrying a fortune and meeting up with bad people,¡± I said. ¡°I need everyone you can get me for backup and to help us past any checkpoints. I can¡¯t get stopped carrying guns or money in this town.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good way to end up dead,¡± Mateo agreed. ¡°When and where?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got cars, so if you can meet us in the hotel parking lot at seven, that would be perfect.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± he promised.


    I could imagine. Mateo probably figured to get us out in the jungle, kill us, and keep the money.


    At seven, I had eight warriors in two vehicles, plus a van with a single driver, waiting in the lot. We¡¯d retrieved all of the guns from the hiding ce in the garden, and I had them in the trunk of my vehicle. We¡¯d gone over our n, and I reminded everyone to stay in the cars until I called for them. I got a call from Mateo. ¡°We¡¯re pulling in now,¡± he said.


    ¡°Drive through, and we¡¯ll follow you out,¡± I said.


    ¡°No. Youe to my car, and I¡¯ll send one of my people back to yours,¡± he said. ¡°That way, there won¡¯t be anymunication issues.¡±


    Shit. I didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°You have the machetes,¡± I asked Luna Karen. The Stillwater Luna was sitting behind me in the car, her mate in Mexico City with Leo.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said.


    I nodded. ¡°Take his fucking head off as soon as I give the word.¡±


    I got out of the passenger seat and walked forward; it was Esmerelda who exited the back seat of Mateo¡¯s car. I said hello to the petite vampire as we passed, then I took her ce in the back of Mateo¡¯s ride. ¡°We appreciate your help in this,¡± I said. ¡°The guns are in my vehicle.¡±


    ¡°I know, that is why Esmerelda is there. She¡¯s old enough to get you past any searches.¡± I suppose that was good, but I was also putting my people next to a powerful vampire. Any slip-ups, and we were all dead. ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°West, towards Vadolid,¡± I told him. The city in the center of the Yucatan Penins was over an hour away.


    The vampires got us through two checkpoints on the way out of town; no searches, but we did get warnings about ¡®recent kidnappings¡¯ outside the area. It was dark as we drove through the jungle, with a few towns interrupted by long expanses of nothing. The tollway was moving along fast, and pretty soon, we wereing up at the exit for 305D towards ya del Carmen.


    ¡°Everyone in ce at the site,¡± I asked.


    ¡°In ce and waiting,¡± came the response.


    ¡°Two minutes out.¡±


    ¡°We need to gear up and test-fire our weapons now that we¡¯re past the checkpoints,¡± I told Mateo. ¡°The satellite map shows a cleared area with an ess roading up on the right in one kilometer. Can you pull off there?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. His driver slowed as I called down the distance, and we pulled off the pavement and onto a logging road. When we reached the clearing, I asked them to stop. ¡°It will only be a few minutes,¡± I said as I got out.


    Walking back to my car, my warriors already had the bag out and were handing out pistols. I took two, cocking one and putting it into my pocket before our group walked away from our cars, facing the open area. Looking at my phone, it was one minute to eight at night. I joined the group, firing one round from each pistol to make sure it worked. ¡°Anyone not ready, say so now.¡± There were no responses. ¡°Five, four, three, two, one, GO.¡± As one, we turned and opened fire on the vampire¡¯s car.


    Luna Karen¡¯s POV


    For a vampire, Esmerelda was pretty cool.


    I¡¯d gotten most of her story on the drive through the jungle. Mateo had killed her family when she was twenty and a student at University in Mexico City. She¡¯de after him with a knife, not that it did any good. Instead of killing her, the sick fuck turned her and bent her to his will. She¡¯d adapted to her vampire nature, using her brains to survive in a world ruled by raw power.


    She got quiet as we turned off the highway and onto the empty road. ¡°Mateo is going to betray you,¡± she said quietly. ¡°He¡¯ll wait until you meet the kidnappers, then kill you all and take the money.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Power, money, and control,¡± he said. ¡°The same things vampires always want.¡±


    ¡°Why warn us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be destroyed over Mateo¡¯s hubris. He¡¯s smart enough to stay away but keep Vespi¡¯s favor as he grows in power. There is no one around to challenge him. At least, not until your group arrived. All I ask is that you let me go free. I¡¯m in the human records as his wife, so when he dies, I¡¯ll inherit his empire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to betray him so you can take over?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°Vampire life is nothing like what I¡¯ve seen from you. I didn¡¯t choose this life. A newborn vampire wishes for the life of a ve, and even after all these decades, Mateo still takes me when he wants. My only chance at a better life is to take his ce. I won¡¯t forget the favor.¡± She looked forward again, letting me think.

 SHARKBAIT #172

    I didn¡¯t have a link with Alpha Steven, but others in the car did. ¡°Alpha Steven agrees. If you do not interfere with us, the Alpha will let you go and inform Master Cyprian of your assistance,¡± his warrior said. It was a good deal, especially since Cyprian would be establishing the new Mexican Coven. She was bound to survive if Alpha Steven vouched for her. ¡°We¡¯re pulling off the road soon.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I took the machete out of its sheath, cing it against Esmerelda¡¯s neck, one hand on each side. One move and she¡¯d decapitate herself. She was short enough that you¡¯d never see the de through the windshield. ¡°I want to believe you, but I can¡¯t trust you just yet,¡± I said. ¡°When it goes down, don¡¯t move a muscle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one cing blind trust in you,¡± she said. ¡°Your kind can find sce in death. I¡¯m already dead, and Mateo can heal me and torture me again until he tires of my screams. You have the information. Kill me now if you don¡¯t trust me.¡±


    ¡°Trust, but verify,¡± I responded.


    We came to a halt, and everyone else got out. The back of the SUV opened up, and one of the warriors started handing out guns from the bag to everyone. ¡°Fire a couple of rounds, and make sure they work,¡± Alpha Steven said. ¡°Once you¡¯re satisfied, top off the ammo and put them in the bags so they stay with you when you shift.¡± A line of people moved away, pointing their firearms into the darkness as they did their test firings.


    As one, they spun and opened fire on the car containing the vampires. Twenty shooters opened up, firing pistol and rifle rounds at the five trapped vampires as fast as they could. The shooting sounded like thunder for a few seconds, and then it stopped.


    A dozen men and women ran forward, from the woods and hiding ces in the cleared section, ming cloths stuffed in gasoline-soaked bottles that smashed inside the bullet-riddled vehicle. It didn¡¯t burn like gasoline; the wolves had dissolved bags of Styrofoam peanuts into the gas. The foam turned it into a thick, sticky, napalm-like substance.


    Five seconds after the first shot and the SUV was in mes. The five vampires inside tried to get out, but the burning goop was melting their flesh. The second group fell back, allowing the shooters to continue firing as they tried to get out. The mes and the bullets were too much to heal from, even for a powerful vampire. Ten secondster, all movement had stopped.


    Esmerelda hadn¡¯t moved, but I saw a smile appear on her face as she watched her nemesis die.


    ¡°There never was a meeting, and you don¡¯t have any money with you, do you,¡± she asked.


    ¡°This has always been a one-way trip for Mateo. We found out the girls are prisoners of Master Vespi in Mexico City. He should be dead by now.¡± I let go of the machete, bringing it back over the seat.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said. Walking out, I went to each of the smoking corpses, hacking the heads free of their bodies to make sure they didn¡¯te back. The men tossed their weapons into the burning car, letting the fire destroy the evidence. When I finished, I dumped the machete in the back seat. ¡°We should go,¡± I said.


    We loaded into the vehicles, and one of the warriors used a tree branch to erase the tire prints. He hopped into the van while Alpha Steven got in the back with me. ¡°Done, no issues,¡± he texted to Leo from a burner phone.


    Less than five minutes after pulling off the road, we were on our way back to Cancun.


    **********


    Hammer¡¯s POV


    Maribel and I alternated shifts watching the office building throughout the day. We counted a dozen people going inside, mostly in thete afternoon, while only one person came out. ¡°Do you want me to follow her,¡± Maribel asked? We¡¯d seen the woman go in just before sundown, leaving about thirty minutester.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°We can¡¯t give any tips that other supernaturals are around, not this close to the attack.¡± I watched the vampire walk back up the street, carrying a ck bag over her shoulder.


    Picking up the radio, I asked Ken Waltrip if he and Matt had seen any activity out the back. ¡°Nothing,¡± he reported. ¡°The windows are painted ck, so I can¡¯t see anything.¡±


    At six, I made a call to Alpha Leo to update the team on the situation. ¡°We know the girls are inside, and we think about a hundred vampires are with them. Is it a good idea to attack against those odds? Why not wait until the number thins down again?¡±


    ¡°Master Pontalba says they can handle that number of newborns, so we proceed as nned. We¡¯ll stage the vehicles in the parking lot of your hotel and drive from there. You and Matt will stay on overwatch, in case any of the vampires try and go out the windows.¡±


    ¡°What about Ken?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s following the assault team heading to the emergency exit in the back of the office building.¡±


    ¡°I should be going in the front door, Leo. I have more experience than anyone in taking down buildings.¡±


    Leo justughed. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with experience in the sandbox or Afghanistan, Hammer. I need you covering their asses as they roll in.¡±


    Dammit. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in the lot at six-fifty. Tell Maribel that Anna will meet her in the lobby then.¡±


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll call you if anything changes.¡± I hung up the phone and went back to my scope. ¡°Maribel, I¡¯m supposed to tell you that Anna will meet you in the lobby at six-fifty.¡±


    ¡°This is going to be fun,¡± the little mermaid said.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I¡¯d never dealt with mermaids before.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to show you than exin,¡± she said. ¡°You should eat something.¡±


    ¡°I can never eat before a mission,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll take some Gatorade, though.¡±


    She went over and took one out of the instedpartment in my bag. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as she handed it to me. ¡°We have fated mates, but how do mermaids find each other?¡±


    ¡°Mostly by arranged marriages, but some of us find someone to love on our own,¡± she said. ¡°We don¡¯t live inrge groups, and our families live on the coasts around the world. Unlike wolves, we cannot turn someone, and a male mermaid getting a human female pregnant results in a human child. We cannot reproduce a mermaid unless the mother is a mermaid. Our elders strongly encourage only mermaid pairs.¡±


    ¡°Have you found someone?¡±


    She blushed and shook her head. ¡°No, and I¡¯m not in a hurry to find a man.¡±


    ¡°Werewolves hold annual get-togethers where they hope to bring mates together. Do you do anything like that?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯d like to see it.¡± She let out a breath, moving a stray hair from in front of her face. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything like the Pack structure you have. No one wants to listen to another, and that hurts us. Maybe what Vicki is nning for Australia will carry over elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hope so.¡± She asked me about my love life while we waited. I talked about my first marriage and my wife¡¯s loss, and then my whirlwind romance with Susan. ¡°Once I made the change and became a werewolf, it was like everything magnified five times. I can FEEL her love for me, and I¡¯m hopelessly in love with her. I¡¯d die without her.¡±


    ¡°It sounds wonderful,¡± she said as she wiped away a tear.


    ¡°It is.¡± I squeezed her hand as I kept watch on the building. ¡°When this is all over, talk to Leo and Adrienne, or Vicki and Nichs. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to do something to help you out.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Pretty soon, it was time for her to go. ¡°Stay safe, Hammer. Your mate needs you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you when it¡¯s over,¡± I promised. The door closed, and I went back to overwatch. No one had gone in or out since sundown.


    ¡°We¡¯re in ce,¡± Leo said over the link. ¡°We¡¯ll be using our vehicles to take down the gate and the doors. The vamps will follow us in since we have to secure the entrance to the basement.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± I sent back. I kept watch, and a few minutester, I saw Maribel and Anna walking down the sidewalk towards the office building. Maribel stopped a block short of it while Anna kept going.


    And then they began singing.


    It was beautiful, and I opened my window to hear it better. I didn¡¯t recognize the melody, the words, or thenguage.


    Then I started to notice the humans.


    They were staring at the girls, and it was like they went into a trance. People stopped what they were doing and stared at them. All movement stopped; traffic ground to a halt, and they started following the mermaids away. People in cars got out, and people in businesses came out onto the sidewalk. Like Pied Pipers, the girls led all the witnesses away. ¡°Fuck me,¡± I said as I watched it. I was d that we weren¡¯t susceptible; it was a powerful ability.


    ¡°We¡¯re moving,¡± Leo sent.


    I watched as a line of vehicles moved out of the lot. The first five of them crossed the street; they would link up with Ken to attack from the rear.

 SHARKBAIT #173

    The lead vehicle picked up speed, tires squealing as it made the turn and crashed through the fence. The other SUV¡¯s stayed right behind it as it raced for the entrance. It didn¡¯t stop, crashing through the ss doorway and into the entry. The remaining werewolves stopped outside, running into the newly-created opening with their weapons up and ready.


    The second half of the vehicles veered to the right, the lead vehicle crashing through a closed garage door and into the warehouse. Two dozen vampires jumped out of the cars, moving in a blur through the opening.


    I kept my eyes on the windows as the assault continued. The gunfire sounded like thunder, mixed with the whoosh of the methrowers. A burst of light caught my attention; a burning burst through a window on the ground floor, rolling on the rocks outside. I took three shots, putting two into the vampire¡¯s head, and he stopped moving.


    Nichs Corcoran¡¯s POV


    When I saw that Leo had put me in the fourth of the five vehicles, I was pissed off. Vicki was MY mate, and I should be first in the door to rescue her. I made my objection known, loudly and publicly, before our mission brief. Leo then demonstrated how a mantled Alpha handles dissent.


    I was on my back with his hand around my neck, defeated before I knew I was in a fight. I tried to get free, but he was strong as an ox, and his fingers were crushing my neck. I stopped struggling and bared my neck in submission. He let go of my neck, then helped me up. ¡°There are reasons behind my decisions, Nichs. There are ways to ask for them without questioning my judgment.¡± I just nodded, not wanting to get him angry again. ¡°Each car has a purpose. The lead car does a forced entry into the building. They will fan out and eliminate any guards at the front of the building. Car two owns the warehouse entrance; they will have to hold back a hundred vampires to keep us safe. Car three owns the front stairway; they have to keep the vamps from ambushing us and clear the upstairs offices with a teaming in the back. Guess what car four does?¡±


    ¡°The stairway to the basement.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now, do you want to switch cars, or do you want to trust me to put you where you need to be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good.¡± I kept my mouth shut during the mission brief. Being an Aussie, I didn¡¯t have experience with firearms like the Yanks did, and they weren¡¯t going to trust me with one. Leo was leading Car Four, and he handed me a big pair of bolt-cutters, two small breaching charges, and a pry bar. ¡°You open the door, we take out any vamps, then you bust the girls out,¡± he told me. ¡°Turn the breaching charge on and push the button, and it blows three secondster. Use the tools if you can, but decide quickly on how to do it. We¡¯re sitting ducks on the stairway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± I told him.


    Waiting sucked; I couldn¡¯t sit still, and I couldn¡¯t eat. Some of the warriors recognized what was going on and talked me into a card game. It worked to distract me, and I ate some snacks while we were ying.


    Once we loaded into the cars, the leaders of each group briefed their team on the n. Leo brought Emily onto our team after discussing it with the other Masters. ¡°We can¡¯t use methrowers or firearms once we hit the stairway, or we risk harming the girls,¡± Leo said. ¡°Tom, Dick, you¡¯ll be with me to clear a path to the door and hold it. You¡¯ll stay and secure the stairs. Nichs opens the door, and Emily goes down first in case a guard is on the stairway. Our contact said there is another gate at the bottom, and then the door to the cell. Nichs, you follow Emily down to get the gate, and I¡¯ll follow you. We get through the gates, free the girls, and get out.¡±


    Emily picked it up from there. ¡°Our priority is to get the girls out. Once we have them, the rest of the teams will copse around us as we head to the cars. Any vampires remaining won¡¯t be our responsibility.¡±


    It all made sense. As we sat in the parking lot, I used the breathing exercises I learned for diving to calm myself. When the SUV started moving, I opened my eyes and looked out. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the people,¡± I asked as I saw them standing around, staring up the road.


    ¡°Mermaids,¡± Leo said. ¡°Hang on.¡±


    The engine raced as Tom elerated out of a hard turn. We raced into the parking lot, screeching to a halt. Emily had the door open and was out before I stopped moving; I ran out, following behind my team. Gunfire was everywhere as we ran inside, and I ignored it as I stayed behind the rest of my team.


    I shoved the pry bar into the door gap just above the handle and wrenched it open. Emily rushed in with me behind her. ¡°VICKI!¡±


    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡±


    **************


    Nichs Corcoran¡¯s POV


    I felt someone grab me by the belt and haul me backward just before automatic weapons fire came up the stairway. Fiona¡¯s warning, and Leo¡¯s quick reaction, kept me from being turned into a casualty.


    Emilyunched herself down the stairs, and I heard a loud crash when she reached the bottom. The shooting stopped, and Vicki was yelling my name. ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± Emily said.


    I let Leo look down the stairs before I did. Emily was near the bottom of the stairway with a dead vampire at her feet. Leo checked it for himself before he sent me down. We could see the dead vamp¡¯s head leaning against a gate at the bottom.


    Emily had taken a half-dozen shots from the M-16 rifle the dead vamp had fired. ¡°Are you all right,¡± I asked as I reached her. She was a bloody mess.


    ¡°It could have been a lot worse. I¡¯ll heal in a few minutes,¡± she said. Emily removed the knife stuck in the dead vampire¡¯s arm and looked at it before tossing it to the ground. ¡°Great throw, and thank you. Get the door open, Nichs. Your mate needs you.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hell yeah. I looked at the door and thought about blowing it. ¡°Check the pockets, wolf boy,¡± Emily said without turning around as she walked up the stairs.


    Yeah, that was smarter. I found a key ring and opened up the gate. The girls were waiting for me as Leo followed me into the space outside their cell. ¡°The bars are silvered,¡± Vicki warned.


    Leo went up to the bars, his eyes looking over the girls. ¡°We¡¯re getting you all out of here. Is anyone hurt?¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡¯s on bedrest,¡± Fiona said. ¡°The rest of us are fine.¡±


    I found the right key and pulled the door open. The five girls didn¡¯t rush out; instead, they waited for me to get my mate. ¡°Hey, my love,¡± I said as I picked her up.


    ¡°I never lost hope you¡¯de for me,¡± she said. She buried her face in my chest as we walked out of the prison cell. ¡°I lost our baby.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Leo was using the bolt-cutters to remove the silvered cors from us, and I could feel their joy as they rejoined the Pack link. When Vicki¡¯s cor came off, her love and loss almost overwhelmed me. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I said.


    The other girls walked ahead of us on the stairs, avoiding the corpse at the bottom. I didn¡¯t feel her weight in my arms as I carried her up; such was my happiness at having her back. There was a cheer as the girls entered the office building, everyone pping and weing them back.


    ¡°Thank you all foring to rescue us,¡± Vicki said for them all. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget your courage and sacrifice.¡±


    Leo had to handle some things with the vampires; after all, we¡¯d just had a firefight,plete with grenades, methrowers, and automatic weapons in the middle of an industrial area. Even with the Mermaid¡¯s help, you couldn¡¯t hide a battle like this.


    It was time to get out. The warriors who remained were tending to the wounded. As we walked towards the door, I saw people leaving their weapons in a pile for the vampires to dispose of. There was no point in trying to bring them back into the States, much less Australia. ¡°Leo, our teams have finished clearing this building,¡± a man said. ¡°The Vampires have control over the warehouse and have captured the remaining vampires. We only have a few minutes before the police arrive.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ivan. Evacuate the wounded and retrieve our dead,¡± Leo replied. ¡°The vampires will take care of their kind.¡±


    ¡°You should know Chairman Carver didn¡¯t make it,¡± Ivan said as he pointed over to the bodies near the rear door before he walked away.


    I looked over to see Lnd Carver¡¯s armor-d corpse as wolves zipped it into a body bag. Five other body bagsy next to him. Leo took onest look at the bodies, then turned back to the staircase.


    There was a shriek of happiness as Fiona jumped into Joseph¡¯s arms. He cupped her butt as she wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed the hell out of him. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go,¡± I said, and Joseph didn¡¯t let her down as he walked outside with us. Amy, Makani, Noni, and Carly all looked around longingly for their mates, their faces falling when they didn¡¯t see them. ¡°Sorry, girls,¡± Leo sent over the Pack link to them. ¡°The SEALs are still training, and Michael Kanoheh is in Cancun with your Mom, Carly. You¡¯ll be able to talk to them soon.¡±


    The crisp mountain air felt great as we walked out to a waiting SUV. Vicki stayed in myp, and our driver took off as soon as the doors closed. ¡°Do you need a hospital, love?¡±


    ¡°No, I just need you and a few days in bed together,¡± Vicki said. ¡°Sleeping.¡±


    I snorted at this. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re healed up first,¡± I promised.


    Fiona touched my arm. ¡°The vamps took two pints of blood from each of us, and we¡¯re still recovering. A nurse gave Vicki a drug to end her ectopic pregnancy. I didn¡¯t get the name of it, but the nurse said it was working, and she¡¯s been getting better.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right, Fiona?¡±


    She let out a breath and leaned back into Joseph¡¯s arms. ¡°Physically, I¡¯m healing. I¡¯ll never get back what those bastards took from me, and I¡¯ll never be able to give my mate the purity I saved for decades. I can¡¯t even get my revenge because the vampires killed them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get a doctor to check you all out when we¡¯re safe.¡± I didn¡¯t say much else; I didn¡¯t have to. My wolf and I poured our love for Vicki through the bond as I held her close. She fell asleep in my arms as I rubbed her back through the scrubs they were wearing.

 SHARKBAIT #174

    We were twenty minutes away and nearly back to our hotel when the driver got a call. ¡°Understood,¡± he said. Hanging up, he did a U-turn.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Change of ns,¡± the driver said. ¡°Leo wants you all at Master Vespi¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°WHAT,¡± Fiona asked. ¡°Why would we go there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask him,¡± the driver replied.


    I tried to reach Leo on the link, but he was too far away. ¡°What happened up there,¡± I asked Joseph.


    ¡°Most of it went just like we nned,¡± Joseph said. ¡°We¡¯d use auto shotguns, rifles, or methrowers to incapacitate them before the trail wolves took their heads off with the swords. I was in the group holding the entrance to the warehouse, and that was a fucking bloodbath. Do you have any idea how much damage a methrower can do against a group of people?¡±


    I could just imagine. ¡°How many survived?¡±


    ¡°Maybe twenty. The vampire masters and their people hit both sides of the warehouse concurrently, and they waded in and parted the crowd like Moses. Heads were rolling everywhere, and the smart ones followed the order to give up. Some tried to escape to the office, but our methrowers took care of them quickly. The older vamps ended their suffering, and it was all over in less than a minute.¡±


    Damn. Over eighty vampires dead in less time than it took us to get down to the girls. I was d those Masters were on our side!


    We¡¯d been driving about five minutes when the sky lit up, and I could see a huge explosion in the distance. ¡°Was that ours,¡± I sent out to everyone over the Pack bond.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Leo replied to us all. ¡°The vampires stashed all the bodies down in the cell, then set off a gas explosion and brought the whole building down onto it. Master Emily is going to stay behind to make sure the investigators write the explosion off as natural gas line leak. The mermaids made sure there were no human witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Damn. The Masters can pull that off?¡±


    ¡°Emily assures us she can steer the investigation that way, and I have no reason to doubt her.¡±


    It was a handy power to have. I narrowed the link down to just Alpha Leo. ¡°Alpha, why are we going to Master Vespi¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not questioning my orders again, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, but we¡¯re all trying to figure out why we¡¯re going from the frying pan to the fire.¡±


    I could sense Leo¡¯s amusement at this. ¡°We¡¯re going to imprison the girls in Vespi¡¯s basement, of course.¡± With that, he closed the link.


    **************


    Consu (Mardona) Vespi¡¯s POV


    I stopped under a streetlight after walking a few blocks from the warehouse and looked through my purse. I still had the bottle of bloodroot extract in there, and I couldn¡¯t afford to get caught with it. It was too valuable to throw away, so Ipromised. I grabbed a syringe from my medical kit and filled it with the deadly poison. I tossed the empty bottle into the trash, then capped the needle and slid it into a pen holder in my purse. If I had time, I¡¯d taint some of the other blood bags.


    I got back to the mansion about six-fifty at night. I waved to the guard at the gate, then walked into the mansion. I needed to shower and change, and all my stuff was now in Master Vespi¡¯s bedroom. I was just about to the stairway leading there when Hector, Master Vespi¡¯s right-hand man, stopped me. ¡°Paco said he needs to see you immediately,¡± he said.


    Shit. ¡°Did he say why?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to, bitch. Get your ass downstairs and find out.¡± I could see that my new marital status hadn¡¯t gained me any respect among the older vampires. At least he didn¡¯t smack me around, which was an improvement. Our Master was sure to be a jealous husband and wouldn¡¯t want his property damaged unless he did it himself.


    I turned around and headed for the library instead. Opening the hidden door, I walked down the narrow stairway and waited at the bottom until the door opened. Paco was waiting for me at the security desk.


    ¡°You asked to see me?¡±


    ¡°I ordered you to see me, Consu. Don¡¯t forget your ce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a naughty little girl, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    My stomach dropped. Was I caught? Did he know? I looked around for other guards, expecting I¡¯d be dragged off and tortured until I spilled my secrets. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Sit down, Mrs. Vespi.¡± He gestured to a chair next to him, and I sat down. He pulled up security camera footage on hisputer screen. I froze when I realized what it was; I didn¡¯t even know there WERE cameras in the storage room with the refrigerator. He hit y, and I recognized the feed from earlier. ¡°I went back and reviewed the tape after you left tonight. Imagine my shock when I saw you unload your blood from the hospital, then go into the segregated storage for the werewolf blood.¡± The video yed on, showing me pulling out the syringe and injecting into the two bags of Vicki¡¯s blood before re-crimping the bags. Paco didn¡¯t say anything as it kept ying; he watched me rece that blood, then swap out the rest of the werewolf blood with human blood I¡¯d marked as werewolf blood.


    I was so fucking dead. I mean, I was a vampire, so I was technically undead, but soon I¡¯d be REALLY, no shit, 100% fucking DEAD. Master Vespi would make an example of me.


    I was afraid to say or do anything that might set Paco off. I nervously grabbed my purse, moving it to myp. I moved a finger towards the syringe; killing myself would be better than what they would do to a traitor.


    ¡°As I said, you¡¯ve been a naughty girl. I went into the fridge and swapped the blood bags back, all except the two bags of Vicki¡¯s blood. I know that you tampered with them. What I want to know is what you put in there?¡±


    I just shook my head, unable to even move my lips. Paco turned on me, grabbing me by my neck and mming me to the floor. My head spun from the impact, my vampire healing clearing it a momentter. ¡°WHAT. WAS. IT.¡±


    He knew I¡¯d poisoned the blood, so there was no getting out of this. ¡°Bloodroot extract,¡± I said.


    He pulled me back up, dropping me back into the chair. ¡°The same poison Vicki used to kill Master Alexander.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It eats the body away from the inside, and by the time you recognize the poison, it¡¯s toote to save you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything; he just leaned back and looked at me. ¡°Did you ever wonder why Master Vespi married you this morning?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s official. The priest filed the paperwork when the offices opened, and as far as the Mexican Government is concerned, you¡¯re now his wife. It¡¯s going to be a very short marriage, I expect. Has he even consummated it yet?¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°He used my mouth before I went to work.¡±


    Pacoughed. ¡°Well, he¡¯s more of an ass man, but I expect you already know that.¡± I did, as every female vampire did, and most of the males. ¡°Back on topic. Vampire masters often get married to another vampire for purely financial reasons. With our long lives, they umte fortunes in the human world that must be protected. We can¡¯t die, and we don¡¯t age; humans will figure out something is wrong eventually. That means the Master has to do what every three to five decades?¡±


    It was so obvious, and I hadn¡¯t thought of it. ¡°Change his identity and maybe his location,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly. Master Vespi is getting ready to make a change. He will challenge and defeat Master Cyprian and take over the New Orleans Coven. With the move, Hernando will fake his death here and reappear in the United States under a new name. Hector¡¯s promised the Mexico City Coven, but he won¡¯t get much of Vespi¡¯s money. After the Master¡¯s tragic ¡®death,¡¯ his estate will turn over to you, his grieving widow. His ns require a legal wife, thus the sudden marriage ceremony.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    It suddenly made sense why he wanted me kept safe. ¡°When is this happening?¡±


    ¡°After the new year,¡± Paco said. ¡°Now, for the rest of the story. Master Vespi doesn¡¯t care about you; you are unremarkable, young, and weak, and he is incapable of love. He picked you because he canmand you to obey him, and you aren¡¯t as unstable as the newly turned. After your move to New Orleans, Master will force you to marry him under his new name to regain his fortune. After some time passes, you¡¯ll have a fatal ident. He gets the money, and you die after serving your purpose. What do you think about your future now, Consu?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you know or not. Like your marriage this morning, you have no choice in the matter. Master willmand, and you will obey. I¡¯ll give you a choice, though, IF you help me.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± How could I help Paco, and more importantly, why would I aid a man who was so cruel to me?


    ¡°Hector and Hernando have their deal, but it leaves me out. I want Mexico City. You want Hernando dead while you live. Our desires intersect here, and if we work together, we can both get what we want. You make sure they drink the tainted blood, and I will be the one marrying the widow and taking over the Vespi fortune. In return, I¡¯ll set you up with a business that provides you a good ie and allow you to operate independently in a smaller Mexican city. You¡¯ll be free from me and any Coven responsibilities. Are we in agreement?¡± He held out his hand to me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said as I shook it. What choice did I have? If Vespi ever saw that video, I¡¯d spend months in agony, begging for death.


    ¡°Good. Get out of here, kid.¡± I stood up, my legs shaking so badly I hand to put a hand on the table to steady myself. I was just starting to move when motion rms started going off. Paco took one look at the cameras and hit the rm button. ¡°We¡¯re under attack, dozensing onto the property,¡± he said over the internal speaker system to the entire mansion.

 SHARKBAIT #175

    So many vampires were training at the warehouse that only a few were here. Hector came running down the stairs, and Paco let him in the door. Master Vespi arrived a momentter via the fire pole from the bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± the Master asked.


    ¡°Vampires areing in from all sides,¡± Paco said as he showed them the screens. ¡°At least a dozen and they¡¯ve breached the house in three ces.¡±


    Paco pointed to the camera at the mansion¡¯s main entrance. The attackers moved with incredible speed and skill, quickly overwhelming and killing the guards. Master Vespi snarled when he recognized the leader of the attack. ¡°Master Cyprian isn¡¯t waiting for my challenge, the fool,¡± he said. He looked at me. ¡°Fetch me Vicki¡¯s blood, both bags, and get some Beta blood for Paco. They won¡¯t be able to take us with that boost.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± I ran off to the storage area, happy to be out of their way. I grabbed the two bags of Vicki¡¯s blood, then one bag of Amy¡¯s. Running back out, Hector grabbed a bag from my hand before I could react. He checked thebel, then started downing it. ¡°Here¡¯s your blood, Master.¡±


    Master Vespi checked it, then bit into the bag, and started to drink.


    Ten secondster, the toxin was starting to work. Hector was first to react, tossing the bag away, but he¡¯d already sucked the pint bag dry. He grabbed at his throat, screaming out in pain before his mouth and nose started to bleed. He fell to the ground, rolling around in pain.


    Master Vespi stopped drinking after two long pulls when he saw Hector¡¯s reaction. Hernando looked at the half-empty bag in horror, then turned to me. ¡°You BITCH,¡± he said as he realized who had poisoned him. ¡°Kill¡­ her,¡± he ordered Paco as he dropped to his knees.


    Paco stood up, cing himself in between us. ¡°The great Vampire Master, dead at the hands of the young vampire he married just this morning,¡± he said as Vespi¡¯s mouth started to foam and bleed. He knelt over him as Vespi dropped to the ground and onto his back. ¡°I¡¯m going enjoy fucking your widow over your dead body.¡±


    No! No, Paco wouldn¡¯t live to do that to me. I wouldn¡¯t trade one abusive master for another. I removed the syringe from my purse and popped the cap off the needle with my thumb. Turning it over, I plunged the needle into his shoulder. I¡¯d injected the poison before his hand could knock it free. He turned towards me, trying to grab me but his arm no longer worked. He tried to stand, but the poison rapidly spread through his body and overwhelmed him. I waited until he was on his back, bloody foaming out his mouth and nose, and then I talked. ¡°I choose to be free, you bastard,¡± I told him as he died.


    All three vampires were gone now, their healing capability overwhelmed by the rapid action of the poison. I sat down at the desk and looked at the monitors; all of the Mexico City vampires upstairs were dead, and five were trying to open the door leading to the safe room. I pressed the button for the internal speakers. ¡°My name is Consu Mardona, and Master Vespi and his men are dead. I¡¯m the new Master of Mexico City, and I¡¯m also the one who told you where the girls were.¡± I gave my codeword from the tip line to prove it. ¡°I¡¯m letting you in now.¡± I hit the door release for the library entrance, allowing them toe in, and opened the door at the bottom as well. I was sitting with my hands in in sight when the big vampires entered the room, looking for a fight. ¡°I¡¯m not a threat to you,¡± I told them.


    Master Cyprian and two other Vampire Masters waited until his men verified the basement was secure before they came down the stairs. I was still sitting at the desk, a ratherrge vampire standing guard behind me. The Supreme Master looked at the three deceased vampires, then kicked one of the blood bags with his foot. ¡°You did this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said nervously. ¡°Bloodroot extract. I knew that Vespi would drink Vicki¡¯s blood if his life is in danger, and I was right. Hector was a bonus. I injected Paco with the poison as he did his victory dance over his dying coven leaders.¡±


    ¡°Smart and resourceful,¡± he said with admiration. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    In the vampire world, this meant how long since your turn, since we never aged physically. ¡°Fourteen months.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± He waved forward two of his men. ¡°Show these men where the blood storage is so we can get it out of here. The rest of you clean up the rest of the house; I want no evidence of a fight left behind. Leave these three where they are, but take the blood bags and the needle.¡± The Supreme Vampire turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, provided you don¡¯t mind giving up some of Vespi¡¯s estate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you think is right, Supreme Vampire.¡± I just wanted to live through tonight, and this was my best chance.

 SHARKBAIT #176

    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    I woke up as we came to a stop, with Nichs gently shaking me. ¡°We have to get out,¡± he said.


    I opened my eyes, and he helped me sit up. I looked around; we were in a courtyard, in front of a stunning Mexican estate. A stone wall and formal gardens surround the two-story adobe structure, which had statuary and carvings mixed in with the intricate stonework. The house itself was gigantic; it was three times the size of Leo¡¯s house and screamed money. I could hear the ssh of water from the water features in the enclosed patio area. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Master Vespi¡¯s estate,¡± I said. Her eyes got big; she¡¯d slept through our discussions as we drove here. ¡°Leo¡¯s orders, I suppose we¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    The others got out, and our door opened to reveal Master Vincenzo Mn from New York City. ¡°Master Mn,¡± I said awkwardly, as I was on Nichs¡¯p. The Master stood back as Nichs stood up with me. ¡°Thank you for helping with our rescue.¡±


    ¡°Our problems were muchrger than you girls, but I¡¯m pleased you are all safe now,¡± he said. ¡°Come inside, we need to meet with the others.¡±


    He led the way through the mansion, past the high-ceilinged rooms and the priceless antiques. We met in the library, where a hidden passageway door was open into the room. A half-dozen vampires sat at the table with Leo, Adrienne, Ivan, and Hammer. Everyone got up to wee the girls back, although I stayed on Nichs¡¯p during my greetings. I was so tired but so happy to see everyone, especially the young vampire nurse. ¡°You survived,¡± I told the nervous woman after everyone sat down. ¡°I¡¯m d. You told them where we were?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Consu; I¡¯m a nurse, and Master Vespi turned me by force a year ago. I couldn¡¯t allow him to use you girls like that. Master Vespi is dead now, along with his leadership.¡±


    ¡°She saved all of our lives, and I¡¯ll never forget how much she risked to keep us safe,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That knife I threw at the guard came from Consu,¡± Fiona said. ¡°That probably saved Emily and Nichs.¡±


    I looked around the room. ¡°I love the whole reunion vibe, but we¡¯re not sitting in a dead vamp¡¯s home for no reason. What¡¯s the n?¡±


    Leo chuckled at this. ¡°The gas explosion will destroy all the bodies and the evidence of your prison, but we needed a way to bring you back without exposing our work here in Mexico. We¡¯re going to frame Vespi for your abduction and allow the Mexican Police to free you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± I said. Nichs squeezed me tighter. ¡°Look, the faster we do this, the faster I¡¯m out of this ce and back home.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Leo said. ¡°We need fifteen more minutes for cleanup, erasing the files on the securityputer, and setup. Consu, we¡¯ll lock you into the master bedroom. Your story is that after dinner, your new husband locked you in there, and you¡¯ve been reading all night. You have no idea where Hernando is or what he has been doing, and you¡¯ve never seen the girls.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said.


    ¡°Girls, there¡¯s a room downstairs that will function as your cell. We¡¯ll tie you up and leave you in there. When we¡¯re all clear, we¡¯ll call in a tip to the police and let them rescue you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be down there for a while,¡± Consu said. ¡°You will have to trip the emergency lockdown on the safe room from downstairs. That starts a six-hour timer before I can open the room from the outside.¡±


    ¡°I could use a six-hour nap,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Everyone filed down the stairway to the safe room, keeping clear of the bodies strewn on the floor. It hadn¡¯t been a painless death for the men, and for that bit of justice, I smiled. Nichs carried me into a room that was bare of anything but some thin mattresses and a bucket. ¡°Nice digs,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it won¡¯t be for long.¡± He set me on a mattress and left.


    ¡°Strip,¡± Adrienne said once the men were gone. We pulled off our clothing, and Adrienne attached the shackles to our ankles. ¡°Use the bucket; the smell will help. Your story is that you were drugged and woke up here. Vespi and two other men raped some of you, and you overheard they were saving you for an auction in Bahrain. Don¡¯t volunteer anything else; after all, you¡¯ve been stuck in this room, abused and traumatized. Use the link if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°How do we set off the rm?¡±


    ¡°I showed Carly the button on the way through. When the police arrive, I¡¯ll link to you to activate the lockdown. Carly, hit the button, then get into the room and pull the door closed. It will lock behind you.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Luna.¡±


    She looked at us. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you all. Get some rest after the lockdown, and I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Adrienne?¡± She looked back at me. ¡°Get the rescue on video. We¡¯ve missed almost a week of filming time, and we have a show to produce.¡± She shook her head, chuckling as she walked away.


    ¡°Really?¡± Fiona sat down slowly on the mattress, her injuries still bothering her. ¡°A kidnapping and very ring took us, and you want it filmed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to give huge ratings, and that means more money for us,¡± I said with a shrug. We could hear them heading up the stairs and closing the doors behind them. ¡°Onest sleepover,¡± I said as Iid back down.


    Amyughed andid down next to me on the mattress, pulling me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you when you¡¯re halfway around the world,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve enjoyed this trip, even though the ending sucked.¡±


    It was almost an hourter before Adrienne warned us the police wereing. Carly hit the emergency lockdown button, and sirens red for ten seconds until the doors locked closed. She locked us in the room, and the wait started. I rxed into Amy, letting myself sleep.


    I must have been tired because when Amy finally woke me up, the six-hour dy time was almost over. ¡°Any updates?¡±


    ¡°The police arrived just before ten, and Consu is in custody. She gave the police the code to the safe room door, so they should be here soon.¡±


    I yawned, still tired. ¡°How are we ying this?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Frightened and confused is what Adrienne wants.¡±


    I reached out to my Aunt. ¡°I¡¯m up now. Is everything ready out there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Master Mn¡¯s jet flew almost all the vampires and most of our people out of the country already; they¡¯ve stopped in New Orleans and will be heading to New York soon. Most of the people in Cancun are on their way home, except those that flew here to be with you guys. We can fly straight home as soon as the police finish with you.¡±


    ¡°Which home?¡± It was a good question; I didn¡¯t n to return to the United States when my Pack was in Australia.


    ¡°Port Lincoln, silly. There¡¯s still a marriage to take care of unless you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡±


    ¡°Hell, no! I want him tied to me legally, too. He¡¯s going to be a doctor someday, you know.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite the catch. Tell everyone to standby; they¡¯re about to go in.¡±


    I passed the word to everyone, and we waited for the cavalry to arrive. The police rushed into the basement, yelling for people to give up, then calling out ¡°CLARO (Clear)¡± as they searched the rooms. A familiar voice yelled for me. ¡°VICKI! AMY!¡±


    ¡°COLLEEN,¡± I yelled back. ¡°IN HERE!¡± The twins started banging on the door as they yelled for help.


    ¡°Back away from the door, girls,¡± Colleen told us. The door was key locked, so we had to wait for one of their tactical guys with a crowbar to force it open. It finally popped open, and men in tactical gear with rifles surged into the room as we hugged each other in the far corner, all of us nude.


    ¡°LOS HOMBRES SALEN (Men get out),¡± a female officer ordered as we held on to each other. ¡°Conseguirles ropa (bring them clothes),¡± she continued.


    The men left, and Colleen came into the room with a pair of bolt-cutters in her hand. Behind her was a woman in an FBI jacket. ¡°You found us,¡± I said as I cried with joy.


    ¡°We¡¯d never stop looking for you guys,¡± she said as she hugged me, then Amy. As soon as Amy let her go, she started cutting the locks on our manacles so we could move freely.


    ¡°Special Agent Melody Price, FBI Mexico City Field Office,¡± the other woman said. ¡°Are you girls injured?¡±


    ¡°Vicki and Fiona need to see a doctor,¡± Amy said. ¡°The rest of us need food and water.¡±


    A new female police officer came back into the room, carrying a stack of scrubs. Following behind were two female Emergency Medical Technicians carrying a stretcher. ¡°Those of you who don¡¯t need medical attention, get dressed, and we¡¯ll get you out of here,¡± the officer said.


    Everyone started pulling on the clothing, including me. Fiona refused help, dressing quickly despite the widespread bruising on her body. ¡°I can walk out of here,¡± I said. I was the Alpha here, and I wasn¡¯t going to go out on a gurney.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help her,¡± Colleen said. A minuteter, we were walking barefoot out of the storage room.


    ¡°Remember to look shocked at where you are, and tears won¡¯t hurt,¡± I told everyone as we walked out. The stairs were a struggle, but with Colleen¡¯s help, I made it up. The press was everywhere as we walked out the front door, cameras rolling and reporters shouting questions from their line behind the police tape. I waved and smiled for a few seconds as Colleen helped me forward. She took me straight to the ambnce, where Fiona was already seated.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at the hospital,¡± Colleen said as the EMT got in with us. ¡°It¡¯s great to have you back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as she closed the door. Over my objections, the EMT had me lie down and hooked me up to her monitors. My blood pressure was low, and she started an IV.


    The media crush was even higher at the hospital. The emergency room doctor called in an OB-GYN when I told him about my ectopic and the treatment. They did another ultrasound and an X-ray, confirming I had an ectopic pregnancy, and the drug was resolving it. They were worried about my blood pressure, so they were keeping me for observation for a while.

 SHARKBAIT #177

    I went up to a hospital room, where the police took my statement for an hour. I told them nothing of the cell below the warehouse, sticking to the story we¡¯d put out. I told them about our capture, our time in the building, and our sale to a man. I knew what the other girls had said from our link, and I kept to the same details. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you found us,¡± I said as I finished with the rescue. ¡°They were going to sell me into very.¡±


    ¡°The men responsible are dead now,¡± the detective told me. ¡°We have your contact information, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to return home. We will contact you through the FBI if we have any other questions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    After he left, I could finally have visitors two at a time. Mom and Dad were in first. ¡°Oh, baby,¡± Mom said as she hugged me close. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you again!¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d get me back,¡± I said. After ten minutes that we mostly spent crying and hugging, they rotated out, and Nichs came in with Hammer. Nichs climbed into bed to hold me, while Hammer was nervous about something. ¡°What happened outst night, Hammer?¡±


    He used the link to answer. ¡°Vespi had almost a hundred of his men in that building, Vicki. Even with Cyprian¡¯s help, we lost six werewolves and had another seven injured.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Luna, no,¡± I replied.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°One of Vespi¡¯s men is a Medical Examiner here. He issued death certificates for all the men who had heart attacks or drug overdoses, and the bodies got cremated right away to avoid autopsies. Their remains went back to the states already.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    He listed the names. Five were warriors, all single; two from Three Sisters, one from Stillwater, one from Keene Valley, one from Miesville, and Chairman Lnd Carver. I knew both of the ones from Minnesota well, and their deaths hit me hard. ¡°What was Carver doing there?¡±


    ¡°Heading off a war between the wolves and the vampires,¡± Hammer replied.


    Their time ended, and Leo and Adrienne were next in with me. We talked over the link about the aftermath; I found out my friendship with Vampires and Mermaids was both the cause and the solution to the conflict with Vespi and his followers. ¡°We have to capitalize on this cooperation now, or the goodwill we¡¯ve garnered here will be lost,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Your wedding was where we nned to show how the Australian Council could make it work, but this rescue was a better example,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°I¡¯m still getting married¡­ but we will have to move it back a few days. Let¡¯s do it on the 31st in Port Lincoln. We can attend the funerals and meet with the North American Council and the Alphas. They need to hear what happened from me,¡± I said.


    ¡°And Leo has a lot of exining to do,¡± Adrienne added with a smile.


    **********


    Consu (Mardona) Vespi¡¯s POV


    The girls went downstairs while Masters Cyprian Pontalba, Alessandro Mri, and Vincenzo Mn followed me upstairs to the master bedroom. I was nervous; yes, I¡¯d helped the werewolves escape, but I¡¯d killed a Master and his men. That made me dangerous, despite my young age.


    It would be so easy for them to kill me and leave me for the police to find.


    I rxed a little when we arrived in the bedroom. ¡°You should contact Doctor Cortino,¡± I said as I rattled off his phone number. ¡°He¡¯s a vampire and is a Medical Examiner in Mexico City. He can help you cover up causes of death and expedite death certificates and releases.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Master Mn said, and he walked out with his phone in hand. I had an idea that medical examiners weremonly vampires or familiars by his reaction. He was no newbie in training, and like me, he was too valuable to fight, so he was probably safe.


    ¡°What do you want,¡± Master Pontalba said.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°You actively worked against a Vampire Master despite the power andpulsion he held over you. It takes a lot of mental fortitude to rebel like that, and there had to be a reason. What was it? Self-preservation? Revenge?¡±


    I shook my head, no. ¡°What he did to those girls, what he did to me, it was wrong,¡± I said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let him win whatever battle he was nning. If he was willing to do this in our Coven, what would he do elsewhere?¡±


    The Master nodded. ¡°Mass turns and forced turns are both against North American Vampire Councilw. I wish we had learned of his actions before so many lives were lost or changed. I promise you that we will fix this Coven.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°You will inherit all of Master Vespi¡¯s legitimate properties and investments, making you a very wealthy and desirable youngling,¡± he said. ¡°Do you wish to stay and rule here? I can help you find a vampire ready for Master status who would ept you and let you remain.¡±


    I looked around the opulent bedroom. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I want or need,¡± I said. ¡°It could burn to the ground, and I wouldn¡¯t care. I can¡¯t stay here, but I¡¯ve never been outside of the city.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°You want nothing to do with the new Coven?¡±


    ¡°I want nothing to do with vampires, period,¡± I said. Quickly I realized my error. ¡°My apologies, Masters. I meant no offense.¡±


    The Supreme Master patted my hand. ¡°No offense taken. I will ensure awyer is appointed to help you navigate your estate and protect you in the police investigation, and will not involve you in the process of forming a new Coven here in Mexico. I can make sure our secrets are protected, and you can leave here as a rich widow. Your actions have earned that much.¡±


    Master Alessandro looked at me. ¡°Do you have a passport?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Vespi insisted we all have one, even the newborns.¡±


    ¡°I can offer you sanctuary in my territory,¡± he said. ¡°You can get a tourist visa and go wherever you wish in Australia. I have people in the bigger cities, but you¡¯ll be free to travel, provided you follow our simple rules. You can involve yourself as much or as little in my coven as you wish. Take some time to n your next move.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    ¡°When the police finish with you, but a ticket to Sydney, and I will meet you there and make sure you are safe wherever you want to go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Mri.¡± Australia was as far away from this mess as I could get, and Vicki would be there. If things didn¡¯t work in his Coven, maybe she could protect me.


    I waited quietly as several vampires reported to their Masters. ¡°We¡¯ve cleaned the safe room area and removed the surveince archives and phones,¡± Master Pontalba finally told me. ¡°Stick to the clueless new bride routine and wait for mywyer to arrive. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°The key to your room will end up in Vespi¡¯s pocket.¡±


    I heard the lock click shut after the door closed. Curious, I walked around the room. A Vampire didn¡¯t need to sleep, so he only used the bedroom to fuck, change, and shower. I even found a drawer filled with female underwear and clothing, probably recements for anything that got bloodstained. The room was well-decorated but generic; it said nothing about the man himself. It felt like a hotel room.


    I found a book and sat in arge stuffed chair by the window, losing myself in the story as I heard the vehicles driving away. It wasn¡¯t long before shing lights, banging doors, and shouts of ¡°POLICE¡± filled the air.


    I heard boots running to the door and saw the handle jiggled without sess. ¡°POLICE! OPEN UP!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I yelled back. ¡°My husband locked it.¡±


    ¡°Stand back,¡± they told me. The SWAT team hit it with something hard, and on the third try, the door flew open. Men in ck body armor, their faces covered with masks under their helmets, rushed in. I was thrown roughly to the ground by one of them, held down by a knee on my back. My hands were pulled behind me and cuffed as I struggled. I started crying, asking why they were doing this to me.


    ¡°CLEAR,¡± someone yelled aftering out of the bathroom. ¡°Vespi¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°The gate guard says he is,¡± a man in a suit said as he walked into the room. He gestured to the man holding me down; he got off me, then pulled me up and set me back in my chair. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Consu Vespi,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m his wife.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Vespi is not married,¡± the man said dismissively.


    I turned and showed him my ring. ¡°We were married this morning by Father Rodrigo. Hernando told me to stay up, that we¡¯d be going out tonight to celebrate after he finished some urgent business.¡±


    ¡°Where is your husband,¡± he asked me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe the safe room?¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡± The officer pulled me up, and I led them to the closet. I told them where to find thetch that moved the mirror, exposing the emergency escape door. The light on the keypad was red and shing.


    ¡°Someone has hit the emergency button down there,¡± I said. ¡°Hector said that once someone hits the red button, you can¡¯t open the doors for six hours.¡±


    ¡°The code?¡±


    I told him, but it didn¡¯t work. The man threatened me, so I started crying. ¡°I just found out about it this morning,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I told you all I know.¡±


    ¡°Take her to the station,¡± he said dismissively.


    One of the detectives interrogated me for the rest of the night, although it was more like a fifteen-minute interview repeated twenty times. He kept asking the same questions in different ways while getting the same answers.


    Eventually, I was processed and ced in a holding cell. It was around dinnertime before the man from the house sat down with me in the interview room again. ¡°Do you know any of these people?¡± Heid out photos of six women on the table.

 SHARKBAIT #178

    I pointed at Vicki, then Amy. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them on the news,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s a diver or something? American?¡±


    He put two more photos down. ¡°You know these men?¡±


    ¡°Paco and Hector. They work for my husband; it was Hector who showed me the safe room yesterday, and Paco was sitting down there at the security desk.¡±


    ¡°When was thest time you saw them?¡±


    ¡°I saw Hector when I came home from work. He told me to wait in the bedroom for my husband before he locked me in.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Reaching over, he unlocked the handcuffs. ¡°Your story checked out, although your coworkers at the hospital are upset you got married and didn¡¯t tell them.¡±


    ¡°Hernando told me not to tell anyone, and we¡¯d have a big wedding in a few months.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Vespi is dead, Consu. Hernando, Hector, and Paco all killed themselves rather than face trial over the kidnapping of the six American girls.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is. Yourwyer will escort you out.¡±


    I stared at the door and started crying as the detective walked out. A few minutester, a merman in histe twenties walked in the door. ¡°Francisco de Leon, at your service, Mrs. Vespi.¡±


    ¡°Consu, please. I never had a chance to get used to my new name.¡±


    ¡°If you woulde with me, we can get you out of here.¡± He walked me out of the police station and past the cameras and reporters shouting questions at me. His driver pulled away as soon as we were inside. ¡°Sorry about that, but there¡¯s a lot of international press interest in your husband.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Billionaire Mexican businessman holding four teenage Americans as sex ves? It¡¯s only going to get worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I said as I leaned back in the seat. ¡°I just want to go home.¡±


    ¡°The mansion is a crime scene. I¡¯m going to put you in a hotel for now, and my assistant will get you some clothing. Stay inside the room, and say nothing. Let me deal with the police and the press.¡±


    I did, even though watching the news was heartbreaking. I saw the girls as the police took them out, and Master Pontalba and his people somehow kept Vespi¡¯s supernatural existence out. My dead husband was outed as a twisted fuck who abused girls and sold them into very.


    Emily visited twice to update me on vampire matters, each time bringing me a bag of blood. She assured me that if I didn¡¯t want to be part of the Mexico City coven now, I had options. ¡°I¡¯d take you in Boston in a heartbeat,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Do you trust Master Alessandro?¡±


    ¡°Yes. More importantly, Vicki does.¡± She handed me a debit card and a phone from her purse. ¡°There is one hundred and twenty-two thousand in this ount, payment for the items the Vampire Council took from your home before the police arrived. It¡¯s a corporate ount,pletely untraceable, as is the phone.¡± She then handed me an American passport. ¡°A new identity, should you need it. Keep this hidden, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished my work here, so I¡¯m flying out tonight.¡± She had used her power to guide the investigation away from me and the existence of supernatural beings. ¡°My number¡¯s on the phone; call me if you need help.¡±


    As she left, I realized this gave me options. I could disappear, leaving the money and the drama behind if I wanted. I hesitated to do this because it was a LOT of money. Hernando left behind hundreds of millions of dors in assets, and I knew the money was better off with me than a Coven leader.


    I met with mywyer after New Year¡¯s. I¡¯d fed twice, both times from unsuspecting delivery people who wouldn¡¯t remember a thing. ¡°Your passport,¡± he said as he handed it over to me. ¡°The case is closed, and the authorities are not charging you for what your husband did.¡±


    ¡°Good. Book me a first-ss ticket to Sydney, please. I need to get far away from here.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Consu.¡± He made a call, then turned back to me. ¡°What of your home? Your husband¡¯s fortune?¡±


    ¡°Liquidate it, and ce it into an ount for me. You have my limited power of attorney.¡± It allowed him to act as my agent to sell Vespi¡¯s estate.


    His eyes got wide. ¡°It will take a while to get a full ounting, especially as the government is still trying to determine if any of the money came from illegal sources. They¡¯re going to soak you for taxes if you move it offshore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nevering back to Mexico, Francisco. Keep me posted on the progress; I¡¯m leaving in the morning.¡±


    I was now one of the richest single females in the world, heading as far away as I could get from the nightmare my life had be.


    ******


    Vicki Lawrence¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t see the rest of the girls before they left. Alpha Steven was still in Cancun for cleanup. He stayed to help Esmerelda and Master Monique Robinson remove any evidence of a vampire presence.


    Alpha Steven did hire a jet to take the twins, Amy, Carly, and his remaining Pack members back to Eugene. The girls went straight from the police station to the airport and would rejoin the Three Sisters Pack as soon as they met with Luna Carolyn. With the FBI and the American Embassy helping hide them, the press didn¡¯t know they were gone until they were in the air.


    Fiona was still at the hospital and kept me informed via the link of how she was doing. They took X-rays, and she saw a doctor. Fiona had two cracked ribs from one of them kicking her; she¡¯d never let on that her injuries were that bad. How she was able to throw a knife urately with cracked ribs, I¡¯d never know. The doctor taped her up and released her with a bottle of Tylenol 500¡¯s for pain. Those rapists had worked her over good; her body would heal, but she¡¯d never get her virginity back.


    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m leaving for the airport with Joseph, Nichs¡¯ parents, and the rest of our Pack members,¡± Fiona linked mete in the morning. ¡°We¡¯ve got a flight to Los Angeles in a few hours, then a stop in Sydney before connections to Melbourne and Adide.¡±


    ¡°Have a good flight,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Thirty-three plus hours of travel time by definition isn¡¯t a good flight,¡± sheined. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder I never found Joseph before now, with him hiding on the other side of the world. I still can¡¯t believe what I did when I finally DID find him.¡±


    ¡°You have your mate, Fiona. You can get married, have children, and create something special down under.¡± I could sense her longing for pups through the Pack link. ¡°What you did for us will not be forgotten. Nichs and I have vacated the remainder of your punishment. Go home and im your mate as soon as his divorce is final.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the wedding,¡± I promised.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You might need to have a press conference before you go, Vicki. It¡¯s a zoo out front with all the cameras. They even wanted ME to talk, but I don¡¯t get paid to be out front,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Fiona.¡± The press angle would need handling. I reached out to Nichs, asking him to talk to my publicist and Linda about how I should handle them.


    I was finally released in the afternoon, as the fluids and food helped stabilize my blood pressure at an eptable level. I asked the hospital to set up a podium outside for a press statement; they dlyplied, happy to be getting rid of the circus out there. Adrienne had dropped off some clothes for me, so I changed while she and Leo went to get the car. I got dressed in a conservative Bodyglove shark print dress with grey heels while Nichs gathered my discharge papers. I sat in a wheelchair, and Nichs walked alongside me as the nurse pushed me into the hall.


    We went out the front door, and I stood up and took Nichs¡¯ hand as the press corps gathered around and shouted questions. I walked to the podium and held up my hand until they quieted down. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I want to start by wishing you all a Merry Christmas. This Christmas will always be special to me because it is the day my friends and I got rescued from a fate worse than death. One moment I was excitedly talking to my friends about diving this incredible cenote, and then I was watching in horror as bandits killed our guide in cold blood. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Juan and Santiago, who don¡¯t get to go home.¡±


    I paused for a moment, wiping away a tear. I squeezed Nichs¡¯s hand and moved back to the microphone. ¡°The girls and I survived, thanks to family and friends who never gave up looking, and the swift actions of the Mexican Federal Police to rescue us. They are all heroes to me, along with the anonymous caller to the tip line that set the rescue in motion. I¡¯d like to thank everyone involved today, including the staff here at Angeles Metropolitano. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to spend some time with my fianc¨¦ and my family. Thank you.¡±


    The press shouted questions, but I wasn¡¯t taking them. Nichs pulled me into his side and led me through the crowd and into the waiting car. Colleen pulled out before the door even closed, and a minuteter, verified we had no tails. ¡°Nice job on the press conference,¡± Leo said from the passenger seat.


    ¡°I still get nervous every time a camera goes on that I¡¯m not controlling,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, Linda¡¯s been busy. She wanted me to tell you that the season-ending episode of your show is going to be huge.¡± Thest episode was supposed to be our final tour stop in Acapulco, but now it would be our kidnapping and rescue. ¡°Your publicist wants to know when you can sit for an interview with the press. She¡¯s fielding calls from every majorwork and news show, and Discovery Channel wants to promote your series with this.¡±


    Our series wasn¡¯t premiering until Sweeps Week in February. ¡°What¡¯s the schedule for us?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #179

    ¡°We¡¯ve got first-ss tickets on amercial flight into Boston. Master Emily has ced her jet at our disposal, so we¡¯ll use that to go to Chairman Carver¡¯s funeral in Lake cid tomorrow night. They won¡¯t be happy to see me, I¡¯m sure.¡± Adrienne cracked up, and I looked between her and Leo.


    ¡°What did you DO, Unky Leo?¡±


    ¡°A lot happened we haven¡¯t told you about yet, Sharkbait.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long drive to the airport,¡± I replied. ¡°Spill.¡±


    Over the next thirty minutes, they caught me up on everything that happened while I was gone. I was sad to hear about the framing and murder of Lawrence Fenwick; he was a good wolf, and we¡¯d already missed his funeral. I was shocked hearing what Leo had done, attacking Alpha Stan and faking the murder of Chairman Carver after using the Werewolf Council of being involved in our kidnapping. ¡°Where were you when he was acting like a bull in a china shop,¡± I turned and asked Adrienne.


    ¡°I was having drinks in New Orleans, actually,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I went to find out if Master Pontalba set you up. Hammer and I were ready to kill him if he was a part of it. He wasn¡¯t, and he put together a coalition of Masters to take on Master Vespi and hiswless Coven.¡± She told me everything that happened. ¡°Your Vampire friends came through for us,¡± she said. ¡°Without their help, we couldn¡¯t have taken on a hundred vampires without horrific losses.¡±


    ¡°All this over werewolf blood,¡± I said.


    ¡°Werewolf blood was a tool; this was about power and ambition,¡± Leo said. ¡°Vespi wanted to be the Supreme Vampire. He wanted to start a werewolf war, then take over the vampire world and wipe us out.¡±


    Adrienne patted my leg. ¡°Your travel schedule was on the Inte, but we haven¡¯t figured out how he knew about the Council moves. Somehow, Vespi knew Lawrence went to meet you in Jamaica.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone there except the Council enforcers and Lawrence,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t scent any other wolves the rest of that visit.¡±


    ¡°The four Enforcers returned home the next morning; we¡¯ve verified that already,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°What about Timothy Lords? Did you pick him up in the raids?¡±


    All three people looked at me with nk expressions. ¡°What?¡± Leo looked confused. ¡°What does that little bitch have to do with anything?¡± Timothy was my fated mate, who rejected me at the Scratch ¡®n Sniff in favor of his girlfriend.


    ¡°I scented him at the Cancun hideout. He arrived with the vampires but never came to the building.¡± I remembered how I felt when I scented him on the wind. I was over him, and I had another mate now. That didn¡¯t stop the feeling of betrayal I felt, knowing the man I helped rescue from Vampire captivity wasplicit in mine.


    ¡°We had no idea,¡± Leo said. ¡°We¡¯ll find him, and you can decide what to do with him.¡±


    I just shook my head. My fated mate meant nothing to me now; he was dried up dog poop on the treads of my shoes, unworthy of my attention, just an annoyance. His actions resulted in my friends getting hurt and seven wolves dying, though. That could not go unpunished. ¡°When the vampires arrived with him to the bandit¡¯s hideout, it was a little weird. They called Mateo ¡®Lawrence,¡¯ and Timothy didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°What did Mateo say?¡±


    ¡°It was more what Carlos, the leader of the gang, said to Mateo. We think Timothy hired the bandits to kidnap Vicki. He was going to pay a half-million for me, and Carlos was going to auction off the rest of the girls to vers. Somehow, Mateo got involved and took over the deal. He negotiated $1. 2 million for all of us. It didn¡¯t matter, as the vampires killed them all momentster.¡±


    ¡°I never scented Timothy, but if he stayed with the vehicles, he probably bleached the whole area,¡± Colleen said. ¡°An air scent would neverst that long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put out a reward on him at the funeral today,¡± I said. ¡°If the vampires didn¡¯t kill him, let Mary do it.¡± Lawrence Fenwick¡¯s widow deserved to get her revenge.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it happen,¡± Leo said.


    ***********


    My growing celebrity made it impossible to get on a ne without being noticed. People recognized me in the security lines, the first-ss lounge, the departure gate, and onboard the aircraft. I was an ambassador for Bodyglove at a time every human interaction could end up on the Inte, so I smiled and posed for pictures with them all. Leo thought it was best to stay away from us so he wouldn¡¯t appear in any photos and ruin the surprise for the other Alphas. Adrienne ran interference for me while Nichs and Colleen watched my back. When it was too much, my Aunt would move me along, apologetically telling them that I was still recovering from my ordeal.


    It wasn¡¯t all bad. When the flight crew realized I¡¯d be on board, the co-pilot asked me if I¡¯d like to board early. They invited me to the cockpit to watch them go through their pre-flight checks, knowing from the gossip magazines that I was interested in aviation. I enthusiastically agreed to this, spending a good twenty minutes in the jumpseat behind the crew¡¯s seating. I had to leave before they locked the cockpit, but I learned a ton. The Captain¡¯s daughter was a big fan, so I took some pictures with him and promised to send her some souvenirs.


    Once the flight departed, I slept most of the way, waking only long enough to eat and drink some juice. When we passed through the tunnel to the terminal, the temperature reminded me that I was in the Northern Hemisphere. My lightweight Bodyglove dress was not in season. ¡°I need clothes,¡± I sent to Adrienne.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it covered,¡± she told me. We made it through Customs and waited for Leo and Nichs to get our luggage before leaving the security area. The press was waiting for us, and I didn¡¯t want to talk. Colleen and Adrienne put me between them, and we pushed our way through, diving into the waiting limo.


    ¡°There are clothes in these bags for you two,¡± the young female vampire in the back with us said. ¡°Adrienne called ahead and asked me to get them for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mnie. I¡¯m freezing,¡± I said. I stripped off the summer dress and heels, recing them with jeans, Uggs, and a thick L. L. Bean id shirt. At the bottom of the bag were driving gloves, a knit hat, and a North Face ski jacket. Nichs was wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a matching shirt and jacket. ¡°Where are we headed, and can we get some barbecue on the way?¡±


    Adrienne snorted while Mnie asked the driver to roll down the window and hand back the cooler. ¡°Four-meat meal for eight, heavy on the ribs and sauce,¡± she told us. ¡°My Master left specific instructions on how to make sure you stayed happy.¡±


    ¡°Emily knows me well,¡± I said as I started filling a te. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so,¡± I said as I gazed in wonder at the b of ribs. I ate until I couldn¡¯t eat another bite, and then Mnie said there was pecan pie. ¡°Definitely the start of a great friendship,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Mnie said. ¡°Our Coven is so much better now, and we have you to thank for that.¡±


    We stayed in guest rooms in the Boston Coven headquarters building, out of sight of the press. ¡°We go shopping at eleven; I¡¯ve arranged a private room at Macy¡¯s,¡± Mnie said as she left our room.


    When the door closed, Nichs and I were finally alone. I started tearing my clothes off, needing to feel my mate¡¯s skin on mine. He pulled his clothes off, then pulled me into his arms. It felt so good to be with him again, kissing and touching each other. He finally pulled back, looking down at me with a worried face. I was still bleeding from the miscarriage. ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± he said softly. ¡°Your body needs to heal.¡±


    ¡°My mouth doesn¡¯t,¡± I said. I walked over to the bed, flopping down on my back and moving until my head was leaning back over the edge. ¡°Bring that monster over here, my love.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, my beloved Alpha,¡± he said. He was hard as a rock, and the position allowed me to take him deep. He started ying with my hard nipples and my clit as I blew him, which is another reason why I love this position. His need was too great to hold out, and my tongue and throat weren¡¯t going to let him. It took less than two minutes before he let out a yell and started pulsing his cum straight down my throat, setting off my orgasm.


    I kept him deep until he stopped, then backed off and licked him clean. The sex had worn me out, and he could see how tired I was. He picked me up and carried me into the bathroom, cleaning me in the shower before bringing me back to bed. I slept deeply, my head on his shoulder, my body clinging to his until our rm went off at ten.


    Breakfast was waiting on a tray outside our room, and we ate at the small table and watched the news over pancakes and bacon. There was a short segment showing my return to the United States and my press conference outside the hospital. The station cut to an interview with the FBI Special-Agent-In-Charge of the Human Trafficking Task Force. ¡°It¡¯s so sad. I could have been one of those lost girls.¡±


    ¡°As far as anyone knows, you are one of those girls. You¡¯re just one of the few lucky ones.¡±


    As we took the limo to the department store, I thought of what I might be able to do to help. Shopping was highly efficient, with two clerks and a manager bringing whatever we needed. The staff even had a gourmet lunch brought in. By three, we were on our way to the airfield, each of us with a suitcase full of new clothes.


    I sweet-talked the copilot out of his seat, of course. Getting my pilot¡¯s license was on my to-do list, and Nichs wanted to learn as well. A private ne would be great for managing a Pack with members all across the south of Australia. ¡°You can be my co-pilot,¡± I teased him over the link.


    ¡°And you can be the naughty stewardess,¡± he answered back.


    ¡°Sexist!¡±


    ¡°Not my fault you¡¯re so damn sexy,¡± he answered back.


    The pilot let me do everything exceptnd, and I was in a great mood as we entered the rental car Adrienne had waiting for us. I did another backseat change, donning a long-sleeved ck dress with a skirt below the knees and a ck dress coat. We arrived at the entrance to the Keene Valley Pack, and Adrienne rolled down the driver-side window as we stopped. ¡°Miesville and Southern Cross Pack Alphas here for the funeral,¡± she told the guard.

 SHARKBAIT #180

    His eyes got big as he saw Leo. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask my Alpha about this,¡± he said. A minuteter, he waved us through.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign, right?¡±


    Leo looked back at me. ¡°That they didn¡¯t shoot me on sight? Sure.¡±


    We pulled in front of the Pack House entrance, and an Omega took the keys from Adrienne to park it for us. We entered the building, where the dignitaries and Pack gathered before the funeral.


    Conversation ceased, and loud growls started to echo through the room. ¡°LEO!¡±


    It was Lance Carver, and he was marching towards us with his Betas in tow. Everyone in the room stopped, knowing I had killed his father, yet shocked to find out that I was still alive. As Lance got close, Leo opened his arms, and the two men embraced. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about your father.¡±


    ¡°He died a warrior¡¯s death,¡± Lance said as he stepped back. ¡°We should tell the story before the others rip you apart.¡±


    He led our group to the stairway, where we could address everyone from thending. Leoid everything out; the vampire plot to start a war between the Packs, the abductions, and his decision to attack Alpha Stan and Chairman Carver to make it appear as if it was working. ¡°We believed the vampires had a source in the werewolf world, and we were right. They were working with former Alpha heir Timothy Lords.¡±


    ¡°Nutless went after Vicki again,¡± an Alpha said from the back. ¡°Is it POSSIBLE to be that stupid?¡±


    Nervousughter followed this. ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I am offering a million-dor reward for the capture of Timothy Lords and his wife, Traci.¡±


    Leo continued the story, exining how the Vampire, Werewolf, and Mermaid leadership had cooperated to bring down the Mexico City Coven and Master Vespi. ¡°My niece forged friendships that helped save us from extinction, and I don¡¯t say that lightly,¡± Leo said. ¡°Chairman Carver heard what was happening and agreed to help. He led an attack team in the raid that freed six of our people and died fighting. We cannot let his sacrifice and the deaths of six other wolves be in vain.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, we honor my father and his legacy,¡± Lance said.


    The funeral was well-attended, and I shed tears for the man I¡¯d battled in court or council several times. He was rigid in his beliefs, but he loved his people.


    We boarded our ne again at midnight, heading for Red Wing and two more funerals in Minnesota.


    ************


    Thank Luna for private jets because we got a few hours of sleep in the big reclining seats on our way west.


    I groaned as I heard the pilot give the weather in Red Wing. It was clear, zero degrees, and winds out of the northwest at twenty miles an hour. That put the wind chill somewhere around minus 22 Fahrenheit. I looked down at my clothing and let out a sigh. ¡°I should just shift. It would be warmer,¡± Iined.


    ¡°You walk off the ne and into the car,¡± Leo said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve turned into one of those whiny fashion model types.¡±


    I stared at him before I realized what he was doing. I hated anything that implied I was weak. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I said. ¡°I can tough it out. It¡¯s only a visit.¡±


    Dad picked us up from the airport in the big Ford SUV. It wasn¡¯t a long drive to Leo¡¯s big home, and it was great to be back, even at four in the morning. Leo gave us a basement guest room, so I got to say hello to the sharks and fish in the basement tank as we went past.


    Mom woke me up at ten. ¡°Brunch in an hour, then the memorial service is at one.¡± The Miesville warrior, Jake Johnson, was twenty years old. He was a year ahead of me in school and went straight to work as a framer in Leo¡¯s constructionpany. He hadn¡¯t found his mate yet, thank Luna.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    We dressed and walked out of our room into a full house. There were hugs and tears everywhere, and it took me ten minutes to make it up to the kitchen. I saw his mother, Debbie, sitting in the living room surrounded by a dozen women of the Pack. Never mated, Debbie had been drugged and raped at a party after a football game her senior year. When she found out she was pregnant and refused to get rid of it, her parents and Pack cast her out.


    Debbie moved to Minnesota and enrolled at a public school in Mankato, working nights and weekends as a waitress. She got her degree in education at night while living as a rogue and a single mother for a dozen years. Leo scented her in the stands at a swim meet; they talked for an hour, and he offered her a spot in his Pack. They had both flourished in Miesville. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said as I let Nichs¡¯s hand go and walked into the room. I moved in front of Debbie, kneeling in front of the chair. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said as I looked at the distraught woman.


    Debbie pulled me into her arms, and we cried for a few moments together. ¡°None of this was your fault, Vicki. Jake wanted to go; he begged Leo to take him. You and Amy were his friends, and he was going to get you back.¡±


    I sat back, drying my eyes. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. Jake was a good wolf.¡±


    ¡°He was, and life will go on. Bring that man of yours over here and introduce him.¡±


    I linked Nichs, and he came over as I stood up. ¡°Nichs, this is Debbie Johnson, Jake¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°It is my honor,¡± Nichs said. ¡°May Luna hold him close tonight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Take care of our Vicki. She¡¯s special, and we¡¯ll miss her.¡±


    ¡°I promise I will,¡± he said. We greeted the otherdies in the room, then went to fill our tes. The mood was somber, and Leo¡¯s memorial service had us all in tears. We loaded into cars after it ended and drove north to Stillwater for the next funeral. Ivan¡¯s memorial service for his fallen warrior was just as emotional. Since it got dark at four-thirty in the afternoon, we all shifted and ran on his Packnds to where his parents scattered the ashes over a cliff.


    ¡°Unky Leo? It¡¯s Tuesday,¡± I said as we piled back into the cars for the trip home.


    ¡°We¡¯re going,¡± he said.


    I smiled, and Nichs looked at us, trying to figure out what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s on Tuesday?¡±


    ¡°Prime rib night at Wiederholt¡¯s. It¡¯s a tradition,¡± Mom said with a smile. ¡°Fourth generation running it now. I worked there before I found my Brent.¡±


    We got a big table, and I got a chance to show Nichs my favorite foods. ¡°This is damn good, but you¡¯d never expect it by looking at the outside of this ce,¡± he said. He had a te-sized, two-inch-thick b-o-beef with a baked potato on the side. I had the same, and we polished it off with a slice of their turtle cheesecake.


    When the check came, I snatched it before Leo could pick it up. ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve waited to be able to pick up this tab,¡± I said. I had more money than I¡¯d ever dreamed of, but I¡¯d never forgotten my roots. Leo¡¯s gift of his wife¡¯s car to a struggling waitress here was the start of a new life for us. I paid it forward, leaving the young waitress a huge tip.


    I was sleepy and content with my little food baby in my belly, and we slept deeply that night. At first light, we were back at the Red Wing Airport. Leo, Adrienne, Mom, Dad, and our families filled up the 12-seater jet as we flew west to Oregon.


    After our rescue, there was a flurry ofmunications between Linda Cartwright, Amy, my publicist, and the Discovery Channel. They wanted to capitalize on the publicity as our series would being out soon. I didn¡¯t want to do it without the other girls, so the solution was to tape the interview before tonight¡¯s funeral.


    As soon as we arrived at the Pack House, I got mobbed by Amy and the twins, plus three SEALs on Christmas leave. The three Navy men congratted Nichs and I on our engagement, but they weren¡¯t happy Nichs was taking me to Australia.


    Then it was time to show off rings to the families. I had my engagement ring on, and Amy had her wedding rings; both of us were happy that we¡¯d taken them off for the dive. The police had recovered them with our other gear.


    We weren¡¯t the only ones. Noni showed me the engagement ring Manuel gave her yesterday, while Makani disyed Ricardo¡¯s ring. ¡°They¡¯re the same,¡± I said as I hugged them.


    ¡°Only the inscription is different,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°They proposed to us in the airport, in uniform, with hundreds of people watching,¡± Noni said. ¡°It was so romantic.¡±


    ¡°And Linda got it all on video,¡± Kai said with a smile as he looked over at her. ¡°Ka-ching!¡±


    ¡°You and a hundred people who already posted it to YouTube,¡± I teased. ¡°Congrattions!¡± I gave Manuel and Ricardo a big hug, then Kai. ¡°And I¡¯m so proud of you for making it through BUD/S training!¡±


    ¡°The fun is just starting,¡± Kai said with a smile. ¡°I missed you all. I wish we could have been down there, but we didn¡¯t go on leave until Christmas Eve, and Alpha Steven told us to stay home.¡±


    I got a few minutes alone with Linda, who was the unsung hero of our group. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, Adrienne wouldn¡¯t know about the trackers, and no one would have found the first hideout,¡± I said. ¡°Vespi would have kept me in that prison for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have that,¡± she said as she wiped her eyes. ¡°We signed a contract, and I need my people out there diving!¡± We hugged again, happy to be reunited.


    The Dateline NBC crew set up in the Steele¡¯s living room, with one of the dormant volcanoes filling the picture window behind us. The four of us took care of makeup and hair in the twins¡¯ bedroom, then put on our Bodyglove-line dresses and some understated jewelry. Our families stayed in another room, watching on a monitor as the sound guy got us wired up. Linda was recording everything they did and more.


    The interview went on for over two hours, despite the omissions required to protect the supernaturals involved. We spent some time talking about our modeling and dive tour, then the events around our abduction. ¡°The other two women captured were your security detail, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they declined to participate in this interview as they are not public personalities,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you me them for allowing the kidnapping?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at the question. ¡°No. I me myself, and I take full responsibility for what happened.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To save money, I decided to cross-train my security people as extra divers and camera operators. It seemed like a good idea then; I figured we¡¯d be at sea, away from threats, so I wouldn¡¯t need them watching me. When we left the tourist area of Cancun, which does have good security, I hired four off-duty police officers as security instead. That didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°The police officers were gone when we came up from the dive,¡± Amy said. ¡°We don¡¯t know if they were scared off or paid off, but they weren¡¯t protecting us. We were on privatend, diving a cenote that wasn¡¯t open to other divers.¡± She shook her head at me. ¡°Six kidnappers rolled in with automatic weapons; even the police wouldn¡¯t have stopped them. That¡¯s not Vicki¡¯s fault; the Cartels control the countryside, and we should have known better. We ALL assumed too much risk.¡± She reached her hand over to hold mine. ¡°It was scary, and we know how few people get rescued. The Mexican Federal Police did a great job storming the mansion and freeing us. They deserve to be recognized.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #181

    ¡°Human trafficking is not getting better,¡± Makani said. ¡°There are more people in very in the world today than there were before the Civil War.¡±


    Noni continued. ¡°The veholders just hide it better. Sex workers, maids, factory workers, farmbor; around the world, there are millions of ves, mostly women, with no future and no hope. They are nothing butmodities to buy and sell to the evil people who exploit them. They prey on runaways, immigrants, the poor, and the vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to the FBI about what might have happened to us,¡± Amy continued. ¡°Sold at auction, hooked on drugs, raped repeatedly, and used up before ending in a shallow grave somewhere. I¡¯m lucky I avoided that fate and made it home with my husband and family.¡±


    ¡°What do you think can be done to stop this,¡± the reporter asked.


    ¡°We have to change in here,¡± I said as I pointed to my heart. ¡°It¡¯s not all right, and it¡¯s happening all around us. That man paying for a prostitute is creating the market for sex trafficking. The cartels and organized crime traffic women for a simple reason; there is a profit in it. How difficult is it to understand that one human should not own another?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be an advocate for these women,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I already am,¡± I answered evenly. ¡°And you can be an advocate as well. Keep your eyes open and report suspicious behaviors. It only took one person to call in the tip to the police that led to our freedom. Perhaps one of you can do that for a girl who has given up hope of things ever getting better.¡±


    ¡°Can one person do that much?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to find out. The four of us are putting up a million dors for the fight against child sex trafficking. Bodyglove Sportswear is matching our donation, and we¡¯re seeking other partners. This money will kick-start a reward fund to go after these predators. The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, that¡¯s 1-888-GET-HELP, will be taking anonymous tips. (Author¡¯s Note: This is a REAL NUMBER.) If your information leads to the arrest and conviction of a child sex trafficker, you¡¯ll get a ten thousand dor reward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you.¡±


    ¡°Any person who wants to add their money to the fight can do that,¡± I said after giving out the website. I also mentioned two charities who helped sex trafficking victims who got free. I knew the phone number and site would be on the screen and on the Dateline websiteter on. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if instead of the victims, it was the TRAFFICKERS who had sleepless nights, wondering if they would ever be free again?¡±


    ¡°That would be a change,¡± she said.


    ¡°We can make it happen if we decide it is important enough.¡±


    The rest of the interview was much lighter, talking about our new show on the Discovery Channel, stories from the tour, and our personal lives. ¡°You girls are all engaged or married, aren¡¯t you?¡± We all smiled and showed our rings to the camera. ¡°Do you think people will watch a reality show about teenagers who aren¡¯t having sex all the time, taking drugs, and partying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m married and having sex all the time, at least when my man is home,¡± Amy said with augh. ¡°I think there is a market for a show that is smarter and more wholesome than what reality shows have be. We¡¯ve put a lot of time into this project.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a reality show about our lives, and our lives are exciting. I can¡¯t wait for everyone to see the ces we¡¯ve gone to and the things we¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°And you can watch us with your parents and not be embarrassed,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± Noni said with a giggle.


    ¡°What are you girls doing next?¡±


    Amy rolled her eyes. ¡°We have to spend thirty hours in an airne to see Vicki get married,¡± she said. ¡°Really? You couldn¡¯t have found a man in San Diego like the rest of us?¡±


    Iughed at them. ¡°Look at the bright side, it¡¯s summer down under, and you can finally wear a swimsuit!¡±


    **********


    It was great seeing my friends in the Three Sisters Pack, but we couldn¡¯t stay long after the funeral.


    It would be a full flight. I was flying out with Leo, Adrienne, Nichs, Amy, Kai, Linda, Brent, and Olivia. My younger brothers, Mark and Chance, were flying out of Minneapolis with Midwest Chairman Lewis Wolfe, his mate Carolyn, Alpha Ivan, Luna Karen, and Amy¡¯s younger brother, Luke. The twins stayed behind in Oregon; their boyfriends only had four more leave days, so flying to Australia was out. Alpha Steven wanted them to spend more time with the Pack before they could make the change. ¡°We¡¯ll have a big party when we¡¯re back in the States again,¡± I told them. ¡°Linda is going to have it on a private Inte channel. Honestly, with the date change, the cost, and the distance, I¡¯ll be happy if anyone shows up.¡±


    ¡°We should be there for you,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°You have been there for me; after what just happens, I can¡¯t take you away from your mates.¡± We had a teary goodby that night with them and the others.


    Very early the next morning, we took ourst flight in our borrowed aircraft to Los Angeles, and from there, it was a direct flight to Sydney. The business ss seats were worth every penny. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been pretty quiet about the wedding ns,¡± I said as we sat waiting for takeoff.


    ¡°It¡¯s all under control. After all, you ran off to the beaches and left Dorothy and me in charge!¡±


    Uh oh. ¡°We haven¡¯t even had a fitting for my dress! And what about the bridesmaids?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°It¡¯s all under control.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± It was a little weird, me stressing about a wedding. I¡¯d wanted to do everything BUT get mated when I came of age, so I hadn¡¯t given it much thought. I nudged Nichs. ¡°What do you know about the wedding?¡±


    ¡°What Dad told me. Show up on time and sober, don¡¯t screw up the vows, and give you a night to remember when we get to our room.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°So, nothing.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure out where our honeymoon is. Leo told me it was their gift to us, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Was there ANY part of this wedding I¡¯d know about before I got there? I texted Amy, who was two rows behind me. ¡°What does my matron of honor know about the wedding ns? Have you seen your dress?¡±


    ¡°Show up and make sure you¡¯re wearing waterproof mascara and no.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no help.¡± I pulled out myputer and went to work. I had a TON of things in my inbox and on my phone; the Dateline interview had premieredtest night during the funeral. My publicist had proimed it a sess, including links and excerpts from news stories and websites about it. Mercedes was very happy; the CEO¡¯s decision to match my donation paid for itself in publicity and sales. The reward fund had grown to over ten million dors already, as everyone from hourly workers to Hollywood elite donated to it and the other charities mentioned.


    I watched the video stream of the interview, then read some of the stories about it. The feedback was almost all positive, and tips were flowing in.


    I read a report Lte sent to the Sharkbait Foundation Leadership. The Sea Scout was ready to go for the next season, with all the improvements we needed to film in the spring. Overhauled engines, revamped berthing, installed cameras, video editing capabilities, powerfulputers, new electronics; it was like a brand-new boat. She had taken the survey vessel out for a shakedown in mid-December, taking along some of the researchers and advisors we had targeted for shows. They were all excited for the opportunity to work on the Sea Scout, praising its speed, stability, work area, and davit capacity. Now that they knew what our boat could do, they were going back to adjust their research ns ordingly. I sent her a response, telling her how thrilled I was with it, and asking the Foundation to see what the boat could help with until we could start filming in a few months. After the New Year, we¡¯d have some videoconferences to n out the next year.


    I needed some time before the next Sharkbait World Tour.


    I called a few other people while I was flying south. Stan Greenberg had been a busy man between the Discovery Channel contract and all the spending I¡¯d been doing. ¡°You might have told me you were donating a million dors,¡± my ountant said. ¡°Your donation ising from Sharkbait Production Company, which you own. That way, we can deduct the full amount, and we aren¡¯t taxed on the business ie and again on your ie. Plus, on personal ie taxes, the deduction¡¯s limited by the alternative minimum tax. At least you told me what you were doing instead of writing a check!¡±

 SHARKBAIT #182

    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot going on, but I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to have my client back again, Vicki. Now, about this marriage thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken steps to protect yourself?¡±


    ¡°My sex life isn¡¯t any of your business, Stan.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I mean financially, with a pre-nuptial agreement.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Stan.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He paused for a moment. ¡°Vicki, I¡¯ve been doing this a long time, and I¡¯ve talked to a lot of people getting married who didn¡¯t think they needed one. Trust me, you do. If you¡¯re deliriously happy and grow old together, the cost is nothing. Nobody expects their marriage to onlyst a few Khardashians, but it happens.¡±


    ¡°Khardashian?¡±


    ¡°Before your time. Kim Khardashian was a reality television star who had a big wedding leading to a marriagesting 72 days. These things happen, especially with young, rich women. You¡¯re young and rich, Vicki. You¡¯ve know Nichs for about a month?¡±


    ¡°I love him,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°How many days have you spent with him, given your work schedule? Seven?¡±


    ¡°Or so.¡±


    ¡°Please, Vicki. Get a prenup done before you get married. Any familywwyer can do it for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to do it, though. Stan didn¡¯t understand the mating pull and was looking at me through a human lens.


    ¡°Good. What did you find out about the yacht?¡±


    ¡°The owner is not interested in shortening the lease period. When I told him we were considering not picking up the buy option, he got nervous. He dropped the option price to one-point-five million cash before January 31, four hundred thousand less than we previously agreed. I think he¡¯s having cash flow problems. I told him I¡¯d present it to you and get back to him.¡±


    I was a little surprised at the development. I loved living on the yacht, and we hadn¡¯t decided where we wanted to live yet. Maybe bringing the boat down and living off it for a while made sense? It would take about three weeks and cost fifty thousand dors to get the yacht to Adide.


    Nichs had been listening in. ¡°It¡¯s an option we can consider, and we have a month to decide,¡± he said. ¡°It would beat living above my parent¡¯s garage.¡±


    ¡°I think we could afford an apartment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eighteen, and I don¡¯t have a job. Who would rent to us?¡±


    I nudged him and went back to the call. This year had a lot of ie and expenses for Sharkbait Productions, and he made some suggestions for how we could move things around to limit our tax bill. Stan wanted to minimize my tax liability this year, expecting that thepany would move to Australia next year. To make that work, we¡¯d have to wait until after the New Year to give Discovery Channel the next set of edited television shows. That would give me time to screen and approve the second half of the season.


    I spent the rest of the flight talking to my publicist and Mercedes about how we could leverage the coverage for more. Mercedes wanted to do another tour, but I t refused. ¡°I need to settle into marriage and a new country before I do any more traveling,¡± I said.


    ¡°If I can arrange something in Australia?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said. The pilot put on the seatbelt sign. ¡°We¡¯rending soon, so I have to go. I¡¯ll talk to you after the honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy every moment, and I hope you enjoy your wedding present,¡± she said with a bit of tease.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. The Bodyglove family appreciates everything you and the girls did for us, and we wish you a Happy New Year.¡±


    ¡°You too, Mercedes. It¡¯s been a wild ride.¡± She hung up, and I shook my head. Mercedes was yet another person who wasn¡¯t letting me in on her secrets.


    We took a shuttle from the regional airport to Los Angeles International, boarding an hourter. It was a fifteen-hour flight,nding the next morning, followed by a two-hour flight to Adide, and a forty-minute puddle jump across the bay to Port Lincoln. It felt like a step down with each leg; we started on a plush private jet and ended on a noisy twin-engine regional transport. In total, we were in airnes or airports for a day and a half, plus we crossed the International Date Line. I was sore and tired when we arrived at the hotel in town.


    I kissed Nichs good night; he was going home while the girls were with me at the hotel until the wedding tomorrow afternoon.


    I was d it was a small wedding; Amy would be at my side, and his cousin Patrick would be at Nichs¡¯s side. Amy, Dorothy, Olivia, Adrienne, and Susan joined us at the spa in the morning. We were pampered and prepped, and then it was time to get dressed. ¡°Here¡¯s your outfits,¡± Mom said as she handed over the bags.


    I looked inside. ¡°Really?¡±


    She just smiled and left Amy and me in the room. ¡°I¡¯m wearing a white bikini and acy white dress for my wedding?¡±


    Amy looked in her bag. ¡°You can¡¯t have my ocean-blue bikini.¡±


    What kind of wedding was this going to be?


    **********


    I had to admit that the dress looked amazing. It was opaque enough to blur the details underneath but still allowed the white bikini to draw the eye to my figure. The cut of the dress helped, gathering in at my toned stomach and ring over my hips. The skirt went from solid to strips partway down my thighs, cut higher on my left hip than my right. The hanging strips were in random lengths, going just below the knee. It was unorthodox but perfect for a beach wedding. White sandals and a veil with a shark-pattern bandpleted the outfit.


    Amy¡¯s outfit was simr, but in light blue with the darker blue underneath. ¡°You look fantastic; Kai isn¡¯t going to be able to keep his hands off you,¡± I told her as she came out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Kai can¡¯t keep his hands off me if I¡¯m wearing his old T-shirts,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Thanks for not getting some ugly bridesmaid dress.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Huh. I thought you were in on the secret.¡±


    ¡°Susan¡¯s wedding was fun and easy to organize, so I figured that was what Dorothy and Olivia were nning for you. I just figured it would be at a resort, but maybe there¡¯s a beach close to home?¡±


    I checked my hair and makeup, then took her hand. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±


    Mom was waiting for me in the hallway. ¡°Let¡¯s go; we¡¯re burning daylight,¡± she said. I rolled my eyes since it wasn¡¯t even eleven in the morning yet. We joined the otherdies in the limo, and I was unsessful in getting any more details on the drive. ¡°It¡¯s all under control, Vicki. Just rx and enjoy your day.¡±


    We drove past a beach and into the parking lot of a marina. ¡°We¡¯re going on the water?¡±


    ¡°Just follow Dorothy,¡± Mom said. A few guys came out and grabbed big bags out of the trunk, following us as we boarded arge harbor cruise boat. It had a big, enclosed area with tables chairs, plus a roof deck running most of its eighty-foot length.


    ¡°Wee aboard,dies. We¡¯re ready to get underway,¡± the Captain said.


    I looked around for Nichs. He wasn¡¯t here. Neither was his best man Patrick, Dad, Leo, Ivan, Ian, Hammer, Kai, or Lewis Wolfe. I saw my brothers and Luke up top, along with Masters Cyprian, Alessandro, and Emily. The rest of the wedding guests, including many of my new Pack members, were divided between the rails and the observation deck. ¡°Where are the guys? Still out on Buck¡¯s Night?¡± If Nichs showed up drunk after a bachelor party, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. They will meet uster,¡± Adrienne said.


    I saw a woman with a camera as I walked towards the stairs going up and smiled when I recognized Fiona. ¡°Where¡¯s Linda? Did she pawn off the camera duty on you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already at the wedding venue, setting up. You can¡¯t get married without her getting it filmed from ten different angles, can you?¡± I rolled my eyes, but she was right. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, you¡¯re getting a professional wedding video made, and you¡¯re going to make money on it.¡±


    I was sure it would be a whole episode. ¡°Why a boat?¡±


    ¡°Paparazzi, for one,¡± Mom said as she took my hand to lead me upstairs. ¡°Rx, baby. You love the ocean, so your wedding was going to involve the ocean.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mom. Thank you.¡± We¡¯d gotten underway and were heading out into the Neptune Gulf, and it was beautiful. I loved Port Lincoln and the Southern Ocean!


    The boat was faster than I expected, doing maybe fifteen knots as we headed east. The weather was perfect for a beach wedding; it was in the high eighties, or ¡®thirty¡¯ as the Aussies used Celsius, with light winds and scattered puffy clouds. I talked with the guests, unable to get any more details out of anyone. The Moms were ying this close to the vest.


    I was a little surprised when we got past the point and turned south, heading towards a series of small inds at the Gulf entrance. It started to make more sense; a private beach on a remote ind would be perfect for security and filming.


    Waitresses brought us drinks and snacks as we continued south. I took many photographs of the inds with my phone and talked to some of the locals about living in this area. We kept going for another half hour, and then the inds were behind us. I found Mom and pulled her aside. ¡°Are we going to Kangaroo Ind?¡± I¡¯d read about the big ind off the east entrance to Neptune Gulf.


    ¡°No, but you¡¯re getting warmer. It won¡¯t be long now.¡±


    Five minutester, I figured it out. I borrowed some binocrs and saw us headed for a smaller ind, but another vessel was offshore. ¡°Adventure Bay Charters¡± was on the side of the boat, but the giveaway was the shark on the side. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said to myself. I pulled Amy over and gave her the binocrs. ¡°I think I know where our men are,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, hell, yes,¡± she said as she saw the shark cage behind the boat.


    ¡°Did you two figure it out yet,¡± Olivia teased as she walked up to us with two bags of gear.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting married with the sharks?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Here¡¯s your wedding dive dress.¡±


    I opened it up, seeing a bright-white Bodyglove wetsuit with paintedce decorations and matching swim shoes and white fins. ¡°Wow,¡± I said. Mom took my dress from me as I pulled my wetsuit out and pulled it on over my swimsuit. It hugged my curves perfectly. I put the shoes on, leaving the mask, snorkel, and fins in the bag for now. Amy¡¯s wetsuit was also a custom Bodyglove design in light blue, with ck highlights making it look like a formal dress. ¡°These are off the hook!¡±


    ¡°Wait until you see the guys,¡± Mom teased. We¡¯d pulled up alongside the smaller diving boat, and the crew helped the wedding party onto its deck.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Nichs,¡± I asked as I finished hugging Leo and the other men I¡¯d not seen today.

 SHARKBAIT #183

    ¡°Waiting for the bridal party in the water,¡± he said. The bigger boat started ying a wedding march, and Amy took Patrick¡¯s arm and walked along the rail until reaching the back. They donned the rest of their scuba gear, then went over the side and through the top hatch on the shark cage.


    The music changed to Pachebel¡¯s Canon, and Brent took my arm. ¡°Are you ready, Vicki?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± I said. Leo and Ivan walked ahead of us, taking ces on the stern¡¯s corners, then I walked with Dad to the back as everyone cheered and took pictures. It only took a minute for me to get geared up and into the cage.


    The shark tourism cage was muchrger than most I¡¯d seen, easily handling the wedding party. Ian was in the center, holding a waterproof pad with the wedding ceremony printed on it. On the right side facing me, Nichs and Patrick waited in custom-made and hrious Bodyglove wetsuits painted to look like tuxedos. Amy was waiting on the left side.


    Naturally, Linda had set us both up with small cameras attached to our masks, and Ian had one too. I could also see fixed cameras in all four corners of the cage.


    I slid down into ce, standing on the cage next to Nichs and facing his father. ¡°Dad¡¯s technically the captain of a ship, so I asked him to marry us,¡± Nichs sent over the link.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I said.


    We were using full-face masks that allowed us tomunicate and also fed speakers topside. ¡°Dearly beloved, we gather here today to celebrate the union,¡± breath, ¡°of Nichs Corcoran and Vicki Lawrence in holy matrimony.¡± Breath.


    If you took away the Scuba gear¡¯s noise, being underwater, and the Great White Sharks swimming by the cage, it was a pretty standard ceremony. There were only a couple of times Nichs had to squeeze my hand to get my attention back on my wedding as I watched the big Aussie sharksing close.


    ¡°Does anyone have cause for why these two should not be joined together? Speak now, or forever hold your peace.¡±


    I¡¯d kill them anyone who did. ¡°Speak now, and the sharks get a free meal,¡± I replied. Ianughed, and then we exchanged our vows.


    ¡°Do you have the rings?¡±


    Patrick took a web pouch out of a wetsuit pocket and handed it to Ian, who opened the top. Nichs reached in and removed my band, right as a fifteen-foot Great White bumped the cage behind us and startled him. ¡°NOOOO,¡± I said as I watched the ring flutter towards the bottom of the cage. There was only sixty or so feet of shark-infested water below.


    I reacted first, snatching the ring at the knee level. When I did, I bumped heads with Nichs, who also was grabbing for it. ¡°I got it,¡± I said as I stood back up, rubbing my head. I let him take it from me, and he ced it on my finger. ¡°I give you this ring as a symbol of my love,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± Nichs told me as I took the other ring from Ian. ¡°Dad says to hurry.¡±


    ¡°I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you,¡± I told him.


    We stayed facing each other and holding hands. ¡°By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Australia, I pronounce you husband and wife.¡± Breath. ¡°You may kiss the bride.¡±


    We pulled our masks off, and he pulled me into his chest as our lips met underwater. I didn¡¯t want the kiss to end, but the blood brought several sharks to the cage, and they were getting aggressive. We put our masks back on and cleared them as the crowd apuded the announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Nichs Corcoran.


    The boat operators pulled the cage back, hauling me out first since I was bleeding. One of the deckhands had a first aid kit out, cleaning the small gash at my hairline from where I hit the edge of Nichs¡¯ mask. Scalp wound bled a lot, unfortunately. We ended up closing it with Superglue; luckily, my hair would cover it. The others were out of the water and out of their wetsuits when I finished. ¡°Let me help you out of that wetsuit, my wife,¡± Nichs said as he wrapped me in his arms. We kissed as he pulled the zipper down in back, ignoring the hoots and hollers of guests on both vessels. Once I was dry, I put my dress back on, and we went back to the big boat for the reception.


    The shark boat stayed close for the next hour, allowing any who wanted to get in the water. Most of my guests weren¡¯t SCUBA qualified, but the dive operation had a semi-submersible made of acrylic they could get into and stay dry. I was probably the only bride in history who threw a chumsickle instead of her bouquet, and I was okay with that. The sharks cooperated, giving the guests an adventure you don¡¯t get at OTHER weddings.


    The party continued with a seafood buffet as we headed back to port. The caterers did a great job preparing a buffet, and we ate and visited with our guests for a while before going up top. There, a dance floor and DJ kept the party going.


    It was after six when we got back into port, and I didn¡¯t know how the day could get better.


    We thanked everyone foring and made our exit to the waiting limousine. Master Alessandro, Master Emily, and Master Cyprian were waiting inside for us. I spotted our ¡®getaway bags¡¯ on the floor that our Moms had packed for us. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked.


    ¡°There are a few things to talk about before your honeymoon begins,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°We can talk on the helicopter ride.¡±


    HELICOPTER? Oh, HELL, yeah. We pulled up to a helipad where a big JetRanger was spinning up. The five of us loaded up and put on our headsets, which allowed us to talk to each other without involving the pilot. We lifted off, flying over the boat where people were still partying and headed east.


    ¡°Vicki, I don¡¯t know if you understand how important your trust and friendship has been to the Vampire Council,¡± Master Cyprian started. ¡°I had hoped that our friendship might result in changes over the next four to six decades for cooperation, even alliances to form. You did far more than that. You brought the Vampire, Werewolf, and Mermaid worlds together in mere months.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are special, Vicki,¡± Emily said. ¡°Youmand respect and loyalty from your friends, but you dare to challenge the status quo. I¡¯ve talked to Adrienne about this; any other teenager would have bowed to the Council and done their will. Any other werewolf would never help me, or Master Cyprian.¡±


    ¡°You are the reason the Australian Council is even possible,¡± Alessandro picked up. ¡°There was nomunication between the species for centuries until you showed up and made it happen.¡±


    Cyprian patted my knee. ¡°Because you trusted me, so did Adrienne. Because Adrienne trusted me, I¡¯m still here, and the rebel Covens are gone. The Vampire Council owes you a great deal, including reparations for what you and the other girls went through. The three of us talked about what we might get the two of you for a wedding present. We want to see you settled in Australia, with a strong Pack and strong Alliances. It turned out that Master Alessandro had the perfect present already, but only if you want it. If you aren¡¯t interested, we¡¯ll give you enough to find a ce elsewhere.¡±


    My mind was reeling. ¡°You are giving me a house?¡±


    ¡°Think bigger, Vicki,¡± Emily teased. ¡°Look.¡±


    We were flying east along the Indian Ocean withnd on both sides. Master Alessandro pointed out the left side. ¡°That is the maind, and the marinas and ferry terminal you can see are at Cape Jervis. It¡¯s at the southeast corner of the Neptune Gulf, along the Backstairs Passage. Adide is about a hundred-minute drive from there. The ferry takes people to Kangaroo Ind, which has been on our right for a while now.¡± He showed me a map on his phone, so I could get myself oriented.


    We were flying close to the maind coast, which was open, remote, and rugged. Waves crashed into rocks below tall cliffs that rose fifty to a hundred feet from the surf. It was wild and beautiful. ¡°Thend starts at the top of that hill,¡± Alessandro said as he pointed to one of the ridges heading back to the north. Thend was mostly grass, with some trees in more protected areas. ¡°The whole property is almost seven hundred acres, with over two kilometers of private coastline.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    We flew a bit farther, then the helicopter banked and flew over the coast. ¡°The other property line is below us. It is parnd to the east, with Blowhole Beach there being the main attraction. That beach is two hundred meters long, and in a deep valley that isn¡¯t easy to ess.¡±


    We kept flying ind to the back property line, then turned west again before heading back towards the coast. ¡°This is a huge property,¡± Nichs said. ¡°It¡¯s got to be worth a fortune.¡±


    *******


    ¡°It is one of thergest undeveloped private holdings in South Australia,¡± Alessandro said as the helicopter approached the pad from downwind. ¡°I¡¯ve owned both properties as investments for a decade now. The parcel where we arending now is the Naiko Retreat, an executive retreat-sh-wellness center that never caught on. It went bankrupt during the Covid crisis, and I picked it from the bank with a cash offer. The adjoining property came up for sale when the sheep rancher decided to retire, and I bought that property along Campbell Creek as well.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #184

    ¡°Are you grazing animals on it?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t like fences, so I had them removed. The adjacent property still has the barns and the farmhouse, and they are all empty. I hired a man in town to maintain the property and buildings. If you wanted to use them, it would not take much work to get them up and running again.¡±


    Ready to use homes could help, but the home of my dreams was not here yet. ¡°What about neighbors?¡±


    ¡°There are sheep stations to the west towards Port Jervis, but I¡¯m letting thisnd go back to its natural state. It¡¯s too cool and dry here to farm, but the views are spectacr.¡± I had to agree with that. ¡°Even the local towns are small; Cape Jervis is closest, ten minutes away, but only has three hundred people in it. The nearest supermarket is an hour north, in the outskirts of Adide.¡±


    ¡°What if we want to live somewhere closer to civilization?¡±


    Alessandro shrugged. ¡°If you decide not to take it, I¡¯ll work out a deal with the Government for it. They¡¯ve been after me for years so they can expand the Park and add two more public ess beaches. The Deep Creek Conservation Park runs the next six miles east along the coastline and three miles ind, so you¡¯ll never have neighbors on that side.¡±


    I¡¯d never have imagined there could be such privacy and solitude still avable on the coast! Sure, it wasn¡¯t the trees and rivers like Melbourne had, but there was a LOT of room here. It was three times as big as Leo¡¯s territory and far more remote. The canyons would keep the Pack well hidden from outsiders even without a lot of trees.


    The helicopternded on a raised part of thend above the retreat¡¯s ¡®modern¡¯ design, and we got out and started walking towards the main building. It wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d pick for myself; It reminded me of a long pipe set on its side with its flowing shape. The retreat sat just below the hill¡¯s ess road, with full-height windows and a full-length deck on the ocean side. It perfectly ced over a small beach where a narrow canyon along rocks and cliffs of the southern coast provided some shelter from the weather. There was even a space-saucer-like building on a post at the head of the beach. The development didn¡¯t match the natural formations of the area, making it stand out even more. The spaceship was over the top; it looked like aliens had left the whole development behind. ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my favorite architecture, but it is clean andfortable. The building has three luxury suites overlooking Sprigg Inlet. There¡¯s a path to the beach, and farther east is another inlet and private beach. Of the two kilometers of oceanfront in the parcels, there is only one more ce with a beach. You saw Campbell Creek as we flew by, and it is the smallest of the three beaches.¡±


    Alessandro handed me a key as we reached the door for the suite closest to the ocean. ¡°It¡¯s thergest of the three units and has a deck on two sides you can enjoy. The other two rooms have smaller kitchens and living areas but are self-contained if desired. The previous owners rented the property out, so most times, there would be multiple couples staying here, using this kitchen and the outdoor kitchen for meals.¡±


    The main living area had a tall firece, with windows and French doors leading to the deck. The view was unparalleled, no matter where you were. The king-sized bed sat across from the southeast-facing windows, and the two-person soaking tub in the bathroom had the deluxe view as well. ¡°I love this ce,¡± I said as we returned to the living area. ¡°So private and beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Plenty ofnd for a Pack to run at night,¡± Nichs agreed.


    ¡°We thought you would enjoy some time alone for your honeymoon,¡± Emily said.


    Alessandro gestured for us to walk out again, leaving our bags by the door. ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide anything about thend right now. You can spend the next three days here, exploring thend and enjoying your honeymoon. We stocked the kitchens, and there is an ATV outside and a Jetski down at the beach. You can get phone and inte ess here, but the rooms have no televisions on purpose. It was a rxation retreat, after all.¡±


    ¡°I think I could watch the ocean all day long,¡± I said as I looked out towards Kangaroo Ind in the distance.


    ¡°Let us know if you want thisnd as a wedding gift or not, and take as much time as you need to decide. If you want to go a different way, then we¡¯ll give you a cash gift towards another property.¡±


    That brought up a sticky point. Seven hundred acres of coastline property couldn¡¯t be cheap. ¡°How much is this gift worth?¡±


    ¡°The assessed value is just over six million dors. The other option is five million in cash. Of course, with either option, gift taxes will take up just over two million dors. You will likely spend just as much on building a home here big enough to meet your needs.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just started crying. I was so overwhelmed by the generous gift. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Enjoy your honeymoon,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°If you wish, the helicopter can bring guests to join you tomorrow, and they can use the other two rooms. Call or text me, and I¡¯ll set it up. The helicopter will return for you at six PM on January third in any case.¡± They walked back to the helicopter, and we waved as it took off.


    Nichs looked at me, his eyes filled with feral lust. ¡°You have exactly one minute to be naked in bed, my mate,¡± he growled.


    I pulled off my dress, then took off my swimsuit, tossing them onto a deck chair. ¡°Who¡¯s going to see us,¡± I challenged back. I leaned over the deck rail and wiggled my butt while I looked out over the deep blue waters. The weather was perfect, still in the eighties with a breeze off the water. I could hear Nichs pulling his clothes off while I listened to the sound of the crashing surf and the sea birds overhead.


    I sensed his approach and waited for him to fill me. I¡¯d been horny all day, and I could tell he felt the same. I fully expected him to take me hard and fast, sating his lust so the next times would be slower and more romantic.


    I did not expect to hear the deck chair as he pulled it behind me. ¡°I love this view,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful here,¡± I agreed.


    I felt his hands move up the outsides of my thighs, gently teasing me and setting them on fire with the tingling sensations. ¡°Whatever happens, do not move.¡±


    I felt yful. ¡°Or what? You¡¯re going to spank me?¡±


    I heard the smack of his hand on my ass a moment before the pain made it to my brain. Startled, I straightened up, only to have his hand smack the other cheek. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes,¡± he said. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    I leaned back down until my elbows were on the railing and waited. Nichs¡¯s hands resumed their travels, and I jumped a little as his lips and tongue joined the party. He kissed each cheek, which still stung from his blows, making them all better. ¡°That tickles,¡± I said as his hands moved up the sides of my torso, then back down to the front of my thighs. He continued to tease and torment me for at least ten more minutes, and he never ONCE touched or licked me the way I begged him to. I was swollen and dripping, panting with desire for him, with only the ocean breeze cooling me off.


    When he suddenly leaned forward and ced his face between my thighs and let his tongue circle my clit, I went off like a rocket. ¡°NICHOLAS,¡± I screamed into the wind. He used his hands to hold me in ce as he plundered my treasures with his tongue, finding everything I had hidden from sight. He was using his long tongue like a sword, swiping it up and down mybia, then plunging it deep into my depths.


    I was in heaven. Several times. Thest time, when he pinched my nipples while nibbling on my clit, I squirted for the first time in my life. When I could see straight, I looked back to see him naked and ready behind me. ¡°Please, love, take me!¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he replied. He rubbed the head of hisrge cock through my lips, getting it lubricated, then pushed into me with one hard thrust.


    ¡°FUCK YEA,¡± I yelled as he went balls-deep. ¡°Take me hard, baby. I want you to fill me up.¡±


    Nichs didn¡¯t do what I asked. Instead, he pulled out so slowly I could feel every ridge and vein of his cock as I stretched around it. I felt empty when the head popped out before Nichs pushed it back in just as slowly. He repeated this a few times before he started to speed up. I tried to take control by moving my butt back, but that just earned me a spank and a slowdown. ¡°I said don¡¯t move,¡± he growled after another hard smack.


    My body was loving the treatment, as was my wolf. The little hussy was more than happy to be bent over with her mate dominating her from behind. I had to admit that my human side liked it too. I stopped resisting and let him take me how he wanted.


    Two orgasmster, I finally got the pounding I¡¯d asked of him. The sound of smacking flesh and the wet, sucking sounds of hot sex filled the air as he pressed me up against the railing and fucked the shit out of me. He finally shoved himself deep inside me, lifting me off the deck with his hips, and started filling me with his warm jets. I peaked again, my greedy pussy milking his shaft for every bit of sperm it could draw out.


    Married sex rocked my world!


    Both of us were breathing hard as he picked me up. Somehow, he sat us down on the lounge chair while keeping himself deep inside me. I leaned back against his chest, wondering how life could be any better than it was right now. ¡°I love you, Nichs.¡±


    ¡°I love you more, Vicki.¡±


    I could have stayed there forever, but my stomach started to growl, then his cock popped out and unleashed the floodwaters. I looked down, mortified, as Nichsughed. ¡°Go take a shower, and I¡¯ll hose this off before joining you,¡± he said. ¡°Then we can see what they left us in the fridge.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He joined me a few minutester, and after a little oral encouragement, he took me again in the shower. I pulled on one of his T-shirts while he grabbed some thin shorts and a shirt and went off to the kitchen. ¡°Jackpot,¡± he said as he came out with two big steaks.


    ¡°Get that on the grill, and I¡¯ll figure out the sides,¡± I said. I found some frozen potato wedges, then steamed some broli while it was baking. There were a dozen bottles of wine in the cupboard, so I poured a ss of Merlot for each of us as I set the table.


    We ate out on the deck, talking about the incredible day we had today. ¡°I could get used to this,¡± I said as I looked over the waves.


    ¡°We should go out as wolves after dark,¡± he said. ¡°Run the property and get a feel for the ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± I hadn¡¯t shifted enough in thest few months, and running for a fallen warrior wasn¡¯t like running with your mate.

 SHARKBAIT #185

    We finished the wine as we watched the sun go down over the hills, then cleaned up. We stripped down and shifted, shaking out our fur. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the beach first.¡± We followed the trail down to Sprigg Inlet, chasing each other in the sand and running in the surf. Heading up the other side, we got to a point about a hundred and fifty feet wide before cliffs went down to the next beach, which was slightlyrger. I sniffed around the edge, finallyying down at the end of the point above the crashing surf. ¡°This is incredible,¡± I said.


    Nichs was breathing hard next to me after our game of chase. He looked at the point. ¡°You know, if you were to build on this point, you¡¯d have amazing views out of three sides of the house.¡±


    ¡°Is it wide enough?¡±


    ¡°We could find out. Make it two stories to double the views, a little longer than wider to match the Point, but the vistas would be spectacr. Cliffs on three sides, overlooking two beaches, and miles of ocean in front.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to tell him that I¡¯d fallen in love with this ce, so I just agreed. Ten minutester, he suggested we run the perimeter, and I reluctantly got up.


    We returned to the resort two hourster, after checking out the border and the other buildings. One thing we agreed on was that we needed some independent advice. I made a few phone calls, asking my parents, Leo, and Adrienne to join us tomorrow at dinnertime with ns to stay for two more days.


    **********


    I woke to the most amazing feelings in the world.


    My hands moved to touch the head between my thighs as my mate teased and licked at my slightly-soredy bits. I cracked an eye open to see the nket popped up around him, and behind him, the picture windows showed the ocean in the morning light. ¡°Mmmmm,¡± I moaned softly as his tongue moved slowly up to circle my ¡®man in a boat.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t stop, baby.¡±


    He kept up the teasing as I woke up, working me to a very pleasurable orgasm that had me wrapping my legs around him and convulsing. When the spasms stopped, I let him go and flipped the sheets down to expose him. ¡°You can wake me like that all the time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Except when you wake me that way,¡± he teased as he moved up my body. His cock had been up for a while and was raring to go. Moving between my legs, he found the spot and pushed forward until fully sheathing himself in me. ¡°So good,¡± he said.


    ¡°Gentle, I¡¯m a little sore,¡± I told him. We took our time making love, him on top for a bit, then I rolled him over and rode him. My favorite was reverse cowgirl, with both of us able to see the ocean view as we rocked together. I was building to a peak, helped by his fingers reaching around between my legs, and I started moving faster. ¡°Cum with me, my mate.¡±


    I bounced on him for a few more strokes, then mmed down on him with a scream as my release came. He held onto my hips and pushed up, emptying his balls inside me. When the tremors ended, he rolled us onto our sides. When he fell out, he got up and went to the bathroom, bringing back a wet washcloth and a towel for me. ¡°We made a mess,¡± I said as I looked down at the wet spot we¡¯d left. ¡°The whole ce smells like sex, and my parents will be here tonight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are fresh sheets around, and your parents expect the ce to smell this way since we are newly mated. I¡¯m sure there are fresh sheets somewhere, and I can open up the doors and air it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make breakfast while you do,¡± I told him. I cleaned up and dressed, then went into the kitchen. It had dropped into the sixties overnight, so I opened the doors and windows to let the sea breezes through. I found bacon, eggs, and pancake mix and was cooking things up when Nichs came out of the bedroom. ¡°I can¡¯t get over these views,¡± I told him as I flipped the pancakes.


    ¡°I know. What do you want to do today?¡± He came into the kitchen next to me, and I handed over the bacon duties to him. I loved that he knew how to cook and clean; I¡¯d have to thank Dorothy for raising him that way.


    ¡°Take a look at the other buildings and the property line in the daylight? We could take the ATV out.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. Alessandro left a property map by the door. Maybe in the afternoon, we could use the jetski to explore from the water?¡±


    Now THAT would be fun. We looked over the property documents as we ate breakfast out on the deck, building up our energy for the long day. ¡°What is the climate here like?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right on the ocean, so a lot depends on which way the wind is blowing.¡± He pulled up climate data on his phone, while I pulled up Miesville, what I was used to, on my phone. ¡°We¡¯re in summer now, with January the hottest month.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty dang nice for summer,¡± I said.


    ¡°Unless the wind is blowing from the Outback and deserts north of us, the ocean keeps things tempered. Record heat is one hundred and eight, but most summers, we don¡¯t see a hundred.¡± He flipped over to the forecast, which had crazy weather cycles. Today was going to be ny-one, then the next two days in the sixties before a couple more days with highs in the eighties again.


    ¡°It¡¯s like Duluth up on Lake Superior; if you don¡¯t like the weather, just wait,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Our winter is cool, sometimes rainy, but nothing like what I see in Miesville. Record lows are just above freezing. If we want snow, we have to go to the mountains. With the wind and cool, it¡¯s lots of slickers and sweaters.¡±


    ¡°It sounds a lot like the Pacific Northwest,¡± I said. ¡°Not as much rain. I can tell by the vegetation that this is a more arid climate.¡±


    ¡°Cool, dry, and sunny isn¡¯t a badbination.¡±


    I had to agree; my wolf preferred cooler weather to the hot tropics. ¡°How far are we from your parents and the other Pack members in Port Lincoln?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Not that far as the crow flies, but the helicopter is a LOT faster than the other options.¡± He pulled up the map on his phone. ¡°Seven and a half hours driving, IF you time the ferry ride perfectly.¡± He showed me the map; you had to drive north through Adide, take a ferry across the Spencer Gulf from Waroo to Lucky Bay, then another three hours driving south along the west side to get home.¡± He pressed some more buttons. ¡°Heck, it¡¯s only nine hours to Melbourne.¡±


    ¡°Getting a pilot¡¯s license is sounding better all the time,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°We should see if there¡¯s a suitable ce to put in an airstrip or an airport nearby we could use.¡±


    ¡°And a helipad.¡± That would be easy, and we could put one near the house. ¡°What about your school?¡±


    He leaned back in his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be a full-time medical student and an Alpha, especially with everything we have going on,¡± he said. ¡°Working with Leo while you finished the tour showed me just how much I need to learn. The Pack is more important right now.¡±


    Unfortunately, I knew just how he felt. My school had to take a backseat to my modeling and production work, and that was before I became Alpha of a scattered Pack. It was only going to get worse. ¡°What are you going to do instead?¡±


    He tapped on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple of options. One is to stay here and guide the Pack while you are filming in the States. Leo, Ivan, and Adrienne all volunteered to visit to help train me.¡± I thanked Luna that they were so invested in us seeding. I¡¯d grown up learning about the Alpha position that Nichs and the Southern Cross Pack just found out existed. ¡°They also said I could fly back to the States with you and visit the Miesville and Stillwater Packs while you are at sea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for three months filming, starting in the spring,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to do both. I¡¯d ask if Leo can help me here for six weeks, then I¡¯d fly to the States with them and spend thest six weeks there. That way, we can take a vacation together before flying back home. Maybe Hawaii this time, to cut down the flight times?¡±


    I smiled at that; Hawaii would be epic. Maybe I could film an episode there too? There was also San Diego, where I hoped to be able to film training with the SEALs. ¡°We can do that.¡±


    ¡°If I have time, I¡¯d like to start taking business sses. I can do most of it from here by video andputer, maybe driving up to Adide when I need to be there in person.¡±


    ¡°Not medicine?¡±


    He reached his hand over and touched my hand. ¡°You need help running Sharkbait Productions and the Sharkbait Foundation. We¡¯re going to be handling millions of dors in assets and investments, plus you will be busy with the Pack and the Australian Council. Luna made me your mate so I could help shoulder some of this load you¡¯re carrying, and this is the way to do it.¡±


    I loved him so much, it hurt. I moved over, snuggling into his arms, and just enjoying the feeling of a mate who put me first. ¡°Who do we leave in charge while we are gone?¡± We hadn¡¯t announced the structure of the Pack yet, as we were still working on the holdout families to get them to join us.

 SHARKBAIT #186

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see my father as my Beta, and Leo agrees,¡± Nichs said. ¡°The holdup is my Mom. The Beta couple needs to be wolves, and my Mom is still human. She¡¯d have to make the change.¡±


    ¡°Ian is strong enough to be our Beta. The question is whether Dorothy would risk it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already agreed and was waiting until after the wedding,¡± Nichs replied. ¡°She wants to go through it while Leo and Adrienne are here to help her. We haven¡¯t lost anyone, not yet.¡± It was true; our Pack was now eight-for-eight on changes, and no one could exin why. It was like flipping a coin and getting eight consecutive heads.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°They can do it here,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s the other house, right?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°We should probably make sure it¡¯s livable before we invite them, though.¡±


    I got up and helped him up before we closed up the room and headed for the ATV. I was thrilled to find two of them in the garage; I¡¯d been riding since I was six, and these were high-end, powerful models. There were some helmets on a shelf, so I found one that fit and fired my machine up. I let out a whoop as I elerated out of the garage, turning right on the road with Nichs right behind me.


    A group of grey kangaroos looked up from their grazing as we passed by. The onene dirt road wound along the coast, and it was a fast ride to the farmhouse at the adjacent parcel. Nichs opened the door, and we walked in. ¡°It¡¯s not musty,¡± I said.


    ¡°The caretaker must be keeping it up,¡± I said. The lights turned on, revealing a cozy farmhouse with a big kitchen. The refrigerator and freezer contained only beer, water, and cokes. The cabs had all the tes and utensils needed, and the furniture and main bed were all covered. We checked the faucets and bathrooms, and everything worked. ¡°Let¡¯s open the ce up and give it a cleaning,¡± I said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take that long,¡± Nichs agreed. ¡°You¡¯re all right with theming?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°We have room, and we all need to talk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call home while you get started,¡± he said. Thirty minutester, the ce was ready for them. Ian promised he¡¯d bring ¡®an Esky full of meat¡¯ along, which was a good idea for a new wolf.


    I¡¯d talked with Alessandro briefly; the other Masters were flying out now, so I¡¯d have to thank themter. Alessandro assured me we could use the property, including the farmhouse, as long as needed. ¡°The three days thing was because you¡¯d be going straight to the airport. We hired a jet to take you to meet up with your family and friends on the Gold Coast. They are at one of my homes on Mermaid Beach for four more days before you alle down to my estate in Sydney. They can fly home from there.¡±


    ¡°They all left?¡±


    ¡°When you invited your parents and your aunt and uncle, they decided to stay behind and fly out with you. The rest of them are having a great time on the beach. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, Alessandro. This ce is amazing. You¡¯ve done so much for me that I¡¯ll never be able to repay.¡±


    ¡°The other Masters and I are happy we could help out our friends, Vicki. Enjoy your stay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we are,¡± I said before saying goodbye.


    I found Nichs sitting outside on a porch swing, watching the ocean. ¡°Our honeymoon will continue on the beach,¡± I told him before sitting next to him and filling him in.


    ¡°That was very generous of Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°It was. Now, I need you to make love to me again before we finish looking at the property.¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°How am I supposed to get anything done around here with your constant demands for sex?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get as much done as I do when Nick Junior gets excited,¡± I teased back. I stood up, pulling off my clothes and tossing them on the seat. ¡°We should make sure this railing is safe,¡± I said as I bent over, looking out at the ocean below us.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be too safe,¡± he said as he dropped his shorts and moved behind me.


    The railing was still sound, as was the swing, the door, and the kitchen counter.


    ______________


    We drank some water looked around. We found some big coolers in the garage and enough bungees to strap them to the cargo racks on the ATV¡¯s. ¡°We can check out the property, then head into Cape Jervis and get as much ice as we can carry,¡± Nichs said. I didn¡¯t mind, I loved riding, and it was only six or so miles away.


    There were no decent airports closer than Adide, so I was relieved when we found a level section at the edge of the property alongside Talisker Road. Nichs thought we could put a small airstrip and hangar in and not ruin the rest of the property. We kept driving north on the road to Silverton, loving the views, then headed west to Cape Jervis.


    The town only had three hundred people and depended on tourism and fishing to support them. We pulled into the parking lot of the Cape Jervis Tavern and General Store, making meugh a little. ¡°It¡¯s like a bigger Miesville,¡± I said. They had ice for sale out front, so we bought all we could carry. The clerk recognized us from the news, so we posed for some photos before heading back out.


    We drove back to the room, leaving the coolers of ice by the tub, and made lunch before going out on the jetski for the afternoon. Our bags included our dive gear from the wedding so we could do some underwater exploration as well. The riptides and currents along the shoreline were strong, and the rocky bottom reminded me of diving off Cape Cod.


    The helicopter was supposed to arrive at five, so we made sure we had all the ingredients to go along with whatever meats Ian brought. We went outside when the helicopter arrived, waving at the pilot as he left behind the six people we¡¯d invited. I saw Dorothy¡¯s fresh bite; she would make her shift tomorrow. Nichs took the meat around to the grill while I showed everyone our room. ¡°You can leave our stuff there for now,¡± Ian told me. ¡°We¡¯ll be up all night with the fevers.¡±


    ¡°We can use the tub in our bathroom,¡± I told them. I gave Mom and Dad the far room and put Leo and Adrienne in the middle. I figured it would be less embarrassing for my Unka to hear us screwing all night long than my Mom.


    ¡°Are you sure you want us around on your honeymoon? You only had a day together,¡± Mom asked as we checked on the food in the oven.


    ¡°I asked you here, remember? Time is short, and I need your help.¡± We ate at the long table in the dining room, and I got everyone up to speed on the gift from the Vampires and what it meant. ¡°What I don¡¯t know is whether I should take thisnd that I¡¯ve fallen in love with or move somewhere closer to the other Pack members.¡±


    Leo sipped his wine as he considered his answer, while Olivia just blurted it out. ¡°Your question is your answer, Vicki. You always wanted to live on the ocean, and this property is remote andrge enough to let your wolves out. This view is your dream.¡±


    She was right. Leo spoke next. ¡°The real question is how you can be an Alpha when your Pack is so scattered.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said.


    Adrienne answered first. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice at first; they are scattered about, each with their own homes and jobs. Wolves need to shift and run, and they instinctively want to be close to their Alphas. You have a safe ce here for them to visit, and over time, you¡¯ll find they will move closer on their own. Adide is close enough for those who need work or school in the city. There are fishing viges andnd around for those who want to stay rural. Help them with moving expenses, local schools, and employment, and within a decade, most of them will live nearby.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re selling the business,¡± Ian said, shocking Nichs with his words. ¡°South Australia Seafoods made an offerst month to buy out our permits and our pens. With no new permits issued for over a decade, their value has skyrocketed. It¡¯s enough money for your Uncle and me to retire, plus the real estate prices in Port Lincoln are nuts. When Alessandro told us what their gift was, we started looking at homes on this side of the Gulf. Both of our families will find a quiet ce nearby, and others will follow.¡±


    I¡¯d expected they might talk me out of living here, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Leo finished his wine. ¡°If your mate can take us out, I¡¯d like to see the rest of thend,¡± he said.


    ¡°We only have two ATV¡¯s,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I need to let my wolf out, so Mom can ride with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Olivia on the other, and you boys can wolf out,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean up and get dessert ready for when youe back,¡± I said. ¡°Nichs, make sure you show them where I want our house to be. I don¡¯t even know if it is possible to build there, but Leo will.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #187

    I told them all to go before it got too dark. When the group took off, I cleaned up. I had the pies ready to go when they came back in, tired and excited. ¡°The verdict?¡±


    Leo sat down at the table, looking again at the map. ¡°Design, zoning, setbacks, money, coastal restrictions? Any house there could be spectacr. The questions are, what do you want, how much are you willing to spend, and will the Government let you put it there?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide right away, but I¡¯d hire an architect right away. They will know what is allowed by coastal zoning.¡± I added that to my list.


    Leo smiled as I handed him a slice of pie and ice cream. ¡°I will say that it is the finest property I¡¯ve visited in my three-plus decades as a builder. I¡¯d get someone here tomorrow, so they can survey the site and put sketches together while you¡¯re traveling.¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°It seems like all I do is travel.¡±


    ¡°At least you have a good job, so we¡¯re not reliant on MY ie,¡± Nichs teased. ¡°We all agreed that the property allows for a fine Pack House, and our jobs would allow us to work from this remote location. I can find some options if we decide not to take it, but I know that look on your face, Vicki. You want this.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said. I knew my family would support my dreams, so now I needed to talk to my Pack.


    We retired with drinks to the deck to watch the starse out. This far from any city, there was almost no light pollution as we looked out past the crashing surf below. ¡°What are you thinking about for the design of your home,¡± Leo asked me as he refilled his wine ss.


    ¡°Not like this,¡± I said. ¡°Modern design with its metal and ss does nothing for me.¡±


    Nichs nodded. ¡°Most of the homes built around Port Lincoln are like that, and they suck. I much prefer the historical.¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°Close your eyes, and imagine your home on that point. What do you see?¡±


    I closed my eyes and let my imagination wander. ¡°It looks like it has been there for centuries,¡± I said. ¡°Stone walls with big windows and a deep patio. It¡¯s two stories, like a fort, with three sides facing the sea and the two beaches. There is a wraparound deck on the second floor, with ess to the rooms. You can move anywhere to get the right view or stay out of the wind or sun. The top is t, a ce to gather for parties or to enjoy the sun. Everything is about the ocean and the views, Unka Leo. It has a big swimming pool in the middle, and a conservatory for the winter on the north side with lots of ss and sunlight.¡±


    Leo had asked Nichs to get his tablet, and he came out with it a few momentster. ¡°Come sit here by me, you two.¡± We sat on each side of him at the outdoor table as he searched for examples. ¡°You¡¯ll want a big house with at least eight bedrooms, Vicki. As Pack Alphas, you¡¯ll need to host Pack families and visitors often, and you¡¯re too far out for anything else. You¡¯re looking at mansions, even smaller buildings turned into hotels. The good news is that you have the money to pull it off. I started the search with historical Australian homes,¡± he said. ¡°Look through these, and see if there is something simr out there. If you like it, save the picture and move on. When you talk with your architect, you¡¯ll be able to show him things you want in your home.¡±


    It was a great idea, and the two of us were quickly immersed in photos while Leo went in to get a pad of paper. He made a rough sketch of the point and startedying out the boundaries of a house. Leo¡¯s practicality made an appearance, popping one of my bubbles. ¡°You¡¯ve got a problem with theyout,¡± he said. ¡°A U-shaped or rectangr home won¡¯t work with a pool in the middle.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Setbacks,¡± he said. ¡°I paced out the top of that point; it runs between a hundred and a hundred and fifty feet wide in the area you want to build. The building site is bedrock covered with sand and soil. That¡¯s good because you might be able to dig a basement and anchor it firmly, but you can¡¯t get too close to the edges, or your yard could copse. I¡¯d set back at least thirty feet from any cliff, and that leaves you only forty feet wide for your home. You could build a long, narrow house with a central passageway, but putting a pool or conservatory in the center won¡¯t happen on that point. You could do it above the next beach, though.¡±


    ¡°You have an idea, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve got million-dor views on the point AND curving around to the east over that beach. Build the house on the point, build a pool overlooking the beach, and put a conservatory in the middle like a joint connecting them. If you use the same materials, it will look like a fort and a barracks.¡±


    I was still smarting from the loss of the enclosed pool. ¡°Can you sketch it out?¡± He nodded and went to work.


    I stopped scrolling a few minutester and erged a photo, smiling broadly. ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Nichs said. The main building was a stone two-story building with a wrap-around covered deck. ¡°Hazelmere,¡± he said. Opening a new window, he found it was a wedding venue and bed-and-breakfast in Echunga, a rural area in horse country about an hour north of here.


    We flipped through the photos as I fell in love with the Aussie Victorian design, abination of rugged stonework and ornate cast iron. At first, I thought the home had a full-pitch roof, but there was a t portion at the top. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way there is a roof, then another roof a foot or two lower that covers the upper deck,¡± I said.


    Leo nced over. ¡°tten the roof pitch and extend it out over the deck, and don¡¯t make it as high so you can get your entertaining space up top,¡± he said. ¡°Easy fix.¡±


    ¡°It would look nice with matching railing on the second floor and the roof,¡± Mom said. ¡°Kind of like the widow¡¯s walks they have in some of the port towns in New Ennd. Can you imagine having a social gathering overlooking all of this?¡±


    I could, and I loved the idea. It also had a massive indoor pool. ¡°Do you think we could visit this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring the architect,¡± Nichs promised. One of the things I loved about Nichs was how decisive he was, and he matched me perfectly. Both of us knew what we liked, and we didn¡¯t agonize over little things. We¡¯d alreadye together on the vision, and now it was mundane things like how to build it.


    Leo showed me a sketch of his idea. He¡¯d added a cottage on the other end of the pool area, overlooking the private beach. ¡°Guest home for when Unka and Auntiee visit the grandkids,¡± he said with a smile.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Olivia looked over at the drawing and agreed. ¡°When wee to visit, we¡¯re staying a while,¡± she promised. ¡°I can just imagine escaping the January cold here!¡±


    We were busy with more research when Ian noticed his wife was flushed and ufortable. He checked her forehead. ¡°The fevers have started,¡± he told us.

 SHARKBAIT #188

    ¡°Take her inside and run a cool bath for her,¡± Leo said. Ian helped her to her feet and led her to our bathroom.


    ¡°We should get some sleep while we can,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Ian will be up all night with her, and she should have an Alpha around when it gets bad. You two take the first watch; we¡¯ll wake up at two and take over.¡±


    ¡°We should get some sleep as well,¡± Brent said. ¡°Wake us up if you need more help.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I will,¡± I told them. Nichs helped me clean up outside, and then we checked in on Dorothy.


    ¡°How is she doing,¡± I asked my father-inw as we went into the fancy bathroom.


    ¡°Fever peaked at thirty-eight point five and is now thirty-eight.¡±


    I popped up my conversion table on my phone and saw that she was now at one-hundred-point-four Fahrenheit, barely qualifying as a fever. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a robe. Nichs, get your Mom something to drink.¡± I grabbed a fluffy robe out of a cab and held it out as Ian dried her off. She was a good-looking woman for her age, and her active life kept her in shape.


    I helped her put on the robe, and we went back outside. The evening breeze off the water would do her good; I wasfortable in my jeans and a sweater I¡¯d pulled on. We all knew the fever woulde in waves, so she had to recover in between bouts until the fevers took overpletely. None of us said anything as we looked out at the moonlit waters, which meant we all heard it.


    Thump. Thump. Thump. ¡°Oh yeah, baby, that¡¯s so GOOD!¡±


    I blushed, burying my hands in my face in embarrassment as I heard Olivia¡¯s passionate talk with my Dad from the open window in their bedroom. ¡°Harder, love! Pound me good!¡±


    ¡°Should I tell them,¡± I asked Nichs?


    ¡°Let them have their fun. What did you expect when you gave your parents a romantic room over the water? Just ignore it.¡±


    ¡°Brent adopted me. That means I can pretend my parents never have sex,¡± I replied.


    Nichsughed and pulled me into hisp so I could rest my head against his chest. His heartbeat helped cover up the sounds, but it didn¡¯t stop them. ¡°I think she¡¯s almost as loud as you during sex.¡±


    Just when I thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, it did. Another female voice started moaning in pleasure, this time mixed with the sloshing of water. Yep, my Aunt Adrienne was getting some action in the soaking tub. I now had my former Alphas screwing vigorously just a few yards away from us. I just shook my head as I listened to my Mom and my Aunt having hot sex. Ian and Dorothy either didn¡¯t hear it, unlikely for Ian, or they ignored it. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Well, you could bend over the rail again, and I could issue a challenge the old guys to see who can make their mate cum the most times. Who knows, maybe I can make your Mom jealous?¡±


    ¡°NICHOLAS!¡±


    ¡°What? Your mom is still smoking hot, and Adrienne¡¯s a redhead! I don¡¯t me them for tapping dat ass every chance they get.¡± I sat there, mouth open, as my Mom screamed out her release. ¡°I know I¡¯ll never tire of this. We¡¯ll be a hundred years old, sitting on the porch swing watching our great-grandchildren y, and I¡¯ll still be copping a feel,¡± he said as he ran his hand up my side to cup my boob. I could feel his love over the bond, and I was getting excited. Nichs¡¯s eyes darkened as he scented my lust, and Ian could probably smell it now too.


    ¡°You two go inside and have some fun,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine out here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Nichs said as he picked me up in his arms.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to¡­¡± I started.


    ¡°Give us grandchildren unless you get busy,¡± Ian finished. ¡°Go have fun, newlyweds. Enjoy your honeymoon, and don¡¯t worry about making noise. Nobody else is.¡±


    At least in the bedroom with the doors and windows closed, I couldn¡¯t hear our neighbors. I was pretty sure they heard ME the three times I came hard before Nichs finished. Dorothy wasn¡¯t the only one flushed and sweaty when we came back out. ¡°Tub time?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ian replied. Dorothy¡¯s fever got up to a hundred and three this time despite the ice we added to the cold water. That was the pattern until two in the morning when I turned over to Leo and Adrienne. ¡°We¡¯ll move her over to Leo¡¯s room,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you two want to get some ¡®sleep¡¯ tonight,¡± Leo said with air quotes.


    ¡°As much as you got,¡± I teased back. We took a quick shower, and we did sleep, at least until seven-thirty when Mom woke me up.


    ¡°Leo needs you in his room,¡± Olivia told me after I opened the door. ¡°It¡¯s not going well.¡±


    I quickly dressed and went next door. Ian was dumping another bag of ice into the tub as Adrienne checked her temperature. ¡°She¡¯s at a hundred and six,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°If we can¡¯t get this fever down soon¡­.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to finish; we all knew what would happen if the fever didn¡¯t break. ¡°We need to pull her wolf forward, guys. With four Alphas in the room, we might have more sess.¡±


    I looked inward to my wolf, letting her reach out to the wolf inside Dorothy that was trying toe out. I could sense her; she was weak and tired. ¡°We need you to be strong for your family, Dorothy,¡± I whispered into her ear. She was delirious and probably wouldn¡¯t understand me, but that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Nichs needs you to hold our children and tell them stories.¡± I kept talking as Ian held her hand, telling her about the big family we were going to have and how much we needed her here with us.


    Ten minutester, her temperature had dropped by two tenths. The boys put ice in as fast as it melted, and we all let out a sigh of relief when the fever finally broke. ¡°Ian?¡±


    ¡°You made it through the fevers, my love. We¡¯re going to take you outside so you can shift.¡±


    ¡°I can hear my wolf talking to me,¡± she said. ¡°We did it.¡±


    I knew it wasn¡¯t over yet, and there would be a lot of pain associated with her first shift. Ian picked her up and carried her outside to where Olivia hadid a nket down. Hidden by the building and the hills, no one would see or hear the change.


    Olivia went inside to prepare some raw meat. ¡°I can¡¯t watch,¡± she told me as she walked off. The memories of her first shift were still fresh after all these years. Mom didn¡¯t have the willing turn of a mate, but the forced turn after rival wolves ran our car off the road and tried to kill us. It all worked out when she found out Brent was her mate, but it was hard for her.


    Leo sent Brent out in the ATV to make sure no hikers or trespassers were around, knowing her wolf would need to run after it emerged. Dad came back thirty minutes and reported we were all clear.


    The pops of bones and the screams of pain elerated as the change pushed topletion, finally leaving a small grey wolf with ck socks and a ck right ear tip on the nket. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± Ian said as he stroked her fur. We all shifted to greet our new Pack member, licking her face in greeting before Leo brought her into the Pack.


    ¡°You did great, Mom,¡± Nichs said as he plopped his big body down in front of her. Nichs was twice her size, with Leo a little bigger still. Olivia was the only one not shifted yet; she was feeding Dorothy pieces of meat, which her wolf gobbled up. Once she¡¯d caught her wind, we encouraged Dorothy to stand. Her head came up to my shoulders; as Alpha Females, Adrienne and I were muchrger in wolf form. Dorothy was an Omega wolf by her size andck of dominance. Omegas were the norm for human turns, joining the unranked who formed the majority of most Packs.


    Once we got her used to standing and moving around, she was eager to run in her new form. Leo let out a yip and headed for the canyon leading away from the coast, urging them to follow. We started at a slow trot, with Nichs and I surrounding Ian and Dorothy and Mom and Dad behind us. Once she was moving smoothly, Leo picked up the pace.


    It was during the run I sensed something wasn¡¯t going right. Ian wanted to run close to Dorothy, but she growled and snapped at him when he did. ¡°What is going on, Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not my mate,¡± she sent back over the Pack link. ¡°LEAVE ME ALONE!¡±

 SHARKBAIT #189

    Consu Mardona¡¯s POV


    My Mermaidwyer, Francisco de Leon, booked me on a flight for Australia that left just before midnight on January first. Of course, nothing in my new life was easy. A week after my shotgun wedding to Master Vespi, followed by my betrayal of my Coven, a new Master was in ce for Mexico City.


    Emily and the Masters had cleaned house, and only a dozen Mexican vampires above newborn age remained. Esmerelda, the petite vampire from the Cancun branch, was the oldest of the remaining Mexican vampires and imed leadership. The way Esmerelda helped Alpha Steven in the takedown of Mateo and the other Cancun vampires was in her favor. She was strong enough to hold it for now, and Emily¡¯s rmendation sealed it with Cyprian.


    It wasn¡¯t without controversy; some Vampire Council members wanted to destroy every Mexican Coven vampire and start over.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Other Masters wanted to keep the Coven but install new leadership of their choice. Emily exined that as vampires became strong enough to threaten leadership, they either had to move ¡°up or out.¡± Moving out meant going to another Coven. Moving up meant killing your Master.


    There were plenty of strong vampires eager to fill the power void. The prospect of controlling Vespi¡¯s fortune by controlling me made it even more attractive. I was d that Cyprian and other Masters stood up for me and said no. The Supreme Vampire would not allow me to be used as a pawn again. I¡¯d risked too much to be a ything for another vampire.


    That didn¡¯t mean everyone was happy with the situation. Esmerelda was the new Master, and everyone knew Esmerelda had betrayed her Coven. How could she be trusted to follow Councilw?


    I was a youngling, and everyone knew what I¡¯d done. I¡¯d betrayed my Coven to the werewolves, then poisoned my Master and the next two in line with tainted blood. How could I be trusted in a Coven?


    I didn¡¯t trust Esmerelda, and she couldn¡¯t trust me or control my fortune. I declined continued Mexico City Coven membership politely, leaving me without a Master for now. Under Councilw, Newborns and Younglings by Councilw must be under the supervision of a Master who could train us properly. It made sense; vampirism required you to learn how to entrance, feed, and move on without endangering the Coven. Undisciplined and feral vampires risked exposing all supernaturals. Rogue vampires were a danger to everyone, so they are killed on sight.


    Emily carefully examined each of the Mexico City survivors, disposing of those who didn¡¯t possess the skills for our world. Esmerelda was allowed to keep two in Mexico City, while eight different North American covens took one each. The Council made exceptions for those Covens to exceed their maximum size limits.


    I was no exception to that rule. Emily gave me a week to choose before she left for Australia. Her coven in Boston, along with Masters Pontalba¡¯s in New Orleans, Master Bongino¡¯s in Chicago, and Master Mri¡¯s in Sydney, all had open offers. I chose to go to Australia for three reasons; Vicki trusted Master Alessandro, he promised I could live on my own, and there were far fewer vampires on his territory.


    All of this was going through my mind as I took the tickets from him. ¡°You¡¯re a rich woman, Consu, and your name and face are out there. Vampire or not, there are people out there who might want to take advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Not traveling alone, for one. It would be best if you traveled with a supernatural or two that you could trust to watch your back. When you travel, stay with supernaturals if you can. Can you ask one of the local vampires to protect you?¡±


    I thought about it for a bit. I had been a vampire for a little more than a year, and I¡¯d learned not to trust anyone. I¡¯d learned quickly to avoid the older vampires and limit my interactions with the other new turns in the Coven. ¡°I need protection FROM vampires more than anything else.¡±


    Heughed, knowing my whole story. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you would. All the werewolves are long gone, so that¡¯s out. Talk to Master Alessandro; he might be able to send someone. I have an idea too, but I need to make a phone call first.¡±


    I caught Master Alessandro right after he dropped Master Cyprian and Master Emily at the airport in Sydney. She was getting ready to board her flights back to Boston after attending Vicki¡¯s wedding. ¡°All other Coven vampires have left Mexico City by now,¡± he said after I described the concern. ¡°You¡¯re connecting through Los Angeles, so perhaps I can ask Master Caroline Grey to help?¡±


    Iughed at that. ¡°I don¡¯t know Master Grey or any of the people she might send.¡±


    ¡°Give me some time, and I¡¯ll see what I can do. Do you think you¡¯ll be safe flying to Los Angeles?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said. That is how I ended up in an armored limousine, escorted by security contractors to the airport with my travelpanions. I wasn¡¯t surprised to see mywyer flying with me as far as Los Angeles, but I was surprised when he introduced me to Maribel and said she¡¯d be with me to Sydney.


    The young mermaid was friendly, and she reminded me of what I was like before my forced change. ¡°You realize we¡¯re going to be in an airne together for a whole day,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, isn¡¯t it great? I¡¯ve never been outside Mexico,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why go?¡±


    She told me about Mermaids and the difficulties they had in finding husbands with how scattered their poption was. ¡°It was Master Alessandro who rmended it. Now that Vicki is free and married, Alessandro is nning to meet in Sydney with the werewolves and mermaids. He hopes they can reach an agreement on the structure of the Australian Council.¡±


    Alessandro had told me about the structure they had nned; it was truly revolutionary. When I got trained as a newly-turned vampire, mermaids and werewolves were our enemies. ¡°Are you moving to Australia?¡±


    ¡°Only if I find a husband there. Vicki insisted that all single mermaids of age attend, whether they were heads of families or not. She¡¯s even paying for tickets and hotel rooms for those who can¡¯t afford toe otherwise. Alessandro said I might be able to meet a hundred single Mermen in one ce. Watching you and being stuck on a ne for a day is a small price to pay for the chance to meet ten times as many eligible bachelors as I¡¯ve met before.¡±


    It made sense once she exined it. Vampires didn¡¯t have emotions, we didn¡¯t love like that, and we didn¡¯t have mates. We were highly sexual, both for feeding and pleasure, and we had our favorites, but nothing like the wolves.

 SHARKBAIT #190

    We arrived in Los Angeles without incident. Francisco arranged for Airport Security to escort us to the first ss lounge to wait for our connecting flight. We were rxing with drinks in a private area when I heard high heels rushing across the floor towards us.


    ¡°Consu!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here,¡± her identical twin said as she hugged me. ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough for your help escaping from those men,¡± Makani whispered. ¡°Consu, these are my parents, Jack and Kaia.¡±


    Her mother pulled me into a hug. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she cried on my shoulder.


    ¡°Pull that table over and join us,¡± I told them after introductions wereplete. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro called Steven, and Steven suggested we take a vacation down under since we missed the wedding,¡± Noni said. ¡°Mom and Dad came down to San Diego with us to drop our men off at the base.¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t turn down a free Australian vacation,¡± Jack agreed. ¡°We¡¯re your extra security.¡±


    Four werewolves and a mermaid ought to do it.


    We exchanged stories about what happened after I left them in the cell thatst time. ¡°I feel so bad that this happened,¡± I said. ¡°Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°None of it was your fault,¡± Noni said.


    ¡°You risked yourself to get us out, and you refused the reward,¡± Makani added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the money; I have more than I know what to do with now.¡±


    Francisco nodded at that. ¡°There is something you could do,¡± he said. ¡°Sue her.¡±


    They looked at Francisco like he had two heads. Kaia spoke first. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be herwyer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to help her with what she needs,¡± Francisco replied. ¡°You six sue Vespi¡¯s estate over your kidnapping. We settle thewsuit quickly and quietly, so don¡¯t let awyer bend you over for a percentage; pay them by the hour because legal fees aren¡¯t tax-deductible. You six get millions inpensation, and I work my magic so the moneyes out of assets that we may not recover anyway. I can work out a deal with the government to call it victimpensation, after all.¡±


    ¡°Will they go for that,¡± I asked.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course. It will mean giving up ims on a chunk of your estate, but I doubt you¡¯d see it anyway. As long as you aren¡¯t personally profiting from the illegal activities, the government will be satisfied.¡± He looked over at the twins. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been hearing fromwyers already.¡±


    ¡°Only a hundred or so,¡± Makani agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is a werewolfwyer you can bring in on this, and I know Mermaidwyers in Mexico they can work with on thewsuit. Everyone wins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the others,¡± Noni said.


    Our talks had taken us to the boarding call. I thanked Francisco for his help, and we boarded the ne to Australia.


    It was going to be a fun trip.


    *********


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    ¡°LEAVE ME ALONE!¡±


    Everyone came to a stop in the narrow canyon we¡¯d been running through, shocked at what Dorothy just shouted over the link. Ian tried to approach, causing his wife to growl and raise her hackles. Adrienne moved in front of him, growling low and instantly convincing him that continuing would be a bad idea.


    ¡°What is going on, Dorothy?¡± Ian was confused, as were the rest of us.


    Nothing good woulde from pressuring her, though. Dorothy was shaking, clearly intimidated by all the powerful wolves surrounding her. ¡°You guys run it out. I¡¯ll take Dorothy back to our room,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Leo said. ¡°Link us when you¡¯re ready for our return.¡± We were all figuring it out; we¡¯d known this was a possibility but didn¡¯t expect it here. None of the wives of the Southern Cross Pack wolves were their true mates. Hell, until we arrived in Australia, the werewolves didn¡¯t know what a mate was. Isted from the rest of the world, the descendants of Philip Corcoran had to adapt to survive, and that meant mating with humans. Nichs¡¯s ancestors learned to fall in love with and marry human women, holding their wolves back from biting them. If you bite your wife, you¡¯ve doomed her to a painful death.


    In thest month, my Pack members found out about both mates and turnings. Fiona found her true mate in Joseph; he and his wolf chose her, leaving his wife Margaret to divorce him. There were only a few options for a married werewolf, and none were good. If you were happy, you could leave things as is. The good part was that this avoided the coin-flip risk of her dying from a changing bite. The downside was that Luna had a fated mate waiting out there somewhere, and she wouldn¡¯t know of the rejection. Then, if we could use scent to find the spurned mate, we could bring them together for him to reject her and hope his wolf didn¡¯t im her anyway.


    Other werewolves chose to find their mates, quietly divorcing their wives and trusting them to keep the secret.

 SHARKBAIT #191

    Dorothy was the ninth Southern Cross changed wolf and the first to reject the wolf who did it.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said to her as I trotted over, licking her neck. She followed me as I turned back for the sea and the resort. We don¡¯t say anything as we ran downhill. I talked her through shifting back when we arrive, and we went inside my room. Dorothy was exhausted from the change, so I wrapped her in a nket and set her on the couch. I ducked out to my room and pulled sweats on, then started heating the teapot for hot chocte. I gave her time to gather her thoughts.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± Dorothy finally said as I handed her a cup.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± I said as I wrapped an arm around her.


    She took a sip and got a far-away look in her eye. ¡°When I first saw Ian at the beach, I wanted him. He was strong, confident, and those muscles! I made my way over and started talking to him. He was on leave after boot camp, and I stayed with him for a week. It was glorious; he was a good and kind man and a wonderful lover. You know what I mean, right?¡±


    I just blushed. ¡°Nichs is good to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°So I heard.¡± Could I blush any harder? ¡°I didn¡¯t see him again for two months, and by then, I knew I was pregnant. I was scared and alone; I wasn¡¯t going to get rid of my baby, but I didn¡¯t want to raise it alone. Telling Ian was the hardest thing I¡¯d done, and he reacted better than I hoped. That weekend, we were married. He returned to his SAS training, and I moved onto the base when housing was avable. We had Nichs, and I raised him mostly on my own. The Regiment is hard on spouses; the men are gone more than home, the work is hazardous, and the stress built up over every month Ian served overseas.¡±


    ¡°It must have been hard.¡±


    ¡°It was. I had my Nichs, and I¡¯d grown close to Ian over the years we were together. We remained loyal to each other, united in our vows and our love for Nichs.¡±


    ¡°Did you love him?¡±


    She looked out at the ocean before continuing. ¡°I love a lot of things, Vicki. I love my son. I love you for the person you are and what you mean to my son. I love spring, and reading, and Tim Tams.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re avoiding the question.¡±


    She took another sip. ¡°I respect and love Ian, but it¡¯s not close to the love I see between you and Nichs. It¡¯sfortable and safe, but it has not been passionate for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you wanted to be a werewolf?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the changes in the women who found their mates. Ian talked to me about his n; he was willing to give up a fated mate for me, and I thought our wolves would restore what our marriage once had. With Nichs out of the house and our business sold, there was no better time to take the chance. I owed it to him and to Nichs to try, and I was certain that I¡¯d make it through.¡±


    ¡°You almost died today, Dorothy. It was that close.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know.¡± She kept looking at the ocean while sipping her cocoa, and I let herpose herself. ¡°My wolf came out during the fevers, and she told me she wanted her mate. Not Ian, her REAL mate. I needed her help to survive, so I promised her that when we finished the change together, I¡¯d give her the mate she wanted.¡±


    Wow. ¡°What happened on the run?¡±


    ¡°She was getting angry with Ian and his wolf. Ian was pushing his wolf to im me, and his wolf was fighting back as best he could. Those two aren¡¯t in bnce, and his wolf was angry and fighting him. I had to get away before Ian took any choices away from me.¡±


    It was a lot to deal with, that was certain. ¡°Is there any chance for you and Ian to stay together now?¡±


    She shook her head, no. ¡°We each have mates out there somewhere, Vicki. I¡¯m not going to sacrifice that to keep this marriage together. Nichs will understand, and we can still be friends, but right now? I¡¯m afraid he might try iming me by force. He¡¯s much stronger than I am.¡±


    ¡°That will never happen in MY pack,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sad for you, but I agree with you. You deserve the happiness that Nichs and I have found. I¡¯ll help you find it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She started crying, the emotions and the loss too much to hold back any longer. I took her cup away and stroked her hair as she cried into my shoulder, a Pack member takingfort from her Alpha. I held her until she fell asleep, thenid her down and made sure she was covered up.


    I went to Ian¡¯s bag and set it outside. ¡°You guys cane back, but only Nichses into my room. Ian, your bag is outside.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back in a minute; we¡¯re down at the beach,¡± Nichs replied. I looked out the windows and saw the line of wolves running up the trail and back to the resort units. Nichs came in, gloriously naked, and pulled me into his arms. ¡°How is Mom?¡±


    ¡°Resting,¡± I said. ¡°Fire up the grill because Mom¡¯s going to be ravenous when she wakes up.¡±


    I used the link to update Leo and Adrienne about what Dorothy told me about Ian and his wolf. They promised to talk him through it while we got lunch ready.


    I found applesauce and sd fixings in the fridge, which would be perfect for a quick lunch. I took out eight thick pork chops, seasoning them well before bringing the tray out to Nichs on the deck. ¡°Thanks, love,¡± he said as he took them from me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told him as I melted into his side.


    ¡°They are getting divorced, aren¡¯t they,¡± he asked as he put the meat on the grill.


    ¡°She and her wolf want her mate,¡± I said. ¡°I feel horrible about this. Ever since I showed up, it¡¯s been one family ripped apart after another.¡±


    ¡°NO,¡± he said as he set the empty tray down. He sat down and pulled me into hisp. ¡°None of this is your fault. Luna brought us together for a reason, and part of it was to give mates to my extended family. We needed to join the worldwidemunity and find them,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Your parents are divorcing now!¡±


    ¡°Not because of you, but because it is what their wolves require.¡±


    Iforted myself in his arms as the meat sizzled. ¡°What can we do?¡±


    ¡°We have to find their mates, Vicki. It¡¯s what werewolves and mermaids need the most.¡±


    He was right. The Southern Cross Pack was a wildcard, dozens of single wolves who had never visited other Packs or been at a scratch ¡®n sniff. ¡°We could invite wolves here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re kind of far away from the rest of them,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°It would make more sense to piggyback on the get-togethers in North America and Europe.¡±


    I thought about it as he got up to flip the meat over. ¡°The scratch ¡®n sniffs are only for Betas and above, which never made sense to me.¡±


    ¡°Most of us are Betas, though.¡±


    ¡°True, but Mom isn¡¯t. Why wouldn¡¯t we bring everyone, and ask the other Packs to bring all their unmated? Let¡¯s find ALL the mates!¡±


    He leaned down and kissed me. ¡°That¡¯s another thing I love about you, Vicki. You aren¡¯t afraid to dream big.¡±


    ¡°OOOH,¡± I said. ¡°The MERMAIDS!¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all meeting in Sydney next week to put together the Australian Council agreement, and some of the mermaids areing. Why couldn¡¯t we ask ALL the single mermaids toe?¡± He just looked at me. ¡°I know they don¡¯t have mates like us, but they¡¯re scattered all over Oz. It¡¯s hard for them to meet each other. Maybe if we get them all together, magic will happen?¡±


    Nichs thought about it as he ted the meat. ¡°What if they can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    ¡°Hell, I can. Settled families are better for the Council, and it¡¯s a small price to pay.¡± I sent a text to Master Alessandro, Linda up in Los Angeles, and Matt and Terry, the mermen we¡¯d met in Perth.


    I set the table and brought out the food, letting Dorothy sleep as the rest of us ate. ¡°The farmhouse is open if you want some privacy to talk,¡± I told a sad Ian as he poked at his food.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind talking here,¡± Dorothy said as she walked out with us. ¡°Our marriage is over, Ian, but I want to remain friends.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #192

    I fixed Dorothy a te and left her alone with Ian to talk. Everyone else had the same idea; Leo and Adrienne went to take a nap while Mom and Dad were taking the ATV¡¯s and an Esky to go exploring. ¡°You two should have some fun while you can,¡± Mom said. ¡°You only have four hours more of your honeymoon since the helicopter ising at six.¡±


    ¡°Three hours,¡± Nichs said. ¡°I asked them toe an hour early because I have a surprise in store for you.¡± He yawned. ¡°I could stand toy down for a while with my wife.¡±


    Iughed as he waggled his eyebrows at me, then gave me his puppy-dog look. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up from lunch first,¡± I said. He helped me with the table, leaving his parents as his mother ate. ¡°So what is this surprise?¡±


    ¡°If I told you, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise,¡± he said. I couldn¡¯t let that stand, so I snapped his ass with a dish towel, he retaliated, and it was on like Donkey Kong. The towel fight led to a tickle fight. A few minutester, I ended up exactly where I wanted to be: face down on the bed with my sweats at my ankles. I rolled through one orgasm after another as Nichs held my wrists behind my back. I was moaning like the bitch in heat I was, struggling enough to make it fun but not enough to get free. My mate alternated between mming his big dick into me and spanking my ass cherry red. ¡°Are you going to behave for me,¡± he said after one hard smack.


    ¡°Noooo! Ugh, ugh, FUCK YES!¡± I spasmed around him, clenching him tight, as a massive orgasm swept over me. It was too much for Nichs, who grabbed my hips and held himself deep inside as he unloaded his precious cargo into my womb. He let go of my wrists, but I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°It gets better all the time,¡± I said softly.


    He pulled out, cing the towel he¡¯d brought in under me before he rolled me until my back was against his chest. ¡°I love you so much it hurts, Vicki. Now I can understand why my parents are breaking up.¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯m failing them,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do everything you can do to find their true mates, Vicki. Joseph and I are the only ones in our Pack who know the love of a mate, and people noticed. When he met her, the love Joseph had for Fiona was more than he had for Margaret after decades of marriage. He put her aside without a second thought; it¡¯s harsh, but it¡¯s what our nature demands.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about that. ¡°What did you learn about mates growing up?¡±


    ¡°That your mate was a gift from the Goddess, meant for you, and no one else could give you what he would. They were right,¡± I said as I wiggled back into him.


    ¡°Yet I wasn¡¯t your original mate,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t hide my history from Nichs, but I could see how being ¡®second choice¡¯ raised doubts in him. ¡°And I thank Luna for that every day,¡± I said. ¡°She must have looked down at what happened and realized how bad she¡¯d screwed me over. She fixed it, though. Timothy Lords is the trial I had to endure to get Nichs Corcoran, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡± I shifted around, kicking off my sweats so I could swing my leg over his. ¡°I didn¡¯t settle for second best, no more than you did.¡±


    He looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that you had another mate too, but something happened to her. Maybe she died, or maybe she took another as a mate. You¡¯ll never know who she was or why you got another mate but think about something for a second. Am I second-best? Do you think you got cheated in the deal?¡±


    It hit him at that point. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I feel like I hit the lottery with you.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I feel the same way, baby. I don¡¯t look back because I have a future with you.¡± I pulled him close, kissing him deeply as we luxuriated in the feeling of our bond.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    ¡°We do need to talk about one thing,¡± I said. ¡°When I was in the hospital, they verified there was no damage from my ectopic pregnancy. The doctor said I needed to wait three months before trying to get pregnant. I started birth control pills that day.¡± I looked into his eyes. ¡°What do we do in April? What do you want?¡±


    He rested his head on mine. ¡°When I found out you¡¯d had an ectopic pregnancy, every emotion you could imagine went through my head. I was happy and shocked you were pregnant, angry and devastated we¡¯d lost our first child, and furious at the people who held you. When I got you back, I didn¡¯t know what to say about it because I didn¡¯t know how you felt. You had told me you didn¡¯t want to start a family yet, so I didn¡¯t know if you were mad at me for getting you pregnant.¡±


    I snuggled into his chest. ¡°I barely had a chance to feel like a mother before it was gone,¡± I whispered. ¡°In my mind, I knew the baby couldn¡¯t survive, but in my heart? I was a mother, and then my baby was gone, and I still feel empty inside.¡±


    ¡°We can start trying again in April if you are ready,¡± he told me. ¡°Or we can wait until things settle down a little more. You¡¯ve got a few things to do in 2034, you know.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and started counting with my fingers. ¡°Alpha duties in a newly-formed and zero-experience Pack, bring Vampires and Mermaids in to form the Australian Council, show mermaids how to efficiently find partners, organize a global werewolf mating meetup, send most of my Pack to said meetup, oversee editing and final production on the first season of our reality show, n and film the second season, organize the Sea Scout expeditions, run the Sharkbait Foundation, appear on the Discovery Channel post-shows, get our dream home designed and built, manage a multi-million-dor portfolio, take college sses, figure out what to do with the yacht, deal with the North American and European Councils, self-defense lessons, and exercising to maintain my swimsuit-model figure. Did I forget anything?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± he said. ¡°I can be VERY demanding and protective of you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I suppose in my copious free time I can go to bed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the time I n to be demanding of you,¡± he teased. ¡°It¡¯s a lot, Vicki. That¡¯s why I thought we were going to wait on pups for a few years. I figured we could start a family after I was out of school, you were past your Bodyglove contract, and our othermitments had settled down.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can talk again in a few months?¡±


    ¡°We can talk about anything. A lot can change in three months, you know.¡±


    Yeah, I did know. Hell, it was only ten months ago that I was worried I¡¯d be imed, mated, and pupped by some guy I¡¯d never seen before. It didn¡¯t happen the way I thought, but it all happened anyway. I tucked into Nichs¡¯ side, and we drifted off to sleep.


    His rm woke us up at four; we showered and changed, packing our things back into our bags as the helicopter would be here soon. I checked in with the others over the link; they would be ready on time. ¡°Change of ns, Vicki,¡± Leo sent to us. ¡°Dorothy will be flying back to the States with us; she needs some time to get her head straight, and she wants me to be her Alpha.¡±


    Leo and Adrienne had to get back home and take care of their Pack; Leo had been gone for almost six weeks and Adrienne for two. Mom and Dad were going to stay for another week to see Brisbane and Sydney, joining the family already at Mermaid Beach. ¡°What about Ian?¡±


    ¡°The helicopter will take him back to Port Lincoln. He needs to turn over the business and put their house on the market.¡±


    Nichs looked crestfallen as he linked back. ¡°Take good care of Mom for us?¡±


    ¡°We will.¡±


    We were waiting near thending area as the helicopter approached ahead of schedule, and Nichs was getting antsy. ¡°What¡¯s the surprise?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the helicopter,¡± he sent back. When the helicopternded, a woman in her thirties carrying a small briefcase hopped out. Nichs handed off his bags to Ian, staying in ce as the human approached. ¡°Vicki, this is Jennifer Hawthorne. She¡¯s a local architect who specializes in historic homes.¡±


    I shook her hand, shocked my mate had worked so quickly. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Corcoran. I saw the site from the air, but can we go look at it quickly?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. We walked out on the point, and I quickly described the kind of home I wanted.


    ¡°If we can build it here, it will be spectacr,¡± she said as she took more photographs.


    ¡°We have to load up now,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we build here,¡± I asked her as we headed for the idling chopper.


    ¡°Coastal zoningws. One hundred yard setbacks, single-story buildings, low-pitch roofs, no breaking up the skyline, probably a few more things.¡±


    I felt like someone just took my ice cream away. ¡°We can¡¯t get around it?¡±


    It was too loud to talk until we were inside with the headsets on, the channel allowing us to speak over the engines as the helicopter lifted off and headed north towards Adide. ¡°We can try. I can draw up some options to present to the zoning body, but you may not get everything you want.¡±


    She pulled out some work she¡¯d already done based on the information Nichs had given her. I felt us descending, but we were nowhere close to Adide yet. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Your husband said you liked this home a lot, and I know the owners,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°They agreed to let you tour the Hazelmere estate with me so I can pick your brains on what you like and don¡¯t like about it.¡±


    I was so lucky to have a man who listened! We circled the property once as Jennifer described it, thennded in the parking lot. The helicopter shut down as we got out, and the owner met us at the front door. We only had about forty minutes, so we made the best of it. I loved the thick stone walls, the deck, and especially the indoor pool. ¡°We do between fifty and a hundred weddings orrge parties a year, so it¡¯s important we have everything here,¡± he said. ¡°Ten bedrooms, a huge party area, the pool, and seventy acres with horses avable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful property,¡± I replied as we thanked him for his time.


    ¡°This memory stick has hundreds of homes on it that might give you ideas; jot down the picture number and your thoughts. Your husband took a video during the tour, so if anything elsees to you, just shoot me an email. Mr. Corcoran said you¡¯d be back in about a week, and I should have some preliminary drawings ready by then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing them,¡± I said. We left Jennifer behind and flew the rest of the way to the airport, this time with me in the co-pilot seat. It was tough saying goodbye to Leo, Adrienne, and Dorothy; they¡¯d dropped everything to help us, and I missed them already. They were flying to Sydney for their connection to Los Angeles while we were going to Brisbane.


    Our honeymoon wasn¡¯t over yet.


    A security team sent by Master Alessandro met us at the airport, which ended up being a good thing. News of our arrival in Queennd had leaked to the paparazzi and press. My mate, father, and security pushed through the cameras and shouting reporters big men as piled into the waiting limousine. ¡°I didn¡¯t get this kind of reception thest time we were here,¡± I told my Mom.


    ¡°You got ME,¡± Nichs said as he pulled me close.


    I looked over at the lead security man, a human who looked ex-military. ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re to deliver you to the home and get you settled with the others,¡± he said. ¡°Mr. Mri left this note for you.¡±


    I opened up the card. ¡°Nichs and Vicki- My apologies for not being there to meet you, but I¡¯m stuck working down in Sydney. Enjoy your time at the beach; the home and staff are at your disposal. Regards, Alessandro¡±


    ¡°I could use some quiet time on a beach with mydy,¡± Nichs said as he wiggled his eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s past ten with the time zone change, and I¡¯m hungry,¡± I said. If my phone didn¡¯t shift times automatically, I don¡¯t think I could do it. As if driving on the wrong side of the road and using the Metric System wasn¡¯t enough, Australia didn¡¯t have a simple east/central/west time zone setup an hour apart. Instead, Brisbane on the East Coast was thirty minutes ahead of Adide in the south, but South Australia to Western Australia set you back ny minutes. Who does that?

 SHARKBAIT #193

    Nichs asked the security guy if we could stop somewhere for ate dinner. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, sir. The chef at the house was informed of your arrival and food preferences and will have dinner waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Food preferences?¡±


    ¡°Barbecued meats and cheesecake,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Busted,¡± Olivia said as sheughed. ¡°Did you guys figure out the house design stuff?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I need a good night¡¯s sleep before I can look at another historical house, Mom. At least our tastes are close enough that we aren¡¯t fighting over stuff. Nichs will be working with the architect now, and we¡¯ll talk again when she has drawings and options for zoning.¡± I wanted to get all the information on what we like to Jennifer quickly, allowing her to incorporate it in the drawings. On the flight east, we¡¯d pored over the information she gave us on my tablet, using the pen feature to jot down notes. We even used the tablet¡¯s drawing program to sketch out our ideas for floor ns andyouts. We¡¯d sketched out a big house even before the pool and cottage, and it wasn¡¯t going to be cheap.


    I¡¯d gotten a little overwhelmed, but Nichs brought me back. He told me that he would oversee the building project, and I could focus on Sharkbait Productions and my othermitments. ¡°It¡¯s all in South Australia, while you¡¯ve gotmitments around the world. I¡¯ve got nothing else going on except the Pack,¡± he¡¯d told me. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. Let me take some things off your te.¡±


    He was right, and I trusted him to listen to what I wanted and make it happen.


    We arrived a short timeter at Alessandro¡¯s home in a toney Mermaid Beach neighborhood. ¡°This house is off the hook,¡± Olivia said.


    I had to tease her. ¡°Off the hook? What decade is THAT from?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start on me, youngdy! It made more sense when people had phones that physically hung up,¡± she said with augh. ¡°What do you say? Swipe right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dating yourself again, Mom.¡±


    Our security guys got out first, talking briefly with a man in a suit who was waiting for us. When they gave the nod, we got out of the limo and walked towards the big, modernistic home. I could hear the surf and smell the salt air. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Mermaid Beach, south of Brisbane,¡± a security man told us. ¡°The rest of your party is out the back, to the right.¡± The security detail stayed outside as the guy with the suit grabbed our bags.


    The house was spectacr. White marble floors and white walls with an open floor n kept the look clean and modern. We walked up two steps from the entryway, and we could see the pool and beach past the living room and a wall of windows broken by open ss doors. I picked up a scent. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± I said as I took off for the back yard, dragging Nichs with me. ¡°The GIRLS are here!¡±


    ¡°VICKI!¡± The twins yelled my name together as they swam towards the near end of the pool. ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    I knelt at the edge and hugged them, not caring that my dress was getting wet. As I let the twins go, I spotted the beautiful Hispanic vampire swimming up behind them. ¡°Consu?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Vicki,¡± she said nervously.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I said as I opened my arms. Talking with the doctors, I knew she might have saved my life, and she was the reason the rescue took ce. She climbed out of the pool, epting the towel Nichs opened for her. ¡°Thank you, Consu. I¡¯m d you survived that night.¡± I¡¯d been told her story on the flight back to the States; I had nothing but respect for her, standing up for what was right while surrounded by such evil. I pulled her into my arms and squeezed her. ¡°If you ever need anything, just ask me,¡± I told her.


    Our group greeted the others, starting with the adults. Linda called my parents over to join her, plus Jack and Kaia Steele, Lewis and Carolyn Wolfe, and Ivan and Karen Volkov at the tables. They sat around drinking beer and eating from the trays of food. The kids stayed in the pool; my brothers Mark and Chance ying with Amy¡¯s brother Luke.


    As we epted congrattions, my stomach growled loud enough to wake people next door. ¡°I better feed the beast,¡± Nichs said as everyoneughed.


    ¡°Chef Natalie has your food ready,¡± Linda said. Sure enough, a tter of smoked ribs thered in a mango-tropical fruit sauce appeared at an empty spot at the table. I sat down and dug in while Nichs got a te full of grilled seafood.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It was great to see everyone again, and we traded stories about thest three days. ¡°Australia is the best ce ever,¡± Luke said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have to go back to twenty below weather after this!¡±


    ¡°Our ce on the water will never see snow,¡± I teased him.


    ¡°Can you tell us about it?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± I promised as I rubbed my belly. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m taking this meat baby to bed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue,¡± Nichs agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    The man who had taken our luggage led us upstairs to the master bedroom. ¡°Press the inte button if you require anything of the staff,¡± he said as he left. I thanked him as I looked around, ending up on the windows overlooking the backyard and the beach. Nichs turned out the lights so we could see better. ¡°This is one cool house,¡± I said as Nichs moved behind me.


    ¡°The home next door sold for twenty million,¡± he said. ¡°Not much room for our wolves to run.¡±


    ¡°No, I prefer ournd.¡±


    ¡°I do love the view,¡± he said. I felt fingers along my side, gathering my dress before pulling it over my head.


    I stayed facing the window as he unsnapped my bra. ¡°Baby, everyone is less than ten yards away from us.¡±


    ¡°Then you better be quiet,¡± he whispered in my ear. He didn¡¯t make it easy for me as I leaned against the door to the private overlook.


    His skillful tongue burrowed inside me, making my squirm and fight to keep from making noise. ¡°Please,¡± I whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    He pulled off his shirt, rolling it up and offering it to me as a gag. ¡°If they look up when I do this, what will they see?¡±


    With that, he pushed his cock into me, stretching me around his length. I let out a low moan into the shirt; I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I worked my hips back at him, urging him to move harder and faster as I rapidly approached a crest. I came once, then again a minuteter, screaming into the cloth as he pinched my nipples before filling me with his seed.


    I heard the round of apuse from around the pool. Blushing madly, I spit out the shirt.


    He pulled out as I put my hand there to keep from dripping, and he picked me up and carried me next door into the bathroom. We showered quickly, then headed for bed.


    I woke at seven to the sun streaming into the bedroom and headed to the bathroom. I looked outside after I finished, seeing the twins stretching in the grassy portion of the yard. I¡¯d been neglecting my exercise, and I wasn¡¯t going back to sleep anyway, I thought. Going to the dresser, I found my exercise gear and started getting dressed. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Nichs asked groggily.


    ¡°Going running with the girls,¡± I told him.


    He got out of bed, his hot body giving me other ideas as he passed me. ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± Fifteen minutester, the group included Jack, Brent, and a trail car of security personnel.


    Nothing about my life was easy.


    The beach was almost empty, the sun was out, and the morning air felt good in my lungs. Jack set a challenging pace as we ran north along the high water line. As we ran barefoot through the soft sand, I knew I¡¯d soon be paying the price for myck of exercise.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to start feeling the burn. We¡¯d gone a little over a mile, passing Kurrawa Beach, when I started breathing hard. Another mileter, and my legs started cramping up. I wasn¡¯t the only one having problems; Makani and Noni wanted to turn around. ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­ a better¡­ idea,¡± I told them as I pushed forward. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    I slowed the pace a little and turned off the beach when we reached a familiar sight; the SkyPoint observation deck where we¡¯d filmed some of our series. I stopped at a beach hut selling flip-flops, called ¡®thongs¡¯ Down Under. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Jack asked.


    ¡°If you want to keep running, you can turn around and head back. We¡¯ll take the security guys; there¡¯s a ce I saw thest time we were here and didn¡¯t have time to visit.¡±


    The twins looked at each other and nodded. ¡°We¡¯re with Vicki,¡± Makani said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay too,¡± Nichs said.


    Jack and Brent knew something was up, and Brent figured it out first. ¡°It¡¯s must be about food; Vicki has that look,¡± he said.


    I smiled as I turned to the woman at the booth. ¡°Six pairs,¡± I said as I pulled my phone from its pouch and paid. We cooled down as we walked a few blocks, passing the hotel and turning right.


    ¡°I should have known,¡± Brent said when we turned the corner. ¡°Pancakes in Paradise?¡±


    ¡°Spotted it from the top,¡± I said with a grin. We entered the ce, taking a table in the corner. I loved pancakes almost as much as ribs, and that was saying something.


    ¡°They have all-you-can-eat pancakes,¡± Brent said.


    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I know how this works. There¡¯s enough room in the car for the girls, and the rest of us will have to run back home. Do you want to do that after pounding fifteen pancakes?¡±


    ¡°They cane back for us,¡± Dad said as we allughed. I ordered a Canadian with the Works, which gave me eggs, bacon, grilled banana, and pineapple along with the pancakes. I had to steal some of Nichs¡¯s food, as he ordered grilled banana crepes with a butterscotch sauce. Absolute heaven.


    The food was great, and we rxed as we talked about the day. Brent, Lewis, Jack, and Ivan were going golfing at Burleigh Golf Club, while the twins nned to join arge group going shopping on the Gold Coast with the security guys. ¡°I think we¡¯ll take a nap and rx,¡± I said.


    And that is what we did. We had the house to ourselves after lunch, and we took advantage of it. While we recovered, we worked through some of my email and work backlog.


    The days flew by, and I cried a little as I said goodbye to my family and friends. School had already started, and Mom wouldn¡¯t let them miss more. I promised them we¡¯d get together again soon, perhaps over spring break when I¡¯d be starting work on the second season of our reality show.


    It was only Nichs, Consu, and I to head down to Sydney. It was a little more than an eight-hour drive, and we decided to travel with the security guys rather than fly. I¡¯d never seen some of the Australian Coast, and I had plenty of work to catch up on.

 SHARKBAIT #194

    When we got to Sydney, we still had a little time and daylight before dinner with Alessandro. Nichs gave the driver some addresses, and we headed into the city. We saw the pier where a young Philip Corcoran had arrived in the Colony as vebor and the nearby prison. We visited the farm, now housing, where he¡¯d worked after winning his freedom, and finally the im he farmed before leaving for a newnd im a hundred miles south. I pulled up stories about the ces as we walked around, learning more about my mate¡¯s heritage and his Pack.


    Consu was interested, but I could tell she was getting nervous as the day went on. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Is it wrong that I¡¯m morefortable around you guys than vampires?¡± She looked down at her hands. ¡°Being around a Coven makes me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Has Alessandro done anything to make you worry?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s been great,¡± Consu replied. ¡°Help in our worldes at a price, and I¡¯m afraid of what Alessandro might demand of me.¡±


    Consu Vespi¡¯s POV


    ¡°Price?¡± Vicki looked at me, a little confused.


    I nodded. ¡°Protection, sex, money, power, training; everything has a price. Vampires do nothing for free because they have no intrinsic value system that would drive charity or self-sacrifice. It¡¯s all about power, Vicki. Vampires build up their strength, consolidate power, and take advantage of their power over others. It makes me wonder what Alessandro will demand from me and why I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never asked for any of it. I bargained with Master Alexander before I found out he was ying me. Master Emily gave me all that stuff because it shifted me away from her; the fake will proving to the police his obsession with me.¡±


    She pulled me over to a park bench and sat down with Nichs on her other side. The security guys were well back, watching for any threats. I looked at the young Alpha and continued. ¡°Master Emily made you independently wealthy and gave you the money to kickstart the Sharkbait Foundation. Master Emily and Master Cyprian bought the Sea Scout for you, another multi-million dor gift. Master Alessandro and the others gifted you six million dors worth of coastal property in South Australia, and now he¡¯s entertaining your family on vacation here. Why do you think that is? Why pour all that money into an eighteen-year-old Pack Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Master Cyprian owed me; I warned him of a plot against him and how one of his Coven leaders was breaking Councilw. We were able to work together to resolve the situation and avoid a war.¡±


    ¡°So the Sea Scout was Cyprian¡¯s payout to you?¡±


    Vicki shook her head, no. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯d already received mypensation for removing Alexander for him out of Alexander¡¯s estate. It ended up cleanly resolving it for both species. The Vampires couldn¡¯t me Cyprian for Alexander¡¯s death when he invited me there, and Werewolves couldn¡¯t me the Vampire council for holding werewolves in captivity. One of Master Cyprian¡¯s businesses owned the Sea Scout, and after buying its recement, it was effectively surplus. He got a big tax deduction out of it, and the Foundation got a tform. It was beneficial for both of us.¡±


    ¡°And it got him a big chunk of your goodwill,¡± I replied. ¡°Would you have trusted Master Cyprian as much if he hadn¡¯t done this?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. I trusted Emily more; it was only after seeing them in New Orleans that I started to trust Cyprian as much. He shared his dream with me; Vampires and Werewolves living in peace, and how I could help change things.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Exactly. The two Masters turned you into an agent for the change they wanted by befriending you and giving you these gifts. It was a cheap investment on their part, and a wise one. They found an Alpha heir destined for greatness among your people, and they invested big and early to get in on the ground floor.¡±


    I could see in her face how she wondered if they yed her. ¡°Why me?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I heard all the stories on the way here, Vicki. Five years old, and you¡¯re defying the Werewolf Council? Jack said no female who just came of age has EVER pushed the Werewolf Council around the way you did. Your courage and leadership are inspirational for wolves of all Packs, not just your own. The sheer number of resources and levels of cooperation that went into your rescue proved it.¡±


    ¡°So they are using me to push their agenda?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Masters Cyprian and Alessandro want to see the Australian Council established, Vicki. If they can show that supernatural beings can govern in harmony, it will spread worldwide over the next century. Why do you think vampires would suddenly be reaching out to share their power after all these centuries?¡±


    ¡°Well, with poption growth and technology, it¡¯s bing harder to hide our nature. Working together can help with that. It also avoids any wars that would spill over into the human world.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what else,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°If our secret DOESe out, we¡¯d need a coordinated response to survive.¡± If just one kind of supernatural got outed right now, the others would go into lockdown mode and wait it out.


    ¡°True, but vampires are the oldest, most powerful, and wealthiest of all the species. You¡¯d need our power to mour and control more than we need your ability to lick your genitals.¡±


    She growled, then thought about it for a while. ¡°Mermaids can distract, which is handy, but we could never have made it through Customs without the Masters entrancing the human agents.¡±


    Nichs finally spoke up. ¡°If what you are saying is correct, the only reason for them to form the Council is that they gain power from it. They think they will control the Council.¡±


    ¡°DING DING! We have a winner!¡±


    The pair thought about it for a while before Vicki answered. ¡°The Vampire-Werewolf Peace Treaty limits their numbers.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Five vampires per Coven and restricted torge cities. The Treaty goes away if a NEW governing agreement is signed. The Masters could raise more of their kind in more cities, bing the dominant force over the entire supernatural world. They could turn on werewolves and mermaids any time they wanted.¡±


    She closed her eyes and leaned into Nichs¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Do you think that is their y? That all of this is just to set up another battleter?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Vicki. I¡¯ve only been a vampire for a year, and I¡¯ve had a hard adjustment to my new life. I¡¯ve seen how the older vampires work, and it scares the hell out of me. They ruined my life to gain ess to a hospital blood supply. Others they turned because they were in key government positions, or ownedpanies Vespi wanted, or they were a hot piece of ass he wanted to fuck more than once. If I could run away and never see another vampire again, I would, but that isn¡¯t an option. I could give Alessandro every peso I have, and it wouldn¡¯t gain my freedom. I either stay in their circle, or I get destroyed. I want to live.¡±


    ¡°Strange phrase for the undead,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°You understand what I mean.¡± I stood up, noting the time on my watch. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I think, and I hope you¡¯ll watch your backs and keep your eyes open. I might be wrong about everything; I¡¯ve only had one Master, and maybe the others are different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I believe, but I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask.¡±


    Vicki reached for my hand. ¡°You are my friend, Consu, even if I am suing the pants off of you for pain, suffering, and emotional distress.¡± Iughed at that since Francisco already informed me of theirwsuit.


    Alpha Steven hired an attorney on their behalf as soon as he got the message from Beta Jack. Myte husband had a brokerage ount containing almost fifty million dors in the United States. The FBI froze his assets after our rescue. The Pack¡¯swyer filed awsuit in Federal court on our behalf and headed to the Justice Department with a deal. If I abandoned my ims to the overseas ount, the US Government would use it to pay restitution to the six American crime victims. It might take a year, but it would be clean money for the girls who suffered at his hand. Vicki stood up next to me. ¡°If it gets to be too much here,e see me. I¡¯ll work out something with Alessandro so you can be under his domain, but stay with us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said with some relief. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some shopping and find some dinner while you¡¯re at your meeting. Take the car and go, and I¡¯ll hire a cab.¡±


    ¡°At least take one of the security guys with you,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a famous model, Nichs. Nobody knows me here, and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± They headed back to the car while I looked for a cab. Finding one, I got into the back seat.


    The driver turned around. ¡°Where to, Miss?¡±


    ¡°You see that Range Rover down the street? The red one? My husband just got in there with histest floozy. If you can follow him to her ce without getting caught, there¡¯s another hundred in it for you.¡± I handed him two hundred dors for now.


    ¡°He¡¯ll never see me,¡± the cabbie promised. ¡°I hope you take the bastard for all he¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± I said as I settled back. Something about the meeting had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I didn¡¯t know if it was Alessandro or something else, but my instincts said to stay back and watch.

 SHARKBAIT #195

    I started getting suspicious when the Range Rover turned away from the downtown area, heading towards an industrial park. I knew Alessandro owned several floors at the Crown Resort Casino/Hotel on the waterfront. It was the perfect ce for a Coven, with thousands of visitors every day who might not remember their night anyway.


    There was no reason to take Vicki and Nichs in this direction, was there? I made a quick decision. Calling Alessandro¡¯s number, I waited for him to pick up. ¡°Consu?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro, Vicki¡¯s on her way to see you, but I¡¯m still shopping. I wanted to verify where you are meeting so I can join you in an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯re on the seventieth floor of the casino tower. Check-in with the elevator attendant, and they will send you right up.¡±


    Shit. Now what? Could I trust him with the truth? I had to make a decision fast because something was wrong. I went with my gut, which was rolling by now. ¡°Alessandro, the car taking Vicki and Nichs to meet with you isn¡¯t heading downtown. I thought something was off, so I¡¯m following them in a cab. They just exited the A36 on Sydney Park Road, headed to an industrial area.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. DO NOT hang up.¡± I could hear him yelling at others to call people, even the sound of dial tones on the speakers. A minuteter, he came back on the line with me. ¡°Something is going on, Consu. I can¡¯t reach Vicky, Nichs, or the security guys on the phone. The phonese back not in service.¡±


    ¡°They could be using a signal jammer to prevent phone calls,¡± someone in his office said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s GO,¡± he yelled. ¡°Consu, we¡¯re going to head your way, but we¡¯re a good twenty minutes out. Can you follow them until we get there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, sir.¡±


    I heard him grab another man¡¯s phone and call security, telling him to tap into the traffic cameras and find the cars, then he asked for my location. ¡°We just crossed Euston Road onto Huntley,¡± I told him. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Range Rover pulled into a parking lot, then drove inside a warehouse. The door is going back down now.¡± I rolled down the window, hoping to get a scent. ¡°It¡¯s in back of Huntley Electrical Supply. I¡¯ll get you an address when we go around the block.¡±


    I almost dropped the phone when I heard the sound of two muffled gunshots.


    *********N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    I looked out the window of the Range Rover as we drove away. ¡°What do you think? Is Alessandro going to screw us over?¡±


    Nichs squeezed my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll keep our eyes open, but I don¡¯t see things as skeptically as she does.¡±


    ¡°How long until we get to the meeting spot,¡± I asked the driver.


    ¡°Twenty minutes, depending on traffic,¡± the man said.


    Nichs and I continued to talk strategy as we got closer, pretending to be looking at the city we¡¯d never visited. We headed towards the downtown skyscrapers before turning off the road and headed towards a more industrial area. We took a few turns, then pulled into a lot behind a two-story industrial office and warehouse building. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Out of the way meeting spot,¡± the driver said. The rollup door to the warehouse was already opening, and he pulled inside. Racks of electrical equipment, boxes, and spools of electrical wire surrounded the area we parked. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    Nichs opened the door before helping me out. The driver was waiting for us in front of the Range Rover. I was looking around for others when I heard a gunshot.


    Looking forward, I saw the driver with a big pistol out, shifting his aim from the other security man to us. Nichs reacted first, pulling me behind him as a second shot rang out. I could feel through the link as my mate shook off the intense pain of a gunshot wound and readied himself to charge the shooter. ¡°Love you,¡± he said as he let me go.


    ¡°STOP,¡± a loud female voice said. The driver froze, his pistol still pointed at us. Faster than my eyes could follow, a vampire came into the room and grabbed me by the arms. I struggled, but it was no use. She was a Master Vampire, and she wasn¡¯t alone. Master Caroline Grey, the Coven leader in the Los Angeles region, held me with a steel grip.


    ¡°NICHOLAS,¡± I screamed as he fell to his knees, his hands covering the entry wound on the right side just below his ribs. I could smell his blood as it spilled out, and I was panicking.


    ¡°We meet again,¡± a familiar voice said as he walked out from behind the racks of equipment.


    ¡°Timothy Lords! I¡¯ll fucking tear you into pieces for this!¡±


    Heughed and shook his head. ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± He held up abat dressing. ¡°Your mate is seriously wounded; from the bleeding, the bullet must have hit his liver. I¡¯d give him about three minutes until he loses consciousness, five until he dies, unless I help him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Nichs said before he rolled onto his back, his fingers unable to stem the blood.


    I couldn¡¯t let him die; I¡¯d give up everything to save my mate. I made my decision. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Swear to me you will do as I ask, and I will save his life.¡±


    What the hell would he ask? ¡°FINE,¡± I said. ¡°I swear to Luna I will do what you ask.¡±


    He tore the dressing open, removing the packet of fast-coagting powder. Working quickly, he tore open Nichs¡¯ shirt, pouring the powder into the bullet wound, then ced the battle dressing over it. He applied pressure with his hand, causing Nichs to groan, but the bleeding had slowed rapidly. ¡°Master?¡±


    Caroline walked me over to where the driver stood frozen, unable to move. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Master Alessandro was foolish to assign humans to a protective detail. Once I found out where you were staying, it was easy for me to entrance one to do my bidding. I had him bring you here and eliminate his partner for us.¡± She looked at the driver, whose eyes were nk as she held his will. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about disobeying or turning on me. I¡¯ll peel the flesh from your mate as I make you watch.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Give her the gun,¡± she ordered the driver as she let me go.


    The man took hold of the Glock barrel with his free hand, holding out the pistol to me grip-first. ¡°Take it,¡± she told me.


    I took it from him, and it slid instantly into the correct hold, the years of firearms practice at Leo¡¯s ce, making the grip automatic. I kept the pistol pointed down in a safe direction, my trigger finger along the side, the same way I¡¯d trained.


    ¡°Whatever she wants, don¡¯t do it,¡± Nichs begged me.


    ¡°I have to; I can¡¯t lose you!¡±


    ¡°Shoot him in the head, and the two of you will leave here alive. Refuse, and you watch him die before I drain you,¡± Caroline told me as she stepped back.


    I turned to her, shocked at themand. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°He knows too much of our kind, Vicki. Shoot him in the head. I won¡¯t tell you again.¡± I looked at her as the enormity of what she asked hit me like a sledgehammer. Timothy chose that time to push down on Nichs¡¯s wound, making him scream out in pain.


    I didn¡¯t have a choice. Raising the pistol with one hand, I pointed it at the man¡¯s temple and fired. The gunshot echoed through the building as his brains sttered against the equipment on the racks. He dropped to the ground like I¡¯d cut the strings holding him up.


    ¡°Did you get that,¡± Timothy asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said as she walked out from behind the racks. ¡°You look fantastic on camera, Vicki. I¡¯m sure all your fans will love this when you go on trial for murder.¡±


    Oh, Luna, what had I done. I dropped the pistol to the ground, and Traci Lords came over and picked it up in a gloved hand. She had photos, and now she had a murder weapon with my fingerprints on it. My ex-mate and his wife were gloating, knowing I¡¯d spend the rest of my life in prison if I didn¡¯t do as they said.


    I looked down at Nichs, who was pale and weak, then over to Timothy. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want my birthright back, Vicki. I¡¯m a Mantled Alpha without a Pack now. You took away my future, my fortune, and turned the North American Council against me.¡±


    ¡°Your choices did all that, Timothy. If you¡¯d kept your dick in your pants until you mated, Traci¡¯s son would have your mantle, and you¡¯d still be the Pack heir. Raping an underage Monique Robinson happened before we ever met!¡±


    ¡°And that is the first issue you are going to help me correct,¡± Timothy said. ¡°I want to know where Monique and her son Tyler are and who is protecting them.¡±


    There was only one reason to ask, and that was to kill them. If Tyler died, the mantle he inherited from Timothy would move to his new heir, the son he¡¯d just had with his choice-mate Traci. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are,¡± I said. ¡°I swear! I had nothing to do with that!¡±


    ¡°Your Aunt Adrienne knows. Call her and find out.¡± I hesitated, and that was enough to cause Timothy to press down again.


    ¡°Nichs?¡±


    ¡°Say no, and it ends with us,¡± he said.


    ¡°Adrienne will know something is wrong if I ask. I need to buy time,¡± I sent.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I pulled out my phone and dialed my Aunt.


    It was hours before sunrise back in Miesville, but she answered quickly. ¡°Vicki? How¡¯s Sydney?¡±


    ¡°We just got here, and we haven¡¯t done any exploring yet. It¡¯s beautiful, though,¡± I said. ¡°Why are you up?¡±


    ¡°My internal clock¡¯s still screwed up from the time changes, so I¡¯m down by the aquarium, reading a book and sipping coffee.¡±


    ¡°I need your help, Alpha Adrienne.¡± In my old Pack, we had pre-arranged emergency codes; unless it was a formal introduction, using ¡®Alpha¡¯ in a private conversation meant I was under duress. ¡°I need Monique Robinson¡¯s address.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±

 SHARKBAIT #196

    ¡°You know I want to make sure my Pack has the opportunity to find their mates, but I realized Monique would never be able to attend a scratch ¡®n sniff while in hiding. I¡¯d like to send her a formal invitation toe down here for a private visit, where I could bring my unmated males to meet her. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re moving her periodically for safety, so why not thousands of miles away? Nichs and I will make sure she¡¯s safe here.¡±


    ¡°That could work,¡± she said. She rattled off an address. ¡°She¡¯s staying with Paul and Lois Temple down in Lake City.¡± Paul and Lois were retired teachers from the Miesville Pack who lived in a condo overlooking Lake Pepin.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll get in touch with them as soon as possible. Bye, Alpha.¡± I hoped to Luna that she figured out something was wrong. ¡°I did what you asked, now get him to a hospital!¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Traci said. ¡°Our people will take care of his bastard child, but all this takes money. Money that you are going to send to me. Get out your phone, and get ready to make a bank transfer.¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re setting that up, I¡¯ll take what I need,¡± Master Caroline said. She bit down into my neck, her fangs puncturing the artery just below. I could feel her sucking my blood into her mouth and swallowing over and over as I weakened. I almost hoped she¡¯d take too much, but she stopped and licked the wound to stop the bleeding. ¡°Perfect. Master Alessandro¡¯s reign will end tonight.¡±


    She walked out, the door closing behind her as I pulled up my banking information. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill Alessandro AND us,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dy,¡± I said. I pulled up my banking information, but for the ount used for personal expenses. ¡°How much is the transfer?¡±


    ¡°All of it,¡± Traci said. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s the fucking money?¡±


    The ount had over a quarter-million dors in it. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a multi-millionaire,¡± she said. ¡°Where is the rest?¡±


    ¡°My ountant has it in stocks and bonds,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, GET IT.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Transferring those funds takes electronic approval from me AND my ountant and takes seventy-two hours to process. This ount is all the cash I have.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll get thatter. Transfer everything to this ount.¡± She pulled up a routing number and ount on her phone; I went through the steps required to set up the bank transfer and was about to confirm the transaction when the lights went out.


    I reacted quickly, pping her gun to the side as I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around her waist. Lifting with my hips, I drove her to the ground, my shoulder knocking the wind out of her. I heard her head bounce off the concrete floor and her groan of pain. She tried to roll away, but I wasn¡¯t having that. Moving up her body, I got her in a reverse naked choke-while my legs wrapped her waist.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    A door mmed open, and I heard someone shouting my name before a single gunshot rang out. Blood sprayed over me as I watched the men running towards me.


    *********


    Master Alessandro Mri¡¯s POV


    I shifted the audio from my phone to an earpiece as I walked out of my apartment. ¡°Consu, get out and move to where you can watch without being too close. Who¡¯s in the car with her?¡±


    ¡°Just Nichs and the two security guys who drove us down from Mermaid Beach. I thought something was off, so I followed them in a cab.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anything suspicious?¡±


    ¡°No, it was a gut feeling.¡±


    She¡¯d been right, which was more impressive for a youngling. Vespi saw enough in her to change her and marry her, but he was an idiot. She had too much potential to kill off in an estate transaction. ¡°Did you see anyone inside?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll stay on the line and find a spot on another building,¡± she said.


    Four of my Coven members joined me on the express elevator to the private parking level. I¡¯d been one of the investors in this hotel/casino, and my apartment took up the whole 70th floor. It was the ideal spot for a Coven of vampires; thousands of touristsing through every day, getting drunk and looking for a good time. It was a simple thing to go down to the gaming floor or bar, pick up a woman, bed her, and feed off her before leaving her none the wiser. There were thousands of cameras, but that didn¡¯t matter. Anyone watching would see they all went willingly and returned with a smile.


    ¡°What do we know?¡± Rick looked at me as he checked that his suit jacket covered his pistol. My second-inmand, he¡¯d been with me for over a century.


    ¡°Not much,¡± I said. ¡°Consu has eyes on the building, but not on the car. Someone had topromise Vicki¡¯s guards for them to deliver her like that.¡±


    ¡°Another vampire? Organized crime?¡± Becky was my newest member after Consu. I¡¯d turned her eight years ago; she¡¯d been caught counting cards at the casino, something that shouldn¡¯t be possible with six decks. She was a whiz withputers and finance, especially now that she didn¡¯t need sleep. It didn¡¯t hurt that Becky was a beautiful, redheaded nymphomaniac. She was carrying her high-poweredptop in her hand.


    ¡°Or more werewolves. Vicki has made enemies of some supernaturals, and everyone knows her family will pay five million to get her back.¡± The door opened to the private resident parking level, and we moved to the two big SUVs with tinted windows in our reserved spaces. Frank and Oksana loaded in the other vehicle. Rick was driving, with Becky in the back seat with me. She pulled up a city map, locating the business and the surrounding buildings. I unmuted my phone. ¡°Consu, are you in ce?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the building to the west across the creek, hiding in the sr panels,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m downwind with a good view of the loading dock.¡±


    ¡°Good. Stay there; I¡¯ll let you know when we are closer.¡± As we drove, Becky found the floor ns of the building by hacking into the city offices. She sent it to everyone¡¯s phones, and I nned out the attack as we got closer.


    ¡°Alessandro? There¡¯s been another gunshot,¡± Consu reported.


    ¡°Can you see anything?¡±


    ¡°No. Do you want me to get closer?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re eight minutes out, Consu. You stay put.¡± This wasn¡¯t good, not at all. I used the other phone to call the second car. ¡°Priorities are to rescue Vicki, then Nichs. If my security guys are still alive, try not to kill them; we don¡¯t need the heat we¡¯ll get for gunning down two Australian Federal Police. Anyone else in the building is assumed hostile, so take them out quickly and cleanly. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Understood, boss,¡± Oksana replied.


    ¡°Frank, park to the south and approach via the creek. Oksana is to take out the power to the building, and then you go in the back entrance. As soon as she cuts the power, Rick and I will go in the front. Everyone needs to call into Becky¡¯s phone and use an earpiece. Becky will handlemunications and monitor for police from our car. If Becky or I call ABORT, do what you have to and meet back at the Coven. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro, the door is opening,¡± Consu said over my phone. ¡°A woman ising out and going to her car.¡±


    ¡°Take a picture and send it to me,¡± I told her. I didn¡¯t have to wait long for the bad news. Fuck. ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem, people. The Vampire Master of Los Angeles just walked out of the building.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s driving away, Master.¡±


    ¡°Get her license te and stay out of sight, Consu.¡± I turned back to briefing my crew. ¡°We may have other Vampires in the building, so pay attention to your surroundings. Frank, drink the emergency blood at the next light.¡±


    I opened up the power-cooled Esky that contained our supply. The blood captured in the raid on Vespi¡¯s estate was too valuable to waste; he¡¯d alreadymitted the crime, but we could use the proceeds. I¡¯d returned home with one bag from each of the girls except Vicki, whose three units poisoned the vamps. It was too valuable to waste, but any vampires left inside could have fed from Vicki or Nichs, and I couldn¡¯t give them that edge. Becky transferred Makani¡¯s blood into a travel cup and handed it up to Frank, while I sucked down Amy¡¯s blood straight from the bag. ¡°Fuck,¡± I said as I finished it off. ¡°That¡¯s some strong shit.¡±


    ¡°This stuff is aces,¡± Frank agreed as he drank it down. ¡°I feel like I could take on the world.¡±


    I picked up my phone. ¡°We¡¯re a minute out, two ck SUVs. When we go in, you make your way to the closest SUV and get in, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Consu said.


    We parked and walked towards the building, staying in the evening shadows. ¡°We¡¯ve found the main breaker to the building, so I can just turn it off,¡± Oksana said over the phone. ¡°Frank is in ce at the back door and ready.¡±


    ¡°Twenty seconds, then we go on your signal,¡± I told her. We reached the corner of the building and moved along the loading dock doors towards the entrance we¡¯d picked.


    ¡°Three, two, one, GO!¡± Rick hit the door with his shoulder, knocking it off its hinges, and rushed inside. I was right behind him, letting my vampire nature out and scanning for enemy vampires. I took a deep breath as my eyes searched the dark space.


    BANG. Frank was moving forward, the shlight on his pistol illuminating a man without much of his brains left. As his shlight went over the bodies, I saw movement in the one on the ground. It was a wounded Nichs.


    ¡°Let her go, Vicki,¡± Frank said from the side.


    ¡°She¡¯s out,¡± Vicki replied as she rxed her hold. Sure enough, the woman was unconscious, and Frank quickly had her secured.


    ¡°Building is clear,¡± Rick called out a few secondster.


    ¡°Turn the lights back on,¡± I ordered Oksana.


    The overhead lights turned on, and I saw the extent of the bloodbath. ¡°Are you all right,¡± I asked Vicki.


    ¡°Help my mate,¡± she said as she sat there, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Shit.¡± I shoved the dead body off of Nichs and checked him out. He was unconscious, had a gunshot to the abdomen, and covered in blood. His ashen face and weak heartbeat told me he didn¡¯t have long. ¡°Rick, get our car and drive it over here. Oksana, bring yours around too.¡±


    ¡°We should grab our people and get the fuck out of here, boss,¡± Rick said as he headed for the door, wiping his blood-soaked shoes on the entry carpet before going outside.

 SHARKBAIT #197

    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Two dead Federal Police aren¡¯t going away, and we can¡¯t exin them here.¡±


    ¡°Get Nichs to a hospital,¡± Vicki said.


    I shook my head, no. ¡°Taking a man to a hospital with a gunshot wound raises too many questions, Vicki. Questions you can¡¯t answer while you sit here covered in blood with two dead cops.¡±


    She was shaking as she pulled a phone out of the woman¡¯s pocket. ¡°They made me shoot him, Alessandro. Master Caroline made him give me the gun, and they wouldn¡¯t help Nichs unless I shot him. Traci recorded me doing it.¡±


    I took the phone from her. Frank had hog-tied the unconscious woman using copper wires, plus he taped her mouth closed. ¡°You know these two?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got Timothy¡¯s brains on my shirt; he was my fated mate and rejected me for Traci here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out what she knowster.¡± I looked back at Nichs; I had to save her mate if I was to keep the Australian Council idea alive. ¡°I can save your husband without a hospital, but I need your permission and your promise.¡±


    ¡°Anything you need is yours, Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°I n to put my blood inside his wound to spur healing, Vicki. I¡¯ve done this with humans but not werewolves, so I¡¯m not sure if it will work or if there will be side effects. Whether it works or not, I need you to promise that you will not tell anyone about how I saved your mate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the secret to my grave, now SAVE HIM!¡±


    I leaned over Nichs, removing the bandage as I used a fang to slice open my fingers. He woke up and screamed as I pushed two fingers into the wound, finding the bullet and pulling it out as my blood mixed with his. I dropped the slug on his stomach, then squeezed out more blood onto the wound before I allowed my body to heal itself.


    Nichs was out of his mind with pain, and Vicki was too weak to crawl to him. ¡°Did Caroline feed on you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling that good.¡±


    ¡°Rick, check out the Range Rover, see if it is clean and driveable.¡± While he checked it out, I picked Vicki off the ground and brought her over to stand next to her mate. I could see the healing progressing; the bleeding had stopped, and the torn skin was closing up.


    Nichs took a few deep breaths as his body went back to normal. ¡°That stung a little,¡± he said as he sat up. ¡°Are you all right, baby?¡±


    I helped Nichs to his feet. Both of them were covered in blood, looking like extras in a horror film. ¡°Strip out of these clothes and leave them here, and we¡¯ll dispose of themter. There should be a locker room through that door, so take a shower and shift. Do you have more clothes?¡±


    ¡°In the back of the Range Rover,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Take them while we hose this ce down,¡± I told them. Oksana and Rick arrived while they were cleaning up, and I detailed the n. We rolled the dead bodies in tarps, taping them closed and stacking them in the back of Frank¡¯s SUV. The prisoner we secured to a stanchion, ignoring her muffled cries and struggling. We¡¯d find out everything from herter.


    We used hoses to rinse the blood down the drain, and Becky did her magic in the office. She made sure the on and offsite security camera archives were deleted and disabled the fire protection system. ¡°Someone will figure out that something happened here,¡± she said. ¡°We clear out now, and one of uses back just before sunrise with some Molotov cocktails and burns the ce. They won¡¯t suspect the real crime happened eight hours earlier.¡±


    It was a decent n, but we still had to figure out what to do about the two dead cops. Both had worked off the clock for me for years, and there was a paper trail showing they were on the job.


    We had things somewhat clean before Nichs and Vicki came back out, and Vicki was panicked. ¡°Traci has a baby,¡± she said. ¡°The sitter might know about where she is.¡± She walked over and ripped the tape off her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re a dead woman, Traci, and we both know that,¡± I told her. ¡°If you answer questions honestly, I¡¯ll make sure your son grows up safe.¡±


    ¡°PLEASE,¡± Traci begged her. ¡°My baby, Todd, he¡¯s at the hotel with one of Caroline¡¯s vampires. She¡¯s keeping him to make sure we keep up our end of the deal.¡±


    ¡°What is that,¡± I asked the crying female.


    I didn¡¯t like the answer.


    *****


    Nichs Corcoran¡¯s POV


    ¡°We have to get that baby back,¡± Vicki said as I carried her to the Range Rover and set her in the back. She was barely staying awake, the cumtive effects of blood loss over the past two weeks too much for her body to handle. ¡°Timothy was a piece of shit that you cursed at as you scraped it from the bottom of your shoe. Traci was the piece of shit you stepped on in the dark in your bare feet. Her baby is innocent and is a mantled Alpha blood. We need to save him.¡±


    ¡°I know. We¡¯ll take care of it,¡± I promised my mate as Iid her in the back seat. ¡°Get some sleep while we figure out what we¡¯re going to do.¡±


    My mind was still trying to understand how a Mantled Alpha werewolf could fall so far from everything our species stood for. Today¡¯s attack was Traci and Timothy¡¯s third attempt at taking what Vicki enjoyed. The kidnapping failed spectacrly, leaving them without a family or Pack. The second was when they worked with vampires to have Vicki kidnapped in Mexico, but the Master changed their n to sell them as sex ves. Vespi kept all six of them, paying them a half-million for their help in killing thewyer. After that, he sent the pair to Master Caroline in Los Angeles, promising she would hide them from the Werewolf Council.


    When the Mexico City raids freed the girls and eradicated Vespi¡¯s coven, Master Caroline was incensed. Traci said she wanted Vicki dead for killing her friend, Master Alexander, and Caroline adamantly opposed any cooperation with other species. Caroline worked closely with Vespi, arranging to flood vampires into the United States and stockpiling high-ranking werewolf blood. They¡¯d nned to overthrow Master Cyprian on New Year¡¯s Day and take over the Vampire Council.


    Their shared hatred led to thistest n. Caroline¡¯s coven would help kidnap us so she could power-up with my blood, Traci and Timothy would take our fortune, and they¡¯d use us to lure Alessandro to an ambush.


    The video she¡¯d taken of Vicki executing a police officer was the key to everything. With me injured and Vicki facing life in prison, we¡¯d have to cooperate in luring Alessandro out.


    Killing me would bring retribution, so we¡¯d live under their terms. With Alessandro dead and Caroline¡¯s second taking over the Sydney coven, the Australian Council would never happen. She and Timothy would move to Queennd in Northeast Australia, far from my Pack, and buynd to start a Pack with the money I¡¯d give them. The North American Council had no jurisdiction there, and Vicki and I would have to ept it.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Consu¡¯s gut feeling, it would have worked.


    I watched Vicki¡¯s eyes close and her breathing even out; once she was asleep, I gently closed the door. ¡°She¡¯s going to need food and fluids,¡± I told Alessandro as I walked back to him.


    ¡°You will need the same; healing takes a lot out of your body, and you¡¯ll feel it once the rush wears off. We have thirty minutes until Traci makes her call; we should get your two something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Cynthia¡¯s Caf¨¦ is across the street and a block up, and you can get some food to go there,¡± Consu said. ¡°I saw it when I was watching the building from next door.¡±


    ¡°Go with him, and act like his girlfriend,¡± Alessandro ordered her. ¡°Nichs, you do all the talking because people might remember her ent.¡±


    ¡°What about the video that bitch took,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Becky answered. ¡°She never sent it, and I deleted it locally and on the cloud. While I had her phone, I emptied her bank ounts and sent them to an untraceable ount in the Caymans. Vicki never finished the transfer, so she never got any of your money.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. I held the door open for Consu, and we walked out into the early evening air. The caf¨¦ served breakfast all day, and we¡¯d need protein. I ordered two steak and egg breakfast tters to go, plus two bottles each of orange juice and whole milk. I managed to polish off two donuts and a ss of milk while waiting for the food toe out.


    Consu hadn¡¯t said anything; she was looking at properties in Adide on her phone. We got our food and headed out the door. ¡°Are you thinking of moving near us?¡± I asked.


    She nodded. ¡°Alessandro and his Coven have been weing, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯mfortable here. You wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Of course not, Consu. You¡¯re wee on ournds anytime; if you want to live in the area, we¡¯d like that.¡±


    The streets were nearly empty, and we slipped back inside the electrical supply house. I hated to wake Vicki up, but she needed the fluids and food. She sleepily drank down the juice, finally perking up enough to sit up and eat. We managed to finish the meals in ten minutes, and I helped her get out when Alessandro waved for us.


    ¡°Time for the call,¡± he said.


    I held Vicki to my side as we walked over to talk to Traci. ¡°If you cooperate, your son will be safe. We¡¯ll make sure he grows up with a loving family and a future. As for you, I¡¯ll make your end quick and painless. You won¡¯t get a better deal.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said. ¡°Tell my boy that I loved him when he¡¯s old enough to understand?¡±


    ¡°You have my word as Alpha,¡± Vicki told her.


    She took her phone from Alessandro and made the call. ¡°It¡¯s me. The guy¡¯s gone, and the woman passed out from blood loss.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to keep her alive to talk to Alessandro,¡± Caroline responded.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to talk when I can send him a video of her still alive,¡± Traci replied. ¡°He¡¯ll show up alone when I tell him the deal. I just need to know when and where.¡±


    ¡°Bradley¡¯s Head Lighthouse, two AM. Don¡¯t call him until you are there and you have Vicki chained to the lighthouse; I¡¯ll be watching to make sure you both follow directions. Tell him to make sure hees alone, or Vicki dies.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Master, and it will be as you direct.¡± She hung up. ¡°I¡¯ll have to be out there on the lighthouse with Vicki, alone.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #198

    Becky was already pulling up satellite imagery of Bradley¡¯s Head. I could see why she picked it; the lighthouse was on a pier out from the end of the point. The point itself was a park with a walking trail and a parking lot; it would be closed at night, making it easy to verify if Alessandro was alone. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice,¡± Vicki replied. ¡°Alessandro has to end this tonight, and Traci needs her baby back.¡± She looked at the image, zooming back before going back in. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, but we¡¯ll need help.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Caroline is thinking like a vampire or a werewolf; she¡¯s picked an area where her sight and smell can detect anyone approaching onnd, and it¡¯s remote enough for vampires to fight without attracting the attention of humans. She¡¯s not thinking of our allies or considering Nichs,¡± she said.


    Alessandro raised an eyebrow. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°She looks at the harbor as a barrier, not an opportunity,¡± Vicki said. ¡°Who is here in Sydney right now who fucking LOVES the water?¡±


    ¡°Me, and the mermaids,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Exactly. We can surround the lighthouse with mermaids and put you in dive gear. Hell, your Coven could hide under the water too. It¡¯s not like the undead can drown,¡± she said with augh. ¡°We can put people in ce and move in when I give the signal.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± I said. ¡°We should get going.¡±


    ¡°I need to restrain Vicki and bring her there alone,¡± Traci said. ¡°For all I know, Caroline is already there waiting for us. You¡¯re going to have to trust me.¡±


    That was going to be the hardest thing for me to do tonight.


    *********


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t like being in the back of the Range Rover, but that was how we had to y it.


    Nichs and the others left after Iid out my n, while Traci and I had to time things a little closer to arrival time. To make things realistic, she demanded Alessandro bring five million dors Australian for Nichs and Vicki¡¯s ransom. After all, Alessandro wasn¡¯t supposed to know that Nichs was dead.


    I looked out the window as we crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the northern suburbs. It was a glorious summer night, warm and humid, and the cloudsbined with the waning moon meant the Lighthouse area would have little light. The Harbor was full of boats, and the many points and inlets allowed lots of people to own property on the water. It was too busy for me, but I could see its attraction.


    We crossed the bridge and headed for the Military Road exit. ¡°Put the cuffs on and get on the floor,¡± Traci told me. From this point on, I¡¯d just have to trust her. I knew the route we were taking and could sense when we reached the roundabout that took us around to Bradley Head Road. She pulled over eventually and put the car in park. ¡°Don¡¯t move. We¡¯re at the park entrance.¡±


    She pulled a set of lock picks out of her purse, then got out of the car. A few minutester, we were through the gate, and she got out to lock up behind us again. ¡°Can¡¯t have the police wondering if kids are having a party at the beach,¡± she said.


    I reached out to my mate. ¡°How is it going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re headed across the bay now,¡± he sent back. ¡°One hour to the meeting. Alessandro has the money, and we¡¯ve got the rest of his people with us.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯re in the park now; I should be out on the walkway in plenty of time,¡± I said.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Tired,¡± I replied. ¡°What are we doing with the bodies? Are you dumping them in deep water?¡±


    ¡°We came up with a better idea,¡± Nichs sent back. ¡°Becky is driving the car over and will park a few miles away from the meeting site until we call her in.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I feel the car stop. ¡°We¡¯re here. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± Traci gets out and opens the back door; she¡¯s been crying and can¡¯t stop. Her mate is dead, and her pain and loss familiar to me. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but it was the same aching emptiness I had after she stole my mate. She had no one to me but herself, especially now. They were exiled with money and could have gone somewhere and made a decent life for themselves. Instead, they tried to take what was mine and that I could not forgive.


    I was out of energy by the time Traci walked me away from the parking area. The path led to a metal dock, extending to where the short lighthouse stuck up from the bay. I saw a chainlink gate with barbed wire across it at the end to prevent kids from getting onto the lighthouse; she sat me down and handcuffed my right hand to the metal post. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful out here,¡± I told her.


    ¡°We have a deal,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything until I have my baby safe in my arms.¡±


    ¡°Keep up your end of the deal, and your son will carry on your family line,¡± I promised.


    She nodded and handed me a bottle of water, then turned and walked off the dock and up to her car. She leaned against it, waiting for Alessandro to show up with the money.


    I spent time watching the harbor as we waited. The waters were busy with boats, from sixteen-foot fishing boats to megayachts. I could see the anchor lights of the sailboats and yachts at anchor and the running lights of those still moving across the bay. Despite thete hour, a few parties continued on their decks.


    About twenty minutester, a fishing boat rounded the point with itss rolled and ready on the fantail. I watched it pass about a hundred yards out and was a little shocked when Nichs¡¯ send came to me. ¡°We¡¯re deploying the mermaids from the fishing boat now,¡± he told me. ¡°They¡¯ll wait for my signal to go.¡±


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes until Alessandro arrives. Becky is monitoring the police frequencies and has the surveince cameras in the park on a loop. I need you to stay safe while Alessandro does his business. We figure Caroline will let him get down to you before springing her trap, wanting the remote location.¡±


    I felt better knowing our friends were here. ¡°I¡¯ve just about reached my limit on drama,¡± I told my mate. ¡°I want to get back to modeling, diving, and making love with my man on the deck overlooking the Southern Ocean.¡±


    I could feel the love and lust over the bond. ¡°Don¡¯t get me excited now, baby. I don¡¯t want to go into battle with a hard-on.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just off the Memorial Mast, but don¡¯t look. We¡¯ve got mermaids in ce around the point, just below the surface and waiting for my signal.¡±


    ¡°Nichs¡­ if things go south, know that I loved you with all that I had. Live for me, and lead our Pack. I¡¯ll talk to Luna and send you another mate.¡±


    ¡°I want the same for you if I fall, Vicki. All I want is for you to be happy.¡± I wiped away a tear with my free hand. ¡°When this is over, I¡¯m locking you in our bedroom for days.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± By Luna, that sounded good right now.


    ¡°I promise.¡± We talked some more about our dream home, which I knew was his way of taking my mind off the shitstorm that wasing our way. I heard a motorboat approaching, heading right for us. It slowed as it got closer, and I recognized the operator.


    ¡°You made it,¡± I told Alessandro as he stopped the boat next to the dock.


    ¡°You never said you were arriving by water,¡± Traci said as she walked down onto the dock.


    ¡°You told me to be here, and I¡¯m here,¡± Alessandro said as he tossed her a line. She tied the boat off fore and aft, and he climbed up onto the dock. He was wearing a backpack that was stuffed full of money. ¡°Vicki, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said.


    ¡°She¡¯ll remain fine when I get my money. My mate has her in his rifle scope. One false move from you, or he sees anyone else, and he blows her head off. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alessandro replied.


    ¡°Good. Walk up to the car in the parking lot.¡± I watched as they went up the hill. Traci had him dump the money into the back seat, not trusting his bag. Once satisfied, she tossed him the keys to the handcuffs. ¡°Our business is concluded. I have no ill will against your Coven, but you need to understand Vicki¡¯s situation. I have a video of Vicki executing a Federal Police Officer in cold blood. If anything happens to us, Vicki will spend the rest of her life in prison. We¡¯re going to form a Pack north of Brisbane; I don¡¯t want you or Vicki¡¯s pack anywhere north of the Sunshine Coast in Queennd. Make sure her Pack understands.¡± She handed him the handcuff key. ¡°Take her and go.¡±


    Alessandro started to walk back with the empty bag. He was almost to the dock when he stopped, sniffing the air before dropping the bag and spinning around. ¡°You treacherous BITCH,¡± he said as his talons and fangs grew out. I looked up to see Master Caroline had shed in and was now standing next to Traci Lords.


    It was Caroline who startedughing. ¡°This is too perfect,¡± she said as she matched Alessandro¡¯s vampire form. ¡°Done in by the dogs you wanted to trust.¡±


    ¡°My baby? I¡¯ve done all you asked,¡± Traci said.


    ¡°A deal is a deal,¡± Caroline answered. ¡°Look, there he is.¡± One of her vampires was walking along the rocks down by the HMAS Sydney Memorial Mast. Without warning, she plunged the nails of her right hand into Traci¡¯s back, causing her to scream in agony. ¡°Dogs shouldn¡¯t mess with our kind, Traci. The poison flooding into your body right now will make it a challenge, but maybe you¡¯re strong enough to deal with the pain long enough to save that child of yours.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #199

    I watched in horror as the vampire swung the baby carrier around beforeunching it out into the water. ¡°GO NOW,¡± I sent to Nichs as Traci screamed and ran down the hill. ¡°SAVE THAT BABY IN THE WATER!¡±


    Caroline looked around in confusion as mermaids appeared out of the water on three sides, tridents in hand. Four of them converged on the vampire by the shore, their long weapons spearing him before they lifted him off the ground. His body struggled against them, but not for long. A wolf appeared from the water, his ck fur matted, and heunched himself at the vampire¡¯s neck. There was a short struggle before the vampire¡¯s head dropped to the ground. The mermaids let the body drop to the ground as the wolf howled in triumph.


    Nichs shifted back as the group walked up to take their ces on the perimeter. Caroline looked at him, noting the shes on his side given to him by her Coven member before he died. ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy watching you die slowly and painfully, Alpha. As for your fishy friends, they should leave before they find out what happens when you mess with a Master Vampire.¡±


    I watched as the gashes on my mate¡¯s side closed up, healing in seconds. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Caroline. I¡¯m immune to your venom now, and I¡¯ve gained your healing power.¡±


    She turned in horror towards Alessandro. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU FOOL!¡±


    ¡°I helped a friend,¡± he said.


    She looked towards the entrance to the park. ¡°Talia! Andrew! Matthias!¡±


    There was no answer, not until three objectsnded with liquid sts on the parking lot pavement. ¡°They lost their heads,¡± Rick said. Rick, Frank, and Oksana were nude, their bodies still dripping from the water and the blood. The three vampires took their ces in the circle surrounding the Master Vampire of Los Angeles, who was now alone and outnumbered.


    She looked around at the three species surrounding you. ¡°I challenge you, Alessandro Mri, for the position of Master Vampire of Australia.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have the guts to face me in fair battle, and I have no problem with your execution foring here and hurting my friends.¡±


    Caroline looked for an opening, but there was none. The long Tridents negated any advantage her talons gave her, and three vampires blocked her way out. I watched as Nichs shifted back into his wolf, growling as he paced the edge of the circle.


    Nichs handed off the key, and Maribel ran out onto the dock to set me free. ¡°You should be there for this,¡± she told me.


    I gathered the little energy I had and shifted into my grey-over-white wolf. Trotting up the hill, I moved past the mermaids and sat next to Alessandro. He scratched my ear as we waited.


    Caroline decided to make a break for it, picking Oksana as the weakest vampire in her way.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    Mermaids are strong and have freakishly-fast reflexes, so even her vampire speed wasn¡¯t enough to escape the Tridents. One prated her chest on the left side, while the other pierced through her right thigh. Oksana shed forward and used her talons to slice Caroline¡¯s right forearm to the bone. The damage done, the mermaids shoved forward with their tridents, pushing her back into the circle before ripping the barbed hooks out.


    Caroline screamed in agony as her flesh ripped from the barbs, then stayed on her knees while the wounds healed. She tried again at Frank with the same results, and then back with Oksana. The mermaids kept her from escaping the circle, and the vampires sliced her open before pushing her back. Each time, I knew she was using up the reserves of energy she¡¯d gained from my blood. I could tell by how long it took the wounds to heal again.


    She was going to die, and she knew it, so she went for Alessandro. He was just as old as she was, but he was faster. They shed, their talons scraping before Alessandro¡¯s hand spiked through her armpit and ripped her right arm clean off.


    Nichs picked that time to charge, leaping for her left arm and biting down hard. Caroline screamed as she tried to get it free, but Nichs was dragging her back to the center of the circle.


    ¡°Finish her,¡± Nichs said to me. ¡°You deserve the kill.¡±


    He was right. I leaped onto Caroline¡¯s back, my jaws finding purchase on the sides of her neck. She tried to roll me off, but Nichs kept pulling at her arm, and I didn¡¯t let go of my bite. I dug my paws into the asphalt and shook my head as I squeezed my jaws closed. My mate and I turned her into a wishbone, pulling the ends against each other. With a loud snap, her neck broke just before I pulled it clean of her body.


    Nichs got the big piece, so I guess he gets his wish.


    I copsed on the ground, panting. Nichs came over to me, licking the blood from my face. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± he told me.


    ¡°The baby?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s scared but fine,¡± Nichs said. He shifted back, thanking the Mermaids for their help. ¡°We need to clear out of here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Just a minute,¡± Alessandro said. He took the backpack, going back to the car and filling it with most of the money he¡¯d dumped out. Alessandro held it out for the mermaids gathered around him. ¡°You did well tonight, and you earned this,¡± he told them.


    The men and women talked among themselves, then refused. ¡°We do not fight for money; we fought because our friends were in danger. Save it for the baby,¡± Maribel said. The mermaids walked down the trail to the beach, slipping into the water. They¡¯d swim out to the fishing boat that belonged to a local family and make their way back to their Bondi Beach hotels.


    Nichs picked me up as I was too weak to shift again. Alessandro scratched my ears as he ordered his Coven to stage the scene. ¡°Traci¡¯s dead; she didn¡¯t make it to the water. We¡¯ll nt some drug residue and leave her bag a couple hundred thousand in it to make this look like a drug deal gone bad. Becky¡¯s on her way in now, and we¡¯ll leave the bodies of the policemen and Timothy here with the others.¡±


    ¡°Are the cops going to buy it?¡±


    ¡°Becky¡¯s already changed the title of the Range Rover over to one of the Federal Police and backdated it a week. They might find your DNA, but we can exin that away as they transported you here yesterday. Becky will then go to work nting enough evidence to link the dead cops to drugs, and the rest looks like a Cartel hit. We¡¯ll stack the bodies and heads for them and let the humans find them in the morning.¡±


    Becky drove in, and they got to work. I could hear thunder approaching; this was good, as the storms would further confuse the crime scene for the police.


    Nichs set me in the back seat where our travel bags waited for us. He helped me get dressed while the vampires worked. They made a pile of dead bodies inside one of the abandoned gun turrets, leaving the heads on top like cannonballs. Traci¡¯s body was left where ity, a bag of money by her as if she¡¯d managed to get away before sumbing to her injuries. Frank used blood to paint the Range Rover¡¯s windshield with a Cartel symbol, and Alessandro decided it was enough.


    ¡°Becky will drive you back to the casino. We¡¯ll take my boat.¡± Becky got in and started it up.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, Alessandro.¡± Once more, I¡¯d ced trust in him, and he¡¯de through.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Vicki. Tonight was a perfect example of how our Council can work together.¡± Alessandro closed the door, and we were off.


    I was asleep in Nichs¡¯ arms as the storm blew in.

 SHARKBAIT #200

    Leo Volkov¡¯s POV


    ¡°LEO GET IN HERE,¡± Adrienne sent to me. ¡°Sharkbait used the under duress code.¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± I was out in the garage getting the snowmobiles ready for the expected snowfall tonight. Running back into the house, I headed for the office while I listened in over the link.


    Vicki was talking. ¡°I need Monique Robinson¡¯s address.¡± Monique Robinson? She was the Omega who Sharkbait¡¯s first mate raped and impregnated. Adrienne had her in hiding, as her son was a Mantled Alpha with no Pack, just like Sharkbait had been when I found her. We were hiding her with a retired couple from our Pack, far enough away that anyone looking wouldn¡¯t find them.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You know I want to make sure my Pack has the opportunity to find their mates, but I realized Monique would never be able to attend a scratch ¡®n sniff while in hiding. I¡¯d like to send her a formal invitation toe down here for a private visit, where I could bring my unmated males to meet her. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re moving her periodically for safety, so why not thousands of miles away? Nichs and I will make sure she¡¯s safe here.¡± That was suspicious as well; if enemies had her name in the TSA database, they¡¯d know where she was going. Avoidingmercial flights and anywhere else required to show identification was one of the first rules of staying hidden.


    I thought quickly before sending a mental suggestion to my mate. ¡°The Temples are in Arizona for another week, but Monique and Tyler stayed behind. Set a trap at their house,¡± I sent to Adrienne as I sent out an alert on my phone to all Pack Warriors to gear up and assemble immediately at Volkov Construction in Red Wing.


    ¡°That could work,¡± Adrienne said. She rattled off an address. ¡°She¡¯s staying with Paul and Lois Temple down in Lake City.¡± Paul and Lois were retired teachers from the Miesville Pack who lived in a condo overlooking Lake Pepin.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll get in touch with them as soon as possible. Bye, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on,¡± I asked my mate as she sat back in her chair.


    ¡°She used the under duress code again at the end to make sure we picked up on it,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Someone has her or is ckmailing her to get Monique¡¯s location.¡±


    ¡°Timothy,¡± I said as I unlocked the gun safe behind my desk. ¡°He keeps doubling down on stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work the phones, and you take down whoever they send to get him.¡± She was already dialing a number. ¡°Who knows who he¡¯s in with now? It could be werewolves, humans, or vampires.¡±


    Taking out my Smith and Wesson M&P40, I threaded on a silencer since we¡¯d be working in town. I pulled on a shoulder holster and slid the long pistol in ce, then grabbed an extra two magazines of Silvertips and ced them in the holders on the right side. The bullets were for werewolf use; we started with normal hollowpoints and dripped a small amount of molten silver into each. They¡¯d work fine on humans, too. Vampires were a whole other thing. I wrapped a sheath with a silver-coated dagger on my right calf and hooked a Taser on my right hip.


    I wanted at least one alive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when we are in ce.¡±


    ¡°Be safe,¡± Adrienne told me as she kissed me goodbye.


    I called Tony and Lois ckman in Frontenac as I was driving to work; they were a young warrior couple who joined the Pack three years ago. They lived closest to Lake City, so I sent them to watch the Temple¡¯s townhouse. ¡°Use the ice house, bring rifles, and stay out of sight,¡± I told them. Our Pack owned a twenty-five-foot Ice Castle trailer that sat a few hundred yards from their townhouse on Lake Pepin. It could sleep six beer-drinking adults in RVfort, plus it was a fun ce to take the kids during the day.


    It took another twenty minutes after I got to Volkov Construction for everyone else to arrive. While I was waiting, I¡¯d called Monique to fill her in on the threat. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the threat ising from or how long until they arrive, but they want Tyler dead,¡± I told her. ¡°I need the two of you in the panic box, and don¡¯te out until I give the all-clear.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we leave?¡±


    ¡°No, we need your scent, and only your scents there, or we¡¯ll spook them. They won¡¯t get to you before we can follow them in and take them down. I can¡¯t have a gunfight out in public, Monique. You¡¯ll have to be the bait.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll grab a few things and get Tyler inside.¡±


    ¡°Stay safe and quiet.¡± I hung up and thought about what I was doing. I was confident they would be safe during the attack as long as they stayed in the box. After moving the two into the ckman¡¯s basement bedrooms, I¡¯d installed a ¡®tornado shelter¡¯ for them. The steel box was the foundation for her bed, bolted to the concrete floor, and the top raised on hydraulic assists to ess the shelter. It locked in three ces from inside, and the inch-thick ting was bulletproof and bomb-resistant. She kept sleeping bags, emergency supplies, and battery-powered lighting inside.


    I used a satellite overview of the area to give out assignments. I had a dozen men, split into six teams. Three teams would cover the parking lot and street, while two teams covered each side¡¯s shoreline. The ckman¡¯s were responsible for the frozenke. ¡°Teams one and two will be here, across 61 from Central Point Road at the trailer park where we can cover the entrance. Three and Four, you park at least six houses down on the dead-end road. Teams One and Three go to the house after the attackers are inside. Team Three stays upstairs while One goes downstairs. Team Two is responsible for any support vehicles or trail vehicles. Teams Four and Five, you approach from theke, each entering through a patio door using the spare keys.¡± The twin-homes lined the shore where it jutted east into theke just north of the city, so the street and garage were on the north side and theke to the south. ¡°Team Five will be here, in Hok-Si-La park on the south loop. You won¡¯t be able to see the house, but be ready to go wolf and chase down any that try to flee north through the woods. Team Six is in the ice house.


    The wind is out of the northwest, so we have to watch our cement,¡± I told the men. ¡°Get into ce. Keep one alive if you can, but protect each other as a first priority.¡±


    It was just above zero as we passed lunchtime, so the cars had to stay running. By two, I started rotating people around so vehicles could get gas, food, and use the bathroom, plus we could change locations to avoid suspicion. We were about to get food when I got a text message from Adrienne. She was calling an emergency teleconference.


    I used my phone to get on. I saw Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn, Adrienne, Master Cyprian, and Chairman Wolfe. As soon as Nichs joined, and ONLY Nichs, my heart dropped. ¡°Nichs! Is Vicki safe?¡±


    ¡°She is now,¡± he said. He turned his phone to show her face; they were in a car, and she was asleep with her head on hisp. ¡°Timothy and Traci showed up in Sydney along with Caroline from Los Angeles and her friends.¡±


    Shit. Master Caroline was the Vampire Master of Los Angeles! She was powerful and dangerous and not necessarily an ally.


    Cyprian¡¯s face showed a brief bit of shock before he regained control. ¡°How is Caroline now?¡±


    ¡°Caroline and her friends are no longer a concern of mine, nor are Timothy and Traci. I do need to find a long-term babysitter for Todd. Perhaps you know a good family?¡± He was saying things that would be innocent if overheard, but I was relieved. Vicki and Nichs were safe, the bad guys were dead, and a baby needed to find a home with its rtives.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I cane up with,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°Cyprian, fair warning. Things will get heated, and it will all be in public with our friends in Los Angeles. New leadership is needed quickly, so we need you to step in. Austin, Frank, and Paul will be sitting down with David, Elsa, and Andrew to discuss what happened. Uncle Samuel will be all over this.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I understand and will handle my end.¡±


    ¡°You have maybe three or four hours before it all blows up, so take advantage of the time,¡± he said evenly. ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll call when we¡¯re back to our room.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nichs. Keep our girl safe.¡±


    ¡°You know I will, Unky Leo.¡± He exited the conference, quickly followed by Cyprian.


    ¡°Any change where you are, Leo?¡±


    ¡°Still quiet. I¡¯ll call youter.¡± With that, I exited the conference and started thinking back to the names he¡¯d used. Caroline and her Coven were dead, and they¡¯d been working with Timothy and Traci to take down Alessandro and Vicki. They must have forced Vicki to give up Monique¡¯s location before being rescued.


    Cyprian was going to have a mess on his hands. The Los Angeles Coven was one of the richest and most influential, and now it was gone.

 SHARKBAIT #201

    The other names made no sense until you got to the abbreviations. AFP stood for the Australian Federal Police, and DEA was the Drug Enforcement Agency. Uncle Sam? Nichs meant they were making it look drug-rted, so he warned Cyprian about potential investigations into Caroline¡¯s activities. I was d I didn¡¯t have to clean THAT mess up.


    More information came through as we maintained our vigil. Monique asked if she could rx a little since it had been hours already; I agreed, provided she kept the entrance open and didn¡¯t leave the room.


    I kept an eye on the Australian news websites, and it waste afternoon when the first headlines started. ¡°CARTEL WAR COMES TO SYDNEY,¡± one headline red. There was little concrete information for a few hours, just the initial reports of decapitated bodies found stacked like cordwood in Bradley¡¯s Head Park, plus an unidentified baby found in a running SUV nearby. A littleter, ¡®confidential sources¡¯ confirmed two of the bodies were Australian Federal Police agents, and some of the bodies were Americans. ¡°In what appears to be a drug deal gone bad, the bodies of six men and three women were found in Bradley¡¯s Head Park on Sydney¡¯s north harbor this morning. Two of the men were members of the Australian Federal Police, while several other victims had United States passports. Police recovered arge amount of cash at the scene near one of the victims, and drug dogs found cocaine residue in the car. The child, a months-old boy, was taken to the hospital as a precaution. More updates as they be avable.¡±


    Yep, Cyprian had a mess on his hands.


    It was five-eighteen in the afternoon and just after sunset when I called the alert. A car pulled into the drive, dropping off two males a few houses short of the townhouse, then parked across the street. ¡°CODE RED Coming in from the front, four men, one vehicle,¡± I sent to the team. ¡°Monique, get safe. Four and five, start walking towards the house.¡±


    ¡°In and locked,¡± Monique sent back a few secondster.


    I pulled out of my parking area and crossed the road. I could see the men kick the door down, and the four went inside with guns drawn. ¡°Team Three, go,¡± I said. We both arrived in front of the house at the same time. The four of us leaped out and ran for the broken door, smelling the werewolves preceding us. ¡°Four, Five, GO!¡±


    Eight men entered the home from both sides, leaving the attackers had no chance. I put two into the chest of a man in the living room, while my partner took out one in the kitchen. I could hear the suppressed shots from downstairs, followed by the crashes of furniture breaking. My partner and I headed down the stairs while the other two checked the rest of the floor. ¡°UPSTAIRS CLEAR, TWO DOWN,¡± Team Three reported


    ¡°DOWNSTAIRS CLEAR, ONE DOWN, ONE INJURED,¡± Team Four reported.


    ¡°Stabilize him and tie him down.¡± I entered the bedroom to find a young woman lying on the floor as one of my men applied a battle dressing to the gunshot wound on her thigh. The leg was lying crooked, so the bullet had broken her femur. ¡°Back one of the cars into the garage and start loading bodies and cleaning up,¡± I told the men.


    I started a video camera for the interrogation. The prisoner didn¡¯t look at me or beg for mercy. Instead, she was crying over the man with a bullet through his temple. ¡°Your mate?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°If you cooperate, I¡¯ll make your end clean and painless. You got shot with silver, so you know what that means.¡± Her eyes got wide; silver poisoning was a bad death. ¡°What Pack are you with?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°We were Stillwater until the Alpha died, and Alpha Ivan made us rogue.¡± The previous Stillwater Alpha was into some bad stuff, and Ivan cleaned house.


    ¡°Who told you to kill him and why?¡±


    ¡°Timothy Lords,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°He promised us money and a spot in his Pack in Australia.¡±


    ¡°Timothy died a few hours ago,¡± I said. ¡°Who should I contact about your bodies?¡±


    She gave me the name of a rtive, then looked away. I put a round into her head, ending her suffering. A few minutester, the bodies were gone, and I told Monique to open the safe space. ¡°Alpha!¡±


    Tyler reached for me, and I picked him up and held him to my chest. ¡°Don¡¯t look around, Chum, we¡¯re going to my house.¡±


    ¡°I can see the sharks?¡± He looked up at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Of course you can, Tyler. The sharks miss you.¡±


    **********


    Nichs Corcoran¡¯s POVN?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    We arrived back at the casino at three-thirty in the morning. Becky pulled into the private parking level for residents, turning the SUV into Alessandro¡¯s reserved spot. I carried my sleeping mate in my arms to the elevator, where we headed for the 70th floor. The Coven headquarters had a dozen bedrooms, and Becky showed us to one. I took Vicki¡¯s clothes off and tucked her in without her waking. I walked back to the living area overlooking the harbor, spotting Becky out on the balcony. I went through the door, marveling at the view of the city and its waterfront. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Once I have you settled, I will hack the security footage to show you arriving at midnight and going straight to bed. I¡¯ll loop the video in the garage and elevator to make up the time,¡± the redheaded vampire told me.


    ¡°The police will track their men back to us; we are theirst known assignment,¡± I said.


    ¡°True. A group of your mermaid friends arriving chartered a tour boatst night in Sydney Harbor. The police officers dropped you off at the King Street Wharf at six. You boarded the Starship Sydney with your friends, eating and drinking until you fell asleep in the corner at nine. I picked you up when the tour boat returned and brought you here about midnight.¡±


    It was a lot to do. ¡°How is that going to work?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro will be at the tour boat this morning and speak to the Captain and crew. They will tell the police they remember seeing you, but no details. Maribel has already spoken to her people, who will swear you were on board. There are no security cameras on the tour boat, and the cameras providing good visibility of the dock will have technical issues. Keep your answers general; they care about what the officers did after dropping you off.¡±


    ¡°And Alessandro¡¯s involvement?¡±


    ¡°He worked through a privatepany to provide security for VIP guests up in Queennd. The two men clocked outst night with their superiors, just before they drove you to the electrical supply house. As far as the securitypany is concerned, the menpleted their assignment and were off the clockst night.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°How is all this possible?¡±


    Becky justughed. ¡°nting a vague memory is easy for a Master Vampire, and all that is required is that they remember you were on their cruise boat if the police ask. The surveince is all onputers. If it¡¯s aputer, I can get to it. As for the securitypany, who do you think owns it?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro?¡±


    ¡°Close, but it¡¯s Rick. Our Coven splits ownership of various investments andpanies among us for tax and other advantages. A securitypany gives us ess tow enforcement, weapons, and equipment we couldn¡¯t ess legally without it.¡±


    It was a slick setup. There were advantages to never aging and never having to sleep. I didn¡¯t have those advantages; it had been a long day, and I was fading fast. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. Goodnight, Becky.¡±


    ¡°You and your people did well tonight, Nichs. I¡¯ll make sure our secrets stay that way.¡± I closed the door behind me and walked back towards the bedroom. I took a shower to wash the rest of the blood and seawater off, then tucked into bed. Vicki rolled towards me; her skin was cold, so I gathered her into my arms and went to sleep.


    I woke to a knock on the door; looking at my phone, it was eight AM. Vicki was still out cold. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Consu. I¡¯m here to check on Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± I woke Vicki gently, as she was SO not a morning wolf, then pulled on shorts and went to open the door before going to take care of my morning routine. When I came out of the bathroom, Consu had finished her examination. ¡°How is she doing,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I just want to SLEEP,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°She¡¯s anemic and dehydrated. She needs fluids, food, and rest in that order,¡± Consu told us. ¡°She¡¯s on bedrest today. Go, bring your wife her breakfast.¡±


    I quickly dressed and went into the hallway, following the smell of bacon to the kitchen. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said to Oksana, who was cooking up a lot of food. ¡°Is someone elseing?¡±


    ¡°Just the two of you, but Consu said you needed lots of food. I don¡¯t get to cook often, so I volunteered,¡± she said. ¡°Bring those trays over.¡± The trays each hadrge sses of milk and orange juice, and one had butter and syrup. Each had two tes. I handed them to her when directed, and she heaped on scrambled eggs, bacon, and a steak on two of them. I set those down, and she took the other two and filled them with thick pancakes topped with strawberries on the other two tes.


    ¡°What are these,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Syrniki, Russian cheese pancakes,¡± Oksana told me. ¡°My mother used to make them for me on special asions like my birthday or the Tsar¡¯s.¡±


    You never ask a woman her age, but that was a hint and a half. I carried one tray into the bedroom, where Consu had brought over a folding table next to the bed. Vicki¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of all the food. ¡°Steak AND bacon?¡±


    ¡°Get your food baby going, and then you can sleep,¡± I told her. I set the food before her before going back to get mine. My wife wasn¡¯t shy about eating, and she¡¯d made a dent by the time I returned. We both liked the Russian pancakes.


    Becky came in and verified the surveince tapes matched our story, which she went over with Vicki. Vicki was a little unsteady on her feet, and we¡¯d just washed up when Alessandro joined us. ¡°It¡¯s all over the news,¡± he told us. ¡°I¡¯d expect the first detectives to call you in the next few hours.¡±


    ¡°Becky briefed us on everything,¡± Vicki said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dyed the talks on the Council until tomorrow morning so you can rest,¡± the Master Vampire told us. ¡°The mermaids are taken care of; there¡¯s plenty for them to do at Bondi Beach.¡±


    ¡°I should call and see how the meetup is going,¡± Vicki said as I tucked her in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out. You go to sleep.¡± I kissed her forehead as she turned on the news, then followed Alessandro out to the living area. He gestured me to a chair by the windows. ¡°How bad is the blowback going to be?¡±


    ¡°Manageable,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°We had a few hours to work before the police found out, and that gave Cyprian and Becky a chance to nt some evidence. It¡¯s enough to lend credence to the drug angle without casting suspicion on the rest of her operations.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #202

    ¡°What will happen with Caroline¡¯s estate? Is she married to someone?¡±


    ¡°Caroline was not married; unlike Vespi, she wasn¡¯t nning to change identities or move to a new territory. Designating an heir in apetitive Coven can paint a target on your back,¡± he said. ¡°The Council requires all vampires to have simrnguages in their wills to avoid entanglements in human courts. In a case like this, with the entire Coven leadership gone, what happens depends on how she structured her fortune. Many structure their finances as a private corporation and give their people stock, while others hold it closely. I suspect she isn¡¯t as trusting as I have been with my people.¡± That made sense after hearing how Rick owned the securitypany. ¡°Thewyers will handle the estate, and new leadership wille in. The vampire world is in the middle of a shakeup as new Masters arise, and others move where they have opportunities.¡±


    I¡¯d grown up ignorant of Vampires in my country, so all of this political stuff with Packs and Covens was new to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got so much to learn,¡± I said as I looked out over downtown.


    ¡°When you think you have nothing to learn, you are merely existing,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been a vampire for centuries, and I never stop learning new things.¡± Oksana brought over a Coke for me, and I thanked her for breakfast again before she retired. ¡°What did you think of thend? Are you going to take it?¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡¯s picking out drapes for the home we haven¡¯t designed yet,¡± I said. ¡°I may need your help getting the coastalmission to agree with our ns.¡± I showed him the satellite view of where we were hoping to build and what zoningws were. ¡°A hundred-meter setback from the high water line kills our dream.¡±


    ¡°All of these are ¡®should¡¯ restrictions,¡± Alessandro said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with government regtions and zoning rules more than I¡¯d like to admit. Think of what the Commission¡¯s goals are, then tailor your proposal until its benefits outweigh the effects of the waivers.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡± We went to his conference room; theputer screen there took up most of the wall. Alessandro brought up the satellite view of the property along with the zoningws. ¡°The coastal development n has two goals; minimal visual disruption of the coastline, and conservation of native vegetation. Are you nning to raise sheep there?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯d like to let thend return to nature. All we want is to run on it without interference, which means keeping it private.¡±


    He backed the view up to show the penins. ¡°You can donatend to a charity and take the tax deduction, and not allow the public to ess it,¡± he said. ¡°You should consider redrawing the boundary lines if you do that. Combine that with an easement across the northern portion of the properties to connect the Blowhole Beach park area with the Talisker Park; the public good then outweighs the variance. A strip wide enough to put in hiking and bicycle paths would buy a lot of goodwill. The South Australian Government has inquired about buying thend, but it wasn¡¯t a high enough priority.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about an airstrip on the west side, maybe some houses for Pack members who want to live close. The farmhouse here is all right, but the resort doesn¡¯t fit what we want. I don¡¯t know what they were thinking with that spaceship.¡±


    ¡°Then put that in your proposal. Removing eyesores and structures helps, as will using historical designs and natural materials for your proposed structure. If you can show the Commission that the coastline will be better after your proposal than now, you have a chance.¡±


    The idea had merit. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, can youe to the meeting and use your power to change the Commissioner¡¯s minds?¡± He looked at me like I was kidding. ¡°Vicki wants this bad, and I don¡¯t want to disappoint her by saying we can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°We should probablye up with a great proposal first,¡± he said.


    ¡°Nichs? Linda called; she needs to talk to me in person.¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong? Is it the show?¡±


    ¡°She has some rough cuts we can watch, but she needs to talk to me about personal things, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Alessandro if we can bring her.¡± A few minutester, Oksana volunteered to drive to the beach and pick up our Sharkbait Productions Director and her Merman.


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    Consu was right; it was going to take a while to feel right again. My blood was already thin after my kidnapping; having Caroline treat me like a juice-box a little over a weekter? Bad news.


    I needed a blood transfusion, but Nichs¡¯s blood wasn¡¯tpatible, and he had vampire blood inside him. It allowed him to heal quickly and made him immune to vampire venomst night, thank Luna. Alessandro told him the effects would onlyst a few days, maybe less since he¡¯d used it for healing his gunshot wound and the shes Caroline gave him. No one knew what would happen if Consu used mermaid blood, and human blood would require a visit to a hospital and an exnation I couldn¡¯t give. When my Pack representatives arrived, we¡¯d see if any of them had my blood type.


    I turned on the news, resting back against the pillows in the bedroom at Alessandro¡¯s Coven. The coverage was breathless yet shallow; the police hadn¡¯t released all the details yet. A photo of bodies stacked high, decapitated heads piled like cannonballs on top, couldn¡¯t be shown without blurring it out.


    I pulled out my phone and started checking messages. My family flying home from their time at Mermaid Beach didn¡¯t say much. I sent a group text, telling everyone I overdid itst night and was spending the day resting up with my husband.


    I was watching the weather when my phone buzzed with an iing call. It was Linda Cartwright, my mermaid friend and reality show producer. ¡°Morning Linda, how is the party going?¡± I¡¯d made sure she was around for the SAMM, Sharkbait¡¯s Australian Mermaid Mixer.


    ¡°It worked, Vicki! I found the one for me!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°His name is Commander Matt Rooney; he is the Commanding Officer of Clearance Diving Team Four out of the Naval Base near Perth. He¡¯s four years older than me, never married, and OH GODDESS is he great in the sack,¡± she said dreamily.


    ¡°Back up a bit, Linda. Tell me how it happened.¡±


    ¡°I slept all afternoon and then worked until one in the morning instead of hitting the wee partyst night. I was finishing up for some deadlines, and I had to talk to my people in California. The time difference sucks, right?¡± Bedtime in Australia was early morning in the States, especially on the west coast. The only way you¡¯re awake for any time together is if one of you works nightshift. ¡°I came down to the pavilion we have at the beach around midnight; I talked to dozens and dozens of guys, but nothing clicked, you know? I was about to give up because who wants an American woman with a demanding career who¡¯s pushing forty?¡±


    ¡°A smart guy. You¡¯re smart, courageous, and you still have a hot body,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I was disappointed and told some of the other women that when I joined them at a table. They encouraged me not to give up yet because some guys were off doing some important stuff. I wasn¡¯t tired, so when they took the vans to pick them up, I asked to go along.¡±


    ¡°What time was this?¡±


    ¡°Three AM, but I wasn¡¯t drunk or anything. We waited at the pier, and when Matt walked off the boat, and I looked in his eyes, I just knew. It was love at first sight.¡±


    ¡°What did he think?¡±


    ¡°He just stared at me, unable to move for a few seconds. Finally, he walked up, put his hand on my cheek, and asked if I was real. I kissed him and proved it.¡±


    I could just SQUEAL. ¡°That¡¯s SO hot! Did anyone get it on film?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not going on your show because I¡¯m behind the camera, not in front of it,¡± she insisted. ¡°Things were tight, so I had to sit in hisp on the way back. He told me about himself, and I told him what I did.¡±


    ¡°How did he react?¡±


    ¡°He knows you, and he¡¯s a diver, so yeah,¡± Linda said. ¡°He retires next month from the Royal Australian Navy and was looking for a job, and I want to give him one. I want you to meet him and approve the offer I made him, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I asked him to be our new Dive Master for Sharkbait Productions. I know you originally nned for an all-girl for the Sea Scout, but that¡¯s not realistic, and we both know it. Married couples onboard can work, with females in front of the cameras.¡± She was right; limiting it to just women was making it hard to fill out the crew. ¡°We need someone with decades of diving experience, and that¡¯s been Matt¡¯s life. On the bonus side, if we ever need to disarm a sea mine or set a charge underneath a rival ship, we¡¯re covered. The Clearance Diving Team is part of the Australian military¡¯s Special Forces, like the SEALs, but he says they don¡¯t go more than a couple clicks past the waterline.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a good guy, Linda. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    She giggled like a teenager. ¡°Can I bring him to meet with you? I know you¡¯re probably tired, but Matt and I have to fly to Perth this afternoon, so it¡¯s now or muchter.¡±


    Damn, that was fast. Linda meets a Navy guy at three in the morning, has him in bed by six, and is flying home with him by two. ¡°Let me make sure it¡¯s all right. They¡¯ve got me on bedrest at Alessandro¡¯s ce downtown.¡± I linked Nichs, who made the arrangements. ¡°One of Alessandro¡¯s people will pick you up from the hotel in about forty minutes,¡± I told her. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet this guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± Linda said. I hung up, excited that there was at least ONE couple that came out of this meetup.


    I did some reading on the Web about the Clearance Diving Team and Australia¡¯s special forces. Matt would fit right in with Ian, Hammer, Kai, Manuel, and Ricardo.


    I was reading aboutbat divers in the Iraq War when Nichs told me we had detectives on the way up. The pair, an older man and his younger female partner, talked to the two of us for about twenty minutes. We answered their questions while staying within our cover story; Alessandro hired them for our security, we didn¡¯t talk much, the guys were professional, and we didn¡¯t see them after they dropped us at the pier. I pretended to be shocked when told the officers were dead, and I made the connection to the news I¡¯d been watching. We wrote out and signed statements, and they were gone.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Nichs got me more juice, then returned with Linda and a tall, dark-haired man with a close-trimmed beard and mustache. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before,¡± I said as he walked it.


    ¡°Quite,¡± he replied. ¡°Commander Matt Rooney at your service. We spoke briefly at your Surf Shop appearance in Perth.¡±


    ¡°You asked me to sign my poster with a saying.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #203

    ¡°United and Undaunted, it¡¯s the motto of our unit,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll be happy to know you and Amy have an honored ce on the wall of our ready room.¡±


    I could just bet; the photo from above of Amy and I free-diving in thong bikinis would fit right in. We spoke about his background, and I was impressed. ¡°How are you two going to work things out?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the foggiest,¡± Matt answered. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. Once I retire, my schedule opens up a bit.¡±


    ¡°Wee aboard,¡± I said. ¡°Take care of her; Linda¡¯s the best, but she needs to take a break once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve already proven that this morning,¡± Matt said with a grin. Linda blushed and smacked him, and we spent a little more time getting to know each other.


    We spent an hour watching her rough-cut of the episode she was working on, which happened to be the caves off Rottnest Ind. Matt had lots of stories about his diving career, including a few shark encounters that were a bit too close. All too soon, they had to leave.


    ¡°Thank you, Vicki,¡± Linda told me as she hugged me goodbye. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have found him without you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d gone to the surf shop in Perth instead of the hotel to start editing, you¡¯d be married already,¡± I teased her. There were only so many autograph sessions you could put into the show, and she¡¯d reached her limit. ¡°Send us an invite to your retirement ceremony, Commander. I¡¯d love to see your unit.¡±


    That had Nichs doing a spit-take and Mattughing. ¡°The boys would love to meet you, and I¡¯m sure mydy would film it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Linda, you know we were going to do a show about SEAL training? Maybe we could fit in a segment with the Aussie divers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the Base Commander,¡± Matt promised. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find something that will look good on film. And thank you for arranging the meetup, Vicki. My nephew texted me that there are a dozen other couples out of it already. He found his woman too; she¡¯s a Mermaid from a fishing vige in Mexico.¡±


    Nichs looked up. ¡°Maribel?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    The Australian Council Treaty was a foregone conclusion after the events of thest few weeks. Werewolves, Mermaids, and Vampires had proven themselves to each other in a way that built up the trust needed. Not every leader in each species in the world was that way, but our Continent had it.


    Adrienne had provided a draft treaty and structure based on her experiences that made sense. Covens and Packs had top-down leadership that lent itself to single representation, but the Mermaids did not. Having one representative from each species would be simple but concentrated power into too few people to satisfy the Mers. It would also make things more difficult down the road if another Pack or Coven got started. In the end, we agreed on a nine-person Council, with each species having three representatives and one alternate. Changes to the Council Bws required eight of the nine to agree, ensuring fairness to all species. A three-person sumittee could do day-to-day things like approving visitors.


    I felt better after a blood transfusion, so the rest of our time in Sydney went smoothly. The Mermaids knew how to party, and I didn¡¯t even try to keep up. Consu wanted to see the country, so we brought her along in a rental car. For security, we had two single Werewolves from our Pack who volunteered to drive us home.


    Driving had been Nichs¡¯ idea, but it was fine with me. I hadn¡¯t seen much of Australia yet, and we nned to stop to visit Pack members and unaffiliated werewolves at every stop along the way. I¡¯d met most of them when we were in Bonnie Doon, but that seemed like a year ago now. Our visits were more rxed, and I got to know my Pack members personally and share our vision for the future. ¡°We can be a Pack all spread out like this, but over the decades, you¡¯ll feel the desire to move closer due to your wolves,¡± I told them. ¡°It¡¯s a natural impulse for your wolves to gather. We will help where we can; relocation allowances, help finding jobs in the Adide area, educational assistance at the local colleges and trade schools. The more often we gather as a Pack, the better your wolves will feel. We¡¯ve got plenty of room for our wolves to run on, and the ocean is our backyard.¡±


    Six families didn¡¯t want to join our Pack. In all six cases, the wife didn¡¯t want to make the change, and the husband didn¡¯t want to risk another situation like Ian and Dorothy. Until that happened, the promise of a change and choice mating seemed worth the risk.


    We stayed for a week in Bonnie Doon with the remaining sixteen wives who elected to make the change. All sixteen made it and became choice mates of their husbands. Our Pack was now twenty-five for twenty-five on changes, a sess rate that defied belief. I asked Adrienne what she thought it meant on our daily conference call after I woke up, and she couldn¡¯t exin it. ¡°I ran the numbers; it¡¯s more than a one-in-thirty-three-million chance of happening this way, Vicki. If you¡¯re this lucky, you should buy lotto tickets. I have to believe there is something else in y.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t know how to exin it. ¡°It¡¯s not you, Unky Leo. You weren¡¯t here for this set.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not you either,¡± Leo said. ¡°You were on tour when Adrienne and I supervised turns with Nichs. No, I think this one is all Luna.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think the Goddess took pity on your people for being isted and alone for so long. The wives showed loyalty to our kind and bore sons and daughters to keep Her people going. It is her reward for them.¡±


    It was as good a reason as any. ¡°How should I handle it?¡±


    ¡°Like the blessing it is. If anyone asks, you didn¡¯t do anything we don¡¯t do in the rest of the world, and the Goddess does what she wants.¡±


    That made sense.


    The migration towards Adide was already underway. Ian stayed with his brother and his family while the divorce went through. Their family had found a ce in Wirrina Cove, a small vacation town about fifteen minutes north of Cape Jervis along the St. Vincent Gulf. It was in the hills and had a view of the ocean, plus he could be at the marina in five minutes. In another surprise move, two sisters in another family decided to transfer to the University of Melbourne to Adide, and four more families were actively looking for jobs near us.


    It was January 29th, and we were visiting a family in Mount Gambier. I called my ountant back after brekky in response to his urgent message. Early morning in South Australia waste afternoon the previous day back home, so he was in his office. ¡°Hey, Stan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Stan Greenberg had been busy. ¡°Vicki, do you remember that offer on the yacht I told you about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one-point-five if I paid cash by the end of January.¡± It was a good discount, but I hadn¡¯t given him an answer yet because I¡¯d been busy with other things.


    ¡°He called me today and asked if he could do anything to sweeten the pot. I told him it would cost us sixty grand to sail it to Adide and change the registration, so you were thinking about buying something down there instead. He panicked and offered to drop it to one-point-four if you paid cash by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Money problems,¡± I said.


    ¡°Worse. The owner has divorce problems, and the ex wants the money now.¡±


    ¡°Let me call you back.¡±


    I had Nichs in the room with me, and I set up a call with Amy and the twins, Ian, and my parents. After exining what was going on, Mom urged me to buy it. ¡°You like the boat a lot, and it¡¯s going to be a year or two until your home gets built,¡± she said. ¡°Then there is school; a boat in a marina could serve as an apartment in Adide if you don¡¯t want to drive a hundred minutes each way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us; we can find a luxury apartment or two until the boys get their next orders. It¡¯s not like we all can¡¯t afford it,¡± Amy teased. ¡°Ourwyer said thewsuit settlement sailed through the Justice Department, and we should have our checks in hand next month.¡± Consu Vespi had set this windfall up with herwyer and ours. The seized funds from Vespi¡¯s American ount was going to the six kidnapping victims and Linda. She¡¯d been added to thewsuit because she¡¯d witnessed the attack and the killing of our guide when he was feet away. The proposed settlement would give the six of us just over six million each, plus three million for Linda. The rest went to ourwyer. Naturally, the Government did nothing but was going to end up with half of it via taxes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it down for you,¡± Ian said. I looked at him in shock. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have much to do right now, and my brother would love to take his wife on a cruise. We could take a month and see the world on your dime,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Could that work?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯re both ship captains, and from the photos, you¡¯ve got an indoor and a flying bridge with modern electronics. You cover the expenses, and we¡¯ll get her here safe and sound.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #204

    I looked at Nichs, who just nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not just going to LOOK at the water, Vicki,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can dive off this yacht too.¡±


    ¡°I want it,¡± I said. Ian called back, saying his brother and his mate would do it, and I made one more call. ¡°Linda, it¡¯s Vicki. What¡¯s your n after Matt retires?¡± Nichs and I had tickets to Perth tonight. We would film me diving and training with Matt¡¯s unit, and then we¡¯d stick around for his retirement ceremony.


    ¡°I have to go back to Los Angeles to close out my apartment and prepare my stuff for shipping,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll do some traveling, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Adide area,¡± she said. ¡°Matt¡¯s open to anywhere, and I figure Sharkbait Productions is moving there soon.¡±


    She was right. ¡°Have I got a deal for you,¡± I told her. They¡¯d have a stateroom on my yacht, get to travel, and there was plenty of room for her stuff. She could even set her editing equipment up and keep working on the episodes in between ports.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± Matt said. ¡°Imanded a Minesweeper years ago, and I can handle myself on a bridge. With three of us to split the bridge time, it will be easy.¡±


    ¡°OOOH!¡± Linda was practically bouncing in her seat. ¡°What if you talked to Admiral Kirk and your SEAL team friends in Coronado and got us permission to film a day there with the other girls? We could make a whole episode showing you with the Aussies and the twins and Amy with the Americans!¡±


    It was genius, and we made it happen.


    Linda taped a day in Perth at HMAS Stirling as I spent a day with the dive team. We started with calisthenics and a beach run. For some reason, they insisted I run in front of the group with the Commander and Master Chief. After that, we boarded a rigid-hull intable and headed out to a training exercise just offshore. Linda and some volunteers filmed me as we walked through disarming a mine on the seafloor. In the next dive, we used rebreathers (think scuba without bubbles) to infiltrate the harbor and nt a limpet charge on the keel of a warship. It was fun, as was the retirement party on the beach they threw for Commander Rooney. The next day he was relieved ofmand, and they started the multi-flight trip to Los Angeles a few hourster.


    Nichs and I returned to the resort overlooking our new beach and didn¡¯te out for three days.


    After our ¡®retreat,¡¯ it was back to work. I¡¯d continued the morning calls with Leo, Adrienne, Mom, and Dad because there was so much going on, and my family was involved in the Sharkbait Foundation and other activities. My current frustrations dealt with mating meetups. ¡°There¡¯s no way to make the Scratch ¡®n Sniff into an international meetup, is there,¡± I said as I looked at the camera.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen at the North American Alpha Summit,¡± Leo said. ¡°I tried, but it¡¯s toote.¡±


    Adrienne slowly nodded. ¡°The Council Chairman is dead, the Midwest Chairman is retiring, and the Pacific Northwest chairman¡¯s term is up. No one is willing to change anything until a new Council gets voted in, Vicki. That won¡¯t happen until the Summit.¡±


    ¡°Who is going to rece Chairman Wolfe in your region? Unky?¡±


    He justughed. ¡°Can you imagine Volkov School of Diplomacy in the Council?¡± We allughed; he¡¯d be a bull in a china shop. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been lobbying for Larry Winters.¡±


    ¡°Good choice,¡± I said. Larry and Donna were former Alphas, turning over the Winona Pack to Doug and Jenny Winters two decades ago. Larry had been Leo¡¯s father-inw after his first mating, and the Winona Pack remained close allies to the Miesville Pack. ¡°How¡¯d you get him to agree toe out of retirement?¡± Regional chairs were not allowed to be active Alphas, so the pool of candidates was small.


    ¡°Given the alternative, he agreed to be drafted.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound good. ¡°Who else has a hat in the ring?¡±


    ¡°Carl Owens,¡± Leo said. I shivered; Alpha Owens tried to get control of me twice when I was five, once at the Mall of America and once at the Alpha Summit. He¡¯d also been the one filing charges against Leo that got him arrested, and me silvered, when we arrived for the Summit. ¡°They have an heir that is of age now, and he¡¯s a power-hungry bastard.¡±


    He never got his mantle, but he did mate an Alpha-blooded widow and adopted her ten-year-old son shortly after he failed with me. ¡°That would be bad. He¡¯d set our kind back a century.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°There is a divide in our people between the traditionalists and the modernists. The reformers are the ones willing to consider working with vampires and recognizing the Australian Council. The Alphas are split, so a lot depends on how the Council shakes out after the new votes.¡±


    ¡°And who the new Council Chairman is.¡± It was a lot of political maneuvering, a game Leo and I didn¡¯t like, but Adrienne excelled. Luna did well pairing those two as second-chance mates. ¡°How is Dorothy doing?¡±


    ¡°Settling in. Dorothy hasn¡¯t met her mate yet, and since she¡¯s an Omega, she can¡¯t attend the Scratch ¡®n Sniff,¡± Mom said. ¡°It will be the four of us since no new Betas havee of age.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the Alphas don¡¯t bring ALL their unmated along. It¡¯s not efficient,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Tradition,¡± Adrienne answered. ¡°In the old days, it was expensive and hazardous to travel to the Summit, so they focused on the Pack leaders.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°It didn¡¯t take much money or time to bring the Mermaids together, and it was a big sess. They are doing another meetup in Florida over spring break, and a dozen Aussies are flying up for it. You don¡¯t have to look past the number of unmated to figure out how inefficient the current practice is.¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a selfish reason, Vicki. In almost all cases, the female goes to the male¡¯s Pack and often a lower rank. Some Packs have fewer males than females, based on wars or other factors. Alphas hate losing members, so some prefer their members stay in-house, so to speak, with choice mates. The best way to get that is to let them go years without finding their true mate.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to push this on my own then,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll get the European Council on board and ask them to host. The Australian and European Councils can extend the invitation to the North American Alphas next week at the Summit.¡±


    ¡°The Council may not approve it,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°The Council cannot prevent interested wolves from traveling,¡± I replied. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got a poption of DOZENS of unmated wolves who have never attended a meetup. Add in those newly freed after choice matings, and we¡¯ll have multiple second-chance mates avable. I can¡¯t afford to send my people on a tour of America. You guys p some sense into them because our people NEED this.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I almost wish you were still in the North American Council. You said it better than I could,¡± Leo replied.


    I wasn¡¯t going to their meeting; I was on the Australian Council, and we dered independence from the North American Council. We finished our call, and I called up Lars Svensson, the European Council Chairman. I exined the issue and asked if he would co-sponsor the meetup there. He readily agreed, and after some discussion, we decided to hold it in Dublin, Irnd. The location worked for Lars because there was a major airport and two Packs nearby, and for me because I wanted Philip Corcoran¡¯s descendants to see where they came from in the Wicklow Mountains. Checking my schedule for the Sea Scout filming, we picked a week in June between filming sessions.


    I checked in with Linda; they had closed out her apartment and packed most of her stuff onto the Good Times. She brought her editing equipment along but shipped her other gear to New Orleans and the Sea Scout. They¡¯d be leaving for Australia tomorrow, stopping in Hawaii, French Polynesia, Fiji, New Zend, and Tasmania.


    My next call was to the Sea Scout Captain Lte Dauntless and Engineer Patty Holmes. We caught up on readiness for the first two scientific cruises the Scout would be taking. Our Foundation needed to keep the Scout busy, but we weren¡¯t nning to start filming until mid-March, so the girls and I wouldn¡¯t be along.


    When the Sharkbait Foundation publicized the Sea Scout¡¯s avability for short-term research cruises at minimal cost, we got a lot of interest. The ones featuring female scientists and sharks got scheduled with our film crew, while other expeditions filled in around it. Thebination kept the Scout¡¯s staff employed and was in keeping with the Foundation¡¯s research focus. It also would shake down the ship before adding the pressures of reality television. Captain Lte was on top of everything, and I looked forward to her updates.


    Nichs cooked me breakfast while I was on the phone. When we finished eating, we dressed in work clothes and waited for our guests to arrive. We weren¡¯t waiting long. Three vehicles arrived right on time, pulling into parking spaces at our home in the former resort. ¡°Jennifer,¡± I said as I smiled at our architect. Another six people got out, one being our General Contractor, Zach Perkins. Mrs. Hawthorne introduced us to the five-member Coastal Zoning Commission.


    She¡¯d been working overtime to get drawings ready, andst week we¡¯d presented it and our variance requests to the Commission. Due to theplexity of the ns and the variances requested, the Commission wanted a site visit. ¡°This doesn¡¯t fit in at all,¡± one Commissioner said as she looked at the former resort and its spaceship-like outbuilding.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. I walked the group to the edge of the cliffs in front of our home. Looking back, they could see the buildings we promised to demolish, restoring thend to its original condition. They could look across to the point on the other side of the cove that was our building site. Zach hadid out the outline of the home and attached pool and cottage using stakes and orange tape; wooden poles and yellow rope showed the height of the walls and roof. ¡°That¡¯s a dominating building,¡± one of themissionersined.


    ¡°Only when viewed from either side, both of which are privatend,¡± Jennifer replied. ¡°With the shape of the point, the building is long and thin. From out on the ocean, it isn¡¯t as conspicuous as the building beside us. It also helps that the point is at a lower elevation than this section or the adjacent. You¡¯ll see that the surrounding topography reduces the visual impact, especially with our use of native stones that will blend in with the cliffs.¡± One design decision had been to use the same type of rock on visible portions of the home that made up the bedrock underneath us.


    We walked around the cove and onto the point, spending time looking at theyout. ¡°This is a big home, almost a castle,¡± another said.


    **Author¡¯s Note:**


    I hope you are enjoying my stories so far. Please follow my channel: youtube./@steamytales (Pls copy the link) where I¡¯ll be sharing new series of exclusive stories. I¡¯ve already started posting new videos, and I¡¯d love for you to check them out. Your support means a lot-please share my videos and help spread the word. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you there soon!

 SHARKBAIT #205

    ¡°It will be worthy of thend it is on,¡± I promised. ¡°The property andnd will have significant tax valuation when finished, roughly double what it is now. Building in a manner that is historically correct yet modern inside is not cheap.¡± The architect and general contractor answered questions about construction methods, water storage, sr panels, utilities, and other concerns. You wouldn¡¯t see them from the water because of their cement behind the building or natural features.


    We spent thirty minutes at the site as they took pictures and made notes, then we looked from the other side before I led them down to the inlet. We loaded onto a waiting boat that took us out into the Southern Ocean. As we traveled back and forth parallel to the coast at different distances, Jennifer had them go between their eyes and theputer drawings showing the eventual look. I want to think we convinced them that the building would add to the scenery, but we wouldn¡¯t know for another week.


    The Commission granted our variances after we agreed to several conditions. The spaceship removal must happen within three months, and this was fine. They wanted two easements on the north side of our property at different elevations through the reserve, allowing them to put in multiple trails. Since there would be no camping overnight, we agreed. Finally, the Commission rearranged our proposed property lines so the coastline on either side of our home would be part of the Sharkbait Foundation nature preserve. Our road would move further up from the coast, and the change would prevent us from building additional homes on the ocean.


    The Commission did approve ten single-home subdivisions for future construction, all on five to ten-acre sites. Half were on the western side along the road and had no special restrictions. The sites reaching up the valley from our home had to be single-story and use the same exterior stone. We also got permission for the airstrip and hangar building on the far west end, along with additional home sites. I was thrilled about this, as it would let us build homes for Pack members who wanted to live on Packnd.


    We had our deal, and I¡¯d get my dream home. Excavation would begin next week.


    ************


    Luna Adrienne Volkov¡¯s POV


    Friday, February 11th, 2034


    ¡°How are we going to handle things,¡± I asked as we drove onto the grounds of the Atchafya Pack in Louisiana for the annual Alpha Summit.


    ¡°You do the handshakes and conversations, and I¡¯ll stand around looking intimidating?¡± Iughed, and Leo chuckled. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s what I¡¯m good at.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re impossible,¡± I said. ¡°I need your help lobbying the other Midwestern Alphas for Larry Winters. I¡¯ll be busy dealing with the Vampire issue with the Council, and there are a lot of Alphas nervous right now that I need to calm the fuck down.¡± I wasn¡¯t kidding; Vicki¡¯s abduction and the fake-at-first-but-then-actual death of the Council Chairmen had the Alphas nervous. Add in the formation of a Council containing previous enemies like mermaids and vampires, and tensions were high. I was briefing the Alphas on the situation tomorrow morning, right after the regional Council elections. Alphas could submit nominees for Chairman until ten, but the Alpha voting wouldn¡¯t happen until that evening.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the easy job, then.¡±


    ¡°No shit, Sherlock.¡± Vicki¡¯s work with Vampires and Mermaids would be easier to take if it was just the Southern Cross Pack in a different Council. I had gone to Master Cyprian and engaged the other species, bringing the dangers right to the North American Alphas. I had to defend our actions plus show everyone what Vicki had aplished in Australia.


    And if I couldn¡¯t get them to understand, the votes would go against us, and we¡¯d be closer to war than peace.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do fine, Adrienne. There¡¯s no one I¡¯d rather have speaking to this than you.¡± He took my hand, his thumb lightly rubbing the back of my fingers to calm me down.


    ¡°It would be easier if we had some Aussie Betas with us,¡± Liv said from the back seat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Council wouldn¡¯t let theme,¡± Brent added. ¡°Why would you take away opportunities for the scratch ¡®n sniff?¡±


    ¡°The Southern Cross Pack isn¡¯t part of the North American Council,¡± Leo said. ¡°If they invited Vicki¡¯s people, they¡¯d have to invite the Europeans. Sure, it would make sense, but that¡¯s why we can¡¯t do it. Petty politics by people who should be above that crap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d Vicki asked me to present the invitation to the Alphas,¡± Olivia said as she sat back. ¡°The European Council recognizes her as a peer, and our Council needs to. Without a mutual treaty, she may not be able to return home.¡± Within a Council, the Alphas granted permission to enter each other¡¯snds. If you wanted to go to another Council territory, you were supposed to go through the respective Council. ¡°What would we do if they decide Vicki can¡¯t return to film her shows or do her modeling?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let it get to that,¡± I said. We pulled up in front of the ntation house, and Omegas ran forward to get our luggage and get the doors. We stepped out and were greeted by the Atchafya Pack Alphas, then shown to our assigned trailer.


    The scratch ¡®n sniff went off without issues, though only one couple found each other. I spent a lot of time socializing and prepping, answering questions, and talking informally about what happened in Mexico. We were upte into the night at the cocktail party.


    The next morning after breakfast, the Midwest Council Alphas met to elect their new chair. After speeches by both candidates, a secret ballot elected Larry Winters as our next Chairman. ¡°Congrattions,¡± I told Larry and Donna as we reached the front of the line. The Pacific Northwest election didn¡¯t go our way, with a traditionalist taking the spot.


    After the new Regional Chairs were seated, the next business was nominations for Council Chairman. Four Alphas gave short speeches nominating three serving Regional Chairs and one former Regional Chair before Alpha Steven Dauntless stood up. ¡°The person I nominate is uniquely qualified for the position. Universally respected, possessing a keen intellect, even temperament, great personal courage, and a vision for a better future. I proudly nominate Luna Adrienne Volkov of the Miesville Pack for Council Chairman.¡±


    There was a short period of silence as the room processed what was just said before it exploded into shouting. I turned to re at Leo, but he was just as shocked as I was. Steven had said nothing before dropping this turd in the punchbowl, and he was grinning at me in triumph.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Kurt Markingham mmed his fist on the table, shocking the room intopliance. The Western Canada chair was the oldest member of the Council and interim Chair. ¡°If you have an objection, raise it properly and be recognized.¡±


    ¡°I object,¡± one of the Idaho Alphas said. ¡°Luna Adrienne is female and is the current Luna of the Miesville Pack. She is not eligible for the position.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Steven?¡±


    ¡°I have the relevant section of Councilw, sir. ¡®Eligibility for Alpha Council positions. Any person over forty who is a previous Pack Alpha. If serving as Pack Alpha when elected, the person must relinquish control over the Pack before taking the Council position.¡¯ Notice that there is no requirement for the person to be male, and without asking ady her age, Luna Adrienne meets that requirement.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a LUNA, not an Alpha,¡± the Idaho Alpha objected.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She was an Alpha of her Pack for months after her first mate died before she turned the Pack over to her son. And thank you for making my second point; she is a Pack Luna, NOT an Alpha. Alpha Leo is and remains Alpha of the Miesville Pack, so Luna Adrienne can serve without changing the head of the Miesville Pack.¡± I red at Steven; he was enjoying this.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Leo said. ¡°Our people need your leadership, and you are the only one who can rally the Alphas to change.¡±


    ¡°I need this like a hole in the head,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Objection overruled. Luna Adrienne¡¯s name will be on the ballot,¡± Chairman Kurt said with a sly grin. ¡°Any other nominations?¡± There were none. ¡°Ten-minute break, then we continue with Council business.¡±


    I made a beeline for Alpha Steven as others gathered around me. ¡°You could have warned me,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You might have said no,¡± he answered with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve had a gutful of people who hunger for the power of the job; it¡¯s about time we had the right person reluctantly agree to take it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, but he slipped away as others talked to me or congratted me. The Lunas were in my corner; they knew what this could mean. ¡°I¡¯ll get my mate to support you,¡± was themon refrain.


    The next order of business was my presentation. I spoke for over an hour to the assembled Alphas. I started with Vicki¡¯s meeting with Master Alexander, through Timothy and Tracy¡¯s rescue from his Coven, and the events in Mexico. I finished with an update on the Australian Council and the Southern Cross Pack, emphasizing the mateless Beta-ranked wolves and the inter-species cooperation. ¡°Our experiences in thest two months show the value of such an alliance, and there is a path tosting peace if we are willing to travel it. Thank you.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #206

    I took questions for another hour before we broke for lunch. Our table was popr with Alpha pairs stopping by to ask questions or lend support. In the afternoon, there were other presentations before the speeches by the candidates for Chairman. Under New Business, I spoke out about our current system¡¯s failure to help wolves find their fated mates. ¡°Math doesn¡¯t lie. Only ONE new pair out of all the unmated attending this weekend because we cling to archaic rules, bringing the same wolves together and hoping it will be different this time. If you believe the Moon Goddess has a mate for all of us, the answer is simple. Bring EVERY unmated wolf of age together in one ce. North American, European, Australian, rogue, EVERYONE.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I yed the video Chairman Svensson sent; he appeared with Vicki on the screen, inviting all North American single wolves to a meetup in Irnd this June. No one spoke as it finished. ¡°If we care about our people, if we respect our Goddess, we MUST send our people.¡±


    The room exploded in conversation as I stepped down. Leo was grinning as I returned to my seat. ¡°We haven¡¯t had this much excitement at a Summit since Sharkbait first arrived,¡± he teased me.


    ¡°No silver cors, trials, or assassination attempts yet,¡± I replied.


    The Lunas were excited about the meetup, and several volunteered to help with nning. Our dinner was just as hectic as lunch, with many stopping by to talk.


    Voting that night was by rounds and the candidate with the lowest total out. It was by secret ballot with a simple majority required for election. After the first round, I was shocked to be in second ce, but no one had a majority. Recognizing the chance for a reformer to take office, two allied Chairmen withdrew their names and threw their support to me.


    I had sixty-one percent on the next ballot.


    Minutester, I was sworn in as Council Chairman Adrienne Volkov.


    I had a lot of work to do.


    ***********


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    Dublin Airport, Irnd


    Friday, June 9th, 2034


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see my mate again,¡± I told Adrienne as we waited in the International Arrivals section of the airport. Adrienne had been here for two days, working with the European Council on the SWIM (Single Werewolf International Meet-Up) nning. I¡¯d arrived an hour ago on my connecting flight from Washington, DC.


    ¡°Not long now,¡± she told me. Her security detail was unobtrusively surrounding us as we waited outside the gates for the flight from Dubai to arrive. My security was outside with the bus that would take us to our hotel.


    She had no choice in the added security after an unsessful assassination attempt. While Adrienne was traveling through Western Canada inte March, attackers used spike strips to take out her car, then shot up her car. The attack killed two Council Enforcers before Leo¡¯s car arrived a minuteter. He left only one of the attackers alive to find out who sent them.


    The Canadian Alpha responsible turned on his co-conspirators, and three old-line Alphas faced trial for the failed attack. A plea bargain stripped them of their Packs and imprisoned them for twenty years.


    It was a better deal than Leo would have given them. Adrienne doubled down on her reforms, pushing forward with formal treaty talks with Master Cyprian and the Vampires, and beginning talks with the Mermaid poption.


    ¡°How is filming going,¡± Adrienne asked.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°We just finished up a two-week expedition off Cat Ind in the Bahamas, studying the Oceanic Whitetip poption. Mom loved it.¡± Adrienne chuckled; while my wolf colors looked like a Great White, Olivia¡¯s were like an Oceanic Whitetip. ¡°Linda got some great shots of me free-diving with a big one, and I¡¯m getting it turned into a print for her wall. The water¡¯s amazingly clear.¡±


    ¡°Season two is going to be fun?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It will be a little different since the four of us are married women now.¡± Makani and Noni got married when their SEAL boyfriends had a week of leave in March, right before filming started on the new season. Ricardo and Manuel hadn¡¯t taken the change yet, waiting until they had at least two weeks of leave saved up. ¡°The diving is always good, and our photography is getting better. The Sea Scout is an amazingly stable and versatile tform for filming, and we¡¯re taking advantage. We¡¯re using remote-operated vehicles, drones, underwater cameras, even mini-submarines now. We still have some Bodyglove appearances, but the focus has shifted off of modeling and boys.¡±


    Amy and I chose not to renew our Bodyglove modeling contracts, though they remained a sponsor of our show. Makani and Noni were still under thepany¡¯s banner until November. Mercedes was trying to convince the twins to keep modeling, but it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. All of us were multi-millionaires now that the settlements had gone through with Vespi¡¯s estate.


    ¡°Have you used the cage?¡±


    ¡°A few times,¡± I said. ¡°The Scout can carry a muchrger shark cage, so we can get camera divers down there and not be packed together. We often had multiple shark cages in use for filming.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Adrienne used a deep, gravelly voice. ¡°You go in the cage. Cage goes in the water. You go in the water. Shark¡¯s in the water, our shark.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain Quint.¡± It was hard to believe that the movie Jaws wasing up on sixty years old and that we were still using lines from it. We¡¯d smack Amy any time she tried to use a Sharknado quote, though.


    ¡°Is Amy showing yet?¡±


    ¡°We started seeing the baby bump from her twins three weeks ago, and she¡¯s finally over the morning sickness at week twelve. Her doctor doesn¡¯t want her onpressed air, so she¡¯s restricted to snorkeling and free-diving this season. Makani and Noni are getting more screen time as a result.¡±


    The conversation ended when I saw the familiar face walking towards the door. Nichs exited the secure area and into my arms, kissing me and swinging me around. ¡°I missed you, my love,¡± he said when he finally set me down.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡± The twenty-three Pack members attending the meetup, fifteen women and eight men, moved to baggage im while Master Alessandro, Terry, and Tina and greeted Adrienne. Terry and Tina were the Fremantle-based mermaids who helped kick off the Australian Council. We were taking advantage of the gathering to sign treaties with the two Werewolf councils.


    I left them to it while Nichs and I gathered up our Pack to the tour bus we¡¯d rented. The driver took us towards the Wicklow Mountains to the southwest. We unloaded at a triangr park next to the Saint Nichs of Myra Catholic Church in the town of Duvin. Waiting for us was the European Council Archivist. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Henrietta,¡± I said to the grey-haired woman I¡¯d only seen on video calls.


    ¡°Wee home, Corcoran Pack,¡± she said with a wide smile as we gathered around. ¡°How many of you are direct descendants of Philip Corcoran?¡±


    All but four raised their hands. ¡°As you know, Philip was captured and imprisoned in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. Only his age prevented him from the fate of the rest of his family,¡± she said. ¡°English troops located their den and massacred almost all of them. Two men of the Pack, Philip¡¯s Uncle Samuel and cousin William, were brought back for questioning and ended up here in Duvin. The two joined other prisoners held in the Market House.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them,¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°Following an attack on an English Captain by rebels, a group of prisoners were taken from the Market House and marched through town by English troops. The soldiers lined them up over here before the soldiers lined up across from them with their muskets. The firing squad executed them all, without trial, as a warning. The soldiers then returned to the market house and flogged or hanged more. In all, thirty-six brave Irishmen died in the Duvin Green Massacre.¡± I wiped away a tear. ¡°Your ancestors were among the dead. Follow me, and we can see the memorial to these heroes.¡± We walked across to the church, where the Parish Priest met us. He led us to the stone that sat in the grass, a brass que marking the event.


    I squeezed Nichs¡¯ hand as he fought to avoid crying, but some Corcorans were openly sobbing. Henrietta stepped forward when we¡¯d all had a chance to touch the stone and take photographs. ¡°The families of the dead hauled their men off for burial, but the Corcorans had no one left. Father, can you show us their final resting ce?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. He led us towards the town center in arge group, stopping at a cemetery and walking us to an open area. ¡°The pauper cemetery was here,¡± he said. We stayed for a few minutes, paying our respects.


    Word of our arrival had spread, and townspeople joined us in an informal parade to the Market House. Nichs exined to the townspeople that their surviving ancestor, Philip Corcoran, had been sent to Australia on a prison ship. The crowd grew to over fifty by the time we reached the Market House and the Green adjacent to it. ¡°There was a song written about the massacre,¡± one of the townspeople said. ¡°Would you like to hear it?¡±


    ¡°I would love to,¡± Nichs said.


    The older woman and five others gathered together and started to sing.


    ¡°In the year one thousand seven hundred and ny-eight


    A sorrowful tale the truth unto you I¡¯ll rte


    Of thirty-six heroes to the world were left to be seen


    By a false information were shot on Duvin Green


    Bad luck to you Saunders, for you did their lives betray


    You said a parade would be held on that very day


    Our drums they did rattle ¨C our fifes they did sweetly y


    Surrounded we were and privately marched away


    Quite easy they led us as prisoners through the town


    To be ughtered on the in, we were then forced to kneel down


    Such grief and such sorrow were never before there seen


    When the blood ran in streams down the dykes of Duvin Green.¡±


    I clung to Nichs and a few others as they mourned for the ancestors he¡¯d never known.

 SHARKBAIT #207

    The whole group headed to a pub for lunch and beers as the townspeople embraced our heritage. Finally, we loaded back onto the bus and headed into the mountains. The bus let us off at a trailhead. ¡°Don¡¯t bring anything along except water,¡± Henrietta told us. Once out of sight of the road, we stripped and shifted. Henrietta led us up into the mountains for an hour, finally stopping at a clearing. We all shifted back. ¡°It took a week, but we finally located this ce. We believe it is the location of the Corcoran Pack Den.¡±


    We wandered around the site, seeing the loose rock foundations. What the English troops hadn¡¯t burned and destroyed, the centuries had finished. It was a sad group that filed back into the bus just before dark.


    We arrived at the Dublin Packnds after dark, and hundreds were waiting for us. There was no scratch and sniff; most of the people here were single and ready to mingle. Some of my Pack members didn¡¯t make it five paces off the bus before their mate swept them up.


    I waited with Nichs until they were all off, smiles on our faces over the pairings made. It looked like every unmated wolf we brought here would be mated by sunrise. ¡°Luna has done a great thing here,¡± I told Nichs as we walked hand-in-hand to the Pack House.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Luna set these pairs up a long time ago,¡± Nichs said. ¡°YOU did this, Vicki. You formed our Pack. You taught us what mates were. And you convinced the Packs of the world to participate. You¡¯re amazing, my love.¡±


    ¡°Come on, we have to check-in,¡± I told my mate. I was thrilled; bringing new blood into the Pack, already familiar with how a Pack operated, would help our Pack more than any visits and stories I could provide.


    Two dayster, the Werewolf world was a different ce. Three dozen wolves didn¡¯t find their mates out of all that attended, and almost all were female. For the younger ones, it was likely their mate was not of age yet. It was a numbers game; there were more female adult werewolves than male.


    The other sticking point was who went where. My Pack was all Beta blood, and Luna addressed the imbnce by matching almost all our Betas up with Warriors and Omegas. Since our wolves were higher ranked, the mates all agreed toe to the Southern Cross Pack. One of our Beta females mated the fourth son of an Alpha, but they chose to join our Pack instead of his. My Pack swelled us to over a hundred wolves in a day.


    Four older females were in limbo. Each recognized their mate from the scent of the clothing I¡¯d brought in ziplock bags; their fate mates were in Australia but didn¡¯t want to put aside their wives. They gave me their contact information and pictures to take back home.


    I brought my headache to the Alphas and Council in a private meeting. I told everyone what had happened with my Pack and the different paths taken regarding human females as mates. ¡°I can¡¯t force them to put aside their wives, the women have done nothing to betray our kind, yet four female werewolves are in limbo because the males won¡¯t choose,¡± Iined. ¡°They won¡¯t join our Pack or travel because they don¡¯t want to meet their mates.¡±


    ¡°You could send their mates to them,¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t always go well,¡± I said. I described how Fiona reacted to finding her male married to a human.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say send the females to Australia, and the males reject them in person. The four females get second chance mates, but what happens to the males? If they don¡¯t turn and choice-mate their wives, Luna could give them another female. You¡¯ll move the problem around, and you haven¡¯t solved anything,¡± another Alpha said.


    ¡°Would Luna do that to the male who rejects his fate mate?¡±


    ¡°There are cases when the male had no choice but to do the rejection,¡± the Alpha answered. ¡°Would Luna treat this the same way? These men have families, and they¡¯ve sworn fidelity to their wives.¡±


    Chairman Lars spoke next. ¡°The ones who have taken the change, how did that go?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five females agreed, and all of them made it through the change.¡± Jaws dropped at this news; they would have considered it Luna¡¯s favor if fifteen had made it.


    ¡°That is your answer,¡± Lars said. ¡°Luna epts the wives, so they must change and find their mates. If they do not, we know their fated mates will track them down and force the issue. None of us can stop that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. It was going to take time.


    ******


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    Los Angeles, California


    Sunday, September 24th, 2034


    It had been a good day, and it could get a lot better tonight. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± I said as I looked at the Emmy statue on the bedside table of our hotel room.


    ¡°You guys deserve it, and I feel great about tonight. Shark Tails is a hit because of you.¡± Nichs zipped up my tiger-shark-inspired dress from my signature Bodyglove line. I checked my makeup onest time. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Today was a reunion for me, as our groups from our reality series and my Cape Cod documentary gathered. Earlier today had been the ceremony for the minor awards.


    The Emmy Awards recognized excellence in television programming, but there was no way the primetime shows could cover all one hundred and twenty-five categories. At neen years of age, I¡¯d won the Emmy for ¡°Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.¡± It was sitting on the bedside table, ready to go back with us to the theater.


    It would join a few other statues on our table. Linda had taken two awards so far for Shark Tails. She won individually for ¡°Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program,¡± and together with Fiona Corcoran and Carly Kanoheh for ¡°Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series.¡± Erik Johnson, the Producer/Director that hired me for the ¡®Sharks of Cape Cod¡¯ documentary, won for ¡°Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.¡±


    Our security team knocked, and it was time to go. I grabbed my award, and we walked out of our room, joining the rest of my team in the hallway. The Navy made special arrangements for our SEALs to attend the awards. The publicity of the SEAL trainees appearing on our reality show had been a boon to recruitment, and it was easy to see why. Ensign Kai Steele was in his formal Mess Dress uniform; ck pants, gold cummerbund, ribbed white dress shirt with a ck bowtie, and a white jacket with his shoulder boards and medals. Amy was on his arm, wearing one of the new Bodyglove Maternity dresses in ocean blue. Petty Officers Ricardo and Manuel Jimenez looked great in their dress white crackerjack uniforms with the beautiful Makani and Noni holding their arms, each in coral-colored mermaid-cut gowns. Linda rounded out our group with her husband Matt in his Australian Navy dress uniform. Our group went down the elevators to the waiting limousines, bodyguards surrounding us the whole way.


    It was a dreame true to walk the Red Carpet of a major awards show. We¡¯d dealt with cameras and paparazzi before, but this was a step beyond. I talked to several reporters on the way inside, smiling and posing for photos. The producers scheduled us to arrive before the television stars and bigwigs. We found our table near the back and set our hardware down as they brought us champagne and sparkling cider. We had ny minutes to kill before the program started, so Nichs and I got to talk to the Hollywood elite before returning to our seats.


    I wasn¡¯t seated for long. ¡°In the category of Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, the winner is; Sharks of Cape Cod, Producer and Director Erik Johnson, Host Vicki Corcoran, Expedition Leader, Dr. John Holliday, and Captain Stueben Merrill.¡± Discovery Channel had the table next to us, and we erupted in cheers. I joined Erik and his team on the way to the stage. He gave a short speech, and I epted my second Emmy of the night.


    ¡°Congrattions, love,¡± Nichs said as I returned to the table. I¡¯d barely sat down when our final category of the night came up.


    The host read the nominees for the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, and the cameras showed our table as they called out Shark Tails. ¡°And the winner is? Shark Tails, Producer Vicki Corcoran and Director Linda Cartwright.¡±


    I let out a scream, and everyone at our table jumped up. Linda and I walked onto the stage where I epted another trophy, but I had a speech to give this time. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯d like to thank Linda Cartwright and her team for bringing our adventures to the screen. Working with Amy, Makani, Noni, Linda, and a thousand some sharks has been a dream. I¡¯d also like to thank everyone at Discovery for giving our team a chance, and especially my support back home. Mom and Dad, Ivan and Karen, Unky Leo and Aunt Adrienne, I love you all, and I love my husband Nichs so much. Thank you.¡±


    Linda thanked her husband and a few others, then we exited the stage to the left. After photographs, we headed back to our table to watch the rest of the evening¡¯s awards. I was floating on clouds, looking down asionally to see the three statues lined up in front of me on the table. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we won,¡± I told Nichs.


    ¡°You guys worked hard for this show, and it shows,¡± he responded as he squeezed my hand. ¡°Do you know what is going to be fun?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Negotiations for Season Three. With Season One an award-winning hit and Season Two filming wrapped up? You¡¯ve got them over a barrel.¡±

 SHARKBAIT #208

    ¡°I¡¯m d we built those esctors and conditions into the contract. I¡¯ve had a lot of fun with the after show, too.¡± The ¡°Shark Tails After Dark¡± show only took a day to make but was a lot of fun to do. We¡¯d even done live broadcasts from the Sea Scout. I loved talking to the fans and all the little contests we would do. It was making Sharkbait Productions and the Discovery Channel a boatload of money.


    We partiedte into the night, with the four of us invited to some of the better Hollywood parties. Two agents tried to convince me to get into acting, but I had no interest. ¡°All I want is my mate, my Pack, and my sharks,¡± I told Nichs after one of them left us.


    Our group met for ate brunch the next morning, and I had an announcement. ¡°I¡¯m moving Sharkbait Productions and the Sea Scout to Adide after this season finishes taping,¡± I told my friends.


    No one seemed shocked. ¡°I expected that,¡± Amy said. ¡°It makes sense now that you, Linda, and Fiona are all living there already. Does this mean you¡¯d be doing production on an Aussie schedule?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The Scout will arrive in Adide in early November. We¡¯ll film from December through March.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do that,¡± Amy said as she rubbed herrge pregnancy bump. ¡°I won¡¯t be in bikini shape for six months to a year, if ever. Kai ruined me for modeling,¡± she teased.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been more beautiful,¡± Kai said as he embraced his mate.


    I smiled at my best friend. ¡°I still want you to be part of the show,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out something.¡±


    ¡°It might be better for me to bow out gracefully and move on,¡± she said. ¡°Kai will be in training, and I¡¯m not going to leave my babies for any length of time. We¡¯ll stay in Coronado unless he¡¯s gone for a while.¡±


    Dang. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Even if we stayed in North America to film, I¡¯d still bow out.¡± She looked at Kai and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need the money, and I don¡¯t want to be gone from my babies. I¡¯m going to take care of them and return to school while my inws watch them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can find a cameo, or we can set something up closer.¡± She nodded, but her mind was made up. ¡°What about you two?¡±


    Makani looked at Noni for help. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard,¡± she said. ¡°We don¡¯t know what schools they will be attending, and then they join their Teams. I can¡¯t be gone for months only to get back before he deploys for a year.¡±


    Noni agreed with her twin. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to see what orders Manuel gets. We don¡¯t even know which coast we¡¯ll be on yet.¡± Nothing came easy with a military wife, even a famous one.


    As we said goodbye at the airport, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. Life was pulling us apart; mates, children, responsibilities, all the real-life things that adulting brought. Nichs could tell I was feeling down as we waited at the gate for our flight to Minneapolis; he didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t let me go. I started nodding off as he was texting people on his phone.


    The ding on my phone caused me to look down. It was a text from Unky Leo. ¡°See you in a few hours, Sharkbait. I¡¯m making ribs.¡±


    I smiled as Iposed my reply. ¡°I love you, Unky.¡± Everything was going to be all right.


    ***********


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    Deep Creek, Southern Australia


    Friday, March 23rd, 2035


    ¡°Rx, my love. The catering staff is ready to go, our home is amazing, and everyone is going to have a good time tonight,¡± Nichs said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.


    ¡°I know, but?¡± I leaned back into his chest and let out a breath. We¡¯d worked fourteen months to get to this point, and it was hard to believe our new home was ready for the housewarming party tonight.


    ¡°But nothing. The hard work is over, and now we rx and enjoy it.¡±


    I let out a breath and turned around in his arms, pulling him close and taking a deep sniff of his chest. ¡°I love you,¡± I told him. ¡°You deserve all the credit. You worked your ass off to get this done.¡± While I¡¯d been busy with the Sharkbait Foundation, Sharkbait Productions, and Pack and Council business, Nichs had stayed home and ridden herd on the contractors and inspectors. Thanks to my mate, we¡¯d gotten the certificate of upancy three months earlier than expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s your dream, and we are a team. Nothing would have happened without you. This wall is perfect; I can¡¯t believe how much it brings the ocean into the house.¡± Nichs took my hand and walked me forward to the windows. The original ns had a rectangr house, but I loved the view off the end of the point. I had our architect push the limits of the zoning setback, adding a curved southern wall that opened the room into the view. A bench with custom cushions followed the wall, letting you sit and watch the waves. With the windows opened, the sea breezes and smells made you feel like you were out at sea, not in a home. He sat down, pulling me into his arms and kissing me until I couldn¡¯t think straight.


    Momma Dorothy walked in and stopped us. ¡°Five minutes until we let people onto the property, kids. Quit with the snorgling and get ready to greet them.¡± Dorothy was living with us, taking over the kitchen and helping me manage the Omegas we¡¯d taken in as household staff.


    ¡°Oh, Luna,¡± I said. ¡°I lost track of time.¡± I got up and led Nichs through our home as we made the final checks. Our cateringpany had four bars set up with drinks and snacks; one in the great room, one in the basement Sharkbait-cave, one in the pool area, and one on the rooftop. The caterers brought in a trailer-mounted smoker to prepare the meats and all the side dishes onsite. The roast pork andmb had been going since before sunrise.


    The cateringpany owner was giving final instructions to waitstaff as we walked through the main entrance. The entry door, handcrafted from Australian timbers, showed sharks and creatures of the coral reef in its detailed carvings. The main home was impressive; two stories tall plus a full basement, each level over four hundred square meters of living space. Outside, a stone patio wrapped around the three sides, with stone columns supporting a second-floor deck. The shallow-pitch roof overhung them both and diverted the runoff into water storage tanks forter use.


    A six-car garage was across the driveway circle, set into the hillside and painted to match the house. Our deal with the Coastal Commission required us to use rocks matching those on the native cliffs, helping the home blend seamlessly into the surrounding hills. Behind us and to our right, the Pool House extended at an angle, so its southeast side overlooked the cove. Tonight was a warm fall evening, so the ss panels were open to let the breezes through. Beyond that was the three-bedroom guest cabin, one our inws and friends had booked up through next Christmas.


    Nichs and I had kept our families in the dark during construction. We¡¯d made a decision early on to move into the farmhouse, demolishing the former resort and that ugly starship. Only the contractor¡¯s people and the architect had site ess; if we met with Pack or guests, we¡¯d often do it in Adide on our yacht. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see their faces when they see it,¡± I told my mate.


    ¡°They¡¯ll get a good view on the way down.¡± The ess road had moved away from the coast per the zoning agreement. It now wound along the hills until turning towards the ocean and running downhill to our home.


    It wasn¡¯t long until a line of cars and hotel shuttle vans came into view, our security letting them through at exactly four PM. Parking attendants directed them to a marked-off area of grass, and our family and friend started to get out of their cars.


    There were a lot of open mouths and shocked faces as they walked up. ¡°Wee to Corcoran Castle,¡± Nichs said as almost a hundred people gathered around us. With the scale and stone veneer walls, it looked like it had been here for centuries. ¡°My wife and I will each take a group of people on a short tour of our property, and then you are wee to wander about and enjoy our hospitality.¡±


    I let Nichs take his group inside first while I talked to my group about the property and the challenges we had in building it. I took them around the outside first, walking them around the patio before entering on the other side into the great room. The kitchen was on the entry side, and a formal dining room overlooked the cove on the other side.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°These views are unbelievable,¡± Mom told me as we looked out over the ocean.


    ¡°Just wait,¡± I promised. I took the group downstairs, where the hallway opened up into the Sharkbait Cave. ¡°It¡¯s like a man-cave, but better,¡± I said as they filed into the room. It looked like a sports bar with a long bar, big-screen televisions, pool and poker tables, and a mini-kitchen. What made it a Sharkbait cave was the massive saltwater aquarium that took up the entire wall opposite the bar.


    ¡°Holy moly,¡± Leo said as he looked at it. ¡°That¡¯s three times the size of mine!¡±


    ¡°Four times,¡± I said. ¡°One hundred thousand liters, or twenty-seven thousand gallons. This baby is ten meters long, three meters deep, and three meters tall. There¡¯s ess for lighting and diving via a hallway in the back. All the LED lighting, cameras, feeding stations, and controls connect to my phone.¡± I pulled up the app and triggered a small feed, the tropical fish swarming the food pellets as everyone watched. ¡°I can set daily cycles, set moods, even simte storms with light and waves. What makes it unique is that it¡¯s a flowthrough system instead of using jumbo filter systems. We take seawater from an inlet deep offshore. Then we purify, sterilize, and heat it before pumping it in at twenty liters per minute. A separate pipe takes the overflow, and the backwash from the recirction filters, and releases it back to the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Amazing,¡± he said as he looked in one of the two thick acrylic panels with a sturdy column separating them. The entire group was gazing in wonder at the artificial coral inside and the hundreds of fish swimming around. ¡°How the hell do you clean this?¡±


    ¡°You dive it once a week,¡± I said.


    ¡°It must have been tough to build,¡± Ivan remarked.


    ¡°We poured the aquarium with the foundation and had a crane lower the panels in before we put the main floor on. After system checks, we had it drained for eight months until we got it running and stocked it with over four hundred fish in over eighty speciesst month.¡± I loved my house, but I LOVED this aquarium. In the event of an attack, this room was the Pack Safe Room, and I¡¯d still be able to watch my fish.

 SHARKBAIT #209

    I showed them the rest of the basement. We had a twenty-seat home theater next door, then four small bedrooms for household staff. The rest of the basement held storage,undry, and utilities. ¡°We use multiple ground-source heat pumps to heat and cool the homes, the pool, and the aquarium. There is a sizeable sr farm hidden behind trees up on the hill that provides most of our energy needs. An emergency generator sits behind the garage.¡±


    ¡°Those heat pumps are expensive up-front, aren¡¯t they,¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°As isted as we are, and as big as this home is, we wanted to be as energy-efficient as possible,¡± I said. ¡°We didn¡¯t cut corners in this project.¡±


    Leo nodded; as a general contractor, he knew just how well-built our home was. We headed back to the stairs, going up to the second floor. ¡°It¡¯s all bedrooms up here,¡± I said as I led them into the Master Suite. A California King bed dominated the room, centered on the bump-out and looking over the water. A spacious his-and-her bath suite had separate toilet/sink areas on either side of the deluxe shower and jacuzzi overlooking the cove. Two spacious closets and a sitting area/reading nook finished off the space.


    I led everyone back to the hall. ¡°We designed these rooms for the nanny and the nursery,¡± I said. Mom stared at me, her eyes demanding the answer to her unspoken question. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s too early,¡± I sent her over the link.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯rete,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s only the eighth week. Afterst time, I¡¯m not saying anything until the first trimester is over. I haven¡¯t even told Nichs yet.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything, but you need to tell him soon,¡± Olivia said into my mind.


    I turned to the crowd. ¡°We have five more guest rooms on this level. Thanks to the location, each has a view over one of the coves and private beaches below. Now, if you¡¯ll follow me outside?¡± I led them onto the deck via French doors from the hallway and around to a stairway leading up. ¡°Wee to the Observation Deck.¡±


    The pitched roof extended up from the outside of the foundation until it was just over waist-high, then dropped vertically to the decking that covered the top of our home. The stairway exited into a t, open roof area featuring unlimited views in three directions. A band yed at one end, there were tables set up on the other side of the dance floor, and a bar was off to the side. Everyone was at the rails, the warm summer breezes in their hair.


    Brent walked up to me and put his arm around my shoulder. ¡°This is beyond anything I imagined,¡± he said. ¡°You guys did a great job with your home. Your Pack will congregate here, and that¡¯s what Southern Cross needs right now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°All you need up here now are some cannons,¡± Hammer said as he looked out at the ocean.


    When the group had seen everything, I led them down a stairway and through a door to the indoor swimming pool. ¡°We used a polymer, translucent material for the roof instead of ss. It is far more energy-efficient, doesn¡¯t collect moisture, and transmits the light without the re. With low pitch and the walls extending higher, you can¡¯t see the panels from the ocean. Zoning rules limited the roof height, so we excavated the pool deck a meter below grade and dug it out from there. This upper level surrounds the pool area and provides ess to the waterslides and lounge areas away from the pool itself. If you want to try the slide, go ahead; otherwise, follow me.¡± We went down a stairway to the pool, which was divided into areas for multiple activities. There was a y area with deep water for diving off tforms and a three-meter board. In the middle was a chest-deep area for volleyball and basketball plus the waterslide exits, and on the right were full-lengthnes for swimmingps. At the near end was a twelve-person hot tub surrounded by a shallow y area with bubblers for the little ones. Next to it was a snack bar and a few tables; lounges and chairs were in groups all around.


    ¡°I know where I¡¯m going to be spending most of the party,¡± Makani said as she looked at the hot tub.


    ¡°Maybeter. I want to watch the sunset from the party deck,¡± Noni said. The twins were here for three weeks as their mates were off at training assignments. Both had taken the change and were Beta-ranked wolves in the Three Sisters Pack now.


    Amy looked over at me. ¡°Then Sharks After Dark? I want to get a sleeping bag and crash by the sharks like the old days,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping on the floor in this house at my age,¡± Susan told her daughter. Hammer justughed and pulled his mate closer. ¡°We¡¯ve got a guest room tonight, and we¡¯re going to take advantage of it.¡± Both pairs were only in Australia for five days, not wanting to leave their children for more than a week.


    I offered to show the guest house to those interested, but I¡¯d lost many to the changing room or ces they¡¯d previously seen. Brent and Olivia, Ian and his mate Svena, Ivan and Karen, Leo and Adrienne, plus Masters Cyprian, Alessandro, and Emily all joined me for the tour. The guest house wasn¡¯t huge, but it had a small kitchen and living room, a master bedroom overlooking the beach, and two smaller rooms. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Adrienne said.


    ¡°I never expected I¡¯d live so far away from you guys,¡± I said as I started to tear up. ¡°I love you so much, and I miss you. There¡¯s plenty of room for you to visit and stay for a while, and you can have your privacy,¡± I said. The tears kepting. It felt like everything hit me at once; stress from the party, pregnancy hormones, and work pressures. Mom pulled me into herp andforted me, waving the others went back to the party.


    I rejoined them when my emotions were under control again.


    ***********


    Vicki Corcoran¡¯s POV


    Deep Creek, South Australia


    People say that all parties center around the kitchen, but no one at our housewarming wanted to be there. Not with everything else around; they¡¯d take a te and sit on the window seats overlooking the ocean. Others went to the pool or downstairs to watch the fish swim in the aquarium. I¡¯d been circting throughout our home all night, greeting people and socializing. It was after ten at night, and I was up on the roof. Nichs was taking me for a moonlit spin on the dance floor.


    ¡°This night has been perfect,¡± I told him as I leaned my head onto his broad shoulder. ¡°The party went without a hitch, and we caught a break with the weather.¡± It was cooling off now, just below 20 Celsius, as I got used to the whole Metric thing. There was a light breeze off the water and a few high clouds in the sky. The railing around the roof had downward-pointed LED lights that illuminated the edge gently without spoiling the view. There were only three other couples on the dance floor and a dozen more drinking at the tables. ¡°I need to tell you something,¡± I whispered in his ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant,¡± he whispered in my ear.


    I stopped dancing, stepping back from him in shock. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°For a week or so. The nose knows.¡± He pulled me back in and started dancing with me. ¡°I figured you¡¯d tell me when you were ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told him. ¡°I just¡­¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t say anything until you were farther along because you¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll lose this one too,¡± he told me. Damn, he was good at this mate stuff. ¡°You¡¯re right. Many couples don¡¯t announce it to their friends and family until they make it through the first trimester. I think in this case, you should announce it now before the party breaks up.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°First off, people already suspect because the scent is faint around you. Still, you¡¯ll never have this group of people in one ce again. If you wait a month, they will never be able to congratte you in person. Our Pack can use this, too. Heirs settle a Pack and give them hope for the future.¡±


    He was right. ¡°How should we do this?¡±


    ¡°Our parents should hear it before anyone else. Ask them toe up here.¡±


    I sent them a mental summons and asked them to bring Linda, Amy, Makani, Fiona, Carly, and Noni too. Those girls had helped me through my miscarriage, and I wanted them to be among the first to know. I led Nichs to the edge facing therger of the two coves; with the band taking a break, you could hear the surf below along with the noises from the party and the pool. Soon the group gathered around, and Nichs held me from behind with his hands around my stomach. ¡°I have an announcement to make,¡± I said as their faces lit up in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. Eight weeks along.¡±


    The screams from the twins caught everyone¡¯s attention, and I got pulled from one hug to another as we celebrated the news. Only Mom stayed back since she already knew. Amy whispered in my ear when she got her turn. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, but we¡¯re pregnancy buddies this time around. I found out just before I left home.¡± I hugged her extra tight; she was a great Mom, and I was thrilled for her and Kai.


    The bartender poured champagne and sparkling grape juice, and they toasted my news. ¡°I have to tell the others,¡± I said. We repeated the scene in the great room, pool, and Sharkbait¡¯s Cave. My Pack was thrilled with me joining the worldwide WolfyBabyBoom. The new couples from the SWIM had wasted no time in adding to our numbers. Mates, transfers, and babies had swollen the Southern Cross Pack to over a hundred and twenty now.

 SHARKBAIT #210

    Families had moved into eight of the ten homesites that were part of our zoning, and another five lived in nearby towns. Our Pack was coalescing into two areas; many remained northeast of Melbourne, while others relocated between here and Adide. A number now worked for the Sharkbait Foundation or Sharkbait Productions, including a dozen Mermaids.


    Nobody knew Master Caroline was such a phnthropist until she left most of her estate to the Sharkbait Foundation. Master Cyprian was unapologetic about the eighty-seven-million-dor bequest to my charity they¡¯d inserted into her will, along withrge donations to other conservation organizations. ¡°It was a good move, Vicki,¡± he told me. ¡°By donating the fortune to charity, it changes the picture with the Government. Foundationwyers will go to court to get the money, and since no bad guys benefit, the Justice Department isn¡¯t as interested in seizing the ounts. It stopped the Federal investigations into Caroline¡¯s finances that were looking for drug ties. It forces the next Master to rely on his existing wealth, giving a clean transition to the new leadership. And it¡¯s good for you.¡±


    We put the money to use. The Sharkbait Foundation had a strong educational and conservation focus, expressed through research, documentaries, and advocacy for marine preserves. The tagging programs I¡¯d started in high school were still going strong; the data allowed us to target areas like mating and nursery grounds for the sharks. The Sea Scout, now based out of Cairns by the Great Barrier Reef and staffed by a crew of mermaids, had be a premier research vessel in Australia. After our reality show fell apart, I¡¯d produced four documentaries on Australian sharks in the past year. When not filming our shows, we worked with university scientists and other organizations to use the Sea Scout¡¯s unique capabilities.


    As I was epting congrattions from people in my Sharkbait Cave, I scented Consu enter the room. I looked at her and smiled as she rushed forward. ¡°I just heard,¡± she said as she embraced me. ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. How was school?¡±


    ¡°Clinic practicals rante, so I missed most of your party. It¡¯s good to see people again.¡± Consu¡¯s position was unique; although she¡¯d only been a vampire for a few years, she was more controlled than most and retained more of her humanity. She¡¯d joined Alessandro¡¯s coven but wasn¡¯tfortable in Sydney. She lived in downtown Adide and went to school for her medical degree under my supervision. I trusted her, and she¡¯d found a home in my Pack.


    Master Alessandro approached with Becky on his arm. ¡°Consu,¡± he greeted her warmly. ¡°Stilling back to Sydney next week?¡±


    ¡°Right after my exams,¡± she replied. Master Alessandro¡¯s allowance for Consu to stay in Adide still required her to return to Sydney every month. Young vampires needed training, and she was still in his Coven. ¡°Are you still getting calls about me?¡±


    ¡°The other Masters have gotten the message now,¡± Alessandro said. Some older Vampires wanted Consu for their own, but she was not avable. Alessandro wouldn¡¯t let her be abused and used again. ¡°Mexico City isn¡¯t happy, but in Australia, we are out of their jurisdiction. Master Cyprian made that clear.¡±


    I heard amotion upstairs. ¡°Vicki, there¡¯s a situation up here,¡± Dorothy said.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Luke Miller. He¡¯s scenting and running around in a panic.¡±


    Luke had turned eighteen two months ago, well after the international Scratch n Sniff, and hadn¡¯t found his mate at the North American Alpha Summit. ¡°Keep everyone clear. His mate is here somewhere.¡±


    I was trying to think of who in my Pack it might be when I heard amotion from the stairway. ¡°Stand back and let him find her,¡± Leo yelled from upstairs. I saw Luke rushing down the stairs, still wet from the pool and wearing his swimsuit. His nose was high, and his wolf was forward as he tried to find her. Glowing eyes swept the room, looking for the source of that smell he craved.


    Master Alessandro moved me behind him, not wanting a pregnant woman to be near a wolf seeking his mate. Rational thought could go out of the way, and bystanders could get hurt.


    The guests remained still, moving apart and towards the walls out of the way. They didn¡¯t have to worry; his wolf had found his other half, and he ran forward and swept her up, burying his nose in the side of her neck. ¡°MINE,¡± he growled lowly as we looked on in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± Consu was confused as Luke set her back on her feet. She didn¡¯t get to say more as Luke started kissing the hell out of her.


    I could see her rx into it and stopped Master Alessandro before he moved to separate them. ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s not fighting him.¡±


    ¡°Werewolves and vampires cannot be mates,¡± the Master said. ¡°It¡¯s never happened before!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a front-row seat at history,¡± I replied. ¡°Luke¡¯s wolf knew his mate at first scent. She was human not long ago, and werewolves have had human mates.¡±


    Hammer and Susan came down the stairs along with the other Masters and Alphas. Luke and Consu didn¡¯t notice as they continued to kiss and hold each other. Luke whispered something in her ear, and she nodded. Before we could stop them, Luke¡¯s elongated canines shed white and he imed Consu by biting the left side of her neck where it met the shoulder.


    ¡°NO!¡± Master Cyprian couldn¡¯t stop it now; Luke was drinking her blood, finally licking the wound clean as his teeth went back to normal. We watched as Consu¡¯s teeth extended into points; Luke bared his neck to his mate, and she bit deeply into him and drank. When she¡¯d taken enough, she withdrew her teeth and closed the wounds.


    ¡°Will that even work?¡± I asked the question, but no one could answer. Our first clue came with the healing orck of it. When vampires fed on humans, their saliva healed the wounds almost instantly, with no bruises or scars left behind. Together with their ability to affect memories, it allowed them to feed off humans and not leave evidence behind. Vampires had super-fast self-healing, so everyone expected the neck bite that Luke gave her to disappear within a minute.


    Neither urred the way we expected. Consu¡¯s neck closed up, but the faint scars left behind pronounced Luke¡¯s im to other werewolves and supernaturals. Luke¡¯s puncture wounds healed, leaving the same scars behind on her mate.


    Their activities were getting more sexual by the moment, so I asked Dorothy to show the pair to the one spare bedroom we still had upstairs. It didn¡¯t matter if we thought it possible; Luke and Consu were mates, and they had only one thing on their minds right now. Consu wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her up the stairs to bed.


    ¡°Alessandro, the bartender,¡± I said quietly. Not everyone at my party was supernatural, and this young woman had just witnessed a werewolf and vampire iming each other. He nodded, understanding he¡¯d have to remove the memories. ¡°Everyone else, please join us in my conference room.¡±


    In the back of the main floor was our home office, arge room overlooking one of the coves. It had plenty of couches and a conference table, and that is where the leaders of our world sat. Master Cyprian, Master Emily, and Becky represented the Vampires. Leo, Adrienne, Hammer, Susan, and Chairman Lars Svensson represented the werewolves, while Linda and Terry represented Mermaids. Nichs and I had just sat at the head of the table when Master Alessandro joined us. ¡°It¡¯s happened, so what do we do now,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Luna¡¯s will,¡± Adrienne replied. ¡°Don¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never happened,¡± Master Cyprian said. ¡°Why now?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Luna is trying a new thing, maybe it¡¯s always been this way, but our kinds never interacted enough for mates to find each other,¡± my aunt replied. ¡°The ims show the bond is epted. We¡¯ll have to wait and see what happens next.¡±


    ¡°She could kill him,¡± Lars said quietly.


    ¡°Vampires only inject venom from their ws as a defensive measure,¡± Cyprian replied.


    ¡°And if you have vampire blood in your body, it won¡¯t affect you,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Our kinds are each affected by taking the other¡¯s blood,¡± Emily said. ¡°We will have to wait and see what happens over time. She will feed off him often, I would expect.¡±


    ¡°And werewolves like to bite,¡± I said. ¡°They need to be together, and I don¡¯t want the first interspecies mates to end up in the Minneapolis Coven. I think it would be better for everyone to leave them here, in our Pack. Consu will continue to train with Master Alessandro as before, and she can remain in University.¡±


    ¡°Luke is still in high school,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°He probably has enough credits to graduate, and if not, he canplete his coursework online as I did. He can start college next year with the other Pack members.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to them,¡± Hammer said. ¡°If they want to return home to the Miesville Pack, I would ask Master Cyprian for help in defusing any issues that woulde up. If they choose to stay here, then his mother and I have no objections. We know he will be safe in the Southern Cross Pack.¡±


    ¡°Master Cyprian?¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± he said. ¡°I have to say, Vicki, spending time with you is never boring.¡± There wereughs around the room at this. ¡°As you say, new things are happening, and who knows what they may lead to?¡±


    ¡°Just wait until Consu gets pregnant,¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Vampires can¡¯t get pregnant,¡± Emily scoffed.


    ¡°Twenty minutes ago, we were all convinced vampires didn¡¯t have mates,¡± I replied. ¡°I won¡¯t put Luna in a box; if she made them mates, it was for a reason. We will have to see. I will ask Consu to research the changes that their mating has on them.¡±


    It was silent for a bit before Nichs spoke up. ¡°The scratch ¡®n sniffs will be more interesting,¡± he said quietly before we all startedughing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the party,¡± I said.


    The band and the catering staff left at midnight, allowing the party to go Full Wolfy. The pool guests removed their suits and inhibitions with the all-clear announcement; shaggy wolves started sliding down the waterslides into a swimming pool filled with mermaids, and mated pairs took advantage of the giant hot tub. Others headed down to the beach, building a fire in the private cove, while others ran up the canyons and hills on a kangaroo hunt.


    I ended up with Nichs and my girls at a table in the pool area by the snack bar, where we were cooking pizzas in the oven as fast as we could. We wereughing as we told stories, catching up after our time apart. I had to leave and do the hostess thing after I finished my pizza.


    Nichs and I stayed near the entrance so we could say goodbye to our guests as they left. By two in the morning, everyone that wasn¡¯t here for the night was gone. I ended up sitting in front of my aquarium with my Mom and Dad. The room dark and empty as we watched the fish swimming in the simted moonlit night. ¡°I love you, Dad,¡± I told him as I rested my head on his chest.


    ¡°I was right, you know,¡± he said as he pulled Mom closer on the other side.


    ¡°When?¡± Mom¡¯s voice held a touch of sarcasm.


    ¡°When you were getting ready for your eighteenth birthday party, you were nervous about finding a mate that night and having your whole life change. I told you that day you were an amazing youngdy. You are smart, driven, beautiful, and a natural leader. Then I told you not to be afraid of your destiny. Do you remember your answer?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I wanted to choose my destiny for myself.¡±


    ¡°And I told you Lunaughs at your attempts to tell her what to do. You needed to trust that she has your best interest at heart and be open to what she gives you.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± I said as the tears started to flow.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Luna did well with you,¡± Mom said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but you¡¯ve got so much now. I think tonight proved Luna is not done with you yet. We couldn¡¯t be prouder of the woman you have be. ¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly.


    I fell asleep with my head on Dad¡¯s shoulder in front of the sharks, just like I had dozens of times before in Leo¡¯s basement.


    THE END

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep1

    Hi, I will like to start my next series of erotic werewolf story. If you really enjoyed the previous stories so far, then stay with me as i unveil a new steamy werewolf series.


    ******


    NEW STORY TITLE: THE LAST SHEWOLF


    Summary: A Doctor Faces a Nightmare Epidemic.


    Enjoy¡­.


    _____________


    Twenty-Eight Years Ago


    Northern Minnesota


    BRIIING BRIIIING BRIIIING


    The sheets pulled down as I moved an arm towards the phone at my bedside. My glossy ck hair, messy with the few hours sleep I had just been roused from, covered my light oliveplexion as I reached for it. I saw the clock, 3:28 AM, as I pulled the handset towards my ear. ¡°Doc DelMara,¡± I said groggily.


    ¡°Get downstairs, emergency call. Laura is hemorrhaging.¡±


    Instantly awake, I tossed off the sheets and sat up. ¡°On my way, Alpha.¡± Hanging up the phone, I tossed my silk pajamas aside and pulled on scrubs. Putting my feet in slip-on shoes, I ran out the door of my bedroom and into the small apartment that was above the Pack clinic.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    My werewolf hearing could pick up the screams of the woman being driven to the small building in the one-stop-sign town that was the Pack home. I could hear howls, and the thunder of paws as others ran to help. I just made it to the door and opened it for them. ¡°To the surgery room,¡± I said as they passed.


    The man set Laura down on the bed, she was unconscious and was bleeding heavily from her uterus. Her belly was rounded, she was in her fifth month of pregnancy. ¡°What happened,¡± I asked as I started an IV line.


    ¡°She went to bed not feeling well, and woke up an hour ago with a fever,¡± he said. ¡°I was trying to cool her off in the bath when the pain came. She started cramping, and then it was like a gusher, she started bleeding from down there, bleeding a LOT,¡± her mate, a big lumberjack named Conner, said in a worried voice.


    ¡°Any falls, impacts with her stomach?¡± I had the heart monitor hooked up and I was cutting her clothes away.


    ¡°Nothing, we were just sleeping.¡± He was in the way, I needed to get in there and he wasn¡¯t going to like what I was going to do to her.


    ¡°Alpha rk, please take them out, I need to work,¡± I said. The Alpha had to physically pull Conner out of the room, her parents followed them to the small waiting room. This was pretty normal, when a mate is in trouble the other is instinctively driven to be there with her. The protectiveness can interfere with my work, even get me hurt, so I had to get them out quickly. It was times like these I wished I had a Pack bond, but I wasn¡¯t a Pack member; I was in my second year of a five-year contract to serve as their Doctor. There weren¡¯t many trained Werewolf medical professionals, and if you couldn¡¯t grow your own you had to lease them. Even though a Pack Doctor was normally ranked with the Betas, directly reporting to the Alpha, I didn¡¯t have that authority without going through him.


    Jessica Andersen ran in nude, having rushed over here in wolf form. She pulled the scrub top over her head and was pulling the bottoms on when I caught her eye. A bubbly Scandinavian blonde with straight blonde hair and ice blue eyes, she wanted to go to nursing school for college. She got permission from her parents and her Alpha to train under me, and quickly became a valuable assistant. She was a fast learner and had a natural aptitude for working with children. ¡°Jessica, warm up four bags of A positive, and have Alpha rk send out a call to the Pack members with her blood type to get down here.¡± She ran into theb next door.


    I did a quick examination; the blood was arterial, and her pulse was weak and thready. The baby was in distress, her pulse rate was dropping. At twenty-one weeks, she wouldn¡¯t survive, and in a few minutes, we would lose the mother too.


    I reached for a scalpel.


    Making an incision from just below her belly button to just above her vagina, I sliced through the skin. Moving the tissue aside with retractors, I exposed the uterine wall. Making a second incision, I exposed the small baby in the amniotic sac. There was no time for anything fancy here, I pulled the girl out and mped the umbilical cord. I set her down, she was already blue and not breathing, this early we had no chance to save her.


    Her life blood was gushing out from the centa, which was detaching from the uterine wall already. I found the artery and mped it, just as the heart monitor rmed. ¡°JESSICA!¡± I pulled over the crash cart, observing the t line on the monitor. She ran in just as I applied the first shock, two blood bags in her hand.


    ¡°Start CPR,¡± I said. She leaned over the table, putting her hands in ce over Laura¡¯s sternum. I injected epinephrine into her as she counted to thirty. We were both ignoring the screams and howls of grief from her mate and family in the next room as we tried to bring her back.


    ¡°Charging to 200,¡± I said. She moved her hands up as I said ¡°CLEAR,¡± then I shocked her again.


    No change.


    ¡°Continue CPR.¡± I grabbed a bag and hung it, starting another IV line. Squeezing the bag to get it through therge-bore needle faster, I knew we were fighting a losing battle. She¡¯d lost too much blood and was too far gone. We went through another few minutes without sess before I called it. ¡°Time of death, 0402.¡±


    Jessica slid to the floor, her sobs breaking through. This was the first patient I¡¯d lost at this Pack, and her first time in a situation like this. It never got easier. I reached my hand down for her. ¡°Come on, we need to make her presentable for her family,¡± I said.


    We spent a few minutes removing the lines and the monitors. Jessica helped me remove the bloodstained sheets and towels and wipe it off her legs. I cleaned their daughter and ced her on her mother¡¯s chest before cing a nket over her from her stomach down. They didn¡¯t need to see more.


    After we had wiped up the floor and tossed the soiledundry and our scrubs in the bin, Jessica and I pulled on clean scrubs from the locker in theb. I pulled her to me, her arms wrapped around me as her tears soaked my new top. ¡°You did good, kiddo. Sometimes you just can¡¯t save them.¡±


    ¡°Her children¡­¡± She babysat for them asionally, they had a four-year old son and a two-year-old daughter.


    ¡°They will need your help, Conner will too. The whole Pack needs to help, that¡¯s why we are here together. Now dry your eyes, there is still work to do. Take the bin out and put it in the soak barrel, then give the floor a quick mop with bleach. I¡¯m going to move her into the other room, so the blood smell isn¡¯t so strong when they see her.¡± They would still smell it, werewolves could easily scent even a drop of blood, but it wouldn¡¯t be so overwhelming.


    She nodded, and I led her back in. I unlocked the brakes on the bed and rolled it across the hall into the examination room. Taking a few deep breaths, I walked to the front of the clinic where the waiting room was.


    Every eye moved to mine as I opened the door. I didn¡¯t have to tell them she didn¡¯t make it, they had all felt the bond break when she passed. I looked at Conner, who was on the floor, her parents on each side of him as they clung to each other for support. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she lost too much blood too quickly,¡± I said.


    ¡°The baby?¡± He looked at me, hoping against hope.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make it, it was too early for her to survive.¡± A fresh round of sobs hit the room with the news. ¡°When you are ready, I can take you to them.¡±


    Alpha Mitch came over to me, cing his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Thank you, I know you did all you could.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha rk. Jessica did well, she is going to be a fine nurse someday.¡±


    She came in behind me and was pulled into a hug by her Alpha. Her tears had restarted as she saw the devastation of the family. ¡°Shhh, we can only trust Luna is going to work this for good,¡± he said as she cried.


    She looked up at him. ¡°Their children? Do I need to get them?¡±


    ¡°Luna Connie is bringing them now,¡± he said. I could hear a car approaching, and a minuteter two young ones were running in, clinging to their father.


    When they were ready, I let Conner and the children in first. I stood by in the background, silently praying to Luna for them to have strength to get past this, especially for him. The loss of a mate often left the remaining in deep depression, usually ending in suicide. This was almost always the case for the true mates, of which Conner and Laura were.


    All adult Werewolves had a true mate given them at birth, we were taught. A person created just for you, the perfect match, the type of love little girls dreamed about.


    Few ever found them.


    The Packs didn¡¯t trust each other, there were turf wars, vendettas, and hostile takeovers. Females were a resource that left when they found their mates, so Packs had little incentive to let them find them. The Boundary Waters Pack was better than most, it was surrounded by four allied Packs in Winnepeg, Duluth, Two Harbors and Grand Marais. If you found your true mate there, you were lucky.


    As a result, almost all matings were Choice Mates. This was more like human dating, finding a partner and agreeing to forego your Fated. Once the mating urred, it was almost as strong andsted for life. If your Fated mate found you after you Choice Mated, you¡¯d never know, it would be as if that bond never existed. If your Fated died, you never knew.


    Thest kind of mate was a Forced Mate. These were frowned upon, but still urred in some Packs. A male would forcibly mate with the female, biting her at the time of his release in her, and that bound her to him until death. The wolf in you would bind with his, and she would prevent you from hurting him in revenge. Unless you killed yourself or someone else killed him, he was yours.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep2

    The only protection from forced matings was through your family, Pack and Alpha. That is why females didn¡¯t travel to other territories without escorts, and part of why there were so many vendettas and wars fought between Packs. I fingered the ne I wore, with the Pack¡¯s emblem and the letters ¡°AP¡± for ¡°Alpha Protected.¡± As part of my contract toe here, the ne signified his vow to kill any man who tried or seeded in force mating me. By killing him, I could be free again.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    You never got over the rape, though. I had treated several women who this had happened to, they never looked at mates the same way. Experiencing the power of the bond to a man you hated, it changed them.


    There were no human mates, our DNA was notpatible. You can¡¯t turn a human, a bite would sentence the person to a painful death. You can¡¯t father a child, or have his baby if one is human. There were some who fell in love, but they had to give up their wolves and live as humans, never to have children of their own, never to be part of a Pack again. It was a life few ever chose.


    Conner was kneeling next to his dead mate, his children in his arms as they kissed her goodbye. When they were done, her parents came in. I stood my lonely vigil for two more hours as the rest of the Pack members, all one hundred and fifty-two of them, filed through to pay their respects.


    When thest one, a Pack Elder, left she stopped by me. ¡°We are preparing the funeral for moonrise.¡±


    ¡°That is fine, I need to perform an autopsy, but I will be done by noon,¡± I said. ¡°I will call you when you can take the bodies.¡± She left, and I brought the deceased back into the operating theater. Our clinic wasn¡¯t big enough for a morgue.


    Jessica had finished cleaning up and had gone to help care for the children, so I locked up and went back into the room.


    I checked the baby girl first. She was normal size and weight, nothing abnormal physically. She died quickly, her heart not receiving oxygen from the mother¡¯s centa. I took a blood sample, but I didn¡¯t expect to find anything.


    The mother had been healthy until now; it wasn¡¯t her first pregnancy, and she¡¯d never hadplications before. The fever was a clue, I took a blood sample and extracted some urine from her dder for culture.


    It was in her uterus that the bleeding started, and that was the focus of my autopsy. The centa didn¡¯t look normal; it was the right size, but it smelled off. I cut off a few samples for examination. It was almostpletely detached from the uterine wall, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of detachment you would expect from a tear or impact. It looked like the centa started to detach on its own, like it would after birth, but there was no birth to be had. The fever, the cramping, it all pointed to something going terribly wrong.


    Two hourster, I had no answers and dozens of questions. I filled out the death certificates, cause of death was ¡®cental detachment.¡¯ I walked back upstairs to take a nap after the Elders took them away, my mind still spinning over what I had seen. Why would a healthy mother and baby see a change like this for no apparent reason?


    I woke in time for dinner, still a little groggy from the changes in hours. I was used to operating on little sleep, your residency teaches you that with its 36-hour shifts. I pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and sandals before heading out the door. I couldn¡¯t cook worth a damn, so I always headed over to the Pack House for meals.


    Tonight, it would be a somber dinner.


    I walked in the door, my nose told me it was a full house before I even reached it. The dining room wasrge, with an elevated section at the front for leadership and rows of tables and chairs throughout. The kitchen was restaurant style and functioned that way. The full-time staff of six was augmented by the children between 14 and 21, who helped out several meals a week with serving, dishes and cleanup. You weren¡¯t required to eat there, but the Pack covered the cost of meals this way. I only ate elsewhere when in other towns.


    I was still a few minutes early and stopped to talk and hug a few people as I made my way to the front. I saw Jessica sitting with Connor¡¯s children, their family close by. He looked lost and was barely functioning. It was expected, and he would either pull out of it in a few days or he wouldn¡¯t. The Alpha had already assigned watchers for him, if he went feral, it would be their job to put him down. A werewolf who retreated into his beast, who rejected his humanity due to the pain of loss, was a dangerous beast; we couldn¡¯t allow humans or Pack to be injured as a result of it. I got to the front of table, taking the step up and standing behind my seat. I was three people left of the Alpha and Luna¡¯s chairs, next to Gamma Bill Caldwell and his mate Virginia. On the other side, Beta Charles Thorssen was standing next to his mate Denise. He motioned me towards him as we waited for the Alpha pair.


    ¡°I¡¯m assigning Matt Miller as your bodyguard for the next few days,¡± he said quietly to me.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Something like this, you don¡¯t know how Connor¡¯s mind could take it. If he ces me on you, he couldsh out. I can¡¯t take that chance, so he¡¯s going to be by you.¡± I looked back, he was already standing by thest chair in the row.


    I knew it would do no good to argue, and he was right. Widowers could be unpredictable, and I was a fixer, not a fighter. ¡°Thank you.¡± He nodded as we saw the Alphas enter and the room go quiet, and I quickly returned to my seat.


    Alpha Mitch walked to his seat, Luna Connie¡¯s hand in his. They were a handsome couple, choice mates; she had been the daughter of the Duluth Pack Alphas. When neither had found their fated mate by age 25, they had taken each other to solidify the alliance between the Packs. They were deeply in love, and she was pregnant with their second child now. Their firstborn, Melinda, was three years old, and they were hoping their next was a male to inherit the Alpha position. At five weeks pregnant, it would be another five weeks before we could tell the sex of their child by smell or ultrasound.


    The Pack was standing quietly as they turned to face them. ¡°The Boundary Waters Pack has lost a beloved member today, along with a daughter. Laura and her daughter Nokomis, which is Ojibwe for ¡®Daughter of the Moon¡¯, died early this morning despite the best efforts of our Pack and Doctor. Tonight at the moon rise, we will send their spirits to Luna. May She bless this meal and bringfort to us tonight.¡±


    He sat, and there was a short time of noise as everyone followed. The staff started bringing out food in bowls and tters, it was served family style. Since it was summer, the meal included breaded fish, grilled garden vegetables and potato sd. The meal was quiet, there was little conversation verbally, and I left as soon as it was over. Matt was right behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of your way, but not out of your sight,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t know what they were saying about me on the Pack link, but I saw their looks and it was enough. Werewolves didn¡¯t just die like this, and I was new and being paid a lot to be their Doctor. They expected me to save her, and I didn¡¯t.


    With more time, more help, more blood¡­ I kept running it through my mind, but every time it came out the same. She lost too much blood, too fast, and I had no chance to save them. I would have to move on, but I vowed to find out why.


    At sundown we started moving into the woods towards the Ceremonial Grounds. I stayed near the back with Matt, since I wasn¡¯t Pack, as we entered the clearing where the pyre would be. Werewolf custom was to burn the bodies, ensuring no remains or DNA would be left that could identify our existence to humans. The pyre was built inside a ring ofrge stones, and the bodies were wrapped in white cloth and covered with wildflowers. I could see their baby was on her chest, her arms folded over her, as if they were sleeping.


    Conner was standing with the Alphas, his children holding his hands, as the moon started to rise over the horizon on this clear July night. The Pack Elders led the ceremony, ending by handing Conner a torch, the Alphas each taking one while holding one of his children. Walking clockwise around the pyre, they ensured it was evenly lit before tossing the torches into the center. The dry wood caught quickly, and the heat pushed us away as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Clothes were pulled off and tossed in piles, as the Pack members shifted. I did the same, letting the changee over me so my wolf could pay her respects to the dead.


    The moon was over the trees and shining onto the fire as Conner pointed his nose up and let loose an anguished howl of loss, his children joining him. The second time, the Alphas added their voices, and on the third howl the whole Pack joined in. I watched as they finished, Conner¡¯s wolf was shaking. He bolted for the trees, leaping over the rows of wolves. I saw Beta Charles take off after him along with two other warriors.


    He would eithere back or lose himself to his grief. The Alphas took their children, they would make sure they were cared for until we knew.


    I went back to the clinic, unable to sleep I busied myself with cleanup and restocking. I checked the cultures, there was no evidence of harmful bacteria yet, but it was still early. The tissue samples were more telling. The cross-sections of the centa showed that the endometrial lining had prematurely thinned, something that shouldn¡¯t happen until the ninth month. In addition, apoptosis of trophost cells and endometrial epithelial cells had ured, facilitating premature cental release.


    Inyman¡¯s terms, her centa detached as if she had already given birth, when the baby was still developing. The detachment caused massive bleeding and fetal distress.


    I sat back in myb chair, my head spinning. The process of cental release was aplicated chemical process, but once apoptosis (programmed cell death) began, it can¡¯t be reversed. Whatever started this reaction killed her.


    If we were human, I¡¯d be consulting with the top specialists in the country right now. If it was caused by a bacteria or virus, we¡¯d be calling Anta and getting the Center for Disease Control on the line. I¡¯d have ess to the topbs, to scanning electron microscopes, pathology experts, everything. Of course, I had NONE of that avable to me because the LAST thing we could allow was for our DNA, our tissue samples, to get analyzed closely.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep3

    Werewolves have always been present in the States, but never in the mainstream. We couldn¡¯t be in the military, we couldn¡¯t live among humans for extended periods. When I went to medical school and internships, I had to be Alpha ordered for my wolf not to shift; even if it cost me my life, I was not allowed to shift outside of visits to my home Pack in Zumbrota.


    There were only about four hundred Packs in North America, and almost all were in remote locations where their homes were away from humans. The risks increased with exposure, so there weren¡¯t careers among the humans, you were lucky if you even got college through them. My fellow doctors and nurses had to be exceptions; we needed training not avable through Packs, and we had to keep up our medical licenses and an official practice, so we could have ess to drugs and equipment.


    I worked as a relief doctor at two clinics, one in Silver Bay and one in Grand Marais. I had done a surgical residency, but never got board-certified. I knew I would never be able to maintain THAT license living in a remote Pack. Instead, I dropped back to General Practice, doing rotations in obstetrics and pediatrics that would be more helpful to my Pack career. I had a lot of help, my Alphas were supportive and so were my parents; my father was the Pack doctor, and my mother his nurse. This rotation was a good way to get me experience and pay off the loans I had taken from my Pack to get my education.


    So, there were few people I could reach out to, but the first one was my Dad. I emailed him with photos of my samples and a summary of my findings, and asked him to call me when he¡¯d had a chance to review them. I then called Larry Jennings, he was the Pack Doctor in Duluth, and the most experienced one around. I wanted to drive down and meet with him, bringing my samples so he could examine them himself. I left a message on his phone, knowing it waste and he was probably asleep. Turning off all the lights, I walked out of theb towards the stairs. Matt was in wolf form, guarding the door to the clinic. I told him goodnight and went upstairs to my apartment.


    Two AM, and I was asleep again.


    I slept until nine, when my phone rang. It was Larry, he had gotten permission from his Alpha for me to visit and was avable after dinner. I got dressed and grabbed ate breakfast before heading back to my office to do research. Early in the afternoon my father called; he didn¡¯t have much to add, but he did promise to look into it for me. Neither of us had found anything helpful in our research yet.


    I swung by the kitchen to get a sandwich and cookies to go before hopping in my Ford Ranger extended cab 4¡Á4 to head down to Duluth. I loved my little truck, it never let me down. I would do house calls at allied Packs, so I had medical supplies and a full trauma kit in the back seat. I waved to the sentry as I left, and put a CD in the stereo as I drove.


    The Duluth Pack was located northwest of the city, at the very edge of the changeover to the deep Northern woods. The Pack was the secondrgest in the state, about five hundred wolves, and owned every home in their isted development. Their homes were built in a way unlike the cookie-cutter suburbs that were springing up in the sixties and seventies. Build around amunity center and small downtown, the homes were in concentric circles around the center, with open spaces and parks maintained around them. It looked like a nice ce to live, and the wolf in me understood how it made their Pack defenses easier.


    I rolled up to the entry, a good half mile off the paved road, and was stopped by one of their sentries. ¡°Hi Alex,¡± I said as he opened the door and jumped in. ¡°How are Mary and little Robert doing?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Go right to the clinic, Vivian. Doc¡¯s in an emergency and can use your help.¡± I pulled forward, I could smell his distress. ¡°One of our pregnant females started bleeding at dinnertime, the whole Pack is worried.¡±


    Shit.


    Going as fast as I wasfortable, I went to the clinic building. It wasn¡¯t enough. I could tell by Alex¡¯s face she didn¡¯t make it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, he ran off, probably to be with his mate. I got out, leaving my samples on the seat. If I was right I wouldn¡¯t need them.


    The family was filled with grief, Pack members were trying tofort his mate as he broke down. I walked past them to the procedure room, just as Larry walked out. His scrubs were bloody, and he was taking off his gloves and tossing them in a bin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Larry.¡±


    ¡°It was just like you said,¡± he said as his shoulders slumped. ¡°It came on so fast, I couldn¡¯t get the bleeding stopped in time. Even after I delivered the baby, the centa was falling apart. It¡¯s like her tissue was dissolving in front of me, sections would discolor and then rupture.¡±


    I looked past him, his nurse was helping to clean up. ¡°Go talk to the family, I¡¯ll help get her cleaned up and then we can talk.¡± He nodded and walked off.


    I pushed the door open, the smell of blood and death was strong in the room. A young woman, not even twenty, was cut open on the table, her baby by her side. Perfectly formed, maybe 18 weeks, and he never had a shot at life.


    Whatever this was, we had to figure it out quickly.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep4

    I stayed long enough to assist Larry with the autopsy, which was pretty much the same as what I had found. I left him with a tissue sample forparison, and when he had to leave for the funeral, I left for home. It was almost midnight, and the quarter moon was casting a glow on the empty road ahead of me.


    I stayed away from Lake Superior and the weekend traffic, using roads farther ind instead, maybe thirty minutes from home. Normally, I enjoyed the road and the night, but tonight my brain just wouldn¡¯t turn off. I had the radio off and the windows down, enjoying the warm evening. I crested a hill, below me I could see the road winding down to a creek before continuing up the other side. Motorcycles wereing my way, a dozen or so of them. This was prettymon, the North Shore area was a popr summer route for biker runs.


    We were going to meet somewhere near the creek, and I had my hand out the window, ready to wave as they passed.


    None of us saw the deer bolting into the road near the bridge until it was toote. I locked up my brakes, steering towards the narrow shoulder as I prayed to Luna I would stop in time. I did, but not the way I wanted. The right front tire dug into the soft ground, pulling it off its rim, catching and spinning the truck around to a stop. The first deer passed in front, but the second tried to pass just as the first riders were passing. I heard a thud, then a screech and the sounds of brakes as the dual line of bikers tried to stop.


    I hit the hazard shers and jumped out of the truck. Three bikes were on their sides, five had steered past and were turning around, and the rest had stopped in time. Reaching into the back seat, I grabbed my emergency medical case and pulled it out. ¡°I¡¯M A DOCTOR, WHO IS HURT?¡±


    The men quickly checked the downed bikers, two were standing up. I could smell blood, I could see the road rash, but the one who wasn¡¯t moving was the one I was already moving towards. ¡°OVER HERE, DOC.¡± I set the bag down next to a big guy, he was in his forties, beard and hair going grey.


    He was trying to sit up, but I quickly pushed him down. ¡°Don¡¯t move, let me examine you,¡± I said as I broke the case open. I had a helmet light, I quickly pulled it on so I could see what I was doing. Putting on rubber gloves, I introduced myself and asked him if it was all right to treat him. He said yes, rasping his breath, blood-tinged spit rolling out his mouth. Checking him from head to toe, his pupils were unequal but reactive, and I could feel the bump on the back of his head. He had a broken arm, some good road rash, and an antler tine that had broken off in his chest below his corbone. I couldn¡¯t tell how deep it went, but I couldn¡¯t remove it here. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± a tall man with a long beard, rubber bands holding it together, said as he approached.


    ¡°OK, I need you to send someone to call 911.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± a younger,nky man said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Fine, there¡¯s a town about five miles ahead. Tell them Dr. DelMara,¡± I grabbed my card and handed it to him, ¡°has a patient with a puncture wound to his left chest and a head injury. I need an air ambnce to take him to the trauma center in Duluth. You know where we are?¡± He nodded. ¡°Make sure they send the helicopter. Get out of here.¡± He ran off, another man joining him. They started their Harleys and burned rubber as they were taking off down the road.


    ¡°You-¡± I pointed at another guy, ¡°In the back seat of my truck is an oxygen canister. Get it.¡±


    Another man came up. ¡°I was a medic, I¡¯ll take care of the other two. No serious injuries,¡± he said. He started looking through my kit, taking some supplies he walked back to the two me who were sitting in the headlights of the other bikes.


    ¡°Get a couple bikes up here, shine the headlights on him,¡± I told the leader. He shouted out orders and soon I could see a lot better.


    I ripped open arge patch bandage, it was stic backed. I used gauze to pack the wound as best I could, then put the bandage over it. The adhesive was only on the outside, and it would keep the wound from sucking any more air into his chest cavity. I checked his chest, his left lung had partially copsed, there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it immediately. I pulled out a splint and used it to immobilize his forearm. He didn¡¯t move.


    Looking up, I saw he had passed out. Not good with a head injury.


    The oxygen arrived, I put the mask on him and set the flow. I pulled out the portable monitor, setting up the cuff for blood pressure on his good arm, along with the heart monitor pads and the pulseox monitor for his finger. I took a deep breath; he was stable for now. ¡°Watch him,¡± I said. I went over to the other two, getting a quick report from the medic. A quick exam confirmed they were all right. ¡°Can you ride?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± one said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little road rash. How is Hammer?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good, but he¡¯s stable for now,¡± I said. I went back to my patient, checking him again his oxygen levels had improved, and his breathing wasn¡¯t as strained. I had a chest tube ready, but as long as he wasn¡¯t deteriorating, I could avoid more cktop surgery. I checked his other injuries, cleaning them with alcohol and covering them with gauze wraps.


    ¡°Anything else we can do, Doc?¡±


    I thought for a moment. ¡°Yeah, uh¡­ Viper.¡± It was on his cut, he was the President of the Northwoods Riders Motorcycle Club. ¡°The helicopter will need anding spot; t, open and no power lines. I need you to find one and surround it with motorcycles to mark it. I have res under my passenger seat, we¡¯ll need those to guide it in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Is he going to make it?¡±


    ¡°It could be serious, he has a head injury. When are you guys going to learn to wear helmets?¡± Motorcycles were called ¡°donorcycles¡± in some of the hospitals I had trained at, for good reason.


    ¡°Kind of screws up the views and the sights,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll get your tire changed as well.¡±


    ¡°No hurry, I¡¯m going with him,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to be going to St. Lukes, northern Duluth.¡±


    I continued to monitor Hammer¡¯s condition, and it was getting worse. I checked his pupils again; the left side was unequal and not reactive. I was d I asked for the air ambnce, it might not be fast enough with a normal one. The symptoms were of an intracranial bleed, basically a vessel leaking blood into his skull and causing the pressure on the brain tissue to increase. Left untreated, it could result in permanent damage, even death. I didn¡¯t have the machines to monitor that pressure, and he didn¡¯t have much time if I was right. ¡°Viper, there¡¯s a couple nkets in the back of my truck, I need them. And grab my toolbox.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like this, but it wasn¡¯t like I carried this equipment around. Taking the folded nkets, I had the guys roll him onto his good side. I used a razor to shave the hair from the area that was swollen, then cleaned it with a pad. Using a scalpel, I made an incision, draining the excess blood. Viper came back, carrying my toolbox. ¡°There is a small DeWalt drill in there, grab it and put a quarter inch bit in it.¡±


    ¡°You need this?¡± He held the drill up. ¡°For him?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I need to drill through his skull and relieve the pressure. Bits are in that ck box there.¡± A minuteter, I had doused the bit in alcohol and was cing the wood bit against his skull. ¡°I need help here, hold his head really still. I can¡¯t apply much pressure, or I could break through and shove this hallway into his brain,¡± I said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep5

    This wasn¡¯t the way I had seen this done, but it was effective. The bit had spurs on the outside and a t bottom, and by carefully controlling speed and pressure I had made the required hole. I got lucky; I could see the blood draining. I set the drill down and changed gloves before using gauze and a wrap to hold it in ce.


    I could hear the helicopter but didn¡¯t say anything until the other guys noticed. ¡°Snake used to be Army, he¡¯s got the res and will guide it down,¡± he said. I just kept working on Hammer as theynded.


    A few minutester, the EMT¡¯s were next to me with their gurney. Working together, we got him strapped in ce. ¡°I¡¯m going with them,¡± I told Viper, tossing him my keys.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of your stuff,¡± he said. ¡°See you at the hospital.¡±


    I pulled on a spare helmet after we loaded so I could talk to the crew and the hospital. I¡¯d only been down there a couple times, visiting patients from the clinics I worked at, so they knew me. It was a short flight, and after turning over to the neurosurgeon and thoracic surgeons who were waiting, I was looking around for water and a change of clothing.


    The guys arrived about forty-five minutester, rushing into the waiting room. ¡°How is he, Doc?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in surgery. The neurosurgeon is done, he stopped the bleeder. They are removing the antler now.¡±


    Snake had made a coffee run, and I gratefully took the tall coffee and the muffin he offered. We waited another hour as I got to know the guys, and they got me to talk a little about myself. President Viper was married, a former Marine and Vietnambat vet. Most of the guys in his club were vets, the younger ones had been in the Iraq war. If you weren¡¯t a veteran, you were a brother of one. The group was very tight, and clearly Hammer was loved by them. He was the Master at Arms, responsible for discipline in the club. The VP was the medic, he had served in thete 70¡¯s at stateside hospitals. He was, of course, nicknamed Doc.


    After hearing that Hammer was going to pull through, the guys rxed. ¡°Pres, I got a half-dozen rooms reserved at the hotel a few blocks from here,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s all they have.¡±


    Viper looked around at his club members. ¡°Two brothers stay here with Hammer, we¡¯ll do eight-hour shifts,¡± he said. He looked at me. ¡°Doc, we can offer you a room or we can take you back home. Snake looked at your truck, the tie rod broke and he had to call for a tow truck.¡±


    Shit. I really needed to get back to the Pack. If we had two cases, who knew what was happening next. ¡°I have to get home, I can¡¯t stay here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Whatever you need from us, you have,¡± Viper said. ¡°We are in your debt for saving our friend.¡±


    I blushed a little. ¡°That¡¯s my job, it¡¯s what I¡¯m trained for.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Doc said, ¡°but you still have it. Boss, I¡¯ll stay here with the prospect until morning.¡±


    ¡°Dagger, Gasket with me. The rest of you get to the hotel.¡± I followed them down the elevator, their Harleys were parked in a line near the entrance. ¡°You can ride with me, Doc.¡±


    ¡°You have a helmet for me?¡±


    ¡°None of us do,¡± he said. ¡°Helmets are for rice burners, cuts are for Harleys.¡±


    I needed the ride, so I got on behind him. ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Just hold on to me and lean when I do,¡± he said. He started his big Harley and pulled out, the other two falling in line behind him. It was the most enjoyable trip I¡¯d had in a long time; I loved the freedom, the speed as we covered the miles quickly. There was a guest house at the edge of our territory we could get to without getting close to the main Pack, so I gave him directions there. It was nearly sunrise when we got there.


    There were no fresh scents, so no one was using it. The key was in its normal ce, so I opened it up and let them in. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower and go to bed, and you guys should get a few hours sleep before you head back,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom down the hall, towels in the closet inside. There are two beds in this room, and one of you can take this couch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Vivian,¡± Viper said. ¡°We¡¯ll let ourselves out, you get your sleep.¡±


    I went into the bedroom and called the Alpha, letting him know what happened and that I had humans staying with me for a short time. He said he would keep the Pack away, and asked me toe see him once I had some sleep.


    I was asleep before my pillow warmed up. When I woke, there was a note from Viper along with his card. Who would have thought that this big biker owned aputerpany in St. Paul? He thanked me again and told me I was always wee to visit them if I went down to the cities. I smiled and put the note in my pocket, before going to talk to the Alpha.


    I knocked on the Alpha¡¯s office door, I could smell Luna Connie¡¯s scent in there with him along with Beta Charles. ¡°Come in,¡± he said.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I opened the door nervously. ¡°You wanted to see me, Alpha rk?¡±


    ¡°Please, Vivian, sit. I¡¯d like to hear more about what you found in Duluth, as well as what happenedst night.¡± Mitch had Connie in hisp, her hand was protectively held over the small baby bump she had.


    Charles was sitting in one chair in front of his desk, so I took the other, keeping my eyes down respectfully. ¡°As you know, I went to speak with Dr. Jennings, as he is the closest and most experienced Pack Doctor. As I arrived, a woman in his Pack had just died, her baby lost at eighteen weeks. From the symptoms and how quickly it progressed, it appears to be the same cause as what killed Laura.¡±


    Connie was pale, nervously looking at me. ¡°How can that be? You said this had never happened before.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I have found nothing like this in my training or in the human training. Human medical texts have been no help, and until yesterday, I¡¯m not aware of any other doctor seeing it. Dr. Jennings had the same problem; for an unknown reason, the centa started to detach from the uterine wall while the pre-term fetus was still viable. The mechanism prevents the normal process that stops the bleeding, in fact, it seems to promote bleeding. He got to her faster than I did, delivered the baby by C-section, but couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding before she died.¡± I looked at my hands. ¡°I¡¯ve also called my father, he is helping me research, but as to cause or treatment, we are at a loss.¡±


    ¡°Could it happen again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know WHY it is happening, much less why in two different Packs so close together. Anything is possible, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Connie looked at her husband, he pulled her close before looking at me again. ¡°If it happens again, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°Get the female into the clinic at the first sign of fever or bleeding. If I see any evidence on the ultrasound or physically it is starting, I¡¯d have to take aggressive measures.¡± I gulped, what I was about to say went against every instinct a wolf had. ¡°I¡¯d do an emergency C-section, even if the fetus is not viable, which for us is up to twenty-eight weeks gestation since I don¡¯t have ess to neonatal intensive care. Then I would remove the centa and attempt to stop the bleeding; if it doesn¡¯t stop, I would be forced to perform a hysterectomy in order to save the mother.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep6

    There was silence in the room for a long moment as I looked at my hands. ¡°How many females in our Pack are beyond twenty-eight weeks, Doctor?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± I said. ¡°Wendy and Joanne are both at thirty weeks. The other ten known pregnant women are between four and twenty-four weeks.¡±


    ¡°What if you are wrong? What if the bleeding or fever is not the result of what happened to Laura?¡±


    ¡°Then I might terminate a viable pregnancy.¡± Connie gasped, but I continued. ¡°It¡¯s not what I want to do, but the health of the mother is my main concern here. Whatever this is, ites on fast, in a matter of hours they are beyond help.¡±


    ¡°We need to let the Pack know about this. You need to discuss with the pregnant women what their desires are,¡± Alpha Mitch said. ¡°Get it written down, because I don¡¯t want to be dealing with an unconscious female and an out of control mate when you have to decide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet with the pregnant women first, before the Pack,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need all those people around when I do it. Charles, I will need you and some strong males, unmated or whose mates aren¡¯t pregnant, there as well.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Beta Charles looked at me. ¡°Denise¡¯s heat didn¡¯t take this year.¡± Werewolf females went into heat once a year in the early spring, but heat didn¡¯t start until it was activated by the mating bite.


    ¡°Security for me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m basically going to tell these males that if things don¡¯t look right, I¡¯m going to abort their baby and maybe remove the ability of their mate to ever have pups again. It may not go well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there, and we already know. I¡¯ll put Alphamand on them if I have to,¡± Mitch said.


    ¡°Can we set it up for tonight? I have to go pick up my truck in Silver Bay, Viper¡¯s note said it should be ready by three.¡± All my supplies for Pack visits were in it.


    ¡°Matt can drive you down and escort you back. No side trips, Vivian. I can¡¯t afford to have you too far away from the Pack, and you need to carry this.¡± He tossed me a pager. ¡°If you get a series of ones, you get back here as fast as you can, don¡¯t stop and call.¡± I looked at the device, it had a belt loop. The hospitals in Duluth were just starting to use them. I hooked it on my waist. ¡°It is supposed to have a thirty-mile range, so that¡¯s your tether after today, at least until things settle down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. I¡¯ll be back in time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Now what happened with the biker?¡±


    I spent ten minutes telling him the story. ¡°He was stable when I left. The club is in St. Paul, they have no idea I¡¯m not human, they aren¡¯t a threat.¡±


    ¡°I was a little nervous when you calledst night. I wish I had been called first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t think of it until we were on the way, and it was almost morning. I figured the guest house was safe enough.¡±


    The Alpha set Connie on his desk, then stood up. ¡°Is there anything else we should do for the women, Doc?¡±


    ¡°I need to have a blood drive, I¡¯ll look up what type the pregnant females are and make sure we have a good supply of each set aside. I¡¯ll be ordering some more supplies on the Pack Clinic card, things we¡¯ve never needed like a neonatal oxygen tent. It could get expensive.¡±


    ¡°If it is over ten thousand, run it past me first, but we will give you whatever you need, Doc.¡± I shook his hand and turned for the door. ¡°Matt will meet you at the dining hall at one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alphas, Beta.¡± I turned and walked out the door, Charles closed it behind me. I needed a phone.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I returned to my clinic, it was open, and Jessica was restocking the rooms. ¡°Good morning, Doc,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I heard you had a little fun with bikersst night.¡±


    ¡°Only if you thing cktop brain surgery is fun,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that young one was kind of hot. That bad boy look makes me all hot and bothered,¡± she giggled. ¡°Too bad they are humans.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young for that, you need to find your mate,¡± I said as I walked past her towards my office.


    ¡°True, my battery bill is WAY too high.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong, plug-ins are more powerful and can go forever,¡± I said as I closed the door to my office. Female wolves of age had high libidos, we were strong and healthy and wanted to enjoy our bodies. There was a lot of girl y and masturbation in the Packs; we taught the girls to wait for their mates, as it wasmon for new mates to find and kill males who had defiled their mate before they were together. The smell lingered down there, no matter how much you washed.


    I was a twenty-nine-year-old virgin. I was too busy for a boyfriend, and a mate was not happening anytime soon. He wasn¡¯t in my home Pack, this one or the four allied Packs, so I was unlikely to find him while this contract was in ce.


    I sat at my desk, pulling out the note Viper had left with the name of the garage. I called, they said my truck would be ready in an hour, which was fine with me. I checked in with my Dad, he had nothing new, but I filled him in on what had happened at Larry¡¯s pack. I then called Larry. He had nothing new, he had just woken up as well. Finally, I called the Duluth hospital, checking on Hammer. The duty Doctor was in the intensive care unit, in a medically induceda to limit brain swelling, but his prognosis was good. He also told me I had a new nickname. DeWalt.


    They are SO funny.


    I asked him to pass a message to the brothers I knew would be waiting there, to have Viper or one of the other guys call me back. I checked my AOL ount, smiling as the ¡°You¡¯ve got Mail!¡± sound yed on myputer. My Dad had sent a summary of the cases so far to ourwork of Pack Doctors in North America. The responses wereing in, and it was horrifying.


    Over half of the doctors reported simr losses, all with otherwise healthy women between 16 and 25 weeks gestation, all in thest few weeks. Until the note came in, most had med it on spontaneous abortion, or cental abruption due to a suspected fall or trauma. Only a few had done an autopsy, or taken tissue samples or cultures. It was a shock to us all that this was so new, so widespread, and so deadly.


    My phone rang, I smiled thinking it was Viper. ¡°Doc, a car ising from the Two Harbors pack. Female, twenty-five, fifteen weeks pregnant. Bleeding heavily. ETA five minutes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready, Alpha.¡± Shit, that had to be Josephine, I¡¯d just examined her two weeks ago on my regr visit. ¡°JESSICA, PREP THE ROOM, PREGNANT BLEEDER INBOUND.¡± I pulled off my clothes and put on scrubs and a surgical gown before grabbing the gurney out of the hall and going to the front door. I caught Jessica as she was getting trays in ce. ¡°She¡¯s O Positive, get four units on the warmer stat.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for an answer, I hit the door opener and pushed it outside before going back in.


    I hung an IV bag and made sure a kit was ready, thenid out all the monitors and turned on the electronics. Jessica had the C-section kit ready, and was pulling on her own surgical gown and gloves. As soon as it was ready, we went outside to wait.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the car to arrive, and it wasn¡¯t good. There was blood everywhere, and she was ashen and unconscious. We quickly transferred her and got her into the room, but she had died en route and there was absolutely nothing we could do.


    Her mate knew it too, he couldn¡¯t even get out of the car, he just stayed there, holding onto the nket that had her scent on it. Our men, along with the driver, were watching him just in case. Jessica and I cleaned her up; I hadn¡¯t even started to remove her baby, there was no point. An ultrasound confirmed the cental separation.


    Jessica and I cleaned her up and wrapped her in a nket. Luna Connie came in, her face downcast. ¡°We¡¯ve got her mate in the Alpha¡¯s office, and we¡¯ve cleaned the back of the car. We need her to return to her Pack if you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°We are, Luna.¡± We changed the sheet on the gurney and moved her over. A number of Pack members had gathered, showing their sympathy to him as we brought her out. He was sitting in the back seat, and we carefullyid her so her head was in hisp. The door closed and they drove away.


    I was almost back to the door when I heard a yell. ¡°DOC!! SHE¡¯S BLEEDING!!¡±


    Oh Luna, what was going on?

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep7

    One Month Later


    We¡¯re on lockdown.


    Alpha rk refuses to let me leave thepound, it is too dangerous for me. Not only am I an unmated woman, but I am a doctor in a time doctors are urgently needed.


    The Pack Doctorwork is shrinking. There were just over a hundred of us in North America when this started, now there are only sixty. Most of the losses urred when males reacted badly to the loss or distress of their mate,shing out at the doctor who was helpless to stop it. At least two had been kidnapped, never to be heard from again.


    I hadn¡¯t been able to visit our allied Packs in three weeks. The other Alphas were given a choice; bring their patients to me or leave them here. I now had a dozen pregnant women and their mates staying at the Pack House, down from sixteen women who first arrived. In the five weeks since this started, our Pack had lost five women and another twelve had been lost in allied Packs. No one was farther along than twenty-four weeks right now.


    I now had two full-time guards, Matt had been joined by Donovan, another warrior. The kidnappings had scared the Pack, who was hoping that I could find a way to fix this before more women and babies died. The widowers from other Packs were picked up by their Pack members if they didn¡¯t go feral quickly; of the five widowers in our Pack, four were now dead.


    I thought back to that first Pack meeting after my trip to Duluth; to say it hadn¡¯t gone well was an understatement. Alpha rk had to use hismand three times to get people to settle down, and when I mentioned I might have to sacrifice the babies? I needed an escort out of there. Matt and Beta Charles had walked me back to my apartment, locking me in and guarding the building, until the Alphas had gotten everyone settled again.


    I met one on one over the following days with the pregnant women in our Pack and briefed them on what I knew, and what the treatment options were. They were notfortable conversations, nor were the decisions easy. The women all wanted me to save the babies, the men to save their mates. I wanted to do both. All of the women were put on restrictions, no heavy lifting, no long standing. I wanted them resting and protected until I knew what was causing this.


    The premature infant care equipment I had ordered had arrived, and I was hoping I could get them to 26 weeks without incident; at least that way, I had a chance to save the baby. Jessica was getting a crash course on neonatal intensive care, I had her studying the procedures, so she could be ready. I fully expected to deliver a baby and be focused on saving the mother, so it would fall to her to save the baby. It was a big ask, but she was up for it.


    I dressed for the day and walked out of my bedroom. ¡°Morning Donovan,¡± I said. He¡¯d been sleeping on my couch since being assigned. An unmated twenty-year-old, he had an impressive physique from his warrior training and was a good kid.


    ¡°Morning Doc. Same old same ol¡¯ today?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said as I grabbed a rain jacket. ¡°I¡¯ve got appointments booked all morning, then I¡¯ll be in my office or theb the rest of the day.¡± I met with each pregnant woman daily, building a database I hope would help me predict when the fever and bleeding would start. The appointments weren¡¯t happy, so many had been lost that pregnancy was looked at as a death sentence.


    He followed me out as we joined Matt downstairs and went to the Pack House for breakfast. I still sat at the head table, but Matt sat next to me now, and Donovan sat at a nearby table. It was early, six in the morning, and this far north it was before sunrise as we walked across the frosty ground towards the house. We were halfway there when an rm sounded.


    Everyone froze for a moment, then Matt threw me over his shoulder and started running with me towards the Pack House. Donovan had shifted, his big grey and ck wolf sniffing the air. It was the attack horn, someone was here. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Unknown wolves areing across the border,¡± Matt said. Wolves were pouring out of the Pack House and surrounding homes, while women and children were running back in. I knew the Pack had a safe room, but I wasn¡¯t a member, so I wasn¡¯t privy to details. All I saw was Matt¡¯s ass and all the other people going the same way. We went down some stairs and through a thick door, then I was set on a cot next to Luna Connie.


    Matt waited until all the people were inside, then he left and closed the door behind him. The door wastched from the inside, and it became quiet except for the sniffles and crying of the children. I got up, checking each of the pregnant women, starting with the Luna, making sure they stayed calm. I wasn¡¯t sure if stress would cause trouble.


    My real worry was if any of their mates were killed. I was pretty sure that the trauma of losing him would threaten the baby as well.


    It was a tense time, and I wished again I had a Pack link so I could stay informed. It was a half hour or soter that the all-clear was given and we opened the door. Alpha rk was on the other side. ¡°We¡¯re having a Pack Meeting in the dining hall,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Connie said as she kissed him.


    We went back upstairs, and the kitchen help broke off to restart preparations. Matt sat me down at the head table. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a few minutes, the kitchen shut down everything when the attack horn sounded.¡± The young ones were running around, making sure everyone had milk, juice and cereal while we waited for the hot foot to be ready.


    I looked to a table in the back, where a dozen or so older men and boys sat down, wearing old clothes that came from the stores of spares we kept around thepound. I recognized some of them. ¡°Grand Marais pack? They were the threat?¡±


    ¡°They were refugees,¡± Matt said. I was going to ask more, but Alpha rk walked to his chair and raised his hand, the room instantly going quiet.


    ¡°Early this morning, the Grand Marais pack was attacked and overrun. The Alpha, Beta, all senior leadership is dead.¡± There was an uproar in the room, some people had rtives there. He growled, and they went silent again. ¡°Most importantly, they didn¡¯t stay. This wasn¡¯t aboutnd or taking over the Pack, all they took was the women and the girls. Any who put up a fight, and any mated males were killed.¡±


    There were wails of grief and outrage at the news. I looked at my te; it was starting to happen. The most primal urge of a wolf was to procreate, to see his line continue. No women, no offspring. If they didn¡¯t have enough of their own, they would steal from others. They killed the mated males so their unmated males could take the women as forced mates, the younger ones would be kept prisoner until they were of childbearing age then mated off. They might even be sold or traded to other Packs.


    Women of childbearing age had just be the currency of the werewolf world.


    The Luna stood, and immediately there was quiet again. ¡°This threat is real and imminent; we have just lost an ally, and we are arge Pack with many women. In order to better protect us, all females will be moving to the Pack House today. Males living here who are unmated will be temporarily housed in the outer homes. Beta Denise and Gamma Virginia will make the housing arrangements this morning, and all are to be in ce tonight. After breakfast, start packing if you are going to be moving.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary, Alphas?¡± A young man said from a back table, his young mate in his arms.


    Alpha rk growled a little at the challenge. ¡°Yes. The wolves this morning did not have hostile intent, they stopped when confronted, but a surprise attack like at Grand Marais would leave us with no time. We need to have all the females in this building, or we may not make it to the safe room in time.¡± The man exposed his neck and sat, pulling his mate onto hisp.


    The conversations started as the Alphas sat down and the food came out. I looked over at the Alpha pair. ¡°My apartment is with the clinic for a reason, am I to stay there or move?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be moving in here as well, Vivian,¡± Connie said. ¡°In fact, we would like to have you make a room here into a satellite office for normal checkups and such. That way we don¡¯t have women in other buildings unless there is a medical emergency,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, Luna. I will need some help setting it up.¡±


    ¡°Your escorts can assist, along with Jessica, and I¡¯ll give you more if you need it. Will you have enough supplies?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment, I had topped off my supply orders recently. ¡°I think so. Since I¡¯m not visiting other Packs, I could move the gear from my truck into the new office, that should reduce what I need to take from the Clinic. I¡¯ll move this morning if you have a spot picked out for me, then I can do the appointments in the afternoon.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you after breakfast,¡± she said. Werewolves ate a lot for their size to begin with, but pregnant she-wolves took it to eleven. She had a stack of bacon on her big te, along with a half-dozen pancakes and six eggs. I took thest two pieces of bacon, earning me a re from Matt, then Iughed and put one on his te.


    The mood of the Pack was somber and nervous, people were constantly looking around. The Alphas had doubled normal patrols, and the visiting members of the other three Packs had called home to warn them. I finished my meal, talking with Virginia for a bit about where to put the pregnant females, until the Alphas were done. Connie brought us to an empty office at the near end of the administrative wing of the big building. It wasn¡¯t huge, but it had an attached bathroom with shower and was big enough. ¡°I¡¯ll need to bring in some cabs and move the exam table from the clinic,¡± I said, ¡°But this should work well. Thank you, Luna.¡± She smiled and moved off, her had nervously running over her baby bump. She was now fifteen weeks along; thest female to get pregnant in the spring heat cycle, she had the longest to go until the baby was viable.


    I exined to Matt what I needed, and he sent Jessica and two others to start removing needed equipment from the clinic exam room. I made a quick call to my father, warning him of what was going on. They hadn¡¯t seen Pack raids in southern Minnesota yet, but there had been kidnappings and forced matings. He didn¡¯t have any new news on the deaths, he had lost another woman this past week and had no pregnant women left over twenty weeks.


    The three of us worked to remove the stuff we didn¡¯t need from the small office. We turned the desk so it was against the back wall and window, and brought up a wardrobe and some bookshelves from storage in the basement. We moved the exam table in; it was a standard clinic model with adjustable height and stirrups. I also had a spare medical light brought in and installed on the ceiling above it.


    We spent the rest of the morning moving supplies in from my truck, then filling in the gaps from the supply room at the clinic. By lunch, we turned the room into a usable space for routine medical care. I brought a sign-up sheet with me and had all the pregnant women sign up for a time spot for their daily exams.


    At lunch, the Alpha asked for volunteers to go to the Grand Marais pack and look for survivors and clues as to who had done this. Other than him and the Gamma, every person he picked for the trip was unmated. They left shortly after I started my appointments and returned just before sundown. They hadn¡¯t found anyone; they built a huge pyre to cremate the eighteen dead and cleaned out any useful items from the homes. Nobody was going to go back there, no Pack leadership was left, and there were no families. They would returnter, preparing thend for sale, as Alpha rk took their assets into his in exchange for taking in the survivors.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep8

    Thanksgiving Week


    ¡°Boss, you look like shit. Go get some sleep.¡±


    I turned away from myputer screen to look at Jessica, my now-18-year-old assistant, as she leaned against the doorway of my Pack House treatment room. Thesest two months had not been easy on her either. Eleven times I had delivered premature babies under duress, and eleven times she had taken the tiny infants to the warm, oxygenated bed.


    And eleven times the baby was buried with the mother.


    I told her it wasn¡¯t her fault, but it was her job and she took it hard. ¡°You too. The supplies don¡¯t need to be sorted again.¡±


    She turned to Carson, a young warrior who had volunteered to be her full-time security; now that she could be directly med for the deaths of the babies, the Alpha wanted her protected as well. Carson was sweet and good looking, they weren¡¯t mates, but I could tell he liked her a lot. ¡°Carson, I¡¯ll see you two in the morning. No earlier than ten.¡±


    ¡°Yes Doc,¡± he said with a smile as he led her away. It was past midnight, and I was working myself to exhaustion trying to find a solution. There were only a handful of doctors left, the rest having been killed, or gone feral when their mates died. None of us had any ideas of how to stop it, what caused it, or how to treat it.


    There wasn¡¯t enough warning time. For the baby to have a chance, I would need to give it drugs to help the lungs develop earlier than normal. However, if you gave the injection and the baby wasn¡¯t born in the next few days, it could cause permanent fetal damage. So far, no one had made it to 25 weeks.


    The Luna was at twenty-four.


    Alpha rk was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as my mother used to say. I no longer had his confidence; that is what happens when you save no one. He asked me after dinner tonight if there was anything else I could try. There was one, but it was very dangerous, I said. ¡°The issue we have with the mothers is that something is causing the centa to detach, and the normal clotting process isn¡¯t working,¡± I said. ¡°No matter how fast I work, the patient is losing too much blood. Whatever it is spreads, causing more vessels to rupture. There is a drug, the military started using it in the Gulf War on soldiers suffering major blood loss. It¡¯s given intravenously and works quickly. It functions to kickstart the clotting process, giving the doctors a chance to fix the damage before they bleed out.¡±


    He leaned towards me. ¡°Then GET IT. What are you waiting for? My mate is in danger here.¡±


    I let out a breath, trying to gather my thoughts. ¡°There are two reasons why I haven¡¯t tried this yet. The first is that it is incredibly risky; even in soldiers, it greatly increases the risks of blood clots and death. No doctor has prescribed it for a pregnant woman or used it to treat anything like this. No one knows if it will travel across the centa, it could affect the baby as well as the mother.¡±


    He looked at me, unimpressed. ¡°And the second reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly expensive. I checked the supplier, a single dose of NovoSeven costs about seven hundred thousand dors. It¡¯s not the most expensive drug on the market, it¡¯s the second most expensive.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    He sat back. ¡°Order it. We made enough from the liquidation of the Grand Marais Packnds to afford it.¡± He got up and left, leaving me to go back to my office and make the order. The pharmacy wouldn¡¯t order it unless it was paid for in advance, and we had to wait until morning when the banks opened. He was personally going to drive to Duluth to take care of it. I spent the rest of the night researching everything I could find on it.


    It was truly a desperation move, but this was our Luna, the male she carried was the heir to the Pack. I knew he would do anything to save them both. I closed down myputer and stood up, rolling my head around due to my sore neck. Werewolves weren¡¯t supposed to spend all this time sitting in front of aputer, I thought. I raised my hands, stretching my back out.


    I waved to Matt and he followed me up to my room. Donovan was already pulling off his clothes to shift, he would stand guard in the hallway in wolf form, on a rug ced there for him. Matt followed me in, closing the door behind him. ¡°Finally,¡± he said, his hands circling my waist as I pulled my scrub top off. I leaned back into his broad chest as his hands moved up to unsp my bra. I pulled it off as soon as it was loose, and his hands quickly reached around to cup my aching breasts.


    I had given up on ever finding my mate with this going on, and Matt was close andfortable and considerate. Our rtionship had slowly evolved from friendship to something more. I didn¡¯t know if it was love yet, but I loved the sex. His mommy taught him well. He understood that if he kept ME happy, Mr. Happy would be happy.


    The man could spend hours down there if I didn¡¯t stop him.


    I could feel his hard length pressing against my back as his fingers pinched my nipples gently. ¡°Let me worship this body tonight. You feel tense.¡±


    I let out a yawn, ruining the mood. ¡°I¡¯m tired, sweaty and sore,¡± I said. ¡°I need a shower and sleep.¡±


    ¡°You need to rx,¡± he said. He untied my scrubs and pushed them down, taking my panties with them. He turned me around, catching my lips in a scorching kiss. I surrendered to him, moaning into his mouth as his hands moved down to cup my ass. He pulled up, and I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the bed.


    I was already wet for him, my core pushing up and coating his length with my juices. ¡°Patience, Vivian,¡± he said with a smirk as he moved down. I gasped as he took a long lick of me, wiggling his tongue between mybia as he worked up to my clitoris. He quickly had me in a frenzy, I was grasping his hair in my fingers and pulling him tighter as I broke for the first time.


    He grinned as he moved up, cing hisrge staff at my entrance. ¡°Please,¡± I said. He sank himself into me with one smooth thrust, filling me as I moaned my pleasure. He knew his time was short, so he built a good rhythm quickly that had us both rising to a peak. He grabbed my knees and forced them up to my shoulders, driving as deep as possible as he pounded me to orgasm. I screamed my pleasure, right before he shot his load inside me.


    I brought my legs down and he rolled so I was on top of him. I smiled as he softened and fell out, ourbined juices soaking our legs and the bedsheets. ¡°That was fun, but now I¡¯m even more tired and sore. I need to take my shower.¡±


    ¡°Join you?¡± he said hopefully as I started to walk away.


    ¡°If youe in, you won¡¯t leave me alone. Change the sheets. You can have the shower next, and you can have me again in the morning,¡± I promised. I tossed my clothes into the hamper, evading the p he tried to put on my bare ass as I moved through the door. I started the shower, brushing my teeth quickly as it warmed up. I took a quick shower and washed my hair; another leftover of my medical training was how efficient I was in my nighttime routine, plus I could fall asleep almost instantly. I gave Matt a kiss as he went into the shower.


    Probably a cold one.


    I was asleep before he pulled me into his chest.


    It felt like no time at all before Matt was shaking me awake, already dressing. I opened my eyes, quickly closing them from the sunlight streaming in. ¡°Luna¡¯s bleeding, she¡¯s on her way to the clinic.¡±


    Fuck. I jumped out of bed, pulling on scrubs before grabbing my keys and running out the door with him. ¡°Get Jessica.¡± I looked at the clock, it was 9:08.


    ¡°Already on the way,¡± he said as we burst through the door. I ignored the cold and snow on my bare feet as we ran across to the clinic. I had the key in my hand already, I opened the door and turned the lights on. Looking back, Beta Charles was carrying Luna Connie across the street to us. Blood was dripping from her soaked dress, coloring the fresh white snow crimson as he ran. He carried her into the room and set her down. I pulled the guards off the IV needles and inserted them in each arm, they were already hung and ready. This wasn¡¯t our first rodeo.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep9

    Jessica came in, grabbing the blood bags out of the refrigerator and putting them on the warmer. We had pre-staged the C-section kit for just this event. Tearing the cover off and grabbing the scalpel, I made the first incision. She screamed in pain, begging me to save her baby, then passed out due to the blood loss as I reached inside her to remove her son. mping the umbilical cord twice, I cut between it and handed the tiny baby to Jessica.


    It was a mess in there, blood was everywhere, bubbling up out of her abdomen and soaking the sheets. I knew I was toote.


    I performed an emergency hysterectomy after mping the arteries, which slowed the bleeding but didn¡¯t stop it. I had directed Charles to put the heart monitor on her while I worked, and the pulse was dropping fast. Her heart was weak, and I heard it stop as the monitor rmed.


    ¡°Startpressions,¡± I yelled at Charles. He started to do CPR as I grabbed two blood bags and hung them, hooking them to therge-bore needles I had inserted. Her heart had stopped because of low blood volume, I had to try and get more in. I gently squeezed the bags to force it in faster. When they were in, I tried three times to shock her into rhythm without sess.


    Like a broken record, it didn¡¯t work. I tried for another round after injecting adrenalin, five minutes more and nothing changed. I pulled Charles back, he was exhausted and crying. ¡°Time of death, 0932.¡± I stripped off the bloody gloves and went over to where Jessica was trying to get the tiny infant to breathe.


    The incubator was warm, and huge for the tiny baby that weighed about a pound. His lungs hadn¡¯t developed enough yet; Jessica was using a bag venttor to try and force air in, but he didn¡¯t have the strength in his chest to force the air back out. His skin was bluing, Jessica was crying, and eventually I had to call him as well. ¡°Time of death, 0941.¡± I took a small nket and wrapped him up, cing him on his mother¡¯s chest. ¡°Come on, we have to clean her up before he gets here.¡±


    I knew he would be breaking every speed limit to get back here, and I knew he felt his mate bond break when she died. Charles pulled me aside. ¡°Vivian, you need to leave NOW.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I still have to clean up and¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. You need to get dressed, grab a bag and your purse, hop in your truck and leave in the next five minutes or you could end up dead.¡± He grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the door as I scrambled to keep my feet.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯sing back here, and he¡¯s in a rage. If he turns his rage on you, he¡¯ll kill you in a second and there is nothing I can do to stop him.¡± We left the building and started running back to the Pack House. ¡°You have to hurry, if he decides to order us to hold you, we¡¯ll have toply.¡±


    I raced up the stairs to my room; quickly pulling on jeans, socks, boots and a blouse and sweater, I went to the safe. Pulling out my cash, bank cards and other valuables, I put them in a suitcase Charlie had gotten out of my closet. I shoved some clothes in there, then he zipped it up while I put my coat and gloves on. He carried it as I ran back outside to my Ranger; I opened the door and he put it on the passenger side seat as I started it up. ¡°Good luck, Doc. Drive somewhere safe, call me once a week or so and I¡¯ll let you know when it is safe to return. Stay away from any Pack areas, you aren¡¯t safe and you won¡¯t have his protection.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to send someone with me?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t, the Alpha could order him to kill you or bring you back. Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Take care of Jessica,¡± I said. He mmed the door closed as I put it in reverse. I wasn¡¯t going to take his warning lightly, I had to keep in the back of my mind that I wasn¡¯t even a part of this Pack. He was right, and I was kicking myself for not thinking about what would happen if I had failed. I just got lucky, if he wasn¡¯t heading for the bank this morning, I could be dead now. It wouldn¡¯t take much for an Alpha like him to kill a wolf like me.


    I fought off tears as I tried to focus on driving. The roads were slippery, but I made it to the main highway without incident. I hadn¡¯t gone five miles when I saw the Alpha¡¯s car, moving at close to a hundred miles an hour, heading past me the opposite way. I felt terrible for him, but I wasn¡¯t going to die at his hand. I¡¯d done everything I could.


    I drove south for Duluth, thinking about where I could go. I couldn¡¯t work in the clinics, I¡¯d be too close to the Pack. I didn¡¯t have privileges at the Duluth hospital, and my parent¡¯s Pack was too obvious a ce to go. I couldn¡¯t go anywhere werewolves might be at all; one sniff and I¡¯d be kidnapped, raped or force mated.


    I stopped for gas in Duluth, pulling a business card out of the pocket of my purse. I smiled, they had been calling me on a regr basis, begging me to visit them. I couldn¡¯t tell them that I was effectively under house arrest, though. I started south for White Bear Lake, just north of St. Paul, where the Northwoods Riders had their clubhouse.


    Viper and his boys would protect me from anyone.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep10

    It took most of the day to drive down to the Twin Cities from the North Shore. With the loss of Daylight Savings Time and the rapidly shortening days, it was well past dark by the time I found the clubhouse. It was a non-descript warehouse in an industrial area, surrounded by auto dealerships and repair facilities. Other than the address, the onlybel on the outside said ¡°Northwoods Riders, PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO TRESSPASSING.¡± I parked in the lot, which had a few dozen vehicles parked in it. The building had an office door at this end, farther down there were a few overhead garage-type doors. The whole building was surrounded by an eight-foot-tall chain link fence with razor wire on top, and the entry to the parking area had a gate that was open.


    I turned off my truck and sat there for a moment; I had hours to figure out what to say to them, but still had no idea. How can I tell them what I¡¯m running from without telling them my secrets? It doesn¡¯t matter what is going on, every werewolf knows that humans can¡¯t know of our existence. I will have to be careful to control my wolf.


    I grabbed my purse, leaving my bag for now. I needed to talk to Viper before I go find a hotel room or something. I locked the truck behind me and walked to the red metal door. Knocking loudly, I waited only a few seconds before the door is opened and I¡¯m pulled inside, squeezed breathless against a big chest. ¡°Holy shit, DOC IS HERE!¡±


    I¡¯m spun around and when I am finally set down, I¡¯m pulled into another broad chest, then another. I catch glimpses of the inside of the building as I go from man to man, the smell of their human and the leather of their biker cuts making me smile. Viper is thest to pick me up and spin me around, and he doesn¡¯t let me go. Instead, he lifts me under my knees and carries me to a table where another familiar face is sitting. ¡°Hammer!¡± Viper lets me down to my feet and I go to give him a hug.


    He smiles but doesn¡¯t get up, he doesn¡¯t have to. Two boys and a girl, aged between two and six,tch onto my legs as a blonde woman in a Harley Davidson T-shirt pulls me into her ample chest. ¡°Thank you,¡± she says as she starts bawling.


    ¡°You¡¯re Daddy¡¯s angel?¡± The little girl is about five, her little voice rises up to me, and the woman loosens her hold enough for me to kneel down to see them. I didn¡¯t even know he had kids or was married.


    ¡°I¡¯m DeWalt, but my real name is Doctor Vivian,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Meghan, this is my big brother Carter and my little brother Cash,¡± she said. She jumped into my arms, her little arms wrapping around my neck. ¡°Daddy said you saved him. Thank you.¡±


    I picked her up with me. ¡°I¡¯m a Doctor, it¡¯s what I do,¡± I said. Viper had pulled out a chair, so I sat down next to Hammer and shifted his daughter to myp. He reached over and gave me a big hug. ¡°How are you recovering?¡±


    ¡°Slow as hell,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m still getting headaches and dizzy spells, and they won¡¯t let me drive or ride yet.¡± His wife sat in hisp. ¡°This is Teri, my wife, and you¡¯ve met my children I see.¡±


    I bounced Meghan on my knee. ¡°I see you told them about me.¡±


    Heughed a little. ¡°I can barely remember anything after that damn deer jumped into my bike. The boys told me everything, though.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t really lucid when I got to you.¡± I looked at his ss. ¡°You¡¯re not drinking, are you?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Doctor¡¯s orders, no alcohol. Teri¡¯s got me drinking fruit juice. I can barely hold my head up in this ce.¡±


    ¡°But you have a head to hold up.¡± I looked around the room, it looked like a nice bar with a bit of a family vibe, not what I had expected from the outside or from a biker club. There was a long bar on one side, a bunch of tables in the center, and darts and pool tables in the back. There was a walled-in area for the smaller children to y in, and arcade games and televisions around the room. Most of the men in the club had their women with them, many with children. I could see a pass-through to a kitchen, someone was cooking burgers and fries back there. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t quite what I expected.¡±


    Viperughed, along with a couple of the guys. ¡°What, you expected some dive biker bar, naked girls dancing on poles and sweetbutts under the table?¡± Teri smacked him, ring at him for hisnguage. ¡°We¡¯re not that kind of club. We aren¡¯t ouws, we are family men, veterans, men and women who just love to ride. We formed this club and built this bar because it¡¯s a good ce for us all to hang out.¡±


    ¡°Beer¡¯s cheaper than at a bar, too,¡± Doc said as he sat down. ¡°And as a private club, it doesn¡¯t have to shut down so early at night. The back area is storage, and a full motorcycle garage. Most of us do our own repairs, some of us do restorations. I sleep in an apartment, but I basically live here,¡± he said.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Snake set a tall beer and a huge burger with a mound of fries in front of me, giving me a hug before he went back behind the bar. It smelled amazing. ¡°Eat up, girl, we all had dinner earlier,¡± Teri said. ¡°Did you drive straight down here?¡±


    I nodded as I took a bite, a little shocked as the liquidva of melted cheese almost burned my tongue. I looked at the burger, the cheese wasing from the inside! Hammer noticed my puzzled look. ¡°It¡¯s called a Juicy Lucy, it started in a bar near the airport. You put the cheese inside two thin patties, squeeze the edges together then cook it. The cheese melts and stays inside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s damn good,¡± I said. Big, too, had to be over a half pound. It didn¡¯t matter, I almost inhaled the dinner, I was so hungry. Gas station food was not to be trusted, so I hadn¡¯t eaten much all day.


    I enjoyed the night a lot, it reminded me of my home Pack; the atmosphere, how much everyone cared for each other and their families. The ce started to empty out as the wives started taking tired children home, and I¡¯d had way too many beers ced in front of me. Hammer¡¯s kids gave me another hug before Teri took them home, as Meghan told everyone that she was going to be a doctor someday just like me. I smiled as they left. ¡°I need to use the bathroom,¡± I said.


    ¡°Back there,¡± Hammer said, pointing to the doorway past the pool tables. ¡°And when you get back, you can tell us why you showed up here all of the sudden.¡± My heart dropped as I got up, I was going to have to tell them something. I went back, taking my time and washing up. I looked in the mirror, asking myself if I was all right putting them in danger by my presence.


    I didn¡¯t really have a choice. I¡¯d give them enough to understand I needed protection without being clear on why.


    When I came back out, Viper was waiting for me. ¡°Come on, this seems like something best handled in church,¡± he said. He led me down a hallway past the kitchen and his office to arge conference room with couple dozen chairs around it. All of the chairs except two were filled by club members, wearing their distinctive cuts with the emblem of a wolf howling to the moon, pines in the background, while riding a motorcycle. He pulled my chair out before I sat, then sat next to me. ¡°I got the feeling this isn¡¯t a social call,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave my home, my job and my friends behind and just show up here on a whim.¡± I started to tear up a little, I hadn¡¯t really processed my emotions from this morning on the drive. My wolf was hurt by the rejection and the uncertainty. Viper noticed I was breaking down and pulled me into hisp, his big arms holding me while I tried to get control of myself again.


    I wiped my eyes, then looked up again, not wanting to leave hisfort. He reminded me of my father, he was strong and supportive. ¡°I got in trouble back home,¡± I finally said. ¡°I live apart from others, you probably saw that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, we were wondering why you took us to what was clearly a guest house when it was supposed to be your home,¡± Dagger said. ¡°Your real home is farther back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in thepound,¡± I said. ¡°I grew up in the Way, my parents were members. You¡¯d call it a cult, but I didn¡¯t know any different. Everyone I knew was like that, and until I went to college I didn¡¯t know better. They don¡¯t trust others, and they needed a doctor. They paid for my education, and in return I signed a contract to live at thepound and provide medical care for ten years after graduation.¡±


    ¡°These guys, they aren¡¯t dangerous, are they?¡± Hammer was leaning forward.


    ¡°I never thought so, but I was never close to the leadership. I ran the clinic, worked relief shifts in some local towns to earn my own money. I figured I¡¯d do my time, then leave.¡± I looked at my hands. ¡°I guess rk had other ns.¡±


    ¡°This rk guy, he runs the ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the spiritual and family leader, you could say. Everyone does what he says. If you don¡¯t, you might be punished, even exiled. Nobody who has been kicked out has ever been heard from again. I did some searching on the Inte, they were all found dead somewhere, the death med on idental causes.¡±


    Viper pulled me a little closer. ¡°Why did you stay?¡±


    ¡°I had a contract, I had a job, and they pretty much left me alone,¡± I said. ¡°There are good people there, too.¡±


    Snake tapped his finger on the table. ¡°What happened today to change things?¡±


    I put my arms over Viper¡¯s, needing thefort. ¡°rk¡¯s wife was pregnant, and it went bad. They brought her to the clinic this morning, while rk was in town doing some business. They¡­ they both died. There was nothing I could do.¡± I let a few tears go. ¡°rk med me for their deaths, for his son not making it. Said I was of the devil and couldn¡¯t be trusted, that I should be ¡®purified¡¯ before I poisoned his flock and caused more damage.¡±


    ¡°Fucking bastard,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±


    ¡°No. One of the women called, warned me he and some other men wereing for me. I grabbed what I could and jumped in my truck. I barely made it out,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know where else to go. They have friends, people inw enforcement. If they find me, they¡¯ll drag me back there, even kill me.¡± I broke downpletely, thankful for those drama sses in college I had taken.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe here,¡± Viper said as he hugged me. ¡°There are a couple guest rooms upstairs, Snake can show you. Get some sleep and we¡¯ll talk tomorrow,¡± he said.


    ¡°Before I go, I move that Doc be granted the protection of our club. I won¡¯t see her hurt,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°Seconded,¡± Hammer said.


    ¡°All in favor?¡± Everyone raised their hands. Viper set me on my feet. ¡°Doctor Vivian DelMara is under the protection of this club. Snake, show her the way.¡± Everyone stood, and I hugged Viper and all the others before I let Snake lead me out. As the door closed, I could hear Viper talking about what he wanted the others to do.


    The upstairs was clean and functional, the guest room was small but had its own bathroom and shower. I cleaned up and got into bed, letting my emotions go as I thought about everything I had lost today.


    And everything I had gained.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep11

    I didn¡¯t wake up until the sun hit my eyes the next morning. I instantly regretted not closing the blindst night, thinking I could have slept another hour or so, but then the smell hit me.


    Bacon.


    For the record, I¡¯ve never been one of those women from the mattressmercials. You know, the annoying bitches who wake up with a smile on their face, perfect hair and makeup? I look more like the survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse. I made my way to the bathroom, washing the crusty sleep out of my eyes and the tear streaks off my face. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, put on some scent-free antiperspirant, and dug through my bag for my boot cut jeans and a nnel shirt.


    This was as fresh as I got in the morning.


    I went out into the hall and followed the smell downstairs. Snake called to me from the kitchen, he was already getting the breakfast buffet ready. ¡°Wow, you nning on feeding an army this morning?¡±


    ¡°I saw you eat that burgerst night, Doc. I figured you weren¡¯t the bagel and coffee type.¡±


    Iughed as I sat at the bar next to Viper, who had a tter of pancakes and bacon. ¡°Good morning, Viper.¡±


    ¡°Morning. You sleep all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, the room is great. I¡¯ll find a hotel today.¡±


    ¡°NO.¡± He turned to me. ¡°If people are looking for you, you can¡¯t leave a paper trail to a hotel, or be out there where someone might see you. We said we would keep you safe, and we will. Part of that is that we need you to stay close, out of sight, and that means staying here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t. This club is a family, you¡¯re part of the family. All we ask of you is that help out around here like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°We have a rotation for cleanup, upstairs and downstairs. Doc¡¯s olddy, Kelly, she¡¯ll be in this morning, she does day care here for all the kids.¡±


    ¡°The clubhouse is a day care?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s why we do breakfast. It¡¯s easier for the members to bring their kids here to eat breakfast, and we can provide it cheaper than they can get day care elsewhere. There¡¯s always some brothers around, either here or in the garage, if you need help. It¡¯s all licensed, we have rooms upstairs devoted just to the day care you didn¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± The Pack could learn a few things from these guys. I went and grabbed a juice from the buffet, and Snake dropped off my te before going back to continue making food. By the time I was done eating, a half-dozen moms hade in with their children, and they were eating breakfast at the tables. I was greeted by all, introduced to the ones I hadn¡¯t metst night. I might take a while to get the names straight, there were so many. ¡°I don¡¯t mind pulling my share around here, but I do need to do my job and keep my qualifications up.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be a good idea to NOT do anything until things settle down a little, Doc. This rk guy, he knows you¡¯re a Doctor, that¡¯s an obvious way to track you down. Is there a way to change the name on your medical license? ¡±


    I thought about it, it wasn¡¯tmon, most female doctors kept their maiden names because it was their professional name. ¡°I think so, I¡¯d have to talk to the medical board. Maybe they would let me if I can state there is a threat to me if my name is used.¡±


    ¡°Worth a shot.¡± He got up and put his dishes in the trays on the bus cart Snake had set behind the bar, then he took mine. ¡°I have to get to work, feel free to explore around here or help out wherever. We¡¯ll talk more tonight.¡± He gave me a hug before pulling on his tie and suit jacket from the hanger by the door.


    ¡°You look awful corporate, Mr. President,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Corporate camouge, Doc. That¡¯s all it is.¡± He pulled on an overcoat and left.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I helped Kelly get all the kids cleaned up from breakfast and up the stairs. They had a nice setup, a y room with a ssroom area on one side. I stayed until the kids were into their morning routine, then went back downstairs to help Snake. I started loading the dishes into the big dishwasher. ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing there, Doc?¡±


    ¡°Not my first rodeo, Snake.¡± I pushed the tray in and closed the door while I loaded the next tray. He was busy wiping down the grill and the countertops. ¡°How did you get your nickname?¡±


    ¡°I keep them,¡± he said. ¡°I started with a corn snake when I was a kid. I love picking them up, and so over in Iraq when everyone else was freaking out, I was picking them up and checking them out. I¡¯m kind of weird that way.¡± He pulled up the back of his shirt, he had an intricate tattoo of snakes going up his back. ¡°Oh, and my dick is long and thin, like a¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys stuck me with my nickname.¡±


    ¡°DeWalt? Hell, that¡¯s a cool one. Guaranteed to get people to ask you the story, and it¡¯s a great one. Brain surgery at night on a twone road with your portable drill? Epic.¡±


    I snickered. ¡°Yeah, if they ask. The rest probably figure it¡¯s something that goes with a sex toy.¡±


    ¡°That works too.¡±


    Iughed even harder. ¡°Shit, until six weeks ago I was a virgin. I finally decided I needed Mr. Right Now more than Mr. Right.¡±


    Snake whistled as I moved the tray out and put the next one in. ¡°Damn, girl. One ride on the back of a Harley and those panties are drrrrrr-OPPING!¡± We both cracked up, and I had a great time helping him with the cleanup. When we were done, he grabbed a couple Cokes out of the cooler and we went back out front. ¡°So, are you free for the day?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get up to forty-five today, that¡¯s enough to ride.¡±


    ¡°You want me to ride on a motorcycle with you. In THIS weather.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to teach you how to ride. I¡¯m certified, I can give you a Motorcycle Safety Course and then you can go down to the license office this afternoon and get your endorsement. That is, unless you want to ride bitch your whole time here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m riding. I¡¯ve been wanting to go back out since that night.¡±


    ¡°Good. I want to see you at the table someday, and if you can¡¯t ride, you can¡¯t vote. Come on.¡± He led me down the stairs, there was a storage room down there. ¡°We keep extra gear around, stuff people have outgrown or reced. Let¡¯s find you a helmet and some leathers, you¡¯re bound to hit the road at least once today.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said with a groan. ¡°Get me some pads, too.¡± Ten minutester, we¡¯d found a full-face helmet that fit me, along with a set of chaps and a thick motorcycle jacket.


    We went back upstairs and out to the garage, where he led me over to an old Honda motorcycle. ¡°We use this to teach riders, it¡¯s light and nobody cares if a rice-burner gets scratched or dented,¡± he said. He spent the next twenty minutes with me going over how the bike worked and what the controls were. When he was done, he opened the door and had me fire it up and drive it out. I squealed a little as it took off, it had more power than I thought. I managed to steer and stop it pretty much where he wanted, which made me happy.


    The next four hours were tough. I had to learn how to steer, shift, and use the clutch. I¡¯d never had a manual transmission vehicle in my life, so the clutch was the hardest to figure out, along with remembering which direction the shifter needed to go. Second hardest was slow speed maneuvering, I tipped over three times doing that. I learned quickly, he said, and I passed the test after lunch. I parked the bike, jumped off and hugged him. ¡°THANK YOU so much, Snake! I can get my own motorcycle now!¡±


    ¡°You can, Doc. And we can get you some decent gear that fits, you¡¯re WAY too hot to be wearing that stuff.¡± I offered to buy him lunch and rode on the back of his Harley downtown for lunch at Mickey¡¯s Diner. On the way home, he took me to the ce of my dreams. Saint Paul Harley Davidson!


    Two hourster, I had a full set of leathers, T-shirts galore, a bandana, a new helmet and a hell of a decision to make. I couldn¡¯t decide which motorcycle I wanted, an XLH Sportster or a Softtail. Snake had his own opinions, but I thought I¡¯d run it by a few people who might know things. He did say that it was better to learn on a smaller bike before moving to arger one, and that seemed like good advice. We got back in time for dinner, and I walked in to a full house that erupted in cheers at my outfit and the motorcycle license I had in my hand. I moved among my friends,ughing and drinking as I told them about my day and asked for advice on motorcycles. ¡°You know, DeWalt, I think you¡¯re going to be just fine here,¡± Doc said.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t take any shit from these guys,¡± Kelly said with augh.


    ¡°And don¡¯t make any ns for Christmas week,¡± Viper said. ¡°You¡¯reing with us.¡±


    I looked at them quizzically. ¡°Where?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep12

    Viper grinned a little. ¡°A motorcycle club in Minnesota, your riding time is limited to about six months a year. So, every Christmas we go visit our friends in Jacksonville for a week of riding.¡±


    ¡°You ride your bikes to Florida in December?¡±


    ¡°No, we load them into a trailer and a couple of the guys drive them down. We get a block of hotel rooms near the beach, most of us fly down there and back. Most of the club goes, we leave the day after Christmas ande back on January 3rd.¡±


    That actually sounded fun. ¡°So I have to buy my bike soon, then.¡±


    Doc shook his head. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a good way to try out a few. There¡¯s a rentalpany down there some of us use if we don¡¯t want to haul our bikes down. You could try a few, ride them hard for a day and see what you think. That way you don¡¯t have to make your decision until spring.¡±


    I had fun, and before I went to bed I had one more thing to do. ¡°I need to call a friend back at thepound, let her know I¡¯m all right and see what happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you, Vivian. I¡¯d rather not see you out in your car in case the license te is being watched for.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    We drove to the suburbs, finding a pay phone outside a Burger King near I-94. I had a pocket full of quarters, and I put a bunch in after dialing the number. After a few rings, Beta Charles answered the phone. ¡°Charles, it¡¯s Vivian. Can you talk?¡±


    ¡°Just a minute.¡± I heard him close the door. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me where you are, I¡¯m under Alphamand to find you. Just tell me you are safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Charles. How is the Alpha?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the woods, we¡¯ve got a few warriors watching just in case. He flipped when he got back and found you gone. He took it out on Jessica before we could stop him.¡± My heart dropped. ¡°She¡¯s going to be fine, heshed out and knocked her across the room. Her cuts and broken ribs will heal in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m sorry. Is she manning the clinic now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for what it¡¯s worth. We don¡¯t have any pregnant females, so there isn¡¯t much going on.¡± I resolved to call her when things settled down. ¡°Keep your head down, the Alpha is calling around to other Packs, letting them know you¡¯re not under his protection and offering a reward for your return. They all either know you or have your picture now. It isn¡¯t safe to be anywhere around here.¡±


    My heart sank, it was going to be longer than I thought. ¡°Thanks Charles. I¡¯ll call again in a week or so.¡± I hung up the phone, tears dropping down my face. I needed to talk to my parents. Dialing another number, I put more coins in and waited.


    The phone rang and rang and no one picked up.


    The next morning, I asked Viper if there was a way I could ess the Inte without them being able to tell where I was using it from. He rmended using theputers at a public library. The next morning, after Snake and I cleaned up from breakfast, I had him take me downtown to the main library in St. Paul. I didn¡¯t want to use my car, and I felt better if I was around one of the club members.


    I logged onto my AOL ount and went to the bulletin board that Were doctors had developed to trade information. I spent a while reading and catching up on the threads, and it was frightening. The disease or whatever it was, which we named Sudden cental Ulceration/Detachment Syndrome, still had no known cause or cure. There were no known survivors, and no one had updated in days.


    I tried calling Doctors I knew in Packs around the country, with no luck. Some phones weren¡¯t answered, others were answered by someone who told me the Doctor was dead or had left. I tried my father again, several times, and no answer.


    ¡°Snake, can you do me a favor?¡±


    He looked up from the magazine he had pulled from the shelf. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    I sat down on the arm of his chair. ¡°I can¡¯t get ahold of my parents, no one is answering at the clinic. It¡¯s not like them, I¡¯m worried. I want to go see them.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Zumbrota.¡± He nodded, it was about forty minutes south on Highway 52. ¡°It could be dangerous, though. They could be staking out the ce, if I¡¯m seen it could be trouble.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t go alone, then.¡± He stood and pulled me after him. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s at the Club.¡±


    We drove back and found Moose in the garage, working on his motorcycle. He was what we used to call ¡°big-boned¡± in school, he was about six-foot-two and three hundred pounds of intimidation, topped by an epic mullet. Hockey hair was a thing up north, and he fit right in with his blonde locks. ¡°Feel like a road trip, Moose?¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Zumbrota, Dewalt here needs to check in on her parents while staying out of sight.¡±


    He tossed the wrench back in. ¡°I can do that, I need to go to Rochester anyway.¡±


    Rochester was another half hour south. ¡°I just need you there until I know it¡¯s all right, then we cane back on our own.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Are we expecting trouble?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Moose.¡± Truly, I had no idea. I was hoping that being with humans would provide me some protection, they wouldn¡¯t shift in front of them, but that didn¡¯t mean it was safe. If they decided to kill the humans, they could do anything. ¡°We should be ready for anything.¡±


    ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll grab my stuff,¡± he said.


    ¡°Me too. Wait in the bar for me,¡± Snake said. When they returned a few minutester, they each had a long bag with them, and Snake had a 1911 Government pistol in a shoulder holster. Bikers learned to shoot left-handed and carried on the right side, that way they could draw and fire while riding if needed.


    Moose went a little farther, he had a pistol under each arm. ¡°You know how to shoot, DeWalt?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± I said. ¡°What did you bring for me?¡±


    ¡°You can choose from Colt or Springfield,¡± he said. Opening up his bag, he had two more pistols in belt holsters.


    The Springfield was blued, but the Colt was nickel-ted. I pulled it out, ejecting the magazine and pulling back the slide to eject the round. I caught it in the air as I released the slide. I sighted along the top. ¡°Oooh, mama like,¡± I said. ¡°I need to get myself one of these.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡± he said. ¡°I get an employee discount at the range, I¡¯ll rece it.¡± I set it down on the bar, threading the holster into my belt where my sweatshirt would cover it. I put the magazine in, racking a round into the chamber before engaging the safety. I ejected the magazine again, pushing thest . 45 ACP round in, before mming it home. I put my new pistol into my holster, and a spare magazine in my back pocket. ¡°Do you have a permit to carry, Doc?¡±


    ¡°No, never needed one.¡±


    ¡°You should get one. I can give you all the forms tomorrow, you can file it by mail and have it sent to my gun shop. If you say you¡¯ve been getting threats from patients, that should be enough for the Sheriff up there to sign off on it.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± I was going to be spending a lot of time near humans, I couldn¡¯t shift, and a pistol would even the odds if I ran into a wolf. He handed me a radio. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°Well, I figured you would want to stay out of the way until we know it¡¯s clear. You and Snake can hang back a half mile or so while I check it out, and we can keep in touch on the way down so you can give me directions.¡± It worked well, we kept up a conversation on the way down, letting Moose drive ahead of us. When we got to the exit, we followed the road out of town along the river. We stopped a quarter mile before the turnoff to the Packpound; if everything was all right, Moose would be stopped and turned around before he even saw it.


    ¡°Doc, the gate is wide open, no one here.¡±


    My gut sank. ¡°Drive down the road, the third driveway on the right is my parent¡¯s house.¡± Never had I prayed so hard to be wrong. ¡°Let me know if you see anyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone, just a bunch of dead dogs. Your parents have some kind of kennel out here? Damn things are huge, they look like wolves, but they are bigger.¡±


    ¡°Get out of there, Moose. Something¡¯s wrong.¡± A few minutester, he drove back out. I looked over at Snake. ¡°I need you to trust me, Snake. I¡¯m getting out, I need you toe back and pick me up at,¡± I looked at the clock, it was just after noon, ¡°five o¡¯clock. Give me a call on the radio before you drive in.¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone, DeWalt. Viper would kill me.¡±


    ¡°Then just stay here and keep the radio on. I¡¯ll call if I need you.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He opened his case, pulling out an AR-15 with copsible stock, it had a reflex sight and a carbine-length barrel. ¡°Take this. Fire three times in an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Snake. Stay here, please trust me.¡± I shouldered the rifle after getting out, closing the door I pulled on gloves as I prepared myself for what I would find.


    No one could be prepared for what I saw. My heart broke as I saw my friends, pack mates and parents dead and broken in the snow, on the porches and in the homes. Mixed in among them were a half dozen wolves I didn¡¯t recognize, probably from whatever Pack overran my own. I was crying as I carried the dead wolves one by one into the Pack House. The nights were cold, the bodies stiff and frozen. I had to use shovels to break some of them out of the snow and ice.


    The doors to the houses had been broken down, and the safe room breached. The safe was missing from the Alpha¡¯s office, along with all the drugs from my father¡¯s clinic. They had taken their time, ransacking each house for valuables and taking the newer vehicles with them.


    If there were any people left alive, they were females that had been carried off, destined to be force mated and bred.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep13

    I moved my parentsst, leaving them alone on a couch in the living room. My father¡¯s throat had been ripped open, and my mother had been shot in the chest. I cried as I sat with them, stroking their frozen fur. It was all so stupid, so unfair. Our Pack was peaceful, my father helped everyone, and this was his fate.


    When I was cried out, I knew I had to deal with all the remains in the house. I couldn¡¯t let the police find them or do DNA testing on them. I grabbed the vehicle keys that were left and formed a roadblock along the driveway. I made sure no emergency vehicles would be able to get in, breaking off the keys in the ignitions when I had them in ce. I then went to the garage and the storage buildings, gathering all the gas and kerosene I could find. I soaked the insides of the individual homes first, making sure they would catch easily. I waited until ten minutes before five before returning to the Pack House. I soaked down the basement good, before pouring the rest over the pile of bodies and my parents. Lighting a re, I tossed it through an open basement window before tossing another through the door.


    The mes caught immediately, driving me back. I turned my back on the mes, then went to the other homes and tossed a re in each. When all the homes and outbuildings were in mes, I turned and ran.


    I made it through the parked cars and locked the gate behind me, again breaking off the key before dropping the key ring. Snake was waiting, his gaze on the mes shooting into the air behind me. I jumped into the car, the smell of gasoline heavy on my clothes. ¡°Jesus, DeWalt, you all right?¡±


    ¡°Just drive,¡± I said. I unloaded the rifle and put it back in the case, then pulled off my coat and gloves, cing them in a shopping bag that had been left in the back seat. We made it into town before any emergency vehicles could respond; I took the bag of clothes and tossed it in the bin behind the gas station. We headed north again, making the freeway as more fire trucks responded to the huge ze we left behind. I finally copsed into my seat, closing my eyes as tears started to fall.


    ¡°You want to talk about what happened back there?¡±


    ¡°No. It never happened.¡±


    ¡°Are you still in danger, Doc?¡±


    ¡°More than ever,¡± I said. I never asked him to take me to call my parents again, and he never asked about them. He knew they were gone. He just didn¡¯t know the whole story.


    Over the next two weeks I fell into a nice routine at the club. I had gotten to know them all now, and they were warm and epting towards me. I was volunteering at the day care for an hour a day, and I helped Snake in the mornings with breakfast. He was rapidly bing my best friend, with his wicked sense of humor and his penchant for finding ways to have fun while working.


    We had a warm spell, which left the roads dry enough to get out and ride if you dressed warm enough. I had moved up from the piece of junk bike I had learned to ride on, buying a 1982 Harley-Davidson FXSB 1340 Low Rider. One of the lighter models, it was a lot more fun to ride. I got a deal on it, it was Teri¡¯s first ride before she moved up to a more powerful onest year. They assured me that if I decided to move up, I could sell it for almost what I paid for it.


    Now that I could ride, the Club voted me in as a member and presented me with my own cut, which had ¡°Doc DeWalt¡± and a DeWalt power tool badge sewn on the left side. I was crying as they put in on me after the Friday night dinner; I loved the howling wolf logo, and they got in one more dig that I caught shortly after. Where the rank patch was, it didn¡¯t say ¡°Member¡± or ¡°Prospect;¡± my official Club position was ¡°cktop Surgeon.¡±


    I love these people.


    That Saturday afternoon it was going to hit sixty degrees, and you would have thought it was a Harley convention on the roads. We hit Highway 61, heading south along the Mississippi River, stopping in Red Wing for lunch and Wabasha for dinner. It felt great to be out with them, and riding in the back of the group was a real experience. No matter what else happened in my life, I knew that riding would be a part of it.


    I also had a few items going I wanted to finish before Christmas. I had visited the Medical License Bureau, but unless I got married they weren¡¯t going to change the name on my license. I did get my Permit to Carry and hit the range a few times with Moose to make sure I was proficient with it. I called back home and found out that Alpha rk had returned but was still unstable. Beta Charles was not ready for me to return yet. Our incredibly expensive IV medication had alsoe in, and since they wouldn¡¯t allow returns, Jessica had picked it up and it was in the fridge with the blood bags now.


    Jessica was doing better, she had healed a few dayster and the Alpha had apologized to her for losing his control. Charles gave me her private number and I called her up. I convinced her I was all right and caught up on the news with the Pack. It now numbered roughly half of what it was when I first arrived. All of the unmated females were being ¡®snapped up¡¯ by the remaining males, since their prospects for finding their mate were going away. She said the Alpha had even asked her if she would be interested in being his choice mate once the mourning period for Connie was over.


    I prayed to Luna it wouldn¡¯t happen. I knew she liked Connor, her guard, and told her she should think about taking him as a choice mate before her choices were taken away. Our options as shewolves were rapidly shrinking, and nothing could change that.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep14

    The winter weather had returned with a vengeance, and I had just helped clear the sidewalks of six inches of winter wondend. Snake was busy on the Bobcat clearing the lot, while most of the Club was off at work or school. We finished up about the same time, taking off our coats and hanging them up by the entrance. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the trip,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this ever since I joined the Club,¡± Snake said. ¡°Last year I was in the Sandbox. Not the kind of beach I was hoping for.¡± He had been part of the Gulf War buildup, spending months in Saudi Arabia before taking part in the liberation of Iraq. His unit had been part of the takeover of the International Airport in Baghdad, and he earned a Bronze Star for actions in the war. ¡°So, when I was finally allowed to end my service, I couldn¡¯t get here fast enough. My father was a Vietnam vet just like Viper, so I¡¯ve grown up with the club.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t met your father, is he down south now?¡±


    ¡°He died five years ago, a year after my Mom. I went into the Army shortly after that.¡±


    ¡°Any other family?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Some distant cousins, that¡¯s about it. My family is here,¡± he said as he looked around the clubhouse.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Mine too,¡± I said softly. I smiled as he poured my hot chocte for me.


    ¡°The kids should be here in twenty minutes, they were out making snowmen,¡± he said. ¡°Help me with lunch?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I picked up my mug and followed him into the kitchen; he fired up the grill while I started buttering bread for grilled cheese sandwiches. Potato chips and lemonade rounded out the meal. We were working like a well-oiled machine together; he was growing on me. I kept wondering what he would be like if he was a wolf, he was the kind of guy I might choose. Even if he IS five years younger than me.


    My thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the door opening and eight young kidsing in. Kelly helped them take their snow suits, hats, boots and gloves off. I went and helped them get seated at the table as Snake brought the food out in trays. We ate with them,ughing and hearing the stories of their morning, and it made me feel warm and happy, like I belonged.


    Snake went back in to clean up while I helped Kelly for an hour in the ssroom upstairs. When their nap time came, I was tired as well. I went down the hallway to my room, thinking maybe chilling out with a movie with Snake might be fun. I knocked on his door; hearing nothing, I opened it and went in.


    I had just closed the door when Snake walked out of the bathroom, a towel being rubbed over his head as he dried off from his shower. I froze, unable to take my eyes away from his body. He wasn¡¯t musclebound, but he was well put-together; I could see his six-pack as he moved his arms, but that wasn¡¯t what really caught my eye.


    He was naked, and I saw immediately how he got the nickname ¡®snake.¡¯


    He moved his towel to his shoulders and froze as he saw me. We just looked at each other, neither looking away, as the mood of the room changed. I could smell and see his arousal as I finally moved towards him; he dropped the towel and pulled me into his chest. I leaned back, my hands going around his waist and up his back as he dropped his lips down to mine. It was dominant, possessive, and I loved every second of our first kiss.


    He pulled back, both of us catching our breath, before he took hold of my sweater and T-shirt and pulled them up and over my head. I was taking off my bra before it hit the floor, and he dropped to his knees to remove my jeans. In seconds, I was naked and in his arms and it felt so good, I didn¡¯t want to think about what it might mean.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon together, making love over and over until we fell asleep, legs entwined, bodies sticking together, my head on his shoulder. At least, that¡¯s how I found myself when Moose started banging on the door. ¡°Hey Snake, wake the hell up, those burgers aren¡¯t going to cook themselves,¡± he yelled.


    I looked at Snake, he was panicked and I was covering myughter by burying my head in his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in ten,¡± he said, and we heard Moose move away.


    ¡°Busted,¡± he said as his head dropped back into the pillow.


    ¡°Take a quick shower,¡± I said. I pulled on my jeans and T-shirt, holding my other clothes and boots in my hand. I moved to the door, peeking out I didn¡¯t see anyone to witness my walk of shame, so I ran quickly into my room to take my own shower. Putting on fresh clothes, and pulling my hair back in a ponytail, I looked at myself in the mirror. I groaned, pulling the sweater off and digging through my dresser to find a turtleneck that would cover the hickies he¡¯d left on my neck. By the time I got downstairs, the clubhouse was filling up and Snake was mmed with dinner orders.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep15

    I said hello to my friends, then went back and pulled an apron on to help with prep and serving. Between us, we had everyone fed in an hour, and were able to sit in one of the booths together with our steak sandwiches.


    He didn¡¯t say much, and I finally asked him quietly what was bothering him. ¡°We didn¡¯t use protection, Vivian. What if we, I mean¡­¡±


    Iughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t have children. It¡¯s a medical condition, I¡¯ve known for years. That¡¯s one reason why it is so hard for me to work with the kids sometimes, knowing I¡¯ll never have them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be a great Mom, I can see that.¡± We would have had even more ufortable conversations except Moose sat down next to me. ¡°Hey big guy, you get enough to eat?¡± He¡¯d snarfed down two King Burgers, a te of fries and a chocte milkshake I¡¯d made for him at the bar.


    ¡°For now,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you volunteered to drive down with this joker,¡± he said. Moose had to work over the holiday, it was always a busy time for the gun shop and range.


    ¡°He grows on you,¡± I said with augh. ¡°Mostly I just hate flying. He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s in for, I¡¯m a mad driver and a shitty navigator.¡±


    ¡°Still, two full days driving is going to suck, but at least you get to go.¡± We were sending a bunch of people down on a flight the day after Christmas; Viper, Doc, Kelly, Teri, Dagger, Stain, Tiny and his wife Katie, Rocket and his girl Taser, and Crash. ¡°As soon as you are done, everyone is ready to help you load.¡± The clubhouse was going to be quiet on Christmas Eve and Christmas, while we were driving down. We would meet them at the airport at lunchtime on the 26th, so they could drive their motorcycles out of there.


    I decided not to rent a bike down in Florida since I had my own now. We carefully loaded all the motorcycles into a long, covered trailer along with the luggage we were hauling. The tanks had been drained of gasoline, and we had a couple empty gas cans we¡¯d fill down there. Everything was ready well before bedtime, so we went back inside where the guys surprised me with a Christmas gift. It was a pair of leather saddlebags for my new bike! I squealed like a fangirl and went around hugging everyone in my family. We partied into the night, then left us to clean up as they went home to be with their families.


    I didn¡¯t mind missing Christmas, honestly. With no Pack or parents around, all it was going to give me was bad memories. I started thinking naughty thoughts as we finished up; it was going to be just me and the Snake for two days of driving and two nights in hotels. We were both going to take advantage of the time, and my hesitancy to leave the room worked in my favor.


    We¡¯d be gone for five more days than the others. I didn¡¯t care; It wasn¡¯t like I was missing out on a job or anything. I was still living off my savings, and I had plenty more money from my parent¡¯s ounts, having taken the bank information and cash out of his safe.


    Werewolves couldn¡¯t depend on human systems after death; we didn¡¯t have wills, autopsies, or Social Security. Instead, we kept our money in ounts that were linked topanies (like the Pack frontpany) or had all family members on it. The ounts fell to me now as their only living rtive. I had enough to rent my own apartment, but Viper and the others wouldn¡¯t hear of it. They wanted me close, where there was always somebody around. I finallypromised by paying rent on the guest room I was using upstairs, plus my full club dues. The food was easy, they kept track of what you ate and drank and settled up weekly. It all made it very easy for me to live here, and I liked it.


    I showered and got into bed, just as a soft knock came on my door. Snake was there, wearing only a pair of jockey shorts, leaning against the frame like the sex god that he was. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± he said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I pulled him into my room, locking the door behind him. ¡°Come on, we need to talk about this,¡± I said. ¡°After.¡± He grinned, dropping his shorts as I pulled off my pajamas. When we were sated, Iid with my head on his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we have a future, Snake. I¡¯ve got a lot of issues.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything, he just ran his hand down my back, soothing me. ¡°You know I can¡¯t give you children if it goes that way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Those cult people are after me. I don¡¯t want you getting caught in the crossfire, they are dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unemployed and much older than you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He lifted me up, capturing my lips in a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m getting the better deal here, I¡¯m a soldier who ended up as a short-order cook in a biker club to pay the rent.¡± Iughed with him for a moment. ¡°I learned a few things in war, Vivian. Nothing is guaranteed for anyone. You don¡¯t know what tomorrow will bring. You can only control your today. And today, what I want is to be with you. I¡¯ll take today, and tomorrow will take care of itself.¡± We fell asleep together, waking up early in the morning.


    We made breakfast for ourselves, then locked everything up and got into the big diesel truck that was pulling the long trailer. As we buckled in, Snake handed me a sheath. ¡°I want to make sure you have a weapon on you at all times. I¡¯ve got the guns in here, but our permit isn¡¯t good outside Minnesota, so our pistols have to be locked up and unloaded under the back seat. This knife is on a leathernyard, you can wear it under your sweatshirt.¡± I put it around my head, it hung handle down between my breasts. ¡°Make sure you can get to the handle; it¡¯s friction fit, so just tug down to free it.¡± I tried it, easily freeing it even in a sitting position. It was abat knife, leather handle and a seven-inch de. It felt good in my hands. I carefully put it back in the scabbard.


    ¡°Now, some of the stuff is good without being too obvious. Like this aluminum bat here under the back seat, with the gloves and a softball. Or this shlight in the door, the four-D-cell aluminum Maglite is super bright, and makes a good club.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, our cuts. Let people know that if they fuck with us, they take on more than just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe that will work after we take these WINTER COATS off so people can see them.¡± Heughed as he put the truck into gear, stopping outside the gate so I could close and padlock it. I jumped back in the cab. ¡°Florida, here wee!¡±


    The weather was good, clear and cold, and we made good time. We stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel outside Madison, then went south on 39 to avoid the mess that was Chicago traffic. We drove until about seven, stopping on the far side of Indianapolis at a hotel for the night.


    We got naked as soon as we entered the room, and paused only for ate-night room service dinner. Snake was a very good lover, and I could feel myself falling for him with every passing moment. In the morning, I didn¡¯t want to leave, but we had to. The second day was the same, and we made Jacksonville in the early evening. We spent Christmas night walking the beach, eating great seafood and making love untilte in the night.


    For a while, I could forget what I had lost, what we were going through, and the danger I was in. I just lived for the moment, and it was a good one.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep16

    I woke up feeling rested, my hand looking for him in the now-cold sheets. I groaned as I realized I was alone, scenting the air I could tell he had been gone a while. I sat up, stretching my back out, before padding naked to the bathroom.


    I turned the shower on, hot, and let the warmth work the kinks out of my muscles. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone today and getting our bikes out of the trailer. Ours were first in, all the way in the back, since we had to drive the truck and trailer. I¡¯d slept until ten, even with the time change that waste. I was just turning off the water when I heard the room door open. ¡°Snake?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes,¡± he said. I stepped out, drying myself off as I heard him moving around. ¡°I got you breakfast.¡±


    ¡°You should have woken me up!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the heart, you have such cute,dylike snores¡­ and when I kissed you, you hugged my pillow and went back to sleep.¡±


    I wrapped the towel around me and went to the sink, brushing my teeth. I heard the door open as Snake, dressed in cargo shorts and a Harley shirt, walked behind me. I could see in the mirror his attention was taken by my towel-covered ass. ¡°See something you like?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. That¡¯s something I can get behind,¡± he said. He moved forward, pulling me into his crotch as I tried to finish my two minutes of brushing. ¡°Oh yeah, keep brushing, that makes your butt wiggle SO nicely against me.¡± I kept going, getting more distracted by the moment. He couldn¡¯t keep his hands to himself, momentster the towel was open in front and his strong hands were cupping my breasts as they moved.


    I spit into the sink. ¡°My breakfast is getting cold,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a microwave,¡± he said. He tossed the towel away, dropping his shorts and plunging into my willing sex.


    It was a good thing, too.


    I had those pancakes for lunch.


    We finally got out of the room at 12:30 and got into the truck. After a quick stop for Mountain Dew and gasoline, we arrived at the airport. We had only a half hour before the flight was to arrive as we parked in the pickup area in a ce well back from the crowd. We dropped the ramp of the trailer, and Snake wheeled each bike out while I filled it with gas and started it. Once they were all lined up, we got back in the truck to wait; Snake didn¡¯t like me being alone, and we couldn¡¯t leave all the vehicles in the pickup area. I held his hand as we waited. ¡°Snake¡­ what exactly is this? What we¡¯re doing? Is it just a hookup?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    He pulled his hand up, kissing the back of mine. ¡°I hope not. I feel like I¡¯ve outpunted my coverage by thirty yards. I can¡¯t believe a woman like you is with me, and I don¡¯t want it to end.¡± I blushed. ¡°So no, I¡¯m hoping it isn¡¯t a fling, I feel more for you than that. I¡¯d like to see where this takes us, and I¡¯m not afraid to say I have hopes it could be permanent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready for that,¡± I said as his face fell. ¡°Permanent, I mean. I do like you a lot, Snake, you make me FEEL again, and I need that so bad with everything else that is going on.¡± I looked down at our hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will work out, but I want to see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Day by day,¡± he said.


    ¡°I love these days,¡± I said as I leaned in to kiss him. The makeout session soon became heated, and he pulled me over to straddle him as his hands moved inside my T-shirt. I was wearing a jean short with a Harley-Davidson belt, a ck Harley shirt and my leather cut. I kissed him passionately as his fingers moved under the cups of my bra, pinching my nipples as I squirmed against him. I was lost in the feelings, I was just about to peak from the movement of our hips when


    BANG BANG BANG! ¡°What the hell, Doc? Snake? Since when?¡± Teri looked in the driver¡¯s side door, the window was already down, and she had a hurt look on her face. ¡°You two?¡±


    I was red with embarrassment, but I nodded. ¡°Us two.¡±


    ¡°Oh my GOD, this is so cool! I thought you were good together, and ummm I can SEE how good together you are,¡± as I pushed my bra back over my boobs, ¡°but you didn¡¯t even tell ME?¡±


    I scooted off hisp and out the door, jumping into her arms. ¡°It happened kind of sudden, we kind of bonded during the trip,¡± I said. The other club members gathered around, hugging both of us, thanking us for doing the haul and teasing us about being caught ¡°practicing for soft-core porn,¡± as Viper said. We went around to the back, where they transferred the contents of their backpacks to saddlebags, and tossed any remaining gear in the trailer.


    Teri sat on her bike, grinning excitedly. ¡°So, are you happy?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have a VERY good imagination.¡± She pulled me close and whispered in my ear. ¡°Rumor has it Snake is capable of giving a woman quite the night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God yes. I swear, if he went any deeper when he fucked me, I¡¯d taste him.¡± We both cracked up.


    ¡°I guess we aren¡¯t sharing a room then?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, no. I, uh, kind of upgraded us to a whirlpool room with a king bed. You get the old room to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Damn. I was hoping to borrow your power tools since Hammer won¡¯t do me any good. It¡¯s not like you will need them.¡± Snake had closed up the trailer, and everyone was mounted up. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see you back at the hotel. No road sex, we don¡¯t need any idents.¡±


    I just shook my head,ughing, as I walked back to the passenger side of the truck. All the motorcycles fired up, Viper and Doc led them out two wide, and we pulled out behind them. Our club had a good start, enjoying the warm weather, and checked into the hotel rooms. While they were getting settled, Snake and I unloaded our motorcycles and gassed them up. We headed south along the beach highway, stopping for dinner at a biker bar, and returning just before sundown.


    The next four days were amazing. We would ride hundreds of miles a day, enjoying the warm weather and the sandy beaches and attractions. Snake rode next to me in the back, and as I became a better rider, we moved closer to the formation until we finally were in the right ces. Iughed a lot, drank to excess, got too much sun, and spent a lot of time in the sack with my man.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep17

    It was New Year¡¯s Eve, and we were heading up into South Carolina to Hilton Head. We took our time, enjoying the three-hour ride on the back roads instead of the freeway. We had lunch at a pizza ce, then spent most of the afternoon exploring the beaches before meeting for dinner at a barbecue joint. We spent an hour there, eating way too much in the way of ribs and drinking too much lite beer. ¡°I have to use the restroom,¡± I said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Teri said. I got up, leaning down to kiss Snake and licking the tangy sauce off the corner of his mouth. We worked our way through the crowded restaurant and bar; we had tables at one end, and the bathrooms were in the other wing, with the entrance in the middle. We pushed through, doing our business before meeting at the sink. ¡°You look great,¡± Teri said. ¡°You needed this trip.¡±


    ¡°I need more Snake,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°We told ourselves we would take things day to day, nothing is guaranteed, but I¡¯m falling for him hard.¡±


    ¡°I see the way he looks at you, Vivian, he¡¯s absolutely in love with you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you both.¡± We fixed our hair and walked back out,ughing to each other as we went. It was then I froze.


    The smell.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Rogues.


    I looked ahead, there were three men who were standing by the front doors. They were dressed in beach clothing, all were tall and heavily muscled. The biggest one was sniffing excitedly, looking for the source of the scent that I knew was mine. My eyes met his and they went wide in recognition. The three started to move towards me, spreading out to block my escape.


    I had no time to think. Pushing Teri aside, I flipped over a table into the walkway, sending dishes and drinks everywhere. I ran left, banging through the emergency exit and outside as the men tried to catch up. I jumped on my motorcycle, peeling out of the lot, and barely avoiding the hand of the men as they tried to grab me.


    I elerated hard, running a stop sign and taking the sharp curve at speed. I wasn¡¯t fast enough, I heard a car engine behind me, it was big, and it was getting closer. Looking in my mirror, I could see a sports caring up quickly, a Jeep behind it.


    I looked at the road ahead, there were too many lights, too many people to get away. I knew if I got stuck in traffic, one of the men would jump out. Taking a left at speed, I turned onto a road heading out towards the wild marsh areas of the ind.


    My motorcycle wasn¡¯t big enough and I wasn¡¯t a good enough rider to evade them. I could take the corners faster, but their engines caught them up in the straightaways. We were on a deserted road, nothing but sand and scrub and swamp on both sides, and that is where they took me down.


    The Charger pulled up next to me, the wolf in the passenger seat grinning, then they cut me off. I couldn¡¯t brake fast enough, so it was either hit their car or go off the road. I went right, my front wheel sticking in the muck just off the road, and I went flying over the handlebars as my bike somersaulted. I crashed through the brush, cutting myself in multiple ces beforending hard on my left shoulder.


    I looked back through the weeds, the men were stopping anding back. I pulled off my cut and tossed it back to the edge, then shifted, destroying my other clothes in the process. I tried to run through the swamp, but my front left shoulder was hurting bad and I was practically on three legs.


    I heard three howls from behind me as the rogues took up the chase. I pushed forward, but I knew it was hopeless. There was no way I could outrun three men with a bad leg, bleeding from multiple cuts, and alone.


    I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to give up without a fight.


    I found a small clearing where thend rose a little, giving a twenty-foot circle of dry ground. My knife was still around my neck, but I¡¯d never stand a chance in human form against the three of them. I shook it off my neck, leaving it at the edge, and turned to face them. I growled loudly, my hackles raised, as the three spread out in front of me. The man in front shifted, standing naked and clearly aroused. He was about six-foot-two, easily two hundred pounds, and had a scar on his left cheek and across his chest. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to get hurt any more than you already are, shewolf.¡± I growled again. ¡°You don¡¯t have a chance. Come with us and it will go better for you.¡±


    I saw one of the grey wolves try to move up behind me, I spun andshed out, my teeth ripping his ear before he jumped back. The other wolf attacked just then, his teeth tearing into my back left leg. For the next few minutes, this is how it went; they worked together, biting my legs and haunches, while I tried to put up a defense. I was running out of time and strength, I couldn¡¯t heal from the blood loss. I leaped for a wolf¡¯s throat, getting lucky andtching on, ripping it out. I had no time to turn before the second wolf was on my back, his teeth around my neck, biting down hard.


    I whined as he forced my head to the ground; he would kill me in seconds if I didn¡¯t submit, so I did. I stilled my body, lifting my head to expose my throat, and the wolf rxed his grip and got off me. I was panting hard, my whole body hurt, and I was dreading what wasing.


    (trigger warning- rape scene)


    He pushed his hips forward, moving my own hips up as my neck was still pinned down. I tried to keep my tail over my sex, but he pushed it aside, his red head probing until it was aligned. I howled in pain as he pushed in dry, sheathing himself in one powerful stroke.


    He didn¡¯t care about me as he held my broken body down, taking what he wanted from me. I couldn¡¯t cry in wolf form, but my wolf and I were shaking in anger and humiliation. My traitorous body responded as my body was designed, despite my objections; the rapid pounding pushed me higher.


    He let go of my neck with his teeth, arge paw keeping me pinned to the ground, as things built to a climax. The first man, still in human form, was watching as he yed with himself. ¡°He¡¯s going to im you, but he promised me he would share,¡± he said with a leer.


    ¡°NOOO!¡± My wolf howled in my head, understanding what was about to happen. He was going to bite my neck when my traitorous body orgasmed, binding me to him permanently, till death do us part. I howled in pain and loss at the thought; my true mate would be lost forever, that thread broken by my bond forming with another. I struggled, helplessly, until the sensation overwhelmed me and I came hard.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep18

    He felt my sex clenching around him and released his seed into me as his jaws bit deep into the junction of my neck and shoulder. I howled in pain, soon reced by pleasure as the bond took rook. He pulled off, dropping to the ground and panting hard, as the bond took root in his mind as well. I felt his bond pushing into my head, oveing the walls I put up to keep him out. ¡°SHIFT,¡± he said.


    My human side pushed against it, but my wolf couldn¡¯t stop herself. The bond had already sapped her will, forcing her to ept this man, this RAPIST as ours, and to obey him. I shifted back into human form, naked and bleeding.


    The other werewolf approached me, and I scooted back on my butt towards the edge of the ring, hoping I was in the right ce.


    ¡°You¡¯re a hot little wolf, young one,¡± the man said with a leer. He stood over me, a big handing down to grab my hair. He pulled me to his rigid staff, just as my fingers found what they were looking for. Pulling the knife from the sheath, I brought it around and up into his groin, severing his femoral artery and slicing deep into his leg. ¡°BITCH!!¡± He backhanded me, knocking me to the ground as I pulled the knife out. He came after me again, and this time I stabbed him in the stomach.


    He was mortally wounded, and absolutely furious. He would have killed me if he wasn¡¯t grabbed and tossed aside by my mate, who had now shifted back into human form. I exposed my neck, against my human will, submitting to him again. This time, he wasn¡¯t appeased, and he grabbed my neck, pulling me to my feet, then lifting me into the air. I struggled to breathe as his fingers closed in on windpipe. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fun to break,¡± he said.


    Spots started appearing in my vision, I heard a shot and then everything went nk.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t want her away from me, but I wasn¡¯t going to follow her into a crowdeddies room either. Teri got up to go with her, the female code of bathroom buddies in force. She leaned down to kiss me, stopping just short, her tongue gently licking the sauce from the corner of my mouth. I pulled her in, kissing her, loving the taste of her lips with the tangy Carolina sauce. I watched her walk away, her shorts clinging to her curves as she went.


    All of the sudden, Doc smacked my arm. ¡°Shit! What???¡±


    ¡°Just making sure you are still alive,¡± he said. ¡°You weren¡¯t breathing, you didn¡¯t respond to stimulus and you¡¯re drooling. You looked like Hammer when he was in hisa,¡± he teased.


    I looked away as the door closed behind them. ¡°Can you me me?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Viper said. ¡°When I first met Jean, I was the same way. I walked into more than one wall while looking at her.¡± It was a sore subject for the Club, Jean had battled breast cancer and died just before I entered the Army. Viper hadn¡¯t dated since then, he didn¡¯t have the heart for it. I was d he had the Club to help him through that time.


    ¡°You better treat that girl right,¡± Kelly said.


    ¡°Yeah, if you two break up and someone has to leave the club, I think we¡¯d vote to find a new fry cook,¡± Doc said.


    ¡°Damn straight,¡± Taser said. ¡°We need more boobs at the table.¡± Rocket kissed her, making her squeal as the sauce from his ribs smeared her face.


    I reached over for more ribs, cing a couple on her te. I was getting seriously full, we might need a good walk on the beach before we start the drive back.


    We all looked up as a loud crash caused the ce to go silent. I saw Vivian push Teri to the side before taking off like a bat out of hell, pushing through the emergency exit. Three guys were taking off after her. ¡°FUCK,¡± I said as I jumped to my feed. I started to run her way, having to slow down for the chairs and the people who were standing up to see what was happening. ¡°MAKE A HOLE,¡± I yelled. I could hear the other guys behind me as I pushed the line towards the front.


    ¡°Head outside,¡± Viper said as we reached the entryway. I could hear her bike peeling rubber as it left the parking lot. We ran through the doors, heading for our bikes as the three guys took off after her. Our bikes were lined up the other way, so we almost lost sight of the Jeep by the time we had them started up. Viper took the lead, as always, with Doc next to him. I was in the second rank with Tiny, Dagger and Crash were catching up in back. The others stayed with the girls back at the restaurant, just in case she came back.


    By the time we hit the road, the cars were already going full out. We pushed our bikes hard, but the stop signs and lights slowed us down, even as we ran a couple. We made it to the edge of town, and we¡¯d lost them. We sat at the stop sign. ¡°CUT THE ENGINES,¡± Viper ordered.


    It took twenty seconds or so, but we heard engines racing to our left. Viper pointed as we fired them up and took off, pushing our bikes hard on the windy road. We rapidly left civilization behind as we went through the swamp and brush. My gut was going nuts, I had something going great with her, I couldn¡¯t lose her now. Whoever these guys were, they scared the shit out of her to make her run like that.


    Ten minutester, we saw the cars just around a gentle curve, about a quarter-mile ahead. Viper pulled over, killing the bikes, since we didn¡¯t see anyone there. I put the kickstand down on the turnout, jumping off to open my saddlebag.


    I pulled out the gun case, opening it up and removing the pair of . 45¡¯s I was carrying. I loaded one and tossed the other to Dagger. Viper and Tiny had their own out. ¡°Keep it quiet, we don¡¯t know where they are,¡± Viper said. ¡°Snake has point, Tiny you cover the rear. Crash, you stay here with the bikes.¡±


    With that, I took off at a fast jog down the side of the road. Our boots thumped against the ground next to the road, sometimes making a squishy sound in the softer ground. The area was a mass of tangled mangroves, shrubs and grasses, with areas of shallow water in between. It was a crappy ce to search.


    It took a few minutes to get up to the cars. Doc moved up, checking them from the road side as I went up the passenger sides. No one was there, the keys were in them, engines still running. ¡°Snake,¡± I heard. Viper pointed to the trees, you could see the tires still spinning, the seat and engine under the slimy ck water.


    My heart sank as I put the pistol in my waistband. Three of us pushed through the branches, checking the area around Vivian¡¯s motorcycle, and not finding her. A couple minutester, Dagger called out. ¡°Her cut,¡± he said as he pulled it out of the water.


    ¡°Looks like someone came through here,¡± Doc said. We headed that way, wading through the mud and the water. I could see blood and hair on the branches, and we found her shorts and T-shirt, both ripped, along with her underwear. Viper even found one of her boots. ¡°What the fuck is going on here?¡±


    I didn¡¯t care, I pushed to the front and followed the trail deeper into the swamp. I held up my hand, fist clenched, as I heard something. They guys all froze, taking cover. ¡°You hear that,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Sounds like a dog fight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe they sent dogs after her,¡± Viper said. ¡°Get going.¡± It took ten more minutes, I could hear the howls of pain from one of the animals, something was wrong. I caught a view through the trees, it looked like one huge wolf was humping a smaller one, and she was the one howling in pain.


    What I didn¡¯t expect to see was one of the guys who had chased my girl, standing there naked, whacking off while he was watching.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep19

    ¡°Da fuck,¡± Viper said. ¡°Doc, take Dagger with you and circle around to the right, we have to find the other two. We¡¯ll get this pervert.¡± They took off, moving to the right, as we moved around a little to the left. We kept as quiet as we could, finally getting about a hundred feet away.


    The big wolf finished, rolling off the other wolf. She was beat up, her fur matted with blood, especially around her neck. Another wolfy to the side, it was dead, its throat torn out. The naked man had his back to us.


    The smaller wolf shakily got to her feet, and a momentter a naked human was in her ce.


    It was Vivian.


    I started moving forward as fast as I could without making too much noise, my pistol at the ready. Vivian was moving away from the man, scooting back on her butt towards the edge of the clearing. The naked man was stroking his flesh as he stalked her. ¡°You¡¯re a hot little wolf, young one,¡± he said. I watched him grab her hair, trying to force himself into her mouth, when I saw her hande up. She had the knife I had given her in it, and she stabbed up into his thigh. ¡°BITCH!¡± He backhanded her, but she stabbed again, this time getting his stomach.


    I was thirty feet away, too much in the way to shoot, and they hadn¡¯t detected us yet. The big wolf suddenly shifted, arge man in his ce. As the first guy fell to the ground, he grabbed my Vivian by the neck and hauled her up, lifting her off the ground. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fun to break,¡± he said with a grin.


    I had no more time, the mud and brush were too thick to run to her and she was being killed in front of my eyes. I lifted my pistol, let out my breath, and squeezed the trigger.


    BANG. The round hit him in the hip, causing him to let Vivian go. I saw the man fall to the ground and shift back into his big grey wolf. He turned towards me, letting out a ferocious growl as he ran towards me. It sounded like fireworks going off then, I emptied my magazine into him, Viper as well, and even Dagger got a few shots off. The wolf copsed and died just before it reached us.


    ¡°WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT SHIT?¡±


    I ignored Doc¡¯s question and pushed past the dead wolf, intent on saving my girl. I finally broke into the clearing and its solid ground, and I ran over to where she wasying on the ground. I carefully rolled her onto her back, checking her pulse and breathing. I let out my own breath as I heard her heartbeat. Doc knelt next to me. ¡°Jesus H. Christ, they really tore her up,¡± he said. It was true, she had cuts and gashes all over her neck, shoulders and chest. I could see ps of skin and puncture wounds on her legs, and her left shoulder was swollen and bruised. ¡°We have to get her help,¡± he said.


    ¡°Take her back, we can take their Jeep,¡± Viper said. I picked her up carefully, holding her carefully to my chest. ¡°Doc, go with them. We¡¯ll clean up this¡­ whatever¡­ the hell these guys are.¡±


    Doc went ahead of me, following the trail we made in and bending back the branches so we could pass. It took a good fifteen minutes to make our way back to the road, during which Vivian never made a noise. Her cuts and wounds weren¡¯t bleeding as bad, but she was pale and ashen.


    We broke through to the road and Doc yelled at Crash toe up. I gently set Vivian in the back seat of the Jeep, wrapping her in a nket I found in the back. ¡°Wait for the others,¡± Doc said as he got into the car. ¡°We¡¯re taking her to the hospital.¡± He started the SUV up and put it in drive, turning around to head back to town.


    The bumps as we turned through the ditch woke her up, she groaned in pain. I held her hand, while my right hand brushed the blood-soaked hair out of her face. ¡°You¡¯re going to be all right,¡± I promised, ¡°We¡¯re taking you to the hospital now.¡±


    She shook her head no. ¡°No¡­¡± She coughed a little, blooding up. ¡°No hospital.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t go there¡­ please.¡±


    I suddenly understood. ¡°Because of what you are.¡± She nodded. ¡°A werewolf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so were those three. I¡¯m not like you, they can¡¯t take my blood. I¡¯ll heal. Just get me to a hotel,¡± she said. ¡°And get the medical kit out of my saddlebag.¡±


    ¡°Doc, back up,¡± I told him. We went back to where the Charger was parked. ¡°Crash, DeWalt needs her saddlebags,¡± he yelled to him as he pointed to her bike.


    He waded in, removing them and bringing them back. Her clothes were ruined, but the medical kit was in a sealed case, along with her other stuff. He went back to see if her bike could be saved; shaking his head, he yelled back that it was totaled.


    I looked around in the back of the Jeep, finding a suitcase with some clothes and a couple towels. While the others stayed busy, I carefully cleaned the excess blood and dirt from her, using a bottle of water to help clean the wounds. She bit her lip and cried as I worked, but we both knew it had to be done. When I had her as clean as I could get her, I carefully put a T-shirt over her head.


    She held it to her nose, a sobing from her throat as her eyes shed in anger. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± she said, pulling in down over her torn skin. I had a pair of swim trunks with a drawstring, I carefully put it over her legs and had her lift her butt to get it on. The nket under her was soaked in blood from all the cuts back there, so I pulled it away before she sat down. I tied the string so it would stay in ce.


    I found another bottle of water in a cooler, along with a Milky Way. I gave both to her as she sat in the seat, shifting ufortably. She was looking past me, nervous, shaking. I moved into the seat on the other side, and got he to lie down with her head in myp. ¡°That better?¡±


    ¡°Someone tore my ass up, and it wasn¡¯t you,¡± she said,ughing a little before the pain from her ribs hit.


    ¡°Just rest,¡± I said. ¡°You scared me out there, Vivian.¡± She stilled. ¡°I thought I had lost you. Nothing I saw there changes how I feel about you, and it never will. I love you, Vivian.¡±


    She started to cry. ¡°I love you too, Snake. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She fell asleep as we waited for the others to return.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep20

    Snake¡¯s POV


    I continued to stroke her hair as she slept, wondering how this was all going to work out. I was d she was asleep, she had to be hurting. ¡°Is she all right?¡±


    I looked over at Crash, he and Doc had found some ropes and were pulling DeWalt¡¯s bike out of the mud and muck. They had it nearly to the roadside, I could already see that the front forks were bent. ¡°She¡¯s resting,¡± I said quietly.


    I heard some more noise, and saw Viper leading Dagger and Tiny out of the swamp. They had blood, mud and God knows what else on their clothes as they walked up to the Jeep. ¡°Gather round, boys,¡± Viper said. They stayed by the door, knowing I wasn¡¯t going to move. ¡°Those bodies will never be found. First off, no one says a fucking thing about what we saw back there to anyone outside the Club. Ever. Got it?¡±


    We all agreed, it was some wild shit. Who would believe me anyway? ¡°Pres, I can¡¯t even get Vivian to go to the hospital. She said that with what she is, she can¡¯t let them draw her blood, she can¡¯t get normal medical treatment. She wants to go to a hotel, she said she¡¯ll heal up on her own.¡±


    ¡°She needs to be cleaned up, sewn up,¡± Doc said. ¡°Hell, I¡¯m shocked she¡¯s still alive. Her body must heal faster than ours.¡±


    ¡°Fine, that¡¯s our first priority. There was a motel at the edge of town, a block or so from where we turned off. Doc, you head there and get a couple rooms, something in the back out of sight. It will be dark soon, and I don¡¯t need anyone questioning why we¡¯re bringing a woman into a room looking like this.¡± He nodded. ¡°Snake, you¡¯re going to have to drive this Jeep there with her. When Doc is ready, get her into the room.¡±


    ¡°You want us to ditch the Jeep, Viper?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we need to get rid of both these cars. Crash, you take the Charger. Take it into town, park it somewhere and leave the keys in it. Doc can follow your car and give you get a ride back here to your bike. Tiny, I need you to head down to Jacksonville with the others. Get the truck and trailer, bring it up here to the hotel. We need to load up Snake and DeWalt¡¯s motorcycles, since her ride is toast and she won¡¯t be able to ride on the back of his.


    I dug into my pocket and found the key, tossing it to Tiny. He caught it in his big hand and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to hit the road, it¡¯s going to be the middle of the night before I get back.¡±


    Viper thought for a moment. ¡°We don¡¯t have hotels up here, and we left half our club with the bill at that BBQ joint. Tiny, swing by there and pick them up, you may as well all head back to Jacksonville tonight. Get some sleep and be here by ten in the morning. DeWalt is going to need to rest anyway, no point in arriving in the middle of the night. Crash, you can meet them at the restaurant and head back south. Doc, Snake and I will stay here with her.¡±


    Tiny started tough. ¡°They¡¯re going to be pissed at us, that was a big tab, plus she wrecked those people¡¯s dinner.¡± Viper just shook his head. ¡°What do I tell them?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I thought quickly. ¡°One of those guys was an abusive ex-boyfriend, that¡¯s why she ran. She wrecked her bike and banged herself up, she¡¯s at the ER with Snake now. You and the others are taking care of those assholes so they won¡¯t bother her ever again.¡±


    ¡°That works,¡± Viper said. ¡°We¡¯ll be back to our hotel tomorrow. I¡¯ll stay with Doc and Snake. Once she¡¯s settled, Doc and I wille back and retrieve Snake¡¯s bike. I assume you won¡¯t want to leave her?¡±


    I got angry just at the thought. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her, not ever.¡±


    Viper justughed. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get going before we draw any more attention.¡± With that, Crash made sure he had his gloves on before he jumped in the Charger. Viper followed him, along with Tiny and Doc. I looked down at my girl, she was still oozing blood in several ces, and was out cold. I scooted out from underneath her, making sure she was covered up, before I went around to the driver¡¯s seat.


    I took it slow on the way back to town, constantly checking the mirror in case she woke up. By the time I got to the motel, a 2-story strip by the road, Doc was waiting with one of the doors open. I backed into the space so the Jeep would hide her from the office side. I got out and opened the back door on my side, while Doc took the other. ¡°Lift up with the nket, not on her body,¡± he said. I grabbed the bloodstained nket and lifted her feet and hips while Doc had her head. I followed him through to the other side, then into the room with the double queen beds. I looked at him as he kept going for the bathroom. ¡°I need to stitch her up, these wounds need to be cleaned and dressed first,¡± he said. ¡°You get her in the bath and cleaned up, I¡¯ll head to the pharmacy and get more supplies.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± We carried her into the bathroom, setting the nket down in the tub with her on top. ¡°I got it from here.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it, before going outside. I heard the car doors close and then his Harley fired up and left. I looked down at my girl, I was d she was out, this was going to hurt. I moved her gently until I could get the nket out from under her, then I washed up and took off my dirty cut and clothes. Once I was cleaned, I got a couple towels on the floor to kneel on and and got the washcloths wet.


    I started with her face and hair, gently cleaning the scratches and cuts. Luckily, the shower had a wand, so I was able to wash the blood out of her hair and clean it good. It was when I got to her shoulder that she woke up. ¡°AAAAAAAHHHH,¡± she screamed, sitting up and then screaming more from the pain of doing that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, Vivian,¡± I said softly as I hugged her head to my chest. ¡°Ride it, just let it pass.¡±


    She cried into me for a minute before pulling back. She looked down, I think she was a little shocked at the extent of their injuries. ¡°Damn,¡± she said as she saw her leg. ¡°This is going to hurt. Do you have my first aid kit?¡±


    ¡°I can get it.¡±


    ¡°Do it, I¡¯ve got some painkillers in there.¡± I left her with the wand, letting her wash herself with the warm water while I ran out to the Jeep. I grabbed it and brought it back in. She opened it up, finding a bottle and a syringe, she drew out a dose. ¡°Morphine,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t be worth shit to you after I take this, but at least I won¡¯t feel it. Is Docing to stitch me up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he went to get more supplies,¡± I said as I injected it into her thigh. ¡°Just rest, I¡¯ll take care of you,¡± I said. I could see the painkiller when it hit, her eyes got ssy and her face rxed. I gentlyid her back and when her eyes closed, I went back to work. I cleaned her front, taking extra time with the deeper bites and cuts. It broke up the scabbing, but it had to happen.


    When I was done, Doc was justing in. He had a whole bag full of gauze, dressings and tape. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°I need help turning her,¡± I said. The two of us carefully rolled her onto her side, giving me ess to the wounds on her back, butt and legs. Working together, we cleaned her up then moved her to the bed. We tore all the covers off,ying her face down on towels on top of the bottom sheet that Viper had put in ce. Using the stitch kit in her first aid kit, Doc started to close the deeper wounds while I used butterflys and gauze to cover the less serious one. When we were done, she looked like a half-done mummy.


    ¡°Time to roll,¡± Doc said. The three of us carefully picked her up and rolled her onto her back, removing the soiled towels. It took another hour to finish. Kelly had stopped by, leaving some clean clothes, and we put her into a T-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. The rest of the club had left for Jacksonville. ¡°With the morphine, she should sleep for a few more hours,¡± Doc said.


    I went back into the bathroom and took my keys out of my shorts. ¡°Don¡¯t scratch my ride,¡± I said as I tossed him the keys. Viper walked him out, leaving his cut on the chair. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want people to know our club,¡± I teased.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep21

    ¡°Not when I¡¯ve got him riding bitch on another man¡¯s bike,¡± heughed. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a while, I want to leave the Jeep far from here after we grab your ride.¡± They closed the door behind them. I pulled the covers over her, settling in by her side. I held her hand as I fell asleep.


    I woke up when Vivian started to move, she was crying softly from the pain. I looked at my watch, it was three in the morning. ¡°I need to give her more morphine,¡± Doc said. He gave her the injection and she settled down. ¡°My turn to sleep,¡± he said. ¡°Can you watch over her for a few hours?¡±


    ¡°Sure, just let me get some stuff off my bike first.¡± I went out and got mytest read, Vince Flynn¡¯s Transfer of Power. Turning on the light on my side of the bed, I sat up and started to read while Doc crashed on the couch. At five, I woke Viper; being an old guy, he was going to be up soon anyway. I caught a few more hours of sleep before Vivian woke up. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± I said as I stared into her eyes.


    ¡°Better,¡± she said. ¡°Bathroom.¡± I went around to her, helping her sit up and put her feet on the floor. ¡°Do you want me to carry you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it,¡± she said. I helped her to her feet and stood by her side as she shuffled to the bathroom. I set her on the toilet. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done,¡± she said.


    I stepped out, closing the door. I heard the toilet flush, and expected to hear her call me back in, or at least hear water running, but I didn¡¯t. All I heard was¡­ her crying. I knocked gently. ¡°Vivian?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± she said, her sobs getting louder.


    ¡°Let me help,¡± I begged. ¡°I can¡¯t bear hearing you like this.¡±


    ¡°Well, EXCUSE ME for being raped and almost killed in front of you! I¡¯m RUINED now, nothing will EVER be the same, and now I¡¯ve killed you guys too!¡± She started to sob even louder. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I went in and knelt in front of her, taking her head and cing it on my shoulder. ¡°I told you, it doesn¡¯t change how I feel about you, in fact, I love you even more because you showed me how strong you really are.¡± She nodded into my shoulder, a minuteter she stood up with my help and washed up.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Vivian. Now we should get out of here, Doc is going to want to use this bathroom, and you don¡¯t want to be in here after that happens.¡±


    We went back out to the room, and I sat her down. Viper had been out already, there was a McDonald¡¯s bag and some bottles of juice on the table by the window. I heated up a breakfast sandwich for her and grabbed her an orange juice before I got my own. We ate in silence.


    Finally, Viper broke the silence. ¡°Vivian, you said something in there about endangering us. I think it¡¯s time we talked about what¡¯s going on, since it will affect the club.¡±


    She finished chewing her bite of food, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a little time to exin,¡± she said.


    ¡°We have another hour before we have to get out of this room,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t need everything now, just the highlights. We¡¯ll have to have Church when we get back home and we can talk about it in more detail. For now, I need to know what you are, why those men were after you and why we are in danger.¡±


    She took a drink, I moved my hand over, holding hers. ¡°I guess I should start with me. As you saw, I¡¯m a werewolf; I can change from human to wolf form at will. In my mind, I have a second personality, if you will, that of my wolf; we share this body. Our DNA is different than yours, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t go to the hospital. One blood test would show the difference. I¡¯m a doctor, but I work on werewolves for my Pack and humans for the money,¡± she said.


    ¡°Your Pack?¡± I thought I knew the answer.


    ¡°Gone. All dead or missing.¡±


    ¡°They were in Zumbrota, right? All those dead dogs, they were your family.¡± God, what that must have been like for her.


    ¡°Yes. To protect our secrets, we normally burn the bodies. I piled them all in one of the houses and set it alight, then burned the other houses. However, I was working at a Pack up by the Boundary Waters. I have four years left on a contract to serve their Pack and surrounding Packs. They are the ones I was running from when I came to you.¡±


    Viper started tough. ¡°So, the cult we thought you were in is really a pack of werewolves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was easier to exin that way. Something started happening this summer, something terrible. I don¡¯t know if it is a curse, an epidemic or biological warfare, but it attacks women in the middle of their pregnancy. It causes the centa to detach, but worse, the mother¡¯s arteries don¡¯t close. I couldn¡¯t stop them both from dying, every woman this year who was pregnant didn¡¯t make it past 24 weeks.¡± She paused, tears running down her face. ¡°The Alpha, he¡¯s the leader of the Pack, his wife was one of the pregnant women. She died, he med me. I barely got out of there alive.¡±


    ¡°These three guys, they are after you for him? Shit, we¡¯ll just kill him,¡± Viper said.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. It¡¯s happening everywhere, I know of dozens of Pack doctors who have been killed or just disappeared. Not a single pregnant Werewolf female has survived this year. Packs are starting to attack each other, taking the women for their own, killing the men so they can mate us instead. That¡¯s what happened to my Pack. Werewolf women of childbearing age have be the most sought-after thing in our world.¡±


    I squeezed her hand. ¡°Can¡¯t they just turn humans like in all those stories?¡±


    ¡°No, our DNA isn¡¯tpatible. You have to be born from werewolves to have werewolves. As the number of women drops, Packs be more desperate. No women, no future, and our wolves are driven to mate and have children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the real reason you said you can¡¯t get pregnant from me,¡± I said.


    She nodded. ¡°Those men were what we call rogues, werewolves who don¡¯t belong to a Pack. They smelled me, they knew just what I was, and they took me.¡± She leaned into my shoulder forfort. ¡°Just me being me is enough to ce you in danger, they will do anything to get me. And, if they find out you know what I am, they¡¯ll kill you for it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you anywhere,¡± I teased.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep22

    ¡°I thought this would be all right, there aren¡¯t organized Packs in this area. Most are from the Pacific Northwest through Maine, and across Canada. These rogues, they can be anywhere. It¡¯s probably best if I stay out of sight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no shape to go dancing, my love,¡± I said as I kissed her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m healing already, we heal faster than humans. Give me a week and I¡¯ll be good as new.¡± She pulled off one of the bandaids, showing how the small cut was already scarred over.


    ¡°Cool. Any more superpowers?¡± Doc was busy inspecting the healing wound.


    ¡°Night vision, great hearing, stamina, a wolf form and mates.¡±


    ¡°Mates? You mean like life mates?¡± My stomach was turning over.


    ¡°Yes. The Moon Goddess granted us soul mates, the perfect other half. It¡¯s rare to find one, but it¡¯s the best thing ever if you do. Most don¡¯t wait, they choose someone they love, much like you humans do. When you find your mate, they bite you on the neck when you both orgasm while making love; it forges a bond that can only be broken through death. You can feel their emotions, you are bound together, your hearts beat as one. If one dies, the other often follows.¡±


    I¡¯d never have that with her, I realized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d choose you, love. Now I can¡¯t, he took that away from me. He raped me, bit my neck as we came, and he bonded himself to me for the minute we both lived. He ripped away the bond, he took away any chance I might have of finding my fated mate, then he tore my heart out.¡± She started crying into my shoulder. ¡°My wolf is howling in grief. Even though he was my rapist, he hurt me, he still formed that bond and I HATE IT. I hate that something meant to be so beautiful, so deep and meaningful, was done to me this way. I¡¯ll never be the same. I¡¯m going to have mood swings, depression, even suicidal thoughts. It¡¯s what happens when your mate dies, and I can¡¯t stop it. Plus, mating kicks off the heat cycle.¡±


    ¡°Heat? Like with a dog? Your parts swell up and every dog in the neighborhood starts hanging out outside your door?¡±


    Sheughed a little. ¡°Not that far off. It only happens in the spring, andsts about a week. Our sex drive is supercharged, my scent will call to other werewolves. Normally, you and your mate go somewhere remote and bang the shit out of each other, hopefully getting you pregnant. Now? Without relief, it¡¯s horribly painful and difficult.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Damn right you will. By the time I¡¯m done with my week of heat, your boa constrictor will be a garter snake.¡± Iughed heartily as she smiled. ¡°We can talk more about thatter.¡±


    I heard the sound of motorcycles outside, followed by a truck. Viper looked at the clock. ¡°We need to load up the trailer and hit the road,¡± he said. ¡°I got the gist of it. We¡¯ll get you loaded in the truck, then you can stay in the hotel until it¡¯s time to head back home. I¡¯ll make sure we have a couple people around you for protection at all times.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Pres. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m all this trouble.¡±


    He got up and walked over, kissing her forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to feel sorry for, DeWalt. You¡¯re family, and we protect our family.¡±


    ¡°And so do I,¡± I said as I hugged her head to my chest. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get hurt again.¡± I buried my nose in her hair. ¡°Ever.¡±


    Doc gave her another shot, not as strong this time. I picked her up to carry her outside, finding our entire group there waiting for us. ¡°We already stopped to pick up your bikes,¡± Tiny said as he tossed me the keys. ¡°Load up, let¡¯s go home.¡± I carried her to the passenger seat, setting her inside. The others took a moment to talk to her or give her a hug as Doc was settling our bill.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Viper said as he mounted up. I followed behind them as we headed south. I looked over at Vivian, she was smiling as she fell asleep.


    I was going to find a way to make this work.


    *************


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I woke up hungry as our group pulled into the parking lot of our hotel near Jacksonville. Snake put it in park and looked over at me. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll get you,¡± he said. He had barely unlocked the doors when Teri, Katie and Taser were at my door, opening it up.


    I assured them I was doing all right, and Snake gave Kelly his room key and asked her to run ahead and open things up. I winced a little as he picked me up; he was trying to be gently, but it pulled at the wounds on my back and butt when I moved. He stopped, but I just leaned my head on his shoulder. ¡°Keep moving, it¡¯s going to hurt no matter how slow you do this,¡± I said. He walked us across the lot, as I was surrounded by what had be my family. Kelly had propped the room door open and turned down the bed by the time we got there. He sat me on the edge.


    Viper kept everyone else out but Doc, he came inside with his bag of supplies and my first aid kit. ¡°We need to check the wounds, then I want to take a shower,¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Kelly closed the door and went to go. ¡°Kelly, please stay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll need helpter.¡± She closed and locked the door as Snake returned with some towels. Heid them out on the bed, then helped me take my shirt off.


    Kelly went pale. ¡°Holy shit, I didn¡¯t know it was this bad,¡± she said as she looked at the patchwork of bandages that was my body.


    ¡°Yeah, this is going to hurt,¡± I said. I had Doc open my kit, inside was a bottle of Tylenol 500¡¯s with codeine. I palmed two as Kelly got me some water out of the fridge. ¡°I don¡¯t need the morphine any more, I need my wits about me,¡± I said. They started tearing off bandages, starting with the smaller wounds. If they were scarred over, they just left them alone. Kelly came back with some wet washcloths to clean up the blood that came with ripping off some of the scabs.


    The deeper wounds, the ones that were stitched, were just starting to close up. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s fast,¡± Doc said. ¡°Normally it would take a week to get to this point.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, healing is elerated.¡± Kelly looked at me funny. ¡°I¡¯ll exin it all to the rest of the club soon.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see most of my wounds, but Doc said they were good enough to take a quick shower. I asked Snake to go get me some lunch, I was going to need a lot of food for my healing. I also wanted to tell the rest of the Club what was going on before I was sleepy again. I had Kelly help me into the bathroom so I could do my business; she stripped and joined me in the shower, helping clean me because bending over would hurt too much, and I couldn¡¯t reach my back.


    I felt a lot better when I returned; Snake and Doc had left fresh clothes on the counter for me. I dried off and put on a robe, while Kelly got dressed. When I came out, the guys had sandwiches and cokes waiting for us. I kissed Snake and sat on hisp at the small table as we ate. ¡°Everyone will be here in ten minutes,¡± Doc said. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to dress your wounds first?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep23

    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something I need to do first.¡± The Club members starteding in as we were finishing, taking seats around the room until it was full. I made sure all the windows were closed and the doors were locked before I started talking. ¡°First, I¡¯m sorry I ruined your dinner,¡± I said. ¡°What happened back there I didn¡¯t expect. The three men who I was running from were after me, I knew it as soon as I saw them. They ran me off the road, then when I tried to run through the swamps to escape, they caught me. I was beaten and raped.¡± Snake held me tight in hisp as that news hit the others like a bolt of lightning. I could see anger, shock and sympathy in the group; Kelly jumped out of Doc¡¯sp and hugged me, followed by Teri and Taser. It took a few minutes to reassure the girls I was all right and to get the other men calmed down.


    ¡°The three men are gone,¡± Viper said, ¡°So there is no one left to go after. Our little DeWalt here killed one in the fight, and another she stabbed in the groin and stomach with abat knife. We finally caught up to her and killed the guy who raped her.¡±


    That calmed things down a little, they wanted vengeance and they had gotten it. ¡°Did you know the guys,¡± asked Kelly.


    ¡°No. I could smell them, and they could smell me. That¡¯s why they went after me,¡± I said.


    ¡°What, your perfume set this off?¡± Kelly looked confused.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°In a way. I¡¯m not like you, I¡¯m a different species. I¡¯m actually a werewolf.¡±


    A few peopleughed, while Rocket even asked if I was more Teen Wolf or American Werewolf in London. They didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°I can prove it,¡± I said as I pulled my arms out of the sleeves of my robe. ¡°Help me up,¡± I said.


    Snake helped me stand as I loosened the tie on my robe. ¡°Should you be doing this?¡±


    ¡°Shifting will be painful, but it will help with the healing,¡± I said.


    Viper¡¯s low voice boomed through the room. ¡°When she does this, nobody fucking moves or says anything. I don¡¯t need the neighbors wondering what is going on. This is DeWalt, she won¡¯t hurt you,¡± he said.


    I shifted as I leaned forward, turning into my wolf before my arms hit the ground. The robe fell off as I walked forward a few steps; I was waiting for screams, but they didn¡¯te. People were shocked but not afraid. I moved over to Viper and put my head on his leg, he scratched my ears as my tail wagged. ¡°This is how we saw her in the swamp, those three men were also werewolves.¡± I moved around the room slowly; I was bigger than a German Shepherd, grey in color with white and ck patches.


    ¡°My God, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± Teri said before I licked her face. ¡°E¡­¡±


    I chuffed softly and moved around the rest of the room, making sure everyone got a chance to touch me if they wanted to. When I made it back to Snake, he covered me with the robe. ¡°Guys, turn around,¡± he said. I shifted back to my human form and pulled the robe back on.


    ¡°Decent,¡± I said. I felt much better after the shift. ¡°Now I know you must have questions.¡± I repeated what I had told the others yesterday; what I was, what was happening with our women and why the men were after me.


    ¡°So just how many werewolves are out there,¡± Rocket asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Before all this started, I knew there were about five hundred Packs in North America, each with between ten and two hundred members. There are also loners, wolves without Packs, and rogues, wolves who were kicked out of Packs. Up north there were three smaller Packs the Alpha was allied to, all are gone, some of the survivors joined his Pack. Most of these raids, everyone is killed except the women who are captured and forced into mating. There¡¯s no way to get a count now, but I know that there used to be about a hundred Pack Doctors like me, and there may only be a handful left now.¡±


    ¡°What about back home,¡± Tiny asked.


    ¡°Packs like havingnd to run and hunt in, plus being in close proximity to humans makes it harder to keep our secret,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s why they are in remote, rural areas. The smells and sounds of the city can be overwhelming. I have trouble being downtown too long,¡± I said. ¡°So, I don¡¯t expect to run into werewolves there, but you never know.¡±


    ¡°And any male werewolf is a danger?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ if they don¡¯t want me for themselves, females like me have be valuable. If they will wipe out entire Packs to get women, they will pay for them too, or trade.¡±


    Viper stood up. ¡°I can tell she¡¯s getting tired, and she needs to rest. Snake will be staying with her, but I¡¯d like at least one other Club member to be around as backup¡­ armed backup, just in case.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay this afternoon,¡± Doc said. ¡°I still need to dress her wounds.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Everyone else, get ready, we¡¯re rolling in fifteen minutes. We¡¯re taking the backup run, back roads between here and Gainesville. Since you guys already rode all morning, we¡¯ll make the Daytona Beach run tomorrow instead.¡± The Club spent a lot of time talking with local clubs and figuring out good routes and stopping ces, and they always had extras.


    ¡°We¡¯ll watch football and rest,¡± Snake said. ¡°Have fun.¡± There was one more riding day on the second, then the next morning they all went back to the airport. The trip was almost over.


    When they were gone, Doc had mey down on the bed so he could check the wounds. He put dressings over the ones that were still healing, hoping to protect the stitches and scabs a while longer. ¡°It looks better since you shifted,¡± he said. ¡°Not as much blood as earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to shift twice a day until the scars are gone,¡± I said. ¡°This is a pet-free hotel, so I can¡¯t exactly spend a lot of time as a wolf.¡±


    He put the clean clothes on me and tucked me in, turning the bedside light off. ¡°I¡¯m going to nap with her if you¡¯re good,¡± he told Doc.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll watch the game.¡± I heard Snake pull his clothes off and felt him get into the bed behind me.


    He wasn¡¯t touching me, and that bothered my wolf. ¡°Hold me?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡± He scooted over until his chest met my back, and an arm carefullyid over my waist. I rested my head on his arm and was instantly asleep.


    I woke up to a knock on the door; Snake wasn¡¯t in bed, but I could smell him in the room along with Doc. I heard Doc open the door and pay for the delivery, the smell of pizza was enough to get my eyes open. ¡°Feed me,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± Snake said. ¡°The others are back, there were thunderstorms moving in so they returned early. They¡¯re all going out to a bar tonight, so dinner is just us.¡±


    I sat up, the pain wasn¡¯t as bad now. I took the pills on the bedside table and the ss of water he¡¯d left for me before he handed me a te of food. ¡°A quiet night with you sounds good,¡± I said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep24

    Doc left for a few minutes and came back with Kelly. ¡°Since you¡¯re feeling better, would you mind if Kelly stays with us tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Come over here, girl, they got us food and beer!¡± She sat on the bed next to me, and we had a great time getting to know each other better until it was time to sleep again.


    The guys kept me close the rest of the trip. Crash volunteered to ride back with us as extra security, so we made room in the back seat for him. He and Snake would alternated driving, since I was still healing. Doc took out my stitches on ourst night, allowing me to spend time in the Jacuzzi with Snake. I wasn¡¯t very active, but we still had a lot of fun ourst night in the room.


    I had onest thing I wanted to do before we left, knowing that even if they traced the call, it would be toote to do anything about it. I called the clinic up at the Northwoods Pack, nervously waiting for an answer. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Jessica? Is that you?¡±


    She answered in a whisper. ¡°Vivian? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jessica, I wanted to see how you were doing.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a minute.¡± I heard a door close, then she came back to the room ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about where you are, there¡¯s still an Alphamand out there to tell him if we find you,¡± she said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to kill you, he¡¯s worked past that now. He¡¯s frantic because we¡¯re going to go into heat season again soon and he has no Pack Doctor. No one does, at least none that they will admit to.¡±


    They probably wouldn¡¯t tell, especially if the Doctor was female, I thought. ¡°Not surprising, there may only be a handful left in the country. I am still technically under contract, but I don¡¯t feel safe there anymore. My home Pack is gone, Jessica. My parents were killed, all the males killed, the women taken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s the same up here, we get stragglers sometimes, people looking for a new Pack because the old one is gone. Same story everywhere. The strong Packs are grabbing all the women they can before spring.¡±


    ¡°Yours too?¡±


    ¡°Well, in a way. We haven¡¯t taken over Packs, but smaller Packs see the writing on the wall. Three have joined us already, and one more is in talks.¡±


    I guess that was better than the alternative. ¡°This heat season¡­ we don¡¯t have a cure, we didn¡¯t even figure out what was causing it. Getting pregnant is a death sentence. Talk to the women, tell them they can¡¯t get pregnant, no matter what their wolves say.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough ask, but I¡¯ll tell them. I¡¯ve heard rumors, though.¡± I could tell she was nervous. ¡°The senior leaders¡­ they are going to take mates before the heats start. If they die, they¡¯ll take another, even if they have to kill the woman¡¯s current mate.¡±


    My heart sank, how could they treat us like breeders? Killing mates in your own Pack? ¡°If you ever feel threatened, Jessica, pack anything from the clinic that might be helpful and run. Make sure to bring the preemie unit and the drugs and blood. Make your way to the Twin Cities and go to Bill¡¯s Gun Shop in Robbinsdale. Get a message to Moose, he can get a message to me. Don¡¯t die on me being a hero,¡± I told her. She was like a little sister to me.


    ¡°I will. I have to go, you take care of yourself, and stay safe.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°You too.¡± I hung up and Snake took my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± I said.


    ************


    Snake¡¯s POV


    February 12th


    ¡°I love her,¡± I said as I nursed the beer, looking over at Teri as we sat in the booth together. Vivian was out with a couple of the guys, picking up some medical equipment from a clinic near Rochester. ¡°I don¡¯t know when it happened, but when that man was choking her¡­ I knew right then I¡¯d die rather than have her be hurt again.¡±


    ¡°She loves you,¡± Teri said. ¡°We can all see it, we¡¯re happy for you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m moving too fast?¡± I was turning the box over in my jacket pocket, the one with the ring Teri had helped me pick. It was funny, the people at the jewelry store all thought she was my mother and ¡®how nice it was¡¯ that a young man like me had his Mom help him with something like this. Teri was that way to everyone, she was the woman who had been in the club the longest as a member. In all biker organizations you could marry into having the club patch, and in our club get a jacket that said, ¡°If Found Return to Hammer,¡± but she wanted her own Harley. If you could ride, you could vote, and she wanted to be at the table. Through sheer force of personality, she made the all-male club take on their first female member.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s scared. Sometimes she looks like a frightened animal. Is she still having shbacks to the rape?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not as often now.¡± We shared a room upstairs now, and asionally we got some sleep there. It could take an hour to calm her down before she could go after sleep if the nightmare was particrly bad.


    ¡°You¡¯re good for her, Snake. Give her a night to remember. Her upbringing was different than ours, she¡¯s never dated or had romance before. Show her how much you love her.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wait. I had a bunch of stuff to do if I was going to make this a proposal to remember.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I was sitting in my clinic room at the desk, searching eBay and Craigslist for medical equipment I could use. I looked out the window, it was February 13th, and a winter storm was raging outside. I closed my eyes and let my senses out.


    The howl of the wind called to my wolf. She missed the woods, the freedom, and the camaraderie of her Pack. She never thought she¡¯d be hiding out with humans in a suburban industrial park, the smell of gasoline and pollution irritating her nose. She wanted a mate, not a fuck buddy.


    Even if he COULD rock my world, my wolf missed her mate.


    It tore my soul apart. I had never felt such a gulf between us; I was repulsed by my rapist, I hated what he did to me, I hated how he ruined me. My whole life I had dreamed of finding the perfect mate, of running together through the woods, iming each other, and raising our pups together in a house over the Zumbro River. In a few minutes, that rogue had stripped that all away.


    My wolf saw it different, she had bonded immediately with his wolf when he imed me. She had been giddy, she was chosen by a strong male who could subdue her, one strong enough to protect her and her pups. The bond wove into me, it was for life, it was only through the mating bond that my soul could beplete. It didn¡¯t matter what the human would think. The bond was there, working its magic in my mind, and it would eventually bring the human side around.


    When the boys killed him, they killed a part of me too. There was an empty part of my soul, and she wanted to howl her loss to the stars, and I wouldn¡¯t let her. I hated fighting myself, I hated the way I felt. I shouldn¡¯t long after something I tried so hard to prevent.


    Tears ran down my face as I was lost in my mind, trying to find peace with the wolf inside me. I heard the door open, and Teri poked her head in. She had be the mother figure I needed, a shoulder to cry on when I couldn¡¯t talk to Snake about how I was feeling. How could I tell a man who looked at me that way that I was dreaming of another? You can¡¯t, but I could trust Teri.


    Terri smiled, ¡°Hey, I just stopped to see if Fluffy wasing by today?¡±


    I giggled, the kids in the daycare loved my wolf and I loved them. I was in an impossible situation, and my wolf didn¡¯t like it. Mating with a werewolf was a death sentence, sleeping with a human would never get me pregnant, but my wolf wanted pups to care for. When Snake had brought home the cor and leash, I almost pped him for making fun of me before he could exin. He wanted me to be able to spend time in my wolf form, and our options were limited. This way, he could pretend to be dogsitting, and my wolf would get to be in the clubhouse and with the kids.


    I just wish the cor he bought didn¡¯t have ¡°Fluffy¡± on the nametag. I was pretty sure Doc had a hand in that, but I couldn¡¯t prove it yet.


    ¡°Did Kelly ask?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are having their snack, then they are going outside.¡±


    My wolf was pushing forward, she wanted to y in the snow, to run around with them. ¡°I think I can do that,¡± I said.


    I thought about everything going on right now. In six months, I had lost my family, my job, my confidence and my mate. I was reeling, and I no longer had my parents or pack mates to help me. I was doubting myself, wondering once again how this all was supposed to work. Did Snake feel for me like I hoped he did? Was I was doing the right thing? Would it really be that bad to go back to the Boundary Waters Pack and take a choice mate? Or did I belong with the club? The emotions snuck out, just for a moment, but Teri saw them on my face.


    She pulled me into her arms as the tears started to flow again. ¡°Terri, can I ask you something?¡± I chewed my lower lip, my nerves showing through. ¡°Has Snake said anything to you or Hammer about¡­ me¡­ or us¡­¡± I blew out a breath, shaking my head before chickening out. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll just go back to our room and shift.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you and Snake having troubles or something?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just there is something off. He¡¯s been acting squirrely, distant. He practically ran out of our room this morning and left with Viper right after breakfast without saying goodbye. I never dated so I don¡¯t know¡­ I mean what if he¡¯s bored with me? Or maybe he found someone else? Someone he can have babies with?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep25

    ¡°Oh honey, I am sure it¡¯s fine. Snake¡¯s never loved anyone like he loves you. He just as nervous about this as you are, I think. being loved is a big deal to him, he wants what his parents had. He watched his father as his mother fought for five years before she lost her battle with cancer, he never stopped loving her. His Dad always made a big deal out of Valentine¡¯s Day, especially towards the end.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s kinda like a little girl this time of year, he always wants the perfect moment and the perfect food and¡­¡±


    Terriughed, covering her face, then started again. ¡°It¡¯s just Valentine¡¯s chaos, every year he throws a special dinner for all the attached club members. He goes all out, he¡¯s probably running all over town to find the perfect decorations or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I felt even worse now, not only did he not think of asking me to help him, but he was doing all this for everyone else BUT me.


    ¡°And as for running off, he¡¯s probably just out looking for the perfect card and gift ¡¯cause he¡¯s never had a woman worth sharing his Valentine¡¯s Day dreams with. I mean, really? How tough can it be? Flowers, chocte and some sexy lingerie thatsts thirty seconds before it¡¯s in a pile in the corner.¡± Iughed a little, thirty seconds would be a record for us. Usually, we didn¡¯t wear it. ¡°Seriously, men get all wrapped around the axle about finding something meaningful, when all we REALLY want is for them to show everyone how much they love us. That¡¯s why flowers get delivered to work and not the house.¡±


    Iughed a little, Valentine¡¯s Day was not exactly a Werewolf holiday. What was the point? You were mated or you weren¡¯t, there wasn¡¯t much courting or romance. You found your fated, or made a choice, then the bond took you the rest of the way.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they don¡¯t believe we¡¯ll give them the sex unless they buy us the right thing. I finally got him to stop wasting his money on that stuff, when what I really want is¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to say it.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want him to toss me over his shoulder after dinner and carry me out, smacking my ass before taking me home to ravish me. Oh, and I want a babysitter. It¡¯s nice when he rocks my world and I don¡¯t have to gag myself to keep from waking the kids up.¡±


    I giggled. ¡°We¡¯ve had to get a couple new pillows, I¡¯ve chewed through them.¡± She cracked upughing.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­ didn¡¯t know it was such a big deal¡­ Should I get him something?¡±


    She just shook her head. ¡°If you want, it¡¯s not the same for them. They want a beer, and they want to see you naked.¡± That sounded right. ¡°I got Hammer one of thosebo Drill and Saw packs from Home Depot.¡±


    ¡°I hope it was a DeWalt, they¡¯re the best!¡±


    She started crying. ¡°Viv, I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you didst fall.¡± She wipe a surprise tear away. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been on that road¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t finish. She was a strong woman, a survivor of a terrible childhood and street life as a teenage runaway. She would probably have ended up dead if Hammer hadn¡¯t practically kidnapped her from the future she faced. She loved him more than anything except their kids.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I was there, I think it was fate that brought me down that road because I wouldn¡¯t have met you or the others without it.¡± We held each other until the tears stopped. ¡°Now let¡¯s go get me leashed up.¡±


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I was sitting on a barstool, cutting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into heart shapes withrge cookie cutters for the kids, when I saw Terie downstairs. She walked up behind me and next thing I know, she¡¯s smacking me in the back of my head! It wasn¡¯t gentle either. ¡°Hey!¡± I checked for a lump. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°You need to chill the hell out, Snake.¡± Terri hissed.


    ¡°What did I do to you?¡±


    ¡°Not me, DeWalt¡­ You¡¯ve been acting squirrely and she knows something is up, but she thinks it¡¯s a bad something and not you popping the question.¡± Scowling, she picked up the tray of sandwiches. ¡°Screw this up tomorrow night, and werewolves will be the least of your worries, ¡¯cause this mama bear will being for your balls first.¡±


    I shivered as I watched her going back upstairs. Terri was sweet, gentle and motherly, but I had seen her drop a guy twice her size. As much as Hammer loved her, he also feared her. Terri was not to be messed with.


    I knew I had toe through with the perfect proposal, and get it done before I had toe back to prepare the big dinner. I still didn¡¯t know what to get her, what to do, or how to do it. Valentine¡¯s Day had never been so much pressure.


    A few minutester, Vivian¡¯s wolf appeared in the entryway, covered with snow, and shook herself off. I got down to pet her, she smelled like a wet puppy and Iughed as she licked at my neck. ¡°Hello, beautiful. Did you have fun?¡± She barked, her tail whapping the carpet. ¡°I wish I was a wolf, I¡¯d be the best mate you could ever have.¡± She whined before licking at my neck. Her teeth nipped at where my right shoulder met my neck, in the spot where Vivian said wolves marked each other. ¡°I love you, too,¡± I said quietly. I led her upstairs just as the kids started filing in, their coats and winter gear filling the racks and hooks by the entry.


    I spent a sleepless night, holding Vivian in my arms and trying to figure out how to do all this. It was somewhere after three in the morning when I finally asked myself what was important to her.


    Family. Club. Medicine. Motorcycles. Me.


    I¡¯d start there.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I woke him up on Valentine¡¯s Day morning the best way I could think of. Sliding under the sheet, I popped his morning wood into my mouth, slowly sucking on the tip. He moaned in his sleep, his hips moving up towards me as I took more of him into my mouth. I loved his cock, it reached deep inside, but wasn¡¯t so big it was difficult deep throating him. I kept working my way down, feeling his hands move to my hair as he pushed into my throat. ¡°Fuck,¡± he whispered. I took him all the way, feeling his long cock deep in my neck, before pulling off slowly. ¡°Happy Valentine¡¯s day, baby,¡± I said before I took him deep again. He was gripping the sheets, his body quivering as I brought him to a quick orgasm. I loved the feel of him firing into my throat, his cock pulsing as his seed poured in. When I popped off, he had his orgasm smile going.


    ¡°Good morning, love,¡± he said. I smiled as he pulled me up to kiss him, all I needed to get him was a steak and he¡¯d have the perfect day. At least that¡¯s what the girls told me.


    ¡°What is the n,¡± I said as I looked over at the clock. It was just after eight in the morning.


    ¡°Dress casual and warm, with boots, we¡¯ve got some driving to do,¡± he said.


    ¡°No hints?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± It was a Saturday, so the breakfast grill wasn¡¯t open. ¡°We¡¯ll get some food on the way.¡± Twenty minutester, we were in his truck and heading south on Highway 52. He had brought a couple bags with him, cing them behind my seat where I couldn¡¯t see them. He even smacked my leg when I tried to turn around. ¡°No peeking.¡±


    It was when he took the Zumbrota exit that my stomach sank. I grabbed his leg, nervously looking at the familiar town. ¡°Are we?¡±


    ¡°Going to yournd? Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t let go as we went through the town, finally turning into the road that led up to the old Pack houses. ¡°The Sheriff¡¯s Department investigation closed; there have been several other property crimes like this, where buildings are burned, and dogs are killed. They released itst week. I knew you weren¡¯t ready, so I took care of the arrangements for you.¡±


    ¡°Arrangements?¡±


    ¡°The remains. After they determined they weren¡¯t human, they were going to toss them. I convinced them to give them to you, I picked them up yesterday and had them cremated.¡± Tears were flowing down my face. ¡°I wanted you to have a chance to say goodbye to them.¡±


    He hopped out, taking the key and opening the gate before driving through. He parked in the driveway of what used to be my parent¡¯s house, and now was a pile of rubble covered by snow. I couldn¡¯t move; he came around, unbuckled me, and set me on my feet. Reaching into the truck, he pulled out the box and took my hand. ¡°What was your favorite ce here?¡±


    ¡°The point,¡± she said. She walked through the snow, leading me through the woods until we broke through to a rocky point overlooking a bend in the river. ¡°We used to swim here, and you could jump off the point into the water if it was high enough.¡±


    I handed her the box, she opened it up, the ashes were in the stic bag. ¡°Do you want to say anything?¡±


    Tears were streaming down her face as she looked at all that remained of her family and friends. ¡°I love you all, I miss you every day. May Luna hold you tight in her embrace.¡± She moved to the edge and opened the bag, slowly letting the ashes fall to the river below as I hugged her from behind. When it was over, she copsed in my arms. I carried her back to the truck. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m restless.¡± I looked into her eyes, I could sense her wolf wanted out by how her eyes looked.


    ¡°You should run then.¡± I helped her out of her clothes, and she shifted into her wolf. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡±


    She spent a good two hours running around her old Pack grounds before she returned to me. She jumped into the truck, shifting, and I wrapped her in a nket. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°I said goodbye,¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯m selling the ce, I can¡¯t be here again.¡± She pulled on her clothes before buckling up again. ¡°Snake? Thank you.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything for you, Vivian, even if it is just to be with you during the hard times.¡± I pulled back onto the road. We stopped for lunch before I took her to St. Paul Harley Davidson.


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t ride, you can¡¯t vote, those are the rules,¡± I said. ¡°The guys say that bike of yours isn¡¯t worth the money to fix it, so I thought we could do some shopping together.¡±


    She pulled me inside, excited over the idea. ¡°You romantic fool, you!¡±


    ¡°As much as I like you riding with me, I¡¯d rather see you riding by my side,¡± I said. We spent a few hours there before she made her choice. It was a ssic style, a Sportster 1200 Deluxe. It had lots of power but wasn¡¯t so big it would be difficult for her to ride. She was giggling like a schoolgirl as she filled out the papers, it was a sweet ride.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep26

    When we were done, she had to sit on it onest time. As she sat on the seat, her face stered in a smile, I gathered my courage and pulled the box out of my jacket. Opening it up, I knelt down by her knee until she looked down.


    Her face turned to shock when she saw the ring. ¡°Vivian, you¡¯re the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. I love you, and I want to be your Old Man. Will you marry me?¡±


    She stared at me, I could see the emotions going through her as she looked between me and the ring. Tears starteding down her eyes, I thought they were happy tears, but then she jumped off the other side of the bike and ran to thedies¡¯ room. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I closed the case, putting it back in my pocked, and walked to the door.


    I knocked softly. ¡°Vivian?¡± I could hear her crying. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s my fault. I asked before you were ready.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the truck,¡± I said. ¡°You just take your time.¡±


    I walked out, feeling crushed. I couldn¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t say yes. I consoled myself by saying she didn¡¯t say no, either.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I hated myself as I sat in the bathroom, crying my eyes out. Snake was a good man, I think I loved him, and I knew he loved me. I was just broken. I couldn¡¯t do this right now.


    I looked at myself in the mirror after cleaning my face of the tear tracks. It had been a great day, right until I panicked. I still couldn¡¯t believe that he had cared enough to give me a way to say goodbye like that, then the afternoon. I walked out, making my way to the lot where he was sitting in the truck, his eyes closed. I got in, and he still looked at me like I hung the moon. ¡°Are you all right,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a mess,¡± I said. We sat there for an hour as I told him about the fight I was having with my wolf, about how the forced mating had screwed with my wolf and my emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t want another man, I want you, I want to keep what we have if I haven¡¯t blown it already.¡±


    He pulled me across into hisp. ¡°If I wait forever for you to be my wife, it will still be worth it,¡± he said. ¡°So, since we aren¡¯t engaged yet, can I get you to help me cook dinner for everyone tonight?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as Iughed.


    ¡°Put in a good word with Teri for me, she threatened physical harm if I screwed this up.¡±


    I giggled. ¡°She¡¯s pulling for us. It¡¯s my fault, Snake. When I¡¯m ready, there¡¯s no one else I¡¯d rather marry than you.¡±


    I did a lot of talking over the next few weeks, both with Teri and with Snake. Somehow, he got the idea that what I really needed was permanence, something the mating bond had but marriage wouldn¡¯t. I could tell it grated at him that he couldn¡¯t give me what my soul craved.


    It was the weekend before Easter, and the kids were off school for Spring Break. I was reading some medical journals in bed when Snake came in. He kissed me, told me he had missed me all day, then went into the shower.


    I was tired after a long day in the books and frustrated because I still had no idea what was causing the female werewolves to bleed out. I called it a night, deciding to pull my clothes off and join him instead. His back was towards me, and I moved my hands around his waist as I came in. ¡°Hello, beautiful,¡± he said.


    ¡°How was your day?¡±


    ¡°It was good.¡± He froze, not looking at me. ¡°I did something. Something that can never be changed, ever, no matter what you say next.¡± My stomach sank, fearing the worst. He turned around, and my eyes were immediately drawn to his right shoulder. A huge new tattoo went up his chest. It was a grey wolf that looked exactly like mine, with a snake curling up her front leg and circling her neck. Under the wolf, in flowing script it said, ¡°Will you Marry Me, Vivian?¡±


    He dropped to his knees, removing the same ring from his finger I had rejected earlier. ¡°Vivian, will you be my wife and mate?¡±


    I pointed at the writing. ¡°That¡¯s permanent?¡±


    ¡°Your name is, the proposal is temporary,¡± he said. ¡°When you say yes, I¡¯ll get my name and our anniversary date put there with it.¡±


    I threw myself into his arms, kissing him deeply. I couldn¡¯t say yes fast enough.


    Easter Weekend


    I pulled at the waist of the dress, nervously trying to smooth everything down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you look great,¡± Kelly said to me as she pulled my hand away. ¡°He¡¯s not going to be able to move when he sees you. Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say, no one will be staring at you,¡± I said back. She and Teri were dressed the same: tight ck jeans, motorcycle boots, long sleeve ck T-shirts and their cuts. She continued to it my long ck hair, braiding my bangs into bands that wrapped around to the back of my head. The hair fell to the middle of my back, over the back of my own cut. Thece material hinted at the skin below, and my cleavage was on disy with the deep V-cut in the front. I wasn¡¯t wearing a bra since the dress wouldn¡¯t allow it; only some tape kept the girls from popping free identally. The dress red out over my hips, ending just low enough to cover the tops of the white thigh-high stockings I was wearing. Stiletto boots, white with silver ents, finished out the outfit. Finally, Kelly sat back, dering me to be ¡°absolutely perfect.¡±


    There was a knock on the door. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Viper said. The girls gave me a hug and left the room; I could hear the music outside as they left. Viper just held my hands, helping me calm myself until his cue. ¡°I¡¯m d I took a piss before I came in here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, your prostate is the size of a golf ball, it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re having trouble.¡± Having a Doctor in the club had been a change for them, most didn¡¯t see one unless they were bleeding or broken. I had converted one of the empty storerooms upstairs into a little clinic, stocking it with equipment I bought on eBay. It was a way to give back to the club and keep my medical practice active. I basically turned it into a private practice; we created apany, ordered the stuff and I even rented the space to make it all official. Prostate checks didn¡¯t get any more fun when the patient thought of you as the daughter he never had, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    He was more nervous than me, practically shaking as I held his hand. ¡°OK, I¡¯ve got a joke for you. Neil, Bob and Dick are sitting on a bench outside the old folk¡¯s home. Neil looks at the others and says, ¡®You know what I have about getting older? Not being able to take a piss. I get up four times a night, it¡¯s like peeing through a cocktail straw. I¡¯d give anything to take a good long piss again.¡¯ Bob says, ¡®Yeah, I know what you mean.¡¯ Dick says, ¡®I have a good long piss, every morning at six o¡¯clock.''¡±


    ¡°You did those names on purpose!¡± Heughed a little.


    ¡°So Bob says, ¡®Well, I¡¯d love to be able to take a good dump. I¡¯m so constipated, I sit in there for hours sometimes. I¡¯d give anything to have a good dump.¡¯ Neil agrees with him, and Dick says, ¡®Well, I have a good dump, every morning at six thirty.¡¯ The other guys look at him, all mad, and Neil says, ¡®Well, aren¡¯t you just the perfect one.¡¯ Dick shakes his head and says, ¡®Not really, I don¡¯t wake up until seven.''¡± Viper startedughing hard, and I had to join him. Before we knew it, the music outside stopped.


    Viper offered his arm. He was dressed like the girls- ck jeans and shirt, belt with a silver Harley buckle, his cut, and ck motorcycle boots. He kissed my hand before cing it in his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°No crying, Viper. Tough guys don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pressure me, I thought I¡¯d lost the chance to ever do this.¡± We walked out the door and turned past the bar, heading outside through the main doors into the lot. We got lucky with the weather, it was near fifty with a lot of sun and light winds. The white carpet ended ahead of us in the center of the lot, running off to the left.


    The aisle was lined with motorcycles, all facing the each other. At the front, a bunch of folding chairs were filled with my friends and family. The music changed when we arrived at the turn. We couldn¡¯t do much normal in this club; instead of Pachelbel¡¯s Canon in D, they were ying ¡°Another One Bites the Dust.¡± The girls were crying, Viper was barely holding on. I started crying myself, d the girls had used waterproof makeup.


    As we started forward down the aisle, each pair of bikes we passed was started up and revved a few times. We moved slowly, drawing out the moment. I kept my eyes on my Snake as he stood tall, next to Doc and Hammer. On the other side of the aisle, Kelly and Teri stood, bouquets of white roses in their hands. I looked down at the bouquet I was carrying, all white roses andce, stuck in a Budweiser bottle.


    The noise built as we got towards the front, where thest pair of motorcycles was revved up. We stopped just short of a small tform, in front of a sharp-looking Crash. He¡¯d be an ordained minister thest summer, at least that¡¯s what his certificate said, and this was his first wedding to officiate. He was wearing a bowtie, no shirt, his cut and his best jeans. This ceremony was put together quickly; when my heat starteding earlier than I thought, we had to move it up. We¡¯d only been engaged for a week.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep27

    Viper raised his free hand, and all the bikes revved at once; when he dropped his hand, they all stopped, and it was jarringly silent again.


    Snake stood in his tuxedo shirt covered by his cut, his mouth still hanging open as it had been during my entire approach. His Harley was parked behind the group to the side. ¡°Who gives this babe in marriage?¡±


    Viper said, ¡°I do, in ce of her parents.¡± He leaned over, kissing my forehead, before he gave my hand to Snake. I was led up next to him, standing facing each other as he took both my hands in his. I looked into his eyes, his love gave me the strength to do anything, and I needed that right now. ¡°Dearly beloved, and those just here for the free beer, we are gathered here today to unite Snake and DeWalt in the bonds of holy matrimony. May God have mercy on their souls. Oh wait, wrong page.¡± The club cracked up along with me. ¡°Marriage is a sacred bond. My Catholic school taught me that the shortestplete sentence in the Englishnguage is, ¡®I Am.¡¯ Amazingly enough, the longestplete sentence is ¡®I Do.''¡± He carried on for a while. I really wasn¡¯t listening too much, I was staring at the love in my man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So if any of you think they are making a huge mistake, speak up now or you¡¯re getting med.¡±


    ¡°YO!¡± I looked back, Moose was standing up. ¡°DeWalt, you¡¯re hot, educated and you have your own Harley. You sure you want to tie yourself to this short-ass fry cook?¡±


    I justughed. ¡°He¡¯s named Snake for a reason, Moose. He tempts me into sin. EVERY DAMN NIGHT.¡±


    ¡°Sit your fat ass down,¡± Viper said, ¡°You¡¯re holding up the party.¡±


    He sat, and Crash continued on. ¡°You got the rings? Cool. And now for the vows. Do you, Snake, take this hot biker babe to be your Old Lady? To go home with her after every party, to let her ride next to you, to protect her and keep her, forsaking any other hot babes, skanks or sweetbutts for the rest of your miserable, boring-ass married life?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°You bet your ass I do.¡± He put the white gold band on my finger.


    ¡°Do you, DeWalt, take Snake to be your Old Man? To ride him like your Harley, to take care of his shit, and put some meat on those skinny-ass bones, as yourst ex-boyfriend ever?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± I said as I slid the ring on his finger.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Then by the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota, and a two-hundred-dor check to a sketchy mail-order seminary, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now molest the bride.¡±


    Snake pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply. Everyone was cheering, and I was hiding my face in his chest as he carried me over to his sled. He got on in front of me so we could take the ceremonial ride back up the aisle. All the bikers pulled out behind me, and we made a singlep of the parking lot before stopping in front of the entrance again.


    We entered the clubhouse again, which had been decorated for the reception. It was the wildest party I¡¯d seen there, and there had been some good ones. All too soon, it was time to go. We went up to our rooms, which had been locked tight to prevent the members from doing anything to our luggage. We tore our clothes off, sating our lusts in the shower, before dressing and going out to meet the waiting taxi.


    Fourteen hourster, and as newly minted members of the Mile-High Club, we were at a resort in Key Largo, Florida. I had struggled to figure out how to get through my heat without my scent attracting wolves, and when I saw this in a travel magazine, I knew we had to go. The resort, called Jules Undersea Lodge, was located offshore, and the room was essible only by using scuba gear to reach the airlock thirty feet under the sea. Snake and I had taken sses to get ready; I was renting the ce for a week, and from how hot I was getting, the timing was perfect. The owners had already stocked the ce with food and drink per our preferences, and all we had to do was get in there.


    My first heat as a werewolf would certainly be memorable, I thought, as we stowed our gear and moved into the bedroom. The ce was notrge, but we wouldn¡¯t need more than the bed, bathroom and small kitchen inside of it. ¡°This ce is freaking amazing,¡± Snake said as he looked out the window at the reef fish swimming by.


    I hugged him from behind, our naked skin heating up. We wouldn¡¯t need clothes this week, just food, water, lubricant and a big bottle of Viagra. I reached around his body, my wolf was horny, she wanted her man.


    And she got him.


    Repeatedly.


    When we emerged from the pod a weekter, Snake was walking funny but had a permanent smile. My wolf was sated, I was married, and we were heading back home.


    I was looking out at the waves, thinking about the decision to leave the Packs behind and just move on with my life. Snake pulled me into his arms as we sat in the boat for the ride back to the dock, not liking my sudden gloom. ¡°Do you regret choosing me, knowing you won¡¯t be able to have children?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t in danger, I would kill my wolf and livepletely with you as a human,¡± I said. We had discussed it, then rejected the idea. Since my DNA wouldn¡¯t change, I could still be bred by a werewolf, my scent would still have just enough in it for them to tell if they paid attention. I could still be forced into mating, I just wouldn¡¯t have a mate bond. Without my wolf, I couldn¡¯t sense male wolves or tell when I was in danger. I wouldn¡¯t have the vision, the smell, the strength or the rapid healing. And I¡¯d miss the presence of my wolf in my head.


    Instead, I turned to my new Pack for protection and they rallied around me. I had the guys melt pure silver, then pour it into the hollow-point bullets they used. Knives were coated with silver and wolfsbane, both of which would make it much more difficult for the wounds to heal. I¡¯d gotten my carry permit finally; I never left the Clubhouse without a . 45 strapped to my waist, a knife in my boot, and at least one of my brothers with me.


    I shifted inside now, my wolf bing a favorite ¡°visitor¡± to the day care upstairs. The young ones loved to y with me and take rides. Only the full Club members knew what I really was; to the rest, I was a dog Snake took care of for his buddy asionally.


    I didn¡¯t have to work unless I wanted to. The ownership of my old Pack¡¯s property had passed to me as the sole survivor. I sold thend, cashed the insurance check and moved on.


    I had a new life with my husband. And I loved it.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    The ne trip back home felt weird. After a week spent naked with my new wife, having to share her with the rest of the world was hard for me. I looked down at her, her face tucked into my chest, my arm around her in the first-ss cabin. She had fallen asleep as soon as we took off. A part of me was proud that I had worn her out, because she had worn me to a nub. She warned me, but the intensity of the heat was like nothing I had ever experienced.


    If I wasn¡¯t totally,pletely in love with her before, I was now. Our souls had literallybined in that room under the sea.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep28

    I love springtime in Minnesota.


    My new motorcycle was amazing; it took a few trips to get used to it, but I loved the power and the feel of it. Since Snake had time in between meals to ride, every warm and sunny afternoon we would head out and explore a little. With the Pack issues, I wouldn¡¯t go any farther north than Duluth. There are a lot of good routes avable, and we spent a lot of time on back roads that connected to the Stillwater or Mississippi Rivers. There were a few times it was just us, but mostly anyone around would join us. After the long winter, we all wanted to get out when we could.


    I was riding Snake more than my Harley, which was good for both of us. Our rtionship continued to deepen, I found new things to love about him every day. I didn¡¯t regret a thing about my decisions now; I had my own Pack, in a way. They were human, but we were family and that was enough for my wolf to be satisfied.


    April wasing to an end, and May was one of my favorite months as thendscape came alive again. I had finished up my clinic appointments for the morning, as all of the Club members and their families were using me now as their private physician. As soon as I returned from our honeymoon, I had gone to the Medical Licensing Board and had all my paperwork changed to my new name; Doctor DelMar was now Doctor Hardigan. I didn¡¯t mind, it was a decent name, easy to spell and all. I didn¡¯t understand why Snake never used his real name until I saw it on his driver¡¯s license.


    William Brian Hardigan.


    Willie B. Hardigan? Frickin¡¯ hrious.


    And yes, he will be, very soon, if I have anything to do with it.


    Anyway, getting my license transferred into my married name was easy, and given the issues I had with a former patient, I was able to keep the name change secret. I got a job at a clinic in White Bear Lake, doing family practice two days a week as a vacation fill-in. It kept my license and certifications active and kept me busy. I did clinic two mornings a week at the club.


    The area riders had manyrger ¡®runs¡¯ where our club participated with dozens of others, plus unaffiliated riders. I kept my trauma aid kit in one of the trail vehicles that was along to pick up breakdowns, and our club stayed near the back in case there was a medical problem. My cut with the big red cross badges got attention and respect. I quickly became known through these runs as a doctor who could provide basic care at a reasonable cost, and many of the younger riders didn¡¯t have insurance. I worked on a cash basis only, and soon I was seeing family members from a half-dozen clubs in the area.


    I hadn¡¯t checked in with the Northwoods Pack for a while, so while we were down in Wabasha on a run, I went to a pay phone and called up there. The phone rang three times before it picked up. ¡°Clinic, Denise speaking.¡±


    ¡°Denise? It¡¯s Vivian.¡± Denise was the Beta¡¯s mate, she was a good woman.


    ¡°Vivian? Oh, thank Luna, are you all right?¡± She sounded excited.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Beta. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Is Jessica there?¡±


    ¡°She is, she¡¯s with Chelsea now for her prenatal checkup.¡± Oh shit. Chelsea was a sweet girl, newly mated a year ago to one of the Pack Warriors.


    ¡°Denise, how many women are pregnant? Didn¡¯t Jessica pass on my warning about getting pregnant?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it, I¡¯d rather experience the pain of a heat with no mate than risk what seemed like a sure death.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Twelve.¡± She paused. ¡°Most of the women chose to use contraception instead of taking the istion, and over half of them ended up pregnant.¡±


    It figured, their wolves would push forward, driven by the need to procreate. The more the human side tried to hold back, the harder their wolves would try to take over. No one had figured out how to get a woman in wolf form to roll on a rubber, and it only took once. ¡°Did Jessica¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant, she rode it out with me in the safe room,¡± she said. ¡°She mated Carson in March; all the women of age are mated now.¡± That wasn¡¯t good, I know some of them were waiting for their fate mates. That meant they either were forced or had taken their best option avable as a choice. ¡°Vivian, we need you back. These women need you, they are all between six and twelve weeks along. By the end of the summer, they will all be in the danger zone. I know how tough it wasst year, but these twelve are your friends, they are my family. We have to give them a chance.¡±


    I could feel the pleading in her voice, she was putting me in an impossible spot. ¡°I¡¯m not mated, Denise, and I don¡¯t want to be. Your Alpha already chased me off, ming me for his mate¡¯s death. Even if I am there, I¡¯m no closer to figuring out what is causing this or how to treat it.¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t be med, and I can¡¯t protect myself. I can¡¯t trust ANY male given what¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°You said you were all right,¡± she said softly. ¡°Did someone¡­¡±


    ¡°A rogue force mated me, Denise.¡± I could hear her intake of breath. ¡°He was killed shortly after, but the bond had already formed before being ripped away. He took my hope, Denise. I won¡¯t let it happen again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vivian. Honestly, I can¡¯t believe how bad things have gotten sincest summer. There are only four Packs left in the State that I know of, and we¡¯re all looking at the others to see if we can take their women. Luna never meant for us to be this way.¡±


    ¡°I have to go, Denise. Tell Jessica I said hello.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    I heard a door open in the background, and Jessica¡¯s voice. ¡°Chelsea, everything is going well, I¡¯ll see you in two weeks.¡± I heard the door close, then she picked up the phone. ¡°Vivian? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Hello Jessica. Congrattions on being mated.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said nervously. ¡°It¡¯s been great.¡± The door opened again. ¡°Hello Alphas, right this way,¡± she said as the phone was set down. I cut the connection.


    I spent a lot of time thinking about the conversation on the way home. I felt guilty, abandoning those I had vowed to help when I started training to be a Pack Doctor. These females needed me, and I was hiding in a St. Paul suburb, using my talents on humans and avoiding my own kind.


    We got back homete, the run being a good excuse to enjoy the weather along the river in between bars and restaurants. I couldn¡¯t get their faces out of my head as I took my shower; I was left to my own thoughts after leaving Snake downstairs with the boys.


    I was in bed by the time he came in, and when he tucked into bed I was crying softly. I exined what the problem was, and why there was no easy answer. ¡°Just sleep on it,¡± he finally said. ¡°The problem will still be there in the morning.¡±


    I finally dropped off in his arms, and he was right. The problem was still there.


    He could tell I was still bothered after we cleaned up from breakfast; it was a day off for me in the middle of the week. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said. He took my hand and led me back upstairs, then up the stairway that led to the roof of the building. The ck roof would be too hot by the afternoon, but right now it was fine, and the morning was cool and clear. We grabbed a few chairs out of storage and went to sit by the edge, looking out over the city towards theke. He pulled a notepad and pen out of his pocket. ¡°We¡¯re going to try something here,¡± he said. ¡°The rules are simple. Don¡¯t overthink it. We¡¯re just trying to get the ideas out there,ter we¡¯ll look at what is good or bad about it, or why it can¡¯t work. No bad ideas, all right?¡± I nodded. ¡°What is your objective with the pregnant females up north?¡±


    ¡°I want to save them, save their babies.¡± He drew two circles at the top of the page,beling one with ¡°Mothers¡± and the other with ¡°Babies.¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s look at what the threats to the mothers are first.¡± He handed me the notepad. I started listing them; fever, cental separation, uncontrolled hemorrhaging, heart failure. For the babies, it was premature birth, lung development, neonatal intensive care requirements and risk of pneumonia. He put circles under each one, connecting them back to the main circle.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep29

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. We¡¯re going to sit here and just rx for a bit, I want you to focus just on the sounds around you.¡± It was disconcerting to let my senses sharpen in the city, there were so many stimuli around mepared to the woods. I closed my eyes, letting my ears be more sensitive, and focused on the noises. The bird in the tree a block away. The cars elerating away from the stoplight. The sound of the air handler on the roof. I rxed into the exercise, so much so that I was a little surprised when he squeezed my hand and got up.


    ¡°Now what?¡± I looked down at the list of problems.


    ¡°Now, you go down to your office and start working through the list of problems. For each one, figure out what the treatment is, what equipment is required, what drugs, what training. The same rules apply, don¡¯t worry about whether you can get it or how much it costs. Just put down the list. When you are done, cross check it against what you have. Then, start thinking of how you can get the stuff you don¡¯t have.¡±I pulled him to look at me after we put the chairs back. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t matter if you risk your life to help them if you can¡¯t help them when you risk your life.¡± It was so simple, I¡¯d missed it. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you for nothing. I won¡¯t lose you period. I want you to focus on the medical issue, we still have time to prepare there. When we have that down, we¡¯ll talk about what it would take for you to safely care for them.¡± He leaned down and kissed me. ¡°Work the problem, Doc.¡±


    My husband was a smart man.


    We would figure this out.


    Jessica¡¯s POV


    July 4th Weekend


    I looked up from my book as Carson came into our room. ¡°Hey baby,¡± he said as he came over and bent down to give me a kiss. ¡°How¡¯s the studying going?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I put my notebook on top of the medical text and reached up, keeping him from backing off as I kissed him back. I had missed him, he was spending long hours each day in training, while I was studying all I could. I kissed him hungrily, letting my desire for hime forth. He and his wolf smelled it, and I smiled to myself as his eyes darkened. ¡°Study break?¡±


    His face fell. ¡°The Alphas want to see you,¡± he said as he pulled back. ¡°Come on, the sooner we are done the sooner I cane back here and ravish you.¡±


    I giggled as he pulled me up off the chair, crushing me to his chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean THAT, I wanted you to make me my ice cream,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll have dessert,¡± he said as he leaned back. My legs wrapped around his waist as we kissed again. ¡°I already had your cherry, but there¡¯s plenty of whipped cream.¡±


    ¡°Naughty.¡± I kissed him again and he let me down. I put on my sandals and walked with him out the door; even though it was almost ten at night, it was still light out. Our hands melded together as we walked, feeding the bond that had grown quickly between us. I had gotten over him not being my fated; such fantasies were no longer reasonable in the world we now had. Packs were falling apart, women were being stolen and men killed. I had a good man, one who would love and protect me with his very life, and my wolf and I both loved him.


    It was much better than what Vivian had happen to her. Once everyone was gone, Denise had closed the door to the clinic and filled me in on her conversation with my friend and mentor. Being raped, then forced into a mating bond was bad enough, but to have the bond ripped from you just as quickly? It was horrible. I had no idea how she had survived the heartache and loss.


    It sucked. I missed her, I was doing the best I could, but I was a high school graduate with an interest in medicine. I wasn¡¯t anywhere near qualified, but I was all this Pack had.


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the Pack House and head to the Alpha¡¯s office. Carson knocked softly on the door, I head shuffling then we were told toe in. We walked to his desk, our eyes kept down in respect of his position. ¡°Ah, Jessica, please sit.¡± We sat in therge leather chair, Carson pulling me down onto hisp.


    I looked across the desk, Madeline was on the Alpha¡¯sp, and I could see by her swollen lips and mussed-up hair that we had interrupted something. It wasn¡¯t umon, new mates were constantly showing each other affection, fanning the mes of the new bond. It took a year or so before couples becamefortable enough, until then I expected to spend more time on hisp than a chair. Add in the nervousness of being called in for unknown reasons, and it was no wonder our bond was pulling tight. Madeline smiled at me. ¡°You aren¡¯t in trouble, dear, just rx. We need to talk about what is going to start happening soon.¡±


    I knew exactly what she meant, the women farthest along were at week twenty now. We had lost onest week, and the experience ofst year showed the majority of the deaths happened to women between twenty and twenty-six weeks along. Madeline was at eighteen, he hand was perched over her stomach, her fingers spread over the bump. She started staring at her fingers, she quickly pulled her mate¡¯s hand over. ¡°There. Right there.¡±


    ¡°Feel your baby kick?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s weird, I thought it was gas at first, but it¡¯s like you described.¡± Her face was full of wonder as she held her hand over his. ¡°Feel that?¡±


    He smiled as he felt it. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it.¡± He leaned back where she couldn¡¯t see him before his face fell. He had known this before, it had been ruined for him, but he couldn¡¯t bear to have her witness his pang of grief. We waited patiently until they were ready to continue. ¡°There are ten other females plus my mate who are in grave danger now. Have you made any progress in figuring out a cure?¡±


    ¡°No, Alpha. There is nothing like this in the human medical journals; I¡¯ve not found anything helpful, and Dr. DelMara hadn¡¯t found anything either. I don¡¯t have any contacts with other Pack doctors, only the Doctor had those.¡± I looked at my hands. ¡°I watched some of when she delivered those babies by caesarean section, but I had other tasks at the same time. I have read the journals, but I get lost in the descriptions. I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I¡¯m just pretending to know what I¡¯m doing, underneath I¡¯m scared to death.¡±


    The mood in the room deted as I made my confession, but I felt a little relieved to finally get it out. I had no formal training and no confidence. Alpha rk¡¯s gaze pushed my wolf back, whining slightly under his dominance. ¡°What chances do the have if things stay as they are?¡±


    I looked at my feet, thinking how best to say this. ¡°I¡¯m not aware of any survivors, even withpetent medical care, which you know I can¡¯t provide. If you want them to have a chance, you need experienced doctors who can control the bleeding, who have the facilities to deal with severely premature babies.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡± Madeline said. ¡°No human doctors or hospitals, ever. One blood test, one shift and our existence is no longer a secret.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have other options for you, Alphas. None of the women have made it far enough into the pregnancy for the babies to be viable without extraordinary care, care I don¡¯t have the facilities or knowledge to provide. If you aren¡¯t willing to go to humans, the only other option I see is abortion.¡±


    Madeline¡¯s hands went to her belly as Alpha¡¯s eyes turned dark, his wolf pushing forward. He set his mate down before leaning over his desk at me, his nails digging into the wood. ¡°YOU WILL NOT THREATEN MY CHILD,¡± he growled at me.


    Carson leaned forward, his neck exposed in submission, but cing himself between me and his Alpha. I exposed my neck as well. ¡°I would never do that unless both mates consented,¡± I said. ¡°Are there any doctors or medical staff at the Packs you are still in contact with, sir?¡±


    I watched as he settled down, his eyes changing back. He sat down, pulling his mate into his arms, nipping at her shoulders as she rxed again. ¡°No. None of the Packs will admit to having any medical personnel, and most think I am hiding something because they know I had a Doctor here. The only Doctor I know is still under contract to our Pack. Jessica, I need Doctor DelMara back here now.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Do you know where she is?¡± I shook my head no, I had never asked and she wouldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Have you talked to her?¡±


    My eyes went wide, I couldn¡¯t lie to the Alpha, my wolf wouldn¡¯t let me. ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°In May, she called into the office right before your appointment.¡±


    ¡°And what did she want?¡±


    ¡°She just asked if I was all right. Denise talked to her more than me.¡± Oops.


    ¡°I better get Denise in here then.¡± He set his mate in his chair before standing. He sent out themand for his Beta pair toe to his office, a few minutester they were standing next to us. ¡°I understand you¡¯ve talked to Doctor DelMara recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± Denise said. ¡°She is doing well, and was interested in how our Pack was doing in her absence.¡±


    Alpha rk got right in her face. ¡°You, my Beta female, talked to our missing Doctor, who I have an Alphamand out to find, and you didn¡¯t think it was important to TELL ME THAT?¡±


    Denise was not cowed by his disy. ¡°No sir, the worst thing I could have done was talk to you.¡± He didn¡¯t look impressed. ¡°Alpha, YOU are the one who threatened her when she was unable to save Luna Connie. YOU were the one she had to flee for her life from. YOU are the one who promised her protection, then vited that trust. So yes, YOU were the LAST person I would ever tell. I would have zero chance of getting her back by talking to you.¡±


    He thought about it, then went back and sat on the corner of the desk. ¡°So what is your n?¡±


    ¡°Guilt. She¡¯s a Pack doctor, it¡¯s what her whole life is about. There are eleven women, people she knows, who are in danger and she¡¯s the only one who can help. I could tell from her voice she wants to, but she¡¯s scared to death, and not just of you. We all have heard the stories, there¡¯s no telling what danger she is in out there by herself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not in her old Pack,¡± Carson said. ¡°We had it checked, they¡¯re gone, all of them. No active scents for weeks, in fact the property is now for sale.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for her, either,¡± I said. ¡°She said she had been force-mated by a rogue, and he was killed just after the bond formed.¡± Madeline¡¯s face fell, she knew what this all meant for a shewolf. ¡°If we want her help, we have to show her we can protect her while she works. And I don¡¯t mean from other Packs, I mean from you and other males in this Pack. She won¡¯te without it.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know why she would ever believe us after what happened thest time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°Still, I have to try. Do you have any way to contact her?¡±


    ¡°She told me of a person to contact if it was an emergency, they would get a message to her.¡±


    He looked at Carson. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know anything about it, if you have to lie she might see through it. You two get in contact with her, meet up and figure out a way to get her here. Right now I can¡¯t think of a higher priority.¡± His gazended on me. ¡°You two have the authority to negotiate for me. Whatever she needs to take care of our women, I¡¯ll get her. Whatever it takes to make her safe, I¡¯ll do it. Whatever price to pay, I¡¯ll pay it.¡± He pulled Madeline back into hisp. ¡°I can¡¯t lose another mate, Jessica. The Pack can¡¯t lose more women.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take, though.¡±


    ¡°As long as it has to take. Time is danger, our women can¡¯t wait. Carson, you keep her safe, stay away from other Pack areas and hide among the humans. I want you to call me daily, just to let me know what is going on. Take a Pack truck and credit card.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep30

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. I will protect her, and we will do what is needed,¡± he said.


    ¡°That is all.¡± We both got up and left the room, leaving the Betas behind to talk more.


    It looked like we were going to Bill¡¯s in Robbinsdale.


    **********


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Sturgis wasing in just over three weeks, and part of me really wanted to go.


    The Club went every year to the biggest motorcycle rally in North America. I¡¯d seen their pictures, it looked like a st, and they raved about the rides and the fun they had out there. I was morefortable on my motorcycle now than a car, I wanted to join those huge rides, see those people, get the experience of it.


    It was the other part of me, the cautious part, the part that kept me out of danger, that was telling me no. Well, that along with Snake. I was tucked into his side in bed, still a little winded from thete morning sex we¡¯d had over thest thirty minutes. Snake had gone down to make breakfast while I slept in, then came back to take care of me. The man kept me satisfied, I loved him, but he was even more protective of me than my wolf. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you there, Viv. We¡¯ve gotten lucky so far, we haven¡¯t met other werewolves who ride, but that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t those. Sturgis gets bikers from all over North America, the world. All it takes is one rogue.¡±


    ¡°I can defend myself, you know.¡± I had my silver coated knives, my guns.


    ¡°You can¡¯t carry in South Dakota, they don¡¯t have reciprocity with Minnesota,¡± he said. ¡°As for the knives, weapons aren¡¯t allowed in the bars and venues. You¡¯d have to leave them with your bike, and that leaves you vulnerable in the crowds. The same crowds where just one wolf getting one sniff of you could lead to me losing you.¡± He pulled me on top of him, cupping my face and bringing me in for a kiss. ¡°You can¡¯t believe how crowded everything is. There¡¯s barely ces to park, to walk. No escape routes, no getaways.¡±


    ¡°And all it takes is a few minutes and it¡¯s all over for me,¡± I said as my head dropped to his chest. ¡°This sucks.¡± It was true, I could be taken and mated against my will if I was out of the Club¡¯s protection for even a few minutes, I¡¯d already had that proven to me. Once the bond took root, I¡¯d end up following my Mate instead of my husband. I¡¯d never see him again.


    ¡°You could go without me,¡± I mumbled into his chest. The Club shouldn¡¯t suffer because I stay behind.


    ¡°My ce is by your side,¡± he said as his hand ran down my back, setting tingles alight where he touched. ¡°It¡¯s always with you.¡± I was starting to rev up again, my body responding to him, and I could feel him starting to recover. I reached down, encircling him, coaxing him to hardness before cing him at my entrance. I sank down, loving the feel of him inside me as I reached the bottom.


    ¡°We could spend a whole week doing this,¡± I said huskily, my lips brushing over his hard pecs as he cupped my ass and moved in and out slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but we¡¯ll be a little busy.¡± I closed my eyes, giving myself over to the sensations. I didn¡¯t want to think now, I just wanted to be- to live in the moment, to give myselfpletely to him, to feel the release that I craved. He felt my need and picked up the pace. I pushed myself up, my breasts dangling over him as I started to drive down fast. I gasped as he took one in his mouth, sucking hard, I felt the sensation shoot through my body as my first release crashed over me.


    I copsed back on him, and he didn¡¯t slow down as he rolled me onto my back. I waspletely at his mercy now, my legs were pinned to my chest, I couldn¡¯t think straight. We came together, my scream caught in his lips as they crashed together.


    It took a few more minutes to get my head straight, during which time he rolled us to our sides and held me to his chest. He popped out a minuteter, adding to the mess the sheets had be, but I didn¡¯t care. I felt loved, well loved. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I said. ¡°Busy with what?¡±


    He was nervous now. ¡°Well, I kind of promised¡­ you know, since we¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you do, William Brian Hardigan?¡±


    His face fell, I only used his full name when I was pissed. ¡°I promised we¡¯d help take care of the children while the club was in Sturgis.¡±


    ¡°So let me get this straight. You¡¯re not letting me go to the rally, and we¡¯re not taking our own little vacation together. Instead, you signed us both up to babysit a dozen children here at the Clubhouse for a week.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Basically.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m not going to be the one changing diapers and feeding them. I think Fluffy is going to spend the whole week with you while your ¡®friend¡¯ is in Sturgis.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stock up on dog food, then.¡±


    I sent him a re that could freeze water at twenty feet. ¡°Fluffy likes burgers, fries and shakes,¡± I said. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t eat right, she might take it out on you, you¡¯ll find a present in your boots or something.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said, but I could see he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°The wild side of me is still there, and you know how naughty a puppy can be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you, Fluffy.¡± He started tickling me, chasing me out of the bed.


    Just then there was a knock at the door. ¡°DeWalt? Moose said to call him at his work. It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Crash, I¡¯ll be down in a few.¡± I took a shower, drying off quickly then going out to the closed and pulling on some clothes, I¡¯d taken to wearing jean shorts and Harley T-shirts or halter tops in the summer. I bent over to put on my sandals, wiggling my butt at him as I did.


    ¡°Keep that up and you won¡¯t be leaving this room,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you could keep it up I wouldn¡¯t want to leave the room,¡± I said with a grin. He tried to smack my ass as I walked by, but I was too fast and was out the door before he was out of bed. I smirked at him as I closed the door, ignoring his naked body as he walked to the bathroom. I walked down the hall, past the room where the kids in day care were ying, then went to my office. I closed the door and opened my address book, finding the number. I asked for Moose, and waited a few minutes for him to pick up.


    ¡°Bill¡¯s Gun Shop, this is Michael,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hi Moose, it¡¯s DeWalt. You wanted to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A young couple was here when I opened this morning. He said his name was Carson; he was tall, strong, ck hair, she was younger with long blonde hair. She said her name was Jessica and she worked with you at yourst job in the Boundary Waters.¡±


    Jessica Anderson. She was down here? Something was wrong. Contacting Moose was for emergencies. ¡°I know them. Did they say what they wanted?¡±


    ¡°Just that they needed to talk to you, it was urgent. They said they are staying at a hotel, here¡¯s their contact information.¡± He read the phone number and room number to me. ¡°Do I need to worry?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Thanks for the help, Moose. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°I hope not, DeWalt, I want you sticking around the club. You make Snake almost tolerable to be around.¡± Iughed and hung up. Snake knocked and came in as I was thinking about how to do this, he looked good in a pair of tan shorts and a Jacksonville Harley-Davidson T-shirt. ¡°I got a call from my old assistant, Jessica. She¡¯s in town, she came to the gun shop and talked to Moose this morning.¡±


    He sat down in the chair by my desk. ¡°It can¡¯t be good if she drove all the way down here. From what you told us, they aren¡¯t letting women wander around.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s got her mate Carson with her. He¡¯s a good man, treated her well when I was there. He was her security for a while before I left.¡± I showed him the hotel. ¡°I want to meet them, but I want to make sure it¡¯s safe.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It could be a trap to draw you out. Given how desperate they are with a dozen pregnant females, I wouldn¡¯t doubt it.¡±


    I looked out the window. ¡°I have to go. She¡¯s a friend, I need to help if I can.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then. But we do it my way.¡± He went downstairs to talk to the Club members who were around. An hourter, I had called and made arrangements for them to meet me at the Mall of America parking ramp. ¡°It¡¯s a good ce, full of humans andw enforcement, and everything is on camera,¡± he said. A few Club members had been sent ahead to wait there, even before I called, so they would be able to tell if any Pack members were trying to set a trap for me.


    It was just after one in the afternoon when Snake pulled into the ramp on the top floor of the East ramp, stopping by their car. I was parked well away in the lot, having arrived while their attention was on Snake¡¯s van. With my braid, sunsses and Harley bandana, I doubted they¡¯d see me for who I was. He got out and knocked on their door. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m a friend of Vivian. I need Jessica to get in the van with me now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m notfortable with you, I don¡¯t know you,¡± Carson said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you want to talk to Vivian, you do what I say, when I say it. She doesn¡¯t trust you, and I hear she has good reason not to. You stay here, and I¡¯ll bring her back when they are done.¡± They argued for a minute, but eventually he gave in. Jessica got out of their truck and hopped into the back of the unmarked cargo van. I was already on the way to the ramp; a Club member would watch him to make sure he didn¡¯t follow. If necessary, he would take out his tires. Other members would follow on their motorcycles from behind, making sure we weren¡¯t followed.


    I drove back onto the freeway, heading for the meeting ce we had set up. The Fort Snelling National Cemetery wasn¡¯t far away, and there was a gpole and memorial set up near the entrance. I parked my bike and walked over to the visitor¡¯s center, nodding to Crash as he did a circuit of the area. A few minutester, Jessica was dropped off at the curb and slowly walked to the benches. When she sat down and Crash nodded it was all right, I walked out towards her.


    She smiled widely when she spotted me, jumping up and giving me a big hug. ¡°Doc, I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for meeting me.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep31

    She looked good, mated life agreed with her, but I could see the strain and the frustration in her eyes. We spent almost an hour talking, as she filled me in on everything that was going on. By the end, she was crying. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, Vivian. I¡¯m not who they need, they will all die if you don¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t help, Jessica, just that I was not ever returning to that Pack,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t endanger myself or my life with increasingly desperate wolves. I do have a way around this, but the Alpha isn¡¯t going to like it.¡± Snake and I had continued our exercise, spending weeks working through the details until we had a n. ¡°I will take over the care of the pregnant women, but on MY terms and territory. Here is the offer. All of the pregnant women, plus you, will drive to a ce in Duluth I will give youter. My human friends will pick them up and take them to a secret location; they won¡¯t be allowed to know where they are going, they will be blindfolded, and the rooms they are kept in will have no windows. My friends and I will care for them, give them the best medical care I can, and if any survive I will return them to the Pack. If they don¡¯t make it, we will cremate the bodies and that¡¯s it. Your Alpha, their mates, they won¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    She looked horrified. ¡°They¡¯ll never agree to being separated from their mates,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then their mates will die,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a take it or leave it offer. When theye down, I want all the medical supplies and equipment I left up there sent along, we¡¯ll have a truck for them to load it into. It doesn¡¯t return, it wouldn¡¯t do you any good anyway. Those are the terms. Ask you Alpha if they are eptable.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still up North,¡± she said, ¡°I can¡¯t reach them. He authorized us to negotiate for him, so we ept your terms. We have no choice.¡±


    I gave her a hug. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, but you understand I have to protect myself. I will call you in two days with the details. Oh, and one more thing.¡± She looked at me again. ¡°Part of the deal is that if you want to, you and Carson can break your Pack bonds and stay. We both know what is going to happen if this year goes bad. The Alpha will need another mate, and he¡¯s had his eye on you. Your mate won¡¯t stop him, he¡¯ll kill him and take you in a heartbeat.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know.¡± She was crying as we hugged each other goodbye.


    I saw the van pulling up to the curb, he had seen the hand signal that I was done. ¡°Get back in the van, he will take you back to your mate. It¡¯s going to work out, Jessica.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± she said. She walked away and got in, immediately they drove off. I waited a few minutes before walking back to my motorcycle, which was parked next to Crash¡¯s. We drove back to the clubhouse, taking routes and doubling back asionally to make sure we weren¡¯t followed.


    I was crying the whole time.


    *********


    Alpha rk¡¯s POV


    ¡°She wants me to WHAT?¡± I damn near jumped over the desk and attacked them, only Madeline¡¯s hand on my back kept me from losing it. Jessica was practically rolled into a ball on the chair, my dominance had rolled over her like a wave and her wolf waspletely submissive. Carson was showing his neck, but he was positioned between me and his mate. He wouldn¡¯t let me get to her without taking him out, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me for long. I finally sat back down, reigning in my wolf who was furious at the idea of letting my mate leave me.


    ¡°She¡­ she said we could bring the pregnant females to Duluth, they would be picked up there. She would take care of them, provide them medical care.¡±


    I looked over at my Beta pair, both were anxious. Denise was moving closer to the young wolves, she liked Jessica and didn¡¯t want her hurt in my outburst. ¡°Please, Alpha, let¡¯s hear her out without losing our shit,¡± she said softly. ¡°You sent her to find Doctor DelMara and make a deal, she came back with one. At least let her finish before you dismiss it.¡±


    I sat back, pulling my mate into myp. My hands covered hers over her baby bump, moving my fingers around as I calmed. Denise was a pain in my ass, but she was usually right. She had more backbone than her mate did, but he was better at things requiring brute force. I reached over and pulled a pad of paper out of the drawer with a pen. Focusing, I wrote ¡°Females transferred to Doc¡¯s care at her location after transfer in Duluth¡± as the first item. I looked up at Jessica, she was sitting normally now, but Carson was on the edge of the seat protecting her. ¡°What else did she want?¡±


    ¡°The medical supplies and equipment that we have up here, she wants them.¡±


    Beta Charles looked up at that as I wrote it down. ¡°Wait, we need that stuff!¡±


    Jessica shook her head. ¡°Other than the basic first aid stuff and exams, I don¡¯t know how to use most of it anyway. It belongs with the doctor. She has tissue samples, reports, a lot of things she was working on to figure this problem out. She needs theb equipment and supplies to do her research. She wants the drugs, even that expensive IV treatment she orderedst year.¡±


    ¡°The one that cost more than half a million?¡± I had been making the transfer when my first mate, Connie, had started to bleed. With her gone, it had been sitting in the refrigerator. She had been very clear that it could easily kill if not used right. ¡°She can take that, but it is for the Luna. What else?¡±


    ¡°She wants blood. All of the adults and older children need to give a pint before we leave. Ifst year is any gauge, we¡¯ll need a lot.¡± I wrote it down, I wasn¡¯t going to argue this one. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Jessica swallowed, ¡°I am to be allowed, along with my mate, to break the bond with this pack and remain with her if we choose to do so.¡±


    ¡°AB-SO-FUCKING-LUTELY NOT!¡± I roared. There was no way in hell I was going to let Jessica leave the pack, ever. She was a hot little number. I hadn¡¯t moved fast enough with her after Connie passed, thinking she was still too young since she was still in high school, not even half my age. Still, I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d take a choice mate so quickly. If Madeline didn¡¯t make it, she was top of my list for the next Luna. ¡°She can¡¯t take the only person here with any medical training or experience. Some of the women may not agree to go, they will need help too, and I need Carson here to protect the Pack.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, calm down,¡± Denise said. ¡°Write it down, take a breath or two.¡± I sat back, writing it down, swearing to Luna it would never happen as I did so. ¡°Jessica, do you want to go with her?¡±


    ¡°Our home is here, Beta Denise. It¡¯s all we have.¡±


    I smiled at that. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± She leaned into her mate¡¯s chest, I had upset her.


    I looked down at my list. ¡°So, she wants us to turn over the patients to her, just the women, no mates or protection, no contact with the Pack or their mates. She wants all our medical supplies, all our blood stock, and our medical assistant and her mate. And what do we get in return?¡±


    ¡°She takes care of our females, Alpha. She is a good Pack Doctor, she will give them the best care she can.¡± Jessica was loyal, I had to give her that. She just didn¡¯t see the big picture, but she was so young and trusting. It was both endearing and dangerously naive. ¡°If anyone can find a way to save a mother and baby, it¡¯s her. We were working on how to stop the bleeding, on how to deal with preterm babies. We can give them a chance.¡±


    I sat back, my fingers tapping on my mate¡¯s belly as I thought about it. She was offering all the care I needed, but the loss of control grated at me. I could get the exact same thing just by getting her marked and mated by a man in my Pack, and she¡¯d never leave then. It was a much simpler and more direct solution than taking eleven pregnant women away from their mates to die in an unknown location. And die they would, unless something had changed.


    I got up, setting my mate in my chair. ¡°I can¡¯t order men to give up their pregnant mates, it has to be their choice. My love, I need you and Beta Denise to call a meeting in the dining room, I expect all pregnant females and their mates to attend. Have the kitchen staff set up snacks and drinks. I¡¯ll be down there in twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°So quickly, boss?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to set it up, so yes. Jessica, I need you to stay in the clinic and do the blood draws. I¡¯ll have people cycle through the rest of tonight and tomorrow, it will keep you busy.¡±


    ¡°Alpha,¡± she said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want me at the meeting?¡±


    ¡°I think I can handle it, and it would be better if we didn¡¯t have to worry about protecting you when this happens. You saw how I reacted, the other ten males could be the same. Let the Betas and I handle it instead. You stick to drawing blood and preparing to move the equipment. I¡¯ll require a decision by noon tomorrow, that will give us enough time to get everything ready for the move.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°Carson, I need to talk to you and Beta Charles while the others are doing their part,¡± I said. The dismissal was clear, the threedies got up and left the room. When they were gone, I stared at Carson. ¡°Tell me about the meeting with Doctor DelMara.¡±


    ¡°Well, sir, I never saw her. We got to St. Paul and went to Bill¡¯s Gun Shop and asked for a guy named Moose. This big human works there, we told him who we were and that we needed the Doc, and left him our contact info. A few hourster she calls and has us meet on the top of a parking garage at the Mall of America.¡±


    ¡°Really? That ce is cool, I need to go there sometime,¡± Charles said.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t go in, sir. We are waiting like we were told when a white panel van pulls up next to us. This guy gets out andes to my window; he¡¯s human, but he smells of Vivian. He tells me Jessica needs to get in the van ande with him, ny minutester he¡¯s dropping her off. She was taken to the national cemetery nearby and met her there. As soon as she was back, we drove right back up here to tell you.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep32

    ¡°Human? She¡¯s using humans for security?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. And I think they know about us.¡± I looked at him quizzically. ¡°I could smell silver on him, along with gunpowder and oil. I think he had silver-tipped ammunition.¡±


    My ws extended, this was very dangerous. If she had already informed humans of what she was, she was subject to instant execution, no trial. ¡°Any idea who he was?¡±


    ¡°No sir, but I did get the license te of the vehicle.¡± I wrote it down, one of our men was in the Sheriff¡¯s Department and could figure out who it was.


    ¡°Thank you, Carson. You did well, and you protected our Pack. Join your mate and get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Alpha. Beta.¡± He stood and walked out. I went over to the bookshelf, grabbing two sses and a bottle of bourbon. I poured two, handing one to Charles as I sat back down. ¡°Thoughts, Charles?¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s told humans about us, it gives us some leverage in that we might be able to threaten her toe back or face the consequences. However, we don¡¯t know how much the humans know, they might know where we are, how many of us there are. If they know about silver, they could be a threat.¡±


    ¡°It would help if we knew who they were. Other than the doctors up here, who else? It doesn¡¯t sound like that guy was from her medical school.¡±


    ¡°Well, sir, there are some clues. This Moose guy at the gun store. She¡¯s been calling here, I could check the phone records. And rememberst summer, those bikers who brought her back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she said she saved one of them. The Northwoods Riders, if I remember right.¡±


    Charles smiled. ¡°Those are the ones. Who owes you more than a biker gang when you save one of their lives? Certainly, they would be capable of giving her security.¡±


    I smiled, it was perfect. ¡°We¡¯re going to go ahead with the transfer. They won¡¯t let her anywhere near here, but that¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll wait for her. We¡¯re going to figure out where these bikers are, where she is hiding, then we¡¯ll get her back.¡±


    ¡°How? She doesn¡¯t want toe up here.¡±


    I justughed, she was a hot, smart woman in a world with no single females left. I would have no shortage of volunteers. ¡°I¡¯m sending male volunteers down to St. Paul. I don¡¯t care if they have to walk the city smelling for her, they will find her. And the one who finds her and fucks her gets to keep her. She¡¯ll be back here inside a week, along with Jessica and Carson and all our women. Just like it should be.¡±


    *******


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°You need to rest, love. This will all be here tomorrow.¡± Snake pulled me back into his chest, forcing me to rx into him as my eyes struggled to remain open. He kissed my head gently. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I looked around the room, my eyes only seeing all the work that needed to be done tomorrow before the women would arrive, if they chose to arrive. Snake¡¯s exercises in preparation had paid off big time. I never would have found this ce if we hadn¡¯t focused on the problem, that whole exercise in listing everything I would need to help the women once they arrived. I had procured an exhaustive list of equipment that I would need, along with a hidden location to use it. There was no way in hell I was bringing anyone associated with that Alpha into my home, I didn¡¯t trust him as far as I could throw him. Snake didn¡¯t either, that was why Viper and the other guys were taking such precautions in the transfer. They were already in Duluth, setting up for the exchange of up to twelve pregnant shewolves in the morning.


    It was like Luna was looking over my efforts with how it fell into ce. I was searching for used medical equipment when I came across a real estate listing for a veterinary practice. It wasn¡¯t arge building, it had been run for decades by a single veterinarian and some assistants in Maplewood. When he suddenly passed, his estate could not find anyone to take over; the building and its contents were avable for a price, including an assumption of the remaining two years of the lease. I immediately called and made an appointment, and before I left we had agreed on a very reasonable price.


    Most of their work was on pets, but they did have the equipment to work onrge animals as well. The X-ray machine was old but was workable, the ultrasound was nearly new. Theb was small but capable. The small surgical suite would need a new bed for humans, but otherwise was well equipped. The supply room was stocked, including a number of drugs that would be helpful to me. By converting the office and lobby into living spaces and fixing up the break room into a small kitchen, it would work well for what I needed. It even had a small crematorium; it wasn¡¯trge enough for a whole body at once, but in parts it was better than building a bonfire in the suburbs. It solved so many problems at once for us. We left the windows boarded up, not wanting to show anything going on inside. The front faced a busy road, but in back was a fenced-in area that was hidden from the neighbors; once we drove the vans in, we couldn¡¯t be seen easily. If anyone inquired, we were preparing the property for auction.


    We had driven a van over with the equipment from my clinic and from storage, all the things I had been searching for over the summer. While I was setting things up, Snake and Moose had been making runs to the stores. Thedies of the club had taken over preparations for the women, cleaning the rooms and setting everything up into a functional dorm. They had left at ten, and I was still working in myb after midnight when he¡¯d finally had enough. I let him lead me to the door, turning out the lights behind us as we headed for the van. ¡°Shit, I forgot my cut. Go start the van,¡± he said.


    I opened the door and walked out into the back lot, taking a deep breath as I looked up at the night sky. I hadn¡¯t gone two steps when I froze, I could feel him, smell him, but as I turned around it was toote.


    Strong arms wrapped around me as I was lifted off the ground. Kicking didn¡¯t help, and my head buttsnded harmlessly against his strong chest as he walked me to the front of the van. ¡°Donovan, don¡¯t do this.¡± I could smell his arousal, it was calling to my wolf, a deep woodsy smell of animal lust.


    ¡°Oh, Vivian, how I have dreamed of this day. Alpha rk sends his regards, and his congrattions on your uing mating in about, oh, two minutes.¡± He pushed my back against the hood of the van and forced me down onto the hood, my legs dangling off the ground. His left hand easily caught both of mine, holding them together above my head as I struggled against him in vain. I wasn¡¯t weak, but I wasn¡¯t a trained Pack Warrior either.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this, Donovan, I don¡¯t want this.¡± I shivered as his right hand went down my side, caressing the side of my breast as it made its way down. I felt the nails shift into ws, cutting away the shorts from my waist before he cut away my underwear. They fell to the ground, leaving my lower half bare and open for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s what is best for you, and something that I want. The Alpha sent five of us here, promising that if we found you, we could mate you and keep you. This little bout of independence doesn¡¯t serve you or our Pack. You belong with us, under Alpha rk¡¯s dominion as his Pack doctor, and a mated Pack woman. Did you really think that he would turn over all those women to you, including his own mate, without a n to get you back? Foolish woman.¡± I spit in his face, he just smiled. ¡°I found you first, and I win. You¡¯ll learn to love being my mate, Vivian. I¡¯ll keep you happy, and with this tight body, I know you¡¯ll keep me VERY happy.¡± His tongue licked my neck, right on the spot he was going to leave his mating im. If he managed to screw me to orgasm and bite there, I would be tied to him irrevocably.


    ¡°She¡¯s already happy, asshole.¡± Donovan stood up and turned, and I looked back to see an angry Snakeing out the back door. His Colt was in his hand, silver bullets at the ready, but I was right behind him.


    ¡°Walk away before you get hurt,¡± Donovan growled out. ¡°She¡¯s mine, and I¡¯ll kill to keep her.¡±


    ¡°Funny, so will I.¡± I didn¡¯t give him a chance. He had let go of my hands, and I quickly reached under my shirt for thebat knife I kept on anyard between my breasts. With his attention on Snake, he didn¡¯t consider me a threat. That was hisst mistake.


    I unsheathed it as I reached around his waist with my left hand. I used the hold for power as I stabbed up with the knife, pushing it into the junction of his vertebrae and the ipital te on the back of his head. The six-inch de easily prated the bone, destroying the brain stem. It was a lights-out kill; that portion of the brain controlled breathing, heartbeat and all motor function. He fell to the ground bonelessly, dead before he could understand what had happened.


    I scrambled off the hood and reached down, removing my knife and cleaning it on his shirt before putting it back in its sheath. Snake ran over, pulling me into his chest. ¡°Shit, Viv, are you all right?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°He didn¡¯t get a chance to do anything. Bring him inside for me?¡± I was strangely numb, like my emotions had been disconnected. My wolf and I were probably in shock, but I had no time to break down. I reached down and grabbed my destroyed clothing. I removed my keys and opened the door. Walking into the building I tossed them into the garbage. I went to theb, opening the cab with spare scrubs I pulled a pair on, rolling up the bottoms as they were too big for me.


    I was only when I looked in the mirror that my mind started to process what just happened, and how close I hade to a second rape and forced mating in less than a year. The adrenaline crash hit at the same time; I started to shake, my body shivering and my brain shutting down. I slid down the locker to the floor, the emotions overwhelming me as I buried my face in my hands.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there, I lost track of time. This was the third male I¡¯d killed, but it was so much worse than the first two. Those had been during a three-on-one situation with rogues, men who were crazed and dangerous. This? This was my friend, my protector, the man who stayed by my side and slept in wolf form each night outside my door. He was like family to me, and he so casually talked about how forcibly mating me was the right and good thing to do.


    His words shook me to the core. How much had he hidden his attraction for me during the time I was sleeping with Matt? How could he know me so well, know I didn¡¯t want this, but still think it was all right? It was like I was the prize.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep33

    Actually, that was EXACTLY what it was. Alpha rk had sent five men on a hunt for me, winner take all of me. The fact that they would have to rape me, take away my choice forever, didn¡¯t even slow them down. My desires were meaningless, even for men I considered trusted friends.


    I cursed him and his Pack, vowing to destroy that man¡¯s reign over the good wolves I knew in his Pack.


    Snake opened the door and looked in. His face fell as he took me in, crying uncontrobly, shaking and holding myself. ¡°Shit, Vivian,¡± he said as he rushed over. He picked me up and carried me to a chair, sitting down and holding me across hisp. I buried my face in his chest, letting all the emotion out as my wolf calmed herself with his scent. We had some deep discussions, my wolf and I, about Snake. She loved him as I did now, saw him as a strong man and a good protector for her. He¡¯d never let me down.


    I told him everything that had happened, everything I knew, then I fell asleep in his arms.


    I woke up the next morning in bed, the lighting through the cracks in the drapes andnding right on my eyes. I looked up, it was nine thirty in the morning. I sat up, looking around for Snake and not finding him. His scent was weak, he had been gone for a while. I got up, seeing I had been changed into pajama shorts and one of Snake¡¯s T-shirts. I quickly used the bathroom, then put on sandals and shorts and headed down to the club.


    I saw Moose at the bar, eating a bowl of cereal. ¡°What, no hot breakfast? Where is Snake?¡±


    ¡°Gone. He left me here to keep watch over you, he said he would call if he had a chance.¡±


    I sat next to him and grabbed a bowl and some Raisin Bran. ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°Duluth. He said he had some unfinished business with some rk guy.¡±


    *******


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I walked back downstairs, still pissed off about what happened. I couldn¡¯t calm down enough to sleep after I got Vivian back home and put her to bed. I asked Moose to make sure she stayed safe while I did what I had to do. I knew he would protect her while I was gone, that wasn¡¯t what was eating at my gut.


    I almost lost her tonight. If I didn¡¯t take care of this problem, she would never be safe from them.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I grabbed some stuff out of the shop, finding Scrape working on histest restoration project. Scrape was a welder by trade and an absolute maniac on the road. He drove so fast that if he ever crashed, they¡¯d have to scrape him off the road, hence the name. He flipped up his welding mask and looked at me, his scarred face from a previous crash took a while to get used to. ¡°What are you doing, Snake.¡±


    ¡°Going to the clinic, then heading north to the meetup to kick some ass,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s too damn quiet around here.¡± He set his stuff down and pulled off his welding jacket, exposing the scars on his shoulder and arm. He wiped the sweat off with a towel, then put on a wifebeater and his cut along with his worn jeans and boots . ¡°You¡¯re not going alone. DeWalt is being watched?¡± I nodded, Moose must have told everyone here what had happened.


    ¡°Moose is taking care of it, plus some of the women are here. They are strapped as well.¡± We taught our women to shoot, they weren¡¯t weak ones who would hide in the corner. I know I wouldn¡¯t want to go against Teri and her favorite shotgun.


    ¡°Viper know we¡¯reing?¡±


    ¡°Teri will tell them when they check in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± I did a double take, he wasn¡¯t the kind of guy to follow, he was the guy who was already there before you decided to leave. I went out to the van, he pulled his big Harley next to me before I left.


    The ride was short and quiet at this time of night, and we let his bike out by the street while I opened the fence and parked in back. ¡°We¡¯ve got a little cleanup to do,¡± I said.


    ¡°Figured that.¡± We walked into the back of the clinic, and I opened the storage room where the guy had been dumped.


    Scrape rolled the guy over, inspecting the wound. ¡°Fucking clean kill, brother. Remind me not to piss her off.¡± He started removing his clothes, we¡¯d burn them, while I removed everything from his pockets. His wallet had $822 in cash, which I put in my pocket. He had a receipt and key card for a hotel not too far away, and keys to a Ford. I put his driver¡¯s license and credit cards with his clothes, we¡¯d burn those before we left.


    Once he was stripped, I brought in the big cooler. Scrape helped with lifting him and setting his upper body in the cooler. We had to push down to get his legs and feet folded so we could close andtch the top; we used some rope to make sure it didn¡¯t pop open. After we put it back into the van, we came back inside to clean up the evidence.


    Scrape got to work with bleach and a mop, cleaning up the stains in the storage room and the driveway. Meanwhile, I used the crematorium to turn the clothing and identification into ash. It was a handy little thing, the club could find uses for it.


    The only thing I hadn¡¯t burned was the truck key. If it was in the neighborhood, I didn¡¯t want a missing person traced to us. Scrape grabbed the key. ¡°We can drive around in an expanding circle and use the remote to find it. Then we can drop it back at the Holiday Inn.¡± It was a good n, and it worked quickly. We found it parked in front of a mini-mart a couple blocks away. Ten minutester, it was parked in front of the hotel and Scrape was pushing me out of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°You need to sleep, Snake. I¡¯ll drive the first couple hours.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, man.¡± I buckled up in the passenger seat and leaned the seat back as far as it would go. Army life had taught me well, I was out before we left the parking lot.


    ¡°Wake up, Snake.¡± I opened my eyes, we were at a McDonald¡¯s. The sun wasing up, it was 5:30 in the morning.


    ¡°You were supposed to wake me up,¡± I said.


    ¡°You needed your sleep for what you have on tap this morning,¡± he said. ¡°Come on, drain it and grab some breakfast. We¡¯re about an hour away from the exchange point.¡± Vivian had set it up when they agreed, the meet was to take ce at ten AM, but we hadn¡¯t told them where in Duluth yet. Viper, Doc, Hammer, Dagger, Rocket and Crash were already in ce. By the time they arrived, we¡¯d have sniper coverage of all sides of the site. Winchester Silvertips in hunting calibers, elevated firing positions and scoped rifles¡­ it would be a turkey shoot if they tried anything.


    Fifteen minutester, I was driving on the freeway again with a tall coffee and a McMuffin. Scrape took a quick nap, waking when we were in the city. The area we had picked was an industrial park near the docks, a ce with big empty parking lots and buildings. I pulled behind the warehouse that we were staging from, Viper waving me over. They had talked to Teri in the morning, so they knew what happened and they were pissed.


    DeWalt was one of ours, and you didn¡¯t fuck with us.


    We went over the n; originally Viper and Dagger were going to meet them, and Hammer and I would drive therge rented U-Haul. They had room in the front for the medical equipment, and had set up couches in the back along with coolers of food and drink for the women in back. Doc would ride back with thedies in case anything happened, his first aid kit already loaded. I told Dagger I was taking his ce; Carson had already seen me, and it was best if as many faces as possible remained out of sight.


    We had plenty of weapons avable. Viper and I both put on concealed . 45¡¯s, along with silver knives in our boots. Doc had a pistol as well, plus we had an AR-15 in the cab of the truck Viper would be driving. The rest of the guys took rifles, they would take up positions between fifty and two hundred yards away, easy shots for us. Finally, I grabbed a pineapple grenade and put it in my pocket.


    The guys took their motorcycles and parked them near their sniper positions, so they could get away quickly if needed. Viper had called them at 7:30 with the location, so we moved the truck into position and sat to wait. I took another nap, I¡¯d need to be sharp. All of us had small radios with earpieces, voice activated microphones attached, and the snipers were watching in all directions.


    At 9:52, we got the first call. Two Suburbans and a Escde were approaching from the north; it had to be them. Viper put the truck in gear, parking in the center of the meeting area, the back of the truck facing north. I left him in the cab as I walked out. ¡°Opening the back,¡± I said as I utched the rollup door. I pushed it up, exposing the couches, and pulled out the ramp from underneath. The big cooler was right up front, and I pulled it out and down the ramp before setting it twenty feet from the ramp.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Dagger said as the vehicles pulled into the open area of the lot. I turned, arms crossed on my chest as I stood in front of the cooler and waited. The three vehicles stopped in a line, and a big guy got out and opened the passenger door of the Escde. The guy who stepped out looked dangerous, and I knew this was the Alpha. He walked towards me, nked by the big guy who must be his bodyguard.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Doctor DelMara,¡± the man demanded as he stopped on the other side of the cooler from me.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep34

    ¡°She¡¯s at home,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s none of your concern. I¡¯m here to do the exchange and deliver the women to her for care, as you agreed to.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get told no very often, I could tell by his reaction. He was used to being the bully, and I wasn¡¯t ying along. He looked at my scars, my tattoos, and I could see him sniffing deeply. I wasn¡¯t scared, I was dangerous. He wasn¡¯t the only predator on thisnd.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he finally said. He gestured to the other vehicles, doors opened and guards started helping women out of the vehicles. Doc jumped down, helping the women up the ramp as they filed in, getting them settled. He was wearing his EMT vest, and that helped calm them. I smiled as I saw Jessica and her mate Carson helping the women before they settled in with them. They had sent all eleven pregnant women.


    ¡°They will be well taken care of, I assure you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this a bit,¡± he said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, Alpha. It¡¯s the only chance your mate has, and you know it.¡± He tensed up, recognizing that I knew a hell of a lot more about him then he thought. It only took a couple minutes to get the women loaded, each with a suitcase, before Doc was pulling the door down. Itched it from the outside and walked back to the Alpha and his bodyguard. ¡°Stay here until we leave, and don¡¯t even think of following me,¡± I said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t give me orders, pup.¡±


    I walked around the cooler, getting into his personal space. My voice got softer, but the malice in it was unmistakable. ¡°You have a delusion you are in charge, Alpha rk. Let me assure you, you are not.¡± I turned to the cooler. ¡°I brought you a present for your Pack.¡± Reaching down, I utched the cover. I made sure he was next to me as I lifted the lid.


    ¡°Donovan¡­¡± he said, and in that moment I took him down. Kicking the back of his knee, I grabbed him arm and forced him to the ground. Taking a knife out of my boot, a secondter the silver de was against his neck as I controlled him from behind. He started to struggle, so I used the de to cut a little. The silver caused the healing to be dyed, meaning he bled and healed like I did. Slowly.


    ¡°Tell your boys not to do anything stupid,¡± I told him, knowing his men could hear. ¡°You¡¯ll be dead before they touch me, and you¡¯re an idiot if you think I came alone. Right now there are a half-dozen snipers out there, each with silver ammunition, each ready to cut down anyone who makes a move towards me.¡± He froze, his eyes looking around, but his men stopped, and a few momentster backed off. ¡°Good boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you for this,¡± he said.


    ¡°No¡­ you won¡¯t. Let mey things out for you.¡± I told him to look in the nearby building, a telephoto lens was pointed out the window. ¡°I¡¯ve got photos and video of all of you, including the women. I know your names, your faces. I know how many Pack members, how many warriors, where your safe rooms are, and what your defenses are. And, I know how many females of childbearing age you have that are not in my moving van right now.¡± His eyes opened wide as he caught the meaning. ¡°I know the phone numbers of four Packs who are still active, who would pay a lot of money for the information they need. You and your Pack will be gone within twelve hours of that phone call. And do you know what?¡±


    ¡°What, asshole.¡±


    ¡°By the next morning, every wolf who lifts his leg to piss will be dead, and all your women will be getting fucked silly by their new mates.¡± He growled, I tightened the knife until he stopped. ¡°The best part is that I don¡¯t even know who it is who has that information. All I know is that if anything happens to Dr. DelMara, the phone calls get made. If she goes missing, if she is killed, if she is raped, if she is sucked up by a tornado and dumped in the river¡­ you and your Pack will die. I don¡¯t want to see any of you south of Duluth, EVER.¡± I kicked the cooler, causing the lid to drop. ¡°And the first fucking thing you do when I¡¯m gone better be to contact the remaining four men you sent down to rape and kidnap my WIFE, and get them home before I find them. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± he said reluctantly. I stood up, knife held out, and walked around the cooler and back to the truck. The Alpha stood up but didn¡¯t approach, and Viper put the truck in gear and we moved out.


    My hands were shaking, the adrenaline was coursing through my system, but I felt fucking great. I had stood down the Alpha and made him my bitch.


    ******


    Six Weeks Later


    Jessica¡¯s POV


    I carried the tiny baby over to the incubator, trying to ignore the sounds of the woman dying on the table behind me. The girl was in her twenty-fourth week when Alpha Madeline¡¯s fever started. Vivian had given the baby the drugs to speed her lung development, but things happened so fast. Three hourster, she was on the table, Vivian¡¯s hands in her belly, delivering a baby that had almost no chance of living.


    I set her in the incubator, closing the top as soon as I had the mask over her face. She was on pure oxygen, the regtor helping her tiny chest expand and contract as it tried to force the air into her lungs. She was too small and weak to breathe on her own; she weighed a little over a pound. Her skin was blue tinged, she hadn¡¯t made a noise, and if she was like the first ten babies, she never would.


    I cursed the fact that werewolves couldn¡¯t use human health care. Doctor Hardigan did the best she could; we had bought equipment, reviewed texts, and did everything we could to help, but we weren¡¯t a neonatal intensive care unit. We didn¡¯t have everything we needed to get a good oue, including time. While humans would expect almost half of the babies at this age to survive, we were batting zero.


    Vivian had exined to me during one of our crying and rum drinking binges that it was the sudden onset that caused things to go so badly. In humans, the premature birth was usually due to early onset ofbor, which could be controlled with drugs. Tocolytics could slow thebor down, giving the other drugs time to work. Antibiotics and antenatal corticosteroids were given, the first to prevent infection, the second to speed lung development and reduce the chance ofplications like bleeding on the brain or lung infections in the first two days.


    The problem was that it was a guessing game as to when the mother¡¯s centa would choose to detach. If you administered the drug too early, it could cause development problems. We had no chance of saving a baby at 23 weeks or earlier, so she gave the drug if the mother made it that long. Madeline was the second mother to make the milestone, but the first only made it by a day; not enough time for the drug to take effect.


    Madeline had taken it four days ago, and this was our best chance at saving someone. I wiped the tears away from my eyes as I adjusted the regtor and checked the temperature of the air, making sure it was preheating correctly. Baby Jennifer was a fighter, she was struggling to survive in there alone. Her skin was looking better, color had improved, and I allowed myself some hope.


    ¡°Blood pressure is dropping, 80/40,¡± Doc said.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t stop the bleeding. Doc, push the NovoSeven to sixty drips a minute. Jessica, get over here.¡± I pulled off the gloves, grabbing a new set as I came over. NovoSeven was the incredibly expensive drug the military had pioneered to deal with cases of extreme blood loss. We had talked about how it would be used, we had one shot, and it was risky. Too slow and the person bleeds to death anyway, too fast and their blood starts clotting in the veins, resulting in stroke or death.


    ¡°Suction,¡± she said. I took the probe, cing the end of the tube inside her, in the ce where her uterus had just been removed. The mps were slowing the bleeding, or maybe her heart just couldn¡¯t pump as hard anymore. The blood seemed to fill the cavity as fast as I could remove it, making it difficult for Vivian to see where the bleeding wasing from.


    She worked frantically, mping and sewing bleeders, before we heard the tone on the heart monitor go t. ¡°Charge 100, start CPR,¡± Vivian ordered. I climbed up on the table, cing my hands in the right position on her sternum I started to count. Doc handed her the paddles, and I made sure I wasn¡¯t touching her as the paddles were ced across her chest. ¡°Clear!¡± Madeline¡¯s body spasmed off the table as the electricity hit. ¡°No pulse, continue CPR.¡± I resumedpressions while they charged again. ¡°Clear!¡± No change.


    Doc and I changed ces, and I went to the cab to get a cardiac needle and adrenalin. Vivian injected it directly into her heart, then shocked her again.


    Five minutester, she made the call. ¡°Time of death, 2322. DAMMIT!¡± She pulled off her gloves, moving back until she reached the cab and slid to the ground.


    I pulled off my gloves and surgical gown, tossing them in the hamper. Turning around, I checked baby Jennifer again. ¡°VIVIAN!¡±


    She jumped to her feet and came over. A smile came over her face as she read the instruments. She was not just alive, she was improving. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Vivian said. ¡°She¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing good,¡± I said. ¡°Look, her color, it¡¯s so much better than when I put her in here.¡±


    ¡°All right, we will need to closely monitor her over the next forty-eight hours. Jessica, you did a good job. Continue watching her while Doc and I take care of Madeline.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡± She gave me a quick hug, then turned back to work. It wasn¡¯t a fun job, we had to dismember the corpses to get them into the box we used in the small pet crematorium. It would take a whole day, three burns, to remove all evidence of her life from the earth. I ignored the sounds from behind me as they worked.


    When Vivian relieved me in the baby watch, I still had work to do. The operating room needed to be cleaned; all the soiled linens were ced in a barrel to start soaking the blood out. We had washing machines in back we usedter. The trash waspacted and packed forter burning, and the surgical instruments were put in the autove to be sterilized again.


    Doc helped me with thest part, cleaning the stainless table, cabs and floors. We scrubbed them down with bleach and rinsed it down the drain in the center of the room. The whole time, we kept an eye on the incubator, watching little Jennifer fight for her life.


    When we were done, we had a group hug and just cried. Six weeks ago, we had taken on an impossible task, trying to find a way to save someone, to figure out a way around this horrible epidemic. We had failed twenty-one times, but number twenty-two was still going. She was our little miracle. We finally pulled apart, and Vivian looked at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s one on the morning, I¡¯ll take first watch,¡± she said. ¡°Doc, you be here at four. Jessica, you relieve him at six. Both of you, if anything doesn¡¯t seem right, you wake me up right away,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes Doc,¡± I said as my eyes started closing on their own.


    ¡°Take a shower and get some rest, that¡¯s an order,¡± she said. I walked out, moving to the bathroom where I stripped and showered. I pulled on scrubs, and was just exiting when I heard the knock on the door.


    ¡°Jessica¡­¡±


    My heart jumped when I heard his voice. I opened the door, Carson was standing there with Snake, both of them looked like they had been sleeping before whatever had woken them up. Carson burst through the door, pulling me to his chest as the emotions of the night broke through again. ¡°Oh baby¡­¡± He picked me up and walked me to the front, where he put me into bed before climbing in next to me. I fell asleep as he rubbed my back.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I could sense him as soon as he entered the building. His scent calmed me, called to me. It wasn¡¯t a mate bond, but it was a close as I was ever going to get. I wrote down the vitals and readings on the chart, and turned to the door just as it opened. ¡°Hi Snake,¡± I said.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡± He came over and pulled me into his chest. ¡°Holy cow, look at her! She¡¯s so tiny!¡± He put his fingers to the cover of the incubator, studying the tiny baby as she fought for her life. ¡°My god, she survived.¡± He had held me through all of the losses,forting me as I cried out my grief and frustration. A part of me twisted, my wolf knowing that I¡¯d never be able to give him this. I could see it in his eyes; it was a part of him, of me, not just my wolf. The drive to have offspring of your own was universal.


    ¡°She¡¯s a fighter. Her vitals are good, her lungs are working just enough on 100% oxygen. Fetal distress was lowpared to previous patients. The timing just barely worked, her momma stayed strong long enough to give her a chance.¡± I wiped my eyes. ¡°Her name is Jennifer.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,¡± he said. ¡°What happens now?¡±


    ¡°Well, the first 48 hours are the most dangerous. If she can avoidplications and I can get her to eat, she has a chance. Not as much as if she was at Children¡¯s Hospital in Minneapolis, but a hell of a lot more than at any other ce for Werewolves.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He kissed my hair as I went back to watching her, adjusting the settings slightly. ¡°Can you mix some form for me?¡±


    ¡°Is it like bartending?¡±


    I just hip-checked him away. ¡°It¡¯s in the cafeteria, on the shelf by the fridge. Directions are on the can. It needs to be heated until it is warm, but not hot. Test the temperature on the underside of your forearm.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby, I¡¯ve helped in day care you know.¡± He walked out and left me alone with my thoughts. When he returned, we had to carefully feed her, using the gloves on the side to hold her and the bottle. Her tiny eyes had a tough time with light, and it took a while, but she finally started to suck on the bottle and got a few ounces in.


    Snake walked out to his motorcycle and came back in with a digital camera. ¡°The Alpha is a major-league asshole, but he just lost his mate and he needs to know about his daughter,¡± he said. I held her tiny body in my hands as he took a couple photos. ¡°I¡¯m going to the office, I can email them from theputer,¡± he said. ¡°Anything you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Madeline fought so hard to live, and to give her baby a chance. She was a good woman,¡± I said. ¡°More than he deserved.¡±


    ¡°You did all you could, baby. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Snake.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep35

    Beta Denise Thorssen¡¯s POV


    ¡°BETAS TO MY OFFICE NOW!!¡± Themand thundered through the bond as we were getting ready for bed. I looked at my mate, wondering the same thing- what the hell pissed him off this time.


    ¡°We better get over there before he destroys another desk,¡± Charles said as he took my hand. I put my remaining shoe on before he helped me up. His arm moved around my waist as we moved to the door of our quarters. We didn¡¯t have far to go; this wing held only the Alpha and Beta quarters, and our offices. The Alpha quarters took the end of the building, our smaller rooms were on the north side of the hallway, and our offices were on the other. The Alpha¡¯s office was next to his quarters, a conference room separated hisrge office and the smaller Luna office from ours. The Pack House was quiet; we knocked on his door and walked in.


    As soon as I saw him, I knew exactly what had happened. He was sitting on the floor, leaning back against his desk, an open bottle of whiskey in his hand. Tears were flowing down his face as his free hand was touching his neck, the mating mark already fading from his skin.


    Our Luna, Madeline, had died.


    Eleven mated werewolves had gone with Doctor DelMara, and eleven females had died. I rushed over, kneeling by him and pulling his head into my shoulder. I was crushed, losing Connie had almost sent him feral, and to follow it up by losing Madeline was so unfair. Some had spoken in hushed tones about him taking another mate so soon, but I knew the pressures he was under. Everything was going to hell, and he had no heir, no future. A Pack with no heir was an invitation to take over. ¡°Oh, Mitch,¡± I said as I gently rocked him. His emotions broke, the tears pouring out as he sobbed onto the T-shirt I was wearing.


    My mate took the bottle from him, going over to the bar and pouring it over ice in three sses. He sipped on one, waiting for his Alpha to gather himself again. When he finally ran out of tears, he moved over and helped him back into his chair. When he was done, he brought him the bottle and a ss, the other ss he gave to me. As soon as he sat down on the couch, I sat in hisp, his free hand around my waist. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°I started feeling her pain at about ten thirty, it felt like I was being stabbed in the gut,¡± he said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get out of bed, I couldn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t think. I suffered with her, then the pain started to fade.¡± He wiped away a tear, then took a gulp of his drink. ¡°At eleven twenty, it stopped- the pain, gone, the bond ripped away a momentter. I could feel the mark dissolving, my soul being torn apart again. She¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°She was a good female, a good Alpha. I am proud to have known her,¡± Charles said. ¡°To Madeline, may Luna embrace her and dry her tears.¡± He raised his ss, then I took a sip of the burning liquid. Mitch gulped down the rest of his, getting up to fetch the bottle again.


    ¡°Drinking won¡¯t stop the pain,¡± I said. ¡°You should rest, let us make the arrangements for her memorial service.¡± We had been averaging a memorial every other day for three weeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of what is involved in losing a mate, Beta. I don¡¯t need your lectures.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, I just don¡¯t want to lose you again. You scared usst year,shing out, disappearing for days on end.¡± I looked down at my drink. ¡°We are your Betas, we are here to help you.¡±


    ¡°Then drink with me.¡± And so we did. Bottle after bottle, until the sun rose and he finally slept.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I managed to sleep for a few hours at a time, and my day was ruled by checks and worry over the tiny child. Little Jennifer was a fighter, but she had so much to fight against. I spent an hour in my office, doing research on what I needed to do before I was back in the room. I stared at the tiny form in my gloved hands through the stic cover. She was no longer blue, she was a bright red now. She refused to take a bottle and was running a temperature. I¡¯d given her antibiotics already, but if she didn¡¯t get any milk in she would dehydrate and shut down. ¡°I¡¯ll have to put in a feeding tube,¡± I told Jessica, who was nervously waiting for the verdict.


    ¡°Have you ever done that?¡±


    ¡°Once, ten years ago, on a full-term baby,¡± I said. I had reviewed the basic process and set up the equipment. She would be on a tube for weeks, allowing me to control better her fluid and nutrient intake. I simply couldn¡¯t be here all the time to feed her by syringe. I set Jennifer down as Jessica put her hands in the glove bag. ¡°I need you to hold her, neck slightly back, and head towards you,¡± I said as I readied the tube. Carefully threading it through her nose, then down her throat, I made sure it was in ce before taping the tube to her face.


    Jennifer did NOT appreciate what we were doing, but it was for her own good. We pushed a few¡¯s in, checking to make sure it was noting back up. When I was satisfied, I stood up and stretched. ¡°Next feeding I¡¯ll have you do,¡± I said. ¡°We need to make sure she doesn¡¯t get tangled up in wires and watch for signs she needs a diaper change.¡± Werewolves could easily scent when she needed it.


    We had a chart we were tracking everything on; vital signs, bowel and dder movements, and feedings. I scheduled one every three hours, and with the tube she could be fed whether she was awake or asleep. ¡°I need to get a nap, wake me before she is due to eat. If her temperature rises another half degree, wake me up,¡± I said. I was nervous about infection, that was the biggest danger right now. I didn¡¯t know what effect the bleeding had on her, if she had ingested her mother¡¯s blood or another pathogen. At this age, her immune system was weak, a cold would kill her easily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Vivian. You get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°New parents don¡¯t get sleep,¡± I smiled as I pulled off my gloves and tossed them away. I went back to the entryway, where the beds were set up. Snake had gone back to the clubhouse, but I saw Moose and Scrape watching television in the break room, bags of chips on the table, rifles within reach. I copsed into my bed and was asleep in moments.


    Beta Denise¡¯s POV


    Alpha Mitch slept until noon, then he shifted and ran out of the Pack House. He didn¡¯t respond to the link, he just ran. ¡°My love, he went east into the woods. He can¡¯t be out there alone.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it already,¡± Charles sent back. ¡°I have a team set up, we¡¯ll monitor.¡± I was worried about him; when the despair of mate loss set it, it was all too tempting to just give yourself over to your animal part. If it went too far, became too unbnced, the wolf couldn¡¯t get its human side forward again. It would attack humans, kill livestock, and continue until it was put down. Taking down an Alpha was hard, taking down a feral Alpha could take a whole Pack.


    He ran most of the afternoon before returning. I met him at the door, tossing him shorts and a shirt as he changed back. ¡°Wee back, Alpha Mitch,¡± I said as I gave him a hug. ¡°Feel better?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like risking the whole Pack by killing Doctor DelMara now, so that¡¯s progress. Meet me in the conference room, bring the Pack leadership with you.¡± He walked down the hall, disappearing into his office.


    Ten minutester I had gathered my mate, the Head Warrior and his mate, and the Delta in the conference room. Knocking on the door, I let the Alpha know we were assembled. He came in as we stood, our heads lowered respectfully, and took his ce at the head of the table. He put the territory map in the center, showing where all the Packs had been prior to the outbreak of SPUDSst year. It was a sobering map.


    In Minnesota and western Wisconsin, two dozen Packs had existed. ¡°I¡¯ve color coded these,¡± he said as he pointed out the Packs in yellow. ¡°These are the Packs that I know still exist,¡± he said. Ours, and four others. He pointed to the ones in pink. ¡°These packs, another twelve, were absorbed whole by other Packs. The rest are missing, presume destroyed, or disbanded.¡± This included the three Packs we had been allied with earlier. ¡°I can¡¯t tell for sure which of these remaining Packs is doing the attacking, I just know what happens when they do. All men and boys are killed along with the older women. I¡¯m assuming the fertile females are mated off, and the young girls are being kept as future mates.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking one of them is going to attack us, Alpha?¡± The Head Warrior was recently mated, and worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable,¡± he said. ¡°The numbers will drive it. Look at this Pack. We¡¯ve lost women, and now half of our adult males have no mates. There are only a few dozen in the pipeline, even if we changed the rules to allow mating before 16, it wouldn¡¯te close. Every year that this curse continues, women will get pregnant and die.¡±


    ¡°So Alphamand the mates, iste the women during the heat,¡± I said.


    Charlesughed. ¡°Good luck with that,¡± he said. ¡°Who is going to keep their horny, sexed-up mates away? The same unmated men who have no hope and no future because there aren¡¯t women for them? They are already leaving,¡± he said. ¡°Four have left the Pack in the past month, I know they thought they had a better change of finding a mate as a lone wolf than in a Pack. Plus, having mates separated during their heat is dangerous. The females can die, and their wolves will fight them, insisting they go with their mate.¡±


    ¡°The purpose of a Pack is to provide a stable structure for the wolves to mate and raise pups,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°If there is not a path to that, things will break down. I¡¯ve heard stories from some of our refugees already; higher ranking wolves killing males to take their mates, girls as young as twelve being taken as mates, and we know about the organized attacks. Having enough females in the Pack is required for Pack stability, and we don¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do, boss?¡±


    ¡°We get women of our own,¡± he said. He pointed at the Brainerd Pack territory. ¡°This is the smallest of the remaining Packs; I expect our warrior numbers are simr, but we will have the element of surprise. I want to attack within the week.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep36

    Jessica¡¯s POV


    I had a timer set, making sure I checked Jennifer every five minutes while I studied. She was sleeping and was not due to be fed for another hour. I had my books out, working my college algebra homework.


    When I came down here, Vivian had a talk with me about my goals. I wanted to be a neonatal nurse; it was the perfect mix of my natural desires and the needs of our species. Vivian had quickly enrolled me at a localmunity college, allowing me to start getting my required sses out of the way. She told me that she had enough money for Carson and I to live and go to school, provided we agreed to break our Pack bonds.


    That was an easy call for me, I never wanted to go back there. I had seen the looks the Alpha gave me, heard the rumors about his ns. Carson would die, and he¡¯d take me as his new mate now that Madeline was gone. We had already agreed to do it, we were just waiting for the right time. Breaking Pack bonds could cause headaches and fatigue for a few days, and we needed to be strong and ready.


    I heard a noise, looking up I sensed something wrong. I smelled vomit. I stood up and looked, Jennifer had vomited herst meal and was struggling to breathe. ¡°VIVIAN!!¡± I didn¡¯t wait, I opened the top of the incubator and grabbed a cloth. Turning her in my hand face down, I quickly cleaned the fluid from her face, but she was still having trouble. I set her on her side and reached over and turned on the suction machine, making sure it was at the lowest setting. I carefully used it in her mouth as I held her above the nket.


    Vivian rushed in as I was trying to suck the vomit from her mouth and nose. ¡°What happened,¡± she said.


    ¡°Vomited, she was choking,¡± I said as I moved over.


    She checked her airway, grabbing the suction bulb and removing a little more. She finally sat back, returning her to her back, and got out her stethoscope. ¡°She inhaled some of it,¡± she finally said.


    This wasn¡¯t good, it could lead to infection or pneumonia, both of which were a bad idea. We used some thin nkets, so we couldy her on her side, ensuring if she coughed any up it wouldn¡¯t go back down. ¡°It¡¯s not unexpected, feeding tubes can cause problems. We probably gave her too much too fast. We¡¯ll drop the amount and feed every two hours, starting in an hour,¡± she said.


    I watched as Vivian held the tiny baby, talking to her. I could sense the bond that was forming. Her wolf thought of the tiny one as her own, despite her father still being alive. I removed the soiled linens and brought a fresh sheet, recing the one in the incubator as she held her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this now,¡± she said, ¡°You get some sleep. And it wasn¡¯t your fault, your quick action saved her,¡± she said.


    I walked over and gave her a hug, letting the tension go. ¡°You¡¯ll be a great Mom someday, but she has a father,¡± I told her before I left.


    I could barely her her whisper, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Alpha rk¡¯s POV


    The meeting over, I returned to my office. I booted up myputer while I ate the sandwich that had been left on my desk for me. I logged in to AOL, smiling as I heard the ¡°You¡¯ve Got Mail¡± sound. My heart skipped as I saw the email; I was shaking by the time I read it, and when I opened the photo, I started to cry.


    I had a daughter.


    Beta Charles¡¯ POV


    One Week Later


    I stood behind and to the left of Alpha rk as he addressed the pack early in the morning before breakfast. Denise was tucked into my side, we were leaning on each other because this could go wrong in so many ways. ¡°Wolves of the Boundary Waters Pack,¡± the Alpha said as he stood on the rock so everyone could see him, ¡°War hase to us. The Brainerd Pack has taken advantage of the panic and losses caused by this terrible gue to establish itself as the dominant Pack in Minnesota. Attacking Packs without warning, taking their women, killing the mated men and the boys. The grieving mates are lined up and imed by unmated males, along with all unmated females down to age thirteen.¡± He had to wait for the anger to die down. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to reach out to them, to change their ways and follow our customs, but my efforts have been rebuffed.¡±


    I mentally snorted, he had called once, and they didn¡¯t answer so he didn¡¯t call again. I stood, impassive and intimidating, behind him as he continued. ¡°It is only a matter of time until he attacks us, and by then he will be stronger. I can¡¯t risk our women, our future, on the behaviors of a rogue Alpha. As such, Warriors are joining me to take out this cancer on our species. We will be merciful where they are not; we will not kill those who surrender, male or female, and we will give the unmated every opportunity to take a choice mate.¡±


    ¡°At least if she makes the choice he wants her to,¡± Denise said to me.


    ¡°He wants the pack strong,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Let us pray for Luna¡¯s favor for a swift battle and a safe return,¡± he said. Taking a knee, the Pack with them, they looked up at the setting moon, nearly full and just above the trees. We each said our prayers, mine was simple; survive.


    When the meeting was over, the warriors ate onest meal with their families. By eight, we were loaded into a dozen vehicles for the four-hour trip across the northern part of the state. We had one female who had been part of that pack twenty years ago, and we used topographical maps and her knowledge to n our attack. We would park the vehicles well away, leaving just drivers, and go overnd to the Pack House. The idea was toe in fast, getting to the Alpha and taking him out before the defense really started. If they had a chance to rally, if they held off our assault, it was going to end badly for us.


    I sent my final goodbyes to my mate before we were too far away. She was the senior werewolf left and would take care of the children and the ones who weren¡¯t fighters. I looked out the window, something felt off and I couldn¡¯t ce it.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I held Jennifer in my hands, calming her after the indignity of another diaper change. She was holding her own; the feared infections hadn¡¯t materialized, and despite vomiting several times a day she was starting to gain weight. Her lungs continued to improve, although we still had to keep her on oxygen, and leave her in the heated incubator. It would be five or six weeks until she could be out, if things went well.


    ¡°How is she doing,¡± Kelly said.


    ¡°Good, I just changed her and she¡¯s ready for a nap again.¡± She and Doc had been great; when Jennifer made it past the first two days, they both pitched in and took over some of the care. I could go on little to no sleep for a while, but this baby needed care 24/7 and I was wiped. I couldn¡¯t leave in case they needed me, and I was up every few hours.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°Doc is in the kitchen making you some breakfast. Eat it.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mom,¡± I teased. ¡°Day care covered?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teri and Katie have them this morning. Doc and I will head back before lunch, so get some sleep. Jessica will be back from sses, so she can relieve me, you can get a good four hours in.¡± Carson was escorting her to and from her nursing sses at themunity college, and Snake was doing breakfast at the clubhouse so he wasn¡¯t here to snug up to. It was all right, I needed the sleep.


    I left her after one final check of everything, then I went to the break room. Doc handed me a te with three eggs, toast and a rare-cooked steak. ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± I told him as I sat down.


    ¡°How was overnight?¡±


    ¡°Slow,¡± I said. ¡°I made Jessica go to bed by midnight and spent most of the time doing research in between baby checks.¡± I was making use of the medical libraries in the city, taking a crash course in neonatal care.


    ¡°Have you heard back from his father?¡±


    ¡°He asked if he could see her, if he could take her home. The answer to both was no. I exined why, but he hasn¡¯t responded.¡± I put the eggs on top of the steak, cutting through both so the yolk ran over andbined with the juices.


    ¡°I just hope Snake scared him enough he doesn¡¯t try anything stupid. We don¡¯t have enough people to make this a truly secure location, and it¡¯s too far away from the club for my liking. I¡¯m d Viper had those surveince cameras installed, that helps.¡± He pointed at the television screen that showed the four sides of the clinic in split-screen. ¡°I¡¯ll be d when we don¡¯t need the clinic and you can be back at the clubhouse.¡±


    I knew what he meant, I missed them, I missed the children, and I missed my Snake time. ¡°Six weeks or so, but I¡¯ll stille here a day or two per week for research. I¡¯ll do most of it from the clubhouse clinic.¡±


    I finished up my meal, wiping the remaining juices off the te with thest piece of toast, then washing it down with milk. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Doc,¡± I said as I took the dishes to the sink.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best Doc,¡± he replied. ¡°Leave them, go take a shower and get to bed.¡± I did, and ten minutester I was asleep.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Charles¡¯ POV


    My anxiety was growing with every mile. We were two hours away, and I couldn¡¯t ignore it any more. ¡°Boss, something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Beta.¡± He looked out the window at the passing trees. ¡°Everything is on track.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had this feeling since we left, and it¡¯s getting worse. My instinct is to go back.¡±


    He justughed at me. ¡°You¡¯re nervous, that¡¯s kind of funny. How many years has it been since you werest in battle? Ten?¡± I nodded. ¡°You probably have the same queasy stomach that all the new guys in thest car have.¡± The warrior riding shotgun, a mated father of two named Robert,ughed a little at me. He stopped when I kicked his seat back.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep37

    A minuteter, a scream startled the driver so much he almost went into the ditch. Robert was scratching at his mating mark while yelling for her at the top of his lungs. ¡°Shit, something happened to Christine,¡± I said.


    Two more howls of agony came through the bond. ¡°Boss, we need to go back,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°Turn us around and get home!¡± The caravan turned, but I knew it was toote.


    Kelly¡¯s POV


    The morning was going well, her vitals were stable, and she napped well. I could see her eyes following me, her little arms moving towards me as I smiled. ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK,¡± Doc yelled at me as he ran out of the break room, rifle in hand. ¡°CALL THE CLUB!¡±


    I ran over to the phone on the wall, quickly dialing the number. It rang twice before it picked up. ¡°Northwoods Riders, Scrape here.¡±


    ¡°Scrape it¡¯s Kelly, we¡¯re under att¡­¡± and then the phone went dead. I hung it up, trying again, but no dial tone. ¡°PHONE IS CUT,¡± I yelled towards the door. My husband poked his head in. ¡°Did you tell the club?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I got enough out,¡± I said.


    Vivian came running into the room just as the power went out. ¡°Vivian, we¡¯ve got people surrounding the building, I counted four before I left the room,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Cover the hallway,¡± she said. ¡°Kelly, without power the CPAP machine won¡¯t work. You need to monitor her breathing carefully, it should be thirty to forty per minute. If she is struggling, you¡¯ll have to manually ventte.¡± She handed me the mask and bag, we had practiced earlier how to do it. ¡°Whatever happens, don¡¯t stop. She¡¯s too fragile to make it on her own.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Doctor. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m protecting her,¡± she said. She poked her head out into the hallway. ¡°Doc, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I think they are at the back door,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going wolf then.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± I saw him pulling her back into the room. ¡°I know you want to protect her, but this isn¡¯t the way. Stay in here.¡± He handed me his . 45 Colt pistol. ¡°This room is concrete walls, steel door. Lock it, barricade it and don¡¯te out until the club is here.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I looked over at my husband, panic in my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep them back,¡± he said. ¡°You stay alive, baby. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I heard the door close and lock as I focused on the baby. Counting her breaths, making sure the oxygen regtor was good, and trying to monitor her color. Vivian handed me a heamp out of the drawer, it made things much easier. She pushed a cab in front of the door, then set to work piling other material against the wall. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just in case they try to shoot through the door,¡± I said. She was moving another cab, lifting it on top of the first one. ¡°Who did you talk to at the club?¡±


    ¡°Scrape, but all I got out was ¡®we¡¯re under¡¯ before the line was cut.¡±


    She kept piling stuff against the door, just as we heard a loud crash. Doc was opening up with his rifle, growls echoed through the hallway and something big hit the door. They were inside.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    I was going through some of the bills in my office when Scrape started screaming. I was up on my feet instantly, running downstairs to the clubhouse area. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡±


    ¡°That was Kelly, she and Doc are with Vivian at the clinic. She called, I think she was going to say they were under attack when the phone call dropped.¡±


    ¡°Did you call back?¡±


    ¡°No answer.¡± Fuck. ¡°ALL RIGHT BOYS, GRAB YOUR GUNS AND LET¡¯S GO.¡± Crash and Dagger were in the clubhouse, and I knew Trigger was in the garage. I went back to my office, grabbing my pump shotgun and a bandoleer of buckshot, along with my Glock . 45 and extra magazines. I ran out the front, opening the doors to one of the panel vans. The boys were right behind me, jumping into the back.


    Teri came out just as I was starting up. ¡°Teri, call every member you can get ahold of, get them to the clinic and tell them toe strapped. Vivian¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    I pulled out of the parking lot, heading for the road. It would take twenty minutes to get there.


    Twenty minutes she might not have.


    Kelly¡¯s POV


    I heard Doc screaming, and the sound of him being dragged. There was a thud in the hallway. ¡°Doctor DelMara, this man is seriously injured and is bleeding all over the floor. He¡¯s going to die if you don¡¯t give yourself up.¡±


    My jaw dropped, I started to cry. He screamed, they must have done something to him. She looked at me, then looked at the door.


    ¡°Listen, Doc, we want you alive. Come quietly and we¡¯ll let the others live. Refuse, and he dies. He only has a few minutes left, I¡¯d say, if he doesn¡¯t get help.¡±


    ¡°NO DON¡¯T DO IT AAAAAAAHHH!¡± There was a thud and he went quiet.


    ¡°ANDREW!¡± I started to move towards the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Go back to Jennifer.¡± She pulled somebat dressings out of the drawer. ¡°When I¡¯m gone, use these, apply pressure to stop the bleeding and wait for help.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t give yourself to them, Vivian!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you die, Kelly. They¡¯ll still take me.¡± She pulled me into a hug, then walked to the door. ¡°I¡¯ming out, I have to move stuff away from the door.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste our time, Doctor, he doesn¡¯t have much.¡±


    She pushed the cabs back from the door, creating just enough room to open it and get out. She unlocked it, and the door was immediately pushed open. A man reached in, pulling her out, and I heard the ratchet sound of handcuffs going on. ¡°Ahh, the smell of unmated women,¡± the leader said. ¡°Come on.¡± I could hear her walking down the hall.


    ¡°What about the woman, boss?¡±


    ¡°Shoot her.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I looked around in panic, there was nowhere to hide. A man leaned in, firing two shots, and I felt my chest explode in pain before I fell to the ground.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°NO!¡± I struggled against the big guy in vain as he dragged me through the hallway. My ears were ringing from the gunshots, and my heart was crushed by what just happened. Two friends, hell they were FAMILY through the club, had just been killed while trying to protect me. My decision to give myself up hadn¡¯t aplished anything but getting me captured quickly, before help could arrive. ¡°The baby! She¡¯s going to DIE, she¡¯s an Alpha¡¯s daughter!¡±


    He just opened the door and pulled me out, I was unable to resist with my wrists cuffed behind my back. The silver sapped the abilities of my wolf, I couldn¡¯t tap the strength of her with them on. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sent to get a baby, I was sent for you,¡± he said. He shoved me up against my truck, pushing me down to sit next to the rear wheels. I saw another mane out, he was supporting a third man who was bleeding from the left shoulder and right hip. ¡°Bruce, put him down, then get Frank out of there,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the car.¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± The injured man was set by the front wheel as the other man asked.


    He tossed the injured guy his pistol. ¡°Travis, if she moves, shoot her in the legs.¡± He turned and walked away as I tried to figure out what to do. A big, dark green Expedition pulled into the lot just as Bruce came out with the dead wolf over his shoulder. ¡°The humans dead?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t check,¡± he said, ¡°but there¡¯s a hell of a lot of blood in the hall.¡±


    ¡°Toss Frank¡¯s body in the back and cover him up.¡± He opened the back window for him.


    ¡°Todd, what do we do about Travis?¡±


    He looked at the injured man on the ground. ¡°She¡¯s the fucking doc, Bruce. She can save him.¡± He came over and pulled me to my feet. ¡°You¡¯re going to fix him up on the drive back, or you¡¯re going to be in a world of pain. Alpha Hans gave me widetitude in how to bring you back, and there¡¯s a lot I can do to you before I maim or kill you.¡±


    ¡°I need my kit out of this truck,¡± I said. ¡°And he¡¯s going to have to beid down. I need the seats down, and nkets if you have them.¡± He nodded and went back to the truck, opening the back doors andying the seats down. I watched as he went to my truck, pulling my emergency kit out of the area behind the driver¡¯s seat, and put it in the truck as well. By the time he came for me, they had Larryid out in the back. It had been at least ten minutes since they attacked, not near enough time for the guys at the Club to make it here. They shoved me in and closed the door, and they pulled out of the lot before I was sittingfortably.


    I took onest look at my clinic, thanking Luna that Jessica wasn¡¯t here when they attacked. She deserved the happiness I was going to lose.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    ¡°Can¡¯t this piece of shit go any faster?¡± I ignored Snake. I was bouncing in my seat, adrenaline fueled my veins and I wanted to kill. The idea of someone harming my Club members was enough to set off the demons I knew were inside me, demons I had a hard time pushing back. I knew Snake was the same way, we both had seenbat, we knew what could happen. I looked out at the traffic, the lights, the dys. I wanted to get out and just RUN there, but with a shotgun and midday traffic that wouldn¡¯t end well.


    ¡°No, and we have to stick together, guys. We don¡¯t know what is going on, we go zing in there alone and you¡¯ll get killed. Now sit the FUCK down and let¡¯s think of how we are going to do this.¡± The order settled over them, they knew I was right. We all had to get our shit together if we were going to save them.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep38

    Scrape turned around from the passenger seat. ¡°We can¡¯t go sting in there, we don¡¯t know how many they have or whether they are humans or werewolves. We need to stop a block away or so.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Good idea, I¡¯ll drop half of you off before getting there, then drive by the front and park on the other side. I¡¯ll cover the front with the truck. Snake, Scrape and Dagger work your way to the back. Crash, Trigger, you guys take the emergency exit, here¡¯s the key.¡± I tossed him my master for the building. Keep the guny down outside, and no cuts,¡± I said. ¡°Yell ¡®DOG¡¯ when you¡¯re going in. Anyone who isn¡¯t club, you take them down.¡±


    We worked out a few more details, but the n was sound. Five minutester I pulled to the curb and Scrape, Snake and Dagger jumped out, holding their pistols low and against their bodies. I drove past, noting the back gate to the driveway was open. ¡°Fuck, they got in back,¡± I said. I dropped Crash and Trigger off, then turned around and parked across the street. I could see the two at the side door; I got out, my shotgun against my leg as I crossed the quiet street. I made it almost to the front doors, still closed and chained, when I heard ¡°DOG.¡±


    I ran around the side through the gate to the back when I didn¡¯t hear any gunfire. Scrape was kneeling by Doc, who wasying in a pool of blood in the hallway. He checked his neck for a pulse, and shook his head. ¡°SHE¡¯S STILL ALIVE,¡± shouted Crash from inside the surgery room. I went through the door, squeezing through the opening, and my heart sank as Trigger shook his head no.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°I can¡¯t help him with handcuffs on,¡± I said to Bruce as we were pulling on to the freeway. ¡°His lungs are filling with blood. The bullets had silver in them, he won¡¯t heal if I don¡¯t get them out. He¡¯s already having trouble breathing.¡±


    The leader, this Todd guy, was busy driving and didn¡¯t even look back. ¡°Bruce, move her cuffs to her ankles. If she tries anything, shoot out her kneecaps. Don¡¯t fucking test me, Doc.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, asshole. This is what I¡¯m meant to do, even if it means saving the life of someone I should want dead.¡± He uncuffed me, then put them around my ankles. I was still able to move around, and I opened my kit. ¡°Cut his shirt off, pants too. Roll up the shirt and use it to apply pressure to his hip wound while I work on his chest.¡± He immediatelyplied; one thing about wolves, they followed the directions of someone in authority, and in medical cases, I was the authority.


    Travis started to scream as he pressed down on the wound. ¡°Take the pain, man. We¡¯ll get you fixed up.¡±


    I drew a sedative, making sure it was enough to knock him out. One at a time, I thought. I injected it into Travis¡¯s neck, and he was out in moments. ¡°I don¡¯t need him moving around while I¡¯m inside him,¡± I exined calmly. I put a heamp on and gloves, thenid out a scalpel, mp and retractor on a sterile towel I put next to him. Quickly making my incision, I started working my way down the channel created by the bullet. It had prated a rib, shattered his scap, then fragments had punctured his lungs.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be sick,¡± Bruce said.


    ¡°Turn around then, but keep the pressure on that wound,¡± I told him. He did, which made my job even easier. I continued to work, keeping up a running narrative of what I was doing. When they stopped paying attention to me, I noticed we were in bumper to bumper traffic. Perfect.


    I reached in and removed the emergency sedative autoinjectors. They were werewolf strength, designed to knock out a feral wolf in seconds. I waited until Todd was moving again, then I turned and grabbed Bruce from behind. My right hand sped over his mouth as my left hand injected the dose into his carotid artery. He went limp almost immediately, and Iid him down quietly, his body over Travis¡¯s legs.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t risk taking the handcuffs off, so this would be fun. Taking the second autoinjector, I pretended to work on Travis again, keeping up the narrative, until he had stopped in the traffic. I lept forward, plunging the needle into his neck.


    He tried to shove me off, but the passenger seat didn¡¯t let him. I put the vehicle in park, then popped his seatbelt. He was starting to slump down. I grabbed him under the shoulder, pulling him backwards between the seats until he wasying next to Travis. I moved over to Bruce, finding the key and unlocking my cuffs.


    I was in the seat and buckled up again before the traffic started moving.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    Vivian was gone. Snake ran up, panicked, confirming my fears.


    I walked back into the hallway, looking down at Doc¡¯s body in the hallway. His shoulder had been torn up, he had bite marks and chunks out of his arms. His rifle was by his broken right arm. ¡°What do we do? We can¡¯t exin this kind of death.¡±


    ¡°Snake, go get the truck and pull it in back.¡± I tossed him the keys and he ran out. ¡°Crash, Trigger, carry Kelly out back, set her on the grass by the dumpster. Leave Doc where he is, try not to step in the blood.¡± They carried her out, she looked bad.


    I went back in to the surgery room, taking the hose off the oxygen regtor and opening the valve fully. As the big bottle depressurized, I lifted the cover of the incubator and wrapped baby Jennifer in a nket. She wasn¡¯t breathing, she was blue, and I was crying as I wrapped her so her body couldn¡¯t be seen.


    I walked out with her as Snake pulled in. I handed him the baby, then opened the back and pulled out the fuel can from the back. I ran back inside, spreading the fuel over the couches in front, trailing it back over Doc before tossing it into the surgery room. I got to just outside the back door and took a matchbook out of my pocket. Striking a match then setting the whole book aze, I tossed it into the gasoline trail.


    The oxygen-rich air caused the mes to burn much hotter than normal. ¡°Crash, you were out getting lunch when you saw the back door open, Kelly was in the hallway, you pulled her out just before the mes came. Trigger, go somewhere and dial 911. Scrape, with me, let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    We pulled out, I could see the mes starting to push through the windows in front. We drove back to the clubhouse, knowing Crash would stay with Kelly, and Trigger would be stuck talking to the cops.


    Snake wasn¡¯t talking, he was just holding the bundle to his chest, rocking back and forth as his sobs racked his body.


    We all felt like shit. A brother didn¡¯t deserve to get burned like that, it wasn¡¯t right, but it had to be done. It was the only way to protect DeWalt¡¯s secret.


    A secret that ced our whole club at risk, and a secret that had gotten her wolfnapped.


    Crash¡¯s POV


    I was holding Kelly in myp as we sat on the grass by the dumpster behind the old animal hospital. I had my shirt over the hole in her upper right chest, and a towel over the hole in her right shoulder. Viper and the others had taken off, and Trigger was out calling for an ambnce. ¡°Hang on, Kelly, help ising,¡± I said as I rocked her gently.


    She was pale and coughing blood. Her breathing was strained, so I put her down on her good side, still holding the pressure on her wounds. She coughed hard, blood spraying the grass. ¡°Come on, Kelly, keep fighting,¡± I said. ¡°The kids need you. The Club needs you.¡± I prayed for the first time in years that she would be all right, that the help would get here in time.


    I could feel the heat from the building now, mes were starting to burn through the boarded-up windows and smoke was pouring out. I looked at the building, then where I was; if I waited much longer, the ambnce may not be able to get back to me. ¡°Shit,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Wrong ce to wait for the bus!¡±


    I shifted, picking her up so I could make the run for it. I could hear sirens in the distance, but I couldn¡¯t wait. I kept close to the fence, ignoring the heat as I ran through the open gate and along the driveway that went along the side of the building. I could hear and feel the fire building, it was roaring now, consuming everything. I had just made it to the road when I heard an explosion; dropping to my knees, I used my body to protect her as the heat wave rolled over us.


    Trigger ran up just in time. ¡°Take her,¡± I said. He picked her up and I ran alongside, holding pressure on her wounds again. We got about a block away and set her on the grass between the sidewalk and the curb, making sure no cars blocked us from view. He set her down, me directing her to her side again, and Trigger ran into the road to g down the help.


    The first to arrive was a police officer; he parked to block iing traffic, then grabbed his first aid kit. ¡°What happened,¡± he said as he ran up.


    ¡°Shot twice,¡± I said. ¡°We pulled her out of the building before it went up.¡±


    He tore open some bandages and ced them over the cloths we were using, then used a roll bandage to hold them in ce. ¡°Don¡¯t you take off the shirt first?¡±


    ¡°Nope, leave it on or you break up any clotting and the bleeding restarts,¡± he said. He called in the situation on his radio. More police were arriving, then an ambnce parked by us and the paramedics took over. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Our buddy¡¯s wife. He¡¯s still in there.¡± He went to call that in, I stopped him. ¡°He¡¯s dead. The bastards killed him.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Trigger stepped in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t know, I saw them running out the back as we were walking back from the minimart. They had pillowcases filled with stuff in their hands. Probably hit the drug cab.¡±


    ¡°We went in the back,¡± I said, ¡°but the mes were already hot. I checked Doc, he was dead, he found Kelly in the surgery room. We barely got her out before the mes made it to the hallway. We couldn¡¯t go back in to get him.¡± The EMT¡¯s had just finished loading Kelly up. ¡°I have to go with her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Go,¡± Trigger said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay with them.¡± I followed them to the ambnce, they loaded her in and I jumped in after him. I watched and listened during the ten-minute drive to the hospital emergency room; I didn¡¯t understand much, but I could tell they were worried. She had an oxygen mask on, an IV, and the monitor with her blood pressure was rming every minute or so.


    When we pulled up, they had me wait until they were out. The nurses wheeled her in, and I was left in the waiting room. I got shunted to admissions, I couldn¡¯t help much there. The only person she wanted was burned in the fire.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep39

    Beta Denise¡¯s POV


    I was in the office, catching up on paperwork to distract me from the nervousness I felt at Charles¡¯ absence. I didn¡¯t like being away from him, there had been very few days in our twenty years as a mated couple where we hadn¡¯t seen each other. I didn¡¯t like the attack, I didn¡¯t like how things were going, but there was little I could do to change this Alpha¡¯s mind about things.


    With the warriors gone, the remaining females who could fight were handling security. We didn¡¯t have enough people to do normal patrols, so we were down to two women on a five-mile perimeter. After the attack group had left, I gathered the remaining people to go over the drills. We had a safe room in the basement of the safe house; pregnant women, children and those who couldn¡¯t fight were told not to go too far away. The weaker warriors would protect the basement, while the stronger would fall back to the house and protect it. Fall back and protect the vulnerable, that was the n.


    I looked out the window of my office, the sun in my face, looking at the pines and birch trees of the surrounding forest. I couldn¡¯t see patrols, but I could see the children ying in the yground, the mothers gathered at the pic table watching them. A few of the young were shifted, y fighting in the grass closer to the woods. It all seemed normal, but something was wrong. ¡°Julie, Margaret, anything abnormal in your patrols?¡±


    ¡°North side is normal, Beta Denise,¡± Margaret sent.


    I waited for Julie, she didn¡¯t respond. Just then I saw a column of wolves heading towards the house at full speed. They weren¡¯t ours, and they were huge. ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK! WOLVES COMING FAST FROM THE SOUTH!¡±


    I ran from the office as all hell broke loose. The front door was open, and wolves were rushing in, but they weren¡¯t ours. I shifted immediately, leaping into the fray as two of them ran towards me. Fighting and shing, taking bites to my nks and back, I tried to get past them as they ran for the stairs to get down. The brown one forced me back, while the gray one tried to nk me. ¡°They are going for the safe room,¡± I sent as I frantically tried to get past them.


    They weren¡¯t fighting as I expected. One passed up a shot at my throat, breaking my front left leg instead. It was only when my left front leg was in the brown wolf¡¯s jaws that I realized what was happening. They didn¡¯t want to kill me, I was a female. They were fighting to disable. With two legs out, I couldn¡¯t fight, and the grey one was on my back, jaws on my neck, forcing me down. The other shifted. ¡°Yield, female. It¡¯s over.¡±


    The other increased the pressure on my neck, his teeth bloodying it as it became harder to breathe. ¡°They have taken the safe room, Beta Denise,¡± I heard over the link. I rxed my body, it was over. As I showed my neck, the big male over me released it.


    ¡°Shift.¡± I obeyed, holding back the tears from the pain I felt from my torn and broken arms. ¡°You are Beta Denise, you are in charge, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied softly.


    ¡°Order them to stand down before more die. It¡¯s over.¡±


    I closed my eyes. ¡°Stop fighting, surrender. It¡¯s over, they¡¯ve taken the Pack House,¡± I sent. The sounds of war and fighting stopped. They pulled me to my feet, I kept my eyes down as the shame of defeat washed over me. I was escorted out the front door, following instructions to have everyone meet in front of the house. We formed lines, many of us naked after the shift. No adult males had been spared, and some of the warrior females were gone too. I could see wounds on the attackers, we had gotten some licks in, but their numbers were greater than ours. Without our men here, we never had a chance.


    The attackers formed a line in front of us, with some still searching the house and buildings for stragglers or guarding escape paths. Arge, heavily scarred warrior stepped forward. ¡°Wee to the Brainerd Pack, I am Beta Chris Timms. Alpha Hans Johannsen sends his greetings. Be not afraid, cooperate and the violence is over for you. Alpha Hans has thergest Pack in the state, fully able to protect you and your families, unlike Alpha rk. Now, please separate into three lines. Unmated females over thirteen in front, mated females in the second row, others in the third. Quickly now.¡±


    There was grumbling, and some didn¡¯t want to cooperate, and the wolves surrounding us started to growl and bite at those who weren¡¯t moving. ¡°Cooperate, don¡¯t make it worse than it already is,¡± I ordered. It took a minute or so for the line to form. The three adult women, all newly widowed in the fight, and eight teens were shaking as they tried to cover their bodies. They knew exactly what was going to happen as naked men started lining up in rank order. ¡°Please, these girls are not of age to be mated per ourws,¡± I said.


    ¡°They are old enough by nature,¡± the leader said. ¡°Ourws adapt to the crisis we now have. Men, make your choices.¡± One by one the men walked down the line, some stopping at their choice for a mate. Grabbing the terrified female and tossing her over their shoulder, they took them into the Pack House, their arousal clear for all to see. Their screams died out as doors mmed, and I felt their Pack bond drop as the men imed their new mates, biting into their necks as they came. While our former Pack members were being forcibly imed, one of the young warriors was handing out clothes from the cabs of extras we kept on the front porch. Soon all who had shifted in the fight sun dresses, or shorts and T-shirts on. I stood in the T-shirt dress, my eyes down in shame, as my failure grated on me.


    The attacking males were smug, celebrating the new mates their Pack members had found. The ones who hadn¡¯t chosen were walking us in the second row, cing bites on our necks to indicate their choices. We couldn¡¯t be mated until our mates were killed. The attacking Beta himself, Chris Timms, moved towards my shoulder. My arms were still broken, but I head butted his face, following up with a knee to his groin. He quickly grabbed my leg, lifting and dropping me hard to the ground on my back. His body followed me down, forcing the wind out of me. One big hand forced mine together across my chest as he straddled me, too high up for my knees to dislodge him. He leaned down and bit into my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy your submission to me, Beta.¡± I red at him.


    He got off me, pulling me to my feet as his big hand bruised my upper arm from the grip. ¡°Restrain the remaining women and female children,¡± Beta Chris ordered as a line of SUV¡¯s pulled in front of the house. Boxes were taken from the back of one vehicle, and the warriors donned heavy leather gloves before pulling out silver-coated shackles from them. ¡°Step forward one at a time to be shackled for your own safety,¡± he said. ¡°The shackles are designed so they don¡¯t hurt you if you don¡¯t struggle. We want you safe and healthy for your return trip, do not test us,¡± he said.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Comply and stay together,¡± I ordered as I walked forward. It would be thest mentalmunication I made; the silver handcuffs tied my broken and cut up arms in front of my body, and the silver shut my wolf down. No pack link, no shifting, no wolf strength. I was escorted into the house and sat on a couch in the big living room area. The room quickly filled with prisoners and escorts until all the females were here. The female children and some of the women were crying as we leaned on each other for support, all forty-two of us in the room were now no more than property, waiting for our mates to be killed so we could be taken by another. They were out of linking range, and I prayed their attack would work.


    The Beta walked in, escorting some young males who were shackled. I could hear screams for mercy from outside. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We have no use for young boys or weak males,¡± he said. ¡°We only keep what makes our Pack stronger.¡± The silver blocked the feeling of the Pack bonds, but we all heard the sounds of our Pack members being ughtered. I was crying, begging him for mercy, but none was to be found. I begged Luna to intervene, to stop them, but she was silent to me. The noise of death stopped quickly, but the two women whose mates had just been killed were screaming in agony as their mating marks dissolved from their necks. The men who had chosen them ran forward, pulling them up the stairs to find an open bedroom they could use for their iming.


    The Beta went to the phone on the wall and dialed a number. ¡°Alpha Hans, the attack isplete. We have fifty females total, and six teen males of promise.¡± He listened for a moment. ¡°I understand, sir. We will be ready for them.¡±


    He was smiling as he turned towards us, his dominance rolling over the room. ¡°Alpha Hans is pleased you are now with us. He tells me your males are more cowardly than he thought. They turned around, there is no attack, they aren¡¯t going to extract a revenge. Our spy reports they are an hour away from slinking back into this territory with their tails between their legs.¡± He looked at the warriors, silentmands going out. ¡°They¡¯ll be dead before they see you.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep40

    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I had to get this vehicle off the road, but that wasn¡¯t going to be easy. I had two unconscious wolves in the back seat as I drove back towards St. Paul. Both would be knocked out for two more hours or so; Bruce and Todd wereying down and breathing evenly. Travis was dead, I had heard his lungs rattle before stopping. I never removed the silver from him, and the sedative was too much for his body. Good riddance.


    My wolf wanted them dead, she wanted to bathe in their blood for what they had done. They had killed her friends, those she thought of as her Pack, but that wasn¡¯t all. They left the baby there to die, the baby my wolf had bonded with, the one who fought to live with all her strength. An innocent. She wanted to rip them apart while they screamed for mercy she wouldn¡¯t give.


    I didn¡¯t know whether they were lucky or unlucky that I needed information more than revenge right now. I had exited the freeway, and drove around for a few minutes until I found a pay phone I could use from the SUV. I couldn¡¯t get out, my scrubs were covered in blood from Travis¡¯ emergency surgery. I called the clubhouse. ¡°Northwoods Riders, this is Teri,¡± she said.


    ¡°Teri, it¡¯s Vivian. Is Viper or Snake there?¡±


    ¡°Oh GOD, VIVIAN! Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I need to talk to them.¡± She yelled to Snake, and he ran to the phone. ¡°Snake? Baby?¡±


    ¡°Oh God, Vivian, you¡¯re alive,¡± he said. ¡°We got to the clinic and you were gone.¡±


    ¡°What happened, Snake?¡± My heart prepared itself.


    ¡°Doc¡¯s dead, baby. Kelly is still alive, she was taken by ambnce to Regions Hospital, we¡¯re sending some club members to stay with her. Crash is with her now, Trigger is still at the clinic along with some other members. We had to torch the ce, too much evidence,¡± he said.


    He wasn¡¯t saying something. ¡°Jennifer?¡± My voice was weak, pleading for good news.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. She didn¡¯t make it.¡± Tears started flowing down my face. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°North of Minneapolis. They got sloppy, I took them out, but we need information out of them. I don¡¯t know how they found us, but they were looking for me specifically.¡±


    I heard the phone being handed over as Snake said some words. ¡°DeWalt, it¡¯s Viper. Don¡¯t go to the clinic or the clubhouse, both could be hot. You¡¯ve got prisoners?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if someone gets a good look inside this SUV I¡¯m going to jail,¡± I said.


    He paused, letting a breath out. ¡°Drive to my house, we¡¯ll meet you there. I¡¯ll have the garage door open and we¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Viper.¡± I wiped away a tear. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about Doc and Kelly. I never should have¡­¡±


    ¡°Just stop, DeWalt. It¡¯s not your fault. Drive safe.¡± The line cut out and I hung up. Rolling up the tinted window and turning the air conditioning up higher, I headed back for the freeway.


    Trigger¡¯s POV


    Statements given, I stand behind the police tape and stared at the shell of a building that used to be DeWalt¡¯s clinic for pregnant Werewolf females. It¡¯s a total loss, the roof has copsed in at the front, the mes hadpletely consumed everything inside. Stain, Tiny and Katie, and Rocket and Taser stood by me as we watched the fire crew overhaul the scene.


    We heard someone yell, and a crowd of police detectives, firemen and the coroner were standing around a ce where pieces of the roof had been removed. It was in the area of the hallway, I knew what it meant. ¡°They found Doc,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like shit having to do that to him, he didn¡¯t deserve to be burned like that.¡±


    ¡°He would want to protect DeWalt, you know that,¡± Tiny said. ¡°He didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    ¡°We should have had more people here,¡± Rocket said. ¡°Any word on DeWalt?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, she was gone before we got here. Snake¡¯s going nuts, I¡¯m d Viper took him and Jennifer. He was pretty protective of her, too, he¡¯s got to be crushed right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go call the club, see if they heard anything,¡± Taser said. Rocket went with her as they walked to the pay phone at the minimart.


    ¡°You think the cops suspect anything,¡± Tiny asked as he watched the others leave.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The power and phone cables were cut, the back door was pried open and bent. With what Crash and I told them about it being junkies seeking drugs, they should ept that. Easier than the truth.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Arson for money is out, the building is leased and DeWalt didn¡¯t have insurance on anything. She¡¯s out a ton of money.¡± We continued to watch. Rocket and Taser¡¯s bike drove up just as they were removing a body bag from the rubble. We stood tall, hands on our hearts, as he was carried to the coroner¡¯s vehicle.


    One of the cops looked at us. ¡°Friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°And a veteran, an Army medic. One of the finest men I¡¯ve ever known.¡± He nodded and walked back to the others. As the coroner¡¯s van pulled away, the police and firemen all stood at attention and saluted him.


    When he was gone, Taser gave us the news. ¡°Kelly is in surgery, Rocket and I are going down there. Viper needs you guys back at the clubhouse. He said he and Snake have something important to do in his basement, and they are bringing Hammer.


    I smiled. Bringing Hammer, the club Master at Arms, meant only one thing. They caught one of the bastards who did this.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    It had taken thirty minutes of nervous driving to make it to Viper¡¯s home. As promised, the garage door was up; it was a big garage, fitting of a guy who liked to work on his motorcycles. I could see a few bikes outside as I pulled in, recognizing Snake¡¯s and Hammer¡¯s rides. I pulled in, and before I shut it off the garage door was going down.


    The guys rushed the truck as soon as the door was closed. Snake practically ripped open the door as I removed the belt, pulling me out and into his arms. He checked me over for wounds. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, then he pulled me into a kiss that took my breath away. We poured all our worry and love into that kiss,ing up for air only when Viper cleared his throat. ¡°I love you, Snake,¡±


    ¡°I love you, Vivian. Now, who are these guys?¡±


    ¡°Werewolves from the Brainerd pack. The injured guy died, Doc took him out. The big guy is Todd, he¡¯s the leader of their bunch, and the one that gave the order to shoot Kelly and leave Jennifer behind. The other is Bruce, he was the one who shot her. I gave them a powerful sedative, they will be out for another hour at least. The dead wolf in the back is Frank, Doc killed him. Todd told me he had been sent here specifically to find me and return me to Alpha Hans.¡±


    I could see a smirk forming on Hammer¡¯s mouth. ¡°I guess we should show our guests to their room then.¡± He reached in and grabbed Todd¡¯s arm, pulling him out. He threw a shoulder under his arm and started walking into the house with him while Snake grabbed Bruce and followed him.


    ¡°What do we do with the other two,¡± I asked Viper.


    He walked over and grabbed some tarps. Laying one on the ground, he pulled Travis out, then rolled him in it like a burrito. He used some duct tape to hold everything in ce. He then did the same with the wolf, before putting both back in the car. ¡°When a few of the guys get here, I¡¯ll have them go bury the bodies out in the woods. We¡¯ll drop the SUV off at a chop shop, it¡¯s fairly new so it will get us some cash.¡± He closed the door up. ¡°Nowe on, we¡¯ve got to get you cleaned up.¡±


    He brought me into the guest bedroom of his house. ¡°The shower¡¯s in there, towels are in the cab to the right of the sink. I¡¯ll find you something to wear and leave it on the bed,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice starting to break.


    He pulled me into a hug, kissing my head. ¡°I think of you as a daughter, Vivian. I haven¡¯t felt fear like I did when I heard about the attack since my wife got her diagnosis. I thought I had lost you, and I was barely hanging on.¡± I hugged him back as I started to cry with him. ¡°I¡¯m just d you are the toughest olddy in the club. Captured by three werewolves and you take over ande home to us.¡±


    ¡°I did what I had to, Dad.¡±


    His eyes were full of tears. ¡°We all will, that doesn¡¯t make it any less heroic. Now take a shower, our guests will wake up soon and Snake is waiting for you.¡± He walked out the door and I went to take my shower. I tossed the soiled clothes into the garbage, stepping into the warm shower felt fantastic. I stayed in too long, until the hot water was gone, then I dried myself and wrapped a towel around my hair. I dried my body, leaving the towel on the counter as I walked out and froze.


    Snake was sitting on the bed, staring at me. He had changed into scrubs, and he looked like a fantasy doctore to life. His eyes bugged out, his jaw was dropped, and there was no mistaking the lust in his expression as his eyes raked my body. ¡°Vivian¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t let him say another word. I rushed into him, pushing him back onto the bed as I straddled him and kissed him hard. I couldn¡¯t get his clothes off fast enough, and we didn¡¯t wait for his pants to pull off. I reached back, getting him aligned and dropping down as I moaned deep into his mouth. This time wasn¡¯t about romance or love, it was pure animal need and my wolf and I loved it. He rolled me onto my back, pounding me hard until we both came together. I pulled away from his mouth. ¡°All I could think about was not having you with me any more,¡± I said into his ear as he rolled me onto my side.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t handle losing you,¡± he said. ¡°I was ready to burn the world to get you back.¡± We kissed again, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°If you two are done bumping uglies, our guests are waking up,¡± Viper said.


    ¡°Couple minutes,¡± Snake said. He got up and started to get dressed as I grabbed some underwear that had been left for me. It must have been his wife¡¯s, he¡¯d never been able to get rid of her stuff. ¡°You don¡¯t have to watch this, honey. Getting answers out of them is bound to be bloody. Hammer doesn¡¯t mess around.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it,¡± I said as we walked out the door.


    We went out and got my medical kit out of the SUV, in case I needed it. We got downstairs and walked through a steel door into a room that had concrete walls and a ceiling. The door itself was sealed, and when the door closed you couldn¡¯t hear anything from outside. ¡°The walls are eight-inch solid concrete, insted on the outside. It¡¯spletely soundproof, they can scream all day and no one will know anything.¡± The guys were dressed in scrubs, except Hammer. He wore ck leather pants, a ck shirt and a ck, long leather jacket. He looked intimidating as hell.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep41

    The two prisoners were chained to metal chairs. Bruce was in front of the table, a singlemp on it illuminated him and the toolsid out for use. Todd was ced next to the table, his back to us. He could see Bruce, but not much else. They had used the silver chains I had made to hold them tight. They weren¡¯t fully conscious yet, but I could fix that. Opening my kit, I drew up two syringes. Each contained two chemicals; a stimnt to counteract the earlier sedative, and wolfsbane to retard their healing. I handed the two syringes to Hammer, and he took care of the injections for me.


    A few minutester, both men were awake and screaming. Wolfsbane feels like fire going through your veins and sets the nerves afire. We sat in the darkness as Hammer did his thing. ¡°Wee to my hell, boys,¡± he said as he stood in front of them like a huge angel of death, which he basically was now. ¡°You two have sinned greatly.¡± He picked up a heavy construction hammer from the table, making sure the two saw it. They couldn¡¯t link each other, but I could see Bruce as his eyes got wide and filled with fear. Hammer knelt down in front of him. ¡°They call me Hammer for good reason. I like this one,¡± he said as he showed them the head. ¡°It turns flesh into a waffle fry.¡± He brought the hammer down hard on Bruce¡¯s left instep, and the scream of pain was immediate.


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t start now, I¡¯m not even ready to ask questions yet. I¡¯m just doing this because you pissed me off.¡± He brought it down five more times, once on each toe on his left foot. Bruce was screaming and begging for mercy now. ¡°Ooh, that must have hurt. That little piggy isn¡¯t going to market anytime soon.¡±


    I could smell the blood as he set the hammer down. ¡°I can¡¯t have you bleeding to death now, can I?¡± Taking a propane torch, he lit it in front of his eyes, then knelt in front of him. He screamed and passed out as the torch cauterized the wounds, stopping the bleeding. Hammer stood up and shook his head. ¡°Your friend doesn¡¯t have much of a pain tolerance, this is going to take all day Todd.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you. You don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    Hammer just smiled at him. ¡°Good. I¡¯m hoping you provide a little more of a challenge.¡± He used the blowtorch directly, burning off each of the toes on his left foot as he tried not to scream. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± He worked on him for twenty minutes, using a hammer, blowtorch, linesman¡¯s pliers and a couple knives to introduce him to new levels of pain.


    And he never asked a thing.


    Bruce had woken up during the work and threw up on his shirt when he saw what was happening to Todd. Finally, Hammer stood and faced them. ¡°You two are going to die, there is no escape from that fate. You killed my best friend, put his wife into intensive care, and let an innocent baby die. The only question is how much fun you let me have before I end you. The one who answers my questions gets a quick and rtively painless death. The other? I¡¯m going to make thisst DAYS. There¡¯s a whole line of people who loved them, people who want nothing more than to have a chance to torture the shit out of you until you beg for death. Now, which one is it going to be?¡±


    The two looked at each other and both shook their heads no. Hammer just smiled. ¡°I was hoping you would say that.¡± He walked over to Todd as he put brass knuckles on. With one powerful right cross, he was out. ¡°I didn¡¯t want interruptions, Bruce.¡± Walking back, he used the brass knuckles on his ribs, you could hear them cracking as he methodically worked his way from shoulder to stomach.


    It took an hour to break him, and he sung like a canary. It turned out he and the others were lone wolves, who sought to join a Pack. Alpha Hans said he didn¡¯t need men, he needed a doctor, and the only one he knew of that was left had fled the Boundary Waters pack. A spy there told him they had contacted her via a guy named Moose at Bill¡¯s Gun Shop. ¡°He told us if we brought her back, we could have a ce in the Pack, fifty grand each and a chance to pick a mate. He wanted Doctor Vivian DelMara, said that without her they had no chance of finding a cure. That was two weeks ago. We started following Moose, it took a while but we saw him go to this closed pet clinic with some other men. We sniffed around, there were two there, but the young one left in the morning. We watched for three days, and when we knew there were only two humans there with her, that¡¯s when we struck.¡±


    ¡°Why kill the humans?¡±


    ¡°Frank was shifted when Todd used the crowbar to open the back door, he took down the human but was shot a couple times. We couldn¡¯t risk a human knowing of us.¡±


    ¡°And the baby?¡±


    ¡°Not what we were sent to retrieve. I thought she was lying about it being an Alpha¡¯s child, no baby has survived.¡±


    Hammer¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Who else knows about the clinic?¡±


    ¡°No one else is down here, but the Alpha knows about Moose. It didn¡¯t take us long to figure out he was with a biker club, especially since it was the same club she helped save a guy with. A little research at the library and we found her marriage certificate and her new name. It wasn¡¯t hard, really. We haven¡¯t talked to the Alpha since we left, but he¡¯s going to find out. He¡¯s attacking the Boundary Waters Pack, he¡¯ll beat the information out of their Alpha.¡± He looked Hammer in the eyes. ¡°You have no idea how valuable this woman is. A pack doctor is gold, rumor is that she¡¯s thest one. Was that really an Alpha¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was premature, but she survived. The only one from twelve mothers to do so. She was a beautiful baby, and she¡¯s lying dead in a cooler upstairs thanks to you.¡±


    Bruce looked down at his feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    Hammer just turned his back to him, taking abat knife from the table. ¡°I know.¡± Turning back, he mmed the knife into the top of his head, killing him instantly. He wiped the blood off his hands and the leather. ¡°Come on, we need to talk.¡± I allowed Snake to lead me out of the room, and Hammer turned out the light as he left. Todd would wake up to his buddy dead, a knife sticking out the top of his head.


    We sat at Viper¡¯s kitchen table, he handed out Cokes as we sat down. ¡°Your cover here is blown, DeWalt. I can¡¯t protect you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to, Dad. They¡¯ll kill more Club members to get to me.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He took my hand. ¡°You two need to get the hell out of here. I¡¯ll have Marcus and Jessicae here, you can take them along. With Snake and a male werewolf, you have a chance if they don¡¯t know where you went.¡± He got up and walked into his bedroom, returning a few minutester with a bag. ¡°There¡¯s about seventy grand in cash, plus some clothes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trade you for this, I have stocks and bearer bonds in my room. I need the rest of the cash in there, though.¡± I wrote down thebination of my room safe on a piece of paper for him. ¡°Have Jessica grab my passport, identification, everything else in there and pack a bag of clothes for each of us. We¡¯ll get moreter.¡±


    ¡°I got that,¡± Hammer said and went to make the call.


    Viper put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your Harleys, and let the club know why you had to leave without saying goodbye,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me or anyone else where you are going, and don¡¯t call back. We¡¯ll pull the bodies out of the SUV, you can take that, no one knows it is stolen. If you need to talk, send a letter to me here, not at the clubhouse.¡±


    I was starting to cry, everything was falling apart, and I was running again. I leaned into Snake, sobs racking my body as Viper moved over to hug me around the waist.


    I hugged him back, sensing deep down I would never see them again. An hourter, the four of us drove off into the unknown.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep42

    May 1999, Grenada, St. George¡¯s School of Medicine


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Jessica Ann Patterson.¡± Snake, Carson and I were on our feet, cheering as she walked across the stage in her cap and gown. She shook the hands of the College President and Head of the Nursing Program, epting her diploma in her left hand. She walked off to the left as the next name was announced and returned to her seat.


    I was so proud of her. Jessica Patterson, Registered Nurse. Top of her ss, with a focus in neonatal care.


    It was now five years since we had fled Minnesota after the attack on our clinic. In that time, a lot had changed for us. We spent months bouncing around the United States before we had everything ready for the move. We needed a ce free of werewolves, where Jessica and Carson could get their education, and I could continue practicing medicine. We decided on Grenada and Saint George¡¯s University and their medical school. It was popr with American and European students, the ind spoke mainly English, and the weather was SO not Minnesota.


    Jessica did well enough in high school and themunity college she finished to get epted into their college of nursing. I went back to school as well, enrolling in the MD-PHD program at Saint George¡¯s; my graduation had been a week earlier. I was doing research into the biomechanics of spontaneous abortions after the twentieth week of pregnancy.


    Grenada was a beautiful ind, and we all loved the University campus. Carson got a job at the university working security, and Snake took care of the house and took sses in Creole cooking. He no longer was a short-order cook, he could open his own restaurant if he wanted. The guys would love to have him back at the clubhouse, I bet.


    I¡¯d have be fat if we weren¡¯t so active. Shortly after arriving, friends from Jessica¡¯s ss had taught us to surf, and we loved it. The ind had miles of beautiful beaches, and we used them whenever we had time off. We had a Range Rover that could haul the boards, plus we each had small motorcycles we used to explore the ind itself. The poption was almost all near the sea, not near the thick jungle of the center of the ind, including the volcanic peaks. The jungle was the only ce we could safely let our wolves out, with Snake watching our stuff while we went off to run.


    It was alling to an end, though. Our educational visas were expiring, and it was time to return to the States. Our flights left in two days, a short hop to Miami then back to Minnesota.


    I was hesitant at the idea at first, but Carson was the one who went back to check if it would be safe. He traveled back home for several weeks over Christmas, renting a car and quietly checking out the state. He didn¡¯t smell any werewolf activity around the Clubhouse, which was good, although we didn¡¯t have him make contact with anyone there. He drove up to the Boundary Waters pack and found thend empty. It had been sold to a developer who was nning to build vacation homes on it once it was rezoned. The Brainerd pack was more interesting; Carson had run into a lone wolf at a bar there who told him the whole story. They were desperate for children, but the SPUDS killed every woman who got pregnant, and that forced them out farther and farther in their search for recements. They met their match in Montana, all of the warriors were killed, and that Pack took in the remaining women.


    He traveled around the state, and all he found was lone wolves and broken men. Losing mates had not been easy, wars had been costly, and he estimated fewer than 10% of the wolves that were alive seven years ago were around now. Women were made of pure unobtanium now; there were standing offers of over a million dors for a woman of childbearing age from Packs out west. The children, the youngest now six, were almost as valuable. From what he heard, there were only a half-dozenrge packs left, and maybe another half-dozen smaller ones. The ones that didn¡¯t get destroyed fell apart on their own, their members scattered or moving to other ones.


    When he asked about Pack doctors, he was met withughter. Carson told me about an old Werewolf he met in a bar in Alexandria. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been one of those in years,¡± he said. ¡°Just a rumor of one caused a Pack to be wiped out. They are desperate, those Alphas. They are running out of time and women, and no one knows why, no one can do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°They all die?¡±


    ¡°There was a rumor of a female doctor that saved an Alpha¡¯s child years ago, but I don¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s like a unicorn, a fantasy. The story is that she was killed by those sent to take her. Luna¡¯s wrath will not be cheated, I fear. Our kind will destroy itself in the most painful way, and it¡¯s our own greed and stupidity that will do it.¡±


    ¡°You think this is Luna¡¯s fault.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°Of course it is. Every gift she gave us, we pissed away. Our Packs turned against each other, against themselves. They killed the doctors who were trying to stop this. We¡¯ve been cursed, we¡¯re dead, we just haven¡¯t epted it yet. My Sylvia, she was a good woman, a good Pack member. She died outside our safe room, trying to defend the younger women. She gave me five grandchildren, all are dead. I should have killed myself, it would be easier than this.¡±


    I pulled myself back to the present time with themencement speech wrapping up. The ceremony ended, her cap was tossed in the air, and we went into the crowd to find her. She leaped into Carson¡¯s arms as he spun her around and kissed her deeply. When they were finally done, Snake and I got in on the action. We looked out at the cove, back at the buildings of the university that we had grown to love, and I sighed. I would miss it.


    Jessica¡¯s POV


    I woke up the morning after the graduation parties, and immediately ran for the bathroom. I barely got the toilet seat up before I was puking my guts out. I heard Carsone in, he handed me a ss of water to rinse my mouth out. ¡°Too much boozest night?¡±


    I just shook my head as I went to brush my teeth. He made sure I was all right, then went into the shower. I didn¡¯t drink all that much, and it didn¡¯t exin why I had thrown up yesterday. When I was done, I opened the door of the apartment¡¯s shower and joined my mate. He pulled me into him, kissing me before going to work on my hair. When it was done, he moved down my body. ¡°Careful,¡± I said, ¡°My boobs are really sensitive today.¡±


    He felt them gently. ¡°They feelrger, too.¡± I started adding things up. ¡°Oh fuck me¡­ oh shit.¡± I got out of the shower, drying off quickly and pulling on some clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in twenty minutes. Want something from the bakery?¡±


    He was a little confused. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll get breakfast.¡± I ran out of theplex, down the street to the pharmacy where I bought a box of pregnancy tests, then stopped to get muffins and juice from the bakery. I practically ran back home, leaving the food on the table. I didn¡¯t even acknowledge Carson as I rushed into the bathroom to pee on the stick.


    He knocked on the door as I was washing my hands. He came in, catching sight of the test on the counter. ¡°Are you all oh shit are you are we¡­¡±


    I kissed him just to shut him up. ¡°Two more minutes,¡± I said. I passed the time just holding him, his arms wrapped around me as my brain worked through how the hell this could have happened. We had taken precautions during my heat to keep our wolves from taking over. Both of us wore silver nes coated with stic; we couldn¡¯t shift, not even our teeth, and our wolf instincts were pushed down. It was enough to make sure that we used protection during the week of constant sex.


    Finally, it was time as my watch beeped. I let him go, we looked at the test, and it showed a plus sign.


    Pregnant.


    99. 9% effective when used properly wasn¡¯t in our favor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± he said as he pulled me close.


    I was maybe eight weeks along. My wolf was thrilled, she was yipping in my head, already in love with our little one. My human side was absolutely terrified. I started to ck out, my legs giving way as Carson scooped me up and carried me into bed. I was crying, I was having trouble breathing, I couldn¡¯t think straight. Carson justid down with me, pulling me on top of him as he talked softly in my ear. ¡°Focus on your breathing, breathe with me,¡± he said. ¡°In. Out.¡± I tried, but I¡¯d start to sob or hup and I¡¯d be short of breath again. His hands rubbed my back and neck as he talked me down. It took ten minutes before I was calm enough to talk again.


    ¡°It will be all right, my love,¡± he said in my ear as tears continued to fall slowly from my face to his chest.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be, and we both know it,¡± I said. ¡°I need you to promise me something.¡±


    ¡°Anything, my love.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°When the timees, and there is a choice between trying to save me and saving our child, you save our child.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You have to,¡± I said as I pushed myself up so I was straddling his waist. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what happens. Vivian does her best, but she can¡¯t stop the bleeding once it starts, no mother has been saved yet. Even if there was a miracle, she has to remove their uterus. This baby,¡± I put a hand over my belly, ¡°This baby is the only chance you have to keep a piece of me around. The only way I continue to live even after I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give up on you, Jessica. I love you.¡±


    Tears dropped down,nding on his broad chest. It was hard, but it was the only way. ¡°The baby can live. Vivian is an amazing doctor, but she can¡¯t do two things at once. You stay with me until I¡¯m gone, but she has to save our baby.¡±


    He closed his eyes, tears flowing down his face as well. ¡°I love you more than the baby,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that.¡±


    I leaned down and kissed him. ¡°You will, though. The first time you see our child, you will love our child enough to do what is needed.¡± Iid my head down on his chest as he held me tight and we cried together.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep43

    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°They are going to shit a brick when we walk through the door,¡± Iughed as we loaded into the limousine at the Minneapolis airport. We didn¡¯t have many belongings, having sold most before we left, but we each had tworge suitcases.


    There had been lots of tears as we packed up to leave, we had grown to love the ind and the people. Jessica¡¯s news had pushed me over the top; we had cried half the night together. I resolved that I would do anything humanly (and werewolfly) possible to save her and her child. I was going to start as soon as I found out if my upstairs clinic at the clubhouse was still there. She was family, there was no worry about exposing my hideout this time, and no time to stock another clinic.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Snake said as he pulled me into hisp in the spacious backseat. ¡°I¡¯ve loved the time with you, but I miss my brothers and sisters in the Club.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I kissed him as Jessica got in, Carson right behind her. It took him about two seconds to have her on hisp after he sat down on the seat across from us. ¡°Possessive much?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he said. ¡°My wolf goes nuts if I¡¯m not holding her or protecting her. It was difficult to let her use the toilet during the flight, I had to go up and wait outside while she went.¡±


    ¡°At least you didn¡¯t try to have sex with her on the ne,¡± Snake said.


    He looked away for a second. ¡°Wait a minute, you DID!¡± Iughed. ¡°In that tiny bathroom?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the mostfortable,¡± Jessica said. We startedughing at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I needed him and he¡¯d never turn me down.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, kid, you got away with it.¡± We were moving out of the airport, and it wouldn¡¯t be long until we were there. ¡°I just hope my Harley is still good. God, I miss riding it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they took care of them,¡± Snake said. ¡°I wonder who has our rooms now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t expect them to hold them for all this time when we haven¡¯t talked to them. They had to move on, I¡¯m sure. I just hope all my stuff isn¡¯t in some storage garage, covered in mouse crap and rust.¡± I leaned over and looked out the window as we got closer. ¡°You are sure we are safe here, Carson?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, there were no wolves around and the Packs in Minnesota are gone. You¡¯re right, though, we should check.¡± He rolled down the privacy window and talked to the driver, telling him to stop two blocks away and let him out. He did, and Carson did a quick circuit around the building and lot containing the clubhouse. Ten minutester, he was climbing in. ¡°All good,¡± he said as before he told the driver to pull in through the open gate.


    The parking lot was full of bikes, and I could smell the oil so they must have arrived from a ride recently. It was past nine on Friday night, clear skies and seventies as we arrived. I could hear the music inside through the open windows of the bar, and as the driver parked in front of the door I started to cry. ¡°Leave the baggage by the door,¡± Carson said as he paid the driver before he looked at us. ¡°Ladies first,¡± he said with a smirk.


    The driver held the door open and I let Jessica get out first. She had grown up quite a bit, into a striking young woman with a surfer¡¯s body and long blonde hair. She looked amazing in the light tropical sundress she was wearing. I stepped out right behind her, my long ck hair flowing in the breeze. I had more curves than her, and the light dress showed them off. ¡°God, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± I heard Snake say as he got out behind me and took my hand. As soon as Carson was out, Snake opened the door and held it for us. Carson got the second, and Jessica and I walked into the loud, busy clubhouse.


    There was a scream, and everything got quiet as the whole ce turned to look. Viper was standing in front of me, his beer dropped to the floor as he looked at me in wonder. ¡°Vivian?¡±


    ¡°DAD!¡± I ran forward into his arms, and it was like an explosion of sound as the ce went nuts. I don¡¯t think Jessica or I touched ground for more than a second that first minute, as our friends were picking us up and hugging us, then passing us on. It was insane.


    A woman came down the stairs, tears running down her face. I almost ran into her arms when I saw her. ¡°KELLY!¡±


    ¡°VIVIAN! Oh my God, I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    We cried together, I hadn¡¯t seen her since I was walked out of the clinic room by my kidnappers. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kelly. I never should have opened the door, I never should have let Doc stay out there, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    She pulled me into her arms again. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, girl, Doc was a fighter and you don¡¯t always get to win. I¡¯m just d you got away. You being here means he didn¡¯t die in vain.¡± It was like a huge weight off my soul, knowing she didn¡¯t me me. ¡°And I¡¯m doing fine now.¡±


    Fifteen minutester, I¡¯d hugged everyone. A spot had been cleared at the big table where Viper, Hammer and wife Teri, and new Vice President Tiny and wife Katie were sitting.


    ¡°Beers all around,¡± Viper yelled at one of the prospects manning the bar.


    ¡°Orange juice for me, please,¡± Jessica said.


    Viper looked at her, she was old enough. ¡°You don¡¯t drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± She leaned back into Carson as the tears started to flow.


    ¡°Oh.¡± His face went from excitement to fear as it hit him. ¡°I think we need to take this to church.¡±


    ¡°Everyone needs to know about some things, Dad,¡± I told the man I looked up to so much. ¡°We are here, but not out of danger. No one can know we are back who isn¡¯t in the club.¡±


    ¡°PROSPECTS! Close all the windows and put the blinds down.¡± They ran off to do so. ¡°How much do you want everyone to know?¡±


    ¡°They all need to know we are here and under Club protection, so they need to keep that information among Club members. They can know Jessica¡¯s condition, she will be staying here under my care. They can also know there is a bounty on our heads, the same kind of people who killed Doc are the ones putting it out there.¡±


    Viper called for quiet and briefed everyone on what was going on. They were happy to see me, pissed I was not out of danger, but I could see the resolve in their eyes. Nobody would let me be taken again.


    We partied into the night, no one wanted to do Church until the morning. ¡°Hey, are there rooms upstairs we can crash in? Jessica needs her rest, and I¡¯m running on fumes.¡±


    Kelly pulled me up. ¡°Of course, you and Snake still have your room. We¡¯d never take that from a member.¡± My eyes were tearing up. ¡°Even if you ARE out of uniform.¡± She must have snuck up into it, her arm came out from behind her back and she handed each of us our cuts.


    I lost it as I put it back on, and Snake couldn¡¯t get his on fast enough. I could see it was too small for him now. ¡°Looks like someone has been eating too much of their own cooking,¡± I teased.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you kidding? It¡¯s all the muscle I put on in the chest and shoulders from surfing,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Come on, baby, let¡¯s see if we still fit in bed together.¡±


    It turns out we did fit in bed, and the shower, and the dresser, the bathroom door, the vanity¡­ he made up for not having me on the ne!


    Jessica¡¯s POV


    We walked into the guest room we had been given, and I had to say I was impressed. I didn¡¯t know what to expect when they said they had guest rooms above the bar; I half expected 70¡¯s paneling, ugly curtains and a stain-spotted bed that would be at home in a whorehouse. Instead, the room looked like a nice suite at a business hotel; king size bed, nice bathroom, even a little kitchte with a microwave, hot te and small refrigerator. ¡°Wow,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Carson said huskily from behind me. I looked in the mirror, the light was silhouetting my body under the light fabric of the dress, and he was staring at it. ¡°Come here.¡±


    I moved towards him, letting my hips sway a little. We had spent a lot of time talking about what the pregnancy meant to us, and decided we were going to live the next six months like they were ourst together. Which they were, but at least I wasn¡¯t sick. We could enjoy our time, enjoy each other, and make memories for him and our baby. I licked my lips, slowly approaching him, as I unbuttoned the front of the dress and let it fall to the ground at his feet.


    He dropped to his knees, hugging my waist as he kissed my lower belly. ¡°Hello, little one. Cover your ears, I need to give Mommy some fun time here.¡±


    ¡°Our baby is too small to OOOOH CARSON¡­¡± His lips and tongue had moved down, and I threw a leg over his shoulder as I pulled his head closer to me. My panties were pulled aside, and I moaned as a finger pushed up inside. I felt his breath, then his tongue went to work. I was so wet for him, it didn¡¯t take long until I came apart on his lips. ¡°Bed now,¡± I moaned to him when my thighs stopped trembling.


    He stood up, his hands lifting my ass and I wrapped my legs around his as he walked us over. Heid me down, my butt at the edge, then quickly pulled his own clothes off. ¡°Now where was I,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You were about to OOOHH yeah right there¡­¡± His thumb was rubbing my clit as he positioned his cock at my entrance. I looked up at his face, at his love for me as he pushed forward in one smooth motion. He started to saw in and out as Iid back and enjoyed being taked. He raised my legs, cing them on his shoulders as he started to drive harder and faster into me. His arms wrapped around my thighs, using them as a fulcrum so he could go faster. I broke, squeezing his cock as he buried himself deep inside me, his seed painting my insides as we screamed each other¡¯s names.


    We made some really good memories that night.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    The party had wound down quickly as soon as the guests of honor had retired to their rooms. I sat in a booth in the back, looking at my beer, and thinking about what just happened.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep44

    My daughter was home.


    She wasn¡¯t blood, but she was mine. I had imed her as such before I walked her down the aisle, I had failed to protect her, and I worried about her constantly after she left. Her return filled something in my heart and allowed me to move forward on the other thing I had been holding out on.


    I said goodnight and went home just after midnight. I showered and shaved, changed into my silk boxers and a Harley T-shirt, and made sure everything was ready. When the doorbell rang, I was ready. I pulled it open, she was standing there with her weekend bag. ¡°Are you sure you are all right with this,¡± she asked as she walked in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, Kelly.¡± She moved into my arms, our lips crashing together as I pulled her tight to me. We were like young kids again. I led her into the bedroom, where I removed her clothes andid her down on the bed, my eyes taking in her naked form. ¡°I love you, Kelly.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I love you too, Viper.¡± I pulled off my clothes and made sweet love to her.


    The next morning, she was in my arms where she belonged. I got up, she reached for me in her sleep but grabbed the warm pillow and went right back to sleep. I went to the bathroom then pulled on some clothes before going to the kitchen. As I pulled the bacon and eggs out of the fridge, I thought about the strange path that brought us to this point. Kelly had been the wife of a close friend, Doc, my Vice President. We had formed the club together, I had been Best Man at his wedding to her twenty years ago. She and my wife Jean were close friends, and we were always together. When she lost her battle to cancer, it was Doc and Kelly who kept me from slipping into depression.


    I made it my mission to return the favor when Doc was killed. I stayed with her in the hospital, took her to her physical therapy appointments, helped her with the estate. She sold their house, unable to pay the mortgage, and I helped her find a small apartment near the Club. I offered to let her stay at my house, but she was afraid of how that would be seen. Moving in on another Club member¡¯s widow was frowned upon, and she didn¡¯t want the rumors.


    It was only in thest year that we started to act on how we felt for each other. It started simple; watching shows together, sitting together at the Club, going ces together. Our first kiss had been six months ago, our first time sleeping together a few weeks ago. I finished up making breakfast, putting it on a tray with some juice and brought it back to my bedroom.


    She opened her eyes when I came in. ¡°Morning, love,¡± I said as she blinked her eyes open.


    ¡°Breakfast in bed?¡±


    I set the tray on the table, kissing her as she sat up. She walked into the bathroom, then asked me if I could bring her bag in. I went and got it, setting it on the bed, I pulled out the bag with her toiletries and knocked on the door. She took it with a smile, and I went back to the bed. I took her clothes and ced them in the dresser, in the drawers I had finally cleaned out. I was ready to move on, I donated the clothes and the other things I didn¡¯t want to save of hers. It took me two weeks of work to make the house ready for a new wife, if she¡¯d take me.


    She came out just as I was moving thest of her stuff into the drawer. ¡°Viper, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What I should have done months ago, Kelly. I¡¯m making a ce for you.¡± I took her hand and led her back to the bed, sitting down and pulling her onto myp. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding on to Jean¡¯s memory far too long. She would have wanted me to be happy, just as Doc would want you to be happy. YOU make me happy.¡± She started to tear up as I pulled her tight. ¡°I prayed to her a few days ago, Kelly. I asked for her permission to do what I want to do, I asked for a sign. Last night, that was her way of telling me that I have a family to take care of, and I need to let her go. Vivian is back, Jessica is like her sister, and she¡¯s having a baby that will practically be my grandchild. I can¡¯t do that alone.¡±


    She was crying now. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t too soon?¡±


    I set her on the bed and dropped to my knees in front of her. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the ring I had purchased for her. ¡°Kelly, you would make me happy if you would be my Old Lady. Will you marry me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, silly,¡± she said before she kissed me. She put the ring on and looked at it before looking back at me. ¡°You may now molest your fiance.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s POV


    ¡°We have to get going, Viper, we¡¯re going to bete.¡±


    Heughed as he got out of the shower, holding open a towel for me to step into. ¡°They¡¯ll wait.¡± He dried me off carefully before doing himself, and I wrapped the towel around as he gave me the bathroom to get ready. I looked in the mirror; I was old, but I looked good. I still had a good body, one that Viper had ridden with skillst night and this morning. ¡°Are we driving separate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding us anymore, Kelly. The only question is if we ride up together or you ride with me.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment; I loved riding my Harley, but riding on the back of his motorcycle in our world meant you were his Old Lady. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then.¡±


    He was smiling as he came back in, dressed in jeans, boots, a ck T-shirt and his cut. ¡°Beside me or behind me, as long as you are riding with me I¡¯m happy.¡± He pulled me in to his chest, the towel somehow pulling loose. ¡°Hey! We have to go!¡± I walked past him, finding my lingerie and clothes on the bed where he hadid them out for me.


    ¡°We will.¡± He helped me with my boots, then took my hand as we walked out of the bedroom. ¡°Now that we¡¯re official, would you like to move in?¡±


    ¡°And leave my ptial studio apartment with the drug dealer neighbor and the cockroaches?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want you here with me.¡±


    We made it to the garage, where he opened the garage door and we walked to his big Harley Ultra Glide. I let him get on, then slipped on behind him. ¡°I want to get married first.¡±


    He justughed. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll get the license on Monday and Crash can do the ceremony next Friday night. That gives us time to pack your stuff and move it over.¡± I just hugged him as he fired up his ride. ¡°Unless that¡¯s too soon.¡±


    ¡°This afternoon would be fine with me, we can catch up the paperworkter. As long as we¡¯re surprising everyone, we may as well go all the way.¡± He pulled out, the door closing behind him as we made the short ride to the clubhouse.


    Everyone was waiting outside, enjoying the morning weather. A cheer broke out as we pulled in, and I waved my ring at the girls as we drove to our spot. As President, his bike was parked closest to the entrance. We were mobbed by the time he had backed into the spot and turned off the engine. I no sooner got off than I was hugged by Teri and the girls. They pulled me inside, sitting me at the table as the guys were congratting Viper outside. ¡°It¡¯s about damn time he popped the question,¡± Teri said.


    My mouth dropped. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°That you two were running around like a couple teenagers trying to hide from your parents? Yeah, we knew.¡±


    Taserughed. ¡°It was pretty easy to tell, he can¡¯t take his eyes off you, and you lean into him every chance you get.¡±


    ¡°I think we knew you were gettingid before you did,¡± Teri said.


    ¡°And that whole ¡®I¡¯m going to Viper¡¯s house because he¡¯s helping me with my bike¡¯ thing, we all saw right through that. He can¡¯t work on it while it¡¯s in the driveway and you¡¯re in the bedroom,¡± Sheri said. She was Moose¡¯s wife, they married two years ago. She owned a bar in St. Paul, so she was only around in the mornings.


    ¡°Well,¡± Katie said, ¡°her Harley may have sat in the cold, but I¡¯m sure she was getting her chrome polished.¡± I started turning red.


    ¡°He checked her oil,¡± Sheri added.


    ¡°Blew out her pipes,¡± Teriughed.


    ¡°Polished the headlight,¡± Taser added.


    ¡°Topped off her tank,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± I said as I put my head down on my arms, hiding my tomato face.


    ¡°I heard that too, he must have been waxing your finish,¡± Sheriughed.


    ¡°Put her up on the lift and checked her out,¡± Katie said.


    ¡°Tested the suspension,¡± Taserughed.


    ¡°Oiled up her saddle,¡± Vivian said as she busted outughing.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, I bet she inted his tires,¡± Taser teased.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S IT,¡± I yelled as I red at them all. ¡°The next one who cracks a joke doesn¡¯t get to be my bridesmaid this afternoon.¡±


    Now it was MY time to smile as their jaws dropped. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Viper¡¯s asking Crash to do it after lunch. I finally got him to ask me, do you think there¡¯s any way in hell I¡¯m going to let him get talked out of it?¡± I looked over at Teri. ¡°Teri, I want you to be my matron of honor,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said as she started to cry.


    ¡°Vivian, you know the drill,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯d like you to escort Viper down the aisle, you¡¯re his closest family.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, she was nodding and crying before she jumped up and hugged me. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Taser, I need you to book a honeymoon suite for us tonight. You better not tell anyone where it is, either,¡± I warned. ¡°I¡¯m not spending our wedding night in a guest room over the bar, or at his house.¡±


    ¡°I know just the ce,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got church, then lunch. I want to do the ceremony about four, so we can have dinner and party for a while before he takes me out of here. I need someone for decorating, and someone for food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll draft Snake for the food, he has enough time to put something together,¡± Vivian said. ¡°He studied cooking for years in Grenada, he makes some mean Creole food.¡±


    ¡°Mix in some steaks and potatoes, and remind him this is Minnesota, where people say that ¡®Taco Bell food is too spicy for me,''¡± I warned. ¡°I like it hot enough to burn the hairs off my lip, though, so just make a variety.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take decorations,¡± Sheri said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bunch in the storeroom at my bar. What¡¯s the theme?¡±


    ¡°Snake and Vivian¡¯s wedding for older people,¡± I said. And with that, my dream wedding was nned.


    We eventually got all the members back in the conference room for church; riders only, so some of thedies were left to start getting things together for the wedding. I was pulled into Viper¡¯sp, my ce taken by Snake, with Vivian in hisp. We¡¯d have to get more chairs sometime, I thought.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep45

    It took about half an hour just to catch everyone up on where we were. We told them about what had happened here after she left. I told about Doc¡¯s funeral, about the investigation into the torching of the clinic. Viper¡¯s quick thinking with the gasoline and the oxygen had obliterated any evidence of werewolves, and the whole thing had been med on druggies. The estate settled with the insurancepany, and that was that.


    A few strangers poked around in the next few weeks, probably wolves, but they stoppeding soon enough. A woman even stopped by to see Moose, asking about Vivian; from the description, she said it was probably Beta Denise. Moose didn¡¯t say a word about her.


    None of us had heard from Snake, Vivian, Carson or Jessica since they had fled six years earlier. I was holding onto Viper¡¯s hand with a death grip as they told us of their time in the States, the close calls they had before deciding on Grenada. I loved the ind through their eyes, and before they were done I was already plotting how to go on a family vacation there next winter. Finally, Jessica told about finding out she was pregnant.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you use birth control?¡± Teri had the obvious question.


    ¡°Yes, and we stayed in human form, but no birth control is fully effective.¡± Her hand fell to her belly, she was barely showing. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m pregnant now, and we have to n for what that means.¡± She had already exined why abortion was out of the question; I didn¡¯t have a wolf in my head, so it didn¡¯t make sense, but they were certain about it.


    ¡°All of my equipment, all of my notes were in the clinic when it was torched,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I need to fix up the clinic here, I¡¯ve got about three months before she reaches the dangerous portion of her pregnancy. I¡¯ve learned a lot, and I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± she promised. ¡°We need to get the baby to twenty-three weeks, then I¡¯ll give it the shot to develop the lungs. I¡¯ll deliver at twenty-four weeks. That¡¯s how old Jennifer was, and we were able to keep her alive. My n is to deliver before the SPUDS sets in, giving Jessica a chance to live.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot of equipment, won¡¯t you?¡± I remembered how much she had in the clinic.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been making a list. I was going to start looking on Ebay and medical auction sites this weekend. I also need to go back to the licensing bureau, get my Minnesota license active again. Since I was in school, and practicing in Grenada, that shouldn¡¯t be difficult. That way I can order the drugs and supplies I need, except blood.¡±


    She had a lot of it stored in the clinic before, and we needed every bag trying to save the women. ¡°You can¡¯t use human blood, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. She needs werewolf blood, type matched. I can have her donate a couple pints before her pregnancy is too far along, but I really need to find a supply of werewolf blood. IV saline can rece the volume, but it won¡¯t help with clotting and I need that.¡±


    ¡°Can you talk to Packs without getting suspicions?¡±


    Vivian shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know right now if there are any Packs that have medical staff, much less a doctor. I can make some inquiries, but if someone finds out I¡¯m alive and in Minnesota, I be the number one target of every Pack. They know I was able to save a baby, that word got out, and they¡¯ll want me to save theirs too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to help,¡± Teri asked.


    ¡°I do, but I have to protect myself, protect Jessica,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Both of us are targets, even with her pregnant, she¡¯s still a werewolf and a registered nurse. Don¡¯t forget they can still force mate me, take me away from her.¡± Carson started to growl, and Snake just pulled her tighter.


    ¡°All right, first order of business is we have to set protection for these two.¡± There were nods around the table at this, we were family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,dies, but you¡¯re going to be restricted to the clubhouse. We will have at least four club members here with you, all of them strapped, all the time. Hammer, you¡¯ll set up a rotation. Moose, you still have the silver ammunition and knives?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I brought some with this morning when I heard they were back. I¡¯ll pass it out when we¡¯re done.¡±


    Vivian looked sad. ¡°Does this mean we can¡¯t ride?¡±


    ¡°Club rides we can do, plenty of people around, but no rallies or strangers. Carson has to go with, he can ride ahead and make sure the ces we stop are clear of werewolves before we arrive. It won¡¯t be often, it¡¯s a big risk,¡± Viper said. ¡°Also, while they are here at the clubhouse, nobody we don¡¯t know unless they are cleared by me or Hammer, and Carson has to sniff them out first. No dropins or open houses. Got it?¡± He got nods all around. ¡°Vivian, Jessica, whatever you need, you order it or we can get it for you. You¡¯re our daughters, that¡¯s how we think of you, which makes that baby the grandchild I never thought I¡¯d have. We WILL spoil it, so get used to the idea.¡± I just nodded as Vivianughed, I was so excited at the prospect.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± No one said anything.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here, we¡¯ve got a wedding to go to,¡± I said. I hopped off hisp and made the rounds, hugging each of the guys before we finally left the room.


    What a difference a day makes.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    As soon as Church ended, Snake and I headed towards the kitchen. He grabbed a couple prospects and put them to work on rearranging the tables and chairs for the big dinner. He looked at what was in the big refrigerator and the walk-in freezer in back, muttering to himself the whole time. After he had taken some things out, we sat down to make a menu. ¡°We only have about four hours to get this going,¡± I said. ¡°And we need to be able to seat everyone at the same time. The good news is that Kelly said you could make some Ind food if you wanted, as long as you remembered not everyone likes their food hot.¡±


    ¡°That works for me. I¡¯m thinking rice and gumbo for the main course.¡± My mouth started watering, I absolutely LOVED that Creole dish, and his was amazing. ¡°I can make up a huge batch, plus a smaller batch that uses mild sausage and a lot less cayenne pepper. Rice is easy to make in quantity, and we can serve it family style or have theme up and take tes of it and sit down.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to do your famous seafood gumbo?¡± Made with andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, crab and fish, my wolf and I both loved it. ¡°Family style would be amazing if we can pull it off,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s so much more social than being served.¡±


    ¡°Ok, so seafood gumbo and rice. I¡¯ll make some chicken tenders and fries for the kids, we have plenty of those to use in the fryer, if they aren¡¯t adventurous. What other stuff should we have?¡± He was jotting down things on a pad as we talked.


    ¡°French bread, fresh baked, we need it to soak up the juices. We can leave it in the sleeves, justy it on the table as decoration until needed. Then they break off pieces, ind style.¡±


    ¡°Potato sd is traditional to serve with gumbo, that¡¯s easy enough to buy at a deli. I don¡¯t have time to make it myself.¡±


    I thought about it, the table needed more color and options. ¡°A garden sd would be nice. The farmer¡¯s market is open, we could get some fresh produce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that can be prepared while the gumbo is cooking. What about the cake? I¡¯m not that good at them.¡±


    I just giggled. ¡°Sheri knows a woman who owes her a favor. She can do it, barely, but we had to leave the choices up to her based on what she had avable. Sheri said that it will be ¡®appropriate¡¯ for the wedding, whatever that means.¡± He shook his head as he finished the list. Calling the prospects over, he sent one to the farmer¡¯s market and the other to the local Cub Foods. ¡°You might need to ask where this stuff is, if they don¡¯t have enough, go to another store. And hurry up,¡± he said as he handed them cash for it.


    ¡°And DeWalt? You get the tough part.¡± I looked at him quizzically. ¡°Go tell the bride what we decided, and tell her if she doesn¡¯t agree, it¡¯s White Castles for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, baby? She might go for the sliders.¡±


    He justughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think the crowd is drunk enough for White Castles. Now go on and get back here. There¡¯s prep to be done.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    It took us a while to getfortable working in the Club kitchen again, having to find where people had put stuff. The day flew by as weughed and cooked together.


    All too soon, Sheri was pulling me out to get ready. ¡°The wedding party is wearing ck jeans, white blouses and our cuts,¡± she said. ¡°Nowe on, time for you to shower and get ready. You smell like shrimp.¡±


    An hourter, I was standing in the same room, with the same man I had been with six years ago. The only difference was who was getting married. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    He just shifted in his seat. ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Of course I was. I have another joke for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh God¡­¡±


    I smacked his arm. ¡°At a nursing home a group of senior citizens were sitting around talking about their aches and pains.


    ¡°My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee,¡± said one.


    ¡°My cataracts are so bad I can¡¯t even see my coffee,¡± replied another.


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck,¡± said a third.


    ¡°My blood pressure pills make me dizzy,¡± another contributed.


    Then there was a short moment of silence.


    ¡°Thank God we can still drive,¡± said one woman cheerfully.¡± We both cracked up.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep46

    ¡°Figures all the jokes are about my age,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not too old yet, Kelly can confirm that.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, Gramps.¡± He turned and scowled at me before we both busted outughing again, and then it was time. I walked him down between the lines of motorcycles, leaving him at the altar as I went to sit in the front row next to Snake. His motorcycle was parked behind the podium. Crash was standing in the center, an issue of Easy Rider magazine in his hand instead of a bible, and a weird smile on his face. The music changed, ¡°Another One Bites the Dust¡± changed over to Daft Punk¡¯s ¡°One More Time.¡± Teri and Taser walked down the aisle, escorted by Hammer and Rocket. They took their spots in the front, then we heard the first bikes rev up as Kelly reached the aisle.


    She looked great, thigh-high stockings and garters, white heels, a whitece dress and her cut. Dagger was walking her down the aisle, each few steps marked by another pair of bikes starting. When she got to the front, the engines revved before being cut on Crash¡¯s signal. He gave them a minute to take their seats before he started. ¡°Dearly beloved, clearly we haven¡¯t learned anything from thest time,¡± he started. ¡°We are here today to join Viper and Kelly in the bonds of no-shit matrimony. I¡¯m happy to see we have plenty of Ensure on hand and a doctor in the house, since the groom is old enough to remember when Harley met Davidson.¡±


    ¡°Watch it, boy,¡± Viper warned.


    ¡°I¡¯d give them the usual warnings, but both have been married before so they know all that sex is going to stop after a year or so. They won¡¯t listen anyway. I can smell the food already, so let¡¯s just move on the part where they pledge their eternal devotion to each other, yadda yadda, you know the drill. The rings please.¡± He was handed the pair and held them up. ¡°The rings symbolize the unending love and bond between these two, that¡¯s what you¡¯re told at the jeweler. We all know they exist to keep assholes from hitting on his olddy, and skanks from hitting on her old man. Not that it was a big deal, until they finally hooked up they were getting as much action as DeWalt¡¯s motorcycle.¡± I cringed inside, but I wasughing. ¡°It also means they can stop sneaking around and grope each other openly, at the dinner table, like respectable bikers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry, Crash, get to the molesting part!¡± Iughed as Kelly pushed him to move on.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He handed Viper a ring. ¡°You ready to give up all future skanks for this one?¡±


    ¡°I promise to love, protect and care for you as my Old Lady,¡± Viper said as he put the ring on her finger. ¡°You¡¯re mine, and I¡¯ll treat you right.¡±


    He then held out the other ring for Kelly, but it dropped out of his hand as she reached for it. It hit his boot and started rolling quickly across the pavement towards the storm drain. ¡°FUCK,¡± Crash said as he ran after it. He dove at thest minute, pping his hand down at the edge as we all held our breath. He lifted his hand and his shoulders slumped in relief. ¡°Got it,¡± he said as he got up.


    The Club guys apuded him as he brushed the dirt and sand off his clothes, his right hand holding the ring tight. Kelly took it from him, smirking a little. ¡°Good thing you found that, do you have any idea how many Cracker Jack boxes I had to open to find it?¡±


    ¡°Quit bitching and do this, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Crash replied.


    ¡°With this ring, I pledge to love you forever, screw you often and ride as your Old Lady. You do have to take care of my Harley, though,¡± she said as she put the ring on his finger.


    ¡°Then by the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota and theser-printed card in my wallet, I pronounce you Old Man and Old Lady.¡± He looked at the crowd. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°YOU MAY NOW MOLEST THE BRIDE,¡± everyone yelled as we stood up to apud. Viper pulled her into his chest, kissing her deeply as one hand dropped down to cup her ass, pushing her skirt up out of the way. She dropped both hands to his, pulling him tight as she ground on him.


    ¡°Hey, children here,¡± Teri teased as they came up for air. Viper justughed as Kelly jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as he walked them to his bike. He fired it up, pulling out and riding slowly back up the aisle with her on the back. The riders along the aisle fired up their engines and pulled out to follow them, and when they were done most of the others went to their bikes and joined the party. Hammer had put ¡°Just Married¡± signs on Viper¡¯s bike along with beer cans on a string.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be back in half an hour or so,¡± Snake said as he sat down and pulled me into hisp. We kissed, I felt so happy for them. ¡°Come on, some of thedies and the prospects need to help us get the dinner ready. It needs to be on the table when they return.¡±


    We went inside, Sheri had done an amazing job with decorating in such a short time. ¡°Leftovers from previous receptions,¡± she said as I hugged her. The band was setting up, that was another surprise she had for us. We did our final preps, all the food was on the table when we heard them returning.


    It only took ten minutes to get everyone seated and start eating. The gumbo was a hit, as I knew it would be, and the party was soon in full swing. The prospects were busy at the bar, bringing pitchers of beer out. After ten, when some of the kids were taken home or up to the day care room, things really started to get fun.


    I danced with Snake mostly, but Viper made sure he got one from me too. ¡°Congrattions, Dad,¡± I said as I leaned my head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so d you found someone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back, Vivian. I can¡¯t tell you how much I missed you.¡±


    I eventually sat down, a ss of water in hand, when I hear Viper yell for me. The people on the dance floor moved aside as I ran forward. Viper was sitting on the floor, holding Kelly¡¯s head in hisp. ¡°She was fine, then her eyes rolled and she fainted,¡± he said.


    ¡°Snake, carry her up to the clinic,¡± I said. I ran ahead, opening the door and turning the lights on. They hadn¡¯t changed anything in the room, and had kept it clean, so it was usable. I watched as she wasid on the examining table. ¡°Everyone out,¡± I said, and they all obeyed except Viper.


    I took her vitals, her blood pressure was way high. She wasn¡¯t running a temperature, and she woke up a few minutester. ¡°Rx, Kelly, you¡¯re in the clinic. You passed out on the dance floor,¡± I told her.


    She tried to sit up, but Viper stopped her. ¡°Just rest, love, let her check you out.¡±


    I¡¯d been gone a while, so I took her history. She hadn¡¯t had a checkup in years, and didn¡¯t have a history of high blood pressure that she knew of. ¡°Am I going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about your blood pressure, it¡¯se down but not into the normal range yet. Have you been feeling all righttely? Notice any changes?¡±


    She thought about it. ¡°I¡¯ve been dieting, I put on a few poundsst month. I¡¯m tired, and the smells of some foods make me queasy.¡±


    I reached into a drawer and pulled out a test kit. Her eyes bugged out as she looked at it. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m too old!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forty-six, that isn¡¯t too old. When was yourst period?¡±


    She thought back. ¡°March? I¡¯m not regr.¡± I helped her up and into the bathroom.


    When the door closed, Viper whispered, ¡°You think she might be pregnant?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sexually active with her, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t just lie there,¡± he said with a nervousugh. ¡°We never thought to use protection.¡±


    ¡°I need you to help here. She needs rest, so no strenuous activity, no stress. I¡¯m going to give you this blood pressure monitor. I want you to test her when she wakes up, and every couple hours until you get back. Call me immediately if it rms,¡± I said as I set it. ¡°No alcohol, salt or scary movies. You two just rx in your hotel, or I¡¯ll put here in the clinic on bedrest.¡±


    ¡°Yes Doc.¡± We both turned to the bathroom door as it opened.


    Kelly was staring at the test, her face was pale. ¡°It¡¯s positive,¡± she said as she ran into Viper¡¯s arms and started to cry.


    Jessica¡¯s POV


    Late August


    ¡°What do you want to watch now?¡± I looked over at Kelly, sitting in her theater chair with her hands over her belly. Pillows propped her in ce, and a light nket guarded her from the chill of the air conditioning.


    ¡°Terminator series,¡± she said. I cringed, we watched the original and Judgement Day at least once a week. We were on week five of ourbined bedrest, and things were getting into a rut. Vivian had put me on bedrest at sixteen weeks, then Kelly joined me two weekster. It turned out Kelly¡¯s pregnancy was only a week ahead of mine, so our development was almost the same. Her pregnancy was high risk, due to her age and her blood pressure. She needed monitoring, and rest, and Viper couldn¡¯t do it. The Club moved her in to a guest room, furnishing it so the two of us could spend our days together. So far, the drugs and bed rest were helping; if it red up, it could result in preempsia, a dangerous condition for mother and son. Vivian had sent her to a cardiac specialist and an obstetrician specializing in high-risk pregnancies among older women. Between the three of them, Kelly couldn¡¯t sneeze without a reaction.


    She was having a boy, I was having a girl. We had been doing ultrasounds at least weekly to monitor development, more often as I approached the danger zone of my pregnancy. So far, I was good, no evidence of bleeding or abnormal cental developments.


    I sat up and changed the disc in the DVD yer, then tossed her the remote. We were just settling in for the opening scene when Vivian knocked and came in. ¡°Jessica, it¡¯s time,¡± she said.


    I nodded, sitting up she helped me to my feet. Kelly took my hand, squeezing it lightly. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right,¡± she said.


    ¡°I pray to Luna you¡¯re right, because I¡¯m scared to death right now.¡± Vivian pulled me into a hug, and I started to lose it. That pregnancy test had been a death sentence, the girl I loved that was growing in me the cause. I held on to her for strength, until I was able to stand on my own. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I whispered.


    She walked me into the clinic room and helped mey down on the table. I smiled as Carson walked in. ¡°Am I in time?¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing,¡± Vivian said as she prepared the ultrasound machine. I pushed my shorts and panties down far enough for my rounded belly to be exposed. She turned the screen so we could watch, my mate taking a chair by my head where he could hold my hand. The probe was cool on my belly, and we watched the screen as our little girl came into view.


    She was beautiful.


    Vivian was doing a lot of measuring and checking while the two of us just stared, open mouthed, at the life we had created. I loved her, I loved the way she moved within me, I loved when she got hups that felt like little butterflies inside me. I would do anything for her, and I had made my wishes clear to my mate and my doctor. Save her first.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well, right on track with her growth at week twenty-three,¡± Vivian said. ¡°The cental attachment looks good. Are you ready?¡± I nodded. We had discussed this option for a while; she was going to inject me with betamethasone, an antenatal glucocorticoid. The drug would help speed her lung development, increasing her chance of survival when we have her delivered next week. The big change we had decided on was to deliver before the SPUDS symptoms began, thus avoiding the fetal stress and hopefully the fatal bleeding. She cleaned my shoulder with alcohol, then gave me the injection. ¡°I need to monitor you every six hours over the next three days,¡± she said as she put the machine away. ¡°There is a possibility of reduced fetal movement and heart rate, but this is normally not a problem. I don¡¯t know if the centa will be affected, and any problems I want identified early.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important, so we do it,¡± I said. ¡°One more shot tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and if everything goes well, in one week we deliver,¡± she said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep47

    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Carson picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the room, his wolf needing the contact with her to calm his protective instincts. I smiled as I watched them go.


    ¡°Everything all right?¡± I smiled and turned around just as Snake pulled me in for a kiss.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s doing well, no signs of SPUDS yet. Delivery in a week.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Are you ready for it? All your supplies in ce?¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°Everything we can afford. I don¡¯t have a spare seven hundred thousand around for that drug again, and even if I did, it didn¡¯t seem to help that much. My real problem is blood.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was donating?¡±


    ¡°She did, but only two pints. Once the baby really started developing, I couldn¡¯t afford to let her donate more. I have saline IV¡¯s, but that just reces volume, it doesn¡¯t help with clotting or oxygen.¡±


    ¡°And ours doesn¡¯t help because it¡¯s too different,¡± he said as I nodded. ¡°What can you do about it?¡±


    I pushed him to a chair and sat in hisp, leaning back against him as his strong arms held me tight. ¡°I¡¯ve made some discrete inquiries on the inte to the remaining Packs. A pack in Wyoming responded, they have five pints of the right blood type avable, but it has to be picked up from them and they want a thousand dors a pint for it.¡±


    ¡°Why picked up?¡±


    ¡°Werewolves can¡¯t afford to let their blood get out, so they won¡¯t ship it, they have to know it is going to another werewolf. Plus, they will want to know who it is for and why. I can¡¯t tell them that, and I sure as hell can¡¯t go to Wyoming to pick it up.¡± It was suicide going onto any of the remaining Packnds; well, they wouldn¡¯t kill me, but they would keep and mate me, and that was a death sentence. ¡°The only way to do it is to send Carson, and I can¡¯t ask him to do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because he might do it.¡± I leaned my head back against his shoulder. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have much of a chance at survival without the blood, and with it she still doesn¡¯t have much of a chance.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lost without her, and you aren¡¯t giving him a choice.¡± He kissed my hair. ¡°You have to ask him, he needs to know he¡¯s done everything to save her.¡±


    Shit. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to him.¡± I had a bad feeling about this.


    Carson¡¯s POV


    Three Days Later


    I pushed the motorcycle faster, moving at close to a hundred miles an hour over the near-empty freeway in eastern Wyoming. It had taken me about a minute to make the decision to go get the blood, regardless of the risk. If my mate needed it to live, I needed to provide it. I loved her, I loved my little girl, and I wanted them both. Without her, my life was over.


    It took two days of negotiation with the Sheridan pack before we got them to agree to four thousand dors and no questions, and that was when I left. I was using my new Harley, purchased from a friend of Viper¡¯s in Madison. I hadn¡¯t transferred the title yet, so it wouldn¡¯t trace back to our club. My driver¡¯s license was still from my old Pack address, expired, but untraceable to our Club.


    I looked to my side where Snake was riding, then in the mirror to see Dagger and Stain behind me. The three insisted oning, even though they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to enter Packnds. They were going to stay in Sheridan while I made the exchange. We¡¯d been riding hard all day, having left before dawn. The meetup was set at eight in the morning.


    We pulled into Sheridan and found a steakhouse near the hotel we were staying at. Range fed beef¡­ man, they knew how to make a steak here. The boys couldn¡¯t keep up with me as I devoured my Porterhouse, dipped in au jus and ground horseradish. The beer was pretty damn good too.


    The next morning, I left the IHOP and headed out of town towards the mountains. As soon as I turned onto the ess road, I could feel eyes on me. By the time I got to the gate, I could see and smell wolves on both sides. I stopped the motorcycle, waiting for the guard toe check me out. ¡°Carson Patterson, your Alpha is expecting me.¡±


    He took a deep sniff of me, then checked my identification. ¡°Stay to the road until you get to the Pack House. Deviate from the path, and your escorts will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± I fired my bike back up and drove another ten miles until the big log Pack House came into view. Pulling in by the stairs, I stopped the engine and put the kickstand down just as threerge men walked down the stairs to meet me. ¡°Alpha Stanton, I presume?¡±


    The big man in the center stopped on thest stair as the other two moved to nk me. ¡°I am, and you must be Carson Patterson.¡± I stepped forward and bowed my head as I shook his hand. ¡°Did you bring the cash?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± I reached into my pocket and removed the envelope. ¡°Four thousand. The blood please?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inside. Come on, we can have a drink before you go, they are bringing the blood up from the clinic.¡± He walked back up, counting the cash as we went. ¡°So how is Doctor DelMara doing?¡±


    I froze, just as the two big dudes behind me grabbed my arms and forced me to the ground. ¡°She got sloppy, using the same IP address as she did six years ago when this all started. We suspected something, blood isn¡¯t something you call ahead for unless you know it is going to be needed. And Doctor DelMara is the only one who has ever delivered a baby alive since this whole thing started.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, I think you do. You¡¯re going to tell me where she is and bring her to me, Carson Patterson of the Boundary Waters pack. She is going to save my mate and my child, and my Beta is looking forward to a new mate. Denise said she¡¯s quite the looker.¡±


    ¡°Denise?¡±


    ¡°My mate. You knew her as Beta Denise Thorssen. She¡¯s twenty weeks pregnant, and she¡¯s thest female in this Pack until the Doctor gets here.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep48

    Snake¡¯s POV


    ¡°He¡¯ste,¡± Dagger said as we started looking over the IHOP lunch menu. We¡¯d been here for four hours already, he should have been back in under two.


    ¡°He¡¯s still not answering his phone,¡± Stain said as he walked in and set my Nokia cell phone on the table. ¡°Goes right to message.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything, you know coverage is shit away from the freeway,¡± I said. ¡°Still, he should have checked in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check back home,¡± I said. Grabbing the phone, I walked outside the building where I could get a decent signal. We had been rotating people to the parking lot the whole morning, just in case. I dialed the clubhouse, listening to it ring a couple times before someone picked up.


    ¡°Northwoods Riders, Teri speaking,¡± she said.


    ¡°Teri, it¡¯s Snake. Have you heard from Carson this morning?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard of, but I can ask around. Why?¡±


    ¡°He went to pick up the blood this morning and hasn¡¯t returned.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± I could hear the phone being set down and a momentter Viper picked it up. ¡°He hasn¡¯te back from the Pack?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°One of you stay there, the other two do a driveby. Get as close as you can, take pictures, make them nervous. I¡¯ll talk to Vivian and see what she thinks.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s my olddy doing?¡±


    ¡°Busy. Jessica started having pains this morning in her chest and stomach, she¡¯s got her in the clinic trying to keep her calm. She said it isn¡¯tbor, but she can¡¯t have her panicking and triggeringbor early.¡± That wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°And how is Kelly doing?¡±


    ¡°Bored as hell and taking it out on me,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back if I hear anything, but you call me back in two hours and update me.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Viper.¡± I hung up the phone and walked back in. I looked at the guys, they were just about to order. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here in case hees back. I want you two to do a drive by of the turnoff to their Pack House. Drive as far in as you can, if they ask, tell them you¡¯re looking for your buddy. Let them know we know he¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Strapped?¡± Stain was nervous, I could tell.


    ¡°Hell yes,¡± I said. ¡°And don¡¯t be afraid to let them see it. They can smell the silver, that might scare them a little.¡± I tossed money on the table and we walked out to our bikes. I screened them from the customers as they pulled the pistols out of their bags and holstered them. Silver knives were stuck into their boots, extra magazines in their pockets. When they were ready, I sat on my bike as they rode off to find him.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I held her shoulders down to the examining table as she screamed in pain, her forehead red and creased with the effort as she tried to breathe through it. It took fifteen seconds or so before it passed. ¡°Vivian, it feels like my leg is burning up,¡± she said.


    I pretended to examine her, but I already knew these pains weren¡¯t real. They weren¡¯t her body, she was feeling something bad happen to her mate. The door opened, and Teri came in with a bowl of ice water and some cloths. ¡°Doc, Viper needs to ask you something if you have time.¡±


    I nodded, the pains weren¡¯t regrly spaced. ¡°Can you stay with her?¡± She nodded as she wrung out a washcloth in the cool water. ¡°Keep her calm, and don¡¯t let her up. She needs to rest.¡± I walked out, closing the door and walking towards the stairway. Viper was waiting for me at the bottom. ¡°He¡¯s captured, isn¡¯t he.¡±


    Viper pulled me into his arms. ¡°I got a call from Snake, he never came back from the blood pickup. They are driving by the entry road, but you know they¡¯ll never get close.¡± It was true, the Packs used private property rights to keep humans away. The road was gated and guarded.


    ¡°How did they know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s been gone since breakfast, even being sociable there¡¯s something off.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s being beaten,¡± I said. ¡°What is happening to Jessica, she is feeling her mate¡¯s pain. Her arms are sore, her chest, stomach and legs all get pains. They¡¯ve got him strung up and they are working him over. He¡¯s still alive, though, and not talking.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°As long as they are beating him, he isn¡¯t cooperating. And if he dies¡­ her mark will start to disappear. To a mated wolf, it feels like it is burning off from the inside. Very painful.¡± I thought back to my two-minute mated life, it hurt like hell, evenpared to all the wounds I had suffered in the fight and the rape. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like for Jessica, who had been mated for six years and loved Carson deeply. I heard a scream from behind the door. ¡°I have to get back upstairs. If they have him in their cells, you¡¯ll never get him back. Bring the guys back before they find them.¡±


    I took the stairs two at a time, my gut was twisting as I processed everything. Carson was a Pack Warrior, he was tough, and he was protecting his mate. He would die before he did anything to endanger her.


    I opened the door, Jessica was crying, her hand over her ribs on her left side. I rushed to her side to Teri¡¯s relief. ¡°Can¡¯t you give her anything for the pain,¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have done what I can, we can¡¯t risk the baby¡¯s vitals being depressed further,¡± I said. ¡°Can you massage her legs for me? They get cramps easily.¡± It really wouldn¡¯t change anything, the pain she was feeling was not her own, but it would take both of their minds off it for a while. I checked her blood pressure, it was high, but not dangerously so.


    After an hour more of the seemingly random pain, Teri had left, and Jessica grabbed my hand. ¡°It¡¯s Carson, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t look her in the eyes and lie, no matter how much I wanted to. ¡°Snake called and said he hadn¡¯t returned from the Pack House, they haven¡¯t heard from him since he left Sheridan. The guys are checking, but they won¡¯t find anything.¡±


    Her head fell back on the pillow, tears flowing from her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re torturing him, aren¡¯t they.¡±


    ¡°Probably. I¡¯m so sorry, Jessica. I never should have sent him for the blood, it was too much of a red g to ask for it.¡±


    I sat next to her, holding her hand until she fell asleep. Teri came in, holding a couple tes. ¡°I brought you lunch,¡± she said as she handed me the sandwiches and chips. ¡°How long has she been out?¡±


    ¡°Twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Viper told me to tell you the guys didn¡¯t find him, they areing home.¡± Shit.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    ¡°Viper says toe home,¡± I said as I hung up the phone. It was now almost dark, and still no sign of Carson.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave a brother here, not like this,¡± Stain said.


    ¡°I said that to him, he talked to Vivian.¡± I really didn¡¯t want to say this now. ¡°She said he is being tortured, when they beat him, Jessica feels it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck this, let¡¯s go get him,¡± Dagger said.


    ¡°We¡¯d be dead before we went a hundred yards past the gate,¡± I said. ¡°They have too many people, it¡¯s suicide. We need some leverage, something to get the Alpha out in public where they can¡¯t wolf out.¡± We sat on our bikes, trying to figure something out. A smile came to my face. ¡°I have to make a phone call.¡±


    I moved into the lot, finding a quiet ce with three bars of signal. I called the number for the Alpha. ¡°Josh,¡± a gruff voice answered.


    ¡°Put Alpha Stanton on the line, boy.¡± I heard a growl. ¡°Cut the attitude and get him. Tell him Alpha Killen wants to know where his blood is.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The phone was put on hold, and two minutester a gruff voice answered. ¡°This is Stanton, who the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°Alpha Todd Killen. I paid you four grand for blood and I don¡¯t have it. Why.¡±


    He thought quickly. ¡°The man who came to pick it up, he was a rtive of my Luna,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°He decided to stay here for a day or two. He said the delivery wasn¡¯t urgent or anything.¡±


    ¡°You LIE.¡±


    ¡°So why do you care?¡±


    ¡°The man is in my Pack and is mated to my sister. I will not be pleased if he is harmed in any way. Release him immediately, give him the blood he paid for, and we will be on our way.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± He started tough. ¡°You have some balls, Alpha, thinking YOU can threaten ME. No, I¡¯ve got a different deal for you. Bring me Doctor Vivian DelMara, and you can have your man back. You have twenty-four hours.¡± He hung up before I could say anything.


    I dropped the phone on the pavement, crushing it with my boot. Picking up the pieces, I tossed them in a garbage can before going back inside. ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t go as I had hoped,¡± I said as I tossed some bills on the table. ¡°Drain it fast, we leave in two minutes.¡±


    The guys were up immediately. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Stain asked as we walked for the bathroom.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got him, but they want DeWalt in return,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve got twenty-four hours. Oh, and since we called from a cell phone, they might be able to figure out what neighborhood we¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Dagger said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°No, I have to take a shit. It might be more than two minutes for me.¡± I justughed as I washed up. Stain and I had our bikes started when he came out after us. We pulled out onto the road; we would need to sleep, but we wouldn¡¯t do that anywhere near Sheridan.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep49

    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Thest hour had been tough on Jessica, the men were working on his back and ribs. She lifted her back off the table, breathing hard, before she dropped back down. When she did, I smelled blood. ¡°HELP!! TERI, ANYONE!¡± I yelled through the closed door, hoping they would hear.


    This was bad, we both smelled it, we both knew what it meant. I lifted the nket, it was stained in blood, her underwear soaked in it already. ¡°Vivian¡­ remember your promise. Save the baby. Name her Eve, care for her as your own.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said as I pulled the tray over. The bleeding was getting worse, I had no time to do anything else. She screamed as I cut her stomach open with the scalpel.


    ¡°Tell Carson¡­ I love him¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said before she passed out.


    ¡°You¡¯ll tell him yourself,¡± I said as I frantically worked to expose her uterus. I cut through, delivering her girl, mping the cord in two ces and cutting between it. I ran over to the incubator, cing her inside and turning it on. I opened the oxygen cylinder that fed the CPAP machine, getting the air flow started that would allow her to breathe.


    I¡¯d keep an eye on her as I worked.


    Going back to Jessica, I quickly mped all the arteries leading to her uterus. The centa was already detaching, I pulled it out and went to work. Teri rushed in. ¡°Oh God¡­¡±


    ¡°Grab those bags of blood out of the fridge and hang them,¡± I said. I kept mping, using the suction to find the bleeders. I got a bag going, but it was toote. I looked over at the incubator, the baby was in distress.


    I dropped the mps and went to the incubator instead. ¡°Teri, hold her hand, be with her,¡± I said as I opened up the cover to get at Eve. She was struggling to breathe, I cleared her mouth and throat again, adjusting the settings to force a little more air in. Her chest wasn¡¯t that strong, it couldn¡¯t expand easily, and the machine helped with that. Once she was breathing better and her color improved, I wiped the blood and other fluids from her skin and connected the monitors I would need. By the time I was done, I knew Jessica was gone.


    Teri was sobbing loudly, her face next to Jessica¡¯s. I pulled off my gloves, walking over I closed her eyes and leaned over to kiss her forehead. ¡°Eve is beautiful,¡± I told her, ¡°and she will be loved. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you both,¡± I said as I pulled the sheet over her.


    Teri was clinging to me, her clothes soaked with blood. ¡°Viper needs to know. Change out of those, extra scrubs are in the cab by the door, and go tell him.¡± She nodded, leaving a minuteter. I busied myself in cleaning up the mess, knowing that if I stopped doing something, I¡¯d break downpletely.


    I used towels to get most of the blood, putting them in a garbage bag from under the sink. I cleaned her body as best I could, cing her centa back inside. I stitched her up quickly, just enough to hold everything until she could be burned.


    There was a knock on the door, Viper asked toe in. He came to hug me, but I held him off. ¡°I¡¯m a mess,¡± I said. ¡°We need to clean her before anyone else sees her.¡±


    While he went to the sink, I pulled off my scrubs and went into the small bathroom attached to the clinic. I quickly showered, the water red with her blood as I washed arterial spray out of my hair and face. My tears ran down with the colored water, my emotions threatening to crush me. I pushed them aside for now. Stepping out and quickly dressing in scrubs and canvas shoes, I walked back into the room. Viper had wiped down her body and was removing the soiled sheet from under her. I took out a mop, quickly cleaning the floor and washing the blood down the drain. When we were both ready, I opened a body bag on the floor and we set her into it.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t deserve this,¡± I said as I zipped it up. ¡°I failed her.¡±


    We moved her back up onto the table, then Viper pulled me into a hug. ¡°You did what you could in a difficult circumstance, Vivian. You saved her child, just like she asked you to. Now, you care for her.¡±


    ¡°Eve,¡± I said. ¡°She named her Eve.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°Just like her mother.¡±


    _______


    Carson¡¯s POV


    I focused on the drop of blood as it slowly moved down my nose. Starting from between my eyes where the men had hit me with a brass knuckle, it took twenty-two seconds for the drop to make it to the end of my nose. From there, as my head hung forward, it took another nine seconds before it dropped to the floor.


    I was rocking slowly back and forth, watching the pool of blood a foot below my bare toes. Thest round of beatings had been a doozy, they had worked my legs and stomach with a baseball bat. My right leg was heavily bruised, the kneecap cracked. My left leg wasn¡¯t much better. All they wanted to know was where DeWalt was, they wanted her like a man in the desert wants water. I could smell their fear, their desperation, and I fed off it. There was no way in hell I was going to give them an answer that could lead back to my mate.


    I closed my eyes, remembering better times. The night she agreed to be my mate. Our first time making love. Watching her walk out of the surf in her bikini, the setting sun setting her blonde hair afire. I lost myself in the memories, ignoring the pain of my shoulders and legs as I thanked Luna for having her as my mate.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The moment was broken when the men came back in. ¡°Ready to talk yet?¡± The Beta, a hulking and scarred man in his forties, came to stand in front of me. He grabbed my hair, pulling my head up to look at him.


    I¡¯d saved the blood and spit in my mouth, and the stream hit him in the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll talk about how I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± I said.


    He wiped the pinkish slime from his face, a grining to his face. ¡°I was hoping you would say that,¡± he said. One of his goons went to the winch on the wall, pressing a button to lower me until my toes just scraped the ground. ¡°Your legs and back workout is done, I thought we¡¯d move on to chest and arms now,¡± he said.


    ¡°I only work chest and arms on even days, you don¡¯t build muscle unless you give them time to recover. You¡¯d think a steroid-rage, e infested freak like you would know these things,¡± I teased.


    He wrapped his fists with tape, clearly enjoying this. ¡°The boss said we can¡¯t kill you yet, but we can make you wish for it,¡± he said. He tossed the tape to the other goons. ¡°Just tell us where Doctor DelMara is at, and the pain ends.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, she died six years ago when her clinic was attacked and firebombed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± He started to work my exposed ribs, like a boxer working the bag. The heavy blows made it difficult to breathe, and I could feel the cracks as ribs broke under the assault. When the Beta tired, one of his men took over. Theyughed as I was knocked around, taking their time, looking for spots that hadn¡¯t been hit yet, so they could hear new cracks. I grunted and grit my teeth, not willing to give them the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt.


    I had just taken a shot to the kidneys, I think one of my vertebrae cracked from the hit, and I was swinging from the impact. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my groin. I screamed in agony, trying to raise my legs, anything to ease the pain. ¡°What did you do,¡± the Beta asked the man who was working me over.


    ¡°Nothing, I hadn¡¯t even hit him!¡±


    The pain went on for what seemed like forever, but probably was only a few minutes. The men who had been working me over stood back watching, wondering what it was that finally got me to scream in agony. When it was over, I slumped in the shackles, breathing painfully with my broken ribs, and sobbing.


    ¡°Ready to talk yet, Carson?¡±


    My head hung down, sweat and blood dripping down my face. ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t swing that way, but I¡¯ll ask around. With so few women left, it¡¯s bing kind of popr.¡± He walked outughing, pping the shoulders of one of the guys before the door closed and locked. They left me in the darkness, naked, bleeding, bones broken, hanging from my wrists. I prayed to Luna like I never had before. I prayed for my daughter, for her to be kept safe from Packs like this. I prayed for Vivian, that she would never be the mate of a vile man like this Beta. I prayed for Jessica, that she would be strong enough for our daughter when I don¡¯t return. Finally, I prayed for the strength to resist them and to die honorably.


    The pain was intense, my neck and shoulder felt like it was on fire all of the sudden. I screamed in agony as it moved from deep inside, setting every nerve ending alight. I¡¯d seen it before, I knew exactly what it was as I screamed my loss to the Moon herself.


    My beloved Jessica was gone.


    Denise¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t do anything without permission and an escort.


    Alpha Philip Stanton had me guarded like a prisoner with an escape record, even though with the mark and the baby belly there was no chance at that. I hated my life, but I loved the child within me. My baby was innocent of all this, he or she would kill me, but I would dly die if he or she could live.


    I had been his mate for two years now. When our Pack was taken over, I and the other females were brought back to Wyoming to be ¡°redistributed¡± as war spoils. My Charlie somehow escaped the battle, sparing me the indignity of being put onstage with the others to be picked from by the senior unmated in the group.


    Instead, I was forced into sexual service of the lower ranks, those who had no chance to have their own mate. I spent the first four years with a chain on my leg in a room with a shower, toilet and bed, the silver preventing me from fighting back.


    Then my Charlie died, my mark disappeared, and I was up for bidding. With my Beta blood, the Alpha took me as his next mate despite my age. Our first year I hadn¡¯t be pregnant, this year I had.


    None of the males in this pack learned a damn thing year to year. Heats woulde, they would get their women pregnant, the women would die. Instead of keeping their dicks in their pants, they would shuffle the deck- capture more women or kill mates of lower ranking women and take them- then start the whole thing over the next spring. And medical care? You¡¯d think a Pack with people and resources would have doctors, nurses,b staff and researchers devoted to finding a cure. They¡¯d reach out to other Packs, creating awork of information exchange, an atmosphere of cooperation towards amon goal- finding a cure for this gue of death that threatens us all.


    No, instead they killed the medical staff in a rage over lost mates, attacked other Packs, and then wondered why none of the women survived. I may be force mated, I may have hated the man before he took me as his, but I was no idiot. We were circling the toilet like a floating turd, soon to disappear from the world.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep50

    ¡°Good morning, Luna, how did you sleep?¡±


    ¡°It was good, Lisandra.¡± She was a sweet girl, twelve years old, and had been with me for the past year. A war prize, she was still too young to be mated, but that didn¡¯t mean the men weren¡¯t already jockeying for her when she became of age. She was a slip of a girl with brown curly hair and emerald eyes.


    ¡°The Alpha wants to see you at breakfast, Luna.¡± She was already pulling out clothes from my closet, ones that had probably been used by thest three women he¡¯d had in this bedroom. When they onlyst a year, not much of a point in having a big wardrobe. The dress was loose enough my belly was not obvious, I was twenty-three weeks along and already in the danger zone. She helped me get ready, then stayed to clean the bedroom and bathroom.


    I moved down the stairway carefully, making my way to the dining table where the senior members and their mates were already eating. ¡°Good morning, Denise,¡± he said as he smiled at me. My insides flipped, the mate bond pulling me to be next to him even as my mind wanted to avoid it.


    ¡°Good morning, Alpha,¡± I said as I sat next to him. His hand moved to my belly, rubbing it gently as the baby kicked back. ¡°Ow, that was a good one.¡±


    He smiled and made up a te for me, making sure I had enough food for us both. ¡°My love, you remember Carson Patterson, don¡¯t you?¡±


    My heart sank as I nodded. ¡°Yes Alpha, he left our Pack with our medical assistant, Jessica, to go with Doctor DelMara and try to save our females.¡± I looked at my te. ¡°None of the women made it.¡±


    ¡°No, no mothers survived, but the baby did. She survived until an idiot left her behind. That was six years ago, and if DelMara is still around, she probably knows more. That¡¯s why when a request for a specific blood type came along, from her old Inte ID, we had to act. Carson was the one who came to pick up the blood. I¡¯m certain he knows where the Doctor is, and that she was the one needing the blood.¡± I had kept quiet, but the news that the Alpha¡¯s daughter had survived childbirth had spread like wildfire in the Pack.


    Hope started to spring up inside me, if I could talk Vivian into helping me, our baby had a chance. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Maybe we can do the same deal my old Pack did! Our women go with her, and she gives us medical care and a chance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the deal. She¡¯s got, oh, twelve hours to turn herself over to us or Carson dies.¡±


    I looked at the table. ¡°He won¡¯t do it, sir. Is he mate marked?¡± The Beta nodded. ¡°Then Jessica is still alive, the blood is for her. Giving up Doctor DelMara is giving up on his mate and child. He¡¯ll dly die first.¡±


    The Alpha¡¯s hand on my knee squeezed down until it was painful, he felt it and backed off. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Let me talk to him alone,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since he was a baby, he will trust me. More importantly, he will want me, my child to live. He may not tell you where she is, but he might take me with him. It¡¯s the only chance for you to have an heir, a future.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to like it, but it¡¯s the only way. Let me at least talk to him.¡±


    He looked at his Beta, who shrugged his shoulders. ¡°She can¡¯t do any worse than we have, we¡¯ve gotten nothing from him.¡±


    He stared his Beta down. ¡°Fine, but you and your men make sure he can¡¯t hurt her, and be right outside the room.¡±


    Thirty minutester, I was following three veryrge men down a stairway to the cells. I was thankful I had put on warmer clothes, the cells were only about fifty degrees, same as the surrounding rock. They came to a stop in front of a door, the Beta entered and left the others with me. A few minutester he was back out. ¡°He¡¯s strung up, his legs are shackled, and they are silver, so he can¡¯t hurt you. We¡¯ll be right outside, yell if you need help.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend, he won¡¯t hurt me,¡± I said. I walked past them, closing the door behind me. My stomach retched at the smell of blood, piss and sweat. The room was dimly lit. I could see him hanging from the ceiling, his toes barely touching the floor. His feet were shackled together by a short chain. ¡°Carson, it¡¯s Denise.¡± I walked until I was right in front of him.


    He took a sniff, then his head raised up. His face was swollen and bloody, his body no better. ¡°Beta Denise. Or should I say Luna, you¡¯ve moved up in the world. Congrattions on your pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Pregnancy hasn¡¯t been congratted since this gue started, Carson. It¡¯s a death sentence for mother and baby, unless Vivian is there to help.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Vivian¡¯s dead,¡± he said.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. She¡¯s with Jessica right now, she¡¯s the one who needs the blood. You need blood, I need her help. We can work a deal.¡±


    His eyes closed, he took a breath. All of the sudden, his legs kicked up, wrapping the chain around my neck as I was pulled to the floor. I couldn¡¯t talk, I couldn¡¯t warn anyone, the silver in the chain took away my ability to link. His legs wouldn¡¯t move, I didn¡¯t have the strength to move them aside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Denise, but if your Alpha had given me the blood my Jessica might still be alive. He killed my mate, I¡¯m killing his.¡±


    I said a prayer to Luna, my burning fingers clutching at the chain that was choking the life out of me. I felt my body fight for air, my vision started to dim, then all turned ck.


    I hovered over the incubator as the men came in to take Jessica¡¯s body away. She was cleaned, the CPAP machine was set to help her breathe and her vitals were in the normal range. She weighed just under a pound, her arms and legs skinny, her head so big for her body. The incubator kept her warm enough not to need a nket, and the tubes and wires surrounded her tiny body. I was setting up to put a feeding tube in ce, using a pediatric endoscope.


    I looked over at Viper as the men carried her out, and the tears started falling again. He pulled me into a hug as I pulled off the gloves and sand to the floor, he sat with me and held me as I fell apart. ¡°Jess¡­¡±


    ¡°We will take care of her, burn her body tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°We have to get permits, Moose has a family farm that is remote enough to do it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go,¡± I said. Just to drive home the point, the rm on the monitor for her vitals started going off. I stood to my feet, acknowledging the beep before washing my hands and putting gloves on again. ¡°The first 48 hours are the most dangerous, I have to be here.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said as he kissed my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll send help.¡±


    Help came in the form of the women of the club. They came through the door, working around me to finish cleaning and disinfecting the room after what had happened. They mostly let me concentrate, an asional hug or a nce down at Eve as they worked. Teri knew what I needed, she had seen it before at the clinic with baby Jennifer. ¡°I¡¯m setting up a rotation for an assistant,¡± she said as she hugged me from behind, so I wouldn¡¯t have to look away from Eve. ¡°The exam table is set up for you to sleep on, one of us will always be here. You¡¯ll have to teach us, but you need your sleep too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. The first time I had done this, Jessica was there, and I barely slept for three days. The girls all hugged me, telling me they would take care of Kelly, and help in any way they could.


    The ones who stayed were Teri and her daughter Meghan, who had just turned twelve. She was a bright girl, well ahead of her level in school and eager to learn. She had started hanging around with me when we returned from Grenada. She reminded me a lot of Jessica in how she absorbed what I could teach her. She had been helping twice a week, and outside the clinic hadpleted her certification in CPR and First Aid through her Girl Scout troop. She wanted to be a doctor, to save people, to be an angel just like she had seen me after I saved her father on that back road, and I had promised to help her.


    I had already given baby Eve a course of antibiotics, infection being a real danger in a birth at this age. ¡°I need your help with a procedure, Meghan,¡± I said as I went to the cab and removed the equipment I would need. ¡°We have to insert a feeding tube through the wall of her stomach. This will keep her mouth and nose clear, which helps with her breathing.¡±


    ¡°A percutaneous endoscopic gastrosnomy?¡±


    I just smiled. ¡°Someone has been studying.¡± She nodded, smiling to herself that I had noticed. ¡°Scrub up, you are assisting. Teri, let¡¯s go over your part.¡± I was going to be busy with the surgical procedure, so I gave Teri what she needed to know about the equipment monitoring her vitals and the CPAP machine. I had rms set already and showed her how to adjust things if needed. ¡°Monitor only, if you see something deviating let me know.¡±


    Meghan had put on a scrub top and was scrubbing up to her elbows in the sink, rinsing from the fingers to the elbow as I had taught her. After she dried on a sterile towel, I helped her put gloves on before I took her ce. When we were both gloved up, I uncovered the tray of instruments and supplies we would be using. The endoscope was already set up, and everything was ready. ¡°Teri, I¡¯m going to put her under for this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already asleep,¡± Meghan said as she looked over.


    ¡°True, but I can¡¯t have her waking up.¡± I pushed the sedative into her IV, watching her vitals carefully. When I was satisfied, I inserted the flexible endoscope through her mouth, working it down into her stomach as I watched on the monitor.


    ¡°Why this and not a normal feeding tube, and why now?¡±


    ¡°She will need this long term, and this method leaves her mouth free of tubes that could interfere with her breathing. When she is stronger, nothing is in the way of her sucking motion as she learns to feed normally,¡± I said as I reached the desired point. ¡°She needs the nutrients to grow, so doing it early is best. Teri, turn off the lights please.¡± With things dimmed, the tiny light in the endoscope made it easy to see the point where Eve¡¯s stomach was closest to the skin, on her left side. I marked the point with a marker. ¡°Lights on.¡±


    I took a hollow needle and carefully advanced it through the skin and into her stomach, watching as it came through. I moved it close to the camera, making sure the gripper wire on the endoscope was around the needle¡¯s end. ¡°Now for the wire,¡± I said. I took the thin wire and passed it through the needle until the bent tip was visible. ¡°Meghan, tighten the grabber wire while I hold this in ce.¡± We watched as she caught the loop.


    ¡°Got it,¡± she said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep51

    ¡°Carefully pull back the endoscope while I feed the wire. Don¡¯t pull, you ease it past any obstructions,¡± I said. I watched as she pulled it back through the esophagus and out. Letting go of the wire, I picked up the feeding tube. A thin tube, it had a soft round bumper on the end. I hooked the wire through holes on the narrow end of the tube, twisting it and wrapping it with surgical tape. ¡°Now for the fun part. Guide the tube into her mouth until it disappears.¡± She helped guide it as I went down to the needle, pulling gently on the wire to bring the tube down. When I felt the tube hit the needle, I increased the pressure, pulling the tube through the opening in her stomach wall and out the incision. When the bumper was seated against her stomach wall, I mped then cut off the end of the tube and slipped on a bumper, rolling it until it was against her skin. I covered the whole area with a sterile bandage. ¡°Done!¡±


    ¡°That was SO cool!¡± Meghan was beaming, she loved it when she got to see things up close. I smiled as her mother hugged her from behind, she was proud of her. I had told her several times she had the interest and aptitude to be a doctor someday, and she was seeing it.


    ¡°Teri, I need eight ounces of form prepared and put in the machine. The form is on the counter over there.¡± The two fixed it up, then loaded it into the feeding machine. I flushed the tubing before attaching it to the tube we had just installed. I set the feed rate, it would give her a continuous supply of food that wouldn¡¯t challenge her small stomach. Her vitals were good, the sedative already starting to wear off.


    The days started to blur as we went through her first few weeks of life. I rarely left the room, sleeping on the exam table, showering in the attached bathroom. Snake became my primary backup, relieved by Teri, Meghan, Katie or Taser, always one of them in the room with me. The longest I was gone was when I was giving Kelly her checks in the room down the hall, and even then, I was nervous. I used a baby monitor to hear any problems immediately. She was doing well, her blood pressure was under control and between Viper and the girls, she was keptpany. She even came in to see Eve once, in a wheelchair to her protests.


    That little girl had the whole club behind her as she fought to live and grow.


    Snake was amazing, as always. He made sure I was fed, forced me to take naps, and quickly learned how to care for the premature baby Jessica had asked us to raise for her. She still couldn¡¯t leave the incubator, but that didn¡¯t stop him from being a doting father. He would hold her hand and talk to her when she was awake and tell her stories of her brave parents.


    Carson was dead, and we never got to give him a proper goodbye. Snake and the boys had returned, and after Church discussion, we decided retribution was too dangerous. Instead, we had Snake drive down to Chicago and call from a pay phone in the Geno¡¯s East pizzeria while he was waiting for our huge take-out order of deep dish. He reprised his Alpha routine, telling him that we would not meet his terms, and we would remember what he did to Carson. I was too busy to worry about revenge right now, and we had to focus on Eve.


    It was eight weeks before she was strong enough to leave the incubator for a short time. I had a rocker brought in and put it next to the incubator. ¡°Shirt off,¡± I told Snake as I opened the side ess panel. His grandparents, Viper and Kelly, were in the room, a very pregnant Kelly in a wheelchair.


    Eve had just been changed and was awake and active. I could smell how nervous Snake was as I carefully lifted her, Meghan next to me making sure the tubes and wires didn¡¯t get tangled.


    I had made Snake shower, so he smelled clean and fresh. His face showed his love and amazement as I moved her to his chest, rotating so her tummy was against his skin and her head was on his shoulder. He held her with one hand under her diaper, the other curled around her back as he gently rocked the chair. She snuggled in to his warmth as I covered them with a nket, and he sung to her softly until she fell asleep. I was in tears, I couldn¡¯t ask for a better father. Meghan took some photos, along with a proud Grandpa.


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± he said as I took her back from him and set her back in the incubator. There wasn¡¯t a dry eye in the house, and Kelly¡¯s hands were over her belly bump as her boy kicked her strongly.


    ¡°Tomorrow it¡¯s Grandma¡¯s turn,¡± I said. Kelly only had four weeks left to reach thirty-eight, which was considered a full term. With her blood pressure starting to be difficult to control, her obstetrician wanted to perform a C-section at that point to be safe. Viper was crying more than anyone, the tough biker President persona crumbled when his tiny granddaughter looked at him with those big eyes.


    ¡°How long until the breathing mask goes away,¡± Kelly asked.


    ¡°Another week or two, I¡¯ve been reducing the overpressure as her chest gets stronger. We¡¯re also starting to work on oral feeding. If she continues her improvement, she¡¯ll be in a crib soon.¡±


    ¡°Can I breastfeed her?¡±


    ¡°After the first few days, when your milkes in. Your body will adjust to the demand of feeding both children.¡± She wasn¡¯t a werewolf, but human breast milk was better for Eve than form. Kelly was insistent on raising the two babies together, and I was happy to have the help.


    We talked a little longer, then Viper wheeled his wife out of the room. I sat in Snake¡¯sp, letting him rock me as I kissed his chest. ¡°I love you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love you too. You¡¯re an amazing mother and doctor, Vivian.¡± He kissed my hair. ¡°Sleep, I¡¯ll watch her.¡±


    So I did.


    One monthter


    Viper¡¯s POV


    I held Kelly¡¯s hand as we sat in the doctor¡¯s examining room, her hand on her rounded belly. Doctor Catherine was looking through the examination notes we had brought, the files Vivianpiled in her daily monitoring were veryplete. ¡°It must be nice having a Doctor as a daughter,¡± she said as she looked over the notes. ¡°I¡¯m d you were monitored so closely, because the trend is clear. Tomorrow, you will hold your son.¡±


    I started to tear up. ¡°Everything is good with him?¡±


    ¡°The ultrasound results look good, I¡¯m more concerned with the mother¡¯s blood pressure. The baby is fully developed, it¡¯s lower risk to deliver now than to riskplications for her. We can schedule a C-section first thing in the morning. The nurse will be in here after me, she will get you pre-registered and give you instructions for tonight.¡±


    The day was here, our boy wasing. I held her hand, smiling like a fool. ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± I said. She left the room and Kelly looked at me, a little fear in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine,¡± I told her as I pulled her to my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I kissed her hair. ¡°I¡¯m scared something will go wrong. I¡¯m scared I¡¯m too old. I¡¯m scared I won¡¯t be a good Mom. I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Going to be fine,¡± I said. ¡°I love you, you¡¯re amazing, and our boy is the luckiest boy ever because of it. Now, I think we need to get you home and make sure you get a good night sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like THAT will happen,¡± she grumbled as I helped her up.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be much sleep after tonight, so let¡¯s give it a shot,¡± I said. I helped her waddle out of the room. ¡°Keep wiggling your ass like that and you won¡¯t get much sleep,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m heavily pregnant, my ankles are swollen, I¡¯ve gained almost forty pounds and I¡¯m hormonal,¡± she said with a re. ¡°How the hell does that get you excited?¡±


    ¡°You forgot that the boobie fairie came.¡± She smacked my shoulder. ¡°Fifty years from now, we¡¯ll be rocking on the front porch, teeth in jars by us, your boobs down by yourp, and you¡¯ll still be sexy as hell to me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get home, Viper.¡± The elevator door opened and we got in. ¡°Fucking bikers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what got you pregnant, baby.¡±


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I finished up the lunch prep for the day care and the Club members who were here. I turned everything off and did a quick cleanup. I had made up three tes in the warmer, today was sloppy joe¡¯s and chips with pickle wedges. I put them on a tray with some milk and carried it up the stairs to our room. I knocked on the door, and Meghan opened up. ¡°Done with school already?¡±


    ¡°Of course, this homeschooling thing rocks. I¡¯m a grade ahead of my peers, and I can get the whole week done by Wednesday. Mom said I could take another shift, so I gave Katie a break.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s my girl?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping,¡± Vivian said from the rocking chair. I set the food down on the desk after Meghan moved her study materials and went over to see them. She pulled the nket down a little, enough so I could see her face. She was on her bare chest, head just under her neck. ¡°She finished her bottle and was asleep as soon as I got the diaper changed.¡± She was so much bigger now, still not as strong as if she had gone full term, but she no longer needed the assistance of machines. We had moved her into our room two weeks ago. ¡°You guys eat, then we¡¯ll trade off.¡±


    I sat at the desk with Meghan. ¡°How is the studying?¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m working my way through Freshman Chemistry now.¡± Not high school chemistry, College. ¡°Having all of Jessica¡¯s books and notes is a big help.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep52

    ¡°I bet. Keep this up and you¡¯ll be attending college by your junior year in high school.¡± She was such a gifted and hardworking student that she would meet high school graduation requirements in two years. The school district would then allow her to take college courses at their expense, which she fully intended to take advantage of.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to save me a lot of money on my pre-med courses,¡± she said. ¡°Plus, having Doc here to help me is making it much easier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about bing an assistant professor at a school here, work a deal where we can get Meghan free tuition in exchange for me teaching a ss,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I enjoyed teaching in Grenada.¡± We finished our meals, and Meghan took the tes downstairs while I washed up.


    Vivian passed Eve to me, and I took her ce on the rocker before settling her against my chest. ¡°I got word from Viper, they are scheduling Kelly¡¯s C-section for the morning.¡±


    Vivian nodded, already thinking. ¡°She should be able to have visitors by dinnertime, then.¡±


    ¡°We should go.¡± She started to hesitate. ¡°We¡¯ll take a few Club members with, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave Eve, and I don¡¯t want to risk her being exposed to germs in the hospital either,¡± she said. ¡°You go, I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in the afternoon, and you go after dinner,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Eve, and you can go with Hammer and Teri.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a couple prospects drive you, they aren¡¯t going to be in a human hospital,¡± I countered. ¡°You¡¯re her daughter, she¡¯ll want you to visit.¡±


    ¡°FINE.¡± Oh shit, the F-word feared by all married males. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to stay long.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you back here as soon as you¡¯re ready.¡± I rocked my daughter as Vivian ate, enjoying every moment.


    The next morning, I was setting up for lunch when a cheer went up in the bar area. I poked my head out, catching Teri¡¯s eye. ¡°Baby boy, named Andrew Carson, seven pounds two ounces, twenty-one inches, born at 8:14,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°GREAT,¡± I smiled, ¡°Can you tell Vivian for me?¡± She nodded and went up the stairs while one of the prospects was lining up shots. What the hell, it was five o¡¯clock somewhere. We toasted our President and hisdy and mmed the tequ down.


    Teri came back down. ¡°It¡¯s all arranged, you go at 3:30 and when you get back, Hammer and I and the kids are going. We¡¯ll take DeWalt with us.¡±


    ¡°And at least one other member, and have the prospects drive you,¡± I said. ¡°She needs to feel safe or she¡¯ll never leave.¡± She hadn¡¯t left the clubhouse, hell, she¡¯d barelye downstairs since Eve was born. She needed to get out for her own sanity, and what better excuse than to meet her new little brother?


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Teri and the girls had stopped in through the day, showing me photos of baby Andrew and his parents. I was excited to go visit, but nervous to be leaving my baby behind. ¡°Go,¡± Snake said as he changed her. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I leaned down and kissed her as he finished snapping up the outfit, it was my favorite with little wolves and sheep on it. ¡°Love you, little Eve,¡± I said as she looked wide-eyed at me. I kissed Snake and walked out.


    ¡°Come ON, visiting hours start in twenty minutes!¡± Teri was almost bouncing with excitement. Hammer poked his head in the door to say they were ready, and she gathered Meghan, Connor and Cash around her. ¡°Behave tonight, and we¡¯ll get a treat on the way home,¡± she said as they filed out. I followed, Tiny behind me as he volunteered to be my bodyguard. Nobody was stupid enough to fuck with me with Tiny at my back.


    We loaded into the SUV for the short ride to the hospital, and soon we were in the waiting room. Only two could go in at a time, so Teri and I went first. Kelly was sitting up in bed, Viper at her side, and little Andrew was feeding from her left breast. ¡°Oh my GOD he is cute!¡± Teri rushed over, leaning down to see the little guy.


    ¡°Congrattions, Gramps,¡± I said as I went on the other side of the bed and sat in hisp. ¡°He¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m blessed with a great family,¡± he said as he gave me a hug.


    When Andrew was fed and burped, she handed him off to Viper. ¡°He needs to get used to this,¡± she said as I leaned in to give her a hug. ¡°I¡¯m doing good, he¡¯s doing good. I¡¯m so d I had you two around to help me through this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy too,¡± I said. ¡°Our little babies get to grow up together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯ll beat the shit out of anyone who even looks at her funny,¡± Viper said as he changed the diaper. ¡°Oh my GOD, what has he been eating?¡± The smell was damn near driving me out of the room, and my wolf liked to roll around in deer poop and lick her own butt, so it was BAD.


    ¡°Boobie milk, it¡¯s good for you,¡± sheughed. ¡°I read the book, I knew what wasing,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Jesus, it¡¯s like ck tar.¡± We carried on, talking about the C-section and what it felt like to have him in her arms.


    All of the sudden, Tiny burst into the room. ¡°DeWalt, OUT NOW,¡± he said as he pulled me out of the room. We were almost running out of the hospital, taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. The prospect was waiting at the curb, Tiny damn near tossed me into the back and jumped in before we peeled out. The prospect in the passenger seat had his gun out, and Tiny had his hand on his.


    Before we got halfway home, three Club members pulled U-turns, two escorting us from the front and one behind. We took random turns, cutting acrossnes without warning, anything to throw off a tail. When they were satisfied, we pulled into the clubhouse garage, the door closing instantly. I almost ran up to our room, surprising Snake who was sleeping in the chair with Eve. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tiny knocked and came in, a piece of paper in his hand. ¡°Sheri had this guy in her bar, big dude, good looking. He was asking around if people had seen this person, said there was a ten-thousand-dor reward if they could help him find her.¡± He handed Snake the flyer as I looked over his shoulder. It was the portrait I had taken when I worked at the clinics up on the North Shore six years ago, with my old name.


    I brought the paper close to my nose, sniffing deeply. ¡°Werewolf.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Church, ten minutes,¡± Tiny said as he walked out of the room.


    ¡°We both need to be there,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the bag,¡± I said as I moved over to the dresser where her stuff was. We had gotten the diaper bag as a gift, and so far hadn¡¯t used it because I was too nervous to leave our room. With everything she went through as a preemie, I hated the idea of cing her at risk for cold, germs or anything else. I made sure it had diaper supplies and a changing pad, just in case. ¡°When did shest feed?¡±


    ¡°She had a bottle a half hour ago,¡± he said as he picked her up. Setting her on the changing table, he swaddled her like a burrito before holding her in his left arm, tucked into the soft leather of his cut. He was an expert baby handler by now, and I smiled as I watched the macho biker turn into the doting papa. ¡°Ready?¡± I nodded, pulling on my cut as we went out into the hallway, making our way downstairs.


    For most motorcycle clubs, Church would only be for the patched members, not their olddies or girlfriends. The Northwoods Riders were a little different, not holding to the ouw culture some clubs stuck with. Patching in women was the first difference, if you could ride you could be a member, and have full voting rights. If you didn¡¯t ride, you still got a cut for being an Old Lady, but no vote.


    This danger affected everyone, so two of the teen daughters took the kids into the theater room upstairs to watch a movie while all the adults stayed upstairs. As soon as we sat down, Rocket and Taser sat by us. Taser begged to hold Eve for a bit, and the look she gave Rocket while holding her was telling. That boy better make a baby with her soon.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The doors were locked, prospects ran around serving beer and drinks, and as soon as everyone was settled, Tiny was the Vice President, with the President and the Master at Arms at the hospital still, he called the meeting to order. ¡°As always, no one outside this room hears a bit of this,¡± he started. ¡°Lives are at stake here.¡±


    His wife Katie passed around copies of the reward flyer that Sheri had been given at her bar. ¡°Alpha Stanton apparently does not believe that Vivian died six years ago in the attack on the clinic, and Carson died without giving him any information on her. If he had, they¡¯d be at our door already.¡±


    Tiny picked it up. ¡°They must have figured out that she is hiding among humans, and so they are using humans to help them out. The only advantage we have is that Vivian hasn¡¯t left the clubhouse since she returned from Grenada. The fact that they still use her old name tells us her cover is holding for now. There¡¯s no telling how long thatsts, a simple inte search will find her marriage license.¡± He looked over at me. ¡°DeWalt, tell us what this means.¡±


    ¡°The paper had a werewolf¡¯s scent, so they have sent people here looking for me,¡± I said. ¡°Probably pack warriors, with a Beta in charge. No telling if it is a couple of dozens, but I¡¯d lean towards thetter. It would take way too long in a city this size with just a few people.¡±


    ¡°So what will they do,¡± Taser asked as she rocked Eve.


    ¡°Ask around like they are doing, hoping someone can point them in the right directions. Eventually, they¡¯ll just start patrolling the neighborhoods looking for my smell.¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know you,¡± Moose said.


    ¡°No, but the know what a female smells like, and I¡¯m the only one.¡± Snake pulled me into hisp. ¡°In the werewolf world, there¡¯s a huge bounty on me. I have no doubt they¡¯ll do anything to get me, even if that means going through you to get me. My presence here puts you all in danger, your children¡­¡± I buried my face in Snake¡¯s chest.


    ¡°We won¡¯t give you up,¡± Moose said. ¡°You¡¯re family.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep53

    ¡°I know,¡± Snake said, ¡°But we have to be smart. There¡¯s people around, she¡¯s not safe here, Eve isn¡¯t safe here. Do you have any idea what will happen if they find out there is a female werewolf baby that has been born alive and lived? She¡¯ll be taken, Doc will be taken. There¡¯s no price they wouldn¡¯t pay if they think she can save their precious heirs.¡±


    ¡°Where would be safe? Is there anywhere?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Grenada was good because there weren¡¯t wolves there, six years we never smelled another.¡±


    ¡°Well, go there,¡± Crash said. ¡°We need you safe.¡±


    ¡°That may not work,¡± Tiny said. ¡°If they find out your name, it¡¯s too easy to track you there. In a small ce like that, with no protection?¡±


    ¡°I have no protection with Carson gone,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like it was down in Hilton Head. By the time I smelled the males, they already smelled me. The difference is that this time I¡¯ll have a baby with me. I can¡¯t fight, I can¡¯t run.¡±


    ¡°So, the best thing is to hide out, somewhere remote enough they can¡¯t find you, but close enough so we can protect you?¡±


    Snake nodded. ¡°Out of sight, out of smell. Private property, monitored, and a defensible position with clear fields of fire.¡± I squeezed his hand on my waist, he always though clearly when facing danger. ¡°Outside the Metro area, no more than two hours away though. And the fewer people that know about it the better.¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s what we are going to do,¡± Tiny said. ¡°We¡¯re going to get these two packed and their stuff loaded in one of the trucks. By the time we¡¯re done, I want a ce to send them to. Everyone think about it, write it down, talk to rtives, whatever you need. Get the details to me and I¡¯ll pick the best idea.¡±


    Crash and Viking, one of the members patched in after we had fled to Grenada, were the two picked to escort us to our new hideout. Viking¡¯s aunt and uncle ran a game farm on a thousand acres near Welch, just southeast of the Metro area. He made a call, the guest house was avable and they were willing to help.


    Elias and Agnes were a delightful older couple, and I instantly liked them. Viking trusted them, and they were let in on my secret because it was important they understand the risks. My shift shocked them, but they weren¡¯t scared of me, they were fascinated.


    The house was small, two-bedroom with a single bath, but it wasfortable. The best part was the half mile to the nearest public road- and that was on the other side of a double 10-foot fence and locked gates. Viking stayed at the main house with his rtives, while Crash crashed with us in the second bedroom.


    Three days into our exile, I heard motorcyclesing up the long driveway to the house. I looked out, seeing the familiar faces of Hammer and Viper, behind them was Shakes, with Viking following them in his ATV. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± I told Snake as he came out of the bedroom with Eve.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m tired of hiding,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three days, we were gone six yearsst time,¡± Iughed as I went to the door.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Viper was first in, he picked me up and spun me as he hugged me tight. ¡°My girl,¡± he said. ¡°I missed you, and Kelly misses you, and Andrew misses his aunt.¡±


    ¡°He saw me once!¡±


    ¡°What can I say, you made an impression,¡± he said as Iughed.


    ¡°Hi Hammer,¡± I said as I gave him a hug. ¡°Wee Shakes.¡± Shakes had been patched inst year. He was prior Army, Explosive Ordnance, tall and thin with a shaved head. He spent two tours in Iraq defusing roadside bombs before he developed a nervous twitch that ended his career. Sudden movements don¡¯t go well with improvised explosive devices. ¡°Have a seat, guys.¡± I went to the fridge and grabbed beers for everyone before I was pulled down in Snake¡¯sp.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about the threat, guys.¡± Viper looked at his hands before looking up at me. ¡°More guys are in town, we got a half-dozen calls from people who remember you from when you were riding with us. Doc DeWalt left an impression,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°They aren¡¯t going away, they¡¯re getting closer. We¡¯ve removed your stuff, cleaned your rooms,undered your sheets and curtains, everything we can think of to remove your scent from the clubhouse, but we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s enough if they get close.¡±


    Hammer sat up a little. ¡°We think it¡¯s time to take the offensive here. If we y defense, they can go forever.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°Ambush,¡± Shakes said. ¡°We answer the pamphlet, give them a location and take them out when they go after you. We figure they will pull everyone in town together to go get you. We take them all out at once, teach them not to fuck with you.¡±


    I thought about it for a while. ¡°They are wolves, they hunt by smell more than sight. Even if you use my clothes, they will scent all of you around. You can¡¯t ambush them if they know you are there. Plus, they won¡¯te near unless they know I am there.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Viper said, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°THE HELL SHE WILL!¡± Snake jumped to his feet, his yell waking Eve up who started crying. I went into the bedroom to get her out of the crib, calming her down as I walked back in. I red at Snake, who reached for her to calm her down. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think that is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, I don¡¯t want to put my daughter in danger, but Shake¡¯s n depends on us bringing them all in close,¡± Viper said.


    ¡°They have to see you, move in on your position,¡± Shakes said. ¡°We¡¯ll set up cameras a few days ahead of time, long enough for our scent to dissipate. We¡¯ll be far enough away toe in behind them and make sure they don¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I said. ¡°You areing in after?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shakes said. ¡°I¡¯ll have a nice surprise for them.¡±


    Sheri¡¯s POV


    Three Days Later


    The dinner rush was over, and we were catching up on cleaning and stocking before the night rush started. It was a decent crowd for a Thursday night, the Wild were in town and that helped with thete crowds. I was wiping down the bar when I saw Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome walk in. He took a seat in a booth, and I went out and sat across from him. ¡°You have information for me?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Ten grand, and it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I can¡¯t give you ten grand until I know the information is good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good. One of my girls recognized her, she¡¯s staying at a rental cabin out near Turtle Lake. Her mother owns the cabin, says she never leaves, she pays her extra to bring her groceries every week.¡± I leaned forward. ¡°What did she do? Kill someone? Steal money?¡±


    ¡°No, she ran away from her responsibilities, and my boss wants her back.¡±


    ¡°So how do we do this?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I have an idea. You follow me out to thend and verify she¡¯s there. You give me the cash, I take off, I never saw you and you were never here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, meet me outside at ten.¡± He shook my hand and got up. I slumped in the booth after he walked out, d it was over.


    For now.


    Sheri¡¯s POV


    I walked out of the back door of the bar, locking the door behind me at ten in the morning. I didn¡¯t know if they were following me, so I didn¡¯t go homest night. The couch in my office was good for more than quickies with Moose when I was workingte.


    I turned around and almost bumped off of the big guy fromst night, a matching goon like him on each side. ¡°Shit, you scared me,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t lying, they weren¡¯t here when I looked out the video camera and I didn¡¯t hear them approach while I was locking up. Moose would have been pissed, he was always after me to pay attention. He worried about someone attacking me in thete nights that I ran my bar. Of course, he was nowhere close now.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you,¡± Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome said. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the cash first,¡± I said. He pulled a bank envelope out of his pocket and showed it to me; it was a $10, 000 bundle of hundreds. I flipped through them to make sure it was legit, then he put it back in his pocket. ¡°So how do we do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ride with you, and these two will ride behind me. Once we verify she¡¯s where you say she is, I give you the envelope and you drive away.¡±


    ¡°And we both forget we ever saw each other,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need this getting back to me, my girl doesn¡¯t need to know I sold her Mom out. Try not to break anything, her Mom is nice, and I don¡¯t want to hear cops are looking into it. She needs to think Vivian just left.¡±


    He smiled as we reached my car, his buddies already gone. I was d he didn¡¯t search me, I had a couple surprises for them if they decided to back out on the deal. I had a baby Glock 9mm in a shbang holster under my boobs, the loose button-up blouse easily covering it. I had full-size Glock in a holster under the seat, a pepper spray in my purse, and bear spray in my door. All my ammunition had a silver core; Moose had modified existing rounds and coated the silver with ayer of lead so even Vivian couldn¡¯t smell it. She told us the bullets would work as normal, with the added effect on werewolves that the silver would retard healing and prevent shifting. I didn¡¯t really want to test it.


    We got on the road, driving east on I-94 into Wisconsin. We were in rolling forests, heading north on 63 towards Turtle Lake. He didn¡¯t say anything to me and I didn¡¯t feel like talking, so I just left the radio on KQRS and drove. His buddies were behind us, and I could have sworn I saw more than just them. I was a little nervous as we turned onto the county road that led to the remote cabin.


    The cabin belonged to Hammer¡¯s cousin, and had been chosen because it wasn¡¯t your normal cabin. His cousin had been a masonry contractor, so the home was built of poured concrete with applied river rock facing. The roof was steel, as were both of the entry doors, and to prevent it from burning in a fire the windows all had steel shutters that could be locked in ce from the inside. It was the very definition of a defensible position, sitting atop a small rise above arge pond, the forest no closer than fifty yards away from the garden. ¡°This is the driveway leading to the cabin,¡± I said as we passed the fire sign. This area was well away from thekes and rivers, so there weren¡¯t neighbors on the dirt and crushed rock trail leading in. I kept driving another half mile, then pulled over, the trail car stopping behind me. ¡°There is an ATV trail here that goes fairly close to the house.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep54

    He nodded and got out, going to talk to the other guys. One of them took off down the trail at a jog. ¡°He¡¯s going to verify she¡¯s here, if she is, we¡¯re done.¡±


    I turned off the car and got out, making a show of stretching my body. He and the remaining guy were standing by the trail car while I walked around. We only waited ten minutes before the runner returned. ¡°She¡¯s there,¡± he said. ¡°I saw her in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Then our business is done,¡± I said. He nodded, pulling the envelope out he handed it to me. I quickly checked it, then tossed it in the passenger seat of my car. ¡°Pleasure, boys. Don¡¯t ever stop in my bar again.¡± I got in and drove away.


    I hope to hell my guys are ready for what¡¯sing.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t like this, not one bit.


    We were set up in a neighbor¡¯s cabin we had gotten permission to use. Twenty club members, all heavily armed with ATV¡¯s and vehicles, were standing by while we watched the cameras on the television. Mitch, a prospect who started the process two months ago after a few years as a hang-around, had set it all up. His day job was to set up rm and surveince systems for a localpany, and had ess to thetest wireless cameras. Sixteen of them were set up from the road all the way to the four sides of the cabin.


    ¡°Food¡¯s here,¡± Crash said as he opened the door. Two of the prospects came in, carrying stacks of pizza boxes. The table was soon covered with them, and bottled water and Cokes were brought out of the fridge. I stared at the television in between times walking back and forth in the living room, watching the three men by the side of the road where Sheri had left them.


    Moose had met her outside town, taking her to lunch so she could settle down. She¡¯d done what she needed to do, leading them to us. We had been here since early yesterday morning, and I was already sick of the wait. ¡°Eat some food,¡± Viper yelled to everyone, ¡°And get some rest if you can. They mighte in ten minutes, ten hours or ten days, and we need to be ready.¡± He walked over to me and pulled me towards the table. ¡°You too. Vivian is fine, we¡¯ve got a camera in there and Mitch has eyes on. A mouse can¡¯t move out there without being seen on camera.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, boy. Have some pizza, dammit, you¡¯re wearing a path in the damn floor.¡±


    I nodded and walked over, taking a couple pieces of sausage and mushroom and a Coke. I sat next to Mitch, where I could see hisputer screen with the sixteen cameras all on split screen. ¡°How do you know what to watch?¡±


    ¡°I keep four screens up on the main screen all the time. The road where the men are, the front of the house, the back of the house, and thest one is set for any camera sensing motion.¡±


    I chewed on the pizza, not really enjoying anything right now. I was feeling the same as I did in the Sandbox when we were waiting for the call to go into Kuwait; the knowledge of dangerbined with the boredom of the unknown. I was just about done with the second piece when I saw motion on the camera. ¡°Cars approaching,¡± I said out loud.


    The noise stopped, and everyone gathered around the monitor. Four SUV¡¯s had pulled in behind the three men waiting. Mitch made the camera full screen as we watched. ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have sound,¡± Viper said. The doors opened, and I counted another sixteen men. ¡°Jesus, these guys aren¡¯t taking chances. Neen guys to bring back one female?¡±


    ¡°Never go out in less than toon strength,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get her out of there.¡±


    ¡°Toote,¡± Mitch said. I looked back at the screen, the guys were tossing their clothes into the cars and shifting. Twenty secondster, a pack of wolves was assembled at the edge of the road. They split into three squads, one moving back down the road towards the driveway, one to the ATV trail, and one cutting through the woods straight for the house.


    I grabbed the walkie-talkie. ¡°Vivian, they areing. We counted neen, all in wolf form. Close it up and wait for the Calvary,¡± I said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± I watched the camera inside the house, she was going around closing and locking all the shutters and windows. The front and back doors had been left closed, sliding deadbolts in three ces secured to keep them from being kicked in with werewolf strength.


    ¡°Load up, boys, we¡¯re going in behind them.¡± Three men took off in a Jeep, heading for the vehicles they had left on the side of the road. They would disable them, which should be easy since the guys left the keys in there.


    The cabin we were in was about a quarter mile away from Vivian¡¯s, and the wind was in our faces. We spread out, we were going to encircle them at a distance of about three hundred yards. We didn¡¯t want a fair fight, we wanted a bloodbath. Our hunting rifles and AR¡¯s were more than capable of putting down these mangy mutts.


    ¡°They are breaking into the clearing,¡± Mitch said over the walkie-talkies. Viper, Hammer and I each had one, with an earpiece and microphone, so he could keep us up to date. ¡°They¡¯ve stopped at the treeline, they are taking up positions to surround the house.¡±


    I passed word along to the guys with me. ¡°Keep it quiet, we don¡¯t want to spook them until they get their surprise.¡± I couldn¡¯t wait, Shakes couldn¡¯t either. He hadid out the charges yesterday, hiding them in flowerbeds at the base of the home. The eight charges were a marvel of improvised explosive engineering. Created from a foot-wide, eight-inch-high piece of curved steel te, he had coated the convex side with a thinyer of homemade stique explosive. Then he pressed real silver beads and buckshot, a small fortune worth, into the surface. Add a sting cap, a thousand feet of wire and a handheld detonator, and he was a happy man. He exined that by putting a charge at each corner of the house, angled slightly up and out, he would catch anyone close to the house in a hailstorm of death.


    He seemed so happy when he talked that way, he was a little different, but I¡¯m d he was on my side. We moved into position, the wolves well ahead of us had moved closer to the house. Shakes moved to his hide where his detonators were ced, and I crouched next to him. ¡°Close enough yet?¡±


    ¡°No, they need to be between ten and thirty feet away from the house for maximum effect,¡± he said.


    I pulled out my portable binocrs and scanned through the trees. The wolves were circled around the house, making escape impossible. The leader, the same one who had talked to Sheri, shifted to his human form and walked forward towards the cabin. ¡°Doctor DelMara, we know you¡¯re in there,¡± he said. ¡°Come out quietly and you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you.¡±


    ¡°Fucking you is the whole idea,¡± heughed. ¡°You have been promised to me, and I fully intend to take you. Come quietly and we can do it in private, I¡¯ll make it nice for you. Resist and I¡¯ll im you and fuck you on the pic table in front of my men.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know If I could wait. ¡°Can we do it now?¡±


    ¡°No, the explosives will spread out too much at that distance. They need to be closer,¡± Shakes said.


    The other wolves stayed in ce while the naked asshole walked to the door. Knocking three times, he stood there with his arms crossed. ¡°I¡¯m starting to lose patience with you, dear. Surely you don¡¯t want to spend your honeymoon bent over a pic table being spitroasted by me and one of my buddies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do mercy fucks, and don¡¯t call me Shirley,¡± she answered from inside.


    He shook the door, finding it locked he stepped back and gave it a kick. That was a mistake, he must have damn near broken something. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s one good door,¡± Mitch said over the radio. He backed up a few steps, running into it with his shoulder to no avail. He waved to someone, two wolves shifted to human form and walked up. Both were big and muscled, and they started taking turns trying to break down the door. The thuds of their impacts echoed through the woods, but so far it was holding.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer we can wait,¡± I said. ¡°The door is strong, but it¡¯s already bending.¡±


    ¡°Something is happening,¡± Mitch said over the radio. ¡°Thirty, maybe forty wolves areing in at high speed from the north.¡±


    ¡°Stay back,¡± Viper said, ¡°let¡¯s get them in close so Shakes can take them out.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I watched as the wolves thundered into the clearing, taking the waiting wolves by surprise. The newly arriving wolves tore into the others with ferocity and skill, and soon the woods were filled with the sounds of injured and dying wolves. I kept my eyes on the three at the door, closest to my wife, as they shifted and joined the fray. Eight wolves quickly surrounded them and tore them to shreds. ¡°What the fuck,¡± I said to Shakes. ¡°Be ready.¡±


    ¡°I was born for this, Snake. They aren¡¯t close enough.¡±


    The howls and sounds ofbat ceased, and a quiet came over the clearing again. We watched as the new wolves lined up a good thirty yards from the front porch, sitting down with their tongues lolling out. Their leader, the biggest wolf, was jet ck. He shifted into human form, turning into a man of about thirty, looked like an NFL linebacker. He walked until he was about ten feet from the front door, then went down on one knee, his right fist over his heart. When he did, all his wolvesid on the ground with their heads bowed.


    ¡°Blessed One,¡± he said, ¡°I am Gabriel, my men and I are at your service. These men, they are Alpha Stanton¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vivian said from behind the door. ¡°They killed my sister¡¯s mate when he went to pick up blood from their Pack. He has no honor.¡±


    ¡°Few do these days, Blessed One. His threats will be dealt with, harshly. If we can be of service to you again, just let us know.¡± He drew something in the dirt. ¡°We thank Luna for your daughter, the Promised One. The Knights of the Moon have taken a sacred vow to protect you both. We will never be far away.¡± With that, he shifted back into his wolf and howled into the sky. He started to trot back the way he came, his men all following him.


    ¡°Do I blow it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ they aren¡¯t hostile,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Dammit, Snake, I never get to have my fun.¡±


    The leader stopped, turning his head looking right at me. I froze, my hand gripping my rifle. He lowered his head, almost in a bow, then ran off into the wolves. A few secondster, we were alone.


    ¡°What the HELL just happened?¡± Viper¡¯s question was exactly what I was thinking, and I had no idea.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep55

    Snake¡¯s POV


    ¡°Mitch, do you have those wolves on camera?¡±


    ¡°I do for now, but they are heading into the State Forest. Wait¡­ they are out of view now.¡± I was at once relieved and apprehensive, I didn¡¯t want them here, but they had protected Vivian effectively.


    ¡°Keep watching,¡± I told him.


    Viper moved into the clearing but had his hands up to the others. ¡°Stay put, everyone, just in case. Dagger, youe up, make sure all these wolves are dead. Shakes, disarm those charges so we can approach the house. Snake, up here with me.¡± He got on the walkie talkie. ¡°Bring their cars up to the house, they won¡¯t need them anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes boss.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I walked up to where Viper was standing, surveying the field that was stained red with Sheridan Pack blood. After what they must have done to Carson, I only wished it could havested longer. ¡°Jesus Christ, these guys didn¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    ¡°I know, Gabriel¡¯s men were on a different level, it seems. Not only did they cheat me out of a kill, but they left us the fucking mess to clean up.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re gone?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice from inside snapped my eyes over to the cabin.


    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t open a door yet, just in case theye back,¡± I said.


    I heard metal sliding, and she looked out the window of the living room after sliding the shutter aside. ¡°Wow. They killed them all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, then they knelt down in worship to you, DeWalt. I¡¯m not sure what to think.¡± Viper looked around. ¡°How the hell did they know about Eve?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she said as she looked out.


    ¡°SAFE NOW,¡± Shakes shouted as he walked towards us.


    I didn¡¯t need any more encouragement, I ran to the window and damn near pulled her out as I took her in my arms and kissed her. ¡°I was so scared when those wolves came running in, I thought we might not be able to protect you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She kissed me again.


    ¡°Stay here for a bit, just in case. We have some cleanup to do.¡± Viper left four guys farther out with walkie-talkies while we took care of the cleanup. We didn¡¯t have time to build a fire big enough to cremate neen huge wolves, so we would have to improvise.


    ¡°Viper,¡± Scrape said as he came up. ¡°On the way here we passed a gully, it¡¯s maybe twelve feet deep and six across. We could pile them at the bottom, then cover it up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d need a hell of a lot of material for that,¡± I said. ¡°If they aren¡¯t six feet deep the smell will be noticed.¡±


    ¡°Thought about that, Shakes could use those charges of his to blow the sides, copse it down.¡±


    ¡°SHAKES!¡± Viper waited until he ran over. ¡°Come with us.¡± The four of us headed off into the woods while the others got busy withying out a tarp and tossing all the bodies and body parts on it. The gully was about a quarter mile away. We got to the edge, it seemed promising. ¡°We¡¯ll have to bury it good, this is washout from snowmelt. It can uncover quickly in the spring.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be all right if all these big rocks are sted on top,¡± I said. ¡°We just need them to stay in ce until they dpose. Dog bones won¡¯t arouse suspicions if they pop up out here. Shakes, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m saving my silver ymores forter. I¡¯ve got stuff in my bag I can use for this.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, the bag in the back of my truck?¡± He nodded. ¡°Just how much ¡®stuff¡¯ did you bring?¡±


    ¡°Plenty, don¡¯t worry, if I¡¯m not running, you¡¯re all right.¡± He smiled and ran off towards the cabin we were parked at. We went back and started carrying the carcasses out there, dumping them in the deepest part. It took him about two hours to ce explosives in the cracks in the rock wall of the gully and wire it all up. We stood back a good hundred yards as he connected it to his hand detonator, a silly grin on his face. ¡°I was worried I wouldn¡¯t get any fun,¡± he said. ¡°FIRE IN THE HOLE!¡±


    A few secondster there was a loud bang and the sound of andslide. When I looked up, dust and smoke was obscuring the area, soon taken away by the wind. ¡°Hope that doesn¡¯t attract too much attention,¡± I said.


    ¡°Just one they¡¯ll me it on something else,¡± he said. ¡°Do it again and it¡¯ll get noticed.¡±


    It was pushing six by the time we were done and cleaned up. We had passed a pizza and beer ce on the way in, and Moose had verified it was a good ce when he stopped by after dropping Sheri off at her bar. ¡°Boss, what should we do with their cars?¡±


    ¡°Drive them back to the clubhouse for now, I know a chop shop that will take them,¡± I said. ¡°They won¡¯t miss them.¡±


    I walked back to the house, three of my brothers were inside cleaning up and had just finished putting a new steel entry door on. ¡°How are you doing, baby?¡±


    Vivian looked tired as I pulled her into myp on the chair. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I am anymore, Snake. I miss my baby, though.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, Teri and Meghan will take good care of her. Feel like some pizza and beer?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± We walked out the door, everyone was loading into vehicles and we fell into the middle of the caravan. It took us fifteen minutes to get to the small town, and we half-filled the parking lot.


    We hadn¡¯t worn our cuts for this trip, not wanting any wolf to trace us back, so we looked like a big group of friends out for the night. The beer was flowing, the pizza was good, the fellowship better, but we couldn¡¯t stay long. ¡°She needs to get home,¡± I told Viper as Vivian started to snore softly, she had fallen asleep with her head on my shoulder. All thosete-night feedings were still catching up to her.


    ¡°I think we all should go,¡± he said. ¡°We can rx back at the clubhouse.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that is safe for her now?¡±


    ¡°You are safe to return, my men have cleared the area of any threats.¡± The voice came from behind me, it was the same man from the clearing. He had two men with him, all were dressed in motorcycle boots, jeans, ck T-shirts and leather cuts. His long hair was held back with a bandana, it was a ck Harley-Davidson print. His vest had ¡°PRESIDENT¡± and ¡°GABE¡± on the front, with a crest showing a shadowed knight in armor, a full moon rising behind him. ¡°May I join you?¡±


    Teri¡¯s POV


    ¡°Meghan, is that bottle ready yet?¡± I damn near had to shout over Eve¡¯s screams, she had woken up cranky and it had spun downhill from there. I was walking her back and forth in the living room of the small guest house, patting her back and softly begging her to settle down, and it wasn¡¯t working. She had woken from her nap about seven PM, and wasn¡¯t happy about it.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said as she ran into the room. I quickly sat down and tried to feed her, but she wouldn¡¯t take the bottle, she was too interested in setting new decibel records for crying.


    ¡°Can I try?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± I said. Meghan settled her in her arm, singing softly to her as she rocked back and forth. Almost instantly, Eve settled down and secondster was sucking hard at her bottle. ¡°That¡¯s SO unfair. How can I raise three kids and get shown up by a teenager?¡±


    She just giggled. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t spend time singing to her and holding her hand while she was in the incubator. She likes me better.¡±


    ¡°Showoff.¡± I got up in a huff, walking towards the kitchen. I grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and walked back out to the living room. Eve was working on the bottle, her little hand gripping Meghan¡¯s shirt as she continued to sing her song. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a great mother someday,¡± I said as I watched her.


    ¡°A long time from now,¡± she said. ¡°College, med school, residency¡­ I¡¯ll be in myte twenties before I have time for a man.¡± She pulled the bottle away and put Eve on her shoulder, patting her back. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up my dream for anyone.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to,¡± I said. ¡°Any man worthy of your love will support your dreams.¡±


    She coaxed a strong burp out of her and cleaned her face up. ¡°Here, you can have her back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± She gave her back to me anyway, and almost immediately her face started to scrunch up. ¡°Oh you little¡­¡± Meghan just started tough as she ran out of the room. ¡°Oh GOD, you KNEW she was going to poop and you give her to me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help if I know the warning signs,¡± she said as she grabbed her own Coke. She walked back into the living room and ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that out by the fence?¡±


    I got up, holding Eve away from my nose as I went in to see what it was. I looked out across the front yard where Elias¡¯ border collie was going nuts by the fence. Running back and forth, she was barking at something on the other side. I followed her eyes, and the biggest wolf I had ever seen was pacing along the ditch, just outside the fence. ¡°Meghan, take Eve to the bedroom and lock the door behind you,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re making me change her?¡± She took Eve from me, scrunching her face.


    I ignored her, reaching under the couch for the scoped rifle that was kept there. ¡°Call Elias, let them know there¡¯s a wolf outside the fence. Then call the clubhouse, have then send anyone avable down here to help. Make sure they are armed.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s a pistol in the bedside table, don¡¯t open the door for anyone but me or someone you know.¡± She turned for the hall as I opened the window. Using the scope, I scanned the fence line, stopping when I saw another. ¡°MEGHAN, TELL THEM THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO!¡±


    I pulled the bolt back a little, making sure the . 30-06 modified hunting cartridge was chambered. The bullet was injected with silver, another Moose special. ¡°Where the hell is Viking,¡± I whispered to myself. He was supposed to be on patrol outside, how he could miss two huge freaking wolves by the front gates, I had no idea.


    The two wolves were now together near the double gates for the driveway. I took a bead on therger one, it was closest to the fence. I settled behind the rifle, doing a quick breathing exercise to steady my heart rate. I thumbed off the safety, then took up most of the trigger pull. I watched the crosshairs settle over the right shoulder, taking a deep breath and then letting it halfway out, the way my Dad had taught me while learning to hunt.


    ¡°MOM!¡± The noise scared me, just enough to make up the remaining pressure on the trigger and the shot rang out.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep56

    Snake¡¯s POV


    I reacted immediately to the three werewolves, moving my body in front of Vivian¡¯s as my left hand reached for my pistol. I had a holster sewn into the cut under my right arm, so I could draw and fire while riding if needed. I wasn¡¯t the only one, hands reached for weapons all around the tables, and a few of my brothers stood up. None of us pulled them, we were in a public ce and the three had stoppeding towards Vivian. Gabriel and his men didn¡¯t even twitch, their hands were visible, and their postures were not threatening at all. They just looked like three fellow bikersing to join their friends.


    Maybe they were.


    Viper stood up and walked towards them, stopping in front of Gabriel. He extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Viper. President of the Northwoods Riders.¡±


    I was getting a bad feeling about this as they shook hands. ¡°I am Gabriel, President of the Knights of the Moon. My Vice President, Michael,¡± as the man to his right stepped forward and shook Viper¡¯s hand, ¡°And my Master at Arms, Abaddon.¡±


    While they talked, Hammer and Moose had taken positions behind Viper. ¡°This is my Vice President, Moose, and my Master at Arms, Hammer.¡± The men exchanged handshakes. ¡°Now, you¡¯re making a few people nervous, so perhaps it would be best if the six of us sat over here and talked for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I understandpletely, you don¡¯t trust us yet.¡± His men turned and walked over to the empty table, our leaders followed them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t either, too much has gone on in the past seven years. I¡¯m d she has found protection and a home with you. We wish her no harm, in fact we are offering our help in protecting the Doctor and her daughter.¡±


    ¡°Why? What is she to you?¡±


    ¡°She holds thest hope of our people,¡± he said gravely.


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess told me in a vision.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, this was all we needed, a werewolf biker gang on a mission from Luna. We had enough people out there to worry about. I heard my cellphone ring, it woke Vivian up. I pulled it out of my pocket, it was Teri. ¡°Teri? Everything all right?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡¯s out front, there are two wolves outside the fence! We don¡¯t know where Viking is, and Mom has the rifle out!¡±


    ¡°Hang on.¡± I yelled over. ¡°Gabriel, are any of your men near Eve?¡±


    ¡°Of course, three of my men are patrolling outside the game farm now. They won¡¯t go any closer than the fence, though.¡± I put the phone back up. ¡°Meghan, they¡¯re friends. Tell Teri not to do anything unless they get inside the fence.¡±


    ¡°Thank God,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her.¡± I heard a door open, and Eve was fussing. ¡°MOM!¡±


    ¡°BANG!¡± I flinched at the noise.


    ¡°MOM, they are FRIENDS.¡± I could hear Teri curse in the background. ¡°Snake, one of them is hit. It looks bad.¡±


    My face paled as I looked back to the leaders. ¡°One of them has been shot,¡± I said. ¡°Teri didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Give me the phone,¡± Vivian said. She now was wide awake. ¡°Meghan, I need you to go out there and help. My kit is in the back of the car. Load him up and get him to the Clubhouse, bring Eve with.¡±


    ¡°OK. I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    ¡°We have to go,¡± she said. ¡°The only chance to help your man is to get him to the clubhouse, and we¡¯re ny minutes away. Those rounds had silver in them.¡±


    ¡°Take my bike and her, I¡¯ll right back with you guys,¡± Gabriel said as he tossed me his keys. ¡°Michael and Abbadon will go with you.¡±


    ¡°Moose, you go too.¡± We took off for the motorcycles. Gabriel had a nice ride, but only one helmet which I gave to Vivian. Luckily, it had a microphone and speaker built in she could use to talk on the phone. I fired it up and pulled out of the parking lot as soon as her arms wrapped around me, and we were off.


    We¡¯d be there in under an hour.


    Meghan¡¯s POVText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I ran out to the car, grabbing her first aid kit before I jumped on an ATV to drive out there. When I got to the fence, I parked the ATV on the side before hitting the button to open the gates. The wolf was lying on its side, bleeding from his stomach, and in a lot of pain. The other man was kneeling naked by him, his hand over the wound. I kept my eyes away from his male form as I set the kit down next to the wolf. ¡°Do you have a car?¡±


    ¡°Motorcycles,¡± he said.


    ¡°Run to the house, put some clothes on and bring my Mom and Eve out here in the car. I¡¯ve got this.¡± He took off, and as his hand moved I saw the entry wounds for the bullet fragments. There were two, so the bullet must have hit the fence and broken up before it got to him. I called Vivian back and described what I had as I kept pressure on the wound with one hand. By the time I had rinsed my hands in alcohol, put on gloves and poured the alcohol on his wound, which caused him to pass out from the pain, Mom was back with the car and Viking. ¡°Mom, leave Eve with Viking, I need you.¡±


    She came up next to me. ¡°Oh God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she started to cry.


    ¡°Later. I need you to hold pressure on these while I draw up a syringe.¡± Vivian talked me through drawing up the sedative and how to inject it on the foreleg of the big wolf. ¡°This would be so much easier if he was human,¡± Iined.


    ¡°Can¡¯t shift with silver inside,¡± she said. ¡°He won¡¯t wake up now, and we have to get the fragments out.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Put the heamp on so you can see and use a pair of forceps. There is a disposable scalpel In the top center, you¡¯ll need that first.¡± The man¡¯s friend, who said his name was Maalik and the injured wolf was Zephaniel, pulled out the heamp and put it on my head while I got the knife. ¡°Open the entry wound to about three inches wide with the scalpel. You¡¯ll need to cut through the tissue carefully and use a retractor to hold it so you can see. There¡¯s a handheld suction unit, have Teri use that to keep the blood clear while you work.¡±


    We got the equipment out and Mom started to suction the wound as I worked my way past the skin and muscles of his stomach. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to get sick,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Just focus, he needs you. You break it, you bought it, right?¡± Iughed a little at I used the retractors to hold the muscles apart. I used my finger to search around for the fragment. It took about twenty seconds to find it by the intestine. I used the forceps to pull it out and toss it aside. I didn¡¯t see anything else, so Vivian told me to go to the second entry wound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I have to stitch this up?¡±


    ¡°Just pack it with gauze for now, I¡¯ll have to follow up anyway,¡± she said. I did so, and repeated the action on the other wound. This time I found the main bullet, at least more than half of one. ¡°Good job,¡± she said. ¡°Pack it up, keep pressure on the wounds, and get moving.¡±


    While we were working on him, the third man arrived on his motorcycle, thankfully he was fully dressed. His name was Urial. ¡°We¡¯ll follow you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Viking, you drive. Fold down the far back seats and put the nket down, I¡¯ll go in the back with him.¡± The guys quickly prepped the car, then two of them picked their buddy up and set him in the back of the Expedition. I packed the kit back up and set it on the back seat, next to the car seat that Eve was strapped into. I crawled into the back with the injured wolf as we pulled out, Mom sitting next to Eve.


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way, Doc.¡±


    ¡°Good job, Meghan. You kept your cool and did what had to be done, I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± she said. ¡°Now we are an hour out, tell Viking not to get pulled over because we don¡¯t need to exin a huge, injured wolf.¡±


    It took us forty minutes to arrive at the clubhouse, in the meantime I had started an IV and figured out how to use a blood pressure cuff on a wolf leg. Mom had called ahead, and a stretcher was waiting for us when we arrived. We got him up to the clinic room and on the exam table about the time Vivian¡¯s motorcycle was crossing the river at Hudson. ¡°Does anyone know his blood type,¡± she asked.


    They didn¡¯t, but she had shown me how to type and cross blood. Wolf blood was simr, but different, it had to be another wolf, not a human. I did the test and it turned out Urial was a match. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you started on donating a pint, but I¡¯ll wait for Doc to verify my match before I use it,¡± I said. I had himy down on the desk and I had just inserted the needle when I heard themotion.


    Vivian rushed in, going immediately to the injured wolf. She lifted the gauze, looking at the wounds. ¡°Nice job,¡± she said.


    ¡°I need you to check his blood type match,¡± I said as I left Urial. She nodded. ¡°As soon as it¡¯s full we¡¯ll hang it, now I need you to set up for surgery while I scrub in. Sterile tray, light, suction, monitor.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to do this in wolf form?¡±


    ¡°No choice, that shot you gave him will keep him down for two more hours.¡± I went to set things up while she quickly changed into scrubs and scrubbed in. The blood pressure cuff was tricky, but I got it to work. I set the surgical instrument tray on a stand by the bed, and pulled the ceilingmp over and aimed it at the injury site. I had the suction machine ready as well. ¡°Put on my gown and scrub in,¡± she told me. I helped her put her arms through and tied it in back before I went over to change and scrub up.


    By the time I had returned to help, she was already inside, starting to suture up the wounds to his intestines. ¡°He¡¯s lucky you were there,¡± she said. ¡°See this burned tissue? That¡¯s what silver does. The longer it stays in contact, the more damage, and he can¡¯t heal with it in him.¡± She sewed up the wounds, at one point having to cut out a damaged section of intestine before sewing it back together. When she was done, she started carefully working her way down. ¡°This is called running the bowels. The intestines are difficult to check, and a single little nick can cause a deadly infection if not corrected. You work through methodically until you have verified no other damage.¡± When she was done, she used sterile saline rinse to clean the cavity, again to prevent infection. The surgery took us ny minutes toplete.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep57

    Once he was sutured up and stable, we pulled off the gloves and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. We transferred him to the hospital bed, and she took the monitors off. ¡°Why not leave them on?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s bound to shift as he starts to wake up, and you don¡¯t want a tight blood pressure cuff on when he does,¡± she exined. We took off our surgical gowns and tossed them, then busied ourselves cleaning up from the surgery. ¡°You¡¯re going to be an amazing Doctor someday, Meghan.¡±


    I just blushed. ¡°I was scared to death the whole time, if you weren¡¯t talking me through I don¡¯t know if I could have done it.¡±


    She pulled me into a hug. ¡°It was a lot to ask, it was more than med school students see before their second year. You kept your cool, you saved him, and I¡¯m so proud of you. Now go out there and tell everyone that he¡¯s going to pull through, he¡¯ll be healed up fully in a week now that his werewolf healing can kick in.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you do that?¡±


    ¡°You do it, you¡¯re the one who saved him. Enjoy the moment, Meghan, a good save is the most fulfilling part of this job. Just change out of those blood-soaked scrubs first.¡± I giggled and did so, while Vivian sat down next to the bed to monitor Zephaniel.


    I walked outside, Viper and Snake were waiting along with a tall, muscr man I didn¡¯t know. Snake just gave me a hug before going into the room to see Vivian. ¡°Zephaniel is going to be fine. He took two bullet fragments to his abdomen, bothced with silver. The fragments have been removed and there will be no permanent damage.¡±


    The stranger looked at me, relief clear on his face. ¡°You¡¯re the one who helped him?¡± I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re just a child¡­¡± He knelt down so his face was closer to my level, he was a tall man, and kind of intimidating at first.


    ¡°I turn thirteen next week,¡± I said as I put my hands on my hips. ¡°I¡¯m more than I look.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡± He pulled me into a hug. ¡°Thank you for saving him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I want to do,¡± I said as I hugged him back. ¡°I¡¯m Meghan, I¡¯m Hammer¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°I am Gabriel, President of the Knights of the Moon, and I am in your debt,¡± he said. ¡°May I see him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still asleep and in wolf form, but you can go in. Doctor Vivian is watching him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    I copsed in the chair next to the bed where Zephaniel was sleeping after surgery. It had been a long day, and all I wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. The door opened, and Snake rushed in. ¡°Viv,¡± he said as he cupped my face in his hands. ¡°I love you.¡± We kissed for a bit, when he pulled back he pulled a chair over next to me. ¡°How is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°You should have seen Meghan today. She was a huge help in the surgery, and she was damn good in the field. I had her cut into a man and remove bullet fragments on the side of the road, and she¡¯s not even thirteen years old yet!¡±


    ¡°I know, I was talking to his friends downstairs. Trauma surgery by phone, they said she was cool as the back side of the pillow.¡±


    I nodded as I thought about her. ¡°She¡¯s a natural, she¡¯s going to be a far better doctor than I am when her training is done.¡±


    There was a knock on the door and I told Gabriel toe in, I had heard him talking with Meghan outside. ¡°Your junior doctor said he was going to be fine,¡± he said as he walked over to stand at the foot of the bed.


    ¡°He is, he should wake up in an hour or so,¡± I told him. ¡°Can you sit with him for a little bit? I have to see how my baby is doing.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± We got up he took the chair. ¡°Keep him calm if he wakes and get him to shift if you can.¡± I took Snake¡¯s hand as he led me downstairs. We came out into the main bar area, where Meghan was holding court. Moose and Teri were proud as could be as their precocious daughter told the story of her evening.


    I rushed over to Teri, who handed me a sleeping Eve. ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°Ate a bottle an hour ago, has been changed, went to sleep fifteen minutes ago. I saved you the easy part.¡± Iughed as I held her in my arms and kissed her forehead, this was the longest we had been apart, and it wasn¡¯t easy for me.


    ¡°Any problems with her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing a mom of three couldn¡¯t handle with a little help from the Baby Whisperer there,¡± she said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t calm her, I hand her to Meghan and she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°She did good today, I¡¯m so proud of her.¡±


    ¡°Me too. If she hadn¡¯t yelled when she did, Zephaniel would be dead. It threw the shot off just enough. Of course, if someone had told me they were friendly that would have been a big help.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am.¡± I looked up, a tall and strong looking young man was standing there, his head down respectfully. ¡°We were under orders to protect you, but when we heard about the mening to take the Blessed One, we got a little overprotective of your daughter.¡± I looked at him, wondering who he was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. My name is Maalik, I¡¯m one of the warriors. I was at the farm with Zephaniel and Uriel over there.¡± He pointed to another tall, muscled man. I swear, these guys looked like the Chippendales hade to town, there were enough six-packs in the room to open a liquor store. One of the prospects handed us bottles of Leinenkugel¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Vivian,¡± I said. ¡°What were you doing at the farm?¡±


    ¡°Marking the territory and patrolling to make sure no other wolves approached,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t see any signs. Mrs. Teri saw us when we had to cross the driveway and couldn¡¯t stay in the ditches.¡±


    I started to think about what had been said, something was bugging me. ¡°Wait¡­ how long have you guys known about me and Eve?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for five weeks, Blessed One.¡±


    Five weeks. Wait. ¡°FIVE WEEKS? And what was this Blessed One name, it¡¯s driving me nuts.¡±


    He looked upstairs. ¡°Our Alpha wants to be the one who exins everyone, Doctor. As for the name, that is how you were made known to us, that you were the Blessed One who had birthed the Promised One.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I delivered her and helped her live, her mother was like a sister to me. She died during the C-section.¡± I still was angry at myself that I didn¡¯t save them both, but I had been over it over and over, I had to choose and only Eve had a chance. ¡°She was a wonderful person, she was mated to a good man who died at the Sheridan Pack trying to get blood for her.¡±


    ¡°Carson Patterson?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how did you know his name.¡± Snake, Viper and the others were all quiet, Carson had been one of us and we hadn¡¯t heard anything since he went to the Pack.


    ¡°Zephaniel joined us two months ago, shortly after it happened. Apparently, the Alpha figured that needing blood meant there was a healer or doctor behind it. Carson¡¯s name was recognized by Alpha Stanton¡¯s mate, Denise; they used to be in the same Pack.¡±


    ¡°DENISE? Beta Denise?¡± Oh Luna¡­


    ¡°Yes, her mate was finally killed and that made her the next mate for Alpha Stanton, he wanted her bloodlines, thought a Beta might survive where the other Lunas hadn¡¯t. Anyway, Denise figured out you might still be alive, that¡¯s why they tried to do the trade.¡±


    ¡°They beat the shit out of him, his mate felt it, it sent her into prematurebor and we almost lost them both.¡± My gut flipped over as I thought about that day. ¡°How did he die?¡±


    ¡°The Luna thought she could get the information out of him, because they used to be in the same Pack. She went in alone, and he strangled her with his leg chains. When the Beta and his men burst in, she was dead, they tore him apart as he hung there in revenge.¡±


    The whole ce was quiet. Finally, Viper stood and raised his beer. ¡°To Carson, a fine man and wolf to the very end.¡±


    ¡°TO CARSON!¡± We all took a drink. I couldn¡¯t help it, tears were flowing as I looked down at their daughter, swearing that she would have a better life than this.


    ¡°Zephaniel was in that Pack?¡± Snake was trying to figure it all out.


    ¡°Yes, he was a warrior. His younger sister, Lisandra¡­ she just reached puberty, and the Alpha took her as his next Luna. Zephaniel couldn¡¯t stop it, they beat him when he tried to see the Alpha. He ran, and eventually he found us.¡± Maalik shook his head. ¡°Mating girls at thirteen. Sending warriors to force mate a Doctor. It makes me sick.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it, I moved forward and pulled Maalik into a hug. When I let him go, he was beaming as he looked down at a sleeping Eve. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as I passed her over to him. ¡°Do you have children?¡±


    ¡°My mate miscarried once before this started, then died in the first wave of the curse,¡± he said. ¡°I left my Pack, went a little crazy. If Gabriel hadn¡¯t found me, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡±


    Gabriel came down the stairs and went right to Viper; I looked at him and gestured to the room, he told me Michael was watching him. Viper walked to the center, his whistle immediately quieted the room. ¡°All right, it¡¯s story time. Gabriel, the floor is yours.¡±


    He sat on a barstool in the center of the room, everyone gathered around. ¡°My name used to be Alpha Benjamin Pearson, of the Bitterroot Pack. We weren¡¯t a big pack, there were 43 of us, and that first year we lost four women, including my Beta Female. We didn¡¯t have a Pack Doctor, and the one we used was killed after he couldn¡¯t save a woman. The next year, my mate and I decided that no matter what, we wouldn¡¯t get pregnant, it was just too risky.¡± He took a drink of beer. ¡°I had her locked in a room, it was horrible. She suffered, I suffered, she begged me to relieve her and I couldn¡¯t. Then my wolf shoved my human part aside, I opened the door and she got pregnant.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep58

    I felt horrible for him. ¡°It was a death sentence, we both knew it, but our wolves didn¡¯t care. At twenty weeks, she started a fever, and six hourster she and my son were gone. I killed her, it broke me. I shifted and ran into the mountains, I wentpletely feral. Two years I wandered the mountains alone, until one spring night I was walking along a cliff. Iid at the edge, my eyes watching the stars and the rising moon, and I heard a voice. It was a voice unlike any other, and it came from inside my head, not from outside. She told me to shift, and my wolfplied immediately. I stood up, turned around, and immediately dropped to my knees when I saw her. She was beautiful, ethereal, covered with the barest of silk, her long hair shining in the moonlight.¡±


    ¡°You saw our Goddess,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yes. I was impertinent enough to ask her the question that had haunted me since this started. Why. Why were our mates being taken from us in such a way, our babies killed, before they had a chance at life. Her answer shook me to the core.¡± He took another drink. ¡°She said it was because she cursed us to this fate. She made it happen, our own Goddess poured out her wrath on the wombs of our women, the cruelest of all possible judgments. She used our own wolves to ensure our punishment.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Why? Why curse her own creation? What have we done?¡±


    ¡°I asked the same thing. She told me how she created us to be social, she created mates to ensure Packs would develop bonds and ensure gic diversity. Instead of waiting, instead of traveling to new Packs and creating ties of friendship, instead of honoring the mates she gave us, we became selfish, impatient and aggressive. We took what we wanted, when we wanted it. Choice mates became the norm, Packs went to war with each other, and she had enough of it.¡±


    My mind was reeling, and in a way, I was relieved. I had never been able to figure out how it could be so widespread when it first appeared, unlike how epidemics behaved. I didn¡¯t see how I couldn¡¯t stop it or save anyone, and now I knew why. It never was me.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Snake pulled me in, he could sense how I was feeling. ¡°So how do we remove the curse?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, not just yet. Every female who goes into heat with her mate will get pregnant, and every pregnant female will die. Eventually, there will be only one woman left, our Promised One. She holds the fate of our entire race in her hands. If she finds and mates her destined mate, the curse will be broken. If not¡­ if she dies, if she is force or choice mated, if she never finds him, it¡¯s all over. We die out, slowly and alone.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do I fit into this?¡±


    ¡°You are the Blessed One, the mother of the Last Shewolf. Luna told me that you were in danger, that you would need protection, that your daughter would need it even more. She asked me if I was willing to do this. I swore a vow to my Goddess that I would protect you, and her, with my life.¡±


    ¡°And all of us have taken that same vow,¡± Uriel said as he stood up behind his President. ¡°We have forsaken mates, Packs and all previous bonds to be your personal guard. It is our honor to protect you.¡±


    I looked around, every member of the Knights of the Moon had dropped to a knee, fist over their heart, bowing their head to me. ¡°Rise, please¡­ I¡¯m not someone to be worshipped. I¡¯m a person, just like you.¡±


    They all stood, and Maalik turned to me, handing me my Eve back. ¡°You don¡¯t understand your own importance, Doctor Hardigan. You are the mother of the Last Shewolf, you are the most important person in our world until shees of age.¡±


    I looked down at my baby, the realization hitting me. ¡°I¡¯m just the second-tost shewolf,¡± I said to myself. ¡°I¡¯m doomed as well.¡±


    Snake¡¯s POV


    Vivian was tired, and the news from the Knights was more than she could handle right now. I didn¡¯t like the depression that was setting in. ¡°Come on,¡± I said, ¡°Let¡¯s get you some rest. We¡¯ll talk more tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I walked her through all the people, all of them loved her and were there for her, but none knew what to say at this point. How do you tell someone their Goddess has cursed them? What do you say to someone who just found out her entire race depends on her infant daughter? I could see the confusion in their eyes, I felt the same. Hands reached for her, lending herfort as we went to the stairs.


    I opened the door to our room, and she walked over to the crib by our bed and ce the sleeping Eve there. I pulled my boots off in the chair, followed by my shirt and jeans. I watched the tear fall down her face in the dim lighting through our window, and it broke my heart. I walked up behind her, pulling her back into my chest. ¡°Nothing has changed about how I feel about you, or about our daughter,¡± I whispered into her ear. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you ready for bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired of it all,¡± she said as I moved her to sit on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Let me take care of you,¡± I said as I pulled a boot off. I removed her socks, her shirt and her bra before pulling her up so I could get her jeans and panties. Both of us naked, I led her into our bathroom and into the shower. She was still crying as I guided her under the spray. I grabbed the shampoo, it was a natural product with very little scent; her nose didn¡¯t like the strong perfumes of human products. I turned her to face the spray as I worked the shampoo into her dark hair. She calmed as I groomed her, she said it was a werewolf thing, being taken care of like this soothed and reassured her animal side.


    ¡°I never was me,¡± she whispered. ¡°All these years I med myself, that if I was just faster, if I¡¯d done something different, I could have saved those women and their babies.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said as I turned her to rinse her hair out. ¡°None of this is your fault, nothing you tried could fight against the curse.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± I picked up the washcloth and got it soapy. ¡°I¡¯m nothing special. I didn¡¯t wait for my true mate, I gave up and fucked my bodyguard when I was lonely. I was raped and mated. I gave up any chance at a child by marrying a human. Is that why she picked me? Does Luna hate me so much she cursed me with this knowledge of my fate?¡±


    I pulled her into my chest, washing her back as she sobbed into my shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is it at all,¡± I said. ¡°I think she looked at you and decided to bless you with our child.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you care, because you tried, because you loved Eve from the moment she was in your arms,¡± I said. ¡°You are a good person, a good wolf. Someone had to have the responsibility to raise the hope of your race. She chose you.¡± I ran the cloth over her breasts and down her t stomach, earning a moan. I kept going, working the cloth over her tanned legs. She turned so I could get her back.


    ¡°My turn,¡± she said as she rinsed off. She worked the shampoo through my hair, then started to wash my neck and shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t regret being with you,¡± she said as the water beat into my chest. ¡°With no fated mate, I picked, and you are my pick.¡± Her hands moved down my back, going all the way to my ankles before I turned and put my head under the shower to rinse. I closed my eyes, feeling her fingers caress my body before she took my dick in her hand, gently cleaning it. I responded to her touch, I couldn¡¯t have NOT responded to her as she soaped up my balls.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret a thing either,¡± I told her as she caressed my length with both hands.


    ¡°I need you,¡± she said. ¡°I need you to love me.¡±


    I pulled her in for a kiss. ¡°Let¡¯s rinse off and get you to bed,¡± I said. I dried her off and we quickly went through our bedtime routine. I led her to the bed, pulling back the covers andying her down. ¡°Let me make love to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, my head is spinning, and I just found out I¡¯m cursed. I¡¯m not up for your usual three hours of athletic sex.¡±


    ¡°Then just lie back.¡± I crawled onto the bed, straddling her on my hands and knees as I kissed her deeply. Despite her fatigue, she moaned in my mouth and responded. ¡°Beautiful,¡± I said as I broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. Moving down her neck to her breasts, I paid homage to both before my tongue dragged down to her navel. Her legs spread, her excitement growing by the moment, I could smell her arousal strongly before I moved down. Tasting her was one of my favorite things, and I indulged myself in her. She gripped my hair, moving me to where she wanted my tongue, as Ipped at her essence over and over. Her movements became more urgent as she built to her peak, and I knew exactly how to tip her over the edge. Sucking hard on her swollen clit, I pushed a well-lubricated finger into her rear end. Two flicks of the tongue and she broke hard.


    If it was the rodeo, I didn¡¯te close to seven seconds before I was bucked off. I sat back on my knees, watching my love as the orgasm continued to roll over her. My face was soaked in her essence, and her juices were soaking the bed. I watched until she finally rxed, then leaned forward and kissed her again. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said.


    I went into the bathroom, getting the water hot before I soaked a washcloth. I¡¯d only been gone a minute, but when I returned she was snoring softly. I gently cleaned her up, then pulled the sheets up to cover her while I went back to the bathroom. I got back into bed, she said something in her sleep and rolled into my side for the night.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    I watched my daughter go up the stairs with Snake, my heart breaking for her with every step. Today had been a shock for all of us; we went from using her as bait to finding out a whole Pack was sworn to protect her. I didn¡¯t trust male werewolves around her after her rape, but these men felt different. I trusted them, I just hoped that trust wasn¡¯t misced.


    I pulled Gabriel and his leaders over to a table, Hammer and Tiny joining us. A prospect ran over and made sure we had beers, then Kelly came over and sat in myp. I looked at the three men. ¡°You haven¡¯t exined yet how you found her,¡± I said.


    ¡°I felt Eve when she was born,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s weird; I have a bond with her, Luna must have done something after I had the dream. It¡¯s a pull; it¡¯s not specific, but it was enough to tell me she was here. It affects my wolf kind of like the mating pull did when we were separated. It took us weeks of travel to figure out you were in St. Paul.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep59

    ¡°Why not just walk up and tell us?¡± Kelly was trying to understand. ¡°If you are here to help, why not say so?¡±


    ¡°Two reasons. First of all, we knew she was in danger. Doctor DelMara had a huge bounty on her head, she was in danger, and arge group of males showing up would force her into hiding again.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,st time she went to Grenada for six years. I was about to send her back,¡± I said.


    ¡°The second reason was that in order to protect her, we had to find the people sent to take her. We could tell she was protected, that she had found sanctuary among humans. We didn¡¯t if the humans knew of us. So, we staked out the area and watched and learned until it was time to show ourselves. Finding the Sheridan men was easy, we started tailing them when they were handing out flyers, but they didn¡¯te back together. They were staying at hotels all over town.¡±


    ¡°So how did you know about the attempt on her?¡±


    ¡°We followed them. One of my guys is a tech genius, he put trackers on their vehicles. I knew Eve wasn¡¯t moving, but when they headed East we followed. I just left the three down at the farm to protect her. We stopped a few miles away and worked our way towards them. The trail they left was easy to pick up, and we stayed back to see what they were doing. We didn¡¯t want to expose our werewolf forms, we knew you were there, but we also knew a few humans with guns wouldn¡¯t stop them.¡±


    ¡°It was more than just guns,¡± I said. ¡°If they had gotten closer, they¡¯d have been shredded with buckshot and silver. Shakes over there is an explosives whiz.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Still, when the wolves surrounded the house and the man shifted, our hesitancy to expose our nature went away. You clearly knew who they were and so we moved in.¡±


    ¡°Took away all our fun, too,¡± Hammer said. ¡°We¡¯d been waiting for some payback.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°The people they sent were Pack fighters, led by a Beta. He was the one who threatened Vivian. ording to my man, he was promised Vivian as a mate.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°The Alpha knows she is alive, and his men must have told her where she was found. He won¡¯t give up, the threat won¡¯t end until he is ended.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I can ask you to do,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°We will take care of him, it¡¯s our sworn duty.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. We can go do this together or I¡¯ll leave you here and do it myself. This guy killed my son-inw and threatened my daughter and granddaughter. If there is a fight, we¡¯re in it.¡±


    He let his breath out, he was obviously linking his men. Finally, he looked at me. ¡°Fine, but we do this together.¡±


    ¡°Together.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Eve¡¯s crying woke me, she still woke every three to four hours to feed. I looked at the clock, it was one thirty in the morning, I¡¯d gotten a solid two hours of sleep in. I sat up, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Snake started to move, but I put my hand on his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve got her,¡± I said.


    I pulled on a robe from the hook by my bed and put it on as I looked into the crib. Eve was looking at me, gurgling and cooing as I came into view. I picked her up in my arm as I went over to the refrigerator where we kept bottles ready to go. I got one heating up before I changed her, then when baby and bottle were ready I sat in the rocking chair with her to feed.


    She was truly a miracle baby, a strong fighter despite being sixteen weeks premature. Jessica¡¯s gift to me was her daughter to raise, and I loved her like nothing else. My wolf felt the same, we would kill to protect her, die if needed to make sure she lived. I told her about her mother, stories about our time in Grenada, as she sucked the bottle down to empty. I got a good burp out of her, but she didn¡¯t want to sleep yet. I set her down, pulling on some clothes before I picked her up again. Snake was fast asleep, so I left the nightlight on and slipped out into the hallway.


    I went to the clinic, knocking gently before I opened the door. Zephaniel was lying on the bed in wolf form, his eyes open, the bandage across his stomach soaked in blood. Maalik sat in a chair next to him. ¡°I was just about toe get you, he woke up a few minutes ago.¡±


    I passed him Eve, he held her gently as she grabbed at his shirt. Washing up first, I removed the IV needle from his front leg, then removed the bandages as the sutures were starting to heal. I ordered him to shift back, and he let out a howl of pain before he was in human form, grimacing in pain. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Like I got shot in the gut,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Blessed One.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Doc or Vivian, please. My part was easy, it¡¯s Meghan you need to thank. Without her you¡¯re being burned right now.¡±


    ¡°That young girl saved me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did emergency surgery to remove the silver bullet fragments in your stomach, I did a quick examination, his blood pressure was back up, no fever. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man. Not only did Meghan save you on the road, it was her yell that caused her mom to flinch just enough so it wasn¡¯t a kill shot. Teri is a crack shot, she wouldn¡¯t have missed without being startled.¡±


    ¡°Figures. Normally I don¡¯t have to worry about a mother shooting me until AFTER the first date.¡± He chuckled a little, grimacing in pain.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll learn to stick to the older ones then,¡± Maalik teased.


    ¡°She¡¯s human and underage, anyone touches her, and I¡¯ll rip them apart myself and make them wish to be shot instead,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s my assistant, she¡¯s like extended family to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Doc. She¡¯s a good kid. Now, can you give me something for the pain?¡±


    I drew a dose and injected him with it, I could see him rx as it started to take effect. ¡°You suffered some severe wounds, so you won¡¯t be able to eat until your intestines heal a bit.¡± I hung another IV bag, cing the needle on the back of his hand. ¡°No leaving the bed for a day, and you¡¯ll be taking it easy for three more after that. No working out or anything until I clear you,¡± I told the obviously fit young man. ¡°And don¡¯t test me, I¡¯ll strap you to the bed if you don¡¯t behave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he behaves,¡± Maalik said.


    ¡°Thank you. He should get some rest. I¡¯m going back to bed, two doors down to the left on the left side.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Doc. She¡¯s a beautiful baby,¡± Maalik said as he handed her back. ¡°Thank you for letting me hold her, it¡¯s the closest I¡¯ll ever get to a child of my own. I¡¯ll protect her like she is,¡± he said.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± I said as I walked out.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to sleep yet, and I was a little hungry so I went downstairs to see if any food was left over. The majority of the club had gone home, but Crash, Shakes, Scrape and Viking were all sitting at a table with some of the Knights. I recognized Michael, the VP, who sat at the head of the table. I also recognized Uriel from when they brought Zephaniel in, but the big, brooding man with the dark hair and piercing eyes I hadn¡¯t met yet. I walked over to Michael, who with a nod had everyone moving down a chair to make room for me. The Knights all stood before I waved for them to sit. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure anyone would still be up,¡± I said as I sat down, Michael helping with my chair.


    ¡°We have a lot to think about,¡± the scary man said. ¡°I am Abaddon, the Master at Arms for the Knights, and I am at your service,¡± he said. ¡°This is Azazel, he is our weapons expert.¡± I shook both of their hands before we all sat down.


    ¡°What I really need is a sandwich and a milk,¡± I said as Eve started to fuss a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Viking said as he got up.


    ¡°He feels guilty about what happened at the farm,¡± Crash said. ¡°He went to investigate the wolf at the back fence, and left the women exposed in the house.¡±


    ¡°Teri handled it,¡± I said. Eve was looking at Abaddon to my right, her hands reaching for him. ¡°Would you like to hold her,¡± I asked him.


    He looked a little shocked, but quickly agreed. I handed her to him, he held her in his arms gently as a smile painted his face. ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± he said. Tears started flowing down his face as she grabbed at his beard, her little hands tugging gently. ¡°My mate was one of the ones who died the first year,¡± he said. ¡°Her eyes look just like Lori¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lori is proud of what you have be,¡± I said as I touched his shoulder. ¡°You and your friends are doing a good thing. You are far different than the other wolves I have had contact with.¡± I looked at the other Knights. ¡°I¡¯m so d I found you, I feel so much safer with friends around.¡±


    Viking brought out a sub sandwich, chips and milk and I ate while I got to know the new boys a little better. Their stories were different, yet the same; lost mates or revulsion at what their Alphas were doing led them to be lone wolves, and Gabriel had found them in his travels. They functioned as a biker gang the same way a Pack might; just like when I joined the Northwoods Riders, it provided them structure and the social interaction our wolves needed. Eve was passed around the table as I ate, all the men thrilled that I was finallyfortable enough to do so.


    Soon my food was gone, and Eve was yawning and fighting sleep. ¡°Goodnight, boys,¡± I said.


    ¡°DeWalt, Viper is calling for church at lunch tomorrow to talk about the Sheridan pack,¡± Crash said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I took Eve back from a reluctant Viking and went back upstairs. Eve was sleeping when I put her in, and I crawled into bed next to Snake and quickly fell asleep.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep60

    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Eve¡¯s crying woke me, she still woke every three to four hours to feed. I looked at the clock, it was one thirty in the morning, I¡¯d gotten a solid two hours of sleep in. I sat up, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Snake started to move, but I put my hand on his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve got her,¡± I said.


    I pulled on a robe from the hook by my bed and put it on as I looked into the crib. Eve was looking at me, gurgling and cooing as I came into view. I picked her up in my arm as I went over to the refrigerator where we kept bottles ready to go. I got one heating up before I changed her, then when baby and bottle were ready I sat in the rocking chair with her to feed.


    She was truly a miracle baby, a strong fighter despite being sixteen weeks premature. Jessica¡¯s gift to me was her daughter to raise, and I loved her like nothing else. My wolf felt the same, we would kill to protect her, die if needed to make sure she lived. I told her about her mother, stories about our time in Grenada, as she sucked the bottle down to empty. I got a good burp out of her, but she didn¡¯t want to sleep yet. I set her down, pulling on some clothes before I picked her up again. Snake was fast asleep, so I left the nightlight on and slipped out into the hallway.


    I went to the clinic, knocking gently before I opened the door. Zephaniel was lying on the bed in wolf form, his eyes open, the bandage across his stomach soaked in blood. Maalik sat in a chair next to him. ¡°I was just about toe get you, he woke up a few minutes ago.¡±


    I passed him Eve, he held her gently as she grabbed at his shirt. Washing up first, I removed the IV needle from his front leg, then removed the bandages as the sutures were starting to heal. I ordered him to shift back, and he let out a howl of pain before he was in human form, grimacing in pain. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Like I got shot in the gut,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Blessed One.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Doc or Vivian, please. My part was easy, it¡¯s Meghan you need to thank. Without her you¡¯re being burned right now.¡±


    ¡°That young girl saved me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did emergency surgery to remove the silver bullet fragments in your stomach, I did a quick examination, his blood pressure was back up, no fever. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man. Not only did Meghan save you on the road, it was her yell that caused her mom to flinch just enough so it wasn¡¯t a kill shot. Teri is a crack shot, she wouldn¡¯t have missed without being startled.¡±


    ¡°Figures. Normally I don¡¯t have to worry about a mother shooting me until AFTER the first date.¡± He chuckled a little, grimacing in pain.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll learn to stick to the older ones then,¡± Maalik teased.


    ¡°She¡¯s human and underage, anyone touches her, and I¡¯ll rip them apart myself and make them wish to be shot instead,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s my assistant, she¡¯s like extended family to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Doc. She¡¯s a good kid. Now, can you give me something for the pain?¡±


    I drew a dose and injected him with it, I could see him rx as it started to take effect. ¡°You suffered some severe wounds, so you won¡¯t be able to eat until your intestines heal a bit.¡± I hung another IV bag, cing the needle on the back of his hand. ¡°No leaving the bed for a day, and you¡¯ll be taking it easy for three more after that. No working out or anything until I clear you,¡± I told the obviously fit young man. ¡°And don¡¯t test me, I¡¯ll strap you to the bed if you don¡¯t behave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he behaves,¡± Maalik said.


    ¡°Thank you. He should get some rest. I¡¯m going back to bed, two doors down to the left on the left side.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Doc. She¡¯s a beautiful baby,¡± Maalik said as he handed her back. ¡°Thank you for letting me hold her, it¡¯s the closest I¡¯ll ever get to a child of my own. I¡¯ll protect her like she is,¡± he said.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± I said as I walked out.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to sleep yet, and I was a little hungry so I went downstairs to see if any food was left over. The majority of the club had gone home, but Crash, Shakes, Scrape and Viking were all sitting at a table with some of the Knights. I recognized Michael, the VP, who sat at the head of the table. I also recognized Uriel from when they brought Zephaniel in, but the big, brooding man with the dark hair and piercing eyes I hadn¡¯t met yet. I walked over to Michael, who with a nod had everyone moving down a chair to make room for me. The Knights all stood before I waved for them to sit. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure anyone would still be up,¡± I said as I sat down, Michael helping with my chair.


    ¡°We have a lot to think about,¡± the scary man said. ¡°I am Abaddon, the Master at Arms for the Knights, and I am at your service,¡± he said. ¡°This is Azazel, he is our weapons expert.¡± I shook both of their hands before we all sat down.


    ¡°What I really need is a sandwich and a milk,¡± I said as Eve started to fuss a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± Viking said as he got up.


    ¡°He feels guilty about what happened at the farm,¡± Crash said. ¡°He went to investigate the wolf at the back fence, and left the women exposed in the house.¡±


    ¡°Teri handled it,¡± I said. Eve was looking at Abaddon to my right, her hands reaching for him. ¡°Would you like to hold her,¡± I asked him.


    He looked a little shocked, but quickly agreed. I handed her to him, he held her in his arms gently as a smile painted his face. ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± he said. Tears started flowing down his face as she grabbed at his beard, her little hands tugging gently. ¡°My mate was one of the ones who died the first year,¡± he said. ¡°Her eyes look just like Lori¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lori is proud of what you have be,¡± I said as I touched his shoulder. ¡°You and your friends are doing a good thing. You are far different than the other wolves I have had contact with.¡± I looked at the other Knights. ¡°I¡¯m so d I found you, I feel so much safer with friends around.¡±


    Viking brought out a sub sandwich, chips and milk and I ate while I got to know the new boys a little better. Their stories were different, yet the same; lost mates or revulsion at what their Alphas were doing led them to be lone wolves, and Gabriel had found them in his travels. They functioned as a biker gang the same way a Pack might; just like when I joined the Northwoods Riders, it provided them structure and the social interaction our wolves needed. Eve was passed around the table as I ate, all the men thrilled that I was finallyfortable enough to do so.


    Soon my food was gone, and Eve was yawning and fighting sleep. ¡°Goodnight, boys,¡± I said.


    ¡°DeWalt, Viper is calling for church at lunch tomorrow to talk about the Sheridan pack,¡± Crash said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I took Eve back from a reluctant Viking and went back upstairs. Eve was sleeping when I put her in, and I crawled into bed next to Snake and quickly fell asleep.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I woke up to Eve¡¯s fussing, checking the clock it was almost six. I hadn¡¯t gotten up for her middle of the night feeding, so I quickly got up before she woke Vivian and picked her out of her crib. ¡°Good morning, my love,¡± I said as I walked over to the changing table. I quickly changed her, then grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and walked out of the room. Vivian was exhausted, she could sleep a while longer.


    I had breakfast to make anyway.


    Heading downstairs, it was quiet. One of the prospects, Fumes, was up early to clean up for breakfast. ¡°Where did everyone go,¡± I asked.


    ¡°A few of the Knights crashed in the guest rooms, the rest went back to their hotel or are on patrol,¡± he said. ¡°They said they will keep four people out there at all times.¡± That was good, it made me feel better to know that they had Vivian¡¯s back. The Sheridan Beta and his men might be dead, but there were still lone wolves and evil Packs out there. If the men had reported back they found us, who knows who could being.


    I sat for a while and fed Eve in one of the booths, catching up on SportsCenter and what the Vikings were doing. She was almost done when Viper and Kelly came in, she had Andrew in a carrier. Kelly put him in the booth across from me and sat down while Viper moved me over and sat down. ¡°Did anyone fill you in onst night,¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, after we went upstairs I fell asleep. Vivian¡¯s out of it, she won¡¯t be down for a while.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going after the Sheridan Pack, our club is joining forces with the Knights. The Alpha knows about us, maybe even the farm, and he could send or hire more people after Vivian. They are enough of a threat that Gabriel wants them eliminated, plus Zephaniel gave everyone a rundown on what has been happening. Stanton is a bad Alpha, you know that from how he treated us with the blood purchase and what they did to Carson. Both of our clubs have a beef with him, so we will work together to take him and his leadership out.¡±


    I averted my eyes as Kelly whipped her boob out to feed Andrew. No one needs to see their mother-inw¡¯s tits, especially a biker President¡¯s olddy. ¡°Zephaniel¡¯s sister is the Luna now.¡±


    ¡°That does create some problems. We¡¯re hoping that after we break the bond, she¡¯lle with us.¡±


    Bringing an unmated female, even if she is thirteen, creates new problems. ¡°Where will she stay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a lot we have to figure out before we do this.¡±


    ¡°If we take out their leadership and leave their women and children, they could end up worse off than before. We can¡¯t break the Pack and then leave the women to be raped again.¡± Eve had finished, so I burped her while I tried to calm down. ¡°When are we going?¡±


    ¡°As soon as we are ready. Church at noon to talk about this. Now give me my granddaughter, you¡¯rete on breakfast prep.¡± He got out and took Eve from me as I went back to fire up the grill. Waffles, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and orange juice were on the menu today, and soon the clubhouse was filling with members and their families.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Eve had been passed around like a football on a desperationteral y with no time left. She was a happy baby, and that¡¯s how Vivian found her when she came down just before nine, being bounced in Gabriel¡¯s arms. I was cleaning up the kitchen by then, but I¡¯d saved her a te and Fumes brought it out to her. I got done just as she finished; she was sitting at arge table with the leaders of both clubs. Giving her a quick kiss, I ran upstairs to shower and change.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep61

    By the time I got back down, they were well into a discussion on what to do with the innocents from the Sheridan Pack. Vivian wanted them protected, not abandoned. ¡°Are there any good Packs out there that we could send them to? Packs that won¡¯t mate them until they are of age, who don¡¯t allow force matings?¡±


    Gabriel just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ve mostly avoided the remaining Packs, knowing that the Promised One was elsewhere. It wouldn¡¯t help much anyway; the strongest ones have been the most active in taking over other Packs and their women. The longer we go, the more debased the Packs be.¡±


    ¡°What about moving them somewhere safe? Maybe we should take all the unmated women to Grenada or something. It¡¯s safer than here,¡± I said.


    ¡°It won¡¯t stop the curse, but it might let them grow up and have a chance at life,¡± Vivian added.


    ¡°Their fate is the same, Luna¡¯s curse will kill them until Eve is the only one left,¡± Michael said. ¡°Luna will make sure of that.¡±


    A smile came over Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°What if they were no longer subject to the will of the Goddess?¡±


    Gabriel shook his head. ¡°We thought about killing their wolves, but their DNA is unchanged, they could still be used as a breeder, and then the curse still gets them.¡±


    ¡°IF they can breed, yes,¡± she said. ¡°But, if they can¡¯t get pregnant, the curse can¡¯t get them because it functions through the centa. We¡¯ve not done abortions because their wolves would never let it happen, but if you kill the wolves first, I could give them a hysterectomy. They¡¯d never be able to get pregnant or form a centa, they¡¯d be useless to wolves, they would essentially be humans.¡±


    ¡°But they could live,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°It¡¯s a better alternative than what we have now.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t use human hospitals, but I can do the work. It¡¯s a fairly simple surgery, and killing their wolf is a simple overdose of wolfsbane. Most of the Packs keep supplies of that for battle, we need to capture some.¡±


    ¡°We can at least give them the option.¡±


    I looked over at Vivian. ¡°What about you? Would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Eventually,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s no point in killing my wolf early, and I can¡¯t operate on myself. At some point Meghan will be capable, and we¡¯ll see about it then. I love you, Snake, thest thing I want is to be taken from you and our baby.¡± I pulled her into my arms, there was no way in hell that would ever happen.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    ¡°When are we looking to hit the Sheridan Pack?¡±


    ¡°A couple of days,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°We have to n, scout, and wait for the best time. Plus, it¡¯s a good long day¡¯s drive to get there.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Gabriel, I need each of your men to rotate up to the clinic for blood donation and typing.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Blood?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I have a supply of human blood, but no werewolf, and it isn¡¯tpatible. If you¡¯re going into battle, I¡¯ll need a full stock for the injured. No better way than to get it now, that gives your bodies time to recover before you fight.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯ll make sure it happens.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go set up. Teri, can you send Meghan to help me?¡± She nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll see everyone at church. Snake, can you take Eve for the morning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got her,¡± Kelly said. ¡°The two of them can have tummy time together.¡± I smiled and went upstairs, setting up for the draws. ¡°How are you feeling this morning, Zephaniel?¡±


    ¡°Much better, Doc. Pain isn¡¯t as bad.¡± I gave him a pill and checked his wound, it was healing well. ¡°Stay put in bed and rest, it¡¯s going well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting bored, and Uriel isn¡¯t the best way to kill time,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Meghan bring in her portable DVD yer and some movies,¡± I said. ¡°Uriel,e over here andy down, you¡¯re donating blood.¡±


    ¡°Blood? Don¡¯t I have to volunteer?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been volunTOLD,¡± Iughed. ¡°I cleared it with Gabriel, everyone is giving a pint so I have blood for the battle.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to get the line started. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose anyone because I can¡¯t get blood, that¡¯s already happened once here.¡±


    The rest of the morning was busy. Meghan got Zephaniel set up with the Die Hard movies, then helped me with the blood draws. We had most of them done before it was time for church.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    Gabriel and I sat at the center of the room, the doors locked for church. We had sequestered the children and family not involved upstairs in the ssrooms with a movie, our usual way. Kelly was supervising the group with the help of the older kids.


    I was just about to start when Vivian came down the stairs, Snake by her side. She had Meghan with her, both were in scrubs since they had been drawing blood all morning. She came over and kissed my cheek. ¡°How are you doing, Pops?¡±


    ¡°Good, is Eve with Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Of course, has been all morning. I swear sometimes I just get in the way of her time,¡± sheughed.


    ¡°She waited a long time for babies, you can¡¯t me her for spoiling them.¡± Snake took a chair at a nearby table and pulled her down to an adjacent chair, whispering something that made her blush. I stood up and held up my hands for quiet, which was immediately given. I looked out at my family, and the new friends with the Knights. All of them were present except the four on patrol and the one in the clinic. ¡°Thank you foring, everyone. Our Club is on a war footing now; the Sheridan Pack has already killed Carson, and they attempted to kidnap DeWalt. They won¡¯t stop, and she and Eve can¡¯t be safe until that Pack is stopped.¡±


    Gabriel took it up. ¡°The Sheridan Pack¡¯s Alpha Stanton is the worst kind of Alpha. Right now, he¡¯s desperate and pissed because we took out his Beta and his men. He¡¯s force mated a thirteen-year-old girl, the younger sister of one of ours, and his doublecross on the blood shows he can¡¯t be trusted. There¡¯s no telling what he will do, and we aren¡¯t going to wait for him to attack. We¡¯re taking him out.¡±


    I stood side by side with him. ¡°This is a first, few humans outside this room even know of the existence of werewolves. This gives us an advantage because they will not expect humans to cooperate with werewolves. This will be dangerous, the Pack is dangerous, so I will only take volunteers from our Club. We will need people back here, so I¡¯m limiting it to ten men other than me.¡± Immediately a bunch of my men stood up, volunteering. ¡°Hammer, I need you here with Teri and Kelly. Snake, you too. We need to protect Vivian and Eve while we are gone.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Viper,¡± Snake started to argue, ¡°Carson was practically my brother-inw, we lost him on a mission I was in charge of. They came after MY wife, I want in.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Snake. You need to stay with DeWalt.¡±


    Vivian stood up. ¡°Good, Snake is going, because I¡¯ll be there with you.¡±


    The whole ce went into an uproar. I heard a bunch of ¡°Hell No¡¯s¡± and other challenges. ¡°DeWalt, I appreciate your willingness to fight, but we¡¯re trying to PROTECT you. I¡¯m not letting you anywhere near that battlefield.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Mr. President, I need to be there. This is a war, wars have casualties, and I¡¯m the ONLY medical person you have avable. Who takes care of the wounded werewolves if I¡¯m not there? Maybe you take the Club members to a hospital in Sheridan, but how do you exin why they have bites or bullets in them?¡±


    ¡°We will find a way, Blessed One,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a Doctor before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and you¡¯d be one member short right now if it wasn¡¯t for Meghan and I. Tell me honestly, how many of your men can expect to be hurt or killed in this war? Why would you keep me from saving them?¡± She looked directly at me. ¡°The men you take are my family too, I can¡¯t sit back and hide here in the Clubhouse while my family is dying. I can save them, it¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°You could get hurt, captured, even mated!¡± Snake was furious, his face showed his dislike of her being in danger.


    ¡°And you could die without my help,¡± she told him. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not asking to be on the front lines of the attack, that would be stupid. I am asking to be in the area, able toe to your aid when the battle is done, or when casualties are brought to me. I¡¯ll be like a M*A*S*H unit, close to the lines but not close enough to get hurt, and I¡¯ll treat werewolves.¡±


    ¡°Call it a W*A*S*H,¡± Meghan said as she stood by Vivian¡¯s side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll like this even less. I want Meghan with me.¡± The room exploded again, I had to bang my hand on the table a few times to quiet it down. ¡°She¡¯s my assistant, I need her by my side.¡±


    I looked over at Hammer, he had sat down in shock. Meghan ran over and hugged him. ¡°Dad, this is what I¡¯ve always wanted to do. It¡¯s what I was born to do.¡±


    She buried her face in his shoulder; his hand slowly came up her back. ¡°I know, baby. You¡¯re going to be an amazing doctor.¡± He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. ¡°You know your Mom is going to grill my balls for dinner for this.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯ll see it has to be done, she just won¡¯t like it.¡±


    Hammer stood up, pulling his daughter to his side. ¡°I am going, I¡¯ll protect these two while they are out saving the others,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll volunteer to be their escort as well,¡± Maalik said as he stood.


    ¡°As will I,¡± Urial stood by his friend.


    I just rubbed my eyes, wondering where it all went wrong. Kelly was going to barbecue my ass in msses, but Vivian was right. ¡°Fine, but you stay well clear until we tell you toe up,¡± I said. ¡°If it goes bad, you get the hell out of there and don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep Meghan safe,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I have my own family to return to.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do this?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep62

    ¡°I¡¯ll outfit one of the panel vans to be an ambnce,¡± she said. ¡°Coolers for blood, machines, drugs. A portable generator for power. I¡¯ve got all the stuff, it¡¯s a matter of getting it stowed correctly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help with that,¡± Scrape said. ¡°I can weld in racks, beds, anything you need. It might be easier to just buy an ambnce, though.¡±


    Vivian was thinking, she liked the idea. ¡°See what you can find, I¡¯ll buy it,¡± she said. ¡°It will be a lot less suspicious if we have to transport wounded back here, and it will work better.¡±


    The whole meeting had spiraled away, I was starting to wonder who was really in charge here. ¡°You guys figure that out and make it happen. Snake, go with them. Four men ought to be enough to protect those two, you¡¯ll need another vehicle and I want you loaded for bear, ready for anything.¡± Snake nodded. ¡°Get out of here and get to it. I want all the Club volunteers with me, I¡¯m picking eight more.¡±


    Gabriel looked at his men. ¡°We will leave six here to protect the Promised One, plus Zephaniel. The rest of youe with me.¡±


    ¡°Church is over, those going to Wyoming will meet in one hour so we can start giving out assignments.¡± I looked around the room, no one was moving.


    ¡°Pres, what¡¯s the n?¡± Crash was itching for a fight.


    ¡°We distract them and the Knights swoop in and kill their leaders,¡± I said. ¡°Now clear out, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡± I watched as they started to get up. I selected the other eight, then gave Hammer a resigned look. ¡°Ready to talk to the olddies?¡±


    ¡°Why not, I didn¡¯t NEED to getid this year,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know who is going to be more pissed off.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I threw my arm around his shoulders and walked him towards the stairs. ¡°DEAD MEN WALKING,¡± I said to theughter of the Club members still downstairs.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Scrape went off to look on Ebay for an ambnce after I gave him a dor limit. ¡°Find something not too far away,¡± I told him, ¡°We can¡¯t waste half our prep time going to get one from Texas or something.¡± He walked off, shaking his head, while I followed Snake and I back upstairs. The tension was still high, and as soon as we got the door closed to our room, he was in my face.


    He wasn¡¯t mad, he was worried, and his hands held my head steady while his forehead moved to touch mine. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be with me, you won¡¯t let anyone hurt me,¡± I said. ¡°I trust you, Hammer and the boys can keep Meghan and I safe or I never would have brought it up.¡± His lips crashed into mine, and I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked us over to the bed. As soon as he was setting me down, I was pulling his shirt over his head, my sandals flying across the room. He was just as urgent, pushing his jeans and underwear down and letting his Python out. I lifted my hips, letting him pull my shorts and underwear off, then he plunged inside me in one long thrust.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± I moaned as he touched deep inside me. I moved my shirt up, unhooking my bra to let the girls out as he pounded into me fast and hard. It was hot, it was urgent, it was just what we needed. The room filled with the sounds of our love; the smack of his hips into me, the wet squoosh of my sex around him. He didn¡¯t let up, he didn¡¯t slow down, he just pushed us higher and higher until I couldn¡¯t remember my own name, I could only feel. He imed me, shooting his load inside as I arched my back with the pleasure. His hands lifted me up, fucking me through my orgasm and into the next one. Finally, I had to push off him, doing a backflip in the bed as I tried to get my body to listen to me again.


    ¡°Holy shit, that was intense,¡± he said as he copsed next to me.


    I couldn¡¯t even talk, I was all tingly and still breathing hard. He pulled me over until I was lying on top of him, both of us hot and sticky. We stayed until I could feel his seed draining out of me; cupping my sodden folds, I got up and went into the shower. He joined me there, getting me deliciously clean again before I returned the favor.


    I finally left him when I heard Terie in with Eve, who was crying. I pulled on a T-shirt and panties, leaving the steam-filled bathroom. ¡°My my my, she must have missed me,¡± I said as I took her into my arms.


    ¡°She woke up fussy,¡± Teri said. ¡°She¡¯s been changed, I wasing to get a bottle.¡± She started to prepare one as I sat in the rocking chair. I went to the window and opened it up, letting the breeze blow the smell of our sex out. ¡°Thanks for that, it smelled like a cathouse in here.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°Snake was a bit wound up after the meeting,¡± I said. ¡°How are you doing about Meghaning?¡±


    She slumped into a chair. ¡°It scares the shit out of me, but I¡¯d never forgive myself if someone died because you didn¡¯t have the help you needed. Then I think about how Hammer would find a way to go, and at least this way I know he¡¯ll stay out of the fighting. I¡¯m d I¡¯ll have the babies to distract me from thinking about how dangerous this all is.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ll protect Meghan with my life,¡± I said.


    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m a Mom, we worry.¡± She looked out the window. ¡°Meghan¡¯s growing up so fast, she¡¯ll be at medical school before I can blink.¡±


    ¡°Look at the bright side, she isn¡¯t chasing after boys yet.¡± I giggled as she shivered in fear. ¡°She¡¯s going to have to beat them off with a stick.¡±


    ¡°Hammer is already putting the fear of God into some of those boys,¡± she said. She handed me the bottle and Eve started to drink it, her little hands waving in the air. Snake came out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, and went into the closet to get dressed. ¡°When are you getting a tattoo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I need one to be a proper olddy, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Damn right. Get yourself a big ol¡¯ snake.¡±


    ¡°She just did,¡± Snake said as he walked out with a shit-eating grin on his face. ¡°Repeatedly.¡± I smacked his arm as he walked over to kiss me.


    ¡°Teri thinks I need a tattoo,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting a Rod of Asclepius. It¡¯s a symbol of medicine with a snake wound around a staff.¡± I showed him the cover of one of my medical textbooks.


    ¡°I think you need a snake wound around a cordless drill,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Or maybe one climbing up the front leg of a wolf.¡±


    Eve had finished eating, so I gave her to Snake to burp and change while Teri and I left. We got downstairs and Scrape ran over. ¡°I found one in Rochester,¡± he said excitedly as he showed me the printout. It wasn¡¯t bad, based on a Ford chassis it didn¡¯t have too many miles and the internals hadn¡¯t been stripped. The price was in range as well. I talked to Viper and Gabriel, they sent a couple guys with us and by dinnertime our new ride was parked in the garage.


    I hopped out as Snake ran over to me. ¡°Everything go all right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, we got ourselves of werewolf ambnce.¡±


    ¡°A Wambnce?¡± I cracked up. It was going to be a long road trip with that man.


    Three Days Later, Eastern Wyoming


    Snake¡¯s POV


    ¡°We¡¯re stopping at the steakhouse and saloon ahead for dinner,¡± Urial said as he pointed to the small town in the foothills. ¡°Gabriel said it¡¯s safe.¡±


    I just nodded, that was part of what we had to deal with out here. Our route had been nned to avoid known Pack areas, but there were still lone wolves around and we didn¡¯t need Vivian to be sniffed out. We had eight vehicles in our convoy, and the lead SUV had gone ahead to make sure no werewolves were in the diner. Our ambnce was in the middle of the group, Urial and I were splitting the driving. Vivian was with us, and the third person could use the chair in the back ory down on the gurney and get some sleep.


    The back was impressive, they¡¯d done a good job outfitting it with everything Vivian said she needed. She had a good supply of blood, both human and werewolf, allbeled and matched and kept in coolers. The oxygen canister was full, the vitals monitor and other electronics in ce, and she had aplete supply of battle dressings and supplies for a war. As much as I hated to see her near the battle, I respected her for her dedication to our Club and allies. If she hadn¡¯t been the person she was, she never would havee to the club and she wouldn¡¯t be my wife.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    I looked out at the vehicles ahead of us. The lead vehicle had Viper, Gabriel, Crash, Hesediel and Dumah. Hammer and Meghan were in the next car with Jopheil, Nuriel and Scrape. The third had Tiny, Viking, Abaddon, Uriel and Maalik. Fourth was Michael, Zachariel, Samsiel, Raguel and Stain. We were next, behind us was an old pickup driven by Shakes. No one rode with him, his truck was set up with removable steel ting for the driver and a pop-up gun mount in the bed. He had a bunch of other stuff in there, I swear the guy was giggling as he prepared for this run. The trail vehicle had Muriel, Phanuel, Puriel, Sarathiel and Dagger. The rest of the Club and the Knights remained back home to protect Eve.


    The line stretched out, and some of the vehicles pulled over so we wouldn¡¯t all show up at the saloon at the same time. Thest thing we needed was to attract notice as a big group, especially if werewolves stopped in. The wolves in the trail vehicle were going to remain outside, Dagger would get them to-go meals, and they would monitor the parking lot while we ate. It was all very organized, and all to protect Vivian.


    We entered the steakhouse about ten minutes after the lead vehicles did, and asked for a table. I could see the men had split up strategically; tables had been taken near the entrance, the back exit, the bathrooms and the bar already. We took a spot more in the center. The waitress, a buxom olderdy with bottle blonde hair, was busy with the other tables.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I was so d when we pulled over, being stuck in a vehicle for hours at a time, squeezed between two big guys in the back, wasn¡¯t on my list of fun. I had my Walkman and a box ofpact discs to listen to music, which was good because these guys all were listening to talk radio the whole way. When I finally got out, I stretched and bounced a little to get some feeling back in my butt. ¡°Just stay with us,¡± Dad told me. ¡°Or Vivian.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can go anywhere, Dad.¡± We walked in and took a table near the restrooms. The waitress¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw us, and my skank alert started to rm. Too much makeup, too low a cut in her top, and too high heels for working in a ce like this. As she handed out menus, I didn¡¯t miss how her ginourmous boobs ended up on my Dad¡¯s shoulder, and her hand on his back.


    Bitch. Can¡¯t she see the ring?


    Dad was nervous, he tried to pull away from her but she kept finding ways to brush up against him. When she started to take drink orders, it was my time. ¡°And you, youngdy, what can I get you?¡±


    I smiled a fake smile as I looked at the menu. ¡°I¡¯d like some bottled apple cider, please, but only if you have my favorite, Harry Dixon¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we have that kind,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can you check, please? It¡¯s my favorite.¡±


    She nodded and sauntered off to the bar. ¡°Bitch,¡± I said under my breath.


    We watched as she got to the bar, the bartender was at the other side so she had to raise her voice. ¡°Hey Bob, can I get a Harry Dixon¡¯s Cider?¡±


    The bartended stilled, trying to hold back augh. ¡°I don¡¯t know, L, check with the manager.¡±


    She walked over to the kitchen door and pushed it open. ¡°Larry, do we have Harry Dixon¡¯s Cider?¡±


    ¡°Not until after we close,¡± I heard him say before the whole ce broke outughing.


    Dadughed until he cried. ¡°Remind me never to get on your bad side,¡± he said as the other guys congratted me. ¡°And check your food for spit, I don¡¯t think you made a friend here.¡±


    ¡°Totally worth the risk,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to use that one for a year.¡±


    ¡°Remind me to monitor your inte use more closely,¡± Dad said with a smirk.


    ¡°I think it was genius, Meghan, that was the best joke I¡¯ve seen in ages. You¡¯re going to be a great member of the club when you can ride!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°What, that in two years I can get my permit? Or that you promised me a dirt bike next summer?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    I felt a tap on my shoulder, Vivian was walking towards the restroom. ¡°I better wash up,¡± I said. I got up, so did my Dad, and we walked back to the restroom, the men at that table alert as we walked by.


    I went in and was immediately pulled into Vivian¡¯s arms. ¡°That was genius, Meghan.¡±


    ¡°She was hitting on Dad, for crying out loud. It was either that or bitch p her.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep63

    ¡°Trust me, that was better.¡± We finished up our business and walked out together. The rest of the meal was uneventful; Hammer had pulled the manager aside and we had gotten a new waitress, in fact they all had because he sent her home. I¡¯m d Dad wasn¡¯t paying because these boys could EAT. King cut prime rib? Yes please. Side of shrimp? Sure. Texas Toast? Keep iting. They were eating like it was theirst meal, then I realized for some of them it might be.


    We pulled out almost two hourster, there was only an hour¡¯s drive to Sheridan left. The feeling in my gut got stronger, something bad wasing and I didn¡¯t like it.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    With our bellies full, we were back on the road for Sheridan. There was an empty parking lot for a closed down business about ten minutes away from the turnoff to the Pack road, and we all pulled in there to go over the final preparations. The n was fairly simple; Gabriel and his men would park in the State Parknd on the north side of their territory, and attack in wolf form. I would take my men and create a distraction at the south side entrance road. Meanwhile, the ambnce would remain here at the parking lot, safely out of the way.


    We didn¡¯t have good intelligence on how many people were in the Pack; we knew how many warriors they had with them when Zephaniel was there, and how many we¡¯d killed, but not how many were gained or lost in the past few months. The Pack was over two hundred people when Zephaniel fled.


    We had onest go-over of the n. We would attack at 12:30, watches were synchronized, and Gabriel would give five minutes for the Pack to respond to our distraction before they would cross the lines. They didn¡¯t expect us to reach the Pack House, our job was to draw the Alpha and the Pack fighters away, giving the women and children time to reach sanctuary. We didn¡¯t need any of them injured in this.


    Three SUV¡¯s left carrying the Knights to their insertion point, while we waited in the setting sun. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± I told Meghan. ¡°Use the gurney, it¡¯s going to be a long night.¡± She walked to the ambnce while the rest of us gathered by the cars. All except Shakes and Scrape, they were busy on the other side of the lot and around the corner, a good hundred yards away. When your bomb guy says to stay back, you do it.


    We passed the time, made sure our weapons were cleaned and loaded, and waited. An hourter, Shakes called us over. They¡¯d done some redneck engineering, surrounding the driver and the gunner in the pickup bed with steel te. In the back was a swivel with a mount for the M240 machine gun that Shakes had obtained illegally. He had a couple of boxes of belt-fed ammunition with it under a tarp. On the outside of the pickup were some tes that seemed kind of familiar. ¡°Shakes, are these the tes you made for the cabin?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I told you I¡¯d find another way to use them.¡± He was practically bouncing with excitement.


    At 11:45 we loaded up, everyone except the ambnce and their protectors. Our n was simple, run the gate and attract all the defenders to us. If it got too hot, we¡¯d beat a hasty retreat.


    We stopped by the side of the road just short of the turnoff, letting Shakes and Scrape go first. Scrape was in the back of the technical, the machine gun loaded and ready, steel tes covering him up to his waist while standing. They pulled into the entrance, elerating towards the gate. We followed a few hundred yards behind.


    As the gate came into view, we saw the shes of machine gun fire then the crash as Shakes drove through the barricade. There were howls of warning, howls of pain, and then we were through the gates and racing down the path after him.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    We pulled to a stop just outside the gate, bailing out to take positions along the road so we could cover Shake¡¯s attack. We were all outfitted with the same basic gear; AR-15 rifles with starlight scopes we¡¯d bought, they were Russian surplus. I turned mine on, the big scope amplifying the limited light of the moonless night. I could hear Scrape hammering away on the big gun, firing at anything he could see. They¡¯d made it a hundred yards or so in when we heard the tires go, and the truck started to skid until it stopped in the shallow ditch. ¡°Cover them,¡± I yelled as we opened up.


    The border guards were already dead, but wolves were pouring in over the hill towards them. We couldn¡¯t fire effectively at that range, but the silver in our bullets would hurt them even if it wasn¡¯t a killing blow. The machine gun fire continued for a few seconds until it stopped, and I could see him struggling to reload, his right arm hanging limp at his side. We did the best we could, but without that big gun they couldn¡¯t hold the Pack off.


    Shake¡¯s POV


    I put the truck in park, knowing it was knocked out ofmission. We hadn¡¯t expected spikes, but at least we still had cover. I could hear the rounds going over us, and Scrape firing the big gun over the cab. When he stopped firing, I knew something was wrong. I looked back, he was struggling to reload, his right arm wasn¡¯t working. ¡°You hurt?¡±


    ¡°Broke my fuckin¡¯ arm,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t get this reloaded.¡±


    I looked out, I could see the shapes approaching. ¡°Bail out the back, run for it,¡± I told him. ¡°They¡¯ll cover you.¡± He didn¡¯t argue, he hopped over the tailgate. I saw him running, holding his arm to his side. One of our cars started up, driving through the busted gate to go get him.


    ¡°Come on, you fuckers,e to Daddy,¡± I said as I watched them approach. I had steel armor around my cab, they couldn¡¯t get to me easily and I couldn¡¯t get out quickly either. There had to be twenty or thirty of them out there, and they were smart enough to use the truck for cover, figuring they wouldn¡¯t fire on their own man. ¡°Fire on my position, I¡¯m protected,¡± I radioed back to the guys as my hand hovered over the switch.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Viper was worried.


    ¡°Those popguns can¡¯t prate this te. Duck until after the boom.¡± The rifle fire stopped, which caused the wolves to surround the truck and try to get in. When they were all around or in front of me, I ducked down then turned the detonator switch. There were a bunch of little explosions, all so fast together it made for one big one.


    I looked up and smiled. The area around the truck was a pile of blood and gore, my homemade ymores had done their job. The few that hadn¡¯t been taken out were quickly shot by the riflemen behind me. I waited until the noise stopped, then got on the radio. ¡°Any more out there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet, and the others have already crossed the border.¡±


    I looked around, I was a sitting duck with no explosives or guns. I utched the sliding bolts that held the right side of my protective ting in ce, allowing it to drop onto the seat. Sliding across, I took out my Glock before I pushed the passenger door open. Looking around, there was nothing moving, so I went around to the back and got back in the bed. I utched the M240 from the mount, setting it on the tailgate along with the remaining ammo can. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the white phosphorous grenade and pulled the pin, tossing it through the broken back window of the cab.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I jumped off, grabbed the gear and made it five steps before the grenade went off. The night lit up as the burning metal set the truck aze. I ran back towards the gate, seeing the guys lit up by the ze behind me. All of the sudden, I heard screams and shots. ¡°WOLVES,¡± I heard Viper yell.


    They¡¯d been nked.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    We stood together just outside the border, the sixteen of us waiting for the clock to count down. When it was less than a minute, I gave the signal to shift. Momentster, I was surrounded by wolves of all colors and sizes, none asrge as my ck wolf. As soon as we heard the gunfire in the distance, we knew it was almost time.


    We had to wait a few minutes before we could go, to make sure the reinforcements went the other way. I paced back and forth in front of my men, counting down in my head. When it finally was time, I turned and took off, my men following close behind. We thundered across the prairie, our paws tearing up dirt and grass as we bore down on the Pack House.


    We heard an explosion in the distance, and the sound of rifle fire. Viper was doing his job, and now it was ours. Our group split in three, two veering off to surround the main house while my group went right to the front door.


    The first opposition showed up as we broke into the clearing around the house. A dozen wolves had formed a line in front of us, hackles up. They had no chance, I could see the fear in their eyes and their bodies as we approached. These weren¡¯t the fighters, these were the old, the young, the injured. ¡°Stop in front of them, do not attack until I say,¡± I sent to my men.


    ¡°The back is unguarded, we are holding position,¡± Abaddon said.


    I shifted, drawing myself up to my full height. ¡°THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER BLOODSHED,¡± I thundered. ¡°ALPHA STANTON, I AM GABRIEL. I CHALLENGE YOU FOR THIS PACK.¡±


    The wolves in front of us sat down, as did mine, while we waited. Nothing happened. Finally, one of the wolves in front of me, his ck head flecked with grey, shifted and stood before me. ¡°The Alpha has refused your challenge, he said he will not ept a challenge from someone who uses humans in a sneak attack.¡±


    ¡°What do you think? You are a worthy adversary, your age and your scars attest to your life. Will you die to protect a coward?¡±


    The man knelt down on one knee. ¡°He is not worthy of my life. He is an evil man, I was protecting the women and children. Give us your word they will be safe, and we will stand aside.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in harming the innocent, I¡¯m here to take out the cancer.¡± I put my hand on his head, feeling is allegiance shift to me. ¡°Show me to where he is hiding.¡±


    Our men shifted behind me, my group staying with me while the others made sure no one would escape. The old man led me into the house and up to the office of the Alpha. The door was locked. ¡°He had it reinforced, it¡¯s basically a safe room,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do this the hard way. Gather the other Pack members in the front, they can shift their allegiance or renounce their Pack ties at their option. He won¡¯t be an Alpha for long if his Pack abandons him, and they should.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep64

    Stain¡¯s POV


    One moment we¡¯re reveling in our victory, the next we¡¯re being torn apart by werewolves. I stayed in the SUV, window down as I struggled to pick up the dark forms in the night. Scrape was in the back seat, his gun in his left hand. I could see almost nothing, just the shes from pistol fire. It seemed like forever, but probably was a minute before it was quiet again. ¡°Who¡¯s wounded,¡± Viper asked.


    A few shouts went out. ¡°Load them up, Scrape, you get them back to DeWalt.¡± The doors were opened and I saw the guys as they came in. Dagger was being helped, he had a shirt tied around his left calf, it was already soaked in blood. He was gritting his teeth in pain as he hopped in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Move over, Scrape.¡± I recoiled as I saw who it was, and what he looked like. Viking was shoved onto the seat, his head in Scrape¡¯sp. He had a shirt tied around his neck, his right hand had been bitten off at the wrist, and he had bites all over. The bandages were soaked, and he wasn¡¯t conscious. ¡°Get going, Stain, he doesn¡¯t have much time.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to hear any more, I tore out of there like I was being chased. I almost rolled the SUV when the tires hit the pavement, but then I righted it and elerated. I screeched to a halt behind the ambnce, jumping out to get the door.


    Vivian was already waiting with the gurney, and Snake and I slid Viking out of the back seat onto it. I couldn¡¯t believe how much blood there was. We moved him to the back of the ambnce, where the interior lights could show what was going on. She checked his wrist, then his neck. I saw her use her stethoscope, then she shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she said. ¡°Take him out.¡±


    We pulled the gurney back out andtched the legs, then Snake and I picked him up and set him on the ground next to the ambnce. We covered him with the now blood-soaked sheet. ¡°Who¡¯s next,¡± Doc said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Dagger is,¡± Meghan said. She had ced abat dressing on his calf and was applying pressure as he sat in the open door. I pushed the gurney over and Snake picked him up andid him on his stomach. Meghan kept the pressure on as we moved into the back of the ambnce.


    As soon as he was in, Doc gave him a shot that knocked him out. Between her and Meghan, they had an IV started. I went back to my vehicle, opening the door for Scrape. ¡°You all right,¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± he said as he stared at the body on the ground. ¡°He died in myp.¡±


    I looked past him, the seat and floor were soaked with blood, he was soaked with blood. ¡°Come on,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get you moved.¡± I helped him stand up and walked him to the ambnce, setting him down on the bumper. ¡°Doc, his upper arm is broken,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sling is in that cab down there,¡± she pointed. I dug around and found the blue sling; it hurt him, but I got his arm into it. ¡°Just don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°No shit. This is all Shake¡¯s fault, hitting the ditch like that.¡±


    I grabbed a few towels from under the seat and went back to the car and the puddles of blood. I felt like that scene in Pulp Fiction where they are cleaning Marvin¡¯s brains out of the back seat; it was gross as hell. It had to be done, though, and it was better than worrying about Dagger.


    I heard engines approaching and tires squealing. ¡°Doc, we got more wounded!¡± The lights lit us up as they pulled in, and they were almost on top of us when I realized something was wrong. ¡°THEY AREN¡¯T OURS,¡± I yelled as I reached for my pistol.


    One car stopped in front of the ambnce, another behind my car and men poured out and shifted to wolves. I started firing, I got two. I was shifting to the third when I was tackled from behind. I heard a loud snap, all toote I realized it came from me. My vision went fuzzy and I prayed God would understand as I faded to nothing.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    As soon as I pulled the dressing off Viking¡¯s neck, I knew it was hopeless. Major arteries had been cut, and he had stopped bleeding. I checked his heart, no pulse. There was no way to help him now, and I had other people to treat. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± I told Stain and Snake. Their faces fell in shock and loss, but there was no time to grieve now. I watched as they took the gurney back out, taking him off and setting him down somewhere. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Dagger is,¡± Meghan said. She was standing at the doors, watching him being brought over. It looked like his calf had been bitten badly, Stain moved the gurney over.


    ¡°Put him face down,¡± I said and they did so. They wheeled him up into the ambnce, and Meghan and I got to work. His vitals were still good, and Meghan started a saline drip right away. I gave him a sedative, no way he wanted to be conscious for what I was about to do. I pulled the cloth away from the wound; a big p was torn, and it looked like a chunk was missing from the muscle and skin. It was bleeding, but not badly, it hadn¡¯t taken out the artery. ¡°Warm up a bag of O positive,¡± I told Meghan as I finished inspecting the wound. It would be an ugly scar, but it was fixable.


    Scrape was led to the back of the ambnce as I was cleaning the wound with alcohol. ¡°Doc, he¡¯s got a broken arm.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time for it, a broken arm could wait. ¡°There¡¯s a sling down there,¡± I pointed at the cab. I was busy, light on my head, instruments in my hand as I opened the wound on Scrape¡¯s calf and cleaned it out. It would take lots of internal and external stitches, maybe even a skin graftter, to put the muscles back together. If he was lucky, the nerve damage wouldn¡¯t be bad enough to Meghan was moving around, getting the blood prepped, and setting up the suture tray when I heard tires squealing and carsing closer.


    ¡°Doc, we got more wounded,¡± Stain yelled from out by the car. I looked down, I could wrap it for now if a more critical case came in and do the stitchingter. The cars skidded to a halt, then Stain yelled, ¡°THEY AREN¡¯T OURS¡± and all hell broke loose.


    I could hear the pistol fire start, it was like firecrackers as they tried to hold off the attacking wolves. Scrape pulled his pistol, firing with his left hand as he moved to help Stain. I grabbed Meghan, pulling her backwards and shoving her down behind the cab next to the chair. I reached down and pulled a pistol out of my jacket, which was on the back of the EMT chair by me. ¡°STAY DOWN,¡± I told her as I moved past the gurney towards the back. It was bem.


    I could hear Snake yelling around the corner as he fired his pistol, but Stain was in sight. He shot two wolves, I saw toote a wolf approaching from behind. The wolf jumped him, breaking his neck, before running past. I got off a couple shots but hit nothing, they were too fast, and I dared not leave the ambnce and Meghan to get a better shot. Scrape screamed, then his scream was cut off as a wolf tore out his throat. I could hear the fighting out of my sight, Urial and Maalik were in wolf form, and they were in pain. I snuck a peek, Urial¡¯s wolf was fighting three and losing. The attacking wolves were avoiding me, and I was helplessly listening as Maalik¡¯s neck was broken with a loud crack. Urial went down howling, they tore him apart.


    I heard the door to the front open, Hammer had crawled in the passenger seat. His face and shoulder were covered in blood, and Meghan rushed forward with a towel to help him. ¡°There¡¯s too many,¡± he said.


    As soon as it started, it was quiet again, and there was a pit in my stomach as I realized I couldn¡¯t hear Snake out there. I heard one of them shift, and a strange voice yelled, ¡°STAND DOWN.¡± I looked at Meghan and Hammer, then back outside, this wasn¡¯t good.


    A man knocked on the side of the ambnce. ¡°Doctor Vivian DelMara, it¡¯s over. This human won¡¯t make it long without help. I¡¯ming around to talk, don¡¯t shoot or he dies.¡± I could see wolves starting to gather at the edge of the lot, covering my exit. I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°Come talk,¡± I said as I lowered my pistol.


    Therge naked man came around to the back of the ambnce, an unconscious Snake being held by his neck in front of him. He was wheezing, he probably had a few broken ribs, maybe a punctured lung. There were bite marks on his hands, forearms and leg. The man let do, causing my husband to smack down against the pavement on his face. ¡°It¡¯s over, Doc. Your guards are dead. You¡¯ve got three more in there plus this guy who will die if you don¡¯te quietly.¡±


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯ll let them live if Ie with you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t. I really don¡¯t care, Doc, when we drove by I could smell you and the Alpha told me to bring you to him, no matter the cost. Now toss the pistol ande down here before I get upset.¡±


    I looked back at Meghan, she was holding the pad to Hammer¡¯s bleeding shoulder, she was frightened and she was my responsibility. I tossed my pistol on the floor of the ambnce. ¡°I¡¯lle,¡± I said.


    He raised his hand, helping me jump down from the back. His men shifted, going back to their cars and pulling on clothes. The man had a steel grip on my left arm as he dragged me to the big cars. ¡°I lost four men getting you, bitch, you better be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Alpha will let us have a taste, you know, for the effort,¡± the driver said as I was pushed into the back seat, my captor with me.


    ¡°Nobody touches her, we deliver her to the Alpha unharmed,¡± he said. He then looked at me, a smirk on his face. ¡°After that, we¡¯ll see.¡± The car pulled out, following the other vehicle. I looked back at the lot, at the blood and destruction, and hoped to Luna that Snake, Dagger, Hammer and Meghan would somehow be safe.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep65

    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I looked out the window to where the Pack was starting to assemble. His time was up; I would steal his Pack from him, whether I killed him before or after didn¡¯t really matter to me. I sent Michael with the old warrior to the shop. He might barricade himself in, but acetylene torches could fix that. If it was too much, I¡¯d let Shakes have some fun. I¡¯m sure that crazy fucker brought some extra.


    Our n had worked perfectly, and my men imbedded with Viper¡¯s attack group confirmed that the reaction force from the Pack had been wiped out. We had basically waltzed in to hispound, and the pussy had hidden in his office while his Pack members fought and died for him. I¡¯d felt the loss of a couple of my Pack, but I didn¡¯t have time to figure out who yet.


    Good men died today because this piece of shit Alpha wasn¡¯t honorable enough to fight with his men. What a waste.


    I turned towards the door when I heard the sounds of sliding bars and turning bolts. Maybe he was going toe out and fight after all? At least then he would die with honor. If I had toe in there, I¡¯d slice his neck while he knelt before me. I stood before the door, arms crossed, my men behind me. Finally, the door opened and Alpha Stanton came out and stood before me. He didn¡¯t look like a man who was about to die, he looked positively giddy.


    He held out a cellphone towards me. ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± he said.


    I hesitated, then reached for the phone and put it to my ear. ¡°This is Alpha Gabriel,¡± I said.


    The voice on the other end I instantly recognized. ¡°Gabriel, they¡¯ve got me,¡± Vivian said as her voice broke. ¡°The guards are hurt or dead, they need help.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± My hand was shaking.


    ¡°We¡¯reing to the Pack House. I¡¯m to tell you that if anyone does anything stupid, they¡¯ll kill me.¡± Her voice lowered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gabriel. I shouldn¡¯t have let you do this.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for, Vivian. It¡¯s I who should apologize. I¡¯m at the Pack House, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± I clicked the phone closed.


    Alpha Stanton was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. ¡°Stand your men down,¡± he said, ¡°And tell the humans to back off.¡± I sent out the mentalmand to my men, along with the reason. ¡°The key to ying Capture the g is to know how important protecting your own g is,¡± he said. ¡°It was foolish to bring her so close my men could scent her. Tell all your men to gather together out front by my Pack,¡± he said.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I gave the order, and they started to head outside. ¡°Tell Charles to go there as well.¡± I raised my eyebrow, not knowing who it was. ¡°The former warrior who abandoned his Pack and joined yours,¡± he said.


    I sent themand, knowing what wasing. We walked together down the stairs and out the door; the Pack House had a sweeping curved driveway, with a oval grassed section in front. The Pack was gathered there, and emotions were widely varied. Some were angry, looking at us with murder in their eyes as they med us for the deaths of family members. Some with relief, hoping that we would rid them of their Alpha. Still others, it was resignation. One way or another, people were going to die here.


    The old warrior was brought before his former Alpha. ¡°You are a traitor,¡± Alpha Stanton said.


    ¡°I regret nothing except following a man such as you. May Luna avenge me,¡± he said just before Stanton sliced his throat, leaving him to bleed out in front of his Pack.


    It took about ten minutes before we saw the headlights in the distance, two vehicles approaching. They stopped in front of the house, their doors opening as six men got out. Thest pulled a dejected Vivian with him. He walked her in front of us, forcing her to her knees. ¡°Alpha, your Doctor Vivian DelMara.¡±


    Alpha Stanton walked forward, pping the man on the shoulder. ¡°Good job, Beta. When we are done here, if you want her as your mate, she is yours.¡± I saw Vivian shiver, she didn¡¯t like this man, she was dreading the fate I was powerless to prevent. ¡°Warriors, restrain his men.¡± Men moved forward, silver knives drawn as they forced my men to their knees in front of them. He turned to me, but didn¡¯t demand the same. ¡°You get to watch. This is what we do, we take over Packs, we take their women, and we mate them. We are the richest Pack in the country, and with this Doctor here, we can deliver our heirs alive and save the mothers.¡±


    ¡°Lunaughs at you,¡± I said as I shook my head. ¡°Men like you are the reason Luna has cursed our people. The Doctor will not be able to stop her judgement; your women will all die, your children with them. The more you try, the faster you die,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Once she is mated, she is bound to our will,¡± he said. ¡°She will save them, she will save herself. But first, she must pay the price for the losses we have suffered.¡±


    ¡°What have I done?¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was weak, it cracked as she talked.


    ¡°You hid yourself from your people when you had the power to save our children,¡± he said. He moved in front of her, bending over to take her chin in his hand. She struggled, but his grip shifted to her throat as he forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°I lost mates, I lost heirs because of you,¡± he said as he lifted her by the neck until her feet were dangling in the air.


    ¡°Too¡­ bad¡­¡± In a move I barely caught, her right hand reached under her scrub top in front and came out with a silver dagger. Before Stanton could react, she plunged the de into the left side of his chest, directly into his heart. He dropped her, reaching for the de, and I reacted. I grabbed his head with both hands, twisting it until there was a loud crack before I dropped him to the ground. ¡°I had that,¡± Vivian said as she tried to catch her breath.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you have all the fun.¡± I turned to the Pack, my men were well trained and took advantage of the pain caused by the Alpha¡¯s death to escape their guards. Now they held the des to his men. ¡°Line them up,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s gone, and those who shared his poisonous beliefs will go with him.¡±


    It would be a long night, but this Pack would be purged.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I moved forward to the front seat, grabbing a thin towel and pressing it over my Dad¡¯s shoulder. He¡¯d been bitten, badly, and was losing blood. ¡°There¡¯s too many,¡± he said as he closed and locked the door, leaning back into the seat. I pressed down with the towel, knowing pressure would help. The shooting stopped, the growls as well, and it was suddenly quiet.


    ¡°STAND DOWN,¡± I heard outside.


    Dad shivered, his bloody hand reached down and pulled a fresh magazine out of his pocket. He ejected the magazine from his pistol, releasing the slide he handed it to me. ¡°Don¡¯t let them take us without a fight,¡± he said to me as his eyes started to close. ¡°Tell Mom I love her.¡±


    ¡°Tell her yourself,¡± I said as I moved his hand to his shoulder. ¡°Keep pressure on that.¡± I hid the pistol in my scrub pocket, reaching back to get abat dressing I ripped it open. Vivian had exined that these were coated with a clotting agent to help stop bleeding; I removed the towel and put this in ce. I tied it down while I listened to the man telling Vivian to give up quietly. I took another towel and started cleaning his face, he had some cuts but nothing life-threatening. I checked his right leg, it was broken and swelling, with a bite mark; the wolf must have grabbed it and twisted. I couldn¡¯t do anything now, I was trying to stay low and out of sight.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯ll let them live if Ie with you?¡± Good question, Doc.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. I really don¡¯t care, Doc, when we drove by I could smell you and the Alpha told me to bring you to him, no matter the cost. Now toss the pistol ande down here before I get upset.¡±


    I looked at Vivian as she turned and looked at me, she was looking sad and her face was filled with guilt. I just nodded, ¡®we¡¯ll get through this,¡¯ I whispered. I stayed down as she stepped out of the ambnce; sneaking a peek out the driver¡¯s door, I saw her being pushed into the car that had stopped in front of us. The car took off, turning out of the lot and speeding down the road towards the Pack entrance. ¡°Hold on,¡± I told my Dad, ¡°I have to check them.¡±


    ¡°Be safe, take the gun,¡± he said. I kissed his head before moving through the back, past the unconscious Dagger and to the back. I jumped down, keeping the pistol in front as I checked both sides of the ambnce. I checked Snake first, he had a good pulse and wasn¡¯t bleeding badly, so I moved on.


    I went to Stain and Scrape next. Stain¡¯s neck was broken, his head nearly torn from his shoulders. I moved to Scrape, he wasn¡¯t moving and he was in a big puddle of blood, face down. I checked his pulse, not finding any. Rolling him over, there wasn¡¯t much left of his neck to speak of. Pushing back the nausea, I went out to where the wolves were. I hadn¡¯t seen Urial or Maalik¡¯s wolves, but they were both dead, as well as the four other wolves.


    I put the Glock back in my pocket and ran back to Snake. He was moaning and starting to move, I rolled him onto his back and his eyes opened. ¡°Vivian¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­ she¡¯s all right for now.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°They took her.¡±


    His eyes got wide and he rolled onto his hands and knees before sitting back down. ¡°Everything is spinning,¡± he said before he threw up.


    ¡°You probably have a concussion,¡± I told him. ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± I helped him to his feet and we slowly walked to the ambnce. I got him to step up into the back before he stumbled, nearly falling on top of Dagger. ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Sit down in the chair and buckle up.¡± I closed the back doors then followed him as he sat heavily into the chair, then I helped him buckle up. ¡°Try to stay awake,¡± I said. I handed him a few big gauze pads to hold on his bites, then moved into the front. Dad was barely awake, I grabbed an Ace bandage and wrapped thebat dressing on tight to keep pressure on it. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get you to the hospital,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive,¡± he said as he tried to sit up, but he couldn¡¯t do it.


    I slid into the driver¡¯s seat, pulling the seat all the way forward and starting it up. ¡°Remember how you feared me learning to drive in a few years,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Well, no time like the present.¡± I put my foot on the brake and put it in drive. When I released the brake we started moving, then we jumped forward when I touched the gas. I may have run over a wolf on the way out, but we did get to the road without incident. Making the hospital ten miles away? That would be fun. I turned onto the empty road and floored it, we were running out of time.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep66

    Viper¡¯s POV


    We watched Scrape drove our wounded away, it was like a gut punch. One moment we were doing great, the next I had badly wounded men. ¡°Can you contact Gabriel and update him,¡± I asked Hezediel. He nodded, then his eyes zed over. A momentter, he looked back at me. ¡°They are almost to the house,¡± he said. ¡°He is sorry to hear of your wounded, but says you did a good job drawing them away.¡±


    I nodded and moved off, checking with my other Club members. The adrenaline crash wasing, it always did. I encouraged them to sit down, focus on their breathing, and stay alert. We spent about twenty minutes this way, just dpressing from the excitement.


    I heard a vehicle approaching, it was starting to brake as it approached the turnoff for the Pack. ¡°We expecting anyone,¡± I asked Hezediel.


    His eyes zed over. ¡°They¡¯ve captured Vivian,¡± he said softly. ¡°Gabriel says to stand aside, if we resist they will kill her.¡±


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I turned and yelled at my guys. ¡°Take positions, stay out of sight and NO SHOOTING! They¡¯ve got Vivian in that car!¡±


    I ducked behind one of our cars, my pistol holstered, as the car drove by. The werewolves didn¡¯t even look at us, they knew we wouldn¡¯t do anything, but I could see Vivian in the back and our eyes met for a brief second. She was resigned to her fate, a fate I¡¯d promised to protect her from, and I failed.


    As the car drove out of sight, I fell to the ground and started to cry.


    Vivian¡¯s POV


    Gabriel and I were looking over the Pack members, most of whom were between nervous and terrified, when I heard a child scream behind me. I tuned and a young teen girl, thin with curly brown hair and striking green eyes, ran out towards us, tears streaming down her face. She was in agony, and she ran straight to the dead Alpha Stanton. ¡°My mate,¡± she sobbed as she almost fell on top of him.


    It was Lisandra, Zephaneil¡¯s 13-year old sister, who he had mated as soon as she had her first female cycle. My heart went out to her, I went to her side and put an arm around her. ¡°It will be all right,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You killed him!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I looked up to Gabriel for help, and by the time I noticed her hand it was toote.


    ¡°STOP,¡± Gabriel yelled as he jumped for us, but the silver de had already been driven into my stomach, just below my ribs. I screamed in pain as the silver burned my flesh. He knocked her away, she attacked him next. I didn¡¯t pay attention to the fight, he quickly killed her, but it was toote for me. I pulled the knife out, screaming as I did so, and I saw the spray of blood out the open wound. The silver would retard healing, and the wound was deep.


    Michael ran to me, pulling off his shirt and pressing it over the wound. I moaned in pain as theyid me down. ¡°Vivian¡­¡±


    The shirt was already soaked, there would be no stopping this. The only person who could save me was back at the ambnce, and even that was a stretch. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± I said, spitting the blood out of my mouth. I was weak and cold, it wouldn¡¯t be long. ¡°Tell Snake I loved him and I¡¯m sorry. He was my love and my life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be all right, Vivian, just hold on.¡±


    I put a bloody hand to his face as Gabriel knelt at my other side. ¡°Take care of my Eve for me. Help her grow strong, tell her about me¡­¡±


    ¡°We will protect her with our lives,¡± Gabriel vowed.


    ¡°I know.¡± I coughed, the blood spraying out. I was cold, so cold. I closed my eyes, the darkness faded into light and I heard a voice in my head. ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    I ran through the field, my wolf leaping over the grass towards my parents. I was home.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    ¡°LOAD UP,¡± I yelled as soon as the car carrying Vivian was out of sight. We ran to the remaining cars, turning around and heading back to the main road. ¡°If they took Vivian¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything yet,¡± Shakes said, the light machine gut muzzle pointing up out of the window. ¡°Let¡¯s just get there.¡± I elerated hard out of the turn, nearing a hundred miles an hour as we flew down the road towards them. We turned into the parking lot, there was one car there that wasn¡¯t ours, and no ambnce.


    I pulled to a halt, the other cars behind me went to the ends of the lot. Guns and shlights in hand, we burst out and quickly realized there was nothing here for us. Some of the guys were hunched over Scrape and Stain, I could see their grief already. Hezediel ran around checking the wolves; he identified Urial and Maalik¡¯s bodies, and told me the others were Sheridan pack. ¡°What do we do, boss?¡±


    I looked at Crash, he was devastated, Hezediel and Tiny were with him. ¡°Load the wolves, including our two, into that car and have Hezediel drive it back to the Pack entrance gate and wait for direction from Gabriel,¡± I said. ¡°Tiny, load Viking, Stain and Scrape into the back of one of our SUV¡¯s,y a tarp out in the back first. Make sure they are wrapped in a tarp and covered with nkets or something.¡±


    ¡°What should I do with them? They can¡¯t be found here.¡±


    I looked at Shakes. ¡°We need them to die in a car fire or something. Shakes, you follow them, figure out a way to make it look like they crashed then the SUV caught on fire.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Tiny said as he looked at his buddies. ¡°I hate having to do that to them.¡±


    ¡°Got a better idea?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but whatever we do, we better have the same story as the others,¡± Shakes said. ¡°We need to find out where the others are.¡±


    Hammer had a flip phone, I pulled mine out and called him. I nervously waited as it rang a few times before an answer, and it wasn¡¯t who I expected. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Meghan? It¡¯s Viper. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of busy, I¡¯m driving the ambnce into Sheridan. Dad, Dagger, Snake, they¡¯re all hurt bad.¡± I closed my eyes, thanking God they were still alive.


    ¡°Meghan, when they ask, say they were attacked by a bear,¡± I told her. ¡°Act hysterical, don¡¯t calm down, don¡¯t answer other questions and don¡¯t lead them back to the lot,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°OK gotta go bye.¡± The call ended.


    ¡°Change of ns, we¡¯ll keep it simple. Remove all traces of us and leave their bodies where they are. Leave their guns, all the casings around them, and leave one of the SUV¡¯s here with the keys in Scrape¡¯s pocket. Pick up anything else.¡± I looked up at the sky, it was starting to rain. ¡°Perfect, that will help wash away evidence.¡± It only took us five minutes to cleanse the area, removing the evidence of the fight with supernatural beings that had just taken ce here. The parking lot was open, near enough to the woods and the trees. I went into the SUV we were leaving, pulling the bag out with all the fast food wrappers from the trip, ripping it and scattering it on the ground. I grabbed the one from my vehicle and did the same near where the ambnce was.


    ¡°Good thinking, boss. We can just say the bear came after the food and they got in the way.¡± Crash put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°We go after our ambnce and get Meghan back. I will stay with the guys, I want you guys to park a few blocks away from the hospital. We can¡¯t exactly exin a 13-year-old driving a fully outfitted ambnce to the hospital with three severely wounded people, so we won¡¯t. We¡¯ll just get her the hell out of there. I just hope she hasn¡¯t said anything to the cops.¡±


    We loaded up and pulled out, leaving our dead behind. It was going to be a long night.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I watched the life go out of Vivian¡¯s eyes, her end came quickly, and I didn¡¯t have a chance to properly say how I felt about her. She was the Blessed One, she cared for my men, putting herself in harm¡¯s way to save their lives, and I couldn¡¯t save her from a crazed teenage bride now dead beside her.


    I shifted into myrge wolf, sitting and raising my nose to the heavens, letting out a mournful howl. When I started the next one I was joined by my men, even most of the Sheridan wolves. They had lost a lot tonight; at least two dozen warriors, two Betas and their Alpha pair. When my grief was appeased, I shifted back to human form. ¡°We aren¡¯t done yet,¡± I said to the gathered Pack. ¡°Luna has cursed our race with the loss of our females, as punishment for how we have forsaken Her ways and blessings. Chief among these sins against Luna is the practice of forcibly mating a female wolf. Every man who has taken a mate this way, step forward now and receive the quick execution you deserve.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t know what to expect, I couldn¡¯t Alphamand them, but a half-dozen men stepped forward anyway and knelt down before me. I nodded to Abaddon and Michael, they and four other men came up behind them. At my signal they grabbed their heads and twisted, breaking them instantly. Their mates screamed in loss as they died; several of them raced forward to their mates, two killed themselves. My heart broke for them, some were not even sixteen yet, and they were already widows, without hope of a true mate in their future.


    I wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Are there any men here who didn¡¯t go forward? Point them out.¡± The mates couldn¡¯t do it, there wolves wouldn¡¯t let them, but that didn¡¯t stop family and friends from pushing them forward. Five men were dragged to me, forced to their knees. ¡°You don¡¯t have honor, and your death will not be quick or painless. Restrain them.¡± My men came forward, cuffing their hands behind their backs with silver that would prevent them from shifting. ¡°Run,¡± I told them.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep67

    I watched as they got up and ran for the woods, the scent of their fear thick in the air. ¡°Where do you burn your dead,¡± I asked one of the Elders. He pointed towards a clearing down the hill near the river. ¡°Take who you need, those who do not seek revenge, and start preparations,¡± I told him. He started to gather people together.


    ¡°Now,¡± I told the gathered Pack, ¡°The ones who raped and took away the choices of the shewolves are out there, running for their lives. Bring them to me in pieces, those who want revenge. The rest of you help gather the dead for the burning.¡±


    There were howls as about twenty Pack members, joined by Abaddon and a couple more of my men, shifted and took off into the woods. The men hadn¡¯t got far, and their howls of pain continued for several minutes before they finally ended. I saw wolves carrying arms, legs, even dragging torsos down to the burning area. ¡°I don¡¯t want them burned with those who died honorably,¡± I said.


    ¡°We will burn them tomorrow,¡± one of the men said, ¡°With the garbage.¡± He spit on the ground, disgusted by what his Pack had be. ¡°It wasn¡¯t always this way, this used to be a good Pack.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Perhaps it will again,¡± I said. ¡°Speak with the other Elders,e to me with someone who has honor and morals, who would be a good Alpha for you.¡±


    He looked shocked. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to take over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my destiny. Luna has given us a different task.¡±


    I heard a car approaching, Hezediel told me it was him and he was bringing Uriel and Maalik. Michael and I met him as he stopped by the Pack House. Michael reached in and picked up Maalik¡¯s wolf while Hezediel picked up Uriel. ¡°They fought with honor,¡± he told me, ¡°But there were too many.¡±


    ¡°We will honor their sacrifice,¡± I said. I picked up Vivian, her body limp in my arms as I turned. Tears were falling from my eyes as I as I joined the group going down to the burning area. The pyre had been quickly constructed from the dried stacks of logs of various sizes. It was a rectangr box construction with thick branchesid over the top, the bodies of the deadid atop them. The men covered most of the pyre, the Luna and four other women whomitted suicide after losing mates on the right. The center was for my men and Vivian; weid them carefully on the pyre, all of us bowing to her before stepping back.


    The center of the pyre was stuffed with smaller twigs and branches, and after the Elder said the blessing of the dead, torches lit the kindling. The fire spread quickly, its heat pushing us back as the mes rose thirty feet into the sky. The smell of burning flesh was in my nose as I cried for the dead. Vivian had ended the threat to her daughter, but at the ultimate cost.


    We could not fail the Promised One.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    It was a good thing this town shut down thiste at night, because I needed all the room on the road I could get. I couldn¡¯t me all of my bad driving on myck of training and experience, some of it was because I was scared to death someone was going to die on me before I could get there. The phone call from Viper ended just before I hit town; I saw the blue ¡®H¡¯ sign and managed to stop the ambnce in front of the Emergency Room without hitting anything.


    It was the first miracle of the night.


    Iid on the horn until the doors open and a few people came out. They opened the back, I heard them yelling for a gurney as I unbuckled my Dad¡¯s seatbelt. ¡°Dad?¡± I pped his face lightly, trying to get him to wake up. His eyes opened, he looked around. ¡°Can you get up,¡± I asked him.


    It didn¡¯t matter, the door opened, and a nurse yelled for another gurney. ¡°He¡¯s got a bad bite on his shoulder, he¡¯s lost a lot of blood,¡± I told her. A man came up and the two of them helped him out and onto the gurney. Only a minute after I stopped, and the ambnce was now empty.


    The back doors were closed, I pulled the passenger door closed then got back in the driver¡¯s seat and buckled up. I knew we couldn¡¯t be caught, we couldn¡¯t exin the supplies and the blood, that alone could expose werewolves. I put the ambnce in gear and pulled back out, heading back to the parking area I hade from. They¡¯d know what to do with this rolling hospital.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    We had almost made it to town when I saw the ambnceing our way. Locking up the brakes, swerving a little as we slowed, I saw Meghan¡¯s face as she recognized us. By the time we had all turned around, she had pulled over at the side of the road. As soon as I stopped behind her, she was jumping down from the cab and running towards me. ¡°Viper!¡± she cried as she jumped into my arms, tears rolling down her face.


    ¡°Oh Meghan,¡± I said as I held her tight. ¡°The guys?¡±


    ¡°At the hospital,¡± she told me as she moved her head from my chest. ¡°They took them out of the ambnce, you said not to say anything, so I just drove out of there before they could ask any questions.¡±


    I kissed her head, she had done well and I told her that. ¡°I¡¯m sending you home, kid.¡±


    She looked horrified. ¡°NO, Daddy needs me, he¡¯s hurt!¡±


    I hugged her again as I motioned for Shakes and Tiny to go to the ambnce. ¡°I know, but you were seen bringing them in. It¡¯s too much of a risk to have you visit them. Our story is paper thin, your dad is safest with you back home.¡±


    She looked at me, but she could see in my eyes I wasn¡¯t going to change my mind. She¡¯d grown up in the club, she knew how things worked, how sometimes you just couldn¡¯t risk the others. ¡°Fine,¡± she said as she looked over to Crash.


    ¡°Crash will take you in the car, I¡¯ll stay here for the guys and make sure they are taken care of,¡± I promised her. ¡°Crash, you guys put some distance from here before you stop. Swap drivers when you can, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t get a hotel. If you have to stop and rest, choose wisely,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°We will.¡± He gave Meghan a hug and led her to the car. ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one, I get to drive the hero home!¡±


    She bumped hips with him. ¡°Can I drive?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, it can¡¯t be harder than driving the ambnce!¡± I justughed a little to myself as they got in the car, still bickering. She was a great kid, but Hammer and Teri¡¯s worries were just starting. They were going to have their hands full as she got older. I thanked God she wasn¡¯t into boys¡­ yet.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I woke up as I was being rolled down the hallway. My head felt like there was an iron spike through my eyes, and when I opened them the light was blinding. I moaned in pain as I moved my head to see where I was. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve been in an ident, you¡¯re at Sheridan Hospital,¡± a female voice said. ¡°I need you to rx, we¡¯re taking you to get a scan of your head.¡±


    ¡°Viv?¡± I could barely say her name. ¡°Vivian?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is, sir. Just rx, we¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± I closed my eyes and drifted back to ckness.


    Viper¡¯s POV


    Ten minutester I had parked at the hospital and ran into the emergency room. I rushed to the desk, an olderdy was there. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m looking for my friends, I think they were brought here? Henry Jenkins, William Hardigan and Dan Worley?¡±


    ¡°We had three people brought here a few minutes ago, but I haven¡¯t got their information yet.¡±


    ¡°Can I see them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait, sir, they are all being examined right now. Are you next of kin?¡±


    ¡°To William Hardigan, he¡¯s my son-inw,¡± I said. She tapped on the keyboard. ¡°OK, none of them are in the system yet. Take a seat, you¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°I need to speak to the police as well,¡± I said. She didn¡¯t even look up, she just dialed 911 and handed me the phone.


    ¡°911 dispatch, what is your emergency?¡±


    ¡°I need Sheriff and ambnce, my friends were attacked and killed by a bear,¡± I said.


    ¡°A bear? Where are you, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the Sheridan Hospital emergency room, three were brought here. Three of my friends were killed, though. They are at the old Smith Auto Repair lot on County 74,¡± I said.


    ¡°Deputies are responding now, sir, please remain at the hospital and one will be by to take your statement,¡± she said before I hung up.


    I went back outside, not wanting anyone to overhear the conversations I was about to have. My first call was to Kelly. ¡°Hello?¡± She sounded dead tired.


    ¡°Kelly, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s four in the morning, Viper.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby. Sit down¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh God¡­ No¡­¡±


    ¡°The attack didn¡¯t go as nned,¡± I said. ¡°While we were at the Pack, some of their warriors circled behind. They found Vivian and the others.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ noooo¡­¡±


    ¡°Viking, Scrape and Stain are dead, as well as Uriel and Maalik. Vivian was taken by the Sheridan Pack, I¡¯m waiting to hear back from Gabriel.¡± I heard the phone drop, it hung up. I frantically called her back, she picked up after a few rings. ¡°Baby?¡±


    She was barely understandable through the crying. ¡°The¡­ Snake? Meghan?¡±


    ¡°Snake, Hammer and Dagger were all hurt badly, Meghan is all right. I sent her home with Tiny and Crash, I¡¯m here at the hospital now. I know Meghan got them here alive, but I don¡¯t know anything more yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going over to Teri¡¯s now. We¡¯ll be there as soon as we can be, baby.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to call Teri now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing she can do, I¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes. Call me if you hear anything more.¡±


    ¡°Baby?¡± I waited to make sure she was still there. ¡°Don¡¯t let Teri take off. Meghan is going to be home by tonight, and she¡¯ll need her Mom there.¡±


    ¡°All right. Call me back, I¡¯m not going back to sleep. And Viper?¡±


    ¡°Yes love?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep68

    ¡°Find out about Vivian.¡±


    ¡°I will. I love you, Kelly.¡± I hung up, seeing the Sheriff¡¯s car pulling into the parking lot, lights on. The Deputy got out of his cruiser and walked toward me. ¡°Deputy,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Did you call in the attack, sir?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± We spent the next twenty minutes giving my statement, which basically said I didn¡¯t know anything. I told them we were meeting up in that lot to go hiking in the morning, and when I arrived, I found the three dead men. ¡°I figured the rest might be here, and here I am,¡± I said.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go inside, sir, I¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡± I left him out there as he was talking over the radio to Dispatch; they had found the three dead men in the lot, and the report was it looked like an animal attack.


    Hopefully the other guys would be smart enough not to say anything until we had our stories straight.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    The mes were burning down when one of the Elders came to see me. ¡°Alpha, there is a matter requiring your attention,¡± he said. ¡°We got a call from the county coroner; he¡¯s human, but he has helped us in the past. He said he picked up three bodies from a deserted parking lot, wanted to know what to do with them.¡±


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been on our payroll for years. This isn¡¯t the first time someone showed up with their throat torn out. We can¡¯t have our men autopsied, but we do need birth and death certificates, he¡¯s how we take care of that human paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Lead me back there.¡± On the way back to their Pack House, I called Viper. He picked up after a few rings. ¡°Viper, it¡¯s Gabriel, can you talk?¡±


    ¡°Not long, the Deputy Sheriff is right outside.¡±


    ¡°We got a report on three bodies out at the lot. What do you want the death certificates to say?¡±


    ¡°Bear attack, it was tragic,¡± Viper said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it animal attack. Viper¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Vivian is dead.¡± I could hear his reaction, it was like he had been gut punched. ¡°She managed to kill Alpha Stanton after she was brought to him, but his widow, Lisandra, she stabbed her.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ noooooo¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Viper. She was a good woman.¡± I waited, he didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. ¡°You know the bodies are burned, we burned her with the others. I¡¯ll add her to the list of death certificates we need the Coroner to sign,¡± I said. ¡°How is Snake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t gotten updates on any of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking my men back to St. Paul,¡± he said. ¡°With the Blessed One gone, we have to focus all our efforts on keeping Eve safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there,¡± he said. ¡°I have to get my guys out of here first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss, Viper. Herst words were to make sure we protect her baby.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He hung up, and I walked into the house to the Alpha¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t know how much they were paying this crooked coroner, but I thanked Luna he was helping us take care of this mess.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    Five Days Later


    Kelly came into my room where I was looking out the window, holding the urn with Vivian¡¯s ashes in it to my chest. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± she said. I wiped the tear away and she helped me to my feet. I slowly moved over to the wheelchair, sitting down slowly as she helped. ¡°How are the headaches?¡±


    ¡°Not as bad today,¡± I said. I had spent three days in the hospital in Sheridan, I had suffered a nasty head injury and had post-concussion syndrome. It left me with headaches that could be incapacitating at times, dizzy spells, and bnce problems. I had been brought back on a bed in the back of the SUV, and spent most of my time in our bedroom, resting or sitting with the lights off.


    My Vivian was gone.


    Three of my brothers were gone.


    Today we were having the funerals, and I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to cope.


    She wheeled me out into the hallway to the freight elevator, down to the ground level by the loading dock. She pushed me out to the SUV that was waiting, Viper was there making sure Vivian¡¯s motorcycle was secure on the trailer behind us. Her picture was secured between the handlebars, and floral arrangements were on each side. Viper had asked me what I wanted to do with her Harley, and I told her it was Eve¡¯s now, for when she was old enough to ride herself.


    I got in the back seat, next to the car seats that held Eve and Andrew. Looking back, the tears were flowing. The bodies of Viking, Stain and Scrape were all going to be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, as they were all former Army. We had arranged a joint service at the Fort Snelling Cathedral for the three of them and Vivian.


    With Viper driving, Tiny took the lead motorcycle position with Gabriel at his side. We were next, behind us another SUV driven by Teri, her family in the car. Hammer¡¯s injuries had been repaired in surgery, they were hopeful for a full recovery of his arm and shoulder function, but it would be spring before he could ride again. Dagger was in the car behind them, along with some friends and family members who weren¡¯t riding. As we pulled away from the clubhouse, I could see all the members of the Northwoods Riders and Knights of the Moon falling in to the procession.


    All of them except Zephaniel, the man Vivian and Meghan had saved from the gunshot wound. When we got home, we found out that Zephaniel had called his little sister to warn her we wereing, and that they would bring her home. She immediately told her mate that we wereing, as well as how Vivian was going to be bringing an ambnce to the area to care for any wounded. The ambush of our men was no ident, and Gabriel had kicked him out of his Pack then killed him.


    The parking lots at Fort Snelling were already full, but arge area up front had been reserved for us. Viper pulled us through a spot, and we waited until all the procession was here. At Tiny¡¯s signal, all the engines were cut at once. I opened the door as Viper went around to get my wheelchair, Kelly alreadying to pick up Andrew. ¡°Hi Meghan,¡± I said as she appeared at my door.


    ¡°Snake, can I take Eve in?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Meghan.¡± I popped thetch on the baby seat and handed a sleeping Eve to her in her carrier. Viper got the wheelchair ready for me, and we led therge group into the crowded church. It was packed, I could see cuts and familiar faces from a dozen or so Metro area clubs. The outpouring of love and support was amazing; these four had affected many people in their lives. I saw some active duty soldiers standing near the front, all had served with the men. I shook many hands and received many condolences as I was wheeled to the front row, where I ced her ashes on a stand underneath arge picture of her. It was one of my favorites, taken when we were in Florida. Her ck hair moving in the wind, eyes sparkling, she was so alive in this photo taken as we stopped for dinner following a long ride.


    The church went quiet as the doors opened and the pallbearers, a mix of Club members and uniformed military, brought Viking, Stain and Scrape to the front. Viking¡¯s mother was loudly sobbing, her husband holding her, while Stain¡¯s girlfriend just looked lost. Their caskets were covered with American gs.


    The tears kept falling during the service, abined effort of the Base Chain and Crash. I expected to hear some smartassment from him, but this was a somber asion he wasn¡¯t going to ruin. All too soon the service was over, and the pallbearers were taking the three back out for their final ride. Viper wheeled me forward, I took Vivian¡¯s ashes in my hands and we followed them out.


    The caskets were loaded, then we went to the cars. We had a police escort for the short drive to the National Cemetery, and the line was almost a half-mile long with everyone that had joined us at the church. We wound through the rows of headstones to where an honor guard was standing by three empty holes in the ground. We stopped, and all of the bikes behind us were routed so we surrounded the big blockpletely. Tiny led the Last Rev; every bike was revved at full speed for a few seconds, then when his arm dropped every engine was cut at the same time. It was a way to let God know that a Biker was on his way home.


    I sat by the graves during the burial service, Vivian¡¯s ashes on myp. When they were all ready, I stood for the Honor Guard firing their 21-gun salute, followed by the bugler ying Taps. The gs were carefully folded and presented to the families present, and then they were lowered into ce.


    My friends were at rest.


    We weren¡¯t done yet, though. I had given a lot of thought to what to do with the ashes Gabriel had brought back. They weren¡¯t guaranteed to be hers, after all there were a few dozen bodies in that pyre, but he had scooped the ash the next morning from the area she was ced. The rest had been scattered into the Wyoming wind. I thought back to her family, and there was only one ce her ashes belonged.


    We went back to our vehicles and the procession headed back onto the freeway, joining Highway 52 South to Zumbrota. Her old Packnd had been sold, and was now being developed into single-family housing, but the trail along the river remained open to us. We parked by the side of the road, and did one Last Rev for her. Viper pushed me down the trail, everyone else walking behind us, until we reached the rocky point over the river. I got up, and Viper helped me get up the trail to the top. I waited until everyone was up top. ¡°Dr. Vivian Hardigan was the love of my life, and on this ce where she scattered the ashes of her family, she joins them today.¡± I was led to the edge, the wind at my back, I opened the urn and the stic bag inside. Holding it up to the breeze, the white and gray ash was carried over the river until it was all gone. I dropped to my knees as Viper pulled me to him as I broke down.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Eve, I would have found a way to go with her.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep69

    May 2018


    VFW Post 1782, White Bear Lake, Minnesota


    Mitch Miller¡¯s POV


    I pulled into the parking lot of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, my iPhone directing me here after spending four days driving here from Bethesda. I didn¡¯t have much; a few extra clothes in my saddlebag, some cash and credit cards, and my DD-214 and medical discharge papers. There were a few bikes in front, I backed in next to them and turned the engine of my Softail Slim S into the spot.


    As I got off and stretched, removing my helmet and putting it on the seat, I looked down at my favorite possession. I¡¯d taken the model, based on the ssic World War II era motorcycles, and had it custom painted. Instead of the olive green, I had it painted in the desert camouge pattern I¡¯d used in Iraq. On the left side of the tank was arge Marine Corps logo, and on the right side was the emblem of a First Marine Division Scout Sniper. On top, below the gas cap, I had my ribbons and medals painted along with my rank badge of Sergeant. The motorcycle had been my present to myself when I returned from my first deployment to Afghanistan as a sniper. I had no way to tell that seven monthster, I¡¯d havepleted my rounds of chemotherapy, lost my left testicle to cancer, and be discharged.


    I looked around the lot, it was a busy ce for seven on a Thursday night. Taking out my phone, I texted my buddy, Donut, that I was here. Nate Donaldson had been my toon leader for my Iraq deployment, only six months after entering the Corps. He was the one who helped me get into Sniper School, and he kept in touch after his enlistment was up. He now worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Washington County.


    The sun still had a few hours to go, and as I walked to the door I could see theke was full of boats. Minnesotans had a short season for boating and motorcycling, so on a warm night like this, people took advantage. I opened the door, allowing a Korean War vet toe out with his cane, then stepped into the bar.


    The ce was a little nicer than other VFW¡¯s and Legion posts I¡¯d been to, but much was the same. Arge L-shaped bar dominated the room, along with big windows looking out over theke. I took a spot at the bar, and the olderdy came over. ¡°Wee to Post 1782, can I get you something?¡±


    ¡°Beer, please.¡± I looked at the tap. ¡°You have anything with more taste than Bud? I can¡¯t stand weak beers.¡±


    ¡°Got just the thing for you, then.¡± She came back with a ss, the beer was dark brown in color, and I could smell the roasted malt. ¡°It¡¯s a Surly Furious, brewed here in the Cities.¡±


    I took a sip, it was damn good. ¡°Ooh, I like this,¡± I said. ¡°Can I get a bacon cheeseburger and fries? I¡¯m starving, I haven¡¯t eaten anything since Chicago.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure thing, honey.¡± She put my order in, then stopped by after she¡¯d taken care of some other customers. ¡°I hadn¡¯t seen you before, you passing through?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore, I just got discharged from the Marine Corps, I¡¯ming back to go to school and find a job,¡± I told her.


    ¡°No kidding! What¡¯s your name, honey?¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Mitch Miller, Scout Sniper,¡± I said as I shook her hand.


    ¡°Dolores Silvers, my husband was Marine Infantry back in the early 80¡¯s,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll be inter, once the kids left I took this job to stay busy. You mind if I introduce you to the house?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. She went over and rang a bell, causing the ce to get quiet. ¡°Hey everyone, this is Mitch Miller, USMC Scout Sniper. He just got his discharge and is back here to go to school.¡± The ce erupted in cheers, and over the next twenty minutes a bunch of people came up to say hi. I met a dozen fellow Marines, and somehow my food and bar bill was taken care of, despite me offering to pay.


    I was just finishing my fries when someone grabbed my shoulder, I turned around to see my buddy Nate standing there in shorts and a Harley T-shirt with a biker cut. ¡°Mitch, how are you?¡±


    I got up and pulled him into a hug, smacking his back before I got him to sit next to me. ¡°I¡¯m doing all right, I guess. Good enough for them to let me go,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking thin,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I dropped thirty pounds during those rounds of chemotherapy, but at least I have my appetite back.¡±


    ¡°How is your schooling going?¡±


    ¡°Good, I should finish my degree by next summer,¡± I said. I¡¯d kept in touch after he left the service, he had talked me into taking a distance learningw enforcement program, the same one he used to get his requirement met to be a Peace Officer in Minnesota. After he got out, he went through the interview process and passed his Police Officer Standards and Training exam, and was hired on as a Deputy. It was the same path I hoped to take, except my goal was to be a SWAT sniper.


    We talked for another hour, the sun going down as we catch up on what has been happening in each other¡¯s lives. I asked him about his cut, the patches show him as a member of the Northwoods Riders. ¡°You¡¯re a Deputy, this can¡¯t be an ouw club, right?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t Sons of Anarchy, more like Sons of Arthritis. The club is family oriented, always has been about a bunch of people united by their love of riding. It was formed in the seventies, and now we¡¯re seeing second generation membersing in along with others.¡±


    ¡°How many in the club?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got sixty-two patched members, add in olddies and prospects we¡¯re up close to a hundred. Shit, we even run a day care in the clubhouse, plus we have the best food of any club you¡¯ll ever visit.¡± He leaned back and smiled. ¡°We even have our own Chef, Snake. That man makes a mean gumbo, I¡¯ll tell you that. If he wasn¡¯t such a club guy he¡¯d have his own restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Really? Most clubs I¡¯ve visited you¡¯re lucky to get a decent burger.¡±


    ¡°No, Snake is amazing. He¡¯s been running our kitchen since I was in diapers.¡± He just smacked his lips, obviously remembering something. ¡°We missed dinner, unless there are leftovers in the fridge. You want to head over?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as I got up and left a big tip. ¡°Howte does this club run?¡±


    ¡°They really don¡¯t close, but the bartender is done by midnight on weeknights. Most of the members have jobs, kids have school, it¡¯s more of a party on the weekends. It¡¯s open for breakfast on weekdays too, a lot of the members have his food before work, especially if they are dropping kids off at the Club daycare.¡±


    We moved to the doorway, where I waved in thanks as we headed to the parking lot. I moved over to my motorcycle, Donut¡¯s was just a few down. ¡°Man, I love the paint job on that thing,¡± he said. ¡°I should do something like that.¡±


    ¡°My guy is in Virginia, you know anyone local?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to our resident wizard of the airbrush, Eve,¡± he said. ¡°She is good enough to be a professional bike detailer. She could do something like this easy, she¡¯s done moreplicated stuff for school.¡±


    ¡°Really? She in college?¡±


    ¡°She was a sophomore in high school when she did her first tank job two years ago, but she¡¯s REALLY talented. Loves motorcycles and customization.¡± I followed him out of the lot and through the streets as we moved to a more industrial section of town. The clubhouse didn¡¯t look like anything from the outside, just another warehouse with rollup doors and a parking lot. We rolled through the open gates, he parked in his spot and I took a guest spot. I followed him through the door into the clubhouse, through the double doors with the Club emblem on the wall and into the bar/dining area. He looked around before leading me to a table, there were four guys and two olddies around it. In the back, some people were ying pool, others darts, and the ce was about half full. ¡°Mitch, this is the President of the Northwoods Riders, Viper, and his wife Kelly. Mitch was in my squad our during myst deployment to Iraq, he just got out.¡±


    Viper and Kelly stood, he pulled me into a quick hug followed by his wife. ¡°Donut¡¯s told us all about you, I¡¯m happy to wee you to our club. You have a good ride in from the Coast?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, it was fun. I took the back roads, stopped a lot to see things.¡± I was quickly introduced to the Vice President, Tiny and his wife Katie; Master-at-Arms Moose, whose wife Sheri was running her bar in St. Paul; and the one and only Snake. ¡°Donut can¡¯t stop bragging on your food, I¡¯m looking forward to trying some.¡±


    ¡°You staying for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I need to find a ce while I look for an apartment around here. I¡¯ll be going to school full time for another year, then to Alexandria for the Police Academy.¡±


    Snake looked over at Viper, who nodded his head, then he turned back to me. ¡°We¡¯ve got some rooms upstairs for guests, you¡¯re wee to use one until you find a ce. It will give you a chance to get to know our Club, and for us to get to know you. Most of us are prior military, and we run a clean club here. You can¡¯t be a member if you have a record, in fact it¡¯s mandatory that members obtain a Concealed Carry Permit just so we know you¡¯re good to go. Donut already said he would sponsor you if you decide to prospect.¡±


    ¡°That would be great if I could use the room, thank you for that,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t make a decision on clubs yet, I want to join one but I need to get used to the scene around here first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be worried if you jumped right in,¡± Moose said. ¡°We like to have people be a hangaround for a few months before they prospect.¡±


    The prospect manning the bar brought over a round of Summit Pale Ales and left one in front of me. Snake grabbed him and told him to warm up a te of the red beans, rice and chicken. We talked about the club a while longer before my te was brought out. I took one bite and immediately reached for my beer. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s not Minnesota spicy.¡±


    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s ind spicy. I spent a few years learning Cajun cooking in Grenada, kept up with it here. I¡¯ve got everyone pretty well trained away from that ¡®oh that ketchup is TOO SPICY for me¡¯ thing up here.¡± He justughed as I kept eating, using the fresh bread and beer to cut the burn.


    ¡°This is really good,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Snake said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep70

    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t take much to impress a guy who has spent thest year on MRE¡¯s and hospital food,¡± Donut teased. ¡°I think you had to get a doctor¡¯s permission to have pepper there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m still recovering.¡±


    ¡°Donut said you got a medical discharge,¡± Viper said, ¡°but he wouldn¡¯t say why.¡±


    ¡°Not a big secret, I was diagnosed with testicr cancer seven months ago. Lost my left nut, it¡¯d swollen to the size of a baseball, and then I had a couple rounds of chemo before they pronounced me clear,¡± I told them.


    ¡°So you¡¯re like Half-Sack in Sons of Anarchy?¡±


    ¡°Kind of, except I didn¡¯t get it shot off and they gave me a recement ball made of silicone.¡± The guys started tough. ¡°Hey, I ordered it and got Doc to put it in, it wasn¡¯t like the Navy was going to pay for it. I didn¡¯t want to go through life unbnced.¡±


    Just then a young woman ran down the stairs, joining a group of eight or so guys who looked to be between thirty and sixty years old. She was no more than twenty, and was the most beautiful woman I¡¯d ever seen. Her shoulder length blond hair was in waves, her face was perfect, her eyes just drew you in. She was wearing a crop top, her pert boobs holding it away from her t stomach, and a pair of jean shorts and Vanspleted the look.


    I was gobsmacked.


    I only looked away when Donut elbowed me in the ribs. I red at him, noting the others at the table were looking at me like I was eye-raping their daughter or something. The men walked to the door as the woman ran over and gave Snake a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Bye, Dad, we¡¯ll be back homete,¡± she said before she ran off behind them.


    Well, that exined the look.


    I watched the group leave, the guys she was with wore cuts from the Knights of the Moon MC. ¡°Your daughter runs with another club,¡± I asked Snake.


    ¡°The Knights and us have been friends for a long time,¡± Viper said.


    ¡°And every one of them knows that I¡¯ll kill them slowly if theyy a finger on my Eve,¡± Snake said as he stared at me. Point taken. That was Eve¡­ wow. She was a senior then, maybe eighteen, and the whole club was protective of her.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little wiped out from the trip, I think I¡¯ll turn in,¡± I said, hoping to defuse the mood.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you your room,¡± Donut said.


    ¡°Let me grab my stuff first.¡± We walked out, just as the nine riders fired up their bikes. Eve¡¯s bike was an early 90¡¯s vintage Sportster 1200 Deluxe, very close to stock but in mint condition. They took off, Eve in the center of the formation, and I was harder than I¡¯d ever been in my life. It was a dangerous y, but I had to get to know this girl.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    Netzach, one of my newest men, climbed into the cab of the ambnce and started it up while Meghan finished talking with the Alpha and Beta of the Targhee Pack in Idaho. We hade here after one of his men was severely injured, shot by a poacher while on patrol in wolf form. I got onto my Harley, my men getting on behind me, as we waited for her to give her final instructions. ¡°If he shows signs of infection, give me a call, but he should make a full recovery,¡± she told them.


    ¡°Thank you so much foring, Doctor Meghan,¡± he said as he shook her hand. ¡°I owe you more than just the fee. You are always weed on ournds.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± She turned and went into the passenger seat of the old ambnce that Vivian had purchased almost eighteen years ago. When Vivian died, the ambnce was set to be sold until Meghan of all people came to Church at the Northwoods Riders and made a plea to keep it.


    shback- Winter 1999


    Viper¡¯s POV


    We were finishing up business when Meghan pushed her way in to the room, past a shocked Hammer who was guarding the door. Most of the meeting was dealing with how to deal with some of the things our four dead members had left behind. Snake wasn¡¯t much help; he had withdrawn from the club in his grief, pouring himself alternately into the bottle and his baby. Kelly had moved him in to an extra bedroom in our house in order to be sure Eve was getting good care while he worked his shit out.


    He didn¡¯t even make it to Church tonight, Kelly said he was dead drunk on the back porch, having cleared a space in the foot of snow on the back deck. We¡¯d just lose him sometimes, not knowing if it was his grief or his headaches that caused him to withdraw. His head injury had been serious, he nearly lost his life that night in Sheridan, and the effects might linger for years. He couldn¡¯t even ride, the noise and vibration was too much. We were lucky if we could get him toe in and cook, his one escape from his self-imposed istion.


    Scrape¡¯s and Viking¡¯s belongings went to their families, those things they didn¡¯t want were offered to the Club first before being donated to charity. Both Harleys were sold on eBay, none of us could bear to see them around, the money going to their parents. Stain didn¡¯t have a family, he¡¯d left everything he owned to the Club. His motorcycle was sold, and all the proceeds went to the Club treasury. Snake only wanted a few things of Vivian¡¯s, mainly things from their short time together. Her motorcycle was going to be disyed in the Clubhouse, we had drained the fluids and made sure everything was in perfect shape before suspending it from the ceiling joists behind the bar. Behind it on the wall, we had photographs of all the Club members who had died; every day Snake came to work, he would kiss his fingers and press it to Vivian¡¯s frame before going back to the kitchen. The motorcycle was going to stay there until Eve was sixteen, then it was hers if she wanted it.


    The big issue was with the Clinic that Vivian had put together in one of the rooms on the second floor. At the time, it was important, and allowed her to treat most everything not requiring a hospital stay. She had treated both humans and werewolves, but our old VP Doc was dead, Vivian had been killed, and Jessica had died giving birth to Eve. We had no medically trained people left to use the six figures worth of equipment she had put together up there. The debate was more about how to sell it than if, at least until Hammer¡¯s daughter came storming in.


    ¡°Why in the he¡­ heck would you sell all Vivian¡¯s stuff when we might need it,¡± she said loudly as she approached my spot.


    I turned to her, chuckling a little inside as I saw how she was standing just like Teri did when she was pissed off at Hammer. ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone qualified to use it, and between the ambnce and the medical gear, that¡¯s a lot of money tied up,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use it,¡± she said with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Meghan,¡± Moose started to say.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you Meghan me! I know I¡¯m young, but you aren¡¯t looking at the big picture. I¡¯m going to be a doctor, maybe even a surgeon in the future. I¡¯ve worked with Vivian, I know how this works, and I¡¯m the ONLY one around here who can help Eve if she gets sick.¡± A hush fell on the room. ¡°She¡¯s a werewolf, having her blood sample taken would cause all kinds of rms. What are you going to do if she breaks her arm? Have you asked Gabriel what his n is should any more of his men get hurt?¡± She looked around the room, eyes were starting to look down. ¡°They are our friends, they are here to protect Eve, and I¡¯m the closest thing to a doctor they have right now. You can¡¯t take away my gear!¡±


    I pinched my nose, the tough thing was that she was right. We hadn¡¯t really appreciated just how much ability she had picked up in her time working with Vivian. ¡°What about the ambnce, we could sell that and keep the clinic?¡±


    ¡°And what? One of the guys gets hurt, and we have to drag him all the way back here to help?¡± She looked around again, her eyes were sparkling with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s paid for in cash, it won¡¯t be used much so it won¡¯t cost much to maintain. If needed, we can take it somewhere else, like maybe a different Pack, or wherever the Knights are training.¡±


    Sometimes you just had to ept that you were wrong, and this was one of them. ¡°Fine. Let me talk to Gabriel first and see what he thinks. If he finds merit in keeping the ambnce, then we¡¯ll keep it. Decision postponed until next meeting,¡± I said as I pounded the gavel and ended it. ¡°You, youngdy, are very convincing when you put your mind to it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Viper.¡± She turned back to the door where her Dad pulled her close. His arm was still in a sling, he was going to physical therapy three times a week to try and get the strength and range of motion back from the deep bite he¡¯d sustained.


    ¡°Just because we have the ambnce doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re running off and putting you in danger again,¡± he said as he hugged her close.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a bad n, it was bad operational security,¡± she said. ¡°If the Pack hadn¡¯t been told we wereing, we would have been safe.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I like it.¡± I smiled as they walked out together. She was going to be a hell of a doctor someday.


    End shback


    Abaddon and I pulled out in front, two more riders behind us in formation, then the ambnce. We had four more men as an escort. Our show of strength was for good reason; with only a couple werewolf physicians or nurses who had been trained after all the females died, Meghan was a valuable asset- one that was paid very well for house calls.


    The second part was strategic. For the past eight years, since thest known shewolf died in childbirth, we had been preaching the Word that Luna have given to us in my dream. It was a hard road, telling people that our destruction had been the curse of our own Goddess whom we had forsaken. Many didn¡¯t like the message, choosing to cast us out instead. After getting attacked a few times, we never left in groups smaller than four.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep71

    The world had changed a lot since I started this, I thought as we left the Packnds heading east. If I had to guess, we¡¯d lost all the female wolves, and eighty percent of the males. That meant our species was only ten percent of what we had two decades ago. In terms of Packs, hundreds had be thirty. Of the thirty, ten were the kind Luna would approve of. They had leadership that respected traditional ways, that honored Her. These Packs, including Targhee, were the ones I visited on a regr basis, to renew our ties and to recruit.


    My own pack had doubled in size in thest eighteen years. The losses had hit me hard at the time; I med myself for the ambnce being attacked, for my men and Viper¡¯s being lost. Finding out the losses were due to my own man? That hurt. I know it was his sister, but I¡¯d warned them all, mates would do anything for each other, even if the mating was forced.


    Alpha Travis Connors was a good man, he was in his early thirties, having taken over after thest shewolf in their Pack died. He purged the Pack of any who had taken forced mates and set them on a new path with messianic zeal. Zeal I was proud to have put into him when his own mate, who he was waiting to be of age, was forcibly mated by his Beta and subsequently lost in childbirth. He was the first man I had thought of when the idea of an Alpha Summit came to mind, and he had agreed to host it.


    In a few months, Eve would be of age and the Prophecy would be fulfilled. I would make sure she found her true mate, they would have many children, and those children would find their true mates.


    If we were lucky, our numbers could recover in a century or two. I smiled as we made it to the main road to Jackson Hole. It was alling together.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    It had been a two-hour ride east into Wisconsin to our running space. Gabriel had purchased five hundred acres of rolling forest on the north side of Fort McCoy, a mostly shut-down Army base along I-94. We had beening here a few times a month since I first shifted at age two; Gabriel said it was important that my wolf have her own time, so I would have bnce. I loved these runs, we usually did them on clear nights with a moon out. We also did them during the week, before the campers and mountain bike and ATV riders took over the woods on the weekend. I¡¯d asked for a special run since my wolf was feeling antsy, so Gabriel had agreed to send eight men with me as escorts. The rest were either maintaining patrols around their Pack House and our Club or were with Gabriel and Dr. Meghan somewhere out west.


    The guys I was with were intimidating as hell until you got to know them. All of them looked like fitness models, all six-pack abs and killer arms below perfect faces. Women were constantly flirting with them, and they were constantly turning them down. All of them had taken a sacred vow, forsaking all other women, and all to protect me. It was a lot to take in as a young girl, hearing that the future of your whole species depended on you. I didn¡¯t want it, I never asked for it, but they wouldn¡¯t be here protecting me if it wasn¡¯t true.


    The pressure of it all got to me sometimes. I wished I could be like other girls, like the daughters of the Club members who got to go to school and do things on their own. I was homeschooled, Kelly and others helping me through until I could use the Digital Campus learning. I was officially graduating next month, although most of my senior year I had been taking college-level sses in art and literature. Art was my way of escaping the cocoon that had been carefully weaved around me by so many well-meaning people.


    I just wanted to go to the mall and hang out without a ten-person escort and a backup detail.


    We pulled off the road, down the trail that led to the parking area we had set up. The area had a shack, a ce to store dry wood, food, water and extra clothes. We turned our bikes, parking them in a line facing back towards the road, then shut them down. We all got off the bikes, stretching, taking our jackets and helmets off and cing them over the bikes. I went into the shack, turning on the LED light and closing the door to shift in private.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I pulled off my clothes, cing them on the shelf, then called my wolf forward. The change was magical, almost instantaneous, and I was standing on all fours, looking in the small mirror on the back of the door. I loved my wolf form; she wasn¡¯t half the size of the men outside, but she was fast and flexible. My eyes shined in the dim light, the light blue striking against the silver-colored fur. I was a solid color except on top of my head, where a crescent moon-shaped spot of ck went from between my eyes up to the top of my head. I shook my fur out, waiting for the signal the men had all shifted. There was a scratch on the door, and I pushed it open.


    I rubbed my face against Michael¡¯s as I moved to greet the others. Michael was still the Vice President and in charge of my security with Gabriel gone. After we all had a good sniff and rub, I gave a quick yip. Michael answered, that was my cue to go y my favorite game- chase.


    I took off running, knowing I had a five-minute head start. I was perfectly safe on ournd as four other men had left hours earlier and did aplete patrol of the territory before we arrived. My wolf loved to run free, and it was good training for the men to have to track and find me. I wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for them.


    I ran hard, trying to put some distance between us before I started to do evasive maneuvers. There was a stream that ran across thend, it would be a good spot for my first tricks. I reached it, turning right I ran in the shallow water for a few hundred yards before I reached arge oak tree with branches reaching over. Shifting to human form, I climbed up into the tree, moving all the way to the other side before dropping back to the ground in wolf form again. I ran as quietly as I could back the way I came, keeping a few hundred yards away from my track and downwind.


    I grinned in my mind as I heard the group thundering towards the creek, they were making so much noise they¡¯d never pick up mine. When they were past, I ran hard until I was closer to the road that ran along the south border of the territory. I turned left when I got close enough, running at an even pace. My goal was to loop around the outside of the territory, then after I had won the bet on how long I could evade them, make a run back for the bikes.


    Everything was going perfectly, I thought as I crossed a small ravine.


    I should never think that again. As soon as I reached the bottom, I was knocked off my feet and rolled. I got up, not recognizing the male werewolf who was staring at me with crazed red eyes. Before he could recover from the shock of me being female, I took off the way I came. ¡°Michael, rogue wolf, I¡¯m at the southeast corner of the territory, running west. Send help!¡±


    ¡°On the way,¡± he said. I heard a bone-chilling howl in the distance, and a loud growl behind me. I poured on the speed, hoping I could evade him long enough for the cavalry to arrive.


    I ignored the pain in my shoulders as I raced through the dark woods. I could hear and smell the rogue behind me, and I was scared. I had been taught about what happens when a wolf loses its humanity, when it goes feral from loss of mate or Pack. The bnce bes unstable and the wolf takes over, and that wolf is the most dangerous thing we can face.


    I pull on all the practice and training I¡¯ve had in my eighteen years as I dodge trees and shrubs. I can feel the blooding down my front legs and under my neck, the damage from his bite is slowing me down. He¡¯s gaining on me.


    I feel a sharp pain in my back hip, his teeth have found purchase, but a quick burst frees me from them. I dart right, losing some speed but getting back on track. My muscles scream in agony as I continue to work them, pulling the wounds apart, the blood continuing to spill.


    ¡°Duck down in three, two, one DUCK!¡± I drop to the ground, skidding along on the leaf litter and dirt, as a huge grey and ck wolf flies over my head. There is a loud thud as he crashes into my pursuer, but I don¡¯t stop. I get up and start to run again, painfully, trusting Kushiel to take care of the rogue. I hear the sounds of the fight, then a loud snap as a neck is broken.


    I slow down as I see the others closing in on me fast. They surround me as Michael¡¯s wolf checks me, licking at my bleeding wounds. ¡°Can you make it to the shed?¡±


    I moved my body, I was stiffening up, but I could do it. ¡°Yes if we don¡¯t run fast.¡±


    Michael licked my face as I got up, and the rest of the group formed a protective perimeter as we made our way back. I was d I had worked my way back towards the start, it wasn¡¯t a long run and soon I was inside the shed. I shifted, and immediately I screamed at the pain. ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    I held the door shut with one hand while I fought back the urge to scream again. ¡°Not yet.¡± I pulled on my panties and carefully worked shorts up over the gashes in my left leg. My neck and right shoulder was more of a problem, I put on my bra very carefully, and held a T-shirt to my front. ¡°I need help now,¡± I said.


    Michael opened the door, his body filling the frame, d only in shorts and a T-shirt. ¡°Can I look?¡± I nodded, and he grabbed a shlight from the shelf, checking the wounds carefully. I flinched as he touched the wounds, the gentle pulls sending sharp pains. ¡°You¡¯ll live, but you¡¯re not going to like what I need to do to patch these up,¡± he said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to be fun. What the hell happened out there, Michael? How did a feral wolf get inside ournd without us knowing about it?¡±


    His shoulders slumped. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m already setting a few guys onto finding out. Meanwhile, let¡¯s get you patched up as best we can until your Dad gets here.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep72

    Oh shit. Dad was going to flip his shit when he heard about this. ¡°Do you have to call him? It¡¯s four in the morning, we could tell him when he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Toote,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s bringing the Expedition, and he¡¯s bringing Hammer and Teri too. They should be here in a couple hours, so let¡¯s go out to the table so I can clean these wounds.¡± He grabbed the first aid kit we kept here, and I walked out dreading what was toe. The kit included a bottle of rubbing alcohol, gauze pads and bandages, and it would sting like hell as he was cleaning and disinfecting the wounds.


    They hadid a fleece nket over the pic table, and I had a rolled-up shirt for a pillow as I carefullyid myself face down. Michael gave me a couple of the pills from the kit and some water; the pills were werewolf strength painkillers that Doc Meghan had supplied. The guys brought in powerful shlights, so Michael could see what he was doing. Over the next half hour, I must have screamed a dozen times as the deeper wounds were patched up; the pills were only so effective. He couldn¡¯t do stitches, but there were butterfly bandages in there he used to hold the gashes closed. My wolf healing would take over, and in a day or two I¡¯d be good as new.


    I had no choice but to wait for my Dad to arrive, I couldn¡¯t ride my motorcycle like this. Iid on my stomach as the sun started to rise. Michael covered me with another nket and handed me a bottle of water. ¡°I sent a couple guys had left to get some breakfast takeout from the nearest town,¡± he said, ¡°But knowing your Dad, he¡¯ll be here before they get back.¡± It was just after six when I heard the big SUV working its way up the driveway towards us. It had barely stopped before the doors flew open, Snake leaping down from the passenger seat and Teri from behind the driver. Michael barely stopped Dad as he was about to pull me into a hug. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s injured,¡± he said as he stood in front of me.


    Snake went around him, carefully folding back the nket. I hear his quick intake of breath as he saw my shoulder, I could hear his heart rate pick up as well. He lifted it up enough to see the bandages and the blood stains. ¡°Are you all right, Eve?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Dad. I got away, Kushiel saved me.¡±


    He just nodded, his jaw was tight, I could see he wanted to yell or beat someone up, but he was pushing it back. ¡°I think we need to get you back home so you can heal up,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll get Doctor Meghan to look at you when she gets back, it should bete today. Can you stand?¡±


    I tried to move, but everything had stiffened up and I didn¡¯t want to pull the scabs apart. I rxed again, breathing through the pain. ¡°Probably best I don¡¯t,¡± I whispered. He organized the men, they rolled the edged of the nket I had underneath me and used it to lift me off the table. Teri had the doors to the SUV open and theyid me across the seat. ¡°Teri, can you drive my Harley back?¡± The bike was a little small for a guy like Hammer.


    ¡°Sure, honey. I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± She went and got my jacket, putting it on the floor. ¡°Your phone is in the pocket if you want to y games or something,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to move to use it,¡± I said with a little smile. My arms were at my side, and it hurt to move them around, so I wasn¡¯t going to. They closed up my doors and Dad got in, Hammer riding shotgun, four Harleys running with us as escorts. The rest of the group including Michael was going to stay here and figure out what had gone wrong and how to fix it. I hadn¡¯t missed the rather choice words he¡¯d had with Michael, and I knew he would have a hell of a lot more to say when Gabriel returned.


    ¡°Go ahead and sleep, baby, we¡¯ll be home soon,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay, Dad.¡± I closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep. As I let myself rx, I knew one thing was for sure.


    My days of running alone through the woods were over.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I stayed quiet as I watched my injured and exhausted daughter fall asleep in the back seat. My hands were gripping the steering wheel tight enough to make them white, and Hammer noticed it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it except get her home safely,¡± he said. ¡°She was attacked, she will need your support.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I looked up at the two riders in front, then in the mirrors where Teri was riding with two more Knights. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand how this could happen. For years we¡¯ve been using that area for her runs, we¡¯ve never had a hint of a problem before. Gabriel sent eight guys with her, and four more were waiting. How can she be attacked on her ownnd with twelve warriors around her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is totally without risk, Snake. You know that. If not here, it could be out on a ride, or at the store. She¡¯s thest one, any male wolf who randomly crosses her path could be a threat to her.¡± I tried to rx as he talked me down, but this part wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°Look, I talked to the guys when we got there. They were doing some training, Eve was practicing how to evade and escape and they were practicing tracking her. They¡¯ve done it a lot before, and it¡¯s one of Eve¡¯s favorite things to do in wolf form. She loves to run, she needs it to maintain bnce. You know that.¡±


    Yes, I did.


    shback, 18 years ago


    ¡°Come for me, Vivian.¡± I held onto her hips as she mmed down on top of me, taking my length as deep as she could. Her fingers were syed on my chest, her eyes closed as she approached her peak. I had been holding back, but I couldn¡¯t much longer. She arched her back as she mmed down onest time, a screaming from her throat as she peaked. Her inner walls clenched at me, and I thrust up into her, sending my seed deep inside her. We didn¡¯t move for a few seconds, I was pulsing into her and she was squeezing my length as the feelings crashed over her like a wave. When it was over, she dropped her chest down to mine as we both tried to catch our breath. ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered in her ear.


    ¡°I love you, Snake, and I love this too.¡± She giggled a little as she tightened her core around me. We stayed that way, her in my arms, our naked bodies sliding against each other from the sweat of the hot ind air. We were in the think jungle area near the center of the ind, far from any trails or people. I could hear Carson and Vivian going at it in their tent, the sound of his hips smacking into hers and her moans of pleasure. We loved these trips, them more than me; they got the freedom to run as wolves, and I hiked around and waited for them to return. When their run was over, Vivian¡¯s wolf was always horny as hell, and we had incredible sex when she changed back to human form.


    ¡°These runs, what happens if you go too long without letting your wolf out?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She looked up at me, pulling off my shrunken member as the fluids rushed out. I grabbed a towel and cleaned us up while she thought about it. ¡°From a mental health standpoint, werewolves need to shift and spend time in wolf form. Go too long, and the wolf gets restless. The longer you go, the greater the chance the wolf takes over instead of it being a voluntary change. That is why the Packs insist on running together, on shifting often. It protects us from the wolf showing up when humans may see us, and it helps bind the Pack together.¡±


    I thought about it, but she only had two other wolves here. ¡°Don¡¯t wolves need a Pack as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wolves are social animals, we need the time together, again so the wolf is stable. Wolves in the wild don¡¯tst long if they are alone, they quickly join or form other Packs instead. With werewolves, it is worse because if you don¡¯t have a Pack, the wolf bes more and more desperate and unstable. Eventually, and this might take years, it could take over and the human side is pushed aside altogether. Very dangerous that way.¡±


    We¡¯d been here for years already. ¡°So why are you guys all right without a Pack?¡±


    ¡°We are a pack, silly. It¡¯s not a ssic one, but we are bound together, I¡¯m their Alpha. It¡¯s enough. When their child is born, it will be part of our Pack unless we find arger one to join. Never keep a wolf away from a Pack, Snake.¡± She snuggled into my side and we quickly fell asleep.


    End shback


    Eve had been a part of the Knights of the Moon since her birth, and Gabriel was her Alpha. It was a weird arrangement we had. She had three father figures in her life. Me, because she was my daughter by adoption; Viper, because she was raised with Andrew as a sibling, and Gabriel because he was Alpha to her wolf. I epted the arrangement back when she was born because I knew I couldn¡¯t protect her from other werewolves, and I had my own issues to work through.


    Vivian¡¯s attack at the bar on our Florida trip was evidence of that. I didn¡¯t have the nose to sniff out who was human and who was werewolf, so I wouldn¡¯t know when she was in danger. Having Gabriel¡¯s pack close by, using our Clubhouse, patrolling the area and escorting her constantly, that was the price I had to pay to keep her safe.


    In a few months she would turn eighteen, and then the real danger began. Gabriel and I had been talking for years about this timeing up. She needed to fulfill her destiny, find and mate with her true mate and start the recovery of her species.


    As a father, I hated the idea of her almost instantly bing more than married, not to mention being pregnant the next spring. I knew it was their way, but a part of me wanted to see her fall in love, take her time, start a family without all the pressure that had been on her since birth. She never got to date, never attended a dance, she didn¡¯t get the experiences her teen friends had. She had to remain pure, remaining ready to take her ce alongside her fated mate.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy, either. There had been dozens of fights along the way, little rebellions as she pushed back against the box we had ced her in. Gabriel had taught her everything he could about mates, but with no examples she could see, it was difficult for her to ept. Most shewolves grew up in the Packs, they saw their families, their sisters, their friends being mated and they understood. Eve wasn¡¯t happy with the whole thing, and she was vocal at times about how they wanted to ¡°auction her off like a brood mare¡± when they pushed.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep73

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to let her go, Hammer. Gabriel is going to take her to the Alpha Gathering and have the men file past, each hoping she is her mate. She¡¯s expected to go with him, to start a family. I¡¯m going to lose her, brother.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t lose her, she loves you too much to shut you out. She is growing up, and you can¡¯t hold on forever. The tighter you hold the leash, the more she pulls.¡±


    ¡°I just want her to be happy. Gabriel says that she will be, I hope to hell he¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Carson and Jessica were happy together, and they were choice mates. It works different for them, but a true mate for her will be amazing. I know you¡¯re nervous about it, but it will happen and you have to support her.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say, Meghan didn¡¯t even date much and still shows little interest in guys.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ she may be thirty, but she¡¯s still my little girl.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone through this with a daughter, Hammer. It¡¯s not the same as your boys.¡± Connor and Cash were both off and married now, Connor lived in Florida with his wife and two children, Cash was a Marine stationed in Hawaii with his wife.


    We passed the rest of the trip in silence, arriving back at the clubhouse just before eight. We carefully lifted a sleeping Eve in her nket, carrying her inside and up to her room. I kissed her forehead as I covered her up, thinking about the talk we needed to have. The one I needed Gabriel here for.


    Mitchell¡¯s POV


    I woke up at 5:30, my old habits were hard to break. I stretched as I got out of the bed in the guest room at the clubhouse, thankful to have a nice ce like this to crash in. I dressed in running shorts and a Marines T-shirt, putting on socks andcing up my runners. Running and riding were my escapes, my thinking times, and there was nothing like running before everyone else was up and moving to get to know an area.


    I went downstairs, the ce was still empty. Last night I learned that breakfast started at 6:30 and went to 8:30, long enough for people to drop off their kids at the Club daycare and get to work. I pushed out the doors, stopping by the entrance to do some stretching for a few minutes. The air was cooler, less humid than I was used to, still in the 40¡¯s at night. Perfect running weather.


    I started out at afortable pace, watching the cese to life around me. I had searched the Inte the night before, so I found the route I wanted to take. Running north from the industrial area the Club was in, I picked up the trail on the south side of White Bear Lake. The circuit of the wholeke would be a fifteen-mile run for me, something to work up to. Instead, I was going to take a trail northwest through Lakeside Park, cutting between White Bear and Goose Lakes, then roughly paralleling Highway 61 to another park on the northwest shore before turning back the way I came. Before the chemo, I would have done the fifteen, but I was still building up my strength and endurance. The doctors told me to be patient, that it woulde, but I was always pushing myself.


    The trails were busy with early risers, and the babe index was high. I was shocked by the number of hot blondes I passed on the trail, everything from high school students through MILF¡¯s to a few pushing fifty. Minnesota had a lot of Scandinavian and German heritage, and it showed. I shook my head as I found myself admiring a woman, then shaking her off because she couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Eve. That girl¡­ still in high school, Dad in the Club, the President looking at me like he¡¯d kill me if I touched her, every logical thought told me to stay away.


    But, those weren¡¯t my only thoughts. I had stroked myself off in the showerst night to the image of her bounding down the stairs, and my obsession with her was only growing.


    I tried to focus on my running, picking up the pace a little to punish myself for my mind straying. I was breathing hard by the time I hit the loop and headed back towards the clubhouse. I started to think more about where to live and what to do next as I started to push through the wall, my legs starting to burn with the effort.


    I was feeling better as I left the trail to head back to the clubhouse. I was about two blocks away when I heard the Harleysing; they passed me quickly, two in front, a big SUV, then three more behind. They were all Knights, except the woman in her forties on a yellow Sportster. The car doors were just opening as I sprinted through the gate, they were running this like a protective detail and I wanted to see just who was being protected. Snake jumped out of the driver¡¯s seat, a Rider I didn¡¯t know, big guy, got out the other side. Everyone was gathered around the backseat doors, and I saw them lifting a body on a nket, the blood stains showing as it was lifted out. ¡°Shit, who¡¯s hurt?¡±


    One of the Knights stopped me from getting any closer. ¡°Stay back, buddy, I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Donuts, I¡¯m staying here for a bit,¡± I said. ¡°What are¡­ fuck, that¡¯s Eve!¡± I moved past him, pulling away from his hand as it went to grab me, trailing the group of people carrying her in. She was lying on her stomach, her shoulder was in bad shape, her hip as well. ¡°Wait, she needs a hospital, why are you bringing her here?¡±


    The guy I moved past was now joined by three others who blocked me from moving forward. The leader looked me up and down; I gave off a vibe that I was not to be messed with, but he sniffed me and walked away. ¡°You need to mind your own business, buddy. Go get a shower ande down for breakfast.¡±


    The men had disappeared up the stairs with her, so I followed behind. They were standing outside a room at the end of the hall as I ducked into my room. I did my post-run stretching, then took a hot shower and changed into jeans, a T-shirt, and motorcycle boots before going back downstairs.


    The ce was still full, but it wasn¡¯t the fantastic breakfast they were used to. I could see the kids, they were looking at cereal and oatmeal like it was nothing. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked the prospect who was serving tables.


    ¡°Snake¡¯s busy this morning so no hot food,¡± he said. ¡°It sucks. Hey, I¡¯m Tony.¡±


    ¡°Mitch.¡± I shook his hand. ¡°You have a problem if I jump back into the kitchen? I can whip up some pancakes, eggs, you know, as long as I can find the stuff.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You can cook?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes, I was a cook at Perkin¡¯s in high school before I went into the Marines.¡±


    ¡°Go for it, man. We usually get about forty through here in the morning, but we¡¯re halfway through. I¡¯ll let people know hot food ising.¡± I went back into the kitchen, it was small but well-equipped. Going to the refrigerator, I pulled out eggs, cheese, milk, some sausages and bacon. I found the pancake mix and made up a batch in the big mixer, while I was frying up the sausages and eggs on the big grill.


    ¡°Hey Tony, how do you serve this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Just put it on these big tes, I bring the stuff out to the tables as they ask for it.¡± He pointed to the warmingmps. ¡°If you can make up some scrambled eggs, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°Sure, how about some cheese omelets as well?¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± I got back to work, pouring out a dozen pancakes at a time before mixing up a big batch of scrambled eggs. I grinned to myself, all these yearster and I could still break four eggs at a time. The food started leaving quickly, and Tony let me know what was needed as people ate it. When eight thirty came, I made sure I made myself a te with five pancakes, eggs and bacon before shutting off the burners. I took it out to the bar, pouring a big ss of orange juice from the pitcher Tony had. ¡°Thanks, man. With Snake gone, we don¡¯t have a backup n beyond cereal and toast before you reach the end of MY cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, they are letting me stay here, the least I can do is help out.¡± We talked for a while as I ate my food and he cleaned up the dishes. The kids had all washed up before going upstairs to day care, and most of the adults had left too. When he sat down, I figured I¡¯d find out a few things. ¡°How long have you been prospecting here, Tony?¡±


    ¡°Four months. I was a hangaround for six months, finally decided to go for it. I was Army Reserve, Big Red One. Used it to get through school and deployed twice to Afghanistan in four years. That was enough. Now I work security down at the nuclear nt, shift work, so I can spend lots of time here. The more you are here, the faster you can get patched.¡±


    ¡°Worth it so far? This a good club?¡±


    ¡°One of the best in the state. Good members, great facility, and they don¡¯t mess with illegal stuff.¡±


    I nodded, I had the same impression. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Knights? I¡¯ve never seen a club with so many OTHER club members around outside of parties.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, those guys are a little different. Intense, focused, I never see them partying hard or ying around with the women. The guys are like warrior monks or something, but they are loyal as hell and very tight with each other. They¡¯ve been with the Club for a long time, they have run of the Clubhouse.¡±


    ¡°I saw theming in with Eve this morning, and she leftst night with a bunch of them. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    He looked away for a minute, it was a tell, he didn¡¯t want to say. ¡°They protect her, that¡¯s all I can say.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not going out with any of them, is she?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I think Viper would neuter any male who came near his granddaughter, and if a man hurt her, they¡¯d never find the body. Snake, her Dad? Even worse, I think he¡¯d go right to burying the guy deep in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s eighteen, right? Can¡¯t she make her own decisions?¡±


    ¡°Not eighteen for a few more months, but don¡¯t think being of age is going to stop them from protecting her. Look, this ce is a family club. There aren¡¯t any club whores, sweet butts or skanks that hang around here, Viper won¡¯t stand for it. My advice? There¡¯s plenty of hot women in this town, have your fun, but don¡¯t bring her to the clubhouse if you aren¡¯t serious about her. There¡¯s a bunch of patched women who can spot a skank a mile away.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened to Eve? She looked pretty bad when she was brought in.¡±


    ¡°No idea, Snake was already gone when I got here. Teri rode her bike back, it didn¡¯t look damaged so she didn¡¯ty it down. They¡¯ll tell me if they want me to know.¡±


    I finished my te and put it in the bus tray with the rest. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s clean up before Snake finds out I was touching his stuff.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep74

    Snake¡¯s POV


    We brought Eve straight to the clinic room upstairs, knowing we¡¯d need to take care of her injuries. Once she was set on the exam table and the soiled nket had been taken away, I kicked everyone except Michael out. We cut her shirt off and moved her bra straps so we could get at the bandages. Removing them carefully, thankful the painkillers would help keep her out, we exposed the wounds again. ¡°Damn,¡± I said as I shook my head.


    ¡°The rogue surprised her, took out her shoulder as he tried to knock her down. The hip he bit when she was running from him.¡±


    ¡°Rabies?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t get that,¡± Michael said. ¡°I cleaned as best I could in the field and basically pulled it together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like how deep these are.¡± I pulled out my iPhone and opened up Facetime, sending a call to Doctor Meghan. It rang for a few seconds before she appeared, she was in the back of the ambnce, I probably woke her up. ¡°Sorry Doc, I need you to look at something.¡±


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be calling, Snake. How bad is Eve hurt?¡± I talked her through the injuries, changing the camera so she could see. ¡°You got in there and cleaned it out, Michael?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they weren¡¯t bad, I got the dirt out.¡±


    ¡°All right then, her healing will take care of this, I just want to seal the skin up so it goes faster. Here¡¯s what you need to do.¡± She talked us through cleaning the area, then using superglue to hold the torn skin together. She ended the call after we put gauze over the wounds to protect them.


    I covered her up with a clean sheet and nket, kissing her forehead before I went across and sat in the chair. Being in this room brought back memories, the weeks I spent here with Vivian as Eve fought to live, born at 24 weeks she was a miracle survivor. I had held her and rocked her in this very chair eighteen years ago. Michael told me he¡¯d check on me in a few hours, and as I settled into the chair, I quickly fell asleep.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I pulled into the Cracker Barrel off I-90 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We¡¯d been riding for five hours without a stop since leaving the motel in Rapid City this morning. We were pushing hard to get home, and we needed food and lots of it. The ambnce pulled into a back area with the RV¡¯s and the trucks, and we parked behind it.


    Our group turned heads as we came in, we normally do. Ten hulking bikers in their cuts and a beautiful young woman in the middle will do that. We got arge table and ced our orders as soon as we sat down, telling the flustered waitress we were in a hurry.


    ¡°So, what are we walking into?¡± I looked over at Meghan, I knew that she had been on the phone with Snake, and I knew that Eve had been attacked by a rogue on ournds in Wisconsin.


    ¡°Right now, everyone is worried about Eve¡¯s recovery, so Snake is with her and won¡¯t leave. She¡¯s resting now, should heal up in a day or two,¡± she said. ¡°Long term, Snake is not dealing well with all this. He doesn¡¯t see things the way you do, he wants his daughter to date, to fall in love, to have the kind of rtionship he had with Vivian. Remember, he came upon Vivian after she was raped and force mated, that kind of shifts your perspective. This whole ¡®find him and you¡¯re together forever from your first kiss¡¯ thing is not what he wants, he doesn¡¯t trust someone to say they are her true mate and believe it.¡±


    ¡°He knows how it is,¡± Abaddon said, ¡°But he won¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Meghan nodded. ¡°Then you add in Viper and Kelly, they don¡¯t like this either, but they know it can happen. You have to be careful how you do all this, and not just because her human parents don¡¯t like the idea of mating. You have to deal with Eve. She doesn¡¯t want the fate you¡¯re trying to give her.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a choice in this, Luna has decreed it,¡± I said.


    ¡°So you have always said, but that doesn¡¯t mean she has to believe it. Even if she does, she doesn¡¯t have to believe it is going to happen anytime soon. She doesn¡¯t want a mate, she wants to go to college and study art. Do you think she wants to be pulled away from everyone she¡¯s ever known to go off and make babies with a stranger?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her destiny, we just have to prepare her better for it.¡± Luckily our food came, and we ate a prodigious amount. We¡¯d push through the rest of the trip, stopping only for gas if needed.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I woke up slowly, the light from the window in my eyes. I could smell the room, I knew I was home in the medical room my mother had created.


    Mother. There¡¯s a fun one to figure out. My birth mother, Jessica, died during the C-section, Vivian saved my life and raised me until she died, but Kelly was the one I considered my Mom. All I had of Jessica was stories my Dad would tell me, mostly of her times in Grenada with them. Vivian I had some more, including her motorcycle which had been saved for me until I was sixteen. Kelly was nothing legally, not even my grandmother; Dad told me that she considered Vivian and Jessica to be like daughters, and after they died they just took over.


    On Mother¡¯s Day, I split my thoughts three ways, but spent the day with Kelly.


    I looked over at the chair, where Snake was snoring lightly as he leaned back. I started to move, checking my shoulder and hip. They hurt, but not anything like before. I saw my jacket on the exam stool in front of me, and I was able to pull it close enough to get my phone out. It had blown up with messages I started to look through. Most were sympathy or encouragement, the word of my injury having spread quickly through both clubs. I sent a quick text to my brother Andrew, letting him know I was awake since he was in high school right now. Then I texted Mom to tell her I was awake and Dad wasn¡¯t.


    It wasn¡¯t a minuteter before she came through the door, moving quickly to my side. ¡°Eve, baby, you scared me,¡± she said as she pulled me into a careful hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± I told her. ¡°The guys, Kushiel, they got to me in time.¡± She looked at my bandages, worry in her eyes, her mostly grey hair probably became more so today.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Bathroom,¡± I said. She pulled the nket and sheet down and helped me sit up, then I put my good arm around her shoulder and she led me in to the attached bath. It was painful sitting down, but after relieving myself and washing up I felt better. ¡°I think my pain pill wore off,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back out.¡±


    I looked at the room, I really just wanted to go to sleep. I knew I wasn¡¯t bleeding, I¡¯d smell that. ¡°Can I go back to my room? I¡¯d like to sleep in a real bed, with my music and all.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Come on, I¡¯ll get your stuff and find out what I can do for your pain after you¡¯re settled.¡± We went out the door, Snake still snoring gently, and into the hall. I made it a dozen steps or so, then I had to stop because something tore in my hip. I sagged onto Kelly, and she was struggling a little to hold me up.


    A man came out of one of the guest room, he was good looking and human from the smell. I¡¯d seen him with my Dad at the tablest night as I left. He ran towards us, concerned. ¡°Need help?¡±


    ¡°I thought I could walk better than I can,¡± I said, a little embarrassed.


    He just moved in and picked me up. ¡°Where is she going?¡± Kelly walked ahead, opening the door to my room, and he carried me in.


    She already had the nket turned down on my bed, so the stranger set me gently on the edge. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly as he stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Eve. Anything you need, let me know.¡±


    Kelly had left to go get my stuff out of the clinic room, and I blushed a little at his gaze at me. He liked me, I could see it in his eyes, smell it on him. ¡°I don¡¯t know your name,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mitch Miller, I got in yesterday. I¡¯m fresh out of the Marine Corps, I¡¯m a friend of Donuts. Your grandfather is letting me stay for a while, until I find a ce to live.¡± He walked over to my desk, writing down his phone number and leaving it in my hand. ¡°I¡¯m just a few doors down, just text me or call if you need something without a six-man escort.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You noticed.¡±


    ¡°I was a sniper, I can tell a protective detail when I see it. I just don¡¯t know why. I¡¯d hate to think a beautiful young woman like you is in danger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more trouble than you can handle,¡± I told him, and I wasn¡¯t even kidding. ¡°You better go, my Dad will kick your ass just for being in here with me alone.¡±


    He just smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not in the club, he can¡¯t do anything to me except kick me out. If you want to see me, you¡¯re a big girl, just call.¡± He stuck out his hand, I offered mine, but instead of shaking it, he pulled my hand to his lips and gently kissed my fingers. ¡°Rest and heal, my beautiful troublemaker,¡± he said just before the door opened.


    Kelly walked in, she had a sandwich and chips along with milk on a tray and set it by my bed. ¡°Thank you for the help, Mitch,¡± she said as he walked out. ¡°Now, Meghan said to give you two of these. They will be backte this afternoon.¡± I took the pills, then brought the te onto myp. When I was done, Kelly stayed with me as Iid down and tried to sleep again.


    My thoughts were taken by the handsome young Marine who wasn¡¯t afraid of being with me.


    Snake¡¯s POV

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep75

    I woke up to find Eve gone and the room bright with sun. I got up and walked down the hallway, knocking softly on Eve¡¯s room. Kelly opened the door a momentter. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°Good, she ate and took her pills and went back to sleep,¡± she said. ¡°Hopefully she¡¯ll sleep until Meghan gets back here.¡± I thanked her for watching her for me and left to go get some lunch myself. The kitchen wasn¡¯t always open for lunch, today it should have been for day care but I hadn¡¯t been avable. I was surprised when I went downstairs that the kitchen was open and food wasing out- BLT¡¯s and fries from the look of it.


    I pulled Terry aside, he was the noon meal prospect for serving. ¡°Who¡¯s in my kitchen?¡±


    ¡°New guy, Mitch. He¡¯s pretty good,¡± he said before I let him take the food to the table. I thought about going back and checking on him, but I figured it would be better to just see what he has going. I sat at the table where Viper and Crash were finishing up their food and beers. ¡°Everything going all right?¡±


    ¡°Good, Snake. If this guy decides to join, we¡¯ve got our backup fry cook,¡± Viper said. I told Terry to get me a Coke and a lunch, and he put the order in before rushing over with my drink. ¡°When Gabriel gets here, we¡¯re holding church. I don¡¯t like how that guy was able to get to Eve, we need to tighten security.¡±


    I nodded, I thought the same. ¡°If we can¡¯t be sure she is safe to run there, she can¡¯t go. That guy might have mated her if he¡¯d been able to stop her from running.¡± The prospect of that scared the shit out of every guy who had seen Vivian after it happened to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m locking her down to the clubhouse until we can get her to the Alpha Summit. I¡¯ve already talked to Michael, he¡¯s keeping six people inside the gate and another four on patrol, day and night. Add in us, and the rms and physical protections, and we should be good.¡± Viper wasn¡¯t kidding around now. She¡¯d always been restricted to the clubhouse property unless she had arge escort, but even that wouldn¡¯t happen now. I was hoping she wouldn¡¯t flip her shit about the new rules, maybe the close call would help drive home the need for security. I just hoped she would find her mate at the Summit, she would be happy about it, and she could have a good life with him.


    ¡°Meghan texted and said they¡¯d be here about four. We¡¯ll give them a chance to shower and eat, Church at seven tonight for both Clubs,¡± Viper said. ¡°Spread the word.¡±


    We talked about other stuff as my food came out. Mitch wasn¡¯t chef grade, but he was a good cook. If he stayed away from my daughter and pitched in, I could see him fitting in here.


    Mitch¡¯s POV


    Two Days Later


    I was out all morning, checking out apartments near Century College here in White Bear Lake. I had enrolled before I left Bethesda Naval Hospital, because it was near Donut and the club he wanted me to prospect with. I was about halfway done with their two-year program to get an associate¡¯s degree in Law Enforcement, having started by correspondence course while still in the Marines. It also would give me what I needed to pass the licensing exam. With my disability benefits and the GI Bill, I wouldn¡¯t have to go in debt or work while I was getting my degree. Still, I didn¡¯t want to dip into my savings to buy a car. I was hoping to be close enough to walk or take a short bus ride so I could survive without one.


    I knew what winters were like here, they were long and could be brutally cold at times. I¡¯d grown up in Lake City, a small tourist town on the Mississippi about fifty miles to the southeast. It was a good ce to grow up, but I didn¡¯t have the best upbringing. My father was a drunk who beat my Mom and asionally me; when he was killed in a single-car ident, driving off the road into a ravine when he fell asleep, I felt nothing for him. I loved my Mom, but she died of breast cancer while I was in the Marines. I had no desire to go back there, the memories were painful.


    The apartmentplexes were a bit spendy, but I found a guy who had a mother-inw apartment in his basement he was willing to rent. I had filled out all the paperwork and given him a deposit, I was just waiting for everything to be processed and get the go-ahead to move in. He expected that in two weeks, so that was how long I told Viper I needed to stay here. ¡°You¡¯re wee to stay until you get your ce,¡± he said, ¡°But I¡¯d like you to help Snake out in the kitchen, cover for him when he¡¯s busy. He can use the break,¡± he said.


    That was all fine with me, it gave me a chance to get to know Eve. After I carried her into her room, I didn¡¯t hear or see her the rest of that day or the next. I could hear people, mostly Snake and Kelly, going in and out of her room. The second day, I saw a woman I didn¡¯t recognizeing out. She had scrubs on, and filled them out well, she looked to be about thirty. ¡°Hey, is she doing all right?¡±


    ¡°Eve will be fine, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Mitch. Mitch Miller, I¡¯m staying here until I can find a ce. I just got out of the Marines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one Donut told me about! I¡¯m Doctor Meghan Jenkins, I¡¯m the Club Doctor. How are you feeling? Anysting issues from your treatment?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s going fine, I¡¯m just having to work to gain the muscle back after losing so much weight.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you join the club, I¡¯ll need to give you a physical and verify for myself you are doing all right. I don¡¯t trust the VA bureaucrats when ites to disability ims, so I can help you with those if you run into problems.¡± She shook my hand, I heard someoneing up the stairs. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mitchell.¡±


    ¡°You too, Doc. Is Eve awake? I wanted to say hi.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s resting, and if you know what is good for you, you¡¯ll leave her alone. Eve is special, she¡¯s not some kid you can seduce and abandon.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard, I¡¯ve seen ambassadors with less protection than her.¡±


    A voice from behind me cut in. ¡°And most of it is to protect her from guys like you, Mitch.¡± Doc moved past me as Hammer gave her a quick hug, then he parked himself in front of Eve¡¯s door. ¡°I know I¡¯m not the first to threaten you, even Donut tried to help you out. You need to forget about her and find some biker chick or floozy to get your nut off. This is yourst warning, quit sniffing around her or you¡¯re gone.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Understood.¡± I smirked as I thought back to that conversation; it was one of those things where you knew the right thing to do but couldn¡¯t do it. Every bit of logic and instinct told me to let her be, but there was something about her, something I just HAD to have in my life. I¡¯d just have to be smart about how I did it.


    Last night I had gotten a text from her signed, ¡°Little Miss Troublemaker.¡± I called her back, and we talked into the night. I kept things light, asking her about her art, her college ns, the movies she liked to watch. She spent time learning about me; my time growing up, why I entered the Marines, even what it was like to be a sniper. ¡°Did you kill anyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they needed killing,¡± I told her as Iid back in bed, my eyes closed as I focused on her voice.


    ¡°What was it like?¡±


    I thought about how I could break it to her, most women, they wanted to think you regretted it, that you weren¡¯t some crazed killer. I couldn¡¯t lie to her, though. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it while it was happening, really. Your training takes over; you focus on the aim point, your breathing, the trigger pull. When the shot was fired, I was watching the trail of the bullet through the scope for the second and a half it took to get there. I watched it hit, watched the blood spray behind him, watched him drop to the ground like a switch was turned off.¡±


    ¡°That sounds horrible, it must give you nightmares.¡±


    ¡°No, it felt good. It validated everything I had spent years preparing for, training for; when it came time to do it, I did it right. One shot, one kill.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°The people I killed, they weren¡¯t good people. I made things safer for the people there, I saved lives of my fellow Marines.¡±


    ¡°So if you liked it, if you were good at it, why did you leave the Marines?¡±


    ¡°I was medically discharged¡­ I had cancer. Testicr cancer.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in remission, they tell me I have a good prognosis, but I was discharged with a service-rted disability.¡±


    ¡°That sucks. Are you ok with being out?¡±


    ¡°No, I miss it already. My best buddies are still there, most of them. I miss the camaraderie, the shared goals. That¡¯s one reason I want to join a club, to get some of that feeling again.¡±


    Sheughed a little. ¡°These guys are like that, half of them have been with the club more than twenty years,¡± she said. ¡°Growing up, it was like I had two dozen Dads and a dozen Moms. Everyone was watching out for me, making sure I wasn¡¯t hurt, keeping me from doing anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Seems like nothing has changed.¡±


    She snorted,ughing into the phone as I smiled. ¡°You have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Why so much security? Are you really in that much danger?¡±


    ¡°So they tell me. I¡¯m worth a lot, apparently, there¡¯s a price on my head and a bunch of people who would kidnap me in a second if they had the chance. The guys, especially the Knights, they are my security.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t let you do much, do they?¡±


    ¡°Nope, and after I got hurt this week, I¡¯ve been put on lockdown. I can¡¯t leave the clubhouse grounds at all.¡±


    I sighed loudly. ¡°That really sucks,¡± I said. ¡°I was hoping you might want to go do something, get out for a while, maybe catch a movie or something.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me out?¡± She giggled a little.


    ¡°Hell no, if your Dad found out he¡¯d have my ass. I¡¯m just trying to cheer you up a little, I figure those wounds will have youid up for a few weeks. They looked pretty bad.¡±


    She yawned. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Mitchell. Can we talk tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mitch.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, my beautiful troublemaker.¡± I ended the call andid back in bed, a smile on my face as I drifted to sleep.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep76

    Unknown POV


    I slipped out of my cabin, walking to the woodpile and ducking behind it before removing my clothes and leaving them hanging from a protruding branch. I looked back towards the window, where my older brother was sitting in the living room with his human wife, watching a movie on the satellite television. She tucked into his side, his broad chest and hairy arm giving her afortable spot to rx. I knew that he would take advantage of my absence to make love to her; my hearing was such that me being gone was the only way he could have true privacy.


    I called forward my wolf, falling to all fours as my grey, ck and white colored wolf shook out his fur and smelled the air. My brother used to run with me every day when we were young, when I was just his annoying little brother who needed to learn how to be a wolf. We had been on our own since he was seventeen and I was eight. Mom died of the same cruel disease that killed all the other women in our Pack. Dad died when our Alpha tried and failed to take over another Pack, he was a Warrior and a loyal wolf to the end. My brother had taken me to this cabin when my father departed, and that was the only reason we were still alive. Our Pack had been overrun that day, the women taken, the men killed along with the male children.


    For the next five years, I never ventured more than a mile from our cabin in the deep woods. My brother had some savings, and eventually we inherited money from the Packnds that had been sold. He homeschooled me until I was old enough to start high school, and by then he hadn¡¯t scented another wolf in two years. I went to school with humans, blending in, while he took a job in a lumber mill and met his now wife. Now twenty-six, I had been working at the mill since I was eighteen, saving to get my own ce.


    I started to run fast through the dark forest, my eyes easily picking up the features in the soft moonlight. I still couldn¡¯t believe my brother gave this up, but when he got serious about her, he overdosed on Wolfsbane and killed his wolf. They¡¯d never have children of their own, but he was human now, not worried about his secret getting out. I refused, I loved my wolf, but I had to keep myself bnced so I didn¡¯t sh wolf on her.


    I pushed harder through my run, the miles behind me as I ran the familiar trail. I slowed when I got closer to theke, there were cabins all along it, and dogs. I didn¡¯t go too close to them, I stayed a couple hundred yards away as I moved silently through the trees. I picked up the pace as the lights faded behind me. I stopped when an unexpected scent crossed the trail. Human¡­ and young.


    I followed the scent off the trail into the darkness, going another hundred yards or so until I could see it. I was a little shocked to find a little kid, no more than three or four years old, barefoot and in his pajamas, shivering and crying as he sat next to a tree. I could smell the blood, his arms and face were scratched from the brush, his feet torn up from the rocks and twigs. He was almost a half mile away from home, and his parents probably didn¡¯t even know he was gone.


    His head was on his knees, his arms hugging his legs, so he didn¡¯t hear me as I approached. I didn¡¯t want to scare him, so Iid down, whining softly as I crawled closer to him. He froze as he looked up, seeing me, my eyes glowing in the moonlight. ¡°Puppy?¡± I moved closer, and he grabbed me around the neck, hugging me and crying into my fur. ¡°Puppy¡­¡± I curled around him as he buried his face in my neck, he was exhausted, and soon he was sleeping.


    Now I was really at a loss as to what to do. I couldn¡¯t leave him out here all night, but I couldn¡¯t walk naked out of the woods holding a three-year-old either. I waited until I was sure he was out, then I shifted back to my human form underneath him. Picking him up, I started to work my way back through the woods towards the houses. I followed his scent trail, seeing how he had wandered around as he got lost. Eventually, I got to the edge of the trees. I shifted, then gathering his pajamas in my teeth, I picked him up gently and slowly moved out of the woods, into the grass back yard, before I set him near the back deck. Raising my head to the sky, I let out a loud howl, followed by some barks.


    The dogs in the neighborhood went nuts, and as I kept barking, I saw a few lightse on and people yelled at their dogs to shut up. I kept going until the light on the back of the house went on, a maning to the sliding ss door.


    A shotgun in his hand.


    I turned and ran for the woods as quickly as I could as I could hear the sliding door open, waiting for the sound of the buckshoting. Instead, I heard him yell ¡°Tanner¡± and then a woman started to cry. I stopped far enough away they wouldn¡¯t see me in the darkness, turning to see the boy being hugged to his father¡¯s chest as he took him inside. I chuckled to myself, imagining the story the next morning.


    I loved being a wolf, but I knew I would die alone. There were no more shewolves. I met a Pack wolfst year at a bar and he told me the bad news. I would never have a mate, never have children. I turned for home, swearing to Luna that I would live as a good wolf, honoring her ways until the end.


    Two Months Later


    Alpha Keith Jenkin¡¯s POV, Colorado


    I looked at my top staff, my lead Beta Charles, my Gamma and head of security Donovan, and my father and advisor Ken. I held the invitation in my hand, turning it slowly. ¡°Gabriel is working something here. His Pack isn¡¯trge, they don¡¯t control any territory, they aren¡¯t a threat to us. So, what do they really want?¡±


    My Dad just scoffed. ¡°Who knows with those guys, they are a bunch of Luna freaks. For almost two decades they¡¯ve been ming the gue on Alphas, saying that it was a curse because we took choice mates, and allowed forced matings asionally. They¡¯re a bunch of monks on bikes, I hear they don¡¯t even fuck human women.¡±


    ¡°That may be true,¡± I said, ¡°But they invite every Alpha in the country to Chicago for a two-day summit, all expenses paid, top staff included. It seems like a lot of money to just talk, unless you¡¯re going to get something out of it.¡±


    Charles leaned forward and pointed to a paragraph. ¡°See this wording? They invited all never-mated males to attend a dinner and reception on Saturday night. That wording is intentional- and it excludes almost every remaining Alpha and Beta in the country. Most all of them, including your father, had mates, sometimes multiple mates as the gue continued on.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°They Knights are all about purity, about finding and mating only the true mate Luna has for you. If you¡¯ve been mated, you lost your connection to your true mate.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s looking for people who are pure?¡± I didn¡¯t see where he was going with this.


    ¡°No.¡± He leaned back, smiling. ¡°I think they have a shewolf.¡±


    The objections rang out, I could hardly hear myself think above all the shouting. I smacked my hand on the desk, everyone stopped immediately. ¡°Exin,¡± I said.


    ¡°About, oh, 1998 I guess, I ran into one of the Knights at Sturgis,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d lost my Emily the year before, and the only females left in our Pack were still underage. We had a few beers, we were the only werewolves in that part of the bar, so we¡¯d been swapping stories. His name was Michael, he was the Vice President of the Knights.¡± He sat down before continuing. ¡°The President, Gabriel, he said he had a vision shortly after the gue started. He said Luna appeared to him, told him the gue was her judgment to her people, and there was only one way for the curse to be broken.¡±


    ¡°A shewolf?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°He called her the Promised One, and that they had all sworn an oath to find her and protect her until she could find her true mate and break the curse.¡±


    ¡°And if they are calling for a gathering now,¡± my Dad said.


    ¡°She¡¯s of age,¡± I finished. ¡°I want her.¡±


    Charlesughed. ¡°What makes you think you are her true mate?¡±


    ¡°It only makes sense, I¡¯m the only Alpha of a major pack who hadn¡¯t mated already. Luna wouldn¡¯t take the most treasured resource in our world and give her to a wolf without rank, or a minor Alpha or Beta. If we are to rebuild the species, you would start with the best bloodline. Mine.¡±


    ¡°And if it isn¡¯t you,¡± Charles asked.


    ¡°Then we let her find her true mate, fulfill the prophecy and break the curse,¡± I said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill her mate and take her for myself. Thisst shewolf is the key to Pack survival, without control of her we will slowly die off. With her, we control her offspring, and we can ask anything for one of them and the other Packs will dly give it to us to save their own.¡±


    ¡°The Knights won¡¯t allow that,¡± Charles said.


    ¡°Then the Knights will have to go away when we bring her into our Pack,¡± I said. ¡°We have no need for them after we have her.¡±


    The men looked at me for direction. ¡°Put all our resources into finding out where these Knights are, and let¡¯s get eyes on them. Numbers, security, and if we can get a look at the shewolf, do it. Just keep our guys far enough away we don¡¯t spook them.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you going to the gathering, Alpha?¡± Donovan had to know, he was in charge of my security.


    ¡°Yes, and we will bring every never-mated male with us,¡± I said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll bring the rest in on our own dime. We don¡¯t let her leave Chicago unless she¡¯sing home as my mate.¡±


    Eve¡¯s POV


    Bored. I waspletely, utterly bored.


    As my eighteenth birthday approached, you¡¯d think I be excited to be an official adult, ready to take on the college world as a new high school graduate. You¡¯d be right unless you were me.


    The restrictions Gabriel, Viper and Snake had ced on me remained in ce and had been tightened even more. I couldn¡¯t leave the building, couldn¡¯t go outside. Even the Club rides I had grown to love were off limits for me now; the Riders would ride without me, locked down in the Clubhouse, surrounded by Knights. My beloved Sportster was left in the corner of the garage.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep77

    Even my art had stopped being an escape for me. The fuel tank I had on my desk was half done, because I lost interest in it. I had stopped paintingpletely, hiding up in my room, watching others live the lives I¡¯d never have.


    My Dad had even refused to let me apply for college next year, because ¡°once you find your true mate you¡¯ll be with him.¡± They had this destiny in mind for me, and no matter how I objected or tried to go another direction, they kept going back to it. In two weeks, at a hotel near O¡¯Hare airport in Chicago, I would be led to the wolves as a well-dressed and primpedmb.


    I had half a mind to walk into the ballroom in an orange jumpsuit.


    I pulled out my phone, sending a quick text to Mitch. I hadn¡¯t seen him in six weeks, ever since he moved out of the Clubhouse. The members still let him visit, but they kept me upstairs when he was here. They just didn¡¯t know that I was talking to him almost every night. ¡°RU busy?¡±


    He called me back. ¡°Little Miss Troublemaker, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Bored,¡± I said. ¡°I have no motivation to do anything. I mean, what¡¯s the point? Everyone believes that a week from Saturday I¡¯ll be happily married to some guy I just met, moving to wherever he lives.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t HAVE to do anything, Eve. You¡¯re an adult, you¡¯re entitled to live a little before you have to settle down and think about a family. Don¡¯t let them force you into anything you don¡¯t want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I said as I sat down heavily in my chair in my room. I hadn¡¯t told him what I really was, he wasn¡¯t a club member, not even a prospect, and without that background he¡¯d never see what I was facing.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You know, they try to control me, told me over and over to leave you alone, forget you and move on. I can¡¯t. All it did was drive my feelings for you into hiding, leaving me waiting all night for these phone calls. If they take away your phone, I¡¯ll find another way. I don¡¯t care if I have to tunnel into the basement and sneak up to your room, I¡¯ll find a way to be with you, Eve. I¡¯m absolutely, totally enthralled with you. Tell me you want to escape, and I¡¯ll bust you out of that prison and take you away.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°You¡¯ll get yourself killed,¡± I said. ¡°And even if you did get me, how exactly does that work? I have no money, no job, you are renting a tiny basement apartment and living off your disability payments. Not exactly the recipe for a life on them, and that¡¯s what it would be. We¡¯d be on the run, and if you¡¯re lucky it would be my Dad who finds you.¡±


    ¡°Why, he¡¯d show me mercy because he loves you?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯d kill you quick.¡±


    He justughed for a moment. ¡°Well, the offer is still open. If you need out of there, I¡¯ll help you if you ask. It would be worth it to be alone with you, even for a few days.¡± I just sighed. ¡°I have to go, get some sleep, love.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mitch.¡± I hung up the phone, tossing it on my bed. Tomorrow, Kelly and the girls were doing evening gown fittings with me. I may not want to be the prize, but I was going to look good.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I called Michael into my office, he was running point on the arrangements for the Summit in Chicago. ¡°How is it going,¡± I said as I looked out the window of the apartment building that served as our Pack House.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, ¡°We have all the arrangements made with the hotel. The staff understands the restrictions, they will set up and tear down, but no staff will enter the rooms during the event. We have the room blocks reserved at the hotel and two nearby ones for overflow. Things are filling up nicely,¡± he said.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Any Packs turn us down yet?¡±


    ¡°None so far, although a few have asked a lot of questions. They want to understand better what the agenda for the meeting is going to be, and two don¡¯t understand why we want their never-mated males there.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± This is where it would get sticky.


    ¡°I told them Luna had a word for them, that they should not give up hope of finding a true mate someday,¡± I said. ¡°Most of them justughed at the idea. You know, many of the younger wolves are finding human consorts, even marrying them. Some are giving up their wolves to be as human as they can be.¡±


    I nodded, I had heard the same. ¡°To be so without hope you reject Luna¡¯s gift, reject what you were made to be¡­ I was almost there once.¡±


    ¡°We all thought about it after losing our mates, Gabriel.¡± We continued to work through the nning, I assigned extra help to him in ces he needed it. ¡°Have you talked to Abaddon about security for Eve?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± he said. ¡°I was going to brief her on the n tomorrow morning, her, Viper and Snake.¡±


    ¡°Good. Make sure she understands how important it is that she cooperatepletely with us on this. With all the wolves nearby, even the slightest hesitation could be costly.¡± I was nervous about this, but I didn¡¯t have a better way to do it. Trying to do it pack by pack, the word would get out and I¡¯d have more problems. Better to take the band-aid approach and do it all at once.


    ¡°I will, and I¡¯m sure her father will make sure she understands.¡± We had waited two decades for this, and we couldn¡¯t screw it up now. Luna¡¯s will would be done.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    Two Weeks Later, Chicago Hilton O¡¯Hare Hotel


    Three hours into the Alpha Summit, and so far things were going well. After a wee reception in the afternoon and a dinner in the spacious meeting room, we had broken out into smaller meeting rooms by rank. The Alphas were with me in the well-appointed conference room, while Betas were in the next room, other ranked wolves in arger room, and the unranked in yet another. The twenty-four men in this room controlled almost all of the remaining werewolves in North America and Russia. The dominance ys were near constant, as each tried to assert superiority over the others. It was this kind of dick-measuring contest I didn¡¯t need to deal with right now. I was d I had brought this into the human world, it forced us all to moderate our behavior.


    I stood at the head of the table, looking at the ¡®future¡¯ of our species, and I just wanted to walk out again. These men are on the Titanic, and they are arguing over who gets to have the deck chair next to the pool. Some were better than others, allies even, but I knew a few were against the kinds of changes I wanted to bring about. They were men ruled by power, who took what they wanted without apology, and that was going to have to change. I just prayed to Luna that Eve wasn¡¯t headed for one of their Packs.


    ¡°Gentlemen, seats please,¡± I asked as I tapped my ss with a fork. ¡°There will be plenty of time this weekend for you to deal with your local issues. What I asked you here to discuss is no less than the survival of our species.¡±


    ¡°What survival,¡± Alpha Konstantin, one of the Russian Alphas, said with a sneer. ¡°All our females are dead, there IS no future. Every Pack faces the same enemy: time.¡± The other Alphas nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± I said. ¡°As some of you know, years ago after the passing of my mate, I retreated into the wilderness where in my grief I was granted a vision from Luna herself.¡± There was some scoffing at this, but I ignored it. ¡°In my vision, Luna exined to me that the SPUDS, the loss of our women in childbirth, was a punishment, a curse handed down by her. We had strayed from her vision, from her guidance given to us when our dual natures were created. She created each werewolf with a perfect match, a fate mate, that we were to seek and join with. These mates were often ced in different Packs, even different countries, as we were supposed to live in harmony with each other.¡±


    The men started to fidget, I was hitting close to home for some of them. ¡°Instead, the Alphas pursued power andnd, expanding control, creating conflict between us when none should have been in ce. Instead of freely moving between Packs, movements became restricted. Some Packs didn¡¯t want their females leaving, or didn¡¯t value Fate mates. They misused the Choice Mate option Luna gave us in case one mate died or mated another, some even perverted this as far as to justify raping and forcibly mating females they wanted. Her messengers and her warnings were ignored, those werewolves sometimes killed or beaten. Their blood demanded judgment, the women who were wronged deserved judgment, and judgement is what we got.¡±


    I put a photo on the projector screen, of Dr. Vivian. ¡°This was Doctor Vivian DelMara, at the start of the SPUDS epidemic she was the Pack Doctor of the North Shore Pack, and one of the first to see the spontaneous abortion followed by hemorrhage death that became our curse. She worked tirelessly to find a cure, coordinating efforts by Pack doctors, searching human records, even adopting human methods to try and save mother and child. Working outside the Pack structure she no longer trusted, having been threatened herself and seeing other Doctors killed for failure, she made her old Alpha a deal. Ship the pregnant women to her, and she would try to save them. Twenty-one babies didn¡¯t make it, and twenty-two mothers died on her. Heroic efforts allowed her to save one extremely premature girl, the daughter of the Boundary Waters Pack Alpha. Her name was Jennifer.¡± I showed a few photos of the tiny girl in her incubator, taken at the veterinary clinic Vivian had turned into a Pack hospital.


    A few of the men gasped, seeing the dates of the photos in the middle of the outbreak. ¡°This is outrageous,¡± Alpha Dennis Thurber of the North Carolina pack said. ¡°Our pack is dying at the time, and she can save them? Why wasn¡¯t this knowledge shared with others?¡±


    ¡°Simple. The same selfish, power-hungry motivations that led to the Curse killed this girl and nearly resulted in Doctor DelMara being forcibly mated. Her clinic was attacked by a Pack, the Doctor kidnapped, and the baby left to die.¡± I had to take a moment as I clicked through the photos, one of baby Jessica on a pyre. ¡°Doctor Vivian was able to escape, but this was now two times her life had been threatened for doing her job. She and her assistant, a shewolf named Jessica, fled with Jessica¡¯s mate to an ind. They didn¡¯t return until six yearster when Jessica was pregnant, despite their best efforts to avoid it. Eighteen years ago today, Jessica started to bleed, and Doctor Vivian had a choice to make- save her best friend, or save the baby. She saved the baby, who is named Eve.¡± I had clicked through the photos of Jessica and Carson, their pregnancy, and her pyre. I left the photo of Eve in the incubator up on the screen.


    ¡°Thest part of the vision from Luna was this; she would send a shewolf to us as onest chance to avoid extinction, we call her the Promised One. If she finds and mates her fate mate, as Luna designs, then the curse will be broken, and her offspring will eventually help us recover the species. If not, well¡­ she will die of the curse as well, and there is truly no hope for us left. Today Eve hase of age, and today we start the process of finding her True Mate.¡± The room erupted as I put her photo on the screen.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep78

    Eve¡¯s POVBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nervous?¡± Kelly was picking fuzz off my dress and obsessing over my hair as I stood in my gown in the hotel suite. The room was chosen for security; a back door led to a service corridor and an elevator that was guarded by Knights. An armored SUV waited in the garage below, ready to leave with heavily armed escorts at a moment¡¯s notice. The hotel security staff was using the same kind of ns they did when the Secret Service was here, and Abaddon¡¯s security ns were detailed and practiced.


    ¡°That some guy I don¡¯t know is going to grab me and carry me off to bed? Yeah, I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    She took my hand. ¡°Your mother Jessica had a choice mate, but she was happy. They were such a nice couple, so in love. I just know that when you find your true mate, it will be all that she had and more.¡±


    I nodded, I had heard the stories while growing up, I had seen the photos and the love in their eyes. ¡°Is it more than Vivian had with Dad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different, but the same in some ways,¡± Michael said as he looked up from his phone. ¡°The love is there, but a werewolf bond is soul deep. You are so tied together, it is difficult to go on without the other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see,¡± I said. ¡°I just hope it isn¡¯t some old guy with bad teeth or something.¡± Theyughed, and I walked back and forth over the carpeting in my heels with all my nervous energy.


    ¡°The first ones will be here in five minutes,¡± Michael said as he looked at his phone. The process was simple; we had sole control of one of the elevators, security not allowing the others to stop at this floor. We had rented the entire floor, some of the senior wolves had rooms here, but they were all downstairs. The small groups of men would be brought up in the elevator, brought to the room, introduced to me, and if not my fated would be escorted back downstairs and the next group woulde up.


    Abaddon was running everything from the hotel security room. There were armed Knights at the stairways, outside my room and in the service corridor, plus I had Michael and four other Knights in the room with me. Kelly left through the door to the adjoining room where she joined Viper and Snake, who would be watching the festivities via camera. ¡°Do you remember your panic word?¡±


    ¡°Daisies,¡± I said. If I said the word, the n would go into effect and I¡¯d be offsite in minutes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, this is going to be a good thing,¡± Michael told me.


    I stood nervously, until finally there was a light knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said nervously.


    Tworge, handsome men walked in, their eyes getting wide as they saw me and took in my scent. ¡°By Luna,¡± the older one said, ¡°It is true.¡±


    The second man walked to me, stopping and offering me his hand. ¡°I am Alpha Keith Jenkins of Colorado,¡± he said as my hand went to his, ¡°and I am at your service.¡± He brought my hand up to his lips, taking a sniff before he kissed my knuckles.


    I had been told about what it was like to find your true mate by Gabriel; the tingles from the touch, the unstoppable attraction, how you would lose yourself in his eyes. I let a breath out when I realized I had none of these symptoms, this man was NOT my Fated. ¡°Eve Hardigan,¡± I said as I gave a curtsy. The second Alpha came over and offered his hand, again I felt nothing. I could tell they were crushed, as the only never-mated Alphas they had been confident I was to be mated to one or the other, and it didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°This way, gentlemen,¡± Michael said as he escorted them out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a lot of people to meet tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Perhaps we will see each other again,¡± Keith said as he reached the door. They went out, the next group of five Betas alreadying up the elevator. The night continued on; I went through Betas, Gammas, other ranked Pack members, and ny minutester there was still nothing. They were now bringing up unranked males in groups of twenty, basically making Michael and I into a reception line.


    My feet were killing me from standing so long in my heels by the time the final man left. ¡°Come on,¡± Michael said, ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± He started pushing me towards the back door.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought we would be socializing,¡± I said.


    The connecting door opened, and Snake, Viper and Kelly joined the group of us heading for the private elevator. ¡°Our men didn¡¯t like some of the chatter downstairs. Some of the Alphas and Betas are upset at not being your mate, and things could get out of hand. Better to get you out of here.¡± We entered the freight elevator, going straight to the parking garage where the armored SUV was already waiting. I was almost pushed into the seat, the Knights surrounding me to the point where I couldn¡¯t see anything except the car. Dad got in next to me, right before the doors closed and the motorcade took off. The men had their guns out and ready, and a Chicago Police motorcycle led the way out of the ramp and onto the street.


    I didn¡¯t know how he pulled it off, but Abaddon¡¯s escort allowed us to speed to the freeway in record time. Once we were satisfied that no one was following, the police escort left and we blended into the traffic heading to Wisconsin. I looked behind us, seeing Viper and Kelly in the trail vehicle. I gave them a quick wave. ¡°Can I change now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Eve.¡± Michael handed her the bag that had been left in the car for her, before pulling out a nket.


    Michael and Dad held it up after Dad unzipped my gown, and I quickly pulled the dress off and put on my favorite Harley shirt, jean shorts and sandals. I folded the gown and put it, the heels and the jewelry in the bag. ¡°Well, that was a waste of time,¡± I said to no one in particr.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Michael said. ¡°We ruled out the vast majority of candidates in one evening, and now the Packs know about you and the prophecy. Gabriel is already working on establishing alliances, or at least understandings, so the Packs protect you. It¡¯s the one thing that he hopes to get them all to agree to, that you need to be protected until you find your one. Without that, we¡¯re all doomed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little relieved,¡± Dad said as he leaned back in the seat, rubbing his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I was ready to see you married off tonight.¡±


    I gave him a hug. ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t know if I was ready to be mated either.¡± I leaned against him, tucking my head onto his shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem as scary now that I know more what to expect. Plus, there were some prime cuts of beef on parade there.¡± He stiffened as I giggled a little. ¡°What, I¡¯m allowed to look!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way they were looking at you,¡± he said. ¡°If a human undressed you with his eyes like that, I¡¯d beat the shit out of him.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m eighteen, you have to let me live my life sometime. I¡¯m not going to be mated this summer, and I still want to go to college. I don¡¯t want to drop my life while I wait for Mr. Right to show up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home, being out here makes me nervous.¡±


    Alpha Keith Jenkin¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are the men in ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Per your instructions, they are just waiting for you to arrive.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I looked out at the group of werewolves, they were weak. The open bar tab was going to be enormous tonight, there were a whole bunch who were nning to drown their disappointment. ¡°Make your way to the cars, quietly.¡± I smiled as I walked out, pretending to go to the bathroom but instead going down the stairway to the waiting car. I walked in, my Gamma holding the door before he climbed in after me.


    ¡°Are we a go, sir?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s more than I dreamed she would be, Donovan. She needs to be in our Pack, these wolves have no idea what she is worth.¡± We left the garage, a smile on my face as I thought about her face and body. She would be mine.


    Alpha Jenkin¡¯s POV


    Private aircraft over Wisconsin


    ¡°Is everyone in ce?¡± I looked across at my Beta, Charles, and my Delta, Donovan.


    ¡°Yes sir, your father contacted me just before you boarded,¡± Charles said. ¡°Our warriors are in position, waiting for your signal. They report only two werewolves in the area, both at the Knight Pack building. The clubhouse has about thirty people in it now, but the crowd is thinning out as the night goes on.¡±


    I looked at my watch, it was past midnight. The best the motorcade could do from Chicago was a little over five hours, even afternding and driving to the site, we¡¯d still be waiting. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to go in until just before they arrive. The fewer humans we have to deal with, the better. Is her mother there?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep79

    ¡°Yes, Alpha, along with several other wives of their leadership, even some of their children.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The humans wouldn¡¯t risk their families for Eve, they would hand her over without a fight once they saw they had no choice. ¡°You did a good job nning this, Donovan.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Once you ordered us to find the Knights, it all fell into ce. Eve would always be heavily guarded, but their families were left almost alone. Plus, almost all of the Knights are still in Chicago.¡±


    ¡°You have the surprise ready for them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. They¡¯ll go into that Pack House and never walk out again.¡± The pilot announced seatbelts for the arrival into St. Paul, so I buckled in and looked out the window at the lights below. This was shaping up to be a night to remember.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I reached into the bag below the seat and pulled out my phone. Dad was already sleeping, he was weird that way. He could sleep anywhere, anytime, and was out within thirty seconds of closing his eyes. He said it was a holdover from his Army days, when you grabbed sleep when you could. Michael was talking on his phone, while the driver and the Knights in the front seat kept watch on the road for any threats. We weren¡¯t even to Madison yet, it was going to be almost four in the morning by the time we got back home.


    I sent a text to Mitchell, telling him that I didn¡¯t find my man and I was returning home. He was happy for me, happy I wasn¡¯t being forced into something I wasn¡¯t ready for. ¡°Me too,¡± I replied. ¡°Now college, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Hope so. When u arrive?¡±


    ¡°Four-ish. Going straight to clubhouse.¡±


    ¡°CU there¡±


    ¡°IDK Daddy won¡¯t like¡±


    ¡°My problem. U rest, my little troublemaker.¡±


    ¡°Nite.¡± I smiled as I shut the phone down, putting it back in my bag. I needed some sleep too, and as I leaned into my father and closed my eyes, I wondered why Mitch couldn¡¯t be a wolf. He and I would have a chance.


    Mitchell¡¯s POV


    I had set my rm for three, not wanting to miss a chance to see her even in passing. When it went off, I was up instantly, my body trained that way in battle. You never knew when trouble was going to start.


    I got dressed, it was a cool August evening, around sixty and not too humid thanks to a front the night before. I walked out to my Harley, starting it and pulling smoothly out of the driveway. I wasn¡¯t one of these guys who demanded the loud pipes and exhaust noises some did; announcing your presence like that wasn¡¯t tactically sound. I¡¯m sure the neighbors appreciated not being woken up as well.


    I drove through the empty streets towards the clubhouse, my heart was almost racing with excitement. The past few weeks had been hell, not seeing her, her depression and anger at what they were pushing her towards. I really didn¡¯t understand how her parents could do that to her, mates or not, I thought love could be between any two people. I couldn¡¯t figure out why she didn¡¯t tell them to pack sand and leave. She had been evasive on the reasons, just like she didn¡¯t ever tell me why she was in danger or who the people were who were after her.


    Someday she would trust me enough to tell her, even though I knew.


    As I got to the block where the Knights had their clubhouse, I froze as I sat at the stop sign. Five men dressed in ck were breaking in the door in front, guns out. I pulled through the intersection, pretending not to notice, until I was within sight of the Northwoods Riders clubhouse.


    It was being swarmed. At least two dozen men, two vehicles. I could hear screams, even muffled gunfire as I pulled away.


    I had no choice, all I had was my trusty Glock. I needed backup, mostly I needed to let Eve know she wasing back to trouble. I turned left and elerated away, heading back to my apartment. As soon as I pulled in, I got my phone out and texted Eve.


    ¡°HOSTILES IN CLUBHOUSE AND KNIGHTS HOUSE 2 DZ ARMED. HOSTAGES TAKEN.¡± I sent the text, copying and pasting it I sent it to Donut as well. Running inside, I changed into ck clothing and grabbed a gun case from under my bed. My observation post on top of a nearby building was just over a hundred yards from the Clubhouse gate, an easy shot. I pulled out my custom AR-15 I had purchased for hunting hogs in Carolina. Chambered in 300 Whisper, a suppressor on the end of the carbine-length barrel, it was a quiet and urate as a rifle could get. The scope had an illuminated reticle and was optimized for nighttime hunts. I slung it across my back, taking extra magazines and cing them in my cargo pockets. I pulled out a shoulder holster from the closet, cing another Glock under my right arm, extra magazines under my left.


    I tried calling Eve again, the phone going straight to voicemail. Donut, same thing. I left messages with both before rushing out of the house. I drove a different way, the same way I used when I was watching the clubhouse without raising suspicions. It was on the other side from the Knights, and from the roof of the abandoned building I had a good view of the parking lot and front of the clubhouse.


    I briefly considered calling the police, but when I thought back to the way the men moved. They were fast and agile, more so than any human. They were werewolves.


    Eve didn¡¯t know that I knew about them, but I had seen some of the Knights shift as they went on patrol. I didn¡¯t freak, I¡¯d seen lots of weird shit overseas, so I just epted it and moved on. My days of sniper overwatch had figured out the situation quicky; the Knights were all werewolves, while the Riders were human. It made a little more sense why Eve was behaving that way once I knew who was protecting her. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but I think she is a werewolf as well. I drove through the quiet streets, thinking about what I had read on the Inte. There was a ton of information on werewolves, but what was reliable and what was not? I mean, just because some Wattpad story says werewolves are one way doesn¡¯t mean they are.


    When she trusts me, she¡¯ll confide in me.


    I parked behind the building and climbed the fire escape to the top floor, then went inside to the staircase leading to the roof. My hide was well protected, tucked under an overhanging roof. I had a foam pad down,ting around it to break up my silhouette. I unslung my rifle, setting up the bipod to the right height. I settled behind the four-power scope, scanning the parking lot for targets. I could see five men outside; they were guarding the main gate and the perimeter, making sure none of the people inside would escape. Looking through the windows, I could see people being herded down to the main area at gunpoint.


    I shifted my scope over to the Knight¡¯s apartment building. I could see a man near the entrance, blood pooling from his head on the carpet. I checked the windows, lights were turning on and off as the gunmen checked the room for upants. I moved back to the clubhouse, looking through the front door I could see a few of their men, guns out, and a few Club members and families in the tables. The first floor had no windows, so it was tough to tell what was going on.


    I rolled to my side, taking my phone out of my pocket and setting the extra magazines where I could get them quickly. I opened the phone, calling Donuts first. Once again, it went to voice mail. I called Eve, same thing.


    Shit.


    I kept watching as two men, big guys, walked out to stand in front of the clubhouse doors. The other wolves were deferential to them, so they were obviously in charge. I put both of them at the top of my hit list; when you take out the leaders, the troops falter unless they are highly trained. Even then, you might gain a critical few seconds before the next man steps up.


    I saw vehicles approaching fast, and so did they. The men at the perimeter hid themselves, and the men out front went back inside. I looked over, there were tworge SUV¡¯s approaching the gate. They rolled through, taking two spots in the lot right out front. I watched as the men got out, the ones in front running back to open the doors. I saw Snake get out, he reached back and took a hand.


    Eve was walking right into the trap, and I couldn¡¯t stop it, not without endangering everyone inside.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± Dad said as he shook me awake. I looked out the window, we were just up to the clubhouse gate. I grabbed the bag under the seat as we parked, reaching in to get my phone. I turned it on just as Dad opened the door, quickly checking the time. When I saw the first message and the missed calls, my blood went cold.


    ¡°DAD WAIT!¡± I tried to pull him back in the car, but it was toote.


    ¡°Hello, Snake, Michael. Before you do something stupid, look behind me.¡± I looked through the open door towards the entrance, and I dropped my phone when I saw a maning out with a gun to Sheri¡¯s head. She was terrified, and all I could think was God help them if anything happened to her. Moose would burn the city down if anyone hurt her.


    ¡°Tell him,¡± the man I recognized as Alpha Keith Jenkins said over his shoulder.


    The man walked Sheri closer, the gun against her temple. ¡°They¡­ they have us inside. All of us. They said they will kill us if you don¡¯t cooperate.¡± Her eyes told the story, she wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°What do you want,¡± Michael said calmly.


    ¡°I want Eve toe with me, quietly and calmly. If she leaves with me, they live. Now toss your guns on the ground over there.¡±


    Dad looked at him, then back at me. ¡°I¡­¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    He had no choice. There was no way I could let all my friends and my family die over this. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Dad.¡± I felt under my shirt, Vivian¡¯s silver knife was in its usual ce on thenyard around my neck. I got out, feeling the eyes raking over me as I stood tall by my father¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ll be all right.¡± I put my hand on his arm, I could feel him shaking.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep80

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Snake. You don¡¯t have a y here. I¡¯ve got twenty men around you or inside, and we have your Club members and their families. Michael, your men here are dead, the rest are still in Chicago. Don¡¯t be stupid, do what you¡¯re told and they all get to live.¡±


    My father looked around, then at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby.¡± He took my arm, leading me over to Alpha Keith. ¡°Keep her safe,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will. Now go inside, and my men wille out.¡± The men parted, allowing Michael and his guards to go inside. I watched as my father walked in, his shoulders slumped. The Alpha walked me towards a car, his men had started to run back to their vehicles. His Beta, Charles, walked ahead and opened the back door of his car for me. ¡°You are going to love being with me, sooner than you think,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the right way,¡± I said. ¡°I need to find my true mate. You¡¯ll doom us all.¡±


    He took my arm and pulled me to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that, I¡¯ve never believed a word of it. Now get in.¡±


    I turned to the car, getting my leg in, and just before I pulled my other leg in there was a POP sound, like someone dropped a melon on the ground, and blood sprayed all over me.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I was barely keeping myself in control as I followed Michael and the others into the clubhouse. I looked around, everyone looked all right. Pissed, but all right. The bad guys filed out, thest one turning and pointing the gun in my direction. ¡°We¡¯ll be watching, don¡¯te outside for five minutes or you¡¯ll be killed.¡± He ducked through the doorway.


    Viper took charge immediately. ¡°Load up, if you¡¯ve got an extra pass it on. I want rifles in the upstairs windows.¡± I pulled out my backup piece, apact Glock, out of my inside-the-waistband holder. The Alpha hadn¡¯t bothered to search us, he just assumed we tossed all our weapons. The Knights handed their pistols off, then pulled off their clothes and shifted into their wolves. ¡°We can¡¯t let them get away with her,¡± Viper said as people scattered. ¡°I want everyone not fighting in the safe room.¡± There was room with reinforced solid concrete walls and ceiling, essed from underneath the stairway to the upper floors, that we used for shelter. We hadn¡¯t had enough warning to use it before.


    Viper and I hugged the wall, looking out the window towards the enemy vehicles. Moose, Hammer and some others were headed for the garage. I watched as the men ran towards their cars. The Alpha grabbed my daughter¡¯s arm, saying something to her, before she started getting into the car.


    All of the sudden, the Alpha¡¯s head exploded in a red mist, followed quickly by his Beta. ¡°GO GO GO,¡± Viper yelled. We ran through the outer door, catching the men by surprise. I went left and Viper went right, firing rapidly into the warriors before they could turn and engage us. I felt the wolves running past, using the confusion to get the jump on their foes. Some of the men weren¡¯t fast enough in shifting or shooting, and soon a few throats were torn out among the furious growls.


    I was running low on ammo, so I took cover behind a car and watched for bad guysing from behind. Our pistols were soon useless, but the rifles from upstairs were a different story. The fire decimated their lines, causing them to turn and flee.


    I looked over the hood for Eve, but she was in the car and it was already leaving through the gate. ¡°STOP THEM,¡± I yelled as I went back to where our pistols had been tossed. I put the Glock in my pocket and found my main gun, putting it back in the holster under my right arm. A few of my guys came up next to me, and we grabbed the rest. ¡°As soon as the shooting stops, mount up and we go after her,¡± I said.


    The firefight had bogged down quickly. The bad guys had regrouped outside the fence, trying to cover the escape of the others. In the dark it was tough for us to pick out targets, so we were mostly firing at muzzle shes. I heard a yell, and looked over at Viper. He was rolling on the ground, holding his foot. ¡°I¡¯m hit,¡± he said.


    I ran over and picked him up, helping him back through the front door of the club. ¡°Meghan!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the clinic,¡± Chewie said. ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡±


    I handed him off and ran back outside, where the shooting was still going on. I ran back to the cover of the car. ¡°Where is Eve?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone, Snake. Ran off down the road, a couple of their guys on her tail.¡±


    Shit. The rifles continued to bang out, the return fire stopped, and as I looked out I didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°CEASE FIRE,¡± I yelled. ¡°CEASE FIRE.¡±


    Someone turned on the floodlights for the parking lot, and in the light we could see the carnage. Wolves and humans were strewn over the lot, by the fence and outside. One of the wolves shifted, it was Michael. He had been shot in the right leg and stomach. ¡°They¡¯re dead or gone,¡± he said as he limped towards me.


    I could hear the sirens in the distance. ¡°OK, quick cleanup,¡± I yelled. ¡°Wounded get to the clinic, dead carry back inside the garage and stack them up. MOVE IT, unless you like wearing orange.¡± The guys sprung into action, and more came outside to help. We had only a few minutes to do this. I ran with Moose towards the car which Eve had been in. No one inside was moving.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I was just inside the car when the shooting started. I was the only one in the back seat, but the guy riding shotgun pulled out his pistol and started to roll down his window. I pulled the silver knife out of its sheath between my breasts, not wasting any time I reached forward and grabbed his hair with my left hand. Before he could react, I mmed the knife into his right temple.


    Meanwhile, the driver had put it in gear and elerated quickly out of the lot. I rolled back in the seat as he turned hard, losing my grip on the knife stuck in the guy¡¯s skull. I heard ss break, and fragments of ss and skull sprayed over the backseat. The car was still moving, and when I looked up we were about to hit a gpole.


    I was mmed into the back of the front seats on impact, the airbags deploying and pinning the front seat guys in ce. I opened the door, shifting before I leaped out. I wasn¡¯t going to be taken without a fight.


    I could hear the battle behind me, gunfire and screams and howls of pain. I took off running down the street, ignoring the pains in my body from the ident. I was fast, I was at home, I was going to get out of this.


    Mitch¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t let the car leave. I watched as the men poured out of the clubhouse, leaving the hostages behind. I wouldn¡¯t get a better chance.


    I lined up my sights on the leader, waiting until Eve had ducked into the car, I aimed at his temple and squeezed the trigger. I didn¡¯t wait to see if it worked, I immediately shifted the aim point to the second guy. I squeezed the trigger again, this time verifying that the two were down.


    Guys started running towards the car, and I went from target to target, quickly taking them down. Rifles shooters in the upper floors of the clubhouse opened up, their shots were loud and most of the men turned towards them. That was fine with me, I methodically worked my way down the line, keeping anyone from getting too close.


    I changed magazines, then getting back on the scope I saw the driver of Eve¡¯s car had put it in gear and was pulling out towards the exit. I didn¡¯t have the best angle, and with Eve in the car it wasn¡¯t the best, but I had no choice. Making a quick calction, I held my aim point just forward of the windshield and let off three shots as he moved right to left away from me. I could tell I hit something because the car lurched left, crashing into amp pole a few secondster.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I kept my scope on the car, but nobody was getting out. Scratch that- the back door opened and a white wolf jumped out, running away from the car. I tracked it with the scope, my finger ready to fire, but then I got a good look at it. The wolf was female. It was Eve.


    I left my rifle and ran downstairs, out the back of the building to my motorcycle. Firing it up, I burned rubber tearing out of there, making the turns to get to the road she left on. I elerated down the road, hitting over sixty as I tried to make up time. Two wolves I passed as they ran hard, I couldn¡¯t deal with them now. I saw a sh of white ahead, and I went even faster, running stop signs and the asional red light.


    I got close, and she made a sharp right into an alley. I locked up the brakes, barely stopping. ¡°EVE!¡± I shouted, thinking she wouldn¡¯t hear me over the motorcycle, but she skidded to a stop by the garbage can. I watched as she recognized me in the streetlight, running towards me. She leaped in the air just before the sidewalk, smoothly changing into the beautiful woman I had fallen in love with.


    Uncaring of her nakedness, she jumped on the back of my bike and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°GO,¡± she said, and I did just that. We were halfway back to my house and she was not going to go unnoticed for long, so I headed there.


    I pulled into the driveway, killing the engine and putting the kickstand down. She had already hopped off, and I took her hand and led her down the outside stairway to my basement apartment. I shielded her from view as I opened the door and turned on the light. ¡°Are you all right,¡± I finally asked her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°We have to get out of here.¡±


    I looked over at her, having a difficult time keeping my eyes up as she stood gloriously naked in my kitchen. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you some clothes,¡± I said. I went into my bedroom, pulling out a T-shirt and handing it behind me. I also gave her a pair of boxer shorts and sweatpants, then a Marines sweatshirt. Everything was big on her, but at least the pants had a drawstring. I handed her some socks, then looked in the closet for some shoes. I had a pair of runners, they¡¯d have to do.


    ¡°I look like a clown in these,¡± she said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep81

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you better clothes when we are far from here,¡± I said. I grabbed an extra baby Glock, she put it in her deep sweatpant pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I locked up the apartment and we went back to the motorcycle. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°North,¡± she said. ¡°Far from here.¡± I fired up my Harley as she tucked in behind me, her body feeling amazing next to mine. I wasn¡¯t going to pass this chance up, I saved her, now I had a chance to be alone with her. We made it to I-35E north just as the first rays of the morning started to peek over the horizon.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    The two guys in the car were dead, there was blood and ss everywhere. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get these two to the garage,¡± I said. There was no way we could let a werewolf be autopsied, so we had to hide them. I grabbed the driver, half his head was missing, while Moose took the passenger. I put him over my shoulder and started moving towards the clubhouse.


    ¡°How are we going to clean that shit up,¡± Moose asked.


    ¡°Got it covered,¡± Shakes said as he ran towards it with a ss jar in his gloved hand. Lighting the rag, he threw it against the dash, causing mes to engulf the cab. The lights in the parking lot had been turned off already. We ran through the gate, Shakes closing and locking it with a chain, and we got the bodies inside just as the first patrol car came up.


    ¡°Shit, I hope we got everyone,¡± I said as I watched the cops look at the car. Luckily, they stayed back and waited for the fire department. I looked back at Rocket. ¡°Did we clean everything up?¡±


    ¡°As much as we could, there was brass everywhere, we swept up what we could,¡± he said. ¡°All the bodies are inside.¡±


    I gathered everyone in the dining area. ¡°OK, our story is we didn¡¯t hear anything or see anyone, we woke up when the car caught on fire and we heard the sirens,¡± I said. ¡°Donuts, get your badge and get out there, run interference for us.¡± He nodded and ran upstairs to get his Deputy Sheriff uniform. ¡°Nothing else, and no cops get on site without talking to me, Tiny or Moose,¡± I said. ¡°Now, if you got blood on you or smell like gunpowder, go take a shower and change just in case,¡± I said. ¡°If you aren¡¯t busy, start mixing up five-gallon buckets of bleach solution. We need to wash the blood down the drains before the sun rises.¡±


    We got lucky, other than the cops asking a few questions, they didn¡¯te into the Clubhouse. Just after sunrise a thunderstorm rolled in, washing the rest of the evidence away. We¡¯de away mostly unscathed; none dead, Viper and Crash injured but would recover. The Knights hadn¡¯t fared as well; their two dead men in their Pack House had been found, joining the two who died in the battle, and Michael was badly injured. We¡¯d killed fourteen of their men, including their Alpha and Beta, but at least six got away.


    And most importantly, we had no idea where Eve was.


    itch¡¯s POV


    Heading for Duluth, MN on I-35


    We had put forty or so miles between us and the shit storm we left behind, and I could feel Eve shivering into my back. She wasn¡¯t dressed properly for the road. I saw a Wal-Mart sign on the next exit, and pulled off the freeway and into the lot. ¡°Come on,¡± I told her, ¡°Let¡¯s get you some clothes that actually fit.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me in your clothes,¡± she teased.


    ¡°I love it, baby, but in the bedroom, not the freeway.¡± She blushed as I took her hand, leading her in. It was still early, before seven, so it wasn¡¯t busy. I took her to the women¡¯s wear section and told her to pick out versatile clothes because we didn¡¯t have much room. ¡°It¡¯s going to be cold up by theke, so make sure you have a jacket,¡± I said. ¡°What size shoe are you?¡±


    ¡°Seven,¡± she said as she pulled a pair of jeans off the shelf.


    I left her and went to collect a few things I needed. I had a change of clothes in my saddlebag, plus what she was wearing, so I grabbed socks and underwear. I found her some short boots in her size, and a leather jacket, then a small backpack to hold everything. I swung by electronics and bought a burner phone, then headed back to her. She had a small pile of clothes ready; she tried on the boots and jacket. ¡°All set?¡±


    She looked at the cart. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Good, wait here, I¡¯m going to buy this, and you can change. Leave your old clothes in the backpack,¡± I said. I quickly checked out before going back to the dressing room, handing the clothes and shoes over, trying to ignore the shbacks of her naked body as she ran to mest night.


    This woman was going to be the death of me, and I didn¡¯t care. She opened the door, and my jaw dropped. Form-hugging jeans over the boots I¡¯d picked, a cotton shirt in a white, red and blue id, a studded belt and a leather jacket. ¡°Ready?¡± She just smirked as I tried to get my head into the game.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± I took her hand and led her out. ¡°By the way, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Other than away?¡± I nodded. ¡°My parent¡¯s old ce, it¡¯s on the North Shore, a little ind.¡±


    ¡°When was thest time you were there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been there,¡± she said as we reached my motorcycle. ¡°My Mom saved my birth mother¡¯s old stuff, her albums and all. I¡¯ve looked at it on the Inte, that¡¯s all.¡±


    I thought about it, it was about three hours more to Duluth and then the North Shore could be an hour or four, depending on how far up we had to go. ¡°How much sleep did you get?¡±


    ¡°Not enough,¡± she said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go another hour or so and find a ce to eat and a motel, then. We both need sleep.¡± She pulled herself tight to me as I exited the lot and back onto the freeway. Ny minutester, we were walking into a room in a little motel off the freeway exit. ¡°I want you to take a shower and change,¡± I said, ¡°and I¡¯ll be back in a little bit with some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Pancakes, eggs and bacon, please. Lots of bacon.¡±


    I had the burner phone in my pocket as I walked to the diner across the street. I sent a quick text to Donut, telling him that I had Eve with me, she was safe, and we would call at dinnertime. I then turned the phone off. When I returned, she was sitting on the queen bed, hair in a towel, wearing only a T-shirt that hinted at the underwear below them. I had to fight to stay eyes up as we ate, then I tucked her in before I went to take my shower.


    My long shower, which ended with me painting the wall as my knees buckled.


    I knew what I was up against; her parents, her guardians, hell the whole club was against me being with her. God had gifted me with one chance to spend time alone with her, and I wasn¡¯t going to blow it by scaring her now. She¡¯d killed someone, she¡¯d been up a long time, it was bound to catch up to her and I needed her to trust me enough to talk to me.


    I pulled on boxers and a T-shirt, taking time to brush my teeth and shave. When I got out of the bathroom, the lights were off, there was just a glow from the window that showed her in the bed, her hair syed out over the pillow. I went to the closet, grabbing an extra nket and finding a spot that was cleaner than the rest on the floor, I grabbed a pillow andid down. ¡°Mitch?¡± Her voice was soft and broken.


    ¡°Yes love?¡±


    ¡°Hold me?¡± Like I would turn that down. I slid under the covers, moving over until I was in the center of the bed. She turned towards me, her head on my shoulder, hand over my chest, and a leg tossed over mine. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, Eve, I¡¯ll die before I let anything bad happen to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m scared about, Mitch. Everything is out of control, I don¡¯t know who can protect me. The Knights, they put me into the situation that resulted inst night¡¯s battle. My Dad wants to lock me in a tower at the club.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, baby?¡±


    ¡°I want my life to be my own,¡± she said. Her fatigue caught up to her, and I listened as her breathing deepened before I dropped off to sleep myself.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I woke up to the sound of a semi-truck horn, feeling hot and flushed. My shirt had ridden up as we slept, and his hand was in the center of my back. My hand had drifted south, where it had bumped up against something in his shorts. I froze as I thought about it, this was the closest I had ever been to a man¡¯s junk. The covers had been pushed down, so I had a good view down his t stomach to it. It looked big, and it twitched a little as I watched. Curious, I moved my hand into the slit in front, letting my fingertips touch him softly. He moaned a little, his hips moving towards me, so I kept going. I got my hand around it, feeling its size. I¡¯d seen stuff on the Inte, but this was impressive even for that. I couldn¡¯t get my hand around the girth, it was like holding a Coke can. I moved the underwear aside, bringing it into view, and let out a soft gasp as I saw the whole thing.


    My hand at the base left room for another before it got to the bulbous head. I was wondering how the hell that thing would fit in a woman, it must hurt like hell. I moved my hand up and down a little, and was rewarded with another moan. I moved my head down, getting a closer look as I slowly jacked him. I felt his hand moving up my back to my hair as his hips started to pump against my hand. I blew on the head, causing it to re out, and when I took it into my lips, I felt him start to pulse. ¡°OH GODDDDD¡­¡± He started shooting into my mouth, quickly filling it, and I had to swallow to keep up. I kept sucking until he pulled me up, kissing me deeply. ¡°I loved that,¡± he said. ¡°What made you, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I was curious, and I¡¯ve never done that,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°And there are all kinds of things I¡¯d like to do for you, when you are ready for them. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right now.¡± I nodded, rolling onto my back and looking at the ceiling. He rolled towards me, kissing me, moving down to my neck as I moaned my approval. He pulled my shirt over my breasts, the nipples hardening in the colder air.


    ¡°Oooh,¡± I gasped as his mouthtched onto my nub, sucking it into his mouth as his tongue flicked over it. My body was on fire, little tingling sensations working there way down my body, my sex swelling in preparation. He went to my other breast, teasing both to hardness before he gently pinched them. His hands kept up the torture, rubbing them and pinching them, as his mouth continued down my stomach and his teeth pulled my thong to the side.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he said before his tongue moved forward.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± My hands went to the back of his head, pulling him closer as he licked me gently. His hands moved down my side, moving to cup my ass and lift me into position for him. It was heavenly, my eyes were closed as I experienced a lover for the first time. He built the tension, finally causing me to break as I screamed his name, holding him in ce until my orgasm had washed over me. When I was rxed again, he moved back up and rolled me on top of him as heid on his back. I could feel his hard length against my thigh, my hips starting to roll towards it.


    ¡°No,¡± he said as he spanked my ass. ¡°We have to get on the road again before I lose any self-control I have left and spend the next three days making love to you.¡±


    I kissed his chest. ¡°Like that would be so bad.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said as my stomach growled, ¡°let¡¯s get you fed and get going.¡±


    We ate at the diner before getting back on the road. Mitch turned on the burner phone and handed it to me. ¡°You¡¯re an adult, Eve. Reassure them you are all right and you¡¯ll be back, but you don¡¯t have to listen to them yell at you. It wasn¡¯t long ago they were going to ship you off with a guy you just met.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to remind me, we had talked about mates and mating in the small diner over steak and potatoes. He still hadn¡¯t freaked about my shift in the alley, and he told me he¡¯d known about our kind for a week and suspected I was one too. I was relieved, one of my fears was that he would see me as a freak and not want to be with me.


    The phone call didn¡¯t go well. I called Kelly, she was crying and Dad was yelling and everyone was telling me I had toe home right NOW and how much trouble I was in. Finally, I couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°I love you Dad, I¡¯ll be home in a few days.¡± I ended the call and turned the power off as Mitch pulled me into his side.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep82

    The traffic was heavy, the tourism in summer on the North Shore was in full swing. Our motorcycle blended right in, a lot of clubs did rides up here to get away from the heat and humidity of the city. If the wind was off the still-cold Lake Superior, it could be in the fifties. Switch the wind and you¡¯re in the nies. We had to stop to add or remove clothes a few times before we stopped for the night in Silver Bay. We were lucky to find a vacancy at a resort off theke, they had cozy little cabins tucked into the woods. We went into town for dinner, did a little exploring with each other, then went to sleep. I wanted to get an early start.


    I directed him to the Packnds as we drove on the near-empty twone roads ind. I loved the smells up here, the pine and birch forests, the creeks and waterfalls, thekes. It took an hour to get to the turnoff, and the road was blocked with a gate and a NO TRESSPASSING- PRIVATE PROPERTY sign. Mitch parked the bike out of sight from the road, and we looked at the overgrown trail. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has been here in years,¡± he said.


    I scented the air, I detected nothing except rabbits and deer. ¡°Would you mind if I shift?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯d like to see you naked. And your wolf.¡±


    ¡°Pervert,¡± I said as I pulled my boots off. He took the backpack and folded my stuff, putting it inside then on his back. I shifted into my wolf, shaking out my fur before I rubbed my scent onto his legs. He scratched my ears and knelt down in front of me as I put my muzzle on his shoulder, licking his neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, it takes my breath away,¡± he said. I licked him again, then took off through the woods, going through the fencing where a downed tree had knocked it down. I ran around, sniffing and having fun, making sure not to get too far ahead of him. It took us almost two hours to walk to the clearing where the Pack House and buildings had been.


    I stopped and shifted, dropping to my knees as tears rolled from my eyes. The ce I had seen in the pictures was gone; the main house had burned to the ground, the foundation walls and basement covered with debris, vines and shrubs. I looked across to where the Pack Clinic was, the ce my birth mother Jessica had learned about medicine, where my adoptive mother Vivian had worked as a contract doctor. I was sobbing hard as Mitch pulled me back into his arms, he held me until the tears had stopped.


    He handed me clothes, and I quickly dressed. I started walking through the destruction, holding on to his hand with a death grip and I described what I remembered from Mom¡¯s photos. We moved through the tall grass towards a group of houses in the back, and I stopped at the second one from the left. The walls had copsed, some of the roof pieces hadn¡¯t burnedpletely. I picked my way in, hoping that there was something left from my family after almost a quarter century of being abandoned. Mitch helped me move the roof section aside, and as I dug through the piles underneath my eyes came across a small jewelry box.


    I was shaking as I opened it. Inside, a ne sat, a heart-shaped locket at the bottom. I held it in my fingers, finding the catch, and gasped as it opened. I recognized my grandmother, my grandfather, and a baby who was my own mother in the tiny picture. I closed the locket and was still shaking as Mitch put it around my neck. ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°When the curse started, women became valuable. It didn¡¯t matter they were all dying, they had the chance to deliver heirs, to be the one who escaped the curse. A stronger Pack attacked ours, and killed all the men and boys. The women were carted off to be force mated.¡± I looked around at the destruction. ¡°They probably burned the houses to hide the evidence and get rid of the bodies,¡± I said.


    He pulled me to his chest as I sobbed against him. I took a deep breath, something was¡­ wolf¡­ it wasn¡¯t a rogue, he smelled clean. Hell, he smelled great. I looked over at the edge of the woods where a big grey and ck wolf with white streaks was staring at me. I felt my heart lurch as his mouth opened, before he let out a mournful howl and ran off. I could hear the thunder of paws approaching, something was wrong. ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± I told Mitch.


    ¡°Shift and run,¡± he told me as he tossed his keys on the ground. ¡°Get back to my motorcycle and take off. I¡¯ll make my way back, you pick me up in three hours.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t want to, but I had to. The only way to avoid the Packing my way was to run myself. I pulled off my clothes. ¡°Stay safe,¡± I said before I kissed him and shifted, grabbing the keys before running off towards the road.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I looked around at the clubhouse, so proud of my club and how we had rallied. Outside the gates, the fire had been put out in the SUV they had tried to drive Eve away in. We had collected all the dead, stuffing them in the back of a cargo van in the shop for now until they could be disposed of. Everyone involved in the fight or cleanup had showered and changed, and a front came through bringing torrential rains and cooler temperatures, washing any blood away in the parking lots.


    We just might get out of this unscathed, I thought.


    Donuts was still out there with the White Bear Lake police, nting the idea it was a stolen car some gangbangers had taken from Colorado to Minnesota with a load of weed. To back that up, I had my residentputer whiz member, Mitch, file a stolen vehicle report in Colorado dated yesterday. There wasn¡¯t much left of the vehicle, the ss had all blown out and it waspletely gutted by the firebomb.


    Upstairs, Meghan was still patching people up. Viper was cranky as he waited on a cot outside the room, his foot bandaged and elevated. Down the hall, Crash was lying in a cot with a bandage on his arm and an IV. ¡°Michael still in there,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he was in bad shape. Meghan said I could wait.¡±


    Kelly was in a chair next to him. ¡°She said he caught a ricochet in the foot, she¡¯ll remove it after Michael and Crash are done. Crash will be fine, he took a through-and-through to his upper arm.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I patted Viper¡¯s shoulder and gave Kelly a hug before I went back downstairs. Everyone was finished with the fast cleanup, we couldn¡¯t do more until the cops left. ¡°Anything new on Eve?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± one of the Knights said. ¡°We followed her trail to an alley about eight blocks away where it disappeared. She must have gotten in a vehicle. It wasn¡¯t them, we¡¯re pretty sure. We tracked the two wolves that chased her as they searched for her after she disappeared, then they took off.¡±


    I was happy she had gotten away, but terrified of what may be going on with her now. A thought came to mind. ¡°Hey, who took out the car Eve was in?¡±


    A bunch of people looked around at each other. ¡°We didn¡¯t fire on it,¡± Shakes finally said. ¡°Too risky with Eve in the back.¡±


    Moose thought for a minute. ¡°The driver was shot through the side window, not from the back,¡± he said. ¡°Plus, the Alpha and Beta were shot before we even got our rifles out. It wasn¡¯t us.¡±


    ¡°Mitchell. It had to be him,¡± Tiny said. With Viper injured, he was in charge now. He read the text, the warning text Mitchell had sent Donut before the attack. ¡°He must have been here and set up a hide. Moose, take a Knight and sniff around out there, figure out where he was. I¡¯m going to have Donuts stop by his house, maybe he took her there.¡± Moose left with two men, and Tiny pulled out his phone. Donuts responded right away, he told us he was done out there and would get his car and drive over to his apartment.


    ¡°Rocket, take the two prospects,¡± he pointed at Chewie and Tony. ¡°As soon as the cops leave, drive the van with the bodies out to our property in Wisconsin. Leave it there and drive back with them,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about Gabriel?¡± He was on his way, he had left Chicago with his men as soon as word of the attack got out.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here in a few hours, but I¡¯ve texted him our n. He¡¯s going to leave some of his men at the property to take care of the bodies. Four of them are his men, after all. Rocket, you¡¯ll have to pull into the loading dock of their building to get the other two.¡±


    ¡°I hope they leave soon, that van isn¡¯t going to smell good,¡± Rocket said.


    ¡°Good reason for you to not get caught. Don¡¯t speed, don¡¯t be stupid. Prospects, if he¡¯s getting pulled over you do something to get them to chase you instead, got it?¡± They nodded.


    ¡°Snake, you, Shakes and Mitch start doing what you can to find out where Eve went. Hack traffic cams, check their phones, whatever you need.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I think her phone is still in her bag in the car outside, I¡¯ll get it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it, you get your skinny fry-cook ass in the kitchen and make us breakfast,¡± he ordered. ¡°We¡¯re hungry.¡±


    I just nodded, at least cooking would give me something to do other than lose my mind. ¡°OK, for everyone else, we don¡¯t need any attention drawn to us, so it¡¯s business as usual.¡± There was some nervousughter at this. ¡°Well, as usual as we can make it seem, except the whole picking up spent brass and making sure the bloodstains are gone thing. Send the kids to school, go to work. When we know where Eve is, we¡¯ll let everyone know.¡±


    I went back into the kitchen, turning on the grill as I prepped something fast. Twenty minutester, I had eggs, bacon, and French toast flying out of the kitchen to the grateful crowd. I finished breakfast myself before wiping things down and going back out. ¡°Any word?¡±


    ¡°We found his sniper hide, it¡¯s definitely Mitchell who did the shooting,¡± Tiny said. ¡°He used over a magazine from his AR-15, and he isn¡¯t going to miss many. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s the one who took out the Alpha, he waited until she was out of the line of fire, then took them both out. They¡¯re boxing up his gear and bringing it back.¡±


    ¡°What about his apartment?¡±


    ¡°Empty, neighbor said he heard hime and go well before sunrise. Said a girl was with him.¡± I let out a breath, at least she was with someone on our side, even if he did look at her like he wanted to bang her on the table in front of us. ¡°Oh, and Snake? Moose said from the looks of his hide, he¡¯s been watching the clubhouse for weeks.¡±


    I was up to a rolling boil now. ¡°The little fuck, spying on us like that?¡±


    ¡°Probably trying to see Eveing out of the shower or something, since you don¡¯t let her out of her room when he¡¯s here,¡± Tiny said. I wanted to punch him just for suggesting that, but then I looked at Tiny and my sane side prevailed.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep83

    ¡°His ass is MINE when we catch up with them,¡± I said. ¡°Any word on that, Mitch?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been checking traffic cams, hoping to see them,¡± he said. ¡°I caught this a block from where they lost her scent.¡± It was a blurry image, but enough to make out a naked Eve on the back of Mitch¡¯s motorcycle. ¡°I didn¡¯t pick them up again for another twenty minutes, this time they were on a ramp to I-35E north.¡± He showed that image, she was now dressed in sweats, her arms tight around his waist. ¡°That was an hour ago. I¡¯ve been checking cameras farther north, trying to see if they left the Cities or not.¡±


    I texted Donuts, asking if he knew anyce in the North Metro that Mitchell might go toy low for a while. ¡°Anything else we can do?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I checked their phones, we have hers and his was found at the sniper hide. He¡¯s good, if he wants to hide, he¡¯s not leaving much for us to go on.¡±


    I went up and sat by Viper and Kelly, quickly updating them on what was going on. ¡°Any idea where they may have gone?¡±


    ¡°Away from you, I bet,¡± Kelly said. ¡°Look at this from her perspective for a change. Her whole life she¡¯s been told she¡¯s some Werewolf Princess who has been sheltered from everything. Her friends, her brother, they go to school, go on dates, dances. What does she do? She gets to go on motorcycle rides where she¡¯spletely surrounded by dozens of old men, unable to even look at anyone else.¡± She snorted. ¡°At least she could do that until you stopped even THAT. Then you take her to Chicago, parade a couple hundred horny men past her, then rush back here because your n didn¡¯t work. She knows she¡¯s bringing danger to the Club, everyone knows about her now, so running might just make sense.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s vulnerable out there!¡±


    ¡°She was vulnerable HERE, Snake. At her home, with her friends held at gunpoint as we waited for her. Look, we know Mitch likes her, she may like him. She feels safer hiding with him than us right now.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s NOT safer, we need to find her. Do you know anyone in the North Metro she might run to for help?¡±


    ¡°No, but you can check her social media. See if she¡¯s talking to anyone up that way.¡± I nodded. ¡°By the way, Michael is out of surgery and Crash is being patched up now, we¡¯re on deck.¡± I gave her a hug and went back downstairs.


    Donut came running in to the clubhouse, still in full uniform. ¡°I got a text from Mitchell,¡± he said, a little out of breath. ¡°He said he¡¯s got her, they are safe, and they¡¯ll call again at dinnertime.¡±


    ¡°Give that to Mitch,¡± I said before he handed it over.


    Mitch looked at the phone number, then did some stuff on hisputer. ¡°That phone number is a burner phone. He probably just bought it.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell where?¡±


    ¡°Working on it.¡± Ten minutester he had the answer, a Wal-Mart just off I-35 near Forest Lake.¡± I looked at the map; they were out of the cities and heading north. ¡°Can you track the phone?¡±


    ¡°He turned it off, so no. Not until he uses it again.¡±


    We kept at it for an hour until Kelly pulled me aside. ¡°Snake, assume they don¡¯t want to get in touch. How are you going to protect them if you aren¡¯t close to them?¡±


    It was like a light went off. ¡°Tiny, we need to send some guys north, we can go a little farther than where this shows. If you find them, you pass us the location and we¡¯re an hour closer at least.¡±


    He nodded, it made sense. ¡°As soon as Gabriel is here, we¡¯ll set it up. We need his men too, just in case other wolves get involved.¡± I ran upstairs to grab some clothes and supplies for my backpack, among them my silver-bullet pistols and a pair of handcuffs. We¡¯d have to take the SUV, because Eve sure as hell wasn¡¯t riding on the back of his bike again, ever.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    It had been hard for me to let go of my anger, both at the Alpha and myself. The whole ride back from Chicago, I was beating myself up for failing my charge yet again. ¡°We¡¯re almost here, Alpha,¡± my driver said.


    We were making a short stop at ournd in Wisconsin to pay our respects to our four men who had died today. I left a half-dozen men there to take care of the bodies, then we continued into the Cities. I had been getting updates throughout the drive from my men, and I had talked to Tiny about Eve. Right now we didn¡¯t know where she was, so I was going to keep some men in reserve with his men to go get her if she turned up. My first priority was taking care of the Colorado Pack.


    I had my men set up a videoconference with our Allied Packs at noon, that would give me enough time to get back and prepare. The Colorado pack was not small, and they would be out for blood. It was my job to ensure the threat to Eve from them was gone. When we arrived at our Pack House, I sent Abaddon and a few others to the Clubhouse to link up with Tiny.


    Abaddon called me back a few minutester, he was taking six men with him to go after Eve based on thest location they had on her. He was going to ride with Snake and a driver, so they could stay in touch, the rest of the men were riding motorcycles. The n was simple; she wouldn¡¯t be doubling back, so we were going to stagger one wolf and one human every fifty miles or so between Forest Lake and Duluth. We¡¯d keep an eye on the freeway and wait for the next position, hoping at least one of us would be close enough to get to her quickly.


    The videoconference went well; our allies were outraged that after all that had happened at the Conference, one of the guests tried to do this. Three Packs much closer to them than us vowed to take care of the problem for us, and I was happy to let them. That was one less problem for me to deal with right now.


    I went over to the Clubhousete in the afternoon, after it was clear to me that the surviving Pack members had left town. Tensions were high, everyone was worried, including me. I checked on Michael, he was awake after surgery and alive thanks to Meghan. He would be out for a few days. Crash and Viper were downstairs, Viper¡¯s foot in a protective boot as he got around on crutches.


    We ate a nervous dinner together, takeout Chinese as both of our cooks were gone. Finally, Kelly got a phone call, and when she said it was Eve we all got quiet. The conversation didn¡¯t go well, Eve ended up hanging up on them. ¡°Mitch, did you get a location?¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    His fingers were flying over the keyboard. ¡°It¡¯s a cell tower in Moose Lake,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t narrow it down closer than that, not enough time.¡±


    ¡°Still moving north, not that quickly,¡± I said. ¡°I think we should move more people up that way. Ask around if anyone has seen them, check the motels and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Viper said. ¡°Let¡¯s get ahead of them for a change.¡± More men were sent north, but that was all we could do for now.


    Kelly¡¯s POV


    Viper wasn¡¯t sleeping well, he had to get up to take pain pills and the boot made him ufortable. I was worried about my granddaughter, so we made quite the pair in our bed at home. I¡¯d finally talked him into leaving the Clubhouse when it was clear nothing else would be happening tonight.


    I woke up from a dead sleep, my subconscious brought something to my memory. I immediately woke Viper. ¡°Baby, remember five years ago when we were telling Eve about her birth mother and Vivian¡¯s history?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you two were looking through Jessica¡¯s stuff,¡± he said.


    ¡°I think I know where she is going,¡± I said. ¡°She wanted to go visit Jessica¡¯s packnds, and we told her no. Gabriel didn¡¯t want to risk it, he said that area still has a lot of lone wolves about, even if the organized Packs are gone. Remember how disappointed she was? How she kept asking until we finally told her it was never going to happen?¡±


    ¡°SHIT.¡± He reached for the phone, calling a number. ¡°Gabriel, it¡¯s Viper. We think Eve is headed for Jessica¡¯s old Pack grounds. Yes, the North Shore Pack.¡± He listened for a minute. ¡°You know where it is, right? Get some men up there right away.¡±


    We both couldn¡¯t sleep, hoping that I was right and we got there in time.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I ran hard through the woods, but the Pack chasing me was closing in fast. I stumbled as I leaped a downed tree, a sudden pain in my leg causing me to lose my concentration. I rolled when I hit, losing the keys, and lost precious seconds as I had to find them and pick them up in my mouth again. I was in so much trouble; despite everything I had been taught, I was in a strangend with no protection, and everything could go bad quickly. My back left leg hurt, then my right. I pushed on.


    The story Dad told me about how Vivian was attacked during the trip to Florida and force mated was up front in my thoughts as I ran like the wind. In her diary I was given when I was sixteen, I read about how she gave up hope of finding her true mate, losing her virginity to her personal guard. I knew how much she suffered, and even after marrying Dad, she lived in fear of being taken again.


    I was a fool. A kid throwing a tantrum because I didn¡¯t get my way, and I was going to pay the price. A sudden headache made my eyes narrow, I had to breathe through the pain before it went away.


    ¡°Eve! It¡¯s Abaddon, slow down so we can escort you back to our vehicles!¡±


    I almost stumbled when I got the mental message from the Master at Arms of my Pack.


    ¡°You¡¯re chasing me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although I sent two to get Mitch and four after that wolf who found you.¡± I slowed to a trot, hearing them approach. As they got closer, and I could smell their familiar scents, I rxed again. I was happy to see them, they weren¡¯t so happy with me. ¡°What in the hell do you think you¡¯re doing out here? And why do you smell of sex and that vile human?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just want to go home. This was all a mistake, I¡¯ve made so many mistakes.¡±


    Abaddon came alongside me, turning me towards the direction they came from. ¡°You are all right, we¡¯ll deal with the rest when you get home,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt the wolf, he didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I said. ¡°He just looked at me, howled and ran off. There was something about him, though. He smelled, I don¡¯t know, it was amazing. I wish I could bottle it.¡±


    Abaddon stopped. ¡°Did you look in his eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, his eyes were amazing, it was like I could see right into¡­ oh Luna¡­ oh shit¡­ THAT WAS MY MATE!¡±


    ¡°Shit. GUYS DON¡¯T HARM THE WOLF HE MIGHT BE HER MATE,¡± he thundered over the link.


    ¡°Toote,¡± Samsiel replied. ¡°He fought when we caught him, he¡¯s alive for questioning like you asked but he isn¡¯t going anywhere soon. I knocked him out and both his legs are broken.¡±


    ¡°NOOO!¡± I turned to run towards him, only to be tackled and held down by Abaddon. Struggling was useless, he was almost twice my size in wolf form and an experienced warrior, I wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°We continue back,¡± he told me. ¡°Samsiel, make a stretcher and bring him to our cars. Doc Meghan will be here in a few hours with the ambnce.¡±


    ¡°On it, boss. It¡¯s going to take a few hours to get there anyway.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep84

    I stopped struggling, and he let me stand again. cing himself between me and where we came from, he growled until I lowered my head and started moving towards their cars again. The group of wolves with him took stations around us, alert and ready to respond to any other threats.


    I had a lot of time to think as we moved back to the cars. No longer running hard, we only needed about twenty more minutes to make it back to the road that they had parked along. They verified there was no traffic, then I turned around while the men shifted and pulled clothes out to change into. One of them handed me a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and all the men turned away as I shifted and put them on. ¡°How much trouble am I in?¡±


    ¡°On a scale from one to ten, you¡¯re at fourteen, maybe more after they find out what you¡¯ve been up to.¡± Abaddon said. ¡°Call your father and let him know you are safe.¡±


    He handed me his phone and I dialed Dad¡¯s number. ¡°Dad? It¡¯s me, I¡¯m safe with the Knights.¡±


    ¡°Thank god, Eve, you had us all so worried.¡± I could feel his relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Dad, I was foolish, and I put myself and you guys in danger.¡± I was crying by now. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Viper and Crash were shot but survived, Michael was hit bad but will pull through. The Knights, they lost four men in the attack.¡± Oh Luna¡­ I had no idea, I¡¯d barely thought of what might have happened to those left behind after I was driven out of the parking lot of the clubhouse. ¡°Don¡¯t give them any trouble, they aren¡¯t in the mood for it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The guys were giving me space, I knew they could still hear me, but they were pretending not to. ¡°Dad, I really screwed up. I think I saw my mate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! What¡¯s his name? When do you see him again?¡±


    ¡°The Knights are bringing him, they thought he was a threat and they hurt him bad. Dad¡­ I didn¡¯t recognize him at first, it took a while to figure out what my reaction was since I only got a quick look and a sniff. But¡­ I was with Mitch when he saw me, he was hugging me as I was crying. I think he smelled me, smelled us, and took off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad, you can exin that to him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Oh Luna, this was not a conversation I wanted to have. ¡°He smelled US. We were, um, kind of together the night before.¡±


    ¡°Oh god¡­ I¡¯M GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!¡± I heard a crash and the phone cut off. He probably threw his phone and broke it. I was pretty sure I was now over a fifteen on the scale.


    I sat on the road, leaning back against the SUV, wondering how the hell my life had spun so out of control while I was having a great time. If I had only insisted on calling my Dad from Mitch¡¯s house, I would have saved all of them a lot of time and effort. Instead, all I thought about was myself. I handed Abaddon his phone back, and instead of leaving me alone, he sat down by me. ¡°I ruined everything, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Heughed a little. ¡°No, not everything. You haven¡¯t mated another werewolf yet, so there¡¯s still a chance to get through this. Mitch, not so much. If your Dad doesn¡¯t kill him, your mate just might. Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you how jealous a male gets when he finds out his mate has been canoodling with someone else?¡±


    ¡°Canoodling? Geez, just how old are you?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t go all the way, it wasn¡¯t ¡®sex¡¯ sex. I¡¯m still a virgin.¡±


    ¡°That may help, but you have an uphill climb. The bond will help, and so will the drugs Meghan gives him while he heals. Love forgives all, young one, and in that bond, you will find all the love you need.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can you feel it before you actually mate?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Did you know I met but never actually got to mate my true mate?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°I was a Pack Warrior, I was protecting the Luna of our Pack as we visited another. I had sworn an oath to protect her with my life, above even my own happiness. I saw my true mate as the Luna went through the reception line, she was the eldest daughter of that Pack¡¯s Beta and was underage. I was able to shake her hand, look in her eyes¡­ I got lost. We knew what we were to each other, our wolves started to bond with that look. I couldn¡¯t break away from my duties, and a monthter she was killed when another Pack attacked them. My Alpha, he had been called there to discuss a treaty with her Pack, but he wanted too much in return and it didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°And you never saw her again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. ¡°I felt her as she died, felt the pain as she was ripped apart. I med my Alpha, I went rogue that day. I went back to her home, found her and her family and sent them off properly.¡±


    ¡°You never mated again.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I eventually met Gabriel in my travels, and what Luna said in his vision resonated. I couldn¡¯t have my true mate, but I could protect the hope of our species. I took the vow, devoted my life to preparing for war and took the name Abaddon. And now, I¡¯m back where I started. Guarding thest hope of our species is what I have vowed to do. You, Eve. You have a responsibility as well, to make our sacrifice, our lives, to make them worth something. It¡¯s never about just you, it never has been.¡±


    Everything was hitting me at once, I felt so small, so stupid. I needed to put on my big girl panties and quit being a spoiled teenager. I¡¯d apologize, take my punishment and move forward. So much had been lost. I thought about them for a while as we sat quietly together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your friends. How did it happen?¡±


    He told me of what they had found when I was taken, and the battle that happened behind me. ¡°They died doing what they pledged to do, to keep the Promised One safe. It was a sacred pledge each of us made, a pledge I¡¯ve lived now for over two decades. I prayed to Luna that I would live to see you break the curse on our people, and now we¡¯re so close.¡±


    ¡°If I get him to forgive me and we mate,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, child. It is your destiny, just as mine was to protect you. Here you tried to run from your destiny, you rebelled and went far from where you belonged. And yet, you end up in his back yard, looking at each other from across the clearing. Luna certainly has a ir for the dramatic,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you into the car. I¡¯m getting too old to be sitting on the pavement this long.¡±


    He opened the back door for me and I slid in across the soft leather. I was d to be alone again, it gave me time to think. I closed my eyes, working through my true feelings for Mitch. He made me feel desired, special, but did I love him, or did I love the idea of someone like him loving me? And what about my mate, my wolf was already fighting me on this, she wanted him and him only.


    I couldn¡¯t have both, and worst case I wouldn¡¯t have either.


    My life was a mess.


    Unknown POV


    When I went to investigate the scenting from near the old Pack house, I was confused. It was a wolf, and a human, but the wolf smelled female and that just couldn¡¯t be right. Shewolves were extinct, thest ones had died almost ten years ago.


    Still, I ran to the area, the scent getting stronger and my wolf getting more excited the whole way. I stopped in the treeline, looking at the couple locked in a loving embrace among the ashes of one of the homes. His scent was thick on her, her arousal on him. Underneath it all, one scent my wolf recognized.


    MATE.


    I stared at her as she was in his embrace, my shock slowly being reced by anger, then by revulsion. How could Luna do this to me? My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wolvesing fast. I looked back to her, howled in warning, then took off for home.


    The straight path home would let them take an angle and cut me off, so I veered away from them. These were my woods, I knew them like the back of my hand, and I¡¯d take that advantage. I led them away, looping back in a wide arc, finding out toote they hadn¡¯t been fooled.


    The two warriors, both bigger and older, were waiting for me when I emerged from around the rock formation I had weaved through. I tried to get by, but one got his teeth in my back left leg. He held tight, causing me to hit the ground heavily as I heard the bone snap. He let go, I got up on three legs, and we started to fight. I shredded his ear, but the second wolf took out my back right leg the same way. I couldn¡¯t stand, and when I tried to crawl away with my front legs, they gave a warning growl. I rolled on my back, exposing my neck. One of the warriors shifted, he was an older wolf, his skin covered in tattoos and scars. ¡°SHIFT,¡± he said.


    Iplied, the changeing over me as the pained howl became an agonizing scream. The man helped me sit up, he was sizing me up as a threat. ¡°I¡¯m no rogue,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m a lone wolf. I¡¯ve lived on thisnd my whole life.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep85

    ¡°This is North Shore Packnd, kid.¡±


    ¡°No shit. My Pack no longer exists.¡± The second wolf had shifted, and I heard two more approaching. ¡°Now what the hell are you guys doing on mynd?¡±


    The guys who walked out of the trees towards me were not happy they had missed the fight. ¡°We ask the questions here,¡± the one said as he picked up a thick branch. One of the men grabbed my hair just before the log knocked me the fuck out.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I had finished crying for now, and I looked around at the men surrounding my car as I sat in the back seat. Abaddon walked over to my window and tapped on it, he had just been talking with his men. ¡°My men will be back here with Mitch in about five minutes,¡± he told me. ¡°I need to know what you think about him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It matters in how I handle him when he gets here. It also matters because your father will be here shortly after, along with Gabriel.¡±


    I looked down at my feet, wondering how I could face him again. ¡°I don¡¯t want him hurt,¡± I said. ¡°He did save my life. What we did together, that was as much my doing as his, I mean, I started it. But¡­¡± I looked out at the woods where he would being from. ¡°I need to break it off with him. I can¡¯t be alone with him anymore; my wolf won¡¯t let me, and it doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He opened the door and helped me out, I leaned against the side with him as we waited. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two a few minutes to talk when he gets here. If he behaves, I¡¯ll let him go.¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± My mind had been filled with images of him being hurt, even killed.


    ¡°Snake will be pissed, Viper too, but I have to think of the good of the Club and of you. You¡¯re still alive, safe, and you don¡¯t need to go through this time thinking you¡¯re responsible for his death. He has to cooperate, though; if he can¡¯t leave you behind, there¡¯s not much I can do to help him. It wasn¡¯t healthy attraction, Eve, he was stalking you.¡± I looked at him a little surprised. ¡°We found the sniper hide he¡¯d been using on top of an abandoned building, plus we broke the security on hisptop. He had a high-power camera, he¡¯d been watching the Clubhouse for weeks. He had files on each of us, each Club member, but the stuff he had of you¡­ let¡¯s just say he¡¯d seen you naked before this little run of yours.¡±


    I put my hand over my mouth. ¡°Oh shit¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Break it off, quick and clean, because there is no way in hell he¡¯s going to be allowed around the Club or you. If your family doesn¡¯t kill him, we will. He¡¯s unstable, Eve, and he¡¯s a threat to you.¡± I thought about it as he moved away. It was only a minute more before I heard them moving through the woods, Mitch was between two of the Knights, and he didn¡¯t look happy.


    ¡°EVE!¡± He started to run towards me; they let him, but they formed a loose circle around us. He tried to run into my arms, but I put my hand up and stopped him. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re all right,¡± he said.


    ¡°You were stalking me?¡± I looked at him, my face in pain at the truth of our rtionship. ¡°Taking pictures of me through the window?¡±


    His shoulders slumped, his hands falling to his side. ¡°I love you, Eve. I¡¯ve loved you since I first saw you. Your Dad and the others wouldn¡¯t allow me close, so I did what I could to get closer to you.¡±


    ¡°You invaded my privacy, Mitch. I thought more of you.¡± I looked in his eyes, ones that just this morning I¡¯d been looking into with lust. ¡°I can¡¯t trust you, and you took advantage of me, Mitch. I¡¯m thankful to you for saving my life, but this,¡± I pointed between us, ¡°this thing isn¡¯t going to happen. You¡¯re the one I rebelled with, not the one I¡¯m destined to be with. I realized that during my run, I was just being a fool, acting out a fantasy,¡± I said. ¡°When I thought my life was over, I wasn¡¯t thinking about you.¡±


    He reached for my hands, ignoring me as I pulled them free. ¡°We can leave here, Eve, we can be happy. We can go anywhere, do anything, without your Dad or the Club telling you no.¡± He reached out for my face, I stepped back.


    ¡°There is no ¡®we¡¯ anymore.¡± I kissed his cheek, then moved back. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Mitch. I want you to leave, I don¡¯t ever want to see you again. Now get the hell out of Minnesota while you still can.¡±


    I walked back to the car, getting back inside. The window was still down, and I could hear everything as Abaddon pulled him away.


    ¡°Snake wants to kill you, Viper wants to kill you then have Meghan resuscitate you, just so he can kill you again. Hammer, he wants to get medieval on your ass. I¡¯d choose about anything before that,¡± he said. ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to cut you a break here because you did take a bunch of those assholes out, and as a warrior I respect what you did. Here¡¯s your keys, my guy will give you a ride to where you parked. You have two days to get as far away from here and St. Paul as you can. If you are ever seen in Minnesota or Wisconsin again after that, or you approach Eve or the clubhouses, we¡¯ll kill you and bury you in a shallow grave out here.¡±


    I watched through the tinted ss, this was his one chance and he wasn¡¯t acting like he appreciated the gift he was getting. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Abaddon. I love her, I¡¯m going to fight for her.¡±


    ¡°You heard her, she doesn¡¯t want you,¡± he said softly, but I could tell he was pissed.


    ¡°She will.¡± He turned and looked down the road, sneaking peeks back towards my car.


    I watched as Abaddon waved at one of his men. ¡°Kushiel.¡± The man came over, he was one of the two who had escorted Mitch out. ¡°Take him to his motorcycle and follow him back here.¡± He nodded and the two went off towards the other car, Mitch had his keys in his pocket. They drove off, and Abaddon walked back to me. ¡°I tried, Eve, but some people just don¡¯t learn.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s stubborn, and he thinks he¡¯s in love,¡± I said. ¡°He won¡¯t give up.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± His phone rang, he pulled it out and answered it, then handed it to me. ¡°It¡¯s your Dad.¡±


    ¡°Hi Daddy,¡± I said. ¡°Are you close?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes,¡± he said. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I told Mitch to leave me alone, that I never wanted to see or talk to him again,¡± I said. ¡°Abaddon told me about what you found on hisputer. I feel so vited.¡±


    I could hear him trying to get control as he spoke. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m pissed off I won¡¯t get the chance to beat the shit out of that pervert. Gabriel told me Abaddon was going to let him go.¡±


    ¡°He did. I love you, Dad. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± I hung up the phone and closed my eyes while I waited for him to get here.


    Abaddon¡¯s POV


    I sent to Kushiel over the Pack link. ¡°He just doesn¡¯t get it, does he?¡±


    ¡°Nope. He thinks he still has a chance to get her back.¡±


    I just shook my head, some people didn¡¯t learn. It¡¯s like the old line about how people learn that I¡¯d picked up in warrior training. ¡°Some people can learn not to do stupid shit by reading about it,¡± my Beta told me back then, ¡°while others have to see it happen to someone else. Then there are those stupid fucks who just HAVE to piss on the electric fence.¡± Mitch was one of those guys. ¡°Kushiel, grab a tracker from the glovepartment and nt it on his bike. I want you to follow him, make sure he actually leaves here and goes home. Call Mitch at the club, have him do hisputer shit and set up an rm if that bike gets within six blocks of the clubhouse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it, boss.¡±


    I ran my fingers through my hair, all this shit today and I hadn¡¯t even met her mate yet.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I was d we¡¯d brought the ambnce just in case, since a wolf had been hurt and he was Eve¡¯s mate. I¡¯d been getting updates from Abaddon and his men on the drive up with Snake, since MY phone still was in one piece. His had shattered when he threw it out the window, after he lost his temper talking to Eve. We gave up looking for the other pieces after he found the biggest hunk in the ditch. At least he got his SIMM card back, he could always buy a new phone.


    He did manage to calm down enough by the time we got to Silver Bay that I allowed him to use mine¡­ provided he left it on the console of the old ambnce. We¡¯d had the old ambnce professionally repainted, now it had the name of a medical transportpany. It didn¡¯t attract much attention. ¡°Don¡¯t scare her when you get there, Snake. She¡¯s going to need you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t know whether my first reaction to seeing her is going to be to hug her or put her over my knee.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s time for her punishmentter, don¡¯t you think? She¡¯s safe, she¡¯s scared, she needs you. There¡¯s not much time left where she needs her Daddy more, she¡¯s growing up quickly now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she found her mate.¡± He looked out the window. ¡°She¡¯s still my tiny little girl, I don¡¯t want to let her go yet. I thought I was ready for it in Chicago, but I¡¯ve never been so happy to waste an entire night in my life.¡±


    ¡°Next year this time she could be feeding her own baby,¡± I said with a smirk. I got the reaction I expected, his hand squeezed the door. ¡°She deserves her chance at happiness, Snake. And do you know what? So do you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to move on, Meghan.¡±


    I reached over and took his hand. ¡°I loved her too, but it¡¯s been eighteen years. In all that time, have you even asked a woman out? Gone on a date?¡±


    ¡°No one couldpare to my Vivian, and I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Yeah, busy trying to bury the pain with work or booze or the club. What are you going to do without Eve here to live for?¡±


    He looked out the window, his fingers rubbing his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Viper is retiring at the end of the year, you know what the problems are.¡± I did, his arthritis was getting so bad he had a hard time gripping the handles, even after changing over to a Harley three-wheeler because his old motorcycle was too hard to muscle around anymore. ¡°He¡¯s sixty-eight, he¡¯s done riding after this summer.¡± If you can¡¯t ride, you can¡¯t vote, and you can¡¯t hold office.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep86

    ¡°Are you going to run for his spot?¡± When someone stepped down, the Club would vote. It would be more normal for Tiny, the Vice President, to step up.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked. He¡¯s getting older as well, we all are. He¡¯s happy as Vice President, he doesn¡¯t want all the hassles of being in charge.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should get out a little more, and live a little. You¡¯re still young and good looking, even if you have to color your hair.¡±


    He smacked my hand away, a little miffed at the dig. ¡°And what about you? Homeschool, graduating college at eighteen, medical school, residency, private practice, and I¡¯ve yet to see YOU out on a date. There¡¯s more to life than your career, youngdy.¡±


    I looked out over the road, I¡¯d been thinking about this so muchtely. I was always a prodigy, always focused on my goals, always putting my personal lifest. I was always the outcast, too young for my peers in ss and not interested in the same things as my age group at home. My parents had been on me as well, they wanted grandchildren and I hadn¡¯t even found a decent guy. I let out a breath. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make you a deal. Let¡¯s see if we can each find someone by the Jacksonville trip.¡± I looked over at him, the trip was always tough for him because that¡¯s where he and Vivian fell in love. He went, but he wasn¡¯t the same. ¡°Two dates a month until you find someone.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look happy. ¡°Two a month?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not THAT much, there are at least two women hitting on you every time we go for a run. I¡¯m sure you can scare up enough interest to get a date every other Friday.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± I smiled to myself, it was awkward enough to have to answer questions about my personal life. At least this way, I¡¯d have someone tomiserate with.


    ¡°That¡¯s them,¡± I said as I spotted the naked men in the woods next to the stretcher, where Gabriel and his men were pulling over to the side. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet her mate.¡±


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I hopped out the passenger door of the ambnce, meeting Meghan at the doors in back. As soon as I had the first one open, she had grabbed her emergency medical kit and started to jog over to the men with it. I grabbed a bunch of extra scrubs and flipflops, stashed inside for situations like this where werewolves had to shift, and put them on top of the stretcher. I followed her into the woods, where the guys grabbed the clothes and pulled them on while I put the stretcher next to the man. I heard Gabriel and the others ride off, they were going to Eve to protect her.


    He was a big guy, strong and obviously used to being outdoors and working hard. They weren¡¯t gym muscles, they were muscles of a guy who lifted logs and did manly things. Meghan was giving him a quick head-to-toe check. ¡°How hard did you hit his head, and with what?¡±


    ¡°About a four-inch branch, bloop single strength to the base of the skull,¡± Samsiel said. ¡°He dropped straight off, no issues breathing, bleeding stopped in a few minutes. Pulse and respirations have been steady.¡±


    She carefully felt around the base of his skull with her gloved fingers, finding only a bump. Moving down, she listened to his chest, then checked his arms before going down to his legs. ¡°Man, you guys tore him up,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks, it¡¯s just that we weren¡¯t able to clean the dirt and stuff out before he started healing,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, this will take some time, and we¡¯re going to have to reset these breaks because they¡¯ve started healing wrong. Come on, load him up.¡± We moved him carefully, cing him face down on the stretcher. We then followed her as she walked us back to the ambnce. She hopped up, helping guide him on top of the rolling gurney before strapping him down. The straps were extra-strong nylon, and she also had nylon cuffs on his wrists to protect herself in case he started to wake up.


    Using a portable ultrasound, she located the breaks and reset them. I looked away during this, the snap of bones and grinding made my stomach churn. When she was satisfied, she packed towels around to keep it from moving while she worked on the deep cuts. Using wet gauze, she soaked the wounds to remove the scabs before digging out and cleaning all the dirt and fragments that could cause infectionter. I looked at the clock, she¡¯d been at it for forty minutes already. He started to wake up as she was stitching his left calf. ¡°Huh who? LET ME GO.¡± He was struggling against the straps.


    ¡°Rx, please. I¡¯m Doctor Meghan, you¡¯re in the back of my ambnce, and if you keep struggling you¡¯ll tear out those stitches I just spent twenty minutes putting in.¡± She got down into his field of view and kept a hand on his shoulder as he rxed. I saw him take some deep breaths, a little confused. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m human, and you¡¯re not,¡± she said. ¡°You took a good knock on the head, I need to assess that quickly. Can you tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°Adam. Adam Johnson.¡±


    She was checking his pupils with a light. ¡°Where do you live, Adam?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to tell you that until I know who you¡¯re working with,¡± he said. ¡°The guys who did this to me, I can smell them.¡±


    Iughed a little, causing him to look over towards me. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t me you. They¡¯re a little overprotective of their young shewolf, just like I am.¡± I looked at Meghan, getting her nod to undo his cuffs. He wasn¡¯t violent, so this would help calm him down. ¡°My name is Snake, I¡¯m her father.¡±


    He looked at me funny as the straps came off. ¡°Don¡¯t roll over yet, Adam,¡± Meghan told him gently. ¡°Your legs are not splinted or cast yet, and you don¡¯t want me having to move the bones around again.¡±


    He pulled his hands up and I handed him a pillow he could get a little morefortable. ¡°She¡¯s my mate,¡± he said matter of factly.


    ¡°She told me,¡± I said.


    ¡°She should go home,¡± he said softly as his eyes closed. ¡°I won¡¯t stand in the way of her happiness.¡±


    I rxed a little, I had all these fears about what her mate would end up being like. Would he be one of these cocky, self-centered guys who would try to dominate and control her? Would he treat her as his equal, or would he see her only as a breeder, a source of power and prestige? Or would he be honest and selfless, putting her first. Adam had a good start. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want him,¡± I said.


    He snorted. ¡°His scent was all over her, his essence on her skin,¡± he said. ¡°I could smell it from across the clearing, they had just sex a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t know, and she didn¡¯t expect to meet her mate,¡± I said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be defending her, I¡¯m wanting to kill the guy myself for daring to corrupt my daughter. There is more to the story, and it is a discussion she should be having with you. I talked to her earlier, she broke up with him because he took advantage of her.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who went after me?¡±


    ¡°The Knights of the Moon, they are her protective detail and Pack.¡±


    ¡°Those freaks are her protection?¡± He closed his eyes.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard of them.¡± He nodded. ¡°They protected her mother, and they have protected Eve since she was a newborn until now, when as an adult she has found her mate. They will now protect you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them around, they trespassed on mynds and attacked me when I had done nothing.¡± I could see his fists clenching.


    ¡°They were doing what they pledged to do, Adam. Every one of them took a vow to find and protect the Promised One until she could find and mate her true mate and break the curse. It hasn¡¯t been easy, there have been many close calls. They will be around until the curse is broken.¡± I sat back a little. ¡°They are good men, I¡¯ve known them since she was a baby. If things had gone a little differently, they would have known you were her mate and they would have helped you.¡±


    Meghan had finished splinting his legs while we talked. ¡°Well, Adam, we have a few choices here. I would like to bring you back to St. Paul where I can monitor you properly, and you can meet Eve and her family properly.¡±


    ¡°NO.¡± He looked at her. ¡°Take me home, my brother and his wife will take care of me.¡± He gave me the address, and I went and put it in my phone. It wasn¡¯t far away.


    ¡°Can Eve see you first?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°My wolf won¡¯t react well to that scent on her. Better I just go home.¡±


    I called Gabriel and let him know. Ten minutester we had our new n. Abaddon was going to take his motorcycle and meet the ambnce at Adam¡¯s house, after that he would go back to Silver Bay and find a ce the Knights could use as a base for operations. The rest of them, Eve included, were going to go on a long run and scout out the territory around his house. ¡°No ying Chase the Shewolf,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Never again,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°She will remain in the center of the Pack. It will be good for her to stretch he legs out, to work with her wolf. We¡¯ll be out a few days, Abaddon can get us if there is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll take the ambnce back to the clubhouse, and I¡¯ll bring my bike back up. I need to be here for her when this finally goes down.¡± At some point, Eve and Adam were going to have to meet and work things out.


    Meghan stayed in the back with him while I pulled the ambnce back onto the road. I followed the directions until I came to the mailbox and the long driveway for his cabin. The trail was rough and it took a while for the big vehicle to make it to the end, where it opened to a nice-looking log home and detached garage, a pole barn with a tractor and a wood mill in it in the back yard. I stopped in front of the stairs, where a big male in his thirties was standing, his wife holding his waist from behind him. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I said.


    I hopped down as the man came to the cab. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Adam was mistaken for a threat and was injured by the Knights of the Moon,¡± I told him. ¡°We patched him up but he won¡¯t be able to walk for a few days.¡± They followed me around to the back as Meghan opened the door from inside.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep87

    The woman covered her face and started to cry as she saw Adam and the blood on the sheets. ¡°Oh god, Adam, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Alice,¡± he said as he looked back towards her. ¡°A couple days in bed and I¡¯ll be good as new.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare your room,¡± she said before she rushed off.


    ¡°She gets a little upset when we get hurt because we can¡¯t go to the hospital,¡± her husband said. ¡°I¡¯m n, n Johnson, I¡¯m this guy¡¯s big brother. I keep telling him he¡¯s not as fast as he thinks he is.¡±


    ¡°It was four on one,¡± Adamined. ¡°I got away from the first two.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get him inside,¡± Meghan said as she grabbed some extra sheets and put them on his back. We lifted the stretcher, then n and I carried him up the stairs and into the house. It was beautiful, with an open floor n and loft ceilings. Alice met us in the hall, leading us to his room where she had already taken off the nkets on his bed. She and Meghanid some of the extra hospital sheets down, Meghan having told her he might still bleed until his healing kicked in. We got him in ce, and he was asleep before the covers were put over him.


    The four of us walked out and to the kitchen, where Alice started to make coffee for us. ¡°Thank you for taking care of him and bringing him back to us,¡± n said. ¡°What Pack are you in?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re humans,¡± Meghan said.


    ¡°Our motorcycle club in St. Paul has known about werewolves for decades,¡± I said. ¡°Meghan is the only doctor left in the country who works on them. She started working with Doctor Vivian when she was thirteen.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Vivian? Vivian DelMara?¡± n¡¯s face was shocked as I nodded. ¡°Oh Luna, she survived.¡±


    ¡°For a while,¡± I said. ¡°She was my wife. She died almost eighteen years ago in a fight with a pack in Wyoming.¡±


    He pulled his wife tight to his side. ¡°Doc Vivian was the Pack Doctor when I was a pup here. When she was forced to run away after the Alpha threatened her, that was the beginning of the end for our Pack.¡± As we sipped the coffee, he told Alice about the way the curse hit his Pack, but he only knew from his end. ¡°Eventually our Alpha got greedy, went after another Pack and that is when ours was attacked and wiped out,¡± he said as he wiped a tear away. ¡°Adam and I were lucky, we were at our family cabin and escaped.¡±


    I then filled him in on what had happened on our side; Vivian¡¯s escape, her hiding with our Club, us falling in love. I told him about her efforts to save the women and babies, culminating in the birth of Eve eighteen years ago. Both of them were crying as I told them about how Vivian died at the hands of a thirteen-year-old Alpha widow.


    ¡°So did youe back to visit your old Pack,¡± n asked.


    ¡°No, not that simple.¡± I exined to them the prophecy and the curse, and how we had tried to find Eve¡¯s true mate in Chicago. ¡°She was rescued by a man I thought I could trust, but he was trying to take advantage of her for himself. They ran and ended up at the old Pack House, which is where Adam found them.¡± I paused and looked at my hands. ¡°Adam and Eve are true mates, n. They are the end to the curse, their mating will save the race.¡±


    ¡°Eve¡­ Eve is Jessica¡¯s daughter,¡± n said as he tried to process it all. ¡°He gets to have his mate.¡±


    ¡°If they ept each other,¡± I said. ¡°After their introduction, there is some work to be done there.¡±


    n reached over and tool Alice¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything bad when I say this, Alice. I love you and I gave up my wolf to be with you. The mate bond, it¡¯s something far stronger. He¡¯s stubborn, but he won¡¯t be able to withstand the pull.¡±


    We talked for a while longer, but when I heard the motorcycle pulling up I knew time was up. I introduced Abaddon to them, letting them know I trusted him with my life and that of my daughter. ¡°She¡¯s out with the Pack for a while, since her wolf won¡¯t react well to being too far away from her mate. Their wolves have recognized each other, even if the human part is resistant,¡± he told them. He gave them a paper with his cell phone number. ¡°I¡¯ll be setting up in town somewhere, call me if you have any problems or questions.¡±


    ¡°What do we do about them,¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Let nature work its course,¡± Abaddon said with a smile. ¡°They are destined to be together, it will all work out.¡±


    ¡°Well, I might have to help things along,¡± she said. ¡°We should pull out your old photos, find some pictures of Doctor Vivian or Jessica.¡± The Minnesota Long Goodbye then took ce, a thirty-minute evolution that began in the kitchen and ended with n outside my window in the ambnce, and Alice talking to Meghan on the other side. We had exchanged numbers and promised to get together again soon. I told n I¡¯d bring back some of Jessica¡¯s photos of their old Pack to look at, and he¡¯d see if they had anything of Vivian. Abaddon fired up his motorcycle and started to move out, clearly done with the whole process.


    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± n said as he shook my hand.


    ¡°Come back soon, I¡¯ll make some hotdish!¡± Alice gave Meghan a hug, and we finally pulled away from the two of them. I was d we hade with the ambnce, but I realized that I had driven all the way up here to see my daughter and I¡¯d never even seen her.


    ¡°I never hugged Eve,¡± I said as we drove through the rutted path towards the road. Tears ran down my face as I drove. ¡°I miss Vivian,¡± I said, ¡°but she isn¡¯ting back.¡± Meghan held my hand as I let go of her, feeling the weight lift from my soul. It was time to move on.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I was so relieved to hit the pavement again, my kidneys felt like they¡¯d done ten rounds in the Octagon. I was so d I¡¯d stowed everything properly in back, as the ambnce had been tossed side to side on the uneven ground. Abaddon was waiting for us at the side of the road, he pulled out ahead of us as we were making the turn. It was a short drive to Silver Bay, then we headed south towards Duluth.


    The day was beautiful, thete afternoon sun was warm on my arm despite the cool breeze off theke. I was looking at the hills to the inside, theke to my left past Snake¡¯s head as he drove. The roads was busy, lots of tourists and bikers around. We were in a section where the road uphill had gone to twones, with one of oing traffic; our ambnce was tucked in with the old people, the trucks and the recreational vehicles. I watched the faster traffic pulling past us on the slope, listened to the rumble of a Harley as it passed. The woman driving it was grinning, her ck hair blowing in the breeze. ¡°When we¡¯ve taken this beast home, you¡¯reing back, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Wantpany on the trip?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°That might help me with thedies.¡± He smirked a little. ¡°I think you got the easy end of our little deal, Meghan. You¡¯re young, smart and beautiful, I bet you could line up dates for the rest of the year in an hour just off those who have already asked you.¡±


    I blushed a little, he really didn¡¯t know what it was like for me. I was the Ice Queen, the prodigy who had never been to a school dance, never asked to a sleepover with the girls my age. While the other girls my age were learning to dance and put on makeup, I was studying microbiology and taking college courses. When they were having their Proms and going to football games, I was graduating from college. While they were dating fraternity boys and partying all weekend, I was doing my residency. My entire life I had been on the outside, never dating, never having fun. It was easier to turn them down than to deal with the fact I¡¯d never learned how to do anything. I graduated and still hadn¡¯t had my first kiss.


    I looked up just in time to see a car in the rightne ahead of Abaddon suddenly changenes to the left. Thene wasn¡¯t empty, though; the motorcycle that had just passed was in the space the big Lincoln was moving into, blissfully unaware of what he was doing.


    The Harley locked its brakes, barely holding on control as the driver finally saw her and panicked. He locked his brakes up, leaving her a pair of bad choices. She chose not to risk the oing traffic, instead she skidded hard right and slid across thene into the ditch. Sheid it down on the pavement, sliding off just before the front wheel hit the guardrail and flipped over. I watched her head and shoulder hit the rail before she rolled to a stop.


    ¡°SNAKE!¡± I screamed as heid on the brakes, the big vehicle slowing as we pulled over to the side of the road. Abaddon had stopped just ahead of us, his Harley at the edge of the road as he ran forward to the body resting against the guardrail. He hit the shers that we had added when we made the transportpany official, and in moments I was out the door and running for the back. Snake met me there, and he grabbed the backboard as I took the medical kit.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Traffic was already slowing and moving around us as we ran back up the hill to where Abaddon was kneeling next to the woman in ck leather. ¡°Stay down, the doctor ising,¡± he was telling her as she tried to move. I could hear her cussing up a storm that would make a drill sergeant blush, something about assholes not looking where they were going and how she¡¯d like to stick his phone so far up his ass he¡¯d have to use his tonsils to dial. I nced at Snake, he was smiling a bit, knowing this meant she probably was not hurt bad.


    I set the bag down, opening it up and pulling on gloves from the pouch in top. ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Jenkins, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Mia. Mia Taylor,¡± she said as she grimaced in pain.


    ¡°OK Miss Taylor, I¡¯m going to examine you for injuries if you consent. I need you to rx and just listen to me, all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She rxed back into the road. I was sure as I examined her that she¡¯d be in bad shape if she hadn¡¯t been wearing her protective gear. Her helmet wasn¡¯t a full-faced racing helmet, but it was enough to have taken the impact of the guardrail. I could see paint where it had bounced off. She had on a heavy leather jacket, leather chaps and heavy boots, plus she had full-finger gloves. I checked her papiry response with a shlight, they were equal and reactive.


    ¡°Any neck pain?¡± I gently touched down her neck and shoulders, careful not to move her.


    ¡°It¡¯s sore but not bad,¡± she said. I continued with checks of her extremities, verifying she still had sensation and control. ¡°My shoulder hurts a lot, though.¡±


    I had seen her bounce off the guardrail, and symptoms could be hidden. I took the neck brace and carefully fitted it around her head. ¡°Miss Taylor, we¡¯re being careful here because we can¡¯t rule out a head or neck injury on the side of the road. I know it¡¯s not the mostfortable thing, but we¡¯re going to tape you down to the backboard for transport. It¡¯s a precaution to make sure nothing moves around.¡±


    A State Trooper pulled in near us, directing traffic around. Snake and Abaddon carefully moved her to the backboard while I stabilized her head and neck, then we used tape to fix her helmet to the board. Abaddon ran back and got the gurney, we picked her up and rolled her back to the ambnce doors. I jumped in, and the two pushed her forward. ¡°My motorcycle,¡± she asked as she was slid in.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep88

    ¡°I¡¯ve called for a wrecker,¡± Abaddon told her. ¡°We¡¯ll need a winch to get it up from there. I¡¯ll have it taken to the Harley dealer in Duluth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. The doors closed, and with her locked in ce I buckled into the jump seat for the ride.


    ¡°Ready,¡± Snake asked.


    ¡°Go,¡± I said. I heard the trooper pass us with lights and sirens, and felt the old ambnce elerate as we pulled in behind him. I put on the headset that would allow me to talk to Snake while we drove.


    ¡°How is she doing,¡± he asked me.


    ¡°Good, this is why I¡¯m always after you guys to wear helmets and safety gear,¡± I said. Some of the guys in the Club were old school, wanting to go without helmets because they ¡®interfered with me enjoying nature.¡¯ Stuff like this made my point. ¡°Without a helmet she¡¯d be pushing up daisies. How¡¯s that for nature?¡±


    Once we were steady, I unbuckled and moved around to hook up monitoring equipment. The funds Vivian had poured into the Club clinic had been kept up, and werewolf medicine was a fairly lucrative private practice. The Packs paid well when they called for my services. Her vitals were good, her blood pressure and pulse were both high but that was to be expected. I got on the radio to the emergency room at the Duluth hospital, giving the attending my report. They¡¯d have Radiology ready when we arrived, and if the scans were good, she¡¯d probably be released tonight. I moved closer to her, so we could see each other with her head fixed towards the ceiling. ¡°Is there anyone I can call to let you know where you are headed?¡±


    It was only then I saw the tears start to move down her face. ¡°No. No one.¡±


    I took her hand, having taken the gloves off earlier during my checks. I checked her nails, she wasn¡¯t painted up, they looked like Snake¡¯s with all the little cuts and the evidence of lots of cleaning. ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere right now,¡± she said. ¡°My divorce just became final, and I had to sell my restaurant in Chicago as part of the final settlement. I¡¯d always wanted to spend a summer touring, so I sold my stuff and bought the Harley. I¡¯ve been on the road for two months now.¡±


    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± I said. ¡°I grew up in a motorcycle club, I¡¯m actually in it now. Snake, he¡¯s the driver and the one who was helping me, he¡¯s been in it for decades. We were actually heading down to St. Paul to drop this beast off and get our bikes toe back and ride for a few days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful up here,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been just riding until I feel like stopping, going wherever the wind blows. I didn¡¯t n to look for a ce to settle down until September.¡±


    ¡°Meghan, we¡¯re two minutes out,¡± Snake said over the headset. I¡¯d left it on, so he¡¯d heard the whole conversation.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± I told her. ¡°What kind of restaurant did you have?¡±


    ¡°Italian, family style dishes, lots of wine and music. It was more of a ce to take your mother than your business associates,¡± she said.


    The ambnce made some low-speed turns then stopped, the doors immediately opened. I had already disconnected the monitors, and so I helped them as they pulled Mia out of the back and onto the rollers. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you soon, Mia,¡± I said as they took her away.


    I pulled off the gloves, tossing them in the small garbagepartment, as Snake came back to stand with me. ¡°Why don¡¯t we grab some dinner, then we can get going. I can call and make sure she¡¯s all right,¡± I told him.


    He looked like I was taking away his favorite toy. ¡°Meghan, I don¡¯t think I can do that,¡± he said. I stared at him until he continued. ¡°She¡­ her eyes¡­ when I looked at her, there was something there,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave until I¡¯m sure she¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Iughed as he stood there, looking in the windows where they¡¯d taken her. ¡°You¡¯re so desperate to get a date you¡¯re ambnce chasing?¡±


    ¡°MEGHAN¡­¡± I just sat on the bumper andughed, this was SO perfect. ¡°I called the clubhouse, one of the prospects is going to ride up here with my Harley and take the ambnce back. I thought maybe you¡¯d be all right staying here in town overnight, then you can ride back in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in no hurry to get back to the cities, Snake. Have you seen how beautiful it is up here?¡± I got up and closed and locked the doors. ¡°Come on, you owe me dinner. It¡¯s the least you can do for the Doctor who found the perfect woman for you. Harley rider, hot body, talented chef, swears like a sailor, that¡¯s pretty much all the boxes for you. And the name¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Mia is a beautiful name, she¡¯s a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Think about her name if you guys get married and tell me if this isn¡¯t God¡¯s way of saying you belong together. I mean, what is better than Willie B. Hardigan and his lovely wife, Mia Hardigan?¡± I busted upughing as I walked around to the passenger door. This was the best thing since that waitress who hit on Dad during the road trip.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I was stillughing so hard I could barely breathe as we pulled out. Snake, his mind was elsewhere.


    ********


    Eve¡¯s POV


    We were still waiting for my Dad to get here, and I saw the motorcyclesing but no ambnce. I looked up when Abaddon opened the door and slid into the seat. ¡°What is happening,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your Dad and Meghan are taking care of the injured wolf,¡± he said. ¡°They will be a while. Gabriel and the others areing here to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said as I sat back again. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by Pack in the middle of the woods.¡±


    ¡°Well, you gave everyone a scare these past few days, so you¡¯ll have to be a little patient with them. Word of advice, whatever your Dad or Gabriel tell you to do, do it immediately and without any sass. You have zero ck in your leash, Eve. They aren¡¯t far from locking you up until they can trust you again.¡±


    I looked up as I saw theming, Gabriel in the lead. They parked their bikes along the road, the othersing to greet them. ¡°Stay here,¡± he said as he got out.


    I tried to listen to what they were saying, but as werewolves they could talk softly enough I didn¡¯t overhear the conversation. Once in a while they would look over towards me, Gabriel would shake his head, then they would continue talking. I watched Gabriel take a call, when he hung up everyone was heading for their bikes. Abaddon went to his motorcycle, started it and took off. Raguel opened the door of my car and started it up. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re moving the vehicles out of sight,¡± he said. I watched as we moved into the middle of the guys, driving the mile or so down the road to the old Pack House road. The guys rode single file through the trail, we followed until we got to the first area where the trees stopped and we could turn around. All of the bikes were parked facing the road again, and the guys started to strip and put their clothes in their saddlebags. Figuring we were going for a run, I took the locket and ne I¡¯d found and put it deep in my pocket.


    Gabriel opened the door and pulled me out, leading me away from the guys while they shifted. ¡°We¡¯ve talked, your father and I, about how best to handle what is happening here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gabriel. I really messed my life up.¡±


    He put his big hand on my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to find a way out of this, all of us. Right now, your mate isn¡¯t happy with you and I can smell why. He¡¯s gone back to his home, where he will spend a few days resting up. In the meantime, we¡¯re going to have a wolf boot camp of sorts here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Part of the problem why you and your wolf aren¡¯t on the same page is that you don¡¯t spend enough time with her, she doesn¡¯t get to be in charge often. Theck of bnce can affect things in human form. What did your wolf say while you were in the hotel room with Mitch?¡±


    I thought back, my wolf had withdrawn after telling me that it was wrong. ¡°She fought me, but I ignored her, I pushed her so far back I didn¡¯t have to listen to her tell me it was wrong.¡± I looked at my feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t listen to her, either.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said as we turned around. The guys had all shifted, and the wolves were spreading out, some close by the clearing, others pushing out to make sure the perimeter was safe. ¡°When you and your wolf are truly one, you listen and trust each other. That is what we are going to do while your mate is healing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going for a run?¡± I opened the back door, tossing my shoes in before taking off my shirts. Gabriel and all the others were looking away from me as I stripped.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep89

    ¡°Not just a run, we¡¯re going to stay in wolf form the whole time,¡± he said over the Pack link since he had shifted. ¡°We are going to run, hunt, live as a Pack and reform the bonds. When we are done, we¡¯ll see if your mate is willing to talk to you.¡±


    I tossed the rest of my clothes in the back and closed the door, quickly shifting into my white wolf with grey paws. I moved over to Gabriel, rubbing my face against his shoulder as the men gathered around him. He let out a powerful howl before he ran for the trail; as the lone female, and since I was not his mate, I ran in the center behind him and his leadership. About half of us were running in the group, the others were maintaining position up to five miles away. We kept up with each other¡¯s positions as we ran.


    ¡°My old Pack house is just over this hill,¡± I sent. ¡°I found my grandparent¡¯s house there, my mother¡¯s papers had photographs of it before the Pack was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°I visited there once as a young man,¡± Gabriel sent back. The pack was quiet, they stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the ruins of the Pack. Gabriel and I trotted down together as they watched. ¡°The property is still in a trust for the descendants, you could live here if you wanted. Rebuild it.¡±


    I chuffed. ¡°Rebuild? With who? It¡¯s going to take generations for this Pack to get back to what it was, and that¡¯s if my mate epts me and the curse breaks.¡±


    ¡°Adam.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your mate. His name is Adam, Adam Johnson. He¡¯s from the Pack as well.¡± I thought back to the records I had found in Jessica¡¯s stuff, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of photos of others. We trotted into the area, each sniffing the ruins.


    ¡°My family¡¯s house was over here,¡± I said as I sniffed around the edge of what had been their house.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your family, Eve. It was a tough time for everyone, the Alphas were going nuts and many Packs were lost to war.¡±


    I kept sniffing, hearing the others move down in to the ruins and checking them out for themselves. We got closer to the edge of the clearing when I caught a good sniff of the most wonderful scent, I froze, letting it wash over me. ¡°Mate,¡± my wolf said to me. I could feel my body respond, I wanted him, I needed him. I followed the trail for a while before Gabriel cut me off.


    ¡°Not yet, we need to stay away from his house until he and his wolf are ready to see you,¡± he said. ¡°This way.¡± He and the others moved west, and soon I heard the sound of running water. It was a hot day, and when we found the wide, deep area of the spring-fed creek, we all ran into it. My wolf was giddy as she sshed around in the cool water, rolling on her back and wiggling down into the sand and rock. We stayed in there until we were shivering, then we shook off and ran for the top of the ridge. There, we found some t rocks toy on while we dried out and watched the sun as it went towards the horizon. I didn¡¯t get up until Gabriel came and nudged me.


    ¡°Scouts found a moose, five miles west, we¡¯re going hunting,¡± he told us. The men were up instantly, and I was beyond excited. Hunts were a rare thing for me, since my movements in wolf form were so restricted. I¡¯d helped on a deer hunt once, and chased down a few rabbits, but this was exciting. My wolf was almost quivering with the need to prove herself as we headed off in a long line.


    We stopped at the top of the rise, looking down at the swampy area off the smallke. The wind was in our faces, perfect for our hunt. ¡°We¡¯re going to wait until the sun dips down,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°That will help hide our approach over this open ground.¡± He divided the group into four; two groups would focus on preventing the moose from escaping, just harassing it back towards the others. One group headed by Gabriel would attack from the front, while the other led by Michael would circle around behind the bull moose, attacking the nks and legs. Cooperation was a must, as a two-thousand-pound bull was dangerous prey. The antlers, over six feet across, could tear you in half, and those big hooves could crush your skull.


    Haniel, one of the younger members at thirty, was assigned to be my bodyguard. ¡°Don¡¯t let her approach until I tell you it¡¯s all right,¡± he instructed him. We were assigned to one of the two herding groups.


    When the sun finally dipped just below the horizon, it was time. The moose was slowly working his way towards solid ground, moving from out right to left. Michael¡¯s group took off first, they followed the curve of theke, pushing through the swamp and above-ground areas. When they were within fifty yards, they crouched down, noses still in the wind. The two herding groups went next, our group going well left, circling around until we were between the moose and the deep woods. We would circle to the back side on the attack, cutting off his escape, while the other group would cover back towards where we came. When we were in position, Gabriel¡¯s group moved quickly and silently down the slope, trying to get as close as possible before being spotted.


    ¡°GO,¡± he sent as his group broke into a run. The bull spotted them just before Gabriel leaped, snorting in rm and turning quickly towards them. Gabriel got underneath his muzzle, his teeth tearing into the soft throat before he leaped away, the big horns barely missing him. The enraged bull charged him, only to have Michael and Azazel each leap for his back legs. Michael¡¯s bite just behind the knee cut his hamstring, while Azazel ripped a big chunk off his nk.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The bull stopped his charge, turning towards the pursuing wolves who quickly leaped back. His snorts and stomps filled the air as the werewolves pressed their attacks, always striking and retreating as the bull started to tire. A few minutester, bleeding from multiple wounds and barely able to lift his head, Gabriel spotted an opening and leaped for his throat again. The other wolves crashed into the side of the moose, causing it to stumble and fall as Gabriel held on with a death grip.


    ¡°Attack the legs now, everyone to him, don¡¯t let him up,¡± he sent as he hung on to the struggling bull. We raced forward, my wolf eager for the chance to do her part. She found an opening in his soft underbelly, and we tore into the flesh with teeth and w. A minutete, there was one raspy breath and the moose stilled. We backed off, my wolf was shaking, we had done this! Gabriel lifted his nose to the sky and let out a howl, joined by me and the others as we thanked Luna for our kill.


    We stayed back, waiting our turn, until invited closer. Gabriel tore off a chunk of liver and tossed it to me, I gobbled it down before licking his face in thanks. Our Pack ate well that night; a normal wolf could eat over twenty pounds of meat in one sitting, ourrger wolves could do even more. We gorged ourselves on the tender flesh, eating until our bellies were distended and we barely had the energy to move.


    We cleaned off in theke, then found a sheltered location under trees for the night. Tucked into the center of the Pack, I was safe, secure and content with everything except what I needed the most. I got up, heading to the edge of the woods to relieve myself. Two men went with me as I walked down to theke, drinking some of the cool water, before sitting and letting out a pained howl to the sky. I wanted my mate, I just poured my pain and loss into the song as I begged Luna to help me get him back.


    Adam¡¯s POV


    I woke in the middle of the night, n was reading by me bedside. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Like I got run over,¡± I said. I looked at the open door to my bathroom. ¡°I have to go,¡± I told him.


    He helped me sit up, then brought me an empty Gatorade bottle. ¡°Low tech, but Doc says you shouldn¡¯t stand up until tonight at the earliest,¡± he said. I pulled my boxers aside, rxing as I filled the bottle and capped it. He took it, taking it into the bathroom to take care of, and came back out with a wet towel and a dry one. I cleaned up as best I could, then he helped me sit up in bed. ¡°I saved you some dinner, you¡¯ve been sleeping for eight hours,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Open the window?¡± He did so as he left, my nose taking in theforting scent of the forest around me. I heard him in the kitchen, the microwave beeping.


    My ears perked as I heard a howl, I froze, listening to the pain and loss in the sound. My wolf was distraught, he knew who it was. It was my mate, and her heart was broken. I closed my eyes as each note tore through my soul, my wolf begging to go to her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± I told my wolf.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep90

    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I walked in to talk to the admissions people in the emergency room, leaving my contact information and a request to be updated by the attending when Mia¡¯s scans were done. I told her I was starved and missed lunch, so she told me of a local ce I hadn¡¯t tried yet. As soon as I mentioned the name, Snake was down with it.


    We parked a block away from OMC Smokehouse, and as soon as I smelled the wood smoke I was hungry. With all the werewolves around, barbecue pork was a staple at the Clubhouse, and we ate a lot of it. Twenty minutester, the two of us were digging in to a sampler with brisket, pulled pork and ribs.


    Tasty.


    The sides were good as well, they had fries made with duck fat (amazeballs) and a potato sd made with bacon and blue cheese. Snake was in heaven, trying all the new vors and getting ideas for his own dishes. The food and beer rxed us both, and when my phone went off an hourter it surprised me a little.


    I answered the phone and talked briefly with the ER attending. It was good news, the MRI showed no breaks or brain injuries, and her shoulder was severely bruised, but nothing broken. He said they were keeping her overnight for observation because she had signs of a concussion. All in all, for a woman who slid at speed into a guardrail, she hade out rtively unscathed.


    Snake¡¯s body visibly rxed as I gave him the news. He had it bad; for a woman he¡¯d barely met, he felt a real pull to her. ¡°Can we swing by the hospital and see her before we get hotel rooms,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Abaddon followed the wrecker to the Harley dealer, he said he¡¯d bring her stuff to her tonight.¡±


    His eyes lit up, and he waved the waitress over and ced a to-go order, a spread at least as big as the one we just finished. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s hungry, and Abaddon won¡¯t have eaten,¡± he said. ¡°Getting the sample means I¡¯m more likely to find something she likes.¡±


    ¡°You just met this woman at the ident scene,¡± I told him. ¡°What if she isn¡¯t interested?¡±


    He took my hand. ¡°She knows you, if you put in a good word for me it won¡¯t seem so creepy when I ask her out,¡± I said. I just rolled my eyes. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re the one who was pushing me to date again. Sure, the circumstances of our meeting aren¡¯t ideal, but the LAST time I met someone at an ident site we ended up married, so how bad an idea could it be?¡±


    ¡°FINE,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her and introduce you, but then you¡¯re on your own. If you get all creepy and stalker-ish, she¡¯s going to bail and I¡¯ll have to kick your ass,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll behave,¡± he promised. We finished our drinks and waited for the big bag of to-go to arrive, and Snake paid the ratherrge bill. I felt like I was waddling back to the rig, we¡¯d eaten so much, and I let out a very undy-like belch when I sat back in the seat. He justughed at me and put it in gear.


    We went to the main hospital, and I checked in at the desk and got her room number. Snake took the food up the waiting room, noses following him as he went, while I went to the nurse¡¯s station. Showing them my identification, I reviewed her chart then walked down the hall to her room. She was sitting up in bed, Sportscenter on the television, and she was picking at a te of dinner that she¡¯d barely touched. I knocked on the door and her face lit up as she recognized me. ¡°Doctor Meghan!¡±


    I walked over and she pulled me into a quick hug with her left arm, her right was in a sling to keep the strain off the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m d to see the tests turned out well, you gave us a real scare back there.¡±


    ¡°I was lucky, and even luckier you guys were right behind me,¡± she said. ¡°My Doctor says that I¡¯ll be released in the morning if there aren¡¯t any significant concussion symptoms.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great oue, and you can thank your gear for that. Your helmet saved your life.¡±


    Her eyes misted over a little, she knew how close she hade. ¡°I know.¡± She looked past me to the doorway. ¡°Where¡¯s your partner? He¡¯s so hot, please tell me you¡¯re not together.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°No, I¡¯ve known him since I was a baby. He¡¯s been in the motorcycle club I grew up in, he runs the Clubhouse kitchen. He could be a chef on his own, but he likes working there,¡± I told her. I could see her interest sh as she found out what he did. ¡°He is single, he was widowed eighteen years ago when their daughter was just a baby. It¡¯s taken him a long time to get over it, but now that his daughter is getting serious with a man, he¡¯s thinking about dating again. He¡¯s a really good man, he deserves to be happy.¡±


    She was thinking about it. ¡°Why do you call him Snake?¡±


    Panic. Sheer panic. ¡°Umm¡­ he likes snakes, he has a huge tattoo of one on his back.¡± Quick, change subject. ¡°I know he¡¯s interested in you, he was grilling me about you over dinner.¡±


    ¡°Barbecue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°You smell like it and you still have a little sauce on your face.¡± She looked down at her ¡®meal.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d rather starve than eat this cardboard.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see what I can do. I need to get going, but would you mind if Snake came and visited you for a bit?¡±


    ¡°PLEASE. Just don¡¯t tell him what I said about him,¡± she said as she blushed. ¡°I¡¯m just d he¡¯s been out of the dating pool, I¡¯ve been out just as long. Fifteen years of marriage down the tubes because he can¡¯t stop banging waitresses behind my back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send him in. Good luck, Mia. If you have any questions, here¡¯s my card. Maybe we can go riding sometime, I can show you some of the routes I like around here.¡± She took the card with a smile, and I walked out and down the hall. ¡°You¡¯re up, Snake. And bringing barbecue¡­ let¡¯s just say it¡¯s the best idea you¡¯ve had since Ind Nights at the Clubhouse.¡±


    He gave me a quick hug. ¡°Do you need a ride to the hotel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Abaddon, he can give me a ride. I want to see if my friend is working tonight. Have him text me when he¡¯s ready to go, I¡¯ll be in the doctor¡¯s lounge.¡± With that, I left him, giggling a little at how nervous he was. He looked like a high school kid getting ready to ask a girl to Prom.


    Snake¡¯s POVFrom N?velDrama.Org.


    I grabbed the bag of food and walked down the hall to her room; the door was part open, so I knocked on it. ¡°Mia?¡±


    She smiled when she saw me, and she was practically bouncing when she saw and smelled what I was carrying. ¡°Snake! You brought me food?¡±


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d like something other than hospital fare, and Abaddon ising here from the Harley dealer. Whatever you don¡¯t want, I¡¯m sure he will eat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Snake. You guys are lifesavers, really.¡±


    I just blushed a little. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Doc owns a medical transportpany, I just drive to help her out once in a while. My wife was a doctor, so I¡¯ve been around hospitals for a long time. I just can¡¯t call what they serve ¡®food,¡¯ it offends my sensibilities.¡± I cleared off her bed table and used the desk in the room toy out the spread. Since she had to stay in bed and could only use her non-dominant hand, I told her what the options were and made her a te. I was happy to find out that not only was she not one of these sd-eating chicks, she liked her food. There wasn¡¯t a whole lot of conversation as she tucked into her meal, just quickments about the vors and what she liked and didn¡¯t like.


    She was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Abaddon?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he said as he came in. He was holding a backpack with a few things in it. ¡°So, the news isn¡¯t very good. This is what I was able to save out of your saddlebags,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank God, they cut all my clothes and riding gear off of me when I got here,¡± she said. ¡°I told them I¡¯d take them off but the wouldn¡¯t let me move. At least now I have underwear, jeans and a shirt,¡± she said.


    ¡°As for the bike, I¡¯d say it¡¯s totaled, but you¡¯ll have to wait for the insurance im. The dealer will get an estimate for repairs tomorrow.¡±


    I felt for her, having your pride and joy totaled just sucked. ¡°It was only two months old,¡± she said as tears started to form.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Have you seen Meghan? We need to go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, have you eaten?¡± Mia gestured towards the food boxes. ¡°We¡¯re done, and there¡¯s lots left over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. I helped him put everything back in the bag.


    ¡°Meghan¡¯s in the doctor¡¯s lounge, she said to text her when you¡¯re ready,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get out of your way,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°Mia, it was a pleasure meeting you, I¡¯m d you came through this so well. Maybe we¡¯ll see each other again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she said. ¡°Meghan already invited me to ride with her sometime, at least when I can ride again.¡± She gave the big guy a quick hug, and then turned back to me when he left. ¡°I¡¯m so d you guys were there for me, you¡¯ve done so much,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not even charging you,¡± I said. ¡°Meghan said it¡¯s too much paperwork.¡±


    She smiled at that. ¡°So, what happens now?¡±


    I pulled my chair a little closer to her, reaching for her hand which she allowed me to take. ¡°As crazy as it sounds, I¡¯d like to get to know you better.¡± I gave her a little squeeze. ¡°When I first saw you, I thought you were amazing. The smile on your face, your hair flying in the wind, there was something about you. When I first looked into your eyes, I saw something I wanted to be close to. Nothing that I have seen or felt since then has changed that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know you,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to change that,¡± I said. ¡°I have a few days free, and I¡¯ll have my motorcycle here tonight. Let me show you around for a while. Give me, give us a chance.¡± I looked at her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t done this for a while. A long while.¡±


    ¡°Meghan told me your wife died when your daughter was a baby.¡± I nodded. ¡°Tell me about her?¡±


    I did. I told her about Vivian and Eve, about the club, my love of riding, and my cooking. She talked of her divorce, her restaurant, and her ns for the future. With every passing moment, I could feel I had a chance at love again.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep91

    Abaddon¡¯s POV


    I went down to the cafeteria, finding a table where I could sit and eat the food before we left. Snake hooked me up, the BBQ was good, it just needed a quick reheat. While I ate, I thought about what I was going to do. Seeing Snake smitten again after so many years made me envious. For two decades, I¡¯d held to my vow to Luna to find and protect the Promised One. I¡¯d given up my name, my life, I¡¯d given up any chance of finding a choice mate of my own. In a few days, the curse would be broken and the vow would be fulfilled, and I had no idea what I was going to do next.


    The Knights were my life now, but there had to be more. I was tired of being alone, tired of having no one in my life. I was a forty-year-old virgin, and I was running out of time to tell her what I thought about her. I¡¯d hidden, hell I¡¯d buried my feelings for her as I watched her grow into an amazing woman.


    One conversation could make or break things forever.


    I washed the sauce off my hands and face, the whole time thinking about whether this was the right time to tell her how I felt. I couldn¡¯t recall thest time I was alone with her, she made my heart race and my palms sweat. What if she thought I was like a family member to her? What if she had no interest in me? Luna, what if she didn¡¯t want anything to do with a werewolf, knowing that we¡¯d never be able to have children?


    Not to mention what would happen when Gabriel and her parents found out.


    I texted her that I was ready, and she told me she¡¯d meet me at the main entrance. My heart leapt as the elevator opened and she stepped out, when she smiled I me I thought I¡¯d burst. She walked right up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling herself tight to me in a hug. My hands went down onto her back, gently squeezing her, as my body reacted to her presence.


    If she noticed the bulge, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Thank you for giving me a ride,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± I told her. ¡°Do you know where you want to stay?¡± I held out my arm and she put her hand in it as we walked towards the motorcycle lot.


    ¡°I want a view of the water, something outside town and quiet,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe a cabin so I don¡¯t have to hear people next door.¡± I grabbed my helmet and handed her the one I¡¯d taken from the ambnce, along with her leather jacket and gloves. It was a cool evening.


    ¡°It¡¯s busy, I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll find a vacancy,¡± I said as I straddled my Harley. She got on behind me, her hands reaching around and under my jacket, spreading her fingers on my stomach.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind riding, I¡¯m not ready for bed just yet,¡± she said softly.


    I reached for the key and started it up, pulling out of the lot and heading north out of town along thekeshore. We drove for an hour, not finding any vacancies, before I stopped on a scenic overlook. ¡°Take a walk with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± We got off and I took her hand, leading her along the trail that went along the cliff. I found a bench with a view of the moonlit waters, and pulled her down to sit by me. ¡°Abaddon?¡±


    ¡°Steve. My name is Steve,¡± I said as I turned towards her. ¡°When you join the Knights, you leave your old life behind and are reborn. Soon, my vow will beplete, and I will no longer be held by the restrictions it ced on me.¡±


    She put her hand on my cheek. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    I put my hands on her face, cupping it as I looked into her eyes. ¡°It means that after all these years of watching you, of loving you without letting on, I can finally confess how I feel about you. I love you, Meghan. Please, give me a chance to be your man, to make you happy.¡±


    She started to cry, not exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I pulled her to my chest, her face buried in my shirt as she let her emotions go. I looked out over the water, trying to memorize this moment in case it was as close as I would ever get to her.


    I felt her crying slow, then she lifted off my chest. ¡°You love me?¡±


    ¡°Since you stood in front of the club with your hands on your hips and told Viper he was an idiot to sell the ambnce and the medical gear,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯d make a wonderful werewolf if it was possible. You are strong, you will do anything for your family, and you have a spirit unlike any woman I¡¯ve seen before.¡±


    She looked into my eyes, her hands traveling up my chest until they were behind my neck. Her head tilted slightly, her mouth opened, her tongue flicking over her lips in a way that set me ame with desire. Her scent strengthened, her arousal evident as I leaned down towards her. Our lips stopped an inch apart, I looked into her eyes, then I pulled her close to me as we kissed.


    Werewolves talk of mates, of the tingles, of the scent that is like no other, and I remembered that feeling back when I met my own. This was different, but it was amazing in its own way. I¡¯d never kissed someone before, I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Hands moved, lips touched, tongues explored, and when we finally broke apart we were both breathless. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a crush on you, Steven,¡± she whispered as she buried her face in my chest again. ¡°I just figured I would never have a chance, you never showed any interest in me.¡±


    I picked her up, cing her in myp, her thigh pressing down on my rather obvious erection. ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± I said, ¡°but in a few days¡­¡±


    ¡°Finish your vow,¡± she told me. ¡°When you are done, we will go to your Alpha and my parents. We¡¯ve waited this long, we can wait a few more days.¡±


    ¡°You want me?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I bet you can smell how much I want you, Abaddon. I sure as hell can feel how much you want me. I have my own vow, it was to remain pure until my wedding night. As much as I want you right now, I can¡¯t do that.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°When you are no longer Abaddon,e to me as Steven and ask me properly for a date.¡±


    ¡°Count on it.¡±


    ¡°You were an amazing first kiss,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°You were too.¡± We stayed until my arms couldn¡¯t keep her warm, then we found a resort with cabins and got a roomte. There was only one room, and only one bed. I let her shower first, then take the bed while I took a very cold shower. I wouldn¡¯t take advantage of her, she deserved everything to be done right. After I dried off, I shifted into my big wolf andid at the end of the big bed, my headying on her stomach.


    She would be mine, and I would protect her and love her until our time was done.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    The next morning, all of us were still bloated and tired from all the meat we had consumed the night before. The bull moose had been picked apart, other scavengers would take the rest. I wobbled on my legs a little when I stood up, my stomach lurching a bit before I moved slowly down to the water. The cool water tasted good and helped steady my stomach.


    ¡°How are you feeling,¡± Gabriel sent.


    ¡°I¡¯m still stuffed,¡± I said. I rubbed my face against his legs as he turned with me to head back up. The others were getting up, the sun was already over the trees and it was going to be a hot one today. The summer humidity was heavy in the air, as were the bugs. We each moved off, finding a ce to take care of our business, then we moved out in a line around theke towards the north. Today was about moving as a Pack and setting the perimeter. Now that I had found my mate, the Knights needed to ensure that he was safe as well, for both of us were required to break the curse.


    Our speed picked up with our digestion, and by noon we were moving at a good pace. My wolf was in her element, she was happy and let me know it. I was happy as well, I was free and alive and with my Pack. I spent most of the afternoon thinking about what I would say to my mate when he finally let me talk to him. My wolf felt the connection with him, she clung to it, encouraging it as their wolves bonded over the distance. They couldn¡¯t talk to each other, but she knew he was there.


    Gabriel used the afternoon to work on drills and scenarios with his men, things they were well practiced in. Defensive formations, patrol patterns, even escape drills were practiced until they were second nature. The escape drills were the ones my wolf enjoyed the most, mainly because the defensive drills always ended up with me surrounded by big wolves I couldn¡¯t see over. The escape drills used his fastest wolves to join with me, the fastest of all of them, in a run to safety. The others deployed behind us, multipleyers to dy the threat and give us time to escape. Running full tilt through the woods with my Pack was the closest thing to a high-speed motorcycle run, they were exhrating.


    As it moved towards the evening, after more ying around in the cool waters of a creek, we were moving through the darkening woods in a line. Gabriel gave some orders, and men broke off in different directions. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked when it was down to just five of us.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±


    I focused on my wolf, letting her have reign. She turned slightly, heading a little to the right of where we had been going. ¡°Mate,¡± she told me.


    ¡°As the bond bes stronger, it bes harder for your wolf to be away from him,¡± Gabriel exined. ¡°So, in addition to protecting him, staying nearby will help you sleep better and strengthen your bond. The more your wolves bind to each other, the easier it will be to get your human part to resolve your issues.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re going to his cabin?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get as close as he will allow,¡± Gabriel said. The sun was going down and the shadows were long as the home came into view. As the scent of him became stronger, my wolf became more excited. ¡°You cannot shift, and you cannot enter the home without permission; they are not in our Pack and there is a human there.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep92

    I sniffed the air, I could make out the scent of a human and another, more confusing scent; it was simr to a wolf, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Something is wrong with that scent,¡± I said.


    ¡°Adam¡¯s older brother, n, he gave up his wolf when he married his wife.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°It makes you as close to human as we can get. They can¡¯t procreate, and he loses the senses and help of his wolf.¡± I thought about it, thought about my mother Vivian who had married Dad and from all respects seemed happy. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Doctor Vivian give up her wolf?¡±


    ¡°She thought about it, but without her senses she wouldn¡¯t be able to identify male wolves. Those wolves wouldn¡¯t be able to mate her, but they could still force her into procreation. There was no advantage to giving up her wolf except losing her heat, and Snake didn¡¯t mind dealing with that.¡± I was d I was in wolf form so I couldn¡¯t blush; being adopted meant being able to think your parents never had sex.


    He nudged my shoulder, and I moved quietly across the clearing and the driveway towards the house. Not knowing what else to do, I sat in front of the porch and whined softly. The door opened and a man came out. ¡°You must be Eve,¡± he said. ¡°Adam is still bedridden, but his bedroom is around that way,¡± he said before he went back inside. I squatted at the edge of the driveway, leaving my scent there, before rounding the house until I was underneath an open window. His scent was everywhere, calming my wolf. I turned in ce three times before curling up under the window, quickly falling asleep.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I woke up about seven in the hotel across from the hospital, where I had crashed for the night. I had stayed with Mia until they kicked me out, and when she tugged my hand and pulled me down for a kiss, I knew I was done for. I promised to return in the morning, she expected to be released about ten, so I had a little time.


    I took the bag of clothes and equipment with me when I left, everything that had been destroyed when it was cut off. She was still upset about that, her riding gear was broken in and now useless. She asked me to throw it away, even the helmet couldn¡¯t be used again after being in a crash. I had all the sizes stored in my phone, so I checked out and went down to my motorcycle. The prospect had brought it upst night, just after I left the hospital, and was taking the ambnce back this morning.


    I sent a quick text to Meghan telling her I was heading to the Harley dealer and breakfast, but she didn¡¯t reply. Figuring she was sleeping in, I stopped at an IHOP for breakfast and got to the dealer as soon as they opened. I¡¯d been in here a few times, but I¡¯d never shopped in the areas I was going to now. Luckily, they had a female saledy who was more than helpful in what I needed, especially when I exined why.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Forty minutester, a backpack filled with new gear was ready for me. I got back on my Harley Street Glide, which was now two years old and had an Eve special custom paint job, and headed for the hospital. I got into her room, she was sitting up and waiting for the doctor to finish her discharge papers. ¡°Hi Snake,¡± she said when she saw me. I walked over, bent down to kiss her forehead and left the backpack in herp. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± I said.


    She unzipped it and the first thing she pulled out was a new Harley motorcycle jacket. Her eyes started to tear up as she looked at it, checking the size it was right. I also had a new pair of chaps, some gloves, and a helmet of the same model and size she had before. ¡°The ambnce is gone, but if you¡¯re up to it, we can continue your adventure on my motorcycle,¡± I said softly. ¡°Or I can¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯D LOVE TO GO,¡± she stopped me before her good hand pulled me down into a kiss. This wasn¡¯t the perfunctory kiss, this was the kiss of a lover. Her hand moved behind my neck as I bent down to gently hug her. She flinched, and I immediately backed off. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still a little sore,¡± she said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go anywhere today,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, but there are ces I wanted to visit in Duluth,¡± she said. ¡°We won¡¯t have to ride far, and we can take it easy.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell her no if I wanted to. ¡°I¡¯d love to show you around,¡± I said. ¡°But if it gets to be too much, if you need to rest, please let me know. I won¡¯t mind. Did you see the other stuff?¡± She looked in the bottom of the backpack, I¡¯d included a new pair of jeans in her size, a few Harley T-shirts, a Harley sweatshirt, and her gloves. The only riding gear they hadn¡¯t destroyed was her boots, only because the zippers allowed them to be taken off easily. ¡°Can you get dressed?¡±


    She looked me and nodded. ¡°I may need a little help, my shoulder doesn¡¯t lift up without pain. The doctor said it might be a few weeks before it gets back to normal, and I need to ice it a few times a day.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to get a nurse?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re good,¡± she said. I took her hand as she stood and stayed near her as she grabbed fresh clothes. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower before we go,¡± she said. I followed her into the bathroom, turning on the water as she took off the sling. I helped her remove the gown, she was only wearing her panties underneath, and I averted my eyes as much as I could. I resisted the urge to touch her body, she hadrge bruises on her back and legs, and her entire shoulder looked like one big purple mess.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said, ¡°That crash really did a number on you.¡±


    She stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. ¡°No permanent damage, I¡¯m the luckiest girl in the world,¡± she said.


    ¡°I hurt just looking at you,¡± I said. ¡°How are you even moving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine, Snake. Moving around will help me recover, and nothing makes me feel better than being on a Harley. Well, almost nothing.¡± The next few minutes, as I collected her dirty clothes into a bag while trying to force the impure thoughts back, were a losing battle. When the water turned off, I held the towel out for her to walk into and wrapped it behind her. I turned to grab another, drying her long ck hair and using the hairdryer on the counter to finish it up. She had a hair tie, so I put it in a ponytail for her, the whole time admiring the shape of her back and ass. She was a fine looking woman, her ex was an idiot.


    I had to help her with dressing, which was another form of torture for me. She wasn¡¯t trying to be sexual, she just couldn¡¯t help it. Everything she did, everything I saw and touchedbined to drive my arousal higher and higher. I was hoping my jeans would hide the evidence.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why they call you Snake,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°My God, is that thing real?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It is,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re hurt and I¡¯m over here like a teenager with a perpetual hardon.¡±


    She came closer, looking in my eyes as her fingers traced lightly down the bulge. ¡°Definitely the luckiest girl in the world,¡± she said. We were interrupted by the Doctor, he gave her the discharge papers, some prescriptions and some direction on how to deal with the shoulder and the bruising. With that, the nurse came with a wheelchair. I helped her put on her chaps, boots and jacket, then went to get the bike while she was wheeled to the front door.


    I could tell by how slowly she moved that she was not up for a long ride. She wrapped her arms around me, her bad arm just kind of there. Our helmets had Bluetooth devices and noise-cancelling headsets, so we could talk easily to each other. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I want to visit the Great Lakes Aquarium,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t think it was possible for my dick to get any harder without busting loose like the Hulk from the confinement of my jeans. I let out a low moan. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to go?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just that I have a reaction to seeing big fish through aquarium ss,¡± I said. ¡°It makes me horny as hell.¡± I told her as we drove the story of how Vivian and I stayed in the underwater reef bedroom for our honeymoon, and now my mind associated aquariums with sex.


    Her hand moved down to check. ¡°This thing is huge,¡± she said as her fingers squeezed it. ¡°My ex had small dick syndrome, he¡¯d have to fuck me three times to give me this much dick,¡± she said.


    I was THIS close to finding a hotel and not letting her out for days. ¡°You need to let go or I¡¯m going to have to pull over and seek shelter,¡± I said.


    ¡°FINE. But this snakees out to yter.¡± She squeezed it again, then moved her hands back to my stomach as I tried to refocus on driving. I dropped her at the front door of the aquarium, then parked the bike. We rented a locker to store our gear, and I pulled the sling out of her backpack. She would be morefortable with it, and while I was at it, I rented a wheelchair so she wouldn¡¯t have to stand on her bruised hip.


    We spent a few hours there, talking and enjoying the day as I wheeled her around. She wasn¡¯t impressed with the snakes or the seampreys they had on exhibit there, she said something about them ¡°not being as impressive as some other exhibits.¡±


    Overall, it wasn¡¯t a big ce, but thepany was the best. After a lunch of fish and chips, I could tell she was tired. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a hotel, we can rest up there for a bit and then go out for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Wonderful idea,¡± she said. I used my phone to find a hotel downtown with vacancies, and when I requested a room with double queens she immediately elbowed me. ¡°King bed and a jacuzzi tub,¡± she said. Hell, I wasn¡¯t going to argue.


    We got upstairs and I suggested she take a soak to ease her sore muscles before a nap. I ran the water, not making it too hot because that would aggravate the bruising. When she came out of the bathroom, she was naked, and she was magnificent. She smiled at me as she walked over, her handing out as I automatically helped her down into the tub. She moaned in pleasure as the jets started to work on her sore back and neck. I turned to go take a shower, and she grabbed my hand instead. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going,¡± she asked me.


    ¡°Wherever you want me to go,¡± I answered honestly.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep93

    ¡°Strip and get in here, I need a neck rub,¡± she said. I stood and pulled my shirt off, turning around I tossed it on the chair. ¡°Nice tattoo,¡± she said as I was taking off my boots. ¡°Meghan tried to tell me that was how you got the nickname, but we both know better, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± I said as I unbuckled my belt and let my jeans and underwear fall. I turned around and her breath caught in her throat.


    ¡°You know how to use that thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, but I think I remember,¡± I said as I stepped down into the tub.


    ¡°Good, because it¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve been fucked properly, and if you can be gentle with my shoulder, that¡¯s what we¡¯re doing this afternoon.¡± I sat down, pulling her and turning her so she was sitting between my legs and I could wrap my arms around her.


    ¡°All in time,¡± I said. I was going to make this a day she¡¯d never forget. I started by giving her a neck and back massage, enjoying her moans of pleasure as I worked the stress out of her body. This led to a front massage, which led to her first orgasm of the day as my fingers strummed her while my other hand explored her fantastic body.


    I turned her after that, letting her arms and head lean back on the towels ced at the rim of the tub. She was so rxed, almost ready to sleep, but I wasn¡¯t done with her yet. Lifting her legs over my shoulder, I leaned in and softly licked at her center. Her eyes flew open and a moan escaped her lips. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Rx, I want to taste you.¡± I moved my tongue in, taking a long lick from the bottom to the top of her slit, using the t of my tongue before flicking her clit with the narrow end.


    She came almost immediately, but I didn¡¯t stop. Ipped up her juices like they were the finest wine, enjoying the reactions I got from her. It was clear no one had done this in a while, she was grabbing my ears and singing my praises to the whole town. When she came a second time, hard enough the water started sshing out of the tub, I figured she was ready for me.


    I grabbed her around the lower back, pulling her up to me as I scooted towards the middle of the tub. She was stilling down from her high as I kissed her, moving her hips in position until I was pressing at her entrance. Her eyes shot open as I lowered her onto me, and when I kept going and going her mouth dropped and her eyes rolled back in her head. I bottomed out with at least four inches to go. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re ready for it,¡± I said. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I gripped her butt in my hands, lifting her back up before slowly letting her slide down again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so full,¡± she said as she bottomed out again, this time only two inches remained. ¡°It¡¯s so good¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± I said as I started to pump into her gently. The water was sloshing as we started to move faster, and her moans of pleasure started to get louder. There was nothing I could do to make thisst, she¡¯d been pushing my buttons since yesterday, and no math problems or sports scores could help. I raised up on my knees, lifting her high enough from the water that I could start to move faster. We built quickly to my peak, and she screamed into my shoulder as she came hard again, biting down in her pleasure. Her contractions sent me over the edge, and I drove in to the hilt as I emptied my balls deep inside her. I copsed back onto my butt, keeping her in my arms while sending a wave of water over the edge.


    It took us a minute to recover. ¡°Ready for a nap,¡± I asked after I finally slid out, feeling the rush of juices going into the tub.


    ¡°Take me to bed,¡± she whispered. I dried her off and tucked her under the sheets while I closed the ckout curtains and set an rm on my clock. By the time I slid in behind her, she was deep asleep.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I woke up in the morning, my face buried in a big, warm, furry pillow. I ran my hand down Abaddon¡¯s side, his wolf rumbling his pleasure as my hand went down his side to his stomach. I felt fantastic, rested, and most of all, safe and protected.


    I didn¡¯t want to get up as I continued to pet my wolf. MY wolf, I thought with a smile. He was a beautiful animal and a handsome man, the kind of body I used to dream of having in my bed. He rolled over a little on his back, trying to get my hand to rub his belly, which I did. I moved my hand down until it slid under something warm and sticky.


    I raised my head, looking down to see he was reacting to me sexually. I stopped moving, just watching it, fascinated and thinking about what it would be like if he took me in this form. It was huge, and the thought made my arousal rise. I couldn¡¯t do this, he couldn¡¯t either. We weren¡¯t ready toe out as a couple yet. He could exin away my scent from giving me a ride on his motorcycle, but not my arousal or his. ¡°We should get up,¡± I said.


    I rolled to the other side of the bed, getting up and walking to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, skipping my hair. I pulled out new clothes from my bag and walked out.


    I should have warned him.


    He was standing at the end of the bed, naked, on the phone with someone. He turned to look at me, allowing me to see his amazing body. As a werewolf, he wasn¡¯t shy about his body, so he smiled and just kept talking.


    If I looked, I¡¯d smell like a wanton slut in about thirty more seconds, so I focused on packing my backpack instead. I heard him hang up and walk behind me. ¡°You¡¯re not embarrassed, are you?¡±


    ¡°Only at my body¡¯s reaction to you,¡± I said. ¡°Now get dressed, you¡¯re making it very difficult for me to keep to my own vows.¡± He walked into the bathroom,ing out a few minutester dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. ¡°What do you have to do today?¡±


    ¡°I need to find a base of operations up here. Now that Eve has found her mate, she won¡¯t want to live with her parents anymore. She may even decide to rebuild at the old Pack site. If she decides to stay up here, we¡¯ll need a ce for the Knights to work out of.¡± He told me the basic parameters of what he was looking for as I booted up my iPad Pro and went to a real estate site.


    ¡°Tell you what, you take care of breakfast and I¡¯ll look at what¡¯s avable in the area,¡± I said. He went to call the front desk and I entered my search criteria. The biggest criteria was proximity to n¡¯s house and the Packnds. If they could find the right property, they¡¯d buy; if not, they¡¯d rent for a year while they had something built. The good news was that the guys were easy to satisfy when it came to housing; a big kitchen,rge garage, lots of bedrooms and a full basement for a gym was pretty much all they needed.


    By the time the breakfast of biscuits and gravy with orange juice had arrived, I had found a half-dozen possible locations. I went over them with Abaddon as we ate, then we called the realtors for the top three and set up viewingster that morning. ¡°You can stay here if you want,¡± he told me as he cleaned up the dishes to put in the basket outside the door. ¡°I¡¯ve got the room for another night, you can rx if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather go with you,¡± I told him. ¡°There¡¯s only so much time we get alone before the teasing begins. And you KNOW we¡¯re going to catch a load of ck at the Clubhouse.¡±


    He just smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll be with you and to hell with anyone who doesn¡¯t like it,¡± he said. We headed out shortly after, his firm body in my grip as we took off down the road.


    Donut¡¯s POV


    Viper wasn¡¯t happy, and since I was the one who vouched for Mitch as a potential member, I was taking the brunt of it. Honestly, I was as shocked to find out how obsessed he was as Viper was. He¡¯d never shown that, he¡¯d been a good Marine and friend.


    I took my lumps, then epted my responsibility. I had a few hours before my shift started, so I got on my Harley and drove over to Mitch¡¯s apartment. His Harley was parked outside, and he answered the door shortly after I knocked. ¡°Donuts,¡± he said as he turned his back and walked inside, I followed and closed the door. ¡°You here to hold my hand until I leave like I¡¯m told?¡±


    ¡°You fucked up, Mitch. I tried to warn you, we all did. She was underage and overprotected, and you were spying on her and us. There was no way to save you after that, no matter how you fought that night.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He was stuffing things into boxes, photos and medals from another life. ¡°She was eighteen, man. Eighteen and she liked me, wanted me. She made the first move, and I didn¡¯t even fuck her. Those guys just can¡¯t handle their little girl has grown up.¡±


    ¡°Well, she has, and she¡¯s found her mate now. You mean nothing to her, she¡¯s destined to be with him. She¡¯ll be Mrs. Adam Johnson by the weekend.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Adam and Eve. Corny as hell, it¡¯s like some bad werewolf fiction on the inte. He doesn¡¯t deserve her.¡±


    I grabbed a Coke out of his fridge and sat on the chair in his kitchte. ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going to go?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I have to withdraw from school because your Club and those Knights made this area a no-go zone. I¡¯m thinking Arizona, maybe New Mexico or Texas. Somece without all this snow where I can ride year-round.¡±


    I just snorted. ¡°Yeah, Arizona, that¡¯s a good idea. The ce is a fucking convection oven during the day.¡±


    He taped up the box. ¡°Anything else? I have to be out of here tomorrow. I¡¯m renting a U-Haul.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, man, I never thought things would get this fucked up around here. I thought you might find a home.¡±


    ¡°I have ns, Donut. I¡¯ll be just fine.¡± I gave him a bro-hug and headed out, I had a little time to rx before I had to leave for work.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep94

    Mia¡¯s POV


    I hurt. All over, I hurt.


    I opened my eyes, it was just after four. My arm was throbbing, my neck ached, the bruises on my sides and hips werepeting for attention, and my poor kitty hadn¡¯t seen that kind of action since college. I smiled as I looked over at a sleeping Snake on his back, his tattooed shoulder facing me. ¡°Snake?¡±


    His eyes opened, and he looked over at me. ¡°Sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I need my pills,¡± I said. I winced as I tried to roll over, and he was immediately up and picked me up, carrying me into the bathroom and setting me on the counter. He filled a ss with water, then handed me two of my pain pills. I popped them in my mouth, then drank down the water. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have been so¡­ active with you earlier.¡±


    I pulled him in and gave him a deep kiss. ¡°Of all my pain, Snake, my insides are a pain I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s been a long time since someone fucked me so well.¡± He had moved between my thighs, and since we were both naked, his snake was pressing up against me. I looked down, my hand wrapping around him. ¡°I feel like a virgin, you were reaching uncharted territory. I¡¯m still a little sore down there,¡± I told him as I squeezed him.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kiss it and make it better,¡± he said. He helped me to the toilet, then after we were both cleaned up he carried me back to the big bed. ¡°Do you feel up to going somewhere for dinner, or do you want to order room service?¡±


    He piled pillows behind me so I could sit up a little and still befortable. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to go anywhere,¡± I said. ¡°I kind of like the view here.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not hungry, I¡¯m going to eat out.¡± I started to object but stopped as he slid up between my legs, his tongue flicking against my rapidly moistening sex. Oh my God this guy could please a woman. He was gentle, taking his time and making sure I didn¡¯t aggravate any of my injuries. He was a tease, though. He would bring me close to the peak, then never quite push me over. I couldn¡¯t pull him close enough to get there myself, he would ride me along the cliff for minute upon minute just to bring me down a little. After the fourth or fifth time I was begging him for release.


    He was using two fingers, stroking the top of my walls and causing all kinds of sensations, while his tongue yed me like a fine instrument. I was building, building, and then he plunged a finger into my ass as he sucked hard on my clit and I went off like a firework. I didn¡¯t feel pain, I felt nothing but the waves of pleasure as he continued his assault, extending my orgasm until I finally copsed back onto the bed. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I finally said as I looked down.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I think this is my new favorite meal,¡± he said with a smile as he licked his fingers. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    I pulled him up so he was sitting next to me, trying to find a way to lean into him without something acting up. ¡°Where have you been all my life,¡± I said as I rxed a bit. ¡°Everything before this was a waste of my time and my body.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m so d I ran across you.¡± I started tough, the way we met, that was the stuff of legends.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours, Snake. You¡¯re not getting rid of me, I won¡¯t give you up without a fight.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight for me, my little mouse,¡± he said as he kissed my head. ¡°I¡¯m already yours. I want you toe with me, stay in St. Paul for a while. You can stay at the Clubhouse, meet my friends, eat my food and we can have this every day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I said. ¡°Mouse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love. You need a nickname, and I think this one is perfect for you.¡± I looked at him quizzically, I didn¡¯t understand why. ¡°You know, they¡¯re often eaten by a snake.¡± We both started tough, at least until my ribs started to hurt. The endorphins from the sex were wearing off.


    ¡°Well, you better order dinner,¡± I said, ¡°because that snake is going to be busy until it arrives.¡± He made the call, and I think they could hear the noises as he fought to maintain his voice as I tried to get him to moan. We both won.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I heard a door open, and my head popped up off my paws to figure out what was going on. My mate was moaning, he was in pain, and I could feel it through the bond. I got up and trotted to the front of the house, where n and his wife Alice were standing on the porch, holding the door open. ¡°He¡¯s still stubborn, but he needs his mate to heal,¡± n said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    I followed them down the hallway to his door. ¡°He¡¯s fighting off an infection, the drugs Doc gave us are helping but he has a fever. He may react badly to your human, but he won¡¯t kick your wolf out of bed.¡± I went over and licked his hand, thanking him for his kindness. He opened the door, and I looked at him in bed, the nightlight in the corner giving just enough for me to see. I crossed the room as they closed the door behind me, hopping up on the king size bed. He had pushed his covers off, his legs were no longer splinted but the scars on them were red and oozing. I moved over, licking them clean, grooming my mate as our wolves enjoyed the contact.


    He calmed down almost immediately, and when I was done Iid by his side, my head tucked under his shoulder. Exhausted, I fell asleep almost immediately.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep95

    Adam¡¯s POV


    I woke before the sun, feeling rested and content instead of pained and feverish. The room was dark, I was warm and tingly despite not having covers on me. I moved my hand, the furbining with the pleasurable tingles that told me something was different. I took a breath, her scent surrounded me,forted me. I looked at my hand, it was buried in white fur. The fur was connected to a head, a headying over my chest, a furry leg covering my groin.


    Eve.From N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as my wolf luxuriated in the feel of his mate. I¡¯d had a lot of time to think, and I¡¯d run the conversation with her father, Snake, through my mind a hundred times. I¡¯d started to reject her without even having the courtesy of talking to her. I was ready to throw away Luna¡¯s blessing based on what I imagined was going on, not what really had happened.


    My fingers moved through her fur, causing a pleased rumble to echo in her chest. After a few strokes, her leg twitched, and her eyes opened. She looked up at me, whining softly. ¡°Eve,¡± I whispered as I brought my left hand up to her snout, ¡°You came to me.¡±


    Her tail started to whap the bed as I moved to scratch her ears. The bond between us was growing stronger, it pulsed into me through the contact we had. ¡°Come on,¡± I said. I sat up, looking at my legs they looked healed, and were no longer swollen and hot. I swung my legs down to the floor as Eve jumped off the bed. I stood up, my legs felt good, and my wolf, he wanted out. He wanted his mate, and I couldn¡¯t stand in his way any longer. I focused on the shift, dropping to all fours as my body reformed into myrge wolf.


    As soon as my shift wasplete, I moved to meet her. She dropped to the ground, rolling onto her belly, her wolf in her way apologizing to mine for the damage that had been done. I licked at her face, rubbing my head on hers, noting with satisfaction that she didn¡¯t smell of that human. There were other wolf smells strong on her, but I knew they were her Pack, her protectors. I moved down to smell her sex, licking at it as she squirmed, taking a deep sniff. She was untouched, she was excited and she was MINE.


    I moved back and dropped my chest to the ground, legs forward and tail up, wanting her to get up and y. She rolled onto her feet and stood, immediately our heads met as we sniffed and rubbed against each other¡¯s necks. I walked around her, rubbing against her andying my scent down, overpowering all other smells on her. She was wagging her tail, almost quivering with excitement. We needed to get out of here, I wanted to be alone with her, run with her by my side.


    I nudged her towards the door before I used a paw to open it. My brother¡¯s home had been modified, all the doors had levers instead of knobs so I could get around in wolf form. We moved through the hallway, our nails clicking on the wood floors as we moved to the living room. The front door was open, letting the cool night air in. I pushed it open, holding it while her white wolf moved past me. I ran out into the yard with her, forgetting the screen would m and might wake someone up. I was thinking of nothing but her.


    She came to my side. Her wolf was about half my size, she was sleek and looked fast. Her head came up almost to my shoulder, I could almost stand over the top of her. I had never seen a shewolf before, so I had no idea if she was big or small or what, I just loved the way she looked. I yipped, taking off for the woods, and the chase was on.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she was alongside me, she was deceptively quick. She kept up with me easily, she wasn¡¯t breathing hard while I was going full out. I slowed to an easier pace, heading towards my favorite hidden ce in the woods. It took us about twenty minutes to get there; I could hear and smell her Pack members asionally, but they were staying well clear of us. They were giving us some privacy even as they protected her, and I respected that.


    I slowed as we approached the thickets guarding the entrance to the narrow cut. I led her closer to the small river, the noise of the waterfall growing louder as we moved through the narrow trail to the other side. The sun was rising, causing shadows to appear on the limestone cliffs as we moved forward along the rocky banks.


    I stopped when we turned thest corner, she came next to me and froze. It was a hidden gem, a small waterfall about ten feet in height, the water rushing over the ledge and crashing into the pool below. I ran forward a few steps, leaping and shifting into my human form as I did, smoothly entering the water that was about five feet deep. I surfaced and shook the water out of my hair, looking back at her as she stood where I left her.


    I saw her take a few steps then leap high, shifting back as she did. I caught a quick glimpse of blonde hair and skin, then she entered the water with barely a ssh. I held my arms out, and she surfaced in front of me. I put my hands under her shoulders and pulled her up, setting her on her toes close to me. ¡°Hello, Eve, I¡¯m Adam,¡± I said.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you Adam. We¡¯re mates?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I leaned down and kissed her. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± The feeling of kissing her set bombs off in my head, I¡¯d never felt anything like it. I had to have it again, and I pulled her to me before crashing my lips to hers. We made out like this, oblivious to the world around us. Her legs came up and wrapped around my hips, her core pressing against my arousal as we tried to get closer to each other. She was starting to shiver in the cold water when I walked us out of the pool, sitting on a smooth boulder with her legs still wrapped around me. ¡°The bond, it¡¯s more than I imagined,¡± I told her as I looked into her darkened eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about¡±


    I kissed her, stopping her. ¡°Whatever happened before we met is history, history I don¡¯t want to learn. Our lives begin now, here in this spot, together.¡±


    I could see her rx, the relief in her eyes that I wasn¡¯t angry with her. ¡°You want me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Here, and now. I can¡¯t hold my wolf back any more.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep96

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to,¡± she said as she pulled me in for a kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck, as I moved my hands around her back and side. Our arousal grew quickly, I was ready, and our instinct to mate would not be stopped. I moved my hands down, cupping her firm ass, and moving her up until she was poised at my tip. I looked at her one more time, she nodded and pulled me in for another kiss as I let go and she dropped down a few inches onto my length. ¡°Ohhhhhh¡­,¡± she moaned with her head falling back.


    I had felt her barrier give way, and smelled the blood as I entered her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    She just gritted her teeth until the pain passed, then she resumed her descent. If touching her gave pleasurable tingles, this was better. I hugged her close as she sank down, finally bottoming out as I filled herpletely. ¡°Wow,¡± she said as she squeezed me.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. She waited until she wasfortable, then pushed up with her legs to raise herself until I was almost out again. This time, she dropped down a little faster, the pleasure, the tightness, it was almost too much. ¡°Oh Luna¡­¡±


    We kissed again as she picked up the pace, and before long the sound of the waterfall was joined by the squish of her sex and the smack of our skin together. I caught her moans in my mouth, our tongues exploring as our bodies joined faster and faster. She started to tense up, her sex clenching at me, and when she screamed her release it sent me over. I pulled her down onto me, holding her still as I emptied my essence deep inside her.


    My wolf was pushing hard, he wanted to finish the mating, and we couldn¡¯t do that in human form. When she caught her breath, I lifted her off. ¡°My wolf is going to take you. Shift and run, I¡¯ll give you a ten second head start.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too fast for you, you¡¯ll never catch me,¡± she said cheekily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt your mate,¡± I said. She shifted into her white wolf, taking off for the exit, as I counted to ten. I shifted and took off after her.


    Tracking was easy, my scent was in her and her arousal was like a beacon to me. My wolf loved the chase, catching and dominating his mate was part of what his instinct drove him towards. I was hot on her trail, my wolf in control. I wasughing to myself as I saw which way she was going. The trail she was on would go onto a long point pushing into the middle of ake. It was a dead end.


    I slowed down as I made sure I covered the exits, ensuring she couldn¡¯t sneak around and get past me. I heard her howl of frustration as she broke from the trees and realized what she had done.


    I broke through the treeline as she stood by theke, pacing back and forth with no escape possible. I stood tall and dominant, tail up, moving towards her and demanding her submission. She tried to run, but I was on her in a heartbeat, my teeth in her scruff holding her head to the ground. She presented herself, her wolf satisfied that her mate was strong enough to protect her and their cubs.


    I moved into position, my hips over hers as her tail moved to the side. I plunged into her in one strong stroke, my hips withdrawing and plunging in again as she whined. I let go over her neck but she kept her head down, my front legs holding her in ce as the knot formed. She let out a whine as I pushed it into her, tying us together as the thrusts became faster and shorter.


    She was moving her head side to side as I pounded her willing flesh, the knot preventing me from pulling out more than a few inches. She started to howl as the sensations built, and when we both exploded in bliss, I leaned forward and bit hard into her neck, marking her forever as mine.


    The bond snapped into ce between us, and we copsed onto our sides as our bodies ceased to be our own anymore. I could feel her, hear her in my mind, she filled up my soul and I was suddenlyplete. I howled my joy to the sky, then licked the blood from her neck as I tried to catch my breath.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    It was happening. Two plus decades after Luna had given me my vision and purpose, it was finally over.


    I heard and smelled the two of them, their arousal was high and it was only a matter of time. I paced back and forth, trying to stay far enough back they wouldn¡¯t be threatened by my presence. When I heard and saw her break from the thicket, I knew the time was almost up. ¡°She¡¯s giving him chase, heading north. Stay out of their way,¡± I said as I moved into a trail position.


    We trailed them for few minutes, then Michael cut in. ¡°Boss, she¡¯s headed for the Point. I can¡¯t go any farther or I¡¯ll be trapped there.¡±


    ¡°Fine, verify the Point is clear then get out of the way. Stay alert, guys, it¡¯s almost over.¡±


    We set a wide perimeter as Adam caught up to her. We heard them, then there was a howl and it felt like something was ripped out of me. ¡°Michael, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. I felt empty, alone, my wolf was confused and so was I. ¡°Azazel? Anyone?¡± No one answered me.


    I howled, hearing the answering howls of my men. I saw Dumah race towards me, I tried to link him but there was nothing. We both shifted. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t link anyone,¡± I said.


    He put his hand to his chest. ¡°My pack link¡­ it¡¯s gone. I can¡¯t feel you, Alpha.¡±


    Ch. 74


    Donut¡¯s POV


    I got off my shift at eight in the morning, it was another long night. Two drunk driving arrests and one domestic violence call, which didn¡¯t end until a few minutes before my shift did. I pulled off my uniform in the locker room and packed it in my bag, it was soaked. Taking a quick shower, I put on jeans and a Harley shirt and went outside to my ride.


    I had a bit of time before I usually went to bed while I was on my night run, so I drove through the morning haze towards Mitch¡¯s apartment. I figured he might need a hand loading up the U-Haul, and I wanted to see him off if I could. As soon as I arrived, I knew something wasn¡¯t right. There was no truck parked out front, no motorcycle. I looked in the window and the boxes were all gone, the apartment was empty. I flipped out my phone and called Mitch, our tech guy at the Club. ¡°Mitch? Hey, it¡¯s Donuts. I¡¯m looking for Mitchell, do you have a location on his tracer?¡±


    We¡¯d put the tracer on his bike while he was up north, to make sure he didn¡¯t vite the limits he¡¯d been given to stay away from Eve and the Club. ¡°Just a second, let me pull it up,¡± he said. ¡°Youing over for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, with Snake gone and Mitchell not helping, I can make my own cereal,¡± I said.


    He chuckled and I could hear keys tapping. ¡°Got it. He¡¯s at his apartment, the bike¡¯s parked on the side of the house.¡±


    Fuck. ¡°He¡¯s not here, Mitch. Him and his stuff, it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Well, the tracker is there.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I looked around, a minuteter I found it in the flowerbed. ¡°He found the tracker and tossed it. Mitch, wake up Viper, tell everyone at the Clubhouse to strap up and keep their eyes open. I¡¯m calling Snake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it, Donuts. What do we do if we see him?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell him that, I was an officer of the Law. ¡°You do what Viper tells you,¡± I said before I hung up. I called Snake¡¯s number. It rang a few times before he answered. ¡°Snake, it¡¯s Donuts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s eight thirty in the fucking morning and I¡¯m on vacation, Donuts,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Too bad. Mitchell Miller is missing. All his stuff is gone from the apartment, and he found and tossed the tracker on his bike. He could be anywhere.¡±


    Snake didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°So he could be leaving town like he was told.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but he didn¡¯t give me that vibe when we talked yesterday.¡± My blood turned cold. ¡°Fuck. I can¡¯t believe I did that. Snake, you¡¯re gonna kill me if this goes bad.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I told him Eve was over him, that she¡¯d be Mrs. Adam Johnson in a few days.¡± I was kicking myself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was trying to get him to understand she didn¡¯t want him and was moving on.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. ¡°Go to the Clubhouse and tell Viper everything you know. Eve¡¯s on a run in wolf form with the Knights, but Abaddon is up here. I¡¯ll call him and get him to warn the others.¡± He hung up, and I put my phone back in my pocket. Starting up my bike, I headed for the clubhouse. If Snake wasn¡¯t happy, Viper would be furious. If anything happened to his granddaughter, my ass was grass.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep97

    Abaddon¡¯s POV


    I was in the shower when I felt it. Something was torn from my soul, the pain knocked me to my knees. My wolf was howling, something was wrong.


    ¡°Gabriel, what¡¯s happening?¡± I got no response, and even worse I felt no tie to him. I tried linking the others, trying to call the entire Pack, but I got a whole lot of nothing back. It wasn¡¯t possible, the entire Pack couldn¡¯t be killed at once, right?


    Well, unless it was an explosion or something. I quickly rinsed and dried, pulling on my clean jeans and opening the door to a surprised Meghan. I was pulling my shirt on as I walked over to her. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, really wrong, Meghan.¡± She had showered first so she was already dressed. ¡°I felt the link break, I can¡¯t feel or contact anyone in the Pack. No Gabriel, no Michael, no one.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± She¡¯d been among wolves long enough to know how this all worked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I need to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± she said. We grabbed our jackets and quickly packed, we didn¡¯t know if we would return here for another night. We loaded up my saddlebags and her backpack, and put our helmets on before climbing on my Harley. ¡°Where are we headed,¡± she asked over the inte link my bike had.


    ¡°The Knights are supposed to be protecting Eve while they are on their Pack Run, but Gabriel would have left a few people at Adam¡¯s house to protect him until they mate,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll go there first, if I don¡¯t find them¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you shift and run, and I¡¯ll stay with Adam and his family,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s fine, I should check how Adam is healing.¡±


    I pushed through the gears, riding the near-empty roads as fast as I could safely go. All kinds of scenarios were going through my head, none of them good. My wolf was ufortable, he hadn¡¯t been without a Pack bond for two decades. It wasn¡¯t natural, wolves were social creatures who craved that structure. Meghan¡¯s arms around my waist helped a lot; it wasn¡¯t like that of a mate, not like the tingles I felt when I first met mine all those years ago, but it was close enough. I dropped my left hand down, cing it over her hands and squeezing gently. ¡°Whatever we find, Meghan, we¡¯ll get through together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an exnation,¡± she said. ¡°A whole Pack doesn¡¯t just disappear, especially when they aren¡¯t all in the same ce.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon,¡± I said. A phone call interrupted my thoughts as I drove at over a hundred miles an hour down the twone highway. ¡°Abaddon,¡± I said.


    ¡°Abaddon, it¡¯s Snake. I got a call from Donuts. He went to Mitchell¡¯s apartment this morning, everything is gone including him.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good for him, we don¡¯t have to kill him now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Snake replied. ¡°He found and tossed the tracking device we ced, and Donuts let slip that Adam Johnson was her mate. If he is still obsessed with her, he might head back that way to try and get her back.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me sideways, this day is going to shit really fast.¡± I slowed down, we were getting close to their driveway. ¡°I¡¯m almost to the Johnson¡¯s house, can you get up here?¡±


    ¡°I can, but it will be a bit, I¡¯m still in Duluth.¡±


    ¡°Get going then, I have a feeling you¡¯ll be needed.¡± I cut the call and filled Meghan in on what was going on as I moved slowly along the rutted tracks that led to n and Alice¡¯s home. ¡°You have your pistol,¡± I asked Meghan.


    ¡°Always,¡± she said.


    ¡°Follow my lead,¡± I said. We reached the clearing where their house was, and my heart sank as I saw Mitchell¡¯s Harley parked in front.


    ¡°STOP RIGHT THERE,¡± a voice yelled. I stopped my Harley, putting down the kickstand as I watched Mitchelle out of the house. In front of him, their hands cuffed behind them, were a frightened n and Alice.


    We got off the bike, hands up. ¡°Mitchell, it doesn¡¯t have to go this way. No one needs to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!! Toss your pistols into the woods.¡± I pulled my Glock our, tossing it into the brush, and Meghan did the same. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything.¡± He pushed the two down the porch stairs. Without hands to bnce them n fell heavily onto the sidewalk, Alice on top of him. ¡°WHERE IS MY EVE?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I can¡¯t contact the others, I came here looking for them.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better find them quick,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I take Eve with me and these two live. Doc,e over here and join them.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want her to, but we had no choice. She shook loose of my hand. ¡°I love you, Steven. Go find your Pack and bring them.¡± She walked towards him, and he quickly produced another pair of handcuffs and made her sit with the others.


    ¡°Shift and go. If Eve isn¡¯t here in an hour, I¡¯m going to shoot one of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get her, Mitchell. It may take a while, I don¡¯t know where they are!¡± I started pulling off my clothes to shift.


    ¡°Then you better hope I don¡¯t pick Doc here as my first victim.¡± I swore to myself, shifting into my big wolf I ran into the woods. I had to find them and NOW.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t want to interrupt the newly mated couple, but we had no choice. Without a Pack link, I couldn¡¯t coordinate their protection unless they were in view. I howled a note that summoned everyone to me, and a few minutester they were all gathered around and shifted so we could talk. Every one of us had lost the Pack link. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Boss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Can anyone link anybody?¡±


    Adriel and Kushiel stepped forward. ¡°Alpha, our sibling link still works, but we¡¯re not feeling the Pack link. Even now with you in front of us, that Alpha presence is missing. It¡¯s like my wolf doesn¡¯t recognize you, not just as my Alpha, but as anything different than any other wolf. No offense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Michael said. ¡°It¡¯s like we aren¡¯t a Pack anymore. I don¡¯t understand how, I didn¡¯t shift allegiances and you are still alive.¡±


    ¡°All right, priorities first. Kushiel, since you and Adriel can still talk, you take two men with you and run back to Adam¡¯s house. Use the phone, try to get ahold of Abaddon and tell him to meet us there. Stay there until we get back.¡± He nodded, picked two and ran off.


    ¡°What are we going to do,¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°Follow me. We¡¯re going to tell Adam and Eve that something is wrong and we need to get them back to his house.¡± We moved slowly through the woods towards the point, the smell of sex and blood heavy in the light breeze. I told the others to wait as I walked into the opening towards them. Adam was growling, his need to protect his mate from others was strong, but he was in no position to do so while he was still tied to her in wolf form. She whined in pain as he tried to move, the knot pulling her insides. ¡°Stop moving, you¡¯re hurting her,¡± I said. ¡°I just need to tell you a few things.¡±


    I knelt down so I wouldn¡¯t be as threatening, and he calmed down and stopped trying to pull her around with his dick. I told them about what had happened with the Pack Link; when I asked Eve If she could talk to anyone, she shook her head before looking at Adam and licking him. ¡°You can only speak through the link to him?¡± She nodded.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re going to stay back until you disengage. As soon as you shift back, yell for us and we¡¯ll talk.¡± I walked back to my men, it could take an hour or two for his knot to subside, more if he started to make love to her again. New mates were just like that.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    Kushiel and the other two had only been gone ten minutes, it would take them thirty to get back to the house from where we were. I was sitting with my men, far enough into the woods to give the two some privacy but close enough to protect them. ¡°How long do you think they¡¯ll be, boss?¡±


    I justughed. ¡°It all depends on how good Adam is at doing math problems or sports scores in his head,¡± I said. ¡°The knot works just like the erection, if you can keep your mind off it for a while it might go down. The problem is, they¡¯re newly mated, and I can tell you that the sensation of being inside your mate is damn hard to resist. That¡¯s why most new mates take days in the bedroom or the woods when they firste together, your instinct is to keep making love to her. All it takes is one move and it starts over.¡±


    The mood of the guys was mixed; I could tell they were happy that the two had mated, but there were three questions we all were thinking but didn¡¯t have the answers for. Why did our Pack link and bond dissolve? What do we do now? And will any of us ever have a chance to experience what Adam and Eve are having right now?


    There was nothing to do but wait.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    I watched Abaddon disappear into the woods as I dropped to my knees, my hands handcuffed behind me. I was worried, I¡¯d be a fool not to be; Mitchell had gone over the edge of madness. His obsession with Eve had gone from creepy to unhealth, then passing quickly through self-destructive to rest solely in insanity. What the hell did he think would happen? Eve didn¡¯t want him, she¡¯d told him that. She was a werewolf, she was mated now, no human couldpete with that.


    I know I couldn¡¯t. If there was another werewolf out there waiting for Abaddon, he¡¯d Abandon me in a heartbeat. It¡¯s the way they are wired, the way their instincts make them. I knew that, but I also knew I had no worries there. Eve was the only shewolf left, and she had found her mate. Abaddon knew it wasn¡¯t him because he¡¯d already found his true mate decades ago and lost her.


    Mitchell was walking back and forth behind us, muttering and talking to himself. I moved a little closer to Alice, who was shivering and crying. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right,¡± I whispered to her. ¡°They won¡¯t let him hurt us, I promise.¡±


    She started to cry harder, and I sandwiched her between my side and n¡¯s as he tried to calm her down. I focused on Mitchell, trying to figure out what he was saying to himself. It was weird, it reminded me of someone who was schizophrenic. I hadn¡¯t spent much time in my psych rotation, just the minimum, but he seemed unbnced and on the verge of a breakdown. ¡°Mitchell,¡± I asked softly, ¡°are you feeling all right?¡±


    ¡°BE QUIET BITCH!¡± He pointed the gun at me, his hands were shaking. He was sweating profusely, and his eyes were dted.


    ¡°Mitchell, I¡¯m a doctor. I can help you.¡±


    ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T TAKE AWAY THE PAIN,¡± he shouted as his hands went to the side of his head. He closed his eyes, I could see the strain on his face. ¡°Only Eve can take away the pain. She¡¯s the only one who can save me.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep98

    I looked at his face, blood was starting to leak from his nose. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding, Mitchell. Did you take anything? Are you on any drugs?¡±


    He dropped to his knees, his hands still on the sides of his head. ¡°I take it, but it doesn¡¯t WORK. It hasn¡¯t worked for weeks.¡±


    ¡°What did you take?¡±


    ¡°Five Percoset.¡± His hand holding the gun fell to his side. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any different, it still hurts.¡±


    ¡°Take these off, Mitchell, let me examine you. I can help you, you shouldn¡¯t have to feel like this.¡±


    He looked at me, seeming to think about it, then his face changed suddenly to blind rage. ¡°NO! YOU LIE!¡± He charged towards me, swinging his hand. The pistol caught me in the right cheek, I saw stars as the pain exploded. My hands bound, I couldn¡¯t stay on my knees and I fell heavily to the ground. My shoulder hit hard, then my head. ¡°I SHOULD KILL YOU!¡±


    I looked up, I saw two of him as he stood over me, waving his pistol.


    ¡°Mitchell, that won¡¯t help anything. She¡¯s trying to help you. We¡¯d all help you if you¡¯d just ask.¡± n was talking softly, like he would to a scared animal, while I tried to get my brain under control again. ¡°You have friends? Fellow Marines? What would they think of you right now.¡±


    ¡°THEY ABANDONED ME!¡± He moved away from me, kicking n in the stomach before standing over him. ¡°I NEEDED THEM, AND THEY KICKED ME OUT!¡±


    ¡°Who? Who kicked you out?¡± Alice was brave enough to talk while her husband tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°Donuts. He was supposed to get me into the club, find a ce I belonged. They don¡¯t understand about me and Eve. She is the one who takes the pain away, I NEED her, and they hid her from me!¡± He sat down, tears streaming down his face. ¡°They never understood that she is special, she is mine. That¡¯s why we had to run, that¡¯s why I need to take her now.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    My head had cleared up, and I could see the blood was flowing faster out of his nose. I saw him looking at the woods. ¡°Where is she? She needs to be here¡­¡± I saw his eyes roll back, and he fell to the side.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± I rolled over onto my stomach, squirming around until I could get my knees under me. I shuffled over to where he way lying down. He was breathing, barely, and his pulse was fading. I was still handcuffed, I couldn¡¯t do anything. I listened to his heart as it stopped, helpless to intervene.


    When I knew he wasn¡¯ting back, I sat up, tears in my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± I said.


    n had moved over next to me, he had pushed the gun away with his leg. ¡°We need the handcuff key,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I turned and got up next to his body, leaning back I tried to work a hand into his pocket. It wasn¡¯t easy, it took a couple minutes, but my fingers wrapped around the keychain and I pulled it out. I couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Can you see? Is it on there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, go clockwise.¡± I rotated the ring slowly, finally feeling the key in my fingers. I moved it around, finally finding the opening in my handcuffs. I heard a click, and I was able to pull my hand free. I quickly uncuffed my other hand, then freed n and Alice. They held each other tightly, she was in hisp, his arms holding her tight.


    I reached into my Northwoods Riders cut, my phone was still in the inside pocket. I dialed the three numbers. ¡°911 Dispatch, what is your emergency?¡±


    ¡°This is Doctor Meghan Jenkins, I am reporting a fatality,¡± and I gave them n¡¯s address. ¡°Based on the symptoms, it appears to be a brain aneurism. Subject was unable to be revived at the scene.¡± The dispatcher promised a deputy would be dispatched along with the County Coroner. ¡°They should be here in ten minutes,¡± I told them. ¡°We don¡¯t need to attract any attention. Mitchell was a friend to the Club, he came here to visit with us and he had a sudden attack. There was nothing we could do. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Your friend came, he had an attack, there was nothing we could do,¡± n repeated.


    ¡°Perfect. Hide the gun. Go inside and get cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°You too, Doc, your face is bleeding.¡±


    ¡°I will, I need to bring the motorcycle up and bring Abaddon¡¯s clothes inside. I don¡¯t want to exin why his clothes are strewn by the forest.¡± I walked over and picked them up, putting them in the saddlebags along with our two pistols we had tossed. The key was still in his Harley, so I started it up and drove it to the front of the house, backing it in before shutting it down. I went inside, going to the bathroom and washing the blood off my cheek. It would bruise, so I went to the kitchen looking for an ice pack.


    ¡°How are you going to exin that on your face?¡± Alice was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in hand.


    ¡°When people seize, their hands often move without control. As I was going to help him, I got smacked in the face,¡± I said. ¡°The EMT¡¯s will check it but I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Abaddon is going to freak, though.¡± She looked at me with a smile. ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, he looks at you like n looks at me.¡±


    I blushed a little. ¡°I¡¯ve known him my whole life, we just confessed our feelings for each other a short time ago. It¡¯s weird, but a good weird. I love him, I think I always have.¡±


    ¡°If you have love, you can make it through anything.¡± She took my hand, I could hear the siren approaching.


    The three of us got up and went out to the porch as the Deputy arrived, parking between the house and Mitchell¡¯s body. We greeted the young Deputy, I introduced myself and showed him my identification, and briefly exined what had happened. As long as a whole bunch of wolves didn¡¯te storming into the yard and shifting to big naked men, we¡¯d get out of this without suspicion.


    It took another hour for the Coroner to pack him up and leave with him. I left him my contact information, asking for the autopsy results. I had a good idea what to expect, the head pain and the ineffective painkillers were key indicators. He must have been suffering a lot, at least his end was quick. Donuts told us he had been a good Marine, a good man once. He deserved to be buried that way.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I tried to tell Mouse that she needed to rest, that she should stay in the hotel room, but she¡¯s as stubborn as I am. When she found out my daughter was in danger, she was up and grabbing her riding gear. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s a ny-minute drive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m sore, not broken,¡± she said. ¡°I just got you, no way I¡¯m letting you go by yourself. You know how hard it is to find a man like you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m a lucky little Mouse. Now don¡¯t forget your pistol, and let¡¯s get out of here.¡± We didn¡¯t have much to pack up, so I called the front desk and told them to check us out, then between the saddlebags and her backpack we had it all. Fifteen minutes after I had taken the call, we were on the road.


    The drive was frustrating, I wanted to go fast but Highway 61 was busy with tourists. We worked our way to open road when we could, opening up the throttle when we got past traffic. I talked to Mouse the whole way, catching her up on my life and Eve. I couldn¡¯t trust her to know of the werewolf side yet, just that she had turned eighteen and was up here with her boyfriend. Mitchell was an older biker who had seen her and became obsessed with her, even after she told him she wasn¡¯t interested in him anymore.


    We reached the turnoff, but there was a Sheriff¡¯s cruiser in the road, getting ready to turn right. I waited as he pulled out, I waved at him, and the next vehicle made my blood run cold.


    A coroner¡¯s van.


    As soon as it was out of the way, I turned into the driveway and drove faster than I should have towards the house. I could hear Mouse¡¯s groans of pain, but she didn¡¯t tell me to slow down. I was scared to death, and I needed answers.


    ***


    Abaddon¡¯s POV


    My head was spinning with everything that was going on. A few hours ago, I would have just sent a warning over the link and the whole Pack would have converged on us. Now? I didn¡¯t even know where they were. Gabriel said they were going on a Pack run, we were near the Superior National Forest, there were hundreds of square miles around they could be in.


    I picked up the stale scents and headed northwest. I got to the top of a rise, pausing to lift my head and send out a distress howl. It was old fashioned, really something you learned because you might need tomunicate between Packs. I listened for a bit and heard nothing in response. I kept running.


    I stopped again after another five miles of hard running and howled. This time, I got a response and headed that way. A few minutester, I could see them, and I just about copsed in relief. I shifted as Kushiel, Phanuel and Puriel ran up and shifted. ¡°I need help, guys. Mitch is back at Adam¡¯s house, he¡¯s got n, Alice and Meghan hostage. He said he¡¯s going to kill them if we don¡¯t give him Eve.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Kushiel said. His eyes unfocused, he was linking.


    ¡°I lost the Pack link,¡± I said.


    ¡°We all did,¡± Phanuel said. ¡°Alpha influence is gone, there aren¡¯t Alphamands on our wolves anymore. It¡¯s like the Pack just disappeared and made us all lone wolves.¡± I looked at Kushiel. ¡°He still has the sibling link with his brother, we left him back with Gabriel and the rest.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep99

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but it happened when Adam and Eve mated.¡± I smiled, that meant the curse was broken and my vow to protect her wasplete; I could make a life with Meghan, if I could just keep her alive.


    ¡°Gabriel says the two are still tied together, they may not detach for an hour or two. Then they have a hard hour of running to get back to the house.¡±


    ¡°What did he say to do?¡±


    ¡°Save them,¡± he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    ¡°OK, we won¡¯t have a link to coordinate. He¡¯s holding them in front of the house, so you guys sneak around behind.¡±


    ¡°Attack from the sides?¡± Phanuel looked confused, it was a long house.


    ¡°Get on the roof, he won¡¯t expect that. I¡¯ll work him back to where you can jump.¡± We shifted and ran hard back towards the house. It was going to be close. I pushed forward faster, my body at its limit, knowing I only had one chance to save my love or Adam¡¯s loved ones.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I roared into the driveway, skidding to a stop as I killed the engine and put the kickstand down. I turned and helped Mia off; she winced as her leg went over the seat, I¡¯d hurt her but I had no time. I jumped off, running towards the door. ¡°EVE!!¡±


    Meghan came to the door. ¡°She¡¯s not here, Snake. Go get your woman, there¡¯s no crisis here and she¡¯s limping.¡±


    I turned back to Mia, scooping her into my arms and carrying her up onto the porch. I set her on the chair by the door on the wide deck, taking a moment to make sure she wasfortable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Mouse,¡± I said as I held her hand. ¡°I know that was a hard ride for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll live, now sit with me,¡± she said. I picked her up and sat down, cing her gently on myp. n came out with a few sses of lemonade, Alice right behind him. He handed us the drinks, then the three of them sat in the chairs. I could see Alice was still shaking, and Meghan had an ice pack on her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m Mia Taylor, I¡¯m Snake¡¯s little Mouse,¡± she said. ¡°I know Doc Meghan already, so you must be n and Alice, Adam¡¯s brother and his wife.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± n said as he pulled his wife into his side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ve had a rough morning.¡± He described how Mitchell had shown up this morning after Adam and Eve left together, taking them hostage and threatening them and Meghan. Meghan picked up the rest of the story, ending with the coroner leaving.


    ¡°I saw that as I came in, I¡¯ve only been that scared a couple times in my life,¡± I said. ¡°So Eve is all right?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± n said. ¡°Last night Adam was having a rough night, he was feverish and the leg was infected. The pull was obviously stronger, Eve couldn¡¯t stay away, she was sleeping outside his window. I brought her inside, and she stayed with him in wolf form. They left together this morning. Whatever problem they had, they must be working through.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°And the Knights?¡±


    ¡°Went with them. I saw a few of themst night, they were surrounding the house but trying to give them privacy to be together.¡±


    I leaned back in the chair, relieved that she was all right and with her mate. ¡°Gabriel will keep her safe,¡± I told Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯m d, but what does wolf form mean?¡± She looked at me like we were teasing her.


    Oh shit. In all the excitement, I¡¯dpletely forgotten that I hadn¡¯t told her about werewolves yet. I guess this was going to test hermitment to me. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know?¡± I looked at n and shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± I said. ¡°Mia, I love you and I didn¡¯t mean to keep things from you, it¡¯s just that there are secrets we don¡¯t reveal to those not in the Club,¡± I said.


    ¡°And wolf form is a Club thing? What are we talking here, Twilight shit? You have vampires and the Knights are werewolves?¡±


    nughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that, really.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a vampire, not even a sparkly one. Werewolves are real, though.¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A WEREWOLF?¡±


    She started to move off myp, but I held her tight. ¡°No, I¡¯m human, just like you. So is Alice. n, he used to be a werewolf, but he killed his wolf when he decided to marry Alice and settle down. Eve¡­ my daughter, my adopted daughter, she is a werewolf, as is Adam.¡± We had time; it took two more sses of lemonade each before I finished the story of how we got to where we are now.


    ¡°So to summarize, Eve has been the only female werewolf for a decade or so, the males are in decline, and Eve mating Adam breaks the curse that was killing all the women when they were pregnant?¡± I nodded and kissed her. ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s some curse.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how it was,¡± Meghan said. ¡°Vivian tried so hard, she lost so many mothers and their children. Eve was the second baby she saved, and the only one to grow up. Jessica was her best friend, her assistant. She gave everything she had to try and stop this.¡±


    I looked up when I saw movement in the woods, recognizing Abaddon I called out to him. ¡°It¡¯s over, Abaddon,¡± I said.


    Meghan didn¡¯t wait, she ran off the porch and grabbed his clothes out of his saddlebags. She ran into his arms, kissing him as he struggled to get dressed. ¡°Abaddon,¡± she said in between kisses. ¡°I love you.¡±


    He set her down, his hand moving up to her cheek. I could see his left hand fisting up with his anger, but she pulled him into a hug. His nose buried in her hair, he took a couple deep breaths before he calmed down. ¡°He hurt you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll fill you in on what happened.¡±


    He looked at the roof above us before shouting. ¡°PHANIEL! PURIEL! Get dressed and get down here!¡± I heard footsteps above us, and a few minutester we were all sitting together. They told us about how the Pack link had disappeared when the two mated, and I couldn¡¯t understand why.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep100

    I looked at Meghan, who was sitting in Abaddon¡¯sp, his arms around her waist. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve crushed on him forever, but he never told me how he felt until we were together this week,¡± she said. ¡°Now that his vow to Eve is fulfilled, we¡¯re going to see where our rtionship can go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, I really am,¡± I said as I tipped my ss in their direction. ¡°Hammer? I think you need a n for telling him.¡±


    Mia looked at me quizzically. ¡°Hammer is her father, she¡¯s grown up in the Club and Abaddon had been around her since she was a girl. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s going to take a man of his advanced age dating his little girl.¡±


    Meghan justughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mom, once she¡¯s on our side he doesn¡¯t have a chance.¡± We talked for another half hour.


    I heard the thunder of paws, and looked up with everyone else to see a pack of huge wolvesing running at full speed into the yard. I set Mia down on the chair, standing in front of her as they lined up. ¡°Mia, if you don¡¯t want to see a whole lot of naked, you might want to close your eyes,¡± I told her.


    She looked at Meghan. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ve grown up around them, they¡¯re like family to me,¡± Meghan said. She went to the wooden box on the porch and opened the lid, pulling out a stack of shorts and shirts. The men shifted as she walked down the stairs. ¡°Thanks for showing up, boys, but we handled it already. Mitchell is dead.¡± She started tossing the shorts to the guys so Mia wouldn¡¯t be so nervous; the rest of us had gotten used to it.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Gabriel pointed at Mia.


    ¡°She¡¯s mine,¡± I said. ¡°Where is Eve?¡±


    I saw a sh of white fur as Eve broke from the woods, a handsome wolf running with her. She shifted mid-leap, and I barely had time to set myself as she crashed into me. ¡°DADDY!¡±


    I spun her around in my arms before setting her down. ¡°Hi baby,¡± I said as I kissed her forehead. I touched the still-healing bite mark on her neck. ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°Very much,¡± she said.


    Adam had pulled on a pair of shorts and walked up to her, pulling one of his Vikings jerseys over her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of her, Dad. We worked things out.¡±


    I pulled him into a hug. ¡°Congrattions, and wee to the family,¡± I said. ¡°We should go back to the Cities soon, so you can meet her Grandparents and the rest of our Club.¡±


    ¡°Can we?¡± Eve was pretty excited. ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask, do you ride?¡±


    ¡°Of course, love. Up here we get more snowmobile than motorcycle riding time, but I¡¯ve ridden since I was sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I need a ride back.¡± She kissed him, pulling him in tight as they molded to each other.


    ¡°Hey, enough of that for now,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Don¡¯t make us throw you in theke again.¡±


    She pulled away and blushed. ¡°Lake?¡± My eyebrow was raised as I stared her down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Dad, it¡¯s wolf stuff.¡±


    I looked over at Gabriel. ¡°We needed to cool those two down a little so we could get back here quickly.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a garden hose?¡±


    Eve buried her face in Adam¡¯s chest, and I red at Adam when I put it together in my mind. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be a problem if I had him neutered,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°No grandchildren then,¡± she whispered back.


    She looked up and noticed the beautiful woman who had walked up to me, putting her arm around my waist. I smiled and pulled Mia to my side. ¡°Eve, Adam, this is Mia. We met a few days ago on the road and we¡¯ve be rather close in a short period of time.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Eve¡¯s eyes bugged out. ¡°You¡¯re dating?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I found her and I¡¯m not letting her go.¡±


    Mia moved forward and embraced her. ¡°I understand congrattions are in order for your, um, mating?¡±


    ¡°He just told you, didn¡¯t he,¡± she said as she looked at me. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like a marriage except it really is until death.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot to learn, but I kind of like that idea,¡± she said. ¡°Your Dad is a wonderful man, I hope we be close as we get to know each other.¡±


    Alice came up towards us. ¡°Snake, I don¡¯t know what the n is, but I don¡¯t have the food in the house to feed this many werewolves.¡± She looked at the two dozen big men. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much food these guys eat, Adam eats as much as we dobined!¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be fair to you for us to impose,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Abaddon, there¡¯s got to be a ce near here we can take this group to eat.¡±


    ¡°Betty¡¯s Pies has enough room, it¡¯s not that far away,¡± I said. ¡°We always stop there.¡±


    ¡°I could go for pie,¡± n said with a smile.


    ¡°All right, I guess we ride,¡± I said. ¡°How far away are your bikes?¡±


    ¡°Back at the old Pack House,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll run there and meet you at the end of the driveway.¡± I thought about just meeting them at Betty¡¯s, but he was right- they still should be protected. Since there was no Pack bond, they had to be close, so we may as well ride like a Club.


    The clothes were collected, and Mia watched in fascination as the men shifted back to their wolves. ¡°You¡¯ve taken this well,¡± I told her as I hugged her gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool as hell,¡± I said. ¡°Did you ever wish you could be one?¡±


    ¡°All the time,¡± I said. ¡°Our DNA isn¡¯tpatible, there is no changing from human to werewolf, only killing your wolf part so you can seem to be more human.¡± We talked for a while longer as the others changed into riding clothes.


    An hour and a halfter, we were having a great time eating burgers at Betty¡¯s. Mia tried their Pie Shake, where an entire slice of pie gets blended into a milkshake. It was interesting, but I¡¯d rather have it separate. Since they had about three dozen vors, most of us had two or three, and there was a lot of passing and tasting going on at our end.


    ¡°What happens now, Gabriel?¡± I looked down the table at his men. ¡°I mean, Eve¡¯s mated, the curse is broken, and you aren¡¯t Alpha and you don¡¯t have a Pack anymore. Where do you go from here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Snake.¡± He looked older than I¡¯d ever seen him. ¡°I¡¯ve devoted my entire adult life to serving Luna, to carrying out what she charged me with, and now I have nothing and no idea what to do next.¡±


    I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. You¡¯re our friends, all of you. Let¡¯s get back to the Clubhouse and talk to Viper. He¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    ¡°He will. Now Mia, how¡¯d you get the nickname Mouse?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep101

    I was a little surprised by a few things other than Mitchell showing up at Adam¡¯s ce, and they looked to be good things. Abaddon, my moody and serious Master at Arms, was openly yful and showing affection for Meghan, who was like a niece to me. They couldn¡¯t go more than a few seconds without being in contact with each other. Now that they had confessed their feelings for each other, their love was obvious to see. I was d, he deserved a good woman, and Meghan was one of the best I¡¯d ever met.


    Snake was a little more shocking. For eighteen years, he had moped and pined after his lost love. Vivian had been an amazing shewolf, their love was intense, and her loss had almost destroyed him. Only now did I see some of the Snake I remembereding out again, thanks to the little fireball sitting next to him. Mia was a riot. She knew what she wanted, said what she wanted, and did what she wanted. Mostly, she wanted Snake. I was d this was a public ce, because they looked at each other like they wanted to go at it right then.


    Eve might have been embarrassed for her Dad, but she was also thrilled he was starting to live again. She was sitting across from Mia, getting to know his girlfriend as Snake was learning about his new son. Michael and I just looked at each other and shook our heads, love was in the air and we had nothing.


    I pulled out my phone after eating; I had a bunch of phone messages and texts, but I¡¯d only called back Netzach at our apartment building. One of the newer guys, he¡¯d been left behind to oversee repairs to our buildings and answer the phone. It took me a while as we were waiting for our table to calm him down after he lost the Pack bond. I told him we¡¯d be returning soon, and we¡¯d figure it out.


    Netzach was messaging me, telling me I had to call back Alpha Thurber of the North Carolina Pack, that it was ¡®extremely urgent¡¯ and he had been calling nonstop. ¡°I have to step outside and make a call,¡± I told the others as I stood. I walked out into the bright sunlight, finding a quiet spot at the edge of the parking lot I could talk without interruption. I never gave out my cell number, I had things routed through the duty person at our Pack House; I was old fashioned that way. My caller ID was blocked.


    I dialed the number, he picked up immediately. ¡°Dennis, it¡¯s Alpha Gabriel,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank Luna. Gabriel, has it happened with your Pack as well? Has Luna really done this to us?¡±


    ¡°Apparently so,¡± I said. ¡°I have no more Alpha influence, no Pack bond, no link. For some reason, Luna took it all away,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, you have your wolf?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but no Pack. What happened to you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a second, there was a heavy sigh. ¡°My wolf isn¡¯t there, Gabriel. All of our wolves are gone. We can¡¯t shift,municate, I can¡¯t feel him. There¡¯s just nothing. We¡¯re fucking humans now.¡±


    My mind was reeling. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Almost three hours ago. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. ¡°This morning, the Promised One mated with her Fated Mate. The curse has been broken.¡±


    ¡°AND A NEW CURSE WAS UNLEASHED,¡± he thundered. ¡°What have you done, Gabriel? What did my Pack do to deserve such a fate? We¡¯re NOTHING now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dennis.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What about the other Packs?¡±


    ¡°I talked to Alphas in Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and Maine,¡± he said. ¡°We all had the same story. Our wolves, our Packs, all gone. We¡¯re stumped, Gabriel. What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m going to call some of the other Packs in the Midwest and West, see what they know. I¡¯ll organize a videoconference call tomorrow, I¡¯ll text you the information,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m still away from base, I¡¯ll be out of touch until tonight.¡±


    ¡°Set it up for 10 am Eastern time, I¡¯ll contact everyone east of the Mississippi and Europe. You take Russia and Canada along with the west. We need to figure this out, Gabriel. I need to know why, because if Eve screwed this all up by mating, we might have to stop that.¡±


    ¡°YOU WON¡¯T TOUCH HER,¡± I thundered back.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. 10 am, email me the videoconference data and I¡¯ll pass it along. Tomorrow, Gabriel.¡± He hung up.


    I quickly called Netzach back, telling him to set up a videoconference for the leaders and email them the information on how to join at nine tomorrow, since we were Central time. He said he¡¯d take care of it. ¡°Dennis said he and a number of other Alphas and their Packs have lost their wolves as well as their Pack bonds,¡± I told him. ¡°If any call, find out if that is the case and text me the results. Start calling on my behalf, invite them to join on the call. I¡¯ll be backte tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, Alpha,¡± he said.


    ¡°Gabriel,¡± I said. ¡°There are no more Alphas. Call me Gabriel.¡± I hung up the phone and sat down on a boulder, trying to figure out what was going on. Michael walked up and sat next to me, he¡¯d heard everything. I patted him on the back. ¡°Everything has changed,¡± I told my old friend.


    ¡°Not everything, Gabriel. Our friendship will not.¡±


    I nodded looking back at the restaurant where some of our group was starting toe out. ¡°Did they send you to find me?¡±


    ¡°The waitress dropped off the check, so yeah,¡± he said as weughed. I got up and fished out my wallet. ¡°I may not be Alpha, but at least I¡¯m still needed,¡± I said. ¡°Gather them up by the bikes, we need to talk quickly before we leave.¡± I walked back across the lot, going back in I used the restroom before going back to my ce at the table. I handed our Pack credit card to the harried waitress, who with two busboys was cleaning the mass of tes from the table. ¡°Thank you for the service, the food was excellent, Amy.¡±


    She smiled and thanked me as she took the card. I looked over at Adam and Eve. ¡°I hate to do this to you, but I need to ask you both to return with us to St. Paul now. With what has happened with my Pack and others, we need to have Church tonight with the Northwoods Riders. In the morning, I have a conference call with the Alphas.¡±


    Eve looked disappointed. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here?¡±


    ¡°We can returnter, but this has to be done and I need everyone together for what I have to talk about. I can¡¯t leave enough men up here to protect you, and there¡¯s a new danger.¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°The other Packs didn¡¯t just lose their Pack links and their Alpha influence. They lost their wolves.¡± The table suddenly got silent. ¡°The Alpha I just spoke to, he mes it on these two mating. It wouldn¡¯t shock me if someone thought they¡¯d get their wolf back if she was no longer mated to Adam and tried to kill him and take her.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, it never ends,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°We will go,¡± Adam said as Eve held on to him. ¡°We need to meet the family, and her safety is the most important thing. I will call my brother and let him know I¡¯ll be in the cities for a few days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Mia said. ¡°It won¡¯t befortable, but I don¡¯t want to be apart from you.¡±


    I looked at her, the bruises on her body were obvious and her arm was in a sling to rest it. ¡°If you wish, we have some cars, you could ride back in one of them. I could get one of the guys to ride your Harley back, Snake.¡±


    He started to nod before she elbowed him. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not arriving to meet the members of his Club in a cage. I¡¯ve got some good drugs, my ass will make it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Snake said, ¡°But let me know if it gets too ufortable and we can swap for a while. We can even stop before the clubhouse so you¡¯re on my bike before we get there.¡± He leaned down and kissed her. ¡°It isn¡¯t the North Shore adventure you wanted, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, thest few days have been good, even though they had their ups and downs.¡± She leaned in and kissed him again. ¡°We get home, there will be a lot of ups and downs,¡± she whispered. Iughed, Eve blushed and Snake just looked at here with a ¡®like you won¡¯t¡¯ smirk.


    ¡°You realize whispering is useless around wolves, right?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I hope you two are having safe sex, unless you¡¯re trying to give me a pregnancy buddy,¡± Eve said. Snake got a deer in the headlight look. ¡°You are, right?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about¡­¡±


    ¡°Why I can¡¯t have children yet,¡± Mia said. ¡°I was going to tell you, I can¡¯t have them.¡± She took his hand and looked at his face. ¡°After my mother died of ovarian cancer, I was told I had a high risk of developing it as well due to family history and other risk factors. My husband didn¡¯t want children, and I was thirty-five, so I elected to have a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. It¡¯s a long way to say my ovaries and fallopian tubes are gone. Since we both had been in long-term rtionships before a period of nothing, I wasn¡¯t worried about STD¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Snake told her. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m old and I have a wonderful daughter who just got mated and will give me beautiful grandchildren we can spoil.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she said as they kissed again.


    They needed time together. ¡°Knights, we need to meet by the bikes,¡± I said to those remaining. ¡°We leave in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for lunch, Gabriel. We¡¯ll be out in a few minutes.¡± I got up and led my men outside. As we gathered around our motorcycles, I made it short and sweet. ¡°Guys, there is no Pack, I¡¯m no longer an Alpha. We are blessed in that we still have our wolves, other Packs have lost those as well. I don¡¯t know yet what our future is, but I do know that I can¡¯tpel you to stay with me. Your vow to protect the Promised One until she broke the curse isplete, your service to Luna is as well. If you wish to leave, to go back home, to do something else, you have my thanks and my blessing to do so. If you want to stay with me and figure out what we will do next, you may do that as well. I would just ask that if you want to leave, you do so now.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep102

    I looked around at my men, the ones I had recruited and led for up to two decades, and a smile crossed my face as they all smiled back at me. Not a one wanted to leave. ¡°I do n to get married,¡± Abaddon said. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t move away from the Riders, I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Eve is still vulnerable,¡± Azazel said. ¡°The curse may be broken, but the future of our race still depends on them raising a new generation. I will make a new vow if I need to, but I will protect them with my life even now.¡± The others nodded their heads. I knew why, protecting Eve gave us purpose and meaning, since we didn¡¯t have families of our own. Who knows, maybe we would find our own women, find our own happiness. Maybe we could have both.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Drain it if you have to, we leave in five. Club run to St. Paul, standard formation, we keep the humans and our protection in the middle and the cars trail us. Make sure you¡¯re carrying, and if you see any threats, you all know what to do.¡±


    Snake, Mia, Eve and Adam came outst, they had given us time to talk without interruption. ¡°I talked to my brother, and Snake let Viper know we areing. Ready to ride?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always ready to ride,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°MOUNT UP!¡± Michael and I led everyone out of the lot, side by side, just like normal. Well, except Meghan was tucked in with Abaddon behind me, and Snake had Mia on his bike while Adam had Eve with him. I looked in my mirror and smiled. I bet that a year from now, we¡¯d have a lot more couples on the ride.


    Luna may have taken away my Pack and my Alpha, but she left me with loyal men and friends. That was even better.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I snuggled into Adam¡¯s broad back, my chin on his shoulder and my hands wrapping his waist as we pulled out of the parking lot. We were dead center in the column, on the shoulder side, with Azazel covering us on the left. We were right behind my father and his new (shocking) girlfriend Mia, and behind us was Abaddon and his equally shocking new girl, Meghan. I giggled a little as I thought about all the cover these new rtionships would give me when we got back to the Clubhouse. Meghan looked happy, and I was d she finally was able to act on her feelings.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Growing up with the Knights, I hadn¡¯t known any of them to be distracted by women. They always attracted attention when they rode with the Club, and many a woman at the party or bar went away disappointed when the handsome men turned them down. The rumor I¡¯d heard was that they were a homosexual-only biker gang that made their money as male strippers.


    I guess a bunch of werewolves on bikes who lived like warrior monks of Luna was too strange a truth, but it was. They were always there for me, sometimes more than I wanted, but I trusted them. The events of the past week had shown me the folly of not trusting them. Tucked into the formation, I felt as safe as I was.


    ¡°Are they always like this,¡± Adam asked me over the Bluetooth-enabled earpiece I was wearing under my helmet. ¡°Overprotective and paranoid?¡±


    ¡°Not always, but the threats from that Alpha and the changes, it makes them nervous. When they are nervous, they circle around me.¡± I looked around, enjoying the view of the North Shore of Lake Superior. ¡°I miss the Pack bond, it saved me before and it was SO convenient at times.¡±


    ¡°Gabriel was your Alpha?¡±


    ¡°He had to be, my Dad and the Club are all human. I needed to be in his Pack so they could talk to me, feel when I was in danger. I¡¯ve never known different until now. I can understand why the others are so upset, and then to lose your wolf?¡±


    ¡°That shocks me too. I don¡¯t know what Luna is thinking.¡±


    ¡°Nothing shocks me anymore, Adam. My whole life I¡¯ve been told I have this grand destiny, this purpose to find you and break the curse. You would think that everyone would be able to rally around the survival of our species, but at every turn the Alphas have taken the wrong path. Killing each other, sanctioning forced mating, wanting to capture me for their own or just because it would give them power to control me. I didn¡¯t want anything to do with them, and I was scared to death in Chicago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where they presented you to the unmated, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If I had been mated to one of them, especially an Alpha, I would have been taken back to his Pack and treated like a prize brood mare.¡± I shook my head, shivering just thinking about it. ¡°Instead, I go back to my mother¡¯s Pack and find you. If none of this had happened, we would have grown up together, found each other when I was of age. How different things would have been.¡±


    He drove without saying anything for a bit. ¡°We were too young to change anything, and I¡¯m d it worked out this way. You had a Pack, I didn¡¯t, but now we have each other. The real question is what do we do now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I work at a lumber mill, I live in my brother¡¯s house, and I refuse to live without you at my side. How about you?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I live in a room on the upper floor of the Clubhouse, I don¡¯t have a job, and I make money doing custom artwork for motorcycles.¡±


    ¡°I think we need to build a ce of our own.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. I¡¯d like to build my grandparent¡¯s house again, to see it return to the glory of their time.¡±


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    If it was only us, we would have driven with maybe one stop, but it wasn¡¯t. I could tell Mia was having a tough time, and when we stopped south of Duluth, I had to do something. ¡°Mia, you can barely move,¡± I said to her as we made sure everyone had gas in the tank. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down in the back of the Expedition for a while. We have plenty of room.¡±


    She looked at Snake, and he nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s time for your medication, and the next two hours is straight freeway,¡± he said. ¡°Please, take a nap, you¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll wake me so I can ride the rest of the way home?¡±


    ¡°We promise,¡± I told her. She took the pills with a water and after kissing Snake, crawled into the back of the truck.


    ¡°She¡¯s taken the whole werewolf thing well,¡± I said as I waited with Snake for everyone to be ready to leave again.


    ¡°Very well. I know it¡¯s been just a short time, but I know, you know? The first time I looked into her eyes I knew.¡±


    ¡°I had that once,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s normal for a werewolf with his mate, the bond snaps in ce and everything else works out. I¡¯m happy for you, my friend. You deserve it.¡± I looked over and saw Eve hand in hand with Adam as they came out of the Super America market. ¡°I¡¯m happy for them, too. Hang on, I need to try something.¡±


    I walked over to Adam as they were getting ready to get back on. ¡°Adam, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to find out if this works.¡± I got down on one knee, bowed my head and said, ¡°I ept you as my Alpha and request to be in your Pack.¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°You say, ¡®I ept you into my pack¡¯ and put your hand on my head,¡± I said. He did, and nothing changed. ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Alpha, never wanted to be,¡± Adam said as he climbed on his motorcycle, Eve behind him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it in you either, but I had to try. Now I know that Luna has taken away the Pack bond from everyone, it¡¯s not being restarted under you.¡± I walked back to my motorcycle and started it up, everyone else was doing the same. We pulled back onto the road and onto I-35 south, not stopping until we were closer to the cities. As promised, at the rest stop we woke Mia up so she could ride the rest of the way on Snake¡¯s motorcycle. ¡°We¡¯re going straight to the Clubhouse, once our charges are safe there, the Knights will meet at our ce. We¡¯ll join the Riders for dinner and church,¡± I said.


    Snake had called ahead with our arrival time, and the entire Club turned out to greet us. Eve was hugged and congratted as she introduced Adam to everyone. Kelly was thrilled with him, and even the injured Viper couldn¡¯t stay mad when he saw how happy she was. We left when they all went inside, back to our ce. I gave everyone time to rx, then we met in the rec room. I had been making phone calls for an hour, checking in with allied Alphas and even some that weren¡¯t as friendly. ¡°Boys, it¡¯s a whole new ballgame,¡± I said. ¡°Pack bonds are gone everywhere, even in Russia and Canada. Good Alphas are holding things together, but Alphas that ruled with fear andmand have lost their men, even lost their own lives. I know of two Packs already where the senior leadership was turned on and killed by the men.¡± There was shock at this, Alphamand wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing to happen before. ¡°We are also hearing about high numbers of suicides and sudden deaths. Every other Pack, the men have lost their wolves as well.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean,¡± Muriel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, as you may have seen, even with our wolves the Pack and Alpha bonds are gone. The only bonds left are those thate from family, and themitments we make to each other. I was thinking about the Northwoods Riders on the way down. We¡¯ve always considered them to be like an allied Pack to us; simr structure and leadership, but theirs are elected and the club is run with voting and friendship.¡±


    ¡°They are one big family,¡± Abaddon said. ¡°That¡¯s why they are so close, they treat each other like brothers and sisters, they even raise their young ones in cooperation.¡±


    ¡°I think that is what Luna is doing here.¡± It had been gnawing at me for a while. ¡°We all know the Alpha Male thing doesn¡¯t happen in real wolf packs, they are family units. I always thought Luna gave us the bond and the link because our human side needed the structure, not our wolves. I guess we find out now.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Michael looked at me, I could see the wolf behind his eyes howling at the loss of the link.


    ¡°Meditation and prayer,¡± I said. ¡°We have an hour before Church with the Riders. I¡¯d ask each of you to search your hearts and talk to your wolves about what to do next. We need Luna¡¯s guidance and wisdom, we¡¯re in all new territory here.¡± With that, the guys filtered out. I went to the spot I normally go, a small garden area on the rooftop. Ignoring the sounds of traffic and the city, I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes, seeking out my wolf in my mind.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep103

    A whileter, I knew what I wanted to do.


    Viper¡¯s POVN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I sat at the table downstairs, watching the food fly out of the kitchen now that Snake was back. He¡¯d told the prospects what he needed, and they had run to the store to pick everything up before the group arrived. I¡¯d barely had a chance to meet his Mouse, she went back there with him and started cooking up a storm herself. ¡°They make a good team,¡± Kelly said as she brought over our tes and sat down.


    ¡°He looks happy,¡± Andrew said. He had arrived home yesterday on leave from boot camp, where he had excelled. Of course, he couldn¡¯t do things the same way as we did. No, he decided to join the Air Force and was selected for their Special Forces. He would spend the next two years training to be a Combat Air Controller, abination of fighter, spotter and air traffic controller. He had put on some muscle in boot camp, his eighteen-year-old frame now filling into his six-foot-two body. ¡°Eve does as well.¡±


    I looked across the room, they were sitting with Hammer and Teri,ughing and holding hands. ¡°I¡¯m d she got to have her destiny,¡± I said. ¡°He seems like a good guy. Now Meghan and Abaddon? I thought Hammer was going to blow a gasket.¡±


    ¡°They are good for each other,¡± Kelly said, ¡°and despite the age difference and the whole can¡¯t have kids thing, it¡¯s a good match. Teri would kick his ass to Wisconsin if he messed this up. She¡¯s been trying to get Meghan interested in men for years.¡±


    ¡°Lots of changes,¡± I said as I sat back. My foot was still throbbing, and it must have shown on my face. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pills, it was time again. ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for this,¡± I said. ¡°When do we get to sit on the porch in our rocking chairs and watch the grandkids y in the yard?¡±


    Kelly leaned into me. ¡°Soon, I bet. Eve will go into heat, we¡¯ll have grandbabies by next summer.¡± We continued the meal, it was something simple and fast. Spaghetti and meatballs, sd, garlic bread. I could tell Mouse was in the house, the sauce was amazing. She didn¡¯t use canned stuff, she made it fresh and if she had time, she said she would have made her own pasta too.


    The dinner conversation was lively, especially when the Knights arrived. They were reeling from recent events as well; we had been briefed on what had happened to them and the Packs. When the tables were cleared, and the children sent upstairs to sleep or watch a movie, we closed the doors and went into Church. Our club meetings were normally just voting members, adults who could ride and were patched, but this time everyone was here. Gabriel, Abaddon and Eve all told the stories of what had happened, but what concerned me was that Adam, and to a lesser extent Eve, were still in danger. The packs were gone, their wolves were gone, but the me was going to Eve.


    ¡°I kind of expected this would happen when she found her mate,¡± Snake said. ¡°Once the curse was broken, her mate would be a target because if he is killed, another can take his ce. We must continue to protect them, they need to bring forth the next generation.¡±


    ¡°My men have considered this. Our sacred vow to protect her, and now Adam, that will continue on. The Knights will ensure the survival of our species. It¡¯s the only reason we coulde up with that would have kept Luna from taking our wolves as well.¡±


    ¡°Unless it is a reward for faithful service,¡± I said. ¡°You men have sacrificed half your lives to protect Eve, you¡¯ve lived like monks and given up everything. I am so thankful that you came alongside us for this time, and for the honorable men that you are. I love you guys like brothers,¡± I said before I sat back down. The rest of the Club felt the same and let them know.


    ¡°How can this work,¡± Eve said. ¡°Adam and I have talked; our old Packnds are still avable to us, as the three of us are the only survivors. n said we could use the money in the old Pack ounts and rebuild up there. The funds have all been held in trust until survivors from two families or more woulde forward. It¡¯s beautiful, good for wolves and it¡¯s where we belong.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave here,¡± Moose said. ¡°Sheri still has her bar, some of us have businesses here as well.¡±


    ¡°And some of us want to move south for the winter,¡± Tiny said. ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of the cold, my arthritis can¡¯t handle it. The children have all moved out, we¡¯re thinking of moving to Jacksonville and retiring.¡±


    The discussions went on for ten more minutes, it all seemed to be falling apart. Finally, I smacked the table and there was silence. ¡°First things first,¡± I said. ¡°When the Knights showed up, they stayed separate from us because they were a Pack. Now they aren¡¯t, but they are still the same fine men we¡¯ve ridden with for two decades. I would like them in our club, fully andpletely. I propose a Patchover.¡± A patchover in the motorcycle club world was where a smaller club was absorbed into another, changing their patches on their cut.


    ¡°Seconded,¡± Hammer said. ¡°I don¡¯t want my daughter marrying a guy in another Club,¡± he said as we allughed.


    ¡°Under our bws, a Patchover requires a unanimous vote of both our club and the club being brought in,¡± Tiny said. ¡°It¡¯s a secret ballot of members.¡±


    ¡°Fine, the Knights can remain out here, the Riders will go to the conference room. Patched members only. We¡¯ll vote and reconvene in twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Good, I could use some help getting dessert out,¡± Mouse said as she headed for the kitchen. The prospects and some wives moved to help her.


    Twenty minutester, as the homemade chocte-dipped cannoli were being passed out, we emerged from room. The vote had been quick and unanimous, what hadn¡¯t gone as quickly were the announcements that followed. New and bigger club, it was time to step down. I announced I would be resigning as President and calling for a Club election as soon as the patchover waspleted. Tiny resigned as well, followed by Moose. We were ready to pass the baton to someone else, we would have a whole new leadership in the new Club.


    The Knights were unanimous as well. ¡°The patchover ceremony and party will be tomorrow night,¡± I said. ¡°Sunday we will hold elections for new Club officers. Those interested can put their names on the ballot by talking to Tiny.¡± I smiled as I looked out at what was to be my new, bigger club. ¡°The party is going to be epic. Invite your friends, I¡¯ll invite representatives from the other Clubs.¡±


    ¡°Lots of women,¡± Azazel said. ¡°When we renewed our vow to protect Eve and her mate, we decided not to include the whole forsaking all others thing. If Abaddon can find a woman, we can too.¡±


    ¡°What about when Eve¡¯s daughters grow up? You are the only male wolves left in the world, Luna may have left you this way because your mates are among her daughters!¡± Snake looked at them in horror.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting older, and Eve can only have so many daughters,¡± Abaddon said. ¡°We will not stand in the way if one of us finds love as I have with Meghan.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, I could retire selling women tickets to this party,¡± Sheri said. ¡°Do you have any idea how many hot women have thrown themselves at these guys only to be shot down?¡± She gave herself a big smile. ¡°Leave it to me, this party is going to be EPIC.¡±


    There was a lot of changeing, and I was looking forward to it. The Northwoods Riders would pass to the next generation in good hands.


    Abaddon¡¯s POV


    As soon as the vote was over, we started to circte, talking to our friends about our newfound rtionship. Meghan had been pulled away to talk to some of the olddies, leaving me with the guys. As soon as Hammer saw me alone, he pounced. ¡°We need to talk, Abaddon,¡± he said as he pulled me towards a booth in the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let him kill you,¡± Teri said as she followed us. We sat down, and I looked across at the two old friends who were my future inws. I tried to rx, but I know our rtionship was a shock.


    ¡°No need, I love her, I¡¯ll do anything for her.¡±


    Teri reached across and took my hand. ¡°I can see she loves you as well, but we need to know your intentions.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I intend to make a new life with her. You should know that when Gabriel asked me to stay on with him, I said I would only do it if we stayed with the Riders. This club, these people are her family, I¡¯d never take her away from them unless it was her decision.¡± Teri squeezed my hand. ¡°We haven¡¯t even had an official date, but I intend to change that. I¡¯ve known her, watched her forever, now that I know how she feels it won¡¯t take long for us to move forward. I intend to ask her to marry me, and I¡¯d like your blessing to do so.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have children with her,¡± Hammer said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a problem for you?¡±


    ¡°I never expected to have children, not after my mate died,¡± I said honestly. ¡°She knows, we talked about it briefly. We can adopt, we¡¯ll have a family, just a different way. I haven¡¯t brought it up with her, but I¡¯d be all right with using donated sperm to get her pregnant, since mine won¡¯t work. There¡¯s plenty of time to talk about thatter, right now I just want to get closer to her. I want her to be happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all a father could ever ask, Abaddon. It was a bit of a shock, knowing you this long and all of the sudden you two are together, it made me angry. Lucky for you, Teri likes you and talked me back from the ledge.¡±


    ¡°You have our blessing, Abaddon. If she says yes, of course. Just don¡¯t take too long, she¡¯s not getting any younger you know, and it¡¯s not like our other boys are close. Two grandkids in Florida aren¡¯t enough.¡± Hammer leaned over and kissed her. ¡°That¡¯s all we wanted to say. Meghan is special to us, she always has been, and I¡¯m d she finally has someone to share her life with. Have you thought about where you¡¯re getting married? Is Crash going to do it?¡±


    I justughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t even asked her yet, and the wedding arrangements are something I¡¯ll leave up to you and Meghan. I¡¯ll just show up with the rings.¡± We talked for a few more minutes, then they got up and went over to talk with Viper while I went to find my woman.


    An hourter, Meghan¡¯s head was resting on my shoulder, she was clearly tired. ¡°Ready to call it a night,¡± I whispered.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep104

    ¡°Shower and bed sounds wonderful,¡± she said. I stood and helped her up, we said our goodbyes and I walked her up the stairs to the room she had taken across the hall from the Clinic. She made decent money with her work, mostly filling in for vacationing doctors and sick calls, but she never spent it on a home or apartment. She told us she preferred this, a room where she was avable if needed, and she could be around her friends and family. Snake¡¯s cooking didn¡¯t hurt her decision either. She was a brilliant doctor, but couldn¡¯t make Ramen noodles without incident. I walked her to the door, turning her and pulling her into a soft kiss after she unlocked it.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said as looked in her eyes, my hands circling her waist. She moved her hands around my neck, pulling me down for another kiss as her body molded itself to mine. My body was reacting, I could smell her arousal along with my own. When she let go of me, I let my hands drop from her. ¡°Good night.¡±


    She opened the door, her eyes never leaving mine. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me inside and quickly locked the door behind her. ¡°I love you, Abaddon. Hold me tonight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, I want more than you are willing to give right now.¡±


    ¡°Then you better ask me to marry you soon, because I¡¯m not wanting to wait much longer to have you in all ways,¡± she said. ¡°Dad didn¡¯t kill you, Mom is thrilled, and I¡¯m happy.¡± She kissed me again. ¡°Make yourself a drink, I¡¯ll be out in a bit.¡± She went to her closet, pulling out some fresh clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.


    I got some ice out of the small freezer and poured a double shot of Two Gingers Irish Whiskey over it. I put some soft music on, she preferred jazz and that was what came up on her ylist. I sat in the recliner between the bathroom and the bed, my eyes closed, my wolf taking in the scent of the woman who was my mate in every sense but having a wolf of her own. My wolf was happy, he understood there couldn¡¯t be another, and with Meghan he had a chance at a future, a family, a home.


    I had about half of it done when the door opened, and she came out, her hair damp and the thin T-shirt and shorts clinging to her body. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± she said. She grabbed a key off the wall and went across to the Clinic, returning with a pair of athletic shorts. ¡°This will have to do, I don¡¯t keep men¡¯s clothes in my room.¡± I took them from her, our fingers touching. ¡°Yet.¡±


    I kissed her and tossed back the rest of my drink, she didn¡¯t want any, she was going to bed. I went into the bathroom, taking off my clothes and hopping in the shower. She was so close, but she wasn¡¯t ready. The shower was cold, freezing cold, and when I was clean I got out. She¡¯d left a new toothbrush by the sink, so I took care of my nighttime routine and came out.


    She was already in bed, amp on my side of the bed still on. I turned it off, then lifted the sheet and slid in next to her, and she rolled towards me. I pulled her in with my right arm, her head resting on my chest as her leg moved over mine. ¡°Abaddon?¡± Her whisper stirred my soul.


    ¡°Steven,¡± I said. ¡°Call me Steven.¡± She snuggled in a little closer. ¡°You said that when I was no longer Abaddon, toe to you as Steven and ask you out on a date. Well, tonight the Knights are no more, I am no longer a member of a Pack, I am no longer the Master at Arms. Tonight and forever more, I am your Steven.¡± I kissed her hair as her body wiggled on mine, her nipples poking my bare chest as her hand moved gently over my heart. ¡°And I would like to ask you out on a date. Tomorrow, I¡¯d like to ride with you, then escort you to this big party at a clubhouse I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that, Steven.¡± Her body rxed into mine, a few secondster I could tell she had fallen asleep. It was a skill she had developed in her medical residency, sneaking naps whenever she could. My warrior training gave me the same skill, and momentster I was asleep next to her.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    My pillow moved, the sudden change and the sharp intake of breath had me wide awake. My head hit the mattress, I looked up to see his back as he sat up. He was sobbing, mumbling to himself. I sat up and moved behind him, moving up until I was hugging him from behind. It took a few minutes for him to start breathing normally, the whole time I just held him with my cheek pressed between his broad shoulders. ¡°A dream,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°A bad dream?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He moved out of my arms, moving into the bathroom. I heard the water running as he washed his face, while I moved pillows around the bed so I could sit up. He came back, lying on his side with his head in myp. ¡°I need to tell you about it.¡±


    I ran my fingers through his hair. ¡°Whenever you are ready.¡±


    ¡°It was summertime, we were in the yard, sitting on big Adirondack chairs. The two of us, Adam and Eve, Snake and Mia, n and Alice, Gabriel and someone I don¡¯t know, but they were holding hands. Same thing with Michael and his woman, she was sitting on hisp. The chairs were in a big circle, and we had drinks in our hands, a big umbre giving us shade. You raised your ss at me, looking out at the big home you told me you were so d you bought that Powerball ticket for the club.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we won the Powerball?¡±


    ¡°The house was HUGE, Meghan. Three stories plus a basement, bigger than the Clubhouse, it was like a hotel, not a home. It was all-log construction with a metal roof. I could see smaller homes, two-story, around the big open area we were sitting in. It was a big grass field, but it was what was on the grass that shocked me.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°Girls. Lots of girls, I mean it looked like fifteen or twenty, all about the same age. They were toddlers, running around and sometimes falling, ying or chasing. They were all barefoot, wearing bright patterned print dresses,ughing and screaming as they had fun together.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I didn¡¯t tell him how my heart clenched, I knew when I got into this that we could never have children together. I would never feel life grow within me, I¡¯d never give him a son to carry on his family name or a daughter to dress up.


    ¡°It gets better,¡± he said. ¡°Michael and I got up and pulled our clothes off, then shifted and trotted into the middle. The girls were giggling, running after us. Weid down in the center and they started climbing over us. One grabbed my neck, gave me a hug and called me Daddy.¡± I could see a tear on his cheek, matching the ones starting to fall down mine. ¡°Then she pulled off her sun dress and shifted into this little grey and ck wolf, she had a white tip on her left ear and a diamond white mark on her chest. She leaped onto my back, her little teeth trying to grab my scruff as I moved.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°The other girls pulled off their dresses and shifted as well. They, ALL of them, were wolves. Werewolves of every color and pattern, from a full white like Eve to jet ck and everything in between. They all started to puppy pile on Michael and I, we were being overwhelmed as we yed. We heard two howls, and Adam and Gabriel ran in. The girls yipped and soon it was a free-for-all as they y-fought the four of us, while you and the otherdiesughed and giggled.¡±


    ¡°It sounds wonderful,¡± I said as the tears flowed down my cheeks. ¡°But how? Eve can¡¯t have twenty babies in one litter.¡±


    ¡°And these girls were all about the same age, but they looked different. There may have been a couple identical twins, but the rest had hair anywhere from light blonde to ck, curly and straight. It looked like a daycare ss.¡±


    ¡°But that is impossible! Our DNA is notpatible, I¡¯ve run the tests myself. There¡¯s no way that¡­¡± I pushed his head off myp, jumping up and running over to my desk. Turning the light on, I booted up myputer.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Meghan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never been done, but if I can figure out a way, I think I know how your vision cane to pass,¡± I said.


    ¡°You think that was a vision of the future?¡±


    ¡°Why not? The house sounds just like what Eve showed me of the photos of her old Pack House. How else could you dream of women with Gabriel and Michael that you haven¡¯t even met yet?¡± I wasn¡¯t going to argue with a vision that gave me a child, HIS child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I was busy pulling up medical texts on the procedure, I¡¯d make a list of the equipment I¡¯d need and start ordering tomorrow. He came up behind me, looking over my shoulder as his big hands massaged my shoulder. ¡°Can I help with anything?¡±


    I looked back at him, pulling him down to me for a kiss. ¡°Yes. Buy a damn lotto ticket.¡±


    Steven (formerly Abaddon¡¯s) POV


    I¡¯d lost Meghan for the morning, after waking up at 4:30 she was buried in her research. I looked over her shoulder a few times and quickly got lost. I was a warrior, not a doctor, and she was so focused she barely noticed me.


    I opened my phone and started to look at Google Earth maps of the area around n and Alice¡¯s ce. The site of the old Pack Houses was pretty easy to make out, even though the structures were burned out, the foundations were there. I did some sketching of the area, using the scales on the images to get an idea of how big it was. When I finished, I looked at it. Meghan was right, it was just as I had described to her in my dream. A big Pack House, almost 80 yards long and a hundred feet wide. The houses around it, in a circle starting at the back corners and surrounding arge field, were typical sizes for homes. There was arge cleared area, probably was a pole barn or training building, along the road heading to thepound. The driveway circled in front of the main house, then to all the smaller houses. It could easily amodate twenty families in the homes, plus another hundred or so people in the main house. There was a wing straight out the back that probably held the kitchen and a huge dining room.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep105

    I did an inte search for the property, finding an old aerial photo attached to a story talking about how the vacation timeshare property had gone bankrupt and the fires were thought to be arson. The ce had been beautiful, gardens and ponds, the wholeplex overlooking a small privateke.


    It looked idyllic, it could easily be reconstructed as a vacation resort. I know I¡¯d love to live in that area, the woods were thick and full of game, the air was clean, and my wolf loved the snow. We had done some Inte searching earlier, and there was adjoiningnd for sale, even arge home. All we needed was the cash.


    I kissed Meghan and slipped out about six in the morning, going downstairs and finding an empty coffee can behind the bar. I made a sign, ¡°Northwoods Riders Lottery Pool, Donations Requested¡± and put it on the end of the bar. Snake came downstairs as I was pouring myself an orange juice. ¡°Up early, Abaddon?¡±


    ¡°Steven,¡± I said. ¡°Last night I made the decision to leave behind the name I took when I joined the Knights and take back my own name. New life, new club, new name.¡±


    He pped me on the back. ¡°I¡¯m d you and Meghan found each other, you both deserve to be happy. I can¡¯t tell you how thankful I am for all you guys have done to keep my daughter safe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over, but tonight it changes. We will still protect her, but we will do it as a Club, not a Pack.¡±


    He pointed at the collection can. ¡°We¡¯re getting a pool for the Powerball together?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s at 350 million and I dreamed the Club won it.¡±


    ¡°Really? The Club can win?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I looked up the rules on the Inte this morning. Nothing prevents a corporation from collecting, although any winnings be corporate property. The Club is incorporated, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Makes sense, the Knights were as well, that made it simpler with property and stuff if Gabriel were to die. Anyway, it¡¯s all legit.¡±


    He tossed a few dors in. ¡°I¡¯d hate to think I didn¡¯t contribute then.¡± He went back to the kitchen as I helped set up for breakfast, putting the chairs down. One of the prospects showed up, and we got things ready as Snake was cooking up a storm.


    Mia came downstairs, making a beeline for the kitchen. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up, I wanted to help,¡± she told him.


    I didn¡¯t hear anything else, I went outside to my motorcycle instead. I pulled it next to the garage, getting out the hose and a sponge to give it a wash. I was just finishing up when I smelled her approach, turning, I pulled Meghan into my arms. ¡°Done researching?¡±


    ¡°For now,¡± she said as she kissed me. ¡°I have a lot more to do. What time are you picking me up for our date?¡±


    I looked at my watch, nothing would be opening until nine. ¡°Noon sound good? We can get some lunch.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise, but riding clothes will be fine. Wear a swimsuit under them, or bring a suit along.¡± I grabbed the towel to dry my bike off. ¡°Do you want me to wash yours as well?¡±


    She smiled as she kissed me again. ¡°Please. The key is up in the room, I¡¯m going to talk to Mom and Dad and have some breakfast.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    I followed her in, going back upstairs I grabbed her key. Having the time, I opened her jewelry box and used a pencil to trace the inside of the ring I¡¯d seen her wear on her right ring finger. I went back downstairs, grabbing a te of breakfast and joined mydy and her parents at the table. We had a good visit, but all too soon Meghan excused herself. ¡°She had an ideast night, she started researching and didn¡¯t go back to sleep,¡± I said. ¡°Once she gets going, she just doesn¡¯t stop.¡±


    Teri smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to that, Steven.¡± I¡¯d started telling people of my name change, and it felt good to be using it again. ¡°Where are you taking her for your date?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, but I need your help first. I need to buy an engagement ring, I was hoping Mom coulde with me when I look for it. She knows what she likes.¡±


    Her face melted when I called her Mom, before she got excited. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help you, Steven.¡± I finished washing Meghan¡¯s Harley, then took the fourteen dors from the coffee container and bought seven Powerball tickets at a local gas station. I met Teri at the jeweler, thankful I had her along to help. Two hourster, a small box in the inside pocket of my swimsuit under my jeans, Meghan and I drove off side by side towards the northeast.


    Our helmets had earpieces and microphones, and we talked using our phones the whole way there. She was convinced I was taking her to Stillwater, an old lumber town on the Stillwater River. She was right, but that was only for lunch at a cafe overlooking the old lift bridge to Wisconsin. We drove on, crossing over and going north to Taylor¡¯s Falls. We parked in the lot, leaving our clothes and taking towels as we followed the trail. ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before, it¡¯s supposed to be amazing.¡±


    We reached the edge of the bluff, a rocky point overlooking the dark water below. Signs warned of hazards from jumping; if you hit a submerged branch or tree, you were dead. The drop was fifty-three feet. ¡°This is scary,¡± she said as she pulled her phone out to take pictures.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it together. On the count of three, we step off. Just try not to lean forward or back, stay upright. Cross your legs before you hit the water, cross your arms like this and use a hand to pinch your nose shut.¡± I showed her how it would go. We walked to the edge, but she started shaking. ¡°We can do this,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first, then I¡¯lle up here and we can do it together. All right?¡± She nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you record this on your phone?¡± I walked to the edge, and when she was ready, I jumped off. I yelled on the way down,nding a little backwards, my hands smacking the water hard. I stayed down, making sure she was nervous. When I broke the surface, I was struggling and I screamed for help.


    ¡°STEVEN!!!¡± She had dropped her phone and was pacing back and forth at the edge. ¡°STEVEN!!¡± She jumped off,nding perfectly in the water. I swam for the small beach, she gained on me quickly and I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard. When it finally ended, she smacked my shoulder. ¡°Did you do that just to get me to jump? You bastard!¡±


    I pulled her close and kissed her again in the chest-deep water, my hands cupping her ass as her legs wrapped around my waist. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve fallen hard for you.¡± I let her go after I walked her onto the narrow beach.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that to me!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what you do to me, Meghan.¡± I took a knee in front of her, the box in my hand. ¡°You take my breath away, you¡¯re everything I¡¯ve dreamed of. Will you marry me and make me the happiest werewolf around?¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± She almost knocked me over as she fell into my arms. Her hands were still shaking as I put the ring on her finger, the big oval cut diamond surrounded with emeralds. I¡¯d saved a lot of money over two decades, and a chunk of that looked amazing on her finger. I heard cheering from above, as some of the teens gathering to jump were pping for us. We climbed up to the top, grabbing her camera and our towels.


    ¡°I saw your phone was still recording, so I got it all on video for you,¡± one of the girls said. ¡°It was SOOOO romantic!¡± The other girls all agreed, and as the guys jumped off to avoid the subject, we thanked them and headed back down the trail holding hands.


    Teri¡¯s POV


    The girls and I worked with Snake, Mouse and the prospects to put together a menu for the party. We had invited about a hundred people in addition to both clubs. It was going to take a LOT of food.


    The prospects had been sent to Wal-Mart with a list, while Sheri took some people to her bar to grab party stuff she kept in storage. We were going with a barbecue theme; Snake was going to make pulled pork and brisket on the huge smokers the Club owned. I got backte, having been shopping with Steven, and preps were well under way. Snake had the charcoal beds started already, the smell of cherry wood and cooking meat heavy in the air. I went to the kitchen to help with sides; Mia was making a cold Italian pasta sd, I was making my famous potato sd, and Sheri was making her mac and cheese with bacon and peppers. Snake was making big trays of corn bread, and they were prepping to bake a half dozenrge sheet cakes.


    Viper and some other guys were out getting the kegs of beer needed, and enough ice to fill the big Rubbermaid tubs. Crash was busy with Mitch getting the audio and light system set up. We had moved all the vehicles and motorcycles out of the fenced-in area, parking them over at the Knight¡¯s. We set up tables and chairs inside the garage, since the dining area wouldn¡¯t be near big enough for the group. We had benches, pic tables and folding chairs set up around the edge of the lot, keeping the middle open for dancing. The kegs were set up between the main entrance and the garage doors, and the food would be set up inside.


    The party was set to start at seven, but at five the Clubs got together to do business. Right as the meeting was about to start, Steven walked in, hand in hand with Meghan. I spotted the ring on her finger and shrieked, pointing at it, and the other girls picked up what it was. The meeting start was dyed five minutes as their engagement was celebrated and everyone went to congratte them.


    The Club voted in Adam as a full member, since he was now married to club member Eve. Crash had filled out the paperwork, no ceremony was necessary or wanted. He was given a cut and patch, which he donned with a big smile. I could see Mouse was looking at it, Snake whispered something in her ear and she just smiled. Viper then officially epted the Knights into the Club. He had paid for a rush order on the patches, and our seamstress had worked all day getting the new patches put onto their cuts. One by one, the Knights put on their new colors, and were congratted by our Club.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep106

    The votes had been tallied, and the new generation of leadership was in ce. Snake was the new President, Dagger the new Vice President, and Abaddon was the choice for Master at Arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t even put my name in,¡± heined as he epted the patch.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Meghan said. ¡°I figured you needed a job down here with me.¡± They kissed and epted congrattions.


    ¡°Any other business,¡± Snake asked, the gavel in his hand. Crash yelled out he did. ¡°Crash, you have the floor.¡±


    He stood in front of everyone, bible in his hand. It wasn¡¯t until we saw Steven and Meghan stand in front of them that I figured it out. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Meghan gestured me over, and I practically ran to her side. Everyoneughed, then Crash took over.


    ¡°Dearly beloved, we are crashing this epic party because this Wolf and this Doctor can¡¯t wait another night before they bang the shit out of each other. Love, honor, yada yada yada, repeat warnings about being married, hell, none of you listen to me anyway.¡± We all were cracking up by this point. ¡°If anyone has any reason why these two disgustingly sweet lovebirds shouldn¡¯t be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.¡±


    He looked around, no one spoke up. ¡°Perfect, we have stuff to do anyway. The rings?¡± Gabriel hade to stand next to Steven, he dug in his pocket and handed them to Crash. ¡°Meghan, your vows.¡±


    I handed her his ring and she put in on. ¡°Steven, my secret crush, my love, my protector, I promise to be a loving wife, to care for and support you, and to make you the happiest man around. No more jumping off cliffs, though.¡± We allughed, the story had been quickly told and she had forwarded the video to some of us. ¡°I promise to be by your side as we raise our children, and to love you until the end.¡±


    ¡°That was sweet, but not what I¡¯m used to,¡± Crash said as he handed Steven the band for her.


    ¡°Meghan, you¡¯ve entranced me since the moment I first saw you. I promise to love, honor, and protect you and our family with all that I have, and to make you the happiest damn woman ever to ride a Harley next to her man.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, you guys are boring,¡± Crash said. ¡°Well, by the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota and the Church of Mastercard, I hereby dere you husband and wife. You may now¡­¡±


    ¡°MOLEST THE BRIDE,¡± the whole Club yelled out in response. We cheered as they kissed, they didn¡¯te up for air for at least thirty seconds. Hammer tossed some ice water at them, causing them toe apart.


    ¡°Hey, ice cold water works to get humans unstuck too,¡± Gabriel said as the wolves allughed.


    ¡°And with that, the meeting is over. Let¡¯s get ready to party!¡± At Snake¡¯s announcement, people started to head back out, there was a lot to do. Hammer and I hugged Steven and Meghan before passing them off to others. ¡°Wow,¡± I said. ¡°He moves fast.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t string her along,¡± Hammer agreed as he pulled me into hisp. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her as happy as she is today. This isn¡¯t official, they have to get their marriage license and fill out the forms, that will take a few days.¡±


    ¡°They made this memorable,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Our little girl is all grown up.¡±


    ¡°She is. What was all that talk about family and children? Are they adopting?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if Meghan said it, she has a n to do it. Always has, always will.¡± I got up, leading him outside where I could put him to work getting ready for the party. It was going to be epic.


    Sheri¡¯s POV


    The meeting was over, and I immediately started directing people in thest-minute preps for the party. Our Patchover party now doubled as a mating celebration for Adam and Eve, plus a marriage reception for Steven and Meghan. I think the happiest guy in the room was Hammer; with his only daughter now married off in what was for him a zero-dor wedding bill, and zero time spent nning? Huge guy win.


    I made sure the prospects had the ice around the kegs topped off, and checked all the outside decorations and preps. Snake and Mia were handling the food, and Kelly was making sure the kids were settled in the rooms upstairs. We¡¯d hired some of the older kids to be babysitters, feeling better if everyone was in one ce. They¡¯d watch movies and y games all night, and we had plenty of mats and sleeping bags for them to spend the night. The party promised to go well into Saturday morning.


    I¡¯d put my manager in charge of the restaurant and bar, something I was doing more often now. Moose was no longer Master at Arms, and I was mulling over an offer to buy me out. We had talked about it, neither of us were getting older, and since I had fertility issues, we¡¯d never had children. He was in his mid-fifties now, I was eight years younger than him, and we were starting to think of what we might do if we retired. Twenty-three years of running a bar had taken a toll on me and our marriage.


    The one thing I would miss about it was the people. I had a huge number of friends, in and out of the club, and I¡¯d introduced eighteen of them to their current spouses. It was like I had a sense for who might get along with who, so when the Knights gave up their chastity vow, I made a few phone calls. I had to twist a few arms, more difficult when one was a Krav Maga master and former Secret Service agent, but I got them toe. I¡¯d introduce them to the guys I thought they¡¯d be perfect for tonight. Others I didn¡¯t have a sense for, but if they were good people. in their thirties or forties, and open to the motorcycle culture, I asked them toe too. They were reluctant until I showed them a few pics of the guys and mentioned they were single.


    It was my way of making sure the party was truly epic. I didn¡¯t want the dance floor to be empty all night.


    The portable dance floor I had for weddings and such was set up in the middle of the lot; additional lighting made sure there were no spots that were too dark. The night was good for this, it was in the eighties today before a front hade through, knocking the humidity down, and a refreshing breeze would keep the mosquitos down. After forty more frantic minutes, I told Snake we were ready and he had the Prospects open the gates.


    Donuts was on security tonight, in his Deputy uniform. It was punishment for hispses in operational security, he would get to police the drunks but not drink himself. Viper was still pissed at him, and since it affected Snake¡¯s daughter, he wasn¡¯t getting an early pardon. ¡°Everything going all right?¡±


    ¡°No problem, Sheri. We¡¯ve got plenty of parking in the next lot and on the street, and it looks like it will be a good crowd.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    I had to agree; I¡¯d already seen a bunch of friendse in, and with the representatives of most of the Twin Cities motorcycle clubs attending, it should be a fun party. ¡°Don¡¯t let things get out of hand, this is a family joint,¡± I said. It was true, our club was structured like an ouw club but was far different. I walked towards two motorcyclists who were just backing their Harleys into their spots, nose out on the side of the road. ¡°Zee! Lee!¡±


    The two cut their engines and put the kickstands down, getting off and leaving their gloves and helmets on their bikes. ¡°Sheri!¡± I hugged them both, which annoyed the hell out of Mackenzie but Natalie loved. The two sisters were two halves of the same coin. Zee was the toughest woman I¡¯d ever met; former Secret Service agent, martial arts expert, and owner of an executive protection service here in the Twin Cities. No one would expect that the beautiful, five-foot-five brte in a clingy dress and heels was the most dangerous person in the room, but she always was. She exploited that in her business, often posing as a girlfriend or assistant. She was far more effective than the hulking bodyguards she employed, and was the best at protecting women. The girls at the bar called her Cleopatra, because guys were always trying to hit on her, and she was the Queen of Denial.


    Lee was the girly girl, who wore a hot pink biker jacket and oozed sex appeal. She looked the part, with Daisy Duke shorts, a halter top and knee-high leather boots. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder in tight curls as she pulled it free of the ponytail. She was a great woman with no luck in finding a guy to match. She¡¯d left a trail of disappointment behind, including three failed marriages. ¡°Sheri, those hot guys better be here tonight,¡± she said. ¡°I need to change my luck.¡±


    ¡°They are, Lee. It¡¯s like a buffet in there.¡± I hooked my arm around hers. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll make introductions.¡±


    ¡°They better not get grabby,¡± Zee said. ¡°One reason I don¡¯t go to motorcycle club parties is because the guys seem to think any girl attending is their personal whore.¡±


    ¡°I told you, my club isn¡¯t like that. These are good guys, I¡¯d be happy if you liked any of them. They are a different breed, very dedicated and chivalrous. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Zee snorted. ¡°Chivalry? In a motorcycle gang?¡±


    ¡°Club. Come on.¡± I walked them through the gate, leading them to where our new officers were all standing around. A steady stream of people had beening through to meet and congratte them, it would be a while before they could sit and eat. Seeing Snake with a woman for the first time in eighteen years, and Meghan together with Steven, was reason for more congrattions. ¡°Guy, these are our new Club officers. There are my friends Mackenzie Paulson, who goes by Zee, and her little sister Natalie, who goes by Lee. Zee, Lee, this is our President, Snake, and his girlfriend Mouse. Don¡¯t ask how she got that name.¡±


    ¡°How did you get that name,¡± Zee asked as she shook their hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m the favorite thing for Snake to eat,¡± she said with a grin. Lee cracked up at that.


    ¡°This is our Vice President, Dagger, and his fiance¡¯ Sara, who goes by Shadow.¡± They had been together almost a year now, and I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be much longer before it was official. My guests shook their hands, Leeplimenting her on her glossy ck hair. ¡°And finally, Steven, our Master-At-Arms, and his brand-new bride Meghan, who is also our Club Doctor. They had a surprise wedding less than an hour ago.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep107

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± Zee said as she shook their hands. I could see the pain sh through her eyes, she had never married; her fiance had been in the Diplomatic Security Service and had been killed in an automobile ident in Iraq. She¡¯d taken it hard, Lee told me she had given up on love, thinking it wasn¡¯t for her. She¡¯d thrown herself into her work instead.


    ¡°That¡¯s SO cool,¡± Lee said as she hugged them both. ¡°Nice catch,¡± she said in each of their ears.


    ¡°Wee to the party,dies.¡± Snake pointed around. ¡°Do you two ride?¡±


    ¡°All the time,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll fit right in. Food is inside that door along with the bar, beer is out here, and bathrooms are in the back of the bar and through the garage. Enjoy the night.¡± We moved on, more people were waiting to talk to them.


    ¡°They seem nice,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°They are. They¡¯ve all been part of the club for about twenty years. We don¡¯t get much turnover, Meghan grew up in the Club.¡± I saw the guys I wanted to introduce them to, they were standing over by the kegs, and I walked them over.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    Michael and I were manning the kegs, making sure the guests had their drinks. It was weird; for the first time since I put the Knights together, I wasn¡¯t in charge, I didn¡¯t have responsibility for people, and I was at a loss for what to do. ¡°Do you feel different now?¡±


    ¡°I feel free,¡± he said. ¡°I know we still will protect them, but the weight of the curse is broken now. Our vow of celibacy is gone, and honestly, I¡¯m hoping to find what Abaddon¡­ I mean what Steven found. A woman to make a life with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in gettingid, I want the whole package,¡± I agreed. ¡°I waited for my mate, I can wait for my wife. I just wish I could find her now, not in ten years.¡±


    ¡°Heads up,diesing,¡± he said. I looked up, smiling at Sheri as she approached with two women I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°I got dibs on the blonde.¡±


    ¡°Fine, the other is more my type.¡± Watching her walk, I picked up the subtle things that most people would miss. She walked smoothly, noiselessly, her eyes flicking back and forth and missing nothing. Her belt was slightly lower on the right side, the leather jacket didn¡¯t quite touch her jeans. Her right hand was part open, and her head was up. She had training, training she had a hard time turning off. Either that, or she thought she might be in danger here.


    ¡°Gabriel! Michael!¡± Sheri came over to us, leading the twodies on each side. She hugged us both. ¡°Gabriel here is the former President of the Knights of the Moon, the club that we just patched over. Michael was the Vice President. Guys, this is Mackenzie and Natalie Paulson, they are friends of mine.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± I said as I shook Natalie¡¯s hand before my eyes fixed on Mackenzie¡¯s. I took her hand and lifted it to my lips, taking a sniff and kissing it softly. ¡°Former military?¡±


    ¡°Secret Service,¡± she said. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°Your walk and you¡¯re carrying a pistol on your right hip, extra magazines on the left hip, and what looks like a baby Glock on your left ankle,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just shocked there are still guys out there that think a 1911 is a good carry gun, and even fewer carry it under their cut in a shoulder holster.¡± I smiled, she was as observant as I thought. ¡°What¡¯s on tap?¡±


    ¡°Leinenkugel¡¯s, we have Oktoberfest, Summer Shandy and Light.¡± I held out the stack of Solo cups, and they each took one, then we poured their beers. Mackenzie took the tap from me, pouring for her and her sister. ¡°It¡¯s all right, no one is going to drug you here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you, no offense,¡± she said. ¡°I pour my own, and if I set it down I toss it out. I had a bad experience once, never again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± My wolf wanted to kill, he was already bing slightly possessive of her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I killed him.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I saw Michael had taken Natalie away, I saw them heading inside towards the food. ¡°Hungry? We¡¯ve got quite a spread inside.¡±


    ¡°I could eat,¡± she said. I offered her my elbow, but she declined. ¡°It will never work, both of us always want our right hands free,¡± she said with augh. ¡°You¡¯re more observant and in better shape than any guy I employ. You need a job?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I have one. Same one for thest twenty years. Private security.¡± I opened the door for her and admired her athletic body as she walked ahead of me. She wasn¡¯t buxom, she was strong and capable. ¡°Do you fight?¡± I saw the dark bruise on her arm.


    ¡°I win. Krav Maga isn¡¯t about sparring, it¡¯s about winning. I like it because it is direct and brutal, just like me.¡±


    We got in line, the food smelled amazing. ¡°We¡¯re really lucky, but I don¡¯t know how Snake is going to handle being our club chef and President. I¡¯ve only know Mia a short time, but her food is amazing too. We¡¯ve got the best food of any club you¡¯ll ever visit.¡±


    Ten minutester, she was agreeing with me. We had joined Michael and Natalie at a table, and we quickly found how much we had inmon. I was fascinated by her, and I could tell Michael was just as interested in Natalie. It turned out they worked together in a securitypany in Minneapolis, doing executive and celebrity protection and investigations. Mackenzie ran thepany while Natalie ran the research and investigation.


    The party went on for hours, and the four of us just sat there, eating and talking. Finally, Teri came over and put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°We need to clean up the food, and Snake wants everyone outside in ten minutes.¡±


    We got up and escorted them to the bathrooms while we ducked into the men¡¯s room. ¡°I think she might be the one,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°How lucky can two men be? Mackenzie is amazing, I feel like I miss her as soon as she walks away.¡±


    We washed up, and both of us were checking our hair in the mirror. ¡°Damn, I forgot what it was like to try to impress a girl,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably have to fight her to impress her,¡± he said.


    ¡°And the sad part is that if I don¡¯t call upon my wolf, she might just beat me.¡± Weughed as we walked out, waiting for the girls to be done.


    When they did, Natalie went right up to Michael and put her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. It quickly deepened, and Natalie and I turned away to give them privacy. ¡°Wow,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait another minute for that,¡± she said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go see what the excitement is about.¡±


    I looked at Mackenzie, I could smell she was aroused, but she put up these barriers to protect herself and make herself unapproachable. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get a good spot,¡± I said. ¡°Snake wants me onstage, will you stand with me?¡±


    ¡°Why not,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re goodpany.¡±


    I offered her my right hand, and she took it with her left. ¡°I¡¯m safe here, this is family,¡± I said. We walked outside, stopping to get fresh beers and it was toast time. Everyone was gathering around the elevated stage next to the fence. I jumped up, Mackenzie didn¡¯t wait, she jumped alongside me. We took a spot to the side as the new leaders gathered.


    Snake took the microphone as everyone gathered around. ¡°Thank you, family, club members, friends and guests, for being here tonight to celebrate the Knights of the Moon being patched over into the Northwoods Riders!¡± There was a loud cheer from the crowd. ¡°As the new President, I¡¯d first like to thank those men who led our Clubs so well over the past few decades. Would the former Officers pleasee forward.¡± I stepped to the front, keeping my hand on hers as she stayed slightly behind me. The crowd apuded us as we waved. ¡°They have done so much, sacrificed so much time in building the Club to where we are now. I and every member of the Riders thank you for your service. Gentlemen, Ladies, we thank you. To the officers!¡± Everyone raised their cups, then took a swig.


    I could tell Mackenzie was d when we returned to the background. Snake got Steven and Meghan up next, leading them to the center. ¡°Next, a toast to the sneakiest guy in the club. Yesterday he went public with their rtionship, this afternoon he got engaged, and he got married before dinner. Meghan¡¯s never been so happy, and we are all so happy you have each other. To Steven and Meghan!¡± We raised our sses and took another swig, before the happy couple hopped back down.


    ¡°Finally, I hope you saved some of your drink, because my daughter Eve got married this week.¡± He took her hand as she and Adam climbed up on stage. ¡°It¡¯s amazing to see what true love can do, and I¡¯m d you found each other.¡± He kissed her, then hugged Adam. He went to raise his ss, and I saw a red dot start to dance around on Eve¡¯s back.


    ¡°GUN,¡± Mackenzie shouted before she ran for Eve. I was a half-step behind her when I felt the impact, almost immediately followed by the sound of a rifle shot.


    ***


    Michael¡¯s POV


    At the shout of GUN, I pushed Natalie down and covered her with my body. I heard the gunshot, I heard the thud of the round striking home, the crack of the supersonic bullet, and the report of the shot. ¡°Cover her,¡± I told Abaddon, he was protecting Meghan as I pushed her in front of him.


    I turned to where the shot hade from, seeing the motion on the rooftop of a building two blocks away. I took two steps, using one of the big speakers to jump up off. I put my left hand down on top of the barbed wire top of the ten-foot security fence, ignoring the pain as I flung my body sideways over it. I let go, the barb tearing my hand open, and dropped and rolled on the hard ground on the other side.


    I ignored the pain, ignored the screams and activity behind me as I ran towards the shooter. I pulled my pistol out with my right hand, flicking the safety off as I ran fast towards the building.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep108

    I reached it maybe a minute after the shot, and ran around the left side. As soon as I got around the corner, I could see a man jumping into a red Corvette convertible. He tossed the rifle into the empty passenger seat and started the engine as I ran towards him. He started to peel rubber away from me, and I got off a few shots but didn¡¯t think I hit anything. He turned the corner, and I heard more shots then a crash.


    I had kept running, and when I turned the corner I stopped cold. The Corvette was crashed into the corner of a building, the driver draped over the hood, his body halfway through the broken ss. He wasn¡¯t moving, but it was the other body that caused my stomach to drop. I ran to the broken body by the curb, checking for a pulse, but there was nothing.


    Donuts was dead.


    I grabbed his radio microphone, keying it. ¡°OFFICER DOWN! One block north of Willow Lake on Judson Road! Need ambnce!¡±


    The radio crackled to life. ¡°This is dispatch, identify yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his friend, he¡¯s been run over by a guy who shot into our party. He¡¯s not breathing, no pulse. Starting CPR, get help here NOW! Willow Lake and Judson!¡± I let go, rolling Donuts onto his back. I could see brain matter on the side of his head, he¡¯d hit something hard and his head was split open. His legs were broken, his eyes open and pupils blown. I startedpressions, hearing the ribs crack underneath me as I started my count. I could hear sirens in the distance, and feet running towards me.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Crash said as he ran up. ¡°Fucking Donuts?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Make sure that asshole is dead, but don¡¯t touch anything.¡± I continuedpressions as he checked the guy.


    He shook his head as he came back. ¡°He¡¯s dead, broken neck,¡± he said. ¡°Ready to switch?¡±


    ¡°Next breaths,¡± I said. I finished my thirty and gave the two breaths, checking for a pulse. ¡°No pulse, resume CPR.¡± The first police cruiser arrived during his first set, and the officer brought his AED from the trunk. He hooked it up while Crash finished the set, then turned it on. It went through the shock pattern, nothing happened, so we resumed CPR.


    The street was soon filled with cop cars and an ambnce, nothing brings a crowd like an officer down call. The paramedics loaded him into an ambnce, keeping up the CPR, but you could see on their faces they knew it was pointless. Still, they closed the door and headed for the hospital. One of the detectives pulled us to the side, we were both upset anding off the adrenalin crash. He had us sit on a bench away from what was now the crime scene, tape going up everywhere. They asked if we coulde down to the station and give our statements, and we agreed.


    It was times like this I really missed the Pack link. I had no idea what was going on back at the Clubhouse, and they wouldn¡¯t let us use our phones. An hourter, an officer brought us back in an unmarked car. The parking lot of the Clubhouse was taped off as a crime scene, and a narrow pathway to the front entrance was left open. I could smell the blood from the stage as we walked towards the gate.


    Everyone was standing back as EMT¡¯s opened the door and wheeled out a gurney. A gurney with a body bag on top. Hats were ced over hearts, people were sobbing, and I could see Snake, Mia and Adam trailing behind like they were in shock. Viper and Kelly were holding on to each other like they were going to fall apart at any moment. The paramedics loaded the body into the back, and they took off with lights shing as the remaining party-goersforted each other. I couldn¡¯t believe it, Eve was dead.


    The Club members went back inside. ¡°Church in five,¡± Snake said. His first hours as President were a disaster.


    Mackenzie¡¯s POV


    I recognized the moving dot and my training kicked in before I even thought about it. ¡°GUN!¡± I leaped forward, grabbing Eve around the chest and pushing her to the ground. We hit hard, and then I heard the shot. I felt blood spray onto my neck and face, and I suddenly couldn¡¯t move because I was pinned down by a heavy weight. My mind was processing, it was arge-caliber rifle, fairly close since there wasn¡¯t any dy between the bullet crack and the sound of the gunshot.


    I freed a hand, pulling myself higher on Eve¡¯s body. I felt a sharp pain in my neck, ignoring it I kept moving. She had been hit in the shoulder, blood was pouring out the wound. I put my hand on it, applying pressure. I heard shouting, and the weight was suddenly lifted from my legs and hips. ¡°Get him up to the clinic,¡± Meghan shouted. She knelt down next to me, quickly checking Eve. ¡°These two as well. MOVE!¡±


    Two men came and picked Eve up, holding a towel to her wound. I sat up, wiping at the blood dripping down my chest when I felt the sharp pain again. ¡°You¡¯ve been shot, Mackenzie,¡± Natalie said as she came over with another man I didn¡¯t recognize. She put a towel on the wound, and I sucked in my breath as I felt the pain. ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. The man helped me up with a hand under my shoulder, then held onto me as he led me inside. We followed the trail of blood upstairs, where we made our way to a rather busy clinic room. I was led to some chairs across the hall.


    ¡°She can wait,¡± Meghan said as she was cutting the clothes away from a man I recognized.


    ¡°Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°He was right behind you, the shot must have gone through him and into Eve. Your neck was grazed, it¡¯s like a bad cut.¡± I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. My neck was throbbing, and my heart was in my stomach. A fun party had turned tragic in a moment.


    I recognized Snake in the room, he had scrubbed and put on gloves and was assisting Meghan. They had a bag of blood hung, and she was cutting into his chest. Forceps dug in, and I heard the clink of metal as she tossed the bullet fragments into a pan. Ten minutester, she was closing up. I could see Eve lying on a bed, her shoulder bandaged. The two of them pulled off their gloves, and Meghan came out to look at me. ¡°Let¡¯s see this,¡± she said as she pulled the towel away. Some of the scabs opened up and it started bleeding. ¡°Not too bad, I need to clean this and they I¡¯ll suture it. The wound is too wide for butterflies.¡±


    ¡°How are they,¡± I said.


    ¡°They will be fine,¡± she said. ¡°Gabriel took the brunt of it, the bullet hit a rib and shattered. The biggest piece punched through, grazed your neck and went into Eve¡¯s shoulder. It was shallow, though, so she¡¯ll be fine. I pulled it out when she got up here, while we were getting Gabriel ready. I got three fragments out of him.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± She went back into the clinic,ing out with a kit and a stitch tray.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Meanwhile, Steven, Dagger and Snake were having an animated conversation. ¡°We¡¯ll never have a better chance to do this,¡± Dagger said. ¡°We have all these witnesses that saw her get shot. Being dead is the safest ce she could be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some guys dress in the uniforms and bring the ambnce over from our ce,¡± Steven said. ¡°We can bring her out in a body bag, make a show of it and drive her out of here with everyone watching. Every former werewolf in the country will hear about this, and not from us.¡±


    ¡°What will you do with her?¡±


    ¡°Take her up north,¡± Steven said. ¡°I¡¯ll send most of my guys with her, they can go back onto their Packnds. We nned to buy a house andnd adjacent, we can do that and keep her there. Out of sight, out of mind. We just have to pay off the coroner to give us a death certificate, then we get her a new identity. You have to decide soon, because if the real copse up here, we lose control of this.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Do it, keep her safe.¡± Steven pulled out his phone, setting things in motion. ¡°Dagger, help me get her into a body bag. Meghan gave her a strong sedative, she¡¯ll be out for a few hours.¡± Snake opened a cab and pulled out the ck bag, unzipping it and setting it out.


    Meghan appeared with a stitch kit and a needle. ¡°I need to numb the area, this looks like it will take a good number of stitches to keep it from scarring too badly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine without the painkiller, I¡¯ve had worse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allergic, are you?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to do this, I know you¡¯re tough, but it makes it harder for me when you move.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She injected me a dozen times, and soon the area was numb. It took her almost fifteen minutes to patch me up, during which time Snake had brought Viper and Kelly up. They quickly agreed to y along. We moved Gabriel to a spare room, and quickly put the bloody clothes and sheets into a garbage bag and stowing it in a closet. Eve was put inside the clinic on the exam table, her body zipped into the heavy ck stic. Meghan got up, giving her a shot that she said would slow her metabolism down enough that she would appear dead.


    We could see the shing lights from the cops outside, the crime scene now including the stage and the parking lot.


    Two police officers came upstairs. ¡°Doctor, may we speak to you?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me working, I have to stitch this up before the anesthetic wears off.¡±


    ¡°We understand you had three wounded brought up here after the shooting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mackenzie here will be fine, she was grazed. Steven was shot through the chest, he¡¯s out of surgery and recovering. Eve Hardigan didn¡¯t make it, she was DOA. Her body is in there.¡± They went into the room, unzipping the bag and zipping it back up just as quickly. ¡°Has the coroner been called?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got transport arranged,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°The bullet fragments I recovered are in the pan by the table,¡± I said. The men opened an evidence bag, pouring the pieces into it.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ll need statements from the victims as well as from you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯m tired, it¡¯s been a bad night, and I need to write up my reports before I sleep. Stop by tomorrow and I¡¯ll give you copies of the reports and my statement. I¡¯m keeping Steven and Mackenzie here overnight for observation, you can speak with them tomorrow as well.¡± She finished the stitching, covering the wound with a bandage. ¡°Don¡¯t get that wet, your sister might have to help you bathe.¡± She said she would, my arm, chest and face still had blood on them.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep109

    The officer wasn¡¯t happy, but he backed off. Snake took a call, hanging up quickly. ¡°Look, the ambnce is here to take Eve. She¡¯s my daughter, these people outside and downstairs are her friends and family, and none of us really know anything. I heard Mackenzie yell GUN, there was a shot, and we got them up here and treated them. Now, I need you guys to stay out of the way, so we can pay our respects.¡±


    The officers went downstairs, and a few momentster the elevator opened and a gurney was rolled out. Dumah and Haniel were in uniforms we¡¯d copied from the local ambnce service, and temporary decals would make our old ambnce look like one of theirs. They rolled it into the clinic, lifting Eve¡¯s bodybag onto it and strapping it down. Snake, Viper and Kelly followed them to the elevator, and a minuteter I heard the silence broken by wails of grief as she was rolled out.


    There was something different about these people, something they were hiding. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I was damn sure going to find out. There was no such thing as werewolves, much less former ones.


    ¡°Come on, you need to rest. I can put you in the room next to Gabriel, it¡¯s got an attached bath and a bed big enough for you and your sister to share.¡±


    ¡°Just like old times,¡± Natalie said.


    ¡°I want to look in on Gabriel first. He saved my life.¡± If he hadn¡¯t knocked me down, the bullet would have done a lot more than graze my neck.


    He was sleeping soundly, and my hand cupped his face as I leaned down and kissed his forehead. ¡°Thank you, Gabriel,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t die on me.¡±


    I let them guide me next door. I couldn¡¯t get my mind off him while I was being bathed, and my dreams were filled with him as well. One vivid dream had us sitting in the grass, three daughters in ourps. The prospect of motherhood scared the hell out of me, but he was the first man I¡¯d met in a long time that I saw as a potential husband and father. I woke up smiling, and my first thought was of him.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    This was not the wedding night I had hoped for.


    We both were busy, me with my patients and paperwork, and Steven taking care of the arrangements for security and dealing with all the police and the Club. I was on myputer until four in the morning, stepping out every hour to check on Gabriel. I had kept an IV in ce, a sedative keeping him under while his lung and body healed. It was a lot easier to deal with an injured werewolf when he was still unconscious. I had the monitors in ce, and the rms were sent to a remote I kept with me. I poked my head into Mackenzie¡¯s room, she was restingfortably, Natalie by her side.


    I looked like I¡¯d had a tough night, and when Steven came into the room, he looked just as worn out. I went to him embracing him as I ran my hands under his cut and his T-shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his back. ¡°How are things?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fun,¡± he said. ¡°The eight guys I sent north with Eve are almost to Duluth. It took a while to get through to Adam¡¯s wolf that he couldn¡¯t go with; we need to have a funeral, and he needs to be here. We all have to y our part and act like she¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Snake, Viper and Kelly?¡±


    ¡°They understand, and all they have to do is think of her being hurt and the water works start again. They¡¯ll do their part. We also need to be here for Donut¡¯s funeral. That¡¯s going to be a big deal.¡±


    ¡°I bet, being a Deputy and all. How will the Club handle it?¡±


    ¡°However he decided he wanted his funeral, we¡¯ll do it; he should have a will. We¡¯ll bury him with his cut, whether he wears it or it is tucked in with him I don¡¯t know. Snake is too bereaved at the loss of his daughter to do much, we might need you to pretend sedate him if the cops get too nosy tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So much to do,¡± I said as I pulled away from his chest. I pulled my scrub top off, turning as I reached behind and unhooked my bra, tossing them both in the hamper as I walked towards the bathroom. I heard his low growl, his wolf was forward. I was ying with fire, and I loved it. I stopped just at the door, the mirror on it showing his eyes as the predator came forward. I untied my scrub bottoms, letting them fall to the floor, then pushed myce panties off.


    I never got a chance to open the door.


    In a move so fast I didn¡¯t see it, he was on me. I was pulled back into a hard chest, one hand under my breast, cupping the right one with his big hand. I felt his length hard into my back as his right hand went down, cupping my sex and pulling me towards him. ¡°Let¡¯s shower together,¡± I said.


    He just picked me up, opening the door before reaching down and starting the shower. He kissed me, then pushed me into the walk-in shower. I swear he was undressed and next to me before I got wet, he was in such a state. I reached over for the shampoo, and he took it out of my hand. ¡°Let me,¡± he said in a low voice that went straight to my core. He took the wand off the wall, wetting my hair and body as his off hand lightly caressed my side. When he put it back up, he took some shampoo and using his hands started to wash my shoulder-length hair. I moaned softly as his fingers massaged my scalp, then my breath caught as his hard length brushed my back. He took just as much care rinsing me off before he reached for the soap and washcloth.


    ¡°Put your hands on the shower,¡± he said as he washed my shoulders. He used both hands to wash away the sweat, blood and tension of the night. I was quivering as he made it to my waist, but he jumped right past and worked my legs instead. He was on his knees, finally back up to my center, and when he rinsed the water away, his lips reced the sprayer.


    ¡°OOOOH!¡± My breath caught as his tongue split my lips, gathering my arousal on his tongue. He was soft, then aggressive; it felt so amazing, so right. I was building up for a huge one, and my legs started to shake as I got closer. He moved my right leg over his broad shoulder, and I hooked onto it to stay upright as his assault on my sex continued. ¡°Oh god¡­ oh shit¡­ STEVEEEEEEEEEEENNNN!¡± I screamed my release as my body spasmed, then went limp. I would have fallen if not for his strong arms and the shower wall.


    He put my leg back on the floor, waiting until I could stand before he got up and started getting his hair wet. He looked smug, happy but smug. ¡°I take it you enjoyed that?¡±


    I looked up at him like he was crazy. ¡°A little, I guess, but I expected more from my wedding night.¡±


    He smirked as he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair while I caught my breath. I grabbed the cloth and soap. ¡°My turn,¡± I said as I started to move it over his broad shoulders.


    Turnabout was fair y. We turned about three more times each before we fell asleep, exhausted and happy, just as the sun wasing up.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Mackenzie¡¯s POV


    I woke up with the sun, an old habit. Natalie would sleep until I forced her to get up, and I decided to let her. My neck hurt like hell, I got up carefully, trying not to move it or my arm as I sat up. I went slowly into the bathroom, doing my morning routine left-handed with the supplies that were left for me. The guest room had a good selection of unopened stuff and travel-sized products, clearly they were used to people like me crashing there. I smiled when I saw the note and the pill bottle next to the Dixie cups. ¡°Mackenzie- take two of these for pain when you get up, and take it easy. No riding your motorcycle until the skin heals up. Ask any of the Club members, they¡¯ll take you anywhere you need to go. Breakfast is downstairs between 6 and 9. -Doc Meghan¡±


    I found some fresh clothes and new flip-flops in my size there as well. I pulled on the shorts and T-shirt, along with the panties. The sports bra was generic enough in size to work, though it was a struggle to put on. I finally left the bathroom, put on a pair of flip-flops, and walked down the stairs to the bar area of the club. One of the prospects was putting chairs down. ¡°Morning, Ma¡¯am,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Tony, can I help you with anything?¡±


    ¡°Mackenzie. Is the gate open? I need to get some stuff out of our bikes,¡± I said. I had grabbed both our keys, and we kept a change of clothes and some other stuff in there.


    ¡°I can get it for you if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like people touching my stuff.¡± It was harsh, but true.


    ¡°Would it be all right if I carried it for you? You¡¯re injured, I don¡¯t want you tearing out your stiches.¡±


    He was right. ¡°All right, can we go?¡±


    ¡°Let me grab a bag.¡± He went behind the bar and grabbed one of those cloth shopping bags, then led me outside. The crime scene tape was up, and the whole parking lot was off limits except a narrow path to the pedestrian gate. The crime scene unit was parked outside, working several scenes in the area. I walked with Tony to our motorcycles, parked in front of a White Bear Lake police cruiser. As I opened the saddlebags, the officer approached us. After assuring him my sister and I owned the bikes and he checked the registrations, he went back to the other scenes.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep110

    I pulled out the clothes, my iPad, and notebook, putting them in the bag Tony held. I then grabbed Natalie¡¯sptop and cords, along with her clothes. I locked everything up. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I said. ¡°Do you think someone could run my motorcycle back to my condo with Natalie? She¡¯ll want to pack a suitcase, and Doc said I need to stay close for a few days.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me riding yours, I could follow her back then ride back with her,¡± Tony said. ¡°Come on, Snake should be starting to serve soon. It¡¯s not going to be too crowded after thete night.¡± He led me back in, locking the gate behind him, and back through the front doors. ¡°Come on,¡± he said as he led me to the back. ¡°You probably don¡¯t want to do stairs again.¡± He punched the button for the freight elevator, and we rode upstairs. I put the stuff in our room, quietly as Natalie was still sleeping, taking out only my iPad before going back downstairs.


    Snake wasing out of the kitchen as we got off the elevator, Mia right behind him. ¡°Good morning Tony, Mackenzie. You¡¯re the only ones here, we¡¯re doing banana nut pancakes, bacon and hash browns for breakfast, or I can whip up an omelet.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was, and since no one else was around, Snake and Mouse joined us to eat. They were a happy couple, and I was shocked to hear they¡¯d only been together a few days. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a tough time holding up the image of your daughter being dead if you keep smiling like that,¡± I told him.


    ¡°The Club knows the truth, we¡¯re officially in mourning so nobody from outside the Club is allowed in. We¡¯ll give it a few days, have a funeral service, and move on. Eventually, her appearance changed and a new identity, she can be out in public again.¡±


    ¡°How are you pulling off her fake death?¡±


    ¡°We have a friend at the County Coroner¡¯s office, he will give us a fake death certificate and sign the autopsy report Meghan provides him. Meanwhile, ourputer guy will move her to a new identity.¡±


    ¡°You have all those resources?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Snake nodded. ¡°We can, not that we¡¯ve needed it much. We¡¯re aw-abiding, family club. Nothing to see here.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°So, who do you need to hide her for? Why go through the whole thing with hiding her from the former werewolves? They some biker gang or something?¡±


    His face fell. ¡°You heard that.¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, there are some people out there who didn¡¯t react well to Eve getting married. The shooter was one of them. He met her in Chicagost week, and must have decided that if he couldn¡¯t have her, no one would.¡±


    ¡°A stalker?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that. How¡¯s Steven doing?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him this morning,¡± I said as I finished my breakfast.


    ¡°Well, I can take that for you, I gotta get back into the kitchen and heat up the griddle again. I can hear the kids waking up, and they eat a lot.¡± I could imagine, Mia said that over twenty children plus a lot of the adults crashed herest night since it was so crazy outside. He and Mia stacked the tes and left, and Tony went back to setting up, so it was just me and my iPad. I didn¡¯t trust their wifi, so I used my cellr connection and started searching.


    I started with the news; the shooting and death of Deputy Nathaniel Donaldson led the news. There was a photo of Eve Hardigan with the picture, listed as the shooting victim. Details were slight, but the shooter had been identified as Dennis Thurber, a North Carolina businessman. His developmentpany had recently been sold, the properties split among bickering shareholders. The connection to Minnesota and the eighteen-year-old victim was unknown.


    I searched the Inte for motorcycle gangs, drug gangs, anything with the name Werewolves. I had to wade through a lot of fiction, since apparently there were a lot of fictional werewolves on Wattpad that formed motorcycle gangs. Whatever. If they looked and behaved like Gabriel, I¡¯d take the wolf, as long as it didn¡¯t shed in my bed.


    Two hourster, I went upstairs to get my pills and wake Natalie up before breakfast closed down. I was even more confused than when I started. When Gabriel woke, I¡¯d have some pointed questions for him, and if he wanted to see me again, he damn well better answer them truthfully.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    The vitals rm woke me up. I moved Steven¡¯s arm off my waist, so I could sneak out. I went to the bathroom quickly. I looked at the clock and saw it was 8:34.


    Shit, I didn¡¯t n to leave him unchecked that long. I came back out, pulling on underwear, scrubs and tennis shoes, then put my stethoscope around my neck.


    I opened the door and silenced the rm. His IV bag was empty, so I stopped flow and changed it out. I gave him more sedative, nning to keep him under until this afternoon at the earliest. All this done, I recorded his stats and walked back to the room.


    Steven was up, dressed and ready for breakfast. ¡°We can just make breakfast if we hurry,¡± he said. ¡°Snake is down there, otherwise it would be cold cereal.¡± Even I could hear the noise of all the kids and families eating downstairs. I kissed him good morning and took his hand as we went downstairs.


    As we came into view, the Club quieted down and pretty soon knives were clinking on sses. I blushed, burying my face in my husband¡¯s chest. He put his hands on my face, kissing me deeply as they cheered. When he pulled back, I red at them. ¡°I¡¯m a married woman now, the party was yesterday!¡±


    ¡°The party was interrupted, youngdy,¡± Mom said. ¡°You look radiant.¡±


    ¡°I look like I was working until four in the morning, which I was.¡± Room was made for us at their table, and we sat with Viper, Kelly, and my parents. ¡°I just want to go to bed.¡±


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Steven said.


    ¡°To sleep.¡± They all justughed as Snake came out and gave us out tes. ¡°Hey, did you check the lotto ticket?¡±


    ¡°Forgot about it,¡± he said. He pulled up his phone, bringing up the numbers andparing them to the ones on the ticket he¡¯d bought yesterday. He dropped the fork he was using on the table as he looked back and forth between the two. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he whispered.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep111

    Meghan¡¯s POV


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word,¡± I said as I elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted, then sat down. ¡°Put that away and look at me.¡± He put the ticket back in his wallet and put his phone down. I leaned in, whispering in his ear. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or ce. Don¡¯t say anything until you have Snake and Dagger alone, this is club business.¡±


    He nodded, still shocked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Believe what? That your dream was real? Tell me if you recognized the women with Gabriel and Michaelst night. Were they the ones in your vision?¡± He nodded, still trying to wrap his head around it. ¡°Then rx and eat breakfast.¡± I got him to pick up a fork and eat, and soon we were in a lively conversation with my parents about where we would live and what we would do. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s still so much up in the air, I haven¡¯t even begun to figure out what I¡¯m doing next month.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time, don¡¯t rush into a mistake,¡± Dad said. ¡°Where to live, buying a house, it¡¯s a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Right now, it¡¯s important that she be near the Clinic, so I think I¡¯m going to move into the room with her short-term. None of the apartments at ourplex are big enough for what I want to do, and Snake¡¯s cooking is better than Kusheil¡¯s.¡± Steven pulled me into his side. ¡°It¡¯s also important that we be close to the clubhouse, I still have my Master-At-Arms duties since I got elected without running somehow.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Mom justughed. ¡°No one else ran, Steven. Hammer here needed to retire, and he spread the word he thought you had done a fine job. The Club agreed. You¡¯re it, son.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but when we have a family I¡¯m going to see if I can get someone else to step up.¡±


    It was time for Mom to look confused. ¡°You know, you mentioned family in your vows, both of you, but you both know that you two can¡¯t have children together. You told me yourself, Meghan, you said it was a biological impossibility. Are you nning to adopt or get a sperm donor?¡±


    I blushed a little. ¡°I have a n, but I¡¯m not willing to talk about it yet. There is too much going on right now, what with the funerals and the Clubing together.¡±


    ¡°You should do it right away,¡± Mom said. ¡°You¡¯re not getting any younger.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Geez, Mom, a week ago you were worried I¡¯d die a crazy catdy, and now you¡¯re demanding I get knocked up before I¡¯ve even had a honeymoon! I¡¯m only thirty, Mom, I have time.¡±


    She just took my hand. ¡°I have time too, PLENTY of time, and I want to spend it ying with my grandchildren, so get busy. I¡¯m so happy you married a guy in our Club, so I don¡¯t have to worry about you moving away.¡±


    It was Steven¡¯s turn tough. ¡°Oh, you¡¯d be surprised,¡± he said. ¡°We have to keep Eve hidden and protected, they¡¯re five hours north. Moose, Sheri, Viper, Kelly¡­ all of them are already talking about how they can¡¯t take Minnesota winters any more and are threatening to move to Florida.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Viper said as he came over and sat down. ¡°We are thinking about putting our house on the market, now that Snake found a woman and Eve is married. It¡¯s too much work, and with my arthritis I hate the cold. Hell, we looked at Harley trikesst week.¡±


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s getting that hard to ride?¡± I pulled his hand over, I could feel how his joints were swollen.


    ¡°The motorcycle is getting tougher to handle, and Kelly doesn¡¯t want to ride on her own. We took a test drive, it¡¯s stable,fortable and better for us. We¡¯re still talking, but we¡¯ll probably make the change soon. In any case, we were thinking about looking for a condo somewhere near Jacksonville. We like the area, and when you guyse down for Christmas we¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Wow. The Club wouldn¡¯t be the same if a bunch of the old guard followed them down there. ¡°I hate to see us scattered around like this, we just got the Club together and now it¡¯s like we¡¯re breaking apart.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Steven said. ¡°I have some ideas, just trust me. I have to run them past Snake and Dagger before we bring them to the Club, and I want to do some research.¡± He put his fork down and drank the rest of his milk. ¡°Now, I have to get upstairs and get some work done on the new security ns, and Doc here has patients to check on.¡±


    I nodded and took his hand as he helped me up. ¡°I expect the police will be here, they will probably want to interview me and the others who were herest night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put them in the conference room, and coordinate getting the people there,¡± Viper said. ¡°I need to talk to the Chief, and we need to start nning the funeral. I have a call into ourwyer, we¡¯ll set up a will reading on Monday. I did ask him to forward any arrangements or decisions on his funeral to me.¡±


    ¡°And we are going to help with the kids, now that they are fed we need to get them packed up and home. They can¡¯t do anything outside.¡± Teri looked at the group that was eating at the far table, a tear in her eye.


    I looked back at them, nodding slightly. ¡°The will need support, they loved Deputy Donuts.¡± With that, Steven picked me up as I squealed and started carrying me back upstairs over his shoulder. ¡°Put me down!¡± The group wasughing as he took the stairs fast, making me bounce on his shoulder.


    ¡°Quit wiggling, wife!¡± He smacked my ass hard, making me squeal again. He didn¡¯t set me down until he opened the door to our room. His eyes were dark, and I pulled him inside with a smile. He leaned down, kissing me hard as I pressed myself into his hard body. My hand was down his pants as he untied my scrub bottoms, pushing them to the floor. I got his belt unbuckled and dropped his jeans to the floor, his boxers with them. I jumped into his arms as his hands grabbed my ass, pulling me tight to his hard length. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait another minute,¡± he said as he bit my earlobe.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± I said. I pulled my panties aside, and he pulled me up until he was at my entrance then eased me down. I moaned as I felt him slowly fill me, making me whole. I wiggled my way until I had him all. ¡°God, I love you,¡± I said.


    ¡°By Luna, you are MINE,¡± he said. He turned and used short steps to push me against the door, his ankles still caught up in his jeans. I bit off a scream in his shirt, my teeth leaving a mark on his shoulder as he lifted me and dropped me again and again onto him. It was hard, fast and brutal, it was amazing. His wolf was forward, and he was iming what was his in the most primal of ways. ¡°Move my shirt aside and bite me,¡± he said. ¡°im me as yours as I im you as mine.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± I said, barely able to talk over all the pleasure I was feeling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He had me pinned high on the door, pounding up into me at a furious pace as the sensations overwhelmed me. I came once, twice, and then I felt him swell even bigger. Something was trying to force its way in, it was like a softball and my poor body was struggling. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you my knot,¡± he said. ¡°It will hurt, but when it is in you won¡¯t believe how it feels.¡±


    I screamed as he lifted me up, then drove me down onto the knot. My lips stretched around it, it was HUGE. Steven wasn¡¯t a small man to begin with, but this was the size of his fist. He worked me around before lifting me and pulling me down farther. My eyes closed, I tried to ride out the pain as I got more inside. It took four more tries before it popped inside, and the pain was reced by pleasure.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said as he moved it within me. He was fully buried now, and the knot was rubbing constantly against my G-spot. I became a freight train of orgasms, screaming until I had no more breath. He was pushing me farther and farther up the cliff, so high I might not survive the drop. He reached up, tearing my scrub top and exposing my shoulder. I could see his face and teeth shifting, and it didn¡¯t frighten me at all. I pulled his shirt aside, picking my spot where neck met shoulder. He sped up and up until he we screamed together in pleasure, and when I felt his release he bit down hard on my shoulder.


    ¡°STEEEEVE!¡± I came so hard I almost cked out. The pain from my shoulder reminded me of his, and in my orgasmic bliss I leaned forward and bit him hard enough to break the skin. His blood coated my teeth and tongue, mine coated his, as we held each other tight. It was a minute to catch our breath, then he walked me over to the bed. The knot still held us together, so hey on his back with me on top of him. He gently licked the wound on my shoulder, I could tell he was pleased. It would scar brightly and dere I was his to his world.


    I tore off a chunk from the scrub top and used it to stop the bleeding on his neck. As a werewolf, he wouldn¡¯t scar, and the bite wouldn¡¯t bring the same bond that a shewolf would have given him. The knowledge of this made me drop my face to his chest, a tear falling onto his skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re not second best, Meghan, and I¡¯m not settling for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I could sense your emotions. I get tingles, impressions. It¡¯s not a mate bond, but Luna gave us something more than any wolf has ever had with a human. You are mine, Meghan.¡±


    ¡°You are mine and I am yours,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t understand it, but I¡¯m epting it. That dream, it wasn¡¯t my dream. I¡¯ve never had a prophetic dream, and only Luna could make these things happen. I mean, a lotto? All those children?¡± He kissed my head. ¡°The lottery win happened. The women who were sitting with Gabriel and Michael, they showed upst night. Did you see how they were together?¡±


    ¡°They are already in love,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly. I can¡¯t make that happen, Gods grants that. And if Luna grants me a human mate, and shows me a future with us ying with our children in their wolf form, well, I¡¯m not going to argue with it. I don¡¯t know how she will do it, but it WILL happen. We will all be together, watching our children y in the grass together at the Pack house up north.¡±


    ¡°I know how to make it work,¡± I said. ¡°I will need to get some equipment, and everyone will have to agree, but it¡¯s doable.¡±


    ¡°And it answers the question I¡¯ve had since we started protecting Vivian.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I moaned softly as he moved inside me, kicking off another small orgasm. ¡°Stop that, or we¡¯ll be stuck together for hours. I have patients to care for.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He ran his hand down my back, causing tingles to run down me to my core. ¡°We couldn¡¯t figure out how Luna would rebuild the species with just one shewolf. Even if she had a dozen children in eight years, those children have to grow up and find their true mates. It would take centuries to build up a decent poption again.¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep112

    ¡°Luna isn¡¯t nning on one baby at a time,¡± I said. ¡°She is going to use the human wives of werewolves to birth a new generation. That¡¯s what you saw, more than a dozen the first year, all female.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Those girls grow up and find their mates among the remaining werewolves here. They get the next generation started, and if we do things right, in two generations we have hundreds of wolves. I might live to see a Pack that rivals what I saw as a boy,¡± I said.


    ¡°With no asshole Alphas and no forced mating,¡± I said. ¡°Things will be different with no Pack bond. It will be all about family.¡±


    I snuggled into him, feeling better already. ¡°When we do this, I want to bear your children, Steven.¡±


    ¡°Our children.¡± We drifted to a contented sleep together.


    Dagger¡¯s POV


    The detectives arrived just after ten, and Viper set them up in the conference room for interviews. One wanted to talk to Doc, and I had seen how Steven carried her out. Telling him I¡¯d bring her back, I walked to her room and knocked softly. No answer came, I checked the doorknob and it was unlocked. Opening it slightly, I saw a sh of naked boob before she was rolled behind him. ¡°WHAT!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Steven. The detectives need to talk to Meghan.¡±


    ¡°Tell them we¡¯ll be down soon,¡± he said.


    I closed the door, the room smelled of sex and sweat. I closed the door, smiling to myself as I walked down to the spare room Gabriel was staying in. I opened the door, not expecting two sets of eyes to be looking at me when I entered. ¡°Hello Mackenzie, Natalie. How is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t moved, his vitals have been stable,¡± Zee said. ¡°Did Doc say when he was going to wake up?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon,st I heard. Guys like him don¡¯t like to sit still and rest, so she forces the issue a bit.¡± I walked over, checking everything. The girls were working on theirputers, she hid the screen when I came closer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this all happenedst night. I wanted to thank you for the warning, if you hadn¡¯t reacted Eve might be dead now.¡±


    ¡°I just reacted with my training,¡± I said. ¡°If this big lug here hadn¡¯t followed me, I might be dead. I at least need to thank him before I leave.¡±


    ¡°At least,¡± Lee said with a snicker. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave until you¡¯re better. Between the food and thepany, I kind of like it here.¡±


    ¡°How is Michael doing,¡± I asked.


    Lee blushed. ¡°He¡¯s very¡­ attentive. I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like something is there, we barely know each other but¡­¡±


    ¡°You feel a connection to him,¡± I finished.


    ¡°Yes. Zee does too, I can tell, she¡¯s just not sure if she can let her walls down long enough to let the man in.¡±


    ¡°Well, Doc should be in soon. Word of warning, detectives are downstairs, they will probably want to talk to both of you and Gabriel when he wakes up. Lunch starts at noon and goes until one.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dagger,¡± Lee said. I walked back out, grinning to myself. All the time I¡¯d known Gabriel and Michael, they¡¯d never given a woman a second look. All of the sudden, love was in the air. I went downstairs, eager to find my Shadow. After talking with her parentsst week, I had to find a way to top Steven and his cliff jumping stunt or I¡¯d never hear the end of it.


    *********


    Mackenzie¡¯s POV


    As soon as the door closed, Natalie started to giggle. ¡°You¡¯re SO falling for Gabriel,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Am not!¡±


    ¡°You are! You should see your eyes when you look at him. It¡¯s like when the steak gets delivered to your table.¡± I looked at her, trying to disagree but unable to. ¡°Not that I can me you. I mean, just look at him. You could doundry on those abs, and I bet those big arms would feel good around you.¡±


    I looked over at him, they had moved pillows to keep his chest slightly elevated. His shoulder and chest were still bandaged, but the sheet had dropped to his waist. The broad expanse of his chest and arms was there. ¡°He¡¯s not bad, especially for his age.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you aren¡¯t either. Did you sneak a peek? Is he¡­ proportional?¡±


    My jaw dropped, and my face reddened at what she was implying. ¡°I¡¯d never¡­ I mean¡­ fuck Lee, you aren¡¯t ying fair here. You¡¯ve got that hot guy Michael damn near reeled in, and at least you two kissed already.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°We did, and it was amazing. We¡¯ve been texting, he¡¯s going to take me home to change, then we¡¯re going to lunch. Is it all right if I ride your motorcycle home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer that, one of the prospects volunteered but you know how I feel about people touching my stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pack you an overnight bag.¡± There was a knock on the door, and Doctor Meghan came in. She was looking flushed and was walking slowly as she came over, setting down her ck bag. ¡°Doc, you don¡¯t look good, are you all right?¡±


    She blushed. ¡°I¡¯m more than all right, Lee. I¡¯m a married woman and my man is insatiable and talented. I never knew it could be this good, but my body is protesting right now.¡±


    ¡°He banged you good and proper, huh?¡± Iughed a little. ¡°I wonder if his friends are as talented, they all have the bodies for it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, she was busy checking Gabriel¡¯s vitals and she changed out his IV bag and emptied his catheter bag. I couldn¡¯t help it, even though Zee had her head buried in her iPad, I had to know. ¡°More than proportional,¡± I whispered to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for his talent, but Zee won¡¯t becking if she gives him a chance,¡± Meghan said. ¡°Those two men are falling hard for you, it¡¯s obvious to everyone. They are good men, I¡¯ve known them a long time. Men of honor and integrity, please give them a chance. They deserve a shot at happiness.¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened to them?¡± Zee looked up, curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my ce to say,¡± Doc said. ¡°Now, he should wake up a few hours after lunch, I¡¯ll be back then to check on him. Let¡¯s see how you are doing.¡± She came over and peeled back the bandage, inspecting it closely. Opening her bag, she used cotton balls and alcohol to clean the skin around the wound. I grit my teeth a little at the sting. ¡°It¡¯s looking good, no sign of infection yet. No strenuous activities, I¡¯ll check it again tomorrow.¡± She put a new bandage on and taped it down.


    ¡°Should I see my doctor about this,¡± I asked. ¡°And am I being billed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never even consider billing someone who was injured protecting a Club member,¡± she said. ¡°We do things a little different, this Clinic and my services are free to all members. For your doctor, I will give you copies of your treatment records, so you can follow up with your doctor if you wish. If you wish, I can do the follow-up and stitch removal as well.¡± She packed up her bag again. ¡°I hope you two stick around, I think you¡¯d be happy here.¡± With that, she walked out and closed the door again.


    ¡°Weirdest Club I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± I said. ¡°Staff Doctor, chefs in the kitchen, free food, guest rooms and apartments.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good weird,¡± Lee said softly. ¡°I hope she¡¯s right. I feel like Michael might be the one for me. I¡¯ve never felt like that before.¡± Someone knocked on the door and Lee got up to open it. It was Michael, he leaned down to kiss her and soon they were in a passionate embrace. ¡°I missed you,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, a lot of stuff is going on, but I¡¯m ready to make it up to you. Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± She grabbed my motorcycle key and gave me a quick hug. ¡°We might be a while, don¡¯t wait up,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Use protection,¡± I said softly into her ear.


    Michael¡¯s POV


    I was tired and so much had gone on in thest twelve hours, but I couldn¡¯t stay away from her. Natalie entranced me, I would get lost in her eyes, and kissing her lips took me to a whole new ce. When Tony mentioned they needed to get stuff from their ce, I pulled rank and volunteered to take her instead. Her greeting when I opened the door told me all I needed to know; she felt it too. I was hard as a rock, but we needed to roll, before her sister got a live show. I stared at her ass as she bent over to hug her sister, like everything else about her it was perfect.


    I took her hand as we walked down the hall and downstairs. I had brought one of the cars over from our apartment building, thankful that the cops had finally taken down the crime scene tape. Lunch was just about to serve, it smelled good. Mia was making hersagna, but I didn¡¯t want to share Natalie with anyone right now.


    She gave me her address in case I lost her, then she pulled Mackenzie¡¯s Harley out in front of me and I followed her to the freeway. They lived across town, in an executive condominium development in Edina. I parked in front of the garage as she pulled in, backing the motorcycle up next to a silver Lexus SUV. I walked into the garage as she got off the motorcycle, hitting the button to close it. As soon as it was low enough for us not to be seen, Natalie jumped into my arms. I kissed her hard as her hips ground into my groin, feeling my excitement through our clothes. I started to walk us towards the door, breaking the kiss as I opened it. ¡°Bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Two doors down on the right,¡± she said. I kept one hand under her ass as she pulled her T-shirt off. Her breasts were as perfect as the rest of her, straining to get out of the confines of theircy prison. I opened the door to the girliest room I had ever seen, all pink and white,ce, a four-poster canopy bed with all kinds of pillows. I set her down on the edge of the bed, stepping back to pull off my shirt as she took off her bra. ¡°Wow,¡± I whispered.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep113

    She reached out and undid my belt and jeans, pushing them down and off. My manhood sprang free, causing her to move back a little in surprise. ¡°Wow,¡± she said as she wrapped her hand around it. Leaning forward, her tongue reached out, flicking the tip and licking the drop of pre-cum from it. She moaned happily, smirking up at me before her hand grabbed my balls and pulled me forward. She opened her mouth, weing my length in. She could only take a few inches at first, but I saw her determination and the next time down I went into her throat.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± I said as my hands threaded through the hair on each side of her face. She smiled around me, doubling her efforts as I fought to hold it off. When she took me to the base, I lost that battle. ¡°Nata-LEE!¡± I screamed as I began to cum hard, pumping deep into her throat as she took it with a smile.


    She finally backed off, a loud POP as she came off the sensitive head. ¡°That should give you some staying power,¡± she said with a smile. She scooted back on the bed, lifting her hips and pushing her shorts and panties off.


    I stepped out of my jeans, kneeling at the edge of her bed. ¡°My turn,¡± I said with a smile. I pulled her legs over my shoulders, using my hands to lift her up to me like I was drinking a fine wine. I loved her smell, her body, everything about her, and I didn¡¯t just bring her pleasure. I worshipped her like the Goddess she was.


    Two hourster, I took off the third condom of the afternoon as shey exhausted on the bed below me. ¡°Michael?¡±


    ¡°Yes love?¡±


    ¡°If I even see you look at another woman I¡¯ll cut your nuts off. You¡¯re MINE, I¡¯m not letting you go.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± I said. ¡°As long as you live I will never want another. You are MINE, Natalie, and I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± She smiled andy back, closing her eyes. I went into her bathroom, starting to fill the big whirlpool tub. She wasn¡¯t moving, so I went to the kitchen and found some bottled water, cheese, grapes and summer sausage. Putting together a te with some crackers from the cupboard, I set the stuff on a shelf by the bath and went back to get her. I kissed her, she moaned softly and kissed me back. ¡°Come on, bath is ready,¡± I said.


    I set her in the tub and got in behind her, both of us sinking down into the warm water. She rxed back into me, and I fed her as we talked. I found out how brilliant she was with aputer, how she and her sister worked together to protect people and recover kidnapping victims. I told her a little about my time in the Club, my love for motorcycles, and my hopes for a family. When the food was done, I gently washed her then she turned and cleaned me, paying particr attention to her favorite parts. When we were changed, she pulled me down for a kiss. ¡°We should be getting back, Gabriel is waking soon and I need to be there for my sister,¡± she said.


    ¡°Gabriel will never hurt her, she is safe,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about her getting hurt, she¡¯s the toughest person I know. It¡¯s Gabriel I¡¯m worried about. If he pushes too hard she¡¯ll bolt. She doesn¡¯t trust him yet.¡± We closed up the house and got into my car, headed back for the clubhouse.


    She held my hand the whole time, making my wolf and I content she was with us.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I moved up through the quiet and the darkness, fighting for the light. As I rose, my senses started to work again. I could hear breathing in the room, two people, and my nose detected her presence. I rxed, she was alive. That was all I wanted to know.


    I opened my eyes, closing them again as it was too bright. ¡°Sorry.¡± I heard Doc go over, closing the blinds. She came back and I was able to open them and keep them open, my eyes searching for her.


    ¡°Gabriel,¡± her voice said softly. I turned, feeling her hand grasping mine, and blinked a few times until I could make her out clearly. She had a bandage on her neck, and I could smell her blood faintly.


    ¡°Ma¡­ Mack¡­¡± My throat felt raw. Doc put a cup of water with a straw down, and I took a few sips, it felt amazing. ¡°Mackenzie, you¡¯re all right.¡±


    ¡°You are too,¡± she said, relief evident in her face. I squeezed her hand, tears forming. ¡°Eve? What happened to Eve?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, thanks to the two of you,¡± Meghan said.


    ¡°Where?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s been taken up north. We faked her death, outside the Club you need to refer to her in the past tense. Her funeral will be in a few days,¡± she said. She took a few minutes examining me, I barely noticed because I was busy looking at Mackenzie¡¯s face.


    When Doc walked out, I pulled her down to sit with me on the bed, the ludicrous number of pillows behind me. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°A man tried to kill Eve, I saw theser just before he fired. Remember how I made fun of your 1911?¡±


    Iughed, it hurt and I grimaced. ¡°Yes, you like your Tupperware Glocks.¡±


    ¡°Well, yours saved your life.¡± She opened up the drawer in the bedside table, pulling out the shoulder holster and my pistol. The trigger guard was dented and scratched. ¡°Doc cut your shoulder straps off to pull the bullet fragments out, but the shot deflected off the leather and the steel. She said thergest fragment went through your chest, grazed my neck, then stopped in Eve¡¯s shoulder. The smaller fragments she pulled out of you.¡± She set it back down. ¡°You scared the hell out of me, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear it if either of you were hurt, Eve because of who she is to the Club, and you for what you are to me,¡± I said. ¡°I reacted, just like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine. You, on the other hand, have some exining to do.¡± I lifted my eyebrow. ¡°Your name is Gabriel Johnson, but you don¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°Your identity is fake; there is no record of you more than twenty years ago. Your birth certificate belongs to a child who died at age two. Your friend, Michael, same thing. A first look at your identities and everything is fine, but drill down a little and it copses like a house of cards. Then there is this ce; you call it a motorcycle club, but few people have jobs. No social media, no ie streams. My gut wants to believe there¡¯s nothing here, but my head is screaming out that this is a criminal enterprise, and you¡¯re right in the middle of it. I¡¯m beginning to wonder why some businessman from North Carolina, a Dennis Thurber, would try to kill a newlywed in front of this gang and every other one in the Cities. It looks like a revenge hit, and I don¡¯t get in the middle of criminal feuds.¡±


    I closed my eyes, leaning back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then exin to me who these former werewolves are. Is it another gang? A codename? Were you guys government agents? Talk to me, Gabriel, because if you don¡¯te clean I¡¯ll walk out of here and never see you again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Please, don¡¯t leave me.¡± I squeezed her hand and looked in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d rather you take my pistol and kill me now than leave me to live my life without you.¡±


    She pulled her hand out and stood up, turning her back on me. ¡°How can you say that, we barely know each other. What¡¯s worse, I¡¯m feeling almost ill just at the thought of doing that. What have you done to me?¡±


    ¡°Sit, please. I¡¯ll tell you everything if you will just sit with me and listen.¡±


    Just then, there was a knock on the door and Mackenzie got up to open it. Michael came in, holding hands with Natalie. I took a sniff, they¡¯d already moved their rtionship forward. Lee was flushed, walking a little tentatively and was sporting a big grin. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she said as she came over. ¡°Wee back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Natalie. I trust Michael is treating you well?¡±


    ¡°VERY well, thank you.¡± She blushed and leaned back into him.


    ¡°You needy little slut, you had a nooner?¡± Mackenzie rolled her eyes as Natalie nodded her head, grinning widely, and held up four fingers. ¡°Jesus, everyone is getting action except me.¡±


    ¡°So, are you guys, uh, ¡®talking?''¡± Lee wiggled her eyebrows as Zee looked away.


    ¡°I was just telling him he bettere clean, about his name, his background and these former werewolves, or I¡¯m going to leave and nevere back,¡± she said as she sat back on her chair. ¡°He promised he would tell me, so sit down and let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Natalie looked up at Michael, who looked over at me for guidance. ¡°Sit down, love,¡± he said to her. ¡°So we show them?¡±


    ¡°We have to, I can¡¯t lose her.¡±


    He started to pull off his clothes, and Mackenzie turned away in shock. ¡°Mackenzie, please, just watch. You have to see this and ept it before we can exin the rest.¡±


    ¡°How is him getting naked doing anything to exin this?¡±


    ¡°Just watch, please.¡± Michael stood facing Natalie, who had already seen everything, and stripped naked. A momentter, he was gone. and a huge ck wolf was in his ce.


    Mackenzie¡¯s POV


    ¡°The FUCK?¡± I drew my Glock, getting up our of the chair and moving to the wall. In front of me was the biggest, scariest looking wolf I¡¯d ever seen. I held the pistol out, aiming at his head, my arms shaking.


    ¡°Mackenzie, rx, that is Michael.¡± I heard Gabriel¡¯s words but my mind wasn¡¯t processing right now. The big wolf sat down, tilting its head at me as its huge pink tongue hung out the side of his mouth. His teeth were huge and white, dangerous looking.


    ¡°Michael?¡± The big wolf head turned to look at my sister, who was moving off her chair towards him.


    ¡°Lee, stay back!¡± I watched the wolf lie down and roll over nest to the bed, his head reaching towards her as she knelt down.


    ¡°He¡¯s so soft,¡± she said as she ran her fingers through his fur. His tail started to whap on the ground as she scratched his chest behind his front leg. ¡°You¡¯re a werewolf! How cool!¡±


    ¡°Werewolves don¡¯t exist,¡± I said as I lowered my pistol.


    ¡°You saw him change, Mackenzie. No one came in, no special effects. He¡¯s a werewolf, so am I. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here instead of a hospital, why I had surgery yesterday, but I¡¯ll be fine in a few days. We¡¯re not humans, we¡¯re more.¡±


    I sat back in my chair, trying to process it all. I was a logical thinker, a detective. I prided myself on being able to follow facts, not spection or fiction. Yet, here I was, looking at a wolf that had to go two hundred pounds and stood five feet tall. The animal was licking my sister as she scratched him. Gabriel was right, there was no other exnation other than werewolves existing. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°We are born this way. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t turn you into a monster or anything. In fact, our DNA is notpatible with yours. We can¡¯t get humans pregnant, and we don¡¯t use human hospitals. The reason I don¡¯t exist in the system is that up until about twenty years ago, I lived in an isted Pack in the Rockies that didn¡¯t interface with humans.¡±


    Michael licked Lee¡¯s face, making her giggle, then he moved back and shifted to his human body again. I looked away as he pulled his clothes back on. ¡°I figured it would be better if we all could talk,¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t hide the truth from you, not if it would mean you leaving my friend. Werewolves are different in their rtionships than human, we mate for life, and we find our mates then fall in love,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wait, so you could find a werewolf skank and leave me?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep114

    Michael picked her up, sitting in her chair and moving her to hisp. ¡°No, my wolf and I both know you are the one for me. I don¡¯t know how or why, but Luna, the Moon Goddess who rules our species, has formed something close to a mating pull between me and you. It¡¯s something that has never happened before with a human female.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, a lot of things changed in our world,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Luna cursed our species, all of the females died in childbirth ormitted suicide. Over twenty years ago, I had a vision where Luna appeared to me, telling me of theing birth of the Promised One, the Last Shewolf. I formed the Knights of the Moon with others you pledged with me to protect the mother, then thest eighteen years we¡¯ve been protecting her. Eve was the Last Shewolf. When she mated Adam, it broke the curse, and now we¡¯re seeing things we¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    I looked over at Michael, he didn¡¯t say Gabriel was crazy. ¡°You know how wolves have Packs, well, up until she mated Adam so did we. That¡¯s gone now; no Packs, no Alphas, no nothing. We joined the Riders because we have been friends and allies for a long time, and they are family to us. I think Luna is doing something new here; even Steven found his mate in a human female.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Steven is a wolf too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°There are about eighteen of us around here now, and six went up to the North Shore with Adam to protect Eve. The Northwoods Riders are all human.¡±


    ¡°And they know about you? All of you?¡± My mind was reeling, how could a Club with this many people keep a secret for so long?


    ¡°Yes, like I said, we have been friends and allies. Eve¡¯s mother died and her father was killed; Snake and Vivian, the previous Doctor here, they adopted Eve. After Vivian was killed when Eve was just a baby, Snake raised her, with Viper and now Kelly as grandparents. The Club protected her just as much as my Pack did. We had to, she was in great danger if another werewolf discovered her.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why her?¡±


    ¡°Because the strongest instinct of a wolf is to bring forth the next generation, and she was the only one left who could do it,¡± Michael said. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why Dennis Thurber tried to kill her. Maybe when his Pack bond was lost, when his power evaporated, he med her or thought killing her would bring it back. In any case, for some reason, Luna took away all the wolves from everyone except those of us here and Adam. They can¡¯t shift into wolf form, they don¡¯t have our hearing, our strength, our smell, our healing ability anymore. I¡¯d be pissed too.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything for a minute, it was all too much. ¡°I need space to think,¡± I said as I got up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Lee said as she got off hisp.


    ¡°Mackenzie? Take the time you need, but if you have questions, ask. We¡¯ll let the Club know you are aware of us. You can ask anything you want of any of them. Just don¡¯t hold what I am against me. I¡¯ve never been any different, I¡¯m still the same man who protected this Club and Eve, I¡¯m still the same man who fell in love with you the moment our eyes met.¡±


    I looked at him, reaching my hand out to touch his. ¡°I won¡¯t leave without telling you,¡± I promised. We walked out the door, closing it behind me I leaned back against the wall. ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    After I left Gabriel, I went down and turned over my reports to the detectives. I was exhausted, so I headed to my room and took a short nap. Steven was busy, still making arrangement with his guys to protect Eve up north. He woke me in time to check Gabriel again, this time he was alone in his room.


    Dinner was a Chicken Parmesan with mixed vegetables. I sure hope Mia stays around, because the food that she sent out of the kitchen was incredible. I told her as much when she came out with Snake to eat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled. ¡°It was my grandmother¡¯s recipe, I grew up on it.¡± I took another bite, the vors dancing on my tongue. They had also baked fresh Italian bread with garlic butter, and a light sd. I smiled as I ate it, and I watched the two of them together. They were perfect for each other, and already looked so much in love.


    ¡°So, what do you two have nned for tonight,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not much. Between the cops, the Club and the drama, when cleanup is done I might go to bed.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could let you do that,¡± I said. ¡°Steven and I need to meet with the leadership privately, it¡¯s very important. I need you and Mia, Mom and Dad, Dagger, Viper and Kelly, Gabriel and Mackenzie, Michael and Natalie. Oh, and we need to bring Adam and Eve, plus n and Alice in on Skype. We¡¯ll set that up as soon as we set a time.¡±


    ¡°Mia, Mackenzie and Natalie aren¡¯t members, not yet, and n and Alice are not even under consideration.¡± Snake was going over the list, trying to figure out why those people were being invited. ¡°And we¡¯ll have to do it in Gabriel¡¯s room unless you¡¯re ready to move him.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s where we need to have the meeting,¡± I said. ¡°Eight o¡¯clock sound good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set it up,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°Thanks for dinner, it was wonderful,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, have you seen Mackenzie and Natalie?¡±


    ¡°Natalie took a couple tes, I think they are outside,¡± Snake said. ¡°Gabriel and Michael told them what they were, it¡¯s a lot to take in. I know it was for me, if she wasn¡¯t hurt and I wasn¡¯t focused on saving Vivian, I might have walked away for a while too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to them,¡± I said. I grabbed three beers and walked outside, looking around in the heat and humidity. They had picked a pic table near the fence, in the shade of a maple tree. ¡°Can I join you for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Since you brought beer, sure,¡± Lee said with augh.


    ¡°Only one, you can¡¯t drink more than that on your painkillers,¡± I told Zee as I handed her the Summer Shandy.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I stopped taking them, I¡¯ve had worse pain before,¡± she said. We sat for a moment, just sipping the cold beer and looking out at the sky. ¡°So I am falling in love with a werewolf?¡±


    I snickered. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing, they have bodies like Adonis and know how to use them,¡± I said as I elbowed Lee.


    ¡°Not to mention incredible passion and sexual endurance,¡± Natalie giggled. ¡°My God, that man can fuck me stupid any day of the week and twice on Sundays.¡±


    I had tough, and I gave Natalie a quick hug. ¡°I know, my poordy bits are begging for a day off, but all I can think about is making love to him again. And oh my GOD, that knot? Holy shit. He puts the ¡®O¡¯ in ¡®Oh My God.''¡±


    ¡°Knot?¡± Mackenzie looked at me in horror.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. It hurt like hell going in, but I couldn¡¯t stop cumming once it was seated. Like I said, that man has skills in the sack.¡± I described to them some of the physical things that were different with the werewolves, and why I was perfectly fine being the wife of one. I finished my beer, crushing the can and tossing it in the recycle bin nearby. ¡°I actually came out here because I need you to be a part of a meeting I¡¯m setting up. It¡¯s important, and I need the two of you to join us in Gabriel¡¯s room at eight.¡±


    Mackenzie looked at her phone, that was forty minutes away. ¡°All right. I can¡¯t promise anything to anyone, especially Gabriel, but I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°That and an open mind are all I ask,¡± I said.


    Forty minutester, we were all crammed into Gabriel¡¯s room, theptop open on the dresser. We had Adam, Eve, n and Alice on the other end. Eve didn¡¯t wait until the meeting started. ¡°Hi guys! Hey Mackenzie, I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I was told you gave the warning, that you were the one who tackled me.¡± She wiped a tear from her eye as she was pulled into Adam¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°I just reacted as I was trained, Eve. I¡¯m d you are going to be all right.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gabriel, once again you¡¯ve saved me.¡±


    We talked for another minute before I called for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Guys, Steven and I have called you all here tonight because of a dream he had a few nights ago.¡±


    ¡°A dream? I¡¯m up here for a dream?¡± Snake didn¡¯t look happy, he looked tired.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you all here if it wasn¡¯t important. Maybe I should just tell you what it was.¡± Steven described the dream, sitting in the chairs in the grass. Meghan telling me she was d I bought that Powerball ticket for the Club. I told them who I saw in the chairs around me.


    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t know you then.¡± Mackenzie had this deer in the headlights look.


    ¡°True,¡± I said, ¡°But Steven described the two women who were sitting in Gabriel¡¯s and Michael¡¯sp to me. He described the two of you,¡± I said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep115

    ¡°The real reason you are all here is what we were watching, up there at the rebuilt Pack House of the North Shore pack. We were watching our children y. Lots of children, at least fifteen girls, all about one year old, all belonging to us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have children,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯m going to be with Gabriel next week,¡± Mackenzieined.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old to have kids,¡± Kelly said.


    I justughed. ¡°I know, I couldn¡¯t figure it out either, my girls were in the circle too. Mackenzie, Natalie and I can¡¯t get pregnant by our mates, it¡¯s a physical impossibility. It wasn¡¯t until after he told me the dream that I figured out what was going on.¡±


    ¡°Luna knows that having a single shewolf being mated, no matter how many babies she has, is going to take forever to reestablish the species,¡± Steven said. ¡°What the dream told us is that there was another way. Those girls running around on thewn? I stood up and shifted into my wolf, Michael did too. The girls all started climbing over us, one hugged my neck and called me Daddy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Then she pulled off her dress and shifted into her wolf. The other girls followed suit, they ALL shifted. Little wolf cubs, all different colors, all climbing and y fighting.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, ¡°I know how to do it.¡± Everyone got quiet. ¡°We have one female werewolf, but she has thousands of eggs in her ovaries. I checked Vivian¡¯s notes; fertility hormones for humans work the same on werewolves. She¡¯s going to go into heat soon; I use the hormones to stimte egg production, then use a simple procedure to harvest the extras. She¡¯ll heal in a day, and her heat proceeds normally from there. The eggs, though, can be fertilized by semen from other male werewolves and imnted using In-Vitro Fertilization techniques into other women.¡±


    A whole bunch of people started to talk at once, and I just looked around the room. Some were crying, others hopeful, a few skeptical. Finally, Eve called for quiet. ¡°If I do this, we can have twenty babies in a year instead of just a couple?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Steven said. ¡°I think those twenty and maybe ones from the next year will grow up to find true mates among the other male werewolves, and then we will have enough to have a good growth poption. In one generation, we can make a big step towards recovering our species.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Kelly said. ¡°We¡¯ve given up on babies, and I think we should talk to Sheri. She might agree too.¡± Viper hugged her as she started to cry. ¡°I have to, we have a chance to save their kind,¡± she said.


    ¡°If I do this, Michael will be the babies father?¡± Natalie shifted in hisp. I nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s the only way I can have your baby, and it¡¯s important to you, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do we know this will happen,¡± Mackenzie asked. ¡°People dream all the time, it doesn¡¯te true.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is more likely,¡± I said. ¡°You and Gabriel getting together and having baby girls, or winning the Powerball?¡±


    Sheughed at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the odds of staying with him are, but the Lotto is a tax on people who are bad at math. The odds are like one in two hundred and ny-two million.¡±


    Steven pulled out a ticket, it was in a stic protective case. ¡°Pull up the winning numbers on your phone and check them.¡± Mackenzie pulled up her browser, checking the Minnesota Lottery site. ¡°Hey, it says the Powerball was won in Minnesota,¡± she said. She checked the numbers, her eyes bugging wide before she dropped her phone. ¡°You fucking won?¡±


    ¡°The Club did. I bought the ticket with donations for the Club, and the Club collects, not me. Honestly, I never y, and we¡¯ve never had a Club pool. The only reason I bought the ticket was because Meghan told me to get one, just in case the dream was real.¡± He took the ticket back. ¡°That¡¯s the reason you others are here, to let you know the Club just won a hundred and sixty-two million dors, cash after taxes.¡±


    It took a while for things to calm down after that, but Steven got control eventually. ¡°I think we need to keep this quiet for now. We have the funerals, we need to safeguard Eve, and we don¡¯t need a bunch of reporters and othersing around because they think we¡¯re handing out money now.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Snake said. ¡°Nobody say anything about this. Steven, hire awyer to handle this quietly. Ideally, I¡¯d like for the Club name to nevere up in this, even if we have to wait months to see the money.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do this,¡± Dagger asked. ¡°We¡¯ve got to keep people with Eve up north out of sight, we¡¯ve got this Clubhouse and the old Knights building, and a bunch of us are talking about moving south.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking one Club, three Chapters. We rebuild the Pack House up north, that bes the werewolf headquarters and a ce for us to base out of during the summer. We keep the facilities here, improving them and adding on as we need. Then we build a chapter in Florida. With this money, we can have a hell of a nice Florida chapter. I want you to head up scouting a new ce, maybe near Jacksonville. Work with Viper, Hammer, anyone else interested in moving south. I want the ce to be big enough that the whole Club can vacation there, and remote enough the wolves can run there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± Dagger said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a ton of time,¡± Adam said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to get the Pack House going, we need to get permits and start demolishing the old structures, get designs, pour foundations. There¡¯s only a short time until construction season ends if you aren¡¯t weather tight.¡±


    ¡°Then start now,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°We have funds the Knights held, they are now Club funds. Use them to get what you need and put a rush on it. I¡¯d love it if we could move people in next spring. In the meantime, buy thatnd and house we were talking about, so you have a base of operations. We can send more guys up, some of us have experience in construction trades.¡±


    The meeting went on for another half hour until we had hashed out what we needed to do. ¡°I¡¯m going to have babies,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It¡¯s really going to happen.¡±


    I went to her and hugged her tight. ¡°We¡¯re all going to have babies, Kelly. Beautiful babies who y together on thewn in their wolf forms.¡± The hug was soon joined by the other women.


    Things were going to be all right.


    Ch. 86


    Snake¡¯s POV


    This President thing was really interfering with my love life.


    Last night had been a shock, Mia and I had returned to our room and talked well into the night. In one way, the dream confirmed all the choices and feelings I had made. She was meant to be mine, and I was good with that. She was happy as well, over the moon at the idea she¡¯d be able to have children with me. That had been the one thing she was hoping would not be a dealbreaker in our rtionship.


    We set Eve¡¯s funeral service for Wednesday night, as Thursday afternoon was now set for Donuts. The two services couldn¡¯t be more different; Eve¡¯s was a simple memorial service, we had purchased an urn and Kelly had arge photo printed of her framed to put behind it. It was going to be a biker sendoff, fitting for a daughter who grew up in the Club and was a full member. We would return to the Clubhouse after it was over for a wake. Donut¡¯s will directed aw enforcement funeral, but he had specific instructions for how he wanted the Club involved. He was going to be in full dress uniform, but was to be holding his cut in his right hand in the casket. We¡¯d already been told it would be a closed casket, the head injuries were too much to repair. The Club was also going to be interspersed with the police, in between the Ramsey County cars and those from all otherw enforcement agencies.


    The third funeral Dagger was handling. We¡¯d gotten a call from the Coroner up north, asking about funeral arrangements for Mitchell. I found out a lot about the man who had both protected and threatened my daughter. Meghan had talked to both the medical examiner and his oncologist at Bethesda Naval Hospital. It turned out he hadn¡¯t been discharged at all, he had packed up and left the day after a brain scan showed his cancer had metastasized. It was inoperable, and he was given six months to live.


    It was all to medical-talk for me, but Meghan said he had a tumor growing in his brain in the area that controlled judgement and strong feelings. His autopsy results showed he had been takingrge doses of painkillers to deal with the pain. ¡°He probably ignored it all and came here to continue with his life,¡± she told me. ¡°Death was caused by the tumor damaging an artery, he bled out into his brain in seconds. There was nothing I or anyone else could have done.¡±


    ¡°And his behavior?¡±


    ¡°At some point, thinking about Eve made the pain go away and that fed his fantasy. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her, to him she was an angel, the only thing that made things tolerable.¡± I sat down, thinking back to how we had treated him, and how he had behaved. ¡°He was a good man once, he deserves to be remembered that way.¡±


    We worked with the staff at the Fort Snelling Cemetery, and using Mitchell¡¯sputer and phone contacts we sent the information to as many of his fellow Marines as we could find. The local Marine Corps Reserve and VFW also spread the word. Two dayster, we were standing graveside as an Honor Guard of Marines fired their salute. He was a highly decorated Marine, well respected, and it showed in the turnout and the eulogies.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep116

    I drove Mia back to the Clubhouse to change for Eve¡¯s service. The Club did a good job keeping up the act, since we all knew Eve was really safe and sound up north. She hadn¡¯t attended school and didn¡¯t have friends outside the Club, so the church was packed with Club members and friends from other area Clubs. All too soon, I was standing there next to her portrait. ¡°My Eve was the jewel of my life, the daughter who made me proud of everything she did. There isn¡¯t a person in this room her life didn¡¯t touch, a person who wasn¡¯t better because she came into this world.¡± I stopped to wipe a tear away. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s gone, I go to breakfast every morning expecting her to give me a kiss and tell me she loves me¡­¡± I stepped back, I couldn¡¯t do any more, I fell to my knees as Mia raced forward tofort me. Dagger led me back to my seat, and I barely listened as the others talked. Just thinking about her being gone put a knife to my heart, I didn¡¯t have to fake the pain.


    We were driven back to the clubhouse and the bar was opened. Toasts were made, and soon I was drunk off my ass. Viper helped me up to my room, and I was asleep before the door was closed.


    The next morning, I had a splitting headache. Mia was gone, it was eight, she had probably gone to do breakfast on her own. There were a few aspirin and a bottle of water next to the bed, I took them both. Moving slowly to the bathroom, I pulled on some clothes and then went downstairs to the kitchen. The smell made my stomach lurch, but I kissed Mia anyway. ¡°Sorry aboutst night,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, your reaction did more to sell her death than anything else we could do,¡± she said. ¡°I made you eggs and toast, you should go sit down. You¡¯ll need food in your belly for today.¡± I took the te, kissing her as she went back to the grill, and went back out to find a table.


    ¡°He lives,¡± Dagger teased as I sat next to him.


    ¡°Barely. By the way, thanks for setting the bar even higher on this engagement shit.¡± He didn¡¯t go to Mitchell¡¯s service, instead he took his girlfriend Sara on a hot-air balloon ride up past Stillwater. Of course, he proposed to her with some cheesy line about how she lifts him to the heavens or something. She was sporting a big ring and a smile this morning as she talked to the otherdies, and I could see them looking at me like I was next. After Steven¡¯s leap of faith, pressure was building on me to do something over the top for Mia.


    One of the prospects put down arge ss of orange juice for me, I nodded my thanks. ¡°We all set for today?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± he said. I was going to deliver the eulogy for the Club, while Dagger as VP was in charge of the riders. Since Donuts was prior military, we¡¯d contacted the Patriot Guard Riders as well as the other clubs in the Metro area. The funeral procession was going to be incredibly long just because of thew enforcement part, and we didn¡¯t need a thousand bikes adding to it.


    ¡°I made the arrangements yesterday,¡± he said. ¡°Between the Guard and the other Clubs, we have it set so a motorcycle is parked every hundred feet along the entire route. We¡¯ve set it up so each rider has an American g, and will be standing with their hand over their heart as he passes.¡± This was a great way to get involved, even with his big church as the service site, there just wasn¡¯t room for everyone.


    I choked down the toast and butter, hoping my stomach would quit rebelling soon. ¡°The VFW and Marines are in it as well. His old Company Commander is going to speak at the funeral, and his unit members have been given priority seating at the service. He will be well represented.¡± I was still a little pissed about one thing, he had written into his will that the Club President had to ride in the SUV immediately behind the hearse with his family. There wasn¡¯t much left, a younger sister and a cousin. It didn¡¯t matter that he wrote it for Viper, it meant I had to ride in a cage for the day.


    Steven and Meghan sat down, both with full tes. ¡°Ready for today,¡± Doc asked.


    ¡°As soon as I lose the headache,¡± I said. ¡°Are we ready for the weekend?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Yep, arrangements all made. The wolves will stay at our new house or in wolf form, and we¡¯ve got enough hotel rooms for the humans.¡± We decided that we needed to get out of town and have a Club meeting, and the only way to get everyone together was to go up north. We told everyone the Club was taking a private ride up north this weekend to spread Eve¡¯s ashes. No one would interfere with that.


    The funeral for Deputy Nathaniel Donaldson was huge. Dignitaries including the Governor, the National Guard Commanding General, and others. At least five hundred police and sheriff cruisers, hundreds of motorcycles, and untold private citizens lined the route from the church to the National Cemetary. I was holding his sister¡¯s hand as Mia tucked into my side, watching with pride as we drove down the route. He was buried with full military honors, abined Law Enforcement and Military honor guard performing the salutes. His sister received the American g, along with his estate.


    I couldn¡¯t open the kitchen for dinner, so instead we had booked a room at the Machine Shed in Lake Elmo. It worked well because they hadrge portions that the big guys and werewolves liked, and it was good food. We ate and drank into the night, finally knocking off around nine because we had to get up early.


    I wanted to beat the heat and traffic to get up north, so we were leaving at six in the morning. I pulled Mia into my arms as we went to bed, holding her tight as the emotions of the week caught up to me. She made love to me, then we fell asleep until the rm went off again.


    Dagger¡¯s POV


    I got to ride up front this time, this was the first official club ride since the new elections. Snake was to my right, Mia tucked in with her arms around him, while Shadow had decided to leave her Harley and ride with me. Everyone was gassed and ready, we were going to ride a few hours to get out of the City and stop once before and once after Duluth.


    I¡¯d talked to the guys up there, the new house had been closed on yesterday thanks to a cash offer, and they were already moving in. It was a nice ce, on four hundred acres of rolling forest, with a six-bedroom four-bath rambler and a full basement. It would be tight for a while, but they had already made a run to purchase enough beds for everyone. The pole barn would be turned into a gym, and it was a fairly short run to n¡¯s house.


    I looked back in the mirror as we merged onto I-35E, loving the feeling of riding in formation like this. There were a half-dozen cars and SUV¡¯s trailing us, carrying some of the wives and children who didn¡¯t want to ride. Weather was good, in the sixties but humid. We made good time on the drive, pulling into the new property just before noon. The guys had the big grills fired up already, and soon we were eating steaks on the dozens of pic tables they had purchased and set up. n and Alice had joined us, since we were nning on asking them to join the Club.


    We ate and enjoyed the North Shore afternoon, putting a good dent in the tub of beers that were floating in ice. Everything was perfect, so I took Shadow¡¯s hand and nodded to my aplice. He moved over to the stairs going up to the back deck of the house, and we followed him, stopping at the bottom.


    ¡°IF I CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION,¡± Crash said as he clinked three beer bottles together, The Warriors style. He waited until everyone quieted down, as soon as they saw him up there with us they figured it out. ¡°People, what we have here, is a failure to learn from the mistakes of others. How many more times are you going to force me up here to join people together in holy matrimony, knowing full well that they have been sinning with each other every night for the past year?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes a few times a night,¡± I said.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget mornings and nooners,¡± Shadow added with augh.


    ¡°And so, for my usual fee of a bottle of Irish Whiskey, I once again stand before you with a new set of victims.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we find YOU a woman, Crash,¡± Kelly teased.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna happen, woman. Now, where were we. Oh yeah. If anyone other than me has any reason why these two kids should not bind themselves in a lifetime contract where they end up arguing over why clothes don¡¯t make it to the hamper or the toilet seat is up again, speak now or you¡¯re just as guilty as me.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Crash, I gotta take a whiz here, hurry it up,¡± Tiny said.


    ¡°Fine. Do you, Dagger, take this fine-looking woman here as your Old Lady? To treat her right, keep her happy and fill her with little paring knives? To love, honor and bang her, and only her, as long as your skinny ass lives?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± he said.


    ¡°And do you, Shadow, who can probably do far better than him if you¡¯d y the field, do you take this guy as your Old Man? To ride him like a Harley, keep him fed and dressed, and let him rebuild his engine in your living room? To love, honor and bang only him even though he¡¯s boring and can¡¯t get it up after drinking?¡±


    She justughed. ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then by the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota and the fourth renewal of my sketchy clergy license, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now you may what?¡±


    ¡°MOLEST THE BRIDE!¡± The club yelled it out, then rushed forward to congratte us. Instead of showering us with rice, they sprayed Leinenkugel¡¯s on us as we hugged our family.


    Ten minutester, I moved my hands up her leg, pulling off the garter she¡¯d put on under her shorts before the service. Smiling, she took it over and put if over Snake¡¯s hand and beer as he was talking with Viper. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck this up, Mr. President. If you like it, put a ring on it.¡± She kissed his cheek and walked away as the otherdies cheered.


    ¡°Can I have my meeting now?¡± Snake tried to take the garter off, only for Mia to grab his hand as we allughed.


    Eve¡¯s POV


    I went from table to table, greeting and thanking the Club members who were up here for this get-together. It wasn¡¯t until thisst week I had truly recognized the dangers I was in, and the sacrifices all these people had made to keep me safe. I could never repay that, and I would never overlook it.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep117

    It was fun seeing the couples together, sharing the kind of love I had with Adam that seemed to have appeared instantly. Humans weren¡¯t like us; the bond with Adam had been instant, a hard pull turning into an all-consuming kind of love. Iughed at the old me, hoping I wouldn¡¯t find my mate, that I wouldn¡¯t get hauled off somewhere to live with him and his Pack. I¡¯d follow Adam anywhere, I loved him that much.


    ¡°You guys look cozy,¡± I said as I sat at a table with Steven, Meghan, Michael, Natalie, Gabriel and an ufortable Mackenzie.


    ¡°I¡¯m with my new friends and my man,¡± Natalie said. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m at home here, like we belong together forever.¡± Michael pulled her into hisp, kissing her deeply as Zee looked away.


    ¡°My God, Lee, you¡¯ve known him less than a week! Even for you, that¡¯s a little fast.¡± She shifted away from Gabriel, who looked a little hurt at the space. It didn¡¯tst, it was like there were mas that kept pulling them together, and he was touching her leg again.


    ¡°It¡¯s different for werewolves, I¡¯m sure they exined that,¡± I said. ¡°If they choose you, they choose for life. There¡¯s no reason to dy the inevitable. We don¡¯t date, we don¡¯t have long engagements, we find and im.¡±


    Zee looked at Gabriel. ¡°You haven¡¯t even kissed me yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because I want to, Mackenzie. I do, with every fiber of my being I want your kiss and more.¡± He reached his hand up and cupped her cheek. ¡°You aren¡¯t ready for me yet. Something has hurt you, made you not trust your heart. My wolf is in pain at the thought, but he is cunning. He will stalk you, learn your patterns, and wait for the right opportunity to make you his, willingly andpletely.¡±


    He dropped his hand and went back to eating his food, smirking a little bit as she reached her hand for her cheek. Her mind may not want him, but she was already falling for him, and missed the contact. Lee noticed and smirked. ¡°All you¡¯re doing is denying yourself amazingly deep love and hot sex,¡± she said. She turned to Michael. ¡°Are you ever going to ask me to marry you, or are you waiting for an engraved invitation?¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    We all cracked up at that, and Michael was blushing. ¡°I can make you mine as soon as soon as you wish, but it does involve some of that hot sex,¡± he said. ¡°I need to exin the process so you aren¡¯t scared of it.¡±


    ¡°You fuck, he bites your neck, you bite his neck, BOOM! Mated for life,¡± Iughed. ¡°At least as much as a werewolf and a human can be. It¡¯s not going to be the same as my bond, but Meghan?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something there, Natalie. He can sense my emotions, I can feel him in the back of my mind, like when you know someone is with you without seeing them, you just feel his presence.¡± She kissed him and snuggled down into hisp. ¡°And she¡¯s not lying about the hot sex, either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not rushing into a marriage with a guy I barely know,¡± Zee said. Gabriel was holding back his anger, he got up and walked off to get another beer. She watched him leave. ¡°I hurt him, didn¡¯t I.¡± She looked down at her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to make babies with him.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not taking off screaming, even after you watched a man change into a huge wolf and back,¡± Michael said. ¡°Has Gabriel told you the story of his mate?¡±


    ¡°No, he said she died a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± I told her. ¡°He loved her like all mates do, it was all-consuming, and when she died he and his wolf kind of lost it. It happens sometimes, they can¡¯t handle the loss of the bond, they wander into the wilderness and nevere back.¡± She looked at me, wide-eyed. ¡°Gabriel might have gone that way if he hadn¡¯t been given a vision, a vision of Luna telling him I wasing, and how important it was that I survive. For two dozen years, that man has not dated, not kissed a woman, he hasn¡¯t even considered letting someone back into his broken heart. When his vow ended, something shifted, and Luna has granted him a chance at love. Love with you, Mackenzie. Don¡¯t toss away the greatest gift you¡¯ll ever get.¡± I got up and walked off, leaving her to her thoughts.


    Adam felt my emotions and waved me over to where he was standing with n and Alice. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, Lee has epted Michael and they¡¯ll be mated soon, but Gabriel is having a tough time cracking her shell.¡± He pulled me into his side. ¡°I want them to be happy, like we are, like you two are.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite the same, Eve. I don¡¯t have a wolf, I gave him up long before whatever it is that Luna is doing now. We have a human love, it¡¯s strong, but not the same.¡±


    I moved over and gave my brother-inw a hug. Taking his head in my hands, I looked up at him with a tear in my eye. ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t made that choice to give up your wolf, n. I want you to have your wolf again, running with us over your old Pack grounds, like it was meant to be.¡± All of the sudden, my hands started to get hot. I tried to pull them off his head, but I couldn¡¯t move them. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± I said.


    n closed his eyes, his mouth opening in a silent scream. Blood started to drip from his ears and nose. His hands went up to mine, but he couldn¡¯t pull them off. I started to feel the heat, it was burning my hands, moving up my arms. ¡°Adam oh Luna aaaaah¡­¡±


    I was about to scream when it suddenly stopped, my hands flew away from his head and I fell backwards. Adam leaped behind me to keep me from hitting the ground. The pain was gone, I looked at my hands, turning them over, expecting them to be charred or red but there was nothing wrong. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I looked up at Adam, he was staring open-mouthed at something. Nobody was moving or making a sound, then I heard bones crunching followed by a loud howl.


    n had shifted into a striking grey wolf.


    He sat back, howling in joy as Alice ran over to him. He licked her face, rubbing his fur onto her as she hugged him in joy. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± she said as she ran her hands over his fur. ¡°You make me all tingly.¡± She let him go, and he ran over to Adam, dropping his front feed down before darting around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go with your brother,¡± I told him.


    He pulled off his clothes and shifted. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I told him I wanted him to have his werewolf back and something took over. My hands got really hot and I couldn¡¯t move them from his head.¡±


    ¡°He says thank you. We have a family bond, he¡¯s over the moon with happiness.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if the mate bond would ovep with his family bond, so I tried. ¡°n, can you hear me? It¡¯s Eve.¡±


    ¡°THANK YOU! Care for a run?¡±


    I looked around, others would need an exnation. ¡°They need to go run, could some of you go with them? Just in case.¡± A few of the guys stood up, stripped and shifted, and the small group of wolves ran off into the woods.


    I stood up, brushing myself off, and was surrounded by the other werewolves. ¡°What the hell was that,¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wished for it to happen, my hands got hot and I couldn¡¯t move them, then it was like something popped and it was over. Next thing I know he has his wolf back.¡±


    No one said anything for a while, until Steven finally moved next to me. ¡°No one, I mean NO ONE not here today is to know about this. If she was in danger before, just imagine if they find out that she can get them their wolves back.¡± I had to agree, I was still in shock at what just happened.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± I said. ¡°Adam and n had their sibling bond immediately, but that didn¡¯t shock me. Adam and I have our mate bond, he told me what he was saying. I decided to try something,¡± I said as I looked around. ¡°I thought maybe since I was his brother¡¯s mate, maybe I had a link too. It turns out I do.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Michael said. ¡°I miss the link, I wish I was part of YOUR family.¡±


    I pulled him into a hug. ¡°You¡¯re family to me, Michael.¡± A shock passed between us, and he stepped back with his eyes open. ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°I can hear you, Michael. It¡¯s a BOND! We just formed a family bond!¡± I was smiling andughing as everyone looked at us like we were crazy. ¡°I just adopted Michael into my family, now we have a family bond,¡± I said to their shock and amazement.


    ¡°How in Luna¡¯s name did you do that,¡± Gabriel asked.


    I walked over to him and gave him a hug. ¡°You¡¯re family to ME, Gabriel.¡± The shock passed again, and soon they were all lining up. In five minutes, all of my new brothers were able to talk not only with me, but each other. ¡°Boys, you better run back here, something big is happening,¡± Steven sent.


    ¡°Steven? What? How can I hear you?¡± Iughed at Adam¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°Just get back here, guys, I need to adopt a few more brothers.¡± I didn¡¯t have to wait long. Ten minutester, it was like we had a Pack again, but different. ¡°What do you think this means, guys?¡±


    ¡°Packs are gone forever,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°and good riddance. The structure led us to our doom, and Luna took it away. This is new, never before have we been able to form family bonds without sharing blood. I think Luna is changing our society, and for the better.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s doing it with family, specifically the mother, at the center. I tried adopting Dumah, just as an experiment, before he got to you. Nothing happened. You, Eve, are the only one who can form this bond, the only one who can turn this group into a true family.¡±


    I leaned back into Adam¡¯s arms. ¡°I love all of you guys like brothers, well, actually you were more like uncles because you¡¯re so damn old,¡± I said as theyughed. ¡°I¡¯m just so happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we want for you, Eve. For you and everyone here, to be together and happy.¡± Gabriel raised his ss to me. ¡°Charge your sses, it¡¯s time for a toast.¡±


    ¡°It better not be to me,¡± I whispered as we walked back to our pic table to grab our drinks.


    Gabriel raised his beer. ¡°A lot of things have changed since we put the Knights together all those years ago, but some things have not. Alpha or not, Pack bond or not, you have all been my family and I love every single one of you. Now Luna has granted our family a bond, and through Eve we are all brothers. To Luna!¡±


    ¡°TO LUNA!¡± We raised our sses and I chugged mine down. I looked around and smiled, I liked this. I liked it a lot.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep118

    Meghan¡¯s POV


    The party really got going after all the good news. I was sitting on Steven¡¯sp, we were talking to Gabriel and Mackenzie when Eve came up to us. I had a question for her. ¡°This bond that just formed between you and the males, it is a two-way bond?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had one,¡± Eve said. She looked at Steven for help.


    ¡°It feels like what I had with my parents,¡± he said. ¡°I like it.¡± I must have shown on my face how left out I felt; I was Steven¡¯s, but his link with Eve was stronger than anything I had. Eve hugged me and sat next to Steven.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Meghan, I wish you could be a part of the link.¡±


    I looked up in shock, looking around, the voice seemed toe from INSIDE my head. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What what,¡± Steven asked me.


    ¡°Who said that?¡± I looked at Eve. ¡°Did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°I heard a voice in my head¡­ a woman said she was sorry and wished I could be a part of the link.¡±


    Now it was Eve¡¯s turn to look shocked. ¡°You heard that? I didn¡¯t say it out loud.¡±


    ¡°Try something again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to drag him inside and bang the shit out of him until you can¡¯t walk straight?¡±


    ¡°OH MY GOD YOU SHAMELESS LITTLE¡­¡± I jumped at her, almost knocking her off the pic table. ¡°I heard you, in here!¡±


    Steven pulled my back into his chest. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, but the answer is ¡®hell yes.''¡± It was Eve¡¯s turn to get embarrassed. ¡°So, can I talk to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I shouldn¡¯t be able to talk to you, the link is strictly between werewolves,¡± she said.


    ¡°Give it a try, honey. Just think of her and say something in your head, not out loud.¡± I tried saying something to her, I tried sending to Steven, Gabriel, I even tried sending to them all but nothing happened. We did find out that I could hear any of them now.


    ¡°How is this happening,¡± Eve asked.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said. ¡°Try sending to Mackenzie.¡± I tried her, then Natalie and Mia, but nothing worked. ¡°OK, how about Alice.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Eve closed her eyes, the next thing we heard was a te breaking, then a loud thud. ¡°MEGHAN!¡± n yelled from inside, clearly panicked. I ran inside, a broken te was on the floor and n was holding an unconscious Alice in his arms.


    ¡°Put her down on the couch,¡± I said. I ran back out and got my bag, by the time I got in, she was justing to. ¡°What happened, Alice? Did you hit your head?¡±


    ¡°I heard a voice in my head,¡± she said, all confused. ¡°It sounded like Eve.¡± Her eyes bugged out. ¡°It WAS you¡­ how¡­¡±


    ¡°n, you try it. Imagine she¡¯s got the family link.¡± This time, both their eyes got wide. ¡°She heard you, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I did, but she can¡¯t answer,¡± he said. ¡°Still, we¡¯ve never had this. What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Tell the leaders toe in here, and anyone with a human mate. Have them bring Snake, Mia, Viper and Kelly with them.¡± It only took a few minutes before theirrge living room was full, and after a quick recap of what was going on, I gave my theory. ¡°Eve gave you all a family bond, but for those of you who have human wives, you bit them, right?¡± I unconsciously reached up to the bite wound on my neck, barely covered by the thin T-shirt. ¡°The women who can hear Eve, can hear their mates, probably hear any wolf in this Bond, all were bitten. My theory is that they can¡¯t turn into wolves, our DNA is too different, but the bite is still causing a change in us. It is enough to give us some characteristics, including the ability to hear the bond.¡±


    ¡°Will we be able to talk back?¡± Alice looked at n. ¡°Will I feel the mate bond? Get sharper vision or better hearing? Develop a taste for steak so rare a good veterinarian could still save it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this is all new, but I won¡¯t say anything is impossible.¡± I leaned back into Steven¡¯s arms, enjoying the tingles as he ran his hands down my arms. ¡°I really like these tingles,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s so nice, and it gets me all¡­¡± She stopped talking and turned red. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s so calming.¡±


    ¡°What now,¡± Viper asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to figure out if there are any changes I can find after the bite. I have my own blood back at the clinic, and I¡¯d like to get a sample of Natalie and Mackenzie before you get bitten.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting bitten,¡± Mackenzie said.


    ¡°Not unless you ask me to,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°I would never force you to do anything. It is against my honor, and you¡¯d probably try to kick my ass if I went too far.¡±


    ¡°I would kick your ass, ball licker,¡± she said, but there was no hostility in her voice. Her attitude had noticeably softened since they first met, and she was finding it difficult not to be touching him all the time.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking Michael to bite me as soon as we get back to the hotel,¡± Natalie said. ¡°The do not disturb sign will be on the door for good reason.¡± She straddled Michael¡¯sp, pulling him into a deep kiss.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take your blood now,¡± I said with a chuckle. I pulled out some sample tubes and took a vial of blood from each, packing it in a cooler. Steven was excused, and practically ran Natalie out to his motorcycle before they tore out of the driveway. I smiled as I walked back inside. Something was happening and I would figure it out. I loved a good mystery.


    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    Hearing the others discovering a bond that I didn¡¯t think was possible made me feel even worse about my situation with Mackenzie. I and my wolf were sure she was ours, but she was resisting. I had to find a way to get her to give us a chance. When we all left the house, I led her aside. ¡°Mackenzie, do you trust me enough to go somewhere with me alone?¡±


    She looked at me. ¡°I don¡¯t fully trust you, but I don¡¯t fear you or mistrust you, Gabriel. I can¡¯t be ignorant of what you have done with this group, of the kind of man you are.¡± Sheughed a little. ¡°Meghan and Eve are both pushing me to give you a chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take you to a ce I like, where we can talk alone and get to know each other,¡± I said. ¡°Will youe with me?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Are we riding?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not the way you might think. Can we get your backpack?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Anything else I need?¡±


    ¡°Swimsuit if you have it. I¡¯ll get us some food and water.¡± A few minutester, I put the water bottles in the pockets on the side of her backpack and started to take my clothes off.


    ¡°WAIT. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The ce we are going is too far away to walk to and get home before dark. I¡¯m going to shift and you can ride on top of me, kind of like a horse.¡± I was down to my boxers, packing my clothes and sandals neatly in her pack. I pulled off my boxers and put them in, secretly pleased that she pretended to be embarrassed but was totally checking me out. I focused, shifting into my huge, jet ck colored wolf. I stood there for a moment, waiting for her to react. It took a minute, but she came up and started running her fingers through the fur on my neck. I licked her hand, thenid down so she could get on me without pulling on my fur too much. When she was in ce, I got back on my feet and started to move towards the treeline.


    ¡°Have fun Mackenzie,¡± Eve said. ¡°Just hold on around his forechest and hook your feet above his tail, use your thighs to hold yourself in ce. He knows where he is going, so just enjoy the ride.¡±


    ¡°This is weird, and I¡¯ve done a lot of weird in my life,¡± she said.


    ¡°He thanks you for trusting him and asks you to hold on,¡± she said as we started to pick up speed. When she put her head down low and asked me to run fast, I went into a full sprint. Dodging trees, leaping downed ones, and running up and down hills was fun for me, and her reaction was the same. Pretty soon she was yelling in my ear how much she loved this.


    I couldn¡¯t keep up that pace forever, not with a rider. I slowed to a fast lope as we got closer to the hidden ce Adam had told me about. She heard the noise. ¡°A waterfall?¡±


    I chuffed and moved to find the scent trail that marked the hidden entrance to the narrow crevasse. She ducked her head down as I moved through the overgrown bushes until we popped out on the other side. I took her to the big t rock, warmed in the sun, with a small grass area next to it. She hopped off and set the pack down, looking at the ten-foot waterfall that dumped into a still pool. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± she said.


    I shifted back, standing naked behind her. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold, but it will feel good after the run. Care to join me?¡±


    ¡°You first,¡± she said. I walked in front of her, walking into the water until it was up to my chest. I turned around to see she was taking off her shirt and shorts. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a suit,¡± she said. I was pleased she didn¡¯t ask me to turn around as she pulled her bra off, then pushed her panties down before putting them by her backpack.


    She was incredible. Her body was not soft, it was coiled power under tanned skin, skin that had too many scars in it for my liking. I pushed my wolf back, she was a warrior like I was, she was deadly and her body was a weapon. She took a few steps and dove into the water, surfacing right in front of me. I reached for her, and she took my hands in hers. ¡°You aren¡¯t bothered by nudity?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of what you are, I see that, it¡¯s not sexual. I¡¯ve been posted overseas in ces nude or topless bathing was the norm. I kind of like it, especially when the scenery is this good.¡± She moved closer, letting my hands go and running her hands over the broad nes of my chest. ¡°You have been a warrior a long time,¡± she said as she traced some scars.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep119

    ¡°Yes; I have fought battles, I¡¯ve been injured, I¡¯ve lost men. I¡¯ve had more than my share of sorrow in my life, Mackenzie. To be honest, I always thought that when I finally finished my vow to Luna, I¡¯d walk into the woods and die to be with my mate, finally joining her in death.¡± She moved closer, hugging my waist, her firm boobs pressing into me, the nipples like hard eraser heads. ¡°And then I saw you. Beautiful, dangerous, my equal in every way. Everything I wanted but didn¡¯t know to ask for. I love you, Mackenzie. I¡¯ve loved you since you first touched my hand and I looked into your eyes.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look up, she didn¡¯t answer, she just started to cry into my chest. When she started to shiver, I hooked her legs under my arm and carried her to the side where we could sit in the sun, away from the cold stream water. ¡°I should tell you my story,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have all the time in the world for you, Mackenzie.¡±


    ¡°You may not like what you hear.¡± She buried her head away from my gaze.


    ¡°Maybe so, just like you might not like hearing mine. Still, we cannot change what happened to us in the past. The events formed us, turned us into what we are now.¡±


    She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. ¡°And what exactly are we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re meant to be together, Mackenzie. We have a chance to make a real future together, to have children of our own, a huge family to be a part of. I¡¯d hope you would want to be here, with my family, but I¡¯ll follow you anywhere if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get hurt again,¡± she told me. ¡°But, I feel drawn to you, to them. Natalie is right, you guys have something special going on.¡± She stood up and walked back towards the water, her hips rolling as she moved. She knew exactly what she was doing, and it was working.


    ¡°Never tease a wolf, baby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not teasing if you can back it up.¡± She cheekily looked over her shoulder and dove into the water. I was after her like a shot, taking two steps before diving after her. I caught her leg just past the middle of the pool, hauling her back to me as she fought to escape. She was good, she used different techniques to try and break my holds and create distance. It was her Krav Maga training, but she wasughing the whole time and not trying to hurt me. It took a few minutes, but I ended up with her wrists trapped behind her back while her legs were wrapped around my waist. ¡°Draw,¡± she asked sweetly.


    ¡°I believe I have the advantage,¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯d be wrong.¡± I shuddered as she moved her hips, running her core along my painfully hard shaft. She moved up and down a few times while I shifted my grip, letting her arms go so they could wrap around my neck while my hands moved to support her butt. ¡°Feel up for a few rounds?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I moved her up until I was poised at her entrance, then slowly lowered her down. The contrast between the cold stream water and the heat of her weing folds was amazing. I moaned into her mouth as we kissed, a kiss she broke only when she worked her way down to the base. ¡°Wow,¡± I said.


    ¡°Jesus you¡¯re a big boy,¡± she said. ¡°Give me a second to adjust here. You feel like you¡¯re up to my ribs.¡± Pretty soon she was starting to move a little, then we moved back to the long, slow strokes. The water was great as long as we didn¡¯t go to fast. ¡°I¡¯m cumming,¡± she said.


    I felt her mp down on me, her channel milking me, and it was my undoing. ¡°FUUUUCK,¡± I said as I thrust in to the hilt and started to pump my seed deep inside her. She held me there, riding out the orgasm as her eyes rolled back into her head.


    When my legs were fully under my control again, I moved us over to the side of the pool, still buried deep inside her. She bounced a little as I walked, and she started moving her hips again. ¡°You¡¯re still hard,¡± she said.


    ¡°Love, I¡¯ve been so hard thesest few days a lineman couldn¡¯t climb it. You have no idea what you do to me.¡± We reached a rock on the edge of the pool, it left me in thigh-deep water while she could sit on the rounded edge. I started to move inside her, faster and harder this time as her moans and kisses urged me on. She came again hard, then again as I sucked hard on her nipples. The third time, pounding hard up into her, she screamed her release as she held on for dear life.


    ¡°Mercy,¡± she said as she tried to catch her breath.


    ¡°Come on.¡± I pulled out, my seed gushing out of her swollen sex as we finally separated. I picked her up, carrying her over to the warm rock. Iid back, letting her rest on my chest as my hands traced patterns down her back.


    ¡°Natalie wasn¡¯t lying, that was incredible,¡± she said.


    ¡°It was. I love you, Mackenzie.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t say it yet, but she was thinking it. She kissed me, then nuzzled her head under my chin.


    We fell asleep together, the sun warming our bodies, as the bond worked its magic on us both. When we woke, she was morefortable talking after another hard round of athletic sex. She told me her story, about her rough childhood, her rape and vow never to be a victim again. She told of her fiance¡¯ who had been killed, the way men looked at her and treated her, and her eventual decision to just ignore them.


    I was reluctant to stop, but we had to get back before dark or she risked being knocked off my back by an unseen branch. I shifted, enjoying the tingles as she crawled back on. It was just before sundown when we walked out of the woods together, hand in hand.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    The wee for Gabriel and Mackenzie as a new couple was amazing, and the Club partied into the night. The girls all went inside at one point, and we could hear giggling as they talked in the kitchen. ¡°They¡¯re up to something,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll recall that¡¯s pretty much a constant with women,¡± Viper said with augh. I was sitting with him along with Gabriel and Michael when I saw theming with Crash behind them.


    ¡°Oh shit, look at their eyes,¡± I said. They were eyeing us up like we were prey.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Mia hopped into myp as Natalie straddled Michael¡¯s legs and Mackenzie knelt between Gabriel¡¯s legs. ¡°What¡¯s going on,dies,¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re tired of waiting,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°There¡¯s questions you aren¡¯t stating,¡± added Mackenzie.


    ¡°And we want to get to the mating,¡± said Natalie.


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡± All three girls said it at once, looking up into our eyes. I didn¡¯t hear what the others said or did, I just said ¡°YES¡± and kissed her hard. From the whoops and ps of the assembled crowd, and the expressions on my friend¡¯s faces, all three had been yes.


    ¡°Well,e on then,¡± Mia said as she hopped off myp. She took my hand and we stood in front of Crash, who had his bible with a Harley-Davidson book cover open. Gabriel and Mackenzie stood to our left, Michael and Natalie to our right.


    ¡°Now?¡± I looked around, everyone was gathered around.


    ¡°Yes, now. Who knows the next time we will all be together?¡± Mia squeezed my hand.


    ¡°And I told you I didn¡¯t want to wait,¡± Natalie said. ¡°As soon as I got the call that Zee and Gabriel were making love at the waterfall, I made hime back. I wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t screw this up, Gabriel.¡± She was wearing a loose Tshirt, proudly showing off the mating bite she had gotten that afternoon.


    ¡°And I¡¯ve wasted enough time in my life,¡± Mackenzie said. ¡°So why wait another minute?¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re actually doing this?¡± Crash looked at us, and the girls nodded enthusiastically. The three of us looked at each other, then nodded as well. ¡°Dearly beloved, I don¡¯t know why I even bother warning my flock about the dangers of rampant matrimony any more. Firstes sex, thenes marriage, I guess then we get a shitload of girls in the baby carriage.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Gabriel said. He pulled Mackenzie in front of him, his hands spread over her belly. ¡°I love that vision.¡±


    Michael did the same with Natalie. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your belly filled with my children.¡±


    I hugged Mia to my side. ¡°I love that we¡¯ll have our babies,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you guys make me want to vomit up the cheap beer and barbecue I ate tonight,¡± Crash said. ¡°Have you ever seen three tougher guys being led around by their dicks?¡± The group started tough.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty long leash,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Like a handrail,¡± Natalie added.


    ¡°Sometimes he pushes me,¡± Mackenzie giggled.


    ¡°All right. Dammit, if anyone can think of a reason why we shouldn¡¯t just marry these three couples so they can stop being so damn lovey-dovey and screwing all the time, speak now or share in the me.¡± Tiny burped loudly, but no one said anything.


    ¡°All right, the vows. Do you lovelydies take these guys to be your Old Men? To screw him often, take care of his house, and bear the children he wants even though it looks like it hurts like hell?¡±


    ¡°HELL YEAH,¡± the three yelled at once.


    ¡°And you guys. Do you promise to love, honor and protect these finedies for the rest of your life, giving up all others, and sleeping with the same woman every night as long as you both shall live?¡±


    ¡°DAMN RIGHT,¡± we all said.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that. Honestly, these babes are hot as hell, I can¡¯t even me you.¡± He smirked a little and held up the book. ¡°Then by the power vested in my by the Church of Mastercard and a state clearlycking in its oversight capabilities, I now pronounce you Old Man and Old Lady. You may now¡­¡±


    ¡°MOLEST THE BRIDE!¡± I pulled Mia into my arms for a deep kiss, my hands going under her shirt as the guys sprayed beer and tossed popcorn at us. Our friends mobbed us, giving ps on the back and hugs as they officially joined our family. We stayed for twenty minutes, then Steven handed us the keys. ¡°The rooms are on the top floor, they¡¯re yours for the night,¡± he said as he handed one to me and to Gabriel.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to our hotel room, it has a Jacuzzi,¡± Natalie said.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep120

    I swept Mia over my shoulder, careful of her injured side, and smacked her butt loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± I told everyone. ¡°LATE morning.¡± Miaughed as I ran off, and we had a very active wedding night. I heard the howl from next door, Gabriel must have imed Mackenzie, followed by her screams of pleasure. Being naturallypetitive, we started a silentpetition to see who could make our wife scream the most before going to bed.


    I had to stop at four AM, the count was over thirty. We lost.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The next morning, we showered and dressed and went downstairs. Ate brunch was set up in the kitchen, and I pulled Mia into myp as we shared a big te of pancakes. The tables were packed with people, many humans hung over.


    ¡°Did you sleep well,¡± Viper said, and everyone started tough. ¡°I wish I was a werewolf, I could have curled up in the woods where I couldn¡¯t hear you two.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t help,¡± Puriel said. ¡°Wolf hearing, those screams could be heard for miles. Thanks for keeping the windows in your room open.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not. It was a hell of a night,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can ride today, you pounded the shit out of me,¡± Mackenzie said. ¡°And I loved every minute.¡± She pulled him into a kiss.


    ¡°Well, since none of us could sleep, we got a few things figured outtest night,¡± Hammer said. ¡°The rest of the Club talked over the lottery and what we discussed, and we¡¯re all in agreement.¡±


    ¡°We are going with the three chapters/one club idea,¡± Dagger said. ¡°There won¡¯t be many up here at first, just Adam, Eve and most of the werewolves. We¡¯re already working on getting construction drawings made up and talking to contractors. We want to start demolition of the old structure tomorrow, and get utilities in. If we really push it, we can have the Pack House weather-tight by the end of October. That gives us the winter to get the interior done.¡±


    ¡°We have to run in new power and connect to the natural gas line along the road,¡± Azazel said. ¡°Pushing the contractors, we figure we can move ine spring. It¡¯s a huge project, we¡¯ll need a hundred contractors working it seven days a week to meet that schedule. Meanwhile, we¡¯ll use this house as a base.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°Whatever you need, we¡¯ll get you. I just want you to keep Eve hidden. Nobody outside the Club sees or hears her. Keep her here and safe. I¡¯m sorry, Baby, but it¡¯s just too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Dad. Adam told me the same.¡± He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.


    ¡°I¡¯m handling the lottery,¡± Viper said. ¡°Abaddon has a lot to coordinate with security. I¡¯ll work with thewyers, bury this in so many corporations that no one will be able to figure out we are behind it.¡±


    ¡°And Sheri is selling her bar, she epted the offer yesterday,¡± Moose said. ¡°I¡¯m taking Hammer and Teri, along with Dumah, to scout a location for our southern headquarters.¡±


    ¡°I grew up around the Oc National Forest, that¡¯s a better bet than the coasts or down south,¡± he said. ¡°Werewolves don¡¯t do good around swamps, and we need plenty ofnd to run. I think we can find something within two hours of Jacksonville, either in Florida or Georgia, that will fit ourbined needs.¡±


    I smiled at that. ¡°Good, because I¡¯m looking forward to long winter vacations where I can ride every day,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Northwoods will always be home, but I don¡¯t mind the beach either,¡± Adam said.


    ¡°And you and I will figure out what to do with our current Clubhouse and the old Knight building,¡± Dagger said. ¡°Maybe something a little more rural, since we won¡¯t need to work outside the Club anymore.¡±


    Mackenzie looked up at Gabriel, a little panicked. ¡°I can¡¯t keep my business?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d never force you to give up what you love, but I want you safe too,¡± he said.


    ¡°Compromise,¡± I said. ¡°Keep thepany, it¡¯s good cover. You still provide investigation and protection services, you just have a single client. The Club. It gives us cover for the guys protecting Adam and Eve, and it isn¡¯t fair for the guys to be giving up time and effort protecting them without being paid.¡±


    ¡°I like that,¡± Natalie said. ¡°Family business.¡±


    ¡°Family.¡± She leaned back into Gabriel¡¯s arms. ¡°It will take a while to achieve, I have open contracts andmitments.¡±


    ¡°And we can help you with that,¡± he said. ¡°I have some skills in this area.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. I¡¯ll be the judge of that. I haven¡¯t sparred properly with you yet, and I need to evaluate your firearms and protection skills.¡± He justughed and hugged her.


    ¡°Form a general contractingpany, the guys up here focusing on the building should get paid too,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want someone outside the Club making decisions.¡±


    An hourter, the major decisions made, we started to load up. We left Eve and most of the werewolves behind, my Club riding back to the cities together. It had been an amazing weekend, full of surprises. On Monday the six of us would have to apply for a marriage license, then send that paperwork in. We also had ring shopping to do.


    What a difference a day makes.


    **********


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    One weekter


    The honeymoons would have to wait, because the Club had a ton of stuff to do. It seemed like Steven and I hardly saw each other now; I was holed up in the Clinic doing research all the time, and he was coordinating security at three different sites.


    The Northwoods group was moving like gangbusters; demolition had already begun. The architectural firm we had hired used ns for a resort hotel as a baseline, so we could at least get the walls started. After some discussion, we decided to forego log construction as we couldn¡¯t get the timbers cut and delivered in a timely fashion. There was also concern about fires, and Steven wanted the ce to be secure, incredibly secure. In the end they went with the use of poured concrete inside insted forms, giving us highly insted and strong walls. We were using amercial building method for the floors, a lightweight poured and reinforced concrete, so we could haverge spans without supports. The outside we went with a faux-log concrete siding product that was fireproof, and steel roofing. We also specified steel fire shutters that could be swung and secured in front of the windows. In the end, the entire ce would be a safe room and storm shelter, able to withstand almost any attack short of artillery.


    The nice thing about the construction was the speed, it was easy to raise the forms. Pouring the foundation had already begun, and the pours would continue 14 hours a day for the next week. We were hiring almost every cement truck from Duluth north. While they poured, we also finished the blueprints we would need for the walls, electrical, plumbing and other stuff. The well was already dug, and a huge septic field was under construction in the huge front yard.


    With the frame, roof, windows and doors, and basic mechanicals in ce, we would be able to continue construction through the long winter. The ns that had been shared were pretty cool, and the concept was being carried over all three locations. Each member was asked to dere a ¡°Primary¡± location they would be at; in this location, they would have the equivalent of arge apartment including a nice kitchen and multiple rooms. At the other two locations, you would still have a designated room, but it would be more like a hotel room with a kitchte, about a third of the size. Since the dream showed we were having werewolf babies, Steven and I had chosen the northern location as our base, as had all the other parents in our dreams.


    I was worried the other couples would stay, like Snake and Mia, but they wanted all the girls protected. They both liked the area, so it wasn¡¯t a big problem. I was worried about Mackenzie, but she decided that if her securitypany had a single client, they didn¡¯t have to maintain a Twin Cities base. She was in talks to sell thepany to apetitor, taking only Natalie with her.


    After much discussion among the group, we decided the existing properties in St. Paul just didn¡¯t work for us, and there was no room for us to expand. We didn¡¯t want to go too far from the cities. The werewolves wantednd to run, the humans wanted a huge garage and storage, but still close enough to visit family and work if you were still doing it. I reminded them of a ce we had used years ago, the game farm near Miesville, that was owned by Viking¡¯s aunt and uncle. It was still operating, but barely, and in another year or so they would be bankrupt. Viper had kept in touch with them after their son¡¯s death, and they were eager to retire. The Club made a cash offer for theirnd, throwing in an offer to have a permanent room at one of the three Clubhouse locations. Not surprisingly, after a lifetime in the harsh Minnesota winters, they picked Florida. The Clubhouse was going to be the same as the one up North, using the same ns. The huge, fully equipped garage andrge gymnasium were also going to be the same. No matter which ce you were at, it was going to be like a luxury resort, without the paid staff.


    Hammer, Teri and Dumah had been checking in with the other leaders every night, updating them on the search in Florida. They had located over a thousand acres bordering the east edge of Oc National Forest, less than two hours from Jacksonville. They were in negotiations with the owners, but a purchase and building would have to take ce after we imed our lottery winnings. We had at least one more winter in the hotels before we would be operational in our Southern chapter. On the good side, they had already leased an entire condominium building south of Jacksonville, so we would at least have a good ce to stay.


    Viper had engaged a team ofwyers, and they estimated it would be another month until the Club could im the prize. Having this much money with fewer than a hundred members made things more interesting, and thewyers were working on how to make it all work. In the end, we went with shares. Each existing full Club member and spouse got a full share, and children a one-third share. If they left the Club, their share would be sold back to the Club at par value for the current club asset value. If you stayed, you got full use of the facilities of the Club at no cost. This included use of one apartment, plus a small room at each of the other Chapters. The property remained with the Club, so all you could do was cash out your share. It was all set up so as Club rules for adding and removing members urred, the Club and the corporation would go on.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep121

    There weren¡¯t going to be ckers, not with the need for protection and upkeep. If you didn¡¯t work outside the Club, your job inside woulde with a sry and benefits. It helped with the IRS, and gave everyone something to do. By the time school started, it sounded like all the jobs would be filled, even for the teenagers.


    Since I was a senior person in the Club now, thanks to my Master-At-Arms mate, I had to be part of their nightly webinars. We used a business program so we could all talk, plus any of the sites could bring up photos or documents as required. That, food, sleep and sex were about the only times I was out of the Clinic¡­ and sometimes thetter three took ce there too.


    The results of my testing were conclusive, and I didn¡¯t know whether to be shocked at the result. From the notes and journals I had inherited from Vivian, werewolves had never been able to reproduce with humans. Even inter times, with modern medical testing, no evidence of sessful fertilization existed. The issue was simple; as I had told everyone, the DNA of a werewolf and a human were too different to allow reproduction. The strand numbers didn¡¯t match up, and the resulting embryo was not viable.


    Vivian had checked on In Vitro techniques during her research into SPUDS while still able to talk with other Pack doctors early in the outbreak. One doctor in Washington had tried it on an infertile couple, hiring a human surrogate. In five tries, the pregnancy never took. I reproduced part of his tests and had to agree, it couldn¡¯t happen.


    And yet my testing, and the dream, showed different. I looked at the clock, it was just after three in the afternoon. I needed to talk to everyone before the nightly meeting, at least every human female who was in the dream as being pregnant. I spent the next hour setting up the conference for six PM, right after I could eat more of Mia¡¯s amazing Italian food downstairs.


    I saved everything to myptop, leaving it in the conference room before heading in for dinner. The clubhouse was boisterous, it had been that way since the weddings and the lottery announcement. The idea that our Club was central to reestablishing the entire Werewolf species was a big thing, and we had all rallied around Eve and the others to get there. The only ones who seemed depressed were the werewolves that would have to wait almost neen years for a mate of their own. Steven had another dream, very brief, that told him no more weddings for wolves, and that Luna was ¡®handling everything.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    They all had faith in the Goddess, even if they didn¡¯t have patience.


    The room smelled amazing; fresh bread on the tables along with herb-infused olive oil. Big bowls of sd and vegetables. I looked at the pans, smiling to myself. ¡°Manicotti?¡±


    ¡°Manicotti Al Forno,¡± Steven said as he led me to a table, ¡°With normal or spicy Italian sausage.¡± This stuff was the bomb, he was assured. We found an open spot across from Viper and Kelly and sat down, almost immediately food was passed down the long table our way.


    I took a bite of the manicotti, moaning in pleasure. ¡°I swear, if Snake had fucked things up, I would have married Mia just to keep her here and cooking,¡± I said.


    ¡°I knew the right answer when given,¡± Snake said as he sneaked up on me. They sat next to us, Mia thanking me for thepliment which was ¡®one of the nicest things anyone had ever said about her cooking.¡¯


    ¡°We still love you too, Snake. Best of both worlds. I¡¯m d you two are going up north with us in the spring so I don¡¯t have withdrawals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°I was hoping to open a new ce in Minnesota someday, now I have it. Snake and I have carte nche on the kitchen design, plus the new house in Miesville will be an exact match. It¡¯s going to be soooo cool when it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°So many to cook for, especially with the baby booming.¡± Snake kissed her, and they went back to filling their tes, the kitchen now shut down as we were some of thest people down. ¡°So this meeting tonight, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± I said, going back to my vacuum act on the food. I had worked through lunch, so I was starving. A few minutester, I was patting my belly and looking at the ice cream bar. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m still hungry,¡± I said softly to Steven.


    ¡°The usual?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± He got up and went to the bartop where the setup was. He took two of therge bowls, knowing that I¡¯d take whichever one I thought had the right proportions. He started with a fudge brownie, putting two scoops of Mint Chip on top. Another brownie on top, drown the whole thing in hot fudge, and top with whipped cream and you have the famous Hot Fudge Goopie.


    Also known as heaven on earth.


    I moaned loudly as I dug in. ¡°You make the most amazing brownies, Snake.¡±


    ¡°I know, you¡¯ve been stealing them since you were thirteen!¡± It was true, I used to hide them and take them home with me, they were so good.


    I looked at my phone, the meeting was in ten minutes. Kissing Steven, I went to clean up and set up. Steven, Snake, Mia, Viper, Kelly, Gabriel, Mackenzie, Michael and Natalie were here. n and Alice, Adam and Eve were up north. As soon as everyone was there, I started the meeting. ¡°Thanks foring on short notice, everyone. For thest week I¡¯ve been running tests on the blood I took from youst weekend, plus my own blood. Mia and Kelly are my controls, they are with humans. I was bitten almost two weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°So does the bite matter?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Now, it shouldn¡¯t. I found these notes in Vivian¡¯s journals. IVF with a human host has been tried in the past, but it never worked. What happened was that the DNA of the werewolf embryo was different enough from human DNA that the human immune system attacked it and destroyed it. You can¡¯t stop this effect, they even tried suppressing the human surrogate¡¯s immune system, but you can¡¯t do that for a whole pregnancy. Even with the centa, the human body attacks and destroys the baby.¡±


    Alice looked crestfallen. ¡°So we can¡¯t?¡±


    I showed them some tests I¡¯d done and followed under the microscope. ¡°This short video shows what happens when small amounts of werewolf cells are ced in Mia¡¯s blood.¡± We watched for thirty seconds as the white blood cells attacked and consumed the werewolf cells, which I had stained to differentiate from the human cells. ¡°Now watch this.¡±


    The next video ran almost two minutes, the stained cells moving around the blood cells. Instead of being attacked, the white blood cells moved past and ignored the werewolf cells. ¡°Wait¡­ they didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°Exactly. This blood is mine, taken yesterday. When I tried the blood I tookst week, it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    n looked confused. ¡°So, it takes time to establish?¡±


    ¡°That appears to be the case,¡± I said. ¡°There is no way to know for sure until we actually try it, but this has never happened before. It wasn¡¯t just the loss of Pack bonds or Alphas when the curse was broken, this got made possible as well.¡± I pointed my finger between Steven and I.


    ¡°Almost like Luna knows what she is doing,¡± Steven said.


    I just nodded, and let things settle in. Mia was the first to make the connection. ¡°Wait¡­ I don¡¯t have a werewolf mate. How am I going to get this change, so I can carry the baby?¡±


    She looked at Steven, he just shook his head. ¡°Not from another male, we don¡¯t want to risk creating a mate bond. I don¡¯t think it would happen, not without sex, but I think the safest thing would be to have Eve bite you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think they and their husbands would be morefortable with you doing it than one of the men.¡±


    Mia looked at Snake, who nodded his head. ¡°When should she do this?¡±


    ¡°The next week or two,¡± I said. ¡°I expect that Eve will go into her heat cycle around Thanksgiving. We will need to start hormone treatments to spur egg production, but a first heat is never an easy thing to predict. We need all of you to be ready, I¡¯d rather inseminate and directly insert the eggs instead of having to freeze them. Much higher sess rate that way. I will have to use hormones on you, especially Mia with her history, to make sure you are receptive to the transfer.¡±


    I had discussed the basics of this with everyone earlier, and I was going to get more specific soon. I had been doing a lot of research and ordering the equipment I would need to perform the procedures. ¡°Onest thing, all my facilities are here, not up north. When ites time, I need to bring Eve and the others down here to do this in my Clinic. You should be here about a week, we¡¯ll need to make sure security is handled for that.¡±


    ¡°We can restrict the clubhouse and keep you upstairs and out of sight most of the time,¡± Steven said. ¡°A disguise whileing or going too. Bring a van down, something she can¡¯t be seen in,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go up north for a day or two every week to look for signs of her cycle starting, and once it does I¡¯ll stay there doing the hormone treatments and monitoring until it¡¯s time for the procedure. Then we alle back to the clinic.¡±


    ¡°Thanksgiving on the North Shore?¡± Alice looked at us. ¡°All of you are wee to stay with us, the other house is full of men and doesn¡¯t have much space. I¡¯d love to spend time with my sisters,¡± she said.


    ¡°Me too.¡± We talked for another twenty minutes, then ended the call. We were close, it was going to happen, just like in Steven¡¯s dream. I knew from his dream at least one of those girls was mine; we had talked, and I was going to transfer four eggs into me. I wanted to make sure, and I wasn¡¯t afraid of multiples. The other girls were taking between two and four, at least that is what we thought now. Add in Kelly, who hadn¡¯t been seen in the dream, for reasons unknown, and we had a huge baby booming. I couldn¡¯t wait.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep122

    Eve¡¯s POV, 2 monthster


    This was my favorite time of the year,te October. The hard frost hade and gone, taking the flies and the mosquitos with it. The forest floor was covered in leaf litter, the trees nearly bare, and the early snow flurries were coating them with a thinyer of white. I was in the back yard of Alice¡¯s house, the werewolves forming a protective perimeter well away from me and my alluring scent.


    And I was miserable.


    I didn¡¯t have any mother to tell me what to expect, no friends or older sisters going through it at the same time to trade feelings with. Only one person in the entire world could go through what I was going through now, and all I had was some information Meghan had dug up in Vivian¡¯s journals. It wasn¡¯t much to go on.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Heat came on within about three months of mating, then again every year in thete fall to middle winter. Like canines, the purpose was to prepare the body for conception, and to attract the male for near-constant sex over a period of a week. Males became extremely territorial during this time, enough so that n had moved in with the other werewolves at the temporary house until my heat was over. Adam was attentive, annoyingly so, and I knew it was only going to get worse. The former Knights, the ones who had been mated before, they pulled me aside and helped me understand.


    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± I heard Meghan walking up to me, she had been up here for two weeks already. I had been under her direct supervision for thest two weeks, as she tracked my progress towards the heat.


    The hormone therapy I was undergoing had my emotions all over the ce, I was a real bitch at times, randy as hell at others, then a minuteter I¡¯m a sobbing mess in Adam¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m riding the rollercoaster,¡± I said. ¡°I am hot all the time, even out here I¡¯m sweating.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Come on inside, we need to do the ultrasound and blood tests.¡± I got off the rock and walked back inside with her, wearing only shorts and a sports bra while she had jeans, nnel shirt and a light jacket. We went to her room, where she had set up the equipment she needed; a portable ultrasound, blood drawing supplies, and a portable blood analyzer. I knew the drill, having done this twice a day since she arrived. I hopped up on the bed, and she took a sample of my blood from my arm and got it going in the machine.


    I pushed my shorts down out of the way, and she put the probe on my lower belly. ¡°That¡¯s so cold it feels good now,¡± I said as she moved it around in the jelly used to make sure she had good contact. We both watched the monitor; she was always teaching, just like how she learned, and it didn¡¯t matter if I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She checked both ovaries, and pointed out the rapidly developing eggs. ¡°Soon?¡±


    ¡°Call Adam in here please.¡±


    I sent for him over the link and the door opened, I should have known he wouldn¡¯t be far away. ¡°Hi baby, everything all right,¡± he asked as he came to my side and took my hand.


    ¡°Everything is going perfectly,¡± Meghan said. ¡°Let everyone know we have to leave for the Cities in the morning. It looks like she is about two days away from being ready to harvest.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said. ¡°You leave some eggs for us, though.¡±


    Meghan justughed. ¡°Not TOO many, I don¡¯t want you having a litter on your first pregnancy.¡± She wiped the gel off and I pulled my shorts up. ¡°Off with you, I need to make sure all the other girls are ready.¡±


    Since we made the decision to proceed, the humans had been ced on birth control pills to regte their cycles, and Meghan was trying to time it so their wombs would be ready to receive the eggs as soon as they were fertilized and ready. I sent Alice in to see her while Adam led me back outside. ¡°Are you all right with all this?¡±


    ¡°I need to be, Adam. It¡¯s my destiny to create an entire generation of werewolves.¡± We walked to the woods, enjoying the cool weather. ¡°The harvest will be no big deal, I¡¯ll heal in a day. I¡¯m more nervous about the heat.¡±


    ¡°We will be fine, Eve. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°Of course you say that, you get a week of nonstop sex out of it. I¡¯m the one who deals with the pain and the mood swings. I feel like I¡¯m out of control half the time, my rational brain just isn¡¯t in charge.¡±


    He stopped and kissed me, my emotions shifted again and I started to press my body to his. The makeout session grew headed, then he sat on a tree stump and pulled me into hisp. We couldn¡¯t have sex before my appointment, I¡¯d be mortified if she used the internal ultrasound probe and a bunch of his baby batter leaked out! I unzipped him, exposing his hard member to the cold, as I turned to straddle his legs. I then pulled my loose shorts aside and sank down on him. We both moaned as I reached the bottom, I was primed and ready for him. He pulled my sports bra up, his lips attacking my sensitive nipples as I started to ride him slowly. ¡°Oh¡­ Adam it¡¯s sooooo good.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, his tongue and teeth were busy teasing my nipples, and when he sucked hard on one I leaned back in ecstasy. We took our time, slowly building up the pace, until I came hard. He started to move my hips on him, pushing me back and forth as my clit rubbed on him. He stood up, holding me up as I hung on for dear life, and pounded me good until I reached a second, stronger orgasm. My contractions around him set him off, and I felt his manly essence shoot deep inside me.


    He sat back down, just holding me, as we came down from the high. ¡°I love you, Adam.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Eve.¡± He held me to his chest as myck of sleep caught up to me, and I woke upter in our bed.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    After adjusting Alice¡¯s hormones, I got on the phone and talked to the other girls who would be receiving the treatment. The goal was to get their cycle to the point they were ready to ept the imntation in two to three days; if it didn¡¯t work, I¡¯d arranged with a fertility clinic to have their embryos frozen. I was thrilled with Eve¡¯s progress, I was pretty sure we¡¯d be able to harvest two dozen eggs, maybe more, and she¡¯d still have a normal heat.


    I was still nervous, though. In a normal case, I¡¯d never include myself in the poption of recipients. I was taking on enough with learning the IVF procedure on my own, supervising multiple women, some of whom would be high risk pregnancies. Kelly was in herte forties, Mia didn¡¯t even have ovaries, and multiple births were automatically higher risks. Add in that they might be delivered early, and I was petrified. I knew from the dream that twins would bemon, maybe even triplets or quadruplets, and in the human world this would involve a hospital and a whole team of doctors to support them.


    Since the babies would all be werewolves, I couldn¡¯t involve the human medical system. I was scared for myself, too; I was young and healthy, but triplets were no joke. All in all, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.


    I could feel my body preparing, my cycle had aligned and based on the temperature history I was taking in the morning, I would be ovting soon. I put my hand on my belly, just as the phone rang. I saw it was Steven. ¡°Baby, are you all right? I could feel your fear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, honey. I¡¯m just scared. All of this ising to pass, and I don¡¯t know if I can handle it all.¡± I started to cry, and I¡¯m sure he felt that over our weak bond. I wished I could use mentalmunication, but nothing had changed there. He could still send to me, but I couldn¡¯t send back. The most he got was my base emotions over the mate bond we had.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, you are Doctor Meghan Jenkins, medical prodigy and the top Werewolf doctor in the country!¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m the ONLY werewolf doctor in the country, you ass,¡± I said. ¡°That means I¡¯m also the worst.¡±


    ¡°The hottest one by far,¡± he continued. ¡°I heard we are heading back to St. Paul in the morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time, Eve¡¯s eggs will be ready to harvest soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting security ready. We need to protect her, but understand you are just as important. Without you, none of this happens.¡±


    I wiped my tears. ¡°You¡¯re right, we know how this ends. It¡¯s all going to turn out,¡± I told him. ¡°I love you so much it hurts sometimes when you aren¡¯t with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a few miles away, love. Things are going really well at the site, we¡¯re putting windows in now. We¡¯ll have a basic heating and cooling system in next week, and water and flush toilets in two weeks. The framing crews are flying, you should see all the rooms as they take shape.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°Have you eaten lunch yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You need a break. How about I pick you up and we run into town and have lunch? Then I can bring you back and show you around the site, since we won¡¯t be up here again for six weeks.¡± I¡¯d told Alice and Eve that I¡¯de at about the six week point when they were pregnant, then every two to four weeks after, just to monitor progress.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that. I don¡¯t have anything else scheduled this afternoon, I¡¯ll let Alice know we¡¯re taking a date afternoon.¡± I hung up a few minutester, smiling again. Having the little bond we did was helpful in that he didn¡¯t have to guess my emotions, he could feel them. And what he was feeling now was love, with a bit of lust mixed in.


    It was too cold for motorcycles, they had been put in the back of the garage while the snowmobiles were prepared, so he picked me up in one of the pickup trucks the Club had purchased. The lottery winnings had been collected, and there was a minor media blowup as they were denied the normal photo opportunity and interview. Ourwyer collected it, in a closed meeting, and left again. I thought it was hrious, but it was within the rules and they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The men had taken some of the money and immediately filled the big pole barn next to the house with new snowmobiles and ATV¡¯s. I didn¡¯t mind, up here on the North Shore you get feet of snow, and we had plenty ofnd to ride on. I preferred Steven¡¯s back, though.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep123

    We drove into Silver Bay, finding a seat by the window on a cafe overlooking Lake Superior, and having fish sandwiches and chips. We were having a wonderful time, holding hands, watching the gulls flocking over the area, when he suddenly stiffened. He raised his nose, taking a deep sniff, before he stood up and pulled me behind him. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± he said. I looked around, I didn¡¯t see anything wrong. The cafe was nearly empty, but he was staring at an older man with his wife who had just walked in. He looked to be about sixty, and his wife in her forties.


    He was staring at me, mouth open, like he had seen a ghost. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°It was true.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer,¡± Steven said as he drew himself up into his most intimidating re, and he was a scary motherfucker when he wanted to be.


    ¡°Please, I mean no harm to Meghan or you,¡± he said. ¡°Allow me to exin.¡± He pulled out a chair for his wife near the entrance, then sat down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± I whispered to him as I held on to the back of his shirt.


    ¡°He used to be a werewolf,¡± he said.


    ¡°We should find out what he wants, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯ve never seen him before, but he knows my name.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Stay here.¡± He walked over to the couple, asking them to stand so he could verify they weren¡¯t carrying weapons. There was no one else in the cafe, and they stood and allowed it. ¡°Don¡¯t move towards my wife, and don¡¯t get up,¡± he told them. ¡°We¡¯ll hear what you have to say before we decide what to do next.¡±


    He waved me over and pulled out a chair for me, I noticed I was closest to the entrance and he was between me and the older couple. I decided to break the ice. ¡°Good afternoon, I¡¯m Doctor Meghan Jenkins, and this is my husband Steven,¡± I said as I reached across the table with my hand.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Doctor Terrance Mack, retired, and my wife Theresa.¡± I shook his hand and moved to hers, she was looking at me like she was shocked I was here.


    ¡°Hello, Meghan. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have some time, why don¡¯t we order you some lunch and I¡¯ll get dessert while we catch up.¡±


    The waitress hade in with menus for them. ¡°Oh, are you joining them? Wonderful.¡± She took our orders and left to put them in.


    ¡°It would be prudent to not discuss some things with humans around, don¡¯t you agree Steven?¡± Terrance sipped his water, holding Theresa¡¯s hand on the table as if he knew to keep them in view. ¡°From your reaction to my entrance, you are the werewolf, and she¡¯s your human mate?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t given up your wolf yet, he is a real pain until you kill him off like I did all that thirty years ago.¡± Theresa didn¡¯t react, it was clear she knew. ¡°Perhaps I should just tell my story?¡±


    ¡°That would be best, Doctor.¡±


    I took Steven¡¯s hand in mine, I didn¡¯t feel anxious around them, and he needed to calm down and just listen.


    ¡°I grew up in a pack in eastern Pennsylvania, the son of a Pack doctor and his mate. I followed in his footsteps, going to human medical school and residency, eventually bing a board-certified obstetrician. It was amon path back in the eighties.¡±


    ¡°Yes, either that or general practice wasmon for Pack doctors,¡± I said.


    ¡°Indeed. Well, my father was still active, so I took contract jobs in various Packs who weren¡¯t big or rich enough to have their own. I was on call to three different Packs in the Ohio area, and that¡¯s where I met Pa.¡± His eyes got a little distant, and he looked out over the still waters of Lake Superior. I squeezed Steven¡¯s hands, knowing what wasing. ¡°She was seventeen, the eldest daughter of the Alpha. She was beautiful, and we recognized each other immediately. I had no choice but to wait, and when we informed her father, he was not happy.¡±


    Theresa squeezed his hand, giving him strength. ¡°He told me toe back in three months, when she was of age, and forbid us from talking or seeing each other until then. It was an Alphamand for her, it wouldn¡¯t affect me, but I respected his decision. He was to be my father-inw, after all. Three monthster, I returned for her and she was gone. He had given her to the son of an Alpha, seeking to cement an alliance, and she had already been mated. She didn¡¯t do it willingly, I know. One of the warriors told me in confidence that she had refused to go, and was drugged and taken to their territory to be imed.¡±


    I could feel Steven¡¯s wolf rising. ¡°It is a too familiar story, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°My wolf kind of lost it. I tried to attack the Alpha, earning myself a beating and a banishment. He didn¡¯t kill me, but I would not forget what he did. My wolf was suffering, I got depressed, and before I could kill myself I took the Wolfsbane and killed my wolf. I haven¡¯t regretted it.¡± He looked at his wife. ¡°I gave up that life and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, far from any Pack. I took a job at the university hospital and moved into teaching. That is where I met my Theresa. We¡¯ve been married for twenty years, she is my life, and I would give her anything except what I cannot.¡±


    I looked at them in understanding, her eyes betrayed her longing for what was not possible. ¡°A child,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. Believe me, if it was possible I would have done it, but it is not. Anyway, I withdrew from the world. My family kept me in the loop on things going on through our phone calls, and even asked me to help with SPUDS when it came out. I couldn¡¯t find an answer, and soon enough my mother, my sister, my whole Pack had been swept off the map. With what we as a people had be, we deserved the pain Luna inflicted on us.¡±


    Our food arrived, and we took a moment to talk about the weather and theke until the waitress was gone again. ¡°So how do you know me? I can¡¯t recall ever meeting you, and I¡¯ve never been to Nebraska.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me if I tell you.¡± I just smiled, nothing would surprise me. ¡°Fine. Two weeks ago, Theresa and I were under a nket on our porch swing, enjoying the cool evening weather and the sunset. We dozed off, and I woke to my cheek and hair being stroked. I opened my eyes, my mother was there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said your mother died.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in 1999. Still, she was ying with my hair like she used to do when I was a young pup. She smiled and told me not to wake Theresa up, then she told me she loved me and was so proud of me, and that Luna had a task for me.¡±


    ¡°Luna? You have no wolf!¡± Steven looked a little shocked.


    ¡°That is what I told her. She said, ¡®I knew you would say that, so stubborn. She wants you to know that just because you gave your wolf back doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t one of hers. She has been watching you, guiding you this whole time for one purpose.¡¯ I stared at her, almost through her, her body felt real but I could see the trees and the stars through it.¡±


    ¡°I told her I wanted nothing to do with werewolves anymore, and Mom justughed at me. ¡®This is what she asks of you. Go to Silver Bay. Find a cafe over the water and have lunch. You will see this woman there.¡¯ My mind filled with an image, an image of YOU, Meghan. ¡®Offer your services to Meghan, she is doing my work and can¡¯t do it alone. With her you will find what you seek.''¡±


    Now it was my turn to be ck jawed. ¡°That¡¯s why you were so shocked, you actually saw me here and you never expected it to be true.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. My mother told me that as a sign, the ovarian cancer my wife was being treated for was in not just in remission, it was gone forever. She then kissed my head and vanished. Two dayster, Theresa had aplete checkup, everything was negative, even the scans. It was like she had never had cancer! The oncologist couldn¡¯t exin it. I put in my retirement papers, effective immediately with my vacation, and we sold our home and started driving to Silver Bay.¡±


    Amazing. I was getting chills listening to the story. ¡°Wait, that was ten days ago, have you beening here every day?¡±


    Theresaughed. ¡°You¡¯d think his mother could have told him which one. We drove to the one in New Jersey first, then in upstate New York. We just got here an hour ago and started looking for a cafe over the water, and we find you.¡± She reached her hand over to me, and I took it. ¡°Why are you so important?¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t tell her, we didn¡¯t know them, but I had to. ¡°I figured out how human females can carry werewolf babies,¡± I said softly. ¡°I am going to help restore the entire werewolf species.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Terrance said. ¡°You would need a werewolf female to provide eggs, and they have been extinct for almost a decade now.¡±


    I just smiled, looking at Steven, who had the same smirk on his face.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep124

    Gabriel¡¯s POV


    I looked down at my cell phone after it beeped, it was Meghan¡¯s text LISTEN NOW. A momentter it rang, I picked up and hearing the conversation, immediately put it on speaker, muted it and yelled for everyone to get into the office we were using at the old Knights building.


    ¡°Something is going on, Meghan may be in trouble, she¡¯s wanting us to listen in.¡± Natalie logged onto her desktop while Mackenzie pulled out a piece of paper. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a voice recorder and put it next to the phone.


    I wrote on the paper so we could still hear what was going on. ¡°M&S FORMER W-W PUBLIC¡±. We listened as Steven told them to stay back, and a man told them he meant them no harm. It took a few moments before we got what we wanted. ¡°Doctor Terrance Mack, retired, and my wife Theresa,¡± came over the speaker.


    ¡°On it,¡± Natalie said. As private investigators, they had ess to more than Google searches, although that was where she started. We listened as he told his story, Mackenzie jotting down relevant information to follow up on. ¡°Seems legit so far, he was a staff OB-GYN for the university hospital.¡±


    Michael got off the phone, he had called the men up North to ensure men were on their way to Steven. ¡°Steven already told them through the bond,¡± he said. ¡°Eight men are on their way, they are to make sure there aren¡¯t any more, and stand by for his orders,¡± he said. I was d Steven wasn¡¯t taking any chances, Meghan was a critical yer in all this. I was sure Steven was kicking himself for taking her in public alone right now.


    We kept listening, our jaws dropping when he finally got around to the dream. ¡°Is this for real,¡± Mackenzie said.


    ¡°Luna works in mysterious ways,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s certainly convinced.¡±


    ¡°His story checks out,¡± Natalie said. ¡°I even searched the notes Vivian left that were digitized. One entry mentioned him as a person to consult with, though they didn¡¯t know if he would help as he was no longer a wolf.¡±


    I sent a group text that Steven would get. ¡°STORY CHECKS OUT, UP TO YOU.¡± He was the Master at Arms now, anything security rted he would be in charge of. I was support staff now.


    We listened in to the conversation again. ¡°I think it is time we took this conversation elsewhere,¡± Steven said. ¡°Would you care to join us in our hotel room?¡±


    ¡°You believe us then?¡± I could hear the question in Theresa¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes. Our entire conversation has been shared with friends of mine who have verified you were telling the truth,¡± Steven said. ¡°The decision on whether to believe you are friends or a threat has been left up to me. I can see in your eyes you are not threats, so yes, I believe you. The question now is whether you have the courage to do what Luna asks of you.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I quit my job, sold my house and went on a road trip to meet someone I¡¯d never heard of in a ce I couldn¡¯t be sure I¡¯d find. Following you to the hotel is nothing.¡±


    ¡°I for one am thrilled you are here,¡± Meghan said. ¡°You¡¯re the answer to my prayers.¡±


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    After the waitress had taken the money, I told Steven I needed to freshen up before we left. ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± Theresa said. The bathroom only had two stalls, and the ce was pretty empty with the offseason and the early afternoon, so we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. As soon as the door was closed, she checked we were alone and locked the door. ¡°I have to know you aren¡¯t lying to me,¡± she said. ¡°For decades I¡¯ve been dreaming of holding Terrance¡¯s children, but every time I brought it up he said it was impossible. Yet, the dreams are getting stronger. Last night, I dreamed I was holding two girls.¡± She was starting to cry as she took my hand. ¡°This can really happen?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°It can, but I will need his help,¡± I said. ¡°Reading about the procedure is a lot different than doing it.¡±


    ¡°Then I beg you, let me be part of it. I, we, we will do anything to have this. Terrance doesn¡¯t talk about it much, but I know that it eats at him. He misses his wolf too, but he never talks about it. He can¡¯t even watch National Geographic without turning the channel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the decider here, but I know how you feel,¡± I told her with a brief hug.


    We both did our business and washed up, when we left the men were waiting. ¡°We¡¯re at the AmericInn, it¡¯s the only hotel in town,¡± I told them.


    ¡°This town isn¡¯t big enough to lose you in, especially this time of year,¡± Terrance said. He was right, once the leaf season ends the tourism dies way down. It was only a few blocks away, and we led them up to our room.


    We settled them on a couch, and I was just about to start when there was a knock on the door. I went to open it, shocked to find Eve and Adam there, several men in the hallway as guards, and two more who came in and just stood guard there. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you,¡± I told them as Eve walked over and sat in Adam¡¯sp in the chair near them.


    Eve just smiled, and I could see that distant look as she and Steven carried on a rather heated mindlink discussion. I hated not being part of the link, it was like when people talked in anothernguage in front of you.


    ¡°Wait, you still have mindlink? That went away with the Packs!¡± I could see how confused Terrance was.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us what you know about what has happened to werewolves, and we¡¯ll fill in the nks,¡± Eve said as she smiled at the pair. ¡°Introductionster.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°A few years after I gave up my wolf, a new disease seemed to strike all packs at once. They called it SPUDS, the women would spontaneously abort and bleed out. As the number of shewolves declined, wars broke out of the remainder, forced matings became the norm, and about five years ago there were no more. At least it was thought to be, until my cousin told me of a gathering in Chicago. A shewolf had juste of age, protected by a Pack that had taken a vow to Luna to help her find her mate, for in doing that the SPUDS curse would be broken.¡± He looked at Eve, seeing the emotions in her face. ¡°She didn¡¯t find her mate, she returned home only to be killed by a former Alpha who lost his Pack and sanity. Something happened, the Pack bond, Alpha influence, it all disappeared a few days before Eve was killed. My cousin thinks she was force mated, and the curse was permanent.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t die,¡± Theresa said as she figured it out. ¡°You¡­ you found your mate and broke the curse.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said, ¡°I am Eve, and Adam is my true mate. When we mated, Luna took away the Packs and the Alpha influence. We think she has given up on that structure, knowing that as long as it was in ce, stronger wolves would rule over the weak.¡±


    ¡°And ignore her gifts,¡± Terrance said. ¡°Like true mates.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The interesting thing is that she created new things at the same time, things that are important to re-establishing the species.¡± Eve looked over at me to continue.


    ¡°I never asked, Theresa, but what do you do?¡±


    ¡°I am, I mean I was, a pediatric ICU nurse,¡± she said. ¡°I met Terrance during my training.¡±


    Could this be any more perfect? ¡°All right, then you¡¯ll follow this even if the guys don¡¯t. Our n utilizes IVF techniques. Eve has been on hormone therapy leading up to her first cycle, her eggs will be ready soon. I hope to harvest dozens, then we will use the mates of the humans to fertilize them.¡±


    ¡°Mates?¡± Terrance looked shocked. ¡°There are no mates, a mating bond cannot exist between humans and werewolves.¡±


    Eve just smiled. ¡°That was one of the things that Luna changed with my mating. There are mates, there is a mating bond, although it is a mere shadow of the full mate bond, but more importantly, the bite physically changes the human female. I¡¯ve run tests, the werewolf blood is now treated as her own. This should prevent her immune system from rejecting the embryo, which always prevented IVF use before.¡±


    Terrance thought about it for a few moments. ¡°Amazing. The actual process bes simple if you have a donor female and willing human females. How many females are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°With Theresa included, seven. The others have all been put on hormone therapy to prepare. We were nning to harvest, fertilize then imnt the next day. I¡¯d rather not freeze them if I don¡¯t have to, but I will freeze extra embryos if they are viable.¡±


    ¡°And how many are you imnting?¡±


    ¡°Three per woman, except for Kelly, at her age I won¡¯t give her more than two.¡± It would be risky enough with the potential for twins. ¡°Using human rates, it¡¯s about thirty percent sessful. I¡¯d like to have enough eggs for multiple cycles.¡±


    ¡°As long as the remaining women are young and healthy enough for the potential of triplets, that sounds reasonable. My Theresa would be the same as your Kelly, no more than two. Still, she has to be bit by a werewolf, and all the wolves got taken away.¡± He looked up in shock. ¡°Wait, you said the bond formed AFTER the curse was broken. You still have your wolves?¡±


    ¡°We were the Knights of the Moon, her protectors. When the other wolves were taken, ours were not,¡± Steven said. ¡°We no longer have a Pack bond or Alpha, that was taken, but we now have a family bond, through Eve adopting us as her uncles.¡±


    ¡°Amazing.¡± I could see on his face, in order for this to work someone else would have to mark his wife, and suddenly he wasn¡¯t thrilled anymore.


    ¡°Terrance, if you had the choice now, would you want your wolf again?¡±


    ¡°YES,¡± he said immediately. ¡°If this is true, if I can take Theresa as my mate and she can have my child, I would do anything to have him back.¡±


    Eve got up and knelt in front of him, taking her hands and putting them on each side of his head. I could see his face, the pain, her concentration as she ignored the feeling of the heat in her hands. It only took about ten seconds, and now that I knew what was going on, I watched fascinated. Theresa was starting to panic. ¡°Just wait,¡± I told her as I took her hand.


    Eve let him go, he shook his head, then shifted into a beautiful silver-ck wolf. He looked down at his paws, then turned and put his front paws on either side of Theresa as he licked her face and neck. She started crying, holding his neck as he shook in excitement. ¡°You need to shift back,¡± Eve said. ¡°We will take you where it is safe to run, and your family will run with you.¡±


    He shifted back, now naked on the floor surrounded by his shredded clothes. ¡°I heard you,¡± he said. ¡°Over the link.¡±


    ¡°You are an uncle as well, you¡¯ve been brought into the family bond,¡± Eve said. ¡°Samsiel, please drive our new family members out to the property, take their car. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d appreciate a long run after all these years.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure, Eve.¡±


    I went to the drawers and pulled out a pair of sweats and handed them to Terrance to pull on. They both hugged us, then hand in hand they followed Samsiel out of the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Eve. We just took two unknowns and told them every secret we have, including you being alive.¡± Steven was livid, he was barely holding back. I started to rub his arm, hoping the contact would ground him.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep125

    She just looked at him like he didn¡¯t get it. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one having dreams, Steven. Last night I dreamt of delivering my babies, but to my surprise it wasn¡¯t Meghan who was doing the catching. It was this distinguished-looking older doctor, and his wife was the nurse. Dumah sent me a photo, it was them. They have always been meant to be with us, and now they are.¡±


    *****


    Eve¡¯s POV


    Next Day


    Being dead was a pain in the ass.


    I looked at the bare interior of the construction-type cargo van,plete withdder rack, that was my transport down to the Cities. They had been kind enough to put an air mattress down in the back, along with sheets, nkets and a bunch of pillows. I couldn¡¯t even look out the front as we drove down to the Cities, Gabriel was paranoid about traffic cameras and ¡°facial recognition technology¡± and such. After my stunt showing up at the hotel room, he and Steven had been furious with me for taking a chance at being seen.


    It didn¡¯t matter that I¡¯d dyed my hair and now was a brte with a pixie cut, that I¡¯d worn big sunsses and a hat, or that the guys had made sure I could barely be seen as they surrounded me. ¡°Out of sight is out of danger,¡± Steven told me as they ended their lecture. I apologized, but in my gut I was a little mad. Terrance and Theresa needed to be with us, and if I hadn¡¯t shown, they might not have let them see me.


    ¡°Terrance, how are you and Theresa handling this?¡± He was now family, and using the bond was so convenient. They wouldn¡¯t risk me talking on the cellphone with people and being overheard or recorded. Talking with Steven and Meghan as they drove and using the link were my only diversions other than books. I didn¡¯t even have my iPad, all my stuff had been left behind as I was taken up north.


    ¡°Better than I expected,¡± he said. ¡°She is thrilled with the changes, happy for me to have my wolf back again, and a little pissed that she can¡¯t be part of the imntations this week.¡± My eggs were just about ripe, back at the Clubhouse clinic they would give me thest hormone shot and harvest in the morning. Meghan had sat with me as we drove down and exined the procedure one more time, and I was ready.


    ¡°In a month or so, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, provided we harvest enough eggs. Assuming we get enough for all the recipients, I will fertilize two eggs and freeze them until she is at the right point in her cycle.¡± Theresa wasn¡¯t in menopause, but her cycles were irregr and she had just finished her period. The imntation of the fertilized embryo had to ur when the female was at the right time of her cycle, at or shortly after ovtion. ¡°It¡¯s good that Meghan, Theresa and I can work together. Theresa has assisted on these procedures before, and Meghan can handle the fertilizations.¡±


    I giggled at that. I¡¯d heal in a short time, they would leave a few ripe eggs for my own use, and Adam and I would spend the next week screwing each other silly in my room. I was pretty sure there was no way I wasing out of there without being knocked up. The others, it would be quite a different experience. The guys would be in various ces outside the room with their wives, having to masturbate into a cup. They would have to time it so when Doc Meghan had the eggs ready for them, she could transfer the sperm and monitor for fertilization. Not exactly the romantic moment, but such is fertility treatments.


    The eggs would be carefully maintained at temperature and monitored for several days until they are transferred in a simple procedure; basically, they are sucked into a small tube and deposited directly into the uterus. The women receiving them will rest and pray the embryos take, and a few weekster a pregnancy test will tell if they were sessful.


    A lot of people had a vested interest in this going well. After getting the dream that no other marriages for werewolves would be happening, the remaining former Knights knew this generation would contain their mates. There was no choice, really; they were the only wolves left, and Luna had made it very clear she wanted true mates only. Terrance¡¯s wolf had imed Theresast night.


    ¡°How is Theresa handling the mating?¡±


    ¡°Good. I can feel her, she¡¯s anxious but hopeful.¡± He chuckled a bit over the bond. ¡°I think riding me fast is her new favorite thing. Well, at least since we were newlyweds. Running through the woods with her on my back was one of the best moments of my life. Thank you so much for giving me my wolf back.¡±


    ¡°Thank Luna, not me. I have no idea what I¡¯m doing or how, she is doing it through me.¡±


    Steven broke into our conversation. ¡°We¡¯re stopping at Culver¡¯s for lunch, do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d ask for a bathroom break, but you¡¯ve so graciously allowed me this bedpan and some Wet Wipes,¡± I said. They wouldn¡¯t open up the back of her van for any reason. ¡°Are you guys going in?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll alternate, but I¡¯ll bring food back out and eat with you,¡± Steven said.


    ¡°I¡¯ming back too, you shouldn¡¯t be left alone. The rest of the group will eat, they need the break.¡± We¡¯d been driving for about three hours and wanted to stop before we got too close to the Cities.


    I wrote down my order and handed it to Meghan. Moving to the corner, I relieved my dder, packing the used wipes into the top of the old Gatorade bottle before putting it in a bag. ¡°Take the trucker bomb with you.¡± I used some hand sanitizer and wiped them off on a paper towel, tossing that in the bag too.


    ¡°Shoudn¡¯t have drank all that Mountain Dew this morning,¡± Meghan teased. ¡°Uptest night?¡±


    ¡°Probably aste as you, we¡¯ve been mated about the same amount of time,¡± I replied. ¡°Has Steven calmed down any?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°Nope. I have to swat him with a rolled-up newspaper if her sticks his cold nose down there while I¡¯m trying to sleep,¡± and I busted outughing as well.


    ¡°Very funny,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for wanting my mate. I waited a long time for her to be mine.¡± He picked up her hand and kissed it while he was driving. I felt the van start to slow, and we exited the freeway. I was shocked when instead of turning into the parking lot, we kept going. ¡°We ran into a problem,¡± Steven said. ¡°They smelled two former wolves in there. We¡¯re going to park.¡± He pulled over, I could see it was a residential area. There were six vehicles in our convoy, two others were with us. ¡°Bathroom and to-go orders, then they will relieve us and go.¡±


    Twenty minutester, Steven and Meghan hopped back in, she was carrying several bags and a tray. ¡°Sorry it took so long.¡±


    ¡°What about the guys?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t notice us, could have been a coincidence,¡± Steven said. ¡°We are going to have one of the cars hang back and make sure we aren¡¯t followed.¡±


    I epted my food, four spicy chicken tenders with blue cheese dip, cheese curds, fries, another Mountain Dew and a two-scoop turtle sundae. ¡°I miss eating lunch with my baby,¡± I sent to Adam.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°You are never alone, Eve. Enjoy it and stay out of sight. Finish it, you¡¯re going to need all your energy this week.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± I finished lunch and settled in for a nap, waking up when the van was parked in the Clubhouse garage.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    Next Morning


    ¡°Are you ready to start?¡± I looked over at Terrance, he and Theresa were gowned up and all their instruments wereid out by the procedure table in the Clinic. The portable ultrasound with the internal paddles and the hollow needles wereid out, and a line of petri dishes was at the ready, eachbeled with the person and the number of eggs required. We had set the maximum for imntation at three, two for Kelly and Theresa, who would be high-risk for normal pregnancy. We hoped to fertilize twice that many eggs, freezing the extras for another cycle if the first didn¡¯t take.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± he said. Theresa had just finished the preparation of Eve¡¯s skin, and she had been lightly sedated for the procedure. Several wolves were keeping Adam downstairs and out of the way, as mates didn¡¯t react well to other males being in the vicinity or their wife¡¯s privates, even if he was a doctor.


    The guys needed to provide their samples, so Terrance linked them as he started. I watched the procedure in person I¡¯d read about and seen on Youtube, his practiced hands finding and retrieving the ripe eggs and sucking them into the tube for transfer. He kept going, taking all but two from her left ovary. When he withdrew the needle, I watched under the microscope as he slowly transferred the eggs into the dishes. When he was done, he had eighteen transferred.


    He grabbed a fresh needle and went to work on her right ovary, while I collected the samples from the guys as they came to the door with theirbeled cups. ¡°Time to make some babies,¡± I thought to myself as I started the transfer. First up was Gabriel, six eggs for Mackenzie, and four eggs for Kelly. Michael, six eggs for Natalie. Steven, six eggs for me. I paused for a moment, praying that these three would be sessful in giving me his children.


    Terrance finished the right ovary, taking another twenty-two for a total of forty.


    n gave his sample, six eggs for Alice.


    Snake showed up at the door with Mia, a beer mug in his hand that was about three-quarters full of what looked like vani milkshake. I had to hold back myugh. ¡°That all you got? The other guys filled theirs.¡±


    ¡°Take this one, then,¡± he said, holding out the cup as Mia smacked his arm. They were such a great couple, I loved them both. We had talked a lot, he didn¡¯t want the werewolf father to be known, as the donor wanted it to be private. He wanted Snake to be the only person the children ever thought about as their father.


    ¡°With this procedure, a little dab¡¯ll do ya.¡± I smiled and took it from him, moving over and using a fresh eyedropper to transfer it into the petri dish for Mia¡¯s six eggs.


    Terrance would finish on his own after I left. He was going to fertilize four.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep126

    I transferred two to the container we were going to freeze, put it in a case and left to drop it off at the fertility clinicb. I was back in an hour, and everyone including Eve was sitting downstairs, having lunch and visiting. Everyone was hopeful, and we would be monitoring the dishes to see how much luck we would have.


    Steven was waiting for me, and he led me to a table. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± I asked Eve, who was rxing in Adam¡¯s arms in a booth. Snake had made Juicy Lucy¡¯s and waffle fries for lunch, and he brought me one as I sat with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. ¡°Hot, but fine.¡±


    I checked her temperature. ¡°Your heat is here, you should really feel it by tonight. Eat as much as you can, then lock yourselves in your room. We¡¯ll bring your meals up, and you only have to call or link if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°As long as no werewolvese near our room, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Adam said. As a precaution, all the werewolves were staying away. It wasn¡¯t easy being around a shewolf in heat if you weren¡¯t mated, so most of the single ones had already headed back north. Gabriel and Michael were staying at Mackenzie and Natalie¡¯s condominium. n, Alice, Steven and I were all staying in empty rooms at the Knight¡¯s old building.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve said this before, but thank you,¡± I told her as I reached over and took her hand. ¡°I love you, and I¡¯m d my babies will be part yours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little much to take,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been told my whole life that I was going to restore the species, but I thought it would start with me having a big family. I never expected to be starting all these at the same time.¡± She looked around at all the couples who were eating, nervously waiting until the embryos could be transferred.


    ¡°Luna had a n for you, for all of us,¡± I said. ¡°I keep holding on to that vision, of all of us ying with our children on the grass in the front of the new Pack House,¡± I said. ¡°This is going to work.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Kelly appear in your dream? Or Theresa?¡± Eve looked over at them, wondering and hoping.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the first round doesn¡¯t take, maybe they are somewhere else. I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Steven started to get ufortable. ¡°Adam¡­ you need to take her upstairs. Her scent is getting a little strong,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good idea. We¡¯ll see you in a week.¡± Eve would have blushed if her face wasn¡¯t already flushed from the rapidly oing heat.


    ¡°All wolves, head out of here. It¡¯s only going to get worse.¡± Steven stood up, leaving me with the rest of my lunch. ¡°I love you, Meghan. I¡¯ll be a phone call away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight,¡± I said as I kissed him. He and the others headed out, including Terrance and Theresa, who took to-go meals with them as they had juste down. I went back upstairs, checking on the incubator before sitting at myputer. Tomorrow we¡¯d know how many of the eggs resulted in sessful embryos. I said a silent prayer and went to review the imntation techniques and review my textbooks on embryonic development. I needed to be on top of things.


    *******


    Mia¡¯s POV


    Nine Days Later


    I washed my hands and tried not to look at the test I hadying on the counter. My mind told me this was silly, it was too early, it had only been a week since Doctor Terrance had imnted three werewolf embryos in my uterus. He and Doc Meghan had gone over the schedule with us all; if after two weeks we didn¡¯t get our periods, run a test.


    It had been years since I had menstruated, they stopped when my ovaries were removed. I hade to terms with never being able to have children, at least until I met Snake and Meghan. Now, after months of hormone treatments and a cycle of in-vitro fertilization, I was hoping NOT to have one. The women in our group with regr cycles wouldn¡¯t get them for another week if imntation failed, but I had no idea what my body would do.


    I looked at myself in the mirror. I was happy now; I had my husband, I had a Club that was my new family, and I had a kitchen I could run. I didn¡¯t miss the pressures of running a restaurant; I wanted to cook and make people happy, not run payroll and deal with inspections and employees. Doing it all with Snake and a bunch of volunteer help made things much easier.


    The Club had changed since we won the Lottery. Almost all of the people had given up outside jobs and taken ones within the Club. My kitchen reminded me of my grandmother¡¯s at the holidays; a bunch of us telling stories and enjoying life while we cooked the big meals. Everyone had to pitch in now. We had be very private, not wanting to hire employees from outside, especially since this was the critical time for the first generation of new werewolves in two decades. There were too many close calls and sightings of former wolves, so we just didn¡¯t go out much.


    I ran ab through my hair, thinking about the breakfast menu Snake had already started. He was making biscuits and gravy, and told me I could sleep in and help with fruit prepter on. I looked down at my phone as the rm went off, it was time to check the test. I had bought a bunch of them, single line was negative, two lines was positive.


    I looked at the test, one line was bright pink, the other was faint. I held it closer, trying to will the line to be darker. I pulled out another test,paring the lines, sure enough the faint pink wasn¡¯t there. I was shaking, I had to know.


    I ran out the door of our room and went down to Meghan¡¯s room. Doctor Terrance and Theresa had gone back north to stay at n and Alice¡¯s house; the new Pack House was going to have a fully equipped infirmary, and he was designing it to his specifications and ordering equipment. It was going to include a pediatric intensive care ward, since with the multiple births it was a risk to have them be significantly premature. Meghan was updating her equipment down here, but since she was hoping to be pregnant too, we nned to have all of us at the new Pack House for the births.


    I listened, but the rooms were fairly well insted so I knocked softly. A few momentster, the door opened and Steven appeared, he was shirtless, wearing boxer shorts and holding a toothbrush in his hand. ¡°Mia?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s so early, but is Meghan awake?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I need someone else to tell me I¡¯m not seeing things,¡± I said. I showed him my pregnancy test. ¡°I think it¡¯s positive, I think I¡¯m pregnant!¡±


    He took the test as I handed it over, looking at it in the hallway light. ¡°Second line is faint, but it¡¯s there. Congrattions, Mia.¡±


    I squealed, and Meghan¡¯s voice came from inside the room. ¡°It¡¯s too early for a test, Meghan.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s positive, honey. Come see.¡± Steven opened the door and invited me in.


    She padded her way over. ¡°Come on, let me look at that under a bright light.¡± She pulled me into the bathroom, looking at the test. ¡°Huh. I think we need to run a blood test, but that test is positive, Mouse. It¡¯s faint because it is so early, your human chorionic gonadotrophin or HCG levels are still low. Give it another week and the two lines will be equally bright.¡±


    She hugged me as I started to cry on her shoulder, the tears and emotion pouring out. ¡°I have to tell Snake,¡± I said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say a thing, and STEVEN WON¡¯T SAY ANYTHING EITHER,¡± she said as she dug under the counter and pulled out a test. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t, but HCG levels rise faster in multiple pregnancies, and I just have to check.¡± She sat down on the toilet and peed on the test, cing it aside. I set my phone timer, and as she washed up we talked about what it might mean. ¡°We will do a blood testter and confirm, but these tests almost never have false positives,¡± she told me.


    ¡°When can I tell how many babies I have in here?¡±


    ¡°Not until about six weeks after pregnancy,¡± she said as we both avoided looking at the test. ¡°I can do an ultrasound exam, I n to start doing this weekly starting at five weeks for every Mom.¡±


    I put my hand over my belly, trying to get used to the idea. ¡°I need to brush up on my knowledge. I didn¡¯t read any of the books, I didn¡¯t want to Bigfoot myself.¡±


    ¡°Bigfoot?¡±


    ¡°Shortly after I moved in here with Snake, we went canoe camping together on the Upper St. Croix. It was beautiful, we traveled ten miles and set up our camping spot. We were both fishing in the shallow water, the sun was shining, there was a nice cool breeze, and the fish were biting. I looked over at Snake and said, ¡®I¡¯m d the wind is blowing to keep the mosquitos away!¡¯ As soon as the words left my lips, the wind diedpletely. It was like a ck cloud rose out of the shrubs and nts along the riverbank, and the swarm moved towards us. I screamed and ran for it, Snake right behind me. We escaped into our tent and closed the screen, and it was like that old cartoon with all the skeeters hitting it, trying to get in.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°You mean the one where their long noses get stuck?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Iughed a little. ¡°Anyway, I figured I couldn¡¯t say mosquitos anymore, so I¡¯d say Bigfoot instead. At least then if one showed up, we¡¯d be famous.¡± Sheughed at me. ¡°It worked out, we spent the afternoon making love and didn¡¯t get soaked when the heavens opened up five minutester.¡± My phone timer went off, and she brought the test up to the light.


    She had a line as well. She screamed, running out to show Steven.


    I sent a quick text out to our Momma¡¯s Club, telling them that they should all take a test and talk to Doc. By the next morning, every one of us had a positive pregnancy test.


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    End of Week Five


    I flushed the toilet, spitting thest of it in the swirling waters. Steven handed me a ss of water, and I rinsed my mouth out before brushing my teeth. ¡°This sucks,¡± I told him as I tried to push back the nausea.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep127

    I wasn¡¯t the only one. The Momma¡¯s Club members here in the Cities were all having horrible morning sickness. I was watching them and myself for signs of dehydration, as it would go on most of the morning. Mia had to stop cooking, and all of us were having strong reactions to some smells. I had tough, during our afternoon Skype session with the northern Mommas, Eve hadined that ¡°you guys are lucky, you can¡¯t smell the food being cooked a mile away!¡±


    I knew there were no sure-fire remedies, but there were no shortages of suggestions. I told them all to drink juice, water or Gatorade as often as they could, and try to keep eating whatever your body could take. I finished up and walked back to bed, nning to rest for a bit. ¡°Can I bring you something from downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Oatmeal with brown sugar and milk, no butter.¡± I closed my eyes, waking when he returned. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I sat up.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t today ultrasound day?¡±


    I had scheduled weekly ultrasounds on Monday mornings, intending to closely monitor development of all the babies. Using human surrogates for werewolf babies was a new thing, and I didn¡¯t know if things would develop differently than human pregnancies. Terrance said the babies developed the same whether human or werewolf babies, but I wanted to know. What good was it to have all this cool stuff if we didn¡¯t use it? ¡°Yes, I open the clinic at eight. We should go there when I¡¯m done eating, we can check me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will we see anything?¡±


    ¡°No detail, the baby will only be the size of a sesame seed. I¡¯m really looking at the amniotic sac, trying to see how many of the three actually imnted,¡± I said. I knew that more embryos failed than not, but I was hopeful to have two viable babies in there.


    ¡°No sex?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I just threw up, I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± I said. He looked at me funny. ¡°No, you can¡¯t tell the sex of the baby yet, it looks like a tadpole.¡± Twenty minutester we were in the clinic, I had the ultrasound set up and was lying on my back on the table, sitting up slightly. I ran Steven through how it worked as I set it up, and then went looking for babies. ¡°There¡¯s one,¡± I said as the quarter-sized ck sack came into view. I moved the probe slightly, and I could see a second appear behind it.


    ¡°That looks bigger than a sesame seed,¡± Steven said.


    ¡°Two babies, your babies,¡± I said as tears started to fall. I was so hormonal it wasn¡¯t funny. Moving around more, a third came into view. ¡°Triplets,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re having triplets.¡±


    He kissed me thenid his head on my stomach, his hands over mine as they started to shake. ¡°I love you so much, Meghan,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard, but you¡¯re going to be an amazing mother.¡±


    I just cried and held him for a minute, then I pushed him back. I had to get measurements to record in my chart. I froze the disy when I had a good picture, then used the measuring function to get a length and estimated fetal age. ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± I said. I moved to a different baby, doing the test again, getting the same result.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong, this is just¡­ unexpected. I need to call Terrance.¡± I took a photo of the screen with my phone, showing Baby C in the amniotic sac, measuring lines in ce. I could see arms, legs, a beating heart, everything looked normal except one thing.


    Fetal age was showing eight weeks, and it had only been five.


    I texted the photo to Dr. Terrance, asking him to check the women up there. I finished my notes, then weed Mia in. She and Snake were thrilled and terrified, they were having triplets as well, and the gestational age calctor said eight weeks for them too.


    Natalie and Michael? Triplets. Gabriel and Mackenzie? Same, except for the threats to remove his manhood in creative ways if he ever did this to her again. Kelly and Viper were thest couple, and at this point I was thanking God I¡¯d only given them two. Twins didn¡¯t seem as daunting when the rest of us had triplets.


    I talked to Terrance and Theresa on Skype when everything was done, I was utterly shaken by this. A 100% sess rate on IVF was unheard of, since he had the same rate up there. We had imnted seventeen embryos five weeks ago, and had seventeen babies growing in six different women. Then there was Eve, who had to be the overachiever of the bunch. She was expecting quadruplets.


    ¡°I thank Luna I only imnted two into Theresast week,¡± Terrance said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±


    No one had.


    We were going to be a hormonal mess, that was for sure.


    ***************


    Meghan¡¯s POV


    Week 24


    Back when SPUDS was the curse of the female wolves, this week would have been a death sentence.


    Now? I felt bad for the men. Really bad. It was a hormone-fueled whine fest around here.


    We were huge. Not big, HUUUUUGE. I felt like a house and had been on bedrest for two weeks along with all the other women. What was happening to us had never happened before, the development rates of our babies was nothing but shocking. At our 24th week, our babies were measuring at sizes not normally seen until week 32 to 33. My three girls were sucking the very life out of me, it felt like.


    It was like that for all of us, even for Eve who conceived naturally with her quadruplets. The men had invested in eight Easy-UP chairs, all extra wide, for us in themon room we liked to gather in. An entire floor of the new Pack House had been expedited and finished three weeks ago. It was a rush job as Terrance and I realized that the amazing growth rates we had noted showed no signs of slowing down. Instead of due dates in the early summer, we were now due inte March. Another week or two, since triplets didn¡¯t have room to grow past the size of a normal baby at week 34.


    The ultrasounds and tests were all going well, it was just that Luna had turbocharged our pregnancies. Everything was bigger, faster and more difficult. The hormones, backaches and fatigue came fast, to the point that even our husbands had to ask for help in caring for us. We ate constantly, waking up in the middle of the night to eat more food to support the growing lives. As our stomachs shrunk, this became more and more difficult. Snake and the guys in the kitchen were serving a meal every three hours, day and night, and most of us were drinking smoothies and snacking in between. Steven kept track one day and estimated I was eating 6, 000 calories a day, more than any of the guys were.


    All of us were under strict instructions to stay in bed or in the chairs as much as possible, and the poor cabana boys assigned to help us were being run ragged. The only time I got up was to pee, and that was about every hour now. Get up, waddle my huge belly over to the bathroom, grab some food,e back and sit down again with the other girls. We had our routine, and we had bonded in a way I never expected. These girls were my closest friends, and the whole Pack House revolved around us.


    ¡°Do you think they resent having to do all this,¡± Theresa said as she sent Nuriel in search of Nute to dip her waffles in. Steven was still sleeping, but I had gotten up at 5:30 to go to the bathroom. I had just came out to ourmon room, finding four others already here watching the morning news shows and spreading lotion on their stretch marks.


    ¡°No way,¡± Eve said as she nibbled on a te of bacon. ¡°The werewolves will do anything for us, they don¡¯t mind. The more you ask, the happier their wolves are.¡±


    ¡°Why is that,¡± Theresa said.


    I was a little shocked, I¡¯d figured this out weeks ago. ¡°You haven¡¯t put it together?¡± She shook her head no. ¡°Okay, how many babies are there between all of us?¡±


    ¡°Lets see¡­ four for Eve, three each for Meghan, Alice, Mackenzie, Natalie and Mia, two each for me and Theresa. Twenty-three all told. We¡¯re going to be buying diapers by the truckload,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°And how many single werewolves are living here?¡±


    ¡°OK, since Gabriel, Michael and Steven are all taken, that leaves, let¡¯s see¡­¡± She thought about the rooms and who lived where. ¡°Azazel, Hezediel, Dumah, Jophiel, Nuriel, Zachariel, Samsiel, Raguel, Muriel, Phanuel and Puriel are on the third floor, that¡¯s eleven. Adriel, Cassiel, Tennin, Haniel, Kushiel, Netzach, Camael, Daniel, Raphael and Sariel are on the second floor, that¡¯s another ten. So twenty-one, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And why would they be so interested in helping a bunch of women who are carrying girls, twenty-three girls, in fact.¡± Iughed a little as it hit her.


    ¡°Wait, these girls are their mates!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Eve said. ¡°Our mates and husbands will naturally be attentive to us and protect us because we are theirs, the babies are their future. The others, they are the reward they are being given for their faithful service to Luna. They don¡¯t know which one, but they and their wolves know ONE of these babies is their mate, and they¡¯repletelymitted to protecting them. They will do anything, I mean ANYTHING, to help us and to help raise them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ These guys are old, some of them are pushing fifty now. By the time they are of age, they¡¯ll be in theirte sixties. How is that right?¡±

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep128

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Werewolves are healthier, stronger and age better than humans. Even in theirte sixties, they will be equivalent to a man in histe forties. Still, it will seem weird when my daughter marries a guy who is older than I am,¡± I said. The youngest of the bunch was five years older than I was, and I¡¯d grown to look at them as annoying older brothers or uncles. ¡°It¡¯s what has to be, though. There aren¡¯t any boys out there who wouldn¡¯t be over forty by the time they grow up. I hope they don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Their wolves won¡¯t mind, and we won¡¯t either,¡± Nuriel said as he handed a jar of Nute to Theresa. ¡°We have waited our whole lives for what we never thought we would have, and we will wait eighteen more until our mate is ready for us. The age difference is nothing in the scheme of things, once the bond is formed, love quickly follows.¡±


    ¡°So you won¡¯t mind when we¡¯re putting you on diaper duty?¡± Natalie pressed the button, moving her chair up so she could waddle to the bathroom.


    ¡°First off, you¡¯re family. No family has ever had to deal with something like this, twenty-three babies alling at about the same time. You¡¯ll need LOTS of help. We¡¯re already putting together a schedule to provide you with 24/7 support. It won¡¯t be just you or your mates, all of us will be helping you.¡± He looked at all of us and smiled. ¡°You have no idea how amazing you all are, how much we love and appreciate you for what you are doing. I see what you deal with every day and I love you all even more for going through this for us.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I looked at him and waved him over. He sat on the arm of my chair and I pulled him into my shoulder, hugging him tight. ¡°We love you guys too, you know,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m having my mate¡¯s children, and as weird as it may be, I¡¯m happy she¡¯ll have a good man waiting for her when she¡¯s of age. Maybe even you,¡± I said. ¡°Now I think I need some orange juice and bananas, and my own jar of Nute,¡± I told him as I gave him onest hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said.


    Doc Terrance¡¯s POV


    One Week Later


    ¡°Adam, cut the cord between the mps,¡± I told him as the first of Eve¡¯s babies was born. He did so, and I handed the baby off to Teri. She and Hammer had arrived yesterday from Florida, and she was helping with the deliveries.


    The crying baby was hardly out of the way before the next daughter was crowning. I verified everything was aligned and nodded at her. ¡°Next contraction, I need you to push,¡± I told her. She screamed as the head and shoulder moved out, then I had her second daughter in hand.


    ¡°Good job, Eve. Keep up your breathing,¡± I told her. I mped the umbilical cord and Adam cut it, and Theresa took her to be cleaned up.


    ¡°Halfway there, baby, you¡¯re doing amazing,¡± Adam told her as he looked over at his daughters. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful, just like Mommy.¡±


    I felt her abdomen, baby #3 was moving into position but the little ballerina had her arms above her head. With one hand in and one hand out, I got her positioned and a few minutester, she was joining her sisters.


    rms started going off on the fetal monitor. I silenced it, thest one had a lowering pulse rate. The next contraction came, and she came partially out but I could see the cord around her neck. ¡°THERESA,¡± I said as I recognized it. ¡°Eve, stop pushing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You need to, the cord is wrapped.¡± I had a hand inside, reaching in as Eve screamed in pain. I got a couple fingers around the cord, lifting it over. ¡°All right, now push,¡± I said. This time the little girl almost slid out into my hands. I mped the cord, Adam cutting it, and Theresa was already clearing her airway.


    ¡°Why is she blue,¡± Adam asked, panicking.


    I held the baby upside down, smacking her to shock her into breathing. She let out a cry, and as Theresa took her, her color started to improve. ¡°Go watch your babies,¡± I told him as I stayed behind to deliver the centas. ¡°You did a great job, Eve.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Terrance.¡± The relief and joy on her face was familiar to me, it was the best part of my profession.


    Teri carried the first baby over, who they named Allison. ¡°Come see your mother,¡± she said as she carefully ced the little girl on her chest. Eve was crying with joy as she held her to her skin, and when she started looking for a nipple, I heard Teri helping her with the initialtch.


    ¡°Here is Barbara,¡± Theresa said as she brought the second over.


    ¡°Dad, sit down,¡± Teri told him as she went to pick up Crystal. He took her in his arms, he was crying as well as he looked into her wide eyes. It took another five minutes before Danielle was in his arms, as I waited until her vitals were a little stronger.


    Hammer came in and whispered in my ear. ¡°I hate to kick a new mom out, but Mia just went intobor. We¡¯re going to move you into your room,¡± I told them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯d rather be in our room,¡± she told me. We took the babies back after she had burped the two, and Teri helped her into the shower to clean up. We quickly changed the bedding and our scrubs, and I called for help moving them.


    Snake was the first to arrive, Viper close behind. They hugged Eve and hugged Adam and fussed over the four babies before each took one in his arms. All of the women had set up nurseries in their small apartments, which were right down the hall from the clinic. Eve came out of the bathroom, a bathrobe around her, and sat in the wheelchair as she took Danielle in her arms. The four of them left the room, and I could hear the cheers and congrattions from the waiting people as they made their way.


    A minuteter, Mia was helped in by Snake. ¡°My water broke ten minutes ago,¡± she said as she waddled in. ¡°We better hurry, I think Meghan is up next.¡±


    It was going to be a long night.


    ******


    Dr. Terrance¡¯s POV


    I woke up from my nap, still trying to recover from the Delivery Days from Hell eight days ago where the eight women delivered their 23 babies over three days. All were healthy, and all the mothers came through it just fine. Even Kelly, who had challenges with blood pressure towards the end, delivered her twins Vivian and Jessica without incident. The camaraderie that the girls developed, living in the same area and sharing themon room, carried over now that they were overwhelmed with the babies they had.


    I could hear the crying through the door, thete afternoon feeding time was upon us. The girls had all recovered their birth rate faster than I had ever seen. In fact, they were sucking the milk out of their moms as fast as they could produce it. We were supplementing with form, LOTS of form. Whatever it was that caused these babies to develop at an abnormally high rate in utero was showing no signs of stopping. They were eating twice as often as most newborns and eating more at a sitting.


    All that feeding, and all that pooping, was taking a toll on everyone. The moms all looked like zombies, none had gotten much sleep in the first week. The fathers were just as busy, keeping the girls changed and bringing them to Mom or getting bottles for them. The men of the Club had formed a schedule, and two of them were always in themon room to help out. The moms were bing more confident in them now, leaving them in cribs out there so they could get some sleep. I looked over at my own wife, moving my hand over her pronounced belly. If this was a normal pregnancy she¡¯d have two months or more left, now she was about a week away from delivering our twins.


    I let her sleep, getting up quietly and pulling on my scrubs and shoes. I moved out into themon room, figuring I could quickly check on everyone before going back to pore over theb results again. Mia was sitting back in the chair, feeding Rose and Irene while Snake fed Magie. In the love seat next to them, Meghan had Selene and Diana sleeping in her arms while Steven was rocking Rhiannon and trying to get her to sleep. ¡°How are they doing,¡± I asked as I knelt next to Mia.


    ¡°Eating my boobs off,¡± Mia said. ¡°Look at these things! They¡¯re big as basketballs an hour after a feed, yet it isn¡¯t enough!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Meghan said. ¡°I have to keep pushing myself and the others to eat and drink enough. They¡¯re sucking enough out of me I¡¯ll be back to normal weight in a month.¡± She looked down at her little ones. ¡°Here, take them. I have to go to the bathroom and get more food anyway.¡±


    I took one, then sat in the chair and she set Diana in my other arm. It was easy to tell them apart, they wore bracelets with their name, each color-coded to a mother. Diana¡¯s name was spelled out in script, the palevender background the same as her sisters. I rxed, smiling as I looked at their sleeping faces, until she came back with a te and a tall ss of juice. ¡°Terrance, I can¡¯t believe how fast they are growing. Any idea on why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± I said. ¡°I have taken blood samples from each baby, and I¡¯m slowly working through the testing on my machine.¡± We couldn¡¯t send out samples to a normalb, so we¡¯d purchased some reconditioned test equipment from the manufacturer. ¡°I dide across something that is baffling me, but I¡¯d like to wait until all the Moms are here.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say that and make me wait,¡± Meghan said, annoyed.


    ¡°They will all be out here soon for dinner, I¡¯ll let everyone know then,¡± I said. Haniel and Dumah came in, setting up a buffet on the side table for us. With all the children, they didn¡¯t want to move into a dining room. Here in themon area, there were plenty of seats and each mother had a small crib along the wall they could ce their sleeping babies. Haniel sat and took Rose while Irene was handed off to Snake, and Mia got up to fix herself a te. She and Meghan sat at the table by the food, taking a quick break.


    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner,¡± Natalie asked as she brought her three out and set the sleeping infants in her crib. April, May and June didn¡¯t make a noise as they were ced together, and she walked over to the buffet with Michael. ¡°Mmmmm¡­ barbecue.¡± She loaded up her te with pulled pork, beans and corn bread. Michael made up two tes and brought them over as they sat down with the others.


    ¡°Save room for pecan pie,¡± Haniel said quietly as he gently rocked Rose. There were plenty of ces for the babies to sleep, but the single werewolves treasured the time they got to spend holding the babies. You could see on their faces how much it meant that their mothers trusted them, and how much their wolves liked having them in their arms.


    ¡°Someone said pie?¡± Mackenzie woke up, she had fallen asleep on the couch with Gabriel behind her. Her babies, Lily, Violet and Daisy, were fast asleep in the crib behind them.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep129

    ¡°Pecan,¡± Haniel said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you ice cream for it if you want. They¡¯re still warm from the oven.¡±


    Mackenzie was on her feet, having wormed her way out of Gabriel¡¯s hold. She walked to the food as Gabriel sat up and rubbed his eyes. He sniffed the food, pushing to his feet and joining her.


    ¡°Zee, why is it you named your girls after flowers? It doesn¡¯t seem to follow with a woman who¡¯s tougher than shoe leather and more dangerous than a ck mamba.¡±


    She justughed. ¡°Misdirection, Doc.¡± The others giggled a little while I tried to figure it out. ¡°Who wants to get their ass kicked by Daisy? And she will be able to kick ass,¡± she said as Iughed at it.


    Five minutester, n and Alice hade out with a sleeping Ashley, Aurora and Ariel and joined us at the table along with Adam and Eve. Viper and Kelly werest to show up with Vivian and Jessica. We all dug in, knowing we didn¡¯t have a lot of time before the babies woke up hungry. ¡°So, Doc, what¡¯s the issue?¡±


    ¡°The blood tests so far show each of the children is healthy and strong, which should be no surprise. I can¡¯t see a reason for their fast development, but they aren¡¯t being harmed by it. Everything is progressing well, just faster than normal.¡± They all nodded. ¡°The interesting thing came when I got to the blood typing. Some of these babies, maybe most of them¡­ they aren¡¯t Eve¡¯s.¡±


    I watched jaws drop and people look around in confusion. Eve was first to recover. ¡°What do you mean? Of course they¡¯re mine, all the eggs were from me, biologically they have half my DNA.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do DNA tests to verify, but one thing is for sure, you aren¡¯t a biological parent of at least some of them,¡± I told her. ¡°Blood typing, however, is simple. Eve has Type O blood.¡± I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and drew a diagram. ¡°Since she is Type O, there are limited numbers ofbinations avable for the daughter. For instance, if the father is also Type O, the baby HAS to be Type O. If the father is A, the baby can be A or O; Type B, the baby can be B or O, and type AB the baby can ONLY be A or B.¡±


    I looked over at Snake and Mia. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the father is, you haven¡¯t told anyone, but Rose is type A and both Irene and Magie are type AB. That can¡¯t happen. A Type O mother cannot have type AB babies. Mackenzie, same thing¡­ Gabriel is type O, your babies HAVE to be Type O, but only Lily is that type. Violet is AB, and Daisy is B.¡±


    Snake looked over at Meghan. ¡°Could the sperm samples have been contaminated? Mixed up?¡±


    Meghan shook her head. ¡°No way, all the instruments were tossed after each fertilization, and only the one dish was being worked at a time. It also doesn¡¯t exin Gabriel and Mackenzie¡¯s babies. What Doc is saying is that there is more at work here than just the babies.¡±


    I looked at them all. ¡°Look, some things I¡¯m learning we just have to ept. Luna is way ahead of us on this, and honestly, it¡¯s a good thing. One of the things I was worried about with the repoption was that every daughter would have the same biological mother, creating a setup for low gic diversity. Imagine if you had a son, and Mackenzie had a daughter,¡± I told Snake. ¡°If they mated, each would be half Eve; it would be like marrying your half-sister. Theck of gic diversity could result in infertility, birth defects, and other problems. The more generations you intermarry, the worse it bes.¡±


    ¡°Bing da ding ding ding,¡± Snake said, doing the Dueling Banjos riff from Deliverance.


    I just ignored him as Mia elbowed him. ¡°Luna anticipated this, and she had a n. Every day I¡¯m amazed by our Goddess, and thankful for what she has done. She ced the gic diversity inside your eggs, allowing the next generation to be born this way. If these girls grow up and find their mates with the remaining Knights, as we all suspect, then their children will be able to intermarry without issues. The repoption will continue without incident,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Meghan said. ¡°That¡¯s why she needed twenty-three girls,¡± she said. ¡°She¡¯s bringing back shewolves who have existed before!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°You only have one true mate. Each of those men lost theirs, the only way to get a true mate¡­¡±


    ¡°Is for the mate to be reincarnated,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Some of us have formed the bond with humans, though.¡±


    ¡°True, and if that bond is like the others, your true mates will not return to you. Luna would never force you apart after pulling you together.¡± Mackenzie, Mia, Natalie, Meghan and Alice all looked up at their mates, fear in their eyes. ¡°They were given you,dies, and they are yours.¡± The men all pulled them into their arms, their wolvesforting them as they felt their raw emotions over the partial bond.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So the single werewolves have their mates in this group of girls?¡± Kelly looked confused.


    ¡°That is my theory, yes,¡± I said. It was quiet for a minute as they all took it in. ¡°Viper, Kelly, why did you name your daughters what you did? It must be difficult for you to use that name when you were so close to their namesakes.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on our list, except maybe as a middle name. The morning before they were born, I woke up and turned to Viper and told him I dreamed our daughters were named Jessica and Vivian. He agreed, he felt the same way. So we did.¡±


    I just smiled. ¡°And that is why you had to bring them into the world, despite your age and the challenges you had. Vivian lost her true mate when she was raped, Jessica when she took a choice mate. Those men, their true mates, may still be out there somewhere, waiting for their Vivian or Jessica toe back to them.¡±


    ******


    Six Months Later


    Eve¡¯s POV


    ¡°Oh you are making such a mess!¡± My girls were getting more oatmeal in their hair then in their mouths, and Iughed as they smeared it around. I wasn¡¯t the only one with this problem; the guys had quickly learned to put the high chairs over a long tarp, and we made two lines with all the toddlers, back to back. I was on breakfast duty this morning with Adam, Steven, Meghan, Adriel and Kushiel, all of us moving along the lines and trying to get the girls to eat. With twenty-three of them, it was a busy time.


    They had reached their half-year two weeks ago, but they were all a year old physically. Each around twenty pounds, they had been on solid food for almost two months now. My boobs were still huge as they liked to supplement with momma milk, but we were starting to wean them away from that. They ate like ravenous wolves, until their little bellies were rounded with food. We had them all in diapers only, after breakfast we would turn them over to another group of adults for the bath assembly line before giving them fresh diapers and sun dresses.


    Kushiel made sure the next group was ready, then we started to go down the line for cleanup. I¡¯d pick the girl up, Steven would use a big wet towel to get the big chunks off, then Meghan and Adriel would take their diapers off and give them to the group doing baths. Adam and Kushiel would follow behind, wiping off the high chair before putting it back against the wall. When we were done, we¡¯d fold up the tarp and take it outside to be hosed off and dried.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t too bad,¡± Adam said as he took my hand to lead me back to our room.


    ¡°Nothing is as bad as pancake day with all that syrup,¡± I replied. He winced; thest time we had done this, Crystal had taken her hands, wiped them in syrup, then used them to paint her hair. It took us an hour to bathe everyone that morning. We quickly changed from the scrubs we used for this duty into normal clothes for the day; shorts and a T-shirt for him, and a light sundress for me. With the girls still liking to snack on my milk, the dress made things easy.


    All of the parents came to pick their babies up from themunal bath room. Originally designed as a hot tub room, the tiled room with showers along the wall had been filled with small bathtubs instead. The showers were connected to hoses and wand sprayers, and the floor drains took care of the rest. The girls were sprayed down, scrubbed and shampooed in one tub, then handed to another to be rinsed, finally to be dried and dressed before being taken out. It took a dozen people in there to do it, all were nude, of course. The human mates in our group had quickly lost their modesty about nudity after all these months of living with werewolves, for whom it was a normal thing. Most had adopted our loose-fitting clothing andck of underwear as well. When you want to shift, it¡¯s easy to just pull off and go.


    My babies toddled towards me as we reached the door where they were waiting for us. ¡°Hi babies!!¡± Allison and Crystal stumbled towards me, their walking still not practiced. The girls had been crawling for a month and walking for thest week. I picked the girls up, noisily kissing their cheeks, as Adam picked up Barbara and Danielle. The girls were wearing loose-fitting sun dresses that we had purchased by the case, little flowers and puppies printed on them. We walked out the door and into the grass of the front yard, where we had a fenced area with lots of toys in it. This was our favorite part of the day, watching our babies all y together.


    We went into the fenced area, which we set up just to make sure none of them wandered off. I set the girls down, and they ran over to where we had a sandbox set up. The other children were let in, and they went everywhere. Some yed with balls, some yed on the kiddie swings or in the fort, or just chased each other in the long grass. The weather was perfect forte September; mid sixties, low humidity, and a warm sun low in the sky. It would get hot today, but after lunch and naps we would do other things.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep130

    There were enough parents out here, lounging in thefortable Adirondack chairs that formed a circle inside the fence, that none of the other males were needed. We all chatted about things, mostly about how much our lives had changed. ¡°It¡¯s pretty wild, isn¡¯t it? Where were west summer? I was living at home, praying to Luna that I wouldn¡¯t find my mate because I was afraid I¡¯d be taken somewhere far away and be the sexual ything of a man I just met.¡± Adam squeezed my hand. ¡°OK, so I did, but at least it wasn¡¯t far away!¡± I giggled as I thought of how fast my attitude towards mating had changed.


    ¡°I was divorced, jobless and alone, just traveling and looking for a home,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°You found one,¡± Snake said as he pulled her tighter to his chest. They had struggled with the idea of Vivian being reincarnated within Kelly¡¯s daughter; Snake didn¡¯t know what to think of his lost love being back, and Mia was threatened by a woman who died long ago. It was Gabriel who helped them understand it was her wolfing back, not her human side. Her wolf had never bonded with Snake, she epted him only. It was the human part that had fallen in love with Snake, and she wasn¡¯ting back. It shouldn¡¯t matter, but if you watched closely you could see how Mia would arrange things so someone else could handle Vivian while she worked with another girl. I hoped that as the girls grew, it would be easier, and they both could ept her with her true mate.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand men and I was pissed off at the world,¡± Mackenzie said as Gabriel held her hand. ¡°I just needed to find the right man.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± said Natalie, ¡°Except I hadn¡¯t given up on men, I was working my way through them until I found a good one.¡±


    We watched the children as they ran around; a game of chase had started, and soon they were all involved. It was hrious to watch, as they were still unsteady on two legs, and falls weremon. ¡°They are a riot,¡± I said as I watched.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting in there,¡± Michael said, and Steven got up as well. Both pulled off their shirts and dropped their shorts, tossing them back on the chairs, then shifted into their wolves. The girls didn¡¯t notice them at first, so they were nearly to them when they were spotted. The girls shrieked and ran to them as theyy down on the grass, letting the girls climb all over them. I saw Selene run over to Steven, hugging his neck with her chubby little arms. ¡°Daddy!¡±


    She stepped back, pulling her dress off and shifting into her little grey and ck wolf. She was easy to identify because of the white tip on her left ear and the white diamond on her chest. Iughed as she mock attacked her Daddy, climbing onto his back and grabbing his scruff with her tiny teeth.


    When the other girls saw this, they started pulling their dresses off as well. I got up to collect them as all the girls shifted and started to pile on the two big wolves in the middle. I took my handful of clothes back and set them in Steven¡¯s chair as we allughed. ¡°I¡¯ll never get tired of watching them,¡± Meghan said.


    ¡°Me either,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Babies and puppies, too much cute to handle sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a fair fight now, but wait a few months until they are fifty pounds each,¡± Gabriel said with augh. ¡°They¡¯re growing so fast.¡±


    ¡°We think they might elerate growth even more,¡± Meghan said. ¡°We¡¯ve been charting them, their growth is a function of how much they can eat. As they get bigger, it will get faster.¡±


    ¡°How much faster?¡±


    ¡°They could be adult sized in the next two years if the trend holds. Four years at the outside.¡± Jaws dropped, we knew they were growing fast, but no one expected it to be that short. ¡°Their mates aren¡¯t getting any older, clearly Luna wants to start the next generation without the long dy.¡±


    ¡°How will they learn? You can¡¯t take all those years of learning and jam them into two years!¡± Snake shook his head.


    ¡°Have you noticed the girls know things without being taught,¡± I asked them.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Buttons. I was dressing the girls yesterday, and it was a shirt with buttons. Barbara did it on her own while I was helping Crystal.¡±


    ¡°She could have learned watching you,¡± Snake said.


    ¡°She was done before me,¡± I said. ¡°This was the first time they¡¯d worn a shirt like that, the others all had snaps or zippers. She knew how to do it, like she¡¯d always known.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± Meghan said. ¡°Luna thought of everything else. She¡¯s not going to have adult shewolves with the brains of a two-year old having sex.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good description of their guys when the blood rushes to their little heads,¡± Natalie said with augh. ¡°Try hiding their toys and watch them throw a tantrum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to talk about my three daughters mating yet,¡± Snake said. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to get my head around the three daughters part.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, when are we going to go for another cycle?¡± Natalie looked around as the others shook their heads. ¡°What? I loved being pregnant!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never having triplets again,¡± Mia said. ¡°And I¡¯m not getting pregnant until my body recovers from thest round.¡±


    ¡°Maybe after the new year,¡± Alice said. ¡°I¡¯d like to have my next ones after we return here from Florida.¡± The Florida clubhouse was nowplete, and we were going to head down there after Thanksgiving and spend the winter. Some of the guys, along with n and Alice, were staying up here but woulde down for the annual Christmas ride.


    I watched the puppy piles, the yips and yelps bringing a smile to my face. I¡¯d missed this experience. I¡¯d never had a Pack life, the only wolves I knew were the Knights and they were all old and serious. I only got to be a puppy in the house, since they didn¡¯t have thend to run on until I was much older. Adam and Gabriel stood, disrobed and shifted. Letting out howls, they charged into the pile and were immediately attacked.


    ¡°INTRUDERS COMING FROM THE ROAD, OVER A DOZEN, ALL ARMED,¡± Dumiel shouted over the link. He was on duty in the security room this morning, a room in the basement where all the motion sensors and cameras fed in. The electronic surveince was supplemented by always having one wolf patrolling our boundary.


    ¡°GET THE GIRLS INSIDE,¡± Gabriel said as he shifted. He grabbed the closest two wolf puppies as the rest of us rushed to help. I grabbed the closest two, not bothering to look for my own. I trusted the others would help.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Turning towards the house, I started running with April and Jessica under my arms. The door was open, I saw Kushiel running out with an AR-15 in his hands, his brother Adriel behind him with a bolt-action scoped rifle and a pistol belt looped over his shoulders. They took off towards the driveway as I ran for the door.


    Kelly was waiting for us when I heard the first gunfire. I almost stumbled going up the steps as I felt Kushiel¡¯s pain over the link, and heard him cry out for help, that he was hit. I handed my two to Kelly, telling her to take them downstairs.


    ¡°ALLISON!¡± I looked back, Mia was holding a struggling Barbara as Allison ran towards the road. She screamed in pain, Barbara dropping to the ground as Mia looked at her bleeding hand. She started to chase after the two pups, but in wolf form they were faster than her.


    ¡°GET INSIDE,¡± I told her right before I shifted. Tearing my dress, I ran after my babies who were just disappearing down the driveway. I could hear the gunfire, and felt Adriel¡¯s pain as he was hit. Howling my fury, I tore down the driveway towards the danger.


    Bullets started to hit the ground around me as I gained on them. I found Kushiel first, he was on his back behind arge pine tree. Allison was standing over him and growling as best a wolf cub could. Adriel was a little farther up, and Barbara was licking his face, trying to get him up. I ran to them, pulling Adreil behind cover under a downed tree. I could hear the men starting to surround me, a cease firemand had been given. I shifted, turning in fury to the men standing ck-jawed, looking between me and the wolf pups still snarling at them. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU THINKING,¡± I yelled at the leader. I recognized him, he was one of the unmated Alphas from Chicago, and apparently thought he was entitled to The Last Shewolf.


    ¡°Eve,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re alive, and they are¡­¡±


    ¡°They are my pups, they are the FUTURE of our race, and youe in her shooting the ce up? What the FUCK are you thinking?¡± I walked up to him, pimp-pping him to the ground.


    One of the men with him tossed his weapon down. ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for this, Alpha. You said she was unmated, she¡¯s clearly not, and she has pups. We should be PROTECTING her, not taking her.¡± He turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry.¡± He turned and walked away.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± another man said as he dropped his rifle. ¡°This isn¡¯t how I was raised.¡±


    Soon, the Alpha stood alone as my Pack surrounded me, the wolves growling, the ones in human form brandishing their weapons.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt the others, question and release them,¡± I told the Pack over the link. They had surrendered, that would be honored. It was their leader, their Alpha, who needed to be judged. ¡°Take him. He is to be tried and sentenced,¡± I said.


    Snake screeched to a halt in an SUV, immediately Meghan jumped out one side and Terrance out the other. Each ran to a downed wolf, as my daughters were pulled struggling from on top of them. I was handed Allison first, and Imanded her to shift back. Her fur turned to skin as she shifted in my hands. ¡°MINES,¡± she said as she reached for Kushiel. ¡°MINES HURT.¡±


    I held her to my chest as she cried and struggled. ¡°Shhh, honey, Kushiel will be fine,¡± I said as I watched Meghan work. ¡°What do you mean by mines?¡±


    ¡°Wolfy said ¡®Shiel MINES!¡±


    I handed Allison off to her father, who had just arrived and shifted. ¡°How¡­¡± he started to say, then just held her as she cried for her mate. Barbara was just as upset, screaming and struggling to get out of Azazel¡¯s arms. I took her, trying tofort her as she cried about her ¡®Riel¡¯.

 THE LAST SHEWOLF:>Ep131

    Theresa drove up with our ambnce, and Snake had to move the SUV out of the way so she could turn around in the clearing just ahead. Kushiel was moved first on a backboard, he¡¯d taken a round to the stomach and I could see a mp sticking out of his stomach, Meghan having opened the wound to mp the artery that had been clipped. ¡°Go,¡± Terrance said. ¡°Areil isn¡¯t bad, he took a round through the thigh and it struck his femur. We¡¯ll carry him back.¡±


    As soon as Meghan closed the doors, they were off. Snake came to stand next to me, giving me a hug. ¡°Take the little ones away, they don¡¯t need to see this,¡± he said. Adam nodded, cing his free hand on my back he led me back to the SUV that had been left there. We sat in the back, our crying girls on ourp, and held them as we were driven back to the Pack House.


    We all jumped when we heard the shot.


    Snake¡¯s POV


    I looked at the piece of shit Alpha who had hurt my friends and threatened my children. He was on his knees, shaking, his arms held by two werewolves. ¡°What did youe here for?¡±


    ¡°For Eve, of course,¡± he said. ¡°I never believed she was truly dead, and after we ced the tracking devices on your cars, we found your hiding ce. She¡¯s mated with pups, though. I did not expect that.¡±


    ¡°You were never her true mate, that is the man who was with her. Last words?¡±


    ¡°I was a fool,¡± he said. ¡°I pray that Luna will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too, because I won¡¯t.¡± I raised my pistol, firing before he raised his head. The . 45 ACP round sted through his forehead and out the back, spraying brains all over. Some of the guys looked at me as they wiped the blood off. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go find out what the others have said.¡±


    They were being held in a circle, Steven was overseeing the questioning. When we showed up, he pulled me aside. ¡°Pres, they aren¡¯t a threat. Several have asked if they can join us, but I told them all to just stay clear of us. We have all their names and addresses, and they have promised to leave us alone if we let them go.¡±


    ¡°Who shot our men?¡±


    ¡°Hard to tell. It doesn¡¯t really matter, they were told to shoot any men they saw.¡±


    ¡°The one responsible is dead. Let me talk to them.¡± I walked over to where they were sitting on the leaf litter near where their vehicles had been parked. When the rm was raised, so was the vehicle barrier that stopped them and forced them to advance on foot. ¡°My name is Snake, I¡¯m the President of the Northwoods Riders. Eve and her children, all of the children, are under our protection. The Knights of the Moon have been folded into our club, we stand together on this.¡±


    ¡°All the children?¡± One of the men looked up in wonder. ¡°There are more than those two?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Luna¡¯s curse is over, and we will rebuild our species again. Go home, think about what our old ways led to, about what you have be. Pray that she forgives you and your wolf is allowed to return in another body someday.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± the man said. ¡°If you require anything of us, we are in your debt. Even without that, we will do what is needed to protect the next generations.¡±


    ¡°Go in peace,¡± I told them. They got up and walked back to their vehicles, climbing in and backing out the driveway. ¡°Trackers in ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and rmed if they get within ten miles of here or the other homes,¡± Steven replied.


    ¡°Send full patrols out, make sure nothing and no one else is on our territory. Take the arms we confiscated and add them to the armory.¡±


    ¡°Already being done, boss.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°The men did well. If it wasn¡¯t for the girls taking off for their mates, the response time was good. Everyone would have been in the safe room well before they were in range.¡±


    ¡°Mates.¡± I shook my head. ¡°How the hell did they recognize those two as their mates? I thought you didn¡¯t know until¡­¡±


    ¡°Until one is eighteen,¡± Steven said. ¡°Since they are so young, I doubt Adriel or Kushiel even knew, but their wolves did. They are young girls, but if the wolves remember their past incarnation, they would recognize the scent of their mate. I¡¯m sure the wolf was holding back until she was of age, but with the mate in danger, their wolves reacted.¡±


    ¡°Terrance was right, their true mates are right here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Steven started walking me back up the drive. ¡°It¡¯s something I have to get used to as well, we all will. Our daughters will grow quickly, Snake. We don¡¯t have much time to ept that.¡±


    We walked in silence for a while, finally reaching the home. The alert had been cancelled, and Mia and the girls met me out in the fenced area. They had stayed in wolf form, all the girls had, their wolves felt safer that way. ¡°How are Adriel and Kushiel doing?¡±


    ¡°Adriel is waiting for Kushiel¡¯s surgery to finish, he¡¯s awake and will be fine. Theresa said they need to set the bone and clean the wound. Kushiel will be all right, he lost a lot of blood, his stomach and liver were hit.¡±


    ¡°So nothing we can do?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It will be another hour or so, then they will be asleep untilte this afternoon.¡±


    I looked at the group of people, everyone was nervous, and we needed to rx. ¡°Staying here won¡¯t help those two. Other than the doctors and Theresa, who else is in there?¡±


    ¡°Eve, Adam and their girls,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Barbara is tucked up on Adriel¡¯s chest, she won¡¯t move and he¡¯s calmer with her there. Allison is waiting with the other girls for Kushiel to get out of surgery.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them to the creek,¡± I said. ¡°The girls will love ying in the water, chasing fish, and pretty soon it will be too cold for that. The activity will tire them out.¡±


    ¡°What about lunch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in with a few of the guys and we¡¯ll pack some coolers, we can eat there. We¡¯ll bring towels and everything.¡± Ten minutester, the women save Eve were leading the pups into the woods, a dozen men in wolf form circling them to make sure no one got lost. I knew it was going to take a while, the pups were running around smelling things and ying, but it was only a short distance away.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    An hourter, six of us lugging coolers of food and backpacks stuffed with towels broke through the shrubs and took in the sight. The women were spread around, Mia guarding the deeper water while the others sunbathed nude or swam in the five-foot-deep pool under the small waterfall. The pups were all soaked but were having a grand time, y wrestling, chasing minnows and sshing. I was d the stream ran through gravel and rock instead of mud. We found an area of level ground in the sun, andid out the nkets then the food. ¡°LUNCH TIME,¡± I yelled to them.


    The pups all started running towards me, but I held up my hand. ¡°Shake first, then shift back to human form so we can dry you off,¡± I told them. The neen pups had water flying everywhere as they shook out their fur, then after they were dried we pulled a fresh sundress over them. The adults pulled on T-shirts and shorts, and we all sat down to eat macaroni and cheese, applesauce and cookies.


    The male werewolves all broke out in a smile. ¡°Kushiel is out of surgery, he will be fine in a week,¡± he said. ¡°Adriel is in now, he will be on his feet in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Allison?¡±


    ¡°She crawled up onto his bed, put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep,¡± he said.


    I looked around, the children now being fed were starting to get tired. I got everything cleaned up from lunch, and we got all their faces and hands wiped off. ¡°We should head back for naps,¡± I said. ¡°Wolf run or walk?¡±


    ¡°WOOF! WOOF!¡± The girls all stood and pulled off their dresses, shifting into their wolves. I watched them run off under the watchful eyes of their family.


    Family. The best thing about our Club was we were all one big family, and I loved them all.


    ¡°I love you, Snake,¡± Mia said as she hugged me from behind. ¡°I love all of this.¡± I turned and kissed her hard. ¡°MINES,¡± I said when we came up for air.


    ¡°Mines.¡±

 BREATHLESS (WEREWOLF EROTICA)

    NEW STORY TITLE: BREATHLESS (WEREWOLF EROTICA)


    This story is based in an alternative universe, where history took a different course than the one we are used to. In this world, the creatures which we now believe to be legends have walked alongside man for the duration of our existence. Vampires, werewolves, wizards, witches, sorcerers, and a host of other beings share our world.


    The following story contains, in one chapter or another, lesbian and heterosexual activity in different proportions.


    Hope you enjoy..


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Cheeseburgers in paradise, heaven on earth with an onion slice, not too particr . . . crap!¡± Sadie nced down and noticed that her 1972 Dodge Ram pickup was really low on gas. It didn¡¯t help that she was lucky to get fifteen miles per gallon with strong tailwind while going downhill, but she would be damned before she gave up her truck. She¡¯d put more money into maintaining it than she¡¯d bought it for, but it was all worth it.


    ¡°C¡¯mon babe, just a litte further,¡± she said, eyeballing the exit ramp that lead to the holiest of ces for travelers: the Truckstop of North America station. Gas, nachos, and the sixty-four ounce mega-gulp of Mountain Dew were just a hundred meters away. Her stomach growled, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was from anticipation or objection. She didn¡¯t care. The taste buds want what the taste buds want.


    The truck coasted up to the pumps and happily came to a stop, letting Sadie pop out and stretch her legs. It was the middle of the night, which always made for interesting quick-stop encounters. She saw a dozen motorcycles parked on the dirt across the ess road, a couple dozen semis off to the side, and a smattering of cars in the lot and the pump area. The few people who were outside couldn¡¯t help but look her way.


    First, the truck itself had a vibe about it . . . an aura. Perfect pitch-ck paint job and shiny silver trim, metalic-silver t hard-cover on the back, and ck-tinted windows. The coup de grace was the silver ram¡¯s head hood ornament that she loved so very much. Most people wouldn¡¯t realize it, but it was actual silver, and it had been magically adhered to the hood so that it would be easier to steal the whole truck rather than try and rip off the ornament.


    But if the truck was the left hand, then Sadie Hewitt was the right: she was a genuine knock out. Standing only five and a half feet tall, she had an impish face and crisp, light-blue eyes, full lips adorned lightly with peach colored lipstick, and it was all topped off with wild blond curls that reached down to her belt. He had a denim vest stretching to its limits to contain her more-than-ample bosom, also leaving her rock-hard abs exposed. Tight blue jeans encased those lightly curved hips, toned muscr legs, and firm butt. A lot of attractive women yed coy and reeked of false humility. Not Sadie . . . she was hot and she knew it. She¡¯d spent a long time working on that body, and she would be damned if she wasn¡¯t going to show it off every chance she got.


    She finished filling up and grabbed her receipt, ncing over to the storefront. Three bikers were hanging out front, and two of them seemed to be ncing her way an awful lot. She noticed their jackets read ¡°El Diablo¡± . . . she knew of them. Not a bad group actually. They tended to get into a lot of bar fights, even for bikers, but she¡¯d crossed paths with them several times and had enjoyed many a drink in theirpany. Those two started towards her and she finally got a good look at third, and she suppressed a grin.


    ¡®This is gonna be fun,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Hey sweetness,¡± the first one said. He was young, but already had a head start on his beer gut. Both he and his friend had that cocky swagger of people who¡¯d just gotten the training wheels off their bikes and thought that made them hot shit.


    ¡°Where you from and how looooooong ¨C¡± the other one started, grabbing his crotch, ¡°you nning on sticking around?¡±


    Sadie opened her eyes as wide as she could, let her ¡°blondness¡± creep from her hair into her brain and made her voice as high as possible. ¡°I . . . I just came to get filled up,¡± she said, making herself look as nervous as possible and proud at setting them up the way she had. ¡°I don¡¯t want no trouble.¡±


    ¡°We ain¡¯t looking to give you trouble,¡± the first one said.


    ¡°But we can help you get filled up,¡± the other one said. The two bikers grinned at each other.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be too proud you morons,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡°I GAVE you that innuendo!¡¯


    ¡°I . . . I just need ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you do,¡± biker number two replied. ¡°But I think I¡¯ve got all you need ¨C¡±


    ¡°Right there?¡± Sadie¡¯s eyes went from vacant to wanton. ¡°It looks so big,¡± she said, then thought, ¡®For a cocktail weiner.¡¯ ¡°Much bigger than those assholes at the club had. How¡¯s a girl supposed to make a living grinding her ass against teeny tiny little dicks?¡± She let loose her best bimbo-giggle.


    ¡°A stripper hunh?¡±


    ¡°Exotic dancer!¡± she replied, putting her fists on her hips, trying to look indignant.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Exotic dancer.¡± Biker number one pulled out his wallet. ¡°So, how much for a private dance?¡±


    She lowered her eyshes and bit her bottom lip. ¡°One or both of you?¡±


    The second bikers was looking like he¡¯d just won the lottery. ¡°Both!¡±


    She reached out both hands and touched them on the leg just below the crotch. ¡°Hmm . . . a party like that would run about ¨C¡± Her hands cupped their crotchs softly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± both men groaned at once.


    Her grip tightened and she lifted both men a foot off the ground, holding them there as her fangs extended and she said, ¡°¨C about a billion dors more than either of you will earn in your now very short lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Oh God oh God oh God!¡± one of them screamed in significant pain and fear.


    ¡°A damn vamp!¡± the other one screamed, trying desperately to push against her hand and make her release her vice-like grip.


    She released her grip, letting both men fall to the pavement where they curled up and clung to their private parts. The third biker had walked over to watch and was in the process ofughing his ass off. This guy was in his early forties and built like a bull. Any extra weight he carried was more thanpensated by his massive chest, and he had legs and legs like telephone poles.


    ¡°Frankenstein, how long were you nning on letting me y with the newbies before you did anything?¡± she said, chuckling herself. Frank ¡°Frankenstein¡± Smith was one of the leaders of El Diablo, and her preferred drinking buddy whenever they crossed paths. Ten years earlier, they¡¯d even had a brief fling before parting ways as friends.


    The big man was crouching down, struggling to find breath as he pped the ground in a symbol of utter amusement. ¡°You . . . (gasp) . . . you should have seen your face! Oh dear Lord, have you been practicing?¡±


    ¡°I HATE being vapid for that long! And yes, I¡¯ve practiced. I actually had to go undercover for a while in a strip joint down in Das. Girls there weren¡¯t hired for their brains, but damn they were good eye candy.¡± She felt her blood stir a little. ¡°Tell ya, I worked there a week after we¡¯d caught our guy just ¡¯cause of the way some of ¡¯em relieved stress on their breaks.¡±


    Frank stood up and pped her on the shoulder before giving her a big hug. They took turns picking each other up off the ground. Frank was good people.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What the fifteen hells are you doing here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Leader of the local chapter got wrapped around a telephone pole, so I came up to help pick the new top rider. Better question is, what are YOU doing here? Last time I heard, you were still in Texas! And I¡¯d heard something about an incident in Austin ¨C¡±


    ¡°We are NOT going to talk about Austin!¡± Sadie made a zipping motion across her lips when Frank tried to speak . . . then again and again until he finally threw his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Okay! We don¡¯t talk about Austin! But that doesn¡¯t answer what you¡¯re doing here?¡±


    ¡°I finally got transferred to Midian! The West coast is now officially my turf!¡±


    ¡°You transfered to Midian? On purpose?¡±


    She red at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Midian? It¡¯s just caused there¡¯s more darkworlders there, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Europeans settled North America, the humans mainly settled the East coast while a smaller band of humans and a lot of the darkworld races kept going. When they found that magicalnd of forests, mountains and constantly overcast skies, they new they¡¯d found a ce to set up shop. Midian had the highest non-human poption in North America. Unfortunately, that DID tend to lead to friction, and Midian was also home to the highest crime rates in the civilized world. Every manner of creature that could cause trouble seemed to migrate to the Northwestern American province and into the shadows of Midian.


    ¡°Have you ever actually been there?¡± Frank shook his head, still smiling. He knew well enough that there wasn¡¯t a damn think on Earth that this vampiredy was afraid of. But it didn¡¯t stop him from kidding her. ¡°A troublemaker like you in Midian? Damn, didn¡¯t your Boss in D. C. once tell you that sending you to Midian would be like sending a dragon to an oil field and then wondering why there was so much smoke? What changed his mind?¡±


    Sadie dug the toe of one of her tanker boots into the cracked pavement. ¡°Austin. Which ¨C¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about,¡± Frank finished.


    ¡°Fuck it Frank,¡± one of the other bikers said as he regained his stance, still gingerly cupping his testicles. ¡°Why ¨C¡±


    ¡°Boys, you gotta learn sometime to watch out for vamps. Didn¡¯t you see the window tints on the truck? Those suckers are high-grade UV shields that¡¯ll stop just about anything but visible light. Bed¡¯s designed to be totally light resistant, not that Sadie here minds much, but some of her quarry might. Hell, she¡¯s got a bumper sticker that says ¡®Bite Me¡¯ and the whole damn thing is ck as hell. Muck with a driver of a rig like that and yer likely to get yourself hurt.¡±

 540

    Sadie took a little pity on the poor boys. Frank had encouraged them to hit on her knowing full well what would happen. She kissed each one on the cheek in rapid order. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad boys. I¡¯ve been pulling that one on smarter folks than you since before either of you were born. And just to show there¡¯s no hard feelings, I will let you stare at THIS ass,¡± she said, pointing towards her butt with both hands, ¡°all the way into the store.¡± And then she strutted her stuff over to the door with Frank right next to her. But before she could go in ¡ªExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Miss Sadie?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she replied, looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°It was worth it!¡± Both bikers broke into smiles, epting they had been had.


    She looked at Frank. ¡°There¡¯s hope for them boys yet. Now YOU owe me some nachos for making mete.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Nice tan, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I like it.¡± Vampires as a rule didn¡¯t like sunlight, but they could tolerate it for periods of time based on sensitivity. The highly allergic broke out into a mean rash after about ten minutes of exposure and could actually burst into me after half an hour. Sadie had a high tolerance for daylight, meaning she could stay in it long enough to do what only a few vampires could do . . . tan. It helped confuse a lot of people into thinking she was just a human girl who couldn¡¯t be more than twenty years old. Little did they know.


    Sadie got her ridiculously unhealthy nachos and soda, but though she might want to get something a little more nutritional. She looked over at the cashier, who had been checking out her rack since she got there. ¡°Hey, got any sma-ade?¡±


    ¡°Thuh . . . third window next to the bathroom,¡± he stammered


    ¡®Poor boy¡¯s probably going to have an erection just because I talked to him.¡¯ She grabbed some over her favorite vor and headed to the counter. The other bikers hade in and were getting ribbed by Frank. Then one of them noticed that when Sadie pulled her walled out, a p came down that had a shiny gold badge on it.


    ¡°Damn Frank, she¡¯s a cop?!¡±


    Frankenstein tried to look innocent. ¡°I¡¯ll exinter about how to watch out for Federal Arbiters.


    ¡°Bitch is an Arbiter? No offense ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°None taken.¡± Arbiters were a different breed of cop. While they were assigned to districts and the control of local police forces, they had the authority to make arrests anywhere. An Arbiter¡¯s word was as good as gold in court too, so getting into their ranks took a hell of a lot of work. But all that authority tended to make people edgy.


    Frank walked her back to her truck and gave her a hug before she climbed in. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. I take it you won¡¯t be hard to find?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but give me the name of a local hangout I can reach you. Once I get settled in, I may need a good drink¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see . . . a ce you might like. Hmm. Oh yeah, there¡¯s the Cat Scratch Lounge. If you can¡¯t find something you like there, you ain¡¯t breathing. Figuratively, of course.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Forgot you don¡¯t actually breathe.¡±


    Sadieughed as she closed her door, revved the engine and cranked up the Jimmy Buffet before tearing off down the road at seriously unsafe speeds.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    An hourter . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    She pulled into a ¡°visitor¡± spot at the Midian Precinct Thirteen station house, figuring it might not hurt to check in with her new supervisor before getting a good day¡¯s sleep. The pavement of the parking lot had potholes big enough to require bridges, and there were steel tes where the windows used to be. It looked more like a fortress than a precinct. Sadie smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like it here.¡±


    She walked inside, earning a few more stares and cat calls from local badges and criminals alike. The girl at the front desk was a total goth chick,plete with nose-ring, ck clothes, lipstick and eye-liner, as well as a general sense of ¡°oh-cruel-world¡± that permeated the surrounding area.


    ¡®But she¡¯s cute,¡¯ Sadie thought. She wondered how long it would take to establish a good booty-call list? Vampires were the only of the races who could not actually breed by sexual intercourse. They needed a blood-sharing with another humanoid race to make more vampires. Once reproductive sess is removed as a factor in sex, then it bes all about pleasure, regardless of who the partner is. The majority of vampires were bisexual, participating in sex just for the sensations and for the fun, and Sadie really liked to have fun.


    ¡°Hey,¡± the girl grunted.


    ¡°Howdy . . . Melissa,¡± Sadie said, beaming her brightest smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to Captain Grom.¡±


    ¡°The Captain is very busy,¡± Melissa responded in a monotone that would make a zombie proud. ¡°If you would like to leave your name and a brief message,¡± the girl added, pushing a yellow sticky note pad over the counter, ¡°then I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get back to you soon.¡±


    Sadie decided right then and there that she and Melissa were going to be friends. She didn¡¯t know why, but she didn¡¯t question the desire. This was amon thing for her. And if she knew ONE thing about goth chics ¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I guess I didn¡¯t exin myself,¡± she purred, leaning forward and letting the desk push her breasts up a little. ¡°My name is Arbiter Sadie Hewitt, and the Captain is expecting me.¡±


    The girl, much to her credit, remained rtively cool. Her eyes did go wider and Sadie could sense her blood pulsing a little faster. The girl¡¯s eyes were drawn upward, slowing as Sadie¡¯s beautiful cleavage came into view and then continuing on to her face. The girl was looking closely at Sadie¡¯s slightly-parted lips. The vampire extended her fangs just a bit, and she heard Melissa moan ever so softly under her breath.


    ¡®Yep,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡®Goths dig vampires.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll check to see if Captain Grom is avable,¡± she said calmly, with just the faintest hint of trembling in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯d REALLY appreciate that,¡± she murmured, licking her top teeth slowly but not making it to obvious. She took delight in watching Melissa swallow a breath and then hurrying into the maze of desks, heading towards the Captain¡¯s office. About then, she realized that about a dozen people had stopped to stare at the little encounter. ¡°What?¡± she said, faking being angry. The crowd rapidly dispersed and left her to smile. ¡®This is gonna be fun!¡¯


    Melissa returned to her desk and her previous stoic calm. ¡°He¡¯s over there.¡± She tipped her head.


    ¡°Thanks Mel!¡± Sadie said, taking the girl¡¯s hand and kissing it. ¡°You are a consummate professional, and don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±


    She walked past, ncing out of the corner of her eye. The goth chick was just staring at her hand, wondering what the hell that was about. Finally, she wiped the hand off on her jeans. Sadie navigated the desk maze and stopped to try and wipe a smudge off of the brass namete that so sinctly said, ¡°Captain Grom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    Captain Grom¡¯s office was, to put it nicely, tidy. Sadie normally would have gone with ¡°anal,¡± but she decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt. There was a wand rack on one side of the chair behind and a staff rack on the other.


    ¡®Wizard,¡± Said thought. ¡®Could be worse.¡¯


    There were three categories of magical practitioners, regardless of gender. Wizards focused directed energy into staffs and wands or other simr devices and used them like weapons. Witches needed casting circles, cauldrons andponents, but could effect a wider variety of spells over a wider area. Sorcerers needed nothing but their own will, but theck of foci to take the weight and the sting of spelling slinging off their shoulders, they didn¡¯t tend to throw anything too big.


    ¡°Miss Hewitt,¡± the Captain said, standing and offering her his hand. She ignored it and gave him a back-pping hug. When she withdrew, she saw that he had closed his eyes and was counting to ten.


    ¡®Great,¡¯ she thought. ¡®He¡¯s got personal space issues.¡¯


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do that,¡± he said, settling back into his chair. Captain William Grom was in his early forties, but seemed to be holding up rather well. Salt-and-pepper neatly groomed hair over a square face and even squarer chin. Sadie pegged him as being former military . . . he just had a way about him. ¡°Nothing personal,¡± he continued. ¡°I just prefer to maintain a certain sense of decorum. No one else does, but I do.¡±


    ¡°No sweat Grommie,¡± she said, leaning back in one of the guest chairs and kicking her heels up on his desk. After being red at for twenty seconds in absolute silence, she slowly lowered her feet back to the floor. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He looked at her, then at the file on his desk. ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised to see you in. You must have made good time. How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°Good. Rained like helling up the coast, but I guess I¡¯d better get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I must admit that I¡¯m surprised that the Feds would send and Arbiter, but I¡¯d be lying if I said we didn¡¯t need it. We¡¯ve got a lot of people out citywide, so having someone to help tow the line will be a blessing. And a vampire to boot. Of course, there are parts of Midian that really don¡¯t care for vampires, but many of them don¡¯t care for humans either.¡± He flipped a couple of pages on her record. ¡°Seems exemry,¡± he muttered. ¡°So you¡¯ve been an Arbiter for ¨C¡±


    ¡°About twenty years,¡± she said.


    ¡°Twenty years?¡± He looked at her through the tops of his eyes. ¡°Impressive.¡± Then his brow creased. ¡°I see that you have arge number of . . . altercations, but they all seem to be in order.¡± He stopped, staring at a color photograph.

 541

    Sadie poked her head up to see, then blushed a bit and sunk back in her chair. Vampires could blush, but it usually had to be very arousing or VERY embarrassing to make it happen involuntarily.


    The Captain scrutinized a number of images the same way, then stopped to read a memo. ¡°What is this about Austin and ¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about Austin,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°Miss Hewitt, an entire tour bus and ¨C¡±


    ¡°I . . . do . . . not . . . want . . . to . . . talk . . . about . . . Austin! No charges were pressed so . . . so let¡¯s just write that off as an unfortunate urence. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate urrence?¡± he replied. ¡°The eruption of Pompeii was apparently an ¡®unfortunate urrence as well, at least by those standards.¡± Captain Grom closed the file and sighed. ¡°Very well. Have you got a ce to stay yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m crashing at a hotel today, and my house and the moving truck should be here tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You brought a house with you?¡±


    ¡°Mobile home . . . trailer really. I¡¯m attached to it. Worked with a realtor and got somend to put it on. Got directions in the truck. Everything will get hooked up tomorrow.


    ¡°Excellent. Well, I¡¯ll let you go get some rest and I will see you in a couple of days. We¡¯ll introduce you to your team and ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Team? I¡¯m used to working solo.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s city policy that field personnel work in teams. And even if they didn¡¯t I¡¯d insist that no one goes into the Gravestones without backup.¡±


    ¡°The Gravestones?¡±


    ¡°Your new beat, as it were. It¡¯s a . . . charming little area. Nothing you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    Sadie was getting suspicious, but she chose not to let in bother her. She sprang to her feet, vigorously shook the Captain¡¯s hand and started to leave.


    ¡°Oh, keep your moving and hotel receipts and give them to Melissa when youe in. She does the expense reports around here.¡± The Captain was trying not to start counting again.


    ¡®She helps me get my money back? I really like her.¡¯ Sadie headed towards the door, watching as Melissa tried very hard not to look back. She pped the girl on the butt and said, ¡°See ya soon Mel.¡± In her wake, she heard the grumbling of a very confused goth.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The next night . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Sadie was working out in her yard, digging post holes for where she wanted the deck supports to go. It¡¯d be a while before she got around to building it, but she liked staying busy. The lot was as beautiful as her agent had told her it was, surrounded on all sides by evergreens except for a little path overlooking a tiny town. She¡¯d have to find out the name of the townter. She guessed it must be a really small town, because she only saw a couple of lights flickering down there.


    Her trailer was actually on ten acres ofnd, and she was about a hundred hards from the otherwise empty road. The movers had put up the pre-fab steel building that she used as a garage and work area, and all the utilities were on and running. Moving was one of those times where Sadie dropped some extra cash to make her life so much easier.


    She heard tires on gravel and the peek of headlightsing down her brand new driveway. She really didn¡¯t want trouble, hoping it was just somone who had gotten lost.


    ¡®Just in case,¡¯ she thought, going to the garage and grabbing the double-barrel shotgun off the rack in the truck. It was loaded with silver shot, which meant she¡¯d kill just about any big ugly that came her way.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Even in the cloak of darkness, her eyes could pick out the little green Mini Cooper slowly winding its way down the drive. She¡¯d seen that car parked outside the precinct when she¡¯d dropped off her receipts shortly after sunset. The car came to a stop and someone got out.


    ¡°Mel?¡± Sadie asked. ¡°What the hell are you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°I needed to get your signature on some things.¡± Melissa stopped. ¡°Uhm . . . do you have any light?¡±


    ¡°And it couldn¡¯t wait until I got into work?¡± Sadie was actually a little disappointed. The girl was making it too easy. She ran up the stairs, opened the door to the trailer and flicked on the external light.


    Melissa was treated to an eyefull, and she seemed to be having difficulties keeping her face calm. Sadie was dressed in her ¡°work around the house clothes,¡± which consisted of a cut off pair of denim shorts, a sports bra, her working boots and . . . that was it. Her curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail, all nice and tied up with a red ribbon. To Melissa, she looked more like a trailer-park housewife than a vampire . . . a very, very gorgeous trailer-park housewife.


    ¡°I was going to try and get everything submitted right away so you could getped.¡± Melissa looked at the trailer. ¡°It¡¯s a giant silver twinkie.¡±


    Sadie grinned. ¡°Yes it is! Casa de Hewitt! Complete with everything a hot vampire needs!¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°A bed, a fridge, and a ce to sit and watch television after sex.¡±


    Melissa raised one eyebrow. ¡°Yeah. Right.¡±


    Though the girl was trying to y it cool, Sadie wasn¡¯t buying it. The girl had driven all the way out here in tight leather pants, a silky white blouse and leather vest. She looked like a vampire television dinner: all wrapped up, and just waiting to be warmed up before being eaten. Anyone who¡¯d been around vampire knew that they were a pretentious bunch of snobby aristocrat wannabes, and they loved the whole ¡°tortured soul¡± crap. Vampires often developed ¡°broods,¡± or groups of followers,ckeys, and sexual toys, and there was not race or gender limit on who could join. As a rule, the older and more powerful the vampire, the bigger and more prominent the brood. It seems the older a vampire got, they greater presence they were able to exert on the world around them.


    Sadie decided to y it cool for a bit. As much as she¡¯d like to have some fun with this lean little kitten, she didn¡¯t enjoy herself with someone who didn¡¯t know her rules. ¡°So, where¡¯s that paperwork?¡±


    Melissa reached back into her car and grabbed a clipboard. Sadie noticed that she stretched and leaned in more than she needed to, showing off her slender legs and tight butt. And when her shirt rode up, Sadie saw the girl had extensive tattooing.


    ¡®I wonder how far up it goes?¡¯ she thought idly. She waited for the girl to bring her the clipboard. Sadie started leafing through the papers while Melissa descended to the next rung of the stairs. ¡®She¡¯s making sure her head is below mine. And she¡¯s cocking her head . . . I¡¯ll be damned.¡¯ Melissa was doing exactly what most people would do if trying to make themselves more appealing to a potential vampire master or mistress. ¡®Her neck does look good,¡¯ Sadie thought, admiring the girl¡¯s slim, pale neck. She could hear Melissa¡¯s blood running through her veins like a freight train, making her dedication to a stoic facade all the more admirable.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it. Thanks I guess,¡± Sadie said, giving the girl no visible signs of interest.


    For a moment, Melissa looked . . . frustrated. Not angry or depressed, just frustrated. She turned around and walked back to the car. ¡°No prob,¡± Melissa said.


    That time, Sadie could hear strain in the voice. ¡°Hey.¡± Sadie decided to cut the girl a break. People who came to deal with a traditional vampire tended to have no idea what to do with Sadie Hewitt. ¡°What¡¯s that town down there?¡±


    Melissa stopped and looked puzzled. ¡°I dunno. You got a ce out in the middle of nowhere . . . I¡¯m not familiar with the ¨C¡± The girl stopped, her brow furrowed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Holy crap,¡± was the reply,cking the coolness expressed earlier. ¡°I DO know where that is. It¡¯s New Plymouth. It was supposed to be the one of first towns settled when the darkworlders hit the west coast.¡±


    ¡°Hunh, cool. Thought a ce like that would be busier. Tourists, hotels and the like.¡±


    ¡°Not New Plymouth. It¡¯s been a wraith town for over a hundred years.¡±


    Sadie stomped her foot and growled, ¡°Dammit! No wonder the property was so cheap! I¡¯m gonna ring my agent¡¯s neck.¡± Wraiths tended to give everyone the wiggins, even vampires. A wraith was the spirit of a creature who had died a horrible death or with tremendous rage in its heart. The soul was able to remain physically manifested in this world in the general shape of its owner, and it became a ghost of vengeance. They were physically incredibly powerful that immediately sought out those that had wronged them and enacted upon them the most unpleasent revenges imaginable. Sometimes that was enough to quell the spirit and they slipped away. Strong wraiths created by strong needs for revenge stayed corporeal. There own vengeance satisfied, they acted on the feelings of those around them. Wraiths were often sought out by those who had been wronged, and wraiths were drawn to act on those needs. Some came to enjoy such work, while others sought refuge in quiet ces where the draw of the mob would not weigh on them.


    Besides being devilishly strong and having the ability to appear in both physical and ethereal forms, wraiths had the unique advantage of being nulls: they were untargetable by direct magics and undetectable by most darkworlder senses other than normal sight. This made most darkworlders incredibly uneasy. People tended to stay away from wraiths if they could help it, and it wasn¡¯t umon for a town to die out if a wraith moved in.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Melissa said.


    ¡°Hell, it¡¯s no big thing. May go down there in a couple of days and introduce myself . . . get to know the neighbor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go talk to it? A wraith?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯s usually a ¡®him¡¯ or a ¡®her,¡¯ not an ¡®it.¡¯ I ain¡¯t got no hate in my heart, so there won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

 542

    Melissa nodded and started to turn away. Before Sadie could say anything, she turned back. ¡°You . . . you¡¯re not like any vampire I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡± Sadie asked. ¡°Melissa, why¡¯d you reallye out here tonight? Don¡¯t take me for a food girl. No one dresses like that to get someone to sign papers.¡±


    Melissa actually cracked a tiny grin. ¡°I guess not. You knew?¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart, I was born in the dark, but it wasn¡¯tst night. Girl, you just met me and you don¡¯t even know me. You can¡¯t be more than twenty five, so it isn¡¯t like you¡¯ve seen it all.¡±


    Melissa turned back to her car. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not interested, so I guess I won¡¯t ¨C¡± She stopped because Sadie appeared between her an the door. ¡®Damn she¡¯s fast,¡¯ the girl thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a brood,¡± Sadie said, leaning leisurely against the driver¡¯s side door. ¡°Never have. Ain¡¯t got time to go wiping their asses for them or any of that. I don¡¯t need a bunch of people lickin¡¯ my boots to feel good about myself. Hell, if I wanna feel good about myself, I just look in the mirror.¡± She was grinning big time now.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it isn¡¯t me . . . it¡¯s you? I¡¯ve heard THAT line before. Listen ¨C¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just frustrating. I know what I want,¡± she said, her voice sounding normal now, like she wasn¡¯t putting up a front. This was one of Sadie¡¯s gifts . . . she let people open up to her. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the vamp clubs and done everything right. I¡¯ve been propositioned.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you say yes? If this is the life you want?¡±


    ¡°Because I look up, see the vampire¡¯s face and think . . . what a poser!¡±


    Sadie guffawed, stomping her foot on the ground and gripping the car door for support. ¡°Damn,¡± sheughed, ¡°that¡¯s about as good as I¡¯ve ever heard it put. The bretheren are a might pompous, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s just so frustrating!¡± Melissa continued, showing real, unchecked personality. ¡°I want someone to serve. Just want to find someone worth serving I guess.¡± The girl blushed. ¡°You must think I¡¯m a total loser.¡±


    Sadie shook her head, that pretty white smile lighting up the dark. ¡°Nah. Known lots of folks that follow the path you¡¯re walking, and you¡¯ve already learned the most important rule: know what you¡¯re looking for.¡± She sat on the hood of the car. ¡°As I said, I ain¡¯t looking for a brood. Don¡¯t mean I ain¡¯t looking for a bedmate or . . . twelve. But I¡¯d rather start with a friend than a follower. Get me?¡±


    Melissa cocked her head again, tempting Sadie toy more than just kisses on it. ¡°You really are different.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget it.¡± Sadie slid forward until her feet were on the ground. ¡°If you¡¯re ever looking for a night of nomitment fun, then we can talk. In the meantime ¨C¡± She stopped and offered her hand, Melissa took it and shook it, and the girl looked somewhat relieved. Sadie wondered if she ever talked to someone about how she felt. ¡°You in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d actually freed up my otherwise busy social calender just in case ¨C¡± Melissa blushed again.


    ¡°Hell, it ain¡¯t toote,¡± Sadie replied, brushing her body against Mel¡¯s as she walked by, feeling the girl¡¯s heart beating like a steel drum. ¡°Or, you could grab a couple ofwn chairs from the garage, I¡¯ll grab some Guinness out of the fridge and then you can tell me exactly how much shit I¡¯ve gotten myself into.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    A few dayster . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    ¡°Please turn . . . right . . . in twenty yards,¡± Scarlett crooned. Sadie had gotten a call on her cell when she was in the shower telling her that a liquor store robbery had gone done and they¡¯d cornered the suspects in some low-ie housing projects, so she¡¯d be meeting her team for the first time in the field. She had no idea where she was going, so she¡¯d turned on her in-truck navigation system which she affectionately called Scarlett. Whoever had recorded directions had a sexy voice, so Sadie thought she sounded like a Scarlett.


    ¡°You got it!¡± she shouted, happy to have something to do besides work on the house. She¡¯d finally gotten everything unpacked, including her side-arm and extra ammo for her shotgun, also known as Hooters. She¡¯d named it that after realizing that it had a couple mighty barrels that could knock a man on his ass.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Please . . . stop,¡± the semi-mechanized voice said.


    ¡°If I had a dime for every time I heard that,¡± she said. ¡°No, that would be if she said ¡®don¡¯t stop.¡¯ Okay, I need a date. I¡¯m getting excited by my GPS system.¡± She saw a blockade of squad cars and she pulled her truck up a safe distance behind them.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± a young human man said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to move your ¨C¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t move it until Scarlett tells me to,¡± she said. The man looked confused. Sadie had put her badge on ariat and pulled it out from under her Nike sports jacket. ¡°I¡¯m Arbiter Sadie Hewitt. Who¡¯s running the show?¡±


    The poor kid gulped. Sadie figured he couldn¡¯t be more than a few months out of the academy. He¡¯d pressed his uniform for crying out loud.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Arbiter?¡± He shook off his surprise. ¡°That would be Officer Koloff. He¡¯s the one over by the gate.¡±


    ¡°Thanks hot stuff,¡± she said, giving him a p on the behind. ¡®Cute too. I¡¯m liking this precinct so far!¡¯ ¡°Officer Koloff!¡± she said, slinging her shotgun across her back and putting her pistol belt on. She pulled out her Smith and Wesson Model 500 S&W fifty caliber revolver and made sure there was a little piece of hell in every chamber. One of the great things about being an Arbiter was that just about every gun you could imagine was on the ¡°eptable side arm¡± list.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± the man said. This was one big dude, standing a full foot taller than Sadie with dark hair, dark goatee and muscles in ces where most people didn¡¯t have ces.


    ¡®Now that,¡¯ she thought, ¡®is a whole lot of man. Yummy!¡¯ Sadie shed her most winning smile and offered her hand. ¡°Sadie Hewitt, here to help.¡±


    The man looked annoyed and narrowed his eyes to slits. ¡°YOU¡¯RE the Arbiter?¡±


    ¡°Why do people keep saying it like that? YES, I¡¯m the Arbiter!¡± She took a deep whiff and realized she could have problems besides catching the criminals. This guy was a werewolf, and those furry fuckers were a might unpredictable.


    Officer Koloff crushed his coffee cup without even thinking about it. He was not happy about being reced by anyone, he was not happy about an outsidering into his beat, and was definitely not happy that is was a woman wearing hip-huggers.


    ¡°Listen, we think we know where they are and since you don¡¯t know the area, how about you sit this one out ¨C¡±


    ¡°How about you sit and spin?¡± Sadie replied, her cheerful disposition still unblemished. ¡°Give us a minute?¡± she asked sweetly to the two other officers. When they dyed, looking to Koloff for guidance, Sadie continued with, ¡°Now! Are you waiting for him to pin a corsage on you? Get the heck out of here.¡±


    The two officers left.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get this over with. I outrank you. We both know that. That being said, I have no desire to take over just for kicks. Like you said, this is your turf and you know the rules. I¡¯m more than willing to take your lead on this for that very reason. But try and keep me from doing the job I was brought here to do, and you and I will have serious problems and I would HATE to embarrass you in front of your men by kicking your ass in front of them. Got it?¡±


    Koloff flushed as red as he could. ¡°Technically,¡± he gritted through his teeth, ¡°they¡¯re your men. This is your team and I ¨C¡± Koloff seemed like he was going to choke on his own tongue. ¡°I am your Second.¡±


    ¡®Great way to start a working rtionship,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡°Who all do we have?¡±


    ¡°You already met Officer Delvin. He¡¯s as green as algae. Officer Fitzpatrick is our spell slinger . . . he¡¯s . . . there he is.¡± Koloff pointed to a slightly overweight gentlemen who was carrying a heavy oak staff with a crystal orb embedded in one end. ¡°You¡¯ve got a full S. W. A. T. unit at your disposal. Oh, and then there¡¯s Bart.¡±


    ¡°Bart?¡±


    ¡°Short for Bartholomew. He¡¯s the demon standing over by the hydrant.¡±


    Sadie froze. There was, as point of fact, a demon on the street corner. It seemed to be male, covered in yellow scales with glowing green eyes. He was thin, but that didn¡¯t fool Sadie. She knew how dangerous demons were.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Koloff muttered. He¡¯d had the same reaction when he¡¯d learned that he was getting saddled with a spawn of the Nether Realm. Demons were one of the only races on Earth that never actually originated there. Demons sometimes escaped the fifteen levels of their hell dimension and into Earth, where they tended to perform unspeakable acts of evil, as was their nature. Any demon worth its salt would kill you and rape the corpse as soon as look at you.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Koloff continued. ¡°Bart was bound by the whole Northwestern Coven to obey the Midian police department and enforce thew as directed. He¡¯s in year three of a century sentence.¡±


    That made Sadie feel a little better, though she still had no desire to work with the damn thing. Demons could get to you in more ways than just hurting you. They always told the truth, but rarely the whole truth. They could twist the concept of ¡°honesty¡± around on you and make you so confused you didn¡¯t know which way was up.


    ¡°Great . . . great.¡± Sadie shook her head. She knew her boss at the Federal Arbiters Bureau had something to do with this. He must¡¯ve been real pissed about Austin to ¡°arrange¡± for her to have this crew. Just because the demon would physically do everything to keep those he or she was bound to safe didn¡¯t mean that he was always safe to be around. There were a lot of ways to hurt someone. She wondered what Bart had been caught doing that got him stuck in a gig that he had to find demeaning. Then she decided that she didn¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°Think you can handle it?¡± Koloff asked, smirking just a bit.


    Sadie¡¯s pearly whites made a reappearance. ¡°Darlin¡¯, I¡¯ll always pick a challenge over the same ol¡¯, same ol¡¯!¡± She patted him on the arm. ¡°Damn, do you work out? Nice!¡± She felt his bicep for a second. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your first name?¡±

 543

    ¡°dimir, but how does that ¨C¡±


    ¡°Okay d ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dimir, not ¨C¡±


    ¡°d, don¡¯t interrupt me. It¡¯s rude. Anyway, give me the skinny on the localyout and what you had in mind, and we¡¯ll catch us some meanies!¡±


    Officer Koloff turned away, and Sadie could hear him grinding his teeth. He waved to a couple of people as he approached a car that had aptop sitting on it. Someone had Google Earth loaded up and it was zoomed in on the neighborhood.


    ¡°Okay everyone,¡± Koloff growled, this is Arbiter Hewitt, and she¡¯s . . . taking over this team for the foreseeable future. She¡¯s been gracious enough to let those of use who have been here for a while to run THIS particr operation ¨C¡±


    ¡°No sweat!¡± she added cheerfully, giving him a p on the ass.


    Koloff cocked his neck in one direction until it made a cracking noise, then he did the other side. ¡°As I was saying, we¡¯ve got three perps in one of these three buildings.¡± He used some kind of device to circle the buildings on the screen.


    ¡°Cool! A Madden pen! Can I ¨C¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s my pen!¡± Koloff growled, then realized he sounded like a five-year-old screaming for his favorite toy. ¡°All three perps are armed with low-grade semi-automatic assault rifles. We¡¯ve cleared the area of civilians, and I¡¯d like to handle this before the press gets here.¡± He looked at Sadie. ¡°Normally they¡¯d be here already, but no one likes toe into the Gravestones. They¡¯re probably still drawing straws to see who gets stuck with the job.¡±


    Sadie looked around, and noticed that the onlooking crowd of ¡°civilians¡± had a very seedy atmosphere to them. ¡°Got it. So how are we handling containment?¡±


    Koloff¡¯s visage softened for just a moment. ¡®Maybe the girl knows her business after all.¡¯ He should have expected that she would, being an Arbiter and all. They didn¡¯t let just anyone in to that particr club and he should know: he¡¯d applied three times and been rejected. ¡°Got snipers on the rooftops here, here, here, and here. Blocks off the area. We¡¯ve got sniffer units with backup in the park and over at the Quick Stop if they break containment. I . . . we were nning on doing a sweep from here to here, driving them to the boulevard where they¡¯ll be out in the open.¡±


    Sadie decided that she and d were going to be friends. The man knew his business.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± she said, nodding her approval. ¡°Just to be safe, double up the snipers at that end of containment in case they outright bolt when they run out of ces to hide. Who can see this manhole cover? I really don¡¯t want these guys going to ground on us. Gunfights in tunnels make my skin edgy.¡±


    Koloff begrudgingly admitted to himself that it wasn¡¯t a bad addition to the n. He got on his walkie-talkie. ¡°I need to more sets of eyes on the northern and eastern positions. And get me some blue-suiters in the alley next to the pharmacy and tell them to keep their eyes on anyone trying to get into the sewers.¡±


    ¡°When do I get my walkie talkie?¡± Sadie asked, almost petntly. She didn¡¯t have her own Madden pen, she didn¡¯t have a walkie talkie . . . It just wasn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your equipment when we get to the station,¡± Koloff replied, rolling his eyes. ¡®I will not like her,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I will not, I will not, I will not!¡¯


    ¡°Fine. You seem to have things handled from the ground level. I¡¯m going to go topside in case they go high. Don¡¯t ask me why, but for some reason these guys sometimes go up where they have nowhere to run just because they¡¯ve seen bad guys do it in movies and it looked cool.¡± She looked around. ¡°Would one of you big strong men lend me your walkie talkie?¡± She¡¯d used her best Marilyn Monroe voice, and it worked. Nearby officers fumbled all over themselves trying to get her to use their equipment. She picked one out of the crowd. ¡°Thanks babe,¡± she said, then hooked it onto her belt.


    Officer Koloff was gritting his teeth again. The girl was all over the ce. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a vest?¡± he asked. ¡°They DO have guns. I¡¯m pretty sure I mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Oh d, you worry too much. Besides, those things really don¡¯t tter my figure.¡± She beamed a smile at him. ¡°So, let¡¯s get it started, ha! Let¡¯s get it started in here,¡± she sang, dancing her way over to a gutter drainage pipe on the closest building. She was swaying her hips quite provocatively, making many officerspletely forget why they were there.


    ¡°She has a nice singing voice,¡± Officer Devlin muttered.


    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± Koloff said. ¡®He¡¯s right though.¡¯ He watched as she grabbed the pipe and scurried up the side of the building, disappearing over the ledge with amazing speed. He¡¯d actually almost forgotten that she was a vampire.


    *Little Bo Peep to Big Bad Wold. I¡¯m in position. Over. (click) *


    Several officers snickered as Koloff just stared at his walkie talkie.


    *I said . . . Is this thing on? Little Bo Peep to Big Bad Wolf. Are you ready to roll? Over. (click)*


    Dead silence.


    *d? What the hell frequency are people on? (tap tap tap) (click)*


    More silence.


    *dimir? (click)*


    ¡°Yes?¡± Koloff asked smoothly.


    *Are we ready to get started? (click)*


    ¡°We¡¯ll bust down the first door in sixty seconds. Please stand by.¡±


    Sadie watched the assault team approach the door from a hidden location on the rooftop. The roof was littered with ledges, air conditioning units, fireces, piping, and misceneous odds and ends that people had brought up over the years rather than throw away. It was a mess which, in Sadie¡¯s mind, made it fun.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care how hard he tries to deny it,¡¯ she thought. ¡®he WILL like me!¡¯ As soon as the boots hit the door, she took off running across the rooftops, looking for points of egress. She located the top of the fire escape and the ess door for maintenance, then found a good spot of cover to watch both of them from until she got the all-clear from the people down below. So she ran towards the second building, jumping across a ten-foot divide as easy as walking. The second building had multiple methods into the building, so she stood on top of one of them, pointing the shotgun at one and her pistol at the other. She hoped she didn¡¯t have to use the shotgun, since silver shot was expensive.


    *Nothing here, but we heard some doors mming the next building over. All personnel except the snipers converge on building number three. (click)*


    Sadie would normally have rmended caution on the off chance that the quarry had hidden well and could sneak out after being passed over, but she chose not to. This was Koloff¡¯s gig, so she¡¯d let him sink or swim. Besides, it was hard to hide from a werewolf¡¯s nose, even in human form. So she headed towards the third roof. The gap wasn¡¯t as far this time, so she decided to put on a show for the snipers. She stowed both guns again, then did a cartwheel into a back springboardplete with a half-pike roll,nding on the edge of building three with perfect grace. She saw the glint off of one of the sniper¡¯s scopes and blew him or her a kiss. Then her own guns came out and she got back to work.


    ¡°I love my job!¡± she said to a fleeing rooftop pigeon who realized that a dangerous predator had just invaded its nesting area.


    Gunshots erupted from the building below her.


    ¡°Someone talk to me!¡± she shouted into her walkie-talkie.


    *We¡¯re taking fire! (click)*


    ¡°No shit!¡±


    *We got one pinned at the end of the hallway, and a second just shot out the back door. No idea where the third one is. (click)*


    *Sir,* came an unknown voice, *we caught the squirter who came out back. (click)*


    *Careful Arbiter Hewitt. Devlin heard footstep going upstairs!¡±


    Sadie hurried along the rooftop. She wasn¡¯t worrying about the fire-escapes yet. The guy would probably head up hear and then try to climb down. She spotted the ess door about the time it opened, and the third gunmen came charging out.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she whispered. The young man in front of her couldn¡¯t be more than eighteen, and he had a look of panic in his young eyes. She wondered briefly how a kid like this could have got caught up in something so stupid and trivial as holding up a liquor store. ¡®He should be more concerned with getting a prom date,¡¯ she thought. But young or no, he had a gun and was terrified, making him very dangerous.


    *Arbiter, I have a shot. Please ¨C*


    ¡°No! He¡¯s just a kid. I¡¯ll take him. Stand down unless he kills me. Then you have my permission to kill him right back. Over.¡±


    *Arbiter, let the shooter ¨C*


    ¡°Negative!¡± she said, diving behind a hulking rusted out air-conditioner as the startled young man squeezed the trigger, spreading lead all over the rooftop.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Sadie had to think fast. ¡°If I haven¡¯t subdued him in ten seconds, take the shot!¡± she shouted into her walkie-talkie. ¡®Well,¡¯ she thought, ¡®here goes nothing.¡¯ Her heart was pounding and she took a deep breath. I wasn¡¯t that she needed to breathe, but she found the act rxing.


    One . . .


    Sadie stowed her rifle and pistol and whipped out her handcuffs.


    . . . two . . .


    She took off at breakneck speed, her eyes seeking out cover.


    . . . three . . .


    The young man swung his rifle to Sadie¡¯s new position, so Sadie did a diving roll forward, cing her behind a brick chimney.


    . . . four . . .

 544

    The gunman fired, unloading bullet after bullet into Sadie¡¯s cover. Sadie, realizing that he would be watching the only two ways out, the left and the right, chose option three. She leaped through the air, clearing the chimney andnding just a few feet to her opponent¡¯s right-hand side.


    . . . five . . .


    Sadie caught the boy¡¯s wrist as he tried to turn the gun on her, pping one end of her cuffs on it.


    . . . . six . . .


    She stepped around to her adversaries back while kicking backward with her heel, knocking the gun from his hand.


    . . . seven . . .


    The young man was panicking. He¡¯d never seen anyone move like this. He swung his free arm, trying to elbow this woman in the face.


    . . . . eight . . .


    Sadie caught his free arm, twisting it behind his back and pping the other half of the cuffs on him.


    . . . nine . . .


    She ducked down and did a spinning leg-sweep, knocking him to the ground with his arms pinned beneath him.


    . . . ten.


    ¡°Got him!¡± she said happily.


    *We noticed! Nice work Arbiter! (click)*


    ¡°Shuck! It was nothing! Call me Sadie.¡±


    *Hey,* came Koloff¡¯s voice, sounding a little annoyed, *we caught one too! (click)*


    ¡°Yes you did, you big strong wolf man!¡± she said, using the voice usually reserved for talking to pets and babies. At the other end, she heard silence. ¡°d? die?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    An hour before sunrise . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Sadie was having a great time. She¡¯d invited the entire team out for drinks when their shift ended. About a quarter of them showed, with the rest having to get home to their families or other obligations. She¡¯d called Melissa to see if she wanted to go, but the girl had refused. ¡®Can¡¯t quite figure her out,¡¯ Sadie had thought.


    Also conspicuous by his absence was d. She had asked if he ever hung out with his men or if it was just because it was Sadie who had asked, but she had only gotten some snickers in return. It had been Fitzpatrick who had shed some light on that subject.


    ¡°See,¡± the man had said in a semi-drunken slur, ¡°he probably had to go home because his wife is a bitch.¡±


    ¡°You know that female werewolves HATE being called ¨C¡±


    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s not a werewolf. She¡¯s an elf. And she most definitely is a bitch. No idea why ¡®e married her. They go together like sex and nunneries.¡±


    Sadie didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that she had enjoyed many a night of passionate sex in nunneries, but chose not to. He was a good-old-boy kind of wizard and she would hate to burst his bubble by telling him the only thing that attempting to repress your sexual feelings did was make you really horny.


    ¡°And what I don¡¯t get is he does anything she asks, and it ain¡¯t even the good stuff. He ain¡¯t no woose, which you can see fer yourself. He¡¯d probably have a big pack here in Midian if he¡¯d just lose her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he loves her and ¨C¡±


    Fitzpatrick spit out his drink. ¡°Love ¡®er? He can¡¯t STAND her.¡±


    Sadie had let their field wizard go off on a tangent while secretly trying to scope out her chest. She¡¯d gotten a fair amount of notice from her team, which didn¡¯t bother her in the least. She¡¯d have to be careful though. She didn¡¯t mind bedding colleagues, but she stayed away from people directly under her control. It led to bad feelings. It was a shame really, since she had some fine looking specimens, including young officer Trent Devlin.


    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t been saddled with them as a team, I could bang anyone I wanted.¡¯ That soured her mood a bit, but not for long. Sadie was almost incapable of staying depressed.


    ¡°You got a ride home?¡± she asked Fitzpatrick, who was on the verge of falling asleep in his chair.


    ¡°Yah. Devlin will get me home. He¡¯s a good kid.¡± Fitzpatrick threw an arm around the rookie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know that right? You are a good kid.¡±


    ¡°Yes Donnie. You¡¯ve told me that several times.¡± The young man was blushing, hating feeling like ¡°the kid¡± in front of his knockout new boss.


    Sadie actually hadn¡¯t drunk that much and it took a lot to get her to where she knew she shouldn¡¯t drive, so she got up and headed out to her truck. ¡®Not a bad first night at all.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take her long to get home, and she had to resist the urge to drop by the Cat Scratch Club to look for Frankenstein or a littlepany. When her truck finally weaved its way down than narrow stretch of gravel leading to her trailer, she found not one but two visitors.


    Melissa was there, dressed in a simr outfit to the one she had first worn over. She was leaning against the trailer, keeping an eye on the other neer. Sadie didn¡¯t even need to guess who that guy was. He just screamed vampire-weingmittee.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Hey Mel!¡± Sadie said happily, waving at the young woman. ¡°You should¡¯vee out out for drinks. It rocked the hiz-ouse!¡±


    Mel¡¯s face kept that stoic form she used with most people but Sadie. ¡°Yeah. Sounded like fun.¡± She was almost ring at the vampire standing next to his ck Porsche. Sadie wondered how he¡¯d gotten something with such low clearance down her driveway.


    ¡°Sadie Hewitt,¡± the man said smoothly, taking off the obligatory sunsses that so many vampires feltpelled to wear at night, ¡°my name is Michael Dazza. I represent the Midian Council and was sent to wee you do our little corner of the world,¡± he finished with a deep bow. ¡°I was asked to confirm a date for you to present yourself to the Council so that you might meet your brethren and ¨C¡±


    ¡°That would be never,¡± Sadie said primly, having a seat on the hood next to Melissa. ¡°How long has the suit been here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°About an hour. He got here right after I did.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have waited, or at least called ¨C¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Mr. Dazza said, looking irritated. Vampires hated being ignored. ¡°What do you mean ¡®never¡¯? It is your duty ¨C¡±


    ¡°Dazzy boy, I never really cared much for duty, or tradition or . . . well, anything that probably gets you all hard in your shorts.¡± That got a snicker out of Melissa. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t pay dues . . . or attention for that matter. So go on back to your Council and tell ¡¯em that I¡¯m not here to cause problems but I just as soon they left me alone and stayed out of my business. Got it?¡±


    ¡°This is highly improper!¡± Dazza growled.


    ¡°Improper is what I n on doing with this littledy as soon as you get going,¡± Sadie replied, wrapping an arm around Melissa¡¯s shoulders. She didn¡¯t like the way this clown was eying her, and since Melissa didn¡¯t seem at all interested in him, ¡°So why don¡¯t you get to getting?¡±


    The other vampire looked furious. The light of the full moon really didn¡¯t help hisplexion one bit. ¡°This is yours?¡± he said, his voice suddenly dripping with sugar. ¡°She doesn¡¯t smell imed.¡±


    ¡°Gimme a break! I just got here! I¡¯m taking her for a test drive, seeing if I want to buy.¡±


    Melissa nodded, offering her neck to Sadie in a submissive gesture. Even though they were just ying a game to piss this guy off, Sadie couldn¡¯t resist a lick and kiss to that beautiful skin.


    ¡°I¡¯d invite you to stay, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to like you.¡± Sadie stared at him for a minute. ¡°You¡¯re still here. Could you please correct that?¡±


    Dazza had no idea what to do. He¡¯d probably never encountered this kind of reception in his life. He turned and got back into his car, heading at a snail¡¯s pace down the drive. Sadie took great delight in hearing that expensive car bottom out in at least two ces.


    ¡°So . . . why aren¡¯t you presenting yourself to the Council?¡± Mel asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t stand ¡¯em. It¡¯s like the world¡¯s most boring wine and cheese party, except everyone walks around being mysterious. It¡¯s dull.¡±


    ¡°Will you get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll get bad-mouthed and probably can¡¯t expect much help from them, but I can live with that.¡±


    Melissa smiled. ¡°You really are a different beast.¡±


    ¡°You should smile more often. You¡¯ve got a great smile. Why didn¡¯t youe out with us tonight?¡±


    The girl shrugged. ¡°I really don¡¯t want most people at work to see me as . . . approachable. I¡¯m not a people person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure you out.¡±


    ¡°Join the club.¡± Melissa was quiet for a moment. ¡°I know you said that you don¡¯t do broods, but . . . but ¨C¡±


    Sadie hopped off the car and stood in front of the youngdy. ¡°But what? You had a potential brood master standing in front of you and you didn¡¯t even blink.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want just anyone,¡± Melissa said, getting a little angry.


    ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    Melissa sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure. I don¡¯t like or trust most vampires that I¡¯ve met, but I can¡¯t shake this feeling, this . . . need.¡± She blushed from head to toe. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m even talking to you about this.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it helps just to get things off your chest.¡± Sadie lowered her eyelids halfway. The girl looked good, and she hadn¡¯t left yet. ¡°What kind of rtionships have you been it? How do you know that being a broodling is what you want, or are you just a goth submissive?¡±


    ¡°And the award for making-me-really ufortable goes to . . . you!¡± Melissa replied, fighting to regain her stoic poise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to embarrass you. I just think that you should know for sure what you want before you get into something dangerous. Being in a brood with a callous or particrly pompous vampire can be VERY dangerous. Same with having a bad dom in just a sexual rtionship. I¡¯ve seen people want in so badly that they give themselves to the wrong person, and sometimes they can¡¯t get themselves back.¡±


    Melissa cocked that one eyebrow again. ¡°You know, you¡¯re actually behaving all serious now. You¡¯re a lot more depressing when you¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m ALWAYS willing to be yful,¡± Sadie responded, letting her smilee back. She pushed forward, spreading Melissa¡¯s knees slightly with her hips. Melissa didn¡¯t move except to lower her head, but didn¡¯t break eye contact. ¡®Her first response when approached sexually is to submit.¡¯ The girl seemed excited, so much so that the pounding of her heart echoed in Sadie¡¯s ears. ¡®Now to test something else.¡¯ She ced one hand on the side of Melissa¡¯s head and the other on the girl¡¯s bare shoulder. Almost instantly, Mel began trembling. It was feint, but Sadie could pick up on it. The closer the vampire¡¯s mouth got to that luscious neck, the worse the trembling got.


    Sadie was very careful and particr about who she bit, but this girl¡¯s delicate neck was tempting her like few things could. But satisfying THAT particr craving was not what this was about, and she had to keep reminding herself of that. She let her fangs extend just enough to touch the skin but not break it. And as she had expected, the girl¡¯s skin wentpletely mmy and she heard a feint whimper. Slowly she pulled her head back away from Melissa¡¯s neck. When their eyes met again, the young goth chick was obviously confused.

 545

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sadie said, her voice soft and serious again. ¡°But I had to know. You don¡¯t belong in a brood.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°What? Why? This was just a test?!¡± Melissa was bing very agitated, and the unfamiliar sight of tears touched her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just ying ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ying with you,¡± Sadie said. ¡°At least, not yet and not unless you want me to. Sweetheart, you¡¯re terrified of getting bitten. That doesn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t handle it, but you need someone who¡¯s only thought would be you. Someone who can work you through it while making sure your other needs are met. You join a brood, and you¡¯re just one of dozens, sometimes as many as a hundred. And you¡¯ll get a rush from the bite, but most vamps won¡¯t take the time to satisfy you sexually. And your sexual needs are probably not the same as most people. A quick wham-bam won¡¯t do. You need someone who will take their time with you, in every conceivable way.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s eyes were searching but bing clear. Sadie was right. And the vampire had seen things that Mel herself had not. She also saw that Sadie was smiling again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t over think it,¡± Sadie said. ¡°I¡¯ve been around along time, and you wouldn¡¯t be the first person I¡¯ve seen go looking for some darklworlder loving for the wrong reason. That isn¡¯t to say that a vampire might not wind up being the person you¡¯re looking for, but it could be a human, werewolf or something else. You¡¯ve already figured out part of it . . . just anyone won¡¯t do. Don¡¯t feel bad if it takes a while to find, because when you do it will make all the difference.¡±


    Mel nodded. Actually, she suddenly felt better. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with her. Instead, her instincts had simply help keep her from making a bad choice. She was only twenty-five, so maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to wait a while longer. ¡°And that ¡®someone¡¯ can¡¯t be you, can it?¡±


    Sadie shook her head. ¡°I can be your friend,¡± she said, ¡°and I can be a lover. I can help you develop your skills . . . ain¡¯t like I haven¡¯t done that game before. But I don¡¯t want to settle for just one person right now. Monogamy just ain¡¯t in my nature. I like men and women, often at the same time. All this means that I couldn¡¯t give you that attention all the time that we were talking about. If you could live with that and not go falling all in love with me, as SO many people seem to wanna do,¡± Sadie continued, her voice full of mirth, ¡°then you are wee in my bed. Regardless, I promise to help you find ¡®that special one.¡¯ Be careful though. All kidding aside, you strike me as the kind of person who when you fall for someone, you¡¯re going to fall hard.¡±


    Melissa took a deep breath. She¡¯d gotten more out of this outing than she¡¯d expected, and she found it oddlyforting. She also realized that she didn¡¯t want it to end yet.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that we COULD y a bit, as long as it was light and no strings attached?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Sadie purred, grabbing the girl¡¯s narrow hips and pulling her close. ¡°And no biting. If you do think you might chose a vamp down the road, you should save that. It¡¯ll make it special for you AND them. Trust me on that.¡±


    Melissa took a breath and then, ¡°So please . . . teach me.¡±


    Sadie nuzzled the side of Melissa¡¯s neck, exhaling a soft breath onto the girl¡¯s skin. She kissed the girl¡¯s jawbone, letting her tongue trail along her cheek until it almost touched her lips. Sadie pulled back just a bit as Mel¡¯s lips puckered longingly. ¡®Damn I¡¯m good,¡¯ she thought. Then her lips met her friend¡¯s and her tongue wormed its way inside Melissa¡¯s mouth.


    Melissa had never thought herself a bad kisser, but realized after a moment that she could learn a lot from this blond devil-woman. Her lips were soft, her tongue was strog and nimble, and the warmth . . . oh that delicious, intoxicating warmth. And so far, those lips were the only thing that had touched her.


    Sadie grabbed Melissa¡¯s bottom lip in her teeth and pulled, drawing the girl forward until she almost fell off the hood of her car. And then that bottom lip was released. The vampire walked backwards, her hands sliding up her t stomach to her round breasts. She unbuttoned the vest but did not remove it, letting the sides fall and revealing her tanned globes. Then she raised her hand and curled her finger, beckoning Melissa toe forward.


    The girl did asmanded. As she approached, Sadie spun around, pushing her shoulder¡¯s backward with her arms at her side. A quick nce was all that was required for Melissa to realize what she was supposed to do. She ced her fingers on those defined shoulders and slid the vest off, folding in neatly and draping it over her arm. When Sadie spun around again, it was hard to concentrate.


    ¡®No one should look that good,¡¯ she thought jealously. She soaked in the perfect ten in a figure eight before her. As Sadie walked past, she traced a finger along Melissa¡¯s jawline, then headed up the steps to her door with Melissa in tow.


    The only thing that could have surprised Melissa more than the position she had found herself in would be the interior of Sadie¡¯s trailer. Gone were the trappings and images of white trash that Sadie fostered outside. The interior of the trailer was a single long room with no barriers. At one end was the living room, decked out withfortable looking leather furniture, an old-fashioned pot-bellied firece and some beautiful paintings. One of them was the best Van Gogh imitation paintings she¡¯d ever seen.


    In the middle of the trailer was a clean kitchen with a white tile floor and brand new dark-steel appliances. The bedroom and bathroom were at the other end. The bed was a enormous four-poster with a king-sized mattress and a frame made of some dark hardwood that Melissa didn¡¯t recognize. There was one of those old-fashioned bathtubs next to the wall and a walk-in shower in the corner.


    ¡°It¡¯s small, but I call it home,¡± Sadie chuckled. The first thing she did was to take off her boots and put them in a box next to the door, nodding for Melissa to do the same. ¡°I love this carpeting.¡± She walked straight past the kitchen and to the tub. ¡°Draw me a bath,¡± she said, before lounging on the bed, her torso propped up on one elbow as she watched her ¡°servant¡± do her work. She was impressed by the fluidity of Melissa¡¯s movements, kneeling with precision and grace as she turned the tap water on. The vampire was willing to bet that this wasn¡¯t at all what Melissa had in mind, but the girl needed to learn that being a submissive wasn¡¯t just about sex. Some doms insisted on taking it to the next level, so Sadie needed to see how far the girl was willing to go.


    The bath filled, so Sadie stood up and walked back to the tub, Melissa still on her knees. As an indicator, she undid the button on her jeans, after which Mel took over. It was fun watching the kneeling goth peel off those jeans and take a look at the tiniest g-string ever created. Melissa could tell that the vampire was clean shaven, because if there wasn¡¯t enough fabric there to cover anything. She reached for the sides, but Sadie stepped forward. That little piece of heaven was just inches from Melissa¡¯s face.


    ¡°Continue,¡± Sadie cooed.


    Melissa pulled the strings down, taking a deep whiff of the aroma. ¡®Does she perfume down there? She smells so wonderful.¡¯ She helped the bronzed vampire goddess into the bath as was handed a washcloth. Her sleeve got wet, but she didn¡¯tin. She scrubbed every inch of that beautiful body until Sadie took the washcloth away.


    ¡°I feel sooooooo clean,¡± Sadie said. ¡°Now to feel a little dirty again.¡± She grabbed Melissa¡¯s hand and ced it between her thighs. ¡°Make sure you get everything.¡± Then Sadie just leaned back in the tub. It was odd though, in Melissa¡¯s opinion, that when Sadie¡¯s head got close to the water, the woman froze up for a moment. Instead, she rested her head on the back of the tub and closed her eyes.


    As a point of fact, Melissa had never been with a woman before. She¡¯d always been attracted and had often expected this to happen, but she was still nervous. Luckily, what she was doing now was akin to masturbation, and THAT she knew how to do. ¡®Her pussy is so smooth,¡¯ she thought, her fingers gliding over its surface under the water. She stroked both sides of that swelling mound, teasing the slot with her middle finger. Then she slid that finger inside, curling it forward and wondering if vampires had a g-spot. Though the vampire was trying to stay stoic, Melissa could tell that she was having some sess from a low moan and faint smile that was turning up the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°And I did say ¡®everything,''¡± the vampire said, her eyes staying shut.


    ¡°Yes mistress,¡± Melissa said. She pushed her hand deeper into the water, her index finger seeking out that tight little anal ring. When she found it, she pushed that finger in while inserting her thumb into the recently vacated pussy.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± Sadie said happily. ¡°Now keep going until I tell you to stop.¡±


    Melissa kept at it for at least ten minutes, and her wrist and shoulder were both tiring. But she would not quite and she would notin. And when her mistress¡¯s body seized up a little bit, Melissa felt great pride. Her asshole tightened and her pussy grew even warmer. But she had been told not to stop until Sadie gave the word, so she kept going.


    ¡°Excellent! You remembered,¡± Said said. ¡°Stop.¡± When Melissa pulled her hand away, she stood up and stepped out of the tub. ¡°Dry me.¡±


    Melissa got way more out of toweling that body off than she should have. Running her hands over thoserge breasts and perfect ass with only a thin sheet of terrycloth between hands and Sadie¡¯s skin. She took especially good care when drying the pussy she had so recently pleasured.


    ¡°Now stand up and let¡¯s have a look at you,¡± Sadiemanded, sitting back on the bed with her legs crossed. ¡°And do it slowly, keeping your eyes on mine the whole time.¡±


    Melissa again did as she was told, starting with her leather pants. But taking pants off while maintaining eye contact was tricker than it looked.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Sadie said disapprovingly. The girl was wearing some K-mart cotton panties, and they just didn¡¯t tter the young woman. Melissa had some of the longest legs Sadie had ever seen, and the young woman needed something more ttering. She watched as Melissa undid her vest and removed that top. ¡®Pierced nipples?¡¯ the vampire thought. ¡®Oh I¡¯m going to have fun with those!¡¯ And hovering just over that cute pussy was a littlending strip pointing straight toward her destination. ¡®That¡¯s cute¡¯

 546

    Melissa wasn¡¯t big on curves, but she had drool-worthy legs, a tight stomach and perky little breasts, with little silver barbells through each pink nipple. Sadie stood up and walked to her closet. She wasn¡¯t actually prepared for this, so she¡¯d have to improvise. She returned with several scarves, and a small bag, but Melissa couldn¡¯t see what was in it.


    ¡°Stand next to the bed, facing me. Good, now spread your legs as far as you can. That¡¯s something you¡¯d better get used to hearing,¡± the vampired added, reaching out and quickly fingering the girl¡¯s wet sex. She then tied one scarf to each ankle and stretched it to reach the nearest bedpost base. Then she had Melissa stretch her arms out, and her wrists were secured with more scarfs.


    ¡°Now sweetling, we¡¯re going to start testing your limits. Find out if you¡¯re vani,¡± Sadie said, caressing one breast, ¡°or hardcore.¡± With that, she grabbed the other nipple firmly, squeezing it down on the barbell and then tugging on it until Melissa gasped. ¡°As soon as you want to stop,¡± the vampire continued, pulling a little harder, ¡°just say so. This will help us find out what kind of dom would be best for you. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mel said her voice wavering but still under control.


    Sadie saw something, so she had to pause the game. ¡°You look afraid,¡± she whispered, running her hands up and down the girl¡¯s ribs,forting her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. If this ever scares you, and I mean REALLY scares you, you need to stop it. If you have good dom, he or she will let you. And whatever you do, don¡¯t let your fear try and make you prove something. If you really can¡¯t take it, let me or whoever know. You could get really hurt. Believe it or not, a good dom will NEVER take you past what you can handle.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s breathing calmed a bit. ¡°I just . . . I just never really got this far before. Some handcuffs, maybe a little spanking.¡± Then she realized she was talking normally. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mistress ¨C¡±


    ¡°No, hold on for just a second more. This is what I need to know. What you¡¯ve done and what you¡¯re prepared to do. Keep that in mind at all times, and I promise you I will make it as good for you as possible. Now, are you ready?¡±


    Melissa nodded.


    Sadie smiled, leaned in and kissed her captive. ¡°Then let¡¯s see what you¡¯re made of.¡± She lowered her lips to each exposed breast one at a time, taking the nipple between her teeth and tugging. Sadie was convinced that her young friend was coing to cum right then and there. ¡®Sensitive nipples . . . check!¡¯ She knelt lower, letting fingernails drag across Mel¡¯s stomach until they reached the promisednd, She kissed the girl¡¯s clit, massaging the sides of Melissa¡¯s mound with her thumbs. Then she ran her tongue up the cleft, tasting the young woman as intimately as she could.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Melissa moaned, ¡°how is this ¡®testing¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Sadie said, standing up and pushing her body against her lover¡¯s. ¡°That was for me, you self-centered little slut.¡± She stood on her toes and licked the girls neck before teasing her with her teeth again. ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it.¡± She reached into the bag she¡¯d brought and pulled out a handful of clothespins. ¡°What?¡± she said, looking at Melissa¡¯s surprised and bemused expression, ¡°can¡¯t a vampire do someundry?¡± She attached one clothespin to each nipple, tugging on the wooden handles with great amusement. Then she left the breasts alone, taking a step back to y with herself and watch the girl¡¯s reactions.


    Melissa looked like she badly wanted to touch herself. Her mouth betrayed the exquisite pleasure that the numbing pain in her nipples was providing. Sadie went back to work, grabbing more pins and kneeling on the floor. She attached one pin to eachbia, then another. She let them hang there, listening to Mel whimper. She had to see if it was a good ¡°I¡¯m about to cum¡± whimper or a ¡°Damn that hurts¡± whimper. ¡®Not bad so far.¡¯ So she pressed her index finger deep into that beautiful sex and curled her finger, stroking the front vaginal wall, whipping the girl¡¯s clit with her tongue. ¡®Hmm, a pin on the clit might be a bit much,¡¯ she thought. ¡®And not nearly as much fun for me.¡¯ Unlike some people, Sadie got almost as much satisfaction out of pleasing her lovers as she did getting pleased herself. She would have preferred just to take Melissa to bed and have at it, but this was what Melissa wanted. And after just a few more strokes, she got a little reward.


    It was fun watching Melissa¡¯s body feel sexual rapture while basically unable to move. From the expression on the girl¡¯s face, this was an unexpected event.


    ¡°You HAVE had an orgasm before, haven¡¯t you?¡± Sadie asked the girl who was biting her lip.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she gasped atst. ¡°Just nothing like that. Uhm . . . the pins down there,¡± Melissa continued meekly, ¡°they¡¯re really beginning to hurt.¡± She looked embarrassed to admit weakness. But she looked visibly relieve when Sadie removed them.


    ¡°The ones on your tits?¡±


    ¡°Leave them,¡± Melissa almost growled, then remembered who she was supposed to be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mistress, I forgot my ce.¡±


    ¡°I should say you did,¡± Sadie said, removing the pins from her lover¡¯s nipples. She sucked on one tortured nub, feeling the girl¡¯s muscles shudder. Then she suckled on the other for a minute before standing up. ¡°Now promise me no more outbursts, or I won¡¯t put these back on.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± Mel said so quickly the words almost knocked Sadie over. ¡°I promise to behave.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll put them on, but first ¨C¡± Sadie went and grabbed a wide belt from her closet, folding it in half and getting on the bed.


    Melissa couldn¡¯t see what was going on, but she could guess what was going to happen. After figuring out how best to do it, Sadie lightly swatted Mel¡¯s backside, which only had a few inches of clearance above the edge of the bed. Then another stroke fell, then another.


    ¡°You handled that well,¡± the vampire said over Mel¡¯s shoulder. She put down the belt and pick the clothespins off the bed again, reach around the girl¡¯s body and attaching them to the nipples again. Then she picked up the belt and returned to the spanking. After twenty strokes, the girl¡¯s ass had turned pink and Sadie picked up a soft sigh of pain, so she put the belt down. She sat on the edge of the bed, right behind Melissa, then wrapped her arms and legs around the girl¡¯s body. Her heels dug into the insides of Mel¡¯s thighs, one had removed the clothespins, and the other had started to masturbate the girl again. Once the pins dropped to the floor, her hand reced them as the primary tormentor of that young breast flesh. Sadie also started to kiss the long muscles of the girl¡¯s back, savoring the sweat and aroma.


    Melissa came again, her juices dribbling out onto her inner thighs. She wasn¡¯t a gusher, but she was certainly wet. Sadie kept her hand moving, providing a gentle pleasure to bring the girl down from her sexual hight.


    The vampire got off the bed and began to untie Melissa.


    ¡°We¡¯re . . . done?¡± Mel gasped, tired but still disappointed that they wouldn¡¯t be going on.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Sadie chuckled. ¡°There are other skills that you need to develop.¡± She undid the knots in the scarves, but then promptly secured Melissa¡¯s hands behind her back with one of them. She pushed Melissa onto the bed, her arms pinned beneath her, then resecured the girls ankles to the bedposts.


    Strangely, Melissa¡¯s firs thought was, ¡®This is the mostfortable bed I¡¯ve ever been on.¡¯ She didn¡¯t have much time to contemte her situation, as Sadie climbed onto the bed and sat on the girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°If I actually need to exin to you what to do, then you are hopeless,¡± Sadie growled, but Melissa quickly showed she needed no further instruction byshing out with her tongue.


    ¡®The girl is all over the ce,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡®She¡¯s got the enthusiasm, but no direction.¡¯ She grinned. ¡®Time for some training.¡¯ Her hands hovered over Melissa¡¯s breasts. Whenever the girl started to do something that the vampire liked, she squeezed those nipples. When that soft tongue went somewhere less pleasurable, she let go. Whenever those tortured nubs were released, the girls tongue action became frenzied, desperately seeking out some hidden pleasure center that would bring back the delicious stinging that she craved. When the girl sucked on Sadie¡¯s clit, the vampire squeezed extra hard. Attention to the anal region achieved simr rewards. Soon, she had the girl eating pussy like a champion.


    Sadie had to let go of her lover¡¯s breasts to pay some attention to her own. Her substantial bosom was already blessed with a light sheen of sweat, making it fun to slide her hands over them, gripping the flesh and letting it overflow her hands. She began humping Melissa¡¯s face, hungry for a dance with the little death. She came like a river in a rainstorm, overflowing its banks and soaking the surrounding terrain. She was pleased to feel that Melissa didn¡¯t stop, teasing Sadie¡¯s asshole with that educated tongue.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Sadie said, her mind still in a dreamy state. She swung around, straddling Mel¡¯s hips and lowering her breasts into suckling position. Again, Mel knew just what to do, trying vainly to wrap her lips around those globes but having some sess with the nipples themselves. ¡°See, you¡¯re a quick learner.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 547

    ¡°Thank you mistress,¡± Mel replied. ¡®It¡¯s not fair,¡¯ she thought. ¡®If I had tits like these, I¡¯d y with them all the time and never leave the house!¡¯


    Sadie wasn¡¯t done. Leisurely she rolled off of the bed, her feet on her incrediblyfy carpeting as she went into her walk-in-closet.


    Mel heard rustling, then the sound of buckles being done. ¡®What¡¯s she doing in there? I¡¯ve heard everything but power tools.¡¯ She got her answer when Sadie reappeared . . . with a sizable erection between her legs. Sadie may not have much by way of bondage gear, but that strap-on harness and dildo seemed to havee directly out of a leather-junkie magazine.


    ¡°You HAVE seen one of these haven¡¯t you? The male sexual organ?¡±


    Melissa nodded. ¡°A few mistress.¡±


    Sadie was climbing onto the bed again, this time between Melissa¡¯s outstretched legs. She stroked her shaft, smearing the lube she¡¯d applied in the closet all over the nine-inches of delight she was about to provide. She ran the fleshy rubber head around her lover¡¯s opening, taking extra time to tease the girl¡¯s clitoral hood.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to hear,¡± Sadie said soothingly. ¡°I need to hear it before we go any further.¡±


    ¡°Please?¡± Mel said. She¡¯d never been this horny in her life. There were parts of her body that were still stinging from the treatment she had received, but the rest of her wanted more.


    ¡°Please what?¡±


    ¡°Please put it in me,¡± Mel gasped. She wasn¡¯t sure what the vampire wanted to hear, but it wasn¡¯t going to stop her from trying. ¡°Please fuck me! I need ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh hush silly girl. You had me at ¡®fuck me.¡¯ I swear, you¡¯re far too wordy.¡± The two women shared a chuckle at that. At work, Melissa was known for using as few sybles as possible tomunicate.


    Sadie pushed the head of the dildo inside, letting it slide further in at an excruciatingly slow pace. When she bottomed out, Sadie was in a push-up position and Melissa was in heaven. The vampire withdrew the device slowly, then plunged it in, forcing the air out Mel¡¯s body. After that, Sadie wasn¡¯t going for force. She was going to take her sweet, sweet time. She leaned forward until her breasts touched Melissa¡¯s, then let her hips start to move in slow, deliberate strokes.


    Again not what she was expecting, Melissa nheless found herself truly enjoying what was happening. She was still bound, and that made even the simple act of being prated. And Sadie was showing that she could be soft sometimes too. ¡®There¡¯s something to be said for soft,¡¯ Mel thought as the vampire¡¯s lips sought out Mel¡¯s mortal ones. And she felt a wonderful fullness in herher regions, with the ridges of the dildo rubbing her secret ces. Melissa¡¯s body felt warm against her, and thoserge breasts had afortable heaviness on her chest. Sadie took care to make sure that their nipples rubbed against to each other often. Mel knew she was going to be sore and have bruises in ces she would rather not, but Sadie had made this a wonderful experience, just like she¡¯d promised. And the kissing was certainly nice.


    Mel lost track of time for a while, but she kept careful count of how many climaxes she experienced under Sadie¡¯s gentle but methodical touch. The magic number was three, bringing her nightly total to more than she¡¯d ever experienced in a previous rtionship . . . period. She DID feel a great amount of relief when her hands and ankles were untied.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Sadie said, noticing the marks around the wrists and ankles. ¡°Was it too tight?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t notice,¡± Mel replied, officially slipping out of submissive mode, ¡°until now. Owh ¨C¡±


    Sadie copsed next to her, both of them staring at the ceiling. ¡°Well, I think we made progress today.¡±


    Melissa smiled. ¡°Thanks for everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t thank me. You EARNED your keep.¡±


    ¡°So I wasn¡¯t too bad?¡±


    Sadie stroked the girl¡¯s face, rolling onto her side so she could look her over. ¡°You were great. You¡¯re going to have to figure out what you¡¯re going to tell people at work though.¡±


    ¡°Tell them about what?¡±


    ¡°The noises you make when I do this to you every time I walk by!¡± She reached over and squeezed one of Mel¡¯s tits.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t?!¡± the girl groaned, caught between being indignant and highly excited. ¡°You b¨C¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    A weekter . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Despite her bedroom bravado, Sadie had left Mel pretty much alone, except for her usual friendly enthusiasm. Melissa was justing to grips with certain things, and thest thing she needed was a room full of testosteroneden men making fun of her for tumbling in the Arbiter¡¯s bed, even if they didn¡¯t know the full extent of it. Things wereing up roses. But there was a snake in the rose garden.


    It happened at the beginning of the evening during duty assignment. Captain Grom had decided to join them that time, and dimir was standing next to the area map. Sadie was sitting in front of the desk, her feet kicked up. Most of the crew were casually and not-so-casually checking her out. Her revealing denim was hardly standard dress for cops, but what could they do? While she took direction from the Captain, she outranked everyone in the precinct.


    ¡°Okay folks, let¡¯s ¨C¡± the Captain started.


    ¡°¨C get this party started!¡± Sadie interrupted, lifting her arms and ¡°raising the roof.¡± The crowd snickered.


    ¡°Thank you for that musical apanyment . . . sort of,¡± the Captain said. He would¡¯ve red, but he couldn¡¯t do it. She was just too much fun. ¡°Anyway, something¡¯se up and I¡¯d like to keep an eye on it. There¡¯s been an increase in interspecies conflicts as ofte. It¡¯s only a small trend upward,¡± he said, turning on the projector and popping in a slide.


    ¡°Great,¡± Sadie groaned. ¡°These things were boring in college ¨C¡± This time, Grom actually red at her, so she pouted a bit and watched the presentation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked with some of the other precincts and they¡¯ve noticed it too. And vamps seem to be involved a lot. Know anything about it?¡± he said, ncing at Sadie.


    ¡°Why yes,¡± Sadie grumbled, ¡°I totally forgot about the call for civil-disobedience that I read in the most recent issue of the ¡®Things With Fangs¡¯ newsletter.¡±


    ¡°That would be no then? Okay.¡± He clicked to the next slide, that had a series of addresses on it. ¡°dimir, circle these on the board?¡± He watched as the season officer started putting up lots of little circles and brief descriptions of the incident on the clear stic sheet over the map. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this happening before sometimes in the month leading up to Halloween.¡±


    ¡°You mean October?¡± Sadie said with a sweet smile. ¡°Captain¡¯s right, of course,¡± she said, giving him a bow of the head. ¡°You know how wacky most vamps get. Some time ago, they decided that it was the holiest day of the year and h h h. Anyway, we tend to get full of ourselves in October. Pisses me off thought. It¡¯s like most of them don¡¯t remember the real reason for the holiday.¡±


    Fitzpatrick raised his hand. ¡°You mean gorging on candy and lots of costume parties?¡±


    Sadie aggressively pointed a finger at him and said, ¡°Precisely! There¡¯s a man with the spirit. Give me a hallelujah!¡±


    ¡°Hallelujah!¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, enough!¡± Grom shook his head. The moment she walked in, Sadie took control of a room. He nced over the desk, then hit an inte. ¡°Melissa, could you bring me the rest of the case slides? I think they¡¯re ¨C¡±


    *On your desk next to the picture of your wife. I know. (click)* Mel sounded just as deadpan talking to the Captain as everyone else.


    After a few minutes, Mel walked into the room. The girl avoided smiling, but the glitter in her eyes made it clear she was d to see Sadie. While they were just friends with benefits, Mel didn¡¯t have many friends in the first ce. Certainly none like Sadie.


    But as she walked in, Sadie noticed something. Bart was standing at the back of the room, and he inhaled deeply when Melissa walked by. ¡®What¡¯s that about?¡¯ she wondered. Whatever it was couldn¡¯t be good.


    It wasn¡¯t. Bart waited until Melissa was at the front of the room, standing next to the desk. Then he spoke.


    ¡°She¡¯s always quick to serve, isn¡¯t she Arbiter?¡± he half-hissed, half purred. ¡°She¡¯s smelled more and more like you all week.¡±


    Crom stood up, looking annoyed. Whenever Bart spoke, something bad happened. ¡°Bart!¡±


    ¡°Those nipples harden when you walk by, did you know that? Just d to she rolled out the whole wee wagon for you.¡± Bart looked Melissa in the eye. ¡°You ever wanna REALLY experience sex and pain, you give me a call.¡± Then he smiled.


    ¡°Out!¡± Crom shouted. Sadie was trembling in fury. She should¡¯ve been paying more attention. Bart had probably been watching the neer all week, looking for a way to cause trouble. He couldn¡¯t go after Sadie directly, so he hurt the first friend she made. And since everyone knew that demons couldn¡¯t actually lie ¡ª


    ¡°I think that would be construed as inappropriate conversation,¡± dimir growled. He wanted to pound Bart¡¯s head into the floor and had since he¡¯d been sent here. Useful or not, he loathed the creature. ¡°Which means it¡¯s time for another appointment with Doctor Issac.¡± He saw some of Bart¡¯s glee disappear from that grin. Doctor Issac was a witch and a psychiatrist and quite possible the most boring person on the. Demons hate being bored, so going to see him always annoyed the demon. Bart turned and left the room.


    But the damage had been done. Melissa was standing there staring at the demon, mortified beyond speech. She was an intensely private person who had just been outed and humiliated in front of a bunch of cops. They might not say anything to her, but now they¡¯d look at her like some cheap piece of meat . . . the new cop on the block¡¯s sexual toy. Her skin had turned to the color of ash and her hands were trembling as she put the slides down. She would not cry . . . not in front of them.


    Sadie was going to have words with that demon. Actually, she nned on beating him into mulch in a dark alley somewhere. It¡¯d be worth a few days in jail. But for now, she needed to do damage control. A demon could use truth to hurt, but truth could also heal. And the truthced with a fib could be even better.


    She popped up to her feet and grabbed Mel¡¯s arm. ¡°Hold on,¡± she said warmly. The look Melissa shot was wrought with fear and frustration, but there was also trust there. And Sadie would never betray that trust. ¡°Listen, since the walking yellow-bellied trout said it, let¡¯s get this over with and out in the open. And no ¡®out¡¯ jokes,¡¯ since I¡¯ve already thought of them.¡± That got the crowd tough a little, breaking the tension.


    ¡°Yes, the young Melissa and I have been spending time together away from work.¡± She was using her best passion¡± voice, smooth and sweet and crystal clear. ¡°She had questions about vampires, and I had some answers. We liked each otherspany, so the rtionship moved forward. Happens to people and darkworlders all the time. Now the walking dragon scrotum twists the truth a bit just hurt someone. How many of you has he done it to?¡±


    The crowd¡¯s mood turned from thinking naughty thoughts about Melissa to unpleasant thoughts about Bart.


    ¡°I thought so. And you know the worst thing to do with a demon is pay attention to what they say. So just let Melissa do her job and don¡¯t give that colon-based afterbirth the satisfaction. Okay?¡±


    Crom looked like he was in pain. ¡°Where do you get those insults from?¡± He was still dwelling of the ¡°afterbirth¡± line.


    ¡°Every celebrate St. Patrick¡¯s day in Irnd with a tribe of leprechauns?¡±


    Fitzpatrick leaned back. ¡°Enough said.¡±


    Melissa walked slowly out, her face returning to the calm she did not feel. A few people looked after her, but most went back to looking at the front of the room. Captain Grom got the message . . . it was over. He dropped one of the new slides.


    ¡°Okay, now let¡¯s talk about these incidents south of Jefferson Street ¨C¡°

 548

    It was still a couple of hours until sunlight, but Sadie couldn¡¯t get back to sleep. She didn¡¯t upset easily, but Bart had gotten under her skin. Mel had avoided her after the altercation with the demon and then took off early. Sadie didn¡¯t think that the girl would stay mad for long, but she should never have been put in that position. Sadie really hated demons. But a week had gone by and Mel was still sulking.


    ¡®No more partners from work,¡¯ she thought, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. For all her purported promiscuity, she only slept with people she actually knew and liked. She¡¯d tried one-night stands and found them oddly unsatisfying.


    She lifted the red silk sheets and rolled out of bed, stretching her naked frame until she heard that little crack in her neck. A friend and chiropractor she had known had told her she should stop doing that, but it was hard for him toin too much when she was riding him like a racehorse on his own table.


    ¡®I wonder whatever happened to him?¡¯ she pondered as she pulled on her workout shorts and sports bra. She¡¯d cleared an area underneath a tree next to her house and hung a heavy punching bag out there. Then she was out the door and down the steps, loving the feel of gravel and grass underneath her bare feet. She needed that sometimes . . . the connection directly to the earth. She sometimes thought that was the reason she liked to wear as little clothing as possible, but then she remembered that she was actually just vain and hot as hell.


    She did a couple of rounds running up and down an old trail that led to the base of the hill that her trailer was on before settling down into a sparring match with the bag. She was going to have some scratches, but they¡¯d heal quick. As much as she loved her trailer, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen if people stopped living in the concrete and steel world they¡¯d created and remembered where they all came from. When the two solid-ck Hummers pulled up her driveway, she reversed herself and wished that some people would stay the hell out of her nature.


    ¡°Vamps,¡± she muttered.


    The sky was overcast and the sun was low behind the trees, so the upants of the two vehicles started to mber out. She waited, knowing full well that the chief clown of this circus would be thest one out, waiting until one of hisckeys finally got around to opening the door.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she shouted, ¡°but my red carpet is at the cleaners.¡± She strode over, watching them stare at her mostly bare legs, exposed midriff and hefty bosom with great interest. It was trashy by their standards, but they looked anyway. ¡®Hypocrites,¡¯ she thought.


    One of the vampires, d in the finest ck suit that money could by and lookingpletely out of ce in the wilderness, had been in the process of opening thest door when she yelled. She recognized him as Dazza, whom she had already determined she didn¡¯t like. He red at her, then opened the door. He actually grabbed a mat from inside and ced it on the ground. Finally, two more vampires got out.


    The first man was the epitome of tall, dark and sexy. Apparently having been Turned in histe twenties or early thirties, he had short ck hair, almost elvish features but with a slightly broader face. And he had light-blue eyes which, against that paleplexion, had an eerie, soft quality that she found quite appealing. His mouth upturned slightly when he saw her, but it wasn¡¯t a sneer. Sadie definitely recognized slightly-concealed amusement, and that¡¯s what that smile was.


    ¡®I hope I get to like him,¡¯ she thought, drifting into her own private daydream for a second.


    The second vamp had been older when he had been turned, but his mortal age wasn¡¯t what got her attention. The vampire hierarchy was arranged almost entirely by age, with old vampires on top. As vampires aged, they gained slightly in strength and speed, but also in their presence. This ¡°presence¡± was tangible to almost every creature that walked the with the exception of wraiths. A true vampire lord could use his or her presence to manipte those lower in the food chain. It wasn¡¯t quite mind-control, but it could certainly rattle someone¡¯s brain. And Sadie could feel this guy¡¯s presence from fifty feet away.


    ¡®Crap on a crutch,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Miss . . . Hewitt?¡± the attractive younger vampire said. ¡°We do pardon the interruption, but Lord Frost would like to have a word with you.¡±


    Sadie froze up for just a second. She knew this guy. He was the head of the Midian Council, and he was definitely old. Rumor had it that he had sat at the side of Roman emperors at the Coliseum, back in the time when they first started recording the identities of vampires in the Book of Names: a tomb of knowledge about the vampire race that Frost had locked up in the basement of the Midian Temple. He was the undisputed Lord over the western half of the United States. Hell, he¡¯de over on the Mayflower, stepped off and headed west.


    She grinned. She knew how to start this meeting off properly.


    ¡°Let me slip into something morefortable,¡± she said, jumping from the ground to the door of the trailer and disappearing inside. She was only gone for a minute before reappearing with an ice cold Guinness. She plopped her butt down on the top step, popped the cap on the door frame and took a long, slow swig.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, now I¡¯mfortable.¡±


    Frost, much to his credit, was unphased. He¡¯d proabably had to deal with a rebellious vampire or two in his life. Technically, there was nothing illegal or ¡°against the rules¡± about Sadie¡¯s lifestyle. It was just frowned upon.


    ¡°Miss Hewitt,¡± the vampire lord started, his voice pleasant enough.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®Arbiter¡¯ Hewitt, thank you,¡± Sadie responded. The man standing behind Lord Frost got a twinkle in his eyes. ¡®I definitely need to meet him alone sometime.¡¯


    ¡°I understand that you have chosen not to present yourself to the Council and to your peers? I hope that our reputation abroad hasn¡¯t hasn¡¯t been tarnished, as I see no reason why you would shun us so?¡±


    ¡®God, does he ever listen to himself talk?¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡®No one talks like that except bad British actors pretending to be Drac. And I heard that Drac never actually sounded like that either.¡¯ ¡°Yeah. Cop work, ya know?¡± She took another drink. ¡°I REALLY regret it though. I¡¯m sure you guys through a great wine and cheese soiree, but the criminal underworld has been painfully negligent in amodating my schedule. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, hence my decision to greet you in person. I would hate for anything to keep you from protecting the streets of our fair city.¡± He walked a bit closer, pushing his presence outward and trying to get a feel for this woman. He, like everyone else here, was slightly taken aback by her extreme erotic beauty, but he was not so easily put off by her demeanor. Though he could sense little of her presence, he had a feeling she was much more controlled than she let on. It made reading her difficult.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I took the liberty of checking up on you in the Book of Names, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be a record of your Turning. Unfortunately byw, all vampires are required to register. How is it that you have not?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Got Turned by some guy named rk Hogan. He was a rogue down in Texas about ¨C¡± She paused and scratched her chin, ¡°¨C about eighty . . . ny . . . maybe a hundred years ago. Something like that. Time flies when you¡¯re drunk in the old West. I binge drank through the Great Depression. Anyway, old Hogan never asked for authority to Turn me, and no one got around to telling me about it until after he¡¯d been decapitated by that opium addled werewolf.¡±


    ¡°How does a werewolf ¡®decapitate¡¯ someone?¡± Dazza muttered, not liking the continuedck of respect the Lord was being shown.


    ¡°Very slowly and with a lot of dental floss,¡± Frost¡¯s bodyguard said, trying to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Mr. McDermott, I think we could have all done without that visual. Don¡¯t you agree, Arbiter Hewitt?¡± Frost asked.


    Sadie wasn¡¯t even trying not tough. ¡°Dental floss?! Oh that¡¯s rich! Can I steal that one?¡±


    ¡°Go right ahead.¡±


    ¡°Terrence,¡± Lord Frost said, his voice carrying a definitely deeper feel to it now: he was tired of the games. ¡°Anyway, since the vampire that turned you is dead, you will at the very least have to provide a birth certificate so that we can record your name and age into the Book.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± Sadie said, giving him a quick wink. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got that in one of those boxes I haven¡¯t unpacked yet, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll turn up.¡± Actually, she had unpacked everything and the certificate in question was sitting in the first folder in the top of her filing cab. She was registered with the federal government as an Arbiter, so she doubt even Frost would be able to bring any heat on her about not being a registered vampire.


    Frost nodded, quite aware he would probably get no cooperation from this woman. But before getting back into the car, he turned around.


    ¡®Shit,¡¯ Sadie thought, polishing off her Guinness, ¡®here ites.¡¯


    ¡°Ipletely forgot. The mayor is having a fund-raiser to help the police department. On the agenda is to provide much needed repairs to the Gravestones precinct house. That IS where you are stationed, correct?¡±


    Sadie almost growled. ¡®He knows damn well that¡¯s where I am, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t even have brought it up.¡¯


    ¡°Yes,¡± he continued without waiting for affirmation, ¡°well the mayor likes to have representatives from all the public services present. We were having lunch just this past midnight and I suggested that you should be allowed to attend. It would help your precinct greatly by securing additional donations, and it would give you a chance to socialize with some of the other Council members without taking you away from your work. Your Captain agreed that it was a good idea when the mayor called him. I suspect that you¡¯ll find the invitation on your desk when you get into work. I just wanted to give you a heads up so that you might pick out a dress before the weekend.¡± With that, he climbed into the Hummer.

 549

    Sadie was grinding her teeth so hard she thought she might break something. She didn¡¯t like high-end social events much, she hated socialized with politicians, and the presence of the ¡°elite¡± of vampire society didn¡¯t make things any easier for her. She had taken a field job just to avoid crap like this.


    Mr. McDermott turned and winked at her. He said something to Lord Frost, then turned and walked over to the trailer. ¡°You HAD to realize that they were going to y this game with you, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked, the mirth in his voice impossible to hide.


    She didn¡¯t want to grin, but he was making it hard. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll let him have this round.¡±


    Terrence McDermott pulled out a business card and held it up. ¡°Here¡¯s the name and number of an excellent boutique, in case you¡¯re looking for something dressy.¡± He handed her the card.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find a way of weaseling out of it.¡± Then she noticed that it wasn¡¯t one card but two, the second reading, ¡°Mr. Terrence McDermott¡± with his work number on the front and his cell phone number on the back. ¡®Bastard¡¯s been nning on giving me this since he got here!¡¯


    ¡°I hope not,¡± he replied. ¡°This ¡®wine and cheese soirees are incredibly dull. Might be nice for someone to shake things up a bit.¡± Then McDermott turned and walked away.


    ¡®I guess I could handle ONE night of pointless ego-stroking,¡¯ she thought, staring at Terrence¡¯s well formed ass as he walked away. She looked at the card for the boutique. ¡®I HATE dresses!¡¯


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Later, at work . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°Captain!¡± Sadie whined loudly. ¡°What did I ever do to you?¡±


    The Captain looked slightly apologetic. ¡°Sorry, but your bosses called and told me to make sure you got more involved in themunity in a non-destructive capacity. I¡¯m assuming you know what they¡¯re talking about. And we really could use the money that was somewhat promised us if I made sure you went to fund-raiser.¡± He raised his hands as the vampire tried to object. ¡°You can be quite charming when you choose to be, and we need friends in high ces. Not a lot of people care what happens in the Gravestones.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Sadie glowered. Grom was a good guy trying to do what was best for his precinct, but she didn¡¯t have to like it. ¡°Why can¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°Because I am too old and too set in my ways. That and two of my kids have the flu and my wife is going out of town that weekend, so I get to babysit. If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m making Officer Koloff go as well.¡±


    ¡°Why would that make me feel any better? He¡¯d look as out of ce in a tux as I will in a dress!¡±


    ¡°For some reason, I think you¡¯re a lot more suited to wearing dresses than you¡¯ll admit.¡± Captain Grom nced at the door. ¡°And these kinds of events are the one thing that makes dimir¡¯s wife stop bitching at him for an hour.¡±


    Sadie pondered that for a moment. Grom was politically correct and generally proper. ¡®How bad can this woman be that even HE is taking shots?¡¯ She sighed. ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Aribiter ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll change my mind if you don¡¯t start calling me ¡®Sadie¡± instead of ¡®Arbiter¡¯ all the time.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Okay Sadie. If you don¡¯t have a dress, talk to Melissa and she¡¯ll give you an expense voucher for a rental.¡±


    ¡°Save it. I¡¯ve got money for a dress, and there¡¯s no sense in the department coughing up money for something like this if we¡¯re broke anyway.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it. And there are two invitations, so I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re expected to bring a date. I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be too hard for you. Just go outside in your work clothes and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get plenty of volunteers.¡±


    She stuck her tongue out at him as she left the office. She would take one for the team. She noticed that Mel was back up at the front desk. The girl had been giving her the cold shoulder since Bart outed them.


    ¡®She¡¯lle around,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡®I hope she will.¡¯ It was depressing, and she hated being depressed.


    ¡°Hey Arbiter ¨C¡± Officer Devilin started to say, then caught himself. ¡°Sadie, looks like you¡¯re in my car today. I¡¯m supposed to finish your tour of the Gravestones . . . anyce you haven¡¯t seen yet.¡±


    She smiled at him. A bat could see that he had a crush on her a mile wide, but she figured it was harmless. ¡°Good to hear. Go get one of the SUVs from the lot and I¡¯ll meet you out front.¡±


    ¡°Why not a patrol car?¡±


    ¡°Because SUVs make me look cooler. Now scat!¡± She watched him scurry off to get arger vehicle. She actually found bigger vehicles to be a bit more intimidating, so the underbelly of society didn¡¯t bother you as much. She started to hum the music for a song called ¡°A Devil and an Angel¡± by some hot new vamp group called Lost in Texas. She was by the vending machine getting a pre-shift Mountain Dew when she heard footsteps in the hallway stop right behind her.


    ¡°Hey Mel,¡± she said before she even turned around.


    The girl looked embarrassed. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said.


    Sadie smiled, grabbed the back of Mel¡¯s head and pulled it into her shoulder, giving her a hug. ¡°S¡¯okay. We cool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just not used to people paying that much attention to me. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s for me, but that isn¡¯t your fault. I guess I should be happy it hasn¡¯t been worse.¡±


    ¡°Guys giving you grief? Let me know and ¨C¡±


    ¡°No, that would just draw more attention. Besides, I think what you said kind of defused things.¡±


    Sadie nodded. ¡°I had to make us seem like another boring couple.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re not even really a couple. I¡¯m not being snotty, just honest. I know what you said when we started, and I really appreciate you helping me figure stuff out.¡±


    ¡°So . . . you don¡¯t want to y anymore?¡± Sadie felt weirded out by the concept. Normally, she was the one who did the leaving.


    ¡°No! I mean . . . uhm,¡± Mel stammered, wishing she hadn¡¯t sounded quite so vehement. ¡°I like what we do.¡±


    ¡°Phew! You were going to give me worry wrinkles. Anyway, wanna be my date for this fund raiser on Friday?¡±


    One of Mel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! Both the guys around here and the vamps know that you¡¯re with me, they just don¡¯t know how much. It saves me having to start rumors about me and ANOTHER person I work with, which is a lot of work.¡± She brought out the big bright eyes and quivering lip to apany the next statement. ¡°Puh-wease?!¡±


    Mel didn¡¯t want to smile, but she had to. ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Sadie hugged her and, making sure no one was watching her, gave her a friendly kiss. ¡°Yer the best. Got a dress?¡±


    Mel¡¯s eyebrow went up again.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going shopping tomorrow afternoon before work. I¡¯ll pick you up ¨C¡± Sadie stopped, noticing that Mel had blushed a little and was trying to say something. ¡°Unless,¡± Sadie crooned, ¡°you¡¯d rather I just roll over and nudge you.¡±


    Both of Mel¡¯s eyebrows wiggled as she turned and sauntered out of the vending area. A passerby seemed captivated by that sleek, sexy frame and that saucy walk.


    ¡®I believe I¡¯ve created a monster.¡¯ In a much better mood, she skipped outside to the waiting Officer Devlin.


    ¡°Alright Dev, let¡¯s kick this pig and go roamin¡¯ the hood.¡± She actually jumped up to the open window of the SUV and slid in like Bo and Luke Duke.


    Devlin¡¯s eyes were slightly wide. ¡°You really don¡¯t act like I thought an Arbiter would,¡± he said, turning on the ignition.


    ¡°Cool. Normally peoplein that I don¡¯t act like they thought a vampire should.¡±


    ¡°That either.¡±


    It only took five minutes before Sadie made Devlin pull over so that she could drive. He drove like a little olddy, and not the ¡°I¡¯ve been alive for so long that I don¡¯t believe I can actually die¡± kind of olddy that cut across fournes of traffic with a heat-seeking gaze locked on the Denny¡¯s sign floating next to the off ramp. No, he drove the speed limit exactly, kept four seconds of separation between him and every other vehicle, basically needed an engraved invitation to pull onto a street if he could even see another caring, and slowed down in front of traffic lights just to make sure they didn¡¯t change at thest minute.


    Five minutes after Sadie started driving, it looked like Devlin was going to have a heart attack. To the vampire, the rules of the road were more like . . . suggestions. And anyone who had known Arbiter Sadie Hewitt more than a few minutes would know that she didn¡¯t pay much attention to suggestions. Poor Devlin was clinging to the ¡°Oh Shit¡± handle and praying feverishly to one god or another to help him survive the next five minutes.


    They cruised an area of the Gravestones down next to the river. Midian had a gift for making low-ie housing look almost reasonable, but there was a sense to such ces that no sto or paint could cover up. Sadie could see mistrust and desperation on every door . . . every street corner. Much to Devlin¡¯s chagrin, she found a hole-in-the-wall barbecue restaurant called ¡°Roll the Bones¡± and pulled into the lot. He had jut nned on showing her the area, he hadn¡¯t actually nned on stopping in it, much less getting out of the protection of the SUV.

 550

    Sadie had a different frame of mind. She never thought the best way to get to know people was to stare at them through ss like they were animals at the zoo. You had to get in there and give them a scratch behind the ears sometimes. And she loved barbecue.


    Before going in, she took a look around. She wasn¡¯t expecting trouble, but that usually meant jack-shit in her line of work. Her eyes prated the darkness, seeing a small band of werewolves ying street hoops in a lot across the street. There were a couple of elves hanging out in front of a convenience store. One of them was harassing women that came in or out of the store while the other one just kind of stood there.


    ¡®Hunh,¡¯ Sadie thought, checking out the elf in the trenchcoat. ¡®He¡¯s kinda fat for an elf.¡¯ She shrugged, having seen weirder in her life. There were a few human kids looking at the court, waiting for their turn. Midian was a strange town. While the percentage of darnders was higher than any other city in North America, they were still outnumbered by humans, who could breed like rabbits. But despite millennium of living together, humans still feared the things that went bump in the night. She was surprised to see humans up thiste. She could tell that the werewolves weren¡¯t going to give up the court anytime soon. Maybe she¡¯d encourage them to ¡°y nice¡± after she¡¯d eaten.


    The restaurant itself was everything that she¡¯d hoped it would be. It was obviously a mom and pop type operation, probably run by the goblins working the kitchen and register. It was hard to tell if a goblin was male or female, even for Sadie. They were all squat, stout, blue-skinned people to her. There were no tablecloths, the menus were limited to selections that were unhealthy or VERY unhealthy, and everything smelled tangy. Devlin looked like he was going to be ill. Sadie ordered the ribs. The workers and established clientele seemed edgy about neers barging into their routine existences, but Sadie wasn¡¯t the type to be put off easily.


    She got her food (Devlin had opted not to order anything) and after cleaning the first rib all the way down to the bone, she insisted on hugging the cook for ¡°bringing culinary heaven into a drab world.¡± The locals warmed to her pretty well after that. And she found out why the word ¡°roll¡± was in the title¡¯s marquis after they brought out some hot, buttered dinner rolls the size of cantaloupes. Even Devlin wasn¡¯t able to resist the sweet smelling baked goods,


    The young human officer was picking fiercly at the roll, enjoying every bite individually, when he hit Sadie with a question out of the blue.


    ¡°Hey, I hope this isn¡¯t a personal question he started, staring intently at his snack, ¡°but . . . well, there aren¡¯t a lot of vampires who do public service.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯okay. Most vampires are pretentious eurotrash wannabies. But that¡¯s their choice. Spit it out. What did you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Have . . . how many people have you Turned?¡±


    If Devlin had been very observant, he might have noticed a slight slowing of pace in how Sadie ate and moved. It didn¡¯tst long, but her eyes also went nk for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t Turn people,¡± she said with a certain degree of finality.


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you entitled to at least one Turn ¨C¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t. There¡¯s plenty of other vamps out there who keep the species going, some of which have no business taking care of house nts much less a new Turn.¡±


    Devlin wasn¡¯t always the fastest gun in the fight, but he wasn¡¯t stupid by any stretch of the imagination. He¡¯d touched a nerve, but he just couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Is it that you¡¯ve just never felt anyone worthy or that you ¨C¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t do it,¡± she said, wanting to change the subject. Then it urred to her, ¡°You . . . you weren¡¯t wanting me to Turn YOU, were you?¡± It came out sounding arrogant and incredulous, and Devlin blushed in anger. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised is all. Why?¡±


    ¡°Why WOULDN¡¯T you want immortality?!¡± he whispered heatedly. ¡°Both my parents died of cancer, so you know what that makes my risk factor, don¡¯t you?¡± He calmed down a bit, eating his biscuit. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out that way.¡±


    Sadie understood that at least. There were two reasons why people were drawn to vampirism, and neither of them were all that good by her way of thinking. Some loved the mysteriousness, others the immortality. Most people didn¡¯t understand the price that was paid for these gifts, but Sadie understood it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said atst. ¡°I think I get it. I¡¯m sorry to hear about your parents. I realize that probably doesn¡¯t mean much right now, but I do. But being at high risk doesn¡¯t mean you WILL get cancer. So please, before you go asking for membership into the overly-expensive-ck-suit-and-fangs club, please promise me that you¡¯ll think about this some more. I know you¡¯ve thought about it already, but now consider this. Ever wonder why vampires tend to hang out with their own starting about ten or so years after being Turned?¡±


    Devlin looked confused. ¡°I just figured its because that you bond with your own. They take you in, train you and teach you and ¨C¡±


    ¡°You do it because when you be undead, you be very aware of death.¡± Sadie¡¯s eyes darkened and she knew she was scaring him a bit. This was the part of vampires that people didn¡¯t like to think about . . . the part about dying. ¡°Then, the people around you that you cared about while alive start to die, and it hits you. Then you don¡¯t want to be around mortals much, or at least not get too close. For a while, you want to save them all, but the Greater Council and the mortal races put limits on how many new vampires can be made. You have to choose who you save and watch the others cry that it wasn¡¯t them.¡± She sat back, not even talking to Devlin directly . . . she was just talking. ¡°Being mortal is precious Devlin. It means the moments matter. That¡¯s why I like being around them, even when it hurts.¡± She met his eyes, ¡°Because they appreciate the time they have so much more.¡± It was odd for her to express her feelings, normally preferring to keep things superficial and light, but she didn¡¯t want him to walk into what he was asking for blind. And she certainly wasn¡¯t going to ept responsibility for him.


    He looked troubled, but looked like he was going to let the conversation drop. ¡°I need to use the bathroom,¡± he said, quickly standing up and walking through the double-doors with the typical male/female caricatures on them. It made her angry that she¡¯d dug that speech out of her soul, and angrier still at him for making her.


    She felt a hand on her shoulder about the same time that a bag smelling of confectionery paradise was put on the table. It was the goblin from the register.


    ¡°These are for you hun,¡± the goblin said, shing a smile of jagged teeth.


    ¡®Okay, it¡¯s a female,¡¯ Sadie realized from the voice. ¡°How much do I owe you?¡± she added, reached for her wallet.


    ¡°First one¡¯s on us Arbiter,¡± the squat woman said.


    ¡°How did you know ¨C¡±


    ¡°Word travels fast, even as a ce as big and diverse as the Gravestones. Lady like you tends to make an impression.¡±


    Sadie returned the grin. ¡°Okay, but I couldn¡¯t possibly take this ¨C¡±


    The woman, whose name tag read the obligatory ¡°Marge¡± that was required at all diner-type establishments, interrupted again. ¡°First time for dinner, but you can stop by for rolls any time. And if you want to encourage some other cops toe down and support this fine establishment, so much the better.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Sadieughed. Goblins were good business-folk. Get the local cops interested in your ce, and that alone will keep you in business for a long time. ¡°I think I could do that.¡±


    Marge touched Sadie¡¯s face in an oddly matronly way. ¡°I heard what ya told the boy. Can¡¯t be easy looking into someone¡¯s eyes and tellin¡¯ ¡¯em the truth when they want you to promise ¡¯em the moon. You did what was right, and I admire that.¡± Then the goblin walked (or waddled) away, leaving Sadie with her spirit brightened.


    ¡®And people like that is the reason I do what I do,¡¯ Sadie thought, standing up and walking outside to wait. She noticed that the werewolves were still hogging the court. ¡®Time to mix with the locals.¡¯


    When Devlin walked out, he saw that Sadie was unhooking her gun belt and securing her pistol in the SUV. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just gonna go y some basketball,¡± she said gleefully.


    Devlin was nowpletely baffled, but this he HAD to see. ¡®What the hell is she up to?¡¯


    Sadie walked over to the humans, who looked like they were still in high school. ¡°So,¡± she purred, you boys wanna y?¡±


    They stared at her nkly.


    ¡°Basketball?¡±


    One of the young men finally pulled his eyes off of her cleavage long enough to speak. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re just waiting for them to be done with the court. Which should be any day now.¡±


    Sadie looked over her shoulder at the wolves. ¡°Hey, you gonna be much longer?¡±


    ¡°As long as we wanna be,¡± one replied, bringing about that guffawingughtermon amongst young men.


    The vampire wandered over and the game stopped. She could tell they¡¯d smelled she was a vampire by the time she got within ten feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s a tasty lookin¡¯ blood sucker doin¡¯ this far in our town?¡± the lead one left. Closer up, Sadie thought these were all guys in their early tote twenties. They smelled of ammonia and bleach and stale garbage . . . these weren¡¯t troublesome kids, but just some blue-cor night howlers looking to unwind.


    ¡°Just checking out the scene. Hey, you guys mind yin¡¯ half-court so we can get in some too?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but can¡¯t get a good sweat up just going half-way,¡± another one said, eying her over. ¡°You understand.¡±


    Sadie smiled as sweetly as she could possibly muster. ¡°You must be saving a ton of money on antiperspirant then, because I can¡¯t imagine anyone letting you go all the way.¡±

 551

    The werewolf¡¯s friends got augh out of that, covering their mouths as if theirrade wouldn¡¯t know they were having fun at his expense by hiding their teeth. Sadie knew she had to be careful. She wasn¡¯t worried about them trying to hurt her, but she didn¡¯t want to alienate them.


    ¡°Tell you what . . . I¡¯ll y you for it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, court¡¯s oursdy,¡± her target said, looking nervous. She was an unknown and, even as an overconfident as werewolf males tended to be, he wasn¡¯t willing to risk getting shown up by a woman, even if she was a vampire. He started to turn around and dribble the ball.


    Sadie put the finishing touch on the deal. ¡°Are you sure? You can be shirts and I¡¯ll be skins.¡±


    Nobody moved. The humans behind her had stopped breathing. The only sound prating the night was the basketball bouncing slowly across the cktop, suddenly quite unattended.


    ¡°Skins?¡± one of the werewolves said.


    ¡°Well, as much skin as thew allows,¡± she said evilly. ¡°And since I¡¯m thew,¡± she said, shing her badge, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a lot of skin.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that fucking Arbiter that we¡¯ve been hearing about!¡±


    ¡°Damn, I heard she was hot ¨C¡±


    ¡°Dude, don¡¯t! She can arrest you if she loses!¡±


    ¡°I can do no such thing,¡± Sadie says.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    The challenged wolf looked at his friend. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if you win, you beat an Arbiter!¡±


    ¡°And if I lose?¡±


    ¡°We get to see her naked!¡±


    And that settled the challenge.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Devlin whispered heatedly as Sadie sat down on the bleachers and took off her boots.


    ¡°Just getting to know the locals,¡± she said happily. She loved getting naked. Okay, she wasn¡¯t going to sleep with any of these guys, but might as well give ¡¯em a thrill. It was fun! She stripped down to her bra and typically tiny g-string (the only type of underwear she actually owned), then put her boots back on. Devlin was caught somewhere between shock and drooling. ¡°So boys, is this enough skin?¡±


    There was a lot of nodding.


    Sadie actually wasn¡¯t a particrly experienced basketball yer, but she had a great deal of speed. More importantly, she didn¡¯t actually care about winning. The wolf she was ying, whose name turned out to be Todd, beat her by the skin of his teeth. And when she took the loss with sweat and a smile, all she got was some good natured ribbing.


    ¡°How about some full court?¡± Todd said, warming up a bit. This girl was the hottest thing he¡¯d ever seen, and he was in no big hurry for her to get covered up and leave.


    ¡°Can my friends y?¡± she aske innocently, her arms at her sides lightly pressing against her breasts to emphasize her already pronounced cleavage? ¡°No, not those friends,¡± she said as the wolves all looked at her tits, ¡°THOSE friends.¡± She was ncing at the humans who, despite their earlier protestations, were having a great time just being spectators. Actually, a number of people had shown up to watch the hottie in lingerie ying basketball.


    ¡°Anything you want baby,¡± Todd said.


    ¡°Call me baby again and I¡¯ll neuter you,¡± she replied with a chuckle. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s pick some teams.¡±


    Within half an hour, Sadie had worked up a pretty good sweat, which is impressive for a vampire. She somehow always managed to get picked for the ¡°skins¡± team, but she wasn¡¯tining. She saw Devlin had gone back to sit in the patrol car, refusing her invitation to participate. She rolled her eyes.


    ¡®That boy needs to lighten up.¡¯ She was getting ready to take the ball out again when a ck convertible pulled up to the lot. There were three well dressed men and one fashionable woman in the car, and all of them were looking on the disy with disdain. Sadie knew without even smelling them that anyone who dressed that nice to drive around while looking that snide had to be a vampire.


    ¡°Look what the dogs dragged in,¡± one said. He looked to have been in his forties when he had turned.


    ¡°They got themselves a little human humping post,¡± the girl chuckled, but Sadie found no mirth in it.


    It urred to Sadie that between the sweat, the tan, the ¡°improper dress¡± and the general aroma of human and werewolf sweat, these people probably had no idea who or what she was. She also noticed that the werewolves¡¯ mood had soured quickly.


    ¡°If they need one, it¡¯s probably because you¡¯re all ready worn out,¡± she replied, looking the female intruder up and down. ¡°It was so nice of your friends to take these nice gentlemens¡¯ cast offs.¡± She could actually feel the werewolves¡¯ ears pick up and heard some softughter.


    ¡°See,¡± the driver said, ¡°this is why we have rules about Turning the lesser species. Otherwise, the great cities would be overrun with white-trash.¡±


    Sadie casually sank a hook shot. ¡°Who says white chicks can¡¯t y?¡± she muttered, then turned back to the vamps. ¡°Cities are already overrun with trash,¡± she replied, ¡°but we let you stay anyway.¡± Inwardly, she wasn¡¯t happy. ¡®That was ameeback,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°On your best day,¡± the female vamp said, stepping up to the fence around the court, ¡°you¡¯d be lucky to be a second tier broodling, begging for her master¡¯s bite.¡±


    Sadie smiled again, this time with fangs bared. ¡°I¡¯m not big on having a ¡®master,¡¯ thank you very much. And I¡¯d rather run with wolves than sip tea with a bunch of poodles.¡±


    The four vamps nced amongst themselves. They weren¡¯t often surprised by one of their own. ¡°What are you doing frolicking with these . . . things,¡± the woman said, ncing at humans and werewolves alike. ¡°Particrly dressed like amon whore!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Sadie said, genuinely offended. She pointed from her head and slowly down to her toes, ¡°there is nothing mon¡¯ about this body! If you¡¯d like I might be able to give you some tips . . . help you get rid of that second chin.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?! Who do you think you are? When Lord Vant hears about this ¨C¡±


    ¡°Lord who?¡± Sadie asked innocently.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Lord Vant, Councilman for the Gravestones and our personal creator,¡± she said smugly.


    Sadie checked that name away for future investigation. ¡°So he would be close with the mayor then?¡±


    The intruders seemed so sure of themselves again. ¡°Indeed,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m attending a fund raiser this weekend and most of the mayor¡¯s friends are going to be there, or so I¡¯m told. I just want to know who to seek out toin about the incredible rudeness of his toadies.¡±


    ¡°You? At one of the mayor¡¯s functions? Don¡¯t make meugh.¡±


    ¡°Pants!¡± she shouted. Someone tossed her pants over to her and she pulled out her wallet. ¡°Yes, as the new Arbiter in Midian, my presence was requested by the mayor and Lord Frost. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard of him?¡± Sadie actually had little interest in being associated with Lord Frost, but she was enjoying making these people squirm. And boy were they ever squirming. ¡°Now, I see that you¡¯re actually parked illegally. Just because I feel sympathetic for people who had to ride the short bus to school, I¡¯m going to let you all off with a warning . . . this time. But I would consider moving that piece of shit before I lose my ¡®white-trash¡¯ temper and have it towed.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°Understand? Now get out of my sight.¡±


    The vampires looked so furious that she was sure someone was going to pop a vein, but they got back in their car and pulled away.


    ¡°Fucking vamps,¡± one of the werewolves muttered. When Sadie turned to glower at him, he looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am. No offense towards you.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯okay. Actually, I should probably get back to work.¡± She waited until the moans of disappointment subsided, kicking off her boots so she could put her pants back on. ¡°What was with that whole ¡®lesser species¡¯ and ¡®these things¡¯ crap?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Todd said. ¡°We¡¯ve been hearing that a lot this year. Normally they just get all mysterious and full of themselves around Halloween, but it¡¯s been worse this year. Hell, I used to have some friends who were vamps who¡¯de and y, but they¡¯re sticking with their own these days.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hunh.¡± Sadie didn¡¯t like the sound of that. It might be nothing, but she¡¯d keep her eyes open.


    One of the humans was nodding his head. ¡°Most of ¡¯em have moved to the edge of Gravestones, over by West End. My folks live over in Dodson, and she tells me thery¡¯re doing the same kinds of stuff there.¡±


    Sadie pulled her vest on and tied it up, getting a cheap thrill of having all the onlookers. ¡°Thanks. Hey, for those of you who didn¡¯t hear earlier, my name is Sadie Hewitt, and I¡¯m an Arbiter stationed at the Gravestones precinct. If you guys get harassed by vamps or hear anything else odd like this, let me know okay?¡±


    ¡°You think that something¡¯s up?¡± Todd asked.


    ¡°Probably not. Theres¡¯ a bunch of reasons vamps act up. I just like to know what¡¯s going on.¡± She high-fived all the yers and headed back towards the SUV. But before she got there, Todd caught up with her.


    ¡°Hey, you said you worked at the Gravestones precinct? Over on Harbor Street and 8th?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You know dimir Koloff?¡±


    ¡°d? Yeah, I work with him.¡±


    Todd grinned. Sadie liked a friendly werewolf grin. ¡°He hates being called d. Anyway ¨C¡± Todd looked nervous. ¡°He¡¯s my uncle.¡±


    ¡°No shit?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah and . . . could you tell him that my mom is sorry and was wondering when he¡¯sing by to visit? He¡¯ll know what it means.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she said, tapping fists with the young wolf. She watched him turn around and start up a new game, wolves and humans mixed together. Again she headed to the car. Devlin seemed to be on the hornining to Captain Grom about the Arbiter¡¯s ¡°unprofessional behavior.¡± Sadie jumped in the driver¡¯s side and grabbed the radio out of Devlin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hey Grommie,¡± she said.


    *Arbiter, were you really ying naked basketball with werewolves? (click)*


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing. I wasn¡¯tpletely naked . . . technically. Besides, you wanted me to mingle ¨C¡±


    *Mingle! Not do publicp dances! (click)*

 552

    ¡°Actually, that isn¡¯t a bad idea. I could raise money for the precinct that way and ¨C¡±


    *You ARE going to the fund raiser! (click)* Grom was trying to sound authoritarian, but Sadie could tell he was holding hisughter just on the other side of his teeth.


    ¡°So, nomunity outreach programs that have free massages and ¡®happy endings¡¯ then?¡±


    She heard silence on the other end of the line.


    ¡°This keeps happening to me,¡± Sadie said, staring at the device. ¡°These things always stop working. Okay Grommie, I¡¯ll behave. But I think I should get a g-string budget for this job. Over and out.¡± She turned off the device and then looked at Devlin, her expression bing more serious. ¡°Okay, I get it. You don¡¯t like the way I do things. But unless I¡¯m actually breaking thew, you deal with me first before you go crying home to momma. That clear?¡±


    Devlin physically shrank in his seat. Sadie shook her head and pulled out of the parking lot. ¡®Even if I Turned people, it wouldn¡¯t be him. Too many ways that could go wrong.¡¯


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Shortly before sunrise . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Sadie hopped into the shower shortly before sunrise after hurrying home from the station. Word of her unusual mingling style had gotten around and she had found a basketball on her desk with ¡°For a good time call¡± written on it. She¡¯d gotten augh out of it and decided to take it home. Devlin didn¡¯t seem as amused, but she kept catching him staring at her. She was concerned about that rtionship, but she¡¯d deal with it another time. She¡¯d given dimir the message from his nephew, which had been received with a monosybic grunt and a sigh, but no exnation. And Melissa had left her a note saying that she was supposed to meet her parents for breakfast and so wouldn¡¯t be able to rendezvous after all. She did, however, promise a rain check.


    ¡°I smell like crud,¡± she muttered as she wiped the stink of basketball and young male sweat away before changing into some sweat-pants and one of her few long-sleeved, non-cleavage-revealing shirts. She figured she might as well continue getting to know themunity while she was on a roll. So she was heading down to New Plymouth. Poption . . . one. New Plymouth was a wraith town.


    Sadie wasn¡¯t sure why she was morefortable with wraiths than other people, but she was. It generally wasn¡¯t easy to find someone willing to go talk to a creature whose basic mission in the afterlife was exact revenge. Wraiths were the physical embodiments of creatures who had died in unpleasant ways and couldn¡¯t sleep without vengeance. Once their own vengeance was satisfied, they sought it out for others. Some relished the work, others moved away so as not to be tempted. This wraith seemed to be in thetter category.


    She jumped in her truck and started down a winding set of roads to get to New Plymouth. The wraith had apparently moved in sixty years earlier, and the town had been mostly dead by then anyway. So the roads out that way weren¡¯t maintained that well, but Sadie wasn¡¯t worried: her truck could take anything these woods threw at it.


    But even for an Arbiter and vampire, there was something about a wraith town that just set you in a state of unease. Whatever light came into it, whether directly from the sun or reflected from the moon, seemed cooler . . . taking on tinges of cyan as it made its presence known. And there were no cars on the street, no movement, no talking and certainly noughing. Nobody had ever even bothered to board up the abandoned buildings in the small town square. No one woulde to New Plymouth to vandalize anything. No one with sense would go there for any reason.


    She drove around for a few minutes, using the unusual chill in the air to provide some kind of guidance. Then she saw it . . . a faint light flickering in front of arge, double-story house just behind the courthouse. It was an eerie bluish-white light that clearly had no ce in this world. Wraith put the pixie-mes out in front of the houses so that people who sought their service could find them.


    ¡°Turn . . . left,¡± her GPS system said unnecessarily.


    ¡°Thanks Scarlett,¡± she responded. She wondered if Scarlett¡¯s maps were even current for this town. She pulled her truck up to the curb, not sure if it constituted bad luck to park in a vengeance spirit¡¯s driveway. ¡®It¡¯s not like he or she is going to use it. Wraith¡¯s don¡¯t drive.¡¯ But she decided to y it safe.


    The house was surprisingly intactpared to those around it, making her wonder if there was something about the mystical energy of a wraith that helped preserve their surroundings. While she had dealt with wraiths before, she¡¯d never actually been to the home of one. ¡®How does one knock?¡¯ she wondered. There was a pretty wrought iron fence surrounding the property that had been painted white, and just inside the fence all along the perimeter were beds of annual flowers. Sadie pushed open the gate and walked the small cobblestone trail leading to the front porch steps, and it was during this journey that she saw that the front door was open. No, not open . . . gone. There weren¡¯t even hinges for a door. All the windows were open as well, though through more conventional means.


    She had been expected the boards of the stairs and porch to creak when she walked on them, but they had that heavy and hearty ¡°thump¡± to them of a solidly built structure. The wood actually seemed kind of new. She drug her eyes up from the floor and back to the door. She apparently didn¡¯t need to knock: the wraith knew she was there. Without noise or even enough motion to activate a vampire¡¯s peripheral vision, the wraith had appeared in the door.


    The wraith was a female, and a beautiful female at that. Not ¡°erotic and sexy¡± beautiful like Sadie, but rather a noble and ssical beauty. She was slim and had features that could only be describe as elegant. If it hadn¡¯t been for those eyes, this creature could have gotten a job on any modeling runway in the world. But those eyes . . . pure white. There were no eyeballs to speak of, just glowing white light. She stood easily six feet tall and was dressed in the flowing blue and ck robes so typical of her kind. Except for the fact that she reflected visible light, Sadie could detect nothing about her. She had no smell, her clothes didn¡¯t rustle in the chilly northwestern breeze: a painting of person left more of a record on the senses than a wraith did. Those eyes could see things that no mortal or vampiric eyes ever could, and they were looking at Arbiter Sadie Hewitt.


    ¡°Yes?¡± came a voice, clearly emanating from the wraith though her lips didn¡¯t actually move.


    ¡®That¡¯s so very creepy,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡°Hello,¡± Sadie said, calling on all of her cheerfulness, ¡°my name¡¯s Sadie Hewitt. I live up the hill from New Plymouth and just wanted to drop by and say hello. You¡¯re actually my closest neighbor I think.¡±


    The wraith just stared. No one came by a wraith to ¡°say hello.¡± It was like dropping by a dragon¡¯s cave to borrow a cup of sugar: it just wasn¡¯t done. The wraith seemed to breathe in through her nose. ¡°I do not smell the hunger on you,¡± the wraith continued. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Sadie smiled. ¡°Again, just saying hello. By the way, I love yourndscaping. Sorry, I just never figured wraiths for being into the hole ¡®home and garden¡¯ scene. You did all this yourself?¡±


    The wraith was confused, and that didn¡¯t happen to wraiths very often. Most people thought wraiths were simply apparitions who only appeared when called upon. This was not really correct. They existed in the world in some form or fashion at all times.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the wraith replied atst. No one sought out wraiths and yet this woman seemed only mildly concerned.


    ¡°Cool. I¡¯m pretty much going for the natural look up around the trailer. I probably couldn¡¯t keep a cactus alive.


    ¡°These flowers are actually quite easy to maintain,¡± the wraith said, almost as if she forgot that she was supposed to be intimidating. ¡°There is sufficient rainfall so that ¨C¡± She stopped. ¡®Why am I talking to her?¡¯ the entity thought.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name by the way,¡± Said said, offering the wraith a handshake.


    The wraith stared at that hand. No one was supposed to act this way, not even vampires. ¡°Mary,¡± she murmured softly, shaking the woman¡¯s hand.


    Sadie was surprised that she wasn¡¯t more creeped out than she was. A wraith¡¯s touch was always cool, regardless of the outside temperature, and there was just enough pressure to realize that you were being touched but not enough to guage her strength.


    The two stood on opposite sides of the door inplete silence. Sadie was just smiling, and the wraith was looking on nkly. If the woman didn¡¯t want vengeance, then ¡ª ¡°Would you . . . like toe in?¡± Mary asked.


    ¡°Love to!¡± the intruder responded.


    Mary moved aside and waved the girl inside. Sadie entered a small hallwayplete with coat closet leading back into a very tastefully decorated living room. It wasn¡¯t warm and flowery like living rooms so often were, but might better be described as ¡°proper.¡± The furniture was ck leather and was actually nicer than Sadie¡¯s. The floor was well cared-for hardwood, and even the ck curtains seem to have a soft elegance to them. There was, however, one thing more interesting than the fact that this wraith seemed to have exceptional taste in decoration, and that was the cats.


    There were so many felines wandering around the living area and kitchen that Sadie couldn¡¯t keep track. There was at least one on each windowsill and multiple on every piece of furniture. Yet none of the furniture looked like it had been wed.


    ¡°Pardon me,¡± Mary said, gently picking up a short-haired tabby and cing it in anotherfortable-looking location. The cat looked at its new surroundings, nced up at the wraith as if to say ¡°I find this eptable¡± and then went back to sleep. Sadie took the offered chair.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Mary started, ¡°I had heard of youring, though never expected you to be gracing my doorstep.¡±


    ¡°You heard of me? Some kind of prophecy or ¨C¡± Sadie stopped. Was it her imagination or had Mary almost cracked a smile.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± the wraith replied, pointing to a corner of the room, ¡°Inte.¡±


    Sadie hadn¡¯t even seen theptop over their in the shadows of the room. ¡°Wraiths have inte? That seems awfully . . . mundane.¡±

 553

    Mary now looked vexed. It was strange watching her face move, almost as if it had simply not practiced making expressions in a while. ¡°In some ways, it is our only outlet. It is the one ce where all are equal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never thought of that.¡± Sadie found herself with a cat in herp. It was a small motley-colored thing that was looking for a warm ce to nap. ¡°Does this one have a name?¡±


    Mary looked over. ¡°They all have names, but they have not bothered telling me what they are. They live with me because they choose to. And they help keep the mice poption down.¡±


    Sadie wondered why a wraith would worry about mice, but dismissed the question. She attempted to put the cat back on the ground, but it turned around and jumped back up, looking at Sadie as if to ask what she thought she was doing.


    ¡°She has chosen you,¡± Mary said, a bit of humor in her voice. ¡°And once a cat has chosen you, you might as well get used to it.


    Sadie allowed the cat to make itselffortable, turning around several times, wing at her legs through the sweat-pants and then curling itself into a ball. Then it started to purr, and Sadie instantly felt more rxed. ¡°So you never named him?¡±


    ¡°Her,¡± Mary corrected. ¡°That¡¯s a calico. A tortoise-shell calico, to be more specific. Calicoes are always female.¡± Mary stood up suddenly. ¡°Would you like some tea? Or coffee? I don¡¯t have any sma. I¡¯m sorry, but I wasn¡¯t expectingpany . . . ever.¡±


    ¡°Coffee? You have electricity?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯ve even discovered the wheel and fire as well,¡± Mary said, the projection of her voice bing slightly acidic.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sadie said, still smiling. ¡°I just didn¡¯t see any power on in town, so I wasn¡¯t sure the lines still worked out here.¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Mary said, turning on a coffee pot. ¡°I have sr panels on the roof, two windmills just up the valley, and a generator in case of emergencies. I keep forgetting that most people don¡¯t understand that for a wraith, life doesn¡¯t end when you die. At least not the first time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d think I would understand that, being a vampire.¡±


    Mary openly smiled. ¡°I was a vampire once,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hunh. So you¡¯ve died twice as much as the ordinary darkworlder. Trying to set a record?¡±


    ¡°I think that I¡¯m quite through with the process, thank you very much. Cream or sugar?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    It wound up being a surreal afternoon, but Sadie would have been quite happy to continue the conversation except that she needed to get some sleep before going shopping with Melissa. Mary was an interesting character, that was for sure. Sadie believed that she had at one point been nobility or at least in the upper crust of society at some point. She sat properly, sipped tea with her finger extended, and just generally carried herself with grace and ss. Mary never mentioned exactly who she had been or how she hade to be a wraith, and Sadie was polite enough not to ask. But Mary was also charming, quite intelligent and, apparently, had be an aplished handyman. Getting anyone else toe out and work on the house was not going to happen, so she had done what needed to be done, rolling up her sleeves and working. One thing that Mary did let slip was that her family had money, and she was in fact living off of the family trust and the investments she had made. Sadie pegged her as having died within thest hundred and fifty years or so, but it was impolite to ask a girl¡¯s age.


    ¡°Well, I really have to be going,¡± Sadie said, noticing instantly that Mary¡¯s face fell a bit. Sadie was convince that wraiths didn¡¯t so much die as simply fade away sometimes, particrly the ones who intentionally distanced themselves from the other races. They didn¡¯t want to make anyone ufortable, but it appeared to make them desperately lonely. ¡°Listen, I have to attend this event on Saturday, but was wondering if you¡¯d like toe by for dinner afterward.¡±


    Mary again was stunned. You didn¡¯t invite a vengeance spirit over for dinner . . . ever. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°About six a. m.?¡±


    The wraith pondered it. ¡°Yes, I would like that.¡±


    ¡°Great! It¡¯s that little trailer up on the hill. 1408 Forest Creek Lane. If you like, bring a sd.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Mary then wondered exactly how she was supposed to get a sd.


    Sadie put the calico on the floor and allowed Mary to escort her to the door. The little feline managed to wind her way between Sadie¡¯s feet on every step.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Mary said, leaning over to scratch the cat behind the ears, ¡°she chose you.¡±


    The vampire realized just how true this was when she opened the door to her truck. The cat jumped inside before she could stop it and curled up in a ball in the passenger side. Sadie looked up toin to Mary, but the wraith had vanished. Sadie looked back at the cat. ¡°You presumptuous little bitch!¡±


    The cat purred and gave Sadie a half-eyed stare.


    Sadie grinned. ¡°Okay, I think we¡¯re going to get along just fine.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Saturday night . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Sadie took great delight in pulling her pickup truck around the drive of the mayor¡¯s house and parking it. She knew that there would be valet parking, but no one drove her truck but her. End of story.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually named your GPS unit ¡®Scarlett¡¯,¡± Melissa said, climbing out of the passenger side of the truck. ¡°Though she does sound like a Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Told you. And have I told you that you look ravishing tonight?¡± she said, taking Mel¡¯s hand and spinning her around. Melissa had gone with simple and ck, and it fit her well. It was a snug dress with sleeves that went from her neck all the way to her calves, hugging her lithe frame. She also wore a choker ne, which was to let any vamps in the crowd know that she wasn¡¯t on the market. She hadn¡¯t quite figure out what she wanted, but she had eliminated being a broodling.


    ¡°Like anyone would even notice me with you around,¡± Mel replied. Even though she¡¯d seen Sadie trying the dress on, it seemed to take her breath away. The vampire had gone with a glittery white gown with slits cut in the sides up to the mid thigh, a neckline that plunged below the breast line, exposing tanned flesh every inch of the way. The dress also dipped dangerously low in the back, stopping its descent just above the woman¡¯s ass. Sadie was certainly not wearing a bra, so the only thing between her chest and the eyes of the world were the soft wide strapsing down from her neck. On most attractive women, the dress would have looked good. On Sadie, it would make people¡¯s blood boil out of desire or jealousy. Mel fell into the former category.


    Sadie took Melissa¡¯s arm and they walked in the door, almost giving the doorman a heart attack. They were met by one of the mayor¡¯s cronies who informed them, much to Sadie¡¯s annoyance, that they had been ced at the mayor¡¯s table for dinner, along with Lord Frost, a few other councilmen as well as officer Koloff and his wife. dimir was already sitting at the table, but Sadie didn¡¯t see the infamous ¡°bitch¡± that everyone seemed to hold in so little regard.


    The two women worked there way through the crowd, with most of the eyes of nearby revelers on the Arbiter. Her hair was up in some delightfully wild looking bun, leaving her neck exposed. She was a wet dream for almost everyone in the room. She sat down next to dimir with Mel on her other side.


    The werewolf looked about as happy as a patient in a dentist¡¯s waiting room. He already had a ss of something that reeked of vodka and was just staring off into space. When he heard Sadie sit, he turned to look at her. And even the grizzled police veteran couldn¡¯t help but take Sadie¡¯s image in without a hint of desire in his eye. Much to his credit, he was able to pull his eyes up to hers quickly.


    ¡°Nice outfit,¡± he grumbled. I didn¡¯t know there was going to be a basketball game.¡±


    She grinned and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°You are so funny!¡± she said. ¡®Damn, he actually smells good.¡¯ ¡°You look as happy to be here as I am.¡±


    He looked her over more puposefully this time. ¡°I think that you¡¯re still better suited to this than I am.¡±


    ¡°So where¡¯s your wife?¡± she asked.


    He froze for a second, then rxed. He pointed his goateeden chin towards a group of people standing next to the bar. ¡°That¡¯s Teresa in the green.¡±


    Sadie was impressed. The slight elfish woman was a legitimate looker with short blond hair and a build even slimmer than Melissa, and she looked perfectly at home chatting it up with the tux and tie crowd. The way she ced her hands on their arms,ughed at every joke, and sent coy looks at all the gentleman told the tale.


    ¡°Score one for the wolfman,¡± Sadie said. Melissa gripped the vampire¡¯s hand while dimir¡¯s face fell. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, looking confused.


    dimir gave her a tired smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know what people say about her. I was just assuming the worst.¡±


    Sadie badly wanted to know this story, but she decided right then and there who she wanted to hear it from. ¡°dimir,¡± she started, ¡°I promise you this. I¡¯ll judge you for who you are and, if she and I talk, I¡¯ll judge her for who she is. I won¡¯t ask questions. I won¡¯t dislike her for for other peoples¡¯ sake, but I won¡¯t like her for yours. That¡¯s the best I can do. Okay?¡±


    dimir actually looked somewhat relieved, though he tried not to show it. He just nodded and returned to his drink.

 554

    Sadie squeezed harder this time and got another pleasurable response. ¡°My turn.¡± She leaned over Melissa¡¯s shoulder and took that wonderful bit of flesh between her lips again, humming contentedly as it sunk further down her throat. Melissa scooted to the side so that Sadie could have first chair, so Sadie took advantage of the situation. She pulled apart the cloth that covered her breasts, then let Terrence¡¯s manhood out of her mouth so it could rest in the cradle of her bosom. She pushed her tits together around the shaft and started stroking it with them. And much to Mel¡¯s credit, she didn¡¯t need to be given the idea to suck on the cock-head when it emerged from Sadie¡¯s cleavage.


    ¡°I need to get a job as a cop,¡¯ Terrence said. ¡°I think all the girls that work there are freaks.¡±


    ¡°Including Mrs. Crookshank?¡± Mel asked between sucks. ¡°She¡¯s like . . . eighty and ¨C¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with eighty?¡± Sadie asked primly.


    Mel smiled. ¡°Not everyone can keep their figure like you can.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Sadie released Terrence¡¯s cock again and let her dress fall back into ce. ¡°We¡¯ve only got fifteen minutes, and you have two women to satisfy buster.¡± Shey back on the bench, her dress hiked up to her hips which were right on the edge. Mel climbed on top of her so that they were face to face. After the two women exchanged a heated kiss, she looked at Terrence.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you can figure out what to do.¡±


    The male vampire knew exactly what to do. He pulled Melissa¡¯s dress up to her waist and pushed her panties aside, then put the tip of his member right at the entrence to her sex. Then he pushed in slowly, feeling her grip ever centimeter of his length as it slid in.


    Sadie loved watching Melissa¡¯s face. That normally stoic visage was radiating joyful lust, and it looked good on her. She locked lips with the young woman, slipping her tongue inside. Her hands sought out the girl¡¯s tight little ass, where one hand gripped butt cheek while the other hand spanked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a freaky little chick isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching her everything I know,¡± Sadie replied.


    Terrence pulled out, dipped at the knees and plunged into Sadie¡¯s waiting pussy. He drove all the way in and was rewarded with a grunt. Somehow she managed to wrap her legs around his hips and was spurring him on with her heels. She was every bit as snug in her sexual passage as Melissa¡¯s had been, and every bit as greedy.


    Mel freed Sadie¡¯s breasts again, locking her lips on a nipple as Terrence began swapping between the two women rapidly. Sadie had released her death grip on Mel¡¯s ass and had moved her hand around to the front, pinning it between their bodies as she rubbed the goth girl¡¯s clit.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Sadie growled. ¡°Fuck her!¡± she ordered, then evilly upped the challenge. ¡°Get her off or you¡¯ll never get this close again.¡±


    Terrence had no intention of letting that happen. He sunk deep into Melissa¡¯s body, grabbing her hips and prating like his life depended on it.


    Melissa never had a chance, not that she wanted one. Terrence was filling her up with fantastic speed and power, Sadie was teasing her clit like a cat ying with a mouse, and Sadie¡¯s mouth could almost make Mel cum just by kissing her. With all the attention she was getting, Melissa was cumming within two minutes.


    Terrence, under the pretense of letting the girl rest, plunged his sword back into Sadie¡¯s pussy. He had already taken a fair amount of ¡°punishment,¡± so he found himself unloading his seed into his fellow vampire¡¯s womb.


    ¡°No fair,¡± Melined. ¡°You didn¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sadie said happily. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to have both of you make it up to me sometime.¡±


    ¡°How much time?¡± Mel asked Terrence.


    ¡°Six minutes.¡±


    Melissa bent at the waist and dove her face between Sadie¡¯s still open thighs and proceeded tounch an assault that rivaled the storming of the beaches of Normandy. The vampire could feel her lover eating Terrence¡¯s offering out of her pussy and then going back in for more. Terrence helped out, teasing Sadie¡¯s clitoris the way she had teased Melissa¡¯s earlier, and the two of them made her climax in less than a minute.


    ¡°Okay, points for the effort,¡± she chuckled happily.


    The three of them hurried to make themselves presentable as they ran back through the maze. They made it to the top of the terrace stairs and, after giving each other a brief once-over to make sure nothing was out of ce, walked back inside. Before they started called for everyone to take their seats, Sadie was already in hers and basking in the afterglow of sexual release. Melissa was at her side and while her face was calm and collected, her breathing was still somewhat ragged.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself, or everyone will know you just gotid,¡± Sadie teased. But then she heard Mel¡¯s breathing slow and herplexion evened out. ¡®The girl¡¯s got some good self-control, I¡¯ll give her that.¡¯


    The table started to fill up, with dimir and his wife right next to Sadie. d shot Sadie a shit-eating grin . . . he knew exactly what she¡¯d been up to, but it didn¡¯t stop her from feigning total innocence. Soon the mayor, Lord Frost, and a number of other important people were seated and patiently awaiting dinner. A caterer came by and took drink orders. All the vampires ordered blood except Sadie, who asked for a rum and coke when she found out that they didn¡¯t have Guinness.


    ¡°Ever the standout,¡± Lord Frost said by way of smalltalk.


    Sadie rolled her eyes and took a swig of her drink.


    ¡°You know what they say about those starving to be the center of attention?¡± Teresa Koloff said with an aristocratic through-the-noseugh.


    ¡°That they¡¯re elves?¡±


    ¡°Sadie,¡± dimir growled. ¡°Polite?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh she knows I¡¯m only kidding,¡± Sadie replied, her Marilyn Monroe voiceing to the surface in all it¡¯s helium- filled glory. ¡°Don¡¯t ya toots?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Teresa said, looking down her nose before turning to talk to someone else.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to make this easy are you?¡± Mel whispered.


    ¡°Easy as pie for me.¡±


    dimir observed the proceeding with a careful eye. It was odd to see the Arbiter shut off after watching her be a social whirlwind the rest of the night. All of the councilmen attempted to engage her in conversation and she deflected their verbal offerings with re and sarcastic delight. Only Mayor Jefferson and Lord Frost failed to engage her, and it didn¡¯t take a fool to figure out what they were doing: they were scoping her out. He knew that neither man, Frost in particr, was a fool. The Vampire Lord was popr in political circles both locally and nationally, and there were even rumors of ties to foreign nations. A connection to the Bureau of Arbiters would be a feather in his cap, as they were notoriously independent of other government agencies. They knew of legal proceedings that no one else did, as well as the locations of political refugees. The Arbiters could arrest, detain, and transport any person at their own discretion. The psych evaluation to get in was supposed to equivalent to psychological torture.


    But Sadie yed the game well, making her werewolf colleague wonder if that was simply part of the training. Finally, Frost spoke.


    ¡°Arbiter Hewitt, it just urred to me that I still haven¡¯t received that birth certificate that you promised.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m sure I mailed it to you.¡±


    ¡°I understand. The postal service can be notoriously unreliable. But still, I must insist. I would really hate to have to report the incident to your superious in Washington. Even the Bureau has some rules.¡±


    ¡°I would hate for someone as important as you to be inconvenienced with such a mundane thing. Particrly since the Bureau is so mired in the red tape and trying to get work done that any requests might be bogged down for months,¡± Sadie replied looking over the rim of her ss as she met Frost¡¯s gaze, ¡°or even years.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well perhaps I might find a path through the maze somehow. I get . . . lucky . . . that way sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure you don¡¯t have to wait any longer than is absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡±


    dimir didn¡¯t understand at all. The tension in the air between the two vampires was so thick you could cut it with a knife, but the conversation revolved around the triviality of a birth certificate.


    Mayor Jefferson raised his ss. ¡°Please, no more talk of work tonight. Everyone, a toast to the prosperity of Midian and to the good health of its newest protector, Arbiter Hewitt.¡±


    Sadie raised her ss along with everyone else, but dimir saw the tension in her hand. She was gripping her ss so tightly he was surprised it didn¡¯t shatter. The woman looked sultry and mischievous and not at all unhappy. But underneath, she was practically leaking contempt.


    About then, a band at one end of the dining hall started to y and within minutes, party-goers were taking the floor and dancing. Teresa flitted off with Lord Vant, who had been the recipient of several barbs from Sadie over the course of the evening. She didn¡¯t know eactly what he had been saying to his underlings, but it reeked of arrogance and it made her want to gag. Melissa was actually dancing with Terrance, and he was whispering something in her ear that was making her blush.


    Sadie grinned. Her friend was bing a lot more confident in what she wanted. She liked it when someone else took charge and ¡°made her¡± do what they wanted, but she wasn¡¯t as into the masochistic tendencies as she thought she was supposed to be. She didn¡¯t think that Terrence was Mel¡¯s ¡°solution,¡± but he would certainly be fun in the meantime.


    The major and Lord Frost were whispering to each other and asionally ncing in her direction. Sadie saw the Lord nce towards the musicians, then towards the dance-floor and finally back at Sadie, chatting to his co-conspirator all the while, a wholly unpleasant grin crossing his face.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± dimir asked. ¡°Not enough people at the table to threaten?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d threaten you, but you might get off on it,¡± she said sweetly, but her face reflecting more good humor than she had shown to anyone else. ¡°Listen, would you do me a favor?¡± she asked standing up.

 555

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Just follow me.¡± Sadie was looking conspiratorial, and he was aching to find out what was on her mind, so follow her he did. They¡¯d made it onto the dance floor before he realized it was a trap. She swung around, ced one hand on his shoulder and another on his hip.


    ¡°Dance with me,¡± she said, that smile never leaving her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¨C¡± he started to reply.


    ¡°You do now,¡± she said, almost growling through her pearly white teeth. ¡°If he tries to touch me, I¡¯ll rip his arms off and then you¡¯d have to arrest me. Do you have any idea the kind of paperwork that would be involved trying to arrest an Arbiter? Even if you could cuff me ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m pretty sure I could cuff you,¡± he replied, putting his hands in the proper positions and waltzing across the floor with her.


    Sadie¡¯s retort temporarily died on her lips. ¡®He¡¯s a pretty good dancer,¡¯ she thought, taking a minute to move with him across the floor. ¡®And damn, he¡¯s solid. She was actually marveling at the muscles of his chest and arms as she was pressed lightly against him. ¡°Wanna bet?¡± she said atst, trying to distract herself.


    He smiled back at her. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see if you Arbiters are as tough as everybody says. Okay, practice room tomorrow night. One set of cuffs each, one set of keys, first person to lock up their opponent wins. WHEN I win, you have to promise to try and show a little more decorum when you¡¯re in the field.¡±


    ¡°No more naked basketball?¡±


    ¡°No more naked basketball.¡±


    ¡°Fine. But when I win, you have to buy drinks after work at the bar of my choosing.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Sadie looked over at Lord Frost, who was visibly vexed at having been cut off from his quarry. She smiled at him and shrugged as if she had no idea how dimir had gotten to her first.


    ¡°You enjoy torturing him don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What a horrible thing to say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± dimir was actually trying hard not to look straight down at her, since her breasts were swaying hypnotically under that dress of hers. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun humbling you, you know that? I should warn you, I used to be a marine.¡± He didn¡¯t thing that would really phase her, but he was trying to get her a little riled up. She was more fun when riled up.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I flew for the British in World War I and II, and then did medi-vac in Korea and Vietnam.¡±


    dimir was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re a flier?¡±


    ¡°Used to be. Haven¡¯t kept my certification up in thest twenty years since joining the Arbiters. Just no time for it. I¡¯d love to restore a Sopwith Camel sometime and do the certification. I¡¯ll tell you, there¡¯s nothing quite like doing nap-of-the-earth maneuvering in an open cockpit. It¡¯s just a rush.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you haven¡¯t done?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    She couldn¡¯t resist a tease. ¡°A few things,¡± she muttered sexily. ¡°You offering to help fill in the holes?¡± She wish she hadn¡¯t said anything. His eyes went wild for split-second, making her think that he wouldn¡¯t mind at all. But then the animal side slipped away and there was a sad longing there.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s lost interest,¡± dimir said, noticing that Frost had gathered some of the City and vampiric Councils together. Terrence was over there, and Frost whispered something in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my wife.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sadie said after him, gnawing on her bottom lip. She hadn¡¯t wanted to make him ufortable. She¡¯d enjoyed those moments with him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Terrence purred as he walked up. ¡°You have my employer quite worked up. He¡¯s not used to there being something or someone he can¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Your employer had better get used to it,¡± she said absently, watching dimir approach his wife. She saw the couple start to bicker quietly as only a married couple can. And it was Teresa who was doing most of the sneering, with dimir either taking it or trying to cate her.


    ¡°Anyway, he was you to join him and the others on the terrace for coffee. They¡¯re going to discuss ns for this Halloween and ¨C¡±


    ¡°Tell him I would LOVE to . . . and make sure you tell him with just that amount of contempt . . . but I haveter dinner ns.¡±


    ¡°Is young Melissaing over for something to eat?¡± he whispered warmly into her ear.


    ¡°No. Mary ising over, and she¡¯s just a potential friend.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Mary?¡±


    ¡°The wraith from New Plymoth.¡±


    Terrence stopped. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? You¡¯re having dinner with a wraith?!¡± Thisst part came out a little louder than anticipated, and several couples in the area stopped and stared.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sadie said. ¡°Actually, I need to be leaving so I can get something fixed before she gets there. Do be a doll and pass on my SINCERE regret about leaving early, but I¡¯m sure the Lord would be amiss if I neglected my social responsibility.¡±


    Melissa had walked over, her eyes showing shock. ¡°I think you have some exining to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it on the ride to the house, assuming that you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    Melissa looked confused, but it quickly transitioned to curiosity. If Sadie thought it was safe, then Melissa would trust her.


    Sadie had onest shot to take. She looked over at Frost, meeting him stare for stare. She blew him a kiss, then her hand drifted down and inconspicuously pointed to her perfect rear-end. She escorted Melissa to the truck, and began tough as soon as she got outside.


    ¡°You know, we need to do this sort of thing more often.¡±

 556

    Melissa was sitting on Sadie¡¯s sofa on the verge of hyperventting. She wasn¡¯t sick, and she wasn¡¯t in her general state of anticipation of learning some new sexual trick from her vampire mentor. No, she was on herst nerve awaiting . . . dinner. More specifically, Sadie¡¯s dinner guest. More specifically, a wraith.


    She had epted that Sadie was not like most vampires, or like mostw enforcers, or . . . or like anyone, but this was pushing even Melissa¡¯s credulity. No one had a wraith over for dinner, much less ask one to bring a sd. It wasn¡¯t that wraiths were evil or hideous, it¡¯s that they were barely ¡°there¡± at all. You could touch one, thought the people touched by a wraith tended to do so while being ripped apart for some terrible wrong they hadmitted. You could hear them talk, but their lips didn¡¯t move. You could see them, but they didn¡¯t have that sense of solidity: they were in the world but not really a part of it. When they moved, they made no noise, and they gave off no scent. While not immune to magic, they could not be targeted with direct magic, and they were immune to magical influences on the mind. And heaven forbid you have a stray vengeful thought with a wraith around, because they would be likely to act on it for you if they got the chance.


    ¡°She¡¯s not due for a few more minutes,¡± Sadie said, taking a perverse glee in Mel¡¯s nervous behavior. ¡°If you¡¯re THAT freaked out ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not freaked out!¡± Melissa¡¯s voice sounded like that of a teenage boy going through puberty. She reached down and scratched the ears of Sadie¡¯s new nameless cat as it wound its way absently between her legs. The feline purred, then slunk over to the bed and made herself at home.


    ¡°Of course not. Then go get the tenderloin out of the oven.¡±


    ¡°We could have just eaten at the fund-raiser you know.¡±


    ¡°But then I wouldn¡¯t have had an excuse to leave early and have dinner with Mary!¡±


    ¡°You . . . you¡¯re insane! You don¡¯t obey any kind of logic ¨C¡±


    There was a knocking at the door.


    Sadie looked at Melissa and motioned to the door. Mel¡¯s eyes shot open and she shook her head. Sadie nodded vigorously. Mel shook her head. Sadie rolled her eyes and headed over to the door. Melissa stood up, not sure how one was supposed to greet the one species more undead than vampires.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Mary said, holding a pre-packaged sd in her hands. She looked as if she didn¡¯t know why she was there or what she was supposed to do.


    ¡°C¡¯mon in!¡± Sadie said cheerfully. ¡°Put that on the table. Mel, would you get the dressing out of the . . . Mel?¡±


    Melissa was staring at Mary, who was staring back. Mel blinked several times . . . Mary didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m making your friend nervous,¡± Mary projected.


    ¡°Is she just standing there motionless not making any real facial expressions?¡± Sadie asked from the kitchen.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s always like that.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s trance broke long enough for her to shoot Sadie a dirty look. When she looked back at Mary, she saw the wraith actually crack a little smile.


    ¡®She¡¯s not that different than me,¡¯ Mel thought. ¡®She¡¯s actually scared.¡¯ It was more Melissa¡¯s intuition than anything that directed her down that thought path. ¡°My name¡¯s Melissa,¡± she said, her voice firming as she spoke. She extended her hand.


    It was the second time in a week that Mary had been offered direct physical contact with another being. It was the second time in a century that someone had done so without being on the receiving end of vengeance. She shook this lovely young creature¡¯s hand. ¡°Mary.¡±


    ¡°May I take your . . . shawl?¡± Mel asked, trying to be polite but not sure what she should be asking for.


    Mary, pulled the bluish-ck garment from her hand and gave it to Melissa, letting her waist-length silky-ck hair fall freely.


    ¡®She¡¯s beautiful,¡¯ the goth chick thought. ¡®Not ming-blowing sexy like Sadie, but more elegant.¡¯ It was easy for her to see that the woman had once been a vampire. There was something about the way her lips were formed. She wondered if Mary still had fangs. For some reason, that thought made her neck tingle. She gently folded the garment and ced it on a hanger behind the door.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Mary ced the sd on the table where it was rapidly picked, opened, and deposited in a bowl by Sadie.


    Melissa rxed a little and approached the dining table. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cooked.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°This is mostly just heat and forget stuff.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering. I thought you lived entirely on gas station food and blood . . . and Guinness.¡±


    ¡°Good point!¡± the vampire muttered, grabbing a ck bottle of her favorite brew out of the fridge. ¡°Mary, you drink?¡±


    ¡°Alcohol? I¡¯ve never consumed anything but wine, and it¡¯s been a long time since that.¡±


    ¡°No sweat.¡± She nced in the bottom of her refrigerator. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bottle of Bordeaux . . . 1945.¡± Friend of mine gave it me and I never got around to drinking it.¡±


    ¡°That sounds exquisite,¡± Mary said.


    ¡°Great. You open and poor. Wine isn¡¯t my thing. Mel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to try the wine,¡± she said.


    ¡°Traitor.¡±


    And just like that, any remaining tension eased away. It turned out that Mary was very intelligent, having had nothing much to do except wreck vengeance on the wicked, read, mess around on the world-wide web, and pet her cats for quite some time. She hadpletely renovated her house on her own, ordering supplies on line and having the delivery personnel leave it in a nearby abandoned warehouse. No one was willing to drop it directly off at her front door.


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Sadie said. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything measured out and holes dug, so would you be willing to help put up my deck next weekend? I¡¯ve got an eye on some great redwood ¨C¡±


    ¡°Redwood? Maybe you should consider an artificial wood. It would handle the weather here much better. What are you smiling at?¡±


    ¡°You sounded like ¡®This Old House¡¯ for a second. And no fake woods! The redneck in me would never allow it.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± The wraith still looked cautious, as if this was all some big joke, but she was willing to risk being the butt of it. Even the most casual of acquaintances was better than the life of solitude she had chosen. ¡°Do you have sufficient tools?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I may not,¡± Sadie thought.


    ¡°If you could arrange transport, I have everything you might need.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°Can I help?¡± Melissa murmured.


    ¡°You?¡± Sadie asked. ¡°Physicalbor?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you got me in a dress,¡± Melissa shot back. ¡°How hard could it be to build a deck?¡±


    ¡°Building things with your hands takes sweat and discipline,¡± Mary said, feeling that her favorite hobby was being disrespected.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that sweat and discipline is a problem for our little Melissa,¡± Sadie said. Mary missed the joked. Melissa did not.


    ¡°You know who else is good with his hands?¡± Melissa asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Sadie looked at her. ¡°Terrence? That pretty boy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an an ex Navy Seal you know,¡± Melissa said. ¡°He can probably handle a hammer. But that isn¡¯t who I was talking about.¡±


    Sadie was baffled. ¡°Then I say, ¡®hunh¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Officer Koloff,¡± Mel said. ¡°You two need to do some bonding anyway, and you looked quitefortable with him at the fund raiser.¡±


    Sadieughed it off. ¡°Cute. d is quite married and besides, he and I are like oil and water.¡±


    ¡°Slick and wet?¡± Mel asked innocently. Like everyone else, she didn¡¯t much care for dimir¡¯s wife, and wouldn¡¯t mind seeing someone drive a wedge between them. Sadie could do it, and they had looked quite fetching together.


    ¡°You are so getting yourster!¡±


    Mary watching the verbal sparring between the two friends and felt . . . warm. It was good to be amongst others again.

 557

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next evening . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sadie pulled her weary carcass into the precinct building only with the help of a strong pot of coffee and pure will. The coffee was Mel¡¯s idea. Every time that the goth chick slept over, Sadie didn¡¯t get much rest. But it was hard to even pretend to be too mad about it. They always drove their separate vehicles when they came into work however. They were friends with benefits. Sadie was Melissa¡¯s mentor, and that was it.


    Unfortunately for Sadie, she had forgotten about a little bet that she had made, one that dimir was happy to remind her of the moment she eased into her creaky wooden chair.


    ¡°So, you ready to see who can cuff who?¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± Sadie said, lifting her overly hot coffee to her lips and then yelping when it touched her tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®no¡¯ then,¡± dimir replied with a smirk. ¡°Very well. I supposed I can take a rain check, unless you¡¯d prefer just to concede now.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s half-opened eyes narrowed to a squint. She could taking being teased, insulted, mocked . . . but challenged? ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have to embarrass you even more by kicking your ass while I¡¯m only half awake.¡±


    ¡°Tough talk for a chick still sitting in her chair.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s it,¡¯ she thought. ¡®No one challenges me AND calls me a chick and doesn¡¯t get his ego bruised.¡¯ She stood up, adrenalin providing her strength that herck of sleep had taken away. ¡°Who¡¯s sitting now? If you want, I¡¯ll let you go change into your panties before I spank you.¡±


    Koloff grinned. He wasn¡¯t sure that pissing her off would make her easier or more difficult to spar with, but it sure was fun. She practically glowed when she got feisty. ¡°Why wait? Let¡¯s dance in what we¡¯d be wearing in the field.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you dance,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°You might want to stick with an analogy involving something you¡¯re good at.¡± It was a cheap shot, andpletely untrue. He¡¯d been a fine dancer. Nice firm body and a kind of grace ¡ª ¡®Stop that,¡¯ she thought.


    The two of them heading back to the precinct¡¯s exercise room,plete with spacious sparring mat. Somehow, word of the impending challenge had already spread, and every person not upied with important official business got swept up in their wake. By the time the two of them reached the sparring mat, there was already a ¡°fight, fight, fight¡± chant echoing through the halls.


    Sadie took her cuffs off her belt and opened up one of the storage lockers, putting the belt inside. dimir did the same, then closed the locker before returning to the mat.


    The vampire was really looking forward to this. Not a lot of people she faced could really test her, but she knew deep down that d could. He had that werewolf strength, military training, and that intangible but very real confidence. She nced around, noticing that her entire team was there, including Bart. That made her scowl, but he had mostly left her and Mel alone. Sadie had sessfully taken the fun out of it for him. He was probably just there to relish in the violence, even if it was only practice.


    ¡°Wait!¡± boomed a voice from the hall. Captain Grom looked annoyed as he strode down the hallway. ¡°What do you two think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Captain ¨C¡± dimir started.


    ¡°We were just ¨C¡±


    The Captain waved them off. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing he said, breaking a sly smile. ¡°I was just upset that you were starting before I got here. You think I¡¯m going to miss a chance to see this?¡± He looked from one contestant to the other. ¡°Well? Lay on!¡±


    With the start given, the twobatants approached each other with their stances widened and their hand raised. Both were trying to identify what style the other was going to use, and both came to the same conclusion: neither opponent had an identifiable style. Both knew a hodge-podge mixture of techniques, so this would be a fight of adaptation rather than prediction.


    Sadie decided to try and utilize her speed and endurance, since she was damn sure not going to overpower her opponent, even in his human form. She wondered what it would be like to take him half-were¡¯d out. ¡®Imagine the possibilities.¡¯ She was brought back to reality as he feinted a grab towards her right arm. She bit on the feint just enough to let him know what her reaction would be, and she had cursed herself for that. She decided not to kick him in the groin, partially because any male worth his salt knew to protect it and . . . well, it was just too mean.


    She ducked and spun, trying a sweep kick to take him off of his feet. He jumped it easily and tried jumping for her back. She actually did a reverse somersault to get out of his way, hoping he¡¯d over-pursue and trip up. No such luck. He slowly and methodically backed her into a corner, a smile on his face. He was having as much fun with this as she was. Sadie ducked and made it look like she was going to charge his knees. He made a good defensive move, crouching down but keeping his shoulders square to help keep his bnce. But when she charged, Sadie didn¡¯t go low but rather vaulted upward, cing one hand on the top of dimir¡¯s head and flipping over him to the open space beyond. He tried cuffing the hand on his head, but she was past him to quickly.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk,¡± Sadie said, dancing backward out of his reach. ¡°I thought the old dog was going to teach me some new tricks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to end it too quickly,¡± he replied, a little red around the face. ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t learn nothin¡¯.¡± He stepped up the pace after that, pushing her towards a corner and using his mass to his advantage. He kept his punches close in, getting extra power from his hips rather than swinging from the shoulder. Sadie yed a range game, moving in quickly and using her legs a lot more. She wasn¡¯t going to match his upper-body strength, but she could kick like a government mule.


    This went on for many minutes, and the crowd was getting a clinic. Finally, dimir rushed her with his shoulder, looking to knock her on her ass and out of breath. She sidestepped most of the charge, but got spun by an extended elbow. She saw his other arming in with cuffs open and new she was going to be halfway to being beaten, but halfway wasn¡¯t all the way.


    dimir was grinning like the wolf he was when he secured her wrist, but his expression faded into surprise as Sadie secured the arm he had just extended. The twobatants eyes met, and they game stepped up a notch. Elbows and knees began flying, trying to create an opening. This wasn¡¯t where Sadie wanted to be, ying in close with a werewolf of dimir¡¯s ability. They almost formed a merry-go-round, gripping one end of their cuffs while the other end was attached to their opponent¡¯s wrist.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sadie made a bold move, crossing d¡¯s body and ducking under his arm. But d was quick and wrapped his arms around her. Sadie threw her free arm as much as she could around the werewolf¡¯s side. If he wanted to cuff that wrist, he was going to have to let go of something.


    ¡°Your move,¡± she whispered, feeling him tightening his grip. She was pressed tight against his hard body, and she could actually feel his manhood pressed against her bum. ¡®If that¡¯s him soft, I wonder what he¡¯d look like hard. I can¡¯t believe I just thought that! Yes I can,¡¯ she admitted. He tightened his grip again, obviously trying to figure out the best way to get to that wrist.


    She knew she needed to try something and quick, so she opted for guile. In a choked sounding whisper, she said, ¡°Can¡¯t . . . can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    Out of instinct, d loosened his grip just a little. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. It wasn¡¯t until it was toote that he realized what she¡¯d done. When his grip loosened, she dropped straight down and slid backwards between his legs. With his cuffed arm trapped between his legs, he frantically released his grip on his own cuffs to try and elbow the woman standing behind him. His elbow missed and he felt her hook the other end of her handcuffs to his wrist.


    The crowd went wild, and Sadie fell back on the matpletely exhausted.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± he said, flushing from anger at losing but still mightily impressed by her performance. ¡°¡®I can¡¯t breathe,¡¯?¡±


    Sheughed so hard that she rolled onto her back. ¡°Didn¡¯t say that I NEEDED to,¡± she replied. She got to her feet and got the keys. She unlocked on of d¡¯s wrists and then handed him the keys. Finally, she turned to the crowd.


    ¡°Okay, he¡¯s the moral of the story. Officer Koloff is as good a fighter as he is an officer. That was the best damn fight I¡¯ve had in decades,¡± she said, meaning every word of it. ¡°Some people might think it¡¯s a dirty trick to take advantage of the fact that he¡¯s an honorable man, but that¡¯s what being an Arbiter . . . hell, that¡¯s what being a good cop should be. I knew something about him that gave me an advantage and I used it, and that¡¯s something everyone should keep in mind. I promise you,¡± she said, giving Koloff a sweaty and admirable nce, ¡°he won¡¯t make that mistake again. Neither will your quarry, so do it right the first time.¡±


    ¡°Yes Missus Arbiter,¡± someone said in a whiny, school-kid voice. Everyone had augh.


    ¡°Nothing to see here,¡± Captain Grom said with a grin. ¡°Everybody at least pretend to get back to work.¡±


    Sadie looked over at her colleague who was rubbing his wrists where the cuffs and cinched in. He looked like he was ying the whole contest over again in his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try,¡± Sadie said warmly. ¡°Every time is different and you know it.¡± She met his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right though. It was a cheap shot. Don¡¯t worry about the drinks ¨C¡±


    For the first time, dimir looked genuinely angry. ¡°I made the bet, and you¡¯repletely right. Outsmarting someone is just as valid a way to win as being stronger or faster.¡± He calmed down a bit and offered his hand in respect. ¡°And you were right about one other thing.¡±


    She shook his hand. ¡°What was that?¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think I¡¯ll take it easy on you again.¡±


    ¡°Easy?¡± Sadie shoved him hard enough that hended on his ass,ughing up a storm. She stormed off, trying hard to pout. ¡°He called that easy ¨C¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Several hourster . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sadie sighed as she turned the cruiser into a residential district she¡¯d never visited before. She¡¯d been paired up with Devlin again, who alternated between oggling her assets and giving her the silent treatment. He¡¯d tried a few times during the previous week to make her reconsider sponsoring him to be Turned. She had steadfastly refused, which made for an ufortable trip. He had refused to evene inside when she made her nightly stop at Roll The Bones for dinner.


    She watched as the squat, solid houses of the neighborhood entered and passed her view, broken asionally by a nicer structure that rose up a couple of stories and might once have been nice ces to live. Thesetter houses were all boarded up and abandoned, and she wondered why no one else had moved in.


    ¡°Goblin town?¡± she muttered, wondering if Devlin would actually bother to respond.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± the human asked, looking around and seeing no one on the streets.

 558

    ¡°Goblins are the one ones who like houses like that. Vampires like ¡¯em tall and grand, werewolves prefer stuff with more open spaces, and elves are like vampires except they want their houses further apart.¡±


    ¡°What about humans?¡±


    ¡°Humans like trappings on the outside. They like porches and barbecues and things that let everyone else know how much stuff they have. A little bit egotistical, but kind of refreshing. The reasons for things like porches and barbecues is so that you can invite people over to share your bounty. They can be close minded sometimes, but humans are more likely than other races to cross social boundaries.¡± Sadie nced around. ¡°These neighborhoods are so species-centric . . . has it always been like this?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Devlin shrugged. ¡°Kind of. Well, maybe not quite like this. When the mayor started rezoning in his first term, the vampires started shifting to West End. Something about tax breaks.¡±


    ¡°Tax breaks that only vampires can take advantage of?¡±


    Devlin pursed his eyes. ¡°Elves too. Some humans. It¡¯s one of the swankier areas in all of Midian now.¡±


    ¡°Shame,¡± she replied. Then the radio started to squawk at them.


    *We¡¯ve got a 10-103f with multiple perps at the corner of Londonderry and Sage, (click)*, the dispatcher said. *That would be the Bygone Cafe, (click)*.


    ¡°How close are we?¡± Sadie asked.


    Devlin grabbed the radio. ¡°Roger that. This is car 0105 and we¡¯re just a couple of minutes out.¡±


    There was a pause. *Copy. We¡¯ve got two other cars that¡¯ll just be a few minutes behind you. Be careful. (click)*


    Sadie floored the gas and hit the lights and siren. Devlin was quick to give directions and they arrived in hurry. Sadie hopped out of the SUV and grabbed her shotgun (known as Hooters) out of the rack.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s necessary?¡± Devlin asked.


    ¡°Probably not, but I¡¯d rather have it with me and not need it than need to and have toe back for it.¡± She was striding towards the front of the cafe when a goblin came stumbling out the door. Goblins weren¡¯t particrly good brawlers and tended to fight in groups, and this one was looking pretty battered. Devlin got on his radio and called for an ambnce, trying to get the goblin to get down on the ground at the same time. Sadie stood next to the window at the front and nced in, and there was chaos. There was at least a dozenbatants inside.


    ¡°Dispatch, what¡¯s the ETA on backup?¡± Sadie shouted. She didn¡¯t wait for an answer, since she heard multiple sirens approaching. ¡°Never mind.¡± Then she heard crashing from inside and a second form came flying out the window, spraying her with ss in the process. ¡°Crap!¡± She nced inside, able to get a better look without the re from the ss. There were somerger humanoids towards the back and a shorter humanoids.


    The taller ones seemed to notice they had a visitor and took off through the kitchen.


    ¡°In pursuit!¡± she shouted, jumping into the room.


    ¡°Arbiter, wait! Wait for backup!¡±


    ¡°They can catch up!¡± As she bolted through the building, she took note of the people who were down. Lot¡¯s of bruises, minor bleeding and maybe some broken bones, but no one was dying. The ce reeked of blood and testosterone, so she couldn¡¯t make out the races of all involved.


    She tore through the kitchen where a frightened staff pointed towards the swinging back door, so Sadie made her way out onto the street. She heard their footsteps before seeing them as the fleeingbatants made their way out of the end of the alley. They had a good head start on her but to Arbiter Sadie Hewitt, the chase had just started. She vaulted any number of trash bags, cans or alley flotsam as she struggled to make up ground. Hitting the edge of the alley, she saw them weaving through traffic.


    ¡°This is Arbiter Hewitt,¡± she said into her radio as she hurtled a cute little VW Beetle, ¡°and I¡¯m in pursuit of suspects heading west on . . . ir Ave.,¡± she added, looking around for a street sign. ¡°Vamps!¡± She shouted this after one of the chased turned to look at her. Even if she couldn¡¯t smell them, there was no way she would mistake the creature and the arrogance behind those eyes.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she shouted, mostly out of a sense of obligation. She really didn¡¯t expect them toply, which they didn¡¯t. She was gaining on them, and she wondered if they knew it. Sadie had spent twice as much time on obstacle courses as anyone else at the Arbiter Academy, just because she loved to practice. She weaved around and jumped over cars until she got to the sidewalk, quickly turning a corner. A ways down the street, she saw her quarry piling into a car.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± She kept running, wondering what was going on. Had they parked all the way over here? It didn¡¯t make sense. And she hadn¡¯t seen any of them get into the driver¡¯s side door. She tried to get a good look at the tes as pulled her walkie-talkie up. ¡°Suspects are getting into a ck . . . Lincoln. License te numbers . . . Damn it!¡± The car had a dark protective covering over the te, making it impossible to read from that distance. She had no idea why those things were legal. The wheels on the getaway car spun out. ¡°The car is heading north on Pleasant Street and . . . no, it¡¯s turning right on Concord.¡± She turned and ran through the office building to her right, trying to find a way through to make up more ground. She wound up jumping through a secretary¡¯s window tond on the street next to some terrified passersby, but it was toote. The car had vanished. She looked up and saw a sign: ¡°West End City Limits.¡± They had escaped into vampire territory. She saw some Gravestones police cars go flying by, but she doubted they¡¯d have better luck. A bunch of vampires had roughed up a bunch of goblins and they¡¯d had help getting away. It didn¡¯t set well in her stomach . . . not at all.


    She turned and walked back the way she¡¯de, stopping to calm down the frightened secretary and leave her card so she could see about the damages. When she got back to the Bygone Cafe, she found that most of the Goblins were being treated or questioned. dimir was there and walked over to her.


    ¡°It was dumb chasing after ¡¯em on you own,¡± he said, but he really didn¡¯t seem to be chastising her. It was more like he was saying what he was supposed to say. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Just my pride hurt. They had a getaway car, which took them to West End at the very least. Anyone hurt badly?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± dimir replied. He looked confused. ¡°By all ounts, the vamps just came in the back and started wailing on people. No attempt at robbery or anything. Owner said that one of them shoved a flier in his mouth then knocked him through the dishrack.¡±


    ¡°Got the flier?¡±


    The two of them walked over to where the owner was giving a statement to Officer Devlin. The young human looked almost bored, and it made Sadie mad.


    ¡°Hello sir,¡± she said as she approached, ignoring Devlinpletely, ¡°I was wondering if you had the flier that you were assaulted with.¡± She got down on a knee and looked the goblin in the eye: in their culture, it was a show of respect to meet them on their own terms.


    ¡°It¡¯s back in there somewhere,¡± he said. ¡°It was one for ¡®Werewolf Wednesday.¡¯ It¡¯s a dumb name, I know, but I was trying to get the furry crowd back in.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®back in¡¯?¡±


    ¡°We used to get a lot more diverse crowds. It¡¯s kinda fallen off this year, and it¡¯s a shame. Weres know how to party like no one else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen ME party,¡± Sadie said, patting the goblin on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t catch them, but I promise you I¡¯ll get them some time or another.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t win them all,¡± the Goblin said. ¡°May have to close down after this though. It¡¯s hard to keep a ce going when you have people making it clear you¡¯re not wanted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them win,¡± dimir said, following Sadie¡¯s lead and kneeling. ¡°Don¡¯t let a bunch of bloodsuckers tell a goblin that they can¡¯t run a business.¡± It was a good tactic, since goblins had worked longer and harder than other races to earn respect in the workforce, so they tended to be more proud of their aplishments. ¡°No offense,¡± he added, ncing at Sadie.


    ¡°None taken.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always the vampires¡¯ fault,¡± Devlin muttered sarcastically.


    Sadie ignored him for the time being, taking a look around. She let dimir talk to the owner while she looked at the walls of the restaurant. There were a number of different fliers up with discounts for the different races. A young human female with a waitress outfit and a ck eye walked over and stood next to Sadie.


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard a lot of grumblings about these recently,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Vamps that use toe in started talking shit to everyone else, and they¡¯d sometimes hang outside on human night or werewolf night just to hurl insults at people. Everront,¡± she said, looking towards the owner, ¡°was trying so hard to get a mixed clientele. Always thought it was better to keep more doors open than shut.¡±


    It had been a long time, but she had been a young girl once. She knew what it looked like when you wanted to cry but were afraid to. She put an arm around the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered. The girl wept quietly into the Arbiter¡¯s should. Sadie didn¡¯t figure the girl could be more than eighteen years old, which was a tough age to be. It was old enough to vote and die for your country and think you¡¯re invincible, but not too young to find out the world wasn¡¯t always flowers and puppy dogs.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire, right?¡± the girl asked. ¡°I¡¯d heard the new Arbiter was a vamp.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a vamp.¡±


    ¡°Why do you guys hate us so much? I mean . . . I didn¡¯t mean you ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t. Not all vampires are like that,¡± she said, not sure how much she believed it. ¡°You got someoneing to get you? I¡¯ll stay with you until they get here, okay?¡±

 559

    It was a few minute until the girl¡¯s terrified parents showed up and took her away, swearing they¡¯d never let their girl work out of human territories again. Sadie ground her teeth angrily, looking around for something to punch. dimir showed up, and she liked him a bit too much to unload on him. ¡®Where¡¯s Devlin?¡¯ she thought irritably.


    ¡°You sensing a pattern here?¡± Koloff asked.


    ¡°Yeah. And I got the feeling something¡¯s going on besides the regr Halloween jitters.¡± She stomped her foot and walked towards her vehicle. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let them get away.¡±


    ¡°Hey, even you can¡¯t chase down a car. Hell, I couldn¡¯t do it fully wolfed out.¡± He could tell that she wasn¡¯t in the mood to be reasonable. He realized that she really thought she was superwoman, or at least that she was supposed to be. ¡°Let¡¯s get some statements, get an artist down here to do some renderings and then . . . then you get that drink.¡±


    ¡°That would be ¡®drinks¡¯ . . . the plural of ¡®drink.¡¯ Don¡¯t go getting cheap on me d,¡± she said, her smile returning. It was hard to keep Sadie down for long.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied, realizing that he had no chance in hell of breaking her of the habit of calling him ¡°d,¡± ¡°multiple drinks. You got anyce in mind?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    At the end of the shift . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    dimir was probably going to get a headache before he left but, if not, he was sure he¡¯d get one when he got home. Teresa would be able to smell the cheap perfume and lingering aroma of beer and unfiltered Camels on him from across the room, and elves didn¡¯t even have a great sense of smell.


    ¡°So where¡¯d you hear about this ce?¡± he asked, raising his Coors Light to his lips. Sadie looked at his choice of beverages with some disgust.


    ¡°Frankenstein.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Sadie was kicked back in thefy cloth chair, staring at some twenty-something year old girl strutting her stuff on stage in nothing but a bra and thong. ¡°One of the leaders of El Diablo is a friend of mine, and he rmended it..¡± She had chosen the Cat Scratch Club as the ¡°bar¡± to im her bet winnings at. ¡°There he is!¡± She stood up and waved wildly. She¡¯d called him on the way over, but wasn¡¯t sure he was going to make it. She waited until the biker got over, gave him a big hug and introduced him to dimir. It was weird introducing a biker who wasn¡¯t exactly alwayswful to a fellow cop, but once dimir saw the Semper Fi tattoo on Frank¡¯s arm, everything was good. Marines were marines.


    ¡°Actually, can¡¯t stay long,¡± Frank said, ordering a single beer. ¡°Just wanted to say hi. Looks like we¡¯re going to be pulling out of town soon.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sadie said. ¡°Hold that thought.¡± She pulled out her wallet, got a single and headed up to the stage, shoving it under some the boy-shorts of a pink-haired hard-bodied dancer who had juste up.


    ¡°Thanks baby,¡± the dancer said. ¡°I¡¯m Torrie.¡±


    ¡°Lap danceter?¡±


    The dancer looked off into a dark corner and then back at Sadie with a sultry smile. ¡°Be over after my rotation. Just need to make sure my girlfriend approves.¡±


    Sadie grinned. ¡°I love open rtionships.¡± She went and sat back down. ¡°So, where were we?¡±


    Frank shrugged. ¡°Most cops have been getting really friendly in a bad way with my boys. Gravestones is the only ce we can y. And the Nightwings rolled in a couple of days ago. My crew¡¯s a little young up here, and I don¡¯t want any of ¡¯em getting froggy and starting something with vamp bikers.¡±


    ¡°Nightwings?¡± Sadie gotfortable and sipped her drink. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them riding out here.¡±


    ¡°Me either.¡±


    dimir started to say something, but was then distracted by a top-heavy ck woman who walked by and traced a finger across his strong shoulders. ¡°Is there some kind of convention going on?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a lot of vamps in town.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything,¡± she responded.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± d said. ¡°You go out of your way to make sure they don¡¯t talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I try, but they keep talking.¡±


    ¡°You know, maybe you should try ying nice with them,¡± dimir said. ¡°I know you¡¯re less than thrilled about the idea, but it might let us know if something is really up or if it¡¯s just our imaginations.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get Devlin?¡± Sadie muttered into her rum and coke. ¡°He wants to be a vampire so bad ¨C¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t,¡± d said, putting his drink down. ¡°And he isn¡¯t an Arbiter either. Frost is obsessed with you for some reason, so maybe you should consider using that.¡±


    Sadie put her drink down and she looked at him with as serious a face as she¡¯d ever worn. ¡°I won¡¯t be seen as some vamp Lord¡¯s broodling or suckup. Not even if it¡¯s for pretend. I¡¯ll find a way of looking into it, okay?¡±


    The werewolf looked over at Frankenstein, but the man nearly shrugged. He didn¡¯t know why Sadie avoided her own kind so vehemently. ¡®Except that Terrence guy,¡¯ d thought. ¡°Do you think that Frost¡¯s bodyguard might be able to give us some information? Nothing sensitive, ¡¯cause I¡¯ve got the feeling he¡¯s the loyal type . . . just if there¡¯s a party that we weren¡¯t invited to.¡±


    Sadie seemed to be mulling it over. ¡°Might work. I¡¯ll talk to him if hees to help on the deck this weekend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re building your deck? Why didn¡¯t ¨C¡± d started.


    ¡°Mary¡¯s going to be there. The wraith?¡± She knew he was going to ask why she hadn¡¯t asked for his big manly help, and there it was. Werewolves were more freaked out by wraiths than anyone, due to theck of any olfactory footprint. ¡°The more help the better, but I figured ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Teresa hates it when I¡¯m around on the weekends anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why . . . How did you two meet?¡± Sadie asked, going back into her non-confrontational mode, a bit perplexed that he¡¯d be willing to joined a construction crew with a wraith foreman so quickly. She noticed an immediate souring of attitude. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to start a fight,¡± she added carefully. ¡°Just trying to get to know my partner is all. I can listen to you or to rumors.¡± She watched him breathe in, then out . . . and finally he spoke.


    ¡°Quid pro quo,¡± he replied. ¡°I talk about my life, you get to exin what happened in Austin that made your superiors ¡®let¡¯ youe up here to Midian.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°Then no deal.¡±


    Frankenstein was chuckling as he stood up. Not many people could back Sadie into a corner and get away unscathed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone. I¡¯m going to go get the boys and head south and see what kind of hell we can raise in San Francisco.¡±


    Sadie jumped up and hugged her friend. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t make mee down there and have to arrest you.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Sadie sat back down and red at d, who looked monumentally unintimidated. ¡°You tell no one?¡± She watched d zip his lips shut. ¡°Okay, it was really just a big ident,¡± she muttered. ¡°Things just got a little out of control.¡± She took a deep breath and thenunched into her exnation. She had actually just been responding to a disturbance call where someone had reported their neighbor was making too much noise. Sadie had been bored so, rather than just letting a regr tfoot take care of it, she had decided to take a drive. Turned out that some moron decided to make a ruckus cleaning some of the equipment they used to make crystal meth . . . in their backyard in the middle of the night. They were so out of their brains by that point that it apparently just didn¡¯t ur to them that this wasn¡¯t the wisest thing to do. She showed up and they actually had the gall to hit on her before realizing that she was both a cop and a vampire. Then things had gotten chaotic.


    It had been four of them and one of her, so Sadie thought it would have been unfair of her to call for backup. She only had one pair of cuffs, so she had to improvise. She cuffed one to an exposed water pipe, hung another one from the back porch by his shoces and imnted a third in the fence. The fourth wound up being a fake-were, or a human who had been granted the ability to morph into a monstrous creature via a witch-spell. Highly illegal ck-market spell, but potentially lethal. She had fought with the guy for a while before he realized that spell or no spell he was no match for Sadie, so he took off running. He was able to make it to his car because ¡ª


    ¡°My . . . uhm . . . pants got on the barbwire they lined their gate fence with,¡± Sadie mumbled, taking another drink.


    d tried not to grin. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± she replied, ¡°I had to dump the pants and my shoes to give chase.¡±


    ¡°Not that you usually mind,¡± dimir chuckled, ¡°but please continue.¡±


    Sadie rolled her eyes. She got to her patrol car and had pursued the escapee until they both got stuck in Austin traffic. He had gotten out of his vehicle, so she got out of hers intending to pursue on foot. Their dodging through busy streets caused a traffic back-up for a quarter mile in every direction. Then the perp car-jacked an ice-cream truck.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?!¡± dimir was loving the hell out of this. ¡°This is the dumbest chase in history!¡±


    The Arbiter red at him, though it was pretty damn funny in retrospect. ¡°Well, the only thing I could see that I couldmandeer that was facing the correct directions was ¨C¡± She paused, took a deep breath and then, ¡°¨C the tour bus for the Rolling Stones ¡®Last Time and We Mean It¡¯ tour. Hey, it made sense at the time!¡±


    ¡°Had you ever driven a bus before?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said, blushing furiously. ¡°I figured it couldn¡¯t be hard. Now, the only reason I know how many gears it had was because I stripped them all.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so the half-naked vampire Arbiter is chasing an ice-cream truck driven by a fake-were while in a tour bus stolen from a band who will never die.¡±


    ¡°Effectively.¡± Sadie went on to exin that she tailed the guy to an abandoned warehouse district where he rushed inside. She managed to get a look inside by standing on the bus and looking through a vent. It was a drug cartel¡¯s entire local inventory, and there were a lot of armed men listening to her perp rapidly try and exin why he had led an Arbiter right to them.

 560

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for backup, did you?¡± d asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see . . . no, no I didn¡¯t. I¡¯d actually taken a whiff of the chemicals in the air back at the original crime scene, and with the cloud on the Rolling Stone tour bus ¨C¡±


    ¡°Say no more.¡±


    Sadie had been feeling pretty invulnerable at that point. And hungry, but she could wait to satisfy the sudden Twinkie craving until after she had served out cold hard bs of justice. So she rammed the warehouse with the bus. There was a most unusual cloud of something floating through the air and people were running around frantically. A fire had also broken out which was not only going to destroy millions and millions of dors worth of product, but was creeping towards the chemicals used to create that product.


    She had heard sirens approaching, and the drug cartel went charging out into the streets to be arrested and saved from ¡°that lunatic bitch!¡± She in turn hade charging out, still half naked, to get everyone out of the area before the warehouse blew up. Luckily, no one was seriously injured in the explosion that consumed the entire building and took firefighters the better part of two days to contain. Overall, she had cost the city millions, but she had felt perfectly justified since it had been for a good cause. She had promptly gorged herself on junk food, apologized to the Rolling Stones, and fended off a proposal for sex by at least two members.


    ¡°A girl¡¯s got to have SOME standards,¡± she said by way of her grand finale. d wasughing so hard he almost could stay in his seat. While a bit embarassed, she was d to see himughing like that.


    She was getting ready to make fess up and exin his rtionship with his wife when the dancer from earlier came over.


    ¡°Would you like that dance now?¡± the pink-haired beauty purred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she said, pointing at d but looking at the stripper.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the VIP room,¡± the girl added. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like the privacy.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was saturated with promise.


    ¡°That okay with your girlfriend?¡± Sadie responded, ncing at the buxom brte in the corner.


    ¡°Actually she insisted. I¡¯ve been a good girl recently, so she¡¯s giving me a reward.¡±


    ¡°Lucky me.¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± She led Sadie to a hallway with booths on either side. Once the vampire had stepped inside, Torrie pulled the curtain closed.


    Sadie grinned. She knew the drill. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve been in one of these,¡± she murmured. ¡°Last time, I was in you shoes . . . or heels, as it were.¡±


    ¡°You a dancer?¡±


    ¡°I was . . . undercover project.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a cop?¡± the girl asked, backing off a bit but not seeming too put off.


    ¡°An Arbiter,¡± Sadie said. She lounged back on the bench. ¡°But I don¡¯t do ¡®indecency¡¯ citations. Hell, I get naked any chance I get.¡±


    Torrie smiled. ¡°Any?¡±


    Sadie nodded. She hoped she was reading the vibes from the girl right. Then the next song officially started, and Torrie began to move. Sadie knew she¡¯d picked the right girl within seconds. This wasn¡¯t just a bump-and-grind girl, oh no. She certainly didn¡¯t mind contact, but she teased her victims first. And as the song went on, she encouraged Sadie¡¯s hands to roam. Sadie always made sure never to put her hands anywhere the dancer didn¡¯t want, but Torrie seemed to have no restrictions.


    ¡°So, your girlfriend give you to strangers as a reward often?¡± Sadie asked as that hard body slid down over the vampire¡¯s cleavage.


    Torrie grinned. ¡°She¡¯s also my mistress, and I do anything she asks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a sub? I keep running into you people!¡± She moaned lightly as the girl raked the inside of Sadie¡¯s denim-d legs with her fingernails.


    ¡°Mmmh,¡± Torrie moaned. ¡°I¡¯d kill for legs like these.¡± She was no fool, and knew how far she could push a vamp before things got dangerous. So no biting. ¡°So you like submissives?¡± she asked innocently.


    ¡°I like attractive women, and men for that matter. A friend from work has submissive tendencies, and I¡¯m trying to help her work them out. She¡¯s nervous about it all, and I¡¯m really not that knowledgeable.¡±


    The dancer stopped and nodded before reaching into the tiny purse and pulling out a business card. ¡°My email and number are the second ones there. Tell your friend to call or write any time. My mistress and I are serious about making sure that anyone who wants to enter the lifestyle has plenty of intel.¡±


    Sadie smiled and looked at the card as the girl started to dance again. ¡°Dark Eden?¡± she said, looking at the business name. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that. Fetish club in California isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Torrie said, lightly rubbing her ass on one of Sadie¡¯s thighs. ¡°Isabel . . . my mistress . . . started managing it a couple of years back, and has started a couple of clubs since. I do a lot of fetish art, including specialty equipment such as cages. I make stuff that¡¯s exotic and fun, but safe for the submissive. Cages have emergency exits, cuffs have secondary releases . . . stuff like that.¡±


    Sadie wasn¡¯t surprised by people often, but this highly sensual woman was much smarter than the vamp had given her credit for. ¡°So if you two are so sessful, why strip?¡±


    Torrie straddled her client¡¯sp, grabbing Sadie¡¯s hands and cing them directly on her exposed breasts. ¡°For fun. You see, I like being seen as a sexual object, just like my mistress likes seeing me that way. After we get back to the hotel, she¡¯s going to spank me until I¡¯m done telling her every sordid detail of what went on back here,¡± the girl murmured, lowering her lips to Sadie¡¯s neck and blowing warm air onto her skin. ¡°So if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like lots of sordid details to make the spanking take a while.¡±


    Sadie grabbed the girl¡¯s ass and gripped it tightly, loving the gasp the girl made. ¡°So you up here on business?¡±


    Torrie nodded, biting her bottom lip. ¡®Such power in those hands,¡¯ she thought. ¡°Yeah, we were thinking of opening up a new club in Midian, but we decided against it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sadie asked, feeling the girl fumbling with the buttons of her pants.


    ¡°Vamps are a big part of our clientele usually. They really dig the scene, but the vamps up here . . . no offense . . . are just really abusive it seems. The ones we talked to were too domineering in a bad way. There¡¯s no way Isabel would let them near her clients.¡±


    Sadie, for one of the few times in her life, was distracted from sex with an attractive person by thoughts of work. Normally, it was the other way around. She needed to talk this over with d, and make sure it wasn¡¯t just her natural biasesing to the foreground.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Torrie said, lowering her eyes in a manner simr but more elegant that the way Melissa did it. This girl was a practiced submissive. ¡°I have been using time that should be dedicating to your pleasure,¡± she purred, ¡°for something as mundane as business.¡± She slid across Sadie¡¯sp, elevating her ass just a little bit. ¡°I deserve punishment.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Sadie grinned. ¡°I like a professional,¡± she said, running her hand across those taut cheeks. ¡°And how much of a punishment do you deserve?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m really not that good at this whole thing,¡± she admitted.


    Torrie smiled back. ¡°Basically, this is where I usually get spanked until I cum on your leg.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You can do that? Just from getting spanked?!¡±


    ¡°My mistress trained me well,¡± came the hungry reply. ¡°We had to practice for a long time.¡± She flexed her ass cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the booths of this club have all been magically soundproofed.¡±


    Sadie raised her hand and lowered it sharply, lighting up the woman¡¯s flesh but not so hard as to hurt. She knew the limits of her strength. The reaction was immediate and obviously pleasurable, as Torrie moaned with a great deal of heat. She responded to the next thwack the same way, and the third . . . the fourth . . . the twentieth. Sadie would¡¯ve stopped, but it was pretty clear that Torrie far from minded this treatment. She had spread her legs slightly, allowing her to put pressure on her mound while rubbing against Sadie¡¯s leg. Sadie reached between the girl¡¯s cheeks for a moment and slid her fingers pass those soaked panties and into the girl¡¯s sex. She finger her for a moment, then wiped Torrie¡¯s moist expenditures on her ass before spanking her again.


    True to her word, the pink-haired stripper began to climax by the time they got to thirty. Her body shook as the little death overtook her, and she sighed with pure contentment.


    ¡°Good grief woman,¡± Sadie started, genuinely impressed, ¡°what else have you been trained to do?¡±


    Torrie could have been the devil, based on the mischevous glee that toyed with her features. ¡°So many things,¡± she murmured, sliding to the floor and propping herself up on her knees. ¡°Amongst others, I¡¯ve been trained to provide oral pleasure using ONLY my mouth and tongue, with both hands tied behind my back.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s handcuffs magically appeared. This was a huge vition of protocol, but she didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass. She reached around the girl¡¯s body and secured her hands. ¡°Just say the word and theye off,¡± she promised.

 561

    Torrie¡¯s grin returned. She liked this woman and was happy that her mistress had ¡°chosen¡± her for the evening. She was obviously no stranger to lust, but never withoutpassion. She wouldn¡¯t hurt Torrie, at least not in an unpleasant way. The fact that this vampire Arbiter was sexy beyond all reason didn¡¯t hurt matters. Watching the woman push jeans and panties down to her boots and then lowered her legs on either side of Torrie¡¯s head.


    ¡°Prove it,¡± Sadie growled.


    ¡°As youmand,¡± Torrie said slyly, pressing her face forward andshing at the vampire¡¯s exposed sex with sensual aggression. She ced the tip of her tongue near the base of Sadie¡¯s pussy and slowly traced it in a clockwise direction. She stopped at the top and teased the clit, giving her mistress of the moment a small glimpse of the pleasure in store for her. Then she continued her circle until she reached the bottom again before finally going straight up the midde. She nted a gentle kiss on the clitoral hood . . . then another.


    Sadie¡¯s hand reached under her vest and started vigorously ying with her breasts, giving them something to do as pink tongue prated her pink cleft and got her normally still heart racing. She sent blood surging to all the ces it needed to be to make the pleasure more potent, and it was working.


    Torrie sucked on those swelling innerbia. She hadn¡¯t been with many vamps, and none as hot as Sadie. She would have to do something extra nice to her mistress for letting her have this. She tugged on on those inner lips, making a low growling noise. She let it loose and then moved to the other one.


    ¡°You¡¯re as good as you said,¡± Sadie chuckled, then moaned again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of practice,¡± Torrie replied demurely. She spread her tongue and pushed it slowly upward from bottom to top, then dragging it back down. She did this several times in short order, then wrapped her soft lips around that hard clit and sucked gently.


    It was only a few minutes before she had Sadie writing in pure bliss. Shevished affection all over her lover¡¯s mound, and even performed a few quick darts at that perfect little anus.


    Sadie grabbed two handfuls of Torrie¡¯s pink hair and held her in ce when she climaxed, not letting go until the girl¡¯s mouth was coated with a sweet, sexy sheen: evidence of Sadie¡¯s pleasure.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never pleasured an Arbiter before,¡± the girl said happily. ¡°It could be addictive. If I weren¡¯t utterly devoted to my mistress ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay sugar,¡± Sadie replied, releasing her legs death-grip on Torrie¡¯s head. ¡°I ain¡¯t the settling-down kind, and you folk need more . . . consistency? Yeah, consistency. Besides, sounds like you and your mistress have a good thing going.¡± She gave the young submissive a kiss, more friendly than passionate, but warm nheless. They both got dressed, or as dressed as they were going to get and cleaned up. The booths had a convenient box of tissues set aside, and the girls made great use of them.


    ¡°Hey, here¡¯s my card as well,¡± Sadie said, ¡°just in case you hear of any other weird behavior or need help.¡± She smiled and grabbed Torrie¡¯s tight ass. ¡°Or if you AND your mistress want another taste.¡±


    Torrie bowed her head in subservience, but that gleam didn¡¯t leave her eye. ¡°I will happily . . . very happily . . . extend your invitation.¡± She waved off the money that Sadie tried to offer for the ¡°dance.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± she said, ¡°this one was on the house.¡±


    The exited the VIP area and Torrie vanished into the corner of the club where her mistress eagerly awaited news of her ve¡¯s debauchery. Sadie sat down contendedly next to d.


    ¡°Oh sweet hell,¡± the wolf said, rolling his eyes, ¡°you reek of sex, you know that?¡±


    ¡°That would be because I had sex,¡± Sadie responded primly. ¡°I need to visit that club of theirs next time I¡¯m in California.¡± She looked at d, seriousness taking over. She told him about the mistress¡¯s concern about the growing arrogance of vampires in the fetish scene. ¡°I didn¡¯t even start it,¡± she said atst. ¡°But I need to make sure someone else thinks something¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not crazy ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, and no one thinks so. But the vamps have contacts, ears, and eyes everywhere, and they have tons of connections. Not everyone is so willing to stoke their fires as you are.¡±


    ¡°Think I should back off? Let someone else look into this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re biased, headstrong, and far too cocky,¡± dimir said. Then he grinned, ¡°There¡¯s no chance in hell of you letting someone else go chasing these shadows and you know it.¡±


    She nodded, waving down the waitress for another beer. This was turning into a particrly dangerous game, and it was time she took it more seriously. But that would have to wait for another sunset. ¡°Your turn,¡± she said, turning towards herrade. ¡°Fess up. How did you and the little missus meet?¡±


    dimir¡¯s mirth vanished. He hadn¡¯t really expected for Sadie toe clean about Austin, but she had and so it was time to pay up.


    ¡°Really not much to tell. I actually served with her brother in the first Gulf War. Never thought I¡¯d see an elf in the Marines, but he surprised me. Good man . . . good man. Always had my back. I¡¯d met Teresa and she¡¯d seemed a little snooty, but Lavelle was convinced that was just a front. Their parents died about ten years ago, so Lavelle thought it was his job to keep an eye on her, even though she didn¡¯t much seem to want him to. Well, one night, we were clearing out a bar in Baghdad . . . and by that I mean ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can guess what you mean,¡± Sadie replied, shaking her head. Leathernecks were all the same.


    ¡°Well, he had this look about him. You know how some people seem to know that their time hase due? Elves especially?¡±


    The Arbiter nodded. Each race had their own varieties of the notion of an afterlife. Humans had a number of religions, none of which could agree on much of anything. Vampires, not including Sadie herself, tended to think they would be reincarnated, as if the possibility of living forever the first time wasn¡¯t enough. Elves also believed in reincarnation, but as some kind of spirit associated with the earth, and werewolves . . . they believed that they would join the great Pack behind Lupus the Hunter and run amongst the stars for eternity. Sadie liked that version best, and almost wished she could believe it.


    ¡°Well he got to talking in that weird kind of way. You know, questioning the purpose of everything and why we were there. Said he didn¡¯t want Teresa to be left alone. He¡¯d promised his father that he¡¯d look after her always. He said he felt the Earth Spirit whispering to him . . . I just thought he¡¯d taken one too many shots to the head. But he was serious, and he made me promise that if anything happened to him, I¡¯d look after his sister.¡±


    Sadie grimaced. ¡°Something happened to him, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°We were ambushed,¡± d said, so softly that she could barely hear his voice over the pseudo-erotic thumping of the DJ¡¯s music. ¡°He took a bullet for me.¡±


    The vampire leaned back and drained half her beer. She needed to let him collect himself. Sadie didn¡¯t even need to hear the rest of the story, but she had a feeling he still needed to tell it. Some things needed to be aired out now and again, even memories. Otherwise, they festered in the dark ces of your mind until all the therapy or alcohol in the world can¡¯t wash the rotting smell away.


    ¡°We were waiting for the docs, but it didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to realize he wasn¡¯t going to make it. He reminded me of my promise . . . then asked to be given his final inspection. Said he was leaving the military a little sooner than expected, so he thought he¡¯d earned it . . . didn¡¯t even want hisst rites.¡±


    Sadie nodded. She always wondered who¡¯d written those verses. Silently she spoke thest lines to herself, seeing that d was doing the same.


    ¡°Step forward now, you soldier, you¡¯ve borne your burdens well. Walk peacefully on Heaven¡¯s streets, you¡¯ve done your time in hell.¡± Their gazes met. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your friend.¡±


    ¡°I was allowed to be his escort back to the States, and Teresa met me at the airport. We buried him . . . we got along back then. I looked her up when my tour was over. She was still kind of lost, and had taken up with the wrong crowd. I courted her constantly until she consented.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound particrly romantic,¡± Sadie said. ¡°Consented is an ugly word when ites to marriage.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± d replied angrily. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have much interest in love ormitment, just lust. How many lovers have you had since getting to Midian? Hell, since getting to this bar?!¡±


    ¡°d, calm down!¡± she said, flushed with anger and . . . and something else. Resentment. She doubted he knew how deeply he had cut her, even by ident. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fairly free with certain things, but don¡¯t think for a moment that I don¡¯t understand love!¡± She stood up, her feet and mouth on autopilot. ¡°And I know that love shouldn¡¯t hurt. Do you really think that you¡¯re fulfilling a promise to a friend by being miserable with someone for the rest of your life?!¡± She stormed out the door. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was the one storming out, but the conversation had taken a turn that she wasn¡¯t prepared to deal with. And to think that she¡¯d just told HIM to calm down.


    He followed her out to the parking lot and grabbed her arm. ¡°Marriage is work and sacrifice, not something to be just abandoned whenever convenient!¡±


    ¡°From what I hear, you¡¯ve NEVER been happy with her! She treats you like shit because you aren¡¯t high born. I¡¯ve seen the way she sucks up to the elite.¡± She ripped her arm away. She hadn¡¯t meant to be confrontational, but he¡¯d touched a nerve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, lowering her eyes. This was more than human sexual submissive y for her, because she knew how it would be interpreted by a were. She was trying to back down from challenging him. ¡°It¡¯s just you didn¡¯t really seem happy with her and I wanted to find out what was going on. I didn¡¯t mean to question your integrity or honor.¡±


    dimir knew she what she had meant to do. He hated her for bringing it up, but she¡¯d been the only one to challenge him on the issue to his face. He¡¯d admire her more if he wasn¡¯t so furious. ¡°I don¡¯t know any other way to protect her,¡± he growled.


    Sadie looked up and realized how close he was to her. ¡°Are you protecting her or your honor?¡± Sadie asked, looking directly into his eyes. They were sad, and they shouldn¡¯t be. He was primal . . . he was a predator. There should always be hunger behind those eyes, not regret. ¡°Does she even want your protection?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He knew that he needed to step back. He had adrenalin pumping through his veins, and the face looking up at him was as beautiful as it was challenging. Despite her brief attempt to appear meek, Sadie Hewitt could never truly bow to anyone. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t like the other vampires,¡¯ he thought. ¡®She simply will never kneel before any Lord.¡¯ There was a time that he would¡¯ve done anything for a woman like this.

 562

    ¡°I need to go,¡± he said, but didn¡¯t turn away.


    ¡°Me too,¡± she murmured. Then she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him like she hadn¡¯t kissed anyone in a long time. His lips met hers with equal passion, and he lifted her off the ground. With her, he could hear the howl of his four-footed brethren far off in the woods. She could feel his heart pumping blood through every corner of his body.


    He dropped her and she stumbled backward. ¡°No,¡± he whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t ¨C¡± He turned and walked away.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Sadie couldn¡¯t watch him leave, so she turned and got into her truck. She bashed her head against the steering-wheel so hard that she split the skin on her forehead and blood trickled down into her eyes. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. She wasn¡¯t supposed to get this close, and she hadn¡¯t realized how close she¡¯d gotten until that moment. She desired dimir in a way she couldn¡¯t fathom, and now she¡¯d have to find some way to fix things.


    She started up the truck and headed home. When she got there, Mel¡¯s little Mini was sitting next to the house. The girl had been given a key, so she was probably inside. Sure enough, she met Sadie at the door in a sexy little bit of lingerie, but all thoughts of a decadent morning tryst faded away when she saw the walking wounded ascend the stairs.


    ¡°What the hell happened?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Sadie muttered, pushing her way inside. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m really in the mood to y tonight, so if you¡¯d rather ¨C¡± Sadie felt Mel¡¯s hands on her arms shortly before being unceremoniously spun around fast enough to make her dizzy.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want sex, then I¡¯m fine with that. We¡¯re friends with benefits . . . I know that. But that starts with being friends, and FRIENDS like exnations when someone they care about looks like their puppy just died and walk in with blood on their faces.¡± Mel had looked annoyed, but her face softened a bit. She couldn¡¯t imagine what could rattle Sadie Hewitt.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Sadie said. ¡°I just fucked up tonight is all. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m cranky and ¨C¡± She stopped. Mel was a friend, and probably the best friend she¡¯d had in a while. ¡®When did that happen?¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°And what? Sadie, you can talk to me. I promise, nothing gets repeated outside these walls unless you want it. I know what it¡¯s like to try and make it without anyone to talk to. That was my life until you came along, and it sucks ass.¡±


    Sadie nodded. ¡°You know, I really think I could use someone to talk to,¡± she whispered. She sat down on the bed while Melissa fetched a washcloth and some hydrogen peroxide. Sadie unloaded everything that happened, ufortable at how emotionally exposed she was feeling. She did remember to give the stripper¡¯s card to Mel, and insisted she call the woman. They could help her through some of her issues better than Sadie could. Mel just listened to the Arbiter and wondered how often this happened . . . someone with this much power but no one to turn to that could help with HER problems.


    ¡°d¡¯s a good guy,¡± Melissa said atst. ¡°He¡¯s just trying to do what he thinks is right. You¡¯re not going to guilt him into changing his mind. Just be his friend, and maybe you¡¯ll convince him.¡±


    ¡°If he ever talks to me again. I can¡¯t believe I kissed him,¡± Sadie said, flopping back on her bed.


    ¡°Get some sleep,¡± Melissa said. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out in the evening.¡± She went to grab her purse.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Sadie said abruptly. ¡°I . . . okay, this is going to sound stupid, but even if we don¡¯t have sex, I¡¯d really like you to stay. Even as just a friend.¡±


    Melissa smiled and put her purse down, crawling onto the bed and cuddling up with her friend. ¡°Poor, poor Arbiter. Whatever are we going to do with you?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The next night . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Sadie had bounced back a bit by the time she pulled into the parking lot at the precinct. She was sure she could smooth things over with d. He¡¯d been drinking, she¡¯d been drinking, she¡¯d just gottenid . . . overall, not an unusual set of events to lead to her kissing someone. Mel¡¯s Mini pulled in next to her and the goth chick got out.


    ¡°I guess your socializing helped,¡± she remarked, looking at the lot.


    Sadie hadn¡¯t even noticed, but someone had finally filled in the potholes in the lot. And the metal ting over the windows was gone, with shiny new ss behind it. She was willing to bet it was heavily spelled and bullet proof. ¡®I guess there¡¯s something to be said for ying the game.¡¯


    She walked in, giving her friend a hug before heading to her desk. d wasn¡¯t in his chair, so she stared for a moment in silence as she tried to figure out exactly what she was going to say. A few minutester, Devlin walked over.


    ¡°Officer Koloff called in sick, so we¡¯ll be riding together.¡± He looked confused, but turned to walk towards the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked, standing up. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that d was sick, and Devlin was about to confirm it.


    ¡°I dunno. He¡¯s never been sick once since I¡¯ve worked here. He showed up the day after getting shot for Christ¡¯s sake.¡±


    Sadie clenched her fists and rolled her eyes. He wasn¡¯t going to make this easy on her.


    Twenty minutester, they were cruising along Thirteenth Street, which was the official dividing line between Gravestones and West End, and the differences were as clear as night and day. There was even a row of abandoned buildings just on the east side of the street, as if West End was afraid of being infected by proximity. Sadie could see the longing in Devlin¡¯s eyes when he looked across the way into the world of wrought iron gates, Greek fountains, and perfectly manicuredwns.


    ¡°I put myself in the registry,¡± he said atst, not even looking at her.


    She sighed and leaned back in her seat, trying to avoid the Cadic Escde that had just cut her off. The registry was a list of those wanting to be Turned who didn¡¯t have a sponsor, sort of like the undead lottery. If there was a vamp out there looking to expand his or her brood and couldn¡¯t find anyone to their taste locally, they could check the registry. Thepetition was high, and Devlin¡¯s chances were slim. He was a beat cop in the part of Midian that most vampires wouldn¡¯t be caught (metaphorically) dead in.


    ¡®Stop trying to live his life for him,¡¯ she thought. ¡®You don¡¯t have to like his decision.¡¯ She pulled into a gas station to grab a beverage. ¡°Mind filling ¡®er up?¡± she asked, followed with, ¡°Want a drink?¡±


    ¡°No. No thank you,¡± he said. He¡¯d half expected her to go off on him again. And she saw that in his eyes.


    ¡°I know what you want,¡± she said, trying to smile, ¡°but I¡¯m just as determined to stand by what I think is right as you are to get Turned. But just because I won¡¯t sponsor you doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like you. Yeah, you¡¯re infuriating, but I guess I can be too.¡±


    He gave her the first real grin she¡¯d seen since she met him. ¡°Yeah, I suppose you can be.¡±


    ¡°Hey, takin¡¯ the high road here! A little humility on your part wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± She jumped out of the SUV, feeling a little bit better about herself. She ran in and grabbed a huge tankard of her delicious Mountain Dew and a bag of Fritos. She got out and Devlin was leaning back against the car.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, ¡°if you¡¯re going to try and go through with the whole Turning thing, do me a favor? I¡¯ve got a friend by the name of Terrence McDermott, and he works for Lord Frost.¡± Thest part she almost had to spit out, but she reminded herself that she was trying to y nice. ¡°Terrence just got his undead walking papers like five years ago. Let me give you his number ¨C¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯ll be able to talk me out of it?¡± Devlin replied, growing suspicious.


    ¡°Oh put a sock in it. He knows what you¡¯re likely to go through. Most of the older vamps forgot what making the transition from living to undead was like. It¡¯s not as easy as waking up one morning and trying on a new suit. Something I learned a long time ago was always walk into a new situation with your eyes open. Fewer nasty surprises that way.¡±


    ¡°Was it hard for you?¡± Devlin asked. He wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d answer, since she never seemed to talk about her past before bing an Arbiter. He¡¯d heard through the grapevine that she was created by a rogue, but that was it.


    Luckily, Sadie was already walking around the vehicle when she heard that question. Her eyes ssed over and she felt . . . ill. She stopped so that she could answer without him seeing her face. ¡°I wasn¡¯t given a choice,¡± she said, barely loud enough to be heard. ¡°So yeah, it was hard.¡±


    Devlin knew it was time to stop pushing. If he was going to get back on her good side, then he should probably avoid pouring salt on still-open wounds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She got into the driver¡¯s seat and wiped a tear from her eye. Time didn¡¯t heal all wounds but sometimes just let you be ustomed to the ache. But by the time Devlin topped off the tank and got inside, you¡¯d never know that anything had been wrong. She was smiling again.

 563

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Back at the station . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Captain Grom poked his head out of his office. ¡°Melissa, could youe in here for a second?¡±


    She rolled here eyes, sighed, and strode back into the office. ¡°Forget where your stapler is again?¡± she asked casually.


    He smiled at her. Grom knew she had a heart of gold and that a lot of what people saw was just a front, so he let her attitude slide. Besides, she was good at her job.


    ¡°No, not this time. Listen, I just got a call from Mayor Jefferson¡¯s office. Did you know that Arbiter Hewitt never registered as a vamp?¡±


    Mel shrugged. Of course she knew, but she wasn¡¯t going to sell out her best friend.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the Captain replied. He should have known better than to even ask. ¡°Jefferson, and by ¡®Jefferson¡¯ I mean ¡®Lord Frost,¡¯ seems to think that our whole police force should be on the ¡®up and up¡¯ . . . yes, I believe those were his words. Anyway, he says that the bare minimum they¡¯ve requested ¨C¡±


    ¡°And by ¡®they¡¯ you mean ¡®Lord Frost¡¯,¡± Mel piped in.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Precisely. Anyway, even if she was Turned by a rogue, she needs to register with at least a birth certificate. From the way he made it sound, they¡¯ve already requested it directly from her but just don¡¯t seem to have received it.¡±


    ¡°Perish the thought.¡±


    Grom looked over his spectacles at her. ¡°Mel, having an Arbiter here is a blessing, and Sadie¡¯s managed to do more in a month as far a improving the precinct¡¯s stock in the Gravestones than the rest of the force in thest couple of years. I know she doesn¡¯t seem threatened, but trust me,¡± Grom¡¯s voice said, dropping to a whisper as he nced around, ¡°Frost isn¡¯t just some aristocratic wannabe. He¡¯s got strings on more puppets than you can imagine, and I don¡¯t want him to do anything that might cost us the luckiest break we¡¯ve gotten in a while.¡± He rolled his shoulders, knowing what he was going to suggest wouldn¡¯t set well with Melissa. ¡°Her superiors in Washington have authorized us to provide whatever information the mayor requests in order to keep Arbiter Hewitt within the minimum requirements of thew. In other words ¨C¡±


    ¡°Give him the birth certificate. I don¡¯t know what the big deal is,¡± she said.


    Grom sat back in his chair. ¡°For vampires, age is key. Age determines hierarchy and pecking order. And herees a veritable unknown, throwing their nice little order out of whack. They want to find some way of bringing her under control, and that starts with knowing how old she is. Listen, Sadie doesn¡¯t y by the rules, so just knowing her age isn¡¯t going to get them what they want. But it WILL let us keep her here. And you¡¯re better at cutting through the red tape than anyone else around here, so I¡¯d like you to get what the mayor has asked for and pass it on.¡±


    ¡°Captain ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. She¡¯s your friend, and you don¡¯t want to sneak around behind her back. But do you think you or anyone is going to convince her to stop antagonizing Frost? Do you think she¡¯s actually going to mail a copy of the certificate to be entered into the Book of Names? She brought this on herself. When she finds out, I¡¯ll tell her it was all my doing.¡±


    Melissa sighed, snarled and then walked away. She hated this, but she wasn¡¯t going to refuse the Captain¡¯s order or risk losing Sadie. She put a sign on her desk saying she¡¯d be in the researchb, and went about poking into Sadie¡¯s past.


    Several hours and many cups of tar-ck coffeeter, she finally found something. Sadie apparently didn¡¯t leave much of a paper trail for the early part of her youth. Sadie found her service records, piloting records, certification records . . . but none of them had a birth date attached. That section seemed to be smudged on every form Melissa looked at.


    After a while, she¡¯d remembered the name of the rogue vamp that Sadie said had bit her when she¡¯d beenining about a visit from Frost. ¡®Something Hogan . . . rk Hogan?¡¯ she thought. That sounded right. She started looking for his obituary and, when she found it, checked the surrounding counties for some sign of Sadie Hewitt.


    ¡°He really did get decapitated,¡± she mutted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t actually give a cause of death for him.¡± Then she saw an artist¡¯s rendering. ¡°Must¡¯ve been one pissed off werewolf.¡±


    ¡°Werewolves are inevitably pissed off,¡± hissed a voice behind her. ¡°It¡¯s why they¡¯re at the bottom of the food chain . . . well, still above humans.¡±


    Melissa knew she must be as white as a sheet. She wasn¡¯t afraid of much, but she was afraid of demons. She was especially afraid of Bartholomew since he took an interest in her. ¡°Must really piss you off to be a servant of us lower beings, don¡¯t it?¡± she asked. She cursed herself for ying into his game. She knew he was smarter than her, stronger than her, and while he wouldn¡¯t actually physically harm her, he¡¯d already shown he could get to her in other ways.


    ¡°Spying on the bloodsucker I see,¡± the yellow-scaled creature continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to be thrilled to hear about this.¡±


    ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Melissa thought. ¡®So much from Grom taking the fall. He¡¯ll tell her, just to make her not trust me, and there¡¯s no point in asking him to keep his mouth shut.¡¯ She knew he was standing close behind her, and she minimized the windows on her screen.


    ¡°Awh, let me watch,¡± Bart crooned. ¡°I¡¯m sure you like being watched. Your slutty friend does. You know, I might be willing to keep my mouth shut if you¡¯d be willing to open yours open,¡± he said. His lips were now just inches from her ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at sensitive databases,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been given permission to look at them . . . you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± he said. ¡°I notice though that you didn¡¯t say anything about my offer of letting my trouser snake kiss the back of your throat. Intersted in trying some demonic hot sauce?¡±


    Melissa¡¯s skin was crawling. She wished Sadie were here, because she always had aeback. But Mel¡¯s normal defense was just to make herself as unapproachable as possible. That didn¡¯t work with Bart anymore.


    ¡°Bart, I¡¯m working. Get out of here and let me get back to business. I might even overlook the sexual harassment and not send you to see the shrink again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go,¡± Bart said with a humorless chuckle. ¡°But the minute you want to experience the kind of heaven that only a denizen of hell can bring you ¨C¡± He had stopped and she could feel his brimstone breath on the back of her neck. ¡°¨C give me a call.¡±


    Melissa waited until she heard his footstep disappear before she even turned around. She was alone in the room. She jumped to her feet, closing and locking the door. She fighting back tears as she went back to work.


    It was another hour before she finally found what she was looking for. Someone in Harris county had scanned all the old records into image files, making it easier to scan. After a well crafted search ¡ª


    ¡°Sadie Hewitt, born to John and Pam Hewitt in Webster, Texas . . . January 2nd, 1897.¡± Melissa¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Hunh. That would maker her a hundred and fourteen years old. She looks damn good for her age.¡± I wonder what else I can find about her,¡± she muttered. She kept up her search, wanting to find out more about her friend. Then something caught her eye . . . a scan of an old, old newspaper article. Mel did a ¡®find on page¡¯mand and looked for ¡®Sadie.¡¯ It only took a second for that little green highlighted area to pop up.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± she said, settling back as a chill overtook her. ¡°That just can¡¯t be right.¡±

 564

    ¡°¨C and the white line¡¯s getting longer and the saddle¡¯s getting cold. I¡¯m much to young to feel this damn old ¨C¡± Sadie sang along softly with the musicing from her boombox, but she wasn¡¯t feeling it. She had a pile of lumber in her yard which was slowly being transformed into a deck for her mobile home. She¡¯d picked up Mary and her tools and brought her over to help, but it was just the two of them. Mary only needed a ride because she couldn¡¯t take her tools to theher-realm that wraiths used to navigate around the world.


    The wraith, normally a solitary creature, had apparently been perfecting her home-building skills for decades, so she took the lead on construction. Others who had promised to help had not shown up.


    She understood why dimir wasn¡¯t there. Ever since her ill-timed kiss with the married werewolf, d had avoided speaking to her. She had tried to apologize to him for her forwardness, but he had simply grunted and turned away. She saw hurt in his eyes, and wished that she could take that moment back. She¡¯d also tried to get her friend Terrence toe over, but her fellow vamp was seriously creeped out by wraiths. That and once Lord Frost had found out that his bodyguard had gotten close with Sadie, the two-thousand year old bloodsucker had found ¡°chores¡± for his employee to do. Fitzpatrick also had issues with wraiths, and Devlin . . . well, her rtionship with Devlin was still tenuous, but improving.


    The one that had surprised her was Mel. Almost a week earlier, the girl had just stopped talking to her. She always had an excuse to avoid Sadie, and she never came over to share a meal or a bed. The vampire had no idea what she¡¯d done wrong, and Melissa wasn¡¯t talking.


    ¡°Would your rather Ie back another time?¡± Mary emanated from behind her, almost spooking Sadie out of her Daisy Dukes. Wraiths made no sound unless they meant to. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be enjoying mypany.¡±


    ¡°No Mary, it isn¡¯t you at all.¡± Sadie had to be careful not to run herst friend off. Wraiths were shunned by most of society as just being too creepy to be around, but Sadie was able to get over it. The only other members of the undead club still had feelings but unlike vampires had little by way of support groups. The istion often drove them to depression or madness, and sometimes they just faded into nothingness. Mary seemed like a decent sort, and Sadie didn¡¯t want her bearing the brunt of the vampire¡¯s frustration.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sadie continued. ¡°I just keep thinking I¡¯ve done something wrong but have no idea what it is.¡±


    ¡°You mean with young Melissa?¡± Mary asked.


    Sadie nodded. It was weird seeing the wraith in normal work clothes. Blue jeans and a sleeveless shirt actually ttered the woman¡¯s trim figure and bluish-white skin. She was as beautiful in her second afterlife as she had been in her first one.


    ¡°Did you have a fight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sadie muttered. ¡°Everything was fine until Monday and then . . . poof.¡± She maneuvered her end of the board into ce and raised the nail gun.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Wait until I¡¯ve got my end in ce,¡± Mary said shortly. ¡°You¡¯re rushing things.¡± The wraith¡¯s voice and face softened a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not used to working with other people.¡±


    Sadie smiled. No reason to alienate the one person still talking to her. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re used to getting your way too.¡±


    Mary went back to work. ¡°I am . . . or was. I used to be nobility, you know? Before being a vampire OR a wraith.¡±


    ¡°Really? Anyone I might have heard of?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. We were minor nobility in Ennd. Enough to have servants andnd, but we never had much political clout.¡±


    Sadie wasn¡¯t sure how far down this conversational path she wanted to go. She didn¡¯t mind listening to someone¡¯s life story, but she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to share much of her own. ¡°Are you sure you want to talk about this?¡± she asked. ¡°You being a wraith and all, I know it has to get painful at some point.¡±


    Mary looked away. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t be troubling you with my rantings.¡±


    The vampire cursed herself. She realized that Mary wanted to talk. No one had probably taken the time to listen to her since her second death, and some burdens are hard to carry alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Sadie thought carefully about how to phrase this. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t assume that everyone shares my burning need for privacy. I¡¯d like to know you Mary, it¡¯s just ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the wraith replied, securing her end of the board. ¡°I won¡¯t ask anything you¡¯re not willing to tell. But . . . but I¡¯d like for someone to know my story. Someone who might remember me if I fade into the great oblivion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Sadie said softly.


    Mary¡¯s mouth cracked a thankful smile, then her words floated through the void between them. ¡°I was Turned by a vampire named Lord Andrews. I apparently caught his eye at court, so he made my father a deal. He would try to help elevate my family¡¯s status. He had the clout to do it as well. My father encouraged me to ¡®ept¡¯ the proposal, which basically meant I had no choice. The local vampire Council approved the Turning, so I epted the blood and spent my day below the earth.¡±


    ¡°Our people are ever the romantics, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Mary shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad actually. Lord Andrews, while arrogant and conceited beyond all reason, was actually not unkind to me. I was to be his mistress, as he was already married to a human woman. It turns out that she had not approved, and knew that I was to be her recement. She was angry that he had Turned me instead of her. She kept her feelings mostly concealed from her husband, but not from me. She had no problems letting me know how she felt. Then, Lord Andrews died during a war with France, leaving all of his riches and resources to her. And even though I no longer had any im or even a chance at a im to his wealth, she still hated me.¡± Mary¡¯s hands were trembling as she hauled another board into ce, and Sadie saw those delicate fingers form ws that buried themselves into the wood.


    Sadie nailed her end into ce. ¡®Herees the bad part,¡¯ she thought. ¡®The part that would invoke such a need for vengeance that a wraith could be born.¡¯


    ¡°She started by chaining me up in irons, stripping me of all my clothes and leaving me in rags. I was her servant . . . her ve for a year. She used her influence to ruin my family, making sure they knew that it was somehow a result of my actions. I heard that I was disowned by the father who had put me into this position. Even if I were to escape, I had nowhere to go. She had her guards rape me at their leisure ¨C¡± Mary stopped, put her tools down and stepped away.


    Sadie wanted tofort the girl, but she knew that Mary was just gathering her thoughts. The wraith needed to get the story out. Finding someone who would listen was such a rarity that she was probably afraid to that moment that Sadie might leave.


    ¡°Finally, she came to me in my cell, acting as if she were my friend. She told me that the pain would all end if I would give her what her husband had denied her . . . immortality.¡± Mary¡¯s face became a sinister mask. ¡°She had made my life hell because of a gift that I had never wanted. It became my only weapon, the only thing that I could hurt her back with. I spat in her face.¡± Now Mary¡¯s face looked pained. ¡°I sometimes wished I simply given in.¡±


    ¡°What did she do?¡± Sadie asked in spite of herself.


    ¡°The next day, she had a party. I was bound and put on disy for every sick friend that she had. Publicly whipped, tortured, and used as a sexual ything for anyone who so desired. She and her friends had very twisted imaginations.¡±


    Sadie just wanted to vomit. That, or she wanted to break someone in half. The Gift wasn¡¯t worth this much pain. Nothing was.


    ¡°They ended the evening by securing what was left of me to the dinner table and bleeding me dry.¡±


    Sadie actually snarled. To bleed a vampire dry was the ultimate in agony as every cell in the body screamed in constant pain once the blood level got to a certain point.


    ¡°They just left me there as they went to their homes and their beds,ughing at the upstart woman who had got what she deserved.¡± Mary¡¯s eyes were shimmering ck now and her face held an unttering cruelty. ¡°That night, I rose for the second time. I didn¡¯t know what it meant at the time . . . wraiths never do. I felt a thirst for something besides blood, and it was a thirst that could not be quenched. I simply stepped out of my bonds and sought each of them out, one at a time. I knew . . . I just KNEW where they were, and from each of them I took my pound of flesh. But when I came back to her . . . I waited until thest to settle my score with her.¡± Mary looked down. ¡°I will not tell you what happened to her,¡± she said. ¡°I do not wish you to think less of me than you probably already do.¡±


    ¡°She deserved whatever it was,¡± Sadie said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think less of you. You would not have been allowed toe back as a wraith if your need for vengeance had not been justified.¡± Sadie decided to walk over and give her new friend a hug. She understood better than Mary could possibly imagine.


    ¡°It only took her a day to die,¡± Mary whispered. ¡°Sometimes, I think of that and it doesn¡¯t seem fair. I recovered a great deal of the wealth she had stolen from my family, and I burned the rest of her estate to the ground.¡±


    ¡®Note to self,¡¯ Sadie thought, ¡®Don¡¯t piss Mary off.¡¯


    They stood like that for several minutes, letting the darkness and silence envelop them. Mary had needed to speak . . . to confess . . . and she had found a friendly ear for the first time in ages. But reliving those moments, even after centuries had passed, was no small matter for her. Sadie epted her and didn¡¯t judge her, and that made the vampire worth more than gold to Mary¡¯s tortured soul. Mary slowly pulled away and smiled, and then the two of them got back to work, with no more words needing to be said.

 565

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Across town . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Officer Matt Devlin sat very much alone in the recesses of the Starbucks just inside the boundaries of West End. He had a mountain of research materials on his desk, involving every aspect of vampiric existence. In order to be chosen from the Registry, you had to be able to exin vampire physiology,ws involving Turning and registration,ws involving feeding, and the history of the vampire race. Knowing the lineage of the great families didn¡¯t hurt either.


    ¡°Officer Devlin?¡± came a smooth voice from behind him, making him jump. It was a vampire to be sure, dressed like he was an FBI agent. He also had an charismatic air around his handsome features.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Terrence McDermott.¡±


    Devlin let out a sigh of relief. On Sadie¡¯s suggestion, he had called the (rtively) recently Turned vamp, and Terrence was happy to oblige. Devlin was pretty convinced that the vamp was just trying to get brownie points with the Arbiter, for which he couldn¡¯t really be med. ¡°Thanks foring. I didn¡¯t realize how much studying there was going to have to be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s harder when you¡¯re trying toe up through the registry. If you can get invited to some of the uing official events, it may give you a chance to meet more of the higher up and see if they¡¯re looking and/or able to expand their broods. I¡¯d invite you, but I¡¯m not allowed.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not allowed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as Lord Frost¡¯s employee, I can¡¯t bring guests.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I thought it was some vampire rule I hadn¡¯t read yet.¡±


    Terrence grinned. ¡°There are a lot of them, aren¡¯t there? No, it¡¯s a more mundane problem. I¡¯m sure Lord Frost and the mayor will try to make Sadie show up to more, so see if she can score you an invite.¡±


    ¡°By my calctions, Arbiter Hewitt is going to try and avoid those events like the gue, and I¡¯m not exactly her favorite person. She probably just wanted me to talk to you so that you might scare me out of wanting to go forward with the process.¡± He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what her problem is.¡±


    Terrence shrugged. ¡°That woman dances to her own drummer, and the rest of us can only imagine what the beat sounds like. But it isn¡¯t a decision you should make lightly. Just ask me your questions, and I¡¯ll give you honest responses.¡±


    ¡°Okay . . . is it as hard as she says? Losing friends I mean?¡±


    ¡°Kind of a difficult question. I was just Turned five years ago, so most of my friends and family are still alive. I was turned by Lord Frost, seeing as he was looking to expand his brood and needed someone to keep the riff raff in line. Anyway, I¡¯m military, so I¡¯m not entirely unused to the idea of my friends dying around me. But my niece just turned seven in January, and it urred to me that I might be a pall bearer at her funeral. It was a sobering thought. I¡¯ve wondered if I should just start cutting myself off now, or enjoy them while I can. I think I like Miss Hewitt¡¯s stance of embracing mortals. It might be heart-breaking, but it¡¯ll help keep things in perspective for me. My boss thinks I¡¯m being silly and sentimental, but hey . . . he can¡¯t control my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Does being a vamp help with the chicks?¡± Matt asked, giving a smile.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Terrence leaned back and put his hands behind his head. ¡°And the guys too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not into that.¡±


    ¡°You will be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¨C¡±


    McDermott was shaking his head. ¡°Sexual attraction for all species is to help ensure reproduction and survival. Sometimes the wires get crossed a bit and a same sex rtionship happens, but it¡¯s not a real threat to the species as a whole. Vampires can Turn either male or female, so gender doesn¡¯t enter into the equation for us. In order to help propagate the race, we need to be more open. I used to be just like you. I was a man¡¯s man and while homosexuality didn¡¯t bother me, it wasn¡¯t my thing. After a year or so, my way of thinking changed.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Sexual attraction helps keeps potential vamps in thrall and helps with casual feeding. For a while, my old self kept trying to hold on to my former prejudices, but finally I just gave in. Found out that I could get just as much of a thrill from being with a guy as a girl. Now, it doesn¡¯t matter. I like yingdy¡¯s man, but I won¡¯t turn down a handsome young man either. It¡¯s an idea that you¡¯d better get used to.¡±


    Devlin just couldn¡¯t imagine it, and he felt a twinge of nervousness.


    ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t stress out about it. Just go ahead and deny that it would ever happen to you but if you get Turned, it¡¯ll change. Of course, the change will happen easier if you don¡¯t try and fight it. I know one woman who tried to keep her religious views intact, and it almost drove her insane. Pleasure is pleasure, Officer Devlin. In the dark, it all feels good.¡±


    Devlin badly wanted to change the subject. ¡®But this is what you came here for,¡¯ he reminded himself. ¡°Uhm . . . let¡¯s talk aboutws.¡±


    That subject was easier for him to handle, and the young human was confident that he knew the rules for Turning and registering Turns. Then they discussed the ritual itself, the hierarchical nature of vampire society, and how to identify the great families.


    ¡°And how much history do we need to know?¡±


    ¡°Not much. Just the basics, like when the Book of Names was created, major turning points in rtions between vamps and the other species, and that sort of thing. Oh, and the Provenance.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was just hocus pocus and superstition.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t EVER tell one of the Lords that. They take the creation legend seriously. So let¡¯s hear what you know.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see . . . about seven thousand years ago, a human woman named Lillith, via immacte conception, gave birth to the first three vampires. These were Adam, Eve, and Solomon the Blood Saint. The three siblings grew up and were granted by the Lord immortality. Adam and Solomon wanted to create a vampire homnd, or Paradise, where they might live in peace with their mortal neighbors. But Eve was jealous of her brothers and made war against them. Eve, also known as the Betrayer, and Adam were both killed in the conflict, and Solomon was struck with the wound that never healed. He believed it was a sign and punishment from God for not being able to bring peace to his family. That¡¯s why they call him the Blood Saint, because he bleeds constantly from a scratch on his forehead and has arge brood to help keep him replenished.¡±


    ¡°Good so far,¡± Terrence said with a nod. The boy had done his homework.


    ¡°Solomon wept over the destruction and fled to what is now Moscow, living amongst nomadic tribes while praying for forgiveness and feeding on whatever he could to stay alive. Finally he made friends of the local people and discovered that he had the ability to create more of his species. But he was afraid that if the wrong people were chosen to be Turned, that it might lead to another conflict. So the race has built slowly up, controlled by dictates of the Vampire Council, the Blood Saint himself, and the mortal races.¡±


    ¡°And that would make the Blood Saint ¨C¡± Terrence looked over the young man carefully, waiting for a reply.


    ¡°The oldest creature on Earth?¡±


    ¡°More importantly, the oldest VAMPIRE on Earth. Remember, vampires tend to care more about history as it rtes to them than the other races. We¡¯re an arrogant people, and remembering that and appeasing it might help your case.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Devlin was feeling better. He would¡¯ve been tempted to ask Terrence to sponsor him, but you had to have been a vampire for at least ten years before you can Turn someone. It kept new vamps from going out and just Turning all of their friends. ¡°I guess I owe Sadie an apology. This isn¡¯t quite so easy after all.¡±


    ¡°It can be traumatic, but it has its rewards.¡± Terrence looked a little misty eyed. ¡°I feel the world in a way I could never imagine before. But if you want to walk in Paradise, sometimes you have to tread on the grounds of Hell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    A few dayster . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sadie pulled the SUV into the parking lot and switched off the engine. She¡¯d gotten a call about a breaking and entering in the warehouse district on the outermost edge of the Gravestones. These were mostly human owned businesses, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone poking their heads around at two o¡¯clock in the morning.


    She was once again partnerless, but this time by her own design. dimir was still in grunt-and-avoid mode, and Devlin actually had the night off. She¡¯d considered riding with Fitzpatrick, but he had already gotten a partner for the night. And she didn¡¯t mind being alone: she¡¯d been alone before.


    ¡°This is Arbiter Hewitt,¡± she said into her walkie talkie. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived on the scene. Don¡¯t see anything yet. Found where someone cut through the perimeter fence. Got a name or contents for this building yet?¡±

 566

    *Yes ma¡¯am. It¡¯s owned by the Farley Company . . . Nothing in it yet. Just bought itst week and put out adds for employees in the paper. They . . . ah, they¡¯re one of thosepanies that sell cheap furniture . . . kinda like Ikea. (click)* There was a pause. *Looks like a diversepany. Human owned, but they¡¯re looking to hire a werewolf securitypany and goblin distributers. (click)*


    ¡®Could be a lot of jobs for themunity,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡®Why would anyone break into a warehouse with nothing it it? Ah, probably just druggies or winos looking for a ce to shack up. Hate to kick ¡¯em out,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Getting cold out at night.¡¯ She jumped up on a dumpster and looked in a window after wiping the frost away. ¡®Big damn building.¡¯ She hopped back onto the ground and went around to the back. She found a wall of loading doors, and the one at the far corner seemed to have been lifted with a car jack.


    ¡°Dispatch, I¡¯ve found a possible point of entry. It¡¯s probably nothing, but send some backup if we¡¯ve got anyone in the area.¡± She approached the door. ¡®Wait,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Why would a junkie have a car jack?¡¯ She peeked underneath the door. It smelled of stale air and dust, but there was something else . . . gasoline? And there was sweat and shoe leather, and she heared some scuffling. Sadie knew she should wait for someone else. This wasn¡¯t just a simple breaking and entering. But she heard someone whimpering . . . someone was afraid. Sadie rolled under the door.


    Indoor darkness was much different than outdoor darkness. Outdoor darkness had starlight and moonlight and a score of other things that a vampire could use to find his or her way. Indoor darkness was the darkness of the grave, with nothing on the other side. Somemplight shone in the high windows, and she saw shlights in the middle of the wide open space. She crept closer, listening. Four . . . no, five voices. The fifth voice was weak, and it had to be the one that had been whining. It belonged to someone was hurting. Sadie smelled blood amongst the gasoline, and the air was so thick with fear that Sadie almost choked on it. She took another whiff.


    ¡®Elves . . . one vamp . . . one witch. What the fuck are they ¨C¡®


    ¡°Stop your whining,¡± a voice shouted, followed by the sound of a book hitting a ribcage. ¡°Lowlife human.¡±


    ¡°Stop ying with the pond scum and finish the circle,¡± someone else said.


    Sadie recognized that voice, but she was having problems cing it.


    ¡°Circle¡¯s finished,¡± a third voice replied. ¡°Just need to bleed the pig a bit, and that¡¯ll give the fire enough mojo that it¡¯ll burn all the way through this fucking burb.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s eyes were finally able to adjust enough to see outlines in the center of the room. One seemed to be dressed in robes, undoubtedly a witch. The two svelte ones were the elves, and the fourth standing figure carried himself with an arrogance that could only mean vampire.


    ¡°So bleed him,¡± the vamp said.


    ¡®That sounds like . . . like Dazza,¡¯ she thought. Dazza was one of Lord Frost flunkies and was a emissary of the Vampire Council of the Northwest. Sadie didn¡¯t have time to verify that she was right, because one of the elves, reached towards a prone figure on the ground, and he was holding a knife.


    Sadie pulled her shlight off her belt and grabbed her fifty caliber. She activated her walkie-talkie and left it on as she shouted, ¡°Freeze! Nobody ¨C¡± She should¡¯ve known better than to try and say ¡°Nobody move,¡± since the first thing it did was make everyone try to move. The second thing they tended to do is shoot at you. That¡¯s what these guys did.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± she shouted, diving forward in a roll. ¡°Drop your damn weapons! I¡¯m a Federal Arbiter and I can kill you without anyone asking any damn questions!¡±


    One of the elves seemed to be pointing a gun at her. She pointed her shlight in that direction. ¡®Yep,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Gun.¡¯ He squeezed off a round, but she had sprung six feet straight up in the air. She found that people didn¡¯t really expect that. Most people equated dodging with being a two-dimensional activity. Sadie liked to think outside the box or, more specifically, above the box. One shot from her handgun removed arge chunk of that guy¡¯s arm.


    The other elf shed quickly at the figure on the ground, who in turn began screaming. This elf was smart enough to make defensive maneuvers as Sadie ran forward to defend whoever was on the ground. Her would-be rescue victim reeked of blood and bourbon, something Sadie normally wouldn¡¯t mind. But the guy hadn¡¯t washed in days.


    ¡®Great,¡¯ she thought. ¡®They were sacraficing a homeless guy to ¨C¡® She dodged as the elf and the vampire she thought was Dazza opened fired.


    ¡°Light the circle!¡± Dazza shouted.


    Thest thing Sadie wanted was to be caught in a magical circle with a bleeding body, so she picked up the sacrificialmb and started to pull away. She saw Dazza aiming his weapon, and she knew he wouldn¡¯t miss. So she spun around, putting herself between the vampire and the bleeding human. His shot caught her in the shoulder, sending her gun spinning off into the darkness. It hurt like a mother-fucker, but he wasn¡¯t using as high a caliber weapon as she was. It had fucked up her shoulder badly enough though, and she and the man she was trying to rescue went crashing to the ground. Over the pain echoing in her ears, she heard a witch chanting, and a powerful circle appeared around them, mes erupting along its edge. Sadie could feel the walls of the circle, and knew there was enough force there to keep anyone from breaking out, at least not in time. And the mes were getting hotter. These people were serious . . . they meant to leave scorched earth throughout the Gravestones. This circle would grow hotter and hotter, feeding on the air around it until it exploded, probably catching the entire warehouse district.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± someone shouted, and she heard feet running for the exit.


    Sadie was bleeding badly, and the heat was making it hard to think. The man¡¯s blood sshed on the floor, and she could smell it sizzle. She had to bite back her hunger . . . he wasn¡¯t a meal. However much blood she might lose, she would never feed on an unwilling victim, and this man was in no condition to consent, even if he had any to spare. She put the man down and pulled her shotgun from her back. With her one good arm, she popped it open and removed one of the shells.


    ¡®These sons of bitches are about to find out who they¡¯re messing with,¡¯ she thought. She let some of her blood drip into the silver shot, then fumbled as she reloaded the gun. If these people thought that no one could break an intact and activated magical circle, they had never met Sadie Hewitt. Blood and silver were powerful in the magical world, and her blood was more potent than most. She pointed her gun at the ground, trying to see the line in the concrete through the creeping mes.


    ¡°By his blood be cast,¡± she muttered, looking at the man on the ground, ¡°but by my blood be undone!¡± Thisst was shouted as she fired the shotgun at the floor. The silver turned molten almost instantly, and the blood cooked on the concrete. The circle that the mes emanated from pulses rapidly, then started to glow.


    ¡°Please work please work please work,¡± she said rapidly. Finally, the circle red, then evaporated. The mes had already burned through the gasoline and had been fed entirely by magic shortly after the casting. Now, there was just a smoldering circle of smoke on the ground. Sadie looked towards the open door, and she could see the outline of one of the arsonists through the haze. She hauled her gun up and fired. She missed by a mile, but certainly got his attention, making him take off like a rabbit.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said to herself, half in a daze due to pain and blood loss. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could reload.¡± She tossed the shotgun towards the door, needing her good arm to lift the homeless man and carry him over the floor. It was still so hot that it started to melt the bottoms of Sadie¡¯s shoes. By the time she got the man to the opening, the attackers were nowhere to be seen. Shey the man down gently on the loading dock. He¡¯d been cut deep in the arm and was suffering from smoke inhtion.


    ¡°Officer . . . officer hit,¡± she gasped into her radio, the pain in her shoulder bing more noticeable. ¡°One civilian wounded . . . sh wounds and smoke inhtion. Need medical assistance,¡± she said, though dispatch had probably figured that out ont their own. She looked down . . . the guy couldn¡¯t be more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and he looked like he¡¯d been a transient for a while. And he was dieing.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my fucking ambnce?!¡± she screamed, but the only response she got was an echo.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She looked across the floor of the warehouse and luckily saw the glint of both her shotgun and her pistol. She hurried over to get both, then returned to the injured man. ¡°Hang in there,¡± she said tiredly. ¡°Help¡¯s on the way.¡± She hoped they got there soon. When her own blood levels dropped enough, she would feed, and she would lose conscious control as her instincts strove to insure her survival. She looked around . . . still no one.


    ¡®I have to save him,¡¯ she thought. ¡®I don¡¯t matter.¡¯ Her shoulder was still leaking blood, so she opened the mans¡¯ mouth and poured some into his throat.


    In order to Turn a mortal into a vampire, you had to suck their blood, let it sift through your veins, then you passed a mutated version back to the donor. This strain linked you to your creator to some degree. Having the blood of a vampire who hadn¡¯t bitten you and drawn your blood acted more as a temporary high, and that was it. But Sadie was not ordinary, and neither was her blood.


    ¡°Heal,¡± she whispered before sitting back.


    Almost instantly, the man began coughing less, and the wounds began to clot. He wouldn¡¯t healpletely . . . she hadn¡¯t given him enough. But he would live. And now she needed to get away . . . she needed to run before she did something she would regret. Already, she was seeing the veins in his neck pumping a delicious rhythm, and his yed an erotic tune. She started to stumble towards the SUV and the first-aid pack inside. About the time she got there, ambnce and police cars came screaming up.


    First out was Fitzpatrick.


    ¡°Victim is over there. I think he¡¯s stable, but get the EMTs down there stat!¡± She liked the Irish cop. He didn¡¯t waste time, but jumped to help the injured man. The rounding the corner of the vehicle was d and Devlin.


    ¡°Help Fitzpatrick!¡± dimir yelled, his eyes looking on Sadie with great pain. She looked like hell. ¡°Arbiter¨C¡°

 567

    She snarled at him and pushed him aside. ¡®Damn he looks good,¡¯ she thought. It was an erotic aftereffect of the bloodlust that was creeping up on her. She wanted to jump his bones, drink him of blood and ride him into the ground while doing it.


    ¡°Sadie ¨C¡±


    ¡°Out of my way!¡± Every police unit had an emergency blood pack refrigerated for just such an emergency. She managed to get the doors open on her own, growling at anyone who tried to assist her. She grabbed the case, yanked it open and sank her teeth into the cool blood. It was good, but it was far from enough to rece what she¡¯d lost. Still drinking from the bag, she headed around to the driver side door. She opened it up and depressed the cigarette lighter.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± d said, wondering if he should try to tackle her so that the frightened medics could do their jobs.


    She wasn¡¯t in her right mind, so she just kind of ignored him. After a second, she grabbed the lighter and shoved the hot metal against the wound in her shoulder. She screamed so loudly that she made everyone in the area jump at the sound. Her flesh cooked, but the blood stopped flowing.


    ¡°She¡¯s nuts!¡± she heard one of the EMTs gasp.


    ¡°Four . . . four assants,¡± she said, her voice strained. ¡°Two elves, one witch . . . one vamp. Started a magic circle . . . trying to burn down the whole damn district. Blood magic,¡± she added. Blood magic was nasty and incredibly dangerous, and those who practiced it tended to meet very painful ends.


    ¡°You did good,¡± d said, worried more than he could express. Sadie looked like hell, and she was getting worse. ¡°Now let¡¯s get you to a hospital so you can get some ¨C¡±


    ¡°No hospitals,¡± she said. ¡°No chance in hell. Just gimme some sma-Ade and ¨C¡±


    ¡°That shit won¡¯t give you nearly what you need!¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s just a stop-gap fix!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± she replied.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Devlin came running over, his face pale. ¡°Arbiter, you look like shit.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± she growled, crawling into the SUV.


    ¡°You cannot seriously be thinking of driving!¡± dimir said. He¡¯d shoot the tires out before letting her drive anywhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that I¡¯ll think whatever I wanna . . . wanna think,¡± she babbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    d shook his head. ¡°Some kind of delirium. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s supposed to happen now.¡±


    Sadie needed to get away. Looking at d, she saw a pool of blood and sin that she wanted to roll around in. She knew she was far too close to the edge.


    d got on his radio. ¡°Hey, Sadie¡¯s hurt bad, and she¡¯s getting crazy. What the hell does that mean?¡± He heard a bunch of random noise on the other end, then he heard Mel¡¯s voice. She had been listening in, and she sounded concerned, but she had also turned on the calm. And she was the closest thing to a vampire expert they had.


    *How much blood is she down? (click)*


    ¡°Too much. And she isn¡¯t letting the medics near her.¡±


    One of the medics grimaced. ¡°We normally just stop the bleeding,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t have any more bags.¡±


    ¡°Get that?¡± d asked to the radio.


    *d, if she gets too low, she¡¯ll go into a blood lust or a feeding frenzy. She won¡¯t be able to resist it and, if she gets that far, she¡¯ll probably kill whoever she¡¯s feeding from. (click)*


    ¡®That¡¯s probably why she¡¯s trying to get away,¡¯ d thought. ¡®She¡¯ll protect those around her even if it kills her.¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s doing this for THAT guy,¡± Devlin muttered, looking back at the transient.


    Sadie heard that and roared. She was acting on instinct, and she wanted to bash this human into oblivion for his callousness. That man had as much right to live as anyone. Luckily for Devlin, she was too weak to do much but snarl at him. But if she was still there when the bloodlust kicked in ¡ª


    *d, I¡¯m patching you through to Mary ¡ª (click)*


    ¡°Mary?! The wraith?!¡±


    *Yes, but she¡¯s Sadie¡¯s friend too, and she used to be a vampire. I called her for advice and she¡¯s got some for you. (click)*


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said nervously. Even over the radio, wraiths were scary.


    *Officer Koloff,* that cool voice said, *how dted are her pupils? (click)*


    ¡°Very. I can barely even see whites anymore.¡±


    *She¡¯s close to the edge. (click)*


    ¡°Crap!¡± he shouted. Sadie was trying to start up the vehicle so, smart or not, he grabbed her out of it and wrestled her against the side. She may have been faster normally, but she was weak now. Weak, but pissed, and she was snarling at him. Then her face nked a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry d,¡± she whispered. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have . . . I should¡¯ve respected your wishes and your wife . . . I didn¡¯t want to drive you away.¡± The woman was beginning to babble.


    ¡°I need some help here!¡± he shouted.


    *d, she needs a blood source,* Mary¡¯s voice said. *She needs fresh blood, and she needs it now. Whoever it is needs to be big enough to donate the blood, strong enough to fight her off, and hopefully someone who doesn¡¯t hate her. When a vampire feeds, they react to the emotion of their ¡®victim.¡¯ (click)*


    ¡°No,¡± Sadie said, shaking her head. ¡°I won¡¯t . . . won¡¯t ¨C¡± Her face was so pale.


    ¡°She says she won¡¯t bite!¡± d said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, but how do you make her feed? She¡¯s such a stubborn bitch!¡± He put the radio to his ear. Mary gave him an unusual set of instructions.


    *And if you can, take her somewhere private to feed. She will probably feel guilty and vulnerable after feeding, and privacy will help her pride. (click)*


    ¡®What . . . wuh she say?¡± Sadie said, looking at him suspiciously. She was trying to edge along the wall to escape, but he picked her up.


    ¡°Devlin,¡± he said calmly but firmly, ¡°I want you to go help Fitzpatrick. I¡¯m taking the Arbiter over . . . there,¡± he said, pointing with his chin to a small grove of trees between the parking lot and a state highway. It was easily dense enough to hide from prying eyes. ¡°And you say nothing about this to anyone. Clear?¡±


    Devlin nodded. He respected the Captain, and he didn¡¯t want Sadie to die.


    dimir carried the weakening woman over. Mary had told him that if she reached the frenzy stage, it meant that her body had diverted all remaining blood to her muscles and away from her brain. She would be easily strong enough to kill somone if it got that far. Once out of sight, he leaned her against a tree. He yanked his shirt off his shoulder. ¡°Feed!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t . . . I¡¯ll hurt you . . . I already hurt you, and I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t feed?¡± He waited until she shook her head. Then he pped her hard across the face.


    She looked away, then her gaze met his again, and she looked confused. He wered his hand just enough to get ws on the end of his fingers, and he used them to create a thin trail of blood along the meat of his shoulder. Then he pped her again. This time, her face whipped forward. Her teeth were extended and her eyes wild, and she was staring at the trail of his blood.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, one more time.


    *Smack!* His hand struck her again. Mary had told him to do this to evoke her animal instincts, preferably while her mind still had some grip on reality however. It worked. Sadie lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him in a demonic embrace and sunk her fangs into his shoulder.


    dimir Koloff had never been bitten by a vampire, but he was pretty sure what was happening was abnormal. Normally, there was supposed to be a slight sexual rush when being bitten. This was like a tidal wave of pure sensual pleasure. As she drew blood from him, his manhood jumped to full attention faster than he could¡¯ve imagined possible. Her body was like fire against his, and it took every bit of willpower that he had not to rip off her clothes and drill her like an oil well as she consumed his blood. He could barely even remember his wife¡¯s name at the moment, much less care what the bitch thought of him. This creature before him was wild . . . she was passion incarnate. He gasped as he climaxed in his pants due to nothing but the feeling of the bloodletting and the pressure of her body against him. To make matters worse, his member wasn¡¯t even able to shrink, but rather was ready to go again.


    He was on the verge of breaking down and giving in to the temptation he¡¯d felt so strong that night at the bar, but then he heard something that made him stop. Sadie Hewitt was crying. Even as her body pulsed with lust and her teeth drew him inside of her, her soul began to ache and her eyes leaked tears.


    ¡®She feels weak,¡¯ he thought, ashamed at the notion that he¡¯d almost taken advantage of her. ¡®Shepletely lost control of her mind, and she¡¯s ashamed of herself.¡¯ He could actually feel, at a very subtle level, what she was feeling. Mary had been right. Sadie felt vulnerable. d was feeling a little woozy, so he knew it was about time to stop.


    As soon as dimir began to calm down, it seemed that Sadie did as well. Her fierce bite had be a gentle nursing, and the tears came down harder. Finally she pulled away, closing her eyes and curling up into a ball on the ground. d knelt beside her,ing down from the sexual rush of being bitten and trying tofort a vampire who had beenid low by savage instinct.

 568

    ¡°Go,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Sadie ¨C¡±


    ¡°You . . . need . . . fluids,¡± the vampire replied, her eyes meeting his. They weren¡¯t quite angry, but rather projected a profound sense of disappointment in herself. ¡°The EMTs will actually have what you need.¡± She slowly made her way to her feet, refusing her fellow officer¡¯s offer of assistance. ¡°Please?¡±


    d knew she probably shouldn¡¯t be alone, but she was a proud woman who needed to collect herself. Looking her over, the bleeding had stopped and she looked physically much better than when they¡¯d caught up with her. ¡°Give me your keys,¡± he said. When she looked at him like he was crazy, he just stuck his hand out and wiggled his fingers. ¡°So you don¡¯t go driving off before we get a chance to talk. Hand ¡¯em over, or I¡¯ll shoot the tires.¡±


    Sadie wondered if he really knew her that well, or if he¡¯d just guessed lucky. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go hole up in her trailer, crack open a blood pack and a Guinness (not necessarily in that order) and let her pride heal. She tossed him the keys, watching him grab them deftly out of the air before walking back to the crime scene.


    She ced her back against a tree and just listened to the sound of crickets, trying to phase out the din of human voices, sirens, and general bustle of investigation. She wondered if d knew just how badly she¡¯d wanted to devour him whole. She thought over the evening¡¯s events. ¡®The fire will have destroyed my blood evidence,¡¯ she thought. ¡®The survivor will be written off as lucky. My blood will have done its job and run its course before they get him to a hospital. I¡¯m safe . . . I know I¡¯m safe.¡¯ Thatforted her somewhat, but notpletely. Now she had to figure out what a representative of the Council was doing started magical fires in abandoned warehouses.


    After several minutes, sheposed herself. If she waited too long, they¡¯d think her even weaker than they probably already did. ¡®I¡¯m not weak,¡¯ she told herself. ¡®I¡¯m not.¡¯ She walked out of the grove and towards the assembled masses. She saw d sitting casually on the back bumper of an ambnce with an IV in his arm, looking somewhat absent. She wondered what he was thinking of, then she blushed. ¡®That¡¯s twice I¡¯ve forced myself on him.¡¯


    ¡°Arbiter,¡± one of the medics said, ncing at her nervously. ¡°We¡¯re really supposed to check you out before you do any more . . . whatever.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and sat down, making sure to stay away from dimir. He had probably had quite enough of Sadie tost a while. She let the EMTs look her over, checking her eyes and cuts. It wasn¡¯t like they could check her vitals, since she didn¡¯t actually have any. Once they were convinced that she was not in danger anymore, they got out of her way. About then, Devlin wandered over.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, twitching a bit.


    Sadie vaguely remembered the cavalier way that he had blown off the worth of the homeless man earlier, so she just shot him an unforgiving re.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier,¡± he said, and she melted a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that you shouldn¡¯t have done it. I guess I¡¯m not used to seeing anyone do what you do.¡±


    She could tell he was trying to apologize, albeit badly, so she cut him some ck. ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°Actually, he¡¯s doing pretty good,¡± Devlin said, actually looking a bit perplexed. ¡°Considering, I¡¯d say he got lucky. The shes weren¡¯t too deep, and he seemed less burned than you were.¡± He was looking at the cigarette burn on her shoulder, as well as the dried blood. ¡°Would you like a towel?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± she said, wanting to get rid of him. A couple of other officers came over and started asking her questions. She answered everything she could, cleaning herself off a bit when Devlin returned. She didn¡¯t mention Dazza by name or what she had done with her blood, but the rest was safe. She could probably arrest the vampire, but it would still be up to the courts to decide his fate. ¡®Dazza¡¯s a small fish,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Let¡¯s see who the shark behind the scenes is. And I¡¯ll be damned if his name doesn¡¯t wind up being Lord Frost.¡¯


    She saw them wheeling the man she had saved towards one of the ambnces, so she hopped down and walked through the crowd to get to him. She doubted he¡¯d even recognize her. She was wrong.


    ¡°You,¡± he sputtered, pulling his oxygen mask away. The man¡¯s eyes were very clear and he looked on her with awe. ¡°My angel! Whatever it is you did, thank you!¡± One of the medics reced the mask and they wheeled him into the back of the ambnce. The other EMT stopped beside her.


    ¡°Strangest thing,¡± the man muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working this beat for years, and we¡¯ve picked up Tommy a bunch of times. Exposure, overdosing on some damn thing or another . . . the guy¡¯s one of the regrs.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a schizophrenic, and full blown. Voices, illusions, the whole works. Stark raving loonie. We¡¯ve tried getting him into public care, but he keeps wandering out, and no one much cares to go looking. But when I was checking him over ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°He was clear as day. Understood everything we asked, answered coherently . . . like he was never sick.¡±


    ¡®Oh hell,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡°Probably bacsh from a screwed up spell,¡± she said hastily. ¡°Break a circle in mid-casting, and who knows what the magic is going to do. Looks like he cut a break,¡± she finished.


    The EMT bought it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of stranger things,¡± he said. ¡°We may have a shaman look him over, but I doubt the hospital will spring for one. Seems he¡¯s damn lucky you came along Arbiter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she muttered. ¡°Lucky.¡±


    She turned around to find d standing there, staring at her. For the un-life of her, she couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking. But she could most definitely remember how sweet his blood had been in her mouth, and how hard his body had been when she was wrapped around it.


    ¡°I think I should go home,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive,¡± he replied. He waved off her forting objection and yelled over to another officer, making sure that things were well in hand. CSI had boots on the ground now, so there wasn¡¯t much else to do.


    Sadie pouted all the way to the police station, trying to assure herrade that she was fine and could take care of herself. That didn¡¯t stop him from following her back to her ce. When she got back, she found she had yet more visitors.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at work?¡± Sadie asked haughtily when Melissa got up off the half-finished deck. She and Mary were both looking anxious. She had never found out why Mel was angry at her, and at the moment she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I took the rest of the night off,¡± Mel said, nching under Sadie¡¯s stare. She didn¡¯t feel that she was in the wrong, but Sadie DID deserve to know why she¡¯d been acting that way.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because based on our brief association, I can assume that you have no intention of taking proper care of yourself. Therefore, I will as necessary,¡± Mary said sternly.


    ¡°Says who?¡± Sadie said, a little ufortable at Mary¡¯s matter-of-factness. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a beer, some blood and then ¨C¡±


    Mary was shaking her head. ¡°You will have blood, then a shower, then rest. I¡¯ve experienced the kind of blood lust you went through tonight, and I know that you must have used a great deal of energy to feed and to heal.¡± She looked at dimir, was was more than a bit skittish around the wraith. ¡°You look well. You did as I asked, and it may very well have saved someone¡¯s life. Besides some weakness, are you otherwise intact? Sadie wasn¡¯t too . . . forward, was she?¡±


    ¡°Mary?!¡± Sadie blurted. She was humiliated enough as it was, she didn¡¯t need the wraith reminding d of how she¡¯d dry humped him while out of her mind with hunger.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that . . . that IT would be that strong,¡± he said, actually cracking a small grin as he looked at the Arbiter. She in turn blushed like hell. He didn¡¯t know that vampires could blush involuntarily.


    ¡°I tried pulling it!¡± she objected. Normally, she didn¡¯t mind being viewed as wanton, but here ¡ªN?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°That was pulled?!¡± d asked, his eyes opening wide.


    Sadie went from blushing to pale, turning on her heel and going inside.


    ¡°Melissa,¡± Mary said, ¡°please apany her and make sure she gets cleaned up.¡±


    Mel nodded obediently and followed the Arbiter inside.


    ¡°What about the beer?¡± d asked.


    Mary shrugged. ¡°Young Melissa has a key to the residence. All things non-nutritional have been hidden and will be returned by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my Guinness?!¡± came a shout from inside.


    d¡¯s apprehension almost evaporated when he saw Mary smile. She was a beautiful woman, and it was good to see her acting normally. ¡°She¡¯s going to be pissed.¡±


    ¡°She will get over it. She¡¯s the first friend I¡¯ve had that I could meet face to face in over a century, and I refuse to let her kill herself out of pride.¡± Mary nodded at the werewolf. ¡°What you did tonight took courage andpassion. She¡¯s lucky to have you for a friend. I talked with her about the incident at the bar.¡± Mary¡¯s eyes lit up a bit. ¡°She greatly regrets any difort that she may have caused or damage to your friendship that may have resulted from her actions. She is ruled by her heart it seems, and her head only sometimes gets a vote.¡±


    d nodded. ¡°I think I should be getting home,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m assuming she¡¯ll want toe into work tomorrow, so tell her I¡¯ll talk to her then.¡±


    ¡°I will do that.¡± Mary went inside as d left, a prisoner of his own thoughts. Mary found Melissa shoving Sadie¡¯s blood soaked clothes into the washing machine. Mary patted the girl on the shoulder. She¡¯d even thought to pre-treat the fabric.


    Sadie was in the shower, rinsing the remaining caked blood off her body. The shoulder still looked to be causing her pain. Mary looked it over and saw the exit wound around the back. That was a good thing, since the bone wouldn¡¯t heal if the bullet was still in there. Sadie wouldn¡¯t be doing much gun-slinging with that arm for several weeks, but she¡¯d be fine. ¡°Melissa, see if you can find find a scarf to improvise a sling with.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Mel said.

 569

    Mary was very drawn to the young woman. Very few people seemed to have any manners these days, and Melissa appeared incredibly well behaved around the wraith. And she was certainly nice to look at. Mary shook the thoughts from her head and went to check on Sadie.


    ¡°I can shower myself, you know,¡± the vampire grumbled.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m making sure that you go directly from getting dried off to bed. I¡¯ll bring you a blood pack, and you can consume it while we create a sling for your arm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¨C¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°You WILL promise to wear the sling until your shoulder is better, or I will materialize in your home every day and continue to steal all your alcohol until youply. Understood?¡±


    Sadie was just staring at Mary, her eyes wide. ¡°What the hell did I ever do to you to deserve this?¡± she groaned.


    ¡°You befriended me,¡± Mary replied with a smile. ¡°Get used to it.¡± She doubted that she¡¯d get much more trouble out of the vampire that night, as it looked like the woman¡¯s body was beginning to crash. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll make at least a minimum amount of effort to look after yourself for a while, and I¡¯ll return your alcohol and those deplorable chocte snack items this evening.¡±


    ¡°You took my Hostess Cupcakes?!¡± Sadie replied loudly. ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡±


    Mary grinned. She¡¯d actually eaten the rest while waiting for Sadie to arrive, so she needed to buy time in order to procure more. She got a blood pack out of the fridge and handed it to Sadie, who began muttering like a small child as she headed to bed.


    Melissa approached and whispered into Mary¡¯s ear, ¡°Could I have a few moments alone with her? There¡¯s something I need to talk to her about, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose my nerve if I wait.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Mary said. ¡°She misses your conversation, so I hope that whatever your grievances are with her can be resolved.¡±


    As the wraith vanished into thin air, Melissa steeled her shoulders. ¡°Before you even ask, I have no idea where she put your beer.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Sadie growled, then her face softened. ¡°So ¨C¡±


    Melissa sat down at the edge of the bed and looked questioningly at her friend. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°And don¡¯t say Sadie Hewitt, since we both know that isn¡¯t true.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s heart began to beat against her will. It probably wasn¡¯t wise to be straining that particr organ at the moment, but she couldn¡¯t really help it.


    The goth chick blundered on before her courage failed her. ¡°Lord Frost managed to bring pressure on the Bureau, and your supervisors told Grom to cooperate. Apparently they didn¡¯t realize that you weren¡¯t registered either. So the Captain told me to find a copy of your birth certificate and forward it.¡± She decided not to tell Sadie about Bart at the moment. She had enough on her mind without plotting to kill the demon. ¡°After I found it, I . . . I did some more looking. I just wanted to see if I could find out more about you. It wasn¡¯t for anyone else . . . just me.¡±


    Sadie had drained the blood back, so she ced it in the trash next to the bed, then closed her eyes. ¡®This can¡¯t be happening,¡¯ she though. ¡®For a hundred years, this has worked.¡¯ She heard Melissa rummaging through her purse. Sadie opened up her eyes to see a scanned page of an old newspaper.


    Melissa¡¯s eyes were questioning. ¡°Sadie Hewitt died when she was three years old. She was killed by the same rogue vampire who killed her mother. They weren¡¯t Turned . . . they knew the difference, even back then. You can tell by the description of the bodies ¨C¡± She stopped. It had almost broken her heart to think of what the rogue vampire had done to the woman and her little girl. ¡°I just want to know who you are, and why you lied to me. Why you lied to everyone about it.¡±


    Sadie fell back all the way into her pillows, wishing she could open her eyes and have this moment . . . hell, this whole night wind up being just a bad dream.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± she heard Mel¡¯s voice say. ¡°And I¡¯d like an answer.¡± She saw Sadie¡¯s eyes open and the blue had expanded to cover the white. Melissa had never seen anything like it before.


    ¡°I AM Sadie Hewitt,¡± the vampire started. ¡°rk Hogan may not have Turned me vamp, but he sure as hell made me her. She was just a kid,¡± Sadie continued, in her own little world for a moment. ¡°I thought if I took her name, it might let her live a little longer, ya know. At least through me.¡±


    ¡°rk Hogan was the rogue vampire, right? He didn¡¯t die because of some werewolf did he?¡± Mel made thisst part sound more like a statement than a question.


    ¡°Oh no.¡± Sadie¡¯s voice had be bitter. ¡°I¡¯d been traveling through Texas at the time when I heard about the killings. I couldn¡¯t let it stand, and none of the Local Lords seemed all that concerned with a poor widow and her brat. So I found Hogan and showed him what it was like to be in the power of someone stronger than himself. People assumed that just because his head got ripped off that it had to be something as powerful as a were ¨C¡± The vampire stopped when she saw Melissa go pale. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be quite so graphic,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Who were you before?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Why change your name at all?¡±


    ¡°There are bad people in the world, and there are some folks that would be very unhappy if they caught up with me, particrly since I¡¯m no longer supposed to be amongst the still-kind-of living.¡± Sadie bit her bottom lip for second. It would be so nice just toe clean with someone, but she had her secrets for a reason. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you who or why,¡± she continued, ¡°but believe me there¡¯s a reason. What you don¡¯t know, you can¡¯t tell. And knowing would put you in danger. Melissa, I am exactly who I¡¯ve shown you to be. I care about you and don¡¯t want you to get hurt. I¡¯m a little wild when ites to sexual favors. I don¡¯t like snobs or beings who think they¡¯re better than everyone else.¡±


    ¡°So being an army pilot and all that ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all true. Everything that I¡¯ve imed to have done since bing ¡®Sadie Hewitt the vampire¡¯ has been true. I figured I had about twenty more years of being Sadie Hewitt, then I¡¯d move on, assuming that I¡¯m still alive. But I like being Sadie . . . it just seems to fit somehow.¡±


    ¡®Now for the million dor question,¡¯ Melissa thought. ¡°How many names have you had?¡±


    Sadie smiled. ¡°Not too many. Tracking specific identities has only be easier in thest couple of centuries. Before that, it wasn¡¯t such a big deal.


    Melissa¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°So you¡¯re a bit older than a hundred and twenty then?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Sadie replied with a nod. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not going to tell you. Just . . . just trust me that I don¡¯t mean you any harm. I love my job and I love helping people.¡± She cocked her head. ¡°Are you going to tell anyone? You¡¯re legally obligated to you know. I lied on my Arbiter application ¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Melissa said, breathing a little easier. She wasn¡¯t surprised that Sadie wound up being more than she appeared. Hell, it made sense. She sat closer to Sadie. ¡°I believe you. And I hope someday you¡¯ll tell me the whole story. But if you still want me as a friend ¨C¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Sadie said, grasping Melissa¡¯s hand. ¡°Believe me I do.¡±


    ¡°Do you . . . wantpany tonight?¡± the girl asked, bring her submissive shyness to the front. ¡°Even as just a friend?¡±


    ¡°Normally I would say yes,¡± Sadie said, ¡°but Mary would tan my hide. I might wake up with hunger pangs due to my recovery, and if a tempting young morsel was closer than my refrigerator ¨C¡±


    ¡°I get the idea,¡± Mel said, almost subconsciously covering up her neck with her hand. ¡°I think I could handle getting bitten, but I¡¯d rather not be an appetizer.¡±


    The vampire grinned, and it seemed to bring some light back to the room. Things were good when Sadie was smiling. ¡°Could you drop by and tell Mary that I¡¯ll behave myself, but I want my damn Guinness back! And my cupcakes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell her.¡±


    Sadie thought it over. ¡°Tell her everything,¡± she said.


    Melissa looked surprised. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°She deserves to know. She told me her story, and it was a hell of a lot worse than what I told you. I would just rather not go over it again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Melissa leaned over and kissed Sadie twice, once on the forehead and once on the lips. Sadie¡¯s cat, still nameless, jumped up on the bed and wormed her way between Mel and her new person, giving Mel a look as if to challenge her for dominance of cuddling rights. Mel chuckled, scratched the creature¡¯s hears and was promptly forgiven. Then she turned and left, letting Sadie get the rest she badly needed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Across town . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Dazza was pacing a trench in the incredibly expensive oriental rug, hoping his Lord didn¡¯t hold it against him.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Frost said from behind his desk, not ever bothering to look up. ¡°You¡¯re sure she didn¡¯t see you?¡±


    ¡°Even I had problems seeing in that ce. It¡¯s why I stayed home as long as I did. If she knew it was me, she would¡¯ve arrested me by now.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t want to bring them directly here,¡± Frost said. Dazza might be a toadie, but he was a smart toadie. ¡°I was rather hoping we could have turned her thinking by now and made her more of a team yer. That may be my fault,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s rebellious by nature, it would seem. If I¡¯d spent more time observing before approaching her, I would have avoided being so directly confrontational. She is like a mongrel,¡± he continued, obviously annoyed. ¡°Rather than baiting her with something tempting, I backed her into a corner until she growled. It is no matter. We WILL have the Arbiter on our side. Can you imagine? An Arbiter of her cunning and ability at our disposal? And to think you almost killed her,¡± Frost added.

 570

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think she would take a bullet for that useless wretch,¡± Dazza replied by way of apology. ¡°Now the warehouses still stand, and anotherpany is moving in that will promote harmony amongst the lower species. She is dangerous,¡± he continued. ¡°I cannot exin it, but she¡¯s more of a threat than we imagined. Your obsession with her could prove costly my lord,¡± Dazza said, knowing that he was pushing his luck by challenging Frost even in this slightest of ways. ¡°Are you sure it might not be better to ¨C¡±


    ¡°You have behaved intelligently so far this evening.¡± Frost¡¯s voice was neutral. ¡°I would make sure that any future suggestions do not spoil your batting average.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s only a threat if she is an enemy. If she chooses to remain an enemy . . . well, even Arbiters sometimes meet with idents.¡± He leaned back, an idea urring to him. ¡°She will protect those around her I think, even if it means making a bargain. Maybe this predator just needs a new kind of bait.¡±


    Outside in the hallway, Terrence McDermott listened in with great interest. Normally, he had stayed out of his employer¡¯s business and just collected a paycheck, but things had gotten out of hand. Lines were being drawn, and he wanted to know what the heck people were fighting about.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    In New Plymouth . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Melissa was sitting quietly in Mary¡¯s living room, sipping Earl Grey tea. She wasn¡¯t normally a tea drinker, but the wraith had just handed it to her when she showed up and started to talk. She was just as impressed by the home that Mary kept as Sadie had been. She had just gotten done exining Sadie¡¯s story and her reluctant eptance of Mary¡¯s ¡°terms.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± Melissa said. Mary was just staring at her, and it was making her a little nervous.


    Mary broke eye contact reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m not. She has a sense of power to her . . . too much for a century old darkworlder.¡±


    ¡°None of the other vampires think she¡¯s that old.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°If she is in hiding, she may be hiding her presence. It is difficult, but can be done if you have proper training.¡± Mary smiled. ¡°But her actions speak true to me, so it is those that I shall trust, whatever name she may use when enacting them.¡±


    ¡°She said that you told her your story as well. Was it hard? I won¡¯t ask you to repeat it ¨C¡±


    ¡°It was difficult,¡± Mary interrupted, but necessary. ¡°I would tell you, but I don¡¯t wish to upset you more than you are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gripping my teacup as if it were a lifeline.¡±


    Melissa released her grip and ced the cup on a coaster on the coffee table. She¡¯d missed the coaster earlier, and had gotten a shriveling look for it. ¡°I¡¯m just never quite sure if what I¡¯m saying to you is appropriate or whatever.¡±


    Mary nodded. ¡°Except for the asional call or thirst for vengeance, I am the same person that I was in life. And undeath. I have the same emotions and needs ¨C¡± Mary actually stopped herself, picking up one of her many cats and fussing over it.


    The goth chick was curious. ¡°You . . . you mean physical needs? Sexual needs?¡±


    The wraith stood up, depositing the cat back onto the floor and took both cups to the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Melissa said, following the other woman. ¡°See, this is what I meant!¡±


    Mary turned around. She had topose herself, as she didn¡¯t want this youngdy to realize she¡¯d actually been embarrassed by the questions. Those were exactly the needs she had meant. ¡°It is all right. It is still hard for me to talk about things.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Melissa leaned her butt against the counter. ¡°I had a lot of issues I was working through, and I didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to about them that I really trusted until Sadie came along. Now, she¡¯s got me talking to some people in California that own this club because they know more about . . . things . . . than Sadie does.¡±


    Mary brushed a stray hair away from the young woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°What things? Unless you don¡¯t want to say . . . I would understand.¡±


    ¡®You want her to trust you enough to tell you the truth,¡¯ Melissa thought, ¡®then maybe give her the truth.¡¯ So she did. She talked about her sexual identity, how Sadie helped narrow down what she wasfortable with, and how she needed to be willing to admit when something surpassed her limits.


    ¡°This submissive from the Dark Eden club really knows her shit too. She¡¯s told me a lot about her rtionship with her mistress.¡± Melissa was smiling. ¡°It¡¯s nice to know that despite the sexual part of it that they have a very normal, romantic rtionship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with the owner of that club,¡± Mary admitted. ¡°Apparently, he is a psychiatrist as well as a businessman, and one of the few who will work with wraiths, albeit mostly on-line. He tried talking me intoing in, convinced that he could find someone there who would be ¨C¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Melissa was smiling. Mary seemed so approachable now.


    ¡°He was sure that there might be someone who would be willing to submit themselves to my appetite.¡±


    ¡°Did you go?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary replied. ¡°I . . . It is hard for me to be rejected. It is something I became ustomed to when I first descended into the mid-realm . . . the world that wraiths use to navigate. To go somewhere with a ¡®captive audience¡¯ and be looked upon with disdain . . . it would have been too much for me.¡±


    Melissa felt horrible for the istion that Mary and her fellow wraiths must endure. And it seemed so needless now. ¡°So, the club¡¯s owner thought you might like it there? Does that mean that your interests lie along that line?¡±


    Mary actually covered her face as if she were blushing. ¡°Ie from nobility, as I told Sadie. Minor nobility, but still . . . I liked having servants, and not because they did their chores. When I became a vampire, certain urges became even more natural and hard to resist.¡± Then the wraith paused, and her expression indicated the presence of a memory far less pleasant.


    ¡°You can tell me,¡± Melissa said. ¡°Sadie can keep her secrets, but you shouldn¡¯t have to as well. Trust me.¡±


    Within twenty minutes, Melissa was crying so hard that she wanted to throw up.


    Mary thought it might be easier to tell her story the second time in twenty-four hours. She was wrong. Her throat actually felt constricted, mostly as a reflex reaction.


    Melissa¡¯s brain was full and was beginning to ache. Her best friend turned out to not be who she imed to be because she was being hunted by someone, and her new friend had apparently been tortured beyond Mel¡¯s ability toprehend. Suddenly, her dull life didn¡¯t seem so bad. What did you say after that? So she just wrapped her arms around the undead woman and held her.


    The wraith allowed the conact, partially because she didn¡¯t know how else to respond and partially because she craved it. She needed contact just the same as any other creature walking the earth and this, even if given only infort, was a wee change from her istion.


    ¡°I survived,¡± Mary said atst. ¡°And I shall continue to. I simply no longer wish to survive alone.¡±


    Melissa felt Mary¡¯s cool frame grow warmer. ¡®Is this all she wants?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Comfort andpanionship? Would I refuse her that? Would I WANT to refuse her that? She¡¯s suffered so much.¡¯ She pressed her body even more tightly against Mary¡¯s. She could feel Mary¡¯s powerful arms ensnaring her. A normal person would have screamed at that point, but Melissa wasn¡¯t afraid. Mary wouldn¡¯t harm her. Actually, harming her seemed to be the furthest thing from the wraith¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I do not wish pity,¡± Mary said, reluctantly pulling away. But Melissa didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help what I feel. Yes, I feel sorry for what happened to you. But even before I knew, I still came here. I still wanted to know you, and now I know all of you.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this right. It¡¯s more than feeling sick about what happened. I¡¯m proud of you. They killed you but didn¡¯t break you. That bitch tried to beat you and you spit in her face. You¡¯re sitll here and she¡¯s rotting in her grave ¨C¡±


    ¡°There was no grave,¡± Mary said smugly. ¡°They never found all of the body.¡±


    Melissa should have been further disturbed, but she found herself excited. Mary was powerful, elegant, and mysterious . . . everything Melissa had ever wanted. And if giving herself to the wraith might make some kind of amends . . . might help Mary . . . ¡®Oh who am I kidding?¡¯ she thought. ¡®This is as much for me as for her.¡¯


    The side of her face was touching the side of the wraith¡¯s, so she shifted around until they were eye to eye. Mary¡¯s eyes had gone dark and blue, and Melissa could actually see her own reflection in them. ¡°Do you want me to go?¡±


    ¡°By the darkness of the midrealm, no,¡± whispered the wraith¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Melissa said, trying to make her voice calm and subdued.


    A smile touched Mary¡¯s lips. She had never expected to find something or someone like this in her existence, and now Melissa hade to the wraith of her own free will. ¡°What I wish is for you to look at me,¡± she said, summoning that ancient aristocracy that had once flowed through her veins. ¡°Are you sure you want this? I was quite . . . demanding . . . of my servants.¡±


    Melissa couldn¡¯t help a joke to help elevate the mood. ¡°I do everything, including windows.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to start your chores somewhere else . . . say, the bedroom?¡±

 571

    The goth girl¡¯s heart was beating like an African drum as Mary led her towards the staircase and up to the luxurious master bedroom. ¡®What is it about being immortal that makes you like having a huge bed?¡¯ she wondered. She had seen this room when Mary had given the tour earlier, but she couldn¡¯t have imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be spending this kind of time there. It was a four-poster bed with heavy ck drapes, something like she had expected from Sadie¡¯s home. Mary pressed Melissa face first against one of the posts. When she spoke, her voice was wracked with nerves.


    ¡°I have not done this in a very long time,¡± came the Wraith¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you through it.¡± In conversations with Torrie, Melissa had learned that a proper rtionship, the submissive had the real power. It was time for her to find out if that was true. ¡°Both of us need to find our limits.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Mary whispered.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Melissa blurted. ¡°Uhm . . . what happens if you bite . . . someone?¡±


    Mary kissed Melissa¡¯s neck and actually chuckled. ¡°It is good that you are wise enough to ask. Wraiths do not Turn as vampires do, even if a wraith used to be a vampire. I am told that a vampire-turned-wraith still has a kiss that provides sexual stimtion, but that is all. You have nothing to fear from my fangs that you do not allow.¡±


    Melissa let loose her held breath, feeling safe once again. She knew she was alone in the room again, as Mary had gone looking for something and could appear and disappear at will, as long as she wasn¡¯t carrying anything. Then Melissa heard some rustlinge up the stairs, but no footsteps.


    ¡°Undress,¡± Mary¡¯s voicemanded, trying to find thatfortable authority with which she hadmanded the household staff once upon a memory. ¡°Slowly. Then fold your clothes and ce them at the foot of the bed.¡±


    The human girl stepped back and did as she was told, slowly peeling off her jeans and tee-shirt before shedding her undergarments. Out of the corner of her eyes, she looked for her mistress-to-be, but saw nothing. ¡®She¡¯s invisible? I didn¡¯t even know wraiths could do that. I wonder what else she can do.¡¯


    ¡°Turn around,¡± the wraith¡¯s voicemanded. It was now a voice use to getting its way. ¡°Kneel on the floor with your back against the post.¡± The invisible Mary waited until the girl obeyed. She picked up a shawl off the bed, grinning as she saw Melissa¡¯s reaction to the free-floating object. She knew by Melissa¡¯s own admission and conversations with Sadie that the girl craved being controlled. Mary¡¯s disy of power let her know that under the wraith¡¯s control was exactly where she was. Mary tied the shawl around Melissa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can you see?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± came a husky reply. Then she felt her hair being grabbed roughly.


    ¡°No what?¡±


    ¡°No . . . mistress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    Melissa had no idea what was in store for her, but she thought she had seen a coil of rope in the corner of the room that hadn¡¯t been there when she¡¯d first arrived. Sure enough, she felt a smooth rope looping one of her ankles, then the rope sliding under the bed frame and securing the other. Already, Melissa was trapped. Mary could do whatever she wanted and the human girl would not be able to escape. She could hardly wait.


    Over the course of twenty minutes, the length of rope seemed to loop every which way but loose. Melissa couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on, but her excitement was growing by the minute. Finally, her wrists were raised above her head, stretching out her torso while being tied to post. Then she heard the sound of something rolling before the shawl was removed.


    In front of her was a an ornate full length mirror that had positioned just right so that she could see herself in her entirety. For one of the few times in her life, Melissa looked into a mirror and saw something beautiful. The binding of the rope and the patterns it mad on her body with more than just bonds . . . they were art. Her shins were secured to her thighs by intricately arranged threads, and her torso was criss-crossed with each loop going around the bed-post. Somehow Mary had split the rope so that each arm could be entwined like a snake on the way up and then knotted together at the wrists. No rope was so tight as to cause more than the mildest of diforts, but she waspletely unable to move.


    ¡°This is what I demand of you, to be a canvas for my art. I expect obedience from you, and will tolerate nothing less. But your heart . . . that I will never ask for. Should you someday choose to give it, I will ept. Your heart is yours, but your body is mine. Do you ept my conditions?¡±


    ¡°Yes mistress,¡± Melissa replied, still captivated by the bound figure in the mirror. ¡®Do I look that aroused?¡¯ she thought, grinning at herself. ¡®Yes, I think I do. I think I am.¡¯Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She felt something . . . flesh . . . press against her lips for a moment. It was Mary¡¯s mouth, and it was so soft. The wraith kissed her harder, grabbing a hold of Melissa¡¯s hair again. In the mirror beyond, Melissa saw her hair being pulled but not the object exerting its will. She saw the flesh of her lips move as she was kissed, but not the initiator of that passion. It was an incredible sight. Then her hair settled and the kiss ended, leaving Melissa to fight for breath that she hadn¡¯t even realized she needed. A hand squeezed her breast hard, providing that exquisite pain that Melissa experienced when her nipples were yed with.


    ¡°You must be careful to pay attention to such things as breathing, else I consume you. I have not breathed for centuries, and have forgotten how long you can stand to be without it.¡± Mary squeezed harder, watching the girl¡¯s face. Sadie had told her about Melissa¡¯s love of breast y, and she was d to see that there was far more pleasure than pain on that delightful face. She released that soft flesh.


    ¡°Yes mistress,¡± Mel gasped. She was so close to cumming already that it amazed her, and she hadn¡¯t even been touched down there.


    Melissa felt something against her mouth again, and again it was a pair of lips. But this time, it was the lips of her mistress¡¯s sex. It was odd, feeling her tongue enveloped by warmth and tasting the wetness, but not seeing that beautiful opening. Sex with a wraith was going to take some getting used to. After a few licks, she heard a moan and she saw a shimmering shape in the form of Mary, but it quickly vanished again.


    ¡®Hmm,¡¯ she thought happily, ¡®Please her and get a light show?¡¯ She started ravishing that sweet pussy, which was every bit as warm and inviting as Sadie¡¯s had been. It must¡¯ve been a long, long time since her mistress had enjoyed more decadent pleasures, because Melissa hadn¡¯t even gotten to her A-game and the wraith was imitating the Northern Lights. She tried totch onto the woman¡¯s clit, but her mistress pulled away and pped her lightly on the face. It made her skin redden, but didn¡¯t really hurt.


    ¡°Certain things will not be rushed,¡± Mary said calmly. In truth, she was so afraid that Melissa would change her mind after a night and leave that she truly wanted to make the momentst. ¡°Now start again.¡± She pressed her mound against the girl¡¯s eager lips, letting that sweet tongue slide in her like a serpent.


    Melissa was desperate to please Mary, but she couldn¡¯t afford to lose control. That would not set well with Mary. So she softly nibbled on everything else, teasing the innerbia with her teeth andvishing the outer mound with her tongue. Even though she couldn¡¯t see her lover, she could now navigate that part of Mary¡¯s body by memory.


    Mary couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She wanted release . . . she wanted that most delightful of pleasures that she had not experienced at anyone¡¯s hand but her own in so very long. ¡°Now,¡± shemanded, and instantly Melissa¡¯s lips found the clitoris, sucking back the hood and then touching it with her tongue. The wraith phased in and out of visibility as she felt the muscles in her abdomen clench and tremble before finally ¡ª


    ¡°Oh . . . oh . . . oh!¡± Mary had wanted to be cooler and more aloof and climax silently, but her body had other ideas. It liked what Melissa had done to it, and it was letting the girl know.


    Mary had climaxed, and apparently vampires were not the only undead that could produce sexual juices when satisfied. She pressed her abdomen against Melissa¡¯s face, holding her head as her mind and body came to grips with what had just happened. She was so happy that she was on the verge of crying. ¡®How do repay her for this?¡¯ she thought, her body still trembling slightly. Then she had an idea. It was one that she had never had an opportunity to attempt, but one that might provide an experience unlike anything Melissa had ever had. Her abilities as a wraith tended to be most useful when inflicting pain and death but, like any true power, could be diverted to more productive avenues.


    Mary got on her knees, gripping her servant¡¯s nipples lightly as their eyes met. Melissa looked proud for what she had done, and it made her all the more beautiful.


    ¡°This kind of rtionship requires trust,¡± the wraith said. ¡°What I am about to do may feel ufortable at first but it will not hurt you. It is also easier for me if you open yourself. Normally my . . . victim . . . would struggle. I would advise not doing that. Are you ready?¡± She looked past Melissa¡¯s eyes to the feelings behind them, trying to find traces of doubt or fear that might interfere, but she found none. A little nervousness and some confusion perhaps, but both were outweighed by hunger and anticipation.


    Melissa had no idea what was about to happen, but she didn¡¯t care. Her mistress was beautiful and powerful and seemed quite intent on making this fledgling rtionship work for both of them. She watched her mistress lean in and kiss her. That was when things got . . . well, a little weird.


    Mary¡¯s body shimmered and started morphing into a cool mist: the kind that seeped into your lungs and woke you up when standing by thekeside in winter. It was invigorating and . . . and it was slipping down Melissa¡¯s nose and throat. For a moment, Melissa started to panic before realizing that she could still breath and that it was actually refreshing. Her mind was crisp and clear. Soon, Mary was gone and the mist had vanished from sight.


    ¡®She¡¯s inside me,¡¯ Melissa thought, then felt a brief moment where her own mind affirmed that notion. ¡®She¡¯s possessing me!¡¯ Most people would have probably blown a vein about then, but this was the ultimate for the young submissive. Her mistress and lover was inplete control. She waited patiently for Mary to do whatever ¡ª

 572

    ¡°Oh!¡± she squealed. She had felt something pulse inside her womb, like a little bomb going off. A pressure was building, pressing against her vaginal walls, opening, and her elusive G-spot. It was like she was being taken by a custom-sized sex-toy, built with her in mind. ¡®She¡¯s fucking me from the inside?!¡¯ In the mirror, she could see her pussy lips spread as if something were working its way outward . . . it was the mist. A small bit of mist had freed itself and seemed to be forming the shape of a finger. That finger tickled her clit as the force inside of her deepest sex pulsed like a living thing. It stretched just to the point it almost became too much, then retracted. And that G-spot seemed to be getting teased constantly.


    But Mary¡¯s bag of tricks hadn¡¯t been fully poured out. Melissa felt a tingling under the soft-skin of her breasts, then that tingling increased to an brief electric shock in her pierced nipples.


    Melissa came almost instantly. Her nipples were so sensitive to begin with and she had been so turned on just by getting tied up . . . this was too much. She saw her body reacting when she stared in the mirror. She saw her cum squirt out onto the floor and down her legs. She¡¯d never had an orgasm like that before in her life. Her body ached for another.


    Mary did not stop what she was doing. Everything that could be done to her body from the outside was being done from the inside. Even if her arms had been freed, Melissa could have done nothing to stop it. That thought aroused her even more . . . the idea of crawling on the floor as her body was helplessly ravaged by the forces of a seductive wraith.


    Melissa knew that Mary approved of the idea, and they shared a mental image of the human girl writhing on the floor in delicious torment.


    Mel wasn¡¯t sure how the little zaps of electricity were being produced and she didn¡¯t care. They were lighting up her mind, her skin, and every pleasure sensor in her body. She felt the tingling on the backs of her knees, a sweet spot that no one including Sadie had yet discovered. And all the while, she was effectively getting fisted from inside her own body. She was groaning and straining against the ropes, but more to enjoy the sensation of being bound than out of any real desire to get free.


    The wraith was relentless, bringing Melissa to orgasm time and time again. The goth chick¡¯s makeup was running due to the sweat, her pussy felt like it was going to explode, her breasts had turned pink from the attention Mary had ¡°inflicted¡± upon them. After a while, she was no longer straining against the ropes, but rather was hanging limply against the bedpost as exposed to a sexual high she couldn¡¯t have even imagined before. But Mary had one more surprise for her.


    The mist that was Mary crept out of Melissa nose and mouth until it reformed into the flesh-and-blood beautiful woman who was now Melissa¡¯s mistress.


    ¡°I have one more gift for you,¡± the wraith said. ¡°Listen closely and do not fear, for though some of what I will tell you will frighten you, there is a reason I tell you. What I just did . . . the possession of a body . . . is an old ability of my race. When seeking revenge, we sometimes enter the body of our victim and hurt them from the inside, taking some of their essence and then leaving them an empty shell.¡± She could see Melissa was getting scared, so she knew she had to hurry. ¡°But as you just felt, it does not have to be about hurting and pain. Inside of you, I can make you feel anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes mistress,¡± Mel replied, already missing the wraith¡¯s presence inside of her.


    ¡°While I showed you my power, I also fed off you. Now, I will return what I took and make you whole. And I daresay think that you will enjoy the experience. It will, however, involve something that Sadie teased you with that made you ufortable.¡± She extended her fangs. ¡°I told you that my deepest kiss still had special properties. This is one of them. Do not fear, for you will feel no pain,¡± she added hungrily, her mouth inching closer to the side of Melissa¡¯s neck. She could see the girl trembling. ¡°Do not fear me,¡± she whispered. ¡°I will always look out for you.¡± The trembling stopped, and she sank her fangs into that inviting flesh.


    Melissa didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d made such a big deal out of being bitten, as she barely even felt the fangs enter. She felt a heightened arousal, but that wasmonce for being bit by a vamp. But what happened next was not ordinary at all. There was a brief pause, like that moment in a movie right before the tidal wave hits the ship. Then the wave arrived, coursing down into Melissa¡¯s blood like a tidal current. It was pleasure . . . it was everything that Mary had absorbed from her servant over thest twenty minutes. Every groan, every climax, every moment of happiness that the two had shared reverberated through her body. The young human woman had one more orgasm, and this was one so powerful that she actually cked out.


    When she awoke, she found herself in Mary¡¯s bed, untied and cleaned.


    ¡°How . . . how long was I out?¡± she muttered, looking around. She knew Mary wouldn¡¯t be far away.


    Mary was indeed not far away,ing out of the bathroom while toweling off her hair. ¡°Long enough to prepare you for a day¡¯s sleep. You will stay here of course.¡±


    When Melissa heard thatst statement, it almost sounded like a question. ¡®She¡¯s scared that I¡¯ll leave,¡¯ Mel realized. ¡°Yes mistress,¡± she said firmly, ¡°I will stay.¡± She turned over and her body roared in objection. ¡°Owh!¡±


    ¡°Your body, I think, was not quite prepared for what was done to it. We shall go slower next time, but I wanted . . . no, I NEEDED you to see what I offer you in exhange for your servitude,¡± Mary said.


    ¡°Mistress ¨C¡±


    ¡°Call me Mary, for now,¡± the wraith said. ¡°I will sometimes . . . nay, often need you as much for a friend as apanion. I would like to spend the daylight hours as such.¡± She slid under the covers and pulled Melissa¡¯s body to her, spooning the younger woman. There would be little talking, as Melissa was on the verge of returning to the dream realm as it was.


    ¡°Mary,¡± Melissa began, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°You are wee,¡± the wraith said.


    Just then, a horde of cats came into the room and began making themselvesfortable just about anywhere they felt like it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Mary said, sound a bit embarrassed. ¡°They know when it¡¯s bed time.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think wraiths needed sleep.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Technically we don¡¯t NEED sleep. We have downtime where we recover but do not lose consciousness. I sleep because I enjoyed the sensation of waking. It makes me feel . . . new. And not waking alone ¨C¡±


    Melissa realized in that moment how much this meant to the wraith. That normally somber and smooth voice was filled to the brim with warmth and hope, and it was this thought that brought the most pleasant of dreams as the sandman took im of her senses.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    That evening . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Sadie found it hard to dress herself, or even to roll out of bed. It didn¡¯t help that the cat had fallen asleep on her chest. Her shoulder was aching like a mother fucker, so she popped another blood bag and drank it down. It wouldn¡¯t kill the pain, but it would help with the healing process. Stillpletely naked, she opened the door and took a glimpse at the setting sun. It felt good against her skin, and she wished she had enough time to sunbathe. She walked back inside, the door still open. Suddenly, having nothing but tight fitting clothes didn¡¯t seem like such a bright idea.


    She managed to get her g-string on pretty easily, but was struggling with her pants when she heard someone knocking on her door frame. Mel peeked her head in.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be wearing the sling,¡± she said, ncing at the afore mentioned essory that was draped over the back of the lounger.


    ¡°Can¡¯t bloody well put the rest of my clothes on if I¡¯m already wearing it,¡± Sadie said, looking away. Her head was clear, and she remembered how disappointed Mel had looked when she¡¯d found out that Sadie had been lying. Was the offer of continued friendship for real?


    ¡°Need some help?¡±


    Sadie¡¯s lip twitched and she was almost pouting when she said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Melissa knew the inside of Sadie¡¯s home like the back of her hand and went fishing for clothes. ¡°Do you have any practical underwear, or just this silky stuff?¡±


    ¡°I got sports bras for working out,¡± Sadie defended herself. She winced as she raised her arm so that Melissa could hook her in. She turned around and saw something very interesting that hadn¡¯t been there that morning. ¡°You¡¯ve been bitten!¡± she almost shouted, angrier than she¡¯d she should be. ¡°Who was it? Frost? I¡¯m going to . . . What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Melissa was grinning. ¡°No vampire bit me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me, those are fang ¨C¡± Sadie paused. ¡°Mary? Mary bit you?¡± She sniffed the girl¡¯s skin, and finally she was grinning. It was a shit-eating, ear-to-ear smile. ¡°From the smell of you, she did more than bite!¡±


    ¡°How do you do that?!¡± Mary¡¯s eyes were wide and she blushed. ¡°I was going to tell you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Tell me now!¡± Sadie said, her earlier difortpletely forgotten. It was time for girl talk. And talk they did, with Melissa spilling the beans about everything as she helped her friend into her clothes. Sadie was obviously ufortable by the concept of possession, but she rxed when Melissa showed no fear of it. She believed Mary¡¯s im that she wouldn¡¯t hurt Melissa.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even MET someone who had sex with a wraith! Is that why you¡¯re walking so funny?¡±


    Melissa¡¯sher regions were suffering a dull ache, but she relished it, just like she savored the tender tingling she still felt on her neck.


    ¡°You arepletely smitten!¡± Sadie felt something . . . a pang of jealousy. ¡°You must have had one amazing morning.¡±


    Melissa wrapped the vampire up in a hug, careful not to press against her shoulder. ¡°You took me in and helped me realize what I wanted. You befriended Mary when no one else would live in the same town as her. Whatever it is you¡¯ve done or whatever you¡¯re running from . . . I owe you so much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go getting sappy on me,¡± Sadie said. ¡°And let go of the shoulder. Give me that damn sling before this new woman of yours ¨C¡± She stopped and ran to the refrigerator. ¡°Hey, she said ¨C¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll return the Guinness and the cupcakes when I call her to verify that you¡¯re behaving yourself,¡± Melissa chuckled. ¡°And I¡¯m to drive you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh no! I draw the line at being at being chauffeured around! And I wouldn¡¯t been seen dead in that toy car of yours,¡± she added, slipping the sling onto her arm and alleviating the weight from her shoulder.


    ¡°Mary thought you might say that. She suggested then that you let me drive your truck.¡±


    A few minutester, they were in Melissa¡¯s Mini and cruising to work. No one drove Sadie¡¯s truck but Sadie.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Elsewhere . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Officer Matt Devlin was looking forward to his night off. After taking the trashcan to the curb, he was going to meet a couple of his old high-school buddies at Hooters for a drink and a stare. But his ns changed when he got the can close to the street. There was a limousine parked outside his little half of the duplex. The door opened and a familiar looking individual stepped out.


    ¡°Lord Frost!¡± Devlin said, wishing that he wasn¡¯t wearing his ¡°You¡¯d look better on me than this shirt¡± tee shirt. ¡°What are you doing here? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh no young sir,¡± Frost replied, a magnanimous grin gracing his mouth. ¡°Quite the contrary, things are very, very right for you this evening.¡±


    ¡°Sir? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°You have recently entered your name in the Registry, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just thisst week.¡±


    ¡°Then the gods of fortune have smiled on you. In just a few weeks, there will be a Halloween feast at my estate and you ¨C¡± Frost put his hands on Devlin¡¯s shoulder¡¯s, ¡°were chosen to be allowed to ascend.¡±


    Devlin¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Me? But I just . . . I mean thank you but ¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. We looked at the most qualified candidates, put them in a pool and chose a select few. Vampires should be at the forefront of all aspects of society, from business to politics to religion tow enforcement. Lady Hewitt is nice as a national figure, but we need someone local here in Midian. Vampires are sadly underrepresented in thew, yet who better than us to enforce it? Once part of our great family, we can help advance your career.¡± Frost saw the young man flinch a bit. ¡°Your records show that you are more than qualified,¡± he crooned, thinking that Devlin might take offense if he felt that he was being ¡°given¡± a promotion. There would be time to squash that pointless idealismter and rece it with a higher nobility.


    ¡°Who . . . who would Turn me?¡±


    Frost¡¯s grin became wider . . . almost demonic. ¡°You will be granted a privilege almost unheard of amongst our people. The mayor will talk to your Captain and get you time off. I want you toe stay as my guest until the ceremony.¡±


    Devlin¡¯s head was swimming and his pulse was pounding. He¡¯d just won the lottery! ¡°But who ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, the ¡®who¡¯ of it.¡± Frost looked the man in the eyes. ¡°And the ¡®who¡¯ will be the greatest honor of all.¡±

 573

    ¡°And there you have it,¡± Sadie Hewitt said to the assembled officers. ¡°Someone was using blood magic to burn the warehouse district down and who knows what else along with it.¡± She wanted to point out that none of the ¡°higher¡± races or sses were in any danger, but she was biting her tongue. Cops could be funny if they thought something wrong was happening. Innocent people could get harassed or worse.


    dimir stood up, looking as strong as ever. Sadie almost couldn¡¯t stand to look at him, considering the spectacle she¡¯d made of herself during the previous day¡¯s escapade. She wanted his respect for reasons she couldn¡¯t even fathom, and she had sucked his blood while trying to jump his bones when all he was doing was trying to look after her. If she¡¯d lost much more blood, she would¡¯ve frenzied and then someone might very well have died. And to make matters worse, she could still taste the faintest traces of his blood in her mouth, and she wanted more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep an eye out,¡± he said. ¡°Less than two weeks to Halloween and things are dicey out there, so take the time to get out of your cars or just get out in the streets and talk to people. Arbiter Hewitt has been doing just that, and the street folk have been responding.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t look that good in a thong,¡± Fitzpatrick said solemnly.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Sadie replied demurely, looking at him through half-open eyes. ¡°You could borrow one of mine.¡±


    Captain Grom shuddered. ¡°Okay, I just got all sorts of mental images that I did NOT need.¡± The roomughed, and a few people made noises of disgust as their imaginations caught up to the conversation. ¡°But dimir is right. Gravestones is a hotspot for discontent right now.¡±


    The group broke up and Sadie headed to her desk. She hadn¡¯t seen Devlin, and she wanted to apologize for shoving him around in her delusional state. Not seeing him, she went up to the front desk to talk to Mel.


    ¡°It¡¯s his night off,¡± she said. ¡°If you want, I can give you his home number ¨C¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯d rather just talk to him in person.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s up by the way,¡± Mel continued, noticing that dimir had joined them. ¡°Mayor¡¯s office just called to speak to the Captain about a ¡®staffing issue.''¡±


    ¡°Hunh. Well, I¡¯m sure the Captain will tell us what he wants us to here. Too bad we can¡¯t listen in to the call,¡± Sadie said innocently.


    ¡°That would be a vition of policy,¡± Melissa said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t have that,¡± dimir added with a grin. He wasn¡¯t above bending a few rules.


    Melissa nced down at her terminal, and the two officers saw what looked like DVR controls floated on the desktop.


    ¡®She¡¯s rerouting the call through her PC,¡¯ d realized, ¡®and she¡¯s recording it.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter,¡± Mel said calmly, going back to her work, trying not to smirk.


    ¡°We¡¯re patrolling together,¡± dimir said to Sadie. ¡°Meet you out in the lot.¡± He then turned and walked out the door.


    ¡°Crap!¡± Sadie muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mel said. ¡°He¡¯s your friend and he¡¯s a cop, so you¡¯re going to have to deal with him. He¡¯s probably freaked out by everything too. So just go out, patrol, and sit in the car with him in awkward silence. It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    ¡°I hate you,¡± the vamp growled, then kissed Mel on the cheek. The girl blushed.


    ¡°No PDAs!¡± she hissed as Sadie started to walk away. ¡°I¡¯m spoken for now!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mary would begrudge me a friendly kiss now and again.¡± She hit the outside just in time for a light drizzle to start. ¡°Great.¡± She saw d out front in a regr patrol car. ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°No SUV. You seem to think you¡¯re invincible when you¡¯re in something that big.¡± He saw that she was going to object. ¡°I was given specific instructions by Melissa on behalf of ¨C¡±


    ¡°That damn wraith!¡± Sadie was tempted to take of the sling just for spite, but her shoulder really did hurt. ¡°That¡¯s thest time I ever make nice with an outcast.¡±


    The look dimir gave her was slightly amused and thoughtful. ¡°I doubt that. You can¡¯t help it, can you?¡±


    ¡°Help what?¡± She reluctantly got into the passenger side of the car.


    ¡°Wanting to save everyone . . . even from themselves.¡± He pulled out onto the road and headed into the Gravestones.


    A few minutester, Sadie was already ancy. ¡°You drive like Devlin,¡± she growled. ¡°Gun it! Oh, we could¡¯ve made that light!¡±


    ¡°I will let you out so you can walk,¡± he said, holding the steering wheel casually. Then she saw those strong arms tense. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened,¡± he muttered. ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    Sadie nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. If I¡¯d just let someone help me or hadn¡¯t gone off on my own ¨C¡±


    ¡°No one else would¡¯ve survived,¡± he interrupted. ¡°Except for me. And I was too busy avoiding dealing with you to be there for a partner . . . and a friend . . . when she needed me.¡±


    Sadie looked at the droplets of water cascading horizontally on the window. ¡°I never know when to stop pushing. I never know when just to mind my own business.¡±


    ¡°And I hope you never do.¡± dimir was smiling again, particrly when he saw the look of surprise on her face. ¡°Sadie, things have been more interesting in the month that you¡¯ve been here than in thest several yearsbined. The squad believes in you. The people on the streets love you. Melissa¡¯s a whole new woman because of you, and it¡¯s a good change for her. You almost got yourself killed for someone that most people wouldn¡¯t have even noticed had died. You¡¯ve put have young males of the Gravestones through puberty for crying out loud. My nephew hasn¡¯t stopped talking about you for weeks apparently. Speaking of which, I thought we¡¯d meet him for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Roll the Bones?¡± she asked hungrily.


    ¡°I thought you people just lived on blood.¡±


    ¡°Nah. We need blood, but food helps. And I love eating.¡± She paused. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t push you again . . . about Teresa I mean. But I¡¯ll try. I respect you, and . . . and I just wish she did too.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He nodded. It was as much of a truce as they were going to reach, so he let it lie.


    Just then, Sadie¡¯s phone rang. She pulled it out, but didn¡¯t recognize the number. ¡°Hello?¡±


    *Sadie?*


    ¡°Yeah. Terrence? That you? You get a new phone number?¡±


    *Sort of. Throw away phone.*


    Arbiter Hewitt got a strange feeling in her bones. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    *You alone?*


    ¡°No, I¡¯m in the car with dimir Koloff.¡±


    *That works. Can you meet me in . . . oh say, the next fifteen minutes? Over at Rider Park . . . take the walking trail around to the creek.*


    Sadie knew the sound of disguised urgency, and Terrence¡¯s voice was practically dripping with it. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll see you in a few.¡± Then she hung up.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Terrence McDermott. He¡¯s Lord Frost¡¯s bodyguard. He REALLY wants to talk about something.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve got the feeling it¡¯s something I need to hear. Rider Park, and drive inconspicuously.¡±


    They were only ten minutes away, so they found themselves pulling into the mostly empty parking lot. With the weather the way it was and Rider Park¡¯s reputation for being a haven for junkies, not even the darkworlders went there on a night like this. dimir and Sadie weren¡¯t exactly worried about getting mugged, unless the person was really, really out of their mind.


    Finding Terrence wasn¡¯t hard, as he was standing on a bridge tossing some breadcrumbs to a family of ducks that had found there way to the area.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t encourage them,¡± Sadie said. ¡°There are people in this park that would eat them if they got the chance.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s gotta eat,¡± Terrence grinned. ¡°And have you ever actually tried to catch a duck? They¡¯re sneaky little bastards.¡±


    Sadie noticed that dimir was actually eying the ducks more than he should, and his presence made the ducks nervous. He was a predator, and their instincts knew it. ¡°Heel boy. If you eat duck, then it¡¯ll spoil your appetite for Roll the Bones.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that,¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve got a big appetite.¡±


    Sadie slowly turned away. ¡®No sexual innuendos . . . bad Sadie! You¡¯re just getting things straightened out . . . you¡¯d like to get HIM straightened out.¡¯ She rolled her eyes. ¡®You are a vampire with a one-track mind.¡¯ ¡°So what¡¯s so important that you drug us all the way out here?¡±


    Terrence looked around. He was careful, and he knew how to do recon. ¡°Dazza was involved in the arson attempt,¡± he said carefully.


    ¡°I know,¡± Sadie replied.


    ¡°What? You did?!¡± dimir was as angry as he was surprised.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Sadie told him. ¡°I was going to tell you tonight. I recognized his voice, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough for a conviction, not evening from me.¡±


    ¡°Frost knew . . . I think he was behind it.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± she said, stomping her foot and scaring the ducks offpletely.


    ¡°Why would Frost do this? I knew he was a psychopath, but this?¡± d rubbed his eyes, trying to sort this out.

 574

    ¡°I heard them talking. They didn¡¯t like the fact that thispany might have helped bring themunity together. It¡¯s not even like it was for profit or because he wanted the neighborhood. It was just . . . petty.¡± Terrence had seen a lot of reasons for killing, burning, raping, and piging, and none of them were good. But at least some of them made sense. ¡°So I started snooping around. Frost was in his sensory deprivation tank, so I snooped around his office.¡± He pulled a folded stack of papers out of the back of his pants. ¡°Frost hatesputers, so he puts everything down with on paper. I found a back up nner in one of his desk drawers. I made copies of all the pages and then put it back. I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it, but I figured it had to be important.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± dimir asked.


    Sadie was staring at the pages. Even in ck and white, the writing looked odd . . . smeared in some ces.


    Terrence saw in her eyes that she had realized what he knew to be true. ¡°It was written in blood.¡±


    Arbiter Hewitt looked over the pages. It looked in many ways like an ordinary nner in that items wereid out in order on specific dates. But the entries made little sense. Two letters followed by an arrow pointing to another set of two or three letters. It all started on Halloween at midnight, and there were more and more entries leading up to New Year¡¯s Eve.


    ¡°Lord Frost and the mayor are putting one hell of a schindig on Halloween this year. He¡¯s bought a big tract ofnd on the outskirts of West End and he¡¯s already got a big pavilion put on it. I figured it was just more investment property, but now I¡¯m not so sure.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Got an address for me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably already gotten it,¡± Terrence said. ¡°I mailed YOUR invitation to the event personally. You know, if you would just be boring, he probably wouldn¡¯t be so interested in you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that could happen,¡± d muttered, looking over the documents some more. ¡°On either case.¡±


    Sadie stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°Why are you doing this? You could be in deep shit if you get caught.¡±


    ¡°I figure I¡¯ll probably quit after the ceremony,¡± Terrence said. ¡°As good as the money is, I didn¡¯t put my ass on the line for my country toe back and sell out its principles to him. He used to just be cocky, but I draw the line when innocent people start getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°You could testify,¡± d said.


    ¡°It would be my word against Frost and Dazza. Between Sadie and I, we¡¯ve got a whole lotta here-say, and that means squat with someone who can buy and sell judges on a whim.¡±


    ¡°If you hear anything else, let us know. Okay?¡±


    Terrence grabbed Sadie¡¯s hand and kissed it gently on the top. ¡°Your wish,¡± he said with outrageous mboyancy, ¡°is ever mymand.¡±


    She made a show of wiping her hand on d¡¯s shirt while he looked at her with amused disgust. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°We need all the friends we can get.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I like you more than other vamps,¡± Terrence replied.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Most vamps would¡¯ve used ¡®allies¡¯ instead of ¡®friends.''¡± He turned and headed out the opposite way that they hade in.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything about this ceremony?¡± dimir asked as they headed back to the car.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy,¡± she replied. ¡°So no.¡± She stuck the folded up papers into d¡¯s jacket pocket. ¡°We¡¯ll get those back and see if Mel might be able to decipher them.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that Melissa isn¡¯t actually a cop?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t ask anyone else to do it, and she¡¯s wicked smart. Hopefully she¡¯ll uncover something. We can look at it in the car too.¡±


    They hit the streets and cruised for hours. Sadie hit the overhead light and tried to make heads or tails out of the bizarre code on the photocopied paper. ¡®It seems so simple,¡¯ she thought, ¡®like something¡¯s on the tip of my tongue, but I just can¡¯t get it.¡¯


    dimir chuckled. He should be taking this more seriously, but it was fun to watch Sadie try and solve the puzzle. She had the perplexed look of a child trying to do quantum physics. It was so cute the way her eyes scrunched up and her lips pouted slightly . . . and the way that sling arced down drawing attention to her glorious cleavage and ¡ª ¡®Stop that!¡¯ he thought. ¡®We just got things settled down between us!¡¯


    Luckily, he was distracted by a friendly sight when they pulled into the parking lot of Roll the Bones. Sadie followed his eyes to the group of youths ying basketball across the street and easily noticed that dimir¡¯s nephew Todd was amongst them. She was happy to see that there were a number of humans ying there as well. It seemed that young men were able to bond over seeing a hot mostly-naked woman ying sports.


    The two officers headed across the street and were quickly noticed by the yers. Unlikest time, there was no suspicion at their approach. dimir shook Todd¡¯s hand, followed by a manly hugplete with back-pounding. More than one pair of eyes drifted over to Sadie herself, and several of the young men were grinning. They remembered thest time Sadie had been on their court.


    ¡°Hey Uncle dimir,¡± Todd was saying. ¡°Wa¡¯as up? Never see you down here no more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing desk-jockey crap most of the time. But since our illustrious Arbiter here just had to go and get herself shot up in the line of duty, I figured I¡¯d be her chaperon for the day. You know, to keep her from taking her clothes off and injuring that shoulder of hers.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s NOT going to get down to her unmentionables?¡± one of the human boys said, obviously glum about the notion.


    ¡°Not today,¡± Sadie said, feigning a pout of her own. Then she grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make it up to you boys somehow once I get better and old Mr. Fuddy Duddy here stops keeping me down.¡±


    dimir was getting some unkind stares from the young male crowd, but he seemed unphased. ¡°Hey, Mary¡¯s the one keeping you in line right now, not me.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Mary?¡± one of the guys asked.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want to know,¡± Sadie said. She was going to have a serious talk with the wraith about this. Melissa might want someone to take control, but Sadie just wanted to get wild.


    ¡°Got time for a quick game old man?¡± Todd asked with a toothy smile. ¡°I¡¯ll give a few points head start.¡± He looked over to Sadie and then back to his uncle. ¡°And you can even keep your clothes on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t just say that,¡± dimir replied, rolling up his sleeves. ¡°Remember the LAST time you called this old man out?¡± He handed his gunbelt to Sadie, who was pouting a bit.


    ¡°I wanna y!¡±


    ¡°Remember Mary.¡±


    Sadie grumbled by way of response, though she got over her sulking quickly. dimir yed basketball just like he fought . . . balls to the wall and physical as all hell. Todd tried to give as good as he got, but he was still a young wolf and simply wasn¡¯t able to match strength or speed with his uncle. And Sadie liked seeing dimir in action. Masculine . . . sweaty ¡ª


    ¡°Damn!¡± Todd gasped when dimir pushed through him to score the final basket. ¡°You are so alpha!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start with that,¡± dimir replied.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you know you are. Besides, you¡¯reing to the dinner on Saturday right? You KNOW that Mom and Ivan are gonna bring it up then anyway.¡±


    dimir¡¯s smile had slightly withdrawn. ¡°Try and run damage control for me ahead of time, okay kid?¡±


    Todd rolled his eyes. ¡°Will do. I take it that Teresa,¡± he continued, almost sneering, ¡°won¡¯t be joining us?¡± He nched a little under his Uncle¡¯s re, so he found something more pleasant to look at. ¡°Arbiter! Why don¡¯t you show up? It¡¯d be a great time to meet the whole pack leadership for the Northwest Territory.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Sadie has something better to do than hang out with a bunch of mongrels all morning,¡± d growled.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t. We should have the deck finished early enough, depending on when it starts.¡± To Sadie, it actually made a lot of sense, since she¡¯d been meaning to make more headway into meeting the other primary powers in the area.


    ¡°Cool. Mom¡¯s the organizer for the meeting, so I¡¯ll let her know we¡¯ll have a guest.¡±


    dimir threw up his hands and headed back to the car, grumbling about how no one listened to him anymore.


    ¡°He¡¯s cranky,¡± Sadie said with a grin. She was looking forward to finding out everything there was to know about her fellow officer, particrly the embarrassing stuff. A pack meeting was just the ce to do it.


    ¡°He gets like that around meetings. The bigger the meeting, the more annoyed he gets, since he knows that Ivan will push him to take control again.¡±


    ¡°Ivan Petrov?¡± She knew the pack-leaders name, but didn¡¯t realize that he and dimir were acquainted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that pack leaders ever wanted to give up their ce.¡±


    ¡°He never wanted it,¡± Todd was saying as the rest of the guys went back to y. ¡°dimir was in the Gulf when old Boris died, otherwise the job was his. No one in the Territory was going to challenge him for it. Hell, Boris had already blessed the transfer of power.¡±


    ¡°I met Boris back in his hayday. I liked him . . . good man.¡±


    ¡°Keep forgetting you¡¯re older than you look. You act like a teenager,¡± Todd grinned. ¡°But we needed a leader and Ivan was a good choice. He figured that dimir woulde back, challenge him, he¡¯d back down and that would be that. But when dimir came back, he married that . . . elf, and he kind of backed out of pack politics. It¡¯s made a lot of people uneasy. Ivan¡¯s a good man and would be a good pack leader if there wasn¡¯t someone more alpha around, but ¨C¡± Todd stopped and shrugged.


    Sadie understood. The head of the pack was supposed to be the biggest bad-ass that the pack had to offer. Having a beta in charge, however talented, flew in the face of nature.


    ¡°d¡¯s THAT alpha?¡±


    ¡°He could have all the clout and all the bitches he wants,¡± Todd replied. ¡°He just ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. The elf.¡± She loved the fact that werewolves could say ¡°bitches¡± and have it not mean anything derogatory. Of course if SHE said it about Teresa, it might not be so innocent. ¡°Hey, shoot me an email with directions and times and I¡¯ll be there.¡± She ran over to the car, then she and dimir went inside Roll the Bones for a well-deserved meal.

 575

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    An hour before sunrise . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°Hey Mel,¡± Sadie said as she bounced over to the desk while d parked the car. She¡¯d had a good evening overall, and was somewhat back to her perky self. ¡°Got a sec?¡±


    Mel looked up at her from the stack of expense vouchers and tried to look passive. At work, the goth chick was trying desperately to cling to the aloof and deadpan image that she had cultivated for years before Sadie had shown up, but it wasn¡¯t easy for her. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Got a puzzle I need your help with,¡± Sadie said, much more quietly this time.


    Melissa was intrigued. ¡°Private?¡±


    ¡°Private.¡±


    The two of them sauntered over to theputerb and shut the door behind them. Sadie pulled the folded papers out and handed them to her. ¡°Got a tip from Terrence,¡± she said, her voice calm and serious. ¡°Listen, I heard a voice at the warehouse the other night and I was pretty sure it was Dazza. Terrence heard Dazza and Frost talking and it pretty much confirmed that they were both involved.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Mel asked worriedly, looking over the papers. ¡°What would Frost have to gain?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. From the sound of it, they did it just because they wanted to. Right now, we¡¯d have Terrence¡¯s word and mine against Frost¡¯s and Dazza¡¯s. That would be enough for me to arrest him, but I want a conviction.¡± She looked puzzled. ¡°This stuff was hidden in Frost¡¯s desk. There¡¯s a bunch of stuff nned from Halloween to New Years, and we need to figure out what it is. And I need to find out what he¡¯s doing with thatnd in West End.¡±


    ¡°Graveyard,¡± Melissa muttered, shuffling through the notes she¡¯d been handed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I read in the paper that he¡¯s going to make it into a graveyard.¡±


    ¡°Then why is he having a big celebration there on Halloween? Never mind. Vampires are weird.¡±


    ¡°You ARE a vampire,¡± Mel grinned.


    ¡°See? My point exactly.¡±


    Mel¡¯s eyes shot up. ¡°Shit, I forgot to tell you. Devlin¡¯s been assigned to some special detail for the mayor. That¡¯s what that call was about.¡±


    ¡°Detail for the mayor? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but he¡¯s going to be there for the next two weeks.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¨C¡±


    The two girls¡¯ eyes met. ¡°Until Halloween?¡±


    Sadie¡¯s good mood was quickly evaporating. ¡°I think I may need to have a talk with the mayor and Lord Frost. We can¡¯t have them pulling street cops for personal crap without a damn good reason. Meantime, think you can try and figure out what all this crap is for?¡±


    ¡°Do my best. I¡¯ll work on it from home. Most of my good hacking software is there. It¡¯ll take some time to enter it into a spreadsheet then find the right algorithm, but I think I cane up with some guesses for you. It¡¯s notplicated looking.¡±


    ¡°You going to Mary¡¯s today?¡± Sadie asked, trying to get happy again.


    ¡°Not tonight. She wanted me to take a couple of days and think about her offer, so ¨C¡±


    ¡°What offer?¡±


    Mel blushed. ¡°She said that she prefers ¡®live in¡¯ help.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s eyes sted open. ¡°She wants you to move in?! After one day?!¡±


    ¡°It was a very, very, very good day.¡± Melissa was practically beaming with glee, though she tried not to show it.


    Sadie smiled and hugged her friend. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you. Just be careful. You¡¯re moving pretty fast.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl who jumped my bones the first chance she got,¡± Mel replied. ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s a little rushed. But I¡¯m not immortal, so I gotta take my chances while I can. I feel good about this though. I really do.¡±


    ¡°Then for what it¡¯s worth, I support you. Now get that cute ass of yours in gear, and I¡¯ll talk to you this evening.¡±


    The two of them left, giggling and enjoying each other¡¯s friendship. Neither of them saw the demon standing in the shadows down the hall from theputerb. Neither of them heard Bart when he muttered, ¡°Interesting.¡± He had heard almost the entire conversation. The question was, what to do with that information.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Several nightster . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Terrence was sitting on Sadie¡¯s partiallypleted porch when she got home from work. She¡¯d convinced Mary that she was quite capable of driving her truck, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about Mel chauffeuring her around.


    ¡°Wa¡¯as up handsome?¡± she said.


    ¡°Not much. Just wanted to see if you¡¯d made any headway in figuring out what those papers meant.¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve got a friend working on them. Heard anything else?¡±


    ¡°Not especially. Frost has been spending a lot of time with officer Devlin, but I¡¯m still not sure why he¡¯s even there. All I know is that Saturday is a week from Halloween and Frost is going to be making an announcement at a party over at the mayor¡¯s house. He¡¯s going to try and get you there.¡±


    ¡°Tough shit. I¡¯m meeting with the pack of the Northwestern Territory on Saturday. I¡¯ve already met all the vampires around here, so guess which invitation I¡¯m going to ept?¡±


    Terrence shook his head. ¡°You just live to annoy him don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s more of a hobby. Believe it or not, I¡¯d rather just do my job. Frost just seems to want to keep distracting me from it.¡± She sat down next to him. ¡°Need to get this deck finished. You wanna help?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I know you say Mary¡¯s cool and all, but wraiths just make me freak.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a good person and she deserves a chance,¡± Sadie said, irritation seeping up into her words.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Terrence said, throwing his hands up. ¡°Not disparaging her character in any way.¡±


    Sadie stood up angrily. She knew she shouldn¡¯t get mad at Terrence, since darkworlder distrust of wraiths was almost instinctual, but she couldn¡¯t think about how lonely Mary had been all those years.


    Terrence got to his feet and put a hand on her good shoulder. ¡°Listen, once we get Halloween behind us and I¡¯m able to find a new job, I¡¯ll make an effort to meet her. Okay? I¡¯ve just got a lot of stuff to think about as it is.¡±


    The Arbiter walked over to the part of her railing that wasplete and leaned against it. The wind had a good, distinct chill in it that snapped across her skin and into her nostrils. She loved cold air . . . it made her feel so awake and aware of everything. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said atst. She turned around. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t end up like them.¡±


    ¡°Like who?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Like the rest of the vampires and the elves and the high-level witches and wizards and sorcerers. Don¡¯t turn into a self-righteous jerk with delusions of grandeur.¡±


    ¡°Hey hey hey!¡± Terrence said. ¡°I know a lot of really cool people from all those groups, you included. Whatever Frost and his crew are up to, I don¡¯t think you should condemn the entire race.¡±


    ¡®I already did,¡¯ she thought morosely. ¡®Damn, I need to get my mind off of Frost and all this political crap.¡¯ She nced over Terrence from top to toes, and she though she knew just the way to do it.


    ¡°Uhm, why are you looking at me like a prime rib?¡± Terrence said. He could see a growing hunger in her eyes . . . hell, he could practically feel it. It was like someone just flipped a switch inside of her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she said demurely, walking towards him with an almost ominous sway to her hips, ¡°I¡¯ve been shot, burnt, been spoken down to, and had all of my Guiness and cupcakes stolen. I think it¡¯s time that I got something I actually wanted, and you happen to be in the right ce at the right time.¡±


    ¡°How romantic.¡± Terrence actually felt a little slighted. He used to think that might wind up being more than just a convenient booty call, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Not that he really minded being a booty call, seeing as Sadie was still the hottest thing this side of hell. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little injured to y that kind of game?¡±


    She reached up and ripped his shirt off with her good arm. ¡°THAT . . . was a stupid question,¡± she growled. ¡°Got any more?¡±


    ¡°Nothinges to mind.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She got the door open and then drug Terrence inside by the front of his pants, having every intention of getting into them as quickly as possible. But she struggled a bit getting her own vest off due to the difort of her shoulder.


    Terrence moved to her assistance, taking no small delight in loosening Sadie¡¯s vest enough that she was able to slide it off one shoulder. She had to remove her sling in order to getpletely undressed, though she put it back on afterward. Terrence stood behind her, kissing her on the side of her face and down to her neck, but made no move to extend his fangs. He would never do that without an invitation, which Sadie didn¡¯t seem ready to give.


    ¡°No biting,¡± she confirmed with a moan, ¡°but the kissing . . . that can stay.¡±

 576

    He pressed his hardness against her, feeling her butt cheeks clench in through his cks. He¡¯d been with a number of vampires, but Sadie was the first who had showed no interest in getting bitten to heighten the experiences toe. ¡®She really is different,¡¯ he thought, letting his mouth caress her uninjured shoulder. She was fumbling with his zipper as her reached a hand around to cup one of those wonderful breasts, feeling the weight of it in his hand. Finally, Sadie got the zipper down and reached her hand through the opening of his boxers to find his manhood inside.


    ¡°That is just what I want right now,¡± she purred. It wasn¡¯t really EXACTLY what she wanted, she realized. She thought back to a moment of shame and yet also a moment of intense desire. She thought back to when her teeth had been buried in dimir¡¯s neck and she could feel him flowing through her and pressed against her. Just thinking about it made her even more amorous, and Terrence was going to be the beneficiary of her lust. She stroked his significant length in his pants, letting the head rub against the fabric. Terrence had good blood flow going on through that organ. She let her fingertips run over the veins on the shaft up to the hooded head, pulling it out through his fly until the whole shaft became nestled her the crack of her ass.


    She pulled away and let him to the bed, gripping his cock all the way. She turned around, spreading her legs slightly and pushing his member between them but not inside. The top of his dick made contact with her heavenly gates, picking up residual moisture as it slid beneath those lips and poked out the other side.


    Terrence was trembling in anticipation. Last time, he hadn¡¯t gotten to spend nearly as much time as he would¡¯ve liked with this glorious creature, so he was going to make the most of it. He continued sliding his cock under his pussy, one hand grabbing her ass while the other fondled a breast. He pulled back until the head of the shaft was directly underneath the entrance to paradise, then he bent at the knees and followed it with an upward thrust. Buried inside of her, he grabbed her ass with both hands to help keep her off of the ground.


    Sadie wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his shoulder with her healthy arm, feeling him thrust deep inside her . . . filling her up. Convinced that he could hold her up on his own, she released his shoulder so she could unbutton his trousers. She was impressed that he was able to let them slide down and step out of them without losing his rhythm, but somehow he managed. She spurred his ass with her heels and was rewarded with an increased tempo. If she were wearing a cowboy hat, she probably would¡¯ve raised it over her head and treated him like a mechanical bull, except she had every intention of riding him for more than eight seconds. The sound of flesh pping flesh echoed through the trailer, making her smile. She¡¯d had the ce designed and rigged for surround sound, but this hadn¡¯t been the kind of sound she had in mind. Not that it bothered her . . . quite the contrary, it turned her on. She raked her fingers across his smooth chest and down to his abdomen. The guy was ripped, so much so that she wanted to eat dinner off his six-pack.


    ¡°On bed . . . now,¡± she grunted.


    Terrence turned andy her on the bed. Her legs still ensnared him as she arched her back, pushing up with her shoulders while he grabbed her hips and drove her into the bed. Each thrust kept her feeling filled and alive, and she just wished he would go faster. Her shoulder didn¡¯t hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t take it. She ced her feet on the edge of the bed, giving her lover of the moment even better ess.


    ¡°You can do better than that,¡± she purred, giving him a grin.


    Indeed he could. Terrence pulled all the way out until nothing but the little slit in the end of his dick was still epassed by her warmth, then he drove back in. The half-open mouth forming a gasping grin was all the indication he needed as to what she was really looking for, so he started to drill her so had he though his hips might give out. He was nervous at first when he saw her slung arm bouncing around, but she wasn¡¯tining and so he didn¡¯t stop. She was so warm and so tight that he never wanted to stop.


    ¡®He¡¯s a good lover,¡¯ Sadie thought happily, but then her thoughts became somewhat absent. She was having fun, but there was something missing. Not that she was going to turn away as handsome of a fellow as Terrence, but she wished she could just let loose with him. At least she was still having enough fun to get off, which she did with a gentle stretch of her back and gripping him with her vaginal muscles.


    ¡°Stay in!¡± she said. She liked cumming on a nice hard cock, and his was just the thing. Slight trembles, a sigh of blissful contentment, and then she fell back to the bed, the captive member sliding out of her body. ¡°Now let me clean that off for you.¡±


    Terrence got on the bed, kneeling next to her while she used one hand to guide his fleshy staff between her lips and into her covetous mouth. She took half of it on her first swing, letting it rest in the entrance to her throat while her lips pressed down on the shaft. It was so hot in her mouth, and she loved tickling that spongy area on the underside with her tongue. Slowly, she pulled her head away, dragging lips and tongue as she went. Then she bobbed her head forward and took back all the ground that she¡¯d lost.


    ¡°Sweet mother of everything holy,¡± Terrence said as Sadie¡¯s mouth did it¡¯s best impression of a Hoover. She was cupping his testacles now, rolling them across her palm as she took more and more of his manhood into her. ¡®Please don¡¯t have a gag reflex,¡¯ he prayed, ¡®Please don¡¯t have a gag reflex!¡¯ Another inch of cock disappeared down her throat, making about two-thirds of it absent from view.


    Sadie released his testacles so she could stroke his cock as she sucked him. It was the one-twobo that quickly proved fatal, and he released his seed in the back of her mouth. Like a pro, she didn¡¯t spill a drop and continued to nurse his member until she felt that it had nothing else to provide for the moment. Sadie pulled her lips along that now highly sensitive skin until releasing the head, then swallowed his load with warm satisfaction.


    Terrencey next to her, stroking her body, cupping her breasts, and tracing those smiling lips. He made a slight move forward to kiss her, but noticed her head turning away slightly, indicating to leave it alone. He¡¯d kissed her before and she didn¡¯t seem to mind sex with him, so he was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t repulsed. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just a kind of intimacy she isn¡¯t ready for right now,¡¯ he thought. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, considering how she lost it when she got hurt and had to feed off of ¡ª ¡®dimir.¡¯ For a moment, he was angry . . . jealous . . . sullen. Then he sighed. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d entered into friendship with Sadie expecting to be her one true love, but being officially relegated to second on her hitlist . . . or third, if you included Melissa.


    ¡®He looks a mile away all of a sudden,¡¯ Sadie thought. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering if I¡¯m the one you really want to be here with.¡± He knew better than to try and lie to her.


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± she replied, looking confused.


    ¡°You may like being here with me, but am I really who you want?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Sadiey on her back, pulling Terrence¡¯s arm over her body. ¡°I do want to be with you,¡± she said honestly.


    ¡°Just not as much as ¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± she growled. ¡°Whoever it is you¡¯re thinking, just don¡¯t.¡± She knew who he was thinking of, and he would¡¯ve been right. ¡°Right now, I want to be with you. Just . . . just let that be enough.¡±


    Terrence epted the resolution. ¡°Being with you, even for a moment, is more than most could dream for.¡±


    Sadie just stared at him, then started tough. ¡°Do lines like that actually work for you?¡±


    ¡°Are you still wanting sex with me this evening?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then they work.¡±


    Sadie grinned, touching his half-sized member, coaxing it back to life. Vampire males had incredibly short refractory periods, so he was ready to roll in no time. Sadie rolled him onto his back and mounted him, letting him slide deep into her body as she leaned forward and nibbled on his nipples. She wanted to bite into him and drink his heart¡¯s blood, but she knew it would be impolite to ask for something that she herself was unable to give.


    She righted herself again, riding his manhood and his hips with slow, leisurely bounces. She sometimes let him slide all the way in, then just rotated her hips a bit while she stimted her own clit. As seemed often the cast, his hands sought out her breasts, squeezing them and pinching the nipples. Sometimes he¡¯d grasp her ass, but he certainly seemed to lean towards being a breast man. She would lower her breasts to his eager lips and he showed just how he could treat his favorite protrusions and make Sadie enjoy it.


    There was no real burning need to aplish anything, so Sadie took her time, letting herself feel filled and happy all the while. It wasn¡¯t long before he came inside her, making her feel a content warmth. She dismounted him, not needing anything else for herself. She let him hold her for a while, not feeling any burning need for conversation. He kissed her forehead, then slid out of bed and started to get dressed.


    Sadie thought she should ask him to stay, but realized that she wanted some time alone now. And he would know that the offer was only for the sake of pleasantries. Before he left, she sat up and he came over, allowing them to share a brief embrace. Then he left.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Saturday afternoon . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sadie turned the keys in her truck, listening to that beautiful hum before trundling down her gravel drive. She had a long evening and night ahead of her, but she had felt restless and unable to sleep. So she got up and decided to go for a drive. Thanks to her elerated healing, she was able to operate almostpletely normally, her shoulder only providing her mild difort.


    She wasn¡¯t thinking about where she was going at first, then she found herself in West End, the ¡°nice¡± area of Midian. ¡®Man, they must hate being this close to Gravestones and all those not-disgustingly-wealthy people.¡¯ She drove to the location of Frost¡¯s ceremony. True to Terrence¡¯s word, she had gotten her invitation to the West End Parade of the Dark, giving her the exact address. There was a high covered fence and a couple of security guards strolling around. She drove the perimeter, realizing just how big of an area this was. She parked nearby, but somewhere that couldn¡¯t be picked up by the area surveince cameras. The guards probably wouldn¡¯t recognize her truck, but she didn¡¯t want to take chances.


    Evading the rent-a-cops was easy, making her d she was able to move about during the day. West End¡¯s police force had a lot of vamps and elves, and they were harder to avoid. She timed the cameras and then jumped the ten foot fence like it was a speed bump. The moment shended, a chill shot up her legs, through her spine before finally reaching her brain. Her mind was ying catch-up, because the view ahead was just in chill-inducing.

 577

    Graves. Lots and lots of graves, each equipped with the proper equipment for raising and lowering coffins already in ce. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be happening,¡± she muttered. ¡°Even if this is supposed to be a legitimate business, you don¡¯t gear this stuff up in advance. It¡¯s like they¡¯re nning for a massacre or ¨C¡±


    Sadie stepped up to the edge of nearest grave. It was far more shallow than it should have been. ¡°This isn¡¯t a final resting ce,¡± she said to the dark hole in the ground. ¡°This is a Turning grave.¡± Her head shot up. The graves wereid out on a grid, so it was easy to calcte how many there were, one hundred in all. Then she saw a mound close to a covered dais. ¡°A hundred and one?¡± She walked over and took a look. That grave, while shallow, seemed to be slightly better constructed. ¡°What¡¯s different about you?¡± she asked. Looking around, she pulled her cell phone and punched Mel¡¯s number. ¡®Must still be asleep¡¯ Sadie thought when the voicemail picked up. ¡®Or maybe she¡¯s tied up.¡¯ Sadie grinned. She was happy for her friends: finding someone you connected with at that level was rare.


    ¡°Mel, I think I¡¯ve got an idea about that list. I think it could be a list of potential Turnings. I know, it¡¯s weird.¡± It seemed especially weird since there were more than a hundred and one names on that list. ¡°Those letters may be initials. Check ¡¯em against known vamps and against anyone in the Turning registry. Get back to me if you find anything.¡± She hung up and jumped back over the wall, heading toward her truck. ¡®This is bad,¡¯ she thought. ¡®What can he be thinking? There can¡¯t be that many openings for Turning, can there? And all at once? Maybe I¡¯d better attend that event after all.¡¯


    On her way out, she saw a sign reading ¡°Vant Fencing.¡± ¡°So Frost isn¡¯t the only one involved in this.¡± Councilman Vant was one of Frost¡¯s flunkies, albeit an old and powerful flunky, and one that might warrant a little investigation.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Across town . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Lord Frost hated being awoken, but when he saw the look on Dazza¡¯s face, he figured that it was probably for a good reason.


    ¡°Exin, and quickly,¡± Frost growled. ¡°We have an important nighting up and ¨C¡±


    Dazza just handed him a piece of paper that he had already read. ¡°This was in the mailbox, with no envelope or postage. It seems to be from someone in the Gravestones Police Department, but not one of your men.¡±


    ¡°A strange policemen leaving me notes? How droll.¡± But Frost¡¯s amusement declined noticeably when he nced over the letter. Arbiter Hewitt had gotten a hold of the schedule somehow, and her dinnerpanion from a few weeks earlier was trying to decode it. Apparently, they had gotten it from Terrence McDermott. Frost looked up at Dazza.


    ¡°It appears that we need to clean house,¡± he said, as cold as his name implied. ¡°I assume that Arbiter Hewitt has not yet figured out what it means, otherwise I suspect that she would have paid me a visit. No matter. Come Halloween, she will not be able to resist us any longer. But this human woman must be dealt with. Make it look like an ident.¡±


    ¡°And McDermott?¡±


    ¡°I have been betrayed by one of my children,¡± Frost said evenly. ¡°I shall mete out the punishment myself.¡±


    Dazza left while Frost rose. He could not walk in the sun as easily as the Arbiter could, but being active in daylight was well within his capability. Being thousands of years old had its advantages. He dressed for business, for with Frost, everything was about business. He went to his office, sat behind his desk and waited. For an hour, he sat in ce, waiting for Terrence to arrive.


    Terrence walked in right on schedule. Frost had perfected masking his emotions over the millennium, but he felt a dark rage. He remembered the first time he¡¯d seen this young man, perfect in so many respects. Terrence was a warrior and a patriot, so Frost had made the mistake of thinking he would be loyal to his new lord and his new race. Frost had been proven wrong, and the vampire lord loathed being wrong.


    ¡°You wanted to see me sir?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Frost stood up and walked around his desk. ¡°We have a problem with the ceremony, and I thought you might be able to help.¡±


    Terrence said. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    Frost ced a hand on McDermott¡¯s back and led him toward the door. Then, faster that anyone could blink, he grabbed the younger vampire¡¯s chin and broke his neck. Terrence dropped to the floor with a thud. Frost looked down at his former bodyguard.


    ¡°You just did it.¡± Frost walked back to his desk and called a clean-up crew.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Meanwhile . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sadie was sitting in her truck under the shade, staring at the gate of Councilman Vant¡¯s ptial estate, wondering what his part in this all was. She wasn¡¯t expecting to actually see anything, but was just trying to get a feel for those who were most assuredly her enemies.


    But see something she did. The front door opened and, with her keen eyesight, she saw two people standing in the door. She couldn¡¯t make out the details due to the shadows except that they were definitely close in an intimate way.


    ¡°Get a room,¡± she murmured as she got ready to start up the truck again. The sun was almost down, so it was time to go to the pack meeting. But something held her eyes for just a little while longer . . . something about the shape of one. It was something familiar. She backed the truck up a bit, getting a good view of the gate. A woman got into a car that a human valet had pulled up to the curve and was pulling away as the door closed. When that car pulled around, Sadie¡¯s jaw almost hit the seat.


    ¡°Teresa?!¡± What the hell was d¡¯s wife doing . . . ¡®You know perfectly damn well what she was doing!¡¯ She gunned the truck, fighting the urge to run the woman down and wrap her vampiric hands around the bitch¡¯s neck, restrained only by the knowledge that d might take it personally. ¡®How do I tell him? DO I tell him?¡¯ she questioned as she drove over to d¡¯s sister¡¯s house. It was the longest drive of her life, with her inner turmoil bubbling in her stomach and making her want to vomit. She didn¡¯t understand how anyone could fail so utterly to appreciate what they had.


    Finding the local pack¡¯s stomping grounds was pretty damn easy. Every pack tended to have one member with arge amount ofnd for such gatherings, and everyone else chipped in to help maintain it and pay taxes on it. This particr den was way out on the undeveloped edges of Gravestones and stretched out as far as the eye could see, with no neighbors nearby toin. Cars filled the driveway and were parked on the sides of the road leading through the area. Sadie grinned in spite of herself as she found a spot, seeing a rusted old ford parked right next to a sporty little BMW. For werewolves, the pack surpassed all other boundaries.


    She jumped out of her truck and strode down the driveway, ck tanker boot leaving slight imprints in the dirt beneath them. She had apparently been spotted, as Todd bounded down the steps to meet her. He wasn¡¯t fooling her in the least. She knew that his friends were watching and he¡¯d gain some prestige by being ¡°tight¡± with the hottie. She didn¡¯t care, and gave him a big hug anyway.


    ¡°d you could make it,¡± he said. ¡°Mom¡¯s been itching to meet you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got fleas?¡±


    A couple of people chuckled. ¡°Oh, this is gonna be fun,¡± Todd grinned back at her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your uncle?¡± she asked as she wiped her feet on the ¡°Beware of Inhabitants¡± floor mat.


    ¡°Ivan and some of the other big dogs cornered him the second he showed up and are talking politics. Seems some of the western packs are grumbling about how the vampires have gotten to full of themselves around here and they¡¯re putting pressure on Ivan to stand up to them. But Ivan is so wrapped up trying to get dimir to take over that he hasn¡¯t even noticed. Can you talk to him?¡± Todd asked, looking concerned. ¡°Uncle dimir seems to put a lot of stock in you.¡±


    Sadie stretched her neck in both directions like she was getting ready to exercise. ¡°I don¡¯t know Todd. I spend enough time trying to stay out of vamp politics that I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m qualified to participate in were¡¯s.¡± She saw his face fall. ¡°Listen, if he asks my opinion, I¡¯ll give it to him. But I make no promises that ¨C¡±


    ¡°There you are boy,¡± a voice came, interrupting Sadie. The woman behind it was tall and lean, reminding Sadie a great deal of a coursing hound. She flicked Todd¡¯s ear before continuing, ¡°I thought I told you to put another couple bags of ice in each of the coolers.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m twenty-five years old. The ear flicking thing has got to . . . Owh!¡± He covered his ears after his mother tweaked them a second time.


    ¡°You¡¯re never to old for me to take you out to the wood shed and teach you to mind your elders,¡± the mother growled, but she really couldn¡¯t hide her affection. ¡°You can talk to your girlfriendter and . . . what¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Sadie was chuckling. ¡°Girlfriend? For this young pup?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that young!¡± Todd practically shouted. He regained hisposure. ¡°Mom, this is Arbiter Sadie Hewitt. Sadie, this is my mom Anya.¡±


    Anya raised one eyebrow. ¡°This is the Arbiter? No wonder half the pack in the Gravestones walks around with milk-boners half the time.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Todd was blushed furiously. ¡°I . . . I¡¯m going to go get the ice.¡± He nced at Sadie. ¡°We actually DO have a wood shed, so I¡¯d better hurry.¡±


    ¡°You raised him well,¡± Sadie beamed.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s terrified of you.¡±


    Anya gave a toothy grin of her own. ¡°It¡¯s one of the simple joys of motherhood.¡± She offered her hand. ¡°My brother¡¯s told us a lot about you. Have you met his wife?¡±


    Sadie wasn¡¯t surprised that d hadn¡¯t brought up their argument with his family. ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°What do you think.¡±


    Sadie made sure d wasn¡¯t in listening range. ¡°Bitch. Bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch beeeeeeee-atch.¡±


    Anya wrapped a strong arm around Sadie¡¯s shoulders and drug her through the house to the backyard. ¡°I think I like you.¡± They emerged onto a massive deck overlooking a sizable chunk of foresnd, winding up next to some massive barbecue pits. ¡°How do you like your steak?¡±


    ¡°Show it what the fire looks like, then offer it up as an Azetc sacrifice.¡±

 578

    Anya just stared at her for a moment, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Joseph!¡± she shouted towards one of the cooks, ¡°One medium-rare with an emphasis on the ¡®rare¡¯ for our guest the Arbiter.¡±


    No sooner than the word ¡®Arbiter¡¯ had escaped her Anya¡¯s lips, Sadie found herself surrounded by throngs of werewolves asking questions. They weren¡¯t rude, but were rather just enthusiastic.


    ¡°Is it true you like to y basketball naked?¡±


    ¡°How long have you been an Arbiter?


    ¡°What brought you to Gravestones?¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer Star Wars or Star Trek?¡±


    It was like an overly enthusiastic and musky press conference. She was fielding questions left and right until someone thrust a Guinness into her hand. It was Todd.


    ¡°Uncle dimir says that it¡¯s your favorite.¡±


    ¡°You and your uncle are gods among men,¡± she muttered, biting the bottlecap off to get to her sweet nectar of life.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad for your fangs?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve practiced.¡±


    Soon, she was reminded why she loved hanging out with werewolves so much. When they had ¡°meetings,¡± it was more like a party. They didn¡¯t stand on ceremony or stuffiness like vampires did. The only thing that they were missing was a couple of monster trucks . . . otherwise, it was the biggest redneck convention she¡¯d ever seen. Even the werewolves in the three-piece suits would just kick back on awn chair, scratch themselves publicly and suck down cold beer and hot dogs. They lived out in the open rather than the closed spaces of her own darkworlder brethren. She had often wished that she¡¯d been born a were.


    They were just picking teams for an impromptu game of full-contact football when she heard her name echoing over the din. She saw dimir next to a distinguished looking though slightly vexed gentlemen. ¡®That¡¯s gotta be Ivan,¡¯ she thought. ¡®I¡¯m guessing he didn¡¯t get his way.¡¯


    She made her way over, grabbing another beer and a bag of Fritos on the way. ¡°Hey d!¡±


    Ivan smirked. ¡°d?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her,¡± dimir growled. ¡°Sadie, this is Ivan Petrov, pack leader for the Northwestern United States.


    She saw Ivan roll his eyes. He definitely felt formidable to Sadie, but didn¡¯t have the same presence that dimir did. Being around all these weres made it easier to discern how alpha each was inparison to each other, and d was radiating it. She began thinking about how she¡¯d really like to see his wild side, then shook her head to clear the thought. That was when she remembered that she should tell him about seeing Teresa.


    ¡°Nice to meet you Arbiter,¡± Ivan said, trying to offer a hand but getting caught in a big hug, letting Sadie wrap and arm around him so she could drink some beer over his shoulder before letting him go.


    ¡°Told you,¡± d said.


    ¡°Okay, she¡¯s as friendly as you said she was. I¡¯m just not used to vamps being anything but ¨C¡± He stopped, not wanted to offend. That secured his ce as a beta . . . an alpha wouldn¡¯t much care about hurting an outsider¡¯s feelings. Ivan was probably a good political liaison, but not as natural of a leader.


    ¡°Rude? Uptight? Full of shit?¡± Sadie just kept filling in the nks until both weres wereughing. ¡°Todd told be that the other packs have been making noise about the local vamps?¡±


    Ivan nodded, wiping tears from his eyes while trying topose himself. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ve gotten a little cockier everywhere this Halloween season, but it¡¯s been really bad up here. They¡¯ve been pushy in both the human and darkworlder political arenas. They¡¯re really upset about Turning restrictions, even though they¡¯re close to quota right now.¡±


    Sadie wondered how they would legally pull off all the Turns she thought that they were nning if they were really that close to their maximum limits. ¡°Vamps have been bitching about that for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Not like this,¡± Ivan replied. ¡°The elves are securely in their camp too, and they¡¯ve convinced some of therger covens that this is all just human prejudice against the ¡®higher¡¯ darkworlders.¡±


    ¡°You going to their little pre-ritual ritual?¡± d asked, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on it. If I let the Captain or anyone else bully me into giving up my free time every time the bloodsuckers have a ceremony, I¡¯d never have time to myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a vamp so blunt with their own kind,¡± Ivan said.


    ¡°Good reasons, I assure you. Hey, I¡¯ve been trying to figure out what all this attitude is about, so I¡¯ll let you know if I hear anything, okay? Or d will ¨C¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s dimir!¡±


    ¡°Sure thing dilicious.¡±


    ¡°Sadie, I¡¯m going to ¨C¡±


    ¡°daroonie.¡±


    Ivan wasughing again and d was barely containing it. But ytime was over.


    ¡°Hey Ivan, could I talk to dimir alone for a sec?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I want to get in on the game before they start.¡± He rushed over like a kid, waiting his turn to get picked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen football games with thirty or forty people per side,¡± she said, looking at the throng.


    ¡°Sometimes we have two quarterbacks per team, or we¡¯ve yed with three teams in a triangle. We keep thinking that we need to propose werewolf football as a sport to the televisionpanies, but no one ever bothers to write down the rules.¡± He looked at her more seriously. She¡¯d called him ¡°dimir,¡± which probably meant something was up. ¡°Have you heard from Mel?¡±


    ¡°No, but it sounds like she¡¯s got a lot on her te. She moved in with Mary today.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a bit . . . sudden?¡±


    Sadie shrugged. ¡°Far be it for me to discourage impetuous carnal actions, but it might have been. But since neither you or I are living HER life, let¡¯s just be happy for her. But I gave her something to go on . . . I think those may be Turnings that are scheduled.¡±


    ¡°Turnings?! No possible way!¡± dimir had to struggle to get his voice under control. With that many weres around, he was already pumped up and ready to growl. ¡°That many turns would put the vamps way over their quota.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I went to the site of tonight¡¯s ceremony, and there are hundreds of shallow graves d . . . Turning graves. It¡¯s a stretch ¨C¡±


    ¡°Have you asked Terrence?¡±


    ¡°I tried calling on the way over but he wasn¡¯t picking up.¡± She paused. She needed to say what she was going to say. ¡°dimir, does your wife work for Councilman Vant?¡±


    d stopped and stared. ¡°Vant? No, she¡¯s a sales rep. Why?¡±


    ¡°I saw that he was providing the fencing and security for the ceremonial site and . . . I went to his house and saw Teresa in the front door with . . . someone.¡± How do you tell a man that you¡¯re on thin ice with already that his wife is ¡ª


    dimir tensed up like he was going to go ballistic and then . . . nothing. Sadie watched his shoulders and face fall, and a look of sad familiarity flickered in his eyes. That was when she knew that he knew. To make matters worse, she doubted this was the first time.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t stay out of other people¡¯s business can you?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°How many times?¡± Sadie asked. ¡°You don¡¯t cheat on werewolves, because they can smell it. Good grief, do you have any balls at all?¡± That was when Sadie realized that she was mad at him.


    d was growling . ¡°Watch yourself ¨C¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll what? Snivel at me? For the love of darkness, you¡¯re just going to stand there and take it! She¡¯s cheating on you dimir, and you¡¯re going to let her treat you like YOU¡¯RE the bitch?!¡±


    dimir shoved her, sending her tumbling backwards, but she had more than enough agility to roll with it and pop back up to her feet. Luckily they were far enough away from the others and their activities that no one had noticed.


    ¡°Damn it, you¡¯ll strike out at someone who actually gives a shit about you but you let her treat you like a hairy door mat?¡± Sadie grabbed him and rammed him into a tree. ¡®Maybe I can knock some sense into him!¡¯ She growled, ¡°You really think this is what your friend wanted for you? What her brother ¨C¡± She actually flinched a bit when her reared an arm back as if he were going to separate her head from her shoulders, but the blow was held in uneasy tension. She let her voice soften. ¡°He wanted you to look after her, and you¡¯ve done everything you could. But she¡¯s chosen her life and her side . . . maybe you should rethink yours. Some people can¡¯t be saved. Some people don¡¯t want to be.¡± She stepped in front of him, watching the wolf struggle with the man just underneath the skin. ¡°You should be alpha. You should be happy and wild and free. Do you really want the rest of your life to be like this?¡± Her phone started to ring, but before she answered it, she had one more thing to say. ¡°When you finally figure it out, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± She wondered if he understood what that meant. In her mind, dimir Koloff had be more than a friend.


    ¡°Hello? Mary? Calm down! What . . . what happened?¡±


    Despite the tension, dimir wasn¡¯t thinking about the argument anymore. There was something about Sadie¡¯s voice and tone that chilled his blood.


    ¡°When?¡± Sadie had gone deathly pale. ¡°Did you call the ambu¨C . . . Okay, I¡¯ll be there.¡± She hung up and looked at d, her face lit up with fear.


    d had never seen her afraid. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Mel¡¯s been in a car wreck,¡± she said, hurrying towards the house, d close at her heels. ¡°Someone rammed her car when she was heading to Mary¡¯s, then fled the scene. And the ambnces won¡¯t fucking go to New Plymouth because they¡¯re afraid wraiths or they think it¡¯s a fucking prank.¡± She cursed under her breath at the sheer stupidity of some people.

 579

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it was an ident do you?¡¯


    She shook her head wildly.


    d nced over at his sister who was fast approaching, easily able to discern that something was wrong. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°A friend¡¯s hurt,¡± he exined. ¡°We don¡¯t know how bad.¡±


    ¡°Fleet of foot,¡± Anya said, reciting an ancient werewolf blessing of safe travel. ¡°Call us if you need anything.¡±


    Sadie wondered what would happen if d really called on his people. If this wasn¡¯t an ident and he got mad enough, she was convince that there would be a war in the Gravestones before sunrise.


    They both jumped in Sadie¡¯s truck, their quarrel forgotten as she peeled out, throwing her siren on the roof and pumping it up. She broke speedingws, as well as thews of physics it seemed in her efforts to get to her friend.


    When they pulled into New Plymouth, Sadie¡¯s throat swelled when she saw that cute little Mini crumpled in the ditch next to the road. She could see Mary hovering over Mel¡¯s body next to the road, and the wraith was glowing with rage. She wanted someone to strike out at . . . wanted Melissa to call out for vengeance so she could do what wraiths were created to do, but Mel was unconscious.


    Sadie knelt by her friend as the wraith screamed in anguish. Mary had been alone so long, and now a friend and lover was slipping out of her hands.


    ¡°Mel,¡± the Arbiter whispered, ¡°Can you hear me?¡± The goth chick¡¯s vital signs were so weak, and there was blood all over the seat. It looked like Mary had ripped the door off to get her lover out. ¡°Mary, what happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± the wraith shrieked. ¡°I heard a crash, but I can¡¯t teleport unless vengeance calls. By the time I got here, the other car was gone.¡±


    ¡°Melissa, who hit you?¡± d asked,passion overflowing in his voice.


    Mel¡¯s eyes crept open, but only barely, and she gasped in pain. ¡°Duh . . . Dazza,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him,¡± d said. ¡°I¡¯ll get 911 here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Mary whispered, now hovering closer to Mel. ¡°I see her life force fading . . . she¡¯s dying.¡± Then a look of pure desperation crept over that pale visage. ¡°Sadie, you can save her!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a medic!¡± Sadie replied, looking confused. ¡°I can¡¯t ¨C¡± She stopped. She knew what Mary wanted. ¡°Mary, I can¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes you can!¡± The wraith grabbed the vampire by the neck and shoved her against the ground. ¡°You can save her! You can keep her with me! Damn you, you can¡¯t let her leave! She doesn¡¯t deserved to die for YOUR war!¡±


    Sadie was tired of being smashed around, but she was too terrified to do much about it. She wasn¡¯t terrified of Mary, but rather was scared to death of what the wraith was asking. Mary didn¡¯t understand . . . couldn¡¯t understand. She didn¡¯t know what Sadie really was.


    ¡°Please?!¡± Mary¡¯s whisper was so heated and hungry that Sadie couldn¡¯t face her. The Arbiter felt a chill in her own heart as she watched her friend bleeding on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t care about thew or the rules,¡± the wraith continued. ¡°I just can¡¯t be alone again. I can¡¯t lose her. She¡¯s so beautiful ¨C¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± d asked, his phone still in his hand.


    Sadie looked at Mary first. The wraith, in the matter of a week, had fallen in love with a twenty-somethingputer geek. It was a star-crossed romance . . . one in a million shot that they would ever meet. Sadie had given them to each other, and now she was being asked to seal the deal in blood.


    ¡®But I¡¯ve only ever done it once,¡¯ she thought. ¡®And my blood . . . it¡¯s tainted.¡¯ She was different than any other vampire walking the earth.


    ¡°Please?¡± Mary asked again, her voice almost a whisper. She was fading, and Sadie was left wondering if the wraith had bonded with Mel in someway. She wondered if Mary would survive without the first love she had felt in centuries.


    Sadie knelt beside Mel and lifted her head. Time was running short, so she would have to move quickly. ¡°Melissa Neron, meet my eyes.¡± She did something she almost never did, certainly not in the presence of other people. She let her guard down a bit and let loose some of her presence, letting it wash over the dying girl¡¯s body.


    dimir shuddered as a deep, chilling power seeped into the area. ¡®What the hell is . . . she¡¯s not going to¨C¡®


    ¡°Melissa, I need you to look at me.¡± Sadie waited until somehow Melissa was able toply. ¡°Look upon me, for I am Death. Do you fear me?¡±


    Melissa shook her head. She knew of these words, for they had been spoken by the vampires at moments like these for thousands upon thousands of years.


    ¡°Look upon me, for I am Death. Do you ept me?¡± Sadie waited a moment, and this time Mel nodded. ¡°Then let life end with death, and death begin with new life.¡± The vampire was crying. She was scared out of her mind, and she couldn¡¯t even tell anyone why. She would tell Melissa . . . when she got the chance, she would tell her friend the whole truth. But that was forter.


    Sadie leaned in, gently lifting Mel¡¯s bloody and broken body closer. She pushed Mel¡¯s head slightly to the side, exposing that slender, perfect neck. She saw where Mary had marked the girl, and set her fangs down just beside it. It had to be a clean puncture. Without further adieu, her fangs prated the surface of the skin and drank of the blood below.


    Even on the verge of death, Melissa¡¯s body reacted as if she were experienced great pleasure. The draw of the vampire was powerful, and Sadie . . . Sadie was special. She took more and more of her friend¡¯s blood into herself, letting it mingle with Sadie¡¯s own. She released her hold on Melissa¡¯s neck for just a moment. ¡°Now let the circle begin anew . . . take from me life, sleep, and be prepared to be born again.¡± Then she bit down again, injected the mixed blood into Mel¡¯s bloodstream and let that mystical concoction take effect. Soon, Melissa would die, but it didn¡¯t mean that her story was over. Sadie held her friend who was also now, in the realm of the vampires, Sadie¡¯s daughter, waiting for thest of the girl¡¯s life to leave her. She had done it just in time. If the sharing of blood didn¡¯t ur before death, then the Turning wouldn¡¯t take. And atst, Melissa Neron rested in a temporary peace.


    Sadie looked at d. ¡°I need a grave,¡± she whispered. ¡°Help Mary find a ce. Put it in her yard. We¡¯ll need a sheet big enough for both of us to lie in ¨C¡±


    ¡°Both of you?¡± Mary asked. She¡¯d never heard of a fledgling vampire¡¯s master lying with them during First Day.


    ¡°Don¡¯t argue with me or question me,¡± Sadie replied, fear still in her voice. ¡°Not this time.¡± She knew she would have to answer to thew for this, but she would risk it. Mary had been right when she said that Melissa shouldn¡¯t die because of Sadie¡¯s personal feud. She looked at d again. ¡°Make sure the grave is in the shade, but we¡¯ll need more shade still. Then, I want Dazza arrested and put in jail. I don¡¯t care where he is or who he¡¯s with. And I will take full responsibility for what has happened here,¡± she added.


    d was mentally ying catch up, but thatst statement hit like a brick. This was a rogue Turning, which meant that Sadie had put herself under the thumb of local authorities and the vampire council. And who knew what it would mean for her status as an Arbiter. She had risked everything to save Mel. ¡®She doesn¡¯t do anything with half a heart does she?¡¯ he thought as he followed Mary back to her home. He would dig a grave and then he had work of his own to do.


    Ever so gently, Sadie picked up Melissa¡¯s body and carried it to Mary¡¯s house, where the wraith and werewolf were frantically tearing up earth in a backyard flower garden, trying to create a daytime resting ce for the newly dead. When a vampire was Turned, he or she had to spend the first day of undeath under the earth, and Sadie intended to stay that day with her. She didn¡¯t understand why vampire masters and mistresses never did that anymore. To her, it was no different than leaving a day¡¯s lover before evening fell . . . it took away the magic of the thing. The thought of being buried, even partially, filled her with dread that most vampires couldn¡¯t even imagine. The very notion brought back memories she had fought to suppress: blood and decaying fleshing filling her nostrils and throat. She was possibly the only vampire walking the earth who suffered from severe ustrophobia, and for good reason.


    Mary and d had dug a grave in record time, six feet long and only about three feet deep. d had actually taken his shirt off while digging, and Sadie¡¯s eyes caressed the lightly furred muscles of his chest and abdomen. She was appreciative, but past the point of lustful thoughts.


    ¡°A thinyer of dirt on top of the sheet,¡± Sadie said, her voice quivering, ¡°That¡¯s all we need. Then throw a tarp over to keep out any direct sun . . . I don¡¯t know how resistant to sun she¡¯ll be.¡±


    ¡°Could she inherit your immunity?¡± Mary asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that and you know it,¡± Sadie practically snapped. By the dark that hid behind all things, she was afraid. ¡°Sorry.¡± She saw dying a nket down in the grave, apparently hoping to make the experience a little morefortable. She appreciated his efforts, though she knew they would be mostly in vain. Humans had romanticized this process to make themselves feel better. Sadie had seen it done many times, but it was only the second time she had ever Turned anyone. And this time was much different than thest.


    She looked at Mary. ¡°Each vampire is unique.¡± Sadie jumped down into the grave, then met her friends¡¯ faces with tears in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯ll be different,¡± she said. ¡°She¡¯ll be different than other new vamps.¡± Sadie locked eyes with Mary. ¡°She¡¯ll be stronger. Will you still want her then?¡±


    ¡°Of course! She is a servant in name only. I would dedicate my existence to her happiness,¡± Mary replied. A small, sick part of her was happy about this. Now, Melissa would not grow old and die. Mary would never have to be alone again. She hated thinking such things, but could not deny the power of the idea.

 580

    ¡°Why will she be different?¡± d asked. He had seen a few Turnings, but there was something different here . . . some kind of underlying force that he had never experienced before.


    ¡°Because of me.¡± Sadie left it at that, motioning for Melissa¡¯s still form. Mary lifted her lover, staring at that face that would now be young forever. She kissed Melissa¡¯s cool lips then handed her to Sadie, and the vampire and vampire-to-bey low in the grave.


    ¡°I want Dazza,¡± Sadie directed to d. ¡°I want his head on a pike for what he did, and I want Frost. You know that Dazza wouldn¡¯t have done this alone. Somehow he found out that we had the papers.¡± A look of panic crossed her face, but before she could speak ¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯ll find Terrance and warn him,¡± d said. ¡°If this is the way they want to y now, then that¡¯s the way we¡¯ll y it.¡±


    Looking at him, Sadie didn¡¯t see the weak and spineless wolf she¡¯d used him of being earlier. He was alpha. He was a warrior, and the moon blessed him with its light. She smiled at him, they to rest next to Melissa, her mouth near the girl¡¯s neck. By providing blood over the course of the day, she could give the girl a jump-start on her new life.


    Maryy a nket over their bodies before d covered them up with about six inches of soil. Neither of them saw Sadie skin jumping under the nket as shovelfuls of dirtnded on the two women. After a few minutes, the women were secured in their resting ce.


    ¡°I will stay with them,¡± Mary whispered. ¡°The sun has no effect on me. When they wake, Melissa may call for vengeance,¡± the wraith replied, her whisper escted into a growl, ¡°and for once, I will be happy to answer it.¡±


    d pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. ¡°There¡¯s going to be trouble,¡± he said. ¡°Turning a vamp without authorization could mean death for both the old and new vamp if the authorities find out. If we can¡¯t trace this back to Frost, he¡¯ll be the one to make the decision. But I¡¯ll buy us some time,¡± he said, flipping the phone open and turning it on. ¡°Anya? Yeah, things are bad. Find Ivan and put him on. I need the pack¡¯s help with something.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Close to sundown . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Sadie had gotten very little actual rest. When she was afraid, her heart began beating as an involuntary reflex, and the sound of it had kept her awake. She wanted out of the ground and to feel clean air against her skin. She could feel the draw of darkness approaching, and thatforted her somewhat.


    Over thest ten hours, she had periodically given Melissa injections of blood while drawing out some of the woman¡¯s decaying mortal blood. Melissa would not have the time toe into her powers the way most vampires did. She would already have enemies.


    Melissa¡¯s body shifted and the girl groaned lightly. The sun was setting, and she was being born anew from the earth.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered, her voice filling the tiny amount of air they had avable to them. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t panic. You¡¯re one of us now,¡± she continued to croon, willing her voice to be calm and exerting her presence, feeling the girl¡¯s body rx next to her. ¡°You¡¯re my child and my friend, and you are safe we me for now.¡±


    ¡°I . . . remember,¡± Melissa gasped, thest of the oxygen in her lungs escaping. She would never need it there again. ¡°I remember what happened.¡± She could feel Sadie¡¯s body against hers. ¡°You Turned me. I didn¡¯t think . . . why?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let you go,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°Mary wouldn¡¯t survive. I could never forgive myself for letting them ¨C¡±


    ¡°Dazza!¡± Melissa shouted. ¡°He hit me!¡± The previous night¡¯s events came rushing back to her. ¡°I was on my way to the were meeting. You were right,¡± she whispered heatedly. ¡°It was a Turning schedule and . . . and the list of people they¡¯re nning on Turning ¨C¡± She stopped when she heard Sadie chuckle. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a tenacious bitch, you know that?¡± Sadie replied. ¡°You just died, and you¡¯re still doing math in your head.¡± Then she remembered that she needed to tell Melissa the truth. She felt the earth shift above them. Someone wasing. ¡°Melissa, I need you to listen and I¡¯m begging you, do as I ask.¡± The desperation in her voice almost choked her.


    ¡°What?¡± Mel was actually surprised that she was clear headed. New vampires were supposed to be disoriented, and she wondered if it was Sadie¡¯s presence that had made the difference.


    ¡°You know how you¡¯ve been wanting to hear my whole story? Well I¡¯m going to tell you, but not right now. There¡¯s not enough time.¡±


    Mel was more than a little scared now. ¡°What does that have to do ¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be like other new vamps. You¡¯ll be stronger than some vampires much older than you. Don¡¯t let anyone but me drink your blood. Don¡¯t even let Mary bite you until I¡¯ve exined everything. I¡¯m serious Melissa. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s running through your veins.¡±


    ¡°Are you . . . some kind of experiment? Some vampire grown in ab or ¨C¡±


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± Sadie replied. The cover was being lifted above them. ¡°For now . . . wee to the darkworld.¡±


    The two women looked up, the night-sky draped overhead where just moments earlier, dirt had been.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Melissa murmured, her irises expanding to take in more light than she ever could have before.


    Sadie had been told that a new vamps first look at the stars was like glimpsing heaven. For her, it had been something else entirely. For her, it had been hell. But let Melissa have her moment where her blood sang in a non-beating heart and where the sky itself held unparalleled promise. Melissa was now immortal.


    Then Sadie noticed that, along with Mary and d, there were several unfamiliar faces looking down. She thought she recognized a few of them from the were gathering. She stood up, and saw a dozen or so werewolves nearby. They all looked unnerved at being so close to a wraith, but yet here they were. They were briefly distracted as Mary descended on Melissa, embracing her dark lover like a dream that she thought had been lost. Sadie¡¯s gaze drifted back to d.


    He was standing there in tactical riot gear, and even Sadie would¡¯ve been afraid to tangle with him. He was so alpha that it filled her senses, and she could only imagine what it must feel like to the other weres.


    ¡°You took control of the pack, didn¡¯t you?¡± she whispered.


    d nodded. ¡°I fought Ivan, but it was mostly ceremonial. He bowed out and now he¡¯s my second.¡± His face was unreadable to Sadie.


    ¡°Why ¨C¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m tired of the vamps around here thinking they can get away with anything,¡± d growled.


    ¡°Are you here as a pack leader or a cop?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Both. We crashed the vamp party and arrested Dazza. There was some big brass there, Sadie,¡± he said, looking angry. ¡°I saw both our senators, at least one congressman. Judges ¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to tell you!¡± Mel said. ¡°Almost everyone that¡¯s going to be Turned on Halloween is big time, including Senator Trefauld!¡±


    Sadie¡¯s eyes shot open. Senator Trefauld was the chair of the Senate¡¯s Darkworlder Oversight Committee. He was instrumental in controlling the allowable Turn rates in the United States. Normally this position wasn¡¯t allowed to be held by a non-human.


    ¡°He just got re-elected didn¡¯t he? He¡¯s got five and a half years.¡±


    d growled. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of ways to get rid of him, but not until he¡¯d done a lot of damage.¡±


    Melissa finally released her embrace on Mary, but the two women kept their hands sped. ¡°Like increasing the number of vampires that you¡¯re allowed to create or . . . Sadie, you . . . Are you going to be in trouble? For Turning me?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Sadie felt cold. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Technically, I should¡¯ve been allowed a bunch of Turns by now by vampirew, but you¡¯re always supposed to petition the council. If the council felt that I made an unwise decision, you could be killed and I could be killed or imprisoned. And if Frost was behind Dazza¡¯s attack, you can guess how that vote is going to go.¡± She looked from Mary to Melissa. ¡°I¡¯d advise nning to get out of the country. The rules down in Mexico aren¡¯t nearly as strict.¡± She looked at d. ¡°Unless thew stops you.¡±


    d shook his head. ¡°Justice should be hard and swift, but not blind. I just called in my boys to keep everyone away until you were back up and on your feet. But what about you? As an Arbiter ¨C¡±


    ¡°As an Arbiter, I¡¯ll stand by my actions.¡±


    ¡°But that means that even if Frost shows ¡®mercy,¡¯ that the Bureau could still put you in jail for a long damn time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± Melissa said.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. But I¡¯ll do whatever I need to in order to keep you safe.¡±


    d looked grim. He hated this. He¡¯d exert whatever influence he could with the pack and the police department, but the Arbiter Bureau was way over his paygrade. ¡°Sadie, New Plymouth is surrounded by cops from other districts and there¡¯s a rep from the mayor¡¯s office. In other words, from Frost. We got nothing to pin him on, and Dazza isn¡¯t talking. He¡¯s allwyered up. They know about Melissa. I have no frickin¡¯ idea how, but they know. And Frost is furious about us screwing up his announcement ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Breaks my heart,¡± Sadie said. Her life was fucked up beyond all recognition right now, so she wasn¡¯t too concerned about Frost¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Arbiter,¡± came a quite voice from behind her. She spun and looked. ¡°Devlin?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t seen Devlin since his special assignment to the mayor. ¡°What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you the mayor¡¯s rep?¡±


    The young officer nodded. His gazed became transfixed on Melissa, who seemed to glow with her newfound power. She red at him, using her normal stoic gaze as a weapon until he looked away. ¡°They thought I would be the only one you might actually talk to. Lord Frost is mad, just like Officer Koloff said.¡± He looked down. ¡°You really think that Frost was behind this?¡±

 581

    ¡°Dazza doesn¡¯t take a dump without permission from Frost, so yeah.¡± Sadie was angry. She nced at d when his radio screeched and he had to step away to take a call. ¡°Think about that,¡± she said coolly. ¡°Melissa is your friend, or at least she was. And Frost would have her killed just because he didn¡¯t want us to find out who all he was Turning.¡±


    Devlin looked angry. ¡°I never would¡¯ve had anything to do with this if I thought he¡¯d hurt anyone. All I want . . . all I want is what she has,¡± he said, pointing at Mel. ¡°What you wouldn¡¯t give me.¡±


    d walked over, his face even darker than before. ¡°Sadie, they just found Terrence McDermott. He¡¯s dead. His body washed up down river about three miles.¡±


    Sadie screamed in deep, rich anger. She jumped to Devlin and lifted him up by his shirt with just one hand. ¡°Imagine that! The guy who clued us into Frost¡¯s ns is suddenly dead. A fucking coincidence?¡± She dumped Devlin into the open grave.


    Devlin looked shocked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± he muttered. ¡°He was my friend. He was so cool to me.¡±


    Sadie was fighting back tears. A friend had been murdered, and another friend had almost met the same fate. Thew she had represented would soon close in around her neck, and she would be unable to stop whatever scheme Frost had cooked up. ¡°Why is he doing this?¡± she asked to the cool night wind.


    Devlin stood up and looked around him. Being in the grave humbled him beyond anything he couldprehend. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sadie. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sadie, there¡¯s one other thing,¡± Melissa said, looking at Devlin. ¡°The second row of initials were the people being Turned, but the first row were the vamps doing the Turning. Myputer kept spitting back the same name for the person chosen to Turn Devlin.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    Sadie felt an unnatural chill in her skin and bones. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Solomon, the Blood Saint.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sadie stepped back, every nerve ending in her body going dead. She fell to her knees. Solomon was the most revered vampire in the world, and had walked the Earth for seven thousand years. And to Sadie, everything began to make sense. She knew what was happening.


    ¡°No,¡± she whispered, fear and hatred seeping into every part of her body. ¡°Not again.¡± Then she lifted her voice to an uncaring heaven and screamed . . . and screamed . . . and screamed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Officer dimir Koloff of the Gravestones Police Department asked as Melissa exited the long silver, windowless trailer that Arbiter Sadie Hewitt called home. It had been a bizarre twenty four hours for all those present.


    Just twelve hours earlier, Melissa had died. Overall, she was handling it rather well. Before herst breath had been drawn, her frantic lover Mary had gotten a hold of Sadie and convinced her to save Melissa by Turning her. Sadie hadid with her new daughter below the earth until the sun had risen and set. No one knew what happened in that grave except for Sadie and Mel, and neither of them were talking about it, but Melissa had emerged far more confident and capable than a newborn vampire should.


    Things had gone to hell in a hand basket quickly. d had taken over control of the Northwestern werewolf pack in a bloodless coup and brought a number of them to Mary¡¯s house to guard the resting vamps. Then they found out that a friend and ally, Terrence McDermott, had been killed for the same reason that Melissa had . . . they had crossed Lord Frost. There would be no second chance for Terrence . . . his second chance had already expired. But in some ways, Frost had failed. Melissa had survived, in a fashion, and now everyone knew what Frost was doing. The vampire lord was arranging a Turning of epic proportions that would put the vampire race at the top of the political food chain in the western world.


    But it was the news that Solomon the Blood Saint would being to Turn Officer Matt Devlin that had pushed Sadie over the edge, and no one knew why. They only knew that Sadie hade unhinged and had fled back the sanctuary of her own trailer and wouldn¡¯t let anyone near her but Melissa.


    ¡°She¡¯s just muttering to herself,¡± Mel said, sitting on the porch and looking pale. Mary quickly appeared at her side, wrapping her hand in her lover¡¯s. Mel¡¯s gaze was drawn to an insect darting around a tree only to be eaten by some species of nocturnal bird. She was seeing things as she had never seen them before. She had gone from an analog picture to high-definition, and the difference was amazing . . . as different as night and day. ¡°I don¡¯t even think that she saw me,¡± she whispered. ¡°Somehow I know that I need her, but she¡¯s cut off from me.¡±


    Mel shook her head and tried to bring herself back to the matters at hand. She had to be careful about what she said. Sadie had begged her not to discuss what she saw or felt because ording to Sadie, Melissa wasn¡¯t exactly a normal Turn. This meant that Sadie wasn¡¯t a normal vampire, and Melissa was dying to know what made her so different.


    Mary hovered nearby, still glowing with scarcely contained rage. Her lover had been attacked and brought to death¡¯s doorstep, and her first friend in a century had apparently lost her mind. To make matters worse, no one was calling for vengeance. She was sure that such vengeance would be righteous, but she could not act unless called upon to act.


    ¡°Would you like for me to try again?¡± the wraith whispered.


    Melissa grimaced. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you in there,¡± the girl said sadly. ¡°She¡¯s afraid of you right now, but I¡¯m not sure why.¡± She put her head in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not sure of anything.¡±


    Mary put her hand on her lover¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Be sure of me,¡± she said. ¡°My feelings for you have not changed. And be sure of Sadie. I could sense how much it pained her . . . this breaking of her vow against Turning. Like you, I wish I understood why ¨C¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotpany,¡± d muttered angrily.


    Sure enough, a low rumbling of vehicles emanated from the driveway and the gravel driveway crackled underneath a great many tires. Five SUVs and a Gravestones patrol car came trundling into the parking area around Sadie¡¯s residence. It was Frost¡¯s entourage to be sure. Vampires, including Lord Frost, came pouring out of therger vehicles and Captain Grom stepped out of the patrol car.


    ¡°Captain,¡± d said. ¡°You in a squad car? I¡¯m pretty sure that I just lost the precinct betting pool.¡±


    The Captain wanted to smile, but things were too serious. His eyes found Melissa and he had a look of relief. ¡°You¡¯re looking . . . pale.¡±


    She smiled at him, just a hint fang showing. ¡°I¡¯ve always been pale. I doubt I¡¯ll be trying to tan anytime soon.¡± She red at Frost as he walked up and stood beside Grom.


    ¡°Captain Grom, I must insist that we get down to business. There was an unauthorized Turning and ¨C¡±


    ¡°I am well aware of thew,¡± Grom said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that while you¡¯re the Vampire Council representative, you¡¯re still a civilian.¡± The captain looked back to d. ¡°Things moved fast d. As soon as Dazza was arrested for what he did to Melissa ¨C¡±


    ¡°What he was used of doing,¡± Frost tried to correct.


    ¡°Shut . . . up.¡± Grom shot a re. More cop cars were arriving, and things were getting awfully crowded. ¡°But he¡¯s right d. Word spread quickly. I got called at home by the Arbiter Bureau, who informed me that until this gets all sorted out, Sadie¡¯s status has been revoked. She¡¯s on unpaid leave pending investigation.¡±


    ¡°She saved Mel!¡± d growled. ¡°And they¡¯re going to punish her?¡±


    ¡°Mortals die,¡± Grom replied. ¡°They don¡¯t all get a second chance. It¡¯s ugly, but it¡¯s part of the rules they made to keep vampire numbers in check and to keep war from breaking out between the mortals and immortals It¡¯s worked for thousands of years d. Thew is thew. You¡¯re a cop, so you know I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my night off,¡± dimir replied coldly. In his own mind, he knew what Grom said was the truth and he bore no ill will towards his boss. But to emphasize his point, a number of his pack mates made their presence quite conspicuous, standing between the intruders and the trailer.


    Melissa stood up, her fangs extending slightly, but this time it was on purpose. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her.¡±


    Frostughed, but there was no mirth in it. ¡°A babe in the woods,¡± he chuckled, but then he collected himself. Melissa wasn¡¯t backing down, nor was she apparently overly cowed by his presence. ¡°You have adjusted to the darkworld well, haven¡¯t you my kitten?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®your¡¯ anything,¡± she said.


    Mary floated to Melissa¡¯s side. ¡°I would be very careful how you address my love.¡±


    Frost didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. No one in their right mind screwed with a wraith, and most wraiths just kept to themselves. This one was an anomaly. ¡°There has been no call for vengeance against me, has there?¡±


    Melissa hated Frost, but he wasn¡¯t the one who had plowed into her car. Rather, it had been . . . ¡°Dazza,¡± Mel muttered.


    ¡°Dazza,¡± Mary whispered, vengeance flowing into her like wine so sweet she could feel it on her lips. ¡°I feel your need,¡± the wraith said, slowly vanishing into the midrealm. ¡°It will be done.¡±


    Frost looked rmed, but not half so-much as Melissa. ¡°No!¡± she shouted. ¡°That¡¯s not the way things work in this world!¡±


    Thest thing any of them heard before Mary was gone was, ¡°But that¡¯s the way it works in mine.¡±


    Frost turned to Captain Grom. ¡°You have to protect him! He has not been convicted ¨C¡±


    ¡°Convictions and humanw means squat to the wraiths and you know it,¡± Grom said, sounding not-at-all apologetic. ¡°Vengeance was called for, even indirectly, and the fates determined that such vengeance is justified. But wraiths can¡¯t crossed emced magic or spells, and luckily our holding cells are properly protected ¨C¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not in your holding cells you idiot!¡± Frost snapped. ¡°He made bail an hour ago!¡± Frost stopped. Captain Grom knew that Dazza had been set free.


    Grom shrugged. ¡°Not my fault he got bailed, now is it? I¡¯d suggest you get him somewhere safe, but we both know that it¡¯s probably a bitte. You should¡¯ve let him stay in jail.¡±


    Frost let all of the barriers he used to control his presence fall, and his maism and power spilled out into the surrounding air. ¡°I have had enough of this,¡± Frost said, realizing that his favorite henchman was probably dying a horrible second death as they spoke. He saw the werewolves rankle their hair or fur as his presence spilled over them. The humans all took a step away, and even the other vampires looked nervous.

 582

    Only two people did not step back when his presence was freed: Officer dimir Koloff and Melissa. Koloff was an alpha wolf, so he had power against the vampire lords, but the girl? ¡°Why do you not tremble?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen scarier things than you,¡± Melissa said, so calm that she even surprised herself. ¡°My lover and mistress is a thing beyond your power and . . . my mother,¡± she whispered, deciding she liked the sound of it, ¡°is a vampire that you¡¯ve never been able to control.¡± She stood up, her body feeling lean and powerful. For the first time, she was realizing what Sadie has meant when she told Mel that she would be different. ¡°Dazza almost took everything from me. I won¡¯t let him or you take anything else.¡±


    ¡°Let me?!¡± Frost¡¯sugh was more genuine but still not pleasant this time. ¡°The wraith you¡¯re fucking won¡¯t stand in my way ¨C¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± came an empty voice from the trailer.


    All eyes looked up as Sadie appeared in the doorway. Melissa couldn¡¯t be sure if it was the shadows cast by moonlight or her unkempt hair, but Sadie¡¯s eyes were hidden from view.


    Sadie across her deck to the ground. She was unarmed, but was carrying her badge. She approached where Frost and Captain Grom stood, offering the badge to the police officer.


    ¡°I know thew,¡± she whispered. ¡°I will ept the consequences of my actions.¡±


    ¡°Sadie,¡± d said, stepping forward, ¡°you were just ¨C¡±


    ¡°What I did was illegal,¡± Sadie interrupted. ¡°I do not regret my decision, but will ept responsibility for it.¡± She looked at Frost, her eyes suddenly visible and as cold as an skan winter. ¡°And I do know thew,¡± she continued. ¡°I am more than entitled to a Turn.¡±


    ¡°You did so without prior authorization,¡± Frost crooned happily. He was enjoying having the upper hand.


    ¡°Yes, but that can only be held against me and NOT Melissa. Besides, since when did secret Turnings bother you? Considering what you have nned for Halloween?¡±


    Frost had known this wasing. ¡°Yes, we have several Turnings nned for Halloween. All of which have been approved with the proper authorities. The actual Turning dates and names do not need to be made public until after the event.¡±


    ¡°And what would people do if they knew who you nned on Turning?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hewitt,¡± Frost said smugly, enjoying that he didn¡¯t need to say ¡°Arbiter¡± for the time being, ¡°how would YOU know? That list has not been made public to anyone. The only way you could know who is going to be Turned would be if you or someone else had broken into my home and looked through my personal files, which would be highly illegal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that,¡± Sadie said, yielding ground slightly. ¡°But I can guess, can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Guess away, but be very careful. If your guesses were too correct, I might be forced to wonder how.¡±


    ¡°Women¡¯s intuition?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult my intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t insult mine,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t havee all the way out here just to watch Captain Grom do his job. You know that I¡¯m not going to get hauled away in chains, and you KNOW that I won¡¯t let you try to punish Melissa. So why are you here?¡±


    Frost¡¯s smile reached from ear to ear, almost touching his eyes. ¡°You have been denied what you really are since you arrived here. You¡¯ve denied your vampire heritage since you were created, I suspect. It is time for you to be reminded . . . it is time for you to be humbled. I have great influence with the Vampire Council, Miss Hewitt. When we rmend a course of action to the authorities for your behavior, we could make things very hard for you, or we could make them much easier.¡±


    Sadie shook her head. ¡°You aren¡¯t a man ofpassion Frost. Why would you help me?¡±


    ¡°I am quite capable ofpassion and understanding,¡± Frost replied.


    Sadie locked his gaze. ¡°I¡¯d ask Terrence about that, but he¡¯s not talking much these days, is he?¡±


    For the first time, Frost lost his cool. His teeth extended and his and his pupils went ck. But the episode onlysted a moment, and then he wasposed again. ¡°Mr. McDermott¡¯s death was quite unfortunate. He was one of my children.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re really broken up about it,¡± Melissa muttered.


    ¡°Keep your child in line,¡± Frost warned Sadie, ncing at Mel, ¡°or I will.¡±


    ¡°Touch the daughter of my blood, and I¡¯ll see yours spilled before anyone here can even pull a trigger.¡±


    There was something in Sadie¡¯s voice that even Frost found unnerving. There was none of the warm mocking or dry wit with which Sadie normally acted. She had just made a promise, and everyone present would swear on their lives that she would keep it.


    Just then, Mary reappeared, oozing through the pores of the mid-realm to stand beside Melissa. ¡°Justice,¡± she whispered with unnatural yet sultry heat, ¡°is served.¡± With that, she raised her blood covered hands.


    Frost actually paled. He most definitely wanted to leave. It didn¡¯t help when the wraith¡¯s lover licked some of Dazza¡¯s blood of those long, deadly fingers.


    ¡°Your former aid tastes foul,¡± Melissa said, shing Frost a deadly smile. ¡°I wonder if it was something about his cage or his keeper?¡±


    Frost would not be so easily shown up by a fledgling. He looked at Sadie. ¡°I havee to offer you onest chance. You will attend the Halloween feast, and you will through yourself on the mercy of the Vampire Council. You will face Solomon the Blood Saint and repent for your sins against our race. You will ept your ce in our hierarchy. If you do these things and Solomon the Blood Saint feels that you can be a loyal member of our race, then the Council will suggest leniency for you to your superiors in Washington. If not ¨C¡± He left it hanging. They both knew that the Bureau of Arbiters was especially harsh with its agents who broke thew.


    ¡°Sadie? Bow?¡± dimir actually chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t seriously think ¨C¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Sadie¡¯s voice was empty as she interrupted with, ¡°I will attend the Feast. I will offer penance for my actions and sins, and I will ept my ce in the vampire hierarchy.¡± She actually had tears in those beautiful eyes when she looked at Frost now. Her will had broken. ¡°To these things I swear myst drop of blood.¡±


    Even Frost was shocked. He had expected her to cave eventually, but she had just made a blood oath in front of witnesses. If she failed to live up to any of the things that she had sworn, then it was open season on her for the entire vampire race, and there was nothing that mortalw could do about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you saw reason,¡± Frost said delightedly. ¡°Once you have ¨C¡±


    ¡°Now get off my property,¡± Sadie said, her voice tired but firm. ¡°I am tired of this feud as much as you. It must end. But I have a week until Halloween, and until then I owe you nothing. And my promise stands. Hurt Melissa because of me, and there is no ce in heaven or hell, sunlight or darkness that you¡¯ll be safe from me. To this I also swear.¡±


    Frost nodded. There was no reason to go after the young vampire anymore, since she had done as much damage as she would be able to do. Besides, when Sadie came on board, then Melissa would have to follow. It was easy to see that Sadie¡¯s bond with her vampire daughter was strong.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°We will be off. Officer Devlin, if you might ride with me, I would like to ¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the young human replied with a strength he didn¡¯t know he had.


    Frost stopped just as he was preparing to climb into his vehicle. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lord Frost, but I must respectfully withdraw my petition to be a vampire at this time.¡±


    Everyone was staring at the young man now, no one sure where this was going.


    ¡°Officer Devlin, I know this is a trying time for you, but think about what you¡¯re saying. Remember why you wanted to join our ranks.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. I still fear death, and I still want the darkworld gift. But not like this.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Devlin looked at his shoes. ¡°I will not make direct usations sir,¡± he said, looking up again, ¡°but I no longer feel that I can trust you. People are dying or close to,¡± he added, ncing at Mel, ¡°and you don¡¯t seem to care. Terrence McDermott was my friend, yet you don¡¯t seem to be shedding any real tears for him. Your faithful aid was just ughtered, yet you can¡¯t seem to take your mind of Sadie and making her ¡®remember her ce.¡¯ I don¡¯t agree with Miss Hewitt on a lot of things, but she¡¯s been nothing but a boost to thismunity since she got here, and you just want to see her broken. I did too once. I was mad at her for not wanting to Turn me. Hell, I still am. But I won¡¯t be indebted to you, Lord Frost. I¡¯ve seen what happens to those that are.¡±


    Frost sneered. ¡°I was mistaken to think that you had the backbone or will to be one of us. Very well, consider any chance you had of bing one of us summarily squashed.¡±


    He looked at Sadie. ¡°I will still hold onto some hope,¡± he said, ¡°of finding a Lord . . . or Lady . . . that I would be proud to call my creator. But not you, Lord Frost. Not even the Blood Saint himself is worth it.¡±


    Sadie actually cracked her first smile of the night. She¡¯d been as wrong about Matt Devlin as Frost had been, and she couldn¡¯t be happier about it. ¡°This is still mynd,¡± she directed at Frost. ¡°And until I say otherwise, you¡¯re trespassing.¡±


    ¡°Captain Grom,¡± the vampire lord pleaded, ¡°I ampletely within my rights here!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re within your rights to influence judgement on her,¡± Grom replied, ¡°but you¡¯re not a cop. I¡¯d suggest you leave now.¡±


    ¡°While she walks free?¡± Frost snarled.


    ¡°Miss Hewitt will be taken down to the station shortly so charges can be filed. But I¡¯d just as soon see you gone before that happens.¡±


    Frost was going to growl, but he looked over and saw a dejected Sadie, which in turn made him grin. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, Miss Hewitt.¡± He and his vampire brethren got back in their vehicles, sharing a goodugh at the fallen Arbiter.


    Sadie extended her hands. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go,¡± she said softly, waiting for the cuffs to be put on.


    Grom looked at her. ¡°Just get in the car Sadie. I¡¯m not worried about you trying to escape. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good man,¡± she replied. ¡°And you¡¯re a good cop. I¡¯d never ask you to be anything else.¡± She looked over at Mary. ¡°Could you look after the cat? She hasn¡¯t been fed yet.¡± Her voice was hollow, but she seemed satisfied when she saw the wraith nod.


    Grom opened the back of the patrol car and Sadie got it. It made dimir sick to watch. She had wanted to see him free like the beast that he was, but now she was the one in a cage. Someone like Sadie should never be locked up. She¡¯d served in the military as a pilot because she loved to serve and she loved to fly . . . she loved feeling that free. When she rested her head on the stic divider, he thought he saw her grimace in emotional pain.

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    ¡°Melissa ¨C¡± he started.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± she replied before he could even finish. She kissed Mary¡¯s bloodied but eerilypassionate face and then got in the passenger side of the car. She had an excuse ready that she shouldn¡¯t be separated from her creator, but Grom didn¡¯t even ask. No one wanted Sadie to feel alone.


    The car-ride was a unnerving experience for Mel, as she watched the fire behind Sadie¡¯s eyes flicker and almost extinguish. She looked like she wanted to cry but had almost forgotten how. And she kept looking out the window and up to the sky. She wanted to be that free again, soaring amongst the angels.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The next night . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    When Sadie got out of the patrol car after it pulled back into her driveway, she ran from it like it was a snake. She didn¡¯t mind cars, but didn¡¯t like being trapped in one. She didn¡¯t like not having a choice.


    She had been forced to spend the day in jail while a very confused group ofw enforcement personnel,wyers, and reps from the Arbiter¡¯s Bureau tried to figure out what to do. The Arbiter representatives were firm in their belief that Sadie would be punished, but it turned out that saving a girl¡¯s life, however illegally, cut her some ck. There had been no one injured as a result of her actions, and there had been no nning or malice. Bail was set, and it was paid before anyone could even blink. A consortium of townsfolk from Gravestones, led by the werewolves, had hurried to her aid. She had thanked them so much that her jaws ached, and she promised them that she wouldn¡¯t skip out on them. It was dimir¡¯s sister Anya who had said something that made her heart feel a little less heavy.


    ¡°Girl, we KNOW you wouldn¡¯t skip out on us. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±


    Melissa had never left Sadie¡¯s side, sleeping in a cot next to the vampire¡¯s cell. Sadie knew that Melissa wasn¡¯t the one that neededforting. She was stronger than most people realized. She was just there because Sadie neededforting. Mel said that Mary wanted toe visit, but they both knew how bad of and idea that was. Bringing a wraith into a jail, even a city lock-up, was a monumentally bad idea.


    dimir and Mary were waiting by the trailer when Sadie and Melissa got back. The rest of the pack had to get back to their lives, and the police were out on the streets in force. It turned out that Sadie wasn¡¯t the only one worried about the newly-discovered mass Turning, and a lot of folk were eying their fanged neighbors with hostility. Battle-lines were being drawn in the streets, and their was enough tension in the air to stop traffic.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sadie said, not really meeting anyone¡¯s gaze. She was back on her own soil, and she needed a moment to collect herself.


    Mary floated over, touching a finger to Sadie¡¯s chin with one hand while grasping Mel¡¯s hand with the other. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this has happened, and I am sorry for the loss of your friend Terrence.¡±


    ¡°Did Dazza scream?¡± Sadie¡¯s voice came from behind the straggles of hair covering her face.


    Mary looked dazed for a moment, like she was remembering what it was like to be drunk on rich red wine. ¡°Oh yes,¡± she whispered, touching one of her now clean fingers to her mouth, ¡°he screamed.¡±


    Melissa trembled. However inadvertently, she had caused that man¡¯s death by willing vengeance upon him. She¡¯d never had anyone¡¯s blood on her hands and soul before.


    Suddenly, Sadie was next to her, eyes fixed and burning with a kind of anger that Melissa couldn¡¯tprehend. ¡°Do . . . not . . . mourn him,¡± she hissed. ¡°He brought this on himself.¡±


    ¡°How did you know what I was thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m . . . slightly sensitive to you right now. It will pass. I think it will.¡±


    ¡°You think?!¡± Mel was a little freaked out. ¡°You can get in my head like that and you THINK it will pass?¡±


    ¡°What? Mary¡¯s good enough but I¡¯m not?¡± Sadie still sounded angry, but it was more of a general anger.


    Mary got in her face. ¡°She¡¯s scared,¡± the wraith said coldly. ¡°She¡¯s had a lot to deal with, and you¡¯re the one who needs to help her through it. I remember what being a vampire is like, but I¡¯m not one anymore.¡±


    Sadie sighed. She just needed a target, and Mel had been it for a moment. ¡°Melissa, it won¡¯t be a problem. It shouldn¡¯tst too long, and if you concentrate on it, you can shield me from your thoughts in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®shouldn¡¯tst¡¯?¡± Mel said, a little panicked still.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever Turned one person before!¡± Sadie said, her throat choking on the excuse. ¡°And it was a long fucking time ago!¡±


    d stepped in, not wanting things to get uglier between the two friends. ¡°How long?¡±


    Sadie stopped. Mary and Mel knew some of the truth, but they hadn¡¯t told d. He deserved to know.


    ¡°Longer than you think,¡± she whispered. ¡°d, before you risk your neck for me, you should know that ¨C¡± She paused, unable to force the words out into the cold night air.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    Mel stepped forward. ¡°She isn¡¯t exactly who you think she is.¡± She stood beside her vampiric mother. ¡°When Captain Grom told me to find her birth certificate for Frost to get him off her back, I found something else.¡± She looked at her friend.


    Sadie had to take the next step. ¡°Sadie Hewitt . . . isn¡¯t my real name. Sadie Hewitt died a hundred and twenty years ago. I took out the rogue that killed her and took her name.¡±


    d cocked his head. This was NOT something that he¡¯d been expecting. ¡°And your real name is ¨C¡±


    ¡°Better not said out loud,¡± she replied. ¡°There are reasons I hid, d. Frost isn¡¯t the first vampire in this world that wanted me out of it.¡±


    dimir gritted his teeth. ¡°So this has all been a lie?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly this time. ¡°This person . . . Sadie Hewit . . . it¡¯s me now. I say what I think and what I feel, and that hasn¡¯t changed. Not about anything or anyone.¡±


    The werewolf simply didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°How old are you? What are you running from?¡± That was a question that scared him. Sadie didn¡¯t strike him as someone who¡¯d be afraid of much.


    She looked at him, then and Melissa and finally Mary. ¡°Come to the Halloween festival,¡± she said. ¡°Next week, I stop hiding.¡±


    Everyone around her heard exactly what was veiled in her speech: a threat.


    ¡®She¡¯s not afraid,¡¯ d thought, countering his earlier beliefs. ¡®She¡¯s angry.¡¯


    ¡°Melissa, it might be better if you stayed the day with Mary. You are strong enough to survive ¨C¡±


    It was Mary shaking her head. ¡°I do not fear losing her heart, even though it no longer beats. Melissa my love, proximity to your parent will make you whole. But as always, the choice is up to you.¡±


    Sadie watched the two lovers discuss the issue without saying a word, with the dancing of their eyes their only form ofmunication. She looked to d. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°After all the crap I¡¯ve given you about needing to be yourself . . . it¡¯s almost ironic. You¡¯re a good man, and I hope you find happiness.¡±


    d sensed that she was genuinely sorry about lying, but he was equally as convinced that she hadn¡¯t lied about everything. She was as genuine of a person as she had ever been. There was just more to her story than he¡¯d guessed. He stepped forward, grabbed the sides of her face and kissed her.


    Sadie was in too much shock to do anything initially. His strong hands kept her face pointed directly at him and his lips were firm and demanding. She melted into her own lips and desire rising to meet him like a beach weing the waves. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d given herself so utterly to something as seemingly innocent as a kiss, but she felt herself being swept into it until her mind could no longer get its feet underneath her.


    d let her go. He wasn¡¯t normally a Casanova, but he was no slouch either. He¡¯d been out of practice though. ¡°Stop talking as if you aren¡¯t going to be around anymore. You¡¯re the most interesting woman I¡¯ve ever met. I may not know youpletely, but I want to.¡± His voice was low and husky, and it held warm promise.


    ¡°But you¡¯re married ¨C¡±


    ¡°I had a little discussion with Teresa right before I took over the pack. I really think that rtionship . . . isn¡¯t good for either of us anymore.¡± Saying it out loud should have pained him, but it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°But your word to your friend . . . her brother ¨C¡±


    ¡°I did everything I could. I denied everything that I was and wanted to be what I thought he expected of me. I hope his spirit forgives me when the dayes and we chase the stars across the sky . . . I think he will forgive me. Teresa didn¡¯t deserve a brother who cared for her so much, and she doesn¡¯t deserve me.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s skin was growing very warm. ¡°So, are we expecting a messy divorce?¡±


    ¡°No. I told her I knew about the affair and that I¡¯d take everything if she decided to keep being a bitch.¡± He smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, I get to call her a bitch now. Anyway, I¡¯ll make sure she gets enough to get started. Most of my important possessions are tied up with the pack, hence untouchable by humanw.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± she said, shy for the first time in a long time. ¡°you¡¯re going to be single? Soon?¡±


    ¡°Very much so,¡± he said, liking the way her body fit against his.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

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    Sadie felt sadness and joy wrapped tightly around her heart. Joy because d was free to hunt and be wild again, and sadness because she knew it unlikely now that she could ever experience him the way that she wanted. If he even wanted to be near her in a week . . . if she was even still alive. She had to tear away, because she didn¡¯t want to now give him hope when none was warranted. She wouldn¡¯t hurt him like Teresa had.


    ¡°Happy hunting,¡± she murmured, pushing away from him, obviously unhappy about it.


    d growled. He didn¡¯t understand this at all. He knew how she felt, and he damn sure understood his own feelings and desires. Then he felt Melissa grab his arm as Sadie retreated to her sanctuary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up the hunt,¡± the newly-made vampire said, ncing at the doorway, ¡°because no other catch will be as rewarding. She¡¯s messed up in the head right now. Is this even how you would really want her?¡± Melissa had suspected that d had stronger feelings for Sadie than he had been letting on, but nothingpared to what she saw in his eyes now. She had freed the wolf, and it was powerful and it was hungry in more ways than one.


    His shoulders trembled, but he nodded. ¡°The wolves will patrol the area to make sure she is not harassed in the next week. Cops too, though technically they¡¯re unbiased.¡±


    ¡°Gravestones cops?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Melissa smiled. There wasn¡¯t a cop she knew of that would move against d and Sadie. They loved their wacky Arbiter because she loved them. Then she got an idea.


    ¡°That biker friend of hers . . . Frankenstein?¡±


    ¡°Frank? What about him?¡±


    ¡°Call him. Sounds like he and his boys are a bit fond of Sadie and they don¡¯t take kindly to authority ¨C¡±


    ¡°Authority like Frost?¡±


    ¡°Like Frost.¡±


    d actually hugged Melissa. She didn¡¯t remember him ever being that friendly with her in the past. He¡¯d always been very respectful, but not huggie.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl. Nice to know we won¡¯t be losing you too. Youing into work this week?¡±


    She nodded. I think that would be good. I want to find out how Frost knew what we were up to, though I¡¯ve got a pretty damn good guess.¡±


    d looked at her and then snarled, ¡°Bart?¡±


    She nodded again. The demon had been bound to serve the police force for some ¡°unspecified¡± crime and wasn¡¯t able to physically hurt anyone, but there were many other ways to cause harm. If she could connect him back to Frost somehow and then showed that his actions, even indirectly, caused the death of Terrence, they could have his sentence revoked and simply banish him straight back to hell. And she had heard fearful whisperings about what happened to wayward demons who were finally brought back home.


    ¡°He¡¯s been stalking me on and off since my first time with Sadie. And it sounds like something he would do.¡±


    ¡°If so, he won¡¯t make it to trial.¡± d was positively glowing with rage.


    ¡°Let him, and do it with a smile. The forces of hell are much more creative than we are, and they aren¡¯t bound by anyws but their own.¡±


    And THAT made d smile. He went back to his car and Melissa gave Mary a long, deep kiss before following Sadie inside. Her mother needed her more than her lover that night.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    A weekter . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡®An hour to go,¡¯ Sadie thought, her thoughts as cold as her blood. She had put an her ¡°dress¡± for the evening, and had one more essory before festivities began. She grabbed her bed and shoved it to one side, barely hearing it collide with the wall of her trailer. Directly underneath where the bed had been was a safe,plete with fingerprint ID scanner, retinal scan, and ten digitbination. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail so the retinal scan would go more smoothly, then ced her hand on the pad. So far, so good. She struggled to remember thebination, since she didn¡¯t open the safe hardly at all. She did have her dark moments where she gazed into that tiny vault and remembered . . . oh the things she remembered. An unttering smiled yed across her heavenly face, and she wondered what Frost¡¯s face would look like when he finally realized what he had wrought.


    She punched thest digit and heard the bars retract. She pulled the door open and lifted a small sack from the dark recesses. It felt . . . wrong . . . in her hands, and that was just the feeling she got muffled through the harsh fabric.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Well Dad, it¡¯s time to finish this.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    At the Halloween Festival . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Melissa was getting more than a little bit nervous. The ceremony was supposed to begin in just a few minutes and she hadn¡¯t seen hide nor hair of Sadie. Apparently, new vampires were expected to be ¡°presented¡± to the Court by their creators, something Melissa hadn¡¯t known until she had arrived. Of course, she hadn¡¯t gotten an official invitation until the day before, since a lot of vampires were unsure what to do about her. Over the course of the week, she had be morefortable living under the stars, though she seemed to have inherited some of Sadie¡¯s immunity to the sun after all. She could go about for several hours during broad daylight with no ill effects, but she couldn¡¯t stay out indefinitely. It was fun, not needing help to open pickle jars or needing to catch a breath while jogging. Being undead had its perks.


    She was in hostile territory, that much she knew for sure. The elite of Midian society was in attendance, as well as some honored guests, including senators, mayors (including the mayor of Midian), and many heads of business. There was a smattering of private security, but the West End Police Department was out in force. They were the best financed and most spoiled department in Midian, and they were definitely in the literal and proverbial pocket of Frost and the council. Melissa had drawn the eye of several attendees, and she felt like a single fish in a school of sharks. It was generally epted that if a new vampire lost his or her creator, then they were taken under the wing of someone more experienced. Apparently, there were several people getting ahead of themselves and checking out the merchandise.


    ¡®Screw them,¡¯ she thought. ¡®They want me, they can go through Mary to get me.¡¯ She grinned. She doubted any of them were willing to tangle with the wraith for ownership.


    Without even seeing her, Melissa felt Sadie¡¯s presence, then felt a hand slip into her own.


    ¡°Thank goodness that ¨C¡± Mel stopped. She stopped. Sadie was dressed in some simple, bizarre dress that looked like it had been pulled out of a history text, made of in cloth with a belt made of old rope. A hoodpletely epassed the older vampire¡¯s head and she was keeping her face pointed towards the ground. And she had a sack of some kind tucked into the crook of her arm.


    ¡°What¡¯s going ¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything,¡± Sadie whispered. Her voice sounded like pure pressure, hissing at the edges and looking for release. ¡°Just keep looking forward. Don¡¯t blink. Don¡¯t show fear.¡±


    Melissa had just gotten ahold of her fear, but now it was Sadie scaring her. But her mother had demanded silence, and she realized it wasn¡¯t the time to question her.


    Frost took his ce at the podium. ¡°Wee friends, family, and honored guests. Wee to those who embrace the night and a better way of life for its denizens. This is going to be a memorable night for us, and for the world.¡± He paused for a round of apuse. ¡°Over thest several years, the number of vampires who walk under the night sky has diminished due to unfortunate idents, as well as our continued persecution by the . . . other . . . races.¡±


    Sadie clenched her hand. She knew what Frost had wanted to say instead of ¡°other.¡± He¡¯d wanted to say ¡°lesser.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, we bring our numbers back up to what the were meant to be. We have found a crop of enlightened, educated, and talented entities that have shown sufficient merit to walk amongst us. One hundred new souls will belong to the vampire world tonight. One hundred people will be reborn.¡± His look soured. ¡°We had one hundred-and-one nned, but we caught a defective modelte in the design cycle,¡± he said, earning a chuckled from the crowd.


    ¡°But first,¡± Frost continued, his voice low and bordering on humble, ¡°I feel it my honor, my duty, and my privilege to introduce our guest of honor for tonight. He has walked the earth for seven thousand years, has ousted civilizations, defied time and nature, and survived the Betrayer. He has bled for all of us . . . his children . . . since human ¡®civilization¡¯ was in its infancy, and when the wolves still cowered in the woods and chased rabbits.¡± He stood, looking at a darkened pavililion that stood nearby. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to . . . Solomon, the Blood Saint!¡±


    There was a feeling on manic awe that swept over the crowd as an enterouge emerged from the dark recesses of the canopy. There were a full circle of witches, all of whom glowed with power. These were Solomon¡¯s Blood Rampart, and their job was to prevent Solomon from being targeted by magic. There were thirteen young men and women dressed in red robes, and those were the Well of the Saint, and the were there to provide a supply of blood for Solomon. Then there were six vampires of massive size and power. Just looking at them, Melissa had a feeling than non of them were less than fifteen-hundred years old. All of them were dressed in identical sets of riot armor, and all had cleanly shaven heads. You could never tell one from another, as their identities had been stripped away. They were the Blood Brood, and there entire reason to exist was to guard the body of Solomon, and they would defend him until the death.


    But nothing could have prepared Melissa for the sight of Solomon himself. The Blood Saint was, well, the most beautiful man that she had ever seen. Men shouldn¡¯t be beautiful. They should be strong, muscr, handsome, but he was so much more than any of those things. His rich brown hair flowed down past his shoulders until it reached his knees. His face was a picture of symmetry, and his skin was pale and perfect. His eyes were such a dark blue that they were almost purple, and his lips were pale but full. Everything was bnced exactly right, except . . . over his right eyebrow was a cut about an inch long that was oozing blood, leaving a crimson stream running over his eyebrow and down the side of his face. One of the members of the Well was constantly attending him, making sure that no drop of blood ever fell on his pristine white robes.

 585

    He stood on the tform, a well-ced bank of ck lights shining up to make his robe glow while a golden yellow back lit his head. He didn¡¯t need such trickeries though. He was Solomon, and he was power. Most vampires had presence, old ones had enough presence to influence those around him. Melissa actually saw some younger vampires fall to their knees in his presence, and the older ones were sping their hands in an almost sexual joy.


    Melissa was confused. She was just a week out of the ground, so she should have felt more affected by him. So why didn¡¯t she? She could feel his power, but was not enved to it.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± the Blood Saint began in heavily ented English, his voice as sooth as a mountain brook, ¡°and thank you all for you attendance this glorious night.¡± He let his gaze drift over the crowd, seeming to look in each creature¡¯s eyes in turn. Melissa wondered about those eyes, which seemed to burn red even from this distance. But her eyes were drawn to the hand grasped by Sadie. Her friend was trembling.


    ¡®She must be terrified,¡¯ she thought at first. Then she realized that Sadie wasn¡¯t terrified. Her ties to her creator were strong enough that she could pick up feelings, leaking out of that carefully crafted shell like molten rock. Sadie was angry. ¡®No, anger isn¡¯t a strong enough word. This is hatred.¡¯ Melissa wanted to pull away. There was so much hatred in Sadie¡¯s mind that it hurt to be this close.


    Solomon continued his address. ¡°For over seven thousand years, I have watched our race grow strong. With our noble allies the elves and the noble magicians, we havee back from oblivion. Now, we are poised to take the next step. We are no longer content to live in the shadows of mortality when they should be standing in ours. We have been bound by mortalw, and we vowed never to break thew.¡± Solomon¡¯s full lips crept upward, but didn¡¯t make it as far up his face as they should. That wasn¡¯t a happy smile. ¡°But there is nothing to say that we can¡¯t change thews.¡± He looked at Frost.


    ¡°We have long been stymied by humanw, but here, in the New World, we have a chance to change that. We now have all the pieces in ce to make ¡®democracy¡¯ work for us.¡± Frost smiled. It was a handsome smile, but Mel didn¡¯t think itpared to Solomon¡¯s. Nothing did. ¡°And what makes this so delightful is that it ispletely within the boundaries of the currentw.¡±


    Solomon nodded. ¡°One vote on the Darkworlder Oversight Committee is all we need to tip the bnce to open up our ranks in the United States, and Senator Trefauld, who will be joining us this very night, will be able to provide that. We have the judges needed to validate the new rules, and will be gaining enough members of both houses shortly to keep the new rules from being overturned. We will soon have sufficient clout in the business and financial sectors to keep the President himself in line. And when the United States opens its arms, it will influence the rest of the world and embolden our people overseas. And it starts here . . . in Midian.¡±


    ¡°Friends,¡± Frost picked up, ¡°Midian is to be the genesis of our rebirth. Thergest poption of vampires in the world is here. The most powerful vampires in the world are here.¡±


    It was time for Solomon¡¯s finale. ¡°It is here in Midian where our new Paradise begins. What was thwarted so long will be given a second chance.¡±


    The apuse was like thunder and it shook the ground beneath them.


    ¡°But,¡± Frost began, ¡°first we have some business to conduct. Before the Turning of the new candidates, we would like to introduce those who have Turned in thest month, as well as their creators.¡±


    Melissa watched as each pair was escorted to the front, and both the Turned and the creator kissed the hand of Solomon. It wasn¡¯t umon at all for the newly undead to stumble or even faint in the presence of the Blood Saint. Melissa had had a feeling they were saving her and Sadie forst. She was right.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Frost said, his voice raising to a gloat, ¡°we have ourst couple of the night before the Turnings can begin. A recent tragedy involved my own personal assistant and a young woman named Melissa Neron left that very woman in a state near death. Even though it breached protocol and tradition andw, Sadie Hewitt, formerly of the Arbiter¡¯s Bureau, took it upon herself to bring Miss Neron over rather than losing her to the eternal night. While I understand thepunction to save the life of a friend and concubine ¨C¡±


    Mel almost growled herself at thatment. She belonged to Mary, and that was by her choice.


    ¡°¨C, nevertheless, we havews of our own. But Lady Hewitt has agreed to throw herself on the mercy of her fellow vampires and the Blood Saint. She will humble herself before this court and beg its forgiveness. The, if it pleases Solomon, we as a body may decide to speak on her behalf to the authorities and return her to the role which could prove quite useful to her brethren. Would Sadie Hewitt and Melissa Neron please approach the front.¡±


    ¡°Show time,¡± Melissa whispered. Even though the time was almost upon them, she still couldn¡¯t believe that Sadie had caved. What was it about Solomon being here that made things so different? Why had that finally made the vampire shut down inside? She was tempted to spit in Frost¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t want to get her friend in more trouble than she was already in.


    Solomon stood up, staring at the woman in the simple peasant dress that approached. There was something not right. Melissa could see it in his eyes that he was concerned, but even he couldn¡¯t tell why. Then Melissa and Solomon met stares, and Melissa was shocked to her core. She didn¡¯t know why or how, but she knew Solomon, as if they had a connection. It was obvious from his face that he sensed it to.


    ¡°Sadie,¡± Melissa started to say, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Frost looked at Solomon. ¡°My leige, whatever is the matter?¡± He looked at Sadie, growling. ¡°Show your face to your God!¡± he shouted. ¡°Take your ce at his feet!¡±


    ¡°His feet?¡± came Sadie¡¯s voice from beneath the hood. Then theugh started, low and and maniacal. ¡°Oh no, I think not. There was a time I worshiped Solomon all right, but those days are long in the past.¡± She raised her face and pulled the hood back. ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Everyone in the clearing stopped and stood silent as they gazed upon what was unfolding. Solomon¡¯s face had frozen for a moment, then shifted into disbelief and finally . . . finally terror.


    ¡°No,¡± he whispered, ¡°it¡¯s not possible.¡± He looked from Sadie to Mel and then back to Sadie. ¡°It can¡¯t be you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go making a scene,¡± Sadie hissed. ¡°I thought you might want to meet your sister.¡±


    Murmuring broke out everywhere. The former Arbiter had apparently gone stark raving mad. Frost was glowering at Sadie, though he seemed shocked at Solomon¡¯s reaction. The Blood Saint was the most powerful vampire alive. Why would he be nervous about these younglings? ¡°Sadie Hewitt, you will ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know what I said I would do,¡± Sadie said, staring down Solomon. His guards, both physical and magical, had no idea what to do. ¡°I will take responsibility for my actions and ept my ce within the hierarchy. And I intend to do just that. I¡¯ve made mistakes in the past,¡± she said, ring a hole in Solomon¡¯s head, ¡°and I intend to correct one of them tonight.¡±


    Frost and the entire congregation saw Solomon take a step back. ¡°No,¡± he said shaking his head, his mouth breaking into an evil sneer. ¡°You can¡¯t be her! I killed her!¡±


    ¡°You tried,¡± Sadie replied, her eyes beginning to roll back in her head.


    Melissa was terrified. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± Frost asked, looking at Solomon. The Blood Saint never left his fortress retreat except under the most rare and blessed of circumstances, and he had never previously been to the United States.


    ¡°Tell him my name!¡± Sadie shouted, and her voice carried over the throng with power that even made Solomon tremble.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be ¨C¡±


    ¡°TELL HIM MY NAME!¡± Sadie¡¯s voice almost seem to glow as it emanated from her mouth.


    ¡°I will not ¨C¡±


    ¡°SPEAK MY NAME!¡±


    ¡°Eve!¡± Solomon shouted, his voice cracking like a twig. ¡°Betrayer!¡±


    And just like that, silence returned. No one was staring at Frost or Melissa or even Solomon. Everyone was looking at Sadie . . . the woman Solomon imed was Eve the Betrayer. By their legend, Eve was one of the three original vampires born of Lillith, and she had made war out of jealousy against her brothers Adam and Solomon. She was supposed to have died in that war along with Adam, and Solomon had barely survived.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Frost said.


    Sadie smiled, but the smile was cold and empty. ¡°Do not im to know what is possible or impossible,¡± she said. Her eyes were rolling back and her body began to tremble. To Melissa, it almost seemed like . . . like she was going to orgasm. Then Sadie¡¯s body seized up, and a rush of power rolled over the ground and through the air. Sadie . . . Eve . . . had achieved release, but not in the way Melissa thought. But somehow, Melissa understood. Eve . . . Sadie . . . no, definitely Eve, had been hiding her presence and her power. She had kept it bottled up for . . . millennium. But why?

 586

    If Solomon¡¯s power had been river, then Sadie¡¯s was a tidal wave. Those vampires excluding Melissa and Solomon were forced to their knees before it¡¯s onught as it freed itself from Sadie¡¯s barriers. It was so deep and so rich, and it filled Melissa up from her toes to the ends of her hair. It was so glorious to her that she actually had an orgasm right there on the spot. It was like bathing it the purest, cleanest, warmest sunlight. While all others trembled, Melissa simply drank in her creator until her cup overflowed.


    ¡°I . . . am . . . Eve,¡± Sadie said, her voiceing out like the roll of thunder.


    Melissa gulped, but discovered the show wasn¡¯t over. The peasant dress was cut low in back, and she watched as Eve¡¯s smooth and beautiful back seemed to split open in two ces. Eve was screaming as two great and leathery wings emerged from nowhere, leaving Eve¡¯s back bleeding but otherwise apparently unharmed. And Eve sighed in great pleasure as she spread her wings for the first time in thousands upon thousands of years.


    For a moment, Eve looked into Melissa¡¯s eyes, and Melissa saw regret. But there was no room for softness or weakness now.


    ¡°This,¡± the ancient vampire said, ¡°is me.¡±


    ¡°Begone!¡± Frost shouted, his voice squeaking around the edges like a mouse yelling at a lion. ¡°You have no ce here! Do not suffer the wrath of Solomon again!¡± Frost almost immediately realized that he had made a horrible mistake.


    ¡°The wrath of Solomon?!¡± Eve cackled. ¡°Should I fear your wrath?¡± she said stepping forward, her wings shooting outward and making her seem even bigger and more terrifying. ¡°I¡¯m facing you this time Solomon! I won¡¯t offer you my back again!¡± She took a step forward and the entire Blood Brood moved to intercept her.


    ¡°NO!¡± Solomon shouted. There were tears in the Blood Saints eyes and dribbling down his cheek. There were drops of blood on his previously white robe because his human followers were too terrified to clean him up. ¡°Eve, we don¡¯t have to do this,¡± he said, his voice bing low and soothing, like warm chocte on a winter¡¯s night. ¡°Please?¡±


    Eve¡¯s face softened. ¡°There was a time . . . a time when I would have given you the world if I could,¡± she whispered, her wings pulling in as if to cocoon her . . . to protect her. ¡°Just to listen to the sound of your voice. Just to feel you.¡±


    ¡°We can be that way again,¡± he whispered.


    Everyone in the area could feel the power in his voice, and the promise that it carried across the winds and earth to reach Eve. Women swooned, and even the most manly of males felt a stirring in their loins. That was the kind of power that Solomon possessed. You wanted him, even if you feared him.


    ¡°We can go back to the way things were,¡± he continued, stepping forward. He seemed emboldened by Eve¡¯s silence. ¡°Just you and me.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s brain was going a mile a minute as he watched these two creature¡¯s who had walked the earth when the pyramids were a distant dream. ¡®You and me?¡¯ she thought. ¡®That¡¯s a little too ¡°all in the family¡± for me.¡¯ Because there was no doubt in her or anyone else¡¯s mind what Solomon meant.


    The Blood Saint was standing straight now and took another step. ¡°You are still the most beautiful woman to grace the darkworld since time¡¯s beginning. It pains me to think of what happened between us. I have felt it dragging on my spirit for all these years, and now I have a chance to make it right.¡± He nced as his throng who was standing there in rapt attention. For a moment, the arrogance returned when he said, ¡°I can forgive you.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s face hardened again. ¡°And there it is again,¡± she said, stepping forward while Solomon retreated. Her wings red out again. ¡°Forgive me? I gave you everything,¡± she growled. ¡°Everything I had, and you took it from me! You and Adam . . . what you did ¨C¡± Her voice gave out for a second. ¡°You may have convinced the rest of our race of your Lie, but you and I know the truth. Have you told them all of what you really n to do?¡± she asked waving at the ceremonial area. ¡°Do they know what ¡®Paradise¡¯ means to you Solomon? Because I do. Your Paradise is to make the world Hell for the mortal races, and I won¡¯t let you. I stopped you once,¡± she continued, her tone dipping into freezing temperatures, ¡°and now I will finish you.¡± With that, she pulled something out of the sack she was carrying.


    In her hand, Eve wielded a long dagger which seemed to be made of bone. It was a foot long and with a slight curve to it, and it reminded Melissa more of a tooth . . . the fang of some great serpent. The only thing she knew for sure that if Eve had scared Solomon before, he might very well be wetting himself now.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°The Thorn?! Blood Rampart, take us from this ursed ce! Build your shields and hurry!¡±


    Two of Solomon¡¯s Blood Brood strode forward to intercept Eve.


    ¡°No you fools!¡± Solomon shouted, hiding behind his witches. ¡°You can¡¯t stop her!¡±


    Melissa looked at the hulking and ancient vampires and wondered why Solomon was so worried about them. She soon found out.


    Eve took a step forward and plunged the strange dagger into the chest of one assant before anyone could even blink. Without so much as a thought, she had pushed a dagger of bone through the most high-tech body armor avable on the market. She used her free hand to maneuver her victim between her and the other guard. Using the vampire in her hands, she batterd the other one to the ground, then ripped her captive¡¯s throat open with her teeth.


    Melissa wanted to vomit so badly it almost hurt. ¡®I didn¡¯t just see that,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Sadie . . . . Eve . . . she couldn¡¯t ¨C¡®


    Eve threw a vampire twice her size twenty feet through the air to crash into the pavilion. Solomon¡¯s remaining guards surrounded him while his witches prepared his escape. Frost stood with them, but his eyes were transfixed on the woman he once thought he could break. He had once thought that nothing could touch Solomon, but he had realized his error. If Eve reached the Blood Saint, then she would kill him. And that terrified him.


    Eve dove on top of the other guard, who had probably never been on the defensive in his life. And the entire crowd got to watch as Eve tore him to pieces, hisst blood decorating her simple peasant dress. The face that then turned towards Frost and Solomon was more animal than vampire. It was more animal than anything Frost had ever seen.


    Melissa saw a regr security guard pull a gun and take aim at Eve¡¯s back. Without thinking, she moved towards him, and at that point her own powers kicked in. It was like she was moving faster . . . no, that everyone else was moving slower. She was next to the guard before he could turn his head, and she ripped the gun from his hand as easily as if he were a child. Then she back-handed him, sending him flying into a row of folding chairs. She hoped she didn¡¯t kill him, despite what he¡¯d been trying to do. If Eve had seen him first, he would be dead indeed.


    The Betrayer charged forward, but Solomon¡¯s Blood Rampart had erected a set shield of enormous power. Sadie wailed on it anyway, causing little cracks to appear almost as fast as the Rampart could fix them.


    ¡°You won¡¯t escape me!¡± she shrieked at the trembling Blood Saint. ¡°My Father waits for you! He will know what you did, and he will torture you for eternity! There are no words ever spoken that can describe the hell your life will be!¡±


    A blue light appeared next to her, and Mary stepped through, slipping out of the midrealm. And she looked . . . drunk.


    ¡°Mary?¡± Melissa said.


    The wraith shook her head, swaying gently in a non-existant breeze. ¡°No . . . no, tonight is not for you my love,¡± the wraith said. She sounded on the verge of orgasm. ¡°I feel it. I feel her calling to me.¡±


    Another blue glow appeared nearby, and then another. More wraiths had arrived, and each seemed just as stricken as Mary did.


    ¡®Three wraiths?¡¯ Melissa wondered worriedly. ¡®No, there¡¯s another, and there¡¯s another!¡¯


    More and more wraiths were arriving by the second. It was like a sea of jellyfish in the ocean of night, each one adding to the ethereal glow. They all gathered around Sadie, who was still pounding on the magical wall. They were staring at her, waiting.


    ¡°Call for it,¡± Mary whispered heatedly. ¡°Why do you try and bottle it up again? We felt it! All around the world, my kind felt the call of vengeance! Never has it felt so sweet and so rich! It consumes us,¡± she said, almost begging now. ¡°Please, free it! Call your vengeance ¨C¡±


    ¡°No! I want him!¡± Sadie screamed, almost unaware that she was surround by a gathering that was the stuff of nightmares. Never before had so many wraiths been drawn to one ce. ¡°I want his blood! I want to rip his heart out like he did mine!¡±


    For a moment, Melissa saw genuine pain on Solomon¡¯s face. ¡®What did you do?¡¯ she wondered as she stood back from the gathering of glowing vengeance. ¡®What did you do that could call this?¡¯


    A sh of light appeared, and the Blood Saint and his enterouge vanished in a sh of light, transported to a secure location. Eve screamed as stumbled through where the wall had just been. She destroyed the podium and anything else within reach. Even the wraiths stood back, though they stll looked at her with sadistic eagerness. All the other vampires were still on their knees, crushed by the wait of the Betrayer¡¯s power.


    Eve looked at the wraiths. She wasn¡¯t going to let him get away. ¡°Find him!¡± she shouted. ¡°Bring me him, his blood or his heart, but bring him!¡±


    ¡°Vengeance,¡± Mary shouted, her voice rising he a devilish cackle. ¡°Vengeance is called!¡±


    All the wraiths began chanting that same word, over and over again. ¡°Vengeance.¡± Then they disappeared back into the midrealm, the order for the hunt having been given.


    Eve turned back to the crowd, most of whom were frozen in ce. They couldn¡¯t really be med, seeing as they hade face to face with the vampiric answer to the Lucifer. The funny thing was that despite their fear, they felt inclined to worship. Vampire culture was based to an enormous amount on age, for age equated to wisdom and power. Eve may have been each of their nightmares, but she was as old as Solomon, so she couldmand their respect. Her years on this earth made them stop, but it was her power that made them tremble. They should tremble, because she wanted blood. She had killed the two members of the Blood Brood out of wrath, but now she was hungry. Her eyes fell on the neck of Senator Trefauld, who had been left behind by those he would have betrayed humanity for.

 587

    ¡°You sought power,¡± she crooned maliciously, ¡°like a dog chasing a car. Ever figure out what you were going to do if the car stopped?¡±


    Melissa moved between Eve and her prey. She was as confused as hell as to what had transpired that night, but there was one thing for certain: kill a United States Senator who technically hadn¡¯t vited thew in any way, and you were going to jail or worse.


    ¡°Sadie!¡± she shouted, trying to ovee her own terror. The woman she had known as Sadie was giving off vibes that were crashing against her fragile shores. ¡°Please stop! You¡¯re hurting me!¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Eve hissed. ¡°I will not allow Solomon to tear the world apart again. I can stop it by drinking him dry.¡± Her eyes were burning white now, and it looked like she could eat him alive with that gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Mel said.


    Eve screeched to the sky . ¡°He wants to know what being a vampire is like? He has no idea ¨C¡± Eve stepped forward but Melissa didn¡¯t budge. Much to her chagrin, she had wet herself with fear. She had never done that before, even as a little girl. But when she was a little girl, her parents had convinced her that the monsters weren¡¯t real. As an adult, she realized that her parents had lied. Her face was even whiter than usual and her skin was shivering. She wasn¡¯t sure there was anything left of Sadie in there. But Eve stopped short, her bloody dress just inches away from from Melissa.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Eve said, running her hands just centimeters off of Mel¡¯s clothes, tracing the contours of her body until she reached her face, where she caressed that delicate chin with one blood-encrusted finger. Melissa knew that this woman . . . this creature . . . could snap her neck with those delicate steel fingers. ¡°I would never hurt you,¡± the ancient vampire said, her voice nowced with sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you. Now, you know what I am. Who I am.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Mel whimpered. She was still scared, and more than a little bit humiliated. ¡°Sadie would never have made me do this.¡± She nced downward, seeing the stain on her pants. ¡°You killed those men. You just ripped them apart.¡±


    ¡°They would have done the same to me. Solomon will try to kill me if he cannot have me, and he knows now that I will never again want his touch.¡±


    ¡°His touch? He¡¯s your brother!¡± Melissa stopped. ¡°He isn¡¯t your brother is he? You spoke about him like he was ¨C¡±


    ¡°A lover?¡± Eve replied, that sorrow in her voice growing. ¡°He was. He was my first.¡± The vampire actually seemed choked up when she said it.


    Senator Trefauld, who was lying on the ground behind Melissa, finally found his voice. ¡°But the Provenance says ¨C¡±


    ¡°The Provenance is a Lie,¡± she replied, looking down at her would-be victim with more pity than anger now. ¡°Solomon is not my brother. In the ways of my race, he is my son. He was the first human ever Turned, and that made him powerful. You have made a deal with a great evil Senator. Your constituents may forgive you if you can convince them that you fell for Solomon¡¯s illusion. I promise you, it was an illusion, for that is Solomon¡¯s power. It was his power before he entered the darkworld, and it simply grew after that. He makes promises, but you never know what you will truly be getting.¡± She looked around the cowering mob. ¡°All of you, go home. There will be no Turnings this night. Any who try will suffer my wrath.¡± With that, she looked at the remains of the Blood Brood that she had torn asunder. ¡°You do not want my wrath, I promise you.¡±


    Her eyes fell on the Senator again. ¡°She stopped me from killing you,¡± she said, ncing at Melissa. ¡°Someday, you might want to thank her for that. Now go back to Washington and undo the damage you were nning. Or do I need to tell you what will happen if you don¡¯t?¡±


    The Senator stared at the mangled vampire guard nearby. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do.¡±


    The police grew braver the longer Eve went without killing anyone. A few of them came forward with guns drawn. One of them said, ¡°You, drop the weapon and step away from the woman and the Senator.¡±


    Melissa spun around. She needed to yell at someone, if for no other reason that to help her retrieve some of her dignity. ¡°This was a vampiric contest of dominance between Eve and the Blood Saint. By vampirew, those two men that attacked her broke the rules of the contest and could be punishable by death. This is beyond humanw.¡±


    The officer¡¯s look unconvinced, but none of them wanted to fuck with Eve. No one wanted toe near her. ¡°We still can¡¯t let her kill the Senator,¡± another one replied.


    Eve spoke. ¡°The Senator will not be harmed this night, at least not by me.¡± She wrapped her ams around Melissa¡¯s waist and chest from behind. ¡°Now I have some exining to do to my daughter.¡± With that, her wings pped and Eve carried Mel into the night sky.


    Mel was scared again, but this was much more reasonable and mundane kind of fear. She was hurtling through the darkness with the buffeting of those wide, leathery wings. They shot up over the houses of West End and towards the forest on the edge of Gravestones. Eve was going home . . . Sadie¡¯s home.


    After a few minutes, some of Mel¡¯s fear began to melt away. She could remember Solomon and Frost and what Eve had done to the Blood Brood, but it seemed not so important for now. She nced over her shoulder and saw Eve¡¯s face. ¡®No,¡¯ she thought, ¡®that looks more like Sadie¡¯s face again.¡¯ There was an odd joy bordering on relief ying across those features.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t flown free in so long,¡± Sadie said, her voice sounded more like what Mel was used to.


    ¡°This is why you flew for the Army isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Melissa nodded, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. ¡°Ever since I saw the Wright brothers that first time it Kitty Hawk, I knew I could fly again and not have to hide it.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you fly? With your wings I mean?¡±


    ¡°Because they would know I was still alive,¡± she whispered. ¡°I won¡¯t give this up again.¡±


    She swooped and dove, and soon Melissa saw it more of a ride than something to inspire terror. Her vampire mother was coated in blood and Mel had pissed herself earlier in fear, but it was all forgotten in those few moments where even the wind envied them.


    She approached the open area next to her house, noticing arge number of motorcycles and cars littered the area around her house. And she saw police lights shining up at her like fireflies. When her feet touched soil, she saw her old friend Frankenstein and his biker gang kicking back on her redwood deck. She saw Devlin and Fitzpatrick and Captain Grom and d, and d had brought all the avable werewolves again. It was like she had an army there, and she wasn¡¯t sure who¡¯s side they were on.


    Everyone just stared at her, and Eve had never felt more like a freak. She couldn¡¯t imagine what they were thinking . . . how betrayed they must feel. She had lied to all of them.


    ¡°Good God,¡± Frankie muttered. ¡°You . . . those are . . . when they hell did you get wings?¡±


    Eve looked at the ground. ¡°Over seven thousand years ago.¡±


    d was shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s true then. After you left . . . hell, apparently almost before you left the ceremony, there were people talking to cops and news crews, with everyone saying that the devil herself walks the earth. Is that true? Who the hell are you?¡±


    Eve shook, but now with sorrow rather than rage. There were many ways she had wanted dimir Koloff to look at her, but not like this.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Melissa made a choice. Her friend had not told her the whole truth, but she had otherwise never lied. She had saved Mel and introduced her to Mary. She would stand by her now. Melissa slipped an arm around Eve¡¯s waist, letting her mother pull those wings around them both.


    At that moment, Mary appeared in a blue halo of light, her face still echoing a feeling of almost drunken bliss. She looked at Melissa and Mary and expressed no jealousy. She had been a vampire once, and even after her second death she could feel that old blood calling to her.


    ¡°Are you all right my sweet?¡± she asked, that initial ¡°s¡± drawing out like a serpent¡¯s sigh. ¡°I cannot stay long, and am only hear because there are so many of us to feed and only so many seats at the table. Even for a bounty such as this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true too?¡± Devlin asked, his eyes wide. When Eve nodded, he continued with, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. If the Provenance was true, then the wraiths should be allied with Solomon.¡±


    Everyone looked at him. No one had stopped to think about that.


    Grom looked over Eve. ¡°So do we call you Eve or Sadie or what?¡±

 588

    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Eve is who I am, but I like Sadie. I like her more than anyone I¡¯ve been for a long time.¡±


    Melissa smiled. ¡°I like Sadie better.¡±


    dimir still looked serious. ¡°Girl, you¡¯ve got the whole frickin¡¯ in an uproar. A vamp that¡¯s as old as Solomon? There are a lot of vamps who don¡¯t know whether tounch a holy crusade against you or grovel at your feet. There¡¯s an emergency session of both houses of Congress getting called as we speak. The National Guard has been called to Midian to keep the peace.¡±


    Melissa stepped away from Sadie and thefort being close to her creator brought. ¡°You promised me you¡¯d tell me. Tell us all the truth Sadie, because right now I really need to believe in you.¡±


    ¡°I would never have wished this chaos on you Melissa. Not for anything.¡±


    ¡°Start with the Provenance,¡± Devlin said.


    ¡°The beginning. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been there.¡± Sadie sat on the rail of her porch, looking out into her yard as if it were a concert. Everyone was paying rapt attention.


    ¡°Some of it is just stories I heard when I was a child. While I have always been a vampire, the first vampires were in fact mortal. When I was a child, my mother Lillith was not a good mother. It didn¡¯t take much to figure that out. She did the bare minimum, but we loved her. She was our mother after all. We lived away from other people. My mother was human, but she didn¡¯t want us to associate with other humans. She said we were too good for them. My brother believed her. Adam was an arrogant prick from birth,¡± she added, sounding not at all happy about it. ¡°I got away from them whenever I could, ying in the forest. Sometimes I ran into human children. They¡¯d been told to stay away from me just I¡¯d been told to stay away from them.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± d said. ¡°That didn¡¯t happen?¡± He was actually pleased that Sadie had shocked the world. He had thought that she was going to submit to Frost that night, and the idea unnerved him.


    ¡°No. I yed with them and we became friends. Lillith would beat me if she caught me, but that just made me more determined. Eventually, some of the adults in the nearby viges began to treat me nice, especially when they found out what my mother was doing. When I was old enough to understand, they exined that Lillith had been anything but ¡®immacte.¡¯ She had in fact spread her legs for anyone or anything that would have her. She developed a reputation for depravity that eventually frightened any would-be suitors away. Well, almost all.¡±


    ¡°Almost?¡± Melissa asked.


    Pain was etched in Sadie¡¯s face when she continued the story. ¡°Yes. Almost. But before I go more into that, I have to introduce another character into this little history. When I was just truly . . . well, I guess you might call it ¡®growing into womanhood,¡¯ I encountered a young man who had moved into the closest vige, looking for work. I didn¡¯t know that he had been kicked out of his own vige for beingzy when it came to work and too persistent in pursuit of any female he could see. None of it would have mattered to me anyway. He was the most perfect man I had ever seen, and he found me interesting. So I did what any young woman would have done in my shoes. I fell in love.¡±


    ¡°Solomon.¡± This was Devlin¡¯s statement, rather than a question.


    ¡°Oh yes, Solomon.¡± Despite everything, Sadie¡¯s voice seemed somewhat wistful. She had truly loved him once. It was what made the rest of the story so horrible for her to speak of. ¡°He was fascinated by me. He was older than I and a male, but I was stronger and faster than he, and of course I had the wings. Keep in mind that this is when Adam and I were both mortal.¡±


    ¡°Mortal?¡± d asked. ¡°I thought you lived forever?¡±


    ¡°We do now. But there was a time when we aged just like everyone else. Solomon told me that he wanted me because I was beautiful and special, and I believed him. So much so that I gave my maidenhood to him. In the act of intercourse, I bit him. I think it was more instinct than anything, but I drank of his blood and pumped my own back into him. I had created the first new living vampire. Since I was still mortal, so was he when got Turned. He gained strength and speed, but didn¡¯t need to sleep under the earth like an newly Turned undead vamp. I didn¡¯t understand what I had done, so I told my mother. The fact that I Turned Solomon and spread my legs for him was the first thing . . . the only thing that ever made her proud of me.¡±


    Sadie stood up and began to pace the length of her deck, with humans and werewolves and vampires looking on. Mary was still in vengeance intoxication, so she was only half paying attention.


    ¡°Adam was obsessed with the idea when he found out. He turned an entire vige into living vampires, and they followed him like a god. About then, we both reached the age that our father felt was necessary to make his presence known. One night, the King of Blood sent his spectral body to inform his children of their heritage.¡±


    Not a sound could be heard throughout the clearing, as even the crickets seemed shocked into disbelief.


    ¡°The . . . King of Blood?¡± Captain Grom asked. Those with magical knowledge were forced to understand theplicated demon realms as one of their first lessons, because demons fucked with all the other rules. Dante had fallen a little short in his guess, as it turned out there were thirteenyers of the demon realm, each more dangerous than the one before. The thirteenthyer was ruled by The Nameless One, and He was beginning and end of evil as any race understood it. His primary general, the ruler of the twelfthyer of the demon realm, was the King of Blood. His world was literally ake of the spilled life-force of every evil-doer that had ever been denied ess to that ce considered ¡°heaven¡± by the races of Earth. The King of Blood was the boogeyman, in and simple.


    ¡°I told you my mother¡¯s wantonness attracted many to her bed. Apparently, even the kings of hell were impressed. He hade to her one night and . . . done things,¡± she whispered, not ever wanting to think about those things her demonic father had admitted to. ¡°He had broken her in some way so that only he could provide the pleasure and pain she needed just to exist. He told Adam and I that it was his demand for his children to rule the world, and subjugate those favored by their enemies above. He told us that we would receive our birthright upon our death. It didn¡¯t make any sense to me, but Adam embraced his destiny. I didn¡¯t, but ¡®no¡¯ isn¡¯t the sort of thing you casually say to the King of Blood. He beat me until a mere thought from him would kill me, but he stopped short. Two of his fangs fell to the ground in the form of daggers, and he said one was for each of us. He gave the first to Adam and called it ¡®The Spike.¡¯ The second he called ¡®The Thorn,¡¯ and told me I could have it when I learned to behave. In the meantime, he would help my brother into his powers, and I was tasked to look after him. Then with one blow, he killed my brother and gave him his first death. He buried Adam in a shallow grave, looked at me and said, ¡®When he rises, you will understand what you can be.¡¯ Then he grabbed Lillith and took her back down to the Twelfth Realm.¡±


    ¡°He just left you there?¡±


    Sadie nodded. She had felt so helpless, lying on the ground like a discarded doll waiting for only hell knew what. She couldn¡¯t even raise her arms to get water. ¡°I was recovering faster than a human, but still not fast enough. When Adam rose . . . I knew something was wrong. He was half human and half demon, and his powers as the first ever undead were so ¨C¡± She actually stopped and shuddered. The energy in the air when Adam emerged from the Earth had beaten her down so much that if she hadn¡¯t healed some during the day, it probably would have ended her. ¡°Adam rose and knew what he was. He understood his power . . . glowed with it. He wanted to show me what power meant to him, and I was too weak to resist him.¡±


    ¡°Too weak to . . . resist?¡± d asked. He didn¡¯t want to ask the next part, but something in her wouldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Resist what?¡±


    Melissa was on the verge of crying. She could feel her creator¡¯s pain across thousands and thousands of years. Some wounds never healed. ¡°He raped you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Sadie looked towards the ground, ashamed despite the fact that there was nothing she could have done. ¡°Rape is about power. He had it, and I didn¡¯t. That was the kind of creature that Adam was. Then he left me there to find his followers. He was going to deliver the first death to all of them. He promised that if I didn¡¯t swear loyalty to him when he returned that he would give me to his followers as a present, and that I would remain a ve until I died of old age. He was going to raise an army and conquer the human race, just like our father wanted. If the forces of hell couldn¡¯t conquer heaven, they would conquer earth through us.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But his ns were interrupted when daylight came. He didn¡¯t know that it weakened him, and he had to hide. It gave me enough time to recover, grab the Thorn, and go to the nearest viges for help. I told them what was happening and what Adam had nned. I tried to exin what he was, but it was hard since I didn¡¯t really know. Solomon seemed to understand though. Somehow, he knew exactly what we would be capable of in our undeath. That should have scared me, but I trusted him so much.¡± She paused, since she was fighting not to say that she had loved him so much. Love, even when betrayed, never dies. Sometimes it festers and stews and morphs into a hate so passionate that it eats away at you, but it doesn¡¯t actually die. ¡°All the humans capable of fighting gathered what tools and weapons they could and began to search. Solomon and I headed up the party, and I thought he was so brave. We got back to my home shortly after nightfall, but Adam and his forces had already arrived. That was when I found out what Solomon¡¯s real intent was. He wasn¡¯t being brave, but rather wanted to join Adam. After everything my brother had done, Solomon cared more about sharing my brother¡¯s power than anything I could offer him. So he pulled a stone knife and stabbed me in the back. I spun and shed him across the forehead with the Thorn, but it was almost out of instinct. Part of me couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d betrayed me.¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Devlin growled. He felt dirty in the deep ces of he soul when he thought that he¡¯d almost let the Blood Saint Turn him. He had been obsessed with the power and magic of being a vampire, just like Solomon had. ¡°That¡¯s how he got the wound that never heals?¡±


    Sadie nodded and actually smiled a little. She saw Devlin¡¯s anger and her opinion of him grew. It was a hard way to learn a lesson, but he now realized there was a cost to everything, and he was now wondering if he¡¯d be willing to pay it. ¡°Solomon¡¯s blow didn¡¯t kill me, but it took me out of the early part of the fight. Some of the vigers I had befriended pulled me out of the way before hell broke loose. We had them outnumbered, but they were powerful. But even with their abilities, they were all new. Not even Adampletely grasped his own his own capabilities, but he was still so vicious. I knew that if we didn¡¯t stop him that the undead would win.¡±

 589

    There was a moment of quiet in the clearing. This listeners, almost as if part of a group mind, together realized that this moment had been one of the most important in history. If Sadie¡¯s . . . Eve¡¯s meager army had lost, then vampires would have ruled the world. And it was a secret that this one woman had carried alone for so long.


    Sadie continued. ¡°Adam had grabbed a young man and hauled him into the air. I saw that the human was terrified. I couldn¡¯t let him die . . . not like that. The wound in my back hurt so much, but I had to stop Adam. Iunched into the air and grabbed the young man away from him. I protected him as much as I could while getting him to the ground, but Adam was in a rage. He tried to sh up my back, but I managed to evade. We fought in the sky as the battle went on below, and I knew that I was losing. He was so much stronger than I was. But he was distracted when he saw that the vampires had been backed up to the cliff. While I had distracted him, the humans had rallied. With his attention drawn elsewhere, I plunged the Thorn into his heart, then drove both of us into Solomon. I knocked Solomon down, but Adam and I went over the edge. Adam was dead and I was close to it. With Adam gone, Solomon fled the battle, and the rest of the vampires were killed and pushed over the cliff. That was how I finally died, bleeding to death under the corpses of my enemies.¡± She could still taste their dead blood running into her mouth as she was unable to move, and the suffocating feeling of corpses piled up on top of her. The humans she had wanted to save thought she was dead, so she was left there.


    ¡°The bodies on top of me acting as my earth, and even as they charred and turned to ash above me, they apparently counted as protection. When night fell I . . . I got myself out of the pile of bodies.¡±


    Again it was Melissa who heard the part that had been left unspoken, but it was something that didn¡¯t need to be shared with the mob. She could taste dead flesh and feel it under her own nails as assuredly as if she had been there with Eve when it happened. Mel¡¯s creator had litterally wed and chewed her way to freedom.


    Sadie stared up at the night sky. ¡°I was mad by the time I was freed, as in ¡®stark raving mad¡¯. Everything that had happened . . . just too much. I fled into the wilderness, surviving as best I could off the blood of animals.¡± Animal blood could do in a pinch, but it isn¡¯t healthy for a vamp to try and stay on it too long. It had probably kept her mind unstable for as long as it did. ¡°I think I was lost for decades before I encountered a nomadic tribe. I found a young girl alone by a river and I saw her as prey, so I jumped on her and fed. But her blood helped bring my mind back, and I stopped before I killed her or Turned her. I released her and apologized profusely, but she didn¡¯t understand a word that I said. But she was unhurt and was curious about me despite what I had done and the very sexual reaction she had to it. I let her look me over while I tried to figure out some way of making amends for taking her blood. She took me back to her tribe, and there was someone there who spoke mynguage. They heard about what had happened and saw that I was powerful. They said that if that I served them for three years as a protector during the night, and they would protect me during the day. I was mostly immune to the sun by then, but I still needed to rest sometime.¡±


    ¡°So you stayed with them?¡± d asked.


    ¡°Yes. I think that¡¯s where my love of traveling started. I saw so much of that tiny world and was fascinated by all of it. Once the tribesmen and women realized that my bite had very pleasant side-effects, finding donors was not a problem. Everyone got a chance to donate before I would repeat anyone. I figured out that if I didn¡¯t immediately mix my blood with someone else¡¯s that it had magical properties all its own. It could be used to heal, but I had to be careful not to use it on someone whose blood I had recently shared. After seeing what had happened with Solomon and Adam, I swore that I wouldn¡¯t create any more like me.¡± She looked at Mel and touched the girl¡¯s face. ¡°I kept that promise for seven thousand years, but don¡¯t think I regret saving you. I hope you don¡¯t hate me for what I did.¡±


    ¡°Why would I hate you?¡±


    Sadie¡¯s eyes misted over. ¡°I made you part demon. Except for myself, you and Solomon are closer to the source of our power than any other vampire.¡±


    Captain Grom looked perplexed and awed. ¡°So with Lilith gone, your brother gone, and Solomon being one of your ¡®children,¡¯ then that means . . . good God, you¡¯re the mother of every vampire alive today in some way or another.¡±


    The crowd was hushed again. The rules of the world, both vampire and otherwise, had just changed irrevocably.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    d¡¯s face was almost unreadable when he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go after Solomon? Why not take him out before now?¡±


    Sadie¡¯s face fell. ¡°Communication wasn¡¯t the same back then. You could live just five miles away from someone for your entire life and never know they existed. Solomon had fled far north before suffering his first death, after which he had run even further. Iter found out that he was terrified that he¡¯d be discovered. I never formed a bond with him like I did with Melissa, so he and I didn¡¯t even know the other was still alive. It was a thousand years before I had ever heard of him again, and almost five hundred more years until I discovered that he was holed up in Russia somewhere. The people up there were suspicious of him, so he wasn¡¯t able to amass an army like Adam had tried to do. He had created some vampires and had them Turn others, then he killed his immediate children.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Fitzpatrick asked.


    Grom understood the basics here. ¡°Let me guess . . . the closer to the original source of vampire power, the more powerful you are. He probably did it to make sure that none of his underlings could ever challenge him.¡±


    Sadie agreed. ¡°That would be my guess. And fifteen hundred years was a long time to continuously hold a grudge. It would have taken a much bigger war to drag him out of his hideout, and the vampires those days were neither as fanatically obedient nor as violent as Adam¡¯s had been. Solomon was more obsessed with personal glory than conquering the world, so I decided it was best to let the vampire race make its own way. If Solomon had known I still lived, then there would have been another fight, and the known world would have had no choice but to take sides. So for the sake of everyone, I decided to disappear forever. I found a vige shaman in Africa who helped me control my animal side, allowing me to hide my wings and keep my presence under wraps. I became just another vampire, including taking a new name.¡± She looked at Melissa and gave her daughter a shy smile. ¡°I¡¯ve had about twenty. I started changing more often once the Book of Names was created.¡± She looked back to the crowd. ¡°I stayed away from my own kind as much as I could, staying off of the radar of anyone who might report back to Solomon. Finally, ¡®Eve¡¯ was nothing more than a distant memory in the mythology that Solomon had created, and I was fine with that. I didn¡¯t want to be Eve ever again.¡± Sheughed a darkugh and said, ¡°Fat lot of good that did.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no running this time, is there?¡± d asked.


    ¡°No. I could never just vanish again. I don¡¯t want to. I like being Sadie Hewitt. I like being here. And now that I know that Solomon wishes to follow in Adam¡¯s footsteps, I can¡¯t let him go.¡±


    Grom looked abashed when he said, ¡°He may be an evil son of a bitch, but he hasn¡¯t actually broken anyws yet. How are you going to stop him?¡±


    ¡°Can you use vampirew?¡± Devlin asked.


    Sadie pursed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°By vampirew, a child who turns against his or her creator or otherwise acts in a way that endangers vampires in their associations with the mortal races can be punished by their creator in whatever way he/she sees fit.¡±


    Sadie smiled. ¡°You really WERE doing your homework weren¡¯t you.?¡±


    Devlin blushed. ¡°I had free time on my hands.¡±


    Sadie stood before the assembled crowd that had been hanging on her every word. She felt a profound sense of relief. She had born that cross of memories for a long time, and it was nice to finally be able to share some of the load. ¡°The question is, do any of you believe me?¡±


    There was an awkward silence that was finally broken by an unknown voice. A human male stepped forward and it took Sadie a moment to recognize him as the man she had saved in the warehouse.


    ¡°I do,¡± he said softly but firmly.


    ¡°And you are ¨C¡± Grom started.


    ¡°My name is Thomas Jervin.¡± Thomas¡¯s . . . or Tommy¡¯s . . . eyes never left Sadie, and it was a look of admiration and a deep, soul-searching kind of love. ¡°She saved my in that warehouse fire. I¡¯ve been working up the courage toe here, but when I heard about tonight . . . You can¡¯t be a thing of evil. I had lost my mind as was on the verge of losing my life, and you saved both. Nothing evil would have done that. My thoughts are my own for the first time in years. You know what that means, don¡¯t you? When you recovered from your own madness, what was it like?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Like life was beginning again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it exactly.¡±


    d looked from Sadie to Tommy and back. ¡°You used your blood? It wasn¡¯t a bacsh of the spell at all, was it? You could¡¯ve been discovered ¨C¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let him die,¡± she whispered, her eyes on the man in front of her.


    d walked up the stairs and stood next to her, drawing her eyes to him. He could see how badly she wanted to cry and break. ¡°Tell the world, he said. ¡°Let them know what Solomon is going to do. Don¡¯t the vampires have to follow you now?¡±


    ¡°If they believed me, then maybe. I¡¯m the oldest of us, but changing a mindset that is this old isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    d looked out to the crowd this time, drawing himself up as an alpha wolf and saying, ¡°Who here believes her? Who believes what this woman has said?¡±


    Almost every hand went up.


    d nodded. ¡°Remember what Devlin said . . . the wraiths do not aid those with selfish motives.¡±


    The rest of the hands went up.

 590

    d smiled and once more directed his attention to the beautiful creature on the deck with him. ¡°Let everyone spread the word that the true Mother of all Vampires has returned to correct the Lie of Solomon. Tell every vampire that their ¡®Blood Saint¡¯ has decieved them for his own ends, and tell every mortal what Solomon intends to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll start riots in the street d,¡± Grom replied.


    ¡°No,¡± Sadie said, ¡°I won¡¯t allow that.¡± She looked at Grom. ¡°Solomon will be holed up with Lord Frost. Send him a message. I demand punishment of my offspring for creating a rift between vampires and the mortal races. Where would be a good ce to meet?¡± she asked.


    It was the human Tommy who was first to respond. ¡°How about Downds Park? There¡¯s arge field there, and it¡¯s not in West End.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± she said.


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the media. My story should help win you support amongst the human poption at the very least.¡±


    d nodded. ¡°And you¡¯ve already got the support of the wolves. We¡¯ve taken enough crap from Solomon¡¯s vampires that we¡¯re more than willing to stand with you.¡±


    This was the dimir Koloff that Sadie had longed to see. This d had a power that was as potent and wild as an avnche, and it was ready to be unloaded on those who opposed Sadie Hewitt.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    d wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Todd, go home so that you and my sister can start a calling spree. I want every pack leader you can find to know about this and I want them keeping an eye on the vampires. I don¡¯t want them doing anything, but I don¡¯t want the vampsing to Solomon¡¯s aid either.¡±


    Mary seemed calmer now. ¡°We will make sure that Solomon doesn¡¯t flee,¡± she said, her voice filled with ghostly promise.


    ¡°Can your wraiths control your hunt for long?¡± Sadie asked.


    ¡°Yes. Your need for vengeance is so personal that we can bury our hunger for a time being, but we will see that justice is served. Solomon will face you because if he doesn¡¯t, the wraiths will hound him for now until the end of time and from the gates of Heaven to the lowest of Hell¡¯s realms.¡±


    d looked at Grom. ¡°Captain, I advise a police presence at the entrance to Ms. Hewitt¡¯s property for a while.¡± He turned to Frankie. ¡°You think that you and your boys can patrol the area and discourage any unwee visitors.


    Frankenstein grinned. ¡°I think the boys might just have fun with that.¡±


    ¡°Then everybody get moving.¡±


    As the crowd began to clear out, Sadie jumped down and caught up with Devlin. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°The things you said . . . the things you did ¨C¡±


    ¡°I was a fool before,¡± the young officer replied. ¡°And you were right. I need to think about this a lot more now.¡±


    She looked him in his big brown eyes and said, ¡°When you are done searching your soul and if you decide you still want it, I would be proud to bring you over.¡±


    Devlin blushed. ¡°Letting you nibble on my neck? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d survive.¡±


    Sadie smiled. ¡°I hear its not so bad once the mind-numbing orgasm starts.¡± She patted him on the cheek, then turned back to the porch only to find Tommy in her way. The handsome man looked at her with eyes as clear as a desert morning after a long rain. He hugged her and she let him. There were no more words to express what she had given him, and no need to tell him that she would do it all again.


    Soon, all that was left was Sadie, Melissa, Mary, and d. Everyone else faded into the woodwork to aplish the tasks that the alpha wolf hadid out for them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made such a mess of this,¡± Sadie said, her eyes looking towards the moon and the darkness that surrounded it.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault,¡± Melissa replied. ¡°You can¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve hunted that bastard down,¡± Sadie interrupted. ¡°Hell, we both should¡¯ have died on that cliff. The children of the Throne of Blood should never have walked the mortal world.¡± She ripped one of the boards off her deck railing and hurled it across the yard. It was a pointless gesture, but it gave her something to do. ¡°I¡¯m cursed, and my curse has spread.¡± She looked at Mel. ¡°If not for me, you¡¯re living a nice, normal life. No one is trying to kill you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a nice normal life,¡± Mel said, wringing her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think I lived a day of my life until you showed up.¡±


    Mary¡¯s eyes cleared for a moment as she controlled her deadly thirst. ¡°I would be alone.¡± She looked at Melissa with such hope-filled eyes that it pulled at Sadie¡¯s heart to watch. Maybe something good woulde out of all of this, assuming they lived.


    ¡°I¡¯d be stuck in a dead end marriage,¡± d added. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be who I needed to be.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t be anyone else,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be doing this.¡±


    d actually looked miffed. ¡°Doing what? Guarding your ass? Actually, yeah I do.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He rolled his eyes.


    Melissa looked at Mary. ¡°This might be a good time for me to go check on the cats.¡±


    Mary smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go see how the rest of the wraiths are doing. Solomon has some impressive set spells protecting him right now, so all we are doing is holding him.¡± She kissed Melissa and then vanished. Melissa hugged Sadie, drank in her mother¡¯s presence and then vanished into the woods.


    Sadie looked back to d, who was staring at her and tapping his foot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± d began, ¡°with the fact that you¡¯re defending all the mortal races, not just humans. That means the weres, which makes it my business. Let¡¯s not forget that because of you, I¡¯m free. You finally made me see that Teresa was an albatross that I kept around my own neck. YOU, in you own insanely frustrating and highly confusing manner, have made life more interesting than it has been . . . ever!¡± At this point, d was waving his arms wildly.


    ¡°Interesting? d, I lied to everyone! I¡¯m in the process of screwing an entire race¡¯s self image straight to hell, and I¡¯m probably going to be put in jail afterward for lying to the Arbiter Bureau!¡±


    d raised one eyebrow. ¡°See? Interesting.¡±


    She threw her hands up in frustration. ¡°I just wanted a ce to hole up for forty years or so before moving on. I didn¡¯t want this.¡±


    d stepped forward. ¡°Want what? You think that if you weren¡¯t here that Solomon wouldn¡¯t have tried this? You being here is the only reason we may have headed off a vampire take over.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯d been a responsible parent, I would¡¯ve taken charge of my children a long time ago. I never should¡¯ve let ite to this.¡±


    ¡°You already said why you let it go, and I can¡¯t say I would¡¯ve made any different of a call. If you remember, I wasn¡¯t exactly willing to take control of my charges either, and I didn¡¯t have nearly as good a reason.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pack had a good leader, just not as alpha as he should have been. The guy leading my race is a psychopath. And now, one of us has to die.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just force him to admit what really happened? Make him back down?¡±


    Sadieughed a humorlessugh. ¡°We are a proud people and Solomon knows this. If you just found out that the person providing moral and spiritual guidance to you for thousands of years was a liar and a crook, they won¡¯t just let you walk away. He has to kill me to keep the Lie going, and even then he¡¯ll have a small revolution on his hands. If I win, then people will be forced to ept my version of things. Besides, as long as I¡¯m alive, the wraiths will keep after him. I¡¯ve floating in a pool of vengeance for seven thousand plus years, and now they¡¯ve alle to drink. I can¡¯t call for if I¡¯m dead. Right now, I just have to figure out how he¡¯sing for me. He won¡¯t wait for a fair fight or challenge. It¡¯s just not in his nature.¡±


    d stepped up behind her and put hands on his shoulders. ¡°Which is one of many reasons that he never deserved you.¡±


    She smiled a little. ¡°A romantic sentiment from someone whose marriage I ruined.¡± She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, spinning her around so fast she almost pped him the face with her wings.


    ¡°Teresa ruined my marriage, not you. You just finally gave me enough to see that I couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. Now, I feel more free and alive than I have in ten years.¡±


    Sadie couldn¡¯t deny how ¡°alive¡± d felt. This close to her, his scent was heavy and warm in her nostrils, and he practically glowed with his own power. Potent muscles rippling in his hands, his arms, and in that broad chest covered in a thinyer of nnel. She remembered what it had been like when she had fed off of him and how that entire body had been pressed against her. She had many a pleasant if somewhat embarrassing dream about that night.


    d hadn¡¯t forgotten that night either. ¡°Now,¡± he muttered in a deep, darkly-handsome voice, ¡°I have something worth fighting for.¡±


    Sadie willed her heart to beat, though it didn¡¯t take much coaxing. If there was a chance that she might not live another night, then there was something she very badly wanted before this one was over. ¡°So, are you just a fighter?¡± she asked, running her hands over that wonderful chest.


    d had resisted temptation for so long. Everything about Sadie Hewitt was perfect . . . not just physically, but for d himself. She was wild, passionate, and wholly wonderful. Teresa had scoffed at his animal nature, while Sadie soaked it in and tookfort in it. Now, for the first time, there was no reason whatsoever to resist that temptation. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her like he¡¯d wanted to for so long. He drove both of their bodies back into her trailer with a resounding thud, but Sadie hardly seemed put off. Rather, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, kissing him back with a fever that he never would have imagined possible. Maybe for any woman less than Sadie, such heat wasn¡¯t possible.

 591

    He cupped her ass while pressing her against the cool steel frame of her home, pushing his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. Sadie epted the invasion, teasing d¡¯s tongue and sucking on it, then pressed her lips harder against his. Against her groin, she felt his manhood rising and she remembered clearer than ever just how massive he was.


    The alpha male needed to feel more of her flesh, ripping Sadie¡¯s peasant dress off with just a few powerful tears. Her perfect breasts were immediately exposed, letting him grope one of them hard while he supported her and kissed her.


    Sadie hardly thought it fair that she was the only one naked at that point, so she began shredding d¡¯s shirt. ¡°Pants,¡± she gasped. She put her feet down and spun him around, shoving him against the trailer. In a sh, she was down on her knees and taking his pants with him.


    ¡°Good grief,¡± she muttered. dimir wasn¡¯t even all the way hard, but he was already intimidating in size. It was just as well, since this state was a bit easier to manipte. She took the head into her mouth and began to work her way down the firm length. Even partially soft, she was unable to take all of it, but she was enjoying giving it the old college try.


    dimir removed the remains of his shirt as Sadie¡¯s mouth devoured his cock. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that being with a woman with over seven millennium of practice at fetio had its advantages. She had raised her body temperature and was drawing air in, making her mouth and throat a hot and humid treat. His manhood didn¡¯t stay in its softened state long. She cupped his heavy testicles while she drew her mouth back to concentrate on the fleshy head of his penis, teasing the pee-hole with her tongue. d¡¯s soon-to-be-ex wife had rarely been willing to provide oral pleasure, and usually had sent him on a guilt trip afterward. She had made sex with him seem like a burden, whereas Sadie appeared quite ready to devour him alive. Almost literally.


    The mother of all vampires was unable to wrap one hand all the way around that tool, so she stroked him with both hands while she sucked on the head and the first few inches of the shaft. Sadie wasn¡¯t normally much of a size queen, but there was just something so right about d being hung so generously. He was so perfectly alpha . . . alpha males should have impressive equipment.


    Once fully erect, d grabbed Sadie¡¯s head and began pushing his way deeper into her mouth. He remembered when she¡¯d tricked him during the sparring session . . . she didn¡¯t need to breath. He grinned and shoved a little deeper. Her body still has some physical limitations and he didn¡¯t want to injure her, but he wanted to find where her limits were. After all, she was more than capable of stopping him whenever she wanted. Apparently, she didn¡¯t really want to.


    Sadie had more of her lover¡¯s shaft down her throat than she had any right to, but the added pressure was more than a bit of a turn on. This wasn¡¯t the neutered puppy that Teresa had tried to make him. This was d taking what he wanted. Luckily for him, what d wanted ovepped nicely with what Sadie wanted, which was hot, rough, primal sex. She dug her fingernails deep into his pounding hips, drawing just the faintest about of blood as she swallowed almost half of his fleshy monster.


    ¡°Oh sweet moonlight,¡± he groaned as he felt that tingling of pain where he was being gripped. He smiled down at her, letting her know that he was plenty game for getting as rough as she wanted. Her eyes met his and she pulled away, standing several feet from him. Her gaze carried a desire strong enough to scorch stone and her lips called out to him.


    ¡°Hunt me,¡± she whispered. Then she took off for the woods. She heard his footsteps following after her as she entered the protection of the forest, but she didn¡¯t look back. She wanted to challenge him . . . to make him earn her favors. For a second, the sound of his feet vanished and she realized that he had jumped. She dodged to one side, but she was unused to running with her wings, so his hand grasped her shoulder and they went tumbling to the ground.


    d turned her on to her back and shoved both her shoulders into the forest floor. He didn¡¯t know how much damage her wings could take, but she didn¡¯t seem to concerned. To tell the truth, she looked enormously pleased to have been caught. He pushed his way between her thighs and slide his cock into her delicious sex. He felt that if he were to die the next day, then that one night where he could experience the delight that was her body would have made it a life worth living.


    He drove what air she had in her body out and her stared at him with immense hunger as he pounded into her, savoring the tightness of her tunnel. Her face was the quintessential disy of ecstasy, and she spurred his ass on with her feet.


    But when he released his shoulder to grab her hips, she ced her feet on his chest instead and shoved him away. She grinned and took off again.


    ¡°This bitch is crazy,¡± d said to the darkness around him, but he was smiling as he did. This was wild . . . this was free. He took off after her, relying more on his sense of smell than his eyes. He got to a point where her scent seemed to vanish.


    ¡®No,¡¯ he thought. ¡®She didn¡¯t go away, so she must have gone ¨C¡® d didn¡¯t have time to react before Sadie swooped out of the sky and knocked him on his back. She pounced on him and again took his manhood into her mouth. But she didn¡¯t stay there long. A few strokes while sucking on the head, a few licks along the fleshy underside and then she mounted it in a reverse cowgirl position, riding him for all she was worth.


    d had never experienced anyone like Sadie. She had the passion of a mortal woman, but the experience of an immortal. She syed her wings outward and, under the light of the moon filtering through the trees, she closer resembled an angel than her demonic heritage.


    Sadie rotated her hips, letting some of him slip out of her before sliding back in. After several circles, she bounced up and down on him, feeling him stretch her. He wasrge enough that she was still adjusting to him, but she was quite capable of taking a little pain with her pleasure. After a few minutes, she decided it was time to continue the chase. She stood up, buffeted her wings and rose off the ground.


    But d was ready this time, quickly gaining his feet and grabbing onto her ankles, pulling her downward. He was able to get a solid grip on her waist and pulled her down, thrusting her onto his cock. Then he pressed her against a tree, trapping her with his weight as he jackhammered her like a man possessed.


    Bark and twigs were digging into Sadie¡¯s back in a way that most people would have found ufortable. For her, they were just more points of sensation to titite her already heightened awareness. Sex was her drug of choice, and this was her ultimate high. She dug her fingers into his muscr shoulders, drawing blood yet again. It dripped and flowed in small creeks around his muscles and lightly furred chest. She licked some off his chest as he continued fucking her straight into the tree.


    Her head started to buzz and her blood started to boil as she consumed even the minutest traces of his life¡¯s blood. She felt a warm tightness down in the deepest part of her body, and it was growing to ravish her just as d was. Small tremors became cascading shockwaves and she screamed into theforting veil of night. It was a moment of such exquisite pleasure that she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d felt that way.


    ¡®Sometime during Egypt¡¯s third dyansty,¡¯ she thought. And that had taken getting banged on top of a pyramid by a group of workers. And quite frankly, that had fallen short of what dimir was doing to her.


    d stopped long enough for her vaginal walls to unclench, reveling in the tightness of her. He felt her tongue dancing over the crimson pools adorning his upper body, and it made him feel harder.


    ¡°More,¡± Sadie growled hungrily in his ear before nibbling on it. ¡°But you know where I want it?¡± she murmured. She had narrowly resisted one of her favorite carnal indulgences over the past month or so, and she would deny it no longer. He was suitably coated in her juices ¡ª


    ¡°Sweetheart, even you can¡¯t handle ¨C¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Awh,¡± she whispered, grabbing a couple of branches and raising up until he slid out of her pussy and then let the head of his member brush up against the entrance to her ass. It would be like trying to drive a freight train up a logging trail, but she had no intention of backing down. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I caught myself a were-chicken, did I?¡±


    ¡°I seem to recall,¡± he started, pushing her slowly down onto him, trying not to lose it the second that his cock-head prated her rectum, ¡°that I was the one that caught . . . (grunt) . . . you.¡±


    Sadie was capable of withstanding a great deal of punishment, but even she was on the verge of passing out as her back door was gently and methodically vited. Deeper and deeper it went, and Sadie¡¯s grip on her lover¡¯s shoulders tightened. The woond crickets seronaded as she gasped, waiting for that one incredible moment when her ass would rx and she would ept all of him into her, or at least all that she could. And she wanted to . . . by the dark of night, she desperately wanted to.


    The moment came, and several more inches of him slid into her. This would not be as forceful as more traditional entry, but it would be amazing just the same. Short strokes started them off, gradually increasing in both length and tempo. Sadie responded to each pration with a grunt or a groan, all of which vanished into the shadows to be swallowed by the wild around them.


    d¡¯s hands began mauling Sadie¡¯s breasts, squeezing them forcefully as her ass consumed his manhood. This is something else his wife would never have allowed, much less enjoyed for passionately. So many people had warned him, but only Sadie had given him something more worthwhile to pursue.

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    He was halfway inside her bottom when he was simply unable to control himself anymore. He thrust in as far as Sadie couldfortably ept him, pressing himself against her body as he unloaded into her dark recesses. He had to be leaking out somewhat, because his seed kepting in wave after wave, and he wondered if blood was the only life-giving fluid that Sadie could feed on. Indeed, he felt himself more than a little bit drained as his cock quivered itsst.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± he grumbled, leaning all of his weight against her as she wrapped herself around him.


    ¡°Goddess, actually,¡± she said, almost giggling. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to stop now,¡± she promised.


    ¡°I¡¯m . . . I¡¯mpletely spent,¡± he replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly ¨C¡± Then he remembered what her fangs had done to him once before . . . he remembered because she was nibbling on his neck. ¡°Do it!¡±


    She needed no further encouragement, sinking her fangs into his thick neck. She didn¡¯t withdraw any blood, but pumped him full of the chemicals that lit his whole body aze with lust. She normally wouldn¡¯t give someone this much, but dimir was a sturdy guy, and she had work for him to do.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    She felt him growing hard inside her ass again, but that wasn¡¯t what she wanted now. She shoved him away, watching his eyes as he prepared to give chase. But she didn¡¯t want to get away . . . not this time. She quickly got on the ground, spreading her wings so that she could look over her shoulder, crawling across the forest floor on all fours.


    ¡°Call your beast,¡± she growled. ¡°Show me the best of you!¡±


    He did. All lycanthropes walked a world between humanity and pure animal, and that was what emerged from beneath dimir¡¯s skin. His human body became more furred, his chest and limbs more muscr and ¡ª


    ¡®Oh my,¡¯ she thought in a lust-crazed haze, ncing at the fence-post that was thrusting up between d¡¯s thighs. ¡®That¡¯s bigger too!¡¯


    The shaggy wolf head that adorned those shoulders may have represented his animal nature in this half-form, but the desire behind those eyes was clearly d . . . clearly for her and for her alone. His put his wed hands on the ground and sniffed at her exposed pussy. During mating, the alpha female decides when mating curs, not the male. He might be in charge the rest of the time, but not at this moment. His lupine tongue caressed her sweetness and he gave her a love bite on the firm flesh of her ass. Not enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to get her attention.


    She nced over her shoulder again and chuckled, thrusting her hips backward on that long tongue. That was an option to be explored at ater date, but she wanted him to mount her. So she met his eyes and then lowered her head, a sign of willing submission to his desire.


    dimir quickly moved down her body, entering his even more potent manhood into her sex as he did so. He reached around her body and pressed his hands down on top of hers, letting her vaginal walls mp down on his massive cock. He had her locked in ced. She was his, but he was no fool. She was his for now because she had had wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Sadie had been caught by choice, and it made his heart and pride swell that she had chosen him.


    As when he had fucked her ass, he started slowly, but it took all the patience he could muster to keep it that way. She pushed back against him, taking as much as she could, but even her talented pussy couldn¡¯t handle all of him in this form. So he thrust in until her difort became obvious, then he withdrew. A few more prations to make sure he had his distance, and then he gave her exactly what she wanted: everything that he had.


    His hips thrust into hers with power and speed like nothing Sadie had ever experienced before. She was so stretched and so full and so on edge that she couldn¡¯t imagine settling for less ever again. His cock raged inside her, stronger and harder than anything before. His hands gripped hers so hard she knew he could crush them, but was just as sure that he wouldn¡¯t. His furred chest pressed against her back between her wings, pressing down heavily upon her. He surrounded her and prated her and gave her everything she had ever wanted in a carnal act. He was primal and powerful and perfect for her.


    Sadie realized that she loved him. No one matched her like he did. His character made up for her ws, his body was built to satisfy her needs, and he power called to hers. She had not been in love in a very long time, at least not love with a capital ¡°L.¡± She had cared deeply for many, but not like this. Thest time she had fallen so hard, she had been utterly betrayed. She did not fear that from d. She didn¡¯t fear anything from him except potentially his absence.


    d saw Sadie¡¯s face look back at him. Again, he thought of the differences between this magnificent creature and Teresa. Even when things had been better between them, the elf woman had never looked at him with such passion or . . . love?


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ he realized, almost the same time that Sadie herself did. ¡®She loves me.¡¯ The sentiment swelled in his own heart to match hers. She had given him back to himself, and he loved her for that. That, and for so many other reasons. He remembered that biting your lover during coitus rather than just feeding was a sign of great affection in vampire culture, and for it to be allowed was a sign of trust and respect. She had bitten him, and now turn about was fair y.


    Sadie felt those powerful jaws pressing down on her skin, prickling both sides of her neck. She froze, but not from fear. She wondered if he truly had any idea how that felt to her. It was like lightning bolts of ecstasy jabbing into her in a dozen different ces.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she crooned heatedly. ¡°Oh yes!¡±


    With that, d exerted more pressure. He broke skin lightly in a few ces, but nothing dangerous. The effect was instantaneous and amazing.


    Sadie started to climax the moment that those little deadly tips crossed the barrier of her skin and let her blood flow. And the orgasm seemed to have no endpoint, wracking her body as he continued his machine-like thrusting. She was like a snake being electrocuted, her body writhing underneath him as pleasure rampaged through every nerve ending.


    d was getting a taste of Sadie¡¯s blood, and it was sweet, powerful elixir. The blood of a powerful demon flowed through her veins, but he didn¡¯t fear it. Sadie had shown that her blood could heal, and he saw no evil in that. Rather, just a taste of it invigorated him, healing the bite wounds and w marks she had given him and giving him energy. He used that energy to redouble his efforts.


    What the pain of anal intercourse had not aplished, the pure bliss of what d was doing to her almost pulled off . . . Sadie almost passed out. She was in the throes of a powerful series of orgasms that seemed to go on forever. Her sexual juices flowed from between her thighs and covered both of them, as well as making d¡¯s job that much easier.


    After what seemed like forever, he released his jaws from her neck, thrusting all the way into her body and raising his face to the moon. He let out a howl that sent prey animals scurrying as far as they could, while the wild wolves of the northwest had no choice but to answer. The night filled with their primal howls. Sadie simply screamed her pleasure, joining her wild counterpart. Once again, dimir¡¯s sperm flowed into her and once again she epted it.


    Her mind and soul glowed with a delicate sense of peace and contentment. She sank to the earth and a bed of leaves, but it feltfortable. d came with her, his warmth making her feel safe, something she didn¡¯t even know that she needed or wanted. He was still firm and strong inside her, keeping them joined. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from him now that she¡¯d found him. She did feel him shift back to his full human form, and his lips kissed the neck that he had gripped with his animal teeth just moments earlier. He had taken her like an animal, but now he loved her like a man. Between the two, he had be everything to her, so she rolled over and kissed him back.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The next night . . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Melissa had been grinning up a storm when she arrived at Sadie¡¯s trailer. d was sitting in awn chair on the deck looking like he just ate the canary. One of Frankenstein¡¯s bikers had been able to lend him a set of clothes, and the Gravestones police officer looked damn good in leather pants and a denim shirt. Sadie looked more than a little satisfied herself. She was back wearing her skin-tight blue-jeans, tanker boots, and a vest that she had altered to let her wings stay free. She was showing quite a bit of cleavage, which didn¡¯t seem to bother her, d, or anyone else standing nearby.


    Melissa had been staying at Mary¡¯s house since she¡¯d left the previous evening, and she¡¯d heard the two of them ¡°cementing their rtionship¡± from a mile away. There probably wasn¡¯t a creature in the surrounding area who hadn¡¯t heard it. She poked her head in the door of the trailer on a whim, and found that just about every piece of furniture had been busted or overturned except the bed, which was made of sterner stuff. The cat came out and looked around. The poor thing had been terrified. Apparently, the sex-fest had continued inside well after they¡¯d had their fill of the great outdoors.


    ¡°Tell me you at least fed the cat,¡± Mel said with a smile, hugging her creator firmly. Due to their close psychic connection, she had a pretty good idea just how much Sadie had enjoyed d¡¯spany. There was a glow about her that couldn¡¯t be mistaken for anything other than love, even though Mel had never seen it before. Of course, she hadn¡¯t spent a night with Mary since she¡¯d Turned, but she hoped to see that glow in her own mistress some night.

 593

    ¡°I think I put a bowl in the closet at some point,¡± she ponderedzily, her eyes traipsing d¡¯s taut form, while his lingering on the vampire¡¯s tantalizing breasts. There were bikers, werewolves, a number of police officers, and the human that Sadie had saved at the warehouse present, but Sadie and d only had eyes for each other.


    Mel rolled her eyes. She stood near Sadie and snapped her fingers in front of the vampire¡¯s face. ¡°Hello? Anyone in there? Potentially apocalyptic fight with Solomoning up? Any of this ring a bell?¡±


    Sadie¡¯s face fell a bit. ¡°Spoilsport.¡± With onest nce at d, she brought her attention back to where it needed to be. ¡°But you¡¯re right. He won¡¯t y this fair. Hell, he won¡¯t even y by the rules he wrote. He¡¯s only a quarter demon, and he¡¯s had the Blood Brood defending him for most of recorded history.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t discount him,¡± d said, his mind back in the game. ¡°He¡¯s backed into a corner. And there are those who have a lot to lose if the vampires wind up following you instead of the Blood Saint.¡±


    ¡°Frost you mean?¡± Sadie asked.


    Devlin raised a fist and started to count on his fingers. ¡°Frost, the Blood Brood and the rest of Solomon¡¯s entourage, the elves and the witches who have been sucking up to them ¨C¡±


    ¡°I get it, I get it. He¡¯s got a lot of friends,¡± Sadie said, rubbing her temples.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your own support,¡± d said, standing up and rubbing her temples and shoulders for her. He just didn¡¯t want to go long without touching her. ¡°The vampires have stepped on a lot of toes, so most of the mortal races don¡¯t trust them. You KNOW the wolves are behind you, and probably the goblins and humans as well.¡±


    ¡°True dat,¡± Frankenstein said, popping open one of Sadie¡¯sst bottles of Guinness.


    ¡°So hees for me, but when? He¡¯s not going to attack me here,¡± Sadie pondered. ¡°It would be suicide to attack a vampire on her own ground, particrly when she¡¯s got support.¡±


    ¡°We could go on the offensive,¡± Todd said. Sadie was convince that d¡¯s nephew had a future in wolf politics, because he was interested and involved at a rtively young age.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Sadie said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to y by the rules. Remember, my own children call me the Betrayer. If I want to convince them otherwise, I have to take the high road.¡± She growled. ¡°I can¡¯t turn this into another war,¡± she said. ¡°Thest one almost ended my species. While sometimes I think that might not have been a bad thing, I¡¯ve found there¡¯s some hope for us yet.¡± Thisst was directed at Melissa, who blushed just a little bit. ¡°Heard from Mary yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she appeared for a bit this evening. The wraiths still have Frost¡¯s mansion surrounded, but the Blood Rampart has it pretty secure. They¡¯re probably nning just like we are.¡± She red at d, who¡¯s hands were drifting a little low to be giving a ¡°shoulder rub.¡± ¡°Get a room,¡± she chuckled.


    Sadie looked towards the trailer. ¡°We kind of trashed it,¡± she said happily. Then she reluctantly pushed his hands away, just as a patrol car pulled up the drive with Captain Grom inside.


    ¡°Hey Cap¡¯n¡± dimir said, leaning against the wall of the trailer.


    Grom met the officer¡¯s eyes. ¡°So this is why you called in sick? Again?¡±


    d shrugged. ¡°Something came up.¡±


    Sadie was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Several times as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°Good grief.¡± Mel rolled her eyes again. ¡°What¡¯s the word Captain?¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯ve got a ring of camera crews around your property? They¡¯re all wanting to talk to you and figure out if you¡¯re going to ept his challenge.¡±


    ¡°Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is challenging you to meet him at Downds Park, where, and I quote, ¡®She will beg for my mercy or her own life.¡¯ The fact that YOU challenged him first hasn¡¯t quite registered yet. He¡¯s iming that you are demon-tainted alright, and that it was you and not your ¡®mutual¡¯ mother thaty down with them. He¡¯s saying that the reason you seem so powerful is a deal you made with the Lords of Hell, and NOT that you are superior to him in any way.¡±


    Sadie¡¯s face changed to stone. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t challenge me to a fair fight,¡± she uttered. ¡°Even if he were so sure of his own power, mine would be a mystery to him. Solomon is a coward above all else.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a coward with nowhere left to run,¡± d reminded her. ¡°He¡¯s more dangerous than ever.¡±


    ¡°I have to face him though,¡± the mother of all vampires reminded him. ¡°I try to y it safe or wait him out, then his words gain strength. When did he want to meet?¡±


    ¡°Midnight,¡± Grom said. ¡°High noon for darkworlders.¡±


    Sadie walked to the edge of her deck, staring up at the risen moon and letting it softly caress her face, realizing it could be herst night on earth. She didn¡¯t want anyone else to know how much the notion of death scared her now. Never mind that she had a vampiric child that she cared about, or a lover than made her dead blood sing. She had walked the earth for seven thousand years, and she was used to the world. Whaty beyond was . . . well, beyond her.


    ¡°Once more into the breach, dear friends,¡± she whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s mount up.¡± She looked at her friends, the daughter of her blood, then the holder of her heart. Then with a powerful stroke of her wings, she took to the sky.


    Mel felt Sadie¡¯s fear. Her connection to the vampire mother was powerful. ¡°Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,¡± the goth vampire replied softly, then headed for her car.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Midnight . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The area around the park was around Downds Park was a sea of movement, consisting of both mortal and immortal races, cars, camera-crews, and cops. It was so thick that movement was almost impossible, except for two roads leading up to the par that were kept clear by the national guard. One road for Solomon, and the other road was for Sadie¡¯s forces . . . Eve¡¯s forces. Not that she much cared, as she flew the whole way in. There was arge stone circle in the middle of the park, and it was encased in a set magical sphere. Solomon¡¯s Blood Rampart were part of its power supply, but so was the Northwestern Coven. It seems like lines had been drawn in the sand while the primary yers had slept.


    There was a pavilion set up on one side of the circle, and Sadie could feel Solomon¡¯s presence emanating from inside. Shending on the other side of the circle, where she was joined by her entourage. She looked around and saw d, Mel, Devlin, Tommy, Frankenstein and his riders, a smattering of werewolves that this time included Todd, Ivan, and Anya. And Bart?


    She walked up to the captive demon, anger and pain on her mind.


    ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t ¨C¡± Her thoughts of vengeance stopped when Bart got down on his knees, bowing before her.


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness your majesty,¡± the yellow-skinned demon said. There was no sarcasm or disdain in his voice this time. ¡°Had I known, I would have shown you the respect you so richly deserve.¡±


    Some people nearby took pictures of the demon groveling at Sadie¡¯s feet. She didn¡¯t know if this would help or hurt her cause, but if she didn¡¯t defeat Solomon then it really wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°Your majesty?¡±


    ¡°You are the daughter of the King of Blood,¡± he whispered, pressing his forehead to the ground. ¡°You are the heir to one of the Thrones of Hell.¡±


    Sadie shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Bullshit. I hate my Father, and I have no intention of iming anything of his.¡±


    Bart met her gaze now, and it looked hungry. He knew who she was, and serving her would put him in good graces with the King of Blood. ¡°Hate is a good thing in Hell,¡± he replied. ¡°And you are his heir whether you intend to inherit or not. Even should you choose not to rule on Earth, you will serve at his right hand when you find your way to the next world.¡±


    She turned and walked away. This was not a conversation that she wanted to have with Bart. Hell, there wasn¡¯t any conversation that she wanted to have with him.


    Melissa was ring at Bart as Sadie walked away. She knew what he had done as surely as she knew the sun would rise that morning. Terrence was dead because the demon had been ying games. Melissa had been left crumpled and bloody in the ruins of her car because of Bart, and Sadie had been forced to make the decision that had led to this war. Melissa had never been a hateful person in her life, but she wanted Bart gone from this ne of existence, and for the first time she could see herself being responsible for it.


    ¡°What did he want?¡± she growled.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°To worship me, apparently.¡± She was quickly surrounded by her crew, all of whom looked all business. Cameras were shing and a ton of reporters were trying to get close, only to be held at bay by the majority of the Northwestern wolf pack, along with bikers and a number of . . . goblins?


    ¡°Where¡¯d the goblinse from?¡± Sadie asked. The squat creatures weren¡¯t known for being organized fighters, thought they could be really nasty when backed into a corner.


    ¡°We called some folk,¡± came a voice near the circle. It was Marge, the goblin waitress/co-owner of ¡°Roll the Bones.¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you doing here?¡± Sadie asked, grinning in spite of the situation. She liked the sass-mouthed waitress.


    ¡°Lady, you¡¯ve been paying attention to the little people since you got here, makin¡¯ sure they¡¯s taken care of. Time for us little people to watch your back.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this,¡± Sadie said, looking at the goblins interspersed amongst her impromptu guard.

 594

    ¡°Goblins never HAVE to do anything that they don¡¯t want to,¡± Marge said, then held up a little brown bag. ¡°Made ya some fresh rolls. Shouldn¡¯t face the apocalypse on an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡®How can a woman seven thousand years younger than me act like a mother?¡¯ Sadie thought, taking the bag and kissing the goblin on the head. d was at her side instantly. She smiled and handed him a bit of baked heaven while she scarfed down another. ¡°Mmmh,¡± she moaned happily.


    Mel came over, but she wasn¡¯t interested in food. ¡°Sadie, they¡¯ve been holed up in there for an hour. Solomon¡¯s got most of the Rampart on the shields, but not all of them, and what¡¯s left of his Blood Brood is inside too.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t ept the challenge for him,¡± Sadie said. ¡°They can¡¯t enter the circle once the challenge has begun. I know he¡¯s up to something, but I¡¯ll be damned if I can say what it is.¡±


    Mel kissed her creator¡¯s forehead, then a brief but warm kiss on the lips. Mary would forgive her this one indiscretion. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than anyone I know, and you¡¯re a survivor. You¡¯ll figure out how to win this. I know you will.¡±


    Lord Frost had walked out to the center of the circle, looking like he was preparing to make an announcement.


    ¡°Arrogant bastard,¡± Sadie said. ¡°He isn¡¯t the master of ceremonies here.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Frost¡¯s voice boomed out, hushing the enormous crowd to silence, ¡°tonight, the Devil incarnate has returned from the grave to challenge the Blood Saint of the vampires ¨C¡±


    ¡°h h h,¡± d growled. ¡°He¡¯s just trying the crowd against you again.¡±


    ¡°The energy of the crowd can be a weapon,¡± Sadie replied. ¡°Many a king were toppled by an angry mob.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to get your message out there.¡±


    She nodded, turning to Melissa. ¡°So what do you think? Want to be my spokesperson?¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡± Mel yipped. ¡°I¡¯m a horrible public speaker and ¨C¡±


    ¡°You are perfect,¡± Sadie said, taking her daughter¡¯s hands. ¡°You believe in me, and that means something. Don¡¯t be intimidated by Frost. He may be older than you, but you are of MY blood, and don¡¯t forget that. You can be just as powerful as him, maybe moreso. I need whoever speaks for me to speak from the heart, even if that heart is dead.¡± Sadie returned the kiss from earlier. ¡°Mary chose you not because you were weak but because you were strong enough to withstand anything. I believe in your strength too.¡±


    Mel turned back to Frost, who was just finishing up his speech, reciting the great Lie . . . the story of Eve¡¯s betrayal of Adam and Solomon. It raise the hair on her necks to think of the pain and scorn that her friend had endured in silence for so long. Without looking back, she walked towards the center, the magical shield allowing her to slip by. She was terrified, but she wasn¡¯t going to let Sadie down.


    On the outskirts of the circles, she saw many blue glows. The wraiths wanted to get closer . . . to kill Solomon, but they were being held at bay by hordes of witches. One wraith seemed less animalistic than the rest, and her eyes followed every step Melissa made. Mary even raised her hand to her heart then her lips, finally pointing at Mel.


    ¡°You¡¯re in way over your head little girl,¡± Frost snarled under his breath, pushing down on her with his presence. He looked somewhat shocked when all she did was smile in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try parlor tricks on me old man. My mother is the mother of us all, and I look forward to her punishing you for you insolence.¡± Then she turned her back on him. ¡°To all those in attendance here and those watching from afar, I have a far different story to tell.¡± Her voice carried like music through the air, surprising even herself. She could do this. She WOULD do this. ¡°Since many great civilizations now long gone were nothing but a dream of the future, a great Lie has been told by Solomon and by people like Lord Frost.¡± Sheunched into the truth that Sadie had described to her, leaving nothing out. Some would be embarrassing to Sadie and some would be graphic, but she wanted the mob to know the real woman . . . the beautiful creature who had suffered for the mortal world and suffered still. When Frost had finished his speech, the crowd had seemed suspicious of Sadie . . . of Eve. Now, a bnce had been formed.


    Frost and Melissa, having spoken their respective pieces, headed towards the edge of the circle again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay dearly for this,¡± Frost muttered.


    ¡°When Solomon is gone, you¡¯ll be the one left at the table holding the check,¡± Melissa replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy putting you in your ce,¡± Frost said. ¡°At my feet, begging my forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d just as soon rip your heart out through your asshole.¡± Melissa wanted to hurt him, Bart may have started her problems, but Frost was the one who ordered Dazza to do it. She didn¡¯t know if Frost had done it himself, but she was sure he was responsible for Terrence¡¯s death. ¡°But I think I¡¯ll let HER do it,¡± she added, ncing over her shoulder at Sadie who was taking the field, ¡°after she¡¯s done ripping Solomon apart.¡±


    Frost smiled, and it made Melissa more nervous than she could say. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be betting on that if I were you.¡±


    ¡®Damn it,¡¯ she thought as she stepped out of the circle, ¡®What are they up to?¡¯


    d gave Sadie a quick but well formed kiss before she passedpletely over into the challenge area. Again, it probably wasn¡¯t the wisest thing to be disying affection in front of the cameras, but she wanted to know the taste of him before the fight. A reminder of what she would win. Then she put him behind her and walked on alone.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Solomon emerged from the canvas cave where she had sensed him. He dressed this time in ck robes and was smiling from ear to ear. Sadie had never heard of him wearing anything but red or white, but she didn¡¯t know the significance of the change. Around them, the magical dome seemed to shift, taking on the consistency of ss. No one else coulde in now. It was as it had begun . . . Eve and Solomon.


    ¡°So my love, what name shall I call you?¡± Solomon crooned, using that voice of his. Sadie wasn¡¯t sure if he was actually trying to affect her or he couldn¡¯t help himself. It wasn¡¯t working regardless . . . mostly. She remembered the first time that voice had whispered in her ear after losing her virginity all that time ago. It had been so magical, to her at least.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t call me your ¡®love,¡¯ it doesn¡¯t really matter does it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had many names I suspect, but I shall call you Eve. Though if you want, I can call you MINE again. We don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Oh I think we do,¡± Eve said calmly. ¡°You can fool the rest of them, but we both know what happened on the ground of your ¡®paradise.¡¯ We know what Adam did to me . . . what YOU did to me. We know who made who here, and we know that you¡¯re just a pretender.¡±


    Solomon¡¯s face glowed with a pure kind of anger. ¡°You were as much a fool then as you are now. All the power that you could have had and still could, yet you live in . . . in some metal tube and cavort with the lowest of all life forms. You take some desk clerk and make her one of us?¡±


    ¡°Your sister will make a better vampire than you ever could,¡± Eve replied. ¡°And as for the lower life forms, they have more life and heart and passion than you could imagine. Unlike you, they deserve the love I offer them. Unlike you, they ept it. I would¡¯ve given you the world once,¡± she whispered, but more out of nostalgia than weakness. ¡°Now, I will take it from you, and salt the earth so that you will nevere back. You should have made sure I had died my second death on that beach.¡±


    ¡°I should have done many things,¡± Solomon said, cracking his neck in one direction and then the other. For a moment, he almost sounded . . . regretful? ¡°But it is toote to change the past. It is toote to stop me Eve. You have no chance here.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You never did respect my power,¡± she said. ¡°That will change now.¡± She raised her head and shoulders high. ¡°Solomon, you have betrayed me, your creator and mother of our race. You have lied to those you have Turned, and you have lied to the mortal races. What you seek is sphemous in my eyes, and now it must stop. I challenge you to a dual to the death. The eternal embrace of darkness is all that is left to you.¡±


    ¡°Not quite all,¡± he said, his grin now genuinely evil. With that, he struck her . . . hard. She went flying thirty feet through the air, striking the side of the dome.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± d shouted. ¡®There¡¯s no way he should be able to have done that!¡¯


    That was the same thought that was shooting through Sadie¡¯s pain-wracked mind. That had been too fast, and he hit harder than she had ever imagined. Where did he find that kind of power? She didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it, as Solomon was charging forward, his elbowing for her neck. Sheunched upward, her wings carrying her over his head as she kicked him in the bloody cut over his eye, then another kick in the back of his head as shended on the other side. Whatever his power level was doing, she was still a better fighter. She had served in more militaries and on more police forces than Solomon could imagine.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Clever,¡± Solomon said, turning around. He didn¡¯t seemed to be to badly effected, and those had been some hard kicks. ¡°Clever won¡¯t save you. Submit now, and I will be merciful. You will have to be punished of course and renounce your side of the story ¨C¡±


    Eve did a spinning back kick, but Solomon caught her foot and shoved her away. She was able to catch her bnce using her wings, but her opponent was right behind her. He punched her once in the lower back, and she was afraid he might have ruptured something. True, she didn¡¯t really need her kidneys anymore, but it still hurt like a son of a bitch. She copsed onto the ground and heard Solomon approaching from behind. She braced herself on her forearms and mule-kicked him in the stomach with both feet. That made him stagger backward while she regained her footing, but then he just kepting.


    ¡®That¡¯s not possible,¡¯ she thought. ¡®He¡¯s not even bothered.¡¯ As he took another step, she noticed that his robe has slipped a little, and there were marks on his chest . . . marks that appeared to be drawn in blood. She snarled.

 595

    ¡°Blood magic?!¡± she shouted at him. ¡°You coward!¡±


    Solomons made a tisking noise as he swung and she dodged. ¡°The stakes are too high to leave this to chance my love. You should have taken my offer.¡± He swung again, this time hitting her shoulder and causing her to spin.


    She had to expose him and she knew it. If she could, he would be exposed as a coward and a cheat even if he killed her. Blood magic was taboo, even amongst the vampires. Only dark witches could . . . ¡®The Blood Rampart,¡¯ she thought. ¡®They must have done this.¡¯ She was backhanded across the face, sending blood sttering from her mouth and she went spinning to the ground.


    Melissa was terrified. This wasn¡¯t how she thought this would go at all. She watched on as Solomon began to demolish Mel¡¯s creator . . . hell, his own creator, and she didn¡¯t seem to be fighting back. It was as if she was waiting for something. Melissa could feel something in the back of her mind, something that Sadie was afraid of.


    ¡°She knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± she muttered. She looked around and saw Grom, who looked pretty nervous. ¡°Grom, she knows why he¡¯s so strong, but I can tell the specifics. How could you boost a vampires power?!¡±


    The police captain shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Could just be that he¡¯s more bad-ass than we thought, or could be a bunch of reasons. Even drugs can work on vamps if you find the right ones.¡±


    She turned back to watch Sadie fight a defensive battle, which against Solomon meant a losing battle.


    ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve made more of a fight of it than this,¡± Solomon said, moving in again. Sadie was sitting t on her ass, bleeding from her mouth, cuts on her face, and one of her eyes was swelling shut. He yanked her up by the vest, holding her two feet off the ground. ¡°Submit,¡± he whispered. Even then, he felt her blood calling to him and reminding him of the flesh he had once enjoyed . . . reminding him of who made him and ¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that on purpose?!¡± he belted. She had been drawing him in for some reason.


    Without warning, his opponent found some life left in her. She grabbed the front of his robe and ripped it open and then spun him toward the crowed were her allies stood.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Grom shouted. He looked at Melissa. ¡°Blood magic! Solomon fed off something powerful and then had it magically linked to him!¡±


    ¡°Fed off what?!¡± she replied. She realized that she was more angry than scared now. There was no honor in the man. ¡®When did I start caring about honor?¡¯ she wondered. She smiled slightly. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s more of Sadie in me than I thought.¡¯


    d looked enraged. ¡°If we cut off the power?¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯s just his normal self,¡± Grom said. ¡°But we don¡¯t know where they are. And Sadie¡¯s already weakened.¡±


    d cocked an eyebrow. ¡°How far away can the blood source be?¡±


    ¡°Not far. The connection grows weaker with distance.¡±


    d looked directly at the pavillion. ¡°Has anyone seen his Blood Brood since this started?¡±


    Grom stared. ¡°Crap, that would be bad. He still has four of them, and all of them are at least two thousand years old. That¡¯s a shitload of power!¡±


    ¡°Devlin!¡± the alpha wolf growled, looking around until he saw the young officer. ¡°If they¡¯re viting the rules of the challenge ¨C¡±


    ¡°Then all bets are off. Solomon¡¯s life is forfeit.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t do us a lot of good if he kills Sadie anyway. Let everyone on both sides know what those marks mean!¡± he shouted at everyone nearby. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take out his Solomon¡¯s food supply!¡±


    d¡¯s nephew Todd stepped up. ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± he said. ¡°Sadie¡¯s more one of us than one of them anyway.¡±


    ¡°If you get killed, don¡¯t tell your mother,¡± he said. But he was pleased with the young man. He¡¯d be a great leader some day.


    ¡°I¡¯m in too,¡± Ivan said.


    Fitzpatrick stepped forward, pulling wands from under his belt. With that Irish ent, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give them witches of ¡®is somethin¡¯ to worry ¡¯bout.¡±


    Several other wolves, goblins, and humans stepped forward. Sadie had a lot of friends.


    d looked at Grom. ¡°You need to stay neutral. Get with the national guard and be ready to stop the riot.¡±


    ¡°What riot?¡±


    ¡°The one I¡¯m going to start.¡± d looked at Mel. ¡°You in?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°In a bit. I think I know something that will help Sadie.¡± Then she vanished into the crowd, an evil gleam in her eye.


    Inside the dome, the Blood Saint was furious beyond words. He knew that if anyone saw the symbols on his chest that he was a marked man. He hated this woman. Hell, he¡¯d barely even liked her when she gave up her sex to him, but she¡¯d been so vulnerable that he couldn¡¯t resist himself.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± he screamed grabbing her by the throat and hurling her into the ground.


    Eve was seeing stars and her throat ached. Hell, everything ached. She¡¯d lost a lot of blood, and Solomon wasn¡¯t even breathing hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to relish ripping your heart out . . . again. I¡¯ll sever your spine, and maybe show you the same gentle touch that Adam did.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    That did it. Sadie had been beaten up, betrayed, and would probably die, but she would not allow this pathetic creature to rape her. She thrust her leg out and kicked him in the testicles. Super-powered or not, that was going to hurt.


    Solomon doubled over, grabbing the family jewels and cursing in anguage that didn¡¯t even exist anymore while Sadie backpedaled, trying to catch her breath.


    Outside, Melissa was seeking out a very particrly quarry. If the other side was going to send in power, then so would she. Finally, she spotted who she was looking for. Rather, she spotted WHAT she was looking for.


    Bart saw Melissa striding towards him, a hungry sway in her walk. She had epted what she was, the daughter of a powerful vampire. She had taken on a sensual quality that few mortals could even approach.


    He grinned. Eve might be off limits to him, but this little strumpet ¡ª


    Bart didn¡¯t even get the thoughtpleted. Melissa pushed him against the dome and grabbed his head, yanking it to one side. For the first time in a long time, Bart was afraid. He was a pure demon but only from the fourth realm. Melissa was effectively the grandchild of the Lord of Blood, and she was so much stronger than he had imagined now. He should have picked his victims more carefully.


    ¡°You told Frost about what Sadie and I were doing,¡± Melissa hissed. ¡°Terrence is dead because of you. And unfortunately for you,¡± she crooned, ¡°so am I.¡± Then she plunged her fangs into his scaly neck and drank deep. She could feel his foul demonic desire rising in his pants, but she was unconcerned with hisfort or release. She just wanted his demonic blood. She drank in his power, and she felt . . . goddess-like. He was different than the human blood she had consumed from those little stic bags. His life-force was pure energy, and it was energy that her creator needed.


    Melissa dropped the prone body to the ground. She wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d live. She was sure that she didn¡¯t care. She stood against the dome, cing her hands on the humming wall of power. She felt her connection to Sadie, one much stronger than the older vampire had ever shared with Solomon. Sadie loved her and Melissa loved her back. Sadie had given Mel eternal life and introduced her to someone she could share that life with. It was time to pay her creator back, and she let her power flow through the channel that connected them.


    ¡°Drink of me,¡± Melissa said, feeling herself returning to her normal but still powerful self.


    About that time, d and his crew busted into Frost¡¯s private security and the proverbial shit hit the fan. Bodies started flying everywhere, guns started going off, and the moon was filled with angry shouts and howling. d was the first one into the pavilion. The remaining members of Solomon¡¯s Blood Brood were sitting a circle of chairs and the were surrounded by witches who were chanting in low, powerful voices. Frost was there too, and he looked angry.


    ¡°Stop them!¡± he shouted at his remaining guards. ¡°No, not you!¡± he said as one of the Blood Brood started to stand. ¡°You need to save your strength for ¨C¡± Frost was promptly speared in the gut by dimir Koloff, and the fight was on in earnest.


    Back outside, Solomon had Sadie back on the ground. He had punched holes in bother her wings and broken her ankle, and all she could do was crawl.


    ¡°This time,¡± he muttered, realizing that he was beginning to feel a little tired for the first time, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you stay dead.¡± He raised one foot and brought it down on her neck . . . almost. She had caught his foot. ¡°Just give up!¡± But when he saw her eyes, he knew that her quitting wasn¡¯t likely to happen.

 596

    Sadie¡¯s eyes were lit up, burning red as the blood her father had imparted on her so long ago. Solomon and Adam would have lived the King of Blood¡¯s dream, but it was Eve who held the power. Somehow, she had gotten the power back.


    ¡°Your sister sends her greetings,¡± Sadie said, her voice practically humming with demonic energy. She may have hated the son of a bitch but, for the moment, she was totally her daddy¡¯s girl. Sadie snapped Solomon¡¯s ankle. ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡±


    Solomon screamed. Even with the juice flowing to him from his bodyguards, that had hurt. He fell backward,nding unceremoniously on his back. To make matters worse, he felt himself growing weaker . . . rapidly. His forehead still bled, but he had nothing replenishing him. He looked towards the pavilion just in time to see one of his Blood Broode flying out and m into the side of the circle. There was an enormous half-form werewolf on top of the vampire guard tearing him to kibbles and bits. ¡°No,¡± he gasped. He looked around and saw Eve crawling towards him. He tried to get away, but she was stronger than him again and caught up, grabbing his broken ankle and making him scream. She crawled up his body as he tried desperately to get away.


    ¡°I gave you something,¡± Sadie growled, her face having reached his abdomen, ¡°a long time ago.¡± She dug her fingers into the flesh of his stomach and grabbing a handful of intestines. She listened to his sweet, sweet scream of agony. ¡°I gave you my heart and my blood,¡± she continued, crawling further up his body. He was iling at her, but she know longer felt his blows. She did catch one of his arms and break it at the elbow, making him scream again. ¡°Now,¡± she whispered directly into his ear, ¡°I want them back.¡±


    Solomon had never imagined it ending like this. He actually saw Eve plunge her hand into his chest and grab his lifeless heart. He tried to scream, but he had no air left. When she plunged her fangs into his neck, he didn¡¯t even have his blood anymore. She was taking everything from him.


    The crowd quieted as she made her way to her feet. She hobbled on one leg, but she still managed to stand tall and proud. The magical circle came tumbling down. Solomon was dead, hisst blood dripping from Sadie¡¯s lips.


    ¡°My name,¡± she started, her voice growing in strength, ¡°is Sadie Hewitt.¡± She saw Melissa rushing forward to support her, that beautiful woman who had given her the strength she needed. ¡°You may know me as Eve, but I haven¡¯t gone by that name since before any of you were born. Some have called me the Betrayer, but the true Betrayerys dead at my feet.¡± She extended her presence to engulf the crowd. ¡°Know the truth of me.¡± Her voice boomed like thunder, sweeping through the onlookers like a flood. All cameras turned toward her, all microphones listened. The world would finally know.


    ¡°Liar!¡± came a gargled shout from off to one side. Lord Frost stumbled forward, injured in the battle with d and his men. d ignored him, moving to stand beside the woman who had awoken a passion in him, kissing her on the cheek. The three of them stared down the fallen vampire lord as he stood in front of the throng, making onest attempt to save himself. The Blood Brood had been torn apart and the Rampart dismantled. Frost¡¯s allies were gone.


    ¡°You have no proof!¡± he shouted. ¡°The only other witness to what happened is dead at your feet, conveniently silenced!¡±


    ¡°There is nothing convenient about what happened here today,¡± Sadie said. She saw that Devlin, Fitzpatrick and the rest of the werewolves had joined her in the middle of the circle, as had Marge and the human Tommy. Frost was conspicuously still alone.


    ¡°I denounce you!¡± Frost bellowed, looking around desperately for someone who might still listen. ¡°You ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± Melissa said, walking forward and belting him in the face. Frost went flying, as Mel was still hopped up on demon blood. ¡°You wanted her to take her ce in the vampire hierarchy,¡± she said, pointed at Sadie, ¡°well she just damn well did. You betrayed the mother of us all! You broke the rules of challenge by letting Solomon use outside help. I¡¯m pretty damn sure that you¡¯re responsible for the death of Terrence McDermott, and I¡¯m damned sure you¡¯re responsible for me getting killed!¡± Melissa had worked up tremendous rage, and this time she was feeding it. She hated Frost for what he had done to her and to Sadie and to Terrence and to the entire vampire race. She hated him for who he was and had been.


    Frost was just staring at her. He was thousands of years older than her, but he couldn¡¯t touch her power . . . her anger . . . her need for ¡ª


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he whispered, noticing for the first time that the light around him had begun to glow blue. The air swirled and took form. It mere moments, he was surround by wraiths. The shield had fallen, and there was nothing to keep them out. Solomon was dead, but vengeance had been called for against someone else . . . Frost.


    ¡°For everything you have done and for every person you have hurt,¡± Melissa muttered, her mind and vision clouded with rage, ¡°I call for vengeance.¡±


    Sadie thought that Solomon¡¯s screams had been sweet, but Frost¡¯s were just the icing on the cake. He was surrounded by those angry spirits, and soon there wasn¡¯t enough left of him to fill a thimble. The wraiths were good at what they did. Frost was dead, and no one could do anything about it.


    This time, it was Devlin who spoke up. He looked at Sadie and then Melissa, then at the crowd. ¡°The wraiths have spoken,¡± he said, his voice cracking at first but gaining strength. ¡°Since time¡¯s beginning, the wraiths have always sided with the just. So who will you believe now?¡±


    d left the speeches and rallying to the others. He lifted Sadie up off her good food and carried her towards his waiting vehicle. His lips rarely strayed from hers as he ced her gently in the back seat. She was exhausted. She had seven thousand years of hurt and heartache that she had just unloaded, and that was a lot for anyone to bear, even the mother of all vampires. The werewolves, many of whom were walking wounded but still walking with pride, cleared the cameras and screaming onlookers away. Melissa came over to the car.


    ¡°Going with us?¡± d asked.


    Mel smiled. ¡°I think so. For a while anyway. Once Mary gets the rest of Frost out of her teeth, I think she¡¯ll want to spend some quiet time together.¡± She got into the back seat next to Sadie and pulled the battered goddess into her arms,forting her and lending her strength. ¡°For now ¨C¡± She left it at that.


    Frankenstein and his bikers, with the blessings of the Gravestones Police Department, escorted the weary warrior home for some long overdue peace and quiet.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two monthster . . .


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You would think that few would want to brave a cold northwestern night for New Year¡¯s Eve party, but the crowd around the recently purchased home of Sadie Hewitt was enormous. Shortly after her victory over Solomon, Sadie had realized that she had finally found a ce she could settle down for more than a couple of years and gone looking for a more permanent residence. She had bought a house in New Plymouth,plete with four bedrooms, an enormous kitchen, and a master bathroom to die for. Oh, and a finished basement that was perfect for its nocturnal upants. It was also right across the street from Mary¡¯s. That made the poption of New Plymouth . . . four. Melissa had thrown herself into the role of ¡°servant¡± for her wraith mistress, and both of them were ecstatic about it.


    d hade home with Sadie that night and had simply never left. His clothes shared her closet, his toothbrush was in her bathroom, and he showed no sign of wanting to leave. Which was good, because Sadie would have been forced to hunt him down if he tried to escape.


    Sadie had recovered from her wounds in about a month, during which time she was officially fired as being an Arbiter. She didn¡¯t hold a grudge against the Bureau, seeing as they could have technically put her in jail for lying to them. Besides, she was far too well known to do undercover work ever again, and having a walking religious icon tended to make thingsplicated for the Arbiters. So she had officially joined the Gravestones Police Department. They even let her keep her guns.


    Over the world, vampire society was in chaos. Up was now down, and ck was now white, and no one knew how to make sense of it. Many vampires had gone underground, fearing reprisal from the mortal races for what Solomon had decided to do, while others simply kicked back and waited to see the fallout. A few had been unable to cope with the notion that the quintessential evil of vampire legend was actually their creator and savior, and had taken their second deaths upon them. That had made Sadie sad, but she had no control over them.


    Many vampires had flocked to Midian over thest few months as their personal Ma, with some of the leaders of the great houses seeking audiences with Sadie. She had wanted to blow them off, but d and Mel had convinced her that she couldn¡¯t run from this responsibility unless she wanted to risk someone else like Frost stepping in to the fill the power void. So she made time every weekday to meet with those of the vampire race who were just trying to understand what had happened. It turned out that they weren¡¯t all bad. And her living across the street from a wraith made them all behave themselves.


    She smiled when she thought about ¡°good¡± vampires. There were at least two that she could say with pride were her immortal brethren . . . her children Melissa Neron and Matt Devlin. Devlin had still wanted toe over to the darkworld, and he has shown such promise and courage under fire that she had brought him over with open arms. Laying beneath the earth still freaked her out, but Devlin behaved himself, though he promised that he was going to brag to his friends about the ¡°hot babe¡± that he¡¯d slept with. He wouldn¡¯t name names, of course.


    Devlin was the new keeper of the Book of Names, by order of Sadie. It turned out that he was a sharp mind and a history buff, so he was also the official historian of the vampire race. He got a stipend from the World Vampire Council that allowed him to quit the police department and travel the world, getting more than the names of the vampires but their stories as well. He hade back to town for New Years Eve, to spend it with his creator and, for all intents and purposes, his new sister.


    Sadie had been part of many things over the years, but this was the first time she could remember having a family. Mary had be like her own sister, Melissa her daughter and best friend, Devlin her overly geeky son, and d . . . Mmh, it warmed her in her naughty ces to think about HIS role in her life. He actually had held a pack meeting at their new residence together, to emphasize to his friends, family, and followers that Sadie was part of his life and would be for a long time. The sex after that meeting had been fabulous.


    Frost and his crowd were gone or hiding. Mayor Jefferson and Senator Trefauld had been thrust into public scrutiny and were in the process of being recalled. The United States Government and other foreign powers were interacting with Sadie to try and wrap their minds around the apparent coup attempt and to establish new rules. Sadie hated being in charge of political crap.

 597

    She looked around the party, seeing Frankensteinughing it up with d. Her lover was exining the details of his divorce and getting a lot of sympathy from the testosteroneden portion of the crowd. And his sister, who had never liked Teresa anyway. d¡¯s nephew Todd, with a girl on each arm, was talking with Tommy, who had fully recovered his mind and was getting offers from psychologists around the country to lecture on what going insane had been like. He was going to be just fine. Mary and Melissa were making googly eyes at each other, and Mel seemed to be blushing a lot. They had a ¡°y room¡± in the basement of Mary¡¯s house where they would often disappear for hours, leaving both wholly satisfied.


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ Sadie thought, watching the smooth and sensual grace that Mel moved with, ¡®she is smoking hot. Mary SO owes me for making her a vamp.¡¯ About that time, Mary noticed that she was being stared at, and she gave Sadie a warm and grateful smile. She understood and appreciated the gift that was Melissa.


    For the evening, Sadie had pulled her wings back into her body, making it easier to navigate the crowds. She didn¡¯t mind so much, since she knew she could unfurl them anytime. She never had to hide again. Slowly she made her way to the edge of the crowd, looking up at the quarter moon and the endless stars, seeing them in a whole new way. And she felt a presence approaching her from behind. It was strong, warm, and smelled of pine trees and winter winds, and it wrapped her up in powerful arms.


    ¡°This is your party,¡± d said softly, kissing her on the neck just behind her ear. He had spent a lot of time learning what made her tick, and was delighted by how many ways he could make her purr. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been enjoying it,¡± she said, running her hands over his forearms. ¡°Can you believe how many people are talking to Mary? I love this town!¡±


    ¡°She and the wraiths stepped up big time,¡± he replied. They both looked over to where Anya had Mary cornered in order to find out how she got herndscaping so perfect. The wraith had a lot of free time on her hands before Sadie entered her life, and was quite apetent home improvement guru. ¡°She promised to help install that hot-tub.¡± Sadie red at him. ¡°You ARE going to keep it cleaned right? Get that hair out of the filter?¡± She wasn¡¯t a big fan of water anyway, but he really wanted one.


    ¡°I promised I would, didn¡¯t I?¡± He kissed her again. ¡°Besides, the possibilities ¨C¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°I am quite aware of the possibilities having a hot-tub provides,¡± she crooned. Damn, she wanted to throw him down on the ground and make love to him right then, but they had guests. She sighed. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it, ya know? This is the first time in seven thousand years I¡¯ve weed a new year as . . . me. Yeah, maybe my name is only one-hundred and twenty years old, but everyone knows it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Any regrets?¡±


    ¡°Besides the pronouncedck of privacy, getting fired from a job, being worshiped as a goddess and the devil at the same time ¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re loving it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She turned her head and kissed his lips. ¡°Could be worse.¡±


    In a few moments, a new year would dawn and she would be surrounded by friends. She would kiss d again, hug her children and her neighbor and all those who had walked through hell on earth with her, and then she spend the night with a man who epassed all the passion that mortality gave. She promised herself she wouldn¡¯t wait another seven thousand years after dieing before she started living again.


    ¡°Deep thoughts can wait until next year,¡± d said sternly, picking Sadie up and carrying her back into the party. Sadie started humming an old Jimmy Buffett tune, and soon d was singing along. Badly off key, but no one seemed to care. It wasn¡¯t long before ¡°Cheesburger in Paradise¡± had taken the ce of ¡°Auld Lang Syne,¡± the traditional New Years Eve song. There was energy in the air, ripe with the promise of starting over. And when d and Sadie kissed again at the stroke of midnight, the only fireworks being seen weren¡¯t in the New Year¡¯s sky.

 598-The Rebirth Of a Hero. (Erotica)

    New Story Title: The Rebirth Of a Hero. (Erotica)


    Summary: A Modern hero makes a noble sacrifice and for his valor is presented an opportunity in a new world. Danger, magic, and love lurk in this new world and he finds things very different than what he is used to.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Enjoy¡­


    >>>>>>>>>>>


    The middle eastern sun beat down on the desert as the single cloud mocked those below by refusing to grant even a single speck of usable shade. High in the mountains apound swarming with those who the West considered extremists, armed to the teeth with weapons procured in a variety of methods of questionable legality. Captives, mostly women, were moved to a holding cell as men were lined up to be forced to join or die. Walking proudly among them, safe in his stronghold, Moghadam, one of the top leaders of the military group, looked over the new recruits.


    Unbenounced to these militarized men using a thin religious patina to be petty tyrants, death was moving in. Although outnumbered almost two to one, US special forces moved in on thepound.


    Moghadam began yelling in Arabic at the captive men, and his firing squadughed at the kneeling bound men. I picked up a few words, but my Arabic wasn¡¯t the greatest. I was quick to pick upnguages, but I hadn¡¯t been in country quite long enough to be fluent.


    I pressed the button to activate myms, ¡°Hitman, you ready?¡±


    Hitman was the team marksman, and would be our opening shot. If he could take out Moghadam then our mission was a sess and any other military extremist we put in the dirt would be perks. It had taken six months of hard work lining up this mission. Moghadam was a ruthless killer and letting him escape could condemn hundreds to death.


    ¡°Hitman is on target.¡±


    ¡°Ready to engage. Hitman, begin when ready.¡±


    Moghadam grabbed a rifle and went to shoot one of the kneeling men, probably to make an example for the rest. As he raised the rifle, a single shot rang out and instead of the kneeling man, Moghadam dropped to his knees, then fell on his back.


    Chaos erupted in theplex, the kneeling man rose to their feet and ran to flee, their hands still bound behind their backs. Spread around the ridge the members of my squad began raining lead down on these absolute despicable examples of the human race. Though outnumbered, we quickly pressed the advantage of surprise and brought the number of visiblebatants down. Adrenaline flooded my system as I moved from target to target, utilizing my sniper training to take out targets with precision as several members of the team provided suppressing fire.


    Within moments, all movement within thepound ceased.


    ¡°Beetle, give us eyes.¡± I ordered.


    The scouting drones we carried rose into the air, zipping down into thepound. Three operators covered Beetle, named for the way the headset made him look, as he maneuvered the drone to ensure there weren¡¯t pockets of hidden resistance.


    The minutes crept on.


    ¡°All quiet, prepare to move in.¡± Beetle reported.


    ¡°Marksmen, maintain positions. Liberation team, move in.¡±


    Two three-man teams moved down to thepound.


    ¡°All hostiles confirmed cold. Proceeding to the liberation of captives.¡± Pyro called overms.


    The mission was a sess.


    ¡°Congrattions boys, we live to die another day.¡± I called overms. ¡°Keep eyes out, just because we took out the present hostiles doesn¡¯t mean more can¡¯t show up.¡±


    Four hourster we were extracted back to base.


    As safe as we could be while deployed we tried to rx.


    ¡°Nice job, Wolfhound.¡± My friend, Jacob, codenamed Cleric because he was our medic and was infamous for being a nerd and loving his Dungeons and Dragons, always trying to recruit team members to y with him.


    ¡°Kept you sitting on your thumbs, Cleric.¡± I smirked. Anytime the medics were bored was good, no one wanted injuries on the squad. ¡°You coulda brought your wife to sit on your face, woulda been just as useful, would have boosted moral as the squad got a show.¡±


    Clericughed, as did Hot-Rod (our field mechanic) and Buster (demolitions with Pyro). Cleric¡¯s wife was freaking hot, and had been hot through her pregnancy and bounced back like a champ. And while oftentimes, service members would be worried about infidelity while deployed Cleric wasn¡¯t worried. His wife was the most faithful woman I¡¯d ever met and had thought he was the best man in the world, even with the birth-control goggles he¡¯d had to wear through basic training. We teased him about his trophy wife, but we all knew we were jealous. Many of us had no idea what we¡¯d do when we got out of the services, but Cleric would just transition from military medical to civilian medical with no debt because the military had paid for his schooling.


    Jacob and I went way back. When my dad had offed himself while I was in Middle School, Jacob and his family had been my support circle. When my mom got cancer, and was dying in the hospital for my high school graduation, Jacob¡¯s family had been the ones to bring me congrattions and had supported me. We¡¯d enlisted together, been assigned to the same unit, gotten promoted together, epted to the special forces together and now I led his unit.


    I¡¯d promised his mother that I¡¯d die before I came home without him, and I¡¯d meant it. While my deployed paycheck was nice, if I died no one would really miss me. I didn¡¯t have any rtives, excluding some like 3rd or 4th cousins like two times removed or some such bullshit. Cleric had a wife who lived for him, and a 2 month old little girl that I was not about to let go fatherless.


    ¡°Wolfhound, don¡¯t getfortable, we got a tip on the Armorer.¡± My superior, codename Silverback, ourmanding officer, intercepted us. ¡°Get your squad together for briefing, you engage in one hour.¡±


    The hair stood on the back of my neck. The Armorer was our codename for the lead arms procurer for these militaristic bastards. We didn¡¯t even have a name or picture, just knew that with him gone the number of arms the extremists were getting would be cut at least in half. Having just taken down the Executioner, having the Armorer pop up was too good to be true.


    ¡°We sure this isn¡¯t a trap?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Too much of a risk to pass up.¡± Silverback dered.


    We were dropped off near the canyon that was to be our strike point forty-five minutester, with fifteen minutes to get in position.


    ¡°Hot-Rod, cover Beetle. Beetle, give me eyes.¡± I ordered.


    The drone went skyward and most of the unit moved toward our strike point.


    Comms crackled, ¡°The canyon is crawling with assholes. I count 30. I have to ground or I may give us away.¡±


    ¡°Confirmed. Rejoin and we¡¯ll find our engagement point.¡± I growled.


    I didn¡¯t like this.


    ¡°Cleric, stick on me. Hitman, what¡¯s your assessment.¡± I requested.


    As a trained marksman and sniper, just like Hitman, I could pick out where we¡¯d hide ourselves to engage, but having taken up leadership it wasn¡¯t my job anymore. I was to manage and coordinate my operators, if I spent the mental energy doing Hitman¡¯s job it would just hinder my efficiency.


    ¡°10 o¡¯clock. 150 yards out. Secondary ridge.¡± Hitman called.


    ¡°You heard the man. Move.¡± I barked into the radio.


    We crept into position, utilizing natural cover to keep hidden. We had a ridge behind us and we were in the channel between the primary and secondary ridges. Once in position, we peaked with our perioscopes over the edge. The tiny cameras would be impossible to see at distance and it would keep our helmets from showing while giving us visibility.


    ¡°Beetle, you sure on that hostile count?¡± I asked over the radio, seeing only twenty men.


    ¡°100%.¡± Beetle replied.


    Then I saw him. One of the interpreters. Among the hostiles.


    ¡°Fuck, we¡¯ve been setup. Prepare to extract.¡± I cursed.


    Movement on the ridge caught my view.


    ¡°Hostiles above! They have our six!¡± I barked.


    Cleric turned and I saw a turban over the ridge as an RPG pointed our way. I nced at Cleric. This was not happening. He was not going out this way. I coiled my body and used every muscle in my body to push him away. There was no way I¡¯d get him 40 feet away, outside the potential st radius on an RPG, but I aimed him at a crack in the ridge. If I could knock him in there, the terrain would protect him. I made contact and everything seemed to slow down. I heard the click and ignition of the RPG. I heard the rush of the oing rocket. And just before the split second roar of the RPG detonating, I saw Jacob drop between the rocks, his face horrified as he took onest look at his best friend. Then it was all over and my world went ck.

 599

    I wasn¡¯t religious. I knew enough about christian beliefs to hope that they were right and I¡¯d done enough that I¡¯d make it to heaven, but I doubted. I wasn¡¯t special and I hadn¡¯t set foot in a church since my mother¡¯s funeral.


    It took me a little while to realize I was still thinking. I hadn¡¯t expected that after dying. I¡¯d kinda expected there to be just¡­ I don¡¯t know, but nothing. Turns out that wasn¡¯t right.


    It didn¡¯t feel the same. Being dead. It was kinda like being entirely numb, but that wasn¡¯t right. I was used to feeling my body, but now there was no body to feel. Luckily, opening my eyes as a disembodied soul worked the same way as opening the eyes on my body.


    I hung, no, I floated, in the middle of a strange room. I had no body to be affected by gravity, so I just hovered with my feet above the floor. Smooth columns circled the room, and a clear pool sat in the middle of the room, glowing slightly. There were no doors and the only thing in the room was a chair upon which sat a fair woman with golden hair and piercing silver eyes. She wore a white sleeveless robe of sorts, tied around the waist with a golden sash. She seemed bored but intrigued by me. Her robe covered her fully but I could tell at least that she had the right curves to be a woman, and small mounds in the correct ces to be breasts, but something about her wasn¡¯t quite human, but in a mystical and entracing way. Not in a robotic, uncanny valley way.


    ¡°Wee to the afterlife, mortal.¡± The woman greeted me.


    I raised my hand to wave and noticed I could see straight through my hand. I could tell where my hand was but there was no substance to see.


    ¡°Fear not, mortal, this is a ce of peace. A ce of transition. You may be at peace here, warrior.¡± The serene woman told me.


    ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, my voice ethereal and almost alien sounding, though it was still clearly my voice.


    ¡°You have died.¡± She answered simply. ¡°But the time you have been allotted before you return to your creator has not psed. Each man or woman is given an allotment of time to learn and grow during their time on earth, ording to their needs and the needs of those around them. When their time is up, they are called home to their creator, but there are some circumstances where your time on earth has ended, but you are still allotted time before you must return home.¡±


    I looked at her in confusion, ¡°So I am not supposed to be dead yet?¡±


    ¡°It is not so simple as that.¡± The woman exined with a shake of her head. ¡°The creator values the freedom of his children because without that your lives on earth would be meaningless. In his wisdom he perceives the choices you will most likely make, but in all cases he has prepared for your existence to be fulfilled prior to returning to his presence.¡±


    I looked at my barely perceptible translucent form. ¡°So¡­ what am I right now?¡±


    ¡°You are a spirit without a physical body.¡± The female replied.


    ¡°And¡­ What are you?¡± I marveled.


    ¡°I am a servant of the creator. I believe ¡®angel¡¯ is the most urate term you would be familiar with.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Don¡¯t angels have wings?¡± I blurted stupidly.


    She smiled, ¡°Wings are necessary for lesser creatures to fly. As a servant of the creator, if I needed to move, the elements would support me at my will, rendering wings unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I concludedmely. This was new territory. None of my training prepared me for this.


    ¡°Now, before we discuss your additional time, let us resolve your concerns regarding the life you left. Please, look into the pool.¡± She intoned, motioning to the glowing pool.


    I found I could drift forward to the edge of the pool and look in. The water rippled, revealing an overhead view I immediately recognized as the canyon that was the scene of my¡­ my death.


    I watched from an elevated position as the situation unfolded. I pushed Jacob into the gap between rocks and my body disappeared in what was called ¡°the pink mist¡± as the rocket hit my bulletproof vest and detonated.


    Jacob screamed in horror and the rest of the unit did as they were trained. Hot-Rod took out the man who had shot the rocket. The hostiles scrambled, but once the initial surprise was over my unit was far better trained and more capable. They didn¡¯t move to push in further, but extracted as I had ordered. There was nothing left of me to return, except my rifle which Jacob grabbed.


    I watched them safely get back to base. I don¡¯t know how long I watched, but I saw the deployment end and my unit return to the States. I saw Jacob tell his family about what had happened. They were the ones who received my honors and since I had named Jacob as the recipient of my life insurance policy they were set up. I saw the nice tombstone Jacob had ced for me, next to my parents. And I got to see the life I had bought for Jacob. He lived a long and healthy life, bing a surgeon and saved countless lives. His wife stayed by his side and they had five children.


    When the pool rippled and returned to stillness I felt peace. I would cry, if I had eyes to produce tears. I knew I had made the right decision. My life wouldn¡¯t have been half as beautiful and impactful. I backed away from the pool.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your sacrifice has earned you a rare honor.¡± The angel gently informed me.


    ¡°Oh? What is that?¡± I sulked, only slightly off put that knowing the beautiful life Jacob had lived that I hadn¡¯t been able to share it with him. We could have been friends to our old age.


    ¡°The creator has made allowances for his children who pass before their time due to heroism or great sacrifice to be permitted a second existence in the realms of other divinities, as champions and chosen representatives.¡± The angel exined.


    I looked up at her, ¡°What?¡± I¡¯d heard stories like this. Jacob liked things like this and kept trying to get me to watch shows or read books about plots like this. ¡°A second existence, like being reborn?¡±


    The angel held her hands out, ¡°Depends on the realm your second existence would be on. Some realms you would be reborn on, others you would be given a new body and be called forth by users of mystic arts.¡±


    I gaped. I had heard of this before. Cleric had talked about stories in anime. ¡°Wait, of all the religions of the world¡­ the WEEBS were right about the afterlife?¡±


    The angel chuckled, ¡°Not quite, but the diverse nature of the afterlife means that many belief systems have some degree of uracy. In your rare circumstances, the idea of such an existence has been nted in the minds of storytellers for ages to prepare the spirits of such men and women worthy of it to receive such a blessing.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯d be a soldier again, fighting in another world with who knows what going on?¡± I summed it up.


    ¡°In a manner, yes. Your skills and desires will likely lead you to conflict, but many of the restrictions and limitations you experienced in your mortal life will no longer hamper you. It is merely an option, if you so choose you may return to the rest you have earned.¡± The angel assured me.


    I was a soldier, it was what I did. I knew old soldiers sometimes said after enough time in the force they were ready to retire. My only concern was, what would I be fighting for?


    ¡°So¡­ If I took up this offer¡­ What would I be fighting for?¡± I asked.


    The angel smiled. A warm, but calcted smile. Like she had known what I would do, or maybe a few options of what I¡¯d do, but I had selected the one she wanted. It was somewhere between unnerving andforting, in a weird way.


    ¡°The world upon which you would live is in many ways different from the world on which you lived.¡± She began, ¡°You have been selected to fulfill a mystic summoning, a call to the Universe for aid.¡±


    ¡°Wait. A Mystic call for aid? Like magic?¡± I rified.


    ¡°Yes, magic ismonce in the world upon which you would be granted a second life.¡± The angel verified. ¡°It is a skill you could learn and develop alongside the skills you would bring from your previous life.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ my previous life as a soldier specialized in marksmanship and sniping, what ce does that have in a world of magic?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Can you think of no way you could be of use to your new people?¡± The angel asked¡­ Was she sassing me?


    A memory jumped to my mind. In my memory, Jacob, his wife Sarah, and I walked out of the theater, after watching a popr movie about a wizard boy fighting a dark wizard.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Jacob exalted in my memory.


    ¡°Eh,¡± I remembered grunting, ¡°A good handgun and that would have been a much shorter movie.¡±


    ¡°sphemy!¡± Jacob had gasped.


    ¡°Maybe not as much as you think.¡± Sarah had agreed, much to my surprise. ¡°After all, the author said the reason the wizards had to be secretive and hidden was that they fought a war with the non-magic folk and lost. Who knows what impact guns really could have had on the story.¡±


    Jacob had wailed, ¡°No! Let me have my fantasies! I want to be a wizard! Can you imagine how amazing it would be to heal wounds with a wave of your hands? To regrow destroyed bones overnight?¡±


    I hadughed in his face, ¡°Dream on, loverboy.¡±


    Coming back to myself, I began to wonder if it really would be that simple for firearms to trump magic. I mean, I knew how firearms were produced, but that would require me to be able to find ways to smith them¡­


    The amused smile spread on the angel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can you read my mind?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, but your thoughts are easily guessed. Now you wonder if the people you would be aiding would be worthy of your aid, and grateful.¡± She replied, and I swear she was teasing me.


    ¡°How¡­ Okay, fine. Yes. That was my next question.¡± I admitted. God, I hated being toyed with.


    ¡°I think you will find the people who¡¯s summons you would answer are good people, though all societies have their problems. And I think you would find them very grateful for your aid and your presence both.¡± Her mirth was bing more and more evident, ruining the image of the impartial arbiter of souls.


    I am sure I was ring at her, despitecking a physical face with which to re. ¡°Since you seem to know everything, what would happen to these good people if I don¡¯t go help them?¡±


    Her face dropped, the impartial arbiter was in ce once again, ¡°They will be exterminated. The survivors will be enved and abused until they sumb to their captors and die.¡±


    I was pretty sure that if I had blood, at this moment, it would have run cold.


    ¡°No one else would help them?¡± I asked in horror.


    The angel spread her hands, ¡°There are infinite summon requests across infinite dimensions and while many summons are filled, some are not. Even if every spirit worthy of such an opportunity epted it, not all summons would be answered. And many such spirits do not ept.¡±

 600

    ¡°So, now I get to be guilty that I condemned an entire poption to death if I don¡¯t ept?¡± I snapped, ¡°Some choice that is.¡±


    The angel shook her head. ¡°This is not a problem of your making. There is no guilt on your part. A man of your skills could solve many problems, but the problems are not yours to solve. You may be at peace regardless of your decisions.¡±


    I thought, ¡°The people I¡¯d be fighting against¡­ Are they good people too?¡±


    The angel contemted for a minute. ¡°No society is perfect, but many of the hallmarks you would consider evil are present in their society. They ept the concepts of very, racial genocide, humanoid sacrifice, indentured servitude enforced through usury. Their society is separated by sex and ss with one sex oppressing the other, even as the society is separated into oppressive sses where those in the top sses use and abuse those in lower sses. ss mobility is difficult when attempting to improve your station, and upper sses often punish the lower sses by lowering their social standing further. So while there may be those who you would consider to be ¡®good¡¯ among them, they would be rare.¡±


    I contemted for a minute, ¡°I always wished I had a partner like Jacob did, a woman I could spend time with, make love to, maybe have kids¡­ would that be possible in this second life?¡±


    The angel smiled, ¡°You will find meeting a member of the opposite sex you enjoy spending time with would not be hard. Nor would it be hard to find lovers. And I think you will find having children a realistic possibility.¡±


    Well, that pretty much covered my bases.


    ¡°So, will I start with a clean te in this new world? Have to learn everything all over again?¡± I asked, I¡¯d made my decision, but it would be nice to know before going.


    ¡°That would render you far less useful to your summoners.¡± The angel exined, shaking her head.


    ¡°And this magic they use, will it be hard to learn?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°You are blessed with the traits that could lead you to being extremelypetent in their mystic arts.¡± She exined.


    I had a thought, ¡°The people aren¡¯t like¡­ green aliens with antennas, right?¡±


    The angel openlyughed, ¡°No, no. You will find them to be simr, and in fact, quietpatible, to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s do it. I ept the offer.¡± I dered.


    ¡°Your remaining time will then be lived out on the world of Elendel.¡± The Angel dered, ¡°Be aware that time is different in different dimensions and when your time hase, you shall return without pain or suffering. This does not grant you immortality, and you may forfeit your time by making foolish decisions. Make wise choices and enjoy your time among your new people.¡±


    Before I could ask further questions I fell to the floor, my feet touching what felt like granite tile on my bare feet. From the bottom of my feet, my flesh returned, unblemished with my scars and sores gone. I stood staring in wonder at my body until I realized I was standing naked in front of a female appearing angel. I looked up at her as I went to cover my manhood.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± The angel bid me, then I was jerked to the center of the room and down into the pool.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Hero from anothernd, I summon thee!¡± A high feminine voice called and I felt myself pulled by a feeling like an invisible hook behind my navel as a pinprick of light grew rapidly to a blinding light. The first thing I felt was the cold air on my naked body, then my feet touched the smooth stone floor and I fell to one knee catching myself with my hand.


    Oh god. I thought, I did a fucking superheronding.


    I stood up, looking around. It was dark, wherever I was. Torches hung from eight stone pirs around the room. The stone floor was rough and uneven. It looked like some sort of temple, though it wasn¡¯t well cared for.


    Then I saw my summoner.


    She, and it was definitely a she, stood before me, wide-eyed and cute. She was short, barely five feet tall, if that. Her dark brown hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. Her face was cute, her eyes were almond shaped but a piercing green, sitting above her high cheekbones, and angr face that led to an acute angled chin. Her skin was fair, and her neck looked thin and delicate as did most of her features. She wore what looked like a heavy cloak of some kind, with a hood over her head, on top of a tight leather tunic and what looked like a cotton shirt. Her leather pants hugged her legs and her boots came up almost to her knees. A sword of all things hung on a belt around her waist, and it looked like she had a quiver of arrows on one shoulder and a strung bow in her hand.


    Having just been told finding a lover wouldn¡¯t be hard, I couldn¡¯t help but admire her feminine qualities. Her breasts weren¡¯t that big, but I¡¯d never been one for double D knockers. Her curves were nice and her thigh gap drew my eyes to her crotch. Overall, she was gorgeous, and absolutely appealing. I hoped that my cock could take a chill pill, seeing how I was just dead moments ago, and I really didn¡¯t want an erection to be the first thing my summoner saw. Regardless, if this was the angel¡¯s way of showing me a potential lover, I wasn¡¯t going toin.


    Damn, I thought, not bad.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    For the first woman I¡¯d seen here, she was a nice specimen.


    It was at that precise moment, as that thought went through my head that I realized I was naked.


    ¡°It worked,¡± the woman breathed, ¡°I can hardly believe it worked. Quickly, you muste with me.¡±


    Well, the angel had said that the people I would be sent to would be good and in need of my help. She seemed urgent and if this was a warzone it would make sense we¡¯d need to move fast.


    I followed as she turned and ran.


    ¡°Not to be insensitive, but uh, is there any chance I could get some clothing somewhere¡­ Hopefully, soon.¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we must get outside and around the hill to where we will have cover before we can stop.¡± Shemented as she led me through winding hallways, already breathing hard.


    Luckily, my time with the special forces had left me with enough calluses on my feet, and the grass once we got outside was soft enough, we got around the ridge with rtive ease.


    ¡°Get down!¡± The woman ordered.


    Like a good soldier, I dove into the ravine as the sound of approaching hoofbeats sounded from the road.


    The woman pulled up a pack and pulled out garments.


    The underwear was weird, consisting of two ovepping pieces that tied together, but I figured it out quickly enough. The pants and shirts were baggy, which made sense as this woman had no apparent way of knowing what my measurements would be, and using ties to hold in ce meant I could tie them a little tighter and make them fit. The socks were pure cotton, not particrly stic, but worked fairly well. The boots were leather, but strangely once I put them on they almost seemed to shrink to fit my feet. They were probably the mostfortable boots I had ever worn, with good grip and seemed to be almost soundless as I stepped.


    ¡°It will have to work for now.¡± She dered.


    The sound of hoofbeats finally passed, it must have been at least a hundred horses.


    She peered over the edge of our small gully, ¡°Good, they¡¯re gone. We make for the trees.¡±


    I followed my femalepanion up out of the gully and away from the road toward the treeline.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Soldiers of Kathra. They sought to stop the summoning, but I was able to arrive in time before them.¡± She exined as we slipped in among the trees.


    Kartha, got it. Those would be the ¡®bad guys¡¯ the angel had mentioned. My warrior blood began to pump. It was kind of exhrating. Death wasn¡¯t even a fear anymore. I¡¯d died once. And I knew it wasn¡¯t anything to be afraid of, though looking at the figure of my femalepanion I had some good reasons to stick around as long as possible.


    We trekked for hours, cutting through the wilderness and over a mountain. The terrain was rough, and mypanion was struggling. Looking at the mountains the rough terrain would prevent moving arge army, especially with any speed. Especially on horseback. You would maim half your horses with the terrain.


    ¡°You have endurance, hero.¡± Mypanion huffed, taking a break.


    ¡°Call me, Thomas.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Tomas.¡± She repeated.


    ¡°Thomas.¡± I reiterated. She¡¯d get it eventually.


    ¡°You may call me Tavorwen.¡± She returned with a smile, and she lowered her hood.


    Her ears stood out from her head, almost two inches out and came to pointed tips. They were long, thin and delicate looking, and one of her ears had a slight notch scared into the flesh near the tip.


    I gaped. ¡°You¡¯re an elf?¡±


    She looked at me confused, ¡°Have you never seen an elf before?¡±


    I almost said, ¡°I watched a movie with elves once.¡± But thought better of it, those were actors portraying elves. They probably weren¡¯t the same thing as the elves from the books or movies, heck, even the elves from the books and movies I¡¯d had minimal contact with weren¡¯t always the same.


    Instead, I exined, ¡°No, where Ie from there are only humans¡­ Are¡­ are there humans here?¡±


    Tavorwen shrugged, ¡°There is a nation far to the south that has humans, but there is much of our world we do not know.¡±


    Okay, world exploration is still a thing here. Humans exist but are a distant thing. I was learning a lot about my new home.


    ¡°Also, um¡­ how do I say this? Magic is not a thing where Ie from. The closest we get is sleight of hand and smoke and mirrors.¡± I informed the she-elf.


    ¡°No magic? No magic at all?¡± It was Tavorwen¡¯s turn to gape. ¡°How do you survive?¡±


    ¡°Science and Technology.¡± I told her.


    She stared at me nkly.


    ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t do science and technology here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°I guess that answers that.¡± I grunted.


    Tavorwen rose, ¡°We need to keep moving.¡±


    In all fairness, it was a hard trek over the mountain, but my fitness and endurance seemed to have stuck with me through my¡­ death.


    Tavorwen looked at me with admiration after her fifth rest stop, ¡°You just don¡¯t stop, do you Tomas?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±


    Tavorwen shook her head, ¡°You hardly rest at all, but you just keep going. Do all men where youe from have such endurance?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Well, I was a soldier, so I¡¯m in pretty good condition. Less well conditioned men might have to rest more.¡±


    She tried not to look at me, but I caught her side-eyeing me as she caught her breath.

 601

    I was enamored with the new world around me. The trees were so different, the birds were different, with different songs and looking at the sky I saw two moons in the sky, one a crescent and the other a three quarter moon. The crescent moon appears more red, and the three-quarter moon was more blue. The air was crisp and clean and tasted of exotic herbs and spices, at least exotic to me.


    Now realizing that Tavorwen was in fact not human, her features seemed even more exotic and enticing. I did worry for her though, a warrior who got so easily exhausted could be at risk on the battlefield. Especially one so physical as to use swords and have a max range as dictated by a bow.


    ¡°What about yourself? Are all elves so easily worn out?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen¡¯s nostrils red, ¡°So easily¡­ I will have you know I¡¯m one of the lead warriors of the Emerald Serpents. My stamina is well above mediocre, in fact it is considered to be good!¡±


    I recoiled in shock at the outburst. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend. I suppose my expectations were based on ack of experience with elves and assuming my human standards applied. My apologies.¡±


    Tavorwen blushed, ¡°I.. uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have snapped.¡±


    She got up and brushed a leaf from her pants, ¡°Well. Let me show you my endurance is notcking. If we push hard we can reach the City of Endless Shade within two days.¡±


    Tavorwen pushed on with renewed determination. As the afternoon pushed on, Tavorwen refused to rest. I could see that our pace was taking a toll on the elven maiden. Her face flushed and sweat ran in rivulets down her neck. Her breath was ragged and hard.


    ¡°You need to rest.¡± I finally told her when her steps became unsteady.


    ¡°No,¡± Tavorwen gasped, ¡°I can go¡­ just as long¡­. as you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you kill yourself for pride.¡± I insisted firmly, ¡°We¡¯re resting.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She panted, falling against a tree and sinking to the ground. ¡°You should eat¡­ before you copse.¡±


    Tavorwen pulled out some jerky and what appeared to be dried bread of some kind, but tasted of fruit and was still supple. She pulled out a waterskin, and we shared the food and water.


    ¡°So¡­ What is this ¡®science¡¯ of your home like?¡± Tavorwen asked as her breathing calmed.


    ¡°Well, we learned how to harness electricity¡­ the force that lighting isposed of¡­ to power all sorts of devices that do everything from transport us at high speeds around the world to helping us preserve food and keep our homes at afortable temperature.¡± I exined. ¡°We even made devices calledputers that can be used to calcte values faster than people were capable of and perform repetitive simple tasks, freeing up manpower to work on moreplex tasks.¡±


    ¡°We can aplish many of those things with magic.¡± Tavorwen exined. ¡°I can see how a people without magic would seek alternate methods though.¡±


    I leaned forward, ¡°How does your magic work? I¡¯m really interested in learning it.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°Here, hold this.¡± Tavorwen held out the now empty waterskin. She held a hand under the waterskin. ¡°Ha qura o talinval.¡± She chanted in a reverent voice.


    The waterskin filled with water, growing heavier in my hand rapidly as it reached full capacity.


    ¡°Amazing.¡± I breathed, ¡°It was even sealed and you didn¡¯t have to let the air out. Did you turn the air into water, or was the air taken out another way?¡±


    Tavorwen shrugged, ¡°I suppose we never really think about that as we use our magic. It works so we don¡¯t¡­ I guess we don¡¯t question it.¡±


    My mind was going a mile a minute.


    ¡°Can you create things other than water with magic?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, creation magic is one of the mostmon forms of magic, known as conjury, or conjuration.¡± Tavorwen answered simply.


    ¡°If I could give you an exactposition, could you make me more of apound?¡± I continued.


    ¡°Like an alchemical mixture?¡± Tavorwen rified, furrowing her brow. ¡°It is simpler than that. If you could simply provide some of the mixture, a conjurer could make more. Like my quiver.¡±


    She unslung her quiver and showed me, ¡°It has fifteen arrows in it. And if I remove one¡­¡± She pulled an arrow from the quiver. ¡°There are still fifteen arrows in the quiver. However, after a minute¡­.¡± The arrow in her hand disappeared. ¡°.. The magic that created the arrow expires and the arrow ceases to exist. This type of magic is far easier than permanent creations, such as the water I created earlier. I can only create small amounts of water, and even our strongest mages can only create so much of any given substance in a day before they are exhausted. Would that aplish what you are thinking of?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I think that would aplish exactly what I want.¡±


    Tavorwen reshouldered her quiver, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    I scratched my chin with the beginnings of stubble. ¡°I have a little bit of an understanding of why I am here. As I understand it, your people are at war, and you asked for help and I was the answer.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°Kathra has made her intentions clear, she means to eradicate my people.¡±


    I nodded, missing something important in her statement, ¡°Hence the Soldiers of Kathra that tried to stop you from summoning me.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t able to make the normally three day journey in two days, because of my stamina, they would have upied the temple before I got there and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to perform the ceremony. They expect me to reach the temple tomorrow with the summoning relic and they probably hope to take it and use it themselves, but I¡¯ve already summoned you. So with any luck, you will be able to turn the tide.¡±


    She bit her lip.


    I noticed the apprehension in her bodynguage. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Tavorwen lowered her head, ¡°Honestly, I¡­¡± She picked up a fallen leaf. ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly what we expected.¡±


    I was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Summoning attempts aremon. Kathra has tried to summon allies from beyond at least 4 times in thest 20 years and we couldn¡¯t stop them, but nothing answered their calls. Thest sessful summoning we have records of was nearly 1, 500 years ago. The summons were answered by a being of fire and water, an elemental it was called, and it was a creature of life and destruction. We thought you¡¯d be a creature of great power, but while physically strong, and possessed of great endurance, you seem¡­ well¡­ Normal.¡± She admitted.


    I sat back. The angel hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about this.


    ¡°What was it like?¡± She pressed, ¡°Being summoned?¡±


    I leaned back on my tree. ¡°Well, it was¡­ strange. On my home world, I guess, I was a soldier, special operations. We were trying to make a difference, removing the most dangerous extremists using the most advanced tactics and tech. My group got betrayed by someone we thought was on our side, and¡­¡± I swallowed, ¡°I took a hit intended for my friend. It wasn¡¯t something that could be survived.¡±


    Tavorwen¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what I was saying.


    ¡°I guess the God of my world decided I deserved a second chance and had an angel that gave me the chance to answer this summons. Said I could make the difference. Told me that this was a good world and that I could learn the magic here. So I epted. And that¡¯s when I appeared in front of you.¡± I told her.


    Tavorwen looked down, her eyes darting back and forth as she thought. ¡°Could you help us make this ¡®tech¡¯ you used?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Not the advanced stuff. Though¡­ if you have someone that could help me, I know enough I could guide them in making me a rifle.¡±


    ¡°Is that the weapon you used?¡± She guessed.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I verified.


    ¡°We can help with that.¡± She assured me. ¡°But I am not sure how that will help. Maybe you can teach us better tactics?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I need more information before that really bes clear.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°That makes sense. To know how to adapt your tactics to our capabilities, you need to know our capabilities.¡±


    ¡°And the capabilities, values and a basic knowledge of your enemies.¡± I asserted.


    ¡°Why would that matter?¡± She retorted. ¡°Are your tactics not universal?¡±


    ¡°Different enemies require different tactics. And finding and exploiting weaknesses is key in conflicts like this.¡± I emphasized, ¡°If the morale of an enemy can be broken, then you can reduce the loss of life on all sides.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just encourage the enemy to build up their forces and returnter?¡± Tavorwen prodded.


    ¡°Depends on your capabilities.¡± I exined, ¡°If your capabilities negate the advantage of numbers, then you can build a peaceful rtionship where hostilities are held at bay by the threat of provoking the dangerous group.¡±


    Tavorwen¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What kind of a threat could be so great?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I almost exined the concept of nuclear weapons, but decided that kind of threat could make me too dangerous an ally, and I had no idea how to make them anyway. ¡°The kind I couldn¡¯t make right away, I supposed.¡±


    Tavorwen seemed to ept that and rx. ¡°You scared me there. We considered the possibility that we could summon an archmage or something, but it was deemed to be worth the risk. I hope you be the ally that we hoped you would.¡±

 602

    She looked at the sky, judging the position of the sun and moons. ¡°We have rested too long, we should get going.¡±


    As the sun set, the temperature cooled from the warm summer day to a cool summer evening. Tavorwen finally stumbled, exhausted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make camp here.¡± She dered, breathing hard.


    ¡°Do you think we are at a safe distance to make a campfire?¡± I asked, unsure of our enemy¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡°Likely, but it isn¡¯t worth the risk.¡± Tavorwen admitted reluctantly. ¡°If Kathra had realized that I already made it to the temple and performed the summoning, she would already be pursuing us.¡±


    This time, I caught it.


    ¡°Wait, this Kathra¡­ is a woman.¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen¡¯s nostrils red, ¡°She is a SHE-ELF. She is no human woman.¡±


    I lifted my hands in surrender, ¡°I meant no offense. I will try to adjust mynguage.¡±


    Tavorwen calmed herself, ¡°I suppose the elves where youe from epted that term.¡±


    I swallowed, ¡°The world that Ie from¡­ didn¡¯t have elves. As far as we are aware, they never existed in my world. All we had were humans. So the terms ¡°men¡± and ¡°women¡± just meant all males and all females.¡±


    Tavorwen gawked, ¡°There is only one species of humanoids on your world? Oh, if only that existed here. We could finally have peace.¡± She was almost reverent at the idea. Then she saw my face.


    ¡°Your world is still at war?¡± Shemented.


    ¡°Yes, even with one species, we have divided ourselves based on national identities and minor differences and still fight one another.¡± I admitted.


    Tavorwen sadly shook her head.


    Then she sat back, bringing out jerky and bread again. ¡°You asked about Kathra, however and I rudely diverted you. Yes, Kathra is a she-elf. She is the leader of the shadow elves. There are six species of elves here on Elendel. I belong to the species known as wood elves, or high elves. There are the sea elves, mountain elves, cloud elves, wild elves, and shadow elves. This is in addition to humans and other species. Though, these other species live far outside the range of our influence.¡±


    She took a bite of the fruity bread. I followed suit and when she finished and swallowed, Tavorwen continued. ¡°The shadow elves lived in the depths of the earth, so while all of the other races of the elves fought, they bided their time. They waited for the opportune moment and then they broke the armies of each of the other races. They waited for thergest battle of our era, and when we were exhausted and injured, even the victorious high elves¡­¡± She said that term with a mix of derision and despair, ¡°they rose from the depths and struck, and their victory was swift and brutal.¡±


    ¡°All of the armies of the surface elves fell before the might of the subterranean elves, while they suffered so few casualties that each could be given a hero¡¯s burial.¡± Tavorwen exined, ¡°The shadow elves built a stronghold and have been trying to finish the work they did on the day of the fall of the high elves. Only our abilities at stealth and the way our homes blend with our environment have kept us from extinction.¡±


    It was about what I¡¯d expected. I had been told the people I was called to help would face extinction without me. Now to figure out my enemy.


    ¡°So these shadow elves¡­ How do they fight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They blend powerful magics, enved beasts of war and skilled soldiers on the battlefield.¡± Tavorwen exined, ¡°On the day of the great massacre, the armies of each elvish people had shed as the other elves sought to overthrow the reigning high elves, each seeking more power and influence for their own people, and the right to oppress the other peoples. We high elves had allowed too much freedom in these other nations, I suppose and the price came due. However, we were strong, confident in our soldiers, and we thought we knew the capabilities of the other peoples. None were unified against us. It was a melee with five nations shing, each striving to be the only victor. We won, soundly, but our resources were spent when the shadow elves joined the fray. They rose from secret caverns and killed all in their path. The rode winged beasts in the air, raining down fell magics upon our peoples where our mages were already exhausted and could not reply. They brought great beasts with thick hides and powerful ws, and used them to break our formations, then used nimble mounted soldiers and versatile infantry to chase down stragglers.¡±


    I nodded. They had some semnce of an air force, heavily armored beasts to break the enemy like tanks back home, and the mounted units and infantry all made sense, tactically.


    ¡°You spoke earlier of breaking an opponent¡¯s morale, this is how we used to function as high elves. We¡¯d keep the other elves in line, attempting to arbitrate and prevent imbnces between our various peoples. The shadow elves care nothing for that. All they desire is death for all those unlike themselves.¡±


    I took what she was saying with a grain of salt. The defeated people rarely spoke kindly of those who had beaten them.


    ¡°How long ago was this masacre?¡± I wondered, I needed a time reference.


    ¡°It feels like yesterday, but it was almost one hundred and fifty years ago now.¡± Shemented, ¡°The youngest of our warriors do not even remember a time when we high elves ruled.¡±


    I almost spat out my bread, but caught myself. That statement told me several things. I now remembered how in a lot of sources, elves lived far longer than humans. A hundred and fifty years and she said she remembers it like it was yesterday.


    ¡°So, were you there for the masacre?¡± I asked, trying to sound casual.


    ¡°I was on another assignment, so I only saw the aftermath.¡± Shemented.


    Confirmed, she was at least a hundred and fifty years old, though who knows how old she was when the event happened. Looking at her, I would have guessed she was in her early twenties as a human.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So, forgive me, how long do elves live, assuming they live to the end of their natural lives?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen looked at me in surprise, ¡°Well, most elves who pass on of old age do so between the ages of two thousand and two hundred years and two thousand and four hundred years.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep the wonder off my face.


    ¡°Why? How long do humans live where youe from?¡± Tavorwen demanded.


    ¡°Well, an eighty-five year old human is old, and a human that has reached a hundred and five years old is about as old as you get.¡± I admitted


    Tavorwen¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°Only a hundred years? How are you not extinct?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Well, your average family has two or three children, and some have more, so despite the amount of death, our poption is actually still expanding there are close to seven billion humans on my-¡±


    ¡°BILLION?¡± Tavorwen gasped.


    I realized I was blowing her mind, ¡°Yes¡­ Most of our countries have poptions in the millions, though thergest nations have poptions in the billions by themselves.¡±


    ¡°How do you have the male poption to support that kind of reproduction rate?¡± She marveled.


    ¡°Male poption?¡± I wondered, ¡°Well, there are about the same number of men and women in the poption, so that isn¡¯t a problem. Wait, do you have ack of male elves in your cities?¡±


    ¡°Well, honestly, each of the elven species only has one major city and maybe a few smaller hamlets, and¡­ well, elven males are rare.¡± Tavorwen admitted, ¡°Only one male is born for roughly every twenty to forty females. You are saying that where you are from, every female gets her own male?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°They get married, or bound by vow, to each other and live in an exclusive monogamous rtionship. So, how many she-elves does each he-elf get?¡±


    Tavorwenughed, ¡°We don¡¯t call them he-elves. They are just elves. And it depends on how many matrons the elf can support. Most can support at most six she-elves. Any more than that and the elf struggles to support them. Some elves can only support four matrons, and there have been those who could only support three matrons.¡± She had sobered by the end of the statement.


    ¡°What is an elven matron?¡± I asked, wanting to make sure I was getting my terms right.


    ¡°A matron is a she-elf who has the privilege of bearing the next generation of elves.¡± Tavorwen exined.


    My mind was blown. ¡°Wait, so if only one male is born for anywhere between twenty and forty she-elves, and only three to six of those females get to give birth to the next generation of elves, then that means you have fourteen to thirty-seven she-elves that are not bearing children for every single male. Are my numbers right?¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°It is just the way it is.¡±


    I stared, ¡°How many high elves are there?¡±


    Tavorwen shrugged, ¡°We don¡¯t keep a running count, but there were nearly twenty thousand of us before the massacre.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, how many¡­ Do you use the word children?¡± I asked, trying to be sensitive.


    Tavorwen chuckled, ¡°Yes, a young elf is called a child. So a group of young elves would be children.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks. Sorry. How many children does an average matron have?¡± I pressed, my mind struggling to wrap around the implications of what I was learning.


    Tavorwen tapped her chin while she chewed her jerky. ¡°Well, she-elves reach the age of adulthood and are capable of bearing children at approximately the age of one hundred and twenty years old, and can bear children until they are just over one thousand and three hundred years of age, give or take one hundred years. Each matron has one opportunity to be impregnated every two years, with each failure to be pregnant being a cause for mourning. Once pregnant, it takes two and a half years to bear the child, and a year before the child may be weaned. Last I was told, matrons bear between seventy and one hundred and fifty children each.¡±


    I sat back and whistled.

 603

    Tavorwen cocked her head to the side, ¡°This has been an enlightening discussion, but we should try to rest. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.¡±


    She pulled what looked like a sleeping bag from her pack and handed it to me.


    ¡°Do you have one for yourself?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She assured me, wrapping her thin cloak around her shoulders as sheid in the grass.


    I could feel the chill beginning to set in. The sun was just setting. I knew it would get colder. Tavorwen was thin enough I had a hard time believing she would produce enough body heat to stay warm in that cloak. Perhaps it was magical.


    I rolled out the sleeping bag next to my guide and found I barely fit, length wise, in the bedding. It wasfortable, though.


    There was enough going on in my head that I found it hard to sleep. I was having to make arge number of adjustments to my thinking about this new world. It was a strange and bizarre ce. Any humans that existed here lived far beyond the influence of the elves I had been sent to help. My brain was racing, trying to figure out what I had been sent to do. I had a few ideas, but I¡¯d need to talk to the craftsmen, or craftswomen, among these people to see if they were even possible.


    The sun had finished setting and I could feel the cold air on my face. The temperatures had dropped precipitously. I was d for the bedding I had wrapped around me. They held my body heat nicely.


    A sound caught my attention, like a rattlesnake or something. An almost chittering rattle. I didn¡¯t sit up, not wanting to give away my position to any potential threats. Then I realized what the sound was.


    It was Tavorwen¡¯s teeth, as she shivered uncontrobly.


    The she-elf was freezing. Her body was doing its best to keep her warm, but by the sounds of it, she was fighting a losing battle. I had easily realized I had hit a nerve earlier, identally insulting her endurance and stamina. I wondered if her insistence on giving me the bedding had been an attempt at salvaging her pride. Assuming elven biology at least paralleled human biology, the fact that she was shivering so hard so early in the night was not good. If she kept getting colder, she could suffer hypothermia and perhaps perish by morning.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I knew what I had to do. I couldn¡¯t make it to her people without her to guide me. I parted the bedding, reached over and pulled my guide into the bedding with me. She was light enough it took little effort to move her. Her body was tiny and easily fit in the bedding with me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She hissed between chattering teeth.


    Her body was like ice. I could feel it warming even in the second she was under the covers with me. I knew I had to do something to help cate her pride.


    ¡°I was freezing. It¡¯s too cold to sleep so far apart. We need to pool our body heat or neither of us will be up to another day of hard travel.¡± I told her. I knew she would know from the heat I was putting out that I was fine. I hoped at least she¡¯d ept my offering and survive until morning.


    ¡°Well, if you need the heat¡­. I suppose I can do what is necessary.¡± Tavorwen relented, and I felt her body melt into mine to get closer to the heat.


    Now, I hadn¡¯t been a virgin, back before my death. I¡¯d had half a dozen lovers, mostly extremely short term. Cuddling a woman was always nice. But something about having the tiny elf pressed against me seemed even nicer. My thoughts shifted from all of my concerns to the tiny form pressed against me, and within minutes I slipped into sleep.


    The pre-dawn light hitting my closed eyes woke me. Tavorwen was still pressed against me, her body warm and her breathing showed signs rousing. A momentter, her eyes fluttered open and she slipped out of the bedding. I gave her a minute, then pretended to just be waking up.


    Tavorwen was investigating the ground. I saw what she was looking at and immediately became alert. There were tracks on the ground. Large tracks. I had no idea how something thatrge could have gotten so close without me hearing them. I had always been a light sleeper.


    ¡°Thank you, for allowing me to rest with you in the safety of the Bedroll of Sanctuary.¡± Tavorwen breathed. ¡°It looks like we had a visitorst night, and were we both not within the enchantment of the bedroll, the unprotected individual would likely have not survived. Regardless of the night-time temperatures.¡±


    She gave me a piercing look. She knew I had brought her in to protect her from the cold. It was obvious.


    ¡°What was it?¡± I asked, looking at the tracks. They were slightlyrger than a dinner te.


    ¡°Dire tiger. Silent predators. Are you familiar?¡± She asked.


    ¡°There are creatures we call tigers back home. Felines that are about ten feet long from head to tip of tail, about three feet tall at the shoulder and weighing between six hundred and seven hundred pounds. Orange and white fur with ck stripes.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Dire tigers stand from seven to nine feet tall at the shoulder and are eighteen to twenty-five feet in length from head to tip of tail. They weigh between four thousand and ten thousand pounds. Their fur matches your description.¡± Tavorwen acknowledged.


    ¡°Do they normally attack people?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A meal is a meal.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Though it would take multiple elves to feed a dire tiger.¡±


    I began to pack up the bedroll, ¡°So the bedding is magical?¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°It prevents any outside sources without sufficient mental strength from interfering with the rest of those within. Mages and others with superior mental strength can push through the enchantment, but wild beasts have never had the mental strength to do so.¡±


    She gave me more of the dried rations for breakfast, and we headed out.


    I was now watching the trees, realizing a predator of that size and temperament that would view the two of us as little more than ate morning snack had raised my level of alertness.


    ¡°So, is the bedroll the only enchanted piece of equipment you are carrying?¡± I asked, trying to make small talk.


    ¡°Most of my equipment is magical in some sense.¡± Tavorwen exined, raising her hood and drawing her cloak around herself. The cloak seemed to shimmer and began perfectly matching the trees around her. Perfect active camouge.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a trick.¡± I smiled.


    She allowed her cloak to float free and lowered her hood. ¡°My des and arrows are magic as well, in addition to the quiver I showed you yesterday. My pack is enchanted as well to help prevent time and the rigors of travel from spoiling our food and ruining the other contents.¡±


    I rubbed the stubble on my chin, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking. Why don¡¯t you have anything like that for me? It seems like you¡¯d want to have two of everything for traveling if you wereing to the temple to summon aid.¡±


    Tavorwen lowered her head, ¡°I couldn¡¯t carry them and make the time I needed to in order to beat the soldiers of Kathra to the temple. They would have weighed me down too much. That and if I were captured, we couldn¡¯t afford to lose the supplies. Since the massacre, we have not had the plenty we once had. We have less than a tenth of the enchanters we once had, and our crafters are hard pressed to keep what soldiers we have armed and their equipment in good repair.¡±


    I nodded, that made sense. ¡°Fair enough. I can manage well enough, I was just curious.¡±


    I looked out as we crested a hill. There was nothing but forest as far as I could see.


    ¡°So where is the city?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We dwell among the trees.¡± She exined. ¡°It is the reason the shadow elves haven¡¯t found and exterminated us yet. The forest is our home and our ally. It protects us as the sea protects the elves that live beneath the waves, the mountains protect the elves who live there, the clouds protect the elves who live in the sky, and the swamps and grasnds protect the elves that live there.¡±


    As we descended into the forest I was reminded of visiting the redwood forests in northern california. The trees were massive. Some were well over twenty to thirty yards thick. The canopy seemed to stretch higher and higher as we moved into the depths of the forest. Tavorwen guided me in a wandering path, steering us wide around threats, some I saw, like bears sorge they made the grizzly bears I¡¯d seen look like a child¡¯s stuffed animal, others I didn¡¯t, but I had faith that my guide was keeping me safe.


    I insisted we rest regrly. Tavorwen was still trying to prove her endurance, but she epted the forced rests. She looked like I¡¯d expect soldiers to after two weeks of hard march with fully loaded rucksacks, despite my understanding she had only been traveling for four or five days and her load appeared much lighter than my squad would have carried. I needed her to guide me to the city. There was no way I would find anything in this sea of trees.


    As the sun began its descent, I saw my second elf. The female seemed to materialize as she lowered the hood of her cloak and greeted Tavorwen. Her bow, taller than she was, was strung and in her hand.


    This second elven female showed me that beauty and grace were inherent among the elves. The allure of the slim and wiry feminine form was undeniable. The slim legs and body lines drew the eye to all the right ces. The angel¡¯s statement about finding a spouse really was sounding more and more true.


    ¡°Wee back, sister.¡± The new elf greeted, ¡°I see your mission was a sess.¡±


    ¡°Hail, sister.¡± Tavorwen replied, ¡°The gods have indeed granted us a summon. I hope this will satisfy the Elders.¡±


    As quickly as she appeared, this new elf disappeared.


    We proceeded further and the detritus that covered the forest floor cleared and gave way to clear packed soil between the trees. Tavorwen led me to a ce where a tree had a spiral of bark covered steps that swirled up into the branches. I was d that I did so many stairs with my ruck, otherwise my legs would have been mush by the time we reached what was evidently the city of the wood elves.

 604

    Bridges, either rope bridges or constructed from the interwoven branches of the trees, connected the crowns of these massive trees and buildings crafted from the growth of the trees formed the homes of these elves. Hundreds of elves walked these bridges, greeting each other with a dip of their head as they went about their business.


    It was strange, being among the elves. There was not a male to be seen. The elves looked eerily simr. Their hair ranged from ck to honey brown, their eyes ranged from light green to dark brown, without any signs of blue. Skin colors ranged from ivory to a light tan. All the elves seemed to have high cheekbones, sharply angled chins, and thinner eyes like Tavorwen. Tavorwen¡¯s ears were among the smallest of the elven ears. Where Tavorwen¡¯s ears, while sharply pointed, only stood out a couple of inches, some of these elves¡¯ ears stood out upward of four or five inches. They were angled backward like horns, so they weren¡¯t walking around with elephant ears or anything, but some were unmistakably elves and couldn¡¯t have hidden it if they tried, where I hadn¡¯t initially noticed Tavorwen¡¯s ears.


    It seemed elven clothing, or at least wood elven clothing, was designed to be skin tight. It¡¯d thought it odd that Tavorwen¡¯s tunic, shirt and pants were skin-tight, but that just seemed to be how all wood elves dressed. Their small breasts and generally small butts meant that they could wear incredibly tight clothing and still only appear slightly sexualized. Of course, from our discussion earlier, theck of male elves meant sex appeal was probably less important to the current wood elves, but I found them very appealing regardless.


    Almost every elf stared as I walked past. It didn¡¯t help that I was almost a full foot taller than the tallest of the elves, and two feet taller than the shortest. Based on what I could tell, elven heights ranged from just over four feet tall to just over five feet. At my 5¡ä 11¡å I towered over them. All of them were tiny and wiry, and I could see that Tavorwen was indeed one of the most built and hardy of her people.


    We approached a tall central tree among the wood elven city. Walking through a break in the wall of branches, we entered what appeared to be an amphitheater, with limbs being weaved into benches and a ceiling of leaf-bearing branches overhead. The center of the arch was dominated by arge section of tree trunk, in front of which was thergest seat in all fiveyers of seated elves.


    Here were elven women with hair lightened by age. Honey brown had faded to golden blonde, and further still faded to white and silver. Some were clearly transitioning from the darker cks and browns straight to the whites and silvers. Age otherwise seemed absent from all but the oldest of them. Some wore the same skin tight leather on cotton as the standard she-elves wandering the city, but others here wore gowns, robes or dresses.


    Also bucking the trend I¡¯d seen, here some of the elven females had curves. Almost half of the assembled she-elves had breasts that ranged from C-cup up to what must have been double Ds. These curvier elves also had wider hips and meatier asses, giving nice waist-to-hip ratios. Drawing attention to these changes from elven norms were their outfits. Nothing about the other elves screamed sex appeal, but these elves unted theirrger breasts and butts with the dresses and gowns they wore. Their dresses consisted of two pleated strips of fabric that covered each breast and then attacked just above the waist to a tighter skirt to emphasize the waist and hips. I made a mental note to ask Tavorwen about these curvier elvester.


    These aged elves sat and stared as I walked in with Tavorwen. Tavorwen led me to the center of the amphitheater¡¯s arch.


    The elven female sitting in thergest and most prominent seat, old enough to actually show her age with a few wrinkles on her otherwise still wless skin, lifted a white-wooden staff.


    ¡°Captain Tavorwen, we see you have returned from the Temple of Ages with a summon.¡± The aged elf weed us.


    ¡°Yes, most reverent.¡± Tavorwen acknowledged with a bow, her hand over her heart.


    ¡°Wee, honored guest.¡± The aged elf greeted me directly, ¡°How may we address you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Thomas Nord. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± I replied.


    ¡°You were a hero in your homnd, yes?¡± The elf asked.


    ¡°I was the leader of my squad in the elite special forces. Some would call that a hero. I would say I was a soldier, doing my job.¡± I replied. I realized my actual rank and title wouldn¡¯t necessarily mean anything.


    ¡°We wee you. I am Audriul. Most senior of the Elders of the High Elves. We wee you and thank you for answering our summons. Has Captain Tavorwen exined to you the nature of our needs?¡±


    ¡°I believe I have a basic understanding.¡± I stated, ¡°The Shadow elves have set out for a war of extinction against all the other races of the elves. They caught you unaware and were able to overpower and defeat your armies and the armies of the other elves and are attempting to finish what they started.¡±


    Audriul nodded. ¡°The fine details will surely be more clear with time, but that is a fair base level of understanding.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Another of the elders stood, ¡°And what skills do you bring to our forces?¡±


    ¡°I will have to work with your smiths to develop the weapons I am familiar with, but then I would say I am highly capable at long range engagement and tactical management.¡± I exined.


    A murmur went through the seated elders. I gathered they weren¡¯t particrly happy about my response.


    ¡°Also, as part of my summoning, I was given to understand by the servant of my god who sent me that I would be capable of learning and using your magic.¡± I exined.


    That got a warmer reception.


    ¡°You must be weary from your travels. We have prepared a residence for you. We are grateful for your answering our call and hope our allegiance is mutually beneficial.¡± Audriul dered. ¡°Captain Tavorwen, please show him to the Gold leaf district.¡±


    I tried to mimic Tavorwen¡¯s bow and followed her from the amphitheater.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if they are happy I am here, or if they are disappointed I am what came.¡± I muttered once we were out of the room.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know yet. Some of the elders thought that attempting a summon was too dangerous and didn¡¯t offer enough benefit. Some will doubt you until you prove your worth exceeds their expectations repeatedly.¡±


    She led me through the streets. It was still strange to have so many eyes on me as I passed by.


    My new home was a tree building like all of those I had seen. The leaves reminded me of a Maple tree, though the size was as enormous as the redwood-sized trees around it. A patch of bark concealed the door and once inside it felt cozy and homey. There were at least a dozen bedrooms, including arger one with a sizable bed, and smaller ones, with multiple smaller beds to each room. There were several storage rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, several restrooms and dedicated bathing rooms. There were no windows, but on amand word that sounded like a spell from the show with the boy wizard (though it was slightly off, ¡®Lemius¡¯ instead of whatever the wizard boy used) clusters of stones in mesh baskets would start radiating light brighter than a light bulb. Anothermand (¡°Seltin¡±) extinguished the lights.


    A knock on the door ended my tour of my new home and one of the shorter she-elves I¡¯d seen walked in.


    ¡°The Counsel has asked me to give you garments more worthy of a summoned hero.¡± The elf maiden dered with a bow, once again with her hand on her heart.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I epted, I hoped with grace.


    She came over and removed my shirt, then my pants, and before I realized what was going on, both pieces of my undergarments were on the floor. My face flushed as she gawked openly at my genitals.


    ¡°By the father.¡± The new she-elf breathed, ¡°Such sizable sex organs¡­ I¡¯ll have to make sure to leave space.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I was particrly big. I was five inches long and while a good thickness when erect, I wasn¡¯t even the thickest as far as cocks went. Tavorwen finally seemed to appreciate my male endowment and this new elf seemed mystified by it.


    She took a knotted rope and began to measure my body. She nudged my legs apart to measure around my thighs, lifted my arms and measured at various ces in addition to getting the length of my limbs. She measured several ces up my torso. She scribbled her measurements on a small scroll she carried that seemed to automatically roll itself into its case once her quill pen finished its writing.


    She slipped my undergarments back on, tying them back on and as she went to finish dressing me, I grabbed my temporary garments back.


    ¡°I can dress myself. Thank you.¡± I said, my face flushed from her indiscriminate attentions to my body.


    ¡°Forgive me, if I gave offense.¡± The she-elf apologized. ¡°I will be back this evening for a final fitting.¡± She bowed again and saw herself out.


    ¡°Are all males so well endowed as you where youe from?¡± Tavorwen asked, covering her smile with her hands.


    ¡°Well, honestly, there are men far more well endowed than me.¡± I admitted, ¡°But I assure you, I am certainly capable of using what God gave me. I could show you if you wanted?¡± I teased.


    Tavorwen¡¯s eyes opened as wide as her thin eyes could, ¡°I-I-I-I¡­¡± She stammered. Her hand covering her mouth in shock as opposed to mirth, now. Her face reddened in a clear blush.


    I looked at her in confusion.


    She swallowed, ¡°I am not worthy to be your matron.¡± She whispered finally.


    I realized the implication of my statement. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I plead, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­ forgive me. Where Ie from, men regrly make such offers in jest. Since men and women are present in equal measure, men do all they can to find partners and women are often the gatekeepers of such rtionships.¡±


    Tavorwen tried to recover, ¡°Oh¡­ ha ha¡­ I-I see.¡± She was still blushing like mad.


    I pulled my pants on, ¡°So, I take it a casual fling is not a thing among the elves?¡±


    Tavorwen shook her head as if to dispel her embarrassment, ¡°A casual¡­ fling?¡±

 605

    I tied my pants on, ¡°A one-night stand? A sexual encounter thatsts a single night, then both partners go their own way.¡±


    Tavorwen peered at me curiously, ¡°Why would you want such a limited encounter? Matrons have been known to end their lives if they outlive their masters. The desires of reproduction are so strong that once experienced, they are incapacitating if lost. Why would you wish to expose anyone to that so casually?¡±


    I was making rapid mental notes. ¡°The women where Ie from did not experience these urges so powerfully. I will have to be more careful in the future. I hope I have not caused you any distress.¡±


    Tavorwenughed weakly, ¡°No, I was merely caught off guard. It was an unexpected offer.¡± Then she peered at me again, as though seeing me anew. ¡°Do¡­ do you know if¡­ could we bear a child together?¡±


    I thought for a moment, what had the angel said. ¡°I believe I was told I would be patible¡¯. I¡¯m not entirely sure what that means, but I guess so.¡±


    Tavorwen blushed anew, ¡°Would¡­ Would you want matrons?¡±


    I thought about it, ¡°What all would that entail? I mean, I feel like that would be a lot of responsibility. That¡¯s a lot of children to raise and if the matrons started to bicker¡­¡± I trailed off as I saw the shock on Tavorwen¡¯s face.


    ¡°¡­ is¡­ is that not how this works?¡± I asked.


    ¡°¡­ no.¡± Tavorwen stated definitively. ¡°I can tell your society is very different from ours. I keep forgetting you aren¡¯t from here and were raised differently.¡±


    I sank into one of the surprisinglyfortable wooden chairs with some sort of cushion covering it and supporting the back.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me more about how having matrons would be, and then I¡¯ll decide. How about that?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That sounds like a very good idea, I think.¡± She sat in one of the other chairs surrounding what appeared to be some sort of firece in the sitting room.


    ¡°As a Master, your responsibilities would be simply to engage in the¡­ reproductive acts¡­ with your matrons as often as you are physically capable.¡± Tavorwen began, ¡°Now we understand males can only endure the rigors of such acts infrequently. As such, you would start with one or two matrons and engage them until such time as one of them bes with child. Then you would take on more matrons as you prove capable of providing them with the seed they need.¡±


    ¡°Your matrons would care for your home, prepare your meals, and take care of all other domestic affairs as it is understood that a master engaged in such acts will be physically exhausted after performing his duties. Most masters be schrs and sages, learning magic and studying philosophy as such acts upy their minds while leaving their bodies unencumbered and able to inseminate their matrons.¡± Tavorwen continued.


    ¡°So in exchange for inseminating them, your matrons would take care of everything else.¡± Tavorwen exined, ¡°And an elvish child isn¡¯t considered an adult until their one hundred and sixteenth birthday. But there are she-elves of various professions who would care for the children in themunity nursery once they are weaned after their first birthday.¡±


    I had listened intently, but I had a lot of questions.


    ¡°Okay, that sounds good. But a few questions, you.. um¡­ forgive me, I¡¯m not sure how to ask this. How often are elven males able to inseminate one of their matrons?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the strain of being inseminated usually renders a matron exhausted for two or three days, and most matrons recover and are ready for insemination again in about a week.¡± Tavorwen attempted to rify.


    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s how often the matrons are ready. How often is a male elf capable of inseminating his matrons, assuming he had multiple matrons ready to be inseminated?¡± I guided.


    ¡°Oh! I see. Yes, masters are expected to be able to inseminate one of their matrons every one to two days.¡± Tavorwen verified.


    I gnawed lightly on a knuckle, trying to figure out how to exin what I was thinking.


    ¡°Are you not capable of that?¡± Tavorwen prodded with concern.


    She watched my face, then her eyes widened. ¡°You can¡­ how often could you inseminate a female?¡±


    ¡°Um, depends on the day, but probably three to four times a day, if I¡¯m not doing other things.¡± I admitted.


    Tavorwen¡¯s already wide eyes, widened further. ¡°By the Gods¡­.¡± she sat back shocked. She shook her head, ¡°And you said you were told you¡¯d bepatible with us?¡±


    I nodded.


    Tavorwen stared ahead, shocked. ¡°Well, if you can do what you just imed¡­ any doubts the elders may have had about your value as a summons¡­. they should be gone.¡±


    There was a knock on the door.


    I rose and opened the door. Another she-elf stood outside the door. She had a leather apron on, with leather gloves tucked into her belt and a couple of hammers hanging from various locations on her belt and arge pouch with writing implements and a scroll case like the one the seamstress had used.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± the she-elf bid me happily, ¡°The Council of Elders has asked me toe talk to you. Something about helping you smith a weapon from your homnd?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that would be great.¡± I acknowledged and guided her into the dining room so we¡¯d have a table to work at.


    Tavorwen was still sitting in front of the firece, thinking.


    ¡°So, what kind of weapon are we talking about?¡± The elvish smith chuckled, ¡°A sword, an ax, a polearm, a bow?¡±


    I smiled, ¡°It is called a rifle.¡±


    The elf grinned, ¡°So what type of weapon would it be closest too?¡±


    I thought, ¡°Are you familiar with crossbows?¡±


    The elven smith tapped her knuckle on her cheek, ¡°Yes, I believe so. Theyunch smaller bolts than a traditional arrow, but the spring steel arms can usually put enough force into them that they pack quite a punch. They¡¯re easier to learn, but slower and more unwieldy than a standard long or short bow.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°So a rifle is what we call a firearm. It takes the idea of a crossbow to the extreme. Instead of spring steel arms, it uses rapidly expanding gas to expel an even smaller projectile with far greater force. It uses a tube shaped barrel to guide the projectile and allow the gasses time to transfer the force to the projectile that we call a bullet. And because the force is generated chemically, you can have thepound and bullet integrated into one cartridge, enabling faster reloading time as opposed to cranking on a crossbow to reload it.¡±


    The smith scratched at her earlobe, ¡°That sounds great and all, but it also soundsplicated. You have a schematic for this ¡®rifle¡¯ thing in that head of yours?¡±


    ¡°I have a good understanding of how they were constructed, and believe I can create those schematics for you if given paper and pen.¡± I assure her.


    ¡°As to your cartridges, we can talk to the alchemists and enchanters and see if they can¡¯t make you something that will work. Let¡¯s get started on schematics though.¡± The elf, Durithana I learned her name was, seemed to figure out the idea of the rifle, quickly enough. I did have to convert inches and feet to elven Notches and Knots. Notches and Knots were measurements that could easily be measured magically and could be ced on almost any sort of measuring tool. Ropes and rods being mostmon. She seemed to disbelieve that the bullet could get enough speed to aplish anything of value. The scope confused her.


    ¡°Why would you make such aplex array of ss lenses? Surely this isn¡¯t the best solution your people coulde up with?¡± Durithana demanded incredulously.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°I assume magic can provide a better solution, but could you make it, just in case?¡± I almost begged. I wasn¡¯t sure how making would work for this and with the distances involved in my sniping, bringing a high quality scope I could fall back on seemed wise.


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll make it. I¡¯ll be sure to follow your schematics to the letter.¡± Durithana assured me. ¡°As my mentor used to say, don¡¯t try improving a tool until you understand how it works. And while I see how all the parts go together¡­ I¡¯m still not understanding how this is a weapon, or how you¡¯d use it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. So, how long do you think it will take to actually create this?¡± I asked, looking over the finished schematic.


    Durithana scratched behind her long ears, ¡°With a touch of magical shaping, I can probably have these together by morning.¡±


    I was shocked. ¡°You sure? Where I¡¯m from it could take weeks¡­¡±


    Durithana smirked, ¡°Did they not have shaping magic?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Well, no.¡±


    Durithana tied her shoulder length hair up, and tied it in a hair band. ¡°I¡¯ll have it ready. Along with this ¡®magazine¡¯ for your cartridges. I¡¯ll have to visit an alchemist tomorrow¡­ and I¡¯ll have to bring you along to make sure we get thepound correct.¡±


    I sat back, ¡°That would be great.¡±


    Durithana smiled with confidence. ¡°Well, let me go get started or I won¡¯t have it done on time.¡±


    Durithana smiled as she walked out, ¡°How are your swords treating you, sister?¡±


    Tavorwen was roused from her musings, ¡°Oh, Durithana¡­ They are performing admirably. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, see you tomorrow to steal your summon for a bit.¡± Durithanaughed, ¡°Off to work.¡±


    Tavorwen watched as I walked back into the sitting room.


    She licked her lower lip with anxiety, ¡°Everything went well?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Things are moving faster than I would have thought.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ ¡± She shifted ufortably. ¡°About what we were talking about earlier¡­ Can you prove you could inseminate three to four she-elves each day?¡±


    I snorted, ¡°What do you want me to do, masterbate three times in a day?¡±

 606

    Tavorwen¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°What do you mean, masterbate?¡±


    Iughed awkwardly, ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s using your hand to stimte yourself until you climax. Do elves not do that?¡±


    Tavorwen¡¯s face clouded, ¡°I¡¯ve not heard of my sister elves doing that¡­ What do you do with the semen when you masterbate?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Well, back home, we¡¯d just toss it. Get rid of it.¡±


    Tavorwen was aghast. ¡°You¡¯d waste such a precious resource?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It is somon back home, that it is hardly precious.¡±


    Tavorwen seemed even more disturbed. ¡°Forgive me, I must speak with the Elders again.¡± And she rose, stepping toward the door.


    I started to rise, but Tavorwen held out a hand. ¡°I think this will go better without your presence.¡±


    I wanted to press, make sure I was a part of any discussions about this, but I decided to trust her. Tavorwen had not led me astray yet¡­ that I knew of. The angel had said they¡¯d be good people. If they weren¡¯t my afterlife would be meaningless, but thus far, everything had been how the angel had dered.


    I nodded to Tavorwen and sank back into my seat.


    Tavorwen strode through the door with purpose and haste.


    For the first time since I¡¯d taken the rocket for Jacob, I was alone.


    The impact of everything that had happened seemed to loom over me. I¡¯d died, been summoned to a new world full of strange people, magic, and dangers. It was crazy, it was insane! How was I supposed to¡­.


    Just when I was about to get overwhelmed the strangest thing happened.


    A calming sensation like water flowed over me, starting at the tip of my head and soothing me until it reached the souls of my feet.


    ¡°Peace, hero.¡± The familiar voice of the angel echoed in my head. ¡°All will be well.¡±


    I found it impossible to worry. The concerns of my past were irrelevant. The dangers and adaptation of the world were things that now seemed simply challenges to ovee.


    I found myself to be hungry. I realized I knew nothing about my new home. I explored and found my new home¡¯s kitchen. It appeared that there were two different types of cooking setup. There was another firece with a cookpot, somehow still grown into the tree the house was made of. Then there was a smaller wooden stove with what appeared to be a cooktop. All of it was made of the same wood the tree was grown from. I wondered if the tree itself was not mmable, or if somehow these ces for cooking were simply not mmable, or if it was fire protected, like maybe magic? Also, I didn¡¯t see any fuel for burning to cook with.


    There were cabs with meats, butters, breads, fruits and vegetables. I found milk, eggs, cheeses and other base ingredients. I was concerned as there was nothing like a fridge. The food was all lukewarm.


    As I finished exploring the kitchen, I heard the door open.


    Returning to the entrance and sitting room, Tavorwen was back and with her were three of the elders. Audriul, the most senior of the Elders, and two of therger breasted and wider hipped she-elves. All eyes locked on me.


    Audriul opened her mouth, but one of therger breasted she-elves beat her to be the first to speak.


    ¡°Is what Captain Treestrider says true?¡± The elven woman demanded, ¡°Are you capable of inseminating multiple she-elves each day?¡±


    Audriul closed her mouth, clearly not loving the way this was going. ¡°Elder Matron, calm yourself.¡±


    I realized in an instant what these two women had inmon. They were matrons who had lived long enough to be elders. Therger breasts and wider hips were due to years of child bearing and rearing. The Elder Matrons dressed to be proud of the work they had done, bearing the next generation of wood elves.


    The she-elf red at the senior Elder, then turned back to me, ¡°Matters regarding matrons fall under the authority of the elder matrons, sister Audriul.¡±


    Audriul¡¯s lips tightened in anger, but she said nothing.


    I gaped at this first confrontation between Elders, then remembered that I had been asked a question.


    ¡°Well, yes, I can ejacte multiple times per day, That¡¯s not even a difficult thing for me.¡± I informed the gathered women.


    The third she-elf looked me over from head to toe again, excited and hopeful.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And you im you were informed as part of your summoning that you would bepatible with us, reproductively?¡± The Elder Matron pressed again.


    I nodded, ¡°That was my understanding.¡±


    ¡°Sister, there¡¯s an easy way to check.¡± The third she-elf murmured.


    ¡°I know, Gledril, but he doesn¡¯t have any matrons to help us obtain a sample of his seed to test.¡± The Elder Matron grumbled.


    ¡°He said he is familiar with a process by which he extracts semen from his own body.¡± Tavorwen volunteered.


    I felt myself blush at the thought of jacking off in front of these four women.


    Gledril looked at me curiously, ¡°Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time I jack off¡­¡± I trailed off, wondering legitimately if this might actually be thest. Sounded like the elves might very much make that a less appealing option moving forward.


    ¡°Please, supply us with a sample of your seed.¡± The Elder Matron requested.


    I really hoped the audience wouldn¡¯t give me performance anxiety. I started to loosen my pants, and sighed, ¡°Alright, where do you want it? A bowl? A cup?¡±


    Gledril smiled, ¡°We can catch it, just worry about supplying it.¡±


    I sat in one of the chairs and started rubbing my still limp cock.


    ¡°He is well endowed, sister.¡± The Elder Matron breathed.


    ¡°Howrge was your Master, Zu¡¯thara?¡± Gledril asked the Elder Matron.


    Zu¡¯thara stared at my rod, ¡°Not that big.¡±


    The talk was encouraging, but I was still struggling to get erect with four pairs of female eyes judging me.


    ¡°Are you struggling?¡± Audriul asked, noticing the expression of mild frustration on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not used to having an audience, and¡­ honestly most of the time I did this while looking at nude females back home, so it might take me a minute.¡± I exined, rubbing myself and trying to get erect.


    ¡°We can supply the nude females. Sisters¡­¡± Audriul turned to the women and to my shock she and the elder Matrons began to disrobe. Tavorwen hesitated but a re from the Senior Elder made her move to obey, blushing bright red.


    The Elder Matrons simply shrugged the fabric of their dresses from their shoulders, bringing their endowed breasts into view, then shimmied out of the skirt before untying their undergarments and then were naked. Audriul had the hardest work to strip, but seemed to have no qualms about doing so. Tavorwen kept blushing brighter and brighter, but her clothes formed a pile at her feet in short order.


    It was interesting to realize bras were not worn by any of the she-elves. I¡¯d never noticed with Tavorwen, probably because her leather armor concealed her breasts, but I¡¯d be enjoying looking at the free and mobile bosoms of the females surrounding me going forward.


    I knew that the age difference was staggering between Tavorwen and Audriul, but apparently aging was something elves took as a suggestion rather than a mandate. I¡¯d seen women back home in theirte twenties who¡¯s age affected their body more than the thousands of years that these elves had. Audriul¡¯s breasts had the same perkiness as the much younger Tavorwen¡¯s breasts. Both elven females had fine, delicate looking mounts with tiny pert nipples with small ares. Even the retired matron¡¯s breasts were firm and spry despite their age, and based on their nipplesrge erect nipples in the middle of simrlyrge ares, the matrons were turned on. Body hair seemed to naturally be a thing the elven femalescked. Not a pubic hair to be seen.


    The elven females, worthy of the title of elven beauties, were definitely appealing. I found my eyes drawn to Tavorwen¡¯s lithe and sensuous body. Her thin legs meant despite her thinner hips that I could see the beginning of the folds of her vagina, which looked very much like that of the human women I had fucked. Her almost timid shyness about her body made me want her, even next to the shameless and fearless curvier elder matrons next to her. Audriul¡¯s body was nice too, but something about her attitude and bearing made her less appealing. Gledril almost seemed to be flirting with me, shifting and twisting to try to draw my eye. Zu¡¯thara was all business, I had said I needed naked females, and therefore she was supplying herself as a naked female.


    I couldn¡¯t have avoided an erection with the four naked she-elves in front of me if I tried. My member hardened and grew to its full length, making the four she-elves gasp.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even erect?¡± Zu¡¯thara gasped.


    Gledril stared with longing, ¡°If only I were a thousand years younger¡­.¡±


    I started rubbing one out. I felt kind of pervy learing at the naked leaders of the wood elves and the she-elf that had served as my guide. The appeal of the she-elves made it a short process before I leaned back and groaned as my cock spasmed then shot several spurts of semen into the air.


    ¡°Que van iesoval!¡± Zu¡¯thara intoned, raising her hand in swirling motion as her fingers wove signs and one hand reached out as if to catch my sperm, but from too far away.


    My semen floated and formed a ball of white liquid, like what you see when astronauts have drinks in space. The ball of sperm floated and moved as directed by Zu¡¯thara¡¯s hand.

 607

    ¡°Hei amari to covair al hem atri no to regar!¡± Zu¡¯thara chanted, raising the ball of sperm above the height of our heads.


    A blue surge swirled around the ball of semen, then a chime sounded and a green light eminated from the orb, recing the blue.


    The she-elves stared at the orb.


    ¡°He¡­ he is capable of impregnating matrons¡­.¡± Zu¡¯thara finally dered solemnly.


    The she-elves began retying their underclothes on and redressing as they stared at the orb of semen still floating in the air.


    I redressed with them.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Gledril breathed, ¡°He has already recovered from his strain¡­.¡±


    Zu¡¯thara looked away from the orb and her eyes widened as she saw me look confused between the two matrons.


    ¡°Audriul, I am inclined to believe him.¡± Zu¡¯thara dered, ¡°I propose we immediately return and report to the Council.¡±


    Tavorwen remained with me as the three elders left, taking the orb of my semen with them. My stomach grumbled and Tavorwen gasped.


    ¡°By the Father, it is gettingte, you must be famished!¡± Tavorwen dered aghast, then her own stomach grumbled.


    I smirked, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one, apparently.¡±


    I followed Tavorwen as she led me into the kitchen.


    ¡°So how do you keep your food cold?¡± I marveled.


    Tavorwen looked at me confused, ¡°Why would you keep food cold?¡±


    I hesitated, ¡°To preserve it? So it doesn¡¯t go bad or get moldy?¡±


    Tavorwen chuckled, ¡°The cabs are enchanted, food stored in the cabs will never spoil. No cold needed.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Do you drink your milk warm?¡±


    Tavorwen shrugged, ¡°Some do, most prefer it cold. Which is why the bottle is enchanted to keep the milk cold.¡±


    I reached into the cab and felt the jug, it was room temperature. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    Tavorwenughed and grabbed the bottle and retrieved a small cup, pouring me a small amount of the milk from the jug. She offered me the drink, and to my shock it was perfectly chilled. I also noted that it was whole milk, which made me d. Skim or other reduced fat milk was weak if you asked me.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± I marveled.


    Tavorwen giggled, ¡°I suppose being raised with such things, youe to take them for granted. Let me prepare you a real meal. I apologize for the poor rations you have received thus far. ¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Meanwhile, in the Council Chamber¡­


    Audriul sat in her ce of honor, only half listening to the discussion. The day had given her much to ponder.


    ¡°But how will a magic-less archer, no matter how strange his bow, help us ovee Kathra and her forces? She has us badly outnumbered, with all the weapons and armor they stole from our dead, in addition to that which they already had. Their ve beasts only grow in number and our scouts say we may still be underestimating the number of males they possess.¡± One of the Elder generals demanded.


    ¡°Our scouts report their males are so many in numbers they can afford to have males traveling with their war parties, attempting to breed their strongest warriors, even as they threaten our borders. I know not what dark magic they use to recover from the strain of reproduction, but it bodes ill. And we know that for the first half of a warrior¡¯s pregnancy, they are still unimpeded on the battlefield.¡± Another added.


    ¡°Kathra has waited to receive another generation of warriors. This tells us her losses were not so insignificant as we initially predicted. If this male can truly fill the role of ten or more masters, he may be able to return us to our previous strength in one generation!¡± Zu¡¯thara pointed out.


    ¡°But we must survive another hundred and twenty years at least to aplish that.¡± Another of the generals retorted. ¡°Each time we repel Kathra¡¯s incursions into our woods, we suffer losses. How long can we maintain the facade of strength sufficient to keep Kathra from simply burning the forests down around us?¡±


    Audriul sighed, ¡°Sisters, there is but one thing we can do. The Great Father was the one who led us to attempt a summoning. We must seek his counsel on how to properly utilize that which we received. We know a power even greater than the Gods dictates the sess or failure of a summoning attempt and never has a sessful summon not vastly changed the course of history. The Great Father will know what to do.¡±


    Silence settled over the agitated elven elders. They knew the wisdom of her words. They also knew the strainmuning with the divine would put on her, and as the High Elder, she was the only one appointed to enter the holiest of spaces andmune directly with their gods.


    Audriul continued, ¡°I will go and consult the Great Father. Pray, save your strength until I return.¡±


    Audriul rose from her seat. The assembled elders watched, noting how much weight she put into the staff as she walked and how much age had slowed her step. Audriul strode around her seat and approached therge tree trunk dominating the apex of the amphitheater¡¯s arch. She put her hands on the truck and mentally gave the holymand only the ten most senior elders knew. The tree responded and seemed to swallow her hand, then her arm, then the High Elder walked straight into the tree.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    You could have heard a pin drop as the elders awaited Audriul¡¯s return. It only took five minutes for Audriul to step forth from the tree, no longer attempting to hide her exhaustion or how her age weighed her down. Both hands gripped her staff and she quickly rounded her seat and sat, breathing deeply to catch her breath. The elders hung on each breath, waiting for the word of their God to be delivered.


    ¡°The word of X¡¯Thallion, the Great Father is thus:¡± Audriul finally dered, ¡°Provide the Hero all you can, and impede not his efforts. He will lead you to prosperity and safety. Your enemies shall be as the leaves of autumn before the winter storm of his wrath. Fear not, however, for he shall never betray thee, nor lead thee astray. Have faith and see the power of thy Hero.¡±


    A murmur of shock rippled through the assembled elves. Such strong words and assurances from their God were rare, but Audriul spoke them with confidence.


    ¡°All in favor ofplying with all our summoned hero¡¯s requests?¡± Audriul demanded, raising her hand.


    Every hand was raised.


    Audriul nodded, ¡°Let the leaves of this holy tree bear record and witness that this vote was unanimous. Let us supply our hero¡¯s needs that he may do as our God has dered. I hereby bring this council to a close. Go sisters and rest, there is much excitement ahead.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Back at my new home¡­


    Tavorwen walked to the stove andmanded it. ¡°Surtair¡±


    The small opening which I had guessed would house a cooking me obeyed, a me filling the opening. She retrieved a pan from a nearby cab and began making a sort of stir-fry, mixing a few meats with vegetables and pinches of various powders I assumed were seasonings. The smell was mouth watering.


    ¡°You will have to forgive me, I am not the best of cooks.¡± Tavorwen apologized, retrieving what appeared to be two pieces of tbread, before separating each piece into a pocket and filling them with the mixed meats and vegetables.


    ¡°Flugar¡± She ordered the stove, and the me extinguished.


    She handed me one tbread dish and began eating the other herself. The taste was as marvelous as the smell. A blend of sweet and savory vors with a smooth texture enriched by the fullness of the encasing tbread. I found myself almost scarfing it down.


    As a soldier I had learned to ept any kind of rations, but once I got ess to good food I usually gorged myself a time or two, returning to my normal appetite. I found the dish Tavorwen had made triggered my ravenous hunger.


    Tavorwen watched me eat with amazement. ¡°Such hunger¡­ do¡­ Do you desire more?¡±


    I finished chewing and swallowed, ¡°Um¡­ if it isn¡¯t a problem¡­ That was delicious. Yes, I¡¯d like more.¡±


    Tavorwen blushed lightly and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m d you enjoyed it. I don¡¯t consider myself particrly adept at matronly arts, like cooking, but I¡¯m d you liked it. Would one more be sufficient, or do you require two?¡±


    The first stir-fry pocket had simply wetted my appetite, ¡°Two would be wonderful.¡±


    She returned to the stove and began cooking once more. She hummed a light, bouncy tune as she happily seared the meat and added the vegetables. I could tell she was quite pleased with herself.


    ¡°So¡­ If I do start to get matrons¡­ What will that be like? I don¡¯t even know how to talk about it. Are they given to me? Do I choose them? I¡­¡± I fished awkwardly.


    ¡°How is mate selection performed on your world?¡± Tavorwen retorted, and I realized she was looking formon ground.


    ¡°Well,¡± I muttered, ¡°Men and women meet in any of a variety of ways and if a man and a woman appeal to each other, they will begin talking and meeting for chances to date and getting to know each other. The process of dating usually takes months, if not years. You establish expectations like how many children they may want, career goals, and where they may want to live. If you find each otherpatible, and you develop love for each other, you get married. While dating you exclusively court each other, and once married the partners are devoted exclusively to each other. That¡¯s a really simplistic view, but that¡¯s roughly how it works, or is supposed to work.¡±


    Tavorwen retrieved the bread and filled the tbread pockets with the mixed stir-fry. ¡°That sounds so foreign to me. So strange. You speak of your females as ¡®women¡¯¡­ I take it that word is not offensive where youe from?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No. Males are men and females are women. It is a title of pride for most women. What does it mean here?¡±


    Tavorwen handed me the pockets. ¡°It isn¡¯t necessarily¡­ offensive to all. ¡®Women¡¯ as we elves understand them, are females of the human race far to the southwest. They berate and abuse their males with harsh words and criticisms. They even toss aside their males like refuse if the male does not work hard enough to please them. As elves the idea of treating a male the way ¡®women¡¯ treat their males is abhorrent and terrible.¡±


    She sat down and started running her finger in swirls over the table, ¡°When you called me a woman, I thought you were stating that to be your expectation of our interactions. I would never be so disrespectful to a male.¡±

 608

    I was enjoying my second round of these dishes, ¡°Do these humans have more even rates of females to males?¡±


    Tavorwen shook her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Treating a mate in that way, regardless of perceived societal value, is abhorrent. I don¡¯t care if it is males in a society where there are too many females or females in a society with too many males. Any individuals working to propagate a species together should treat each other with respect.¡±


    She sat back, ¡°Among elves, each male birth is celebrated. We she-elves are born much more frequently. When an elven male reaches the age of reproduction, almost every avable female wishes to be selected as one of his matrons. Usually, elven males are encouraged to start looking for prospective matrons in the five years leading up to hising of age at one hundred and sixteen years of age.¡±


    She stared at the table, ¡°Most masters desire matrons their age or younger. Masters often can be impregnating their matrons right up until they perish of old age, matrons have a much more limited window. But most she-elves either devote themselves to learning a craft or learning matronly skills. For example, I learned warcraft. I know I am not the most appealing of she-elves. You saw what I have to offer, my body is not what is considered appealing.¡±


    I snorted, ¡°I liked it.¡±


    Tavorwen blushed dark red. ¡°Th-th-thank you. I¡¯m sorry, I am ustomed to such attentions.¡±


    She took a deep breath and her flush began to fade, ¡°Regardless, since the desire to bear children is inherent in almost all she-elves there are far more elven maidens, those that desire to be matrons then there are masters with the capacity to mate with them. Many acknowledge that they have not been selected and learn other crafts, but some hold out hope that once a master has a matron who is no longer of childbearing age, she will be selected to rece the retired matron.¡±


    I swallowed, I¡¯d have to revise my thoughts, calling an elf a maiden as apparently that meant something. I¡¯d struggled with what to call these females, since ¡®woman¡¯ was apparently out. I was d I hadn¡¯t called anyone a maiden yet.


    Tavorwen looked at me with an amused smile, ¡°If the Elders agree to ept you as a master and allow you to select matrons, you will be a very, very popr male. A male with your capacity could have thirty matrons, or more. So many dreams could be made true for maidens who are near losing hope.¡±


    I swallowed, ¡°So¡­ how will this work? I mean, you aren¡¯t going to just line up maidens and have me pick one, are you?¡±


    Tavorwen thought for a moment and shrugged, ¡°This is a strange circumstance. Usually, every maiden in the city knows when males will be seeking a new matron. They visit the male and court his attentions by assisting either his matrons, if he is already a master, or his caretaker, if he is approaching the age of maturity. In this way the male can see the selection of maidens and how they interact with others. This usually happens for years before he is choosing a matron, so he may have a good idea what each maiden has to offer. Matrons and caretakers will often extol the virtues of maidens they view as particrlypatible with a particr master.¡±


    She tapped one knuckle on her chin, ¡°But you¡­ You haven¡¯t had a chance to view the maidens who will present themselves to you. Your seed is exceptionally desirable, and each day you are not engaging with matrons, it goes to waste. I¡¯d be surprised if you don¡¯t have at least one matron by the end of the day tomorrow. But I don¡¯t know how the elders will go about it, but I would prepare myself, were I you.¡±


    I continued to enjoy my dinner. Tavorwen had given me a lot to think about. My main concern was that I wouldn¡¯t live long enough to actually fulfill mymitment. But as I started to dwell on that feeling, the soothing feeling, like cool water driving the worry and stress from my body returned.


    I wish I could just talk to the angel again. I had so many questions, now that I knew more about the world I was joining. I finished my meal, now content, still thinking about what I would have asked, had I known what to ask.


    My musing was interrupted by a messenger at the door.


    ¡°Captain Tavorwen, the Elders bid me give you this.¡± The armored she-elf dered. She had a de at her waist and a bow and quiver sat upon her back. She peered around Tavorwen, openly ogling me. ¡°You have been reassigned from the Silver Ivy Corps. You are to take up residence with your summoned hero and safeguard him at all times.¡±


    I could tell that this surprised Tavorwen, ¡°Thank you, Varthil.¡±


    She closed the door, blocking the shameless gaze of the other she-elf.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I gently asked Tavorwen, who stood still by the closed door.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Tavorwen admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is a promotion, or a demotion¡­ there is only one barracks more prestigious than the Silver Ivy Corps¡­ But there hasn¡¯t been a sessful summon in long enough¡­ I¡¯m not sure what the protocol is here.¡±


    I felt for her. I¡¯d worked my ass off to earn my position as squad leader. If it¡¯d been pulled out of my squad and put in a new position of questionable rank, I¡¯d have been conflicted too.


    ¡°Do you need to get your belongings?¡± I hesitantly checked.


    Tavorwen shook her head, her hair swinging lightly. Damn, women back home would have killed for hair like that.


    ¡°As a ranger, most of what I own, I carry.¡± She exined, motioning to her pack. ¡°What remained at the barracks were simply more uniforms¡­ but those no longer reflect my status.¡±


    I noticed for the first time gray ivy pattern embroidery along the hems and shoulders of garments. I guessed the color was gray, instead of silver, to avoid reflections that couldpromise the wearer¡¯s stealth.


    ¡°Is¡­ that all you ever wear?¡± I wondered.


    Tavorwen shrugged, ¡°Household clothing ismon. I imagine the matrons¡¯ rooms and maidens¡¯ rooms here have plenty of household gowns, robes and lounging attire. However, I¡¯m still on duty as your guard and protector. I should be garbed as such.¡±


    The faint sound of crickets rousing for their nightly song reminded me both of the fact that while much here was different some things remained the same, and that the hour was growingte.


    I sighed, it had been a long day, and I was ready to hit the hay. Before I could, however, there was a final knock on the door.


    It was the seamstress elf from early, with a pile of garments on a small cart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was slow, a few of my patterns needed serious modifications to fit such a broad and powerfully built male.¡± She apologized, wheeling her cart inside.


    ¡°These should fit you far better than what you are wearing.¡± The seamstress assured me.


    I noted the new undergarments prominently on top of the pile she handed me, and sighed internally. Both she-elves present had seen me naked, so there was little point in trying to be discreet. I stripped off my temporary garments and stepped into each half of the new undergarment and discovered that once tied on, it was surprisinglyfortable. The pants fit like a second skin, except where it was cut roomy around my junk. There was a base shirt, which was smooth and soft as I pulled it over my head, then a leather jacket for warmth. The jacket was thick and had reinforcement and I realized it was probably enchanted to be the equivalent of armor. All of it fit perfectly, and was built such that while it fit me snuggly, I found I could move freely. The socks fit me much more snugly, and the boots I had initially been given were left to join my permanent wardrobe.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°This is all great.¡± I informed the glowing seamstress.


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± She beamed, ¡°I have a full set for you. Oh, and Tavorwen, I brought your new uniforms.¡±


    She handed me the pile of my clothing, and handed Tavorwen a separate stack.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had to use the pearl thread in a long time.¡± The seamstress admitted, ¡°It is quite the honor.¡± And with that she wheeled her cart out the door.


    Tavorwen stared at the embroidery on her new garments. In ce of gray ivy, her new garments bore white unicorns. Her hands trembled.


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± I wondered cautiously.


    ¡°A tinum unicorn is the mark of a Champion. It¡­¡± She swallowed, ¡°It is the highest honor a warrior can receive to wear the tinum unicorn into battle.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± I encouraged her, ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    The song of the Crickets was getting to me, and I stifled a yawn.


    Tavorwen noticed and it pulled her from her revere. ¡°Tomorrow will be busy. You should rest.¡±


    She led me to thergest of the bedrooms, and helped me stow my new clothing. There were also robes and what looked like nightgowns.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in my undergarments.¡± I told her. I didn¡¯t have anything to prove, but a nightgown didn¡¯t appeal to me.


    Tavorwen blushed, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be in the room next door, should you need me.¡±


    Iid down and tried my hand at the word to extinguish the lights. ¡°Seltin.¡± The lights faded and the soft, supportive warmth of the bed lulled me to sleep.

 609

    In my dream, the angel appeared before me. It was strange. Last time I¡¯d been here, I was a spirit, but now I knew I was just here in a dream.


    ¡°You desired to speak with me?¡± The angel greeted me. ¡°I can answer some of your questions, but do not make a habit of this.¡±


    I thought for a moment, ¡°So many questions¡­ The elves want to reproduce with me. Is that okay? Like, they want me knocking up a bunch of their she-elves¡­ I wasn¡¯t terribly religious, but I know most religions back home took issue with having babies with a bunch of women.¡±


    The angel smiled, ¡°The dictates of the Almighty God exin the desired paths for the rtionships between his children. Divinew sets forth the benefits and consequences of abusing these rtionships. I may make this very simple for you. The Creator has nows, rules or limitations on your rtionships with children of another world, for only when the Gods of such worlds request it and he acquiesces are such rtions even possible. This includes procreation,ws of ownership, and interactions that end the life of children of other worlds.¡±


    I was listening very carefully, ¡°Wait, so¡­ I can basically do whatever I want¡­ and God won¡¯t care?¡±


    The angel nodded, ¡°You are not acting among those he created and who are under his care. Once your time in your new world has concluded, you will return to your Creator with the experience gained on your new world and receive the afterlife you earned on the world your Creator ced you on.¡±


    I thought for a second, ¡°So there are no consequences for what I do here?¡±


    The angel shook her head. ¡°The gods of your new world may remove privileges and do all within their significant power to reduce or end your time on your new world early should you decide to live in a manner not conducive with the world on which you reside. Your current patron God, and the God who facilitated your summoning is X¡¯Thallion, the Great Father of the Elven people. He protects you from the will of the other gods. If you wish to live as long as possible on your new world and enjoy the privileges therein, I would advise you to live ording to his teachings and the societal expectations of his children.¡±


    That seemed fair.


    I sighed, ¡°So¡­ speaking of societal expectations of the elves¡­. The elves want me to be having babies with elven women.. But Tavorwen said that if a man, er male, dies, and leaves the elven women he¡¯s¡­ well¡­ that he¡¯s been having sex with without another man to satisfy them, it can drive them to end their lives. I¡¯m human, we live a hundred years at most. She said the elves are fertile for almost fifteen hundred years. How can I in good conscience have sex with elven women, knowing that in like fifty years I¡¯m going to pass on and they¡¯ll be left with that?¡±


    The angelughed, ¡°Mortals make so many assumptions. You assume time will affect you in your new home the way it did on your old world.¡±


    ¡°No need to be confused.¡± The angel smiled, ¡°There are a number of conditions and the nature of time itself that will lead to your life in your new worldsting far longer, in their time frame, then you would expect in your previous time frame. The seventy years of your old life that you sacrificed will be multiplied nearly a hundred fold. You may engage with the children of X¡¯Thallion without fear. He has appointed his daughters to serve you and bear your offspring, whom you will be able to visit during your afterlife, once your time here has ended. When your timees, he will care for them in your absence.¡±


    My mind churned to try and figure out which of my questions had been answered and which remained.


    ¡°The night draws to an end.¡± The Angel bid me, ¡°Return and enjoy the time you have been given.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    I opened my eyes feeling strangely refreshed and invigorated.


    I rose and pulled on a set of my new clothes and stepped out of my new bedroom. Tavorwen rose from where she had been seated in the hall outside my door. She wore her new uniform and her weapons were looking clean and ready.


    ¡°Good morning, I hope you slept well. I have received instructions from the Council.¡± Tavorwen greeted me. ¡°After breakfast, we have a few tasks. Once they arepleted, we will determine our tasks going forward.¡±


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I returned her greeting, ¡°I hope you slept as well as I did.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°The enchanted beds do make for a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    I was taken aback, ¡°Enchanted beds? What does the enchantment do?¡±


    Tavorwenughed, ¡°To make your sleep more restful and rejuvenating.¡±


    I conceded. ¡°That seems pretty reasonable. Do elves just enchant everything?¡±


    Tavorwen looked at me, ¡°Did your people use your science to try to improve everything? My people are the same.¡±


    I almost objected, but then I thought about it, and¡­ yeah. On earth everything was scientifically modified to try to be as good as it could.


    We had a simple breakfast of yogurt, oats and the freshest, most perfectly ripe fruit I¡¯d ever had.


    ¡°Do all humans where you live eat as much as you?¡± Tavorwen wondered, having only eaten a small bowl of food.


    ¡°I guess so. I mean, I know some eat more, some eat less. I just eat until I am content.¡± I told her.


    Tavorwen looked down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I did not provide you with more food on our journey from the temple.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I am a soldier. I do what needs done and we didn¡¯t have any conflicts during the journey so it wasn¡¯t an issue.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°You are kind, Tomas.¡±


    I smiled back. ¡°Alright, so what is our first stop?¡±


    ¡°We meet with Durithana about your weapons.¡± Tavorwen informed me.


    When we left my home tree, it was immediately evident that at least some word about me had spread among the elves. The stares were far less innocent than they had been, each she-elf looking me over from head to toe as though inspecting a meal. Many of these females turned to give me a profile view as they looked me up and down, making me wonder what exactly elven males looked for in a female. I had noted that the breasts, hips and ass grew as an elf bore children, so looking for that was not an issue. All the elven women were almost rail thin before bearing children, so it wasn¡¯t a case of disying curves. Regardless, I felt less creepy ogling the elven females as they ogled me back.


    Tavorwen led me to a great ash tree, and inside Durithana, the smith, sat waiting for us. She looked sweaty and exhausted. On the table in front of her, sat my rifle. I¡¯d gone for a long range sniper. A longer barrel and good rifling would be important if I was going to have power and precision at range. I inspected the rifle. It wasn¡¯t exactly like any sniper from back home, but it was set up exactly how I would have it. The loading lever ran smoother than I¡¯d anticipated for a first time firearm creator. The magazine fit in perfectly and released nicely. There were half a dozen bullets and the casing, in separate pieces on the table, there was no gunpowder to be seen. The scope was exactly as I had ordered, the dials were firm, but smooth and the range finding crosshair and ticks were almost identical to the scope that I¡¯d had on my favorite scope back home.


    Durithana had even managed to get the carrying straps I had asked for, so I could shoulder the rifle.


    ¡°I used an alloy of Mythril and Adamantine instead of steel for the construction.¡± Durithana admitted, ¡°It should be stronger and lighter that way.¡±


    The lighter weight would make it easier to carry, but could make the recoil nasty.


    ¡°Are wete?¡± A light voice questioned from the entry to the smithy.


    Three she-elves joined us. One had an apron, goggles and a satchel over standard elven-wear. The other two had a book at their waist and staves, like Audriul had carried.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to Halivax, Calinar and Pelinatar.¡± Durithana announced. ¡°Halivax is an alchemist. Calinar and Pelinatar are enchanters.¡±


    The she-elves bowed as they were introduced.


    I nodded to each in turn.


    ¡°I hear you need an explosive?¡± Halivax started.


    I ran over what was needed for the gunpowder and primer. I started to exin chemicalpositions, but Halivax stopped me. ¡°Does thepound matter, or just the results?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I suppose just the results, though thepound has been developed to minimize the amount of buildup of the spentpound in the barrel.¡± I exined.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Calinar assured me. ¡°Since we are looking to have thepound generated by short term conjugation, any buildup would fade within moments of burning.¡±


    We got down to discussing what aspects mattered and what didn¡¯t matter when it came to the cartridge andpound. Halivax pulled out a kit and moved to the far side of the room, putting some kind of fume mask over her lower face and pulling goggles down over her eyes.


    ¡°Now, do you want your projectiles enhanced at all?¡± Calinar asked, looking at the fifty caliber slug on the table.


    ¡°What all could you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can make it so it flies farther, maintains force better, and increase the odds of it piercing magical protections.¡± Calinar began, ¡°I could also add elemental energies to the projectiles for enhanced damage.¡±


    ¡°I can see why the augmentation to increase flying distance, maintaining force, and prating magical defenses would be useful¡­ but I¡¯m just putting holes in my targets. Why would I need to add elements to my bullets?¡±


    ¡°Well, for example, if you shot a troll, with a projectile without elemental energies, it would simply regrow. Forest trolls require me to dosting harm. Swamp trolls require ice energy, mountain trolls require acid, and canyon trolls require sonic energy to be harmed. If you came across a specter, it could allow any of those to pass through it without harm. A projectile cloaked in force energy would be impossible for a specter to ignore.¡± Calinar exined.


    This was a new factor to me. Back home, simply being able to pierce armor was all that was needed. After discussion, I agreed. The bullets would be as fully enchanted as she could make them. Calinar took the bullets and casings and pulled out an etching pen and began marking and chanting over the bullets.


    ¡°Now, Durithana says that this¡­ thing¡­ is to help you see far away?¡± Pelinatar verified, picking up the scope, and peering through it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± And I exined how it worked.


    ¡°Very nice¡­ but why not use something like this?¡± Pelinatar asked, waving a hand over something in her hand, then handing me a small ring with a crystal lens filling it. I held it up to my eye and it felt bizarre, like looking through a scope only the width of a coin from front to back.

 610

    ¡°I can even attune the viewing crystal to your rifle so that it will show you exactly where your projectile willnd.¡± She exined further.


    ¡°Does magic like this ever fail?¡± I asked.


    She shrugged, ¡°It is possible, magic that suppresses other magic exists. And I suppose then it would be a clear lens in front of your¡­. device.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That would work then.¡±


    Pelinatar smiled and worked with Durithana to affix the viewing crystal to the scope and then attune it to my rifle.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll have to zero my scope.¡± I exined.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Pelinatar asked.


    And once I exined the process, Pelinatar cocked her head. ¡°You did not have magic that could aplish such a simple task?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°There was no magic where I came from.¡±


    Pelinatar epted that, ¡°Would you like me to enchant your device to do that for you?¡±


    I thought, ¡°Would it go out of alignment if the magic failed?¡±


    Pelinatar shook her head. ¡°The magic would only be active when aligning your¡­ scope. If the magic was suppressed, the mechanical aspects would be unchanged.¡±


    ¡°Then by all means, I¡¯ll ept any improvements you can offer.¡± I epted. ¡°It could be nice, since I don¡¯t have a rangefinder to let me know how far my targets are away.¡±


    About an hourter, Durithana helped Halivax affix the primers, fill the cartridges with herpound, and the enchanted bullets were crimped into the casing. Calinar was wrapping up enchanting the magazine.


    ¡°Each is unique.¡± Calinar informed me. ¡°This case will generate an extra copy of the top piece in the case to be loaded, each time you take a unit into your weapon. You canmand the case to reorder the pieces with the following words: ¡°Hafra¡± for fire, ¡°Auqura¡± for ice, ¡°Lifa¡± for lightning, ¡°Schimis¡± for acid, ¡°Vrusis¡± for sonic and ¡°Uruturfa¡± for force. Each piece will beced with the element in question.¡±


    I made mental notes of the words. I thanked God for mynguage memory. I was quickly picking up a lot of the words of this magicalnguage.


    ¡°Now, I know you only asked for the¡­ rifle¡­ you called it.¡± Durithana exined, ¡°But all elven soldiers are issued a sword and dagger. So I took the liberty.¡±


    She presented me with a sword and dagger. The sword had a double edged de just over three feet in length with a handle that fit my hand when wielding it one handed, but had enough handle that I could work it two handed if I wanted. It was light enough to wield one handed, and I could feel the bnce and ease with which the de would move. Runes ran the length of the de. The metal was a light bluish metal.


    ¡°You can engage elemental energies on your de using the same words you use selecting the elements of your projectiles.¡± Durithana exined. ¡°The des are both mythril.¡±


    ¡°This feels like a nice de.¡± I told her.


    The dagger was a five inch, double edged, de and appeared to be designed for utility rather thanbat.


    The dagger and sword had sheathes on a sword belt. I belted it on and found them to be lighter than I¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Now the only thing to do is to paint and camouge the rifle.¡± I dered with a smile.


    ¡°I was wondering.¡± Durithanaughed, ¡°No offense, but this would stand out in the forest.¡±


    Tavorwen frowned, ¡°Four of the elders wanted to see a demonstration of your weapon once we were finished here, then we have a social meeting to attend. I can gather paints for you during the meeting and we can paint your rifle this evening. Is that eptable?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make you another cartridge case and more of the cartridges so if the magic does fail you can reload.¡± Halivax assured me.


    I thanked them profusely and then had to follow Tavorwen back out into the walkways of the elven city.


    ¡°It is a bit of a walk to the archery grove.¡± Tavorwen apologized and we started to trek.


    It was a bit of a walk, taking us about a half-hour to reach the small gap in the massive trees on the forest floor.


    The four elders were there when we arrived. They wore no armor and carried no weapons, but had a dozen armed and armored elves with them.


    ¡°Cap-¡­ Guardian Tavorwen, did all go well with the smith and enchanters?¡± The most prominent elder asked.


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± Tavorwen acknowledged with a curt nod.


    The general turned to me, ¡°Please give us a demonstration of your weapon. We have targets at 100 paces, 200 paces, 300 paces, and 500 paces. Is that good?¡±


    Now I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I had gotten confirmed kills at ranges of a mile and a half to a mile and three quarters during my time as a sniper. As an expert marksman, I was not intimidated by any of those ranges, especially once I saw the targets. They were wooden circles, roughly three feet in radius, with approximately a one foot diameter bullseye in the center.


    ¡°That should be easy enough.¡± I assured them. ¡°Do you have any set at longer ranges?¡±


    The generals exchanged a nce, ¡°No. If you can hit these, then we can set up further targets. Please, show us what you can do.¡±


    Iid out and deployed the bipod at the base of my barrel. It was strange, the viewing crystal taking the ce of my scope. Pelinatar had added a crosshair, but I could see that the ticks were unnecessary as the viewing crystal adjusted minutely to show specifically where my bullet wouldnd.


    ¡°Uruturfa.¡± I muttered, hearing a chink as the bullets rearranged in the magazine, then I pulled the bolt back and slid it forward, chambering the round. A force bullet sounded best here. I didn¡¯t want weird elemental energies throwing off my first experience with my new rifle.


    I controlled my breathing, took aim at the target at 100 paces and eased the trigger to the edge and then popped off the first round.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I was shocked at how quiet the shot was. The gathered elves covered their ears, wincing. The recoil wasn¡¯t as bad as I¡¯d feared, but it was significant. Firing it too much could do work on my shoulder, but that was a fair price to pay if it did its job.


    The first target was annihted. The top half swung showing the impact point near the center of the bullseye, but cracks radiated from that. Two of the cracks had reached the edge causing the bottom half of the target to drop.


    I pulled the lever back again, and chambered another round. The rifle had done excellently. I took aim at the target at 200 paces, and popped off a second round. The second target shattered. I chambered a third round and took aim at the 300 pace target, and shattered it with the third shot.


    It almost bothered me, not having to adjust my scope as I changed targets, but I could see how the viewing crystal worked and the view lowered as I shifted to the further targets. I knew roughly the amount of adjustment I had to make and it was correct. I fired, nailing the third bullseye, confirming the viewing crystal to be working correctly.


    As the third casingnded next to me, the first casing faded and disappeared. I estimated it took 10 seconds for the casing to disappear. That should be plenty of time for any shot I could make tond. So that concern was removed. I had worried that if the projectile didn¡¯tst long enough, then it could disappear before hitting a target.


    I chambered a fourth round and with ease lined up and blew a hole in the bullseye of the target at 500 paces.


    I lifted my head, pleased with how the rifle had performed. I smiled to myself. I¡¯d have toplement Durithana about how well her rifle had worked.


    I turned and looked at the generals. The generals and all of the elves were pale with shock, their hands mped on their ears.


    ¡°Are you unharmed?¡± Tavorwen asked. ¡°Did that not shatter your shoulder?¡±


    I checked my shoulder mobility, ¡°No, actually the recoil wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected.¡±


    As I looked over at the assembled elves, ¡°Are your bones so brittle?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they would not shatter, but¡­¡± One of the generals acknowledged, ¡°¡­ A weapon like that would not be practical for us¡­ By the gods¡­ How far can you shoot with this weapon?¡±


    I did some quick math in my head. ¡°The longest kills I have gotten with my rifle back home were at what would that be, about 2600 paces and 3000 paces?¡±


    The she-elves exchanged looks, ¡°That¡¯s a kill before anyone would even know you are there.¡±


    ¡°That is the idea.¡± I told them.


    The generals exchanged a nce, ¡°We hereby grant you the rank of Specialist.¡±


    One of the soldiers strode forward and gave me a cloak like Tavorwen¡¯s camouging cloak. I shouldered my rifle and took the cloak. The sp seemed simple enough, so I threw it over my back and sped it on my shoulders.


    Dang. Wearing a cloak made you feel cool. Why didn¡¯t people wear cloaks back home? Why did they go out of style?


    ¡°We have much to consider.¡± The generals admitted, ¡°We will call for you to join us in council, either this evening or at some point tomorrow. Specialist, Guardian, you are dismissed.¡±


    I instinctively saluted and then turned and followed Tavorwen from the range.


    Tavorwen looked at me nervously, ¡°You are beginning to intimate me, Tomas. You carried such power back at your home?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve carried it for years at this point.¡±


    Tavorwen looked down, ¡°I may have misjudged you.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°That is alright, it¡¯s only to be expected. I am pretty sure I have misjudged you, I just don¡¯t quite know how badly yet.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°I suppose it is only fair. Let us go. Your lunch andpany awaits.¡±

 611

    It was a climb, back up into the canopy and the elven city. We rested so Tavorwen could catch her breath, then headed into the same district as my new home. A noble looking elm was our destination.


    Tavorwen knocked lightly on the door. An exceedingly pregnant matron answered the door.


    ¡°Master Driveal is awaiting your arrival with great anticipation.¡± The matron greeted us, cing a hand on the small of her back, clearly bearing the weight of the child she was growing with some difficulty.


    I had a hard time not staring. I¡¯d thought the retired matrons hadrge breasts, this matron¡¯s breasts were enormous and engorged, preparing to do the job they had been created for. Her hips and ass looked amazing, her body preparing to give birth had her hips shifted wider, giving her an amazing pop to her hips.


    ¡°Sanmthathir! You should be resting! Sit down.¡± Another matron came over and ushered the very pregnant Samnthathir to a chair. ¡°Tavorwen, I¡¯ll take over your charge. I understand you have business to attend to.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°I entrust him to your care.¡±


    I swallowed. This new matron had the breasts I had expected of a matron who had borne children. The sexy re of her hips made my cock stir, but she wasn¡¯t mine. I¡¯d be good and keep my hands to myself.


    She led me through the house to what appeared to be a study.


    Inside, sat the first male elf I¡¯did eyes on. He was thin, wiry, but almost wane, or anemic looking. His long ears swept out from his head nobly. His shoulders, while broader than the females¡¯, were not nearly so broad as most of the men I¡¯d known back home. He remained sitting with a cane resting against his cushioned wooden chair. He wore a simple, light green robe, belted at his waist. What I could see of his chest, while not particrly muscr,cked enough fat to show anything else. His feet bore nothing but a pair of fur stuffed leather slippers.


    His piercing green eyes took me in. I could see interest, a curiosity that burned bright despite his clear frailty. He had in his hands a leather bound book, which he set aside on the small table beside his chair.


    ¡°Wee, hero.¡± Driveal greeted me in a light tenor voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been excited to meet you. You¡¯ll have to forgive me, my duty requires my exertion and I¡¯m recovering from performing said duty this morning. But you aren¡¯t here to hear me moan of my woes.¡± He rose shakily to his feet with the aid of his cane. ¡°Come,e with me to the sitting room. We have much to discuss.¡±


    I had learned enough of elves to know if I moved to aid him, it would wound his pride. Instead I opened the door wide and stood clear from his path.


    The elf stood tall, still several inches shorter than me, and walked out of his study. I followed his lead to a sitting room that looked to be just off of the kitchen.


    A matron with a tiny elven child in a sling across her chest, fussed over the master. ¡°May I get you all something to eat and drink?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± I epted.


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m famished, Narivna. A nice round of Philia would be wonderful.¡± The master bid.


    The child was adorable, cooing on her mother¡¯s chest. She was tiny. I couldn¡¯t see much of the tiny elf, but just like human babes her ears weicallyrge know her tiny body. The only saving grace for the tiny she-elf was that her ears naturally followed the curve of her head.


    Narivna walked into the kitchen and the master smiled at me. ¡°I see your eyes are kind to my matrons.¡±


    I cringed.


    The elfughed, a solid bellyugh, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t me you. I picked my matrons for a reason. I don¡¯t mind your eyes agreeing with mine, but keep your hands from my matrons.¡±


    I chuckled awkwardly.


    The elf lightly pped his forehead, ¡°Where are my manners!? I haven¡¯t even properly introduced myself. Allow me to correct this grave breach of etiquette.¡±


    He sat as tall as he could, ¡°I am Driveal Starborn, Master of the Silver Elm house, Diviner and Conjurer.¡±


    I smiled. I¡¯d caught his name from one of the matrons earlier, but it was nice to hear it from him. ¡°I am Thomas Nord. Before being summoned I was a sniper and unitmander in the special forces of my home nation.¡±


    Driveal sat forward eagerly, questions in his eyes, then he stopped himself, ¡°Forgive me, my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes. We are not here for me to pester you with questions about your homnd.¡±


    I smiled awkwardly, ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    Driveal was stunned for a moment, then burst outughing. ¡°How much have you been told?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Honestly, not much. I was told I would be receiving my weapons from the smiths, then I was informed I was to do a weapons demonstration, and then I was told I had a lunch ¡®social engagement¡¯¡­ and I have no idea where I¡¯m going from here.¡±


    Driveal smiled, ¡°Well, Thomas, I was asked to help guide you before you were taken to a selection of maidens to choose from for your first matrons. As I understand, they want to start you with more than the traditional two.¡±


    I gaped, and heughed again. ¡°She-elves¡­ they do have a tendency to believe you¡¯ll read their minds.¡±


    I collected myself, ¡°I see some things are universal, regardless of species.¡±


    Driveal was thoroughly amused. ¡°So then, I¡¯m sure you can understand why I¡¯m d you find our females attractive. It would be far more difficult for you to select maidens to make into matrons if you did not find our maidens appealing.¡±


    I sat back. ¡°Well, events are progressing quickly.¡±


    Driveal spread his hands, ¡°When the Gods give you a gift, it is generally best no to squander it. Now, have you any questions about the process or how selection will go?¡±


    I rubbed my neck, ¡°Um, yes. Do I know what they all are? No. I haven¡¯t the foggiest how it will go.¡±


    Driveal nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised¡­ before we go on though, do you mind if I ask a somewhat personal question?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m getting used to those.¡±


    Driveal shook his head in sympathy, ¡°Forgive me, but the way the messenger exined the decision to start you with arger group of matrons was something about your increased capacity for¡­¡± He fished for a polite way to say it.


    ¡°Making love to females?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°A fine expression for it.¡± Driveal agreed. ¡°Is it true you are capable of making love multiple times a day, without even taxing your stamina?¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only actually made love as often as my body is capable of once, and I was tired, but not exhausted, per se.¡±


    That had been a good weekend. There had been a couple of girls on spring break near our base when I¡¯d been stationed near Miami. Jacob had just gotten married and was doing his best to impregnate his wife, and I¡¯d found a couple of hot bikini babes who thought a man in uniform was sexy and decided to go three-way. I¡¯d found then in the morning and by the following morning they were arguing over whose pussy was more sore. I¡¯d stretched and done six loads (evenly split between the horny girls) the first day, then woken up to one of them sucking me off to get in another round. I¡¯d done her hard enough we fell back asleep and something like a half-hourter the other girl had gotten the same idea. It had been wild.


    Driveal sat back amazed, ¡°The male elven physiology makes that impossible. One a day is considered outstanding performance. Once every other day is expected.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°I do understand the desire to fulfill the desires of as many maidens as possible and wasting such potential would be borderline sphemy. But anyways, you are doubtless anxious to know how you will be presented with maidens and how the process will go. Am I wrong?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You most certainly are not. Please, enlighten me.¡±


    He grinned, ¡°Well, as you may have noticed, there is not a wide variety of the fashion worms daily by the elves about their business. It was not always so, but current circumstances have forced more subdued efforts toward art and fashion than have existed in ages past. The one exception that has been maintained is for maidens presenting themselves for matron selection.¡±


    I drew in a breath in relief. I¡¯d been worried about that. As with many people among a new race and culture, despite my best efforts, most of the elven females looked the same to me. The unremarkable, almost uniforms worn by the elves didn¡¯t help. It had appeared there were soldiers, mages, and craftspeople, and just as much variety in apparel. A wider disy of fashion might help me make my choice.


    ¡°Each she-elf desiring to be selected as a matron maintains a set maidenly apparel to present herself for consideration. These ensembles are designed by the women to tell as much about them as possible and to show why they might appeal as a potential matron.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°Their attire is one of two major tools that maidens use to prove their appeal as a potential matron.¡±


    I nodded. That made sense. Even back on earth, women using clothing to disy sex appeal and show of their personality isn¡¯t umon.


    ¡°The second tool that maidens use is direct interactions with their potential master, and their current matrons, to show that they work together well.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°Unfortunately for the maidens, that tool is not really avable in this round of Matron selection.¡±


    I let out a deep breath, ¡°So, basically, there will be a bunch of she-elves, whose only method of showing their appeal is their clothing, and I am going to be choosing some to¡­ make a harem of matrons?¡±


    Driveal cocked his head to the side, ¡°What is a ¡®harem¡¯?¡±


    I was deep in thought, ¡°A bunch of females sharing a male.¡±


    Driveal seemed surprised by the term, ¡°Isn¡¯t that always how it goes?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Back on my world, it was usually monogamous. One male and one female, exclusively making love with each other and rearing their children together. Since there are approximately the same number of males and females it works.¡±


    Driveal smiled, ¡°That would be nice, but that is not how it works here. You¡¯ll understand when you see how many maidens are gathering in hopes of being selected. My matrons tell me that the number of maidens you¡¯ll have to choose from is even higher than most elven males get.¡±


    I was taken aback, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Driveal rested his chin on his hands, ¡°Simple. The odds of being selected.¡±


    I waited for further exnation, and Narivna walked back in and provided both me and Driveal with a te with some sort of fowl, reminding me of quail, well seasoned and served with a tangy sauce, and cracker-like pieces. The vors blended well and I found it quiet filling, so by the time the te was gone I was content. To drink, she brought us what appeared to be pomegranate juice mixed with something tasting like apple juice, but not quite that.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

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    Driveal began enjoying his meal as he exined, ¡°It has been almost ten years since thest Master reached the age of maturity and selected his first matrons. This meant that over four years, five matrons were selected, and it will be another eight years before such an opportunity presents itself. However, you appear and immediately, you will be selecting four to six matrons, depending on which rumor you listen to, and likely have far more toe. Most masters, myself included, desire matrons our age or younger, however we aren¡¯t even sure how old you are. You appear to be at least five hundred years of age, which means that you could potentially select any number of maidens who have already given up on the privilege of bearing children as your matrons.¡±


    That made sense to me. The rekindling of hope was a powerful thing.


    ¡°So, four to six?¡± I noted,tching onto that detail.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Driveal finished a sip of the drink, and nodded. ¡°Sources of both numbers insist that they have reliable information.¡±


    I let that simmer in my head.


    ¡°I think when the Elders initially reached out, they were expecting up to twenty maidens to apply, and having most recently chosen a new matron I have had the opportunity to get to know some few maidens who likely will be presenting themselves, but from what I hear, you may have well over one hundred maidens casting the dice for a chance to bear your children.¡± Driveal continued.


    I snapped up, ¡°A hundred?¡±


    ¡°At least. From what I hear.¡± Driveal confirmed.


    ¡°Oh, God¡­. how am I supposed to choose?¡± I moaned, dropping my face into my hands. I fucking hated dating and this was sounding like freaking speed dating with marriage at the end of the event¡­ to multiple women.


    Drivealughed, ¡°Well, in some ways, you are lucky. I would hardly say there is a ¡®wrong¡¯ choice when ites to matrons.¡±


    I looked at him in confusion.


    He took a drink and chose his words carefully.


    ¡°You are aware that males among all the elven races are¡­ few in number, correct?¡± He pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why multiple she-elves be matrons to every male.¡± I verified.


    ¡°Yes, well that has led to ack of¡­ diversity among our peoples.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°Many masters must be careful to only select matrons as distantly rted to them as possible. Sort of like how when breeding hunting hawks, horses or other animals, you must be careful not to inbred your animals. You have no such restrictions. You will bring great diversity to the next generations of elves.¡±


    I squirmed. I could see what he meant, but it didn¡¯t make my job easier.


    ¡°What if the matrons don¡¯t like each other?¡± I worried.


    Driveal chuckled, ¡°I have never heard of two matrons who could not settle their differences. I have once heard of a master bringing two matrons before the council, for causing discord in the master¡¯s house, but the threat of having their matron status revoked brought them quickly in line. Most of the time, however, once the bonding isplete, any group of she-elves find enough to unify them.¡±


    ¡°Bonding?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Do you not bond with your mates where youe from?¡± Driveal retorted, raising his left hand and showing me, on his ring finger, where on my world a wedding ring would reside, what appeared to be a moving, ring-like, golden tattoo residing.


    ¡°I have to get a tattoo?¡± I groaned. I couldn¡¯t help but think of all the grunts at boot camp with six different girls¡¯ names tattooed on them¡­ then changed to try and hide them once the girl cheated on them or moved on.


    Driveal cocked his head to the side, ¡°What is a tattoo?¡±


    I exined to him about the needles and inks. Which made his face pale.


    ¡°Oh, no! By the five heavens¡­. forgive me for saying it, but we would never engage in such barbaric behavior.¡± Driveal shuttered. ¡°No, the process of forming this mark is purely magical, connecting the paths of positive energy of each soul. The bound energy manifests where the skin is thinnest on the Archonian meridian.¡±


    I blinked, ¡°I admit I didn¡¯t understand a good chunk of that exnation but would love to learn some time.¡±


    Driveal grinned, ¡°However did the magical studies of your homnd progress without such basic concepts being taught to your youth?¡±


    I sighed, exining this was getting old. ¡°There is no magic where Ie. All we had we aplished with science and engineering.¡±


    Driveal¡¯s face froze in shock, his eyes wide and mouth partially ajar, ¡°But then¡­ how do you¡­ oh, and that would mean¡­. Oh some many QUESTIONS!?¡± He blurted before catching himself. ¡°Forgive me. Again, we are not here for me to ask you questions but for me to answer your questions.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll have to make visits with you a regr urrence so you can get your questions answered and I can learn of your magic.¡±


    Driveal was ecstatic, ¡°You have yourself a bargain.¡±


    And I extended my hand without thinking and he sped it in a handshake. At least some things seemed to be the same between our two worlds.


    ¡°Being unfamiliar with magic, the nature of a bonding ceremony would be unfamiliar to you. Let me prepare you for what is entailed.¡± Driveal noted thoughtfully. ¡°Come closer.¡±


    I scooted forward, and Driveal held out his hand to show me the sigil on his finger. It was strange, a golden ink-like substance that rested on top of his skin, and would look painted on if parts of it were not moving, gliding over his skin.


    ¡°As a master, you can see a distinct line for each of my matrons. Sanmthathir¡¯s here is more angr and gem-like, Narivna¡¯s is this meandering line with the wave motif, Halidrear is this line that branches and merges making patterns, Abanith is this one with leaves, Zephrina is the one that flows into poetic phrases, andst but not least Jakuryn is the one that has the thorns and flowers.¡± I could barely pick out the separate lines as they wove together and intermingled, but each could indeed be seen. The lines seemed to rotate and dance among themselves, spinning slowly around the finger.


    ¡°Narivna, could youe here for a moment and show Thomas your bonding sigil?¡± Driveal called to his matron.


    The pleasant matron returned from the kitchen and held out her left hand. Her mark was more simple, with a line denoting the top and bottom and a single curling and sliding, with a motif of stars and clouds.


    ¡°Each master has a unique mark his matrons bear.¡± He exined, ¡°And the more matrons a master has in his care, the more ornate his mark on the sigils of his matrons. Thank you, Narivna, you may return to whatever you were doing.¡±


    The matron happily patted the back of the child in her sling and returned to the kitchen.


    ¡°The sigils will appear automatically once the bonding isplete. The process is fairly simple, and requires only a single drop of blood from you, and each maiden bing your matron. The blood is drawn from a pin prick on your finger, which should heal quickly enough. The blood from all participants is then raised into a single droplet, and the incarnation of binding is then changed by the officiating priestess of the Enlightened Hosts¡­ that is the name for the household of the elven gods. Once the incantation isplete you will be bound to your matrons and they will be bound to you, and the sigils will appear on your hand and the hands of your matrons.¡± Driveal exined. ¡°For maidens you select after your initial binding, blood will only be required from your new maidens and instead of supplying blood you will hold the hand with your sigil of bonding up to the droplet formed by the blood of your new maidens.¡±


    It seemed a little strange, but I guess if that was how the magic worked, who was I to question it?


    ¡°Once bound, you have several advantages. You can open your emotions to those bound to you, so that you may feel the emotions of your matrons and that they may feel your emotions. You can also concentrate on any of your matrons and determine what direction they are from you and roughly how far away they are. That will probably be far more useful for you than it is for me.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°You will be able to feel each bond and just as their mark in your bond will feel unique.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s everything to know about the bonding?¡± I verified and Driveal nodded. ¡°So, most matrons can make it work and get along, and I haven¡¯t had a chance to get to know the maidens, so how am I supposed to pick my matrons?¡±


    Driveal sighed, ¡°It is regrettable that you haven¡¯t had time to get to know the maidens, that is the greatest way to learn about the different maidens, so while it may be shallow, for this first round, the only real option you have at this point is to choose the maidens most pleasing to your eyes.¡±


    Simple, choose the hottest or cutest maidens, I could do that.


    ¡°Anything else I should know?¡± I asked Master Driveal.


    He sat back, ¡°Well, I do not know how it is with the females where youe from, but beware, the first time you¡­ make love¡­ to your matrons, it will be a painful experience for them. There will be bliss as well, but the pain is real.¡±

 613

    He thought for a moment the had an epiphany. ¡°I just realized¡­ since the men of your homnd have such stamina and vitality, are you an active participant in the making of love?¡±


    I did a double take, ¡°¡­ yes¡­ are you not?¡±


    Driveal shook his head, ¡°The exertion is too great as is. Matrons bear the responsibility of exerting themselves sufficiently to¡­ drive the love making forward. This allows them to manage their first time as they are able. If you are to be an active participant, be careful not to overwhelm your matrons.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Is there ought else I can help you with in preparation for your matron selection?¡± Driveal asked, finishing his drink.


    I too finished my drink, my food long since finished, ¡°No, I think that¡¯s about it. Unless there is more to the process. I¡¯ll be taken to a room full of women dressed to impress. I¡¯ll pick the ones that look the most appealing, then give up a drop of blood while we participate in the bonding ceremony, then go back to my house and gently start performing my duties as a new master of the house?¡± I was very much looking forward to thatst bit.


    ¡°That is my understanding.¡± Driveal agreed, ¡°I believe the elders wished to give you a few weeks to settle with your matrons then seek how to best utilize your abilities to our benefit.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll see how this goes.¡±


    Driveal rose and sped my hand, ¡°I¡¯ll send for your escort.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be d to have Tavorwen at my side for this.¡± I breathed, shaking his hand.


    Driveal pressed his hands together, ¡°Ha amari yo utrail¡±, then after a moment, his mouth moved as he spoke, but the words could not be heard. A momentter his eyes shifted as he listened to words I could not hear. He said one more thing, then allowed his hands to separate.


    ¡°Your escort will be here shortly. I was informed however that Tavorwen is still otherwise upied, so Sergeant Elloevier will take you to your congress of maidens.¡± Driveal informed me.


    I was disappointed and slightly worried about Tavorwen, but then immediately felt bad. Tavorwen was a grown woman and could take care of herself. She had taken care of herself her entire life without me. A few hours away from me wouldn¡¯t hurt either of us.


    Driveal and I were able to chat for a little bit more, me telling him a little about the world I hade from. He found Earth to be a strange and fascinating ce. It was mind boggling to him how much we were able to aplish without magic. He was justtching onto the idea of an airne when one of his matrons I had met yet came in to tell me that Sergeant Elloevier had arrived.


    Elloevier was as fair skinned as the rest of the elves I had met, with long ears curving around her head and her auburn hair trimmed short, not quiet reaching her chin. She had two swords at her waist, a shorter bow on their back, and now that I knew to check hems for rank, I saw the mark of a golden flower, which made me believe Elloevier was of high rank.


    ¡°Thomas, it is my privilege to be your escort at this time in Tavorwen¡¯s absence.¡± Elloevier bid me with a salute.


    I mimicked her salute, ¡°It is my pleasure to follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°This way, we are expected shortly at the hanging gardens.¡± Elloevier motioned and we started to walk.


    There was a noticeable decrease in the number of elves going about their daily activities, and several of the she-elves almost gazed longingly at me as I passed. It was kind of ufortable.


    The stares continued until we reached arge cedar, entering it, the ceiling was almost invisible, only the slight areas of texture or odd growths in the wood making it perceptible. The light inside was amazing. The room was full of flowering nts and had hanging vines and creeping nts with flowers. Every color imaginable was flowering and the scent was delightful. I didn¡¯t think it was possible to be sad among these scents and flowers.


    However, the flowers were put to shame by the beauty and grace of the ocean of elven maidens. Their dresses were as varied in colors as the flowers were, with so many different cuts, styles and forms I didn¡¯t think a single maiden looked even close to another. Most elves had long hair, and now these maidens had their hair done up in an array of styles and techniques as varied as the styles of their dresses. The beauty before me took my breath away.


    Gledril greeted me just inside with two she-elf soldiers. ¡°Wee. I hope your visit with Driveal was enlightening.¡±


    I nodded my head in greeting to the elder. ¡°Thank you, Gledril.¡±


    Gledril smiled, ¡°So, the Council has decided to begin by allowing you to select four standard matrons and two battle matrons. We have not had battle matrons in ages but Elder Balinis had studied their existence extensively and believes the practice would be a goodpromise, enabling you to have matrons who may still partake in reproductive acts with you while you are out doing whatever you must do. So the maidens you see here are warriors who wish to be your battle matrons.¡± She motioned to a smaller group of she-elves. ¡°And these are those who would wish to be matrons of your household.¡± Gledril dered, motioning to therger group of females.


    She held up six silver bracelets, ¡°These have been created to ensure clearmunications as to when you have selected a maiden to join your matrons. By cing one of these bracelets on the wrist of a maiden, she will know that you have chosen her. Once you have chosen your maidens, you will be allowed a few minutes to visit with each of them, and then you will choose one of your battle maidens to be your head battle matron, and one of your the maidens to be a household matron to be your head household matron. You may choose to change these electionster, but for now it will provide order in your household.¡±


    She handed me the bracelets, which I slipped on my wrist to hold them, then Gledril stepped out of the way and motioned to the group of at least 30 battle maidens all hopeful. I could feel my arousal rise as I turned to view the crowd of women hopeful to be the one of the ones selected to bear my children.


    I took a deep breath then approached the first group of she-elves. There were definitely signs that these elves were fit. Their wiry muscles were well defined and there were a few that had scars. Most of the dresses were vibrant and colorful, and there were a few signs that the dresses had been stored for years, many have been only recently brought back out. My guess was that these maidens had long ago decided their ce was on the battlefield not in a master¡¯s house, but now they could be a matron while still serving on the battlefield.


    None of these elves where what would be considered well endowed, but I knew that would change as they bore children. Their hips were simrly not yet the wider hips of a child bearer, but the dresses hugged them to entuate their figure as much as possible. Lace and embroidery embellished and drew the eye to their favorite parts of their bodies.


    I looked over them for a ce to start and my eyestched on a veiled warrior female in white. Where all the other elves were dressed to favor their skin and hair, this elf¡¯s dark brown hair, done up in a crown of braids that held up her veil, and her fair skin were not nearly soplementarity shown beside the white dress. The dress showed no sign of being stored, almost looking brand new. The veil was so translucent I couldn¡¯t make out the face of the elf underneath it. There were a few other veils, but they were far thinner and made the faces of the maiden wearing them almost tantalizing, where this one was thick enough to hide the wearer¡¯s face.


    The dress was lovely. It hadce leaves, but minimal embroidery. The elf¡¯s shoulders and cor were bare and the veil came halfway down her neck. She had white gloves that covered her from fingertip to biceps. The skirts of the dress where simple, withrge panels in the front and back and side panels that covered her legs above her knees. Compared to some of the other dresses, it seemed this elf was hardly trying. The white color, instead of something more vibrant, and the tame, but tasteful cut of her dress did little to truly make her stand out. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what drew me to her.


    Then I noticed a distinctive scar, notching her ear.


    I smiled, ¡°This is where you went to.¡± I greeted Tavorwen, as she began to tremble. ¡°If you really want it, I would be honored to choose you as my first matron.¡± I told the elf as I took a bracelet and gently settled it on her wrist as Tavorwen put her other hand over her mouth.


    ¡°Why me?¡± She choked, ¡°Surely, there are others more worthy.¡±


    ¡°You are the reason I am here, and you have my trust more than anyone in this world.¡± I told her gently, ¡°There is absolutely no one more worthy. I am honored.¡±


    Tavorwen curtsied, ¡°Then I am happy to ept.¡±


    A ripple went through the assembled maidens, some slightly disappointed, but none surprised. It was clear that they had all expected Tavorwen to be chosen.


    I squeezed Tavorwen¡¯s hand and she smiled then walked over to stand by Gledril. I was slightly bummed she wouldn¡¯t help me choose the rest of my matrons, but Driveal had said that almost all these elves could happily co-exist, so Tavorwen¡¯s guidance would simply be a potential source of discontent about bias.


    I walked among the battle maidens, not sure what to look for among all these appealing options. The maidens stood still, hopeful as I walked among them, I circled once, then having looked at all of them once, I looked again. It was so hard. Not because they weren¡¯t appealing, but because they all appealed so much! I could hardly stand the thought of rejecting any of them, but I knew I was currently only to select one more. Finally, my eyes settled on a honey-haired beauty. Her deep green eyes captured me and I felt strangely drawn to her.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I quietly questioned her.


    ¡°Creadean, Hero.¡± She replied with a curtsy.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I believe you should be my second matron. Do you ept?¡± I asked, retrieving a bracelet from my wrist.


    Tears of joy filled her emerald eyes and she nodded happily, extending her hand so that I may ce the band on her wrist. She stood on tip toe and kissed my cheek, leaving a joyful tear as well, before hurrying to embrace Tavorwen. Tavorwen seemed very pleased by my decision and smiled happily at me.


    ¡°Do not give up hope, sisters.¡± Gledril encouraged the disappointed maidens, ¡°This is but the beginning if our understanding of our hero, Thomas, is correct. We will call for more daughters of battle to join him again in the days toe.¡±


    Determination filled the eyes of many of the she-elves who had been passed over, while others seemed to despair, however they all bowed to Gledril and retreated to the walls.

 614

    ¡°Now to build your household.¡± Gledril instructed, directing me to therger group of she-elves.


    I had struggled to select the second maiden to join Tavorwen as my matron, but now I had to choose four more. The amount of beauty before me made the decision so hard.


    ¡°Maidens, please ensure there is space for Master Thomas to walk among you.¡± Gledril instructed and the maidens stepped to ensure there was space to walk among them and see any side of each of each maiden.


    I stepped forward with a deep breath. One really nice aspect of these elves dressing to impress was that instead of cloaks hiding many of their traits and body forms, instead the dresses emphasized what pleasurable options their bodies offered. They were all so appealing, just going off of looks it was so hard to choose.


    My gut had helped me find Tavorwen and Creadean, so I decided to trust my instincts again. I found myself drawn first to one of only two red-headed elves with brown eyes. She wore a green dress, embroidered with autumn leaves and a deep sweeping neckline that showed the inside of her cleavage. Her sleeveless arms were fully exposed and her dress had a slit most of the way up her hip. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly drew me to her, since none of those aspects of her dress were exclusive to her. There were dresses that showed more cleavage, higher slits, and more skin showing, but it felt just right.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I inquired, approaching her.


    ¡°Diamiutar, Master.¡± She breathed hopefully.


    Man, I could get used to being called ¡®Master¡¯. The maiden just felt perfect, so I retrieved a bracelet from my wrist.


    ¡°Diamiutar, would you ept a position as my matron?¡± I offered, holding out the bracelet.


    Diamiutar was too happy to speak, but happily nodded and held out her hand for the bracelet. I slipped the bracelet on her delicate wrist and she hugged me happily, and then went to join my other chosen maidens. The two maidens greeted her excitedly and the look on their faces said they approved of my decision. As the three clustered together I noticed a feeling, like a cluster of thin threads of emotion, tying me to the three women. The threads weren¡¯t something visible or physical, but something ephemeral and immaterial binding me already to the women I had chosen.


    I turned back to the crowd of hopeful maiden and noticed that other such threads existed. With some concentration, I was able to pick one and follow it, though initially I walked past the elf it led to, I noticed it and circled back. The ck-haired she-elf wore a vibrant blue dress with staryce and embroidered moons. Her neckline was high, but her dress opened up under her bust to show the smooth ivory skin that gracefully led from the gentle slope away from her ribs down to her graceful hips, cloaked in a skirt of many ribbons of silk that cloaked her legs, allowing tantalizing and teasing glimpses until they were anchored on silver anklets. She stood shyly but with great anticipation.


    ¡°May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?¡± I asked as the desperately optimistic maiden.


    ¡°Lymarith, Master.¡± She dered with unrestrained joy in her voice though her head was downcast in humility and shyness. Her light green eyes shined with hope.


    ¡°Lymarith, I believe you are meant to be one of my matrons, if you¡¯ll have me?¡± I dered my intentions and offered her one of the bracelets, which she held out her hand with a timid smile.


    Once her bracelet was affixed to her wrist, she pranced over to the other chosen maidens. The feeling of the threads of fate, destiny, or whatever have you, leading to my growing household filled me with assurance and confidence. I had no idea what was going on with these threads, but Tavorwen¡¯s approval of my choices so far was evidence enough for me.


    I stared at the remaining assembled maidens trying to follow another one of these threads. They were so hard to follow, but if I paid close attention to my feelings, I could get a general direction. I walked through the fields of loveliness, unsure what I was looking for.


    Then my eyes rested on the most graceful looking elf I had yet to see. She wore a creamy yellow dress, sewn with embroidered suns and daffodils. Her honey hair matched her dress perfectly. Her light brown eyes were magical with her hair and entuating dress. The full, transparent,ce sleeves and full ball gown skirts made her look noble and delicate at the same time. Her warmth and happiness upon meeting my gaze melted my heart. I believe we both knew at that moment she would be next to be chosen.


    I walked up to her, already grabbing my second tost bracelet.


    ¡°My name is Hentu, Master. Thank you so much for this honor.¡± She thanked me with a bow as I ced the band on her wrist.


    She elegantly floated to the other chosen maidens to celebrate, strengthening my connection to the group. The pleasure the group took in her presence confirmed to me that I had made a good choice. The eyes of my chosen maidens rested on me as I prepared to select the final maiden for this round who would join my household.


    I tried to find thest thread of fate, far less noticeable than the cord of five threads all clumped together. It was the weakest and hardest yet to feel.


    I gazed on beautiful elf after beautiful elf as I followed the faintest whispers of the thread. It was like trying to chase a spiderweb in the wind. Elven maidens watched with hope and anxiety as I walked among them. It seemed to lead toward the back corner.


    Finally, in the very corner I found her.


    Forlorn and disappointed, her head hung as she had clearly given up. Thevender dress hung beautifully on her tender frame, matching ribbons holding up the buns in her ck hair. Her bare backed dress had two front sections that covered her breasts then looped up behind her neck to tie. The skirts, then clung to her legs down to her knees where a slit on each side freed her legs, and showed her elegant heeled sandals.


    She didn¡¯t even look up until she saw my boots as I stepped up to the fair maiden who was the final treasure at the end of my thread of destiny.


    Her head rose, her eyes wide in shock. Her eyes were a hazel mix of green flecked with brown, like a forest dancing in her eyes. She gasped audibly as she met my gaze.


    ¡°Master, no¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°What is your name, beautiful?¡± I rebuffed her objections.


    ¡°Narusil.¡± She conceded, ¡°But I don¡¯t have skill that will make me a good matron. You should pick a maiden more worthy.¡± She told me and hung her head again. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± I told her, ¡°All I know is I¡¯m trusting my gut on this, and it says you should be myst matron tonight.¡±


    ¡°But I told you, I don¡¯t have matronly skills. I can¡¯t cook. I can¡¯t sew, or mend. I am terrible with healing magics. And my enchanting skills are horrible. You should pick someone else.¡± Narusil repeated.


    ¡°As I understand it, I will have plenty of matrons to do those things.¡± I informed her, ¡°Something tells me that you will be an excellent addition to my household and I want you.¡±


    Narusil looked away, ¡°I won¡¯t deny I want it. I want dearly to say yes, but I don¡¯t believe I have anything to offer you.¡±


    I took her hand and gently slid the final bracelet onto Narusil¡¯s wrist. I took her hand and calmly led her through the assembled maidens to my chosen household.


    I had been worried I would be disappointing far more maidens than I had pleased, but the she-elves seemed surprisingly content despite being passed over. We emerged from the crowd and started to where my new household was gathered by the entrance of the grand hallway of the hanging gardens.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for them to give up yet.¡± Narusil stated calmly.


    ¡°What?¡± I jumped a bit, not expecting her statement.


    ¡°The maidens you didn¡¯t pick. They won¡¯t give up yet. It¡¯s far too early.¡± Narusil exined matter of factly, ¡°The Elders set the expectation that your household will be quietrge. Normally, a Master picks out about a third of his final household in his first congress of maidens. So, all these sisters will hold out hope for another two congresses. Rumor says you may be capable of more than that, but anything beyond your third congress will be surprising to most of them.¡±


    Tavorwen seemed surprised by my final selection, but they were all happy, and even Narusil started smiling as it became clear she was, in fact, being epted by the other she-elves.


    Gledril smiled, looking over the assembled maidens. ¡°Very well, it¡¯s time for Master Thomas to speak with each of you before determining his head of the household matrons and head of the battle matrons. Battle matron selection should go more quickly, so let¡¯s start there.¡±


    She led me to a small chamber within the exterior wood of the tree, and opened a door that had been ced to make it a room.


    Tavorwen and Creadean shared a nce.


    ¡°This ought to be quick. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Creadean dered.


    Gldril nodded, and opened the door, motioning for us to enter. I heard her dismissing the unselected maidens and encouraging them to maintain themselves and prepare for when next I would be seeking matrons as Creadean and I walked into the interviewing chamber.


    Inside was a small table with a few chairs. I sat, but Creadean just stood inside the door.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t choose Tavorwen to be your head battle matron, you are a fool.¡± Creadean dered. ¡°She is young, but has still done the work and taken multiple leadership roles. She has experience and skill beyond her years. I am a loner. I can follow you into battle, but I¡¯m no leader. Ordering people around, trying to figure out how to deploy troops¡­ I would be wasted in the roll and wouldn¡¯t do it well.¡±


    That seemed straight forward.


    ¡°Your choices have been incredible. I look forward to seeing which other sisters join our squad, but thus far, you have made incredible choices¡­ Not sure about Narusil, but the rest are considered prime matron candidates. I would question Narusil¡¯s selection but the other choices were so well done, and everyone saw how you walked straight to each of your household matrons¡­ You were being guided and we all knew it.¡± Creadean noted, ¡°It will be interesting to see how things go in theing days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I graciously epted her statements. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to add?¡±


    Creadean shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve told you my piece, and the decision is yours.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. You are dismissed. Please send in Tavorwen.¡± I acknowledged.


    Creadean nodded and stepped out. A momentter, the white d Tavorwen entered.


    Tavorwen blushed, once the door was closed, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you chose me.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Like there was another choice. Now, Creadean thinks you should be the Head Battle Matron, what do you think?¡±

 615

    Tavorwen lowered her head slightly, ¡°I was trying to find a way to say the same myself without sounding conceited or arrogant. Creadean is an amazing scout, tracker, and stalker, but she¡­ well she is blunt and doesn¡¯t worry about how she states her opinion. She does not have leadership experience and has actively avoided leadership. So, I agree with her assessment.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I would have been mostfortable with you as Head Battle Matron either way. I know you best and trust you.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°I can ept that.¡±


    ¡°Any thoughts on who should be my Head Household Matron?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen thought, ¡°Well, Diamiutar and Hentu would both be good options, Lymarith is a little young, but very talented. I don¡¯t think Narusil would befortable with the role and I think the others would struggle epting it too.¡±


    I could ept that. ¡°So, between Diamiutar and Hentu, which would you choose?¡±


    Tavorwen struggled, ¡°I haven¡¯t done much with Diamiutar in almost thirty years, but if I recall correctly, she was very good at the matronly arts. She was alsopassionate and understanding, which are good traits for a Head Matron. Hentu, I am far less familiar with. She is very good with healing magics, but I don¡¯t know how well she would lead.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Good to know. Thank you. I will appoint you my Head Battle Maiden, both of you agree that is the best path. I¡¯ll talk to the others and see if Diamiutar or Hentu is better for Head Matron. Or if one of the other¡¯s stands out for some reason.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a good choice.¡±


    She rose and I followed her out.


    Gledril looked at me expectantly as I stepped out.


    ¡°Tavorwen will be my Head Battle Matron.¡± I stated.


    Gledril acknowledged that with a tip of her head. ¡°Wise choice. Who will you interview first of your future household matrons?¡±


    ¡°I will start with Narusil.¡± I decided.


    The elf seemed surprised, but rose and entered the room as directed. I closed the door and sat down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you chose me. I¡¯m definitely not Head Matron material.¡± She dered tly.


    ¡°I suspected you¡¯d say that, so I wanted your opinion on the others before I let them make their case for why they should be the Head Matron.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Narusil noted, ¡°That makes sense¡­. Lymarith is too shy and timid. She would get pushed around in the position. Hentu has many good qualities, but she is terrible at nning ahead. She forgets about things and gets distracted too easily. I would go for Diamiutar. I don¡¯t know her very well, but based on how she just treated me while you were speaking with Tavorwen and Creadean, I think she¡¯ll be the best.¡±


    I smiled, Narusil¡¯s cold analysis of her new sisters was perfect. She reminded me of a specialist I had worked with early in my career as a sniper. Specialist Johnson was a cold operator and she helped with the analysis that had led to some of my greatest aplishments. I was more sure than ever that Narusil had a ce in my house.


    ¡°Thank you. That was perfect. Exactly what I needed to hear.¡± I acknowledged. Narusil smiled, a slight blush in her cheeks.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ for what it¡¯s worth¡­. I¡¯m really happy you chose me. I still don¡¯t think I was the right choice, but I¡¯m d you chose me anyway.¡± Narusil confessed.


    ¡°I think you will have far more to offer than you think.¡± I assured her. ¡°Now, could you send in Lymarith?¡±


    Narusil thought for a moment, ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. She is good for your next interview.¡±


    She rose and swept from the room.


    Lymarith pranced in happily and sat down. ¡°How may I assist you, Master?¡± Lymarith purred.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Now, I am guessing you don¡¯t want to be the Head Matron. Am I correct?¡± I prodded.


    She shook her head, ¡°No¡­ No, I don¡¯t think that I would be a good fit.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°So, between Hentu and Diamiutar, what are your opinions there?¡±


    Lymarith tapped her chin thoughtfully. ¡°I think Hentu wants it more¡­. But I think Diamiutar will do better. People respond to her better and she is better at making everything mesh. I think Hentu wants to be Head Matron because she craves honors and des, but Diamiutar would ept because she wants to make your house as peaceful and harmonious as possible.¡±


    Lymarith was able to assess her sisters, but in a different way than Narusil. Narusil had been cold and calcting. Lymarith on the other hand knew these she-elves on an emotional and aspirational level. Her assessment was great and agreed with Narusil¡¯s analytical approach.


    ¡°Thank you, Lymarith. Anything more to add?¡± I asked.


    Lymarith blushed bright red, then asked. ¡°Is¡­ is your penis as big as the rumors say?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°That depends on how big the rumors say it is. When erect I am about this long, and this thick.¡± I used my fingers to demonstrate.


    Lymarith¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°So big¡­.¡± She breathed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± I assured her, much to her confusion.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± She epted.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± I reiterated.


    She shook her head, trying to calm her flushed face.


    ¡°Alright. You are dismissed. If you would send in Hentu, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± I released her.


    Lymarith bobbed her head in acknowledgement and floated happily from the room, with Hentu entering but a momentter.


    ¡°Master, how may I serve you?¡± The honey-haired matron asked with a curtsy before sitting.


    ¡°I want to know what you think about who should be the head matron?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Master, I would be honored to serve you in this regard. It would be the greatest honor of my life, alongside the privilege of bearing your children.¡± Hentu pleaded quietly.


    ¡°And if it were not you?¡± I pressed.


    Hentu squirmed. ¡°I would¡­ struggle to ept either Lymarith or Narusil, I think. Being forced to submit to an elf younger than me by at least a hundred years would be¡­ difficult. However, Diamiutar¡­ well, she is my senior, and no one would say she isn¡¯t a¡­ an eptable choice.¡± Hentu admitted.


    Lymarith had been right. Hentu was only thinking about the prestige of the position. She would chafe under the direction of a younger elf because she would feel slighted. I had faith she could make it work, but thus far she hadn¡¯t actually made any arguments for capability.


    ¡°Is that all you wish to say?¡± I wondered.


    She thought for a moment, struggling, trying to figure out what to say. Then she shrugged, ¡°Is there more you would have me say, Master?¡±


    Any more would just be pandering and trying to please. I¡¯d learned a long time ago working with my subordinates that if people had credentials and aplishments that would be valid in a debate, you rarely had to dig for them. Especially for someone who wanted the role.


    ¡°Very well. You are dismissed. Please send in Diamiutar.¡± I bid her.


    She rose, curtsied again, then strode from the room.


    I was worried. Diamiutar had everyone¡¯s endorsement, though begrudgingly on Hentu¡¯s part. I hoped there was no reason immediately evident for not giving her the role. I had felt confident about all of my choices, but I worried about managing them correctly.


    The vibrant red hair bounced on Diamiutar¡¯s head as she slowly walked into the room, her face thoughtful as her heels tapped on the smooth wooden floor. She seemed reluctant but slowly came and curtsied then sat silently. Conflicting opinions evident on her face.


    I watched her for a moment, ¡°Are you ready, or would you like a moment to think before we discuss this?¡±


    Diamiutar shook the doubts from her head, ¡°I think I am ready.¡±


    I gave her an encouraging smile. ¡°Alright then, what are your thoughts about who should be the Head Matron?¡±


    Diamiutar took a breath, ¡°I think it should be Hentu. It will mean far more to her, though we¡¯ll have to work very carefully with her to make sure she leads the house correctly.¡±


    I sat back. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Well, Hentu is a great healer and has enough skill that she could be a respectable head matron, but she is forgetful and struggles with realizing the future effects of her actions. We¡¯ll have to make sure she has good support from all the matrons to ensure that she can realize the consequences that may arise based on her decision as a head matron. If Lymarith can help her remember the values and needs of the rest of the house, Narusil can give her an objective point of view on her actions, and then we can have a good road forward.¡±


    I remembered themon quote ¡°The best leaders tend to be the ones who didn¡¯t want the job in the first ce.¡± Hentu badly wanted it, but not because she¡¯d do the job well, but because she wanted the des. In her simple assessment, Diamiutar had shown that she was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the other maidens moving into life as matrons and had. She had also shown humility in putting the other maiden forward. The rightness was there. I felt good about my choice, but I had to make sure she would agree.

 616

    ¡°And what if I chose you to be head matron?¡± I prodded.


    Diamiutar struggled, ¡°If that is your choice, I would do my best. But I don¡¯t care about a position like that, it would mean far more to Helntu.¡±


    I sat forward, ¡°You said Lymarith and Narusil would be good sources of advice. They both told me that you would be the better choice. Your response told me that you understand enough of the strengths of your sisters that you would serve withpassion and understanding. Even Hentu admitted you would be a good Head Matron. Unless you have a good reason otherwise, I will be appointing you as my Head Matron.¡±


    Diamiutar¡¯s mouth opened, then closed several times. She took a moment as her eyes darted around as she thought hard to assess.


    ¡°If that is my Master¡¯s will. I will ept it.¡± She finally epted.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be.¡± I replied. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go tell Gledril.¡±


    We emerged together, and I turned to Gledril. ¡°Diamiutar will be my head of household.¡±


    Hentu nodded her acknowledgement and the other maidens rushed to congratte her as Gledril smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Now that all is prepared, let us go and attend to the bonding.¡± Gledril dered, taking her staff and leading us from the hanging gardens.


    The maidens in their dresses had returned to their homes, so the bridges and paths were full again of she-elves in the standard garb I had be ustomed to. They smiled happily as my maidens strode with heads held high across the suspended tforms between the trees. Even Narusil seemed to be epting her role and taking pride in being chosen. There was something incredibly sexy about the confidence and pride my maidens exuded.


    We walked across the za to arge spruce. An opening in the trunk led to a cavernous opening. Sixteen alcoves were spread around the outside of the opening. Fourteen of the openings had statues and alters. The remaining two alcoves held the rubble of statues and there were marks on the ground before the rubble, where altars once stood. Of the fourteen statues, only four where male, where ten were female. All but two of the female statues had therger breasts and wider hips of a matron, with the remaining two having the smaller assets of maidens. Each statue showed a unique and amazing elf, with prominent ears and angr elven facial features.


    Gledril led us to the space in front of the central alcove. She had me stand in the center and my maidens formed a half-circle around me. She took a thin dagger and held out a hand for mine. I gave her my hand and she pricked my finger, carefully drawing a single drop of blood.


    ¡°Que, van iesoval.¡± Gledril intoned, using the same incantation that had earlier collected my semen, but this time it caused the singr drop of my blood to rise as a rippling orb of red blood. Gledril went one by one to my matrons drawing a single drop of blood which rose with a motion of her hand and soon seven drops of blood floated in front of our gathering. Gledril took her ce with her back to the central statue of the elven male.


    ¡°Margone Falithia,¡± Gledril began, ¡°Utrail yo, camari tai.¡±


    The blood droplets floated slowly together, forming a singr orb. As Gledril continued to speak in the strange and rhythmguage of magic, the orb of blood began to give off a slight red glow. Gledril¡¯s voice rose in volume as she proceeded, and the reddish glow shifted from red, to orange, then yellow then finally a golden glow. The maidens all lowered their heads in reverence, but I found myself struck by the enormity of the moment and hypnotic tones of Gledril¡¯s incantation.


    Finally, when the reached its brightest and purest golden hue, Gledril¡¯s gaze lowered to me.


    ¡°Maidens, ce your left hands upon your Master.¡± Gledril instructed, and a momentter I felt six hands rest on my lower back. ¡°Now, Master Thomas, Hold out your left hand and receive the blessing of the gods as your union is bound.¡±


    I held out my hand to the glowing orb of ourbined blood, and the light rays seemed to arch out then converged on my palm. I felt a searing heat rush through me, thought it wasn¡¯t painful, just felt hot and overwhelming. It started where the light struck my palm and flooded up my arm, through my shoulder and down my back, where it fractured into six rays that each met with the hand of one of my maidens. I heard a collective gasp as the energy filled them as well. Finally, the light of the orb winked out, with nothing remaining of the orb of blood. The rays of light faded rapidly, receding into my hand. I felt it pool in my chest at my heart, forming lines to each of the hands on my back. Then it changed from overwhelming heat to cool stillness, that settled in my chest and I felt not rays to the hands of my maidens, but to the hearts of my matrons. The stillness flowed back down my left hand to where it convalesced, the in a sh, it encircled my hand, forming my bonding sigil.


    I could FEEL my matrons. Their joy was full and I could tell exactly how much this meant to them. They had spoken of it being a lifelong dream but the truth of that statement and the amount I had underestimated the intensity of that dream shook me. All of the craved motherhood like a starving man craved food. They had been forced to ignore this and now the relief and hope they felt at longst at it bing a possibility was euphoric.


    I could feel a sliver of each of my matrons, wrapped around my finger in the bonding sigil. I don¡¯t know how else to exin it. There was a bit that felt unmistakably like Tavorwen and I could feel the pool that was her as well behind me and to my right. Each Matron was unique in their feeling and almost vor of their bond.


    ¡°You are now bonded.¡± Gledril dered, ¡°May you ever remain so.¡±


    Light began to fill the room, with no discernible source. It grew in intensity and the look on Glendril¡¯s face said it was not part of the ceremony. It grew to be blinding and when it receded the slightest, fourteen elven looking figures, each almost twenty feet tall. Each majestic and noble in their own way, some dressed in silks and robes, others dressed in furs or armor.


    ¡°Hero!¡± The central male¡¯s voice boomed a greeting, ¡°We of the Enlightened Host, do greet you as we bestow upon you these fair daughters of our people. May our blessing guide you as you protect and restore our children to that which they once held. You have heeded our council and we are pleased with thee.¡±


    The Elves all bowed as it became apparent their Gods had blessed us with their presence.


    ¡°We are cing great faith in thee.¡± The female to his right dered, ¡°For thy creator hath vouched for thee. Serve our children well, and thy rewards shall be great.¡±


    Another female spoke, more to my matrons than to me. ¡°Daughters, thou art most blessed. The master thou hast submitted themselves unto is a male most desirable. Please him well and your joy shall be full and you shall take part in the salvation of your people.¡±


    The light surged again and when it faded, the mystic beings were gone.


    The swell of love and joy I felt from all of my matrons threatened to overwhelm me. I could feel the excitement and anticipation of the consummation of our unions. And I could feel my excitement building as well.


    ¡°Well, you should probably get to your home.¡± Gledril smiled, ¡°Usually it is hard to wait to celebrate such unions, even with only two matrons. I imagine with six, the urges will be most pressing.¡±


    ¡°Pressing or not, it will have to wait.¡± A strong voice called from the doorway. ¡°Our Summon is needed.¡±


    I turned and saw one of the elders, one that had not been a matron, still wearing the garb of a soldier, nked by two elves also dressed for battle, and an elf dressed in the robes of the elves more studied in the ways of magic.


    Tavorwen immediately stepped forward, I could feel her nervousness and concern. ¡°What is the situation?¡±


    The elder general¡¯s face was stern. ¡°Kathra¡¯s forces have deployed against the eastern edge of the forest, seeking to set fire to the forest. They have wyvern riding mages taxing our defenders and¡­ if we lose it could be as much as a quarter of our forces lost.¡±


    I could feel Tavorwen and Creadean bristle. This was not good. I had my gear with me, but theirs had been stored elsewhere and they would have to put aside their formal attire.


    ¡°Make haste and prepare yourselves,¡± The general instructed my battle matrons, and turning to the others, ¡°The rest of you, may go and await your new master at your new home. Pray to the gods that he returns.¡±


    I could feel the uncertainty and fear among my matrons, but I knew what I had to do.


    ¡°Go, get ready.¡± I instructed Tavorwen and Creadean. ¡°How will you get me to the battle?¡± I asked the general as my battle matrons ran past her and toward their gear.


    ¡°Teleportation.¡± The General exined, ¡°We can put you within a distance of the battle. How close do you want?¡±


    I thought for a moment, ¡°Wyverns are dragons, right?¡±


    The general pursed her lips, ¡°Dragon-like, but the understanding is close enough.¡±


    Air superiority was a problem. I couldn¡¯t call in air support of my own, so I¡¯d have to do my best to negate theirs.


    ¡°How agile of fliers are they?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They are fast but not particrly good at turning, and shifting from ascent to descent or otherwise is quiet difficult for them. Not that it matters, even with magic our arrows can¡¯t pierce their hide.¡± The general informed me.


    This general hadn¡¯t been present when I¡¯d demonstrated the capability of my rifle, I hoped its greater firepower,bined with elven magic, would be enough. The angel had made it seem I would be a game changer, and if my rifle was of no use I struggled to see how I¡¯d be of any use to these people.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Diamiutar led my household matrons away towards the house I¡¯d been given. I could feel them moving away, even as I could feel Tavorwen and Creadean¡¯s frustration at how long it was taking them to get changed from their formal wear to their more practical battle gear.


    ¡°Can you put me in the treetops¡­ say a thousand paces away from the frontlines?¡± I asked. A thousand yards was well within my range, even with a moving target. I just hoped my viewing arrangements would work something like I was used to. I specialized in anti-vehicr shots, so I wasn¡¯t terribly worried about adapting my shots to flying foes.

 617

    I could feel my battle maidens¡¯ relief at being properly equipped once more and they began to draw nearer.


    ¡°Yes. We can manage that.¡± The general affirmed, turning to the robed elf, ¡°Use your scrying magic, find him a vantage point and prepare the teleportation for the moment his escort arrives.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General Jakara.¡± The elf confirmed and she made a sign with her hands and spoke a word of magic. Her eyes were covered with a white cloudy substance and her head began to look around as if viewing a distant scene.


    A momentter, Tavorwen and Creadean joined us, breathing hard.


    ¡°Your assignment is to guard your master, regardless of what happens.¡± General Jakara instructed my matrons. ¡°Such is it now, and so it shall remain.¡±


    The two matrons nodded solemnly.


    ¡°I found a spot.¡± The mage dered.


    General Jakara backed up, ¡°Teleport them when ready.¡±


    The elf began weaving her hands in front of her, muttering words of magic and light began trailing her fingers. She finished her incantation and thrust her hands at us, and I felt my stomach drop like I was on a rollercoaster taking a quick dip, and everything around us seemed to turn into a slurry of light that swirled the reformed, thick branch under our feet. There was roughly ten feet of steady space to work with before the edges became too curved to use as a tform to fire from.


    Before me smoke and the sound of battle could be heard. Dozens of shapes circled above the field and below it was hard to tell at a nce what was going on.


    I was grateful that the tree I was on might as well have been solid stone for all it moved. A quick nce showed me where I might besty out for steadiness as I did my work.


    I took my rifle from my shoulder andid down bringing my scope to my eye and trying to get a grasp of the situation. As my scope pointed at the battlefield, the viewing crystal lit up, and the dials on my scope clicked to the correct alignment, it was a bizarre experience. Once the viewing crystal was operational, it showed me the horrors of war I was all too familiar with.


    The two sides were easily distinguished. Wood elves were fair or pale, with hair ranging from brown to blond. The shadow elves however ranged in skin color from ck of skin, far darker than any shade I¡¯d seen in my tour in Africa or anywhere on Earth, to navy blue. Their hair was white, and their eyes ck with white or yellow irises. The number ofbatants seemed low to my eyes, but I wasing to understand that elven poptions were much smaller than the human poption and slower to reproduce, meaning each dead elf was hundreds of years of loss.


    For the first time, I saw the elves fight. They would approach and in a whirling blitz of steel fight with speed and precision, exchanging strikes and parries with speed far exceeding what I¡¯d ever seen, even in choreographed dueling exchanges. The conflict continued until one side got too tired or made a mistake, then the unfortunate party was dealt a killing blow all too quickly.


    The wood elves were locked down, the wyvern riders rained down fire around them, only just being prevented from annihting the wood elf forces by the barriers being projected by the wood elven mages. But the barriers could not keep the foot soldiers out, nor apparently the wyvern mounts themselves as one swooped down.


    The wyverns were terrifying in appearance, thick scaly hide with plenty of unpleasant spines and spikes. A study saddle held their riders strapped to their backs. In the ce of forelimbs, they had immense winges with a single hook-wed finger, like a bat. Thick muscr hind legs with vicious looking talons, ready to snatch up a meal. To top it off was a long, reptilian tail, ruined by a nasty scorpion-like stinger. I almost couldn¡¯t figure out what the stinger was until I saw one swoop down and end a duel by piecing a wood elf with its tail, dragging the wood elf skyward as she struggled and screamed before the tail released her to fall andnd with a sickening stop, unmoving on the ground.


    My teeth ground in anger. Those wyverns were mine. Another wyvern roared and began a descent. I estimated speed, calcted for the wind, led the shot and fired. The rifle mmed my shoulder, but I was ustomed to a kick like that. The wyvern pped once more, then shrieked, its wings going limp and in ce of forward momentum, it dropped, tumbling among the forces of the shadow elves. The crashing wyvern sent at least six shadow elves flying, at least seriously injured if not dead. Neither wyvern nor rider moved once they came to a stop.


    The effect on the battlefield was instant. The sky borne shadow elf mages faltered in their bombardment, allowing the wood elf mages to change from defense to offense, shooting lightning at the wyvern riders, forcing them further skyward. The shadow elf foot soldiers faltered as well, falling back, and allowing the wood elves, with bolstered morale, to press their advantage.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Tavorwen celebrated, ¡°It worked!¡±


    A nce showed me that Tavorwen and Creadean had stuffed their ears with wax to dampen the sound of the gunfire, they wereying down on each side of me. Creadean had a viewing crystal like the one on my score held up to her eye.


    ¡°That punched a hole straight through the Wyvern¡¯s chest!¡± Creadean dered excitedly, ¡°A perfect shot!¡±


    I didn¡¯t take time to celebrate. I turned my rifle toward another of the wyverns, picking one circling away from the wood elves to avoid my allies on the ground being hit by a falling target. Thezy circling made it even easier to predict their path. I predicted the movement, lined up the shot and sent it. The recoil thumped my shoulder. While this was not the worst kick I¡¯d felt, it was the sixth time it had hit me in the day. I could definitely tell that the cumtive effect was rough, firing it too much would leave me badly sore, if not bruised. But that was a small price to pay if it meant my allies lived to see another day. A secondter the second wyvern let out a screech and plummeted, crashing into its allies down below.


    The remaining wyverns freaked out. Their riders began shrieking and iling, trying to regain control as their mounts began to flee. One conjured a ming whip tosh the nks of their mount, but not even she could regain control.


    As badly as I wanted vengeance on the wyverns and their riders, they were no longer threats. I looked over the shadow elf forces below. Their morale was almost broken, the shadow she-elves were taking steps back as the wood elves advanced to press their advantage. I saw a few shadow elf males, already in full retreat. A female stood on a rock, yelling and trying to rally the faltering shadow elves, but I lined up my shot and sent it and as she motioned to charge, my round hit her square in the chest, knocking her off her rock to where shey without so much as a twitch on the ground.


    The shadow elves broke and ran. A few used magic for short distance teleportation to try to get a head start as they turned and ran. The Wood elves switched to bows, bringing down another dozen as the forces fled.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I was extremely conscious of the fact that my rifle was still a bright blue-silver metal. I needed to paint this beast.


    ¡°By the gods¡­.¡± Creadean breathed. ¡°In a matter of moments, you ended that battle in our favor, when we had been losing!¡±


    I kept watch through the viewing crystal, thest thing I wanted was a false retreat with a turn and ughter. The males who had broken rank began what looked like the teleportation incantation and as the females reached them theypleted the action and the surviving shadow elves disappeared in a sh.


    I looked over the field below.


    ¡°The soldiers will take care of the wounded who can be saved and those who have fallen.¡± Tavorwen stated, removing the wax from her ears, ¡°We should get you back to report.¡±


    I sat up and watched as the burnt powder on the muzzle break disappeared.


    Creadean kept looking over the battlefield. ¡°Medics have arrived, we should stay to make sure a secondary attack to hit our healers doesn¡¯t cripple us.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Agreed. How long should it take the medics?¡±


    ¡°About thirty minutes.¡± Creadean estimated after looking over the battlefield with her crystal.


    A strong desire red to my left, making me look in surprise at Tavorwen. There was need on her face. ¡°Creadean, let us know if anything happens, but I am going to please our Master while we wait.¡±


    Creadean looked over with a smirk, and took hold of my rifle. ¡°Yes, Guardian. I¡¯ll try not to get too distracted.¡±


    Tavorwen leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. I could feel her arousal and it increased mine. Creadean¡¯s arousal added to the pile and I could feel in the distance the excitement from the matrons at my house. All of them knew exactly what was about to happen.


    Tavorwen pushed me over and began kissing me with greater passion. I closed my eyes, caught up in the moment. I felt Tavorwen¡¯s hand on my neck, then they moved too fast for me to follow and I felt my cloak and jacket pulled quickly from my chest. Tavorwen broke the kiss to pull my shirt from my chest, then resumed.


    I opened my eyes and realized that the speed of elven hands had enabled her to not only strip my chest faster than I could have done it, but her cloak, jacket and shirty on the thick branch beside us. I reached up and squeezed her breasts feeling the pleasure bloom through our connection as her intimate flesh was stimted by my hand. Tavorwen guided me toy back, my cloak making the bed of bark an eptable spot for lovemaking, and her hands darted to my pants and in a moment, I was naked. Tavorwen wasted no time joining me in nudity.

 618

    Her hand gently caressed my pulsing dick, and I could tell that at least her and Creadean could feel how much I loved her hand on my manhood. It was almost a feedback loop of arousal. I was touching Tavorwen, which made her feel amazing, and that made both of us feel the pleasure, this made her want to pleasure me more, which then in turn increased both of our arousal more.


    This minimal forey was all it took for Tavorwen to be on the verge of being overwhelmed, potentially orgasmic. She positioned her sexy, wet slit over my cock, guiding me with her hand to her entrance. She eased herself down on my thickness.


    While I couldn¡¯t feel exactly what it felt like for her tiny, tight entrance to be stretched by my cock, but I could feel the rippling pleasure as it reverberated through her, mixing and intermingling with the pleasure I felt at the hot, tight, moist massage her intimate parts were performing as my cock slowly speared her vagina.


    Now, I¡¯d had sex before. I was no stranger to the sensation of my cock spearing a tight pussy. What I was a stranger too was the building of sensations by my emotions mixing with my lover¡¯s. Not only that I could feel this same reverberation through my bond with my other matrons and their excitement and pleasure bounced back too. Creadean¡¯s pleasure and happiness at the urrence was the strongest, probably due to her proximity, but all of the matrons were contributing.


    Tavorwen pressed herself down, and I felt her hymen stretch on my cock, then burst, and she slid down my length, fully epting my length into her depths. The ping of pain was nothing in the sea of pleasure, and the inherent pride I felt at taking her virginity drove things higher. Tavorwen began raising herself up my length and plunging back down. She was so tight that were she not so wet, it might have been difficult to engage in our lovemaking, but the resulting sensations were mind blowing for both of us.


    I reached up and continued to enjoy the mounds of my matron¡¯s breasts. Each squeeze of the flesh and pinch of her nipples only drove her to ride me faster. The ripples inside her love tunnel drove me crazy. I wanted badly totch my mouth on her breasts and suck and lick, but she was bouncing far too fast to do that. I could feel my head start to spin from the tsunami of pleasure and amazingness.


    Tavorwen pressed on hard. I could tell that she was trying her best to make sure we both climaxed before she ran out of steam. Her breath got more and more ragged as she drove hard on my dick. Sweat dripped down her body and onto my body. Her eyes closed in concentration as she focused on getting the right angle on me to feel the absolute best for both of us.


    The sensation was like having speakers too close to a microphone, getting louder and louder until it turned into a screech. Instead however it was pleasure bing more and more mind blowing until I felt Tavorwen¡¯s mind short circuit in an orgasm, and that made it impossible to hold my own climax. I gripped her hips and pulled her down and thrust my dick up as deep into my matron as I could. My cock spasmed and my sperm shot into her womb. I was seeing stars and could feel my feet and hands tingling. Each time my cock shot a spurt of semen into my first matron to im my cock, a powerful pulse of pleasure rippled through my bond. Tavorwen copsed on top of me, spent.


    I almost felt bad I hadn¡¯tsted longer, but as Tavorwen pulled herself from my length andid next to me, pressing herself into my side, I could feel how tired she was from her exertion riding my rod. Regardless of our lovemaking being short by my standards, the feelings and love we felt in that moment were more than I had ever felt in my life. The sensations echoed through our bond and made the high of ourbined climaxesst for minutes as it settled into our very bones.


    ¡°Gods¡­ I can¡¯t wait until that¡¯s me.¡± Creadean groaned jealousy, looking over the battlefield through her viewing crystal.


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll get your chance before long¡­ unless they retrieve us through teleportation.¡± Tavorwen smiled and dered, breathing raggedly. ¡°It¡¯s a day and a half trek from the eastern edge of the forest back to the city.¡±


    ¡°How would they retrieve us through teleportation?¡± I musedzily, happy to be cuddling my new lover.


    ¡°Send a mage.¡± Tavorwen stated as she curled up next to me. ¡°Then the mage would teleport back with us.¡±


    That was a bit of a buzz kill.


    ¡°So a mage might show up any second now, finding us naked in a post-sex cuddle?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen groaned, ¡°Damn it. I don¡¯t want this to end, but¡­ you are right. We should get dressed.¡±


    I kissed her one more time, then felt around for the pieces of my underwear. I pulled them on my legs and tied them on. ¡°That was incredible. Better than anything I had back home.¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, ¡°I pleased you more than one of your¡­ ¡®one-night stands¡¯?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Nopetition. God, we didn¡¯t evenst long, but the feeling of the bond¡­. Fuck that was fantastic.¡±


    Tavorwen looked at me bewildered, ¡°How long did sexst on your homeworld?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Well, quickies could be just a couple of minutes like what we just did, but sometimes we could spend a half-hour to an hour making love.¡±


    The elves exchanged a nce. ¡°God, how could your females keep that up for an hour!?¡± Tavorwen breathed.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯d take turns. I¡¯d drive part of the time, and she¡¯d drive some of the time. That way it couldst until we were both spent.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Your females force the males to do the work?¡± Tavorwen gasped.


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t force us to do the work, they let us do the work. And one of these days I will be the oneying you on your back and trust me, you¡¯re going to love me doing the work.¡± I informed my matron.


    ¡°Oh Gods¡­¡± Tavorwen groaned, struggling to rise and begin to dress and tying her underwear up, ¡°How do your females walk after such encounters?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°If done properly, they do so on unsteady legs.¡± Tavorwen¡¯s shaking legs told me that she had enjoyed it just as much as I had.


    Even with my head start and her overwhelming exhaustion, Tavorwen was dressed well before me and helped me finish redressing. She gave me one more kiss, thenid down to look over the battlefield. I smiled at my matrons and settled once again between them.


    Looking through the viewing crystal on my scope, I could see that an unfortunate number of fallen wood elves had been gathered. Their magic cloaks, enchanted leather armor jackets and boots were also removed. They were in the process of being spread out for burial. A brown cloaked individual, with arge hound or wolf by her side, walked up to each fallen soldier, then after what appeared to be a prayer, roots emerged from the ground and gently pulled the fallen down to their eternal resting ce. The cloaked individual had to rest a minute between each fallenrade.


    The fallen shadow elves were gathered and picked over for magical gear as well. They however were not given a wood elven funeral.


    ¡°What do you do with the fallen of the enemy?¡± I asked.


    Creadean answered angrily, ¡°The same they do with our dead when they win. Leave them for the scavengers. Hells, it¡¯s the same honor they give THEIR dead when they win.¡±


    Looking at the dead, there were many wood elves who had fallen before I had arrived. I could ount for a goodly number of the fallen shadow elves with the casualties from the wyverns falling among their allies, and the one I had shot. A rough estimate showed me that the shadow elves had been winning with two wood elves falling for each fallen shadow elf. I had evened out the numbers with my intervention, but I could feel the sadness among the wood elves for their fallen sisters.


    When thest fallen wood elves had received her funeral rites, the remaining wood elves gathered around the mages, and a teleportation incantation was started.


    A blushing she-elf in mages robes appeared nearby. ¡°I¡­ I am here to collect you. General Jakarah wishes to speak with you.¡± She dered, not looking at either Tavorwen or me.


    I felt myself blush as I realized, of course the elves would be watching their summon, their hero from a distantnd, using magic. They probably got quiet the show as Tavorwen got exactly what she wanted.


    I could see Tavorwen reach the same conclusion and blush, but hold her head high. She was a matron. She had merely done as a matron was supposed to do. It was their fault for watching even once thebat was over. The trembling that still lingered in her body was something to be proud of.


    We gathered around the embarrassed mage and she quickly went through the incantation and we teleported once again. The sensation was the same drop of the stomach, then everything just blended together then reformed as one of the tree homes of the elven city.


    I recognized our point of arrival as just outside the amphitheater of the Council of Elders. A soldier motioned for us to enter. Tavorwen took my hand and led me into the amphitheater.


    The energy in the amphitheater was electric. Prior to this moment, every time I had been in front of them, there had been uncertainty, fear of my inadequacy, and I had not been able to rebuff them. Now, there was admiration and courage in the eyes of the elders.


    General Jarakah sat at the right side of Audriul and I realized she had been there before, I just hadn¡¯t know who she was. I looked over the assembled elders. With greater understanding of the elven people I now could categorize these elves. There were roughly thirty-six elders, twenty of which were Matrons, six appeared to be military (probably generals), the remaining ten wore robes of casters.


    ¡°Wee Hero.¡± Audriul greeted me happily. ¡°Word of your intervention in thistest conflict and the impact it has had on the battlefield has been reported on by our captains. They both had the greatest praise to sing of your efforts.¡±


    There was a hum of whispered conversation between the elders. All judgment was gone from the eyes of the Elders, and admiration reced it. As the hum around the room died down, I began to wonder if it wasn¡¯t better when they thought I might be worthless. I suddenly had the burden of astronomical expectations ced upon my shoulders. It was as though they expected me to wave my hand and make all their enemies and problems disappear.


    ¡°Our hopes have been confirmed.¡± Audriul glowed as she proimed, ¡°Gledril has spoken of our Gods deining to appear and bestow their blessing upon you as your matrons were bonded, and now you have shown us that in battle, our fears that you would be slow to find value were wholly unfounded.¡±

 619

    She inclined her head, ¡°We, as the Council of Elders, offer our apologies for doubting you, and for our disparaging thoughts that were directed at you.¡±


    General Jakarah rose to her feet, ¡°We hereby bestow upon you the rank of Ranger, along with all honors and privileges thereby associated. If there is anything we can provide, please, just let us know. We will assign messengers to stand vigil outside your abode. Should your services be needed, we will send word. We believe the forces of Kartha will take time to recover, but we will call upon you when next she makes her move. Please, take your leave for now and rx and prepare for the next time that duty calls.¡±


    Tavorwen squeezed my hand and we bowed, then Tavorwen used my hand to lead me from the amphitheater. Creadean took my other hand with a smile and the two matrons led me to my home, where the rest of my household waited, anxious to hear what had made their sister matrons so excited.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    Meanwhile¡­.


    A shadow elf soldier trembled as shey prostrate on her knees. The obsidian stone floor was as cold as the eyes of the she-elf who sat enthroned before her, on an immense and ornate throne. Snakes encircled the throne, snakes formed the armrests and a giant snake formed the back with a fan of other snakes to each side. Each snake¡¯s mouth was open and drops of poison were visible on the fangs of the serpents.


    ¡°Forgive me, Captain,¡± The cold voice of the enthroned elf bit into the ears of the quivering she-elf, ¡°but I could have sworn you just told me my soldiers werepletely thwarted, and sent running¡­ by a series of mysterious deaths?¡± Her breath made herrge breasts rise and fall as she red at the fearful being before her, and herrge hips filled her throne.


    ¡°Yes, Queen. There was a ringing crack and then death was immediate.¡± The fearful captain stuttered.


    ¡°AI¡¯VAIA!¡± The queen shouted, rising to her feet and pointing at the trembling captain.


    The prostrated elf jerked upright, a scream torn from her throat, blood began dripping from her eyes and her veins pulsed ck. Then she fell backward, stiff as with rigor mortis as though she had been dead for some time.


    Kathra, Queen of the Shadow Elves, sat fuming. ¡°Get rid of this trash.¡± She ordered with a snap. Two younger females rushed in and pulled the corpse from the room.


    She drummed her fingers on the arm of the throne, ¡°Where is ¡¯dir?¡± She snapped.


    ¡°I am here, my queen.¡± A male voice acknowledged.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°What is this tool the forest bitches have brought against us?¡± Kathra demanded of her advisor.


    The man stroked his hairless chin. ¡°I cane to but one conclusion. Our soldiers guard the Temple of Fate, but it is possible, if not likely that Audriul was able to get a representative into the temple and the summoning was performed before we learned of their acquisition of the summoning crystal and their intent, then moved to block it.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. It is a four day journey on foot from their precious forest to the Temple of Fate and you assure me that teleportation to the temple was impossible.¡± Kathra raged at her advisor.


    ¡°You are correct. For most, the trip would be a four day journey. The magical ley lines of the temple render it impervious to may such magics and we found out about the summoning crystal within moments of the Wood Elves acquiring it, thanks to our seers, and we had a dozen mages watching for any long range teleportation magics, that they might divert such attempts to the center of the mountain volcano.¡± ¡¯dir dered. ¡°However, it is possible that an elite and well selected elf might have made the journey by pushing herself harder than most can. If this were the case¡­¡± He cocked his head, ¡°For example, if she were able to reach the temple in two days, she could have arrived just before our soldiers and perhaps performed the summoning escaping with her summon just before our soldiers arrived.¡±


    Kathra¡¯s face contorted into a sneer, ¡°An elf so strong she could travel at double the speed of any of her sisters? You believe they possess such soldiers? Why have they not made their effect on the battlefield?¡±


    ¡¯dir shook his head. ¡°Oh? And have our most elite forces take part in every battle we have ever fought? No. Such soldiers must be used sparingly, else there is risk of your most valuable soldiers being wasted. No, I think that is the most reasonable assumption as there is no evidence of magic in the description given by our former Captain. There was no reference to sounds of incantations, no light, and no warning. Simply a cracking noise and the victim falling dead. You know as well as I that any target of magic must hear the incantation in order to be affected. That is why we conjure fire. Conjuring fire and throwing the fire allows us to exceed the range of our voices with our magic. When Uluthir tried to rally our forces, she never tried to activate her amulet of magic repulsion, which she could easily do before an incantation waspleted, but she fell dead with no warning.¡±


    He began to pace. ¡°No, we are dealing with something new and dangerous. And I can think of but one exnation. The wood elves were able toplete their summon and their summon has revealed at least one of their abilities. We must be very cautious.¡±


    Kathra mmed her hand on her throne. ¡°Damn them all to the Eleven Hells! ¡¯dir¡­ go to my chambers. I wille to you when I am ready and your performance had better be better this time. I know you are simply a weak, worthless man, but surely you can at least satisfy me. Your intelligence among the worthless males is your only value to me as I try to finally bear a child worth raising to take my ce one day. Perhaps a man with your brain will be able to sire a child worth their food.¡±


    Kathra¡¯s gaze fell on a female kneeling on the hard stone to her left. A white sigil circled her neck and the emotionless gaze of the girl flinched at reference to a worthless child.


    ¡°All of you, leave me!¡± Kathra snapped.


    ¡¯dri, the sigil-bearing maiden and a dozen servants hiding behind the columns.


    Kathra screamed her frustration once the room was empty. She stood and walked behind her throne, where a statue of a glowing blue she-elf stood.


    ¡°Oh, great Ya¡¯av! Mother of my people! Guide me as I seek vengeance on those who cast us out.¡± She proimed, raising her arms to the statue. The statue¡¯s eyes glowed and Kathra smiled, prepared to hear the will of her Goddess.

 620

    It was a surreal feeling. Walking out of the Council of Elders, a recognized hero, and being led to my home by my two beautiful matrons, one already deflowered, the other still a virgin, and four more virgins waiting for me at my home.


    It was amazing, the feeling of love, adoration and support I felt. I¡¯d never felt like this after finishing a mission. I mean, mymanding officers would congratte me and my team on a mission sessfullypleted, but walking through the streets every elf I saw looked at me like I was Jesus Christ reborn, or whatever this world¡¯s equivalent would be. This was more than just an asional patriot thanking me for my service. It almost bordered on reverent worship.


    Tavorwen and Creadean strode at side, proud matrons of the new hero of the wood elves. Their thin fingers intertwined with mine, fitting like they were made for me.


    We walked into the hanging walkways of the Gold Leaf district, and I realized some of the subtleties of the design of this elven city. I had assumed that the elves simply built their homes into the trees, but I realized that the trees were too coordinated and intentional in everything from leaf size, color, and shape, to the bark type, texture and color for this to be a natural urrence. These trees must have taken hundreds or thousands of years to grow, but I realized that would actually be possible with the lifespans of the elves involved. The trees were hundreds of feet tall and thick as redwoods, but I began to wonder if they weren¡¯t originally just¡­ normal trees, grown to immense size and grown into the shapes the elves would use for their homes through magical means, or perhaps incredible alchemical aid.


    Taking a closer look, I realized each tree in the district was unique. I wasn¡¯t a botanist by any means, but part of my survival and stealth training included what to look for in different types of nts. I could tell, for instance, that two adjacent tree homes were types of oak trees, but the leaves identified them as different species. Looking around I found meanderingnes of oaks, maples, cedars, willows, and sycamores, like coordinated streets of a well nned neighborhood. Each tree had hanging bridges, connecting the walkways built in and among the branches and around their trunks with those of their neighbor trees. Periodically, among the trees wererge wooden tforms, anchored to between four and six neighboring trees.


    I remembered my house was a maple, and looking down thene of maples, and realizing what I was looking for, I could pick out the tree I now called home. It reminded me of a sugar maple that had been growing in the yard of the house I grew up in on earth. The leaves and bark were almost identical, only the size was different.


    The foot traffic on the bridges in the Gold Leaf district was far less than that through the other districts through which we had walked. Soon enough we were actually alone on the bridges and hanging walkways.


    I tried to remember what Audriul had said about where I was to live. I couldn¡¯t recall exactly what had been said, but I was struggling to remember anything other than the district being named.


    ¡°Tavorwen, when the council told us to live in the Gold Leaf district, how did you know which home would be ours?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen looked at me a little nervous, ¡°Well, the entire district is empty, so we could have whatever house we wanted. So I picked my favorite one. I hope that wasn¡¯t an overstep on my part.¡±


    I looked at all the trees we were walking past, ¡°All of these are empty?¡±


    Tavorwen¡¯s grip on my hand tightened, ¡°It wasn¡¯t always so, but most of these homes are indeed empty. The Gold Leaf district is one of the most prestigious ces to live. With the amount of death we¡¯ve had in the past a hundred and fifty years, almost this entire district has been depopted. It will take us lifetimes to recover enough for these houses to be filled again.¡±


    I looked over the houses and began to wonder if my sperm, currently residing in Tavorwen¡¯s reproductive tract, would create a child that would help the wood elves recover from all this death. I looked at therge district full of empty houses. Suddenly, the desire to have me impregnate as many elves as possible to repopte the entire districts of empty homes. I could tell Tavorwen was thinking the same thing because her open hand subconsciously moved to her lower stomach, and I could feel her hope through our bond.


    One thing that was strange was the number of birds flying overhead. Sparrows, bluejays, falcons, hawks, owls and even eagles all intermixed in the air over the walkways between the trees. It bothered me because those species should never peacefully coexist. Falcons ate other birds. Owls and hawks hated each other. Then I noticed something. The birds had small scrolls either clutched in their talons, or tied to their legs. Smaller birds like sparrows, bluejays, finches and falcons had small enough feet to actually hold the scrolls, therger birds had the scrolls tied to their legs.


    ¡°Messengers.¡± Tavorwen informed me, squeezing my hand. ¡°This is how mostmunication happens here in Ealphamir. You must have given the entire city much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°How do you train these birds?¡± I marveled.


    ¡°Oh, they aren¡¯t trained. Either they arepelled by magic to bear their message, or they may be familiars of spellcasters, in which case they are beings formed of magic, and are not even true animals.¡± Tavorwen exined.


    I marveled at the flurry of wings over our heads.


    As we continued to walk, I could feel the proximity to my other matrons strengthening the sensation of emotions through our bond. Their relief and excitement at my return was a warm and happy pulse in my head.


    We approached the door, and opening it, I was shocked. Where before it had been wooden walls and emptiness, filled with nothing but silence, disrupted by nothing except Tavorwen and myself, now it felt like a home. The firece had a warm glowing me, I could see that the furniture had been moved, and a few small decorations sat on the walls. A painting of what appeared to be a phoenix, or ming eagle, sat on one wall. A wood carving of some sort of feline with three ridges of fur on its back sat on a shelf that I did not remember existing. Flowers in y pots entuated several locations.


    As the door opened, I felt my Matron¡¯s excitement spike and I felt theme to greet me.


    The four gorgeous females stepped into the entryway and I almost made an involuntary noise of arousal. Each of my matrons had looked ravishing in the dresses they wore to present themselves for selection, but now they had set those dresses aside for the house uniform of my matrons. The differences between these matron gowns and those I had seen before were subtle. The gown¡¯s top left most of their chest and stomach uncovered. Two ruffled strips of fabric were gathered from where they connected to the skirts to form two columns of fabric that covered the breast on each side, arching over the shoulder, then crossing on the back and spreading out to connect to the back of the skirt. The skirts reached mid-calf, but consisted of a broader rear panel that wrapped around the side, and left a gap through which the wearer¡¯s leg could easily step through, the front panel closed the gap between the ends of the rear panel, not quite stretching between the hips of the wearer. The skirt panels were broadest at the top, tapering down to points at the very bottom.


    The dresses were white, with golden trim on the hems and as embellishments. The gold and whitebination prevented the garments from washing out the wearers. My matrons wore simple sandals along with the dress. It was a simple and elegant look.


    My household matrons looked breathtaking.


    ¡°Wee home, Master Thomas.¡± Diamiutar greeted me and all four matrons gave a curtsy.


    ¡°Wee home.¡± The other matrons chimed in.


    Fuck. I could get used to this.


    ¡°Forgive me, master, but before we celebrate your return¡­ there are a few matters that must be resolved.¡± Diamiutar regretfully informed me. ¡°I think the discussion will go best with you, me and¡­ Tavorwen, could you join us in the study?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know I had a freaking study.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± I epted, and Diamiutar led us to what was clearly a study.


    I sat in one chair, and my matrons sat in two of the four other chairs. Diamiutar¡¯s matron gown slits lined up nicely with her legs, exposing so much tantalizing flesh I tried and failed to not get distracted.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Diamiutar smiled at me with a slight blush, ¡°I¡¯m ttered, but we really do have business to discuss first¡­ and I think the others will want to watch.¡±


    The thought of spreading her legs and nailing her with all my other matrons gathered round made my erection pulse. Diamiutar¡¯s blush deepened. I could feel my other matrons gathering outside the door.


    ¡°Such vigor¡­ and you already inseminated Tavorwen today.¡± Diameter sighed, Then she shook her head. She rose and went to the door. Opening it, she stuck her head into the hall, ¡°We will be doing that, but you all can wait in the Master¡¯s bedroom. We won¡¯t do anything without you.¡±


    I could feel and hear my matrons scamper away, caught like children with their hands in the cookie jar. The burning arousal they felt matched my own, but they were also gued by nerves and uncertainty.


    ¡°You will have to forgive us,¡± Diamiutar begged, ¡°Ever since we felt the passions you shared with¡­ it was you, Tavorwen, was it not?¡±


    Tavorwen smiled, blushing slightly. ¡°Indeed. It would not have been proper to have anyone but one of our master¡¯s head matrons be the first to partake of his greatness.¡±


    Diamiutar nodded, ¡°I intend to partake myself once we¡¯re done here. We¡¯ve all been going crazy since we felt Master Thomas¡¯s ecstasy while he performed the act. But as head matron, it is my duty to engage with Master Thomas first to set the proper example¡­ But I¡¯m allowing us to get distracted.¡±

 621

    She returned to her chair, ¡°So there are a few matters we need to discuss, they are as follows: First, we should determine the order in which the matrons may submit their maidenhood to our wonderful master.¡± She smiled at me happily, ¡°Secondly, we need to determine how many household maidens we will ept, and for what duration. And thirdly, we should discuss if there are any household duties that you have any preference as to which matron has predominant duties.¡±


    I listened carefully. ¡°Okay, so I¡¯lle back and touch them in order in a second, but what is a household maiden? I know you are a household matron, but what is a household maiden?¡±


    The two matrons exchanged a nce. ¡°So when you met with Driveal, what did you discuss?¡± Tavorwen asked.


    ¡°We talked about how I was going to choose my matrons, how mostly I would be going on by visual appeal and I just followed my gut because¡­. OH!¡± I interrupted myself, ¡°Are household maidens the maidens trying to put themselves out there so I can get to know them before my next round of matron selection?¡±


    Diamiutar smiled, ¡°Yes, that is more or less the purpose. Maidens may offer their services to the household of a master, for a variety of purposes. One of the mostmon reasons maidens make this offer is a chance to get to know a master, and let a master get to know them. Other reasons can include desire to learn skills from a particrly skilled matron, learning about the reproductive acts, learning how a household is managed, and even figuring out if they truly desire the lifestyle of a matron.¡±


    Tavorwen piped in, ¡°When ites tobat oriented maidens, they could also serve to strengthen security for our home. If Kathra discovers your existence, she may attempt to send assassins, and Creadean and myself would be hard pressed to keep you safe.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That makes sense. So back to your list, you wanted to discuss the order in which I¡¯ll make love to my matrons.¡±


    Diamiutar and Tavorwen smiled broadly. ¡°That is a great term for the act! Forgive us. Elven society is, perhaps, too sensitive about discussing¡­ sex. But¡­ ¡®making love¡¯¡­ that is an almost beautiful and poetic way to describe the act.¡± Diamiutar acknowledged.


    ¡°I certainly felt loved as you allowed me to take my ce after your sess on the battlefield.¡± Tavorwen agreed with a smile.


    Man, the number of terms we used on earth for sex. The Devil¡¯s Tango. The Nasty. Knocking uglies. Bedroom Rodeo. Shagging. That was just a tiny selection. I¡¯m d I chose a more positive term for it. The elves seemed almost scientific in their discussion. ¡®Impregnating¡¯, ¡®inseminating¡¯, and such being their go-to terms. ¡®Love making¡¯ was indeed a step up.


    ¡°So, I understand that you two should be first¡­ but is there any sort of prestige to the order of the others?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Diamiutar acknowledged. ¡°Narusil is the youngest of your matrons, being only a hundred and twenty-seven years old. If she was next, it would be attributed to her youth giving her ack of patience. Hentu is the oldest of your matrons, myself excluded, and has therefore waited the longest, and would be a valid choice. Creadean would be a good choice so her trepidations about when her turn will arrive will be alleviated so she may perform her duties in your protection undistracted. Lymarith is perhaps the one with the greatest yearning of all your matrons, so choosing her would give her relief from her burning desires.¡±


    I tapped my chin, ¡°Now, even if I was trying to go as hard as I could, I think I¡¯d need at least an hour between each matron I made love to¡­¡±


    Diamiutar and Tavorwen exchanged a look of wonder, and I could help but feel like a fucking stud. When the expectation is a day or two between ejactions and I could pull it off a second load in an hour, it did make you feel like a freaking amazing lover even with minimal effort.


    ¡°¡­ but what about other¡­ er¡­. sex acts aremon? What else do matrons like?¡± I checked.


    Diamiutar¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what do you mean by ¡®other sex acts¡¯? In order to be impregnated, vaginal intercourse is required. What other acts would be considered sexual?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re telling me a pregnant matron has never tried taking it in the ass? Do elves never suck for a bit to lube up their man before they ride their master? Has a master never sucked on his matron¡¯s nipples or munched her pussy? How about using just their fingers to make it feel good?¡±


    My head matron¡¯s eyes got wide with shock. Diamiutar¡¯s jaw hung open. There was a very jumbled mix of emotionsing from both of them.


    Tavorwen swallowed, ¡°N-n-n-no. I don¡¯t think an elf has ever had the stamina to even consider acts like that. We¡¯re far too busy doing our best to make sure the next generation is born.¡±


    Diamiutar put a hand over her mouth, ¡°I mean, I suppose an elven penis could fit into a matron¡¯s rectum¡­ but¡­ Lymarith told us how big you said your penis was¡­ wouldn¡¯t that tear your female¡¯s anus apart?¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Where I¡¯m from, some wo-¡­ females¡­ prefer it in their asses. Regardless, putting anal aside, what would my matrons feel about me engaging in some of the other acts? Would it be okay? Would they feel vited?¡±


    The matrons shared a nce. ¡°Perhaps¡­ that could be okay¡­ I suppose it would mostly depend on how it feels.¡± Diamiutar conceded. ¡°There are many ways in which your household is going into unexplored territory. We¡¯ve never had a male with such vigor and stamina. Normally, making love to Tavorwen would have mostly put you out ofmission for a day or two. We have no idea what our rtionships could even be like¡­¡±


    I looked at Diamiutar and smiled, ¡°So, would you be willing to experiment with it when we make love?¡±


    I could feel her apprehension¡­ and arousal.


    ¡°I trust you. You were sent by the Gods, acknowledged by the Gods, and our union was blessed by the Gods.¡± She took a deep breath, lowering her eyes, ¡°I am your matron. I am yours. I trust you. You may do as you desire with me.¡± She smiled and met my gaze again, ¡°Just let me do my part first¡­ if you would.¡±


    Getting ridden by my head matron then having free reign on her body sounded fucking fantastic. The arousal was real.


    ¡°So¡­ before we get in trouble. What order will you im your matrons in¡­ just so we can be clear and do things in proper order?¡± Diamiutar asked breathily.


    I debated. They were all appealing. ¡°Well, obviously we¡¯ll start with you, then I think I want Narusil, Lymarith, Creadean, and I¡¯ll finish with Hentu.¡±


    Diamiutar nodded, ¡°Perfect. Now, about the household maidens¡­ we have received in the past two hours since our bonding two hundred requests for positions as household maidens. Clearly, we cannot amodate them all. Many houses only allow a single maiden per matron, but given the number of requests¡­ and the prospective numbers of matrons you¡¯ll be taking¡­ would you befortable with us taking on more maidens?¡±


    I pondered for a second, ¡°That seems reasonable. How many maidens do you think we should take?¡±


    Diamiutar bobbed back and forth as she debated. ¡°Well, it partially depends on how many matrons you will end up with. But I feel like starting with at least two maidens for each matron would be a good start. Also, how long should we have the period of servitude be expected to be set? Normally it is a period of twenty-five to fifty years, unless they are selected as a matron, but that would mean with our current matrons, it would take over four hundred years to amodate all of the requests, and that is assuming that we do not get more requests.¡±


    I thought about it, ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave that to you¡­ It sounds weird to me. I will ept whatever you decide.¡±


    Diamiutar struggled for a moment, ¡°So, what if we ept three maidens for each matron and start with a five-year period¡­ that will enable us to bring more maidens through far more quickly.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    Diamiutar nodded, ¡°I will distribute requests to the appropriate matrons and we¡¯ll get our maidens selected as quickly as possible.¡± She smoothed her skirts, ¡°Now, as to household tasks. The general tasks include cooking, cleaning, mending, enchanting, healing and interacting with the rest of the city.¡±


    She stared at her hands. ¡°Now, some of these tasks are specialities of some of your matrons. I particrly enjoy cooking and mending, Lymarith is a talented enchanter, and Hentu is a healing specialist. As head matron, it is likely that I will be required to take the role of the emissary to the rest of Ealphamir, so that role is probably taken. But that just leaves cleaning to Narusil, which is generally considered one of the lowest, most menial and least rewarding of duties¡­ I don¡¯t want her to feel¡­ insulted¡­¡±


    I thought for a moment, ¡°Do the other duties require all of the time of the matrons involved?¡±


    Diamiutar thought for a moment, ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t suppose they do.¡±


    ¡°Then Narusil will be the matron in charge of coordinating the cleaning efforts. Yes, it may require her to spend time cleaning but once we get the maidens onboard they can help her and any matrons with free time can assist her as well.¡± I suggested. ¡°Surely none of the matrons think themselves above helping a fellow matron.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 622

    Diamiutar thought about that, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The maidens helping her will give Naruisl a chance to get their measure and help me choose my future matrons. And surely none of you would object to helping her until then.¡±


    Diamiutar frowned, ¡°Hentu may balk, but I think once it is pointed out that Narusil isn¡¯t shirking her duties, she will relent and help. After all, there will not be a constant need for healing, or mending. Lymarith will likely be kept busy with the work of enchanting. But overall, I think this is a good arrangement.¡± She conceded, her smile returning. ¡°I think you have worked through that dilemma in a satisfactory manner. Now, that was all I had to discuss, is there anything you want to bring up?¡±


    I grinned, I could feel her excitement for what would happen as soon as this conversation was over. ¡°No, I think you¡¯ve waited long enough, and the other matrons are just as excited.¡±


    Diamiutar blushed as red as her hair, ¡°It is nice that we can feel each other¡¯s emotions, but it does make certain things harder to hide¡­ doesn¡¯t it.¡±


    Tavorwenughed, ¡°You are in for a world changing experience.¡± She told the other head matron, putting a hand on her pelvis and smiling. I could feel her contentment through our bond.


    Diamiutar groaned, ¡°Sister, I just wish I could have felt your emotions through the bond too.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I perked up, ¡°You can¡¯t feel each other¡¯s emotions?¡±


    The two exchanged a smile, ¡°No, Master, we can only feel yours.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem quite fair, but if that was how it had to be, I guess I couldn¡¯t really change it.


    ¡°Alright, well, I can tell you right now, if we don¡¯t go and give the house a show, then someone is going to go crazy.¡± I told my head matrons and I took Diamiutar¡¯s hand to lead her to my bedroom.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    In the distant tower of El¡¯muth¡¯ran, dark fortress of the shadow elves, high in her chambers, Kathra sat naked and looked down at the spent naked maleying on her bed.


    ¡°Pst!¡± She hissed, her fingers dipping into her naked pussy anding away covered with a thin milky ze. ¡°That¡¯s all you could do, ¡¯dri? All your magic to ¡®enhance your stamina and potency¡¯ and I get that pathetic performance and this thin drivel?¡±


    The male shadow elf was breathing hard, his breath ravaging his body. ¡°My apologies¡­ your majesty¡­ on my¡­ performance¡­¡± He wheezed. ¡°But I assure you¡­ the sperm will be¡­ most potent¡­ and should have¡­ the capacity¡­ to endure¡­ in your system¡­ for at least a year¡­¡±


    Kathra snorted, ¡°Have you so little faith in your charms?¡± She taunted, touching the one thing she wore, a jade tablet about an inch wide and an inch and a half tall and less than a quarter of an inch thick. Inscribed in a glowing silver ink were runes, as it hung between her sizable breasts. ¡°You told me this charm would force my body to ovte when a male¡¯s seed entered my womb.¡±


    Try as she might to hide it, her legs trembled beneath her. While her endurance was impressive for an elf, an elf she still was and her body still took the toll of the wild sex she had forced the male to pleasure her with. She had discovered making him do all the work left her with more endurance and protected her from the moments of vulnerability she had used to y her sessor and im the throne.


    ¡°True¡­ but that is¡­ not why¡­ you had me¡­e here¡­ am I wrong?¡± ¡¯dri forced out before breathing deeply and finally catching his breath. ¡°You know that most spies of your enemies avoid overhearing as you are being pleasured, because it rouses their need as well.¡± He sat up, groaning, his arms shook and he was on the verge ofplete exhaustion.


    ¡°You are more perceptive than I gave you credit for, male.¡± Kathra begrudgingly admitted, rubbing one of her bright purple nipples, standing out against the dark skin of her breasts. It always amazes her how they turned from their normal dark blue to purple as the blood filled them as she became aroused.


    ¡°Oh, it was not so hard to deduce.¡± d¡¯dri informed her, ¡°Every time you have brought me here and bid me to pleasure you and given me the opportunity to give you my seed, you have spoken afterward of matters that could be most problematic if overheard. Your rule is secure, but not so secure that such information could not unseat you.¡±


    Kathra backhanded him, knocking him to the bed. ¡°Worthless male! How dare you even suggest that such a thing could happen!? I am supreme! Queen of the Shadow Elves! Appointed by Ya¡¯av herself upon the death of my predecessor!¡±


    ¡¯dri remained facedown, for a moment, allowing the rage in the queen¡¯s veins to calm. ¡°My words were carelessly chosen. Forgive this humble advisor for presuming too much.¡±


    Kathra¡¯s lip curled in derision, ¡°You are lucky you have value to me, or you be thrown stiff in the ditch.¡±


    ¡¯dri rolled over, nursing the forming bruise on his face. ¡°Now my queen, what problem do you need my council on?¡±


    Kathra¡¯s teeth ground in frustration at this disgusting male on her bed as she shifted so the thin, milky cum dripped down her thighs. He was far too confident, even after he should have been shown his ce. His three inch member wasrge for an elf, enabling him to actually thrust into her instead of grinding against her like most males had to. As much as she would never tell a worthless piece of male fuckmeat, he was the best sexual partner of the almost dozen she¡¯d tried. The standard two inch member of your average male just barely couldn¡¯t reach her most sensitive spot, but the extra inch ¡¯dri brought to her bed could reach it, just as his pelvis rubbed against her clitoris. Were she to ride him like one of the forest cunts, she might very well be overwhelmed with an orgasm before he gave her the seed she required.


    ¡°I have a few ideas about how to deal with this summon the forest ¡®matrons¡¯ have summoned. You have a gift for spotting ws in my ns, but¡­ I cannot be heard epting such counsel from a male.¡± Kathra admitted, absently ying with the cum dripping from her slit. Her fingers parting the blue lips of her vagina to reveal the pink flesh within as her fingers swirled the milky substance.


    ¡¯dri did his best not to smile. He¡¯d been taken to Kathra¡¯s bed enough times to know the signs when he¡¯d performed admirably. The time it was taking for the arousal to fad from her nipples and how she touched herself told him all he needed to know. Of course she wouldn¡¯t admit to it, but with the magic fortifying his normally weak constitution and therge member that Ya¡¯av had blessed him with gave him some security.


    Kathra reigned with fear and unpredictability. ying expertly the factions of the shadow elves against each other, but never allowing them to actually weaken her peoples position. Her mastery of dark magics, especially the aspects of necromancy that could paralyze or kill with a single arcane word, made her dangerous, and her political wit made her powerful.


    So long as he could stay so close as to be beneath her gaze, he could be as safe as any male could be in this vile society. It also gave him some pleasure knowing there was a possibility that she could have to bear his son. Odds were Kathra¡¯s child would be a daughter. That was what she wanted, a daughter less disappointing than her first born. And while she would be angry at not receiving an heir, a male would enable her to start jockeying for who would get the chance to breed with the queen¡¯s son.


    He just had to keep performing.


    ¡°Very well, my queen. Let me hear these ns of yours.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    I was excited as I led Diamiutar to my room. I had fucking loved it when Tavorwen had given me her virginity, but there had been a part of me that had been forced to stay alert in case the shadow elves had returned. This time, safe in Ealphamir, I could just rx and enjoy the deliciousness of my wives¡­ er¡­ matrons.


    I¡¯d have to figure out what the elven view on a wife was, if they even used the term, but that was something I¡¯d discuss with Drivealter.


    Right now, I had a fucking hot virgin matron to fuck.


    We entered my bedroom and the four matrons had seats gathered around the bed to watch. They¡¯d even brought a chair in for Tavorwen.


    Narusil and Lymarith were right up by the side of the bed, eager and shameless in their desire to see what they¡¯d soon receive. They had already pulled the nkets back to clear the area for theing activities. Creadean was at the foot of the bed, where she¡¯d get the best view as Diamiutar¡¯s pussy swallowed my cock. And Hentu was trying to y it off cool, even though I could feel easily how exciting this was for her.


    I realized that while this felt almost like a wedding night for me, and probably did for them too, simply watching their Master make love to a fellow matron was probably more expected in elven society than actually being deflowered the day of their bonding. Holy fuck where they excited for this.


    I decided to see how willing they were to y along with my whims.


    ¡°Alright, in this house, everyone is equal. So if Diamiutar is getting naked, everyone who wants to watch will be getting naked as well.¡± A) I fucking wanted to see them all naked and I KNEW none of them were about to miss this, and B) I liked the idea of trying to impress on them the idea that I thought of them all as equals.


    nces were exchanged, then my matrons started shimmying out of their clothing. The household matrons simply need to get the fabric of their gowns off their shoulders then they could slip out of the skirts and undo the ties holding their undergarment sections together. Diamiutar stripped alongside the others, getting almost ridiculously excited and aroused. Tavorwen and Creadean had more steps, having to utch all the fasteners on their jackets and removing the cloaks and all the other pieces of leather armor.


    The bows, quivers and des were set nearby, within easy reach should something crazy happen. I unslung my rifle from my shoulder, marveling how easy it was to carry and how I almost forgot it was there. I don¡¯t know what Durithana had done with the strap, but I wished I¡¯d had that strap back home.


    The nimbleness of my matrons meant that by the time I was done leaning my rifle against the wall, I was the only one with a stitch of clothing on.

 623

    Diamiutar motioned to Narusil, and there two quickly brought my degree of clothing in line with all of my naked beauties in the room. The speed and skill of their hands amazed me, as pieces of my wardrobe seemed to leap from my body to where Lymarith folded them and left them in a neat pile on the bedside table.


    There was an audible gasp from the four nations who had yet to see my manhood as it came into view. I could feel Diamiutar get even more excited, though significantly more nervous, as sheid her eyes on her prize.


    Diamiutar led me to the bed and eased me back onto a position in the middle of therge bed and Narusil resumed her position to watch from.


    I wasn¡¯t sure it was physically possible to be as aroused as I was in this moment. The smell of my aroused matrons was intoxicating. Just like the women back home, they didn¡¯t smell like flowers or perfume, but the musk of an aroused elf was different somehow. More earthy, like the forest just after it rained, but somehow it was incredibly erotic and enticing at the same time.


    The smell was amazing but the view was even better. I had been guided in my selection, I knew now, by the very elven gods themselves, and they had presented me with the best they could offer. While elven physiology did not give them giant tits or popping hips, or at least wouldn¡¯t until my child was growing inside them, their grace and beauty was still undeniable.


    Lymarith looked at my skyward pointing pole, and couldn¡¯t resist a moan of desire. Narusil was biting her lower lip to try and maintain some form of dignity. Looking down toward my cock as Diamiutar moved to straddle me, I could see Creadean¡¯s wide eyes with my cock directly between them. Even Hentu had given up on pretending to not be dying to watch this.


    Tavorwen sat in the corner, smiling, and rubbing her pussy, I could tell she was thinking back just a few hours ago to when she¡¯d been the one mounting me, and her fingers dipped between her lips to where my semen still resided in her womanhood.


    Diamiutar nted her feet on either side of me as she prepared to do her best as she gave me her virginity. I brought my knees up to give her something to steady against. She smiled at me and squatted to lower her dripping vagina to where she could take my cock and rub it on her lips. She moaned at the contact, drawing moans from her audience as well. Once the excessive lubricant was adequately spread on my dome, she lined it up with her hole, took a deep breath and began to lower herself.


    Her mouth opened in amazement and wonder at the new sensations as her vagina stretched to allow my head between her lips. She paused for a second to adjust, then pushed herself further. I felt her hymen draw tight, but she closed her mouth, grit her teeth and dropped herself, spearing herself on my length. Her hymen burst, unable to stop the inevitable progress of my length into her depths, and I almost came right then.


    Just like with Tavorwen, Diamiutar¡¯s pussy was divine. Tight as fuck, rippling as she adjusted to the new sensation and wet enough that it didn¡¯t matter how tight it was, I was going to slide right it. God, elven pussy was so fucking fantastic!


    I¡¯d thought mybined arousal with Tavorwen and Creadean had been awesome, we¡¯d barely started and with my entire household it was a hundred times better.


    I noticed Diamiutar waver and caught her shoulders as she started to topple. Her eyes had half-closed, and I realized in her excitement she¡¯d probably taken my dick way too fast. Driveal had warned me that new matrons could easily be overwhelmed. Luckily, Diamiutar¡¯s eyes fluttered back open and she righted herself.


    Diamiutar shook her head, clearing out what had made her ck out for a second, then she put her hands on my chest and started rocking back and forth, working her hips to grind her clitoris on my pelvis as my length worked her insides.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh Gods,¡± Lymarith groaned, ¡°I¡¯m not even the one in the bed and just the feelings through the bond¡­¡± she cut off with a moan.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than I ever dared hope!¡± Diamiutar cried, tears of unchecked joy and satisfaction dripping down her cheeks.


    Narusil was practicallyying on the bed staring at the union of our bodies as Diamiutar picked up the pace, and it almost looked like she was drooling.


    Hentu and Creadean sat with rapt attention savoring the shared emotions and watching the celebration of bonding taking ce.


    Diamiutar was breathing hard, sweat starting to run down her body. I could feel her approach her climax.


    That was good because my arousal and pleasure was bouncing out to all five matrons not riding my cock, anding back to me stronger. Not to mention the reverberating sensations between Diamiutar and me. Normally, I foundst a good long time, but fuck, the emotional bond and incredibly sensations of elven pussy were fucking mind-blowing.


    I took hold of Diamiutar¡¯s hips, bucked up into her and released. My seed flooded into her, making her eyes roll up in her head as the orgasm rendered conscious thought impossible. I was able to think just enough to take hold of her shoulder, so she didn¡¯t fall again, but that was all the mental capacity I had with everything filling my mind. I probably didn¡¯t cum as much for Diamiutar as I had for Tavorwen, but neither of us wereining. Diamiutar womb was filled with my fertile seed and hope blossomed. Her desperate desire for a child, and the hope that it could happen was almost as powerful as the orgasm for her.


    My new lover leaned down, spent, and allowed my slowly softening member to slide out of her, though she whimpered sadly as thest inch slipped out, leaving her stretched vagina empty. She rolled off of me, and looked across my body to Narusil.


    ¡°Narusil, I¡¯m too spent¡­ but Master Thomas had some activities he wanted to try and see how we liked them. You are next to receive¡­ wild you join us and see what Master Thomas was talking about?¡± Diamiutar murmured dreamily.


    The words had scarcely left her mouth before the youngest of my matrons was climbing into the bed.


    Fuck, this was hot.


    ¡°Master, what should I-¡± Narusil started to ask, but I gently grabbed her neck and pulled her down into a kiss. Her eyes opened wide, in shock, but I felt exactly how much she adored it.


    I broke the kiss. ¡°You are simply going toy back and enjoy. Time to show you how I spoiled the¡­ females¡­ where Ie from.¡±


    I bore her down to the bed with a second kiss and heard all the matrons except the two on the bed gasp in surprise and arousal res anew. This was strange, exciting and new territory for all of them.


    Diamiutar was too wrapped up in post-sex bliss to even process what was happening as she tried not to fall asleep, her hands cradling her lower stomach where she hoped to soon carry a child. The rest of the house was going crazy.


    I kissed Narusil with passion, and she melted in my arms. My tongue quested into her mouth and found a willing and excited partner as we began to make out. My hand slid down her shoulder as I rose up and I found the tender and supple flesh of her breast. The sensation of my passionate kiss and the unexpected stimtion of her breast made emotions sh like fireworks through our bond. Narusil¡¯s hips began to squirm and I could feel her already building an orgasm, despite thepleteck of clitoral stimtion or any of the other spots I generally used to drive women back home to such peaks. I let my second hand join my first in exploring the wonderful mounds of Narusil¡¯s virgin breasts.


    To my surprise, Narusil orgasmed hard, but I could still feel the need though our bond. Her mouth tore away from mine, gasping for breath and her hips jumped as her back arched.


    I took advantage and dropped my mouth to her nipples, looking almost painfully erect and needing attention. My tongue swirled her dark red nipple, the texture almost making me swoon as Narusil cried out in pleasure. She was grinding her ass into the bed and squirming as the powerful sensations echoed through her body and our bond.


    I slipped a hand down and began caressing her sexy virgin slit, making Narusil moan. My fingers exploring her intimate parts, found them to be almost exactly like the women I¡¯d been with, though perhaps smaller, and tighter. I found her clitoris with ease and began ratcheting things up to a twelve. Narusil screamed in pleasure as thebined stimtion of her breasts and the most sensitive parts of her vagina overloaded her.


    But¡­ something was wrong. She should have been getting release with every orgasm, that¡¯s what an orgasm was! But despite this, I only felt growing need through the bond! It was driving her crazy as her hips bucked into my hand.


    In a moment I could only describe as revtion, it hit me. On Earth, sex was pleasure with the possibility of reproduction. Heck, women were sometimes even more satisfied with the reproductive possibilities removed. Sex knowing her man was wearing a condom, had a hysterectomy or that she was on the pill took the stress out of sex for a lot of women. For elves, sex was the opposite. Without the chance at reproduction, sex was iplete, a farce, a tease. I was effectively writing check after check to Narusil¡¯s body, but I had just cum in Diamiutar¡­ my balls and penis couldn¡¯t cash these checks. I was tapped out for at least another twenty minutes, and that would be a stretch to satisfy her reproductively that quickly. To make matters worse, I could feel Narusil¡¯s exhaustion creeping up on her, she¡¯d pass out way before I could get hard again.

 624

    I was starting to panic. What had I done? Narusil¡¯s first sexual experience, and I was fucking blowing it. She¡¯d be exhausted, spent and desperately unsatisfied. I was starting to run out of steam myself, there was no way I could salvage this.


    I felt my matrons as they noticed my panic, except poor Narusil, all she felt was the need for me deep inside her. Confusion began to spring up among the watching matrons. Then I felt a moment of rity and heard Hentu rise. She approached the bed.


    ¡°Tohi mai kohvari!¡± I heard her intone and her hand touched my upper back.


    A crackling energy filled me, starting where her hand touched me, and spreading like cracks propagating through stone. The tiredness I felt was driven from me. Then the energy reached my groin. My erection sprang back to life, like I¡¯d just downed way too much viagra. I could feel my balls recovering at lightning speed. Her spellpleted, Hentu stepped back.


    Bless Hentu! She¡¯d realized what was going on! I had no idea what spell she¡¯d cast, but fuck yes, it was exactly what I¡¯d needed!


    I lifted Narusil¡¯s leg out of the way and slipped between her legs. She thrust her hips at me, desperately begging for what she needed as all words had abandoned her. I slipped my now throbbing cock up and down her drenched pussy, and gently pressed it into her opening. Narusil groaned as her womanhood stretched to amodate the most desired intrusion. Her hands gripped at my hips, trying to pull me further into her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    I remembered what had just happened when Diamiutar had taken me too quickly, and I eased into Narusil¡¯s virgin depths. Narusil sighed happily, then hissed as her hymen strained to keep me out. I knew Narusil needed this now, and with a short sharp thrust, her hymen popped. Narusil didn¡¯t care, her hands tugged at my hips, there was only one thing that mattered in the world to her right now, and that was getting her womb filled with sperm.


    I started to rock, slowly opening her tunnel, and building my pleasure as well. My panic had put me back a bit, but Narusil¡¯s body was the best yet. I knew regardless at this point Narusil was going to be absolutely wiped out once she got what she desperately needed, so I didn¡¯t have to draw this out anymore. I got a rhythm going and fuck did it feel amazing. Narusil¡¯s incoherent moans of pleasure and desire only made it better. After just a minute I thrust into her deeply and my rejuvenated balls gave her a load of spermrge enough it started leaking out around my dick as it was still buried in her, kissing her womb. I must have squirted almost fifteen sts of my baby batter into her chamber.


    Finally sated, Narusilid back, her eyes closed, her breathing heavy.


    I savored the sensation of being in her for a minute, until I felt the rush of Hentu¡¯s spell fade and my dick began to soften. I pulled out and turned to Hentu.


    ¡°Thanks, Narusil and I really needed that.¡± I confessed to the smiling matron.


    Hentu blushed, the red creeping down almost to her exposed breasts.


    ¡°My pleasure. We could all feel you realize something was off, what happened?¡± She prodded gently.


    I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s apparently a difference between how your bodies are built, sexually, and the women I¡¯m used to back home.¡± I winced realizing I¡¯d used the term ¡®women¡¯ which had different connotations here, but hurried on. ¡°Back home, sex without an orgasm was a disappointment¡­ but for you, the most important part is receiving the sperm and fulfilling your desires to reproduce¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    Diamiutar seemed to have recovered enough to be listening and she nodded, ¡°I think that¡¯s a fair way of saying it. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Tavorwen?¡±


    My other lover looked thoughtful, ¡°These orgasms, they¡¯re when my body felt like it was pulled tight then just¡­ released, right?¡±


    I nodded.


    Tavorwen epted that and thought about it, ¡°Yeah, that was good, really good¡­ but it was nothingpared to feeling your seed fill me. That was on a whole other level.¡±


    ¡°Making me want it that bad made it feel indescribably amazing to finally feel it flood into me.¡± Narusil moaned, her eyes still closed and her entire body trembling. ¡°You can do that to me anytime you want.¡±


    Iughed nervously, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll just make sure I¡¯m not spent next time, I almost wasn¡¯t able to give it to you.¡±


    Narusil groaned, ¡°That would have been torture!¡±


    I hung my head, ¡°That¡¯s what I realized.¡±


    Diamiutar patted my leg, ¡°But in the end it worked out. Where did you learn that spell anyway?¡¯


    Hentu blushed again, ¡°A matron I worked with years ago taught me¡­ in case I was chosen. It helped Master Korval keep up with his duties¡­¡±


    Lymarithughed and stood, ¡°That was incredible! And I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I¡¯m starving. Diamiutar, I¡¯ll do the cooking this time, since I doubt you will be standing long enough to do so.¡±


    The exhausted head matron chuckled, and started trying to move, ¡°No, I think you are correct on that. Go ahead.¡±


    The spell of sexual arousal broke, the matrons not spent on the bed began to dress, and I looked forward to my first meal with my full new family.


    ~~~~~~~~~


    ¡¯dri was impressed again by the ruthlessness of his queen as hey there stunned by her final n.


    ¡°It definitely has the most promise, if sessful¡­ and the costs, while potentially high, are not the worst of the ns, should we be underestimating our forest cousins and their new ally.¡± ¡¯dri mused. ¡°But assuming the first stage is sessful, it opens the door to increasing our knowledge and understanding of the threat we face.¡±


    Kathraid down on the bed. ¡¯dri had delicately pointed out how her first two ns had terrible ws she overlooked in her haste¡­ and unflinching confidence of her soldiers. It was so frustrating that she had to maintain this war on five fronts. She couldn¡¯t allow the different groups to join up, and that mandated keeping pressure up on each type of her worthless cousins. That stretched her forces thinner than she liked. ¡¯dri had pointed out that if she pulled her full forces together to attempt to eradicate the forest cunts once and for all, it would push the fractured resistance of the others together into a unified front against her. She presented a strong front and tried to make each of the other races of the elves believe she could crush them on a whim. But if they pulled together¡­


    ¡°So, you agree with my n?¡± Kathra demanded, ¡°Don¡¯t dance around me with your word games.¡±


    ¡¯dri sighed, ¡°Yes. I think this n is our best bet¡­. I would make sure the soldiers I deployed were from House Xen¡¯thir. Mother Sa¡¯Hydri is too strong in her position, and has suffered less losses than the other houses¡­ if you leave her alone too long, she may gather the strength and support to challenge you.¡±


    Kathra smiled, she probably would have arrived there with thought, but ¡¯dri had done that thought for her. She rose finally from the bed and wrapped a robe around herself. ¡°Good. Now scurry away to the hole you sleep in. And send in my general as you leave.¡±


    ¡¯dri rose and pulled on his clothing, his body objecting to the effort. He stumbled from the room, and Kathra rubbed the charm between her breasts. A cracking sound filled the air and her charm red, cracks running over its surface until it broke into a dozen pieces each dissipating before they touched the floor. Kathra smiled and put a hand on her womb. A new life was forming deep inside her. Hopefully, this child would aplish what her first daughter could not.


    Her lip curled at the thought of that disappointing wench. The only good thing that worthless piece of elf flesh had done was inspire her n to deal with this new threat.


    ~~~~~~~~


    I rested my rifle against the wall as I walked into the dinning room. I was helping Narusil walk to the table, her legs were still numb, and the lingering bliss still had her face stuck in that thoroughly fucked happy face.


    ¡°By all that is holy¡­.¡± Creadean breathed, ¡°I had a hard time believing that being inseminated was so straining, but you have made a believer out of me.¡±


    Lymarith sighed as she manned arge shallow pan, like a frying pan, on the stove, and a pot simmering over the second me. ¡°Who gets to experience this wonder next?¡± The smell was tantalizing. It seemed like some sort of tangy fruit based soup in therger pot, and it smelled like a fish dish in the frying pan.


    Diamiutar smiled, ¡°You are next to make love to our master, Lymarith, then Creadean and Hentu will finish us off.¡±


    Lymarith squealed in excitement. Creadean and Hentu nodded, epting the order.


    ¡°I am d I was not first after Diamiutar.¡± Hentu admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have concentrated enough to cast the spell were it me that Master Thomas was pleasuring so.¡±


    Narusil hummed happily, ¡°It was quiet distracting¡­¡±


    The chorus of crickets outside said that my house was eatingte. The food was delicious. I would never have thought of a fruit soup, but it was delicious and the seasoning of the fish actually made the twoplement. As the meal finished, Creadean excused herself and I heard her begin to check the house.


    Lymarith had set herself on the opposite side of Narusil during the meal. As soon as she finished eating, she leaned on my arm and hummed happily.


    Diamiutar stood, ¡°I am heading to bed. I need a good night¡¯s sleep after today. It has been a wild and beautiful day and I am so happy to be a part of our new home.¡±


    Narusil clung to my right arm as Lymarith clung to my left. Narusil gazed into my eyes. ¡°May I spend the night by your side?¡± She begged.


    ¡°Me as well?¡± Lymarith begged, ¡°I wish to make love to you first thing in the morning.¡±


    Damn, who in the world would turn that offer down?


    ¡°Of course!¡± I told both of them. Kissing them, one then the other, or their foreheads. ¡°But I warn you, I sleep wearing nothing but my undergarments, if that.¡±


    Lymarith lightly bit her lower lip, ¡°That is fine by me.¡±


    Hentu smiled, ¡°I can enjoy my own bed. Sleep well, master.¡±

 625

    I looked at my matrons as they dispersed, and walked Narusil and Lymarith to my bedchamber again. Naruisil sank on the right side of the bed, shedding her clothes as she did so, lightly tossing the garments into a woven reed basket in the corner. I was marveled as I watched her expose herself for me, remembering my statement about equality and how if one was to strip, all were to follow suit. Lymarith did likewise, then upon reaching her undergarments, she smiled coyly, then she untied them andid naked on the bed. Narusil looked at Lymarith and with a smile tossed her undergarments aside too. If that wasn¡¯t begging for me to spend the night naked next to them, I didn¡¯ know what was. My rifle rested next to the door and I removed my clothing. I had several sets of clothing, so it didn¡¯t bother me tossing them into the basket. I climbed into bed between my two wiry females. I pulled the nkets up and Lymarith pulled me into her embrace. Narusil spooned my back, her breasts pressing into my ribs and her hands wrapping around my waist. My legs intermingled with my matrons¡¯ and we fit like we were made for this.


    The softness and warmth of our cuddle was hypnotic and I drifted to sleep feeling loved and adored.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Creadean engaged the lock on the front door, her forehead tight with deep thought. She didn¡¯t like how simplistic the security was here. The wards were good, if old, but if needed she could easily bypass all of these security measures with ease. She wasn¡¯t even the most skilled infiltrator among the wood elves. She was so concentrated she didn¡¯t hear the footsteps of Tavorwen as she approached from behind.


    ¡°Your assessment is the same as mine?¡± Tavorwen verified.


    Creadean kicked herself. Her concern for her master¡¯s safety had made herx. ¡°Yes. None of the tree homes have enough security. This is one of the better ones. You picked it well, but¡­ It needs serious work if Kathra finds out about Master Thomas.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°What would you change?¡±


    Creadean put her hand on the ancient maple of the walls. ¡°The walls are good. Strong. And the fortifying magic is still strong. There is only one exit. And the door is old, with fading enchantments. We will have to rece the door with a more viable barrier and we need a back way out. If the door ispromised we need to be able to get our master out. Once we have the capacity to move and get him to a ce where he can do his work in safety¡­ we¡¯re in a much better ce. Master Thomas, is a long rangebatant. He wears the sword and dagger, but I¡¯ve yet to see him wield them. And while you say he imed he could learn magic, he currently is unskilled in its use.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°We need to buy him enough time to reach his full potential. And while I love our new house, I would sacrifice all of us if it meant Master Thomas survives.¡±


    Creadean nodded, ¡°As hard as it is to ept, we are receable¡­ Master Thomas has just started his work. If he is lost now, it would doom our people and perhaps the other elves as well.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    My sleep was peaceful, my dreams full of my matrons, and the joys of my new life. I awoke with Narusil snuggled up to my back again, her deep breathing showing that she was still asleep. Lymarithid at my side, her breathing catching as my hand absently massaging her breast. Her nipples were hardening in my hands as my still sleeping matron began to respond to my touch. My morning wood was pressed between the firm cheeks of Lymarith¡¯s ass. My arousal must have been going out through my back as I felt Narusil¡¯s nipples harden on my back.


    I teased Lymarith¡¯s nipples and her eyes fluttered open and she moaned. I felt a little bad about waking her, but I had a feeling she would forgive me quickly enough. I kissed her neck, sucking lightly as I continued to y with her breasts. Her tiny body fit tight enough to my body that despite herying on my arm, I could still wrap my arm around and get my hand on her breasts. My free right hand slid down her smooth stomach and over the sexy curves of her pelvis to my target, her vagina.


    Lymarith pressed her ass back harder on my cock as it pulsed, sandwiched in her ass. ¡°Oh heavens¡­ What a way to wake up¡­¡± She crooned as my fingers began to slide up and down herbia, and she shuddered as my fingers found her clitoris.


    I was determined to do it right this time. My rock hard dick was ready to give Lymarith what she¡¯d need at the end, but I wanted to make this first time for her extra mind blowing. Everything had ended well enough with Narusil, but only because Hentu¡¯s intervention. Lymarith began feeling the reverberation of our sensations, and I felt the rest of my matrons stir. Lymarith rubbed her ass up and down my dick, sliding far enough up that my cock slid between her legs and began rubbing her slit, making her gasp, as my fingers still teased her clitoris and my other hand teased her breast. My kisses on her neck weren¡¯t going unappreciated either.


    Lymarith¡¯s back arched, pushing her slit to grind on my cock as she experienced her first orgasm. She moaned loudly and I felt Narusil pull back from me and pulled the nkets back. The door creaked open and I saw a few eyes peeking through the opening.


    I freed my hand and motioned for the other matrons to enter as I slipped between Lymarith¡¯s legs, but instead of inserting myself, I went big.


    The matrons slipping into the room to watch gasped as my tongue slipped up Lymarith¡¯s slippery sex. The virgin half sat up with a gasp at this new sensation. I swirled my tongue on her clitoris and sheid back with a moan. I sucked gently on the nub of nerves between her upperbia and Lymarith¡¯s breath caught in her chest.


    ¡°Oh gods!¡± She squealed, her legs mping around my head.


    Fuck, I loved the powerful feeling of making my matron¡¯s feel this way. I could feel every emotion that my actions triggered. Lymarith was especially open to the bond, making the resonance of joy, bliss and pleasure build incredibly quickly.


    Lymarith¡¯s legs rxed and I slid my shoulders up her legs. Normally, I¡¯d lock myself into my lover¡¯s knees, but since the elves were shorter, her ankles sat on my shoulders as I lined myself up. Lymarith sat up and watched as my dick slid up and down her folds for lubrication. She took handfuls of the sheets and started with longing, then satisfaction as my dome spread her vaginal lips to enter her.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°By the sixth heaven¡­.¡± She breathed, ¡°¡­ Oh, it is so much better than I¡­ OW!¡±


    I hadn¡¯t meant to, slowly slipping into her, but her hymen tore at the slightest pressure. The feeling of her already tight body mping on my head was great. Lymarith took just a second to ept my intrusion.


    ¡°¡­ Okay, that wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± She breathed. Her hand gave my shoulder a squeeze.


    I started to gently thrust, opening her up a little more each time I pressed into her weing tight femininity so I could ess her womb. I felt the bottom of her tunnel, my dick pressing gently against her cervix. As the shortest of my matrons, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she had the shallowest tunnel. I began carefully pumping her well lubed sex, being careful not to m her cervix, since I knew that would not be good for her.


    Lymarith hooked her feet behind my head and in a disy of her flexibility, she pulled my head down by her head to whisper in my ear, ¡°Please, fill me. Give me all you can.¡±


    Holy fuck that was hot. Not only was she begging for me to fill her with my cum, but the flexing of her legs to pull me down made her pussy squeeze and pulse on my length. I was still overwhelmed by the onught of arousal from all my matrons and that,bined with the new pleasure of her muscles engaging on my length¡­ Well, that was more than I could handle.


    I slid as deep into her as her cervix would allow and with a satisfied groan, I gushed my semen into her yearning womb. Lymarith whimpered happily.


    ¡°Oh, Master, I feel it¡­ I feel it in my womb¡­¡± She sighed, happy tears forming in her eyes. She savored each spurt deep inside her, her hands holding my hips so I couldn¡¯t pull out without breaking her grip.


    I finished emptying both nuts into her womb, and Lymarith slid her ankles from my shoulder and instead wrapped them around my waist and her arms wrapped around my neck. My length began to soften, but she refused to let me extract it. Instead, she cried happily on my shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, Master¡­.¡± She breathed, her hard breathing and happy tears making further speech impossible.


    The domestic happiness in the room was awe inspiring. I was so overjoyed by this new life I was building.


    ¡°Master, you are so good at that.¡± Diamiutar purred happily. ¡°I¡¯ll go make breakfast. Join us when you are ready.¡±


    The content matrons dispersed, leaving just Narusil, myself and Lymarith in the bedroom, and finally, Lymarith¡¯s vaginal muscles pushed my length from her hole. Lymarith finally released me, and I sat up. Cum, tinged with blood from her deflowering, was leaking from her tiny pussy, following the channel of her ass and pooling on the sheets. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it before, but I looked for stains from when Diamiutar and Narusil had been likewise deflowered, but I couldn¡¯t see any evidence of any stains.

 626

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Narusil asked, tying her undergarments in ce.


    ¡°Did someone change the sheetsst night while I wasn¡¯t watching?¡± I murmured. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be stains from where you and Diamiutar made your mark?¡± I asked, motioning to the pool at Lymarith¡¯s opening.


    ¡°Do you not protect your bedding on your home world?¡± Narusil asked, pulling on a gown from one of the boxes in the cubbies grown into the walls. She slipped it on and tied it up, cinching the top so that it fit her properly.


    I shook my head. ¡°Does magic solve all your problems?¡±


    Narusil cocked her head in thought, ¡°No, but simple things like that¡­ That isn¡¯t hard.¡±


    I found the box I¡¯d ced my clothing in. and fished out my undergarments. ¡°I need to learn more about magic¡­ Maybe I can visit Driveal again today to talk more about it¡­¡± I mused.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯d love that.¡± Narusil giggled, ¡°I¡¯ll check with him.¡±


    I pulled my pants on and followed her from the room with the rest of my clothing in my hand. I was curious about what she was nning. By the time we reached the front door, I was pulling on my boots as we walked.


    Creadean joined us as Narusil opened the door and a great horned owlnded gingerly on her outstretched arm.


    ¡°Amari faur nor gal.¡± Narusil stated matter of factly, and a tiny scroll and quill appeared floating before her. She traced words in the air and the tiny quill transcribed the words onto the scroll, before it wrapped up and with a motion, Naruisl guided it to the leg of the owl, where a ribbon materialized to bind it to the leg.


    ¡°Take that to Driveal Starborn.¡± Narusil directed, the owl dipped in acknowledgement, then with a flurry of wings, it took to the sky.


    She turned around and seemed surprised to see us. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    I was reeling. ¡°What was that owl?¡±


    She nced at the sky where the owl had disappeared. ¡°My familiar?¡±


    I rocked back on my heels, ¡°You have a familiar?¡±


    She seemed surprised that I was surprised. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have an answer. ¡°Can anyone have a familiar?¡±


    She tipped her head to the side, ¡°You need at least a fundamental level of magical skill, or talent, but essentially, yes, anyone could have a familiar.¡±


    I¡¯d have to talk more to Driveal. ¡°Interesting, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Walking into the dinning room, one of the cabs that had been empty when I had explored early was thrown open and Diamiutar was working through a pile of tiny scrolls that had umted in the cab. She had arge scroll on the small table underneath the cab, and took notes as she read each scroll, then once she was finished, she would set aside the scroll, and as I ate my food I watched as roughly five minutes after being set aside, the scrolls would disappear.


    Diamiutar had made something resembling pancakes with bits of various fruits mixed in them. They tasted of honey and fruit and were quite filling.


    ¡°How are the applicants looking?¡± Tavorwen inquired.


    ¡°Oh, there are more good options than we can handle at once. I feel bad for a few of them. Like poor Galvora¡­ you know as well as I that she only has a few years left before her childbearing years are over¡­ it just wouldn¡¯t be right to bring her in.¡± Diamiutar admitted sadly.


    ¡°How are the applicants from the battle maidens?¡± Tavorwen pressed.


    ¡°Not surprising. Several of your old sisters from the Ivy have applied.¡± Diamiutar exined, ¡°A few of the pine barracks and many from the saproling barracks.¡±


    Creadean walked over, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Flendreir applied. She would be a great option.¡± She noted, looking over the list.


    Lymarith floated in on unsteady legs and sat, pulling a pancake onto a te and she began eating, swaying back and forth and humming happily.


    ¡°Creadean and I wanted to talk to you about some projects we wanted you to work on, once you are sufficiently recovered.¡± Tavorwen informed Lymarith.


    Lamarith looked at Tavorwen happily, and nodded, her mouth full.


    As I finished my meal, another scroll dropped into the box with a golden ribbon.


    Diamiutar immediately picked up the scroll and opened it. Her eyes skimmed over the message contained therein.


    ¡°Driveal says he¡¯d be happy for you to visit.¡± Diamiutar dered. ¡°He is avable at your leisure.¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll go over once my meal has settled.¡± I decided.


    Creadean and Tavorwen exchanged a nce. ¡°I will attend to him.¡± Tavorwen acknowledged, and Creadean nodded.


    I recognized the signs of a military escort. I wondered if they really thought that was necessary here in the city. Tavorwen had said that the Shadow elves didn¡¯t know where we were. Otherwise the city would have been attacked long ago. Surely, we were safe here, weren¡¯t we?


    My military brain kicked in. I was in a nation at war. Assuming anywhere was safe made that ce inherently dangerous. I immediately felt the absence of my rifle. In my post-sex haze, and curiosity about what Narusil was up to, I had left it and my des in my room. This epitome made me feel naked. I rose and went to retrieve my arms. I was at least wearing my reinforced jacket and the enchanted trousers. So armored, but not armed.


    I stepped into my room and the still messy beddingy as Lymarith had left it. No sign of the blood and cum that had been leaking from Lymarith could be seen. I belted on my sword and dagger. I didn¡¯t really know how to use them like an elf would. I had some knife training from my time in the military, but as my instructor had stated repeatedly during hand-to-handbat training, ¡°the best form of hand-to-handbat happens at a distance of a thousand yards¡±. Meaning that there was no ideal form of hand-to-handbat ording to the military. Maybe the elves could train me to where I could actually hold my own¡­ but I had no illusion I was fast enough to keep up with elven dework.


    My rifle settled nicely on my shoulder and I felt much better. At least with it, I freaking knew how to use my rifle.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± Tavorwen asked.


    I nodded. We walked to the front door and stepped out. I found my military observation skills kicking in. I was watching for sniper nests, observation points, potential threats, and escape paths. Tavorwen noticed my increased alertness and I could feel her approval. It was a short walk to Driveal¡¯s home. We reached the row of elms and followed it until we arrived at the noble elm, reminding me of a chinese elm, but once again grown to astronomical size.


    Narivna answered the door with her child again slug across her chest. ¡°Wee, I will let Master Driveal know you have arrived.¡±


    We stepped inside and closed the door.


    Sammthathir was sitting in a chair, her enormous pregnant belly shifted as her child kicked and squirmed. She smiled at her stomach, pressing through the gap in her matron gown. She looked almost exactly as you¡¯d expect an eight or nine month pregnant mother to.


    ¡°How soon until you give birth?¡± I asked the happy mother.


    ¡°Only three months to go.¡± She dered happily.


    I remembered my conversation with Tavorwen that it took around two and a half years, meaning three months was roughly thest tenth of her pregnancy. Man, I could hardly believe that elves could stand being pregnant for so long, but Sammthathir was happily stroking her stomach.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The clicking of a cane announced that Driveal had arrived. He was looking better than he had the previous day, I supposed he had time to recover. I wondered if he predicted I woulde and waited untilter to engage in procreation with his matrons.


    ¡°Wee, Master Thomas.¡± Driveal greeted me.


    ¡°Master Driveal, how are you doing?¡± I returned his greeting.


    ¡°I am doing well. Come,e. This way.¡± And he motioned toward the hall to his study.


    Tavorwen followed this time, and we entered the study. Tavorwen sat in a chair by the door, and Driveal sat in front of one of his bookshelves. I pulled a chair up next to Driveal and leaned my rifle against the chair like Driveal leaned his cane against his seat.


    ¡°So I hear you chose my Narusil as one of your matrons?¡± Driveal asked with a smile.


    Realizing I had spent thest night almost ruining her first sexual encounter then I¡¯d railed his daughter¡¯s pussy, I swallowed.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look so concerned. I am happy for both of you.¡± Driveal assured me. ¡°I had worried for her, but this is as close to a best case scenario as I could have hoped for.¡±


    Man, the cultural differences were still blowing my mind. I could never imagine a father on earth being happy about his daughter joining a harem and doing her best to get knocked up. Of course, there was the slight difference in that here, joining a harem was the only real way for her to receive love, intersexpanionship, and have the chance to bear children. It was a bit of a mental shift, like realizing we were old enough that when Jacob had told me his wife was pregnant, it was something to be celebrated instead of feared as problematic.


    ¡°Thank you¡­. Sorry, there are still a lot of things I need to change in my head.¡± I admitted.

 627

    ¡°Yes! I understand. I have been thinking endlessly since our meeting on how different our world would be without magic.¡± Driveal noted. ¡°Let alone if every she-elf had an elf to call her own and he to return that lone im to her and her alone. That would be wonderful, though my life might perhaps be harder without the assistance of my matrons. Right now, Sammthathir is incapable of caring for herself, let alone me, but having all six of my matrons they are able to care for each other and care for me in my physical weakness.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It only really works on my world because we are more physically strong and able to support each other in hard times.¡±


    He stroked his chin, ¡°Interesting. I had wondered if your physical strength was indicative that females on your world, but it sounds like that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No, females on my world can be just as strong as men, and in some ways they are oftentimes stronger.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Driveal mused.


    ¡°But you said bing my matron was close to the best case scenario. What did you mean by that? It sounded like there was more to that then simply that she was now a matron.¡± I prodded, making sure I wasn¡¯t overlooking things.


    Driveal sighed, ¡°Narusil is gifted. Almost extremely so. She is a powerful mage, capable of the strongest wards and powerful destructive magic. She could be an incredible asset on the battlefield, there is just one problem¡­¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°¡­ the first time she was sent to a battlefield, she froze. Her mind could not justify utilizing her gift to end the lives of her opponents, shadow elf or not. She cloaked herself in a barrier of force and cowered in terror until the battle had ended. Luckily our forces were able to defeat the shadow elves that time, but she was brought home, dered a coward, her position stripped from her and she was pushed into roles that were outside of her skillset.¡±


    I remembered how when I had walked up to her, she had been looking dejected at her shoes, convinced she was unworthy of even being considered. Suddenly, her self doubt and fear that she had no value to bring made a great deal of sense.


    ¡°That was five years ago, and Narusil has struggled to find a ce she belongs, and in the household of a master, especially one that will likely have as many matrons as yours, I believe she will finally find a home¡­ a ce where she belongs.¡± Driveal finished, a far off look in his eyes.


    The sigil on my finger red, not painfully, but as if a weight had attached to my finger. It wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t handle, but it startled me.


    Driveal¡¯s head snapped to stare at my sigil. ¡°Already?¡±


    I held my left hand up, staring at my sigil. I realized with the chaos that took ce after my bonding I had been distracted, and never really exammed it.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Already¡¯?¡± I asked.


    Driveal smiled, ¡°Let me guess, your sigil just felt like a weight was just dropped on your finger.¡±


    I nodded confused.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look shall we?¡± He held out his hand.


    I set my hand on his thin and wiry hand. He looked at the sigil and as I did, my sigil seemed to expand to my eye. The intermingled lines were expanded to their own orbit around my finger. Concentrating, I could identify each line of my bond. Tavoerwen¡¯s line looked like a meandering branch with leaves. Diamiutar¡¯s mark was like ace ribbon, thin and delicate with steam-like swirls in thece. Hentu¡¯s im on my finger was a chain of suns and stars each connecting with rays of light to each other. Creaden was a series of swirls of wind, with leaves and arrows decorating the paths of the wind. Lymarith was a line of runes, connecting like strange cursive. And Narusil was a series of geometric shapes, with five alternating runes.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Whose line is the one with the shapes and runes? You see how the lines are thicker, and I am guessing to your eyes it glows brighter than the others?¡± Driveal asked.


    Narusil¡¯s line was indeed thicker and brighter than the others.


    ¡°That line belongs to Naruisil.¡± I told him.


    Driveal sat tall with pride. ¡°My daughter¡­ the first to bear your child¡­. Oh, this is an honor.¡±


    My head snapped up, ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    Driveal smiled, ¡°You probably know even before she does. When a matron conceives, the magic of your bond is strengthened because there is another soul abiding within the bond.¡±


    I stared at the mark on my finger. My child¡­ my first child¡­. existed inside Narusil. They had talked about children. I had imagined what it would be like to be a father, but the reality of receiving the news was something I could never prepare for. I had wanted to help the wood elves, and once I was bound to my matrons it was more personal. Now, more than lovers, Narusil had brought into sharp relief that they were more than that, they were mothers for my children.


    ¡°Will everything be okay?¡± I worried, terrified for Narusil and the tiny life inside her. ¡°What if she miscarries?¡±


    Driveal¡¯s face was struck with horror. ¡°Mis¡­ carries? Do your women fail to bear some of the children they conceive?¡±


    I looked at him, ¡°Is¡­ that not a thing among elves? I mean, doesn¡¯t it take longer for the egg to imnt?¡±


    Driveal blinked as though I¡¯d just short circuited his brain. ¡°I see you know some things about females on you world that may be different from females here¡­.¡± He looked over at Tavorwen, ¡°Would you mind if I used your body to show your master how the elven physiology of reproduction works?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Tavorwen agreed, standing and walking over.


    Driveal ced a hand over her stomach, ¡°Ack thomai, noh var kunvai.¡±


    Tavorwen¡¯s midriff seemed to shimmer, and when the shimmering settled it was as though I could see into her body, like one of those diagrams in health ss where skin, muscle and like half the organs were gone to show what was inside. Then I noticed something. There was sperm inside her fallopian tubes¡­ I was literally seeing into the body of my matron.


    ¡°No matter how many times I see it, it is always a little strange to see inside my body.¡± Tavorwen mused, looking down at her reproductive organs.


    Driveal smiled, ¡°I am d you brought a matron with whom your bond has been consummated. That does make a few things easier.¡±


    He turned Tavorwen so I could see her insides more clearly. ¡°So, here, you can see that her insemination barrier was ruptured when you made love.¡± He pointed down to a healing section, just inside her vagina, where her hymen had once resided. ¡°When that barrier is broken a signal is sent to the matron¡¯s brain,¡± with a twitch of his finger a blue spark raced over her skin, up her body to her head, ¡°and to her matriarchal reservoirs.¡± A pair of blue jolts seemed to dance through her uterus and up her fallopian tubes to her ovaries. ¡°Forgive the light show, it helps to rify.¡± Driveal apologized.


    I shook my head, ¡°No, no! This is¡­ this is incredible!¡±


    There was no blood or anything actually interfering with Tavorwen¡¯s body, we could just see in and see what was happening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you approve.¡± Driveal smiled, ¡°Now prior to receiving that signal, an elf keeps all of her potential children safe in her reservoirs. Once the barrier is broken, she will release one potential child every two years for fertilization, assuming she is not already pregnant. A number of factors determine how long it takes for the first potential child to be released. These range from the nutritionalpleteness of the matron¡¯s diet, her natural biorhythm, if she feels safe, if she is happy, if she is injured, and so on. We have not been able to nail down all of these factors and some seem to affect the amount of time it takes more than others. Generally, though the faster this first child is released the more it indicates that she is happy and well taken care of.¡±


    He gave me a look, ¡°So you can see why I am so pleased that Narusil is with child so quickly.¡±


    I chuckled, I guess it was a good sign.


    ¡°Now, we can see that Tavorwen has not conceived yet, by observing a few simple things.¡± He motioned to her sperm filled fallopian tubes. ¡°If you notice, gravity is attempting to pull the seed from her reproductive tract, but do you see how her body pinches and ripples, pulling the seed deeper into her body? That is in preparation for the moment her potential child is released. It is an involuntary action on her part, like an erection for a male. And like a male, it is only caused if the female is aroused and willing at the time of her insemination. If she were displeased or not a willing participant, the muscr action would reverse, forcing the seed out of her body. But as you can see, you did a good job and your matron clearly approved of the action.¡±


    Tavorwen shot him an annoyed look, which he missed being too focused on his exnation. Looking carefully I could see the pulsing he talked about working my sperm deeper into her.


    ¡°Now it sounds like it takes some time, with your females, for the child to reach the birthing chamber, once the potential child has been fertilized with your seed. If you will forgive some slight illusions, I will show you how that process happens with an elf.¡± Driveal stated. ¡±


    Drive made a few quick gestures, and said the word, ¡°Marraj.¡±


    The sperm in her tubes faded from few and a golden light appeared in her ovary.


    ¡°As the child is released, it will be held in the fertilization channels for as long as possible.¡± Driveal exined and the glowing light slipped into her fallopian tube where the pulsing seemed to hold it at the end of the tube. ¡°Then once the sperm and child are together, the muscr action reverses and the sperm and child are moved to the birthing chamber.¡± The illusion showed a thin milky substance, not my thick white cum, entering her, filling her tube, then the pulsing reversed, pushing the glowing orb and what I assumed was supposed to be elven cum into her uterus, which held them until the golden lighttched to the edge. ¡°Now usually, a matron¡¯s body will hold onto semen for about a week, and once it has purged the cum the matron is ready to be inseminated again. If there is already sperm and semen in the channel, a child can be released and moved to the birthing chamber within two hours. A simr time frame can happen if the child is waiting in the channel when the semen arrives.¡±


    Driveal waved his hand and the magic allowing us to see inside Tavorwen faded, her clothing returning to view first.


    ¡°The primary point of failure in the process is the fact that the first seed to reach the child will attempt to fertilize it,pleting its soul.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°And an unfortunate amount of the time, the seed of life from the male is found¡­cking. If this happens, the child withers, and will be passed within a matter of days. But if a strong seed merges with the child, then it will take root in the matron¡¯s birthing chamber and grow.¡±

 628

    ¡°It is exceedingly rare for anything to go wrong in that process beyond that. Only if the mother¡¯s life is at risk, or extreme circumstances can cause a pregnancy to fail.¡± Driveal continued. ¡°And seeing how Narusil is happy enough, and healthy enough, that within hours of her insemination barrier being broken her first child was released¡­ I am not worried.¡±


    I shifted nervously, ¡°And how often do matrons¡­ die giving birth?¡±


    Driveal looked at me shocked. ¡°Your world may not have magic, but surely you have found ways to save the mothers of your children from the trials of childbirth!?¡±


    I spread my hands, ¡°We do as much as we can, but it still happens that mothers die giving birth.¡±


    Driveal shook his head, ¡°No¡­ no, no¡­. with the aid of magic it is incredibly rare for a mother to die in childbirth¡­ though I suppose most of the time the deaths aren¡¯t so much from childbirth, but by external forces that are more dangerous since the mother cannot protect herself as well while giving birth.¡±


    So if I made sure my matrons were safe, there should be no real risks to them. I¡¯d just have to make sure that I kept Ealphamir safe so my matrons could bear my children in safety. I needed to learn all I could and prepare to defend the city. God, there was so much I needed to do. I needed to figure out attacknes, probable attack progressions, evacuation ns, backup ns, but most importantly, I had to bring the fight to the shadow elves. All wars had coteral damage, and if I didn¡¯t want my matrons and children to be in danger from that damage, the battlefront needed to be moved out of our front yard. I needed to make sure the city was safe enough it couldn¡¯t be just destroyed while I was bringing the fight to the shadow elves though. It was like the paradoxical statements: ¡°The best defense is a good offense¡± and ¡°The best offense is a good defense¡±.


    I also needed to optimize myyout. If I could always sit on the edges of battlefields or ensure I was doing long range encounters, my rifle was plenty. If I was going to be trying to take a fortified location, a stronghold Tavorwen had called it, I needed smaller arms. My rifle was over 4 feet long, which would make rounding corners or fighting in close quarters difficult. I probably needed an intermediary rifle that wasn¡¯t bolt action and probably a handgun as well. I could learn the sword, and learn magic, but if Durithana could make me the firearms I needed in a night, that would make me far more capable far more quickly. Things had moved far too fast for me to learn the techniques of this world.


    Driveal saw my shifting attitude and his face fell. ¡°Well now¡­¡± He murmured. ¡°I had struggled to believe you were capable of the things I had heard¡­ but this¡­. This is the face of a warrior who has seen death and is ready to see it again.¡± His face grew sad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to endure this, but if it keeps our people safe, I suppose what must be done¡­ will be done.¡±


    I looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to learn. Where do I start to learn about magic?¡±


    Driveal nodded, ¡°I can give you a basic understanding. Much of the work of learning magic however requires personal study.¡± He motioned to the tomes on the shelves behind him. ¡°I imagine your home study could be provided copies of the tomes we study for our magics.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Driveal sat back, ¡°The first thing to understand about magic, is that magic is a strange and diverse field of study, there are countless types of magic, and even with the generations of elves who have studied magic, we only have scratched the surface. We have learned fundamentalws that govern magic, but there are even branches of magic that unt the rules we know and abide by their own rules. The mostmon forms of magic, Secr and religious, also known as arcane and divine magics, are the ones mostmonly utilized by all of the races of the elves.¡±


    He reached behind him and pulled out a book. Opening it, he showed me a page with diagrams, hand signs and carefully marked words. The runes and lettering seemed to swim on the page, settling into English so I could read it.


    ¡°Secr magic is founded on the idea that by utilizing forms and repeatability. Anyone providing the appropriate inputs can obtain the same output.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°For example, anyone could pick up my cane,¡± His hand closed on it, ¡°raise it to this angle,¡± He lifted it to be roughly horizontal, ¡°And rotate to where it makes contact with you.¡± He brought his cane over to tap my arm. ¡°The contact will always happen. Now, each person doing this may be able to perform the action with varying speed and strength which changes the potency of the result, but the general course of actions are the same.¡±


    He returned his cane to its resting ce against his chair.


    ¡°The downside of secr magic is that it takesrge amounts of mental energy and mental capacity. The force you apply to this magic is wholly supplied by your mind and you must carefully craft what you want to do mentally. For example, just earlier I performed the actions and said the words for the spell that allowed us to view Tavorwen¡¯s reproductive tract. I needed to apply the correct amount of energy and mentally work through exactly how much of what she is wearing and theyers of her flesh that I desired to make transparent, allowing the light to travel through it as though it were not there. If I applied too little energy, I could have only made theyers only partially transparent. If I didn¡¯t understand the nature of what I was trying to make transparent, I could have either made only her clothing transparent, and it would have been highly inappropriate showing her unclothed in the presence of a male who is not her master, or I could have made herpletely transparent, which would not have served the desired purpose.¡± Driveal exined.


    He picked up a small symbol, and a pair of arrows in a wreath of holly. ¡°Religious magic however, is far less reliable, but has potential far beyond the ken of mortal men. The caster of religious magic must understand not the fine details of what they wish to do, but whether or not it is something their God or Goddess would be willing to do. A religious practitioner of magic must simply clearly request of their God or Goddess the desired result in fervent prayer, and the magic either seeds as the God acquiesces or fails as the God rejects the request. Now, there is far more that most Gods require before they will condescend to answer the requests of mortals. For example, clergy of the Enlightened Hosts begin by devoting themselves to in order to gain favor from their chosen god. The Great Father has different acts that he mandates of his clergy than Noriva, the Great Druid. Now there are¡­ technically sixteen gods in the house of the Enlightened Host, however two of the goddesses have removed themselves from the host. Ya¡¯av, the Vile Betrayer, once known as the Caring Nurturer, attempted to usurp the Great Father and im the ce as the head of the Household by killing the Great Father. However, since only a God can kill another God, she could not take her legions of followers with her. So while her followers were almost boundless, thebined might of the rest of the house overpowered her and she was forced to flee, bing spiteful and enraged, ceasing to nurture and care for the followers who remained faithful to her after her betrayal, dragging them deep into the earth.¡± Driveal exined.


    ¡°The other Goddess that left the house was Govarinta. Once she was known as the Kind Harvester. The casting out of Ya¡¯av, despite her crimes, did not sit well with her. She believed that Ya¡¯av should have been cared for and reformed instead of being cast out. She left and tried to save Ya¡¯av and bring her back to the house, over thousands of years, she became corrupted and tainted by Ya¡¯av¡¯s influence and she became cold and cruel. Now, she bears the title ¡®the Cold Assassin¡¯, wielding her scythe to cut short the lives of those she deems unworthy instead of cutting grain to feed the elves, children of the host.¡± Driveal continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, but can we stay on topic?¡± I interjected, ¡°If religious magic is less reliable, I¡¯ll go with the secr magic.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Driveal seemed surprised, ¡°Was I not on topic?¡±


    ¡°You were going a bit afield.¡± I exined.


    Driveal seemed confused, ¡°Strange, I thought I was spot on topic. An in depth discussion seems necessary for any true discourse on the matter. If we don¡¯t spend at least a month in a proper-¡±


    ¡°Do elves always take so long to make decisions? I mean, it didn¡¯t take the council so long to decide what they were going to do when they summoned me, and my matrons made the decision to be matrons far quicker?¡± I snapped, slightly agitated.


    Driveal blinked, ¡°Well, I suppose elves do take a fair amount of time when making decisions. I mean your summoning was urgent, so they were able toe to a conclusion with expedited discussion, so it only took ten years to make the decision. And I suppose it would appear your matrons would appear to have made their selection quickly, but I assure you they spent most of their lives debating the decision, it is merely a matter of who they would ept as their master. Many have presented themselves for any master who would take them. Which would seem a hasty decision, but it is more a matter of that not being part of the choice being offered I suppose. Why do you ask?¡±


    His answer was both educational and infuriating.

 629

    ¡°I don¡¯t have years for this! I need to learn fast. I need to be ready when the shadow elves return.¡± I insisted.


    Driveal¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°The learning of magic is the task of a lifetime. It is years of debate and learning of the moral and ethical implications, not to mention learning theory and the weavings of the nes before you can even consider casting spells. It takes at least fifty years to even reach the most basic of spells.¡±


    I grit my teeth, ¡°No wonder your people are losing this war. Do all elves move at this snail¡¯s pace?¡±


    ¡°Snail¡¯s pace? I thought you were mature. How old are you? Three hundred? Four?¡± Driveal teased.


    ¡°I am twenty-six years old.¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Ha! Good jest.¡± He chuckled.


    I just met his gaze.


    ¡°¡­ good¡­. jest¡­ by the gods! You aren¡¯t joking, are you?¡± He realized, his eyes widening.


    ¡°My people age much faster than yours. Before the age of twenty we are considered adults. By thirty most of us are married and having kids if we¡¯re going to. In our sixties the majority of our lives are spent and we retire to spend the twilight of our lives attempting to rx and find peace before we pass. Those who reach a hundred years old are considered ancient.¡± I informed the gaping elf. ¡°I was told that my life here would be lengthened beyond normal for my people, but don¡¯t go telling me to spend the equivalent of half my life, double what it took me to get the skills and talents I have now, discussing ¡®theories¡¯ and ¡®abstracts¡¯. I understand the morals, the ethics of such powerful tools. Every tool has its price. But I am willing to pay a hefty price if it means Narusil and my other matrons get to live in peace. I may have only just arrived, but I¡¯ll be damned if I let this ce fall under my watch.¡± I snapped.


    Driveal¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°My my¡­. ¡± He rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Such fire¡­ though perhaps it is what we need. Kathra pushes her soldiers hard, she¡¯d have a battle every month if they could manage, perhaps your haste is indeed needed. I can teach you the base concepts that will be utilized in your magic, but¡­ I have never been trained for a battlefield. My magics are educational, philosophical, and practical for everyday life. Narusil could teach you more refinedbat magic.¡±


    His face clouded, clearly deep in thought. I could tell he was bothered by my response. I didn¡¯t care. One of my matrons¡­ my wifes¡­. was pregnant, that kind of thing changed you. I¡¯d seen elves that looked just like my matrons get ughtered, stuck by wyvern tails, cut down by shadow elves, and I was not about to let that happen to them. Maybe it was the fact that they were the first lovers I¡¯d had that weren¡¯t just in it for quick fun. Maybe it was the fact that they were the first females I¡¯d even thought about, and now was, having children with, but I was more emotionally invested with them than I had been in a long time. I was a patriot back home, happy to give my life to keep my country safe, but this was more personal. It wasn¡¯t horizon to horizon and beyond filled with strangers, the elven city was small, with a poption small enough that with any decent time here I¡¯d learn each elf by name. Each and every one was depending on me. I knew they would be killed, their culture extinct without me, the angel had told me so.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I also knew that thest thing I wanted was for this to be a narrow victory. I wanted to save as many elves as possible. I hoped Driveal could ept that.


    Driveal seemed toe to a decision. ¡°If you are skipping all the lessons usually leading up to learning the application of magic, there are still a few things you must know.¡± He lifted his hands and with a word and a series of finger motions nine symbols floated in the air: a fist, a circle with a rune, a skull, a me, an eye, a brain, a swirling mist, a shield, and a face half man and half beast. ¡°There are nine sses of magic. Augmentation¡­¡± The fist rose and shed, ¡°¡­ Conjuration¡­¡± The circle responded. ¡°¡­ Destruction¡­¡± The me. ¡°¡­ Divination¡­¡± The eye. ¡°¡­ Domination¡­¡± The brain. ¡°¡­ Illusion¡­¡± The mist. ¡°¡­ Interjection¡­¡± The shield. ¡°¡­ Transformation¡­¡± The changing face. ¡°¡­ and Dark magic.¡± The skull.


    ¡°Each type of magic aplishes its objective. Augmentation increases your abilities without changing your nature. Conjuration calls or sends creations to do its work. Destruction magic strikes foes with the elements. Divination allows you to see things you otherwise wouldn¡¯t. Domination changes or controls the minds of others. Illusion makes things seem as they aren¡¯t. Interjection protects, interrupts and counters other magics. Transformation changes one thing to another. And¡­ Dark magic¡­¡± he hesitated, ¡°Dark magic channels the powers of death, to kill, to weaken and cripple, or to make the dead walk and obey yourmands.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Some of those seem far more useful than others. Like, besides pretty disys of lights, what use does illusion have?¡±


    Driveal smiled, ¡°Illusion was what let me show you what was inside Tavorwen. It can be used to check for injuries, to mislead opponents and even to be imperceptible to your foe.¡±


    I nodded in concession.


    ¡°The most powerful illusionists can create images so powerful and terrifying they overload the mind and cause the death of the viewer.¡± Driveal exined, ¡°Or invoke images so believable they harm the subject.¡±


    Like psychosomatic effects? I wondered. Beliefs so intense that they affected your body because you believed them?


    ¡°But every magic is limited by the mental capacity of the caster. Utilizing magic of the highest orders requires time and mastery, as well as reserves of mental energy. Most casters can master one to a greater degree and another to a lesser degree, with only the greatest of mages mastering a third.¡± Driveal exined. ¡°You will have to choose your mastery, but each has their limitations.¡±


    Driveal waved his hand and the images dispersed like dust in the wind.


    ¡°Now, we use words of power, words from the tongues of dragons, archons, and¡­ in some cases¡­ devils¡­ The words give us power to shape the world, but you can¡¯t just go saying whatever you want and doing anything with it. The universe does not bend freely to our will. More often than not attempting to freehand with thenguage of creation has serious and terrible consequences. And since words power your magic, the reach of your magic is limited to the reach of your voice.¡±


    I tried to ept that, but something didn¡¯t sit right.


    ¡°But at the battle with the shadow elves¡­ they threw fire from hundreds of feet in the air! You¡¯re telling me the shadow elves¡¯ voices reached that far?¡± I challenged.


    ¡°Oh-ho! A good observation.¡± Driveal congratted me. ¡°Now, did the shadow elves directly cause our forces to catch fire? Or¡­ did they conjure fire well within the reach of their voices and throw it in the direction of our forces?¡±


    I blinked, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a petty distinction!¡±


    Driveal shook his head, ¡°Not to the magic it isn¡¯t. I¡¯m guessing you saw lightning too. That is a use of destructive magic. However, it utilizes a second technique. The user projects their voice in a line, and the air and anything caught in its path is sted with the lightning. Now, since the sound precipitates the lightning, it can be blocked or countered. This is a primary example of the exchange of spellcasters in battle. There is always a tradeoff, either your spell is slow enough it can be blocked, or short range enough that you are at risk by enemy troops. And since most spellcasters tend to devote every moment they have to study, they rarely have time to keep up on their¡­ physical capabilities.¡±


    I rubbed my thumb on the stubble on my chin, it had started to grow since I¡¯d arrived. Many of the men in my toon had grown out beards when we¡¯d been deployed. You were only viewed as a man if you had a beard. I had tried to leave most of the interacting to the others, I hated the itching and could never get past that phase to grow it out. This was about as long as I ever let it get.


    ¡°Now it sounded like personal aptitude ys a major role in what sses of magic you should specialize in.¡± I noted. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Driveal shook his head. ¡°For the vast majority of spellcasters, the difference in their aptitude levels is so minute that it is near impossible to even determine. There are the rare individuals with immense talent in one or two sses of magic, like Narusil. She is a one in a thousand spellcaster for interjection and destructive magics. Her level of aptitude with these types of magic puts her on level with mages who have studied these magics for hundreds of years more than her¡­. It is just a pity that, when she would need to actually use those skills¡­. She freezes. Interjection magic can have great value for an enchanter¡­. One who has learned to use magic through runes and other means to permanently instill the effects of spells onto a physical item¡­ but Narusil has no talent for enchantment. When attempting to imbue her interjection and destruction magic into items, the differences in how you cast and how you have to think about the magic is so wrong to her that she is worse even then her peers that have only minimally studied the field of her expertise.¡±


    He sat back, ¡°She visited me¡­ after she was stripped of her position¡­ To apologize for being born. She said that had she not been born perhaps an actually useful elf would have taken her ce. I told her that the Great Father has a n for us all. His Matrons would not have sent her spirit to a mortal vessel at this time were there no use for her.¡±


    I was so sad for Narusil, and I knew even now doubts gued her. She was happy where she was, and I was guessing she¡¯d be very happy to learn that she was with child, but I knew the doubts she had voiced at the congress of maidens would not be so easily cast aside, even once she learned she was pregnant.


    ¡°So how does one discover if they have magical aptitude?¡± I refocused.


    ¡°Well, usually the quick understanding of the concepts rted to that ss of magic is the quickest indicator. Can you believe it? Narusil only took seven years to fully understand the nature of destructive magic! And another eight for interjective magic! Fifteen years! That¡¯s half that of your average elf! I was so proud of her.¡± Driveal dered his chest swelling with emotion.

 630

    I reviewed what I had learned about this secr magic. ¡°Okay, so if the words are words of one of these nguages of power¡¯¡­ why do you need the hand motions?¡±


    Driveal grinned, ¡°Another excellent observation!¡± He offered me his cane, and I took it. ¡°I want you to swing that cane at me, really focus on swinging that cane at me, but do it without moving.¡±


    I looked at him confused.


    ¡°Come now, surely you can replicate the exact mental processes of swinging my cane at me without physical action?¡± He pushed.


    ¡°So, the physical actions trigger mental states and change the way you think about things to make your thoughtspliant to the prescribed mental requirements for the spells?¡± I observed.


    Driveal blinked. ¡°You¡­ you understood that concept quickly.¡±


    ¡°So if you learned how to replicate the thoughts, without the physical actions, the motions would be unnecessary?¡± I pressed further. ¡°Now, if the actions are unnecessary, simply a tool to channel thoughts, is it possible that the words are unnecessary too? You would just have to convey your meaning to the universe, and maybe everyone being affected¡­ which means that theoretically you could cast spells on yourself silently, without too much difficulty¡­ Am I in the right ballpark?¡±


    Driveal sat blinking for a minute. ¡°I mean¡­ the theory is sound, it would take centuries of study to verify, but it would be theoretically possible¡­ That could¡­ that could change things drastically on a battlefield¡­ if only the target is the only one who could hear spells being cast, that would make interjection much harder and could increase our casters¡¯ effectiveness ten to a hundred fold!¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    His eyes narrowed, ¡°You said you had not studied magic before, right? How is it that you made such jumps to advanced reasoning without advanced study?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the way I was raised? Maybe it¡¯s the way my brain works? Who knows.¡±


    ¡°Well, regardless of your theories, the application will be exceedingly difficult. I expect you¡¯ll take quiet some time before you are casting even simple spells, and being able to do these simple spells without actions, let alone audible incantations will be the work of a lifetime.¡± Driveal said, more to himself than to me, I think.


    He shook his head, ¡°Now¡­ forgive me, I¡¯m struggling to concentrate, you¡¯ve given me much to think about. Perhaps my daughter can further your magical education more once you arrive home.¡±


    I rose, ¡°Forgive me if I was a poor guest. It was not my intention to offend.¡±


    Driveal waved a hand dismissively, ¡°No offense was taken, but your theories¡­ intrigue me. I find myself¡­ absorbed in thought. I fear I¡¯d make a poor teacher if our discussion continued. That you coulde to such things so quickly¡­¡±


    I nodded, ¡°If we¡¯re still good, I¡¯ll leave you to your thoughts.¡±


    Tavorwen took my hand and led me from the room, then from his home.


    I nced back with worry. I was sure I was probably breaching elven etiquette left and right, but Tavorwen didn¡¯t seem concerned.


    ¡°Come, we should return home. With any luck the paint I requested for your rifle should be there by now, and everyone will be happy to hear Narusil¡¯s good news, especially Narusil!¡± Tavorwen dered excitedly.


    Her excitement was contagious, and I couldn¡¯t help but anticipate the reactions my matrons would have as we hurried home.


    It wasn¡¯t too long of a walk home, and we arrived in time to see Lymarith finishing up with a rune, mildly glowing in the texture of the bark. A couple of engraving tools, pouches of powders and a bowl of some kind of paste on a copsible wooden table at her side. I couldn¡¯t hear the words she spoke as the rune shed, and disappeared, blending with the bark around it.


    She stood and wiped perspiration from her brow.


    ¡°Lymarith! How fare the wards?¡± Tavorwen greeted, as we approached.


    The matron tossed her raven ck hair out of her peripheral vision and smiled, turning to us. ¡°Ah! Wee back. I looked over the wards as Creadean asked. A few of the anchor runes are needing some attention, but this was by far the worst off. I¡¯m just finishing its rejuvenation now. With the weakest link so strengthened the wards fare much better. How was your visit?¡±


    ¡°Educational.¡± Tavorwen assured with a smile, ¡°We have news the whole house will want to hear. Can we help you bring anything in?¡±


    Lymarith cocked her head in curiosity. ¡°Well, if you grab the powdered stag horn, ground deva residue and crushed unicorn hoof clippings, and Master Thomas carries the table, I can handle my tools.¡±


    My ears perked up at the mention of unicorns and I wondered what sorts of beasts these stags and divas were. There was so much I didn¡¯t know. The world held more mysteries to me than a series of encyclopedias back home could hold. Slowly, I was piecing together bits and pieces, but I wondered if even the long lived elves had all the answers about this world.


    I picked up the copsible table, once my matrons had cleared it off. It was made of a heavy hardwood, and while the fine craftsmanship ment it copsed easily enough, I could see it being a touch heavy for my matron to carry by herself, she probably had to make multiple trips, bringing the table first and the other supplies afterward. I was still strong enough that the weight meant little to me. And I followed as Tavorwen opened the door to our home.


    ¡°Oh, wee home, master!¡± Diamiutar called ncing from the kitchen, just down the hall. ¡°How was your visit?¡±


    ¡°Learned a lot.¡± I admitted, looking around.


    All of my matrons were about. Creadean had pulled Lymarith aside and the two were chatting about the wards by the sound of it. Hentu and Narusil were chatting casually about the distribution of cleaning chores. Tavorwen was still by my side.


    ¡°Oh, it was great.¡± I told my curious head matron, ¡°But it did leave me a couple of things to talk to Naruisil about.¡±


    That roused the curiosity of all of my matrons, Narusil more than most. Hentu sat back, putting their conversation on hold.


    I walked over, pulled a chair up next to my young unknowingly pregnant matron, and near her.


    ¡°You see, Driveal, said that while going over the lessons that most elves must go over before they learn to cast magic, he would be the elf to talk to, but as I don¡¯t really have time to spend on the ethical nuances of magic, he rmended you to start teaching me the basics of magic.¡± I exined.


    Narusil seemed to perk up at that. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to teach you, Master Thomas.¡± She lowered her head bashfully, ¡°Might make me feel worth more than just a cleaner around here.¡±


    I smiled, leaned in and kissed her forehead, making her look up in surprise.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to be careful to bnce your duties. After all, I can¡¯t have my first matron blessed with a child overworking herself, now can we?¡±


    Narusil smiled for a moment, then she processed exactly what I¡¯d said. Her eyes grew wide and I heard collective gasps around the room. Narusil put one hand over her mouth and the other rested on her womb.


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Narusil verified.


    I showed her my sigil. ¡°That is your sigil, thickened and invigorated by the presence of your child.¡±


    Narusil gazed at the proof on my hand, more reliable than any pregnancy test on earth. Then she flung herself on me, her arms wrapping around my neck. I could feel her joy at the news, she held me and happy tears dripped down her cheek.


    Diamiutar smiled at me from the kitchen, then went back to her work. The other matrons gathered round to congratte Narusil on the news.


    Once she had settled, a hand remaining happily on her tummy, she wiped the moisture from her face, ¡°I almost feel bad. Here I am, mostly useless¡­ and the first to be so blessed.¡± Then she shook her head, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m too happy to feel bad. It¡¯s a dreame true¡­ I get to teach you magic and bear a child¡­ It¡¯s almost too much. Father, he did tell you I was branded a coward, didn¡¯t he? You would have a spineless nixie like me teach you magic?¡±


    I smiled, ¡°I would absolutely have you teach me magic¡­ But what is a nixie?¡±


    Narusil hung her head, ¡°A water spirit, they hide from anything dangerous and try to beguile and¡­ trick weak creatures into the water where they drown the poor victims. They are invoked as an insult to anyone too cowardly to stand up for what they believe in, since nixies seem to care nothing for anyone but themselves.¡±


    I lifted her chin, ¡°Then I never want to hear you address yourself that way again. I¡¯ve seen enoughbat to know that even some of the best soldiers struggled with their firstbat. Sounds like you didn¡¯t get a chance to see your second before everyone rushed to judgment. The gods led me to you, and I¡¯m sure they had a good reason.¡±


    I really hoped that logic worked here. It was what I was operating on after all.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be worthy of your faith.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a grand dinner to celebrate the good news!¡± Diamiutar called from the kitchen, ¡°If I start now, I can slow roast some banthir for dinner!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you longer from your discussion.¡± I told Narusil. ¡°Let me know when you are ready and we can start my lessons on magic.¡±


    Narusil nodded, and I stood, hitching my rifle back up on my shoulder.


    Creadean and Tavorwen came to me.

 631

    ¡°Tavorwen said you wanted to paint your rifles to stand out less.¡± Creadean informed me, ¡°The paints arrived just after you left to meet with Master Driveal. They came with a note apologizing for the slow delivery. Apparently, the artisan¡¯s color vendor had run out of a few key pieces and needed to restock before she could supply our request.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I sighed with relief, my rifle was great, but the blue/silver of the metal was not exactly discrete. Painting it would go a long way toward securing the stealthiness of my position as I used it.


    The paints were different than I was used to, thinner, but binding quickly to the metal. Creadean said that the paints wereposed of materials specifically chosen to work well on metals.


    ¡°Hard as theposition of your weapon is, it¡¯s not likely to scratch, so these paints shouldst unless scoured off.¡± She assured me.


    I utilized a variety of greens and browns to give my rifle a good nt-mottled look. The stock was wood, a solid wood sturdy enough to take the beating this beast gave when fired, but that did mean it naturally blended. Overall it was a good looking weapon.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are situated.¡± Creadean dered solemnly, ¡± It should be at least two weeks before Kathra¡¯s forces are recovered enough to face us again. That¡¯ll give us time to recruit a few battle maidens, run some training exercises and really see what you can-¡±


    A pounding on the door interrupted her.


    Tavorwen answered it, eyes narrowed, hand on her de. Outside the door was an elven soldier with a scroll.


    ¡°The seers have detected a contingent of the shadow elf army, moving for the Northern border of the forest. They¡¯ll make forest¡¯s edge in about two hours.¡± The messenger dered.


    ¡°The northern edge?¡± Creadean asked with confusion, ¡°But why strike where we are well rested if she¡¯s going tomit forces so sound after a crushing defeat?¡±


    ¡°This is a different branch of their army¡­¡± The scout exined as Tavorwen read the scroll. Looking over her shoulder, I caught a glimpse of foreign symbols, graceful and flowing, before they swan and reformed as english. The army was estimated at two hundred shadow elves and at least twenty ¡®gruthir¡¯ beasts. ¡°No wyverns, and none of the tired soldiers from yesterday¡¯s battle. This was the group that was their ram at the massacre, the one they used to smash through our lines and formations.¡±


    Concern rose among my listening matrons, not only the ones who would remain behind. I tried not to let it affect me. I needed a clear head. A fifty caliber rifle, like the one I¡¯d had made for me, could take down an elephant if ced well enough, and now my rifle had magical enhancements that would make it even stronger. I had to have faith that my rifle would be good enough for these ¡®gruthir¡¯ beasts.


    ¡°General Jakarah has requested that Master Thomas deploy nearby for long range support. We have seers and a teleporter on standby.¡± The soldier finished. ¡°It is requested you assemble your supplies and report outside the Silver Ivy Barracks to standby for teleport.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± I informed her, ¡°We will report as soon as we have prepared ourselves.¡±


    She put a fist over her heart and tipped her head in what I realized was an elven salute, before turning and hurrying away.


    ¡°Two battles in as many days.¡± Tavorwen breathed, ¡°What is Kathra thinking?¡±


    ¡°She knows we have a summon.¡± Narusil dered, her fingers stroking her chin. ¡°She¡¯s either trying to determine what he can do, or she¡¯s hoping to end him before he can ruin her ns. How big a force did they send?¡±


    ¡°Round two hundred plus twenty gruthir.¡± Tavorwen replied.


    ¡°Not enough to wipe us out. Not her entire army.¡± Narusil judged quickly, ¡°But enough to be a fair assessment of our summon.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d throw away two hundred elves and twenty of these¡­ whatever they are to get an idea what I can do?¡± I marveled. If my understanding of elven societal dynamics was even near correct, that was a hugemitment on their part.


    ¡°Much as I hate to say it¡­ yes.¡± Hentu was the one to speak this time. ¡°Shadow elves aren¡¯t like us. Their society thrives on deceit, backstabbing and the strong preying on the weak. From what we¡¯ve learned there are twenty high houses, and each could easily send out two or three armies of that size. I¡¯m guessing that Kathra is throwing this army away to weaken a rivaling house. They might have even sent more troops than she asked for to try and avoid losses to maintain their strength.¡±


    ¡°And as for the gruthir, they are strange subterranean beasts. Large enough to carry half a dozen elves on their back. They stand around thirty knots tall. Are generally catlike, but have a few traits rarely seen in other felines. They have ws that can tear through steel mail, a pair of erged front fangs that can berger than an elf is tall. Their most imposing trait however is the horns. They have a central horn protruding directly from their foreheads, and two side horns curling and sweeping forward. Our schrs believe they were intended as a method to attract and fight for mates, but the shadow elves have them equipped with metal des to cleave through soldiers on the battlefield. At least unlike some of the species under their control the shadow elves haven¡¯t managed to weaponize their tails yet, so at least there¡¯s one safe angle to approach them¡­. Though they are agile enough that they tend to be able to turn on you before you utilize it well.¡± Narusil exined.


    Good things to note. A horned beast like that would have a thick skull, and it would be agile enough a headshot wasn¡¯t practical. I¡¯d be aiming for the main chest cavity. The lungs and heart on a beast that size would have to be massive, and the space between ribs would make for a great target. I¡¯d have to see how they were armored, but If I could punch a hole in their chest like that, it should be enough.


    ¡°Thanks for the info.¡± I praised my matrons, ¡°It¡¯ll help a great deal once I have to deal with them.¡±


    I nce to my battle matrons, ¡°Creadean, Tavorwen, do you need to prepare anything?¡±


    ¡°Never need more than I can carry.¡± Creadean dered, patting the ever present pack on her lower back.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡± Tavorwen affirmed.


    ¡°Never been to your old barracks.¡± I told Tavorwen, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Lymarith begged.


    ¡°Come back home to us, safely.¡± Diamiutar reiterated.


    I smiled, ¡°I just got here. Not nning on going anywhere else anytime soon. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    I could feel thefort they took at that. Though uncertainty remained. Uncertainty would always exist, but I tookfort in the fact that I was doing the best I could, and the angel who had spoken to me when I was summoned to this ce had told me so long as I did my best, I would live a long and fruitful life here.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a battlefield to join.¡± I told my battle matrons and we hurried out the door.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Tarq¡¯Vreegan, or just Vreegan as she was feeling right now but only the Queen was so exalted as to being able to drop the title appended to her name, allowed the motion of the saddle underneath her to roll and shift her as the gruthir walked underneath her. The great beast¡¯s massive strides made riding it a skill. It wasn¡¯t smooth like it might have been for a smaller beast, but it was calming to her all the same.


    She had been givenmand of this assault group, and had been told the wood elves had shown signs of weakness, so she might be able to break into their forest and start searching for their hidden city.


    She shook her head. What a load of banthir dung. She knew the moment she saw her forces that odds were most of them weren¡¯ting back. All 15 members of her normal squad who were with child had been reassigned, even though the furthest along was only 6 months pregnant, hardly far enough to impede the rider¡¯sbat ability. Also, the standard practice was to mix young and inexperienced gruthir with the older and better trained beasts so the young blood could see the older blood performing as directed to reinforce that they too should obey, however all of the beasts she¡¯d been given had already given six litters. Six litters was about all you could expect from a mother gruthir, after that the beast was considered old. There were few uses beyond battle for such beasts.


    She had a mix of young fools and older sisters who Tarq¡¯Vreegan suspected were being sent on this mission because they were less favored by Matriarch Sa¡¯Gavorn. Looking over her forces it had been obvious her orders were a lie. She wondered where she had so angered Sa¡¯Gavorn to be sent at the head of such a mission.


    Life in shadow elf society required constant vignce, let your guard down for a moment and your closest allies would stab you in the back simply because the opportunity was presented. Sa¡¯Gavorn had probably been given orders she couldn¡¯t refuse from Kathra, and Tarq¡¯Vreegan was simply the unlucky sister to be told to carry them out.


    This seemed like a wild phoenix chase. From what she knew they suspected the wood elven city was in the south east sector of the forest, that would be far away from where she had been deployed, furrows and furrows away.


    Tarq¡¯Vreegan had however seen Shadow ws preparing as her group had moved to deploy. She suspected her group was little more than a decoy. The Shadow ws were assassins, vers, and kidnappers. Vreegan had heard the rumors of House Mor¡¯Vakth¡¯s defeat, surprising as their wyverns made them very difficult opponents, their stingers could even cause problems for the gruthir, as it robbed the strength of their bodies faster than the big cats could kill the lesser dragons. Vreegan wondered if the Shadow ws were to be deployed to eliminate whatever it was that had led to House Mor¡¯Vakth being routed.


    Vreegan slipped her hand into the pouch at her belt. Among her other belongings was a tile, about three notches by eight notches, that she had been given. Fur¡¯Grendeth had given it to her with strict instructions. Were she to learn anything of value, and she feared she would not return safely, she was to break it, releasing the teleportation spell trapped inside, returning her to report.


    ¡°Tarq?¡± One of the younger sisters demanded, ¡°You are brooding more than usual.¡±


    ¡°You will use my full name or I will have your guts in the gravel.¡± Tarq¡¯Vreegan snapped.

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    ¡°Forgive me, Tarq¡¯Vreegan.¡± The sister hurried to correct herself.


    The sister was right though. She had to get her head into the right frame. Her forces would be able to see the forest soon enough, and that meant that the forest whores could attack any minute. The fools defended the forest like it was sacred. Trees were trees, though it seemed once you entered the forest, every tree spat arrows at you. Why the wood elves didn¡¯t just hide in their trees and use their more effective tactics was beyond her.


    Therge cats walked up the ridge and Tarq¡¯Vreegan let her gaze settle on the great forest of the wood elves. She¡¯d seen it twice before, but the size of the forest still made her grip her reins in rage.


    For centuries, her people had scrapped by, barely finding enough to eat in the stone depths of the earth, and these bitches had a forest full of such bounties of food that they never had to wonder if they could feed their children. ording to Kathra, the priests of Ya¡¯av, told us that if we could just exterminate the cunts then we could pluck the plenty of their forests and never be hungry again. Each of the sunlit races we had to im as distant kin hoarded the wealth of the surface while we struggled and starved.


    She would slit the throat of every wood elf andugh as they choked. Her eyes focused on the treeline, her elven eyes refocusing to allow her to make out the forms of the fucking bitches preparing her and her sister¡¯s arrival, though from this distance they looked like ants.


    ¡°Sisters!¡± She called to her forces on the twenty great beasts, ¡°First one to kill a forest bitch gets double rations tonight!¡±


    Her sisters raised their spears in a warcry.


    The gruthir felt their excitement and began to pick up the pace. Battle meant we¡¯d let them eat the corpses of the dead. Any shadow sister who fell wasn¡¯t worthy of the rations she¡¯d eaten, so she might as well feed the beasts, and any foe who had fallen was unworthy of burial.


    Tarq¡¯Vreen shifted so her battle corset would settle better. The leather pants the bitches wore were defensive, as were their boots, and she had taken a set from the corpses of her foes years ago, but she still preferred the corset of ovepping leather tes, reinforced with metal strips, over their jackets. She needed her shoulders unencumbered if she was going tonce the blight on the world that all races, aside from the shadow elves, were.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The Mage outside the barracks finished the intricate gestures and long chant of the teleportation magic, making the world around us blur and settle into a new location. I had to turn to the south to see what was happening. We were high in another one of the gigantic trees. I crouched so that the leaves of the great tree would hide me, and moved to the edge of the branch where I could find a window in the leaves and set up for my sniping. The shade of the leaves would keep my scope from reflecting and betraying my position.


    Iid out and deployed my bipod. Creadeanid next to me, pulling out her viewing crystal, and Tavrowen strung her bow. I could see the distant creatures as they were starting to move down the ridge miles away.


    Looking through my crystal I could see these gruthir more clearly. They were dark brownrge cats. The metal de enhanced horns looked foreign to me on a cat, but they looked strange in other ways too. They were somewhere between a tiger and a wolf, not built to climb trees but to berge and in charge. The saddle that dominated their massive backs wereden with shadow elf soldiers. The soldiers wore a mismatch of stolen wood elven gear and the ck leather armor of the shadow elves. They seemed to favor spears, but had the scimitars and other dueling des that most shadow elves favored. A few of these soldiers had massive crossbows strapped to the saddle, but other than that they had no apparent ranged weapons.


    ¡°How long until they are in your range?¡± Creadean asked.


    I struggled to convert miles to elven furrows. If I had my math right, a furrow was just shy of a third of a mile. So I could probably do my opening shot at around five furrows.


    ¡°So I can probably fire my opening shot at¡­ what¡­ five furrows? That¡¯s around 2700 paces, right?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Tavorwen breathed.


    The big cats began a loping jog. Gruthir apparently had enough stamina to make a long distance charge like this. The distance was getting rapidly eaten up. It seemed that the shadow elves weren¡¯t terribly worried about their beasts being injured, because the only thing really protecting them was the saddle on their back.


    It looked like the gruthir would have a thick sternum at the crest of their chest. I¡¯d want to just miss that.


    Spears bristled from the backs of the beasts.


    Four miles to contact with the wood elves.


    The wood elves formed up. The gruthir would tear right through them if nothing was done. I picked out the front gruthir, and made sure I was familiarizing how their chests moved as they ran. I was going to have to figure out where to shoot, and it would take around six or seven seconds for the round to reach my target at these ranges. Luckily, as the gruthir elerated, their chests leveled out, their legs making contact with the soil again before their torsos sank very much.


    Three miles to contact.


    I nced at the others to pick out my target orders. I¡¯d want to hit as many as I could in short order. I was about thirds of a mile from the line of wood elves. I¡¯d be able to fire once they were about a mile from the wood elves.


    Two miles to contact.


    I steadied my breathing. Falling into my rhythm for a long range shot. I was tracking the shot. Focused, aiming precisely where I wanted my round to hit. Aim small, miss small.


    One mile.


    BANG!


    The round flew. I racked the bolt, chambering a new round. I turned quickly to my second target and¡­


    BANG!


    ¡­ a second round was headed downrange. I chambered a third round.


    The second round could hit before they really had a chance to figure out what was happening. The third round would nevernd in time.


    The round hit the first gruthir in the chest and it dropped like a rock. A spray of shadow elves thrown from the saddle flew skyward. The gruthir all turned their heads toward the first to fall and the second took it¡¯s round in roughly the same way. The pattering of shadow elves hitting the ground was met with various reactions. Somey unmoving, others rose collecting their gear.


    The gruthir looked around, fear in their eyes. The main rider of the beasts urged them forward, and the loping charge resumed, leaving two of their fallen animals behind.


    I tracked another shot and sent it. The beast tumbled hard, another spray of shadow elves being flung from the saddle.


    Three gruthir down, seventeen remaining. I looked at this much like when I was involved in anti-vehicr fire. A round into these beasts was like a round into the engine of a personnel carrier.


    The fall of the third gruthir brought fear into the beasts. The horned heads swung side to side scanning the trees, trying to find what had caused their fellow to fall. The fear of whatever was causing this exceeded the fear of the shadow elves spurning them to charge.


    If they were going to hold still, I wasn¡¯t going to miss that shot. I had to hope I could figure their physiology on profile, since in stopping they had turned their side to be able to dodge. I sent a fourth round, hoping to end another of the beasts.


    That beast went down. This time the shadow elves just fell to the ground as the beast fell out from underneath them. Two of the beasts broke. Running in a full sprint from the battlefield. The remaining beasts tried to decide. Facing something that you can see and understand was one thing, but spontaneous seeming death from an unknown cause was a whole other level of terrifying.


    I zeroed in on the beast that looked least likely to run, and sent a fifth round. A gust of wind kicked up and my round hit his rear leg instead of his chest. With a pain-filled yowl, the beast went down. I must have shattered its femur. I chambered another round, adjusted for the wind and aimed for its heart and sent it. The beast might have been willing to kill at its master¡¯smand, but it didn¡¯t deserve to suffer.


    The remaining gruthir broke, fleeing.


    I chambered another round. I wasn¡¯t going to shoot a fleeing enemy, but it seemed about ten elves had been riding each gruthir, so roughly fifty of them could still be ready to fight. I scanned the field.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Sar¡¯Vona watched from position on a overlooking hill as the gruthir fell. Chills went down her spine. After each beast fell, the slightest of noises could be heard. She was far enough away that hearing anything, even with her sensitive ears, was shocking. She closed her hand in anger, pulling the hood of her cloak down tighter on her. She didn¡¯t know what was killing the beasts, but the fact that such power had been granted to the wood elves infuriated her.


    Her mission however had been very clear. The battle wouldn¡¯tst long. She had to move fast.


    She raised the amulet of teleportation, her eyes focused on a shadowy gap in the roots behind the wood elves. ¡°Release.¡± She uttered. The darkness rose around her and when it faded she was now behind the wood elves¡¯ line. The teleportation drained her, forcing her to wait for a minute, relying on the shadow magic on her cloak to keep her hidden. Her stomach churned, but she kept her food down. It had taken her years to get to the point that she could manage that.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

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    She tightened the wed gloves on her hands as she recovered. These wood elven bitches were starting to celebrate. The gruthir had broken, more than a dozen of them were fleeing. Their celebration would make her job easier.


    She swept her eyes over the nearby soldiers, looking for a younger soldier. An older soldier might be able to resist better. There.


    Her target selected, Sar¡¯Vona stalked forward, until she could slide behind a ridge in the roots, just higher than an elf¡¯s waist. The shade kept her hidden in her shadow cloak. This would take skill. Her victim made it easier for her, by leaning against the root, relieved that she wouldn¡¯t have to fight this day.


    Sar¡¯Vona grinned, the bitch would suffer worse than if she had been forced to fight and die.


    Sar¡¯Vona moved quickly. Her wed hands grabbed her victim, one hand over the wood elf¡¯s mouth the other around her waist. She pulled her over the root, making her disappear from view behind the root in an instant. She stabbed her with the spike of paralysis, making her cease as the magic bound her body, limb and tongue. She grabbed a tether from her belt and bound her arm to the arm of the paralyzed elf, her eyes wide in terror.


    Sar¡¯Vona pulled out herst tool, a Rod of Return. ¡°Release.¡± She hissed quietly, the rod pulled her and the tether brought the paralyzed young elf with her.


    The paralysis spike expired, but the teleportation finished first. The young elf tried to draw her de, her stomach churning, and she vomited. Her eyes raced around the dark room, lit by the blue mes of our fungal torches. The elf¡¯s eyes spread with terror as she realized she was no longer in her forest.


    By the time she finished, wed gloves like mine held each of her limbs and a shadow elf mage, head half shaved and tattooed with swirling marks, chanted her magical words. As the mage¡¯s chant finished, the wood elf¡¯s eyes rolled in her head and she copsed, asleep.


    ¡°Well done, Sar¡¯Vona.¡± Kal¡¯Rinath, head of my order, congratted me. ¡°Kathra will be pleased. Now, quickly, strip the ve and get her to the torturers¡¯ chamber.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Tarq¡¯Vreegany broken on the ground, her beast had been the first to fall and she was pretty sure her spin as well as both of her legs and one of her arms were broken. It was entirely possible more was broken, but if she could get home the healers could patch her up. Her main arm was useless. Her off hand tried to work underneath her to try to get to her pouch.


    She¡¯d seen it. shes of light, high in the leaves, just before the other gruthir had fallen. She had to get back and report. The wood elves were hiding their new weapon, whatever it was, in the trees at their back. She fished the tile from her pocket, she went to snap it in her hand and in her pain and haste, she didn¡¯t hear the words carried on the wind. Words of magic. She snapped the tile and as the world swirled into a mix of symbols she finally heard the words.


    ¡°No!¡± Tarq¡¯Vreengan gasped. She knew that voice, it was the voice of Sa¡¯Grinda, matriarch of House Vlendrir. The teleportation was being rerouted!


    ¡°Damn you, Sa¡¯Grinda!¡± Tarq¡¯Vreengan screamed as the teleportation stretched out, ¡°You need what I know!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along. Farewell.¡± The voiceughed.


    The world reformed and she was furrow and furrows in the air, she got a good look at the mountains below as she fell, and luckily for her she passed out before bing a colorful ssh on the rocks of the southern mountains, her knowledge lost with her.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Looking through my scope, I could tell that the majority of the shadow elves had been put out of action by the copse of their battle beasts. In all fairness, falling the thirty knots, roughly twenty feet, to the grass below was not something most people could handle and still be in fighting shape. The elves that had been thrown into the sky by the copse of their gruthir had fallen even farther. The shadow elves that could fight rallied, their spears raised as they charged.


    ¡°Do I neutralize them?¡± I asked Creadean.


    ¡°No. Leave them a chance to surrender.¡± Tavorwen asserted. ¡°They won¡¯t, but we must give them a chance. That is the Emerald Stag corp. They are skilled enough that two dozen shadow elves won¡¯t be a problem. It will also be a good chance for some of the younger members to get some experience.¡±


    I kept an eye out. The gruthir beasts I had hit were unmoving. The Emerald Stag corp deployed to surround the spear-wielding shadow elves. The shadow eleve created a very sparse wall of spears, with the just over twenty spears being far too spread to actually function as a proper spear wall. The wood elves called to the shadow elves, probably offering surrender. The shadow elves yelled something in return and charged, each running at the nearest wood elf they could. Their spears were deflected, and once the wood elves were inside the reach of their spears, before they could retrieve the shorter des at their waists, the dark elves were cut down.


    Imented at the death of the shadow elf soldiers, since none of our numbers had been lost, but the shadow elves had chosen death.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What would you do with the shadow elves if they surrendered?¡± I wondered, as the Emerald Stag corp spread out to check for surviving shadow elves.


    ¡°They would be taken, relieved of their weapons, and we have holding cells where we would keep them and care for them until they agreed to peaceful coexistence.¡± Tavorwen exined. ¡°We have never been able to capture a living shadow elf, but we used to do that all the time with the other elves when they came against us to war. The agreement was reinforced with a sigil known as a Vow of Allegiance. The sigil manifested as a golden mark over the heart of the receiver and did nothing but prevent them froming to war against us. Some Eldersined we were merely turning veteran soldiers into trainers for new soldiers, but that was the only eptable option we had.¡±


    I rubbed my shoulder. Shooting five times in rapid sequence like that had given me a good thumping. ¡°What would happen if they tried?¡±


    ¡°Well, it would cause their body to lock up, as though paralyzed, if they attempted to engage in warfare against the wood elven people. They could even still defend themselves if attacked, but they could not be the aggressor. Far kinder than something like the ve Sigil employed by the shadow elves.¡± Creadean supplied this time.


    ¡°ve Sigils?¡± I demanded incredulously. I remembered the angel mentioning how the enemy, or the shadow elves, utilized very. Magically enforced very was a horrific thought.


    ¡°Yes, ve sigils manifest as a light ring around the neck of the bearer.¡± Tavorwen exined, ¡°The bear is bound to a master¡­ in a mockery of the bond we share with you. We are only bound to you by oath and emotional desire. A ve bearer must obey anymand their master gives, or she will seize too, with pain, or death being the penalty for disobedience. A Master can even cause pain and suffering to their ve on a whim, and most dark elves seem to take pleasure in the suffering of their ves, if our seers have the right of it.¡±


    This idea was abhorrent to me. I couldn¡¯t imagine submitting another person to that.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Far away in the dungeons of El¡¯muth¡¯ran, the wood elf captive, Radrine, woke. Thest thing she remembered was the horrific realization she was in a strange ce, then hands had grabbed her and a dark face had said words of magic. Her shoulders were aching. She realized she was hanging from her wrists, shackles holding her with her toes not touching the floor.


    ¡°No!¡± She screamed. The cold air on her naked skin only increased her fear as panic set in. Radrine tried to move, maybe use her legs to get her free somehow, but she quickly realized her ankles were shackled, like her arms, the chains attached to her ankles however hung down and to the side, allowing her a small amount of space to move.


    ¡°Ah¡­ my guest awakens¡­¡± A cold almost hissing voice breathed from the dimly lit room.


    The dark elf came into view, wearing a loose cotton shirt, probably taken from a wood elven corpse by the blood stains. Over the shirt she wore a bloodstained leather apron, and her hips and pelvis were covered by a leather smalls, a garment that clung to her and only covered her hips, leaving her legs uncovered. She had small sandals on.


    Her face was mutted and tortured. Burn marks marred half what had been a beautiful face at one point. The marks of cuts and tears covered both sides of her face and down her neck, arms and legs. The burn marks covered her head, with not a hair to be seen from the burned flesh. Her eyes lit with hatred and pleasure as she gloated over her captive.


    Radrine realized with horror that half of the light in the room came from a bed of red hot coals, with various barbs, hooks and des resting in the heat. No one had ever heard of what happened to a captured elf, but the torture instraments in the fire, hung around the room, and the stters of dried blood on the stones underneath her told Radrine exactly what the shadow elves did with their captives.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t had a new toy in ages.¡± The marred shadow elf rasped, her damaged throat clearly affecting her voice. She grabbed the red hot hook, and started limping towards the struggling elf, horror rendering her mute.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± She grinned her hand running over the torso of the terrified wood elf.


    ¡°Please, no¡­ don¡¯t do this.¡± Radrine begged.

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    ¡°Oh, I love it when they beg.¡± The mutted shadow elf grinned. She brought the hook up toward Radrine¡¯s breasts.


    ¡°If that touches her flesh, she will be thest being you have your way with.¡± A cold voice dered from the doorway, making the scared elf stop, the hook close enough that the heat caused Radrine¡¯s flesh to sweat.


    The smile melted from the marred face. She screamed in rage and threw the hook into a corner.


    ¡°I will bring you more samples to have your way with, Kre¡¯drian.¡± The imposing shadow elf assured the raging shadow elf, ¡°But this one, I need intact.¡±


    The new shadow elf walked into the room and what light the room had to offer. Her long white hair was crowned with a jagged horned crown. Her shoulders were bare, and a ck leather battle corset held herrge breasts in ce. The corset continued down to where it sped around her pelvis, leaving holes for her hips that extended a full hand length above her hips. Her boots with a battle spike for stomping on foes and catching in the stirrups of a mounted saddle, reached up her thighs, almost to her hips, leaving a hand¡¯s width gap between her boots and the parts of her corset that covered her sex organs. In her hand she held a mace-like scepter, that swung down by her knees.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Radrine¡¯s pulse fluttered as she realized that the dark elf who had just walked into the room was Kathra, the queen of the shadow elves. The elven queen¡¯s very presence made Radrine¡¯s blood run cold. The cruelty and hatred that exuded from her very being made Radrine dread every click of her steps as the queen drew closer and closer.


    ¡°I have a very important task for you.¡± The queen dered, grabbing a thin de from a nearby rack, ¡°But first¡­¡±


    Kathra gripped the de like a quill, and made five pin-prick cuts, one on each breast, one over each hip and one over her womb.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ please.. Don¡¯t do this.¡± Radrine begged, dread filling her being. She had only heard of this in hushed whispers, but it was true.


    ¡°Que, van iesoval!¡± The queenmanded, and a single drop of blood rose from each of the cuts, forming a ball of blood.


    ¡°NO!¡± The Wood elf wailed.


    She didn¡¯t know the words as the shadow elf queen began an incantation, invoking her dark mistress. The Blood smoked and turned ck. Then Kathra reached out and touched the orb, pushing it forward until the cked orb touched Radrine¡¯s chest, between her breasts. Kathra¡¯s hand then pushed the orb further. It entered Radrine¡¯s chest as though her skin were water and the orb was a stone. When Kathra¡¯s hand rested on Radrine¡¯s chest, Radrine¡¯s head jerked back as if her hair had been jerked. The drops of blood forming on the cuts Kathra had made seemed to boil, then turn ck like a scab, then like dust in the wind, they blew away leaving perfect whole skin behind as though the cuts had never been there. A pained shriek tore out of Radrine¡¯s throat and tears ran down her cheeks. Her limbs jerked and twisted, her veins standing out and pulsing as her light flesh paled. Then with a re, a white sigil ring appeared on her neck, and the wood elf fell limp in the chains sobbing uncontrobly.


    A faint sigil on the back of Kathra¡¯s left hand red, the lines thickening as another ve joined her services.


    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Kathra smiled cruelly.


    Radrine¡¯s back arched in pain and she screamed again.


    ¡°Be silent.¡± Kathramanded and Radrine¡¯s mouth mped shut, though her body still twisted in agony.


    It was as if there were red hot nails being driven into every single muscle of her body. The sigil felt like des in her neck, as it slowly rotated around the skin of the base of her neck.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the sigil give her away?¡± ¡¯dri murmured, looking over the form of the writhing elf as he walked into the room.


    ¡°Her cloak will cover it. You did tell the shadow ws to keep her equipment, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kathra dismissed, allowing the wood elf to copse in her shackles.


    ¡°Tell me all you know of the summon.¡± Kathra demanded.


    Radrine tried to resist, but her mouth moved on its own, her voice extracted unwillingly from her throat.


    ¡°The summon is a male. Taller and stronger than an elf with strange magic. I¡¯ve never seen him myself, but I understand he has already been given several matrons.¡± Radrine¡¯s voice was hollow and dead sounding.


    ¡°A MALE?!¡± Kathra screamed, ¡°A worthless male is causing such disruption to my carefullyid ns?!¡±


    Kathat whirled, the maimed shadow elf and ¡¯dri cowered and her eyes settled on a barrel.


    Kathra screamed a word, pointing at the barrel before clenching her fist in a swift motion and the barrel was crushed in as if by an invisible fist.


    Kathta panted for a second.


    ¡°What else do you know?¡± Kathra demanded of the ve behind her back.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I haven¡¯t been back to the city since he arrived.¡± Radrine admitted, fearfully.


    ¡°Very well, worthless wench.¡± Kathra dered, flicking her wrist at the torturer who limped over and released the shackles, dropping the enved wood elf to her knees. ¡°Time for your instructions. Your short life will serve me well.¡±


    Tears ran silently down Radrine¡¯s face as Kathra turned to her with a cruel grin.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    As the wood elves finished clearing up the results of the battle, Creadean turned to me with a grin. I could feel her arousal skyrocket.


    ¡°Last time, Tavorwen got to enjoy the exuberance of victory. This time, the celebrations will be mine.¡± Creadean dered, undoing her cloak and sitting up.


    Tavorwen smiled and took my rifle, and I looked over to thank her. By the time I looked back Creadean wasying out her cloak, naked, and I was amazed again at how fast elven hands could move when they wanted to.


    Creadean looked back at me, as Tavorwen started rapidly removing my clothing, piling them next to my rifle. I let her wrest my pants and undergarments from me, and my gaze wandered the sensuous wondend of Creadean¡¯s body.


    ¡°How would my master desire my maidenhood?¡± Creadean purred, ¡°Would you desire to take me like a female from your homnd, or shall I show higher myself to you as an elf does?¡±


    She leaned back on her cloak, spread like a mattress underneath her, her legs spreading as she noticed my eyes caressing her every curve. The folds of her womanhood glistened as she was getting crazily turned on by what she had seen her sister matrons enjoy, but now it was finally her turn.


    I could feel my own arousal burning in me. The adrenaline ofbat tranting into the rush of our impending sex.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take you and give you feelings you will never forget.¡± I told her hungrily and joined her on her cloak, my hand sliding along her neck until it slid into the crease where her chin met her neck. I pulled her to me and kissed her gently. Creadean pushed into me, craving the passion.


    I bore her to her cloak, my free hand finding and squeezing the supple flesh of her small breasts. My tongue slipped into her mouth and her tongue responded enthusiastically. I teased the tiny bud of her nipple, making her moan into our kiss. I released her neck, bringing both hands to her breasts. I could feel how much she loved me ying with her breasts. Her back arched, pressing her breasts into my hands.


    I released her mouth and lowered my tongue to lick the sensitive bud of her nipples.


    ¡°Oh gods!¡± Creadean groaned. ¡°I never thought s male¡¯s touch could feel so¡­ wonderful. Don¡¯t stop.¡±


    Not wanting to disobey, but desperately wanting to move onward to, I took her breast in my mouth, freeing my hand to trail down to her yearning maiden slit.


    ¡°Oh, by all nine Heavens¡­ Master! I need you to take me.¡± Creadean begged, grinding her crotch into my hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anything could be better than your love on my breasts, but my womb craves you!¡±


    I moved between her legs, and seeing me preparing to give her what she wanted, she held her legs out of my way, bringing her knees by her shoulders as she anxiously watched as I brought my cock to her slippery slit.


    I wanted to make her cum, rock her with orgasms, but the difference between making love to a woman and an elf was still something I was learning. I put my left thumb on her clitoris, beginning to rub and grind her orgasm button as I slipped my dome between herbia. Her love tunnel stretched, massaging my head and, god, was she tight.


    ¡°Oh, Thomas¡­ This stretch¡­ oh, give me more.¡± Creadean moaned.


    Oh fuck. I loved elven pussy wrapped around my dick. The silky smoothness so fucking tight that it was an amazing warm embrace even just barely inside her. It was so good that even


    My dick pressed deeper into her, finding her hymen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Creadean begged, pulling at my hips. ¡°I want every notch deep inside me.¡±


    I pressed forward, her hymen offered little resistance, popping with the slightest pressure. I could hardly detect the blip of pain she felt, her desire to be fucked and filled with my cum making everything else meaningless.


    Encouraged by how easily Creadean took being deflowered, I pushed deeper, my manhood splitting her maidenhood wide open until my head kissed her cervix. The feeling was divine, a bliss I could exin no other way. It was like every crease of her vagina perfectly found each nerve and pleasure sensor on my cock as I slid into her depths.


    ¡°I feel you¡­ touching my womb¡­ so deep¡­ oh¡­ Master.¡± Her body was tending up from the sensation of my dick fucking her depths mixed with my thumb working her clit.


    As I started pumping her hungry slit, her body released in a wave of pleasure, rippling through her and making her already vise like pussy ripple and mp on my length as it slipped in and out of her tight silky love tunnel.


    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Creadean moaned, her back arching and her face pointing away from the rod pounding her depths. She quivered and twitched as I continued my assault on her sex.


    I discovered then that Creadean was apparently the best of my matrons at keeping her emotions from me. So enthralled had I been in the sensation of her sight, fantastic sex rippling and massaging my dick that I didn¡¯t even notice theck of the resonance of emotions present when I had made love to my other matrons. Now however, with her mind blown by sensations her guard dropped and the sensations exploded into my brain. A tidal wave of joy, bliss, and so much fucking arousal it filled me making my brain and echoing like a gong in a canyon.


    Tavorwon moaned, behind me as the emotions blew through me and then down the connections to my other matrons, Tavorwen getting the brunt of it.


    Creadean couldn¡¯t arch her back any more, but drove herself down on my cock. It wouldn¡¯t have taken me long before my balls refused to be denied, but that pushed me over the edge. I took hold of her hips, helping press her down on me as I pushed deep into her. My dick mashed against her cervix as I came, a stream of my spermden semen pouring straight into her waiting womb. Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ Five times I painted her uterus with my fertile seed, as Creadean just moaned in incoherent bliss.

 635

    Finally, my spent matron copsed on her cloak. She held her arms out to me, and I pulled myself from her depths andid on top of my sated and content matron.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not fair.¡± Creadean groaned, ¡°They tell you¡­ during sses in the nursery¡­ what it is like to be with a master.¡± Her arms wrapped around me and tugged me toward her chest. ¡°They talk about how mastersck the strength and stamina and so as matrons we must work for them to bring them to the point of insemination¡­. But you¡­ You drive yourself, and have spare to see to extra pleasure for me beyond that which any matron has the right to ask for¡­ and you do it because you want to.¡±


    She cuddled up to me, her breasts pressing against my chest as she pressed her face into my neck. ¡°You could have had all of us, waiting on you hand and foot, and we would have done it happily. But you don¡¯t. You repel our enemies with ease that boggles the mind, then have energy still to do¡­ THAT.¡±


    I smiled as she pressed herself against my body. The wless smooth skin feeling so soft, and peaceful in our post-sex bliss. Part of me realized that there was probably a blushing elven seer getting an eyeful of me and my matron¡­ but I didn¡¯t care at the moment.


    Wey there for a few minutes before Creadean sighed, ¡°Well, Master, as much as I¡¯d love to stay like this forever, we should get dressed. The seer is probably tired of watching and waiting toe collect us.¡±


    I kissed her one more time, the rose and Tavorwen handed me my garments to dress. As I was pulling on my cloak, a mage shimmered into existence a few feet away. I could tell from the way she was side-eyeing me that she had seen EVERYTHING. At least she wasn¡¯t blushing mad red like thest one.


    ¡°If you are prepared, we can return to Ealphamir now.¡± The mage dered.


    ¡°Yes, we can return.¡± Creadean dered, shifting her quiver on her back.


    The mage gathered them up and began the incantation.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Now. Get dressed, ve.¡± Kathra spat at the sobbing wood elf, ¡°You have your orders. Obey. And do not allow yourself to be caught.¡±


    Radrine sobbed as her clothing and gear was unceremoniously dropped on her. With wooden movements, she pulled her clothing on, twinges of pain causing her to be careful to make sure her garb was exactly as it should have been.


    Kathra smiled. She loved watching a new ve slowly break into her new position. Oh, how she wished she didn¡¯t need this bitch intact. Her death would be better than any of the woond whores, who submit themselves to a male, deserved.


    ¡°When she is ready, return her to where she was taken from.¡± Kathra instructed, moving on and striding from the room.


    The maimed shadow elf was still angry, ring at the crying wood elf. But returned the heated implements to racks to cool.


    Once Radrine was dressed, a shadow w assassin emerged from the shadows, taking her by the arm and half-leading/half-dragging her from the room.


    Radrine could hardly believe how her world was crumbling around her. Her freedom, her very free will, had been stripped from her, but she had betrayed her people¡­ and her betrayal was not yetplete. Inside her head, Radrine screamed, raged, mmed against the barriers of magic like nails in her head. It was useless. She could no more draw her de, once again at her side, and attack the assassin at her side than she could sprout wings and fly, and she was no mage. That was beyond her.


    She was taken back to the dark room where she had first been taken by the shadow ws and the mage who had put her mind to sleep so she could be positioned for all that followed.


    That same blue-skinned mage, head half-shaved with magical tattoos covering the shorn part of her head, stepped forward and began a series of gestures.


    A final tear slipped from Radrine¡¯s eye, then the world blended together, the darkness of the dungeon swirling and emerging as the darkness of the edge of the Forest. Her stomach tried to rebel, but that would potentiallypromise her, so her ve sigil burned on her neck and her stomach, try as it might, could not force her to vomit.


    ¡°Radrine!¡± Captain Sliviur called, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Captain. I saw something on our nk and went to investigate.¡± Radrine heard her voice reply. A lie, but a potentially believable lie.


    ¡°You know you are to take a de sister with you!¡± Captain Sliviur chastised. ¡°A lone tree falls, but the forest stands strong. Never move alone.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Forgive me, Captain, there was no time. It was a quick motion and I had to move or I would have lost it. Regardless, it turned out to be nothing. A curious stag.¡± Radrine apologized.


    ¡°It could have been a shadow elf assassin! You are talented, but you are not experienced enough to take on a full fledged assassin yet.¡± Captain Sliviur further berated her. ¡°¡­ Are you okay? You seem off?¡±


    ¡°I feel¡­ weak¡­ hot¡­¡± Radrine replied, her stomach dropping like a rock. Curse this fucking sigil! How did it force her to do this? She couldn¡¯t even cry.


    ¡°Illness? Have youe down with something?¡± Captain Sliviur demanded, cing a hand on her subordinate¡¯s forehead. ¡°By Cranatha, you are burning up. You need a healer. I¡¯m temporarily reassigning you back to the city for care.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I can still fight.¡± Radrine pleaded. At first she was confused, but then she realized it would have been more suspicious if she had gone willingly.


    ¡°Absurd. I¡¯m getting you teleported back this instant. Follow.¡± Captain Sliviur insisted, and hurried back to the main force.


    Her heart in her stomach, Radrine followed, looking miserable on the outside, but far more miserable inside.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Another excellent performance.¡± General Jakarah congratted me as I returned with Tavorwen and Creadean. ¡°I owe you an apology. Many of us do. We weren¡¯t sure how you could help us, but you saved entire toons of our sisters today.¡±


    I held up a hand, ¡°No apology necessary, I wasn¡¯t sure how helpful I would be either, so I can¡¯t me you for being uncertain as well.¡±


    General Jakarah smiled, ¡°Your forgiveness is appreciated. Return to your home and rest. We will doubtless have need of your services again soon.¡±


    Creadean and Tavorwen took my hands and led me from the walkway in front of the Silver Ivy Barracks to our home on maple row in the Gold Leaf district. I could feel the relief from my matrons as they felt my proximity. My return from the front lines meant I was safe again, or as close to safe as anyone ever was.


    Hentu greeted us at the door.¡±Wee!¡±


    She winked at Creadean, ¡°Was it as good as it seemed from here?¡±


    Creadean smiled, a slight flush on her cheeks, ¡°Probably better.¡±


    Hentu grinned, ¡°Gods, I can¡¯t wait for my turn.¡±


    Iughed, walking through the doorway. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t show you what it¡¯s like this evening.¡±


    Hentu bit her lower lip and I could feel how that excited her.


    ¡°Dinner will be ready shortly!¡± Diamiutar called from the kitchen.


    The smell was heavenly, the rich beefy smell in the air mixed with the hearty smell of slow roasted vegetables and the starchiness of something like a potato filled the air as well. I rested my rifle against a chair and sat. The feeling of returning to a loving home full of my matrons, my wives, was a kind of satisfaction I hadn¡¯t really ever experienced before. It was wonderful and my heart filled with love for the elves that had given themselves to me. I knew I would do anything for them and the society embraced me, even before I had proven my value and now that I had, the world was my oyster.


    A pair of delicate hands caressed my shoulders, applying careful pressure and driving the slight stiffness from the muscles. Damn, I¡¯d never been much for massages, but the hands on my shoulders were almost magical.


    A groan escaped my lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like my efforts, Master.¡± Hentu crooned, her hands moving to my neck and my muscles could not help but rx and loosen as her fingers skillfully drove each trace of stress from my neck. ¡°I have spent years learning the art from a few matrons around the city. I¡¯m d my efforts weren¡¯t in vain.¡±


    ¡°God, yes. This is fantastic.¡± I breathed, my head swaying as Hentu¡¯s skillful fingers worked the muscles of my neck.


    I felt her breasts touch my back as her hands continued to my scalp. Her thin, delicate fingers were stronger than I¡¯d expected and I could feel my brain fizzle as her fingers skillfully drove any tightness and weariness from my scalp.

 636

    ¡°Dinner is ready, Master.¡± Lymarith dered quietly and I heard the clink of dishes being distributed on the table.


    Hentu finished her massage. I leaned my head back and she lightly kissed my lips. I rose and followed her into the kitchen.


    Therge table was filled with food, and I noted there was plenty of space still, despite the seven of us seated here. We could probably fit a table, or even two, in the next room, but I could probably get to a dozen matrons at this table before we even needed another table.


    A prayer was given by Diamiutar over the food, thanking the Enlightened Host for the bounty, and asking them to bless the food. A warm breeze swirled the room and I wondered how literal that blessing would be on our food.


    It was delicious. The banthir meat was somewhere between beef and the buffalo meat that I¡¯d had back on earth, and it seemed slow roasted. Elves had utensils much like those which we had developed back home. It seemed like spoons, forks and knives were standard between our cultures. The knives werepletely unnecessary for the meat, as it was easily cut with a fork and melted in my mouth. The potato-like pieces were small, about the size of a golf ball, and had been steeped in the juices of the meat, along with oversized carrots, and something like leeks and celery. The vors blended wonderfully with the rich and savory spices. There was the slightest hint of a spicy heat in the lingering vor in my mouth.


    Fruit juices and nectars were passed around for drinks. Paired excellently with the earthy, savory vors.


    I was shocked at how well Diamiutar had nned out the portions, bringing out some soft rolls to clean up the vorful juices on the tes and the table was cleaned of food.


    It urred to me that I¡¯d never heard elves speak of alcohol and they hadn¡¯t even offered it to me. I was on the verge of a fooda, so I elected to discuss it with themter.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The cleric of Cranatha, the True Healer, and Second Mother of the Enlightened Host, had cast a spell to rid her body of whatever disease had caused her temperature to rise. Radrine politely declined a full examination, and once the cleric left her, shey on her bed.


    Her room felt small. Smaller than it ever had before. She had to wait lest someone suspect anything and stop her, her heart was breaking in her chest at the thought of what was toe. She rose and started pacing, before realizing she had a moment of sweet freedom. She tried to run to the door, but her body froze. No, that would give her away.


    An idea struck her. She sat at her writing desk and pulled out her journal. Quickly, she started writing as much as she could. What was going to happen. What had happened to her. Everything she had learned from her short time in captivity at El¡¯muth¡¯ran. Everything she had told Kathra. She tried not to apologize, nothing she had done was of her own free will, except this effort to warn against the tactics that Kathra was willing to employ.


    Finally, her hand seized, dropping the pen. She rose to her feet and slowly walked to the door. This was it. Her orders would not be ignored. With leaden feet, she walked from the barracks and walked toward the Gold Leaf District¡­


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    After dinner, we rxed in the chairs in the sitting room just inside the front door. The firece had a nice glow, giving azy warmth to the room. I sat on a curved chair, justrge enough for three to sit close together, Lymarith cuddling me on one side and Hentu on the other. Narusil sat nearest the fire, contently rubbing her lower belly. Tavorwen and Creadean sat ying a game, looking like a chess or checkersparable game. Diamiutar was embroidering and humming happily.


    A timid knock sounded on the door, and I slipped from between the matrons I was cuddling and walked to the door. The gaze of my matrons followed me to the door.


    Opening it, a young elven battle maiden stood. She stared at me silently for a moment.


    Tavorwen joined me, ¡°Radrine? What are you doing here?¡±


    Radrine¡¯s face broke, sorrow flooding her face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    At that moment, the breeze shifted the cor of her cloak and the briefest flicker of a white sigil around her neck was visible.


    A deep voice boomed, ¡°Nik¡¯tho vir Hafra!¡±


    Radrine¡¯s eyes glowed white and her mouth opened to scream but only white hot air escaped her mouth.


    A voice behind me called out, ¡°Cl Hosir Vai Uruturfa!¡±


    There was a sh and mes leapt toward me, only stopping inches in front of me as it hit an invisible wall.


    ¡°Lav to corith vic solin!¡± The voice called again, and turning, Narusil had risen from her seat, her face was locked in concentration and her hands were extended, her fingers flexed and straining. I realized that the voice had been hers, however her normal voice was soft and almost timid. This voice was powerful, assertive and noble.


    My eyes flew back to where the mes roared in front of my face. As Narusil¡¯s hands squeezed closer together, the mes were squeezed in an invisible bubble, contained and prevented from blowing out and harming us and the house around us.


    The mes continued for what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a minute. Then it fizzled out. Leaving only a scorch mark on the walkway leading to our door and traces of molten metal from what had been the elven maiden¡¯s equipment.


    Tavorwen stared at the burn marks, ¡°Radrine¡­¡± The emotional devastation was immeasurable.


    I felt a wave of exhaustion and ran to catch Narusil as her legs gave out. She copsed into my arms.


    I picked her up. The elves, being as tiny as they were, were light, less than a hundred pounds for any of them, and Narusil was no exception. I set her back in her chair. Her hand brushed my cheek.


    ¡°You are unharmed?¡± She pleaded, begging to hear me say it.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You saved me.¡± I told her, brushing a hair out of her face. ¡°Not even a hair lost.¡±


    Sheid back, breathing deeply.


    This had been a direct attack. I shouldered my rifle, I hated the fact that the fight had literally been brought to my doorstep. I couldn¡¯t help but think of the battles I had left back home. I thought of what I¡¯d glimpsed just before¡­ whatever that was¡­ happened. That had been a sigil. White and circling her neck.


    I turned to Tavorwen who was still staring at where the poor elf had disappeared.


    ¡°Did you see the sigil on her neck?¡± I demanded of Tavorwen.


    ¡°A sigil?¡± Tavorwen gasped.


    ¡°White, with what looked like diamond shaped symbols spread out, I only saw a bit of it.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°A ve sigil!¡± Creadean breathed. ¡°How in the Eleven Hells did someone get a ve sigil on one of our sisters!¡±


    Battle maidens flooded the area.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Is the summon secure?¡± ¡°Was anyone injured?¡±


    Tavorwen took the brunt of the questions as the area was secured. Creadean began discussing with a small group of maidens with darker cloaks. Knowing that the hemming was where elves carried their rank markers, I saw violet cats of some kind on the sleeves of the elves Creadean was talking with.


    Mages began magical investigations on the burn mark.


    Tavorwen came to me, ¡°Can we go to the barracks¡­ I want to see her room.¡±


    ¡°Is this investigation our job?¡± I verified.


    Tavorwen shook her head. ¡°No. But if we leave it to the others, standard procedure will take a year to turn up anything.¡±


    I nodded.


    Creadean was immediately at my side as we walked through the door. The mages paused their investigation spells to let us through. Tavorwen led us back to the Silver Ivy Barracks. I could feel, deeply and poignantly, how much this was hurting Tavorwen.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I prodded gently.


    ¡°That was Radrine.¡± Tavorwen finally dered, with pain. ¡°She was the youngest member of my squad¡­ before I was sent to summon you, then was transferred to be your guardian, then battle matron. I trained her. She was a promising swordsman. She was barely of age. Six months of field experience. I have no idea when this happened. Did¡­ Did I fail her? Did this happen under my nose?¡±


    There were guards outside the doors. A word from Tavorwen and they let us in. Tavorwen led us through winding corridors inside the gigantic tree, pausing to rest her hand on what I guessed was her old room. Finally we arrived at Radrine¡¯s room. The small room just had space for a few changes of clothing, a bed, a chest and a writing desk.


    On the desk was an open book. An open inkwell sat next to the book and a pen had fallen to the floor. We walked to the writing desk. The flowing symbols of the elvishnguage sat on the page for a second before swimming and forming cursive English, just as flowery and delicate as the elven script had been.


    ¡°How can I read this?¡± I asked, ¡°It¡¯s like the writing trantes itself for me.¡±


    Tavorwen and Creadean shared a nce. ¡°Oh¡­ you speak such good elvish¡­ I suppose I just forgot to exin.¡± Tavorwen apologized. ¡°Every summon has been able to speak with the people who summoned them. I suppose it is part of the summoning that you can speak with us. Though it¡¯s been long enough I suppose we forgot. The extent of the power of the trantion granted by your summon is unknown.¡±


    I nodded. That made sense. At least I wasn¡¯t the only one in the dark on this.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Does your gift trante the words of magic?¡± Creadean asked, curious.


    ¡°No. But forget it. Let¡¯s get to this. What did she write?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen was already reading what her former subordinate had written.


    ¡°Oh gods¡­.¡± Tavorwen breathed, ¡°She was captured. Taken by the Shadow ws while everyone was distracted by the battle with the gruthir and shadow elves.¡±


    ¡°What are the Shadow ws?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Kathra¡¯s assassins.¡± Creadean exined. ¡°They use w gauntlets to let them climb and attack even if their weapons are taken. They use horrific poisons and magic to be more deadly then they have any right to be.¡±

 637

    ¡°They snuck behind our lines, and grabbed her before teleporting her away. Kathra herself ced a ve mark on her. She wasn¡¯t able to tell her much about Master Thomas because she didn¡¯t know much¡­ But Kathra has learned the location of Ealphamir¡­ That is horrific¡­ She can now move directly on us¡­.¡± Tavorwen breathed in horror, ¡°Then she was given instructions and sent¡­ to die¡­ in an attempt to kill Master Thomas.¡± Tavorwen read.


    ¡°So she was turned from a soldier into a living weapon in mere hours?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°¡­ Minutes¡­¡± Tavorwen corrected. ¡°She says the only reason she had time to write this was that going to see you as directed would have drawn suspicion and she was ordered not to draw suspicion.¡±


    My blood boiled. I¡¯d decided earlier I would have to take the fight to Kathra, but this was a potent reminder that Kathra would do whatever it took. If this was her first attempt, how low would she stoop when she realized that this had failed.


    ¡°Tavorwen, take that to the investigators. It should rapidly elerate their discovery. Creadean,e with me. We need to see Durithana.¡± I dered.


    The she-elves exchanged a nce, the ice in my voice making them nervous, but they dipped their heads in acknowledgement. Tavorwen hurried away. Creadean fell in step with me as I walked out of the barracks.


    I was still fairly new to Ealphamir, but I believed I could make my way back to the great Ash tree where Durithana did her work. Creadean only had to suggest I adjust my path once. When we walked in, Durithana was pounding what looked like a de into shape.


    ¡°Wee, Master Thomas!¡± Durithana greeted me, setting the de back into her furnace. ¡°Is something wrong with the Great Bow?¡±


    ¡°Great Bow?¡± I asked in some confusion.


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s what I called your pellet flinger while I was working on her. Have you named her yet?¡± Durithana exined.


    I shook my head, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Durithana shook her head, ¡°The beauty deserves to be named. I see you painted her.¡±


    I nced at my rifle over my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s done good work. And now she sticks out a lot less as she tears Kathra¡¯s forces apart.¡±


    Durithana grinned, ¡°So the rumors are true? You¡¯ve already deployed and absolutely annihted Kathra¡¯s forces?¡±


    I returned her smile. ¡°She¡¯s killed multiple wyverns, a few shadow elves, and several gruthir. I don¡¯t shoot fleeing foes.¡±


    Durithana shrugged, ¡°They¡¯d shoot you in the back. But I suppose being the more honorable person is the noble path¡­ But if the Great Bow is performing well, why are you here?¡±


    I felt my face tighten and my brow furrow. ¡°Kathra just made an attempt on me in my home, capturing and enving one of our soldiers and using her as a living explosive.¡±


    Durithana¡¯s eyes widened in horror and she sat down. ¡°By the Father¡­.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s time I took the fight to them, but I need faster shorter range weapons than the great bow. Can you make them?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Durithana nodded, ¡°My instructions are to make anything you need. That¡¯s why I have these that I finished earlier.¡±


    She motioned to three more magazines for my sniper rifle.


    ¡°So what are these other weapons do you need?¡± Durithana asked.


    ¡°I need new firearms. A shorter rifle built for a high rate of fire, and a handgun.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Hand¡­ gun?¡± Durithana processed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier if I sketch them and start exining how they work. You can let me know if there are simpler ways to aplish what I need with magic as we go.¡± I exined.


    I first sketched out mybat rifle. I knew the science and engineering behind the rifles I had used back home, I wanted the capacity to go full auto on these monsters. I exined the twomon methods for cycling rounds: direct blowback and gas operated. Durithana seemed unimpressed by the gas operated system.


    ¡°Seems overlyplex to me.¡± Durithana shrugged. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you just use the other one?¡±


    ¡°Direct blowback works better for smaller arms and smaller caliber¡­ bullet size. I want to be slightly higher in caliber than works really well. Can you simplify things with magic?¡± I asked.


    Durithana rubbed her cheek, ¡°Maybe, but it could also break everything. You said this thing can throw how many of these ¡®bullets¡¯ in a minute?¡±


    ¡°Usually the magazine holds twenty to thirty rounds¡­ bullets¡­ but could theoretically fire seven hundred to nine hundred bullets in a minute.¡± I exined.


    Durithana sighed, ¡°Damn it to the Eleven Hells. I have never actually run into this problem before¡­. Our magic might not be able to keep up with that.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Durithana sighed and pulled up a quiver. ¡°You see, our quivers and your bullet cases for the great bow, can supply a number of arrows, or your bullets, each minute that exceeds anything an archer, or your great bow, could put out in a minute¡­ But magic has its limits. Now, could there be an enchanter that could make a bullet case for you that could generate nine hundred of your bullets in a minute? Maybe. They¡¯d be a once in a generation enchanter. With most enchanters you¡¯d be lucky to get one hundred bullets in a minute.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That should be fine. The heat of that many rounds being fired could damage the rifle anyway. You generally want to let your firearm cool and not just fire an endless stream of bullets.¡±


    ¡°Cooling can be an issue¡­ good to know.¡± Durithana muttered. ¡°Anything else problematic with these weapons?¡±


    I thought about it, ¡°They are really loud. It can damage your hearing if not addressed. The¡­ er¡­ Great Bow is quieter than I¡¯d expected, but eventually it¡¯ll cause issues. At least with firearms, it is only a short burst, instead of extended periods of loud noise.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that earlier?¡± Durithana demanded. ¡°That is easy for magic to fix. Silence is a simple magic to utilize. The drawback is that silence deafens you to your enemies and your enemies to you¡­ if you only need it for a second though¡­ we could incorporate a silence effect that onlysts a split second into the¡­ you called it a primer?¡­ Would that work?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°If you could make the sound of firing non-existent, there would still be a sound from the bullet, but it would be an amazing improvement.¡±


    Durithana picked up one of the magazines on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll have Calinar modify these primers for you, and then you can trade them for your current one and she¡¯ll fix it too.¡±


    Durithana looked at the rifle barrel over my shoulder, ¡°If we want you to remain armed, what I could do is make a new tube for the Great Bow, and we could swap them out. The new tube can be made to be more resistant to fire¡­¡±


    I blinked, ¡°That would work.¡±


    Durithana looked down at the drawing of the gas operated system. ¡°I think I understand the basic idea here. I want to make sure I can make something that works before I try and change anything¡­ These measurements correct?¡±


    ¡°Well, the measurement conversions we usedst time were urate. So, they should be correct.¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna want to see how this works this time. There are more moving parts here than the Great Bow had.¡± Durithana murmured. ¡°Now, about this hand¡­ gun¡­ what¡¯s it about?¡±


    I sketched it out and listed the measurements.


    ¡°Oh! A single-handed weapon.¡± Durithanaughed. ¡°I guess if you called these guns, that would make this a handgun. Such a quaint term.¡±


    I began to wonder how the magic of trantion had tranted the word.


    ¡°Now this¡­ this seems simpler. But the rounds are smaller¡­. Wouldn¡¯t that have less prating power?¡± Durithana muttered looking over the design. ¡°Less powder¡­ smaller round¡­ Now, why do you use lead? Wouldn¡¯t a stronger material be better?¡±


    I realized I was being incredibly dumb. I smacked my head. ¡°I am being stupid. We use lead because it is cheap and plentiful, and the idea was quantity of projectiles over quality.¡±


    Durithana gave me a bemused look. ¡°I¡¯ll swap out the lead for something better¡­ I might be able to spare enough adamantine for these pellets. That will really give you some punch.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take you to put these together?¡± I gently prodded.


    Durithana rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Well, this is for you¡­ so I may be able to get some help. I¡¯ll put in the petition for more workers, with two assistant smiths, I should be able to get these out by early tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    I inclined my head, ¡°My thanks.¡±


    Tavorwen arrived and looked over the designs, ¡°More weapons?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m going to storm the shadow elf stronghold, I need weapons for the asion.¡±


    All three elves gaped.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to do what?¡± Creadean breathed.


    ¡°Kathra brought the war to my doorstep. Time to return the favor.¡± I growled.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise?¡± Tavorwen asked gingerly. ¡°Your weapons have proved highly effective, but¡­ the shadow elves have always had a ce to retreat to. What will happen when they don¡¯t have anywhere to retreat to? They will have to stand and fight. Can you really stand against the entirety of Kathra¡¯s army?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kick in the door first thing. If I poke the beehive, I can swat the bees as they swarm to protect the nest. I can do it at range, then once I assess their strength I can decide what to do.¡±


    Creadean breathed out a slow whistle. ¡°No one has been able to touch El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran since it was built. That would be a major shift in the war¡­.¡±


    ¡°You cannot support this idea!¡± Tavorwen rebuked. ¡°It would be suicide!¡±


    ¡°There are a set of sayings where Ie from.¡± I said, ¡°the first is ¡®The best defense is a good offense¡¯ and the other is ¡®The best offense is a good defense¡¯. What they mean is that by being proactive and putting your enemy on the defensive makes it harder for them to attack you, so long as you are secure enough in your position that you don¡¯t over-reach and put your head on the chopping block.¡±

 638

    I drummed my fingers on the table. ¡°If we are going to avoid having the most vulnerable soldiers constantly getting kidnapped and turned into Kathra¡¯s weapons, we need to put her on the defensive.¡±


    Tavorwen tried to object, but the nature of the argument was hard to oppose. ¡°At least, let us recruit the battle maidens we talked about.¡±


    I looked at the designs on the table. ¡°Can you get it done by tomorrow, when my weapons will be done?¡±


    The two exchanged another look. ¡°Yeah, but we need to get you back to the house and go start immediately.¡±


    ¡°Do you need anything else from me?¡± I asked Durithana.


    She was sitting and writing out a missive, and waved me away. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done.¡±


    We turned and headed back toward our home.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Kathra smiled, her fingers drumming on her throne.


    ¡°The summon is dead then?¡± ¡¯dri guessed.


    ¡°I all but saw the fires consume him through my ve¡¯s eyes before her death. The surprise was perfect.¡± Kathra cackled. ¡°No mage could have saved him then.¡±


    ¡¯dri stroked his chin, ¡°I hesitate to assume. The ve did not know enough of him to know any unique aspects of his being. For example, she did not know how he caused the deaths of our soldiers¡­¡±


    ¡°Pah!¡± Kathra dismissed. ¡°You worry too much. Even were he immune to fire. I invoked the infernal fires of Ya¡¯av to burn him, half of the me was a smite of divine fire directly from Ya¡¯av¡¯s residence in the thirdyer of Hell. No normal humanoid could survive those mes.¡±


    ¡¯dri saw the look in Kathra¡¯s eyes. He knew that she would not listen now. He had said his piece, now he had to watch for his own skin. He had lived as long as he had by being very cautious. He didn¡¯t believe anyone was dead before he saw the body. It was one of the reasons he didn¡¯t like disintegration magics. Right now, however, he had to please the enthroned shadow elf in front of him, or she¡¯d just kill him herself.


    ¡°No. Thest desperate effort of the fallen ¡®High Elves¡¯ has failed. It is only a matter of time before their desperate defense of their forest borders fails and we can reach this Ealphamir. At least the ve could tell us where the male-worshiping whores live. We should have done that years ago.¡± Kathra smiled cruelly. ¡°Perhaps I should make toons of ves from each of our sister races! The deliciousness of forcing my sisters to y each other! Oh, it is beautiful!¡± And sheughed maniacally.


    ¡¯dir inclined his head. The idea was sound. It would keep shadow elves safe and just increase the death among their foes. The morale boost among the shadow elves would be great, as would the morale drop among any group this was employed against.


    ¡°How fare the foragers? Have they found new sources of sustenance for my soldiers?¡± Kathra asked, finallying down from her gleeful disy.


    ¡°Yes, they have discovered severalmon roots that can be gathered by the storehouse to feed us alongside the banthir we have gathered. The banthir milk is nutritious and their meat is rich as well.¡± ¡¯dir answered. ¡°The scouts have even learned that the Wild Elves have learned how to breed these horned grass-eaters to produce more beasts than they eat. It is possible with slight effort we could reach sustainability in just-¡±


    ¡°Are my SOLDIERS to be beast chasing farmers?¡± Kathra demanded. ¡°Bah!¡± She mmed the arm of her throne, ¡°An army marches on its stomach¡­¡± she growled, ¡°¡­ This is to be kept as small as possible. As few of my subjects as possible should be allowed to engage in such weakness¡­ perhaps another good use of ves¡­ You said the wild elves were good with these beasts?¡± ¡¯dir nodded. ¡°Start scouting for easy ves to pluck from their beast farmers.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to allow the wood elves to recover?¡± ¡¯dir asked.


    ¡°My soldiers need to recover. The wyverns and gruthir need to be punished and trained to obey, even when struck by such terror¡­¡± Kathra mused, ¡°But in a month¡¯s time¡­ We will march on the forests with the full force of nine houses. The forest cunts will burn, and only enough to rip all the knowledge of the forest wealth from will be taken. Then each of the other races will topple, one after another.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The mages were finishing their investigation and the ckened wood was looking whole and clean again. There was arge gathering nearby. I could see the book with Radrine¡¯s writings being passed between what appeared to be a few high ranking elves. The mood was heavy.


    We walked up to the door and inside.


    The Matrons were all at work. Lymarith was mixing more of the paste she had used to strengthen the wards on the house. Diamiutar was stitching together what looked like a leather jacket in my size. Hentu was praying over a set of vials, she finished and with a sh, the clear liquid turned a light pink. Narusil had a book in her hand, the symbol of destruction magic was on the spine, showing over her hand.


    ¡°Watch over our Master.¡± Tavorwen instructed, ¡°We have battle maidens to recruit.¡±


    ¡°We will do all we can.¡± Diamiutar assured the two battle matrons, and with a nod the warriors left.


    ¡°Why the urgency to recruit the battle maidens?¡± Hentu wondered.


    ¡°Because I n to take the fight to El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran.¡± I stated bluntly.


    The four matrons stopped what they were doing.


    ¡°¡­ What did you say¡­.?¡± Lymarith breathed.


    ¡°I n to take the fight to El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran.¡± I repeated. ¡°Kathra knows where we live now. She¡¯s already shown she¡¯s willing to stoop to a low that makes my blood boil. I¡¯m going to show her what it¡¯s like to have the chaos of war on her doorstep.¡±


    ¡°You have won two battles for us.¡± Narusil cautioned, ¡°Do you not worry this will be an overstep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I just visited with Durithana. I need new weapons if I¡¯m going to be doing this. A bolt-action fifty caliber rifle is great, but I need higher rates of fire and shorter barrels to navigate halls and clear buildings.¡± I admitted. ¡°Durithana says she can have the new weapons done tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    ¡°And Tavorwen and Creadeand want to have battle maidens recruited toe along.¡± Diamiutar murmured.


    ¡°I¡¯ming too.¡± Narusil dered.


    ¡°No!¡± I countered my pregnant Matron. ¡°You are pregnant and not a fighter.¡±


    Narusil met my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m trained as a war mage. I can use my own teleportation magic. I WILL be there, with or without your permission. My body won¡¯t even be affected by our child for at least 8 months. Shadow elves fight as much as fifteen months pregnant. I am not going to lose you while I sit on my hand here at home.¡±


    The steel in Narusil¡¯s eyes was hard to deny. I almost went to order her, like I was hermanding officer, but I wasn¡¯t. I was her husband, her master, and the father of the child she carried.


    She had also just saved my life, and probably the lives of all of my matrons. I knew she had been dered a coward, stripped of herbat position and thrown into the civilian pool of the elves, but she had the look of a fighter right now.


    I rocked back on my heels before her gaze. The elven gods had led me to im her as a matron. I wondered if this might not be why they had done so. If she was to teach me magic and provide magical support.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was taking a female I knew was pregnant with me, but here we were.


    ¡°Very well.¡± I epted.


    ¡°Master!¡± Diamiutar objected.


    ¡°Could you stop her?¡± I demanded. ¡°I¡¯d rather have her with me and know I can watch over her, than have her try to follow and do her own thing.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Diamiutar sighed in resignation.


    Narusil raised her chin. ¡°I will make you proud.¡±


    I sat down. My rifle across myp. I had to prepare myself. Tomorrow evening I would be in the trenches. I had to steel myself.


    Hentu came to my side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t had time to make more, but take these.¡± She handed me the five small vials. ¡°I have instilled healing magic into these potions. They can only do so much, but should help if you are injured.¡±


    I met her gaze. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be ready for you shortly.¡±


    Hentu shook her head. ¡°No, I want it, but I can see you need rest. I want you to be fully prepared for tomorrow, and I¡¯ll be here for you when you return.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°You deserve better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll receive better. When you return.¡± She confidently assured me. She leaned in and gave me a light kiss. ¡°Now, go get some rest.¡±


    I epted her advice. I rose, shouldering my rifle, and walked to my room. The rifle got leaned just next to my bed where I could put my hand on it in a hurry if needed. I stripped down and slid into the sheets. Back home a bed this soft would have driven me nuts, but somehow, the softness and smoothness only soothed me now.


    There was so much that could go wrong tomorrow. But true to form, once I started to get caught up, the calming peace I¡¯d first felt in the chamber where the angel had offered me the chance toe here washed over me again. I rxed and enjoyed the calm and peace. I don¡¯t know how long Iid like that, my brain calming and the thoughts settling.


    I didn¡¯t even hear the door open, but I felt the lithe body of one of my matrons slide into my bed and press against me, her bare skin silky of her naked body and pert breasts pressing into my side.


    ¡°Forgive me.¡± Lymarith breathed, ¡°I wanted to be near you.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to forgive.¡± I told her, kissing her forehead, and drawing her into my arms. The distraction of her body in my arms finally cutting through my thoughts and I slipped into sleep.

 639

    Tavorwen and Creadean walked from the entry of the home they shared with their master.


    ¡°You think he can do it?¡± Tavorwen asked Creadean.


    Creadean spread her hands, walking toward the barracks where the applicants she had been given stayed. They had split the potential battle maidens based on skill sets. Tavorwen would im those more suited to directbat, and she would take those better suited for tracking, scouting, surveince and ambush.


    ¡°Who are we to tell him what he can and can¡¯t do?¡± Creadean mused. ¡°Can you think of a single thing he¡¯s done that he has not done with great sess? He was left to choose matrons on his own, and imed some of the most promising applicants and the one matron we questioned just saved his life. He has turned two battles into resounding wins for us, and now seeks greater power to turn the tide fully in our favor. The Gods themselves appeared to bless our union, by the heavens!¡±


    Creadean looked toward the setting sun. ¡°We know as little of him as he knows of us, if not less.¡±


    Tavorwen sighed, she hoped her worries didn¡¯t bother Master Thomas overly much. ¡°I just worry he is going to push himself too far and we¡¯ll lose him.¡±


    ¡°Then we must be ready to catch him when he falls.¡± Creadean asserted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± Tavorwen conceded. ¡°Very well, I will start with the Silver Ivy barracks, then I¡¯ll go check the Bronze Maple. Between the applicants of those barracks I should be able to get my maidens.¡±


    ¡°I will start with Red Wolves. They may not be as respected as the Golden Stags and Azure Eagles, but I¡¯ve had my eye on one of their maidens for a while. She didn¡¯t apply, but¡­ I think she¡¯ll be the best. Then I can check on the applicants from the Stags and Eagles.¡± Creadean exined.


    ¡°Oh, what maiden is this?¡± Tavorwen pressed.


    ¡°Her name is Risavis. She may be the most promising scout I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Creadean exined. ¡°She struggles with people and I fear she allowed that to prevent her from applying.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you think she is the right choice¡­ go. Master Thomas needs the best.¡± Tavorwen asserted.


    ¡°Oh, she isn¡¯t the best yet.¡± Creadean replied, ¡°But she has all the markers, and her current mentors don¡¯t seem to recognize it.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck. Happy hunting.¡± Tavorwen wished her, and headed to her old barracks. She had maidens to recruit.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    I woke early the next morning. Lymarith was still sleeping peacefully, so I had to carefully slip from the bed, being careful not to let the heat escape the bed. I grabbed my clothes and slipped into the front room, just in my two piece undergarment.


    The house was still, the sun wouldn¡¯t be rising for an hour yet.


    I began to stretch. PT, physical training, had slipped thest couple of days, and I couldn¡¯t afford to not be at my peak for the next couple of days. I could feel a surprising difference in how limber I was. While I was personally invested and I would protect my elven friends, and my new elven family, it was as though every time I started to stress about it, or it seemed to start affecting me, that strange cool calming peace would wash over me and the stress would just be gone. And it turns out, while stretching and exercising was great for stress relief, your performance was better if you came in without the stretch.


    I found myself stretching further, holding longer, and feeling better than I had doing my morning PT on myst day on Earth.


    The actual exercises went better too. I didn¡¯t push myself but I wasn¡¯t feeling pushed, exceeding the limits of my normal workout. I usually did a hundred pushups, but I called it at two hundred, my arms and chest hardly feeling it. Crunches, mountain climbers, pull-ups using one of the convenient branch-like structures that crisscrossed the ceiling, burpees, it didn¡¯t matter, I could bust them out. Sure I was sweating, and I could feel that my muscles were being worked, but it was as though my old limits were mere suggestions now.


    I kept going until every muscle group on my body felt primed. One perk about military life was you learned a variety if strange exercises that used weird muscle groups, because when you fucked up those were some of the training instructors favorite punishments. Especially in basic training. AIT, advanced individual training, wasn¡¯t so bad, but after that¡­ Everything was trying to weed out the weak. Getting into the special forces was no cakewalk. Now I was wracking my brain for every tidbit, advice, tip and trick I could to prepare for theing engagements.


    I went to the bathroom and found a surprisingly simple, almost modern, bathing setup. A single tap let out room temperature water, filling the tub deep enough for me to easily submerge. I used the same trigger word as for my rifle¡¯s ice bullets, and felt the water cool. A second repetition chilled it further, and I repeated it until it was a good ice bath. I personally preferred warm baths, but the benefits of a cold bath had long been established.


    I finished my bath, then dressed,ing into the main living areas just as Diamiutar came out to start breakfast. She was just finishing putting her hair up and out of her way, when she startled, realizing she wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Oh, Master¡­ How long have you been awake?¡± She asked with concern. ¡°You know you could have woken me and I would have prepared your meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about. I just have some before breakfast routines I need to keep up. Keep in tip-top shape so I can continue to function at the highest level.¡± I assured her. ¡°I can¡¯t let myself slip.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    I sat in the dining room, leaning my rifle within easy reach. Watching Diamiutar make a simple breakfast of toast, eggs, and some simple fruits and berries. I asked her about the various ingredients and what they were called. Some, the trantion magic could directly trante; strawberries, razzberries, oranges, and wheat; others had no clear analog. Fasja, Otori, Nahavai, and Gahli were all new fruits to me. Fasja was incredibly sweet, almost sickeningly so, and soft and fleshy, almost like a pear. Otori was sour and reminded me of the texture of raspberries. Nahavai was bitter with a tangy undertone, but the texture reminded me of mango. Gahli was a vorful fruit that made your mouth tingle, with a fibrous texture like a pineapple. When paired together they made amazingbinations. For example, Fasja mixed with Nahavi mellowed Fasja to a more pleasing level of sweetness and the Nahavi¡¯s bitterness was softened to allow the undertones to really shine.


    The other matrons trickled in, with Creadean and Tavorwening inst. Highly notable was the fact that Narusil was not wearing the traditional matron gown. Instead she wore a robe, belted at the waist and flowing to allow free movement. A tome hung from her belt. It was sped to keep it closed with thick leather covers. One shoulder of her robe had a leather guard of some kind.


    ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t out toote.¡± I worried. I needed them to guide me. If my sense of urgency had made them workte into the night and they weren¡¯t functional today, I¡¯d have shot myself in the foot.


    ¡°Later than I usually retire for the evening, but well within my capabilities.¡± Tavorwen assured me.


    ¡°Still turned in earlypared to when I¡¯m on the trail.¡± Creadean shrugged.


    I sighed in relief.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°My three have put in their transfer requests to theirmanding officers and I gently informed them of the urgency involved.¡± Tavorwen replied, taking a bite of her well done eggs.


    ¡°It took some convincing for one of them, but all three of mine have put in their requests as well.¡± Creadean assured me.


    I nodded, ¡°You think they¡¯ll be able to function as a squad, having just met today?¡±


    The two exchanged a nce, ¡°Master Thomas¡­ Maidens who chose to be battle maidens start training from the age of sixty¡­. These maidens have all worked together before in the sixty years they have been training.¡±


    I could ept that.


    ¡°Alright, well. I think the first thing I need to do is go tell General Jakarah my ns. Then this afternoon we¡¯ll see how Durithana is progressing with my new weapons.¡± I exined, ¡°If all goes well, we¡¯ll be looking to begin our operation after that.¡±


    I nced at Tavorwen, ¡°Are battle maiden transfer requests ever denied?¡±


    Tavorwen chewed and swallowed, ¡°It has happened. It is rare, but has happened. I doubt you¡¯ll be denied, however, as you¡¯ve shown to be an incredible asset. The fact that Durithana was put at your beck and call says volumes.¡±


    I could believe that assessment.


    ¡°Let me apany you. I want to see your weapons work and get an idea how best to help you.¡± Narusil asserted.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± I acquiesced.


    Breakfast finished with little other discussion.


    Walking out the door, the same great horned owl that Narusil had used to send her message yesterdaynded on the leather reinforced shoulder.


    My matrons guided me, not to the amphitheater of the elders, but to a bur oak elven building. The guards let us in and guided us to a room where Jakarah sat at a desk, seemingly grown into the very room and then only moderately modified.


    ¡°What can I help you with, Ranger Thomas?¡± Jakarah asked, opening another message scroll.


    ¡°I just wished to inform you that I n to make aggressive moves against El¡¯muth¡¯ran. I don¡¯t think I willpletely clear the fort, but if we don¡¯t put the shadow elves on the defensive, they¡¯lle with an army I can¡¯t just chase off by killing a few of their beasts.¡± I dered.


    Jakarah stopped. Her eyes lingering on thest words she was reading.


    ¡°Howrge a force are you nning onmitting to this effort?¡± Jakara demanded. Her eyes still locked on the scroll.


    ¡°Just me, my three matrons here, and any of the six battle maidens that have been requested that are approved.¡± I replied.

 640

    ¡°Four warriors¡­¡± Jakarah snapped, lowering her scroll and looking over us, her eyes settling on Narusil. ¡°¡­ Three warriors and up to six more battle maidens agaisnt the whole of El¡¯muth¡¯ran?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Ranger Thomas, this is a exercise in futility at best, and suicide at worst.¡±


    I resettled my rifle on my shoulder. ¡°Look, general. The longer we wait, the more the shadow elves will learn of my capabilities. We have to press the advantage of our enemy¡¯s ignorance of my tools and capabilities. Since they don¡¯t know what I can and can¡¯t do, they will struggle to do anything to stop me. Hitting them at home will also make them shift from offense to defense. You can¡¯t send nearly as many soldiers out to cause problems if you have to keep them home to keep your people safe.¡±


    ¡°And if I say ¡®no¡¯?¡± Jakarah asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been told to keep you safe. You can court marshal me when I return, I suppose.¡± I shrugged.


    Jakarah heaved a great sigh. ¡°May the Gods show mercy.¡± She picked up the scroll again. ¡°The Council has decided to grantplete freedom. We will support your decision. The requests for your battle maidens will be in the hands of Major Torrisna. Tell her to approve them post haste, on my orders.¡±


    ¡°You have our thanks, General.¡± Tavorwen saluted and gave a slight bow.


    ¡°Gods bless.¡± General Jakarah dismissed.


    Tavorwen guided me to another room where they had to shuffle through a pile of missives to find the requests for my battle maidens. The approval process was hurried through, and missives sent out authorizing the transfers.


    As we walked out, Tavorwen heaved a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll feel much better having the extra hands with us when we execute your ns.¡±


    It had taken us surprisingly little time to work through the bureaucracy. I had made it clear that I intended to act regardless. It would have been unsurprising to me if I had been forced to spend hours debating the merits of my n, then leaving performing an unauthorized action and suffering the consequencester. General Jakarah¡¯s deration that the council had given me plete permission¡¯ had startled me. I was summoned here to aid them. I was a military asset. That I should be given such freedom told me either that the elven gods had told them to, or that my results had been so unquestionable that the decision to allow me to do as I pleased had been reached. General Jakarah¡¯s reactions made me lean toward the first option.


    Arriving back at my home, I saw two maidens talking outside. Both were young looking. Age was a difficult thing to peg for elves since they seemed to reach maturity at around a hundred and twenty years old, moderately appearing more mature until they fully looked mature at around a hundred and fifty years old, then didn¡¯t seem to age at all until well over neen hundred years old. Hence put most of the elders next to some of my matrons and you¡¯d have a hard time actually telling which ones were the youth and which ones were practically ancient.


    The first was tall for an elf, a few inches over five feet tall. She had dark brown hair, and light green eyes. Her long elven ears came to delicate points as they swept back towards the center of her head. Unlike many of the elven soldiers, she didn¡¯t carry a bow. She had two full length des on her belt, not quiet straight, but not curved enough to be truly called a scimitar. She had four daggers on her belt and another six hanging from belts crossing her torso, with an interlocking buckle nestled just between her breasts. Her hems had reddish maple leaves to denote her barracks.


    The second looked young, as young as Narusil. She carried a very long bow for such a short elf. She was almost a foot shorter than the other woman. She had a quiver on her back and one on each hip instead of a sword. The only des she carried were a couple of daggers. Her hems had the red wolf.


    The de bearing maiden caught sight of us almost immediately, cutting off the conversation and standing at attention with a fist over her heart. The other maiden quickly caught on, looking around until she saw me and then she followed suit, saluting at attention.


    ¡°Flendreir, Risavis¡­ d you could make it so quickly.¡± Tavorwen greeted the maidens, and they nodded as they were named. Flendreir being the taller, and Risavis the shorter.


    ¡°Forgive us our slowness.¡± Another voice called, and four more maidens joined us.


    The speaker was a golden haired elf with dark green eyes, I learned who¡¯s name was Anbethir. Almost as tall as Flendreir, with a long thin de at her waist and a shorter bow on her back. The next and tallest of the new elves, named Nauveir, had a bow as long as Risavis¡¯s but had a short de on her waist along with a second quiver. The next two were middling in height. The third had a short bow, and a pair of short, curved des. The fourth had a single de on her back, longer with a handle long enough for two-handed wielding. Their names were Zanantha and mir.


    The four neers were evenly split between two barracks. Anbethir and mir¡¯s hems bore a yellow deer, and Nauveir and Zanantha¡¯s hems were decorated with gray ivy, like Tavorwen¡¯s had been before she summoned me.


    While they were all young, one one or two being the hundred and fifty years old to be fully mature like a woman in her twenties. They all carried themselves with the purpose and technique of someone with skills.


    ¡°Inside everyone. We have your new uniforms.¡± Tavorwen instructed.


    Walking in, I noticed two more runes that had recently seen some love from Lymarith, the stranger the wards were, the better I¡¯d feel about leaving my matrons unguarded.


    Inside, Diamiutar had sets of the garments set out. The maidens began stripping down to their undergarments and socks before donning their new gear. The fact that six pairs of wless elven breasts were fully exposed to me didn¡¯t phase any of them in the slightest. They weren¡¯t even in a hurry, looking at the white unicorns on their new garments with pride.


    My matrons, however, knew immediately how sexy I found this. May I just say, holy fuck, the casual almostplete nudity these maidens seemedpletely chill with made my member rock solid.


    Diamiutar calmly came over, ¡°While I¡¯m sure your maidens would be thrilled to know they please you so¡­ I¡¯m curious what you find so exciting?¡± She prodded me quietly.


    ¡°Well, where I¡¯m from we find breasts very appealing and there are lots of very enticing breasts on disy just now.¡± I whispered back.


    Diamiutar looked out over the maidens, stepping into their pants, topless. ¡°Huh¡­. Interesting. Just remember, they are here to assist you but they are not your matrons. At least not yet. Look all you want, but engaging with a maiden temporarily assigned to your house as you would with a matron is a grievous offense. You would do well to stay in the good graces of the Enlightened Hosts.¡±


    I watched as the tight pants seemed to shrink to fit the sexy, toned legs of my battle maidens. It urred to me there was probably a touch of magic used to make the clothing fit so well, but that was spection on my part.


    ¡°Right. Look, but don¡¯t touch. At least not before they join the family¡­¡± I breathed.


    I dug a fingernail into the base of my thumbnail to snap myself out of the horny haze that was forming. The maidens pulled on thest of their clothing and resettled their weapons and gear. They were ready.


    I shook my head, ¡°Okay, all that remains is meeting with Durithana to get my weapons, then we can head out.¡± I turned to my battle matrons, ¡°Have you told them about our objective?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Creadean snorted, ¡°I had to, to get Risavis to join. The others are eager as well. Many of our sisters would love for a chance to get back at Kathra and the shadow elves.¡±


    Tavorwen nodded, ¡°The chance to take the fight to Kathra was appealing. It is good to have a full squad at your back.¡±


    ¡°The other matrons and I have picked out household maidens as well,¡± Diamiutar asserted, ¡°Except Narusil, she has been busy preparing to join you. She¡¯ll have to pick out her maidens when you return, but the request for approval for the household maidens have been sent, though it may take some time for them to be approved, the Elder Matrons can be quite busy.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I saw Lymarith has been doing more work on the wards. Did she say anything about it?¡±


    Diamiutar sighed, ¡°Lymarith said that the wards should have been strong enough to stop Kathra¡¯s attack when Radrine¡­ passed¡­ within inches, but the mes nearly reached you. She said that she ns on reinforcing every rune and is looking for new anchors she can add to the magics to protect us further.¡±


    ¡°Good. Please help her as much as you can.¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Well, most of us are rather unskilled in the arts of enchantment, but we¡¯ll provide support as we can.¡± Diamiutar assured me.

 641

    I got to watch the new maidens interact with my matrons as we ate lunch. I could see Diamiutar, Hentu and Lymarith preparing packs for each of us, ensuring we would have the bedrolls, food, and other supplies we¡¯d need. They would have time to finish them while we went and visited with Durithana.


    I was impatient to get my new weapons and get things moving.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go see if Durithana is ready with my gear.¡± I dered, pulling my rifle from where I¡¯d leaned it to eat.


    Tavorwen, Creadean and Narusil made it clear they wereing too.


    I was shocked walking into Durathana¡¯s workshop. There were seven she-elves running around.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The elven smith greeted me, ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    She came over with a grin on her face, ¡°The Elder¡¯s are giving you even more preference than I¡¯d thought! One word from me and instead of the two assistant smith¡¯s I¡¯d expected, I got three full smiths and three enchanters.¡±


    ¡°First off, let¡¯s get your longbow swapped out.¡± Durithana requested, holding out her hand for my rifle. I dropped the magazine, made sure the chamber was clear, then handed it to Durathana.


    The barrel got swapped for the new barrel in moments, the new barrel painted with some sort of shifting paint.


    ¡°One of the enchanters had nothing better to do while we were working on your other firearms and gave it an adaptive paint job.¡± Durithana exined, ¡°IT will blend with whatever is around it.¡±


    I had to admit, it looked fucking awesome.


    ¡°How long would it take to do this adaptive paint on the rest of my rifle?¡± I queried.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I could do it in around an hour.¡± One of the enchanter¡¯s replied.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯d like that.¡± I epted, and the enchanter took my sniper.


    ¡°Now, here are the cases with your new silence casting cartridges.¡± Durathana exined, handing me the magazines. ¡°Leave the old one with us and we¡¯ll update it too.¡±


    ¡°Now, here are our new weapons for you.¡± Durithana dered.


    One of the smiths was finishing assembling thebat rifle. The handgun looked fully assembled. There were four magazines for each weapon.


    ¡°We wanted to run a test for the weapons, to ensure we made them properly¡­.¡± Durithana admitted, and all the smiths and enchanters hovered excitedly nearby. There were a few versions of a few pieces for both weapons. And I realized they weren¡¯t confident they had made it correctly the first time, and thinking about it, it was impressive they had made my bolt-action sniper correctly the first time. The self-reloading systems for these weapons added additionalplications.


    I had to admit, I was excited for the test too. Both weapons had adaptive paint like my sniper¡¯s barrel now had. The elves had a way of making everything sleek and elegant. I had no idea what type of wood they had used for the pieces on a rifle I¡¯d expect to be stic or another synthetic material, but both were carved with iys and runes.


    We trekked down to the firing range, and I got to shoulder mybat rifle for the first time. The curvature of the stock against my shoulder fit perfectly. I took aim at one of the wood targets and squeezed out a three shot burst. It was weird the sh ofplete silence that enveloped me every time a round fired. Making the sounds of nature sound in short stato bursts. The target was busted, but I fired a few more rounds at the increasingly small target. The weapon¡¯s kick was not nearly as hard as I had expected from simr rifles I had fired back home. It actually made me ovepensate and my first round was low because of it. I had requested a simple aiming reticle, which had been modified with a viewing crystal, a dark notch to line up with the notch at the end of my barrel, the viewing crystal seemingly making minor adjustments for range as I shifted between targets.


    The twenty-seventh round jammed. I was pleased with the performance, but the elven smiths were livid. Demanding the rifle, which I cleared and handed over. The weapon was disassembled with proficiency that would put most earth records to shame, two parts were swapped out and thebat rifle was reassembled and returned to me.


    The process repeated four more times, before I was able to put well over a hundred rounds through the rifle without a single jam.


    ¡°Good.¡± Durithana finally dered. ¡°That should be satisfactory.¡±


    I put a few more rounds through it, verifying the lever switching from auto to semi-auto worked as intended.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± I dered.


    The elven smiths smiled with pride.


    ¡°Now for the handgun.¡± I dered, taking the small weapon.


    I¡¯d tried to map out a weapon somewhere between a Glock 19 and the M9,mon sidearms I had used, but the elves had put their own artistic touch on it and the weapon now looked nothing like either. It was a nine millimeter handgun, though perhaps the conversion to notches had moved it closer to a full centimeter in diameter. The handle fit extremelyfortably in my hand and the thin trigger was responsive in my hand. The round again made a small moment of absolute silence in the otherwise noisy forest as it fired. The second round jammed.


    The elves seemed miffed. And again the elves disassembled the weapon, argued shortly about which new parts to try next, then assembled the weapon for me. This time, something went terribly wrong. The weapon was ripped from my hands and flew out into the clearing. My hand was bleeding and my thumb was dislocated.


    I started running through the not-short list of curse words I had learned in the military as one of the enchanters hurried over. I was too distracted to note the words the mage chanted and the cuts closed and my thumb popped back into its socket. The pain faded and I began flexing and assessing the damage to my hand. Post healing magic, it was as if the injury had never happened. The sweat on the mage¡¯s brow showed that the healing had not been effortless for her.


    ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± I murmured, still amazed at the change in my hand.


    ¡°My pleasure. Master Thomas.¡± The mage assured me.


    The smiths retrieved the weapons, and surveyed the damage. The barrel had to be switched out and the offending part was determined. One of the smiths began murmuring words of magic over the weapon, the scratches and deformation from the detonation reverting.


    One of the smiths began apologizing profusely, insisting they had done their best to follow the schematics, but she had been sure that her slight modification would help.


    ¡°You were doing your best and I don¡¯t me you for it.¡± I assured her, ¡°It could have been a failure on my part to clearly detail something about the piece.¡±


    The smiths nervously presented me the repaired and reassembled firearm.


    While one of the more catastrophic failures, I¡¯d had weapons misfire before. I took the weapon, loaded it, and squeezed out a round. It fired smoothly. Then I started popping off rounds, and ten rounds in, it jammed.


    The smiths were unhappy with the jam, but looked over the weapon, only switching out one piece this time.


    I switched from semi-auto to full auto. The weapon dumped rounds into the target. I could feel the recoil vibrating my hand and making me almost numb.


    ¡°Much better.¡± I decided.


    The smiths were relieved.


    ¡°Now yourrger firearms have straps to carry, but how do you carry the smaller weapon?¡± Durathana asked.


    ¡°Oh, holsters aremon¡­¡± I exined, trying to describe how the holsters were shaped and functioned.


    ¡°I could make something like that out of leather while Yulintra re-does the paint on your rifle.¡± The enchanter who had healed me offered.


    One of the smiths asked if she could fire the handgun, and I assured her that would be fine. I exined to her the important points of gun safety, got her to assume a proper stance, and showed her how to hold and steady the weapon and how to aim.


    She squeezed off a single round, her eyes going wide. She quickly handed me the weapon and began nursing her hand.


    The smiths were chattering all the way back to the workshop, swapping ideas for how their design could be improved.. The one who had actually fired the weapon insisting the recoil needed reduced significantly, ncing at my hands nervously.


    Yulintra began the work of mixing a few powders into a paste and spreading it on my sniper as she chanted, sweat moistening her brow.


    The mage, Liafur, who had healed me, took some leather and began quickly forming a holster, borrowing the weapon to verify size. By the time Yulintra had finished with the paint on my rifle, Liafur had a fairly simple holster ready, it would connect to my belt and buckle down to my right leg just in front of my dagger.


    The smiths took a minute to make sure I could carry both rifles on my back without them banging agaisnt each other, though if I moved too quickly, they might bump a bit.


    I felt better. The sniper could function at long range, thebat rifle would be good for intermediate range and high numbers of targets, and my handgun could work for short distances.


    Now all I needed to do was return, collect my maidens and we could head out.


    This was it. It was time to take the fight to Kathra. She would pay for all she¡¯d done.

 642

    ¡°Alright, Narusil, can you teleport us now?¡± I asked the matron.


    I was gathered with Narusil, my two battle matrons (Tavorwen and Creadean), and the six battle maidens I had be granted (Anbethir, Flendreir, Nauveir, Risavis, mir, and Zanantha) outside my home in Ealphamir, city of the Wood Elves.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure that is a great idea from right here¡­¡± Narusil cautioned.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, taken aback.


    ¡°Well, short range teleports, like the ones used to teleport you to the frontlines, are hard to redirect. Most casters won¡¯t even try to manipte those, it¡¯s too hard to do anything with it. Long range teleports, like the kind we¡¯d need for our attack on El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran, well, those are easier to manipte. If detected when the spell is begun, as the teleportation caster reaches through the aether to begin to establish their chosen destination, a hostile caster can manipte the actual endpoint of the teleportation, oftentimes without the teleportation caster knowing until the teleportation is underway and it is toote to fix.¡± Narusil exined.


    I winced, ¡°So they could make us appear somewhere we didn¡¯t want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and therger the teleport, the further off course a hostile caster can make us arrive.¡± Narusil exined. ¡°They might be able to make us appear in a dungeon¡­ or a volcano¡­ or I heard one of my caster sisters say that one of the more aggressive houses of the shadow elves loves taking teleportations they catch and redirecting them furrows and furrows into the air¡­ which generally is not good for the health of those being teleported.¡±


    I winced. That did not seem like a fun way to go.


    ¡°Okay, so do we have to walk all the way to El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran?¡± I verified with some disappointment.


    ¡°No.¡± Narusil exined. ¡°Like I said, it wasn¡¯t a great idea ¡®from right here¡¯.¡±


    She motioned to the elven city around us.


    ¡°You see, in order to pull off the maniption of a teleportation spell, two things are required. The hostile caster must use divination magic to detect the teleportation, then they must use interjection magic to manipte the teleportation.¡± Narisil exined, holding up a palm. ¡°If we are here, in Ealphamir,¡± She ced two fingers like a standing individual in the center of her palm. ¡°We are in a ce that is easy to guess that teleportation might be attempted from. Shadow Elf casters do all they can to watch the forest for signs of teleportation. We can detect them doing so, enough to use interjection and illusion magic to hide Ealphamir¡¯s exact location, though it sounds like they might have gotten that information from the poor sister they enved.¡±


    ¡°Now, if all their attention is focused here, in Ealphamir, all we have to do is move far enough away,¡± The finger ¡®person¡¯, on her palm, walked up her to her shoulder, ¡°that the seers watching Ealphamir carefully for signs of teleportation miss the signs of our teleportation, because we are outside their field of notice.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so then we can teleport to El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran?¡± I checked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll want to choose a location far enough away from El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran. Every major city like El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran, or Ealphamir, we watch inside our borders for signs of teleportation being attempted inside our city as well. Detecting a teleportation attempt is only really possible if you are monitoring the point of origination or the point of destination.¡± Narusil exined. ¡°I would think we would want to travel by foot outside the borders of the forest, probably to the southeast, away from El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran, and once we are a few furrows away from the forest, I could teleport us a few furrows away from El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran with minimal risk. The further we move away from our forest, and the further our teleportation destination is from El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran, the safer our teleportation will be.¡± Narusil concluded.


    ¡°That makes more sense to me than the standard exnations the battle casters give.¡± Risavis noted. ¡°I had wondered why we didn¡¯t just teleport an army into the courtyards of El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran. The sisters of magic always just said something about aetherial interference and propagation vectors.¡±


    Narusil nodded, ¡°The Aetherial Interference is the means of causing the teleportation subject to arrive at an undesired location. The propagation vectors determine how far off course a hostile caster can cause the teleportation subject to arrive. It¡¯s also one of the reasons why there are few material creations enchanted to utilize teleportation magic. The propagation vectors arerger for static magical effects, and even if Aetherial Interference is detected and a sister of magic is a party to the teleportation, the teleportation would frequentlyplete prior to the sister reiming the Aetherial Tether and re-anchoring it to the desired destination, resulting in either a failed teleportation, either failingpletely where the subject remains, only teleporting parts of the subject to one destination or the other, or having the subject lost to the aether all together.¡±


    I cringed. The first option didn¡¯t sound too bad, but having bits of me appearing here, and bits of me appearing there, didn¡¯t sound nice. I didn¡¯t imagine being ¡®lost to the aether¡¯ would be pleasant either.


    ¡°Alright, then I guess we are hiking through the forest.¡± I epted. ¡°Tavorwen, we were able to get from a few furrows outside the forest to Ealphamir in less than a day. How long do you think it¡¯ll take us to get out the southeast border of the forest?¡±


    Tavorwen was thinking, ¡°Well, the eastern edge of the forest has receded most into a feral woodscape, with the further south we go being worse, so we¡¯ll have to be careful. It might take us more than a full day to reach the edge of the forest, then I believe just a few hours travel would be good, to put us outside the range of detection. Would you agree, Narusil?¡±


    Narusil nodded, ¡°That doesn¡¯t quite put us in the territory of the Sea Elves, but even the most gifted of seers wouldn¡¯t be able to watch that far outside the forest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the n.¡± I looked over my small squad. ¡°Any objections?¡±


    The she-elves warriors saluted, fist over their hearts. ¡°No, Master Thomas.¡±


    ¡°Tavorwen, I don¡¯t know the woods well enough to take the lead on this. I¡¯ll put themand in your hands until we reach our teleportation site.¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Tavorwen dered. She turned to the maidens. ¡°Risavis, you¡¯ll be the forward scout. Creadean, you will take the lead with Zanantha and mir. Anbethir, Flendreir and Nauveir, you¡¯ll be with me. Nauveir, you take the rear. Flendreir, right nk. Anbethir, left nk. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Risavis took off as soon as the words were out Tavorwen¡¯s mouth. Creadean and her other maidens then followed, allowing Risavis to get a significant headway. Narusil¡¯s owl took to the air, its silent wings making it a ghost, watching us but not even drawing my notice. It felt so incredibly normal to form up and start out, I almost fell into a march. We trudged through the city.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    I was d a few things had remained between earth and my new home. I hadn¡¯t been trying to navigate, simply absorbed in observing my immediate surroundings. I had noted a few things. The sun still rose in the east and set in the west. Now, looking for markers as I was trying to begin to establishndmarks and navigation points I realized a few things. The angle of the sun was only right for one thing, we were in the southern hemisphere.


    Secondly, and embarrassingly, I noticed that this world, ¡®Elendel¡¯ the angel had called it, had multiple moons. Three moons were in the sky at this moment. One moon looked green, like oxidized copper, the second was rusty colored and the third looked blue, like the oceans of earth visible from orbit. As we walked, I could see that the moons were obviously different sized, and in different orbits, moving at different speeds. They seemed to generally have simrly aligned orbits, and I wondered if the moons formed something like the rings of saturn. I figured if there were actually rings, I would be able to see them. I hadn¡¯t really looked at the stars as Tavorwen had guided me from the temple where I¡¯d been summoned to the city, but I¡¯d have to watch now.


    We reached the south-western edge of the city and began to descend to the forest floor.


    Risavis reached the floor and gave a trilling whistle, then waited for a moment. There was the pittering of paws like a dog answering its master¡¯s call. Walking down the steps that wound around the tree¡¯s trunk down to the floor, the tree was between me and the sound of the paws, so I couldn¡¯t see the pooch until it circled the trunk¡­ And that was when I realized that pooch was a terrible term for Risavis¡¯s¡­ pet.


    Imagine, if you will, a gray wolf. You have that image? Okay, now, make it stand six feet tall at the shoulder, and roughly as long, snout to rump without the tail. Its gray fur was streaked with ck and it had a ridge of reddish fur arching from the base of its neck to down its back. A leather harness held a leather panel on its back, with straps over its shoulders to a te over its sternum. Then more straps warped around its ribs to hold the harness in ce. The wolf¡¯s upper canines protruded slightly from its jaws.


    As it came running straight at Risavis. When it reached her, without slowing, it lowered its head and Risavis jumped, a footnding on the wolf¡¯s nose before it pushed her up, popping her up like a springboard to where she caught a loop of rope on the leather te and pulled herself down onto the massive wolf¡¯s back and she took off into the trees with a patter of paws.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Dire wolf.¡± Tavorwen dismissed. ¡°Many of the scouts tame them. They can be greatpanions and aids in their work.¡±


    The speed the beast moved with was terrifying and awe inspiring.


    We reached the floor and started moving out, following the path of the great wolf. I was shocked that I couldn¡¯t find a single mark to indicate the great canine had left to show his passing.


    ¡°How will she let us know if she finds anything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Bird calls.¡± Tavorwen answered. ¡°Creadean has worked with her before, she¡¯ll know what to listen for. Each troop has their own system of calls and meanings, so that a singlepromise won¡¯tpromise our entire force.¡±

 643

    We took a fairly easy pace, allowing the she-elves to keep a pace that didn¡¯t overly tax them. Every hour or so, we rested and Risavis and her dire mount joined us.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s his name?¡± I asked, the first time the great wolf plopped down next to her, it¡¯s chin on herp like a great puppy, noting his gender as the wolf did nothing to hide his equipment.


    ¡°I call him Irsivir.¡± Risavis answered, scratching behind his great fluffy ears, making him gruff happily.


    ¡°How hard is it to feed him?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Feed him?¡± Risavis puzzled, ¡°He¡¯s a wolf¡­ he feeds himself. Do wolves in your home world need to be fed? I simply let him eat when he needs to and hunt as he needs.¡±


    I had to concede there was a point there.


    It was interesting trekking across the forest floor. There was a fair amount of smaller nt life among the roots of the enormous trees, but not so much as to really impede our progress.


    ¡°So what kinds of dangers are out here?¡± I asked, adjusting my rifles.


    I found them to be mostfortable to carry with the barrel down. The butt of my sniper rose just over my shoulder with the barrel down by my calves. Thebat rifle was slung crossbody, but its smaller length meant that while the butt hung at the base of my ribs, the barrel was hanging down around my knees.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t bepletely certain.¡± Creadean admitted. ¡°Once our rangers knew every beast living anywhere in our woods, and nothing came or left without us being aware. But now, our numbers are so low, and we so busy, that we can¡¯t even track the threats of nature within the parts of the forest we still control.¡±


    ¡°Part of the mixed blessing and curse of the forest is that it rests on what is known as a confluence of leylines.¡± Narusil exined. ¡°Each leyline has an elemental affinity as well as a magical affiliation. Leylines spiral like rings around our world, each line anchored in but a single space. This forest is the anchor point of two such lines, a major line of Earth, associated with Augmentation magic, making the earth rich and growth more prolific. This is how we were able to grow the trees sorge. The second leyline, a far more minor one, is of water, and is associated with healing. Together the leylines make the local nts and wildlife grow strong andrge, like Irsivir. Were he born and raised in another ce, he might have grown only to the size and strength of a normal wolf.¡± She held out a hand at roughly the right height for a gray wolf.


    ¡°Such beasts, grown to far greater size are known as dire beasts. Such as Irsivir being known as a dire wolf.¡± Creadean continued, ¡°And most of the dangers of the forest are such dire beasts. Like that snake.¡±


    She pointed out a snake I would never have noticed, its brown mottled skin blended with the bark of the tree it clung to. It must have been thirty feet long and about five feet thick. Its ck eyes watching as we traveled below, too far away to really make an easy meal.


    ¡°Other threats include aggressive nts like that bloodleaf or that firesap nt.¡± Flendreir piped up.


    The nts indicated looked harmless initially, but then I noticed the threats. The bloodleaf had thorns along the bottom of the leaves that seemed to tten and extend almost like a viper¡¯s fangs, and the leaves swayed despite the still air. I was reminded of some of the carnivorous nts of earth, but with leaves the size of my chest. The firesap nt looked harmless enough until I noticed the charred ground underneath it, where even the root of the great tree it was growing on had been burned away. I was guessing that the sap, when exposed to air, wouldbust.


    ¡°And that is assuming that no other threats have moved in to take advantage of our weakness.¡± Creadean conceded.


    ¡°What kinds of things might have moved in?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Could be about anything.¡± Tavorwen admitted, ¡°The worst would be a forest dragon. They have scales strong enough they are almost invulnerable, and the verynguage of magic is thenguage of the dragons. They are naturally magic resistant and can use magic as powerfully as any mage if they have too. Most dragons can breathe out fire, or some other harmful thing that is generally as dangerous as their magic. For example, forest dragons can breathe out a mist of potent acid that, while generally harmless to nt-life, can eat through softer flesh in a moment.¡±


    Acid breath, lovely.


    ¡°And what are the odds of a forest dragon having moved in?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Dragons are powerful but reproduce slowly¡­ but then again it has been over a hundred years since we could do a full canvassing of the forest¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Creadean admitted.


    ¡°What do we do if we run into a dragon?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°We hope we can evade it and it doesn¡¯t notice us.¡± Narusil stated bluntly. ¡°Some of the maidens may have some basic training for the possibility of a draconic attack, but the primary tactic is to minimize casualties as we lure the dragon nearer to Ealphamir where thest few remaining anti-dragon artillery weapons remain.¡±


    I looked over the grim faces as we walked.


    ¡°My rifle was able to take out the wyverns without issue. Wouldn¡¯t it be just as effective against the dragons?¡± I asked in confusion.


    Zanantha snorted, ¡°Wyverns are dragons in the same sense that both sparrows and Eagles are birds. Wyverns can be captured and tamed as hatchlings. If you hatch a dragon and try to tame it, the wyrmling will y along until it gets big enough and strong enough to kill their captors, and then they willugh as they destroy their captors. Dragons are too intelligent to be tamed. The scales of a full dragon are between ten and fifteen times stronger than the scales of a wyvern.¡±


    Anbethir interjected, ¡°In all fairness, our records indicate there are types of dragons that used to cooperate with our ancestors. In fact, if I¡¯m remembering my studies correctly, there were more types of dragons that lived in peace with the humanoids in the region than the aggressive and violent dragons that fought against them. The friendlier dragons may have kept the more dangerous ones at bay.¡±


    Zananthaughed, ¡°Yes, but three of the fivergest breeds of full dragon are aggressive and violent. Thank the gods that the most powerful dragons are more aligned with us than against us.¡±


    This was not encouraging. I wondered if the swap on my bullets from lead projectiles to adamantine projectiles would help, I¡¯d looked at the adamantine and it seemed denser than lead, and as hard as it was it could easily be more armor prating. So long as my muzzle velocity wasparable, the range shouldn¡¯t be hurt and the prating power should be better.


    We stopped to rest again.


    ¡°One question.¡± I asked. ¡°Why do you use the word ¡®humanoid¡¯ to describe the races like you? Wouldn¡¯t ¡®elvenoid¡¯ be a better word? You¡¯ve never met a human other than me.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The elves all had an almost visceral, or nauseous, reaction to my question.


    ¡°Oh gods¡­ Is that what you hear us saying?¡± Narusil demanded with a shiver.


    ¡°Ugh, that trantion is¡­ painful.¡± Tavorwen shuddered.


    I looked at them.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see if we can work around your trantion magic here¡­¡± Narusil thought for a moment. ¡°So the word we use is¡­ aphoril¡­ did you hear that as our word, or yours?¡±


    ¡°Aphoril?¡± I repeated.


    The she-elves winced at my pronunciation, ¡°Close enough¡­ oh, you need to actually learn elvish¡­ But yes, that is our word, it means a creature that is generally intelligent, walks on two legs, has two arms, a single head, a torso that contains its organs, and reproduces sexually and gives live birth. Most also have the females nurse their young.¡± Narusil exined. ¡°Elvenoid¡­¡± she shuddered trying to say the word, ¡°That is a nonsense word and just seems wrong on so many levels.¡±


    ¡°Is that all that it takes to qualify as a humanoid?¡± I asked, wondering about goris and such.


    ¡°It is problematic to generally make the term more exclusive.¡± Tavorwen added, ¡°As if you dere a race non-humanoid, then it is harder to determine which races should receive what levels of care and respect. Though magic sometimes makes that distinction for you.¡±


    I was startled, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are spells that are limited to a specific type of creature, like humanoids or animals. It simplifies the spells and allows a less skilled caster to cast the spell, but if you cast ¡®paralyze humanoid¡¯ on a creature and it works, then the universe has decided that creature is a humanoid, even if you wouldn¡¯t think it should apply.¡± Narusil filled me in. ¡°That was one of the determining factors to determine whether the Lizardfolk should be considered humanoids or not. The spells work however, so the universe has determined them to be humanoids.¡±


    ¡°Lizard¡­ folk¡­¡±¡± I repeated with disbelief.


    ¡°Oh, yes. There are the tthree, the Ignodin, Grathgir, Hepthpar, Lakthree, Thraskar and the Wrencthes. They are each unique and often proud people. But due to racial simrities, we generally just call them ¡®Lizardfolk¡¯.¡± mir stated. ¡°We had been attempting to build some form of diplomatic rtions with some of these peoples when the shadow elves emerged and unfortunately caused those negotiations to end when all our diplomats were called home and most of them were in.¡±


    ¡°So how many types of humanoids are there?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°That we know of?¡± Creadean rified.


    ¡°Well,¡± Narusil thought. ¡°There are the humans, and we elves, the hawkar, the fnin, the lizardfolk, the lorpins, the orcs, and the halfmen.¡±

 644

    I was d to hear that humans were considered humanoid, and I recognized the orcs. I¡¯d seen enough fantasy that I hoped I knew at least something about orcs that could be rted here, but I also hoped there wouldn¡¯t be too many misconceptions brought in that way.


    ¡°There is so much to learn.¡± I murmured.


    For some reason, the vast amount of information didn¡¯t seem to bother me. Normally, I¡¯d feelpletely paralyzed until I learned everything to make sure I was making good and validated decisions. However, it hardly phased me that there was so much I didn¡¯t know. Searching my feelings, there was that calming peace that hade over me every time I¡¯d almost been overwhelmed.


    I realized that whatever force manages the system of summons to new worlds must know that just cing even the elite in strange and unknown environments would likely have seriously detrimental effects on the summon¡¯s performance. So it seemed that any time such serious realities seemed to set in, the natural reactions were reced with peace and calm. I¡¯d had normal adrenaline during eachbat I¡¯d taken part in, but in the lulls between the storms was when there was nothing to distract from the overwhelming craziness of what all was going on, and the strangeness threatened to ovee me, that sweet peace smothered the fear and anxiety that reality was trying to create.


    Creadean and her maidens took the lead again and we headed out.


    Part of me wanted to talk to Tavorwen, Narusil and the other maidens and learn more about my new world, but instead we discussed signs of dangers as we passed by. Marks in bark I¡¯d thought too high, or toorge, to indicate animals that were the marks of dire beasts. Thergest bears back on earth could be ten feet tall. It seemed dire bears could be upwards of twenty-five feet tall with rumors of thirty-foot tall dire bears existing. Dire snakes could climb into the tops of the trees. Even some dire wolves and dire tigers could leap from trunk to trunk rising far above the floor and moving quickly. Dire elk, deer and moose lived among the trees as well, and we found a hoofprint of a dire moose the size of my chest.


    The carnivorous nts had once been held in check, but like weeds they seemed to spring up, and unchecked were spreading through the forest.


    ¡°Some of the worst ones for us seem to actually be symbiotes with the trees theytch into, more than parasites.¡± Flendreir admitted. ¡°Not great news for us, but at least they live down among the roots and on the lower trunks of the trees, while we live in the crowns of the trees and among the canopy.¡±


    I learned leaves to watch for, and signs of dangerous saps or other nt based dangers. I learned that the staggered enormous trees stretching for furrows in every direction killed the wind. nts moving of their own ord were doing so for a clear reason, it made it more likely to snag a passing animal.


    I saw one such nt working on a normal deer, or a very young dire deer. The leaves had mped on it, with more and more leaves moving in, the thorns gripping it and the more the deer had tried to pull free, the more vines it had pulled to it, with more leaves totch on. I didn¡¯t get close enough to see what was happening to the deer, but it was unmoving and there were drag marks indicating it was slowly being pulled back to the tree the vine was anchored to.


    ¡°One day, we will reim our forest and you¡¯ll be able to once again walk in peace among the trees.¡± Tavorwen dered. ¡°Some of the more beneficial nts we may find a way to integrate into the forest, but much of this forest is in serious need of its caretakers again.¡±


    As the sun set, we set up a small camp. We avoided a campfire, but ate our rations while gathered in the clearing among the roots. There was evidence that Irsivir had already done his hunting and was cleaning up his coat afterward.


    ¡°You wanted me to teach you magic?¡± Narusil suggested, sitting next to me, ¡°Want to try your first spell?¡±


    I might have gotten a little more excited than I should have. I mean, who doesn¡¯t feel cool learning a magic trick, but this was the real deal. An ACTUAL spell.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± I dered, perhaps a little giddy.


    ¡°Well, we start small.¡± Narusil cautioned. She looked around and found a couple of small stones.


    ¡°The first spell most learn is to make a small item produce light.¡± She handed me the stone. ¡°Steady light, anchored into a solid object. A simple concept and so a simple spell.¡±


    She handed me one of the stones and held the other one in the palm of her left hand. She wrapped her middle finger around her index finger on her right hand and touched the stone.


    ¡°Rakai fa klil.¡± Narusil quietly stated.


    The stone gently began to glow like anntern in the palm of her hand.


    ¡°So there are a few steps to casting any spell but this is one of the easier ones because while some spells can have unfortunate repercussions if cast incorrectly, the light spell is known to fail more gracefully, either creating fluttering light, a sh of light or no light at all.¡± Narusil began her exnation. ¡°So we don¡¯t have to take serious precautions for the spell recoiling or miscasting.¡±


    I was leaning forward with interest as my matron exined the way this magic worked.


    ¡°The physical actions associated with the spell are also simple and static.¡± Narusil continued.


    ¡°So first, you must fix the image of light into your mind. Think of the brightest source of light you can recall. We can work on adjusting the amount of light your spell will produce, but for now you should recall the brightest light you¡¯ve seen, be it a bonfire, or another source of light.¡± Narusil guided.


    I remembered some of the military arrays of lights I¡¯d seen, those should work.


    ¡°Now, hold that image in your mind and interlock your fingers thus.¡± Narusil demonstrated, again wrapping her middle finger around her index finger. ¡°You must imagine the light you see in your mind running down your second finger, and your will running down your target finger. The two must mix in your perception at the end of your fingers as they make contact with your vessel, in this case the stone.¡±


    I wrapped my middle finger around my index and it took me a second to get that mental image working. I hoped I was doing it right. My brain struggled to vividly think about the image of those bright LED lights, and conceptualize the image of the light and conceptualize my will and image both of those concepts flowing through my fingers, mingling at the end, without losing any part of those concepts.


    ¡°Now touch your target finger to the stone and utter the words, ¡®Rakai fa te klil¡¯. They mean ¡®Light fill this vessel¡¯. And as you speak those words, let your mind fill the stone with the idea of yourbined light and will from your fingers.¡± Narusil prodded.


    Damn. It was a lot to think about.


    I channeled the thoughts, closing my eyes in concentration, trying to keep all those lines of thought steady, and I spoke the words while touching the stone.


    ¡°Rakai fa te klil.¡± I uttered.


    It was as if the sun hit my eyelids and several of the elves cried out as if in pain.


    I tried to open my eyes but it was as if I was staring directly into those light arrays. My eyes stung with the light. I pped my casting hand over the stone.


    ¡°By Talnir!¡± Tavorwen breathed, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Such light!¡±


    All the elves were unsurprisingly trying to salvage their eyesight after being blinded by the result of my spell, as light still spilled through the cracks between my fingers and the crease between my hands.


    ¡°That was¡­ unexpected¡­ to say the least.¡± Narusil groaned, rubbing her blinking eyes as she tried to recover her sight. ¡°Most first spells are little¡­ less potent¡­ Gods. I am going to be seeing spots for days¡­.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± I murmured.


    ¡°No!¡± Narusil asserted, ¡°No! It is a good thing! It is a sign of aptitude. We just¡­ we need to put that somewhere it won¡¯t be blinding us or drawing unwanted attention.¡±


    ¡°Here, drop it in my pouch.¡± Creadean offered.


    We all closed our eyes as I plopped the stone into her pouch, then saw that that was not enough. Light poured out of the opening of the pouch. But once the pouch containing the stone was ced in a second pouch, and that second pouch was ced into a third pouch, the light could no longer be seen.


    Now that that was taken care of, I felt the drain of the spell, simple as it was. It was as if I had just done some physical fitness training, but for my brain. It wasn¡¯t anything I couldn¡¯t handle, but it was definitely tiring.


    ¡°Ah, there it is.¡± Narusil smiled. ¡°I was worried you wouldpletely ignore the energy required to cast spells. That would truly put you far, far above almost every mage we know of. But I can see you feel it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a drain, isn¡¯t it?¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Yes. You get used to it, and it gets to the point that simpler spells like that hardly bother you. The more powerful spells will drain you more, and that is why we have broken spells into tiers. I should have brought more material to show you, but here.¡± Narusil took the tome hanging from a leather strap at her belt and opened the sp. ¡°Can you read this?¡±


    The runes, glyphs, and diagrams were all foreign to me and the magic that normally made the writtennguage swim until it came out in English seemed unable to touch thisnguage.


    ¡°No.¡± I admitted.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that is a gift or a curse.¡± Narusil replied. ¡°Being able to freely read thenguages of magic would be incredible, but on the other hand, we¡¯ve touched on the imprecision of the trantions.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I¡­ I admit, I had thought it would take you much longer to sessfully cast a light spell. I believed that it would take you most of the trip to aplish that so I didn¡¯t bring anything to protect against the next couple of spells recoiling. But we can-¡± She cut off suddenly, her ears perking up.

 645

    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen had just been finishing off a solid meal of dire elk, when the beacon caught his notice. Like a faint ripple in the weave of magic present in all things that he¡¯d felt since he first became aware in his egg, months before his birth, this ping fascinated him.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen was aware of most of the goings on in his domain, the section of the forest he called home, and had for twenty years. The forest elves and their infernal six-armed spear throwers that were the only thing that could threaten him were far away to the northwest, so he could rule his section of this great forest with impunity. But now, something strange and interesting was happening.


    He stretched his impressive bulk and prepared to go investigate. Maybe it was the elves, finally returning to survey thends they had surrendered to nature,nds that now belonged to him. He got excited at the thought. This far from their precious dragon yer ballista, he could easily ovee the pitiful creatures. If it was, he could finally find out if they tasted as appealing as they looked. He could almost feel the bones cracking in his mouth as the tender, juicy meat shredded on his teeth and ridged tongue. He took a few majestic strides then leapt to a nearby tree, his noble wings pping to give him extra height and distance on his already awe inspiring leap.


    He smiled, sure that every creature in his forest was overjoyed to live under the shadow of a lord so regal and powerful as he.


    His ws dug into the trunk of the first tree and his haunches coiled as he made contact, with a twist and a push, heunched himself to the next tree. It was far too tight and cramped among the trees to fly, but Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen was easily agile enough to leap among the trees. And while soaring among the clouds might take less energy, as a true full blooded dragon his stores of energy were boundless.


    Time to find some elves and have a second dinner.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen wasn¡¯t hungry. Even if he was, he could survive on a diet of rocks and soil if he had to. Living flesh was just so much richer, and knowing that another living creature surrendered its life for his consuming pleasure gave him a thrill. Now he hoped to learn the thrill of hunting an intelligent foe.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~


    All the elves were on alert. Irsivir had his teeth bared and his hackles were up, making the ridge of fur on his back and shoulders stand even taller.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Something big. Something fast.¡± Tavorwen stated bluntly. ¡°Coming this way.¡±


    A momentter, there was the sound in the distance, fast approaching, like a crashing through the trees.


    ¡°Oh by the fires of Elgorith¡­ DRAGON!¡± Zanantha called.


    The elves scrambled. Not a trace was left as they tried to make themselves scarce.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    I grabbed my rifles, slinging mybat rifle on my back and taking my sniper. If either of the rifles had a chance against the beast we¡¯d discussed, it was going to be the sniper. I vaulted over a root to put a barrier between me and the oing beast, then I looked over as the creature approached. Narusil slipped behind the root next to me.


    ¡°Not good.¡± Narusil hissed through gritted teeth.


    ¡°What are the odds of us escaping its notice?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Next to none.¡± Narusil admitted. ¡°Light is generally a spell with negligible energy. Yours had some actual power behind it. The dragon is probablying to investigate and dragons have good enough hearing, scent, sight and perception of magic such that if it is looking for us, we are not likely to escape its notice.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I cursed.


    With a series of crashes, the dragon came jumping into view. It used its wings to supplement its leaping as it bounced from giant trunk to giant trunk then came crashing down into the clearing where we had been rxing moments before.


    The Dragon was enormous. You don¡¯t really understand the scale of a creature until you see it up close, like when viewing an elephant in a zoo you don¡¯t realize how big it is until you see it next to a zookeeper. But this dragon was close enough I could see howrge a beast it was. I could wrap my arms around any of its legs and my hands wouldn¡¯t even be close to touching. It rose to its full height. The dark brown and green scales covering its body were the size of dinner tes, with rough edges ovepping each other like leaves in a bush. The dragon¡¯s ws were allrger than my forearms, perhaps my entire arms, and tore up the ground with an ease that spoke to the sharpness and the strength of those ws. The dragon was at least twenty feet tall at the shoulder. Its neck was close to ten feet long and serpentine, its head twisted and turned, clearly able to turn well past a one-hundred and eighty degrees, able to look behind itself with the flexibility of its neck. Its teeth were enormous and sharp, and its long tongue swirled in its mouth.


    The reflective eyes swept around the surrounding trees. I realized it was looking for the stone I had cast the magic on. I realized in terror that Creadean held the stone. If it found her, there would be next to nothing I could do.


    Its eyes locked on a root and its mouth drew up into a smile. With resonating steps it started walking toward what must have been Creadean¡¯s hiding space.


    I went to bring my rifle over the root, I had to try and do something.


    Narusil put a hand on my barrel, keeping it down. She shook her head and held up a finger indicating I should wait.


    The dragon¡¯s head snapped to the side, tracking motion. Too small for me to see, but easily tracked by the dragon¡¯s eyes, something hit his face, bursting in small red clouds around his face. I swear the dragon chuckled, and a deep breath pulled the red cloud into his nostrils.


    The dragon¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock and it gagged. Its eyes watered as it tried to cough and sneeze the burning powder out of its nasal passage.


    Quick as an arrow, Zanantha was behind its hind legs, her short curved des, held reversed, forcing between the scales and stabbing into the dragon¡¯s tendons.


    The dragon¡¯s leg buckled and it tumbled, rolling and came back to its feet, favoring the leg Zanantha had stabbed, but by no means incapacitated.


    ¡°Now.¡± Narusil directed, releasing my rifle.


    I brought my rifle up, and hurried to line up my shot, not terribly worried as my target was roughly the size of a barn. I fired as the dragon lunged, and my round ricocheted off the scales of the dragon¡¯s shoulder and embedded in one of the trees, doing no harm, but knocking the dragon¡¯s lunge off target and allowing Zanantha to dive out of the way of his impending bite.


    The dragon¡¯s head turned toward the root Narusil and I were cowering behind as I pulled the lever, popping out the casing and chambered a new round.


    A series of arrows peppered its face, bouncing off the scales, including clear scales covering its eyes, making it blink. The dragon paid the arrows no mind but drew in a deep breath.


    ¡°Down!¡± Narusil instructed and realizing what wasing I needed no encouragement. We dropped and pressed close against the root.


    A rush of hot air pushed a green mist past the root we were hiding behind and a group of hidden birds, scared by the sudden fierce wind, tried to take flight. A second after they entered the mist, the skeletonized birds fell, their bones scattering as they fell.


    Quick as it appeared, the green mist dissipated.


    ¡°It will take the dragon a few seconds before it can do it again.¡± Narusil stated analytically.


    I had a window. All I needed to know.


    I came over and the elves were doing their best to distract the dragon. Those with des were trying to slide their des under the dragon¡¯s scales with minimal sess as the dragon was onto their n and kept moving and swiping at them as they kept it turning. The elves were fast enough and agile enough to avoid the deadly ws of the dragon, but they were tiring fast.


    I leveled my rifle and tried for as straight a shot as possible. It had seemed like the dragon had been affected by my shot but the poor angle had let the round nce off. I hoped that a more straight on shot would prate better, and not ricochet back in my face. I squeezed the trigger and felt the rifle m back into my shoulder.


    As an anti-vehicr sniping I¡¯d heard all sorts of armor take armor piercing rounds. Nothing quite matched the echoing crack of the adamantine round making a direct impact on the dragon¡¯s scales.


    The dragon reared back, screeching as a rain of dragon scale fragments rained down below. I could see that the scale had stopped the round but waspletely annihted. The dragon nced in my direction, and I chambered a new round.


    The dragon whirled and fled, stepping right over the she-elf harassing it there. It took three bouncing strides like a giant cat, before pping its immense wings as it leapt to the first tree and it bounced tree to tree away, quickly getting trunks between it and me.


    I kept listening as the distinct sound of the fleeing dragon faded with distance.


    ¡°By the Father¡­¡± Narusil breathed.


    Risavis emerged from the shadows, Irsivir in tow, to gather the shards of the dragon scales. The battle maidens and matrons had a sense of wonder as they stared at where the dragon had made its exit.


    I walked out. Still on alert with adrenaline flooding my veins.


    ¡°You carry a weapon that can shatter dragon scales on your back like a mere quiver¡­¡± Risavis breathed in almost reverence.


    ¡°Is the dragon likely to return?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It would be a fool to do so.¡± Zanantha dered. ¡°Dragons are well aware of their strengths and what few weaknesses they have. A hole in its scale armor that size would be easy for Risavis and Nauveir to hit and seriously injure, if not kill, the scaly bastard. That¡¯s assuming you didn¡¯t just end it or shatter more scales making it even more vulnerable.¡±

 646

    ¡°Will it eventually grow a new scale there?¡± I asked, remembering stories about dragons losing a scale and having a chink in its armor for centuries.


    ¡°Yes, but that particr dragon is likely toy low for the six months to a year that it will take for that to happen.¡± Zanantha mused.


    ¡°I will have to see what kinds of arrowheads I can make with these¡­¡± Risavis marveled, turning the shards over in her hands, being careful around the edges.


    My adrenaline began to fade.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s more then enough excitement for tonight, I think. You said the dragon won¡¯te back, but I¡¯d rather not risk it. Can we find a new campsite for tonight?¡± I asked.


    Tavorwen nodded her agreement, ¡°There is very little that will willingly engage with a foe from whom a dragon flees, but you are right. I could see the dragon attempting to return more stealthily than it initially approached and attempting to kill us with its acid breath while we slept. Sisters, I know you are tired, but we should put at least half an hour between us and this clearing before we retire.¡±


    There were a few mild groans, especially from the fighters who had just been dodging dragon ws, but the knowledge of the importance of relocating reduced them to just that, groans.


    We took a moment then started walking again toward the southeast edge of the forest.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Fear was a new experience for Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen. His name meant roughly ¡®Eternal winged death lord¡¯, and having chosen it himself he was fond of it. ¡®Cowardly winged death lord¡¯ just didn¡¯t have the same ring, but here he was running in fear of his life.


    No, he would not let this stand. He¡¯d seen the mortal male with the metal sh-tube that had spat the tiny darts at him with such force. The first dart he hasn¡¯t seen, only felt as it bruised his shoulder, preventing him from realizing his goal of eating one of the she-elves. The second he had seen. The sh of light, followed by a strange dart, moving with incredible speed, unlike the pepper balls they had used to burn the inside of his nose, those he should have dodged. The impact of that second strange dart Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen would feel in the nightmares that would be a regr addition to his dreams.


    He finally arrived at theke that hid the entrance to his sanctuary. He took a great breath and dove into theke, his wings pulled tight against his body, forming a spectacr arrow that pierced the water before he reversed course and swam to the obscured cave that was the main entrance to hisir. He snaked his way through the twists until he reached the air pocket that was his entryway.


    He slunk deep into hisir to survey the damage.


    One of his invincible scales had been shattered. The idea was mind boggling, but the evidence was there. It hadn¡¯t even taken a clunky elven ballista to do it.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen shivered at the thought.


    If a mortal male could carry such a weapon and use it with such utter disregard for the natural order in which the species had existed for eons beyond counting¡­ it would change everything. And Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen didn¡¯t like this change one bit.


    The mortal with the sh tube had to die.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen licked his now exposed flesh, drawing the root of his scale out with the ridges on his tongue. That would stimte his flesh to create a recement scale much quicker. He didn¡¯t like that should another dragon, or even a simple troop of elves face him now, he had a hole in his armor just over one of his lungs and one of his two hearts.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen growled. He was far too intelligent to risk facing that cursed mortal again right now, but he surely wished he could just end the threat now. The new threat wasn¡¯t elvish. Everything about him was wrong for him being an elf, from his eye shape, facial structure, to his ears and his build. Also, the elves hadn¡¯t carried the sh tubes, though this new threat carried two. No, the elves couldn¡¯t use the sh tubes, or they would have. That meant all Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen had to do was kill this strange mortal and things would go back to normal.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen was a dragon, and that meant patience was not something hecked. He needed time for his scale to regrow, his bruised shoulder to recover and the sting to his hind leg¡¯s main tendon to heal. It was hardly enough to slow him, and once fear had taken hold of him, the minor pain of his tendon faded to nothing as he had run for his life. Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen wanted to be in top form when he faced that strange mortal again, and that meant far longer in convalescence than he liked.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ak¡¯vix¡¯tur¡¯aveen curled up, his arm and tail guarding his new weak spot. He growled his displeasure, and closed his eyes to sleep.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    It didn¡¯t take long after we found a new safe campsite for the elves to roll out their bedrolls. I rolled mine out, as well.


    While the day hadn¡¯t been particrly hard as far as a cross country march goes, I still found myself tired.


    Flendreir wrapped herself up, but remained seated and alert.


    ¡°Keeping watch?¡± I surmised.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Flendreir noted. ¡°While the magic of the bedrolls might keep us safe from most foes, we just encountered a dragon and dragons can definitely push through the Domination magic that protects us in the bedrolls. I¡¯ll switch out with Nauveir and mir throughout the night so we aren¡¯t weakened tomorrow. Tomorrow night, Anbethir, Risavis and Zanantha will take watch.¡±


    ¡°I could take a shift.¡± I offered.


    I noticed several disapproving looks.


    ¡°That would be beneath you.¡± Flendreir stated bluntly. ¡°While the offer is kind, having a summon, who is a master as well, taking the menial role of a watchman would be insulting to you and therefore to us by association. Having a battle matron take such a role would also be demeaning and reflect poorly on us as well.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like that. I¡¯d always tried to remain grounded with my squad, never elevating myself, even if my position offered such privileges. But having been unaware, I couldn¡¯t just throw elven societal norms to the winds and expect no blowback.


    ¡°Let them y their ego games.¡± Narusil whispered, cuddling up next to me in her bedroll.


    Tavorwen shimmied up to my other side and between two of my matrons, I slipped into the sweet embrace of sleep.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your sense of urgency, ¡¯dri.¡± Kathra scoffed. ¡°The summon is dead. I will allow my forces to prepare and we will annihte the forest wenches.¡±


    ¡¯dri frowned. He had to admit the odds of anyone surviving the Final Strike spell that Kathra had detonated within arms reach of the summon were low. But underestimating the enemy was one of the most dangerous things that anymander could do. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were celebrating their victory too soon.


    Kathra¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°You doubt my forces¡¯ power? You think the forest bitches will be able to repulse thebined might of the High Houses?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­.¡± ¡¯dri assured her. He was walking a dangerous line. If he angered Kathra now, he was sure to end up dead. But if he failed to advise her now, and his fears were realized he¡¯d just be dying his inevitable demise. He had to concede today. Kathra was feeling powerful and would likelypletely disregard anything he said regardless. ¡°Your wisdom is beyond reproach.¡±


    Kathra smirked arrogantly, ¡°As I thought.¡±


    Kathra leaned back, her hand absently rubbing the womb wherein her new child was growing. Without realizing it, this drew her eyes to the shadow elf on her knees at the side of her throne.


    Kathra¡¯s lip curled in disgust.


    How could such a worthless sack of flesh be the result of her first birthing. No magical talent in dark magic, domination, conjuration, or even interjection. Her devotions to Ya¡¯av had been unanswered as well. Her poor performance with the primary weapons of shadow elf nobility had been the final straw. Shecked the two handed coordination to wield the dual des of a shadow de, her aim with the poison delivering hand crossbows was abysmal, and she couldn¡¯t ride and wield polearms worth dung. After such embarrassments, Kathra had disowned her and in punishment subjected the worthless wench to the ve sigil.


    ve sigils werepletely irreversible. It was the ultimate punishment for any shadow elf. Devaluing the superior shadow elf to the level of any of the inferior races. It was a punishment for one of the three great sins in shadow elf society: spheming against Ya¡¯av, being useless, or not being born a shadow elf. All non-shadow elves were deserving of nothing but very to the superior race. Those who would challenge the word of Ya¡¯av had no ce among the one true people. And perhaps worst of all, any shadow elf that ate food, took up space, but didn¡¯t bring the shadow elves closer to the racial domination that they deserved was worse than filth.


    Amura, now Clee¡¯Amura, Kathra¡¯s first daughter, hadmitted the sin of being worthless. She ate the food of house Inganvith but brought no glory to the house.


    Kathra chaffed that even now, as a ve of house Inganvith, Clee¡¯Amura still consumed a measure of the rations of house Inganvith. That was her one misstep, she should have just secretly had her murdered and med one of her rival houses. No one would have believed it. The houses all mocked her that her only current offspring was worthless drivel, and killing Clee¡¯Amura would only remove a hindrance to her ambitions, but that had never stopped her before.


    Kathra shook her head. The wealth of food on the surface was disgusting. For centuries, Ya¡¯av had led the shadow elves deep in the recesses of the earth, where the shadow elves had fought over edible mosses and fungi as well as the few creatures that dwelt deep in the earth. Contact with the other races had been rare, and Ya¡¯av had always pushed her people to cull or enve these lesser beings. Finally, almost two hundred years ago, Ya¡¯av had given word that the time to prepare to return and conquer the surface world hade. They had sent saboteurs up to rile the pathetic nations of the surface elves who imed sisterhood with the shadow elves against the revolting ¡®high elves¡¯ who were anything but.


    If only the shadow elves had the magic of the lesser races that could create seemingly endless supplies of food!

 647

    Kathra¡¯s brow furrowed. Why such magic failed for the shadow elves, or their ves, was beyond her understanding. Even magic items that they captured that functioned perfectly for hundreds of years prior failed within days of use by her people. Ya¡¯av taught that such magics were forbidden to them by the supposed ¡®Great Father¡¯ of the elves as punishment for following the Ya¡¯av, the Great Queen, when she was cast out. Reason said that was impossible, she¡¯d studied the elements within the control of the gods, and only Great Ya¡¯av could theoretically block such magic, but that was preposterous.


    Kathra¡¯s gaze settled again on her worthless daughter. She needed to find a way to get rid of the cunt. All Clee¡¯Amura was useful now was potentially breeding, but why would she let her daughter receive of the seed of an elven male when there were such more fit shadow elves to breed? The only other value she potentially had would be as a political pawn, but what fool would receive a ve daughter of a ruler when other payments were avable? No one held enough power to even make such an exchange a theoretical possibility.


    Kathra spat on the worthless ve. Clee¡¯Amura was so ustomed to such treatment she didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Such deliberations were worthless, all Kathra could do was figure out how to conquer the world, feed her people and secure her position among her people and in Ya¡¯av¡¯s favor.


    ¡°Send word to the Matriarchs of the High Houses. In one month¡¯s time, I expect twice the normal offerings of soldiers for the extermination of the Wood elves. Any who fail to meet my demands will have their rations halved.¡± Kathra snarled and one of the messengers hidden behind the pirs in her throne room, ran to do as asked.


    I am surrounded by ipetence. Kathra seethed.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The next morning, we broke camp.


    True to their word, Flendreir, Nauveir and mir were ready to go, despite their reduced rest to keep watch.


    Risavis surveyed the forest floor around our camp as we ate our dried fruits and meats for breakfast.


    ¡°Well, the forest has learned to respect your power, Master Thomas. Not even the most imposing of dire beasts came within a hundred paces of our camp.¡± She reported.


    ¡°Wait, how do they even know we fought the dragon?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Nature watches and nature learns.¡± Risavis shrugged. ¡°Beyond that we merely are specting. Are the animals of our forest more intelligent due to the influence of the leylines? Are the gods of nature watching over their flock? Have we underestimated the intelligence of animals? Who can say?¡±


    I guess I could ept that.


    Narusil walked among the sisters, swirling a hand in the air and uttering a single phrase. Finally she reached me.


    ¡°May I prepare you for the day?¡± She requested.


    ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Oh, it is a simple spell, on the tier of the light spell I taught you yesterday. A novice level spell. It enables one to clean clothing, or an individual. It is used to keep our soldiers clean while they are going to war. It keeps body odor in check, and helps keep sickness and difort to a minimum.¡± She exined.


    ¡°That seems reallyplicated.¡± I admitted, ¡°How is it a novice level spell?¡±


    Narusilughed, ¡°Well, because what I actually do is tell the garment, or the skin, to remember thest time it was clean and return to that state. I would teach you the spell, so you could do it yourself, but¡­ After what happened yesterday, I¡¯m a little scared to try it outside of a controlled environment.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°By all means then. Clean away.¡± I told her and spread my arms.


    ¡°Ra meian val somir.¡± Narusil intoned, swirling her hand in a rising swirl in front of her body.


    There was a strange almost static that started at the soles of my feet and as her hand rose it swirled up my legs, over my torso and over my head. I felt like I had just gotten out of the shower.


    ¡°Strange, your face appears to have resisted the spell.¡± Narusil murmured, touching the stubble on my chin.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not dirt. That¡¯s hair.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Hair? On your chin?¡± Narusil marveled.


    ¡°Here, let me fix it.¡± I told her, and drew the dagger from my waist.


    I¡¯d shaved with stranger things before. I closed my eyes and went by feel. The razor sharp edge shaved me better than a straight razor. It took me just a few minutes. Feeling clean and shaved was good. The itching on my chin was gone.


    ¡°And your people perform this ritual often?¡± Tavorwen chuckled.


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s either that or grow hair on my chin and groom it.¡± I affirmed, ¡± And I don¡¯t like the way having hair growing on my chin itches.¡±


    Narusil cast the spell again, banishing the trimmings of my beards.


    Having taken a few minutes to shave, the elves were all waiting on me.


    We headed out. Seeming to make good time, able to take a direct route, only making detours around the trees directly in our path.


    ¡°Is it just me or are we moving faster today?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°We are.¡± Tavorwen concurred.


    ¡°Risavis doesn¡¯t seem to have to lead us around so many obstacles.¡± Creadean agreed. ¡°It¡¯s as if the forest is making way for us.¡±


    We still had to rest. The elves¡¯ endurance could only be pushed so hard, and we wanted to be capable if anything should happen.


    Shortly after midday, we emerged from the forest. Looking beyond the forest as it curled and extended further, but the further south the forest stretched, the smaller the trees got. To the east, the mountain range Tavorwen and I had to trek through to get from the temple where I¡¯d been summoned stretched down toward what appeared to be a coast line. The sweeping treeline swept west for a short bit, then curved back to the east stretching out of sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I breathed as the beauties of this world stretched out before me.


    ¡°What? The in of threir?¡± Tavorwen asked, her eyes viewing it critically. ¡°I suppose it has its charm.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move a few furrows away from the forest, then I can prepare to scry to the north to find a suitable teleportation site.¡± Narusil suggested.


    I gazed once more over the sweeping view and we headed down the descending terrain toward the coast. This world was so untouched, and there was so much to be learned and experienced here. My conviction to defend it grew and I shifted the rifle on my shoulder. I¡¯d probably have to kill more to keep this world safe, but it would be worth it.


    We walked down toward the coast for two more hours, the easy slope giving us an easy walk. Then Narusil called us to a stop.


    ¡°Alright, this should be far enough.¡± Narusil dered. ¡°Give me some time to see if I can detect anyone watching us, and then I¡¯ll try and find us a good spot tond.¡±


    We all sat as Narusil found afortable spot and sat, uttering the strange words of magic and making hand signs as her eyes stared into the distance. Her owlnded on the leather guard on her shoulder, its talons stopped by the guard from harming her shoulder.


    I sat down with Risavis and scratched Irsivir behind his ears with her. The great wolf¡¯s fire was surprisingly soft. The base of his ear seemed like the right ce to scratch.


    ¡°You are good.¡± Risavis stated quietly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Irsivir¡­ He doesn¡¯t let just anyone touch him.¡± Risavis exined. ¡°He tends to bite people who try to touch him, but he knows I am good¡­ and now he has decided you are good too.¡±


    The way the wolfy with his eyes closed, but his muscles, not fully rxed, made me very d that he seemed to like me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think to mention that before I tried to pet him?¡± I muttered.


    Risavis shrugged, ¡°If he was going to bite you, I had faith you wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to keep reaching.¡±


    I¡¯d seen the size of his teeth and there was something to what she said. If he started baring those fangs at me, I would have definitely walked away.


    ¡°Do you truly believe we can do enough to make Kathra fear us?¡± Risavis asked.


    ¡°I just want to make her realize her actions have consequences.¡± I exined. ¡°She struck at me in my home, and I intend to return the favor.¡±


    ¡°She knows her actions have consequences.¡± Risavis stated. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t care about what those consequences are. The Betrayer clouds her eyes.¡±


    ¡°The Betrayer¡­ the goddess of the shadow elves, right?¡± I recalled from the conversation with Driveal.


    ¡°Yes. She sought to overthrow the Great Father. He won and when the Betrayer was cast out she took what were then called the Night Elves with her. She starves them, pits them against each other, and has sought to drive love, kindness and understanding from their hearts so that they will be perfect soldiers that one day she may return and overthrow the Great Father as she once failed to do. Now it seems her efforts may be seeding.¡± Risavis confirmed, scratching under Irsivir¡¯s chin.


    ¡°She starves them? Can¡¯t they just use magic to make food, like the cab in my kitchen?¡± I wondered.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 648

    ¡°They could¡­ If she didn¡¯t block the magic. She was once a goddess of the harvest, of plenty. Now she uses her power to prevent her children from having the plenty she once gave them to punish them for failing her when she fought with the Great Father.¡± Risavis exined. ¡°Gods all have elements of the world that they can control. They can choose to give, or to take, that which is theirs. The Betrayer once gave food in plenty, no god could stop her from giving her children all that they required, not even the Great Father. It¡¯s not one of the elements he controls.¡±


    ¡°Why do they follow her then?¡± I demanded. That sounded like one shitty god to worship.


    ¡°Oh, some tried to leave her, but others, those who remembered the plenty she once gave, pulled them back and punished them, ming them for the hardships the shadow elves faced. Once no shadow elves tried to escape any more, the story changed. Now they med us. Believing that because we have plenty, it was clearly stolen from them. They me us. They me the Great Father and the gods they betrayed. They are full of hate now, and little else.¡± Risavis exined.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Until the great massacre, the shadow elves lived underground and Tavorwen made it seem like everyone forgot they existed, or thought they had died. How do you know all this?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°You are correct. We had forgotten about them. They were a myth. A story to tell children to make them behave.¡± Risavis confessed. ¡°But once they returned, the clerics spoke to the gods and learned what had happened. The Betrayer hid her children from the other gods, making them appear to have died in the depths of the earth. Only once they had returned to the surface could she hide them no longer.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I had to sit back and think with this new information. I couldn¡¯t help but think about other stories of when leaders had med the suffering and misery of their people on others and used that to justify genocide. This was just on arger scale and over a longer period of time.


    ¡°Do the shadow elves know the deception that has been worked on them?¡± I pressed, ¡°Surely some of them know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most of the clerical order knows.¡± Risavis admitted. ¡°Some few of the weakest and most ignorant might be unaware. But the understanding of the limits of divinity is the most basic study a cleric must understand, and that would reveal the lie that they then preach. They may willfully ignore the truth, but even the simplest of thoughts could reveal to them the truth.¡±


    ¡°Then why do they still follow¡­¡± I grasped at the straws.


    ¡°Because it is easier to believe and follow than to abandon everything you know. What generations before suffered for. The Betrayer has carefully molded her children into obedient and willful tools. They value their devotion to their goddess more than they value the truth.¡± Risavis shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Narusil called. ¡°Everyone gather round!¡±


    We all crowded in.


    ¡°Can you bring Irsivir in a little tighter, I¡¯d hate to only bring half of him along¡­ that¡¯s better. Alright, everyone hold as still as you can.¡± She began her incantation and her fingers began to move, light trailing her fingers.


    I tried to figure out what all she was doing, but not being able to hear her thoughts all I could do was wildly specte. Was she drawing a map? Imagining linking awork of magic? Using diagrams of magic to tie together everyone and everything that woulde along? Who knew? I would, one day.


    Then that sensation like my gut dropping out, like I¡¯d been dropped, but instead of falling, the world blended together into a swirl then reformed in a gully between the ridges of two hills.


    The lush green of the edge of the forest and the coast was gone. Recing it was dry grass and stone. Mountains,rger then the range I¡¯d crossed with Tavorwen, loomed to the north, getting taller and more imposing as they stretched to the west.


    ¡°Wee to thends of the shadow elves.¡± Narusil dered dryly.


    I kept low and moved to the top of the ridge. Looking out into the valley down below, it was gut wrenching. Dominating the central valley was an imposing fortress city. A central tower of ck stone rose with spikes like a crown of ck stones high in the sky. High thick walls surrounded thepound. The valley was in ruins. The grass was torn apart and trampled. Pulling out my sniper and looking through the viewing crystal over the scope I realized the tower wasrger than I¡¯d first believed and the city around its base was evenrger than Ealphamir, but looked to be more densely built.


    ¡°Can you reach them from here?¡± Nauveir asked incredulously.


    ¡°No, just trying to get a better view.¡± I exined, sweeping my view over the surrounding ground.


    I found a few knolls and hills that could be used for cover. If only we had known to prepare for the dirt browns and rocky grays instead of the leaf greens and tree bark browns of the forest. I pulled off my scope and noticed the paint on my rifle had shifted, now matching the dead grass and soil underneath it.


    Oh, right. Camouging paint. I checked my cloak and it too had shifted.


    Damn, magic didn¡¯t fix every problem, but there were a few ces it got to be very convenient. Looking over the elves who were gathered with me, all the soldiers¡¯ cloaks were now shifted to match their environment. Narusil¡¯s robe was white, and would stand out like a sore thumb among the browns and grays.


    ¡°Narusil, can you change the color of your robe, or could we rub dirt into it to make it stand out less?¡± I checked.


    ¡°Well, I could cast a mor on it. Let¡¯s see.¡± Narusil pulled up her tome, leafing through the pages to find what she was looking for. ¡°Sorry, illusions aren¡¯t my speciality.¡±


    After a minute Narusil found what she was looking for, spent a few minutes reviewing the entry in her tome, she slowly and carefully and slowly went through a series of sweeping motions as she slowly and carefully enunciated the words for her tome. When she finished, her robe shimmered as if paint had been dropped on top of her, but only affected the robe. When the colorpletely covered the dress, it matched the cloaks around her.


    ¡°How long will that spellst?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Several hours.¡± Narusil assured me. ¡°It is an Apprentice level spell, so nothing I can¡¯t do again. But two castings should get me through the day.¡±


    I nodded, that would work. It was less frequent then I¡¯d had to reapply field camouge on many of my missions. I pulled the hood of my cloak up over my head, and all the elves with cloaks followed suit. The shadow of the hood fully concealed their faces in shadow, despite the angle of the sun. I¡¯d take that over the grease and slime I¡¯d had to use to hide my face in the past.


    ¡°Alright, I want to move slowly, cover to cover. It¡¯s going to take us several hours to get in ce, but my goal is to reach that knoll down there without drawing attention.¡± I exined, indicating my ideal strike location.


    My maidens and matrons nodded.


    ¡°Alright, follow me.¡± I instructed.


    I sprawled out, my sniper still in hand. I began to slowly inch down toward my next ridge. It was a slow process. It was better to be slow and steady than quick and get caught. Luckily, as long lived as the elves were, patience was something they had in spades and they epted my orders and tactics without question.


    Theck of patrols was eerie. I couldn¡¯t look to check on my maidens and matrons until I reached the first cover. ncing back, I couldn¡¯t see any of them, not even Narusil, until they joined me in cover. I finally found Narusil as she reached my side, and I realized the magic that covered her robe could be extended to her face, hair, and hands as well, when she wished it.


    ¡°Do they really not have patrols?¡± I breathed.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t necessary.¡± Tavorwen guessed. ¡°What fool would attack them?¡±


    ¡°Narusil, are they watching the area using scrying?¡± I asked.


    Narusil whispered a magic phrase, too quiet for me to hear. She closed her eyes and concentrated. ¡°No, I can¡¯t find any signs of scrying.¡±


    ¡°Then we can move a little faster until we get closer.¡± I gauged. ¡°Everyone keep your eyes and ears peeled. If you see anything make sure you aren¡¯t going to be seen.¡±


    It almost felt sphemous, moving in slow, crouching steps with my cloak wrapped around me and my rifles, but I wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If my enemy was going to be so arrogant as to not patrol while actively at war, and wasn¡¯t even using the best surveince tools avable, I was going to get in with my team, and wreak havoc before we could get caught.


    It still took us two hours, sneaking across the destroyed hills leading to what must have once been a lush grasnd. To my disappointment, the scale of El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran had made me misjudge the distance between the nearest suitable hill and the city itself. I was still probably a half-mile beyond the range of my farthest sessful kill back on earth, and a mile beyond where I wanted to be.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I whispered. ¡°I need all of you to stay hidden here. I¡¯m going to creep forward and do my thing. Do not engage unless I reveal my position.¡±


    Silent nods acknowledged the orders.


    Again, I sprawled out, using a subdued army crawl to inch my way forward. Every sniper had to carefully bnce speed and stealth, and being in a strange new ce, I was leaning toward stealth. It took me at least two hours to move the mile to a rut where I settled. The sun was beginning its descent. Now roughly a mile from the outer wall of El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran, and that would give me a good range to hit targets on the wall, and anythinging out the gate or over the walls. I anticipated wyverns, gruthir, and other strange beasts in addition to shadow elves.

 649

    I kept my hood drawn over my head and brought my rifle to firing position. The crystal gave me a clear view of the individuals on the wall. The shadow she-elves were spread far thinner than they should and appeared bored. Their light armor was worn with various degrees of vignce. Some wore metal helmets, while others wore leather, or carried their helmets in their arms to escape the heat. I watched for about twenty minutes, learning how they patrolled and the standard practices. The information would be less useful now, because I was nning on causing havoc, but should I need to infiltrateter, it would be good information to have.


    Desiring to cause fear and invoke chaos, I waited until two of the sentries were about to cross each other, where the shot couldn¡¯t be missed, and took aim. I timed my shot, calming myself, and using every trick I knew to steady myself. The rifle jerked as the bullet was silently sent, and I immediately chambered another round. In the silence of the field, the whistle of bullet cutting through the air at supersonic speeds was clear to me, though the initial crack of the round being fired was nullified.


    Normally, I would aim for the chest. Arge enough caliber bullet hitting you anywhere in your upper chest was almost guaranteed to be deadly, but with the crions of the battlement made that less ideal. I¡¯d had to aim for the head.


    In a red ssh, my target dropped. I watched carefully for the other sentry¡¯s reaction. She immediately took something like a horn crafted from an ox horn or something simr, and brought it to her mouth, and even at my distance, I could hear the horn sound. The sentry had done what I wanted, and I sent another round to silence her. The round hit, cutting off the sounding of the horn.


    I took a deep, calming breath. The ho¡¯s nest had been kicked. Now to see what came swarming out.


    I could see sentries, now crouching to avoid view, in shes among the crions as their hair or helmets peaked through the lower sections. Horns sounded again. Dust rose from the inside of the wall as shadow elves scrambled.


    If nothing else, I¡¯d shown them that they weren¡¯t invincible and untouchable behind their ck stone walls.


    My skin prickled as though a searchlight passed over me, the strange feeling causing goosebumps, then it came again. I shivered as I wondered if I was instinctually detecting the passing scrying sensors. Motion caught my attention as wings pped and wyverns began to take to the sky.


    I waited for a moment when my skin wasn¡¯t prickling, and I turned my rifle on one of the rising wyverns. The higher they got the steadier their flight paths were, so the first wyvern that had taken to the sky, shadow elf rider on its back, was my first target. I had to lead the shot, but as the wyvern rider was circling to gain height it was easy to predict their paths. My shoulder took another thump as I sent the round.


    The wyvern¡¯s screech of death barely reached me. Its wings failed and it dropped back down into the city. There were two very different reactions among the other wyverns. Some circled round trying to figure out what happened to their fallen ally. The other¡¯s screeched in terror and dove back to the safety they had risen from.


    THUMP! Rack. THUMP! Rack. THUMP! Rack.


    Three more wyverns dropped from the sky as I picked my targets and popped the spent casing from the chamber and brought a new one in. The remaining wyverns followed suit of those who had fled earlier and dove back to the same sector they had risen from. Returning to their home, I¡¯d guess.


    The gate creaked open. A formation behind wooden shields with metal banding as tall as the elves carrying them began a slow march out of the gate, using something very reminiscent of a roman testudo. I was guessing those shields couldn¡¯t be thick enough to really block my rounds, unless the magic on their shields could beat the magic on my bullets and have enough strength remaining to stop my round.


    A second then third formation emerged from the gates, the formations spreading out clearly searching for what was attacking. I wanted to give them a moment to be fully outside the gate andmitted, then I¡¯d see if I couldn¡¯t prove my rifle superior to their shields.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    A breathless soldier burst into the throne room of the shadow elf queen.


    ¡°The city is under attack!¡± The soldier dered, her breasts heaving.


    Kathra finished drinking the cup of dark sweet liquid her soldiers had recovered in a raid against the mountain elves. ¡°And this is a problem, why? Have the high houses not deployed their soldiers? No force is a threat to us anywhere, let alone here in our stronghold.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But¡­ Great Kathra, our forces seem to die without warning! The wyverns of house Mor¡¯Vakth fall from the sky dead!¡± The soldier dered in panic.


    ¡¯dri stared straight forward, trying to keep his face impartial.


    Kathra¡¯s face clouded over. ¡°These deaths¡­. Are they followed by a loud cracking sound?¡±


    ¡°No! Great Queen, though some have heard a strange whistle¡­.¡± The soldier trailed off.


    ¡°IT LIVES!¡± Kathra screamed, smashing the cup in her hand on the arm of her throne, shattering it and raining shards down on her enved daughter. ¡°HOW DOES IT LIVE!?¡±


    The soldier quietly slipped from the throne room in fear.


    ¡°Rally all the houses! Deploy the shadow ws! Deploy the mages! I want every house to bring their all to bear! The house that brings me the head of the Wood Elves¡¯ Summon shall receive triple rations for three years!¡± Kathra screamed, her knuckles white as she gripped the throne.


    Multiple messengers ran from the room.


    ¡°¡¯dri!¡± Kathra snarled.


    ¡°I am here.¡± The advisor stated trying to keep his nervousness from affecting his voice.


    ¡°You believed the summon still lived. Why?¡± Kathra demanded. ¡°Did you know this wasing?¡±


    ¡°No, my queen.¡± ¡¯dri admitted, ¡°This is far bolder than I would ever have believed. I merely was cautious of celebrating victories before confirming the death of the summon.¡±


    ¡°You are a male. How does this male think? Why would he move on us now?¡± Kathra snapped.


    ¡¯dri swallowed, ¡°Not all males think the-¡±


    ¡°TELL ME WHY A SINGLE MALE IS ATTACKING MY STRONGHOLD!!!¡± Kathra screamed.


    ¡¯dri¡¯s eyes raced around the room. ¡°He can y any of our forces at great distance, with impunity. We do not know what he is capable of. We do not know his range. We know too little about him to counter him effectively. I would presume he is attempting to press his advantage as far as possible while we are yet unprepared to face him.¡±


    Kathra seethed.


    ¡¯dri continued to think.


    The possibility that their actions, enving a poor young wood elf and forcing her to walk into Ealphamir to be detonated as a living bomb, had enraged their foe didn¡¯t even ur to them in their twisted minds. That was politics as normal. Murder, envement, betrayal, these were simply tools in their mind.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The formations had moved far enough from the gates.


    I took aim at the center of one of the formations, not the closest to give away my position, but the second, and fired.


    Splinters of shields flew everywhere and a line of the tightly packed elves fell to the ground. I¡¯d seen estimates that a normal. 50 caliber rifle could shoot through five people lined up. My rifle just took out at least ten of these elves. The magic on my bullets must be potent indeed.


    The formation closed, but began to retreat back toward the gate.


    I almost fired at the retreating elves, but I realized that was exactly what they would do with the power I held and in the position I was in. I wanted to be better than them.


    If the shadow elves were paying attention, the line of downed elves was pointing straight to me. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do to fix that. One line wouldn¡¯t be enough to pin down my location, but a second would. It wasn¡¯t avoidable though.


    There was only one thing that I could do to reduce the effect of a second line.


    I took an aim at the nearest formation and I took a breath to prepare.


    My first shot cut through the right side of the formation. I racked the level, chambering a new round and shifted it a touch, and blew a second line taking out the next adjacent line of elven soldiers. Without waiting, I kept blowing through the formation, sting through line after line of the formation, until they broke and began to run.


    By the time I swung my rifle to the final formation, but they were already breaking and running, so I let them flee.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°The formations of House Hromnor have been broken! Casualties are high! At least thirty dead.¡± Another messenger proimed in fear before the raging Queen.


    Kathra¡¯s teeth were clenched so hard her teeth hurt.


    ¡°Has the summon been seen yet?¡± Kathra demanded angrily.


    ¡°No! The soldiers fall as if felled with destruction magic, but the magics of the shields of House Hromnor should block such magic!¡± The shadow elf, of House Hromnor herself, dered in confusion. ¡°All we know is the deaths are all happening to the south east of the city.¡±


    ¡°Begone!¡± Kathramanded.


    ¡¯dri was terrified. Kathra was vtile on the best of days. The teachings of Ya¡¯av weren¡¯t exactly aimed at stability. All shadow elves knew this, and it caused the strongest elves to rise to positions of power. But it did mean no one ever felt safe and secure in their power.


    ¡¯dri had an idea. He wasn¡¯t sure if he dared to voice it. He had serious doubts that Kathra would ept the idea, let alone allow him to live for voicing it.

 650

    Cavalry surged from the city. They came out the gates to the east, north and west, not the south gate where I was located. I could tell the cavalry had little information as to where I was, because they were spreading south and east, not just south where I was.


    The cavalry were grouped, but not so tight that I¡¯d probably not hit multiples with each shot.


    The beasts they rode weren¡¯t horses. Quadruped, yes, but they had wed feet and through my scope I could even see the fangs in their mouth. Their forward eyes said that they were predators, not prey. They looked like some kind of mix between a horse, a rabid great dane and a wolverine.


    It was time to test mybat rifle. The cavalry would be within range of the automatic weapon shortly. Moving slowly, I brought mybat rifle up and shifted my sniper to the side.


    Almost, almost¡­.


    I pulled the trigger and felt the rounds start to rattle off. There was no sound from each round as the rifle hit my shoulder, but intermittent whistling of the rounds filled my ears.


    The screams of shadow elves mixed with the screams of their mounts and it didn¡¯t take long for the beasts to turn tail and run. Predators were courageous when they believed themselves to be at the top of the food chain, but as soon as something else came along that was going to kick them out of that spot they didn¡¯t know how to handle it. A quick shift and a few bursts and the other cavalry were turning tail as well.


    I almost felt bad. I was outgunning these elves on a scale I hadn¡¯t seen since I¡¯d seen one of Jacob¡¯s cousins think that he could dominate Jacob in a water fight with his water gun, while Jacob had the hose filling the pool. Sure, Jacob got squirted a couple of times, but then he turned the hose on the cousin and sent him packing. I didn¡¯t feel bad, however, because of the squirtgun these elves had chosen to use. These shadow elves had done their squirting when they sent the wood elf they¡¯d enved, Radrine, to die to try and kill me. I would never forget her name, and now I was ready to drench them in return.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°The cavalry of House Druindair has broken, fifteen riders and their mounts ughtered in a matter of moments.¡± One messenger informed the Shadow elf queen.


    ¡°House Ognrar too has been repelled. They too took heavy casualties in a matter of seconds. It has been noted that once the forces begin their retreat, the attacks stop.¡± Another soldier reported.


    Kathra sat on her throne, rage making the veins in her eyes stand out.


    ¡¯dri could hold his peace no more once the messengers retreated.


    ¡°My queen, we are being routed.¡± ¡¯dri started delicately.


    ¡°Tell me something I am NOT keenly aware of, ¡®Advisor¡¯¡­. Advise me.¡± Kathra snapped.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°¡­ Perhaps it is time to invoke the weaknesses of our foe¡¯s religion.¡± ¡¯dri suggested.


    ¡°What exactly are you proposing?¡± Kathra demanded, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°One of their ¡®Great Father¡¯s¡¯ holy teachings¡­ Perhaps we could¡­.¡± ¡¯dri began to exin.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Movement drew my attention to the top of the wall, among the crions. Switching back to my sniper, I found roped elves with staves poking above the barrier of the wall, making them easy to locate.


    I wasn¡¯t about to let the mages do what they wanted uncontested.


    I found a face peering through the openings in the battlements, and took aim. I fired and grit my teeth. The shot was off. I was getting too excited. Anyone who¡¯s fired high caliber rounds would know what I meant when I said my shoulder was feeling it. Was it incapacitating? No. Would it stop me? No. Did that mean I didn¡¯t feel it? Again, no.


    The stone to the left of the mage¡¯s face, who I was trying to hit, exploded as my round hit it. It looked like the round might have ricocheted into the mage, or the shards of stone might have hit him, regardless, the mage¡¯s face disappeared and her staff fell away, either thrown or dropped.


    The staves scattered. They all disappeared at the same ces, letting me know exactly where the stairs down to the inside of the walls were.


    I wiped the sweat from my brow and watched to see what the shadow elves would throw at me next.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°¡­ but we would be bound by this as well?¡± Kathra affirmed in disgust.


    ¡°Yes. We too would be bound.¡± ¡¯dri replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what other option we have at this moment?¡±


    Kathra¡¯s lip curled in disgust. ¡°Let me consult our Great Mother. All of you! LEAVE ME!¡±


    ¡¯dri, Clee¡¯Amura, and every hidden courier, or messenger, hurried from the room.


    Kathra stood and took her scepter in hand. She braced herself. Ya¡¯av was not known for being particrly understanding or kind. Kathra owed everything to the intervention of the Goddess time and time again through her life. Assassinations, betrayal, and ambush had all beenmon on her path to the throne, and without the support of Ya¡¯av, she would have fallen hundreds of years ago.


    ¡°Oh, Great One! Hear me, your daughter! Chosen leader of thy great people! See me and hear my prayers!¡± Kathra called.


    The eyes of the great statue opened and the mouth twisted into a crazed smile¡­


    Outside the room, the couriers whispered anxiously as ¡¯dri paced and Clee¡¯Amura stood in the corner, her face emotionless and still. Moments crept on. The shiver they all felt was proof that Ya¡¯av had answered the call of her high priestess and queen of her people. And they would have to obey the will of the divinity passed through their queen.


    After only a minute or two, the doors blew open, the glowing fading from the bright light of divinity¡¯s presence to the subtle glow always present in the statue.


    Kathra trembled and fell onto her throne. She turned to be sitting, instead ofying on her throne. With a cruel grin, she turned to her advisor.


    ¡°Prepare the gs and deploy them immediately. Ya¡¯av has ns that require time to aplish and X¡¯Thallion¡¯s false nobility shall give us that which we require.¡± Kathra hissed through her grin.


    Four couriers rushed down the halls, each racing to be the first to deliver their message.


    Kathra¡¯s eyes settled on Clee¡¯Amura, an equal measure of cruelty and triumph on her face.


    Clee¡¯Amura had long ago learned to suppress her emotions, but Kathra could feel the fear and despair that not even the years of abuse and cruelty had prepared her daughter to hide.


    ¡°Now¡­ finally, I shall have a use for you.¡± Kathra cackled.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The churned dirt outside the walls of El¡¯Muth¡¯Ran was still.


    I didn¡¯t like it one bit. I may have caused havoc and destruction in their ranks, but this was far too easy. I was one man and could only do so much, even with the serious technological advantage my weapons gave me. At long ranges, my firing speed was pretty slow, and at shorter ranges, the lower caliber was not nearly as deadly. Any realmander would see that and send all the groups I had thus far thwarted back at me at once, to overwhelm me before I could take them all out. Surely the shadow elves had a pretty good idea where I was at this point. The amount of dust that had been kicked up by my weapons, the literal lines of bodies in lines stretching away from me, and the fact that they¡¯d quickly narrowed my location down to the south east of the city showed they clearly weren¡¯tplete imbeciles.


    The shadow elves seemed to be doing, well, nothing. I was outside the range of most bows, I was sure, so volleys of arrows wouldn¡¯t make sense. They weren¡¯t sending out more cavalry or infantry, and the wyvern were nowhere to be seen. I hadn¡¯t seen more of any of their warbeasts, neither the gruthir I¡¯d faced before nor the new horrors I¡¯d anticipated, unless you counted the beast-horses the shadow elf cavalry rode.


    I could still feel the sensation of the goosebump inducing searchlights, but other than that there was nothing going on, despite the attack I was making on their stronghold and home.


    Finally, I saw movement.


    But what I saw confused me, were¡­. Were the shadow elves surrendering? White gs were hoisted from the corners of the wall and above the gates.


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