Forrest, Dawn - Alphas' Prize [WeresRus] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (23 page)

“I know you’re scared, Mom, but one of those werewolves may be your true-mate. The Alpha Council only meets once every seven years, and it’s an opportunity to at least discount individuals. Who knows, you might even consider settling for something…well, for something else.”

“Something less, you mean.” It irritated her that Joanna would even mention it and because she knew it was a logical option.

“Mom, humans do it all the time,” Jo coaxed.

“We’re not human.”
But would it really be so bad to make a life with a man without the bond, with someone I like and respect, maybe even could come to love?

She had always feared what would happen if she became too attached to a partner and then either one of them found a true-mate. But as her daughter just pointed out, that happened all too often with humans, as the divorce rate showed, but it didn’t stop people trying, hoping. They had said she could dictate the terms of any partnership and perhaps such issues could be catered to within a formal agreement.
Time to stop bloody well being a relationship dodger.

“Was living with my father so terrible?”

She heard the hurt in Jo’s voice.

“I’ve already told you that your father was a good man, and I wouldn’t change going with him because I have you. I’ll come to The Den provided this Will Hawke and the rest of them behave. I want to see you before you leave.”

“God, Mom, as if I’d go without saying good-bye.”

She could just imagine Jo rolling her eyes. The love she felt for her warmed her to the tip of her cold nose.

“Can I tell Will Hawke where you are? He suggested that he could make sure no other werewolves go near the area.”

“Do you trust him, love?” For the first time she was putting her faith in someone else.

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Okay. Can he send some trusted mated men to pick me up in two days?”
Might as well go all in and trust the guy.

“I can do better than that. Vlad, Yuri, and I will come and get you. Have a think about where you’d like to settle. I’d better go. Some mated women are coming over, and Angela and I are getting a talk about things that I’m not really sure I want to hear.”

“I wish I was there for you.”

“You always have been. I love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too. Bond well.”

* * * *

Jo sat with Angela in a quiet sitting room of The Den, sipping coffee. On the floor were scattered beautifully crafted Native American rugs, and similarly patterned blankets adorned the walls. A log fire smoldered in the hearth, making it a warm, comfortable, and relaxing place to be. They were waiting for some of the mated women to arrive. The Montana Pack liked pre-bound women to be thoroughly prepared. Apparently, Prime Hawke had a thing about making sure things went smoothly. The man ruled with a velvet-gloved iron fist. According to her mates and Angela, he was a reasonable, intelligent man, with a beast so potentially devastating that all other males, Primes and Alphas included, avoided confrontation. His beast had a dominant streak the width of Montana, but the man was very disciplined.

Vlad and Yuri were sitting in the Council meeting next door, but every five minutes one or the other would unashamedly stick his head in the room to check on her.

“Jeez, you’ll be glad when you’re true-mated, because then they won’t need to worry that some nefarious Were will steal you away.”

“You know, Angela, I don’t really mind. It’s pleasant not to have to look over my shoulder all the time. I’ve only really been doing it for a month, but it wears you down.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think.” She slapped her forehead.

“That’s okay. Have you ever seen a male werewolf in beast form?” She was curious because she had only ever seen her mom.

“I’ve seen my dad and Will Hawke. It’s strange because my dad is a similar size to Will in human form but not when they change. Will is big, massive actually. He’s over eight feet tall and broad, with muscle on top of muscle. He’s a Prime,
the
Prime, and I’ll admit I was scared. Hell, Jo, if truth be told, I’m a little worried about how Mike is going to be.” She took a deep breath. “I guess I’ve tried not to think too much about that, and he has been careful with me, but he’s a Prime, too.”

Jo now found herself in the support role for a change.

“I’ve only changed once, but when I did I was still aware of myself. Sure, my primal nature asserted itself and I wanted to run, hunt, and howl at the moon for a Pack and my mate, but I knew that I couldn’t howl as loud as I wanted, that I couldn’t risk attracting the wrong male, and I was able to repress that need. It was hard, but I did it. Mike adores you, and that will not change when he does. He won’t want to hurt you. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to be a male who tried to come between you, because that would end in much worse than tears.”

“I know. My mom has told me some of it already, and I hear what other mated women say, but I haven’t seen an aroused male in beast form. Mike is way big enough as it is.”

Before she could answer, Joanna heard feminine voices.

“They’re here.” She smiled and squeezed Angela’s knee. “Let’s get some answers.”

A minute later, about ten women bustled into the sitting room talking loudly and carrying bottles of champagne and cartons of fresh orange juice. It wasn’t yet 11:30 a.m., but they all seemed eager to start. Immediately the room was filled with excited chatter and laughter. She was introduced to Carol—Angela’s mom—and then to Karen Kaiteke, the wife of Paul, the Maori Pack Alpha. It was great to speak to someone who could tell her about her Maori family, her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

“You know, I bet my mom would like to see and talk to you. She may be here in a few days.”

“That would be great! Do you know why she never contacted us after she ran from Scotland? We were all so worried.”

“She was scared. She didn’t want anyone to know where she was, and she didn’t want to put anyone at risk. She thought that if unmated males believed she was captured they wouldn’t continue to search for her. She didn’t contact her parents because she knew they’d be obligated to tell their Alpha.”

Yuri stuck his head into the room and someone shouted, “Ah, one of the lucky males. Congratulations and good hunting tonight.”

All the women turned to look at him and raised their glasses. He nodded awkwardly, and his pale face pinked just below his cheekbones as he quickly backed out of the room to the sound of smothered giggles. Yes, even a strong werewolf could be intimidated by a group of chuckling women, and Jo reckoned that it might be a little longer before he stuck his nose in the room again.

She listened as Carol explained what would happen tonight.

“Today, April 17
^th
, the sun sets at 8:29 p.m., and the moon rises at 8:40 p.m. You will both be driven to a clearing in the forest half an hour before the sunset. The chosen areas have shelter, teepees that have been prepared with furs and blankets. Because it’ll be a cold night, the fire pits will be lit. Angela, I will stay with you until just after the sunset, but then I must leave. Mike will start the run with the other unmated males, near The Den. It will not take him long to catch your scent and find you. Don’t worry if another werewolf comes across you first, because you have Mike’s scent. Unless you are their mate, a healthy werewolf will not be interested in you. They will not attack you as prey because they still have enough cognitive reason not to harm you. Most will avoid you if they catch your scent. I’m very glad that Prime Khan has gone because there is something not right about that werewolf, and I wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving you alone with him around. When your mate finds you, what do you do?”

“I stay calm, breathe deeply, inhale his scent and pheromones.”

“That’s right, it’ll help your body and mind to accept your mate. Mike is a Prime, and your father has confirmed that he is a large beast. Do not be afraid because he will not hurt you. He’ll want to mount you quickly. When he draws near, drop the cloak and go to your hands and knees. Instinct will take care of the rest. When it is over and you are no longer tied, the beast will probably leave to run and hunt nearby. It is the nature of the animal to take off after the bond is formed and the initial lust is sated, but he will remain close and probably return to mate again. Snuggle down in the teepee until morning. Mike will most likely return before the moon sets at around 6:00 a.m. A vehicle will be left for you to drive back to the cabin.”

She turned to Joanna and sighed. “You’re on your own.”

Jo felt a sinking dread in the pit of her stomach and the blood drain from her face.

“God, I’m kidding, girl, lighten up. Of course you aren’t alone!” She laughed and gave her a nudge. “I just thought it was all sounding too serious. Have a sip of your buck’s fizz. Karen has offered to accompany you. You will also be assigned two very trusted and mated Beta male guards from the Montana Mountain Pack.”

“Thanks, Karen, I appreciate it.” Jo wished it could be her mother with her, but she was grateful for the offer.

Karen nodded and smiled. “It’s my pleasure and honor to accompany you, Joanna Akara.”

Angela’s mom continued. “Karen should leave at sunset to get back in time for her mate. The guards will stay with you until just before moonrise, and then they will leave to allow you to strip in private for your change. It will probably be unsafe for them to be around you when the Volkovs find you. To avoid other unmated males, you will be taken to a secret, more isolated location, and Yuri and Vladimir will be dropped off within five miles of you. You’ll probably run with them until moonset, and you can make your way back together. Any questions?”

Jo looked at Angela’s face and knew what concerned her the most but clearly she didn’t want to ask her mom.

“Er, I’ve never seen a male in beast form before. My guys are…er…big…all over. Will
that
part get much larger?” She could feel her face getting hot.
Awkward.

Angela sent her a look conveying gratitude.

“Well, your physiology will also change, so I doubt you’ll have a problem,” Angela’s mom said.

Karen must have seen the look that transpired between the new friends.

“Changed males aren’t that much bigger when they first enter a female. As with several other species of animals, the penis swells and gets much bigger near the base in response to vaginal contractions and ejaculation. When that happens, the chemicals in their seminal fluid also cause the vaginal muscles at the entrance to constrict and tighten more. This is what we jokingly refer to as ‘tying the knot.’ Do not be afraid, because it feels amazing.” She said it simply, matter-of-factly, without embarrassment.

Angela still looked tense, but Jo could also detect a faint taint of arousal, too. It surprised her that Karen seemed to have enjoyed the experience. She was curious and wanted to know more.

“Where do you women go on a full moon?”

“What do you mean?” asked Karen.

“Well, er, don’t your mates come after you? How do you avoid getting pregnant?” She didn’t see many pregnant women, but she couldn’t see a werewolf putting on a condom.

“It is not easy to get pregnant, so the answer is we often don’t avoid our mates. If for some reason we can’t have sex with our fellas, like it’s too soon after having a baby or something, then either our guys run farther away to avoid temptation or we go for a little vacation. Most males can control themselves and stay away, but Packs have safe houses. The kids get used to large sleepovers at an early age, and quite a few of us have at least a secure basement adapted. All Alphas have safe places that can be used for either keeping a werewolf in or out. I don’t know about you, but most males don’t like being indoors if they can help it. They want to be outside in the moonlight.”

Joanna knew how that felt because she had experienced the thrilling buzz of moonbeams on her skin when she’d changed. The elation at running free was equaled only by sex with Yuri and Vlad.

“Hold on a moment, are you saying you don’t avoid sex with—with the beast? You
like
to mate on a full moon?” She couldn’t help the surprise in her voice.

The room filled with giggles.

“Honey, there ain’t nothin’ beats a beast,” joked an attractive blonde called Mary.

“It may be fast, but wow, it’s wild,” said another.

“Pure animalistic pleasure. It’s amazing to experience what the beast feels through our bond,” a redhead said with a dreamy expression. “In some ways I envy that you can change, Jo.”

“So, tonight the forest will be full of randy werewolves and their wives?”

“Yeah, more than would normally be the case because some of us are visiting with our Alpha hubbys,” blonde Mary answered. “I, for one, am not freezing my ass off, though. I’ll be waiting on the porch of the cabin and tucked up in bed not too long after.” A few other ladies murmured in agreement.

“Don’t forget, Jo, there aren’t usually this many Weres together. You are at the Pack’s headquarters, and there is a Council Gathering, so there are many more werewolves around than normal, and more mated couples.”

So tonight was going to be a real fuck fest. Her thoughts were interrupted when Mike knocked and came in.

“G’day, ladies. Starting early, aren’t we?” he teased, eyeing the champagne.